Beadle's Dime Library No. 258 — page 29: what you’re looking at

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

ee Whether Foolish Joe could be trusted she did not know, but as the hour was late she resolved to try the experiment. Joe urged an instant departure and little time was lost. The descent to the ground was an easy one and the two ladies soon stood on firm soil. Joe fol- rat hare bearing Ki Lee, At that time the Bar was very nearly quiet. Two saloons were yet in play and now and then an over- ardent patron was going home by a winding way, but there seemed little danger of meeting any one. ““Where’s the hotel?’ asked Rose, who had not forgotten that it was visible from Bartlett’s house. ** Around on the other side; we are at the rear,” Joe answered. **Come with me, it’s only a few steps.”’ i waaied sound issued from Ki Lee's throat, but his powerful captor suppressed whatever he would have said Ke an additionally severe grasp which nearly put Lee where poisoners and good rat- eaters go. Rose took fresh courage and followed their guide around the house. She regretted that the darkness eee her from distinguishing the outlines of the otel, but as it was so near she would soon know if Foolish Joe was playing her false. The latter went on with long steps which would have surprised those who had believed him a cri le, but the hotel did not become visible as it should ave done. Rose had not allowed herself to fall into careless- ness, and as her guide still went on she suddenly paused. “I won't go a step further!” she declared. “ Show me the hotel or we part company here!” CHAPTER XXXVIL BULLET HEAD PLANS A GREAT SLAUGHTER. Footish Jor paused abruptly as Rose had done, but he did not release his hold on Ki Lee. Instead he uttered a soft little whistle and men arose all around the two women. Rose had not been unprepared for treachery. She had found out that human nature—or, at least, the kind they had in Red Bullet Bar—was not to be trusted, and she had carried her revolver in her hand, though somewhat concealed from view. Consequently, when a brawny fellow made an attempt to seize her in his arms, she calmly pulled the ger and down went her victim. Really, it did no good, for in a moment more the whole party were enveloped. A fierce exclamation followed the shot,and the same voice added: “ Away with you, one and all. Git for the hills!” Mrs. Quain uttered a gasp. “ Thomas!” she exclaimed, and then the man who held her found a dead weight in bis arms. After that a disinterested observer would have been filed with admiration to see the celerity with which the party got out of the village. There was a rush, amounting of horses, a dash and a cloud of dust—and the intruders were gone. And when such of the villagers as had been aroused by the shot came out to see what was wrong, they found a small, dilapidated-looking Chinaman as the sole relic of the affair. This man, sitting up feebly and ca his discolored neck, mournfully murmured between his groans: ‘**"Melican man pinch like blazee; Chinaman feel like boil ricee. Him breathe, but dead all samee!”’ This melancholy Celestial was Ki Lee. In the mean time the wild band had swept away with Rose and Mrs. Quain in their midst. The latter was inaswoon and Rose had been disarmed, so it was a comparatively easy work. They soon struck the base of the mountain and, winding up the steep side, entered a cave; Bullet Head was at home. Mrs, Quain’s ears had not deceived her; it was her husband who had captured them, Not once, how- ever, did he speak going up the mountain. With his head low on his breast he was meditating and form- ing plans for the future. ce in the cave he ee ed to eat a hearty supper and array himself in his best clothing. Since 50 many of his d had seen his face he had aban- doned the mask, and his round head and prize- hter-like face were well-known to his men. abs iy ee 2 -. the last sow days had increased men were ready to ap oo de ~ 4. —- wari 4 occasio ng put himself in good con- dition, he sought his long foranines awd She had been separated from Rose, but had recovered from awh Bullet Head entered her cell en ente r cell it seemed as though every particle of blood receded om her oe i — oon wok Se She knew his ru y and m essness and expected no bet ee seared lied hcammaand then aughed aloud é paused, fo arms en hed aloud at sight + her eon “ = ‘You don’t seem ¢ see me, Mrs. Quain?” he The unfortunate woman tried to sure, fictitious though it was, as a drowning man yew 1g at a straw, but her words died away in her ‘You can’t even inquire what kept meso long, can ou? Upon my word, you are a cool one. If / was n your place I'should be rejoiced to find my husband alive after so Many years.’ A sudden, unnatural spark of courage came to her’ “ Why should I be glad?” she demanded. “ Why should I care for the man who deserted me nearly twenty years years and, leaving, never sent me One word -to know if he lived?” Her courage actually pleased the Bravo, “There's sense in what you say, old lady, by Jupiter! and we won't quarrel over that. But, let me inquire why you told the boy I saw fit to have as my son that he was no’ my son? Why did you betray everything to Allen? r wane Se ee perooneee set her to shivering like . “ ha pitied him,” she faltered. the rume, Your grandfather!” brutally exclaimed that young sha nian I eaution ou, whew : brought ver in, never to e an human being? your Scomaery’ i of half- h lengt Would Lil uomber that I swore if you ever told I assert her plea- _ Bullet Head, the Colorado Bravo. j | | | *“ But I thought you was dead. Oh! don’t blame me,Thomas; | intended no harm. I was foolish, but—”’ *‘Of course you were foolish. I never saw a woman that wasn’t; it’s born in ’em and it lasts till they go off the stage. Now, there isn’t any foolish- ishness in me and I'll proveit. Twenty years ago I said if you betrayed me on that child affair Id kill you. I’m going to keep my word .” With a shriek the poor woman flung herself at the feet of her tyrant, imploring pardon and mercy. The scene which followed was one we do not care to record in full. She might as weil have appealed to a rock; Bullet Head had taken his stand and he was hard-hearted enough to keep it, though half the world knelt to him and implored him to have pity. He left his wife once more in a swoon and went to his room where he indulged freely in fiery liquor. He believed he had matters at last where he wanted them, When he confined Bartlett in the vault of death it was but an impromptu way of carrying out a care- fully laid plan. He meant to confine him some- where, and it certainly seemed as though the vault would hold him secure. He, alone, could get him out when he saw fit, and when he did this he meant to have certain other Sn forever out of the way and make twenty housand dollars the price of Bartlett’s liberty. Once in possession of this sum, Mr. Quain could ie it with what he already had, go to Europe and here shine like a starof considerable brilliancy. The unfortunate ple whom we have said he meant to get out of the way were Allen, Blenker and Mrs. a. The two former had succeeded in get- ting altogether too many points of the Bartlett-Sin- clair case, and though he was operons sheltering them and acting the part of a friend, he meant to look after his own interests rather than theirs. He only waited for ome to “put them out of the way * as he expressed it. Daylight came at last and the Bravo gave certain orders to his men. As a result of one of these orders, Allen was soon conducted to his presence, though as he had merely been requested to present himself he did not suspect that trouble was brewing. “I’ve concluded to give you a little light on your casé, young man,”’ the Bravo abruptly said, “I'll confess that much which you've found out is true. I’m Tom Quain, but I’m not your father. I brought you to my house, twenty years ago, just as that gossiping old woman, my wife, told you.”’ . I hope you don’t blame her,” said Allen, earn- estly. ‘** You shall see later.”’ “Well. if I am the child you brought there, from where did you get me?” “From the house of Robert Sinclair.” * You did?” oi Yes.”’ ** You tell me this in good faith?”’ “Oh! yes, I don’t care a picayune to lie; it wouldn’t do me any good. Robert was married, and Bartlett, who was bound to inherit the Sinclair money, knew it very well. The forgery charged ainst Robert was really the work of his kinsman who only waited to sweep the board clean when he ad achance. The chance came when old Reginald Sinclair went there to sleep over night. You know what followed.”’ Allen was full of half-suppressed excitement at this tardy revelation—too much so to piseers that a sting lay behind the Bravo's sudden friendliness. nie = who,” he demanded, “ struck the fatal ow *? “Edmund Bartlett.” ® ~ Robert Sinclair was innocent ?”’ ‘ es ” Words of joy fell from the young man’s lips, but the Bravo continued: : me ““ What good did itdo him? He died, afew days ago,in Red Bullet Bar. Bartlett had a death-vault made under his house, Sinclair was entrapped and confined there, and there he died. His skeleton is all that remains of him.” His indifference was unnoticed by Allen whose in- ignation turned in another direction. ‘I shall now have Bartlett arrested at once. We have sent for a second time to Denver for a detective, and when he arrives Bartlett goes back to St. Louis.” ‘*Perhaps, but you will not live to see the day.” “T shall not?’’ “No. To be frank with you, my dear foster-son, I have resolved to be the chief gainer in this affair myself. I'm going to feed you to the fishes!” As the Bravo made this statement he also made a notion to his men who promptly seized upon Allen, —— him so = resistance pai useless. young man at once perceived that he had put confidence in Bullet Head only to see it heteared: that most remarkable robber who oscillated be- tween friendship and bitter enmity had taken another new departure. Alien had an eloquent remonstrance on his lips. but before it could made his hands were bound behind him and Bullet Head abruptly arose. **Follow me!” he tersely said to men. They went out of the cave and the Bravo smiled as he saw that the other persons he had oomed were being prepared for their end. He led the way along a narrow gulch until a deep pool of water was reached, It filled a pocket in the rocks, and though made up entirely of mountain rains was twenty feet deep, nearly as wide and of an unmeasurable length as the rear end passed in among shelving rocks. To one who looked downward, this water seemed as black as ink. Bullet Head gave a few more orders and Allen's feet were bound. He began to see what wascoming and made a struggle as desperate as it was vain. A rock weighing a hundred pounds was then tied to his waist and all was ready for the last act, ‘* We're going to put you and a few others into this drink,” the Bravo explained, “ and ualess you're against death you won't escape me this time. toss him in!” CHAPTER XXXVIII. could see no hope = os ae gery and he silently bade farewell to the world. He did this with due solemnity, for death is not one of those jolly companions men are glad to meet, but be addressed the chief no further. us, we need no longer go blindfolded. while the day is shining; let us summon the people, and Bullet Head and h on battectly” ft ~ ec an’ proper,’’ commented Wicked William sion Wood nr? ially effusi d bet was especially e ve, an ween him and Allen the crusade became active. detective arrived, and the Red- against for the time assault and battery on Allen, and then She went to the house to serve the warrant. but Wood grew angry at the failure, said, manly for you to roy would not dare to talk thus; I'd pitch you out of you, I'd never submit to the law, whar's place where he bottles men up like canned 29 -_— — eo “Raise him up,” said Bullet Head. The order was obeyed. ‘*Throw him in!” There was a splash, the dark waters of the pool opened to receive their victim, the body disap- peared, and then all was as before except for the rippling of the yet agitated water. “One gone to Davy Jones and here come the others,”’ continued the Bravo. Mrs. in and Blenker were led forward and Bullet Head gleefully made known their fate. The woman bewailed bitterly, but the ex-detective shrugged his shoulders and said nothing. They, too, were cast into the water, each securely bound and weighted down by a stone, and then, satisfied that he had triumphed, the Bravo led his men away. He would have been a good deal surprised had he known that at that moment al!l three of his “ vic- tims” were sitting on dry land and in a condition far from serious. A friendly hand had been lifted in the hour of greatest need, and when Allen took the fatal plunge it was with his hands free from bonds and a knife in one of them. This had been the work of one of the men who were apparently doing the chief's bidding, and it was so well conducted no one except ang his friend knew what was being done. Once in the water the young man retained his presence of mind. First of all he cut the weight clear, the strings around his ankles followed. and then he was free, the darkness of the water vailing all his movements. When Blenker and Mrs Quain followed he suc- ceeded in rescuing both of them. Then, in the shadow of the shelving rocks, an earnest consultation took place. It was clear to both Allen and Blenker that the hour of semi- earnest work was past; they must go into the battle anew and press matters to a decisive point. Bart- lett, Bullet Head and Garland must be seized and delivered to the law. Mrs. Quain and Allen were much concerned in re--. rd to Rose, but Blenker opposed the idea of going k for her then. He knew he could find the en- trance to the cave, and if they could not rely on the honest men of Red Bar to aid them they could at least form a party to kidnap Bullet Head. Allen had taken quite a liking to Gentle John, and, wishing to have a talk with him, they de- scended the mountain and moved toward the town. As luck would have it, they met that very indi- vidual on their way. “Taim ter be ht,’ said he, “but I must ob sarve that this collusion seems very timely. D’ye know ye are all pardoned down tharin ther Bar? Ther gal, Lila, hes be’n founded, an’ ther fickle populance is anxious ter receive you with open arms, This was almost too good news to be true. “How was the gir] found?” Allen cautiously asked. Gentle John then told of the trail be had followed in company with Ned and Wicked William. While they were eee the latter made his appearance, and testified as John had done. There could be no doubt but that there was a decided reaction in Red A Bar, and that the people were anxious to make amends for their hasty work. Bartlett was not to be found, and there were many who declared he had fled under dishonorable cir- - - cum stances. “‘I believe this is the hour for me to strike,” said Allen, in a ringing voice. ‘If the le are with the fire the death-Blow to gang. ey have defied the law And so ey Shag to the town boldly, and were tter than they dared hope. Sheriff Red Bar was resolved to see Bullet Head under ground, and Allen was just as ready to help them, so it came about that, as a clear charge was re- quired, the case of Tony Wells, the stag taken as an example. It will be remembered that Allen witnessed the —_ of the unfortunate man at the hands of the ravo. Accordingly, a formal warrant was served for the arrest of the chief, charging him with Tony’s and Allen swore te the facts before a legal cer. Just at this time the twice-tel hed-for Denver tes were so im- that they consented to receive a charge Bartlett ‘As his enemies were only anxious to shut him up, being, he was merely ch of with Vood As all had expected, Bartlett was not to be found, and spoke river, was plainly. ** Madam,”’ he said scree Hester Ware, “ your aaa is concealed about the ouse, and you ” where.” ** Sir!’’ she exclaimed, angrily. ‘You have heard me, madam, and I repeat it,” — eusphasia. “I have once told you that T do not know,” she with flashing eyes, “ and it is not very gentle- tthat Ido. If I was a man the official add he house.” “Then I'd have the law of you, oi the sheriff exclaimed, his face hecoming ve “The law! What do I care for that? I'd have ou understand that I rise superior to the law. ile it is represented by such a—a creature as Never, never!” at a hasty retreat, and then, in obedience to a suggestion from Allen, alighted on Ki Lee who was seen Anxious to cover his late defeat, and sure of a vic- tory this time, the sheriff Chinaman like a mastiff on a rat. peering at them through a half-open door, pounced on the little * 'Look-a-hyar, you yeller-skinned heathen, you} at secret vault of your aT eb, that “jes “Me no knowee vaultee; me no tellee—” Eonniel JOOKS GO