Activate Javascript or update your browser for the full Digital Library experience.
Previous Page
–
Next Page
OCR
DIAMOND DICK, JR.-THE BOYS’ BEST WEEKLY. '
my eyes open. That's the talk!" as the
cavalcade put itself in motion; “and forwards
the word!” .
Winding out of the canon, in less than hal-f
anhour they reached the foot of the required
trail; and then, climbing it to a certain chosen
spot, they formed an ambuscade about mid-
way to the robber fastness, and waited.
In a short time a sudden din of shots and
cries, from far away up in the mountains,
told of the attack being made upon the out-
law camp.
The latter must have been completely sur-
prised an(l panic-strickeii, for, twenty minutes
later the Killers, to the number of thirty or
forty, on horse and on foot, came hurrying
down the trail, by which they doubtless felt
sure of escaping out over the buriit-over
llan-os to some other fastness that they knew
of to the north or west. They were instantly
met by a deadly fire from the ambuscaded,
and, as they broke and tied in every direction,
the majority of the posse were speedily up
and after them in hot pursuit.
But both Diamond Dick and Captain
Fanny were chiefiy concerned at the mo-
ment for the safety of the child Kitty.
They were accordingly spurring straight
up he trail, followed by two or three others,
when, at a difiicult turn, they were so for-
tunate as to meet Mountain Lion Mike him-
self-masked, of course-who was thunder-
ing down upon them, mounted on a white
mustang. He was closely followed by George
Carbisy and Antelope Andy, likewise well
mounted, the former with the little girl in
his arms.
Furious at the recollection of his wrongs,
and with scarcely an instant’s thought, Dia-
mond Dick, who was a little in advance of his
companion, threw his Winchester to his
shoulder and fired two shots in such rapid
succession that they seemed to have hardly
more than one report.
Both counted. Mountain Lion Mike's
horse, slightly rearing at the critical instant.
plunged forward, shot through the brain, and
throwing his masked rider so heavily that
he lay stunned and insensil)le in the trail.
Carbury, with a single cry, rolled out of the
saddle, dead with a bullet in his heart, while
Kitty, uninjured, r'ushe(l with a glad burst
of tears into the arms that her aunt stretched
down over the saddle-bow for her reception.
While Antelope Andy, leaping from his
broncho without a word. dashed off to one
side through the underbrush, and made his
escape.
29
CHAPTER XI.
CONCLUSION.
Diamond Dick and Captain Fanny had
quickly dismounted, whereupon the former
had summarily removed the mask from the
insensible outlaw leader’s face-thereby re-
vealing not uncoiiiely, and even eminently
handsome features, but so written over with
stormy passion and crime as to be grim and
forbidding, even in unconsciousness.
On beholding them, the Mistress of Esme-
ralda started back iii much agitation.
“Had you never seen him before?” sternlv
demanded Diamond Dick, regarding her
with a fixed and searching look.
“Not for a long time-not ‘or years,” she
stamniered, though slowly struggling back
to her self-possession. “Oh, my God!”
But to Polly Brixton, at least, who now
came hurrying upon the scene, with her
father and several others, the features of the
insensible outlaw were positively no stranger.
“That same villainous ’ound as hinsulted
me!" she cried, her black eyes snapping ven-
omoiisly. “ ’Ere, pop, bring ‘im around with
a dash 0' cold water, an’ then 'ammer, ‘am-
nier, 'aimnier the ’ole hupliolstery liout 0’ ’im
as you know how! I want to see you do it!"
"No. it won’t do; stand back, if you please.
Miss Brixton!" sternly interposed Diamond
Dick, who had exchanged a few whispered
words with Captain Fanny. “I understand,
then," turning to the latter, “that you will
hold yourself responsible for this man being
given up to justice on demand?”
“I will," replied Miss Fanshaw, in a scarce-
ly audible voice. and. some of her own men
coming up at this moment, the outlaw leader
was forthwith restored to consciousness, se-
curely bound, aiid given over to their cus-
tody, niucli to Polly Brixton's disgust,
though her worthy father seemed to take zi
much more philosophical view of it.
The anibuscaders now came straggling in
from the pursuit, and were presently joined
by the attacking party from further up into
the mountains, under Co(lger's command.
The victory over the Killers of Kootenai
was fairly complete, with the destruction of
perhaps half their orgaiiizatioii, and the re-
iiiaiiider scattered as panic-stricken fiigitives
to the four winds. Though this was not as
satisfactory as the extermination of the entire
band would have been. it was still very credit-
able on the part of the Order of the Fifty. es-
pecially as it was supremely unlikely that
they would ever muster again as an organ-