Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 851 — page 12: what you’re looking at

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

12 He stood for a moment as though con- sidering a matter of some importance. The door of the cabin was right at his hand, and a short distance away a windlass overhung one of the openings. He seemed to be de- bating whether to use shaft or cabin. ‘‘The mine would be the surer but there are the risks of taking her down alone. A drop there would make an end of the whole business, fast enough, and I’m not ready for that—yet. There was only one fool in that outfit, and surely the boys have sense enough to know how to make him hold his peace. The cabin it will be, Come!” He spoke the concluding word harshly— the rest of it had hardly been above a whis per—and began dragging her toward the door. 6 ‘* Be a little easy, sir. I have no idea of resisting until you drive me to it. When you go that far—well, you may find that I can use my hands ”’ ‘‘Humph! You have found your voice at last. Good, I wasafraid you might choose to play deaf and dumb. fell have a little more talk later on. See that you do not make a fool of yourself. Mistakes here seldom go over.’ He did not abate his vigilance, but he re- moved his hand from her arm while he un- locked the heavy door. Then, he bade her enter, and following once more locked the door behind them. The air did not feel close, for there was an opening in the gable end which allowed the wind to blow through, but it was dark as could be, and if Stella had not been the girl of courage that she was her heart might have failed her, Perhaps the revolver given her by Brand accounts somewhat for her courage. At last she was able to place her hand upon it, and the touch was, to say the least, reassur- ing. The darkness did not last long for there was the striking of a match, and then a fire flared up in the large fire-place which oc- cupied almost the whole of one end of the room. | The kindling seemed to have been allready for the match, and by the sudden blaze Stella took a view of her surroundings. The room was rudely furnished, and look- ed as though it was the headquarters of a bachelor miner or hunter. ere Was a round table, a couple chairs and a few table and cooking utensils. In addition, there was a bunk in one corner. With a shutter fastened over the hole above, and the door locked, the room might make a sufficiently gloomy prison, and she wondered whether the man expected to keep her there any length of time. It was an cut-of-the way place, but still, there seemed to be a chance of some straggler coming that way at almost any hour of the day. From the room she turned to the man him. self, and gave him a fearless, searching look. The sight was not reassuring. The face of the man was dark with passion, and with the possibilities of sin, and he was eying her as an eagle might a lamb which it had marked for its prey. His long fingers were bent talon-like, and she would not have been surprised if he had swooped down upon her, then and there ‘* Are you a woman of sense?” he asked at length, when he found her eyes did not droop under the burning gaze of his own. ‘* Perhaps. Who can tell?” was her an- swer, given in a steady tone. ‘‘Do you care to live?” ** Not very much.” ‘‘ Has the prospect of ‘charms for you?” : ‘* It might have had once; it has few now.” ‘Take heed what you are saying. I'll take your words as the truth, and it is life er death you are deciding on now.” ‘‘ However that may be I enter into no gold without end no The Tie-To Sport. bargain with you, Morris Howe, until I know more of the past than you would care to tell me. If you slew my father you will prob- ably kill me; but if it is fated so to Fe, what matter? I would be willing to wager my salvation you will not live long afterward, to enjoy the Fair Dove Mine. ‘‘Ah!” gritted Howe, staring at her more viciously than ever. ‘You know too much to bargain with; and even if you came to my terms who could tell how long youcould be trusted? There is only one way out of the snarl,” ‘* And that is?” ‘* Death!” he shouted, and with a leap more savage, more pantherish even, than the one he had made before, he sprung across the cabin. Her hand was on her weapon, and she had thought that if she only knew for a surety, the knowledge would so nerve her hand that she could give the stroke of death and venyeance. Only for a second did she have the chance. After that it was too late. With mad strength he seized her, tore her from her feet, and flung her into a chair. Before the first shock of the as- sault was over he had her securely knotted to the seat, and had dragged her to the fire- place. ‘‘Lead and steel leave ugly marks,” he hissed; ‘‘and I do not care to strangle you where you sit as long as there is something better It will not be painful, but it will be just as effectual. Say your prayers, girl, for your end has come.” He caught up a horn filled with some strange, compound, and poured a generous share of its contents on the fire, Then he darted out of the cabin, locking the door behind him, and a moment later was on the roof, closing tightly the chim- ney, acd banging dowu the heavy shutter which fitted, almost air-tight, to the opening in the gable. From the fire-place a deadly vapor swept out, filling the room, and Stella heard a savage laugh, and then the sound of de- parting feet, before she lapsed into uncon- sciousness. ' CHAPTER XIII A REVELATION. “Srrapy, now! Who goes.there?” The challenge rung out with stern earnest- ness, and was accompanied by a shard click from a cocking revolver; but the answer was a light laugh. Then, after a momentary silence, a voice added: ‘‘Steady yourself, Charley Briggs. I seem to be the only friend you have in these regions, and guess we won’t fall out before the night is over. We can do each other a heap of good unless lam away off.” Briggs did not seem to be so sure of the voice, for his weapon remained at a level un- til the chirping tones of Billy Jingle came in to set him straight. ‘“’Pon me soul, it’s ther sport ag'in. Ef he’s bound ter wring in with a man ov my side I won’t hinder. Let him come.” “Allright. Ill take ’most anybody for a pard, if he can tell me where I am, and which way to go, I may not be lost now, but if I stayed here alone all night, blame e I believe I could find myself in the morn- ng.” This time he did not disdain the company of the boy, and Charley Briggs was by no means displeased at the meeting. ‘*Glad to see you, pard,” he said, as Ham- mond stepped forward. | ‘Outside of my own particular gang there’s no man living I would sooner meet, because I know you have nerve, and I be- lieve you are white. »I need that kind ofa ms” . Baan mp, pron man behind me to-night; are you game forthe © work?” ‘“‘T never covet more of my neighbor’s goods than I can win at draw poker; and I don’t object to shooting a man when I have to save my life; but right there I draw the line. I’m not shooting for the fun of the thing, and I don’t want to grab for any boodle except my own. And that reminds me, I have quite a fair-sized stack of yours,” ‘* Never mind that. . You can keep it till daylight, and perhaps by that time neither of us will want it,” ‘‘Very well, what do you want?” ‘‘T want to head off the chief of the gang that has been laying for us, and to save one, who has fallen into his clutches. I suspect- ed there was more in the riot than appeared on the surface, and now I know it, though how they spotted me, and what you have to do with the matter is more than I can yet understand. That will come later.” ‘If you think it is the best thing we can do you can count me in; but from what I have seen of them the Sinners are away up in the catalogue, and if I had my way Id say, let me alone and I’ll let you alone.” ‘‘Yes, but they won’t. They have gone too far. And besides, there is an innocent girl in the case. It is for her sake, and not for my own, that I want to carry the war into Africa.” “A girl! Great Scott! count me in from the word go. For the sake of the sex Dell Hammond can‘ always be counted on to be around. Who is she?” ‘Her name | cannot give you, but she came to the Flat on the same coach that brought us—that brought you, Strange that others could suspect her mission and— and—we could not.” The gambler seemed to tangle himself up alittle in his speech, but Dell Hammond never noticed. He was too much interested in the intelligence, ‘ Andto think Isaw her go, and never chipped. I doubted the fellow who met her, but thought she was up to running her own affairs, and let him waltz off with her. I tell you, man, I’m her friend, I’m her solid friend,” ‘« An’ as we be goin’ along, pard hyer kin be ’xplainin’ how ther land lays. Blowedef I don’t want ter ketch on ter ther style ov ther game meself.” Billy Jingle’s suggestion was a good one, but Charley Briggs was not yet ready to ex- plain all he knew, or thought he knew, about the game. Ifhe had done so he would have eve something of a surprise later on, by wringing it in now, But be gave an outline that was near enough to the truth, as far as it went; He told how the Fair Dove was supposed to be held by a man named Howe, who had ob. tained it from the original Iccator in scme underhanded way which would not bear in- vestigation, and that this young lady was the daughter of the man who bad been first swindled and. then, perbaps, killed, What might not be her fate in such hands?” ‘Tf it comes tothat there will be some gilt- edge shooting and no mistake,” muttered the sport. ‘But it must not. "We can save her, and we will. Step out a little faster, and, sonny, you'll have to trot a little if you want to in at the death.” “Oh, I’ll be there, old man. An’ ef ther galoot don’t carry Billy Jingle’s brand short- ly after it’ll be cause he won't be feelin’ equal to ther load. 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