Beadle's New York Dime Library No. 380 — page 17: what you’re looking at

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

J out pretending to gr atify me. to buy popularity; and some one must furnish ‘So she was w illing to sacrifice her pects to his happiness. Sam asked himself whether he would have done as much for her, and was forced to an- swer—not a tithe! In the face of such dis- interestedness, he was somewhat ashamed of the use to W hic h he was putting her love. ‘‘ Well, we won't talk about that now, said. ‘No!’ she responded, brightening at once, and smiling caressingly into his face. ‘‘T want you to do something for me.’ ‘‘You know, dear, that I am never so happy as when I am doing what will please you, ~ But it’s dog’s work that I'm going to put you to. Confound the luck! Why i is it that the coat is stripped off one man’s back, to give to another who already has two? Why are some people forced to go through the world kissing the hand of those they long to kick?” ‘Never mind, Sam! What is it you want metodo? Don't think of the disagreeable part of it.” ‘That fellow was up at the Capitol day before yesterday, in consultation with the Governor and a lot of the bosses, and some move was taken with reference it Tiger Dick. The upshot of it is that he’s out of jail. Now it will be the making of me at head-quarters, if I can open up ‘their little secret. There’s no way but through him; and I want you to help me.’ ‘But, dear, he never syeaks of such things to me.’ ‘‘[ should say not! But a woman can coax anything out of a man that she really wants to know.’ ‘‘ But if it is a state secret, Sam, how can [ approach him?” ‘‘T leave that to your ingenuity. The thing is, to find out, by hook or by crook, what is bei sing done with the Tiger.” “Tt will be so easy to evade a true answer, even if he doesn’t laugh the matter off with- If you were to be misled in that way, Sam, wouldn't it be worse than silence for you? And it would betray us both. He would know how you came by it.” ‘‘But there must be no such fiasco as that.”’ ‘* How can I tell?” “Get him garrulously drunk and then worm the truth out of him without letting him see what you're after,” The girl looked uneas ‘Well, will you ris porter. ‘7 wasn’t thinking of the risk, Sam.” Indeed, it was the treachery that troubled her, ‘‘ What then?” he asked, a little sullenly. “JT will do the best I can,’’ she replied, evading his question. She spoke very quietly. There was no re- proach in look or tone, but all the vivacity pros- ” he “ite” asked the re- ' Was gone out of her manner. “Fang the thing!” muttered the reporter to himself. ‘‘ It’s ‘the dirtiest job I ever did, by Jove. But then, it’s a dirty world, take it all round ; and one can’t afford to be nicer than one’s neighbors when one has one’s bread to earn,’ Their parting was without the usual light- hearted demonstrations of affecticn on the part of his sweetheart; and on the following day, When she gave him the information she had gleaned, she was restless and sad. She made no reference to the means she had used to lead this man of public eminence to betray his trust. Sam tried to express his gratitude, but bis caresses were as mechanical as his words, and she received them passively, He was glad to get out of her sight, and she was glad to have him go. Over the feelings that remained to them, he swore, and she wept. That night the streets of the Occidental metropolis | rung with the secret, Sam Briton received an intimation from ‘‘head-quarters ” that a young man of his en- terprise was a fair candidate for promotion when opportunity sbould offer. But what was the result which bore most directly on the forvunes of those most deeply | affected ? The sensational news spread like wildfire, The _ The Golden Serpent. 17 RR Gd darian | In vordate. ante remote mining-camps the enthusiasm of ' and blew a shrill whistle by placing his fin- adventure- loving men was stirred by the | gers in his mouth. story of Tiger Dick’s road to honor. But when the Golden Serpent learned of it , she turned pale as death. ‘*So!” she cried, with dilating nostrils, ‘‘they have betrayed me! Well, let them learn how I can revenge such faithlessness!” But there was another who had seen the in- discreet publication—no less a person than Don Giacomo. ‘At last! at last!” he cried, clutching the paper so fiercely as totear it ‘ The op- pottanity for which | have waited an eternity, Ah! gracias a Dios / the hour has come! Now for my revenge! I have not watched and waited for nothing!” He had twenty-four hours the start of the Golden Serpent! CHAPTER XXII, A NEW DEAL. Away into the mountains rode Tiger Dick and detective Jim Farnsworth, ** Dick,” said his companion, watching the joyous light on the other’s face, “for the hundredth time I congratulate you! I never knew any one that | wished better luck than I do you. You've always been as square as a die, whatever card was up. And I don’t mind saying that I’m half in Jove myself with the w oman who has wrought such a change in you.’ Dick made no direct reply to this, but the light glowed warmer in his eyes. “Tt isn’t the easiest thing in the world that we have undertaken,” he said, slowly. “You bet it ain’t!” responded the detec- tive, ‘*T’m not afraid but that we can bag the Golden Serpent and her gang easy enough.” ‘I'd go it blind on that!” “But: suppose she gets wind of our move before we close in on her?” ‘And in her tantrum concludes.to take it out of her prisoners!” ‘*That’s the mischief! I was so taken up with my own interests in the matter, that I didn’t think of that while I was making the proposal. A ‘It's got to be thought of now. be done?” Dick did not answer. His brows con- tracted thoughtfully as he rode on. ‘There must be some way of securing them before we show our hand,” he said, presently. ‘I should never rest if harm came to any of them, as the price of my lib- eration.’ ‘‘ Dick, you’re a white man!” cried Jim Farnsworth, with enthusiasm. Coming out of his reverie, Tiger Dick turned and looked at the speaker inquir- ingly. | ‘‘ What now?” he asked. ‘Why, it ain’t every one who would be so tender of others, so long as they saved their own bacon.” ‘‘Remember, I refused an arrangement which would guarantee their perfect safety. If harm comes to them now, I shall be re- sponsible for it.” ‘“ What do you propose to do?” “I don’t know yet, Some way I shall make sure of the safety of the ,, prisoners first, and then strike for my game.’ “Have you any idea where they are?” “Not yet. It’s like hunting for a needle ina haystack But then something i is sure lo turn up, Something always does turn up.” It was the old faith in his destiny which was a relic of his gambler’s life. ‘‘ Jim,” he said, later, ‘‘I shall have to leave you ata safe distance while I go for my men. I want to get them to leave their wild ways; but if they prefer to keep on as they are, it won’t do to give away their re- treat.” ‘‘That’s all right, Dick. You know that I don’t want to get the puied on any man any further than | can get it by my wits.” ‘““They’ve been pushed pretty close of late,” continued Dick. ‘‘What I count on is that they shall be tired of dodging the Vigilantes. If it pays better to be straight, as may jump at the chance for a new e So the detective was left to wait in a little mining-camp, while Dick went on into the mountains, In a wild gorge, where it seemed as if the foot of man had never trod, he drew rein What can ‘else? It's gittin’ Twice he repeated the signal, and then rode on. Not a sound had replied to him. ‘“They may be here yet. I judge so from their recent exploits,’’» he mused. ‘‘ Other wise I may have a pretty hunt for them.” But he was not to be disappointed. At the mouth of a narrow defile a voice called to him, ‘‘No! Yes! Hang me if it ain’t Cap! What, Dick? Now you air back, fur good an’ all!’ ‘No, Tony,” replied the Tiger, as a man issued from the undergrowth, and seized his hand with enthusiasm, ‘Eb! You ain’t goin’ back on us ag’in, Dick?” “But I have never promised anything. Not to say that I don’t owe you all more than I could hope to repay—in any way except one.” ‘Pay nothin’!” growled the man. ‘‘ Who said anythin’ about pay? But you're out of the jug, an’ you've come home, by Judas! What does any one want more’n that?” ‘‘Home? That's like you. But not to stay, Tony.” ‘Then we're gone up—that’s all!” Tony’s face clouded over, ‘““Eh? What's the row?” asked Dick. ‘‘'Wal, ye see, they've been crowdin’ us pretty close of late.” ‘*] guessed as much,” ‘But, Dick, with you to the fore, we could give ‘em a shakin’ up that would make old bones rattle!” ‘‘1’m done with that sort of tops Tony.” ** Por w hy?” ‘* Tt don’t pay in the long run,’ ‘* But it’s a sweet racket eile it does pan out!” ‘‘T don't deny that. But there are better things than even that, if a man only looks about for them.” ‘You a-preachin’, Dick?” ‘Tt don’t sound like old times, does it?” ** Not muchly!” ‘* Well, we grow wiser as we get older— some of us.’ ‘What's in the wind, Dick?” * T’ve struck a new lead; and I’ve come to let you fellows into it, if you'll catch on.’ ‘Now that 2 the white article! Dick, old man, you hain’t forgot us then, have you?” “Did you ever know me to forget a man who had used me well, Tony?” ‘* Never!” ‘Well, as I said, there’s only one way in which | can make you some return for what you fellows have done for me; and I thought of you the minute the chance opened up. “ Put ’er thar, Dick! . You know that thar ain’t a galoot in the crowd that wouldn’ t do as much fur you ef he got the chance,” The clasped hands warmly. ait until I have you all together, and then I'll show up.’ So they went on talking of other things, until they gained the interior of a mountain pocket, where they were surrounded by a crowd of eager welcomers. Every one of this band of outlaws knew the Tiger; and had he had as many hands as a Hindu idol, he would have had use for aa all in the boisterous greeting that en- sue Every one had the impression with which Tony had set out. They all thought that he had come to remain among them. The wish was father to the hope. wa ‘* Boys!” he cried, with feeling, ‘‘ it warms the cockles of one’s heart to receive such a welcome as this, I do assure you! But in declining what you offer me, I feel that | am going to offer you something even better,” ‘‘ What is it, Dick?” asked the captain of the band.“ Air they openin’ up somewhar mighty warm jest about hyar; an’ we've been talkin’ of a change o’ climate, fur our health.” ‘f Boys,” said the Tiger, lay. It’s the honest dodge. to try it?” The stared at him blankly. hat's that, Dick? You hain’t gone to bank-pullin’?” asked the captain. Dick laughed. ‘*Ig that what you call honest?” he asked. hy It may be made to look honest on the out- side,” ’ ce “Tm on a new How'd you like JOO (E(©) “S AILS con