Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 724 — page 7: what you’re looking at

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

Violet Vane’s Vengeance. vi w OD © Y cee or ew _ the grim monster has refrained from dust! “You must!” _“*T will give you my word she shall not see me to know who I am,” \ ‘* That is enough.” ‘“*Enough—enough! My God! Think of all she once was to me—before you came between us! Man, man! can you wonder I hate you?” ‘*T have nothing to say, if you blame only me. She could not fail to obey the dictation of her heart.” ‘* Why should I not seek revenge?” cried Vane. “Tf you stood in my place you wonld know no rest till your thirst for vengeance was sated, I did not follow you here. eaven knows I hope- ed never to look on your face again! Heaven knows I have prayed I might never see her again! But, fate flung me once again into your here. Whatever may result, fate alone is to blame,” “*TIt is useless for us to longer discuss these things. I have warned you; take heed, Do not dream for a moment I shall fail to keep my word. I have said I am a desperate man —God knows if I am on the verge of madness! But, [ will hesitate at no deed, no matter how red, to keep you from bringing one moment of misery to the one I love so truly! I beg you to leave this pocket before nightfall! It will aii me from becoming a murderer! Go, go, 0 g With these words, Frank Stillman turned and walked swiftly away, leaving Violet Vane to watch his retreating figure, a strange look in his dark eyes. Several hours later Old Sunflower was sitting within a room at the Columbia Hotel, while with his hands clinched tightly behind his back, Violet Vane was pacing to and fro in the same apartment, There was a look of deepest sym- pathy on the face of the ragged tramp, but he pegs bo silent, only glancing at Vane now and then. Finally the man in velvet paused and faced the vagrant, a bitter laugh breaking from his “What does it all amount to, anyway?” he exclaimed. ‘It is like the million of farces that are being enacted all over this miserable world to-day. What is man but a pinch of What is life but a breath! What is love but mockery! Here, there, everywhere on the face of this old earth are buman beings living, loving, hating, dying! And still time rolls serenely on, e are here to-day; to-morrow we are dead and forgotten. It makes ro differ- ence how much we may have loved or how much we may have suffered—we are gone, and the world rolls on the same. How insignificaut our miserable little lives seem when we compare them with infinity! How laughable seem all our loves and hatreds when we think of the millions of human beings who are loving and hating in exactly thesame manner! It is all a wretched farce!” Le ‘* Derned ef I don’t believe ye are goin’ plum’ daft, leetle pard!” gasped the sunflower tramp, staring bard at Vane, ‘I never heerd ye talk thet thar way afore, Great holy jehocus! W’at’s got inter ye?” ‘““T have told you how the woman I loved proved false to me—I have told you she is here, married and happy.” “even,” ‘* Well, [ have seen her,” ** Is thet so?” | “Yes; I saw her with her baby in her arms. ‘Can you understand what such a sight was to me?” **Derned ef I don’t b’lieve I kin! lt must ’a’ made ye feel like squozin’ some galoot’s woozle,” “This morning I stood face to face with the man who robbed me of her.” “* Whar is he buried?” “He is Frank Stillman, the Mayor of White Water.” | | ‘“ An’ ye didn’t kill him?” és No,’ ‘* Dad-burned ef I kin understan’ w’at kinder stuff you are made of!” ‘“‘If I killed bim, I should bring a great exiet to the woman I once loved. Erastus, / lLlove that woman too well to wish to cause _hera moment of unhappiness !” Old Sunflower shook his head, muttering: ** I'm derned ef I kin understan’ it!” Vane began to pace the floor again, “Ihave sought danger and faced death, but hand on me, I have been sacred from his touch. Of death I have not the least fear, but it comes not tome, Iam nota fool to take my own life, 80 Ireckon I am destined to live on a while - is the central supports of the bridge, - swept relentlessly on through the night. putting his. themselves to stand by him in wiping out Black Burk and his desperadoes. The Regulators soon showed a proclivity to | appear suddenly at the most unexpected mo- | ments and take charge of things in general. It soon became plain that they were the rulers of mained in White Water City. White Water, for all of its mayor and “ city A man left the Columbia Hotel and walked | government.” But, Stillman cared nothing for this so long as they did not interfere with his concerns. For some reason, he had not been in- vited to become one of the organization, but he believed they would be doing that section of the longer. get. Perhaps the future may fulness. God knows I hope so!’ Night! The day had passed, and still Violet Vane re- I would be satisfied, if I could only for- | bring me forget- | away toward the bridge that spanned the | stream. Another man, who happened to be passing the hotel, followed cautiously in the footsteps of the first. ee The one who came from the hotel did not | country a service if they broke up the band know he was pursued, Straight onward he! of robbers that had taken to plundering the walked, never pausing for an instant or turning | coaches, his head to look back. Like a shadow of ill-omen followed the pur- suer. The roar of the rapid sounded sullenly through | One gre Sheptea an uncommonly quiet night in White Water two suspicious characters were found hanging to a tree with placards pinned to their breasts, saying they were road- the darkness. A night-bird uttered a sudden | agents, The Regulators had n at work, and shriek as of terror as with a swish of wings, it | cloths bound tightly over the mouths of the un- swept into the gloom, | fortunate men explained why they had not The bridge was reached and the man walked | aroused the camp by their cries, mt s out upon it. Nearly midway, he balted | After that the “‘shady” characters of the and leaned upon the low rail, gazing down at | town were prone to “lay mighty low.” Humpy the black water rushing swiftly dewn the shoot | Dick and Stub Smith cooled down in a remark- to be churned into foam by the rocks which rose | able manner and seemed constantly on the alert, below the bridge. Almost beneath him was a | as if ready to resist an attack. part of the jagged rock which served asone of! Black Burk was furious, He posted another He thought | notice on the door of the botel, saying he would surely avenge the death of bis two confederates. Denver Dave read the notice and laughed. ‘“‘That fellow talks pretty bold for the des- perado he is,” he observed. ‘‘I should say he is | a might bad man.” ‘You are right,” nodded the miner, Red Hot; ‘he is a p’izen cuss an’ hangin’s too good fer him, He oughtergbe dragged ter death ahind a wild broncho,” of what a certain death a man would meet should he fall from the bridge and be carried down upon the sharp rocks by the water. A sudden premonition of danger shot through his head, and he would have started back. Too late! There was a red flash of fire in the darkness, followed by the sharp report of a revolver! With a snapping sound, the rail gave way be- | neath the man on the bridgeand he plunged; ‘* What fearful crime has he committed besides downward, | robbery?” asked the man from Denver. ‘ Has There was a splash—then silence. The stream | he killed any one?” ‘*Not yjt; but he’s made threats, an’ he tried ter wipe per out. But he’s sulted ther dig- nity of White Water City, an’ thet’s more’n a hangin’ ’fense, bet your boots!” Old Sunflower was here, there and every where, listening a little and talking a great deal. Two weeks ry we since =e pig “pe disappear- 7 ance of Violet Vane, and the old vagrant insis- CRAP TER Vill, ted his ‘“‘leetle pard” had been dealt foully THE RISE OF THE REGULATORS. with. DESPITE the reward offered for his capture, ‘“‘AllI want ister git on ther trail o’ ther Black Burk continued his depredations. He | cowardly skunk thet wiped him out,” the tramp plainly held White Water and her citizens in | declared. ‘* Look in me eye an’ behole gore— derision. crimson gore! I ama very, very b-a-a-a-d man, One morning a pet was found tacked upon | an’ w’en I gits me war-paint on thar’s usually er the door of the Columbia Hotel. Written onit | ruction o’ some sort or totber. I’m yit goin’ in a strong, bold hand, was the following: ter took ther skelp o’ ther varmint thet downed Sweet Violets—you heur me!” ‘* DEFIANCE! One night the stage for White Water was “ Certain citizens of White Water have been mak- | halted several miles from the pocket. Black ing some very foolish talk of late concerning Black | Burk and his men blocked the trail, Burk and his band of jolly toll-takers. All your ‘‘T have not a minute of time to waste,” de- foolish threats are known to me, and T laugh at ! clared. the chief of the road-agents; ‘so cut all them. If the reward for my capture was $10.000 in- foolishness now. There is a man on that hearse I stead of $500, there would be none smart enough to t to Horace Danton will oblice me b secure it. I scorn you ali and defy you. The most | W&Ut bo see. ; lige me by valuable claims in White Water belong to myself | piling out here about as lively as he knows how. and my men, and as we have becn unjustly cheated | . ; out of them, we mean to have a round share of ; passenger of middle age started violently, their proceeds. /|~ Burk rode his horse along beside the stage and “In conclusion, let me warn one particular person inted a cocked revolver at the head of the in White Water to step mighty softly. That person | sad-faced man is Frank Stillman, the so-called ‘mayor.’ I havea | ; rod in pickle for him, and some day he will get the whole benefit of it. If I should take a notion, I might descend on the town some night and com- letely wipe it out. It will be well for my enemies bat I do not take a notion. * Yours lovingly, ‘* BLACK BURK, ‘* Champion Tax- Collector.” As may be imagined, this open and insultiag defiance aroused many of the citizens to a white heat, and it was declared something must be done immediately. The result was the appearance of a somewhat mysterious band of men who called themselves “The Regulators” and were the openly avowed enemies of Black Burk and his gang of robbers, The leading spirit of tne Regulators was a man of mystery, even to the greater part of his fol- lowers. He rode a black horse, dressed in black from head to foot, and his face was concealed by a black mask. But, bis chief peculiarity lay in the fact that he seldom spoke, It was known he could talk, for once or twice at critical moments he had given an order; but his habitual silence won for nim the. name of Captain Mute, Captain Mute did not have a commanding fig- ure, though it was firm and supple and showed pbysical strength and endurance in every move- ment; but there was something magnetic and attractive about the man that gave him perfect control over the ‘rough fellows who pledged Back from the bridge crept a crouching panre that held a deadly weapon clutched in one and, ‘That is the last of Violet Vane!” muttered a hoarse voice. ' -_—--—-- — ——— = ‘Tt is you I am after!” he cried, exultantly; ‘*so you had better get out as lively as you are (able. Iam in an almighty burry just now, and if you are not on the ground in less than a min- ute, I'll put a bullet through your head.” | + “ But—but, sir—” stammered the passenger. ‘““There are no ‘buts’ about it!” interrupted the desperado leader. ‘‘ It is straight business fromthe shoulder, Get out or chew Jead!” With reluctance the man arose and descended from the stage. Tbe moment he touched the ground, Burk cried: ‘“*Go on, driver!” But at this moment a cheer of twenty voices sent the echoes leaping from rock to rock of the canyon and a band of mounted men burst into view, sweeping down on the road-agents like a cyclone. ‘“‘The Regulators! the Regulators!” The dismayed desperadoes uttered the cry, and without waiting for word from their chief, A snarling curse came from Black Burk’s lips. For but an instant he hesitated, then he shouted: ‘‘ You at least shall not escape me, Horace Danton! I am Rougal, your deadly foe of old, and now you die by my hand!” He threw out the hand that held the revolver and fired even as bis horse was wheeling. Down in a heap fell the safl-faced passenger. Black Burk followed bis men, turning in the On hearing the name, a rather sad-looking.