The Dragoon Detective; Or, A Man of Destiny — page 4: what you’re looking at

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

4. The Dragoon Detective. While the soldier was taken to his room by the landlord, Rob went into the ‘‘ center of at- traction” at The Barracks, viz.: the bar-room, and soon told his story of the affair with the Road Raiders, and thus it was that Harl Gas- ton, as he called himself, made his entrée into Gilt Edge City as a hero, | CHAPTER V. THE DARLING OF DESTINY. “Him? Does yer mean him, pard?” and the speaker pointed over his shoulder to indicate a certain person not far away. ‘Yas: who is he?” ** Don’t you know who he is?” o‘ No, I don’t.” ** You hain’t been round Gilt Edge City ther past month then, pard?” ‘*No; I has been prospectin’ in ther moun- tains.” ‘*Oh! that means why yer doesn’t know him,” and a jerk of the speaker’s elbow indicated the person referred to. ‘*No; who are he?” ‘« We calls him ther Darlin’ 0’ Destiny.” ‘Ther Darlin’ 0’ Destiny ?” ac Yas.” ‘What am that?” ‘*Tt are one who carries a full hand every time, kin play ee 9: on ther call, kin pick up a stone and find gold in it, kin ride ther trail smilin’, while fellers a leetle behind gits shot fer him, kin be stopped by road-raiders and jist take ’em in at their own game, while, when it comes to shootin’, he hes a gun that puts bullets right whar he tells ’em ter go. ‘ That are what a Darlin’ o’ Destiny is, pard, and thet man yonder are ther Darlin’.” The one referred to by the speaker stood a dozen paces away, at the corner of the piazza of The Barracks, There were scores of men moving about in the bar, on the piazza, in the hallway,and others, like the two in conversation, out under the shelter of a large tree, The Darling of Destiny, as the enthusiastic miner had called him, was a man of superb physique, set off bya handsome fatigue peor that fitted perfectly. His pants were stuck in stylish cavalry-boots, the heels of which were armed with gold spurs, while neat chains crossed the high insteps of the small, shapely feet. His waist was small, but under the fatigue jacket there was a suspicion of a belt-of-arms, though no weapons were visible, The shoulders were broad and indicative of strength, and the head haughtily poised upon his neck, \ A white silk shirt, with a black scarf beneath the collar, gave him a free-and-easy air, and a slouch black hat was encircled by a cord of gold, while a pin of crossed swords looped it up upon the left side. Six feet in hight, standing firmly upon his feet, and his movements graceful and yet quick, Earl Gaston was a man to admire among men for his physique, while his face would win a second glance from any woman. It was full of manly singget from its perfec- tion of features almost effeminate; but the stamp of manhood was there, indelibly fixed and featured. His eyes were brown, and intensely full of animation, while his hair and long, silken mus- tache were a shade darker. A month had Karl Gaston been in Gilt Edge City, and, as the reader knows, he came there as Ribbon Rob’s hero. Since the day of the Road Raiders’ attack, the coach, for some reason, had gone through un- molested, on its semi-weekly runs, The day after the Dragoon’s coming—for the landlord said that he wasa dragoon officer, he knew—the negro soldier arrived, his master’s horse and the pack-horse following him, The negro wore a uniform with cavalry trim- mings, and yet openly showed no belt of arms, though a saber hung at his side. His master’s gold-mounted sword hung to the saddle-horn of his handsome military saddle, with its holsters, in which were two large re- volvers. A lariat also hung to the broad saddle-horn, so that the officer, if officer he was, was thor- oughly armed and equipped. be three horses were noble animals, and all of them were jot-black. The negro was almost a giant in size, being fully six feet four inches, and his horse was cor- respondingly large. is uniform was of the same style as his mas- ter’s, only the trimmings were of yellow braid instead of gold cord, and a yellow cord was about his huge black sombrero. No indication of rank was on either the Dra- goon'’s or the negro soldier's uniform, so it was only conjecture as to who and what they were, The Dragoon had registered as Karl Gaston, and had put his colored companion down simply A nee 8: ‘* Hannival.” More than this no one knew, other than that Landlord Champ hinted that they belonged to the Black Horse Dragoons, an organization which he asserted was attached to the United States Army. The day after his arrival the Dragoon went out for aride, accompanied by Hannibal], and his object, as announced, was to purchase a mine, For a week or more he made his daily pilgrim- ages, and, disregarding all advice, he, to the surprise of all Gilt Edge City, purchased, for a good sum, an old, played-out lead, from a miner who was poor aud had lost a leg. All said the mine had been worked out long ago, and that the lp es owner would have sold it fora hundred dollars, any time; but the Dragoon gave a thousand in cash,and then hired some men to build him a substantial four-room cabin and shelter for his horses near it, The Bad Luck Mine, as it was called, was situated most picturesquely ina nook of the hills | from whence the whole valley and all of Gilt | Edge City could be seen, and, as there was | plenty of good water and fine scenery, it would | not prove a bad abiding: place in the cosey new cabin that the Dragoon was having put up. A few days after his purchase, the Dragoon, who was examining the mine, struck a rich vein . = and all Gilt Edge City was wild over his uck, A bully, who asserted that the Dragoon knew the fact hatore the purchase, and had cheated tbe poor cripple, was thrashed with a prompt- ness that fairiy paralyzed those who saw it, and a comradeot the desperado, who ‘“‘ drew to kill,” as he expressed it, was shot through before the words had hardly left his lips. Bad Luck, the former owner, and a good but unfortunate fellow, was then installed as keeper, as a proof that the desperado had spoken talsely in the charge he had made against the Dragoon. Such was the man who had appeared in Gilt Edge City, six months after the carrying off of the old gray-haired miner, by the Rocky Moun- tain Detective. The one who had asked the questions regard- ing Harl Gaston, which open this chapter, was a tall, ungainly fellow, armed to the teeth, and with the face of a person who would do and dare anything. Having had his questions answered, he re- garded the Dragoon a moment in silence; then turning to two men who stood not far distant, nodded to them to approach. Instantly they came to his side, ‘‘ Pards, yonder man is our game,” he whis- along after me, and I'll go up and capture him,”’ ‘All right.” .The leader, ascending the piazza, sauntered up toward the Dragoon, and suddenly leveling his revolver full at him, cried in a loud voice: “‘ Hands up, pard, to a Rocky Mountain De- tective|!” CHAPTER VI. THE DETECTIVE AND THE DRAGOON, WHEN the words of the man, who proclaimed himself a Rocky Mountain Detective, fell upon the ears of all about the barracks at the time, a silence like death followed, The Dragoon at once became the cynosure of all eyes, for they saw that he was covered by the revolver of the detective, who was now seen to be a stranger in Gilt Edge City. Behind the detective two other strangers now appeared, and the three men grouped close to- gor confronting the handsome young sol- er, : The latter turned at the ringing words, a smile hovered upon his face, and in the pleas- antest manner possible he asked: ‘* My dear sir, of what am I accused?” ‘*That is none o’ yer business, but it’s mine to a. the nippers onter yer an’ take yer ter jail. ‘* Suppose I make it my business to know, be- fore I submit to arrest?” was the calm query. ‘J has you covered, and if you don’t hold out your flippers for the irons pretty quick, Ill put a bullet through your heart.” ‘‘Then you have orders to take me dead or alive?” 4a i has.” ‘¢ And you are an officer of the Rocky Moun- tain Detectives?” gua,” ‘* Who were you told to arrest?” Fou." ‘* And who am I?” ‘*Tbhe man I wants, and is going to get,” was the rude reply. ‘* What is my name?” ‘That don’t matter.” The Dragoon’s pleasant smile still lingered upon his face, while he said: a we compromise this matter in some wa ‘No, I wants you, so out with your hands for the irons.” The Dragoon glanced calmiy into the muzzle of the revolver, and then at the two men who stood just behind the detective, and who had their hands upon their revolvers, while one held a pair of irons. They leant upon the piazza railing, and stood | b so as to cut off all retreat by a leap, should the Dragoon contemplate it. The crowd, with the instinct of men who knew what a bullet would do, had shrunk away from the pistol-range, and men grouped across: the piazza on both sides, while others stood out upon the ground, six feet below, looking up. A perfect stillness rested upon all. Having taken his hasty glance the Dragoom seemed to have made up his mind that the odds were against him, for he sighed and said quick- y: ‘* You hold the winning cards, pard, and if I must submit, [ must.’’ He held out his hands as he spoke, and the man who had the irons stepped forward to clasp» them on. But, quick as a flash, up flew one hand, knock- ing the weapon from the grasp of the detective, straight out from the shoulder flew another, driving the fist hard in the face of the man who. held the irons, and, before any one knew wha had happened, or how it occurred, the thre men were grasped, seemingly together, ther was & crashing of the rail and they went head- long from the piazza to the ground. : Then, standing on the edge of the piazza, with a revolver a each hand, the Dragoon call- ed out: ‘*Stay where you are! dies |” There was no mistaking the Darling of Des— tiny now, for his face showed that he was aroused and in a deadly humor, The three men were all hurt by the fall: one had an arm broken; but they seemed fairly stunned with amazement at their defeat, and looked bewildered. But their hearing was good, and they obeyed the command given them, lying still as they had fallen. A shrill whistle from the lips of the Dragoom brought Hannibal at a run. : : ‘¢ Yes, sah,” he said, as he saw the situation at a glance. : ‘¢ Disarm those gentlemen, Hannibal.” The order was obeyed, and with no apparent: gentleness, ‘Now, get your horse, take their arms, and escort these gentlemen one mile out of town. ‘“ Tf they get ugly, shoot them; but if not, let them march on ahead, leave their weapons in the road, call for them to come kack and get: them, and you return home,” 79 es, sah,” The crowd laughed, while Hannibal hastened. off for his horse. Some of the crowd sought to jeer the three discomfited strangers, but the Dragoon said, The man who moyes, rnly: ‘* Hold! do not insult a man when he is down,. pards.” A cheer for the po followed this show of hearton bis part,and Hannibal returning swung the belts of the three men on his arm and said: ‘1m ready, sah.” ‘Get up!” They obeyed sullenly, while one man showed that he was nie hurt. : Instantly the Dragoon stepped up to him, andi after a short examination said: ‘““Your armis broken,my man. Here, Han- nibal, show your surgical skill!” Thus called upon, the negro gently stripped off the shirt of the injured man, carefu'ly ex- amined the arm, took from his saddle-pocket a. bottle of ointment and rolls of bandages. With some splints, which the _ landlord. brought him, Hannibal then coolly and skillfully set the arm and dressed it, while one of the crowd shouted: ‘* Bully for the Black Doctor.’ That settled it for Hannibal, as far as a nick- name was concerned, for he was called doctor ever after. Aiding the injured man to mount, for the horses of the three were hitched near, the negro. started them off ahead of him, while the detec- tive called out to the Dragoon: : ‘*Tt’s your day to-day, my Darlin’ o’ Destiny, but my time will come.” The Dragoon smiled and called to Brindle the barman to set the boys up what they hked best,. and they cheered him to the echo for his thought- fulness. CHAPTER VII. THE DRAGOON ‘‘ AT HOME,” THE rights or wrongs of the case of the Rocky Mountain Detective versus the Darling of Destiny, the denizens of Gilt Edge City had nothing to do with, nor did they consider. They only knew that three men had attempt- ed to capture the Dragoon, and proclaimed themselves as belonging to those terrors of evil- doers, the Rocky Mountain Detective Associa- tion; but they had declared their game and were beaten by the man they meant to take, The Dragoon might be a defaulter, a robber murderer, or even a horse-thief, but as they did not capture him, they did not prove their charge, in the minds of that Gilt-Edge com- munity, and while the Rocky Mountain De- tectives retired in defeat, the Darling of Destiny ecame a still greater hero, Having ‘‘stood treat” for the boys, the (E(0) OnnICE OOOKS wee | j oF .