Corvmon‘r 1885 BY Emu um Anus.

 

 

Vol. III.

anticomm-

NEW YORK. MARCH 28. 1885.

Titans m ADVANCE{

Ono Copy four men .l.00
One Copy', one young}: 3.00

Two Copies, on. you. . 5.00

 

 

 

 

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A MEMORY.

BY TOM P. MORGAN.

 

 

The lll'e of a clerk,
“'ith its humdrum work.
Gives no cause for feeling, ’tls said,
For a clerk‘s only care
Should be what he shall wear,
And of getting his own daily bread.

But. in spite of the saying,
My thou hts will keep straying,
And 1 dream of the days that have fled,
Since we slid down the hill,
By the old water-mill,
On my home-made and homely old sled.

As I sit here tonight,
In the dim firelight,
And watch the flames quiv’ring and red,
The form will arise,
Before my dim eyes,
Of the maiden who slid on my sled.

Like an arrow we‘d glide
Down the bill’s glassy side.
Nearly reaching the pond's reedy shore,
And trudge sturdin back.
U}; the long shining track,
0 repeat the gay frolic once mone.

Now, the old mill is moved.
From the spot that we loved;
The pond is of water bereft:
The old bridge is gone,
The old trees cut down,
And the hill is the only thing left.

In a lone. quiet glada.
By the maple-tree‘s shade,
‘Neath the leaves that lie sodden and dead,
In the cold. frozen ground,
’Neath a well—sodded mound,
Lies the maiden who slid on my sled.

And tho” the life of a clerk,
With its humdrum work.
Give no cause for feeling, as said,
Still. I dream of the maid,
Who sleeps in the glade,
Who slid down the hill on my sled!

The Bordgr Sleuths;

Kit Bandy a11_d_I-Iis Chums.

BY OLL COOMES,
AUTHOR or “ STONE\\’ALL BOB.“ “BABY ska,“
“ LITTLE Bt'cxsxix,” ETC., ETC.

CHAPTER VIII.
STOXEWALL‘s woasr mans REALIZEI).

 

 

 

QUICK as the lightning‘s flash the left hand of
Stonewall Bob flew up seizing that of the un-
known and knocking up the muzzle of the revol-
ver, while he tln'ust his right hand into the sha-
dows of the wagon, and seizing the fellow by
the throat draggml him half through the open-
ing in the canvas.

And then it was that the Boy Trojan was al-
most struck dumb w1th surprise and chagrin,
for. as the moonbeams fell upon the face of the
supposed outlaw-guard, it revealed the quaint

and serio—comic visage of Old Kit Bandy!

“ Hold. Bob—bee—ee‘." Old Kit Band man—
aged to whistle out through his contractex wind-
pipe. his tongue almost protruding from his
mouth, so vise-like was the grip of the Boy Tro-
jan upon his throat.

Instantly the young scout released his hold,

sayiiyig as he did so with no little earnestness:

" on old villain! I'd ought to choke you in—
sensible!"

The old detective saw by the look on the boy’s
face. and by the tone of his voice that he had
carried his love for a practical joke. even in the
very presence of danger, a little too far with
Bob whose mind was not in a condition for fun
at that time: and after rubbing his throat and
working his jaws to get his vocal organs in or-
der again, he said in an almlogetical tone:

“ Stonewall. I’ve been waitin’ for you here half
an hour. How did you get through the lines 3“

“By following your trail strewn with dead
outlaws and Indians. you bloody old pirate,” re-
sponded Bob. with a grim smile; “ but, Kit,
what or who is in this wagon 1"

“They can speak for theirsclves.”said Bandy,
leaping to the ground with the nimbleness of
youth.

The next moment the face and form of a fair
and beautiful girl appeared in the opening in
the canvas. and at a glance Stonewall saw that
his worst fears were realized~ihat lluth Graves
was a prisoner in the wagon—that the fair 'irl
whom he had rescued lcss than a fortnight )0-
forc from tho raging ilmxl~~sllc who had deco~
rated him with a badge of honor. was a hclplcss
captive in the power of the Red Vultures and
the outlaw su vages!

“My Hod! Ruth—Miss Graves!“ the young
plainsman cricd. “I was afraid of this!“

“That’s rather an indefinite answer,” said

(3 '05.

3“ That‘s all I could get onton the little rascal,”
said Old Kit. “ and if she wants me for a bean
she’d better tell me who she is.”

“ Oh. you horrid, ueg old man!” the irl re—
plied, in a petulant tone, though a roguis smile
that threatened to burst into a peal of laughter
dimpled her brown cheeks.

“Friends,” suddenly declared

 

 

“Oh, Stoncw'all!” cried the girl, in an cxcitod
Whisper, reaching her hands out. toward thc
youniTrojan, as if in him she placed her hopcs
01' de 'Verance. “I never supposed we would
meet thus! Oh, the terrors that I have suil'crcd
Since those evil \vrctches attacked our camp and
carried me away !”

“ And your father whcrc is he?”

“ I do not knowcl do not know whcthcr ho is
dcud or alive." the maiden responded. “ Oh,
this will drive me mad!“

" (‘hccr 11p, Miss Graves,‘7 said the brave
young plainsman. “ I have seen you in peril be—
fore and know you have courage: and with the
help of Heaven we will cheat them villains out.
of the prey they think is so secure here.”

“ I know you arc strong and brave, Bob.” the
maiden I‘cplicd, a faint glimmer of hope flitting
ovcr hcr distrcsscd and grief-stricken face.
“but there are so many of the outIaWs and In—
dians.”

“ Oh, my! isn‘t hc a big fellow. though?" an-
other pcrson wns snddcnly llcurd to say, in a
girlish voice, from the shadows of the tilted
wagon.

A confused smile played for a moment around
Ruth’slips, and then she brokc the momentary
silcnce that followed thc spcccll of the otllcr by
saying: .

“ You see, I am not alone in my captivity
here. Stonewall. At the time I was taken this
brave little girl was taken also." and as she con—

 

“ we're wasting precious time. and the sooner
we get awa ' from here the better. Most of the
outlaws an their red allies have gone off up the
river to our camp to avenge the death of their
friends. and if we ever get away from this Her-
mit Dome now‘s our chance.”

“Do you know what. caused the commotion
among the outlaws down there awhile ago!"
Bandy askcd.

“ The arrival of Jim Noel among them with
the first news of our presence and work."

“ Just so." said Kit. “ I knew that Jim Noel

had come to life bcforc I left camp, and
it war to put you on your guard that
I came down here. But whcn I scc‘d

this wagon reared 11p here on this Pis-
gah ag’inst the sky. and discovered the
most o‘ the outlaws at the foot o’ the hill. I
couldn‘t resist the temptation to crawl past the
scntinel and ascend the Hcrmit. And as I came
up I mct a Vulture that war goin‘ down to scc
what the racket was that had so suddenly broke
out ’mong his friends. At least I supposed that
war what be war goin' down for. for he comc
bulgin’ along through the bushcs tcn feet to the
jum l, and stnnlblin’ovcr mv anatomy he fell
lllll‘t enough to bn'st him. and he didn’t git up
ag‘in, I thank you. \Vcll, then I put on the
Vulture cap and coat—they're in the wagon thar
now—-—and come on up here and everlastin’ly de—
molished the Ingin guard afore he had time to
sniff a rodent. Now these. gals tells me that
thcy heard Captain Vulture himself tcll one 0’
his men to change the guards every two hours.”

"And how long since the last change \vas
mach asked Bob.

“ Half an hour afore I came. and so we‘ve an
honi- to go on." replied Kit: “ but for fear visit-
ors might come 11p. we‘d better be waftin‘ our-
selves away."

“ Let us retreat. to the bushes at any rate.”
said Stonewall. “and there arrange our plans
of rctrcat."

To this there was no objection. and so llob as—
sisted the girls from the wagon, and the four
sought the shcltcr of thc bushcsa fcw rods to
the cast of the summit, and thcrc stoppcd.

“It uppcars to me like a singular piece of
work pullng that. wagon up bore, and the out»
laws camping at tho foot. of thc hill,” Stonewall
remarked.

“ I can tell you one reason why that, was done,
Robert." replied Ruth. “ I heard (‘aptain Vul-
ture tell the guard that should soldicrs. of whom
he seems to be in constant fear, conic upon thcm
suddenly in force, to start thc wagon ( own the
acclivity on the river-side, and hurl thc ‘ outfit.’
as he called us. into eternity. If you noticed,
the wa on was left so that with but little effort

it coul be started toward the river.”

 

chided she drew the subject of hcr remarks into
the opening where Bob could see her.

“ I’ve heard of you, Stonewall Bob.” the
maiden said, without the least embarrassment
gr apparent depression of spirit over her situa—

on.

“Well, indeed! who are you anyhow .7” asked
Stonewall, completely surprised by the pres—
cncc of the girl, whose face was one of bewitch-
ing beauty.

“My name’s Gypsy, and I live in the moun—
tains,” was the unsatisfactory response of the
child, for such she really was in appearance.

 

“The tempestuous hcllyons!” CXclaimed Old
Kit: “ Why on earth did they want to murder
you innocent gals?”

“I do not know. certain, but I heard enough
said by our ca tors to make me think that I was
to bo killcd i they could not escape with me.
Captain Vulture talked as though my capture
was a business transaction that he wanted to get
through with as soon as possible.”

“Then there may be some one else besides
Vulture that is intcrcsted in your capture,” said
Stonewall—“some one that’s got sight of your
fair face in crossing the plains.”

Stonewall, I this place.

 

 

The young athlete raised it aloft, and like Jove hurling a. thunderbolt

“It mi ht be the very man we are huntin‘

Bob, feasting his gaze upon her big, sparkling down, Bo by, that notorious R0ssgr0ve,” said

Old Kit.

“ “'hof" exclaimed Ruth, with
start.

"An old crim‘nal,” replied Kit, “the head
and brains o' the outlaw band. But I wonder if
the soldiers are in the field 5"

"I do not know," replied Ruth, “ but the out-
laws are uneasy and made a forced march to
They had expected to have got
across the river to—night, but the slicer exhaus—
tion of the wagon-horses compelled them to halt
here.”

“ \Vell. as to our escape, Kit,” said Stonewall,
impatiently.

“ “'e‘ve got to get apast the cordon o‘
guards.” Kit said. "that, I presume. are sta-
tioncd cl‘ar ‘round the land side 0‘ this Dome.
(if course, escape by the river are impossible on
account o’ the high banks and deep watcr.”

“ Can’t we jump over into the river and swim
like goats?“ was thc astonishing suggestion of
Gypsy.

" Oh. you wild little breakneck!" replied
Bandy. “you‘ll be for iightin‘ your way out
next. won‘t you.’ “'hat kind o‘ gal be you. any—
how.‘ You'd make a mate for my wife, Sabina
Randy."

“Uh. mcrcy! he‘s married!" cxclaimcd the
precocious little madcap: “ isn‘t be ugly, Ruth.
to liuvc a wife?”

lint for the prompt admonition of Ruth the
girl would havc followed up hcrquestion with
an outburst of laughter,

“(‘hild. you must not speak so loud," Ruth
said in mild rcproval. “or all thcsc brave men
have riskcd for us will have been in vain, and
thcir lchs. as well as our own again, will be en—
dangcrcd.”

“ 'l‘hat's so, Ruth," the child said, dcmurely:
“my fricnd Margery always said my tongue
was so rattle—tce—bang that it Would got mc into
trouble. 1'“ not speak again till you tell mc
to."

“I must say Gypsy is a brave little soul.”
Ruth said. as if to apologize for the child's
words; “for at the time of thc outlaws” attack
on our train in the mountain canyon she was
concealed near. and with her rifle shot an outr
law d \ad. and it was this that got hcr into trou—
blc. for hcr shot revcalcd hcr hiding—phu'c. and
an Indian dashed into the thicket and captured
hcr. But pardon me. friends, for consuming our
time in talk.”

“ That's all right. littlc gal.” rcplicd Kit. “I
likc to hcar yc talk: but now to work. llobby.
I war jist cogitatin’ ovcr a plan to git away
from hcrc. That is. for you to lakc thc gals
and move around to the up—strcnm side o‘ illc
llomc. and thcrc cndcaVor to pass the guards.
To hclp you in this, I will stay hcrc till you’re
half—way down thc lull. then I‘ll push thc wagon
to the edge. o’ the slope and start it oll‘ down
toward the plain on the down—stream side o’
the hill. Of course the hill being so stoop the,
vehicle will go a-flukin’. and the noise will at—
tract thc foc away from your side 0’ the Dome,
so’s you can slip through with the fcIIlcniIlcs,
and I’ll git out some, way, if I havc to jump
into the river and ‘swim like a goat.‘ "

“A good idea, Kit, I should think," said
Stonewall: “so come, girls, and let us be mov-
ing.”

Taking each by the hand the gallant youth led
the way down the hill, stooping low to keep un-
dcr cover of the bushes. Thcy had not made
over half the distance to the river before they
heard the low rumble of the wagon-“'hccls, and
glancing back, Stonewall saw the white top
moving against the sky down the hill—slowly at
first, but rapidly increasing as it gathered mo-
mentum.

“ Now let us hurry 0n faster, girls," the youth

a sudden

 

/—//

—"\~

said. pleased with the way their plans were
workin ".

But t e rattle of the flying wagon growing
plaincr instead of fainter, caused the young
plainsman to glance back again, and as he did
so a cry burst from his lips.

“ In God‘s name, what does that mean i” he ex-
claimed, almost aloud.

The wagon had turned in its course, from
some cause or other, and was coming thundering
down the hill, almost directly toward them!

And the excited voices of the outlaw guards
in the valley could now be heard shouting to
each other, and Stonewall could See several of
them hurrying through the bushes to get in
ahead of the flying wagon.

The young )lainsman paused, at a loss to know
what to do. e looked for Old Kit. He saw a
form gliding down the hill toward him. He
recognized it as Bandy‘s and he raised up to his
full bight that he might be seen by his friend.
The next moment the old man had rejoined
them.

“ (‘uss the tcmpestuous wagon I"hc exclaimed,
excitedly. " I started it straight t‘other way,
but one o‘ the front wheels struck a stone which
caused it to turn off on a tangent and in this di—
rection. (,‘omc, quick, or-— Horn o‘ Joshua!
hear that hcllish howl! Stonewall, Icc‘rc discor-
P)‘I‘1f .m

“Yes. but we are not caught, Kit,” replied
the lloy Trojan. a stcrn look of dcspc ‘uic dctcr-
mination upon his facc, and an unnatural light
blazing in his hitherto pleasant bluc eyes.

CHAPTER IX.
KIT RANDY Ix TaornLE.

RANDY and his fricnds turned their faces to-
ward the summit of Thc Hermit Domc, for their
footsteps to that place must be retraccd if they
would cludc the advancing foc.

“ Allow me to assist you. Miss Graves.“ said
Stonewall, who saw that Ruth was almost. par-
alyzed with fear, and taking the maidcn‘s
hand drew her arm within his own and hurried
away.

“And let me hpr you, Old Mr. Bandy.” said
“'ild Gypsy, with artlcss innoccncc that would
have provokcd Kit to laughter under ’most any
othcr c1rcumstanccs.

Taking her little hand in his the old man glid-
ed up the stccp hillside with the colcrity of
youth, thc bravo littlc girl keeping paco with
him. while close, behind them came a savage
yelling like a demon to direct the coursc of his
fricnds in the pursuit.

“ Ficnds take that howlin’ suvagc!” Old Kit
snddcnlyexclaimed; “I would shoot thc lungs
out o‘ him if I wcr‘n‘t afraid the tone o‘ my iron
‘d complicate affairs!”

“ I‘ll stop him 1“ declared Stonewall Bob; and
bidding llnth mch on he stoppcd. and snatch-
ing,r up a great stone that lay at his feet the
young athlctc raised it aloft, and like Jove hurl-
ing a thunderbolt from Olympus, he sent the
tcrriblc missile at the savage. who was but a few
paces away, striking him full on the naked
breast and crushing him to earth as though he
had been a tcndcr rccd. A dull thud and a sti-
ficd gasp wcrc the only sounds that follchd the
dreadful blow.

“ A Boy Trojan you be, Stonewall." said Old
Kit, with surprise and admiration; “but now,
Bob, you go on with the gals and strike for the
river east of the Dome and I'll j‘ine you there.
I‘m goin‘ to act bnshranger and lead them var—
mints on a false trail—go, boyl they are com-
mg.”

Anticipating the old detectives intentions
Stonewall hurried on with the two girls—all
threebcnding low to keep under cover of the
bushes.

Suddenly the report of a pistol was heard to

Will»! l‘ :7;
kill!) 
\ , It]; 4 f. _
mm” ’ l

/-’


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_,

 

from Olympus, he sent the terrible missile at the savage.

come from the hillside toward the west, and it
was immediately succeeded by a series of pecu-
liar yclls and shouts that Bob knew emanated
from the lips of the redoubtable Old Kit Bandy.
These were answered by Indian war—whoops and
outlaw cries, and in a few moments the excite—
ment of the chase seemed tending off in another
' direction.

" Brave Old Kit!“ exclaimed Stonewall, “ he’s
succccded in drawing the foe off our trail I"

" And may lose his own life by doing so," said
Ruth.

“Kit Bandy is a most wonderful man, Miss
Graves. and let us trust that a kind I’rovidcnce,
who has protected him for so many years, will
bring him back to us unharmed.”

lVithout further words the three hurried on
around the Dome and down toward the river.
They had almost rcachcd the level valley. “'ild
Gypsy. who was as nimble—footed as a fawn, was
a few paces in advance. A little opening lay
before them. Across this thcy Wcro moving
when suddenly an outlaw sprung from the
shadows on the opposite side of the gladc, and
leveling his rifle over Gypsy‘s head at Stonewall
liob. commanded:

“ llalt there!‘7

The three quickly obcycd. (iypsy was not
ovcr four fcet from the outlaw, and scarcely had
the word of command fullcn from his lips ere
the child. upon the impulse of thc moment, and
with the qnickncss that :1 cut springs 11 mil its

n'cy, sprung at thc villain and dashed both

liands into his face with such violence as to stag—
ger him backward. This act caused the muzzle
of his rillc to tip out of range of Stonewall‘s
br ‘ust. and bcforc he could again gather himself
into position, the lloy Trojan had him by tho
throat in a death-grip!

The villain stru v'gled and gaspcd for breath,
but he was as fccble as an infant in the powerful
gras ) of the young giant.

“ hokc him, Stonewall, choke him purplcl“
exclaimed the reckless, fearless little Gypsy, cx-
citcdly.

" Go on, girls, go on,” said the Boy Trojan. a
little impetuously. as ho bore the outlaw to the
earth.

“ Como, Gypsy.“ said the almost terrified
Ruth. grasping the child by the arm and moving
on: but they had gone but a few paccs when
Stoncwall Bob was at thcir sidc again.

Not a sound had the maidcns hcurd in his
struggle With thc outlaw, and the thoughtless,
impulsivc (iypsy askcd:

“Stonewall liob. whcrc‘s the old robber!”

“ Back thcrc,” was the young border-man‘s
laconic rcply.

“ ()h! but ldi'l givc him a good scratch inthe
face." thc girl dcclurcd, as shc graspcd Stone-
wall‘s big band in both her own.

"Gypsy, \vc must liccp quict now," the youth
said, “ for we are in great dangcr.” ‘

The fugitives reached the valley without fur-
ther trouble. They now turned to the left and
moved along until they stood on tho river-bank
at the lowcrsidc of the Hermit Dome. Hcro
they stopped to await the coming of Old Kit.
The bushcs at this point wcl‘c taller. In fact, a
few of them grew to thc proportions of saplings
and even trees. thus affording dccpcr shadows
for the fugitives“ retreat.

Stonewall glanced toward the cast and saw
the sky was growing red with morning dawn.
He listencd. He could hear the enemy on the
opposite. side of the Domc.

‘Now if Kit wore only here we might elude
the foe before it grows light,” Stonewall said, in
an anxious tollc.

“ ()h. dcar! just listen to those horrible Vells!”
cricd Ruth, as a suddcn outburst of savagehowls
rcnt the air.

Stonewall Bob turned his head like a startled
door, for the first time bctraying a decided unu

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

    
   

 

 

 

 

 

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