Beadle's New York Dime Library No. 383 — page 25: what you’re looking at

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

| their pipes while Bet Rawson cleared off the | table. Then the door of the partition was opened, and Andrew Birkett led out a woman at whom Muggs gazed with intense interest. No doubt his eyes bulged out then, and the knobs on his face shone redly; but no- body was present to witness those marvelous phenomena. The light was none too good; but the spy could see, as she issued from the partitioned room, that the woman was not young, though care and confinement, and perhaps illness, | probably made her look older than she was. She was very pale, and her face had an ex- pression of settled sadness, and she walked feebly and irresolutely, as if she had for a | long time been deprived of light and air and the free use of her limbs. She was given a chair at the tabie, and as she sat there Muggs took in every detail of | her form and features and attire, impressing | them upon his memory so that he was sure that he could describe her accurately to Sam Slevin. Alf Sanders opened a folded paper and laid it on the table. 4 “There is the place to sign your name,” said Birkett as he handed the woman a pen. “T want to know,” she feebly began; but Birkett interrupted her with an oath. ‘What do you want to know? I have explained everything to you, and you under- stand it. All you have to do is to sign the paper. . ue Yes, I know I understand it; but I want | these others to understand it. I am told by Mr. Birkett that if I sign this paper I am to be restored to my family. Is that right, Mr. Birkett?” ‘Quite right, ma’am. I will do just what 1 told you I would do.” ‘* How soon?” ‘* Ag soon as some legal formalities can be | attended to, and that will take but a very lit- we tle while.” She started to sign the paper, but hesitated again. | ~“T know you, Mr. Sanders,” she said, ‘‘and I suppose you know me. Mr. Birkett | tells me that this is done for my good, and that the money he collects will go to my fl family. I hope that this statement is true.” | i ‘‘T have no doubt that it is,” cheerfully re- | plied the Butte official. ‘‘ Mr, Birkett is a re- ) sponsible man, and his word is as good as his | bond.” | ‘‘Thank you, sir. It is not the money that I care for, though I would be glad to | ; | 4 wy? have it. It is a small matter compared with | te promise that I shall be restored to my | family. Trusting in that promise I willsign | himself and the cabin before he halted. the paper.” She signed it in a feeble and trembling hand, and sunk back into her chair. Alf Sanders affixed to the document his official formula and name, and Andrew Bir- kett, after drying the ink, folded the paper and put it in an inner breast-pocket of his coat, Then Bet Rawson led the other woman | back into her room, and closed and locked | the partition door. This scene being over, it occurred to the spy that the time had come when he could | creep out from his confinement to stretch his , limbs and get a breath of fresh air. execution when he discovered that the two | men inside of the cabin had been seized by a similar desire to get outside, Directly they put on their hats and went out, : This proceeding knocked Muges’s notion in shut up in his close quarters, It would still have been possible for him to emerge; but there was a risk in the at- tempt, and he could not afford to peril the discoveries he had made and the design he expected to execute. ; : Fortunately for him Andrew Birkett and Alf Sanders did not stay long outside, the night being dark and the air a little chilly. ‘After attending to their horses, and after a little conversation which the spy was unable to catch, they returned into the cabin to- 13 een We will take a smoke, Alf, and then we will turn in,” said Birkett. ‘‘ We will need | been forming in his mind since he witnessed | there, secured it, and departed as quietly as He was about to put this pleasant idea into | Silver Sam, Detective. a good sleep, as we must start early in the | morning and ride hard to-morrow.” | This suited Muggs exactly. He waited until they were seated with their | pipes, and then gladly crawled out of his | . confinement. ' The relief was great. Though he did not run about, as he felt | inclined to do, he gave his arms and legs some good, healthy stretches, and the cool night air was like an elixir of life to him. He walked along the base of the mountain a little distance, and then returned to the cabin, maturing as he went a plan that had | the signing of the paper in there. When he crawled into his concealment | again he felt refreshed and ready for any duty or adventure that the occasion might require. The two gentlemen from Butte had finish- ee their smoke, and were preparing for sleep. , Bet Rawson occupied the bed and the men coiled up on the floor, between the par- tition and the door, on a spread of blankets, Under the circumstances they did not think of undressing, but divested themselves of their coats and watches before lying down. This part of the performance was watched With eager interest by the spy at his peep- hole, and it delighted him to perceive that Andrew Birkett’s coat was hung on a peg near the door. ' Muggs thus knew the exact location of the paper which the woman had signed, unless it had been changed during his brief absence, which was not at all likely. He waited until all three were apparently sound asleep. Then he emerged from his hiding-place, quietly stole around to the front of the cabin and tried the door. It opened easily, as the only fastening was a bar on the inside, and he had noticed that the bar had not been put up. The spy stepped in, making no more noise then a cat would have made, and softly closed the door, lest a draft of cool air from without should awaken the sleepers. The light had been extinguished, but his organ of locality, as the phrenologist calls it, was well developed, and he knew just where to go and what to do. He felt in the inner breast pocket of An- drew Birkett’s coat as it hung on the peg, found the paper which he had scen placed he had come. _ The sleepers slept on without the faintest sign of awaking. é luggs put a considerable distance between Then he unfolded the paper, struck a match, and examined the signature. In the feeble and trembling characters he read ‘‘ Margaret Tellson.” CHAPTER XXXYV. A MISSION FOR MUGGS. Havinea secured this interesting and im- ortant piece of information, Muggs of luggsville was satisfied for the present, and bethought him of his own comfort and needs. He selected the driest spot he could find behind a clump of bushes, laid his tired body down on the moist and cool ground, and in a few minutes was sound asleep. But the next day had not yet dawned when he was awake and astir. He shook himself as a dog might, and was bright and active at once, Although he had secured possession of the important document, it was quite possible i LL LL LL — the head, and he groaned inwardly as he re- | that Andrew Birkett might discover the theft signed himself to the necessity of keeping | and cause the execution of another paper to | Pree it. his was a point to be watched and guard- ed against. ; ar At all events, the discovery, if it should be made, would raise a row in the cabin, and Muges was anxious to be on hand to witness that row. Therefore he returned to the cabin, quietly crept back into his hidiug-place, and care. fully covered the opening. _ When he removed his bit of log and peeped In, he saw that the men were already stir- ring, in order that they might have an early. start. Birkett roused up Bet Rawson, ordering 20 her to hurry and prepare breakfast for them, and she set about the work, rubbing her eyes and grumbling. In the mean time, the men had their morn- ing drams and went out to look after their horses. Muggs noticed that when Andrew Birkett put on his coat he buttoned it up, as if to insure the safety of his valuable document, but did not first feel for it to make sure that it was there. Why should he do so, when he could not have the slightest cause for suspecting that it might have disappeared? This was highly satisfactory, and Muggs watched the subsequent proceedings with in- terest. Breakfast was speedily prepared and dis- patched, and the two gentlemen from Butte lighted their pipes, at the same time making ready for their departure. Bet Rawson, who was restless and ex- cited, had a last word to say to Andrew Birkett, and took him outside the cabin to say it. He went unwillingly, protesting that every- thing was all right and there was nothin more to be said; but she hac a strong wi when she chose toassert it,and she compelled . his obedience. As it happened, they came around to the side of the cabin where Muggs was stationed, and he was able to overhear them. ) ‘7 just want to have things plainly under- stood between us,” said she, ‘‘ before you light out.” ‘*Don’t make any bother, Bet, that’s a good girl,” entreated Birkett. ‘‘ You have done splendidly so far, and I am doing m best to get through with my part of the busi- ness, and in a little while everything will be straight, and I pledge you my word that you shall be satisfied.” ‘Your word ain’t worth shucks, And Birkett, and you know that I know that. mean to be satisfied, or I will start a blizzard that will tear you limbless, and that’s the word with the bark on. Tell me, now, what you are goin’ to do next?” ‘*l am going to write to that lawyer to let him know that I’ve fe the power of attorney all straight, and then I will go on there to sell the property and get the a ‘* How soon will you go?” ‘‘In about ten days, as near as I can cal- culate.” ‘*And you will take me, Andy.” Win 2” ‘““You may just bet high that you will. That will satisfy me, and nothin’ short of that.” ‘“Tt’s a little rough, Bet, as I won’t want to be bothered with a woman, and it will cost quite a pile.” “Take the extra cost out of my chare of the plunder.” ‘Well, I suppose I must do it if you in- sist on it, though I will have to come out here to fetch.you away, and that will stretch the business out.’’ ‘*Let her stretch! See to it that you come, Andy. That will square things, and nothin’ else will, and don’t you forget it,” ' * Allright; only don’t drive me wild with any more talk. I’ve got other things to think about.” ‘‘It will be healthy for you to think of. what I tell you. When I leave here, Andy, what will be done with the woman in there? Will she go to her friends then?” ‘*Not much. I will have to get the money salted down before that happens. Won't she die?” There’s a heap of hold out ** Reckon not, to her,”’ ‘Then I will have to put her out of the way somehow.” ‘“What do you mean by that, Andy? To kill her?” ‘‘Of course not; I’m no woman-killer. I suppose I must find another place for her,” ‘*T will be glad to get her off my hands, anyways. Now you may slide out, Andy, and I will look for you in ten days, or there- abouts.” Andrew Birkett was sulky when he mounted his horse, and he bade Bet Rawson a gruff good-by as he rode away with Alf Sanders. She stood in front of the cabin and watch- ed them until they were out of sight. a te ae "EOmicboo cS COr