Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 801 — page 4: what you’re looking at

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

4. Kent Kirby, the High-Kicker from Killbuck. Sylvia Sterling standing menacingly over him with a cocked revolver, ** Ain’t this byer a lay, now!” Kirby cried, when besaw Shelton in the doorway. ‘ Tied up tighter’n any colt that ever kicked! An’ by a gal! That’s what gits me! By a gal! Pu begin to thick that gals is wu’ss than grizzlies!” 6 held out bis bound hands, appealingly. Marian Carlow’s eyes were widened to their utmost aod filled with fear and grief, and her face had whitened to the hue of ashes. She reeled on the doorstep, and only saved herself from falling by clutching at Seal for support, Without a thought of wrong-doing, he passed an arm about her and so prevented ber from fall- ing headlong. He would have dragged her back, and kept that sigbt from her eyes, if the voice of the High-Kicker had not prevented. ** She’s keeled over! Better carry her up to her room, Mr. Shelton. Then, if you'll come back ar’ persuade this byer interestin’ female to go an’ wait on her a minute, an’ stop p’intin’ that there gun at me, I'll be everlastin’ly obleeged, There bain’t nothin’ dangerouser on this byer airth than a she-woman witha gun, when her dander is riz!” The High-Kicker seemed very much in earnest, and very much afraid of the weapon held so threateningly by Sylvia Sterling. He knew that the touch of her finger would send a builet crashing into his body. Sylvia bad turned her gaze on the intruders as they entered, but she bad not lowered the weapon, Seal Shelton felt the girl bangas a dead weight on his arm; and, lifting her tenderly, he bore her up-stairs and placed ber upon the first convenient cot. She revived as he did so; and looked beseechingly into his eyes, as if she would read there the confirmation of her fears. ‘It is true, then!” she moaned, pressing her hands to her temples and cowering against the pillow, “True! True! Ob, my God!” Shelton knew not what to do, Kirby was calling loudly on bim for deliverance from ‘the perils of the revolver; and be desired to remain where he was. Go!” she urged. ‘‘Go and see what ought to be done! You will know best. I shall rely wholly on your wisdom, Oh, it can’t be true that father is deud!” She turned from him with a moan of anguish; and Kirby’s voice rising more imploringly, he tore himself from the side of the cot and hasten- ed down-stairs. “ Will ye take that gun away from that crazy critter?” Sylvia turned toward Seal and lowered the My ** "m so glad you’ve come, Mr, Shelton!” in a shaky, horrified voice, ‘‘I was afraid to leave this wretch an instant, fearing he might escape, I will turn him over to you. He has killed Mr, Carlow |” She banded the still cocked weapon to Seal Shelton, and then sunk white and trembling into a chair, ** How is this?’ and Shelton looked blankly from one to the other, He could see that a murder had been com- mitted, but in his own mind he knew that Kent Kirby was not the murderer, ‘* Well, 1 come in hyer an’ foun’ the old gent dead, with that there hole in his breast, an’—” Kirby was interrupted by the girl. ** Better let me tell the story, Then Mr, Shel- ton can judge whether I did right or wrong.” ‘* Never wus a wronger thing done by any- body! The idee o’ me, the High-Kicker frum Killbuck—” ** Let her tell her story,” Seal admonished, Kirby was bursting with a desire to plunge into a recital of what had occurred; but he re- strained himself with an effort, **T thought I was all alone on the ranch,” Sylvia continued. “I had been walking out in the shade of the cottonwoods, having my rope with me for the purpose of a little practice, You know I’ve been testing my skill every day! ** When I came back to the house, I fancied I heard some one talking in a strained, queer kind of voice; and out of curiosity I looked into the room before venturing to enter. ** ‘You may judge of my surprise and horror, when I saw Mr, Carlow lying dead on the floor, and that man,” pointing with bitter emphasis to the High-Kicker, ‘‘ standing over him and mut- pai in the way 1 have told you, “What else could [ think but that he killed him? 1 think it, and I knowit! There bas been no one else on the place, Mr, Carlow was alive when [ started for my walk an hour or moreago, It might have been two hours ago,” Shelton, who bad listened with keen interest > ee to her account, looked again at the dead man, | They were about to take steps to put the It was plain that the dark deed had been com- mitted some time before, All the evidence indi- cated that. Kirby had not challenged any of her state- ments, but on the contrary bad listened to her story with a close keenness akin to fascination, ‘*Go on!” said Seal, turning again to her, ** Mr, Kirby’s back was to me, and I saw he did not know | was near, My rope was in my hand, I don’t know why I did it—why | risked it, I guess | was crazy with horror and excite- ment, I felt that he was the murderer. Scarce- ly thinking whatI did, or what might be the result, I burled the rope at him, Fortunately it caught about his neck, and the involuntary jerk I gave to it pulled him from his feet and threw him to the floor.” : Kirby nodded an affirmative, in wide-moutbed admiration, ** Like to ’a’ jerked this ole head off! I thought I'd been hit by acyclone. Fu’st thing I knowed ] wus a-sprawlin’on my back there, with my toes a-wavin’ a howdy at the ceilin’s My head struck ker-bump, an’ more stars twinkled an’ danced afore my eyes than I ever see in the bull firmament, Asa roper, she’s A No.1, Sheought to tackle the grizzly!” Shelton was astounded by what he heard, That this girl, frail and slight as she seemed, had overthrown the boasting High-Kicker and con- quered him singlo-handed and alone, seemed in- credible, “Go on!” he again commanded, his interest wrought to the highest pitch, ‘* After you roped bim, you tied him?” ‘**K’ rect!” and again Kirby nodded admiring- ly. ‘* She cinched me up tell I couldn’t budge!” *‘It wasn’t a difficult thing todo,” she said, modestly. ‘*The rope choked bim into insensi- bility. Any one could tie up a helpless man. That’s what I did; and then I went out to the stable and got ready a horse, intending to ride to Piebald for the sheriff. ** When I came back from the stable, I heard Mr, Kirby making such a row in here, that I secured the horse to the hitching-post and re- turned to the house to see if there was any dan- ger of his getting away. ** 1 found he was twisting at the cords, and on the point of freeing himself, and so I drew that revolver on him. Then you came in with Marian; and that’s all there is of it.” ‘* Enough, I should say, in all conscience!” Shelton looked at Kirby in a puzzled, uneasy way, and in evident hesitation. *“*ITcan only admire your courage and deter- mination,” turning again to the trembling girl. ‘** But I’m satisfied you are in error in thinking Mr. Kirby guilty of this deed, There’s been foul murder committed bere, but I’m sufficiently well acquainted with Mr, Kirby to feel sure he is not the murderer,” She saw be was anxious to release the High- Kicker, ‘** Now, you’re talkin’ straight! I don’t know no more about this byer thing than the man in the moon. [ come into the room, intendin’ to ask Carlow about some work he wanted done, an’ there I see him a-layin’ with that hole in his chest, and this blood on the floor. ‘“*T tell you, [ wus stumped! an’ while I wus a-talkin’ to myself about it, an’ a-tryin’ to figger out what it meant, the rope yanked me off’n my feet. There you have the thing frum both sides,” Sylvia, it could be seen, was still convinced of bis guilt, and was not pleased with the thought of his release; but she did not put her objections into words, : ‘It will be all right if I become responsible for his appearance at the proper time and place, will it not?” said Seal, glancing appealingly to her, ‘* You are surely mistaken when you think Kent Kirby guilty of this thing!” ** As you please,” she replied, ratber coldly, as he theught. ‘‘I feel that 1 have done my duty. Mr. Carlow has been murdered, and he is the only man who hae been here, ‘ Aj] the other cowboys are away. No one else has been on the place!” ‘“* Except yourself!” ‘“* Except myzelf!” and she flushed under what she thought an implied imputation. ‘* Anyway, I shall take the responsibility of releasing him!” Seal declared; and with this, he sit A over and severed the High-Kicker’s bonds with his knife, CHAPTER IV, THE WITNESS OF BLOOD. SyYLvra left the room and the two men Mien a in a cot and placed on it the body of the murdered man, es blood-stained room in a more presentable con- dition, when Shelton was called from this self- imposed task by the voice of Marian. She bad descended trom the secord floor, and was at’ the bottom of the stairway; but had ventured no further, He burried to her, filled with anxiety, There was something startling in the tones she had used, He found her very white and shaky, seeming- ly with scarcely enough strength to support the tottering weight of the body. In ope hand she held a little package, which she now extended to him, ‘Take this; and when you have examined it and heard my story, tell me what you think about it!” Her words were filled with a dull horror, ‘* What is it?’ he said, without venturing to ascertain, ‘“‘ Help me up-stairs again, and I’Jl tell you. And as we go there’s something on the stairway I want you to look at!” Sbe shuddered, and the horror in her voice seemed to increase, He felt his own form sbaking, for her manner was infectious, ‘‘What is it?’ he again questioned; but this time referring to the thing on the stairway, whatever it might be, He put a supporting arm lovingly about her; and, assbe did not reply, assisted her in her tottering ascent, “There! Tell me what that is!” She pointed her finger toa red blotch on one of the steps, her voice thrilled fearfully, and she turned her face owes He stared at the gruesome sight as if fascinated. What he saw was a bloody footprint. The bloody imprint of a woman’s shoe! His brain reeled, and his senses seemed de- serting him. ‘‘Te]l me the meaning of it!” she whispered hollowly. ‘*T cannot!” he averred, hurrying on past the fearful sight. ‘*'You see the room you placed me in?” she said, when they reached the upper floor. She pointed to the room containing the cot on which he bad deposited ber, ‘¢ That is Sylvia’s room, Now, you may look at the packet I gave you, I was so faint that IL finally thought I would lie down on the bed and when I lifted the pillow to arrange it, i found that roll,” There wasa bed in the room, in addition to the cot. Heclosely scrutinized it. Therumpled iliow had been moved out of place, and now fay on the white covering. **T found that beneath the pillow!” she repeat- ed, sinking horrifiedly intoa chair. ‘‘ Beneath Sylvia’s pillow! And tbat footprint on the stairs!” He opened the packet and found it to contain a roll of bills of large denominations. Again his brain was whirling in a giddy maze, What did it all mean? was the question he was over and over asking himself, ‘‘Can you explain it?’ and he looked at her blankly. ‘*] think I can!” Her voice was cold and hard, and her face ab- solutely colorless, Her evident anguish cut him to the quick, If he bad been in love with her before, he was even more in love with her, since thia great sorrow had befallen her. ‘‘Tt must have been Sylvia,” answering his in- terrogative look. ‘‘ It’s terrible to think so, but I can find no other explanation, Vy hat else can be the meaning of the footprint, and of this roll of bills found under the pillow? I know that Sylvia bad no money.” ‘*Tell me about her?’ he requested. “If I know more about her, perhaps 1 can form a theory. How long has she been here? When did you get acquainted with ber?” She did not reply instantly, Her thoughts appeared to be turned inward, for she seemed to look at him without seeing him, At the same time she was apparently listeaing tc the heavy tread of Kirby’s boots in the room below. That terrible room below! She shuddered, as she opened her lips to speak, ‘*T haven’t known her a at while, We attended the same school in Denver. I think she came there about three months ago, We were at meg Stir. but not close friends. Still, L liked her; for she is smart and bright. She rather forced herself on me when vacation ‘| | ‘comicbooks. | . eet lt. ill