Beadle's New York Dime Library, No. 192 — page 28: what you’re looking at

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

a ors tse pt es Ta eee é. EAT eee “ = ee eee a ee oe A a et A A et - _——_ Oe ee ee —— A The Lightning Sport. an’ see. I'l begin with somethin’ easy. Gim- me a pack of keards.” The performance began. The juggler seemed to have at his fingers’ ends all the tricks of the trade. He made drawn cards appear from the center of the pack, told beforehand , what card would come . out here, there, or another place, and when the ace of spades bad disappeared it turned up be- “2 tween the hat and head of Joe Byers. He made money fly from one band to another, and several tried in vain to keep correct ac- count of coin that Circus Pete counted half a dozen times into their hands. He spit out bushels of paper, tied and untied knots by a magical word; and altogether kept them very well amused. **See hyar,” suggested one of the outlaws, with a motion toward the hammer of his car- bine, “ef we want ter keep yer, ’pears ter me ther safe plan would be to berry yer corpus. Kz slippery a cuss ez you be ain’t safe ter hev sashayin’ round. When yer wanted ter leave ye’d slide right out.” Circus Pete gave a grin and a nod. ‘* Thet’s so; but yer hain’t seen nothin’ vit. Yer orter see me with ten knives a-goin’ in the air, all on’em ez sharp ez needles an’ heavy ez a meat ax. Hyer, tess me three or four ov them pebbles. Vll show yer ther style ez well ez I kin,” He pointed toward several pieces of rock that really weighed fifteen or twenty pounds each, and they slung them at him without much regard for his bones. He caught them easily, tossing them one after another into the air, and keeping them going up and down in an endless stream. **Now, ef yer ain’t afeared ter trust me with er few knives, toss ’em in one after .an- other; but don’t be too durned keerless. Yer might spile the fun afore it got started.” Jean Lemaire had been watching the per- formance with all the interest of a Frenchman, He nodded assent; and at the same time made a motion to two men to hold their carbines ready, If Circus Pete tried a rush they could riddle him with bullets before he could reach the nearest man. A pistol would have been different; they would scarcely have trusted a loaded revolver in his hands. One after another tossed him a long-bladed, heavy knife, and as they came he deftly caught. them, and cast them up until they formed a glittering, shivering, shining stream. He threw the stones aside and took knife after knife, at first using both hands, at last only one. It made even the outlaws wince as they saw the single hand moving in the midst of the dangerous wheel. And then, while they stared, there arose among the rocks, at the juggler’s back, the crash of a pistol, followed, aftera brief inter- val, by the shrill cry of a woman. At that the mocking smile left the lips of Circus Pete, and a hard, desperate light shot from his eyes.. The crisis had come. —_—eoO—_— CHAPTER XXXIV. THE MIRROR MARKSMAN MAKES HIS MAGIC SHOT, THE room in which Vernon was imprisoned was cave-like, but by nomeans a dungeon. It was similar to the one occupied by Nellie, and was separated from it only by a corridor through which the armed sentinel sometimes walked, and at the mouth of which he was al- ways on guard. There were no bolts and bars; the man with pistols stood in place of them. The ceilings of the rooms were high, and through the wall that faced upon the basin be- tween the mountain tops was cut a window that just now let in a flood of sunshine. If Vernon hed had a ladder he might have reached ths canyon through this aperture with- . out much trouble; though little good would it have done him to get there, since his appear- ance would have been the signal for a deadly fusillade. There was another hole, not so large, near the ceiling, on the side opposite to the corri- dor, that Vernon, when he could think of any- thing but himself and his trouble, looked at with a curious eye. For tbat he really wished he had a ladder. He would cheerfully have a the dark recesses that be fancied laid be- yon Still, the case was well nigh hopeless. No ladder had he or anythimg else by which he could gain the provokingly tempting avenue of retreat. -of escape. He could not reach it by a leap; and if he so much as moved around freely the guard came baék and looked into his cell. Just now that guard happened to be Mart Quigly. As there was another sentinel fur- ther out, who watched him, there was not much danger in ousting Quigly, even if Ver- non should try to currupt him, At the aperture the young Englishman was staring in an absent sort of way when he was opehing. No sound had heralded the approach, will come. But, if you can, spare that man. He will yet be the key to the mystery of who owns the Vernon estates.” From the dgorway Lightning Dick gave one glance, and en flitted along the passage lik a ghost. Quigly’s back was toward him, and before the sentinel had turned he had vanished from sight. He came with finger again on his lip, yet Nellie sprung up witha low cry of delight. ' and if Vernon’s eyes had not been fixed on the | spot he certainly would not have known that a man was peering into the room. At once he felt that this must be a friend and raised to his feet. ‘Then the face was thrust further into the room, and he recognized one whom he had only seen once or twice—Lightning Dick— with his finger on his lips; in token of the need for silence, He smiled and waved his hand. Hope | sprung up at ence, but he did not forget his | caution. less, for a month; if it bad been necessary. A rope dropped into the cell—for the Light- ning Sport was not so rash as to forges his line The next instant he foliowed. Not a sound had been made, and it was only chance, but at the moment they heard the footstep of the sentinel. Quigly was about to make another round. It was only a few steps, and he took them at irregular intervals. He had looked in only a few moments before, and probably the sport bad noted it from behind the wall, and hoped for a season free from in- terruption. Lightning Dick heard the step and under- stood what was coming. With bis left hand he pushed Vernon gently aside, while his right hand softly drew the knife that was in his belt, There was a tigerish gleam in his eyes; a set look on his face. It was not hard to tell what he intended. Im- mediately after Quigly made his appearance there would be one sentinel less in the world. Vernon had no compunctions—if the senti- nel had been a different man he could have seen him dispatched without regret. But in Quigly he had an interest, that he remembered suddenly, and just in time, Quigly was a scoundrel; but he was an intel- ligent one, and certainly knew a little more about the complications of the Vernon affair than any man living. To kill him would be to annihilate the oracle. Harley caught the hand of the sport, and whispered hastily in his ear: ‘*For Heaven’s sake, do not harm that man— except asa last resort. He has knowledge that will give or take a fortune, and some day I may make him speak.” The other smiled grimly, and tested lightly with his finger the point of his weapon. It was not a question of fortune now, but of life or death. “I tell you he has the secret of the life of those girls, Slay him, and they may never know who they are. He knows who Schneider is, and whether Miss Nellie is his daughter.” The name of Nellie seemed to act asa potent spell, Back to its sheath went the knife, and Lightning Dick erouched in the corner, his hand on his pistol. Quigly came very near to death when he wandered down the corridor; but his good for- tune was in the ascendancy, since he turned and went back without giving more than a passing glance within the cell. He did not see the sharp eyes that were devouring his face. Hardly had he gone when the young sport rose and pointed to the rope. It'was a way of escape, and the gesture meant—take it. Vernon shook his head. ‘Do you think I will leave while a woman taken with me is in the power cf these fiends? Never! Yonder is the girl known as Nellie Schneider. I thought she was the daughter of the man with whom she lives, but since I have been here my eyes have been opened. No. I will‘help to save ber or remain to share her fate. Wecansave her. Give me a weapon, and we will try it together.” Into his hand Lightning Dick thrust a revol- ver—there were still two in his belt—and then again he pointed to the rope, drawing himself up with an air that said—“ Trust me; she shall not be deserted.” ‘Go, then!” said Vernon. ‘I will trust you; but, if you need my aid, eall for it, and I He would have stood there, noise- | ' startled by seeing a human face appéar at the | She recognized him on the instant, and knew tbat he was there to save her. He. checked the words that rose on her tongue with a warning gesture and her voice sunk to a whisper. ‘Ah, I knew you would come. good angel. I shall be safe now.” His arm dropped lightly, protectingly, to her waist but his own lips never moved and he placed his finger upon hers while he bent fo ward to listen. It seemed to him that he heard the sounds of lightly dropping footsteps with-! out, in the corridor. To be discovered now meant desperate fighting and fearful danger. Not that he cared for himself; but he dreaded the risk for the girl he was striving to save. The fact of the case was that Quigly, still Youare my ‘nervously anxious, had stolen back to takea sly glance at the man whose escape, should it happen, would cost him dear. He looked in and there, with one hand oa the rope, uncertain whether to go or stay, stood Vernon. The guard did not comprehend, at once. Hi stood staring, and while he glared the prisoner suddenly made up his mind and sprung up- ward, catching the rope with both hands, Almost instantly be reached the aperture and was drawing himself in when Quigly fired and bounded forward. Into his very arms dropped the youg Eng- lishman with a quiver anda groan. It was a snap shot but it had gone very true. With the smoking revolver still in his hand Quigly staggered back, and then, turning, bounded into the corridor. As he reached it he found bimself face to face with Lightning Dick. Instantly two pistols went up and the two men had each other covered. Only, the young sport had his hammer back, Mart Quigly had not. And at that they held their hands. In this outlaw Lightning Dick recognized the man — that Vernon wished to preserve, and even in this moment of danger he hesitated to slay him, Quigly hesitated too; but from no such generous motive. He with the rest had heard of the men of the Alhambra, and the strange weapons they carried. In fact he had seen two comrades go down before him, even when he was dropping senseless from the treacherous shot of Judge Schneider. He understood the rope in Vernon’s cell—and he understood something more. To cock his weapon would. be his deatb-warrant; and even if he got in hi own work first the answering shot was sure to‘ come when the thumb of his foe, at the stroke, relaxed but a hair’s breadth. For a few seconds they stood thus facing each other. The Jong, slanting rays of the setting sun came drifting in through the open end of the corridor lighting up the face of tho outlaw, showing it white, set, desperate, and waiting. He knew the report of his pis‘c! would bring help. to turn, or his eyes to wander backward. Ee did not' see the eyes cf the sport drop to bis left hand, for at that moment his own wander- ed. A scream arose, and thenthe hoarse voice of the Bullion Boss: ‘Down with him, Quigly,, or bold him level a moment. The boys will be with you, and this cursed wild cat— I’ve left my tools—” Nellie was fighting like a panther. {> struggled and strack, though after that first cry no sound issued between her gleamiug teeth. It was a sharp struggle, but short. The outlaw gathered her wrists in one strong hand, and with the other bore ber toward the mouth of the passageway, through which had suddenly rolled shouts of dismay and the sounds of a couple of straggling shots. The weaponless belt of the chief told why he fel] back. And at that instant, with his eyes fixed in the mirror in the butt of his left-hand pistol, Lightning Dick threw his right hand up and JOO GoOmie S) He could hear seurryipg | footsteps already and he was waiting for Dick | (E(0)