Beadle's Dime Library No. 278 — page 12: what you’re looking at

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

‘ | ’ >* te ?* ’ — Sar oe = ~ ~~ - - “ae - a > Saree ee — coe - e * al os “ — A - - a Stet 250s > — ts <¥ ——- a —_—— mt ae ig Ry : [vo 'Xou-Bet with a ngs m ——_ 12 been huntin’ him an’ the girl ever since. When I found them hyar I sent word by telegraph to ther colonel, an’ he came on ter be shot by you. It’s very simple. Wal, he’ll never carry out bis plans. I planted him.’ ‘“* But you are left!’ and Sutter took a step _ toward the gambler-sport. ‘‘ What are you going to do?” The question so direct admitted of no equivo- cation. a — —_ “ Oh, ’m winged. Got the compliments ov | | we must strike the giant’s trail. _ there is my child! ther Rattler from Silver Bow in my arm,” and Cold-Deck Carl held out his wounded arm fo- ward Sutter. ‘‘ He shoots an’ laughs, thet dead- beat does. It’s all ther same ter him. What am I goin’ ter do? Why, wait till my arm mends an’ then separate ther pards from Silver Bow!” His eyes flashed while he spoke. ‘*But that is not it. Whatdo I care for the quarrel between vou and the Happy Rattler?” said Sutter. ‘‘ You have declared that the colonel’s plans are now your plans. I know what his were—to get posstssion of Zoe and with her in his power to extort money from me, and to heap upon years of anguish more torture - than the human heart can bear. Are your plans the same that his were? Answer me, Cold-Deck Carl. Iam Zoe's father.” “Your girl is nothin’ ter me,” he said,in a tone calculated to deceive. ‘IL liked ther colonel, Me an’ him hev been pards a long .time, but I didn’t steal Zoe, because I warn’t with ’im then. I met him after that. I stayed with him because we made a certain agreement, an’ then I[ got ter likin’ him. But he’s dead now, an’ I’m bound ter no man.” Sutter looked deep into the eyes of Cold-Deck Carl, who thus continued: ‘Ef you'll look at my arm, an’ help me see how badly ther dead-beat from Silver Bow winged me, mebbe you and I could be friends. ‘You've got ter find Hercules Goldspur—that’s a bard, cold fact—an’ when you’ve found him - he'll prove no infant ter handle,” Without replying, Sutter made a gesture which indicated that he was willing to look at Cold-Deck Carl's wound, and with some diffi- culty the arm was bared for inspection. ~ Jn thé soft moonlight that bathed the spot in weird beauty, the two men looked at the wound inflicted by the Rattler's bullet, which might “have taken Carl’s life if the jolly man had been so disposed. It was found to be an ugly wound, the ball having cracked if not broken the bone in its course, and though the slightest movement -eaused Car! indescribable pain, he laughed deris- ively as he held the arm above his head. “By George! Sutter, ’m a winged pigeon, ain’t I?’ he exclaimed. ‘‘ Broken wings heal - sometimes, and the bird flies as well as ever. ’ Its my best arm; but what ov it? Ill live ter kill ther Silver Bow dog with it? He’ll cuss be- fore be dies the day he only winged a Deck - Carl. Ill live ter pay ‘im back. I'll live ter help you in anything, Colonel Sutter. Say ther iwrded, an’ Cold Deck Carl steps ter yer side as . ag’in’ Hercules Goldspur, whose greatest boast - is that he is The Man ov ther Velvet Hand. Ef yo want me, bhyar I am! Ef necessary, we 0 will draw a blood-line about this wild-cat’s den that’ll make it a noteti place. Thanks! _ You’ve dressed wcunds afore, I know ye hev.” Several times,” smiled Sutter, looking into Carl’s face. “I do want to find my child, and vou say that where she is I will find this Hercu- les Goldspur?” “Then I will hunt him.” Mi one?” ' **Not if you hate him enough to go with me.” “Me bate him? You ar’ talkin’ now!” ex- elaimed Carl, “Who wouldn’s hate the man what choked ‘im first an’ then tossed ’im amon a lot ov red wolves? Yes, I like Hercules Gold- spur, but we'll never become pards, colonel. It’s * ag’in’ ther grain.” _ Then, sir, we'll hunt him together.” Cold-Deck Carl held out his hand. “Yours truly, Colonel Sutter.” he said, “We ar’ pards now that'll make things hum in ' ¢ertain localities. Hercules Goldspur, you'll be called ter account afore long an’ in a manner that will be talked about. Zoe shall be restored - to*your arms. I, Cold-Deck Carl, a man-tiger _ from the best fi rhtin’ district in Colorado, - ‘swears it in yer presence!” ¢ Sutter returned the grip in a way which told that he had trusted the man who had just re- it | sam on high an oath to help bim recover his ild. And this Cold-Deck Carl’was the companion ‘of the enemy he had just slain, and he bad come ar different purpose than the one to which he had just sworn allegiance. | ** Stand by me and you shall never regret it,” said Sutter. ‘“‘ I have another friend here and ~ ‘he will help us.” | ** An’ that friend is—” | © Pigmy Pete!” ' A slight sneer of derision appeared at the ~ ,corners of Carl’s mouth. ‘Ha! you know him?” said Sutter. Wal, I oughter, seein’ that we met last jight,” was the repiy. ‘His gal left bim— ——— — = - ———$—$$— EE SE a a ee went off after Hercules Goldspur. She’s a bluffer, colonel. Your friend, too?” sé Yes.” ‘Do you think she’s squar’?” ‘* Faithful do you mean?” | “Yes. Do you think those Greaser eyes ov hers will never go back on yer?” ‘Pil vouch for Lola,” said Sutter quickly. “The diamonds with which she bluffed yow last night belong to me, but one of these times~at the end of my life-trail—they’ll be hers. But Where he is Can you start at the end of an hour?’ ‘* You'll find me ready then.” ‘Then meet me here, Your arm will heal while we hunt. You will not settle with the Happy Rattler to-night?” ‘Not unless they force me to.” They'll not do that.” ‘Very well, then, The two pards from Sil- ver Bow shal! not be separated just yet.” Sutter smiled and drew back. ‘*In one hour. Remember!” he said. ** Tl be hyar.” | Half a minute later Cold-Deck Carl found himself alone, and with a curious look he fol- lowed Zve's father with his eyes until his figure was Visible no longer. Fool!” he suddenly hissed, and the epithet was followed by a sarcastic laugh. ‘I did not think you could be hoodwinked so easily, Ferd Sutter. | have been too long with the colonel to | forget bim an’ sw’ar honeso allegiance to ther man what wiped him out without a purpose. Go back an’ git ready fer tber trail thet leads ter Hercules Goldspur. I will foller it with yer. Fool! I will be on hand when that trail ends. But you shall never take Zoe back to ther Ari- zona ranch without ther full consent ov Cold- Deck Car). Thar ar’ buzzards in Idaho, an’ they may pick your bones, fool!” His bitter words died away, and as he walked from the spot leaving it deserted, a low, coarse laugh trembled the ite ‘* Fool!” mocked the laugher who looked over the back of a donkey. ‘‘ Ye ar’ ther biggest fool ov the two, Cold-Deck Carl. We'll see whose bones them birds will pick.” CHAPTER XV. ROBBED, “WELL, Zoe, how do you like your new home?” ‘| have not got used to it yet,” and the dark- eyed beauty smiled faintly as she looked up into the face of the giant who stood in the door- way of the mountain cabin many miles from You-Bet. ‘*T wonder if they’re lookin’ for us? What do you think, Zoe?” ‘*There is one man who will not leave the trail soon.” ‘* Your father?” és Yes ” “Ef I hedn’t flung Cold-Deck Carl to the In- juns thar’d be another persistent trailer, I guess we're safe bhyer—for a time, at least. This shanty I found long ago in one ov my rambles from You-Bet an’ I said then: ‘ Ef they ever make the city too hot for Zoe, Vil fetch ’er hyer.’ They’ve made it too hot for ye, an’ you ar’ hyer accordin’ ter promise.” Of course the man in the door was Hercules Goldspur, athletic and handsome as ever, and his eyes glowed with triumphant delight as be looked down upon the girl he had brought to the cabin in the mountain by a trail which he thought the keen eyes of the Indian tracker could not detect, His fight with the Indians in the pass soon af- ter his flight from You Bet while it had given bim a wound. now nearly healed had already — from his mind, and he was ready to meet hose against whom for the beautiful creature who shared with him the cabin he had pitted himself. ** Not for all the gold in these hills will I sur- render Zoe till I'm ready,” be said to himself. ‘*Tney may hunt us down, but I will show my trackers that Iam still The man of the Velvet Hand. Ferd Sutter, you can’t have your daugh- ter. Ihave said no,” The last word had scarcely left his lip ere Zoe came forward, and her hand fell softly upon his arm while she looked into bis face. ‘The are two hunters whom you have for- gotten,” she said. ‘‘ Name ’em, Zoe,” “ Pigmy Pete and Lola.” ;' —" ys Hercules Goldspur broke into a augh. “Them two children!” he cried. ‘ Why, I could hold Pigmy out at arm’s length an’ choke im at my leisure.” ** But Lola?’ . _ “ A Mexican snake, with ther purtiest eyes in ther world except yours, Zoe!” he exclaim- ed. ‘‘Why do you think they will hunt us?” ‘* Because they are working for my father.” “* His spies, do you say, Zoe? By Heavens! I wish I had known that when I interfered be- tween Cold-Deck an’ Pigmy.” ‘‘A word, afterward dropped by Lola, told meall.” — “Then, let them keep their distance!” cried the woman | protect to make her blush. — — EE — —_ ‘it, and Lol Hercules. | ‘I wish I could tell ther hull North- west thet I’m goin’ ter keep Zoe Sutter until I choose ter give herup. Ef I bev ever insulted her in any form let her say so, and Hercules Goldspur will make amends. 1 love too well I will stand by the girl I took from Colonel Dasher an’ his pard. Nothin’ parts us, Zoe. Let the trackers come—I am hyar! When you go back to the old ranch you go there as my wife, ef yeas love does not find a better man before that ime,” The girl smiled till she showed her pearly teeth, and the giant threw one arm arm around ber and snatched a kiss from her forehead. “Do you know that I dreamed again last night that I saw men on the trail above our cabin?” she said. ‘Always dreamip the giant laughed. *“One ov these times there will be men up thar,” and he glanced up at the darkenin mountain that loomed above the but, ' ‘Do you think so?” ’ : “Why not, if you dream it all the time?” was the laughing reply. ‘1 will go up and see; they may be there now.” Zoe was in a mood to remonstrate, but the giant was too qnick for that, and she was alone in the mountain but before she fairly recovered from his sudden departure. ‘| love him, and yet he drags me from my fither,” said the girl. ‘‘ What kind of a man is Ferdinand Sutter? d have no recollection of him, and yet be wants to claim me as bis daughter, Why doesn’t. Hercules go to him and say, ‘I know where your child is—I can restore her to your arms? But no; he makes me fly from my fathber—hbe hurries me from You-Bet because that father seeksme, When will it end?” Zoe went back into the cabin, and saw the shadows of night wrap it in gloom again, A week had passed since ber forced flight from the mushroom city by the railroad, and yet ber retreat had not been discovered. She did not know that Lola, the Mexican ir), had set out on tbe trai] she had made; she ad not heard the oath taken in Pigmy Pete's presence, nor witnessed the bond of friendship given by Cold-Deck Car] to the man who had come from Arizona to find her. If she bad been ecgnizaut of these events, she might have watched the gathering shadows with some forebodings of impending evil. Night after night, Hercules Goldspur had watched the trails that led to the hut, He was guarding zealously the fair creature whom he loved, and for whom he was ready to use his revolver and bis silken fingers, ‘At last!” ejaculated a voice among some bushes as Hercules went up to the trails again. ‘I told Pigmy that I would find them, and I have kept my word. What’s a week’s hunt when I serve the man I love? What’s a year’s trailing when it leads me to happiness?” A pair of glistening eyes looked through the Shick busbes at the cabin occupied now by Zoe aione, There was triumph in every Jineament of the face, nut-brown in color, but strikingly hand- some. ‘ Gone, is he? He’s left the prize at home, but be would not bave done so, if he knew that Iwasso near. Ab! Hercules! 1 do not fear your velvet band, It will never close on my throat, and I wil] never stand before your lev- eld revolver. I'll go up and see Zoe.” Ten minutes later, when she had given The Man of the Velvet Hand time to get a goodly distance from the cabin, the speaker left her hiding-place, and crept forward. ‘‘My borse will carry double,” she said. ‘‘Hercules, when you come back to the nest you will find the bird—your bird—gone.” | It was a short distance from her secret place to the door of.the mountain but, and the track- er, whom the reader has already called Lola, reached it without, pot baving. by the slight- est noise betrayed her presence to the person in- side. For a moment she crouched at the door ajar, and listened with glittering eyes, Her breath came and vent like the breath of — tigress that listens to the step of the spotted awn. All at Gnee she rose and stepped across the threshold of the cabin, The next second there was a startled cry, and Lola sprung toward the girl, who recoiled from her, : “ Not a word, Zoe! It is I— Lola!” she said, in adick tones. as her fingers encircled Zoe’s wrist. “J bave found you at last. Thank Heaven! He thought he bad carried ycuto a home which could not be found, out. But he forgot me. He never thought of Lola, Pigmy Pete’s girl pard. Why did be forget me, Zoe?” Zoe could not speak for astonishment. “ You must come with me,” Lola went on. “With you?” ejaculated Zoe. ‘Yes, I came for you.” ‘(Whither will you take me?” ‘* Back to your father.” Zoe gave a gasping cry. sé You sh ” = 7?