Beadle's Dime Library No. 1 — page 20: what you’re looking at

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

— ——_ Revenge! ee a The New York Library. busy with the strange events which had been crowded into the claimed as a daughter by the finest looking man she had ever seen, only to be snatched from his arms by this dark-browed ruffian. * At what former connection with her father did he hint when he said: ‘* Now she is ripe for my revenge She remembered, too, that she ha! called to her lover’s lips a fierce ejaculation of hatred by a casual mention of the name of The Red Han ana now, he was commanding Mad Kate, and she was acknowledging him her master. had she not told, from which she was inhibited by an oath: iola’s heart leaped at recollection i) 19? | The Red Hand, impatiently. ‘‘ Come! out with ast half-hour. She had been _ it! imbecile, piteously. What | ; Mad Kate's strange hatred of her mother. | The one thing she had refused to tell her was of that mother. and the robber chief? lola was quick to arrive at the conclusion that The Red Hand, in con- junction with Mad Kate, or at least with her owledge, had stolen her, when a child, from her parents; but what had The Stranger to do — it? He must have been a mere at that e, rupted story of her lover. What was he about to tell her? Had it any connection with her early abduction? But it was useless to multiply questions where all was dark. She gave up the uzzle, to await the revelation of time; for the oor of the inner room opened, and sunk upon her knees on the threshold. ‘‘Get up!” commanded The Red Hand, patiently. ‘‘ I’m not going to hurt a he 4 Still fearful the woman complied, and stood before him trembling, like a culprit awaiting sentence. ‘‘ Is this the child?’ demanded The Red Hand, pointing to lola. ‘Yes! yes!” replied Kate, with nervous pre- cipitancy. It is needless to ask you; her face could never be mistaken—a glorious face, more rarely beautiful than was even her mother’s!” He cast upon Iola a gloating look, that caused her to shudder in spite of herself; for she would — ae any emotion before him, if she could elp it. . ie Where did you pick her up?’ asked The Red Hand, as a matter of curiosity. ‘*T saw her and knew her when her father was deceived,” replied Mad Kate. ‘‘ I searched them out afterwards, and persuaded them to receive me among them. I made no effort to effect a restoration to her parent—her mother died within an hour after you last saw her. I say, | remembered ay on , and took no step to defeat your ends. But I could not leave her to grow up in such vile company. When I had ined stre which came of our out-door e, and while she was yet an infant, I ran wae gf with her, and have never seen them ce ‘‘ That was defeating my aims, in part,” re- plied The Red Hand; ‘* but I forgive you freely —for you have made my revenge all the sweeter now! Before gods and men! she is a — woman! Ha! ha! how would my ughty lady feel, to know that I possess her daughter, more beautiful—ye ! a thousand fold!—than she, even at her ! Revenge! Ha! ha! Revenge!” Stepping before Iola, he took her by either shoulder, and bent to kiss her on the lips. A moment she struggled frantically, shudderi with loathing, her involuntary scream drowne by his brutal laugh. Bound as she was, she found herself helpless in his grasp; and with his breath, foul with the fumes of alcohol, on her cheek, she was driven to desperation. With a quick snap she 7 his nether lip between her teeth and bit with all her —_. Howling with pain and rage, The Red Hand oe age eA om . or fiercel — she ss gm i er hold upon his lip, gasping for rent. Instantly he released her, ‘‘ You devil’s fury!” he cried, ‘‘ I mustn’t mar your beauty, though I fear P da have made in- nee upon mine.’ But I’ll tame you—never ear! The girl could make no reply. She sat with tears, not of weeping, but of strangulation, in her eyes, swallowing repeatedly to ease the pain in her throat, where his iron grip seemed almost to have crushed the trachea. In a moment her delicate flesh showed the marks of his fingers, in purple bands. ‘What have you been doing all these years?” resumed The Red Hand, addressing Kate, while stanching the blood that flowed from his wounded lip. ke The lunatic seemed overcome by new trepida- tion. ‘‘We have lived,” she said, evasively, glanc- ing nervously from side to side. “T have sought to re in a measure the wrong I did her, by fi her for something her than the life of ignorance and d tion into which she must otherwise have fallen. I did not think it interfering with your—” ‘‘ But yourself,” interrupted The Red Hand— “why do I find you so far beyond the bound of civilization?” | The woman beget to cringe and weep afresh, nitating to rep And now her mind recurred to the inter- | Was this the secret between her | i | the iatter with you?” demanded | eS S +4 19? ‘Do not be angry with me!” whimpered the find the boy. Oh! I have had such dreams of him! He has come to me, not-a child any long- er, but a man, noble and strong. And I have thought—I have thought—” She stopped in confusion and terror, glancing apprehensively at lola, ‘‘ What have you thought?’ demanded The | Red Hand, puzzled at her ‘‘Forgive me!” whined have learned to love her so! I have dared to hope that they might love each other, if we could only find him, and make my old age happy after all. It is for him that I have edu- cated her, and trained her to purity in thought and deed, that she might be inevery way worthy of him.” The rich color mounted to Iola’s cheek as she listened, and she was about to cry out impul- sively that she had found him; but the Hand burst into a brutal laugh, exclaiming: ‘‘ A truly excellent motive! But, as in the old time, wheré you have sown I shall reap; so your wild-goose chase will be productive of some good—it has prepared me a most admira- ble wife!” Mad Kate uttered a startling scream, and er of emotion. ad Ka Kate peice herself upon her knees beside Iola, c the girl in her arms, as if to protect her laspe im- | from the robber chief, while she cried: ‘Your wife? Never! Oh! you will not de- grade her so! She is as pure as an angel! Oh! you have not the heart for such mca A just God would not sit by and see so spotless a one so polluted!” ‘‘ Pish!” sneered the robber. ‘‘M se f= sr to show that the God you talk about doesn’t interfere much in mundane affairs. He did not stand between me and her mother; no more will he step between me and the daughter.” “Oh! Oh! Oh! God protect thee, my poor child, as he will never forgive me!” cried Mad Kate, rocking back and forth with the girl in her arms and covering her hair with kisses. Iola was deeply touched by these marks of affection; and giving her old friend kiss for kiss, she whispered: “Do not grieve; He will protect me.” ‘Talking of boys,” interposed The Red Hand, ‘who is this on omy hop-o’-my-thumb whom the girl calls brother! Of course he can be no relation to her, though they say he is her very icture.” ‘‘ Not a word, aunt Kate, as you love me!’ cried lola, Nira rong, Pics turning to The Red Hand, she con- ued: ** You vile wretch! he is one who will yet fit the noose to your worthless neck! If an dare to touch me, do you think that earth secret laces to hide you from his yeeeee I prom- ise you, you shall be flayed alive for the insult already put upon me!” ‘“ Whew!” laughed The Red Hand. ‘“He’sa terrible fellow, isn’t he? But, as they say, one might as well be hanged for a sheep as for a lamb. If I am to lose my skin anyway, I think a can’t erent a —_ severer punishment; 9 guess I'll go on and enjoy my possession 0 ou, until the fall of his awful vengeance! But, istress Kate, you haven’t yet answered my question; and of course you know that I expect an answer. I wasn’t easily put off when we were young, you remember: and the habit has grown wi se : His eyes flashed ominously, showing what lay beneath his careles’ tones. : Mad Kate bowed her head into Iola’s lap and remained silent. A purple flush mounted to the temples of The Red Hand. He reached forth his powerful hand, and clutching the shrinking woman by the shoulder, tore her rahe drag- ging Iola from the chair before her clasp was oken. With sheer h of arm he her upon her feet, and holding her so, cried: “Do youmeantoanswerme?”? The woman raised her face to his piteously; her lips moved, producing no sound: then her head sunk upon her breast. ‘Tell him! Tell him!” cried Iola, unable to see Mad Kate suffer on her account; but the woman had fainted. With an oath The Red Hand dashed her to the floor. ‘Fetch her along!” he cried to one of his myrmidons, who stood a silent tor of the scene; and catc up Iola in his arms, he blew out the light and strode out of the hut. CHAPTER XIX. A LIVING TOMB. ‘Mount and away!” commanded The Red Hand; and all swung into the saddle and dashed down the bridle-path to the highway. Rapidly they rode while the way was smooth, but more slowly when it became rocky and o structed. lola was familiar enough with the country to know that they were in the blu®y region which borders the Mi such marked contrast with the rolling prairie land of the interior. Looking at the stars she judged that it was near ight when they te; “but I | | halted in a sequestered ‘‘ | ' ; } i | Missouri River, in | from her pocket and Vol. I, ket” or valley, be- fore a few rude cabins hidden away among the trees. Here the women were separated, The ‘“T thought that we might | Red Hand ordering Mad Kate to be taken into one hut, while he set Iola upon her feet and bade her follow him into an a joining one. With no little trepidation Iola complied, and found herself in a low-ceiled room, with a rough pine slab supported against the wall for a table, and rude benches supplying the place of chairs. The Red Hand kicked open a door leading into an inner a ment, whose blanket-covered bunk proclaimed its use. ‘* Here are our quarters,” he said. ‘ Not the most elegant in the world, .ut c..ch as answer our purpose. You may consider yourself mis- tress or prisoner, whichever you preier. If you think you can escape, you are at liberty to try.” _ As he spoke, he released her hancs from the ligature which had bound them. Then witha bow of mock civility, he left the hut. The first use Iola made of her liberty was to search both rooms for some weapon of defense. When she had collected everything that could possibly be put to such a use, sh: found herself in possession of a wooden poker, an ordinary case knife, an unloaded rifle, a tin wash-basin, a pair of top-boots, a bullet mold, a melti ladic, and a chunk of lead us Inreo as a hen’s egg. Abandoning all the others as useless, she ut the last in her pocket. If she could stun m by a blow, she might get an effective wea- n from his belt, and ther icc mistress of the situation. Knowing that she was under sur- veillance, she did not avail herseif of The Red Hand’s permission to attempt esca}.o. She had been alone scarcely ten minutes, when The Red Hand reappeared. “Tam ey to disturb you,” he said; ‘‘butI have changed my plans. You will pardon my seeming incivility, if I Pore you to again sub- mit to having your hands bound.” He approached her for the purpose of putting his words into effect; but hastily drawing a bench out from the wall and stepping behing it, she said: **Permit me to decline your very courteous request.” e looked _at her, surprised, yet pleased with her spirit. In her flashing eyes he saw the look with which Dauntless Jerry had held him, while Jerry and his friends were making their escape from the Occidental Saloon. | “Curse the pair! they look mightily alike— | the same spirit; almost the same features. But it is impossible that she should have a brother; unless—unless— By Heaven! sup this ‘Mad Kate,’ as they call her, were deceiving me, and this is not the child after all! : What is the mys- tery of this brother, which she is so anxious should not be revealed? I'll force Mad Kate to tell me, curse her! If it should prove not to be the child after al— But, what’s the odds? Iget a magnificent wife; for, by Heaven, she shall be my wife! and my revenge is just as perfect, so long as the father believes that it is his daughter.” iile he was thus meditating, his eyes were Bloating upon her beauties of person, and her ofty yet graceful bearing. ‘‘ Won't you be persuaded?” he asked, aloud. “It is so much easier to adjust these matters amicably, you know.” ‘** Never, you villain!” she replied, firmly. He took a step toward her, and reached to po away the bench. He saw her incline slight- forward, every muscle tense and eyes flash ke fire. He saw her draw her right han slightl from the folds of her dress. What weapon has she there?” he asked him- self; and, remembering that she had been alone in the cabin several minutes, answered: “A knife, most likely. There may have been one lying about.” stepping back he blew a shrill whistle, mut- Ma te himself: ‘| have no particular desire to get a cut, and she might give me one—the spitfire!—before I could secure her.” His call was answered by the four men who acted as his body-guard, the fifth being yet in- valid from the effects of his wound. “Two of you tie her hands,” commanced The Red Hand, tossing the cord to one of the men. “You cowardly wretch!” cried Iola, stepping from behind the bench and extending her hands. ‘Are you afraid to attack an unpro- tected woman single-handed? I shall not scuf- fle with the vile tools that serve you; yet to be bound by even one of them is*preferable to sub- mitting such an arrant knave and poltroon as you!” * Just so,” replied The Red Hand, with exas- perating indifference. “But, if you please, we'll have them tied behind your back.” Nebraska Larry, the man whom, in the opening of our story, The Red Hand Imocked down without apparent cause, in the Occidental Saloon, stepped forward to carry out the com- mand of his chief. He tied Icla’s hands securely, et with a care not to pain her wrists. hus engaged, he deftly drew her handkerchief ansferred it to his own unobserved by any one present. ‘That will do,” said The Red Hand; and his body-guard withdrew, GOMIE JOO =) (ao) )