Beadle's New York Dime Library No. 257 — page 28: what you’re looking at

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

7 * - 28 Death-Trap Diggings. a wall of iron, the force of contact hurling him back to the floor, bruised, almost senseless. ‘‘ Bah! silly cur!” cried the voice, filled with bitter scorn and mockery, ‘‘ You struggle in vain. You walked blindly into the snare set for you, and must suffer the consequences. ‘‘Once more, would you behold the doom which the Ghosts of Golden Valley have pro- nounced? Behold—and tremble!” The spectral light returned, and once more a | vivid tableau started forth upon the screen, A narrow, oblong basin, with walls of rock rising abruptly on either side; from one end a cascade of water falls in a silver sheet over the rocks; af the opposite end is a massive gate, formed of timbers, completely barring the escape of the waters which seem to be rapidly filling up the little basin. In the center of the miniature lake four stakes are planted, with a bar near the top, formin rude crosses. On each of these crosses are bounc the figures of men, facing each other in double rank, two of them so that their faces show dis- tinctly to the wretches who stare like wild beasts on the terrible picture, for they recognize their own countenances. * By water you murdered, by water shall ye die!’ came the stern voice, ringing like the knell of doom in their ears. “Not yet, curse you!” howled Carey, again leaping to his feet. ‘‘Up, Jeffreys, you cur! We'll beat ’em yet!” Like magic the light vanished, and strong hands grappled with the half-crazed wretches, CHAPTER XI. TOUCHING A RUSTED CHORD. MADLY, desperately the two men struggled with their unseen foes, but their wildest efforts were allin vain. Their arms had been grappled at the start, twisted behind them and handcuffs applied to their wrists. Thus prevented from drawing knives or using the pistols with which they had leaped forward, hindered from exert- ing their strength to any advantage, there could be but one result; they were thrown to the os and wrapped in strong cords from head to oot. Yet they knew they were fighting for the only hope of their lives, and only yielding when their senses reeled, then seemed swallowed up by the blackest night, How long they remained in this unconscious state, they had no means of knowing, but when ‘heir senses were restored, it was all at once, instead of by degrees. A curiously indistinct light glimmered before their eyes, seeming a compound of sunshine and lainplight, and for a brief space they were un- able to distinguish any particular ea Their brains seemed dazed as though still under the influence of some powerful drug, and though there was a dim, indistinct memory of some deadly peril troubling them, they made no at- tempt to flee at first. Then, as their bg grew accustomed to the uliar light, Colonel Carey recognized the gure of the woman in red, and like a revela- tion it all returned tohim. He tried tocry out— he strove to leap forward and clutch the woman who had so adroitly lured them into the snare— but in vain. And then he realized that he was bound, thata gag filled his jaws, and the slightest exercise of any faculty beyond those of sight and feeling, was simply impossible. : A side-glance showed him his partner, also bound and helpless, trusged up alongside, star- ing with widely distended eyes at the masked woman beyond. The apartment in which she sat, was trimmed in the same blood-red color as the mask cover- ing her face and the sweeping dress she wore— floor, walls and ceiling. She raised one gloved hand, and in obedience to the silent signal, a portion of the red hang- ings parted and a number of figures entered, clothed in pure white, and the wild eyes of the two helpless wretches w wilder as they re- cognized the weird uniform of the Ghosts of Golden Sten 6 In their midst was a rough-dressed man, whose head was closely enveloped inacloth, but whose limbs were at liberty. At another motion of the red-gloved hand, this man was placed in a chair opposite her, and facing the darkened portion of the room where the two doomed wretches were bound, The cloth was removed from his head, and the white-robed ee ranged themselves to the rear, erect and motionless as though carven from stone. The rough-dressed man glared around him in half-defiance, half-fear, his hands mechanically _ fumbling at bis waist, as though in quest of the weapons he was so well accustomed to using; but then Madam Crimson spoke, her voice clear and soft: “You have nothing to fear, for you are among friends, who owe you far too great a debt of gratitude toeven dream of harming you, Mr, Painter.” _As she spoke, one of his hands was raised tremblingly to his bullet-scarred brow, and the old vacant look came into his bloodshot eyes, them pesky bumbly-bees would only keep shet fer a bit, so I could think!” ‘‘Do not try to think. Let your brain rest, and your memory may float back again, clear as in the days of old. Close your eyes, if you will; do nothing but listen, and I will try to brush away the puzzling mists through which you have been so blindly groping.” int There was something peculiarly soothing in her voice, and gradually the strained muscles relaxed, the troubled look grew less intense, and half-reclining in his chair, Budd Painter feebly muttered: ‘‘Budd Painter by name, an’ a full-blowed painter by natur’! I’m a Hard Man from "Way Back—a tough citizen from the t’other side 0’ yender, an’—I—kin—” His voice sunk into an incoherent drawl, and he seemed like a man under the spell of mesmer- ism as he gazed dreamily into the glittering eyes of Madam Crimson. ‘* So!” she exclaimed, her voice plainer, clear- er. ‘‘ Listen, while I lift the curtain of the ast. pe You were a wild, reckless, lawless man, in those days, and acknowledged no master save your own ungoverned will. Yet you were not all bad. Beneath your rough exterior you carried a heart that could feel for the helpless and unfortunate. ; ‘‘One day you came to a peaceful little val- ley, where a few poor people were digging gold. They were afraid you intended to be- tray them and wrest away the wealth they had accumulated with so much toil and danger. They acted harshly, pecars, but no more so than any others would have done in their place. They meant to keep you asa guest, until their work was done, then set you at liberty. ‘‘ But there was one man among them, who was a merciless demon at heart—” ‘‘T know—I kin see that much!” muttered Budd Painter, the vacant light in his eyes be- ginning to light up. ‘‘He shot me when my head was turned! It was a coward trick—a migbty low-down piece o’ dirt! But [ll git even! Iswore it then, an’ never yit did I go back on my word. But I cain’t find him—I cain’t find him, nowhars!” ‘‘-You shall find him—you shall drink your fill of revenge, if you but listen to me. Un- less you listen, I will go away and leave you to do battle with the terrible mists and cob- webs again.” Budd Painter fell back in his seat, his teeth tightly clinched, bis sinewy fingers gripping the wood with a force that almost caused it to crack and crumble. ‘There was one among that doomed band into whose power you fell by that treacherous shot, whose heart softened with pity at your miserable condition. It was a woman—but lit- tle more than a girl, young and soft-hearted, She did what she could to make your lot less bitter. She washed and bandaged your hurts. She put a shade over your head to intercept the burning rays of the sun at noontide. She brought you cool, fresh water, she fed en choice morsels, just as she might bave cared for a helpless child; for then, you were so strong, so_ furious, the miners feared to set your limbs at liberty even enough for you to feed yourself, ‘She did all this, but it was like caring fora savage. Your face ever wore that fierce, sullen scowl, You never spoke to ask a favor, an- swer a question, or say thank you for her ser- vices. At times she grew disgusted, and felt tempted to give over her efforts; but as often she grew ashamed of herself, and redoubled her efforts to make your life endurable. ‘‘Then came a black and terrible night. The man who shot you down was plotting evil against his pretended friends all the time, and aided by the men whom you had led to the vicinity, in whom he recognized old friends and fellow-criminals, he carried out his blood- curdling scheme of murder and theft, “There was a dam which held back the waters from the little valley in which the doomed wretches were working to secure a competence for their loved ones, and be—the demon who shot you—resolved to blow this up, and thus cover his atrocious crimes. ‘And why did he do all this? Not for lust of gold alone, though no doubt that had its infla- ence; but because the girl who ministered to our wants, with whom he pretended to be in ove, rejected him when he asked for ber hand, and told him she was already a wife. ‘‘He murdered the man on watch over the dam; he lured the gray-haired father of the woman he pretended to love out of the tent where she lay sleeping, and most foully assas- sinated him; be robbed the iron treasure-chest, then carried the pe girl away, leaving her bound and gagged among the rocks, while he hastened to finish Lis diabolical work. ‘He caused the dam to be blownup. The mad waters came down with a mighty rush and roar, but even above that mad roar rose the terror-stricken cries of the poor beings who only awoke to die.” “T hearn it—I was thar—I kin see it all jest as I did then,” muttered Budd Painter, clasp- ing his head with his hands, his eyes ‘ owin _ “Pye hearn that voice afore—but whar? Ef! like coals of fire. ‘It begins to come ee 4 > : a. SS ——_ kin see clearer—all but the names an’ the faces. Thar the mists hangs yit—thicker’n ever.” ‘‘ Have patience and they will melt and dis- appear,” said Madam Crimson, leaning forward and waving her red-gloved band. Once more the Hard Man from ’Way Back ielded to her strange influence, and shrunk ower in his seat; but the bright light did not fade from his eyes as at first. ‘You were there, as you say. Never once had you yielded an inch, though day after day the gray-haired leader—father to the poor girl who ministered so patiently to your wants —offered to set you free so far as bonds were concerned, if you would only promise to keep the peace and not pass out of the valley. You never spoke or made sign that you heard him, but you were working doggedly to make your escape and secure your revenge on those who had held you captive so long. ‘‘ And on that terrible night, you succeeded, You freed your hands and then your feet from your bonds. You were stealing away, when you caught sight of the man who shot you, creeping toward the dam, and you dogged his footsteps, meaning toslay bim. But when you divined his purpose, you held your hand and let him assassinate the man on duty above the dam, Why should you interfere tosave him? Was he not one of those who had bound you like a dog? ‘“You watched his movements all Shircrirts You heard bim instruct his tools how to fire the mine which was to destroy the dam; you saw him lure the gray-haired leader to his doom; saw him rob the treasure chest in company with his mate; saw him bear away the woman who had watcked over yon through all those days. ‘“You saw all this, yet you did not raisea hand to prevent the crimes, You watched and waited—” ‘Fer what?” suddenly interrupted Budd Painter, his eyes aglow, his countenarce work- ing strangely. ‘I kin tell you. I kin see through the clouds tbat fur. ca’se thar was only one soul in the hull outfit that I wouldn’t ’a’ murdered with my own hand ef that cussed cur hedn’t tuck the job onto his own hands! An’ she was safe enough out o’ the way o’ the waters when the dam _ bu’sted. I swore he shouldn’t harm her—nur he didn’t never lay finger or eye onto her from the minnit he putt her down ’mongst them rocks!” ‘‘True,” added Madam Crimson, her voice rowing clear and firm again, after that trem- Biles break. ‘‘ You watched your chance and stole her away from where that demon left her tied hand and foot, with a plaster over her mouth. ~You found a safe hiding-place far away in the rock-hills, and there watched and waited during the weary days he spent in searching for his lost treasure. You intended to foil him still furtber; you meant to pick off his comrades in sin, to secure the blood-stained gold, and then pups him, as bis crimes deserved; for this you ad suffered him to carry out his atrocious plot, tbinking that failure in the very moment of his fancied triumph would be bitterest of all to him. But you did not do so—you smothered your hatred, you abandoned your revenge, you suf- fered him to escape with his ill-gotten wealth— why? Because the frightful events of that night had erazed the brain of the poor girl whom you dared so much to rescue from the clutches of that demon. You dared not leave her fora moment, when her consciousness—not senses— returned in the gloomy little cave to which you bore her, lest she destroy herself. Those borri- ble death-cries were constantly ringing in her ears, and she had only one prayer; that a merci- ful God might take her to rejoin her poor father, her little brother. ‘Then it was that her kindness of heart in showing you those little kindnesses while you were a helpless prisoner, met with their just re- ward. You watched over her and cared for her as tenderly, as devotedly as though she was your own child, and though ber illness lasted for weeks, you never despaired, never once re- laxed your efforts, but nursed her back to life and strength, though her mind remained a per- fect blank. ‘“‘ As her strength came Hep led her by entle stages to the main trail, and finally joined a train of emigrants who were bound for Oregon. Ycu told them just encugh of the truth to awaken their keenest pity, and in their company you journeyed to Oregon, from thence to California, where you knew she had a hus- band living. ‘‘Tt was a blind search, for as yet her mind was a blank, and she could give you no clew— you were even ignorant of the name her hus- band bore—but a kind Providence favored you, and by making good use of her maiden name, at eee you found the man who believed she was still safe in the home where he had left her, long 0. ie? At the sight of her busband, the poe girl burst into tears, and when she grew calm again, her memory was restored. But with it came another long and dangerous illness, and when she recovered once more, and asked for the man to whom she owed so much, it was only to hear that he had disappeared, bad never been co m