Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 486 — page 13: what you’re looking at

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

a ————, * ee a I A a: -——_— : 4 " ~ ° ‘ = ° "ta L. Ce dan. ™ § : a ee ne SE o “= i ’ 7 ” Fi | a elo - different, when ren saved my room, ie ” She did, relating how Lee had come to her him, listened gravely. |‘ I found your brother and Jearned a -_ Jearned th 1at you had had another lover, whom fons. YOU: ere not. 1 wet ; roy “* = ; 7.* rn ey Cae - yee oe P 4 + + = 4 é i a * ne es - ee , . } ; ‘ “ wa ree ys! > : 7 7, > Tribunal of Ten is none other than Mademoiselle of the Cremonia!” ‘‘Ban! Vil dare you to do that!” she hissed. ** You, as well as I, belong to the order, and so does your son. Youare too shrewd a villain to do anything so dangerous as that '” CHAPTER XIV. REUNITED. COLONEL MAURICE CLARKSON was locking up his office for the night when be heard hurried footsteps, and gave a careless glance around to see who was passing. An ejaculation of astonishment escaped his lips; he sprung forward and caught the passing person by the arm, ‘« Sadie! Good Heaven! can it be possible?” he cried. The person was a young woman, poorly clad, pale and wan—a mere wreck of evident former beauty. Great suffering and mental torture had left traces both on her face and figure—still it was Sadie, whom Lieutenant Lar- ry Lee had abducted from Crystal Lake more than a year before.” 3 She gave vent to a frightened cry and tried to escape, but the colonel held her as in a grasp of iron, ‘Sadie, don’t you know me? Be quiet. Iam your friend—Bartley Bryant!” She gave him a quick; searching glance, and then burst into tears. ‘“Oh! let me go—please let me go!” she gasped, appealingly. ‘I did not want to meet you here,” ‘You did not want to meet me, Sadie? Why, what did I ever do that you should not?” ‘‘Oh, sir, please let me go! I am not worthy of your notice—I—lIL belong to another.” ‘‘To another? Sadie, you must explain all to me, Come! yonder is my home. You must come with me, and tell me all.” She ceased to sob, but it was with evident re- luctance that she accompanied him, When they were seated in the mine-owner’s parlor, a few moments later, Colonel Clarkson took her hand in his, tenderly, and looked pity- ingly into her sad, wan face. ‘Sadie,” he said, in a kindly tone, ‘‘ I want you to be frank with me, and tell meall, I have an inkling of the truth, but am still in the dark. I found you one bleak winter’s night, and took youtomy home, I brought you back to life, and—grew to love you.. ie, I knew your life to be shrouded in a mystery, but I felt. satisfied I should eventually have you fur my wife. Tell me, Sadie, and tell me candidly, why did you fly with Larry Lee?’ | ‘Fly with him, sir?, Oh! can it be possible you do not know differently from that?’ **Only by the words you have just uttered. plain, Ipray of you.” ; . ‘“‘T was abducted, sir. Ever sinée that night, so long ago, I have been @ prisoner in a lonely mountain cave—the prisoner of Larry Lee. But for a chance opportunity, two nights ago, to es- cape, I would probably have lived and died there. He had sworn never to set me free until I ried him.” _ “By Heaven, this outrage shall not pass un- avenged, I never suspected but what you had with him,” , = ae Bryant, I have a question to ask of ou f ; , **T anticipate what it is, Your child still lives!” ‘God be praised! But why did you tell me life? ‘‘T thought, all things considered, it were bet- ter you should believe it dead. I gave it toa kind hunter, and afterward to your brother.” There was a brief silence, and then the colonel ke again: Pe Sadie, since the one above has granted that we eal meet again, I want to know all. Luther was your husband!” ‘Yes. How did you know?” ‘“‘T found a partly~lirected envelope in your bearing his name. Tell me about it, home, wedded her, and then deserted ner, Bartley Bryant, as we shall henceforth call _ There can be no doubt but what the marri in ge legal,” he said. ‘‘ After your disa peagatice ndifferent to,” WalardeteGe dis dks es: scoeochen _“ Yes, . Your brother, this Bent, and a few } Aunt - villainous - 1d . er, have or not I do not ow, It may surprise you to know that, once - at 7 ” Sa =| é ee or al . be Fak, ) a EL es -* ¥ «' ger tee P< y 23 - > a * Ae 4 7 ah maf” Co he ete as Ret eh i <2 EC AON oP te - : + ’ ns “at a * ** ‘,? 4 ‘ 5 é, a ‘ % z 4 ve ¢” s is "ae eos ae POR ae 4-28 Ce Na et, om by atv : = pe =e a atk cf «te ~% z ~~ ci. ey. 7 * « : ~y ‘ ie SDL, bee he a a> aa Aa ; mat P| +s Cad 4 .")? - a o w .. . 4 ae r - -—— - w < . -_, . 7 : ae. t* 2 a SS hoe rer “<a _-_ Sealskin Sam, the Sparkler. before, when I was years younger than now, this same Luther Lee cheated me of a bride, by murdering her!” ‘*T was told so by Walter Bent.” ‘*Ha! how knew he anything aboutit? Inev- er knew him.” ‘* He learned, I believe, from the daughter of Leonora, whom he became acquainted with,” ‘** Did he tell you more?” ‘No. Larry Lee did, however. He told me that instead of being a single man, as I had be- heved, you were married, and had two grown-up children.” ‘* This is partly true,” Bartley Bryant admit- ted. ‘*‘I married a woman who proved in every way my inferior, and, after bearing me my children, went utterly to the bad. Thus was a cloud put upon their lives. I placed them in an Eastern school, and it is, only, since coming here, as Colonel Clarkson, that I have had them with me,” ‘‘ How strange are the events of a lifetime!” Sadie murmured. ‘‘ It seems as if we were born for sin and trouble.” ‘* Very true, my dear. And now that our two lives have known so much sorrow, Sadie, why should we not try to seek for more peace and com- fort in the future? Don’t you think you could be happy with me, Sadie, as my wife?” ‘** Were it ei lot to be so blessed, Mr. Bryant, I should consider myself very, very happy. But, you know it cannot be. If, as you say, my mar- riage to Luther Lee was a legal one, I am then his wife and cannot wed you, nor any one.” “True, but you can easily get.a divorce. And, too, Luther Lee is, probably, at the further cor- ner of the earth.” ‘*Oh! no, sir... He is here in Hunki-Dori !” ‘‘What! Luther Lee, here? Impossible!” ‘‘Tt is, nevertheless, a fact. I learned the fact from Larry Lee, who.is his nephew. Luther Lee goes, here, under the assumed name of Sel- den—Ebenezer Selden!” ‘* By Heaven, I believe you are right, although it never occurred to me before. Selden cheated me out of a portion of my mining interest here, and since then we have never been on speakin terms, -Oh, why did I not know this long ago? He arose and paced the floor, a desperate ex- pression upon his face, and a gleam in his eyes, that boded no good to Eben Selden. Sadie grew pale, for she divined the thoughts that were passing through his mind. ‘*Oh, sir, I trust you will not do anything rash!” she pleaded, clasping her hands and look- ing at him appealingly, ‘* Though Eben Selden bas wronged us both, no good can come of at- tacking him.” ‘Perhaps not. He shall come toa settlement, however, which sball free you, and provide for your child, But, let that matter drop now, You are to remain here, and become mine, as soon as it can be satisfactorily and legally arranged. ‘“*T will hunt up my daughter, make all known to her, and you can rest assured that you will re- ceive a hearty welcome. As soon as I can eom- municate with your brother I will have your child restored to you, and it shall share our.home with us, the same as if it were our own.” ‘*Oh, you are too kind. What have I ever done to merit this treatment at your hands?” ‘* You have won my affection, and that is all- sufficient to warrant my warmest devotion to your future happiness, my peerless one!” he said raising her hand to his lips. ‘Sh! is that you, Nick?” A figure, wrapped in a dark cloak, stepped from the dark shadow of a cabin, and toward two persons who had paused a few paces away. ‘¢ Yo’ jest done bet it’s me!” was the answer, ‘Can’ ef I ain’t done off my ker-base, your voice am frummiliar. Is it you, Marse Sam?’ ‘You bet! alive and kicking, though but for Hero I wouldn’t be here to tell youof it. Isthat you, Jakey?” “Dot vas me!” the German responded. ‘* Ve vas yoost vorrying apoud you, Skealskin.” “So? Well, you can dissipate all fears, for I’m here, and here for business, Have you got my papers, Nick?” ‘ Bet I has, ioney!” ‘Good! It was well I left them with you, or they would likely have been destroyed when I was captured. I Lae you’ve heard of the trouble [ve had, and there is a reward off for me?” ee he “*Reckon dar is—suffin’ like five hundred thou- sand dollars!” - : . ‘*Humph! I never knew I was a, person of so much value before. But.it don’t matter. I’ve the game in my own hands, now. There’s work to be done to-night, boys, for I'm going to collar onto the Tribunal of Ten!” =~ A dads wae Pe rs tlle +. CR Sa Sic 2 $ =a ‘i LE « : | 1g oo: ne | no ee ee ewe Sl wee ‘* Golly, boss, I done guess dat will take more> dan dar is ob us!” ‘* And there will be more—plenty of help. I have just left the camp of a compauy of cavalry a mile from here; who are fresh trom a success- ful raid on the mountain stronghold. When I am ready for them, they will pounce down upon this camp and gobble up the prey!” ‘** But how you vas goin’ to find oud who der prey vas?” Jakey asked, doubtfully. ‘*T think I can work that part of it all right!” Sam assumed, ‘“ Let mesee. The first person I want to see is Placer Poll!” ‘* And, my dear sir, what might you want of Placer Poll?” a triumphant voice demanded. They wheeled quickly to behold Lieutenant Larry Lee confronting them, a sardonic smile upon his countenance. In his grasp were a pair of cocked revolvers. ‘*T don’t think you are over anxious to see Placer Poll just yet, are you?” he added, mali- ciously. CHAPTER XV. THE SPARKLER PUTS IN HIS WORK, ‘‘ WELL, since you have honored us with your obnoxious presence, erste! Lee, I dare say we are not in so much of a hurry!” Sealskin Sam replied, none the less composed for the surprise. ‘‘T presume this evening finds you well, Mister Outlaw?” | ‘‘Never was in better trim!’ Lee assured, blandly. ‘In fact, I feel in really exuberant: spirits since I have so opportunely dropped upon you, My finances are rather at low ebb, at present, and I don’t know of any other person I would be more pleased to make five bundred dol- lars off from than from your charming self.” ‘Indeed! Iam delighted to hear it. But, as: it chances, you haven't acquired the a ani capital yet. Hero though you be, you have- n’t scored your point!” Sharply did the Sparkler utter the word ‘‘ Hero,” but finished the sentence in his ordinary tone. : Little did Larry Lee reckon what sort of a. man he had to cope with, nor the significance of the single emphatic utterance. | A dark object moved stealthily out from the shadow of the nearest cabin, approaching the. renegade lieutenant in the rear. It was the great shaggy mastiff who had saved. the Sparkler’s life in the mountain cave—a brute of wonderful intelligence Pee: seemingly, com=- prehended every order anf Need ef his master. ‘* Ha, ha!” the renegade officer retorted. “If you think I haven’t got you, vou’re eff your reckoning! You've got to go with me, or [lk drop ye where you stand, you Government Spy? Oh, I know you. You would play the detective would you? I guess not, any more. We wil cook your goose for you, you hound! So, right about face and march, or “ll plug you where you stand!” ! . ‘Will you? Whata Hero! Take him!” The detective spoke sharply, and instantly the dog leaped through the air. He struck the lieu- tenant, and knocked him sprawling to the ground. Then Sealskin Sam was upon him, and Nick and Jakey, each grasping an arm, wrenched his pistols from his grasp. ‘‘Dat’s number one, for shuah!” cried Nick, dancing around like a boy. ‘‘T'll cut your throat, nigger!” gritted the dis- comfited lieutenant. ‘* TU—” Sam’s hand was on his throat. It closed with a vise-like grip, and the words ended in a gasp. ‘‘- You'll do no more throat-cutting, you vile scoundrel. You and your Satan’s crew have got to hang like dogs—do ye hear?” The man was ean enough now. He seemed to realize that all was lost, and was utterly un- nerved, He was tightly bound, gagged, and then borne out of the camp toa spot at a safe distance, where he would not be discovered. Nick was left to guard him, while the Sparkler and his companion turned their footsteps back sori the spot where the capture had bees effected, | * uate they unexpectedly encountered Placer oll. | “You are the very person I wish to see!” Sealskin Sam said. ‘‘I’ve got work for yon. You can be of great service to me, Will you artes your, co-operation?” n what? cal Tee | ‘‘ Breaking up the Tribunal of Ten.” “You bet! _ on ee count on me every time, . ne or oe be What is it you require?” ‘Well, Pve got to do some sche out all of my pla Sphinx is cont : v ~ ~My