Beadle's New York Dime Library, Vol. III, No. 34 — page 5: what you’re looking at

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

** At the hands of the road-agents probably,” Tal- bot said, in his cool, easy way. ‘“No; you will never die by their hands,”’ 4 a the hand of this unknown foe, then?’’ ec es.’ ‘* Another question—‘ if your art can tell so much’ —how have I injured this person who seeks my life?” he asked, “Cannot your own heart answer that question?’ Talbot shook his head. ** Are you sure?”’ ** Quite sure,"! “Perhaps your memory is bad,”’ she said, ‘** Perhaps so, but I wouldn’t advise you to i that, though, for you would most surely lose. **Can you not remember some deed of blood—some life rudely snatched from the world by your merci- less hand?” the girl demanded, sternly. “No,” Talbot replied, firmly; ‘‘no man ever fell by my hand except in a fair ht. Whatever my faults may be, no one can say with truth that I ever rushed hot-headed into a quarrel, or used a weapon until my own life was assailed. 1 don’t think it is a gin for a man to protect himself, ‘Blood demands blood!” the girl cried quickly, springing to her feet as she spoke. ‘ By your own act you ted placed the i upon your path. Remember my warning. Within ten days at most you will die a violent death, Good-night.” And before Talbot could utter a word, she entered the other apartment of the shanty and closed the door behind her. Talbot—cool as he was—was considerably aston- ished. “*Tt’s deuced strange,’”’ he muttered; ‘ this girl’s face and voice are both very familiar to me, and yet I cannot remember where or when I have met her. There is something odd about this affair. She's for- gotten her fee, too. Isuppose that is a pretty good proof that she is more spiritual than earthly, I'll leave a five dollar gold-piece on the table for her. I think that that be about the square thing. I doubt whether I got five dollars’ worth of informa- tion out of her, though.” Then Talbot laid the gold-piece down upon the table and left the house. As he walked carelessly down the road toward his shanty, whistling softly to himself, and in deep thought, he did not notice the three dark forms steal along in the shadows cast uF the shanties, and who were following closely behind him. Deadly peril was nearer “ Injun”’ Dick than either he or the fortune-teller dreamed of. Hardly had the door of the ag closed behind Talbot when the girl came rapidly from the other room She advanced at once to the table and took up the ld-piece which Talbot had left. She held it up in ee ers, and the flickering light of the candle fell upon the shining surface of the metal.. A strange look was upon the face of the girl. * And this comes from him,’’ she muttered; ‘from the man who before many days have passed will have found peace and rest in the cold ae grave. He laughs at my warning and rushes b ndly to his fate. Isit then his destiny to die as Lhave predicted? Twice already he has escaped. The first time, be- cause other hands threatened his life, and it is fated that he must die by one hand alone. And this is my The lips of the girl curled, and she laughed low and mockingly; little touch of joy was there in that laugh Then she went to the wall and opened the shutter which served for a window, ~ Twenty feet from the shanty in its rear ran the river. we The moonbeams shining down upon the surface of the stream, decked it with countless lines of ripplin, light, while afar off the snow-white peaks gleame cold and still bathing in the moonlight, and just be- low, the dark pines frowned down upon the rippling river like grim sentinels keeping watch and ward. A moment the girl gazed at the wondrously-beauti- ful scene, looked at the cold, white peaks, gaunt pines and shining river; the incense of the trees fill- ing the air with their strange odor; then she held the go eee up in the air, clasped between her thumb an er, A stegls instant the dark eyes gazed upon the gold as the white fingers held it; then, it went whirling through the air and sunk beneath the surface of the stream. Torn from the golden sands, it sought again its home. ‘ And as that metal sinks beneath the wave, so do I bury every spark of pity for this man. No act of mine shall save him from the death he has deserved!” she cried, uietly. et on CHAPTER VI. T. capcidted aw th yateeet retracing his ALBOT own the , r steps to the Waterproof saloon. ‘Where have I met this girl?” he mu com- muning with himself as he walked along. “I am gure that she is no stranger to me; but for the life of me I cannot remember when or whereI have met her. The remembrance is more like a dream than reality. Her faceisa ar one, and once seen is not easily forgotten, © knows something of my past life, too. It is not guess-work. She spoke of some hidden danger threatening me, but that may be only the usual cant of the fortune- trade.”’ And Talbot’s lip curled in contempt at the idea. Then a thought flashed through mind, and he came to a sudden halt, ‘““ By Jove!” he cried. ‘I guess now what she was dri at. It is just about a year ago when that difficulty at Barrel Camp occurred. That young str. gave me just a year of life, and then swore that wo hunt me down to my grave. But from that time to this, I have neither seen nor heard of him, and had almost forgotten the entire affair. While I hunt_the outlaw, Rocky Mountain Rob, I in turn may be hunted, That’s the way of the world. I must keep ay a about me; not that I really care particularly whether I live or die, as this world at resent has very few charms for me, but I don’t care at any one shall be able to boast that they got the better of me when I was ‘heeled’ and ready for the attack.” Talbot again strode onward with a firm step. As the thoughts of the threatened danger passed . Rocky Mountain Rob. 5 through his mind, involuntarily his hand had sought the handle of the revolver belted to his side, and concealed from view at the skirt of his coat. Then suddenly, from around the corner of a small shanty, a man step forward into the moonlight as though meaning to dispute Talbot’s passage. Injun Dick halted instantly, and in a breath the moonlight flashed along the shining barrel of his leveled revolver, “Hello, sport, don’t shoot!” cried the stranger, ow up both hands to show that he was weapon- ess. The man was a stoutly-built fellow, dressed rough- 7 in the usual miner fashion, big boots, into which the coarse pantaloons were tucked, reaching above the knees, a dirty red shirt and broad-brimmed felt hat pulled down over the ayes. A huge eellow beard covered the lower part of the man’s face, and the Shadow of the broad-brimmed hat hid the rest. Talbot did not relax his guard in the least; the re- volver, cocked and leveled, still threatened the stran- ger. ‘Say, let up, old man,” continued the fellow; “that thing ef g° off, furst thing you know, and drill a hole right t rough this cuss. Then the stranger took a step forward as if to ad- vance, but halted suddenly; good cause he had, too, for stay his onward motion, for the revolver of Talbot had risen to the level of his breast, and in a moment more the leaden ball would have plowed its way to his heart. “Say, stranger, hold on your mule-te durn your eyes! tthe blazes do you want to draw a bead ‘ for on a feller wot don’t want to get up any fuss with you?” **Just you keep your distance, my friend,’ Talbot replied, quietly. ‘‘I don’t know what you want and I mean find out before you get within arm’s length of me.” **T don't mean any harm,” the stranger growled, sullenly. “I don’t say that you do,” Talbot said, in his usu- al quiet way; “but I mean to understand what you want before I let you get any closer to me.”’ tI mean any harm?” “Why should you think t the stranger asked, “Why do you jump out into my pathway from behind the shanty like a Jack-in-a-box?” Talbot de- manded, “I didn’t know that there was anybody ‘round,” the bearded fellow replied, in an injured way. “You lie!’ Talbot said, promptly. * What!” roared the stranger, and he made a mo- tion as if to draw a weapon. tig or lll let Cavin right through you!” Talbot cried, quickly, ‘'T trigger works easy and my finger is a pretty heavy one. ‘Say, you take an air shake,’’ the stranger said, slowly, and in the tone of a deeply injured man, “T ain't ‘heeled’ fora fight. If Ihad a we’pon I'd go for you lively now, you bet!” ““You’re lying again,” Talbot said, contemptuous- ly; “I can see the butt of a pistol sticking out of our belt now. You are ‘heeled’ as well as I. I now that you mean mischief by the way you came out from behind that shanty. I've got the ‘drop’ on you now, and I don’t intend to give you any pou in this game. Now you just turn your toes in the other direction or T'll put you in a con- dition to ride in the first coach of a first-class funeral to-morrow.” i pk allay got me for sure,’’ the threatened man said, enly, * and of course I’ve pot to git.” pp a slight noise broke upon the stillness of the uick as thought, Talbot wheeled around; he — at once that danger threatened him from Too late the movement, for a lasso, thrown by & skillful hand, coiled down around his shoulders; the noose tightened, and Dick was hurled violently to the und, his arms pinioned to his side as though held by iron bands. A second more and three men sprung upon the fallen one, and quic removed his weapons, then bound his arms sec behind him, While the bearded stranger had held Talbot in con- versation, the other two had come round the further corner of the shanty, and from the rear cast the lasso which had given Injun Dick a helpless prisoner into their hands. All three of the men wore full beards, but even in the uncertain aight cast by the moon, Dick at once discovered that the beards were false, evidently worn for the purpose of concealing the identity of the assailants, Dick had not submitted without a desperate strug- gle, but the three, aided as they were by the iron gripe of the lasso which pini Talbot's arms so securely, were too much for him, One of the first acts of the assailants after over- pore Dick had been to force a wad of cloth into mouth and tie it there, thus preventing him from calling for assistance, had he been so to do, There was but little chance, though, of any one hearing his cries, even had he been able to have ven an alarm, for they were in a remote of ne Mak with only two or three shanties wit shot, Night brawls, too, were common to Humbug Bar, and, as a general rule, people did not care to inter- fere in a quarrel not their own and run the risk of stopping a bullet intended for somebody else. **T reckon that I've got the ‘ drop’ on you, old hoss, after all,” the yellow-bearded stranger sai of triumph, as he raised Dick to his feet. **T'll go on ahead,”’ said one of the men, who seem- ed to be the ieader, B him along between you, and if we meet any one, I'll fix the job.”’ Talbot Rod a slight start of surprise when the voice of the stranger fell upon his ears. The voice was singularly familiar to ; he was sure that he had heard it before, Then the four went on—the leader in the advance and the two others, with Talbot between them, fol- lo inthe rear. ~ Talbot made no resistance, but went quietly on. The sudden attack, the pains taken to make him a prisoner and to avoid harming him in the struggle, were all a source of wonderment to him, his assailants had a grudge against him, why did they not settle it on the spot and take his life there and then? Why did they bear him away a prisoner? and whither were they bound? ear- ina tone All these thoughts passed quickly through Dick’s mind as they proceeded swiftly onward. The little party left the Humbug Valley behind and plunged into a deep canyon, bending northward at a repr angie from the course of the Wisdom river. ark as midnight were the shades of the canyon, shut in as it was by the rocky walls and tall pines which crowned their summits, But the disguised men went on without hesitation, as though the path was eg familiar, Suddenly the party halted. The man who had acted as a leader bound a handkerchief over Dick’s eyes. Talbot wondered at the action, for an owl or ge a could have penetrated the darkness of é night, Then the thought came suddenly to Dick’s mind that they were about to leave the canyon and enter again the into light, and for the |first time Talbot guessed the truth. age Ag in the hands of the outlaw, Rocky Moun- n ‘ As Talbot’s eyes were blindfolded, he was again conducted onward. A hundred paces onward and the little procession stopped. Talbot's quick ears could just Sietbgulsh that a muttered conversation was being carried on, a few paces in advance, Others had joined the y- Then again they went on. No longer the rough and stony way formed by the bed of the canyon, but asmooth and well-worn path that evidently had been worn by the tread of many feet. A narrow pathway, too, for they all proceeded in nee. file, and Talbot brushed every now and then a t the solid rock oneither side. He then knew that they were pro- ceeding through some cleft in the. mountain's side rent asunder by the earthquake’s fearful shock, and rae to the secret cavern which, pep or said, served as the refuge and treasure-house of the road- agents directed by the desperado known as Rocky ountain Rob, CHAPTER VII, JIM’S WOOING. energy peers, beat yen oe re. hot gee came sur. er cheeks, as she felt the ressure of Fons arm around her waist, ant his warm breath fanned her cheek, The girl would freely have pbrag almost anything that she possessed to have been well out of the scrape; but, retreat now was impossible, She had courted the question and ae answer it. York was nota man be trifled with, ““Come, Bessie; I’ve asked you ‘a question; ar'n't Fou going to answer ity’’ he said, in a low, deep voice. ‘**A question, Jim?’’ she murmured, in confusion. we 1:" HH Me know well enough what I mean, Don't pretend misunderstand me; you're too smart a rl to try_that dodge. Give a straight answer. on’t play h me. Folks say, Bessie, that I am not the kind of man that a wise head would take for a plaything. It would be like pla with edged tools; handle carefully, or there might be cut fingers round the board,” ** But, Jim, I don’t know much about you,” the girl stammered. “Well, I don’t know much about you, either,” he coolly rejoined. ‘‘So we are even there; but, for my part, I’m willing to go it blind. Idon't think thatif your worthy father, old Pop Shook, asked for a cer- cate of character from my Sunday-school teach- er, [could give ittohim, I couldn't even produce the register of tism to prove that my name is really Jim York; but, I can put down ounces of gold-dust with any two-legged critter from here to nnock city. 1at my past life has been is nobody's busi- ness. In this region we don’t question a man's t life. If he calls himself John Smith, John mith he is without question. I own two-thirds of the Waste-water Guich strike, as rich a ‘lead’ as there is north of Bannock, and I don’t take a back seat for a manin the Humbug vale I love you, se Iwant you. Lain’t aman that gives w. much to sentiment; ‘tisn't in my nature. the cards just as coolly when my pile was up as when I was ag for a broken-down mule, Iam not generally blind, either, and I’ve had some little experience with women in the old time, before I eraieented for my country’s and wore store- clothes and a b'iled shirt on Broadway, You have acted as if you cared something for me, and wanted me to know it. Now, Bess, spit it out; don’t dodge the question; are you mine, or have I jumped another man’s claim?" The cheeks of the girl glowed like a furnace, and her breath came thick and fast. Despite the mat- ter-of-fact tone of York and his careless words, there was an undercurrent of passion perceptible that htened the girl. The voleano was crusted over by the lava coat, but the fires still burned port id beneath. She feared to rouse the volcano’s “Well, Jim, I didn’t expect this,"’ she answered. was only a é sentence, but the intona' ave the lie to the girl as directly as though it had EMER TER ainda" “Tmean . t it so soon,’’ she stam- airs in confusion, ™ i The little exclamation was given with contempt that it wounded the more deeply than a ecb eA geil words none have Jere, sis’ both , don an Ww. me " she imploringly, and the red cheeks grew.pale, while an anxious expression appeared upon her face. Bess, I started ou fo Dey 8 pauare gernp with you, but_you’ve a‘ eal’ in on me right at he ump,” he said, bitterly. y, Jim, I haven't,” she said, re ; “Yes, you have, too,” he answ uickly; ~y yout Ye peed after me over ee I came A 4 Bar, and now u me foul, you pretend that you don’t know air thing about it, Just answer me (fe question, though.” ‘“‘T will, if I can,” the girl said, humbly. “Ts there any man here that you do love?” ‘* Well, I—why do you ask such a question?” ‘*Because I’d send him to eat his hash where he wouldn't need a fire to keep him warm!” York said, with savage earnestness. The girl grew paler still. “But, Jim, I don’t love any one at all.” “It’s well that you don’t,” York said, meaningly. ‘ve dealt so much Gomichboo <SriGO