Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 1096 — page 9: what you’re looking at

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

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Think yer would?” ‘*T can’t say as I would, fer sure,” answered Ham; ‘‘ but I opine I’d know ther feller that wasn't him,” ‘* Did I onderstand this man ter call you Mis- ter Stanton?” ‘** Reckons yer did, fer that’s my name,” ** Ham Stanton?” ** Prezack,” ‘Then darn me if you ain’t ther very man I want ter see. Will yer step outside fer a min- nit? ‘* What do ye want ter see me fer?’ Ham de- manded, sharply. ‘* That’s a purty question, b’gosh! If I want- ed ter tell ye byar [ wouldn’t ask ye outside, would I? I want ter see ye in private a couple o’ seconds,” “All right, I’m with yer,” assented Ham. **Pards, yer will excuse me?” to Teaberry and the other. ‘* Certainly, sir! certainly!” answered Tea- berry. And the other fellow said the same, Red Whiskers had now risen, and Ham got up and followed him out, As soon as they were outside, the stranger turned up the street, walking very slowly. Ham was at his side in a moment, and de- manded: ** Waal, what ar’ it, stranger?” **] thought you would know Dick Darrel any- where!” was the low-spoken response, ‘May I be etarnally lammed!” exclaimed Ham, under his breath. ‘‘ Darn meif I would ’a’ believed it,” Dick laughed quietly. ‘The truth has been forced upon me, Ham,” he said, ‘‘ that I was cut out for a detective, That is my business, I bave nothing else to live for, as you know,” ** Yer is a prime one, an’ that’s ther fack.” ** Well, this case is ripening, and I want you to take a little ramble with me to-night, The Invisibles are going to bold a session, and I[’)l give you a view of them if they have any lights, Anybow, you shall hear them. Will you go?” ‘Willa Injun drink rum? In course I'll go an’ glad of ther chance, Didn’tI tell yer to cail on meany time? i’m your huckleberry, Mister Dick, every time,” ‘* Come right on, then, and we'll gonow. We want to get there first.” Dick Darrel it was, and consequently, as the reader is aware, he and the insurance man could not be one and the same. Talking as they proceeded, they passed out of the valley through the narrow pass, and ere long were feeling their way down through a narrow ravine that led to the place of rendezvous. To. quote their conversation were to reveal too much here, They pushed steadily forward, and in due time were at the pool of water in the woody glade of which mention has been made more than once, For t e last part of the distance they bad said nothing, but had moved on quietly. When they stopped at last, they listened several moments betore either spoke. Hearing nothing, Dick presently remarked:— ** Well, we are here, and now to climb to that first shelf and get in position to wait and watch,” ** Yas; an’ it won’t be no baby work ter git up there in ther dark, either. A fall will meana broken back, more’n likely.” ‘*T bave arranged for that, Ham,” Dick in- formedhim, ‘I nave been here and have made a study of the lay ofthe ground, Just back here is a rope to assist us in the dangerous climb,” *©'You is a boss, Dick Darrel!” “Sh! Not a word above a whisper, Ham. It is what any one would have done, i knew we would have to do our work here in the dark, and made preparations accordingly, Come with me, With that, Dick caught hold of his companion by the sleeve and drew him pfter him around the margin of the pool and on aud around be- ¥ hind a corner of the rocky height. « ew if i} <t? wy . -= f * 5 i. Wan. ha ye 4 ae Ped bie * = Ga: Ls ued pa ig OSS pee ; , I have heerd tell on | Their movements were slow, and presently Dick stopped. ‘* Here is the rope,” he said, ‘* Take hold of it, now, and climb to the shelf, and there await me,” ** All right; an’ I don’t reckon I need ter ask if it ar’ secure,” ‘** Tt will hold you all right, Ham.” Ham laid hold and began to climb, and ina few minutes Dick felt the rope let go of by him, Dick followed after, and in a short time both were together on the flat top, or shelf, where the Invisible Seven had first been seen by the ill-fated Jerky Jake, as told in a_ preceding story. EF cae we are, and here we are safe,” spoke ick, ‘“‘An’ now all we has got ter do is ter set down an’ wait, bey?” ‘*That is all we cando, Ham, And, bear in mind that our presence must not be made known to them, no matter what is said or done.” Making themselves as comfortable as circum- stances would admit, they began their vigil, talking in whispers now and again, but for the most part watching in silence, Some hours passed,.and finally Dick gripped Ham’s arm as a signal to remain silent. Both listened, and steps were heard drawing near, They came on to the edge of the pool, and others were beard following, and they continued until several persons had arrived, No more steps being heard, finally one spoke. ** Well, bow many are here?” he asked, ** All bere)” was the answer. ‘* Give your numbers,” Numbers were repeated, from two tosix. ** And I being Number One, we are all pres- ent,” answered the first speaker. ‘* Shall we have light?’ one asked. ‘Yes; but first don the white, for fear an- other Jerky Jake may be around. We can’t afford to take any risks, now,” There was silence again for some moments; but presently a light was struck, burning dimly at first, but growing brighter, Around the pool were gathered six men, clad all in white, with long robe and cdwl to Match, one of the number holding the torch which he had just lighted, The light grew brighter, as the torch blazed up, and suddenly a discovery was made, Across the breast of each of the six white robes were letters as of blood, forming these words: ‘*A MARKED Man?” CHAPTER XIII. DRAWING TOWARD THE SEINE, THESE words caught the eyes of the men in hiding at once, In the next moment, almost, the chief of the six leaned forward and looked at them on the man nearest him, '**What means this?’ he asked, excitedly, touching the man with his finger. Every head leaned forward, and then each man looked at the other in evident amazement. “‘It is on every one of you!” the leader ex- claimed. ‘*‘ What does it mean? How came these words on your gowns?” ‘They are on yours, too!” The chief looked down, holding out the front of the robe so that he might see for himself. ‘This is a poor joke, if it is the duings of any one of you,” he cried, ‘‘ I did not do it,” every man denied, at once and all together, ‘Then how came it there?” ** Dick Darrel bas done it, is my opinion.” ‘** But how could he? Our robes have not been out of our hands, and how could he get at them?” ‘*And at all of them, too,” added another, ‘It may be no trifling matter; it may mean all it implies. We tay be marked,” ‘* How can we be? Who bas ever seen us and lived? How could any man detect us, with the ae we exercise all the time? It seems impossi- e,’ ‘*And yet you see it isn’t impossible, for each of us is branded asa doomed man, What is going to be done about it? How’ are we go- ing to overcome such a devil as this Darrel is?” ‘* How do you know it was Darrel?” ‘t Who else can it have been?” . ** Give it up.” “Yes, [guess you do, We are not dead yet, though. Our inning is coming now, and Dick Darrel shall die. If we are marked men, so is he, and we are going to get there first,” ‘** But, suppose he bas marked each one of us, as indeed he must have done, if this is his work, There is only one course of safety open * - A : , Joe ¢ ae od 4 ’ | is re et : . hee. ; . 7 y > Ze _~ y Ve ‘ nx: ‘ aN w_ = Ld 1 as Ei JN. LN a : ure. ae fae es Bag? ps! 24 D sedi, “na tad Sp ~” for us, and that is—to get out of here as soon as we can,” ‘*Pshaw! you seare off too easy. Let us have another twenty-four hours, and he will be past all danger of doing us harm. We know who he is, now, and to-morrow night will see him trap- ped and put out of the way,” ‘* But what if he takes us first? Who can tell what force he may have here at Imperial?” ‘** We don’t care bow much force he may have, The first showing be makes, we must be prompt to shoot him on the spot,” ‘* That’s the idea!” ** And we'll do it, too.” ‘* And it may stop him a little; when he finds that Yang Kee has been dealt with already.” ** Yes; it will at least show bim how deter- mined we are, and maybe he will draw off. If he does that, it will help us out,” Dandy Dick had ciosed his grip a little on the arm of bis companion, to prevent him from speaking, as he feared he might do, hearing that Yang Kee was dead,” ‘*And if be leaves us.alone till to-morrow night, then we can bid him defiance, for be will be in our power. The strength he displayed in the saloon at Imperial to-night has sealed lis fate.’ It was plain that these men had means of knowing what went on at Imperial City. ‘* But, the business that brought us here—how about that?” ‘* We will attend to it just the same as though these infernal words had not been found,” de- clared the leader. ‘“‘If it is true that Dick Darrel has marked us, Jet us be all the more cer- tain to get in the first blow.” ‘That we must do,” ‘Very well; to-morrow night we come here with the prisoner, and whether we can detect him or not, he must die, Dick Darrel fooled us once this way, but be’ll never have the chance again,” ‘* And after that—what?” “After that we can run things ourown way again. Dick Darrel is the only man we have ever had reason to fear.” ** And the two women?” ‘* We can’t be sure of them. I can’t think they are Dick’s former allies, for they are too young; but they may be in his scheme some- where, and we must make sure of them some- how,” ‘We can attend to them afterwards.” ** Yes; for they can know nothing of this until too late. ‘‘ And when it is tou late, then perhaps we can induce them to remain here for good. W omen are the spoils of war, you know; or used to be, at any rate.” ‘**'You have a long nead. But, let us have the full plan for to-morrow night.” ‘* Well, are we all agreed as to who Dick Dar-. rel is, or rather—whbo is Dick Darrel?” ‘* We are!” all responded. ; ““Then the rest is plain. To-morrow nighy,. about this hour, we bring bim to this spot to put bim to death,” ** Who of us will take him?” ¥ “ Number Two, Number Five and Number mix, “Goodenough, Heshall be here, never fear.” “* That is all,” said the leader; ‘* but before we go I want to give you some further proof,” ** What is it?” ‘* Proof that this man is Darrel, Here is some- thing I want to read to you, the reason I ordered light. Listen:” “* To Mr, TEABERRY:— ‘““* You are in danger here at Imperial City. You are mistaken for another person, who has enemies here who seek bis life. Be on your guard every mo- ment, if you remain; but it will be safer for you to et away. I have done my duty in warning you. ok out for yourself. Si-ned, ‘“*THe OTHER FELLOW.’” ** What does that mean?” cried one of the Six, **Can’t you guess?” ** No; explain,” ** You noticed thatit isaddressed to Teaherry. Well, I found it in a corner of his rocm, al! torn” up to bits.” “The deuce you did! Then isn’t he Darre} after all? What do you make of it, anyhow?” ‘* How thick your head must be. It’s only a ruse to add strength to his disguise, to be sure.” | ** But, how?” “ Why; it’s in hisown handwriting, He has written it and then cast it into the corner as a | 'ait for prying noses, He wants us to think Darrel hes warned him, and so strengthen the — ie 7 : idea in our mind that be can’t be Darrel.” = ‘*Number One, you ought to be a detective yourself!” averred one ofthe band. = vy. ‘ty 8 a, ry ee a -_ & A: %