Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 1064 — page 5: what you’re looking at

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

7 = * ~ rt > ee ee Cee ee i el, Pee el ee ia a™ “ 7 - —- oe ee eS ee... . =: —_ edge of my coming. Besides, I am a stranger here, while you are well known, and they were undoubtedly aware of your movements,” ‘* But, 1 cannot see who can wish me harm. And I bave heard of no outlaws or such in the neighborhood, Anyhow, we are the better off for not meeting them, and now let us hasten on to the camp without further delay.” “Tamready. Tbat feeling of danger has left me, and I am myself again, We will get our horses and set off without a moment’s delay. I am glad that I was ahead of you on the trail, and that the premonition came to me in time to be of service to you.” They had left their place of concealment, and were \returning to where their horses had been left, ‘*T can not believe it was I they wanted to get hold of,” the younger again remarked. “ It must have ,been you, The warning came to rou.” ‘¢ Well, I do not know, but it looks impossible. No one can have known of my coming, as I said. Nor can I see why any one would want to make a captive of me. Besides, the men spoke of a girl,’ at There is little in that; women here are al] ‘girls,’ to rough-speaking men, as you must know. Here are our horses,” In a few moments they were out upon the trail, continuing on their way, ‘* Did you recognize either of the fellows?” the Mexican presently asked, ‘* No; how could 1?” was the response, ‘* By their voices, perhaps.” ‘© No; I did not.” Their conversation ran on, with scarcely a ‘break, until their destination was reached in safety. Inez Monica had managed to learn a good deal about the camp and its denizens, and although she had talked a, as much as her companion, had let out but little concerning herself, In the mean time the two masked men had gone on their way, arriving at the end of their trail about the same time the ladies reached the camp. And their destination was—the outlaw ren- dezvous, Just before reaching there they fell in with two others of their gang, with a prisoner. These were the pair who had Barney O’Linn in charge, ‘* Hello! they greeted, ‘‘ whar’s yer gal?” “ We didn’t get her,” was the reply, “Didn't get her! How was that? What’s up? ‘Too many for ye?” ‘No; bat she didn’t come, Didn’t see a sign of her nowhar, She must ’a’ went some other ‘* That’s durn funny, after it was all planned ‘which way she was ter go. Don’t see inter that. How about it, Irishman?” ‘‘ Av Oi knowed phwat ye are talkin’ about,” wesponded Barney, “‘ Oi moight know phwat ye are talkin’ about; as it is, Oil] be hanged av Oi do,” “An that’s an Irishman’s answer, eve time,” cried the questioner. ‘‘ You know well enough what l’m talkin’ about, We mean that woman what was with you and your boss,” *‘ An’ haven't Oi tould ye that Oi am out wid Dick Darrel, an’ know nothin’ about him an’ the woman any more? Av ye can’t bel’ave me, Oi can’t help that,” : ‘**Cuss yerlyin’ tongue! Yer is afraid we is after some facts from you. Jest you wait afew minutes more, an’ you’ll most probably see some- ‘thin’ that will make ye open yer eyes.” Barney was determined to know nothing, and meant to hold out to the end and stick to the story he had first told, In a sbort time all entered the cavern. Immediately the eyes of the young Irishman ‘and those of the rough-looking man who had been brought in before, met, ‘* What did I tell yer?” cried Handy Henry. “* Thar’s yer master, as yer calls him, an’ hyer ais you. Thar’ll be a double funeral, you bet!” ‘Where's the captain?” asked Maron, of the man on guard at the opening of the cavern. ‘‘ Here I am,” was answered, and the chief of ithe So enna ie ‘Here's the Irishman,” Maron a nf but. the gal didn’t appear, 8) de tose vat t. ‘* What? Didn’t you get hold of the woman?” Morgan cried, in anger, ‘‘ Nary,” was the response, ‘ Shedidn’tcome sour way, an’ nothin’ was seen of her nowhar,”’ ‘‘That’s singular. But, no matter, since we ot the two we wented most. Barney, let me introduce you to your worthy master, Mr. Dandy ‘Richard Prince Darrel!” 5 He waved his hand toward the hard-looking individual, ‘“That me masther!” cried Barney, in tone of greatest disgust, ‘* It willdo you no good to play off,” warned the outlaw. ‘itis all up with both of you,” ‘* Yes, it’s all up, Barney, and no use kicking,” spoke the other prisoner; it being Dandy Dick, sure enough, as Morgan had insisted. Dick bad had little to say till now, wanting to study the matter, to see whether his identity really was known or not, Reflection bad shown Lim that there was no doubt about it, Nor was there, Devil Duval had hada spy upon him, as he had declared, and had kept him- self posted as to his movements, His plans and intentions were known tothe consummate vil- lain, and when Dick made the first move of a carefully planned scheme, a trap was in waiting for him and bis confederates, ‘* Well, av that is the case, an’ ye says ye are me masther, av coorse Oi’ll have to take yer wurred fur it,” Barney rejoined, ‘It is the divil av a bad fix ye appear to be in, so ye do,” ‘* A bad fix we are both in, Barney. I see no hope for us, but we can at least die like men. As for you, Craig Morgan, you have over- reached me, as you said; but the end is not yet, even though you take my life, remember that,” ** Ha, ba, ha!” laughed the hardened villain, ‘*T suppose you hint at some future day of reckoning. I know nothing about anything of that sort. The present is enough for me to take care of, You have found that you were no match for me. In the morning at sunrise you hang, both of you, so prepare yourselves for that fate. Men, see to it that they do not es- cape.” CHAPTER VIL. SATAN’S DELIGHT SHOCKED. SATAN’S DELIGHT was a roaring wild camp, Yet it was held under reasonable restraint by the iron grip of Jackson Dunbarge. This man was inanager of the Gold Drop Mine, and the Gold Drop was the life of the camp. The mine was a stock concern, run on a big scale, and a paying institution to the sbare- holders, Jackson Dunbarge himself had a goodly sum invested, and he was the right man in the right place, as he had long ago proved in more ways than one, He was fifty years of age, tall and broad, and with the strength of a giant: With bold, clear-cut features, keen gray eyes, and a close-cropped, iron-gray beard, his presence was such as to command respect and attention al- ways, He lived with his family at the camp, in a substantial house near the mine, and was really the czar of the valley, But he was a man of strict justice, and bis sway was as much due to the regard the people of the camp had for him, as to his prowess and decision of character. Every difference was brought to him for settle- ment, and his decision was law, every time. There was no appeal to any higher tribunal, for there was none higher. The camp wasa place of perhaps sixty abodes of one sort and another, and had a population of about three hundred, Of this number a rea- sonable proportion was made up of women and children, There was a school in the place, a church that waxed and waned with spasmodic irregt- Jarity, and half a dozen saloons, Besides these, there was a hotel, the pride of the camp. _ This hostelry was a roomy, two-story build- ing, and was hoe ge on Mountain Mansion. It was now own @ mining company, and had been recently Shiono . aad The proprietor or manager was one Richmond Danewood. _ Satan’s i was, nevertheless, a wild, rough camp. It’s name was indicative of what it had been, and, as though its character had not sufficiently improved to warrant a change of name, that rugged appellation still clung to it. A creek ran through the middle of the valley, dividing the camp in half, and this creek was now in the center of the one broad thorough- fare, A rude bridge crossed it in the center of the camp. As the creek was broad, sluggish, and scarce- ly more than a foot deep in any spot in the val- ley, this bridge was little used save by the women and children, or by men when it hap- pened to be in line of their direction. With water-tight boots, the men found the creek no obstacle when they had business on the other side of the camp, and horsemen, of course, never made use of the structure, The bottom of this creek had been washed— or panned—over and over again, and to that its broad, shallow and even bed was nowdue, Gold had been discovered in its bottom by a party of prospectors, and finding that panning paid, tbey bad settled right down to the business of secur- ing the ‘* dust.” , Working like beavers all day, at night the majority of these fellows would drink and gam- ble, and their doings finally brougbt upon their camp the name that still held gocd, To this place, about the hour of sunset on the day that witnessed the events already narrated, attention is now invited. Work was done, of course; supper bad been disposed of and the denizens of the camp were free. Many were out on the street, on either side of the creek, andthe saloon and gaming places were peenesing for the business of the evening. The camp still followed the example of the first pro- prietors in this respect. Nothing of an exciting ‘nature was to be seen or heard, and nothing of that sort was looked for, yet an excitement of the greatest magnitude was pending. Svon the camp was to be in a furor. And the cause of it all was even now drifting slowly down the creek toward the bridge. In front of the ‘Come Over Here” Saloon, perbaps the leading drinking resort of the camp, a group of men stood idly talking. In the door was Rusty Leary, the proprietor of the ‘* shebang,” idly listening while be waited for business, It was alittle too early for trade. “That did not commence until it was getting dark without and he had made bis place attractive with lights within. This was the most pleasant hour of the whole day, and even the dullest mind could not fail to recognize its influence. Rusty Leary was facing the creek, ard was the first to catch sight of an object that came slowly along with the sluggish current. ‘‘Thunder!” he suddenly ejaculated, ** what ar’ that thing, boyees?” Eyes immediately followed the direction in- dicated, and otber exclamations at once fol- lowed, ‘* Dorn me if it don’t look like er coffin!” cried one Hard-pan Smith, “ An’ that’s jest what it are, too!’ another declared, ‘*Come erlong,” shouted yet another, “‘ an’ we’Jl soon find out what it are.” ‘All save Rusty Leary stepped out toward the bridge, at a lively gait, where the object must soon stop. When they reached the bridge the thing was near enough for them to see plainly that it was a coffin, and in it was the form of a woman! 3 ae howlin’ coyotes!” exclaimed Hard-pan mith. ‘* What in blazes does it mean?” cried one of his companions. “TI give it up!” Smith declared, ‘‘It are too mach fer me ter guess. He howlin’ coyotes! It’s enough to skar’ a feller, I swow it are!” It was a plain pine coffin, and the woman it contained was clad all in white, as though in bridal array, and was young and pretty. The coffin drifted nearer, finally struck the bridge and swung around sidewise against it, and was still. For several moments the men on the bridge were too borrified to speak, Presently Hard-pan Smith recovered, and throwing back his head his capacious mouth flew open, and he bellowed: ‘‘Hyar! Feller-citerzens! Hyar! Hyar! Come, ye p’izen galoots, carry yer rotten car~- casses dowb hyar an’ see ther latest arrival! Come, everybody! Come, men, women an’ kids! Such shouting immediately arrested attention, and men ran toward the bridge from every di- rection. Others followed the lead, and in a few minutes the creek was lined with people on both sides, all eager to learn what it meant, — And a sight of the coffin filled them with more curiosity than ever, as would naturally be sup- posed. Hundreds of questions, but all bearing upon the one point, were asked at once, ‘¢ Hyar it is,’ declared Hard-pan Smith, ** an’ yer al] knows jest ez much about it as we does. Whar it kem from, who ther gal-critter be, an’ sich, we simply don’t know; that’s all.” After some minutes of this excitement, the coffin was taken out of the water and carried up to the hotel steps, where it was deposited, while — a the crowd surged and struggled—almost fought around it for a sight of the dead face. - Cae , ale ~comicndDooK a | ae A ay