Beadle's New York Dime Library No. 340 — page 6: what you’re looking at

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

6 awe oo ——-_ When he started forward he discovered that he had overtaxed his strength, for he staggered backward, but clutched the rough jamb and tried to steady himself. ‘*] will go!” he cried. ‘‘I will help Red Roy when he needs help! I will take a—hand—in the—game! Oh, Heaven!” That was all; the giddiness that tore his hands loose caused him to reel away, and all at once he fell senseless upon the couch he had just left. The door, wide open now, admitted the soft moonlight, and it bathed the whitened face of Marmoset in a beauty that was weird and en- trancing. He had failed at the threshold of succor! If he had held out, what could he have done for Red <a, against Oregon Noll and his pards? Meanwhile, the captain of the gold camp was approaching the place called Satan’s Hotel. The camp had been left behind, and the band was midway between it and the foot of the nearest mountain. Satan’s Hotel was not a structure of any kind made by human hands. It existed long before a gold-hunter’s pick sounded among the moun- tains of the Merced country. It was simply a dark, yawning chasm in the ground, a terrible black pit about ten feet across and, legend said, bottomless. . Silver Chick, at that moment in San Francis- co, had tried to fathom it at the end of many united lassoes, but the experiment had proved a failure. A stone thrown into it was not heard to drop, although several miners had fancied that the experiment had, after a long interval, been suc- ceeded by the splash of water. But this was all conjecture, and Satan’s Ho- tel came to be regarded as another name for the bottomless pit. No noxious vapors arose from the place, no odors of any kind; it was simply a mystery of nature—a deep, dark, unfathomable hole, like the entrance to some Stygian horror. It was on the brink of Satan’s Hotel that Oregon Noll halted with his captive. ere march to the place the gold-camp roughs tied his hands upon his back and deprived him of the revolvers under his em- broidered jacket. pit stood a tree, the only —_— Ten feet from the one near by, but its limbs did not overhang the ap. ‘We're goin’ ter invest ye with an honor heretofore denied all citizens ov Pistol City,” said Noll, addressing Red Roy. ‘‘ You ar’ goin’ ter find ther cellar ov Satan’s Hotel. This fol- lers yer discovery, Reddy, an’ I hope you'll re- port the exact depth ov the infernal place when you git back !” There was a tinge of merciless cruelty in Cap- tain Noll’s tones. It made his eyes glitter, and drew sarcastic smiles to the faces of the men who heard. ‘‘All right!” said Red Roy. ‘‘You’ve got ther Epa? hand this time, Oregon Noll, but you find no kicker in yer hands, Time will tell who Karl the Kid is, an’ the days will fetch vengeance. I’m no baby. If you expect Red Roy, yer better in every respect, ter ask for mercy, you'll be disappointed. Whar’s thet other pard what never liked me?—whar’s Sil- ver Chick?’ ‘*T left him in ’Frisco ter keep eyes on a cer- tain man who’s playin’ detective,” was the re- ply. ‘‘[ wish he was hyer. I knew he never iked you, Reddy. Any message for him?” ‘*No—yes! Tell him when you see him—no! I'll not send him a m e!” and Red Roy sul- lenly sealed his lips, and threw a fearless glance down the pit on whose brink he stood. ‘* Very well; suit yerself,” said O n Noll with a laugh. “I should hev been happy ter bear yer last message ter Silver Chick, but ef ye won’t send it wig Eb ary ther endovit. As ter Karl the Kid, Reddy, don’t let that indi- vidual trouble you. Man, if you had not made thet unfortunate diskivery, you’d not be stand- in’ at ther door ov Satan’s Hotel. I’m sorry for ye, Reddy; we all ar’.” This was the quintessence of- sarcasm, and it brought a deeper, fiercer flash to Red Roy’s eyes, nothing more, ~ In less than five minutes a rope had been passed around the body of the doomed man un- der his arms, and thence extended to the tree, which it was made to encircle about ten inches from the ground. There was slack enough to the rope to admit of the lowering of Red Roy into the opening, for this was undoubtedly the intention of his ex- ecutioners. ‘* This is the programme, Reddy,” said Oregon Noll when the rope had been secured to the tree. ‘* We ar’ goin’ ter lower ye into Satan’s Hotel. When the rope has been stretched tight, I shall light this candle which I hold in my hand an’ place it under the cord at the tree. Ther blaze will burn the rope slowly through, an’ yer weight will cause you ter “— suddenly, swiftly to—God knows whar! ell set the candle, Reddy, an’ then turn our backs on yer forever! An’ while we drink ter success at Itoly Hawk’s, the candle ‘ll be eatin’ thread by thread the rope ov death. Lower him into ther hotel, pards.’ Cobb Wort ast, a — L __ —_ e ———————— _ — a ae Did Red Roy shout defiance into the teeth of 3 * na heim 0 Did he beg for mercy in the face of the most terrible doom ever confronted by man? Red Roy was no suppliant. He made no resistance when strong arms seized him to lower him over the abyss; as if he knew that resistance would have been in vain, or as if he had resolved to die and make no sign. The lowering into the chasm did not occup three minutes, and Red Roy slid from the hands of the pards into the darkness! When the rope became stretched he was ey ame along the wall of the natural shaft, his head ten feet below the top. Ata wave of Oregon Noll’s hand, the silent men drew back from the brink. The next moment was heard the crack ofa lucifer, and a tiny flame was seen at the ends of Captain Noll’s fingers. hen the desperado lit his candle, and held it insultingly over the hole. He glanced down for a second, but saw in that brief space of time the glaring eyeballs, the close-set teeth, and the calm face of Red Roy, his eternal foe. ‘*Good-by, Reddy!” he shouted. “If any more men cross my path in Pistol City, Pll send ’em down ter keep ye company!” And with the last word he walked toward the tree, the candle burning brightly in his hand. The wild men who watched him saw him stoop over the rope and fix the candle in the ground directly under it. The apex of the flame just singed the rope, but that was enough. Oregon Noll knew that a few minutes of its burning would hurl Red Roy to doom. When he straightened and turned toward the breathless group again, his eyes spoke the des- perado’s triumph. ** Thus nprieh all the foes of Pistol City!” he said. ‘‘ Let this be a warnin’ to these who hunt secrets for a livin’!” He glanced over his shoulder at the candle do- ing its work under the rope, and the followin moment was once more at the head of Pisto City’s toughs. ‘* We'll sample Holy Hank’s whiskies,” he said, catching a man’s arm; ‘‘an’ then you may tell me whar ye hid the girl.” ‘‘ All right, captain. We had ter hide her from Red Roy an’ she’s whar she knows nothin’ ov this.” ‘Thanks, Brown Kit. We've rid ourselves ov a bad man ter-night, an’ Silver Chick is doin’ some good work also in ’Frisco. Pit Pistol City ag’in’ the world, an’ creation’ll lose every time!” The entire crowd by this time had turned their backs on the work of their desperate er. ‘* Halt!” suddenly cried Oregon Noll. ‘I for- ot one thing. Three cheers for the camp’s vic- ory ter-night. Off with yer hats. Let Roy hear the Pistol City yell for the last time.” very hat was doffed as Oregon Noll’s som- brero was lifted in mid-air by his dark right hand, and three tremendous cheers were given with a will. ‘*Now for Holy Hank’s! The last man there treats ther crowd!” There was another cry and a rush forward, and soon the men of the gold camp were run- ning like mad, as if their lives depended on their reaching a certain place within a certain time. And Red Roy was left swinging in mid-air, with a candle burning his life away! CHAPTER VI. THE LETTER FROM ’FRISCO. EXACTLY one hour later a man approached the tree that stood in the vicinity of Satan’s Hotel and struck a lucifer which he took from his pocket. The light thus produced revealed the face and figure of Oregon Noll, and his dark eyes snap- ped with triumph as he stooped to examine the candle’s work. The candle itself was out, as if when the rope snapped, it had been extinguished. It still stood upright in the little pile of earth at the foot of the tree, but to all appearances it had accomplished its purpose. A piece of rope with a blackened end still en- circled the trunk of the tree, and told in mute language the story of Red Roy’s terrrible doom. ‘* That’s what he gets for huntin’ up a secret,” muttered Oregon Noll, while he inspected the burnt rope. ‘‘ He’s an unexpected guest now at Satan’s Hotel, an’ is liable ter ene his present uarters for an indefinite period. 1 don’t run this mountain shebang, I'll know why. Now, if Silver Chick has accomplished his work in ’Frisco, we'll be all right an’ things will move along in first class order in Pistol City. Hello!— doctor!” The boss of the California camp had started erect at the sound of a footstep, and rising sud- denly had turned to find himself face to face with the Mexican known as Doctor Pablo, This individual was a man of about thirty- five, of medium hight, wiry and agile, with the blackest eyes, and the yellowish skin of his people, Come! —“—"“——:.:. nn —nmwn—<e_O Re —————— SSS mE the Dakota Detective. Cunning and natural villainy sometimes peep- ed from under his black lashes, though, it was said that those very eyes could, at their posses- sor’s bidding, look as meek as a kitten’s. Doctor Pablo was a veritable fox of the human species. ‘* Rope burn off, eh?’ he asked Oregon Noll as he sent a glance toward the foot of the tree which he could see by the aid of the match that still burned in Noll’s hands. ** Yes, an’ Red Roy has gone to the secret hun- ter’s doom, confound him! I tell you, doctor, that’s the war I manage such fellows, When it is too late, they diskiver that it won’t do ter fool with this gold scorpion. My sting is death; do you hear me doctor#—death!” Oregon Noll leaned toward the Mexican and hissed the last word into the doctor’s teeth. He meant what he said; nobody could cross him with impunity. ‘* How’s yer patient?” continued Noll before Doctor Pablo could reply. ‘‘I hear that the boy’s been sick for several days.” ‘** Patient run off,” was the answer. **Since when?” cried Oregon Noll. ‘‘He was certainly in the shanty when we unced upon Red Roy an’ corraled him?” ‘*] think he was, but he wasn’t there ten min- utes ago.” ‘‘The deuce! Doctor, you must watch your patients better than this. They don’t often serve you this trick, do they?” ‘‘ No!” grated the Mexican doctor, his eyes snapping madly as he gave utterance to the monosyllable. ‘ If I get another dose down the baby, senor, he’ll not give Doctor Pablo the slip again, Oregon Noll instantly understood the dark meaning of the last sentence. ‘* Don’t do that, doctor,” he said, with a smile, as he clutched the Mexican’s arm. ‘* He might bite you some time, Captain Noll.” ‘That youngster?” ** Si, senor.” “Ti} take the risk, doctor,” laughed the boss of Pistol City. ‘‘ When I grow afraid of a youn kid like Marmoset, ’) call on you for one o pre famou: sleepin’-potions, Ar’ you goin’ ter unt for your patient?” ‘**T’m lookin’ for him now,” said Doctor Pablo. ‘You are certain, ca tain, that Senor Roy reached the bottom of Satan’s Hotel?’ ‘* Look at that rope!” cried Noll, pointing to- ward the root of the tree. ‘‘ Thet tells the story as no human bein’ could tell it. Dead, doctor? From the depths ov thet pit thar’s no escape. Red Roy got death for his secret-hunt.” Doctor Pablo moved from Oregon Noll’s side without a reply, and leaned over the brink of the yawning pit whose blackness the moonlight could not dissipate. He listened there for several minutes, watched by Captain Noll, who stood near by. ‘‘IT guess he tumbled through ter China,” laughed Noll, as the Mexican turned from the pit. ‘‘Jehosaphat! what a pitch it war!” Doctor Pablo stepped back and looked at Ore~ gon Noll with a grin. ‘‘T’)] find the boy, now,” he said. ‘t Did Senor Kit tell you where they hid the girl?” ‘* Yes: I know her whereabouts an’ will see her presently. But look hyer, doctor. Mind you, I don’t want that boy dosed with any ov yer black medicines. He’ll hurt no one. I'll take all risks, I say. A boy ag’in’ Pistol City! What kin he do? : The two men separated, and while Captain Noll walked toward the main part of Pistol City, the Mexican doctor glided toward the mountain. ‘‘ Captain Noll may risk it, but I would not,’ he said to himself. ‘‘He will wish some day that he had sent Marmoset with Red Roy to the bottom of Satan’s Hotel. Sacrista ! why didn’t the young one die before Captain Noll got back to camp? Doctor Pablo has been a fool!” The} stars going down the trails of the sky were indicating the approach of another morn- ing, when this same Doctor Pablo reappeared at. the door of the Marmoset’s cabin, and lifting the wooden latch without noise slowly pushed it open. The tin lamp was still burning on the little table near the middle of the apartment into which his snake-eyes eo and he saw—what? Asleep on the cot of skins and camp-blankets, the figure of the patient who had given him the slip. ti is needless tosay that the eyes of Doctor Pa- blo almost leaped from his head at this dis- covery; he seemed to be naile’ to the spot. Marmoset seemed to be sleeping the sleep of the innocent, and though Pablo’s eyes were keen, they were not keen enough to see the camp dust on the moccasins that stood in one corner of the room. The Mexican doctor looked daggers at Mar- moset who appeared to be unconscious of his rying presence, and muttering some maledic- ions in Spanish, he shut the door without the least noise, and turned away. ‘Oh, you cunning viper!” cried Marmoset, whose eyes opened wide and twinkled with triumph when the door was shut, ‘‘ You think you caught me napping, but you did not if I had my eyes shut. After to-night, you'll not call COM EDOCO <Sico