Beadle's New York Dime Library, No. 374 — page 24: what you’re looking at

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

watched the shadows of the flames on the ceil- ing above. f he had looked behind him at a certain moment he would have seen two pair of eyes that glowed like the orbs of a brace of panthers. Among the shadows thrown by the flames that danced grotesquely in the middle of the cham- ber stood two men and in their hands were held two large six-shooters. ‘‘That man is to be my evil genius while I live,” whispered the youngest one of the twain, a youth who had barely attained his majority. “T thought I was shut of him forever when Quartz Kid saved me from his trigger. Now let me settle with him, Gideon. By heavens! Andros Ruby shall never menace me again with the shadow of the law.” ‘* You will do nothing ov ther kind,” was the answer, and five bronze fingers encircled the youth’s wrist. ‘‘ Thet man I hev served through thick an’ thin, but he cursed me when I came back from New York. I have sworn ter pay Major Blister back, but I want ter know first what brought him hyer.” ** After that, what?” ‘‘] make no promises,” said Gideon, glancing into the face of his companion, who was Si Slin- kum, the hotel clerk. “Well, I will!” was the answer. ‘‘ Before he touches me again, I promise to send him over the death-trail with a bulletin his head. You can chase a wolf till he turns on you, Gideon Goldbird!” CHAPTER XXVIII. FOUND! Camp CoyoTE seemed to rock under the wild excitement that succeeded the finding of the corpse in Crimson Con’s cabin. The men who acknowledged him as their leader filled the air with threats of vengeance, and Major Blister was the person against whom the threats were hurled. A search of the camp revealed the fact that the Sport of Two Cities had departed, and with {him had gone Wild Alaric, who might have had a hand in the killing in the cabin. Quartz Kid too soon forgot the threat of the girl Adele. The boy, thoroughly enlisted in the Major’s service, was anxious to throw the pards of Coyote on the wrong scent. Tf he could turn them against Mark the Un- known who was still in Camp, he would be do- ing Max Blister an invaluable favor, and besides sustain the reputation he hal already acquired for being an example of youthful shrewdness. ‘‘ She threatens ter turn on me, eh?” he ejacu- lated with a sneer, when he found himself out of Adele’s reach. “If I can’t match thet girl, Pll ‘go back ter Custer an’ live on sunshine. Letme show her a tric!< or two!” At that moment the Coyoters were holding an indignation meeting at par er Tom’s, and under the influence of some of that gentleman’s liquid poison, the excitement had reached a very nigh itch. n the midst of it a piece of wood was thrown ‘into the crowd by some one on the outside, and ‘a bit of paper was found attached to it. _ Of course this incident, coming when it did, drew the attention of all to the paper, and when it had been detached from the wood and unfold- ed, Burt Browne read as follows to the crowd: “Men or Covore:— “You are on the wrong lay when you accuse the man called Blister of killing Crimson Con. If you will noose the person who took Lariat Lige, or Gid- eon Goldbird, from your noose, you will find the right person. Con was killed with an iron dagger that belongs to Mark, the Unknown. He is some- where in Coyote, and if not caught and promptly dealt with, his dagger will do some more red work. e has friends here who will attempt to shield him, §f they get a chance. One WHO Kxows.”’ A silence of, several minutes followed the eading of this mysterious paper. Here was a ew trail, and one which seemed to surprise and disconcert the pards of the mountain camp. Nobody said anything against the Major now, ‘and when the Coyoters found their ‘tongues ‘ again, they heaped curses in profusion upon the head of Mark, the Unknown. The person who had thrown the paper into the den stood outside and smiled to himself over the results of his work. . Tl] let them digest that,” he said to himself. *‘T can see already that I’ve put them on a new trail, and before morning this man who handles the iron blade with such recklessness will find himself in a trap whose jaws won’t relax. Ha ha! Mark. You've got Quartz Kid ag’in’ you now.” The speaker was the boy spy of Custer, and regardless of Adele’s threat and look, he had disobeyed her commands. It was evident that the boy’s scheme had pro- duced a sudden change. : There was no evidence that Major Blister had taken Crimson Con’s life. He had gone with the Coyoter to the cabin, and had quitted it alone, when nobody knew. The darkest cir- cumstance against him was his sudden departure from camp. * You had to go ahead and show your teeth!” said a voice, so near Quartz Kid that he turned | as if a rattlesnake had hissed behind him. Adele stood before him, Adele with mad eyes and clinched hands. ‘** What have I done?” cried the boy. ** Just what I warned you against doing,” was the reply. ‘‘ You have tried to throw the men | of this camp upon Mark’s trail. I told you not to do this, but you would not listen.” For a moment Quartz Kid looked up into Adele’s face and showed his teeth. He was very defiant, for she was but a girl, while he was her superior in strength, and inclined to stubborn- ness. ‘*What if I go ahead an’ prove this to the satisfaction of the Coyoters?’ he exclaimed. ** You can’t convince them that the Major kill- ed Crimson Con. I know that you are the ally of this man who calls himself Mark the Un- known. I saw enough in Custer to convince me that you sometimes direct the blade he uses. **In Custer, where you let Max Blister make you his spy!” said the girl. ‘** Perhaps.” at if you knew that man you would turn from im.’ ‘** And take up with Mark, eh?” ** No. Mark the Unknown is able to take care of himself.” “Then, let him fight the men in Terrapin Tom’s!” cried Quartz Kid. ‘‘ He will have todo that from now on.” The girl glanced toward the open door of the whisky-den, and saw the men of Coyote form a group, with hands solemnly lifted. ‘“*They are going to take an oath of some kind!” she exclaimed, starting forward. ‘*‘ Woe to you, my boy, if it be against Mark.” uartz Kid followed the girl to within a few yards of the saloon, where she stopped and lean- ed eagerly forward. ‘* Swear! every mother’s son ov yer!” cried a tall man who had mounted the impromptu stage from which Adele had given her concert. “Swear ter hunt this man called Mark to ther death, for ther killin’ ov Crimson Con! Swear ter begin in Coyote ter-night! Woe ter him if he falls inter ther hands ov ther avengers ov blood!” The response that followed seemed to shake the rafters of the den, and Quartz Kid turned to the girl, who had not missed a syllable. ‘*'This is your work!” she said, wheeling upon him before he could get beyond her hand. “ I warned you that you had better not interfere in this man-hunt by the pards of Coyote. You are bound that my friend shall be turned from his sworn work by a lot of vengeance-hunters. Now, see what I will do. Come_with me, Quartz Kid, spy and pard of Major Blister. If ra attempt to leave me, I will kill you in your oots!” Adele had drawn a revolver, which gleamed | in the boy’s face while she spoke, and with the | hand that clutched his arm she hurried him | toward the thrilling scene being enacted at Ter- ae Tom’s. The light that filled her eyes warned Quartz Kid that an attempt to break from her grasp might be attended by fatal consequences, ‘‘Tll have ter face ther music an’ see ther thing through,” he said to himself, while he was | being conducted toward the saloon. ‘‘ Mebbe I | have acted with haste in this matter, but I had ter do suthin’ ter keep ther Coyoters from fol- lowin’ ther Major.” By this time Adele was at the open door; the lights and the men of Coyote were before her; the oath against Mark the Unknown had just been finished. All atonce the girl stepped across the threshold and was seen at once. ‘‘T’m sorry, but you can’t resume the concert, Nightingale,” sung out a stalwart fellow. ‘We've got serious business on hand—” ‘“T know that,” said Adele. ‘I am here to | take a handinit. I have just heard you swear against a man whose hands are not stained with your captain’s blood. The message that came to you a while ago is a lie, calculated and written to turn you from the man who did the deed.” ‘‘ What do you know?” demanded half a dozen men. ‘‘T saw Major Blister come forth from Crim- son Con’s cabin. I went in after him, and the Captain of Coyote was dead on the floor, but still warm.” A wild cry was the response, and Adele saw the excited crowd surge toward her. *‘ An’ you afterward came hyer an’ sung for us?” they cried. sé Yes ” ‘Why didn’t you tell us at once? If Major Blister killed Crimson Con, you kept ther crime —ther secret—ter yer yerself, an’ gave him three hours’ grace.” Quartz Kid broke suddenly from Adele’s side, om reached the Coyoters before she could detain m. “*Thet girl is ther pard ov ther man who killed ther captain!” he cried, covering Adele with hisoutstretchedhand, ‘‘ Shestood up hyer an’ sung while Mark war wipin’ his knife an’ gettin’ away. Ther iron dagger is ag’in at | work. It hus come ter Coyote ter kill whenever ee eee _ Major Blister, the Sport of T'wo Cities. eT it finds a victim. Men ov Coyote, you can be- lieve Quartz Kid, or ther girl pard oy ther man who kills in ther dark!” A flash came to the dark eyes of the girl, whose stature seemed to increase an inch while she heard the boy, “Ts this true, Adele?’ said Burt Browne, coming forward, ‘*‘ Are you the pard of the man who gave Crimson Con the iron dagger in his own cabin?” ‘‘T am that man’s friend. Icamehere because our enemies are here. The boy who has accused me is the spy of the man of whom I have told you much, Burt Browne. I have shielded him. plead guilty to singing here for the purpose of keeping you men from Major Blister’s trail, be- cause | want the iron dagger to find him in the end. I pity the boy who can stand here and throw the crime of murder upon one who never hated the dead man. He knows that Mark is innocent, and I could turn him against the man he serves with one whispered sentence.” ** Never!” exclaimed Quartz Kid. ‘Take yer choice between that tigress from Custer an’ me. She stands thar ther confessed friend an’ pard ov Mark. She—” ‘* Silence!” thundered Burt Browne, and he turned upon the boy with a face darkened by rage. ‘“‘If you ar’ ther spy ov Captain Blister, that is enough for Burt Browne. Your oath wouldn’t weigh ag’in’ that gir’s laugh. If she says that Mark ther Unknown didn’t kill ther captain, that’s enough for me. Major Blister’s pard, eh? In my judgment that’s enough ter exile yer from Coyote.” Quartz Kid recoiled without effort from the dark eyes of the man who came down upon him like a storm with the last sentence on his lips. ‘‘T've failed,” he muttered. “They believe ther girl, an’ I'm a liar in their eyes. Never mind; give me half a chance, an’ l’ll get even with Adele ther schemer.” He moved toward the door with his face to the crowd, but he had not taken three steps when the hand of Burt Browne closed on his arm. ‘‘T hate a liar! I could throw you through ther house!” he exclaimed. ‘‘ Let him go,” said Adele, suddenly reaching Burt’s side. ‘‘He had to do something to save his master.” The boy spy fell instantly from the hands of the big Coyoter, and the next moment he was be- yond the threshold, with the laugh of the thirty pards in his ears. ‘So you sung ter give him a start?” said Burt Browne, turning upon the girl. ng Bi ‘*You want him ter escape from us, ter feel ther point ov ther iron blade ov Mark ther Un- known?” ar ‘‘T do. I am the person to be punished for shielding the man who killed Crimson Con.” She stood before the dark-faced and tigerish crowd with a smile at the corners of her finely chiseled mouth. ‘‘ When you hunt the murder- er, remember that another enemy is on his track. The letter that came to you aria te about a piece of wood was the boy’s play. fam Adele, the friend of two men who want the life of the last of the Gotham gang. Followed from New York and tracked at last to Cus- ter and Coyote, three have fallen—the last one to-night by the hands that took him from four noose. Here I am, men of Coyote. [ could lave put you at once on the track of your cap- tain’s slayer, but I did not. I helped Major Blister away. I am the guilty accomplice!” The men who leaned forward with mad eyes and dark scowls drew back. They wanted tha life of the man who had taken Crimson Con’s. If Adele had been a man they would have torn _ her to pieces. ‘* Let it be a race between Coyote an’ this man Mark!” suddenly cricd Burt Browne. ‘If he kin git thar first Le may wield his iron blade, but by ther eternal heavens! he must not balk Coyote too coolly. We unswear the cath taken ag’in’ him awhile ago. We swear it ag’in’ Major Blister! Before ther hour ends he will have Coyote at his heels. Wild Alaric is with him— two wolves exiled forever from this camp by ther blow that killed Crimson Con!” The men sent up a responsive shout that almost deafened the gir] wko heard it roll along the smoky rafters of the whisky-den. “Go back ter my cabin,” continued Burt Browne leading her to the door, ‘ Make that mountain palace yer home while you stay in Coyote. efore day we'll find ther trail ov this Sport who gave Con ther dagger.” He dismissed her at the door, and turned back to his companions. Adele stood in the light like a person in a dilemma. ‘*Thave but one sa? in rw now and that one is the boy baffled to-night,” she mur- mured when she started off. ‘‘ While I would not harm him, even though he is Major Blister’s friend, he must not try to play another hand like the one he tried awhile ago.” The girl walked toward Burt Browne's cabin and when about to enter it she turned at the sound of a footstep. ; “You play hands that surprise me,” said the handsome man who appeared at her side. ‘Tf it had not been for your concert, Andros / ,OO (E(0) Ss AME SS (e(@) A — ~ ae _———