Beadle's Dime Library No. 392 — page 9: what you’re looking at

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

2b; = mY, - ree | “ . a ee | —s 2 7 Bo a gee eee The Lost Bonanza. —— — ee el i > 9 —_ ———— — — ee t M - of Pe es BR oe 5 — this person said. ‘‘The orders must hev been thet { war ter be shot on sight an’ all because I took a picture an’ a letter from Ruby Rob in Satanscrown. Shot on sight, but not killed!” The open door was filled with excited men by this time, and one or two had recognized the person talking and swaying to and fro in tke moonlight. Suddenly Colorado Carlos came toward the saloon. e held a cocked revolver in each hand, his eyes had the glare of a tiger’s, his hat was missing, his long hair was tangled, and bis shirt-front presented a horrible sight of freshly spilled blood. The crowd in the door, desperadoes though they were, drew back in horror. e looked at the miners and laughed defiant- ly as he crossed the threshold. Some one said aloud, ‘* They got him!” and Colorado Carlos wheeled and singled out the speaker, ‘* Got who?—me?—not much!” he exclaimed. ‘‘T'm worth all the men ever planted in their boots in Colorado. I’m still every man’s foe, and no man’s pard. While the eagle flies an’ the waters run, I will live to trigger the men who play games ag’in’ qusticn Walk up hyer, gold-bugs ov Trigger Bar, an’ take yer taran- tula juice.” Under no circumstances would a Trigger Bar crowd refuse a treat. Colorado Carlos leaned against the counter and showed his teeth in a grin as the stalwart fellows came forward. ‘Shot on sight! Don’t I know it?’ be went on. ‘They just left hyer,” said a member of the crowd, ‘‘ Three ov ’em, I hear,” answered Carlos, ‘They were goin’ ter Shasta.” ‘Ter hades!” roared the mountain Ishmaelite. ‘* Men ov Trigger Bar, I want ter say—” At that moment some one exclaimed, ‘‘ Pious Phil!” and the wounded sport turned toward the door. The lean-faced boss of the camp had just en- tered the saloon, and already the eyes of Col- orado Carlos were fastened upon him. The mountain Ishmaelite set down his glass and went forward. , ‘‘ Pious Phil, I’m glad you’ve come,” he said, still eying the lean alcalde. ‘‘Send every man out 0’ this room. Do it at once—Rusilin’ Rube an’ all. I want ter see yer.” There was a strangeness in the sport’s look that took Pious Phil’s attention. He looked at the crowd and the man behind the counter, and ordered the room to be cleared. ‘‘Out we go, Phil!” sung out half a dozen voices, and the whole forty rushed pell-mell toward the door. The last man to depart was Rustling Rube, the proper of the place, and he shut the door behind him. ; ‘* Tt feels like there’s a hole in my breast big enough terrun yer fistin,” said Colorado Carlos. ‘‘'The man who made it was Topaz Tom. Isaw him as he threw up his hand. The orders were ter shoot this mountain chick on sight. I don’t want a place ter die in, Pious Phil, because I’m not goin’ ter take my chips ter death’s counter just yet. We ar’ alone here, and I want ter whisper one sentence in yer ear, for ve watched yer off an’ on for five years, an’ thar’s more than one good streak through yer bad. Listen to me now.” Colorado Carlos leaned forward and his mus- tache touched the lean sport’s ear. ‘‘ ve found the missing heiress of the Golden Gate!” he said. Pious Phil sprung back as if he had heard the click of a revolver. The scared face he showed Colorado Carlos made the big sport laugh. ‘*You have not!” he cried. ‘ That is one of the eternal mysteries of the Gold Coast and the red Northwest.” ‘**Mebbe I don’t know,” said the wounded sport. ‘‘Mebbe I couldn’t show a picture that you'd is ii on sight; mebbe I haven’t got the last tten words ov the Silent Hound of California.” ‘Who is he?” asked Phil. ‘The man who was murdered in Satanscrown the other night—the silent tracker who was on the right trail when the bullet found him, the—” Colorado Carlos stopped suddenly, and Pious Phil saw his hand quake and open and close as if controlled by pain. “TD ve—got—ter—rest—a spell,” he said, grow- gf og : he boss of Trigger Bar saw him move back along the counter, and threw forward his hand to catch him. But Colorado Carlos was too quick for bim, for suddenly throwing up bis hands he turned half-way round and reeled across the room, A wild ery peafed from Pious Phil’s lips; the door flew open in an instant and the shut out crowd rushed in. Colorado Carlos fell heavily across one of the ~ tables almost crushing it to the floor, and the next moment the toughs were around him. It was a scene which never had happened before at the Bar although the wildest and bloodiest games had been played there. ‘Well, how is it?’ asked a handsome man, who leaned from a saddle toward an indivi- dual who came from the direction of Rustling Rube’s. ‘* Tt warn’t a death-shot as you know, captain, but the bullet got him in the long run.” The listener’s eyes were seen to glisten. ‘* He is dead, then?” ‘* Colorado Carlos is dead!” ‘* With the paper and portrait on his person?” ‘*Somewhar, but not whar Trigger Bar will find ’em. The Silent Hound hid them in his boot an’ you kin bet yer life that Carlos don’t carry ’em in his pocket. Did I shoot too quick, captain?” **Not according to my commands, Topaz. We'll wait till they bury the mountain Ishmael- ite and then we'll get the clew to the million bonanza.” CHAPTER X. FOILED. ‘Gents, this man is dead,” said Pious Phil, rising from bending over the body of Colorado Carlos, and a the occupants of Rustling Rube’s saloon. ‘‘ It looks to me asif it war a case ov tooth for tooth.” The crowd looked from the speaker to the fig- ure of the mountain Ishmaelite as it lay across the card-table. ‘* Tt ar’ evident that one o’ the three men got Colorado,” continued Phil. ‘* Why they killed im I don’t know, am’ mebbe an inquiry wouldn’t demonstrate it ter be any ov our business. We sha’n’t investigate this killin’. Thar hev been hundreds like it in Colorado afore this, Ther body kin be taken ter my shanty.” After this, the Trigger Bar pards proceeded to liquor up at Pious Phil’s expense, and the body of the big sport was carried out and laid down in the lean alcalde’s cabin. ‘*Thar’s our chance,” whispered one of three men who watched these proceedings. ‘‘ We need not have to go to ther trouble to dig a corpse up to search it. When it has been left in the cabin we'll visit it there.” Colorado Carlos soon had the miner’s cabin to himself. The four carriers had left the body on Pious Phil’s cot, and had gone back to Rustling Rube’s. Two minutes later a man was at the cabin door. It was Ruby Rob. The cabin front was cast in shadow, and only the keenest eyes could have seen the man from Satanscrown at the door, but the keenest eyes saw him. A man who had the tread and motions of the trailing wildcat, came down the darkened cabin row with his eyes fastened on the shanty. He has slim, agile, and the possessor of a sharp ace. Pious Phil! says the reader. Pious Phil. Ruby Rob did not see the man, for he entered the cabin which was dark on the inside and silent. He shut the door carefully behind him, and began to search for the dead. In a room that was cramped as that one was, it did not take long for the Satanscrown sport to find the body of every man’s enemy. en his hand touched it, he gave vent to a ine ejacu- lation of joy. The next moment his search began. In the first place he went,through Colorado’s pockets, but the result did not disappoint him. All at ence, and just when he was about to make a minute examination, he was certain that the door had opened. Ruby Rob stopped and threw a look behind him; if the door had opened it was closed now, and the interior of the cabin was dark enough. ‘* That door opened. I felt the fresh air on my neck,” muttered the boss of Satanscrown, and then he felt and drew without noise the bowie under his coat. ‘‘ Somebody is with me in this shanty. I would bet a thousand to ten that I am not alone with Colorado Carlos.” The very silence told Ruby Rob that he was not alone. He held his heart still, as it were, and listened for a breath, or any sound that would rivet his convictions, but none came. Once or twice his hand crept back to the body, as if to resume the search so terribly broken off, but each time he stopped as if a hand had drop- ped from the silence and the gloom upon his shoulder, ’ This suspense was fast becoming a greater burden than Ruby Rob could bear. ‘*Thar’s no use. I can’t search Colorado Car- los under these circumstances,” he said to him- << at last. ‘If thar’s a man hyer I must know it. He got up and drew back from the mountain Ishmaelite. His right hand still clutched the bowie, for he did not know how soon he would be attacked, panther-like, by that unseen foe. For five minutes he stood on the defensive amid the gloom, and they were the longest five min- utes of his life. “Tl strike a match,” he said to himself, but Ne utter astonishment he unconsciously spoke oud. ‘* No, I'll do that myself,” said a voice. The speaker stood directly in front of Ruby Rob, and so near that the Satanscrown sport re- coiled with a sharp cry. ‘* Who are you?” he exclaimed. ‘*Ther match’ll show yer,” was the answer, Yes, it was > me a LL and the next moment the flash of a lucifer parted the darkness. ‘**] don’t know you,” said Ruby Rob, wao was discovered standing erect with the bowie in his hand, and a wild light in the depths of his eyes. ‘*Tam Pious Phil, boss ov Trigger Bar,” was the response, and the lean sport coolly applied the burning match to the wick of a lamp which he took from a shelf and placed on the table. Captain Rob looked this man over from head to foot. He saw that his shoulders were not broad and that his arms were unusually long, - and on that account dangerous, thought the sport. ‘‘- You heard me come in, eh, but the darkness hid me?” said Pious Phil, with a smile. ‘*1 knew that the door opened.” ‘‘T don’t want ter disturb yer. If you kin find anything valuable on Colorado Carlos you kin do more than we did at Rube’s. He never war famous for carryin’ bonanzas on his ana- tomy. Did you give him the bullet?” ** No,” said Ru * Rob. ‘Tt war a dead’ner whoever gave it to ’im. You hev a light ter work by now; go back an’ finish up.” Captain Rob looked at the man and then at the body on the couch. He did not want to fin- ish his quest in the presence of Pious Phil, yet, the last sentence had taken the shape of a com- mand. ‘“*T admit that I was lookin you came in,” said he, ‘* but ticular to search him for.” A smile was seen to come to the corners of Pious Phil’s lips. ‘‘Do you often visit dead men?” he asked. “This man war ther cashier, president an’ teller ov ther Git-Thar Bank. Did yer think he car- ried its funds with him, Captain Rob?” The man from Satanscrown started at the mention of his name. “Oh, I know Pree at Colorado when have nothing par- much every prominent man in Colorado, an’ I don’t go from home much either,” he went on, amused at the start. “I know that you’re Ruby Rob from Satanscrown, an’ it ar’ my opinion that you’ve expected ter find something ov value on ther corpse yonder.” ‘*T’m not stranded yet,” snapped Ruby Rob, showing his teeth, ‘Who said you war?’ replied Pious Phil in the same spirit. ‘‘ You three men have no inten- tion ov goin’ ter ther Shasta kentry. Thet lay- out yer gave Gold-dust Jim down at Rube’s war all gammon. Now an’ then you dropped a word thet gave ther scheme away. Gold-dust ar’ no — fool if he ar’ ther dude ov Trigger Bar. You won't find yer bonanza hyer, Ruby Rob. It took wings some time ago an’ flew ter parts un- known.” The man who heard these words could hardiy repress an exclamation. Did Pious Phil know that he had come to Trigger Bar to find the heir- ess of the Golden Gate? If not, what did his last words mean? ‘* Now go back and search Colorado,” continu- ed Pious Phil, in whose hand all this time was held a cocked revolver. ‘‘ You came ter Trigger ter play a game, Ruby Rob, an’ I’m helpin’ yer through.” ‘* What if I refuse to touch that body again?” — ‘““T may give Colorado a bed-fellow on the — mountain,” was the cool reply. Crunching his anger between his teeth, Cap- — tain Rob turned to the figure on the miner’s cot. — Sag Phil took a step forward and stood over | a ; m. ‘‘His pockets hev been searched,” he said. ‘“Some men carry valuables in the linin’ ov their clothes or somewhar in their boots.” ‘** But this man doesn’t.” ‘* You don’t know till you’ve searched ’im.” ‘‘T'll know where you carry your beart be- fore I’m through with you, Pious Phil,” he hissed, and then stooping over the body he be- ‘& i gan the forced examination. ‘* Hello!” he suddenly exclaimed, ‘‘ This man isn’t dead!” ey A strange cry from Pious Phil’s lips greeted _ the Satanscrown sport. i a “Colorado not dead? What ar’ yer givin’ me?” said the lean tough snatching the lamp from the table and Jeaning forward. ‘He war dead enough when we fetched ’im hyer.” ‘*Look at him now! Nocorpse has an eye like that. Pious Phil held the lamp close to the mountain Ishmaelite’s face,and Ruby Rob in the excite- mentof the moment bent forward to confirm his startling discovery. ‘‘By Jove! life has come back!” exclaimed Pious Phil As he spoke he retreated to the table and 4 i set the lamp down with a hand that trem- led. ‘Thet’s ther first miracle Trigger ever bad,” he said. “‘Tll bet all my dust an’ no ose fs thet thet man war dead when he war rought hyer by ther boys. Captain Rob, did ye ever see anything hke it?” The Satanscrown sport shook his head. They both saw that there was some expres- sion in the eyes where a deathly stare had Sista seen a moment before, but otherwise Colerado Carlos seemed dead. ‘“‘ Let me have him now,” resumed Pious Phil, P . ‘ ‘ i s . sl 3 err, o 30 IOO E SCO! m