Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 773 — page 14: what you’re looking at

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

ee el i 2 ‘ ct ' : A be * a0, ‘ee ~—— ont — , - 4 ’ The Rustler of Rolling Stone. implored. ‘‘Or, can’t you bend a wire and make it answer the purpose?” ** The key is here!” Betty reeled against the wall, in an almost fainting condition, and Louise started as if a pistol-shot had rung out near her. It was the voice of Red Fee, He had returned unexpect- edly and silently; and, hearing something of the talk, and from it understanding what was in progress, had removed his boots and crept quietly up the stairway. ‘‘ This is a fine business, now, ain’t it?’ sneer- ingly. ‘*‘ Who gave you any call, Betty, to bother with my affairs?” Betty could only gasp. ‘Tf you’re wantin’ to git in there so bad, I reckon I can help you!” with that same evil sneer, Thereupon he applied a key to the lock; and, ‘when the dcor swung open, took the lamp from the hands of the half-fainting servant, grasped her roughly by the shoulder, and pushed her into the room, He chuckled satirically, as he closed and locked the door, and dropped the key into his pocket, ‘*'You two can be company for each other. It’ll keep ye from gittin’ lonesome.” Louise leaped toward the door, pleading to be released. ‘* Oh, father!” she exclaimed; ‘‘ how can you be so cruel?” His voice softened a little, for he had always liked Louise, ‘*T don’t mean to hurt ye, Lou!” addressing her by her pet name. ‘‘ But you'll have to stay in there awhile. You can git out easy enough in the morning! You'll bave to stay there, now; otherwise, you'll bu’st up all my plans, I’m a-goin’ to leave hyer in a few minutes; and after I’m out of town, [ don’t care how soon some one comes,” ‘* But surely, father, you will not hurt him?’ * Hurt who?” ** Tom Craigen. up in the mine,” The answer was an oath; and without giving her any satisfaction on that point, he ran lightly down the stairway, resumed his boots, anil was gone. Louise’s fear and excitement were now at fever heat. She bad about lost all the respect and regard she ever had bad for Red Fee, and his declaration that he intended to leave the country did not greatly touch her, Her anxiety for the safety of Tom Craigen amounted, how- ever, to agony. Red Fee had not promised he would not injure the young man. is reply to her appeal had been an oath; and that was ominous. “Why don’t Mr. Quartz come?” she exclaim- ed, wringing her hands and hastening to the window, ‘‘Oh,if he would only come! I feel that something dreadful will happen if he de- lays much longer!” The slowness of the assayer was inexplicable to Louise. She could not know of the many “things that had occurred to consume bis time. ‘* Let us shout together,” she said to Betty. ** Maybe that will draw help!” She raised her voice in a wild cry; but, through fear, Betty remained silent, There came no answering response, Louise hoisted the sash and called again. She then listened anxiously. Far away she fancied she could hear the trampling of horses’ feet; and she called again and again. Then remembering that she had a little pistol in the room, she brought it forth, and fired shot after sbot out of the window, till she emptied the chambers. ‘*Surely they will hear that!” she asserted, as she again hearkened to the far-away hoof- beats. ‘‘ Oh, if they only get here in time!” The man you have fastened CHAPTER XX, VINDICTIVE FEE, A FEELING of bitter vindictiveness possessed Fee, as be made bis way from the house in the direction of the mine, He was bitter against Curt Thomas—though not in the same measure as against Tom Craigen and his brothers; not because of any feeling that Thomas had injured him, but solely for the reason that be bad been forced by circumstances to sell the mine to Thomas at such a ruinous price, Mixed with this was the impression that Thomas had not acted toward him in a generous manner when he accepted the mine at those figures, and that Thomas had really been pleased at the chance of such a bargain. ** We'll see how much good it'll do him!” he voflected, as be hurried on. ‘* His one thousand : i heres? saiaiitinad tern mat oa aa A . > i? t me or ree, my Oe ee eee ee . ot ee es Sd = & ~ ~\» oe ey Sonera a et hee ~ ae will grow to five, before he gits his mine in shape fer work, after I’m through with it !” He stopped as he beard, borne faintly to him, the frantic calls of Louise. For a moment he seemed about to turn back, and uttered savage oaths in a low tone. But he crowded down his ragy, as his fancies turned toward the girl who was struggling to free herself from her prison. His kindly regard for Louise was the one good point in his thoroughly bad nature. It had not been sufficient to persuade him to let her go, to keep him from previous barsh treatment, nor to prevent bim from deserting her forever at this critical time; but it did turn from her the fierce animosity that raged in his heart against every other person who bad sought to cross bis plans, ‘*Let her yowl!” a harsh, unmirthful laugh escaping him, ‘‘It won’t burt her, and I hope it won’t hurt me, It’s a good ways up to town; and, though she’s got rather extry lungs, I don’t think any one will hear her.” He started on again, hastening bis footsteps, however, when the pistol-shots reached him, and the black look came back to his face. ‘She may bring some one with that, and I'll have to hurry. If the gamblers hear that shoot- in’, they’ll think there’s a lively fight goin’ on, and they’ll come a-b’ilin’!” He still hoped, though, that the shots would not be beard. His rapid, swinging strides took him to the mine without delay. He bad resolved upon a deed of desperation, which be went about as coolly as if it were only an ordinary affair of business, Not far from the entrance was stored a quan- tity of blasting-powder, It had remained there since the opening of the mine, and its existence been almost forgotten, save by Red Fee. He knew its exact location and amount, and knew also that there were some fuses there. A feeling of mad desperation took possession of him, as he approached the powder. The nearness of the contemplated deed and ite vic- tim, poured oil on the fire. If he could not strike Quintius Quartz in person, be would strike him through bis brother. The death of Tom Craigen would give full measure of re- venge, and to bring about Tom’s death, in a horribly terrible way, was what brought Red Fee to the mine, Not only would he avenge himself on Quin- tius Quartz, but by ruining the mine he would even the score between himself and Curt Thomas. It would be killing two birds with one stone. ‘They don’t know what kind of a man Red Fee is when he’s driven to the wall!” growling out the words as he bent over the deadly ex- losive. ‘*He never shows his teeth before he ites. There'll be some men hyer who’ll bave cause to remember me!” He drew himself erect, as a new thought oc- curred to bim, ‘*T wonder, now, if I couldn’t lay fer Quartz and git a shot at him, after I blow this thing up? Many dangers would attend such an effort, as he realized when be began to think it over. ‘One thing at a time!” be muttered, as he stooped again to the powder, ‘' This fu’st, and the other if I can. aybe I can lay fer him, after I git that money from Burns, Then if I git a shot, let em ketch me if they can!” He worked with much adroitness and skill, making several trips, and bearing a Jarge quan- tity of the powder to the point selected. This was a cavity in the rock near Tom Craigen’s prison-tunnel; and Red Fee could not doubt that the explosion of the powder at that place would tumble the overhanging rock into the tunnel and crush the prisoner, He was careful to prevent the young man from hearing him; not that such a discovery could hinder the completion of the scheme, but because of a guilty and sneaking feeling. As he worked, there came an ill-defined sound, and Red Fee sunk to the rocky floor with the silence of an Apache. The sound bad not come from the tunnel, but from the main chamber of the cave. This was his first conclusion; but, as he lay there, he gradually worked himself into the belief that he bad heard nothing at all, and bad been misled by his nervous excitement. He was fearing interruption all the time, and this fear might engender the deception. Nevertheless, he did not return to his task until he had made a quiet and stealtby search of the immediate vicinity. He found nothing; and as time was precious, be placed the powder in the cavity, weighted it to give the explosion greater force, and arranged a short-time fuse, With nervous, shaking fingers, he lighted and applied a match to the fuse; then fled precipi- ee). ee OF et Sls __ rrr err LL LS TT tately from the place, but so silently that bis movements could scarcely have been heard, The sputtering fuse was located in an angle where it could be seen neither by Tom nor by any one looking frum the entrance; and, thus bidden, there was not one chance in a thousand that it could fail to do its work, Red Fee was shaking still, and a profuse per- spiration bathed his body, as he made bis way out into the star-gemmed night, There was no beauty in the stars, they seemed rather to look dawn on him like accusing eyes, He shuddered as he glanced back at the black entrance and thought of what was beyond it, Then he turned in the direction of the little rove which he had selected as his place of meet- ing with Burns. He was not destined to reach it, however, be- fore the occurrence of the explosion. Red Fee was not a practical miner, and in his fear of an interruption, he bad cut the fuse shorter than he meant to, shorter than he thought; and, even as he looked backward, the ground shook with an uncertain tremulousness resembling the premonitory symptoms of an earthquake shock, and then there came a dull, rumbling roar that grew and grew in volume and intensity; and the very mountain seemed to rock and rend and crasb into fragments. Red Fee was burled from bis feet; but he was uninjured; and, as soon as be could Jeap up, he turned his back on the scene of bis dreadful crime, and with a sickening, sinking sensation, rushed wildly away. CHAPTER XXII. WHO WAS THE GHOST? LOUISE held the smoking revolver in her band when she had emptied the last chamber, an strained her eyes through the night in an effort to catch a view of the distant horsemen, She could not be sure that the sounds came from Quartz’s party; but if she could draw any one to her relief, time would be gained. She greatly feared Red Fee would hear the shots and return to thwart the accomplishment of their purpose. But some risk bad to be run. His coming back would be something, for it would delay his movements against Tom Craigen, if any such were contemplated. She listened for his approaching footsteps on the pebbly walk; and when, after some moments, they were not to be heard, she turned her atten- tion again to the clatter of the hoofs. There could be no doubt that the horsemen were drawing nearer. There were no more cartridges for her weapon or she would have used it again to basten their movements, though she could tell that they were swinging forward at a goodly gait. Five minutes later the tramp of hoofs was in the street, and the party halted in front of the house, Sbe saw a man spring to the ground, and called loudly to bim from the window, It was Quintius Quartz. He was moving to- ward the office, but stopped Sto catch what she had to say. , “Shut up in there, eh? and Redmond gone!” in a voice betokening intense astonishment, He did not wait to hear more, but shouted to one of his men and ran to the door. Having no key to unlock it, he gave it a vig- orous kick; and when the man joined him, they threw their combined weight against it, By thus making battering-rams of their bodies they drove the door inward, following it so pre- cipitately that they sprawled headlong on the floor. lt was now an easy matter to gain access to the corridor, 2 ‘*T don’t. know that this is just the right thing to do!” Quartz exclaimed, as he bounded up the stairway. ‘It’s a criminal offense to break in & man’s doors that way, but I hope the cir- cumstances will pardon it, At any rate we have the permission of his daughter who seems at present to have charge of the premises,” ‘Or ruther they have charge o’ ber!” the man wheezed, as he panted upward at Quartz’s heels, ‘“-You’ll have to break in the door,” called out Louise, when they arrived infront of her room; and forthwith a sturdy kick from the assayer’s boot tore away the fastenings. There was no light in tbe room, and no time was taken to get one. In hurried sentences Louise related what she knew concerning Tom’s imprisonment. he information stirred Quartz to great in- dignation, as well as to instant action, “T]] bave to go at once!” be declared; * but I’ll come back in a little while and conduct you and this young lady to a place of safety.” He was bounding down the stairway two steps eta time before the sentence was completed. , . COr » ny * , erap 900ks. Te: ae oe fr co oa ; ays - _ a” ' a oe | ry, . Te =