Beadle's New York Dime Library, No. 156 — page 12: what you’re looking at

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

= a : ~ -- - > . , = 12 Velvet Face, the Border Bravo. hev b’leived nobody else’s eyes than mine; but I were a liar clean through; but yer is uncom- mon like ther Danite, bean’t you? ‘Tam, andI do not blame you for the mis- take, Kit; now tell me, is my brother in that cabin?” ‘‘He be, and I are put heur to guard him straight from any harm, and read his title clear, as they says in hymn books.” “* What is the decision of the Vigilantes?” ** Ther decish is thet he are too good for this *arth, an’ they intends ter give him a h’ist ter ‘ther next.” ‘* They have had a talk with him, then?” ‘* Yas, he chinned ’em deaf, dumb and blind; offered ter give’em ther whole Danite League fer his life, an’ ter give Old Nick his soul ef he didn’t act squar’.” ‘** And the result, Kit?” ‘*What result follows Vigilante meetin’s, se You oughter know.” ‘I do; they have sentenced him to die?” 4 Yas. ” “* When?” ** To-morrow.” **How?” ** He’ll become tree-fruit.” * They’ll hang him?” ‘‘Yas, for powder and lead are expensive luxuries we can’t afford on Danites. I tell yer, pard, they got all he could tell ’em, an’ then says they: ‘*Good-night an’ pleasant dreams, pard,’ an’— *** We'll wake an’ eall yer ‘arly, call yer ‘arly, Dan- ite dear, An’ ter-morrer ‘Il be ther gladdest day in all our glad new year.’ “Yer see they is poets, pard, right out o’ Poetville.” ; Ralph Reno showed no appreciation of Kan- sas Kit’s remarks, but remained sadly silent for a moment, and then said: ‘** Kit, that man, bad as he is, is my brother, and he has caused me much sorrow and suffer- ing in the past; but, before he dies, I wish to talk with him, and I hope you'll not refuse my request.” * Pard, it hain’t in me ter refuse yer, bein’ as how I likes yer, an’ nearly caused yer ter hand in yer checks ter-day; but yer must leave yer arms outside, ef yer goes in, fer thet feller are a devil, ef he is your kin, an’I don’t want ter see him prancin’ out o’ thar with a shootin’-iron in his claw, an’ makin’ it lively fer me.” ‘* Here are my weapons, Kit,” and he handed the miner his belt of arms, and taking a revol- ver in each hand, and his place in front of the door, Kansas Kit motioned to him to enter, and unfastening the bolt Ralph Reno stepped inside the hut, and was instantly locked within by the cautious guard over the Danite. But, with all his caution, Kansas Kit did not see a dark form glide up to the shadow of a tree near the prison cabin. CHAPTER XVII. A CONFESSION AND A PLEDGE, THE prison-cabin, which Ralph Reno entered to see his evil brother, was built of stout logs, had heavy beams across the top laid close to- gether, and a flooring of timber a foot in diame- te r. In fact, it was a log cage, rather than house, and with a guard on the outside of the heavy door, it was utterly impossible for a person bag to make his escape, even if left to him- se In the hut was a pile of bear-skins in one cor- ner, to serve as a bed, and a lantern, with a candle in it, sat on a table and gave a dismal fore the table, on a stool, sat Paul Reno, the Danite, and he glanced up as his brother en- tered, and recognizing him, said sneering|ly : * Ah! itis you, brother mine, und you have come to taunt me, I sup ee ** No, Paul, lam here to talk with you, and to ask you to right one wrong you have done me, for to-morrow you will die. **T know that, unless Satan still proves my true friend, and aids my escape in some way.” ‘*T fear escape for you would be hard to man- e, but as I do not wish to see you die, I will aid you all in my power.” “What! do you mean it, Ralph Reno?” asked the Danite, quickly. **T do; 1 have a plan which I hope will aid your eseape, for Paul, whatever you may be in sin, you are my blood kin, and blood is thicker than water, you know.” Paul Reno was silent a moment, and then he said in an earnest tone: ‘‘Ralph, I have wronged you, for I never loved you, as I was jealous of you from infancy; nay, I it was who warped our parents’ regard for you, and you know, as they did, that I forged that draft on the bank, and got the money, thereby to pay my debts, which were pressing me. : ‘Now, if you will promise to aid my escape to-night, I will give you my written statement that J, not you, was the forger, and the outside can witness it, for he need not know that I meditate leaving—oh! we can get him in here, kill him, and—” “Paul Reno, how dare you propose such a thing to me? " [tel ou that I will do all in my power to aid you; but no harm shall come to Kansas Kit from it,” sternly said the Guide. ‘So be it; do as you think best; here, I have paper, and in this table drawer I noticed pen and ink—see!” He drew from his pocket some blank paper as he spoke, and taking from the drawer a pen and bottle of ink, wrote burriedly as follows: ** ParapIsE VaLLey, August 10th, 18—, “T, Paul Reno, doomed to die on the morrow, and now a prisoner to the Vigilantes of Paradise Valley Settlement, do hereby swear that, on the Ist of May, 18—, I was guilty of forging my father’s name, that of Henry Reno, to a draft, on which I drew from the Commercial Bank of B—— the sum of five thousand dollars, and which forgery being discovered, I swore falsely, laying the deed upon my twin brother, Ralph Reno, who was tried, and upon the testimony of my parents and myself, sent to prison for the offense. ‘* Standing in the face of death I now give this pa- r to my brother, and in the presence of my guard, Kansas Rit, whose signature is attached as witness. “Pau. RENO, “ Patricide and Forger.” “Can I add more, brother mine?” asked the wicked man, with a sneer. ‘*No, it is satisfactory, Paul, and I treasure it highly,” said Ralph Reno, reading the confes- sion carefully through, and then stepping to the door he called to Kit. ‘‘Come in, Kit, for I wish you to witness a ” rr ** All right, pard; but yer must excoose me ef Lis a leetle cautious,” and Kansas Kit en- tered, with his revolvers presented. ‘*T’ll read it to you, Kit, and then sign it as a witness,” and Ralph Reno read the document aloud. ** Jist both of yer step over in that ere cor- ner, pards, while I seratch my autography heur.” Silently the two brothers obeyed, and with one hand still holding a revolver, he took up the pen in the other, and, after considerable delay, wrote ina superior specimen of chirog- raphy that surprised Ralph Reno: ‘* Kittredge Kane— alias Kansas Kit.”’ “Thar yer has it, an’ I are glad ter know thet thet reptile hain’t as mean as I thought him ter be; and I is glad yer has ther doki- mint, Ralph.” Momentarily forgetting his caution, Kansas Kit turned to leave the cabin, when, suddenly drawing his arm from his breast, Paul Reno thrust it forward, and a deafening report filled the room. . But, quick as had been the motion of Paul Reno, that of his brother had been quicker, and he struck up the arm, and the bullet buried itself in the heavy logs above. “*Curse you, Iph Reno, why did you do that?” cried the thwarted man. ‘*T am not one to allow you to kill a brave man to save your worthless life, Paul Reno,” was the Guide’s stern reply, and he still held his brother’s arm in an iron gripe. Though caught off guard, and wholly sur- prised, Kansas Kit took it most calmly, and said coolly: ‘* As the scrimmage is over, allow me ter say, pard Ralph, I owes yer one, for thet Derringer ball would hev made a stiff out o’ me, but fer ou Danite devil, (ll jist say you; and you, in un- thet I'll see yer later, an’ I guesses yer derstand me.” ‘*Curse you, I would have been free, but for you,” muttered the disappointed man. ‘* No, I would have never allowed you to go free, had you killed Kit, Paul, unless you killed me, too. “Which I would have done.” ‘**T do not doubt it, if you could have done so; but patience ceases to be a virtue now, and your act —o Kit relieves me of my pro- mise,” said ph Reno, and Kansas Kit once more stepped outside the cabin. ‘**No, no, for you know what will be my fate; I did not doubt you, Ralph, but I fear our plan might fail, and under the impulse of the moment, I drew a pistol which the Vigilantes had not found upon me. ‘Forgive me, Ralph, and do not leave me here to hang like a dog.” Ralph Reno made no reply, and his brother continued pleadingly: **Remember, brother, your parents were my parents.” “True, and from neither them nor you have I ever received even kindness.” ‘*So be it; leave me here to be strangled to death before a gaping mob.” ** Will you make me a pledge to give up your evil life, and, far from here, live the remainder of your days as an honest man?” ST will gladly pledge myself to do so, only | aid my escape. “*T will make then the attempt I had in view to save you; if successful, [ will be back within half an hour—” ** Tf unsuccessful?” eagerly asked the Danite. earth, and ence more I say, may God have merey upon your soul.” The Danite dropped his head upon his breast, and, with one lon France into the face, so strangely, startlingly like his own, Ralph Reno left the cabin, and a moment after the prisoner was alone with his bitter thoughts, his hopes of escape, and his damning fear of failure, and then death. CHAPTER XVIII. FOILED. ** Kit, I wish to have a little talk with you now,” said Ralph Reno, as he left the prison- cabin. ‘‘ Buzz it out, pard: let it hum.” ‘* Kit, you have not been very successful in mining, 1 believe?” “You has kinder struck it, pard; ther dust don’t kinder cling ter muy pict an’ shovel,” ‘How long have you been in the mines, may I ask?” ‘*Only a year in this valley; but I dug a leetle in Californy, an’ then in Colorady, an’ nowhere did I jist hit it right; true, I has struck it rich fer a leetle while, but then it didn’t con- tinue ter pan out liberal, an’ when I has found a gold et, ther wasn’t enough of ’em round ter make me happy, an’ yer has ther whole streak of it now, pard, of how I has done.” ‘** You expecied to get rich, I suppose, and re- turn to your family? **Pard, I did expect ter get rich, and—God bless you, Ralph Reno, don’t make me think of the bygone, for it breaks my heart.” The Guide fairly started at the changed man- ner of the man; he bad known of others on the border, who had drifted into the slang style of frontiersmen in their conversation, when they knew better, and many of them had received educations; but he had not looked upon Kansas Kit as of this kind, but believed him uncouth and ignorant, whatever his vices or virtues might be. . ‘*| have been more successful, Kit,” he said, quietly, ‘for I have received good pay is a uide on the plains, and in the short time I A? mining in the valley I have struck it rich. ‘*So they said at yer trial, pard,” replied Kansas Kit, drifting back into the old way of speaking he had before used. ** Yes; but it was not Velvet Face’s lead I struck, but one I know has never been discov- ered before, and it is a rich one, I can tell you, and, Kit, if you'll do one thing for me, Ill take you in as half-partner with me.” ‘‘ Ther deuce! you don’t mean it, pard?” ‘*T do, and you know me to be a man of my word.” ‘*Squar’ clean through, you is,’ “Then I will make you half-owner with me, and draw the papers up in the cabin, if you'll do as I wish.” ** And what are that, pard?”’ ‘Let me seize and bind you, and then free my brother; I will take all the blame, and tell the Vigilantes that I took you unawares.” ‘*Ralph Reno,” and the voice of Kansas Kit was very stern, as, after a slight pause, he con- tinued: ‘*T am a poor man, and I was born a poor man; but I was raised by honest parents, and / have never done a mean act, or dishonorable one, intentionally, and, if you were to give me the whole of that mine, you couldn t tempt me to betray those who trusted me enough put me over that devil in the cabin there.’ Ralph Reno colored, for the words of the guard touched him; but he said, sadly: ‘Tam sorry Kit, for he is my brother, and I do not wish to see him die.” ** You are not sorry, Reno, that I do not fall before your temptation, but honor me for it; but you are sorry that yon brother should die as he is doomed to, and | honor you for that, as he has deeply wronged you.” ‘“‘Then there is no hope for him, Kit?” ‘‘None through me, for money cannot buy my honor; I tell you, Ralph Reno, I had a happy home once, though I was not a rich man by any means. ‘Then I lived in Kansas, with my wife and child, and I loved them with all my heart. ‘*One time I went down into Texas after cattle, and was — six months, and upon my return I had a shock I shall never forget. “That was seven years ago, and it comes before me now as though it were to-day, for, Ralph Reno, a wolf in sheep’s clothing bad been i my snug little fold, and the wife that I so loved, the little daughter of eleven I so idvlized, had fled from me forever; gone, the neighbors told me, with a Mormon who had won my wife over to his religion. **T tell you, pard, I nearly died then, and for two years I let things go to weed, and then the | sheriff sold me out, and I became a homeless wanderer, and to-night is the first time since then that I have written my own name, Kit- tredge Kane, and, thank God, am not ashamed of it yet, though she who bore it as my wife dishonored it. “I drifted this way, Ralph, and though I “*Then, Paul Reno, this is our last meeting on ' care not to see her who was my wife I would (ECOANIKCE NOVO KS (E (0) . _— ~~ ee ae eee ; re) ar)