Beadle's New York Dime Library No. 257 — page 12: what you’re looking at

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

7. 12 if you say we can do it, I’m not one to hang back from the music.” ‘“‘T do say it, and that, too, without firing a shot or dealing a blow, if my arrangements work as I expect they will.” Archer leaned forward, intense curiosity written in every line of his countenance, and then Clay Benedict rapidly, clearly unmasked his truly diabolical plan for compassing the ruin and death of his late friends. Reckless, hard-hearted, blood-stained though his bands had been on more than one occasion Jeff Archer turned a shade paler as he listened to the hissing speech of Tiger Jim, and he could not entirely repress a shudder as the traitor concluded and looked to him for applause. “Td rather meet the odds in a hand-to-hand rapple,” the outlaw said, slowly, ‘‘ but you Bow best, and I have agreed to follow your lead without questioning. Have it your own way. Butl hope the stake is worth the work we have to do.’ ‘‘Name your own figure, old fellow, and don’t be modest.” ‘““You hinted at ten thousand,” hesitated Archer. s Will double that still your confounded scru- les?’ ‘Twenty thousand dollars?” exclaimed Arch- or, in amaze, ‘* You shall have that amount, the very hour my plans are successful—I pledge you my word asa rascal!” ‘You'll never hear another whine from me, rest easy, old fellaw! Now for your instructions: when shall we strike?” ‘There is no particular hurry, since with the assage of each day, our pile of gold will grow arger. One week from to-night will be quite early enough, unless something unforeseen should occur to change my plans. If so, I'll bring word to this place. ou spend each night here, or have a man in your place. The rest of te must lay close, and avoid being seen by the unters who come oufi each day. ‘‘ I think I have said all that is necessary. Keep on the lookout for me, but avoid all others. Don’t shoot or make more smoke than you can help. Ill turn face for the valley, now, and as I’ve lost so much time, Ill take the saddle and hindquarters of one of those deer with me, Thus loaded, Clay Benedict left them and bastened back to his destined victims in the Golden Valley. —_— --——-- - — — - CHAPTER IX. A BLOW FOR A BLOW. VERY nearly two weeks had elapsed since the Hard Man from ’Way Back so disagreebly sur- rised the occupants of the Golden Valley by bis Gresque salutation from the crest of the rock wall, and during all that time, the gold-diggers have kept hard at their profitable labors, wast- ing not a moment they could spare from their meals through the day, foregoing even their teful pipe after the mid-day meal, beginning heir toil with the first faint glimmer of dawn and knocking off work only when the light of the sun entirely failed them. A feverish life, and one such as no set of men could endure for any great length of time with- out breaking down beneath the unnatural strain, but thus far the miners had required no urgings from their veteran commander. Reason told them that Budd Painter had not come to that lone region without company of some sort. Alone, afoot, armed only with knife and pistols, ee with no other tools or conveniences, aring no traces of either hard travel or fight- ing, rosy and clearly well fed; that was a fore- gone conclusion, He sullenly refused to enlighten them, and since that evening on which he warned Ralph Burnham against Clay Benedict asa snake in the grass, he had not opened bis lips to speak a word to one of his captors. He ate, drank smoked the occasional pipe which Bertha filled for him, acting on the secret orders of her father, who, as a last chance, hoped her grace and gentleness might soften the surly savage; but to all appearance, this was labor wasted in a hopeless cause. Only when Clay Benedict passed before his limited range of vision, would the grim counte- nance of the tough citizen betray any emotion. Then his eyes would turn red and glow like those of a caged panther, while a sullen growl would rumble up from the depths of his massive chest as his teeth grated and clicked together until the flakes of bloody foam spotted his shaggy beard. His athletic frame would quiver at brief inter- vals as violently as though suddenly afflicted with an e-chill. At all other moments, he looked the dull, sullen savage, the stolid, insen- sible brute; but then he resembled more nearly a fiend who was famishing for a taste of human blood, all the more frightful because of his very bag» eg and impotence. | the close of each day the gold-diggers drew a long breath of relief, thankful that the expected enemy had not yet put in an appear- ance, but the dread still haunted their dreams, and formed their first waking thought in the gray dawn, for they dared not hope for another _guch respite. _ Aregular system of guard duty was arranged, —— er Death-‘Trap Diggings. in addition to the watch which had always been kept over the dam and cbute, but this, following their killing days of labor beneath the summer sun, proved too great a strain, and after a week had passed by without alarm, the practice was discontinued. Kach day a man took his turn as huuter, to procure fresh meat, and discover, if possible, whether there were any human beings prowling in the vicinity. Each night the report was the same, so far as the latter duty was concerned; not a living soul, not a trail had been noticed. And so, with the passage of time, and as they saw the end of their toil drawing nearer as the quantity of gold-bearing L ak poe and sand yet to be washed grew less and less, the miners be- came more cheerful and less apprehensive. Only a few days longer, and then, let come who would, it mattered little. They had no fears of being able to defend the wealth they bad won; their only fears had been of being driven away from the precious dust before they could seeure it, It was night, and Vernon Curtis was once more keeping a lonely watch over the safety of bis sleeping friends in the Golden Valley which lay at his feet. Night, and almost an exact counterpart of that on which his dearest hopes were nipped in the bud by the strange discovery that the girl whom he loved in secret, but none the less ardently, was bound to another—had been a willing wife for nearly two years. Warm and close, after a day through which the sun shone from a cloudless sky with a fervor which threatened to overpower the sturdy gold- diggers as they toiled in the n.uddy gravel and sands for the precious metal; with not a breath of air stirring through the little valley, and only an occasional ripple of wind coming across the little pond above the dam, only on that never- to-be-forgotten night the moon was at its full, flooding all below with its silver beams, while now naught save the twinkling stars relieved the gloom below. Slowly the young miner went his rounds,stoop- ing now and then to inspect the face of the dam, as fancy caused the dropping of water to sound louder than usual; bué his duties were al- most mechanically performed, for bis brain was busied with far different thoughts. Worn and weary in both body and mind, with all that he bad endured through those try- ing days and nights, Vernor Curtis looked out upon the world through very different specta- cles from those of the two brief weeks agone. Then he was rapidly making money; a fact in which he rejoiced, not for itself alone, but be- cause be saw in the not distant future a day when he would bein a position to avow the love which had been steadi:y growing stronger with the passage of each day since their Journey was begun. is distant kinship would be no bar; rather the contrary, since he knew Ralph Burn- ham held that blood was nearer than water. Even if Bertha had not yet learned to love him in return—and sanguine though he was, he scarcely dared hope that—the time would come when his pure, whole-souled devotion must win its delightful reward. Now—gold had lost its powers of pleasing; the whole earth seemed flat, stale and unprofit- able; life was hardly worth living—because his day-star had been won by another. Foolish, no doubt, but very natural under tiie circumstances, and though, should he live lon enoug?, the young miner would forget all his moody repinings, partly born of bodily fatigue and mental anxiety, and discover that the world was a very good world, after all, and life well worth living, bis present sufferings were none the less acute and hard to bear. So black and bitter were his thoughts, that Vernon Curtis felt a thrill of grim pleasure as his attention was arrested by a suspicious sound not far distant—-the slipping of a foot on a loose stone, which went rolling down the face of the steep below the dam, A cat-like bound carried him close enough to note the dim, shadowy outiine of a human ing in a crouching position close to the end of the dam, and throwing forward the muzzle of bis Be ics to cover it, he cocked the weapon as he cried: ‘‘ Who goes there? Speak out and in a hurry, or I shoot!” ‘*Confound that stone!” muttered a voice, hastily adding in louder tones: ‘* Don’t waste your powder, Curtis!” ‘‘Tt’s you, Benedict?” quickly demanded the uard, still keeping his weapon in readiness for instant use. ‘What the infernal heat has left of me— yes,” was the prompt response, and Clay Bene- dict rose erect, limping as he advanced to meet the other. ay got smothered out, down yon- der, and thought I’d come up here to find a fresh supply of breath, if there’s any more than ou n » | ‘‘ It’s free as air,” 4 es @ laugh, ‘“‘ But you should have spoken a little sooner. My finger Air on the trigger, ene * Kasia wn nigh ugging you for one ¢ ose bugbears who ve made our lives u happy these two weeks.” onfound that stone! I ed knee-pan! I intended hailing you as soon ot got fairly on top, but awe ee esi esl ee ~-— my clumsiness, and your quick ears, saved me the ao So you took me for an enemy, did ou ‘‘ Naturally, since I supposed you were all tired enough after work to be sound asleep, long ago, heat or no heat.” ‘‘ Well, I couldn’t sleep—hang it, man, why need you and I beso mealy-mouthed, after what has passed between us?” the traitor cried, with seeming frankness. “Tll wager my day’s share that you were thinking of the same thir that broke my rest: of the pretty Bertha, an the strange discovery we made on that evening, up here.” Vernon Curtis started a little at this blunt speech, but for all that he was not greatly dis- pleased to have the subject brought up, since another had broken the ice. Young, naturally of a confiding nature, his heart very sore, he longed to ease or dull its pain in some manner; why not by afree and open conversation with the one who he knew had been to the full as hard hit as himself? ‘*Come, don’t be grumpy, old fellow,” said Benedict, as they slowly walked side by side across the dam and up the bank opposite that on which was the chute, ‘‘I admit that I played a low-down part, that night, for I was retty near crazy over the discovery 1 made; ut I tried to make amends—” ‘* And succeeded,” was the quick interruption, “at least, so far aslam concerned. I have for- gotten it, and I hoped you had done the same,” ‘*T was afraid you still held a grudge, you fight so shy of the subject, but since you say that’s not the case—” ‘*]T do say so, and mean it, too, Clay.” ‘Good! Give me your hand—so!” and the two men gripped each other’s fingers with a fervor that seemed as sincere on the one side as it certainly was on the other, ‘* Tt was a curious affair,” continued Benedict, speaking easily, almost flippantly, as they walked leisurely along. ‘‘ Who could have im- agined the little lady was a wife of two years standing? NotI, most assuredly, else I would bave kept a tighter rein over my fancy.” ‘‘Her father was the one principally to blame,” said Vernon, as Benedict ceased speak- ing. ‘‘He might bave known what would be the consequences. How could a man avoid fall- ing in love with her, thrown together every day, on a trip like this? And we taking it for granted that she was single all the time and therefore free to be wooed and won.” ‘‘Not I, surely,” withashort laugh. ‘‘Though, _ come to think it over, I believe the trouble gen before the journey, in my case, at least. hen I first heard that Burnham was makin his preperascus for an overland trip to Cali- fornia, | had no more idea of taking such a aunt than I had of flying, but a moment later, was firmly convinced that my good health and prosperity demanded my presence in the Golden State. ‘Like you, I thought of the long journey, during which we would be thrown into such close companionship, and no doubt you and I both arrived at the same conclusion; that there would be a mighty pleasant wedding come off not long after the end of our journey was reached, The only difference being in the face of the blessed bridegroom. And she—well, the face that rose before her eyes was neither yours nor mine!” The light, mocking tone was abandoned, and for once in his life, Clay Benedict allowed his real emotions to gain the upper band and show themselves without disguise. Hard, revengful, threatening was his voice, and Vernon Curtiss shrunk a little from his side. Benedict noted this involuntary repulsion, and said: ‘“You and I are made of different stuff, old fellow. I believe you was bit quite as hard, but you have forgiven, if not forgotten. So have I—the lady; but I’m afraid her gallant husband and I will never . well together, if ever we happen to meet, hoknows? He may drop off the hooks, some day, and thus reopen the race for the prize. If he does, my lad, ii’s you and I for it, and may the best man win!” “IT don’t care to speculate over such a mat- ter,” said Curtis coldly, as they once more reached the dam, then turned off toward the i ‘*Suppose we drop it for good and a - ‘*You are too touchy, old fellow,” with a hard, grimJaugh. ‘ Now it gives me positive leasure, though of a rather queer sort, I admit, tear open and thoroughly probe the wounds I receive. They heal over all the sooner, I find. ‘‘ Were I to brood over them, to nurse them in secret, I'd either go mad or else be driven to wash them out in blood!” The used beside the large rock, near which that brief, almost fatal encounter had taken place between them, and side by side they watched the water as it went tearing past, toss- ing, tumbling, gt itself into foam against the pointed rocks that rose above the surfa whirling here and there in fantastic eddies, bu all the time hurrying on to take the plunge pan carried it to the plain below and. be- yond, ; | 900 €om) c ‘Ss co