Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 240 — page 10: what you’re looking at

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

10 People were wildly excited. n a bed, in his mansion, Juan Cordiz lay a helpless and mortally wounded man—so said the advices sent forth by the only doctor in the town, who had ordered that the Prophet be left in perfect quiet. ming about the town, with as much appa- rent unconcern as though he had been guilty of no offense, was Cyclone Kit. He made no advances to anybody—spoke to nobody unless they spoke to him, and, armed to the teeth, seemed perfectly at ease as to his per- sonal safety. This, too, in face of the fact that the town was in literally a boiling state of commotion. People of both sexes were gathered in knots, here and there, engaged in excited discussions, as was evident by the wild gesticulations they made; a crowd of the same was constantly en- tering and leaving the temple; but what it all meant, Cyclone Kit made no attempt to pry in- to, as he believed it did not concern him. About noon he chanced to meet Queen Cordiz near the chaparral, in the vicinity of which he was strolling. She put on a pleasant smile, and stopped to speak to him. “You did nobly in furtherance of my plans, last night,” she said, enthusiastically. ‘‘I am getting my trap ready to spring at a moment’s notice. Why didn’t you kill him, and have done with it?” “That was not my intention!” Kit replied. **T wanted to make him suffer as he made an- other suffer—the inhuman brute. Do they think he will peg out?’ ‘* So the doctor reports. Probably he is right. I, as one of his wives, can say I heartily hope so. You knew this man, before coming here, then?” “By tae only. A year ago, if you re- member, his Danites attacked a small emigrant train, and murdered every one except a beauti- ful girl, named Lily Lee, and her brother. The girl was brought here, together with her bro- ther, and both were ae treated by Juan Cordiz—the girl so brutally that she died, while the boy succeeded in escaping, and lived —s enough to tell me of their wrongs. Healso tol me that he had made the discovery that this same Juan Cordiz had been a former rejected suitor of his mother, and that was the reason why Cordiz had caused them to suffer such in- human treatment. The dead girl had previous- ly been an intimate acquaintance of mine, and on hearing of her sad fate I swore vengeance on the Don, and set out to accomplish it. How well I have succeeded you have seen, and you ate recall the particular instance of the oar ruffianism, which I have been speaking oO Queen nodded, with a shudder. ‘“*I shall never forget it, or the’ poor victim,” she said, a tear, springing into either eye, ‘‘ and I must beg leave to admire you for avengin her wrongs. Do you know where Bertie Bir ‘“No. Is she gone?’ Kit asked, quickly. ‘*Yes. Nothing has been seen of her or the Irishman, whom the Don called Pietro, since they occupied a box at the amphitheater last night. There is evidently foul play some- where.” “Tam sorry to hear this. It is certain that she is not within the confines of the gulch basin?” . “It is certain she has not left it. The guards were doubled last night, but deny any knowl- edge of her whereabouts.” | * She must be somewhere in concealment then. ‘‘ That is hardly probable, as the Don has or- dered every known place of concealment searched, but nothing of her has been found.” ‘‘Humph! Itissingular. I should have liked to seen the girl.” ** And why so? What was she to you?’ Queen asked, quickly. ‘* Nothing to me in particular, except that I was concerned in her welfare by promise to an- other.” ‘‘Ha! you are the agent of the witch of the mountains, then?” the young woman accused. ‘* Well, yes, inasmuch me | romised to rescue her daughter for her, if Icoulddoso. I should - etrornery that you are not possessed of a friend- y spirit toward the girl.” **You are right. 1 hate her worse than poi- son!” Queen cried, her dusky eyes flashing fire. ‘She has about the same amount of affection forme.” . ; by is this dislike for each other, may I ‘*Oh! I don’t know, more than it is a sort of ‘ o—t aaaid _— Dt ee i ee ot Se Te natural repugnance. And then, too, before I married the Don, we both were in love with a young prisoner of the Don’s, and grew to more thoroughly dislike each other t ough jeal- ousy.” - ‘*T guess you are of a pretty jealous and changeable temper,” Kit remarked a little sar- castically. ‘‘ By the way, what do you think the opinion of the people is toward me—what are their intentions?” ‘* My people are favorable; they are willing that you should command them in the capacity of leader, in their proposed insurrection, in case youeare willing to accept one provision.” ‘* And what may that be?” “This. After taking possession of the gulch, | oe to elect a mayor to the town, who shall have the power of governing, making laws and appointing officers, the same as though we were a State by ourselves. They are, after noting your great dee last night, willing to elect you as their leader, providing you marry and thus prove your faith and intention of re- maining as their representative.”’ Kit laughed. The idea was both preposterous and funny to him—the more so, perhaps, because he had no idea whatever of helping either party fight their battles, or of remaining longer in the guich than was necessary to accomplish the re- mainder of his mission—the finding of Bertie ird. ‘** Well,” he observed, ‘‘ I mustsay your party have a good way of cutting and drying things to suit their own convenience. hom may they have selected for my bride to be?’ ‘** No one less than their present leader, my- self!” the Mormon’s wife declared unblushingly, ‘* It is their opinion that our combined business tact would work together harmoniously, and [ am sure—I—I—” ‘You wouldn’t have any objections to marry- ing me, eh?’ Kit finished with a smile. ‘Exactly!” Queen assented. ‘Pardon any seeming boldness on my part—lI simply mean business.” “Oh! yes; so I perceive. Well, in reply, it will be only business-like of me to tell you that I could never enter into a transaction of that kind!” ‘You would not, you mean?” she replied, a little sternly. : “I cannot!” Kit replied, ‘‘I have other ar- rangements made for my future which I could not set aside were I ever so much inclined to favor you plans.” ‘‘ Which you are not—that is plain to me. I see the whole thing now—you have another in view, and also a witch’s reputed hoarded for- tune. Oh! Cyclone Kit, that shall never be, take my word for it.” ** You talk foolishly, my dear woman. Were I of a mind to marry Bertie Bird. as you hint, I should undoubtedly do so, without asking ed permission!” Kit replied coolly. “I will id youa pleasant good day, ma’am!”’ And he turned and walked back toward the town, Queen Cordiz following at a distance, her pretty face assuming some remarkably ugly expressions to say the least. ‘We shall see,” she muttered, fiercely. ‘‘ [| will devote the best days of my life but what I’ll win you, by fair means or foul—what care I, which way, since my young life has been wrecked to all good, by this Mormon monster, Juan Cordiz? They who have heretofore known Queen as a simple wayward child, shall find her suddenly developed into a powerful and strong-handed woman!” And judging by her angry appearance, she meant every word of it. ‘‘ And as for the girl, Bertie Bird, [ll see to it that she don’t get into Cyclone Kit’s path. Once before she was my rival, and lived to tell of it, but as true as I live, she shall not triumph a second time. Oh! no! no! no!” Cyclone Kit went back into the town, and stopped in at the saloon, to getacigar. As be shecd leaning against the bar, Alf Legree and Coyote Jake entered, and called for drinks. fter they had finished, Legree turned gruffly to Cyclone, his face grim and ugly in its expres- S100...) ** Well?” he said, heerd the news?” “Tt depends altogether on what the aforesaid news may be,” Kit replied, blowing out a cloud of smoke. ¢ ‘*It’s about the Prophet—he’s jest about breathin’ his last!” the ruffian said. ‘“ That means you’re a—” ) ‘“* Victor—not a murderer,” Kit declared, an- ticipating him. a interrogatively, “hev ye ee ~~ — Cyclone Kit, the Young Gladiator. _———————— eee el re ——> ‘* That’s what’s the matter. You’re a cuss on wheels—leasthow, that’s what the hull caboodle 0’ Mormons say, Elders and all, and they’ve convened, and put their heads together, an’ I’ve been detailed to read you the result!” And with these words, the ‘bully ” man of Gold-Flake drew a roll of manuscript from his pocket, unfolded it with an air of importance, and mounting a chair close by, cleared his throat, waved his hand, to enjoin silence, and began: CHAPTER X. GRIM, ‘“* GoLD-FLaKg, UTan, — 12th, 18—. ‘* To Whom It May Concern: ‘* Whereas, in the course of human events, it be- comes a people, and those people adherents to the Mormon faith, to be represented by a leader or Prophet, who is of exceeding divinity, grace and power of personal prowess, and— ‘* Whereas, it has become the will of the Great Ruler that our beloved Prophet and Ruler, Juan Cordiz, should be smitten down and taken off, by the hand of an assassin, and— ‘* Whereas, it becomes our duty as a pooRt to be not without a form of government, in these days of sorry sin and treachery: ‘* Agreed, that we did assemble and convene, in body, at the Temple in the town of Gold-Flake, in communion, as one person, and made the following resolutions, to wit: ‘* Resolved, that, having been bereft of our Prophet and governing officer, through the medium of death, and agreed that the town and people’s interests be- ing in need of a guiding and protecting hand to fill the place of the one just stricken down— .“* Resolved, that we elect anew Prophet and Gover- nor to fill the vacancy. And, an inventory of the worthy men of the town having been made, and their jae good and bad points having been pre- sented and discussed— ‘* Resolved, that out of the entire lot, no man is so admirably fitted for the position as: he who ad- heres to the name of Cyclone Kit, and further— ‘* Resolved, that such being the case, and he the evident choice of the people, that we pronounce him Prophet of the Gold-Flake Mormon Church, and Governor-Mayor of the Mormon State and town of Gold-Flake. (Signed) THE PEOPLE.” ‘‘Thar—how d’ye like the taste of that, my huckleberry?’ Legree cried, as he finished. ‘ Didn’t expect tew be treated tew sech a pic- nic, did ye?” ‘* Well, hardly, if you denominate such a pro- ceeding a ‘picnic,’” Kit replied.. ‘* They’re evidently all bucking up the wrong tree, con- cerning your humble servant, I’m not an offi- cer of any faction, whatever, nor am I a candi- date therefor!” **Oh! you won’t step into a fat office like that, eh? Well, in thet case ye ain’t got so soft a snap, after all,” Legree declared. ‘* For instance, here’s a few words on the p’int, which I didn’t read: ‘‘In case the party hereby elected by us, shall refuse to perform the duties customary with his oredecessor, or shall at any time attempt, unlaw- ully, to escape from the town, a jury selected from the Elders shall be impanneled, and he jshall be ad- judged guilty of misdemeanor, and sentenced to death, in whatsoever way said Elders may decide,”’ ‘‘ That sounds better—more business-like, you see,” Kit retorted, in his sarcastically cool way. ‘‘And now, my ferocious-looking ‘supe,’ that you have exhausted so much of your wind in behalf of ae muchly-married Mormon friends, you can ave the privilege of exhausting another stock in apprising them that [ shall neither play up Brigham for them, nor burden myself with a number of wives; more, I shall remain in the een as long as I please, and leave it whenever please!” Then, with his usual composure, the gladiator turned on his heel and sauntered out into the gulch once more. ; Here he wandered about during the remaim der of the day, keeping his eyes sharply about him, and wondering how it all would terminate, He had now refused to side with two different arties, and had thereby incurred their enmity. t would be but natural, then, that they should lay traps for his capture. Once they secured him, harsh measures would most likely be adopted. But, though the same commotion was per- ceptible about the town all day long—the same groups of people here and there, and men bur- rying to and fro, Kit could not see that they were making any hostile demonstrations toward him, Just before sunset he resolved to make a tour around the edge of the valley, and a thorough examination thereof, to ascertain whether or not he could find the secret exit from the pocket other than the one by which he had entered. That this second trail existed was beyond ques- tion, but as yet he had not come across its starting-point. co ag | SEDOOKS: GoM