Beadle's Dime Library No. 170 — page 29: what you’re looking at

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

™ ~ ieee —_- = Oo arhaps the majority—would be killed in the co collision, but some few would break through the lines and reach safety. And, each man tryin to believe that he would assuredly be one o those few, the Crimson Clan uttered a united ell of fierce defiance and sprung to their orses. In a muffled, vigerigs Bae the defiance was flung back by the black-shrouded figures. Touched with the spur, each horse plunged for- ward. Acloud of dust—the heavy trampling of iron-clad hoofs,—the irregular, dropping fire of pistols—the shout of defiance—the wild yell of rage—the scream of pain—the heavy fall and hollow er of death-stricken men. Thus the Vigilantes and the Crimson Clan joined issue, fighting to the death, expecting nor granting quarter. Freed from his assailants by the cope ae arrival of the Vigilantes, Leo Friend scrambled to his feet as hastily as his manifold bruises would allow, and wiped the trickling blood from his eyes, In the open doorway stood Martha Foster, blowing upon a small bone whistle. With a shrill neigh, the white mustang cleared the con- fused using its heels ody, then paused before its ‘love mistress, extending its velvet muzzle to receive its usual caress. But the vo turned toward Leo, her heart upon her ps. ‘It is your last chance—mount and flee for your life. She will bear you to safety—go, for the love of God! go while there is yet a chance of escape!” ‘You have more cause to flee than I,” said Leo, with a short laugh. ‘‘ Those men are the friends of justice, and lam not afraid to trust my case in their hands, Besides—even if I knew that certain death awaited me here, I would rather meet it face to face than to owe my life to your aid. Go—vyou have doue me all ' the harm you possibly could, but I would rather see you escape than fal]l into ‘the hands of those men, if what I suspect is true.” This last sentence was unfortunate in one re- spect, since it raised a hope in the you benny woman’s heart that could never be gratifi Gerald Evans said no more than the truth when he declared that Mattie Foster was ‘‘ crazy mad for love of Leo Friend.” What she uttered, need find no place here, for they were words of a madwoman. Her whole heart was poured out in that short, passionate appeal that he would. have mercy upon her. ith a gesture of aversion, almost of affright, Leo shrunk back and motioned her away. A Change that was remarkable for its utterness came over her face as she read his gesture aright. Her face was pale as death, but there was a sweet smile upon her lips and a soft light in her eyes as she glided teward him. She bowed her head and pressed her lips to his hand, before he could divine her purpose. “ Good- by, God bless and prosper you. May you y as happy as | would have made you, had I been a better woman.” Ere he could reply, she turned and pulling the crimson hood over her face, sprung upon the white mustang and dashed toward the spot where the Vigilantes were thickest, gathered around the last of the Crimson Clan. She blew a shrill blast u ype her horn, that drew all eyes —— her. In a clear, ringing voice, she cried oud: ‘*You have sought for Captain Moonlight this many-a-day, but you could never find him, as long as he chose to elude you. Now, bis work is done. See! J arm Captain Moonlight!” Two swiftly succeeding pistol-shots, and Martha Foster fell forward upon the neck of shot through the heart— and. the white mustang, , by her own The sun was setting, and twilight was falling nga deep hollow in which stood the Blue Beneath the overhanging shelf of slate-stone, oo Bi two captives, bound hand and foot, and pp en Bh the possibility of uttering ¢ They are John Ho dice Rameet eis perjured witnesses wun ae attempted to swear away the lifeand honor of Leo Friend Gerald Evans lies beside the little fire, kindled * more for its cheerful light than for warmth. His face is white, from the loss of blood, not through fear, though he knows that his race is run, and that a shameful death awaits him. A lack of co eis not one Of his many faults. Anderson adden and Simple 7 aoe are seated a little to his left. Upon the other hand, Belle Gladden is lying in the arms of one whose lips are often pressed to her now contented and beaming brow. A man; and that man he whom we have known as Sweet William—now Wilfred Hastings, Belle’s long lost father. He has been telling her his story—a long and eventful one, to repeat which in full would con- sume far more space than can be spared here. He spoke of his escape, of his wanderin and adventures in many strange lands. f how, after years of exile, he returned to Eng- land to find himself forgotten his wife and child gone, nobody knew where, his last relative At this point Simple Simon interposed. This =e Sweet William, the Trapper Detective. relative, an uncle whose life had been devoted to making money so utterly that he had found no time get married; refused to believe in Wilfred’s guilt, and hired him, a noted de- rents though then so young, to unravel the m A year later the uucle In his will he ll he Niet ten thousand nds to be nt in proving the innocence of nephew. rest of his immense fortune was to Belle, to be given to her when she married or became of From that time Simon de- voted his life to the quest, and finally succeeded in finding Hastings in the trapping grounds. Together they returned to England, and there found the proof that they sought: one of the men wno committed the murder of which Wilfred Hastings stood accused. Armed with his con- fession, duly witnessed, they again crossed the ocean and searched until they found the chief criminal, Gerald Evans. “You may as well own up, said Simple Simon, addressing his prisoner. I have proof enough to bang you ten times over if you bad so many lives. Your confession is not really needed, for your accomplice has fully cleared Hastings, but he died before he could tell us just how the job was done.” ‘*Hold that paper so I can read it,” said Evans. His request was complied with, and he saw that the detective spoke no more than the truth. He appeared to reflect for a few mo- ments, then said: “Tt is not through any love for you that I speak, but the fact is I am, and always bave been, rather proud of that little job, or rather of the style in which it was worked up. tings knows why I hated him; he robbed me of every dollar I owned at cards. I don’t say that he cheated, but he would ply me with liquor until I was drunk, and then fleece me at his leisure. From being a pigeon I turned hawk, and preyed upon other greenhorns, watching my chance to get even with him. “It came, as you know. I struck the blow ‘that killed the man using Ais knite. The gold we kept and divided. The I. O. U. ’s, and such notes as were of no use to us, we put in his room where they were found We swore the crime upon him, and I am only sorry he was not hung. I did my best to have him, anyway. “T learned of that old fool’s will three years , and came over here to hunt up the heiress. I found her, and would have made her my wife had you not interfered,” glancing tow Sim- ple Simon, who just then turned around, a paper and pen in his hands. Read this over,” he said relight fel the paper before Evans, so the fire- light fell upon the slab “T have taken down your words, and would like to have you sign the statement. It can make no difference to you, you know.” ** Because I am to hang an you think?’ with a cnrious smile. Well “think so, if it gives you any pleasure, but before this time to- morrow you will change your The seed is not planted that is to grow the hemp for my last nec«tie.” Simple Simon laughed softly as he dried the prisoner’s signature, then folded the paper and carefully stowed itaway. His laugh was echoed by Gerald, but that was deemed mere bravado by his hearers. There was only a little dry bread and cold meat with which to break their fast, but all were content. pat pany they could eat; to- “~— they were too ha PPY-. ather and daugbter w apart from the rest, and for hours they conversed in low eager tones. Once Simple ee chuckled and winked and nodded knowingly at the fire, for he heard them speak of Leo Friend, and in the glowing coals, he saw a pleasant sight—a fair young couple standing hand in hand before a venerable minuister— A faint sound coming from where Gerald Evans lay dissipated the pleasant vision, and remembering that strange _—— he bent over the captive. But Le was breathing softl ay reg: ularly, his bonds were all secure, and Simple Simon returned to his seat beside the fire and his comfortable pipe. At midnight Anderson Gladden took the watch, and at early dawn he aroused the party, = ly agitated. heard nothing suspicious in the night, but e day i ss he saw a pool of blood be- side the captive. Stepping forward, he saw that Gerald had freed sound hand, and with it tore the bandages from his wound, holding n, pee yet, though his limbs stiff in death! CHAPTER XXXVI. SAFE IN PORT THE next few days were full of hard, rapid work for Simple Simon, Sweet William and their men. Before the days of tel phs, they dealt their blows in such swift succession and with such telling effect, that one week later the great and notorious League was a thing of the _ Honest men couid once more breathe ly, and four-footed property was worth a the wound o were cold great deal more, in consequence. + Neliber Simple Simon nor Sweet William passed through the fiery ordeal unscathed, but pages the curious reader is 29 a eee eS their wounds were by no no means serious, and were not long in P se ing to the tender care of Belle—no longer Gladden, but Hastings. They did not falter until their work was done. What has already been hinted at, may now be plainly stated. An authorized detective, not only of eg but of Missouri, Simple Simon, learning that Gerald Evans belonged te the League, joined the “‘family” and was duly swornin. He had two objects in view. One was to destroy the dangerous League; the other was to gain indisputable proof of d’s guilt, not only of the present, but of the past. Obli to be ed in his motions, it was some:time before Simple Simon could learn just how Gerald Evans stood. That he belonged to the order just beginning to be known as the Sons of Dan, devoted to the interests of the Mormons, was easily ascertained, as was the fact. that he bore a high office and was an in- fluential member of the League regular. Sim- ple Simon strongly suspected him to be none other than the mysterious Captain Moonlight, leader of the Crimson Clan, and went to work gy omg supposition, as we have seen. ed order which he. showed Mattie Foster: was a forgery, and the man, Justus McKee, was the simon-pure messenger dis- patcbed by the chief of the League. But that did not prevent him from suffering death by hanging, three days after the Crimson Clan was exterminated, in company with half a dozen other worthies, among whom were John Hopper and Jake Ramsel. ese two ruffians were confronted with Nell Larkin, and the fact of their murdering and robbing the two drovers fully proven. Ina vain hope of saving his life by ing state’s evidence, Ramsel confessed their guilt and gave a minute description of the bloody scene in which Don Larkin met arichly deserved death. The ruffian’s ho were worse than vain. His confession only knotted the noose more surely around their necks. The jury did not even wait for the judge to deliver his charge, but thundered forth the death sentence. If their course had been different, they would have run the risk of being torn limb from limb by the turbulent crowd which surged around them. As the sun went down, its dying rays fel up- on seven ghastly figures ‘suspended by the neck from stout limbs. Not far from each shape stood a black-robed figure armed with rifle and pistols, keeping over the lifeless clay. On the day after the trial, Leo Friend, now not much the worse for his wound so treacher- ously inflicted by Gerald Evans, led half a dozen men to the hollow where the murdered drovers lay. To remove the remains was im- possible, and they were buried where their assassins bad cast them. What their names or who their relatives, was never known. No one ever came inquiring for them, and as time on their tragic story was fo eg. — oe who assisted at their grim, t rial. Thus the shadows have had their a Blow them aside, and look upon a more ap ened scene. The picture wbich ‘Simple Simon saw in the tele coals of the camp-fire, upon that never be wee gen night, was more than realized, one month later. The little church was brilliantly and crowded almost to suffocation, when I a ile Hastings and Leo Friend were married. There were at fathers to give away the bride—or would have been, but that the short and simple ances of the Methodist service did away with at. A short address, a shorter prayer; then Leo and Belle were man and wife. If the ceremony was short, the length of the festivities which followed, more than made amends. The pavilion trembled beneath the tread of the merry dancers, and fairl roaned when, toward morning, old ‘Sweet am,” aided by “ to Simon” and the band of trappers, 8 upon the scene and went through ‘a4 a d gyrations which constitute the Cheyenne marriage dance. After the conventional party, includ ouse honeymoon, the whole Gladden, who sold his rate and started for Merry where Wilfred os welcomed as one risen from the innocence was fully established; Belle’s identity was proven and ber roan gained. A fine estate was bought, and hjdeath has claimed the original the escendants of Leoand Belle still living. This chronicle is not a Fag of Mormonism, and the subject was only introduced because, for a short time, the leaders of that stupendous fraud were so closely connected with the for- tunes of some of our characters. The discovery that the Danites were workin in partnership with the Crimson Clan, pro the last feather, and the irate Missourians arose as one man, and never knew rest until the curse rs, riend are was driven across the borders of their State. The rest is a matter of history, and to those erred for what urther information he may desire. THE END. JOO (E cS com