Beadle's New York Dime Library No. 105 — page 11: what you’re looking at

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

.% en SS er We ae Ce ee ee ee eedeeee aetna _- - re a ee ee ee Ce - gers of the cursed detective would spring up— —worst of all, Enoch Dodge himself.’ A deep silence followed, which was first bro- ken by the younger man. ‘“You had best go and see what is keeping Rachel so long in her room. Tl go and hurry up the team you engaged. We’ve got good forty miles to drive betore we reach old Crabtree’s rach,” They separated, bound upon the errands stated, but Frank Blackwood found that their journey must be delayed, if not postponed, since the team which had been engaged to con- —— ee Dan Brown of Denver. $e —— ee —— eo — go tell your mates in sin that old Dodge is onto your trail, an’ that he never means to leave it while breath lasts, or ontil he hes run you all down tothe death you desarve ten thousand times over! ‘*Gentiemen, I don’t know as thar is anythin’ more that I need say. The record of the corpse _ kin speak fer itself, and the fame which he won as the true friend o’ all that was right an’ hon- _an’ forms a better vey them to Noah Crabtree’s, together with | every other one in town, was even then being prepared for the funeral of the great detective. ‘* Better jine .in an’ see the detective safely planted, boss,” said the liveryman, in a low, - meaning tone. ‘ Thar’s some o’ the boys think it’s a sort o’ double deal, though I cain’t see how they make it out. I was thar, an’ looked at the corpus. Dan Brown or somebody else, what I see in that coffin was a dead man, sure!” Blackwood made no reply, a look of doubt upon bis face, ing the cause, added: “’'Twon’t keep ye long, fer old Dodge seems ina powerful hurry to git his old pard planted. The day ain’t a-goin’ to be onpleasant, an’ after the funeral Tl hitch ye up a pa’r o’ ponies that’ll kiver them forty miles in four hours, if needs be.” est, as the bitter inemy o’ al] criminals, a ten thousand times louder an’ plainer then | kin, gospel-slingers could preach. ‘The gents will please pass around the table an’ | view the corpse fer the last time, then pass out- side whar you'll find kerridges enough to kerry you all to the bone-yard.” In silence he was obeyed, but Frank Black- wood did not leave the room until he saw Enoch Dodge firmly screw down the coffin-lid. even then he hung around the n door, never once aliowing the coffin out of his sight, until | six strong men lifted it and bore it down to the The stableman, misunderstand- | ysis hearse. By t _ that there was no deception being practiced, but Recovering himself, Blackwood bade the fellow | send the team around to the hotel as soon as ossible, then hastened back to meet his father. His face was calm and smiling, but his heart was filled with strong and conflicting emotions, born of the words spoken by the livery-stabie | keeper. It seemed impossibie that any deception could | be practiced in the present case, thou; b at least twice before in his eventful ca eer, Dan Brown had been counted dead and buried by his friends and enemies. ‘*We must see the play out, and if there is any infernal jugglery going on, surely one of us will detect it,” said Frank to his father, after explaining the reason why the team was not in readiness for the trip. ‘* Does Rachel know of this fellow’s death?’ ‘‘] think not: at any rate, she did not allude toit, nor did1l. She seems rather under the weather this morning, which is not to be won- | dered at, considering all that she has under- one. She is almost painfully eager to leave ere and reach her uncle Crabtree’s place, ‘*She must wait an hour or two. We must see this fellow safely planted, or else detect_the trick they are trying to play off on us. your tongue still an duty, now.” Together they descended the stairs, and once more approached the room where the coffin stood with its silent contents, drawn in that direc- tion by the sound of the marshal’s voice. , They experiended some little difficulty in effecting an entrance into the crowded room, but finaily succeeded in securing a position near the table, where the old lawyer, rising a head as no conveyance could be obtained until the funeral was over, he resolved to make assurance doubly sure, and see his dreaded enemy safely placed beneath the sod. In an hour’s time all was over, and the two conspirators returned to the hotel, outwardly serious enough, but with hearts that laughed exultantly within them. ‘* Unless his ghost arises to haunt us, I don’t think we have anything more to fear from Mr, Daniel Brown of Denver!” laughed Frank, with a sinister cadence, On inquiry they learned that Rachel was awaiting them in the parlor, and proceeding thither, they found her not a little impatient at the strange delay in setting forth upon their journey. Ezra Blackwood introduced his son, who im- mediately claimed the privileges of an old ac- quaintance, ‘*T never knew that you were here until this morning, when I met my father at the funeral,” he said, in his low, musical voice that expressed so much more than the mere words conveyed. ‘It was a joyous surprise to me, but had I met you on the street, I should never have recog- nized you. As I well remember, my little play- mate was very pretty then, but now—” ‘You find her sadly altered, I doubt not,” interposed Rachel, with a faint smile, not alto- | aoe of displeasure. ‘‘ But you said a funeral? thought we were to start very early for uncle Keep Crabtree’s?” let your eyes do double | ‘*So man pro , but fate disposed other- | wise,” said Frank lightly, before his father could above his neighbors, could look down upon the © white, still face of the murdered detective. There had been no change or alteration in the arrangements surrounding, or in the face or sition of the body itself, and as he saw this, {zra Blackwood felt an oppressive band loosen | its gripe upon his heart. Despite his strong coin- mon sense, he had been unpleasantly impressed by the report which his son made of the stable- keeper’s words. But now he knew them to be > unfounded, and composed himself to listen to the words uttered by Enoch Dodge. ‘“‘He never tuck much stock in the talk o’ the | gospel sharps, didn’t Dan, an’ jist afore he died, e told me not to go to any extry trouble over him, but jest to say a few words to all honest men within hearin’, an’ then to plant him in the | bone-yard myself. entered the room in hat and ulster. “I could talk o’ his good p’ints an’ vartues | frow now to next Christmas, or ontilmy tongue was wore down to the roots, an’ never mention the same thing twice; but I have swore to hunt down his murderer an’ finish the work that | tion to see more of his beautiful playmate of brung him to these parts in disguise, an’ I know my old pard would ruther I was at work then talkin’ away the time. ‘*Dan Brown come here with the ’tention of huntin’ down the p’izen gang o’ thieves an’ as- | sassins led by the p’izener critter as calls himself — too, Copies Moonshine. An’ he’d ’a’ done it y as a only thar was a lady got into trouble, an’ white man, Dan must try to git her out. “You all know that e got her free, but in the eend it cost him his life. I know what I’m sayin’. Some one o’ the p’izen gang fired the cowardly shot that killed bim, knowin’ that while he lived, thar’d be wuss then a bu’sted hornets’ nest ’round thar ears. It was the same hand, I reckon, that sot Bruiser Bill an’ Brick- top onto him. One was rubbed out an’ a bless- in’ fer the town, too, but Bill is in the jug, an’ he’s got to open bis lips an’ spit out all he knows. Eft he putis me ou Loo track o’ the murderer, then Ill let up on him; e? not—why we'll hev « h nvin’ bee Anyway. ‘Tivar may be seme ene box. withiy scnm™? o my Vulee, willie cahouts with luc gay. ©: se, answer. ‘‘A certain celebrity was killed in a gambling hell last night, and all the convey- ances in town were pressed in to do him a last honor. Out here, the more men a person has killed the greater the fame, and weighed in that balance, the self-styled detective, Dan Brown of Denver—” Rachel uttered a sharp cry asif in acute pain and her large eyes were fixed upon the face o the igre with a look of terror. Her lips parted, and she said, slowly: ‘Dead? He was the one who rescued me last night!” As though greatly alarmed, Frank hastened after a glass of water, but when he returned, Rachel had gone to her room to prepare for the journey. ‘Why did you break the news so bluntly?” demanded Ezra Blackwood, in an irritable tone. ‘To satisfy myself,” was the cool response. “It is doubly fortunate for our plans that the detective is dead and buried. The girl bas fal- len over head and ears in love with him already! One more meeting between them—” The sentence was left incomplete as Rachel The light wagon in which the journey was to be perform- ed, was at the door, and chel seemed fever- lably anxious to leave the Golden Eagle. ow that his enemy was fairly d of, Frank Blackwood yielded to a sudden tempta- the long ago, and left hastily for his horse, overtaking the wagon soon after it left the town and entered upon the flat, level plain. During the long and rapid ride, he was un- usually brilliant and entertaining, laying him- self out to make a favorable impression upon Rachel, but there was too great a burden upon both her mind and heart for his success to be very flattering. There was nothing in the journey decervin particular mention until the road wound through the little timber grove beside the river, where the early hours of the past night had witnessed such a direful tragedy. The dangling body had disappeared, but the severed rope was still hanging over the water, and Frank Blackwood made a careless remark about that significant evidence of lawless vio- lence. But as he noticed the paper fastened to the tree, and read the bold announcement writ- ten thereon, his brow clouded and a bard light filled his eyes Portumetel ,iu vicw of what alterwand ce- funeral sarmon then a dozen | xis time he was thoroughly convinced | | And © | | | | it. 11 ee et on curred, Raehel did not understand his flippant observation, but remained buried in her own gloomy reflection until the home of her relatives was reached. Her appearance was a complete surprise, for, as she soon learned, the letter announcing her coming had failed to reach its destination, and though she was cordially welcomed, she felt de- pressed by the air of uneasy constraint which seemed to rest upon the entire household, save and except Noah Crabtree. It was not lon enlighten her. Glad to find sume one whcim sie could make her confidante, the pale, wan ; irl told all that had transpired, so far as she kuew The tragedy in the grove had been careful- ly kept from ber knowledge, and she was given to understand that Will Wilder had resivied all claims to her hand, and would never molest her again, The terrible truth must have come out, had Rachel understood the words of Frank Black- wood, and almost certainly there would have been another death to record as the sequel of _ that black tragedy. SEE ; The afternoon wore away slowly enough to all more immediately concerned in this chroni- cle. The two girls remained up-stairs and Frank Blackwood caught himself more than once wishing himself back in town, as be and bis father were shown over the place by the stern old man, whose greatest display of hospi- tality and friendliness could not prevent his manner from disagreeably impressing nearly every one with whom: he came in contact. For domestic reasons, supper was later than usual that night, and it was quite dark belore all were gathered around the well-laden board. The meal was not yet finished, when one of the herders, who ate by themselves in their rude quarters, gave the alarm of fire! Instantly every person rushed out of doors. Three huge stacks of hay in an inclosure v ere all ablaze, threatening to spread from thence to the fences and outbuildings, when no mortal means could preserve the house itself from de- struction. All—men, women and children—rushed to the rescue, but nothing could be done save to tear down the connecting fences, and even this was attended with great risk. When all were busied thus, the sharp report of a rifle rung out, and one of the men fell dead, shot through the brain! “*I come back frum the lowest depths of hei! to haunt you !” : It was the voice and the words of Will Wil- er! CHAPTER XI. A BUSINESS TRANSACTION, More than one remark was made concerning the haste which Enoch Dodge displayed in com- pleting the burial of his murdered friend, but all this was clearly explained within a few min- utes after the funeral procession returned to town. And then every one saw that the mar- shal was resolved to lose no time in paying off the legacy of vengeance left him by Dan Brown of Denver. Fully two-score men, armed to the teeth and mounted upon the best horses possible to be pro- cured in town, each one carrying rations for three days in cas@ of necessity, collected before the Golden Eagle, where they were speedily joined by-Encch Dodge. Leading them at a rapid trot clear of the town over the regular stage road, he halted them long enough to make known his plans. ‘Gentlemen, you all know that this county has bin double-cursed by the dirty doin’s of that critter, Cap'n Mocrukine an’ his p’izen out- fit. You know, too, that my murdered pard came here to ferret ’em out; an’ he’d ’a’ done it. too, ef they hadn’t shot him down from kiver. But he lived long enough to tell me all he cis- ox ge while rescuin’ the young lady, last night. : ‘“* We’re bound now fer that same hole in the ground an’ I only hope we may find the road- agents to home. Ef we do—waal, wolf-skulps "ll be a drug in the market—you hear me !” A united cheer greeted this significant con- clusion. The posse had been wel] chosen, and there was not one present who would flinch be- fore the burning of powder or the flmshbi) g of steel. Particularly did they desire to meet Cap- tain Moonshine and his outlaws, face to face, with a clear field and no favor. Satisfied with the reception of his brief speech, the marshal Jed the way to the spot where the incoming stage was halted onthe evening t ef ore, then took the winding trail followed by tle ae and his prisoners, real and pretend- Dan Brown must have given his friend very minute directions how to find the outlaws’ re- treat, for Enoch Dodge was never et a loss, fol- Jowing the correct course as truly as thongh he wns gifted with the keen nose of a bloodhound. Greater caution was displayed as they neaied be cavern, Dut as after events proved, this was thine nce egehy lor, The micking tusee and vines that bd sex Gomilel ES ,OO before Rachel understcod the - | cause of this, at least as far as ; cor Ruth eculd (E(o)