Beadle's Dime Library No. 395 — page 13: what you’re looking at

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

coming here thinking to find her charge, Miss Wellspring, who came an hour or so ago. The girl is up-stairs sleeping, tell her. Take her in, give her a cup of tea, or something to make her sleep. She mustn’t disturb the lady, mind.” ‘‘ Sleep for good and all?” smiled the woman, showing her teeth. ‘“No:; but she mustn’t get away before dark at the earliest. Your own price, remember. i ' can trust you?” ‘‘Certainly. That goes without saying.” Rufus Cramp turned and assisted the lady from the hack, hurriedly telling her: ‘‘ Miss Wellspring is here, sleeping. She can have two hours’ rest, at the least. will return in time for you with the coach. You had bet- ter take a little rest yourself, if you can.” And all-unsuspecting the nature of the house, or of the cunning snare into which she had been lured, Aunt Honor entered the building and the Je aa schemer hurried away to catch the oat, What glorious luck! Every obstacle over- come, even as they started up in his path, threat- ening him with ruin and defeat! He could hardly keep from laughing aloud, from shouting forth bis wild, delirious exultation as he reache the dock and saw the Superb still there, though with steam up and apparently everything in readiness for beginning her long, weary battle with the Father of Waters. Owing to his constant traveling up and down the river, his was a face more or less familiar to all river men, and as he entered the office, he was greeted by the clerk with some little ‘warmth. ‘‘ Just in time, eh, Hoover?” he cried with a little laugh. ** With a couple of hours to spare,” was the reply. he bright smile faded away, and a shade of anxiety took its place. ‘*T thought nine o’clock was the schedule?” pulling out his watch. ‘*1t is, but there’s some delay with the mails, I believe. It will be full eleven before we pull out. The longer time tospend on board, Cramp, and you hadn’t ought to complain of that, this trip, anyway!” the clerk added, the last sentence being a lowered and confidential one, ** Murphy brought Miss Wellspring safely aboard, of course?’ ‘*‘ Of course; she’s in her state-room, I believe,” with a glance down the long vista toward the Jadies’ cabin. Slowly the time passed to Rufus Bhwal s and as the hour drew near he went up to the hurri- cane-deck, fiercely smoking his cigar, fearing he scarcely knew what. ‘““OfF at last!” uttered a voice behind him, that caused him to give a mighty start it was so like that of Duke Derringer, ‘* Pardon; may I beg a light?” suavely added the gentle- man, so unlik» the Duke of Derringers in every respect that Cramp laughed aloud at his own folly. CHAPTER VIII. THE DUKE IS ‘‘ WANTED.” **T want you!” he its no other combination of words in the English language are so full of meaning, of terrer, of sickening despair, of benumbing fate, as these simple words when spoken to a criminal by one whom he knows is clothed in authority. It may be doubted whether thesame criminal, listening to the words in which his judge sen- tences him to execution on a certain day, is not less shocked, is not better prepared to make the most of the chances still remaining for him. That doom he has been prepared to receive, but *‘T want you!” comes so suddenly, so unexpect- edly, that even to one wholly unconscious of wrong-doing, it sounds like the crack of doom. The Duke of Derringers, as he heard that sig- nificant announcement, shrunk back a little, his free hand mechanically moving toward his breast, where his faithful weapons lay. The grip on his bridle hand tightened, and quick as thought itself the chief of police ele- vated the muzzle of his revolver until Barringer could look straight down the ugly, tube. “Don’t try that, Duke,” Tullar’said, his voice growing cold and hard. ‘I'd hate to hurt you, worse t any man I know, but when I go for a man, he’s got to come, dead or alive!” “Alive it is, then,” epost the pods wae ort, quickly regaining his customary coolness, thontng his empty palm toward the chief, in token of surrender, “Thats hearty, and more like you, Duke. It’s simply a matter of business, you under- stan ‘Clear as the Mississippi on a boom, chief,” laughed the gambler, apparently quite himself again. ‘* You want me, B hg Sl Chief Tullar nodded. e really regretted it, but duty was his god. And he knew that a cool- nerved man like this was a slippery prisoner to hold, alone and unaided. ‘‘And on business? It hardly seems possible, I hhave been such a good boy of late years. You are sure that there is no mistake?” ‘“Not on my part, Duke,” coldly responded tthe chief. " His face grew graver, and the muzzle of his | - Deadly Aim, the Duke of Derringers. 13 revolver crept a little closer to the heart of the | smiled the chief, ‘“‘ but trust for trust, Duke! gentlemen sport. He did not like this cool ban- tering. It looked too much like conscious guilt, rather than the hot indignation an agp accused man is expected to display on all suc occasions, ‘“‘And the king can do no wrong!” smiled the | Duke of Derringers, in his most graceful, airy manner, ‘I’m yours to command, Martin, un- til you get rid of the dust some busybody has been sprinkling in those beautiful eyes of yours. Which reminds me—which particular sin have I been guilty of on this occasion, chief?” ‘* The charge is felonious assault, coupled with highway robbery.” Duke Barringer face suddenly grew hard and fixed, oe —_—_ 'Hand over the tools, and I'll not put on the darbies yet awhile.” | ** You'll take me to my room, where we can talk this over comfortably, then?’ eagerly cried the gambler, his eyes aglow. ‘Why not, man?’ but with the sober addi- tion: ‘It'll only be a wee bjt later, for ye un- derstand that I’ve got torun yein. The charge | is serious, regularly entered, and I’ve got to do my duty.” “You wouldn’t be Martin Tullar if you ever | fell short,” laughed the Duke of Derringers, sur- rendering another brace of those terribly effec- | tive weapons, then assuming his wonted grace- ve a little start, and his | There was | an ugly light flashing into his jetty orbs that | fairly startled the chief into raising his revolver higher. ‘**Don’t speak too quick, or say too much,’ Duke,” he hurriedly muttered. ‘* Ill have to tell it all when I’m asked, you know.” ‘“ Why not, Martin?’and Duke was once more the bland, smiling man of the world. ‘“ It would take such a little time to unburden your mind, that nobody could grudge the waste. | | ful air, he dropped to the ground, passing one arm through that of the chief, holding the bridle- reins over the other. No one who saw the twain passing up the middle of the street in this fashion, pleasantly chatting together, would have for a moment sus- pected the nature of the tie between them. Murtogh Murphy’s stable was reached, and | though nothing was to be seen of that worthy— And—lll lay you a basket of wine that I can | name the party who has been so shamefully hoaxing you this early in the morning, chief!” ‘**T could wish you might find it a harder job, Duke,” retorted the officer, with a brief, grim smile. ** Why, man alive!” in a tone of surprise and injured friendship, ead: you don’t for an in- | v stant imagine it anything but a hoax?” “The fault don’t lay with me, then. The charge was made and sworn to by two persons. The story they told was straight and circum- stantial enough for— bleed on the top o’ your head, Duke!” abruptly uttered the chief, making a swift motion across | his own temple with the muzzle of his cocked revolver. Mechanically Duke lifted his hand, to feel a little streak of dried blood from the bullet- | wound on his scalp. He laughed softly as he saw the triumphant sparkle in the eyes of the shrewd chief. “ That's the affair you allude to, is it, Mar- tin? ‘*Worse luck for the both of us; you to be mixed up in it, and I to be the first of the force to run afoul of you, Duke?” There was a trace of genuine regret in the chiof’s tones as he uttered these words, and in- stantly there came a change over the sport. All flinpancy vanished, and his manner was earnest- ness itself as he leaned over in the saddle and spoke to Tullar: “Chief, as man to man, I ask a favor of you. Go with me to my room at the hotel, and listen to the story I have to tell before you arrest me. I don’t ask it for myself alone, but to save an in- nocent girl from the grip of as foul a scoundrel as ever drew the breath of life!” ‘* That same scoundrel has a name, Duke?” **' You know it—Rufus Cramp,” was the in- stant response. \ The chief laughed shortly. ‘* Faith, he seems to the full as anxious to put you under arrest as you do to keep from it! He it was that made the charge against you.” ‘*T felt sure of it—the cowardly cur!” ‘Tt isn’t his word alone I'd take, ye know, Duke,” earnestly uttered the chief, seeming to forget his duty for the time being. ‘‘ But when the ould lady swore so straight—and one o’ them sun-machines is a fool beside her when it comes to painting a portrait!—when she described you in every respect as the head one of the robbers, what else could I do, Duke? Nothing shorter than send out word to all the force to take you in when and wherever they spotted you; with Tom Kearney for make-weight!” “They'll find Tom and Shoe-string Johnny somewhere along the road between here and the spot where the coach was stopped—” . ‘“Go easy, Duke!” warningly muttered the honest chief. ‘Instead of hiding anything from you, dear man, there’s nothing I’d like better than to tell you the whole story, so far as I’m concerned in it,” smiled Duke, though still serious, earnest, anxious. “That's why I asked you asa favor to take me to my room, first of all.” Chief Tullar gazed at the gentleman sport keenly. Beyond a doubt he was in deep earnest. But why? Was it with personal fear and anx- iety alone, or had he really important informa- tion to give? ‘**T pledge you my word of honor to make no effort to. rk or get the better of you on the way, chief,” hurriedly muttered the Duke of Derringers, his anxiety increasing as he noted the rapid lapse of time. ‘‘ As an earnest—see!” He leaned forward and with his free hand pointed to where his derringers were concealed, then elevated the member above his head. Tullar quickly secured the tools, slipping them Sep Mee own pockets. | As he did so, Barringer added: ‘*T have two more, which I will hand you if the same pledge not to at- you choose, giving tempt to use them offensively.’ ‘Pm not slow on the trigger myself,” grimly ' the hotel where the Duke of Derringers had his — _ one chair, Barringer seating himself on the edge You've had a bit of nose- | i | ' ! a * Fd - a ee OO ee who was just then leisurely driving back from the wharf with the Wellspring coach—Barrin- ger left his horse to be taken care of,afterwhich the two men, still arm in arm, hastened on to | room, ‘> Though time was so pressing, Duke showed no particular haste in passing through thebar. He not only took a drmk with the chief, but gave — particular «rders with the barkeeper to send up : a couple of bottles of wine, with cigars,to his room. a ‘* It isn’t a bribe ye’re offering me, I’m trust- ing, Duke,” laughed Tullar, as he occupied the of the bed with the little table drawn between them. oS “That oughtn’t ise you so much, chief, since you evidently think me ass enoughtoat- tempt highway robbery—and fail!” laughed his host, with a vivid flash in his dark eyes. 3 ‘* Not robbery for gold, Duke,” was the swiff objection. ‘‘I wouldn’t take Saint Peter’soath for that! But—the young lady was there,so — I’m given to understand; the same you—” Pe “Caned Rufus Cramp for insulting; pre- © cisely.” eg ‘* Divil blame you for that same, honey; sure no one else would!” cried Tullar, with a smile over the top of his refilled glass. hore Duke hesitated, his face showing some emo- — tion. He found the matter a difficult one to open, now that he fairly confronted it, Yet he must do so, and with slight loss of time. If the — Superb should leave before he could come toa satisfactory understanding with the chief! If — Rufus Cramp thus got the start ef him— me ‘‘Only for thatsame lady, noth‘ng of thisugly affair would have taken place, Tullar,” he be ry! gan, only to be interrupted by the chief, who, — now that he had once relaxed a little from the — line of strict duty, was showmg hisordinary na- | ture: jolly, genial, if a bit coarse. | Tega ha ‘Tt don’t call for three eyes to see that same, me boy! Divil blame ye, if he likes, forit isnt | me that would! They say’she’s allasswateand handsome as she will be rich when the ould _ u - 4% man—” igre Barringer cut him short with an impatient wave of the hand anda tone so cold and stern ~~ that one far less acute than the worthy chief could not fail to take warning. (pg ‘No more of that, sir. Iam forced to bring the name of a lady into our cenversation for her own safety, but not even you can speak of her lightly, even in sport.” f ‘Tt isn’t me that wants to speak of her at if you come to that,” tartly retorted the chi ¥¢ once more his official self, setting down the un- __ nos liquor and drawing his athletic figure — oe , tee ‘** Nor I, if it could be avoided,” gravely. i a “*Then the shortest way is the or sir. ee give you back your parole. You can tell your ris story to the judge, when you appear before him,” coldly uttered the chief, rising to bis feet. _ “T must tell you first, Tullar,” earnestly said Duke, leaning forward and placing a hand on | the arm of the offended official, “If I have toucbed your feelings, I beg your p me J) When I have told you all, you will un ae a. of my embarrassment. Sit down, t After a momentary hesitation, Tullar com- | plied. That he had been sharply stung was evi- _ dent from his forgetting to replace the parole be had voluntarily surrendered. Did Barringer | notice that fact? If so, he made no sign, and certainly did not mention the fact. We Casting aside all reserve, the Duke of Derrin- gers quickly and clearly detailed all that he had — overheard while eavesdropping Shoe-string Johnny and Tom Kearney in the adjoining — room, even to the manner in which he had foiled _ their cautious investigation of the instinctive — fears which assailed the petty gambler. He told how he followed up the important clew thus _ obtained. How Murtogh Murphy put bim on ; t. ha 4 weet, a ‘. " * t the right track, banishing the last doubt he had _ entertained as to the correctnege of the gab me | | tation he had on their words. How he had © taken horse and rode out on the route to Fair- — i aa| 900 gs) ‘comic