Beadle's Dime Library No. 384 — page 3: what you’re looking at

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

————SS—s Injun Dick, Detective. ee oo ‘‘She’s only a woman, you know, and what right has a woman got to try and hamper a man?” ‘None atall, even though the actions of the lord of creation is padeg' ae, her heart and hur- rying her rapidly down the dark path that leads to dusty death,” Talbot observed, with bitter accent, ‘‘T won’t attempt tomake you promise to ab- stain from drinking, because I don’t believe you would do it, and I am not anxious to make a liar out of any man, but this I will say to you: if you allow any such madness as seized upon you to-day to again possess you I will kill you with as little compunction as though you were a mad dog. Hardly had the words left Talbot’s lips when around the bend in the trail, not twenty yards distant, came Alethea Beaverwick, a light fish- ing-pole carried carelessly over her shoulder and a fine string of trout in her other hand. She started in surprise as she perceived the peculiar position of the two men, and then bur- ried forward, a grave and anxious look upon her face. Talbot released his grasp on the other, and rose to his feet, remarking carelessly as he bid so: ‘‘ There, old fellow, I’ve shown you a trick that mighty few wrestlers know, and if you once got the hang of if, the man who puts you on your back will have to be an extra good one,” Limber Lee was quick to take the cue. He understood that Injun Dick wished to lead his wife to believe that they had been engaged in a friendly wrestling bout. ‘* Oh, I will not forget it,” Limber Bee replied, rising slowly to his feet, feeling considerably the worse for the rough handling which he had ex- perienced. **'You ain’t cut out for a wrestler, though, Limber Bee,” Joe Bowers observed, with the air of an expert, rising and possessing himself of the frying-pan as he spoke, and then resuming his former occupation. ‘* Your legs are too long, and you ain’t built from the ground up as a wrestler ought for to 20. ‘*'You allers come out a heap sight better by running away from a fight than by gitting into it. ‘* Running is your best holt, and you had bet- ter jest stick a pin in thar.” Limber Bee laughed in an uneasy way, and shambled off toward the cabin without hardly bestowing a look upon his wife. . A slight expression of contempt passed rapid- ly over the face of the woman as she glanced at the men, and then, after Limber Bee had disap- sared within the cabin, she held up the fish for albot’s inspection. ‘‘ A fine lot,” he remarked. ‘* Yes,” and then she sat down upon the log by his side, took out a knife and began to pre- pare the fish for the pan. Talbot resumed the peeling of the potatoes with as much sang froid as though it had been the principal occupation of his life. . ‘*My husband and you have been amusing ourselves, it would seem,” she observed, in a Or tone, so that it would only reach the ears of Talbot. ‘* Yes, a little,” the man replied, carelessly. ‘‘T believe you think I donot possess common- sense!” she exclaimed, Vieer ir, “Why did you hold your hand when you had the miserable wretch at your mercy?” | <9 ‘‘Oh, you mustn’t talk like that—it isn’t right,” Talbot expostulated. “No; it is only right to suffer and to die!” _ And then silence fell upon the group until supper was pre CHAPTER III. A MYSTERIOUS STRANGER. THE frugal supper of the four oddly-assorted people was not a cheerful meal, although the veteran bummer did his best to enliven the mono- tony of the affair with a few jocose remarks, but none of the rest were in the humor for merri- ment, and igens his efforts were not appreci- ated, Bowers 800n desisted. After supper was over the men took out their pipes and selected convenient seats on the out- vide of the cabin, watching the sun descend in the far west, while blowing forth huge clouds of smoke. . ar The woman remained within, tidying up for the night. Hardly a word passed between the three men until the sun sunk out of sight, and then Limber Bee suddenly rose up with the remark that he ‘‘reckoned” he had better go to town, as the supply of matches and salt was about exhausted, ‘IT suppose you will come home as full asa tick, as usual,” Bowers observed. ; ne No, sir-ee, hoss-fly!” Limber Bee exclaimed. “It won’t be safe for you to bet on that for you would get skinned of every cent you put up. **T shall come home to-night as sober as a judge, and I shall be home early, too, ‘* Just as soon as the moon comes up enough for to give me light I shall start.” ey —— nn eee ** Well, me noble dook, you will quit the halls of dazzling light in season then, for the moon comes up somewhar ’round eight, and you will have light enuff to navigate splendidly by nine,’ ‘** Somewhar ’round ten then you kin look for me,” and Limber Bee rose to depart. “Say, ’ve a durned good mind to go down along with you!” Bowers exclaimed, seh a ‘*] ain’t been to the camp for a month of Sundays. You don’t mind my going, do you Dick?” ° bet time; but don’t stay all night, and don’t take on board a bigger cargo of bug~-juice than you can conveniently carry.” ‘**Oh, don’t you be afeard in regard to that air!” the bummer exclaimed, confidently. ‘* The man lives not on the earth who kin say that he ever saw the ole original Joe Bowers so full of liquor that he couldn’t hold any more. I’m like an omnibuster, allers room for one more.” “Tl bring him home all right,” Limber Bee remarked, with a patronizing air, which the veteran at once resented. “You bring mehome! Go’way! W’ot kind of a duffer are you, anyway?” ‘** Better man than you are!” Limber Bee re- torted, taking up the advance for the lower camp. ‘**'Yes; better man to be hanged!” And so, bandying rude jests, the two disap- peared in the distance. For ten or {fteen minutes Talbot sat alone in the rapidly gathering gloom, enjoying his pipe and busy with his thoughts which were not al- together pleasant. hen Alethea came from the house and seated herself upon a tree-stump a few feet from where Talbot sat. For a few moments she watched him in silence, and then suddenly said: ‘* A penny for your thoughts, Mr. Talbot.” “Upon my word, I don’t believe they are worth it,” he replied. ‘Mr. Talbot, why did you attempt to deceive me ahout that trouble you had with my husband just before supper?” she asked. ‘*Now don’t try to evade the question!” she exclaimed in quite an imperious way, as Dick was about to open his mouth to reply. **T do not a se you consider that I know any more thar’'the law allows,” she continued, with perceptiblé bitterness, ** but I am not alto- gether without sense, ‘*T have been expecting there would be trouble between you for over a week now. suppose [ ought to have warned you of my wy tern so you might have been on your guard, but I felt you would be able to take care of yourself, and then I did not think my miserable wretch of a husband would pluck up courage enough to at- tack you. **T expected he would storm at and threaten you as he does me, but I hardly thought he would do more. ** And how absurd this frantic jealousy of a wife for whom he cares absolutely nothing.” ‘* But, Mrs. Beaverwick, really this isn’t the way that you ought to talk vt be husband,” Talbot remarked, in a tone of admonition, ‘* Not my husband—my master!” she exclaim- ed, with bitter accents. “‘Of course, the story of my life is a sealed book Me you, but it is time that the volume was opened. ‘* A strange chapter of incidents brought me to these Western wilds, and a little over six months ago, I found myself sick, friendless and alone in a little hamlet where, through no fault of mine, every one avoided me as though I car- ried a deadly pestilence upon my person, ‘*[ was in the depths of despair when this man came tomy rescue. He professed to be wealthy. In reality he had a few thousands only. ‘* TTe bought me, just as much as though I had been put up on the auction block and sold to m., ‘*T was a coward and feared to die and so I became the wife of this mean-spirited wretch. “Tt did not take him long to get rid of his money, and then we drifted out into this section where we made your a tance, and you were generous enough to 40it your fortunes to ours and dragged us up from utter poverty— perhaps from a cruel death by starvation—to our hg comfortable position. ‘*"You have seen what sort of a life I lead now —a perfect hell on earth with this petty fiend who fairly hates me because I will not yield him perfect obedience. ** He could get a hundred dollars a week if I would consent to go as cashier in one of tixeso miserable gambling booths, or as much more from the managers of the variety tents if I would sing in their shows. ‘*And that was the reason why he married me. He thought that the attractions and ac- complishments which Heaven had bestowed upon me would procure a sumptuous living without his being obliged to work, ‘**] would not consent, and he has endeavored to drive me to despair ever since. “For the last week he has pretended to be madly jealous of you, and a hundred times bas sworn to me that he would kill both you and me on the first convenient opportunity.” 3 —_——_—- - ‘* Barking dogs seldom bite,” observed Talbot, dryly. ‘ a True, I laugh at his threats and despise them as much as I do him, but how much longer am I obliged to submit to this awful life?” she de- manded, ‘* Would I be Jost beyond all redemption if I should say to the only man in the world whom I know I can trust, ‘Take me, I am yours when- ever you choose to say the word. Let us fly far from this spot and in some calm and peaceful corner of the universe find the happiness that is denied us here’ ?” There was quite a long pause, Talbot, puffing away at his pipe, stared straight at the dusky gloom which by this time entirely covered the face of nature. Cne by one the stars were peeping out, and afar off the faint glow which pervaded the sky heralded the coming of the moon, ‘You do not answer—is the question such a difficult one, then?’ Alethea asked, her tone bit- ter and her face full of hard lines, making her look ten years older. ‘* Yes, indeed it is, for when such a question is put it isa sore temptation for a man to an- swer according to his passions and not by his judgment,” ‘Your judgment, then, would think the woman was in the wrong to take such a step?” Bitter as gall was the tone in which he spoke. ** Decidedly.” There wasn’t the least bit of hesitation about the reply. The woman rose proudly to her feet, The flames were still leaping in the rudely- constructed fireplace and gave light to the scene. ‘“* Dick Talbot, you are either more or less than man!” she exclaimed. She would have spoken further, for she was full of speech, had not the approach of a stran- ger down the trail coming from the direction of Ada Springs interrupted the interview. The traveler was an old man, miserably clad, with a long iron-gray beard and disheveled hair of the same hue. He carried a staff in his hand and a pack on his back, and appeared footworn and weary. y: Good-evening, pard,” be said, as he came up to Talbot, in a quivering, cracked voice; ‘*ma I be so bold as to ask the road to Murphy’s Gulch?” and then his eyes resting upon the face of the woman, be nodded to her and said: ‘* Tt’s a dark night, ma’am, but it’s always the darkest afore the moon comes up.” The odd speech,so entirely uncalled for,attract- ed Talbot’s attention, and he scrutinized the stranger closely, bestowing also a glance upon ~ Alethea. * She was bending forward, surveying the old man with almost breathless interest, and Talbot fancied that he saw a rapid glance of recognition exchanged between the two, It was done so quickly, though, if it was done at all, that Dick was not certain whether he bad seen aright or had been deceived by his imagi- nation. ‘*The road to Murphy’s Gulch splits off from the main trail about balf a mile from here,” Alethea said, before Talbot could reply, “Vil show youif you like, for you would be apt to miss it in the darkness.” » She ran into the house, got her hat, and, with a brief salutation to Talbot, departed with the stranger. Talbot was amazed, and knew not what to make of the strange affair. Time passed on; the moon came up, and the light grew stronger and stronger until the face of the country was plainly Uluminated. Ten o’clock came, then eleven, but not a soul returned to the cabin. CHAPTER IV. DEAD MEN TELL NO TALES. TaLnor rose to his feet after consulting his timepiece and finding that it was after eleven. as There's my, a wrong!” he exclaimed, **Can Alethea have eloped with that old codger, ot tie been carried off by him against her ‘*T hardly think that, for he didn’t look strong enough to try any such e. Maybe, though he was only the agent of somebody in the back- gro und. ‘* And what the deuce has become of Bowers and Limber Bee? ‘**T don’t wonder so much at their absence, for T expected that both of them would get full at the camp, and a sharp would be safe in bet- ting that they wouldn’t make the cabin until near morning. ‘**T must look into this mystery though,” Going to the cabin, he took bis repeating-rifle, closed the door carefully, turned the key in the padlock by means of which the door of the cabin was fastened, and concealed the key under the bowlder just at the side of the house, a place of deposit known to all the occupants of the cabin. ‘Now, then, which way shall 1 go?’ ques- tioned Talbot, communing with himself. A quarter of a miledown the stream the trail split in twain. MIEDOOKS (E(0) (C (E(0)