The Brand Burners of Cimarron — page 33: what you’re looking at

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

> our Tes the maidens could comprehend just what i ~ . “A had happened, both were again captives! “To the old house with them,” or- dered Spanish John, jubilantly. CHAPTER XXXIX, ESAU BLACK SPEAKS. At sight of that grim visage hovering above the hatchway in the old attic, Zeb- ulon Peggs uttered a shrill howl of ter- ror and retreated precipitately to the door in the false wall. “Fer ther love o’ heaven, Mommy, let me in!” he moaned, pounding nervously on the rough slabs. “ Et’s hyar ag’in!” “ Be silent, fool! I am mortal, can you mot see?” and with the words the intru- der boldly swung himself into the loft and zonfronted the cobbler. “Go away!” yelled Peggs, retreating step by step. “ Ye’re dead, an’ ye know ye aire! They ‘buried ye in Tiptop—so they did! ” “Bosh, I tell you-—you superstitious fool! I’m not dead, nor do I want to be, 80 put down that pistol.” “No, I won’t! ” he retorted. “ Ye keep off, too! Bagonets an’ bullets! Thar’s no reason ye sh’u’d harm me, Esau Black, an’ I don’t want ter associate with ye, mohow! ”’ “Esau Black! You know me, then?” “Ter be shore! ” “Well, you see that I’m mortal.” “ Never said ye wasn’t, Esau Black! Ye might ’a’ know’d ye cu’dn’t do no ghost business with me! Bagonets! What ye take me fer—a kid?” ’ “A scoundrel, Zeb Peggs—a cunning gcoundrel! ” “ Ye’re another! ” “Granted! But, come, Peggs—we shouldn’t quarrel. I want you to help me, and our fortunes are made.” “I’m done with birds o’ your feather, Esau Black! ”’ Black’s grim visage contracted in a dark frown and he swore softly. After a - moment’s reflection he fixed his gaze on very briefly stated. Jence concerning the past, with your as- ‘sistance in finding and regaining posses- the cobbler and asked: “How about that old Denver job? you—” “’Sh! ” interrupted Peggs, with a vio- jJent tremor in his upraised hand. “.Fer ther love o’ marcy, don’t—” ' “That will fix you! ” viciously. A groan was the only response. ‘Mind you, Peggs, I care nothing about the matter personally. But it hangs over ‘your head, and I am determined that you shall not betray me. ** All that I shall require of you may be First, absolute si- sion of Ruby Ranger. After that you are to take your family and quit the United States forever. Go to Canada, Mexico, or Cuba—lI care not where, so that it is ‘be- yond the confines of this country. “In return, I shall keep your secret, and pay you the sum I have named. “There you have the matter in a nut- shell, Zebulon Peggs, and I demand an answer.” The cobbler shook his head dejectedly and drew a long breath. “T cain’t answer jest yet, Esau Black. Give me a short time.” “Granted, on condition you don’t at- tempt to leave this house.” “T shan’t go till Belmont comes back. No, I’ll not try ter escape. Ye kin "pend on thet.” “ All right, Zeb; take your time.” With that Esau Black arose and went below. For some little time the cobbler emained in a crouching attitude, with face buried in hands, then got up and be- gan walking slowly to and fro. Unheard by either man, the door in the false wall above had opened. Mommy had erheard the conversation in the loft, and, with the departure of Black and the | -eobbler, erept from the long and narrow _ Tecess to a position beside the hatchway, i Tie she could hear all that was said fe the room below. _ it was the secret that gave Esau me mich power 0 gra her. oa apa . ? » The Brand-Burners of Cimarron. Determined to know, she finally slipped through the hatchway and started down the ladder. When half-way down, there was an ominous cracking. Then, suddenly, the uprights pulled loose from the logs, and ladder and woman fell with a crash. Fortunately for Mommy, the distance was short, and she sustained no injury, beyond a severe shaking up. But the up- rights, old and rotten, were badly broken, and the ladder was a thing of the past. Alarmed by the crash, Peggs wheeled quickly. A glance discovered the cause of the disturbance, and he started to¢ard Mommy. But Mrs. Peggs, fearful of his added weight on the quivering floor, warned him back and hastily scrambled to her feet. Then, for a full minute husband and wife looked fixedly at each other. The cobbler was the first to speak. “Wal, Missus Peggs, I am glad ter see ye so far rekivered f’m yer scare o’ ghosts as ter wenture out,”’ he remarked, sarcas- tically. “Or, did they run ye out?” Mommy sighed mournfully and replied: “Hoh, Zebulon, let us ’ave peace! Let us not quarrel. “ You’re in trouble. Hi know, dear ‘art, han’ Hi want to ’elp you. “That Hesau Black ’olds ha secret hon you—” “ He does, Missus Peggs—yas! But don’t you meddle. You let Esau alone. Jes’ mind what I told ye, an’ keep a- sayin’, ‘ Ther pen ’— Peggs in ther pen’, will ye?” “ But fer w’ot, Poppy?” “Ter git used” ter ther idea, Missus Peggs.”’ “You don’t mean—” “ Clucketty—cluck—cluck! Good Lawd! I do mean et, an’ I wish I was thar now! ” “Hoh, Poppy! The pen?” “Yes, Missus, ther pen! I’m goin’ thar. My min’s made up. I shell defy Esau, an’ that means thet I shell go t’ ther pen.” Uttering a cry of grief and terror, poor Mommy reeled blindly toward the vet- eran, It was slightly past midday when Esau Black re-entered the old ranch house. He was terribly excited, and his bruised face wore a peculiar look—a look betraying a strange admixture of fear and triumph. Ascending the stairs, he hurriedly made his way to the east room, where he found the cobbler and his wife seated on an old bench they had dragged in from the ad- joining apartment. “Up with you, Peggs! ” ne ordered, sharply. “ Spanish John and his men are coming, and ’twill never do for them to catch us here. They have both girls and the major— “ Perdition! The ladder is down! ” “ Yes, ther ladder is down,” calmly as- sented Peggs. “What can we do? We cannot escape, we cannot hide! We are caught like rats in a trap! ” But at that juncture a heavy trampling sounded through the house. Then a num- ber of persons were heard ascending the | stairs. In the adjoining apartment th footsteps ceased. A door was noisily closed and barred, and for a moment all was silent. CHAPTER XL. THE MAJOR’S DAUGHTER. The cobbler and his wife had both risen from the bench, while Esau Black, fairly quivering with fear, crept into the nearest corner. No one of the trio uttered a sound, but all gazed steadily at the door, expecting ‘Spanish John to appear. And in the adjoining-apartment a some- what similar scene was presented, for three persons were there, all standing si- lent and motionless. With hands pin- ioned at his back, leaning weakly against the partition wall was Major Duncan. Op- posite to him, and both secured in a like manner, were the two es Ruby and Polly. wi . “te ivi id ‘ * ee a} aes it. x uae i i my : , Pe ol A moment thus, then he stepped for- ward and abruptly asked: “Which of you girls is Ruby Ranger?” A slight sound in the adjoining apart- ment arrested the answer. That query had reached the ears of Esau Black. A pecu- liar look crossed the rascal’s face, and he advanced quickly but noiselessly to the cobbler’s side. “ Betray me and I shall kill you!” he hissed, with lips pressed close to the vet- eran’s ear. With that he passed hastily into the other room and confronted Major Duncan. For a moment the two men gazed at each other in silence. Then from Ruby Ranger came a quick, gasping cry of sur- prise, not unmixed with terror, as she staggered back, exclaiming: “Good heavens! It is John Brown! ” The major started sharply and leveled a sinister glance at the man before him. “So you are the infernal scoundrel Brown or Black! ” he cried. “Yes, Major Duncan, I am Esau Black! But I am not the villain you believe me. Hear me, then judge! ” “ Tell the truth or nothing. You stole my child? ” “I did not! Barmillo was the kidnap- per. He brought her to me, representing that she was the child of his dead sister, a Mrs. Ranger, and arranged for me to keep her, agreeing to pay me well. For some months the money came regularly; then it ceased, and for a long time we heard nothing from Barmillo. My wife had become deeply attached to the child, and we determined to keep her, so had her legally bound to us.” ; “Yet you knew she was my daugh- er?” “No! Only a short time ago in Denver an old pard of mine died. On his deathbed he confessed that he had aided a one-eyed man known as Barmillo in stealing the child of a Major Nathan Duncan some years before, and insisted that the girl then in my house and known as Ruby Ranger was the child. “Questioning him closely, I became convinced that he spoke the truth. He gave me your address, and I determined to write to you, and state the case just as it was. “ Before I could act, however, my wife sickened and died. Then Barmillo sud- denly appeared and demanded the girl. In fear of my life, I temporized with him. and, to gain time, arranged to bring the girl to Tiptop, where hhe should pay me well for my trouble. “ As soon as I was rid of him, I wrote you under cover, not daring even then to appear openly in the matter, and started away with the girl to keep my promise to Barmillo, yet leaving a trail that the veriest novice could follow, for it was my desire that you should secure not only your daughter, but revenge for the wrong done you.” “Your words, certainly, accord well with Detective Goldspur’s theory,” the major observed, as back to his mind came that interview in the brand-burners’ cab- in. “ But proceed! ” “No, hold! ” interrupted a stern voice, and from the eastern room Goldspur sud- denly appeared, closely followed by his boy Gimps, while behind them down a rope through the old hatchway came Luke Lightfoot and the sport, Jack Rabbit. A buzz of astonishment greeted this un- expected appearance, and then as his bonds parted under the keen edge of Gimps’s knife Major Duncan warmly gripped the detective’s hands. The confusion lasted but a moment, for Goldspur lifted his hand, and in an im- pressive tone said: “ Be silent, all! Speak guardedly and make no unnecessary noise, for you are in danger here. “Below stairs are Spanish John i his men, while Pawnee Bill and — friends surround the house ready to tack. %? Then the gaze of the disguised ive turned to 8 oot = Esau Bit a ee pee Maen aur ON eee