Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 198 — page 5: what you’re looking at

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

ay EEE —— — he partly recovered his composure by a great effort. eT beg your pardon,” he said. ‘‘Did I ask for Colonel Thunder?” ‘‘T thought | heard you,” was the answer ‘‘ but one is liable to be mistaken. wish to see him, then?” ‘Not justnow. Are you his—” Halleck paused and blushed to his ears for while be had no doubts concerning the sex of the young creature before him, he felt that he was on delicate ground. ‘*] stay here,” Esmer said, coming to his re- ‘lief. ‘‘ You do not want to see Colonel Thun- der just now, vousuy. Will you not dismount and come in? He willcome back before long.” Almost mechanically Halleck dismounted, but held his horse by the bridle-rein. ‘*Letf me have your borse,” said Esmer step- ping. forward, and taking the bridle from his and. The young man watched her as she led the animal around one corner of the cabin and tossed the leathern reins over an iron pin driven intoatree. Then she returned and led the way into the cabin. ‘This isn’t baffling Gold Conrad,” thought Halleck. ‘‘I mustn’t allow this siren to keep me long, for the second messenger might slip in, and, then, I don’t know why the first, Catana, was sent; I shall make my stay short bere.” Thus determined, Halleck gently refused the stool which Esmer offered, but leaned against the oaken table near the door. The interior of the cabin was quite gloomy but a candle soon sent forth its feeble light, and Halleck had another opportunity to study his new acquaintance If he had looked over his shoulder, he might have seen the face of a spy at the window. Catana was there. ‘You have never been to the Bar before?” Esmer asked, breaking the silence. ‘‘This is my first visit, but L should have known the place, for Gold Gordon’s maps which I ree from his surveys have made us acquain- ted. ‘*Gold Ccnrad!” exclaimed Esmer probably recurring to her late conversation with Colonel Thunder. ‘“ Does he know me?” ‘*T hope not.” ‘* But when you go back—” ‘*T need not go back,” was the interruption, ** You will tell him that I am here. is com- mands have been broken; but Colonel Thunder will defy him if it comes to the worst.” ‘*His commands? Oh, yes, I understand, Then it is true—” “That I am not what my garments would have you believe? Yes,” and the young girl’s fingers touched Halleck’s arm, and her eyes had a soft, pleading look, hard to resist. ‘‘l am the only woman at Vulture Bar. His commands forbid the presence of one here; his slaves must think of nothing but toil, toil. A woman’s love even must not lighten their lives. Think of it! isn’t that cruel; isn’t it devilish?’ and the dark eyes of Thunder’s protegee flashed indignantly. ‘Tt is just like him,” he said. ‘‘ He calls me an Indian—the son of an Apache squaw.” A cry of astonishment broke from Esmer’s lips. x You an Indian?” she cried. dark enough, and yet—” ‘‘And yet my skin is darker than yours—a good deal darker, I fancy,” said Halleck, smiling. The girl did not reply immediately, but icked up the candle and held it close to his ace while her eyes seemed to devour him. ‘Well, what do you think?” asked the young man, when the candle had been returned to the table. ‘‘Gold Conrad insulted you,” was the quick answer, spoken ina tone of resentment. ‘ But isn’t there Spanish blood in your veins?” ‘*T don’t know,” admitted Halleck. ‘* Where are you from?” ‘‘T came to Lodeton five years ago, at Conrad ‘Gordon’s suggestion. His message found me at Ojo de Leon, New Mexico. I remembered to have met him, cr a man who resembled him, be- fore; but I wasa boy then. When I got to his mines he made me his private secretary, but an Indian boy named Catana soon supplanted me. I continued in his service, but had a cabin of my own until he circulated the lie of which I have spoken: that I am not only an Indian, but that in addition to that, I am this Catana’s brother. That is an infamous lie, I know. We don’t look alike.” Halleck’s passions rose as he proceeded, and Esmer drew back and folding her arms lite a man watehed him with glowing eyes. * 9 You do not ‘*'You are not . Arkansaw, the Man with ‘* You hate him and you will not betray me?” she said. ‘‘ You are out of his service now. If you want new labor, Colonel Thunder may em- ploy you. I have been keeping his books, but the task is irksome, and a hundred times he has promised to find a new hand, Let us go and find him. Some strange link unites him and Gold Conrad. I can tell you this much without violating any confidence, for I discovered this myself. Come, we will go.” ‘* Where is the colonel?” ‘** At the show.” A show at Vulture Bar? Esmer saw the youth’s questioning look, ‘¢‘ A wild looking fellow and his bowie-knife will be on exhibition at the Howling Wilder- ness. Hecame tothe Bar this afternoon, and since Colonel Thunder has acted like a madman. He got a message—”’ ‘Only one?” ‘*T know of but one.” " It was from Gold Conrad. What did he say? ‘**If I knew I might not tell,” was the answer. {might betray Gold Conrad, but I cannot go back on Colonel Thunder, Will you go with me?’ es Yes.” The next moment Esmer put out the candle and stepped toward the door; at the same time a pair of flery eyes left the window. Halleck was the first of the twain to step out- side, and as be did so a figure crouched at the foot of the cabin leaped at him with a short cry more beast-like than buman. The young man threw out his arms to grapple with his antagonist; but they sunk down when the biow dealt by the assaulter was fiercely struck, and Halleck staggered against the logs with a groan. Colonel Thunder’s protegee was soon on the spot: but the assassin gave her but the sound of his age a If he had lingered, he might have fallen before the revolver griped in the girl’s right hand. When she wheeled on the white face against the cabin, it was to cry out against the mean blow. ‘Who did this? Who is your foe?—tell me!” “No! I reserve for my own vengeance the name of the devil that struck .me,” was Hal- leck’s reply, and he smiled a forced smile as he stepped from the cabin. ‘See! I am not dead!” he continued, ‘* A knife-wound in the shoulder never kills any one. Iam ready to go and see The Man with the Knife.” Esmer gave him a look of admiration, and saw him draw and cock his revolver as they moved away. ite CHAPTER V. THE FOURTEEN-INCH BOWIE. THE wildest and, we might say, the largest crowd ever seen in the uncouth reception-room and saloon of the Howling Wilderness Hotel stood in the sawdust that formed its carpet, while Halleck and his new a@juaintance were hastening to the scene. This room was thirty feet long by twenty-five wide, so that it was almost square. At one end was a rough bar, presided over by a savage- looking fellow, who dispensed the vile drinks to thirsty crowds. Nota bottle was to be seen; for safety they were kept under the counter and guarded by the bar-tender, who wore a cocked revolver on his thigh. The room was almost benchless, and the light came from one large lamp which boasted of a bullet-shattered re- flector. ‘‘ Whisky Jose” bad made preparation for the unusual entertainment which he knew was sure to bring the entire population of the Bar to the Howling Wilderness. He had made a platform out of half-a-dozen rough planks, which extended from the top of the counter to the weather-boarding behind it. This stage he had tested with his own weight, which was somewhat remarkable, and smiled with satis- faction when he saw Arkansaw spring upon it aud nod his approval. The Man with the Knife looked down upon a sea of faces that almost filled the room to over- flowing. They were not all the property of white men. ere and there were the bronzed features of an Indian, Utes whose broad shoul- ders rose five feet and ten inches above their elk- skin moccasins. A kind of secret treaty appeared to exist between these red-men and Gold Con- rad’s silver-hunters, for every night their presence lent variety to Whisky Jose’s crowd. Arkansaw’s costume had undergone but lit- tle «hange; he had merely discarded his dusty jacket, and faced bis audience in dark-brown shirt and pantaloons. Tall and wuscular, his the Knife. 5 ee te ee _— —-—-- - oe ee ee ~ — hysique appeared to advantage in his simple elothin Mis mass of dark hair which had probably never known the invasion of a comb, covered his head like the matted mane of a lion; and his piratical beard, aided by a pair of eagle eyes, that seemed able to pierce a block of marble, proclaimed him more than a simple tramp-juggler, if not a man with a mission, Those eyes took in his audience at a glance. He was standing above the crowd, so that all could see; and at the moment when he care- lessly drew the lengthy bowie not an eye in the house was fixed onmtada than on him. ‘* Remember,” whispered Colonel Thunder over bis shoulder to one of his five. ‘* This must be that man’s last show. Pass the word to the boys; they may forget it.” He never took his eyes from the man with the knife as he issued these commands, and the watch-dog who heard them turned and whis- pered them into the ear of a neighbor who gave a significant nod, “The signal?’ asked this man. “The colonel will give it. But we're to see all bis tricks first.” Arkansaw had made his bow to the house—a bow whose very awkwardness was assumed, and the next moment the bowie was whirling through the air to be caught by the bilt be- tween bis teeth on its descent, a trick which he had already performed to the knowledge of at least a few in the house, Then he went through a number of strange performances, such as throwing the knife aloft and catching it between his shirt and flesh on the back of his neck, burling it with unerring accuracy through a bullet fastened to the boards at one end of the stage; and transfixing little cards in like manner by throwing the knife over bis shoulder. Arkansaw was en rap- port with his crowd, for the applause was fre- quent; but there were at least six men who did not join in, ‘*He’s a tearer, colonel,” one of the fellows ventured to say to Gold Conrad’s manager, ‘*No; he’s a devil! This entertainment is only a side show to the one he came hyar to give,” was the answer, ‘I know it.” ‘Then you’ve heard ov ’im?”’ ‘lve seen ’im before to-day.” ‘1 thought so,” Thunder gave the man a mad look, ‘“You thought so! What do you know?’ ‘‘T thought you two war old acquaintances by the way he looked to-day when one ov the boys told ’im thet we war yer men. His eyes didn’t exactly flash, colonel, but they said: ‘Oh, ves, Colonel Thunder; know ’im well!’ Thar! thet’s his last trick.” ‘‘Get ready. Tell the boys.” The man stepped back and said a few words to four rough-looking fellows who stood in a group. They drew revolvers already cocked. “Now, entlemen, the performance ov the evening will conclude by my best trick ef the audience will furnish the material. I require a live Injun, an’ I promise to band ’im back in five minutes in good condition—fur the fun- eral. The whole house laughed at this, and here and there several Indians were pushed toward the platform. ‘‘ Never hed any trouble in gettin’ an Injun on the San Juan,” continucd Arkansaw. “ to git one every night ar.’ sometimes two. Hurry up yer red-skins, Ill be liberal to-night. lll throw in a dollar toward buryin’ ’im, an’a dollar oughter decently plant a hull tribe,” ‘‘ Come; let us go. There are men here who will egg on the sacrifice that madman de- mands,” said one youth to another on the edge of the crowd only a few steps from Colonel Thunder. ‘*T will stay. I will see it out,” was the reply. ‘So will I.” Halleck and Esmer, the girl, bad witnessed the greater part of the performance given by the man with the kn:fe: but at times the youn man missed some of the tricks for gazing a Colonel Thunder who had been pointed oak by his companion. “Waal, when my audience refuses to furnish me material I ginerally select it myself,” sud- denly exclaimed the man on the platform whirling upon the crowd. ‘‘Sometimes I take an Injun and sometimes a white man. This time I prefar the latter. Look out! hyar comes a knife.” At that moment Colonel Thunder’s eyes met those of the man with the knife, and with a wild oath he threw up his pistol-arm. The words ‘‘hyar comes a knife” seemed terribly earnest ones, and as Arkansaw uttered. GORGE cS OOK)