Beadle's New York Dime Library No. 209 — page 21: what you’re looking at

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

a ee _ i? = ~ —— seers soon as you finish the ceremony, or a bullet for 00 if you refuse to do the job, and you may ke your choice.” “There seems to be no choice for me in that, and I suppose I must goon. Have the kindness to stand up with the lady. Your name, I be- lieve, is Manuel Vincente. What is her name?” “Rose Warren,” Rose was astonished, not at the brutality of her cousin-in-law, but at the weakness and lack of nerve of the alleged clergyman, “Do you really mean to say, sir,” she began, ‘that you, a minister of the gospel—” Buta cre change had come over Ryder—a etae that riveted the gaze of all present upon im. His body swayed as he stood there, and he reeled like a drunken man, his arms extended, and his hands grasping at the air. His face turned ashy pale, and its muscles contracted until the contortions were hideous, His lips were blue, he was foaming at the mouth, and his eyeballs rolled wildly in their sockets. **He’s got a fit!” exclaimed one of the men. This man and another one ran to his assist- ance; but, before they could reach him, he fell heavily upon the hard floor of the mine, Rose shrieked as she thought that he was about to fall into the fire; but that danger was avoided, and he dropped near it. There he lay in a heap, seemingly without sense or the power of motion. ‘“‘This is the cussedest luck of all,” said Manuel. ‘Just when every ene was ready. Do you understand fits, Jim Brady? What can we do for him?” *¢ Jest nothin’ at all but wait till he comes out of it,” replied Brady. ‘“* How long will that take?’ **Can’t say fur sartin. Ive knowed some of ’em to be laid out for hours on a stretch.” ‘*Thunderation! Do all you can for him Jim. It is of the greatest importance that he should be brougkt to his senses as soon as possible.” There was a quizzical look on Parmenas Pratt’s face, as if he fancied himself to be ‘‘death on fits;” but it was not bis cue to afford any aid to the enemy, and it was evident that the blow that struck down Wesley Ryder had given relief to Rose Warren. Jim Brady did all he could do; but he was not a fit doctor, and the stricken man still lay on the rocky floor, stretched out as if in death, but giving evidence of existence by his stertor- ous breathing and the occasional twitching of his limbs. ** This is too infernal bad!” exclaimed Manuel Vincente, with an oath. “Strange that the cussed idiot couldn’t find any time but this to take a fit. Something is always happening to upset my plans. I wonder what has become of uncle Pedro, He ought to have been here long ago with a priest or somebody. If he leaves me in the lurch I will know how to make him suffer for it.” Pedro Rosalba still failed to iy in an appear- ance, and Wesley Ryder still lay insensible on the rocky floor, and Manuel’s wrath kept in- creasing until it rose to a white heat. ‘‘T mean to have revenge upon somebody,” he said at last. ‘‘ Here, Moreno, you and two others take that show fellow outside and attend to him.” ; ‘What is it that we are to do?” asked Moreno. ‘‘Do what Senor Rosalba told you to do. You don’t mean to say that you have forgotten that ? When you have settled his case come back and report.” ‘‘ What do you mean to do?’ asked Rose, as two men laid hands on Parmenas Pratt. “I hope you are not going to harm that gentleman merely because he isa friend of mine. What wrong has he ever done you?” “Plenty of wrong,” replied Manuel, ‘It was he who persuaded my uncle and aunt to go to see his cursed show, and then he put up some lying pictures that were meant to drive them crazy. I don’t know who backed him in that; but he was responsible for it, and uncle Pedro hates him, and we mean to get even with him, if with nobody else.” The three men dragged Pratt away, and Rose sat down and wept. Half an hour passed, and the man in a fit opened his eyes, sat up, and looked wildly around. ‘Where am I?” he asked. ‘‘ What does this mean? What has happened?’ ; ‘** You have hada fit, and have been laid out here for ever so long,” replied Manuel, hasten- ing to his side. : “Yes, I suppose so. I am subject to fits. Excitement is apt to bring them on.” ; “You shouldn’t get excited, then, especially when there is important business to attend to. How do you feel now? Are you ready to go on with that ceremony?’ “Not yet. There is something the matter with my head, and I am very weak. Let me rest.” , Ryder dropped back on the floor of the mine abate and fell into a state of seeming insen- sibility. | - “This is too cursed bad,” said Manuel. “I eee ee eee _ - Seis ~~ --—— uck Farley, the Bonanza Prince. 21 would like to know how long it is going to last. Give him some whisky, Jim, and try to bring him to time.” Jim Brady put his flask to Ryder’s lips, and tried to force some liquor into his mouth; but the effort was a failure. “You'll have to let him lie thar till he gits over it,” said Brady. ‘‘Thar ain’t anythin’ else to do that I know of.” Manuel paced the dark chamber impatiently, muttering to himself, and occasionally ejecting an oath. Rose Warren remained seated, with her hands clasped, and the expression of her face showed that she was wondering. Wondering at the providential occurrences that had given her respite after respite, and wondering what doom was intended for her faithful friend, Par- menas Pratt. So the time passed, slowly but ecg Night settled down upon the outside world, but there was no change in the interior of the abandoned mine. Manuel Vincente came to the fire, and gazed gloomily into the failing embers. Some of his comrades were snoring, and others were nodding. “TI can’t stand this any longer,” he said. “‘Something must be done. Where are Moreno and those two men? They ought to have come back long ago. They have had plenty of time to settle that fellow’s case.” ** It is settled !” Flame and smoke flashed up from the fire, as if gunpowder had been thrown upon it. anuel started back, and saw Parmenas Pratt standing before him, with a cocked re- volver in his hand. CHAPTER XXVIII. NUMBER THREE THE astonishment of Manual Vincente was complete, and he stared opea-eyed at the man before him. ‘** Who are you?” he exclaimed, with an oath. ** How did you get here? What does this mean?” **It means,” calmly replied Pratt, “that the game is played out, and that you bave lost,” The voice was not that of a ghost, and the cocked revolver could not be mistaken for any- thing unearthly. It was unquestionably the ex-showman who had appeared there so mys- teriously; but he was only one man, and there were large odds against him. “Hi! you fellows!” roared Manuel. ‘‘ Wako up, and look alive!” A hand was laid heavily on his shoulder. He turned, and found himself face to face with Wesley Ryder, who grasped the collar of his coat firmly with his left hand, while with his right he pressed the muzzle of a pistol against his forebead. : “If you utter another word,” said the cler- ical gentleman, “ orif either of those men lifts a finger, off goes the top of your head!” The Mexican’s comrades, thoroughly aroused, had started up at the sound of his voice; but they fell back before the sight that presented itself to their gaze. Besides Pratt and Ryder, they were faced by ten men who had arisen as if from the rock, Each of these ten men was clothed in green and each wore a green mask, and nothin could be clearer than the fact that they bad “the ih on their antagonists. “The Green Guard, thank God!” exclaimed Rose, who had as a matter of habit dropped her vail some time before, but could easily see what sort of succor had arrived so opportunely. Manuel Vincente, dazed and speechless, was quickly bound, and his comrades were dis- armed and guarded. ‘“*Now, Mr. Pratt,” said the leader of the Green Guard, ‘‘ you will take this lady back to Warneton as soon as possible. You will find horses outside. If this gentleman,”—bowin to Ryder—‘ will accompany you, you wil have a sufficient escort.” “Perhaps a word of explanation,” suggested der— of Pardon me, sir, but nothing of the kind is needed. Please go at once, as we have some business with these meu that does not admit of delay.” Pariietiag Pratt gave his arm to Rose, and ed tig up the dark ascent, followed by Wesley yder. An hour after the event last recorded ten members of the Green Guard were grouped near the edge of Death Gulch, close to the hangmuan’s tree that stretched an ominous arm out over the fearful chasm. Again the moon shone upon them, and again one man stood in the midst of the group of dark forms, bound, and with a rope around his neck. This time the victim was Manuel Vincente. was no longer confident audacious, or in any degree self- seed. His Spinal ad wilted like a frosted leaf, and bis manhood had shrunk like a wind-bag that is punctured. He was standing face te face with death, and he knew it. - He showed that knuowledge in his pale face, his quiveriag lips, his wembling limbs, and the broken and abject tones in which he pleaded for mercy. ‘* For God’s sake, don’t hang me!” he begged, ‘** What have I done to deserve such a death? How have I ever harmed any of you? I have committed no crime.” “You lie, Manuel Vincente!” rung out the clear tones of the Jeader of the Green Guard. “It is easy to tell me that I lie; but how are you going to prove it? You can’t prove any- thing against me, except the little game that I was caught at, and that hurt nobody.” The nephew of Pedro Rosalba had never looked uglier or more despicable than at that moment, “You lie, Manuel Vincente!” repeated the leader of the Green Guard. ‘You are guilty of robbery and murder. You helped to rob the office of the Death Gulch Mining Company. If you did not help in the act, you helped to plan the crime. ou ake to waylay the stage on the Bluffton road, when better men than you were shot down and murdered. You are guilty of a foul murder that was committed on the very spot where you now stand.” “Tt is a lie!” howled Manuel. **Look around you. Do you know this place. I see that you know it well. Right here, in the darkness of night, four men held in their hands one man, bound and helpless, and flung him to his death into that fearful abyss.” ‘That is none of my business, I know noth- ing about that.” ‘You lie again, Manuel Vincente. Two of the men who were guilty of that cowardly crime bave swung from that tree, and you are Number Three!” The Mexican writhed and twisted in a vein effort to free himself from his bonds, and would have sunk upon the ground if he had not been held ap by two men. *Ttisa false charge,” he said, moaning rather than speaking. ‘‘ How are you going to prove it? “By the man you threw into the Gulch, and I am that man!” said the leader of the Green Guard, as he pulled off his mask, and stepped up to the doomed prisoner. Manuel Vincente shrieked as the rope tightened around his neck, The next moment he was swinging over the dark abyss from the solitary tree, and on his . breast there was a paper with the inscription * Number Three” The men in ¢r en silently rode away from the fatal spot, and left him hanging there alone. When Rose Warren emerged from the aban- doned mine into the outer air, Parmenas Pratt felt her hand tremble as it rested on his arm. ‘Are you cold?” he asked. ** Not at all.” ** But you seemed toshiver. I am afraid that the scenes you have passed through to day have been too trying for your nerves.” a ‘*My nerves never worry me, Mr. Pratt. As — for what we bave passed through, all’s well that ends well, and we are safely out of that scrape. That is not what agitates me. It is a voice. _ Who is the man who directed you to take me bome—the leader of the Green Guard? He Ny you, and you must know him. Who is e ’ “That is hardly a fair question,” replied Pratt. ‘‘1t must be clear to you that the Green Guard is a secret organization, like the bands that are called regulators in some parts of the country, and vigilantes in others; but this uppears to me to be more of a private affair.. It is possible that its members, in punishing the pouty may make themselves liable to the law. herefore, as you see, they are disguised, and it would not be proper for me to tell the name of their leader, if I should know it.” / “That is well argued, sir; but the argument does not satiefy me. The leader is the same pe who came to our rescue when the Little vl employed you to make those Death Gulch pic- tures at your exhibition?” ‘*Beg pardon, Miss Rosina; but i are sup- posing that I was employed to do that.” “Of course lam, Can you deny it?” They bad been so absor in this conversa- tion as they rode along, that they had forgotten the presence of Nid Ryder, who was follow- ing them closely. hen Pratt found himself so hardly pressed, he sought to change the sub- ject by calling Rose’s attention to their com- panion. ; ‘*“ Where is our clergyman?” he asked. ‘* We are leaving bim out in the cold.” “T am close at hand,” replied that gentleman, ‘and I havea word tosay. I wish to remove two wrong impressions from the mind of this oung lady. I am not a clergyman, and I never ad a fit in my life.” ‘* Indeed!” exclaimed Rose. ‘Exactly so. In spite of my solemn appear- ance, ] am not even a member of any church. While I was taking a walk I was or ee by those scoundrels. Perhaps they would not have taken me s0 easily, if they had not excited my curiosity. I wanted to find out what was going on “ And you did find out.” > was attacked. Is he the same man who + ‘a Gomilecbooks co