Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 768 — page 9: 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. 9 bad entered the room and was making her way toward the condemned. ‘*T will answer for the innocence of Phocion,” said she, facing the mob for a moment, ‘‘ He says he did not kill Durango Dave and I know he did not,” ‘* You know it, eh, girl? Prove it,” Alta, seemed taken aback at this. She had seen nothing of the shgoting and realized that her words would not go far unless substantiated, Color left her cheeks and she turned to The Count whose eye she caught, ‘You must go home, Alta,” said Jack, in kindly tones, ‘* This is no place for you,” ‘¢ Will you let Puocion go” ** Yes, when he proves bis innocence,” The eyes of the prisoner seemed ‘to flash as he turned his gaze upon the man who bad spoken, They stood face to faceand whi'e Phocion looked he thought of the dead man in the tunnel. It was on his lips to ask the nabob if he knew how that body came there, but he held his tongue. ‘*You are not guilty, Pbhocion?” cried Alta, ‘* Let me hear from your own lips that you did not kill Durango Dave.” ‘‘Girl, I never killed any one,” said the red- beard solemnly. ‘** Before Heaven, I will swear it,” and bis bronzed hand went up and he sent a calm look toward tbe ceiling. ** Won’t you believe it now?” and Alta looked at the mob, ‘‘ Won’t you believe what Phocion swears to? None of you saw him shoot Durango Dave. The man was found dead at Pbocion’s door with a dagger inhishand, What took him thither? Was it a mission of peace? You do not answer me, Men of Ragged Robin, you cannot.” The mien of the young girl seemed to abash some of the roughsof thecamp. They looked at one another and their rage seemed to fade when the voice of Jack was heard, ‘The man must prove his innocence,” he said. ‘*He must sbow that he did not shoot Durango Dave~” ** He will show it if you will give him time.” Phocion confirmed with a nod the answer Alta had given, “Twill prove it. Give me time, and I will prove to the satisfaction of all that the blood of the dead is not on my bands,” ‘* How much time?” ** Twenty-four bours.” The Count silently consulted the faces before bim and said: ‘* We will give you ten.” ‘*Take it, Captain Phocion, " cried Alta. “ Take it and I will help you.” ‘** | accept,” said the red-beard. ‘It is all the time you will give me, but I take it,” ‘*The man is free,” answered the nabob, ‘* He will have the freedom of the camp, but if he at- tempts to quit it he will be killed on sight. The man who killed Durango Dave is in Ragged Robin. Find him for us if you cap.” The Count’s look told Phocion that he was not expected to be successful, and as be turned to go out, with Alta looking up iato his face, the brow of Jack Jargo grew dark, and he soon followed the pair. ‘* Well, you have let the wolf go,” said Selina, when the nabob entered the palace and appeared suddenly to her. ** You bave given him the knife that will cut your thread of life.” ‘¢ How, woman?” demanded Jack. és Don’t you see that the enemy of the Spiders killed Durango Dave? Can’t you see also- that Phocion will leave no stone unturned in his search for the slayer? I told you to crush this man who talks so much, but instead a man, one of your men, falls dead at his door, This is the beginning of the end,” ‘* Pish! I hold the camp under my hand. I have but to press it down to crush all who are not with me.” ‘‘What are you going to do with Stirrup Steve?” “fT hevo told you before. He is in the hands of the court, Don’t think that because you think something of | bim I am going to let bim slip out of the toils,” The look Selina gave Jack was as dark as night, but sbe did not speak. ‘Where is the boy?” suddenly asked The Count, Selina glanced toward wWoodles’s room ere she retired and Jack was alone. Entering a chamber to the right of the ball he touched a bell which sent its clear tones throughout the house and in a little while there were footsteps on the steps. Jack watched the door and when it opened admitting the figure of the half-breed boy with the queer my the geze of the mountain nabob fell upon m. *“You have heard, eh, Doodles?” said Jack, “You know that another man is dead?” The boy nodded, ** You know that Phocion the man who growls is in the toils. We have given him ten hours in which to find the person who killed Durango Dave, but the time will baffle bim, He can’t find the killer, Doodles, because it was his own work,” The youth said nothing. He was looking at the bandsome man at the table and appeared to see something in Jack’s face he bad not noticed before, ‘* Doodles,” suddenly said Jack, ‘* which way does the trail leading from the nain Comanche camp run?” It was a trap to catch the boy—a trick to test the truthfulness of the story he had told op coming to Ragged Robin, The face of the boy did not quiver, He looked into the eyes of the man before him and answer- ed promptly. ‘* If you would travel it and never quit it you — reach the cold lakes of the north,” be sai ‘‘It runs north eb?” laughed Jack. ‘* That’s true, I guess. You used to have fine times in camp?” ‘*Fine times with the Comanche boys of my own age,” ‘* Who was chief then?” ‘**Old Colchise.” ** And his son’s name i ** Colchise had no son.’ Under his mustache Jack Jargoseemed to bite bis lips, ‘* I guess that’ll do, Doodles,” he replied and as the boy turned away he suddenly struck the table and cried out: “Justa minute. They say ycu haven't talked Comanche since coming to Ragged Robin. Give me a little of the lingo.” For a moment the face of Doodles paled, and the cunning questioner seemed to score a tri- umph, But the next moment a war-whoop rung through the room, and Doodles was hurling at him a lot of choice Indian invectives which near- ly lifted Jack’s bair. ‘*By Jove! you'll do,” he said, ‘I guess you’re as good as a full- blooded Indian,” The boy bounded from the room and ran up- stairs. When heentered bis room be stopped, aod threw one hand to his heart, as if some sud- den stroke was about to send him to the floor. ‘IT don’t want any more of that,” be said. ‘That man has the cuaning of a fox and bis trap was set to catch a fool,” As for Jack, be was looking into the face of his sister who bad appeared unable to account for the wild whoop which sbe had beard, ‘Tt was only testing the boy,” smiled Jack. ‘*That whoop was a genuine Comanche yell, and I don’t wonder that it frightened you, as you’ve beard something like it before now.’ Selina colored and then turned white, coe you satisfied with your test?’ she que- rie **T ought to be, I thought Old Colchise and his band bad burst into the room,” ““ Well, ’ve been robbed,” said Selina, 66 Rubbed? Robbed of what?” ‘*One of the pearls bas been taken from the necklace.” She came forward, drawing from her bosom a necklace of pearls which she extended, and Jack took it from her bands. ‘One is missing, ] have counted them a bundred times since it came into my ion. I counted them a week ago, and lately I brought it back from the mine and deposited it in my cabinet. I have been robbed.” ‘Bat by whom?” A spark of fire seemed to dart from the eyes that looked down into the nabob’s face, ‘Why not by that young of gin ps: up-stairs?” cried Selina, ‘I tell you be is a spirit of evil. He has been out and on your trail when you thought bim asleep in his nest, I believe he has opened the cabinet and robbed me.” ‘*T think not, I don’t believe Doodles would do a thing of that kind, I—” ‘You don’t? Let me go up and face bim. I don’t like one hair of his head. Let me search his room,” “No,” said Jack firmly, ‘‘ Whatever you do, you sha’n’t do that,” Selina gave him another look, and replacing the necklace, swept from the room in towering rage, Doodles had had another narrow escape, CHAPTER XI. THE REVEALMENT- WHEN Fhocion walked from the saloon with on ct ten hours of grace before bim, he was silent and thoughtful, The mystery connected with the shooting of Durango Dave was one which he could not solve, It told bim that be had a friend in camp, but who was he? The miner went home and shut bimself up in his cabin, He had ten hours in which to find the slayer of his intended assassin, and knew that they had been granted by the Camp Spiders because they thought his hunt would be fruit- less. He wondered what Alta thought. The girl believed him innocent of the charge of murder, but she was nearly powerless to afford him any assistance, and the outlook was very dark, Still Phocion did not despair, but when he looked the situation fairly in the face, he was compelled to acknowledge that it was poi very promising. He was not long discovering that a watch had been set on bis shanty, i:hit he was under the es- pionage of some keen eyes, »nd be knew what it meant. He was to be b: fled in his search for the slayer, and the Spiders bad marked him for a victim. Suddenly a strange noise came to his ears, and springing to tbe back part of the hut, Phocion placed his ear close to the logs, For a moment he beard nothing, then a slight noise attracted his attention, and he saw a hand appear between two logs where the plastering was scant, In the band was a bit of paper which the miner seized with alacrity, and as the hand vanished he turned to his lamp and read as follows: **Come to the old Cat’s:paw Mine as soon as you read this. Don’t delay a moment; it is important,”’ Phocion looked up witb a puzzled expression of countenance, What did it mean? Was it a trap set for him by his enemies, and was he to feel the Ceadly sting of the Spiders in the se of the old bonanza? “T will go, come what may,” said the red- beard, ‘‘ I will see who is at the bottom of this conspiracy, and if they are there, they shall bave a desperate fight for victory.” Phocion armed himself and set out, He thought be had avoided the bronzed tigers on his track, and in a little time found bimself in the mine mentioned by the writer of the mysterious note. He had been there before. Once be had owned some sbares in the Cat’s-paw, but they so yielded bim nothing, and he bad let them er All at once Pbocion fell back against the dark wall and, revolver in hand, ]‘stened for a repeti- tion of the sound which had greeted bis ears, , ** Phocion?” said a voice, The red-beard started forward, for there was a familiar sound to tbe voice, In anotber moment he was almost thrown backward by the surprise be received, ‘‘T can’t hide myself any longer, Phccion,” continued the person who had spoken, * I would do wrong to bide trom a friend like you,” ‘* Ragle Ned!” cried theold miner, and then he stopped, fearing that he had spoken a name whiecb he should bave i, t back. But in the ligbt of the little torch which had been stuck into a crevice in the wall he was look- ing into the face of Doodles, the half-breed boy. The face of Doodles, but the eyes and voice of Eagle Ned! It was a startling revelation. For a moment the youth smiled at the miner’s surprise and then drew nearer, saying 1n bis old tones: ‘*I have been playing it on you, Phocion, all this time. I bave been playing spy in the web of the Spiders, but the time has come for me to declare myself,” ‘* You must be careful; but, pshaw! a boy who can play it on Jack Jargo need not to be advis- ed. You bave been dead to me for days, How did you get out of the Devil’s Tunne]?” Eagle Ned, as we may call him once more, smiled and laid his band on Phocion’s sleeve. “Tt was by theskinof my teeth and just in time,” he said, ‘* When I found him, I mean the man who inhabits the tunnel, I was near ly ready to succumb to the foul air of the dismal hole, but with a great effort { managed to run for- ward and reached the mouth of the tunnel just in time to save my own life. I fell forward and on the outside of the opening, and after awhile made my way from the mine. I knew that I was believed to bein the tunnel by the man whom I followed tothe spot, Iwas the com- paviou of the dead, and, to all intents and urposes, dead m self, What was to be done? To o go back and tell what I bad discovered would be to draw the web of Spiders about me and fall a victim to the sting of the clan, I was resolved to turn balf-breed. This was notso difficult @