Beadle's New York Dime Library, No. 156 — page 14: what you’re looking at

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rs AOS: ee — a ee ed 14 Purgatory City to hear the confession of Paul Reno, and by your request.” ‘*Pard Merle, we hasn’t made no sich request; we has been, @ party of us, playin’ keerds m Purgatory City ter-night, and—” ** And Fo did not send Ralph Reno for my daughter ‘ asked Mr. Merle, in alarm, ** Nary. ** Great heavens! what can it mean? Surely the Guide meant no treachery; Camille, do you Lear this?” ‘* Yes, uncle, and I cannot understand it, for Mr. Reno certainly came here for Muriel, and said the Vigilantes had requested her to come and hear the confession of the prisoner, that they might get at some Danite secret they wished to know.” ** So I understood Reno to say, Baker.” “It are a lie, pard; we hasn’t sent no sich word; when were Ralph Reno here, you say?’ ‘* About an hour and a Sadat A ABO” sh, ** And two hours ago Kit was locked up in ther cabin; was yer sartin it were Ralph Reno, Mr. Merle?” “Yes, he was dressed as the Guide dresses, looked and talked as he does, and—” “‘Oh, uncle! what if if was Paul Reno?” cried Camille, her thoughts of eviland treachery suddenly finding vent in words, ‘Great God! if it were that accursed Danite my poor child is lost,” and Mr. Merle groaned in agony of spirit, while Lew Baker saic: ‘** We'll soon know, Mr. Merle; here, Bonanza Ben, go and see if Ralph Reno is at his cabin, and two of you fellers go along, and mind yer, boys, bring him back with yer.” he men rode rapidly away, while Lew Baker sent others of the dozen comrades who accompanied him to rouse the miners in the camps, and settlers in the valley, and ask them to come at once, mounted and armed, to the cabin of Malcolm Merle. ‘* Now, Mr. Merle, I'll come in and we'll talk the matter over,” said Lew Baker; but they could arrive at no definite conclusion what to do, and the poor father and Camille seemed almost heart-broken at the unknown fate of Muriel. An hour passed away in suspense that was fearful, and then Bonanza Ben dashed up to the cabin, and dismounted. “Waal, pard, what are ther tidin’s?” asked Lew Baker, eagerly. “Ther cabing 0’ ph Reno has no one in it, cap’n; but 1 sent ther boys scoutin’ round, while I come back to tell yer, and on ther way I met thet Injun, Blue Snake, and his putt gal, Red Dove, an’ they say as how sip no an’ yer darter, Mr. Merle, went up ther road to ther mount’in some hour or more ago, an’ ther horses was in a full run; but I are thinkin’ it were not Ralph, but t’other one.” **My poor, poor child, may God have mercy upon you, if you are in the power of that man,” and Mr. Merle sunk down in his chair, and buried his face in his hands, the ban§ Paap of rief, for now he felt certain that Muriel had een kidnapped by treachery, and Lew Baker spoke out the thoughts that seemed to be in the minds of all present, for he said, slowly: ‘*Pards, it looks as ef them two brothers was ed some deep game tergether; but ther igilantes will sarcumvent ’em any time, and it’s sartin that thar must be rope-stretchin’ in this heur valley afore things is regulated proper.” CHAPTER XXI. / RED DOVE’S STORY AND MAD MYRA’S DISCOVERY. THREE days passed away after the mysteri- ous kidnapping of Muriel Merle and the disap- pearance of Velvet Face and Ralph Reno, for neither of the two had been seen since the night following the lat‘er’s trial. The Vigilantes, adding to their force, had or- ganized in three bands, one under Lew Baker, another electing Kansas Kit as leader, and the third having for captain Dick Hazel. These three squads had diligently searched the mountains and valleys surrounding Purgatory City and the mines, and no trace of Muriel, the two brothers or Velvet Face could be found. Blue Snake and Red Dove, who now came al- most daily to the settlement with game and fancy-worked buckskin to sell, were questioned most vat es pd regarding what they had seen that night of the escape; but all mney could re- call was that, as they supposed, Ralph Reno and Muriel had dashed by them, the maiden bending over in her saddle, until her head al- 20st touched the neck of her horse, and both of them riding like the wind. The absence of Velvet Face seemed to be lcoked upon as strange, and caused universal regret, for somehow the miners felt that he could solve the whole mystery, and perhaps rescue the beautiful girl, even from the power of the Danites. Toward sunset on the third day after the dis- anpearanceof Muriel two horsemen were riding slowly down the mountain road leading to Paradise Valley. A ence was sufficient to show that they were Velvet Face and Ralph Reno, and there was that in their faces which showed they had Velvet Face, the Border Brawo. not heard any news of a disagreeable character, for they were chatting pleasantly. Presently a slender form stepped out before them, and, with his habifual readiness to act either upon the offensive or defensive, Velvet Face had his revolver on a level in an instant; eae quickly lowered it as he saw before him Red ove, ‘‘ Well, my dark-skinned maid of the moun- tains, can we serve you in any way?” asked Vel- vet Face, pleasantly. But it was at Ralph Reno that the Indian maiden looked, and she said, in her low, sweet way: ‘* The Guide has a brother?” “*T had a brother, Red Dove.” ‘*He is not dead; he has an evil heart, and he has carried to the great many-squaw chief the fair Lily of the Valley.” Both men understood that she referred to Brigham Young as the many-squaw chiet; but astounded at the information that Paul Reno had eseaped and borne with him. some fair maiden of the valley, they looked at each other in silence, and then at Red Dove, who con- tinued: “Tt is said that the Trail Chief tcok his brother away.” ‘‘Tt is false! I knew not that Paul had es- caped, for I gave up nope jot aiding him, when I could not bribe Kansas Kit, and I believed him dead; tell me, Red Dove, how did he escape?” quickly asked Ralph Reno. ; ' ‘*The guard was struck down, and the Danite was taken from the log wigwam.” ‘* And they say J did this?” ‘*The Trail Chief has heard the words of Red Dove, and the pale-face warriors of the valley have looked far for the stolen maiden and her captor.” ‘And who was this maiden?” The question came in chorus from the lips of the two men, while a sudden pallor crept over the face of each. ‘“‘The Valley Lily.” ‘*Great God! it is Muriel Merle,” cried Eetpe Reno, remeinbering that she was so named by both Red Dove and Blue Snake. In silence the two men regarded each other for an instant, and then Velvet Face said in his quiet way; ‘‘ Reno, ride on to the settlement and learn all that you can, while 1 will go to Echo Can- yon and await you there, for that girl must be rescued if the Danite League has to be wiped out. “You are right; but shall I not bring with me a band of miners?” ‘*No, for with force nothing can be done; we must use strategy wholly, and we must act quickly, so go at once;.remember, I await you in Echo Canyon, two leagues from here.” “‘T shall be there,” and Ralph Reno spurred away, while Velvet Face turned to the Indian girl, and said: ‘You have heard my words to the Trail Chief; what we do must be dune like the snake moves, and JT need the aid of the Blue Snake and Red Dove; will they come?” ‘‘They will; the Red Dove will seek the Blue Snake at once, and meet the Velvet Face in the Echo Canyon before the sun comes again,” and the Indian girl turned away, and soon disap- ared over the brow of the mountain, while elvet Face sat in silent meditation upon his horse, gazing down into the valley below, yet not seeming to see one object that his eyesrested upon, for he was plotting the rescue of Muriel erle. For some time he sat thus, and then he started, for there came to his ears loud shouts from the valley below, and some strange excitement was reigning there, he well knew, hat could it mean? Had Muriel been found? Had the return of Ralph Reno excited this tumult? Such were the thoughts that flashed through the mind of Velvet Face; but recalled to him- self, by the noise, he slowly turned his horse and rode back up the mountain, for he remem- bered that he had work to doin the Echo Can- on ere he was joined by Ralph Reno and his ndian allies. He had not ridden very far whan he came to the spot from whence Muriel had looked down in Death Canyon, the day the Vigilantes had determined upon the execu’ ion of the “ foreign ” element in Purgatory City. | There, upon a rock Overhanging the dizzy depths below, stood one who had before ren- dered Velvet Face good service, and she was looking down upon some wild scene beneath, while her face was pale and anxious. It was Mad Myra, the Hermit Huntress of the Mountains, and her slender, beautiful form was swaying to and fro with the intensity of her feelings, while even her quick ears had not de- tected the approach of the horseman. . But the hoof of Midnight striking against a stone caused her to start and turn quickly, as though ready for instant action, be it friend or foe she had to greet. ‘‘Ha! it isthe Velvet Face! See! down there they drag your friend to death,” she cried, ex- cite dly. and Fearlessly Velvet Face spurred to the very edge of the rock, and what he beheld was a mass of wildly excited miners, and in their midst was & man they were dragging into Death Can- on. “ And that man was Ralph Reno, A cry of rage burst from the lips of Velvet Face, and down the mountain path he dashed at a pace that a wild mountain sbeep would 1... dare attempt, while, dropping upon her Ine as if in prayer, Mad Myra watched the thrilli; : scene in the canyon below, and trembled wi dread as she heard the clatter and ring of Mid- night’s unshod hoofs against the stones, CHAPTER XXII. SELF- ACCUSED, THE scene that had caught the eye of Mad Myra, and so deeply moved her to compassion, was caused by the sudden appearance of Ralph Reno in the valley, riding at arapid gallop in the dir-ction of Sunset Retreat. He had, just as he came in sight of the cabin home of Mr. Merle, suddenly met Lew Baker and half a dozen of his band going home after their day’s work in the mines, and at sight of him a wild shout of joy was raised, and instant- ly he had been seized and dragged from his horse, for, not expecting treachery toward him, he had been unprepared to meet the sud- den attack. ‘“Men, what means this outrage? are you mad?’ he asked, angrily, as Le writhed in the hands of his captors. ‘It means, Ralph Reno, that you'll not es- cape this time, fer ef yer was innercent afore, yer is guilty now,” replied Lew Laker. **Guilty! and of what?” ‘*You an’ yer Danite brother is pards, an’ as he’s got away through your aidin’, we’ll sec thet you don’t git off through his aidin’,” ‘*Lew Baker, you are a liar! my brother has wronged me far more deeply than any one else, but I admit that 1 tried to save him from death, for I wished not to see him hanged; but I did not aid his escape.” ‘‘Talk’s cheap, pard; but yer did help him af fer Kansas Kit says so, an’ he’s true as Gos- pil. ‘He also said that I killed Velvet Face: well, do your worst, you red hounds, for I see that Ae ave your appetites whetted for blood, ife is really not worth the living,” said Ralph Reno, calmly. ‘* We'll see how yer crow when ther rope is tightening; come, pards, fetch him alony t ° Purgatory City, an’ then we'll git a congrez.- tion tergether ter see ther hangin’.” And away the Vigilantes went with their risoner, the numbers constantly swelling, and r. Merle and Camille joining the crowd, aux- ious to save Ralph Reno, for they could not be- lieve him as bad as was reported by the excited miners, , As they reached > OBEN City the mob in- creased, and soon one-half of the dwellers in the valley were there, and upon the faces of two- thirds of those present was a determination to hang Ralph Reno, who they now felt convince was nothing more than a disguised Danite, and whose running off with Muriel, after freeing his wicked brother, they considered the greatest of crimes. 2 To Death Canyon with him!” yelled the mob.., ‘* No need o’ a trial.” ** He’s guilty !” “String him up ter-night!” “Try him ter morrow !” a ff with him!” ‘‘ Death ter Danites!” Such were the wild cries that broke from the crowd, and Ralph Reno glanced fearlessly at his accusers, his face pale, but firm, and a sneer upon his lips. ‘*Men, I have been away with Velvet Face to our mines in the mountains; we met Re Dove, the Bannock maiden, half an hour since, and she told us of the escape of my brother, and the eid nenng of Miss Merle, and I came on to the valley to learn the full particulars, while Velvet Face rode on to Echo Canyon, where I was to meet him to-night. ‘*T tried to rescue my brother, but could not bribe Kansas Kit, and so left; now you have the whole truth,” and Ralph Reno looked fear- lessly into the faces of his accusers, ‘‘Durned ef I don’t b’lieve he speaks ther truth, though I did doubt him; come, pards, i 5 us let him off,” said Kansas Kit, but like timi.- der the response broke from the crowd: ** Never |” ‘*We must save him, uncle, for he is no* guilty; you try, Mr, Godfrey, and you, twv, Hazel,” cried Camille, anxiously. But all entreaties were in vain, and at a word from Lew Baker the prisoner was dragged on toward Death Canyon, followed by the excited mob, among whom were Malcolm Merle and Camille, drawn by a fascination they could not resist. At last the dismal canyon was reached, just as the last rays of sunlight fell across the yalley, and Lew Baker ordered his men to throw a rope over the scarred limb of a tree that had before felt the tremor of many a dying form, comicbooks.con &