Beadle's Dime Library No. 258 — page 16: what you’re looking at

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

- _— —_—- = ~~ ~. 6 , - e ” ite — ee = . 4° ~ _ = aa? > > os ' 0 > - : " | ' | or burricane, whichever you see a ~ —_——— wee Oe ee wee — ee ee ee " Bullet Head, the Colorado Bravo. ou were the ally of Edmund Bartlett and Eben Tectena in the plot which cost the Sinclairs, Robert and Reginald, their lives. I believe, however, that you were the lesser villain, and that is why you are offered a chance to save yourself by telling the truth, however com- promising that truth may be to your safety.” The ex-detective presented this resume of the case with the deliberation of a judge delivering his charge to a jury. Thus, Bullet Head was able to digest every word as he went along and make reply without delay. And was it for this you came to Colorado?” “To prove the parentage of this young man?” “Yes, and to overwhelm Edmund Bartlett if, as we suspect, he was the cause of Reginald Sinclair’s death.” “Why do you suspect this?” the Bravo im- periously asked, ** Who was the gainer by the murder if not Bartlett? Who was it came to your house the day after the crime to ask if you had kept your romise and thrown a certain babe into the ppi, if not Bartlett? What babe would he naturally want out of the way if not Robert Sinclair's?” ~ “Can you prove that Bartlett asked any such question of me?” Bullet Head demanded. “Your wife, Mrs. Quain, will swear to it.” Ik “Now,” added Allen, ‘‘it is for you to add voice to hers and clear an innocent man. Robert Sinclair has long enough rested under a brand of crime, and Bartlett bas long enough _ ‘profited by his ill-gotten wealth.” The words were spoken with the enthusiasm youth, and Bullet Head gazed fixedly; his on was lost behind the mask. Robert Sinclair is dead,” he said, harshly. **So the world supposes; it is not sure.” * And you claim to be bis son?” T believe it, but epee lies with you.” The Bravo remained motionless for a mo- ment, and then his hands dropped to his side. ‘I can prove nothing!” he sharply said. “Think again—” began the ex-detective, per- suasively; but Bullet Head arose abruptly and interrupted him. **Enough!” he said, in his former manner. “T have now learned what brought you to Red Bullet Bar, and I shall use the knowledge as I see fit. How that will be I cannot say just now; perhaps it will be to your good, perbaps to your ill. I will say, however, that [ am no ~ friend of Edmund Bartlett, and I believe he is a bitter enemy of the Sinclairs. Lvt this suffice for now.” CHAPTER XIX. BULLET HEAD’S TREACHERY. At the last word the Bravo made a signal to Goliath, who uttered a soft whistle, and in half a minute four outlaws entered the room. ‘These men will escort you out,” Bullet Head added, ‘and you can return to the village. If ha want to know whether I am your friend or , come forty-eight hours later to the canyon where you saw me to-night. I promise you safety, if nothing more.” OWh not give your answer now—” Allen began; but the outlaw stamped '..s foot to in- terrupt bim, “ Because I do not choose *». Be satisfied if ‘are allowed to live, w’.ch is a weakness on ake them away!” * latter order ‘vas addressed to bis men, and they hustled the visitors a with a gehen which showed they were in accord their leader’s harshest orders. Blenker had os his young friend a warning look,and they de no remonstrances whatever. - When the bandages had been applied to their es a were led out and along winding ways. Finally he party vest ostensibly for one of the party to light bis pipe, but as several min- utes in utter silence, Allen gained a sus- picio and removed his bandage. , omy were alone in a dark canyon; the light- ing of the pipe had been but an artifice for the pace a) ae to glide away. Satisfied that this was so, they decided to re- turn to the village at once. Allen was disposed to regard Bullet Heat with extreme bitterness, but Blenker looked at the matter with the mes of bis age, and frankly confessed at he did not expect any more. ~ “Tom Quain has had such a life that I don’t , wonder he is reluctant to show his hand, Were he to step into St. Louis to-day and say to the ayor, ‘Il am Quain,’ he would hang higher n Haman. Therefore, give bim time and let us get to shelter. We’re going to have the big- gest rain on record,” ~ Judging by the thunder his prophecy seemed te reasonable. One incessant boom seemed to fall upon their ears, the lightning was vivid and the darkness, so suddenly succeeding the moonlight, impenetrable. We must take opto > of the peeing fiashes and basten to the village,” added Blen- ker as Allen hesitated. ~ **T doubt the wisdom of such a course,” the latter answered. “I fear a blizzard, tornado fit to call it, and here in the mountain we are protected toa certain degree,” ; Before the point could be settled a rattling among the neighboring stones was followed by the old, familiar cry of the West: ‘‘Hands up and stand where you are. back again and my name is Bullet Head!” There was an unpleasant inflection to the words which pleased neither Allen nor Blenker, but as they recognized Bullet Head they made no motion toward their weapons, In their opinion the way to manage the out- law, if at all, was by outwardly seeming to trust him fully. His manner, bowever, harsher than before. ‘**T’ll trouble you to trot back into the cave,” he said, sharply. “Til be hanged if you go down to the village to tell your yarns about I’m had grown even 8, ‘We will promise to say nothing about you,” said Allen, hastily. ** Promises are treath, but when I hold a man I know where he is. Give up your weapons. Men, leave them nothing.” A heavier peal of thunder was followed by a blinding flash of epee The sublime pyro” technics awed all for a moment, and the white light played on their features. Then the flash receded and the outlaws proceeded to obey their leader’s orders. A word from the ex-detective caused Allen to give up his weapons, but it was no sooner done than regretted. The odds against them were such that resistance was folly, and yas the oung man was so impressed by a feeling that ullet Head would do them barm that he was ready to risk all rather than surrender. The Bravo ordered his men to make haste and the arms of the prisoners were bound and they were ordered to follow. No further time was lost. They went on through several gulches while the thunder rolled and the lightning played eccentrically along the mountain peaks. A dash of rain came as the vanguard of the storm, but Bullet Head merely looked upward and shrugged his shoulders. His captives be- gan to be uneasy; the idea had occurred to both that they were not on their way to the cave, To what point, then, were they going? The suspicion that he intended foul play re- called to their minds the stories told by the Red- Barites. According to them, Bullet Head was not a chivalrous knight of the road but a brutal and cruel outlaw. Before long the rain began to fall rapidly and add to the wildness of the scene, and the Mis- sourians began to see what meant a storm among the mountains. By the time Bullet Head paused all were com- pletely drenched, but the captives forgot this fact as the Bravo stretched out his band, ** Look there!” he tersely said. They obeyed and saw a ravine with banks twenty feet high. It was a dreary-looking place, nor was its condition lessened by a skele- ton tree which grew at one pointinits bed. It had evidently long been lifeless and the bark, falling from the limbs, had left them almost as white as human bones. “Tm going to give you achance to see the shower; I’m going to hang you up on that tree where you can enjoy the mountain peony. said the Bravo, witha chuckle. ‘ Unluckily, there will be one drawback about it, and that is when it has rained awhile a perfect torrent of water will come sweeping down there, churned to a foam by the rocks. It will wet your heels and, maybe, your scalps; and there is a possi- bility that your weight will serve to uproot the tree and end by drowning you or in sending you over Punch-bowl Falls. I tell you this in case you may want to prepare for possible mis- fortunes such as I have described. Men, take them er - The outlaws started to obey the order, but in Allen’s opinion the time was for bim to remain silent. ; ‘“« Hold!” be cried, and the men instioctivel obeyed; then, turning to Bullet Head, he added, ** Are you in earnest about this matter? ‘“*] am,” was the ready answer. “ Have you forgotten te prousige you made?” ** No; but I have repen it. Fools! do you imagine that I will let you go to the village and tell your tales concerning me and then end by dragging me to—you know where? No, away with them, men!” Allen was furious with rage, but his excited threat was wasted on the storm as be was borne away to the ravine. In fact, the men were as anxious as their leader to have the job over, for when the water once came down the ravine there was no safety there until it subsided. Consequently, due haste was made in the final arrangements. On reaching the tree part of them ascended, while the others tied the rope about the prisoners’ arms and shoulders, A novel arrangement it was that Bullet Head had made, as was shown when it was finished. Allen and Blenker hung s nded back to back, dangling from a strong limb over which the rope was passed, but it was not so very painful a condition, as yet. The rope had not been noosed around their necks, but about their bodies, and they were in no real danger while the water kept out of the ravine. The outlaws bad promptly retreated, fearful of the flood, and the adventurers had the scene to themselves. The thunder, however, crashed as heavily as ever, the white lightning played around the manna and, darting quiver- ingly along the lower land, revealed the two men hanging from the ghostly tree—a very familiar sight in many a Western town, though it was seldom any buman being had been thus situated in every particular. ‘* Well, we’re in for it,” said Blenker, some- what dismally, when he saw they were alone, ‘*T should say so.” “I’m afraid that ain’t the worst.” “What do you fear?” “The remarks of that infernal Bullet Head were spiced with too much truth, m afraid. I’ve heard of just such guiches before. Such a rain as this accumulates a torrent of water, in- cre in volume as it descends the mountain until it is a howling torrent, If, as Bullet Head said, and there is little room to doubt it, it comes this way, we may expect to pass in our checks, as the saying goes, before long.” ‘* Don’t give up hope. This tree bas probably withstood the storms of fifty years.” ‘‘The more reason why it should give way now,” said Blenker, mournfully. ‘ Besides, it is now top-heavy with over three hundred pounds of buman flesh.” It was an argument Allen could not meet, and he searched the banks of tbe ravine in a vain attempt to see some favorable sign, He did see, however, that the eastern sky was not ovly becoming free from clouds but that there were signs of day along the horizon. That, at least, would take a degree of gloom from the situation, ‘*[m afraid we’re done for, this time,” said Blenker, mournfully, after a pause. ‘Curse that Bullet Head!” uttered Allen, between bis teeth. ‘Once let me get out of this and I will shoot bim on sight. Blenker, we have been fools! Quain, himself, killed Regi- nald Sinclair, and we were idiots to think he would make terms with us. He had the whole my in his own hands and he made the most of t. The ex-detective did not attempt to say any- thing consoling; his professional pride was bit- terly wounded by the termination of the affair. He bad b-en well aware of the risk they were running in trustiug the Bravo, but he bad risked —and lost! Now, be was repenting at leisure. He was aroused from his meditation by a paare humming noise which had already at- racted Allen’s attention. New as they were to mountain life they were for a moment at fault, but Allen quickly solved the riddle. ‘The torrent is coming!” he exclaimed. The ex-detective glanced up the ravine. Nothing was yet in sight, but the noise bad in- creased in volume and a shout from the shore announced that the outlaws were still there and awaiting what to them was to be rare ‘‘Hold hard!” shouted a voice unmistakably that of Bullet Head, ‘‘ Here she comes!” He spoke truly; the torrent was upon them! CHAPTER XX. OVER THE FALLS, THE gloom of night bad receded before ap- proaching day, and between the deepening light and the lightning’s flash the imperiled men could see several rods away. And as they looked up the ravine, this is what they saw: Rushing around a curve in the gulch, like a wild borse at a mad gallop, came a mountain of water, huge, towering, irregular, and white as snow with foam except where it was darkened by the trees, bushes, and rocks it bore on its bosom; a sight once seen never to be forgotten, a sight full of peril to those in its path, aoe mountain torrent is remorseless as death i . The men on the tree had little time for thought, and none for preparation, even had pap aration been possible; but hanging back to ok, with bound hands, they could move only their feet. ’ A moment’s pause, and the terrible torrent of water struck the tree. g@he Bravo stood above them, sardonically looking on. The two men were lifted by the quick-rising flood until their sition was a horizontal one. The dead tree boned its ghostly oP and dipped to the water, seeming about to yield to the great pressure. There was a moment of uncertainty, and the scene had changed. The van of tbe flood was yards away, the water was shooting in an almost level mass between the banks it filled nearly to the top; but though less Ominous of look than before, it ran so rapidly that the sticks on its bosom seemed shot from a gun at some point above. The hanging men had resumed a perpendicular tion, ous. Wee sega! @ mass of rubbish ad lodg piney ae » Which prevented them from bein ‘ The tree, too, had lifted its head after the (ECON MIUCE| OXOVO) S| g carried out on the breast of the ‘ (EC) ae