Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 768 — page 7: what you’re looking at

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

Eagle Ned, the Boy on Guard. @ The Count, the men who talked did not for a moment think that his heart might be with the prisoner, Meantime the news of the arrest of Stirrup Steve for the murder of Red Mart bad spread throughout the camp. It reached the ears of Phocion who took the tidings to Alta’s door, but paused there as if he had not heart enough to tell her, ‘*Come in, Phocion,” said the girl, opening the door so suddenly that the man with the red beard fell back with a start. ‘I know some- thing of what has happened, but you don’t be- lieve it.” ‘* Believe it? never, Alta!” said Phocion as he carried bis figure across the threshold, ‘' They have caught the wrong man, and, then,” he low- ered his voice—‘‘ then, I guess they want a vic- tim, ‘*T understand you, Phocion. Yon mean the Camp Spiders. They want a victim; they want to hang an innocent man for their own crimes,” The man had to look at the girl, she spoke with such a coolness that he was astounded, Her face was white, and her eyes clear and beautiful. ‘* Where is he?” she asked at last. “They have taken him home and they’ve put a guard over the shanty. He will be watched until—” Phocion paused and looked askance at Alta, “Until they take him out to hang bim, I know what you keep back, Phocion. They say they found his knife near the body. Well, what does that signify?” The red-beard was silent. ‘*He may have been robbed of that knife. What does he say?’ **T don’t know; I haven’t heard his defense,” ** Will they hang bim without trial?” ‘ Phocion’s lips seemed to meet beneath the red airs, **They dare do anything,” he said. ‘* The Spiders bave taken possession of Ragged Robin, and besides killing Lazarus and Red Mart they’ve made way with Eagle Ned,” ** You believe that, Phocion?” “IT do. They killed the boy for a purpose; he was too knowing for them; he was finding out something, That boy was trying to find the lost sister, and somehow or other he was killed to prevent him from discovering the truth.” The eyes of Alta were riveted upon the speaker, but she did not reply. ‘*f may be talking too much myself, but I can’t help it,” continued Phocion, ‘I liked Eagle Ned because he was a good boy and seemed to have but few friends. He had eyes like those of the young half-breed who came to The Count’s the other day, and they were about the same size, The young mixed blood is doing some strange work. I have caught him at Selina’s heels, and he seems to be everywhere, just as if he were watching The Count who took him in and gave him a home.” At this juncture a sound without was heard, and Phocion looked toward the window, A hand rose and tapped on the pane. In an instant Alta sprung forward and caught sight of a paper lying on the narro~ sill. She ran out and took possession of it, bringing it back and displaying it to the man inside. ‘* Who left it there? Did you see no one?” ‘* T saw nobody,” answered the gir). ‘ I look- ed up and down the street, but it was deserted.” Phocion took the paper which Alta extended and drew near thelamp. He opened it and look- ed at it for a moment with the eyes of Alta fas- tened upon him, “This means something I can’t just figure out,” said he, lifting bis eyes and encounter- ing those of the girl near him. “The writer of this note wants me to keep a still tongue in my head.” ‘¢ Then it wasn’t intended for me?’ cried Alta. ‘‘Tt seems not. A still tongue in my head? That means that if I don’tI will feel the sting of the Camp Spiders, I reckon,” ‘‘It must mean that, Phocion. You must obey, for if they sting you where will I finda friend?” Alta came forward and her eyes caught the sudden gleam of defiance which lit up the orbs before her. -““Tbhat’s pretty hard for me to do under the circumstances. I[f I thought Eagle Ned war alive, if I could oaly think that he isn’t cooped up in the darkness of the Devil’s Tunnel, I could be still, but believing that the boy bas been foully dealt with, 1 don’t know.” The next instant the bronzed hard of Phocion crumpled the paper and his gaze wandered to the window, ‘“*Thar’s a face!” he cried, springing forward, revolver in hand, ‘I saw it plainly.” He flung wide the door and ran out, ** Halt!’ Alta heard him cry, In another moment the report of the miner’s weapon awoke the echoes of the camp and then he came back with a langh, ** [| didn’t shoot to kill, only to let the fellow know that I’m going to stand no foolishness,” ‘“ Who was it?” ‘*Who do you think, Alta? It was that in- fernal young spy what came to camp the other day. It was The Count’s new protege.” ** Doodles?” ‘* The young and cat-like Doodles, The next time it may be a bullet in the back. I could bave dropped him just now, but I thought I would give bim a reminder of what will come if he persists in playing spy on everybody ,in camp.” Phocion took out the paper and read it again. His eyes seemed to soften and then their fierce light went out entirely. ‘**For vour sake [ll keep still, girl,” he said, touching Alta’s hand. ‘* I don’t want you to be left without a friend in Ragged Robin, but [ don’t think it will come to that. Good-night,” and with a final look the red-beard went out, leaving the waif of the Black Mesa standing in the middle of the room like a person in a trance, ‘*Mvy God!” cried Alta suddenly. ‘‘If they hang Stirrup Steve for the murder of Red Mart they will send an innocent soul to the noose,” CHAPTER VIII. ON THE TRAIL AT LAST, IT was midnight within Jack Jargo’s palace, so-called, The house was still, for no light was to be seen anywhere, but there was One person who was not asleep, Down the stair leading to the room in which lodged the half-breed boy came a figure which | made no noise at all on the carpet that covered the steps, In a little while it had lost itself in one of the ; Yes, you will go back in the morning. lower rooms, and there it stood revealed as Doodles, The Count himself was absent from the house at the time, and nothing was seen of Selina, By and by Doodles appeared in the bed-cham- ber of The Count’s sister and went toward her rich cabinet, which, years before, bad graced the table of a Mexican belle. It was a rich cabi- pet, small and locked, and stood on the table at one side of the room, What did Doodles want in the bedroom of the nabob’s sister, and at that bour of the night when the house was still and its mistress away? The half-breed boy glided to the cabinet and leaned forward to inspect its carved doors, By and by he took frorn his pocket a little wire that looked like a watch-spring and inserted it into the lock, In a moment the door yielded to the work of the wire, and Doodles swung it open. Reaching in his hand, he took something from the cabinet, thrust it into his bosom and retired as noiselessly as he had entered the room, He crept back up the steps, disappearing beyond the door of his own chamber where he struck a light in one corner. He now took from bis bosom the packet he had abstracted from Selina’s cabinet and opened it, It was a leathern case such as sometimes contains Jewels, and sure enough he drew forth a necklace of pearls, he boy started and almost betrayed himself by acry. He turned the necklace over and over in his hands; he looked at it from all points, bis eyes meanwhile glittering with a fierce light and when he had looked at it ome time he put it back in the case and went down the steps again. Noone saw him replace the necklace in the cabi- net in Selina’s room; no one saw bim creep back to his own chamber and there look ata single pearl which be had taken from the treasure. By and by the front door of the mountain pal- ace Opened and the form of Selina stood there; If she bad returned a moment sooner she might have Witnessed some of the transactions we have described; she might have seen the boy she had threatened emerge from ber room and her hand might bave caught bim with the jewels in his asession, But Selina had come home too late for this and Doodles had played the game through success- fully. Selina went to her room and halted in the middle of tbe place, All at once she turned as a sound fell upon her ears, and the next second she opened the | | door to stand face to face with The Count, her brother, The nabob looked pleased, but when he caught the gleam of Selina’s eyes his own underwent a change of light. ‘* Well, you bave fastened the deed on him, have you?’ said the woman. ‘Why, yes. They found a knife where Red Mart died, and I guess that is enough,” The figure of Selina seemed to increase in | stature. _that you are never satisfied? ‘* What are you going to dog’ ‘* That is for the court. We stop here.” Selina looked at ber brother a moment in silence, and then said hotly: ‘““Who placed the knife where it was found? Who carried out that part of the programme?” The boss of Ragged Robin seemed to lean to- ward his sister, and after a mad look his hand fell upon ber shoulder. ‘*Look here, woman,” he said. ‘* Why is it Why is it that _you can’t keep your fingers out of my games? | everybody’s equal? | Haven't I made you princess of the Black Mesa? Haven’t I given you a home where you are You must not come be- tween me and this play. You must not say ‘stop’ when I am playing out a game that is near my beart,.” “ For a moment it seemed as if Selina would fly at him and sink her hands into his face, but she stood still, and even seemed to meet bis words with a smile, ones is Stirrup Steve to you?” demanded ack, A sudden flush suffused the face of The Count’s sister, but it vanished almost iustantly. “Never mind that,” she said. ‘‘ You are going to send an innocent man to the noose,” **'You want him saved, then?” **T have not said so, I want the guilty pun- ished,” The nabob drew off a pace and glared at her. ‘*I guess Pll send you back to Chiquita,” be said at last, watching like a hawk the effect of his words, ‘‘ They want you there, you know, I will _ send an escort to the frontier, and Doodles will | } be your companion from there on.” He seemed to know Selina’s feelings toward the half-breed boy, for he laughed when he named him, and in an instant the woman’s face was at his breast, and her band struck him across the face, reddening it until it seemed to bleed. ‘*T hate the young mixed-blood. He is a spy. He watches both of us when we know it not, and you have. brought to the palace a sepent that soune day will sting you to death. He is more to be dreaded than the Camp Spiders of whom you-— The Count threw up one band and broke her sentence, ‘‘If what you are saying is true, keep back the words you are about to speak,” he said, sternly. ‘‘ You have hated nearly everybody ever sinte you came into the world, If you will promise to keep quiet I won’t send you back to Chiquita.” “ But you will hang Stirrup Steve?” ‘The court will.” ‘Then you will send me back, but I won't promise to keep still there,” ‘* You won’t, eh?” ‘‘T bave spoken.” Selina started toward the door, but his band detained her, ‘* What will you do if the court hangs Steve?” he demanded, “‘T will tell on you,” she bissed, my mouth and talk.” ‘* Bv heavens, woman, I believe you love this man,” Again the blush came to the face of Selina and she stopped and looked bim in the eve, “love bim. I love Stirrup Steve as woman uever loved man. I would die for him—” “You? Ha, ha, ba,” laughed the boss of Ragged Robin. ‘Don’t you know that he might not be willing to do the same for you?” “T don’t care. I know what you think. I know that you have thrown him into the grip of the Camp Spiders to get him out of your way, Do you think the girl, Alta, will ever come to you and give you her hand? Answer me that, Jack Jargo He laughed again. ‘*] know that you can’t insnare the man for whose life you plead,” he said. ‘* You can’t win the love of Stirrup Steve. There are others in Ragged Robin who would come to you with love and money. There are twenty men who would like to jead you to the altar, and some day you may want a defender.” “* I will open