Beadle's New York Dime Library No. 380 — page 2: what you’re looking at

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

2 ee —— ‘* An’ him a square man, take him all round.” ‘‘ A manasstood by Coyote when it looked as if the devil had her!” ‘* An’ ye say that that leetle tiger-cat done it, Tom?” ‘Didn't she?—an’ him that never put his hand to her but as if sho was silk.” ‘‘ But what fur did she do it, an’ she no quar- rel wid ’um?” ““What fur? What do they all doit fur? He * was too soft with her; an’ she soured on him.” ‘‘That’s always the way! It’s a bit of a sthick, wanct in a whoile, that kapes all in ordher! Faith, who she could foind more to her likin’ than Ad Fairley I dunno.” “Did you spot the little Greaser, Don Gia- como, what come a-buzzin’ of her, night before last?—the minute Mr. Farley’s back was turn- ed!” | The men turned with a start at the high-pitch- ed voice that cast this insinuation. Behind them stood a very stout woman, with hands on hips, a flush of anger on her face, and the flash of malice in her eyes. **She’s been that sulky these two days,” she’ went on, ‘‘thata saint wouldn’t oe up with it! And here she’s a-plannin’ to butcher the master the minute he set foot in his own house!” The clatter of hoofs broke upon the night; and the men issued from the house to see who was approaching. A little knot of riders dashed from the dark- ness into the circle of light, Their horses gave signs of hard riding, and the men looked worn, Some were blood-stained; all wore the dogged frown of sullen defeat. “What luck?” demanded Tom Cosgrove. ‘* We've had our noses rubbed in the dirt, an’ that’s what’s the matter with us!” growled one of the men. ‘* VYaller Jack was one too many fur ye?” ‘Hang Yaller Jack! It was that greased : lightnin’, Tiger Dick!” ‘Why, I thought the sheriff had him tied by the heels, up to Mulligan’s Bend.” ‘‘'Tied nothin’! He shook ’em somehow, an’ come down on us with a gang that got away with us, an’ the sheriff’s posse, an’ Yaller Jack, an’ all! Old Satan himself couldn’t stand ag’in’ him!” ‘Tiger Dick loose!. That settles it!” ‘You jest bet it does!” ‘* Waal, Ham, you haia’t come hyar fur no | consolation,” ‘* ‘What's the reason I hain’t?” ‘¢ Jest you go in yonder, an’ see!” The men made way for him; and with a_look of curiosity and oe expectation Ham Losier entered the house, Without pause he strode across the threshold, and stood beside the gnestey corpse, In silence he gazed down upon it, his face hard- ening, the somber shadows of bitter hatred deep- ening in his eyes. ‘*Waal, that’s a dog-gone shame!” he said, presentl , Shading his head in scaay regret. ‘They finished him too! They left him jest life enough to come home to roost! But whar’s— whar’s—” He lifted his head, and looked about in search of some one, with increasing wonder, ‘‘ Whar’s the leetle woman?” he asked. ‘‘ He must ’a’ made a bee-line fur her. I reckon the sight of him has knocked her out. Is she in on?” - i And he indicated with his thumb a heavy cur- tain which fell before a doorway communicating with a room adjoining the one in which he stood, “He did make a bee-line fur her,” corrobo- rated Tom Ci.szrove; ‘‘ but she ain’t in yon, an’ don’t you furgit it!” “Ph!” ejaculated Ham, impressed by the manner of the other. “Do ye know Vo done that?’ asked Cos- rove, pointing at the corpse. Be Who done it?’ repeated Losier, staring at the boly stupidly. ‘No! How should I know? Who did do it?” ‘“That leetle tarantular of a Greaser—the Golden Sarpent herself!” ‘*The deuce you say! She wasn’t thar!” ‘* No more she was. Butshe washyur!] An’ when he crawled to her feet, only to lick her hand like a dog, she finished him off!—that’s what she done!” ‘No! Yovu’re a liar, Tom Cosgrove!” shouted Ham, starting to a savage attitude, and clutch- ing the butt of his revolver. His manner showed that his rage was not directed toward the man into whose teeth he hurled the lie so fiercely, but at the woman charged with so base treachery. grove had planned to rouse this demon of revenge, and he understood his success. ‘““T seen her!” he declared. ‘‘ With these two eyes I seen her, a-standin’ in that thar door! I heard him ride up, an’ then come stumblin’ through the hall, a-groanin’ at every step. I knowed what that meant. I’ve heard men do that before. So I jest humped myseif down hyar, bein’s as Ad Farley wa’n’t the most patient ©’ men when thar was anythin’—” ‘Blast yer eyes!” roared Losier, advancing threateningly upon the too critical Tom, ‘‘ stow all that, an’ come to the p’int!” The Golden Serpent. ‘* Waal, I jest humped myself down hyar; an’ thar she stands in that thar doorway, a-hangin’ on to the curtains like this hyar—an’ she with her mask on yit, though it was three hours after we had bounced the last stool-pigeon, ‘*T seen he was all broke up. Here he comes staggerin’ across the room, a-holdin’ out of his hands to her, jest like you see me now. You could ’a’ knocked him down with a feather, he was that weak—an’ him a-gaspin’: *** Pipa, my darlin’!’ ‘¢ Waal, when he gits within two steps of her, she jumps fur him, without never a word nor a sound, an’ socks him one home with her stiletto, an’ he goes straight over backwards, as you see him now. ‘* Then I says: *** Good God!’ ‘* An’ she looks up an’ sees me, an’ comes fur me screechin’, ‘* Ham, I give her a clean passage, an’ I ain't ashamed to say it. An’ the way she went through that thar hall, onto the hoss that Ad had left at the door, an’ away, wa’n’t slow, now you’d better b’lieve!” This story of the ghastly crime was illustrated with such dramatic gestures that the listeners saw in imagination every ghastly detail. , Ham Losier was wrought to fury. ** Boys,” he shouted, ‘** Ad Farley’s blood will never sink into the ground till we stretch the neck o’ that leetle fraud! She’s kept this hyar camp in hot water ever sence she struck it; an’ she’ll do the like wharever she goes, So | say, switch her off the track before she gits the chance to knock any more good men out!” Several other stragglers from the defeated party which Ad Farley had two days before led out of the camp, came in before daylight; and the moment it was light enough to see, the avengers set out on the trail of the murder- ess. She had fled through the night toward Mul- ligan’s Bend; and about the time that her pur- suers entered upon their task, she came upon a yj riding as swiftly in the opposite direc- ion. He was small in stature and dressed in the gaudy attire of a Spanish-Mexican dandy. ‘* Stop, in the n»me of all the fiends!” cried the masked fugitive. ‘‘Ah! Mother of God! what is this, my Giacomo?” was the reply, as the challenged rider drew rein, And lo! the rider in petticoats spoke with a voice unmistakably masculine, though rather effeminate; while the musical soprano of the rider in breeches was as unquestionably that of a woman! CHAPTER II. A WOMAN’S WIT. ‘‘ Mil demonios !” snarled the real Don Giaco- mo, tearing off his mask, and flinging it from him in disgust. ‘‘In what a fiend’s snare did you leave me! I to personate you! Sacrimento! was there ever such folly since the world be- an? *‘ Ah! what is it then that has happened?” ‘‘ Happened? Fiends and furies! what has not happened? I demand that you relieve me of this execrable raiment instantly !” The enraged Spaniard was fairly foaming at the mouth. ‘“You are frantic!” cried she who had led him into the snare. ‘* Will you tell me noth- ing, then?” Only this: that I will be relieved of these accursed petticoats at once! To the demon with such fastenings! How am I to undo this?” ‘Stay! You are needlessly destroying what will not be so easily repaired. Has the Evil One taken possession of you?” ‘*Give me my clothes back! I will not be put off!” And he leveled a cocked revolver at her face. ‘**Dismount!” he shrieked, ‘*Give me back my clothes!” ‘Holy Mother!” she panted, realizing his frantic earnestness and her danger. “Would you put me to the. shame of undressing before you? What have I done that I should receive such barbarous treatment at your hands?’ ‘*] will have my own self back!” he persis- ted. ‘“You shall. But let us be reasonable. We will find a place where I can have decent privacy to disrobe in.” **Do you think that I will let you out of my sight, that you may trick me again, and es- cape?” is But I have not tricked you. And what pos- sible object could I have in trying to escape, as you say, with clothes that so ill become my sex? assure you, these two days have not been without vexation to me; and I shall as gladly resume my proper character as you possibly can yours. ‘‘T curse the hour that I yielded to er- suasions!” growled the Spaniard. ‘You had plausible reasons enough then.” ‘‘ But any child could see that this is but just. Come, now! as we go along, tell me what has driven you to this state of fury.” ‘*Not that way!” he cried, seeing that she Come! your a ny ee, would have continued toward Coyote. ‘If you value your life, you will put all possible dis- tance between yourself and this accursed spot, never to revisit it.” ‘**As you please. I must be guided entirely by you until you have. enlightened my igno- rance,’ She wheeled her horse, and they returned eg the way she had come, toward Mulligan’s end, = ‘** Now, what is it?” she asked. “When you left me in that devil’s trap,” re- cae the Spaniard, “I was to personate you out one night,” trusting to the mask you habitu- ally wear at the gambling-table, and to silence, to preserve my incognito.” ‘*And I then expected to return on the fol- lowing day and relieve you. But an unforeseen complication of affairs has detained me another twenty-four hours. Meanwhile, there was no need of ror speaking toanyone, At the gam- bling-table no one expects me to speak; and had not you the wit to affect anger, which would enable you to get through the day without speaking to the servants? I gave you credit for so much of resources, at least. My faith! a day of sulking would not astonish them!” ‘‘Hnough! I am satisfied of that. But how if that devil of jealousy, Senor Farley, re- turned?” ‘* Ah! hehas not returned? You frighten me, truly! But, no; he has his hands full, at least until to-morrow.” ‘‘He did return, an hour ago; and what was I to do?” ‘** What did you do? You have betrayed me? He is lying in wait for me?” ‘** You need fear him no longer. Do you fancy that, having told him such a story, I should be here to advise you kow he received it?” ‘*He would slay you in his rage. me—what did you do? ; caped?” ‘* He came to me in the last agonies of death. Whatever his project, he at least had suffered the last defeat. I think he only hoped to reach you and die at your feet,” ‘“He might have spared me so shocking an experience,” The woman shrugged her shoulders. <A sigh of relief showed that she already anticipated the end. She was free from one who had come to be a constant menace to her, ‘‘My faith! it wes a trying predicament, of a verity!” heartlessly laughed the Golden Ser- pent. ‘IT sprung upon him to make sure that my stiletto ended the life so dangerous to me. our name was on his lips. He called you his darling.” ‘* He fell without being undeceived?” 4c Yes !? ‘Then the deed is fastened upon me! Who would not believe that it was not I?” | ‘* And no one witnessed the deed?” ‘Tom Cosgrove, your too servile jackal, whose loyalty I doubt, was an eye-witness,” ‘“And he too suspected nothing?—did not discover your identity?” 3 lee could he?” “Then,” said the Golden Serpent, slow ‘vou are safe. No one will ies suspect te but, do you not see that this will fasten’ the crime upon me forever? You and I will be the only living beings who know of my innocence.” So he the worse for you!” retorted the Spaniard, with a careless shrug. ‘‘ Was it not anpuge you that the deed was forced upon ne? ‘* All the same, I shall be innocent.” “Tf that is any consolation to you, you are at liberty to make the most of it. Doubtless it will be easier to bear the misjudgment of men, acquitted by your own conscience.” ** But it will not be safe for me to return to Coyote, or indeed to remain in this part of the country. Do you know that Ham Losier will seek to avenge Farley as if he were his brother? He will hunt me to the death!” ‘*So much the greater reason why I should get out of these vile garments as soon :as possible!” ‘‘ And so much the more reason. on my side, for allowing you to retain them,” ” ‘What are you driving at, woman?” ‘Do you not understand? I refuse to take this crime upon myself!” a ‘* And you leave it upon my shoulders?” ‘* Where it belongs—does if not?” Don Giacomo, snatching at his revolver, caught sight of a slight movement of the hand of the Golden Serpent, which revealed the fact poee she already had a revolver trained upon im. ‘Come!’ she said, vivaciously. ‘‘It will be an amusing sight for the boys to find the mur- derer of Adam Farley lying dead here in the road, and then to discover that it is the brave Don Giacomo in a woman’s habiliments!” ‘** Mil demonios !” and the wretch paled as he quailed before the implacable Serpent. ‘‘T fancy I see'them carrying him to Coyote. Every 2 ge io pore a tet S Then some one cracks a joke, that sets his comr ff i shrieks of laughter.” oe ‘You are a devil!” ‘Iam a woman; therefore, I have outwitted But tell How have you es- — a Eomicbooks