Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 905 — page 14: what you’re looking at

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

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For a minute they looked at one another without speaking and the woman—the ven- geance-hunter of the West—sprung over to ‘the girl, and cried: ‘‘T can’t let this man go and strike, _It would be violating my oath.” ‘‘ But he will avenge all of us,” answered Vinon. ‘*‘ What can you. do as against Cap- tain Mascot and the Black Beads?” ‘Ah, you don’t know Boulder Belle! You may have heard of me and you heave seen something of me since I struck No- Luck Camp; but you don’t know me, girl,”’ ‘¢] confess that I do not, but that man will terminate his crusade with a play that ‘will shatter the hopes of the red-handed,” The woman drew back and for a moment sstood undecided before Vinon. ‘She is going to yield,” thought the girl. “* She will let Gold Golliday go ahead.” Half a'second later Vinon found herself alone, Boulder Belle having rushed from the cabin and she could hear her in the street outside. 4 : The breathless girl fled over to the couch ‘in one corner of the room and threw herself upon it. .‘‘ There will be dark times here now,” she thought. ‘‘ There will be a clashing of steel and a struggle for existence and I will be in the midst of it all.” When she looked from the house she saw nothing but the lights and shadows of the AZ. Beyond it loomed the hotel and a little further on the home of Captain Mascot. Vinon stood at the window a while and shuddered. She could not see the man who stood like a statue in the night with his bearded face - turned toward Captain Mascot’s abode nor could she get a glimpse of the figure just as motionless and silent that hugged the shad- ows a few yards away with something in one hand which now and then caught the gloom a ow few stars that lit up the vault of L. resently the front door of Captain Mas- cot's house opened and a man came out. Golliday saw him at once and waiting like a lion in ambush he permitted him to come within arm’s reach of him. All at once the hand of the old Crusader touched the man and he stopped abruptly. It was Redflint and his hand moved to- ward his hip, but the eye of Golliday seemed to arrest it. ‘Tt is Golliday,” said the old man. ‘‘ You have just left your master.” ‘* What is that to you?’ ‘‘Much, perhaps, and a good deal to both OF 0s; 3.5 “You are the Crusader—the man who came here to give us trouble.” ‘That is my mission; but, Redflint, you will step over to the cabin with me.” ‘“‘To your shanty?” - : cé Yes,” , Dangerous was the smile that played with the desperado’s lips, but he nodded. As Golliday threw wide the door reveal- ing the form of Dandy Nugget the man stopped and gave a quick ery. 9% bite. = = Jee ; Ea rene CIS EE A ¥ * . 2 ‘It’s the boy!” cried the Crusader, ‘‘ Now take off your coat and show your black strand!” e Redflint exhibited a disposition to be stub- born. . ™. OHAPTER XIV. © THE HAND IN THE WINDOW. Tue light in the shanty revealed every- thing there, and Redflint saw that the Cru er stood between him and the door, He did not ask how Dandy Nugget had escaped from the trap, but he wondered, — ; : } a a. oe ate 4" ‘ ry sil : ‘? « sa% ge h wad ' . 7A, x* «J - sn | a xf “——_ a a? P yee : 7: ~, vid : Lire *.. (ha oe ‘ e . 4 bay ; oe Fk gt re Rs Bak Oe on ‘ “se - __ Pi os ae £ 4 a , , . = ra a 2 a ce Rie ¢ a — 1% ~ Py One" » , / eu =u ‘Take off your coat!” came the stern command from Gold Golliday’s lips. A revolver was gripped by the dark hand that hung alongside the speaker’s hip, and Dandy Nugget waited with an eagerness born of vengeance. Redflint seemed to hesitate, for he did not move, and even planted himself on the ground with more firmness than before, ‘“You will time this man, Dandy?” said Golliday. ‘I will give hima minute, The arm must be bared in that time, or the circle of rascality and crime shall be broken.” - Redflint seemed to think fast. ————— aS we ee ee Ameer : r - . -- tie? ee ; oa | Dandy Nugget, the Boy Shadow. sai Sab ae ‘Never mind that,” and the door was |. ee x, — ee. ~ fer , Daal he 4 NN Ase hie) ‘ Pee Ye ty WRT, He was not stopped and in a second he pe prawn it open and was across the thres- old. | But the hand in the window was.as rigid ag ever, and the face that backed it upas dark as before. ‘“‘The die has been cast!” said Tolliver. ‘The time for the final settlement has come, Golliday. You will pray, if ever you do that sort of thing.” | The Crusader knew what this meant. He was to be shot down in his tracks; the man at the window was not in the humor to spare, and acting on the advice if not the There was no escaping the man who had | commands of his master, he had come not caught him. He knew that Golliday had him in his hands, and that a refusal to do as commanded would stretch him on the ground a corpse, Sullenly at last he began to disrobe. He drew his coat and threw it upon the table, but there he stopped. ‘‘Open the sleeve to the shoulder!” said Golliday. . The man fell back with an oath. ‘‘Never; not for any living man!” he cried, ‘‘ Very well,” and the lips of the old Cru- sader met, ‘‘Just as you say, Redflint. The arm will be bared before you leave this shanty, and a diving arm is better than a dead one,”’ He knew what these words meant. He knew that the man into whose eyes he looked was as desperate and determined as ever man had been, and so he threw back his sleeve. The peeling of the dark arm revealed an armlet midway betweea elbow and shoulder, It was the black strand. ‘Take the light and count them, Dandy,” said Gold Golliday. The boy ferret picked up the lamp and ap- proached Redflint. } ‘Hold your arm out and let the boy be accurate,’ continued the old man. Redflint did so, and Dandy Nugget counted the beads—thirty-nine in all. “You haven’t lost any,” said Golliday when the counting had ended. ‘‘ You have the original number, and that is saying something for your character,’ ’ There was no reply to these words, and the sleeve fell back to its place. ‘¢ Where is Tolliver?” asked Golliday. You may go out and look for him as you looked for me,” was the answer, ‘‘ He will be found with the rest of them. Never mind. The beads on every arm will be counted and the missing one discovered.” ‘‘ What missing one?” It was plain to be seen that this question was asked in good faith. ‘““You don’t know, eh?” said Golliday. ‘¢ You will know, Redflint. You know who killed Paul as you are the rightful custodian of the other secrets of the Black Beads. Wait and see.” ‘‘T am freenow, am I?” Golliday was about to reply when a crash of glass was heard and he turned toseea hand thrust through the window near the door and in that hand was a six-shooter fully cocked and menacing. ‘*Come out, Redflint!’” said a voice. The face of the speaker was visible at that moment. It was just behind the revolver and both Golliday and Dandy Nugget saw that it was dark and stern. ‘Come out here, Redflint,” was the re- peated command, ‘‘The hand that keeps you back falls dead at its owner's side.” any Nugget knew the face on the out- BIG, ualatys : The coolest of the cool-heads next to Cap- tain Mascot himself was there—Tolliver, the King of Trumps. | oer: The revolver covered Gold Golliday and the old Crusader, white-faced but all nerves and coolness, looked into it without a tremor, Redflint went toward the door, | | : . ly / : 1s > a i _ = - ll lm a ees only to rescue but to kill. Golliday with his own weapon ane gripped was held at a disadvantage whic could not be helped just then. He looked over the leveled revolver and* into the face of Tolliver, reading no mercy there, Yes, the die had been cast and Gold Golli- day had reached the end of his crusade. 0 all of this Detective Dandy paid breath- less attention, waiting for a chance to turn the tables on the camp desperadoes, but there was none, - | ‘‘The kid is harmless with the old man out of the way,” said Tolliver to the man at his side, and then he looked at Gold Golli- day once more, | ‘‘-You’ve had your chance before this,” he said. ‘‘ You have been on this rugade for years, but you have waited too long. We are not all here, but we are strong enough. You are going now,” The finger at the trigger seemed to crook in the light and the next moment there was a deafening report, Dandy Nugget saw Golliday fall from the window and drop upon his knees. The table was struck by the falling body and overturned and the light went out. The interior of the shanty was filled with smoke and the boy ferret, knocked across the room by the toppling table, fell against the anf wall with his weapon in his hand. ‘‘Tt’g the last of the old Crusader,” said a voice outside. ‘‘ Now back to the captain, Redflint.” But Dundy Nugget was at the half open door and his lithe figure was bent across the step. He saw the stalwart figures of the Black peces inthe starlight and his blood grew ot. } The thought of Golliday, his friend and helper, lying dead on the ground roused his whole nature. 3 He threw up his hand and covered one of the forms, but that moment his arm was seized and he saw some one at his side. ‘Not those targets, Dandy Nugget. You have no right to them.” He looked again and shook the speaker loose, It was Boulder Belle. “They belong to me, those men and their master.’ sé first!” of the door, but the men were gone. The woman laughed at this and turned to- ward the shanty, ‘‘T heard the shot,” she exclaimed. ‘‘ Did they try to get you?” . “No, they killed Golliday.” Dandy Nugget and the womanwent back to the cabin and the Boy Shadow struck a light. : ae. All was quiet inside, | ‘‘It is true. He is dead,” said Belle, bend- ing over-‘the figure on the ground. ends the old man’s crusade.” | But that moment the eyes opened and the big hands opened and shut, “He lives!” cried Dandy Nugget. ‘‘ Tol- 3 three feet.’ re f bh 4) s : * ‘ ; ’ > r , : ’ ° & Y hs : oa - y ry : _ | . - » 7 . _5 sf hie oa 7\ J hey belong to the hand that gets them ) | Dandy Nugget was in the starlight, free liver Trumps failed to kill though he shot at _ “Thus : vin te Vat * +h per | ie ——w Ew * Py 2 tS * Hult : \ F * j/ea\aa >