Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 24 — page 11: what you’re looking at

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

Diamond Dirk. ————EEEEeee ee the one who had so unexpectedly appeared in | The girl glided away, and Diamond Dirk her path. datas | td yc the n, whose cries told ‘*] was seeking you, sir.” ~ him was coming rapidly on their trail—whether It was Diamond Dirk before her. conscious of the flight of his prisoner, or in mad ‘Seeking me? how strange! I just left camp | t tell. toendeavor to find you.” _ frenzy, he could not te A moment more and the gentmmnies halted “Why? suddenly—he saw an obstacle in his path. “To ask your aid. I intended to strike your It was bright starlight, and each man distinct- trail and follow it until I found you. Now that ly saw the other—the one crouched, rifle in I have found you, let me thank you for a kind- hand, upon one knee, the other towering boldly ness done me.” erect, as savage as a brute. ‘“* When?” ‘When I was hurt, and—” CHAPTER XXI. “T struck you down. I did my duty only in | |THE MADMAN’S STORY. dressing the wound I had made. But howcan | For an instant the frenzied maniac paused, and the two men glared at each other—the one all excitement with rage—the other calm and fearless. ‘Who are you?” howled the maniac. ‘‘One who means you no harm,” quietly said I serve you?” “You know the madman who haunts this "Ne | ‘““Yes—I have just left him.” | ‘Is he aught to you?” | “He is a human being—though mad.” the scout. ‘Do you live with him?” ‘You are a man?” ‘‘Oh, no—I have seen him often: but always | ‘‘ Yes.” feared him. This morning he was nearly killed | in a fight with grizzlies, and I arrived in time to save his life, and he is now in his cavern in yon- der hill—I left there to come here and tell you that he has a prisoner with him.” ‘‘Ha! a young man?” _me care for you.” ‘“Yes—a youn and he is wounded—he ‘Liar! you are no friend—once I had many says his name is Burt lford.” friends, but the best friend of all betrayed me; ‘Thank God! it is the captain.” but I had his life and I will have yours.” ‘*He accidentally wounded himself in trying | With a shriek of frenzy the madman rushed to kill the madman: but the giant bore him in | forward, and Diamond Dirk as rapidly retreat- his arms to his cavern, and is ne him ed backward. Zee there, intending to torture him when the moon, “No, I will not kill him—he is doubtless weak- is at its full, for the poor, crazy being believes | ened by his wounds—I will grapple with him.” himself at times to be the Devil.” | Throwing aside his rifle the brave scout await- ‘Ts the captain badly mounted?” ed the coming of his huge antagonist, who ““T think not—he was bound hand and foot: | sprung upon him with the howl of a wild beast. but I severed his bonds and came to inform you | iamond Dirk had never met hi ual in —he must be rescued.” | strength—he now felt that he had met his su- ‘** Assuredly, and at once—I will go with you | pore and as the madman clutched at his knife- tod ‘‘ All men mean me harm—are you here to rob my home, or to take my life?” ‘Neither; Iam here to care for you in your distress—the maiden sent me—you are wounded and suffering—return to your cavern and let —wait until I return to camp for my horse.’ die he knew there was but one thing for him So saying, Diamond Dirk, in a long, swinging O. Indian started for the encampment. That thing he did—he bent his revolver muz- In twenty minutes he returned, accompanied | zle up toward the giant’s heart and fired. by Leo Markham, whom he presented to the A stream of hot blood gushed over him, a low irl Guide. -moan was heard, and with a heavy thud the Then the three set out for the cavern of the | madman fell to the ground. madman. / “God knows Iam sorry; but it was in eelf- It was sunset ere they arrived at the vicinity | defense—ha! he still lives.” of the cave; but the young girl was a perfect | ‘“‘ You have killed me.” trailer and soon stood in the entrance to the | The tones were harsh, yet in them was no cavern.” _ malice. ‘“*T will first enter and see if he sleeps—if so, ‘* Yes; I fired in self-defense.” you can glide th h into the inner chamber.” “You have done me a favor—I have long So saying the girl entered the cavern—to re- | wished tc die.” , turn in a few moments and tell her companions “Your voice is strong, perhaps the wound is to follow her. “He is, I think, delirious with fever—come.” Quietly she led the way, and a the rocky chamber, from whence came hoarse sounds of the maniac’s voice, mumbling to himself. Having thoroughly learned the bearings of not fatal.” . “Tt is fatal—I am dying; but I die hard. I am not mad now—the cobwebs are all cleared from my brain—I can remember now, and I wish to to tell you a story ere I die.” ‘*T will listen to all you have to say; but let me see if I cannot better your condition.” the inner galleries and chambers, the girl lei | ‘‘ You cannot; see, yonder comes the moon—it the way without hesitation, and then halting, is fast, and so is my life,” and the mad- cs a match. man pointed to the moon rising beyond the hey were in the rocky chamber in which lay distant hills. Burt Belford. ‘“Then, after awhile he said: AS tale mihi lt Mam Aiaiet ib! amet, a “Tf there is an ood in you, bury me in oyes fell upon the tall elegant form of Diamond | yonder valley—I would not have the wolves ; | my flesh—promise me.” ‘You have come to save me—I am so glad,” ‘It be as you wish.” he said, in a weak voice. _ “tT thank you; but tell me, do you belong to ‘“‘Yes—this brave girl has brought us to your | the encampment in the canyon?” aid—are you able to move?” | as <4 ‘Ah, yes; but I am very weak—I have lost | ‘What brought you to this wild land?’ much blood—and I am almost starved.” “tT came to seek a party who came hither to ‘You will soom be well, now; come, we will | hunt.” carry you—this is Ca Mar with me, ‘“ Why are there enemies among you?’ an. officer from Fort ‘4 » there?” Gently the two raised the wounded man in ‘Yes: one of your party killed his comrade their arms, and again led by the maiden, moved | two days since, in the valley.” noiselessly and slowly from the inner cave. ‘* What?” the cavern of the “I tell you the truth, he drove his knife in his friend’s bosom. I saw the act from the hills. madman his voice grew louder and hoarser, and he moved restlessly about upon his He then fled, and I brought the body to the lower But they yaad rapidly through, ed the | cavern. I putit there as a warning to those and were congratula who would track me, for you had been on my track.” ‘** Yes; but tell me more of this murder. Was carry him the man whose body you carried to the entrance mount and ride to camp—I will hold to the cavern on the hill below, slain by the man bay,” cried Diamond Dirk. with him?’ strong and routed but the Gil | (He said he had of the arms away: e Gir “He e lost him in the stream Guide turned toward the scout: | We believed he had fallen ‘s . sir, do not kill him—he is a poor mad- ‘‘[ will not, except in self-defe ick, fi on after the others, and go at snow donbanehe will follow soon.” open air ves upon their lucky escape, when a fierce howl of came from the cavern. Quick! Markham, horses, him at on to the boiling f into a basin, or that you had slain him. pee oly did we believe it when we found d i body at what we supposed was your cav- ern. ‘*The man lied. He killed his friend. I saw : 11 oe ng ee - _-~ lg el al LC tt et te him doit. I war against my race because | hate them. : ‘“* Years peo? had a home, far out on this frontier. I a loving wife and a dear little boy, and I had a friend as well. “That friend loved my wife. He told her of his love. She scorned him. He was a border- man, and he went to the prairie to drown his love in bunting Se red-skins, he said. “Two mon after, a band of Indians at- tacked my home, left it in ashes, killed my boy, shot me down and carried my wife away. ‘I recovered from my wounds, but I was a madman. YetI had brain enough to find out that my friend led those Indians and carried my hither L souput her. If her ¢ ither I soug er. ound grave. She had died by her own hand. vad! re the settlement and killed that ‘I was seized, thrown into jail and tried for my life. In spite of all the right on my side | was sentenced to be hung. “* His friends sat on the jury. I was not hung, for I escaped from the very gallows. I seized a revolver, shot down sev men who barred my way and escaped. : By Heaven! you are Robert Redwood—I have heard of you,” exclaimed Diamond Dirk. ** Yes, and the last one of that jury of twelve men I killed a few nights ago—men called him in these r Dan.” “G x God! and here you have lived for long Yes—lived here a madman; but not so mad but that I tracked those men to their death; ay, and I have hated my race since then, and I have longed to make men suffer as I have suffered— you see I was crazed, but I am not mad now— no, I will tell you, that within my cavern is one that I intended should die: when I am dead you will find him there.” Diamond Dirk was about to tell him that he had aided his prisoner to escape, but he checked himself, it could do no good he Moved by what he had heard, and wondering at what the madman had told him regarding the death of Powder Bob, he arose and passed slowly to and fro, his t ghts busy. At length he ed again to the madman and e, * No answercame. Then the scout knelt beside the As calmly as an infant sinking to sl the poor t maniac had died—his wild, fence spirit fluttered away from its earthly casket on noiseless *vings—his sorrows were over for- evermore. CHAPTER XxX. LORD GILBERT’S SHOT. Ir was some time ere Diamond Dirk made a mare after discovering that the madman was ead. Then he arose, raised the huge form in his arms, and bore it back into the cavern and laid it down, after which he lighted a match and looked around him. Seeing a bundle of dry brushwood, he soon kindled a fire. He would not leave the maniac’s body to become the food of hungry wolves, who would come there as soon as they scented blood. Then he left the cave, walked rapidly away, and soon came to where his horse was awaiting him. Mounting, he slowly along back to camp, his thoughts wit allt thas ued. wo eg pete Hl looking aps w way he went, un e di - ered a hill, which he did at te ho to have seen before. Pat os yes Sawaal fault; you are off trail camp. ve you been dreaming like your master?’ he sald, kindly, and he g searchingly about hin He was at the mouth of a heavily-wood«) gorge. Upon either side the mountains soar -thrape’d , and this cut between them Ico) «i k and foreboding. Still the horse to go into the glocmy gorge, and Diamond Dirk gave him the rein. After a short ride the darkness became so that the scout could not see but a few eet before him—the lofty sides of the over- hanging mountains shut out the light alto- “ Hold, old fellow, you have missed it this time —come, we will turn to the right-about.” But the steed seemed to to continue, and | x (SO NMUCE LOMO ESS (E(@)