Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 348 — page 10: what you’re looking at

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

: é °< oe - ‘oe - ‘. —? hi >. Daf 3 WS ae _ a 7 4 ce tees ee . > = a. “i : o uM >" —/ « Phd ed Pe 5 ¥ gas, on, : . Pi ~~. : oe he pointed the weapon at the hunter’s ead, ‘One pull on the trigger would send him to eternity!” he muttered. ‘“‘ I have had my doubts of the feilow’s good faith, from the first. He knows too much about me, and—” At that moment some one touched him on the arm, and, turning the young outlaw beheld one of his band. ‘“You must not kill him, captain,” said the man. **How do you know I intended to, Jasper?’ **’You looked as if you wasa-goin’ to, that’s all I know; but you mustn’t—at least not until he pays me the debt he owes me.” ** A debt?” ‘* Yes,” answered manag, red ‘*he owes me a hun- dred dollars, which he lost at cards with me, this very day!” ** Foo ! do you think he ever meant to pay ou? me Oh, yes, I’ve parfect faith in bis honor.” “Honor!” repeated Lorne, laughing, ‘*‘ who talks of honor, here?” **Ther’s no doubt ’bout his bein’ an honorable thief,” was the rep) Y: “Well,” replied Lorne, ‘‘I must own that I had thoughts of killing him, for, in my opinion, he’s a sort of traitor. We must shut him up somewhere, or the first thing we know, he’ll be betraying us all.” ‘* What makes you think so?” “T have watched him sharply.” ‘* Where shall we put him? “We will lock bim up, for the present, in one of the rooms of the cave. Go and bring _ some men to carry bim there.” Jasper went away, to soon return with several stout fellows. They picked up Skinflint, and conveyed him through the larger cave into one not much wider thau a baker’s oven. It was provided with a wooden door, which was now shut upon the senseless man and locked, ‘*Tbere!” said Lorne. ‘‘ Now we will havea talk about the fellow, and I[ think I here have evidence enough to show that he is a traitor.” At these words all the gang gathered about the speaker. They were fierce-looking fellows, most of them under twenty-two years of age. Lorne, who bad rummaged Skinflint’s pockets ere he was carried to the rocky cell, had found an old note-book, on one of the leaves of which was written: “Things is workin’—reckin I will spot this cussed chap—’fore long!” / When Lorne read this, he said that the “chap” stood for him and that by spotting him, the man must have meant he would be- ay him. here were different opinions among the gang on this subject, but the majority ‘thought their captain was right, ‘We'll talk the thing over until to-morrow,” said Lorne, ‘‘and I have no doubt you will all conclude that our best course will be to get bim out of the way!” tia Skinflint, still lay senseless in the cell. Some minutes elapsed ere he came to. At first he was a little confused, but he soon remembered what had lately bappened. As the gang spoke in loud voices, outside, he could hear the proposition made to take his life, on the morrow, _ His light gray eyes flashed and a scornful smile added to the ugliness of his visage. ‘We'll see about that,” ha muttered. ‘‘ At any rate, thar’ll be some trouble ’fore it’s done!” As he spoke he pulled froma concealed pocket another revolver, precisely like the one which had been taken from him, **T didn’t come into this "farnal den ‘thout takin’ a few precautions,” he continued, Late at night be heard some one unlocking his door. The next moment the young ruffian, Jasper, entered. Ha was armed with a pistol. * Halloa!” said Skinflint. ‘I s’pose yer’ve come to kill me. I thought it was to be put off until to-morrow!” “Tve not come fur that. I’ve come fur the 2 een of what you owe me, If they should ill you to-morrow, how am I to git my money ?” ‘It’s a wonder to me Lorne let yer come in heer.” ‘*Mum’s the word. He’s gone out, and most of the gang isasleep. Fortunately I had a key of my own to fit the lock of the door, as the room used to be mine for sleepin’ in.” **Suppose I give you your bundred dollars, Will you make no alarm ef I try to git away?” ‘You couldn’t git off. No use of yer thinkin’ of that, fur to-night ther’s some of the gang on guard in the outer hut.” ‘*Never mind tbat.” ** Well, then, it’s ag’in’ my principles to let yas go. It wouldn’t do. Still, ef yer could and over three bundred, or promise yer’d give it to me in the futur’, 1 might think over what yer say.” ‘You ask too much, I hev yer hundred dollars snug enough, but jest please shet that door, while I count it out to yer.” Jasper closed the door, when, plunging a hand into a secret ket of his coat, Skinflint drew forth a roll of bills. He counted out a hundred dollars. ‘* Heer you are,” he said, ‘‘ Now I hope you’ll let me go.” ‘*No, none of that,” said Jasper, as he locked the door and put the key in bis pocket, ‘* Yer 5 . ~ ea 7 ee a ee P ‘ : se “ et all dee : , >. ‘! . - Fireheels; or, Old Skinflint, the Death-Shadow. —-— as = ’ a _é J > ‘ ye . é - iad a : _ - ~~ of ad sy ' . . Vy f Ph 7 “ . \e* Te i °* cn ac nly . i . ; v me that he is a mere spy—a traitor, come h to find out our concerns, and to betray us.” ed?” ‘‘T had not Jeft the cave balf an hour, when I met with a party of bunters, who, it seems, to use their own words, are searching for “ those rascally outlaws,” who are causing so much trouble—robbing bonest people, and making travel so unsafe. Of course I pretended to. chime ia with them, and, on inquiry, I learned | that hundreds of people are now in search of the robbers. ‘‘ We must be keerful!” remarked one of the men to Lorne. ‘*Ob!” said the latter, ‘‘I’d risk their finding our quarters, bere, unless we were pabrayed, and now I come to the point. I hurried alon to Logville as fast as I could go, and authorize Justice Bole to offer a reward, in my name, of seem flush of money, Henderson. Come, now, | $500 for the arrest of the robbers!” how much may yer hev about yer?’ ‘*Tt’s none o’ yer bizness, but I don’t mind | tellin’ an honest chap like five hundred about me in all. ‘* And do yer mean to say yer life ain’t worth two hundred? Come, give me that, and I'll let yer go.” As he spoke there was in his eyes a peculiar expression which did not escape the notice of Skinflint. It was a fierce, greedy look, like that of a wolf. ‘Poor fool,” thought Skinflint, “ be thinks I don’t see through him. Thar goes his hand now in bis breast-pocket, feelin’ fur the stiletto he carries thar.” The prisoner had guessed rightly. Jasper, on seeing the money, had said to him- self, mentally; “What is to binder my saving Lorne the trouble of killin’ this chap, by doin’ the bizness myself, now ? The captain will not be put out —he will only thank me fur it, and I shall git hold of ev’ry cent of Henderson’s money with- out any one bein’ the wiser. I'l] not use the revolver—that would make a noise and bring all the gang heer fore I could fiud the secret pocket where the money is kept.” As the idea crossed his mind, he walked round bebind Skinflint, and drew bis stiletto, intending to deal him the death-blow between the shoulders. Before be could give the blow, however, Skin- flint, suddenly turning around, brought his clinched fist against the side of Jasper’s head with a peculiar ‘ back-hand’ movement. As the man was falling senseless, the prisoner caught him in his arms, and gently laid him on the floor. ‘** He’s not quite sech a shadow as me, but our clothes ‘ll go on each other,” thought the hunter. Taking off bis long blouse and wide-rimmed felt hat, he put them on the prostrate man as soon as he had removed the coat and hat of the outlaw. The latter’s bat was of a light color, considerably wider in the rim than his own, He put it on his head, and also donned the gray coat. Then, baving turned the fellow over on bis side, and baving pulled down the front of the hat, so as to conceal his face, he quietly left the cell, locking the door after him. Some of the outlaws, who were awake, saw him, but as he imitated the swaggering gait of Jasper, their suspicions were not aroused. aking bis way through the passage to the Peaprdeok, he raised it and came out into the ut. ‘* Halloa! Jasper, where are you bound to, at this time of the night?’ inquired one of several men. who were in the but. ‘Thought Ud come out to take the air,” an- swered Skipflint. imitating the voice of Jasper, ‘‘ ther’s not balf enough in that cave.” “That’s so. The captain ought to make im- provements, though we had trouble enough to shape the cave, in the fust place.” ‘ Yer’ll all hev trouble enough, ’fore long, I dare say,” answered Skinflint, as he quietly walked out of the but. CHAPTER XIII. A MISTAKE. “WHat did Jasper mean by that?” said one of the men to the other. ‘Don’t know, and don’t keer. He often speaks in riddles,” An hour later Lorne was seen to glide into the but. ‘*T couldn’t rest,” he said, ‘thinking of that cursed Henderson! Death to the rascal, at once! No use of putting it off until to-morrow. I have just learned something, which convinces yerself that I hev ? ‘* Good!” cried one of the men. ‘*Then the justice told me that, on that very day, he had been visited by one of those miners we were going to rob, a few nightssince. The man informed bim that he had been warned, on that night, before the wagon could reach the turn of the road, that there was a gang lying in wait to rob him and his companions. Now, who do you think was the person who thus gave notice, and balked our little game? I will tell you, It was Henderson !” ‘* Henderson?” ecboed his hearers. ‘“Yes. The miner described the person well —bis dress, air and manner. He came out of the bush, hailed the wagon, and told all!” “Then we have proof of his treason,” said one. of the listeners. ‘* Death to the traitor!” ‘“Yes, death to him! death at once!’ echoed: the others, fiercely flourishing their knives. Headed by Lorne, they entered the cave.. The young outlaw unlocked the door of the: small room in which their prisoner had been: confined, and the party beheld, stretched out, witb his back to the door, the occupant of the: cell, whom they supposed was Henderson, *‘He is asleep,” said Lorne, “but that does. not matter. Shoot the rascal at once!” The report of several revolvers rung through tbe cave, waking such of the outlaws as were: asleep. They came thronging to the cell, to learn why: the prisoner had been shot, ‘Away with the body!” said Lorne, ‘ Bury” bim outside of the but!’ Several men advanced, and, turning the body over, his ghastly visage was revealed to all. ‘“‘ Jasper!” cried Lorne, in dismay. The others stared at the dead man in aston- ishment. e Strange enough!” cried one. “‘IT don’t know as there is anything so very” strange about it, considering what a set of dolts you all are!” cried Lorne, ‘‘ How you contrived: to let Henderson outwit you in this manner,. puzzles me.” ‘‘ Iv was natural enough,” said a man who had’ been one of those on guard in the but. ‘‘ We: thought it was Jasper wbo came and us,. for he was dressed in Jasper’s coat and hat, with the rim of the bat pulled so far over bis face that we could not see it,” ) ‘‘'Well,” said Lorne, ‘‘ the mischief is done, and the sooner we bury our man and go to look for Henderson, the better! It will be stran enough if among us all we don’t succeed in tak- ing the life of that wretch!” ‘Death to him—death to the traitor!” cried several, and the cry was caught up and echoed by the others, Jasper was soon buried not far from the hut, several of the gang having first been to recon- noiter and make sure that no spy was there to watch their proceedings. Meanwhile others of the band were looking for Skinflint. The fear that he would betray them to the authorities induced them to make great exer- tions to find bim. Finally, four of them who had reached the summit of a cliff, descred in the distance a figure, which they at once inferred was that of the fugitive. Taking a roundsbout course to head bim off, they posted themselves bebind a clump of sbrub- bery which be was approaching. Skinflint, unconscious of their presence, strode on toward the lurking-place of his foes. The latter resolved to kill him with their knives, as the noise of their pistols, if fired, might attract the attention of some one of the gangs who were searching for robbers, and who might be in the vicinity of the place. the hunter was about to pass the shrubbery i ; 4] =v . ¥ . on — ly ~* . ‘ 4 ' > + < ithe may tig; Les t =... I * * ? | r ** ya oF a < A ; ‘ (al sh GGé = ‘‘What is it, captain? What have you learn- oF g ~~. ¢ = Po . + pe i! = ll ee