Beadle's New York Dime Library, No. 194 — page 13: what you’re looking at

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when the “twin guards,’ Ce - — I found the negative in his possession. Once more I saw the hand of an enemy, for I be- lieved some one had sent her to the artist in order to secure a picture for a particular pur- ose, * Furthermore, the landlady’s son told me he saw the girl give one of the pictures to a man outside the house, and at that place I found well-defined footprints of heavy boots, “Then I called Mr, Turner into my service, and, after some time, he discovered that the maker of the tracks was Ben Braxton, the vil- lage loafer. So far, all was well, and it only remained to geet a confession from Braxton. “Mr. Turner suggested that he be made drunk and then questioned. The idea struck mo favorably, and these gentlemen were called into the case.” He turned to the young men, and one of them Jaughed and said: ‘‘Patber would make Rome howlif he knew we had been inside the Casino, but we went in a good cause and old Braxton was pumped dry,” hives asked him to tell the result of the at- tempt on Braxton, and he gave the story gra- phically. The Cavalier watched the Austins closely while Reynolds was talking, and he saw that they did not doubt his word. Wach face light- ened, and Laura, in particular, looked as though a heavy load had been lifted from her mind, Then they congratulated him on having cleared up the mystery, adding some statements which were less sincere. They had never told him they believed him guilty, and now the would have been rather more than human if they had not assured him they always thought him innocent. He took all these things for what they were worth, but, plainly seeing that be bad cleared his reputation, was perfectly satisfied with their manner, ‘Braxton took a good deal of trouble to play a trick upon you when he had s0 little object,” said Austin. ‘*My dear sir, there is still a mystery in the case, There. wassome one bebind the ruffian in the work, and thisman I propose to find. It may not be done at once, but, sooner or later, he shall be unmasked. Braxton was but a tool, but, even in his drunkenness, he was too shrewd to betray his master.” ; ‘Tt looks to me,” said Octavia, boldly, ‘fas though one of the persons ss 0tng y the mound that day irftentionally dropped the pic- ture. I do not see how it could be thrown so far from outside the fence.” ‘‘ And thosé present were Sheriff Roberts and ourselves,” said Laura. “You cast a suspicion on the sheriff by those “words,” said Austin, rather severely. ‘‘ Of course, he would not be guilty of such a thing.” ‘People. charge that he frees criminals when the give him money,” retorted Laura, “‘ and if that is so—” “ Assertion is one thing, proof another,” the judge frigidly interrupted. Rivers saw that it would not do to speak against his rival, so he skillfully piety the subject and a half-hour passed pleasantly, Only One person was ill at ease, This one was Horace Wilder, alias ‘‘ Cheerful Abe.” It had been a reckless piece of business for him to come to the house at all, but he bad run the risk, as he believed his disguise to be perfect, and he was not recognized efther as the ex-bare- back rider or the mound robber. He took care to talk but little, and then in a careful way, but the ladies, anxious that he should not think himself slighted, addressed several remarks to him, and he was kept on nettles. , * He was glad when Rivers said they would go, and still more pleased when once outside the door. ** Would you like to look at the mound, Abe?” asked the unsuspicious Cavalier. ‘‘They are working on it now to thwart another attempt from robbers.” ‘¢ Never mind, squire. I hey nodesire. Tombs an’ graveyards *in’t in my line,” Rivers smiled, and they were passing on : as Cheerful Abe named them, made their peal ga and while Dorval spoke to the Cavalier, the dog ran to the Triad leader’s side and began to introduce himbelf. The victim of his kindness was in agony. What if the keen-scented animal should discoy- er that he was the mound robber? The false beard at his throat grew hot and heavy at the thought, but he passed through the danger unscathed, : They left the grounds, separating outside the te, and as they went their way both indulged in a soliloquy. Wilder wiped the perspiration from his fore- head with a sigh. ‘Tt was a terrible trial, but I have come out with colors flying. I think that act my master- iece, but Iam glad I am off the stage. Tho t woman of the N. E. & C. circus always used to say 1 was ‘ bound to extinguish’ myself sooner or later, and I think that my greatest Se ee ET ee a er nr ee ea Sena Oe eee = EE Eee = Se € effort. But what would she sayif she knew handsome Cheerful Abe was longing to clasp her in his arms? Ha! hal” ae laughed merrily and went on toward the village. Rivers, striding homeward, was in a less joy- ous mood. His face was clouded and there was a pained look in his eyes. q “T could not have been more in earnest if I had been wishing to marry into the family,” he muttered; ‘* but some one has said that revenge is sweeter than love. Isit? [ came here to ruin this family, but her face makes me waver. Bah! Iam no longer a boy. Let me remember only my oath of vengeance. I must and will carry out my plan. I have sworn it!” CHAPTER XX. DON SOMBRERO’S WARNING, Mount TABOR was ablaze with excitement. On the evening after the events of the previous chapter, the stage which brought passengers and the mail to the village rolled into the place in a dismal and serious plight. The driver drew up before the post-office, in which building was also a hotel, and when the landlord asked him if he had any ‘‘ pilgrims,” he lugubriously pointed to the interior. ‘Thar is one thar ef he ain’t dead. He has gota lead pill in his side, and mebbe, he ain’t with us poor sinners now.” ** How did it happen” ‘* Don Sombrero,” was the brief reply. ** Good Lord!” said the landlord, in horror, “That ain’t all. The mail-bag is gone.” ‘¢ Thunderation !” The driver opened the door of the stage and found the pene still alive, but hadly wounded, hile he was being carried into the hotel, the driver was besieged by questioners, but he deigned no reply until he was safely inside the bar-room and “ loaded” with a glass of whisky. : Then he told the adventure in a thrilling way. The stage had been ha by Don Sombrero, who demanded all the valuables aboard, includ- ing the mail-bag. He, the driver, felt inclined to make a fight, but when he pulled the trigger of his revolver no report followed, and Hon Sombrero laughed spocking| . The weapon had been spiked, and the driver looking into the double-sixes of the road-agent, decided to be counted out. Not so the solitary passenger. He had money and pluck, and he wanted both for future reference. He tried a Creedmoor shot at Som- brero and missed, and then the latter covered ae target and dropped the lead in the man’s side. Having thus cleared the field, he confiscated whatever struck him as being ornamental or useful, bade them good-day and disappeared in a cloud of dust. Such was the driver’s story, and, as before said, it set Mount Tabor in a blaze, Don Som- brero as a robber had been bad enough, but when he went to shooting pilgrims and trifling with Uncle Sam’s mail, his offense grew too great for endurance, The news reached the ears of Sheriff Roberts in due time, and not long after, his placard was replaced by another, doubling the reward offered for Don Sombrero’s capture, and term- ing him an outlaw and assassin. oreover, the sheriff began to enlist recruits to go in search of the road-agent, and, with twenty men pledged to follow him, a general search was planned for the following day. That night nobody talked of peye except Don Sombrero, and one woman, hearing of the affair, grew sad-faced at the memory of a promise so soon broken. Octavia’s influence over the road-agent had been proved futile. That afternoon, Sheriff Roberts had called at Arcadia, and learning of the confession of Braxton, he ‘rightly interpreted the coldness he perceived in the manner of the three ladies and knew that not only had his plot failed, but that they had doubts of his innocence in the matter, ' He rode homein a savage mood, but he was not one to give up tamely and he swore to crush Theodore Rivers in one way or another. Anticipating the result, he sent a messenger to his rival uesting his presence at the search of the following day, but Rivers sent back a curt answer. ‘‘ Tell Sheriff Roberts,” he said, “that I am not a man-hunter. I leave that art to him.” It was a message which pleased the plotter, and he took pains to proclaim it publicly, ir- sinuating that the Cavalier sympathized with the road-agent, and trying his best to stir up a feeling against him. The next day came, and with it the man- hunt; but the searchers returned empty-handed —Don Sombrero was not found. That evening, however, the village was again stirred up and conclusive proof was given that the road-agent still lived. Some little time after dark, one of the vil- lagers was on his way to the Casino, when he heard the sound of a horse’s-hoofs behind him. He looked around and saw a man galloping toward him, but thought nothing strange of it until he reined in at his side and spoke sharply: ‘ Don Sombrero, the California Road Gent. a _-them to this spot. cll ce ttm gat tt tt LC it 13 “Tom Gassett!” The man looked around again and then a. thrill of alarm ran throu h him. He saw a muscularly-built individual, in a serape and’ big hat, with a mask over his face, and though he bad never seen Don Sombrero before, he had d no trouble in recognizing this man to be he, **Do you know me?” continued the rider, ‘“‘1—T believe I do.” | “You were hunting for me to-day, and now I have come to you.” ‘“‘T only went with the crowd,” Gassett de- clared, alarmed lest the road-agent intended to seek revenge. . ne “Oh! you needn’t be alarmed. I am not thirsting for your blood, but I want you to do meafavor. ‘Trot along at my horse’s head.” Gassett dared not refuse. He had revolvérs in bis belt, but he had no desire to try titles with Don Sombrero. ; He promptly obeyed, and his companion led ° | the way to-the spot where Sheriff Roberts’s placard was posted. | “Do you see that bill-board?’ the robber asked, ‘* Yes. but I had no hand—” he “Tt offers a reward for the capture of Don, | Sombrero, dead or alive, and accuses him of sundry crimes. Now, I am going to put my card beside it, after which I want you to go to the Casino and bring out the crowd to read it. Will you do so?” ‘‘ Certainly,” the man answered. ° The road-agent produced a piece of paste- . board, a hammer and nails, and began to deftly post his notice beside Roberts’s. Gassett looked warily around. The outlaw was in their midst and ought not to escape, but, as luck would have it, no one except themselves were around just then, and he did not care to buck against bim alone, He began to hope he was to get clear without bodily harm, but the boldness of the robber in: thus entering in the lion’s den was most amaz- in . . a There, that is done,” Don Sombrero com- mented. ‘‘ Now, precede me to the Casino and call out the pe I'll give them a good look at me and then skedaddle, but I want you to lead. See?” “Oh, yes.” . **On to the Casino, then.” It was not far to the saloon, but Gassett felt as though he was treading on eggs and he was glad enough when it was reached, “Now, go in and tell them that Don Sombrero is outside,” said the road-agent, as he halted a few yards from the door. | Gassett walked moderately until near the _ door and then darted in like a boy fleeing from the darkness; but he was once more himself | when inside, and he quickly made known the fact that Don Sombrero was in the village and on exhibition. Instantly bottles and cards were dropped a the crowd flocked to the door. There, just far enough away to be safe from their revolvers, he was calmly sitting on his | black horse, and the villagers paused in amaze- \ ment. “Good night, gents!” Don Sombrero shouted, ; and then, like a flash, the gallant horse sprung 4 away, and his master waved one hand as he | receded, . A half dozen futile shots followed him, but no one evinced a disposition to pursue. In- stead, when Gassett mentioned the lately-posted . placard, they surged to that place and all were . | soon reading the notice. ' | *“ READ AND REFLECT, i wg “Know all men by this pasteboard, that Don Som- brero is still at the helm, He comes of an eniiemi that can't be caught without close n’ti think him as bad as he seems, and don’t you get any false doctrines into your heads. The atta | stage was not made by the original Don Sombrero, — but by a base coward and ruffian who was a wolfin an eagle's clothing. Thisis to warn that manthat _ he shall pay the penalty of his crime to the death, and to warn all Mount Taborites not to harboror > trust him in the name of the author of this card, ~ Take one, Don SOMBRERO." CHAPTER XXL OCTAVIA AND THE ROAD AGENT, Tur crowd read this notice to the endin rilence, and then all i eak at once, = “Wal, ef that ain't the cheekiest thing out!” o said one, in amazement. oe “The varmint is a cool cuss, anyway,” said " Dick Meeker. ‘‘He took my dust away,onct | upon a time, but [ actually begin ter admire him. Thar ain’t many menthet would hev ther | courage ter ride right inter ther town like he did.” / “Tt seems somebody has be’n stealin’ his } thunder,” said Cheerful Abe. ‘He repudiates =| the stage robbery.” : “That is all rubbish, 0’ course,” said Ben Braxton. ‘He don’t want ter be hung fur murder, so he tries ter shift ther blame off his =| shoulders.” ook . “J’m rather inclined ter ther opinion ther critture told ther truth.” ‘¢; ** Don’t you believe it, Abraham. It’stooold a dodge ter work in Mount Tabor,” a, % — ———— ‘<_) : : ' Ebooksco (E(©) m