The Dragoon Detective; Or, A Man of Destiny — page 11: what you’re looking at

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cee The Dragoon Detective. ‘*Then you go and bring them, while these people wait here.” -* Kin I ride your horse?” os No.” ‘Tl see yer durned afore I go then, for it’s noue o’ my funeral,” ‘“Then that gentleman shall go,” and he pointed to Sylvester Vernon. Before the latter could make reply Ribbon {ob said quickly : ‘‘ He don’t know whar they is, and I is the only one as does, for I hid ’em,” ‘Then you shall go after them.” ‘“T'll go and git all, ef yer’ let me ride yer horse.” ‘* Take one of your leaders,” ‘No, sir, I don’t ride bareback.” ‘“How far isit back?” ‘* Leetle over half a mile.” ‘Ts he right, Con?” called out Captain Brass, of a man back in the thicket. ' Yos chet,” ‘‘Then take my horse, but two of my men shall go with you.” ‘' Let em go, I don’t care.” Ribbon Rob gave Kate a knowing look, and dismounted from his box, The chief also dismounted, and Rob said: ‘‘Ig yer hand gittin’ better, Brass, fer I sees yer still wearsitina sling?” ‘* Ask no questions, sir, and go!” ‘Oh! PH go, for when it comes ter a question 0 dustag’in’ this young leddy bein’ taken by you, you honery cuss, I say give up ther gold every time, and Ill help make up ther loss, fer I hain’t as poor as] look, though Eines better, Brass, than ter carry my spare change on ther road, when sich thieves as you kin git it.” ‘* Curse you, Ribbon Rob, brs a mind to kill you,” hoarsely said the Road Raider chief. ‘* Don't doit, for you'll spoil yer robbin’ trade, as I told yer,” ‘“* Then mount my horse and go, or ll lose all patience. ‘You go with him, Benton and Luke.” ‘Yes, sir,” and the two men stepped to either side of the horse, the chief being the only man who was mounted in the attack on the coach, while the men kept their hor-es back in the ‘timber a few hundred yards, What Ribbon Rob meant to do neither Kate, or thoso in the coach had any idea; but they ‘felt that he was plotting some way to help them. He managed to give to Mr. Conrad a look that was full of meaning, and mounting the horse of Captain Brass he rode off with one of the outlaws walking on either side of the horse. He soon disappeared around a bend in the trail, and the chief stepped up to the coach aloor and began to address Mr. Conrad, But hardly had he uttered half a dozen words, when the clear notes of a bugle fell on the ears of all, and around the bend ways heard the clatter of hoofs. ‘Cavalry, by Heaven!” cried the chief. Then around the curve in the trail dashed a ‘horseman, and from the hoof-strokes others were following. ‘©The Dragcon! The Dragoon!” Thojrig itened Road Raiders yelled thename, sand the chief shouted: ‘‘ Rally in the rocks, boys, and beat them back!” But suddenly there came the crack of a whip, and with a bound the horses were off, Kate Conrad holding the reins, CHAPTER XIX, A PLAN THAT WORKED WELL. WHILE Ribbon Rob had been talking to the Road Raider chief he happened to glance back- ward, and suddenly saw a horseman ride into view. The horseman seemed to instantly take in the situation, for he wheeled about quickly and dis- wei a ut in the glance he had of him Ribbon Rob had recognized the Dragoon. He looked over the crowd of Road Raiders, and noted that they had all been too much in- terested in what was going on about them to see ‘the horseman’s coming and retreat. The fact was Captain Brass’s spy had reported the coming of the strangersand that they would Caper for the booty. bus it wes that Ribbon Rob had said the. valuables had been buried by him back: down the trail, and the seeing of the halt by the coach, by the picket of the Raiders, had carried out this idea. ‘*The Dragoon is there, and he means busi- ness, 80 I’}] jist go back, and I guess they’ll send two of ther varmints with me, and that will make two less ter fight,” he said to himsrlf. So he urged for the chief’s horse, and it was | goon, and he thought: given him, while Ribbon Rob was not disarmed, . as Captain Brass knew his nature too well to think he would desert his stage-coach, and his passengers. ‘* He'll get the booty,” thought Captain Brass, and selecting two of his best niep to go with — him, he started the dandy driver off on his er- | rand, As he drew near the bend in the trail, Ribbon | rifle came flying through the woods, and the c | Road Raiders kept on once more in their head- pan out a small fortune, so all the Raiders were | | Rob talked loud, for he wanted the Dragoon to hear him, if he was there. Rounding the bend, as they came near some rocks piled up high on one side, Rob cast his eyes about him. His quick eyes detected the trail of the Dra- | ‘* There is several horses turned here.”’ Then he searched the thicket and the rocks, | and was expecting, or at least hoping, for what came: ‘* Hands up, quick!” The startled Raiders followed Rob’s example, and threw their hands up into the air, for they saw a repeating-rifle covering them, and the | Dragoon was at the butt of it. ‘*Glory hally—hally—hallylujah to kingdom come!” cried Ribbon Rob, while the Dragoon stepped quickly out frum among the rocks, his | rifle still at a cover. ‘* Rob, tie that man’s hands quickly behind him,’’said the Dragoon. Rob seized the man on his left and, with the lariat, at once made him secure, while the Dra- goon as quickly bound the other, but not until he had to deal him a blow in the face to show him that he was his master. ‘‘T have two led horses here, Rob, so they shall mount and serve as apparent force for ms,” Out came three horses at a call from the | Dragoon, one hitched to the horn of the saddle on the center animal, which was the own steed of the Darling of Destiny. The two led korsescarried small packs, but the two Road Raiders were made to mount, and their legs were secured to the girths. ‘* Now, Rob, we are ready.” ‘* You mean to charge ther Raiders, cap’n?” ‘““Yes, end you lead one horse, and I the other, and 1’ll chanye these fellows a little.” He stepped to one of the horses and took out of the pack a uniform coat and put it on one of | the desperadoes A military cap was put on the other’s head, while the man with the coat had his slouch hat doubled up, the rim under. ‘* Lordy | they islovely soldiers; buthain’t you | afeerd theyll sing out, cap’n?” ‘* Tf one does he dies,” was the quietrejoinder, and the men at once dismissed such determina- | tion to do so, had they entertained the idea. All this had not taken five minutes, and being ready, the Darling of Destiny took from its case on the saddle housing, a small silver bugle. With consummate skill he blew the rally, the notes ringing in hundreds) t echoes through the mountains. ‘*Come!” As the words broke from the Jips of the Dra- goon he started forward, the Jed horse follow- ing close behind, aud Ribbon Rob also spurring up close with the animal he was leading. Around the bend they swept, the bugle still ringing, and they charged full upon the Road Raiders about the coacb. The reader hasseen the panic that seized them, and as Captain Brass, as he heard the bugle, looked as though he meant to dosome desperate act, Kate Conrad, with consummate nerve, de- cided to act. The brake was let up, the reins grasped, and | the whip-lash flew forward with a crack, all in an instant of time Could Captain Brass have done so, he would have stopped the team; but it was impossible, | and he saw the stage roll out of his grasp. Then he turned to call upon his men to beat back the coming troopers, as he supposed them at the first glance, and to his dismay he beheld them flying for their horses. Thus deserted he had but one thing to do, and he did it. A powerful, athletic man, he knew that his life depended upon his heels, and he ran like a deer. : His own splendid horse was gone, so he had to mount one of the animals ridden by one of the two men who had gone as guard to Ribbon Rob ‘As the “ cavalry” did pot dash on in pursuit, Captain Brass tried to rally his men; but the rattling bullets from the Dragoon’s repeating- long flight. ‘‘T was a fool to bring only eight men,” he muttered, savagely. ‘* T should have brought my entire force. “ Now I have gained nothing, lost my best horse, and two of my men, for they evidentl were right upon the troops, and were captured. ‘* That Darling of Destiny had his troop with him, and I must be careful, for he may have come on the hunt for me. ‘*T shall lie close in camp for a while, and then act, and the end of that gallant Dragoon sha]l come.” Inno amiable mood Captain Brass returned to his retreat, and poured into the ears of Flush Fred his misfortunes. : He found in that person a sympathetic listen- er, for be had been quite subdued since his night tramp back to the retreat, after his un- eemeronent attempt to run off the Dragoon’s orses. CHAPTER XX. THE RUNAWAY. KATE CoNnRAD’s first thought, as the horses dashed off and left the Road Raiders behind, was of congratulations upon their escape. She glanced back and saw, as she supposed, cavalry coming to the rescue. Soshe settled herself well in her seat, took the reins in hand and began to draw on the 0 a wees a little, preparatory to coming to a halt. In his home Hast Mr. Conrad had indulged in the luxury of a coach-and-four, and Kate’s place had always been with him upon the box. Often she would drive by the hour, and as they were wont to take jaunts for weeks through the country, with a party of friends, Kate sometimes drove by day and night over the roughest roads. She thus became noted as an expert and fear- less driver, and there was nothing she would rot handle the ribbons over. A superb horsewoman also, she was not afraid of horses, and when she took the reins over Ribbon Rob’s team it was with a perfect consciousness of her power to handle the an- imals. But just here Miss Conrad reckoned wrong, for the team of Ribbon Rob were spirited, wiry horses, many of them had been runners on the Pony Express before they were put to staging, and they were full of life and go, They preferred a run to a walk, especially | with Gilt Edge City only a few miles away, where a supper and night’s rest awaited them. Many people had wondered that Ribbon Rob dared drive that team of six wild horses as he did, and over the mountain trails. But they knew Rob, and his strength was something wonderful, while his foot could put down the heavy brake when needed, Had Kate known that a short distance abead was the most perilous part of the road, and a down run to Gilt Hdge City, itis certain that she would not have started the team, for the danger from the Road Raiders was less than a runaway down the mountain, When Kate decided to come to a halt she drew in her reins well, and at once found that she might as well draw against a huge bowlder as those iron jaws. Then she spoke to the horses, now getting in- toa run, but she might as well have saved her breath. Next she tried the brake, but her little foot would not move it. Then Kate Conrad turned pale; but she did not lose her nerve, and keeping the reins well in hand she determined to guide the horses in the trail as well as she could. But there was dismayin her face when she realized that the team were running away. Those in the coach realized it, too, and yet they could do nothing, for to spring out would be certain death. On, on, the horses went, and Kate could only hold the reins and utter prayers, Suddenly she heard a shout, and turning her head beheld a horseman coming on ata run. Behind him were three others, but they were not riding as was the one that was now close to the stage. He was mounted upon a superb black horse, wearing military trappings and bridle, and the rider was in uniform. This much Kate saw, and then from her lips came the two words: ‘* Thank God!” ‘“‘Hold them steady, miss, and I'll soon aid ou.” 4 Such were the words she heard, and she saw, by another glance, that the horseman was gain- ing rapidly. The stage team was now going at full speed, their heads thrown up, and they were dragging the coach along at a frightful pace. The trail was narrow in places, barely room enough for the coach to pass batween the rocks on either side; then it bordered a cliff, and again descended » steep hill. But Kate Conrad still clung to the reins, watched the road ahead, and did allin her power to guide the team, Her father called out to her from within not to lose her nerve, Sylvester Vernon shouted advice as to what to do, ber motber was silently raying, and Pink was pupping her head out. of st one window and then the other, and ter- ribly excited for the safety of her young mistress, and not thipking of ber own danger. Suddenly the stretched-out head of a black horse appeared at the window. The red nostrils were wide open, and the breath came hard and fast as he pressed on. Then came the neck, then a form in the saddle, Raising his hat politely as he looked in the stage, the rider said: ‘““ Have no fear, for I will soon check them,” Leaning over, the horseman grasped the top rail firmly with one hand and then threw one leg over the horse until he rode sideways. One feot was placed upon the step over the fore-whee], and a firm grip was gotten with the other hand. ‘* Back, Trailer.” im Coimicboo S i: 4