Beadle's New York Dime Library, No. 506 — page 26: what you’re looking at

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

— “et Le 4 26 Uncle Honest. as to giving aid to the girl, at that pace, he could not. The mountaineer was at his best. The affray brought back the days when he had fought the hostile Sioux, and if no woman had been with the party, nothing would have pleased him more than to turn at bay. ‘* Let the atrocious insex foller!” he muttered, looking back. ‘‘ Ef they don’t look out they'll et inter a condemn’d triberlation—they will, y hurley!” They were following, but the valley was left behind by the fugitives. They ran into a gulch, and from that moment Nevermiss felt safe. In that place, with the friendly cover of night around them, they could well defy pursuit when Yank Yellowbird led. That the pursuit was to be kept up was certain. The prrsuers were now at full speed, and they heard Isaac Outerbridge’s voice urging them on. One .of the party had paused in the valley. The momentary panic of the enemy, and the failure to follow promptly, had arisen from the fact that Isaac and Uncle Honest had both been stricken down, momentarily stunned. The in- stant their minds cleared, the order was given to fire, and then the pursuit was made. Uncle Honest forgot his age aud actually kept with the rest, until the decree of fate inade him almost stumble over the body of his youngest sou. Bitter as he had been, that sight was too much for him. He dropped upon his knees, and when the now-arousea villagers came running forward, they found him kneeling by all that was left of Peter. They spoke to him, but he did not answer. They did not know of the Leather-Jacket’s fall from grace, and, seeing him there, imagined he had been slain by those who had escaped to aa rocks. Eliakim Outerbridge had no such idea. He knew how the young man had died; he knew that the volley of bullets had been fatal: and though he bad sternly pronounced Peter’s doom before, he was now like one dazed. No greater harmony had ever existed among criminals than that among the Outerbridges before the fatal series of events begun which had led up to this; but one link inf the chain had been violently snapped asunder. It was too late for remorse; Peter would never again hear his father’s voice in anger or commendation. The deluded villagers, strong in the faith that Uncle Honest was the noblest of men, spoke to _him kindly. They tried to be consoling, forget- ting, as people usually do, what a mockery platitudes are in an hour of affliction, but they touched no responsive chord until one of them chanced to observe that the old man still had Isaac and Aaron left. lear reminder acted like a spur upon Elia- m. ‘Yes, yes,” he said, eagerly, “Isaac and Aaron are left! True sons—true sons! Good boys, both! I brought them up; I trained them in the way they should 5°. My care was over them from the cradle. I named them; I es them good old Scriptural names. Good ors! Fit sons of honest Eliakim Outerbridge.” he men looked at each otber significantly ; they imagined that their leader’s mind was touched. ‘“‘Shall we carry him to the village, Uncle Honest?” asked one. “Yes, yes; carry him there; carry him there, To my house, mind you—to my house. My doors are open to him, and I am an honest man, Peter was my son—a Scriptural name, gents, and a boy among a thousand, 2 know.” He paused abruptly. For a little while he bad forgotten what had gone before, but recollection came back, and as the wal was lifted, he point- ed to the village and sternly added: ‘Take him there!” Some one offered the Peacemaker a friendly — oe he rejected it and walked firmly after the dead, - CHAPTER XXXIV. ISAAC LEADS THE PURSUIT. PrGGyY’s defenders had a well-defined plan in mind as they retreated over the rough ground beyond the valley. If they had not found the Ormes during the recent search, they had learned a good deal about the hills, and among other things they found more than one recess, nature-made, where a good refuge could be fonnd. It was now their desire to gain one of these recesses, Yank had selected a route be believed most favorable to them, and they hurried on the best they could; but the pursuit was sharp. Now and then they heard the voice of Isaac Outer- bridge, and knew tbat while he led there would be no half-hearted measures used. ' The ground at this point was rough and hard to pass, but not, as was the case with other laces near Hornets’ Nest, cut up with canyons, he steep walls of which would defy advance. They had only to meet a series of ridges, with depressions between, but it was a terrible rough road. Bushes, rocks, and fallen trees interfered with progress, and more than one stumble was _ the result. ** Bear up, little woman,” said Yank, encour- ae . b x Sights Se <9 agingly. ‘‘Thar ain’t an artom o’ danger, though I admit that it will be best fur us ter run like hurley.” sce lan fear for me,” Peggy breathlessly re- plied. “ You ain’t in practice as you were years ago. ‘* That scene in the valley clings to me like a nightmare; it seems to paralyze my efforts. Peter Outerbridge was an evil man, but—” “To be sure—to be sure; we onderstand. Such things will happen. Thar is an egregious sight o’ triberlation afloat. My ancestor, Adam Yellowbird, and his wife, Eve, was troubled with snakes—the result o’ over-eatin’—and I hev the malignant newrolgy like burley. It’s givin’ me frequent twinges now, and it makes me jump lively, but I make it a p’int ter jump the right way—straight ahead.” ‘* Can’t we deviate from our course and get rid of those scoundrels?’ asked Doctor Mark, look- ing back at Isaac and his men. ‘“* We'll try, arter a bit.” ‘‘ This is severe upon Peggy.” ** Don’t think of me!” exclaimed the girl. ‘* Hear that?’ quoth the mountaineer. ‘The little woman is pluck clear ter the tip o’ her pooty foot, an’ if comes nat’ral ter gals ter run away. My aunt, Prudence Hollyhock Yellow- bird, run away ter get married. Her lover was a poick, an’ her folks was o’posed ter him. Her father said ef *twas a drunkard, gumbler or pirate he’d keep mum, let the weddin’ go on, an’ then trust ter Parson Jimson ter reform him; but when it come ter a poick. the old gentleman had ter draw the line. He couldn’t hev no sech depraved karakter in his fam’ly. ‘Wal, my aunt had a mortal strong will o’ her own, an’ she sloped with the poetry-writer. Land o’ Goshen! how her dad’s Ebenezer did rise! He was the maddest man I ever seen. His langua e on the ’casion wa’n’t so ch’ice as it might ‘a’ n, but the old chap felt the dis- grace egregiously, No disreputable pusson had ever got inter his fam’ly afore. ** Bein’ in this mood he roused up the neigh- bors, and they arms theirselves with clubs an’ guns an’ started after the lovers. The poick was too poor ter bire a hoss, an’ he didn’t ‘find none ter steal; so they went on foot. They do say nigh onter a hundred mile was made that day. The poick was weak from turnin’ offa pasture-poem in up’ard o’a thousand canters, an’ he soon give out; but my aunf carried him over all the rough places an’ held her own fur a Be Bat th fnall ut the pursuers finally got in gun-range, an’ they fired a volley. Twas ae ste at fhe poick, but ~ aunt fell, instead, an’ all gathered round her, thinkin’ twas a fatal tragedy; but the result was most s’prisin’—the bullet was found lodged in a poem the chap had gi’n her asa bridal present, an’she was only stunned. As nigh as they could make out she was as good “Twas a mortal puzzle why the bullet stop- ped so short, fur all allowed the poem was too weak ter stop anything, but due res’arch show- ed that the lump o’ lead had got tangled up ina long word, The old gentleman was so pleased over the narrow escape that be forgive the fel- ler on condition he wouldn’t write no more sech stuff, an’ him an’ my aunt was duly married. The feller made one o’ the best farmers I ever knowed. He never tried ter write verses no more but once, and then Aunt Prudence ketched him at it, and thrashed him like hurley. That finished the argyment.” While the mountaineer bad been talking so cheerfully he had let no chance escape. His strong arm gave aid to Peggy, and they passed over the rough ground as fast as possible. But their chances did not improve, Isaac Outerbridge was urging on his mer, and their knowledge of the way enabled them to gain, at times, by taking to gulches near at hand, the existence of which was unknown to the fugi- tives. Nevermiss now saw with some fo, TE that their hopes were growing less. hey were not gaining, and P was giowing weary. Their utmost efforts did not suffice to take them beyond the view of the pursuers, excépt when the bushes briefly concealed them, Such being the fact, the leader determined upon a new course of conduct. He explained it briefly. Hebhad noticed that Isaac’s men did not pause to search the thickets by the way, but trusted to luck that the smaller party had gone on, In this Yank saw hope, and he proposed that they secrete themselves in a thicket, let the enemy pass—if they would—and then get away as soon as possible, ‘The plan was tried, Carefully selecting a covert, the trio paused and waited the result, Yank and Doctor Mark had their weapons ready for use, but both were anxious to see all necessity for such a step avoided. If a fight occurred their chances would be far poorer than when in the valley. They had not long to wait; oncame the enemy at full speed, the tall figure of the Leather- Jacket at their front. ‘** IT don’t see "em, sheriff,” observed a man. Not a word passed Isaac’s lips. He was not | wasting his breath in idle talk, then. He ran —_———_—-————————_—__- - > _—_ OO rh - —_--—- - -- --cOOoOwOrorrOnnm— t, leaping over rocks and logs, and the others oundered after. No one had even looked at the thicket. There were other bushes beyond, and as soon as these intervened, Yank arose, ‘* Now fur the grand effort,” he announced, ** We want ter show that we’re o’ good pedigreen, doctor, an’ get out o’ this on the jump.” They did their best. Knowing that Isaac would not long be deceived by their simple stratagem, they made all possible haste to get away. The mountaineer worked out a course at right angles with their former one, and away they went, This time there was nothing to urge them on but prudence, but that was sufficient incentive to action. For severa) hundred yards their speed was not slackened, but, as they entered a deep canyon, Nevermiss brought them to a walk. ‘*No need o’ breakin’ our necks any more,” he announced. ‘The atrocious insex will do wal ter git us now, an’ I reckon we kin get inter some cave all right an’ safé. That’s what we want ter do now, doctor; find some place whar we can leave this little woman, an’ then look about fur the Ormes. It’s mortal queer about them. Who give them a lift ter git out 0’ jail? Thar was a helpin’ hand, but whose hand was it? Beats all creation, doctor, don’t it? Wal, we'll look about fur them—you an’ I, an’ Moses —an’ we'll find’em ef it’s in the books, Anyhow, we'll take keer Peggy don’t git inter triberlation ag’in. The Outerbridges bave had full swing hyar, an’ they’ve cut up like the mischlef, but we won’t “low them ter molest Peggy any more —we won't, by hurley!” Midnight was close at hand, and Eliakim Outerbridge and his surviving sons were col- lected in the former’s private room. All were grave and thoughtful, and Isaac was sullen and morose. He had been obliged to return with- out any prisuners, and his temper was seriously upset. ‘‘T have called you here, Isaac and Aaron,” began Uncle Honest, in slow, measured speech, ‘‘to speak of our future. The Outerbridge family numbers one less than it did. Peter was disobedient, and he reaped what he sowed. All tbat is left of him is the still form im the kitchen. If he had been true to us he would now be alive and well. He was false, and you have seen the ae Let me ask of you if I have done well or ill?’ The Peacemaker was no longer dazed, and he showed no signs of sorrow. He was himself again, but was sterner, firmer than of old, He looked keenly at bis sons as he asked the question. F ‘You have done well,” replied Isaac. ‘* Your course was just,” coincided Aaron. ‘‘T believed that you would say so; I felt sure that you, my boys, would not turn against your oid fatberin any way. I have reared you all carefully, and given you every advantage I could.” ‘““ We appreciate it fully, and you'll find us as true as you could wish at all times,” returned Aaron, quickly. 5 - _ sa fact,” added phlegmatic Isaac, more owly. 4 ! Now, I want to tell you what is on my mind. Call it superstition or what you will, Iam worried. Since Peter’s death we number one less, and I can’t get rid of an unpleasant suspicion that our power is threatened here. Other misfortunes may follow. We have been art as reel | in our recent efforts, and Yank Yellowbird and his fellow conspirators are at liberty. Also, there is the party that liberated the Ormes. The mystery about that case—the unknown identity of the rescuers— worries me. There may be more trouble ‘ahead!’ “Let it come!” growled Isaac. ‘‘We can take care of the whole gang.” ** Remember, father, that all Hornets’ Nest is at our back, ready to respond when we call,” supplemented Aaron. ‘That is the surface view,” Uncle Honest ad- mitted, ‘‘and I may be wrong in feeling alarm, but it is weli to provide for the future. As you know, the Denver bank holds nearly all the money we have raised here by means of confis- cations, taxes and other means, but I have never cut loose from all casb. I will show Taking a stout knife, he stooped and pried at what seemed to be a fixed board in the floor, A section arose, and a cavity was revealed be- neath. He lifted a leather bag, and a jingle followed. He opened the bag, and the glitter of Aye pe gold, of high denominations, .was re- vealed. “Five thousand dollars!” he added; “ partly in gold and partly in paper money—bank-notes. This is my reserve fund, to be used in case of emergency. Nobody has known of it but me, but I now take you, my boys, into my confi- dence. If anything bappens, we have this to use at once,” : to leave the money exposed to er returned it to the cavity and replaced the board, Z _ “This sum,” he added, ‘‘is sacred to our use (E(0) micboo! —% + it ae a < Zs a ‘SEO