Beadle's New York Dime Library No. 257 — page 25: what you’re looking at

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

: wiry iM ee Ny Pe ee’ — Pa =ue BUG 2st. ees ow YT — ew 2s Fa ww - ~—- be easy enough fer to tote him like a log ora corpus, but that won’t do. Somebody’d be jest darned impident enough fer to ax us what in blazes we got, an’ how the devil he come ye so? an’ that wouldn’t jump with the idees o’ the old man—see?”’ ‘‘ Reckon we kin let on he’s drunk,” suggested one. ‘* You sbhet!” angrily growled the ruffian, dis- . gusted to see his own thunder stolen from be- tween bis teeth after that unceremonious fashion, ** Who's bossin’ this job, anyhow?” ‘“Oh, L ain’t a-kickin’. Jestso ye git through ‘with it in time fer grub in the mornin’,” was the indifferent retort. ‘“Well, button up your lip, then, an’ don’t be so durned fresh. Thar’s only the one way fer to do the job, without runnin’ too much resk, an’ this is the how.” Aided by his two mates, Breachy Bull lifted their captive to his feet, pulled the slouched felt hat far over his eyes, and half-dragged half-carried him down the slope to the level ground. Then he sternly addressed Painter: ‘‘ Pm goin’ to cut your hoofs loose, so you kin do a little walkin’ on your own hook, but mind bow you try any o’ your tricks, or it’ll be the wuss fer your health. You’re a mateo’ ourn what hes filled hisself chuck-full o’ tanglefoot an’ we’re helpin’ you to your bunk to sleep it off. Ef anybody sticks thar nose into the a’fa’r, thar’s goin’ to be a high ole circus, an’ ‘you'll git about six inches o’ good steel right whar you live, the fust jump-off!” Owing to the gag which filled bis jaws, Budd Painter made no reply, but to show his con- tempt of their threats, he hung like a lifeless weight on their arms, refusing to help himself in the slightest degree. Cursing savagely, Breachy Bull struck bim heavily, but with no other effect than to elicit a series of desperate kicks from the freed limbs, ‘Ef you won't go one way, you will an- other,” be snarled, dealing the Hard Man from ’Way Back a heavy blow on the temple, depriv- ing him of his senses. ‘*‘ Now ye bedrunk, durn ye! Ketch holt, boys, an’ le’s git bim to head- quarters afore he comes to ag’in—the bull- headed critter!” Supporting the prisoner between them, ex- actly as though he was so far under the ivflu- ence of drink as to be incapable of helping bim- self, the ruffians entered Death-Trap Diggings, and were joined by Joseph Jeffreys as they drew near tbe office where Colonel Carey was then fighting the ghosts of the black and sinful | ast. - It was the knock of Jeffreys that so startled the criminal, and even as he grasped his re- volvers to give battle to the avengers of blood, Carey recognized the voice: ‘‘Open up, old man, in a hurry! We've got game here that will be safer under shelter, Open up, curse it all!” With a despera'‘e effort of will, Colonel Carey recovered his powers sufficiently to comply, and hustling their captive inside, Jeffreys made haste to close the door behind them. ‘‘There’s your bug-a-boo, old fellow,” he laughed, as the ruffians placed their helpless burden in a chair, ‘‘ Examine him at your leisure and see if it is the original Jacobs—for I’m blessed if J ever tell you!” With a snarl that was beast like in its inten- sity Colonel! Carey stole to the side of the pris- | oner, tearing the hat from his head, staring into the face thus revealed, his eye glowing redly, his white teeth showing through his curled-back lips, his fingers closing and unclosing as though ae pone’ to bury themselves in that brawny roat, Jeffreys placed a warning hand on bis shoul- ders as he turned to the ruffians, holding outa | few gold coms. ‘“‘That’s only an earnest of what you'll reap for this bit of work, my lads,” he said, lightly. ‘‘Take it and go wet your whistles, but don’t get too drunk for work. Pll see you in the morning. So-long, lads!” Breachy Bull and his mates were nothing loth, and, taking the hint with the gold, hastily beat their retreat. - “There’s no necessity for letting them know i a i eee ee eee OS Oe Sy, a — ee Cee oa — — Death-Trap Diggings. back a little of your old nerve before tackling him. You’d take fire and kill him, before he could tell half he knows, the way you are now,” But the blood-stained criminal was past listening to reason, and a howling curse burst from bis foam-flecked lips, as he leaped to bis feet, and leaped forward. ‘* Cut loose that gag—set his tongue free, and ll make it wag free enough! He shall tell all, or Vll murder him by inches—l’ll flay him alive—” He said no more. The door leading to the inner apartment, where a sbort time earlier in the night, Muscovado Jack had been placed to sleep off the effects of his trials, was silently flung open, and half a dozen weird-looking shapes leaped out on the partners, grapp‘ing with them, and flinging them to the floor so suddenly that neither could draw a weapon, or strike a blow in self-defense. So swift was the assault, so dexterously did the assailants perform their work, that before either Colonel Carey or Joseph Jeffreys could cry out for help, they were bound hand and foot, with a suffocating gag thrust between the jaws of each. And not until then, did either of the partners catch a fair view of their captors, But now their eyes started almost from their sockets as they stared at the ghostly figures ranged before them; and little marvel that such should be the case. Six in all, and each one wearing the peculiar garb so graphically described by Muscovado Jack; the cowl like hood, with its three aper- tures for sight and speech; the loose shirt re- sembling the military camisade of olden times; the Turkish trowsers, contined at the knee; the stockings and shoes—all of spotless white; the hostly uniform chosen by the avengers of the eath-Trap massacre, Ove of their number stood a little in advance, and from bis cowl came in deep, bollow tones the words: “Clay Benedict and Jefferson Archer, you are doomed! Not all the powers of beaven nor hell can save you now! You bave run your course of crime, and now the hour of retribu- tion has arrived! Even as you killed, so shall you beslain! From the fleshless lips of the dead your doom has been pronounced, and we, the spirits of your victims, are empowered to carry out that sentence!” Terror stricken, pale as though already the dead men the Specter Chief declared they should so soon become, the two wretched criminals stared at the ghostly band. Even had not their jaws been gagged, they could have made no reply, so great was their terror. For the moment they believed these were indeed the avenging spirits of the murdered dead. ‘For three years you have been left in peace by your innocent victim,” resumed the white chief, his voice seeming to grow more unearth- ly, more chilling and blood-curdling, ‘* For three years your worldly plans have prospered, and no doubt you often flattered yourself that there was no hereafter—no punishment for those who cunningly concealed their evil deeds; but if the blow was withheld, none the less surely did it hang above your heads, even when you deemed yourselves the most secure. Not from motives of pity or mercy, for your hein- ous crimes deserved neither the one nor the other. Not because the blood bad dried up, or ceased to cry out for vengeance on those who | caused it to flow. Not because the dread sin was forgotten in the lapse of time. For none of these reasons, but for this: ‘‘To sharpen the blow when it should fall; to render your defeat the more perfect, your an- guish the more intense; to lay you low when you seemed the most happy and prosperous, when you had the most to lose, when you least expected to feel the vengeance of your victims, ‘That hour has come, and with it come the executioners!” The Specter Chief ceased speaking and waved his gauntleted hand. His spectral assistants glided forward and their hands closed on the two doomed wretches, The Specter Chief turned away and stooped before the massive iron safe. Pa * A moment later | ——— = tore off one of the boards, laying the joists bare, then turned toward their chief, who had just completed the rifling of the safe to his ap- parent satisfaction. ‘* Vinish your work,” he rumbled, and with- out any more delay the ends of the lassoes were passed up to the shapes on the table, who passed them over the exposed joists, then descended with the loose ends in their bands, Another motion, and the partners were hauled from the floor, almost to the ceiling, all their weight resting on the thongs which encircled their wrists and ankles, producing excruciating pain. Another signal, and the White Cowls removed the table, bringing bundles of lightwood from the inner room, which they scattered on the floor beneath the prisoners, then poured oil over it all before touching off a match. Instantly the flames sprung up, darting up- ward as though eager to reach the helpless forms suspended from the ceiling. ** Behold the doom decreed by your innocent victims, foul assassins!” rambled the Specter Chief. ‘*‘ You gave them no chance to escape so you shall have none. We will watch hard by until the end comes. If there be any at- tempt at rescue, we will foil it, by force of arms, if needs be. But, in one respect we are more merciful than you were: we give you > a by which you can measure the approach of death and gauge your prayers for forgive- ness. Adieu!” All this time Budd Painter had watched the strange and terrible scene, with widely dis- tended eyes, unable to utter a sound or make a move. But now several of the White Cowls cut the cords which held him to the chair, and bur- ried him into the inner room, The door closed behind them, and the two helpless wretches were left to face a ncrrible death alone, Brighter grew the flames. Higher shot their tongues, and already the garments of the part- ners vip toscorch and smoke with the intense heat. ildly they writhed, but in vain. The bonds held fast. And higher leaped the forked flames—more intense grew their torture, CHAPTER IX. FLEEING FROM THE WRATH TO COME, For afew minutes the two men who bun suspended above the crackling flames, experi- enced all the tortures of the damned, none the less excruciating from being for the most part purely mental. The beat of the fire beneath them was begin- ning to scorch their garments and redden their fleso, but this was nothing to what they saw in the immediate future. The fire was beginning to take hold on the flooring and to spread in all directions, The door and windows were so carefully closed that long before sufficient i to alarm the citizens could escape, their fate would surely be sealed. Truly they were doom- ed—docmed to a death even more frightful than that for which they were condemned. Writhing, struggling until it seemed as though bis arms would be twisted from their sockets, Colonel Carey endeavored to burst his bonds, to work the gag from between his jaws, Nor was his comrade in misery any less violent, Round and round swung their bodies, now tumping agerbex, now recoiling, to come in > contact with increased violence, low, inarticu- late howls rising in their throats as they vainly sought to yell for belp. Then—how it came about, he could never tell—the thong holding the gag between the jaws of Colonel Carey, — gave way, and a wild, frightful screech burst. from his lips that caused the very walls of the building to tremble. Again and again be yelled for aid, so terribly excited, so thoroughly crazed by the imminence of their peril, as to be unconscious of the fact that his first cry hadan answer from the out- side. Not until a beavy blow rescunded against — the door, and a loud voice demanded what was the row, did he realize that the alarm bad been iven, ** Help!” he howled, his tones so hoarse as to barely articulate. ‘‘ We're roasting! Kick in the coor! For the loveof Heaven—make haste!” | ’ A Icud yell from the man without, brought speedy help, and then the stout door shook and a any more than we can help,” said Jeffreys, | the bolts fell with a click and the beavy door “You're all out of whack, old fellow, and if | swung open, revealing the books and papers there really is a combination forming against | belonging to the firm. us, as you seem to suspect, the closer we keep Even in that moment, when he believed that | our cards to ourselves the more chance we have | death, horrible and unavoidable, stared him rT of winning the game.” : full in the face, a groan of agony rose in the : Colonel Carey yielded to theforce whichdrew | throat of Colcnel Carey as he beheld the white | him away from his victim, and with a trembling | chief swiftly sorting over the documents, se- \ hand lifted to his lips the glass of whisky which | Mey eg some, destroying others without mercy. | e ho rattle] beneath the ferce which was brought to — bear upon it. Higher the forked-tongued flames leaped, wilder the suspended wretches struggled, almost suffocating in the smoke and heat which whirled upward from the fire, louder grew the =o eries, the curses, the prayers of the scorching assassin! fe, 3: Witb a crash, the door gave way and a balf- 7” aw. — —. r 4 Jeffreys poured out for him. d opportunity given him for but the | dozen men tumbled headlong into the room, + As he did so he saw the eyes of Budd Painter | one glance, then the Wbite Cowls turned him | quickly followed by others. The firebrands | i: a open widely and roll around the room in a_| over on bis face, their gloved hands working | were kicked out of the building, the flames Les | vacant, bewildered stare. swiftly, thoroughly. stamped out, while strong arms eased the sus- | pended bodies while other bands cut them free, Bodies they seemed, and nothing more, for | their overtasked brains had given way, the mo- ment the door broke down, and they saw that | rey they were rescued from what had seemed in- evitable death. ee Intense was the excitement of the rescuers,as they recognized whom they had set free; ee § sew i L 1 When first assaulted the partners had been bound hand and foot. Now the avengers passed a stout line through these bonds, drawing their hands back and their feet upward, until the four members almost met, when they were firmly bound thus, ‘‘Good!” he cried, with a savage snarl, ‘I thought you had brought me a Corpse. He shall | speak out and solve this infernal mystery or Pll skin him alive! Vl—” i ‘‘ Make him squeal, of course,” pepe bars re- | plied Jeffreys as he hastened to the side of the | captive, producing a stout coil of line, and with | Two of their number mounted on the table, . it tying the feet of Budd Painter to the chair on | and with short chisels attacked the ceiling, , which he was sitting. ‘But there’s time | which was formed of ship-lap lumber, instead enouzh. You want to simmer down and get of lath-and-plaster. In a few moments they in 5 > the wondering surmises as to what it could a a mean; when one of their number, who had a rs £ , SE ange | comicbooks.com