Beadle's New York Dime Library No. 257 — page 21: what you’re looking at

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

i a tN A ’ i did? - for our not findin ee ee eee Se ej “man, as I believed then. laying a cunning part, to make sure I was the renee Death-Trap Diggings. —— “Then you think he is Budd Painter?” Jeffreys stared at the speaker for a few mo- ments in am astonishment, then exclaimed, : 4 with an oat “Why not? Who else could say what he Didn’t you say yourself that you believed it to be him? ‘“*T’ve been thinking since then, and I am by no means sure that my first conclusion was the correct one. The more I look back and weigh the chances, the more firmly I am convinced that not a living soul could by any possibility have escaped from that death-trap, after the dam burst and let loose its waters!’ ‘““T wish I could share your confidence,” said | Jeffreys, with a shrug of the shoulders; ** but I cemember that we never saw anything of Budd Painter, soul nor body, after the flood.” ‘‘ You might say the same of two or three of | the others,” retorted the colonel. ‘“‘ I never laid | eyes on the body of Vernon Curtis after I drove my knife through his beart and tossed him into the race; but, all the same, I know he is dead. We never saw anything of old Ralph Burnham, though we looked so closely ; but his bones were ! | i i He caught up his hat and rushed to the door, burriedly removing the bar and turning the key, then flung wide the barrier and dashed eT from the office like a madman, ild cries and ejaculations came from every part of the mining-camp, and the citizens flocked out of doors and turned their faces in the same direction. . Not a score steps had the excited partners taken from their office before they found their worst fears were oniy too well founded. The bright light of the fall moon showed to their anxious gaze, a dense cloud of smoke and dust, rising in waves above the spot where had stood a huge, expensive quartz-mill, the pride of Death-Trap Diggings. Without it, the town would never bave become more than a tempo- rary mining-camp, to melt and disappear as soon as the scattered placer-diggings were worked out. With it, Death-Trap Diggings was making its mark in the mining-world, and steadily growing in size and importance. But now— Where stood the costly structure only a few moments before was a mass of ruins, half-hid- discovered among the others, when the work of | den from view by the curling smoke and float- the red-skins wa3 made public.” ing dust. The ruin was complete. It seemed ** That’s all well enough, but you forget the | as though a thousand giants had spent a life- main point: Budd Painter has put in an appear- ance, alive and hearty.” “‘Pm not so sure of that, either,” doggedly replied the colonel, ‘Look here. When the dam broke, Budd Painter was a prisoner, bound hand and foot. In addition, he was lariated to a wheel of one of the wagons. Those wagons were dashed to pieces against the rock walls, and of course the heavy wheel, with his body, would sink to the bottom. That would account his carcass,” “Then who the foul fiend is this fellow that tackled you at the Red Light?’ demanded Jeffreys. ‘* Not the Hard Man frora’Way Back, though the imitation is close enough to deceive almost any person. I now believe him an impostor, and one of a gang who haye combined to squeeze a big stake out of our pockets. “*Tf he had been Budd Painter, the man whom I shot down in the Golden Valley over yonder, he would not have given me a chance to draw first. As it was, he acted like a fool, or a mad- Now I think he was man they wanted—the Clay Benedict of three years ago. I think he is in the employ of the woman who calls herself Madam Crimson, or woliewein she so swift to interfere in his be- ‘*Who the blazes is she, then?’ demanded Jeffreys. ‘‘I believe her to be that woman, Bertha Burnbam!” ‘* Worse and worse and more of it!” growled Jeffreys. ** Tt does look infernally black, that’s a fact,” muttered Carey, thoughtfully. ‘I can hardl bring myself to believe it, but that’s the only way I can account for tho affair of this even- ing, as well as the trick those ghostly rascals played on Muscovado Jack. “You know bow I lost my grip on her, just when it seemed as though perfect success was rewarding our enterprise, and you know, too, what reason we had for believing her dead. But I begin to think we were fooled, that bout. I believe she got clear, and at this late day has turned up toavenge the death of her friends an It is barel possible,’ S barely e,” said Jeffreys, thought- fully; “‘ but hardly probable. If this Mesum Crimson, as you call her, really is the woman you think, why don’t she strike at once? Why does she half face her cards, and give us time to either run for life, or stock the cards to save our bacon ?”? ‘* Most likely because she is not absolutely cer- tain we are the men she is hunting for.” You forget that 1 am altogether changed in outward appearance from what I was when she knew me. Of you, and the rest, of course she could know nothing, of her own experience, and can only judge by your intimacy with me, and our nership. ‘I believe she has picked upa fellow who bears some resemblance in face and figure, to the original Budd Painter, and carefully trained bim in the part he is to play. Not being certain of her game, she makes him play the role of a half-cracked rough, and then Watches the effect of his acting. If I am right, I gave her the very clew she wanted, this evening, in my surprise when that fellow jumped me.’ 3 ~ eg are you going to do about it?’ asked e ys. Before Colonel Carey could answer this ques- a & tremendous explosion rent the air, caus- ie the earth to quake and the building which © conspirators occupied, to tremble and rock © two men lea to their feet, pale and a their widely distended eyes seeking that th er as the same fear struck them; a fear Ps That ones lips shaped first. came from the direction of the crush- er! If it is— trembling there |” and see, man! Don’t stand time in tearing down and pulverizing the mill, leaving scarce one stone upon another, or a single plank without twisting and tearing it to splinters. The shock was so tremendous that scarce a word was uttered as the crowd gazed on ths scene of ruin. Evenin that moment of stupe- fied wonder, they realized that this was more than the loss of the men who owned the crusher; it was the doom of the entire camp. Side by side the two owners stood, locking at the ruins. Not a word passed their lips for some little space. The blow was too heavy, the shock too great for idle speech. They were left by themselves, the others shrinking away, as though fearing to intrude on them while their wounds were still in the raw. Colonel Carey’s tightly-locked jaws unclosed with a savage click, as be muttered so low that none other than the ears of his partner could catch the words: ‘“The war has begun, and this is the first blow at us!” ‘You think, then, that it is her work?’ asked Jeffreys, in a hushed voice, his face pale as death, his eyes filled with a hunted look as they roved swiftly around them. **The work of our enemies, whether she is the one we believe or not. It never hap- ned by accident. The ruin is too com- lete for that. You know our rules about no to powder in the works. I looked to that no later than this afternoon, and all was as it should be. It is not»carelessness, not an accident, but a deliberate blow aimed at us, on the old score!” said the colonel, setting his teeth doggedly, his eyes glowing. ** What can we do?” helplessly asked Jeffreys, whose usual nerve and cool wit seemed all shaken and shattered by the bitter blow which had fallen so unexpectedly on them. ‘‘Nothing at present. I must have time to think if out. Do what you can to aid me. Make inquiries and seem to suspect nothing more than that it was an accident. Keep that suspicion to yourself, and we may turn it to good account yet. If we can bring this deed to the right door it will count for more than that old deed of ours. Ata hint the mob would tear the authors to pieces!” A warning motion of his eyes called attention to the crowd, which was gradually closing in on them, with the powerful curiosity which is always wpe ee to great sufferers by fire, explosion, or that class of accidents. Not caring to be too closely questioned or watched just then, the pode oe separated and approached the mass of ruins more closely, asking questions as to the whereabouts of the men who were or who should have been on wateh-duty at the mills at that hour, There was little satisfaction gained. No one had seen either of the watchmen, and the cry suddenly arose that both unfortunates had per- ished in the ruins. A wild rush was made by the excited crowd, and strong bands began tearing at the stones and debris, flinging the fragments aside as though in hopes of rescuing the luckless men with life. But this was only momentary. A single glance at the frightfully-shattered mass convinced all that no mortal could have sur- vived such an explosion. Unless the men on duty had deserted their post they were beyond mortal aid, s' Moodily thinking, Colonel Carey stood a little apart from the swarming mob, his arms folded across his chest, his head bowed, his dark eyes staring vacantly at the mass of debris which represented thousands of dollars. The mills had been of the latest and most approved pattern, and no expense had been spared in fitting them up for work, for the owners felt confident of being amply repaid by the reduction of o and knew that they could sell out for the firs cost whenever they chose to do so. Even now their mining-claims were sufficient- ly rich to justify them in erecting another set of stamps equal to the first, but what guarantee had they that their unknown enemies would suffer them to do so, or torun it when once i order? Would not the bitter blow be re- peated?” , His strong teeth grated together as the hunted Jook deepened in bis eyes, and his hands closed until the sharp nails drew blood from bis palms. “By Satan! Ill fight them to the bitter end)” he breathed below his breath. ‘I'll strike back, and strike to kill! Only let me get on the trail—and that I hope to do to-morrow!” His thoughts were recurring to Madam Crim- son, and the suspicions as to her identity with one whom he had long believed dead, which were growing stronger with the passage of every hour. Witba stern joy he remembered the appointment which he had made with her for the coming day, and mentally he vowed that its termination sbould find him in full pos- session of her secret. And if his suspicions should prove to be founded on fact, he would—” A wild, borror-stricken yell cut short his re- flections at this point, and with a start he roused himself from bis dark musings to behold the crowd flocking toward a little clump of trees, which grew some few rods from where the mills had stood. For a moment he hesitated, a new fear assail- ing him, but with an effort of will he flung this off” and pressed forward with the rest, crowding his way through the mob, his eyes glowing, his. teeth hard set, for already he knew something of what had caused that startled outcry. ‘‘Thar’s a dead man in yender!” cried the miner who had made the discovery by ecc'dent, his face showing white and terror-stricken im the clear moonlight. ‘“ He’s hangin’ by the neck! I run chuck up ag’inst bim when [ wasn’t thinkin’, an’ I ketched a glimp’ o’ his face as it swung around—an’ I saw it was Dick Damper! Lord, boys, it’s jest orful!” “Hold!” cried lonel Carey, in ringing tones which commanded instant obedience. “That man was in my ee I have the right to investigate this affair. Stand back, all of you?’ robably no other man in all that region could have checked the eager rush of the mob toward the spot where the man, murderer ora suicide, hung: but without an exception, the crowd halted, dividing to permit him free pas- sage. | “Thanks, gentlemen,” he said, his voice sounding barsh and strained. “ If Dick Damper } has been murdered, 1 will depend on you to help me avenge his death. But we must not destroy all hope of finding a clew to the foul as- sassins by a mad rush which will cover all traces on the ground.” Singling out Joseph Jeffreys, Carey beckoned him to bear him company, then entered the little clump of trees, Prue enough, a man was hanging there, his hands bound behind bim,a gag between his widely-distended jaws. A little streak of moon- light came through a rift in the foliage, falling across the face of the corpse, and the partners saw that the miner had spoken no more than the truth when declaring that the murdered man was Dick Damper. But the keen vision of Colonel Carey discov- ered more than this, and with a stifled cry he darted forward and tore a square of paper from the dead man’s bosom. The light was sorte! strong enough for him to distinguish the boldly written signature at the bottom of the page; a signature something similar to the one which had been appended to the note delivered him by Muscovado Jack, two hours earlier in the evening. This much he saw, then crushed the paper and thrust it into his pocket with a fierce, grating curse as he glared about bim to see if any per- son bad noted bis action. Only cee os had witnessed it, though the curious crowd Were now flocking around the “What is it?’ ".uisvered Jeffreys, bis counte- nance os pale cs death, his voice husky. with powerful emotion. ‘* Signed by the same 91 9 “now,” hurriedly muttered the colonel, ‘*l must got where I can read it in secret. You look after tre bocy. I must get away from here—I’m chos:22; I can’t breathe freely!” There was no feigning in this. The men stag- gered as he walked, and he felt that the crowd were eying him in wonder. Even then, when his heart was sick and faint within bim, from — the effects of these swiftly falling blows, he strove to keep up appearances with the publi and steadying bis voice by a desperate effort will, be said: ‘There has been foul murder done, but I have aclew. Let me pass. Do you aid Mr. Jeffreys,” CHAPTER VI. DEATH-TRAP DIGGINGS. WITH this feenle excuse, uttered in a voice that only the most desperate exercise of his iron will rendered articulate, Colonel Carey through the crowd and hastened toward his office. But long before he could reach it, bis Eon GOmichboo S)