Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 453 — page 8: what you’re looking at

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

¥. ° « \ ae a We i > Vy a . ‘ * \% ( ! ’ he} a J : — € - lag A S -*< aw Mee - po “4 ° 2 , ©. ‘ nee te 4 ae « ‘ * Will ae a id ye * 5 * 8B an! oe ~_ ye * oe a pital oe 7 . - . Sed -' a Well, I'll do what I can for you,” he said, | “and that is liable to be nota little. Do not «iespair, for the darkest hour is before the dawn, you know. Keep up your spirits, and do not let this matter worry you, and if Augustin Andre comes around trying to bother you, don’t give him any satisfaction, but refer him tome. Tl - attend to Ais case.” **'You are very kind, sir, and we are already under deep obligations to you. There is one thing more I wish to ask you: If this will is a forgery, how is it that the gold mine is bequeath- ed to Max?” Sam smiled. ‘* Well, if the will is a forgery, and Augustin Andre is the forger,” he said, “‘ the mine was left to Max as a blind, Andre being contented with the money.” *That’s so! It wouldn’t have been policy to have had the will leave everything to the woman, Z)ueenie,”” ‘** Certainly not.” Just then a footstep was heard coming near the door. ‘‘That is Max!” Bly said, excitedly. “The dickens! I’d rather not be seer. here, just at this time,” Sam said. | ‘*Then step into this bedroom. You will be safe there until he goes out again,” Bly answer- ed, and she ushered Sam into a small room off the parlor, and shut the door. Not a moment too soon, for the detective heard oung Mora enter the house and slam the door ehind him, as if he were not in a very agreeable humor. He entered the room where Mrs. Mora lay, and his voice was heard soon after speaking. CHAPTER IX. FIVE HUNDRED FOR SAM! THE words of Max Mora indicated a duel, but the two villains talked matters over a while longer, and as a result when they left the shanty office and separated, they shook hands and were evidently upon the best of terms. i Andre went direct to his home and found @ueenie lounging in the parlor reading a novel. ‘* Well, what’s the outlook?~ she asked, looking up listlessly. ‘‘Is the game a failure or a suc- cess?” . “Partly both,” he Pee throwing himself into achair, ‘*‘The will has been read, and of course an exposure followed. That shocked the natives.” ueenie laughed. . ‘*T presume so. I have been too interested in this novel, really to get up and look out of the window. It is of a wicked scheming woman, ‘who when about to commit a terrible sin sud- denly yielded to the persuasion of her conscience, reformed her ways and married a nice man, who reminds me of that gentleman, Sunflower Sam.” | “Gentleman ? Devil, you mean!” ‘Why, how do you make that out? He didn’t have any horns. But, did Mrs. Mora faint?” - “She let on to. Don’t know whether it was genuine or not.” } **Did you get the money?” ‘No. It is locked up in the safe, and that in- fernal sunflower dude is the onlv one in the camp ‘who knows how to open thé safe. He opened it for thena to get the will out, and then closed it again.” ‘** Won't he open it?” ““No! The crowd don’t take to the racket of the will for a cent, and they’ve decided to inves- tigate the matter. So they’ve agpointed this Sunflower Sam as chief investigator, and also as administrator and so forth of the Mipra estate.. So, until he is through with this investigation there’s no likelihood of our getting the money, unless—” ‘You blow open the safe?” ce Yes. ” ° “*Can’t you do that?” / ‘Tm afraid not. It’s too risky while that Shasta sharp is running loose around the camp. _ He must be got rid of somehow,” ‘*Set Green and Guff on him.” ‘*] can’t’ hardly trust them with such a job. it they didn’t fetch their man the first clip, he’d clean ’em out in short order.” _**How about Max Mora?” **Oh! DPve just had an interview with him. He is suspicious about the will; and he and I came near having a fight. I gave him a good talking to, however, and he o that's settled!” | ‘*{ don’t know whether it is or not!” ‘**What do you mean? What new caprice has struck you now?” | promised to marry wf ——t er . - . st Dal ol wi? ea ~ > ee ~~ - bag - a wt to i -« Os a nt ae — - ~ 5 hata . 2 7 . a - Andre furiously, “ sa} », oe? - i ee — oe : i? a - * ¥ a 4 , Sunflower Sam, of Shasta. ‘‘Oh! I ain’t so sure whether I want Max Mora now or not, I’m kind of mashed on Sun- flower Sam!" éf ‘Pll ‘mash’ you if you give me such nonsense as that!” Andre cried, angrily. ‘‘ Dare to go back on me at this stage of the game and your life will answer for it!” ** Don’t get bloodthirsty, now, brother dear,” Queenie retorted, with tantalizing serenity. ‘I don’t see how my preference for some one besi Mora will affect our fortunes.” ** You don’t, eh? Well, then, it’s time you did. If you marry Mora you wed the gold mine!” ‘**Perhaps! The gold mine ain’t his, yet, how- ever.” ** [t will be, fast enough. Tllseetothat. Af- ter you are married, if Max should happen to get killed, by some casualty, you’d be his heiress,” ‘“I’'d like the heiress part well enough, and suppose I shall have to marry Max to please you. But, after 1 am made a widow, you can bet I shall set my cap for Sunflower Sam!” ‘Tf you do, you will need to plant your cap several feet under ground!” Andre replied,’ sig- nificantly. ‘‘ Mind you, if the fellow comes pry- ing around here, as he no doubt will, 1 have al- ready posted you how to act!” ‘* Never fear, dear brother, I will be sure to play my part as well as you do yours.” ‘* Tf you do, we will have no cause to fear fail- ure,’ Andre said, his face lighting up with pleasure. | Soon after, he left the house and, taking a drink at the Lone Deer saloon, and gazing with a per- ceptible shudder at the dark blood-stainm on the floor, he took his way to a rude cabin on the outskirts of the camp. Here he rapped loudly upon the door, and upon being bade to enter, he did so, and closed the door behind him, He was in a large apartment, furnished simply vee table, a few stools, and a couple of rude cot eds. At the table were seated two men, engaged in playing cards—two as ill-favored looking indi- viduals as could be found in all the camp, with the burning brand of Bacchus indelibly stamped upon their countenances~such a brace of pards as one would not care to meetin a lonely place of a dark night. Both were well armed, with knives and pistcls and a bottle of whisky was placed upon the table between them. Andre’s entrance was greeted with a grunt of recognition. “ Sit down!” one of the men said, pointing to a stool. ‘* How's the lay?’ *‘ All right, I guess,” was the reply. ‘All that is needed is for you to swear up and down, when called upon, that you saw the will drawn ap ane signed, and the game will work, cap- itally. | ” When do we get our pay, then?” ‘* Just as soon as [ get mine, which will be only a few days at the furthest. By the way, I have another job for you which is cash down, as soon as you do it,” ‘* What is it?” ‘*'You have seen the Sunflower Sport?” **I have!” Green said. ‘I don’t like him, nuther. He puts on too many blossoms.” ‘** Well, I want him put out of the way as soon as possible, and so effectually that he never will bother me again. Do you understand? You and Guff must do the job.’ oe poured out a glass of liquor, and tossed it off, ‘*Must is a big word, boss,” he observed, grimly. ‘‘When any one comes any of their nvust business on us, they’ve got to be bigger than we are.” ‘*Pshaw! You know what I mean. I want you to do the job and I will pay you well for ‘Oh! well, that’s a horse of a different color. What’ll you pay?” ‘* If you wil! put the confounded meddler three se under ground I'll give you a hundred dol- ars. ‘** A hundred doflars?’ ‘‘That’s what I said.” : ! ‘*’'Yas, an’ we heerd’you say et. Now, then, take.a good look at: us. Do we luk like men as could be hired to commit murder, for a hun- dred dollars? Ef we do, we’re deceived in our looks.” | ** Bah! Yowre buta pair of cut-throats, at the best!” ** 'Ye’r’ no better than we are!” Green declared, doggedly. , ‘** What do you mean, you hound?” exclaimed What do you maan, I say?” **T mean as how a chap as willcheat a widder Af” i 2! ve » S44 <9% abi RU LT shy oat “i = >* _ ee iad des’ " —_ « — out of her weeds an’ her money, isthe wu’st kind — o’ a cut throat.” ‘* Bah!” and the villain looked relieved. ‘* You will have enough to tend to if you mind your own business. If you don’t want the job, at a hundred dollars, say so, and I’ get some one else to do it.” | ‘*That’s what you better be doin’, then. Our figgers knock a hundred dollars higher than a kite 9? ‘* Curse it, how much do you want?” ‘*Tf you want Sunflower Sam planted so deep that he can’t be found on resurrection day, our terms are five hundred dollars, half cash down, in advance!” Andre uttered an oath. He did not want to part with so much money, and yet he did not know any one else in the camp whom he could get to do his evil work. There were other tough characters, to be sure, but he had his doubts about trusting them. These men, Green and Guff, be felt more con fidence in. ‘You are a pair of infernal skins!” he growl. ed. ‘‘IT’ll make it two hundred and fifty, and half down.” : ‘Oh! no. Not any! valuable engagements,” : ‘**Nonsense. I know better than that. How- ever, Pll come to your terms if you will promise me one thing.” | ‘* Name it, and we aire your huckleberries!” ‘You must promise to put Sunflower Sam out of the way before another morning dawns,” ‘* All right. We kin do that same without any trouble at all. Sodoe over yer dudads an’ we’re yers truly.” Andre produced -his wallet from an inner pocket and counted out two hundred and fifty dollars upon the table. This Green divided equally between himself and partner. Then, after giving a few precautionary in- structions, Augustin Andre took his departure, feeling satisfied that bis most dangerous enemy would soon be out of his way. te, ae CHAPTER X. MAX SHOWS HIS TEETH AND HIS HEELS. WHEN Max Mora entered the little back par- lor, where Mrs. Mora lay, his face was flushed, and the scow] upon his forehead detracted much from his otherwise good looks, . His breath, too, smelt strongly of liquor. Bly was seated ty Mrs. Mora’s side as-he en- We have other more tered, and he paused in the middle of the room, — 3 gazing at the two women in a strange way. “ An artist might make something of the pic- ture,” he observed, “ providing he was not ac- — quainted with the subects,” ‘‘What do you,mean, sir?’ Bly demanded, with flashing eyes. : ‘‘T mean, perhaps, that I am surprised at your devotion to Margaret!” he retorted. ‘*One would naturally suppose you would not have so — deep an interest in the one who has all along tried to break up your interviews with a certain laborer called Colby.” ‘*My affection for mamma has not lessened, sir, on that account!” Bly said, coldly. ‘ In- deed, it has rather increased, since this cowardly effort has been made to ruin her.” ‘*Indeed! Mamma is a very Sweet-sounding name, Miss Bly, but do you not think it is a little out of place, under the present circum- stances?” | ‘‘No, sir, I do not! For shame, Max Mora, © that you should insinuate she was not your uncle’s wife!” “T do not insinuate anything of the sort,” Max declared, seating himself; ** for 1t has been conclisively proven that she was not my uncle’s wife, by his own will!” "he “Tt has not been conclusively proven, sir. That will is a forgery—a base, lying instrument of evil intent. will, and you know it, Max Mora!” “You are wrong, my dear Bly. I was not even positive that a will existed at all until we found it in the safe. My uncle may not have drawn up the will, but he signed it, in the pres- ence of witnesses; Queenie Andre also has & certificate of marriage with him. Have you one, Margaret?” Mrs. Mora had listened, her face flushed with — indignation, but she could no longer hold in. ‘‘No, I have not, and well you know it, you young villain, or else you would not ask me.> Our marriage-certificate was destroyed by fire years ago, before my husband took you in, out of charity, and I became the same as a mother to you.” Max winced a trifle, but finally went on: — ‘Oh! of course you have been kind tome, and , i ‘ ye 4 - ha” 7 ey : a - Ye 4 ee, hes : ‘4 gs ay A - i “1. . - ya 4. +. i rete. ' ah ve ewe 4 There" . ‘ ~ ~~ : ow *y ss ‘7 , ew XN y | | | | —— eee a ee 8 eee —_ Your uncle never drew up that — = —— 4 etlhal - . . ‘ ry ] o > a P i | \ Py —