Beadle's Dime Library No. 258 — page 2: what you’re looking at

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

-~—@-~ oS Se 6 es wr . d ies ] ' descent on- years eclipse . 2 Bullet Head, THE COLORADO BRAVO: OR, The Prisoners of the Death-Vault. BY CAPTAIN MARK WILTON, AUTHOR OF ‘‘ LONG HATRED «MAX,” “ CACTUS JACK,” ““BARRANCA BILL,” ‘* THE SCORPION BROTHERS,” ‘*‘ DON SOMBRERO,” ‘‘ CAN- YON DAVE,” ‘‘ BUCKSHOT BEN,” ; “LADY JAGUAR,” ETC., ETC. eo, Mee OHAPTER IT. IBD ALIVB. ime people ty wemRas Binder Bar was, in asl, Bne of the t thriving towns of Colorado - prophesying that it would within two 6 Leadville. Thatit did mot do so prow them poor prophets, but does not alter e fact that gold was there quite plentifully. Other industries flourished also, and few men looked better satisfied just then than the carpen- a were fast making the infant city ex- pand. Albert Leverett, who was one of the ‘latter class, was one evening sitting in the doorway of his cabin, serenely smoking, when he saw a man whese appreach caused bim some interest, know- ihg, as he did, that-he was Hdmuhd Bartlett, a inihte- whet’ and supposed to be the richest man at Red Bullet Bar. Leverett did not expect to receive so much as a nod, but the rich man walked directly to his “ Good-evening, sir. “Your name, I believe, is Leverett?” Bartlett, spoke; somewhat, abraptly, but his manner was pleasant and friendly. ‘** Such is my name, sir,” answered the younger man, politely, but with a degree of independence born of the fact that men of his craft were not ciphers in the town just then. ‘* And a carpenter, by trade?” ** Yes, sir.” ““You also know something of the mason’s trade?” _ Again Leverett assented, remembering vague- ly that the rich man had stood for several min- mtes and watched him «she put together the chimney of a house on the lower street! * ‘*T have some work at my house which I wish done. One man is all I care to employ; and he must be both a carpenter and a mason, The work will employ him for a week, and T will pay the highest price.” t was a chance Leverett did not refuse, for, besides the immediate pay, the work might serve to fix him in the good-will of the mine-owner, Thus began the acquaintancesbip of, the two men, and that evening the carpenter called on his employer and heard what he wished done. ‘*] wish fo have an additional cellar,” Bart- lett explained, “in which I can keep such arti- cles as 1 wish to bandle myself), exclusively. My Chinese servants are as honest as thé race runs, but they bave a weakness for drinking m wine, and so forth. The second cellar, whic must be arranged so that I alone enter it, will be my store-room for valuables of all kinds. You have probably” been in Red Bullet Bar — enough to know that we are seriously trouble by the lawléss ways of the road-agents led by Bullet Head, the Bravo, as he is called.” “f have heard them spoken of,” the carpenter replied. . Exactly. Well it has occurred to me that this redo le robber may some day make a house, because of the fact that it is of consi ble size, Thinking thus, Ihave resolved to have a secret cellar, or vault, and there hide my valuables. Having done this, I can rest in the knowledge that I shall not be left a ry, even though my house be burned over me by Bullet Head.” ey The precaution seemed a wise one, and Albert said as much, and as Mr. Bartlett offered good pay he readily ped: to do the work. He really was as much of @ mason as a carpenter, and all would undoubtedly go smoothly. The mine-owner descri how he wished the vault constructed. The bottom was to be of the hardest cement and six inches in thickness, and the sides of heavy stone blocks, well ce- mented, and the whole Govered with well- riveted sheet-iron, Leverett was somewhat surprised at the ex- traordinary strength required. To him, it seemed unnecessary, since Mr. Bartlett intend- ed the contrivance to be a secret one rather thana proof egpiony burglars, and this plan re- him an old-fashioned safe, but he |" fecognized-the rich man’s right to have every- recogn thing to suit himself. Another hobby of the case was that Leverett should not uch as whisper to any outsider what'-was being done. .Jt- was enough -for —— that Bartlett was making repairs on his ouse, Se day he went to the place to begin work, The original cellar of the house was but a small affair, occupying but. about one-third of the space covered over by the building, and the vault was to have the remaining room, but, at the same time, be entirely distinct from the cellar proper. Bartlett conducted his workman to the place, and the latter saw what had before been ex- plained to him; the mecessary excavation had already been made by Bartlett's Chinamen and the unnecessary earth taken away, while a quantity of stone, blocks lay scattered around, ready for bis hand. . ‘‘How long will you be occupied in laying them?” the mine-owner asked, pointing to the eT d the 1 for the beginn ‘Two days, at the least, for the be in will be somew hat difficult.” : “Of course. Weil, that is what I calculated, and you can proceed and lay at your own mie taking care only that al! shall be strong, hastone blocks, you see,are well formed, hav- ing been worked down by my Chinamen under my directions. By the time they ate in place, others shall be ready.” Leverett went to work, He was not one to slight or delay a job, and he intended to. please his employer in every way. Having measured the room and done a little caleulating, he set the first stone, and the vault began to have an ex- istence, With the placing of that stone began one branch of a drama which was to change the en- tire life-current of several people, some of whom were hundreds of miles away. Bartlett remained where he was for an hour and then went up to the room above, ascending by the ladder down which they had come. The carpenter-mason was alone, but he was far from being disturbed thereby. The build- ing Of a cellar was no New work to bin) and the precantions for strength adopted by his em- sage oeeasioned but a passing thought. In is opinion, the man who pays for work has the privilege of having it done to suit himself. So Albert worked on in a matter-of-fact way. Be laid the blocks of stone, measured and ce- mented, and showed commendable skill in all he did, Two lanterns, with strong reflectors, sus- pended from the roof, aided him to see without difficulty, Another hour passed, and he found it neces- sary to have some trifling article be had forgot- ten. He ascended the ladder, to find some Chi- nese laborer and send him to the store. We say he ascended the ladder. Really, he went only to within three feet of the top, when he paused suddenly at finding himself face to face with a man. He had never seen so peculiar a human being before. Sitting flat on the floor, his legs curled up be- neath him, the unknown revealed a body which was simply astonishing in its breadth of shoul- ders and chest, and its general muscular devel- ment, Beyond a doubt, great strength existed there, but its appearance approached deformity. Supported on a thick, museular neck was a huge, round head, which was not less promising in its indication of intelligence than the gross, coarse face below. Jet-black hair and a corre- sponding beard hemmed in the face, and, both being comparatively short, they reminded one of tbe stubble left on a grain-field after the passage of the reaper, even as the huge ears somehow recalled the sails of a boat moving be- fore a strong wind. Taken as a whole, this creature Was so strange, sO unexpected, hideous and animal- looking, that Albert instinctively paused. The creature’s eyes met his—in contrast, to his face they were keen and penetrating, if not naturally iatelligent—and then he burst into a laugh, or what was doubtless meant for one. It had, however, but little human sound. Albert did not rally easily. He did not know whether to treat this creature like @ human be- ing, a watch-dog or a parrot, andi s with a good deal of confusion that he finally spoke. a your pardon, but I—I—” Not knowing what to say, he paused entirely, The ereature laughed again, and allowed his xaze to fall toward the vault in sucb a way that t could not be donbted but that be bad been watching the mason; then, raising his eyes and his hands at the same time, he waved the latter in the air in a seriesof gestures which conveyed a ee — ietitin . ecling like one in a ni are, the youn man leaped to the floor above, brushed past the unknown, and sought the room where he ex- pected to find the Chinamen. ' ; He was so far successful that he found one, to whom he red his directions, He had just finished, w a shuffling sound behind him caused him to turn, and he saw that the name- less creature had followed him, Its mode of traveling was peculiar—walking, as it did, in the position one naturally assumes when sitting on a low stool, and at the same time touching his hands like additional legs or a pair of crutches. Once more the carpenter looked in bewilder- ment. He understood that the creature’s legs were not strong enough to support his massive body in a natural position, and that his arms ‘ Bullet Head, the Colorado Bravo. were needed for support, but all this added te the strangeness hovering about him. ‘‘In Heaven’s name,” Albert instinctively ex- claimed, turning to the Chifaman, “what de you eall this thing?” Wing Charlie shook his head. ‘“Him welly lunlucky,” he said gravely. ‘‘Git hurtee some tlime welly bad; all gone here, eb- ber since.” ; He touched his head, and then added: ‘‘Dat Foolish Joe!” Albert began to see more cléarly, ** Does he understand what we say?” he asked. **Mind all gonee. Him knowee nuffin’, hear nuftin’—only see, eat, dlink.” The carpenter was about to inquire why such an object was kiptin Bartlett’s house, but sec- ond thought convinced him that it was none of his business and be returned to his work. Five minutes later, glancing to the top of the ladde?t, ‘he saw the’ idiot looking down and watching bim-»at bis work. That this was a critical survey did not occur to Albert, for not only was the creature’s face wholly without ex- rhe oa! but in his way Wing Charlie had said nat he was utterly without sense. Such being the case, he was, of course, watching with child- ish Cunaaty. The building of the vault went on steadily. During the day the young man worked faith. fully, and at night went to his own cabin. He had never had a more ages employer. Mr. Bartlett was a wealthy and. bighly-educated man, and at all times an air of cOnscigus power hung about him, but Albert had no fault to find, Day by day, as he worked, the idiot sat cross- legged on the floor above and watched him, The closely-cemented wall seemed to interest him, the clang of the hammer when the sheet- iron was riveted brought forth more than one chuckle, and the solid flooring afterward added seemed in some way pleasing to the darkened mind. If Foolish Joe had been superintendent of the work he would not have paid closer attention. W hen he and Bartlett chanced to meet, neither so much as looked at the other, but, once, the mine-owner explained bow they chanced to be together. The idiot was deformed and his lower limbs almost useless, but he could swim like a fish. Once, off the coast of California, Bartlett would have drowned had not Joe come to his aid. For that service he was duly grateful and finding that the idiot was a bur’en on an old mother who was very poor, he bad taken charge of him and kept him aboui the house as he would a dog. Such was the history of Foolish Joe, In the mean while, the iron vault progressed favorably, and one evening Albert Leverett went to his employer and said: ‘The work is done!” And so it was. Roof, walls and floor were alike complete, and the manufacturer, standing erect in the place, had looked it over and sbrug- ged bis shoulders. “Ten men, empty-handed, could not make a breach here; it is literally a dungeon. Some- how, lam reminded of that ny er the Dark Ages—what was his name?—who had a similar lace constructed for entombing his political oes and then began the work by age pe his mason that he might tell no tales. Luckily, Bartlett is not of that caliber, while, so far as strength goes, be can feel assured that this place will reniet, the attacks of all robbers, even that of the noted road-agent, Bullet Head, the Bravo.” His work done, the young man went to Bart- lett and made the announcement before record ed. The rich man surveyed it critically. “ There is yet a little dampness about the ce- ment of the floor,” he said. “A trifle only, and that is caused by the fact that, being laid on the ground, it dries more slowly than it would otherwise do, At the end of a week, it will be practically a solid rock. An ordinary chisel and hammer could not make a hole through it.” “ “Will you, then, atthe end of another week, come here with a tity of white paint, of some sort, and cover whole interior? I would bave it done.now, but the smell of paint is of- fensive and the Mo? al too cold to make open windows agreeabie. . Albert readily agreed and then returned to his own cabin. The following morning be went to work on another job. wa Before the end_of the we methin . curred which materially ch Albert's plans. He was waited upon by ano eta who said that he lived at Brickyar Bend a town ood a business weuty miles north, and 80 iene offered him that he decided to leave Red Bullet Bar and so annow to his friends. It_was the evening before his intended depart- ure that he went again to Bartlett's house, pre- red to paint the interior of the vault. ‘* All ig ready for you,” said the rich man,’ leasantly. “ You will find all as you left it. turn to me when you are through, please.” Albert went to the entrance to the vault. On his way be passed Foolish Joe, but he had be- fore seen that kind speeches were thrown away upon him and he vouchsafed no more thana GOmicbooks (Elo)