Beadle's New York Dime Library No. 385 — page 17: what you’re looking at

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

< Wild Dick Turpin, the Lion of Leadville. 17 and all to bring a note from the Old Man. Here it is!” He tossed a sealed envelope on the table, Dick Turpin could not but surmise what all this haste meant, and he hastily broke open the envelope. This is what was written on the note-paper in- side: ‘*Otp Parp:—The man y’u leff hear has got away. I’m mitey sorra, butt it was knot my fawlt. Hiz moavments inderkate that he is maikin’ fore Flash Camp, an’ I hoap you can cutt him oph by strikin’ Ben Hoaw’s staig. Try it, an’ if y’u git him ag’in, bring him hear an’ I will hold him if I haiv to hed him upp in a barril. “ Youres fathful, ‘“OLp Man Hicks, *“P.S. It wa’n’t my fawlt he gott away. “Taik Notis. Don’t trust Bairer 2 mutch.” Not by so much as the quivering of a muscle did Dick Turpin show emotion, but he did not fail to realize the full danger. Sam Tobin had es- caped and was making for Leadville as fast as possible, wild to tell the people that the Lion of the road was perpetrating a daring deceit in their very midst; and if he reached there success- fully, the road-agents’ last hope was gone. Dick, however, remained as cool as ever, and dismissed the bearer of the note with unruffled manner and aliberalreward. Then he mentally summed up the situation. ; ‘“‘Hicks thinks he is coming by the Flash Camp stage, but I have no means of knowin definitely. It is like the casting of a die. I he comes any other way, all is lost. If he tries to come by way of the stage he will not get here; he will meet Dick Turpin on the road. Yes, the instinct of self-preservation is strong, and I will find Bowie Ben and take to the trail. For one day, at least, Dick Turpin is again in the saddle!’ CHAPTER XXT. THE LEADVILLE LION'S SWOOP. As soon as possible Dick sought Bowie Ben and told him what news he had received. The young man looked dismayed, and then his face suddenly grew stern. ‘* This must be prevented. If Tobin reaches here, you are ruined. He must not reach here!” ** How can it be prevented?’ ‘* By my life! can prevent it. Dll swoop down on the stage, drag him out by the heels, and take him back to Hicks’s.” ** Yowre a brick, Ben, my boy! Ihave cour- age now to say what I wanted tosay. For one night, Ben, let us go on the road again. We'll disguise ourselves, attack the stage, capture Sam Tobin, and then see if we can keep the slippery chap close.” **T’'m with you, Cap.” ss Good !” The two shook hands, and then Dick went away to make arrangements. It would not do for him to ride Brutus on such an expedition as this, but two good horses were selected, and some grotesque disguises chosen, They wanted nothing to resemble their old style of doing busi- ness on the road. Judging time omy? they finally rode away from the city, and to the place where bi to operate. If the stage happened to ave many passengers, there was a chante that the two road-agents would have a hot time; but Dick relied a good deal on the sense of security which had followed the destruction of his band. Having reached the gulch where he intended to strike the stage, they stopped and assumed their disguises. As has been said, these were grotesque. Over their heads they wore a species of skull-cap, made of blue flannel, which cov- ered their heads to their shoulders; and each wore a woman’s shawl over his shoulders and body. Thus equipped, it was impossible to tell anything about their faces or forms. hey impatiently waited for the stage to ar- rive. Perhaps half an hour had when Dick Turpin’s quick ears detec the rumble of wheels, and the vehicle soon came in sight. The road-agents held their horses back in niches in the face ot the cliffs and waited. Nearer came the stage. Dick was looking eagerly for signs of Sam Tobin, but no such signs were at first vouch- safed. A man sat on the box beside the driver, but he was not the one they wanted. Still nearer came the stage, until it was nearly between them, and then Dick made a motion to Ben, and they rode from cover. A moment more and his voice sounded—not like Dick Turpin’s of old, but in a deep roar. : “Halt. Ben Howe! Pull in your horses, or we'll fill ye fuller o’ lead than a graveyard, Hands up!” ee Ben Howe was an old hand at the ribbons, and a wise one, too, and though he had thought never to be halted again, now that Dick Turpin was @ prisoner, he ‘‘ pulled up” gracefully and obediently. : His companion or the box was not so docile. ‘* What's this?” he cried. “ Road-agents, I s’pect,” Ben coolly answered. “That’s just the figger, gents,” Turpin re- plied. ‘I an’ my pard is ther new kings o’ ther road, an’ our name is ‘Ther Winnin’ Pair.’ 22 eee < Haul out yer rocks, gents, or we will bore ye all full 0’ yawnin’ tunnels!” *“Don’t tunnel here!” said Howe, quickly. 2m ther most peac’ble critter in seven coun- ties.’ The man on the box beside him, however, was not of that opinion, He was a tenderfoot from the far East, and not only brave naturally, but of the opinion that a bold stand would scare the toughest road-agent ‘‘ clean out of ;his boots,” so he drew a revolver and— The weapon went spinning from his hand, and fell on the ground several feet away. Dick Tur- pin had fired first, and with that remarkable skill which never tailed him. The bullet had knocked the other revolver neatly from,the ten- derfoot’s grasp. ‘That will do!” said the leader of the ‘‘ Win- ning Pair,” in a voice which made the tenderfoot shake in his boots. ‘* Ben Howe, what have you got inside?” ‘* Two females, an’ a male man.” ** Pll see them.” Turpin strode forward and soon had a view of the interior. He did not expect any resistance there, and he was not disappointed. The women proved to be middle-aged, with plenty of jewelry, while the man was just the person the road-agent wished to see. Sam Tobin was intercepted. He had probably taken to the inside of the stage for safety, and looked anything but bel- ligerent now. he ladies looked to him for pro- tection, but he did not respond properly. Nota “i ig did he possess, and he was looking anx- iously at the masked man, to see if there was i resemblance to Dick Turpin. he latter was now at his ease. As long as Sam had only women for his companions in the vehicle it was not likely that he had told his story, and the Lion anticipated no trouble in getting him pf Not at once did he he pay attention to Sam, however. Appearances must be kept up, and he called on the ladies for their money and jewels. There was the usual amount of talk, but the spokesman of ‘‘ The Winning Pair” was inexor- able, and they had to comply. Then Dick turned to the man. ‘* Fork over, pilgrim!” he tersely said. ‘* T would gladly do so, but I haven’t a cent to my name,” Sam declared. ‘* Nonsense! That dodge is played out. Shell out!” ‘** But, sir, I assure you—” ‘* An’ I assure you we pards ain’t to be bluff- ed. Pass over ther bullion, or up ther golden stairs you go!” Sam still protested, and, when he had carried the parley far enough for due effect on the other passengers, Dick Fen to become angry. “This sort o’ thing is all very well fur you, but it’s ther rule o’ The Winnin’ Pair that no- body passes ther gate ’thout payin’ toll; so, pil- im, you kin jest step out, an’ we'll take you ar our den an’ hold ye fur ransom, b’gosh!” Sam protested still further, but there was no help for it, and he reluctantly alighted. Bowie Ben had been holding the driver and the tender- foot under good behavior with his revolver, and the latter was next relieved of his ready cash. Then Turpin addressed Howe. ‘* Driver, you kin amble on, an’ say ter them you meet that Ther Winnin’ Pair is hyar ter stay. We're all ther way from Arizony, an’ strangers in these yer diggin’s; but we're soci- able an’ friendly, an’ mean ter git acquainted. We hold daily picnics, an’ you kin say ter them ez hez more cash than they kin carry, that we are pow’ful helpers, Tell ’em ter along ther tin, an’ we'll bank it furthem. Now, drive on!” Howe promptly obeyed, and the stage rolled away and left The Winning Pair and Sam Tobin as sole occupants of the ground. Sam looked decidedly anxious, and Dick turned to him with a grim smile and spoke in his natural voice. _ Well, old man, you haven’t quite made the ‘**T thought it was you,” said Sam, surlily. ‘*Shows your good sense, but, great tt! you didn’t expect to get to Leadville, did you?” The prisoner grated his teeth. e wasina passion, and would have given a good deal of money to possess a revolver for just a few seconds. . J eer on!” he growled. ‘*‘ My day may come ‘Samuel, ain’t you a trifle sorry to have buck- ed against me?—like the man who wrestled with the grizzly.” ‘No. I am an honest man, and you are a notorious desperado. Right and justice are on my side, and I will live to see you hung.” *‘An honest man, are you? I’ve looked up — record, Samuel, and find that you have n twice dismissed from Sheriff Bradstreet’s force; once for getting drunk and smashing everything in a crockery store, and again on suspicion of being in league with thieves. Influ- ence put you back, but it didn’t make an honest man of you—not by a blamed sight! Comrade, tie him up!” Sam had no choice in the matter, and he was soon bound. Bowie Ben then rode away for the spare horse which he had secreted near by dur- —— mma a a a ———————————————————————————————————— ae oF) ing the day, and, returning with it, the prisoner was soon mounted, and the trio en route for Old Man Hicks, They did not spare horseflesh on the way, but, setting into a rapid pace at once, sped away ree gulch and canyon as though riding for ife. Little was said by the way; each man was busy with his thoughts. Dick Turpin had again averted the hour of ex- re, and he did not intend that Tobin should 1ave another chance to betray him. Old Man Hicks was to be relied upon, and it was not like- ly that he would again allow his prisoner to slip through his fingers. The Leadville Lion, however, was not without operation on the road. He had left a good ex- cuse to account for his absence from the city, but that might not save him. : He could not but wonder that exposure had so a been averted, and, as he was literally hem- med in with perils, there was no knowing where the blow might fall. Continuing their way, the riders made mile after mile at the same wild gait. It brought the old days vividly back to Dick Turpin, but he felt none of the exhilaration he had known when he was at the head of the band which had given him his Sephog A His heart seemed like a lump of lead in his breast, and his misled life was a specter which filled him with gloomy thoughts. Driven to a life on the road by great misfor- tunes, he now wiig for an honest life, as a dying man craves the drink of water he can see but not touch, Their destination was reached in due time, and Old Man Hicks received them warmly. He Sam’s escape, which had been due to unexpected ingenuity on the latter’s part; and, showed a new arrangement for holc ing the slippery fel- low, which all agreed was likely to prove strong enough to defy the prisoner’s efforts, Accordingly, Sam was again put in captivity, and the expression of his face was hopeless. Hicks then brought out something for his guests to drink, and was delivering a little ora- tion, when a ridden horse dashed up to the door at full speed, his body white with foam. ‘*A woman, by Jehosaphat!” exclaimed Hicks, looking at_the rider, while a troubled look ap- peared on Dick’s face. The new-comer was Red Kit! CHAPTER XXII. IN WHICH BULLETS ARE TRUMPS. FRESH dangers flashed before Dick T mental vision. would bring Red Kit there unless it was to see him, and the condition of her horse showed that she had come in hot haste. He ran quickly outside,and met her at the oor. ‘* What now?” he asked abru “Sheriff, Ive found that promptly replied. ‘**Sibylla Marcy?” ac Yes,” . ** Where is she?” ‘*Tmprisoned in the mountains a few miles in’s ptly. lady!” she as they are there.” ‘* Did you see her?” ** Not both children at a distance. I told you I would find them, and I have.” ; _ Red Kit had not looked so much like herself since the downfall of the band. She was in clothed neatly, though not in the gaudy style of and the rapid ride had brought the roses back to her cheeks. a re Saag did you find me?” Turpin thoughtfully ‘*T saw you and two other men pass through Windw dark. I was then about to reconnoiter at the cabin where I thought ee was, and when I had got the necessary information I followed ou here. Whenever I thought you might have eft a direct course, I dismounted, lit a match, and looked for your horses’ tracks. Oh! ve not lived in these mountains all my life without being a trailer,” Dick bad another question_to ask; one which troubled him considerably. Had she pig! ed Bowie Ben? If so, the association of a known ex-road-agent with the self-styled ‘“ sheriff” might arouse suspicion. ; ; es “ op you recognize my companions?” _ The answer came promptly, and with seeming frankness. ‘**So you think Sibylla may be rescued?” **T am sure of it.” ‘** And you will guide us there?” sc Certainly.” ' ‘“Then we will go at once. Remain here and I will soon join you. Wait! come in, and the man of the house will give you a cup of coffee.” Dick then went to Bowie Ben, who had wisely retreated from sight. The Leadville Lion was ina quandary. It was necessary to have the aid of his faithful follower if there were so many Gomicbooks fears that he would be connected with this fresh convinced Dick that he was not to blame for | He could think of nothing which back with three or four men as guards—at least, — speak with her, but I did see her and . old; her brick-red hair was well taken care of;. Canyon this evening just’ before © a ee ee