Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 296 — page 13: what you’re looking at

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

helped himself to a seat. ee ee ee e-—~-- they return, or it will be all up with me, I allow.” He found, upon experimenting, that he could stand upon his feet, although he felt weak from the loss of blood, the flow of which had in a measure subsided, which convinced him that his wound was not exactly dangerous, After arising and gaining his equilibrium fully, he found himself able to walk slowly, and thus managed to get away from the vicinity of the old tree, where he had nearly received the fate he came there to accomplish for an- other. Shortly after his departure, Little Bill recov- ered, and scooted away toward the camp. '“ Reckon I’m in luck that they didn’t chuck me into the creek!” he muttered. ‘‘Guess I bet- ter lie low till La Force muzzies his temper.” He had hardly gone, when Reuben awakened from his faint and gazed wonderingly around him. ‘‘Can it have been a horrid dream?” he asked. ‘‘No! yonder are the lights of the camp. Ob! where are they? What has become of my child? Can the Avenger have murdered her, and cast her in thestream? No! something tells me she has escaped. I will go back to the camp, and if she is not there, I shall be satisfied that she is safe, And he, too, hobbled away from the vicinity of the tree. When La Force and bis gang came back from their fruitless search, accordingly, they found no one, ‘‘Cuss me ef the gal hasn’t got more lives than a cat!” the gambler exclaimed. ‘‘ But never mind! Pll trap her yet!” And the unsuccessful party went back to the Satanello to liquor up, at the expense of the owner of the Drift, and spend the balance of the night at cards, CHAPTER XIV. A ROGUE’S END. As Uncle Reuben did not find Arizona Alf, he felt assured of Doll’s safety, and put up at the hotel for the night. On the following morning he went forth upon the street, and almost the first man he met was Sunflower Sam, and the two shook hands familiarly. ‘* You see I came, an’ hev been waitin’ fer ye. Writ ye at Mottsville, but got no ans’er,” the giant explained. *’Ca’se I started soon arter you. Lost my horse back a piece, and had to hoof it. Any news?” Samuel winked. “Call me a cross-eyed Oscar, ef thar ain’t!” he affirmed, softly. “As I told ye, ther game arriv’. It’s heer, an’ all that remains is to cor- ral Re a confession, an’ then bag it. D’ye SAVY ‘‘T see, I see. You are sure?” ‘‘Asasermon. See that roost?’ and he indi- cated the Blob residence. . ‘* Well, it’s there. Housed, now, I dare say. Have you made up your mind to extort the con- fession?” “Tea” ‘If he refuses?” _ “*T’ll kill bim by inches!” The old man spoke with a vim that was indis- putable. ‘‘T have suffered enough through that man,” be went on, ‘‘and I mean to put the matter to the test, since, through you, I have learned the truth.” ‘‘ Have you seen your child?” ‘‘] met berin the mountains, and again last night.” * “Then you know that she is an outlaw?” ‘“Great Heaven! no!” Sunflower Sam wenton and explained the case as well as he knew how. \ “My poor child,” Reuben Morse groaned, when he was done. “I am the innocent cause of all this. But there may be a brighter lining yet to liven up these clouds. What would you advise?” ‘That you visit Blob at once, and come down to business. Abont the time I think all’s ready, Pll drop in and arrest him.” They talked for a while longer, and then the ssthete made his way rowed the hotel, while Reuben Morse sought the office of the Jew. Blob was in, engaged in counting some money, and looked up in surprise at the bareheaded old man, whom it was plain he did not recognize. ‘¢ Vel, vot you vant?” he demanded, as Reuben : ‘“‘ ] haff no monish to gif to beggars to-day.” ,- , oe eee ee ee Re LE OL SS EE TS Fe rrr rrr cr i SSS SS — = i a Denver Doll's Drift. “No one has asked you for alms, Nathan Blob,” was the stern answer, as the old man pulled a pair of revolvers from his boot-legs and cocked them. ‘‘ We’ve business more important to transact. Do you recognize me?’ ‘‘T tink I do!” was the reply. Reuben Morse, don’d it?” ‘‘T am Reuben Morse. Do you remember, a number of months ago—nearly two years now —an event that happened?’ ‘‘Oh, yesh—I understant now. ‘Your girl, she go to get married, und some von sboots her busband!’ ‘* Exactly. lowed?” ‘‘Shimminy, yes! Your daughter she acguse you off doin’ der business, und clear oud. Dot vas bad.” ‘*Yes; a happy home was broken up, and father and child went adrift on the world. Do you know who committed the murder?’ ‘*'No; | know noddinks apout dot.” ‘‘ Well, you see, this man who was killed was adoved by another, and he had once been be- trothed to her. The girl was a Jewish maiden, and when Walraven’s engagement to my daughter became known, the Jewish family were furious, and swore he should regret the disgrace his change of choice had reflected upon the Jew’s daughter. The girl’s father, there- fore, with his plenty of gold, hired a worthless vagabond to assassinate Walraven at the altar. You, Nathan Blob, are the man who hired the deed done!” The Jew uttered a curse, and seemed inclined to rush upon his accuser, but Morse’s weapous held him in check. “Stand, or Pll put a bullet through you. This tool died, Lo left a confession later of what otherwise might have been a life mys- tery!” “You lie! you lie!—id vas all a lie!” ‘No, it is not! The man who received the secret isin this camp—a detective at that! I do not propose to let you escape. Sit down to that table. Fail to obey me, and | will put a bullet through you as sure as |, am a desperate man! ‘‘You are Do you remember what fol- Nathan Blob knew better than to disobey, so he satdovn at the table again, where he had been seated on Morse’s entrance, “Vot you want?” be snarled. ‘If you don’d put avay dot pistols, | haff you arrested for carrying concealed weapons!” Morse laughed. ‘T have no fear of what yowll do,” he replied, “and I guess you are pretty fully aware that these beauties are not concealed.” “Vot you vants?’ the Jew roared, ‘TI haff no time to fool mit you. You vas a grazy lunatic, und J don’t vant you here.” ‘‘] dare say not. You'll find out how crazy Iam. Get a piece of paper, and write out a confession.” “A vot?” ‘‘A confession. Mind, no trifling! I need but little provocation to shoot you. Write out the confession, stating that Reuben Morse is innocent of any conspiracy or attempt to mur- der one Walter Walraven, and that the murder was committed by you, through an accomplice, for sake of revenge.” “You dinksI gif mineself avay like dot?’ the Jew howled. ‘* Vel, I guess you must dink I vas a fool!” ‘So you are, to think I will tolerate any more trifling. One! two—” ‘Stop! stop! Ido yoost vot you say, oof you don’t shoot.” ‘Then go abead!”. Seizing a pen, the Israelite began writing slowly, and at the end of twenty minutes handed the confession to Reuben Morse. It was penned ina scrawling hand, and read as follows, in very crude English as to ortho- graphy, but explicit enough in meaning: ‘‘ Presuet Fats, Sept. —. ‘‘This shall certify that I, the subscriber, wish to vindicate one Reuben Morse from all blame about the death of one Walter Walraven, because he didn’t do the deed. It was done by another man, who was hired by me. I got my revenge on that son-of-a- gun, bet your life. NATHAN BLos.”’ ‘That will answer,” Morse assented. ‘‘ It will heal the breach between my daughter and myself, and perhaps there may be some happi- reel oa for our lives. I will bid you good- ay At is juncture the door opened, and Sun- flower Sam entered, jingling a pair of hand- cuffs in his grasp. ‘‘ Nattie, old boy, you’re my meat!” he said, with an awful smile. “Sorry to have to act ——_——— oreo 1 te & SO CORE HD Ee OD OH Os ite + eo oee oon —a— | OR 8 8 ON ORE OS Here OO Oentd Oh Sree eowed owpesee — A ODER Oe OS SS TSO © —— 2 oe ae, ~~” ——— es of ee +2 -o-weere * tel against so generous a friend, but you see the fact is, I'm an Officer of the law—me an’ my dorg, Jurisprudence—an’ it becomes my duty to in- form you tuat I have a warrant for your arrest for being party toa murder!” ; “Ish dot so! Vel, youst tell mine Christie I leave all to her, if I die!” And with a sudden and unexpected movement, he sprung over the table and out of the door, Up the gulch he ran with wonderful = four a man of his avoirdupois, and behind him sy. 4 the giant. “Stop, durn ye, in the name of the law!” Sant thundered, ‘‘or I'll put a bullet through you quicker’n a cat can say catechism!” But Blob paused not. He was making a life run of it; but it was to his sorrow. Sam stopped for a moment and his pistol gleamed in the sunlight—-then there was a sbarp report, and the Jew dropped like a log, never to rise again. The detective’s unerring shot had done the work for the old rogue. The tragedy created considerable excitement for an hour or so, but when Supflower Sam ex- ylained, and showed the badge of his profession, lob’s death was regarded as little more than an everyday occurrence, and bis big body was “planted ” by the side of that of his own vic- tim, Apollo Snap. mem: CHAPTER XV. LITTLE BILL’S BIG LOSS. Sincm the escape,ot Denver Doll Little Bill hud kept himself pretty closely in iy for he knew that, should he expose himself, he be seized for abetting the girl road-agent’s escape, To-day, however, he ventured forth upon the street, and almost the first man he eucountered was Jean La Force, who was unusually savage, over dissipation and gambling losses the pre- vious night, ‘Oho! so ve got you, you young rascal, have I?” he cried, clutching the urchin by the shoul- der. ‘' Youre the very rooster I want, D’yo know what I’m goin’ to do?” ' And he cbanged his hold and caught Bill Ly one of his rather barge ears. “Ouch! Let up, now!” the boy yelled. ** Jor you don’t I'll be your last sickness,” Ata wink from La Force one of his cronies. came up and seized Bill’s bands from behind. ‘*See here! that ain’t no fair!” the boy A et tested. ‘‘ You fellers ain’t afeard of a le chap like me, I hope?’ ‘*Course not; but thar’s nothin’ like makin’ sure of an eel afore ye skin him!” the gambler romney, as he drew his knife and felt of its edge, ‘*Now, younker, [ll tell you jest what's what. You tell me where the gal, Denver Doll, has got her stronghold, or off comes one o’ yer ears! Little Bill shuddered. He doubted not that: the brute would do as be had threatened, for: there was certainly evil enongh in his depraved heart to commit any crime. ‘“‘T don’t know, sir. Sbe don’t let me we where she hangs out, That’s honest Injun! ‘“Giteout! Tell me, I say.” _ **t don’t know!” ‘* D’ye hear? No hangin’ back, Spill out, or on Pye told ye T didn’t know, ¥ ** l’ve ye I didn now, ou’d . not hurt me, Jean La Force.” mene ‘* And why not?” “ Because you'll get paid back, two ter one!’ The gambler uttered a hoarse, evil laugh, that betrayed all the ruffian instincts of bis nature. / ‘* Then ye won’t tell where Denver Doll can be- found?’ he repeated. ‘‘ No!” Bill replied, with heroicpluck, ‘‘ Har¢. you, | wouldn’t if I knew!” The next instant there was a shrill scream : ! pain, and the boy darted toward the hovel, while La Force stood holding the severed ear. Blood flowed freely from Little Bill’s head, and he fell in a faint upon the hotel steps, — _He was picked up and carried in, and an ex- cited crowd gathered, while a doctor tenderly bandaged up the cut, ‘“Who did this devilish deed?” went from nd yp to mouth, even among La Force’s own pals. : ‘Jean La Force did,” Little Bill cried, open- ing his eyes suddenly, whisky, so I can get strength to kill him.” Stimulant was administered and he soon felt © his strength return. No effort was made to apprehend La Force~ indeed, few in Freshet Flats would have dared aa ag RA A nd he seemed sullenly guilty over bis brutal ° crime, for he skulked about, here and there, and , FA : yi r] ee 0 e| ofexe) <<F would. ‘*Give me a drink o’ '