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Full Title
The Girl Cowboy Captain; or, The Skinners of the Carolina Swamps / by Jos. E. Badger, Jr.
Author
Badger, Jos. E. (Joseph Edward), 1848-1909.
Date Added
9 January 2014
Format
Journal
Language
English
Publish Date
1889-05-18
Publisher
New York : Beadle and Adams
Series
Beadle's Boys Library of Sport, Story, and Adventure > v. XXI, no. 266
Source
Dime Novel and Popular Literature
Alternate Title
Beadle's Boys Library of Sport, Story, and Adventure, v. XXI, no. 266, May 18, 1889. Skinners of the Carolina Swamps.
Topic
Dime novels > Specimens.
About
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Disclaimers
Disclaimer of Liability Disclaimer of Endorsement
OCR
The Girl Cowboy Captain. 19
“When one loves, there can be nothing to
forgive, Arnold,” and Agatha stooped until ber
lips brushed the young ranger’s brow. “ But
now—I have little time. I bribed the sentinel
to let me in, and now he is growing impatient.
Is there no way for you to escape? Tracy swears
that he will bang you to-morrow as a spy!”
“T can see none. I am bound and close
guarded. Ah! if my brave boys but knew of my
retention, ’d not long be here. They'd play a
lively tune round the ears of these red-coated
gentry, but that I’d be set free once more.”
‘But is there no hope of—”
“‘No—they do not know where Lam. I told
- them to wait myreturn. True, something might
be done if a smart messenger was to be had.”
‘For what?”
“To carry word to my camp. But I cannot
write witb my hands bound, and they’d look
upon a negro, without such proof as a decoy
I'm afraid.”
‘Give me your message—if possible, it shall
be delivered rightly,” quietly returned the
maiden.
“6 Bult?
‘‘Hasten! time passes. Hear him rap—if
Major Tracy should come this way, we would
be ruined.”
In as few words as possible Arnold sketched
out the route that must be followed in order to
reach the rangers’ encampment, adding:
“The trail is plain enough if you don’t forget
the landmarks. My horse is tied in the woods
beyond the road. Tell your messenger to give
him bis head when once within the swamp, and
all will be right. The brute knows the trail
well, And then when they see him, the boys
will know that Iam in trouble, But the mes-
senger—who is he? .
““Lady—the relief is coming!” whispered the
guard, agitatedly. ‘* For God’s sake, hasten, or
we're both ruined!”
With one hasty kiss, Agatha turned away,
and was led out by the trembling sentinel. A
light was approaching from the house, and
dimly revealed the forms of several soldiers.
This was the relief guard.
-* One moment,” whispered Agatha, as she
slipped the gold into the soldier’s palm, *! who
goes on guard here now? Could he be bribed?”
“Not to do unything against the major’s will
or interest. They’re foster-brothers. But go—
- quickly, or I’m lost.” .
Agatha noiselessly glided around the building
and gained the shrubbery beyond undiscovered,
Tracy in person looked to the change of guards,
and cautioned his foster-brother to be wary and
watchful, returning to the house well satisfied
that ere many hours he would be forever rid of
a dangerous rival, concerning whom he had
been pumping Mr. Brand.
As he entered one door, a darkly-dressed
figure left by another. It was the messenger,
Agatha Brand. She could trust none of the
negro servants, and the hope of rescuing her
lover, gave her courage to brave the terrors of
the swamp by night.
~~ Running the risk of discovery, when the en-
tire grounds were surrounded by watchful
sentinels, Agatha noiselessly crept along through
the shrubbery and finally gained the outer |
fence, unchallenged, Scaling this, she. darted
across the road and entered the woods, where
she had been told to look for Arnold’s horse.
‘Twas here he told me to look, and yet—ha!
can it be that they’ve discovered the.horse? No
—or I should have heard of it. It must be near
here,” and Agatha resumed the search, yet with
a heavy sinking of the heart. :
How, without the aid of this horse, could she
find her way through the swamp? And even
could she succeed: on foot, would the rangers
beliove her story? Little wonder that de-
spair. filled ber heart, as she found beyond all
coubt that the horse was missing.
“Well, nothing remains but to make the
attempt. 1 may succeed, and his life is worth
the trial. I’! not despuir—surely kind Heaven
will hear my prayers and guide me arigkt.” ~
With a courage lent by desperation, Agatha
set forth upon ber journey, knowing full well
the dangers that might attend it, not the least
of which was getting lost. That would endan-
ger her own life, as well as-that of Kirke
Arnold. Ste recalled tales she had heard asa
child, of men losing themselves in the great
swamps, and of their perils and sufferings be-
fore finding their way out of the labyrinth.
And of others who bad never emerged alive;
who had starved to death there, or else fallen a
prey to the wild beasts, only their bones being
left to tell the tragic tale.
Fixing in her mind, as clearly as possible, the
directions given by Arnold, Agatha hastened
oo, unheeding the slimy mud, the rude bushes
and vines that more than once tripped her up
or tore her tender flesb, The knowledge of her
loved one’s peril buoyed ber up and assisted ber
to overcome obstacles at other times insur-
mountable,
CHAPTER IX.
: DIXON CAPTURES AGATHA,
For full two hours the maiden pressed on-
ward, in suspense the most trying, for sbe
found she had wandered from the right trail.
Suddenly she paused, ber heart beating wildly,
her cheeks flushing violently, then turning pale.
From directly before her she fancied there
echoed a footstep. But now, as she listened in-
tently, all was still.
“OTwas fancy—or the echo.of my own step,”
she muttered, and fearing to lose more valuable
time, she again advanced.
Almost instantly a sharp, significant click
met her ear, It was made by raising the bam-
mer of a rifle or pistol, as well she knew.
“ Halt! stir one step and I'll plug ye!" uttered
a harsh voice, coming from out the gloom.
“Don’t shcot—you would not murder me?”
gasped Agatha, in terror.
‘““Ha! a woman’s voice—and here in the
swamp, Who'sre yeu, and what do you do
here?” demanded the voice.
‘“©T seek—I am on an errand of life er death.
Pray do not step me—or innocent blood will rest
upon your head!”
“ Are you alone?”
“ Yes—but—”
“Come forward, then.
Never fear. If you
speak true, no barm shall come to you, And
perhaps I can assist you,”