Beadle's New York Dime Library, No. 374 — page 20: what you’re looking at

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20 Major Blister, the Sport of Two Cities. The Coyoters darted at the helpless pard with ejaculations of joy. ‘“T’'ve crawled back into the noose, sure enough,” muttered Gideon, ‘In God’s name whar is Wild Alaric.” Ten minutes later the messenger sport was fully in the hands of the avengers of Coyote and he looked into the face of Crimson Con their leader. It was without mercy, ‘‘Thar need be no trial over this man,” he said. ‘Ther mole on his shoulder proves him Lariat Lige. All I hev ter say, he war a fool for comin’ back.” Gideon shut his teeth hard and said nothing. Crimson Con stepped back and turned to one of his followers whom he addressed in a whis- eT. ‘‘ Bring ther rope to ther big tree near ther ruined shanty. We go thar ahead ov yer.” The man turned away, and Gideon was placed between two men who stepped into the middle of the crowd. It was at this juncture that Quartz Kid burst into Alaric’s cabin with the news that Gideon’s neck was in the avenging noose. The tree designated stood a few feet from the last cabin on the western side of ths camp and thither Gideon was conducted by the crowd. The wound made by the iron dagger had teld terribly on his stalwart frame. is blanched checks and sunken eyes which had the glare of a wolt’s made him in appearance wholly unlike the handsome Gideon Goldbird of Custer City, He looked like a man who expected no mercy, and whose end was very near. ‘‘ for ther last time, an’in ther shadow ov death, arn’t you Lariat Lige?”’ asked Crimson Con as he touched Gideon who was held up in the light of the torch that burned above the heads of the Coyote crowd. ‘‘By the Eternal! I am not!” was the an- swer. “ But ther mole—” ‘““Hang ther mole!” interrupted Gideon. **Can’t yer believe a man whose checks are now on death’s counter waitin’ ter be cashed? Ther Injun who took me from Terrapin Tom’s turned out ter be Mark ov ther iron blade—no Injun at all! He knows that ther real Lariat Lige is dead.” “He can’t prove it,” said Crimson Con, ‘* We see in you ther only Lariat Lige that ever lived. No amount ov lyin’ will save yer neck, Ther night arter ther alcalde war killed we passed a decree ov outlawry ag’in’ yer. Blood for blood, Gideon. Yer oughtn’t ter growl at that.” The next minute a man came up with a coil of dark rope dangling from his hand. ‘‘Stand up! Face ther music, Gideon!” said the captain of the Coyoters, and his hand drop- ped upon Gideon’s shoulder, ‘‘I call yer by yer last name, yer see; but we don’t hang Gideon Goldbird ter-night. It is Coyote settlin’ with Lariat Lige!” The noose was lifted above the head of the doomed sport under the tree, and it fell upon his shoulders to tighten suddenly by a quick jerk from a dark hand, ‘Thar they are! Look, Alaric! The noose is about Gideon’s head. It take grit ter tear him from ther men tigers ov Coyote.” Quartz Kid and Wild Alaric had halted a few yards from the spot where the execution of the messenger sport was about to take place. They saw the crowd and the bronze faces revealed by the torch; they heard Crimson Con’s last words. Wild Alaric stood erect with a revolver in each hand. There was a fierce light in his eyes for the menaced man before him was his ol pard Gideon. uartz Kid looked up into the sport’s face and tried to read what was passing through his mind. He saw the compressed lips and the glaring eye, and he saw, too, the fingers that closed more firmly than ever about the stocks of his revolvers. ** Come!” Alaric ‘sprung forward as he spoke; he shot the boy one glance and that one sent Quartz Kid to his side. ae am with yer, Alaric. Go on!” said the ‘The time for interference had come, for the rope which encircled Gideon’s neck had_ been thrown over a heavy bough, and six hands clutched it while their owners waited for Crim- son Con’s signal, ‘Gentlemen, you don’t hang that man!” sud- denly rung out the voice of Wild Alaric as he halted ten feet from the crowd and threw up his hands. ‘I have told you that he is not La- riat Lige, Coyote’s outlaw. I am hyer ter say he is not with the droppers I hold in my hands.” Before he had finished, he had the attention of the whole crowd and he was looking over his leveled weapons into the eyes of all. ‘Don’t dispute evidence that’d convince any jur , Alaric,” came from Crimson Con’s lips. ‘We want ther blood ov but one man; don’t force us ter shed that ov two.” | A strange silence followed Wild Alaric’s | words. The Coyote pards looked from Crimson Con to the man who stood under the bough with the lariat about his throat, What! give kim up because one man demand- ed him? It was too much like letting their al- 'calde go unavenged. ‘*One minute is up,” said Wild Alaric. ‘‘ Ther second one may not be as long as its mate. By | ther eternal heavens! I will shoot my old pard Gideon loose if he is not released without it!” ‘‘Let ‘im shoot!” grated half a dozen men near Crimson Con, ‘‘ It’s only one ag’in’ twenty. Ter-morrow ther mountain vultures will look down on Wild Alaric’s carkiss, Let ’im shoot, me Suddenly there came another man upon the scene, a man from whom the whole set started. “Mark!” cried Wild Alaric. Gideon Goldbird recoiled a step, and uttered a startling cry, ‘*My God! ther demon with ther iron blade! the man who played Injun awhile ago in this very camp!” Mark the Unknown already stood in the glare of the torch intended to light up the scene of Gideon’s death. He wore no disguise now; the Indian garb and the savage paint had disap- peared. He now stood before the astonished pards of Coyote in his true character, An Apache in face and figure, erect as a staff, and terribly cool, he must have impressed the Coyoters that he was a man of nerve. His hands held no revolvers out as did the dark ones of Wild Alaric. He walked toward the crowd with the semblance of a smile at the corners of his mouth. He could laugh and kill. **T guess ll take that man,” he said. ‘* Lariat Lige?” ‘* No; Gideon Goldbird!” “He took me once afore ter-night,” gasped Gideon, shrinking away. ‘‘ That man is ther Injun, Gray Arrow,” ‘*T am Mark now, Gideon,” was the answer. ‘*T thought I had settled with you, but it seems not. Come!” In despair the messenger sport whirled upon Wild Alaric and threw up his hands. | ‘‘ What hev we been pards for?” he cried in a | voice of last appeal. ‘‘ Alaric, I am at ther gates ov death!—I am Gideon! For ther sake ov old pardship, shoot me down, or shoot me loose!” The voice sent Wild Alaric one mad step nearer. ‘‘ Unhand that man!” he cried. ‘Yes; give him to me!” At that moment the revolver of Mark covered Crimson Con, and the thunderstruck pards of Coyote saw their leader shrink. ** T have not come here for nothing,” continued the speaker. ‘‘ You can choose between me and the man who calls himself Wild Alaric. If you throw Gideon Goldbird to him, or if you decide to hang him, I will drop Crimson Con of Coyote in his tracks. Take your choice.” Wild Alaric almost faced the man who had suddenly come between. He could look over Mark’s revolver into the cool, stern face visible behind it. ‘“Thet’s ther man I want ter catch in my trap,” he muttered. ‘‘I will not kill him hyer, onless he forces me ter doit. What’s ther use ov fightin’ for a man whose chips ar’ now bein’ raked in by death? Take ‘im!” He sent the last two words to Mark in mad tones. Quartz Kid threw a look of astonishment into Wild Alaric’s eyes. ‘*Give me one ov vo droppers,” said the boy. ‘* A man’s a man if he is nearly a corpse.” Alaric dropped the two weapons and stepped back, ‘‘ Alaric! Alaric! is this ther test ov pard- ship?” cried Gideon Goldbird. There was noanswer, and the messenger sport reeled from the hands that held him, Mark the Unknown sprung toward him, and the crowd instinctively gave him a pathway to Gideon’s side. All at once the avenger’s hand fell upon the rough’s shoulder. ““Come, Gideon!” he said. ‘‘ It isbetter to be daggered alone than to be noosed in a crowd. I am Mark. Remember that ye’r’ one of the gold gang of Gotham.” Gideon seemed to be held up by the strength of the man who had reached his side. He fixed on Mark the Unknown a look of despair. ‘The noose had been removed from his neck, and he no longer felt its accursed coil. “This man is not Lariat Lige,” said the avenger, throwing a swift look into the faces of the Coyoters. ‘* Your outlaw is dead.” . “Will yer swear ter thet?’ asked Crimson Con. se Yes.” ‘‘ Then take your man!” The crowd drew back, but sullenly, and like a pack of wolves. “T am Lariat Lige!” suddenly exclaimed Gideon. ‘‘ Men ov Coyote, behold in me ther “Which is a threat ag’in’ me,” ejaculated | man who killed yer alealde. Id sooner be noos- Alaric. ‘ Remove ther noose from that man’s neck! I give yer two minutes ter do it in, men ov Coyote.” ed than daggered.” 4 A laugh rippled over the lips of Mark, the Unknown. ‘‘Take his word or mine, just as you please, gentlemen, but I take this man,” he said. Gideon winced. Crimson Con and his pards stood like statues and Wild Alaric was a silent spectator now. A moment later, Gideon Goldbird found him- self being hustled away by the cool head, whose fingers seemed to sink into his shoulders like the talons of an eagle. The right hand that hung at Mark’s side clutched a revolver, and his eyes rested on Gideon. ‘* What ar yer goin’ ter do with me?” asked the messenger sport. “You ought to know,” was the reply. ‘‘A man in your position is hardly worth playing for, Gideon, but I would have gone through fire for you to-night. You are one of the five.” Gideon ground his teeth and caught the eye of the Unknown. ‘* Don’t hope to see this game played through, for you never will,” fell on his ear, ‘ Wild Alaric refused to help you to-night. Do you know why, Gideon?” ve No. ” ‘‘ He is a man with a trap,” laughed Mark. There was no answer. Gideon fell into thoughtful silence, during waich time his hands clinched suddenly. ‘* Alaric did refuse to help me,” he muttered. ‘Tf [ could get out ov this sinner’s clutches—if I could beat death off, I'd like ter show him that lee Goldbird knows how ter pay a debt like this! But there seemed no hope, and Gideon passed from Coyote for the second time that night, in the hands of Mark, the Unknown, and nobody followed to see his doom. Nobody? Ah! down that same trail stood a human fig- ure, and his ears caught the sound of Gideon’s 0 ied The man drew back and touched a silver-mounted revolver. ‘¢ Am I never going to deal a certain blow?” he said. ‘‘ Wild Alaric promised to meet me after helping Gideon. He is coming now,” CHAPTER XXIV. THE IRON BLADES MEET. THE man waiting for Gideon and and his rescuer was Fred Ferret the Broadway Spotter. He heard them down the trail, and while he listened a puzzled expression came to his face, and he wondered whom he was about to encoun- ter. Two instead of one! The reader will recollect that Wild Alaric had agreed to meet the hunter at a certain place after he had helped Gideon, Fred Ferret had reached the spot and was ready to fight it out with one of the men he wanted. They would have the duel alone, and if he conquered, he would next deal with the captain of the New York gang, Andros Ruby now known as Major Blister. The Spotter had a right to believe that Wild Alaric would come to the dueling ground alone, but now two persons were advancing toward him. He stood erect while he waited, and strained his eyes for a glimpse of the enemy. ‘‘T am here to fight but one man,” he said. ‘“‘ Tf two come however I will not shrink, I will shoot Alaric’s pard on sight, and then have the duel with the Gotham thug with chosen wea- pons, The Broadway Spotter did not have to wait long for out of the shadows that lay beyond the two rocks beside which he stood came two fig- ures, and he saw that neither was Wild Alaric the Major’s friend. Fred Ferret stepped back, but the movement caught the quick eyes of the Unknown. “Halt!” exclaimed Mark suddenly throwing up a revolver which instantly covered the de- tective. Fred Ferret stopped and then went forward. “Aha!” he said. ‘So it is you!” looking into Mark’s striking face. ‘‘I was waiting for another man. Excuse me, I am not wanted here.” * You will not depart without my command,” was the reply, ‘I know you now. It is strange that we have not met before.” A hasty stride had carried Mark the Unknown to the spot occupied by the New York hunter and for the first time the two avengers sto face to face, ‘¢ Adele has told me about you,” said Ferret. ‘*T know who you are.” ‘* And she has told me of you,” was the reply. ‘¢Come down here, Fred Ferret,” The hand of Mark encircled the detective’s arm, and he was being led away when he threw a look at bewildered Gideon Goldbird and ex- Claimed. ‘Your man there may escape.” Mark laughed. ‘The wounded bird will not fly far if he does try his wings,” he said. ‘‘That man is Gideon Goldbird.” ‘‘ Let me see him, then!” ejaculated the Spot- ter. ‘* He went all the way from Custer to ew York to see my bonesin Mother Redbird’s trap, I want to show him the gang’s victim in the flesh.” : Before Mark could restrain the Broadway GComiecboo (¢ cS (eo) —<--~ Spott coiled be lI the pi not fi was 1 fools er, G ss f was | me t Mott y ou ; be ¢ ter Fert And hate nigh fron Ala chal és vb whi B te Fer ~ a «tf to oh. ake