Beadle's New York Dime Library No. 340 — page 5: what you’re looking at

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

_ TT SS ee ee ee -_— Cool Conrad, the Dakota Detective. scarcely above his breath. ‘‘ All along I’vo con- sidered Karl, the Kid, a good-lookin’ boy, an’ it never popped inter my head till ther other night thet he war no boy at all. Isee now thet I flar- ed up too quick. I should hev took things cooler, but thet’s just the way with me—I go off half- cocked, an’ just when I should play a steady trigger. Don’t I know thet Tunis, the captain’s spy, left Pistol City ter warn Noli an’ pards in *}risco thet I’ve discovered the truth about Karl the Kid? Don’t I know thet they’ve run the girl off somewhar ter keep ’er out 0’ my sight till ther hull layout’s got back ter camp? I’m no fool, Oregon Noll, ef I do act hasty when I oughter keep cool. Come from ’Frisco; yes, come back with Silver Chick an’ the rest ov yer gang. I’m hyer, an’ by the eternal heavens! I stand my ound! They threw inter my teeth tother night that I’ve been a disturbin’ element ever since I first sot foot in Pistol City. Mebbe I hev, an’ ['m likely ter remain such, much ter ‘yer discomfort, Captain Noll!” The gold-camp giant walked down the moun- ‘tain street as he concluded, with keen eyes that saw everything. He seemed to know that his startling discove had suddenly transformed him into an Ishmael- ite, and that against him every hand in camp had been lifted. He knew that Tunis had gone to San Francis- co with startling news for Oregon Noll, yet, he had not left Pistol City. He knew that the messenger’s tidings would bring back to camp some of the most desperate men who had ever ruled with iron hand in the land of gold. Still, he stood his resolved to die with his boots on. The sun, as it disappeared behind the moun- tain, saw Roy halt in front of a cabin a little smaller than its neighbors. The next moment his hand struck the door and a voice from the inside said: ‘* Come in.” The giant did not hesitate, but with a quick but scrutinizing glance over his shoulder, lifted the wooden latch and entered. A low cry of surprise fell upon his ear as he closed the door behind him, and he saw at once the party who had spoken. The tin lamp that burned on a rough table near the center of the room showed him the fig- ure of a youth of seventeen stretched ona cot on the floor. The eyes of the boy were unnaturally bright, and they remained fixed on Red Roy from the moment he entered the cabin till he dropped upon the three-legged stool beside the cot. ‘* You warn’t lookin’ for me, I reckon,” said the giant, with a smile at the corners of his mouth. ‘I’ve a habit ov turnin’ up whar I’m not wanted. How ar’ ye, Marmoset?” ‘¢ Oh, PU get up in a day or two,” was the an- swer. ‘I can feel the ol strength comin’ back all the time. Who said I didn’t want you to come, Roy?” f ‘No just said so, but I took it for grant- ed, seein’ thet Pistol City an’ me hev hed a time ound, like a man who had within ther last few days. They’ve told ye, Marmoset?” ‘“ Yes; they told me something about it,” said the poy ‘Who did?” ‘** Doetor Pablo.” ‘‘That infernal Mexica __ be hangin’ from some limb in his native land if he had his deserts?” hissed Red Roy, and his hands shut madly as he spoke. * Why, he’scurin’ me,” laughed the boy. “* You shouldn't be so hard on Doctor Pablo, Roy.” ‘*T know the Mexican cat. It’s a wonder he hasn’t given you a death dose, Marmoset. By Jove! ef I war under his care, I’d prepare ter waltz through ther portals ov eternity. My ad- vice, boy, is ter git out ov his hands as soon as ssible. Doctor Pablo, eh? His name should Doctor Satan.” ‘* You are severe on him; that’s a fact,” said the boy on the cot. ‘* But tell me what did hap: n that put the men of Pistol City against you. We're alone here, Roy.” The giant bent lower, and looked into the youth’s face a full minute before he spoke again ‘‘ What did that Mexican say had happened?” he asked. / ‘‘ He said they caught you cheating at cards.”’ “The yaller liar!” cried Red Roy. ‘ Thet confirms all my suspicions. He war afraid ter ive you ther true layout, Marmoset, and he had ter crawl up ter ye like a snake with a lie on his tongue!” ‘* Well, what did happen?” The boy was eager for Red Roy’s reply. “I made a diskivery—thet’s what the hull thing started from—thet’s what made Tunis, the Y saddle the best hoss in camp, an’ break for risco.” _ “A discovery?’ echoed Marmoset. ‘‘ Have you found another rich lead?” “Yes, but it doesn’t yield gold,” answered Red Roy. ‘* What, then?” ‘*T fancy thet you know as much about it as I do, Marmoset, for I don’t claim ter hev sharper eyes than yers. I’ve found out thet the young- ster we call Kar] the Kid is a girl.” For a minute Marmoset did not make a reply of any kind. The revelation seemed to have taken his low of the cot, and stared into bronze face of the gold-camp giant. | ‘* Kinder took yer breath, I see,” smiled Red Roy, still looking down upon the boy. “I didn’t mean ter do it, Marmoset. It kinder took mine when I made ther diskivery. I’d bet my last ounce thet ['m right, an’ when I foolishly roclaimed my find at ther Cold Deck Saloon saw thet I hed ther hull camp ag’in’ me. I offered ter back my statement with dust er pistols, just as suited their fancy, but I warn’t taken. For awhile it looked as though we'd — triggers an’ make another night in the | istory ov Pistol City; but thar warn’t a drop | ov blood spilled. Look hyer, Marmoset. Can it be thet you an’ I hev lived hyer fer years | phate suspectin’ thet Karl, the Kid, war a girl? ‘*Tt seems incredible, Roy,” said the boy, his eyes still filled with astonishment. ‘‘ I’ve read about such things in novels, but I never be- lieved that they ever happened. Karl, a girl?” ‘‘Thet’s just whar you hit it. Look back, now. You know how Oregon Noll has watched the Kid all along; you hev seen him watchin’ her cabin long arter dark. Put this an’ thet together now, an’ tell me, if you kin, thet it | doesn’t look suspicious—thet it all doesn’t con- firm my suspicions.” ‘** It does, by my soul!” suddenly exclaimed the occupant of the cot. ‘‘ Where is Karl?” ‘*Thet’s what I'd like ter know. They’ve taken her off; they don’t want me ter see her ag’in till Noll an’ Silver Chick git hyer.” ‘* When do you look for them?” ‘*They’re liable ter turn up at any moment | from this time on. Ef I hed known sooner thet Tunis had set out for ’Frisco, hang me for a | rattler if he’d ever got thar! I found it out too late ter intercept ther gold-camp spy. Marmo- | | set,” continued Red Roy, before the boy could ut in a word, ‘‘ you an’ I hev never been pards. ou always seem ter take but little stock in me —I don’t know why. Mebbe it’s because I’m a big, dark-faced feller, who never took ter you. Now, I’m goin’ ter say thet I don’t want ter fight this hull camp, an’ I don’t intend ter fight you. I came hyer ter ask you if you knew any- thing about our Kid, as a girl, but I’ve already diskivered that you don’t. You don’t know whar they’ve taken her, either. Doctor Pablo tried ter set ye on ther wrong track, but I’ve got yer back. Suthin’s goin’ ter happen. I warn the Mexican liar ter keep beyond m hands. He’s got ther kind ov throat thet fits my fingers.” ed Roy straightened with a laugh as he fin- vers and his figure stood upright in the lamp- ight. ‘* Are you going to follow up your discovery?” asked the boy from the cot. ‘‘ Are you going to find out who she is?” ‘‘ Yes!” snapped the giant. ‘I know thet I'll | hev ther hull camp ag’in’ me if I do—l’ve got thet now. Mebbe it’s none ov Red Roy’s busi- ness, but he’ll make it his afore ther game’s | played half through.” | **T will help moset. ‘‘ You s you. Tl) be your friend.” ener the desperado stooped, and his big | hand quickly swallowed up the little one the boy | thrust forward to meet it. | ‘‘T accept yer friendship ef ye ar’ a boy!” he exclaimed; ‘‘ an’ let me tell yer, Marmoset, thet we'll git ter ther end ov this affair either dead or alive!” ‘Dead or alive!” echoed Marmoset with a laugh that betokened bravery. ‘‘ You and I will get there, Roy.” ‘* Bet yer head!” cried the giant, as he ar cupalt the boy’s hand with a final pressure. ‘ en they stir me up they rouse the boss hyena. ov this menagerie. I guess I'll go now. It must be time for Oregon Noll an’ his monte bank- breakers ter git in from’Frisco. Then, let °em tread on this hyena’s tail ef they dare!” He started toward the door with a last look at the boy as he shot out the concluding sentence, but stopped as he laid his fingers on the latch. ‘‘ Watch thet Mexican doctor, I say,” he said in warning tones. ‘‘He kills more than he cures. Don’t take another drop ov his medi- cine, but pour it out by doses on the ground.” “Tl take your advice, Roy,” was the reply which made the giant’s eyes glisten. The wooden latch was raised with a dull click and the door opened. ‘* Good-night, Marmoset,” said Red Roy. ‘Tl hev news ov some kind fer ye afore mornin’. They can’t baffle this mountain rooster long— Great God!” The gold-camp giant uttered this startling ex- clamation as he staggered back toward the door he had just left. ‘*Hands up, Red Roy, or rs dead in yer boots!” said a stern voice. ‘‘We’ve got the dead drop on ye, an’ we’re goin’ ter show yer thet one man can’t run this ise!” Red Roy was covered by a dozen revolvers, and the merciless speaker was Oregon Noll, ou when I get up!” cried Mar- | ’n’t have everybody against ' fresh from San Francisco! breath, and he fell back on the panther-skin pil- | _ flanked him. CHAPTER V. IN SATAN’S HOTEL, THE man was well backed by the fellows who He had thrust two arms toward Red Roy, and at the end of each was a cocked revolver. The camp giant could look between the wea- | — and into eyes that sparkled like the basi- ’s and seemed entirely devoid of mercy. It was a strange, wild tableau for the full moon that showered a flood of silvery light upon the scene. While Red Roy expected Oregon Noll, as we have heard him remark, he was taken by sur- prise, completely so, and that before he had time to lift a hand or cock a weapon. His fine figure seemed to increase an inch in stature while he looked into the faces that con- - fronted him. They might confront the giant with a score of revolvers, they might proclaim his doom in harsh tones, but they could not scare him. Red Roy was one of the fearless ones. ‘*So you think you’ve made a diskivery, eh?” suddenly ejaculated Oregon Noll. ‘‘ Don’t you know, Reddy, thet some things one hed best keep ter himself especially in Pistol City?” ‘*Thet may be so, Oregon, but ’m my own jedge in some things,” was the prompt answer clearly spoken. ‘‘I never thought, till t’other night thet Karl, the Kid, war other than the boy I’ve always b’lieved him.” Oregon Noll threw a hasty glance at his back- ers before he replied: ** Men don’t always diskiver the truth,” he said in a bantering manner. ‘* But I hev, an’ no man knows it better than Oregon Noll,” said Red Roy, looking the captain of the camp unflinchingly in the eye. ‘‘ An’ be- cause I found it out they’ve toted the girl off. Afraid I'd steal her, warn’t ye?” The last sentence was addressed to the crowd who backed the man just from ’Frisco. There was no answer, but the eyes of the gold pards looked triumph into Roy’s face. ‘* It’s no matter what they thought; they did right,” said Noll. ‘*‘ You hed ter nose around till yer let out ther only secret Pistol City ever had. I heard ov yer doin’s in ’Frisco—” ‘* Yes, an’ if I could hev intercepted yer mes- senger, ye’d be thar now, ca team oll!” ‘*Ah! You ar’ determined ter show yer teeth to ther end, I see.” ‘To ther end!” flashed Roy. All this time, in the cabin behind him, lay the boy with his body bent forward, and his ears drinking in every word. The door seemed to be half an inch ajar, and not a syllable was escaping him. “if I was strong enough, only for five min- utes!” he ejaculated. ‘‘ Red Roy ismy friend, and he’s right in this matter. I thank him for his discovery, but I do not see why I didn’t find it out before. Touch Roy to draw his blood, rode Noll, and one of these days perhaps you'll have Marmoset against you.” ‘*Come! we'll transfer the rest ov this play ter other quarters,” ware said Oregon Noll. ‘*You kin drop yer hands now, Reddy. Sur- round him quietly, boys, an’ keep both eyes on the prisoner. I heyn’t come back from for nothin’.” Captain Noll’s commands were promptly obey- ed, and Red Roy was the prisoner of the very men with whom he had lately been on the best of terms. ‘* March!” ‘‘ Which way, cap’n?’ asked a member of the group. ‘* Toward Satan’s Hotel! Forward!” The guard started off, glancing significantly at Red Roy as the advance was begun. The manner in which Oregon Noll spoke the destination was intended to have an effect on the prisoner, but he did not quail. ‘In the name of Heaven, what are they going to do with him at Satan’s Hotel?’ cried the bo in the hut, ‘ Oregon Noll is going to pay - dy in some terrible manner for hisdiscovery; he is going to inflict some awful punishment. And the men will stand by him; they will do his bid- ding, for they are under his thumb.” The tramp of the Californians had already died away, but the silence seemed to nerve the sick boy to extra exertion. ‘* Not while I live shall they make their tri- umph complete to-night!” he exclaimed. e crept from the couch and got into a pair of taloons that hung from a wooden peg driven into the wall. ‘*Red Roy won’t squeal; he'll go to his doom with the grit of a Pawnee chief,” he went on as he dressed himself. ‘* Let my strength continue for one hour! Dll ask nomore. They may turn on me, the gold-camp vipers; but I don’t care. After all, Reddy’s the best man in Pistol City.” The boy hurried up his toilet as rapidly as he could, for he was working against time. ‘‘ Now let me see what they are going to do,” he exclaimed, moving toward the door. ‘‘ Ah! how fresh the air is! This is better than your drugs, Doctor Pablo.” ; He had thrown wide the door and stood on the threshold drinking in the cool, sweet air that came from the mountains. | * <Si (ECON MICE Ooo) isco . (E() a