Beadle's New York Dime Library No. 365 — page 5: what you’re looking at

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

a ' —e* —_——_—_____ __. The answer was a senseless laugh which only increased the alcalde’s passion. ‘“Hang me! ef I don’t dash yer brains out ag’in’ ther wall!” he roared forcing Gilbert back from the table. ‘‘ We’ve watched yer for this map year arter year. Ye wouldn’t draw it when ye war sane, so I threw yer back inter ther old state hopin’ ye’d git at it thar! I warn’t wrong either. Confound yer! why did yer blot it out when it wanted nothin’ but ther compass pints? Now sit down thar an’ draw it over, er by ther high heaven! Ill leave yer dead hyer when I go out!” With the rudeness of a villain, Dropshot forced the youth back upon the stool and put the piece of chalk between his fingers, ‘** Now, go ter work!” he grated. ‘* Remem- ber that ye’r’ dealin’ with ther alealde ov Red Eye Bar!” He did not remove his hand from Gilberts shoulder, but clutched it like a vise, while he spoke. Gilbert did not stir. He held the chalk in a listless manner, and looked vacantly at the few faint marks his sleeve had left of the map so suddenly destroyed, Dropshot Bluff frothed like an enraged lion; ‘his eyes seemed coals of fire. ‘‘ Won't yer?’ he cried, ‘“ Ar’ $e yer goin’ ter | sit thar an’ give me nothin’ for my threats? | Mebbe ye think I won’t do anything! I never play, Gilbert Golden, Ther alcalde ov Red Eye ar’ always in earnest!” These words had no effect. Gilbert Golden did not move. . All at once Dropshot Bluff jerked him from the stool and wheeled with him toward the wall behind the table. ‘* For blottin’ thet map out I'll throw you into ther middle ov next week!” he exclaimed. ‘I could walls. thet!” A moment later the stalwart boss ov Red Eye with all his strength on top, threw the dement- ed youth from him with the fury of a tiger. Won't draw ther map ag’in? Then take | | It was a cruel revenge, for Gilbert Golden | struck the hard | with terrible force and sunk at the foot without a single groan, The force with which he struck was enough to deprive him of life. ‘*Thar! mebbe ye'll like thet for a change!” cried Dropshot Bluff, glaring at his work. ‘* ’m no infant when I exert myself. ‘‘ If you rekiver an’ ask for sympathy in Red Eye, by Jupiter! [ll finish my work with ther dropper!” He bestowed another glance on the youth ly- ing senseless, if not dead, on the floor, and pass- ed out with ges light still flaring up at inter- vals in his dark eyes. He never looked behind him as he walked away, but more than once he cursed in audible tones his failure to get the compass points of the gold map. ‘** Hello! Dagger Johnny!” he exclaimed, halt- ing suddenly before the man who seemed to be waiting for him in front of his cabin. ‘‘ Whar did yer leave Grim George? I forgot ter tell yer ter fetch him—” He paused and seemed to go back a step. ‘You ain’t Dagger Johnny,” he said to the na ‘* Excuse me. You've just come ter Red re? Xi I haven't been hyer twenty minutes,” was the reply. ‘Are you ther alcalde?” ‘*T am Dropshot Bluff, boss, alcalde an’ all,” said the big sport. ‘‘Come inside. This is my shanty.” The alcalde opened the door of his cabin and led the way inside. He was followed by a stran- er who was a real giant in physique with keen black eyes and a well-shaven face which was re- markably handsome, Dropshot took a little lamp from the shelf fastened to the logs and placed it on the table so aha its light would fall on his visitor’s face and gure, “What may I call yer?” asked the alcalde when he had taken him in from head to foot, ‘* Merle Montgomery.” ** No camp handle, eh?” “Oh, yes; ic Merle,” said the stranger with a smile. ‘Wal, Magic, this is Red Eye Bar, no great shakes I reckon, but it contains ther dandiest lot ov tigers when you stir ’em up thet ever in- habited ther sierra. We run an independent camp hyer, an improvement on Gold Gorge. I | don’t ask how yer come ter hit us ter-night, for it’s none oy My business. We may want a new pard for ther one what hed his chips cashed at death’s counter Since sundown. Hang me ef I don’t feel like welcomin’ yer ter Red Eye.” ‘** What! one ov yer men dead?” “Grim George. An’ don’t yer forget, Magic Merle, thet ther person what killed him will get | | paid in full for her work. Come with me an’ | Tl show yer ther corpse an’ introduce yer ter | Merle seemed to have grasped the alcalde’s Red Eye Bar.” Dropshot took the man’s arm and led him sa Keen Kennard, the Shasta Shadow. If Dropshot Bluff had heard the last sentence he would have stopped short and glared at the man walking at his side, but as he did not, he went down the street till he found a group of men in front of one of the cabins. ‘** Ah! hyer we ar’, Magic!” he exclaimed, and then facing the men he continued: ‘ ‘* Gents, this is Magic Merle, an’ though I hev- n’t known him ten minutes, ’m inclined ter con- sider him a daisy.” Magic Merle doffed his broad sombrero, and in rich tones told the astonished pards of Red Eye that he was pleased to form their acquaint- ance. ** Now, gents,” he said, “if you'll guide me to your bug-juice pharmacy, we'll take lightnin’ straight.” ** We've got no such institution hyer,” said Dropshot Bluff. ‘Red Eye is a temp’rance camp: bet yer life, Magic.” Magic Merle laughed with the crowd. CHAPTER V. MAGIC MERLE AT WORK. In a secluded place on the mountain-side, where a group of young pines lifted their heads skyward, Grim George was buried by the pards of Red Eye Bar. No oath of vengeance was exacted over his grave, but Dropshot Bluff said quietly that the slayer of his pard should know that the law of the mountains was still ‘* blood for blood.” The presence of Magic Merle, the stranger who had lately reached the “na may have prevented the taking of an oath. He stood by and saw Grim George, wra’ ped in a blanket, lowered into his bloody grave, and he went back ns *‘~ Eye, shoulder to shoulder with Dropshot Morning came again, but nobody issued from scatter yer infernal brains on these | Gilbert’s cabin at the end of the street. The alcalde of Red Eye cast many inquiring glances toward the cabin, Had he killed the demented youth. ‘** What ef I did?” he mentally exclaimed. ‘TI flung him ag’in’ ther logs hard enough ter hev crushed an armadillo, If he is dead, thar’s no gettin’ to ther lost bonanza by him.” Magic Merle had unsaddled the horse which had carried him to Red Eye, and accepted as a home, the cabin lately occupied by Grim George. ‘** Well, [ve found the men of Gold Gorge Queen Moro,” he said, when toward the close o the day, he found himself in the shanty which the alcalde had told him to make his home. ‘** ve followed trail after trail, but Pve finally sueceeded. Now, my next move is to discover whether they ever found Gilbert, the lost man of Gold Gorge. If they know where he is, I will know it. I have sworn to fling the last Ophir at your feet, woman, and I intend to keep my oath to the letter.” At that very moment, Gilbert Golden was only a few yards from him, and in a miserable condition. Dropshot. Bluff’s patience at last became ex- hausted. He could wait no longer to know the young man’s fate, and so he sauntered down the street in the dusk of evening, and opened the cabin door. A glance inside revealed a human figure stretched out on a blanket, and after a second look, the alealde of Red Eye recognized his vic- lm, ‘Gettin’ over it, eh?’ chuckled Dropshot, devilishly, ‘* Ye kin bless yer stars that it isn’t worse than it is. Ef 1 had exerted a Jittle more strength, I could hev driven yer into ther logs. How’s yer mind by this time, I wonder? He walked inside and looked down into the eyes that had become riveted upon him. Gil- bert did not move; he merely looked at the al- calde and shut his lips. Dropshot Bluff glanced at the table and saw that not a single trace of the gold map now re- mained, The young man had obliterated it en- Groen his return to consciousness. ** Bound ter cheat us out ov it, I see!” grated the alealde, throwing a swift look from the ta- ble tosuffering Gilbert. ‘‘I could grind yer ter powder under my boot-heels. I wonder if Magic Merle could get anything out ov yer? I’ve a no- tion to try ‘im.” The youth did not speak while the alcalde re- mained in the cabin, but not for a moment did he remove his eyes from him. Dropshot Bluff went away without attempt- ing to address Gilbert who still looked demented and almost helpless, and a few moments later entered Grim George’s shanty. He found Magic Merle there as if he were quietly waiting for him. ‘* Did ver ever hev anything ter do with crazy people, Magic?” began Dropshot Bluff abruptly enough to cause a start. ‘* Pye seen many in my time,’ was the quick reply, for in a flash of time, as it were, Magic meaning. ‘* We've got one ov thet kind in camp, a man what lost his head some years ago out. . youn He looked at the alcalde and his eyes seemed aetaihs war off on a wild trip among the moun- to twinkle for triumph. * Allright. Show me Red Eye,” he said, and tains.” ** A young man, you say?” ———— 5 that war ther bo ee ie ound. Five men started ter findit. They hed nothin’ defi- nite ter bank on. For five years they tramped it, fightin’ b’ars, Injuns an’ starvation. At last ther sole survivor crawled back inter camp at Gold Gorge where we then war. He war hard- ly more than a boy an’ it war astonishin’ thet he should be ther lost one ov thet bl He came back without a button, thet is, Magic, his mind war all in a whirl. an’ he knew nothin’. Still, he used to talk like a fool about a gold mine somewhar which they had marked ina _ peculiar manner. He even went so fur as ter write his ravings on slips ov paper an’ ter draw off a dia- gram which would puzzle the Almighty.” ‘War ar’ they now?” asked Magic Merle. ‘* They disappeared one yt from ther place whar I kept’em. A young half-breed who had been layin’ round camp for a week went off at ther same time. Never mind. Them papers had nothin’ in ’em for anybody, but I war savin’ ‘em up in hopes, yer see. Wal, arter thet ther boy Gilbert wandered off, an’ thet made us abandon Gold Gorge. We started out ter find him, an’ Jehu! what a tramp we had,” ‘** You found him?” ** At last! but ther game wasn’t worth ther powder, Magic,” said the alcalde, with a smile. ‘We found him wanderin’ through ther moun- tains clothed ag’in in his right mind, but he couldn’t remember anything about ther tramps ov ther five companions. Of course we took 7im in. Now he’s off ag’in; went back inter in- sanity last night. It’s a queer case, we Merle, but I’m satisfied that the lost Ophir story isa grand humbug. Ther five men found nothin’, an’ ther hunt for it with starvation first upset Gilbert's brain.” Magic Merle, who sat across the little deal table while Dropshot Bluff spun this strange narrative, did not exhibit any emotion. Noone could have told from his demeanor that he had made an important discovery. ‘* Mebbe you'd like ter see Gilbert,” continued the alealde of Red Eye. ‘ He gets violent when he is mad, an’ sometimes plunges ag’in’ ther walls ov his shanty an’ injures himself. He had one ov them kind 0’ spells on last night. Come, we'll go down an’ see ’im.” Magic Merle got up and followed the big al- calde from the cabin. Side by side the two men walked down the street. ‘*Mebbe he’s asleep,” whispered Dropshot Bluff, when near the youth’s cabin, and the next moment he opened the door. Sure enough, on the blanket under the lam on the shelf lay Gilbert Golden asleep an breathing heavily. Magic Merle looked down upon him a moment, and then glanced at the stolid alcalde, Then, without a word, Magic Merle drew the stool close to the blanket and seated himself upon it. ‘“ Watch ’im till I come back,” said Dropshot Bluff in a whisper, as he touched the Califor- nian’s shoulder. ‘I won’t keep yer on rd long,” and out he went, leaving Magic Merle alone with the lost man of Gold Gorge. The eyes of the watcher followed the alcalde to the door and beyond. Then he rose silently and took down the lamp. Stooping over the youth, he held the light close to his face, and for several minutes gazed steadfastly into it. ‘Found at last!” he muttered. ‘ Found! and insane! Well, that makes no difference, Gilbert Golden; my real work begins here. Queen Moro’s story corresponds with Dropshot Bluff’s so far as it goes. The masked woman, who sent me oath-bound from Sacramento, be- lieves that the great bonanza ene o exists. The alcalde of this camp affects to hoot the arg © We shall see which one is right, and you shall solve the mystery, my boy.” He put the lamp back and returned to the stool, A light akin to a gleam of triumph had come to the man’s eyes, and it seemed to increase while he watched Gilbert Golden on his blanket. ‘What was that the young girl said who sprung into the room when I wastaking my oath in Sacramento?” he went on with asmile of mingled scorn and derision. ‘‘I was going to my death when I undertook to find Gilbert and the lost mine! Wasn't that it? Well, Iam not there yet, and I have found the lost man of Gold Gorge, the first mile-post and a very important one too on the road to success. But I'd like to know who you really are, Queen Moro, and why you send me after the lost E] Dorado.” At that moment Gilbert moved and muttered setae Magie Merle stooped suddenly and tried to catch his words, but the effort proved unavail- ing. The next moment Gilbert opened his eyes. He did not see the man on the stool immediately and when he noticed him there was no start only a faint shudder of aversion. ** Who are you?” asked Gilbert in sane tones. Magic Merle’s hand swooped downward and clutched the youth’s wrist. He saw that Gilbert Golden was himself again. ‘“‘Tam Magic Merle; let that suffice for the present,” he said. ‘‘ You have been asleep.” ‘Yes, and I feel as if Ihad fallen from a ie then he added under his breath: cliff. My whole body isin pain. You don’t be~- **Oh, I’ve struck it rich at last, Queen Moro!” ‘* About twenty-four. Years ago it got long in Red Eye?” rumored thet thar war a gold mine somewhar ae ae ad * * abet EOmIGDoOOKsS. cc dé - <