Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 814 — page 11: what you’re looking at

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

4 ; a” ror i Pie t . , Ls . * bis bead—thus displaying his bold features more folly in the glariog firelight. ** Now s’pozen you fellers were all mad as thunder at me—which of course you bain’t, now that we’ve got acquainted—an’ should baul off and sling cuss-words and lead at me till I got mad, too, and wouldn’t have nothin’ ter do with you fellers, but just go home and leave you ter yer fate, what'd be the consekence? “Why, jest this ere: You’d miss ther pleasure of havin’ ther solidest man on ther Pacific Slope fer yer leader, and I’d miss ther honor of bein’ chief of ther Red Birds of ther Rockies, and whar’d be ther gain? ‘* Now, fellers, l’ve come here ter stay! You may think I’m givin’ yer all wind an’ bluster, but I mean every word I say, an’ ef thar’s any diff'runce of opinion atween us, I’m goin’ ter give you a chance tew settle it right off. ‘Some of you may think that Black Jack, thar, come tew his death by accident, but Vil convince yer ter ther contrary at once! “You man with a button on your hat, look out !” Even before the last word was out of his mouth the ‘' colouel’s” right hand shot out, the revolver cracked, and the man just addressed jerked his hat from his head as if stung, and gazed blankly at the spot which but an instant before, was graced by a large metal button, on the crown. ‘That warn’t an accident either,” went on the ** colonel” in the sdme pompous tone, ‘Why, fellows, I can’t miss a mark, for the life of me! I’ve tried to time and ag’in, but al- ways failed! ‘** An’ now tew business! ‘* All yew fellers thet want me tew be Jeader in place of Lieutenant Redbird, or Black Jack, thar, jest step out of the crowd whar I kin caress ye with these ere dazzling optics of mine; and anybody thet hes any objections ter my holdin’ ther office, let them jest stay whar they is, an’ we’ll settle it through the electorial college so darn quick,.it will niake ther specta- tor’s ha’r curl an’ p’r’aps grow him a stand-up collar!” This last speech, coupled as it was with the preceding example of the ‘‘ colonel’s” reckless daring, did the trick, With a ringing ‘“‘ Hurrah for the colonel!” every man sprung forward, each endeavoring to bs first to greet him as their undisputed - Jeader, “Thank ye, boys,” said the dead-shot, as he returned the graSp of cach and every one of the desperate characters about him. **I think myself that this ’ere ar’ the best way ter settle ther déeficulty, tho’ I do like ter fight ‘ most etarnily ! ‘**And now another things My instructions say that you heva treasure-vault in the cliff Lyar some’ers, containing whole slatiers of swac. “Ther captain said a battering-ram couldn't break the entrance either in or out, But I’m a stranger tew ye, so, tew make everything sat’s- factory all around, I perpose tew take a sort of inventory of ther loot, so you'll know jest how much Pve lugged off if I skip out some dark night. Tbe whole band at once protested most warm- ly that they believed in their new leader impli- citly, but they were finally prevailed upon to lead the way to the secret entrance of the trea- sure-vault. The massive door was opened, tbe outlaws filed out slowly into the dark crypt, all uncon- scious of the desperate trap that had been set for them—but the colonel did not follow! _As the last man disappeared from view, the rifleman seized the great door, and with a mighty exertion, swung it to, He then raised a small ‘bugle to bis lips and blew a shrill blast. Thenext moment a@ dozen blue-coated. riders dasbed upon the scene with sabers drawn, CHAPTER XV, A DESPERATE COUPLE, But a few doors below thie office of Banderson & Co., a well and Stylishly-appareled man, wearing burnsides, mustache and imperial, aused abruptly at the sound of a startled ejacu- ation just in front, The street was well-nigh deserted at the time —a heavily-vailed woman just in front, anda small boy but a few paces bebind, and almost hidden behind a. clothier’s samples, being the only pedestrians in the immediate vicinity. Very evidently it was the vailed woman who had made the low, yet startled outcry, for she had started back from the approaching gentle- Lae : " - e . * M 4 " ') ‘ b i ¥ » « Z . i J a , . >) P , wa ith : re MN) ' » > © nS ry “1 “ t ‘ + n : Sar : id a 4 A td - ; Tre ee gem te epee ad ‘ M4 oO ern ree tere se ‘ : : . «Sad a form, and one gloved hand pressed to her side, Her other, the right hand, had been flung out, almo:t touchinz t:e6 man’s face, causing him to make a sudden, starved spring backward. Quickly recovering himself, he stepped forward with lifted bat as he asked, hurriedly: ** Madam, are you ill? Can I be of any assist- ance to you?” Without replying, the woman, with a swift motion, jerked away her vail, disclosing. thus a darkly-handsome, though prematurely old, coun- tenance to her two watchers. The man sprung backward with pallid lips, as he uttered the one word ‘' Mother!” while the youth bebind the clothier’s samples gave a low whistle of astonishment, and mutterer’: ‘* Be ther har-rup av ould Tara! bué it is me landlady hersilf, so it is!” Finally the woman spoke, **So you at last\’recognize my claim to that title?” ‘* Curse the luck! How did you penetrate BF disguise, and how came you here at this, of all times?” ‘* A mother’s eyes are sharp—it is impossible for her to forget the face of her only son, though it be disguised beyond recognition of common eyes! fe My business here is my own concern!” “Then what in the name of Hades do you want of me?” ‘* Simply recognition.” ‘Well, you have got that, so move on!” ** Not so fast, my son,” and the woman smiled almost wolfishly. ‘‘Remember, it has been three years since last we met, and I would know how you are suc- ceeding in whatever profession you have chosen,” ‘* Ah! I tumble at last, You want money!” ** Not of you; it might be tainted, and I am living honestly now,” ‘* What do you mean? that I may be a villain!” ‘** Naturally! Your father was one before you; you come by it direct, ‘* But don’t think for an instant that you can pull the wool over my eyes. ‘I know what you are—toat a hangman’s noose is even now hovering above your head, ready to fall when the right time comes, ‘*And mark this well—that time is not far distant, ‘*Even now the bloodhcunds are close upon your track; they have even run you to earth, and only await a word to spring upon you—” “*Cursa you! Mother or no mother, I curse you to your very face! ‘““Now get out of my sight, or I shall be tempted to cap the villainies you would lay at my door by matricide! ) sé Go ha “Poor fool! I will obey you; but it is to leave you to rush to your doom! ‘You are my 80n no longer, and though I could save you by a single word, I leave you to the fate that is close at band! ** Good-by!” Witbout another glance at the man, who was now almost foaming with rage, the woman let drop her vail and shortly disappeared around the next corner, Without having once noticed the young watcher before mentioned, and who had eagerly drank in every word of the dramatic conversa- tion above, the man turned, with a grating curse, and disappeared abruptly into the oflice of Banker Banderson, Bonanza Bob was seated at his elegant desk, busily engaged in writing. He was once more * on his feet,” consequentl he was in an exceedingly pliable state of mind, besides which he bad just closed an investment on change” which amounted to close on toa quarter of a million, It was a scheme he had been studying up for weeks—one in which the inan witb the most capital would win, He had the capital, no one would dare * buck” him with a quarter of a million in sight, and— well, he was so positive of success that be had another two hundred and fifty thousand to bet that he would come owt of the deal one million dollars abead! So, when the man with “ burnsides” burst so unceremoniously into his elegant office, Bonan- za Bob did not scow! furiously as was usual of late,on the contrary merely looked a trifle sur- prised, and passed his visitor a chair, “fs there the least danger of our being inter- rupted for the next hour?’ abruptly questioned the stranger. ‘‘Not the least,” replied the banker, as he Your words imply , é..! 4 » ; as 5 e - mm 2) . a7 on , , 's . ba W big - 4 168 ay a f Fo A f ¥ . -” ee ' os swith, “ark : ¥’ “We Mob ant ey sali ROS aly a en t + 1? td a : 9 * eae ae _ 88 aad * - Calle i “a a - n Qe. mf Ace High, the Frisco Detective. P shoved his greasy sombrero to the backside of | man, and now stood with visibly-trembling | opened a drawer in his desk, and pulled out a Wa hae phere ; \ seven shot ‘*Colt’s,” without taking his eyes. from the stranger’s face. ‘* Oh, don’t get ‘rattled,’ old man,” went om the visitor as he deftly removed his burnsides, mustache, goatee, and a black wig he wore be- neath the tall dicer, ‘*T dropped my trade when I left the moun- tains!” ‘* Byrde Raynold!” gasped the banker, ** That disguise would foil the sharpest pair of eyes in Frisco!” ‘*On the contrary, I have been recognized within ten minutes)’ ‘Hey? By whom?” ‘* The woman known as Christie Adante,” * Wi atl your—” ** Oh spit it right out—yes, my mother!” ** But great Heaven! that is impossible! She isaninmate of a Louisiana insane asylum, and mad as a March hare!” ‘*So [ supposec; but the fact remains that I met her within thirty paces of this door, and she knew me on the instant,” The benker seemed terribly affected by this disclosure, ‘** What can it mean Byrde?” he asked huskily, ‘* Perbaps it ha’ something to do with the business. for which you summoned me to Frisco,’ ’ ‘*Ha! By Jupiter! Do you suppose Ace High and the girl could have hunted her up, and put her upon our track— ‘* But that can’t be, for this Flash, as she calls herself, has been kere but a few weeks, and Barry informs me that she has been at the Gulconda every night without fail.” ‘* You must have egtered your dotage, old man!” said the stranger coolly. “And I must confess yon do not make a very happy selection of words! But we will not quarrel—there is too much at stake, ‘* What would you imply?” ‘*That if this girl] Flash had hunted up my maternal ancestor as you suggested, it was done long before she appeared at the Goleonda,” **One would suppose so; but baven’t I kept an eye cn her all these years? and | knowshe has never been to Louisiana!” ‘True, a man whom you suppose entirely faithful to your interests has sent you word from time to time—say four times a year—of her movements, and you know sbe has lived the life of an adverturous amazon in Ar zona, Texas, and Mexico, but of ber secret doings, her most intimate acquaintances, you can know no- thing definitely, ‘* Now, it strikes me, from the fact that you seemed to have good authority for believing that she is ** going for” you, that she bas been preparing berseilf all these years for an effort at. revenge upon you for the part you took in lead- ing the Hounds upon the night her family—” ‘*Don’t mention thataffair, Byrde! It was a bad move, though I would do it over again for the same stakes, even if they were not as big as I supposed them to be,” ‘* All right then; we will consider that subject tabooed! ‘** But now tell me all you can of the doings of the girl, and her detective pard,” This the banker-crook at once proceeded to: do—telling all be knew, some things he firmly believed, and a great deal he surmised, It-could be seen that the stranger was most deeply interested—especially so in the account of the mannerin which the mountain messenger, Hans Frekelheim, bad been captured, and no doubt followed to the rendezvous of Chinatown, and his subsequent mysterious disappearance. the night of the burglary. “T guess you spoke correctly when you said ‘the devil was to pay,’ old man! ‘‘ Tt ig a wonder the last messenger, Hoodlum, was not overhauled.” ‘‘ Not so very strange either, for it would be impossible for them to know’ that he was to start for the mountains; and besides be is not the man to he taken by surprise, “The ‘sleeping devil’ in those black eyes is a certificate of bis success in any undertaking te se's out vpon!” The stranger stared, “T noticed ‘the sleeping devil’ all right but, the man’s eyes were of the color of steel!’ It was now Bonanza Bob’s turn to start, * You are mistaken, Byrde, for Hank Hood- lum’s eyes are black as midnight itself!” ‘‘Then the devil is 'to pay, sure] The manI left in charge of the Red Birds bas a pair of the steeliest steel-cray eyes I ever saw! ‘* Weare in desperate straits, old man! The band is in peril—you are in peril! Now which shall it be: The band or Bonanza Bob?” , e : pet 1% . dy pirat! tgs of. + —— if 4 asi 7 ae a 4a" 2 . is 4 — 7 aa , “ baie Ptihaigte, NES St Oe eS er -hiN, ae hf , ~~ ee Agttecen saa , fe . ‘ r A , og es ae: ae UI ‘ae ee a