Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 198 — page 11: what you’re looking at

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

——_-—— +--+ < --— ee he throwed; but poor Catana! he didn’t miss hisn.” Gold Conrad groaned. ‘*They’re all hyar, I say.” ss All 3 ° ‘Yes, Arkansaw, the Rosebud, an’ his red pards, the boy Halleck, an’ the Queen uv Fate.” ‘* Merta here?” ‘* Hyar, ez ’'m livin’! Butsince you ar’ byar, cap’n, we will face ’em understandin’ly. <A Arkansaw, the Man with t country. man with his face hid fetched you a note from | me, eh?” ‘Yes; your name was signed to it.” ‘* Tt’s the Queen’s work. The man war either Arkansaw, er the Rosebud.” ‘*Would to fortune that I had suspected as much,” sighed Gordon. ‘I had a thousand op- portunities to use the revolver.” ‘** Too late now. We must face the music.” ‘* And win!” and Gordon’s hand descended on Colonel Thunder’s shoulder, with an emphasis not to be mistaken. ‘‘Stand by me, colonel, till we sweep this league of reptiles from our path. I knew, or I thought, this day would come, and [ thank my star that it finds me ready for the fray. No mercy! not even to the ? 4 He’s a brick, cap’n. I’ve seen ’im tried. His mother’s blood fires his heart. Beware ov thet young tiger.” ‘¢Pshaw !” and Gordon laughed. vour men?’ ‘“Near by. We’ll hold a caucus about mid- night. You’re tired.” ‘Yes. I’m not used to such long rides, You have a cot in your cabin, colonel?’ and Gold Conrad began to dismount. ‘** Thet cabin isn’t the place fur you evenef it ar’ mine!” said Colonel Thunder hastily as he cast an anxious glance over his shoulder at the door, still closed. ‘“ Silent Sam hezan extra bed, an’, besides, his shanty ar’ the best place fur the caucus,” and before Gordon could re- ply Thunder was leading his horse away. ‘he captain of the watch-dogs would have disputed his master’s entrance to his cabin with the bowie and the revolver, and that, too, when its only occupant was Esmer. CHAPTER XII. TH) <‘NIFE AT THE CAUCUS. THE “caucu: “ referred to by Colonel Thun- der had assua:.! formidable proportions by twelve o’clock t>.t night. One by one the des- peradoes of the ir arrived at Silent Sam’s, and were greetea vy the penetrating eyes of Conrad Gordon. Ee »xyed each one as if he would read his very thoughts, and if a face had been masked he would have exposed it if death had followed the next minute. Some of the watch-dogs had never seen Gor- don before, and first impressions were not favorable ones. They did not like his looks although he was their master. They wanted only one leader—Colonel Thunder When the colonel came he. introduced his master separately to the swarthy five, and told them that he would open the meeting. Gold Conrad gave the crowd a quick but searching glance as he left the three-legged stool upon which he had seated himself after the in- troduction, and began. ‘Our interests are at stake!’ he said. ‘‘If we do not strike first we will be struck and destroy- ed. There are those in our midst to-night who - seek to wrest Vulture Bar from us; they have already killed, and the knife of ono of their number has pierced Colonel Thunder’s shoulder, It was meant for his heart; it is yet intended for yours. We came together to counsel in re- gard to our safety; we must step on the ser- pents’ heads; we must crush them, and to do this we must strike first and effectually. I came here not to lead you, but to be led by the man ou love to follew—my old companion of other ays—Colonel Thunder.” The colonel smiled grimly at this compli- ment. ‘* We were together when the chief actors in eur proposed destruction formed a league—ten years ago, They did not succeed then because we baffled them. We had silver mines then just as we have now, we—” Conrad Gordon paused, for he had caught Colonel Thunder’s glance which, rapid as a flash of lightning, had spoken volumes. It seemed to sa . ‘* W here are ‘Don’t tell too much about our past, cap’n. The boys went back on me the other night. Keep ’em in the dark.” This is what the colonel’s lips would have said if they had uttered the sentiments of his SC Well, in ell, short we have been followed, ———$——_——__ sleet eo ——<-- he Knife. ee —_--- = ee ae ea ee ee —™ _— — dogged by an avenging triad for ten years,” | ‘Ef it isn’t fight, mebbe, this will rile ye,” Gordon went on. ‘* A fourth has been added to the league, also some Indians from the Tinaja Two of this number, I learn, you have seen—the demon with the bowie and the boy. The other two are not faraway. AsI said before we must crush this league, and with us to crush forever, is to kill!” A kind of applause followed the last sentence and Thunder’s eyes said: ‘**You’ve said enough for the present, cap’n. Now, let me sail in.” Gordon stepped back and resumed his seat as the stalwart figure of his head watch-dog strode to the center of the room. He shrugged hfs broad shoulders much after the manner of a bear, as he halted beside the barrel on which stood the several contributions from Whisky Jose’s bar which had been “‘ sampled ” previous to the opening of the caucus. ** We must kill er be killed!” he exclaimed in his hoarse tone which so well suited his rough personnel, ‘*They want the cap’n’s blood; they’ve hed some ov mine; they want to ruin the Bar. Shel they do it?” The speaker’s eye took in the group before him as he put the question, and as five men sprung up a thundering ‘‘ No!” seemed to shake the roof. ** Swear to spare none!” continued the colonel. ‘* When I say none I don’t exempt the boy. We war fools the other night; we hed the wolf in the trap and opened the door fur bim, Draw an’ swear ef you ar’ goin’ to stan’ by the cap’n an’ by the Bar through thick an’ thin!” Colonel Thunder’s bowie flashed in the light, ee next minute five more blades were held aloft. ‘* We swear to stan’ by the cap’n—to hunt down an’ kill!” exclaimed the tall central figure of this are scene. ‘We will show no mercy to the league, be its members male or female.” Gold Conrad’s eyes gleamed with intense satisfaction at this. The beauty of Queen Merta would not turn the Six Revolvers from the ath of vengeance; and when he recollected ow powerful it had been in days gone by, he rejoiced that the time had come when it could not make traitors of his adherents. Silent Sam had taken no part in the meeting up to this moment; but not a word, not a gesture of the speakers had escaped him. He thought of the invasion of Arkansaw while he listened, and his limbs still felt the effects of his struggle with the giant in the fuse room. ‘* Yes, sw’ar by the winnin’ four!” he suddenly cried springing forward and pointing to the four aces of a pack of cards which he had nailed side by side to the wall of the room. ‘I never fail when I sw’ar by ’em. I wouldn’t give a dollar fer an oath not taken on the lucky four. Sw’ar by ’em ef you want to win, colonel.” The five men, tainted with superstition, like all mountain men of their stamp grasped eagerly at Silent Sam/’s idea. Gold Conrad’s quick eyes saw this: ‘** We'll all swear by Sam’s winning four!” he cried, drawing a bowie from beneath his clothes as he stepped forward. “By the four an’ win!” cried Sam leaping upon a stool, and pointing to the cards as he faced the group. ‘* Now sw’ar!” Colonel Thunder spoke the oath similar to the one already taken, and it fell from his tongue clothed in the vindictiveness of eternal hatred. But all at once something that had a glitter passed like an arrow over the uplifted bowies, and with a dull thud buried itself in the ace of hearts! Those who looked a moment saw that it was an immense knife whose blade would have measured fourteen inches! A wild cry greeted this startling interruption of the proceedings, and with one accord every man wheeled toward the door. To the surprise of all it stood wide open, and in the light of the cabin lamp appeared two giants whose broad shoulders touched each other, so close their masters stood together. Arkansaw and the Rosebud! Gold Conrad knew them well. ‘‘Thet means thet the first heart hez been found!” said the bowie-king as his look sought the perforated card. ‘It ar’ the only one I’ve hit fer ten years thet hezn’t bled. You hev jest sworn to do some tall killin’, an’ ez Rosebud an’ me expect to hev a hand in the game, you might ez well begin now.” A defiant smile lurked in Arkansaw’s eyes, as well as under his dark mustache, and several bowies sought the Revolvers’ belts. At the same time Rosebud’s arms rose displaying two immense ‘‘ navys” at their end. said The Man with the Knife, and he tossed a yiece of paper toward the barrel. ‘‘It ar’ fur onrad Gordon; but it ’tain’t no secret.” Gold Conrad went forward and mechanically picked up the paper. He seemed to know whence it came for his eyes flashed as he took it up. Phe next moment he had unfolded it and read: “My Enemy: ‘We are all together once more. I am hereto ruin and to kill. You have kept your secret well for ten years. Tell me where my child is before I strike. ‘* MERTA, QUEEN OF FATE.” Gordon threw the message at Colonel Thunder with a contemptuous sneer which to the two pards at the door meant defiance, Thunder glanced over it and a strange light beamed in hiseyes when he mastered the last sentence. ‘‘Here, take it back to its author,” cried Gold Conrad, and an instant later the rejected message fell at Arkansaw’s feet. ‘‘My answer is the hatred I have given her through the ten years of which she prates. Let her find her child—if she can!” and the speaker laughed vic- toriously. ‘‘Hev it yer own way,” answered The Man with the Knife, ‘‘ ve got back tomy normal condition, and ’ve quit throwin’ the knife fur amusement, Ask Colonel Thunder ef I hevn’t.” Thunder bit his mustache and looked death at the speaker through his dark eyelashes. ‘* Now bod.niebe my honeysuckles,” con- tinued Arkansaw. ‘‘ Take my advice; go on with yer meetin’ an’ don’t foller us, fur you might accidently run ag’in’ the p’int ov a bowie.” The two men backed slowly from the light. The Rosebud’s arms were outstretched, and those who were inquisitive saw the hilt of an- a bowie-knife below Arkansaw’s right and, Not one of the conclave ventured to follow, and for several minutes after the twain’s de- aarture pale face looked into pale face speech- ess and awe-stricken. “His knife can’t kill all!” suddenly cried Gold Conrad flushing when he thougy of the pards’ escape. ‘‘ We stand here like a band of fools frightened by a shadow. Follew them! trail them! they will lead us to the Queen’s hid- ing-place; then for the vengeance that satisfies because it kills.” He strode toward the door, but as he passed Colonel Thunder a hand touched his arm and a voice whispered: **Don’t make a fool ov yerself, cap’n. You an’ me wouldn’t git ten steps from Silent Sam/’s before—whiz! whirr! an good-by Lodeton and Vulture Bar.” The colonel’s words had the desired effect, Gold Conrad stopped. ‘What would you do?” he asked. ‘Tn the first place, adjourn the caucus.” ** And in the second place?—” ‘“Go to sleep and think until I see you to- morrow.” Gordon stared into Thunder’s face a minute before he spoke. ‘“*T will,” he said, at length. you—” ‘** To-morrow; then we will begin to slay.” Fifteen minutes later Silent Sam and Gold Conrad were the sole occupants of the cabin. The bowie still stuck in the card. “Pll take it out when I kin drive it through his heart!” Sam said, looking at it. Colonel Thunder and his men had departed, and Queen Merta’s enemy pretended to doze in the cabin. All at once he rose and glided to the door. ee the latch, he crept out into the moon- ight. ‘He says J mustn’t see him till to-morrow: but I can’t wait. Isaw the strange light that came into his eyes when he read that sentence in which Merta spoke of herchild. I believe he knows something, and if he does I shall know it before morning.” Conrad Gordon moved toward Colonel Thun- der’s cabin and socn afterward tapped on the door. A sound inside responded, and the oaken portal was opened, not by the leader of his watch-dogs, but by Esmer. The girl started and uttered a cry of rise as her eyes fell upon the figurein the moonshine, and she was about to shut the door when Gor- don darted at her and grasped her shoulder. ‘“ What! you alive?’ he cried, dragging her into the light. ‘' You’ve got her face, ber eyes: in short, her infernal beauty! By Jove! Tonght to finish the job I did years ago, and then [ “T will see EOmIichbooks (c