Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 627 — page 9: what you’re looking at

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

= ee a, ee — | : refusal to throw any light on these mysteries, all told seriously against him. Though there was no proof that would have told in court, that community had other ways of settling questionable cases. In the roaring anger and passion of the citi- zeus, it would take littke more provocation to justify an appeal to lynch law. The mar who had lost the horse, in particu- lar, was loud in his demonstrations. ‘““There’s got to be an example, gentlemen,” he declared, ag “That critter had 2,40 blood in him, and I wouldn’t have sold him for any man’s five hundred. I want satisfaction, if I can’t get back the hoss, and there don’t seem no show of that. Don’t blow to me ‘bout the law. There ain’t no Jaw west of the Mississippi, except the law of the treo and rope. We've got to snatch and hang a bit afore we'll get a clear moral atmosphere.” As yet, however, the excitement was confined to talk. The people were not roused to the pitch needed to take violent measures. Nor was the evidence against Tom Bruce quite decided enough to justify such measures. A lurking doubt in the minds of many restrained them. They preferred to wait for new revelations, Meanwhile the feeling in regard to the Huntly murder had by no means died away. Will Corson’s testimony, doubtful as it was, had given a new direction to the investigation. It was still quietly but diligently prosecuted, and every movement of Jake Bruce and Tony Blink watched, for something that might throw light upon the affair. The gentleman whose shoulder tip had so startled Jake Bruce was stillin town, His busi- ness was not made public, but he bad sbown so strong an interest in the Huntly murder, that many grew to fancy that he must be a secret detective from some of the large cities, sent for by the authorities of Mayville. He made a thorough investigation of the Huntly mansion, searching every hiding-place he could discover, as if in quest of evidence, If be fonnd anything he kept his discovery to himself. A week passed, at the end of which the affair seemed to stand whereit did at the beginning. During this period he had not addressed a word nor given a sign of recognition to Jake Bruce, though meeting him more than once. On Monday of the following week he suddenly accosted that individual. It was evening, and the place of meeting was a retired one. a The stranger faced Jake, bringing him toa halt, though there was no sign of shrinking on the stolid face of the latter, ‘‘T doubt you, you villain,” remarked the stranger, in a stern tone. ‘‘ You are playing double with me. By Heaven, if I catch you playing double I'll make the United States hot quarters for you!” ‘**You’re welcome,” answered Jake, with in- solent coolness. ‘‘Do your prettiest. I wasn’t born in the woods to be skeered by an owl.” ‘You had a hand in that Huntly murder, Jake Bruce,” ‘* Be a leetle keerful how you spout, Gordon. That’s rough talk.” **] happen to know who it’s addressed to. You have those papers?” ‘‘ Have I? I won’t say yes nor no to that till you tell me what papers ye’re chattin’ ’bout. Y’m kinder in the dark on that subject,” “You lie, you scoundrel! No one knows bet- ter than you what | mean,” ‘Don’t ba rubbin’ it in, Gordon,” warned Jake. “I’ve got a heavy fist if you wake it ” up. cc You dare not strike me, you hound, I will hang you if you do.” <u “T rather doubt that,” rejoined Jake, with a loud laugh of derision, ‘‘ If 1t comes ter a hang- in’ match, look out you don’t git your neck ina pickle. if wasn’t born no fool, Gordon, and I wasn’t educated no fool.” . The stranger looked Jake intently in the face as if seeking to discover his meaning. ‘*] know you better than you imagine,” he re- marked in a tone of indignation. ‘‘ And I ad- vise you not to presume too much on my for- bearance, An accident happened to your ee a few days ago. Let no more such accidents happen, ou your peril. [warn you again, ruf- fian, that if you injure him you shall swing for it. That is my last word, remember it,” He walked away without waiting for a re- sponse, Jake followed him with his eyes, while varied emotions passed over his face, ‘‘ Wonder if he’s got the spunk to do it?’ he asked himself. ‘‘ He’s got a touch of the devil in him when he’s raised, and he smells a rat bout - xe al that Huntly business—smells it strong, drat him! ‘* But I’ve a big notion that I hold the whip hand of the whole caboodle. As fur the kid, it’s hang or hang. He'll hang me if I don’t hang him. But if ther law hangs him I ain’t ’count- able fur that,am I? Nary time.—You dunno the sort o’ tree you’re climbin’, Ned Gordon. Nor you don’t happen ter smell out the little bit o’ financial biz atween me and Paul Bert. You bet the old wolf’s got to fork out lively arter the kid goes under.” There was a deep significance in the laugh that followed his words. It was so malignant and triumphant that it seemed to come from the lips of Mephistopheles rather than a human being. On the next day the stranger disappeared from Mayville. If he was a special detective, as some persons imagined, he had either discovered nothing, or had gone elsewhere to work up his discoveries. Jake Bruce was as silent about his disap- arance as he had been about bs appearance, ut he celebrated it in a characteristic way, namely, by filling himself so full of whisky that his skin seemed ready to burst. He blustered, quarreled, and roared as usual, and might have got into some dangerous affray had not Tony succeeded in coaxing him home, ‘* You've got to stay with me to-night,” he said. ‘* You’re too drank to go home, raising a row in your family. And it ain’t safe after our boy has just got over his hurt. It might ‘ dangerous to excite him,” These remarks were accompanied with a meaning look, which had more in it than the words, ‘¢T ain’t half so drunk as them fools take me fer,” rejoined Jake, ‘‘I kin carry more gg in my hide than ten of ’em. Reckon, though, oughter be took keer of a little, and you kin tote me home, Tony.” Two days more passed, which were principal- ly occupied by Jake in getting sober, By the end of that time Tom had become ful- ly himself ayain, His strength and vitality had compjetely returned, and but for the long red scar which was revealed by his clipped hair, no trace of his recent assault would have remained, ‘‘ Tt’s kind of tender yet, dad,” he said to his father, in a eonversation that arose between them. ‘' But [Pd never know anything was wrong if I kept my fingers away fromit. I s’pose I'll keep feeling it till I get hold of the fellow that hit me, and then !’ll feel him.” Jake laughed beartily at these words. ‘““Yowrs a chip of the old block,” be cried. ** Ther’s only one bad job ’bout the bizness as it stands now,” ‘* What is that?” “The chap as salted you, robbed you, durn him! He’s left me so blazin’ poor that I haven’t got three coppers to rub together in my pocket.” Tom turned toward him on hearing these words. ‘* Where did you get the money you have been spending for whisky?’ he asked. ‘‘ The money you wanted to match five and ten-dollar gold-pieces with?’ His tone had more of doubt and suspicion than he probably intended. Jake looked up with an ugly frown on his face. He seemed about to speak harshly, but he checked himself, and answered in a quiet tone: ‘¢ Tt don’ take much for me to get drunk on, Tom. And when I’m loaded with whisky I kin brag louder on an empty pocket than most people kin on a full one,’ ‘**T thought it strange where you got so much money,” muttered Tom, in py ‘lve got to have money, Tom, I can’t live without it, And as long as you lost that pile I reckon I'll have to send you fur another divvy,” * What! On a night ride again, and over the Mississippi?” cried Tom. ‘‘Not much, I don’t like such shady doings, and I told you the last time I wouldn’t go again unless you let me into the secret.” ‘Bless yer soul, boy,” cried Jake, with a great show of heartiness, ‘there ain’t no se- cret bout it; that.is,so far as you and me’s consarned, though I wouldn’t like to blaze it out to everybody. I didn’t want to tell you neither, for fear you mought look down on yer old dad, ’kaze I'll bave to tell some things as I reckon I oughter be ’shamed of. But then, you’re near a man grown now.” ‘¢Go on, dad; let me hear it,” said Tom. ‘I suspect that you have led a wild life.” : ‘The gist on’t is that old Jake Bruce isn’t uite so poor a dog as some folks take him ur. I’vegot a nice property over in Tennessee, my boy, that’ll be yourn some day.” he al a T PP . 9 rere eee eee ett eee LLL LE LL SOE _———_—<——eweeRe__:":".. ‘¢ Then why do you live here?” ‘‘ Bless yer eyes, I had to make tracks, I done somethin’ that got the constables on rai trail, and they’d locked me up fur ten years if hadn’t dug out. Don’t ax me what it was, Tom. No use to rake up them kind of by- ones,” **T’'d rather not know,” answered Tom, witha sickly feeling. ‘‘1’m in hidin’ here, Tom, that’s a fact, but ‘my property’s in the bands of a good stout friend, who pays me well fur the use of it. But it’s got to be done on the sly, ’kaze they’re squiptin’ arter me yet, over in Tennessee, I used to go meet him myself, but lately ’ve got ter sendin’ you, fur he hinted as it was risky fur me, ‘* But it’s not two weeks since he gave mo money. He won’t have it again so soon.” ‘Don’t you mind that, lve writ him, 1 want you to go, Tom, You'll find the hoss in the old place,” ‘‘ Where does that horse come from?’ asked Tom, ‘' That’s as great a mystery as the other!” cis My friend t’other side the river ’tends to all that. ’ve got to keep outer it altogether. What d’ye say, Tom? Will you go?” ‘This once, I suppose. But I don’t like the business, dad, and that’s flat.” CHAPTER XI, A NIGHT OF ADVENTURE. Ir was the second night after the events just recorded. Tom Bruce left his home about ten o’clock in the evening, after a few hours slum- ber. He made his way toward the grove, where he found a borse awaiting bim on the previous oc- casion. The night was dark. Heavy clouds o’erspread the sky, and a chill and gusty wind howled at intervals along the road, But all that troubled not the young adven- turer, Every step on the road was familiar to him, while the chill of the air had no effect on his warm young blood, He felt as strong and hearty as before his hurt, and was excited and enlivened by the thought of the wild night ride before him, His love for adventure had made him enter into the scheme with little opposition, Meanwhile, events were progressing in May- ville, That very day a meeting of citizens had been held for the purpose of discussing the Huntly murder. Colonel Levi Brown presided, and the meeting took the phase of a Vigilance Committee, Suspicion rested strongly on Jake Bruce and Tony Blink as the murderers, though, as must be confessed, on very slight grounds, There was not an ounce of evidence against them, ex- cept that Will Corson had seen two men not un- like them on the night of the murder, But not even lynch-law could convict men of murder on no more evidence than this, “It’s my opinion that they ought to be arrested and beld on suspicion,” declared Harry Smith, one of the townsmen, ‘‘ Their houses have not been searched vet. We may find some hanging proof there,” . ‘*Wehad best make the search first and the arrest afterward, if anything is found,” sug- gested another. | ‘‘And give them the chance to make way with what we want? Do you calculate they*d leave us a scrap of evidence?” ‘*We can look out for that. We're not quite fools.” “ It is my opinion,” said Colonel Brown, “ that no hasty movement is judicious. I should ad- vise an examination of the young man, Thomas Bruce. You remember what his father ac- knowledged, when drunk, at the Bald Eagle. Tbe voy certainly knows something about it, and should be pinched till he tells,” ‘‘That’s a good idea. A rope around his neck might squeeze the truth out of him.” ‘No, sir, no violent measures,” said Samuel Wilson. “We want the truth, not a lie ex- torted by torture, The boy is as honest as any man in this room, [ll swear that, and he’s got to be handled on the square.” ; ‘‘That’s so,” declared another, ‘‘I believe in Tom Bruce, if he has got a sot of a father.” It was finally decided to let the matter stand until the next morning, when an adjourned meeting covld be held, the boy examined, and the houses of Blink and Bruce searched. All this bad been conducted with the utmost secrecy, and yet wind of it was abroad be- fore an hour had passed. 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