Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 768 — page 10: what you’re looking at

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

me * a : . stow 4. eed S Thal | —S transformation as you might think, Phocion, Loug ago I spent some months with the friendly Comanches and learned much about them, [ went to the mountain and cut my own hair, I dyed my skin, already almost dark enough for my purpose, and came back Doodles, the child of the lodge. ‘*[T was afraid to encounter you and Alta, neither did I lige to look Stirrup Steve in the face for he has such keen eyes, but after awhile I mustered up courage enough forthe play in hand and threw my first card. Tomy juy and surprise I was unrecognized. Not only that, but [ became an inmate of The Count’s house and fell under Selina’s ban just as I thougbt 1 would. That woman has the nature of a tigress, More than once, when she thought me sound asleep, I have seen her bending over me, the eyes that shine in ber head brighter than ever and her fingers wound around the hilt of a long dagzyer, She is an outcast. Some years agoshe was baa- ished from Chiquita, a town across the border, for a crime which would not have prevented her from finding a noose and a handy tree. I have heard Jack who knows all about the murder threaten to send her back to justics,” ‘*It’s a wonder Selina did not suspect you,” said the listening Puocion, ‘*T half-believe she did. When Jack himself catechised me and asked me to give him a speci- men of the Comanche language, I was stumped for a second, and thought the expose had come, But I gave him wiatl knew, tur 1 baa’ caught some words from the Indians during my stay amoug them, and to my great relief it satisfied him. But the next minute Selina came in and accused me of robbivg her of one of the pearls of a wonderful necklace she has in her posses- sion.” ** Not to your face, Ned?” ‘‘No. She wanted to come up-stairs and search my room. The pearl was even then on my person, as itis now, She might bave found it and she might not. I would probably have swallowed it, for I listened on the stair and heard the talk between ber and Jack.” Eagle Ned drew from bis bosom a little leathern pocketbook, which he opened in Pho- cion’s presence, and in a moment the eyes of the miner were gazing at the pearl mentioned by the boy. He took it in his hand and ex- amined it closely in the light of the torch, then looked at Ned for an explanation, **7T have not been idle, Phocion, I know who owned that necklace once, It encircled the neck of my baby sister.” **This necklace, boy?’ cried Phocion. ‘ You must be out of your bead,” ““Not quite that far gone,” smiled the boy. **T have not picked up any misleading clews, I have kept my eyes and ears open in the house of the nabob, I have looked in certain places when neither Jack nor bis tiger sister werein. I have found the note-book of the man who lies dead in the Devil’s Tunnel.” ** Where did you find it?” “*In the palace. It was hidden away and had never been destroyed. It telis a strange story, so strange that I wondered if it could be true, while [ read it in the secret parts of the mines, Joshua Meeks tells the story of a child strangely stolen years ago. it must have been a long time since, for there is notbing to fix the date exactly. He constituted himself a trailer and set out to find the lost one. He noted down the incidents of his quest until a few days before the date which I found ip the hand of the dead man in the tunnel, This sounds like a romance, eh, Phocion?” *“*T am ready to believe anything now,” was the miner’s answer. ‘‘ Go on.” ** Joshua Meeks had on his person when he came to this region the necklace which 1 found in Selina’s room, and from which I took the pearl in your hani now. No one seems to have seen the child-hunter in Ragged Robin: he must have been discovered by his foe before any one could meet him, and be went to the tunnel and died, My sister had a necklace just like this one. Mother has told me so a thousand times, and it has been the main clew of my quest. I did not want to rob Selina of the whole necklace; that would bave thrown me at once into the web and exposed me and my escape from the tunnel which, shortly after [ left it, was walled up by The Count’s men,” For some time after Eagle Ned’s story Phocion looked down into the face revealed by the light and then said: “You know the situation Iamin, You must know, coming from the very web of the Spiders, as you do, that I have ten bours in which to un- _ earth the slayer of Durango Dave,” ‘** It shall be done witbin the given time,” said ' | > : ay ce a Fa E ets: a. POT AF TR TERE fe | Te preeene ee hard. i>. - - Fa “m . ae | ! | | | | | | Eagle Ned, the Boy on Guar Eagle Ned, Phocion,” ‘* Do you know who did the deed? It saved my life and I owe the shooter a great deal,” It seemed to the red-beard of Rugged Robin that a smile came to the eyes of tue youth and that he looked wise as he regarded bim. ‘* Let us combine to break the power of the Camp Spiders,” continued Ned, ‘*lam on the trail of the lost and with the peurl in my posses- “Don’t let that bother you, | sion something tells me that lam not far from | | | triumps,”’ ‘* Do you believe your sister lives?” ‘* Why not?” ‘IT knew the time when you accounted her dead,” ‘*That is true. Behind the mask of the nabob, behind rhe life of his tiger sister, lies the secret, It is dangerous work, | know, ed of being Eagle Ned by Jack and his Spiders, my life won’t be worth that,” and the boy suap- ped his fingers in Phocion’s face, ‘*Then, for heaven’s sake, be cautious,” was the response, ‘‘If I am in the shadow of death, I have found you again and am happy.” CHAPTER XII. A JUMP FOR LIFE, EAGLE NED, no longer Doodles, went back to the palace, He entered the house with feelings which. had not animated his bosom before. He stopped a momept on the stair and listened, but heard nothing, ‘*The lair of the tiger seems deserted,” said he to himself, ‘‘l don’t see the eye of the tigress, nor hear the laugh of the man with the ten mines, Captain Jack could not bave retired, for ona night of this kind he would not sleep, but, cat-like, would be wide awake waiting for an opportunity to send his claws into the throat of some victim.” The boy spy passed to his room and stood at the window awhile. He did not know that he had been followed, but a form stealing across the Plaza that very moment told that be had been seen. Presently Eagle Ned: heard the shutting of a door and there came up the steps a footfall not quite Jight enough to escape his keen ears, Throwing bimself hastily on the couch he feigned slumber and saw a figure human in out- lines glide into the chamber. It crossed the floor and came toward bim, Tbat it was the figure of Selina. he saw at once and when she stopped and bent over him with fire in her eyes, be trembled’ for his own safety. ‘*The tigress is here for a purpose,” thougbt the boy. ‘*She may be looking for the lost pearl, but I guess it is safe enough—for the pre-ent, at least.” Selina passed her silken hand underneath the boy’s pillow, but found nothing. She then look- ed through the clothes he bad discarded, but with the same result, He heard her breathing hard while she search- ed; he saw how intense was the gleam of her ti- gerish eyes, and felt that the slightest movement would seal his doom. At last Selina rose and looked at tim. For a moment she stood over him resembling a vulture about to pounce upon a victim, but all at once she swept from the room, When she had departed Eagle Ned sprung from his couch and ran to the door, She was at the bottom of the steps and was talking to a man there, I could not heip coming to-night, however late the hour, You may not thank me for what I know, but I have news for you, Selina, I have made a discovery,” ‘* What is it, Redbolt?” ‘*1t is about the boy you an’ Jack have been sheltering allalong. You don’t know who you've got in the house,” There was a moment’s sileuce during which the heart of the boy overhead seemed to stand still. ‘* What do you know about bim? Out with it.” Selina was impatient, ‘* He’s Eagle Ned,” ‘¢ That boy?’ ‘‘That very boy,” was the emphatic an- swer. ‘‘I know, for I saw enough to-night to convince me,” ‘* What did you see?” ‘“T saw him and Phocion go down toa mine, one ata time. The boy went first. I followed Phocion, pulling my boots at the door, an’ when I entered a cricket could not have heard me. I heard the whole story of the boy’s bunt for the lost sister. It was Ned’s story to a dot—the If [ am suspect- | d. | Same one we used to hear in the saloon. | | riave you missed anything ?” Selina must have started, from the exclama- | tion that fell from her lips. ‘‘How do you know I have?’ she cried, _** Who told you that 1 have been robbed?” LT ‘*T have listened to the robber’s confession,” ‘* Did the boy do it?” ‘‘ Eagle Ned, or Doodles, as you call him, took toe pearl. Why? Because he thinks ‘t came from the necklace duce worn by bis sis- ter.” In the stillness that followed this revelation Ned thought that the very floor was sinking be- neath bim, ‘I thank you, Redbolt. You have brought something important. I will attend to the rest.” The man seemed to linger at the door, ‘‘ You'll think something of me now, won't you, Selina?” he queried, ‘* Yes, yes; only go away and let me attend to the rest,” ‘* Good-night,” spoke the miner and the door was shut, Kagle Ned realized the peril that menaced him. He knew that the exposure bad cone, that he was unmasked at last, for Redbolt had told the the truth, though he could bardly believe that he and Phocion had been sbaduwed to the mine, He drew back and closed his door softly. He locked it and crossed the room. Outside there were many shadows and the figure of Redbolt had vanished across the Square. ‘‘It is out of the web and fight, or remain and perish like a rat in a trap,” he said. ‘‘ Outside I will have a chance, but here nove at ail,” He raised the sash and looked down af the ground, It did not seem far, indeed it was but a few feet, but a jump was risky, still some- thing desperate had to be done, LHagle Ned could imagine the tigress body of Seliua stealing up the stairs to carry out her latest resolve; he thonght he beard her silken footfalls, and ali at once he crawled over the sill and hung for an instant along the house, Letting bis bold go, Eagie Ned dropped to the ground and alighted safely. Falling Yack, he caugbt bis breath and waited to see }f bis escape had been discovered. No sound broke the silence following the jump for life. He looked across the Plaza and saw the lights in Black Burt’s den; heard the sounds of the playing there, and saw at last the tall, well known figure of Jack come out and go toward the palace. Eagle Ned sprung from tbe shadow of the house and ran off. He looked back at the death- trap, but saw nothing of Selina.” In anuther minute be was at the door of Pbo- cion’s sbanty. A rap was not answered; the old miner in the web wus not in, Ned turned and looked toward Alta’s house. He saw it silent among the sbadows of the street, and then bounded tuither, The girl came to the door, her face white and startled, but something seemed to tell ber who her visitor really was, ‘* Alta, lam Eagle Ned,” The girl uttered a slight cry. “You have been Doodles, Your voice has sounded familiar to me, and I bave even thought that you might be Ned. What is the matter? Are you bunted?’ ‘‘] pave been unmasked by Redboltand Seijina knows the secret, That means that it will soon be in the hands of the Camp Spiders, They will look not for Doodles now, but for Eagle Ne, and my hunt will endif they find me before I am ready to strike,” ‘* You ready to strike in this nest of villains?” said Alta, bending over the boy and vatecbing bis eye as if she did not believe him more chan balf sane, “Tam going tostrike, There is much to be done. Stirrup Steve must be taken out of the shadow of the noose, Phocion is there, coo, end you, Alta, are marked for a life which would age you long before your time,” ‘That Lalready know, for Captain Jack has played his first card, though I met it as bravely as t could.” ‘‘T don’t want to get you into trouble, Alta, [ won't, There are biding-places where i will be safe—places safer for me than the Devil’ Tunnel. Keep the secret of my identity, thoug} it will not be a secret long in Ragged Robin, , will have the camp agaiust me. it is under | hand of fhe Count—” ‘‘Not all of it,” interrupted the girl, don’t know what has passed within the ie 9 hours, else you would not have said that. his is mutiny at last—mutipy against the rul Itg ee fe o> | Ve * 4o ra O — = wy + ’ ’ < 4 a ie im” © . * \ oe $ Q | 4 + ‘ - w 7 ® é f ‘ ~ ‘ G.. » rf * f i SAvew } whe