Beadle's New York Dime Library No. 340 — page 17: what you’re looking at

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

Cool Conrad, the Dakota Detective. 17 eT Ne ae eS ee RR RS re nr SS == had stolen a march on him, and he was at his He was waiting for the person on the roof; | tenanted; they were ready to swear that Mar- mercy. whether friend or foe, he wasready for him. moset had not escaped by the door. Captain Noll seemed in his element. Suddenly Marmoset caught the gleam of a star ‘* By the door? No! he went up through ther Before him stood the person who had allowed | where he had seen none a moment before, but | roof!” was the sudden ejaculation. ‘ Thar’ll be Red Roy to escape his vengeance, and his sharp |; the next moment it disappeared! a hangin’ in Pistol City for all afore mornin’ ef eyes told him that Marmoset was prepared for Sealing his lips close, the youth stepped back | we ketch. ther young daisy. Confound it! I flight. and clutched his knife with firmer grip. could kick myself terdeath. I never thought ov — he cabin in whose door the villain stood was | It was a wild, thrilling moment for Marmoset. | a guard all around ther shanty.” | not his: but he had taken possession of it for the The person on the roof had made a way for | o say that Oregon Noll was mad would not yurpose of watching the youth’s home, which | himself, and the disappearance of the star told | express the truth; he was furious. | e had seen the girl enter. the waif of Pistol City that he was actually com- n his unbounded rage he kicked the deal ' Did he believe that Floss’s visit was to be suc- ing down to him. table over and committed other acts of pure ceeded by flight? wo minutes of indescribable suspense followed, | wantonness. Captain Noll was-a shrewd scoundrel; his | and then something dropped at Marmoset’s feet, It was a signal for his half-drunken compan- brain was liable to get to the bottom of any | so near them that he felt the brush of a hand. ions to follow his example, and to improve on — problem. ‘* Ar’ ye hyer, boy?’ asked a voice. his devilishness. Marmoset, after looking coolly over the rifle- Marmoset started; an exclamation almost shot In less than five minutes from the discovery of barrel for some moments and counting the | from between his lips. Marmoset’s absence not a whole piece of furni- ‘*T am here!” he said. ‘‘ If youare anenemy, | ture remained in the cabin. I havea knife for you; if my friend, a hand The destruction was terrible and complete, and without the blade!” if the hunted boy had been found he would have The next instant a hand shooting through the | been treated to a noose amid yells of delight. chances, moved back toward his cabin. ‘* Never mind, Captain Noll,” he said, under his breath. ‘* You’ve got the upper hand for the present, but we'll see who has it when the end comes.” gloom closed on the boy’s arm, and before he ‘* The girl had a hand in it!” said Oregon Noll ~ ‘* That’s sensible!” ejaculated the desperado- | could lift the weapon which he clutched, he was | to himself. ‘‘ Ten chances to one that she went sport, seeing the boy’s movement. ‘* ’d go back | drawn forward. off with him,” and gliding from the crowd he ‘‘Help for help!” whispered a coarse voice. | walked straight and furious toward Floss’s ‘‘ By ther stars above, Marmoset, they’ve got a | cabin. lasso ready for yer neck. [I’m ther galoot yer Nobody followed the king ruffian of the camp, helped out ov Satan’s Hotel.” and he reached the place unhalted. ‘**Red Roy!” leaped to Marmoset’s lips. ‘*She sha’n’t replay the game she played in ‘‘Thet’s me! We hevn't got five minutes ter | my shanty this morning,” he growled to himself bank on. Hyer! git upon my shoulders an’ | when he stopped in front of the girl’s home and climb through the hole in the roof. Ef Idon’t | prepared to invade it. ‘“‘ Lies will not do her pay Captain Noll an’ pards for their little game, | any good at this stage of the game,” and his shoot me for a gopher!” hand struck the door in several mad raps. Marmoset could not reply before he found him- To these there was no reply, and all at once self lifted to his big friend’s shoulders, and the | Oregon Noll gave the door a kick which sent it next moment he drew himself into the starlight | flying inward. on the roof. He almost expected to look into a revolver’s He was not escaping too soon, for he saw a | muzzle for his action, but none appeared, and crowd of wild men rush pell-mell from Holy | his rage turned to chagrin. too, ef I war in yer situation. I warn you not ter poke yer head out o’ thet shanty without orders. I run this camp pretty much as I please, an’ afore you’re through with Oregon Noll you'll find ‘that he’s court, jedge an’ jury. Ef I hed yer pard, Red Roy, hyer, ’'d drop him at yer feet! Marmoset did not reply. He had already reached the threshold of his little home, but not for a single second had he taken his eyes from the devil of the gold-camp. Oregon Noll’s eyes glistened when he saw the success of his movement. ‘* For an ounce ov dust, ’'d hev touched ther trigger, but [Pll settle with yer ter-night,” he growled. ‘‘ Don’t think thet ye’ll not be watch- ed, Marmoset. All day thar’ll be ther sharpest | Hank’s saloon. “Is this nest empty also?” he flashed. ‘* By eyes on ye ter be found in Pistol nee 8 They were headed by Oregon Noll. ther livin’ soul! [ll chaw something up if this The oar = the bo “ a ~ i ee on him —_— thing continues!” again, but Oregon Noll could not look inside. He bounded across the threshold of the cabin o, he could not see Marmoset standing in the se XVII. and struck a match, IN THE HYENA'S CLUTCHES. ‘Well, Captain Noll,” said a voice behind middle of the room, mad se description, nor hear the threats made for the interference. Oregon Noll was not long keeping his word. In less than ten minutes two miner-toughs whom Marmoset well knew entered a cabin di- rectly opposite his own, and presently he saw their bronzed faces at the window. ‘Watched already and by two men whose ‘‘Drop to ther ground an’ be easy an’ quick | him, ‘‘ we meet for the first time, I believe.” about it,” said a voice below the boy who seem- Before the sentence was finished, the despera- ed to be held spellbound by the sight of the | do had wheeled upon the speaker, whom he crowd which had just rushed from the famous | found to be a woman with flashing black eyes gambling-den. and with a revolver in her hand. Marmoset did not hesitate a moment, but The match almost fell from Captain Noll’s lowered himself from the roof and dropped to | hand, but curiosity and amazement kept it ' orders are undoubtedly to shoot me down if I at- | the ground without noise. there. tempt to leave my cabin,” he said. ‘‘ I know He had hardly touched terra jirma ere Red ‘* Who ar’ you?” exclaimed the tough. ‘‘ You o Brown Dan and Keno King well enough to Roy landed at his side. say we meet for the first time. I don’t know ; ** Ay’ ye armed, Marmoset?” asked the tough. | you.” know thet they will obey Captain Noll’s orders to the letter. And yetI must submit. Itgrinds me to be a prisoner in my own shanty; but it can’t be helped now.” No; across the narrow street of the camp two airs of flashing eyes were watching him, and armoset gave them look for look from his win- dow, until the sun dropped again behind the “Yes,” said the boy laying his hand on one of ‘* Perhaps not, but you are not unknown to his trusty revolvers. me. Do you think I would fail to recognize the ‘* Then, we’re both well heeled,” was the an- | man I have hunted so long?” swer. ‘‘ Now, we'll get away so that when they ‘* When did I ever hit you?” search ther nest they'll find it empty.” ** When be 3 lasso strangled the young gold- Keeping the cabin between them and the mob | hunter in the Colorado canyon.” advancing upon it from Holy Hank’s, Red Roy ‘* Then you're his sister—” western cliffs. and Marmoset glided away with fingers at trig- ‘No, He was dear to me, though I am not Had Monte Merle been added to the silent | gers ready to be used at a moment’s notice. his sister. All the same, his death drew from sleepers who rested under the mountain’s brow The late guest of Satan’s Hotel looked proudly | me an oath of revenge. I know, and so do you, in the little graveyard fenced in with wild | at the youth who walked at his side. Oregon Noll, that there is another hunter on hedge? There was gap. his eyes. your track. Tt is a race between him and me for The boy did not know. He was saving Marmoset from the clutches | the goal of justice. Come out into the moon- Often during the day he wondered where Floss was. The girl had not come back. Perhaps Captain Noll had prevented her; per- haps she was being watched, like himself, by eyes as keen as those of his own watchers, It was a long imprisonment for the boy. It was sundown now; why didn’t Captain Noll come with the expected accusation? Marmoset had resolved to deny nothing. His confinement had made him fearless and defiant. He would admit that he had saved Red Roy from death in Satan’s Hotel, that he had crept from his cot and succored the big tough, while Doctor Pablo was hunting him everywhere. | After the sun had gone down the shadows Lied grew long, and Marmoset could with difficulty see the gleaming eyes of the human tigers placed on guard by the chief desperado of the | mining-camp. All at once he was startled by a slight noise like a rat gnawing overh | It was repeated while he listened for see he | could not, for the interior of his cabin was quite dark, and so he drew a knife and kept his ears of Captain Noll, his own bitter enemy, and this | light, Captain Noll.” seemed glory enough for Red Roy for one night. he desperado did not hesitate a moment, but If he had not come in the nick of time, the | stepped from the cabin into the brilliant moon- dare-devils of Pistol City, inflamed with whisky | light that flooded the ground. and led by Oregon Noll, would have made swift ** Yes, I have looked long for you. At times work of the object of their dislike. I almost despaired of finding the masked eight ‘* By George! I’d like ter creep back thar an’ | who committed that heinous offense in the Colo- see how ther men-grizzlies take their disappoint- | rado canyon,” continued the woman, who was ment,” said Red Roy, halting on the edge of the | Leo the Trailer. ‘‘One of your band met his gold camp, and looking anxiously and with | punishment awhile ago. I hanged Monte Merle eagerness toward the cabin just deserted. and turned him over to the man who wanted his They'll growl, no doubt,” smiled. Marmoset. | blood.” ‘*Growl?”’ echoed Red Roy. ‘ They'll pro- ‘*To Cool Conrad?” ceed ter turn things upside down. Won't thar ‘**To the Dakota Detective—Albert’s brother!” be weepin’, wailin’ an shin’ ov teeth when ‘* An’ thet rascal sent Monte back ter camp they diskiver ther hole thet let ther bird out?” tied ter Silver Chick’s horse with a paper in his Red Reysovercame his desire to go back and | dead hand. The paper said that he had wiped turned away again. : Monte out.” , He could not see Captain Noll and his pards| ‘It is not true!” cried Leo. ‘‘ My rope, not reach the cabin. his bowie, did the avenging. Now, Captain In front of it the desperado sport was joined | Noll, stand erect if you are not a coward.” by the two spies who had guarded Marmoset “‘ What ar’ ye goin’ ter do?” from the shanty opposite the greater part of the ‘* What should I do?” was the quick response. day just past. ‘*T am going to shoot you down in cold blood.” They reported that the coast was clear, and ‘* Hyer?” that the boy, Red Roy’s young friend, was to| ‘‘ Where you stand!” on the alert. be found in the cabin. | Leo stepped back a pace and raised her pistol. \ A short time told Marmoset that some one} With eyes ablaze with madness, Oregon Noll| Oregon Noll, tall and stalwart, with the was on the roof of the cabin trying to remove | crept up to the door and pushed it open. moonlight on face and figure, presented a strik- the clap-boards there. He was certain of it now. ‘“‘T]l wait here for the night rat,” he said with a smile, halting directly under the unseen ¥y person at work. ‘I am ready for anything— py even to a tussle in the dark. Iam not going to be assassinated without a fight. You will find me awake, Captain Noll, and your agents will find me ready for them at all times.” ine noise overhead was a puzzle to Marmo- se Who was trying to get to him, and for what? The boy forgot the two men across the camp ‘‘Hyer’s a few friends, Marmoset,” he said, ing target for the beautiful avenger’s aim. supposing he was addressing the boy, ‘* Why ‘ This is murder, woman,” he said, don’t yer come forward an’ see ’em?” A low laugh parted Leo’s lips. There was no reply, and the interior of the ‘‘Murder? What was the hanging in the can- cabin was too dark to show the bronzed speaker | yon?’ she asked derisively. ‘‘ Angels wept at that 1t had no tenant. that brutal killing, they will rejoice at this just A moment later, however, a lucifer cracked in | one! You die! Captain Noll, with the assur- Captain Noll’s hand, and he held it above his | ance that the rest of your pards will not be far head as he leaned forward to inspect the place. | behind you. I will get them all—Silver Chick, ‘* Gone!” he hissed, and then with a terrible | the handsome, fochated. Look up at the stars; oath he whirled upon the two guards. take a farewell of the earth you have cursed so ‘‘Is this ther way you watch my prisoners?” | long with your presence, for the finger of Leo he yelled. ‘* What kind ov eyes hev yer got, | the iler is at the trigger!” ~~ ells silliest LL RR LLL LLL LLL LL LE LL LLL street; he no longer thought of Captain Noll’s | anyway?” That last sentence was spoken in a manner — “spies who had watched his home like hawks,and | - Brown Dan and Keno King were dumfounded. | which told that the woman had forever ceased | who were still watching it for that matter. They could not believe that the cabin was un- to address the villain. Gomicbooks-com