Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 905 — page 13: what you’re looking at

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

*) i Ae. i . t P oe , 3 ? - °F ~ . “i s- TEAS = e WoT at, er SS tam ot ‘ : - a L} ote 4 oe Saree ry eS" ty little shanty, where he turned suddenly upon him. ** You have the bead still, Dandy ?” ‘* Lhave it yet.” ‘“* Let me see it again.” The Boy Shadow drew out the little purse which contained the black bead and rolled it into Golliday’s hand. ‘* Whose armlet lost it think you?” grinned the old man looking at Dandy Nugget. ‘* What is your guess, Golliday?” The old Crusader looked nonplused a mo- ment and then his brow cleared. ‘There are five of them here, no, not all here for Saul won't show up,” he remarked. ‘** Saul didn’t lose his bead, that I know, for I counted his strand.” ‘*Tt contained thirty nine, did it?” * **Thirty-nine. Here, look for yourself.” Gold Golliday took something® from his pocket and handed it to the boy. Wt was an armlet of black beads and Dandy Nugget counted them, watched eagerly by the giant near by. There were just thirty-nine beads and all were of one size and blackness. ‘‘This armlet is intact,” said Dandy Nug- et, looking up. ‘‘The wearer did not kill Paul Paget.” ‘*That’s as true as Gospel,” was the re- sponse. ‘‘The assassin has but thirty- eight beads it aoegacicl he young Vidocq made no reply, “Now, 4 sar Golliday, he beads on the other arms must be counted,” ‘That would tell the tale.” *“‘ They must be counted in the presence of all No-Luck.” ‘‘That would be pretty bold.” ‘*Yes. What was your plan?” ‘* First in secret, then openly,” ‘‘T see, You want to nine sure of it, boy. That’s right. But you see an old man like me on a hot-headec crusade, might spoil the broth. I leave it to you.” Dandy Nugget turned the beads over and over in his hands, He was closely regarded by Golliday who refrained from speaking as if he did not care to break in upon the boy’s thoughts. _ There is Redflint and Tolliver,” said the youth, at last. . ‘‘Hank and the captain,” finished Golli- ay. : z Four men and four bracelets of beads,” replied the boy detective. ‘‘ Mine is a little clue, but it tells the story of how Paul died.” _‘ As plainly as if it had been a living wit- ness. That black bead talks, Dandy.” The listener nodded and looked up at the face quite near his and seamed with in- terest. ‘Do you_really want to know what be- came of Black-Manded Saul, Mascot’s right bower?” asked Golliday, ‘Not if you don’t care to disclose the se- cret,” was the #0SWwer, “If that is your Secret keep it, Golliday. You say’ you overtook the man with the stolen chart, and you-say, further, that he will-never come back to fight for Captain Mascot.” ‘©All this is true: I found him: I went for that purpose. It belonged to my crnu- sade, Well, Dandy. do you think he gave up the chart peaceably? | ‘‘T cannot tifink that he did,” “He did not. But I shed no blood. Neither did I throttle the fiend of the black hand. Imerely sent him down the moun- tain.” ‘* Down the mountain, Golliday ?” A grim smile came to the sun-browned face of Gold Golliday. ‘Ten years ago,” said he, while the ex- pression lingered, ‘Ten years ago ® young man fell among the vultures of the Silver Range. He was lucky up to that time; he had a mine and held golden secrets. He was ‘ aga NR Ec i ah a ee ee as i" ote esgeentgre Le . aieoh : ; At i> ~ Dandy Nugget, the Boy Shadow. sent rolling down the mountain. Time makes all thingseven. It will see the end of Gold Golliday’s crusade. That’s the sort of ride Black-Handed Saul took. I didn’t kill the human vulture, oh, no, I only sent him after hig victim of ten years ago—Golliday’s brother!” Dandy Nugget did not speak. CHAPTER XIII. THE MISSING BEAD. Tue old crusaders waited for Dandy Nug- get to reply to his last remarks, but seeing that he kept silence he went on: ‘‘They would call that murder in some parts of this country, but it was only ven- geance. It was simply paying off an old debt and settling with one of the vultures who killed the boy miner of the Silver Range. One by one the rest shall feel the hand of Gold Golliday unless something unseen comes between,” ‘‘ Don’t they suspect you?” asked the boy, “They suspect me now. They believe that I am the brother of the youth whom 4g sent to his death down the rugged sides of Old Man’s Mountain. They will know it before they die. Black-Handed Saul found it out before the log started. He must have lived over that day while rushing with light- ning speed down the mountain over and over to the bottom. Call you it murder, Dandy?” ‘* No,” said the boy detective, laying his hand on the old Crusader’s arm. justice.” ‘*Thank you, boy, thank you,” was the answer, ‘‘ Now we must goto work. The strand with thirty eight beads must be found. It is No-Luck Camp.” Golliday went to the little window along- side the shanty-door and looked out for a moment, He saw the lights that shone from the in- terior of the Black Eagle and smiled while he watched the place. ‘‘Do you knew what brought Boulder Belle to No-Luck?” he suddenly asked Dandy Nugget shook his head. ‘“‘ Vengeance!” was the reply as Gold Golli- day came back across the floor, ‘* That wo- man seeks to break Captain Mascot up, and then, tiger-like, she will begin to rend him. But it must not be. Whether his arm or another’s bears the broken strand, she must not carry out her plans. Already she has robbed him of one hundred shares of his best bonanza, but it must go no further,” ‘* Stop her if you can!” ‘‘T can and I will!” was the quick re- sponse. ‘I will see this woman right away.” ‘* You know where to fird her,” Golliday went out, ‘‘A strange man, and one with a heart for all,’”’ muttered the boy, who saw his dark figure moving from the shanty, ‘‘ He will go to Belle and to Vinon, and they will learn from him first that I have been rescued from the heart of the trap, and that she (Belle) must not carry out the vengeance that brought her to No-Luck,” Golliday went straight to the home of the camp waif, | It was late, but he found its inmates up. ‘‘T have found Dandy. Iknew I would,” grinned the old Crusader. ‘‘ Nature has played havoc with the depths of Hank’s trap, and he was there waiting for me,” Vinon uttered a cry of joy, but the face of Boulder Belle grew troubled. lt seemed to her as if victory was about to be snatched from her grasp. ' Golliday came up to her and his dark hand fell softly upon her wrist. ‘You must not till we have made the Search,” said he. ‘* What search?” “‘'The search for the missing bead,” was ‘“*It was ee aS Golliday escorted Dandy Nugget to his | tied to alog by those human vultures, and. the retort. ‘‘ Weare going to look at every Strand in No-Luck.” “You are,” and Belle drew back ,, 4d gave him a look of incredulity. ‘‘It may be all right, but how are you going to get a peep at their arms?” ’ ‘Wait and see. Weare going to have counted the beads on the various armlets, and the one which contains but thirty-eight will have to bear inspection by the whole- camp.” | ‘«'Those men won’t let you look,” cried the woman, ‘‘Do you expect Captain Mascot and his men to show up at your command? It will never do, Golliday.” Fora moment the old Crusader did not speak, but his look wandered toward the door and he took a long breath. ‘One half of No-Luck already belongs to- Captain Mascot,” continued Boulder Belle. ‘* You mean that he hag secured the men?” ‘Yes; they belong to him, They have og into his net with the least possible ef- ort,” ‘‘Ts this true, girl?” The question was addressed to Vinon. ‘I fear it is,” was the reply. ‘‘ Captain Mascot knows how to rule men like the miners of No-Luck. He seems to fascinate them like a serpent fascinates the dove. - At least they have been talking less about ven- geance for the murder than ever before.” ‘*It makes no diffeience,” cried Gold Gollé day, clinching his hands, ‘If all go over to the rascal's side—if even Dandy Nugget. deserts me, vengeance shall be taken all the same. Itis my crusade—mine alone—and while one of the gang bas just taken a ride down the mountain, the others shall not es- cape,” ‘‘T am with you,” and Belle sprung to Golliday’s side, but he pushed her away. ‘“Not while you meditate your peculiar vengeance,” he said. ‘You can fleece the- Nabob King out of shares but you shall not. take his life!” : ‘‘It is your command, I refuse to obey.’” She drew off and looked Sigal te at the old man standing in the middle of the room. Golliday did not move for a minute, and then he only seemed to bend his body to- ward Boulder Belle while his face grew pale: in the lamplight, ‘*T know all about your grievance,” said he. ‘I know of the oath and the hunt you have had. But you lost no brother at the- hands of the human vultures, and you shall not strike till I have struck.” ‘* The door is yonder,” and the hand of the speaker covered the portal, ‘‘ Out yonder lies the trail and you seem to be near the end of it. No-Luck has been crying for ven- geance for the death of Nabob Paul, and Dandy Nugget, the boy. detective, has been’ brought to camp to ferret out the red hand. Out yonder, I say, lies the trail and the penal- ty. Go and finish it!” ; ig He looked at her but made no answer. ‘“ [ make no promises ”she went on, ‘TI will not say what 1 willdo. You know what brought me to No-Luck and you want to strike first. Let it bearace to the goal, Gol- liday; Ihave nothing against you, but the man out yonder—the wretch who calls him- self Captain Mascot—must feel the hand that slays.” | The old Crusader: went to the door, but there he stopped and once more looked at the beautiful woman. ‘‘T never war on woman,” said he in low tones. . sacred to me Now as it was when we laid her. to rest on the mountain-side. But you must. not interfere; no, you must not,” —, . It was a threat and a challenge, and Boul- der Belle understood it. ‘‘It is my crusade and when I have struck, you shall be avenged with Paul and the rest.” | ‘“ Would that satisfy you, Golliday, if you. were me?” wh aay . ? : 4 J : ® a . * wv ‘ rm . = _ , ‘e ', ry 4 € - ae) . , « # — ~~ ‘“The memory of my mother is as ~ “. yo ee ay ee