Beadle's New York Dime Library, No. 374 — page 25: what you’re looking at

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

~ Blister at the mouth of the mountain cavern to 4 - ejaculated the Major’s pard, and before the boy s Ruby would not have escaped for me. Look 7 lamp which the boy shaded with his body the here, Adele. The iron blade is mine again!” big Sport wrote a letter which ran as follows: “Where did you get it?” “Thar is a dead man at Crimson Con’s shanty, ‘* Andros Ruby dropped it in his flight from | Alaric, old boy. Iam forced to go into exile from Coyote.” Coyote; when you come back you will find this under my door and | will be off for the cave near the lost river, You can not miss the trail to it, but for fear you might I leave with this letter a map which will surely fetch you tome. In the cave we will set a trap for Mark the Unknown and for Fred Ferret the New York Spotter. Keep your eyes open, Alaric; we will see the end of this game in spite of the iron dagger and its master. CHAPTER XXIX. ENTRAPPED IN COYOTE. We must not forget the man who left Major set his face toward Camp Coyote with the avowed purpose of decoying two men into a trap which should be the end of the game | played by the iron daggers. | Wild Alaric had grown impatient; he was | ** Magor Max.” The boy who looked over Alaric’s shoulder while he wrote out the sentences in a coarse and eager to go back to the life he led when the , legible hand wondered what was to be done avengers found him as the Major’s right bow- | with this singular document. laric pushed it er, but this he could not do until the question of | to one side when it was finished, and drew a mastery had been settled. rough but striking diagram which had one trail Alaric had no definite plan in view until he | so plainly marked that Quartz Kid declared he found himself once more near Coyote, He was | could follow it without a guide, afraid that neither Mark nor Fred Ferret, the ** These decoys ar’ ter be dropped before Burt young Broadway Spotter would find the trail Browne’s cabin,” said the Sport folding the map of the camp fugitives without being helped. He | within the letter, ‘‘ You say that Mark the had come back to help them. Unknown is ter meet Adele thar at nine?” Night came down upon the camp once more, Yes. I haven't bi en idle since ther killin’,” and found the place but half-populated, The smiled | the boy. ‘Shall I salt ther trail, oath of revenge taken at Terrapin Tom’s had | Alaric? ‘If yer please, Quartzy,” said the sport and the papers were placed in the boy’s hands. ‘‘ Be carers It must be played so as ter appear thet the papers war found at my door an’ lost ag’in.” ‘*T understand that. Give me a chance ter best this dagger king, Alaric, an’ you'll hev my taken the majority of Crimson Con’s pards from camp. They had started to find the Major against whom their whole hatred. was directed. Those who knew Alaric best would hardly have recognized him when he entered Coyote, keeping among the shadows of the cabins. Somewhere along the trail the sport had _per- fected a transformation that completely altered | everlastin’ gratitude.” his appearance, and left no resemblance to Ma- ‘IT will wait for you hyer, lights out an’ si- jor Blister’s pard. The very appearance of his | lence in ther old shanty.” horse had been changed, and the man who en- Eager to be off, the boy clutched the decoys tered Coyote in the brilliant starlight looked | and broke for the door, while Alaric drew the like some mountain tourist with his clean face | little lamp across the table and blew it out. and wild black eyes. " ‘* Trust me ter set a trap!” he laughed to him- Yet, for all this it was Wild Alaric, self. ‘* Why l’ve sot em everywhar in city an’ Coyote seemed to have taken a rest, for Ter- | mountain an’ not once did they fail tér catch yapin Tom’s looked like the most quiet place on | ther tiger.” a earth, and when Alaric rode by nobody rushed | Meanwhile,Quartz Kid had stolen toward Burt ¢o the door and in boisterous tones invited him | Browne’s cabin which had been given to Adele in to take ‘‘ suthin,” ~ | for a residence while she should remain in Coy- Alaric rode through camp without incident, | ote. He was eager to drop the papers whers and in the shadowed suburbs he tethered his they should be found by the man who had been horse and walked back. | marked for doom. Then he would go back to Half-way up-street and near Terrapin Tom’s, | Wild Alaric and report, he caught sight of a boy as he came from a cer- | He reached the shadow of Adele’s cabin and tain cabin and stopped before the door. dropped on all-fours. To pass the little window ‘* Thar’s ther very chap l’ve been lookin’ for!” | would be to arouse the girl’s suspicions if she were there waiting for the man with the iron blade. | Ile crept forward on his errand, and glided un- _der the window with the noiselessness of the snake, Foot by foot he moved over the ground holding his breath, and eager to “lose” the papers according to Wild Alaric’s commands. * What | The boy pecan plsbeg his mission successfully. could get away he was at his side. ‘‘ Jehu, stranger!” exclaimed Quartz Kid, looking up into the face he did not recognize. ‘+ Ain’t yer kinder afraid ter drop down in this serpents’ den?” ‘“T don’t know,” laughed Alaric. kind ov place have L reached, anyhow?” The paper was white enough to attract atten- ‘¢'Thet’s owin’ ter how they take yer comin’.” | tion in the starlight, and having left the packet where he thought it would be seen by Mark, ‘Burt Browne an’ pards. Burt has succeed- | Quartz Kid crept back with a face flushed with ed ter ther kingship since Crimson Con got | triumph. his quietus. They don't take kindly ter visitors **T bilieve Pll go ter New York an’ play de- “ec They?” hyer.” tective after I get through hyer,” he said with a ‘What! don’t yer recognize me, Quartz?’ | light laugh to himself. ‘‘ With ther exception suddenly whispered Alaric, stooping over the | ov my failure ter set ther Coyotes upon Mark, boy. my career hes been a success. I’m settin’ a *% You ain’t ther Major, ch?” cooler foe than Coyote on him ter-night, an’ v ther days ov ther iron degger ar’ about ended.” It was almost nine o’clock, and the boy who saw no reason for going back to Alaric just then, crouched against another cabin and watched for the Unknown. While he waited there, Wild Alaric was hay- ing a very unwelcome visitor, and one to meet whom he had not come back to Camp Coyote, He had darkened the cabin as we have seen, by extinguishing the light after Quartz Kid’s departure, and in the darkness was waiting for the boy’s report. He had not come back un- prepared, but with a full supply of weapons, he was ready to cope with any foe who might pre- sent himself. For some time he had waited at the window, but at length, as if tired of standing where no- thing was to be seen, he went to the table, and in Pg gloom found a stool upon which he drop- acl. All at once Wild Alaric heard a footstep out- side, and with a low ejaculation of ‘the boy!” he turned his head toward the door. “This is Alaric’s cabin,” said a human voice, as the door was pushed ajar by some one on the outside. The sport was on his feet in an instant. He seemed to recognize the, voice, and while he stood erect with his hand on the hilt of a bowie for quick, close work, he waited for further de- velopments. ‘‘ Hels liable ter find Wild Alaric at home!” “ No—Alaric. ‘‘ Back in ther fire!” exclaimed the boy. heaven’s name what’s become ov Blister?” ‘* He's safe in ther mountains.” ‘With thirty men itchin’ ter blow his head from his shoulders! W ea oye do that, Alaric? Did he hev ter KUL CODF ‘““T ouess thet war the case,” said the Major's yard, ! Re If he wasn’t cornered an’ didn’t hev ter do l , ” was the boy’s quick re- it, he war a fool,” was Oey eae cht sponse. ‘* Why didn’t he stay byer g ther iron blades?” ‘““With Con dead behind him ‘be had ee Bo.” Tn said Alaric grinding his teeth. stayed an’ fought it out,’ ‘He Jost ther knife.” ‘‘Ther iron one? Yes.” ‘‘ Wal, it’s been found.” ‘By whom?” <¢ BY. Mare. re ‘‘Ts he hyer now? Browne’s at nine o’clock to-night.” Ts it ep gist yz ‘* About that time. Wild Baie Somcnee the boy’s arm and looked 7n into his face. eorrve come back ter bait ther trap,” he said, ‘ther trap that is ter catch one if not two men. Does Adele or Mark know your handwritin’, boy oh Ther girl saw ther note I tied to ther | he muttered. ‘* Mebbe Ive set a trap without stick an’ flung among the NS pers te Spake it. et am he Se ate dibl ‘ wrong trail,” sai e bo e invitation w ot spoken in audible throw them onto ther 6 j 4 tones, but it was accepted all the same. . rR to do it myself. Iam goin The door opened wider, and Major Blister’s pe Fg Sve goth a ate Ox paper—a de- | pard saw a human figure between him and the stars. Alarie prepared for a wie he could hardly keep back the whoop that bubbled to his lips. *“*T may find nothing here, but Ill give ther old hut a search,” the visitor went on, and the coy in black an’ white. We'll go ter my old it up.” shanty, Quartz, an’ ee of scheme the Sport Wondering what aime d accompanied Wild had planned, oo where in the light of the Major Blister, the Sport of T'wo Cities. oe ae e+ 25 next instant followed the snap and the flash of a match. lt was impossible for Alaric to stand a second before the man without being seen. The light that blazed up showed his stalwart figure, and even revealed the preparations he had made for a deadly contest. It did all this in a very brief space of time. ‘*The man himself!” cried the person with the match, as he threw it down and then leaped at Alaric so quickly, that ready as he apparently was for anything, he was still unprepared. The two men came together like two gladia- tors in the arena. ‘* Here is one of the five Mark the Unknown will not get!” Alarie heard hissed in his ear. ‘Circumstane.s prevented me from meeting you at the two rocks after Gideon’s rescue; but I'll make amends for the failure here.” Wild Alaric knew bis man before the struggle began. The short existence of the match told him that he was face to face again with Fred Ferret the Broadway Spotter. Quartz Kid would have called him the Satan- eyed man! Back over the table and against the hard wall of the cabin went Alaric before he could resist. The charge of the detective was fury itself, and Major Bli ter’s right bower found his bowie _ jerked from his hand ere he could deal one blow | | for Alaric. ‘*T want you beyond this cabin!” said the New Yorker. ‘‘ This is better luck than I hoped for, Wild Alaric.. I came to your hut for a clew, and here I find the living one. One word, my Mulberry street thug, and Dll dye these walls with the contents of your head!” In two minutes the man, taken completely by surprise, found himself in the hands of the one who held the cold muzzle of a revolver against his head. They had reached the door, now wide open, and Wild Alaric saw the man again, and stood at his mercy. Ho could hardly believe that he was a prisoner, but the touch of the steel barrel, and the clutch , of I'red Ferret’s left hand told him that it was no wild vision with the stars for a canopy. **'You know what to do under circumstances like these,” the Broadway Spotter went on. ** A man who has had a dozen careers under as many names is no fool in a place like this. March for- ward, Alaric! I keep at your side. One sur- poy movement, one false step, and by the ioly stars above us! Ill leave you dead among the cabins of Camp Coyote!” Behind his lips Wild Alaric shut his teeth and gave the detective a mad glance through his black lashes, ‘‘ It’s ther first time I ever set a trap for my- self,” growled the Major’s pard. ‘ This is ther man I once walled up in a dungeon in New York an’ now he’s caught me in ther Black mia Wal, I must get another hand—that’s ” Alaric was moving off with Fred Ferret tri- umphant and close at his side. ‘Which way?” suddenly asked the prisoner. ** Down the trail by which you entered camp; you know where that is.” Alaric turned sullenly to the right and went down the little by-street at the New Yorker’s pistol. How he longed for a chance to turn the tables; how he felt his blood flow hot through his temples whenever he looked at the man and thought that he was within reach of one of the owners of the iron daggers and could not strike! After awhile Quartz Kid came back to Wild Alaric’s cabin, but too late to find its owner. The open door seemed to tell the boy spy that the sport of mountain and city was gone. “Phe ame worked, Alaric,” exclaimed the e came, he found the decoy papers an’ afore mornin’, Mark ther Unknown will be on ther trail ter ther trap!” The boy got thus far before he discovered that the dark cabin had no tenant, ** Ain’t yer hyer, Alaric?” As no voice responded he struck a match and held it over his head. The flame enlarged and showed him the table toppling against the wall and the heavy stools upset. Somebody had come to visit Alaric during his absence; there was no mistake. ** Heavens! they’ve played tiger hyer!” cried Quartz Kid. ‘ But what has become of Alaric?” CHAPTER XXX. JERKED FROM THE JAWS. Ir Wild Alaric had been caught in a trap of his own setting, his scheme against Mark the Unknown gave forth promise of success, Precisely at nine o’clock the black-eyed man came to Burt Browne’s cabin where Adele waited for him. To Quartz Kid’s disappoint- ment, he stepped over the paper lying in the aig ag in front of the door and passed into the ut. ‘I’m goin’ ter stay hyer till he comes out,” said the boy spy, to himself. ‘‘ He must find Alaric’s decoy letter an’ map. Ther Major's pard will wait for me in bis cabin. I didn’t pugnane ter come back before Mark found ther it. He did not have to watch long but just long enough to let Fred Ferret reap the success re- corded in the last chapter. At the end of an boy. ‘ com choo!