Beadle's New York Dime Library No. 294 — page 27: what you’re looking at

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

ay + *T thought I war gone when thet Mormon galoot war forcin’ me back ter this place a while ago, buf hang me! ef it wasn’t fortune workin’ all the time in my behalf. Old Timothy has fallen into the clutches ov the mad wife who has made short work ov him before | this; I have finished Colorado Clate, and Alice |! the Deadwood blossom is at my disposal, Ef | this ain’t success, then I don’t know the sound | ov the word. By Jove! if it warn’t risky, [Td | go over to the Full Hand an’ take a straight on or luck.” hus elated, Simon Sandbanks hurried from the scene of his desperate tussle, and made | rapid strides toward Colorado’s cabin, ereached itin a fever of excitement, but ushed the door cautiously open and stuck his ead inside. ‘‘Gone ter sleep ag’in!” parted hislips as bis | gaze fell upon the occupant of the pallet. “This | is a reg’lar first-class bonanza, an’ it all b’longs | to me. For once l’m solidly on top, an’ from | this moment I'll date my happiness.’ | His eagerness carried him into the cabin and | | he bent over the Deadwood rose whom fatigue | ‘ \ . _Cap’n Colorado or the Mormon puts in an appearance an’swamps the game! Now I’m twenty times worse off than nothin’, I've wi out Cap’n Colorado, an’ got all Dead- wood fer my enemies. But I could stand that if Broadcloth Burt bedn’t come back with a full hand. I’m more than disgusted. I wish the Broadcloth Burt, the Denver Dandy. avengin’ woman had wanted me instead ov the | Mormon spider.” To be truthful, Colonel Sandbanks wished no such thing, for at that moment Timothy Ten- wives might be a mangled corpse not far away while he, the colonel, was blessed with good health and a fair share of brains. He suddenly roused himself to the situation of the hour and strode to the door. Broadcloth Burt and Alice had been gone | several minutes, and when Simon Sandbanks reached the starlight beyond the shanty door, | he found himself alone. ‘*Thar’s liable ter be an explosion in this | town at any moment, an’ [ll get hurt ef | stay,” he continued. “ The toughs may find aloot carved they should all ter pieces somewhar. Then, i find me after thet, I wouldn’t hev one chancein | | had wrapped in slumber. | a million for life, Never before to Simon Sandbanks had Alice | out ov this mountain trap. Ill go to Denver | looked so beautiful, | an’ play a full hand thar. Then, Broadcloth, ‘ She’s a perfect vision!” he ejaculated. “Ov | I'll win the game you've blocked in Deadwood!” course I hate ter disturb her, but I must. | He started off with the speed of a man eager Deadwood is no place for me an’ when I go she | to get out of the Black Hills capital. must go, too. Come, my livin’ m, an’ be Suddenly there rung out on the night air a the wife ov a gold king far from Deadwood an’ | wild exclamation which to him was a cry of its toughs,” | discovery. He touched the girl’s arm and she awoke| Colonel Sandbanks stopped in his tracks and with a slight exclamation. | held bis breath. ‘It’s me—Colonel Sandbanks, an’ yerdevoted | “ Thet means thet they’ve found my victim,” rind said the man. “‘ Colorado Clate won't | he said, ‘*Now, Simon, legs ar’ trumps, an’ be bac any more. We'll try the Denver trail | you’must take everlastin’ leave ov Deadwood.” iD. ; | The night wind blew against his face from Before Alice could speak or resist, the arm of | that quarter of the town where he had left Colonel Sandbankg was around ber, and lifting | Captain Colorado after the desperate grapple Colonel, for you, safety lies her from the floor, he turned toward the door. | between the two cabins, and it bore to bis ears But a second later he stopped with startling | a chorus of mad oaths and human howls of suddenness, and then staggered back with a gasping cry. any God! This beats perdition!” he ejacu- ated. In the docrway, leaning quietly against the rough jamb, and with arms folded on his breast stood a man who was coolness itself, and Colo- | nel Sandbanks had recognized him. CHAPTER XXXIV. THE SPIDER’S FATE. Yes, in Simon Sandbanks’s expressive gram- mar, it ‘* beat perdition,” The last man whom he wanted to appear on the scene stood before him, apparently un- armed, but terrible all the same. It was Broadcloth Burt, the deadly Denver- ite, and the girl appeared about to drop from the colonel’s arms as he stared at the man in the doorway. | For one brief minute the man from Denver eyed the Deadwooder without a word, then he advanced with outstretched hands, . ‘*T’l] take the girl,” be said quietly, while bis eyes added in language easily understood by andbanks: ‘‘ You don’t want to fool with me, old fellow.” Cowed by the look, and in a single moment deserted by courage, Colonel Sandbanks ad- | vanced a step and gave up his prisoner. His willingness to comply with Broadcloth pores demand drew a smile to that worthy’s ips. ‘“‘] war just goin’ ter bunt yer up,” the colonel | said. ‘*By Jove! lm glad you came, for I doubted my ability to get out ov Deadwood alone. How did Alice get back so soon?” __ ‘* A bear sprung into the trail and her horse lost bis head in an instant. Mine didn’t act much better. I was unhorsed an’ tossed inst a tree rather roughly, but I’m hyer ag’in, ready for duty. "So sf see, an’ I’m glad ov it,” said the col- onel. ‘* Now, we'll get to Denver with Alice, er leave our bones bleachin’ on the old trail, You an’ me will make a reg’lar screamer ov a team—” “‘Don’t bother yourself about a partnership that can never exist,” interrupted the sport quietly. “I’m quite able to land Alice in Den- | ver without assistance,” The colonel! bit his lip and recoiled. You'll permit me, though—” ‘*Not now, my valiant colonel. I take Alice home alone!” | ‘But I made it possible for you to do that.” | “You? How?” | ‘‘] killed the man who guarded her?” “] guess not.” ‘By Heavens! I did! If you wilt go with me | I’lt show the corpse ov the worst enemy you | ever had exceptin’ Captain Pau),” > the Denverite, moving toward the door, The chagrined Deadwooder chewed his fip with rage and clinched bis bands, He had lost the girl again. “ Something always turns up just when I get to ther threshold oy success!” he flashed, when he suddenly found himself alone. “T had found the girl, an’ war congratulating myself on my fortune when the Denver fashion-plate f & r el . » we a Y ‘ a.” * © wh ES Aw , oe So A! i a? * * Ary ye via ae eB ay “11 take your word for it, colonel,” smiled | rage, “IT was right! The Deadwood pards have found their cap’n, Now thar’ll be a reign ov terror in this cut-throat district.” He started forward again, but the next mo- ment a loud voice filled his ears. “Let no guilty man escape! Colonel Sand- banks an’ the Mormon spider entered Dead- wood since sundown, Let the Thirty Toughs find and slay!” The speaker could not have "been more than twenty vards from the terrified fugitive, but be could not see him, nor did he recognize the voice, ‘*Great heavens! let me an’ Ill give this accursed town a wide berth hereafter,” said the colonel. “ They'll hem me in if I don’t strike the Denver trail ahead ov et out of this snap, them. I owe all ov this to you, Broadcloth Burt. ‘You would not take me along to Den- ver. May an accident befall you ’an’ land me there first!” The man who now went toward the Denver trail ran like a frightened deer. Fear lent speed to bis limbs, and his feet at times hardly appeared to touch the ground. Out of breath at last he halted beyond the suburbs of Deadwood, and recovered in the shadow of rock and tree. ‘* Born under an evil star by Jehosaphat!” he exclaimed. ‘‘ Went overland in °49, tramped the gold trails fer ten years, got bu’sted an’ kicked out ov camp, came to Deadwood, set up a hotel, got burned out, fell in love with a fe- male, held the best hand twice, run ag’in’ a istol flush, an’ hyar I am, still under the un- ucky star—hunted by the worst set ov men thet ever bated a gentleman, an’in a durned bad fix generally. [I’m di ted, supremely disgusted. Homeless, an’ hunted, an’ fifty years old! By George, it’s a burnin’ shame!” Colonel Sandbanks was one of those men who always grow indignant over their misfor- tunes. He seemed to feel that the whole world was against him, and when he was hated and hun- ted by the merciless Deadwood toughs, might he not as well be wanted by an enraged world? ““A martyr to love, thet’s what I am!” he continued. ‘By the shinin’ stars above me! ef I could blow ee heud off, Broadcloth Burt an’ finally win Alice, a be ther proudest man in Dakota. Til make another effort. Pluck up courage, Simon Sandbanks. An’ old ’forty- niner must never give up!” SE - ' stars that first hear ee ee clamation of terror. ‘I, too, have quit the town forevermure.” It was not until the last sentence was being uttered that Colonel Sandbanks saw the speaker. ‘*Ho! I know you!” he said. ‘* Merciless Maud, what have you done with the Mormon spider?” ‘* Come and see,” was the quick response, The colonel did not stir, but a sudden stride landed the woman beside him, and she pointed down the trail. ‘‘He isn’t far off,” she continued. ‘ What! are you afraid to see the man who took you into the Deadwood death-trap at the pistol’s muzzle?’ ‘**No! Show me the way.” Maud the Merciless started off, followed by Simon Sandbanks, and after leading him over a narrow trail which left the main one and grad- ually ascended, she halted at the edge of a cliff, and pointed over the dark fringe of bushes, ‘“T don’t see him,” said the colonel, aftera brief look into the chasm. ‘‘He is there. Go nearer; don’t be afraid, The ground will not leave your feet,” Encouraged by these words he crept to the very edge of the cliff. : He sawa tree which, having taken root in the bank, leaned over the dizzy hight, and some distance below it an object hung suspended in mid-air. Simon Sandbanks gazed for a moment, and then started back with a low gasp of horror. ‘*T did it all!’ she said, in tones full of impla- cable hatred as her eyes burned like brilliant diamonds. ‘'{ forced bim out on the tree, wirh the noose around his neck, and then, as a pistol- ball spun through his shoulder, he dropped. It is Maud’s revenge. The Mormon wife has reached the end’ of her trail. The man who lotted with the Mormon viper to blight her ife lies mutilated in his cabin, and t oe pent himself hangs yonder in the light of the the wife’s oath. I have + yet one deed to do.” ‘* What is that?’ ‘You will learn by and by. My new game begins in Denver.” ‘* So does mine,” was the response. ‘‘ Hark! as I live, thar ar’ hosses down yonder on the trail!” “Yes,” said the avenger. “The Deadwood toughs are in the saddle again. They want us, Colonel Sandbanks.” ‘‘And Broadcloth, too! How soon they get him I don’t care a continental, but as for Simon Sandbanks, he'll never fall alive into their bands. Thar’ll yet be fun ’twixt hyer an’ Denver!” , CHAPTER XXXV. ONE AGAINST TWENTY. THE Deadwood tougbs had failed to find the persons wanted within the limits of the town. The finding of Captain Colorado between the cabins, and desperately wounded, bad disclosed the fact that wnen closely pressed Simon Sand- banks would fight. There was a bare chance for Colorado, and having carried bim into the Full-Hand Casino, the toughs at once inaugurated a bunt for the colonel, and whoever else might come into their net. Deadwood was thoroughly searched. but without result, and then the cry of “to saddle!” was raised and there was a dash for the Denver traii. It was the sound of their galloping that reached the ears of Colonel Sandbanks and Maud the Merciless as they stood on the preci- pice so fatal to the Mormon spider, some dis- tance above the Deuver road. ‘Now let us get behind the gang,” said the colonel. ‘‘ We’ll be safe thar, for they’ve passed on like a eyclone. They’ve got inter their beads that I’m ridin’ a good hoss ter Denver, an’ the 11 not stop this side ov that city ef they don find me.” Maud said nothing, but with a glance at the body swinging slowly back and forth over the deep canyon, drew back, and led the way to- ward the trail below. Meanwhile the Deadwooders, twenty in num- ber, and armed to the teeth, had passed on like a bumen whirlwind, as if eager to overtake some one ahead. . They evidently argued that as neither Alice | nor Colonel Sandbanks were to be found in Away he went again afoot down the eventful | Deadwood, they were somewhere on the Denver Denver trail. -No longer the curses of the Deadwood ruffians rung in his ears, but he could imagine the scenes that were transpiring there. He knew that Captain Colorado had been found, that over him the Deadwood pards had registered a terrible oath of revenge, and that his name was being spoken in mad-tones and oc- companied by curses, ‘‘Byen Alice couldn’t coax me back into that death-trap!” he exclaimed, giving vent to his feelings while be say the scenes transpiring in Deadwood, “TPve left the infernal den for- ever. “That's sensible,” said a voice so near the fugi- tive landlord that he started back with an ex- y' trail and could be overtaken. he Denver was Deadwood’s acknowledged rival, and it was natural to suppose that the fugitives had sought it. But there was on that trail at that verv mo- ment a certain person about whom the wooders thought but little at the time. This individual was a man of handsome figure, a black bair, and pleasint of countenance. He sat on a horse at a spot where the Denver trail made an abrupt angle, and looked and listened toward Deadwood with a cocked revol- ver in his right hand. Once before he bad ridden down the trail —_ since sundown, but an tmforeseen event badsent — ; ie him back to Deadwood. EComicbooks — i. “Aa * 7 27 lee teetnetieeditn cael et a - e e —_ ' ———. < —— me . » . aril i o—_—.. -_<—--s * = fn - he. ; —" _™ i 2 ‘ ~~ - “ . = i 2 zy 48 .. = , —— ware + . - 7 : eo 4 a OA LE TP ER « ° - > ee tte = x