Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 962 — page 15: what you’re looking at

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

| , | S22 ** are they there together, Cyrus Dawling and the woman who was my wife?” ** Scarcely.” ** Then whatis she to him? what has she been, since she has thought I was dead?” ‘‘ Only bis sister. Even such a vagabond as Dawling is liable to have relations; and being ashamed of him don’tseem to mend matters. It would have saved a heap of trouble if she had felt the other way.” ‘‘ What an infernal fool I have been!” ‘‘’'m not so sure of that, Thereis time enough yet to get a heap of good out of life; and if you haven’t struck a bonanza in here, and laid away enough of the ore to pay the national debt, I’m away Off. us Yes, I have found what most men would give their souls for. I would have given it all at any time for the peace of mind that your intelligence will give me, if these things that you tell me are true. But I confess that 1 donot understaud this masquerade.” ‘“* Simplest thing in the world. We have been looking for you, and figured it down that you were here or hereabouts; but we never could find you, Dawling, who was afraid to risk meeting ou, put himself in my hands, Hissister and be ung mo foe when he was wanted for your kill- ing;and of course they were both in disguise. You sent some one to look after Cyrus, and dropped to him and your daughter, but for some reason missed the womaninthe case, After the one effort you made to get the girl, I knew that Ihad you. The intention was to let Fan be taken and fell you the story, while I would be in supporting distatiee, to corroborate, Nestor Northrup got on the trail of.us, but he was foiled, too, though he gave us some trouble with bis Lamba, hen i go back I will dispose of him in short order, if you want one of the family brought inte the reach of the law. If you don’t he will hardly stand on the ceremony of his going wban you come on the carpet,” “And my daughter—-where is she now?” “Safe in the care of one of the best men in Hard Pan. You have nothing to fear for her. fe does not know ali the danger she is in, but the villains cannot reach her even if they locate her. I have & goodyman on the watch, And they think that my Fan is their game, Oh, I tell you, itis time that you turned up. Tbe Hegdens have a man down there looking after you—or rather, after proofs of your death. He wormed your wife’s story out of her, and for a time believed her. Then, when he got track of Dawling, he thought she had been making it out of the whole cloth, and set her down as a fraud. Now, then, if you have any doubts, you can have a talk with my little girl: end after that, the sooner we get back to Hard Pan, the sooner will all the complications that have been ruining half a peep hier be cleared up, and your wife have @ chan orgive you—th convinced that she a va ough I am but half ‘* And the boy that I ca ei: trail after you had been wit, oe he? He is here; and I am piad th { Wis treated roughly.” glad that he'was ‘not i ; The boy is abundantly able to speak for him- elf, ** You bet he is!” interrupted Fred. as the door in'the floor opened, and he sprung into the room followed by Fanny. * W’y, I'm a-working fur Mrs. Sanford, an’ I’ve figgered it all ont *thout it’s costin’ me acent, Ef she hed jest menshuned suthin’ bout Amariah an’ ther gal, et would ’a’ saved a heap ov figgerin’, but she only set me ter inquirin’ fur Simon when I got ter Hard Pan—an’ here I’ve found him an’ all ther rest. Hold on though? She did post mea leetle *bout North. rup, wich ther same I hed seen afore: an’ ther’ war a time [ thort mebbe Amariah an’ him war in ther same boat. Here’s Fan, an’ a trump she be! What’s ther matter with startin’ fer Hard Pan ter-night?” The appearance of the youngsters was a sur- prise to Sanford, but he was more amused than angered by it, He had at last given his confi- dence to the detective, and needed no corrobora- tion of theirs to convince him that it was the truth be had been hearing. He was more anxious to hear the particulars that Darby could tell bim, and learn how his wife had recovered from what be bad been sure was a@ fatal wound; how her black sheep of a brother came to bear the name of Dawling; and a score of other thiags that were suggesting themselves to add to his tortur- sg Cursostty: et the road to Hard Pan waslong, and there would be plenty of time to talk over these sie as they went along. The snggestion of was exactly to his mind, and agreed with what the wonder-man had in his thougbts—with a@ proviso, Flip-Flap Fred at Hard Pan. “* The boy has the right end o’ the string. I don’t want to get my eye off of those villains at the other end too,long. I guess Fan could stand the trip—she seems made of whip-leather—but we all want a little rest first, and something like a square meal, I don’t know how your larder is supplisd, but from’ the way I feel, I think it will be pretty well exhausted by the time I have had the chance to go through it, I haven’t had anything to eat since last night, and I didn’t eat very hearty then,” “Good for you, Amariar! Even a boy ov mod’rate bigness kin put awaya heap ov grub when he’s holler to his boots, Tell ’em ter lay out fur sev’ral dozen. I kin eat fur four- teen!” “*I suppose I should apologize to you two. The young lady has fared better, of course. I thought a little fasting and prayer would bring ou into a better frame of mind to tell the truth. e will make (amende for that now. After that I will take you at peur word, Mr, sine & oP vipeataued we will seek my wife and daugh- CHAPTER XVI, THE FINAL TRANSFORMATION, EBENEZER CROWFuT had not been having altogether a comfortable time for the last few days. Scarcely did he know why, but the idea was beginning to dawn upon him that his trust was one of some importance and possible danger. Jarvis Jackson troubled him, and his wife had a good dea] to say, The afternoon of the second day Nestor Northrup appeared on the scene, inquiring what had become of Mrs, Simon Sanford, and if he knew what had become of her daughter. Without intending it, Jarvis Jackson had put Northrup up to this dodge, which was only a forlorn sort of hope, Jackson had been making some inquiries of Nestor, without any idea that he had an interest in the Sanfords, and in the conversaticn let drop something about an adven- turess, who had some scheme in connection with the case, who Claimed to be the widow of the dead or missing man, and whom he last saw in the office of Ebenezer Crowfut. That hint was sufficient for Northrup. He had his own ideas about her being an adven- turess, and thought it very likely that she might have had something to do with the disappear- ance of her daughter, As he found no trace of her any where else he went to Crowfut. Of course he learned nothing from what Ebe- nezer said; but with as sharp eyes and under- standing as Northrup had, the visit was not by any means thrown away. He did not see the lady—had not even hint that such a lady had an existence—but he saw Laura Lane, He went away puzzled, but very certain that he was on the right trail now. How she could have got into Crowfut’s}house without his know- ing it was more than he could understand; but there she was, or he did not know a Sanford when he saw her. ; “There is one thing on which it will be very safe for Mr, Crowfut to gamble, She will not be there to-morrow morning,” wag his reflec- tion, as he wended bis way toward the Gem. ‘There ought to be enough of the boys witbin reach to make things very lively in case Mr. Crowfut thinks it worth his while to resist the constituted authorities—as they are or ought to be, I fancy it would be best to spirit the young damsel away without any remarss as to my in- tentions. There is an unhealtby feeling in the air, and if I can leave the town behind me with- out giving any of its citizens an idea of which way, or why, I went, it will be vastly better. Yes. The best we can do is to take her quietly out of Crowfut’s keeping, {f we can find her on the street, 80 much the better, If not—his house is not exactly a castle, and I think there will be no trouble in sacking it yf The only trouble will be to hold in the boys. It won't do to take any other plunder, Some day or other it would come tu light that the man that got the Sanford fortune must have been in with the Lambs, and it wceuld be like my luck for Ebenezer to come to geteven, He has the reputa- tion of being an obstinate man if there is one,” Of course Ebenezer had no idea of what was in the wind: but he was careful for all that; and his charge was not allowed on the street after nightfall, while his house, in spite of Nestor Northrup, was something like a castle, in its strength, if notin its size, When he built it, near to the edge of the town, he made up his mind that he would not have it captured by sur- prise, as his residence at Humbug Bar had been, the time that the outlaws invaded that town, 15 and poke th itof about all its portable wealth. The building was of stone, with loopholes through which he could command the ap- proaches; and the roof was fireproof, and pretty near to being ax-proof. There was a backin of oak to the doors: and there were substanti window-shutters that could be closed in a mo- ment, from the inside. Nestor Northrup had only glanced at the house and taken in the sur- face of things, which did not make much show, If he had known how everything really was, he might not have felt so confident that he would be able to abduct the heiress, even from under Ebenezer Crowfut’s roof-tree, The evening passed on, and having closed the store, Mr. Crowfut wended his way homeward, He was unconscious of the fact that he was fol- lowed by several men, who moved as silently as shadows, and who drew near when he halted at his own doorway, Ebenezer tried the door, and found, as he ex- ted, that it was locked, As he carried a key, 6 was not at allinconvenienced, but proceeded to unlock the door. The key turned leisurely, the bolt snot back— and then tbe worthy merchant felt himself seized by powerful hands, which wrenched him from his feet and flung him heavily to the ground, After that he only knew that there was a grip on bis throat, which tightened until his consciousness fled, The assailants made complete work as they went along, since they took no chances, but bound the nsible man hand and foot, Then they boldly tried the door, and finding that it yielded, two of them entered the house, while the third remained 'on guard outside, It was too early toe t to find the other inmates of the bousein bed, Mrs. Crowfut and Laura were sitting in the living room, having a little con-. fidential talk as the men burst in. As they came unbidden, and wore masks on their faces, it was patent at a glance that they were there for no honest purpose; and yet there was neither scream or outcry from the two, as they rose from their seats. ‘* 'W hat is the meaning of this outrage?” asked the elder lady, as she boldly faced the fellow ae had a leveled revolver pointed in her direc- ion, ‘* Jest keep yer mouth shut, an’ yer hand still, an’ thar won’t be no harm done ter you, marm. But ef yer tries ary skullduggery, we're properes ter lay out yer corpusin less t alfasecond. An’ you, young lady—don’t open that mouth ov yourn tell yer gits further or- ders. It’s lucky fur you thet you hev yer duds allon, We ain’t got much time ter wait, an’ we want you real bad., Ef you please. hold up yer bands, an’ make ready ter come along with us. It’s fur yer own good an’ comfort.” As he spoke, the fellow advanced and laid a hand heavily on the shoulder of Laura, while his companion stealthily moved around, edging toward Mrs, Crowfut, ready to make a b as soon as he got within reaching distance, Itlook- ed as if the two females were at the mercy of the bold intruders, Bat just then there was a sudden change in the aspect of affairs. There was a sound of voices without, though no one could catch the words that were spoken; then Amariab Holdfast sprung into the room dragging Nestor Northrup by the throat, and followed by his duplicate and*half a dozen others, including Simon Sanford, Fanny, Little Limberleg and Dandy. The bear was as grave as ever—and just as obedient toa motion of his duplicate masters, Ata turn of the hand and a glance of an eye that would not have been seen by the average human, the brute launched himself upon the man whose fingers touched Laura’s shoulders, and bore him heavily to the ground. ‘** Ef yew please,” said the Amariah who orig- inally appeared penn the scene of action at Hard Pan; ‘‘this air a fambly party, an’ we don’t keer ter bev outsiders tew introod, Dandy, yew bey Captain Thompson, ov the Lambs. Js there ary one here connect d with ther law which kin as- soome ther responsibility ov keerin’ fur him? Ef naf, ez his presence air not deesirable, Dandy will hey tew pe ceed tew eat him,” A grave-faeed man stepped forward and clap- ped a pair of handcuffs on Thompson's wrists, while another grave-faced man did the same fer the other outlaw, Then these two prisoners were carried away, | avin’ Nestor Northrup as much puzzled as frightened, and wondering what it all meant and what was to be his fate, e had not as yet recognized Simon Sanford. Then Amariah came to the front, looking hard at Mrs. Crowfut and the young girl. ‘Laura, this is your father. The object of the masquerade has been attained, and if you comilcbooks.com