Beadle's New York Dime Library, No. 374 — page 11: what you’re looking at

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

Major Bl that lay under the table, and the next moment two pair of dilated eyes were staring at it. “To Alaric—’ ” Cyrus read aloud. ‘‘ Hyer! that means me!” exclaimed a voice at the sound of which the two clerks turned and found themselves face to face with a man who had come into the room with the stealth of a shadow. ‘* You?” they exclaimed. “Yes; I am Alaric,” said the man as his hand closed on the paper. ‘‘ If that iron blade has finished the Major, it has spared the worst tiger of ther five. I am capable of fighting hades alone!” —_ —-——_——- CHAPTER XIT, HARD TO KILL. Tue talk in Custer City the remainder of that night, and the whole of the nextday was the blow dealt in Major Blister’s room at the Dolores, and with the Major himself for the victim. For once the iron blade had failed to ac- complish its mission, for the Sport of Two Cities was not dead, and the doctors who had been called in said there was no need of him dying just yet. ‘ With grated teeth the Major lay on a cot on the floor looking into the eyes of the dark- faced men who watched him, and who ap- peared to be smothering a dozen oaths at once, ‘‘Mwist that infernal dagger handle three times, Alaric,” suddenly said the Major. ‘* Meb- be that man-panther left a message for some- body in the handle, [ found a paper in thar arter Poker Perry war killed, you know, Three times ter the right.” Wild Alaric drew the iron dagger from under the Major’s pillow and went to work, but the handle would not budge, **'W hat’s the matter?” asked Blister astonish- ** This is a solid handle,” was the reply. ‘It is as firmly fixed as a mountain,” ‘**T turned it once.” ** Not this bowie handle.” ** Yes, that one.” The Custer City Sport put forth one hand, and took the terrible looking blade. He set his teeth hard again when he remembered that it had been driven into his flesh in search of his heart, and his eyes seemed to take fire. Wild Alaric watched him with much curios- ity while he tried to turn the handle. ** Tt will not move for me now,” the Major ex- claimed disappointed, and then he fell to exam- ining the blade in the sunlight that streamed into the room, ‘*Thar are two iron blades!” he exclaimed looking up into his pard’s eyes. ‘‘The handle of this one is solidly fixed; the bilt of the other turns! What does it mean?” ‘‘Tt means that the blade that killed Poker Perry did not cut you,” wes theanswer. ‘‘ You have lost the bet sent to the Dolores in a sealed envelope—five hundred to ten that you’d have a knife between your shoulders inside of ten days. It got thar, Major.” The man on the cot was silent for a minute, ‘‘ That is true. I have lost,” he said at last. “‘T did not get a fair look at the man whostruck last night. The room was dark when he came in. He must have lit the lamp before he went away. It was burning when [ crept to the table and wrote that letter for you. Alaric, we are going to make tho trail we were talking about to-night.” i “If you say so, Major, it shall be made; if 5 say stay hyer an’ fight it out, fight it shall “We go to Coyote. I will be on my feet again in six Gays, Tho man with tho iron blade never studied anatom ; . He didn’t know whar to strike last night, ave Quartz Kid behind for spy an’ messenger, He will watch the girl called Adele, an’ Mark the Unknown. To-night, rai you will be here with the horses, at eight. _ Wild Alaric nodded. Ho saw determination > the eyes of the man who looked up into his ace. ‘“‘T will spread in the mountains a net for these two merciless hunters,” said Major Blis- ter when he found himself alone, ‘They will follow us out of Custer; they will hunt us to Camp Coyote, and thar they will finally fail! Hyer one would have to fight them with Cap- tain’ Claude Cressy more than half their ally. It will not do. The knife I felt between my shoulders last night war put thar by the other hunter-—-the man with the gray eyes who took the letter from_Quartz Kid. He is at work now; he and Mark the Unknown are in league.” : The days passed slowly away, and Wild Alar- ic made frequent trips to Major Blister’s room, There was a sullen fierceness in the eyes of this dark-faced pard that attracted the atten- tion of aj] who noticed him. He said little or nothing to anybody, and few questioned him about the Major’s condition. hey got their information from the doctors and at the hotel desk, where Si Slinkum, the clerk, answered in @ manner which indicated that he was sorry | Sw a — —————— that the iron blade had not accomplished its purpose, (Juartz Kid came to the Dolores at sundown with a report that made the Major start. “The other man has come back,” the boy said, ‘‘ 1 mean the Satan-eyed fellow who mes- merized me out of that letter.” ‘Whar is he, Kid?’ ‘*Smoking a cigar on the street, as cool as anybody.” ** Let him be.” ** But I want that letter.” ** Don’t cross him. We will attend to him be- fore long. From to-night you are wholly in the service of Major Max Blister. Obey me in ey- erything, Kid, an’ when ends the game we ar’ playin’ now, you shall be the bonanza king of Custer City. You like to play detective, eh?” ‘*T guess I war cut out for that,” said Quartz id. ‘** You know the Hills pretty well?” ‘* | think so.” ‘* Did you ever hear of Camp Coyote?” ‘* ve been thar.” ‘** Good!” ejaculated the Major, well pleased. ‘You are the very friend I want. Wild Alaric and I are going to Coyote this night. We want aspy behind; we want some one to watch thie movements of several persons, and to report.” ‘*Try me for that!” said Quartz Kid, with enthusiasm. “If I am ter watch ther Satan- eyed galoot ’m yer huckleberry, Major.” ** He is to be watched, also the others.” ** Mark the Unknown?” *€ And the girl called Adele.” The boy put his hand into the dark palm of the wounded Sport, ‘* This hand says, through thick an’ thin, Ma- jor!” he exclaimed. ‘I will play hawk ter yer entire satisfaction, but I'd like ter know one thing. “Well?” ‘** Mebbe it’s none o’ my business,” said Quartz doubtfully, ‘ but for all that, Pd like ter know why they’re playin’ this lone game ag’in’ yer, Major.” The eyes of boy and man met at the end of the sentence. Quartz Kid’s look was deep, penetrating and full of curiosity. Major Blis- ter, the Sport, could not avoid 1t, ‘‘ It’s an old score,” he said at length, ** Made in the West?” asked the boy. ee Yes. ” ‘Then, what does this mean?” At that moment Quartz Kid’s hand dived be- neath his jacket, and came out again with a piece of see that resembled an old letter, ‘**Read that, Major,” he said, bbe the article into Blister’s hand. that paper in Adele’s house to-day.” ** Have you been thar?” ‘IT war playin’ detective!” laughed the boy. ‘*T got inter ther house by a secret way, an’ found it empty—nobody at home. Under a table lay thet piece of an old letter. I see your name on it, Major.” While he was listening to the bo Py, the Sport of Two Cities was reading the itt 6 half- sheet of paper which his hands had unfolded. It was true—his name was there. ‘Did you read all this?” he said, suddenly looking up and fixing his eyes on Quartz Kid, in a manner that demanded a plain answer. ‘* Yes,” said the boy promptly. ‘‘I saw yer name ther first thing, an’ that war enough ter ‘*T foun fix my attention. Ther longer I read, ther more interested I got, Major. I couldn’t help it. ‘It amounts to nothin’,” said the Sport, ‘* This letter is a part of the game against me. There are some things in it I can’t understand.” ‘** Tt was written in New York.” ac Yes. ” ‘** By a woman, if I’m a judge ef handwritin’. It calls yon Andros Ruby, Major, an’ says that the hand of vengeance is against you, for some- thing committed in New York years ago.” : © them! they will play their game out by false letters,” grated the Major. ‘Me An- dros Ruby?) Ask Wild Alaric, who never lies— the man who has known me for twenty years.” ‘* T showed this letter to him an hour ago,” Major Blister started. ‘Wal, what did Alaric say?” ‘* Pretty much what you hev said. He de- nounced ther whole thing as a part of a scheme ag’in’ you.” “ Aljeric knows. in that house, Kid?’ ‘¢ This piece was all,” Major Max crushed the bit of written paper in his hand, and wished no doubt that it was the writer. ‘* We leave Custer at eight o’clock to-night,” he continued. ‘* Alaric andI are going to Camp Coyote. Whatfor? Weare going to play the rest of this life game thar!” Quartz Kid went down the steps, leaving the Major once more alone. ‘Tt was well that the boy showed the letter to no one but Alaric and I,” he murmured. ‘ If it had fallen into Captain Claude’s hands, we might not get to leave Cust r City to-night. The boy is right—a woman wrote the letter, of which this piece is a part. She knows me—she betrays her identity in the oath of vengeance it You found no more letters ister, the Sport of Two Cities. | 1 —— = eve I know whose hand directs the iron I have yet to discover who wield contains, lades. them,” The sun went down and the hour of eight came slowly on. As the clock in the Dolores struck the hour, Wild Alaric rode up to the sidewalk, His left hand led an extra horse. There were few persons sbout at that hour, and Si Slinkum the clerk suspicioned nothing when he saw Alaric cross the room and go up- stairs. Ten minutes latcr he came down accompanied by Major Blister, a trifle paler than usual, but seemingly no worse for the use of the iron blade. *Dve let the opportunity slip,” cried Cyrus, The man is goin, to get well.” At that moment he encountered the gaze of the cool Sport, and the next second Blister was leaning over the desk. His eyes glittered coldly like a serpent’s, ‘‘Tam going away for a spell, Mr. Slinkum,” he said, still eying Cyrus. ‘If necessary, I will Mave hourly reports from Custer. Reniem- er | That was threat enough. The clerk of the Dolores recoiled with frightened eyes and ghast- ly face, and when he recovered, Major Max was gone, ‘* Under his thumb!” he gasped. ‘If T leave Custer, I will be followed by some infernal spy of his. I’ve got to stay hyer in hot water be- tween lid an’ bottom. ‘You're the most miser- able man on earth, Si Slinkum!” Meanwhile, the Sport of Two Cities had walk- ed to Alaric’s extra horse, which he mounted with the assistance of his mountain pard, The few spectators said nothing, but all seem- ed surprised that a man who had lately received a blow from a bowie, should display such ten- acity. They did not see Major Blister grind his teeth as he mounted the steed, nor did they hear the groan the action cost him. The move- ment seemed to tear his vitals apart. Side by side the two men rode slowly down Custer’s principal street, the light from some public houses now and then in their faces, The hunted sport said nothing until the last house was left behind. The lights of the Black Hills were behind them, and Major Blister let slip an exclamation of joy when he saw them over his shoulder. ‘Out of the toils at last, Alaric,” he said, turning to his bronzed pard, ‘* We've got the— trackers behind us, but it will not be for long I hope. They will follow us to Coyote. Quartz Kid knows how to put them on our trail. will walk into the mountain trap we will set for them at Coyote, an’ then, by the cloven foot of Satan! they will discover that the days of the iron blade have ended.” Alaric laughed while he looked into his mas- ter’s face, ‘You may bet yer life on this, Major, The game takes a new turn to-night!” —-——— CHAPTER XIII. A RED-HOT BLISTER. Camp CoyoTr was what Wild Alaric would call his “stamping-ground;” but to Major Blister it was a new place. Walled in by a mountain range which secm- ed to have opened for the express purpose of taking the camp in, it occupied a snug place among the Black Hills and as the crow flies was about sixty miles from Custer. Its cabins were not over thirty in number, rough, uncouth but strong and serviceable strue- tures, admirably answering the purposes of the men who inhabited them. Wild Alaric received a welcome to Coyote that was highly flattering, and the Major was told to feel at home where his pard was so well known. The journey had greatly bleached the Sport of Two Cities for he still felt keenly the work of the iron blade, but he reached Coyote in pre- sentable condition, and ground his teeth while he laughed defiance in Alaric’s face. ‘* Set the trap and let ’em come!” he exclaim- ed. ‘‘I am ready, cut as I am, for the last grapple with the two blades. Ah! Alaric, when we have settled with the blocd-hunters we will hold a carnival of victory that will make Custer or Coyote open its eyes. Now, let them come!” Coyote had, like its many rivals in the Black Hills, a place where its wild characters came nightly together, and there the first night after the arrival of the pards the Major received his formal introduction to the denizens of the camp. ‘*'You'll get along with the Coyotes,” observed Wild Alaric, with a smile, as he walked beside Blister back to the cabin they were to share in common. ‘ Night-Owl’s death has bound them all ter me, an’ I hev but ter hint thet ther man who knifed him wants yer blood ter make ’em all yer pards.” ‘*We won't want their help, Alaric. This game is ours—it is a grapple of four terrible men.” ‘* An’ one woman, eh, Major?” laughed Al- aric. ‘**T don’t count her, She will prove no impor- tant factor in ther game, although she expects ter play a cold hand,” was ‘he answer. ild Alaric said nothing. 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