Bonny Jean, and A Severe Threat — page 81: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

74 BONNY JEAN. ‘Cand youd better give me what I ask for, or I'll send you both to kingdom come!” John and Mr. Lee were unarmed. In the excitement of their journey, and their anxiety to rescue Lady as quickly as possible, the thought of weapons of defense had not entered their minds. John remembered it now, when it was too late, with a bitter pang of regret. But if he mus¢ die, he would die game. | With a sudden, back-handed stroke, so unexpected as to thoroughly demoralize the vigilante, John knocked the weapon from the robbers hand. It landed in a clump of live oaks, several rods distant. John sprang from his horse then, and seizing the ruffian, dragged him from his own horse to the ground. Mr. Lee, intuitively understanding what would be required of him, dismounted, and catching the horse of the vigilante, hastily stripped its bridle off, and while John held the man’s arms behind his back, Mr. Lee bound them firmly. Then, turning suddenly, he tore the mask from the villain’s face. It was Bob, the man whose house they had just left. For an in- stant John recoiled in horror. “You villain!” he shouted, angrily; ‘‘you fiend! So you are a vigilante, too, are you? Now I begin to doubt the truth of your story about Miss Lee.” ‘Tt’s all true—every word of it!” affirmed Bob, doggedly, ‘‘But I’m bound to have revenge for this! When I git home, I'll dig up the body and toss it into the river for the alligators and buzzards to feast on !” With a groan of agony and horror too deep for expression, the young man recoiled. He clenched his hand as though to strike the ruffian; but he remembered that Bob was bound and helpless in his hands, and John Averill was too much of a man to strike even a brute when it was down. Bob scrambled to his feet. ) Gomicbooks.c¢o