Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 1116 — page 10: what you’re looking at

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

——_ es — ._- *~—a tS 2 SS ors = x = “ my 3 > em = a - A b 7 ¢ . a ee = —— ih —wee - “ © . 10 “ What is that to you?” “ Much.” “Bah! don’t be a fool, but listen to reason, for I can make you rich,” *¢ What are riches?” ‘‘ Don’t preach, but listen; the woman spoke the truth, I have a fortune in my grasp if you will only aid me to get it.” 46 Me |”? “Yes, you can help me,” “What can I do?’ “You con do much, everything, and I will share it with you, and the estate is worth half & million.” ‘* A large fortune,” “ Half of it shall be yours.” “What would an old prairie man do with such a fortune?” **Youare getting old, and it would enable you to live in luxury.” ‘* What am | to do for it?” “To release me, say that my wife, or rather brother as we will still call her, shot herself by accident, and then aid me to hunt down Lester Langdon.” “‘ All that is easy to do.” ‘*Of course; now release me, and—”’ “Til get yer ter sign a leetle dockiment fust,” said the guide, dropping back into his border dialect style of talking. “Sign what?” “A paper.” “ What about?” “ Sayin’ as how after ther death o’ this heur Lester Langdon, ef I aids yer ter do ther biz, yer'll pony up one half o’ ther fortin’ ter me.” “'Won’t my word do?” éi No, ”) “T hate to sign a paper.” “T won’t take your word,” ‘¢ Tt will compromise me if found.” “T’ll take car’ o’ it, pard; but after I hes done ther biz, you might forgit we ef I didn’t hev ther paper,’ *¢ When I hes ther fortin’ you kin hev back ther paper, same as a note yer bed paid.” * Well, I'll write it with my pencil.” ‘No, yer hes pen an’ ink in yer baggage fer I seen ’em.”’ ‘“ Unbind me and I will get them then.” “No, I'll get ’em ef yer’ll tell me whar they is.”’ The prisoner, with a muttered oath told the guide where to find the writing materials, and they were brought to him, ‘* Now I release yer right arm fer yer ter do ther writin’ with.” He unbound the arm, and said: ‘* Now write as I tell yer.” “ Well?’ “‘T hereby pledge to Old Hickory, guide, half of a fortune [ am to come in possession of, through the death of Lester Langdon,” ‘‘] have it written.” “Sign your name,” “Tt is done; now take the paper and untie these accursed bonds.” ‘‘T’ll take ther paper, pard, and not untie them ropes, fer yer goes ter Fort Advance with me sure as sbootin’,” The reply utterly overwhelmed Loyd Lang- don, and a ery of rage, terror, and despair commingled broke from bis lips, and his head drooped forward upon his breast, as though every hope in life had suddenly "been taken trom him, Without noticing the emotion of his pris- oner, Old Hickory placed the paper in the sae receptacie of his hunting-shirt, where he hud put the letter given him by poor Leone, aud throwing some wood on the fire, walked down to the bank of the little stream, and with a small shovel, which had been among Loyd eacadéele things on the pack-horse, began to lig a grave, {t took him quite a while to complete his task, and several times he went up and threw wood on the fire to give him light, But at last his work was done, and he walk- _ ed up to where the body lay and taking it up wrapped it in the blanket she had used as a porape, | at > ‘; “in $5 on Be Oe is Ete s a) re a ULES tos oe -_—-—_— —— = - ——_ The prisoner, silent, despairing, stern, gazed upon him, tor into his brain and heart had come at last remorse for his crimes, Down to the grave Old Hickory bore the body and tenderly laid if out of sight, and then began throwing im the earth. At last all was done and coming back to the fire, he unbound the prisoner from the tree, and said; “You had better get all the rest you can for at dawn we start on our ride back to the fort.” ‘‘Curse you, there is no rest for me.” “So I believe, pard, after what yer has did; but thar are fer me,” and rolling himself in his blanket he threw himself down to sleep, for he well knew that in the locality he then was he need expect no visit from friend or foe, red-skin or pale- face. CHAPTER XVIII. FACE TO FACE. As the evening shadows were falling upon the prairie, General Earl was greatly surprised to see ride into the fort plaza two persons whom he believed far away. It was the evening of the day following the one on which Leone Langdon had lost her life, and of the party that had started out, two came back, and Old Hickory was riding by the side of Loyd Langdon, who was firmly tied in his saddle, and behind came two led horses, one the pack animal, and the other Leone's spirited mare,” ‘¢Tn the name of Jupiter, scout, what means this?” said the general, in surprise, “Tl tell yor, gineral, when you hev give me a audience,” said the scout, rapidly unfas- tening the lariat from about the prisoner, who sat with bowed head in his saddle, and a face that was utterly colorless, ‘Young Algernon not with you, and you, Mr, Algernon, in bonds; there is some strange mystery in all this,” said the general. But neitber the prisoner or the scout spoke, and aiding him to alight from the saddle, Oid Hickory ied his captive on after the amazed general, ‘*Now, sir, what means this?’ and the gen- eral turned sternly to the guide, who asked quickly: ‘*C’u’do’t Miss Earl and another witness be brought in, sir, to heur what I hev ter say?” “Yes,” and in an impatient manner the general called to an orderly to summon Cap- tain Willoughby, while he went to his daugh-: ter’s room and called her, In surprise both of them entered, and glanced from the guide to the pretended Englishman in utter amazement. ‘‘Now, scout, speak out, for my daughter and Captain Willoughby are here as witnesses,” sternly said the general, and he glanced at Loyd Langdon, who stood like a statue, white, trembling and with bowed head. ‘¢ Waal, gineral, fust Pll say I went with yer English friends on ther trip, an’ ther fust night we struck camp things didn’t turn out right.” “What was wrong, sir?” “\’m tellin’ yer, sir: you see I kinder sus- pected ’em, and arter we hed pitcbed camp, I said as how I’d go on a scout round fer an hour or two, and I left ’em sittin’ by ther fire. “But I didn’t go fer, but crept back ag’in an’ got belind a tree, and then I heerd thet they was not English—” ‘* Not English, sir?’ “Nor Irish nuther, gineral.” ‘‘Then what are they, in Heaven’s name?” ‘They was a wan and a womau.” All started at this sucden and unexpected exposure, and the general said, quickiy: ‘‘Impossible; they brought me letters, as two brothers, from friends of mine, and—” “Them letters were part o’ their leetle game, gineral, for I tells yer one were a man, ‘| this one here, and t’other were a woman, and she are lying back at our camp in her grave,” ** Dead! Leon Algernon dead?’ cried Lilian. ‘* Not Leon, miss, but Leone Langdon, for she were this man’s wife,” — Crimson Kate, the Girl Trailer. *‘ His wife?’ gasped the maiden, ‘‘Tt are true; they was married eleven year agc, when they was but children, fer I had it from her lips. ‘‘But he was going to get rid of her and marry you, miss, if he could. ‘‘She heerd him tell you he loved you, and ask you to be his wife, the night before we left here, an’ thet are what raised ther Satan in her, and it ended by her threatenin’ to expose all, an’ he shot her.” ‘¢ He shot her?’ said the general, ‘Kilt ber, fer she died half an hoar arter,” ‘Good God! but what was all this done fort ‘What does it ail mean?’ cried the puzzled general, “Yes, what can it all mean?’ said Lilian, ‘“Gold were at the bottom of it, gineral, fer this man know’d thet a young cousin o’ bis hed been left rich by bis father’s death, and the father of this heur gent plotted with him to get the fortune, for the heir had left home some years before, and were known to be in Texas, ‘This man got his young wife inter ther plot, an’ they come heur an’ made a charge ag’in’ this boy heir, whom they found was a young officer, and—” “ Lester Langdon, as I live!” cried Captain Willoughby. ‘* Yas, cap’n, it were him; but when he es- caped they had to dig out soon and catch him, or all would be lost. ‘‘ But this gent’s talkin’ love to Miss Ear] raised the jealousy o’ his wife, and she jist swore to tell the whole biz, and it cost her her life, “TT seen it all, but didn’t think he’d shoot her; but when he did, I jist made him prisoner, and we are heur,” ‘‘And right glad am I that you have brought bim here, scout; you shall be reward- ed for it.” ‘“‘T have a big reward offered me by him, gineral, if I’d let him go free and heijp him kill the boy. “T got him to ber: it, and then I brought him here, ‘‘Here’s the dookhaint: gineral,” and the guide banded forth the written pledge given him by Loyd Langdon.” / ‘‘‘Your name then is Loyd Langdon,” said the general when be had read over the paper, ** Yes,” was the husky reply. ‘And you sought to remove your cousin and thereby gain his inheritance?’ ‘There is no need of denying it now.” * And shot your wife?” / ‘* The guide has told you.” ** Enough, your own words condemn you to death, \ ‘‘Captain Willoughby !” ‘* Yes, general,” “You will have a file of soldiers carry this men to the prison where Burnett is confined,” ‘Yes, sir.” ‘‘Put him in irons.” “Hand and foot, sir(” ‘“*'Yes, aud Burnett too, for there must be no escaping in this case,” ‘*T will see to it.” ** And the court martial shall assemble with- ina few days and the precious pair shall be hanged,” ‘* Have you other orders, sir?” ‘*Yes; in the morning send out any scout you can find about the fort, to bunt for that deeply wronged boy, and have notices written and sent to the posts and settlements, assuring him to come in, as he has been proven inno- cent.” ‘6 Yes, sir, and I am delighted that it is so,” and Captain Willoughby turned to depart, : when Old Hickory recalled him, “One moment, cap’n.” “ Well, scout?” guess yer needn’t send out no scouts look- in’ fer the Cowboy.” és Why? gn” ‘¢Do you know where be is?” The general and cantain asked the questions in a breath. 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