Beadle's New York Dime Library, No. 375 — page 22: what you’re looking at

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

22 How far they went, and how long they were going, was a something that she tried to keep track of, but with rather poor re- sults. She only Enew, from the twisting and turning, and the care with which he at times proceeded, that the way was a tortuous one, and that probably the man expected to leave to those who might attempt to follow, no signs to show in what direction, and by ‘whose assistance their captive had disap- peared. At length he gave what seemed to bea sigh of relief, and halted. ‘‘T think I can say now that you are in safety at last. The outlaws can scarcely find us here, unless they Know more about the secrets of these old shafts than | think they. do.” ‘*Where are we, you?” “We are in an old mine, that may have ‘been worked before the flood for all I know. It makes no difference who I am—you have recognized me, I think, sufficiently for all practical purposes. It is enough that I am your friend tv the death, if needs be; and that you never were in as much danger as | that from which I just rescued you.” ‘And why was I in danger? For what reason did that maninterfere? [knew noth- ing of him before, and of course would not have been likely to ever get in his way.” “Sooner or later the trails you have been . trying to follow would have led to him, and ‘ then would have come the settlement of hate. Of all the men you have sought he . most of all deserved the quest—and was the : most dangerous of all to find. It was a safe a bet that he would have throttled you the then; and who are moment he was assured there was nothing | more to be learned from you. You were | ‘taken to slay.” ed . . Bae” 1 can hardly believe it. There was something more than chance in his having us three women meet together, though I can- - _ mot imagine what connection they have with me. ‘‘ Vet they have a connection—one that I will understand before the night is over. | Ah, you know me now? Perhaps you do not hate me quite as heartily as you did.” As they talked her rescuer struck a light; and Brilliant Bess gave a start, and a low _ ery—even though she had been in some measure prepared for the face that she saw. - It was the face of Gentle Joe. ‘‘Hate you—yes, worse than _ before. There is no honor or honesty in you. Ah, - J have been fooled—duped. I am no more free than [| was. I am your prisoner in- | gtead of Royal George; and the change is for | the worse.” Q - She drew herself up as she spoke, and her “a eyes glittered with a mad fire. She even | raised her weaponless hand, If she had had the power, without a doubt she would have aid him dead at her feet. Yet the man seemed neither dismayed nor | discouraged, but answered her in the soft, fe urring tones for which Gentle Joe received | his name: : 2a “You have all along chosen to think I am --yourenemy. Itis a mistake. I am your | friend—I am more than your friend. You - -would take my life this minute, if youcould; | while,I would die to serve you. You have | treated me unfair from the outset, yet I have suffered and hoped. Bess Stanley, can you not see that I love you?” |. She had been looking in his face now as | ghe had never looked before, ie 4* he this a foul Hie or are you mad? Love! Why, you villain! do you think I do not remember you? Every hour since that __ plack time one face has been with me—the |’ face of the man who, when I was a child, _ Jured me away from duty and father, and made me asharer in the awful murders of . thet night. That face was yours, Gentle Ahad Some last, lingering shade of uncer- tainty has held my hand thus far, but now I doubt no longer.” , | ** Ha! ha! pretty one; in all this world there never was a girl so mistaken and be- | wildered as you. Iam not Gentle Joe, and - neither he nor I had any hand in your fa- _ ther’s death. If there is any sacred oath that you would believe, name it, and you shall hear me swear.” Bah! An oath from you—gambler, thief, assassin! Your hands red with the father’s - plood, you dare address such words to the $. { ~~ ‘ ‘ So COS ! f er Royal George, the Three | daughter! Enough. Attempt your worst, _ and see how Bess Stanley will meet you!” ‘*My worst is, perhaps, not as bad as you may think. For the present, I will only keep my birdie safe. she may change her mind, and laugh at the idle fancies that now clog her brain. You are mine—always will be mine—certain as | fate!” He sprung toward her as he spoke, his arms outstretched, his face on fire. Though she knew not which way to turn, ' flight was her only hope. She slipped away ' from his fingers and dashed by, while right in his path, as he followed after, a dark shadow loomed, a revolver rose until its cold muzzle touched his forehead, while a voice | said: | ‘*Halt right there! | drop!” | CHAPTER XXVIL A FIGHT IN THE DARK. ‘*Wuar’sthe matter with him?’ asked Hen | Hurley of his brother, as Royal George, with ‘a face that wore a strangely puzzled look, _ took his departure and left the two alone to- | gether. ‘*Crazy as a bedbug—and you're just in the same boat-to be telling him a lot of stuff like that you got over.” ‘* Nothing like the frozen truth at all times, If I expected to settle in this delectable | climate I might keep such secrets as a mat- | ter of speculation; but as I want to get out as | fast as 1 can, and take Elena with me, I didn't | see that it had any chance to rise higher in ' value than the present market price.” ‘‘ Not considerin’ that if any of Barton’s old pards find out how you have sold them out they will be going for four necktie; and | Royal George will always suspect that you knew more about the thing than you were Willing to tell.” ; ‘‘T told a good, square story, and if he don’t believe it, I can’t help it. Don’t let’s | quarrel about it, though. Here I’ve been | with you half an hour and haven’t found out | how bad you were hurt, and who did the job, ' and for what.” ‘‘When you begin to ask questions you want the earth. I don’t know what the thing means any more than you do, and I’m not sure who put it up; but I do know I’m | not half as bad hurt as I thought I was, and that I'll give them a fair shake about getting away if matters don’t grow worse. Blast it! I wish I did know the inside truth. Id | know where the lightning would strike when I get out and on the war-path. Let that go, though. You've done me a heap of good anyhow, and if I keep on improving my friends at Blazer's won’t know me," There was something in what Jess said, for almost without an effert he was dropping much of the uncouthness from his speech, showing that it was more a mask ‘than a | second nature. ** And how soon do you expect to get out and go on the war-path? I would offer my help if I hadn’t my hands full already witha contract that may give we trouble enough, There's a woman in the case—a woman that I got into this mix, and that I haye sworn to see out. If you cangive me a pointer you will earn my everlasting gratitude. When I came to see you I left her behind, and I want to know how to get back to her and how to get away with her. Can you give me a hint?” ‘More hints than you can count, but I | won’t swear that any of them are worth any- | thing; and if you’ll wait till I get the strength I'll go along. If there’s a woman in the case —as of course there must be—everything else must wait. I dont suppose I need worry about Gentle Joe’s running away meantime, He’s not exactly the running kind.”’ ‘Tf I don’t have to wait too long I would sooner have your help than not, and I don’t feel like leaving you here if I cando you any i good, At the same time I can’t afford to : lose more time than I must. Perhaps if you : in no danger now it would be just as Another step and you well if your affairs and mine were not mixed any more than may be necessary.” “Don’t fret yourself about Jess Hurley. He generally comes out near the top of the heap. Iam under the weather, but I’ve lots of good in me for all that, and if your affairs won't wait I’m ready for business now. in One. Some day in the future | outlaw’s retreat, and half suspected for the SR ACE ARIE: a De RE TI a SSS | day to begin. I’d sooner have a little more | light here and a little less outside. Keep | your ears open for any of these galoots that | may besneaking around, and I’ll see how the land lays. | know a heap about these quarters, | that Royal George don’t begin to suspect I | wish 1 knew more just now, but it’s just likely I know enough.” | He held up his hand to enforce his warn- ing, and then raised himself up with a strength that his brother had not credited him with possessing. ‘‘A shame to go back on their good nature, after they were kind enough to leave us a light, but if they wanted us to stay they ought to have said so. Couldnt have thought we were going to throw a chance over our shoulders. And George is a half-crank, as I said before, and don't always reckon on what aman may know. There's a little wrinkle here, if things are as they used to was, that ought to let us out if the light lasts long enough. Here you are; come and see.”’ Hen Hurley watched his brother with as much surprise as curiosity. He wondered how Jess came to know the secrets of the moment that he might be a confederate rather than a victim. However that was, Jess had certainly found what he had hinted existed. | ‘‘There’s yer secret passage and yer way out. If we can follow it without tumbling overboard Ill bet high that we strike day- light by a road that Royal George never heard of. If you feel yourself going just clasp your hands and say your prayers— there’s not much use in trying anything else.” He caught up the light and held it down while his brother preceded him through the aperture. Then he followed closely, and after carefully closing the trap behind him, took the lead. ‘«Tt’s been some time since I went through here, but [ guess 1 haven’t quite forgot the lay of the land. Keep right at my heels, for something may happen to the light, and I don’t want to lose you here; there might be some trouble in finding the corpse.” ‘‘How do you come to know anything about it at all? Seems to me you havea heap of knowledge about the inside work- ings of the road-agencies. Maybe you have been on the racket yourself.” ‘* Don’t be inquisitive. You knew a heap about things yourself. Perhaps | have some dead pards, too, that told me all about it.” The hit was enough to silence the other, and he followed in quiet, picking his way as much by imitating the movements of his brother as by the aid of the feeble light, whose glimmer scarcely reached beyond the spot on which he at the time was planting his feet. ‘‘Flush!” said Jess, suddenly. ‘* Stand close, and keep your hand on my shoulder. Some one is coming, and it will be safer to put out the light.” [It was only a faint sound, but that it was a footfall was certain; and without hesitation the light was extinguished, and the two crouched in the darkness. ‘| reckon they will go on by, but if they don’t, and turn in here, it’s going to make a deuced unpleasant mix, unless they let us take them unawares. Fur goodness sake, lay low! When a man has no shooters, and durned little strength, he don’t want to get into a rough and-tumble with the next man that comes along.” ! The two hugged the wall of the low and \ narrow passage, and waited in breathless eagerness as the footsteps came nearer and nearer. At length a faint light, at some little dis- tance ahead, showed that the critical time was at hand The light, however, remained stationary, and the voices came more plainly to their ears. Sometimes they lost a word or two, for the speakers were guarded, in spite of the seeming seclusion; but, for the most ‘part, it was not hard to make out their mean- ing. a You know something about the inside now that no one of the gang but myself ever knew before, and I don’t say I would have told it to you if I hadn’t wanted to use you. Tt’s a secret that died with the old man—if he knew anything about it. When he lit on- to the mine, it's just as likely that he only The only thine is that it’s rather carly in the © took hold of what he saw, and didn’t trouble Be hae ~ ts LA) oe AY OP Dit) Vibe > a aS" : 200KS.C + . 2 - - ae Es s ES Ce “ 8 1 — | —