Beadle's New York Dime Library, No. 484 — page 7: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

ee hima trick several months. I went to the Rolling Tavern | the time the repast was ended, Nick had con- last night with my mind fully made up to marry her if she would have me.” ‘* And how have you so soon discovered that her accusations were false?” ‘¢ Why, she betrayed herself,” exclaimed the robber chief, seating himself near Nick. ‘‘ No sooner had you been sent adrift upon your horse, and I and the rest had begun to rejoice in the certainty of your destruction, than the guilty woman experienced a fearful shock of remorse. She fell uponher face, tearing her hair and beating her breast, calling herself a murderess and vowing that she would die with you, I must do her the justice of saying that she sup- posed herself to be unseen at the moment. She was not aware how near to her my anxieties about her had carried me.” Nick smiled again, as he queried; ** And soshe completely unmasked herself?” ‘* Completely.” . “Tam gladto hear it. The fact spares me the necessity of saying how entirely you wrong- ed me by your hasty action of last evening—” ‘‘ Pardon, once more,” interrupted the robber chief, inclining himself with a grace which showed that be had once had a position in good society. ** You are freely forgiven, of course, captain,” returned Nick. ‘“‘ 1 must even add that you are entirely excusable under the circumstances.” ‘* Many thanks for your generosity. Permit us to assist you toa chair at the table, for here comes your breakfast.” A couple of jaunty-looking young men had appeared upon the scene, bearing a table that was handsomely laid, and which was literally loaded with all sorts of tempting dishes—broiled gaine, coffee, toast, steak, excellent bread, pre- serves, and various tempting tid-bits which Nick would have never expected to encounter in such a wilderness. ‘¢[ invite you to share my breakfast, Mr. Peddie, or l invite myself to sbare yours—we'll not quarrel about terms,” said the robber-chief, when be and Dan had placed Nick in a camp- chair at one side of the table. ‘‘ It strikes me as a sensible way of making an appeal to you to overlook the wrong of last evening. We can talk as we eat, and eat as we talk, and so get acquainted.” Such genial discourse as this was not to be es- teemed lightly, under the circumstances, and Nick responded in cordial terms. ** Permit me to introduce myself to you, Mr. Peddie,” pursued the robber-chief, as he passed to Nick a cup of fra7rant coffee. ‘I am Cap- tain Ready, the leatcr of the Red Ransomers, one of the finest bodies of citizens in the coun- try. In other terms, the sixty or eighty men ne see around us are my followers, e live ike princes here in the pines at the expense of the public at large—precisely like your members of the Legislature and your senators and con- gressmen, your millionaires, your monopelists, and all that ilk, We levy contributions on the wagon trains, on the expresses, on the wayside stations, on the stages, on various mining and banking centers—in a word, on everybody traversing our dominions, or residing within them. 6 even consider ourselves at liberty to take from the red-man anything be may have taken from his white brother. As to gold-dust, bullion, and boxes of treasure, such are our especial reverence. We have been at the busi- ness a great many years, and you will not be surprised to hear, therefore, that our secret caves hereabouts are as full of treasure of every description as are the sacred temples of an East- Indian Rajah!” Nick came near being so interested in these revelations as to neglect the excellent breakfast before bim, “Your frankness pleases me greatly, Captain Ready,” returned Nick. ‘‘I need scarcely add that | am your guest and a gentleman. | How | long I must trespass on your bounty remains to | be seen, but you need bave no more fear of me then of your most devoted follower, However much at variance with your wild life ma my sentiments, I shall never betray anything I may see here or anything you may tell me!” ‘* That is understood, of course,” said Captain Ready, who had waited on Nick with the creat- | est politeness while speaking, “This ranch I | have seen fit toreveal to you, in view of the great wrong I have done you. You'll have to remain with us several days, if the report of our chief medicine-man is correct, aud [ want you from the start to know just where you are, and to feel that you are perfectly safe among us, and that you are entirely welcome to all we can doforyou. All [ ask in return for my con- fidence is substantially what you have already given me—a promise that you will not use to our disadvantage anything you may learn du- ring your involuntary presence among us,” ick’s* promise was cheerfully repeated, of course, the outlawry of his hosts not warranting him in being treacherous or ungrateful. Nevertheless, his situation was anything but pleasant. ' He could have wished that fate had played of a more a ble description. A pleasant conversaticn followed, while ample justice was being done to the breakfast, and by ceived a strong interest in his hosf, and even a sort of respect for him, He had ventured to hope fora few minutes that his breakfast would so far warm him out of his soreness and weariness as to enable him to resume his journey in the course of the morn- ing. But the more he felt of bis bruised person and investigated his condition, the more clearly did he realize that the Esculapius of the Red Ran- somers had made suitable and honest report of his situation. ‘“*T fear I shall have to remain here a day or two, captain,” he said, when cigars had been lighted. ‘I trust I’ve made my last appearance on any stage as Mazeppa!” **T join in the wish. Next time you had bet- ter he blown up in a steamboat, or dropped two or three hundred feet in the shaft of some mine, by a broken chain, But now a word in regard to your comfort, Just in the edge of the bushes yonder I have as nice a tent as money can pro- duce. DI’ve had it pitched there for a couple of weeks in the hope that Miss Barter would be- come Mrs, Ready. This is as much as t> say, of course, that the interior of the tent is fitted up in the most elegant and comfortable fashion. Allow me to install you in that bower of beauty for the period of your stay among ! “With ten thousand thanks, captain, if you are not likely to want the tent for-—” “* Oh, she be blessed!” interrupted the outlaw, as his brow darkened, ‘I’m well cured of my infatuation for her. If I ever risk my life and liberty by another trip to the Rolling Tav- pele baat can call me the biggest fool on rec- ord! Here the outlaw made a gesture to his waiting followers, and they at once caught up the chair in which Nick was reclining, and bore him away gently to the tent which had been assigned 1im, CHAPTER IX, A STARTLING DILEMMA. THE interior of the tent was indeed all the captain had hinted. An alcove in a palace could not have been more elegant, The walls were hung with rich silks and satins, and the whole floor was covered by a carpet of the most gorgeous description, while the furni- ture was ma cence itself. Some of the carpenters of the band had evi- dently expended their best: efforts upon the rich- est woods of the Rockies in their attempt to produce chairs and tables and cther articles worthy of their leader’s admiration. ** You spoke of risking life or liberty in your visits to the Rolling Tavern, captain,” observed Nick, when he and Ready were alone. ‘ The remark seems odd to me, in view of your many followers, and has aroused my curiosity. May 1 ask for an explanation?” “Certainly, Mr. Peddie. The explanation is, in all frankness, that a company of United States cavalry has been hanging about this neighborhood for several days past, and I’ve re- marked a number of movements which at least suggested that some of these intrudérs might make an attempt to capture me. If I am not their objective point, one of my prisoners cer- tain Mf is ‘* But you are ready for them?” ‘“‘Of course. So far as I am concerned, they could only carry their little point on some such occasion as one of my trips to the Rolling Tavern.” Captain Ready made a few additional re- marks, looking to the comfort of his guest, and then added: ‘*Here are books to read, Mr. Peddie, and even musical instruments, if you should feel an inclination to play upon them. I will come and see you often, and the nearest sentry outside will always answer your call at any moment. Whenever you are well enough to leave, I shall take pleasure in placing at your disposal a pair of our best horses, as a substitute for the one you’ve lost. Adieu for the moment. I will look for the pleasure of your company at din- ner, if Iam not able to come to you sooner.” — He had scarcely retired from the tent than Nick fell into a profound reflection upon his situation, which was certainly still far from that of a peaceful rancher. An hour had thus passed and he was in the act of taking a book from a stand of curly maple near the head of his couch, when three men stole almost noiselessly into his presence through the aperture serving as a door, with a stealthiness and secrecy of manner that struck im, “What do you want?” asked Nick, with the abruptness of a map uncomfortably startled, as he managed by a painful effort to raise him- self to a sitting posture. The answer cume quickly from one of the in- truders in a mere whisper: ‘We want you, sir!” The appearance of the three men being pre- cisely that of the outlaws swarming in the camp, Nick very naturally supposed them to be followers of Captain Ready. Captain Ready, the Red Ransomer. ——e LL LLL LLL LC LL CL TC tt = v4 As their mien, however, was stern and men- acing, and especially as they all had drawn re- volvers, Nick perceived at a glance that a mys- sap full of peril was upon bim, ’ efore he could move or speak, the hands of one of the intruders had encircled his throat, and another had seized each of his arms ina vise-like grasp. “Gag him!” ordered the man who had before spoken, and who was visibly the leader of the intruders. ‘‘ And be quick about it!” The struggles of Nick, in the state he was in,’ were of course simply ridiculous in the eyes. of his assailants. A stick of green wood was foreed into his mouth, and secured with cords with such firm- ness that all his efforts to expel it were fruitless; then he was bound hand and foot as thoroughly as if he bad been some ravening beast of prey. ‘** Away with him,” ordered the leader of the three men, as he cut a long slit in the rear of the tent. ‘* Remember! in case we are inter- capi by the robbers, we are to leave him dead behind us!” Nick saw that bis adventure already bordered upon tragedy, and took good care not to put any obstructions in the way of his captors, | ‘* From pillar to post, and from bad to worse —such is evidently my fate!” he could not help thinking. With a few rapid steps the abductors bore him clear of the tent and the camp, and then along a densely-shadowed ravine to one of the grandest clusters of trees in the great forest. Here four horses were in waiting. ‘** Mount him,” ordered the leader. Nick was at once placed astride of one of the horses, and his limbs secured by a rope passing under the animal. The pain this proceeding caused him was ox- cruciating, but be had seen too clearly that his life was at stake to oppose willingly even the re- mentee of his inertness to the flight of his cap- rs. ‘* And now to get clear of the neighborhood,” added the leader, as he leaped into the saddle, and took the borse assigned Nick by the bridle, “(Caution for the moment, but once upon the trail we must ride like Mazeppa!” Nick could not help groaning dismally as the horses started, f all the words in the language, Mazeppa was the one least calculated to amuse him. What followed during the next balf-hour is too painful for description. To detail at length the tortures of Nick, as his bruised and swollen frame was borne atfull gallop through vast forests and over great plains, would be as harassing as fruitless. | uffice it to say that he was on the very verge as ng hs ga when his abductors at lengt ’ alted. ‘* Why, see!” cried the leader, as he dismount- ed, ‘The fellow seems gasping for breath! A — , little water from the brook!” ; No time was lost in removing Nick from the 4 horse and in taking the Bag from his mouth, Stretching him upon the ground, the three ~ men chafed his hands and bathed his pallid fea- | tures, with the air of being startled, as indeed they were, — ‘** Well, he must have been in trouble before we took him in hand,” remarked the leader, ’ calling attention to sundry bruises and disloca- . tions that became visible, ‘* He’s fresh from a fight, 1 presume. Perhaps we've been a little rough on him. Why, he’s like a dead man!” “No. He’s coming around,” replied one of the busy assistants. ‘“‘He is breathing again naturally. Givehim a drop of brandy, There! — He'll suon be all right again!” A The attentions of the trio were continued 3 until the color had returned to Nick’s cheeks, and until his voice and eyes were againathis | disposal. ‘** Who are you?” was bis first question, ** We'll soon show you!” ‘ The leader began removing an extra suit of tg clothes from his person, and in this pr Pa was imitated by his companions. The uniform of a captain in the United States army was soon visible on the person of the | leader, while that of a simple private in the | same service became equally prominent on the person of each assistant. + ‘* What! a captain in the United States Army, — with a couple of soldiers!” ejaculated Nick,as loudly as his weakness permitted, when the | three men had removed the disguise which had enubled them to enter the robber-camp unsus- ected. iti Yes, I am Captain Haskell, of the army, at your service,” said that personage, ‘‘ and these . are two of my men, Well met, Captain | Ready!” a Captain Ready! This greeting told its own — These men, then, had mistaken Nick forthe robber chief!” \ oa The look of astonishment that appeared on Nick’s face at the recognition of this mistake © can he imagined. 7 be i A ‘‘Oh! of course you'll deny your identity,” sneered Captain Haskell coma! cently, as he marked the expression of Nick’s countenance, ‘* When the wolf was ip a tight place he would <7 (Elo) mi NiGbDoOo (ECOMMUCE S