Beadle's Dime Library No. 199 — page 19: what you’re looking at

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

; f 8 - A — — a —e—e ee oe ae er a “Because they came in to kill me.” “She heap big devil. She got forked tongue.” “Well, my own opinion of her was not a very exalted one, but ’'ve changed it some. I came many miles to kill Captain Halfhand. He left his wife and children to go with this woman. I did believe she gave them bad medicine, but since I have seen how brave she is, I think I have been wrong.” ‘‘My white brother must not be like little boy. He too quick, If he ride slow, bed whites no lasso him.’ “You are right, Big Medicine, I know I got myself into this scrape very foolishly, but it to throw the cadavers down a well-like cavity | seems to me I had better get out of here as fast which you will find in that corner. as I gotin. The white squaw told me to throw “These are the last of Halfhand’s loyal fol- these carcasses into that hole over there, but if lowers.” And, pointing to the well, the Queen | we are going to crawl out, it’ is not worth aking the sou SEER on Soe eee re Do as bad squaw say,” said the Kioway. ‘*Come, throw down fast. Got no time for big CHAPTER XXIV. talk.” | At a loss as to the Indian’s intentions, but TEE SIOWAY OF ‘TH, | knowing that he must rely upon bis red friend’s For full five minutes Diamond Dick stood, | judgment, Dick proceeded to assist him in the with his arms fog dS oe left ors ins Secte sissdtiace? tia emi alee handles abial witnesse e daring bravery o is | e last o a -sta: coteieeeie woman, when she had ‘defended | removed from the sight of man forever, Big him in the basin; but her utter disregard for | Medicine whirled about and asked: _ ber own life, and the wonderful skill she had | ‘Will my white brother play with rattle- just Sangria B yg af revolvers, rer ete d yo | qo weaR seeks a Wee in oubt 1f such a@ woman cou e the : af is a singular qu , mm poe ME destroyer of the holpless. The Wo- | think there must be a hidden meaning init, I man in Black was indeed an enigma; and, if | must say, however, that I do not. Why do was LAT peactibed aucress tiika fe hat ove? : or Black cloth squaw, she rattlesnake. Some- dreament of, time she bite Diamond Dick. She bite heap Dick doubted much, however, if the bandits | white people.” who were under her control, would pass lightly | “How do you know this?’ asked the young over the death of their ners in crime. man. ‘* Big Medicine under bed. Hear squaw talk standin poaraye, weapons in hand, sent the rattlin ° isc of her revolvers ringing through the arched passages, followed by the heavy fall of the outlaws, one by one, upon the stone floor. ; Not one was left te exult over their desperate attempt to avenge their comrades who had been slain in the canyon and the basin. Speaking coolly and calmly, Lucile said, as she collected the arms of the slain, and thrust them into her belt: ‘‘ Make yourself at home George McClellan. { will have these carcasses removed—but, stay ; it would be more prudent, I dare say, for you ———— j At the end of the time mentioned, the door | again opened, and the Wild Cat Queen again | heap when Dick gee Say she kill Chief Half- appeared, somewhat agitated in voice and | hand wife. Kill Halfhand pappooses. Say she manner, | kill Diamond Dick if he no stay and be chief of ‘*T find,” she said, ‘‘ that my men ‘are drink- | Wild Cats.” , ing deep, and I think it best they should not “Did you hear her say all of that while I was know of this shedding of blood in your defense. | asleep?’ demanded our hero. I shall be obliged to use great judgment in my ‘**Hear all that talk. Hear talk when she orders to them, while they are excited by | wake Dick up. Make Dick heap big fool. Come, drink, or I may lose all authority, and the con- Big Medicine tongue not forked. Show black sequences might be serious. , cloth squaw in rocks when she alone, Moebbe “There isa wire hanging near the right of | so she talk more. She heap bad. Dick keep the lounge yonder; and, should anything occur, | still.” you have only to pull it, and I will come to “Lead on. ll besilent. Is Halfhand Acad?” your assistance. May our next meeting be un-| ‘No, Big Medicine only shoot horse. Know der more hopeful circumstances;” and, with a | Diamond Dick want scalp, so no kill.” most fascinating smile, the beautiful woman “Where is he?” again closed and locked the door upon him. - ““Mebbe so in cave. Mebbe so in canyon.” So strange and tragic had been the experience “Good! Ill have his life yet. Lead on!” of the young man since his arrival in Big Medi- Taking a candle from the table, the Kioway, cine City, hat it seemed more like a horrid | followed by Dick, crawled under the lounge, removed a stick that upheld it, and then low- ered the heavy piece of furniture to its former ition. This done, Big Medicine crept a short distance | and then stood erect, and Dick, to bis surprise, found that the back of the lounge concealed a | cavity in the wall, which opened into a winding passage Following this for some distance the ndian left the candle, and making a gesture of caution, grasped the hand of Dick, and led him around the eurve in the passage. Here they halted, for a ray of light fell direct- ly in front of them from a small hole in the rock, and they heard the sound of a human dream than a reality. Turning toward the lounge, with a feeling that he would again seek the repose he so much needed, let danger threaten as it might, he suddenly fancied that something was different in its appearance. He looked closely. All was as he had left it: hee by some inexplicable magnetism, Dick felt positive that some living being was present—that he was no longer alone with the dead! He had not long to wait in suspense. Slowly one end of the [ponderous couch was elevated, | but the skin drapery concealed the cavity from view. Grasping a large bottle in each hand, the | voice. outh prepared to defend himself, but the next | The Kiowa gave a low hiss by way Of cau- Instant he replaced bis novel weapons and gave | tion. a low, joyous laugh, for slowly rising from the end of the lounge was the ar he and plumed | filled with astonishment at the sight before head of Big Medicine. The Indian sprung up- | him. right as he caught sight of his white friend, | It was an apartment furnished with great and held up his band with a gesture of caution. | taste and elegance, when the fact was taken He then stalked forward, extending it in into consideration that the cave was so far greeting. : _ | from the haunts of men; but this held his at- “My white brother lives in the rocks. His tention but an instant, for Lucile Luzerne, the lodge wa: closed, but Big Medicine crawled | bandit queen, was pacing back and forth, her under.” eyes blazing, and her clinched fist beating the ‘““And I am réjoiced to see you, my fred | alr. friend. I heard your war-cry at the Saat | She had evidently but just returned to her and thought you might be on the trail; but | room, after striving to keep ber followers from how,in the name of wonder, did you gain an | too deep indulgence, and making some excuse entrance into the stronghold of the Wild Cats?” | for the absence of those who had been killed. ‘‘ Big Medicine is not a fool. He is not blind. Filled with madness as she recalled the words He knows the holes of the mountains. He has | of Diamond Dick, and the manner in which she been here before the bad white men. He is | had humiliated herself to him, notwithstanding not a wolf o1 a snake, but he can craw] in the | the fact that he was in her power at the time, rocks ” | she burst out into a perfect torrent of words ‘And I am not slow, myself, in that line.” | that at once showed her real character. said Dick; “so if you will lead the way, I'l| “Curse him! Yes, curse him! though I love follow.” him madly! Curse the fool for storning such a At this moment the Kioway caught a view | love as mine! A!though I am ten times worse of the dead outlaws, and with a guttural | than his worst suspicions would make me, he “Ugh,” his hand went to the bilt of his knife. | has no proof of anything he alleges, I detested ‘Don’t mind them, Big Medicine,” said the | Katharine Holbrook for her want of spirit, but young man ‘they are dead as door-nails.” it was a black day that I conceived the thought **'Who kill?” of drugging her and her children. There was * Well, I don’t know how much hand I had | no need of the crime, for we could have easily in it. The Queen of the Wild Cats shot them.” | made our escape without it. If she had driven “+ 0 she?” me from ber home, or shown the least spark of “The Woman in Black. You saw her at the | anger; if she had fought for her rights, as she basin.” should have done, I would have let her live. “ White squaw in warrior’s clothes?” Holbrook had refused to leave his home and ‘‘Justso. She’s chief of the whole outfit.” family, and I resolved that there should be no “Big Medicine know. She heap brave squaw. | home for him. But no proof can be brought Why white squaw kill her own warriors? against me. Slow poison undermined the nervy- Dick placed his eye to the hole, and was ick, the Dandy from Denver. eae = = SS SS aS es. eee 1 9 _——— ous forces in their systems, and sent Katharine to an asylum, soon after to die, but not before her children were all under the sod. So I ¢e- cured him and his money. ‘‘Ha! ha! George McClellan, I have done much for mere revenge in this world. Many that have stood in my way, have mysteriously gone to their graves; but none ever dared to brave me, to insult me as you have done, re- gardless of my having saved your life! “But ‘pon shall pay dear for it. You shall yet worship me—grovel at my feet, and kiss the very earth I tread upon. I love you too madly now, to cause you one bitter thought; but the day will come when that love will die out, and yours will kindle into a flame that will consume our blood. “Tl bide my time; win you by fair means or foul, and make you a bandit. The feeling that now controls me will turn to murderous hate, if trampled upon; and then, woe be unto you! But I must rest now, and then find Halfhand, and allow Dick to gratify his revenge. What has come over me? I'd risk my life a thousand times for him; and then torture him to death, if be should look kindly another woman. lf ITcould but find that lores! Td cut out her tongue, and burn out her eyes, and then starve ber to death! Curses on it! I shall go mad, if George McClelland again repulses me. He shall love—he must !” The Woman in Black sunk upon her couch, and all was still. As the youth stood and listened to her bozst- ing of ber fearful crimes, naught but the fre- quent ek of the Kioway restrained him from betraying his presence to her. As all became silent, Big Medicine drew Dick * —a a along the passage, around the curve, and taking up his candle again, he beckoned his white friend forward. Another passage was traversed, when the In- dian again drew the attention of his companion to another aperture in the wall, from which darted an arrow of bright light. Shading the candle with his hand for a moment, he placed it behind a projection of the rock. Wondering what new surprise awaited him, Dick peeped throu h the hole, and could searce suppress a cry of horror; for the first object that met his view was Captain Halfhand! He would not have recognized the outlaw chief, but for the huge silver clasp which fast- tened his belt. His clothing was in shreds, his face scratched and bleeding, and his eyes blazed like those of a balf-starved beast. He was crouched upon the floor of a small cave-chamber, and in front of him was a mass of gold coin and jewelry, which he was fast de- positing in buckskin bags. Big Medicine did not permit Dick to lirger here; but, grasping the candle, be led the way back through the passage until at a safe distance, when the red-man spoke: ‘Diamond Dick has seen many things, His eyes are open. He must wait here. The bad white men watch from the rocks. Big Medi- cine will go bring Square Sim and his braves. When dark comes, Big Medicine lead them here, D:amond Dick will be free. He will be safe.” “Must I stay here inactive?” asked Dick, angrily. ‘Big Medicine has spoken. If my brother goes out when the sun shines, he lose bis scalp,” “T tell you I shall go wild if I have to re- main in this underground lay-out! Captain Halfhand is going to skip with bis gold. The villain knows very well that his game is up.” “ Big Medicine eyes sharp. e will watch. Captain Halfband shall die. He is my white brother enemy.” “He must die a death of torture at my hands!” said Dick. “I begin to fear there is a chance of my being ruled out of the game. But go, and call out the citizens. I can take care of hep ll With a parting word of further caution, Medicine, handed a knife to Dick, and vanished. Upon finding himself thus alone: the youth was at a loss what to do, or which way to go. He knew that be was in danger of getting los in the windings of the passage for it seem certain that the mountain was filled with cay- erns. He was now at the very point in the rear of the lounge, and he made up bis mind to enter the apartment in which he had been con-— fined, and procure some food and drink, to brace himself up for the hot work that he felt eats to come, ai he , ving the candle the passage, as he would not need it, he the lounge, placed the stick in position, and crawled into the bril- liantly lighted room. blood-stains on the floor reminded him of his past peril. Hastily satisfying bis appetite, and swallowing a goblet of wine, Dick started to re- turn to the passage; but, before he reached the ee a series of wild yells sounded from ond the door, against which some heavy ete was ait Bad: at force. coat e darted quickly to the lounge, crawled une der, and lowered it to the usual , tid. th He was not a moment too soon; for, as he lay outstretched beneath it he heard the door inward upon the rock floor, amid the furious - com <S All was as he had Jeft it. Naught but the . com. 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