Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 724 — page 13: what you’re looking at

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

~~ his voice unsteady with emotion. “It would be | the highest pitch by the outrage, and when | mering speech. useless to conceal anything further. Rougal will | Frank learned that Violet Vane had boldly ap-| ‘Did not understand it? What do you i r, _ not fall into our'trap after this,” peared in White Water that very evening, bis | mean?” bound with cords breught for that pa - and given up his plan for vengeance. Violet Vane’s Vengeance, 13 “Dern it, man!” whispered Old Sunflower. ‘“‘Do ye want ter start an avvylanche thet’ll come down ther mountain’ thar an’ burry us? Jest let up on thet attempt ter mock er thunder- storm, an’ see ef ye can’t keep yerself awake,” It was past midnight when the watchers saw two dark forms creeping cautiously toward the cabin, “Thar they be!” whispered Red Hot, ex- citedly. ** Are you awake?” asked Old] Sunflower, cau- tiously. ‘* It’s er derned wonder ye be.” ** All ready, men,” came in a guarded tone from Charlie Ross, ‘‘ Remember my instruc- tious. Lay low till I give the signal.” Slowly and silently the two figures approached the cabin, It was too dark for the watchers to make out their forms distinctly, but their as- pect proclaimed they were on evil work intent. Once or twice they halted and gazed round ina searching manner, but Charlie Ross and his companions hugged the ground closely, remain- ing undetected. he two men advanced to the cabin door and rapped in a peculiar manner, ‘That is the signal which Mat Rougal gives when he visits Harry and Dick,” whispered Charlie. Before long the door was opened cautiously, then the two men hurled themselves against it and burst into the cabin. There were several smothered shrieks of terror, then Charlie said in a low, firm tone: Now to work! Follow ‘“* All ready, boys! me!” Straight for the cabin he dashed, At the door one of the men suddenly shot open the slide of a dark-lantern, and threw the light into the room, revealing four figures, The boy and girl were struggling in the gras of the tw6 ruffians, Humpy Dick and Stu Smith! “This is not just the game we were looking for,” cried Charlie; ‘‘ but we wil] make it fast just the same, Gaffle on to them, boys!” But, the squat desperadoes objected to the “‘gafifling” process. Releasing the children, they made a desperate break for liberty. Old Sunflower seized one and Red Hot grasped the other. ‘* Hole on byer, don’t be in sech an all-fired rush!” cried the sunflower tramp, ‘* We want ter see ye a bit.” . “'That’s er fac’,” agreed Red Hot, ‘‘ We're a s’prise party roun’ givin’ away presents. We've got er beaucherful pair o’ neckties fer you two critters,” “‘Curse you!” snarled Humpy Dick, snatch- miner, With a lightning-like movement, Char- lie Ross caught the fellow's wrist and wrenched the weapon frem his hand. Then the deformed wretch was thrown te the floor and securely rpose, Meantime the others had sec Stub Smith in a similar manner, ‘* Waal,” drawled the sunflower tramp, “‘ we’ve caught game anyhow, ef ’tain’t jest w’at we wuz lookin’ fer.” Horace Danton came to Charlie’s side. ‘* We must tell them the truth now,” he said, **T believe these men are his tools, sent here to do work of his planning,” the amateur detective replied. “I think it will not doany good to keep the truth from Harry and Dick, but I think you had better let me tell them, When they fully understand it, you can come forward.” Danton consented to this, and Charlie ap- proached Harry, who was trying to quiet her almost hysterica! brother, Half an hour later the children knew the truth. The crimson letter containing the declaration that Violet. Vane still lived dealt a terrible blow to Frank Stiliman. Not that he bad thought the man dead, but he bad un to entertain the hope that Vane had left White Water for good There was that about toe letter which told bim the Velvet Sport still remained in the vicinity and still held to his hatred for the an who bad won the affec- tions of the woman he had loved, “Tf he harms her—” he hissed, ‘‘ But he will not; he will strike at me, Well, Ido not fear him. I can defend myself; but let him keep his hands off my wife and child. If he touches rw will have the last drop of his hearts On the night of the unmasking of Black Burk in the saloon of the Columbia Hotel he was away from home and did not return till quite late. As soon as possible, he hurried home. As he approached the cabin, he noticed how dark aud deserted it seemed and a chill struek to his heart as he thought of the home-coming when he had found bis wife unconscious on the floor with that slip of paper in her hands, Hurrying to the cabin, he opened the door. It yielded readily under his hand. A feeling of borror seized upon him, for when he was away in the evening his wife was in the habit of keeping the door fastened and only opening it when she was sure her husband asked admittance, The moment be entered a peculiar odor struck his nostrils, He lighted a match, anda cry of horror came from his lips as he saw the sight revealed, . The baby’s crib was empty, and iu the easy chair beside it reclined his wife, with a chloro- form-saturated hankerchief over her mouth and nostrils, Pinned upon her breast was a sheet of crimson paper, on which were written these words: ‘I leave you your wife; but I take your child, This is the vengeance of Violet Vane !” - CHAPTER XVI. DOOMED TO DIE, FRANK STILLMAN was nearly driven mad by the terrible discovery he had made, He tore the paper into fragments and then rushed around the room, raving like one who had lost bis reason, Suddenly be dashed out into the night with the desperate intention of following the kidnappers of the child. But tbe darkness brought him to bis senses, and he stood outside the door trembling in every limb as if shaken by {| a chill. **Oh, my Gd!” The words came from his ms in a despairing groan, then he staggered back into the house, baving remembered his wife. He snatched the handkerchief from her face and made desperate efforts to arouse her, She was white as the dead, and for some time he was tempted to believe she was dead, indeed. ‘* Tf that devil has killed her—Great God !—if he has, I will yet find him and inflict on him the tortures of the damned! No quick and easy death shall be his!” But, lone was not dead. However, it wasa long time before she became conscious, and then it was nearly an hour before she could tell what had happened. Even then she was so hysteri- cal that she could only make it plain she bad careful not to tell ber about it, At first she could not consent to his leaving her for a moment, but when he made her under- stand it was for the baby’s sake and that he would not be long gone, she consented. But little could be doue that night, The kid- nappers, without doult, were miles away amid the mountains, and it would be impossible to fol- low them in the darkness, But would it not be uite as im ible when daylight came? The thought was maddening. The indignation of the citizens was aroused to fury was boundless, ‘I did not think the man was such a dastard!” he cried, ‘‘ Hanging is a thousand times too good for him!” It was well Old Sunflower was not present to hear those words, for he would have defended his “‘leetle pard” at any cost. When the old tramp heard, some hours later, what bad hap- pened, he stoutly declared Violet Vane had no hand in the black work. Tke story of the attempted kidnapping of Harry and Dick was soon given the circulation of the camp, and the two pieces of black work aroused the indignation of the miners to a ter- rible pitch. Stub Smith and Humpy Dick stood in great danger of being unceremoniously lynched. Indeed, that woul! bave been their fate but for the appearance of Captain Mute and soffie of his Regulators. Leaving bis men to guard the two ruffians, the Regulator chief held a brief consultation with Judge Whittles and some of the most in- fluential men of the camp, during which he laid before them the outlines of a scheme for entrap- ping Black Burk and his gang. The men were all trusty, and having pledged them to secrecy, he took his departure, | Till daylight several] of the Regulators stood ; + guard over the prisoners, but it was more to pro- tect them from being lynched than to keep them from escaping. With the break of day the Regulators disappeared, leaving the unlucky desperadoes to the care of the citizens of White Water. But Black Burk bad been at work during the night. Jn the morning the following notice was fuund posted in a conspicuous place: “TAKE NOTICE, “T have dallied with the people of White Water too long; now J mean business. I was unjustly driven from the camp in the first piece, and having found I cannot rule the place, I have resolved to ruin it. There is but one way it can avoid fury. If Stub Smith and Humpy Dick are hanged, Iwill wipe White Water from existence! If they are released and allowed to depart from the pocket, I will withhold my wrath indefinitely. This is no vain threat, as you will find to your sorrow if youdo not release the two men whom you hold prisoners. I have the power to carry my word into execution, * Yours lovingly, BLACK BuRK.” This was like a fire-brand to the already aroused flame of indignation. ‘*Shell we knuckle down ter thet vpsvene' critter?’ howled Red Hot, his fiery hair stand- ing out all over his head like porcupine-quills, ““ Ef we do, we’d orter climb up a tree some- whar an’ pull the tree up by ther roots, Now is ther time ter show our patriotism! This is ther day of our redemption!” ‘‘ Amen, so mote it be!” nodded Old Sun- flower, solemnly. ‘‘ 1 lowed I saw blood on ther moon las’ night. It’s boun’ ter run in rivers afore menny more hours.” ‘“Waugh!” grunted Red Hot. ‘t You must hev seen outer yer ears! Thar wuzn’t er derned peep of er moon las’ night.” ‘* How in thunder do you know thet? You wuz asleep an’ snorin’ ther bigger part o’ ther time, ‘*1t wuz ther smell of your breath thet putt me ter sleep. It’s wuss’n chloryform,” ‘*Derned ef I'd say a word ef I wuzin your lace! DPve bin gittin’ up a fuddle offen your reath fer ther las’ hour. I hain’t tooken er drink fer two days, but by jehocus! I’m blowed ef I kin walk straight now!’ ‘ Two hours later the tramp and the red-headed miner were wandering arouud, locked arm im arm, hilariously ‘‘ elevated.” The people of White Water did very little labor that day. At an early bour, Frank Still- man got together a ty of men and left the pocket on a sort of blind hunt for his kidnapped — child, Meantime, Horace Danton and Charlie Ross father at first for they had been taught to be- lieve him a very bad man; but after hours of tiresome talk and explanations, they began to look on him more favorably, But it was a dif- ficult thing indeed for Harry to believe her uncle was nothing but a common robber and desperado—a man on whose head there was & rice. _ “ He was so kind to me,” she murmured again and again. ** You did not understand his kindness, Harry,” declared Charlie, who had abandoned his stam- They were alone together; Horace Dantcn was talking with little Dick. ‘“‘ Harry,” and the young man tock her bands and jooked into her eyes till they fell before bis admiring gaze, ‘“‘ you are a beautiful girl.” ‘There, there, Charlie!” she protested; but he: continued; © l ‘“This man Rougal isin truth no relative of yours, but I fancy be has an eye for beauty.” The girl became crimson and stammered some unintelligible words. ‘‘ Perhaps he meant tu make you his wife whem. you became older,” Charlie suggested. ‘* Oh, no, no!” ‘‘ But you have told me he was kinder to you | than to your brother.” ce VY es,” ‘*T am almost certain he had some such a design, and while I despise the man asa Villain, 1 can not help admiring his good taste.” i. The girl was silent with her head bowed and her golden curls hiding ber blushing face. His arm stole round her waist and he drew her closer. ‘* Harry!” he whispered. Still she was silent, but he felt her trembling in his arms, : ‘* Harry, I love you!” ing out a knife and lifting it ubove his head. | been overpowered by several masked men. She | had been doing what they could to reconcile ** Take that!” knew nothing of the crimson sheet of paper that | Harry and Dick to the change affairs had taken. . But, the blade did not touch the red-headed | had been left ov her breust, and nk w Very naturally, the children shrunk from their i - ‘ ‘ ‘ 4 ' y 4 j - ; ” : +: FEN Ge ere Gee a ec ae SI Ae rae o ns! ms oe per) Fae Tifa, Marty ar Nef Tai ba NOE Ba ae i AS aes Mek ite es Pine ae an NS SOLER ES Si OR CADE ME UR Se ape ec. | en Leer tun . d - ‘- rss ~ alli a" Re € Pi ; Pa Aare} | a ae 7 $4. es e 4, - is A, r U ‘ae j : vite SO as