Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 268 — page 13: what you’re looking at

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

Ee es ee ee ere SL eee al dh leendidieebiencentanarbyttppnenattipenetattg — turned up in the nick of time; also concerning her ladyship’s failure to see Lord Chandos, ‘““] want you to devote your whole attention to watching over Lady Chandos so that no harm zomes to her,” “T, too, have a premonition that some peril is overhanging her, and of course it can eome from but one of two directions. While you watch her I will make another attempt to close this case in a satisfactory way.” They then separated, Dick sauntering about town, wide awake to everything that was going on. He saw one thing that was not unexpected to him—that the real feeling over the murder was growing no less. Most of the advocates of lynch law, too, were “nerving up” with whisky. It consequently ked as if Chandos would not pass the night undisturbed. Bor several hours the disguised Dick strolled about town, on the watch. Once he caught a limpse of Carker, in a crowd across the street, ut did not care to disturb him just then. Later he saw Marie in an ice-cream saloon. She had finished eating, und was figuring or writing upon a piece of paper. “I wonder if she is up to some new scheme?’ was Dick’s thought, as he went out. ‘‘I want Carker first—I can attend to her later.” Sie yas indeed planning out her campaign. ‘‘I must spy out the boy’s whereabouts. Then, to-night, Lord Chandos must be released. Prior to that, however, comes the disagreeable attempt to in some manner dispose of Lady Chandos, and also of Carker, whom I so strangly mistook for the real Sir Ferrol. Humph, it’s been mixed up all around, in a very provoking and exciting manner. Who of us two years ago could have conceived of all this tragedy and comedy ?’ and the designing woman smiled sarconically, The vision of the splendors of Castle Chandos, over which she was to reign, was too powerful a magnet to allow ber to hesitate as to means to be adopted to secure that end, soshe decided to act reso- lutely and promptly. During the afternoon she saw Carker in the évreet, and was successful in corraling bim— more than Dick had been able to do. The im- postor was evidently surprised to see her. ‘*Come!” she said, Bye great business on hand, and no time for parley. Come where we can talk in private, if you want to make money.” | ‘*Like to know what you're up to?’ the ras- cal growled. ‘‘If you want the kid, I'll tell ye .no!l That’s my spec’!” Give me ‘* But it must also be equally mine. varker, and [ll make the custody of the boy, you rich!” ‘‘ Bah! [ ain’t so badly heeled as it is, and when I make a raise from her ladyship, T'll be 18 ready to start into business with a full hand,” “* But I say you can make more by sticking by me, I have everything arranged whereby { alone will soon be Lady Chandos, Then when Lord Chandos dies, you stand a good chance of being his saccessor, even if you are not Sir Fer- rol Falconer.” ‘*Tt won’t wash! I consolidate with nobody. I have done fer my enemy, Deadwood Dick, and now shall have enery. ing my own way. So you'll have to goit aloneif you enter the race,” ‘You'll regret not joining me!” Marie warned, turning away with gall in ber heart toward the scamp. Carker evidently proposed to play his own game vet awhile, and risk the results, whatever they might be. ae Not long after Marie’s conversation with him, he sent a letter to Lady Chandos, who, after reading it, handed it to Sir Ferrol. it was as follows: “I see itis not worth while to fool with you, as t mean business. I’m gvoing to leave here tv-mor- row, and you can bet I’in not goin’ to tote the boy along with me. Jf I don’t see two thousanu dollars in hand in good United States cash by sunset, you'll know that by that time your kid has gone to be an el, to prove which I'll send you a piece of his scalp. I am bizness; so ef you want to negotiate, send answer by the boy who brings this m and I'll wait on you for the cash, after which bey is yours to command. ‘ “Lovingly your Jerry CARKER. wi'h a scowl. Sir Ferrol read the messa ‘‘ Where are you to take the word to?” he de- manded of the boy who had brought the note. ‘*T won’t give it away,” was the prompt re- sépanse, ‘I ised not to tell.” Falconer turned to Lady Chandos, om whose face was an expression of anxiety painful to witness, ‘‘T would accept these terms,” he said. ‘‘ You will never miss the money; besides, I know the rascal’s nature. He will do juss as he promises for spite, as he has no care for life, so far as taking it is concerned.” ‘* But what surety have I that I will ever see the child after giving him the money ?”’ ‘*No money must be given him until he pro- duces the child. I guess we can arrange it all right.” , He seized a piece of paper and wrote upon it: “All right, Come at once.” This hé gave to the boy. ‘‘Take it to the man who sent you,” he said, The boy nodded and departed. Night had fallen over the city when Carker enpearrd. Vell, you concluded to come to terms, eh?” he said, as he entered Lady Chandos’s room. ‘* Yes, conditionaily,” Sir Ferrol responded. Carker started violently at sight of him, but Sir Ferrol gave no sign or expression that he had ever seen the rascal before. ‘What do you mean?’ Carker growled. ** Needn’t think ye kin come any skin games on me, fer it won’t work.” ‘‘No games will be tried. But before the money is paid into your hands we must set eyes on the boy, to be satisfied that everything is square on your part.” ‘‘Nixy! That won’t work fer a cent,” Carker declared. ‘*Money in my fist first—then all you’ve got ter do is foller. I left word ef I wasn’t back in an hour ter kill ther boy, an’ my pard he’ll do it, too, you bet.” Sir Ferrol looked at Lady Chandos, “TI suppose we'll have to do it,” he said. ‘‘Puton your wraps, and when you are ready, pay this scoundrel the money. If he attempts to play any games on us then, Ill drop him, He knows I never fire wild.” Carker gave a grunt, which was as much as to say that he was aware of Falconer’s marks- manship. Lady Beatrice procured her wraps. and don- ned them, then handed a roll of greenbacks to Carker. ‘‘ There, sir, is the money. Now see that you take me to my child!” ‘Yes: and that you attempt no funny busi- ness, or I’ll murder you as quick as I would shoot a rattlesnake.” ‘*[’m square. Come along.” They left the hotel and went down a side street to the very edge of the town, where they came to a weather-beaten shanty of consider- able size. ‘*This is the place,” Carker announced, try- ing the door. “ Reckon Fargo’s got full, an’ gone to sleep.” He produced a key, and unlocked the door, and they entered. A candle on the stand lit up the room. Be- fore them was a sight which made them recoil. Weltering in his own life-blood, as he lay stretched upon the floor, was Carker’s ruffianly associate, Fargo, A dagger was buried to the hilt in his bosom, and he was stone dead. Stuck in his belt was.a piece of paper, with words upon it, rudely scrawled in human blood. It read: ‘‘Marie came to get the boy, but found this man dead and the boy gone.”’ What did it signify? Carker uttered a terrible curse. ‘‘That she devil has been here, hey?’ he roared. ‘If the boy’s gone I’ll murder her.” He sprung away up the stairs. | * Quick! Follow him, or he will escape with the money!” Lady Chandos gasped, and Sir Ferrol darted in hot pursuit. But when he ined the landing above, he heard Carker leap hrough an open window to the ground, and then run for his life. iy, After ascertaining that there was no child in the loft, Sir Ferrol rejoined Lady Beatrice. s Foiled after all,” he said. ‘Do you think the boy has ever been here, Sir Ferro]? _‘“ Yes. I believe Carker’s intentions were sincere; but finding that some one had stolen a march on him, he resolved to run rather than give vp the money,” hee tdo you make out of the bloody mes- Sir Ferro] took another look at the paper be- fore answering, ‘One of two things seems to me sure. Either ~— se 4p reyes: killed the man and stole the oe py . s to turn of suspicion, or your friend Deadwoed Dick did the deed, sec the ere ee eee Oe ee we Deadwood Dick’s Death Trail. , a - ~ ee A A AL ALLA LALA eee, boy, and put this notice here to involve Maric in the tragedy.” ‘‘God grant that it may be the latter way!” Lady Chandos ejaculated fervently. ‘* What is to be done?’ ‘*T fail to see what more we can do to-night than return to the hotel and await a report from this Deadwood Dick you have told me about. He may throw some light upon the matter in the nforning.” ’ They left theshanty and made their way bac to town both disappointed and disheartened a the ill-success of their evening’s adventure, CHAPTER XII. A SHE-DEVIL’S DEEDS. 1n her first move toward accomplishing ber purpose Marie had signally failed. By some means she bad discovered the house where the boy was concealed. argo keeping watch and ward below, she was compelled to climb up to the rear window, and thus gain an entrance, which she did with wonderful agility. The loft was my one room, but had a large closet, which was locked with new padlocks, Listening at the door she heard the stifled. sobs of a child, and knew that little Cavanaugh was there, At the same instant she heard Fargo singing, below, a Bacchanalian song, and moving about. Well she knew she could not pry off the hasps without noise, nor secure the boy until the guard was silenced. ‘““T’)] fix bim!” she mut:ered, a demoniac gleam her baleful eyes, ‘Dead men tell ne tales,” | She drew a stiletto from her bosom, and glided down the stairs to take the half-drunk wretch unawares. His back was toward her, and approaching noiselessly, she struck the terri- ble blow with unfaltering nerve, that buried the blade to the h'lt in his broad bosom, and he dropped heavily to the floor, dead when he touched it. With face flushed and breath coming in ex- cited gasps, she bounded back up the stairs, A cry of rage escaped her lips then. The closet had been unlocked, and the door stood open, but there was no one inside! Some one had entered while she was at her murderous work below, and secured her ghia For a moment sho was fairly blinded with rage, but cop trolling ber passion, she finally made her way from the shanty, back into the town, Here she went to ber room, in a second-clages hotel, and sat down to cogitate. ‘Deadwood Dick is not dead, for all Carker thinks so,” she said. ‘‘It must have been him that followed me and secured the boy, for ne one else could have done it so quietly. But now it is more important than ever for me to act promptly. Lord Chandos must be got out of that jail to-night, and Lady Chandos and Sir Ferrol must be silenced. I think ve prepared pray well for their case. Lady Chandos, Pll id you a long adieu!” She took from her valise a small package, which when opened proved to be eandy wine- drops. ‘* Ah! long life to French chemists for their shrewd ways of dealing out poison,” and the arch-schemer smiled, ‘‘ Each one of these con- tains deadly, tasteless poison enough to kill the most robust person.” She then procured a box of similar candies from a shelf, ‘These are Ameriean goods. I will remove the first layer, and substitute mry imported drops in their place. Then the undertaker will have work to do to-morrow,” She suited the action to the word, then tied the box up neatly, and wrote uponitin a mas culine band, with pencil: ** Respeets of D. D. Boy All Right.” Canning triumph gleamed in the woman's eyes, as she finished her work. ‘That will settle that matter beyond perad- venture,’ she mused. ‘‘If there are not four corpses in that hotel by next sunrise, I will bave sadly missed my reckoning. And now, as for the prisoner, I see but one bope, and that lies through me. There will no doubt be an at- tempt to lynch Chandos to-night, and I can see but one chance for him to eseape. I must visit bim and remain in his place, while he escapes in my clothing. It’s a risky job, but it must be tried. If they find it’s only me, after he ew capes, they can do nothing more than release me, becauge 1 am guilty of no murder—at least so far as they know.”