Beadle's New York Dime Library No. 294 — page 26: what you’re looking at

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

a with yer eyes on fire. 26 ‘“ Mebbe that hoss will give me the chance I want,” he said under his breath. ‘‘ Just take those serpent eyes ov yours off me fora min- ute—” ‘‘Great God! who are you?” The sudden interruption fell in startling tones from the Mormon’s lips, and he recoiled asif a oo" bad risen from the ground to confront im. ‘Tam the avenger of wrong!” was the re- nse, and the skeleton hand of Merciless Maud clutched the wrist that joined the right hand of the Mormon. ‘‘ lam Merciless Maud, your wife by alie and made her own avenger by the decrees of Justice.” ‘* Heavens! colonel, are you going to see this tigress tear me up?” ‘* Ef she wants ter,” was the cool response. “He belongs ter you, woman; but if you don’t want ter fix him just turn him over to me.” ' “Tean avenge myself. Are you his pard?” * Until now I was his prisoner. He caught me unawares down the Denver trailand brought me back to Deadwvod to help him finish the thirty toughs, But, Great Caesar! hear that hoss comin’ yonder!” Colonel Sandbanks instinctively turned to- ward the south and listened to the oncoming steed that was beating the well-worn road witb its hoofs. All at once the flying steed came in sight, and the next moment was abreast of the breathless trio, ** Look—look!” cried Simon Sandbanks, whirl- ing upon the avenger, ‘‘ Don’t you see? There! The horse is gone, but you saw the girl?” ‘* What girl?” ‘Why, the one banging to the horse’s mane. I saw her. My God! if she falls off, she will be trampled to death!” Merciless Maud did not reply, but stared at the colonel, wbo seemed to have been deprived of his wits. ‘*T saw nothing,” she said. ‘‘ Did you, Mor- mon viper?’ and she threw ber question into the eyes of the man sbe beld. ‘I did see something, but [ wasn’t thinking about a girl.” ‘‘ Neither was I,” and Maud smiled. ‘ With my hands on you at last, | have other things to think about. There! somebody has stopped that horse!” The crack of a revolver had broken the night, further down the street, and with it the sound of hoofs grew still. Colonel Sandbanks started forward with an exclamation, but halted suddenly of bis own accord, ‘*T guess it wouldn’t be safe for me to venture down thar,” he said, with a glance at Merciless Maud as he drew back. ‘‘But Alice has come back to Deadwood; [I know it. That was her clinging to the mane of that horse. That Den- ve will follow, if he lives; then I'll get a _ ehance at bim,.” p “Do what you please,” said Maud; ‘I don’t want you. [ have found the man Ll do want— the last one of the two who made me what I am —the outcast of Mormondom!” 4, It was Paradise Paul,” said the Mormon elder. “IT know! No lies, wretch!” and the k- er’s rs seemed to sink into the villain’s flesh. * Timothy Tenwives, what fate do you expect? be Mormon tried to look defiant, but the effort was a lamentable failure. He could jerk a pistol from Broadcloth Burt and face the Dead wood toughs, but in, the pres- ence of the woman he had made an outcast and an avenger, be could only quail, ““T’)] make it all right, Maud,” he finally said, his courage disuppearing like a vapor. ‘I'm willing to acknowledge that I didn’t do exactly right m ¢ es lll give you enough to cancel the whole s” ‘* No: the riches of all Mormondom could not do that!” was hissed at his ear. ‘ Timothy Tenwives, the day of just retribution has come at last!” “That’s right! settle with the Utah skunk and pay my debt at the same time!” cried Colonel Sandbanks. ‘I’ve been watchin’ for a ; chance ter turn ther tables on him all ther way eet: Ef he hed given me an oppor- _ tunity, Maud, you wouldn’t be holdin’ bim thar Yes, settle with him now an’ forever. I’ve got business elsewhar!” The late proprietor of the Setemup did not | wait for the avenger to reply, but turned on bis heel and darted away. A few yards from the spot he stopped and listened. **That shot I heard killed the hoss,” he said. ‘Hark! a dozen men ar’ comin’ this way.” The following minute the bead of a d of roughs came in sight, and the foremost, a stal- wart Deadw , carried the limp figure of a beautiful young girl in bis arms. - §andbanks almost betrayed himself with a ery. CHAPTER XXXILL. STRIKING FOR A Broadcloth Burt, the Denver Dandy. _— ——_ — ———/ Se -_ = She had entered the place hanging to the ‘*Rer makin’ mane of a runaway horse, and in imminent danger of falling under bim and being trampled to death. Colonel Sandbanks, who, from the spot where he had halted, saw the giant Deadwooder carry the girl by in his arms, was ready to believe tbat she was dead. ‘* They shot the girl instead ov the hoss, curse the Black Hills vultures!” he grated. “I thought she war on the way ter Denver with Broadcloth Burt, but hyer she is instead, dead in the grip of Colorado Clate!” He did not lose sight of the gang until he saw Colorado kick open a shanty door and enter with the girl in his arms. The rest of the toughs followed their leader to the threshold and then withdrew. The excited colonel waited till the men had passed beyond sight, and then crept noiselessly upon the cabin. Was Alice really dead? If not, had not fortune brought her back to Deadwood for him to win at last? A few seconds later Simon Sandbanks stood at the door, which was slightly ajar, and he was feasting his eyes on a scene that made them glitter with indignation. On a pallet on the floor of the shanty lay the shapely form of the Deadwood queen, and Colorado Clate was kneeling over it, in the mellow light of the candle that burned on the table at his right. The attitude of the captain of the Deadwood toughs was one of respectful attention and solicitude, and he was trying to restore the young girl to consciousness. Colonel Sandbanks stood on tip-toe and tried to look into Alice’s face by gazing over Colora- do’s shoulder. “If she’s dead these tough customers will hear from me,” he hissed. ‘‘She doesn’t. stir and ef I'm not mistaken thar’s blood on her temple.” He could not obtain the view desired from tbe outside of the cabin and so, with his eyes riveted on Colorado, whose back was turned toward him, he opened the door wide enough to admit his body, and stepped cat-like across the threshold. lt was a hazardous venture for if the slightest sound should strike the Deadwooder’s ears he would spring up like a tiger. But fortune seemed to favor the colonel’s me, He advanced toward Colorado Clate, and soon found himself looking over his broad sboulder into the girl's face. A whiter face than was Alice’s at that mo- ment had never met the colonel’s gaze; it was of the hue of marble and looked as cold. Not a muscle stirred and the girl lay on the pallet to every outward appearance dead, It was a singular tableau, the one revealed by the candle-light. Colonel Sandbanks grew into a statue behind the Deadwood tough; he must have heard the throbs of his heart, Absorbed in his efforts to bring the girl back to life Colorado did not see the visitor who had stolen so silently into the shanty; he saw only the beautiful creature marble-like on the pallet before him. All at once the hand which the tough had lifted fell back of its own accord, and then startlingly sudden the girl's eyes unclosed. “Heavens! she lives!” exclaimed Simon Sandbanks. The uext instant Colorado Clate leaped up and whirled upon the unguarded speaker, “What brought you bere?’ he demanded as his revolver leaped from bis belt at the touch of bis hand, ‘ Don’t you know that your life isn’t worth a fig in Deadwood” ‘I’m perfectly aware ov that, but I’ve got an interest in that girl yonder.” ‘You have?’ “i Yes.” ‘* What is she to you?’ “An 5 ea aes child, now that her protec- tor is dea A smile parted Colorado’s lips. ‘‘Unprotected? not much. She belongs to Deadwood now. Yesterday sbe war Paradise Paul’s ward; now Deadwood protects her. Isn’t she well guarded, colonel?’ **f would call her so,” admitted Sandbanks throwing a hasty glance toward Alice not suffi- ciently recovered to know what was going/on. ‘*Then leave her with me an’ make yerself mighty searce. We'll stand by her through thick an’ vent 1 : ‘You especially, I suppose. “You, pec ’ PPpo ‘*] thought so, Colorado gir) in any manner I will call you to account for t ‘You will, you old choker?’ and the new cap- tain of the Deadwood toughs took a quick stride forward which brought him witbin arm’s length of the colonel. ‘‘ You call me to account. Curse your lyin’ eyes! I ougbt ter send you ter king- som Roy fer sinkin’ yer fingers intu Cap’n Paul’s roa Oe eee Se e_—™ if you insult that | —— eae lt you captain ov the Thirty Toughs.” “But you didn’t doit, although it wasn’t your fault that you didn’t. Merciless Maud is the person who promoted me,” ‘*Then go out and thank her.” “I’ve been huntin’ her for that purpose,” grinned Colorado. ‘* Why, I found her before I was in Deadwood twenty minutes.” ‘** Not to-night,” ‘“‘To-night. I left her alittle while ago.” ‘‘T would like to find that woman,” the des- perado said, lowering his voice. ‘*'You dare not follow me to her.” Colorado glanced at the young girl before he replied. ‘If you can show me Maud the Merciless J will go with you,” he said to the colonel. ‘*That’s just what I can do, an’ inside ov five minutes at that,” . The Deadwooder stepped to the cot on the oor. ‘‘Keep quiet till I return,” he whispered to Alice. ‘‘Youare in safe quarters, and after that wild ride ov yer’s you must hey rest. You have come back to Deadwood,an’ we ar’ all glad ov it, for it gives us a chance ter stand hy you. Don’t stir, Alice. [Pm goin out a while fer yer good.” Then he rose and came toward the colonel. ‘‘Now, show me this female vulture from Utah,” he said, bis dark eyes flashing with re- sentment. ‘' Play me fair, Simon Sandbanks, an’ the hand ov a tough sha’n’t be raised against you this night.” ‘Poller me then.” Simon Sandbanks was confident that he had adroitly entrapped the man whom he led from the shanty. ‘‘ Things are working ter suit me after all,” be murmured, ‘‘ and if 1 don’t come out on top to- night, may I never gaze at to-morrow’s sun,” olorado Clate exhibited the eagerness that wage at his heart strings. *“Whatare you going ter do when you find Maud?” asked Sandbanks, as they strode down the street, ‘‘ Never mind. LIonly want you to find her for me. Please keep yer question-box locked.” Simon did not press the subject, nor did he speak again until he halted between two cabins whose log walls he could have touched by out- stretching his hands. ‘* She isn’t hyer,” growled Colorado Clate. *‘ Thet’s wher yer fool yerself, Colorado.” The colonel stepped toward one of the cabins and applied an ear to the logs, ‘‘Tl’m pretty good at hittin’ a target in the dark,” he said in a low whisper as he came back and touched Colorado’s sleeve. ‘‘ You want ter find Maud the Merciless, yer say? Wal, go ter thet wall an’ listen two minutes.” A moment later the leader of the Deadwood toughs was occupying the position the colonel bad just left, and with an ear at the logs was listening attentively. ‘** Now IL strike for the daisy blossom on the Black Hills!” fell suddenly from Simon Sand- banks’s lips, and a second later he threw himself upon the desperado with the fury of a tiger. It was a spring totally unexpected by the captain of the toughs, and it took him unawares, burling him to theground before he could resist. Colonel Sandbanks weighed two hundred ay- oirdupois, and as he fell upon Colorado withalt his aa he was enough tocrush the stalwart rough. “* Maud isn’t hyar, but I am, captain!” he hissed in his victims ear. ‘‘ Don’t you know that I’m a bad man ter trust after dark when thar’s a woman in the case? Ef Deadwood in- teuds ter keep that flower she’d better look after Simon Sandbanks first. Fortune an’ thet boss fetched her back for me—not for Colorado Clate an’ bis pards,” There followed a strugele on the und be- tween the cabins,for the Dead wooder bad part recovered from the attack and was making all the resistance possible, It was victory or death for the colonel, and when he thought of the beautiful creature on the pallet in Colorado’s cabin he breathed a new resolve to conquer, : ‘* Now, Colorado, the stakes are mine!” he suddenly hissed, ‘* With one band at yer throat and t’other at yer knife, I guess I’ll play the hand that wins.” , ‘* Not yet, Simon Sandbanks!” The knife fell, but midway the bronzed hand “| Colorado arrested its progress, and broke the ow. ‘‘Not yet, my Deadwood skunk!” he hissed | in the colonel’s face, ‘ Simon Sandbanks with a desperate effort tore bis arm from Captain Colorado’s grip, and then before . SouH be recaptured, he struck with all bis mig “That for Alice!” he grated. ‘‘ Now tell me who wins, Colorado Clate?” At the same time he x as up, but the man hd had fought did not follow him. ‘‘Tll take yer six-shooter along for an emer- gency,” be said and when he walked away a _ In a manner startling to all who were wit-| ‘‘ You ought ter thank me,” moment afterward, he carried besides a knife _ nesses Alice had come back to Deadwood. ‘Fer what?” the deadliest revolver in Deadwood, GOMmIIEvDOO r) a7 ; of 9 ] = : } 7S . 7 « ee =: “Jc