Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 1041 — page 15: what you’re looking at

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

fect carousal, and the chief fully intended to A Ce A me rhcd > yen 1 4 EME i‘ did not wait for the cawboys of the Tenderfoot Rancher to join toem. With Rube, Chris, Fred, and Rodney Weiland at their head, they dashed straight on for the hills, heading for the but of the witch, The twenty miles were covered in a remark- ably short space of time, and the party drew up at Old Mag’s cabin. Leaping from the saddles and leavisg the horses hitched to the small timber about, they burried into the but, A fire was still burning upon the hearth, and the Yellow Witch was crouching beside it, mumbling to herself. She seemed to pay no heed to the entrance of the men, but her sur- prise must have been great when she was seized and the mass of false hair torn from her head. “Stiddy, you!” snarled Round-up Rube, as the unmasked woman squirmed and raved in Rodney Welland’s powerful grasp. ‘* We mean business, and hain’t got no timefter lose. We know your crooked game from beginning ter eend. Where is Cy Robinson?” ‘¢ What do I know of Cy Robinson?” she cried. “ He kem hyer—” “ Yes; he came here in the night, and he departed as he came—upon the back of his horse.” ‘t Hang ter ther lyin’ hussy!” exclaimed Rube. **Some o’ you fellers tie ae up tight an’ let Welland see ef he kin tell how thet stun works. He saw it move, an’ he oughter know suthin’ *bout it.” Juanita fought savagely, but her efforts were useless. In a few moments she was securely bound. Meantime the men had been working around the movable stone, but for a long time their in- vestigations came to naught, It was left for Fred Anthrop to discover the secret spring by which it could be operated from within the cabin, As the stone sunk from view, the men peered into the opening and saw a dark flight of stairs, “ Lights, pards, lights!’ exclaimed the fore- man. There was a pile of wood in one corner of the but, and from it several knots were selected and highted. ‘‘Now foller me with yer barkers in yer han’s,” ordered the bow-legged cowboy, as he dauntlessly descend +d iuto the darkness. Welland followed next, then Fred and Chris, after which the cowboys filed in as bappened to fall their lot, Pete bringing up the rear, a huge horse-pistol be had somehow secured clasped in his black hand and desperate determination written on his face, They had not taken the precaution to gag the woman, and she set up a wild shrieking as they descended, ‘*Kem on!” gritted Rube, “Ef thet don’t roust ther critters up, I dunno ther reason why!” Every moment they expected to hear an alarm, but they reached the cavern-bottom with- out any disturbance being created, This filled them with wonder, anda tear seized upon them, lest the robbers had taken the alarm and fled from the cave by means of another exit. Forward they burried, and suddenly their lights showed them four flitting figures which seamed trying to escape observation, ‘¢ Halt thar!” howled Round-up Rube, “ Stan’ atiddy, ur we'll riddle ye!” One of the figures uttered an exclamation of surprise and joy. ‘‘Tt’s Rube!” cried the voice of Cy Robinson —‘* Rube and the boys!” Then the torcblight revealed the surprising fact that two of the figures were the very girls for whom they had searched! A third was C Robinson, free and unfettered, while the fourt ray to be a hooded outlaw. n another moment Rodney Welland had clasped his child in his arms, while Pete, the darky, was dancing and shouting with delight and the astounded cowboys were looking around in vain for signs of the many outlaws they had expected to encounter, CHAPTER XVIII. A FINAL CLEARING-UP, *“BLESS my eyes!” cried Old Rube: “ Whar are ther pes y cattle-lifters?. I don’t see bat one 0’ ’em, an’ he seems kinder peaceable like. His clothes are all slashed like he’d bin run through er thrasher, an’ he’s bleedin’, too!” It was true the hooded man’s garments were cut here and there and spotted with blood in places, j To this unknown I owe my life,” explained Cy Robinson. ‘* But for him you would have found 1 ees of outlaws to contest your way, Black Phenix himself would have been with Over my capture they held i * ae Fay ey « f é a - 7 hy ’ : ce ° arn “ 7 loa 4 . ‘}* ae Me 4 yw : ma - ‘ee . ye ’ we. ; * y* ‘3 4 ?, eet & . . P ¢ f “ “ te. te - a9, 1 . | * f ‘ . Cowboy Chris to the Fore. kill me; but this unknown friend managed to drug the liquor which all save the leader were drinking, and they were overcome by the stuff. Then he met the chief hand to band, and they fought with knives. The result is plain, Our benefactor is here: the chief lies dead back there with a knife in his throat. All the other outlaws we bave bound hand and foot. They are still unconscious from the drug.” A sbout of delight came from the cowboys, and they crowded around the hooded man, eager ly shaking his hands. ‘“Youre a Jim-dandy, pard, ef you wuz one o’ ther cussid ban’!” cried Rube, ‘“ But [ was not one of the band,” was the as- sertion, ‘I found my way into the cave by the entrance often used to admit stolen cattle. Once inside, I succeeded in knécking over one of the outlaws and assuming his part, bis clothes and hood fully disguising me. I bave been more suc- cessful than I dared hope possible, for I have de- stroyed the wretch who ruined my sister and caused her death, That dastardly work bas kept meon the trail of the Black Phenix for the last two years. Now my work of vengeance is com- pleted.” ‘* Wal, you’re er hustler, pard. But, tf reckon you don’t need thet head-dress no longer. Jest yank it off an’ let us git a look at yer phiz.” The man removed the hood, and a shout of amazement came from the cowboys as they saw his face revealed by the torchlight. } It was Pablo Pajario ! ‘‘ Wal, may I be ding-basted!” gasped Round- up Rube. ‘It is ther Greaser! Then who in thunder wuz ther Black Phenix!” Pablo laughed, shortly. ‘* Follow me and you shall see,” he said, He led the way back into a wing of the cavern where the outlaws were lying about on the floor in various positions, all sleeping soundly from the effect of the drug and all secured, bands and feet, Stepping over the prostrate forms, the Mexican led the way to where one rigid figure lay with his white face upturned to the black roof of the cave, bis eyes wide open but forever sightless, the haft of a knife rising above his throat. In his rigid hand was clasped another knife, ‘‘Here ke is, senors,” fell from Pablo’s lips; ‘here is the man who destroyed my sister! He had an equal chance with me, but my knife found bis throat. Pepita is avenged!” ‘‘Holy smoke!” sbouted Round-up Rube. ‘« tis Orson Colfax !” And the Tenderfoot Rancher it truly was, although the cowboys could scarcely believe the evidence of their eyes. ) ‘‘ When he met my sister in Mexico,” explain- ed the avenger, ‘‘he was known as Pablo Fernandez. Orson Colfax was simply one of his many false names, I suspected Colfax was the Black Phenix, and for that reason I bired with him. He played his part skillfully, and I do uot think more than one or two of his cow- boys suspected he was the Scourge.” Cy Robinson turned away, sick at heart, and walked toward the girls and the two young men, Chris and Fred, who, with Pete, the darky, had not entered the wing of the cavern where lay the unconscious outlaws and their dead chief. ““ My God!” muttered the rancher. ‘Can it be that woman told the truth?—can it be that that wretch back there was my own son? Even if itis so, lam glad he isdead! The world is well rid of such a curse.” They did not wait for the cowboys, but Chris led the way out of the cave, returning to the open air by means of the steps which led up into the cabin of the woman who had been known as the Yellow Witch. She was still lying bound and helpless, and when they appeared, she rent the air with her imprecations, Chris hurried the young women out of the but, and a party of cowboys from the Diamond Ranch met them at the door. ‘Hyer we are!” cried the leader. ‘It looks like we wuz too late, but we kem fast as critters e’u’d kerry us. Boss wuz too bruck oP ter come; hain’t bin outer his room sence yistiddy.” “* Who is attending your boss?” asked Cy Rob- inson, ‘‘ Jack Kipper, sir.” ‘* Well, when you return, take my advice and bang Jack Kipper up to dry with a rope round his neck, If you want to know what I mean, het go in there, slide down those stairs and fol- ow your noses till you come to where my men are. They will show you something worth looking at.” When the cowhoys had entered the cave, the ranchman went back into the but, Crouching beside the wornan who had so deceived him in the past, Cy Robinson told her } 4 Le Me - ' ~ = p 4 t . . 4 Phy f . sc4e ‘ a a” 1 . rt. . 2 > 4 * . ‘ ’ 7 SA rr as . ° je ~¥ ‘ wy ¥ mee ee oe UY, oe | we ECO Te ee TA ET 15 $$ mre a of the death of the Black Phenix and the wreck of her schemes for revenge, But the woman would not believe the chief was dead. “ Pablo—my Pablo dead?’ she cried. ‘‘ Bah! ycu are trying to deceive me, Cyrus Robinson!” ‘‘Tam telling you the sclemn truth,” he as- sured, ‘‘ Your Pablo—tbe one your lying tongue tried to make me believe was my son—is dead.” ‘* Dead!” she gasped, seeming dazed, “ He was so young—barely twenty. And still he had made such a name, with my aid!” “ Only twenty?’ questioned the man. “ Why, as Orson Colfax, be looked twenty-five, at least! Was he only twenty?” ‘‘ That is all,” came mechanically from her lips, “Then ycu lied to me, woman!” cried the rancher, sternly. ‘If he were my child, he would be twenty-one. That is the age of my daughter.” The cowboys now appeared bearing the bod of the dead chief. When shesaw the silent chief, the woman burst into tears, sobbing: ‘Oh, my boy, my own boy! Dead, dead, dead “You have now fully betrayed yourself,” came coldly from Cy Robinson. ‘‘ This was in- deed your own son and not mine, Tell me one thing, then your hands shall be released. Who was his father?” ‘* Tbe man whom you believed you killed—my lover.” ‘That is enough,” added the rancher, ‘‘‘ Re- lease her, boys!” ‘“We have one favor ter ax fu’st, boss,” said Round-up Rube, * What is it?” “Ther privilege of playin’ Jedge Lynch with them critters down below.” ‘Treat them as you think their acts merit.” As Cy Robinson, the negro, Rodney Welland and the young people were riding with their backs toward the bills, a strangé tribunal was held in the underground chamber. Neveragain did Black Phenix’s band of cattle-lifters trouble the Valley of the San Juan, The Scourge had been scourged and the peace of a happy and prosperous region was unbroken. Perbaps there are one or two points requiring explanation. It will be remembered that on the night of Nellie Welland’s abduction the Black Phenix ap- peared outside the Robinson Ranch while Orson Colfax was witb those who were searching for the missing girl, In that instance, as well as at various other times, the character of the chief was assumed by the mother! An undergarment of finely-woven steel links protected Black Phenix many times from the bullets of his enemies and made him seem quite invulnerable, This was worn by the woman at the time of her appearance at the ranch, Pablo Pajario had suspected the presence of this protection, and had buried his knife in bis enemy’s throat instead of striking at bis heart. Pablo it was who fired Colfax’s buildings. A locket, which he wore over his heart, and which contained a picture of his dead sister, had stop- ped Colfax’s bullet, and thus aided in making the cowboys believe Pablo was truly the invul- nerable Black Phenix, " Whisky Jim and Nevada Mike met a just doom with the rest of the outlaws; but Jack Kipper took the alarm and escaped, Juanita Fernandez, the evil genius of it all, also disappeared. There was another night of merrymaking at the Robinson Ranch, and Pete fairly “‘ knocked de stuffin’” out of his banjo, answering every call for a song, and putting so wuch vigor into his singing, that, as he afterward remarked, bis voice on the followmg day was all ‘‘ kerbu’sted out ob jint.” Pablo Pajario was a guest on that occasion, and even Old Rube acknowledged he was “quite er cuss fer a Greaser,” which was a great admission for the cowboy to make, The marriage of Fred and Nell was not long delayed, Then they settled down on the Dia- mond Ranch, which had been purchased by Cy Robinson, the amount paid being justly divided among those of the San Juan Valley who suffered loss at the hands of the cattle-lifters. Fred was given all the time he wished in which to lift the *‘ non-interest paying ” mortgage upon the place! Rodney Welland made his home with them; and Pete became one of the fixtures of course, And Chris? . of the place, — Ae Well, Chris sometimes declared be did not — think he would ever marry; but time for him focchenee bis mind, Cee : ; sj — \ * awe M4 a ¢ 4 we _ " a) a” =" | b= \ ot ) 5 » ) ~ @ \ V eal ) ) 1A i i J ” - * a: “h iw oe a4 " .* ® i* Ae +8 - - ,. ‘% ri ‘¢ ne 4 = Nell secretly encouraged Nina by saying there was plenty of » 4 f . > 0 ot de : ™_ J? ‘-5 : P - > a. 3 - '' "Pin E25 A ; . ’ 4 - st