Beadle's New York Dime Library, No. 188 — page 14: what you’re looking at

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

The Phantom Mazeppa. if you bring proof that Iron Arm is dead, I will y you the amount I promised; but I would have referred to had him alive in my power, ** Now about the other work on hand.” ‘* The honey ?” ‘*Yes, capturing the girl.” ‘*T are goin’ ter do it.” ** She has left the Platte.” ac No 1? ‘Yes, she went with her father and eousin, early this morning.” ““ ood ? ‘Why do you say so?” ** She has gone to the Birdwood?” ec Yes. ? **T has quarters in the hills on the Loup Fork, and I can get her as slick as flyin’ a kite.” ** See that you do; but do not harm her,” **L is a tenderfoot among the gals, pard.” ** And when you have her in your power send me word and [ will come.” **T’ll do it; now I'll strike out ter hunt ther Tron Arm’s body, fer I are sartin he are cold meat.” ** And more, I have another thousand dollars for you if you can bring me, dead or alive, a man answering this description,” and Tiny Tim handed the desperado a slip of paper. “That are writin’, hajn’t it?’ and Grizzly Gabe looked curiously at it. “ec Yes. ? ‘* Tt hain’t fine writin’.” ** Indeed! I am said to write avery fine hand.” ‘‘’Tain’t fine "nuff fer me ter peruse.” ** Ah, I see; you don’t bother yourself with reading?’ ** No, it don’t do a man no good ter read, fer books is full o’ lies an’ sich, an’ I does like ter keep moral; guess yer’d better recite thet writin’ fer me.” Tiny Tim did as requested, and Grizzly Gabe remarked: ‘‘Waal, Tare on ther way ter make a fortin, an’ you is my banker, leetle pard. “fy are off at once, an’ when I sets out on biz, Tare all thar,” and half an hour after the des- do and two boon pards rode out of town on he trail of cepdyein £ But ere they had ridden far they beheld Gos- pel Luke coming, and with him were the mus- ngers from Texas. ‘“‘T doesn’t like thet congregation, Hank, an’ I wishes we c’u’d sarcumvent ’em; but we can’t,” ‘growled Grizzly Gabe. ‘*What are Parson Luke doin’ with ’em?”’ asked Hank. ** Lordy knows, fer thet are a slip’ry preacher 0’ Gospil, I sw’ar.” 3 “‘Durned ef I ever knows whether he are ke ae preachin’, cussin’, or lyin’,’’ put in Bed- ae Mose, the second worthy with Grizzly Gabe. : ‘** He dosling Gospil some, Bedrock, an’ he are some on ther sw’ar, an’ not ’way back down ther lane when lyin’ are ther game; but we’ll draw him away from them Texans, an’ find out why he are keepin’ sich comp’ny.” In the mean time, Gospel Luke and the Tex- ans, some fifteen in number, for whom Dave Perry had sent him, had drawn pretty near, and it was evident that they intended to have a word with Grizzly Gabe and his comrades, for they suddenly drew rein, and _ their leader, ank Fielding, a young and dashing fellow, called out: | ‘* Halt, pards, and give us the news,” ged are no news,” sulkily returned Grizzly ‘*Therein you lie, for I learn from this elo- quent divine, Gospel Luke, that we are wanted to take the trail of our captain, Iron Arm, the Ranchero, who got lost las night,” and Frank Fielding fixed his piercing gray eyes upon the desperado, who answered: ‘“‘ That are truth, pard, thet festive gent o’ the iron grip hain’t wisible this mornin’, an’ me an’ my was jist goin’ ter see ef we c’u’d find hair or hide o’ ‘oh : ** How are you interested in Iron Arm?’ asked Fielding, sharply. ‘To ther tune o’ one thousan’ dollars.” ** Indeed! who pays you this?” “A pard o’ Iron Grip, an’ we is seein’ ef we can’t ’arn ther dust.” much more,” was the frank reply. ‘Waal, struggle fer thet dust.”’ a a LT rode into the shadow of the “timber island,” where so many wild scenes had been enacted in the past, and that hid the grave at which Arta Preston had found the horse of Mert Mabrey. Finding a secluded nook, Lucien concealed bis horse there, giving him a drink from a crys- tal spring, and the length of the lariat to feed by, and, after bathing and bandaging the wound on his head, walked slowly in the direction of the grave, which the reader will remember he had before visited, when on the search for Berk- ley Preston and his daughter. e approached the spot cautiously, for he was a thorough prairieman, and knew that he was oe to find in the timber either red or white oes, But seeing the way clear, after a close recon- noissance, he boldly stepped out of the brush- wood and stalked toward the grave. It remained as he had left it, excepting there were evidences that coyotes and wolves had been striving to tear the body from its earthly resting-place, but had been foiled by the logs and brush piled upon it. Wishing to lose no time, and apparently with a certain object in view, he set to work at once, casting aside the logs and brush, and then hunt- ing around for the crude piece of wood he had used as a shovel on his other visit, he began to throw out the earth. Thus engaged, he failed to notice that he was not alone, and that the timber concealed other human being than himself. That other was a man of herculean form, wore a long beard, and his shaggy hair hung upon his shoulders. He was dressed in buckskin, carried a long, old-fashioned Kentucky rifle, a revolver and knife, and looked pale and haggard. He had risen up from the ground, where he had been lying, as if aroused by the work of Lucien De Leon, and twice he raised his rifle as though to fire, but each time shook his head and lowered it. . Then, leaning it against a tree he began to move as noiselessly as a panther could have done, toward the one who was slowly digging his way down into the grave. Nearer and nearer he crept, until when within twenty feet of De Leon he saw him unfasten his belt of arms and cast them aside, as though they retarded his work. Instantly, with a strange gleam in his face, the stranger unfastened the buckle of his belt, and cast the time-worn revolver and bone- handled, long-bladed knife upon the ground. A moment more, and with the bound of a tiger, he was oe the Iron Arm, and at once a fierce struggle began. Though taken by surprise, Iron Arm was not unnerved, and grasped his foe quickly for the death-struggle, and seemed to show no fear of the result in his face, aJthough his assailant was almost a giant in size ree fully six feet five inches tall, and most heavi y formed. It was evident, when the stranger's first gripe upon Iron Arm’s thrgat was torn off, and he felt the clutch of steel with which the ranchero grasped him, that he was surprised, for he had never before met his equal in strength, and had expected to easily make the young man a pris- oner. But, strive as he might, gripe with a force that seemed to crush the bones, and use all his power, the assailant found that hé had for once met his master, for Iron Arm slowly, but surely roved his right to the name he had won, and is supernatural strength soon held his enemy at his mercy. ‘*T could kill you, but I spare your life,” he said, as he stepped back, after hurling his assail- ant to the ground. ‘‘T know not whether to thank you or not,” was the stern reply. ‘You value life then little?” **T value it not at all.” ** Who and what are you?” asked Iron Arm, struck with the strange manner of the man. ‘*Do not ask me, for to tell you what 1 am would but tear open a wound of the past, and bring surging up sorrows that have fallen heavy upon me.’ ‘*Then I will not ask you; but why did you | attempt my life?” “Tf you find the captain I will pay you as | | ture you; twice I raised my rifle to kill you, you is squar’, clean through, an’ we'll | but spared you, and conscious in my strength, ‘‘T was mad, I believe, for I intended to tor- I determined to take you alive and torture you ‘* An’ Pll accompany thee, pard, for you will | to death.” need consolation an’ comfort, range himself alongside. and Gospel Luke | | he seemed to feel that the man before him was In spite of himself Iron Arm shuddered, for ‘You'll do nothin’ o’ ther kind, Gospel Luke, | mad. fer we wants workers, not prayers; good-by, pard Texas, an’ ef we find Iron you up,” and Grizzl comrades, while the ward the town, Gospel Luke remaining. with them, as he did not like the look on the despe- rado’s face, when he turned his eyes upon him, and felt that he was regarded with suspicion by those who had been his companions in,deviltry. CHAPTER XXIII. -THE MEETING IN THE COTTONWOODS. Ir was late in the afternoon, when Lucien De Leon, now known as Iron Arm, the Ranchero, rip, we'll look | Gabe rode on with his — exans went rapidly on to- | Then he said: oa ‘‘T thank you for not killing me,” ‘You need not thank me, for my heart was murderous; but what power you have to handle | me as you did.” Iron Arm smiled and asked: ~ Why did you seek my life; I never wronged you?” ‘* You never mercngod me, and yet you are defiling the grave of my boy, my noble dead son,” said the man, sternly, ‘* Your son !” “Ay, I speak the truth.” ee ‘ Do you know who lies here?” ; ‘6 Vos,” ‘* What name bear you?” ‘* The same as he did who lies there,” was the impressive response, * And that is—” ** Mabrey.” ‘Ha! and was Mert Mabrey your son ?” asked Iron Arm, with intense surprise, **Merton Mabrey was my son.’ A silence of a moment fell between them, and then Lron Arm said calmly: ‘*1 believe you when you say he was your son, for even now I can see the resemblance; but I do not believe that Merton Mabrey lies in this grave.” ‘*(¢ood God thank you for those words; prove them, and I will worship you, boy,” and the old man grasped Iron Arm by each shoulder and stared in his face with a look that was pleading, hoping and dreading commingled. é CHAPTER XXIV, WHAT THE GRAVE REVEALED. WAITING until the man, who called himself Mabrey, grew calm, [ron Arm said: ‘** You sought to kill me because I was delfiling this aba what did you think was my pur- ose ** To rob my boy.” **'You are mistaken.” ** 'W hat then?” ‘‘T have been told that Merton Mabrey was buried here, and I came to see,” You knew him then?” é< Yes.” ** And he was your friend?’ ** Years ago he was.” *‘ And you still loved him?” cé No.” **No; then why came you here?” **T hated him. ‘You hated my noble boy?” cc Yes. ” ** That could not be.” **It could be; if he lies there I forgive him the past; if he yet lives I hate him.” ‘*Why do you hate my boy?” **He wronged me bitterly in the past.” ** No, no, he would not wrong you.” **T say yes, old man.” ‘There must be some mistake.”’ ** There is none.” ‘*Then hating him, why did you come here to his grave?” ‘‘'T'o see if Merton Mabrey was buried here.” **T tell you he is.” ** How know you that?” **T placed him in that grave.” ce ou 9”? ** Yes, I, his father.” **Then there can be no mistake?” ** No, alas! there is no mistake,” was the sad ‘* May I ask how he died?” **'Yes,” was the reply, and the old man said no more, and Iron Arm continued: “He was killed, doubtless?” sc Yes.” ** By Indians?” ec O. ” **Some enemy?” ‘é No. 9 ** Who then?’ ‘One who had hunted the find him; one who had prayed for come, killed him.” ‘*Some one he had wronged?” ce No.”’ ** Who then?” ‘Some one who had wronged him.” ‘Old man, yous in riddles; tell me who was the foe that killed Merton Mabrey?” **T say he was no foe, but one who loved him one who had wronged him in the past, and who had long sought him to beg him to forgive and forget.” ‘* And who was that one?” **It was one who held him in his arms when he was a@ wee baby, who took care of him in his early boyhood, was proud of him as he grew to manhood, and, oh God! has now laid him in his grave, “Ay, young man, J, Merton Mabrey’s father, took the life of my poor boy; yes, shot sel down on the spot th which he now ies,’ With a groan of anguish the old man sunk down upon the ground, seemingly over- come by his Reennas,. Walle Iron Arm stood gazing in horror upon him, Then, from some sudden impulse he sprung forward and began once more to throw the earth out of the grave. Soon the hand, from which the ruby ring had been taken, was revealed, and then eame the outline of the form. _ Seizing it, Lucien De Leon dragged it out of its clayey bed, and then, as the eben face was revealed, shouted in ringing tones: ‘“ See! old man, this is not Merton Mabrey ! not your son |” A wild shriek of joy, and the old man sprung to his feet and then fell insensible into the open grave, rairies over to cross his path JOO eGom (E S) Co _—_—_———_——~ 7 (E(O).