Beadle's New York Dime Library No. 385 — page 6: what you’re looking at

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

a = — —= =—= = ** Where’s Richard Barnes?’ ne demanded. ** 'W here is ne?’ Legrand retorted. ‘' Weil, he ain’t to be seen now. Jf you have business with him, you'll have to come some other time,” **\\iy business won’t wait.” *“ (ll have to wait.” ** No, it won’t! I’m the Sheriff of Leadville, and [ am here to arrest the gay Richard. Stand aside, old man!” He tried to pass, but Legrand caught his arm. ** Hold!” he said. peril—” With a quick movement Bradstreet flung him- self aside an‘l strode into the next room, one of his men close beside him, There he saw Lois in ‘*'You go in there at your ee ee he is of our own party. See what is wrong with him.” Attention was thus directed to the second of the prostrate men, before mentioned, and as ‘* Doc” Hughes bent over him, he uttered a cry. ‘*Abe Knowlton is dead!” he exclaimed. ** He’s got a bullet through his heart!” The man had been a favorite in Leadville, and his sudden death filled all with dumb dismay. It was Jude Peterson who spoke first. ‘** Who has done this?” he cried. One of the Leadville party stepped forward and leveled a finger at Raoul Legrand. ‘Twas him!” he asserted, All eyes were turned on the stout miner, but Wild Dick Turpin, the Lion of Leadville. brain, or fracture of skul:, of which Hughes ex- | pressed fears, had been thus caused? The lamp was heavy, and it had fallen several feet before striking Bradstreet. This, then, was undoubted- ly the correct explanation, but Bradstreet’s counterfeit did not say so, He saw that, owing to the fact that every one had been confused and alarmed, and only a few in the room to see anything at all, no one was able to comprehend what had occurred, and he determined to make the most of it. He therefore suggested that Knowlton’s desth and the supposed Turpin’s injuries might be the result of a personal encounter between the two and was pleased to see that the theory found favor with some. = a } her bridal dress, pale and frightened, but there | he started forward liké an aroused tiger. The time had now come when the road-agent, \ was no sign of the man he sought. ‘You lie!’ he cried. ‘‘ You contemptible acting in his assumed capacity, might have left | Holding his revolver ready tor use, the officer | knave, there is no spark of truth in it. You | the house and escaped, but there was a reason | ; glanced sharply around. lie!”’ why he dared not. ; ‘Where is Dick Turpin?” he cried. His honest and indignant denial impressed Such of the men as attributed Knowlton’s Ay! where was Wild Dick? From the first he | nearly all who heard it, and Jude doubtfully _ death to Legrand were very bitter against the bad felt sure that the house was too completely | asked: latter, and there was actual danger that the surrounded by Bradstreet’s men to make escape ‘** Did you see him do it?” miner would be lynched Lefore Leadville was ossible then, but he was far from giving up ‘‘T looked in through the door and saw him | reached. tb 1 ope. The sole light in the cabin, then burning, | with a revolver held out. It was toward Abe, No; Dick could not, would not, go until this ' was a kerosene lamp, which was suspended from | an’ thar ain’t no doubt but he did it.” | danger was guarded agsinust, and there was no : the ceiling like a chandelier. He determined to ‘“‘T had the revolver,” Legrand admitted, | way but to go to Leadville and see him placed i “shoot this out,” and depend on the ensuing | “ but I have not fired at any one.” | in prison, or to rescue him by the way. | ‘ confusion to give him a chance for escape. ‘* Let me see it,” Jude directed. The Lion was anxious to get away. Under He had drawn his revolver, and, at this mo- The revolver was passed over, and the police | her mother’s care Leis had partially regained | ment, he fired. spy quickly examined it. ' consciousness, and Dick feared when she saw 4 There was a crash of glass and down came ‘One chamber empty, and fresh smoke around | him his disguise would be penetrated, and he be i the lamp, but not just as Wild Dick wished. | the muzzle and cylinder, This looks bad!” unmasked by her without any idea of the dam- H For once his hand had been unsteady, and the Legrand had started, and a troubled look ap- | age she would do. i bullet did no more than to break the chimney | peared on his face, but he quickly explained: He therefore ordered the return to be made at _and sever the wire which held the light, ‘*T fired at a night-bird, an hour or so ago.” once, \ The lamp fell, and, as the sheriff chanced to be ‘That won't wash; too thin!” Jude ex- | The house was placed in charge of the old | \ directly under it, struck him on the head and | claimed. ‘‘ Am I not right, sheriff?” | minister and the man he bed brought with him | . knocked him to the floor. Then the lamp also Dick Turpin had been listening with a troubled | when he came; and at the request of the sup- | struck there, breaking into pieces. expression on his face. He, too, was ignorant posed sheriff, the lattcr prc mised to remain there f Next came a bright flash which lit the room | of how Knowlton came to his death. That he and protect the two Jadies frcm possible foes. i more distinctly than ever, and Turpin saw that | was the man who had first come in with the ‘This was all that Dick could then do for his af- { the scattered oil was on fire—worse than that, | sheriff was clear, but he had not seen any one | fianced. . _ the flame had flashed to the sheriffs bessattered | shoot, nor heard a fall. The whole affair was a The return to Leadville was begun. Legrand ae and person, threatening to fatally | mystery, but, feeling sure that Raoul Legrand | went as a prisoner, despite all bis protestations, urn him. was innocent, he determined to use his power as | Knowlton’s body was bound to a horse, and the | ; Every one else stood confused and alarmed, | sherifl pro tem. to help him. | supposed Dick Turpin would bave gone in the : but Wild Dick did not lose his wits, Near him| As long as no one discovered that he was a | same way had not the counterfcit sheriff used | t hung a blanket, and he seized it, sprung forward | spurious official, he had the leading voice there. | authority, and ordered that he be carefully con- | and wrapped it around the imperiled man. He had closely watched Jude, whose eyes, he | veyed on a litter. ; From the first he knew that he had an un- | felt, were the keenest there, and was confident The injured man’s condition was a profound i conscious form in his grasp, for Bradstreet did | that he was so far unsuspected. conundrum for Dick to consider. Was he hadly 4 not stir, but the rescuer labored faithfully to He now added his voice: injured? Would he recover consciousness and ? save him. The fire was now confining itself ‘*Can no one here explain how Abe died?” reason? If he did the latter, the Lion of Lead- ‘ to Bradstreet—and his would-be helper. Turpin No one did explain definitely, but the suspi- | ville would find himself in a bad fix. <a ts oe oe — fans ater == (Aes — —— ee wn ta. a a SJ felt the flames blistering his hands and face, but he would not pause. He had greater reasons for saving Robert Bradstreet than any one there suspected! Fire works rapidly, and it was well that he soon had it under control, With the aid of the blanket he succeeded in extinguishing the last point of flame, but, if the sheriff was saved, the situation had become ominous for Tur- in. Although the room was now intensely dark e knew that a light would soon be produced, and then his deed of merey would pass as nothing, The room was crowded with the fol- lowers of the sheriff—perbaps they would lynch their prisoner on the spot. What was to be done? Daring Dick’s head had never been clearer, and he at once conceived a bold scheme, With rapid hands he tore off his coat and Bradstreet’s, and made an exchange, putting his upon the sheriff, and the sheriff’s on his own shoulders, Then, when he had found and assumed Brad- street’s hat, he spoke in a loud voice: “A light here! Bring a light at once!” None of the inmates of the house would, and the first light obtained was a lantern brought _ by the men of Leadville. Then a strange scene was revealed. The minister was on his knees in prayer, Lois had fainted, Legrand held his wife in his arms, and two men lay on the floor as though dead. EE eee Sse cion set afloat on a mere nothing had borne fruit. Abe bad been popular, and the men glared at Legrand in a wey not to be mistaken. Less than one quarter “f them were officers, and the lynch- law spirit was rampant with the others. Clearly, the safest place for Legrand, wntil bis innocence was proven, was in the hands of the law. This would, at least, save him from vio- lent death. The Lion of Leadville had never found his en- ergies more taxed, More than Luman wit and wisdom seemed to be needed then. Abe Icnowl- ton was dead, and Legrand accused of the deed; Dick Turpin was masquerading in a role which needed all his coolness; the real sheriff lay mo- tionless on the floor, perhaps dead, or at any mo- ment liable to return to consciousness and expose the cheat; and over on the sofa Lois lay in a swoon, uneared for except by the prayers which the old minister was earnestly sending up to Heaven. The sight of the woman he loved; whom he had hoped to now call his wife; lying there al- most like one dead, cut to the road-agent’s very heart, and it was only with a great effcrt that he forced himself to l.eep away from her and carry on his deceit. CHAPTER VII. DESOLATION Dick TURPIN saw that all the others wcre It was a melancholy ride for Dick Turpin. By that time he had hoped to call Lois his wife, and to be soon where his road-name was unknown, Instead — what a calamity the evemng had brought forth! ‘“T might have known it!” he thought, bitterly. “The cnly good luck of my miserable life has come to me as Dick Turpin. When I’ve tried to lead an honest life the whole world has been azainst me, and misfortune has ever dogged my steps. Il am the foot-ball of fate, bud worse than the ugly cur that skulks along the gutter, searching for a bone, and cursed and stoned by all who see him!” ae this moment Jude Peterson rode to hiss side, ‘Well, we have done well, sheriff,” be said. ‘*Tt has been a good night’s work.” ‘*T am proud of it,” Turpin replied, with con- cerled sarcasm. “The Lion of Leadville has had a downfall.” % To the lowest depths,” tke outlaw coin- cided, “Tf the other band does as well, it will be a great thing forus.” ‘* Just so,” replied Dick, although he bad no idea what the pohce spy referred to, “ We owe a good deal to that little, red-head- ed girl. Theres no doubt es to the correctness: of my theory, I think. Jvst consider it! She bad been Turpin’s favorite, but he tired of ber and made Ik-ve to the Legrand girl. Result, t One of these was Robert Bradstreet, who pre- | looking to him for directions, and that he must | i: sented a pitiful appearance. His hair was | act in his usurped role cf sheriff, so he put all | wren rec-head learned it all, she came straight: | i scorched and shriveled, and his face blackened | else aside and went about his work with a will, | to us and gave the cutlcw dead away. It’s only ! i and iy while the coat which oo to have ; and ch we ante been fay his eae | on illustraticn cf what Congreve wrote: | n a bridal garment was badly burned. he could not have a more coolly and natur-!| , hath nosarce Hit : | Pr abbve him stood a men who presented almost | ally. Cail eee tikeny Hie lose to Naa turned, hm / as bad an appearance, theurvh he bere himself Raoul Legrand he put under arrest; Mrs. Le- ¢ : - strongly. is face, too, was black, his hair | grand was directed to care for Lois; Abe Knowl- | | A sudden hight flashed upon Dick, and he real- oe ten and his coat even worse burned than that | ton’s body was taken away; and then particular ized what he would a few days before have found ie worn by Bradstrect. attention was given the uncoascious man whom | hard tobelieve. All this woe was due to a Kit! i, A hand was laid on this men’s shoulder, and | all supposed to be the Lion of Leadville. , ‘he it was who had betrayed him, and he felt, an he turned and saw Jude Petersen. | Doc” Hughes had been an Eastern medical | like echoing Jude’s quotation. Red Kit had i % “‘ Great heavens, shcrif’, rre } cu bedly burt?” student until he got into some trouble and had | done that which he considered well suited to. ee the police spy anxiously rskee. to move out rather abruptly, a~d wes really | fiendish origin—and she bad seemed such an in- ia “TT think not, Jude. On'y a slight scorch- | possessed of sound medical knowledge and judg- | nocent, happy child before her unfortunate love: oR ye.” ment. for him poisoned her conscience. ° | ~* But you look terribly. Hcre, Doc Hughes, He examined the injured man carefully, and | He was almost stunned 4 te news, but, he. seo to our leader.” then gravely shook his head. like one in a dream, he eterson con-- His patient was badly burned, and these in- | tinue: juries Baio would keep him in the “ repair shop ” * As long as our man has learned the secret of it, but thereseem- the outlaw cave, I see no reasonable fear of fail- But their “leader” moticned them away. td Te black stuff on his face was an excellent dis- ‘uise; 1f that was washed awoy the cheat might | for some time, as he exp pS 1e discovered, and some one anncunce that he | ed tobe something more. After carefully ex- | ure there. If the gang can be taken by surprise, 4 i wss not Sheriff Bradstreet, but Dick Turpin. ; amining the unconscious man’s head, he askedif | our boys will sweep all before them ; and that abe a s« far bis trick had worked well, and he trusted | any one had “ hit the ontlaw ” in that place. | will be the last of the road-agents, ’ ez tc “is remarkable resemblance to the sheriff to | Nobody would acknowledge having done so, ‘* True.” ; a env le him to keep it up until he could effect an | but the real Dick in then conceived a the-! ‘‘Evidently, it never occurred to the little |. esone. | ory. He remembered that, when he shot away | red-head that we would send a manto dog her~ . Hi ** Let us see to the ofhers. Dick Turpin is in | the lamp, it.cad fallen directly on the sheriff's to the cave, - hy a bad way+perkbaps dead—and this other man; head. as it possible that the ccncussion of Probably not. , (th = ; . » EG ‘net hs Seas) a Se | Ree ee ee ~ 7. C.20°2- ‘EO 700 "to 4 <i