The Brand Burners of Cimarron — page 25: what you’re looking at

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

all ice nd th- ich he re- ile de d, Se ae , a — “Don’t be discouraged. The end is nearer than you think,” “ Sir, you have ciues! ” “ Yes, Gimps, two. In Captain Brand I “It’s a man with a lantern,’ Gimps muttered, lapsing into the gamin once more. “ Hullo! Thar’s another! ” This was true; a second light had ap- have recognized the man with the odd| peared. Then quickly followed a third, a eyes.” “ And the other?” “It is less important—faint, indeed, as it stands.” The detective thrust his hand into an inner pocket and brought forth a small oblong package. Taking the cords from around it, he carefully removed several folds of tough manilla paper, and held up a bit of steel, some three inches in length. ‘“ Merely a piece of broken knife blade,” he explained. “Where did you get it, sir?” “From your father’s breast.” Gimps shuddered, then mechanically Seized the gruesome bit of metal, and knelt near the fire. A swift flash of intelligence crossed his face, and he hastily drew some object from his pocket. In another instant Goldspur was kneel- ing beside him. The lad held the missing portion of the blade, and quickly fitted the pieces together! “Read it!” muttered Gimps, huskily, handing the broken weapon to Gold- spur. “ There’s a name on it!” True enough! Traced with an acid on the face of the blade was the name: JUAN BARMILLO. “TI know the man! ” Goldspur asserted, when he had pronounced the name. “And I! ’Tis Spanish John! ” - “Right! But where found you this ilt?”’ “In the room above the Silver Shades. Yesterday the gambler put it in the stove. When he turned his back, I took it out.” “ Prompted by what? Surely you didn’t suspect—” “TI didn’t suspect this. No, sir. But I believed the broken blade was dangerous to him, so I determined to carry it to you.” “Good, my boy! your father! ” “TI trust so, sir. But I do not under- Stand. Spanish John was there that night? ” “ Yes, in disguise.” “ But the missing eye, sir?” “He wore one of glass, as he does to- night in the role of Captain Brand.” “Then he was the man with the queer Optics, and charged Jack Rabbit with the crime to divert suspicion from himself? ” “ Precisely.” Gimps turned to the captive sport and quickly extended his hand, saying: “ Forgive me, Jack Rabbit! I accused you wrongfully.” “Freely, boy. I owe you no malice. Like yourself, I have cause to hate Span- ish John, so you may count myself your friend.,”’ Then the trio discussed the matter briefly, and Goldspur decided to release the sport. About this time Gimps returned to the lower fire, where Lightfoot was guarding Denver Red. A peculiar change had come over the lad, and he moved about rest- lessly. He was far from contented just then. Presently he addressed a few words to the trailer, turned, and quickly disap- peared, going toward the river. A short distance down the canyon You have avenged _Gimps clambered up one of the sloping walls, struck across the burned woodland, and finally entered a range of low hills. On the crest of one of these wooded knolls-he halted a moment for rest and reflection. Then an idea came to him; nimbly ascending a tall post oak, he perched himself in its topmost branches. Surrounding him on every side was a vast, dark void, unrelieved for the mo- ment by a single ray of light. Then suddenly away off to the south- west there came a twinkling gleam, mov- ing slowly through the darkness. Almost as SoOi as seen it disappeared—only to flash out again further away. » : ' * 4a . 7? 7 As . ’ - : ~~ ~ P , é ‘ Ss a) * ") i — 3 ; 7 4 , *. { e s 2 r+ a> © ee : ‘ ee aS, ° h - wt ati ‘” ee : = e rs 4 7 Bs.) al & a a, 5 . a “. : a fourth, and a fifth. “A reg’lar lawn party!” The urchin commented. ‘Sams o’ Davis! I b’lieve et’s ther brand-burners! See them lan- terns swing! Signals, b’gum! Ef thet’s their layout, I’ll spot et quick.” For some little time the boy remained aloft, watching the distant lights. Finally four of them became stationary, while the fifth moved on and disappeared. Satisfied at length that nothing more could be discovered from his position in the tree top, Gimps descended, fixed his course by the stars, and hastened in the direction he had seen the lights moving. After a half-hour’s brisk walk, he ford- ed a small stream and ascended a hill. From the summit the lights were again visible, now creeping through the gloom in a southerly direction. Nothing daunted the young trailer tightened his belt and quickened his pace. “ Et’s ther brand-burners, fast enough!” the told himself. ‘“ Reckon they’ve got a bunch o’ steers, too. Glory ter Jasper! How I'd like ter round ’em up, all by my lonesome! Wouldn’t ther perfessor’s eyes snap, tho’! ” Down the hill and across a valley, sped the lad, then out upon a stony waste, rarely losing sight of the lantern for more than a minute, until he was at least five miles from the canyon camp. Then the lights suddenly faded from view. Bewildered for the moment, paused. “T don’t ketch on,” he muttered. “ Howbeit, hyar goes ter see! ” Cautiously now, yet rapidly, he moved forward. Presently a medley of sounds floated faintly through the night, growing louder and gradually resolving into the trampling of hoofs, the bellowing of cat- tle, and the shouting of men as the lad advanced. Then it all became clear. The cattle thieves had arrived at their rendezvous! A few minutes later Gimps reached the point where the lights had faded front view and found himself on the verge of a huge draw, which ran back into the tim- ber bordering that stony waste on the west. Skirting this draw, he pushed on into the timber a few hundred yards, then halted, with a chuckle of delight. Just below him was a large corral, con- fining the stolen cattle. Near the upper end of this inclosure and distinctly visible in the glow of half a dozen fires was a long chute! “Glory ter Jasper! They must be in something of a hurry! ” the urchin mused, eyeing the men moving about. “ An’— Hullo! Thar’s a house, too! ” True enough; in a small clearing a short distance above the draw stood a long, cabin, surrounded on three sides by outbuildings. After a moment’s reflection, Gimps crossed a fire-guard of plowed land and stole cautiously toward the house. It had occurred to him that the captives might be here and he was determined to learn the truth. Making a slight detour, the lad got among the outbuildings, then stealthily. dodged along until he reached the rear of the cabin. Here he found a door and two windows. The first was closed and heavy curtains screened the windows. However, a faint stream of light pierced the darkness, and Gimps found that it came from a small rent in one of the curtains. Pulling himself up, he placed his eye as near the orifice as the sash would permit. At that precise moment a door on the opposite side of the house opened and a man was thrust into the room. His hands were fastened at his back, and a short rope ran from one ankle to the other. A single glance was sufficient to estab- lish the identity of the prisoner, an Gimps shrank back in dismay. Gimps M 5 vs ; LS ws a iy : M " ~~ 3a: <a: ry “i —* S F . Ww 7 ’ ~ A te * “ The Brand-Burners of Cimarron. 32 Vb cuts yt a ease ———— CAPTAIN BRAND AGAIN. some little time after Gimps had quit- ted the canyon camp, Goldspur extin- guished the upper fire, and with Jack Rabbit rejoined Lightfoot below. S The detective’s first inquiry was for the oy. “ Gone,” the trailer replied. “ He went toward the river, saying he’d return pres- ently.” A slight frown crossed Goldspur’s face and he cast an uneasy glance down the canyon. Then he picked up his rifle. “It’s pretty risky for him, down there. I'll look him up. Keep quiet till I come back,” In another minute, he, too, had van- ished, The detective followed the canyon to- ward the river, pausing at intervals to utter a signal with which Gimps was familiar. But no response came, and with- in a half-hour the searcher reached the Cimarron. “It is singular. I don’t understand it, at all,” he told himself, as he glanced across the dark stream. “Something must have drawn him away. What was it?” No answer presented itself to the puz- zled detective, and he ascended the slop- ing bank of the canyon, determined to raake a considerable detour in search of his young protege ere rejoining his com- panions. A few paces carried him into the old Indian trail which he had traveled the preceding afternoon, and he moved brisk- ly along, going up the river. He had reached a point about four hun- | dred yards west of the canyon, when a disagreeable surprise greeted him. A number of men leaped out of the blackened undergrowth bordering the trail, and in less than the time it takes to tell it he was in their clutches, and help- less! Quickly stripping him of his weapons, his captors bound his hands. Then: — ‘Now, boys, bring up the horses, two of you, while I take a look at the cuss. “ Pallas, strike a light, will you? It runs in my head that we’ve drawn the prize number, this time!” These words were in the voice of Cap- tain Brand, and Goldspur silently anathe- matized the blind folly. which had led him into the trap. “I might have known better! But, it’s done, and can’t be undone,” he mused. “Catch me again, will you!” Just then a match flared in the dark- ness, and the cowled heads of Pallas and the captain were thrust close to the de- tective’s face. “Aha! Good Pallas, my presentiment was right, you see! It is indeed our friend, Lariat Dick, alias Hercules Gold- spur! “How kind is Fate, after all! Here, and just when our appetite for revenge is whetted to the keenest! ‘Ah, Goldspur, you are an obliging fel- low! Il owe you my thanks, and I beg that you accept them. We were debating whether to return to the cabin in search of you, and here you come! Could any- thing be more charming? Really, you are a good fellow—magnan— “Ouch!” That ejaculation, closely’ coupled with a howl of agony, broke the mocking strain, and Captain Brand went down under the impact of a sudden blow from Goldspur’s head, while Pallas, struck by a shoulder, reeled aside. “ Ba-ah!” bleated the detective, in grim derision, as he bounded lightly from the trail, to disappear in the thick under- growth. : “Cateh him!—stop him!” screamed Brand, frantic with pain and rage. “ Pal- las! Pallas! Curse you, man! Can’t you stir?” ‘* Ay!” from beneath the cowl, and the disguised barber plunged through the un- dergrowth in pursuit of the fleeing prey, “This way! Help—all!”’ | “— . SE hae * + “com : « : ' 3 5 Ae 2 aja f nA > “ me ~ & mo —_.