Beadle's New York Dime Library, No. 192 — page 23: what you’re looking at

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n~ i | | | —d explain. The Lightning Sport. 23 ‘‘ All right, then. H@s in the hands of the Bullion Boss; and if there’s no mistake about it—which I won’t swear—there’ll be no trouble about Aim: “But how about you? If he is Dan Sliter who are you? If he is not Dan Sliter you are. To make sure, one way or the other, the Boss will save you both, for one or the other of you has come here to hunt him down.” ‘* An’ whar do you come in at?) Eh?’ ‘‘T have nothing to do with any of you. There’s been a mistake, and to save trouble I was willing to lay my life open to you all, so that I did not endanger my own safety. I had my other reasons, which it is not necessary to I have fouhd, already, that it is: not safe, There isa hand in the game that you and I know nothing about. The Bullion Boss has a double, too; and it was that double with whom we spoke this morning. I’ve seen how you could serve the wrong man, now I'll give you the same chance over again, to serve the right one. I’m a solid man here, and there’s money in my jobs, while it’s pretty near cer- tain death to buck against me. Which is it go- ing to be? Say it now, and quick. For, or against? Mahone listened, was silent, considered, and then broke out: ‘* Ag’in’ yer, by glory; an’ ther man ez raises ther biggest hand rakes in ther pot! fur y’urself. Fairer foul, Cireus Pete takes yer both. That’s ther only warnin’. Now, step out. Iain’t ready yit fur ther round-up, but look out when ther fun begins.” “ And Igive you warning that in another twenty-four hours, if you linger bere, you willbe a dead man! Goor stay; it’s nothing tome. Good-night!” For three or four minutes these men bad been watching each other like hawks. If the judge bad seen a chance he would have left the wandering sport there a corpse; if he had made an offensive movement Pete Mahone would have drilled him on the spot. When Schneider turned away he knew he was risk- ing semething; but he was firm in the belief that, unless his own imprudence hastened it, his time was not yet as near as some, perbaps, would have thought. The strike at the Hair Pin had the effect of taking away something of his ready nerve, for he had s® much to live for; but it also gave him strength, fer as soon as be bad a little time to develup ke had so much behind him, ‘They are waiting because they are not sure of their game; but do taey know who Clinton Bride was? Ab!” The judge saw an explanation right there, The story was half known, and though they ‘were on his trail, it was with nocertain knowl- edge of his identity. If it was the detective Sliter who talked with him that morning, un.- der the guise of the chief of road-agents, then it began to be clear that the interview was planned to throw him off his guard, and get at CTC Re SS eee OF oC > CS ns Look out | He gave asigh of relief. The spy was no- where in sight. ** Now, a word of caution for Nellie—that is the part that gives me the first shadow of fear —to manage her. Strange how in a few short weeks I have learned to rest my hopes for the future on her! What strange power has she that she has but to command and I, more or less willingly, obey? And yet I have sworn that my will shall be hers. If I don’t make a beginning soon, in the end it will be the other way. I hinted at the truth this evening; that was a mistake. Should she once suspect, I would lose the. little power that chance has given me. I must be prudent and yet brave; cold as ice, and yet warm as fire. Ah, I have a difficult part to play for a few months; and most difficult of all when I really begin to re- veal the truth. In the moment of awakening what rash thing may she not do’? If I dared speak to-night, and have it all over!” He concluded his soliloquy as he entered the house, closing the door behind him. Through the little house silence reigned. He believed, of course, that Nellie had returned long ago, though there was no evidence of her presence, When his thoughts came back to her they also reverted to the occurrences at the Alham- bra after she had left it. Though she had so unexpectedly showed that she was able to de- feud herself under all contingencies here was the truth, He judged that they did not know | for a certainty whether he was Clinton Bride, or a Vernon, or who, but that they suspected that he was a Vernon, that he and Bride were relatives, and that he, Schneider, was guilty of his death. Aslong as he could keep them in doubt who he and Bride really were they would hold their hands, striving to get at his secret. When they knew that, then, unless he took prompt measures, there would be an end to him. ‘‘ Curse them, it’s life and death now, and I will kill them all—anc I will not give up the | | | | Vernon estate, if I have to add this young fool | —who is lingering around to make eyes before he speaks—to the list of victims. I have heen feeling my way—to-morrow I will strike. If they think they can corner me, after giving fair warning, they are too grand a set of fools to fear. And one thing is certain. No proofs have they against me of any crime that would stand the cool tests of a court of law, for with them in their hands they would have either dealt me a mortal blow ere this, or offered their terms of compromise, Compromise? , Til compromise through Coleand his gang; and as for the outlaw chief—TI begin .to see tht he’s not after me, but Little Lide; and, by the hea- vens, he’s welcome to her. It’s the best way out of fhe mess, for there’s something in that girl's facé that makes me yearn to strike her a blow, woman though she is.” In some such strain as this the judge's thoughts wandered on, while he was striding mechanicaliy toward his residenca There he halted at the door and glanced around. a chance fora warning. Five men had been shot within a quarter of an hour of the time when she left, and he believed that he could show that the trouble was all due to her foolish- ness. It might teach her to rely, in the future, more on his judgment than hers. Yet the house had that strange feeling that an empty building has, and nowhere was there any trace of her presence. The judge called and there was no answer. Impelled by a strange, unreasoning fear, he darted up the stairs and knocked at her door. It swung open under his band and the room was empty. Nellie had not returned. CHAPTER XXVIII. A FACE AT THE WINDOW. VERNON and the two girls had no resource left but tosurrender at discretion, though they would a thousand times or more have fought it out to the bitter end, if there had been the least hope. As there was not the trio surrendered at discretion, and were sent away captives, under the guardianship of three of the outlaws; all of them, of course, being immediately dis- armed. As for the Bullion Boss himself, he and sevy- eral of his followers withdrew from the cul- de-sac, but they neither went with the pris- oners, nor did they fall back to meet the out- posts, who harmlessly held the men of Slaughter Bar at bay and then inveigled the greater part of them ina chase which was hopeless from the start, and in which they were finally drop- ped ina way that was most provoking. The few that followed Billy Bender, when the way was clear, met with no better fortune, for they found no traces of Little Lide, or of the other two, concerning whose presence the howler, with kindly reticence, had not said a word. The predictions of the croakers had been verified, since, without a doubt, the young lady had been taken in. Curses both loud and deep were freely vented in regard to the absent outlaw, and had he been Visible at that moment there was hardly a man on the trail who would have hesitated to at- | re... ee ae TTT ees tack him and bis partners, no matter how des- perate the chances might bave seemed to: be. But the astute captain was not there; and none there were bright enough to guess thathe would. venture right into the town; though the reader will remember that he not only ven- tured, but turned up to some purpose at the judge’s shanty, where he made still another capture, And ven yet the daring road-agr nt was not altogether done with Slaughter Bar. Cireus Pete did not seem inclined to give any trouble, and so he was sent away under guard, while the Bullion Boss, alone, followed on a trail which cily a desperate man like himself would choose to risk. The result was that he saw the interview be- tween Judge Schneider and: Pete Mahone, heard some little of what passed between the two, and followed the latter—who did not, for the present, go very far. | listened further. | lS He stopped in front of the hotel for a mo- ment, as if debating with himself whether he should make the moveme«é he contemplated, and theu went in. ‘‘ That’s his game, is it?’ muttered the ont- law. ‘‘ He's had it out, with the judge; and now he’s going over to the other side. He wants to find out how badly hurt the young man was—for I reckon he knows that he's still living. Well, I waut to know myself and if I know anything about the Pilgrim’s Pride, Iguess [ll find out, though I must look a little out. Ifany of the shooters see me prowling about they might get the drop on me. before I was ready to begin. Lucky that I am posted,” Without hesitation he wept around to the rear of the building, hurrying like one who knew the way, and yet cautious lest he might meet with some danger. He succeeded in reaching his post of observation just under the window that looked into a little box of a room. Rapid as were bis motions the man known as Pete Mahone had already found time to reach the room, and had begun talking in a low whisper. When he entered, which was after a pre- liminary knock, he found the man of whom he was in search of—Lightning Dick. . The young sport had probably been sleep- ing; but he was wide enough awake now. His hand rested on a revolver that lay upon his bedside, and his dark eyes were gleaming with savage interest, His face looked a little paler than it timd done, and there was a cloth fastened areund his head, but he was certainly a very live aud very wide-awake map, ‘‘Good-evenin’,” said the visitor, wi@ a quick jerk in his tone quite different fram the drawl of the night before. ‘ That war a bed racket they put up on you. Ef I'd he@@ er chance I'd ’a’ took er hand in afore you @opped; but it come so quick it warover afere I see’d it, kase 1 war lookin’ t/other way. Then it war too late. We've bin a-workin’ on seppert leads; but ther time hes come, ef I aim’? mis- tooken, ter pool our isyers. Will yer listen ter a leetle squar’ chin music! Then, ef yer den’t like my game yer needn’t chipin. That’s all ther is about it.” The young sport was sitting up in bed now, with a look of intense surprise upon his faée. At this proposition he waved his bang and nodded his head. Circus Pete went om: ‘“‘In this thing I s’pose I’ll do all the tallein’. That’s all right ag’in. Shake yer head, an’ I'll hey more time ter rattle off my chin music. When I'm through you kin foller my lead er jump ther game.” Lightning Diek nodded. “It’s this hyar way. Yer may think I’m er fraud—an’solam., An’so be you. We're all on er different string—an’ ther same are all in one knot, more er less, ’cording ter bizness. You an’ yer pard kim hyar ter clear out ther road-agents; an’ yer hed an idear thet Jedge Schneider war hand in glove with ’em. I’m hyar ter look after ther jedge; an’ I’m mixed up with ther condemned Bullion Boss, an’ et fust I thort you war a side-partner of hissen.” The outlaw, who caught the drift of this, smiled grimly, He had not been mistalem; aud by chance he had in his power the strong man of the two that were after him. Still, he Doubtless there was a good deal that would interest him. ‘You are ther son ov Clinton Bride, er man what disappeared mighty sudden-like, when his buildin’s burned down; an’ yer mo- ther wer killed, somehow in ther fire... Ain’t thet solid?” The Lightning Sport nodded. ‘‘ About thet same time a tidy leetle forteve disappeared, es well es Clinton Bride’s leetle darter. You never beard oy her, @?) I’m byar on ther trail ov them, too.” The young man started, this time vi and his black eyes gleamed brighter than ewes, ‘“Yer never heard ov ther gal. one war livin’ then, an’ though some thort she passed in at ther fire, she are livin’ now, More than that, she’s vwn@ ov two gaissef I'm er Dutchman. Nellie Schneider, er Leetle Lide— oue ov ther two will fill their bill. One ey ’em is yer sister, an’ don’t yer furgit it.” The young man was more than surprised—~ he was electrified. He sprung to his feet, for- getful of wound and everything else. He shook his fist in the direction of the judge's re- sidence, and then suddenly covered his face GoOmichbooks | | — nf es