Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 768 — page 3: what you’re looking at

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

i i : ‘ But, murder bas been committed. Some one has killed Lazarus!” Phocion laughed, ‘* Killed Lazerus? I guess not, Alta. You have been dreaming, en and, by Jove! you are still but half-awake, I'd like to know who would do such a thing as that.” The girl for a reply clutched the man’s sleeve and led him away. ‘*]T wiil show you if you don’t believe me. [ discovered the body a little while ago, when it was still warm.” Phocion followed Alta in a half-dazed condi- tion, and when she stopped and pointed at something lying on the ground between two shanties, he drew back as if shocked by the presence of death, There, on his face, with his hands full of dark earth, lay the very man who a few hours before bad told the night-loafers at the saloon that he believed Eagle Ned was not quite sound in the upper story. Lazarus was a rolling stone, but a man of keen perception and some good traits, He came from tbe North and had a mine not far from tne camp, but it bad never paid him, so he said, and he was nearly always without money, hence his nickname, ~ After a while Phocion knelt and looked into the face of the dead. ‘*This man has been killed, sure enough,” be said, looking up into the face of the breathless girl. ‘* I told you so, Phocion,” ‘So you did, Alta. Look! be bas been stabbed in the neck, Don’t you see where the blade hit him? Get downand look. Youre a brave girl an’ have lots of uerve. A hole like this doesn’t scare you.” There was light enough, for the moon was high, to show Phocion and his companion the work of the deadly knife and for a moment Alta looked at it in silence. **'You go home an’ I'll sound the alarm,” said the miner. ‘* Don’t let on that you discovered the dead man, Let me have that credit.” She gave him a singular look, but did not cross bim in his desires, When she bad vanished, Phocion lifted the head again and ran his band underneath the collar, ‘* 7 don’t feel it, but it was here,” he said, “I saw it round his neck the day hean’I satin the mine, an’ he told me all he ever told any one about his life, He unbuttoned his collar and showed me the leathern string round his neck, but it isn’t here now,” Phocion rose and went back to the heart of the camp. Once he looked toward the bar- room and seemed to hesitate, but all at once he moved toward it and entered at the open door, He found the same old crowd at the bar, and after it bad looked at him and he had returned the look with interest, he said; ‘* Thar’s a dead man in camp,” A stir went over the crowd, ‘* A dead man, Phocion?’ said one. dead?” : ** Lazarus,” There was a genuine start on the part of sev- eral, and some one said that the miner had just *¢ Who's quitted the place, and that it could not be that he was dead, ‘‘ But be is; found him myself, He’s lying between two shanties as dead as a mackerel.” Saying this, Phocion called for a drink, and having drank it off, be looked once more at the crowd, It seemed to Ned’s friend that he wasn’t thanked at all for imparting the startling in- formation which had just fallen frow his lips, ‘‘Whar’s the boy?’ said a man who leaned against the door, and was looking at Phocion. ‘‘ What’s that got ter do with the death of Lazarus?” was the instant retort, ‘‘ Nothin’ much, p’raps, but the boy’s liable to doanytbing. He’s a louse hyer.” The speaker touched his forehead, ‘He does some queer things; he bobs around the camp an’ never says nothing to any one,” The brow of Phocion seemed to cloud, ‘*T)l answer for Eagle Ned. He doesn't know that Lazarus is dead, and, by Joshua! if you don’t care that a murder’s been committed in Ragged Robin, why—” Just then the form of another miner appeared at the door, and a startled face was seen by all. ‘Murder! murder!” cried this man, ‘ Laza- rus has been killed. He’s lyin’ twixt two shan- ties with a hole in his neck.’ This startled the crowd, and in a moment Phocion was the only man in the bar-room, the bartender excepted, ‘Look here; they don’t fancy that boy o’ rr 5 ") an “i . " 4 = ’ *, +. th > \. yers,” said the vender of drinks, ‘‘ They’ve been discussin’ him all evenin’, an’ I'd advise you to git shut o’ him as soon as possible,” The tall figure of Phocion seemed to sway as he turned full on the man and looked him in the eye. ‘‘What hev they against Eagle Ned?” he asked in a husky voice. ‘*They don’t like bim,” ** Is that all?” ‘*T guess that’s the sum an’ substance of it,” ** Was Ned in byer ter-night?” sé Yes,” "But he conducted himself squarely, didn’t a he? pr Rika ‘Then, what hev they ag’in’ him?” At this jnncture the form of a man passed the open door and he locked in upon Phocion with the leering countenance of a fiend, ‘* I can’t tell you, only I know that it isn’t safe for the boy to be with us any longer,” answered the bartender, ‘‘T’m bis friend,” said Phocion, ‘I. don’t al- low any man or set of men to hurt or insult the boy. Why, he’s an orpban; be bad a sister once, but she was stolen from her cradle and the blow broke his mother’s heart, an’ when sbe died Eagle Ned lost the best friend he ever had. His father vanisbed in a queer manner, as if the curse Of God war on the family; an’, take it all in all, the boy has had a hard time of it,” ‘*T don’t know, I don’t, Eagle Ned is good enough in his way; he never burts any one, but they’ve set their heads ag’in’ bim and it would be best for him to vamose.” ‘¢ We'll see about that,” said Phocion, ‘* We'll gee about Ned’s goin’ off just to please some one,” and with bis lips welded beneath the red beard, he turned and walked from the den. ‘* Wal, I'll sw’ar. He talksas if he could buck ag’iv’ the hull camp,” remarked the bartender, looking after the figure of Pnocion, ‘The Spi- ders don’t intend to stand any nonsense with that boy, they don’t, an’ the sooner that is under- stood by bis friends the better,” Phocion crossed the Square to hisown shanty but not without looking toward the spot where be and Alta had seen the dead body of Lazarus, He saw a dark form come into view and watched it as it neared him. ‘* That is The Count,” said Phocion under bis breath, ‘* He doesn’t seem to bave heard of the killin’, but he’ll know it s-on enough, for The web: gets onto everything that takes place yer. For some little time the man with the red beard looked after The Count, and saw him take a stick from his bosom and apparently cut a notch into it, ‘* What does that mean, I wonder? What was be doin’ with that stick? I don’t know much about The Count, but he seems ter run things in Ragged Robin. Wonder if heis at the head of the game ag’in’ Eagle Ned? I am goin’ terstand by the boy—I don’t care what happens, But whar is he?” Phocion had reached his shanty and opened the door; but no Ned greeted bim, and he seemed to fear that something bad already happened. Something had, for at that moment a boy shut up in a dark tunnel fell forward on his face with a cry which no ears but those of bats heard, and it died away like a wail of death. ‘*Whar’s the boy, anyhow?” cried Phocion turning from the empty shanty and seeking the eae} once more, *‘Yer protege, eb?” said a voice so near bim that he turned in an instant and looked at the speaker. ‘* Eagle Ned, I mean, of course,” The man hespoke to was smaller than he and as wiry as avn Indian, Moreover he bad but one eye, an optic that shone like a glowing coal, and when he spoke he leaned toward Phocion and rinned, ‘*Mebbe the Spider’s stung him,” laughed Niet as the man was called. ‘*}he Spider?” * Yes, don’t you know/—the Camp Spiders I am talkin’ about, Whar hev you been all this time, Phocion? Ho! ho! ha! ha! They say I’ve got a crack in my head; mebbe I bev; but 1 keep my one eye Open an’ it seesas much as two— sometimes, They think I don’t know anything about tbe Spiders of the Black Mesa. No, of course 1 don’t! If they bave bitten Eagle Ned the boy will never comfort yer old age, nor find his sister.” Phocion caught the half-witted man by the arm and dragged him to bis shanty. ‘‘ Now, Nixy, tell me what you know,” he cried, drawing back from the man whom he had thrust into a chal. Eagle Ned, the Boy on Guard. 3 ————_—_ Ch r- Orrr eE S——_ eS eS eee TTT LT TTC TT ‘‘Ho, ho, I’m no fool, Captain Phocion, I don’t want to be bitten by the Spiders,” and springing up, Nixy ran out of the but before he could be restrained. CHAPTER III. STIRRUP STEVE’S RETURN, THE body of Lazarus was carried to the main gambling den of Ragged Robin and laid out, There was a good dealof excitement among those who came to look at the corpse but there was not much loud talking. Phocion in his shanty was thinking of Nixy’s last remarks and while he occupied the little lace be wondered, too, whac had become of agle Ned. The boy’s absence alarmed’ the man nota lit- tle and when he thought of going out and Jook- ing for him, the words of the man who had run off recurred to him, The Camp Spiders! He had never heard of such an organization. He had lived in Ragged Robin ever since its founding and yet he was ignorant of the existence of such an order. Still, it might be, for Nixy was always on the alert and he was just the sortof person to pick up news, By and by Pbocion sneaked down to where the body lay, and entering, stood over the face of Lazarus, Nearly every one had deserted the room and the light which bad been turned low by some one gave but little satisfaction, Phocion became convinced that some one was watching him and lifting his gaze suddenly he saw a figure steal from the door. There was something about this figure that startled the man and in a moment he wasat the portal. In another second he had left the house and stood alongside of the person be bad detected. ‘Who's dead in there?’ asked this person, looking up into Phocion’s face, ‘*I came in but a moment agoand heard something had hap- pened. I saw you alone with a corpse and thought I wouldn’t disturb you. Who’s dead, I >>] ‘‘It’e Lazarus,” answered Phocion, , ** They found him dead near his shanty and he’s in thar with a knife wound in bis neck, Someone kill- ed him an’ in this camp,” % The man addressed by Phocion. was still .a youth; he was quite handsome and bis broad shoulders told that they could sustain, a great weight. He was agile as.a cat for all this, and every one knew Stirrup Steve, the youngest miner ip the camp and a‘fine whole-souled fellow who feared nothing. _. ‘‘ Whar hev you been, Steve?” ‘‘T came in from the Diego Diggin’s, I’ve had along ride across the roughest country on the face of the globe an’ when | saw the.light of the camp I felt good, I can tell you.” ‘“What do you know. about.the Camp Spiders?” This question seemed to bring a queer look to the listener’s eyes, He fixed bis gaze upon Phocion and did not speak for a moment as if the query had taken his breath, . ‘“The Camp Spiders?” he echoed. ‘ What do you mean, Paocion?” Phocion told Stirrup Steve what Nixy said, that such an order really existed and right in their midst. He had never heard of it, which was very strange, he said, as be had lived in Ragged Robin all the time and generally with his eyes open, | Stirrup Steve listened without interrupting him and when Phocion had finished. the youn man touched bis arm, : ‘* | don’t know much about them,” ‘** But you know a little, then?” ** Very little, Phocion.” ** Tell me what you know?” Stirrup Steve walked away with the arm of Phocion still in his grasp. The two went to the shanty occupied by the latter and when Phocion had seated himself Steve folded his arms and leaned against the wall, ‘There used to be an order of this name in another camp far from here, but I did not think it had been revived. They wiped it out in Pin- Wheel; the Vigilantes hanged every mother’s son of the members, and that was the end of it. I beard of this affair along time ago; how they pulled up the Spiders until not one remained to weave a web of death, It was a clean wipe- out, Pbocion.” ; ‘But we’ve got em byer, if Nixy tells the trutb.” : ‘* And do you think they are responsible for Lazarus’s death?” ‘“ Why not?” TT ~ : * Se The. J 3 ~ es > Ae | ‘ ow . bs e " Lh, | te 7 » i nn q [ml a ee —_ a, : a S.* he - ST ge: i ate : ’ ei a . * “a, st