Beadle's Dime Library No. 392 — page 29: what you’re looking at

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

o very much like a coffin. In a moment, however he realized where he was, for the last adventure rushed vividly across his mind, and he saw the ferocious face of the chaparral desperado and heard again his last triumphant utterance. The silence of the tomb kept Idaho Ivan com- pany in the table-trap, but he soon became aware that he was being supplied with air from with- out and his hands told him that the padded sides were easily torn. To get out was the first important move, and he went to work. He believed that Colonel Tarantula thought him done for and that he had probably left the house. Idaho Ivan tore the padding from one of the sides of his coffin and found a strong wire which ran from top to bottom. Was this the machinery which worked the table, for he no- ticed that it had seemingly opened at a touch of the Texan’s hand. Clutching the wire he tugged at it with all the strength he could operate in that close place, and all at once the trap parted so suddenly that, be- fore he could realize what had happened, he was thrown out on the floor. The young miner picked himself up ia a dark room, but he soon found a door which led him into the hall. Then he found the steps. Not a sound reached his ears; the old house was as silent as had been his plush-lined tomb. ‘Tf Kate is in this house, I will know it,” he ejaculated. ‘‘I have escaped alive from one of olonel Tarantula’s traps. I am not afraid to brave ar other.” ray ; Believing that he would find the missing girl on the upper floor he went up the steps cautious- ly and unarmed. - Tt cannot be that this house is inhabited now; it is too still,” he said, on the landing above. Becomins braver, he struck a match and then saw the door which Captain Rob had broken in his eagerness to reach the Golden Gate heiress. | The empty room told the story when it was briefly explored. Kate was gone! For a moment Idaho Ivan stood spellbound by this discovery. He did not think of Ruby Rob, yet he could not see why Colonel Tarantula, the jailer, would have to break down a door to get to his pris- oner. It was a mystery to the young gold-digger. He was not satisfied until he had explored every room of that desperate old mansion. He found nobody living or dead, It was evident that Colonel Tarantula had left him to his fate. ‘‘T must go back to Pious Phil,” he said to himself, ‘‘ Together we must run this Texas tiger down. Time is precious now. Kate is liable to be presented at any time, and if the colonel gets his fingers on the millions, it is ‘good-by, bonanza!’ ” After this Idaho Ivan lost no time in rar fe the street. He went to the little hotel at whic he and Pious Phil had put up, but the lean Al- calde of Trigger Bar was not there. If he was on a trail of some kind, the young detective would have to wait for him. The night passed and the old pard did not come. Idaho [van was out bright and early. The mystery that hung around Kate’s fate tor- tured him, and the hours only increased it. He went out with eyes on the alert for more persons than Pious Phil. He was searching for Colonel Tarantula, Ruby Rob and his last two pards, Onyx Oll and Agate Alf. the day was wearing away without any reve- lations, and at two o’clock in the afternoon he _ vege men approach the bank on Montgomery reet, ‘‘ A find at last!” ejaculated the boy. ‘‘Rub Rob and Agate Alf i : He saw the latter sport station himself before the door, while Captain Rob, dressed like a dan- dy, entered the institution and disappeared. ‘* Some Play is to be made mee ie muttered Idaho Ivan. ‘‘ Would Captain Rob call on La Croix, the trustee of the bonanza, if he had not a good hand? And dressed to kill, too. Some- thing is up.” He waited with his eyes on the door, and the eaeerown sport loitering, not aimlessly, be- ore it. If he had known what was going on inside, he would have pushed his way to the private office, and surprised the two men there. At last Ruby Rob emerged from the bank. There was triumph in the boss sport’s eyes, and Idaho Ivan saw him show his pard a package ere he thrust it under his coat. The young miner was watching from a point of observation across the street. When the two sports started off he moved, too, but kept his eyes fastened upon them. All at once a hand fell on his shoulder. He looked up and saw a face that drew an exclama- tion of joy from his lips. ‘You're the man I want just now, Pious Phil!” he exclaimed, ‘‘I have been waiting for you since last night. Those two fellows yonder have played a cool hand on the trustee of Kate’s fortunes. In short, Ruby Rob has robbed him. You know what the Satanscrown fiend wguld take.” | oe The Lost Bonanza. “Ther millions!—nothin’ else,” exclaimed the lean ana. ‘* 1 dian’t get in last night, eh?” “6 oO. ‘*T struck a trail that I followed till almost dawn. Nugget Nell is in Frisco. She came hyer for a sartain purpose an’ that purpose is ter kill Kate ef she kin run her down.” Idaho Ivan could not suppress a startling ejaculation, ‘*She believes that ther girl will insnare Ruby Rob with her beauty, an’ leave her in ther lurch. Nothin’ else would ever hev brought that woman ter Frisco whar he is wanted for her worst crime. Years ago she adminis- tered certain potions to a man an’ deprived him of his reason. I have discovered that her victim is Ruby Rob’s brother. I war trackin’ this pantheress last night.” sé ell?” ‘** She didn’t find ther girl. She found Colonel Tarantula, though, an’ lost him again.” ‘Why didn’t you keep track of the Texan?’ ‘**I tried ter, but lost him, too,” said Pious Phil with a smile. ‘‘So you think Ruby Rob an’ Agate played a cool hand at ther bank, eh?” ‘‘T am certain of it. Captain Rob has the prize in his bosom,” ‘*Ha! he doesn’t ¢ it whar ther Silent Hound used ter—in his boot,” laughed the old alcalde, As the two aed kept. sight of Ruby Rob and Agate Alf who dodged from street to street, Idaho Ivan detailed his strange and thrilling adventures of the night before. ‘‘T war nigh thet very house about thet time trackin’ Nugget Nell! Heavens! ef I hed only knowed you war thar!” exclaimed Pious Phil. The boy’s countenance assumed an expression of disappointment, but all at once his ores brightened and he looked up into the alcalde’s face. ‘Did you finally locate the Satanscrown Cleopatra?” he asked. ‘*T know whar she is ter be found.” ‘““Good! She must not find Kate.” “*If she does I wouldn’t give a copper for Kate’s life,” was the reply. ‘‘I saw enough of that woman last night. She knows San Francisco like a book. If Captain Rob knew that she was Viper Bess, the enchantress who made his brother mad, I b’lieve he’d hunt her down fir-t. I wish I could tell him,” and Pious Phil glanced at the men they were following. ‘* Look!” he suddenly went on. ‘‘ Captain Rob has got a tracker. Notice that man just behind him, the man who limps a little.” **T see him,” said the boy. ** A Mexican’s bullet gave him that limp years ago in Santa Fe. That man is Colonel Taran- tula. Idaho Ivan almost left the ground. It was true that a new sleuth-hound had thrown himself upon the trail, and although the man from Texas was disguised, his pup had be- trayed him to the lynx-eyed Pious Phil. ‘“We must never lose sight of that trio,” whispered the lean alcalde to his young pard. ‘* The whole game depends on that now.’ At that moment Captain Rob and Agate Alf dodged into a deep by-street which, if followed to its terminus, would throw them into the Chinese quarter. Colonel Tarantula did not hesitate, but plung- ed after them. The king of the cha cheated by his enemy the night before in the House of the Crimson ‘Trump gnashed his teeth like a bloodhound. He longed to draw the revolver that he clutched in his pocket, and send a bullet whist- ling through the head of Ruby Rob, but he knew that it was better policy to follow him, for would he not lead him to Golden Gate Kate? The chase down the little street became ex- citing to Pious Phil and pard. There were few people on it at the time and the two mountain toughs were easily seen. ore than once Captain Rob looked over his shoulder, but he did not seem to see the man who was running him down, and he did not know that despite his fierce threat of death within twenty-four hours, Leroy La Croix had com- municated the daring robbery to his detectives, Ruby Rob had keener eyes than Colonel Tar- antula credited him with having. He saw more in those backward glances than the Texas rat- tler thought. , All at once the two Satanscrown sports turn- ed, as if ata word of command. As they faced Tarantula their hands went up, and two revol- vers clicked in unison. Colonel Tarantula saw the movement. ‘‘Ha! Ican play the same game!” he grated. . A ee ike this is accepted wherever I n “Hands up, an’ halt!” said Cuptain Rob, sternly. ‘‘ We mean you, colonel.” Pious Phil and Idaho Ivan on the other side of the street saw this sudden transformation of scenery, and had halted. Colonel Tarantula was not disposed to obey. He gave the two desperadoes an angry look, and refused to throw up his hands. ‘Just as you like, colonel,” came laughingly over Captain Rob’s revolver. ‘* The hand in the game is the one that wins last. An’ thet hand belongs ter me!” 29 The sharp crack of a six-shooter on that nar- row street drowned the final word, and less tham a dozen persons saw a man pitch forward and strike the stones. When the smoke cleared away the man lay — , and somebody in the hastil y-gathered crowd. said: ‘* He is dead!” It was true, Colonel Tarantula had played his game! _—— CHAPTER XXXIV. ! THE FINAL PLAY. THE night that closed about the day of the: startling events recorded in the last chapter was one full of excitement to San Francisco. The shooting of aman in broad daylight on the street by a person who was suppc;:ed to be the cool blade who had deliberately robbed Leroy La Croix of some very valuable papers, was something out of the ordinary run of events. Certain parties identified the dead man, and the early evening papers called him Major Moss- back, Colonel Tarantula and half a dozen other names. Captain Rob was the most hunted man in Frisco now. La Croix had the best detectives: to be had in his employ: he was ready to move heaven and earth for the papers of which he had been robbed. ‘* Let me get them back and the sieekest shar living shall not rob me!” he said to himself. “ don’t believe that Kate Lossing has been found, and if she has been I will see that she never touches the bonanza. Gold Gaston can play here in Frisco the deep games he learned in Cat- fish Camp. Ruby Rob and Agate Alf had disappeared im- mediately after the killing. Onyx Oll was still in the Station, held there by the banker’s in- fluence, and he constantly cursed himself for the injudicious play he had made. etectives had pumped him about Ruby Rob, but their adroitness had availed nothing. Onyx Oll would not betray his chief. ‘** We ar’ playin’ for three an’a quarter mil- lions. I don’t go back on the cap’n with a bonanza like thet ahead,” he said to himself. Captain Rob had not left the city, and when the detectives were looking for him everywhere he was in the most populous part confronting a young girl whose beauty was striking. ‘*A man doesn’t often make a haul like this,” said the mountain sport, and his hand dropped lightly upon a ackage that hm on the table be- forehim. ‘* Hyer ar’ ther stakes ov ther gold game, Kate, or Mountain Moss. They’re worth ed for, eh?” he girl’s eyes brightened, and she put out her hand toward the package, but Captain Rob snatched it and drew it back. ‘* No, not now, my gold-finch,” he laughed. ‘*When you ar’ queen 0’ somewhar you can draw on ther bonanza bank, but not just yet! In ther first place, you ar’ Mrs. Phantom—” ‘* No!” cried the girl. ‘I repudiate the cere- mony that made me in name your wife. The man who assumed to be a minister was your tool—Agate Alf. I told him once in the moun- tains that I had seen him before. Then two —_ of my life were blotted out, as it were, ut now I have them all again. The fall from the window when San Tonquin Maud had her hand at_ my throat brought back the missing ears. I remember all now—the journey from an Francisco with my father, the three men who went along as guides, and the slow move- ment over the mountain trail. Captain Rob, I have found two of those men. ou are one, and the man called Agate Alf is the other. You three men went with us for a terrible p se, One night I was aroused by a shot. I pulled the curtain of the wagon aside, and what did I see? Three men standing over a dead body— my father’s! camp-fire, and when one of you came toward the wagon, I fell back, and, through the horror of that scene, I lost two years of my life. Tell me this is not true. I see itall now, as if I were in the wagon at this moment, and it was all done for the papers that lie under your hand. ‘You call them the big bonanza; the world calls: them the Lossing millions. But the game is not pla yed through yet.” ‘Why not?’ asked the Cesperado, with a grin. “We have you an’ ther bonanza, Get away if you kin!” The voice was full of a desperado’s triumph. ‘*San Francisco is at your heels. Your last act, the shooting of Colonel Tarantula, has con- nected you with the bold theft of my fortunes.” Captain Rob threw up one hand and snapped his bronze fingers. “I’ve been hunted before!” he laughed. ‘‘So you think that ther man who performed ther ceremony war Agate Alf?” ‘* I know it,” said the girl, positively. “Tl call him in an’ Jet you compliment him to his face,” the Satanscrown boss went on, and picking up the package he left the room. _ He did not close the door behind him, but left it ajar. The eyes of the gold heiress glistened strangely. ” All at once a door behind her opened almost noiselessly, and as she turned a hand with long fingers closed on her arm. JOO €om cS (E I saw you in the light of the — con