Beadle's New York Dime Library No. 340 — page 25: what you’re looking at

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

— q roof blaze up. Cool Conrad, the Dakota Detective. 25 took a brace of revolvers out of a drawer under the counter. ‘‘ Whar’s Captain Noll an’ ther boys?” he asked as he came out on the floor equip for battle. ‘“‘ They’re huntin’ Floss an’ her owe I slipped away from ’em, an’ at ther right time, too. I made a diskivery, Hank, thet entitles me tera gold medal.” ‘* What is it, Keno?” ‘* Poller me an’ see.” Holy Hank was eager enough, and the two men left the saloon together. In the right of each was a cocked revolver of the largest pattern, and a mate stuck in their leathern belts. ; ‘‘ Halt !” suddenly whispered Keno King. ‘‘Right ahead ov us isa cabin. Whose is it, Hank?’ ‘‘ Tt b’longs ter Floss, but ov course it’s empty ” ‘* Don’t be too sure ov thet. Ten ter one thet ther shanty’s inhabited, an’ thet by a person whose blood Pistol City wants.” ‘* Who's in thar.” ‘“ Cool Conrad, ther Dakota blood-leech !” Holy Hank recoiled with a low exclamation of amazement. ‘“Thet can’t be! What did ther captain say about ther bowie duel since sundown?’ ‘‘T don’t keer what Captain Noll said. He’s thar—ther man this gold camp wants.” ‘¢ Prove it.” ‘‘Thet’s jist what ’'m goin’ terdo. Stand by me, Hank, an’ we'll capture ther Dakotan in Jess than five minutes.” Keno King stepped into one of the adjoining cabins, but soon an ere with an armful of inflammable material which he carried to the cabin and applied without noise under the dry eave. Then he drew a match from his pocket and ig- nited the kindling. ‘‘ Now hands at trigger an’ eyes on the alert!” he said as he stepped k to Holy Hank’s side. ‘+ We'll hev ther wounded snake out before long.” ‘Wounded?’ . ‘“Yes: didn’t Oregon Noll give him his bowie awhile ago?” ‘Oy course, but ther captain said he finished him.” ‘‘Wal, ther captain didn’t know; thet’s all. Now, watch.” The two pards stepped back and watched the The fire, aided by a smart wind, made good headway, and ina short time the whole roof was a mass of flame. ‘‘ He can’t stand it long,” said Keno King. Within the next minute the cabin door flew open and a jet of fire leaped at the two men. Keno ae threw up his hands and dropped at Holy Hank’s fee ead! CHAPTER XXVII. ROBBED OF HIS PREY. ‘Back to yourden. I don’t want your blood!” said the individual who stood in the glare of the burning cabin and faced Holy Hank, while Keno King lay stretched on the ground the load- ed revolvers clutched by his stiffening fingers. The saloon spider looked once at the speaker and then began to retreat. ‘“Thet war a poor scheme for Keno,” he said to himself. ‘Ef Cool Conrad ar’ wounded, he doesn’t show it much. I guess I'll go back an’ lay for ther girl what cut me with ther whip. Vl hev her blue blood for thet lik, er my name’s not Holy Hank ov Pistol City.” The man who had suddenly emerged from the burning cabin was the Dakota Detective. The fire had driven him from the retreat, and he left it in the nick of time, for Hank had scarcely turned his back on him ere the roof fell in with a crash. If the barkeeper had used his eyes he might have seen that = Conrad was not in the best ndition physically. His ca ae traces of suffering, but his flashing eyes and compressed lips told that re- solution would take him to the end of the trail. He walked to Keno King, his stalwart victim lying in the firelight, and looked down upon the body with the mien of a victor. ‘He was in the Colorado canyon that day,” be saifl. ‘‘ Give me time and strength, oh Hea- ven! and I will get them all!” | “ You will if I don’t get some of them,” said a voice at his elbow. Cool Conrad turned and saw a face that caused him to start. Leo stood before him, Leo with the deep black eyes, and lovely face and figure. “Did you slay that man?” continued the huntress as her — pointed downward at the body on the ground. ; Why mg He was one of the eight,” said the detective. “ And as much my man as yours.” ‘‘ But I reached him first,” smiled Conrad. ‘If you want those men, Leo, you must find them before I do.” There was triumph in the speaker’s tones; 1t ‘brightened the light in Leo’s eyes. ‘When did you come to camp?” she asked. '' Perbaps ap hour ago.” *¢ And is this your first victim to-night?” ‘““Yes. I might have dropped his companion, but I didn’t want his blood.” ‘** Who fired the shanty?” ‘The dead man. He wanted to smoke me out, and he did, to his sorrow.” ‘You don’t know what happened here since you Sate perhaps?” oO **E vents almost thrilling. Holy Hank’s sa- loon was the theater of them. The boy and the girl, Marmoset and Floss, stole back to cam and fell into Captain Noll’s hands. <A scene fol- lowed. The desperadoes were going to whip the boy to death, but the girl interfered after the first blow, and whipped the whipper with his own lash.” ‘** Did you see it?” ‘*No. I encountered the pair escaping and learned it all in a few words.’ ‘Then she drew blood? Good!” exclaimed Cool Conrad. ‘‘I didn’t want any of Oregon Noll’s blood spilled before—” | ‘** None has been shed,” interrupted Leo. ‘‘ She whipped Holy Hank.” ‘That will do! Look here, woman. Will you not go back to your home and let me finish | this trail unmolested?’ Leo smiled. ‘‘ Home? I have none,” she said. ‘* And, what is more, I will not leave this trail!” She spoke in a manner that impressed the avenger-detective with the stern purpose that had throw her on the trail. ‘‘ Nothing shall turn me back,” she went on. ‘** Only a little while ago I encountered a pan- ther. It tried to turn me back but 1 would not have it. I shot the beast and sent him scream- ing up the mountain. You are Albert’s brother. I know that—” ‘* And you—” ‘* T was his betrothed.” Cool Conrad seemed to start. ‘This is why you are on the trail? I did not know that my brother ever loved.” ‘* He loved me, but the noose of the merciless eight broke our happy dreams. Now, do you still want me to go back?” ‘** Yes,” and the detective’s hand fell gently on Leo’s arm while their eyes met. ‘‘ Now, more than ever, do I plead with you to go back. Let me, aman and Albert’s brother, get to the end of this life-hunt. The band is not so large now. Monte Merle, Jaguar Jerry and Keno King, lying before us, have paid the penalty of that atrocious crime. I know all the rest. They are all spotted. Mar not — love for my brother with bloody hands. Heaven will remit your oath, and I will fight mine to the end. Go back. One of these days I will enter your pres- ence and say: ‘It is done.’ Go to’Frisco and await me there.” It was an appeal hard to resist, and Cool Con- rad ke an with earnestness that tried the beautiful woman’s soul. The cabin had almost ceased to burn for the logs did not ignite, and only the dry roof had been consumed. ‘** Pardon me; I cannot go back,” said Leo, a moment after Conrad had concluded. . “I shall never ask Heaven to remit the vow I took when I heard of Albert’s end. You plead in vain with me, Cool Conrad. This is my trail as much as itis yours, I follow it till the end has been reached.” Very well,” said the detective, shutting his lips hard behind the last word. ‘‘ Go on, but remember that if I can prevent it, your hands —the hands once cieeed: by Albert—shall not shed his slayer’s blood!” ‘* Shall not, do you say?’ laughed Leo. ‘* That is what i haise said.” ‘*T will not forget that. You cannot drive me from this mountain man-hunt, Cool Conrad. But are you going to mae here till Captain Noll and his pards come back from their hunt for Marmoset,and Floss?” ‘* That is my lookout,” was the tart reply. ‘Stay, then,” said Leo as tartly, and a mo- ment later she was walking off leaving Cool Conrad + gazing strangely after her until she dis- appear oy Albert’s betrothed and his avenger, eh?” he said to himself before he left the spot. ‘‘I love her because she loved the boy. Leo! Leo!” There was no answer, for the fair huntress war gone and the sound of his voice reached her not. Cool Conrad stood a few moments longer on the spot where he had encountered Leo, and then walked away. ‘‘ Hello! what’s been on fire hyer?’ suddenly eakea a rough voice some distance from the Da- otan, In an instant Cool Conrad stood still and wait- ed for the reply. “It war Floss’s shanty. By Jove! captain, we've hed a time hyer since you’ve been gone.” ‘* What’s happened?” ‘Keno King tracked thet man-tiger from Dakota ter Floss’s shanty—” ‘** Cool Conrad?’ ac Yes.” ‘*Thet’s not true! I left him lyin’ dead in ther trail whar I fought him knife ter knife!’ ‘*Mebbe so, captain, but by Jupiter! ef it warn’t him Keno tracked down, it war his twin brother.” ‘* Whar’s Keno?” ; ** Dead.” ts Dead Q? ‘‘Shot by ther man what come out ov ther cabin while it war in a blaze.” ‘*Do yer hear thet, pards? While we war huntin’ ther young birds thet got out ov our hands thar came a human cyclone ter camp. I'm mad enough ter chawa bowlder. An’ he got away?” ‘Yes. Ther door opened, ez I war goin’ ter say, an’ ther man an’ a bullet came out at ther same time. Keno stopped ther lead.” Several mad curses were the r nses. ‘* Which trail did ther dropper take?” ‘**T didn’t stay ter see. I war kivered myself afore I could draw. I hed ter leave ther field, but, by Jehu! I went back with my face ter ther oe A derisive laugh at rere | Hank’s expense fol- lowed the last words, but the stern voice of Cap- tain Noll soon put a stop to it. ‘‘Show us Keno King!” he said. ‘‘Over him T’ll make every man in Pistol City a blood-hun- ter. Shot by Cool Conrad,eh? I thoughtI had kniled him with my bowie. I war a fool fer not leavin’ it in his heart.” Cool Conrad heard the tramp of the crowd being oper by Holy Hank to the spot where Keno King lay with his handsome but death- struck features turned toward the stars. He listened with a satisfied smile at the cor- ners of his mouth, for the night was intensely clear, and the words spoken at a distance were easily heard. ‘‘ Swear over your dead pard any oath you please,” he murmured. ‘‘ Flash your bowies os the starlight and cry for my blood. I am ere. Several minutes later he heard a loud voice, and as he leaned eagerly forward, his ears were saluted with the words of a terrible oath. He heard it all, the wild words of revenge as they dropped one by one in burning accents from Captain Noll’s lips, and the quick and ferocious response given by the men by whom he was surrounded. The winds did not let him miss a syllable; he even heard the low words which commanded the men of Pistol City to bear the corpse of Keno King to the mountain cemetery. ‘We'll plant the pard right away,” said Ca tain Noll, ‘‘ an’ then we'll turn from his grave the trail of his killer.” Before he moved away he heard certain sounds which told him that the march to the graveyard on the mountain-side had begun, and a seemed musical notes to his ears as he walked slowly from the spot. ‘Bury him! Til not molest you,” he: said, speaking half-aloud to himself. ‘‘ Pronounce over Keno King’s grave a eulogy on his crimes. Then, throw the clods of the mountain on him and turn on me.” Cool Conrad reached the suburbs of the cangp 7, paused a few moments as if to rest bim- self. He saw a light moving hither and thither like a will-o’-the-wisp some distance above the streets of the camp and his attention remained fixed cn it some time. ‘It is coming down now,” he suddenly ex- claimed. ‘‘ The dead is buried, and the living are swearing anew the oath of vengeance.” He wai some time longer by the bowlder where he had stopped and then moved away. ‘‘ If I am not mistaken the next stroke will in- clude Captain Noll himself. Then I will hunt down the missing pard—Silver Chick. I fancy he will not be hard to find.” Cool Conrad was moving met: | over the nar- row trail lit by the stars when he paused sud- denly and listened. “Tracked!” he said under his breath. ‘I am followed, whether by man or beast I do not know. There! the footsteps have ceased. I will try them again.” ae resumed his journey, but listening all the while. Suddenly his eye gleamed again. He was not mistaken. A hunter was on his track, perhaps more than one. ‘*Tve made up my mind to fight everythin that opposes me,” he said, through clinch ame ‘** The trailer behind me knows that I am ere. He waited a few moments longer, and stood erect with a revolver in his right hand. His eyes wandered through the starlight with a gleam of fierceness that betokened his deter- mination. Suddenly up went the cocked weapon, and Cool Conrad leaned forward. ‘*Halt! Hands up, or die!” he said. A human figure straightened in the trail. ‘* For God’s sake, don’t shoot!” it said. The Dakota Detective started slightly. ‘*Come forward!” he said. ‘‘ Remember that i’ve got the dead-drop on you. A treacherous movement on your part, and I send a bullet through your head.” et’s just what 1 don’t want.” Within the same minute the two men came com (E| eYoye) cS (E(0)