Beadle's New York Dime Library, No. 506 — page 15: what you’re looking at

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

Uncle Honest. = im see or hear you. If you do I'll break your head! Understand?’ proved sofar superior to the other’s that the struggle was only a farce, He briefly described the capture of the aero- naut. >. *“T do, fur sure.” The unknown was beld as in a vise, ana his ef- By the time he had finished, Eliakim was j ‘You can come with me, Hickman. We'll | forts were so useless that he speedily yielded. ready for work, He did not know the man be- f go outside and make a circuit of the place.” Isaac looked at his prisoner in grim silence, | fore bim, but it wasplain that he was an enemy. _ ‘What ef the enemy makesa dash fur me?’ | The man was a stranger to him. Had Doctor | Uncle Honest knew how to deal with such per~ — inquired, Webb. Mark been there he would easily have recognized | sons. He pointed to a chair. . > ** Shoot whoever tries it!” Storm Rider, the Sky Navigator, but Isaac saw ‘* Sit down!” he coldly directed. ‘“* With great pleasure,” only a tall, slender man of twice his own years, The order was obeyed. ar ‘But if there is only one man, capture him | who stood in dismay, if not in actual terror, *" Now we will be comfortable,” continned the alive if you can. I want him.” ‘‘ Well, here we are!” observed Isaac, stolidly. | Peacemaker, resuming bis usual manner, ‘ ** You kin depend on me, sheriff,” Storm Rider did not answer, ** Pray, my dear sir, what is your name?” ** Away to your post, then. Hickman, follow ‘‘What are you doing here?’ pursued the ‘** Nathan Moss.” » : me!” sheriff. ‘Why did you come to Hornets’ Nest? Out into the darkness marched the sheriff, ‘¢ Nothing.” “T am a hunter. I had bard luck in the and Eph followed at his heels, ‘“ Well, ’'m doing something, if you ain’t. | mountains, and lost my rifle and ammunition, | ‘* Now,” continued Isaac, ‘ get your revolver | Who the blazesare you?” I was about starved when I struck here, and I , ready, There may be no need of using it, but ‘¢ No matter,” muttered the aeronaut. obeyed tbe law of self-preservation, when I tried don’t spare powder if there is, Pl go one way Isaac shook him roughly. to get food.” ry : and you the other, and we'll meet at the rear. ‘*Tt matters to me, and I don’t take such an ** Your situation was pitiful,” agreed Eliakim, We must capture whosoever we find, quietly, if | answer. So you are a thief, eh!” blandly, ‘‘ Did the people refuse to give you~ 4 possible; with a bullet if need be. Possibly the | The prisoner seemed on the point of soon ; | food?” : ~ intruders are in the store-room, If the coast is | then he checked himself, hesitated, and fin y Storm Rider hesitated. tie clear when we meet, don’t speak above a whis- | replied. ‘The hour was so late that I did not ask.” aah If any one is inside, we don’t mean to let ‘ Yes.” ‘Your consideration for their conven rape! ne are on the track.” nf we do i Eo to steal” / was truly GAPORA ey Conaisertng that you . AU rignt, Ua . —something to eat. were starving, you did yourself bonor. mrt Hickman answered indifferently; he did not ‘‘ Did you expect to find it here?” ‘*]T fear Se o not believe me.” % _. believe any force to be gathered near there ‘6 Yes.” ‘Frankly, my dear friend, Ido not. Do you could worry them seriously. ‘You lie, and we both know it. Nobody | know the reason?” 1 | Isaac gave a few more directions and then | would come in here to get food. You were try- ** | suppose it is my usual ill luck.” aa i they separated. The big leader moved around | ing to get at the prisoners. Whatdid you want | ‘No; it is because you are too well known. % the west side of the house. His revolver was | with them?” held ready for use, and his keen eyes left no spot unnoticed as he crept forward. ‘At the least he expected to find on duty, working for “Nothing. 1 know nothing about any prison- ers. I was hungry—starving—and I was after food at any price. I thought this was a store.” me. Isaac, my son, this is the balloonist who is known as Storm Rider!” tye Both the listeners started. The sheriff won. dered that he had not suspected the truth be- wale went to their couches. Knifebelt still lay curled | the prisoners, and the guard bade likely to fare | briskly. As Isaac had asserted the man was | ard up, animal-like, and the necessity for vigilance | hard. - : speaking falsely, but, receiving the hint from ene seemed past, but the sheriff did not change his| The sheriff would not hesitate to shoot him | the sheriff’s own words, he bad resolved to avow manner, off-hand, and he knew that Hornets’ Nest would | himself a thief to escape more serious charges, the He allowed Hickman and Webb to smoke and | uphold him. A cold sneer appeared on Tsaac’s face, lin? play cards, but he did neither. Keeping apart ‘T hope it’s Yank Yellowbird!” he muttered, | ‘“‘ You talk well, but it won’tdo, Your stor mn from them, he sat with contracted brows, gaz- | retaining a vivid recollection and hatred for the | is altogether too foolish, Come, you may as well one ing at vacancy. man who had so roughly flung him against the | make a plain confession right at the start. int bat was in the grim Leather-Jacket’s mind, | platform in the court-room. What is your name uld mo other person could surmise. He was am- Nothing was to be seen up to the time when ** Nathan Moss.” . ne bitious enough to harbor hopes of a veritable | he reached the corner, but there he thought **Oh! it is, eh?” 4 & surprise in the West, but Hornets’ Nest would | developments certain. He peered around cau- ot ee : have been a poor place in which to start it. tiously, but eagerly, looking for a victim, but The sheriff’s brows were bent in a most ominous tas Nobody understood Isaac fully; he was un- | none could hesee. scowl. He had the will to lay violent hands up- vw readable, and, like a wise man, he told no more The darkness was pronounced at that point, | on the prisoner and choke his secret out of him da than others could see. : but if soon became certain that no enemy was | but even then the precepts of Uncle Honest ruled Fa. Hickman and Webb tired of playing cards, | there. the big son. He kept the peace with an effort. ons and, assuming easy positions, smoked in silence. A moment later and Eph Hickman’s head was ‘You may as well tell the whole truth, for I ake Isaac arose to make his rounds again. All was | thrust around the opposite corner. One point | am bound to have it out of you. You are fool- | still in Vashti’s room, and Joseph seemed to be | was settled, and Isaac made a motion to his ally | ing with aman who may be dangerous to you.. gh Sleeping peacefully. The sheriff went on to | and walked out boldly. Eph came to bim. Here at Hornets’ Nest we allow no such folly as mat Knifebelt’s room. Any one less pertinacious than the Leather- | this. The peace and order of the town must and a He slid back the panel and looked inside. Jacket would have abandoned his suspicion, but | shall be Neeecsesi, and all ruffians like you will Ww The light on the table shone freely in the | he did nothing of the kind. There wasa win- | get bard usage unless they are sensible enough aah room and revealed the boy, but he was no longer | dow in the end of the buildiug, and he decided | to deserve pity. Will you own up? curled up in the corner. He was on bis feet, | that the prowler had entered there and closed it *“*T have nothing to tell more than I have al- and, standing perfectly still, was staring at the | after him. ready confessed to you.’ ; ; further wall fixedly. His face was set and The sheriff spoke in a low voice: ‘* We'll see!” ; Stony, and the imperfect view which Isaac had ‘* Eph, stand near that window and be pre- Taking firm hold on the man’s apy Tsaac . of his eyes showed them much like his face. pared to seize the scoundrel if he gets out.” hustled him out of the room, He had decided th Isaac’s first feeling was one of surprise, and ‘‘All right,” replied Eph, with Spartan | to take the captive to Uncle Honest at once. res he stood still and looked at the boy. Knifebelt | brevity. The sheriff was conscious that he was not an . did not stir. Still he stared at the wall, and his “ He’s in there, and I'll go for him from the | expert at persuasion, but he considered his course grew increasingly singular. Isaac won- | inside.” father very near invincible. Uncle Honest had | 7 dered if he was not in a somnambulistic state, ** Just as you say.” a way of worming men’s secrets from them <1 but the sheriff’s natural suspicions caused him ‘* Mind now—he’s to be taken alive if possible; | which was a wonder to his admiring offspring. z to gain another idea, if not, shoot him down without mercy.” Getting Hickman and Webb together, Isaac | Was treason at work around the City Hall? ** All right.” gave them directions. For the time being the ne , Quietly he slid the panel back until the open- City Hall was left in their charge, and they © la ing was almost closed. Then he watched se- CHAPTER XIX. were expected to use all possible care and alert- : cretly. . i > ness. They promised, and then their leader Pas Seconds rolled on to minutes, but not a limb UNCLE. HONEST THIES HUIS HAND, took his prisoner away. od did Knifebelt stir. His fixed, strained position, Epa remained as phlegmatic as ever; he was Storm Rider had recovered his outward com- 20 and his stony expression, gave Isaac an uncom- | willing to slay or to spare, as circumstances re- | posure to a great. degree, but there had been t fortable feeling. The boy bad strange ways at | quired, and was indifferent as to the course of | nothing to quiet his real fears. He knew he " all times—perhaps he was going mad! events. _. | Was in a bad situation, and the prospect alarmed h The sheriff, too, looked hard at the wall, but Isaac returned to the hall. Fixed in the idea | him. As they went along he made an appeal to : he could see nothing unusual; he listened, but he | which had taken hold of him he was determined | Isaac, but the latter did not answer a word, In could hear nothing unusual. He had about | to invade the store-room at once. He only wait- | utter silence he marched the unbappy aeronant ¥ y.. decided to enter and question the prisoner, | ed to take another look at Knifebelt. The boy | to the Outerbridge residence. iS when the latter suddenly started and moved | was standing near the wall, but was no longer The hour was late, but Uncle Honest had not, eo 7 forward to the wall. Then he placed one ear | in a listening attitude. If Isaac correctly read | retired. His lamp was burnirg low, but he did 4 na close to the partition, and his face, turned to- | the expression on his face, the boy was uncer- | not heed it. Hesat ina chair in deep thought, — Js ward Isaac, bore an eager expression. ‘tain, .* . oe toward the floor without being con- — 1O Deeper grew the Leather-Jacket’s scowl. His | The sheriff took the lamp in his left hand, | scious that he saw anything. : D prisoner was not mad; he was not the victim of | and with a revolver in his right, prepared to in- A knock sounded at the door. . _ adream; but treachery was on foot in Hornets’ | vade the store-room. ‘Tt is Isaac!” he said aloud, and then bade the - | Nest. He flung the door open and entered. applicant enter. ; : Knifebelt was not doing his listening for noth- The room was filled with rubbish, and when The deor opened, and the sheriff and his com- — 4 ng. : he first swept a glance around he could see no | panionentered, The feeblelight fell upon them, ed ; Quickly Isaac returned to his men. human being. As he stood there he was exposed | but imperfectly, and Eliakim shaded his eyes — . “Rouse up, you fools!” he imperiously di- | to a shot from any lurking enemy, but the fact | and looked inquiringly at the Sky Navigator. ; rected, did not trouble him. ‘‘T have brought a visitor,” observed Isaac’ | They did rouse with remarkable quickness; If his belief had wavered, there was soon rea- | grimly. the order was peremptory even for the grim | son to renew it—the wall next to Knifebelt’s ** 1 don’t seem to know him, my son.” ; shoritt room had been tampered with, and a board was | ‘! Nor a 3 é rop those pipes, and become human be- rtially torn away. is business is not important— ‘ S ings!” i Grim the Leather-Jacket went on, and he | “‘‘ He has none; he has come on my business, x he pipes were hastily put away. was Dot lone in making discoveries. Up started | He isa prisoner.” °s “Now give attention to me! There is mis-~|a man from the cover of a box, and with a ‘* Ab!” fer 4 chief afoot. Some sort of treachery is afoot; | headlong rush he made for the window. It ‘‘He tried to break into the City Hall and — 2 what it is I don’t know yet. I think there is a | was clearly his intention to leap out through | rescue the prisoners confined therein—” . ; Scheme to rescue our prisoners.” sash and all, but there was a check to his pro- ‘‘ I deny it!” exclaimed Storm Rider, ‘I as- “It’s that thar lu Yank Yellowbird!” de- | ceedings. Isaac, too, made a rush, and in a | sure you that I am innocent.” is is cleared Hickman, with confidence. moment his grasp was upon the intruder. “So was Judas!” seoffed the sheriff, -ih ** Bet yer life!” coincided Webb. Stopped in the moment of decisive action the ‘*T was hungry and—” wt : ** Whoever it is will get hurt, Webb, I want | latter turned and bi pope with his enemy, but *‘ Father,” interrupted Isaac, ‘‘I give the man | r a br to go to the panel. Jt is open half an inch, | it was an unequal battle, soon over, Isaac had | to you. He is an unconscionable liar, as you : tand by it and watch the boy, but don’t let | hurriedly set the lamp on a box, and hisstrength | shall hear.” . a —_ the men he believed was endeavoring to liberate | Storm Rider held his head well up and talked » fore, when he had the clear description of Pies. poe Ws >* ‘ oh. . a : ; *