Beadle's Dime Library No. 395 — page 21: what you’re looking at

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

. “ —_ , 4% > ‘< . a : ; Barringer, that was natural erough, since he must know that he, Kyte Varley, was working in co-operation with Rufus Cramp. ‘‘T never had a relative,” he mechanically re- plied, still with his sleepy eyes riveted upon that pale, handsome face. a ‘*But you are the same Kyte Darley of whom our departed friend spoke?” persisted Landrum, nothing disconcerted by that unvarying gaze, the nature of which would have irritated if not unnerved the vast majority of men, ‘* You are ope of the card-champions of whom rumor speaks in trumpet tones, You are ready to make his boast good?” ‘*] never play cards,” slowly uttered Darley, adding briskly: ‘‘ with any one under the rank of a duke!” Ife purposely emphasized the title, his eyes wide open now, searching for any change, how- ever slight, that might confirm his suspicions. But he could detect nothing of the sort. If in- deed the Duke of Derringers, his adversary was thoroughly on his guard. Mark Landrum laughed softly, slightly rub- bing his hands together as a man sometimes does when thoroughly pleased with the situa- tion, **Do you know, you yak pee 4 frightened me, at first,” he purred, as smoothly as ever Kyte Darley could. ‘‘I feared you were going to flatly decline to pick up my gauntlet but now—” ‘Then you are a duke?” interposed Darley. ‘‘T am better; Iam King-pin,” gravely bow- ed Landrum. Despite himself Kyte was forced to laugh at the supreme insolence which was so neatly dis- guised and sugar-coated, ‘* Then I will try to accommodate you, short- 17,” he said, with more of earnestness in his tones than he had thus far betrayed. ‘If I fail to amuse you, please remember that it was not I that uttered a brag.” ** very minute will seem an hour until the table is between us and the leaves of the common prayer book are fluttering back and forth,” carnestly uttered Landrum. ‘* You will par- don my impatience? I have not met a real champion for an entire month!” ae her your pardon?” muttered Darley, with an affected start. ‘‘I really failed to catch your words. I was thinking—wondering just how you would look if you wore a beard, black as yan, hair, long and slightly forked in the mide, ‘*T never wear a beard,” calmly retorted Lan- drum. ‘ And with your hair long, curling a little as it reaches your shoulders:” muttered Darley, his eyos seeming to grow more and more sleepy as he razed into that cold, handsome face. ‘Tl never wear hair,” echoed Landrum, grave asa host. ‘¢With hair and beard like that—instead of one cropped short and the other shaven off—I could name your caliber to a dot; say that of a derringer!” It was his last shot, and Kyte’s eyes opened widely as he looked for the result. It was dis- appointing in the extreme. Those jetty eyebrows arched a little, but that was the only alteration visible as Mark re- sponded: “Te itisa conundrum, I giveitup! Ifitisa roundabout method of intimating that I am something of a bore, fewer words would have answered the purpose, and not a whit more harm done. I ama bore. Such a. bore that I never yet knew a gentleman to sit across the table with me for a vis-a-vis, that, sooner or later, ho did not arise in utter disgust. Need I [say just why?’ wih a sweet smile. Kyte Darley flushed botly despite his vaunted nerve. For once he felt that he had met his match—even then he would not admit his in- feriority—and that it would be time wasted in further trying to unmask this cool adversary. Nor did the smiles on the faces of those who gathered around them, lessen the sting. ‘*} think it would be more amusing to dis- cover that for myself,” he said lightly, taking a step toward the door. “If you will have pa- tience for a few minutes, perhaps we can lock horns at your favorite sport. All are the same to me.” ‘‘Tne sooner the better, my dear fellow,” bowed Landrum. . “T never rush things,” said Darley, pausing with his hand on the knob, a peculiar smile lighting up his dark face. 3 I ama true gam- bler, in that I never travel without my private fetich. I never met with success if I entered a fight without first consulting the oracle. I am going now to pay my duty. If you are not above such weaknesses, perhaps it will be juss as well for you to do the same.” ‘“‘T never have weaknesses,” smiled Landrum. “There is always a beginning; this will begin in your pocket,” grimly laughed Darley, as he turned and passed down the cabin to the state- room occupied by him in common with Rufus Cramp. He cast a swift glance over his shoulder as he paused to turn the key in the lock. Mark Lan- drum was visible, apparently chatting good- naturedly with the interested rs ‘He can’t sli , f, — : = 2 ‘ “s y ‘ ee . » ~< 7 ° * ; @ + a a... - " : - o ' - . : 7 f * y c ‘3 _ ~\ e ' i ! | passengers, p away from them, even were he be | m ‘ \ we » to try!” muttered Kyte Darley with a hard smile as he entered the room and locked the door behind him. ‘‘ And now—for business! It must be about time,” Apparently the business alluded to did not re- quire any external light, for his first movement was to close the transom and drop the thick cur- tain over it. He hung his handkerchief over the knob of the door, thus screening the keyhole. Then he stooped over his carpet-bag. Mark Landrum was chatting easily with the interested passengers, just as Kyte Darley saw him, but not for long after that worthy vanished from view to consult his ‘‘fetich.” Possibly Mark Landrum also had his little pet super- stitions, if not actually a fetich. Possibly he felt that his brain would be all the clearer and better prepared for maintaining his title of King-pin if he could obtain a few whiffs of the cool nicht air. However this may be, he quickly left the bar where his money was paying for free drinks, simply saying that he would be back shortly, when he trusted they would receive their share of amusement. No one made any move toward following or Pe ony Sa him. In that brief period Mark Landrum had plainly made his mark on those who saw and listened. If not actually the Duke of Derringers in disguise—and there were more than one present who entertained quite as strong suspicions on this point as those Kyte Darley had tried so assiduously to satisfy—he was hard- ly a man who might be intruded upon when he evidently desired his own company alone, As though he had a faint suspicion that some among the company might let curiosity get the better of their politeness, Mark Landrum paused for afew moments where the shadows effectu- ally screened him from view, glancing keenly back. Then, satisfied that no one chose to risk playing the spy upon him, he moved silent- ly along the narrow space between the guards and the outer ends of the various state-rooms, his keen eyes kceping tally of the latticed doors as he passed along. He paused finally at one which opened without a sound to his cautious touch, and he entered just as noiselessly, push- ing the door to, but not entirely closing it. He was now in his own state-room, the tran- som of which was closed and the curtain drawn, precisely as Kyte Darley had secured his only a few moments hefore. Leaning against his berth, Mark Landrum in- clined his ear to the thin partition which alone divided his room from that of the plotters, A faint sound came to his ears, above the thumping of the machinery, to which long use had thoroughly accustomed him. He smiled to himself as though this sound gave him great pleasure. Satisfied that his adversary was within— ee Se ok a in sacrificing to his fetich— ark Landrum silently moved back to the outer door, peering steadily through the lattice-work. All unsuspecting this espial, Kyte Darley rose from his crouching position beside his berth, moving toward the outer door, which he cau- tiously swung open, holding it from swaying or bumping from the motion of the vessel, with one pie oe he gazed eagerly, intently out into 6 night. Only the starlight softened the intense gloom which would otherwise have prevailed. lé was lighter on board, on the river, than it could have been on shore, which now showed like a low, black wall. Nothing of detail could be made out, even by those keen eyes. It could not be a passion for river scenery that held Kyte Darley motionless so long, staring directiy be- fore him, theu a little further up the river. And certainly he was not praying—even to his fetich! As the minutes pass on without a break, a low curse hisses through his clinched teeth, and slip- ping the object which he had taken from his carpet-bag into his bosom, he cautiously left his room and passed back to the narrow flight of stairs leading to the hurricane deck. With his head harely above the level, he peered anxiously toward the stern, giving vent to a breath of relief as he distinguished two figures close together, one @ woman, the second as plainly a man. **Tt’s all right!” he muttered, silently advanc- ing in a crouching posture until beside the huge yaw] that rested bottom-up on the deck, in the shadow of which he sat down, once more turn- ing his eyes toward the right shore, ‘ Rufus will keep her in play until—ten thousand curses blight them forever if they fail me now!” Although the gloom was an important factor in the contemplated stroke for the Wellspring millions, just then Kyte Darley wished there was & little more light, if only long enough for him to catch a single clear glimpse of the land. An instant would be enough, for he was perfect- ly familiar with the landmarks, and then this cursed suspense would at least be relieved. ‘I feel that this is the spot—ha /” He caught his breath sharply as he caught sight of a red light that forctied a bloody star against the black wall that bordered the star- esgic sky. He leaned forward with breath- ess eagerness, watching that light: a light that ht possibly come from some lone cabin, or ut a sudden flickering up of a nearly burned- ‘ / . j, 4 - i > - Deadly Aim, the Duke of Derringers. } ' od up log or stump, from which a puff of wind had brushed the accumulating ashes, Hardly that, though! The red star moved swiftly, erratically, performing sundry gyra- tions without apparent meaning, but which drew a low and vicious laugh from the lips of the man by the yawl. ‘* Time, too!” he muttered, as he crept silently across the deck and descended the ladder, re- turning to his state-room., Once inside this, he drew a masked lantern from his bosom, and standing well back in his } room, opened the slide, his right band movin in rapid imitation of the gyrations already al- luded to, on shore. This occupied but a few moments, and then Kyte Darley closed the lan- tern, stepping forward and peering intently across the water. While descending to his room the red light. had vanished, but now it suddenly reappeared, remaining stationary for an instant, then shoot- ing high into the air, forming a beautiful para- bola as it shot swiftly down to vanish on the bosom of the river. “Good enough!” muttered Kyte Darley, ex- tinguishing his own light after another fashion, as though it had performed its duty. ‘‘ Ample time, too! And everv thing moves like clock- work! My little spat with that infernally cool hand in yonder, will keep all hands below, for fear of losing the next move in our little game. Nothing could be timed better if that rascal was playing a part in our big game!” Once more he emerged from his state-room but this time he moved a short distance toward. the bow of the beat. He paused for an instant as though listening or in doubt, then retraced his steps and once more mounted the ladder to the hurricane deck, None too soon, although he suspected it not, just then. Rufus Cramp was on the point of despair, having so wretchedly botched the part assigned to him in that dark night's work. Portia Wellspring was just then bidding him a cold good night, preparatory to seeking her state-room, rather than endure further rudeness and insult. And Rufus cast that last impatient glance around, to discovcr the dim, shadowy figure of Kyte Darley, to which he beckoned hurriedly. Realizing that something was going wrong, Kyte Darley hastily sprung toward the two ficures, forgetting to take his customary pre- cautionary glance behind him, If he had— A dsrk shape was already creeping up on deck, There was another crouching low down. beside the up-turned yawl. It is difficult to describe just what followed. Each shadow played its part, seemingly inde- pendent of the other. Kyte Darley spoke to Rufus Cramp, doffin i his hat with a low how to Portia. She bower Aeae'+ but turned away. And then— Se There was a sudden shifting. There wasa | struggle. Firearms exploded. Sharp oaths | were uttered. One man fell here. Another ¥ yo man recled there. Andover all rosethe wild, despairing shriek of a woman! wo CHAPTER XIV. , BS ‘IF NOT BY WATOR, THEN BY HEMP,” - In a marvelously short time the alarm spread. _ over the entire boat, > he The pistol-shots rung out clear and distinct, | and while the startled passengers were breath- | lessly listening for some further sound that | might explain these, the pilot hastily sounded his 3 signals to the boiler-deck, shouting aloud: ) Ae ‘Man overboard! Man overboard!” as With a wild rush the passengers abandoned — Social Hall and bar, making for the outerair, | each one pouring forth questions which no one ts attempted to answer. See “Tt came from the hurricane deck!” splatter- | ed Captain Iles, almost wedging his corpulent body in the narrow opening by bis clumsy haste, — “It’s about some woman—I heard her yelp!” = The excited passengers swarmed on deck, | eager to see and be doing. OR? i _ There was employment for their eyes, if noth- ing else, and a dramatic tableau presented itself = near the stern of the boat, thrilling cnough for aes the most sensational, though dim and phantom- = like in that uncertain light. | A man was lying on the deck, his head par- — tially supported by the woman who bentover ‘him. Near them, half-faced, as though tokeep __ back the curious crowd, was another man,sway- ing unsteadily on his widely-planted legs, one =" hand prested to his head, the other uncertainly flourishing a gleaming revolver, i Pilot Mason, who was then off duty, came rushing half-dressed out of the Texas,in com- pany with several others, and catching Captain __ es by the arm, muttered hastily: ‘why Tia ‘‘There’s the spice of the devil in all this! é Keep the passengers back until we can get at (ss “2 ty ; tbe bottom facts!” | 7 That was sufficient. The master of ogee ye was prompt enough to act when he ne © one to first point out the right course,and he — faced the excited, curious crowd with a sharp, Pie” commanding voice: - 5A ** Keep back, gentlemen! You shall knowall in good time, but you mustn’t try to crowd in | Rs; too quick. Back, Isay! Shoulder to shoulder, — ecomircbooks.con Lk re, * : ‘ e, . 4.! - a i ~ he) ; JOOKS. COM ‘=_—.