Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 198 — page 12: what you’re looking at

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

- 12 ought to kill the man who has deceived me. Let you live that she may embrace you when she has completed her revenge? Never! that shall not be!” Esmer saw the revolver that flew from her as- sailant’s belt; she heard the ominous click of the lock, and then— A tigerish cry of rage at her left, the descent of a human body upon Conrad Gordon, and the eerie report of a pistol. Tbe next moment Esmer, released, staggered ‘toward the cabin, while Gold Conrad reeled or the smoking weapon clutched in Halleck’s and. CHAPTER XTIl. TWO REVELATIONS. , *MerciruL Heaven! is it you? Go! do not let him find you here when he comes back, and I’ve been looking for him foran hour. Go! it is Esmer, the waif, that talks. He and his tigers must not find you. I say they must not.” Halleck looked into the eyes of the beautiful speaker in a dazed sort of manner. The girl’s hand was on his arm, and her orbs were full of resistless pleading. The young man took no notice of the person who had staggered with a cry of pain from the muzzle of his revolver. He saw Gold Conrad no longer, saw nobody but the protegee of Col- onel Thunder. ‘*T owe you my life!” sho went on. ‘‘I can- not tell you all my gratitude now, for you are in danger while you stand here. I could not repeat the experience of the mine and live. They have taken a new oath—the colonel and his Revolvers. You belong to the league—to Queen Merta’s avenging band; and you have the same enemies that she possesses. But I kee you here—to die, perhaps! Go! go! let me mee im alone when he returns,” Halleck found himself pushed from the ex- cited speaker, but still he lingered. ‘*T think 1 could tell you something,” he said. ‘* T think I have discovered a secret that might change your whole life.” Esmer bounded toward him and was about, to question him when a sound came over the little bill. ** Keep it!” she exclaimed. ‘‘ Keep it, I say, and go now, that you may tell it to me to-mor- row or next day. They are coming back— Colonel Thunder and bis minions.” Determined to drive Halleck from the spot, she turned toward the cabin and threw hima glance of love and command from the door be- ore she disappeared. At that moment a coarse laugh and an oath greeted the young man’s ears. Halleck hesitated no longer, but sprung away and hurried toward the mines. The events of the last few moments had blot- ted Gold Conrad from bis memory as it were. He did not think of bim until he was a goodly distance from the spot. Then he came to a halt. “What have I done?’ he asked himself. ‘I have killed Gold Conrad, I have robbed Queen Merta of her revenge, balked all her plans, and of course made a new enemy. She will turn on me now, for she has sworn to kill the man that should prevent her from paying Gor- don in the coin she has made for the purpose.” To Halleck the situation was by no means pleasant. He looked back toward the Bar, ana then forward at the lofty hills whose depths were silver and gold mines. To go forward would be to encounter the wo- man whom he had just robbed of vengeance; to turn back, would be to throw himself before the Six Revolvers bound now by a new oath. He went on until he found himself in the presence of a handsome woman who stood in the light of a fire that illumined a disused mine. ‘*l’ve been waiting for you,” she said. Halleck tried to avoid her piercing orbs as he went forward lest they should read in his looks the events of the last few minutes. “*Come here!” she said, ina tone of command, fas she smiled faintly at his strange action. ‘‘ Arkansaw and the Rosebud are not here. want to tell you something—something about a being of whom you have thought and dreamed a thousand times.” Halleck started with a cry which it would have been bard to have suppressed. ** My mother!” he exclaimed, as he came for- ward. ‘‘Tell me something about her; but ob! tell me the truth. He, the man whom we both hate, calls me the son of an Apache woman, and Colonel Thunder, learning the lie from his mas- ter, has intimated the samething. But you will ive the lie to all such slanders, You will vin- cate her character.” —-=—-- Merta watched Halleck strangely while he | you have baffled me, ‘ou have made tbe life- spoke, and at the same time she seemed to be 2u' ting ber story into proper shape. The old ight—the flashes of revenge that lit up her dark eyes gradually gave place to a softer look that rendered her none the less beautiful. ‘It isa lie,” shesaid. ‘‘l knew your mother, and I know too well the man whose son you are. You were born in an Indian lodge, your godfa- ther was Running Wolf, the war chief of the Apache nation, and your earliest playmates were the nakea children of that mighty tribe.” Halleck’s head fell.in shame. ‘‘Then,” he said, forgetting the Queen’s first words, ‘* then my mother was—” ‘She was not!” was the interruption. ‘‘ And he should be the last man to call you an Indian. There is Spanish blood in your veins.” ‘*So Esmer thought.” ‘*Ksmer?” asked the Queen, mechanically, as ifthe name had some strange attraction for her; but seeing that Halleck made no reply, she continued: ‘‘ You first saw the light of day in an Apache wigwam because your mother was driven from home by the fiend who had already blighted her life—the villain who, not content with such infamy, robhed me of all that I held dear in life—a fittle child. Your mother was beautiful; she clung to you until one nigat among the mountains that overlooked the Apache sand, she was found by a few warriors dead! She had taken you with her, and you had disappeared. You cannot remember?” ‘* No,” said Halleck. ‘‘ My recollection does go back to an Indian camp; but it belonged to the Comanches, not the Apaches. I wandered up and down the Rio Grande until I fell in with our enemy and became his slave.” “Yes; you became his slave and I his hunter,” said Merta, as her eyes flashed again. ‘*T bided my time, for I knew that you would become his enemy. He hates you because ”— she caught Halleck’s arm and almost bissed— ** because you look like ycur mother!” ** And I hate him now because he killed her!” Queen Merta stepped proudly back and gazed at the young man whose blood she bad made as hot as boiling water. ‘* Ah!” she exclaimed,;‘Sif you knew another thing your hate might vanish and before morn- ing you might seek his side and tell him that you forgave.” ‘** Never!” “You might turn from me and leave me to carry out my revenge alone.” ‘“ Never, Queen! I know enough to make m hate eternal. You could not strengthen it, nor could any revelation break its force.” ‘*Do not be so hasty,” Merta said, advancing again, with her eyes fixed on Halleck. ‘‘ Rash vows are bad ones. Would you hate your father with a hatred that seeks blood?’ )** My father?” ** Conrad Gordon!” The Queen of Fate uttered the name in an impressive tone, and at the same time eagerly watched its effect. Halleck had expected the revelation; he did not start back and utter any cry; but stood still in his tracks and dropped bis head. But Merta saw his eyes through his long, black lashes. “Your father!” she said, touching bim gent- ly. “ Did I stun you?” He looked up. ‘**'No!” was the answer. “I am not sorry that I met him an hour since.” ‘What! you met him?’ ‘* Where?” ‘*Back there—at the Bar. the avenger.” There was a strange, wild look in Halleck’s eyes. “You met bim—my old foe? You encoun- tered him, you mean; you had words!—you—” “ T killed him!” These three words fell on Queen Merta’s ears like the knell of death. She staggered from the speaker and stood a few feet away like a statue of horror. Her eyes seemed ready to burst from their sockets. Halleck lost his color, too!” **'You kill him? you? you?’ suddenly broke from her pe He was mine! I swore that I would take his life. He wronged me more than he wronged.you. He slew your mother, but he widowed me and stole my child—my little Inez. I have shadowed him for ten years, and in a thousand ways I have stabbed him to let him know that vengeance slept not. I had a motive in all this. I still hoped that he would reveal the secret he has guarded so well; but now you have sealed his lips—you! Do you know what my second great oath was? I swore that I would slay the person that took his life, and 4 she exclaimed. Fate made me | | Arkansaw, the Man with the Knife. | hunt of Queen Merta one that will last for- ever!” She sprang at Halleck as she uttered the last word, and the muzzle of a revolver was pointed at hisheart. He recoiled, but the flashing eyes before him told him that it would be death to attempt to draw. **'You—Halleck! bis son!” she cried. ‘‘ You would not spare him for me. Why did you kill him? Did you discover that—” ‘*No! I killed him to'save your child’s life— the life of your Inez—tkhe Esmer who told me I had Spanish blood in my veins.” The effect of these words was magical. Asa cry welled from her lips, the uplifted revolver dropped to Queen Merta’s side, and her look once more became a wild stare. “What do you say?’ she suddenly cried. ‘You killed him to save my child—my Inez? Where is she?” Before Halleck could reply, two buriy men sprung into the cavern. and he heard the rough voice of Arkansaw, ‘We've got to hurry up matters, Queen,” he said. ‘‘The wolves hev been fallin’ out ’mon themselves. Gold Conrad hez been winged, fur Silent Sam ar’ dressin’ bis wound at his shanty.” Queen Merta and Halleck exchanged signifi- cant looks. ‘* Vengeance, I thank you!” she ejaculated. ‘* You are still preserving him for the Queen of Fate. Halleck, your very revolver is in my service. Remember; he is mine!” and with the last word she turned to the two men, ‘* Hyar’s yer note, Queen,” said the bowie- king Spo his hand with a piece of paper init. ‘*‘ The Rosebud an’ 1 carried it down to the korkiss, but he sent it back, an’ without his complimerts, either. However, I left mine thar—a toothpick stickin’ in one ov Sam’s lucky kerds!” and the man finished his sentence in a broad grin. Queen Merta took the paper, and, tearing it up, threw it at her feet. CHAPTER XIV. A BOWIE FINDS A HEART. THAT same night three Indians well mounted rode over the mountain road tevard Lodeton. They wore no plumes; but their long black hair hung undressed down their nacks; they were clad, too, in garments demi-civilized; but out of their eyes looked the fiery »: ureof the savage. Each carried a rifle across : ie saddle-bow, and within reach of their red Lands was the deadly revolver which they coul.. handle so well. Their general make up told that they had set out on an a ap expedition. The lest words of the beautiful woman who had just dismissed them still rung in their ears; and they still saw in imagination the flashing eyes and the heay- ing bosom of the Queen of Fate. ilence now reigned in tho cavern which we have just left. The only figure in the flickering firelight belonged to Gold Conrad’s female foe. She sat on a rock and appeared to be watching the flickerings of the fire; but if her look wasa strange one, for one of her temperament, it was evident that thought was at work. ‘Inez! Inez! is it true that you are near me?” she ge gaa exclaimed, starting up. ‘ Where is he? I will ask him more. He shall tell me all he kncws.” Stepping back among the shadows of the mine, she called the name of Halleck several times, but received no response. ** He walked by aceite Il was thinking; he could do that,” she said withdrawing digrap- pointed. ‘‘Why did I not see him? If he has found my child, he has gone to her. [I will find her, too.” A moment later the figure of Queen Merta went toward the Bar. The place was not un- known to her, for once or twice she had visited it in disguise and knew it as well as Halleck did. This time she did not look like herself; her face bad been ea ian blackened with the dirt of tbe mine, and her upper up was ornamented by a jet-black mustache which did not appear out of pears. Clad in the suit which she wore so well and in which she had made the journey to the Ber, she Ilcoked like a young miner. But beneath her jacket a heart which she could not control was beating wildly, and above the mus- tache a pair of handsome eyes were burning in- tensely. Silent Sam’s cabin was not wholly unknown to her, and going up to its little window Merta ventured to peer into the room. She saw the bowie that still perforated the ace of hearts, and then pet ane fell upon the figure of a man ona stool. His forehead was bound by a red GOMIEDOOrT al ——_—_ rFeOoMm