Beadle's New York Dime Library, No. 374 — page 14: what you’re looking at

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14 Major Blister, the Sport of T'wo Cities. ee oe seizing one of Quartz Kid’s hands, which was quickly jerked away. ‘‘No, thanks; you owe me none. Mark, the Unknown, is the man to thank. He came to Coyote at the right time to do you a service. Go away, Cyrus. Keep off of Major Blister’s trail. For God’s sake, steer clear of Camp Coyote!” “This land is a wilderness to me,” was the reply. ‘‘I can’t go back to New York. Icould never face the men whose trust I basely betray- ed. I wish to Heaven I were dead!” ‘Not while you have a chance to Jive down the past!” said Quartz Kid. ‘ From the bottom of my heart I pity you, Si Slinkum, but go— go! This is no place for you.” The boy spy of Custer City turned away. *Go I will, and may Heaven have mercy on me, if I deserve any!” he heard a voice say. Then he took several steps forward before he looked back. Where Cyrus had stood, no figure was now seen; the fugitive from justice had gone away. ‘*T did him a service after all, an’ I’m glad of it,” said the young Custerite. ‘‘I ho jar may never meet the young man again. If he ever falls into the clutches of Major Blister the sec- ond time, he will not get off so well. Now Ill go back to camp, for Mark has come and the game of the iron dagger will be resumed.” Cyrus Slinkum was stumbling down the dark trail when Quartz Kid turned back toward camp. He had sent Max Blister ahead with the startling information that the owner of one of the terrible iron blades had come to Coyote, and the mountain trap set by Major Blister 43 Wild Alaric had caught its intended prey at last. The boy was eager to reach the camp. He was certain that he had not mistaken his man, for he had seen Mark, the Unknown, standing erect between two cabins with his deep black eyes watching the liquor-den where Cyrus had been captured. For some distance the boy ran over the 4 poss and he reached the camp pretty well own. ‘*Thar’s been nothin’ excitin’ hyer yet,” he said. ‘*‘They haven’t met, but thar’s no tellin’ when they will. It is blade ag’in’ blade now, for the Major holds the one that pierced his back.” Quartz Kid went toward Wild Alaric’s cabin on the hunt of Major Blister. He had nearly reached the door when it suddenly opened and the very man he sought stood before him. “Where is he, Major?” asked the boy. “ At Terrapin Tom’s ranch, Alaric has gone down to take a look at him first. I heard you coming, and I thought you were Alaric. Ah! hyer he comes.” A moment later the well-known figure of the tiger sport of Coyote appeared in view, and the Sport of Two Cities exhibited an anxious face as he came up. ‘* He is there, sure enough,” said Alaric; ‘‘ but he is not the man the boy has named.” ‘*Heis! Isawhim myself,” exclaimed Quartz Kid. ‘Don’t I know the man who calls him- self Mark?” Wild Alaric looked down into the boy’s face with a smile. ** Don’t dispute Wild Alaric, boy,” he snapped, with sudden fierceness. ‘‘ Mark the Unknown did not come ter Coyote ter-night, but ther other one did!” Major Blister started. ‘* What other one?” he cried. ‘‘ Ther man with ther gray eyes,” said Alaric. ‘* Very well; it doesn’t make much difference. We've set the trap for them both, and both must die,” he grated. ‘Gray eyes or black—I don’t care which pair comes, I have an iron blade for all. Come, Alaric, show me this man!” Wild Alaric did not hesitate but started off immediately with Major Blister at his side. ‘““Come along an’ see ther circus, Quartz,” laughed Alaric over his shoulder, and the boy spy followed them.” Two minutes later the Sport of Two Cities, with the iron dagger concealed along his sleeve, entered Terrapin Tom’s den, and stopped for a second at sight of the man who stood at the bar. All at once he sprung forward with an excla- mation that came from clinched teeth, and landed at the counter. ‘Ts this yours?” he said to the man, who turned upon him, and the iron blade came into view. ‘I know it is! No falsehoods hyer! I'm goin’ ter return it with the proper interest!” The man coolly laid one arm on the counter and fixed a pair of steel-zray eyes upon the tiger port. ‘Very well, Major,” was all he said. CHAPTER XVI. OUT OF ONE TRAP. Tux Sport of Two Cities expected to confront a cool man, but the sang froid of the gray- eyed man almost staggered him, This ‘‘ Very well, Major,” sounded like a chal- Jenge, and the steely glitter of his keen eyes was a danger signal that could not be avoided. Major Blister stepped back while the man looked at him. It was not Mark the Unknown; (22 a EO EE that Sport had black orbs, and was not cast in the same mold as the Satan-eyed person who confronted him. Wild Alaric regarded this striking tableau, ready to join in at a signal—-a look from his pard. ‘That man is a cool tiger,” said Alaric to himself. ‘‘ He is one of ther two we’ve set the trap for, but he is yet able to use his claws. Ther Major is surprised—ther eyes ar’ gray in- stead ov black. Sail in, Major; Alaric is on hand.” For several moments the two men at the coun- ter looked at each other with the interest of hate. ‘* So this blade is yours?” suddenly cried Blis- | ter glancing at the iron dagger clutched in his | right hand. % Veg,” **-You know whar I got it?” A faint smile was the reply. ‘* In my back!—between my shoulders at the Dolores!” the Sport went on, his eyes getting new and fiercer fire as he proceeded. ‘It is your blade you say. Then, by heavens! you put it whar it war found.” ‘‘Tll have to take the credit of doing so, I see,” said the man, “You are the man who mesmerized Quartz Kid an’ took from him the letter intended for me!” flashed the Major, irritated by the stran- ger’s coolness. ‘*T am the man!” came the reply so impres- sively spoken that Major Blister almost recoiled another step. ‘I got that letter and a sorry catch it was, too. It didn’t pay me for the trouble, Major Max.” And the speaker let slip alow.laugh. ‘If you want your own you can have it. I have carried it ever since in my pocket. Aha! here it is.” A hand disappeared suddenly beneath the stranger’s vest, and a moment Jater a well-worn envelope dropped upon the counter a few inches pom the Major’s hand that rested near the edge. a That is it,’ the cool head continued. ‘I have restored your property.” Major Blister did not pick the letter up, but kept his fierce eyes fixed on the man. Suddenly he executed a signal which Wild Alaric under- stood for that tiger sport stepped forward. ‘‘That’s the man, Major!” cried Quartz Kid, who leaped into the bar-room at that moment, and covered the stranger with outstretched fin- rer. ‘‘T have found the letter-taker at last! har stands the mesmerizer who robbed me at the Dolores! I—” ‘‘ He has confessed,” interrupted Major Blis- ter. ‘‘The letter has been restored, but that isn’t enough.” ‘* What more do you want?” asked the gray- eyed man. ‘‘ Satisfaction for the blow at the hotel!” ee Oho!” ‘*' Yes!” the Major leaned forward and threw the word with a hiss into the stranger’s face. ‘‘ We know that we ar’ hunted by two iron dag- gers—one in the hands of the sport who calls himself Mark the Unknown, the other in the grip of a man who is known as—” Blister paused to give his enemy a chance to name himself. ‘* Go on!” was the response. ‘**T don’t care who you are!” cried the Sport of Two Cities. ‘‘ The other blade is yours. We came from Custer ter Coyote ter set a trap hyer. You have walked into it. The game you have played is going ter end hyer to-night— the career of one of the two blades has reached its close!” “* Very well, Major.” ese three words were exasperating; they cut like a two-edged knife as they fell from the stranger’s tongue. As they were spoken for the second time the owner of the iron blade straightened, and for the first time threw a searching look at Wild Alaric who showed the readiness of a tiger cat to leap forward. ‘‘ Shut the door, Quartz!” said the Major. The boy spy of Custer sprung back and obeyed the command, then he waited for the duel which he believed was about to be fought. “JT know that man, Major,” suddenly ex- claimed Wild Alaric. ‘‘It is all clear to me now. Isaw him walled up one night two thou- | sand miles from hyer. That man is Fred Fer- | ret, the Broadway Spotter,” ‘*Ts that true?’ cried Major Blister, starting toward the cool head who received Wild Alaric’s words with the utmost composure. ‘‘ Are you the man from New York?” ‘*Your pard knows,” was the reply. ‘‘If Gideon your messenger were here, he could clear the mystery. But why deny the truth, Major? | The cell under Mother Redbird’s trap has an- other occupant, but he is not the man walled up there four years ago.” ‘* Then you are Fred Ferret?” ‘*T am the man known East as the Broadway | Spotter—the man who was hot on the trail of Andros Ruby and his companions when he was | caught in an infamous plot and left to die under ground. ter. I have found Wild Alaric once called Dan- gerous Dan in New York. Another man found Ss ae =: “—* a — _ Night-Owl Oll, and Poker Perry. I came too late to give those two devils the blade that hunted your heart at the Dolores. In this game I play for myself. I suffered a thousand deaths: in that New York dungeon, but still I face you. Let Mark the Unknown play his own hand; we are not fellow-conspirators. The game I play is distinctly my own, I say.” ‘Then we will see it played out hyer!” said the Major. ‘‘ Now that we know you as Fred Ferret, our New York victim, we will play ac- cordingly. This is not Mother Redbird’s trap: , you can’t bribe the keeper of this den. This is Camp Coyote, and by the stars that laugh above it to-night! Fred Ferret, you die whar you stand!” ‘* Whar he stands!” These three words shot from the lips of Al- or almost before the Major had pronounced his ast. The Coyote Sport and Fred Ferret were not 5 eae by ten feet, and the next second W ild Alaric dashed straight at the ca ged man. It was a plunge for which the quickest man alive could not prepare. The Broadway Spot- ter had not time to throw up a single hand; he could not touch a weapon—the tiger sport of the Black Hills camp was upon him ike & thunderbolt! The furious collision threw the Spotter back and almost off his feet. The next moment he: was forced against the counter, and the bronzed fingers of Wild Alaric were clasping his throat. his—the plunge forward and the forcin back—was the work of a second, and it seemed to take that length of time for the detective to act, All at once his hands went up; they grasped Wild Alaric’s wrists like an electric vise, and the next instant the Coyote sport found himself hurled away as if he had unloosed a spiral. spring! Striking the heavy leg of a table Alaric was thrown to the floor and before he could rise the New York tiger had turned upon the Major. ‘‘'When you entrap a man, kill him at once!” he said beating down the hand that had drawn a revolver. ‘‘ The next time the iron blade will not make its way between your shoulders, I won't take your life to-night, Andros Ruby. I don’t want it now. But the next time we meet, look out!” | While he spoke he was holding Major Blister almost at arm’s length, and his gray eyes were looking him through and through. ‘You'd better play your hand out hyer an’ now!” exclaimed the Sport of Two Cities. ‘“ No, not now!” All at once the Major found himself free, but. he was standing no longer beside the counter. A qaick display of strength had flung him away, and he was in the middle of the saloon, bewil- dered by the sudden change of front. Fred Ferret coolly picked up the iron dagger that lay on the counter. ‘‘ When this blade comes back, Major, be- ware!” he laughed, holding it up before the big Sport’s eyes. ‘‘It will come back, too, as sure as there’s a heaven ahove us! Good-night! The next time strengthen the jaws of your mountain trap!” A long stride carried the Broadway Spotter almost to the threshold. The two pards and the astonished Quartz Kid saw the heavy six-shoot- er in his right hand. The iron blade had al- ready disappeared. ‘Gentlemen, Iam alone. I can be followed. You are two and I am one,” he went on. * This: game is not for gold. I am playing for ven- eance—not ail for myself, but for vengeance just the same. If you abandon this camp, you will find me at your heels till the game has been layed out. The man called Mark the Unknown Ras struck two down out of the five who robbed, murdered and walled men up in New York. He got ahead of me. He has struck his last man; the two left belong to me!” His feet touched the threshold of the sa- loon as the last words were uttered, and a mo- ment later the New York Spotter had disap~ peared. ; “ Jehosaphat! what tiger d’ye call that?” said the pale face that came up over the counter as Fred Ferret passed out into the night. ‘* He has ther strength oy a Samson. Why, he hand- led yer, Major, like ye war a child, an’ Alarie thar— “Silence!” roared Major Blister, striding to- ward the astounded bartender. ‘*‘ We let him get away on purpose. Our grip warn’t jest what we wanted. By the Furies! if you tell in Coyote that we warn’t enough for him, you'll mix drinks in Tertarus!” Then the Major whirled upon Wild Alaric, who, with a cocked revolver, was glaring at the open door as if he expected to see the New York- er come back. ‘‘What about Gideon’s dispatch now?’ ex- claimed Major Blister. * It said that that man- tracker was still the inmate of the Mulberry street cell, but he is hyer! Gideon played us false. Wait till I get a chance to clutch the liar’s throat! Jupiter! Fred Ferret is a cy- I have found you at last, Major Blis- | clone!” ‘T knew thet when he war at our heels in New York,” said Wild Alaric scarcely taking: - ,00 (E(o) MIE CS