Beadle's New York Dime Library No. 105 — page 7: what you’re looking at

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

| | | leaving him behind. ‘‘ But there’s more than one way out of this rock pile.” Less than a minute later he turned aside from the main trail, into a side gulch, riding more leisurely and shifting his fair burden to a more comfortable position as Rachel gave signs of returning consciousness. Her recovery was rapid, and in a few well- chosen words, Treville made her understand the Tit Per aarié 1 ahead aise f ‘** Perhaps 1 should apologize for my actions,” he added, half-laughingly, “but if a knew one-half the truth about this Captain Moon- shine, you would sooner form an alliance with a rattlesnake or a corpse. Rachel shuddered violently, and felt herself turning deathly sick as she reflected upon her fatalerror. Free from the strange magnetic influence which the road-agent had exercised over her, she began to realize the full extent of her romantic folly. Treville was silent, and Rachel felt grateful toward him for this consideration. And thus ar rode on for some time in utter silence. hen Rachel, feeling refreshed by the cool mountain air, was placed upon the led horse, and their flight resumed. But few words were spoken. The nature of the events lately teineed:. rendered them both reticent. Either the young man from Boston had been in that region before, or else he was endowed with a brain that was quick to decide and a will prompt to execute, for he never seemed at a loss which course to follow when the trail divided, or grew confused amid that wilderness of huge rocks, Rachel, riding beside him, caught herself cast- ing frequent glances up into his handsome face, and wondering who and what he was. True, she knew that he had been a fellow-passenger with her clear from Denver, and that he had since boldly risked hislife in her behalf, but all be- yond this was a mystery to her. It seemed as though the young man had the A gs of reading her thoughts, for presently he Sal . **T am your sincere friend, Miss Trowbridge; beyond that, for the present, at least, 1 must re- main aman of mystery. Some day you may know more. ‘*See! yonder lights are in the windows of Grenada, and in ten minutes more you will be in Eoe safety, so far as Captain Moonshine and his road-agents are concerned. I would that I could assure you that they are your worst enemies, but that would be false. ‘*T trust you will not deem me too presump- tuous, if [ tell you to be constantly on your guard: Do not trust any person implicitly, no ae een honest they may engl , And, above all, be on your a Ezra Blackwood” sept war Rachel stared at the speaker in open-eyed amazement, ‘‘Il know it is hard to believe evil of one whom you have known so long, and one in whom your father placed such confidence, but I solemnly declare that Ezra Blackwood is in league with Captain Moonshine in plottin against your fortune, if not your life itself. rust me, and heed my warning, for at least a week. By that time | hope to be able to show you ample proof of al] I now assert.” They were now on the outskirts of the town, and Treville drew rein, while hastily tracing some characters on the back of a card which he drew from an inner pocket. é For certain reasons which I cannot explain now, I must not be known as the man who brought you here. You see yonder red lamp? That burns before the door of the hotel, ‘Golden Eagle,’ kept by Enoch Dodge, the marshal of this town. Gothere. Give him this card—but first be sure that it is Dodge himself. Tell no one who aided you to escape. Say as little of this night’s work as pussible. And, above all, beware of trusting Ezra Blackwood too far!” As he concluded, the young man from Boston lifted her hand to his lips, and imprinted a re- 8 <2 kiss upon it, then turned and rode rap- idly away. Half-dazed, Rachel rode slowly toward the red light, but before she reached it, an open sa- loon gave her light sufficient to read the name upon the card. That name was: “Dan Brown, OF DENVER,” CHAPTER VL. THE CLOVEN HOOF. THERE was no necessity for Rachel uttering a self-introduction as she rode up to the Golden Eagle, for almost ere she had drawn rein, a tall gaunt man ran down the wooden steps and peered eagerly up into her face. That one glance beneath the red rays of the huge lamp seemed sufficient, for with a yell that would have done credit to a Cheyenne brave on the war-trail, the man lifted her from the saddle at ran up the steps with his astonished bur- en. ‘Go hunt up the old man, Jim,” he cried toa man who came forward at his shout. “Tell him that the lost sheep o’ Israel hes come back Dan Brown of Denver. ‘in—that the lady is here, safe an’ sound an’ —— side— Why in thunder don’t ye peel out when I tell ye?” @ not care much. He believed he held the solution of the mystery in the card which he had so Rachel hardly knew whether to laugh or to | ery, to be amused or frightened. For the third | time that night—and it was not yet midnight!— | _ concluding to lead up to it gradually, he began she was borne helplessly along in the arms of a stranger, powerless to resist. Into the hotel, across the bar-room—there ut- tering a glad shout that was echoed back by the few men present—and into the parlor the gaunt fellow bore the maiden, depositing her upon a dingy sofa with the tenderness of a father car- ing fora sick child. Then he dashed back to the saloon, and Rachel heard him confounding the bar-keeper with a dozen conflicting orders, the gist of which was that some powerful but dainty refreshment was wanted for the poor lady. ‘As Rachel half-suspected, this queer creature was none other than the man to whom the mys- terious ‘‘ Dan Brown, of Denver,” had directed her, and a nobler heart never beat in the bosom of living man, despite its uncouth shell. Enoch Dodge fairly worshi when at a distance! with them was to render himself eerceet. ri- diculous, Then he was nervousandtimid. But take him among men, he was chief. Strong as a wild bull, fearless as a grizzly bear, lithe and active as a panther, while possessing few equals with fire-arms or cold steel, a better marshal for the lively town of Grenada, nestling down on the edge of the foothills, with a particularly 7 a ” population, would have been hard to find. ema: this conclusion, Rachel thrust one hand in the pocket where she had placed the card given her by her a Sele ge ight, but at that moment Ezra Blackwood rushed into the room and clasped her in his arms. The lawyer wasin a state of excitement very unusual for him, and in that warm embrace vanished what- ever faint suspicion might have been aroused by the earnest words of her rescuer. Hurriedly, almost incoherently, Ezra Black- wood explained how he contrived to esca Thrown into intense confusion by the au- dacious rescue, the road-agents paid no at- tention to his movements, but after sending up the warning rocket, they hastened, led b tam tain Moonshine, down the pass, guided by the receding sound of hoof-strokes. He, Blackwood, followed as closely as he dared, until they were met by the main force of road-agents, ving four of the stampeded horses in charge. brief consultation made it clear that the fugi tives must have diverged from the main gulc and separating into half a dozen squads, the outlaws struck off in hot search. This left the coast clear for Blackwood, who soon after reached the spot where the coach had been halted. Both this and ngers were ne, and he could only follow the trail on foot. his he did, safely ving at Grenada, where he at once set about organizing a force to set out in quest of his beloved ward. ‘* He jist hopped around like a bed-bug on a hot griddle,” declared Enoch Dodge, pressing a ’ glass of ‘‘something warmin’” on the lady. ‘But, whar’s the man as sot ye free? I jist want.to prip his hand—jist once!” Rachel u pocket. ‘‘ He gave me a card, with his name and some secret writing on it—but I fear I have lost it,” she said, anxiously. ‘‘It was of importance—I was to give it to you—to Mr. Dodge of the Golden le.” ‘*Mebbe it fell out when I tuck ye off the hoss,” spluttered Dodge, hastening out of the room, But he mpepeuy returned, in disappointment having failed to find the missing card, An little wonder; for, at that very moment the card of ‘‘ Dan Brown, of Denver,” rested in the breast pocket of Ezra Blackwood! In drawing forth her handkerchief, Rachel had unwittingly dropped the card upon the floor, and at her first mention of it, the lawyer noticed the bit of paste-board lyiug on the car- t close to his feet. With a quick movement ttered a little cry as she felt in her —) i | the opposite sex— 0 come into close contact | adroitly secured. But then he began fidgeting in his seat. There was one point of information which he lacked, and he hardly knew how toset aboutit. Finally questioning his ward concerning her escape and how it was contrived. Though she firmly believed that her rescuer was at fault in his doubts concerning the in- tegrity of her guardian, Rachel, realizing that she had made a mistake in forgetting his warn- ing even so far, now made ample amends for her former indiscretion. She gave the story of the rescue and the wild night ride which fol- lowed, truly enough, but not one hint would she es} to the identity of her mysterious friend. **He was a stranger to me,” she said, wearily. *“T do not know where he went when he left me.” ‘* Did—that is, I suppose you have the certifi- cate of marriage?’ asked Blackwood, his eyes glittering, his yellow face turning greenish with strong anxiety as he put the questien. ‘** No, I bave not seen it since; but, why torture me by forcing me to speak of that dreadful time? I will not talk—I will not even think of it!” she cried, passionately, then buried her face upon the sofa pillow, sob - and moaning like some grieved and weary child. Ezra Blackwood wisely left her alone, and as Mrs. Dodge, a pose motherly woman of mid- dle age, at that moment knocked at the door, he begged her to care for his ward. ‘‘She needs quiet and rest, poor thing—and no wonder! I will get her to bed and give her a scene draught,” said the good-hearted landlady. Hurriedly thanking her, the lawyer out into the bar-room. Enoch Dodge was not visible, but as Blackwood appeared, a “oe man approached him with outstretched han and smiling countenance. ‘*T hastened here as soon as I heard of your arrival, father. I hardly knew whether I would find you alive or dead, there are so many wild rumors afloat. You must have had a live- ly introduction to our fast life.” The speaker looked younger than his’ years, which were some thirty and odd. Though he addressed the lawyer as a son, there was hardly a point of similarity between them in either form or features, Frank Blackwood, attorney-at-law, as his shingle, which had creaked in Grenada for nearly a year, read, was a little above the medium hight, and one who would have been called handsome by the majority of women. His features were small and irregular, his nose having a slight upward tilt at the tip. His hair and long drooping mustache were of a light, flaxen bue. is eyes were the best feature about him, being large, and of a dark blue color. His dress was slightly ‘* loud,” and he sported rather too much jewelry to be in strict- ly gee taste; but all of it was genuine. fter a few more words, he took his father’s arm and led him from the room, out into the street. Ina few minutes they were seated ina cosey room, over a grocery store, directly oppo- site a large and brilliantly lighted building clearly a saloon of some sort. “Well, you have seen her; what does she say?’ the younger man asked abruptly, after cigars were lighted. ‘More than I care to repeat or you to hear. I fancy she let out rather more than she intended, for at the last she turned crusty and fell to cry- ing—the true woman’s dodge.” ‘Did you learn who it was that carried her . off? He suspected one of the pilgrims—a dandi- fied young fellow—” ‘** Tell me who is ‘ Dan Brown, of Denver? ” Frank Blackwood sprung to his feet with an oath. ** Not he—bah! I am a fool! the fellow is dead and eaten by worms long before this!” “That isn’t answering my question,” per- sisted the lawyer. ‘*A devil, a veritable bloodhound, who never struck a trai! without following it to the death, e placed one broad sole upon it, andduring the | until he took up one that led to his own grave, brief search which was instituted, he managed to get it into his bi earerg wholly unsuspected gitated and flustered by the loss, Rachel for | safe, until he was killed. the moment forgot the earnest warnin mysterious friend, and in answer to the er questions of the marshal, she pronounced name she had read upon the card. Enoch Dodge started to his feet in great ex- citement, his eyes glowing, his strongly marked features working under the influence of some powerful emotion. But he clapped one broad ~ over his lips, and managed to choke back e excited speech that raele for utterance, “ Who and what is this ‘ Dan Brown, of Den- ver? You seem torecognize the name,” uttered Blackwood, curiously. ‘“Never hearn tell o’ the critter afore,” de- clared Dodge, with a sickly smile. ‘I sot m foot onto a pin ora tack, I reckon,” and wit this transparent evasion, he turned and pre- eatery eft the room. he lawyer smiled grimly, and gave a short defiant nod as the marshal yanis e--=- more than a year ago. I had a hidden finger in that pie, and Inever knew what it was to fcel As a detective, I of her | don’t believe he had an equal. Shrewd, cun- ning and quick-witted, able to disguise himse! e | so that his own mother would fail to recognize him, a perfect master of all weapons, and ub- solutely ignorant of what the word fear means —there, in brief, * An have a description of what Dan Brown of Denver was.” ‘* And of what he is, or else some one has stepped ine his shoes end assumed his name,” said Ezra Blackwood, handing his son the caid which Rachel had lost. Frank struck a match—for they were sitting without lights—and read the legend printed on the bit of pasteboard. “The original is dead—must be dead—yet this fellow will have to be attended to, or he may make us trouble. But about the certifi- cate? Has Rachel got it?” “She says not; savs she has not seen it since ed. He did that cursed fellow interfered—if my bullet tad €O Eomilichboo cS