Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 905 — page 9: what you’re looking at

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

oa wer ea — “down into Hank Hawk’s “trap,” down, down to death. ' Half an hour later Hawk appeared sudden- ly to Captain Mascot He burst in upon the captain and Tolliver Trumps and startled them not a little, Jt was past one in the morning. ‘ Well, what did you do?” inquired Cap. tain Mascot, his face showing the interest he took in what might fall from Hawk’s tongue. ‘* He’s there,” ‘* Tn your trap?” ‘* We left him there at any rate.” ‘* No one saw you?” ‘* We didn’t play our hand to be seen,” was the answer. ‘‘ We went and took him, that’s all.” ‘* Did he fight?” ‘Fight? He had no chance. We were upon him in a flash and he was in our clutches before he could say Jack Robinson. He was in bed.” ‘* And asleep?” ‘‘ Yes, but the opening of the door awoke him, and we were at the bed before he could lift a band. He went with us as mute asa damb and he’s there now.” Captain Mascot looked at Tolliver Trumps, ‘I told you they’d do it,” he exclaimed, “*That’s one, You know what the trap is, Tolliver?” The big man nodded. “We let him down with the lasso and blindfolded him besides; that’s making it certain, you see, There’s no getting out for the Boy Shadow and it’s a good night’s avork,”’ ““It looks good,” said Captain Mascot. “Now, when Gold Golliday comes back—’” Just then a wild yell was heard and the thunderous beat of’ hoofs in the street be- ‘ond, : ? All three looked toward the door and Tol- liver Trumps opened it and listened. The night was clear and still; sounds could be beard at a great distance, and while the three men listened the same yell was repeat- ed with more clearness than before, It was a quick and startled look that Cap- tain Mascot sent toward his companions. ‘* Golliday is back!” said he, Trumps nodded and Hank Hawk listened on. Down the street came the steed which as yet they could not see; but all were at the door now with their gaze fastened upon the Square which could be seen in the light from the Black Eagle. A horse had halted there; they could see a “grctesque figure in the saddle and all knew that it was Golliday in his red shirt. Yes, the old Crusader, the enemy of the Black Beads, had come back sooner than ex- pected, Captain Mascot watched the man, who seemed with his horse to have grown into a statue in ebony in the light, and at last he turned to his men, ‘* What a target!” wag all he said. Tolliver Trumps sprung across the room and snatched a Winchester from the wall. Both Captain Mascot and Hawk drew back and let Trumps stride to the open door. The bronzed hands of the big desperado of No-Luck gripped the weapon with, reso- lution and those who watchéd pim seemed to hold their breath. » 5 tie hriegen; Tolliver Trumps threw the rifle to his shoulder and his cheek-droppéd to the stock, “Through the head if you can,” whis- ered Mascots: 9 -* 1°" wer 7 _ There was no reply, none but the firmer grip of the dark hands at the Winchester, and perhaps the glitter of the eye that re- mained open: : | poh i _ ** Why don’t ye shoot?” asked Hawk at dast impatiently. -‘* He’l] vanish d’rectly,” ‘‘Yes, now or -never!” put in Captain Mascot... =) | ie SHOES This was enough. The next instant the geport of the Winchester broke the silence of aE Dandy Nugget; the Boy Shado w that fateful night, and Tolliver Trumps ut- tered a fierce oath. The man was there still, apparently un- touched, Ilad he missed him? | Had he fired point-blank at Gold Golliday, the giant, only to shoot wide of the mark? ‘* You missed!” cried Hank Hawk, tearing at the rifle, ‘‘Give it to me. T’ll show you how to shoot.” The King of Trumps threw the weapon away and whipped out a revolver to step to the door, ready to try again with the newer, weapon, That moment the man on the Plaza moved. He seemed to turn his steed toward the house, and all three saw his dark face and shaggy beard. ‘* A miss is as good as a mile, gentlemen,” he laughed as he rode slowly forward. ‘You can’t hit a barn door at ten paces. You shoot like a drunken digger.” This taunt went deeper than the skin of those who heard it. 7 He came on fearlessly, his figure showing no longer in the light, for he had left the Plaza, but they could see it underneath the morning stars, still an excellent target for the marksmen of No-Luck. — Yet they stood irresolute in the doorway of Captain Mascot’s house. __ Golliday had taken off his hat, and was sweeping it before him in token of defiance, ‘I’m squaring up the books, and you had best take your inning now if ever, gentle- men,” cried he. ‘* You won't get as good a chance to-morrow nor nextday, p'raps. I’m on my crusade and you ought to know what that means. Remember Buzzard Canyon and ‘its Mazeppa!” ° ‘ [ knew it!” grated Captain Mascot, ‘| told you so all the time, and now that man proclaims it boldly,” He sprung from*the doorway with a re- volver in his hand, and the weapon went up the instant he struck the street. But the target vanished before he could fire; yes, with the quickness of thought, Gold Golliday wheeled his horse and was al- most across the Plaza. | Captrin Mascot dropped the weapon with a grated curse. CHAPTER IX. SUDDEN WEALTH. Ir was true that Boulder Belle had sought and found Vinon in the latter s home. When she did this she arrayed herself against Captain Mascot, and that worthy seemed to take it as a declaration of war. They had never met before, and Vinon wondered why that tall, dark-faced woman had come to her. Boulder Belle said nothing about herself until she had fairly secured an asylum in the girl’s house. 7 Vinon asked her nothing, but seemed to understand that she had come to No-Luck for a purpose, and so she let her have her way. | It was the night of Dandy Nugget’s cap- ture by the Black Beads that the woman un- burdened herself. She and Vinon had sat a long time among the shadows of the little room, and the streets of No-Luck seemed deserted and quiet. The girl waif of the camp had watched the woman some time in silence, wondering as she had-done .before what was behind. her visit to No-Luck when Boulder Belle, turn. ing suddenly upon her, said;,, |. | ‘¢ You drifted in here, did you, girl?” Vinon smiled, sadly, — a ees ‘‘T drifted in,” she echoed. “I came in on a storm, and she who came with me sleeps over yonder on the mountain-side, buried by the roughs of No Luck.” ‘*Did he help?” | ‘‘Captain Mascot?” ‘“Ah,: you. were thinking of him, were you? Yes, did he help bury her?” | - : ‘‘ He wasn’t here then.” ‘‘] might have known that,” said Boulder Belle with a smile. ‘‘He did not come till afterward; that is true.” The woman was silent for a moment, “Girl,” she suddenly resumed, bending toward Vinon, whom she watched conus t “you have been wondcring what brought me here. . I can see that in your face. You should know—in part.’’ She went to the window and looked out. She saw the lights of the Black Eagle, and the figures that crossed the Plaza. She watched these a few moments, and then came back to the girl waif. ‘‘There are secrets which should be kept by their possessors,” she went on. ‘‘1 am called Boulder Belle, of Bismarck, but I haven’t inhabited that city for years. ‘‘Long ego I had a right to that name, but now I might wear another just as well. ‘Captain Mascot has not always been Cap- tain Mascot. | ‘“The man who would rule here with a hand of iron once was a hunted outlaw with oo ha upon his head and with men at his 1eels, ‘*¢ Accursed for his evil deeds and hunted up and down the canyons of the far South- west he was driven from pillar to post until one night we caught him.” Vinon started at the pronoun and looked at the woman. ‘You smile,” said Boulder Belle. ‘‘I was there when they had him in the snare from which there seemed no escape whatever. This man, justly outlawed for his crimes, was fairly taken, and by the red nomads of the plains. ‘‘T led them tothe trail—I, not Boulder Belle then, but Violet of Violet City. ‘* Does the name startle you, girl?” Vinon’s face had taken on a new expres- sion, one of intense curiosity, and she seemed _ to be leaning toward Boulder Belle whom she was watching with an intensity born of mingled fear and suspense, ‘‘T have heard of Violet City,” said the girl. ‘‘I have heard of some of its people.” ‘You have? Of whom have you heard?” and the hand of Boulder Belle fell upon the girl's wrist and fastened there. | ‘¢ Let me think,” continued Vinon, ‘‘ You remember that I drifted into No-Luck?” ‘* Yes, yes.” ¢ | “It was long ago and I wasa mere child then, I recollect the wagon and the storm in the mountain,” ‘But what makes you remember the name* of Violet City?” ‘‘T will show you.” | Vinon crossed the room and bent over the little couch where she slept. | Boulder Belle of Bismarck saw her run one hand beneath the pillow and a moment later she came back with something in it. ‘‘It is by this,’ said she; ‘I have kept — this all through the years that have followed my drifting in.” She placed a little packet in Boulder Belle’s lap and that person took it up with a slight excited tremor, : | Her hands proceeded to undo it by taking off the buckskin covering and all at once she looked up with a cry: “Did this come in with you—girl?” she exclaimed, : ‘‘It did. Janus Jack, the man to whom © more than any others I owed my life, found it in the wagon and kept it from me until a few days before he died when he restored it. It is a locket and a picture and you will see scratched underneath the face the name ‘ Violet City.” . _ : Woo 4 Boulder Belle, looked a moment and then replied. : . “I gee, Isee! It is not very plain, as if | the name bad been scratche by a feeble hand, but still it is there. Was the woman whonmthay found dead in the wagon like the | one in this picture?” x ; « . ome se > ff. » - 7 Cnty » ¥ . - on] pa ; Ps SS TE DES he Wied wicks 1 oS : - ae % oa: ae Th) oh fe Au ~eee i 7 £ 1p Rat IOS INE IR ality eee eS vey 4 Te ae ? : ee | ; 5 <8 a ate ne * a . ie. i" ; ie . ae A , . . - ‘ a le x: gh. we Chwnd ‘ es