Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 707 — page 4: what you’re looking at

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

4 the adventurer’s face changed, and he turned very pale. He saw the trap that he wasin, and he knew now that be must come to terms, so he said uietly : ‘‘ Well, if your price is not too high we may trade.” CHAPTER VI. THE COMPACT, Frwuire Soro was a finisbed villain. He intended making a bold strike for gold, but he meant to have itso, in case of his death, that his revenge would come, even though he was in the grave. So be took into his confidence a priest, hand- ing him a sealed package, in which were the names he did not make known, If be died these names were to be made pub- lic, and Felipe Soto would have the satisfaction in bis dying hour of knowing that he had ar- ranged for his revenge. ‘*Senor, you are wise, and we will have no trouble, I know. ‘See, I trust you perfectly, and we can talk matters over amicably.” The adventurer made no reply, and dismount- ing from his horse, led the way to a place some distance off, where no one who mizht go to the spring would see them, ‘* Now, what do you want, Felipe Soto?” ‘My wants are uot extravagant, senor, and I will state them. ‘‘ There is a ranch up on the Rio Grande that IT have taken a fancy to, andI can buy it, with several hnndred head of cattle and two-score ponies, for, say ten thousand pesos,” ‘* Your price is too high.” ‘‘ Now I thought that moderate, senor,” ‘111 tell you. what I'll do.” ‘* Yes, senor.” ‘Pll buy you the ranch and stock, or give you the money to do so.” ‘* You are so good, senor.” ‘‘ Then I will give you an equal amount in gold to have you do some work for me.” ‘* Aoreed, senor.” ‘* You do not know what it is.” ‘*[t matters not, senor, I will do it.” ‘* Suppose it is to take a life?” ‘‘ Now, senor, do you think J’d hesitate to take a life which was worth ten thousand pesos to me?” ‘There must be no mistake?” ‘¢ There shall be no mistake, senor.” ‘*1t must be done in a peculiar way.” ‘‘ Ah! maybe it’s the beautiful senora, your wife?” ‘* Villain!” hissed the adventurer. Buc perfectly unmoved Felipe Soto continued: ‘‘No! not the senoraf Then it must be the Senor Colonel Eldoro, for she is his sole heir.” The American’s face changed color at this, and he said in a low tone: ‘¢ What if I said it was the colonel?” - ‘“‘TIt would make no difference to me, senor, no more than if it was the senora,.” ‘¢ Would you kill a woman?” ‘¢ Don’t tempt me by offering big money, senor, or you'll find out that I would.” ‘Well it is not my wife,” ‘¢ But her father? 46 Yes,” ‘¢ He bolds the purse-strings too tight, senor?” ‘* Yes, and his will leaves every peso to her, nothing to me.” _ “T understand,” ‘¢ if he dies, she is his heir.” ‘* Yes, senor,’ “And I fear he may change his will so as to cut me off from the management which as the will now reads the law would give me.” ‘‘T can see how that is, senor; he is not as friendly with you as he was,” ‘‘ Well his daughter married against his will, for he had already pledged her to a man who is rising in fame and riches every day.” **) see.” ‘* But as she loved me he yielded and we were married just one year ago.” ‘““You made quick work of it, senor, and I congratulate you; but how long do you think the colonel should yet live?” ‘‘He is consummating more speculations now which will pay him enormously, and it will be several months before they can be in a condition that would not be hurt by his death.” ‘Say in five months, senor.” ‘‘ About that timé, or whenI need you I will write for you.” ‘*- Yes, senor: but have you thought how it is best to be done?” ‘*Catch him upon one of his visits home, and instead of halting him, kill him, rob him and £0.” The Red Sombrero Rangers. OL eee em < ** And my pay?” ‘‘T will bring it to you as soon as I can get away after the affair.” ‘*T guess it will be safe, senor, for you’d lose allif you forgot to pay me, and more, if you played me false I’d hang you if I had to hang to do it. ‘* ’'m revengeful, senor.” ‘“*T willnot play you false, but instead pay you handsomely, as in time I may have other work for you to do,” “T am your man, senor; but when dol get my ranch? ‘*Go there from here, and I will follow with- ina few days, for I must raise the money in some way first.” ‘*T understand, senor, so here where is you will find me,” and the man hastily wrote a few words in Spanish and handed the paper to the Ameri- can, Soon after they parted, and Hammond:Hughes rode slowly homeward. As he rode he mused to himself after this fashion: ‘* Well, I must get rid of the colonel, and if he is shot and robbed by a bandit no suspicion will fall upon me, ‘* He will not change his will for six months yet, for I-heard him tell Dolores he would only do soif he found out that I was not the map J had represented myself to be, as some of my disappointed rivals have asserted. ‘Dolores trusts me implicitly, snd when her father dies, I can manage her property. ‘‘Tf she puts the check-rein on me, why I shall simply have to get rid of her. ** And of her baby boy? ‘* Well, he must die in infancy, that is all, for then shall I be master of all, and not until then, ‘*T am glad I met this Felipe Soto, for he can do what 1 intended to do. ‘*But 1 must find out who this priest is, for after Welipe has done my bidding he must also go the way of all flesh, and in a way that the priest shall suspect nothing. ‘* As for the priest, I must get those papers from him, by fair or foul means, and then [ will have no trouble to enjoy the grand fortune Iam plotting for.” And a few minutes after he entered the rooms of his beautiful wife and gave her a loving greeting, also bestowing a kiss upon the baby boy held up to him by the proud mother. And against these two the man was plotting death, for their death made him the possessor of a vast fortune, CL APTER VIL. THE PLAN OF THE ASSASSINS, ‘¢ Smnor, I am ready for the work.” It was nearly a year after the meeting of Stanwood Hughes and Felipe Soto at the spring, a league from the Eldoro Hacienda, and the speaker was the Mexican who had come to keep his pledge for gold, and remove the gallant colo- nel from his sphere of usefulness, He came in response to a letter received from the adventurer, and the two, according to an appointment made, met again at the old rendez- ous, ‘‘ Well, I am ready to have the work done, Felipe Soto, for the colonelis growing more and more bitter toward me for some reason, and I overheard him tell my wife the last time he visited the hacienda, that he should change his will, leaving every dollar to bis little grandson, Elroy, and place it in the hands of guardians for him, while she would be paid a liberal allow- ance, but, in case of my death, all should be as it was before. ‘Tat once wrote for you, and he is to come home on next Saturday, but I learned to-day he was to bring a priest with him as bis guest, and I fear this may spoil our plans,” ** No, senor, if I kill him in the presence of the priest, there will be better proof that bandits did the deed.” ‘¢ True, if your hand does not fail you in the presence of the padre.” . ‘*Tt will not; but, senor, I have a plan,” Well?” **Tt would seem better to have two men.” **Tt would.” ‘** So I brought a comrade with me.” ‘* Ha! you let him into the secret?” ‘** Not exactly, senor; but he knew enough to cost him his life, for he began to demand more pay, and we quarreled.” ‘ Well?” asked the adventurer, in a startled wa y. ** Ob, I shot him.” “ When?” ** Half an hour ago.” “* My God! this will spoil all!” > ‘* No, seuor, it will belp us, for he is wounded, mortally, but will live until to-morrow, ** Now you be my comrade, disguising yourself in his outfit, and I’ll do the shooting and kill the colonel, though both of us can fire upon him, **1’ll rob him while you cover the padre with your rifle, and then we’ll retreat. ‘* A few moments after you dash up upon your horse, the padre will tell you the story, and you. go in pursuit. ‘*Come straight for the cliff, which I will show roo now, and my comrade will be dead by then, but if not I can finish him. ‘** His horse and mine will be there, **T’]l place him in position and all that, and you ride back to tell the padre that you killed one on the cliff, and the other as he stood on the edge, and he fell over into the river, and was washed off by the foaming torrent. ‘*The two horses will be there to prove your story, with the dead body, for I'll make my es- cape on foot, as it will be safer for me. *““Of course it will be the one who fell over the cliff who had what treasure there was taken from the colonel, and so all will work smoothly. iT) See?” ‘Yes, I see that you are the most perfect vil- lain that it was ever my pleasure to meet, ‘‘T am proud of knowing you, Senor Felipe: Soto.” « ‘** Ah, senor, you flatter me,” ‘No, I assure you that I am proud of you.” ** And my plot?” ‘Is perfect.” ‘* You agree?” ** Indeed I do, my dear Felipe.” . So it was arranged, and the trio went to the cliff, where the dying comrade of Felipe Soto lay, a wound in bis head. be situation was taken in thoroughly, and while Hammond Hughes returned to the ha- cienda for the night, Soto remained near the dying man until the morrow, - ‘* Hammond, some of the hacienda people re- ported seeing two suspicious-looking men on the trails yesterday, so will you not ride to meet my” sre to-day, as I have real anxiety about im? So said Dolores, more beautiful as a married! woman than as a maiden, and she came into her husband’s room and leant over and kissed him. ‘Certainly, Dolores, if it will relieve your anxiety I will go.” ““You are so brave, my husband, I have no fear of danger for any one when you are near, ‘It is so good of you,” and Dolores’s words. made the man shiver; but hidirg his emotion,, he said he would prepare for his ride, and am hour after rode away from the hacienda alone, for he declined to take an escort, as his wife asked him to do. Nearly two years had they been married, and peer Dolores was not as happy as she had hoped There was a mystery about her husband whicly she could not understand, and though he pro- fessed to love her, yet she feared that another love had claimed his heart. before he met her. Her father, for reasons he kept from her, had come to doubt her husband more and more, and the two were little more than friendly, but. Dolores always took the side of Hammond Hughes, for she could see no harm in him, ex- cept that their little boy was not the idol of his: heart as he was of hers, Hammond Hughes rode away from the ha- clonda and kept his appointment with Felipe , oto. ‘‘How is the wounded man?’ was his first query. ‘* He must have known we needed his body, senor, for he died ten minutes ago,” was the un- feeling reply. ‘* Well, rig me up as quickly as you can, for we must be in plenty of time,” They put masks on them, and the adventurer further disguised himself, after which he took in the situation about the cliff, the body of the dead Mexican was placed in position, as though just slain, and the hiding-places of the two orses noted. Then while Felipe Soto went on foot, the ad- venturer rode to a spot where he tied his horse, not far from the sceve of ambush, : Taking their positions among the rocks in the pass, they quietly awaited the coming of the noble man whom the base American had willed should be assassinated to enrich bim. CHAPTER VIII, THE AMBUSH. ‘‘ THERE they come!” It was Felipe Soto who spoke, for his well- trained ears detected the sound of hoofs, micboo (E (e(0) S co