Beadle's New York Dime Library No. 365 — page 4: what you’re looking at

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

4 Keen Kennard, the Shasta Shadow. Bluff. ‘Ef ther blood ther flowed from a hu- man bein’, whar is he?” “* Foller ther trail.” ** By Jericho! thet’s just what we'll do! Call ther boys. This is suthin’ for thar hull camp. Mebbe murder hes been committed. Tl get ther daisies out.” A moment later Dropshot Bluff let slip several rousing shouts which went echoing through the camp, and immediately a number of cabin doors flew open and a number of men sprung into the street. “This way, pards,” said the alcalde, directing them to him by the sound of his voice. The pards of Red Eye had issued from the cabins utes armed, and they stood in the presence of their acknowledged leader with cocked revolvers and ready to engage in any kind of fray. ‘When ther wind war blowin’ from ther shanties awhile ago, thar war a pistol fired hyer- abouts,” said the alcalde. ‘ Rottiebod'y must hev got hit, for thar’s blood on ther stones at yer feet, an’ ther trails goes in thet direction, Ar’ we all hyer?” The men mentally counted their numbers for a moment and then replied. “All but ther mistery, Vera, an’ Grim George.” ““Mebbe,” said Dagger Johnny, touching Dropshot’s arm as if Ly accident, ‘*mebbe thet blood ar’ Grim’s.” ‘“*Tt can’t be. Who'd shoot him?’ **T don’t know, but he’s ther only missin’ man,” ‘Grim George was one of the characters of Red Eye, He had come to California with the present alcalde, and there was no doubt that the two men had been pards a long time before they first saw the Golden State. Dropshot seldom mentioned Utah and the Mormons; Grim George had a thousand tales about them. Now andthen hehad strengthened the belief that the alcalde once dwelt among them, that he had once been an elder in the Mormon church; but he never went into details, He and Dropshot Bluff were close companions, and Grim George was as eager to find the lost bonanza as his friend, the big alcalde, A tigerish light flew into Dropshot Bluff’s ro when Dagger Johnny suggested that the po on the stones might be that of Grim rge. The alcalde clinched his hands and hissed: ‘‘For each ounce ov Grim’s blood, ef this is his, ’ll hev a pound of his murderer’s!” In a short time the entire population of Red Eye was on the crimson trail which led down the camp’s solitary street in front of the cabins. The wind had suddenly lulled, and there was not enough to stir the long locks of the wild pards of the sierra. Dropshot Bluff, with lips glued together, head- ed the blood-hunt, “soap Bam ty light in one hand and a revolver in the other, He had his follow- ers at his heels. The trail led to the last cabin and beyond. The alcalde glanced at the shanty in which he had left the skeleton hand as he passed it. He wondered if the young man was still asleep be- side his ghostly ellow, and a strange smile appeared at the corners of his mouth when he thought what the awakening might be. ‘* By Jerusalem! it goes to ther mountains— ther blood trail does,” exclaimed Dagger Johnny. ** Shall we foller it, cap’n?” “Ter tartarus, ef it goes thet far!” was the swift reply. The hunt was resumed, but it soon and sud- denly ended. at once the alcalde of Red Eye stopped and retreated a Re ‘‘ We're at ther end ov ther trail,” he ex- ‘* Hyer lies a man as dead as a door The pards of Red Eye Bar pressed forward and looked at the human being lying across the trail on his face. ‘““Turn ther galoot over!” It was done. he so Bluff performed the job, and the next instant he sprung back with a wild ejaculation. ‘Tt is Grim!” Yes, dead and already rigid lay the alcalde’s pard, the man who knew so much about Mor- mondom. The men drew back and looked not at Grim George, but at their leader. The alcalde of Red Eye had straightened over , and was looking down upon it with a singular stare. as back!” he said suddenly to the gang, warning them away. ‘I'll join yer ape Dagger Johnny motioned the pards of Eye from the spot, and putting himself at their head, led them back. All at once the bronzed alcalde dropped beside his pard and held his lamp close to his face. ‘* Ther only witness but one ter what I did in Mormondom!” he said. ‘‘ Ef my enemies killed you, Grim, they war fools. They kin never convict me now. I'll see how the brand of bro- therhood looks on ther breast ov a dead man. You never fiinched while I burned it thar, Grim, an’ I'll hev the blood ov ther person who drop- ped yer in yer tracks!” EE ee nn eee —————————EEeEeEeEeEEEEeEEeEEEEeEeEeEEEEEEeeEeee—eee————— (arr — _—_—_——— _———_— oo Dropshot Bluff then proceeded to open the dead man’s shirt, and the lamp showed him the fresh marks of a knife which had nearly oblit- terated the rude brand of a bowie and revolver crossed. ‘‘ A foe did it—one who knew we war pards!” said the alcalde. ‘* Hyer, over yer, Grim, with my naked hand on ther brand I gave yer, I swear ter hev ther life ov yer slayer! Next ter my hunt for ther lost Ophir, shall be my hunt for blood!” _ He got up and looked back toward the cab- ns. “Don’t I know pretty well who did it?” he went on. ‘‘ Ef Ihedn’t driven Vera, ther Viper from Red Eye ter-nicht, Grim George woulc not be hyer dead an’ slashed! She follered u ther shot I heard. She had ter leave her mark behind, but she couldn’t hev left one more fatal ter her own interests. Witch ov ther sierra, you hev Dropshot Bluff ag’in’ yer from ter- night! Why couldn’t yer go away without tak- in’ ther life ov ther man who stood by me in Utah?” He snuffed the lamp and turned back to the cabins, leaving the dead desperado lying across the trail with his face upturned to the stars. He walked rapidly and with long strides. ‘We begin ther death-hunt by daybreak,” he muttered. ‘‘ Before to-morrow night we may burn Red Eye, behind us, as we once burned Gold Gorge.” The alcalde was about to enter his cabin when a quick step startled him, and he turned to look into the face of Dagger Johnny. ** Almighty Cesar! I want ter show yer suthin’, cap’n,” he exclaimed, showing by his di- lated eyes that something of a startling nature had occurred. ‘‘ I made ther diskivery by ther merest accident.” ‘* Another dead man?” asked the alcalde, al- most prepared for anything. “No. Ifit war, Dagger Johnny would wish himself ten times dead.”’ a pag Bluff was seized by the arm and led over the ground he had just traversed in com- ing from Grim George. ‘Easy now! We might disturb him,” whis- pered Johnny, halting before a cabin near the end of the line. The door was area by the two men on tip-toe, and the alcalde of Red Eye, was led up to the little window beside it. ** Look in thar,” said his pard. He looked into the cabin and saw by the light of a lamp, a young man seated on a blanket gazing at a skeleton hand which he held, a sight hat sent a thrill through the stalwart frame of alcalde. , good Mogalle! ‘You’ve come back to me, ha! ha! ha!” suddenly laughed the cabin’s occupant, ‘I’ve been waiting for you a long time! Now we'll go to the lost mine and become Gold Kings. Ho, ho, ho!” Dropshot could hardly suppress a cry of de- light. His scheme had proved successful, The youth was mad! CHAPTER IV. ALMOST A SUCCESS. “What d’yer think ov that? asked Dagger Johnny, looking at Dropshot Bluff, as they stole from the cabin, ‘Tt looks like he’s gone back inter ther old state,” was the “hic = But, whar did he run across thet skeleton hand?” ‘‘ Heaven knows! He can’t hev been keepin’ it all this time.” The alcalde of Red Eye was good at decep- tion. Dagger Johnny shook his head. ‘“‘T’ve watched ’im pretty closely along with ther rest ov ther boys but I never saw him hev a hand like that. ebbe he'll give us ther key ter ther big bonanza in one oy his mad s.” ‘**T’'m afraid not,” said Dropshot Bluff. ‘‘ He didn’t do it when he war in that fix afore, an’ I’m afraid it'll be ther same way now.” All this time there was a gleam of fiendish satisfaction in the last speaker’s eyes. It was evident that his words belied his thoughts. He turned suddenly upon bis rei piney and gave orders for the corpse of Grim George to be moved into camp for burial, then he turned to his own shanty again. Dagger Johnny went away to out the alcalde’s command, and lei a number of the camp pards toward the spot where Grim George lay under the stars. ‘It succeeded beyond my most sanguine ex- sowie said Dropshot Bluff, as he issued rom his cabin a few minutes later. ‘“‘ By ther skeleton hand I am goin’ ter find ther trail ter ther hidden gold mine. We ar’ goin’ ter git thar by one ov Vera’s tricks. Arter thet we'll pay her for shootin’ Grim.” ; e sneaked back down the street to the cabin that contained the youth and the skeleton hand, and soon found himself at the window. If he had any doubts of the young man’s condition, ney were dissipated now. ilbert Golden had not moved since the al- calde saw him last. He still occupied the blan- ket, and was handling the ghostly pple he had found on his pillow, and talking childishly to it. the cam Dropshot eagerly drank inevery word; he did not let a syllable ce his ears, ‘“*T wonder if he knows me,” muttered the desperado, stepping to the door. A minute later he lifted the wooden latch without noise, and be ae his way into the cabin. The youth did not notice him; he was still jabbering to the skeleton hand. For a few moments the alcalde stood above the madman, and looked down upon him. It was one of the strangest sights he had ever seen, and he had seen many strange ones during his: eventful career. At last Dropshot Bluff stooped and touched Gilbert Golden. The youth started and raised his eyes to his visitor. ‘‘ Wal, Gilbert, what hev ye thar?’ asked the aicalde, glancing at the bony hand. ‘Tt is Max, ha, ha!” was the reply. ‘ Max has come back! He has been gonea long time!’” ‘‘ Whar did yer leave him?’ ‘* Where the gold was, ho, ho! Max said he was going to die there; but he did not, for see! he has come back to me, Mebbe he will go to see his child, ha, ha, ha!” ‘* His daughter?” ejaculated Dropshot Bluff, ‘‘The pretty little girl he left bebind. Max and Gilbert will go together!” The insane youth got up and with the hand ressed to his bosom started toward the door. Drondhot Bluff stepped quietly in between and laid his hand gently on Gilbert’s arm. ** Don’t be in a hur Thar’s plenty ov time ter find Max’s child,” he said. ‘ We'll help yer find her, Gilbert, my boy. Go back ter yer blanket, er ter yer chair—thar!” and he seated the youth on a three-legged stool at the little table the room con‘ained and then seated him- a on a similar piece of furniture opposite im. ‘* Now let us get at this thing, Gilbert,” con- tinued the alcalde of Red Eye, stretching one hand across the table and touching the youth’s wrist. ‘* Don’t Ha recollect how yer got ter thet bonanza? y ter think for a moment.” The stare which had filled the young man’s: eyes seemed to soften under Dropshot Bluff’s words, and the big alcalde took sudden hope. ‘‘ We all found it, but I was the only one who ot back to Gold Gorge,” Gilbert said, and then e laughed so insanely that the sport shuddered and took his hand away, “Try ter fix ther place,” he said. ‘‘ Can't yer draw a map ov ther kentry on ther table hyer— a map with ther streams ther trail crosses, ther gorges an’ such? Hyer’s a piece ov chalk. Now o ter work, Gilbert, an’ give me ther out- ines.” Gilbert Golden took the chalk extended across the table by the alcalde’s bronzed hand, and looked curiously at it for awhile. ‘Go ahead!” said the irapatient Bluff. “Tt was up mountain, down mountain, ho, ho!” cried Gilbert. ‘‘ We waded streams and. crossed them on wild bridges. This is the way we went to the El Dorado!” The alcalde of Red Eye felt like springing out of his boots when he saw the boy draw a tor- tuous line across half of the table. ‘*Gods! he’s gettin’ at it at last!” he ejacu- lated. ‘ . That skeleton hand is worth its weight in gold.’ Finail , he did spring up and i ep behind Gilbert Golden so as to have the gold-map right, then, holding his breath, he watched over the youth’s shoulder. f Slowly, as if it was a laborious task, Gilbert moved the chalk over the table, making a num- ber of marks which were fast growing into an intelligible diagram. Dropshot Bluff never took his eyes from the work. At last the youth stopped; he seemed exhaust- ed, ‘‘ Now, which is north?’ asked the the al- calde, ‘Ther p'ints ov ther compass ar’ alk thet ’s lackin’. Add ’em ter yer map, Gilbert, an’ ye’ll complete it.” The mad youth looked up into Dropshot Bluft’s face with th old meaningless stare. “(jo on. Give yer map ther compass p'ints,” said the alcalde. There was no movement on the youth’s part. He did not comprehend the language simple though it was. * Confound it!” growled the boss sport biting his lips. ‘‘He don’t know what that means. Ther map’s kerrect—Ill bet my head on thet. but without ther compass p’ints he mightas well rub it out.” “Rub it out, ho, ho!” echoed Gilbert Golden turning to the table. ‘‘1 will blot out the trails I’ve made!” ‘No, no! I didn’t mean that,” eried Dropshot. Bluff darting at Gilbert’s arm. ‘‘ You'll add ther compass p'ints by an’ by! Don’t rub yer work out!—for heaven's sake!—” The lost man of Gola Gorge jerked his arm from the alcalde’s clutch and before he could oe swept it like a tornado across the: ! Dropshot Bluff uttered a yell of tigerish rage. What dyer mean?” he cried darting at Gil- bert’s throat which he grasped as the youth rose from the stool. , You've blotted out ther map ov ther biggest fortune out o’ doors!” m (C©@) ] | * P= as hd ga - a ngs 3 a ve i ‘4 7 h