Beadle's New York Dime Library No. 367 — page 20: what you’re looking at

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

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Me ~« __—* -~-- —— ee - — eae re a —- - ql —" . . i : ae a ER | ee NT ete oR 20 knew how gritty the little desperado was reput- ed to be, and they feared that not even Enoch Dodge could break him down. ‘Silence gives consent, an’ that settles the hash, Johnny,” said the gaunt member of our Royal Flush, stooping and picking the prisoner upin his strong arms, casting him across one shoulder and striding away toward the corrals with as much ease as though he handled nothing more substantial than a bag of bran. ** You kin come, too, mates,” calling back over his shoul der. ‘‘ Mebbe it won’t be sucha heap o’ fun, but the lookin’ on won’t cost ye nothin’, an’ mebbe you'll ’arn that some things kin be did jes’ as well’s others, ef not more so.” ‘* Don’t leave me, boss!” uttered Top Dancer, in a pleading tone. “IT want to see him suffer, even if I can’t have a finger in the pie.” Deeply anxious as he was, Sol Scott was amazed to find how much stronger the wounded cowboy seemed. His tones were clearer, his sentences unbroken, and there was a slight trace of color in his face. ’ Top Dancer smiled faintly as he read this -wonder in the face of his employer, and he mut- tered: ‘‘Tt’s seeing that hound of the devil meeting with his just deserts, boss! When the old man gets through with him, [ reckon Pll feel strong enough to take saddle and join in the fight for the mistress and the little queen—God bless ’em both!” There was naught of cant or hypocrisy in this Jast sentence, and the hard lines in the faces of the brother detectives relaxed a little as they listened. Sol Scott glanced inquiringly into the face of his partner, and the Denver detective nodded assent, “Why not? He loved them—he has suffered bitterly at the hands of that rascal. It is no more than right and just that he should be a witness of his punishment, let that be what it may.” To ether they lifted the wounded cowboy on his blanket and slowly, carefully, gently carried him into the corral into which they saw Enoch Dodge enter with his captive. This was a small pen, constructed of tight ‘boards, reaching above the crown of a tall man ~when standing erect. Whatever transpired in there could only be seen by outsiders through brink yt ge gate or by bodily scaling the fence Enoch Dodge lowered his captive to the ground, taking scant pains to bend his back either, then glanced around him with an approv- ing nod and a satisfied smile, ‘Couldn’t ’a’ bin better ef the one as laid it out hed our tamin’ trick o’ this day in hiseyeall the time! All it lacks is some ropes.” **'You have only to ask for what you want, and if it is possible to procure it, you shall be satisfied,” quietly uttered Dan Brown. ‘Four good lassoes, an’ them you'll find on our hosses, will fill the bill ontel the boys come back,” placidly replied Enoch. “You sent them away, then?” “Turk I did, not Nick. When he didn’t come in with you, I sort o’ reckoned you sent him off on some arrand, like.” . Dan Brown turned toward the gate, butit was only to see the mountain from Rocky Bar filling the aperture wi'h his body, bearing over his shoulder the very ropes for which Enoch had ex- “pressed a wish. ‘Thought you might want something of the sort,” Nor’? West Nick smiled, blandly, dropping the coils at the feet of the master of ceremonies, oe I one which he at once began to uncoil, | test ng the noose and then waddling to one cor- ner of the corral and passing the loop over the top of a stout post, bringing back the free end with him. ‘* You've hit it, then?” grinned Enoch broad- “Tye got an idea, but\maybe it isn’t the same “one you run down.” But to all appearance it was, for when Dodge took a lariat and secured it at the opposite cor- | ner, Nor’ West Nick was as busily fixing a third to one of the other angles. And when the fourth Jasso was adjusted, the free ends lay in a pile in i : the center of the corral, close to the spot where . Johnny-jump-up lay, desperately nerving him- self to meet and endure the torments which he now felt sure were destined to become his por- n. Gritty he undeniably was, and gifted by na- -- ‘bure with an unusual insensibility to pain when ) he Pie 4% ; , i’ ere his feelings were strongly excited, but there was “Al sts which the gaunt member of the Royal Flush set something in the cool, methodical manner in ‘about his work that sent a curdling thrill through his veins. He felt that he would be called upon to endure some wild, strange tor- ture, and he knew, too, that he would be shown - seant mercy after the bloody deeds of which he ‘+ 7 4 had so foolishly boasted. And now, as he noted the grave, troubled light in the eyes of the bro- ther detectives, he abandoned the sullen rosolu- tion he had adopted, and broke the silence: ‘* Better think it over well, you two men!” he _. -™uttered, savagely. ‘‘ Thescore is heavy enough lew a one you and yours as the game stands, : ¥en will be worse than fools to add to it by let- Ba ting that mad devil carry out his threats.’ Wr, Oe A Royal Flush. ee S$ $e ‘*Not a threat, Johnny,” lightly interposed Enoch Dodge, his honest countenance wearing a look of reproach. ‘‘ Jes’ argyment. Good ad- vice. Fatherly counsel. Coaxin’, Not threats; that soun’s too mighty rough!” ‘*Choke him off, will you?” snarled Johnny- Jame, viciously. , ‘*Chokin’ may come, but that pends on you, Johnny, not on me. Now don’t let your angry passions rise ag’in, or Ill hev to half-sole them trowsers o’ yourn once more, which wouldn’t be ’ereeable to nuther onus. Better squeal ’thout it, Johnny!” ‘Tm talking to your betters, curse you!” viciously snarled the desperado, his eyes fairly on fire. ‘That may be, little runt, but they ain’t got any say-so into this game while I’m dealin’, [ want you to onderstan’, It’s me you’ve got to beg of, an’ the sooner you squeal the quicker your torments ’ll be over an’ a thing o’ the past. Think o’ that, Johnny!” ‘What you give me they will have to repay,” the prisoner retorted, with a sudden coolness as complete as it was remarkable. ‘* For every insult you pour out upon my head, two will be visited upon theirs, tf you carry it too far, nothing on earth or in heaven can save them from the vengeance of Aces-and and the gang!” “That’s old, runty serub,” grinned Enoch, wholly unmoved, ‘* You’ve said it so often that it’s losin’ its vartues. Aces-and keers a heap sight more fer ducats then he does fer you. He won’t be in a hurry to throw all chances o’ git- tin’ it over his shoulder. An’ while he’s waitin’ in hopes, we'll be actin’ on your directions an’ rakin’ him in fer keeps, Johnny!” ‘“When you get any information from me, let me know, won’t you?” the desperado growled, showing his white teeth viciously. ““T reckon you'll know it thout any much tellin’, Johnny,” was the placid response, as Dodge bent over him and severed the bonds which confined his ankles. ** Now don’t fool yourself with thinkin’ I’m doin’ all this to set you free, sonny, fer I ain’t; not much! I don’t want to spoil them fancy duds o’ yours. The time may come, some 0’ these long-come-shortlies, when Tll hev a kid big enough to putt ‘em on an’ w’ar ’em out with more honor an’ decency ef not quite as much agony as you used to sling on, Ef I should, they’d save buyin’ a new suif.” A twist of his strong wrist brought Johnny- ay to his feet, and then a nod set Nor’ est Nick to work with deft fingers removing his lower garments. Thena pair of handcuffs of large size were snapped about each ankle, leaving the connected links to dangle free for the time being. Ata rig from Dodge, Nor’ West Nick caught these, and Johnny-jump-up lay flat on his shoul- ders, his feet uncomfortably elevated for a few moments while Enoch removed the bracelet from one of his wrists, the better to take off his upper garments without injury to them. This was done so deftly that almost before the little desperado divined their object, he lay stripped to the buff, as naked as when he came into the world! Enoch worked swiftly, and in a few seconds the prisoner’s wrists were ornamented in pre- cisely the same manner as were his ankles, and the end of a rope passed through each connect- ing link, then drawn taut until he lay helpless at their mercy. ““That’s the way the game opens out, mates,”. ehuckled Enoch Dodge, with a grim laugh as he lanced toward his partners. ‘‘ Now ef you'll jes’ freeze onto one o’ these ropes, an’ pull like you was workin’ fer wages, we'll git down to hard-pan all the sooner.” Without a word both Sol Scott and Dan Brown complied, pulling steadily each on a separate rope, imitating the actions of Enoch Dodge and Nor’ West Nick. And in less than a minute Johnny-jump-up formed a magnificent Pe a eagle” inthe center of the littlo cor- ra His legs and arms were extended at full length, rate the weight of his body, which was elevated a little over three feet from the ground. Then Enoch Dodge securely knot- ted his rope a few feet above where it passed preter the chain links, and personally superin- tended the tying of the others. This done he strode to the side of his victim, gazing blandly down into his pale, drawn features, “It begins to tickle a’ready, don’t it, Jobn- ? Only a volley of bitter curses and blasphemy answered him. The ugly, vicious temper of the desperado seemed intensified instead of showing signs of yielding, but Enoch only laughed softly. ‘Don’t think it, Johnny—not fer a minnit, fer you'll git mighty bad fooled ef ye do. This ain’t my 0’ the coaxin’. It’s only the gittin’ ready. When Turk comes back—” **On han’, boss, an’ both han’s full, too!” came the deep tones of the ex-pugilist as he entered the corral, bearing a mass of long green weeds in his arms. At a sign from Enoch Dodge he advanced to where Johnny-jump-up could see his burden, and a mocking laugh broke from more than one pair of lins cs a ¢plainly distinguishable shiver ran over the strained frame of the des- perado. He began to divine what he was to suffer, and his torture had fairly begun! Through all these preliminary movements, Top Dancer had been an intensely interested spectator. His bitter, hatred has been but faintly st adowed forth thus far, mainly because bare words could so poorly paint it, but it is hardly too much to say that only the hope of revenge on Johnny-jump-up had kept life in his body this long. And now, as he saw what it was Turk Ilder bore, as he began to see what manner of torment lay before his hated enemy, he turned to fol Scott with a savage longing written on his face and echoing in his voice, ‘‘ Let me do the work, boss! Think how the dirty whelp treated me! Think what I’ve suf- fered—not in body alone, though that has Leen enough to pay for a thousand lives—but in mind, for their dear sakes! Let me do it, and Il feel part way even with the cur!” Sol Scott glanced doubtingly toward Enoch, who coolly nodded, “Pf he kin do it, why not? It don’t matter whose han’ deals out the kcerds, long’s we git the right ones in the eend. An’ I reckon they ain’t much doubt o’ that!” In his eagerness to begin, Top Dancer seemed to forget his wound, for he tried to leap to his feet, only to stifle a groan as he fell back again, glancing wistfully toward Sol Scott. ‘Tm strong enough for it, boss, if I had a lit- tle help to get in range. I won’t break down— but if I do, it will be worth it! Double worth it to get even -vith that blcodhound of hell!” With a sign to Nor’ West Nick Enoch Dodge approached the wounded cowboy and together they bore him close to the outstretched figure of the outlaw. Placing him on the ground in a sittin sture, Enoch held him thus while Nor’ West Nick hastened out of the corral fora saddle with which to brace up the wounded man. And then, grasping a long stem of the nettles which Turk Elder placed beside him, Top Dancer looked eagerly for the word to commence the torture. * Johnny,” said Enoch, in mild but unshakcn tones, standing where he could look down into the bloodshot eyes of his helpless prisoner, ‘‘ I don’t want to tortur’? ye any more then you make me do it. You’ve got to squeal, an’ the quicker you make up your mind to that, the sooner your torments ‘Il be over. Fer the last time afore the band begins to play, will you tell us whar we kin find Aces-and?” No reply, nothing save a tightening of the muscles around his mouth, a setting of the jaws, a deadly glittering in the eyes. Enoch Dodge moved a little to one side, but still from whence he could look into those eyes, then moved his hand. With a muffled growl of joy, Top Dancer brought up his arm and swey* the bunch of nettles in a wavering motion along; the body of his hated foe. Once, twice he rc- peated the movement, then paused to witness tle effect. He frowned blackly as he felt that so far he had failed, for not a muscle of the extended figure trembled, not a groan came from the tight- ly compressed lips, , Enoch Dodge smiled grimly as he noted this, and he muttered: ‘Time enough, Dancer, time a-plenty yit; never you borry trouble. They ain’t in any great rush to gif in that pritty work, but they'll git thar intime. Jést at fu’st Johnny-with-the- posy feels like you was on’y keepin’ the flies an’ skeeters off’m bind, but—didn’t I tell you so?” as he abruptly broke off as he noted a slight shiver creep over the desperado’s body where the nettles had rubbed him, more like a crawling of the skin than an actual motion of pain. ‘It’s gittin’ in its work now, but you needn’t break off fer good, old man! Jes’ keep up a easy motion, an’ dcen’t insult ary inch 0’ his hide by lettin’ it alone. It’s fool’s play, Icoks like, but mebbe it’ll do the work that uglier measures couldn’t begin to tetch. Mighty heap ©’ ’suadin’ in them weeds! Soaks in, as 16 were, little by little, an’ the longer a critter waits the wuss they penetrate. Lord! don’t I krcw? Ain’t 1 bin thar? V/asn’t I raised right ina nettle swamp?” Briskly Top Dancer did his work, brushing the prisoner from head to foot, now with slow and lingering motion, again with a swiftness that seemed to double the horrible itching which was assailing the helpless wretch—helpless in a double sense, since he was prevented even from twisting and writhing by the tautly drawn rope and the weight of his body, sustained by bis ex- tremities. Now a light sweep across the face. Now on tho tensely-drawn skin which covered arms and legs, already beginning to turn red and show signs of swelling. Here, there, now soft as the fall of a feather, but driving more poisonous barbs into the tortured flesh, then swift and savage as the pent-up hatred momentarily broke through the barriers, ; To one not deeply interested in the outcome, the exhibition wo a have been frightful in the extreme, and all the more so from the marvel- ous nerve displayed by the victim, Not a sound was suffered to escape his livid lips. Nota look | > Gomicbooks —— é . ae 4 , ‘ (E(@) a 2 1a ; —