Beadle's New York Dime Library No. 380 — page 27: what you’re looking at

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

The Golden Serpent. 27 not, depends on your decision on the terms I am about to propose.” ‘* State them.” ‘* Acainst the people who are strangers to me, who have not injured me in the past, and probably will never injure or benefit me in the future, I have no grudge.” ‘‘That’s kind of her!” interjected Uncle Billy, sotto voce. “T secured them as instruments to a pur- pose. When they cease to serve my purpose, I shall release them with indifference to their future fate.” ‘“‘Confound her! I call that cool! She might wish us well out of the scrape!” mut- tered the incorrigible humorist. ‘* But,” pursued the Queen of the Road- Agents, throwing an iron hardness into her voice, ‘‘as means to an end, I would grind thein to powder, if necessary, in its accom- plishment.” ‘‘With my past experience of your char- acter, | have no doubt of your capabilities in the way of merciless self-seeking,” said the Tiger, as she paused. ‘‘Then make the people with you under- stand that they are to me as sO many count- ers in a game which Lam playing. If I lose the game, I will toss them into the fire, in my annoyance!” ‘* Was there ever such a wretch!” breathed sweet Lispinard, faintly. ‘‘My dear sir, submit to anything she proposes.” ‘‘1’d like to have that vixen in a corner with her back hair down just for one mortal minute!” thought the Major-General. ‘‘] think none of us need any further as- surance of your cruelty,” said the Tiger, dryly. “Very well! Now for my was to purchase the liberty of Tiger Dick, with my own life, if need were! It ¢ to have his life, if 1 have to wade to the lips in innocent blood to get it! No man shall scorn me as he has scorned -me, and not know an outraged woman’s revenge!” \ ‘‘ How horriole!” shuddered Abigail, with her lips close to Hugh’s ear. She was clinging to his hand, as to that of her natural protector. Hugh inly groaned over his inability to help her, at this moment of all in their lives! ‘*And now,” asked Dick, coolly, ‘‘ what do you have to propose?” ‘*T call upon these people to cast out their Jonah! Give up Tiger Dick to my revenge; and the rest of you shall go free.” ‘‘That’s a very straight-forward proposi- tion,” said Dick, to hiscompanions, ‘‘ What do you say to it?” purpose. It ri CHAPTER XXXII. TIGER’S DICK’S ULTIMATUM. ‘‘Tp is the wickedest thing I ever heard!” burst forth Abigail, with generous ardor. Then lifting her voice so as to be heard by the Golden Serpent, she went on: “Tery youshame! You must think very meanly of us, to believe that we would profit by such cowardly treachery. Do you forget that Mr. Langley has jeopardized his life to save us; and the sun has not yet set on the debt we owe him?” ‘Miss Spike,” said Dick, with feeling, ‘‘I have to thank you for your generosity !”’ “There is nothing generous about that,” replied the girl. ‘It is common humanity —common decency, indeed!” ‘‘One vote for rejection,” said the Golden Serpent, coolly. ‘*What say the rest of ou?” “Tf you had only accepted in good faith her arrangement with the Governor, instead of rousing her resentment!” breathed sweet Lispinard. ‘‘Shame! shame!” cried Abigail. ‘ Mr, De Morgan, you astonish me! I would not have believed you capable of anything so un- worthy!” From the furce of habit, perbaps backed by her own feeling, the Major-General sprung to his defense. ‘‘T am sure there is no occasion for your severe criticism of Mr. De Morgan!” she protested. ‘‘He has intimated nothing but the truth. It was an act of culpable fool- hardiness to attempt our release in so reckless a manner, when it could have been effected without risk!” Abigail made no audible reply; but in the darkness the blood streamed over her face, with shame for her mother; and she clung with sudden vehemence to her lover’s hand, as she breathed into his ear: Oh, Hugh!” He drew her face down to his, and kissed her noiselessly. ‘*l am proud of you, dear!” was his re- ward and his consolation, ‘‘ Two evidently wish to lighten the ship!” said the voice of the Golden Serpent. Then a ripple of sarcastic laughter came down through the opening. While she read ye daintie dude’s sheer pusillanimity, she had the womanly wit to see that Mrs. Spike was influenced more by her pique against her daughter. ith all her faults, the woman would not have accepted such a sacrifice with comforta- ble self-justification, as would the shivering coward in whose defense she had spoken. “IT hope there is no doubt as to my posi- tion in this matter,” said Hugh, ‘ The thing seems to me too infamous to be seriously answered,” The information that Abigail returned the compliment, surely needs no more definite allusion! ‘“What is it you Americanos say? Two and !’* laughed the Golden Serpent. ‘*Papa, you would not listen to such a thing?” cried Abigail, anxious to have her father on the right side, and so hastening to bolster up his timidity. ‘‘ No, my dear,” replied the Hon. Benoni. But his voice trembled. He spoke like a man who felt that he was signing his own death-warrant. Judge Littlejohn spoke next. ‘‘ While [ can but concur with Mrs, Spike and Mr. de Morgan, in viewing Mr. Lang- ley’s exposure of us to needless danger as wholly inexcusable,” he said, as speaking from the bench; ‘still, now that the folly is beyond recall, we cannot escape the conse- quences in such a way. For the gratification of your love of hair-brained adventure, you had no right, sir, to involve the lives of women, not to say of men, whose habits of life would lead them to feel no sympathy with such a course,”’ “You quite misjudge my motives,” re- plied Dick, with perfect self-possession. No man living could ‘sit down” on him. “Tt was not from love of reckless enter: prise, as you say, but from a determination not to profit by crime, that I refused to ac- cept my liberty as the price of your restora- tion.” ‘‘My faith! cried the Golden Serpent, with affected surprise, ‘‘what is the world coming to? Tere are people vying with one another to see who shall sacrifice life most eloquently! Do you realize that it is Tiger Dick with you, or Tiger Dick without you, but Tiger Dick in any event? Do you love him so, that you all court the suttee in his company?” ‘If the reports are all in,” said Uncle Billy, in a tone altogether new for him, ‘‘I shall like to have a vote in this matter,” Then lifting his voice, he went on: ‘‘Craving the indulgence of the ladies present, I believe I express the general senti- ment when I say: Madam, we'll see. you hanged first!” What! Uncle Billy having recourse to ‘French,” as if English were not adequate to the expression of his feelings!—and in dead earnest, too! Certainly no one present had ever known him to manifest such feeling before. Now, but for the darkness, they might have seen that his eyes flashed, and his face was flushed, The man was indignant—and showed it ! ie ee justice to say that no man I[ have ever knowm has so commanded my admiration by every act and word!’’ Those within the cave set up a murmur of astonishment, which was also dissent witle some of them. “Mr. Langley, ye shall not do this. thing!” cried Abigail. ‘*No, Dick,” corroborated Hugh. ‘ Gen- erosity, like everything else, must find a limit in reason.”’ ** Begad, sir, there’ll be two of us!’ cried Uncle Billy. ‘‘Stay a moment,” said Dick. ‘ This is not so unreasonable as it may appear to you at first glance. My life was forfeit to the law. But for me none of you would have: been here. When | had the opportunity to free you by accepting my own liberty, I re- fused. If I had merely refused, you might. have been restored to freedom when it became. apparent that no good would come of detain- ing you. But, blinded by the thought of Winning my release in a way acceptable to me, 1 have involved you in this new peril. Lastly, I let the enemy who is now threaten- ing your lives escape, when a shot would have ended her malice.” ‘‘All of which was most noble in you!’” cried Abigail. ‘‘I, for one, honor you for breaking the iniquitous bargain between this woman and the Governor! And I think you were right in not shooting her in cold blood, wicked as she is,” ‘* We probably should never agree in this: argument,” said Dick, in reply to Abigail and the earnest protest which the more gen- erous of the others urged. ‘‘I thank you all. However, I shall give myself up to the Golden Serpent, and you shall go free.” He spoke with the quict determinatiom whick was peculiar to him, It ended all ex- postulations. Those who would have held him back were powerless before his will. “It is agreed, then?” asked the Goldem Serpent. “Did you ever know me to trifle?” asked Dick. ‘‘Never! But you have not heard the. re- quirement yet.” “Tt will make no difference, whatever it. ” “Tt is this: I have resolved upon your death, and by my hand. Nothing short of that will wipe out the repeated insults you. have put upon me. However, as I have said, I admire you while I hate you. I do not de- sire an unworthy death for such a man. Yow shall die the death of a soldier. I shall shoot. you through the heart!” “So be it!” said Dick. ‘The sooner it is: over, the better I shall be pleased.’ ‘Are you ready at once?” ‘* At once!” “Good! That is a soldier’s promptness! ‘* But something has been overlooked. A certain individual has been keeping in the shade to an extent remarkable for even one of his modesty. As I have said, I have no grudge against the strangers; but with Don Giacomo it is a different matter, ‘‘He knows that I have been very gener- ous to him in the past—altogether too gener- ous to have him play me this trick. 1 thought he would take my silence as quittance of his is just grievance against me; but since he has. chosen to reopen the account between us, f now propose to pay him in full.” Don Giacomo now found his voice, ‘* Madre de Dios! senor, do not yield me to her rage!”’ he gasped. And groping his way to Dick, he groveled at his feet like a dog. ‘*Don Giacomo came here by my insist- ¢ ence,” said Dick. ‘‘He must be allowed to go free with the others. 1 promised him my pro- | tection, and | will not now betray him.” ‘That from a politician!” cried the Golden | Serpent, sarcasticaliy. ‘‘l pray you, senor, morality in the ward meetings in ’Frisco? ‘*But you will die in friend Dick! Come! you have the wit to say something as pretty as they, before I bid you — ’ farewell! “IT have but this tosay: I accept your terms.” ‘Spoken like Senor Hameeltonn, and like no other!” cried the Golden Serpent, her | voice vibrating with enthusiasm. ‘‘As_ bit- terly as IT hate you, I will yet do you the good company, my “Ah, gracias, senor! The world has not. seen your like for integrity!” whined the , _natural-born sycophant. do they cultivate so delicate a sense of | ‘This is a part of the terms I offe1,” in- sisted the Golden Serpent. ‘‘It is Don Qia- como, or fire! smoke! death!” “Let it be the latter, then,” said Dick as quietly as before. ‘‘ You should not have my worst enemy, against my plighted word, if the world were in the balance!” ‘That is final?” asked the Golden Serpent. “That is Tiger Dick's uitimatum!” ‘‘What say the rest of you? Will yow throw the cringing wretch clothes over the rocks?” amiiceloyeye) (E(0) (E J ' : a 4 in woman’s. | “Si GOr