Beadle's New York Dime Library, No. 38 — page 27: what you’re looking at

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

5 nn —— cel EI A Velvet Hand. ae — —’ corm; ahd all these charms were his—his to possess and control, for wits she not helpless in his power? and what man so mighty— what chief so bold as to dare to attempt.to step between the red McCloud and his prey? The skin door was abruptly drawn aside, dnd a warrior stuck his head’in. ‘‘Ugh?”’ cried Koo-choo, in a tone of question. The warrior beckoiiéd for the old Chief to approach, and thén, when he did so, whispéred in his ear. Velvet Hand and a strange red warrior had come to claim the Indian ‘girl! The wily old warrior was startled at first at the circumstance; and he cast a suspicious glati¢e at the white captive: Did the pale chief know'that she Was in the McCloud village, and had he’ come with the iiténtion Of rescuing her? A moment’s reflection dispelled the idea; all the warriors had béen strictly warned not 'to mention the presénce of the captive, | and it was clearly impossible that Velvet Hand could know that) the girl ‘was in the Indian village, even if he’knew that she was missing from the white lodges. “Take hitt ifit the outer lodge and! send the Waterbird heré,”. whispered the chief to the other. . 'W hen the girl arrived he committed the prisoner to her care, vid passed into the outer lodge, where he found Velvet Hand seated upon @ pile of skins. The strange Indian, ‘Vélvec Hand’s companion, who was the trusty Blackfoot, Mud-turtle, was out- sidé ‘thé lodge in ¢harge of ‘the horses. Velvet Hand rose a8 thé’old warrior approached. ‘‘Let the white chief speak low,” continued the’ chief; “one oid the° best of fe: AeOloue warhiots 49 ‘near 'to'death within. He slee 8, and to wake is to die.” wily plah was to prevent the voice of the white man tm réaching the helpless captive within. “T will be careful,” the white answered. seek?’ “( Wnld-haha, thé Water-bira.” ‘Ah, my brother has ¢dnélndeéd t6 balled the sq iawer lana ‘the old rascal affected to be amazingly pleased. ‘Yes, if the McCloud chief..is of, the same mind as when we last talked together.” “The red McCloud is like the peak of Shasta!” the chief declared, loftily. ‘‘ He never changes!” 4 Pm-glad to-hear.it,” “But the chief was to favor the McCloud warrior; where is the white flower?’’ pa.chpo ene: “Safe im white. su ught.I ‘\énow,’” the Cin- nabar sharp answered, wont es will, do the best I can for you,.but it is.a matter that will require much time. We.must, watch and wait for @ favorable opportunity,” Ge the ohio f understan benignantly. ‘‘He is in no hurry; the time will come when his nie se BRL ane se ee hc aT Surely it'was no sitito’ pay the old rascal off in his own coi, — Se re ne ene ESET To | “Tf it suits you.” .. “You have horses?” “They wait without.” “Tt is Food! Koo-choo, the Hog, will keep his word; you shall have the red squaw.” “ The Yed “McCloud is glad ‘to 860 lis brother: what dod he ds,” the old villain’ said, gravely ands “T-am much obliged, and some, day I may be able to return’ the favor.” “The heart of the red McCloud is big—he always kéeps his’ word, *” and the old:scoundrel placed his hand upon his chest and ned. ‘Will the chief tell his people that thé Watér-bird ik about’ to depart with the white warrior, so that he may have a free pass sdge through the village?” “The pale brave has a big head—thinks much,” observed the . chief in compliment. Then he advanced to. the door of the lodge and stuck bis head out. ‘‘Let my people give free passage to the pale Chief, his red’ brother, and the Water-bird who.goes with them!” he eried, » then he drew in his head and turned to speak to the white; but before he.could perform the motion a powerful band caught him by the neck, CHAPTER XXXV. A BOLD OPERATION, ‘It was the strong hand of the Velvet sharp that griped the brawny neck of the Indian, choking him until he was black in the face, and with the other band the agile white applied a sponge soaked in ¢hloroform tothe nostrils of the old red butcher. The MeCloud chief struggled for a minute or two, but gradually . weakened, and finally went down all in a heap; the power of Velvet Hand’s muscles atid the odor of the potent drug combined were too much for the old scoundrel. Quickly, then, into the inner lodge passed the Cinnabar man. “Blanche was already prepared for the desperate attempt. The Water-bird had covered her head with her own blanket, And, as the two girls were much alike in stature, the disguise was Ah excellent one. Blanche thus prepared for the perilous attempt, Velvet Hand - todk some of the lashing which had been used to confine Blanche’s limbs and tightly bound the Indian maid. This was to give color to the story that she had been surprised by the daring white and frightened into silence, and so save her from th. brital rage of the old chief whén he should wake from his déath-like swoon and discover that his prey had escaped him. Through the opening im’ the lodge’ passed the white and the dis- guised girl, Mud-turtle was already in’the saddle, and he mariaged his horse s0 as to cover Velvet-Hand as he riounted and swinig the: girl up on the saddle behind ‘him. Through the Indian village they rodé, passed the pickets at the lower end of the pleasant valley, ard éntéred the gloomy gorge. Once in ‘the gofge, out of sight of the Indian encampment, they pushed théir horsés to théir utmost speed. Within ten minutes after the departure of the fugitives the old chiéftain recovered’ from his: ‘swoon. Risitig to his feét, staggéring like a drunken man from the effects of the drug, he rushed into the itiner lodgé; and when be discovered the Water- bird, bound hand and foot and apparently insensible—Velvet Hand “had instructed hér how to pretend to*bé overcome by the effects of the drug—and no.white maiden to: be seen, his rage knew fio bounds. Then thére was mounting in hot haste, but the fugitives had far too much the start, and after following the escaping party down the valley to within sight of the smoke of Cinnabar, reluctantly the red butcher gave up the chase and sought again his mountain home. Little. conversation passed between the fugitives' during their headlong ride, and after they arrived at:Cinnabar there was no» chance, if they had been 50 inclined, for the Wnts town turned out to receive the “After depositing the weary Blanche at her ng the velvet sharp was the lion-of the hour, and it was only by great labor tlt® he escaped from thé crowd aud sought the rést be so nisi¢h needed after the toils of his perilous attempt. .l1'g 90) o/ , About the only man in the town who did not seem ts ‘be wild with delight at the complete success of Velvet Hand in rescuing the Californian_girl from the deadly peril in which she had been placed, was her brother, Fernando del Colma. His face was gloomy, his manner abstracted; as the free-spoken miners openly said, he either didn’t care much for his sister or else he had something Weighing on His rtitt In the evening, after Blanche had fully recovered from her fatigue, Fernando attempfted@»to' quéstiéh’ her in regard to where the money had come from with which she bought the Cinna- _property, but, the. girl,. pa utterly refused to. satisfy him on that point, and when he made some sneering re- mark in re; to the man who had $0 tiohly réstued ber from | the powér of the ruthIéss — ‘she re upon him with fiery indignation. ...60 ss4ns0h «tells Fernando, unable,, to, stem the starm,, left. the. ‘house ; ‘all ‘his old-time influence over the girl seemed to have vanished. Velvet.and) was the cause of it, and,from the very bottom of his, heart he cursed the Cinnabar,sharp. + Time passed on... The forty per cent: for the.Cinnabar propeiby. : became.due, and was promptly paid; much to the astonishment of. all. for it seemed .to be a, mystery to every one where the girl the money. ; On the. night of, the: day, that, the, payment. bad been made, Velvet, Hand, lounging in, the restaurant part of the Occidental, aN by @ message ‘that a Jady wished to see him in the r, ) e Cotally. at a Joss. to guess who. the lady..was, for his female acquaintances were not numerous in, Cinnabar, he proceeded. to the reeeption room, , A lady, deeply vailed, sat therein, but it only needed. a glance to tell the keen eyes of the sharp that it was the Californian girl who had sought him. ‘* Good-evening, Mr. Velvet,” she, paid; rising | at his approach, and extending her soft, white hand frankly. He just touched the velvet palm, but there was a thrill in the touch which sent. the warm blood dancing through every vein in his body, man of ice.as he was, ‘The. lady. placed a folded, legal-like looking paper, upon, the = and then resuming her chair, called Velvet Hands atten- 10n' to. it, a opened it. It was a deed of the Cinnabar mine to Richard vet. “Your name is Richard Velvet, is it. not?” sne asked, as he looked ug im astonishment upon discovering the nature of the paper, and the name of the person to whom the property had been, conveyed. "Yes, but—” . “But what?’ she asked, in the low, sweet tones so full of music. » * How comes it,that my name has been inserted in this papert You bought the mine,” he replied. SOY pss, ‘bought it, with your money.” For a moment the man appeared confused, and it was not often either that the cool and keen-witted sharp was thrown off his. balance, but he quickly recovered himself though, and laughed. “Where did you get-such an idea as that? How did you get my money?” “When Mr. Pollock, the storekeeper, came to me and offered to lend me from twelve to fifteen thousand dollars to purchase the mine at the auction sale, taking merely my note as his security, I thought that he was crazy, for what was | to him, or | he to me? but I accepted the offer, just as a drowning man will clutch at straws. But now — I know the money ie youra, you and I, sir, must have a reckonin * But why should you think oad the money is mine—why sbould I lend you such a sum?” “Because. you are the most noble an? generous of men!” the girl exclaimed, fervently; and at this eulogy Velvet Hand Gomichbooks7Gco