Beadle's New York Dime Library No. 340 — page 15: what you’re looking at

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

In her opinion Monte Merle was dead, and she who had hunted him to the end had aright to rejoice. ut with Cool Conrad it was otherwise. ‘*Tll take charge of this man,” he said, quiet- ly to the girl trailer. ‘* Take him,” was the answer. the corpse of Monte Merle, there itis! But do not say that I effect nothing when I strike.” The noose that dangled near the ground had Cool Conrad, the Dakota Detective. wrongs will serve to keep alive hatred for the meanest wretch that ever walked the earth.” . The two had halted at the end of the moun- tain pass, and Red Roy leaned against a tree that grew near by and folded his arms on his ample chest a signal for the beautiful huntress ‘Tf you want | to proceed. “Pm not going to make it a long story,” she began. .‘‘ You want it all in a nutshell, and in that way I shall give it to you. When I was no human head in it this time; it swayed to and _ born, my parents lived on the Rio Grande a few fro in the moonlight curiously watched by the | leagues south of El Paso del Norte, which you | know is ‘near the northern frontier of Mexico. young woman who seemed to see init an agent of vengeance. Cool Conrad pee one hand out to steady the | body on the sa the bridle rein. ‘* Let me tell you, miss, that if you expect to strike often in these parts, you’ll have to look | and theterrible events which his villainy brought | ‘*Tt seems that we hate | about, proved that my distrust was not ground- the same men, that we have both sworn to get | less. out for me,” he said, even with them fora mortal wrong. I shall not turn back—” ** Neither will I!” cried Leo. ‘‘ I will notleave my trail until I have stood over the dead body of the last of the dastardly eight! Heaven has dle, and with the other caught | ' | Father had a fine hacienda which was very valuable. Among his hands was a Mexican called at that time, Santa Cruz, because the city of that name was his birthplace. From my earliest childhood I distrusted that man, y oldest brother was twenty-one when the tragedy that still darkens the most beauti- ful part of the Rio Grande country took place. My next brother was eleven and the only sister younger still.” * 4—1 J — heard my vow. It is recorded in the Book of | 21.” Oaths, and I will not quit my path till every vestige of it has been fulfilled! Listen to me!” continued Leo, and her voice sunk to a whisper as her hand fell upon the detective’s arm. ‘* Time will see who succeeds on this trail—you or I, If you want Monte Merle to bury him he is at your disposal, and,” with a smile, ‘‘if you intend to play sexton in this country, Cool Con- rad, Leo, the Trailer, will furnish you with sub- ‘* All right, my lady,” laughed the man-hunt- er. ‘‘ You'll find playing sleuth-hound about Pistol City the most dangerous game you ever tried. Good-night! You know where the den of hyenas is. t me give you a bit of advice. Whenever you enter the cage always aa, yo eyes on the beasts. Don’t show ’em your back.’ ‘‘Thanks,” smiled Leo, ‘* Take that same ad- vice to yourself. Good-by, Cool Conrad!” She stepped back and threw a quick glance at Red Roy, then put up the weapon which until that moment she had continued to hold cocked in her hand. Red Roy stepped quickly to her side and look- ed into her face for orders. _ Already that stalwart fellow—the man who had escaped from Satan’s Hotel, and who would re make his haters feel his teeth—seemed her slave. The eyes of the California huntress seemed to fascinate him, ‘* Are gon going with me?’ she asked Red . ‘‘Or are you going to follow Cool Con- ‘What'd I foller him for?” was the answer. ‘* You hev but ter command Red Roy, Leo. Sa ‘Back ter ther hyenas’ den,’ an’ back it shall ” ‘‘ Tt shall not be back there now.” “When?” ‘‘ By and by. Do you want to go back?” “Try me!” ejaculated the stalwart tough. ‘“Don’t I want ter pulverize the g’loots who made me a guest ov Satan’s Hotel. I never saw yer afore ter-night thet I know ov, but ther mo- ment yer said yer war fightin’ ther best part ov Pistol City, thet moment I war yerpard. When you lift yer hand, Leo, up goes mine! Yer look shall be law ter Red Roy, the outcast ov ther gold-camp.” : His expression told Leo all that he said, and she knew that fate or fortune—at that time she knew not which—had sent her an ally who could be depended on under all circumstances and at all times. Meanwhile Cool Conrad was leading Silver Chick’s horse away, with the body of Monte Merle pg ome the saddle. no tears aropped at that plantin’,” continued Red Roy, as eves followed the horse and his burden. ‘‘ That man-tracker put in a little too late, Leo. Monte Merle will never lift his hand fer revenge or fer his pards.” Slowly the figures of Cool Conrad and the horse disappeared in the moonlight, and when they had entirely vanished, Leo the Trailer turned away, followed by Red Roy, ‘‘ Who ar’ ye goin’ ter strike next?” asked the Pistol City outcast. ‘‘ The first one of the lot fortune throws across my path perhaps,” was the reply. ‘‘ But were I to choose, I'd like to encounter the Mexican viper. - ‘ Doctor Pablo?” ‘Doctor Pablo! Ah! don’t I owe that serpent a score which I long to wipe out?” ‘* Heavens!” exclaimed Roy. “I b’lieve yer hate nearly all mankind.” ‘* It is not so bad as that,” answered the aven- r, with a smile, ‘‘I shall never hate my ends.” ‘Which is one consolation; then Red Roy won't be hated.” ‘*T hope not, except by the villains he would not number among his friends for the world.” ‘*'You won't tell why you hate the Mexican, I 0 ae ’ said Red Roy, after a pause. ‘““T will,” replied Leo, promptly. ‘ y ; | ‘* Ah! I see!” exclaimed Red Roy. Leo smiled, nodded slightly, and continued: ‘*Father and I were coming home one night | from a visit to a friend’s ranch some fifteen miles down the river when we saw a light shoot heavenward from a point where our home seem- ed to be. Only a few days before father had given Santa Cruz a merited talking to for a cer- tain rudeness toward Richard, my second bro- ther, and the moment I saw that light, a terri- ble suspicion and foreboding of evil flashed across my mind. We galloped forward as fast as horseflesh could carry us, and were not long in reaching a rise from which the awful truth burst upon our vision. Our home was in flames, and the moment we beheld it, the roof fell in with a loud crash! ‘*No human power could stay the progress of that raging fire, and we, of course, were werless. A number of our men who had een. attending a fandango some miles away reached the scene about the same time of our arrival. Among them was Santa Cruz, but the moment his gaze met mine his eyes drooped. My God! it was the most terrible night of m existence. Were I to live a thousand years, it would not be effaced from my memory. ‘* Well, we had to let the fire take its course, and when it had licked up our once happy home we found the remains of mother and two brothers. My sister’s bones were never found. The infamous incendiary had preceded his torch’s work with murder for evidences of this were apparent on the corpses of our loved ones. Father did not survive the stroke more than two days; it overthrew his reason, and the faithful men buried him beside mother’s grave. Fo a while it was feared I, too, would follow him, but heaven brought me through for vengeance. I then discovered that Santa Cruz left the haci- enda almost before the fire had died away. It was proof of the fiend’s guilt. Men hunted him with lassoes at their saddle-bows, but he got away. As amatter of course, I drifted from the terrible spot. I wanted to go to the ends of the earth it seemed. Icame North. I founda friend in Dakota, but the rope of Monte Merle and his men took him. It put me on another trail, and one which, strange to say, ran into the very one lost long ago on the Mexican frontier. I have found Santa Cruz. Yes, Red Roy, in Doctor Pablo, the yellow serpent of Pistol City, I find the murderer and incen- diary of Hermosa Hacienda.” en Leo paused her hand rested on one of Red Roy’s arms, and she was looking into his ace face, “By Jove! won’t I twist his yaller neck!” hissed the gold-camp outcast. ‘‘ Let me find the serpent!” ** You?” cried Leo. ‘‘ You touch Doctor Pablo? If youdo, Red Roy, the woman who hates him will turn on ron I will pay him back myself. He knows that I am on his track. I have told him to prepare for death. Come! we go, now!” Leo ceased and stepped back, her eyes on fire. CHAPTER XVI. FLOSS GUARDS A SECRET. NEARLY all through that eventful night Ore- on Noll and Silver Chick kept up their search or the missing pard. Monte Merle’s disappearance mystified them not a little, and they were loth to give up the hunt without some satisfactory solutio of the puzzle, By and by Doctor Pablo joined them in the search, declaring that he had seen nothing of the ’Frisco sharp since the administering of the opiate, and the Mexican wondered how Monte erle could get away without assistance. ile the search was at its hight the events related in the preceding two chapters were oc- curring a short distance from the gold camp in the mountain pass. If the two pards had dreamt of such thi how eagerly would they have moved on Leo, the should I refuse? Besides, the brief story of my Trailer, and her work! | sleeping,” was t | Which Ce and leaned against the table near | ther benefit ov yer dreams. drop through a certain floor in ’Frisco, an’ also | P serpent and clutched her arm. | be : ‘s helper, won’t yer?” | ae I cannot!” 15 Doctor Pablo after awhile disengaged himself from the two pards and gave up the hunt. Hie did not like Silver Chick, and the fierce looks he darted at him told that his hatred was deep seated. ‘*'You’d hold me up for the she wolf to claw at, would you?” hissed Doctor Pablo, eying Sil- _ ver Chick for the last time ere he Atattanad him from his sight. ‘‘When she comes you will ‘stand between Doctor Pablo an’ her knife until she is ready to plunge it into the heart she seeks? You'd do all this, eh, Silver Chick? Sacrista! you must watch if you want to play this bold _game. When you get ahead ov Doctor Pablo, | the moon will turn to ice.” | Morning broke again over Pistol City with the mystery of Monte Merle’s going away still _ unsolved, Oregon Noll was the sole occupant of his | shanty when the door was pushed open, and the face of Pure-Gold Floss, his protegee, appeared. ‘** Hello!” ejaculated the sport at sight of the irl. ‘‘ You’ve been up all night, hevn’t you, loss?” ** No. While you men were awake I’ve been e answer as the speaker came which Captain Noll occupied a three-legged stool, laughed girl, just give me You did see a man ‘* Mebbe you’ve been dreamin’ ag’in!’ _the desperado. ‘* Ef you hey, the fellar what rode from ’Frisco toward Pistol City an’ got hyer with a knife in his shoulder. You saw all thet in a dream, I say.. Now didn’t you dream out Monte Merle’s wharabouts while ye slept last night?” ‘*T did not, ’m sorry to say,” was the reply. ‘You haven’t found him yet?’ as e ‘* No; but we will!” said Captain Noll. -warn’t in a condition ter git far without help.” ‘* But who would help him away?’ ‘* Somebody who hates all ov us,” spoke the old sport through clinched teeth. ‘‘Do you now, girl, thet Red Roy has come to life—that he didn’t stay confined in Satan’s Hotel?” Oregon Noll leaned forward and gave Floss a curious and scrutinizing look while he put the question. _“*T know he lives,” she said without hesita- tion. ‘* Then do you know who helped him from the hole?” ‘* How should I know?” A spasm of rage came to the gold pard’s face, and his hand darted forward like the tongue of a That’s not what Il asked you,” he continued ; ‘*T don’t want you to prevaricate ‘loots thet in stern tones, with me, Floss. I’m one ov those don’t Be up with double work. I’m Oregon Noll, the man who painted the northern borders red not a thousand yearsago. Tellmethe truth. Look me in the eyes, Floss, and tell me you don’t know who helpe if ye dare! I’ve been yer best friend for years an’ you can’t afford ter go back on Oregon Noll now. Tell me!” For a moment Pure-Gold Floss looked into the speaker’s face, but not with fear and trembling. Merciless as his eyes were, they did not seem to terrorize her. “What if I should say that he got out by him- self?” she said. ‘*Pd not b’lieve it; thet’s all!” was the quick retort. ‘‘ He couldn’t get out without help with thet candle burnin’ ther ro tions, girl. I want ther solid fact. You who lent Red Roy a helping hand, an’ you must tell me.” He had left his stool and now stood over the girl with blazing eyes, and with his fingers sink- ing as it were through her arm to the bone. ‘*By heavens! you must speak the truth to me!” he went on, with increasing fierceness. ‘Pm master hyer—ther boss hyena ov this collection, Who did it? Open yer mouth, Floss!” Already the eyes ci the girl lit up with defi- ce. ‘““If [have been under your eyes these long years, you cannot force from me what I have re- solved not to divulge,” she said with firmness as her a whitened. “Then, you know; then, my pretty thing, you know who helped Red Roy?’ The eyes of the girl said ‘‘ I know!” in a man- ner not to be misinterpreted, and Oregon Noll drew back with a muttered oath. ‘Very well,” he continued. ‘* You don’t leave this shanty till I’ve got yer secret. Ah! try ter twist out ov my hands an’ see what a grip I’ve got! I’m worse than a vise when I git a hold on anything. Playin’ double on Oregon Noll, ar’ ye? Thet’s a mighty dangerous game in this camp, Floss!” There was no reply, only Pure-Gold Floss drew back a pace, as if to test the desperado’s You'll out with it now, won’t you?” he ed. ‘‘ You'll whisper ther name ov Red “You shall! See hyer; I’m liable ter throw ye ag’in’ the door an’ mash yer!” ‘** All right,” said —— *“You do so at your peril, Captain Noll.” EDoo com cS Red Roy out ov Satan’s Hotel off. No a (EC) ds