Beadle's New York Dime Library No. 379 — page 25: what you’re looking at

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

é -_ + eo dy as time would admit. Was not with the gang, having left ina hurry ° cold argument. uttered deliberately rather than hotly or in haste. But the sting rankled at last, and a fiery «ath leaped to his thick lips. ; ‘‘ What the foul fiend are you jumping rough- shod on me for?’ ‘‘ Because less summary methods would have no effect upon you as you are now,” was the icy retort, those gray orbs glowing with mingled veproof and scorn. “* Because I find you making # hog of yourself just when you should be clear- ing your wits for hot and deadly work! Be- cause I am growing sick and tired of racking my brains to keep your head above water, while you persist in ruining all with your in- fernal bull-headed obstinacy! Because you will hunt your hols at the first sign of danger, laying low, playing the hog and cur while the rest of us are out fighting to correct the mistakes you have made! And if those are not reasons enough, I ean pile one on another until it would take a thousand-power telescope to see half-way to the top of them!” ‘*Are you going crazy, Dave Ingram?” splut- tered the magnate of Good Leather, turning a sickly yellow as he shrunk back from those icily gleaming orbs. A low, soft laugh parted the lips of the cool ‘sport, and there was no trace of scorn or reproof in the words that followed: ‘Not a bit of it, my dear fellow. Simply trying to open a hole through the whisky-fog, -and to save precious time by opening your eyes at once, instead of trusting to the slow effects of I’ve got most important mat- ters to report, and for your own good, as for the welfare of all the others, you must give it immediate and careful attention, me?” ‘‘-You talk as though I was no bettor than a ‘half-wit!” sulkily growled the colonel, his hand moving toward the decanter, only to be pushed back by that of the coo] sport. Sharp and cold came the retort: ‘** And how much better have you shown your- self? What wit have you displayed since the stage came in this day?” | Colonel Mallison shrunk back, his eyes droop- ing, that yellowish hue again coming back to his face, his voice trembling despite the evident «{fort he made to render 1t steady. ‘That devil! It seemed as though he put a spellon me! And coming so soon alfter—after a jog at! shock that—” “ei cold laugh from the gambler cut him snort, “Tf you call that a enh shock, I wonder how you'll manage to weigh the one that is now impending over your head?” ‘What do you mean? What shock?” gasped ‘the colonel, uneasily, Iceberg Dave flung out one hand carelessly, responding: ‘‘That must take its turn, You forget that I have a report to make to you as the nominal head of the family, Are you ready to receive it? Can you muster up your wits sufficiently to comprehend what I say?” Good Leather would have opened its eyes widely could it have seen those two men just ‘then, and listened to the scornful tonesin which eee Dave addressed the magnate. Colonel Joel Mallison had fallen down one step in its estimation that day; this would have brought him to the very foot of the flight. ‘Try me and see,” sullenly muttered the col- onel. Once more Iceberg Dave made a complete change in his manner and tones, the one calm and easy, the other respectful, as due a superior in rank, if not in ability. ‘*'You know what news we expected to receive by the stage; very different from what actually came. And the worst of it is that what we heard was the actual truth!” “I knew it!” muttered Mallison, moodily, 8 soon as I caught the eyes of that red- headed demon, I knew we were ruined!” . “EE ae are, [ know who is to shoulder the biggest share of the blame,” and Iceberg Dave reached across the table to touch the arm of the speculator, “You lost. your nerve just when if was needed the most. You let that rascal—if he is the man we have to fear, which f am strongly inclined to doubt—see your hand, just when you wanted to play every card for all they were worth! It would not take very hard talking to make a jury bring that in as rank treachery, colonel!” ‘‘T was all broken up!” muttered the other, moodily, with a longing glance toward the liquor which Iceberg Dave was guarding. ‘You don't know why, but it was no actual fault of my own, And then, if you ok he isn’t the poets we were looking for, what harm could it o? “T said I hardly believed he could be the man,” coldly corrected the gambler. “ But let that point pass for the present. To my re- rt You follow ae ‘“T left town as soon as I could manage it without being noticed, and hastened to the rendezvous. I found the boys there, save two whom that red-haired rascal laid out cold, They had been left behind, hidden as thorough- Captain Clean-up | Howling Jonathan. —- for town, that his agency or identity might not be suspected.” **T thought somebody said he was killed?” ‘* Tf so, there was some excuse for it,” was the quiet response. ‘‘He was shot and knocked from the saddle, I believe. The bullet struck and shivered the bone handle of his bowie-knife, which happened to be resting directly over his heart, The shock upset him tor a few minutes but an examination showed that the lead hac gone no further, and that the blood came only irom bits of the bone tearing his skin. It was lucky for him—it might have been far luckier if he had carried no knife other than the plain one in his belt!” Colonel Mallison stared at the speaker with wide open eyes. This sounded like open treach-: ery to one of the family! ‘*T don’t understand you!” he muttered, one eine tage hand rubbing his brandy-heated fore- head. ** You will in good time,” was.the cold retort. ** Just now—listen: ‘* When I found Captain Clean-up was miss- ing, I picked out one of the coolest headed mem- bers, and pressed him close with questions, re- solved to get at the bottom facts and to discover where the blame for the botched affair should be placed, ‘To go back to the beginning, he said that word was received under the usual cover, that plans were being laid for the capture or destruc- tion of the road-agent gang under Captain Clean-up. The information was far from clear on some points, but in the main it was quite sufficient to give us a living chance to win the rame, ri, Just what force was to be sent our spy could not say. Equally in the dark was he as to the name and description of the chief enemy, but he knew when the hunt was to begin, and sent facts by which Captain Clean-up felt positive to-day’s stage would bring the devil to Good Leather. And so, to at one blow upset the dirty scheme, he resolved to stop the stage and find out the bloodhound. With him in custody, it would go hard but torture would bring out the whole truth. ‘* You know what happened. The hearse was held up in good style, and as only Joe Duncan and a rough cuss was on the box, one of whom he knew to be faithful and the other of whom was the last man in the world any sensible human would pick out for a detective, he first went for the insides, He satisfied himself that they were none of them the one he was looking for, and so turned to the red-headed rascal on the box. Only to have a bombshell burst under his feet!” ‘Yet you said—” ‘And [I still cling to that opinion,” coldly a! “apa the gambler. “I don’t believe bh ing Jonathan is any more a detective than am, ‘* But how can you explain it, then?” | ‘*Simply enough: something deceived our spy, for I know he would not knowingly send false information. Instead of to-day, yesterday’s or some earlier stage brought the detective to Good Leather!” ‘‘Or he may still be on the way!” muttered Colonel Mallison, seeming greatly relieved to have even this indirect evidence that Howling Jonathan was not the detective he had believed him ever since that luckless encounter while his wits were muddied and his nerves so terribly shaken by the unexpected meeting with Herman Moskau. A low, hard laugh parted the thin ‘ips of the gambler, and there was little of consolation in his tones, as he added: ** That detective is now in Good Leather. He has been at work, too, since he has not hesitated to strike the family one heavy blow this very evening.” ** What do you mean by that?” faltered Malli- son, who was making a truly wretched exhibi- tion of himself, thanks to that ugly ghost of an uglier past. ‘Wait a bit,” was the quiet response. ‘‘ You remember I said that when I asked for Captain Clean-up, I was told he had, immediately on re- covering from the shot that shattered knife- handle gave him, started for Good Leather, This was partly to give no cause for suspicion falling on him when noses should be counted in Good Leather after the tale was told of the adventure, and partly to lend us aid if we should need any to put the detective out of the way. ‘‘ Like all the rest of the family, Captain Clean-up firmly believed that red-headed cyclone was our game, and he knew that if so the part he had been forced to play when the stage was held up, would make him lose little time in deal- ing his blows at the rest of us, But he was in error, and now I'll tell you what I meant by say- ing that it might have been better if that shot had killed him instead of merely bruising: ‘¢ The detective has made his first blow, and Captain Clean-up is under arrest, ironed, guard- ed by men enough to make a mighty hot fight!” CHAPTER XVI. THE WIDOW WAXES CONFIDENTIAL, Cotoner Jozi MALLISON shrunk back in his chair, his face a sickly yellow, his little eyes al- most popping out of their sockets, his entire rr en Se ee eee —eeSO—eeeee————————————EEEEEEEEEE—————— 000 — frame shivering as with an ague-fit, the ve personification of abject fear. ¢ And his words were barely articulate as he gasped: ‘*'We're gone! He'll blow the whole business to save his own neck!” Iceberg Dave sat with a cold, scornful smile upon his face, and now if ever before he showed how miserably low in his estimation steed the magnate of Good Leather, when viewed simply as aman according to the sporting code. And something of this appeared in his werds: ‘** Measuring him in your own bushel, colenel, you might be ee ty near right. But, thank the devil! Perry Blair is of a different breed of dogs! They may down him, but they can’t wring a sound from his lips! If we had naught to dread save his tongue, we might rest one in = little beds without lesing a single wink of sleep. ** They'll pinch him until he squeals!” mutter- ed the colonel, slowly recovering from the shock, licking his parched lips, reaching with trembling hands over to the brandy bottle, Iceberg Dave did not hinder bim this time. Perhaps he felt that the wretch would need all his strength before the end, If so, he must have ashes the liquor credit for doing very rapid work, ** They couldn’t coax a syllable out of Perry Blairs’s lips against his will, though they bad all the fiends in Tophet to aid them! All the same, we’re not. going to give them much rope. Weve got to get him out of trouble, and the rmcane is already at work. So much for that. ‘* There is one other point which I want to call to your attention, Morris Grant—” With hands that trembled so they made the neck of the decanter and the edge of the glass ring merrily together, Colonel Mallison man- aged to pour out a brimming bnmper of the liquor. He was just gulping it down as Iceberg Dave uttered that name, and with a start he choked and strangled, the brandy flowing from the mouth and nostrils! The cool sport made no move, no offer to as- sist him, but leaned back in his seat, smiling maliciously at the effect of his words. It wasa delicious treat to him, after his long and nerve- trying restraint, Until this night he had bowed down before the arrogant will of this poor cow- ard, crushing his own manhood down with an iron hand, doing battle none the less sturdy and severe from being hidden from all eyes, known = to his own heart and—possibly ove other! It was almost like a free breath to a drown- ing man, this sudden outbreak, this casting off the fetters which had held him so long! ‘*Curse—I don’t know—that name!” gasped the colonel, the words coming in pants as he coukl catch his breath between his paroxysms of s rangling and coughing. ‘* And you lie to me when you on so, Joel Mallison,” was the icy-cold retort, the andsome face growing hard and even menacing. ‘‘ You are the same Morris Grant who sold The Plenty mine at New Rush. 1 have known this almost from the day you and I first came together, but I never knew or even suspected until quite re- cently, your real reasons for taking another name, and trying to alter your personal ap- rance,” Colonel Mallison choked down his spasms, glaring at the speaker with sullen fury, min- gling with terror. The shock was severe enough to partially clear bis brain, and bring back a rtion of his natural cunning. He saw that ceberg Dave was not making a random charge, and he tried to cover his hasty mistake. ‘Curse the liquor! it cuts like a knife! I don’t know why it is one has to put up with such infernal stuff! And that name—I Sig it agesago, What makes you bring it up, Dave?” The cool sport laughed softly, mocktens) , as be gazed at his opposite through his half-closed ids, ** Too thin, old fellow! It was the name that choked you, not the brandy! And shall I tell you why?” Mallison growled savagely. If he could have done so without too great risk, he would have drawn a pistol and sent a bullet through that white, mocking face. ‘Curse the name!” ** As others have before this, and with a good deal better cause, my dear fellow,” quickly in- terposed Ingram. ° “We were talking about setting hi Blair y good, it’s a free, and if we’re to do him an shame to waste time raking up the past.” ‘**T told you work was going on, and even if it wasn’t, what could we hope from you, in this condition? Drunk, unnerved, ready to choke at a mere name! Bah! old man, your squirmings are worse than useless! I came here to-night more to give you a benefit than to make a re- port of the work I had done. And when I take a trail, the devil himself hasn’t got grip enough to tear me off, before I run it to an end!” Hardly the cool sport now! More like a man who has cornered a long-hated enemy, whose blood he is thirsting to lap, and only held back by a fierce longing to make that punishment even more than death, Something of this Colonel Mallison sew, thongh why it should be so he could not even "com “S (¢ 100