Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 597 — page 7: what you’re looking at

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

— - A i tt te . ee The Young Texan Detective. ue **T say it’s your stand now,” ‘“* Ah! yes! I am ready; but have you heard anything?” ** Not = whisper, save a bootin’ owl,” ‘* Wiiere did you stand?” ‘* Down the canyon a hundred feet,” ** And up the canyon?” ‘*Thar’s nothin’ ter look fer thet way,” said the guide, who did not explain just why danger might not come from one direction as well as the other. ‘The youth took his rifle and went to his post, and was at once on the alert. The guide did not appear to be long awake, and the youth walked by him up the canyon and watched in that direction. As Texas had ridden off that way, it was natural for Edgar Dumont to expect, if harm was to follow that midnight ride, it would come from that direction. He heard nothing, saw nothing, during the time he stood on watch, and he knew well how to watch, though the guide thought it was his first night on duty of the kind. The young Texan had stood his post with the rangers, on many a trail after Indians and Mexican raiders, while he had stood as a sentinel many a nightat the Military Academy. At last, as the first rays of dawn appeared in the canyon, he returned to the tree, beneath which slept the guide and called out: ‘* Get up, Purd Texas, for dawn is breaking.” In an instant the guide was upon his feet, his rifle in hand, as though he bad had a bad dream from which he was rudely awakened. ‘Ah! but yer skeert me, pard, and I thought there were trouble brewing,” he said. The youth laughed, but responded: ‘*No, I have seen no cause for alarm; but shall we be off?” ‘* Yas, rollup yer blankets and git things in shape. Has yer seen ther hosses?” ‘‘No, but I heard them awhile ago,” and Edgar rolled up his blankets and got all in readiness, as did also the guide, Then they moved toward their horses, to sud- ‘gered halt as a sharp voice sung out: ‘* Hands up! ‘* A dozen rifles cover you!” It was daylight now. The two men saw that their horses were in the background and held while, under the shadows of the cliff, stood half a score of men, also masked and in black clothes, ther rifles leveled upon them, ‘*The Black Bravos, boy pard, or I ama edicated liar!” cried the guide, as his hands ayes, above his head at the command of the chief. The young Texan had taken in the situation inan instant. He saw ata glance that they were entrapped for, turning his gaze over his shoulder, he discovered there were enemies in the rear as well as in front; so he was nota whit behind the guide in raising his hands over his head. One of the Black Bravos then approached and confronted them. His face was masked, and his clothes and appearance were different from the men with him, in that the former were of fine material and the latter showed him to bea man of distinguished presence. He wore gold spurs, the pistols and knife in his belt were mounted with the same precious metal, and his top-boots were such asa general officer might wear. His face was covered with a face-shaped cloth mask that fitted it closely, and was of a dull hue that gave it the appearance of being flesh at a distance, His head was sheltered by a black slouch hat, encircled by a gold cord, and in front was a pin representing a skull and cross-bones, delicately carved in ivory. His coat was buttoned up close; the tails were long and he looked most ministerial; but for the mask, he might readily have been taken for the chaplain of a cavalry regiment, is men wore jackets instead of coats, their weapons were silver-mounted, while also their heels were armed with huge Texan spurs, The latter, too, carried repeating-rifles in ad- dition to their other arms; but all had on their hats the skull and cross-bones, though they were of some red material, and not of ivory. The emotions of the young Texan it would be hard to describe, as he beheld himself face to face with the men he deemed the slayers of his father, the destroyers of his home, as also that be was their prisoner, He gazed upon the masked face of the chief with a beating heart and flashing eyes. ‘‘ Well, sirs, who and what are you?” demand- ed the chief, sternly, his eyes fixed upon the | | by two forms in deep black, with masked faces, | with every indication of refinement about bim, youth, rather than upon the guide, as it appear- ed through the eye-holes in the mask, ‘* Spit 16 out, boy pard, and tell bim what we is, for you kin talk straight, I guesses,” urged the guide. ‘* Who and what are you?” was the query of Edgar in response. **'You must be a Yankee, to answer a question by asking one; but that you may kuow just whom you are talking to, I’ll tell you that [ am known as Captain Brandt the Black Bravo, and these are my men, while you two are my game just now,” ‘*'Well, Captain Brandt the Black Bravo, what do you want with us?” was the undaunted youth’s retort. ‘* First, [ wish you to place your rifles and pour belt of arms at your feet, and then to step ack five paces, Remember, you are covered by the rifles of my men.” ‘*It is not likely that we can forget what is so plain before our eyes,” and, as be spoke, the young Texan unslung his rifle from his back, unbuckled his belt, and Jaid the weapons at his feet. This done, he stepped backward five paces, The guide did likewise, and the Black Bravo chief advanced to the weapons and halted there, ‘* Now, again I ask you, whoand what are you Q”? ‘‘My name is Kdgar,] am a Texan, searching for one in the mines whom I am most anxious to find, and this men is my guide.” ‘* Well, Pard Edgar, I will just say that I want you and your guide, so you are to go with me. And, mind, no nonsense, for the Black Bravos hold life cheap. ‘*Men, get their horses, tie them to their sad- dles and blindfold them; then come to the re- treat.” And, mounting a fine-looking, jet-black horse, the Black Bravo chief rode up the canyon, his men soon after following with the prisoners, CHAPTER XII. THE THIRD TIME, I MUST ask my reader to go with meina glance over the past, some time before the birth of my hero, Edgar Dumont. In an Eastern State, living in’elegance, and was a merchant by the name of Kennerley, and his only child, a lovely maiden of eighteen, This maiden, Kate Kennerley, refined, beauti- ful, accomplished, was engaged to a deserving young man of fine family, but possessed of little of this world’s goods, and thovgh Mr. Kenner- ley greatly admired his danghteyr’s lover, Dillon Dumont, he felt constrained to break the match off that she might marry one who was said to possess a large fortune, That one, Gale Davenport, was however a bankrupt, baving run tbhrougb with his large inheritance and was anxious to marry Kate Kennerley to redeem his fallen fortunes, So matters stood a few days before the in- tended marriage of Kate Kennerley and Dillon Dumont, Seated in her room one day, overlooking the work of seamstresses, Kate received word to come to the library to see her father, She had supposed him to be down town at his sone, = hastened to the library, fearing to find im ill, His face was pale and his manner nervous as he said: ‘* My child, sit down for I wish to have a talk with you. ** The truth is I have come to ask you tu save me from ruin,” ‘*Ob father! what can you mean?” **T mean, my child, that I have notes coming due and not a dollar to meet them with,” ‘* But you are so rich, father.” ** All appears so, but I am on the verge of ruin, and were iny debts paid to-day I would not bave & dollar, but in fact would still owe largely. ‘Tt has not been my fault that all this has come about, and I have struggied manfully to Save myself, but can see but one chance to do sO. ** And that chance, father?” “Is \brcucvh you,” 6 ie 2” “V3 for [have an offer for your hand, as you hav> jong known, from Gale Davenport, “ yle isa very rich man, and only this morn- ing came to me and urged an immediate accept- ance of his offer, for he loves you devotedly, he is handsome, a fine fellow though a trifle wild, and says that he will go broad to live if you refuse,” ‘‘ But father, my engagement and early mar- riage with Mr. Dumont you seem to utterly ignore, as also the fact that [ love him most dearly.” ‘* No, he has not a dollar, so cannot save us, and you will only be a pauper if I fail.” ‘* And do you ask me to marry Gale Daven- rt?’ ‘*T implore you to do so.” ‘*On what terms, father?” ‘Well, if you marry him I can renew my notes for thirty days and then get the money from him to tide over until 1 can recover my- self.” ‘* Are you sure of this?” ‘‘ Yes, he promised it to-day.” “Tf I do not marry him?’ **] go to ruin within ten days. ‘*Save me, my child. for the sacrifice is not so great,” and the selfish man buried his head in deepest grief. ‘* Father, the sacrifice is far more than you can understand; but I will viele to the bargain you make with Mr. Davenport, and will write to Dillon Dumont at once, severing our engage- ment, and then lam atthe service of the one whose wife lam to become whenever he deems fit to claim me.” So saying, she sat down at her father’s desk and wrote to the man she so dearly loved, tell- ing him that at the last moment she had changed ber mind, and intended to become the wife of another, This letter was given to her father to mail at once, and that night he brought her news that the wedding day with Gale Davenport was set upon the one she had intended to become the wife of Dillon Dumont. But Kate Kennerley did not marry Gale Davenport, as a note he bad forged, to raise money until he could get possession of what he expected to receive with his wife, was discover- ed and he had to fly to escape arrest, But the merchant was not to be outdone by this misbap. He simply congratulated himself that bis daughter bad escaped marrying a_ penniless scamp, and at once turned to another for aid, That other was a bachelor, quiet-mannered by no means sbowy iv his style of living, and possessing in reality a large fortune. The name of this man was Calvin Maynell and he was a cynic, good-looking, well educated and had traveled extensively. Some said that he bad been disappointed in love in his younger years, as he seeme: to avoid society. He had sprung infront of a runaway team one day and checked them, In the carriage was Kate Kennerley, and bht for his act she would have lost her life, as the canal was before them and the drawbridge open, Boon after Calvin Maynell had called upon Merchant Kennerley and asked for the hand of his daugbter, She was engaged, and, as then the merchant did not need money, the offer was declined. After the flight of Gale Davenport, Mr. Ken- nerley called upon Calvin Maynell. He asked that gentleman for a loan, and a large one too. Mr. Maynell beard the merchant’s appeal to the end, and then said: ‘+ As your expected son-in-law has run off, Mr, Kennerley, to escape imprisonment for forgery, I now again ask for the hand of your daughter, sorb Sho to name the day when she is will- ing to become my wife, and, if you bring me her pledge to marry me, I will give you a check for the sum you ask, on a note due the day of the wedding, and which I will return to you without asking you to pay it, taking your daugh- ter, in fact, as payment. Mr. Kennerley was delighted, and at once has- tened home to see his daughter. Kate Kennerley was mourning in her room over her disappointed love, and her escape from marrying a rogue, She had heard that Dillon Dumont had at once left for parts unknown; it was said to join the Texan army in its fight for freedom from Mexico, She buried her love in her beart, and began to decide upon her future, for her father would fail, and she would have to go to work, But she did not know the resources of her fa- ther for getting out of tight places, and was surprised to see bim come in with a smiling face, . Her engagement had been known to but a few, and bardly any one had heard of the in- tended change from Dillon Dumont to Gale Da- venport.