Beadle's Dime Library No. 351 — page 20: what you’re looking at

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

-—— — => : “< on - ~ — ss = ™ = —=_—oS > SS ee SSS ore <O ** Ain’t it business—an’ that o’ the pi’zenest kind? I ain’t a-goin’ to make a botch o’ it now TPve got started. I want to show how it come that—that he left a witness to tell o his doin’s,” doggedly retorted Toplift, licking his dry lips. **'V'bat hole in my forehead, an’ the way I was bloodied, mougbt ’a’ fooled a smarter man than him—ef they make any more sech.” ** Go on,” growled the gambler, resignedly. **T couldn’t move ary limb, no more’n ef I was paralyzed, but all the time my thinkin’ traps was workin’ as bright as ever. I know it don’t sound right. but it’s the gospel truth, all the same. I could see the man what shot me come outside, an’ knowed that he was comin’ to make sure that I was dead, but to save my soul 1 couldn’t move a finger or utter a sound. I jest laid thar, like a dead hog, an’ he come up, felt o’ my heart an’ my pulse, then laughed a little, low an’ soft, as he lifted me up in his arms an’ tuck me into the shanty. ‘‘ He drapped me down in one corner, then turned to wkar the old gent was layin’, I see’d it all, like a manin adream, but it was so tur- rible plain that I kin shet my eyes now an’ go over every move that was made, little an’ big. **T see him stoop over an’ run his knife into the old gent’s buzzum, clean to the hilt. Then he stopped a minnit, lookin’ at him, Then he tuck a bun’le o’ somethin’—I cain’t jest sw’ar what it was, fer he stood between us, an’ hed his back part turned to’ards me—out o’ the old eects breast-pocket, an’ stuck it into bis own, e did it quick as thought, an’ at the same time cussed a, little, as though he hed diskivered some signs o’ life—that, I reckon, fer be stooped ag’in an’ drawed his knife across the old gent’s throat, so hard an’ fierce, like, that it almost cut his head clean off! “Then he turned to’rds me, grippin’ his knife, his eyes shinin’ like bails o’ fire in the dark—fer it was gettin’ on to’rds sundown, an’ ye know that thar hain’t no winders in the shanty. I thunk he was goin’ to slit my wizzen the same as he did that o’ the old gent, an’ l tried to holler out fer marcy, but I couldn’t make a sound—couldn’t move a finger or toe, even—an’ I reckon it was lucky fer me that was ! ‘* He stooped over me, an’ felt fer my beart, jest like he did outside, but thar wasn’t no sign o’ lite, an’ be turned away ag’in, leavin’ me layin’ thar. He went outdoors, an’ I could hear the tromple o’ his hoss’s hoofs as he rid away.” ‘‘Who was it?’ demanded St. Clair Guthrie, sternly. ‘‘ You have not told his name, yet! ‘Who was the foul assassin?” “T ain’t done, yic,” doggedly. “TI lay thar, with that orful sight afore my eyes, fer what seemed a year. Tue dark come down into the cabin, but it couldu’t shet out the sight o’ the dead man, an’ | wouldn’t wish my wust inemy to suffer one hafe o’ what 1 suffered thar afore { hearn tbe sound o’ human voices outside, an’ Wilkins come stumblin’ inside. They was ekeered at the dead man, an’ when I thunk they was runnin’ away, leavin’ me thar in wuss then hell, ten times over, it give me power to break the spell, an’ I called to ’em. They bolped me down here—an’ you know the rest.” ‘‘ All save the name of the murderer—” ** An’ that you’d never know from me, only he went back onto me fust, an’ shot me like [ was a dog! I'll tell, though it cuts mighty deep, even now, fer, gents, I loved the critter like he was my own son—I did so!” huskily muttered Toplift. ** Once more—his name!” demanded the gam- bler, bis revolver touching the face of the fore- man. ‘“*Speak—and quickly.” “The man who killed Arthur Ovelman, an’ tried to kill me, was Dan Brown o’ Denver !” slowly said Toplift, Although they bad suspected something of the sort, from what he witness bad said before, this announcement caused an intense excitement among the crowd, but silence reigned in obedi- ence to the uplifted band of St. Clair Guthrie, ‘‘Gentlemen—one word! You are not more astonished than I at the announcement of the murderer’s name. I would not have believed it, on less positive evidence—for we all saw that it was like denouncing his brother for Toplift to say what he has. More than ever I regret having en a prominent ‘ge in this affair, for there are those who will remember that only last evening I had a little dispute with Dan Brown, For that reason I resign the position which was, in a measure, forced upon me, and beg you to elect some one els6é whom you Can trust, to lead you on to vengeance—” ‘‘No, no! you’re the man!” came from the crowd. ‘‘ Very well! and the blue eyes flashed fire. **T will take the lead, and I swear to avenge the murderof Arthur Ovelman! Clear the room of all save those I name, for the present. There is no more time to waste if we hope to catch him!” CHAPTER XX. , A MIDNIGHT VISIT. MAaRJEAN OVELMAN sat in ber chamber, that migut, litle dreawing of the terrible fate which had overtaken her stern parent, though it may be safely said that she alone of all the living ae a e "S248 < S! SS ae Nor’ West Nick a ee eee ———™ a See Lo "= oe aw =e , the Border Detective. | souls in Rocky Bar remained in ignorance of the truth as wrung so reluctantly from the lips of Timothy Toplift. She had scarcely stirred limb or muscle since Arthur Ovelman locked the door behind him and bastened away to meet his duom., Her head was drooping upon her bosom, ber burn- ing, tearless eyes staring vacantly at the floor, She took no note of the passage of time. The knock at ber door, and the intimation that sup- per was waiting, were alike unbeeded. The bours dragged heavily along, and still she sat thus, thinking, thinking, the sad past moving in detail before her heated brain in unvarying succession, like some endless panorama, begin- 'ning anew where it should have left off. | It is hours such as these that unsettle the brain and create maniacs. The marvel is that the poor girl bad lived through so many with- out utterly losing her reason, _ Asone in a dream she heard soft footsteps | just without ber door, and then a key turning in the lock. She knew that the door opened, that some person entered the room, but she sup- posed it was her fatber, returned from his ride to meet Dan Brown of Denver, and she changed not her despondent attitude in the least. Never before bad she felt so utterly worn out, in mind and body; never beforeso little inclined to meet and combat his threats or persuasions, and hoping vaguely that he would retreat and leave her unmolested, at least for that night, she sat motionless as a statue of marble. For a few moments all was silence, but then came the faint, crackling sound of a match be- ing struck against the wall, and the ghostly light which the moon cast in through the par- tially drawn curtains was overcome as a candle was lighted and placed upon the little table at her elbow. Impatiently she turned her head, but the words died upon her lips—a hot flush leaped into her face, only to fade as swiftly, leaving her countenance paler than before. The intruder was not her father. The candle shone upon the same face which she bad seen under the moonlight one night ago, lying along the steaming haunch of the black bull—the same face which had stared at ber in cold sur- prise when she begged and prayed at the feet of | the man who wore it—the face of Kyrle Dando, of Nor’ West Nick! ‘* You seem surprised, Marjean,” ho said, lean- ing on the table and gazing fixedly into her widely distended eyes, his own blue orbs glitter- ing vividly, a peculiar smile upon bis handsome face. ‘‘ And yet, why should you be. Sure! you knew that we must meet again, face to face, when there were none to overhear our conversa- tion, or interfere in any way.” His voice was so soft, so gentle, so like it had been in the long ego, before the black clouds came over their horizon, that it was only by biting her lips until ber white teeth were tinged with carmine, by clinching her hands until the nails buried themselves in the flesh, that Mar- jean could refrain from rising and flinging her- self upon his neck, from relieving ber brain by bursting into tears upon his bosom, But in her ears were still ri: ging those cruel words—words which had haunted ber constant- ly ever since they fell upon her with such stun- ning force—and she made no motion to arise, looking straight into his eyes, scarce breathing. **'You know me, Marjean?” he softly breathed, a tenderer light coming into his eyes, and bis a stretching toward her as though involun- arily. The spell was broken. With a low, gasping cry, she rose and flung herself upon his bosom, His arms wound around her, his musteched lips press’ d a passionate kiss upon hers—then, with a hard, cruel laugh, he loosened her arms and pushed her coldly, almost violently from him. ‘‘ Kyrle—my Kyrle—what have I done?’ the oor woman faltered, Wer eee her trembling orm by leaning agains the table, to the oppo- site side of which he retreated, as though afraid to trust himself nearer, *s What have you not done, rather!” he grated, the smile gone, the soft light in his blue eyes growing hard and merciless as he spoke with rapidity. ‘*‘ You have proved yourself my curse from the moment I first set eyesupon your fair, false face. You have dragged my name in the dust and mire. You have ruined my entire life and destroyed my future—have made me an outcast anda branded felon—and yet you can ask that?” Marjean reeled as though his clinched fist had been dashed into her face. look came back ipto her eyes. One trembling hand sought her brow, the other was pressed against her convulsively throbbing heart. ‘* I had hoped that our life trails would never cross each other again—I even prayed that they might not, for fear I should forget that you wear the shape which my dead mother wore, and in remembering my wrongs, strike to the earth the woman I once loved so madly! ‘*In this hope, I kept far away from the old home, but the fates were against me. You came, and tried once more the cunning arts that tee so successful with me in the days gone by, caring nothing for vhe vulgar crowd around, perhaps enjoying the eagerness with |b | The wild, haunted | } ' ' ems ep _ which they drank in your words and gloated over your disheveled beauty—for you are still a beauty—beautiful as Lucifer before he fell!” A mocking laugh lent an additional sting to his bitter words, and the r woman flinched as though he had stabbed her to the heart. Her blanched lips moved, but not a sound issued from their portals, ** Shall I go over the whole story?’ be added, with a smile that was almost satanic in its cruel hardness. ‘‘ Shall lrepeat the amusing tale of the silly moth who so hopelessly scorched his wings? Bah! you know it all better than I can tell it, even if ' could trust myself. You know that you urged me on into deeper speculation, that I might the sooner win the right to demand your hand in marriage. 1 believed that you were in earnest, then—as much in love as it lav in your heartless, soulless dis»ositicn to be. You see I am willing to do you justice, for all yon showed me scant mercy when I stumbled and fell in the race you incited. I believe you loved me the ut you loved wealth and luxury more, an when the crash came, you thought only of clear- ing yourself from the ruins in the shortest, sur- est manner. That was in getting rid of me for- ever, and in accomplishing this, you committed perjury of the blackest sort. I could have cov- ered you with shame and obloquy, but I still had a heart, then; | was still under the accursed spe!l of your beauty, and like an idiot, I de- destroyed my sole weapon. I ruined my whole future, rather than show you to tbe world as you really were; but the deed was bardly com- mitted before [ bitterly regretted it, and when you dared to visit me in my ceil, where I Jay in waiting for the coming of those who were to take me to my living grave, with tears and wailing in your eyes and upop your tongue— then I showed you that the scales had at last fallen from my eyes, for good and all. ‘I escaped, thanks to a woman whom you would have loftily glanced at in silent scorn— Bah!” with a hard laugh, gr himself, Why go on? It is enough that I escaped the living death you and your father devised—that I changed my identity as best I could, and came out here where people are not too inquisitive aieMag kc they see a man Carries weapons and ooks as though he knew how to use them if crowded too closely.” He paused, wiping his lips with a handker- chief whose subtie perfume was wafted to the dilating nostrils of the woman. restore the strength which bad deserted her in that moment of cruel repulsion, and the stupe- fied look ieft her face, though she was still as ale as a corpse. “If you believe all this, why have you come to me now?” ‘‘ Not to kneel at your feet and sigh out my love, as in those days of old,” be said, witha cold laugh. ‘“‘I came here to-night to sip my first draught of revenge—” ‘**On an unarmed, unprotected, helpless wo- man? Truly you are altered! You said well when you claimed to have forever lost your identity as the Kyrle Dando whom I used to kaow! An angry light flashed into the blue eyes. ‘*What I am, you made me, Marjean Ovel- man! You know what I was in those days; I will tell you what Iam now, that you may the better appreciate your work, ‘You have beard of the notorious road agent, called Captain Siyboots? Well, he and I are one and the same. lam a professional robber and cut-throat. I make my living by stopping the mails and come. them. By stealing cattle and borses when no higher game offers it- self. I have killed my man, not once, but scores of times, both in open figbt, man to man, and from an ambush, like the most cowardly of as- sassins.” ‘““Why do you tell me all this?’ demanded Marjean, with a firmness of nerve that was really remarkable in one so sorely tried. ‘* Why take so much pains to blacken yourself?” Tbat you may the more readily believe what I have inreserve,” was the swift response, “TI said that I came here to taste my first draught of vengeance, Lut I was oe That bas alread come to pass. Your father has not yet returned, has he?” There was a truly satanic light in the blue eyes that stared so triumphanily into bers, an a feeling of terror seized the poor girl. Her lips arted to utter a sbriek, but swift as thought he right hand of the outlaw shot out and bis palm covered her mouth, while he bissed: “Silence! Utter a sound louder thav I am speaking now, ‘and the blood of a score of inno- cent beings will be upon your head! I told you that I am Captain Slyboots. 1 did not come here unprepared for hot work, if such should become necessary. good band bore me company. They are stationed all around this building. At the first alarm en have my or- ders to strike swift and sure—to kill all who at- tempt to make any trouble—to fire the hot-|, and to see that not a living soul save their ci.._f leaves it!” There was a deacly earnestness in the voice which uttered these swift sentences tbat carried conviction with it, and trembling with horror, Marjean ceased to struggle. 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