Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 229 — page 9: what you’re looking at

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

" ' > . b = : 2 Crimson Kate, the Girl Trailer. * : oe ‘“‘I are ready, sir, whenever you sings out the word.” ‘Then at dawn ‘to-morrow brother and myself.” “‘T hain’t carin’ ef it’s ther whole fam’ly, pard; I’ll be ready.” And thus it was arranged, and early the next morning the two Englishmen and their guide left the fort. But Loyd Algernon seemed ill at ease, for he had offered himself to Lilian Earl, and had been refused, we start, my “ CHAPTER XV. A THREAT THAT WAS KEPT. It was the first night in camp, and the three horsemen had found a most delightful spot in which to rest for the night. The grass was rich and abundant, and the three saddle-horses and pack-horse, were crop- ping it with delight, while a limpid stream flowed near, and a ruddy fire sent its glare out into the surrounding forest. After a substantial supper, which Old Hick- ory cooked and served with a style that showed he was versed in border life, the two brothers sat down before the fire for a chat, while the guide went off on a scout for an hour, as he said: ‘To see thet thar hain’t no durned Ingins round.” He had hardly disappeared before Leon Al- gernon turned to his brother and said abrupt- ly: ‘Well, what do you propose doing?” ‘‘ Finding that boy.” *< Lester?” ‘“*@f eourse.” ** It will be a hard task.” **1 don’t care; he must be found and put an end to, or all will be lost.” ** And then?” ‘*T shall go back after awhile and carry out my original plan.” ‘You are playing a deep game.” ‘The Fesult is worth it.’’ “You are playing a double game,” ‘“‘How mean you?” ** You are treacherous.” “To whom?” “To me.” The man started and gazed into the other’s face. **I repeat it,” said the youth, firmly. ** ‘You are a fool to say such a thing.” * Yqu think so?” 46 Yes.” ‘‘ But I have proofs.” ‘* Proofs of what?’ ‘* Your treachery.” “To whom?” 6 Zo me,” ‘‘ What proof have you?” ‘* The best in the world, for I saw and heard you, last night ask Lilian Earl to become your wife.” The man made*no reply, but turned deadly pale, and glared at the other with a strange look in his eyes. ‘* Aha! you see Il know you as you are, and for that act of treachery I shall thwart your plans.” ‘“Thwart me?” « Voa.” ‘¢ She refused me.” “True, but I do not think of her.” **Of whom then?” : ** Of the boy; you'shall not get his fortune,” “TI shall.” ‘“‘I say no, for I shall expose all.” ** You?” eo “IT dare you to do so.” ‘I will, for I am revengeful.” ‘*My God! but you shall not; swear not to divulge the truth, or I fire,” and he leveled a revolver at the youth. “Never! you cannot intimidate me,” was the fearless reply. ‘By Heaven I will keep my word, for no life shall stand between me and my plot now.” He ran his eye along the barrel as he spoke, and the one at whom it was aimed, gazed with a defiant smile into his face, evidently feeling that the man would not pull the trigger. But he knew not the cruel, black heart with- in, for the finger did touch the trigger, and with the ring of the revolver the youth fell backward, a wild cry upon his lips, from which broke the words: ‘Oh, God! you have killed me.” ‘“*T meant to,” was the stern reply. ‘And I will kill you, if you move a muscle,” The speaker was Old Hickory, and he held a revolver at the head of the one he addressed, who uttered a cry of terror, yet dared not move, for fear of the fatal shot he felt would be sent into bis brain. ‘*Ha! ba! ha! Loyd Algernon Langdon, I will be avenged after all.” The one who uttered the words was the youth, as he lay upon the ground in the very agonies of death, and yet with a gleam of ma- licious joy in his eyes at the trap in which the one who had so cruelly shot him down found himself. » CHAPTER XVILI. A MYSTERY SOLVED. ; EVEN Old Hickory seemed impressed by the words of the youth, wrung from his lips in the midst of his torture, and said quickly: “Tl tie this fellow, and then be with you,: to see if I can help you.” ‘* No, Iam beyond all help; but do not let him escape, and I will tell you who and what he is,” the youth replied earnestly. For Old Hickory to disarm, and then secure- ly bind the man with a lariat, was but a min- ute’s work, and then he knelt by the side of the dying youth, who groaned in anguish. ‘*T fear your wound is fatal,” he said, well knowing that it was. ; ‘* Ah, I know that; but before I die I wish to revenge myself on that wicked man there, and—” ‘Leone, for God’s sake spare me,” cried the man. ‘* No, I will not; you plead in vain, “Here, guide, listen to every word I say, and promise you will look up one whose name I give you, and tell him all I tell to you.” “Tt Win.” ** Leone!” ‘Silence, for I will tell all,” he cried, and again turning to Old Hickory, he continued: ‘* You promise me, guide?” **T swear it, as I also swear that this man shall die for killing you,” was the firm re- sponse. **Do you hear that, sir?” But the man she addressed sat with bowed head, pald face and trembling form. ‘** Now, guide, the one I wish you to seek is Lester Langdon.” ‘* The Cowboy?” ‘* Don’t call him a Cowboy, for he was regu- larly commissioned as an officer, and will be again as soon as the truth is known.” ‘*The crime of which he is accused he never committed, and I only made the charge I did against him for the love I bore that man. ‘Yes, the love, for I am not what I appear. “Tam a woman,” The guide fairly sprung to his feet with sur- prise at her words, while the prisoner gave a deep groan of rage and*terror combined. “You a woman?” said Old Hickory, no longer using the border dialect that had seemed so natural to him. “Yes, I am a woman, and the wife of that man,” ‘““His wife?” ** Yes, Leone Langdon.” ‘Leone Langdon,” echoed the guide after her, ‘Yes, eleven years ago [ became his wife, and we were secretly married, for I was then a mere girl of fourteen and he in his nineteenth year only, and he dared not tell his father, who he told me sawas very rich and he wodld disinherit him, oa ‘* Wedded to a man in secret, and one whom I soon found out to be a villain at heart, though he hid his sins from the world, I still loved him, though I should have hated him. ‘*But then [ had a dear little child that helped to keep me from hating its father, I suppose, for I know no other reason. ‘At last I too became wicked, for when he told me of a plot he bad formed to defraud his cousin, Lester Langdon, of a fortune left bim by his father—but are you ill?’ and she turned tothe guide, who seemed to be suddenly seized with some severe pain, as he pressed his band heavily upon his heart. P ‘Oh no; it was but a sudden pain; please continue your story,” hé said in a low tone, ‘*T said that Loyd Langdon and his father entered into a plot between them, to get rid of Lester Langdon,, whom they knew to be out in Texas here, and to take his fortune. ‘But you go to the fort, guide, tell Gereral Kar! that I died by the hands of my pretended brother, and that he asked his daughter to be- come his wife, when already be had a wife living. , ‘Tell him that I entered into the plot to get Lester Langdon out of the way, that we might possess his fortune, as when he was dead, that man, Loyd Langdon, was to go back to bis father, the executor of Carter Langdon’s estate, and profess to be the runaway son.” ‘Will you do this for me, guide?’ “T will.” *“Now, Loyd Algernon Langdon, who is the victor, you or I?’ and she turned her eyes upon the bound prisoner. But not a word did be utter in response, for he seemed wholly crushed by the sudden biow that had come upon him. “And, guide,” continued Leone Langdon, the unfortunate wife, ‘‘the reason we left the fort hurriedly was to find Lester Langdon after his escape, and this very night that man was going to offer you a large sum to track the boy down. ‘* But I heard his words to Lilian Earl and it told me how vile he really was, and it turned me against him, and because I threatened to tell all, he shot me.” ‘‘T heard all, and saw all,” said Old Hickory in a low tone. ‘* Now, guide,” and her voice grew each mo- ment weaker, ‘‘I wish you to tell Lester Lang- don one thing from me,” ey Will. ‘Tell him that, as, through me, he gets his fortune, | beg of bim to seek my child and care for ber through life, never letting her know how vile were her parents, and that her mother died by the hand of her fatber.” ‘‘T promise you faithfully to do all you wish,” was Old Hickory’s fervent response. “Then I die content; here is a letter I wrote at the fort to my child, ‘Give it to Lester Langdon, for her address is upon it. ‘‘Ah! I have not the'strength to take it from my pocket.” Old Hickory quickly drew the letter from her pocket, placed it in his hunting shirt, and clasped the hand of the dying woman. | And thus, with no other word to the man, who had wrecked her life, and that cowered, silent and trembling near, she breathed her last, the guide holding her hand until the pulse of life was stilled by the icy touch of death. \ CHAPTER XVII. A WRITTEN PLEDGE. ‘“‘ Sam is dead!” ‘Oh, God!” ‘‘Your hand took her life.” ‘‘ Ob, God have mercy!” ‘You will swing for it.” “Good heavens, man, have you no mercy?” * and the bound captive looked appealingly at Old Hickory. ** None for you.” “T have done you no wrong, old man.” ‘You killed her,” Eomie bOOKS ' ew, ri . o i. (@) | | ~ = | . ~—— as