Beadle's New York Dime Library No. 397 — page 5: what you’re looking at

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

Pf The Wizard Brothers. “He had a confidential clerk, you may re- member?” She made no reply, and the man continued: ‘* His name was Kirk Kendrick, you know?” Still no reply, but a start, and a deathly pal- lor spread over her face. ‘** And old Joslyn had an adopted son, a youth a trifle fast, and who, spending all of his allow- ance, sought to get more from the old gentleman by a clever little plan he concocted with this confidential clerk, Kirk Kendrick.” ‘* In Heaven’s name, tell me who you are?” “‘Tt matters not who I am, for 1 know who you are.” ‘* And who am I?” ** Do not be too anxious to test my knowledge of just who you are, but listen to my story of those two young men, the adopted son and the confidential clerk of old Josl ‘*They having forged. his name for large sums, which they received and lost in gambling, he, when the discovery was made, paid the checks, to shield that son from shame and dis- honor, and it made a poor man of him. Unable to hold up his head as he had done, when pos- sessed of wealth, he started for the West, and lost his life on these plains when I attacked his train and robbed it of booty. ‘But his daughter sented, and she is now living at a ranch near the Overland trail, hav- ing been adopted by an old ranchero, who, with his band of black cowboys, has several times beaten off my men. That girl was res- cued from me by the leader of the three we saw to-day, and I am determined to get posses- sion of her, and to do so I need your immediate aid.” ** My aid?” gasped the woman. ‘*T will no longer carry on this trifling, but say to you at once: in spite of your petticoats, Kirk Kendrick, I know you !” ‘‘Good God!” The one in woman’s attire sprung up quickly, but sunk back as Captain Kit coolly continued: ‘* My dear Kendrick you always were a hand- some, woman-faced fellow, and were wont to have your little jokes at masquerade balls by payite We part of a girl, and you have taken your character well this time, but it has not fooled me. ‘“* The truth is, I know that you are a courier at the fort, and volunteered, when you knew how dangerous I was making it along the trails, to go back to Omaha and meet the paymaster, receiv- ing from him certain money intended for those in the fort. ‘** You divulged your plan to Major Benteen, the commandant, and he jumped at it; and you played your hand well, only I held the win- ning cards, knowing your secret; and I have you and your little sachel with its boodle in my power, ‘You see, I trumped your best card, my dear Kendrick.” ‘Who are you?” again asked the man, as the reader now knows him to be, ‘“* Never mind who lam, butunderstand that I need you and shall use you.” ** Never!” ‘* Don’t get excited, for you have been as meek as an old woman since I kidnap you, and I know you do not wish trouble with me.” The prisoner fairly groaned, and Captain Kit went on: ‘* Now, Kendrick, serving in the army is very honorable, but—” ‘* Yes, I am trying to forget the past and live an honorable life, now.” “You can’t do it, for it isn’tin you, and I verily believe you did not jump the trail with the money in that sachel, because you hoped to get a larger stake in your hands some day. ** No, you are not honest, for I know you, and I intend that you shall serve me.” ** But how? ‘* First, you must desert from the army,” was 3) Red the cool rejoinder of Captain Kit, th ‘Angel chiel, CHAPTER IX, THE DESERTER, THE words of the Red Angel chief fell like a saber-stroke upon the disguised man, who had been called by the name of Kirk Kendrick. For a moment he seemed unable to speak, and then he said, huskily: sé Desert?” é Yes. ” ‘From the army?” ** Of course.” “But why?” **T demand it.” ** Who are you?” “Your master.” My master?” Yes, because I hold your secret.” The man shuddered and asked: Will you answer me one question? You knew the adopted son of Mr. J ostyn?” "As knew ou, I kn . both thieves.” be ew him, for you were ‘* He is said to be dead.” “So it was reported—that he was killed in a gambling den in New Orleans,” “‘ A fitting fate; I wonder what will be mine?” man ct ny in prison, if you do not doas I de- ' nel on duty at the entrance to the canyon, but | who was not the man Dead Knife J im, who had } Again the man shuddered, and a look of deep | halted them on their way into the brigand anguish passed over his face, while he said: oT sinned once, and the remorse I suffered made me repent and vow to live an honest life.” ‘Once a thief, always a thief,” was the laconic rejoinder. ‘No, I repented faithfully, for I have a dear old mother who raised me properly, and finding that she knew nothing of my crime, I termined that she never should. I heard that my partner in guilt was dead, and so I drifted about looking for work, and, being small of stature, 1 got to be Pony Express rider, and from that I was taken into the army as a flying courier, with a promise of a lieutenancy, for some desperate rides I made through the Indian country.” ‘Yes, and you shot two of my men on differ- ent occasions, when they merely sought toll of you on our highway.” ‘‘They attacked me and I shot them, yes, for I carried valuable papers and considerable money | belonging to the Government,” ‘*Oh, you are a good one, I admit, and you payed your petticoat part well, and nearly cilled my horse when firing upon me from the stage; but, because you are good I want you, as you can serve me well in breeches, or skirts, as the case may be. when I need you.” ‘** No, I cannot do it.” “ Oh, yes; and you must also desert from the army.’ ‘*{f I do I will be shot.” “If you are ceught; but it is catching before hanging, you know.” ‘**]T will not doit.” ‘*Then I will send you to prison for the full length of time that is due a forger and a thief of your ilk, and publish you as such from one end of the country to the other.” **Oh, God!” ** Don’t pray and fret, for I am inexorable.” “*T cannot sin again.” ** Well, you will have the credit of doing so, and I'll have the army after you, for I shall take care to send the story of your career to Major Benteen, and add to it that you arranged with Captain Kit, or Captain Hyena, as they like the name best, to dress up as a woman and have me take you off as a pretended captive, when you were my pard in the robbery. ‘* That will set the war-hounds on your trail worse than a wolf.” The man groaned, and then Captain Kit asked: ‘** Now, what will you do?” ‘* As you wish,” came in tones of anguish from the dcomed man. ** You will desert?” a ‘Then go ogni to the fort, tell how you were carried off captive, and escaped, at the same time being able to seize your sachel with these dispatches and the money. This will lace you higher in the estimation of all at the fort. Then be to work for me; find out pong things t tg wish to know; and, pres again intrusted with a money package, you wil know just what to do with it, and I will share it evenly with you. Do you understand, Kirk Kendrick?” “ I do.” ‘* And will do as I wish?” ‘IT cannot do otherwise, for I would die if sent to prison, I would prefer death to that.” *‘ Both are to be avoided; but now let us have some supper, and then get some rest, Just be- fore dawn I will call you, a horse will be ready, and you put out for the fort with all speed, and, after sunrise I will start half a dozen men in pursuit with orders not to catch Ln if they can, but to seem to press youhard. You under- stand?” **T am no fool,” “I think you are, and any other man who commits a crime, for Jam one; but, having been a fool, I_must now be a fiend to destroy re- morse. Now come to supper,” and the chief led the way out to the camp-fire where Brick had Piha + a tempting meal for the Red Angel and s victim. ; ' THE DEPARTURE AND PURSUIT. TRUE to his promise, Captain Kit awoke his victim, who had dropped into an uneasy slum- ber, just before dawn. Brick had a tin cup of hot coffee and some breakfast ready, and a horse near by was saddled and bridled, ‘‘ Here is your sachel, and you will see that I opened the dispatches, and broke loose the bun- es of bank-bills, to show they had been looked over; but nothing is missing. You can say that you arose at night, saw your sachel, seized. it, made your way out, and, seeing a horse saddled and bridled, mounted him and rode off. That tells the story. If asked to guide a force here, do so, for I shall not remain in this camp after to-morrow. Now we will start, for you know just what to do.” The disguised soldier sprung into the saddle, seating himself sideways, as became his attire, and Brick leading up the chief’s horse, the two rode outof the camp together, passing the senti- was de- | cam chief, halting just as the sun arose above the horizon, | **'Yes; I think so.” | “Push on rapidly, for that is a great traveler | you are on. shall put half a dozen or more men in pursait, when I return to camp; so now | be off.” , The chief wheeled his horse and rode slowly back to camp, while ths man in woman’s attire, | started at a gallop out of the timber where the _two had parted, and struck the trail leading | across the prairie. | When known, the face was that of a man, and not of a woman; there were visible certain points and expressions upon it that would cer- _tainly be out of place on a feminine counte- / nance, as one might see, did he dissect the fea- tures carefully. The form was slender and wiry, and the make- _up perfect—even the movements and voice be- _ ing womanly at the will of the man. | His face was a handsome one, and had that rare accident in manhood, being devoid of beard, for he never yet had used a razor, His hair, cut short, had been skillfully hidden under a wig, and his hands and feet were ex- ceedingly small and shapely He rode well, although in a constrained posi- tion, sideways on a man’s saddle, and as he went along, brooded deeply over what had occurred, That he had repented of the past and reformed there was no doubt; but he had been tempted, when he found himself the bearer of a] of money, and, allowing himself to dwell upon the temptation, might some day have fallen and skipped with a large amount intrusted t» his care, without the instigation of Captain Kit to do so, which showed tbat he was at heart a sin- ner, and came near fitting the words of the chief, ‘‘ Once a thief, always a thief.” Who the outlaw leader was, the courier could not guess, as his words portrayed: ‘*T cannot place him to save my life, and yet I know that we have met. He is dead, so it can- not be he; but if he was alive, the blonde mus- tache and hair of the chief would prove that it was another than my companion in that crime which ruined poor Richard Joslyn, and really murdered him, for he came West to b ‘* How the sight of his daughter, when she was at the fort the other day, struck me with re- morse, ‘IT shunned her, though for her to recognize — me, I knew would be im ible under the cir- cumstances, as the confidential clerk of her father has changed, I know, and she hardly knew me then, and was but a girl. ** No, no, she will not recognize me, not dream- ing to see me here; but I shall avoid her all I can until I leave. ; 5 It hurts me hard to desert; but what can I ) ‘‘IT am on the rolls as John Kendrick, so no one will recognize that name as mine, and my mother will not see it, ‘* Well, if 1 turn to outlawry, my shall benefit thereby, for I shall sen her m enough to buy back her little home and live in comfort, fhough how she would scorn it did she know how it was made; yes, and it would break her dear old heart to feel her boy was such a scoundrel, ‘Well, I am in for it, the die is cast, and I~ offers, become honest some time in the future, when I have more money than now.” ; Thus the man, a scamp at heart, soliloquized, — as he rode along over the prairie, his horse in a swiftly be im. himself and horse at a crystal stream that lay in ype A he dropped ing against a tree, he dropped into a deep slumber, from which he awoke with a start to — behold half a score of horsemen coming over the prairie, evidently on his trail, yet s mile distant. e Instantly he knew that they must be the Red Angels in chase, and the sun showed him that he had tarried there several hours. . To bridle his horse, draw up the lariat stake and mount, was the work of a minute, and then away he went, the outlaws, with yells at sight ursuit. ven Kirk of him, co on in swift The horse which Captain Kit had Kendrick was a good one, and held his own without being pushed to full speed. The rest he iter seemed fully capable to. keep the lead he a But it was evident that his pursuers had ex- to find him further ahead, and the way ey pursued him then seemed to give the idea that they were in deadly earnest about his cap- “Those men seem to be in deadl earnest,” muttered Kirk Kendrick, as he rode along, and he eyed the pursuers with a look that showed suspicion of them. ‘But they cannot mean to capture me, if they Gomicbooks. co eee I etOnt=(==¢ 0 . “Bo you know your trail now?’ asked the | e sum — is death. aie mother — must accept the situation, and, if chance again long, fe me gallop that cast mile after mile At length ke halted to rest, and to refresh — over a ad had also aided him, and the © 4 ‘ aa ©. Pe ¢ Ses