Beadle's New York Dime Library No. 189 — page 11: what you’re looking at

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

os waa — —— j ‘with Hugh Harcourt, and Jet him tell me’ that be loves me, anda cruel fate divided us,” she said with suppressed emotion. “J will do all I can to restore you to him, and— Ha!” | The cry was wrung from him, as the wo- man suddenly bounded forward with the spring of a panther, and, ere he could resist, had torn from his face and head the false wig and beard he wore. ‘‘At last your voice betrayed you.* Hugh Harcourt, we are again face to face.” The words rung like a trumpet from the lips of the woman, and at the same time she drew geet “Wild Bilvs Gold Trail. a A a pS Te ee “Yes, and you knew that I saw hef, for her intention to tell me all caused you to fly like the guilty wretch you are.” ““ Gertrude, she poisoned you, not I.” “It is false, for she was a poor, wronged thing, and you had desert:d her, “She tracked you, swore to make known all, and then you told her that you would send me - — off her vail with one hand, and with the other | leveled a revolver at his heart. CHAPTER XX. THE FAIR NEMESIS. *WoMAN, you have sealed your fate,” and Hugh Harcourt, as the woman covered him with her revolver, spoke in suppressed tones. “You are in no condition to make terms, Hugh Harcourt,” was the prompt reply. ‘What mean you?” ‘Just what I say.” “Yeu are my prisoner.” “‘ And, your life is in my hands.” “Bah! acall to my men would soon end your little game.” ‘They would find you a corpse,” was the @eteormined response. In spite of his natural courage and reserve, he turned a shade paler. But he answered in em indiffcrent way: “You may level your weapon, but you are @ woman and your aim would fail.” “Hugh Harcourt, don’t hug that idea to you heart, for it is not true. “Since last we et, day after day have I practiced with cath, ol and rifle, until I can drep a small bird on the wing every shot. ‘You knew me, years ago, as a piece of clay im your hands, to be molded as you wished. “Look at me now, and you find me changed from that foolish girl to a woman bent on re- venge, and I have come here only to seek you. “*Look upon me, Hugh Harcourt how hard and stern you have made the lips you once called twin rosebuds, and see that the eagle’s Jook has driven the dove-glance of yore froin my eyes.” He gazed silently upon’ her, and saw a face se very beautiful, though it bad passed its thirtieth year. He beheld a form of rare grace and beauty, and eyes and mouth todo and dare whatever the braia might prompt. She still covered him with a weapon, and he knew that the dove had become the serpent, and @ not move, for well he read determi- mation to kill in her face, To extricate himself from his danger he knew he must devise some plan, and that plan must be to deceive. _ With bis honeyed way, which he knew well how to assume, he said: “Gertrude, I am a very wicked man, I admit; yet why you seek me to take my life, I surely cannot understand.” “In your false throat you lie, Hugh Har- court,” was the savage retort. “No man could tell me that and live; but, as yeu seem to feel that I have wronged you, when I haye all along regarded myself as the wronged one, I will not resent aught that you may say.” “Hugh Harcourt, believing in your honor, and loving you, I became your wife. ‘‘T expected to bring to you a fortune, but, alds! after one year of wedded life, my father died bankrupt, and I, the suppo:ed heiress, was left penniless. “It was my money, not my love that you | wanted, and I saw at once a marked change in you from the day of my father’s death. “One night, oh! how well I remember it, I was taken ill, and for a long time lay near death’s door; but I recovered, to find that you had left me, when I was supposed to be dying, called away upon business of import- ance, you said. ‘I did not know then, Hugh’ Harcourt, that ‘you had given me poison to get rid of me—” ‘‘ Tt is false, I—” “Tt is true, as you know, for she told me all.” “ She ? Who do you mean?” “Your wife.” “Bah! that woman you saw there?” he said, with a sneer. off and return to her. ‘You tried to send me off forever; but I did not die, and that woman nursed me back to life, for she came to me when she found. I was ill, and her swearing to have you hahged if I died made you fly. ‘*Ah! Hugh Harcourt, I was a dove then, but Iam cruel as a vulture now, and I have come to seek you to kill you,” ** You will not do it,” he said. Yet’his words and manner gave his bold assertion the lie. “Oh yes I will, for tbat has been the one aim of my life. ‘*T have tracked you through all your vil- lainy, and forced you to hide yourself here, where you have openly become what at heart you always were a robber, a murderer. “T have recovered from my father’s estate a fair fortune, and it has enabled me to find you, and I consider it well spent, for it has gained for me revenge. “Now, Hugh Harcourt, if you have not forgotten to pray, put in a prayer, for you have just one moment to live. CHAPTER XXI. SATAN’S HAND. THAT be was in the direst danger; Captain Corduroy well knew, for be saw before him a woman whose dove-like nature, changtd by bis wrongs to ber, had become merciless and revengeful. The steadiness of her hand that held the revolver, told him her aim would be sure, and he almost gave himself up for lost. In his peril, and with the seconds flying quickly, he thought with the rapidity of light- ning, and it seemed a score of plans to escape flashed through his mind, and were given up as fruitless, The time was passing, and the slender finger was upon the trigger, and in sheer despair he blurted out: ‘*Oh, Gertrude! be merciful tome a sinner.” sé No.” “You will not spare me?’’ “T will not.” “Do you think your conscience will not haunt you with my life until you die?’ “T have weighed all I am to suffer, Hugh Harcourt, and when you have died by my hand, peace and consolation, if not happiness, will come to me,” “Then give tne time ‘to pray.” ' “You shall have just one more minute, for the time I gave you is up. ‘Now, Hugh Harcourt, if you dare appeal to God, do so quickly, for so help me Heaven, I fire at the end of that time.” He bowed his head, yet not in prayer, but in a plot to escape her. Did he spring upon her it would be certain death, he felt. Did he call out, her slender finger would at once draw upon the trigger. Under excitement, and the prosecution of his guilty ends, Hugh Harcourt would face any danger, and take tremendous chances against death. Yet with this woman, whom he had’ so wronged, to threaten him with death, and thereby gain ber revenge, he became a coward and quivered visibly with terror. In mortal agony he raised his head; and as he did so, be saw a dark form glide into the tent with the step of a panther, so noiseless was it, and the weapon of the woman was struck from her hand, just as her lips were about to part with the fatal words that the minute was up, and she nerved herself for the shot. ; . “ec Ha!” The exclamation burst in a frenzy from the woman, and white with passion she turned upon the one who had disarmed her, and thus _ cheated her of her revenge, “Foiled! How dare you save the life of that wretch?’ she hissed, and her rigbt hand fell upon the hilt of a knife, half concealed in the folds of her dress, ‘‘Saw the captain in danger, miss, for you looked as though you meant deadly work, so chipped in to save him,” was the indifferent reply. = —= ee oe Seeing’ that he was safe; at once restored Captain Corduroy’s natural nerve and:affront- ery, and»in»the coolest manner, possible, . he said: ‘‘And I thank you, Hyena Harry, and am yours to command., Your coming was. most providential.” ‘Dare not blaspheme, sir, by saying Provi- dence would aid such as you. ‘No, no, it was not the act of Providence, but the hand of Satan that protected his own,” hissed the woman, ‘Call it what you may, sweet Gertrude, I am safe and you are doomed,” said Captain Corduroy, in hoarse tones. ‘* Doomed?’ “Yes; for I will see that my life is no longer in danger of being cut short by your roaming at large. : ‘‘ Hyena Harry, put ber in the cage where Mr. Insley now is, and send. him to the den,” was the cool order. ‘* will see to it, while you go out and meet two men who have been brought in by the sentinel.” ‘* Prisoners?’ "phe ‘‘ No, they say they wish to join the band. **Good! for our number has been diminished of late. “I will see them,” and Captain Corduroy was left alone in the tent, while the poor woman was given over to the tender mercies of Hyena Harry. ——— — —— —e CHAPTER XXII NEW ARRIVALS, I MUST now return to Edna Insley after the departure of Wild Bill from Poker City, when she was lefc comparatively alone in the Hikok Hotel, for her fellow passenger, the young clergyman, she bad not seen but once since her arrival, Though she felt perfect confidence in the wonderful powers of the noted scout to aid ba father if a prisoner to the Desperado. Dozen, she yet was full of anxiety regarding his fate, not knowing whether he was alive or dead, and her kind heart went out in ioe | m pathy also to the strange, vailed lady w Shes been dragged from the stage. 1 sero In her former state among the wild spirits of the border, Edna Insley had become some- what accustomed to their ways, and felt not the dread she bad at first experienced, for she knew that beneath the rough exterior of nine- tenths of the men in Poker City, was an innate love of fair play end chivalry which would not permit insult to her. Besides Dan Dale, the ‘‘ Boss of the Hikok Ranch,” and ‘‘the Governor of the Hikok Lay- out,” as he was called by the boys, Wild Bill had told her to command as she would himself, and the proprietor certainly did all in hie power to make her feel at bome in his hotel, Her meals were served her in her little sit- ting-room, and every attention tbat could be shown in that wild region was extended. The landlord, having once been a jailer, knew the rudiments of hotel-keeping, and hav- ing a talent that way, had gained popularity for bis house, for the universal opinion in Poker City was: ‘Governor Dan Dale knows how ter run a hash house,” Two days passed away after the attack on the stage coach, and }et no news came from Wild Bill, which caused Edna to become go painfully anxious regarding the fate of ber father; the vailed lady and the scout, that she did naught but pace her room. fi At last, unable to remain in her, rooms, se great was her excitement, she sent for Dam ale. bia That worthy was in his office when Chinee Slick Sam appesred with the request: ‘‘ Melican leddee wantee see bashee houses -- ) ‘Wants to see me?’ . Slick Sam nodded. ‘Say I will come up at once.” v “‘Samee telle allee lightee,”.and the Ghin Renggenret and was soon followed by Dar ale, : He found, upon entering, that Edna was very pale and nervously pacing to and fro, “ ow can I serve you, Miss Insley?” asked Dan, tindly. | ““T. there no news, sirf” “ Bill bas not returned yet, miss, if that is what you mean.” “Ah! I fear all hope is lost.” “No, no, miss, for Bill is not a man to say GomichbooksiGco