Old Shadow Shot — page 11: what you’re looking at

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

THE TWO cutlaw, and with a wild shriek she threw | her hands to her head, andgstaggered against the walls of the cavern. “Now, you've got the thinkin’ cap on!” Rafe said. “TI didn’t think you could furget that time. It sticks with me, fur I saw you crawl from the waggon an’ run off!” ‘Forget that night? Never!” was the ery, and the fair speaker, with a pair of eyes flashing above her pallid cheeks, sprang erect, and halted before the outlaw. “That's what I thought!” was the re- rejoinder. “I war thar——” “You! And do you come hither to tell me that you were among the forest fiends who attacked my father’s train that night, and in cold Koad, butchered all save myself? Do you know that I have lived for venge- ance? The person who offers me the only kindness that I have received in these woods since that night of blood has promised to hunt the wolves of murder down. He may be on their trail now! I have asked to be permitted to follow him; but he says ‘no!’ and here I stay until he brings the instigator of the massacre to me.” 3 A strange smile played over Rafe Arm- strong’s lips whide the girl talked excitedly of revenge. “When war he here last?’ the outlaw asked. “ Yesterday.” “What do you think of him?” “What should a person in my situation think of the only one: who proffers friend- ship?” “Oh, thet’s a question. I wanted an an- swer. Now, to come down to business: Do you love that man?” The girl hesitated, evidently startled and astonished. ‘Why these questions?” she said, coming forward as if puzzled by the outlaw’s manner and the smile on his swarthy face. ‘“ You are smiling, and by it you mean something. _ Why should I not. love the man who is to befriend me? Tell me this, and then I will answer you.” “ Just like the women in the city,” and Rafe Armstrong burst into a loud guffaw, whose coarseness made the cavern ring. It made the girl blush and look indignant. ‘Why, it isn’t natural fur a person in your fix to fall in love with the rascal who did you all the harm he could!” the forest free- booter said, at the end of his laugh. The hand which had left his arm now closed upon it again, and a face painful in its blanched eagerness was upturned to the ‘deserter. “Oh! tell me what you darkly hint at!” the girl cried. ‘You do not mean—no !— no! w CAPTAINS, bs) “Thet’s jest what I mean!” was the in- terruption. ‘“ Warn’t_I thar? and oughtn’t Itoknow? Yes, my little gal, the man what has pretended to be your friend is the rascal who led the attack on Collyer’s train! He has lied to you. You may have heard of Captain Dave = “Yes, yes, he told me that he would hunt Captain Dave down, and bring him to me to be dealt with as I elected.” “Just one of his tricks!” laughed Arm- strong. ‘He is Cap’n Dave himself. He's pulled the wool over yer eyes completely.” The white-faced girl did not answer for a moment. She stood like a statue before the outlaw, a look of incredulity in her eyes. Rafe saw that she doubted him. _ “T tell the truth, gal!” he said, with an earnestness that sent conviction like an arrow to her heart. “He is the vulture of these woods. We’ve hed a diffikilty; at loggerheads, you see!” “Now I know whom to hunt!” cried the girl, seizing a rifle that leaned against the wall of the cave. “ My father’s blood calls for vengeance. A lie has kept me three long years from the path of justice; but now these woods shall know a trailer as im- placable as the Indians who inhabit them.” Startled by the vehemence of Violet Collyer’s words, Armstrong shrank back to- wards the dark figure in the shadows. Another step and he would tread on the hidden Pottawatomie. But the Indian’s eyes were upon him, and suddenly a knife flashed for a moment in the starlight. With a wild shriek Armstrong felt the pet enter his flesh, and staggered past the gir Sharp Knife sprang to his feet, to find the avenger’s rifle at his breast. He started back, hesitated a moment, and fled down the ravine. But the fair avenger saw the flying figure, and before it could lose itself in the shadows, a flash lit up the little cave. Sharp Knife fell forward on his face! CHAPTER VY. THE TWO CAPTAINS. T the report of Nightingale Nat’s rifle, fired point-blank into Zimri Pad- dock’s face, a figure moving through the forest at no great distance from the spot came to a sudden halt, and a strange ejacula- tion was heard. “Tt came from the place whar I left the leetle ’un!” said the person in the wood, in tones that betrayed much anxiety. — — The speaker quickened his gait, and was 3 CONnmiclooOol<S.COnn