The Dragoon Detective; Or, A Man of Destiny — page 9: what you’re looking at

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

The Dragoon Detective. -— late, and has the old fever come upon him to hunt for gold again, and feelssure he can find another fortune, so he came, and mother. and myself were glad to come with him, while of course I could not do without Pink, my maid, and you came as papa’s secretary, you say, but | realiy, I tbiuk, mostly to tease me. ‘* Veare here, and there isanend of it, and I sb all eujoy the change, and I know mamma’s health wilimprove. Sue spoke half-impatiently, half in a spoiled way, and Sylvester Vernon turned away alter remarking: ‘* Your father is a rich man now, and he may lose all by investments here.” ‘* He wishes to make me an heiress more worth struggling for,” was the laughing reply. Now Ribbon Rob had overheard this little conversation, and it gave him an idea of who and what the strangers were. ‘“Sho’s a beauty, and the Dragoon will be ther one to catch her eye. ‘* Now, ther gal she calls Pink are just my style, and 111 kinder shine thar, I’m guessin’.” So whispered Ribbon Rob to himself, and he was a handsome man withal, with his fine brown beard, hazel eyes, long curling chestnut ely that fell upon his shoulders, and his manly ace, He dressed, too, ina style that had won for him the sobriquet of the ‘‘ Dandy Driver,” and no man in the mountains could handle the ‘‘ribbons”? with the skill that -he did, while his courage had been often tried. Taking hig hat off and bowing low, Rob said, addressing Kate Conrad, who stood near, enjoy- ing the fine scenery: “Pm glad to meet you, miss, and welcome yer. i ‘*1%m Ribbon Rob, who drives you over to Gilt Edge City to-morrow.” Now, Kate Conrad had often ridden on the box with the different drivers, and Rob was their hero, and often had she heard of him. So she stretched out her hand and said, frankly: ‘‘Tam glad to meet you, Mr. Ribbon Rob, for T have often heard of you, ‘¢ We will be friends, { know.” ‘*T hopes so, miss.” ‘But I hear the most dangerous part of the road is between here and Gilt Edge City.” ‘‘Tt is, miss.” ‘* Road-agents, eh?” ‘‘They calls themselves Road Raiders, miss, and their chief is Cap’n Brass.” ‘*Do you think we will get through all right?” ‘1 hope so, miss; but I know we would if the Darling o’ Destiny were along.” ‘* And who is the Darling of Destiny?” ‘* The Dragoon,” and then Rob had his chance to tell of “his hero,” and he did, for Kate Con- rad heard all about the mysterious Darling of Destiny. ‘* He left Gilt Hdge City with the dispatches miss, and hadn’t got back when I left; but I'd give my leaders if he was with us.” ‘Then you anticipate danger?” “'T hopes agin’ it, miss,” ‘So do 1, for besides his precious family, papa has a large amount of money with him. “But I believe you will carry us through all right, Ribbon Rob.” And this is what troubled Ribbon Rob, as he stood in front of the station the next morning, for he feared Captain Brass and his Road Raid- ers might bring him to a halt. But there was nothing to do but risk it, and the stage rolled away on its mountain run to Gilt Edge City, with Kate Conrad seated on the box with Ribbon Rob, who certainly did not allay her fears of an attack, by the stories he told of the perils of staging on the Overland. CHAPTER XVI. FLUSH FRED AND HIS ALLIES, As the reader has surmised, the mountain camp into which Flush Fred wended his way by the trail up the canyon, was the retrest of the gang of outlaws known as the Road Raid- ers of the Rockies. The band had not been very long in existence, though ‘‘ Knights of the Overland,” in twos and threes, and singly, had made traveling dangerous. They were generally supposed to be hard char- acters from the minirg-camps, and, as no one knew just who his neighbor was, it caused *most every one to be looked on with suspicion. Captain Brass no one kmew, other than the men of bis band. He had begun as a road-agent alone, then added a couple of men to his band, and thus on until he had a score under his command. He had spies in the different camps and along the Overland Trail, where reports could be madeto him of any valuable treasure being are on the coaches, or by private band, Flush Fred and Tiger Tom had been his spies ip Gilt 9 City, 80 that with the latter in his grave, and the former driven out of the valley nai i he bad to look up others to take their place. | Wor some reason Captain Brass seemed most anxious to capture the Darling of Destiny. That gentleman had left his mark upon him, | - he had said, seriding a bullet through his and. Though he would have been glad to know that | the Dragoon was dead, he yet did aot wish’ to kill him, telling his men that he preferred to take him alive, for reasons best known to him- self, for why he did not state. his men, that Captain Brass had not forgotten the humiliation, while his hand, which he still wore ina sling, did not permit him to forget the | mark he had left on him, The band of the Road Raiders was well organized, and the will of their captain was law. Though in one sense of the word they were in fact turned their attention to all that they could get a dishonest penny out of. The men realized that their chief had been born a gentleman, whatever flight he might have tumbled from that position afterward, and he was a man to rule, plot, plan and execute, so they trusted him thoroughly. aptain Brass had a great love for horse- flesh, and he had heard much of the black steeds that belonged to the Darling of Destiny. So he was anxious that Flush Fred should carry out his intentions of running them off, as he expressed it, for stealing them was too harsh a, term. Fred therefore picked his comrades for the un. He had confidence in himself, where he knew the Dragoon was not around, so he considered that two men wonld be all-snfficient, as a,negro and 2 cripple were all that they had to contend with, even if, in their quiet way of horse-steal- fag, they disturbed any one at all. ‘* Negroes always sleep sound,” he said to the chief, and Bad Luck, the one-legged miner, he did not seem to take into consideration. ‘Who have you selected, Flush Fred?” asked Captain Brass. ‘* Rattler and Stonefist.” ‘«The very men I wish to be my spies in Gilt Edge, for no one knows them there. ‘*T will tell them to remain, after you have gotten the horses, and they can soon get work there, and I can trust them,” ‘They are good men, cap'n, and as you are always masked on the road, no one has seen their faces, and I guess they’!] be all right.” ‘“Then get ready, Fred, and send Rattler and Stouefist to me.” The two men selected for the little matter of aiding Flush Fred in his borse stealing, and then to remain in Gilt Edge City as pretended miners, and in realily spies for the Road Raid- ers, were both large, po werfully-formed fellows, with a profusion of hair and teard, and the reputation of being desperate parties to handle in a game of gunor knife. Mounting their horses, and with their wea- pons cleaned and in their best condition, the ee men set off on their ride to Gilt Edge ity. Flush Fred was the leader, and he knew the environs of the mining-camps thoroughly. He desired .o reach the home of the Darling of Destiny, as he expressed it, ‘‘: About the time that nigger sleeps ther soundest.” The cabin of the Dragoon was well located for just such a raid, for it was upon the foot- bills of the valley, and stood off to itself, while there were near it three trails branching off into the mountains, There had been a substantial log cabin built for the horses, and it was back toward the head of the little glen, a hundred feet from the hut of Bad Luck, and about the same distance from the main cabin. : The glen, where it opened from the hill, was about two hundred feet wide, and narrowed as it ran back to the mine, Thelarge cabin was nearly in the center of side and in the rear, To get to the stables the horge-thieves would have to pass one side of the cabin, and, if they alarmed Bad Luck he could open on them from his hut, while Hannibal bad a chance to cut them off as they went by to escape. But Flush Fred had no fear of Bad Luck, or of Hannibal, and to get the two splendid blacks he knew were in the stable, was worth the risk he thought, for every one of the Dragoon’s trio of horses were noted as superb animals, and many envious eyes had been upon them, Had the Darling of Destiny been at home Flush Fred would never have thought of such a thing as to attempt to steal] his horses. As he was not, he would make the attempt, CHAPTER XVII. THE MIDNIGHT RAID. HANNIBAL was seated in his master’s cabin, busily cleaning a repeating-rifle. He had had his supper, and it was a good one, for the Dragoon always lived well; no matter where he happened to be hoe had the best, and ! Hannibal was the best of cooks. He had so cleverly captured him, right before | ‘‘rentlemen of the road,” in another they were | horse-thieves, robbers of solitary miners, and | the glen, with pine and other trees upon either, As he sat there his fine physique was well re- vealed, and his face was full of strength, cour- age and intelligence, His master was gone off ox a perilous trip, | with the dead sergeant’s dispatches, but some- how Hannibal felt no anxiety regarding him. He knew that the Dragoon was pretty well ableto take care of himself, Now Hannibal had taken a fancy to the crip- pled miner, Bad Luck, and the two were wont to spend their evenings together chatting, and thenegro gleaneda greatdeal of information about the mines, and the people. Bad Luck was well posted, and he was withal a clever tellow in his way. * He had been unfortunate as man and boy all his life. He had lost his leg, and again his finger by an accident, and ili-fortune seemed to have dogged him. He had merried and his wife had died, and then failure in business had followed, so he had gone West to hunt a fortune. Staking outa bit of land he took a fancy to, he had traded it off for a mine. The mine had paid him a bare pittance, while a rich lead had heen found on the land he gave up. @ a it went on until he was known as Bad Luck, But with the coming of the Darling of Destiny his luck had changed,and Bad Luck felt that he was prospering. It is true that when he had sold his mine he got what was considered a great price for it; but the Dragoon found ita paying property and so gave Bad Luck a share in it. It was no wonder then that Bad Luck was a warm advocate and friend of the Dar- ling of Destiny. He loved to talk about him, and returning from the store with s. bag of provisions, he saw a light in the Dragoon’s cabin, so called out: ‘t Have you gone to bed, Hannibal?” ‘* No, sah, IT am cleanin’ up de weepons, fer there is no tellin’ in this country when you may need ’em,” answered Hannibal, opening the door and inviting the miner in, Bad Luck put down his bag and took a seat and Hannibal got a bottle from the cupboard and the two drank the health of the absent Dragoon. Then they were ready for a chat, and Bad Luck, began with: ‘‘Pard Hannibal, that cap’n o’ yourn is a great man.” ‘‘ He hain’t slow, boss, that’s a fact.” ‘¢ He’s a real soldier, I guess,” ** T spect so, sah.” ‘* Do you belong to the army yourself, Han- nibal. ‘‘T belongs to de army, boss, if dere was war, and there is war pretty often these times,” was the non-committal response. ‘*Tg your boss in sarvice now, Hannibal?” ee Waal, sah, he am always doing some- g. ‘* What’s his rank, Hannibal?” ‘* They calls him cap’n,” Bad Luck thought a moment and was con- vinced that he did not know any more than he did before he started the inquiries, ‘* He’s a dead shot, Hannibal?” ‘* He never miss, boss.” “T's strange that such a nice gent sh’u’d come out here ter live.” ‘« He likesit, sah.” ‘* Do yer think he’ll stay long?” ‘*T guesses he'll stay long as he wish to, boss.” . Bad Lucksighed ; but after a moment he tried | it again: ‘*My opinion are that he come to Gilt Edge City fer some set purpuss.” ‘*T heered other gemmans say the same, sah,” ‘¢ He seems mighty rich, Hannibal.” ‘‘ Yes, sah, he got money, I guesses.” ‘‘ Waal, thar are things lintends ter do, Han- nibal.” ‘Yas, boss.” “‘T intends ter tell ther cap’n about an old miner who was my friend, leastways he was good to me, though he never had much ter say to nobody. ‘‘We called him the Jedge because he war edicated so prime, and what he didn’t know no- body wanted ter Varn.” ‘* Ts he here now, sah!” ‘No, he left here last fall, and very suddint- \ like, for he didn’t tell nobody hewar going, and jist put a notice up on his door thet he had gone East on business,and not to distarb his cabin.” ‘© And he hain’t come back?” “Not yit; but bis cabin hes been distarbed.” ‘* Been robbed, sah?” “T can’t say that; but out here among the miners, a man’s property is left sacred by others; but two fellers has gone to the cabin of ther Jedge and jist camped thar,” ‘‘ Taken it for their own, sah?” ‘Yas; and that’s what riles me powerful bad, yer see, : “3% were known ther Jedge struck it rich a C@NNICLOOOKS, CCL