Beadle's New York Dime Library, No. 1102 — page 29: what you’re looking at

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

é- The Stranger Sharp. Sharp replied. ‘* And, most certainly, from the.| no reason why this gang should go for you, un- way they engineered the stoppage of the cvach, it shows that the men know what they areabout; it is my belief that they will be on their guard, and if you try any underhand game with them, you will be pretty certain to get the worst of at. ‘You would advise a complete surrender, then?” the alcalde asked, ‘“‘T don’t see what else you can do, under the circumstances,” the Fresh replied, “ The rascals have got you in a tight place, and when a man gets in a fix of that kind itis my idea that he is wise to get out of it in the easiest and quickest way possible.” **T don’t know but what you are right,” the alealde said. ‘* These scoundrels are smart enough, and, undoubtedly, they will be on the watch to see that I don’t get the best of them by means of any trick, sol suppose I may as well open communication with them and prepare to fork over the twenty thousand ducats, though I swear it goes awfully against the grain to do s¢ 77 ** Ah, well, sometimes a man is obliged to do such thip 3,7 the chief of police remarked, with the true Mexican disposition of accepting the de- crees of fate with oriental resignation. ‘‘The chance of fortune has put you in the power of these rascals,” he continued, ‘* You pay the money and redeem your daughter: then after sle is safe here in Santa Fe again you can take measures to revenge yourself, : ‘‘ Yes, that is so!” the alcalde exclaimed, ‘After Isabelle is out of their clutches I can raise a force and proceed to hunt the scoundrels from off the face of the earth!” ‘That is the idea!” the Fresh declared. “It is their chance to laugh now, but in time yours may come,” ‘Yes, yes, you can hunt the scoundrels as though they were a lot of wolves,” the chief re- marked. ae Then the sport said that theré was ‘a ‘little private matter which he wonld like ‘to discuss with the alcalde, and Santilla, taking the hint, withdrew. Old Bullion was rather astonished for he could not imagine what was coming, CHAPTER . XLI, BLAKE EXPLAINS. “You see this is a little thing on which I would like to get your opinion,” the sport ex- plained after the chief of police departed, | ‘6 Wiat is it?” the alealde asked, both his face and tone showing his surprise. ‘Well, it don’t amount to much—but the chief left that door open, I reckon!” the Fresh ex- claimed, abruptly, and then, rising, he walked to the door, : It was tightly closed, as he knew it was, but he proceeded to open it, and as be did so, the sound of footatepe in hasty retreat could plainly be distinguisbed, Blake laughed, ‘Do your hear that fellow making off?” he asked, ‘‘ Yes; some one was playing the spy upon us,” Old Bullion replied. ‘Your chief of police is disposed to be curi- ous!” the sport observed with a laugh as he closed the door and resumed his seat, ‘You don’t mean to say that it was Santilla?” the alcalde cried in amazement, *‘Oh, yes! Nobody else! His curiosity was excited by my statement that 1 wanted to see you in private,.and so he reckoned he would like to find out what it was all about, but lam sd to ali games of that kind, and the man who plays any roots on me will have to get up early m the morning.” 7 ‘‘T think you must have made some mistake!” the alcalde declared, ‘¢Oh, no, pary a mistake!” the sport replied, decidedly. ‘I felt sure he would play the spy and so 1 determined to satisfy myself. When I opened the door I caught sight of the man turn- ing away sol know that I did not make any mistake about the matter,” ‘¢ Well, I never suspected that he would do anything of the kind.” “T did, for I hav’n’t a good opinion of the Mexican. “ Now, alcalde, I am going to talk business to you right from the jump!” the sport exclaimed, ‘IT did not want to speak before this Mexican for I do not take any stock in the man.” ‘‘] know there isn’t any love lost between you,” “Nota mite.” e aes cas tell you, Mr, Blake, that he hasn’t any better o inion of aman about your size than bave of him. et Oh, T understand all about that, and I don’t doubt that be has insinuated to you that the odds were big I bad something to do with ‘this outrage.” , Well, will not deny that he did drop a few ts of that sort.” we And yet he knows very well that these Blood- suckers have made a dead set at me ever since I struck the town,” ‘‘ That is 30, and it isa mighty strange fact, too,” the alcalde observed, thoughtfully. ‘*You were a stranger here and there was - ‘ ‘ \ Mh Sted sly £ 7. ax . “ LLL LLL LLL LLLDLBL LL LLL LLL LLL LL LLL LL LLL LL ALLL LLL CL: ttt ttt CC A tte oO OO rr re rr “ee i i—*si‘“‘( | ; less they were pals of that fellow thet you had the trouble with on the niziit when you made your first appearance in Santa Fe.” “*T don’t think I was attacked on his account,” the sport replied. ‘‘And i must’ say I was oNiatly puzzle to guess why the Bloodsuckers singled me out, but I know a great deal more about Santa Fe, and its people, now than I did in the beginning and I think I can solve the riddle.” “ Lou have an idea why the gang attacked you?” * Yes, and in order to explain the matter, f shall have to tell you of a little bit of romance in. which your daughter figured, and which lam pretty sure will be news to you.” The alcalde looked surprised. The sport then related the particulars of the warnings which he had received from the mys- terious youth, and how, in spite of the pains which his informant had taken in regard to a disguise, had detected that the apparent youth was the alcalde’s daughter. ‘“' These circumstances convinced me that your daughter took a great interest in me, and put into my head the idea of coming after her,” the Fresh said in conclusion, ‘*- Yes, but I don’t see what this has to do with the Bloodsuckers?” Old Bullion declared. *‘T am coming to it. My ideacf the Blood- suckers is that they are right here in Santa Fe, or, if the gang is not here, then a pal of theirs is, aud the chances are big that the pal is the head devil of the crowd.” Old Bullion nodded assent, ** Now, sup this fellow has his eyes on your daughter, and discovered that she was takin the trouble to discuise herself in order to mee me. He would be apt to.imagine there ‘was a love affair between us, and so would have a mo- tive to attack me.” ‘* Ab, yes, I see now what you are driving at!” the alcalde exclaimed, with knitted brows, ‘‘Santilla is in love with my daughter—is a suitor for her hand, and you bave jumped to the conclusion that he got the Bloodsuckers to attack you, desiring to rid himself of a man who might turn out to be a dangerous rival.” “Now you have’ got it down to a dot!” the Fresh exclaimed, ‘*This is a mighty serions accusation, you know, Blake.” “Ob, yes, [am aware of it, but for all that T have a notion that I am not much out of the way. I think this Mexican is a snake, and I do not trust him at all.” ** But he was very active in the pursuit!” **'Yes, I know that, It is the old game; he ‘* Tt does not seem possible to me that you can be right about this matter,” the alealde de- clared, after meditating for a few moments. ‘You wrong him, as he wrongs you when he insinuates that you had something to do with the attack.” ‘*Of course there isn’t any love lost between us, and we are both ready to think ill of each other; but I am willing to bet you big odds that I am nearer right than he is!” the sport declared. ‘‘Oh, no! I am not going to bet with you,” Olid Bullion hastened to declare,’ ‘“I have tried you on once, and got pretty well skinned for my pains, and I don’t care to repeat the operation, ‘‘But was it for the purpose of telling me about this suspicion that you desired an inter- view?” the alcalde asked, after a pause, “Ob, no! I am not the kind of man togo round and gossip about either my friends or my enemies,” the Fresh replied, immediately, **T told you what I thought about your chief of police as a sort of a starter, soto speak, I mean business, and baven’t any idea of taking i yew time with any foolishness,” the sport ex- plained ‘* Ah, yes, I'see,” ‘You are pretty well acquainted with me, and you know that I am not-the kind of man who can remain quiet when there is anything going on, and [ suppose you did not exactly know what to make of it when you found me so lukewarm in this matter,” ‘* Well, I was surprised,” the alcalde admitted, “Particularly as you declared you were deeply interested in my daughter,” he added ina grim way. cf Oh, I meant what [ said, every word of it!” Blake declared, earnestly, ‘* But in a game of this kind where a man has got to be careful how be plays if he expects to win, it is mighty bad policy to allow your cards to be seen,” ‘* Yes yes undoubtedly!” “ And if I spoke before this Mexican I reckon that it would not be long before the road-agents would know what I proposed to do in the mat- ter, ‘* Ah, then you have some plan in your mind?” the father exclaimed, saute: “* Oh, yes, but lam not proclaiming it from oo, house-tops, or in the Plaza of Santa Fe, you w, ‘*T understand,” pretended to be dreadfully eager to catch the rascals, in order to avert suspicion,” 29 ‘*My idea of advising you to pay the ransom was to throw this Mexican off the scent,” the Fresh explained, . “If he is interested in the gang, as I firmly believe, and is. satisfied that no further efforts are coing ‘to be made to hunt the outlaws down, the chances are great that they will be thrown off their guard, hey will think that there isn’t much doubt about their getting the twenty thousand dollars, and so will relax their vigi- lance,” ‘* Oh, yes, you have figured that out correct- ly,” the alicalde assented, ‘No misteke about that! You must send a message to Mad Creek, and go ahead just as if you meant to pay the money.” ‘Yes, yes, 1 see,” “ But es it may be necessary to gain time you want to proceed slowly,” the sport explained. ‘‘ Well, a transaction.of this sort is not to be settled off-hand like a little cattle trade,” the alcalde remarked, ‘ { don’t suppose that you are in the habit of going around with twenty thousand dollars in your clothes.” ‘No, not much!” ** And to procure such a sum of money will take time.” * Exactly !” ‘*So it will not be possible for you to rush things much, although I don’t: doubt that. the rascals will be in a tremendous burry to get their fingers on > aye coin when they fancy there is a big chance for them to get the ducats.” ‘Oh, yes, they will be eager for the bargain to be closed, of course.” ** And then there is another point!” the alcalde exclaimed as a sudden idea came to him, “‘i must be certain that there isn’t: going to be-any gum-game about the matter. *T am not the kind of man to pay over twenty thousand dollars without being certain that I am going to secure my daughter's release.” ‘Of course! you must be satisfied on, that point!” Blake declared, : ‘* And it will take time,” “Exactly! and ‘the rascals, feeling sure that all idea of pursuit bas been given up—that the twenty thousand ducats isas good as in their aws, Will be certain to be off their guard, and go may get a chance'at them,” *“*Oh, yes, the probabilities are strong that you will be able to do something.” — * Well, I will either make a spoon or spoil a born, as the old saying is; I have got a little game in my head which I think will work, but it bas to be done on the quiet.” The alcalde nodded and the sport departed, “That fellow is a genius!” Old Bullion de- c CHAPTER XLII, THE FRESH’S ALLY. BLAK# walked leisurely up the street and took his way toward the northwest, but before he reached the outskirts of the town—he was stop- ped a half-a-dozen times hy anxious citizens who inquired of him in regard to the chances of catching the road-agents, To one and all the sport made the same reply. He reckoned there wasn’t much, The fellows bad covered up their tracks so there. wasn’t but little chance of getting on their trail, and from the way the alcalde talked it looked as though he had made up his mind to fork over the twenty thousand dollars, ; **This is the proper steer to give these earnest inquirers,” the»Fresh remarked after he had parted with the last citizen, who accosted bim on the very outskirts of the town, ‘The report that I baven’t any hope of being able to do anything will be sure to be carried to tke ears of the road-agents, for it isa moral cer- tainty that they have their spies in the town, eyen though 1 may be wrong in my conjecture that this chief of police is one of the gang, ‘‘T would be willing to bet big money though tbat Iam right in my surmise!” the Fresh ex- claimed, shaking bis head in a very decided way. a The Mexican is a snake from Snakeville! He has been keeping watch of the girl undoubt- edly and made the repicrinint Sy she was mas- querading as a youtb; then he came to the con- clusion that there wasn’t any chance for bim, and as he failed to get me out of the way, for the Bloodsuckers were not good men enough to take my scalp, be tried this road-agent game. ** Ail he wanted of 2 was her money, and if he succeeds in this trick he will getas big enough to satisfy him, ‘If I have my usual run of luck though he will not succeed!” the Fresh added. “And I will try and arrange the matter too so as to catch him red-handed, and if be turns out to be the Bloodsucker chief, as I suspect, the chances are big that I will bave an opportunity to pay off the little debt I owe him.” : While indulging in these meditations the sport bad been going on at a —_ He bad taken the trail which led to the cave dwelling where the {ndian girl Lute Winne- mucca found shelter, and was not long in reach- ing the spot. | ** Now then I hope I will be lucky enough to ”