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Full Title
Kidnapped Dick; or, the Fate of the Firefly. A tale of 1781 / by J. Stanley Henderson.
Author
Henderson, J. Stanley.
Date Added
9 January 2014
Format
Journal
Language
English
Publish Date
1887-04-23
Publisher
New York : Beadle and Adams
Series
Beadle's Boys Library of Sport, Story, and Adventure > v. XIII, no. 158
Source
Dime Novel and Popular Literature
Alternate Title
Beadle's Boys Library of Sport, Story, and Adventure, v. XIII, no. 158, April 23, 1887. Fate of the Firefly
Topic
Dime novels > Specimens.
About
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Disclaimers
Disclaimer of Liability Disclaimer of Endorsement
OCR
~
Po
tne mur etenneeh Rte oe
Wl a
er
. her.
some folks, but I won’t stand by and see such a
yoo fy
and. found him in a good humor. He at once
«pened the subject that then lay nearest his
beart.
“I saw you bring home two pretty ladies,
_captain,” said he. ‘“*What do you mean to do
with them?» Can you sell them like you sell the
black men?”
‘* What do you mean, boy? You are talking
about what you know nothing of. What have
you to do with the pretty young ladies?”
‘* Nothing, I suppose, and I have nothing to
do here, and I wish I could goto my father. I
spoke about those two young ladies, because
you never brought any such home before, and
because I saw them both, at the two houses
where we got the black men.”
‘*When you saw them, I suppose you heard
me tell them that unless their brothers, Harry
Forrest and Frank Swinton, concluded to leave
me alone, and to quit hunting me down like a
dlog, T would strike them where it would be sure
‘0 .
‘*T heard you say that, captain.”
‘*Did you understand what I meant by it?”
‘*T supposed you meant that you would hurt
the men by hurting their sisters.”
‘“That is it precisely, boy; I have a chance to
work out my spite against those fellows, and I
mean to do it.”
‘“Have the men molested you again? Have
they tried to hunt you down any more?”
‘*Can’t say that they have, but it is only be-
cause I have given them no chance, not out of
any good-will and mercy. I am_going to leave
' this country, boy, and those young women are
to go with me.”
“Ts it right to punish them for what their
brothers have done? It don’t seem fair to me,
captain, for I am sure that they have never
hurt you, or told the men to hurt you. It would
-kill them if you should carry them away, and it
would make you feel a great deal better to send
them back and take out your spite in some other
way.”
Phat is all very well for a boy’s notion,
Dicky,” laughed Van Vorst; ‘‘ but it is only the
foolish talk of a boy. Men don’t think and act
in that way.”
‘¢ When I spoke to you about that pretty lady
with the fair face and the long bright bair, I
told you that you had better not try to hurt her,
or I would be angry, and might shoot you.”
““*T heard you say something of that kind
Dicky, and you may remember that I laughe
at you, as I do now.”
“T meant what I said, captain, and I mean it
now. That lad y with the bright hair and the
blue eyes looks like my mother’s picture. Idon’t
want to hurt you, and I don’t want you to hurt
I know that I ain’t as big and strong as
thing done, if I can help it.” |
“Boy!” exclaimed Van Vorst, turning fiercely
upon the daring little fellow, ‘‘let me tell you,
once for all, that you are going too far. Be-
cause I have taken a liking to you, and have
been clever to you, you seem to think that you
can do what you please. You are mistaken, my
boy. My plans are my plans, and they are not
‘to be interfered with by any mortal. I suppose
you can hinder me just about as much as a squir-
a . ‘ . . eo *
Kidnapped Dick.
rel can stop @ horse, and no more; but it may be
worth while to warn you, that if you should
happen todo any damage, PU—I'll wring your
neck, as quick as I’d snap off the head of a
snake!” -
The boy turned pale, and started back in
some affrigbt, when the marauder addressed
him so savagely, but he was not to be easily
cowed by harsh words, and he soon resumed
When the “lecture” was ended, he sullenly
withdrew, and left Van Vorst to his pipe and
his reflections.
‘“‘There’s the devil’s own mischief in that
chap,” muttered the ranger. ‘* He’s got spirit
enough to supply half a dozen little bodies,
When he gets big enough to have such a spite
particular about how it’s done. If he could act
as big as he talks, he might do some harm, and
Ireally believe that it will be worth while to
watch him a little.” :
As he had found Van Vorst obdurately set
upon accomplishing his purpose, and as he had
no friend to assist him, the boy was thrown en-
tirely upon his own resources, and those, he
was obliged to admit, were small enough. ~As
he lay upon his rude couch that night, he could
not sleep for trying to solve the problem. He
tated upon the matter, until he hit upon a plan
that seemed to offer some prospect of success.
A few miles from the swamp retreat lived an
old widow woman named Murphy, the mother
of Van Vorst’s follower, Tom Murphy. Tom
had shown Dick the way to her cabin when he
casion he had visited the old woman several
times. The Widow Murphy lived alone, and was
never molested during those troublesome times,
for she was considered a barmless old creature,
and she employed her leisure moments in read-
ing her Bible, and—an inconsistency not pecu-
liar to her—cursing her dogs and cats. Dick
had gained her affection by reading and talking
to her
lonely hours, and she, in her turn, had confided
to him the great grief of her heart, her trouble
about her only son, Tom Murphy. ;
The widow was ‘strongly in favor of the pa-
triot cause, but her son Tom, who was given to
idle and dissolute habits, had been induced _to
join Van Vorst’s band of murauders, who were
ostensibly in the service of the king. Having
punishment prevented him from separating
from them, although his mother omitted no op-
portunity of praying him to do so, warning him
that perseverance in his career would result in a
short shrift and a stout rope.
To Widow Murphy’s,~therefore, Dick deter-
mined to go, in the hope that she would be able
and Frank Swinton,
It was easy for him to carry out bis plan, as
he knew the way; he had a stout little pony.
nnd he had lately been permitted to go and
come pretty much as he chose, He was up in
without being questioned,
crossed the bridge
‘and rode through the canebrake path and out
os
19
his bold bearing and determined expression. .
to work out as I have, I reckon he won't be so-
prayed for help as well as he could, and medi- -.
took his first ride on his pony, and since that oc- |
thus helping ber to pass some of’ her,
joined them, the love of gain and the fear of -
and willing to assist him to find Captain Forrest
the morning before dawn, mounted his pony, ’
—