Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 471 — page 12: what you’re looking at

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

r 4, 7. Ae > - ~ . 12 ae Bozeman Bill of Big Brace. - o-- = 4 P . OS _ ; i ‘3 rel, ul be pleased to have you take your depar- ‘ture. ‘*T shall go when I get ready,” Billassured the lawyer. ‘‘lam here on business, and when I tackle a job of this sort I generally stick to it till it’s done. As for insulting you, that’s an oo peg a You’re too old a sinner to be in- sulted. Fink, there’s no use of your attempting to hold out against me, and pretend innocence, for it won’t work. The fact of the matter is, as I intimated before, the cat’s out of the bag; everything is known, and the only way you can save yourself is by turning in your evidence against the others. By doing this I may be able to get you out of the scrape. Otherwise, you'll go up with the rest!” “1 am still ignorant of what you are talk- ing about. What isthis that is known, that ‘you refer to!” **Do you want to know?” **T certainly do,” ‘Then, I will tell you; you were Hamilton ‘Hinton’s attorney?” es Yes.” : ‘© You drew up his last will?” 4 I did.” ‘*You are cognizant of how he came to his -death—and who were his murderers.” ‘*Certainly not. All I ever have known is that he died of heart disease!” ‘*That’sa lie, to begin with. After, or may- ‘be a little before Hinton’s death, you got up an- a will, and forged your client’s signature to v! ‘** That is false—false as hell itself!’ ‘This will,” pursued Bozeman BilJ, with the most provoking coolness, ‘‘ you turned over to the widow, thereby placing her in possession of the estate, you receiving therefor, a handsome ‘Stipend i? ‘False again! Do [f look like a man who had ‘received a stipend of any sort, very lately?’ and Fink gave arueful glance at his seedy attire. Bozeman Bill was forced to smile, but went on. ‘Oh! you're shrewd enough to play your part ~well, have not impeached your smartness, in the least. But, to continue: ‘* You retained or destroyed the original will; at least, claimed to the widow and Horace that you had done away withit. You did not, however; too shrewd a rascal were you, by far, to do that. You saw in the perspective a fine little chance to line your pockets with Ham- ilton Hinton’s shekels!” A faint shade of pallor flitted across the lawyer’s countenance, and he changed positions upon his stool, It was evident that he was growing uneasy. ‘*Oh! you can make all the foolish conjectures ‘you please,” he responded. ‘‘ They are all lies, and I dare you to prove the truth of one of them.” ‘*T can do it without the least trouble, and in a way that will be surprising to you. As I said before, sir, you were too shrewd a ras- cal to destroy the original will, for you calcu- lated to make money out of it. Your plan was this: ‘You proposed to bleed the widow, from time to time, of hush money, and if she finally kicked fae would threaten to produce the origi- nal will, and if she would give you i big price for it you would sell it to her, not, you would produce Janet Earl, who is a legatee, and out of revenge, give her her rights and oust the widow |! , ‘**So you see, Mr. John Jones, I’ve got you down to the very dot, and there’s no use of your kicking. Your only escape-way is to a ea full and complete confession, that will give Hamilton Hinton’s rightful heirs what belongs ‘to them; otherwise, I shall arrest you for con- spiracy, and when the people of Big Brace come to know the true state of affairs, it is doubtful, if they will let you escape from the town alive, asI understand that none of them look upon you with favor!” . This parting shot agen to affect Fink More thati the rest, for he coughed, and twisted ‘uneasily upon his seat. _ _ “ Well, are you through!” he demanded, heav- Ing a sigh, as if he were weary of listening to Bill’s harangue. ‘Tf you have anything to say, say it!” Bill de- oe eurtly, ‘ Ae fs simply porn for ou to make an deni however, as I wi np attention to it.” Pe ‘*] can say nothing more than that you have mistaken your man!” Fink declared, ** That I am no way conn with any of the itively. ‘**T did not say I did not know anything about a case somewhat similar to the one you have outlined!” replied Fink, ‘‘ It is barely possible that I may be able to be of some assistance to you in this matter!” ‘*Bah! Your very words give you away. Xomive got that original last will, and J want it! ‘*T have not got it!” ‘*'You lie! You have gotit. I want it, and what’s more, I’m going to have it!” ‘* Well, I repeat I have not got it, and so [ don’t know how you're going to get it!” ‘*In this way!” Bill cried, now thoroughly aroused, for he was convinced that the shyster was the very person who had lured Janet to Big Brace, and that his own outline of the plot was correct. He drew a revolver from his belt, and pulled the hammer back to full cock. ‘* Now, then, Phineas Fink!” he said, sternly, ‘**T want that will. [ll give you just five min- utes to produce it. If itis notin my hands by the expiration of that time, [ll put a bullet earodierh you, sure’s my handle is Bozeman Biil!” There was no mistaking that the. detective meant just what he said. Fink grew pale. ‘* Bozeman Bill!” he said, ‘‘ I am powerless to revent you from killing me, for, as I told you be- ‘ore, I have not the will. Had Lit in my pos- session, you may be sure [d give it up before [’d lose my life. ou can kill me, and then search me and the premises, but you will not find the will, because it is not here.” “Then, you acknowledge that such a will is in existence?” “Yes. Dll even do more: I'll own up that the most of your accusation—all of it, in fact, except that I knew how Hamilton Hinton came to his death—was correct. I did draw up the bogus will, and gave it to the widow, for the very reasons you named, and I secreted the original document miles from here. So far, the scheme has profited me nothing, because I want- ed the girl here before I began +5 yee **Now, since you have been keen enough to ferret out this matter, Ill tell you what Ill do: As soon as it comes dark, I will go and get the will, and have it here at my office, by midnight, when I will place it in your hands. I will also lay a trap so that you can entrap the widow and Horace Hinton, confront them with their guilt, and arrest them if you choose—but I am to go scot free; and if my services are worth anytuing to the heirs, they may reward me as they see fit, for lam very poor. If not, I will not crumble ” Bozeman Bill eyed the lawyer a moment, keenly, and in silence. Could he trust him? Or was this but a subter- fuge to ward off the threatened penalty of death. Bill was a good judge of human nature, and now concluded that Fink was in earnest. ‘**T don’t know whether to trust you, or not!” he finally said. ** You can do so, implicitly!” was the reply. ‘Tf I never do another thing in my life, I will do as I have told you. Of course, now, the will is no good to me, and I want the rightful heirs to profit by it.” “How do you propose to entrap the widow, and Horace Hinton? ‘In this way,” and Fink arose, and went to his desk, where he spent a couple of moments, he he returned, and handed a slip of paper to ill, It read as follows: ** HORACE AND Wipow Hinton:— “You are well aware that the will I gave you, which makes you the present possessors of the Hin- ton estate, is a forgery, but, until now, you are not aware that the original will is in existence, and that I hold it in my possession, I have held it back un- til it should become of a marketable value, which it has now attained ** Circumstances make it imperative that I leave Big Brace at once, and I can hold the will no longer. I need money to get away with, and must have it. Knowing that you now would be willing to pay more for it than the real heirs, Harry Hinton and Janet Earl, I make you this offer: Meet me to- night, at midnight, at’ the haunted cabin, and give me ten thousand dollars in greenbacks, and I'll give you the will. If you fail to come, I shall take it for granted that you do not wish to negotiate, and shall turn the document over to Harry Hinton for what I can get, and skip out. Trusting I shall see you, ‘*T subscribe miyselts ‘* Yours in dead earnest, ‘* PHINEAS FINK!”’ ‘charges you mention, I swear to, onastack| ‘When it comes dark,” said the lawyer ot Bibles as high asthishouse!” =~ when Bill had finished the perusal, ‘“‘ you are to __ * Add on a couple of stacks more and I won't | see that the note reaches the widow. I will Delieve you.” carry sey part like a man!” M50, 6. Say ea = ; Pe oo ee EGE Fe r} PNete. ' or ’ * Bs, mo? at = Se: . : ; ty a” . + ies eo : | $4 = ee: " o ess v4 Pe v4 ' Paar eee We Ye I will trust you!” the detective said, rising. ‘‘I don’t often do things of the sort, but will make an exception, this time. Do as hon have pronuised, and you shall be rewarded. ail me and I'll hunt you down to death. Re- member!” Then turning, Bill left the office, in the full belief that he had scored a victory, and that the end of this, his most interesting detective ex- perience, was not far distant. Nor was it! = The ropo was slowly but surely uncoiling! ** Fink CHAPTER XII. HINTON’S ANTE AND SNEAKY’S TREACHERY. AS the reader has probably surmised, Horace Hinton had successfully accomplished his plan of luring Janet Earl to the haunted cabin, and imprisoning her in the cellar. nowing this much, it will hardly be neces- sary for us to tax the reader’s patience with the details of the matter, so we will relate what transpired afterward. When satisfied" that there was little or no danger of his captive escaping, Horace returned at once to Big Brace, and had the note prepared shai was delivered to Bozeman Bill at the otel. Feeling sure this bit of ctreeas would have the desired effect of starting Harry off for Pierce City, he began to hunt around for the ruffian, Jake Jug, and his pal, Sneaky Smith. After an hour’s search he found the latter, lying in under the shade of a er of bushes, seeking solace from a long-necked black bottle. He had evidently only recently commenced an attack on the ‘‘ p’izen,” for he was but little un- der the influence of liquor. As soon as Hinton saw the condition of things he snatched the bottle away from the bummer and hurled it against a rock, where it was shat- tered into a thousand atems. Sneaky gave vent to an angry grow] at this. ‘‘Say, what d’yer mean?’ he demanded. ** W’"ot’s bitin’ yer?” ‘* Bug-juice ain’t goin’ to bite you, for a while yet,” the “superintendent declared. work for you and Jake todo.” Sneaky gave a grim laugh. ‘* Little work ye’ll git out o’ Jake fer a while,” he declared. ** Why not?” ‘*Go down ter his roost an’ see.” ‘* What’s the matter with him?” ** He’s got ’em!” Sneaky announced, senten- tiously. ‘‘ Got ’em bad, too!” | ‘*Got what, you fool?” ‘‘The jims—the jams, yer know—snakes in his boots, He stole a gallon o’ whisky out o’ old Corker’s cellar last night, an’ the big hog would- n’t give me a smell of his breath even, but just swilled the hull gallon down. An’ now he’s got ’em—got ’em ther worst kind, too, I’ve seen — men hey ther ordinary one-headed rams, but Jake’s got double-headers, horns an’ all. I went down ter try an’ pacify bim, but he was goin’ ter carve me up inter sandwich meat, so I jest er- bout sashayed out 0’ ther vicinity, He’s got two six-inch bowies ready fer use, an’ ef ye wanter git did up proper, boss, jest mazourky right down thar, an’ he'll accommodate you.” Hinton uttered an oath, © areca ‘*Curses on the fool!” he gritted. ‘‘ He’s al- wave, drunk or can’t be found when I want m. ‘‘Waal, he ain’t fit fer nothin’ now,” Sneaky declared. ‘‘Ef ther boa-constrictors Ree him up ’fore another day I'll eat dirt. is et yer want done, boss? ” What’s that to you?” Hinton growled, glar- — ing at him savagely. ‘Oh! nothin’, boss, only I tho’t mebbe J might fill Jake’s place, ef twas anything important, — ive yer jobs to Jake Ye kno’ ye allus ‘hev ever got much, tho’ an’ paid him fer ‘em, an’ et was me as had to do times out o’ five. Still, I’ve allers kept cluss- mouthed, an’ et kinder seems to me that faithful — sarvice orter hev ets reward, an’ I orter standa show oncet in a while.” ; Ree ng eyed the man a moment in savage silence. : “ You ain’t got spunk enough to kill a cat!” he finally snarled. 3 ‘ ‘‘Tpy me an’ see, boss! "Cause I knuckle un- der to Jake, ’tain’t sayin’ I'm afeard to tacklea job. I want’s money enuff ter pull East!” ed Hinton’s venomous eyes sparkled at this, — ‘‘ Well, I want a man killed!” he said. | “ When?” | a "> ‘** There’s: e dirty work, four 2 . ‘ é a