Beadle's New York Dime Library, No. 434 — page 10: what you’re looking at

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

- Se ee BF EE Re as + ee a a 0 8S - eet Se ~ - o- _ _ » —_ - - - _- _ - = ~ 7 . § A % ot = 6 ss > eS ~ . 5 ei = . ——— — ~ a ; , ~ > 9 é ‘ P , ~ ah ee r =a —-— . a4 . ee " > ing,” smiled Flavia. __—— —~— = «see ~ — = ~ -<—. _—— FES, ‘‘ You came to Thunder City in a storm, I be- lieve?” ‘““Yes. We were struck in the mountains by a hurricane. I don’t know how I got upon the horse that carried me safely to this place,” ‘* Who were with you?” ‘*Zeke Wildfoot and his wife.” ‘* Who were they?” ‘* Not my parents—I am certain of that!” cried Flavia. ‘‘ They raised me though, and ‘ always called me Flavia.” ‘* Flavia Wildfoot?” ‘*No!” said the girl, quickly. ‘‘ The woman often told me that there wasn’t a drop of Wild- foot blood in me. We were on our way to San Francisco when the storm separated us forever. They found Zeke Wildfoot’s wife dead under the wagon in a ravine after the storm, but Zeke himself they never found.” ‘** No papers of any kind?” Julian the Spider almost betrayed himself in the eagerness with which he waited for a reply. ‘Oh, yes, they found a lot of old documents which Zeke Wildfoot must have carried in a box which I knew was in the wagon,” she — gaid ‘* What ever became of those papers?” ‘“They brought them to me.” “Well?” ‘Last winter they accidentally took fire.” An exclamation of bitter disappointment parted Julian’s pale lips. ‘¢ And were destroyed?” he cried. ‘‘ Entirely destroyed!” For several minutes the New York desperado sat upright and motionless in his chair, as if the girl’s answer had taken his breath. ‘¢ Here is a beautiful go!” he muttered. ‘‘ The proofs of a splendid bonanza vanish when I be- gin to feel them in my hands, The major cer- tainly never heard of the burning of the papers. ove! I must get at this mystery some- how.” Then he looked at Flavia and went at it. in. ‘‘Didn’t you examine the papers to see what they contained?” he asked, ‘“Oh, yes. I read them several times as well as I could, but so much of them was in French that I never got hor satisfaction from them.” ‘‘ What were they?” ‘‘Old deeds and a will; the latter was in French altogether.” ‘Of course it was,” said Julian to himself, as he started slightly. ‘‘ But was there no name in any of the papers that impressed you?” “No,” replied Flavia, oe, ‘“Here and there I saw the name of Hirle Hartyn. I re- member it only by its strangeness, nothing more.” ' The Spider settled back into his chair and seemed to drop into thought. All at once his brow unclouded, and his eyes gota gleam that startled the girl in his pres- ence. ** Did pte ever see those papers while 2s: eal e suddenly asked, 0. ‘‘Not ever the young friend called Gold Grit?” ‘“‘T never thought them important enough to show them to him.” — “Nor Major Sphinx?” ‘‘T think he looked over them before they came into my sion.” ‘‘Then you know nothing about yourself?” ‘‘Nothing more than what Zeke Wildfoot’s wife cared to tell me, and that was next to noth- **T guess I am right. I have never been anybody but Flavia. Are you hunting an heir like Gold Grit is hunting the lost “No!” exclaimed Julian. ‘I happened to hear about your coming to Thunder City, and about the papers that were found between the mountain rocks. Naturally they excited me, I would like to have seen them, but as they were burned a year ago almost, I shall not have that pleasure.’ Flavia now turned questioner, and so suddenly that Julian the Spider from the first became un- wr Aren’t you the man the major sent for some days ago?” she asked. ’ I came from Helena to-night.” «“‘ But he sent for you?” The persistence with which the beauty of the hr Divide ” pressed ber point made Julian wince. Her deep eyes were fastened upon him, and seemed to look into the inmost depths of his ty Well, yes: he sent for me!” he answered tartly, as if glad to get off with the simple t truth. _ “Tt took you a ane while to get here. Does it take a person ten days to come from Helena?” ‘‘N-no,” stammered the Spider, with his eyes still upon her. ~ * You will pardon me—I thought not,” said Flavia, with a smile. ‘* You were here when the men of Thunder City sought for Gold Grit after Reckless Roy’s death ” . * «They did not find the young mountain mine- x Ce rr ee ee ee Oe hunter!” exclaimed Flavia, brightening. ‘‘ He gave them the slip.” ‘* So it seems,” said Julian. ** Are they looking for him yet?” eé No.” The Spider did not see fit to tell the girl about the demand made by the six men from Light- ning Lay-out, so he contented himself with his monosyllabic reply. “If Gold Grit keeps to the mountains, the tigers of Thunder City will never find him, but he will come back,” and the girl’s tones had a tinge of fear. ‘‘Do you_know, sir, that Gold Grit did not kill Reckless Roy, although he shot him in a duel ten days ago?” ‘*T heard of the duel, but I know nothing about the man’s death more than the accusation made by the man called Lucifer Lynx.” ‘* What was that?” ‘* He stood before the pards of Thunder City in front of Major Sphinx’s shanty and told a that the slayer of Reckless Roy was among them.” ‘‘ It was true—every word of that accusation!” cried Flavia leaning suddenly forward and clutching Julian’s lips. “I can go to Happy Hank’s where they all are at this mOment and pick out the man.” ** You, girl?” ; Sie ‘* Well, you don’t want to do it,” exclaimed Julian the Spider. ‘* Why, your life wouldn’t be worth an ounce of dust if you did that.” A smile passed over Flavia’s face and her color hightened. ‘¢ Do you say I dare not?” she asked firmly. ‘* No—no! I say nothing of the kind! If you know who killed Reckless Roy, you want to keep the secret here in | hunder City. The truth is not wanted sometimes.” ‘‘ Very well,” said Flavia. ‘Pll keep it for the present, but if acertain event occurs, re- member! I out with it cost what it may!” Julian could not but admire the beauty of the girl as she closed this firm sentence. ‘“ Fit to grace the grandest stage in the world! —fit to reign a queen where there are no beg- gars!” ejaculated Julian. ‘‘By the eternal heavens! [Pll make this magnificent mountain diamond the stake of a big side game! I will get at the Wildfoot mystery as I can call it if the old papers did burn. The major knows nothing of this, neither does Ozark Oll, nor any one else. The secret is mine, and Pll make it a diamond field. Dll go back to the major and dream over this. We can play our original game to- gether, but this new one [ll play myself. I wouldn’t have stayed in New Vork for all its money. Lucifer Lynx is here, but what of him? [ll snuff him out at the first opportunity!” Five minutes later Julian was going back to as: 3 Sphinx’s cabin. is head for a time seemed in a whiel as if some dazzling prospect had completely turned it. He opened the door and walked in, Majer Sphinx was asleep in his chair at the table and Julian shook him till he yawned and opened his eyes drowsily. ‘*‘ She’s a daisy, ain’t she?—worth her weight in gold! When we've worked up ther original bonanza, Julian, we kin take that magnificent creature and sell her for half a million. @ kin, by Jove, ha, ha!” cried the Nabob. CHAPTER XII. OZARK OLL’S BIG CONTRACT. ‘Looks ter me like the game’s taken wings,” remarked Ozark Oll in audible tones to himse as he walked toward his cabin after the depart- are of the six men of Lightning Lay-out. ‘ The boy is gone, an’ under ther wing o’ Doctor Lynx, who came hyer fer a purpose, I'll bet m head, Them fellers back thar in Happy Hank’s will swear ter hunt Gold Grit down, but what ov it? My opinion is thet ther young mine- sharp has given us ther slip fer good, an Major Sphinx an’ Julian kin hunt another game some- whar else.” These were Ozark Oll’s opinions, and when he reached his cabin he made preparations for re- tiring. He had left at Happy Hank’s the mad- dest crowd of men Thunder City had ever seen. The escape of Gold Grit, the young prospector, and the demand and threat of the men of the rival camp over the ‘ divide” had incensed Scar Chick and his pards to a degree almost beyond belief, Happy Hank’s place was a regular pandemo- nium, and while Ozark walked home the mad pards were forming themselves into a league whose oath was against Gold Grit and the man who was charged with helping him off—Lucifer L The youth and his friend were to be dealt with on sight, and in spite of the demand of the ~ 3 of liars” commonly called Lighting Lay- out. Some of the men hinted that Flavia knew something about the flight, but Scar Chick him- self came to the girl’s rescue, and defended her in a manner that seemed to allay all suspicion. Ozark did not expect to be disturbed that night, but he had not completed his ppepesscon > for bed when the cabin latch clicked, and he Lucifer Lynx, the Wonder-Detective. saw, to his surprise, the figure of Major Sphinx before him. ‘‘Here you are, by Jove! ha! ha!” exclaimed the Nabob of the ‘‘ Divide” as he came forward with eyes aglow with eagerness, ‘‘I ought tobe in bed myself, but I can’t go till you’ve told me all about it.” ** About what?” asked Ozark. ‘*The visit o’ Lightning Lay-out. wanted the boy, eh? You were there?” ‘*They wanted what they didn’t get,” smiled Ozark, ‘' Major, don’t you think thar’s a poor chance for us in this game?” Major Sphinx gave utterance to a cry of fear. ‘* My God! you don’t think so, Ozark?’ he ex- claimed. ‘** Look at it,” and the mountain tough drew back and kept. silent for a second. ‘‘It’ll be death for Gold Grit ter come back hyer, an’ what will it be when ther pards o’ Thunder City get on his trail?” ‘Will they hunt him?’ Ozark laughed. ‘You know them all major?” he said, ‘*They’ve mapped out ther programme afore this at Happy Hank’s. They'll set some kind o’ trap for ther boys. They hold him accountable for Reckless Roy’s death.” “You know what Lucifer Lynx said.” “That’s catchin’ at a straw, major,” said Ozark quickly. ‘‘Kin you make Thunder City b’lieve a charge o’ thet kind?” ‘*1’m afraid we couldn't,” confessed Major Sphinx. ‘“*Tt’'d be worth a man’s life ter try it,” cried Ozark. ‘‘Lucifer Lynx may have told the truth in his charge, but who’s ter prove it? He didn’t say who killed Reckless Roy, only he said Gold Grit didn’t. Major, if you build any hopes on that they'll tumble like a castle o’ cards! Ef you don’t intend ter give ther game up for a bad one—” ‘* By the eternal, I don’t!” interrupted Major Sphinx, his eyes seeming to ignite as the words burst from his lips. ‘*‘ Remember that I've played it for years, for a long time in the dark, an’ I don’t intend to give it up now. [’m not powerless here. I have two of the best men on top o’ ground at my back; I have by Jove! I have summoned from the east a man worth his weight in diamonds in a — play like this one, and I already had his equal at my side?” : They awkwardly to the major. “The boy is not the real stake we’re playing for,” the Nabob went on, ‘‘ He only represents it, Ozark. Without bim the game can’t be won. But I’ve told you this before. . Ozark nodded, ‘* More than once, major, but that’s as far as you ever got,” he said. ‘* Then to prove it I'll go a little further,” and Major Sphinx drew his chair closer to the ex- pectant tough who seemed to be preparing bim- self fora revelation. ‘Gold Gritis more than a mere myth-hunter with a blank past,” he went on. ‘*Heis, in fact, the representative of an idle million in New York City. It can’t be touched without him, and he’s got to recover his memory before he can touch it. He is the son_of aman who was killed in his own house in New York several years ago by supposed burglars. The boy got a blow on the head at the time and losthis memory. Forsome months he was the inmate of an asylum, but he made his escape and disappeared. ** That ig has been my objective for years,” continued Major Sphinx after a brief pause. “Don’t you see, Ozark, that if we can get him in our hands and fetch him around carefully, as a distinguished doctor tells me can be done, we can ot the whole fortune?” ‘‘The New York one?’ “Why not?” ‘* Tt will fall into his hands.” *‘ And then into ours!” exclaimed the major, ‘That is why I’ve been here watching Gold Grit month aftermonth. I have discovered his iden- tity to a certainty, and the plum was almost ready to drop into our lap when this unfortunate duel eccurs! If I could have foreseen this, b Jove! I would have killed Reckless Roy myself! So they are going to hunt the young fellow, are they? Lightning Lay-out wants him, too, eh?” “Between Thunder and Lay-out he is in a sweat for sartain,” laughed Ozark, with no re- paki for the major’s feelin “What will your New York shurp be worth to you if his true character should be known on ther ‘ Divide? Major Sphinx gave Ozark a startling look. ‘“When did you first meet Julian, major?” continued the tough. Major Sphinx reflected. ‘Seven years ago,” he said, at length, ** Where?” ‘In New York.” ‘‘ He was fresh from ther mines, wasn’t he?” tc Yes.” ; “ Never told you that, as Devil Jule, he was one o’ ther best-known an’ most-wanted individ- ual thar?” i sé No yng ‘‘ Never hinted that thar’s a perpetual offer for rar a from ther Line ter Santa Fe?” ** No. “He’s completely hoodwinked you,” and (ECO AVICEl eKeKe)] <S a | ‘ de ‘* Thanks for ther compliment,” smiled Ozark,