Beadle's Dime Library No. 384 — page 14: what you’re looking at

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

iit. evidence of Mr. Talbot here, 14. ‘‘Talbot—Richard Talbot—you know it well enough,” Injun Dick replied. ‘**T will not dispute with you on the subject, for it isn’t really worth wasting words about,” Everest observed with a gesture of impatience, ‘“*T have already denied that 1 knew you or anything about you and I shall not trouble my- self to repeat the denial; but as I was about to remark, will you, Phenix, have the kindness to explain to this gentleman that matters cannot be carried with so bigh a hand in the city of New York as in some mining-camps in the Colorado wilderness? ** And, Phenix, dear boy, it isn’t the least bit of use for you to try any bluff game on so old a stager as myself. “This accusation is absurd and I feel perfect- ly sure that you haven’t proof enough to war- rant you in getting out an order for my ar- rest. ‘* Well, you will feel more certain about that in the next hour or two,” the detective replied, trying to work the old game of frightening the man into making some damaging admission, the trump card of the bloodhounds of the law from time immemorial. But Malachi Everest was no greenhorn t> be caught by such a shallow trick, nor was he a weak- Pao coward to lose heart at the first signs of danger. Everest burst into a laugh, and he really seemed as if he enjoyed the matter. ‘Very well played, Phenix!” he exclaimed, “but the cards you hold are not strong enough to win in this game. ‘‘ Console yourself with the thought that the best men will fail sometimes, and that it is no wonder that from the nettle danger you cannot pluck the flower safety when your case is as weak as this one.” ‘** Don’t you be too sure of that,” the detective ad vised. ‘*Oh, but I know how matters stand,” the other replied, ‘‘and I am willing to talk fair and aboveboard with you. ‘*T am certain that you can’t have any proofs I did the deed, for | wasn’t within a thousand miles of the locality where the murder oc- curred at the time of the untimely taking-off of the man. ‘*In fact I don’t believe that I was ever any- where near the spot, for 1 haven’t the remotest idea of where it is. ‘** All that I know of Colorado is the city of Denver, and I know mighty little about that; I merely spent a week there some ten years ago. ** Now then, come, let us deal openly in this matter. You are both reasonable men, I judge, and IT am willing to let you weigh the evidence in the case, ‘*] know it must be of the most flimsy ma- terial, and, as the old saying has it, will not bold water at all. ‘*What proof have you against me? I dare you to state it! If I cannot explain it away to your satisfaction, 1 am ready to go with you, warrant or no warrant.” Talbot and the detective looked at each other. This was certainly a novel offer. ‘‘What do you say, Mr. Talbot?” Phenix asked. ‘*Go ahead just as you please; you know far more of such matters than I do and are better calculated to judge,” was the reply. “It is the easiest way to settle it,” Everest urged. “If you haven’t got a case, what is the use of dragging me into notoriety? ‘*] think Mr, Phenix will be free to tell you that during the past ten years [ have been in a measure persecuted by meddlesome detectives, trying like a lot of blind men to hit upon a clew by accident which they were not wise enough to search for and find—and pig-headed police cap- tains who took it into their heads that because I was successful in a few pieces of sharp prac- tice on the turf, | was at the bottom of two- thirds of all the big crimes committed in fhe country. “The officious gentlemen have done their best to make it hot for me—have laid all sorts of traps to catch me on the hip, and as Phenix would vouch, each and every attempt was an utter failure. ‘* To dip into poetry, not a spot in my armor could be penetrated by the lance of Justice, al- though the blind goddess struck at me with all her power. ‘* But this persecution gave me a bad name, I was known as a sport and a gambler, and there were plenty of people in the world ready to be- lieve the lies that were so freely retailed about me, and the first thing I knew I found my- self passing as the patron and guide of the most notorious malefactors known to the law. ‘*+Give a dog a bad name and hang him, it’s an old proverb and a very true one, but pardon this digression; go ahead with your evidence, that is, if you are willing to accept my 41H A As Phenix could not see that any material harm could be done by so doing, he signified he was agreeable. **In the first place your presence in the neighborhood of the tragedy is Hale by the whom you ——_—_\—. Injun Dick, Detective. | came on the night of the murder and only a ‘ short time before the tragedy was committed and inquired the road to Murphy’s Gulch.” a a oe name with a pratie flavor,” ob- served Everest. ‘On that occasion you were disguised as an old man.” ‘‘ And Mr. Talbot, I presume, fancies that he recognized in me the party who accosted him disguised as an old man?’ ** Exactly.” ‘‘Now we'll trouble you to take the stand, Mr. Talbot, if you please,” Everest said, turn- ing to Dick with a pleasant smile, as though all this mages was but an excellent jest. ‘* Are you willing now to take your place up- on the witness-stand, under a solemn oath, mind you, and swear that yeu recognize in me the old man who inquired the way to Murphy’s —Murphy’s what is it?’ he asked, turning to Phenix. ‘*Murphy’s Gulch.” “Yes, Murpby’s Gulch. Not being either a miner ora Western man, I am not as famil- iar as I might be with the odd appellations that they affix to their settlements in the Far West. ‘* Now, will you swear on your oath, knowing that it may bring my neck within the hang- man’s noose, that lam the man who came to you in disguise on the night that this murder occurred ?” ‘* No, I could not swear positively to the fact, although there is something about you that seems to remind me of the party,” Talbot re- plied, slowly. ‘*That settles your first piece of evidence Phenix,” Everest observed, in a tone of quie contempt. ‘* Now bring on the rest!” ‘* Four men attacked Mr. Talbot and his friend at a river crossing. Three were killed in the fight, and the fourth one, badly wounded, named you as the instigator of the attack.” Everest laughed outright. ‘* Oh, that’s too thin; what would the evidence of such a scoundrel be worth? You know, Phe- nix, it wouldn’t be worth a rush. ‘*Go on; probably the strongest card you have held in reserve.” ‘“‘In the disguise of a green young country- man you made the acquaintance of these two entleman on the cars, discovered where they intended to stop, and attempted to murder them at night. One of your pals was wounded in the fight; he is now in the hospital, and is willing to bear witness that you were the leader of the job.” ee Oh, no, he is not willing to do anything of the kind,” the other said, decidedly. ‘tI have heard from him; he sent for me the moment you got away, and told me how hard you had tried to get him to swear against me.” ‘“T only wanted him to swear to the truth!” Phenix exclaimed. ‘* Well, he will not swear to that fiction, and you know it, and now, Mr. Talbot, are you prepared to swear that I personated this green ah pa gs who humbugged you so success- fully? ‘* No, I cannot—your disguise was too perfect —although I think you are the man.” ‘* Now, Phenix, do you think you can make anything out of this matter?’ Everest asked, triumphantly. ‘* Hadn’t you better stop before you get into it, and so save yourself from crush- ing defeat?” ‘You are a cowardly murderer!” cried Tal- bot, abruptly, ‘‘ and although the law may not be able to reach you, yet private vengeance can. You dare not meet me man to man!” CHAPTER XX. THE DUEL. “Ono, ho!” cried the other, his eyes flashing and his face growing a trifle white, a sure sign that he was : etting angry. When passion’s fury made other men turn red, sending the blocd in torrents to their cheeks, Malachi Everest grew deadly pale and those who were hest acquainted with him affirmed that he was never so dangerous—so ready to strike a mortal blow, as when he seemed from the whiteness of his face to be on the verge of fainting. ‘‘ This language of yours sounds something like a ernge ‘“That is about the English of it,” Talbot re- plied, dryly. : ‘‘ My dear sir, this sort of thing may do out in the wild West—it may be just the cheese for the mountains of Colorado, but it is entirely played out in the East,” Everest replied languidly, but bis eyes were still blazing and his face still deathly pale. LAR “They do a little of it down in Virginia, sometimes though, I believe,” Injun Dick re- marked, ‘Oh, yes, among the ‘chivalry’ the ‘code’ still isin force, but really I don’t see why I am called u to risk my life upon the field of honor ply because you have taken some _ foohsh notions into your head and do not choose to listen to reason.” nT SS SS SSS eS ae ’ . SS ‘You call yourself a sporting man, don’t you?” 6 Yes.” ‘*And from what you have said I judge that you are rather proud of the title, the assumed character being so much better than your real one. ‘*T don’t know about that,” Everest retorted with a lowering look. ‘Sporting men generally regard themselves as gentlemen and will submit to a considerable sacrifice rather than forfeit their title to the name, and when a difficulty occurs between two of them they generally settle it in their own fashion without calling upon the law to in- terfere. ‘* Now, then, I am going to avenge the death of my murdered pard, brutally struck down by you in cold blood. “You are a cowardly scoundrel and you don’t deserve to have a chance for your life, but I feel so sure I will kill you that 1 am will- ing to risk the encounter, otherwise I would feel justified in killing you asa wild beast ought to be killed.” ° For a moment the breath of Everest came hard and thick and so enraged was he that he could not bring himself to speak. At last, however, he succeeded in taming the demon of passion raging in his breast, and in a tone whose coolness gave no indication of the storm raging within his veins, said: “Don’t you think you had better cut my throat at once and have done with it, since you feel so deuced certain of the result?’ he asked, sarcastically. **Oh, no, Pll give you a chance for your life, although 1 doubt if you were as merciful to your victim, for, from the appearance of his body, it is evident you killed him in cold blood.” ‘*' You are downright crazy about this matter, I see, and I begin to understand that it is use- less to waste words upon you. But, I say, Phe- nix, how does this idea of a duel strike you? As an officer of the law, I suppose you ought not to know anything about it.” ** Oh, it doesn’t make any cifference; I never interfere with gentlemen’s amusements, and you forget that I am not strictly an officer of the law, but engaged in my own private detective business,” “Yes, yes, true; then you have no call to in- terfere, and can not only let the sport proceed, but enjoy it as well as the next man?’ The detective nodded, Phenix was an odd fish. He doubted if there would ever be sufficient proof obtained to fasten the crime of the mvr- der upon Everest, although in his own mird there was very little doubt he was the guilty party, and from the evidence which he had al- ready received of the prowess of the stranger from the far West, be felt certain he would be able not only to hold his own in a contest with the old man, as Malachi Everest: was com- monly termed by the cracksmen who looked upon him in the light of a leader, but be would be able to come out first-best in the struggle. ‘“ As the challenged party, I have the right to the choice of weapons, I believe,” said Everest. ‘“‘That is correct,” Talbot replied. ‘IT presume that, like the majority of the mountain and prairie men, you are expert with both pistol and rifle?” ‘*'Yes, Iam a good shot with both.” ** You can probably bandle a bowic-knife in & way not to be despised?” “Yes, I am an expert with the bowie-knife.” ‘“Then those three weapons are exactly the ones I shall not choose. You have bantered me into this fight, and I do not intend you shall kill me in cold blood, if I know myself,” the other replied, with a malevolent smile. ‘* With the small sword—the gentleman’s wea pon—you are not probably so familiar?’ ‘No, I confess my education has heen rather neglected as far as swords are concerned,” “And I, on the contrary, am as cood a swordsman as ever took a weapon in hand!” Everest cried. ‘Therefore, I choose swords, and I give you my word before we commence that I will spit you with as little ceremony as though you were a partridge who was to be trussed for roasting.” ‘Threatened men live long,” Talbot replied, contemptuously. ‘s When shall we settle this affair? If you ask my advice on the subject, I should say as soon as possible,” Everest remarked. “T have a couple of pair of swords, all alike as far as the eye can see, and you can take your choice of them. ws ‘“There’s a bright moon shining—a Celightful night for such a meeting. ‘Suppose we take a boat and pull down the harbor. The artificial stone—the foundation for the statue of Liberty Enlightening the World— is in position, and a prettier place for a bit of sword-play it would be bard to find.” *Tma ble,” Talbot replied. “‘T need a second: I suppose Phenix will be yours?’ rattled on Everest, in a cool, matter-of- fact way. ‘* A doctor, too, is required. There is a medi- cal gentleman next door upon whose disereet- (ECO\ ANCE exexe) (E S >