Beadle's Dime Library No. 415 — page 24: what you’re looking at

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

4 aan! rue ed the veteran 7 _ * 24- — —_— s= tn a al —— o -<— ; ere, | , ‘ : . tie ® ; ba fey ete y ’ 5 > \ c - Hot Heart, the Detective Spy. ; : ao Se en! See Eas a we . - 6 ee ‘Your heart ain’t in it. ) pledges you’ve made, and be hanged to him!” - But, father, 1—” Barbara paused. What could shesay? Don Esteban spoke the words which were on her tongue. ‘She dares not.” . ‘‘ Dares not?’ thundered Commodore Nick, taking another stride toward the Mexican. “* By the heart of the Pacific, sir, ll have you to un- derstand that my daughter dares do anything. Bab, give him back his pledge, and, whatever hold he’s got upon you, by the Lord Harry, we'll fight him till the brig goes to pieces under our feet!” But still sho sat silent. Ordinary danger she could defy, but she knew, if her father did not, what a sword of terror Don Esteban held over her head. ‘‘ Bab,” said the commodore, sadly, ‘* you don’t answer me.” ‘‘ Father, let us drop the subject now and avoid trouble.” BS ‘Aha! I told you so, senor,” said Villegas, ‘Told me what?” ‘‘ That she dared not throw me over.” “‘ And do you say it now?” “Tl do.” “Then, by the beard o’ Neptune, Pll show you what J dare do! Ill chuck you out o’ this cabin heels over head, you villainous shark!” And Commodore Nick sprung upon the Mexi- gan like an unchained lion. CHAPTER XXIX. THE PROFESSOR’S STRANGE ADVENTURE. Don ESTEBAN was anything but a coward, but this fierce assault startled him so that he sat like one turned to stone. Commodore Nick’s _ strong grasp was upon him with a force that seemed almost capable of crushing his bones, but Barbara sprung forward and caught her f ather’s d: ** No, no!” she cried. ‘Don’t harm him. The man is nut worthy of even that.” -* He ain’t worthy to sit in my house,” retort- but pausing at her command. “Then send him away. Donot have it said that vou bad a brawl with him ” ‘¢ There’s times when brawls is enjoyable,” de- ~ clared the commodore, with more than his av- car independence of grammatical rules. - * You had better let me alone,” put in Ville- as. ee T had? ” > - es, at OG Now, don’t you go to r’iling me, or even this of female loveliness won’t save you.” * Better for you both if you make terms with me. Ihold you and the Nettleton honor in the hollow of my hand. For Barbara’s sake, you had better make terms.” afi i ve about?” “Bab, girl, what’s this secret he prates “T can’t tell.” | -—s« She made the brief reply like one suffering . - keen pain, and it seemed to her that all the light and wished to keep all shadows away had e from life. She loved her father de- . Sraotedty, from his old age, and now the snake that sat there with the sneer upon his face had brought & . at a A: al a": me ‘ the commodore, understood. Noman can come to my house and . “*¢ : A ‘ 27a * ft but this I do say: | a. Mate ; Reds | | yt the trouble she desired to avoid. **1t shall be just as you say,” sturdily added ‘ but I want one thing clearly annoy my daughter.” eas A aeneyance when an honest man asks for a wife?’ demanded Don Esteban. _ ** Honest! Well, we won’t argue that word, ab’s jewels won't be sold, “Then let her marry me.” ‘Marry you, you scoundrel! You can bet vaur boots she won’t do anything of the kind.” ~* Then Pll ruin you all!” -_--4*- You miserab'e, skulkin’ scoundrel!” retorted Ls * ~*~, 7 the ex-mariner, in a voice like the subdued roar of a lion, ‘I don’t know what keeps me from “tearin’ you all to pieces. You deserve it, and ot the power to do it; but I s’pose it’s a of respect for myself that holds me in, You gee the door there, Don Esteban Villegas? Well, if you get out quick, you'll be all right.” Villegas rose. «, ( ed ee “Am I to go as an enemy?” he asked, ina voice, his white teeth showing almost ca:- _ - nivorously between bis lips. _ “May the good Lord save us from seeing you oY g go as our friend,” said the veteran, fervently, “Yon will repent this, senor.” of iY a “Eh? Do you threaten me?” . “IT go as your enemy.” Xe oe Then why in thunder don’t you go ? Don't _ stand there all day talking about it. sy on - Don * 7 “ ir. Dur e Ps Esteban moved toward the door, but sed and looked darkly at Barbara. * Are you still stubborn?” he asked. _.‘© Phat dof” cried Commodore Nick. ‘* My daughter don’t make terms with you, you can bet your life on that. Will you go, or shall I escort ye out by moral suasion?” _ Grim as a human Gibraltar stood the com- Villegas turned suddenly and went - modore, and out His heart was full of bitterness and re- venge, but, though Nettleton was twice bis (ce Ff ae 4 he a * +i . olin 7) Give him back all eee eee | did not care to fecl the grasp of those | position, was like a seething fire, and he was silently swearing that both should bitterly repent what they had done, Commodore Nick went to the window, but not until he saw him riding away did he speak. Then he turned to Miss Nettleton, who had sunk ag. a chair and sat with one hand shading her ace. ‘‘Bab, what is all this about?’ he kindly asked. ** Don’t ask me, father.” ** Have I lost your confidence?” ‘*No; a tcousand times, no; but you must humor mein this, Don’t ask me to say a word; at least cive me time to think.” ‘* Tt shall be as you say, my girl.” She had risen, end as she moved forward. he opened the door for her with unconscious grace, She paused, put her arms around his neck, kissed him and murmured: ** You are tre best and noblest of fathers:” And then she was gone, ‘I’m groping in the dark,” said the ex- mariner; ‘‘ can’t see an inch before me, It’s a rocky coast, and Idon’t know which way the vessel is sailing. One thing is sure though, that p’ison snake of a Mexican can’t cut up and how] around here. He had better go thundering slow or something heavier than a belaying-pin will fall on him.” Whatever mischief Villegas meditated, he did not make his appearance again that day. Bar- bara imagined him at Clifftown, forming some new scheme with Zenobia Hague, and when she left her room and mingled with the rest of the household, her heart was heavy. She was not so much bound up in her own troubles as to be oblivious to what was transpir- ing around her, and she noticed that Leona Er- win seemed to have caught the prevailing epi- demic of trouble. Before Paul’s return Leona had been the lightest-hearted person in Coast Castle, and celebrated for her wit and mischievousness, Of late she had grown grave, and on this day, Bar- bara noticed that she looked very sad—almost frightened. W hat shadow had fallen on her life? Barbara knew how matters stood between her foster-sister and Paul; but the latter had thus far been too much interested in the yellow parchment to press his suit, or even address the other members of the household more than casu- ally. Surely, her trouble could not be that ho was hurrying her in the matter of the vague be- trothal between them, Why, then, was the shadow of trouble upon her face? Barbara wondered, but as Leona’s manner did not invite confidence, she did not refer to it. Paul and Detective Neat returned late in the afternoon, weary and hungry. Under the guid- ance of the Bush-Wolf they had made a zealous but vain, search for Red Jaguar. He had generally been considered the chief of the Indian village to the southeast, but the red-men there denied that he was even one of them. He had been at their village, hunted and slept with them, and bad been made welcome, but was not ' their blood and they knew nothing about im. They had advanced the opinion that his regu- lar quarters were somewhere on Porcupine Ridge; they could, or would, tell no more. From a half-breed the searchers learned that the chief had been seen that morning, so he wasstill near the place. But neither he nor the yellow parchment had been found, Paul devoted some time after their return to refreshing himself, and then went to the door of Professor Hazlitt’s room. It was locked. Paul knocked, but received no answer. Ho knocked again, but still no one bade him enter. He did however, think that he heard a peculiar sound within, as of someone in distress. He called the professor’s name, and the sound was re- He now became really alarmed. Perhaps Hazlitt had been stricken with apoplexy, or something of the kind. He went at once to Mrs. Drake for ber keys, secured them and returned to the door. Unlocking it, he entered. The first thing of interest he noticed was that the room was in utterconfusion. But there was something more. On the bed lay Professor Hazlitt, bound hand and foot, tied to the bed, gagged, and with a bandage over his eyes. Paul stopped and stared in utter amazement. He had thought of the learned man stricken with disease, but in such a strange plight as this, never. That he could have arranged himself thus was beyond the pale of possibility, but who, in the name of all that was wonderful, had thus tied him up, and how could it have been done-in the sacred confines of Coast Castle? One moment the younger man _ hesitated; then he strode forward and began releasing the professor. He worked with a will, and the work was soon done, Hazhtt looked at his rescuer with intelligence in his eyes, and did not seem to be really injured, but even when he bad heen belned to a sitting his stiffened jews would not allow him in anger. He went, but his heart to speak intelligibly at first. f He rubbed them vigorously before trying te reply, while Paul looked around in increasing wonder. The room was in utter confusion. The floor was covered with clothing of all kinds, and the pockets of wearing apparel were turned insideout. The bureau drawers had been wholly removed and stood in a pile; the carpet was torn up all around the edges; and chavs sec med to reign supreme, ‘‘What in the world does it mean?” muttered. Paul, half-unconsciously. ‘“‘ Outrage!” mumbled the professor. ** Who assaulted you?” ** Don’t know.” ** Don’t know?” ce No.” ‘* That’s very odd.” **Give me water, please.” Paul obeyed, and Hazlitt thoroughly applied it both internally and externally. is jaws were relaxing, and he suddenly ceased work and looked up at his companion. ** t was all because of that cursed pareh- ment!” he almost groaned. ‘The parcbment®” per Tu **T don’t understand.” ““Nor I. I wish I did. It seems that some- body bad an idea that the parchment was in my ossession—they must have thought I had stolem it—and so they came here to recover itin this: way. Who did it?” He looked half-suspiciously at Paul, but the latter had never had a suspicion of Hazlitt’s honesty, and he indignantly replied: ‘Whoever thought it was a fool. But yow sav you do not know whoit was. How is that? Were they masked?” ‘** No; at least, not to my knowledge. I did not see them. You see, I came in bere after dinner, and fell asleep in my chair. My awak— “aoe was a rude one, I was aroused by rough hands upon me, and when I opened my eyes,. could see nothing. The bandages had alread been applied. 1 struggled, but my dirength availed nothing against that of him who held me. I tried to call for help, buf a gag was: a dinto my mouth. I was powerless! e professor paused for a moment, but Paul eagerly urged him to continue, ‘*There were at least two of my assailants, for while one held me, the other applied the cords to yd wrists and ankles. Then I was cast upon the bed and tied there firmly. All this while I had seen nothing, and as my enemies worked in utter silence, heard as little. I did not cease struggling, but all this wasa loss of strength. I might as well have submit- ted quietly.” ‘** But was there nothing to give you a clew to their identity?” Paul] interrupted. ‘** Nothing.” ‘“They were—a—both men?” ‘*T have no doubt of it, but even thatis not One certainly was—he who held me.” “é Go on )”” ' ‘*Once bound to the bed, my garments were thoroughly searched, but after that I was left alone. The room, however, was completely overhauled; its present condition testifies to the zeal of the searchers. Every nook and corner was looked into; nothing escaped their atten- tion. At least an hour was thus consumed, and all the while I lay on the bed, unable to movea limb; unable to call for help; and then I heard the door unlocked, relocked, then —silence. And then I was left wholly alone and an age seemed to pass. 1 was in torture, and it only ended when you came.” CHAPTER XXX. WHO IS GUILTY? Bort,” said Paul quickly, ‘‘what did you mean by saying that this parchment was the cause of the trouble?” ‘I said so because such is the fact,” Pazlitt replied. searched the room, they rarely addressed each other, and then only in cautious tones, but I will positively swear that 1 twice heard the word ‘parchment.’ The second time was just as they were goin away, when J heard one of them say: ‘If he has the parchment, it is hidden. outside this room,’” “It is very strange.” ‘* Not so to me; I studied it out as I lay there. Some one evidently believes that J stole the parchment; that I wasa traitor to you, and the. real thief in the case.” ‘‘ This is absurd!” cried Paul. “Tt certainly is, for I would not be guilty of such a deed,” said the professor. with real emo- tion. “lam no thief, but some people clearly believe that I am.” ‘“ Have you positively no theory as to who. they were?” None whatever.” ‘* They must have been inmates of this house.’”” » Hazlitt did not reply. It certainly looked that way, but it was not his place to suggest or foster a theory which would cast such a dark suspicion on those whose roof sheltered him. But be had repeatedly asked himself how any outsider could enter the house in broad day aud do such a yaa without being de It. e. pit Seagie tk peer re oe. babe, wa} ays °° . al é >. 4 .* le ‘While the two unknown persons — seemed impossib JOO MUL » \ : / GO ; ‘if a? ey ot eT és “ae Ps ¥ ea ee B ba btw