Beadle's New York Dime Library, No. 197 — page 21: what you’re looking at

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

' Revolv r Rob, 10 two ifficul- base as was the heart of the man who concocted | expire in a spasm of remorse ere he could clear | him to find the trail by which she bad entered grew the foul scheme!” she exclaimed, angrily frown- | you.” é the canyon. eared ing at the unconscious schemer. ‘“‘She shall She yielded’ far more readily than Dashing “Tl jest straddle my old mule, fer somehow ained never see it—never know that it had an exist- | Della had dared hope, falling back, only utter- | my head feels bigger’n it would ef I'd bin given ence, I will destroy it, and tell her that the | ing in a hoarse whisper: wrastlin’ with the toughest kind o’ old budge villain was lying from first to last—” ‘So ho speaks, I care not how—but I must | fer a month o’ Sundays,” said Barnacle Bill, lorse, She paused abruptly, even while in the act of | have the truth.” with a parting wave of his hand, then disap- Lhead rending the blood-stained paper, for she now Dashing Della bent over the shattered form, | pearing from the view of Pet, whose eyes were saw the mistake into which she had so nearly | finding the wretch still alive, though uncon- | streaming with tearsof thankfulness that this holds fallen. scious, and as she more fully comprehended | rough diamond had in some miraculous manner ‘‘The poor child would never be convinced | the nature and extent of his injuries, she the | escaped the death which until now she believed iting that it was allalie. She would livein constant | more plainly saw to what a poor, frail hope the | had claimed him. 1 its dread of the paper’s turning up to condemn | little woman was clinging. Each minute that For the time being she forgot Jasper Quigley, then her, when least expected. No—better a keen | he lived, was a marvel—if he ever spoke a | and rising, hastened down the canyon to meet , the ang now, and then along rest from that haunt- | lucid sentence again, it would be a miracle, Barnacle Bill. His rude conduct of a short ! ing fear. She shall see the paper, read it, and Still she could not dash that last hope into | time before was forgotten, and she only re- tlee- then destroy it with her own hands. That will | the dust of utter despair, and turning to the | membered his gallant rescue of her in which he she be the best, the surest way.” eager girl-woman, she said; had so nearly sacrificed his life. From a drunken Thrusting the document into her pocket, ‘*He is unconscious, but he still lives. You | boor, he was transformed into a hero, and at the Dashing Della turned away from thespot where | must not hope too much, for he is terribly in- | that moment Pet Flamsteed was perilously ttle Jasper Quigley lay, caring little now how soon | jured, and death may come to his relief at any | near to falling in love with the giant. death might put an end to his sufferings, and | moment—” She reached the foot of the trail just as Bar- hastened back to where she had left Pet Flam- ‘Not until he has spoken—not until he has | nacle Bill gained the top, mounted on a scraggy steed. cleared my fair name before the whole world!” | little mule, his feet sls dragging on the The little woman was just recovering from | impetuously cried Pet, her eyes ablaze, her | ground, his blood-stained face, his soiled clothes, lief her fainting fit, and looked eagerly but silently | face that of one half-crazed. his ragged, bristling hair and beard, making ‘he into the face of the fair gambler as she ap- For a moment Dashing Della stood irresolute, | him an object far more fit for ridicul: than ler proached. at a loss what to do or say, but then a sturdy | romantic affection. But Pet Flamsteed had rin Without a word Dashing Della stooped and | common-sense came to her rescue, and she be- | learned that under all this was hidden a heart rd placed the document with its tell-tale blood- | lieved she saw a way out of the dilemma. of true gold, big as all out-doors, and her greet- at stains into her trembling band, then turned ‘“There is one chance: the skill of a surgeon | ing was _so warm that the poor giant blushed rs. away with a thoughtfulness that did her credit, | may restore him to consciousness, for a time, | clear back of his cars. ' nr, nor did she turn again until Pet Fiamsteed ut- | long enough for our purpose, perhaps. At any ‘“* Thank heaven you are still living!” she ex- ne tered her name. rate, it is the best we can do. If you could | claimed, taking one of his hairy paws in both e ‘You found thison—on him? You have read | finl your way to town and bring Dr. Wat- | of hers and pressing it to her lips before Bar- ‘h it?” kins—” nacle Bill could draw it away. ‘Thank God **'Yes, to both questions,” was the swift re- “To find him dead, perhaps, on my return? that your death does not lie at my door, as I feared!” 2 ply. “Bat it was not through idle curiosity | No—you must go—pardon me, lady,” she said, g that [Tread it. I wished to make sure that the | piteously, with a sense of shame at the rude ‘* Now den’t—don’t ye, now, little gal—I r right paper had been fouad. Youmay not care | sound of her speech. ‘‘Il am half mad, and | mean anngelifferous madam,” stammered the r to hear it, but | cannot help saying that I feel | hardly know what I am saying. I meant if | giant, turning pale and trembling like a leaf, : that that charge is as false as it is foul. I be- | you would be so kind as to do me thisservice—” | with a furtive glance over his shoulder, as ] lieve that Jasper Quigley forged it from head- The soft palm of the blonde siren gently | though meditating speedy flight. ‘‘ You make ‘came into the face o ‘light in her eyes. ing to signature!” Pet Flamsteed smiled faintly as she extended her hand, to have it warmly clasped between both of Dashing Della’s, but the depth of woe in her dark eyes deepened rather than grew faded away as she said: ‘Tam grateful for your good opinion—more grateful than words can express, just now, for such stanch friends bave proved very rare in m experience. Though even the worst of them all never dared to put their suspicions into plain words, their cold, suspicious stares and thinly-vailed innuendoes were even harder to bear, for there was no way of defending one- self against such.” ‘*But all that is past, now. You hold the only thing that could possibly be brought against you—” ‘** How can I be sure of that? You know not what a very demon of cunning and malignancy Jasper Quigley has shown himself. e may have laid a score of traps for me, on the faint chance of my escaping from the blows he meant to deal in person. He may have some copies of this—” ** Forgeries of a forgery—” Dashing Della stop short as a strange look the hunted girl-woman. “You are wrong; this is no forgery, but a genuine document, with every word, every line written by the hand of my murdered hus- band,” was the startling announcement. ‘“ Ay! genuine, yet false as hel] itself! The charge of a half-insane man, but of one who fully believed in the truth of what he wrote, for be what his other faults might, Martin Wesley would not knowingly lie, to save his own soul!” Abruptly ceasing, Pet Flamsteed bowed her head in her lap, her frailform shaken with tear- less sobs. **The merciless fiend!” grated Dashing Della, her fair face transfigured into thatan avenging dess. ‘It was ali his work—the feul schem- ng of Jasper Quigley! Thank Heaven that he did not find instant death—that he still lives to “‘ Lives—Jasper Quigley still alive?’ ejacu- lated Pet Flamsteed, springing to her feet, all signs of weakness gone. He was when I left him—alive, though un- conscious—” ‘Quick! take me to him!” panted the little woman, her voice boarse gnd unnatural, a wild ‘He must not die until he has confessed all! He must be made toclear me of this foul charge—to tell the truth, even though he dies with the last word still warm on his perjured lips!” Dashing Delia was on the point of telling her what a slender chance of Jasper Quigley ever speaking a rational word agam, but held her eace as she saw that Pet Flamsteed was in no fit mental condition now te listen to words of reason, and silentiy Jed the way back to where the evii wretch had met with such a fitting re- tribution. Her mind worked rapidly, and when the spot was reached, she gently but firmly restrained the half-crazed girl-woman, saying: ‘Not you, unless you would destroy the last faint hope of learning the truth from bis vile lips ere death forever seals them. Should he see and recognize you now, he would either die mute, bugging his revenge to his bosom, or else | Della, when Pet Flamstee touched her lips, cutting short the trembling speech. ‘*T will go, on this condition: that you do not touch him, do not speak to him unless you see that his consciousness has fully returned. It is for your own good that I make this pro- viso. I would not have you destroy what faint hope there yet remains of learning the whole truth from this wretch.” “‘I promise—I will be cool and calm, for no one else knows how much depends on his full confession. But go—hasten, or he may die ere you can return!” Softly touching her warm lips to the cold and clammy brow of the little woman, and pressing a loaded revolver into her hand, Dashing Della mounted the horse’ which had followed them of its own accord, and rode down the canyon as rapidly as the nature of the difficult trail would permit, leaving Pet Flamsteed alone with the mangled wretch who had done his worst to blight her young life. It was a long and terrible vigil—one that was never to be forgotten while she lived. At every gasping moan, she would start forward and bend over the mangled mass,heping to find him with consciousness restored sufficiently to comprehend ber are only to fall back again, with the old, sickening despair racking her heart and brain. It seemed an age, though rani an hour had elapsed since the departure of Dashing was startled by a sound from the hights above, and glancing up she beheld a human face, stained and streaked with blood, peering over the escarpment of the west wall. ‘* Back-fin up an’ tail a-wigglin’—waal J ber- durned !” A wild, choking ery escaped the ashen lips of the little womam at the sight of that face —the face of Barnacle Bill—of the man whom she believed dead! For the moment she felt that his ghost had come back to haunt her, so shaken was her mind, but those familiar words drove the mad fancy from her brain, and changed her cry of terror to one of heartfelt thanksgiving that reached the ears of the Wall- eyed Pike o’ tbe Peak, and by directing his goggle-eyes to where she crouched, called forth that emphatic ejaculation. ‘“ Ef it ain’t the anngelifferous madam number two, call me a tappin’ snorkle!” exclaimed Barnacle Bill, in a very life-like voice, bis pop- eyes protruding further than ever. ‘“ Did ye fly down thar with your own wings, or just fioated down on a cobweb? Kin old Wall-eye be of any sarvice? Ef so, shet your eyes, fer down I come, head-fo’most, like a bhop-toad in | a pud-muddle!” F ‘‘No—no!” cried Pet, motioning him back. ‘Yon will kill yourself—if you are still liv- ing—” ‘ You never see a gar-fish more livelier than me,” laughed the giant, though his voice was faint and husky, very unlike his usual sonorous tones. ‘But mebbe it would make a ugly muss, and mebbe spile my Sunday-go-to meet- in’s; so ef you kip play the sign-board fer once, an’ tell me how to find some other way, reckon I'll try that instid.” In as few words as possible the little woman gave him the necessary directions to enable me feel all over in spots, when you talk that-a- way! I acted the p’izen fool, an’ though it was bad whisky done it, that don’t mike me any the less to blame, an’ I humbly ax your pardin fer it all.” ° ‘* No—it was I that was foolish, to take alarm so easily and you made amends a thousand times over when you rescued me from what would have been certain death but for your gallant defense—and that after our shameful treatment—” ‘Lord love ye, anngelifferous madam, it saved me a heap o’ trouble, fer I was jest look. in’ fer a barber, and now the job’s done—an’ mighty well done, too!” said Barnacle Bill, but there was a doleful echo in his tones as he rubbed his remnant of beard. Further speech was cut sbort by the rapid rattle of iron-shod hoofs en the rocks above, and the next minute Dashing Della came into view, at the head of half a dozen horsemen. Eagerly Pet Flamsteed looked for the well- known face of the surgeon, but it was not to be seen, and Dashing Della hurriedly explained. She had met these men before reaching Nugget. Camp, and sending one man on to bring the doctor, she turned back with the others, for, though she did not say so then, she had no ye? of finding Jasper Quigley alive. bis much she said, then turned to Barnacle Bill, who had to undergo another short period of torture—for such indeed to him were the warm thanks and apologies which he was pelted with, greatly against his wish. But Dashing Della was far more practical than Pet Flamsieed had shown herself, end remembered that only a short time before she had pronounced this man dead, with a bullet through bis heart, and insisted on looking at the wound. Barnacle Bill yielded so far as letting one of the men do the inspecting, and great was the wonder when the bullet-bole directly over bis heart was matched by another at bis back. To all seeming that vital organ had been perforated by the missile, yet here the giant was, still alive and apparently but little the worse for wear! It was foriunate, perbaps, tbat Dr. Watkins arrived at this juncture, and despite her anxiety te return to the aid of Jasper Quigley, Pet Flamsteed insisted on his first attending to the injuries of Barnacle Bill. Then it was found that the bullet, breaking a rib, bad glanced around, emerging at the back, making a severe but not mortal wound. The terrible shock had caused a death like syncope for the time being. The surgeon refused to give his opinion of Quigley, but had a_ horse-litter formed, the mangled wretch placed in it, and vhen the little cavalcade started for Nugget Camp. Con- trary to all expectations, the man lived to reach town, CHAPTER XVI. | REVOLVER ROB IN HIS GLORY. ' For the last hour or two the level stretch of ground which bounded Nugget Camp on the east had echoed with the rapidly succeeding re- ports of fire-arms, until it seemed as though a constant succession of duels were being fought, but an investigation would have proved that’ Ebooks Eom - = (El)