Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 296 — page 12: what you’re looking at

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

12 that is the sum you robbed old uncle Jones of, down at Santa Fe, through misrepresentation in arascally business transaction—on your part. I got to Santa Fe shortly after you left, heard ot your big swindle,-and told the old gent, who was in destitute circumstances, that if 1 ever ran across you, ld make you pony over every cent, and send it back tohim. And that is just ewhat 1] shall do with this money. Hand it to me!” Drew obeyed with an oath. ‘“Youw’ll regret this, curse you!” he gritted, savagely. ‘‘ You and I baven’t squared accounts ? yet.’ spoken!” A “Truly llo Bill, retorted, with a chuckle, ‘‘and until { get ready for you, June 12th, take that!” And as he received the money with one hand, he dealt the ex-border ruffian a blow between the eyes with the other, that laid him out, senseless, upon the floor. Then, with a laugh, Apollo Bill leaped through a window he had left open on entering, and was gone! As a matter of course, the next mornin Darcy Drew had an interview with his ado son Dick, and the events of the preceding night were narrated. “We are ruined!” the elder Drew—as we shall still continue to call him—said. ‘‘The money that I gave him was all that is really ours in the world, for you are aware that Moses Monk held a mortgage for “de? cent my interest in the mines was worth. That mort- gage is long over-due, and the succeeding heir will likely foreclose it, which wil leave us an eos Therefore, something must be one.’ “The devil, yes. Where will all my good clothes and spending-money come from?’ Dick growled myrime tare 6 ‘To be sure. doubt if you’ve got enough gumption to earn your own salt, if it wasn’t for me,’ “Thank you. Wo shall see. By the way, who is the heir to ae te RM ae A ‘Phe girl Mary, no doubt. e failed to find any papers. The appointed executor, Mark Shelby, bas likewise failed, and will hold the Wit e year before disposing of it.” 7 rf) ‘We must no longer put off capturing the girl, and see what we can do with her. am not mistaken, we can work her so as not only to get possession of the kid—which meansa reward of ten thousand dollars—but also the mortgages and other papers of Moses Monk. So much to be done, and then we are Orce more on our feet n.”’ ‘“* Indeed—if we succeed! Thatjs the thing to consider, @’ve been having so devilish much bad luck of late that it looks as if’ we were on the wrong groove.” ‘Pooh! a little bad luck, ought not to dis- courage ts, [ mean to realize ont of the kid. ane ousand dollars alone will give us quite a ‘How do you e to reach the place where Mary Monk and the child are living’ ‘* By boat on the river, I would not go by the trail, lest they may have some one on guard to notify them of our approach.” “Very well. What will you do with them after getting them?” “fake them to the wooded island just a mile mn p45 here. It will be a eapital retreat for us About as. hot-headed an Englishman as ever existed‘was Lord Henry Clifford. He was, fathered by a stern and aristocratic old nobleman, who never forgave or forgot an injury. It was but natural then, that.. Lord Henry. should inherit some of his father’s quali- ties, among which was the one of not forgetting or forgiving an injury. He considered that he had been done a terrible wrong, and bis blood boiled for redress. When he had visited the deserted farm some maliciously-disposed, person had hinted to him that Blake had an object, and a prime one too, in burning his home and having his famil massacred, as he had not long before had all their lives insured, from which he must, of course, have realized a handsome sum. Of course this was utter nonsense and villain- ous meanness; but Lord Clifford. accepted it, as he saw no one else to deny the story while in that neighborhood. The man then whom he had aided and trusted was a wretch without lel, The day that included the events last narrated, Apollo Bill, the Trail Torna | to y go With Then, Rais H be pri gro he made up his mind to break the monotony, by going into the mountains for a hunt. Lady Theresa entered the room, just as he was about to start. ‘‘What!.are you going out; my lord?” she | asked, in surprise. ‘* Yes, I’m off for a little hunt. Mayhap Vu seh Bai back a grizzly cub, for a poodle.” ‘* Maybap, you will not returnat all, my lord, for the road-agents are growing so bold, that everybody fears them.” ‘Welly Iam not afraid. If, however, I should not return, why, I have left enough money in my bureau, here, to defray your expenses back to England,” ‘* In that case, I suppose, the search for little Lady Maude would cease?” ‘« Very likely, yes, for you would not natur- ally care to interest yourself in a continuation of the search.” Lady Theresa colored—grew pale —then flushed, angrily: ‘* Thank you, Lord Clifford. As you say, it cannot avail me anything to hunt up an out- law’s child, and make her lady of Clifford’s Cliff, when by right of entailment, rtp tong comes me, after the death of sweet little Maudie whose sad fate occurred nearly two Then ith floshine, indi h en, wi , in ant eyes, she swept from the room with regal. pusaniia rs Lord: Clifford turned and gazed after her with a prolonged whistle: of surprise. “Well, by Jove! That’s the first time I ever saw an exhibition of my Lady Theresa’s temper,”’ he remarked; musingly. ‘‘ I’ve been studying her some, however, since coming here, and have noticed ret ace carelessness on her part, as to whether I ever succeed in finding Maude, or not. Something tells me some one has been talking to her—at any. rate, she is right. If I die, now, she wins; but, I must. not die! ‘ith his mind busied with these, and similar thoughts, he left the hotel, and wandered, on foot, into the mountains, In the beginnin he followed the route through the gulth; but finally struck off up a path among the wooded peaks and crags. For hours he rambled on, occasionally shéot- ing a bird or rabbit, until the sun’s position in the sky indicated that it was past noon. . he was about to turn back, when he caught sight.of a young bear upon a crag, ahead of him, and likewtse far above. If shot, it would fall.upon the rocks not far in front of. him. ing his rifle he fired. : Sure enough the animal tumbled off the ledge, but, instead of falling upon the rocks, disap- sppcenepeeae view. nning ahead.a number of rods, Lord Clif- ford came to the edge.of a deep ravine, and saw the bear lying dt the bottom—half a hundred feet. below, at-least. So sheer was. the descent at the point where he was standing, that he had to search for a place less steep, era he could go down. e soon came to where a path descended through a ‘thicket, and; following its course, came out into, the gulch within sight of ‘the ar. , To his astonishment, as he advanced he saw a man engaged in skinning the beast—a man clad in elaborate buckskin and slouch hat, but whose back. was turned to Lord Clifford. - ‘‘ Well, by Jove! that is cool! I wonderifhe knows who killed that bear,” his eh growled, hisanger rising. ‘I don’t usually kill game for others, to ap late.” And, grasping his: rifle, he strode toward the bear, quickly. As he heard some one approaching, the man who was skinning the animal arose and faced about, Then he uttered an exclamation of sur- se. Lord, Clifford duplicated it, and came to a standstill, “Bill Blake!” he ejaculated, his features wing stern in their expression. ‘‘ Yes, my Lord Clifford, I am Bill Blake, at our service!” that individual replied, ‘* better own hereabouts, tho’; as Apollo Bill!” CHAPTER XII. ROWDY KATE WINS AND LADY THERESA LOSES. THE recognition was mutual, For several minutes neither spoke; but at last Lord Clifford found voice: ‘* William Blake,” he said, sternly—‘* William Blake, at last we face each other—the very thing I have been praying for the many days past, since I discovered your treachery !” “Tam aware you sought to meet me, sir, and ” Apollo Bill returned. am sorry for it, do. oe > es ‘‘ Why sorry—because you hated to face me in all your guilt, William Blake?” “What? Of what am I guilty? Tell me that!” ‘*Guilty? Why, you accursed villain, have ou the face to ask me that? Guilty of what? hy, of hiring a dozen ruffians to burn your cosey home, wherein perished your aged mo- ther and either your or my little child—the child I intrusted to your safe keeping. Why, you are a monster!” ‘*Lord Clifford, you are an unmitigated liar!” ‘¢ Sir!’ and bis lordship’s hand sought the side pocket of his coat. ‘*T repeat it—you area liar, sir! You' have accused me of something no. other man ane of doing—the murder of my own family. - fore I deny sucha thing, pray tell me what ob- ject could I have in killing those I loved?” ‘* Money, sir road-agent—money, a greed for which has led you to the position you now occu- py. You insured the lives of all your family against death, and it was not your fault that the other child was not consumed, so that you could draw the insurance on its life!” ‘* And so you, a man of ordinary good sense and enlightenment, have the assurance to make a gross charge against me like this?” ‘*‘T have. You are a wretch and a rascal, and shall answer to’ me for the betrayal of the trust I imposed in you.” ‘“* And you, sir, whom I once believed to be a gentleman, are a liar and a coward, whom I would be very glad to accommodate with satis- faction. If your tongue had not run away with your wits, | could explain much since we have met. As it is, unless you apologize we are henceforth enemies!” ‘‘ So be it, then. Far better to know a man of your stamp as an enemy than as a friend. As for apologizing toa man like you, or any man in fact, it is wholly out of the question.” ‘‘ Then I Foe Fan we may as well fight it out here as anywhere. I presume you know how to handle a revolver, eh ‘‘Probably! But I do not even intend te bandy words or fight a duel with you. Thereby kill: you with less torture than you killed my child!” And even while we there was a pistol report, though Lord Clifford did not. take his pistol from his pocket, and Apollo Bill fel te the ground, A faint streak of blood upcn his forehead teld where the bullet bad glanced against the sei}, and produced instant insensibility—for Apolk Bill did not stir after he fell. | ‘‘Ha! I thought the much-lauded scoundrel would some day finda man who would be tee much fdér him!” Lord Clifford muttered, step- ping nearer to the prostrate victim of bis chery. ‘He’s paid the penalty of his crimes sooner than he had any thougk® of, curse him!” | But a quiver in the muscles of Apollo Bills facé, an instant later, undéceived him. “No, he is not dead. ‘The bullet'did ‘not kit it only stunned him. But that’ mattérs not, i have a bitter wrong to’'avenge, and have swera to avenge it, and there is no time like the ent in which to do it, William Blake, if ene shot will not kill you, another will!” And with these words the vindictive mas drew a revolver and sed the muzzle of it against.the temple of Apollo Bill; but before he could pull trigger he received a blow on the head’ with a club that felled him to the ground. He was not deprived of his senses, however, and. immediately struggled to his feet, to be ae by no less a personage than Rowdy te! ‘+ Hello! didn’t expect me, did you?” she eried, her eyes flashing. ‘* Well! well! Lord Clifferd! Lam truly ashamed of you—you, who claimed to be the descendant of a noble English family, a man of honor!” ** Well, is it any of your business what I am or what I amnot?” Chfford demanded, flusbing angrily. ‘‘ What right have you to interfere in any of my actions, girl?” ‘The right of one human to protect another human from the bite of a snake!” was the re- tort. ‘Not satisfied with having nearly killed this man, who never did you any wrong, you sought to finish your cowardly crime before he should awaken ‘to take his own part. Why, euss my boots! d’ye know what I’ve a mind to do?” and she whipped a revolver from her belt and cocked it, ‘“‘T can surmise, but I know you wen't do that, Insodoeing you would be wronging your friend here, who I know would prefer to settle with me personally. ” ‘‘ Well, et’s lucky so. I know he’ make it GoM books 7eom