Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 993 — page 13: what you’re looking at

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

y ‘*But you say Flake is dead?” 4 “* may die atany moment. You heard my offer. What have you to say to it?” **T cannot comply.” ** Why not?” e **T haven't the money.” ys ‘* Ah! you have spent it?” Wee ‘“No. In heaven’s name, can you not under- ) stand? I am innocent—” e * Fool!” interrupted the old cattle-king, angri- ly. ‘* You invite your own doom, Judge Lynch - will settle your case! I will not lifta finger to »—~prevent.” ; With these ominous words, Granger stamped f _ from the jail in a towering passion, CHAPTER XVI, A NOBLE GIRL’S SACRIFICE, 1 IT was night, ay Clouds hung blackly athwart the heavens, and : = > lees flash of lightning darted across esky. A dim light burned in a cabin on the hillside, chow a balf a mile from the outskirts of Pine OrkKS, A man on his knees was at work trying to open a tin box that rested on the floor before him. He soon had it open, revealing bank-notes neatly : packed in the box. He took out a package and counted the notes one hy one, A domino hid the upper portion of the man’s | face, thus concealing bis identity, : ‘* All here,” be finally muttered with a sigh of satisfaction, ‘‘ I’ve not rested easy of late, fear ing this money might be found, and I robbed a second time. I’ve had enough trouble over this ) and mean to makea bold stroke soon. When once Huntway goes under I shall turn my face from Montana forever.” A | Returning the money to the box, the man in mask lockea it and nroceeded to secrete the box in a nook under the floor, This done, he rose to bis feet. He gazed keenly about him, then, hearing the boom of distant thunder, he smiled and said: “A storm is coming. To-night would be a * goo time to put all doubts atrest. I believe it : would be a good stroke to have Huntway suicide in bis cell, Ha! ha! I bad not thought of that.” Turning to a tallow dip that burned near, the man carried it to his lips, With one hand be _ lifted the mask from his face, just at the mo- ment the light was extinguished. ‘**Abl my man, your race is about run,” mut- tered the shadow without. ‘Before you make your bold stroke J will bring you to the balter you have noosed for Clifford Huntway.” Out into the gloom passed he of the mask. his swift moving steps sent back a ringing | sound as he hurried down the hillside, and when bad —- < ® ~ - ee 2 the sound died out in the dim distance, the | watcher outside the lone cabin moved to the door | and tried it sbarply. It refused to yield. **T'li not let so flimsy a barrier thwart me,” muttered the man, as he threw his whole weight + ‘against the door, lt still refused to yield, Suppose the masked man should return? This | thought assured the prowler that be had no time to lose, Turning from the door he went to a _ Marrow window. He managed to break through this barrier, and quickly leaped into the sma]! apartment, Striking a match, the man soon found the loose plawk and from beneath it hedr w the tin box, and with it under his arm be cr: p* through the window and once more stood outsi te, er ‘*I have the money at last, thank Heaven!” ~ breathed the ‘“‘shadow” fervently. ‘I'll now _ | put on the screws and fix the crime of the Flake robbery on the right person.” Steele Sharp, for be it was, hurried away in the direction of Pine Forks with his prize under arm, The pot set boiling by the Humbug Detective _ ‘Was soon to foam over, ion On the very night that the det>ctive madea wonderful discovery at the lone cabin on the hillside, the bogus sheriff found himself at a late hour at the Open Hand Saloon, where a spirit invoked by whisky and bad men ran rampant for blood. yi ‘Quietly, gentlem n, quietly!” uttered the } warning voice of the new sheriff, as he pushed | his wey into the room, ‘No mob law will be | permitted in Pine Forks while I am sheriff, re- |) member that.” |. * Who's a-talkin’ mob law?’ growled a red- | eyed tough, as he turned out a glass of whisky Sheriff Huntwav, of Montana. and faced about to glare at the sheriff. ‘‘ What “No. I did notsay that, He still lives, but | we wants is jeatice, and, by ther mountains, we'll hev it! Eb, pards?” ‘**'You bet, Jack. That’s ther talk,” Mr. Sharp No. 2 did not remain long at the Open Hand. The leaven was working, and he believed that an assault would be made on the jail before morning. Of course the news of Huntway’s capture reached Valeria, and she was deeply moved thereat, She had hoped that he had made good his escape, since three days had passed with no word from him, She burried to the jail to see her lover, but was strictly forbidden entrance by the guards, In vain she pleaded. ‘“We obeys orders, miss,” said one of the men. .** Orders!” she cried hotly, ‘‘ Who dared order you to forbid my entrance here?” “‘The sheriff, mum,” meekly replied the man, ‘The sheriff? You have him locked up here. He never gave such an order,” ‘‘lvs the new sheriff, mum,” explained the guard, respectfully, for he knew that Valeria was the niece of the most prominent man in the county, and it would never do to offer her insult, ‘*The new sheriff is a scoundrel!” declared Valeria, beside herself with indignation. Hurrying homeward, the girl passed groups of men discussing the capture of Huntway, and more thap One ominous threat fell on ber ear. When she reached home sbe heard a mur- mur of voices in the room occupied by her uncle, He had a visitor surely. Deeply anxious to — with her uncle, the girl rapped on the oor. It was opened by Mr. Granger's partner in business, ‘* Ah, you have been absent, a talk with you, Val,” said Rollin Longwood, with a smile. © ‘I nave just learned from your uncle of the capture of Clifford Huntway.” The hour at which this conversation occurred was afternoon of the day Detective Sharp secured the stolen money from the mountain cabin, as already recorded. Mr, Longwood took the hand of Valeria and led her to a seat in the front room. : ** You look pale, Val, and your hand trembles, Tell me what has happened.” ‘*I have been grossly insulted,” she declared with emphasis. ** Insulted | thing.” _ His cheeks flushed, and he clinched his hands in anger, She explained by telling of her visit to the jail, ani of the refusal of the guards to permit her to see the prisoner, - | ei Bo that is where you have been, my dear ai. | A sorrowful expression overspread his hand- | some face, | ‘* Yes, | went there hoping to see the prison- er,” she declared, | ‘Val, tell me truly, what is there between you and this man Huntway?”’ questioned Long- wood, in a saddened voice, ‘I hope nothing serious, for, as true as the sun shines, the fellow is guilty. I bave myself sifted the evidence, and am now convinced, much as I hate to think so, that Clifford Huutway robbed and attempted to murder Jasper Flake.” **And you get your evidence from this man | calling bimself Steele Sharp,” cried Valeria, | **That fellow is an impostor, and I cannot un- derstand why you and my uncle have permitted him to blind vour eyes. He bas no right to the Office of sheriff, and if Mr. Huntway perishes it will not be justice, but murder!” ** My dear Val—” “* Hear me through,” she interrupted fiercely, with flowing eyes and heaving bosom, ‘I know the law-defiers are out to-day, and I believe Mr. Huntway will be lynched unless he is taken to a place of safety. He ought to be granted a fair trial at all events,” ‘* agree with you there, Val,”said Long wood with aseriouscountenance, ‘1 trasted Clifford ~ i tests sissies testers T came over for Tell me who has dared do sucha a se | fully in the past, and I should hate to see him fall ‘You know there is danger of that very thing happenipr.” es r whisky, aud there’s no knowing what may bap pen,” admitted he, still sadly solemn. for a fair trial.” **T save him?’ into the hands of a mob,” es, th rough element is filling with ‘Rollin, you can save the prisoner, save him 44 Yes,” 13 : “* How?” ** By sending him under guard to Helena,” ‘*if lL had the authority I might do that,” he admitted, *“You would be listened to as a man of prominence. I believeif you urged it, Sieriff Shar;', impostor and villain though he i>, would obey your request,” declared Valeria promptly. ‘*Perhaps. I have thought of doing this very thing, for to tell the truth I uverheard a plot tu- day that startled me,a plot to take Huntway from jail, and hang him at midnight, Two- score tougbs have sworn to do this, and only what you suggest can save the prisoner. He might be spirited away under cover of darkness ‘9 Helena, where he would be safe till the trial s set. This announcement startled Valeria. Her face paled, and she cried whee **Oh! Rollin, tell me you will save the prison- er, tell me you will, and I will do anything you as ‘* Anything, Val?” ** Yes, anything that is in my power to grant!” she murmured faintly. He drew closer and dropped kis arm about her slender waist, while his eyes glowed with a wonderful passion, ‘*Will you be my wife, Val? Promise, and I'll save Huntway from the doom that. threatens.” ** Your wife,” faintly. **'Yes—speak quickly, there’s none too much time left in which to work !” It was not the first time he had asked her to be his. He saw his opportunity now and improved. it, “Speak!” he cried hoarsely. fate hangs on your answer!” ‘* Yes, I will be your wife, Rollin.” Instantly he dropped his arm and rushed from the room, ‘“My God! what have I done!” wailed poor Valeria, sinking in a heap to the floor. CHAPTER XVII. THE TOUGH’S CONFESSION. THE thunder boomed loudly. A severe storm was sweeping over the hills and canyons of western Montana. Bending over a prostrate form was a man whose face, as revealed to us by the lightning’s red glare, is a familiar one, that of Steele Sharp No, 1, he who secured the box of stolen money after the robber had departed from the little cabin on the hillside. ' ** Are you badly burt, my man?’ A groan answered, The cetective lifted the man in his arms, and bore him toa sheltered nook beneath an over- hanging rock. Here he chafed the man’s hands, and lashed his face with a bush that he had plucked from the soil, Not a pleasant treatment, yet it was effectual, and on this night Steele Sharp was very anxious about certain things. ‘* Rouse ur, Grudge Grave!” cried the detec- tive hoarsely. ‘* Assert yourself and you may be a man yet,’ ‘‘Eh, do you thinksof What's happened any- how?” growled the man, in a semi-conscious tone, ‘* Don’t you remember? You fell over the cliff, and I saved you just as you wereslipping . into eternity,” b **Good thunder! yes, I ’member ‘at I was losin’ my grip on the bush, and ‘thar was an awful roarin’in my ears—and you saved me, ** Huntway’s **I did. An instant moreand you would have gone to your death,” ‘* Put ’er thar, pard,” The knotty hand of Grudge Grave was thrust out, and the detective found his palm elmost crushed in the grasp cf the mountein tough. **)’m everlastingly obleeged to yer, mister,’” answered Grave, ‘Ef thar’s anything on ’arth { kin do, tell me and I’m yer huckleberry,” ‘* First let usseek shelter from thestorm, We cannot be farfromacave. I remember, there’s one in this vicinity.” **I reckon there be,” returned the tough, struggling to his feet. He shaded his eyes from the red glare of ig and seemed to take his bearings ata glance, ** Old Nick’s cabin hain’t forty rod from hyar. nd agent fur I hear ther rain roarin’ up ther ch, Grudge Grave turned away, and the detective followed close at his heels. In the course of a few minutes the tough pushed open the door of licbo¢ ya . PM. og > 4 Ls ‘8 aa E i: ao ’ * 4 . | <S.Ccor