Beadle's New York Dime Library, No. 374 — page 27: what you’re looking at

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

—_— The mountain pards expressed their satisfac- tion in their faces. They were willing to ex- change Wild Alaric for the man they wanted. “Fasten his hands,” said Burt Browne, and with a glance at the detective he went on. ‘* You will see ther end ov this hunt, sir. Mebbe we'll make it ter yer advantage to do ~ »” The Broadway Spotter had already decided on seeing the end of the whole affair, It was not his intention to turn back now and leave Wild Alaric in the hands of the Coyote toughs. In a iit le while the arms of the prisoner were secured in a manner that would not interfere with his gait, and Burt Browne gave orders to march. A singular look came into Alaric’s eyes while he took the first steps forward, He had secured a fresh lease of life, and it was possible that he yet hoped to spring the trap destined to end the careers of Mark, the Unknown, and Fred Fer- ret. It will be remembered that he bad led the New York detective to the spot where Burt Browne and pards had stepped forward in time to save hina from Ferret’s revolver. He might then be near the Major’s retreat, and it might be miles away, Everything as to its location was uncertain, Wild Alaric walked over the trail with figure erect, and not much like a man who was coy- ered by twenty revolvers ‘*Tll set an’spring thet trap in ther ay: run,” he growled to himself. ‘I admit thet war never trotted off this way before, with a score ov droppers at my head, an’ just now ther outlook has a bilious appearance. But I am still Wild Alaric, an’ I will continue ter be till my feet look up at ther sun from ther bed ov some mountain trail.” The tramp seemed to lengthen into an endless journey as the sun came up and soared toward the zenith. The men at Wild Alaric’s back showed their impatience as mile after mile was tramped over, with no signs of halting. ‘* Won't he never stop?” exclaimed Fred Fer- ret, watching the prisoner. ‘“ If he is playing a game for his life, he is playing it well, but 1 do not understand it.” At last Alaric halted of his own accord, and threw a glance over his shoulder at the men, who were up in a moment. ‘*T guess we've got thar,” he said, looking into Burt Browne’s face. The leader of the Coyote pards looked around and saw no signs of a rendezvous. The band had halted at the foot of a mountain, whose side was rather precipitous, and covered with timber, and here and there clumps of bushes. ‘* We want no foolery—remember!” he said to aric. ** Just as if I sell goods less than a yard wide,” said the prisoner with a faint smile. ‘‘ I suppose I’m ter marched inter my pard’s presence with my hands tied thus, showin’ him thet Alaric has turned traitor.” ‘* No, you're not,” cried Burt Browne, and a moment later his bowie, flashing for a second in the sunlight, severed the Sport’s bonds, and his hands were free, “Tf ther rendezvous is hyer, I don’t see it,” the leader of the toughs went on. ‘‘Thet’s because you don’t know whar ter look,” was the answer. ‘Follow me, but at as respectable distance as yer can under ther cir- cumstances, an’ I will show yer ther man you want.” Wild Alaric went forward again and disap- peared suddenly among some bushes, that closed behind him like a door. Headed by Burt Browne himself, the Coyote pards plunged for- ward and discovered—what? _ A loud ery announced the discovery, Burt Browne had stopped before an opening into the mountain-side, which resembled the mouth of a pit, and he and his men stared into it, with Wild Alarie fairly out of sight! Furious curses were heard on every side, and their echo came back from among the gloomy depths of the cavern, ‘That’s what I call a eool trick,” muttered Burt Browne, and when he wheeled upon Fred Ferret he saw a quiet smile and a twinkling eye. *“You'would not let me settle with the vil- lain,” said the New Yorker, “and now it looks very much as if he will one day settle with you.” “Never!” exclaimed Burt Browne. “ This hole in ther mountain will not stop us, Ther mountain galoot is unarmed,” ‘* But the Major may be in there armed to the teeth.” . “of thar war a tribo ov reds in ther cave we'd keep R aes age Ther grave ov Crim- on is behind us, © war never my p; ter . great extent, Ferret, but he war ye perd yoter an’ that’s enough!” Meanwhile, the cool desperado who had aq- : d from the clutches of the Gp roitly escape voters was pushing through dense gloom toward the t+ chamber of the mountain cavern, Hoe ayo that he had entered the cave before whose mouth he had left Major Blister prior to his re. turn to Coyote to bait the trap for Mark the Un- known. Now all he had to do was to find the Major, and to acquaint him with the terrible adventures that had brought him back, =e we i st poe - ~, 7 -\ Pes , Major Blister, the Sport of Two Cities. oe He pushed rapidly down the corridor expect- ing to hear the men from Coyote at his heels. He was wholly unarmed and if they followed him, he would have to turn and sell his life with the ferocity of a, tiger. But nobody plunged after him, and he drew up amid Stygian darkness in a chamber whose walls and ceiling he could not touch. **[’m hyer by a shrewd little game ov my own playing,” he laughed till the cavern echoed yack his words. ‘' Now let me get a grip on one ov ther six-shooters carried by ther Major an’ V’ll show Burt Browne an’ his pards.that ther bite ov a caged wolf is death.” Moving to the right for a short distance, Wild Alaric touched a wall and then drew a match along its abraded surface. As the flame leaped up he touched it to a pine cone which instantly took fire. ‘*Major, I’m hyer but with ther dogs ov Co- yote at my back,” he said aloud. ‘* Come this way an’ let me clutch a six-shooter. Then we'll go back an’ lay a dozen out on a mountain cool- im’ board—all for sendin’ me a dozen miles with my hands tied!” There was no reply, and somewhat disappoint- ed and mystified, Wild Alaric went forward with the torch over his head. ** Halt!” suddenly rung out in startling tones, Wild Alaric stopped on the instant, **' You needn't pete up your hands for I see that you are not armed,” the voice continued. ‘** Hold your cave light where you have it now. You are Wild Alaric the friend of the man we caught here when we least expected him. What was that you said about coming here with the Coyoters at your back?” The cool Sport was too astonished to reply to these sentences. He could see the speaker, a very young man who held a revolver forward, while he stood erect and showed a determined visage. “Ho! you are ther clerk of the Dolores in Custer City,” he said at last. ‘‘T am Cyrus Slinkum,” was the reply. ‘** Whar is ther Major?” ‘Heaven knows. There were three of us in this cave a few hours ago.” ** Three?” echoed Alaric. **Gideon Goldbird, the Major and I.” ‘*Jehosaphat!” cried the Major’s ** What's become ov Gideon?” ‘*TIe is where the Majoris,” ‘** And he—” ‘Ts where [ don’t know.” For a moment Wild Alaric seemed to doubt the sanity of the youth who stood before him and spoke thus, ‘Go on an’ give me ther lay-out,” he said, **'You don’t know how many men I have at my heels.” ‘**Gideon and I were here when Major Blister came,” said Cyrus. ‘It did not take us long to show him that he had unconsciously walked in- to a trap which we had no intention of setting. He and Gideon_resumed the old quarrel about the journey to New York, and the man in the dungeon there. Before I could interfere they had grappled and were having it rough and tumble over the stone floor, Gideon was weak from the terrible wound given by the iron blade of the black-eyed man, but he gave the Major a fight that astonished him. All at once they dis- appeared,” “They found the pit!” exclaimed Wild Alaric. ‘* Did they go down tergether?” ‘¢ Yes—locked in each other’s embrace,” ‘¢They haven’t a chance in a thousand!” ‘Wild Alaric walked forward heedless of the fugitive clerk’s revolver; he seemed to have for- gotten the young man’s presence, “ Hello!” he suddenly cried, ‘‘ who hung this lariat down into the pit?” “T did,” said Cyrus coming forward. ‘TI found it in the cave and fastened it as you see, At first I intended to go down on the hunt of Gideon, but I must own that my courage failed me,” pard, ‘-You called ter him?” ‘* Yes, but not a word i a oe ithout speaking, Wild Alaric lit another cone and sent it spinning down the abyss. It threw ont a vivid light as it whirled over and over and striking, soon sent up a shower of sparks, = Hark!” said Cyrus grasping the Sport’s arm. “The men behind you must have entered the cave.’ Wild Alaris dro ‘s torch and caught the lariat. The next ag he lowered his body over the edge of the pit before the youth’s face and went rapidly downward. Cyrus Slinkum saw the rope stretched for half a minute and then it disappeared. A quick ; erk from below had removed it from the pointed rock to which it had been tied, and the clerk of Dolores could stare into space below and curse the man who had left him to face the men of Coyote. “That is the Jast card of a desperate man,” the youth said. ‘He Would sooner make the grave of the ta es Gideon his own than turn back and die F pegeuman. They know nothing about me, an Be that Andros Ruby a dead, there is none threaten me with the Ww. CO. ane in reply.” e > iow lt. > = . ~~ s ——_—__~_~_~_ tt LLL LLL LL A - ——: ——— S Cyrus turned away with the burning cone held over his head, and he bad not taken five steps when a loud voice saluted his ears. ** Halt thar, boy.” The fugitive hotel clerk instantly obeyed and looked into the revolvers of the Coyote Pards, CHAPTER XXXII. CUPID GETS A BLACK EYE, Ir was the night after these somewhat stort ling events and Burt Browne and his ne. had returned to Coyote which camp also held Cyrus Slinkum who, for the first time in a long while, felt at his ease. The young hotel clerk was thinking of making Coyote his future home for a while at least for he had naught to fear from Major Blister whom he had seen tumble headlong imto the cavern pit. locked in Gideon Goldbird’s embrace. **T don’t know but that this is the place for me, after all,” mused Cyrus when he bad looked the situation over carefully. ‘‘ Here the New York law dogs will never tind me and Andros Ruby who will never feel the iron dagger between his ribs will not threaten me with the penitenti- ary. After all, I left Custerin good time. No stages here from Sidney, and no New Yorker like- ly to recognize me will drop down upon this. camp.” Cyrus leaned back against the wall of the cabin he occupied, elevated his feet to the top of the not very elegant table and sent a number of smoke rings toward the rafters from the cigar he had obtained at Terrapin Tom’s. The only non-resident of the camp beside him- self at that time was Adele, and the young mam had seen her in the door of Burt Browne's cabin at sundown. ‘** By Jove!” suddenly exclaimed Cyrus, ‘‘ there might be a chance for me there! She’s got no. especial protector now, and I know enough to make myself agreeable to any young lady. The say that she is mixed up somehow with Mar the Unknown, and also with the gray-eyed mam who distinguished himself in Custer by tearmg a letter from Quartz Kid’s hands. Notwith- standing this, if it is true, I don’t see why I shouldn’t get into her graces, for a girl like her is liable to turn out an heiress one of these sac pale ‘or Cyrus to think thus was to act immediate- ly, and a few minutes served to take him to the cabin i 3 are by Adele. The door was opened before his first rap had died away and he was. invited inside in tones that instantly captivated. him, **T have been wishing that you would come,” said the girl. ‘‘I want to hear the story from your lips. Burt has told me what he heard from you. our narrative will complete the wild romance of the mountain cave.” ‘*You want to hear how the Major went to his death with Gideon I presume?” * That is it precisely.’ Cyrus took much pride in recounting to the girl the adventures he had met with in the cavern, and while he talked he saw her eyes light up with disappointment. **Do you really think the man called Andros: Ruby went to his death?’ inquired Adele at the conclusion of the story. ‘* There is not the least doubt of it, I to say,” was the reply. ‘Burt Browne is certain of it.” ** So are all his pards.” ‘** But the disappearance of Wild Alaric whe it away—what do you think of it?’ ‘‘Tt means simply starvation. get out of that pit unassisted. [ am sorry om your account, miss, for I see that you didn’t. want those two men to die in that manner.” _ ‘*T did not!” exclaimed Adele. ‘‘ They have escaped the iron dagger if they are dead, and in a certain sense their great crime will stand for- ever unavenged. Why did not Burt and his. pards explore the pit?” ‘In the first place, they took it for granted that ther Major and Gideon were dead, and, im ther next, with Wild Alaric alivesomewhere in it, a descent might have proved dangerous to the explorers. If I war half as dead as I think those men are, Gabriel’s trumpet.” fugitive clerk’s remarks, that he considered the ae of the infamous Gotham gang safely out of @ way. seemed to dissipate the last doubts of the the light of the little lamp. ‘* I will wait till Mark comes back,” a if speaking alo ed Cyrus. The girl looked up into his face. ‘Fred Ferret I mean,” continued the man. «Yes, but he did not stay long. He 3 three men?” ‘‘ He had few hopes left.” ro 4 4 4 am happy PAS, n are, I'd be skirmishing about for a coffin and a suitable place in which to listen for descended into the pit on the lasso and then took No man can * It would be perfectly safe to infer fromthe _ a ef4 © spoke with a positiveness bes x r and for along time afterward she sat silect i ©: she said, | is to herself, although she spoke _ ud. Aik, ‘* What did the other man say?” suddenly ask- <u y tra oung ** He came back with Burt and his gang? Oe is away ow. + ah ‘‘But what did he say about the doom of the _ 2 7( s za GOMIE aw a GF @ bool a