Beadle's Dime Library No. 415 — page 30: what you’re looking at

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

20 “Ts that all?” Coolly Barbara asked the question. ‘*Isn’t it enough?” “ Of the kind, yes.” ‘“* Are you still defiant?” ‘T do defy you, sir. Bring up all the threats “you choose, 1 defy you. More than this, I no — —_—— - —_— - — longer temporize with you; never while life re- _ mains will I be your wife!” Don Esteban sat durnfounded., He had thought that he came so prepared for the battle that he would carry all before him, and force Bar- bara consent to marry him within a week; he had the half-deranged Zenobia so subservient to his will that she would play any _— in the matter that he desired; but now Miss Nettleton, in- stead of yielding tamely, defied him boldly. ‘¢ You are mad!” he exclaimed, ‘* Indeed!” ‘*Do you want me to tell all about that San Francisco affair?’ he threateningly asked. ‘* No, for I will tell it myself, and in a way more correct than the version you would give of it. Some time before I left San Francisco, a man was drowned while sailing just beyond the city. City papers said he had been alone in the boat. One man knew different—Palmer Hague. He knew a woman had been in the boat with the man who was drowned, and he really thought it was I. : ‘‘He was wrong. The woman was my dear- ws est friend, and he who was drowned was her deadly enemy. Through him she had suffered long and bitterly; it is not necessary to tell the story in full. I knew that they went sailing to- gether, and when I knew he was drowned, I suspected why she had gone. It had been with a desperate purpose in her heart, and it had been accomplished by pushing her enemy over- board to drown. ‘‘Sne never told me this, but I suspected it from the beginning. Why did I not say so? - -you will, perhaps, ask. It was because I knew what a noble nature was hers before she saw ; him, and how cruelly she had been made to f° suffer. I did not whisper my suspicion; I could B not—would not—but, suspecting what I did, I AS ‘was glad to get away from San Francisco. a ‘“‘'Then came Palmer Hague, whom | believed tt a single man. Twice before I had refused his « offer; he now let me see he believed me a mur- deress, and practically demanded my hand. He is knew that some woman had been in the boat _ with the drowned man, and circumstances were a such—I need not go into details—that I could ~ only prove my innocence by proving my friend’s ie a guilt, Idonot know what madness ane ther, but rather than betray my long-suffer- F ing friend, I decided to marry Hague. I did not hate him, and I could, perhaps, live with him without pe’ ent Ne She stopped, and Villegas broke in with a sneer: ‘‘ This is a fine, romantic story, but it won’t on go down inthe least, Yourinsincerity is proven ie 5 the fact that you are now so willing to be- _-—s tray your ‘ poor long-suffering friend.’” ae iss Nettleton’s eyes flashed. ‘‘That unfortunate woman, sir, will never be | -—— = « ee ° . 3 - — 7. ee = . « +: —- => a omy “ : af ~» ’ os 7 ae 2 ‘- lt TS de ed i.“ < . >. . — - te a ton trial by man. She is before a greater 7a jidge This very morning I received news of = r death. She died with a full hope in the ss mercy of that judge, even though she had just va ig ~ «onfessed that she killed her former enemy by es pushing him from the boat. That mystery is now solved, and every effort of yours to connect me with it will fail. At last I can defy - zyou!” She arose and towered before him like a trag- Bee edy — 7) ‘There is the door, sir. Begone, before I call the servants and have you cast out like the vile wretch that you are!” CHAPTER XXXVII. THE TRAGEDY OF SHAKER'S TIMBER. ‘Tp sun had made one-half of its forenoon -visible journey. Tbe day was unusually warm for the time of year, and scarcely any breeze ae was perceptible. The trees of Shaker’s Timber ee with droo ing branches. Only at rare in- _~—s- tervals did a limb move. Nature seemed to say. stand still for the time. ah. - wo men were entering the Timber at the ss northwest corner, passing over the bush-covered | —s- yidge. +They were Paul Nettleton and detective ~~, .. Neat. Cid At the same time another man was entering 4 the Timber at the southwest corner. This was _-—s« Frazer Hot Heart. The distance that separated ‘him and the other two men, and the intervening busbes of the ridge, prevented any of the trio from perceiving that so many persons were astir at once. ie All, however, suspected that in the wood ss. other men, or, at least, one man, were to be found—if the searcher was cunning enough to find them, or him. Neat paused when he and Paul reached the ae “I think we had better separate,” h» said. _-—s- #* ‘We can thus cover a good deal more ground.” Hot eS SE a i S * Right!” said Paul tersely. ‘* Will you keep to the left?” ‘‘ Hither way—yes.” ‘* Then let us go on,” They advanced again. Mr. Neat drew a re- volver and began to glide along lightly, keeping a sharp watchall around. He was so interested in this that he did not think of Paul for several moments. ) not visible. Neat was annoyed that he had not cautioned him against Bong too rapidly, but it was too late then, and it might be that Paul had merely branched further away to the left than intended, and so disappeared from Neat’s view. The detective went on in the same way he had Pye The men already referred to were not the only persons in Shaker’s Timber, A man was moving through tbe middle of the wood with caution and lightness which wholly eclipsed the detective’s efforts, The chief was following atrail. In his right hand he held a rifle ready for use, and as he glided along, following the trail with unerrin skill, he ever and anon raised his eyes had swept a keen, quick glance aroun4, Whom was he trailing? What was his ob- ject? Why were all these men in Shaker’s Timber? What meant this converging of hos- ye forces, which was liable to result in a trage- y? Red Jazuar went on, drawing steadily near the base of Porcupine Ridge, then he suddenly paused, threw his head back and began drawing the air critically through his nostrils. He smelled smoke, and though no fire was visible, easily located it. It was not in the direction the trail was leading him. He glanced through a break in the tree-tops at the sun. Then he set off with long steps which were almost a run, his face toward the smoke, Rapiily as he went his caution was never relaxed. His keen eyes were busy, and every tree, thicket and bush received due attention. He drew near the fire rapidly, and soon caught sight of the smoke, curling lazily upward. After this he took care to keep a tree be- tween it and him, and when still nearer, drop- d on his knees and advanced with remarka- le skill. His face was not so calm as usual now; an eager expression was upon it: his nostrils dilated and his eyes glittered. Anon he saw the little fire burning by a tree, but, to his intense disappointment, no human being was visible. He reconnoitered carefully, and then approached it. He examined the ground with great care, What to others would have been perplexing was clear to him, The man he had been trailing had built this fire, and it was probably done as a trick to lure on the pursuer. After building the fire the builder had gone back along his own trail. He was doubtless ambushed there, and the fire was intended to make the pursuer reck- less and cause him to run into the trap. Red Jaguar now had the advantage; he could follow the trail, not from the original direction, but from the rear, as it were, and come upon the ambusher in a way sure to surprise him, The fugitive would thus be caught in his own trap. The chief glanced at the sun again and then moved away, following the trail with all the renowned skill of his race. It assumed the form of an imperfect half-circle. He went where it led, moving rapidly but cautiously, scanning every thicket and tree as before, and holding his rifle ready for use. He had gone a considerable distance when a dull, heavy sound was borne to his ears. It was followed by a second—a third. Then utter silence. Red Jaguar paused and stood erect. He knew the meaning of those sounds well; they had been reports of one or more revolvers. ey the sounds had come from the vicinity of the fire. For a moment the chief hesitated, then, aban- doning all caution, he ran toward the fire with long bounds which carried him over the ground at almost marvelous speed. In the mean while, what had transpired at the fire? Shortly before the revolver-shots sounded a man had come running through the timber as fast as he could go. This was not rapidly. He moved with a painful limp, and seemed scarcely able to use one leg at all. It was Garth Griffith, the Bush-Wolf. He erequenity, looked over his shoulder, and he saw Paul Nettleton running in pursuit. The advantage was with the latter; he carried a rifle, while Garth had none. The Bush-Wolf’s condition was desperate. He was hunted by both Paul and Red Jaguar, and had sprained his ankle so badly that he could hardly step. His pros were des- rate and he knew it, but he had one consola- ion. Thus far, Hot Heart, the terrible, bad not appeared, and, driven to bay, he had the brute courage to face the others. He had, however, little hope of saving his life. Paul was gaining on him, and when he used } Fleart, the Detective Spy. When he did, the young man was | eee Ci*t ee eee —_— --—= the rifle it would be with deadly effect. The Bush-W olf’s race was about run. As he caught sight of the fire it gave hima sudden icea, however. His enemies should not triumph wholly. He drcepped beside the blaze, and drew something from his pocket. What was it? At first sight it seemed to be a yellow-hued paper, covered with writing in strange charac- ters, but its texture was not that ef paper. It was parchment: the dressed skin of some animal; but what the strange characters meant | Garth did not know. He did not intend any other person should, either. With an exultant gleam in his eyes he thrust the parchment into tbe fire. A loud cry came from Paul, who was near enough to comprehend the act. Then sounded a revoiver-sbot, and a bullet tore through the Bush-W olf’s side. Garth gave a great start. He felt from the first that that wound was fatal. But he turned upon his former employer, his teeth gleaming between his parted lips, and raised his own re- volver. He was not one to miss usually, and he took care to shoot well this time. His shot was almost instantly followed by an- other from Paul, and the Bush-Wolf dropped back on the ground and never stirred again, But Paul continued to advance, reeling like a drunken man, one hand outstretched, and his startled gaze fixed on the spot where the blaze was lapping the yellow parchment and reducing it to ashes—advanced almost to the fire, and then fell beside Garth, his hand still out- stretched. And this was the scene which Red Jaguar saw when he arrived. Two men lay there, seemingly dead. That outstretched hand direct- ed his gaze, and he saw the parchment writhing in the flames, the characters already illegible. Regardless of the heat, he clutched at it. He touched only ashes; one-half crumbled in his hand. The yellow parchment was beyond the reach of living man. Red Jaguar stood gazing at the phantom of his hopes, and the shadow of utter despair was on his face. He was like one turned to stone, and the sound of approaching footsteps did not rouse him. Hot Heart and Neat rushed to the spot, but he was unconscious of their presence. The sight of the motionless men on the pie brought both to a halt, and Neat grave- y said: ‘¢ The Indian has killed them both!” The chief turned slowly, and the expression on his face awed them. They had seen sorrow in many forms, but never Jike this. He was calm, but on his noble face was expressed such utter misery and woe as they had thought impossible for man to feel. ‘It is gone—forever gone!” he said, hoarsely, looking at Hot Heart. ‘‘Ha!l Youdon’tmeantheparchment? Sure- ly, not that, chief?” Took Red Jaguar pointed, and as he did so the half of the parchment which remained in compact form, though only ashes, was seized with a new quiver. On the gray surface appeared strange, black characters; probably as they were writ- ten; but in a moment they died out and, with a final tremor, the mass separated and fell in scores of tiny pieces among the flames and fagots. The parchment was, indeed, forever gone, ‘ Chief, how did it hap n?” vee Jaguar spurned the body of the Bush- olf, : 7 This dog burned it, to keep it from Nettle- on.” : ‘* And they shot each other?” ~ eee Detective Neat looked doubtful, but at that moment Paul stirred: there was still life in his body. They turned him over, but his end was near, ‘“The parchment!” he gasped. ‘*Gone to ashes!” said Neat, curtly. ‘‘ Who shot you?” ‘*Garth Griffith. My blood is on his hands. Where is he? Has he escaped? The parch- ment—” His broken utterance ceased, and with that significant word on his pe og h the ruling ssion strong in death—he breathed his last. he bargain between him and the Bush-Wolf was ended. Neat glanced at the fire. ‘* The yellow parchment has done fatal work,” he said. ‘It is gone,” replied Red J , and with it the Jast hope of my race, I journeyed many miles to find it, but fate has been against me, The end has come, and I sball go back to my ig Eta with a heavy heart, The loftiest hope of my life is shattered, and there is noth- ing to keep me here longer. I shall go at once. ‘‘ Chief,” said Frazer, ‘“‘ you have my most sincere sympathy.” ‘*T know my brother's heart: it is strong and noble. After to-day we shall never meet again, but the Indian will often think of the only friend he had in a strange land.” cs ECOmiGboo