Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 672 — page 9: what you’re looking at

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

To the cellar they went. There was nothing particularly strange about it, except that the walls were built of square blocks of brown stone.. ‘‘ They don’t quarry such stone hereabouts, do they?” the detective asked of Scott. ‘‘T wasn’t here-when. thé house was built, but I reckon they came from some other part of the State. There’s no brown-stone quarry around here.” ‘‘Rather a queer idea that Wyndham should go to the. expense of importing the stone for a cellar wall, ain’t it?” ‘‘ Well, I should say so. Them stone are pretty costly, eh?” ' ‘You bet they are! The fact that these walls are brown stone increases my suspicion ten-fold.” ¢ **In what respect?” ‘| believe there’s a hole in the bluff back of this rear wall.” ** But the wall appears to be solid.” ‘‘Yes, it looks so. But, some of. these blocks may be movable.” “We can try them, at any rate.” _ They proceeded at once with the examina- tion of the walls. 1 ‘“‘T1l bet my shirt there ain’t a loose stone in this wall,” protested Scott, after they had examined nearly all of the rear wall stones. ‘Take my advice, and hang on to your shirt, for it will be winter after awhile, and you will need one. Behold!” and Dick pointed to a pair of hinges discovered in one of the crevices between two of the stones, But there was no appearance of a door, no keyhole, no apparent way of getting into the place beyond. ‘Well, this looks as if we were in as much of a muddle as ever,” said Dick. “*There’s a place beyond, dead sure,” in- sisted the old miner. ‘“No doubt about it. The question is how are we going to get into it.” ‘‘T reckon you won't get into it, not if I know myself!” said a gruff voice. And turning, Dick and Scott beheld no less a per- sonagé than Wesley Wyndham. . CHAPTER X. “WELL, gentlemen,” Wyndham said, ** what are you coing here?” ‘‘Trying to find Ethel Bly,” was Dick’s response, , WH ‘* Haven't found her, have you?” “No, not yet.” “* Nor are you likely to, around my house, for she is not here,” ‘*] don’t believe it. .You have got her penned up here somewhere, and I’m going to’ find her if it takes me a year.” “Well, you will have a good time doing it. The girl is not here I tell you.” “She left your employ after she got her money, did she?” ‘‘ She did.” | ‘‘She was not seen to leave your house. Scott, here, was at work for yuu; and he would have seen her,” ‘She left at night.” “That is not likely, There is no night trains for Denver.” ‘‘ Maybe she did not go there,” said Wynd- ham. ‘‘She may have eloped.” ‘*Pah! Whom would she elope with?” ‘Oh, there are lots of young men looking out for just the chance to run away with a girl who has got more money than brains.” ‘‘Maybe so, but Ethel Bly would not be liable to run away, and leave her poor old mother dependent on her for support, in. - Denver.” “YT don’t know about that. She was a __ flighty creature at the best, and mighty un- - |under constant surveillance. UNDEB THE DROP, BUT NOT INTIMIDATED. | thing in that. “What are those hinges for, if there is nothing beyond?” pW Shae ‘*They were put there when the house was built, as I contemplated building a wine- cellar back into the bluff, but finally gave up the idea.” se you please, just open that secret door, and let's have a look beyond, It will satisfy us more than your word.” ‘*There’s no door there yet.” **T know better.” ** Well, if you know more than I about it, suppose you get out of my house. I can’t parley With you any longer. I'd be justified in blowing your brains out, as it is. VJ! give you two minutes to get out, and no more, and if I ever catch you around here again, I will shoot you at sight. So take warning.” ‘“‘ Correct,” said Dick. ‘‘ You happen to have the drop now, but you will give up Ethel Bly before I leave Durango, or you will give up your life. Just put that in your pipe and smoke it, at your leisure.” “’m not smoking that kind of tobacco,” replied Wyndham. At the muzzle of his revolver he marched Dick and Scott up-stairs, and to the front door. ‘“Now, you get!” he ordered, ‘‘and don’t let _me cateh you around my premises again.” . wee Oh, I dare say I'll pay you another call in the course of time,” Dick retorted. ‘‘ I’ve a great curiosity to make some further ex- plorations in that cellar of yours,” ‘“Well, you try it, and Pll guarantee the undertaker a job,” ‘‘It will be for yourself, if any one.” ‘*Come now, get.” - ‘“‘ By-by,” said Dick, | ‘‘ I’ll see you later,” With that he and Scott took their de- parture. “Well, we got out of that scrape cheaper than I expected,”’ said the latter. ‘‘ Well, yes. It’s a wonder the old cuss didn’t shoot.” ‘* A big wonder.” ‘Well, what’s to be done?” “For one thing, that house must be kept If Wyndham has got the girl shut up there, he will now take alarm, most likely, and find another place for her.” ‘*T shouldn’t wonder if there is some- Having got himself into the muss, he is bound to keep himself in it,” said | Scott. “Just so, He wiil try and get rid of- the girl, as soon as he can. Therefore, I will eave you here to keep an eye on the house, and will bring you a relief for the night.” ‘All right; and when you come with the relief, don’t forget something to brace a fel- low up. UTll keep a good watch on the house. If I see a carriage go there and leave, then what shall I do?” ** Follow it,” ‘* But, I couldn’t keep up with it on foot, not very well.” ‘*T will send a boy here with my horse.” “Allright. I can follow, if there is any occasion to,” Scott said. So Dick walked on back into the town. “ Lapis? adventures have not panned out as well as expected,” he mused, ‘‘ Now that Wyndham found us in his house, it will be hard work to get into it again. But into it I mean to go before many hours. The mystery surrounding those hinges in the cellar wall must be investigated, and I’m the investigator that is going to do it!” CHAPTER’ XI. GIVING BRANDON SOMETHING TO REMEM- | BER, { assentéd Jackson. was turned, with the intention of takin life.” . ‘*] did nothing of the sort.” ‘“You lie, you hound. And, now, we’ve got to have it out.” ‘* How do you mean?” “You have got to fight me with pistols,” ‘‘T won't fight.” | > ‘* But, you will, though.” This altercation of: course attracted a crowd, among whom were Mayor Mike Murphy and Jim Jackson, the sheriff. ‘Hello, here! What’s the difficulty?” de- manded Murphy. ‘This scoundrel made an attempt on my life, and now that I want to meet him the coward won't fight!” ‘Is this so, Brandon?’ asked Murphy. “Yes, it is so,” replied Brandon, dogged- ly. ‘‘I was not brought up for fighting duels, and I don’t intend to begin now.” ‘* Yet you shot me, like an assassin.” ‘‘*As I had a perfect right todo. You and the girl outlaw, Belle Brennan, were to- gether.” ** ‘‘And jealousy caused you to attempt to take my life.” . ‘* There was no jealousy about it. You are both of you outlaws, and I should have been doing the, public a favor if the shot I fired had been fatal.” ik ‘You are both a liar and a would-be mur- derer, and are’in duty bound to have a settle- ment with me, here and now. I'll leave it to the mayor if this aint a fair and square deal!” ‘‘Well, I should cough!” returned the mayor, who, being a blue grass? Kentuckian was an authority on matters of honor. ‘‘ Yas,” he continued. ‘* Brandon must toe the mark, or forever forfeit the respect of his fellow-men, Don’t you say so Jackson?” ‘* Well, 1 reckon it’s no more than fair,” ‘* However, as a guardian of the peace, and with ther moral interests of the community in view, I cannot consent to the use of revolvers. If the men will go to work with their fists, I can look on with a clear conscience.” This caused a general laugh, for those who were intimately acquainted with Jackson never knew he had a conscience. ‘‘Well, if I must be forced into a fight so be it,” said Brandon. ‘‘ Ill break the head ~ of this infernal interloper. As a pal of Bella Brennan, it stands to reason he is one of her sort, and nothing’ will please me more than to give him the worst licking he ever had.” ‘“ Easier said than done, -I reckon,” ob- served Mayor Mike Murphy. ‘*] reckon it’ so,” said Dic. in the street and square yourself!” ‘‘Ten to five on Brandon!” cried one of the assemblage. | “Taken,” Murphy responded. to all such bets as that.” For the next few seconds the betting was lively, Dick being the favorite. News of the impending battle had spread like wildfire, Nearly the whole town seemed to have turned out, in an incredibly short space of time to witness the ‘‘sport,” for such it was regarded in Durango. ‘ Men came, women assembled, some of them, bringing their babies. Young America was well represeuted. The ring formed, Mayor Mike Murphy a cowardly attack on me, when my ne & my ‘*Step out **]’m open mounted a box, which had been provided — for a grand stand, and with a revolver in ~ either hand delivered an address: ‘Ladies and galoots!” he called out. “By the power vested in me as mayorof this town, I propose to conduct this circus, and will salivate the first son of-a-sea-cook who The programme is — attempts to interfere. certain.” — RETURNING to the busy part of the town | that these men, who are enemies, shal] bam- | What is beyond this wall?” Dick met Ned Brandon Jounging infront of | mer away at each other, until one or the “The bluff.’ the White Elephant Saloon, other gets done-up so bad that he won't be Re There’s more than that.” ‘‘Just the chap I want to see,” the detec- | able to speak United States for a month. Not that 1 know of.” tive said, walking up to him, ‘* You made |*Now then, lads, sail in, and may the best Gy rs 7 » » a le ‘ ; ’ , re 4 : , x . 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