Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 472 — page 9: what you’re looking at

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

J ) aS — 7 — Sa eS ——— — of which Kane had spoken to King Ryer. Sec- ondly, the supposed hider of the money was Mortimer Banker—though Kane and Ryer had used a different name in the boat-house., Joe was unable to see what connection the Gypsy chief could have had with Mortimer Bavker, a man born to riches and high estate; but it was clear there was some striking lrama in the bygone days. Suddenly a slight sound at one side caused Joe to turn, and there he stood amazed and startled. In the doorway, only separated from him by the door of the closet, stood Jasper Banker. It was an unwelcome discovery, for the boy jockey knew that Banker would be glad to ac- cuse in of burglary if he could, but it was plain that Jasper did not thus far know of his presence there. He was looking only at the trio in the other room. ' ‘Well, gents, how do you make it?” His voice broke in on their peace of mind in a most startling way. All wheeled away in consternation, and then stood silently staring at the man in the door- way. ‘Can I help you in anyway?” Jasper coolly added. ‘‘Gads! it’s young Banker!” muttered the burglar. ‘¢ Just so, worthy John Kane. I haven’t seen you before in twelve years, but you look as natural as ever. Time has not made you hand- somer, but, bless you, you couldn’t grow uglier.” he treasure-hunters exchanged glances. Kane still looked alarmed, while there wa; that in the Gypsies’ faces which might have frightened a timid man. They believed that if Banker showed a suspicion of their work, the only safe way was to forever, and at once, remove him. Better do that, they mentally argued, than to lose the treasure, if there was one. Jasper glanced at the hole in the floor. ‘‘ Kane, what’s being done here?” ‘“We'’re getting wood for a fire,” said the burglar, feebly. ‘9 7T%s a cold night,” was the ironical retort. ‘“T don’t mean that; we want to cook some food,” ‘* And in order to get it you tear up the floor with great labor, when there is any quantity of old boards lying around loose. John, your yarn won’t go down!” ‘What business is it of yours, anyhow?” de- manded one of the Gypsies, a dark scowl on his ace. ‘‘Oh! the law and I don’t care a cent.” ‘¢ Have you come here to betray us?” ‘‘ Certainly not.” ‘‘Tf I find you have, I’d as soon knife you as not,” the Gypsy declared, darkly. ‘Dont be afraid; I have no such intention, Our mutual friend, Kane, will vouch for me. I’m one of the white hen’s chickens, ain’t I, John?” ‘* You used to be,” replied the burglar, pluck- ing up a little spirit, and speaking dryly. sé Bet your boots Tve not dropped off, Tell AS ae friends so, and banish their dark looks, nts, I’m all O. K., and you'll find me ripe for fun or booty. If there’s a throat to be knifed, y;ount me in.” Horse-King Joe shivered. He realized that he was in the society of des- rate men. Probably not one would hesitate at bloodshed, and Banker, at least, was his deadly enemy. He wished he was well out of the house, but while the gambler stood where he did there was no chance to escape. it was close quarters with a vengeance, and if one of the desperadoes took a notion to look in the closet, Joe’s chances of getting away with his life were few and small. The Gypsies exchanged glances, They were too many to take a partner in any such way, but they knew the value of closing dangerous mouths in some way or other, Jas- per must not be driven off, and allowed to bring officers down upon them. ‘‘You can stay if you want to,” said the spokesman, in a surly voice, “but we ere just going to bed.” ‘* And give up digging?” ** Yes,’ ‘** Nonsense! Don’t quit on my account, but let me get a hand on the crow-bar myself. 1)] rip the old shanty all to pieces. Pm interested in this game, for I have a suspicion as to why you’re at work. Kane, I always Wondered Where the old man had put out all bis money, and I now tumble. So he hid it here, eh?” The Gypsies glared furiously at the gambler, — — — -—ernKnXnXnr"=0*>0—0@—($08009080808000 ENN sss Le Jaunty Joe, the Young Horse King. What are you talking about?’ the spokes- | wie aA pe ss Y father’s buried money.” ‘* Where is it buried?” ‘* Here, and you’ve been digging for it!” Banker leveled one finger at the gap in the floor. Then he coolly stepped forward and picked up the ax. ‘**Come,” he added, ‘let us go on with the work. Ill divvy with you all, even and square. Who cares who first owned the boodle? Come, what do you say—shall we search for the treas- ure topethins y” ‘* Search, and let me help you !” Banker wheeled like a fash. The words had been spoken behind him, and the interruption was a startling one. Turning, he saw other dark-faced men who were very much like Kane’s allies, but they were strangers to him, and the rl ray did not convey anything in particu- ar. Not so with Horse-King Joe. The man who had spoken, and who stood now, tall, dark, stern and forbidding, was no stranger to him, It was King Ryer, the Gypsy chief. Joe glanced from him to the three men first on the ground, and one look was enough to in- dicate trouble ahead. John Kane and his two friends were surprised, dumfounded and evi- dently terribl frightened. The burglar was very pale, while the two dark-skinned men be- gan lancing about as though intending to dodge out and run away, King Ryer saw this, and took measures to pre- vent it, His first step was to swing the closet door to, which closed Joe in as a prisoner, but, owing to the fact that the old house had so settled and warped, still left a crack through which he could see all that transpired. Then Ryer strode into the room, still looking at the two Gypsies. ‘You needn’t think of running,” he said, in a hard voice, ‘‘for your retreat is cut off. The band are all here, and you will be shot down if you try to escape.’ The men looked more dismayed than ever, while Banker glanced from one to another with a vague feeling that he had placed himself in a position of danger. ‘““Murdough and Lee,” continued the chief, ‘vou are traitors and scoundrels, You know the Gypsy law.” ‘*Forgive us, King Ryer!” exclaimed Lee, in asharp voice. ‘It wasn’t ourfault, This man made us turn against you.” He pointed to John Kane, but the latter’s voice arose in accents rendered shrill by fear: ‘Tt is not so; I never tried to make them turn against you. They did all willingly,” The chief commanded silence with an imperi- ous gesture, ‘ Bnough of this, I know all about it. Trai- tors, you cannot clear yourselves. When I or- dered Kane thrown in the lake you deceived me, cast in a stone instead and saved my enemy. Why did you do it? Because he had said in your hearing that he knew where a treasure was bur- ied. You saved him, deserted the band, joined hands with him and came hero to find the gold. You cannot clear yourselves,” Lee and Murdough stood in utter silence. King Ryer had spoken the exact truth, and they had such an opinion of his nature that they fully expected death as a reward for their treachery. Whatever he saw fit to do could be done, for the odds were against them, and they could expect no sympathy from their old com- rades, Jaunty Joe, still peering out of his narrow quarters, could not avoid a shiver. He was among desperate men; a tragedy was imminent and, if discovered, he would undoubtediy be one of the victims. CHAPTER X, CAPTURED BY THE GYPSIES. Kina Ryer turned upon Jasper Banker. “What are you doing here?” 5 asked, ‘*T merely dropped in to see what meant the light in the old wing,” replied the turf-gambler, with wonderful humility—he did not know the dark chief, but could easily see that he would be a bad man to have for an enemy, ‘Your name is Banker,” ‘“-Ye-es,” was the hesitating reply. ‘We are all well met to-night.” Grim and suggestive was the chief’s voice, and Banker fe)t a thrill of fear unusual to him. He saw more than a Wandering vagabond in the stern old chief, and wished himself miles away from the paternal home. Ryer turned to his faithful followers, spoke a 9 few words in a language familiar only to them, and then they came in and so surrounded Ban- ker, Kane, Lee and Murdough that the four practically became prisoners. Joe Baldwin was not yet free, The closet door had no means of fastening, but to leave while the Gypsies were there would surely result in discovery and capture, and he believed that this meant death, The chief picked up the paper used by the trio during their search, looked at Kane and sarcas- tically said: ‘* Strange that you could not find the money with this sure guide.” The burglar’s lips moved, but he made no re- vy f t ‘ a - — er tore the paper into small pieces, his is worthless,” he said. ‘“* When Ifound Lee and Murdough had deserted, and learned that no body had been found at the bottom of the lake, I suspected all. My men, bewitched by talk of buried treasure, hac saved you, hop- ing to get the treasure. To do this of course they would want the chart which I held—the only clew to the money. I madea ye Od very much like the old, except in certain points, and arranged it so that any one who wished to steal the forgery could do so easily. It was done, and you find yourselves all in the trap.” Lee and Murdough looked as though they hated themselves; they had sold themselves for no price, ‘*T was not in with them,” said Jasper, timid- ly, wishing he could get permission to go. | No,” Ps bd was silent for a moment; then he slowly added: ‘The buried gold was your father’s. want it?” ‘Curse the gold!” Jasper exclaimed. ‘‘ What I want is to get clear of the whole business!” ‘* You are like your father,” muttered Ryer. ‘* Then you knew him?” “Yes,” ‘When? Where?” ‘** Never mind.” The chief spoke quickly, a dark, ominous ex- ression on his face, but seemed to make an ef- ort to control himself. He then added in a deep voice: ‘‘You profess contempt for the money. Well, you need not worry about getting it. The only clew to the place where your crazy father buried it was the secret paper I held. hen I made the co aor made it so incorrect as to be csdleal yurned the original, The clew is forever lost!” Every one of his hearers looked deeply disap- pointed, and his faithful followers most of all. ‘““Once,” King Ryer added, ‘‘Il was tempted to take that money and use it for my band, to help them in their poverty; but there was a curse upon it! Mortimer Banker’s gold shall never stain Gypsv hands,” ‘*Why do you hate him so bitterly?’ Jasper asked. ‘* Don’t ask; you had better not know.” The chief turned to his traitorous followers, pointed to the gap in the floor, and coldly said: “You may dig here until you grow old; you will never find the treasure. The alteration I made in the chart has put you wholly on the wrong track. Now, are you ready for the re- ward of your treachery?” Both men broke out in violent pleadings for merey, but he sternly interrupted; ‘“Your lives are forfeit by Gypsy law!” Again they tried to plead, but he called his faithful followers about him, looked around the circle, and said: , ‘We are seven. Let the vote be taken: white for life; blackfor death. Beags, take the vote.” One of the band took off his hat and passed around the circle. As he passed, the loyal Gy sies each dropped something in the hat. Reach- ing Ryer, he handed all to him, and then retired to his former place, . The chief removed the contents of the hat. In his hand he held seven small, round objects which may have been common beans. A dis- appointed look crossed his face as he held them Do you Ip. Only three were black. Four were white, and the traitor Gypsies wore saved, ‘The vote is that you live,” hesaid, ‘ but you have had a narrow escape. I voted for death, and [ wish all had done the same, You are saved, butnever again can you belong to my band. Icast you out, and all the Gypsies I meet shall be warned against you. Go forth, out- casts, traitors, and may you never know peace again. Go!” comicboo ;* ‘ i! com