Beadle's Dime Library No. 237 — page 2: what you’re looking at

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2 Long-Haired Max; oR, The Black League of the Coast, A California Mystery. BY CAPTAIN MARK WILTON, AUTHOR OF ‘* CACTUS JACK.” ‘‘ BUCKSHOT BEN,” ‘* DON SOMBRERO,” ** CANYON DAVE,” “* THE ** SCORPION BROTHERS,” ‘' LADY JAGUAR,” ETC,, ETC. CHAPTER I. A PLOT REVEALED. Ong# afternoon, in the year 1855, a medium- sized schooner was sailing northward along the Pacific coast, and at a paint opposite the south- “2 of Lower California. At the moment when we introduce her to the she was cutting the water at a speed, but in no other way did she seem at all remarkable. An observer would have said she was hand swift, and, seeing her there, he would probably have added that she was en route to San Francisco with a cargo of supplies for the wielders of the pick, who had been rush- ing to the California gold-fields ever since the excitement of '49. Her crew were all Americans, and, judging from their dialect, many of them were veritable Yankees; but not one would bave drawn a second glance from any extraordinary reason. The same could not said, however, of one man, who stood by himself on the deck and looked off at the barren shore at the starboard. His gaze was absent, bowever, and it was plain that be really saw little of the scene before bim, but was far away, mentally, even while his body was on board the scbooner. He was a strangely handsome fellow—this young man who seemed so out of place among e rude sailors who growled, quarreled, and drank day and day, as though these matters . made up their highest ambition in life, See | This other mun was no sailor, however, for his bands were white and soft as those of a woman, and his garments those of a Mexican of the upper class. His jacket-like coat and knee-breeches were of black velvet, ornamented and trimmed profuse- ly, and around his sombrero were what seemed to be thick silver cords; all which show of magnificence, coupled with the fact that he wore bis hair so long that it touched his shoul- ot would go to make him a mere dandy in the ast, Yet, he was but one out of many in the West and those who thought bim insignificant bad but to look at his face to see their mistake, It was, emphatically, a powerful face, _With regular features, a fine, dark, though not bronzed, complexion and remarkable, velvet- like eyes, he was a bandsome man; but all this pero to sight when his resolute look was no- ce He was aman whom no danger could terri- fy, and who would follow a pursuit, an object, to the end, be that ending what it might. As has been said, his hair was long. It fell down over bis neck in waves, and was as black as jet, as was his heavy mustache, n conclusion, he had the features and speech of an American, but from his dress, and because of a resemblance they fancied they saw in bis dark complexion and dasbing ways, bis present companions bad never suspected that he was one of their own countrymen, and he who had given the name of Max Proctor became known among them both as Spanish Max and Long- Haired Max, Standing as thus described, the man was finally interrupted by the approach of one of the crew. “It’s an interestin’ bit av coast we hev over yonder,” said the latter, with a broad Celtic dialect. Max aroused from his reverie. “Very,” he sapried, quietly. ‘“‘ATl that is needed are grass, trees and flowers and it would be a paradise, The sand and rocks are useful in their way, bat a bit of green here and there would relieve the monotony.” The irony was lost on the sailor. “Pm thinkin’ vez _w’u’d be. better off if yez war dbere this blissid minute,” he said, soberly. The other man Jooked at bim keenly. ** Better off? What do you mean?” The Irishman looked ,carefully before he an- swered, but no one seemed observing them. “To's mesilf will tell yez what I mane if yez swear not to give meaway. Wan false move w’u’d place us in a moighty bad fix.” “ Possible? Well, I prcmise, so heave ahead with your yarn and don’t be bashful.” * Yeg look ter me loike a foighting man, an’ whin I tell, yez may take a notion to draw yer w’apons an’ sail in fur a foight.” “Which you think would be foolish?” “Yes, sor, fur it w’u'd sind us both ter Davy Jones’s locker, an’ mesilf ain’t ready to go yet.” ** Well, I never fight unless somebody treads on my heels. I’m nodisturber. IT’ promise to ES . LL hone- Hatred Max. go light and fight only in self-defense. Will thatdo, Mr.— I don’t know your name.” ‘*Tim Foley is me name, sor, an’ I’m not dhe worst mon aboard dbis craft. Well, yez see this schooner is not dhe most honestest craft afloat, an’ yez are in danger here. Phy do yez suppose ye was tuk as a passenger at Callao? Ye must remimber dhey didn’t want yez aboard.” ‘*True; I bad to see them handsomely ina financial way before they would take me.” “Yis. Will, when dhey tuk yez, dbey had no idea av landing you at San Francisco, as dhey promised.” “What was their idea?’ demanded Long- Haired Max, growing suddenly interested. “To throw yez overboard!” **Zounds! Is that a fact?’ “It’s true as praching, sor. Ye see dhis craft is not so honest as she moight be, an’ ef dhey took yez to Frisco, ye w’u’d know too tg That’s why dhey refused ye at first. Thin you offered dhe goold fr’aly, an’ dhe ca tain made’ up his moind to take yez, an’ thin chuck | yez overboard whin dhe proper toime came, Long-Haired Max looked at his companion sharply. He saw a bronzed, irregular face, on which Tim Foley’s nationality was eons writ- ten, but he believed he also saw honesty and veracity in the small gray eyes and huge mouth, It was not a handsome face, but it was prepossessing, ‘*Do you know this to be a fact?” Max de- manded, ‘**T overheard dhe cap’n an’ mate say as much, at iny rate.” ‘No doubt you are right. I havenever liked either one, ate that Yankee captain strikes me as being a cut-throat, now you mention ib. Well, and when do they propose to feed me to the fishes?” ‘‘This blissed noight, sor. Whin dhe proper toime comes, you are to be called on deck to see a wreck dhey will say dhey discovered, an’ thin dhey will bate you sinseless and throw yez over- board,” ‘‘A charming plan, by Judas; but, look bere, my man—how does it happen you go back on your shipmates?” : ‘Faith, an’ I haven’t been wid dhem iny longer than ye hey. I was wricked from dhe Petrel’s Wing, two months ago, an’ was a-lying in Callao fur a chance whin along came id es Peters. He said dheir trade was supplies fur dhe miners av California, an’ dhat dbey had touched at Callao fur wather, an’ I shipped loike a lamb, but, bedad, it’s mesiJf is Low among wolves.” 43 You say they have a secret business. What is it? ‘Sure, an’ I don’t know mesilf, fur dhey have kept me in dhe dark, because I am a new man, but dhe erew bave drapped a careless worrud, now an’ thin, an’ I know dhey are not honest,” * What are you going to do about it?” * Bedad, an’ I’m going to desart. Dhis blissid noight I shall tie a loife-preserver about moe waist an’ make fur dhe shore. Dhis fact dhat dhey think it toime to putt yez out av dhe way, makes it clear to me own moind dhat it is toime fur me to Pave such company.” Long-Haired Max had not ceased to study his companion closely. Every look and word was weighed and considered, and nothing occurred to disturb his first impression, Foley was telling the truth, and, beyond a doubt, they had both fallen among thieves un- knowingly. — With h 3 suspicions fairly aroused, Max saw many things to confirm the idea, and the natu- ral inference was that the schooner was a pirate craft. Such being the case, what was his pro- per course? Foley intended to take to the wa- ter, and, beyond a doubt, it would be compara- tively easy to reach the coast. To remain was to pit himself against a dozen men, ‘‘ Tim,” he finally said,‘ suppose I go with you whan you desert?” The Irishman’s face brightened. **Bedad!” he exclaimed, ‘tit w’u’d suit me will. I niver was in dhese parts before, and it’s mesilf loikes a shipmate,” | ‘That settles it then, for though I seldom run from common danger, I had just as soon Jand at Nuevo Madrid as to go on to ’Friseo.” ‘Nuevo Madrid. Phatisdbat?” | ‘* A small town on the coast, above the line be- tween Northern and Lower California. It is one of the old Mexican towns, and the name bas survived the transfer of the d from its for- mer owners to the United States, but I under- stood that they intend to rename it.” “‘Can we land dhere?” . ‘*T judge we shall be about ten miles below i the town at dusk, but we can foot the inter- vening space easily, Will you look out for the life-preservers?’ “«T will dhat, an’ do yez kape your eyes open. | Whist! here comes dhe cap’n!” = Tim slid away, and the schooner’s skipper ap- proached his passenger. He was a man of mid- dle age, with a tall, lank, cp figure, flaxen-colored hair, a sparse beard, light-blue eyes, and ears and nose of formidable size. — This man was Jabez Peters, a production of the extreme East of the United States, but a man whose roving nature had taken him over balf of the world. As a seaman he was cer- tainly no novice, as Max had already seen, but what Tim had told placed him in a bad light as a man, Now, approaching his passenger, Captain Pe- ters smiled in an oily, childlike way, which was echoed by bis soft voice, : ‘* How de dew, Sinner Max?’ he said. It was apart of his plot to treat bis distin- ished conypanion with extreme politeness, but n grasping at the Spanish word senor, he inva- riably provounced it “‘ sinner.” ‘(Pm in tolerable bealtb, captain,” the cava- lier replied, as frankly as though he was ad- dressing an angel. “ We are humming along pretty lively.” “The Water Witch is no slouch,” Peters de- clared. ‘‘When she gets the brine under her foot she uses it forall itis wuth.” . ‘*- You will make ’Frisco on time, of course?’ ‘“Ya-as, ef no accident happens, an’ Jabes Peters ain’t the man fur sich nonsense.” ‘‘Do you intend to touch anywhere on the coast short of ’ y’ ‘‘No, What made yeou think we did?” The captain’s blue eyes were fixed suspiciously on his passenger. : “17 Oh, I didn’t say so, nor think so, It was a random remark. Yet, I should think Nueva Madrid and Monterey would furnish some trade,” “T leave them tew one-hoss traders; Idlew a fust-class business,” Peters said, with an air of contempt intended for the smaller towns. ‘‘A manin your position can afford to do so, Yet, I dare say, you have had some hard strug- gies while climbing so far.up.the ladder as where you now stand.” If Long-Haired Max hoped by the suggestion and the compliment to gain the confidence of his companion, he was doomed to disappoint- ment, for Peters did not volunteer any informa- tion. He remained as reserved and cautious as he had been all through the voyage. ‘‘ A crafty, unscrupulous man,” thought Max, when once more alone. ‘Beyond a doubt, Tim is right, and be not only bas designs on my life but is engaged in some unlawful work. What can that work be? The natural supposition is that it is smuggling, but would that yield a large profit? The only thing now of use in Cali- fornia is what is needed by the miners. Jewels are not in great demand, yet—well, I suppose a few dollars might be tbus turned by dealing with the people of ’Frisco, Monterey and Nuevo Madrid, but the trade would so small that I believe there is more in the wind, What is it?’ The question was a natural one, but lacking the means of solving it Max went below, as night was already falling, to await the move- ments of Tim Foley. The cavalier seemed to feel no emotion what- ever in regard to the peril which menaced him, If some one was trying to play a practical joke, he would not have taken it more coolly. Per- haps he bad shaken bands with danger too often to feel the faintest tinge of uneasiness, but brave indeed must be the man who can school himself to that point, Once more alone, he looked carefully to his pistols, and then sat down to awail the sunset, An hour passed, and then Tim Foley ap- peared, his face full of triumph and eager- ness. ‘* Berorra, an’ we mustn’t lose a blissid min- ute,” he said. ‘It’s mesilf dhat has lowered @ boat, an’ ef we are loively we can get ashore wideut a wet fut!” This was far better luck than Long-Haired Max had dared to expect, and he at once arose, ‘‘ Lead the way!” was his terse direction. They went to the deck. The Water Witch was still speeding northward, Sabi fetes water as though in pride, but the darkness hung heav- ily over the sea, and the barren coast was no longer visible off at the starboard. All was quiet on the deck. Wew-.of the sea- men were Visible, but a little red point of fire near the larboard rail served to mark the position of Captain Peters; it was one of his notions to smoke fast and furiously every night in this way. ‘ The two men did not pause to observe bim but hastening to the starboard side the found the boat as Tim had leftit, and ayeely escend- ing they cast off, and then saw the Water Witch speed on her way, leaving them alone on the water—an eggshell of a Sat only between them and eternity, but with a placid sea be- neath all, CHAPTER II. THE MYSTERY DEEPENS. Not a word was spoken by the men until the schooner was far enough on her way to be no longer feared, and then Tim Foley broke into a chuckle. ‘‘ Bedad! an’ that was n’ately done,” he said, in high glee. ‘‘We hev not only saved our- silves, but got away wid dheir boat. Ob! be Gomicbooks cot™ (C ©)