Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 312 — page 13: what you’re looking at

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

~ the young woman silently accepted the re- \ Zella, young though she was, was duly ob- serving, and she was so surethis Mr. Smiterock was no minister that she resolved to quietly submit to the ceremony. Certainly, that was che only way to get her hands free, and while they were bound she was wholly helpless. Accordingly, when Beldick approached and asked her to take her place she quietly submit- ted, though troubled by one matter. What should she say when asked if she would take Sam for her husband? She was unexpectedly helped from her dilem- ma, for the minister seized the chance and, stooping, whispered in her ear: ‘‘ For heaven’s sake don’t let your face betray you, but you need have no fear, Iam Brown Ben !” Nothing could have astonished her more, just then, but the voice was too familiar to be doubted. She saw that she had friends even when she least expected them, and all hesitation vanished. Now, indeed, could she go straight forward, Luckily, the gloomy dust of the room pre- vented them from reading her face, and, assum- ing an air of great reluctance, but resisting no further, she went through the ceremony with considerable firmness. It was a great risk to take, but she had faith in Brown Ben and felt sure he had some way provided for her escape. The farce being over at last, she was once more left alone, only Sam and Smiterock paus- ing to make comments, Tne former was in an exultant mood, but the Vigilante, while mum- bling some words aloud, managed to slip a knife into ber hands—they had been unbound for the ceremony and left thus—and to utter a few ad- ditional words of encouragement. Sam locked the door once more as they went out, and then ordered Beldick to bring liquor for the whole crowd. He wished to celebrate his victory. Ellice, however, declined to drink and went away, when Sam turned to the so- called minister. ‘By Judas! you areatrump, Dan. I knew ou were just the man for the place, but you ave gone beyond what | 24 3 Why, your diszuise is so perfect I sw’ar wouldn't know vel “i Mebbe I had better keep it on awhile, and show myself to the gal to-morrow. You don’t want her to smell a mice, ez she would be like] ter do ef Mr. Smiterock vanished too sudden.” The little artifice worked well. ‘You are right, Dan, jest right. Keep ther disguise on. Hi! here comes ther liquor; now, all take suthin’ at my expense.” And they proceeded to do so. In the meanwhile Ellice had left the hotel and hastened to a shanty where she found Ned Nor- ris, the cowboy she had caused to turn traitor sitting morosely by the table. ‘*So you’ve come?” he muttered. ‘I thought you had given me the slip.” ‘Why should you think that?” she asked, re- proachfully. | s ea you was = so long.” at’s noreason. Do you suppose I’d ] ou for all of those fellows?” $e si She So her arm around his neck, and the poor fool allowed himself to be blinded even as he had been at the cave. He was a dashing, handsome ‘young fellow, and they made a good couple; but while his only act of treachery was due to her evil influence, she was an adept in cunning de- ceit. Rough and hardy he might be, but she was a woman of the world and of the worst kind. She soon operated so much on his tender feel- ings that he forgot all but her; but he was speedily recalled to practical matters. She never forgot them. “Are you ready for the trip after the gold?” she asked. ‘¢ All ready.” ‘6Then we will start an hour later,” “ Are you sure it was gold you saw Halpine aah * doubt it Yr’ h ‘‘T can’t doubt it, now l’ve heard his go really buried somewhere. At any rate <td oa look and see, and if we get fooled we can return here, and Sam Lefferts need not know we in- a oa to ei a orris agreed, as he did in all things proposed by her; and thus it was that, at ie auncinien time, they secretly left the village and took their way toward the western hills. Some caution was necessary to do this successfully, for the Regulators were trying to protect themselves b means of pickets, but they were cunning enoug to pass safely through, horses and all. Nothing troublesome occurred until the bills Redtop Rube, the Vigilante Prince. were reached, and then Ellice easily led the way to the spot where she had absently watched Halpine bury something one day, little suspect- ing it was of importance. ‘* Here we are, all right!’ she said cheerily to Norris. ‘‘ Take the spade and dig.” ‘¢ Tt is for our future, Ellice.” ‘‘Of course, but never mind that,” said the girl-woman, who did not feel like sentimentality just them. Norris struck his spade into the ground, and then he, too, became wrapped in golden dreams. Torpedo Gulch had never beena very prosperous town, and many barely obtained a iving, but Halpine had beeu frugal; perhaps he had a great treasure saved up. Night had before that time fairly settled, but through a mass of clouds the moon was shin- ing just enough to make the scene novel and romantic, as it was, despite the fact that they were actuated by such base motives. Norris worked steadily and the earth accum- ulated around the place quite rapidly, while Ellice Norton stood near and watched breath- lessly. She was risking a good deal on that viece of work; how much, only the girl herself cnew. Suddenly the ex-cowboy uttered a subdued cry. ‘t What is it?” Ellice demanded, “Whatever is buried. Wait! here isa box!” He stooped and grasped something at the bottom of the hole he had made, One minute he exerted all bis strength and then, rising, dropped a box upon the level ground. ‘“Quick!” cried Ellice. ‘‘ The spade! off the cover!” She did not need to urge him; he had become as much infatuated as she; and with a few sturdy blows of the spade he wrenched the box in pieces. he interior was open to their view, and both gazed as though fascinated. Gold was there; a yellow glitter which made their eyes glitter in temp hen down on their knees they dropped, both plunging their hands into the worshiped mass. “Thousands of dollars, and all for us!” cried Norris. “Are you sure it is gold?” demanded Ellice, her cold tone contrasting with bis eager one. ‘‘ Sure? Of course it is; I could swear to it!” “ And worth thousands of dollars?” ‘‘ Five thousand, I should say.” Ellice stood erect. Her face seemed pale in the partial moonlight, but she had never been calmer. “Look again at the bottom of the pit; there may be more there,” she said, He bent down, and then, with a quick mo- tion, she thrust forward her right hand, in which gli‘tered a revolver, and with the muzzle touching his kead, pulled the trigger. CHAPTER XVI. BROWN BEN AT BAY. Sam LEFFERTS was a busy man that evening, for though be was giving so much attention to his private affairs, and had become a married man after a fashion peculiarly his own, he did not close his eyes to the fact that danger might be abroad for phy oad Gulch in general, The events of the day had so weakened his force and strengthened that of his rival, that though he had little doubt of his ability to whip the Vigilantes at any time in a fair fight, be did not think prudent to give them the advantage of a surprise. Hence his course in posting sentinels. Despite all his precautions, it has been seen that one advantage had been secured by the enemy; Brown Ben was in the Regulator camp, and whatever the result might be, he had con- trived to do Zella a kindness. Lefferts had studied out the idea of a mock marriage, and as he knew one of his men pos- sessed a disguise, had sent him to his cabin to et it; but the fellow had been eacete upon Ey the Vigilantes, and the whole plot forced from him. Then it was that Brown Ben volunteered to assume the disguise, and act the part of the so- called minister. It was risky work; but as Sam would expect to see him well disguised, it was at last pronounced feasible, and he entered the town. His opening success has already been told. Lefferts devoted a short time to celebratin what he considered his triumph, aud then wen outside to make a circuit of the town, leaving ‘“ Smiterock ” in the bar-room with Beldick. The Vigilante, however, was not in the least disposed to sit down and act like a block of wood. Zella was a prisoner, he was there to Tear Ba help her, and he meant to doitif such a thing was possible, How wus it to be done? He had no excuse for going again to the upper part of the house, and as Beldick was a faithful friend of the Regulator captain it was not likely he would allow any one there, Luck, however, turned in his favor. ‘‘It’s queer where that gal, Ellice, is,” ob- served Beldick. ‘‘ She is wanted ter watch ther tvother gal.” ‘“That’s ther idee,” observed Ben, ‘“ Ef yer. want ter see a job nice done, set one woman ter watch another. They’ll find out ther bull business, an’ more too,” ‘T don’t trust that Ellice overly,” said Bel- dick, thoughtfully. ‘‘ Ef ever an boat was all fur number one, it’s ber. I kinder s’pect she would shake us all bad, ef ’twas to her advan- tage.” ‘* Mebbe she has sloped now,” ‘* Wouldn’t be s’prised,” ‘* But, see al What ef she means ter set Zella free? Them desperadoes may have seed her, an’ bought her over to their cause.” The idea startled Beldick. ‘‘Durnation! she orter be watched—dZella had.” “Tm ther man fur ther job. Sam has gone away an’ we must take care o’ bis bride, ll go up on the other floor till we hear from him,” Beldick agreed that it was a wise plan, and Ben was not long in ascending the ee Once on the upper floor his manner changed. He was in the camp of the enemy and in great dan- ger, but he intended to let no opportunity pass to aid Zella. If nothing better could be done he would stand at bay at the head of the ladder and kee others down, hoping the predicament would be ended by the swoop of the Vigilantes, His first step was to communicate with Zella, and he was not long in making her understand the state of affairs. ‘‘ We have now two ways before us,” he ob- served. ‘‘We can remain bere and trust to luck that Redtop Rube and his men will pull us through all right, or we can make an attempt at escape.” ; “ Let us do the latter, by all means,” e. But, it seems impossible to escape observa- tion. “T havea plan; wait for me,” She disappeared in the room which Ellice Norton bad occupied, but soon returned so changed that, at first lance, Ben would almost have sworn it was Ellice, herself. The latter, who was of a coquettish turn of mind, usually wore a white hat and light shawl —garments well known in Torpedo Guleh—but for the night expedition on which we bave seen ber go, she bad taken darker-colored clothes and left these. " Brown Ben understood Zella’s idea. ‘‘Excellent!” he exclaimed. ‘I would al- most swear you are Ellice, and I begin to have hopes of pulling through, At any rate, we'll make a trial,” “We wust go from the window.” “More than that, we must make a hole through the roof at the rear, The quieter the way, the better our chances, Hush! A well-known voice was heard at the foot of the ladder, and as it seemed to ascend Ben pointed to the inner room. “Get te cover— quick!” he said. “Itis Sam Lefferts; we must pull the wool over his eyes if possible.” It was but fifteen seconds later that Sam’s. ugly bead arose to the level of the floor, but when he looked around he saw only ‘* Smite- rock,” who was seated in a chair and calmly smoking. al?’ Sam asked, g ‘*‘ How’s ther ‘Quiet as a chick’n,” was the terse reply. ‘1 reckon J’ll go in an’ see her.” ‘‘ Better leave her till ther fight is over,” said Ben, in alarm, ‘“ When she sees them durned +5 Sie all wiped out she’ll be twic’t as pli- able. “Don’t you be afeered,” said the Regulator, with an evilsmile. ‘‘1’m aman an’ she’s only a chick’n, ez you ¢all ber, an’ I'll make her get down on her knees an’ swear allegiance ter yours truly, inside o’ half an’ hour.” His tone convinced Ben that arguments would be in vain and he said no more, but he was not sure he was sorry that it wasso. If Sam really did lay bands on the girl, he, Ben, would chip in, and as he was confident of bis ability to worst the young ruffian, the Regulators would be minus a leader. Lefferts entered the room and stood before EOM % 7 el See -—_ ]&o —— eee — oe _ a <— Pe i — ~- = ~ : or ——S I TA — - le Zella with his old, evil smile, qi (G| ONO) cS