Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 991 — page 10: what you’re looking at

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

—_— — A A EE EE ee ee oe mee 10 How do they come to know his iden- tity ? ” Jerusalem Jake shook his head. “You must not ask me that question if you expect an answer,” said he. “I am in the dark, there. But, I am here to play out my hand. I will become Nelly’s ally, if necessary.” “Shake!” cried Samson, again extend- ing the hand. ‘‘ She may need you, after all. The young men can’t stem the tide. They dare not arrest the man who killed the Unknown.” “They will try it. the backbone.” “That is true, but Shakedown stands by Orson and his friends. It will not let the boys interfere.” Jerusalem Jake took a short, nervous turn about the underground chamber, and came back to where Samson stood. ‘Now for the secret passage!” cried he. “I’ve been thinking. If you can point out the way which is half blocked by a huge rock I will do the rest.” “Come, then. I know where that is,” and Samson started away, followed by his visitor. Inafew moments the hermit of Heart- of-Gold Mine called out: “It is here!” Five minutes later the hermit was the astonished one of the two. Jerusalem Jake had led him to a part of the mine he had never explored! “Where does this way lead to?” he They are grit to asked, “Don’t you know? It takes one to the cabin once occupied by Bandy Nickell.” “Why, Nelly lives there.” “In ignorance of the secret,’ assured Jerusalem Jake. “‘ You can creep up and up until you halt right underneath the floor of the girl’s room. That is the se- cret Bandy imparted to me, because years ago I did him a favor.” The hermit loked his amazement, but seized his visitor’s arm. “She may not bein,” said he. “If not we can search Orson’s shanty for the papers. Why not?” “We will, Those papers must be found. Everything depends on finding them. It breaks the power of Orson the Owl and perhaps saves the lives of the rash boy detectives of the Doomed City.” Presently both Jerusalem Jake and Samson were threading the dark passage which led upward, and in due time they stopped and listened beneath some rough boards which they knew formed a cabin - Joor. CHAPTER IX. THE GUN OF ORSON THE OWL. Bob Hanley, on the sidewalk across the street from the Hotel Eden, had completely lost the wretch who had fired two shots into their room. The ground seemed to have opened and taken the fellow in. The old shanty was before him, and, gripping his revolver more firmly he opened the door. The cabin was dark and silent. It was small, like all the shanties of Shakedown, and the dude stood for half a minute in the dark straining his ears for some sound of human inmates. But not a sound was heard. “He must have entered this shanty,” the young detective decided. ‘‘ He could have gone nowhere else.” In another moment Bob was violently thrown against the wall behind him; a pair of hands were at his throat. But, though thus caught, unawares, the young detective was instantly on his mettle, and, after a brief struggle, succeeded in getting away from the wall, The hot breath of his assailant and he felt the hands | son Two Dudes from Doomed Camp. was on his cheeks, relax. “What's the use o’ fighting me? don’t want your life, boy,’ was what he heard said. “You seem to be after it, all the same,’’ retorted Bob. “Do I? Why, I could have taken it, a while ago. I saw you at the window, and I never saw the day I purposely missed a man at that distance.” “Why, then, did you shoot?” “To fetch you over here. I knew you would come, for you have grit. Now let us talk. We need a light, but not just yet. Shakedown is still awake, and on the alert. You don’t know me; I am Billy Whiskers.” ‘“You—you the sweet singer of Shake- dow n?” “Yes. in my assumed role,” was the reply. “‘DoI look weak and is my voice a little cracked, as when I sing in The Comet for Mountain Kidd and pards? I don’t possess the elixir of life nor the wine of old age. I know that I have an incurable malady,. but at times I am as strong as a lion and that’s now, Where's Nelly?” ‘“ At home, I presume.” “Good! And Kidd?” “You ought to know about as much of him as I do. He is suffering from Jeru- salem Jake’s bullet.” “Did you see it—the shooting?” sé Yes.”’ “It was a little cowardly on Jerusa- lem’s part, wasn't it?” “Rather cowardly. Mountain Kidd had barely time to turn when the re- volver dropped him.” | “Of course. It’s Jerusalem’s way. The man has been shooting that way for years. He’ll get it the same way, some day. But let that go. What have you found out?” “We are on the trail.” “And you expect to find the hand that killed the Unknown and left him by the white rock for Alkali Tom?” “That’s what we came to Shakedown Ho a, For a moment Billy Whiskers was si- lent; then, in a whisper, he spoke: “Listen to me. Drop the case! ”’ “We can’t do that. There’s too much at stake.” “ Drop the matter, now and forever.” “It cannot be. We did not come to Shakedown to be driven out by its toughs. We are called the Boy Dudes of Briggs City, sometimes called the Doomed Camp. We are neither dudes nor toughs, but we are men with a mis- sion, and great wrongs to avenge.” ‘‘T guess we'll have a light, after that,” was the answer, and a match was drawn across the wall. The little light showed Bob the sing- er’s face and his intensely eager eyes. “See here. You’re not alone in this battle to clear up a mystery, for others are with you,” Billy went on. ‘“ You must face the banded toughs of Shake- down. They’re not regularly organized, but a strange brotherly ccontiment unites them. Orson the Owl is the main one, for, though Mountain Kidd is called the king of the camp, it really is Orson who directs things. The one-armed terror of the Mariposa Range is a man to be feared.” ‘‘T have studied the fellow,” answered Bob. “I have watched his movements, and I know something of the character of the man.” “ But you only went. skin deep,” as- sumed Billy Whiskers. ‘“ Under the skin lies thé real Orson, the deep plotter and the cool demon. Why, Mountain Kidd is 4 but clay in the one hand of this man Or- Billy went to the door, and, opening it carefully, he listened, “Did you hear?” he asked, turning to Bob. ‘Orson went past the shanty just then,’’ “He suspects, then?” ‘““When did he ever cease to suspect? He is always at it. You found his let- ter. I saw you glide away from Orson’s , post-office, and when I went to the stone the message was gone. He is looking for it now.” “ And suspects you, Billy?” ‘Perhaps. He knows I bear him no good will. How could I when that one hand orphaned me?” ‘Orphaned you?” cried Bob. * Just so. It was a cruel bit of work, but for all the world like Orson the Ow]l,’”’ “Why haven’t you crime?” “Wait!” and the voice of Billy Whisk- ers dropped again to a whisper. “I want the secret first—the secret, then the avenging! Yes, he made me what I am— the strange man of Shakedown—the singer of this accursed camp.” ‘Will he come back?” asked Bob. “TT don’t know. Perhaps not. He has mised the letter under the stone. Did you fetch it with you?” “T have it here,” said Bob, producing the message, and Billy, stepping to the taper on the rough deal table, began to read. For several minutes the song-bird was silent, “ That’s just like Orson the Owl,” he at length spoke. ‘“ That message was intended for the others. He dared not meet them in camp, but they come in one by one every night for orders.” “Who are they?” “The outlaws of the other side of the hills. They are the men of Blackheart Camp—the desperadoes of the old plains. They are forbidden by law to show them- selves in Shakedown during the day on account of their crimes, but, night after night you can find them flitting from cabin to cabin or see them with Orson in secret consultation. This letter means danger and death. It means that to- night, unless something happens, the blow intended by the One-armed will surely fall.” “Then,” said Bob, laying his hand on Billy Whiskers’ arm, “then it will not fall,” and, pocketing the letter, Bob turned to leave, to report his adventure to his pard. “JT did not hit either one of you?” avenged that ‘asked Billy, anxiously. “No. The bullets only spoilt two win- dow panes and a little of Oregon Dave's wall, nothing more,” “Good!” and the singer snuffed out the light. “You will find me on the street. to- morrow, if you see that day,” remarked Billy. Bob stepped out of the cabin, Shakedown seemed asleep, and the strange quietude seemed to presage di:.:! disaster. Crossing the street, the dude entered the Hotel Eden and proceeded at once to his room. “ Back again, in good shape!” he said, as he opened the door. There was no response, and Bob looked around the dimly lighted room for his pard. “Glad to hear it,” said a voice. been waiting for you, boy.” It was not Ben’s voice nor was it his cousin who stood in the middle of the little room. ‘*“T’ve is Pe Mey, 7 Pre orn fenoo pe FO eae com