Beadle's New York Dime Library No. 420 — page 20: what you’re looking at

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

cae eae —~————_ - + - -- —_—+ The Old River Sport. she made when they last met and in this she ‘**Of conrse she may stay here and rest. No succeeded so well that when the line of march | horse-stealing business mixed up with that. was again taken up he rode at her side, | Who is she, and where is she from?” She was quite safe in trusting him thus far, | ‘‘She is from Louisiana, and her name is as the presence of Linda Shropshire was a | Eva Taicott.” by anything in t / eame here with the Shropshires, | ss - the steamer Rowena when she burned, and I saved the young lady’s life by swimming ashore | Mr.—I. believe S i thing in that line. | ref colonel, and perhaps you can help me,” insis = is ti we _ s 7y ‘on om .* > hoe he restraint upon his love-making tendencies, and nothing could be plainer than the fact that Linda was zealously watching him in the fear that he would betray a fondness for her companion. Eva encouraged him to talk, in the hope that irom his speech she might glean something of his own intentions or those of the people with whom he was connected; but she learned little beyond the statement that the Shropshires were gomg to visit some friends of theirs, and that from the journey’s end she herself would proba- bly soon be able to communicate with her friends. So they traveled during the greater part of the day, and the shades of evening were de- scending when the actions as well as the words of her conductors assured Eva Talcott that they were nearing their destination, CHAPTER XXITI. A BIG REVELATION. AS they ascended a narrow pass in the steep bluff, the young lady was startled by a sharp and a almost savage hail which brought the party to a sudden standstill. The difficulty, however, was soon adjusted ter the appearance of an armed man with whom Enoch Shropshire seemed to be well ac- quainted, and they rode on. Eva naturally wondered what kind of goings on there could be in a free and peaceable land, where travelers were challenged by armed sen- tries, and the peop'e who were found there ap- peared to be on a war footing. She asked Linda, but Linda could not tell her, and Mark Hannafin had gone to the advance with Enoch Shropshire. They halted at last in a hollow where there were two log shanties, and where several men had assembled to welcome or inspect them. It seemed at the start to be more of an in- spection than a welcome, as an elderly man who appeared to be at the head of affairs was disputing quite fiercely with Enoch Shropshire, and the others were awaiting the termination of the dispute before showing their guests any courtesy. This difficulty, also, was soon adjusted, and iva and Linda, with Mrs. Shropshire, were al- Jowed to dismount and entered the big shanty. The trouble had been mainty about the horses, though the whole business seemed to be objec- tionable to the elderly man, who was addressed as Colonel wig * ** T tell you,” noch Shropshire,” he earnestly ceclared, **that I have been mixed up in your crookedness too much already, and I don’t want any more of it. I have hard enough work as it is to make an honest living here and keep the infernal revenue officers from getting a grip on me, and you know that I couldn't hold my own -aday without the sympathy of the people about here. How do you suppose they would sym- pathize with me if they had reason to suspect me of being mixed up with a ne gang? They would sympathize a rope aroun my neck, and no blame to them.” “You won't git mixed up in this business, colonel,” answered Enoch Shropshire. ‘* Not abit of that. Nobody would ever guess that we have come here, and we mean to run the critturs off as soon as possible, anyhow.” ** See that you do, then. I always have trou- ble enough on m wy without being bothered t line. As Colonel Rapp turned away his attention _ was claimed by Mark Hannafin. “You haven’t forgotten me, I hope,” observed that young man. “Surely you remember me, _ colonel.” ‘*I suppose I do. Yes, I know your face well se pe What’s the name, now?” -“ Hannafin—Mark Hannafin.” - “Of course itis. Funny name that. Sounds sorter Irish, though it’s not Irish. You are the son of that lady who was so good to me when I was sick and in trouble. How did you get here, anyhow?’ “TIT am taking care of the young lady who We were on with her.” _ “Seems like you have drifted a long dis- tance away from the shore, and I don’t know _ why debe should have come here.” — ** Colonel, I want to marry the young lady.” “Well, if she is willing, I don’t mind. She don’t look like a fool, but there’s no telling. She may have little enough sense to marry you, for all I know. But I am neither a par- son sor a justice of the peace, and I can’t per- form the ceremony.” **Of course not. I was not thinking of any- But she is a big heiress annafin. *f am willing to do anything that is fair f ei. and right; but what do you think I can do?” ‘** Let her stay here and rest awhile, and we will see.” . ; « —n ? 4 , ‘ ‘ iy ¢ ¢ : a ae . ’ hs » wt . ‘ IPF . . aes i ‘ p4 ; bad io,s a ‘* And you say that she was on the Rowena?” Oey Mas “All right, young man. As you are the son of that lady who was so good to me, and whose kindness I shall never be able to renay, I will do anything for you that I can fairly and squarely do. Run along now. I see that Bob Shropshire wants you.” Left to himself, Colonel Rapp was evidently worried about something. He frowned, rubbed his head and _ his eyes, and seemed to find it difficult to disentangle his ideas. ‘It is very funny,” he muttered. ‘If it should turn out to be so, it would be one of the queerest things I know of. I believe I will go and tackle her, and see what I can make of it.” He was in no hurry to tackle anybody, how- ever, or to carry out the purpose, whatever it was, which he had formed. It was not until after dark, when all had eaten their suppers, and Ewa Talcott and Linda Shropshire, finding nobody to hinder them, had salied out to enjoy the night air and converse freely, that Colonel Rapp followed them, and then it became manifest that his intention was to interview Eva. As he spoke to her, a genuine politeness showed itself in his manner, in spite cf the abruptness of his address. ** Is this the young lady?” he inquired. ‘“*T believe that I am a young lady,” an- swered Eva with a smile. Lhe old man interested her, as he seemed to be harmless and well-meaning, though she could not help fancying that there was some- thing strange and out of the way about him. ‘You are from Louisiana, I understand,” said he, “‘ and your name is Eva Talcott.” ‘* Yes, sir.” Of course she presumed that he had got his information from Mark \Hannafin, and she vaturally wondered what this opening was to lead to, ‘This is not the first time that I have heard the name—that is, the name of Talcott; but I can’t suppose that you are in any way related to the young thief who was here the other Cay, and I ask your pardon for hinting at such a thing.” ‘‘T am not aware of any thief among my relatives, sir,” she answered a little haughtily. ‘**Of course not. But you were on the Row- ena, as I am told, and he claimed to have been on the Rowena.” Eva started and turned pale; but the next moment she mentally braced herself up. ‘* What do you mean, sir?’ she demanded. ‘*What young man are you speaking of? I would like to understand you.” ‘*Perhaps the young man was not the real thief. I must admit that I had my doubts of that. If he was a thief, he may have been lec into it by the old man who was with him, and that is quite likely, as the old man had the most of the money.” What did this mean? It was getting decided- ly interesting to Eva, who saw before her a man whom it would be worth her while to conciliate, and from whom she might draw some impor- eg information. So she encouraged him to talk. ** ‘Who was the young man, sir?’ You are now speaking of two. Who were they, and what have they to do with my name?” ‘The old man called himself Gray Gordon, and the young man callel himself Gerald Tal- cott.’ There it was, and the revelation was a big one. If the young lady had not been expecting some similar stroke, and had not braced herself to meet it, it would have knocked her down. As it was, she trembled inwardly, and for a moment she found it difficult to get breath enough to set her tongue in motion. Outwardly, however, she maintained a fair degree of composure, and when she spoke there was no special emotion visible in her tones, ‘Talcott is not a very uncommon name, I heard them call you Colonel mics ‘* That is my name, I believe. Yes, I am sure it is my name, though I was killed once. and some things have been badly 1nixed sinte then.” This was another evidence of ‘* queerness” on the part of the old man; but Eva was so intent upon following up the revelation which she had received, that sbe took no notice of it. ‘As I was saving, Colonel Rapp,” she ob- served, ‘* Talcott is not a very uncommon name; but I would be sorry to learn that it was borne by athief. Iwill be greatly obliged to you if you will tell me about that young man who called himself Talcott, and also about his friend, the old man who was with him—how they hap- pened to come here, what they had stolen, what they had to say for themselves, what became of them, and all about it.” The old man was willing enough to comply Ne SS es ae < ——S —s ——— ee eee oOo a sts sss em $A — —— ’ with her request, and he proceeded to give her a detailed account of the visit of Gray Gordon and Gerald Talcott, their detention, the arrival of the Gonders, the accusation of theft, and the restitution, as be presumed it to be, of the prop- erty stolen from the flatboatmen. ‘We got it all back,” said he, “and then I turned them loose to shift for themselves.” ‘* Was it not rather cruel,” inquired Eva, ‘‘ to send them ave? like that, with no means of get- ting food or lodging?” ‘** What else could be done with a pair of thieves?” ‘** Perhaps they were not thieves.” ‘*There is a chance that the young man was not a thief; but they were together.” ‘It is a strange story, Colonel Rapp. and I thank you for telling it tome. I hope that the young man who called himself Talcott was no relative of mine. Linda, [ think it is time we were getting in-doors.” Courteously bidding the old man good-night she returned to the cabin with Linda, quite glad to get away from him, as she feared that her overcharged emotion might cause her to break down and betray something which she did not then wish to be known. She had learned that her brother was alive and in the company of the man who had be- friended him on the Rowena, and that was the best news she could possibly have received. How his disappearance had been effected was still more or less of a mystery to her, as was also the manner in which his life had been saved; but she was convinced that Mark Hannafin be- lieved that Gerald Talcott had been “ put out of the way.” That being the case, it seerec. best to her that he should continue in that belief, and she did not propose to favor or confuse him with in- formation to the contrary. She would have the satisfaction of knowing that to the extent of that information she had a decided advantage over him, and in the mean time Gerald would surely communicate with his mother, and could not fail to search energetically for his sister. CHAPTER XXIV. A BAREFACED FRAUD. THE next day the abode of the moonshiners presented the appearance of a military camp. Work was suspended, allthe men went armed, and the energies of all appeared to be devoted to the task of putting the placein condition to stand a siege, at the same time taking all possi- 1+ 9 snp tana against a surprise or sudden at- tack, noch Shropshire and his two sons were put under the same strict discipline that prevailed among the moonshiners, being distinctly inform- ed that they were expected to bear their full share of all toils and dangers. Colonel Rapp declared that in his opinion and according to his experience stolen horses always lefta trail, and that be fully expected the owners of some of those which bad been brought to his camp to follow and find them, unless they should be taken far out of the way. ‘* Now that you are here,” he said to Enoch Shropshire, *‘‘ el gies I wijl have to take care of you as wellas I can; but I warn you if it eomes to a fight you will have to be found in the front rank.” Mark Hannafin was not counted among the fighting force, as he was not a member of the horse-stealing family, and as his prize, what- ever she might be, was surely not a stolen horse. , So he infcrmed Eva Talcott that he proposed to devote the day to hisown affairs, and sur- prised as well as delighted her by the further in- ormation that the first business which would receive his attention would be her message to her mother. He mounted and rode away, followed by her wondering eyes and bewildered thoughts, as this last move of his was a puzzle to her, Did he really mean to do what he said he was going todo? If not, why should he say so and start away for that apparcnt purpose? What was there for him to gain by any fresh decep- tion in that matter? As she could not gucss either of these conun- drums, her only resource was to wail end seo what would come of the new move, in the mean time hugging to her heart the blessed belief that her brother whom sho had supposed to be lost was alive and weil. . She got through tho cay very fairly, going about the abode of the mcenshiners, perceiving the nature of the businers that was done there, noticing the military aspect of the men and their warlike preparations, and at the same time studying the apprcaches to the place and the chances of escape incase she should deter- mine upon flight. It was not until late in the afternoon that Mark Hannafin returned; but he was leok- ing very bright when he dismounted from his horse, as if he had achieved a triumph or had met some unexpected piece ot gocd for- tune. Eva was there to meet him, if not to greet him, and he hastened to impart to her a portion of the satisfaction which he evidently felt. IOOKS EOmiIrc ‘ ’ (e(@) « ae \, ry 7 ’ ae i 4 1 t's a ie 5 “ . “tant "a