Beadle's New York Dime Library No. 338 — page 22: what you’re looking at

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

| a a a oa 7 3 22 Jack out of the way, he shadowed them, until he saw the transfer of the cuff which Sly Sam took to the Hardscrabble, and the putting of the other in the dead major’s hand by Bob. Finding that he was on a new scent, he ** piped it down fine,” until he was able to detail every step of the crime. Having the advantage of seeing the ground before it had been disturbed, he had cut paper patterns of tracks clearly outlined in * the rain-soaked loam. By following them he learned that Blue- ruin Bob had crossed the road, and that the bullet that had killed Pat Croghan had come Sand, the Boss of | the Town. | the passion of his tonesand looks, when he had clung to her hands and gazed into her eyes _to read her heart therein. ‘* And, Jack!—I | didn’t know about the quartermaster or his 'grip-sack. I thought it was only two blue- coats that had come to the camp to get rid of their pay the shortest way possible, and that he only wanted to fix them so as to lighten their pockets with as little trouble and risk as possible. Jack, you don’t believe that I am so wicked that [ would lend myself to a murderer?” ‘* Hush! hush!” he answered her. ‘‘ Would 'Imake youmy wife, if 1 thought that of from Sly Sam’s side; while only Bob had | you?” followed the major to his death. This fastened a murder on each. Returning to Red Dump, he entered Blue- | ruin Bob’s shanty, found the ropes with stains of moss on them; found in the ashes thesmetallic buttons from the bottom of the grip-sack, the frame-work about the mouth having been otherwise disposed of; and dig- ging under the hearth found the bulk of the stolen money. He also produced a shred of cloth torn from Sly Sam’s breeches in climbing, which matched a rent to which he pointed. Exercising a discretion not uncommon with men of his calling, he pretended not to have seen Mrs. Clymer, though the fact was that he had overheard her compromising dia- logue with Blue-ruin Bob. But as her past life had no bearing on the case, and it was not his business tu look after the morals of the community in the abstract, he ‘‘let her out.” The ‘‘ boys” listened to his circumstantial narrative, in open-mouthed astonishment at the way in which the traces a criminal leaves behind can be worked up into a picture of his crime. They made no comment, but waited to see what their leaders would have to say. Injun Sid extended his hand to Jack Sand in silence. Jack took it, with his quiet smile. ‘‘ Boys,” said Sid, turning to the crowd, ‘we was to elect our alcalde to-morrer. I move that we have it to-night, and that the vote fur Mr. Jack Sand be unanimous(” Red Dump never heard such a yell as greeted this terse speech. ** All them as is opposed,” said Injun Sid, ‘‘has got until mornin’ to git cl’ar of the place!” And this was indorsed by a shout even more hearty, if possible, than the one that had just preceded it. ‘This hyar election don’t go into effect till mornin’,” pursued Sid; ‘‘so the alcalde- elect don’t have nothin’ to do with this hyar dirty piece o’ business, that we propose to finish up ourselves. Mr. Judge, what's to be done with these hyar scalawags?” Jack Sand extended his hand next to the Fool, who took it, but without any trace of joy in his clouded face. ‘Let us go out,” said Jack, gently. There was one who stood waiting in dumb expectancy. Her hands were pressed against her constricted heart; her breath was held in suspense. Was he going away without a word, a glance for her? He turned, extending his hand on her side. There was that in his eyes that made tears spring to her own so quickly and so pro- fusely that she could not see him through them, She dashed them away, to assure her- self that what she had read was not a delu- sion, but an ecstatic reality; but they came again, while hysterical sobs choked her so that she could scarcely get her breath. But his voice—ah! his voice! Nothing could stop her ears to the cadence with which he articulated one little syllable—a syllable with heaven in it for her! It was only this: ** Nell!” With a cry which told him all that was in her heart—more than words could tell in all their lives long—she sprung forward, caught his hand, and dropped her face upon it, covering it with tears and kisses. ‘What, Nell! Why, Nell! Is it possible that you can have doubted—for a single in- stant?” he cried, bending over her and lifting her to his breast. His dear arms were about her, as hers im- prisoned him. . Her lips were at his ear. ** How could I know?” she whispered. “Didn't I tell you last night?” ‘Oh, yes!—yes!”’ she whispered, recalling | She caught her breath and hugged closer ' to him. ‘Your wife, Jack?” ‘Of course. Why not?” She did not answer him. She was crying softly. Thenin this supreme moment, when all her pain seemed behind her and heaven within sight just on before, a shrill whistle cut the air, to be followed by a wild hubbub of yells and execrations and crackle of pistol- shots in rapid succession. Nobody’s Nell felt Jack Sands start with a quick gasp, and then sag over upon her. he received him in her arms, and in an agony of terror cried: ‘Jack! Jack! OR, my God!” Staggering beneath his weight, she sunk upon one knee, while he hung unconscious over her shoulder. All about them raged a furious battle. She saw Injun Sid throw up his hands and fall over backward. Then the murderous visage of Tony Baxter appeared just above hers, as he bent to see if his work had been effective. She make a quick snatch, and threw u her hand; and his leer of triumph was hid- den by the smoke of her revolver, CHAPTER XXVII. BETWEEN TWO WORLDS. TRUE to his name, Sly Sam had had a plot within a plot—a ‘‘best in the deck,” to be played if his cunning manipulation of evi- dence failed. There was a score of desperate fellows, more or less, who were bound to Blue-ruin Bob and himself by a secret oath which the community at large knew nothing about. These he had posted about in the crowd, instructed as to how they were to respond to a signal from him. Thus, while outsiders supposed that the final issue depended upon ‘‘ chin-music,” he knew that in the last resort he could throw off the mask and carry his point as an avow- ed outlaw. Tony Baxter had selected his men with special reference to seeing that there was no mistake about Jack Sand this time; and he knew that they were ready for any act of desperation that he might dictate. he instant Sly Sam's treachery was appar- ent, he. saw that his cue was to support it; so, whipping oat his revolver, he shouted: ‘* Down they go, boys! We’re standin’ by Sly Sam, ye onderstand, al/ the while!” And they sprung to the work with a fe A simultaneous volley singled out all the leaders of the opposition. Then Sly Sam shouted: ‘** Lights!” And those who held torches had them snatched from their hands and dashed to the ground, This evidence of a preconcerted plot, the extent of which could not be estimated, threw into consternation the men who would have struck for law and order; and they scattered in every direction. But there was a small number in better discipline. ‘ “Rally! rally!” shouted Colonel Rawlin- son. And his men sprung to his side, and in the loom where only shadowy forms could be imly made out, and friend could not be distinguished from foe, they blazed away at all who were not of their number. In the midst of this pandemonium, a wo- man, the anguish of whose heart fired her with unnatural strength, staggered to her feet under the burden of her precious dead— so she feared—and made her way blindly, ———— — ee anywhere that she might lay him down in safety and pour out ber heart in tears over him. How she got there she could never after- ward tell; but after what seemed an age of struggle, as in some nightmare, she passed the threshold of a shanty, and sunk down on the floor with him. The room was thronged with men, and vaguely she got the idea that they were in a state of siere. She heard a woman's voice cry out in pain and alarm: “Oh, help! help, Mr. Averil! he dead?” She looked up; and at the same instant Mrs. Clymer knelt on the other side of Jack, and essayed to lift his bead. *‘“Keep your hands off of him!” cried No- body’s Nell, seizing the wrist of her rival and flinging it away. ‘‘ He belongs to me!” She was like a tigress guarding a wounded whelp. A moment the women’s eyes crossed fire. Then the widow said: ‘This creature is beside herself. Do not stand idle, gentlemen, when the last hope may be escaping you. Will nobody do any- thing?” The Rev. Godolphin Averil put his hand gently on Nell’s shoulder, and said in his most insinuating tones: ‘“My deah madam, allow me to see if we cannot afford relief—” ‘Oh! it is too late—too late!’ wailed Nell, wringing her hands in hard, dry-eyed anguish, ut she offered no opposition to the men, and they lifted Jack and laid him in the bunk nailed in one corner. ‘‘Does any one present know anything about wounds?” asked the minister. ‘‘ Un- fortunately, my own knowledge is too lim- ited to be of any practical use in a serious case.” Mrs. Clymer held her breath while she looked about. None of the men present responded. Then a look of triumph sprung into her eyes. ‘‘] do!” she declared, stepping forward. Nobody’s Nell made a quick gesture as if to throw her arms about Jack and guard him from the touch of the widow. Then she waved her off with her hand, and said, in a hard, mechanical way: ‘* So do I!” With deft touch she undid his shirt and bared his breast. There was no stain on its smooth white surface. **| thought so,” she said. ‘‘ The miserable coyotes dared not stand before him and fire. Turn him over.” The men complied. She borrowed a knife and cut his shirt down the back. There all was sodden with his life-blood. Now stern and white, Nell washed away the blood with a firm hand, and stanched the wound. 1 Then she had him put in an easy posture, and wee restoratives. Jack recovered consciousness slowly. The first thing that he realized was the pressure of one of her hands which held his, and the other stroking his temple, while she regarded him with a strained look of agoniz- ed questioning. e smiled, returned a faint pressure with his hand, and whispered: “ Tt’s all right, Nell, my girl.” Then with a gurgling murmur she drop- ped her face so that her cheek touched his, and sobbed as if her heart would break. ‘Hush! hush!” he said, faintly. ‘* I want to speak to you.” . She took his head in her arms, and so holding him tried to stifle the sobs that shook her. “They downed me, didn’t they?” he said. ‘The murderers!” she cried. ‘I'll give my life to revenge if I lose you through them! Oh, Jack! Jack! you are not going to leave me just as I have found you?’ ‘*Hlas the sawbones seen me?” See! see! is ‘“No, no! We are surrounded. Don't you hear them outside?” ‘7 reckon it won’t matter much. I fee) as if I'd got my dose and was going—over —the range!” ‘* You shall have a doctor!” she cried, Gomicbooks : ‘ co H \ a