Beadle's New York Dime Library, No. 374 — page 10: what you’re looking at

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

Mh A 10 —— aed the heart of Night-Owl Oll of Camp Coyote, Let | him describe that knife, at’ then look at the one now concealed on that man’s on pe You want testimony, eh, Captain Claude? It is hyer in abundance, strong enough ter condemn a dozen men, but it all falls on the head of one. I de- nounce that man, Mark the Unknown, they call him, as the killer of Poker Perry; the iron . blade will convict him of the murder in Camp Coyote. I have been threatened within the last hour, but what’s a threat ter Major Max blister, who will fight for justice though the heavens fall? Take my oath, men of Custer City.” The excited Sport held one hand up when he finished, and faced Captain Claude with eager- ness and furious triumph. ‘‘ Swear me!” he went on. ‘In all my life nobody has disputed the oath of Major Blister.” All this time there was a cool.and very aggra- vating smile at the corners of the prisoner’s mouth. If he believed that he stood in the shadow of the noose, certain it was that he did not fear it. He looked into the faces rendered almost ghastly in the moonlight, and never glanced once at the six-shooters the dark hands held. ‘* Come to think, we can’t try this man first,” said Captain Claude. Major Blister seemed to leave the ground. ‘* Hades an’ horns!’ he exclaimed. ‘‘ Is my oath worth nothin’?” ‘Tt is not that, Major. Custer.” ‘** An’ a man called Captain Claude who be- fore this has been court, judge an’ jury all in one!” was the retort. ‘* When did you discover that you dare not deal with the man yonder?” The Vigilante captain made no reply. “Very well, let the thug an’ his iron bowie go!” roared the furious Sport. ‘* Turn him loose in Custer City, to die by the hands of the men whose pards he has killed. If he has worked some infernal spell over you, Claude Cressy, he shall never boast of his triumph in the face of the spy, who confesses that my footsteps have been dogged for a year. He knows me. We lnow his mission. This is the first time I ever heard of Captain Claude, the King of the Vigil- antes, quailing before the glance of a bowie bum!” Major Blister walked away in a perfect cy- clone of rare. ‘“Prrn the knife kid loose!” he threw over his shoulders. ‘Come, Alaric, You an’ I will make Custer recall this hour before the world is muuch older.” Ile was joined by Wild Alaric, whose lips said at his ears as his eyes flashed: ‘¢ Tot me drop him in his boots, cap’n.” “To. Lam goin’ to keep my word, I intend to give him the length of the very blade he has hidden on his person. He has worked a charm of some Iind on Captain Claude.” “Tinowit. Isow the sien!” was the answer, ‘Never mind. We'll get him yet!” There is a court in CHAPTER XI. THE IRON BLADE AGAIN. Ir looked as if there was to be no sleep for several of Custer’s poople that night. Major Max Blis‘er two hours after the last event related in the previous chapter, was found pacing the little room above the saloon by Wild Alaric, who came in and threw his big hat upon the cot with a growling oath. For a moment the hunted Sport stopped in his pacings, and eyed his pard with flashing res ond in no food humor. “Wal, what hove you discovered? he said at last, biting off the words as though he hated them. ‘* Precious little that’s satisfactory,” was the answer. ‘* Whar is he now?” “ Somewhar ia ther city I suppose.” “Thet’s mithty definite, An’ ther woman?” “ Quartz Kid is watchin’ her. He will bring in a report shortly.” Major Blister had to accept this unsatisfactory report. Suddenly he threw himself upon a backless chair at the table, and looked up into Alaric’s face. ‘* Ar’ you sartain that a sign passed between Mark the Unknown an’ Captain Claude?” he asked. ‘‘Didn’t I see it?” replied the man-tiger from Camp Coyote. ‘It changed ther hull aspect ov ther case in a minute. Before that the demon ov ther iron blade had no show at all—arter ‘ that he had all.” ‘‘VWhat war that sign?” “‘Ther droppin’ ov a hand half-way down an’ ¢2en Jiftan’ it ag’in.” ‘‘T saw that movement myself.” “Wal, that war what changed ther Un- Ienown’s fate. He an’ Cap’n Claude hev met Lefore.” “*T could choke him!” came across the table into Wild Alaric’s face. ‘* What have you to propose?” “A gsartain movement which you may not take ter,” answered the man from the mines, **Co on.” “We must transfer this mountain game—this lood fight ov ours beyond Custer.” “That thought has entered my head since ther release,” ‘We must do it. Wharever we go ther iron blade will follow us. We must spread a net for Mark the Unknown among the mountains,” ** About Coyote?” ** Thar, if nowhar else,” said Alaric. ‘‘ While Mark remains in Custer, Claude Cressy will be his ally. They were pards once—ther sign tells me that. If the Unknown is found dead, the hand of the Vigilantes will point atus. We must go,” For several moments Major Blister looked de- fiantly across the stand, and once or twice seemed on the eve of shaking his head. He hated to leave Custer, even under the cir- cumstances. It looked like turning his back on the man who was his foe; the move would smack of cowardice. ‘* Don’t say ‘no,’ cap’n,” Wild Alaric went on. ‘*Remember that we will be followed; that is what we want. Mark the Unknown will take up our trail, an’ the woman, too, mebbe. We will draw this iron blade into a snare whose closin’ will be death. Thar will be no Captain Claude ter save him by a sign, an’ death shall turn the bowie in the heart ov Mark the Un- known,” ‘*Then by the infernals! we go!” said the Major. ‘‘ We transfer our battle-ground.” ‘* Within three days?” ‘Within three days!” was the reply. **T will leave a trail behind for him to follow,” Alaric went on, unable to conceal the delight he experienced in having carried his point. ‘‘ The boy will remain our spy an’ messenger hyer. He knows the whole Black Hills country, an’ will find us wherever we go.” Major Blister was satisfied and Alarie pro- ceeded to say that he would be welcomed to Sane Coyote by a lot of men who were ready to take vengeance for the death of Night-Owl Oll the first victim of the iron blade. Thirty minutes later Major Blister left the room and walked down to the Dolores, It was a tramp for some distance down not very light streets, and the Sport of Two Cities mindful of the wild events of the early night kept his hand on the butt of a revolver as he hurried along. Nobody stepped into his path, and he entered the hotel accosting the clerk Mr, Si Slinkum with his fearless laugh. ‘* No more letters for me, eh, Si my boy?” he said, ‘* None, Major.” ‘*T should have had another by this time I think,” continued the Sport as he reached the stairs, Mr. Cyrus Slinkum bestowed a serious look on the Major as he mounted the steps and passed up to the second floor on which his room was situated, ‘* Jehu! I seem to have it at last!” suddenly exclaimed the clerk. ‘‘ It has come to me likea flash. I have been trying for six months to make out where I have met that man before, I think I have it now.” The clerk left his cramped quarters and fol- lowed the Dolores’s guest up the steps. “Tt may be none of my business, but Pm go- ing to satisfy myself,” hemuttered, ‘* He won’t kick very hard if I’ve gauged him right, and, situated as he is in Custer just now, ho’ll have to accept my apology ef 1 am wrong. Why didn’t I hit it before?’ Showing by his eyes that he had made, to him, some astounding discovery, Cyrus Slinkum went direct to a certain room and rapped on the door. It was immediately oponed and tho clerk confronted Major Blister who seemed surprised to see him there. ‘* Bee your pardon,” said Cyrus gliding into the room without the sign of an invitation. “I have come up to renew a somewhat previous ac- uaintance. Iam glad to have met you again ndros Ruby; we haven’t met as wo shoul perhaps for—” ; The clerk did not get to finish his sentence though he was very near the end. Major Blister who had been eying him like a hawk sprung forward, and dropped his hand upon his shoulder, “Tf you know me ag know enough to keep still!” he exclaimed. ‘‘Open your infer- nal head another time about Andros Ruby and a telegram will go over the wires to the police of New York. The banking house of Sharpe, Dedge and Co. want the address of their thiev- ing messenger. Oh, your eyes will get bigger than they are now, Jasper Judd, alias Si Slin- kum, if you persist in calling me Andros Ruby. I knew youthe moment I first set eyes on you in Custer.” Am I Andros Ruby to you now?” The face of the clerk was colorless, and his frame quivored like an aspen stalk in the clutches of the cool-eyed man of Two Cities, ‘‘N—no! you are Major Max Blister,” he stammered. ‘‘That is it. Remember! if I am any other person to you in Custer or elsewhere, your career of second-hand honesty will come to a close. Thought you had struck it rich when you made the discovery,.eh?” Cyrus Slinkum felt a chill run alone his spine. The dark, threatening eyes of Major Blister Major Blister, the Sport of T'wo Cities. seemed to emit sparks of fire while they looked him through, and the hand on his shoulder did not relax. ‘*T was right, but by George! I’ve stirred up the wrong man!” muttered the clerk. ‘I gave my fuse too short a burn, He’s got tho grip on me, sure enough.” And Cyrus tried gently to shake the bronzed hand loose, **Go down to your desk, Cyrus,” said the Major. ‘' Don’t play with a kind of fire you know nothing about. When you are older, boy, you will know what I mean. Good-night.” Such an abrupt dismissal was totally unex- poctes by the clerk of the Dolores. He found 1imself free and his first movement was a step toward the door. ‘*T didn’t think he had caught on to me,” murmured the discomfited clerk, as he went down the stairs. ‘‘I’ve got to do one or two things—leave Custer or blow on the man up- stairs. I don’t trust him, If some bad fortune overtakes him, he will lay it at my door, and the dispatch he mentioned will go to New York. I would sooner go to the North pole than back to the city where I am known as Jasper Judd.” When he reached the reception room he found it entirely empty. The bandsof the clock above the desk pointed to twelve and Cyrus closed the pater doors as it was customary to do at that our, The Dolores was kept open all night. A num- ber of its guests patronized the gambling-dens of Custer and came in at odd intervals after midnight. Cyrus’s time on was until one o’clock so that he had still an hour of duty. Twenty times he glanced uneasily at the stair- way the first steps of which were visible from his post, and as often he seemed to change his mind. “*Tt will be a terrible thing to be held under the thumb of that man,” he said half aloud. ‘*As Andros Ruby he committed a_ crime in New York that set the city wild. He used to natronize our bank and that’s how I came to snow him. He will be my mortal bane if he stays here. I must play a shrewd game if I give him away for he will do worse than hand me over to the law for my New York escapade. There is shoot in his tiger eyes.” Cyrus fell to watching the clock as the hands crept slowly toward one. He fretted like a bird in captivity. Now and then some guest would come in and pass to the adjoining bar whero he would rouse the drowsy bartered and get a final drink before going to bed, Once or twice Cyrus forgot himself and drop- ped asleep. At last the clock struck, and the clerk sprung up. He knew that an alarm-clock in a room near by would waken the man who was to fill his place till morning. ‘‘Pve got my mind made up,” he muttered. ‘‘T have weighed the whole matter carefully for the last time, and I know just what to do. By the eternal loves! I am not going to sit and tremble in the shadow of no murderer’s threat!” These were very brave words for Cyrus Slink- um. He scemed to take on new courage as he uttered them. ‘‘T know where to find Captain Claude,” he went on. ‘*He never gives anything »wey.” Just as he closed the register with a clam he heard some one on the stair and looked up. ‘“‘Ah! is it you, Jim?” he exclaimed. ‘* You aro on time as usual,” ‘“‘T’m on deck. But what is the matter in Number 44?” Cyrus almost sprung over the counter, was Major Blister’s room. “Why, Jim? What have you heard?” ‘¢ A noise like the fall of a heavy bedy,” was the roply. ‘‘I wasn’t more than half-awake, but I heard it distinctly.” “When?” “ Twenty minutes ago.” “We'll go up anc see,” The two young men went up the steps togeth- er, Si Slinkum with a white face, ut with a pleased expression in his startled eyes, They went direct to the Major’s room and found the door half-upen, : Cyrus was the first of the twain to cross the threshold. ‘ ee) there has been murder here!” he eric Ho stopped in the middlo of the room and ointed to the stalwart human figuro that lay half doubled up at. the foot cf a che’r. A lamp was burning on a table neor Sy, and Jim the assistant clerk pickcd it up, and held it near the man’s face. ‘*It is Major Blister!” cried the two clerks at the same moment, ‘And look there, Jim! The same iron dag- ger that killed Poler Perry a few Cays ago is sticking in his back!” The two young men reco'led, ‘“‘T am safe at last,” ras, u Cyrus. ‘I owe tho wielder of that terrible iron Llado a debt of gratitude,” A brief inspection of the room showed that there had been a slight struggle between two persons. ‘ ; All at once Jim poynced upon a bit of paper Tt GEomicboo (E S | |