Beadle's Dime Library No. 415 — page 11: what you’re looking at

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

—<e™ aa aS am only a woman, but the heart that beats in mv bosom is strong and devoted to our cause, Let it never be said that our women are weak, {or I am ready to shed even my blood to see our race restered to the power which was once tuelrs,” ‘*| would there was an army of our people, all animated with spirit like yours, but where are they to be found?” Red Jaguar paused for a moment, sighed and continued: ‘‘We cannot even show graves to tell of our vanished power, but if fortune smiles upon us it may not always be so. Loyola, you may re- turn now. Be shrewd and watchful, and if you find a clew let’ me know at once. The sacrilegious white man must be made to give up his unlawful possession.” ‘* He shall!” Loyola spoke the words vehemently, and then turned and glided away toward the house. For a brief space of time she was visible, and then the darkness hid her from view. Red Jaguar remained gazing away into the night, his massive figure looking like a statue of heroic size. Several minutes passed before he stirred, and when he did it was with startling quickness. He wheeled about, sprung like a panther into a thicket; there was a struggle; and then he emerged dragging some one after him, The captive seemed the most harmless and abject of human beings, but one hand was fumbling in his clothing, it came out holding a knife and the hand shot forward, but Red Jaguar caught it at the wrist and gave a twist that not only made the knife drop, but brought a howl of pain from the would-be assassin. The chief spurned him with his foot and he fell to the ground, where he remained lying in servile silence for a moment, Then the victor spoke with dignified sternness: ‘** Get up!” The conquered man arose, and stood with drooping head and cringing air. It was Garth Griffith, the balf-breed. ‘** Bush-Wolf,” said the chief, coldly, ‘* what are you doing here?” ‘*T was merely sleeping in the thicket,” re- plied Garth, with the most humble air possible, oi Do men creep about like snakes when sleep- ing? ** Chief, I did not crawl, but—” ‘Your tongue is as false as ever. Do not think to deceive me. I heard you advance, foot by foot. You are cunning and still, but I, too, have Indian blood. Thank all that is good, ’tis not like your blood. What do you want here?” ‘‘Nothing, chief. I was only looking for game. I am a poor, humble and honest man, and I have to seek food when nature cries out for— ‘‘Enough! Seek food when you will, but turn not your eyes on human game. Bush- Wolf, I have no love for you, but it is in kind- mess that I say, keep gf rom me, I would not defile my hands with blood like yours, but beware how you meddle with me. olest me again, and you may find you have hunted the wrong kind of game!” With a slight gesture of farewell the chief turned his back and stalked away through the bushes, Garth Griffith was left alone, rage, Cisappointmont and a spirit of revenge in his vicious mind. CHAPTER XqTil. THE FIRE-EATER WINS FRESH RENOWN. WHEN Paul arose in the morning his anger had in no degree abated. Only for Barbara’s work of the previous night he would have been forever rid of Frazer Hot Heart, and the dan- ger of being identified as Bill Peters’s slayer ae so small that he might have breathed freely. But Hot Heart still Jived, and Paul had a pre- sentiment that tho jail would not long hold him. Why this was so he could not tell, but his fear of the man, as well as his hatred, hourly iucreased. He had intended to be up early, so as to ison the old commodore’s mind before Bar- bara could see him, but the long session with Professor Hazlitt had caused him to oversleep. But never mind; he could speak just as stout- ly, and he was resolved to be vi tag on Bar- bara—a very brotherly resolution, but in keep- me Pig: his nature, e went down and found Commodore Nick alone. Greetings over, he came to the point at once. “Do you know what ha ed last ni father?” Bes ent, *“No. Did you and the Pernicians, and the cmt Blan, succeed in finding America!’ was y. the grim rep Noieanes’ I refer to Barbara. - She rode sé sown to Clifftown to see Hot Heart, the Fire- er. ‘‘So she says, and shiver my timbers, if I don't think she did see him!” And the the ex-mariner chuckled loudly. “So she has told you?” “é Yes,” ** What do you think of such conduct?” ‘*By Neptune! I think she’s a chip of the old block. If she was a man, she would put Farragut, Porter and Dupont ’way into the shade in a few vears!” ‘*Can it be you approve—” **Of course I do! Zounds! there ain’t many girls who’ve got that amount of nerve. I’m proud of her; she’s all Nettleton, from the top of her head to them feet I used to think too small to be of use.” ** It seems to me like a very unbecoming, im- modest act on her part.” Commodore Nick’s lower jaw fell. He looked at his son with an expression he might have bestowed upon a mutineer at sea. Then he sternly inquired: ‘Young man, are you aware that you are speaking of your own sister?” ‘* Yes, sir, and that is why I am so anxious in the case. On one hand we have a jailed mur- derer; a noisy, quarrelsome fellow known as ‘The Fire-Eater;’ while on the other is a young lady whose good name is dear to us. that she has disgraced us.” Commodore Nick struck his ponderous first upon the table in sledge-bammer style. ‘* Well, by George, sir, I claim that no man can insult my daughter to my face! She rode to Clifftown to save a human life, and ’twas rigbt to do it if the prisoner there had been Tom, Dick, or the Old Boy, himself. And when a woman does such a thing it is true heroism, sir, Heroism i3 the word, d’ye hear? and, by the becrd of Neptune, I won’t hear a kick on this ship while I sail her, by George. If you want to raise the biggest kind of a gale that ever warped a mainmast, just you abuse that little woman some more, sir. cabin, sir, nor on my ship, d’ye hear? Not another word, sir; we'll drop the subject, and drop it in deep water, too!” The honest old mariner had talked himself out of breath, but he had carried his poin’. Paul dared not renew it. He met Barbara at the table with a stiff nod, and then sat in sullen silence, while she was gra- cious and unconscious to that degree peculiar to accomplished women in cri es, But Paul’s cup of bitterness was not full. In the middle of the forenoon came word that Frazer Hot Heart was out of jail. Evidence had been found that so completely cleared him that it had not been thought necessary to hold him for trial. One of the best citizens of the vicinity had ap- peared and given evidence which may here be briefly summarized. The night of the murder he had been riding along the Clifftown road, and had passed Palmer Hague just as the latter rode out of the avenue which led from Nettleton’s to said road, Going on, he had made half the distance to the ruined convent when he saw a man standing by the roadside, This man had looked at him sharply, and then started back toward the bushes, The point was just where Hague had been shot. Riding on, the witness had reached ‘* Convent Rest,” and found the upper part lighted. One of the windows was open, and Frazer Hot Heart stood beside it, with his coat off, winding his watch, as though about to retire for the night. Just then a rifle-shot sounded in the rear, and then came the clatter of hoofs. Looking around he saw a horse galloping toward him, saddled and bridled, but riderless, It passed, and he was prepared to swear that it was Palmer Hague’s horse. He would have gone back to see if an accident had occurred to the owner, but was ina great hurry, and it did not occur to him that there had been foul play. In fact, his mind had been so taken up with other matters that he scarcely —— of it again until he heard of the mur- er. As Hot Heart had stood by his window during all this time, it was decided that a satisfactory alibi was proven. But there was another point in his favor; the fatal bullet would not fit his rifle. All this was so in his favor that he was re- I claim ut not in this Paul Nettleton found his presentiment real- ized, and was furious over the Fire-Eater’s re- lease. He took the ground that though Hot Heart Lad stood at the window when the citizen heard the shot, there was no proof that this a ticular shot had been the one which killed a e Fire-Eater might have afterward come out and done the deed. His opinion amounted to but little; Hot Heart was free, as was amply proven when, a little later, a boy brought a ed note to bara. She o it, and then her cheeks flushed as she saw the signature, The letter was as follows: “Miss BARBARA NevTLeToN:—I dare say that you are already aware that the flimsy charge nst me has fallen through, and I am again a free man. Such is the fact. Arrested for a crime of which I was wholly innocent. I have seen the entire fabric of straw fall to pieces, and am again peace situated at Convent Rest. “TI am, however, led +2 &@3k one question: How ot Heart. the Detective Spy. UL _ would it have been had you not come so nobly to my" aid last night? Miss Nett] ton, I owe my life to you. Words are weak when the heart is full; en otion which springs solely from the mind is more eloquent than the overwhelming feelings of a grateful beart; but I will—nay, I mus —say that 1 si.all ever regar you as the most heroic, the noblest and the loveliest of your sex. “+ orgive me if I speak too boldly, for I do not say one-half that isin my heart. Were Itodoso— But I dare not! I mizht offend, and I would sooner lose my life. My heart is full of eternal gratitude. **T will not sign to this the absurd name by which I am known around Clifftown. Please think of me as your grateful servant, M. FRAZER.”’ Miss Nettleton’s eyes sparkled, and her cheeks were pink with inward emotion. But she was not offended. Offended? Perish the thought! What woman could take offense at gratitude and admiration expressed in such courteous, eloquent, respectful terms? We will not pause to analyze Miss Nettleton’s _ Enough to say that she softly mur-- mind. mured: ’ . - 4 « ~ é ‘‘T am very, very glad that I went to Cliff- town. I have saved a man who, though he may not always have done right, has a keen sense of right and honor. How well he writes! such a man cannot be all bad; he must be— noble!” Alas! for the frailty of human opinion and human hope! In less thar®an hour came the news that the Fire-Eater had visited and chastised Don Este- ban Villegas. It had come to the late prisoner’s ears that the Mexican had stated that there had been previous — trouble between Hot Heart and Hague, ng from the fact that the former had made love to one of the latter’s servants, and, whea she re- fused him, had been so violent that Hague was obliged to interfere. This story Villegas had* spread broadcast, as a reason for the fater’s enmity toward Hague. | When Hot all upon the servant. She promptly retracted, admitting that false, but would not acknowledge ‘ha had bribed her to corroborate his fiction. Probably she dared not. Then Frazer had gone to it was ~ “ asked him to acknowledge that he hadspoken falsely. The Mexican refused; they Laid Sie a chal- lenge had been given by the Fi e-Eater and de- t Villegas > sz Be . ae Surely, | we ~~ %, ” ’ ve 4 . oe 24 ? v7 git “* a. we ad ‘7% a > * + ¥. - Heart heard of it, he called first of ‘5 a o> Don Esteban, and | ma ty _ 2 : ~~" . — *. - clined by Villegas; and then Hot Heart had ne produ ished the Mexican in this off-hand way. report said that the whip had been applied to _ his face with terrible effect; second report stated that though the whip had been thoroughly used, only the back of the victim had been visited. whip from under his coat end putt - a ee. * tes ws +" name, and the exploit certainly did not gain favor for him. Sympathy went with Don inst the reckless ban, a rich gentleman, and a life in the ruined. stranger who lived a vagabon convent. ee. os pi st 2 ~ ———_ « ad * . 7 i , Ae - - at J It was a shock to Miss Nettleton, and she took — ye no trouble to defend Mr. Frazer, or whatever lis name was. His letter, however, was not burned, and she was privately of the opinion that the Mexican had received only what he deserved. deliberately slandered Hot Heart, he had cer- — tainly acted like a villain. During the afterncon Miss Nettleton had a visitor. < Mt. Sy sae - "Zz se Ifhe had as { x” ~W Rosa announced that there was a lady in the parlor who wished to see Bartara, but had given no name, and the latter went there ate v 4 < 4 once. | A tall, peculiar-looking woman was there, an t al A she rose and stood staring at the girl witha fixedness far from pleasant. ee ‘*T am told that you wish to see me,” said — Barbara courteously. oe. “Are you Miss Nettleton” toe * X66, Pe ‘Then I do want to see you!” was the quick, venomous reply. ‘‘I want to see her who be- — witched Palmer Hague and lured him away ~ from me, his legal wife!” De CHAPTER XIV. =. & ZENOBIA. Sa BARBARA started back. aes The words were striking and startling enough _ in themselves, but when taken in connection with the bitter, hostile way in which r were spoken, and the manner of the woman, — were enough to unnerve an poder ok A cree a The uninvited visitor was probably lessthan _ e, but a, well have pared: z ad cer y had some pow- — thirty years of for forty. Time erful ally to brand such on her face, and Time’s most faith lentless ally is Troubie. The visitor was thin-faced and haggard, and her once-dark hair was plentifully sprinkled of age as ° eCTe * <w i ; with gray. Her eyes alone were brilliant, bus it seem Anger brightened them now to a glow. Lut sy os be the wild light was always there. noticeable. . _ “You, Palmer Hague’s wife!” she faltered. Gomicbooks ~~ Nettleton’s usual composure was not then " é ¥ anything but a natural brilliency. “" +, ? . si os re *, “ . - f ste *