Beadle's Dime Library, Vol. III, No. 29 — page 26: what you’re looking at

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

26 ee ee Cee ——— oe ‘*Let’s pitch the spalpeen into the dhrink,”’ sug- gested O'Toole, ‘‘ He'll tell no tales tha-ur.”’ “That’s the safest place fur him,” assented Mc- Farland. ‘ Bear a hand, and in he goes!” “Wait!” cried Cecil, breathlessly. ‘* Does he look just like me? Look sharp, and see if there is any point of difference.” ‘* As like as two buttons, only fur that scar on his | lip,” replied Mcfarland, after a critical compari- | son, “Hair, eyes, everything?” asked Ceeil. “‘ Look close, for everything may depend upon some slight dissimilarity.”’ “ Yer own mother wouldn’t know ye apart, if you had a sear lice his, or he was without,” affirmed Mc- Farland, positively. “St. Pather himself wouldn’t know t’other from which, if wan war a saint and the other a divil,”’ corroborated O'Toole, “Look here, men, you ain't either of you squeam- ish on little points, whén there’s money to be | made?” “Throy us on wanct!" cried O’Toole, with a wink. MeFarland scratched the palm of his hand signifi- or “If you will pound his face with that club until that scar cannot.be detected, it will be ten dollars in each of your pockets.” McFarland ag ae the club eagerly, and spitting on his hands, brandished it, but paused. ® ‘*And Shadow Jim—we can’t leave him out.” “Ten for him, too,” said Cecil, drawing out his pocketbook. “Tl mash him till his own mother wouldn't know him!” cried McFarland, and immediately began a rain of blows. “Stop! stop!” cried Cecil, catching the arm of the too-zealous rufflan. You will mutilate him beyond recognition. I don’t want that.” “Oh, I see. You want him to be taken fur you? Well, that lay is too deep fur me.” “Never mind bothering your head about it. I'll tell you all I want you to know, Here’s your money. And now pitch him into the water.” The ruffians took up the body between them swung it back and forth two or three time and then tossed it out over the dark waters of Dead Man’s Hole. There was a dull splash, the waters spurted aside and then closed again over the body, leaping high over the spot where it went down. Shuddering, Cecil Beaumont covered his face with his hands, to shut out the horrible sight. There was a moment of awful suspense, and then there came to them on the wind a voice husky with terror. ** Cecil! Cecil!” Cecil Beaumont reeled and fell to the ground, groveling at the roots of a tree. For one moment of agonizing fear he thought that the voice came from the body which had just sunk from sight. Then his reason prevailed over his superstition, and he found voice to ask: “Did you hear it? Where did it come from?” “Up the bluff,” replied McFarland. ‘“ Shouldn’t wonder if it came from the cuss what you spoke about. But he'd better keep mum, or Shadow Jim Lt cut off his wind.” Then there was a sound of some one rushing mad- ly through the bushes. ‘Guess he’s seen somethin’ what skeered him,” suggested McFarland, “ and skedaddled.” A moment afterward Shadow Jim glided in among them. ‘* What’s the row?” asked McFarland. “Who called?”’ asked Cecil, with a face as ghastly as that of a corpse. . “*Pwas your friend,” replied Shadow Jim, ‘“ He looked over the bank and called, as if huntin’ fer ou. Then he got up aud run like a white-head. Looked as if the devil and all his angels was after ‘He thinks that he has murdered me. That’s just what I want; and others must think so before to-morrow night.”’ : “TI don’t jest twig you,’ said Shadow Jim, curi- ously. ‘Never mind. Come on now, andI will explain when I have matured my plans. Here is ten dol- lars for you, as compensation for a. little service rende by McFarland.”’ : . ‘Put it there, pard!” said Shadow Jim; and he rras Cecil’s hand along with the money, and gave itashake. ‘Plums don’t often drop inter a feller’s mouth like that.” ‘“‘Come on, or we will be caught in the storm. I have a boat here at the lan , and we can go in that. Throw that club into the bushes, where it can easily be found. And now come on, and I will un- fold my plans as we go along. I have work for all of fa) : They followed him to the landing, and leaping into the boat, dropped down-stream. Then came the storm, with its rush and fury, lashing the water into foam, and drenching them with rain and spray. CHAPTER VI. A BLACK PLOT. ‘Can’? we get protection from the storm?’ asked Cecil, as a blinding deluge of rain was blown into his face. ‘There's a place alittle further down the stream,” said McFarland, tugging away at the oars; “but we'll be drownded rats afore we git there.” Five minutes’ rowing brought them to the place, and the boat glided under a tree that hung over the river, supporting a mass of grape-vines, trailing to the very water, Here they found a comparative shelter. “Take something te keep out the wet and cold, men.” said Cecil, producing a flask, “You're my mutton!’’ exclaimed McFarland eagerly, snatching it from his hand and turning it bottom upward, with his are glued to the mouth, ** Now, fog!” protested Shadow Jim; ‘remember teat re hain't got the trough all to yourself.” a abers, but it looks loike it, at prisent!’’ ex- claimed O'Toole; and added, tremulous with anx- iety: ‘“ For the love 0’ God, don’t let him swally the whole bottle! Jist a dhrop o’ the craythur, to wet the tip o’ me tongue, and the blissed saints reward re!" Sbadow Jim snatched the flask out of the hands of McFarland, who struggled to catch his breath after snug little hole down there.” nn eeEEEenIEnEEINEU NEES ——————— ttl RR Beadle’s Dime Librarv. the long draught, all the time looking reproachfully at the interrupter of his bliss. | He in turn elevated the flagon, and with eyes closed in an ecstasy of enjoyment, let the liquor run down his throat. _ O'Toole looked on a moment in constantly highten- _ ing solicitude; then, overcome, he burst forth: ‘**Howly Mother! he’ll suck the bottom out av it! To waste the potheen on such a baste av a guzzler! | Let up! let up, as ye hope fur remimbrance in the sa need !’ ith both hands he seized the flask and sought to dispossess Shadow Jim. This sybarite in guzzling only opened his eyes and frowned at him deprecat- ing y and menacingly. "Toole, who stood somewhat in awe of Shadow | | | Jim, drew back; but at last his love cf the “ cray- thur”’ made him desperate, and he snatched the flask and clapped it to his mouth in a twinkling. Shadow Jim, who had gone off into a sort of trance | now came back to earth with a sigh, and glanced a O’Toole with a.smile of malicious satisfaction. A look of keen disappointment passed over O’- Toole’s face, and he removed the flask from his lips. He shook it, but no swish of liquid came forth. He gazed ruefully in at the mouth, and said: *Divil a hrop! bad luck to yez fur murdherin’ thafe o’ the worruld!"’ And he returned the flagon_ to Cecil with a sorrow- ful shake of the head, while McFarland and Shadow Jim laughed at his discomfiture, in which Cecil was fain to join. “And now, gents,” said Cecil, ‘‘do you krow of any good hiding-place, where a man could lie away for a week or two, without danger of discovery ?”’ “You're right, sport. We can tuck you away in our treasury, where you can snooze away until the ay of judgment, and nary visitor will stick in his nose to ax the time o’ day.”’ ** Your treasury ?”’ ‘* Where we stowed the spondulicks.”’ “The money taken from the bank?” “That's what I said.” ** And where’s this place?”’ ‘**Down-river. On the Mississippi. We've got a ‘And can you go to it to-night?” ““There’s where we're bound for,”’ “The storm has slackened up. Let’s be on the move,” ‘* Narry move yet.” * And why?” ** Don’t want to run my head into a sling, fur one. *T don't understand you.” “We can’t get by town without pager spied. ‘Ll have to wait until the lights is off the river.” Cecil saw the force of McFarland’s words, and the waited parently where they were until after mid- night. Then they dropped quietly down the river and into the Mississippi. Several miles from the confluence of the rivers the boat was brought to shore, and all debarked. . A walk of half a mile, down a walley that set in at right angles with the river, brought them to a wild, rocky region, where the bluffs rose perpendicularly. Here McFarland led the way to a cave, whose en- trance was hidden by vines that clambered up the face of the cliff. , Once withm, they soon had a bright fire burning, and removing their clothes, hung them up to dry. “And now,” said Cecil, ‘tell me how you came across the stranger whom we left at Dead Man’s Hole?’ ** Well, boss,’’ said Shadow Jim, “I guess that’s as uch my funeral as anybody’s. I spotted that flat this afternoon, when we found that we needn't hunt our holes on account o’ droppin’ on the bank last night. Ifound out ’at he were stopping in an out- o’-the-way place, an’ nobody knowed nothin’ about him, excepting he called himself John Smith. I ac- cidentally seen him 2 a pocket-boek pretty well lined with greenbacks, and thought they was as good forus asfurbim. We ered him out to the luff to-night, expectin’ to take the rocks out o’ his pockets an’ let him go. But Mack allers was an im- petupus cuss; an’in poppin’ him over, he hit him a ck what sent him to kingdom-come. An’ that’s the hul story.” Cecil shuddered. *‘ What's a man widout money, colleens?’”’ asked O'Toole. ‘ Bedad, he’s out o’ his throuble, an’ will Fe as swately in Did Man’s Hole as at Widdy Mc- airty’s. ° ‘“‘ An’ now what’s your game, sport?’ asked Sha- dow Jim of Cecil. ** Well, men, it must be press clean to you that I have no love for the man that knocked me over the bluff to-night, and came mighty near settling my ac- counts. the body of the man whom you pitched into the drink is found and taken for me, and the man with whom I had the fight is convicted of mur- dering me aud hanged, you'll admit that that will be some on the revenge,”’” “That's so, pard. But the kid is the son of a bank- er what's got the skads to pay, if we did lighten his coffers some. He can tickle the palms of lawyers, and theyll muddle the whole thing up, until nobody can make head or tail of it. Then they'll let it lay over, till everybody has forgotten that you ever died. Then he'll light out o’ the country, much satisfaction in that.” ‘* But we mustn't let lawyers have anything to do with it.” ‘* What's bre re pard?” asked Jim, meaning to indicate that he id not understand. ‘“*When that ans by fished up with the face all stove in, there will be a lot that’ll think it a pretty ere won't be dirty job,”’ said Cecil. “That's so, old hoss!”’ “What would a crowd do with us, if they caught us, and knew that we did it?” ‘They'd hang us up to dry, I reckon, without any prayin’ or palaverin’,”’ : “Tt isn’t any harder to hang a rich man than a poor one, is it? And such a crowd wouldn’t care about his money.” ** Jest whisper patent leathers to ‘em, and every man ’u’d want to have a holt o’ the rope.” ‘*That’s just it,” said Cecil, with a fiendish smile, ‘*‘Tam missed. Some one has seen me get into a boat. Search is made on the river, and my hat is . found. It fell off my head when I tumbled over the | bluff. Then the spot where I came across you fel- | lowsis found, The rain won't have washed out the blood-stain, for the spot is sheltered by the trees, Foul play is suspected. Some one swears that he saw Fred Powell running away from the bluff scared to death.” “Hold on, pard. You don’t think I’m fool enough to run my head into such asling as that, do you? Swear to nothin’! They’d ask me what 1 was doin’ out there that time o’ the night.” ‘You're not the only man in the worid that likes money, Mr. Jim. Don't you suppose I’vergot money enough to manufacture a witness; such a one, any- way, as will answer before Judge Lynch's court?” *Oh! Now I begin to twig you,” said Jim. “‘ Deel a6 5 ‘‘My witness says that he saw Powell running Sway, and I gave him marks enough to show that he has been in a fight—” ‘Better’n that, Cap. His hat’s somewhere up there in the woods.”’ ‘“* How so?” ** He was bareheaded when [seen him skedaddlin’."’ “That's capital! Oh, we’ve got him! His bat is found and identified. Then they find the body with the face pummeled toa jelly. Somebody makes a seen to the crowd, They go for Mr. Fred, and set him to dancing on nothing!” ‘““My dear Mr. Beaumont, that’s a pretty high old pints and pours a pretty high old sharp. How long 1ave you been in the business?’ asked Shadow Jim, in admiration. “Since before your eyeteeth were cut, my ban- tam!” said Cecil, impressively. ‘But that ain’t all. Of course I dort want to live in retirement all the days of my life.” ‘Oh, they'll have you planted up in the Lone-yard, you know,” laughed Shadow Jim. ““Whurreo! an’ he'll be all the day spoilin’ potheen in some sly cor-rner, the divil!’’ cried O’Toole, en- joying the situation. aa air you going to resurrect?” asked McFar- and, “Rasy enough, He is hanged to-morrow. You take me a hundred miles or so down the river, and leave me bound and gagged near some farm-house, In the morning Iam found. I lie sick and out of m head for two or three days from injuries received. Then I tell my story, which runs this wise: I was fighting with Powell and he knocked me over the bluff. I fetched up on the ledge, and walked until I came to the spot where I saw you fellows, There I eaw two strapping big ruffians with bushy beards. (None of you are very big, nor have any of you full whiskers.) These kids have killed a man, and stove in his face withaclub. Seeing that Ihave discov- ered them, they pop me over with a thwack on the head—and, Lord knows, I’ve got bumps enough to bear out this part of my ays The next thing I know I am bound and gagged, lying in the bottom of a boat. The sharps fly by night and hide during the day. When they get down the vig S they leave me bound and gagged and make off. Iam exposed all night, and wake upin a fever. ‘“Who’s going to find any fault with that? Powell is dead, but I couldn’t prevent it. I don’t know any- thing about it, you see, until, after I tell my story the farmer tells me that a body was found, sup sosed to be mine, and Powell was strung P b j ndge Lynch. Of course, I’m awful sorry, If I did fight with him, I was a good friend to for all that. Do you think that will wash?’ ‘“Pard, I guess that'll wash! Let's see; is it first or second cousin to the devil that you claim to be?”’ asked Shadow Jim. CHAPTER VII. WHO WILL GET HER? Tue fiendish plot of Cecil Beaumont had been car- ried into execution. In the fisherman, who, while accredited with but little wit, was really possessed of no small degree of cunning, Shadow Jim found a witness, who, under his tuition, soon had a very plausible story, true inevery particuiar save the one of his having seen the events described. The roust- about, being that morning thrown out of employ- ment, was nothing loth to fortify himself at Tiger Dick’s bar, and then “finger the rhino," as he ex- per == if, «apes receive pay, for simply follow- ng the bent of his nature and engaging in an ex- ploit in which he would have been a volunteer in any event. But an unforeseen contingency had arisen. Fred Powell had been delivered out of the murderous hands of Judge Lynch. It was not until the next day that Shadow Jim could communicate with Tiger Dick. He left Cecil’s letter with Jimmy Duff; and upon his release from jail and the receipt of the letter, Dick sent for his: allies. ** Look a-here, sports,"’ said Dick, ‘somehow or other this strikes me as a pretty sharp game. If our ay young cavalier don’t make a clean sweep, he'll etch up in Tophet—that’s my opinion, t do you think about it?” ard,’ said Shadow — guess we all foller suit, Jim. ‘‘ But as near as I can-make out, we've got to It won't do to let our bird go make one more t with only a few tail-feathers plucked out.”’ ‘* That’s so,’’ assented the Tiger, meditatively, ‘We've got to sink him, or knock under our- selves,’’ pursued Shadow Jim. ‘If they see the horns 0’ the gentle cashier pore, o’ this last dodge, it ‘ll make ’em kinder on the other hands that he’s played.” “That ain’t no lie, Shady,” said the Tiger. ‘If they get to thinking that maybe the cashier has stocked the cards, they'll want something more than his say-so on the forgery business. The whole thing ‘ll go to smash if they n to doubt the cashier while young Powell is alive. = j “Knowin’ which, what is as — as the nose on your face?” asked Jim, pointedly. ‘‘Humph!” said the Tiger, ‘‘ we’ve got to rule him out, by hook or by crook.” Pov c be my sentiments, cap. But how air ye goin’ to do it?” Tiger Dick was thoughtful for a moment, and then spoke. ‘*The cashier keeps shady for a little while.” "Vea. Well? ‘*There’s a price out on Powell; but we don’t want nobody to earn that reward.” ***Twon’t do to let the thing git into the hands o° the lawyers.”’ ** You’re a-whistlin’! But if the thing is held over ax a Sea — _ ——— m JOO (S() (C SHa(Cl)