Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 469 — page 15: what you’re looking at

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

ee ——- her foot beat a restless tattoo against the rocks, ‘* Really,”Mr. Clark, yours is a most fenerous and self-sacrificing nature!” she exclaimed, a searcely perceptible tinge of irony spicing her words. ‘“‘I dislike the idea of foistang myself upon your protection for an indefinite period, Hut 1 really don’t see how I can reject. your magnanimous offer, alone and helpless as I am. ‘* However, before the matter is_ definitely agreed upon, there are certain conditions sur- rounding my life that it is only right you should under the circumstances, understand. MS Again St. Elmo bowed. ~My name, as I told you, is Jessica Morton,” continued the girl. ‘‘My father was Arzeno Morton, for many years a popular Mississippi steamboat captain, and I was born nineteen _, years ago, in one of the northern counties of the commonwealth of Kentucky. .*T had two brothers, Ronald and Henry, twins, some seven dedi older than myself, At my mother’s death, when I was in my_cighth year, these boys were sent away to school, while | was put under the care of a widowed aunt, ‘A few months later, my father resigned his position, and went to California. There he re- mained four years, returning quite wealthy, ~ * He at once purchased a large plantation in P any native county, and in a short time, through a series of fortunate speculations, more than doubled his fortune, ‘s His life thenceforth might have been. one of ease, prosperity, and honor, for he ranked well in his community; but the fascinations and yy temptations of river life were strong upon him, / and against his better judgment he made fre- quent excursions down the Mississippi. ‘Tt was while with him, wpon the last of these trips be was fated ever to make, that the tragi- cal adventure destined to becloud my future life : ae me. . =. neon are listening, Mr. Clark?” ‘‘T am listening,” replied St. Elmo, uneasily, ¢ his face filled with a strange pallor, and his _ shifting glance refusing to meet the steady, carn- > vest gaze of the girl, AF “On that particular trip,” resumed Jessica ‘<¢ there were an unusual number of professional «omblers aboard; and, as many.of them were “inking heavily, trouble was‘freely predicted, “Just above Natchez, despite my entreaties rnd protestations, my unfortunate father was ersuaded to Waly a gam Wer whose name, as L arvarward earned, was Jason Dyke, and -wo others. AE Did you say something, Mr, Clark?” ‘$Go on! go on” muttered St. Elmo. ‘T said it was an outrage. es 2 Mi re outrage? Worse than that!” exclaimed the girl. ‘* But to resume my story: ‘Not half an hour had passed when loud _ «avords from this Jason Dyke attracted my atten- tion to the group. In a moment I saw that seri- cus trouble was imminent, for the three gam- plers had sprung to their feet, and with drawn revolvers were confronting my father, who the next instant was shot down like adog before my eves. ne ‘* In the confusion that followed the three mur- derers made their escape from the boat; but graven deep upon the tablets of my memory was & never-fading, never-changing likeness of each.’ grave, my brothers and I, in the dead of night, vTegistered a vow never to rest until the three cold-blooded slayers had been hunted down and handed over to justice. ‘*That was five years ago; since then two of the miscreants have expiated their many crimes. “But one remains, and that one is Jason Dyke, ‘* or two years Ais trail was lost; then, in his tireless search, in his restless wanderings to and fro, Ronald’ here in Nowhar came upon €& man in the person of Julian St. Elmo, who tallied almost exactly with my description of Jason Dyke. Ween “Tt oh ee my assertion that, at any time and under any circumstances, I would ata —-- ¥ilanee recognize the’ murderer; hence, to make -- sure that St. Elmo was the party wanted, bro- ther Henry and myself were called here from Colorado, ‘where we bad been pursuing the > ** Ronald's suspicions had been deeply aroused, ho it was determined to guard agaiust failure | Y every precaution ible. bre 3 herefore eee and myself, with two agents of the law, lay encamped a few miles be- low Nowhar for several days, until our plan of __ action had been fully and carefully mapped out ee ** And it proved that the precaution was we ___ taken; for, as Ronald had feared, I failed utter- ** When my father had been consigned to the ly to recognize St. Elmo when, disguised as a | man, I was taken into Nowhar and brought face to face with the villain. ** Time and art had wrought wondrous changes in his appearance, “Backs to the camp in the hills I went, and last night, in my proper person, with Henry and our two agents, again entered the gold- camp. Then, events over which we had no con- trol, forced us to alter our plans; and now this avalanche renders an entire and radical change necessary, for | am determined that Jason Dyke, or Julian St. Elmo, shall yet pay the penalty of his many crimes.” As the girl concluded, she looked squarely into the eyes of the gambler, a deadly gleam showing in her own black orbs. By a powerful effort St. Elmo had succeeded in br:nging his nerves partially under control, and met the piercing gaze with comparative steadiness, ‘I do not exactly understand you, Miss Mor- ton,” he began, with cool assurance, ‘* Your chase is surely ended, for, if this Dyke, or St. Elmo, was in Rowine this morning, he is now beyond the reach of allearthly vengeance.” *’ He was not in the camp when the avalanche fell,” sharply responded the girl, rising to her feet. ‘*‘ Nor is he beyond the reach of earthly vengeance, ‘“f know you at last, Jason Dyke! Surrender, or you die!” é On a level with his heart she held the revol- ver slipped from the belt of ‘ab en Ben, and in her voice there was a ring of deadly determina- tion. | St. Elmo laughed outright. ** Why, this is the spiciest little scene I have taken part in for a long while,” he declared. ‘That is a dangerous weapon you have, my dear Jessica, and you hold it well; but if you will take the trouble to lower your glance just a trifle, you will see that two are playing at that game, **T saw whither you were drifting, and, wo- man though you are, I took the precaution to get your angelic form under the muzzles of my weapons, for I confess to a strong antipathy to dying by the hand of a half-crazed girl. ‘Drop your weapon, and sit down, and we will talk the matter over like rational creatures. ** You are now alone in the world, and here in this mountainous solitude are completely at my ~ierey ‘I admit that you have found a true bill against me, so far as that unfortunate affair of five years ago isconcerned; but I am inclined to be reasonable and forbearing, and I have a proposition to submit. ‘* What I have to propose is, that you become Mrs, Jason Dyke, The ladies whom I would honor with such a proposal arenot many. Duly considered, it is a magnanimous proposition, ‘**Come, now, what do you say?” The girl made no answer; her black eyes blazed steadily at the mocking face of her tor- mentor, A shadow fell across the parched earth at the gambler’s feet, another Herculean form bent swiftly over him, anda pair of strong hands closed about his slender wrists in a gripe of steel, ‘Don’t you think your proposal just a leetle premature, dainty sport?” interpolated a stern voice Slipping from the rock, St. Elmo faced his captor, ‘Gold Gabe, by the eternal!” he shriieked, CHAPTER XIII. CONCLUSION, Hap a bolt from heaven descended, the half- crazed gambler,could not have been more terri- bly astounded, ‘I reckon you have called the turn,” grimly returned the giant of the golden locks, as he deftly disarmed St. Elmo, Released from the vise-like grip of the giant, the Bambler stared around like one dazed. ho! oho!” he suddenly cried, a dash of hope appearing in his face. ‘The battle is not ended yet, for here is Shasta Sam, your sworn foe!” The dark Hercules slowly advanced, a deadly smile playing about his ped lips. _ Nay, vason Dyke, the play is done—the farce is ended,” he cried. ‘Sooner than harm one hair of Ronald Morton's head, I would hurl your worthless carcass to the bottom of yonder can- yon. Know ye, murderous wretch, that blood is thicker than water—that we rival giants are ide ay A ; _ “Know ye, that from the moment I a ed in Nowhar Ronald and I were in cree! Nedg 8 to wrest from you the secret of your identity The Rival Giants of Nowhar. A --ee ————— eee ee ae C—O _——__.0.0._ SSS SSS 15 ——_ —- that, on the plateau, by a move of my arm, I warned Trotter of the course about to be pur- sued by your faithful ally, the hunchback; that on the plateau, by means of a written message, {again warned Ronald of Jessica’s abduction; that Trotter and myself followed you up the mountain-side, to find where you bed her con- cealed, and in so doing witnessed your starting of the avalanche, and the cowardly assassina- tion of Ugly Mike, ‘* Know ye, that your red race is run—that the end 1s here!” As the dark Hercules ended, Gold Gabe step- ped forward. ‘ At last you are defeated at every turn, Jason Dyke,” he said, speaking slowly. ‘‘ Your doom is at hand; but before you go to meet your Maker, there are a few things | want you to know, ‘““T want you to know that Hump Dunkle, your only really faithful ally and opatidant, has made a clean breast of everything—of the plot to assassinate me at the Fair Play last night and of the fact that Truthful Joe’s statement there was a tissue of falsehoods,” ‘*T want you to know that the avalanche started down the mountain by you to crush out the gold-camp and the men in it was a grand fiasco—that of all the camp the hunchback and Faro Frank were the only men killed.” And with a mocking bow the giant of ibe golden locks drew back, Then, as Jonathan Trotter stepped into view, Jessica arose and glided forward. “Mr. Dyke,” she exclaimed, “it is but due you that you should have an answer to your magnanimous proposal for my hand. As brief aud pointed a reply as [ can give is to introduce you to my husband.” ‘Mr. Jason Dyke, Mr. Jonathan Trotter. otherwise Mr. Eldridge Gerry, of Denver.” The bogus Yankee bowed with studied polite- ness, Through it all Jason Dyke stood like a hunted beast brought to bay. Ata sharp word from the blonde giant No- whar’s entire population appeared, eres up from the canyon by the secret path used by Ugly Mike and his Cripples. ‘or a moment the doomed wretch staggered. blindly, then clinched his hands and with a wild yell dashed straight toward the yav ning chasm, A-cry of horror went up from the rapidly as- sembling miners, and amid the rush that follow- ed fifty pairs of hands were outstretched to seize St. Elmo. Too late; crouching for an instant on the very verge of the canyon, the maddened wretch cast a swift glance over his shoulder, then with an elfish seream leaped far out into the abyss. The crowd stood appalled. There could be but one end to that leap—death, quick and terrible. Verily, the giant avengers had followed the trail to the bitter end. A few words more, and the end is reached, The dead gambler was buried in the canyon in which he met his grim and tragic fate, | The next day the giant brothers, their sister and her husband, together with the wounded Bolly Dorrit, left the gold-camp of Nowhar fer- ever, the ‘alcalde” turning over to the faithful Jeems Rivers, the Yellow Boy Mine, THE END, DIME DIALOGUES AND SPEAKERS YOR SCHOOL EXHIBITIONS > AND HOME ENTERTAINMENTS. Dialogues, Nos. i to 3 inclusive, 15 to 2% popu- ar dialagues and dramas in each book. Each vol- ume 100 pages 12mo. Speakers, Nos. 1 to 2% inclusive, Each speaker 100 pages 12mo, containing from 50 to 75 pieces, YOUNG PEOPLE’S SERIES, .Book of Winter Sports, a yh 8 Book of Summer Athletic Sports | Dime Gents’ Letter Writer. Dime Book of Etiquette, Dime Book of Verses, Dime Book of Dreams, Dime Fortune Teller Dime Ladies’ Letter Writer, Dime Lovers’ Casket, Dime Ball-Room Companion. Dime Book of 100 Games, Dime Chess Instructor, ime Book of Beauty. The above publications are for sale by all news- dealers or will be sent, Brabea on receipt of rice, ten cents each, by BEADLE A ADAMS, WILLIAM STREET, N, Y,. h EOMIIGDoOO (E “S