Beadle's Dime Library No. 387 — page 24: what you’re looking at

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

PPLE EE 24 cient to dash aside the pistol, perhaps before it could be discharged. Instead, he trusted his life to those cold, biting words. And not without good judgment, it appeared. A flush came into the face of the young man, and instead of pressing the trigger he hesitated. ‘‘Shoot, if you see a single nerve tremble or twitch, young man,” coldly added the out- : law of the mountains. ‘ Bah! do you think I value life so highly? [ff I have fought hard for it, heretofore, it was more because | would not ve my enemies a chance to triumph over me. eath at the hand of an honest man is more like a boon than a terror!” Whether so intended or not, these words caused R x Stuart to lower and then replace his weapon. He stepped back a pace or two to guard against being caught off his guard a second time, muttering: “It would serve you more than right to blow you through, but I can’t do it without you try to defend yourself!” ** You. defied me, and I simply showed you how helpless you were if I chose to use force in- stead of argument, Mr. Stuart,” calmly return- ed Dark Durg. ‘ That you are still drawing the breath of life, thank the fair young woman whose life is bound up in yours. It was her face rising up between me and you that held my hand. She was kind to him. She took him home and when the wolves came howling at our heels, she aided him to escape. She loves you—I could read the truth in your eyes—and that has stood you in good stead this day!” Still confused, his brain anything but clear, Rex Stuart muttered: ‘*You mean Humpy Dick?. He lied to us! He swore that the story he told was gospel truth! He lied to us, and I’m going to get even if it takes a leg.” The rapid fall of footsteps startled them both, and they turned to see Louis Knapp and his two men hastily advancing, weapons in hand, their eyes glowing, their faces betraying strong ex- citemenf, ‘* Byes open, pard!” cried Knapp, sharply, his pistol rising until it covered the Ishmaelite. ‘ Mark swears this fellow is Dark Durg!” “ Bf it ain’t, Pil eat my hat, boss!” promptly echoed Oberlin, his thin, dark face strongly agi- tated, his jetty eyes gleaming vividly. **And ycu are bloodhounds hungry for the gold set upon my head?” laughed the outlaw, his voice sharp and filled with bitter scorn, “I would rather be Dark Durg, a thousand times over! ‘* You don’t deny it, then?” demanded Knapp, ep: “Why should .? I am proud of it. Yes, I am Dark Durg. Thereisa heavy price on my head, and the rewards are payable on its pro- duction, whether the body bears it company or not. Shall I offer you my knife to complete the job, blood-sucker?” Louis Knapp flushed hotly at the sneer, and his gaze turned to Rex Stuart, who was staring from one to another, his face that of one just rousing from a dream or a waking reverie. ‘‘ What are you kicking up a row for, pard?”’ he demanded. ‘Tis fellow is the notoricus outlaw, Dark Durg, who—” ‘What of it? We're not policemen, are we?” Louis Knapp stared at the speaker with such ludicrous amazement in every feature that Rex Stuart could not keep from laughing aloud. Then, as though fearing for the feelings of his friend, he stepped forward and touched the other on his arm, his voice natural, the clouds appa- rently fairly driven away from his brain. ‘‘ We're not angels of grace nor models of pro- riety, Lou, old pard, but I think we're too good lay a poor devil by the heels and drag him off to adorn a hangman’s noose. Am I not right?” ‘* Then you knew him, all along?” * And before, pard,” laughed the other, more like himself than he bad been since that chase of the Gold Phantom first began. ‘* You remember the stranger who carried off Humpy Dick?” ‘¢That was Dark Durg?” ejaculated Knapp. “‘That was Dark Durg,” nodded Stuart, with a smile at the expression of intense disgust that swept over the countenance of his blunt mate. you knew him then. You knew there was a price on his head, that he was accused of a score of murders, each—” “Say killings, and Pll let it pass: murders, and I fling the lie back in your teeth, young man!” sharply interposed Dark Durg. Louis Knapp waved his hand impatiently, not deigning a glance in that direction, still intent on summing up the casein hand. _ “You knew that he had committed crimes enough to hang him a dozen times over, if he had that many necks for the rope. And yet you did all you knew how to get him free with his mate, You covered his flight, and gained time sufficient for him to win fre2. And then—he pays you after this fashion! Robs you of your rights, and uses you as a decoy duck, to laugh at_ when his ends are gained! He does all this, and still you stand up for him when a fellow wants to take him back to pay justice its honest dues! Lord! It makes me sick!” » ‘“‘Those laugh best who laugh last, pard,” smiled Stuart, his blue eyes glowing, - a —_ ee ee te oe ee eo game is not yet played out, and you can’t pick the winner until the last card fallsface up. DT’m not satisfied that the lost cache may not yet be found, and as the first move—Dark Durg, where can I find your particular friend, Humpy Dick?” He turned upon the Ishmael of the Hills, speaking with an abruptness which he hoped would effect its purpose. But Dark Durg gave no sign of confusion or annoyance, replying coldly: ‘‘Tt can do you no good to find Humpy Dick.” ‘‘That is for time to tell. If you refuse to tell, we will keep our eyes on you night and day, until you are forced to show us the way to your wounded friend, That he has lived so long, is little short of a miracle. That he can live Yong without care and attendance, is still less likely. When you go to him, we will go too.” Dark Durg smiled coldly at this rapid sum- ming up. ‘* Hardly, without my free will. I have no serious objections to your seeing my friend, only I know it can do you no earthly good.” és I can learn from his lips where the treasure is! The Ishmaelite flung out one hand impatient- ly, saying: ‘* He can tell you no more than he told you that night in. Denver. For many years his brain has been under a cloud, and though he is perpen sane now, he knows nothing about that ost cache. To him, as to you and all the rest of mankind, it is in reality a Gold Phantom—a Gold Phantom it must remain to the end of time!” ‘¢ The story was founded on fact. I know that from what I have heard others tell. If so—if there was a treasure—it must stillexist. Ihave a claim upon it, and while there is the ghost of a hope, I'll never give over the search.” ‘*1t will be time spent in vain—and worse!” with a sudden glow in his dark eyes, his face growing hard, his voice filling with a savage in- persis ‘*That gold is accursed! It has been drenched with buman blood, and it will cost still other lives before a grain of it comes to the light of day!” ‘*T am willing to run the risk,” gravely utter- ed Stuart. ‘‘Il came here to find the long lost cache. I will not turn my back while even a shade of hoperemains. There isa hope—Humpy Dick! Once more, Dark Durg, I ask you to show me your friend.” The Ishmael of the Hills turned his back, his head bowed, his face grim and moody. For a brief space Rex Stuart waited for an answer, then he spoke again: ** You said you wished me to bear your thanks to one back in Denver. In kev nameI ask you for an interview with Humpy Dick!” “Tt can do no earthly good,” was the dogged reply. ‘* He can tell you nothing more than you already know. He would bid you go to yonder valley and unearth the treasure. What that marvelous treasure is, you have seen! Yet it was very real to the poor, crazy fellow when he buried it so carefully! And it is none the less realto him now. Then why endanger his life by needlessly telling him the truth?” ‘‘To make sure it is the trutb,” bluntly inter- posed Knapp. Dark Durg flashed an ugly glance upon him, sa ing sharply: ‘This is a matter between your better and myself. If you were all, ’'d end the matter with a bullet through your hollow pate!” ‘*Consider me the sum total, and pitch in, beauty!” laughed Louis, a hand on pistcl, ready for work if his blunt challenge should be ac- cepted ; but Rex Stuart inte d. ‘Don’t interfere, Lou. You are only mak- ing matters worse. And you, Dark Durg, can take your choice: Show me to Humpy Dick, or we will dog ycur every movement until we track you to his hiding-place.” ‘* Once more, [ say it can come to no good!” ‘You may be right, but there is too much at stake for me to neglect a single chance, no mat- ter how slender it may be. More than life de- ere on my unearthing this lost treasure. and if fail, it must be with a clear conscience.” Once more Dark Durg averted his face, rolling a round pebble under one moccasined foot, seemingly deep buried in thought. The others waited and watched him insilence. Rex Stuart was pale but resolute. He had taken his stand, and nothing could shake his determination. With or without the permission of this man, he would see and talk with Humpy Dick, to learn the act- ual truth concerning the treasure. Dark Durg turned:abruptly, his face hard-set and stern, his voice clear and distinct, his black eyes gleaming yp bag “If I agree to e you to my friend, and permit you free converse with him, will you ee to waste no more time in these parts?” “Time is fully as precious to me as it can be to you, sir,” was the quick reply. ‘If Humpy Dick can convince me that the treasure is indeed nothing more than a phantora, I will abandon the search.” a a we be gee se with the fel- ow,” hastily amendec s Knapp. suspectin double play on the part of the ms ak e th ae Dark Dureg, the Ishmael | of the Hills. _ Dark Durg gave him no notice, speaking to Stuart alone, ‘** ‘You will make no effort to see or warn that party over yonder?” Rex Stuart laughed shortly. ‘Is itlikely? Their tirst greeting would bea bullet through my heart or brain!” ‘*They belong tome, and I will claim my own though I have to kill you and every cne of your men!” ‘* They came here with their eyes open, and of their.own accord. So faras I am concerned, they must fight their own battles.” ‘““Then follow me,” said Dark Durg, turning and striding rapidly away. ‘‘ You shall sce Humpy Dick and learnfrom him what your own eyes should have told you. J only ask that you spare himas muchas youcan. Poorfellow! tre old Phantom is terribly real to him, even yet!’” ** Look out for yoy pard!” whispered Knapp, as they followed the lead of the outlaw. ‘* There’s an ugly devil in those eyes of his, and he may try to get even with some infernal trick!” Rex Stuart nodded, but he was little disturhed by any such fear. He remembered how soft the outlaw’s voice had grown while speaking of Precious Wingfold, and he felt that she was his safeguard, For nearly two miles Dark Durg led the way through the hills, without speaking a word, or casting a glance over his stoulder to see that his self-invited guests were keeping pace with him. At the end of that period, however, he paused abruptly, turning and saying: ‘““We are nearly at our journey’s end. I am placing more trust in you than I ever expected to show a fellow-being again, after the bitter black experience of the past! I am going to take you into my den, where I have spent years: —ever since the day when I was bunted cut of Denver like a mad wolf, simply because I dared to face an enemy, and demanded at least the shadow of reparation from him!” ‘Tf it will make your mind any easicr, Dark Durg,” gravely replied Stuart, ‘‘I will pledge you my word of honor, for both my mates and myself, to keep the secret of your hiding-place sacred. On no consideration will I make it known.” ‘* Unless you try to come the double over us,” amended Knapp. Dark Durg turned to him, with a cold smile. ‘Tf I were as suspicious of evil as you seem to be, young man, I would hardly permit you to enter my den.” ‘‘ Prove my suspicions wrong, and no men on earth will be quicker to own up wrong,” retort- ed Louis, with a grim smile. ‘*T’}] hold you to your bargain,” nodding with alow laugh. ‘‘ After all, I can’t blame yeu so much. Give a dog a bad name—but this is not what I wanted to say,” turning again to Stuart. ‘“‘Humpy Dick is far from well, though he has picked up remarkably fast, considering how low he was when I had to take him on that wild night ride!” ‘*T believed him dying, even before we left the room to see what that alarm at the door meant,” ‘* And so did I. I was not sure life lingered in his body, when I bore him to my horse. But I would not leave even his poor, deformed car- cass there for that devil to gloat over! I kore him here, by slow stages, after getting clear of the town. nursed him the best I knew how, and was rewarded by seeing his strength gradu- ally return. Still, as I said, he is lying very low, and poorly able to withstand much excite- ment,’ ‘“T will be as careful as possible, never fear.” ‘“T believe you will, when I tell ycu that scarcely an hour passes over his head, but poor Humpy Dick speaks of that young lady—the sweet angel, he calls her—and never without coupling her name with a prayer. By your love for her, I charge you to guard against ex- citing him unnecessarily.” “You shall be the judge. If I permit my anxiety to carry me on too fast, give me a bint, and I will remember ove warning,” earnestly replied Stuart, touched by the mention of Precious Wingfold. Dark Durg shook his head, with a half-smile as he pares toward the keen, watchful eyes of Louis Knapp. ‘““T must trust to your own discretion. One visitor will be all poor Dick can withstand so early, and I suppose this gentleman,” bowing to Knapp, *‘ will feel more at ease if he can have my company while that interview lasts.” ‘You ought to feel complimented by my in- tense interest in your movements, Mr. Durg,” bowed Louis, gravely, but with a twinkle in his eyes that said far more than his tongue. “Let the future show how thoroughly I apr- preciate it, sir,” with a light laugh, then abrupt- ly growing serious again: ‘I will leave you to talk with Dick. Take your time, and remember that he is a very sick man, poorly able to with- stand excitement. Follow me, and step lightly.” A few rods further brought them to a sen trail which wound up and partly around a big rock wall, endimg in a narrow ledge which was bidden from observation of any one standing in the valley below, by the little clump of bushes growing upon it, —" =e. . | com ray « Ehbooks.co us ee as ‘