Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 597 — page 14: what you’re looking at

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

aa 14 stories of wild adventure on the Overland coaches, The passenger was in fact the only one he had and sat upon the box with Josh Sloan. He seemed to be deeply interested in all that Josu said, and asked a hundred questions about various people in the mining country. ** Does yer see thet big pile o’ rocks yonder, pard?” asked the driver as they came upon the ridge and he pointed ahead a few hundred yards, se Yes.” ‘Waal, thet were a favorite place fer ther Black Bravos to hold up ther coach, and right iu back under ther pines thar be now a half a dozen graves o’ people as was kilt in ther scrim- mages right thar.” ‘The Black Bravos have been broken up, I heard.” ‘*Waal, Dave Cook and his detectives did break up ther band; but thar are a few of ’em as didn’t git nabbed and they is prancin’ round ickin’ up a leetle dust whar they kin find it: ut it are sarti’n they hasn’t troubled my trail since they got bu’sted up.” ** And their chief, what of him?” ‘*'Waal, some say as how he were kilt, and others say he escaped ther night ther detectives struck ’em, and are now minin’ fer a livin; but I kinder think he lighted out from the dig- in’s long ago, as it were oncommon onhbealthy er him hereabout.” The passenger smiled but made no reply, and kept his eyes upon the pile of rocks re- ferred to by the driver. Suddenly there sprung out, as if by magic half a dozen forms, and a voice shouted sternly: ‘* You are held up, halt!” The driver hesitated, but not so the passenger, for seizing tbe whip he lashed the borses with one hand while with the other he fired upon the road-agents, One fell dead, another wounded, and so sur- prised were they, so taken aback by the bold act, that the coach was passing through the line before they rallied, Then they fired and the driver uttered a sharp cry. He had been wounded in the arm by a bullet. But instantly the passenger seized the reins, and laid the whip on, while he called out: ** Let them have it with your pistol.” Thus urged, with his unharmed hand, Josh Sloan fired rapidly at the pursuing road-agents, while the horses sped on, the new driver holdin the animals well down to work and going at a tremendous pace, The coach thus rolled on, to safety ere the astonished outlaws could realize that it had es- caped them, They swore loud and deep as they saw pursuit was useless, and were forced to give up the chase, On flew the horses, and the daring driver handled the reins like an expert, while Josh Sloan moved his wounded arm. ‘*T say, pard, whar did yer l’arn ter handle ther ribbons?” he cried, in admiration. ‘*In Texas,” ‘**Durnation! but you learnt to ther Queen’s taste, pard; but ther feller with ther white slouch got me, didn’t he?” ‘*I hope your wound will not prove a severe one; but we dare not stop yet to look at it.” ‘Not fer me, so keep ’em going, as thar is considerable freight aboard this old hearse them fellers would like ter git, pard. ‘*’Pears ter me I has seen yer afore, some- whar.” ‘** Maybe so.” ** You don’t look like a man o’ ther plains, but yer acts it, fer yer is chain-lightnin’ on ther shoot and drive. ‘Yer laid one out, and t’other you shot at went down with a bullet in him. **T tell yer ther boys will be proud ter know yer at Gold Dust City, and Judge Buck Baild- win, ther landlord o’ ther Palace Hotel will be pleased ter make yer comfortable, ‘* What might be your name?” ‘Edgar Dumont.” : Waal, thet are a pretty handle and no mis- take, ** Why, it sounds like a poetry name as yer read about in books,” The young detective laughed, and as they saw that the road-agents had not mounted and given chase, as they feared, he drew rein and looked at the wounded arm of the driver. The bone was not broken, fortunately, and after looking to it as well as he could under the circumstances, be again drove on and soon after arrived at Gold Dust City. There was great excitement there when the stage rolled up and the loungers understood that road-agents were again on the Overland Trails, The story of the attack was told by Josh Sloan in glowing colors, and Edgar Dumont be- came a young hero at once. The Young Texan Detective. delicate theme, but Ido so in the hope that I may bnng happiness to you and one other. ‘**In conversation with Mr. B, Borden one night, I happened to speak of you as unmarried, when he said that you had married your cousin by the same name. “| knew this to be a mistake, from what Captain If Judge Buck felt that he had seen the young | Boland told me, as he was aware that Mr. Maynell, detective before, he could not tell where; but he ave him the best .accommodations the Palace otel could afford, and aided him in fitting him- self with a horse and outfit to take the trail, as | your cousin, had committed suicide just before the marriage hour. “Captain Boland was also aware that you had consented to sacrifice yourself by marrying your cousin, to save your father trom financial ruin. as also giving him all the information in his power | he happened to be on the case to get Mr. Maynell’s about the finding of the unknown correspondent of Cora Maynell, the beautiful governess of Allene St. John. Having gotten a clew as to a lonely miner dwelling a long way off from Gold Dust City, the daring young detective started off on his search, determined to know no such word as fail, for he felt that his pride was at stake to accomplish the purpose of his coming, and then too the beautiful eyes of Allene St. John had haunted him ever since he bad seen the fair young girl at Wildlands, ~ CHAPTER XXVI, THE DETECTIVE’S LETTER, AFTER the departure of the young detective upon his perilous and difficult task of finding Cora Maynell’s unknown correspondent who signed himself B, Borden, matters went on at Wildlands in the even tenor of their way until it began to be time to hear of the success or fail- ure of Edgar Dumont’s mission. Not only had Mr. St. John felt assured, from what he had seen of the young Texan, and Captain Jack Boland had told him, that he would carry out his enterprise to a successful termination, but the governor also seemed to express the same confidence in his ability to do so, while in Allene he had a firm believer, In truth, little Miss Allene had been quite smitten with the handsome young Texan in the day and night be bad passed at Wildlands, and in her eyes he was a hero of no ordinary kind. Captain Jack Boland had sketched his career to the merchant, as he knew it, and he had the sympathy and respect of all at Wildlands, and their prayers for his success and protection from harm, One day, some time after the departure of Edgar Dumont, and when all were getting most anxious about the young detective, as no word came from him, a letter was brought up from the city by Mr. St, John for Miss Maynell. They all went into the library to hear the con- tents, for the post-mark on the envelope was **GoLp Dust City, COLORADO.” Breaking the seal with trembling hands, Cora Maynell saw that the handwriting was char- acteristic and distinct, and she read it aloud, as follows: ** Mountain Camp, Colorado. “Miss ConA MAYNELL:— **DeAR Lapy:—I have the pleasure of communi- cating to you on this, my first opportunity to do so, that I was successful in finding the Maynell-De- lorme Mine after some little difficulty. ‘*I found in possession of it your correspondent, B. Borden, and one other, a Mr. Roy Rockford, also & miner. ‘*The reason that you have not again heard from Mr. Borden is that soon after his last letter he was fortunate enough to save the life of Mr. Rockford who bad been fired upon by an ambushed foe, and bringing him to bis camp, near the mine, he discov- ered that he was not seriously hurt. ‘In turn, soon after. as Mr. Borden was prepar- ing to go to Gold Dust City after his mail, and to send you another letter. he was also wounded by a bullet from ambush, but bis intended assassin was killed by Mr. Rockford in turn. “Mr. Borden lay between life and death a long while, tenderly cared for by Mr. Rockford, and you can understand the reason why you did not hear from him. ‘*He is even now hardly able to travel, but soon will be, and we will start East, leaving Mr. Rockford in charge of the mine. **That there isa mystery about the mine is cer- tain, for it seems to be haunted by an evil genius, as your father lost his life as its owner, ad one Leon- ard Delorme also was killed. and zave it over to Mr. Meter who in turn was fired upon and nearly lost s life. ‘* The mine, which is, in fact. no regular gold-lead, but a canyon studded with dust and findings, has poe well, and still will pan out well for some little ime, “Mr. Rockford will be left in charge, as I said, while Mr. Korden comes East with me, bringin with him your share of the mine to date, and whic is guite a handsome sum, ‘* Now permit me to beg pardon if I touch upon a . aes record. ** Aware of these circumstances, and knowing Mr. B. Borden as late an officer in the United States Army, and whose name is ear Branch Borden, I make bold to write you as I do, for the fact of your having been engaged to him is known to me, and he, upon the breaking of that engagement, gave up the life or a soldier, and secluded himself here upon the border. ‘* When the mine fell into his hands he recognized at once that your were the heiress. and, believing ou to be married, and not desiring to have you Scie him as he is, he signed his name to the letter written to you as B. Borden, ‘*IT have urged Captain Borden to return East with me, and he can better explain to you all mat- ters regarding your inheritance, so you may look for us at a date not very far distant. ** With the hope that my misslon has been satis- factory. and kind remembrances to Mr. St. John and family, I remain, Respectfully, **EpGar Dumont, Detective. *P. S8.—I would like to add that Captain Borden. though aware that | am writing you regarding the mine, does not know the liberty I have taken in re- gard to himself, and to write you as I have.”’ When Cora Maynell reached the part of the letter that referred to Branch Borden, her old lover, her face had flushed and paled by turns, and she had stopped reading for awhile. But after controlling her emotion she said: “Tl have now nothing to conceal from you, my kind friends, so I will read just what De- tective Dumont has written, and which I have glanced over. ‘*T may say that I did offer to sacrifice myself to save my fatber from financial wreck, and broke my engagement. with Captain Brancb Borden, the gentleman to whom Detective Du- mont refers, to do so, ‘* But my cousin shot himself before the mar- riage, having squandered his fortune and com- mitted crime to hide it, believing he would get a fortune with my hand, ‘“*The papers had it that we were married, and Captain Borden doubtless saw the notice, for I heard that he had sailed for Europe. ‘** Instead, he went to the far West, and how strange a coincidence that we should cross each other’s way in life again, and under such strange circumstances, is it not?” Such was the explanation of the governess, and the mystery of her life being thus known, she became dearer than ever to Mr. St. John and his family, the noble merchant saying: **T shall have to adopt you as my daughter, Cora, for I see that you will need a father, at least until you get another protector.” From that day all at Wildlands watched for the coming back of Edgar Dumont and with him the soldier lover of the beautiful governess. Before that eventful day arrived both Edgar Dumont and Captain Borden had many ad- ventures and perils to pass through; but the Dare-Devil Detective kept his word at last and in the end brought the soldier to Wildlands, and the reception they met with will never be obliterated from the memory of either of them, for the characters of my story, kind reader, are real ones and are to-day dwelling in the sunny South; but not as old bachelors, I assure you, as the soldier miner in the end won the one wo- man in the world to him, and it can be readily understood that Allene St. John became Mrs, Edgar Dumont, the bride of the Dare-Devil De- tective. 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