Beadle's New York Dime Library, No. 506 — page 27: what you’re looking at

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

= —— in a time of necessity. Bear that in mind. Trouble may come, and saga can’t get to it, but you know where it is. Do not e it out except it is sorely needed.” ‘‘T trust it will not be,” Aaron answered. “So do I, but we don’t know. Now, my dear boys, my secret is yours, but I feel that I can trust you.” ‘* Until death!” declared Aaron. ‘* Bet your life on it!” Isaac asserted. **Good!” Uncle Honest added, with manifest satisfaction. ‘‘Of course our business will go on just the same. We shall miss Peter, but he was criminally disobedient. I know | can trust both of you. You owe everything to me I started you in life with good, Scriptural names, and I have reared you up a3 noble men,” lt was a ghastly parody on sincerity when the depraved old man addressed his blood-stained sons thus, but in bis perverted mind was not a shadow of doubt of his own veracity. Witha beaming face, he held out a hand to each of the Leather-Jackets, and they were warmly taken and clasped. CHAPTER XXXV, A NEW MOVE IN THE GAME, TPREE days passed. The history of that period, as far as Hornets’ Nest was concerned, may soon be written. According to Uncle Houest’s direction, Isaac and Aaron had rallied almost the entire male population and set them to work to find the Ormes, Peggy and the rest of the party that had incurred the wrath of the Outerbridges. All through the surrounding hill-country went these searchers, but every night they came back unsuccessful. In brief, nothing but utter failure had resulted from the hunt thas far, Cyrus Graham and his wife, and Knifebelt, remained in the City Hall prison. True to his threat, Uncle Honest had put up Graham’s house at auction. It was bid off by a prosperous miner who could pay cash, and when the pay- ment was received, it was “‘put in the treasury.” Little did the deluded citizens suspect what a mockery this ceremony was, On the evening of the third day, darkness was gathering in a narrow canyon two miles from the village. The walls of the canyon were stee but not unscalable. Care and patience would have found a way up, by means of certain fissures, if any one had wished to climb. It was at this time, when the darkness made objects invisible except at the distance of a few feet, that a man ap ed in one of these fissures a hundred feet above the bottom of the canyon. He had only come out to get fresh air, and he leaned upon bis rifle and stood looking at the limited prospect before him in a thoughtful way. This man was Doctor Mark Hartley. He had been there perhaps ten minutes when a sound below, and to the right-hand side, ar- rested his attention. ‘“Yank is returning,’ he said, half-uncon- wah sme ign aloud, 4 i e pe a light voles to. ome one ce y movin ” the doctor replied. ‘‘ Or it may be ons bear.” ‘‘Cheerful prospect!” brightly retorted the irl. ‘‘Of course you will hasten to embrace it—and the bear.” ‘© Tl] leave the embraces to other parties. But wait a little—the sounds draw near; some one is ascending the cliff. Our voices may not be safe.” They waited in silence, but Yank’s fur cap soon appeared to view as he toiled up the rock. ‘Hullo! be you thar, doctor?” genially asked the veteran. * Out fur exercise, I consait. I’m back, an’ you'll soon see I ain’t alone. Hope you’re prepared fur comp’ny, with the house slicked up like satin, fur I'd ‘hate ter lose my re- ertation fur good housekeepin’, I’ve brought a Pp per P 8 hull rigiment with tne, but don’t you be scared. I don’t forget that our kitchen supplies are at low tide, an’ I ain’t going ter keep ’em Byer long; they’d eat us out 0’ house an’? home. My gran'father, the Revolutionary relict, tells about a hull brigade that went’a month thout eatin’, but bow they did it I don’t see, Mebbe they lived on the tick-tacks 0’ war, but I prefer buff'ler-meat.” By this time Yank was by Mark’s side, and other men were climbing after him. The doc- tor recognized the first as Storm Rider, but the others, as far as he could see, were strangers, The fact that Yank vouched for them was enough, however, “Come right inter the parlor,” pursued Nevermiss. “ You may find things an artom out o' plumb, fur we've only jest. moved, an’ the furniture we ordered gin’t got byar; but you kin set on the rocks, an’ [ cousait it won't let ye Oe h e speaker usher : ests into the cave, The latter was a ies, large enoug® for a bun- dred occupants, and had proved a secure shelter to Yank, Mark and Peggy. The doctor looked anxiously at the strangers, They were twelve in number, besides Storm Rider, who was not whoily a stranger; and with one exception they were muscular, sun- | Uncle Honest. burned, roughly-dressed men, The exception was a man who, unlike the others, wore fairly good clothes and had the air of a city man. ‘* Neighbors,” continued Nevermiss, “this is Doctor Matt Hartley, a man who’s egregious skillful at gunshot triberlations an’ broken bones. Ef ye don’t b'’lieve it, one o’ you kin throw a shoulder out o’ j’int as a test, an’ Pil bet suthin’ he snaps it back in quicker’n burley. Doctor, these are men who've come ter purify the atmosphere o’ these diggin’s. Storm Rider fonnd ’em, an’ brought °em byar; an’ when I comne on ter them, we all fined hands, one is honest miners, an’ he’s an honest detec- tive. I’ve knowed him fur years, an’ his pedi- green is good. Morse, come forr’ud an’ show yer p'ints!” The detective advanced and shook hands with Hartley. ‘** We ought to know each other well with such an elaborate introduction,” he observed, smil- ing. ‘I’m glad to meet you, doctor, and your professional skill may yet be needed. You see here a war-party.” He motioned to the bronzed men. “T think I understand,” Mark replied. ‘*No doubt. Hornets Its remote location has heretofore been its pro- tection, for there was practically no law here Nest needs attention. | | 27 ‘* Wal, the old gentleman eat the melon, an’ liked it, but Mahaleleel, he’d done wu’ss, He eat so much he got an egregious pain in his stummick, an’ that started his conscience up as | | All but | a spur will a hoss, an’ he confessed the "hull atrocious caper. **Consid’rin’ our father was a deacon in the church he showed his wrath like the mischief. He said, ‘ By mighty! right out loud afore he theught, an’ then he laid holt o’ a stick. He couldn’t lick Mahaleleel, ‘cause he was sicker’n ison; so he give me a double dose, an’ the way é laid on the rod was amazin’. ‘*** Steal water-melons, will ye? sez he, givin’ me a powerful whack. ‘**] did once, but I’ve reformed,’ sez I, ii in’ like a cat on a hot stove, an’ blubberin’ like hurley. ‘¢* Thou shalt not steal !? sez he. ““* We give you part on’t,’ sez I. ‘** Onrejuvenated youth!’ sez he, whackin’ me all the time, ‘bow dare ye make mea pardner in yer vo A *** You liked the fruit,’ sez I. ‘** Tt lays like lead on my stummick,’ sez be, ‘** Take an emetic an’ throw it MP ? sez I, ‘**T’'m a deacon,’ sez he, ‘an’ Il consait m -stummick kin b’ar it; but yours is the stummic but that of the Outerbridges, but its fame bas | begun to go forth. never to be seen again, and in some cases pretty good proof is at band, - {n brief, the misnamed * Uncle Honest’ has mercilessly doomed whoever did not kneel at their shrine, and his sons have carried out his commands. Their hands are red with innocent blood, and a more villainous gang does not exist!” Morse spoke with warmth, but he moderated | pity ter hev them melons sprile, his manner as he added: ‘“‘T have been preparing a case here of late, | finds’em. Men have disappeared here | 0’ a sinner, an’ I’ve got ter lick the melon out on > ’ ; ‘**Say, dad,’ sez I, desp’rit with pain, ‘ thar is four more melons hid in the barn, an’ [ll give you half ef ycu’ll either drop this lickin’, | or give the rest on’t to brother Mahaleleel,’ ‘** He stopped an’ looked at me musin’ly. - “*T pose my stummick could stan’ it, bein’ I’m a deacon, an’ [ guess you must be about purged o’ eyil now. It would be an egregious Bring ’em in, ank, an’ we'll devour ’em ’afore any other boy He might not know they was stole, but matters were brought to a crisis when | an’ the poor feller would feel terrible ef he found Storm Rider and his balloon landed at Snake- foot Pass, He told astory which sent us here quickly. The gentlemen are worthy miners, who have agreed to belp me, and we propose to seize the Outerbridges, silently and surely, dur- ing this very night, and take themaway, The strong hold they have on the idiotic population, makes kidnapping preferable to open arrest— and safer.” ‘*T only wish we had arigiment o’ artillery an’ infancy, with my hat pcees at the head!” de- clared Yank. ‘ He’d clean the ’hull village out, an’ give ’em a taste o’ the tick-tacks o’ war mor- tal painful ter behold,” “Storm Rider,” said Mark, ‘‘ have oo any clew to the whereabouts of Vashti and Joseph Orme?’ *“*No; I only wish I had,” the aeronaut re- plied, sadly. ‘‘I would give my right band to ow that they are safe.” ** You must have a strong interest in them,” ‘*T have.” ‘*{ heard them say that they could not imag- ine why you.should have such interest.” ‘* All will be told in due time. Wait until we have conquered the fiends of Hornets’ Nest.” The speaker lifted his slouch hat and revealed his head almost covered with bandages. ‘*T am a series of wounds from head to foot,” he added, in a hard voice, ‘‘an¢e I owe all to Eliakim Outerbridge. Bah! why call him that? His name is David Marron, It was because I was foolish enough to let him know I recognized him that I got these wounds. He forced me to go to the hills, driving me with a revolver; then e fell upon and beat me senseless. When I re- covered, I was actually in m ve; thinkin he had killed me, as he intended, he bad buriea me in a cleft in the earth. Fortunately the cov- ering was bushes, with a little sand, and I did not smother. I got out, crawled laboriously to my balloon, got away and only came down at Snakefoot. Had I not escaped thus, I should probably have died in the hills,” ‘No more evidence is needed ter convict the atrocious insex!” declared the mountaineer, ‘‘an’ the sooner we are off, the better. We'll go right ter the vicinity o” the village, and then watch our chance ter descend on ’em as my Uncle Joshua did onter the Saracens an’ Philis- tines in old time. *Twon't do us no good ter order the sun ter stan’ still, nohow, fur it’s got out o° sight; but we want night more’n we do suns, comets or fire-bugs o” any sort.” They only paused long enough to have supper. This was not time lost, but they could get to the village before the citizens retired, even with this delay. | In due time the start was made. Peggy went with them, for no one was to return to the caye. Detective Morse and his party had _ horses secreted west of the vag and when the Gra- hams were rescued, and the Outerbridges cap- tured, a prompt retreat was In order, “This reminds me o’ the time my brother, Mahaleleel, an’ I went water-melon stealin’,” observed Yank, as they walked along the can- von, after descending the cliff. ‘’Twas when ’s a boy that we did it. We brought the melons home an’ hid ’ema in the hay-mow, but Mahaleleel, he ‘lowed we'd prob’ly git found out, an’ he sugvested thatef we put one melon on the table, whar our parental ancestor could git some, he wouldn’t thrash us half so bad, rr it out, arterwards. Bring ’em in, Yank; bring ‘emin! A deacon is strong enough morally ter run a good eal o’ resk, at times!’ “IT did bring ’em in, an’ the way the old gen- tleman took ’em down was amazin’,” With conversation like this, Yank enlivened the journey and kept the others from thinking of what was to come, It was well that they should not think of it, for the arrival at Hor- nets’ Nest was synonymous with the beginning of desperate scenes, CHAPTER XXXVI. ANOTHER BLOW FOR UNCLE HONEST. WHEN the rescue-party came in sight of the village, the first among the pag retirers were beginning to extinguish their lights, but the village still had a cheerful appearance, Only a few persons were abroad in the streets, how- ever. The City Hall presented its usual ap- pearance, but they could not tell the state of affairs there. : After a short discussion it was agreed that Yank and Morse, the detective, should go on and reconnoiter. They walked boldly forward, trusting to the darkness to shield them, for they were well aware that nothing could be more dangerous for them than a skulking policy. That would arouse suspicion at once, if any one chanced to observe them. When they reached the City Hall, they found the building so curtained that no view of the interior could be gained; but Nevermiss remem- bered the opening where Storm Rider had once entered. They went there and found it undis- turbed, and through that they passed to the storm room, The desired view was gained. Three men only were in the court-room; they were Uncle Honest and two of his subordinates. Morse was about to propose that they begin work at once, and alone, as so small a force was at hand: but he bad not time to explain his idea when the outer door opened, and the were treated to a strange, unexpected and sta ling sight. Several persons abruptly entered. First of all came Isaac, grim and stern, and Yank started as he saw Vashti and Joseph close behind him, prisoners. They were pale, and Joseph showed signs of having been in a struggle. f Uncle Honest started to his feet with great satisfaction expressed on his face. ‘“‘Captured!” he exclaimed. ‘‘ Caught at last! Where did you get them, Isaac, my boy™ ‘“ Where the thief hid them.” ‘“ Where was that?” “Tn a cave in the hills.” ‘‘ Good! good! I knew you could catch them at last, “You're too shrewd for them, my boy! Aha! it takes a good man to fool the Outer- bridges. Yes, yes!” : He rubbed his hands together with intense enjoyment, but Isaac answered, curtly and sharply: “Wait a little, You may not be so well sat- isfied when you get the whole truth. You don’t | know yet who so mysteriously rescued and so effectually hid them.” Tbe old man’s face darkened. ‘““No; you’re right,” he agreed. ‘‘ Who was the villain?” Isaac turned to his men, who had stood in a compact body. Eomlebooks, a —_———$$ - aan* . | » +). ~ ¥ —— 2S ie aS = t. <<" ~ = —.