Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 198 — page 15: what you’re looking at

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

Senetiee Arkansaw, the Man with the Knife. 15 bowie sticks to-night was to take his place. Then formed the league of two—you and Colonel hunder. I need not tell you how my husband met his fate in the mines. You were there, and it was yonr arm that killed. I cried for ven- geance; but you turned and struck me the meanest of all blows—you stole my child—my little Inez. Before this, however, your beauti- ful wife stood in your way to greed and gold; they found her dead one morning among the mountains, and her child—your son—Conrad Gordon, you afterward made your slave, and taunted him with the name of Indian. IL have never lost sight of you; for ten years I have been near striking all the time—the flooded mines, the theft of your private diaries—it was my work. “My league was against yours. I made Armosillo too hot to hold you; I followed you like the blood-hound follows the assassin. You held a secret. I wanted to know what you did with my child. [ know now. You thought her dead; all those years you thought that Colonel Thunder had killed her when, in truth, he was raising her to make her one of these days a gold queen or a silver princess. I found her without robbing you of any secret. Inez is mine once more,” ‘** You said an hour ago that you had killed her,’’ he retorted. ‘*So I did. I thought I had; but Heaven pitied the mother, even if it does frown on the avenger. I did not intend to strike until to- morrow night; but circumstances make me strike now. I sent three Indians to Lodeton to- night. My last command was: ‘Spare nothing that is his!’ You know what that means, Gold Conrad.” The listener bit his lip, and the Queen of Fate turned her head. ‘‘Now!” she said to the Rosebud, ‘I am through. Do your duty.” The next instant something fell upon Gor- don’s shoulder and rested there. It was a rope. All at once Merta’s right hand waved a sig- nal and Conrad was suddenly lifted from the saddle. The red giants pulled steadily on the rope and his body shot into the air. A perceptible shudder passed over it, a faint cry came from between the tightening lips, and then the man of Armosillo hung motionless beneath the jutting rock! ueen Merta’s triumphant eyes gazed at the sight for a moment and then turned toward Arkansaw. a ‘‘ Bring them here!” she said. ‘*Take these with you and use them before ydu reach this place,” and she placed two silkenshandkerchiefs in the bowie-king’s hand. The avenging party almost evenly divided. Arkansaw and the Rosebud rode toward the Bar, while the Queen of Fate and the two In- dians went on toward Lodeton. Her revenge was almost complete; the skies that bent above Lodeton eighty miles away were to witness the finale. CHAPTER XVII. THE LAST THROW OF THE BOWIE. ** No one yet?” ‘*¢T hear nothing.” The first speaker a beautiful young girl sighed as she looked at the handsome young man who had walked into the firelight that illumined the cave which she occupied, **Oh, Halleck, all these wild events seem a dream to me,” she exclaimed a moment later. ‘That beautiful avenger my mother? Tell me again that [I am awake—that I am Colonel Thunder’s protegee no longer. When the voice at my door said; ‘I am your mother!’ I gasped for breath—I could not cry, and [ fell like one dead at the bottom of my door. And when I awoke here and heard that voice again, and felt the burning kisses that she gave I could not believe that I was in this world. No; it must be paradise. My mother! the woman who calls herself the Queen of Fate my—” Halleck held up his hand and commanded silence; then he left the girl and went to the entrance of the mine and listened. After a few minutes he returned, His face had a new expression; he had heard sounds. ‘Everything is quiet now,” he said answer- ing her anxiouslook. ‘They will soon be here.” At that very moment Silent Sam_was bend- ing over the fuse, which, if it had not been tampered with would blow them to atoms with the rocks of the mine. But Arkansaw had been there, although Hal- leck and Esmer knew it not, and the hammer of Sam had exploded a cap—nothing more. An hour of anxious waiting passed over the of the anxious pair in the mine, Then both uttered a cry of joy for Arkansaw and the Rosebud stood before them. ‘*Hyar’s the young pigeons!” exclaimed the latter, and the couple fo lowed the pards into the moonlight. There they found two horses beside the ones which the friends had ridden to the mine and were soon on their backs. ‘‘Hyar, take these,” whispered Arkansaw, slipping the handkerchiefs into the Rosebud’s hands. ‘‘The young ’uns ar’ not to see the man in the canyon. I’m goin’ back to see ’em plant the cunnel ef they do it to-night.” The pards separated, and the Rosebud of the Pink Forks conducted Halleck and Esmer away. At midnight a horseman rode quietly into the precincts of Vulture Bar. He did not appear to be armed. He certain- ly carried neither rifle nor revolver; his only weapon was a ‘bowie whose blade carried four- teen inches of steel. The town appeared to be either asleep or de- serted; but the man seemed to know where to find somebody, for he rode toward a large frame building which was well lighted, and filled — rough-looking men—the wolves of Vulture ar. Atone end of the large room a man with long hair and gaunt figure stood on a raised plat- form whose planks rested on the counter. He was discoursing to the motley crew beneath him. A smile passed over the face of the man on horsebaek who had haited unobserved at the open door. He took in the situation at a glance. The man on the platform was delivering Colo- nel Thunder’s funeral oration; and the body of the Bar’s great watch-dog lay at his feet on the board on which it had been borne to the place. The orator was finishing when the new arth val came up. ‘Vengeance isn’t the Lord’s any longer, pards!” he cried. ‘It b’longs to the boys ov the Bar. We're about to plant the man what never shook a friend, but, first, we’re goin’ to sw’ar to git even with the devil what giv’ ’im the blade. Sw’ar! up with yer hands, pards.” The hand of the orator went up as he spoke; but almost at the same instant he uttered a scream of pain and staggered against the wall. Something like a bolt of steel, for it had a glitter, had passed over the heads of the as- sembly, and perforated the uplifted hand! It was a bowie-knffe! And while the crowd stared at the sight a voice entered at the door. _ “The compliments ov Arkansaw. Yer preacher ’ll hev to eat with bis left han’ fur a tew weeks; thet’s all.” Then the galloping of a horse was heard; the yelling crowd rushed out of the house, a hun- dred revolvers flashed in the night; but the marksmen knew that the flying horse still car- ried The Man with the Knife away. ‘** Halt! they’re coming.” At these words seven horses came to a halt among lofty mountains, and their riders listened to the noise of hoofs that momentarily grew more distinct. All at once three Indians burst into view, and in a few momeuts drew rein before the waiting ‘oup. ** All done!” said one of the braves. ‘‘ The big white chief must build new lodges.” he eyes of Queen Merta sparkled. She knew that her revenge was complete, that the torches of the Indians had reduced to ashes the property he had accumulated at Lodeton. She had not only killed, but she had burned! Here we drop the pen, gentle reader; but, if you wish, you may follow us to one of the proud cities of the young West and see the Queen of Fate give a blushing bride away. And if you stand in a certain place, you will hear the re- marks that two burly fellows are sure to pass about the young couple at the altar. Vengeance and justice have triumphed, and love has won. ‘**Come, Rosebud, let’s go an’ drink to the two pinks the parson tied together,” remarked Arkansaw after the ceremony. ‘ An’ ef we kin git an audiance, I'll show up in a bit o’ knife handlin’ thet ‘ll open the’r eyes. But gosh! Rosebud, I'll never be able to skeer up in this town the appreciative crowds 1 use to hev at the Bar! never!” and the bowie-king heaved a regretful sigh. he two pards went away together, the ob- served of all observers as they passed down the street. Here, for the present, we bid them good-by. THE END, = ao ~ BEADLE & ADAMS’ STANDARD DIME PUBLICATIONS. Speakers. 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