Beadle's New York Dime Library No. 380 — page 25: what you’re looking at

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

“ - 7 The Golden Serpent. to let shrewd rascals off, while it fastens with | Serpent were assumed, would I carry it to clamps of steel on any poor devil whose worst crime is his hard luck. But then the boys will never consent to spoil the looks of a handsome woman; ‘and I forgive them all the rest of their stupidity for the sake of this one gentlemanly instinct.” Uncle Billy’s regard for ‘‘his boys” was that not uncommon among politicians, a mingling of contempt and affection. He led men by the nose too much to thoroughly re- | spect them; and yet they were good fel- lows. But, having washed his hands of the mat- ter, as he said, the Judge declined to pursue the discussion. “Do you fancy that this position will prove defensible against a determined as- sault?” he asked, disparagingly. “No,” replied Dick, keeping his temper. ‘‘“We shall have to retreat further up the rocks,” ‘And possibly fare worse,” sneered the Judge. Unaffected by his ill-humor, Dick glanced toward the mouth of the outlaw’s retreat. But there was no sign of the coming of his men to his relief. No doubt it was too soon to expect them yet. He turned toa hasty dressing of Hugh’s wounds, The stimulant he had administered had restored Hugh’s heart to its wonted regu- larity of action, and he was .now taking things as cheerfully as could be expected under the circumstances, “Tf you can steady yourself on your legs, rou will be able to walk with less pain than if garried,” said the Tiger. “Carried!” repeated Hugh, with fine scorn. ‘‘ Wait until I call for the ambu lance.” And to the surprise and delight of Abigail he stood erect, when helped to his feet, and smiled at her. But she did not guess the excruciating pain that every slight movement, drawn, cost him. “What are they doing over there, Cap- tain?” he asked of Dick, looking out over the pocket, to where the outlaws were rush- ing about, some in the direction of their camp, and some toward the entrance of the retreat, ‘“‘T have reinforcements outside,” said Dick. ‘ That pretty little Greaser has the wit to guess that [ would not come here un- supported, if she has not more definite in- formation; and her first move is to cut us off from help.” He had read the signs aright. This was indeed the Golden Serpent’s first direction, the instant she got speech with her followers, ‘“‘Gol’ she had cried. ‘These cannot escape us. We can dispose of them at our leisure. But hasten you to the mouth of the defile and cut off their friends. Let no living thing pass through, on your lives!” “She is returning our consideration!” was Judge Littlejohn’s sarcastic thrust. ‘‘She's a clever little woman, as well as a handsome!” responded Uncle Billy, rubbing his hands with appreciation, ‘I tell you What it is, gentlemen! I’m going to vote for the first female candidate for the Presidency! —and I never scratched a ticket in my life before!” The little band now began’ its retreat fur- ther up among the rocks, Whether through fear, or for natural activity, Don Giacomo made himself con- spicuous in this, He was ever a little in advance of even the Tiger; and though Dick thought himself tolerably quick to perceive the advantages of a situation, yet on two occasions when he would have deviated from the Spaniard’s lead, Don Giacomo pointed out certain ‘features of the way which decided Dick to yield his own view. On the third occurrence of the kind, how- ever, this attracted Dick’s attention, ‘See here, Senor Monteverro!" he said, ‘‘ it seems to me that you are unusually clever in mountain-craft, if indeed you are un- familiar with this way.” ; A keen glance showed the Spaniard that he was under suspicion. “Senor,” he replied, ‘‘ your doubts are too apparent to be mistaken, Will nothing convince you that I am not leading you to betrayal? If my hostility to the Golden / the extent of aiding you to kill her men?” “Well, that’s a point, to be sure!” said Dick, frankly. If caught in a tight place, he believed the Spaniard equal to even that treachery; but to make it a part of a deliberate plan, was another thing. ‘‘If | had wished to betray you into the power of the Golden Serpent,” pursued the Spaniard, ‘‘what opportunity better and safer than at the very mcment when I aided you?” ‘You make out a good case, senor,’’ said Dick. ‘The worst skepticism ought to yield to such unanswerable facts.” *‘ Lastly,” persisted Don Giacomo, ‘‘ what have I done? I have pointed out facts which you yourself might have discovered from my place in advance.” ‘True,’ admitted Dick. Nevertheless he did not give himself over blindfold to the guidance of the plausible don. A. few steps further up they came to the mouth of a cave. ‘* Ah!” exclaimed Don Giacomo. ‘‘ Here is a secure shelter, if we do not succeed in effecting our escape from the pocket,” The opening was in the face of an upright cliff, and the way from that point forward was more difficult—if at all practicable— than their course hitherto. Don Giacomo pointed this fact out, with a look of uneasiness. As before, Dick could not but admit the justice of his observations. But somehow, the very certainty with which every point made was borne out by the facts, caused him a vague sense of dis- quietude, ‘*How does this fellow come to know so much about these things?” he asked himself. Of course this was unreasonable. Don tiacomo’s life, for aught he knew to the con- trary, might have been such as to give him every breath | his knowledge legitimately. Yet so little did Dick like the idea of giv- ing up the purpose of making their way out of the glen, that, with the agility of a moun- tain goat, he scrambled among the crags on ahead, and then turned back over the way they had come, and assured himself that none of the courses he had before thought of led to anything more promising. Finally he returned with the wonted im- passive self-possession on his face, and said: ‘‘We must stop here for the present. It will be impossible to get the ladies further in any direction under fire of the enemy.” ‘*Do you propose that we enter the cave?” asked the Judge. “I do,” replied Dick. “And wait?—for what?” ‘For a better prospect to escape than just now offers.” ‘*But if your friends fail you?” “There is the chance of darkness—a slen- der one, I grant you.” ‘*It seems to me, sir, that you have led us into a trap!” said the Judge, looking at Dick with the Olympian lightnings with which he was wont to cow a prisoner at the bar. It didn’t “ go down” with Dick. He had ‘been thar.” *“T haven't bettered your condition much, for a fact,” he conceded. ‘‘ Need I say that I expected to, but that human calculations sometimes fail?” ‘Yours seem to have failed signally in this case,” urged the Judge, ‘‘ bearing Gown” onthe man whom he had at such a disadvan- tage. ‘*The game's not out yet,” suggested Dick. ‘‘ Maybe you're borrowing unnecessary trou- ble, my dear sir.”’ ‘ ‘*T hope so!” said the Judge, shortly, He made no reference to the Golden Ser- pent’s having been permitted to rejoin her men, though, it was apparent that that was what he had in mind. “Hark!” exclaimed Dick, lifting his hand. He had caught the sound of a pistol report outside the robbers’ retreat, It was followed by an intermittent crackle which announced a lively skirmish. ‘“ That’s your fellows!” cried Uncle Billy, waxing excited. “Yes,” said Dick. ‘‘ And they are, too. be done that can be done.” The outlaws had disappeared in the defile ood fellows ," f ' » ee bd You may depend that all will | you like to, or because its mother is leoking 25 ee eee - which gave admittance to their stronghold while our friends were climbing, and had evidently arrived in time to meet Dick's party at a point where the former had all the advantage. At this moment a single report came from the glen below, closely followed by the “ening” of a bullet as it glanced from the crag just over the heads of our friends; and fragments of splintered rock fell at their’ feet. ‘“Get in! get in!” cried the Tiger, urging the others before him. ‘They have got rifles for sharp-shooting practice.” CHAPTER XXX, A NEW PERIL, ‘“THey’Li pick us off like crows from a scraggly limb!” cried Uncle Billy, with his never-failing laugh. ‘‘In! in! my dear De Morgan!” “In there?” cried ye daintie dude, dis- mayed. ‘‘ But it’s dahk!” ‘* But it’s darker down in Hades, they tell me!” responded Unele Billy. ‘‘ Meanwhile, you're blocking the way. uit remember, if you please, that a man of my bulk presents a very conspicuous target for rifle practice! Get in yourself, or let me pass you,” Even as he spoke another bullet went ‘* zip!” by sweet Lispinard’s ear, so close that he uttered a yelp, and plunged headlong into the mouth of the cave, The Major-General had entered immedi- ately inadvance of him, and had stopped just within the line of obscurity, frightened at the rayless blackness, The luckless dude plunged head-first into her; and the two ‘‘ went to grass” in a heap. Mrs. Spike shrieked pea with terror, drowning ye dudie-doo’s voluble apologies as he scrambled to his feet. ‘*Oh, you wretch!” she cried, when she came to understand the cause of her over- throw. ’ The instant the words passed her lips she knew that her hopes of alliance with the great house of De Morgan through this lily- fingered scion were shattered forever. | Aman of his make would have but one | strong point. He would never forgive an affront. | Well, now that the thing was beyond re- call, the Major-General determined to have the satisfaction of giving him a square piece | of her mind. From day to day, as she saw her hopes be- ing balked through his want of manliness, a | force of pent-up exasperation had been ac- cumulating against him. Now it burst forth 4 like the sta through a crevasse. | “You wretch!” she cried again. ‘‘ You unmanly tailor’s dummy! You corset-wear. ing Miss Nancy! You faded-out water-color of a man!” And with this introduction, she berated him until she threw herself into hysterics, v For the next minute and a quarter—an age yi under such circumstances—that cave was a pandemonium of demoniac sounds, Screams that set the nerves atingle alternated with shrieks of sardonic laughter, which the * cavern multiplied with a thousand unearthly echoes, Blent with them was the piteous expostu- lations of the Hon. Benoni and his equally unfortunate daughter, | Over this addition to their miseries, Judge ; Litelaiore grated his teeth, while sweet Ts pinard reflected on mother-in-law. Don Giacomo, familiar with the tempests in a tea-pot which the women of his own race mai] are‘wont to ‘‘ kick up,” took the matter quite y philosophically, Uncle Billy walked to the mouth of the os cave with the Tiger. ‘Eh? Ain’t 1 the happiest of mortal men?” he chuckled, slajping bis hands about his ay body, after the manner of a hack-driver on a cold day. ‘* What do you find to rejoice over in our present situation?” asked Dick. va ‘‘The reflection that I’m not attached — i ‘s to an angel—an angel of the household, ye * know !’’ Fem ‘*What! so ungallant a speech from you? I’m shocked and surprised!” me Uncle Billy winked wickedly. ‘*Do you kiss a dirty-faced baby because on?” he asked. j When she had exhausted herself with a ,JOOKS (E /-com