Beadle's Dime Library No. 384 — page 21: what you’re looking at

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

‘*T begin to see that I rather have made a fool of myself in the iast few years in regard to Alethea.” ‘* Vell, [ thought that you were not acting with your usual long-headedness,” Melancholy Mike remarked: ** but, then, I hated to say any- thing about it. ‘* But my experience has taught me that when aman who is engaged on any important busi- ness allows himself to become entangled by a fe- male woman, things are sure to go wrong. ‘*From the days of the Roman Antony, who at one stroke, for the sake of the dark-cyed Egyptian, Cleopatra, lost the empire of the world, down to our own time, there are plenty of instances to prove the truth of what I say; and I must say that I was sorry to see that you were allowing her to bother you.” ‘“*All great men have their weakness, you know,” Everest replied, with a sinister laugh. ** And I think L may safely claim that 1 am a great enough man not to be exempt from the failing. “But in truth, Mike, this, I think, is almost the only weakness that {i have been guilty of in my life, and that is saying a great deal, ‘T met her some eighteen years ago, just after I had made up my mind that I could make mor money in this life and have a better time by be- ing a crook than by following the straight road followed by honest fools. ‘¢ She was a beautiful woman then, as beauti- ful a woman as my eyes have ever looked upon, and I was fascinated by her. ‘‘f married her, keeping the fact a secret from all the world, took her off to a little coun- try town, and managed my affairs so well that until this infernal Talbot got upon my track she never had the slightest suspicion there was anything wrong about me, although I was un- fortunate enough to get jugged in the West a year ago. ‘* But she believed I was innocent, in spite of that, though she was weak fool enough when things went to the bad to marry a loud-mouthed braggart who pretended to be a millionaire, thinking I was locked up for life.” ‘* Pretty tough thing for her to do,” ‘Yes: but [ was still so infatuated with her that [ forgave it, and the moment I got out I went after her. “ After [had been obliged, in self-defense, to put a knife into the drunken fool whom she had married, and whom we ran across by accident in a dark canyon, and we returned to the cabin where she lived, when she helped herself to gold which the party had gathered, she would not take buta third of it because she said the rest belonged to this Talbot and his pal, one Bowers, and from the way she spoke of Talbot, I saw that, to use the common expression, she was clean gone on him. ‘‘ Tt angered me, and I began to see she was a little weak on this point. ‘‘T did not say anything, though, for I was fool enough to think I ought to give her another chanee, but I arranged matters so that after we had started on our journey I got a chance to re- turn to the cabin, and I not only helped myself to the rest of the gold, but I laid a trap to send Talbot and his pard to the other world in short order. ‘Tt didn't work, though, for the two fellows escaped without damage, and the way they came after myself and the woman was a cau- tion. ‘‘T doubled like a hunted fox, and happening to run across some desperadoes I knew, paid them to ambush the bloodhounds, but the plob miscarried in some way; they escaped, followed me to the East, and you know how hot they have made it for me ever since.” “Yes: if it hadn’t been for the armor that you had on under your shirt on the night of the duel, the fellow would certainly have killed ou.’ me You're right; and, as it was, he gave me an ugly wound. ‘* A few days ago I made another discovery in regard to Alethea. ‘‘She had beeh married before she met me, and had a daughter, now about seventeen, a beautiful girl, to whom I immediately took a fancy, and in attempting to get her into my power I accidentally ran across Talbot, and had a narrow squeeze OL it. } ‘‘Now Lam getting a little tired of Alethea: for a woman who bas not scrupled to deceive me as she has, her honest qualms are ridiculous, aud I don’t propose to bother with her any loner. wey would rather by far have the daughter, and maybe I will find her more easily molded han her mother. ; : ‘‘ Alethea has gone to invite Talbot and Phe- nix toaconference here to-night, and it is my intention to hurl all three to destruction at a single blow.” | CHAPTER XXX. A DEADLY TRAP. MELANCHOLY Mrke rubbed his hands gleeful- ly together for a moment, and then remarked: “* Tt’s a big thing!” “Right you are,” Everest replied. ‘‘I have got upafew big schemes in my time, but this Injun Dick, Detective. one is equal to anything I have ever devised, for, mark you, Mike, these two men are by far the most dangerous enemies that I have ever encountered. ‘* Phenix alone is bad enough, but Talbot is far worse,” ‘t Yes, I agree with you, there.” ‘* Phenix is but a police bloodhound,” contin- ued Everest. ‘*He desires to run me down because I have defied the law, and has no personal motive to urge him on. ‘Tf T was not ‘ wanted,’ he would not bother his head about me for an instant.” ‘* But the other is actuated by a personal mo- tive,” Melancholy Mike observed. ‘* Exactly; and that is why he is far more to be dreaded than Phenix. He cares not whether I am a felon or an honest man; he does not rely upon the law to aid him, but is fully prepared to take vengeance into bis own hands, ‘* He must die that I may live.” ‘“*The survival of the fittest,” observed the other, with a grin. ‘“*All is prepared; the trap is arranged, and now I wait but for my enemies to enter the snare, and then at one fell blow I compass the death of both of them,” ‘* And you intend that the woman shall bear them company in their journey across the dark river?’ asked Mike, reflectively. ‘** Yes; as I have explained to you, as the poet says, she has committed the greatest of crimes a —she has ‘outlived my liking,’ and now the | quicker she is removed from my path the better | ranged in the box that a strong pull on the wire | wil! cause the hammer to fall and explode the shall like it.” ‘* Yes; I don’t take much stock in women,” Melancholy Mike remarked, in a manner which seemed to indicate he had given the subject a great deal of thought. ‘‘ Women are mighty uncertain and apt to be awfully ugly if they once take it into their heads to kick over the traces,” ‘You are quite right about that, and from the way things are working it seems to me that the time is rapidly approaching when Alethea will be apt to give me trouble. ‘* She has scruples which are really ridiculous when ons considers what a checkered career hers has been. ‘*T have led a double life as far as she has been concerned for many a long year.” ‘** And she has never once tumbled to the truth,” Melancholy Mike remarked. ‘*Nary a tumble. Ail the time I have been employed tm devising schemes to relieve my fellow-men of their surplus cash she has never had the slightest suspicion that I was not tread- ing the path of honesty.” ‘*And she managed to pull the wool over your eyes, too, in regard to this husband and daughter business,” the other observed. ; | ' ‘** Yes; she did deceive me, for I had not the | slightest suspicion that I was not the first man who had succeeded in pleasing her maiden fan- cy; and between you and me, Mike, the more I think about the matter the uglier I feel about it,” Everest remarked, in a manner which plainly betrayed the irritation he felt. “Hang the woman! If I had suspected the truth I would have whistled her down the wind years ago, ** But as it is, it is not too late for me to pay her up for her trickery. ‘*T have tired of her, and intend she shall share the fate of the two men who have been pursuing me so closely, ‘** She will not only lead them into the trap, but will perish with them when the mine ex- plodes. ‘“‘T have taken a fancy to the daughter, too. She isa beautiful girl and when the mother is out of the way, I shall contrive to make the girl mine.” ‘* Will not that be a difficult matter?” Mike asked, with a doubtful shake of the head. He did not believe in this woman businessat all and did not think anything but evil would come of it. ‘* Oh, no, she is a brilliant girl, and although IT have not had the opportunity to see much of her, yet, from the little I have seen, I am con- vinced she is twice the woman that her mother ever was. **T can win her easily enough when the mo- ther is out of the way. ‘*T have devised a scheme that cannot fail. Tt is an old idea, but one that seldom miscar- ries, and [ want you to look after the details.” * All right; I'll do my level best, although I must say that, as a general rule, I think the less a@ man in our line of business has to do with women the better.” Everest laughed. Sear are disposed to be cynical, Mike,” he said. women never made any trouble for me, and I have been mixed up with them all my life, but then I never lost my head and allowed any female to make a fool of me, and that is why I have been able to get along so well with ates , 1 sup choly Mike remarked, but the look belied his words. | 21 ~ have arranged the trap to destroy these two bloodhounds who are so eager to compass my destruction.” Then Everest led the way to the cellar of the house, It was a plain, ordinary cellar, ro way diffc1- ent in appearance from the cellar generally found under such a cottage. There was a coal-place in one corner, a wood- bin in another, and in the center of the apart- ment was a small square box about the size of those usually used by soap-manufacturers—in fact, the label of a soap firm was still upon the package. The cellar was lit by a couple of windows, so all objects within the apartment were plainly visible. Mike had never been in the cellar before, and had no suspicion that there was anything odd or unusual about it. ‘*Do you see that box, Mike?’ Everest asked, pointing to the soap-box in the middle of toe cellar. The other nodded, ‘Well, Mike, there’s dynamite enough in that small package to blow up a fort.” Melancholy Mike involuntarily took a step backward and surveyed the box with an air that denoted he had a profound respect for the mighty agent of destruction. ‘* Look on the ground and you will see a wire running from the box to the wall.” “* T see it.” ‘The wire connects with a hammer so ar- dynamite, and a second after the explosion takes place, all that will be left of this house will only be fit for kindling wood.” ‘*Tt’s a big thing,” Mike observed, “Yes, and I fancy that cunning as Phenix is he will not escape this trap, if he is bold enough to accept my invitation, nor will Talbot, I im- agine, be long-headed enough to scent the danger,” “But I say, old man!” exclaimed Melancholy Mike, abruptly, as an idea occurred to him, ‘it seems to me that this little scheme of yours is a great deal like the trick that theold Bible sharp, Samson, played upon his enemies. You will de- stroy your enemies, but at the same time pull down the house on your own head.” Everest laughed. ‘* Mike,” he replied, ‘‘ that remark dces not do credit to your wisdom. “What satisfaction would it be for me to compass the death of my enemies if L was obliged fo sacrifice my own life in the achieve- ment? ‘**Oh, no, that is not my game at all. This foolish woman and the bloodhounds are destined to be abruptly removed to another sphere, but I do not intend to be included in the destruc- tion. ‘*T have arranged a means of escape; see?” And then Everest showed Mike a secret tun- nel, excavated in the solid earth, which led from the cellar to the low lands in the rear of the house. There was an old shanty built against the side of the bluff, which marked the mouth of the tunnel. - ‘We will be in the tunnel when the party ar- rives; we can hear them enter the house, and when they are fairly in the trap we can pull the wire and hurl them all to destruction. ‘The ruins will mask the entrance to the tun- nel, and the public at large will set the explosion down to a desire on the part of some of my tee mics to destroy me.” “Its a big scheme,” Melancholy Mike re- marked, in a tone of admiration. After a few more words of little consequence the two returned to the upper apartments, and Alethea soon joined them with the intelligence that the two bloodhounds had agreed to come that evening When supper was finished, under pretense of enjoying a smoke, the confederates quitted the house, but by means of the secret passage un- on cover of the darkness they easily gained the cellar. Everest. was provided with a dark-lantern, and it did not take him long to prepare to re- ceive his unwelcome visitors. The preparations being made, the two re- paired to the mouth of the tunnel and squatted down like two huge toads. Shortly there came a ring at the door. Alethea answered the summons. ‘Mr. Everest?’ inquired a voice which the pol immediately recognized as that of Joe Phe- n “Yes, walk in, please,” the woman replied, The visitors, there were two, complied, and “Asa rule, I believe you are right, but ; no sooner were they within the house than Ey- erest pulled the wire. A tremendous explosion followed. CHAPTER XXXII, CRACKSMEN AT WORK, Anp now, in order that all divisions of our it will be all right,” Melan- | tale shall move abreast, we must return to the upon his face | house of the detective officer. Both of the bloodhounds who were pressin ‘But now let me show you how nicely I so hotly on the trail of the ‘Old Man” ha AMCEleveye) (C Ss G (0) (E(0)