Beadle's Dime Library No. 387 — page 20: what you’re looking at

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

~ or ee — - 20 ———— ‘Lon-cared Mose—in busy converse with the talk- ative fellow whom he mentioned to Louis Knapp as being his ‘‘ advertiser.” Twice that day he met Earl Wingfold face to face, to pass him by without resenting that worthy’s black looks and insolent scowls. At any other time he would have welcomed the chance to read the young ‘* blood” a severe lesson, but now he had too much at stake to run any unne- essary risks. that Damon Wingfold had considerable influence among a certain portion of the city officials, and an arrest might be the consequence of a col- lision. By noon his false trail was pretty well laid, and he believed that he had Somme! a ew thrown | the enemy off the right scent. et he did not even then cease his efforts to make assurance | doubly sure. His future happiness largely de- pended on his perfect success in recovering the fost cache, and he was resolved to leave nothing undone that lay in his power. But ere long he became convinced that trouble | -was brewing, of a sort which he had not sus- | pected. And after another friend came to him | with warnings to be on his guard, that Earl | his intention | Wingfold was openly proclaimin of horsewhipping him when an could be found. wherever he It seems that at least one outsider saw Rex | Stuart kick Damon Wingfold out of his half- brother’s house, and had told the story to all who cared to listen. At any rate, the account was all over town, and Earl Wingfold caught at it as a good excuse to dispose of a dangerous rival. With each warning, the never too cool temper of the young man waxed hotter and hotter, until at length he broke out savagely: ‘‘When you hear that threat made again, say for me that I will be about town all this eve- ning. That I do not care to bother with a whip, ‘but that I will be ra 5 ra am able, to boot | Earl Wingfold just as thoroughly as I did his father!” i Near the middle of the afternoon, Stuart learn- ed that Louis Knapp had left town on his long- talked-of hunting expedition. He satisfied himself that this information was true, and by a ‘series of cautious investigations, he found that no one in the employ of Damon Wingfold had wither asked after or followed the party. Re- lieved on this point, he at once returned to his rooms to secure a short nap, of which he stood in need, particularly as he anticipa‘ed no rest until at least another night and Cay had passed over his head. When he awoke, his brain was much cooler ‘than it had been when he laid down, and as he took supper, he found cause to regret having sent that defiant message to Earl Wingfold. . “Tcaught the fellow making his brags, dear boy,” eagerly uttered the man to whom he had delivered his defiance, ‘‘ and at once clapped a stopper on bis loose jaw. I delivered your mes- | hurling a chair into their ranks, following it sage, and true as you sit there, the fellow flaunt- | with his own body and fists, while Stuart at once ed the white feather in his face! All the same, Tve heard since that he is looking for you— though he don’t seem to care about hunting you where he knows you may be found!” * Possibly because he thinks I might have friends by to see fait play,” laughed Stuart, carelessly. “Of course you'll down him?” “Te its a choice between that and a borse- ‘whip, maybe Id better.” His friend laughed merrily at the remark, but appeared to take it for granted that Stuart would take care to bring the braggart to book, and skipped off to tell everybody whom ‘the met what rare sport was in store for them that evening.” Rex soon saw that he cou!d not hope to escape town without a row, if Earl Wingfold was real- ly eager for one. His friends came to him in rapid succession, all with the same story to tell. He must take the young blood down, or Denver ‘would soon grow a most uncomfortable place for him to live in. Even now, knowing how much depended on his speedy departure, on his having the full use of his limbs, to say nothing -of his Tito, Rex Stuart would have postponed the encounter until his return, could he have given his friends the slip without too openly betraying his real object. They stuck to him wherever he went, and when at length one of their number came bhurry- ing up with the tidings that Earl Wingfold was, even then, going the rounds of the saloons and | Rex, stoppin Time was precious, and he knew | | back, That decided him, and he strode forward, - enterin ee UUnaseseeemmmmm sn tiesstiis set off in high glee, while Stuart at once made for the rendezvous. He had almost reached the place, when he caught sight of Earl Wingfold, accompanied by half a dozen others, just entering the saloon. ‘‘ His heelers with him, of course!” muttered short and frowning blackly. ‘* Ten to one | don’t find a single friend inside!” His mind worked swiftly. {t would take time to collect his party, and during that time his enemy might pass on again. And his seeking to do so would be an acknowledgment that he feared to face the danger without friends at his the saloon, The first person he saw was Earl Wingfold, itis against the bar with a glass in his hand, Near him was Lop-eared Mose and a number of other hard-looking characters. And his swift, keen glance around the room showed him but one person on whom he could count for aid in case of being ‘‘double-banked.” That was a well-known character in Denver and the mines, one of the “‘ old residenters,” Jack Jones. With a quick step Rex reached the bar and called for a glass of brandy. At the sound of his voice Earl Wingfold uttered an exclamation of surprise, starting back a little, one hand seek- ing a weapon. Facing ae pale but cool, his blue eyes flash- ing Saal ger Rex Stuarc lifted the glass to | his lips and slowly sipped the liquor. For a moment Earl Wingfold seemed awed, confused, at a loss just what to do first; but then he laugh- | ed recklessly, calling the company up for re- freshments, at the same time moving sideways, rudely jostling Stuart. **Out of the way, you awkward scoundrel!” he hissed, turning and glaring at his rival. ** You, is it, my gallant kicker of old and help- less gentlemen?” he added, as though for the first time recognizing Rex, There was a closing up of his heelers, and Rex readily divined his plans. He was to provoke a blow or a retort, and then his crowd was to close in and make sure work of it. But his own blood was up, and he did not pause to count the odds against him. ‘‘ T kicked the second greatest rascal in Denver, for insulting a lady. am ready to apologize by kicking the greatest and meanest, his hope- ful son, Earl Wingfold!” sharply uttered Stuart, sar word clear and cutting as a slap in the ace, And as if from just such a slap Earl Wingfold | staggered back, his right hand clutching the | butt of a revolver. But he had no time to draw, much less use it, for Stuart leaped forward, adding his weight to the straight, shoulder-shot, knocking his rival headlong through his gang of as, 9 ‘Down him, boys!” snarled Lop-eared Mose, viciously. ‘* All at once!” ‘* Fa’r play, cuss ye all!” screamed Jack Jones, made play the best he knew how. The next moment the lights went out, and confusion) reigned. Shots were fired, knives clashed together, and, fearing the police and ar- rest, Rex Stuart fought his way outside, turn- ing the corner and running at fuil speed to the stable, where his good horse was ready for the road. And almost before his enemies could realize the fact of his escape, he was riding swiftly out of Denver, now fairly on the trail of the GOLD PHANTOM! CHAPTER XIII. THE GOLD PHANTOM, PALE, haggard-eyed, Rex Stuart stood on the int of rocks, gazing down into the valley ly- ing at his feet. In one hand he held a worn and deep-creased paper, covered over with crooked lines and dots. For nearly an hour his eyes had roved from paper to valley,.then back again, all the time his face growing harder and sharper the look in his eyes, But for the past few min- utes he seemed turned into a statue of stone, so still and motionless did he remain. ‘‘ Well, pard, can you make it out?” cheerily called Louis Knapp, who was lying on the ound a short distance away, smoking his pipe. ‘Is it a true bill, or have you made a mistake in | drawing up the indictment?” Stuart started, like one abruptly awakened by | a dream-voice. He brushed one hand across bis | brows, then turned toward the gay speaker, ———— - just as it is drawn on the map—in sbort, I could almost take oath that the man whodrew up this chart, was sitting on that very point of rock, yonder!” He nodded towerd the spot where he himself had stood while surveying the pleasant pros- pect spread below and beyond him. ‘*Good for our side!” enthusiastically cried Knapp, flinging his hat high into the air, keeling over and catching it cn the tip of his hunting- boot as it came down. ‘* All that remains is to find where the Gold Phantom is hiding, un- earth it, put it under close bonds for future good behavior, and guard it safely back to enver! Poof! it’s good as done, already!” Rex Stuart smiled faintly, for he knew that Louis Knapp was talking more to drive the anx- ious cloud from his brow than any serious belief in what he uttered. During their long ride from Denver, and while watching together in the night, Rex Stuart had made a clean breast of it, telling his friend how much depended on the full success of his venture. At first ke had been so confident that all was to prosper with them. He knew that he could guide the little party direct to the valley from which he believed that chart had been drawn, He was positive he could walk straight up that valley and stamp his foot within a yard of the point indicated by the red cross marked on the map. And under that cross lay the long- lost cache, the fabulous GOLD PHANTO at mention of which he had so often felt nis lip curl with pitying scorn at the strange incredu- ay of man. ut as the distance lessened and they drew nearer to the valley, his mood changed. He grew graver and less confident. Doubts began to assail him. He asked himself much more frequently whether it was the part of wisdom to place so much reliance on the speech of one who acknowledged having been out of his brain for years. And now, though he could almost take oath the valley below them was the one from which that chart was drawn, bis hopes of finding the buried gold were at the very lowest point. ; There was so much at stake! ‘‘ A mere trifle, of course, Low. I wish I had some of your spirits!” he muttered, with a fore- boding sigh. _ “Help yourself, pard,” laughed Knapp, toss- ing a Jiquor flask across to the other, Re dark eyes dancing. “ Drink hearty, old fellow, And asmy spirits godown, may your spirits go up, up, up! until they leave behind them forever these -ugly mists of doubt and fogs of unbelief! Brace up and be somebody, Rex! Have some style about you, even if you haven’t got a paper col- lar or aclean shirt to your back! Faint heart never won a red cent bucking against good luck, but a bold front is half the game and I’ve known it to knock science clean out of time before a second round! And that’s the gospel of St. Louis, the Smart!” Rex Stuart required something of the sort, and as he took a drink from the brandy-flask, his countenance began to brighten, quite as much from the idle chatter of his mercurial companion as from the generous liquor itself. ** All of which, being sifted down and inter- preted, means—what?” he asked, more like his olden self as he returned the flask. ‘* That the sooner we get to work, the quicker we will be able to feast our lonying eyes on the incomparable charms of this glorious Phan- tom of Gold!” ‘Tf our clew really be worth anything!” muttered Stuart, his brow clouding ‘and grow- ing anxious again. ‘““Of course it is,” positively. ‘* Would we come this far on a wild-goose chase? Are we adorned with elevated fly-flappers on one end and a drooping ditto at the other? Have we thrown away a thousand chances at ge-lorious game just for the ccmfort of getting bere, only to get left now we are here? Not much, Mary Ann!” “Tf ever the day comes when you have as much at stake as I have on this venture, Lou, you will be better able to understand my feel- ings now that a few hcurs must decide the cast.” “May a merciful Providence forever shco Cupid out of my neighborhood, if this horrible change from a decent, companionable young fellow into a moping, whining, wet- sey sort of perambulating ghost be the natural conse- quence of falling in love! Rex,” and with a complete alteration of tone and manner EPR one arm over the broad sho | a faint smile flitting across his handsome face as | rose and passed | . flogging his enemy, there was nothing for it but | he saw that earnest, sympathetic light in his | ers of his bosom-friend, ‘‘ ycu understand me. I | . | <a iS the music. And now that he bad fairly | friend’s eyes. Louis was fond of light and tri- | feel for you from the very bottom of my heart, ' ’ yielded to what was a most powerful temptation fling speech, but his wishes for the perfect suc- | and if I could insure your dearest hopes by so | ; from the first, Rex entered on the counter-hunt | cess of their expedition were second only to doing, I would thrust my right hand to the gaming-houses, openly avowing his purpose of ee ~_—> Se we ™ - oS. SP aE ae OE EE! To er + = . le with a grim, ise ges zest. As it will so often happen, however, the two men who wished nothing better than to encoun- ter each other, found considerable delay in get- ting together, more than once missing a meeting by but a few minutes. Growing impatient at the swift passage of time, each minute of which was so precious now, Rex Stuart divided his little party and sent them off in different directions, with word to locate the enemy and report to him at a place he ‘mentioned. Eager to witness the ‘‘ fun,” they those of Rex Stuart himself. ‘““We will know the whole truth before sunset, | Lou,” was the grave response, as his friend took | a seat beside him on the ground, his blue eyes , slowly passing over the worn chart for a final | comparison with the map which was impressed | on his mind. “ IT have made no mistake thus far. The valley lies below us, and is the identical one from which this chart was drawn. The creeks are there; the trees and the rock mounds are just the same, so far as I could make out from | this point. The valley gives a double curve, elbow into a roaring fire. You know this?” Stuart grasped his hand with a vigor and earnestness that spoke even plainer than words, Louis smiled, then added: ; ‘“ Just as you would do the same if it could benefit me—don’t I know? Weil—I play the fool, but’ it is for your own gocd that I do it. You are Jetting your doubts break down your ~ strength and courage. So much depends on suc- cess, that you are making yourself believe that failure is inevitable. Instead—brace up and swear that you will come out top of the heap! €oim (E —— a Rw: ' + : as ¥ r ‘vg a on ( * i ' ee ~ ‘ f $ : =" — _ ~ = . Fh Se PA Pe te Pe © pata” FR fue oR Oe aot ee. > | -E.3S Me hg « - *% bin 200 << i . a -_s .