Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 905 — page 4: what you’re looking at

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at home; he looked a long time at the camp, and even then walked on, half resolved to throw up his mission and lurkin the shadow of No-Luck. : The day waned, and near its close a little company followed the corpse of Paul to the mountain, it was a quiet burial. The sun went down as the cortege came back and its mourners scatteredin the streets of No-Luck, Golliday turned toward Vinon’s house and entered without knocking. The girl was at home, and her face, which was clouded, seemed to light up with hope = the burly figure of the mountaineer came n. ‘* Well,” said Golliday, ‘it’s all over, and now begins our hunt!” ‘‘ That is true,” responded Vinon. begins the hunt for vengeance!” The giant came forward and leaned against the little table, while he folded his brawny arms. ‘* Has he been here yet?” he asked. The girl shook her head, ‘He said he would drop in, and I didn’t know but what 1 would find him here.” ‘‘He’s not come yet.” That instant footsteps were heard just be- yond the door, and it opened to reveal the form of Dandy Nugget. ‘“‘ Here at last,” was Golliday’s welcome, as the boy came forward, Dandy Nugget took the hand which Vinon held out with a smile, and held it for half a second, She had never seen him until that day. She might have heard of him; but this was their first meeting, and the introduction had been through Golliday,. ‘* Would Pit watch at the window, Vi- aor, asked the giant, looking toward the rl. . . Vinon rose and crossed the room to come to a halt at the window from which she could see the Square and, beyond it, the hotel. Golliday went over to the table at which Dandy Nugget had seated himself. Boy and man put ‘their heads together there and began to talk in low tones. It was an earnest conversation, as their looks and tones showed, and Vinon, glanc- ing now and then at the pair, seemed to realize that much depended on them, ‘‘It was done by one of the Beads,” as- serted the boy detective, taking from his ocket something that glistened in the candle- ‘‘ Now ight. “Golliday turned it overand over in his hand, seeing that it was a black bead quite small and well worn. ‘You picked this up—where, Dandy?” ‘‘ Where you found him.” ‘* Near the mine?” Dandy Nugget nodded, ‘‘Itis the first clue, eh? It is the mark of the Black Beads, | see.” There was no reply, bat the eyes of the young mountain ferret fairly shone. ‘‘Did you trace it further? Did you look beyond where you picked this up?” ‘*Do you think I would stop there, Gol- liday?” asked the lad. ‘*1 don’t think you would have done so,” ‘¢T would have looked into it as far as possible.” ‘*Of course you would,”’ ‘““You did so, Well, what did you dis- cover?” Dandy Nugget was about to reply when a slight call from Vinon at the window at- tracted them, Both turned and saw the girl looking to- ward them. ‘* What is it?” | Vinon beckoned to them and both the boy ‘and Golliday went forward, | ‘That man has been out yonder for gome little time,” said Vinon. ‘‘ You have Dandy Nugget, the Boy Shadow. to look sharp to sce him against the shanty over there. He came from toward the Square, though I am quite sure he did not cross it as I could have seen him in the light.” ‘‘T see him, He has folded his arms and ig watching this shanty,” spoke Golliday. ‘ He is built like Captain Mascot.” ‘But it is not the Nabob King,” inter- posed Vinon. ‘‘I know him too well to call that man him.” | ‘‘Sheisright, Dandy. That man out yon- der isn't Captain Mascot.” ‘The man in the shade of the shanty con- tinued to stand there with his dark face turn- ed toward the cabin and seemed a statue in the semi-darkness. He did not move an inch, as if he had turned into stone since taking up his station, and, while the three occupants of Yinon’s house watched him, he watched the shanty like a hawk. ‘‘ He knows we’re here,” whispered Golli- day. ‘That he does!” ‘That marks you, boy!” Dandy Nugget nodded, with a fearless smile, ° ‘‘They know that you are here to bring the truth to light. You may have been re- cognized; you have made so many enemies, you know.” ‘‘SoI have, Golliday. There are many men who don’t like a hair of my head.” For ten minutes the man outside con- tinued to look at the cabin before he showed any signs of life. Then he moved slightl and the trio at the window got a look at his profile. ‘‘T know him now!” cried the girl. ‘* Who is he, Vinon?” ‘Tt is Tolliver Trumps.” ‘‘Oh,” said Dandy, with a nod. Tolliver, then?” ‘‘Do you know him?” , | _ © Pon’t 1!’ and the boy shadower laid his hand on Golliday’s rugged arm, ‘‘ Don’t I know the man who, two years ago, was ‘Tt is hung in a basket over a cliff in Arizona by a lot of Indians. I know Tolliver.” ‘‘ Look, he is moving off now. No, he is coming closer. He is determined to look inside,” Indeed it seemed so, for the man approach- ed the cabin and at last his bearded face ap- peared at the window, almost touching the pane as his glittering eyes seemed to dart against the glass like the forked tongue of a serpent, The inmates of the shanty had drawn back out of the light, and Golliday, with his hand on his balf-drawn revolver, watched the spy’s face till it was withdrawn. ‘*Now go back to your master and re- port,” said Dandy Nugget, in low tones, ‘‘ What have you seen anyhow? This may- be better than dangling one thousand feet above the ground in a wicker basket; but the end may be more terrible still.” | They could hear departing footsteps, and at last caught a glimpse of the man who stole across the Square to vanish toward the Black Eagle whose light fell half-way across the Plaza. ‘Let him go,” said Golliday turning to the boy ferret with a smile. ‘‘ What is the state of affairs among Paul’s friends?” ‘They are cowed—cowed by the hand that struck their young master down.” “They are cowards all, then?” ‘‘Not yet, though they are cowed; they fear the hand, that isall. They won't dis- cuss the murder; they will turn the subject as quickly as possible. They think of the Black Beads, yet they will not openly ac- cuse.” | ‘‘ What,’ cried Vinon, ‘‘do the men of No-Luck—Paul’s friends—even refuse to avenge him?” . “They will not talk about it,” replied Dandy Nugget. ‘‘ That is cowardice!” Vinon’s eyes seemed to get a flashing light. ‘*] will fire them,” cried she. ‘‘I will show them that there is one person in No- Luck who is not disposed to see that murder” go unpunished.” ‘‘'That belongs to Golliday’s crusade,” put in that individual. ‘‘I will discuss this murder at the right time whether they care to listen or not.” ‘*But when will that time come?” ‘Sooner than you think, girl.” ‘*To-night? to-morrow?” ‘‘'Wait and see.” ‘‘You have taken up your quarters at the. Black Eagle have you, Nugget?” ‘‘T can be found there.” ‘Let me see the bead again.” The boy shadower complied and Golliday” turned the bead overand overin his hand again. | ‘‘You know the story—thirty-nine beads. The missing bead will fasten the crime upon the guilty.” The boy dropped his head. ‘‘But more have been lost where you found. that one,” exclaimed Vinon. ‘‘T looked well, Vinon,” answered Dandy- ‘He has eyes like a hawk and he sees as- well by night as by noonday,” remarked Gold Golliday, ‘‘There was but one bead lost there and this is it.” | Vinon looked at the bit of glossy ebony” and turned to the boy shadower, ‘* Tf you should find the gulty. how wil? you punish?” sheasked. ‘‘ The Black Beads. may be all powerfull in No-Luck Camp. The King of Trumps is a désperado of the first water and behind him may be the cool- est heads in Idaho.” “That belongs to my crusade, girl,” de~ clared Golliday, with a grin. CHAPTER IV. VINON BEARDS A CAMP LION. ‘¢ GQoop-By, boy!” ‘¢ Be careful, pard.” ‘“T will. I know the trail, for I have tracked his horse down the mountain, and he must bave the old chart.”’ It was an hour after the events of the last chapter, and Dandy Nugget and Golliday stood in the shadows of the last shanties of No-Luck Camp, with the dark mountains be- fore them. , ‘You will come back with him?’ | “Tf he ever comes back,” answered the giant. ‘‘I know what may happen, but, if I can help it, not a drop of blood shall be shed where he is likely to be found. The time has not come for that, you know. My crusade says: ‘‘ No blood till we have all the threads in our hands! That’s the motto, boy.” : The young ferret nodded and dropped the band he held. He held it as long as he seemed to have & right to it, and saw its owner fall back. Golliday walked over to his horse and mounted, He turned round to take a farewell look at the slight figure standing where he had left. ° the boy, and said half aloud to himself: ‘Heaven keep. him safe till I come back, | } I leave him in a web of death, but he is cool and won’t lose his head. He wouldnt be Dandy Nugget if he did.” As for Dandy he went back to No-Luck; he re-entered the camp and walked to the Black Eagle, whose porch he crossed and proceeded to his room. eee, The mission of Golliday was well under- stood by the young shadower of the gold hills tbs The Crusader had started out upon what. » Ss might become a dangerous trail; he had — gone after Black-Handed Saul, whom he in-. tended to track through the mazes of his mission! 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