Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 198 — page 3: what you’re looking at

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

Not more than forty wooden houses, or shan- ties, composed the place, and these were in- habited by as rough-looking a lot of men as was ever seen beyond the Missouri. The town was built on a stretch of elevated land, which might have been thrown up by some caprice of nature old ages ago; but above it the wae peaks of the San Juan range rose majestically, while on either side were dense woods of sage bushes, and wild canyons into whose depths the sun seldom peeped. The mountains around it were full of silver deposits, and about one-half of Vulture Bar’s population seemed to take an absorbing interest in such things. Mines were worked, and the dark bowels of the bills echoed to the ringing sound of the miner’s pick. But there were six men at the bar who seemed more like watch-dogs than anything else; they inhabited a large cabin at the western limits of the town, and their duty tes to be to keep an eye on the miners. enever a rich vein was struck one of these watch-dogs immediately set out for Lodeton, and Gold Conrad soon knew its exact location. The six went every- where; they penetrated the mountain mines, watched every ounce of silver from the time that it left the mines until it reached Gordon’s clutches, and ‘‘ ran the town.” In short, Gold Conrad had struck it rich at Vulture Bar; its tenants, desperate, dark-faced fellows though they were, were his slaves. He seemed to own the mountains; he paid the men for their labors; but the products of the secret mines were his. Secret mines, we say, for no one in Lodeton knew that on the borders of the Ute country this man was running’ one of the richest silver mills on the globe. On the afternoon of the day after the sending of Catana from Lodeton to the Bar with a mes- sage for Colonel. Thunder, six men might have been seen seated on three-legged stools in front of one of the cabins in the latter place. | They were the watch-dogs. In the entire lot there was not one prepossess- ing face; all were dark, bearded and repulsive, wolfish in countenance, and bearish in strength. They were dressed alike, in dark shirts and coarse pantaloons, the ends of which were hidden in their boots. On each hip rested the deadly revolver of the mines, an several carried a bowie in addition to this armament. On the afternoon referred to four out of the six were whiling time away with a game of whisky poker, and the greasy cards were con- danaty falling on the large flat stone which served for a gambling table. The other two were looking oat on, chipping in now and then to swear or to laugh. It was a scene not uncommon during the warm days, for the gambling spot was well shaded, and the watch dogs were not needed in the mines. Presently the door of the cabin* which was partly closed was opened by a person on the inside, and the game for a few moments had another spectator. Several of the gamblers looked up at the new witness, but soon returned to the dirty cards which fell faster and faster on the ‘‘ fortune stone,” as they had termed their table. The person in the doorway had a girlish con- tour, although clad in male garments. The eyes were a soft, beautiful blue, the cheeks ruddy as the color of a mountain rose, and the hair was a rich auburn, full of natural waves, and lovely. The hands and feet were petite and girlish in every particular, and even a casual spectator would at once declare that the person belonged to the softer sex, despite the garb. ‘* Esmer didn’t sleep long,” exclaimed one of the two men, who had been watching the game. ** We’ve been swearin’ too much fur’im. Don’t you see, boys, how his eyes rebuke us?” ‘‘ Rebuke, fiddlesticks!’ was a rough re- sponse. ‘Ef you don’t want the lamb to hear us, colonel, why do you keep ’im hyar?” The man tacos as colonel darted a frown- ‘ing look at the speaker, and then stepped toward the person in the door. ** You didn’t sleep like a log, eh?” he said, in- terposing his body’ between tae blue eyes and the gamblers. ‘‘ Well, go inside. I want to talk to you, anyhow.” The young person did not reply, but obeyed, and the two entered the cabin together. Un- der a window was a cot which the new cherac- ter had lately Jeft, and the watch-dog pointed to it as he closed the door. ** Let’s sit down,” he said. “No; I’ve been lying enough to-day,” was the answer in a soft voice, ‘‘ You will not care if I stand?” “Well, suit yerself, Esmer. You don’t like this life; you would rather live apart from the Six Revolvers ov Vulture Bar? Now, honest Injun, wouldn’t you?’ ‘“Where would I go if I had to leave this lace? You know where I belong; but you ave always refused to tell me.” Colonel Thunder smiled. ‘*Of course I hev,” he answered. ‘‘I hev adopted you, an’ you ar’ Colonel Thunder’s child.” ‘** Not in reality?’ ‘* You ar’ ef I wantit to beso. Jes’ stick to me, an’ l’ll pull you through. Don’t ax me to give you woman’s clothes. I dasn’t do it, Es- mer; fur yer own good I dasn’t. Ef I did, somebody would hear afore to-morrer night, thet thar war a gal at the Bar, an’ then all my hopes would be ruined. You make a stavin’- lookin’ boy, an’ ef some fellars on the Bar sus- picion anything, they dasn’t come right out an’ say thet you ar’ a gal; nor they dasn’t go an’ tell him either!” ‘Who do you mean by him?’ asked Esmer. “Why, the man what owns us, body an’ soul,” ‘Gold Conrad?” ‘*Yes. You're nothin’ to him, mebbe; but he mustn’t know that a gal claims a moment ov his slaves’ time; he wants every second ov it, the silver-eater! Now, you understand. Will you stay whar I am, er shall Colonel Thunder turn you off?” “IT will stay!” cried the girl. ‘‘I would not know where to®go if you should desert me. One of these days I shall wear the garments that belong to my sex; shall I not?” ‘*Ov course! you’re not to remain a boy fur- ever. Some day you'll pick up a rich husband, an’ the cherub ov Vulture Bar will be the queen ov some city.” The girl blushed, but her eyes sparkled. ‘Yes, obey me an’ all will go well. Cross mean’ you may be buried in the clothes you sinc Thar! they’re callin’ me outside. Stay ar. The face of the girl bad grown pale at certain words that Colonel Thunder had uttered, and she hardly knew that he had taken his depar- ture. When the acknowledged leader of Gold Con- rad’s watch-dogs reached the outside of the cabin he found the game broken up and the layers were standing around an Indianfied ooking boy who sat on a horse which had evi- dently carried bim a long distance. *Catana!” murmured Colonel Thunder re- cognizing the boy at a glance. ‘*Something important’s in the wind, er the cap’n wouldn’t send the dog that sleeps at his bedroom door.” Then a hasty stride took him to Catana’s side, and the eyes of the pair met. Thunder’s had an eager and anxions glitter while the In- dian rib wore a look of disappointment. ‘“Go back to the game, boys,” commanded the watch-dog captain to his men, as he laid bis hand on Catana’s bridle. - ‘* The cap’n wants to draw on the bank, that’s all,” and the next moment he was leading the horse towcrd the mountain. He did not stop until h@had put a hill be- tween him and the shanties of Vulture Bar. ‘‘Now, what is it boy?’ he asked fixing his eyes on Catana’s face. **T don’t know exactly, sir, but here is what my master says,” was the answer, and the young Apache drew forth the message which Conrad had the day before given him for the man who now stood by him. ; Colonel Thunder unfolded the paper as if such messages were an every-day occurrence, and Catana watched him. For a moment bis eyes betrayed no unusual excitement; but all at once they flashed, and grew fiercer while he read on. Catana might have scanned the message a thousand times during the journey he had just made; but his look told that the contents of the paper were entirely unknown to him. If he had looked over Colonel Thunder’s bronzed hands he would have read the follow- ing: ‘**To COLONEL THUNDER: ‘ “This is to warn you that a certain man left my house this morning bound, according to his own statement, for La Tinaja. efore he left the premises he pinned a mountain wood- pecker to a gate-post with his knife, from a dis- tance of sixty feet! La Tinaja is not his desti- nation. It is Vulture Bar! Iam sure of it, and if he is not stopped a/ once, his knife will find bigger game. Ten years ago there was but one living man who could handle a knife that way. I say that he has come to life, and that he is now on the way to Vulture Bar. He is armed only with a knife; but in Arkansaw, the Man with the Knife. 3 his hands it is worth ten revolvers. Meet him on his arrival, and for Heaven’s sake get the best Y him! He has the same eyes and the very voice that the other knife wizard had. This devil calls himselt Arkansaw. He is your enemy, as he is mine, Spot him before he fairly gets his bearings. Fail not, colonel! GoRDON,”’ When Thunder had read through he lhoked p. ‘Did you pass the man mentioned in this letter?” ** No,” replied Catana, ‘**Good! he is to come, then,” and as Colonel Thunder thrust the 'etter beneath his jacket he turned and walked rapidly toward the town. The Indian boy wheeled his horse and fol- lowed him, ‘* Hello! what’s up?’ suddenly exclaimed Thunder. ‘‘ The boys hev some attraction m front ov the shanty.’ ‘*Caramba! be hascome!” ejaculated Catana. ‘T feared that the fresh hoof-prints in the Black Canyon were his.” “Then he was mounted?” “Not when he left Gold Conrad’s; but I found a dead Ute on my way; he had a knife wound in the back of his neck.” Colonel Thunder uttered a great oath. ‘‘A knife wound, eh?’ and he showed his teeth as he glanced at the young Apache. The Indian suddenly drew rein. ‘*He must not see me here. The master said so,” he said, looking at Thunder who was won- dering at the halt. ‘*Then go back below the hill and wait for me. When war you to return?” ‘** He did not say.” ‘*1’l] hev a message fer you afore mornin’— one what'll make Gold Conrad sleep peacefully fur a hull week,” Catana turned and withdrew below the bil), whose brow they had gained while Colone! Thunder proceeded on. As he neared the group of men before the watchdogs’ hut, his gait became a leisure walk, and, apparently calm, he approached the crowd. . ** Ninety mile to La Tinaja, eh?’ said a voice in the center of the crowd. ‘‘ Wal; I em ri browse around the Bar till mornin’, me up to the big hotel to-night an’ see me play with this toothpick,” and he displayed to the eyes of Gold Conrad’s minions a knife whrose blade was at least fourteen inches in length. He balanced it on one of bis bronzed fingers for a moment, and then whirling it suddenly into the air he threw his y back and watched it. The bowie whirled over and over as it ascend- ed, and came down in a like manner. Fora moment it seemed that the point of the blade would penetrate the juggler’s face, but all at once his mouth opened and he caught the hijé of the knife between his teeth and held it. firmly! A murmur of applause broke from the Lreath- less spectators; but Colonel Thunder muttered a curse that sounded like a growl of rage. ‘*“Come down to the Howlin’ Wilderness to- night an’ see Arkansaw,” the new comer went on, as he sheathed the formidable blade. ‘I’m stoppin’ at thet earthly paradise fur the present. I kin throw this toothpick through an Injun at sixty feet. Hunt one up an’ hev ’im on deck to- night. Now, don’t shake the show, boys. It sha’n’t cost you a cent; an’ ef the performance don’t suit you, Pll give ye yer money back an’ set em up besides. Thet’s fair, ain't it?’ and the knife-thrower laughed coarsely as he moved away. During this scene Colonel Thunder had looked on from the outside of the crowd with amaze- ment in his eyes. Something—the stranger’s effrontery, perbaps—astonished him, and his eye followed him with a deadly challenge as he moved on. But as soon as he could the colonel separated his five companions from the rest of the crowd and addressed them in a whisper, while his eyes. of evil still blazed. ‘‘That man is more than he says he is. He came hyar to throw bis infernal blade into your hearts. He is the cap’n’s deadly enemy. ell go down to the Howlin’ Wilderness together. An’ don’t furgit thet he must give his last exhbi- bition to-night. His last, the cap’n says. I say so, too. Now, what say you?” The answer came immediately from five tongues: ‘*We will make it his last show!” Colonel Thunder smiled and sent a glance of triumph toward the hill behind whose brow Gold Conrad’s red messenger rested from his ride. ECO AMLCE | IOOKSTEO