Beadle's New York Dime Library No. 367 — page 24: what you’re looking at

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

-—— wh - e 8 > . - ~~ - @ ‘. ane as he divined the plan formed by Nor’ West ick, ** You'll pretend you bring him news from the Saree. Act like you were half-boiling over with excitement, but don’t make too much noise. Of course there are other men on guard besides this | one, and if we are smoked before we can get in our pretty work, it’s good-by, John!” ‘*Tlldo my part, never you fear,” muttered Turk, coolly, smothering his excitement, and burying it from sight. ** You'll keep the hat slouched over your face, and don’t let the real music of your voice ring out until the old man takes his turn at the bel- lows. You get the critter to rear up on his hind legs. and I'll drop him a line,” tapping the lasso which was wound about his enormous middle (waist he had none). ‘* When he gets it, you mount him from front, and clap a stopper on his jawing-tackle. Ill be there before long, and then we'll decide on the next move, You sabe, pard?” | ‘*Show me the critter. P’int out the kiver you want to reach afore I make a break. ‘Tell me what sign I’m to act on, am’ then you gii down. to sober work without any furder thought o’ me,” quietly. **Good boy!” and Nor’ West Nick stood on tip- toes to pat the giant patronizingly on one shoul- der. ‘* We'll bring order out of chaos yet!” Turning, the fat detective led the way silently back through the night, passing over the tangled and difficult ground with an ease and celerit truly amazing in one of his clumsy build. Tur Elder followed him in silence and with equal caution, until Nor’ West Nick paused and nod- ded for him to ereep up beside him. A single motion sufficed to show Turk Elder the figure of a man stationedina snug bit of cover composed of rocks and bushes. From the point which the two scouts now occupied, the follow was tolerably well hidden; from al- most any other he would have been entirely concealed, while possessing the power of scan- ning the ground in nearly all directions him- Silently Nor’ West Nick pointed out the line he meant to follow, the side from which Turk Elder was to make his approach, then said: ‘*Give me five minutes in which to make m point, then out you go as Johnny’sInfant. Tell what lies you please, and I'll be responsible for them when Judgment Day comes. Only—make the critter rear up on his hind legs!” He did not wait for a reply, but crept silently away. Turk Elder imitated this action, but took a different course, in order to show him- self opposite the cover selected by Nor’ West Nick, as well as to give his appearance a more natural look; he would be more in a line with the cavern from which he must be supposed to come. He gained his chosen position, then waited pa- tiently for the sign agreed upon. It came in a very few moments. He caught sight of Nor’ West Nick rising from cover, lasso coiled in one hand, the other making a motion for him to break cover. He obeyed without a thought of perene danger, striding swiftly toward the dden sen‘inel, at the same time uttering a sub- dued whistle. ‘*Hold! right whar you be!” came a low, menacing voice, and Turk Elder stopped abrupt- ly, flinging up his hands, keeping his face in the shadow, his own tones showing traces of agita-' tion, husky and quick: ‘*'You’re wanted, mate! Hell’s to pay at the cave! Boss nigh dead, an’ both the wimmen but little better!” : That was enough. Startled, having no cause for suspecting him other than Johnny’s Infant, the guard rose erect and stepped forward, Onl the one step. A noose dro over his hea and closed swiftly about his throat as Nor West Nick jerked back. A stifled ery—then Turk Elder was muogling. 3 n a prostrate fig- ure, his fingers clasped about a throat with suc force that neither breath nor sound could pass through. **Don’t kill him, mate,” grinned Nor’ West Nick as he crept to the side of the captured out- law. ‘‘We can make better use of him than that, if 'm not’way out in my guess. He’s gota mate over yonder, and to guard against accidents, we’ve got to take him in as well.” Turk Elder slowly relaxed his mighty grip, ready to renew it at the first sign of recovery on 6 the of the outlaw; but had done his work well. If not dead, the fellow was utterly unconscious. A look of anxiety came into the eyes of Nor’ West Nick as he saw how limp and lifeless the outlaw lay, for he knew that much might de- pe on what this fellow could tell them. A rief examination, however, reassured him, and as he squatted there under cover, his fat fingers Cer hioning a 6 , he spoke to his partner: smoked the other imp while making my cover, and while I waited for you to play your , there was a hornet’s stinger playing a jig at the root of each and every separate hair on my head! It seemed as though the villain must certainly hear us, and then, of course, he would be = around to find out what was in the wind. But he didn’t—and now we've got to bring him to Limerick!” Rae eet vo + - a 3 —- _——_—— A Royal Flush. - ee —— ee | _ ‘* Won’t it be too much risk?’ slowly uttered | Turk Elder. | ‘* Not to take him in—yes,” positively nodded Nor’ West Nick. | ‘“T didn’t mean that. Mebbe the same trick wouldn’t work as well over ag’in. One tongue _kin tell all we want to find cut, Show me wbhar the critter hangs out, an’ leave him to me, while you take this ne to the boss. ‘* Nor’ West Nick shook his head, though there was a light of hearty appreciation in his little pig-eyes as he reached over and clasped hands with his mate over the body of their captive. ‘You'd take all the danger on_ your own shoulders, mate; but it won’t do, You might rub him out without making any row, but that | isn’t just what I want at present, As yousay, one tongue’s plenty to squeal all we care about hear- ing; but will this tongue do it? Suppose he should turn sullen and refuse to squeal? Wouldn’tit be handy to have an Spee: music-box close at y hand? And not only that, but I believe we can play both ends against the middle—to speak classically !” Turk Elder looked wise as an owl, though, to tell the simple truth, he was little the wiser for | the hurried explanation. Still, he was used to pon to the keener wits of his partners in the | oyal Flush, and this case was not to be an ex- ception. | or’ West Nick did: notsay more just then, for the captured outlaw gave signs of returning consciousness, and he deftly pressed the gag be- tween his jaws before he could realize the mean- ing of the action, or indeed the fact that he had fallen into the power of the pistes ‘* Tt’s for the good o’ your own health, honey,” grinned the detective. checking the involuntary motion of the rascal’s hand to his mouth, © ‘‘ The night air was giving you the toothache, when we came to your rescue. Just lay still a bit, and listen to my sermon, will you?” Still low but more sharply came his tones, as the fellow began to writhe and struggle to arise. Turk Elder sat on his legs and held his arms motionless. Nor’ West Nick peered into his face, holding his head so the rays of the moon would fall athwart them, chuckling softly as he noted a look of horrified recognition come into the cap- tive’s eyes. | ‘““We was bound to come, since you were waleep cor us, my dear fellow. Not to bluff you too at the send-off, we come in sight little by jerks, but you can bet high the rest 0’ the Royal Flush are close at hand, ready and eager for the last hand inthis precious game of freeze-out Aces-and proposed. If all his cards are as weak as you haveshown yourself, he won’t get a smell,” ‘*T know the critter,” interjected Turk Elder. ‘It’s Tim Warden. ey’s a rope bin noosed fer him this ten years past!” ‘* Tt won’t have to wait much longer, then, un- less—‘‘ and Nor’ West Nick paused abruptly for a brief space, only to resume in a changed tone and manner: ‘‘ Unless he shows himself worthy areprieve. Tim, are you hungry for a bite of the rope?” A sullen growl was the only answer. “You are? Well, then you shall have it be- fore the moon goes down!’ _ Low as were these words, the tone in which they were uttered sent a cold chill ytte through the veins of the captive, and as thoug he could feel it himself, Turk Elder quickly in- te ‘ PMebbe you didn’t hear him rightly, mate. Mebbe he ain’t ready to croak jest yit, when a little bit o’ good, clean work mought save him to repent, so to k. Mebbe it wouldn’t do no hurt ef you was to putt it a leetle mite plainer afore the critter, pard?” Nor’ West Nick bent lower and gazed keenly into those dark eyes as though seeking to read the whole truth therein. Then, drawing back a little, he spoke sharply, coldly, yet in the same guarded tones: ‘* You're in a bad box, Tim Warden—a mighty bad box, if you only knew it! A rope awaits “ou, as it does all the rest of your precious gang, f you don’t do something to save yourself, the devil will shake you by the hand before the sun comes up again—sure / ‘We've got this thing down fine. Johnny- jump-up is over the divide, but he gave the whole thing away before he croaked, Weknow just where your gang is hiding. We know just what your arrangements are; but to make per- Loony sure, we came out to gather a couple of you fellows in. If you talk straight, we'll give you a fair chance to cheat the gallows. If not —well, I told you what would come of it. ‘* Now there’s a mate of yours on guard over yonder, We might take him by the same trick we player on you, but then again it might fail, sufficient for him to sound the alarm and put his fellows on guard. We would rather let a lesser rascal or two slip through the toils than to run the slightest risk of harm coming to the ladies and children. We give you that chance, De- coy that fellow here, and when pay-day comes, be a youll not be forgotten in the settle- ment, The sullen look seemed to be fading from the face of the prisoner as Nor’ V/est spoke rapidly, and then Turk Elder said; Ee 9 mre - —_—_- ——————————— | Ss —_—_ ‘* Let him talk a bit, mate. Ef he tries tosing too loud, I'll put the squibob onto him too quick!” and he drew his knife, holding the keen int so that it touched the throat of the out- aw. ‘*Send it home if be makcs a sound louder than a whisper, Turk!” sternly uttered the fat detective as he removed the gag. ‘I won’t—I will!” gasped the captive, huski- y. ‘* Clear as mud!” grinned Nor’ West Nick, as the knife quivered, _‘* No row—do what say,” gasped the tremb- ling wretch, hastily. ‘See that you do. Tl carve you into shoe- strings at the first crooked move or sound. Get up. Decoy your mate here, and remember that we are both watching you—both sworn to kill you without mercy if you don’t act strictly on the square with us,” sternly added Nick, * Ind “ie: up, it'll be his fault more’n mine,” muttered the captive, nervously fingering his throat. ‘* He'll come quick enough, when I of- fer a smell o’ red licker. He’s over yen’ way. You'd better both take kiver thar, fer he’s a tough nut to crack, is Fred!” ‘*T kin han’le him, I reckon,” muttered Turk Elder, with a low laugh and significant nod to his partner. ‘‘ You kin sorter boss the job, an? ead best from nigh that chap, don’t you think rd?” ‘* Pll keep him under reach of my hand, con’t you worry, mate.” ‘I ain’t tryin’ to play no tricks on to ye,” growled Warden, ‘‘ I don’t mean to give you any chance,” was the dry reply. ‘‘ Now get down to business, and keep in mind your own precious carcass!” Tim Warden waited until the two men were snugly hidden from sight of any one approach- ing his location, then ‘crooked one finger in his mouth and sounded a low, trilling whistle. <Al- most immediately there came an answer, £0 sim- ilar as toseem more like an echo than a separate sound, And then Tim Warden raised his voice, crying softly: ‘Tsay, you Fred!” ‘Say yourself, an’ what in thunder’s got into ye?” came the reply, in coarse, gruff tones. ‘* A bite 0’ good whisky—nothin’ shorter! Ef you don’t want a snort, stay right whar you be, pard! I kin wrastle the bottle alone, I reck- on,” grumly retorted Warden, with an angry snort, ‘* Fa’r play, pard!” and with the words came the sounds of hasty footsteps. ‘* Pll bloody mur- der ye ef you down the hull afore I kin git my sheer! Whistle—keep on a-whistlin’ ontel I kin git thar, ye ongodly critter!” Half in spurt, half in earnest, the second guard rumbled forth these words at he hastencd to- ward the position of his fellow sentry. He sus- pected naught of treachery or danger until it was too late to avoid or foil it. The huge figure of Turk Elder rose from ambush to one side and even as he stretched forth a hand to grasp the bottle, his mate held up in the moonlight, these mighty paws closed around his throat, effectu- ally checking all outcry, while a leg kicked his feet from under him, and both men fell heavily to the ground. ‘Watch tother critter, mate!” muttered Turk Elder, warningly as ke cast a swift glance over his shoulder. ‘I kin *tend to this ne! Nor’ West Nick saw that this was no idle boast for the big outlaw had almost ceased bis strug- gles, the heavy fall having driven the breath out of his eos and before tke decoy could ful- ly divine his object, his hands were twisted be- hind his back and there secured Ly a stout pair of handcuffs. And five minutes later the two captives, each one ironed, each with a gag be- tween his jaws, were being marched away from the vicinity of their adroit capture. Their enforced journey was a short one, for soon after Nor’ West Nick paused to utter a low culiar whistle, which was promptly echoe Fora the cover beyond, supplemented by the voice of Dan Brown: ‘‘ What news? What luck, Nick?” ‘* Good enough,” with a low laugh. ‘‘ Ketched a pair 0’ knaves in the draw!” CHAPTER XVIII. A NOVEL METHOD OF PLAYING “ pRaw.” Nor’ WEstT Nick felt a thousand timesrepaid for all the pains he had taken to effect the double capture when he heard the partially sup- pressed exclamation of om delight which came as one sound from the lips of Dan Brown and Sol Scott. Very differently were the prisoners affected by the same sounds. And bold, desperate men though they were, they shrunk away from those glowing eyes as they might have shrunk frcm streams of living fire. ‘None o’ your tricks on travelers, my cc- veys!” muttered Turk Elder as his mighty grip tightened on them from behind. “Face the music, and do your prittiest, even ef you cain’t sing fer sour apples!” “And don’t you forget the bargain I made with you before you agreed to decoy Wen fel- lew rascal into our clutches, Tim Warden,” Nor’ West Nick added, his words painfully dis- EORNICOOOKS (EC) —- 5 =<