Beadle's New York Dime Library, No. 434 — page 12: what you’re looking at

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

ee me ee | 2 —* Ve ~ ee ee i bene. - A - t= PA Cw ab ~ , ~ oe ba 7 - -— i © ™ COP er Oe Se TO ee oe os ——ete- + oo “sre + —-- - Eee ee el ba all — Se te te een ot , * z 12 a pint o’ it in a barrel o’ Happy Hank's stuff would turn the whole into nectar.” Anticipation made the major nervous. ‘You haven't lived till you’ve tasted that elysian dew!” continued Bruce Bartlett as we may call thespotter. ‘* But [ won’t keep you in purgatory any longer. Help yourself, my dear major.” It is needless to say that the Nabob of the *‘ Divide ” stood not on the order of his action. He reached out and caught the flask and with an ejaculation of triumph glued it to his lips. 4 BF Bartlett enjoyed the operation. ‘Something else beside whisky will tickle your throat at the end of my trail, major,” he exclaimed to himself, and then to convince Sphinx that all was right, he swallowed some of the liquor himself. 2 Major Sphinx shut bis eyes and smacked his ps. He was delighted. CHAPTER XIV. SOME STARTLING MAGIC, “ Waar did you say you were?” asked Major Sphinx suddenly opening his eyes and looking into Bruce Bartlett's face. ‘* I’m a bonanza-locater and magician,” ‘Ono a tour, eb?” ‘“T’m always on that.” The major looked his visitor over from head to foot, not in a suspicious manner, however, but with an air of contempt. ‘- I’ve heard o’ men like you, but never saw one before,” he said. ‘*Not much wonder. There ain’t a million of usin this country, big as it is,” replied the de- tective with asmile. ‘If I had an andience I could convince you that I’m no traveling hum- ” “ Pll get you one, by Jove, ha, ha!” exclaimed Major Sphinx getting up. ‘‘Thar’s a crowd at Happy Hank’s that'll like a little diversion after what bas happened in Thunder City. Come with me. By the way you won’t mind if I sample your paradise fluid again, eh?” **Go ahead!” This time Major Sphinx emptied the bottle without any sen-e of propriety and the magi- cian picked it up. ‘““ Wait!” he exclaimed, holding it up before the Nabob of the ‘‘ Divide.” ‘‘This flask is a never-failing source of l!oy. I press it—thus! and it refills itself with delight- ful promptitude. Presto! itis fullagain! Have another draught of life, major!” With a cry of astonishment Major Sphinx recoiled, his dilated eyes fixed on the flask which was full again, and which Bruce Bartlett was holding triumphantly before him. ‘By Jove! you out-Heller the great Heller himsel{!” gasped the Nabob. ‘* In Satan’s name, how do you do that?’ Bruce Bartlett laughed. ‘‘T+ is on: of the simplest tricks imaginable, mavor!” he exclaimed. ‘* You’d make an apt upil if you could be induced to break away rom Tbunder City.” ‘“T’m too clumsy!” said Sphinx, surveying his giant figure for a moment. ‘But your hands are quick. Ha! you've played a trick on me already.” ‘“T?” ejaculated the major. ‘Yes. [ did not know I was meeting a rival in the field of magic. Your pocket conceals the results of your tricks. By Jove! we ought to travel tozether!” With a half-insulted air Major Sphinx put bis hand into the pocket indicated by the magi- cian’s glance, and tien let slip a cry of amaze- m ent. ‘Bring forth the goods, major!” laughed Bruce Bartlett, and the next moment the big Nabob drew from his own pocket the counter- feit of the magic flask. His eyes seemed Roane to start from his head; he blushed then lost color and looked from the bottle toward the man before him. “It's a trick! it is magic, by Jove, ha, hal” he suddenly laughed. ‘* You're a nugget!” | ‘“You can keep the prize!” said the magician, and the major was again delighted. “Now Dll see the audience you spoke of awhile ago.” Bartlett continued. ‘I don’t pre- tend to be far up in magic, but I know a few tricks that amuse and instruct. Off we are, eh, major?’ The following minute the two men were walk- through the starlight toward Happy Hank’s where Major Sphinx expected to introduce the stranger to the assembled grit and good looks of the mountain camp. ; More than once he looked closely at him dur- ‘ing the walk. Mie a < ‘He could keep Thunder City in good spirits a year, for [ll bet my head he has a thousand cks of magic at his command,” mentally ejaculated the Nabob, “I’m right glad he dropped in when he did. Mebbe he'll take their minis off o’ Gold Grit, and give the boy a breathin’ spell.” a Bruce Bartlett was not inclined to be silent during the walks to the saloon. He talked eg ee | *, tote | incessantly, now about finding amines by magic, now about some tricks played Lucifer Lynx, the Wonder-Detective. $$$ — TT in various gold camps. He jumped from sub- ject to subject in a manner that almost dazed the major and led him to exclaim; ‘ . He’s a hummer when he’s wound up, ain’t ef” Happy Hank’s nightly ‘“‘ court” was still in session when the pair reached the place, and without ceremony the major opened the door and stepped inside. A shout of hilarious welcome greeted him at once, but the next mcment the crowd saw the was the unexpected. ‘*Gents, this is Mr. Bruce Bartlett, profes- sor 0’ magic and the devil knows what else!” cried the major waving his hand with profuse ceremony toward the man at his side. ‘‘ Though I haven’t seen much of ’im, I kin recommend him as a hummer from ’way back.” The detective caught the top of his somewhat ked hat between thumb and finger and threw it toward the rafter where it began to spin like a magic plate. ‘“I'm delighted to greet you gentlemen,” he said straightening from a bow as the hat drop- ped back upon his head. ‘‘I have been cor- rectly introduced as far as my name ’s con- cerned. Iam Bruce Bartlett, and I sometimes take a turn in magic. You are all here, | see, and I will first give you a draught of nectar from the flask of the gods!” ‘* He’s got it—he has, by Jove!” exclaimed the major to the crowd. ‘* This man beats all the wizards that ever spuna hat!” The detective looked at the astonished man behind the counter. ‘*Glasses only, all you’ve got,” he ordered in a low voice, and the pards of the ‘** Divide” waited breathless to see what was to happen next. In a little while twenty-five not very clean glasses were arranged side by side on the coun- ‘ter, Bruce Bartlett steoped forward and drew the magic flask from an inner pocket. ‘*Gentlemen, permit me to fill your glasses with ambrosia,” he cried. “Out o’ that one bottle?” exclaimed several members of the crowd 1n unison. There was a sudden movement toward the bar and a craning of necks forward, and the next moment Bruce Bartlett was filling the end glass. A silence akin to that of death pervaded the place, and the only movement apparent was that made by the hand of the magician as it carried the magic flask from giass to glass. There were two men in the crowd who watched the man more than his work, These were Scar Chick, the leader of the Thunder City pards, and Julian the Spider. Bruce Bartlett underwent a searching scru- tiny by these men: they had the keenest of eyes and the best of reasons for discovering his true character, and woe to him if behind the clever disguise they should see Lucifer Lynx. But nothing occurred to break thes ell of magic. The never-failing flask filled all the glasses, and seemed as full at the last one as when it be- gan. It was magic, indeed! Several exclamations of wonder greeted the accomplishment of the trick. The detective-magician stepped back and waved his hand toward the counter. ‘Take your nectar, gentlemen, with the pro- fessor’s compliments,” he exclaimed. ‘‘ My dis- tinguished friend, the major here, will certify that I don’t distill poison.” * ‘* Waltz forward, boys!” cried Major Sphinx, as he set the example himself. ‘It’s almighty seldom that a travelin’ nectar press gets this way.” for the next few moments twenty-five glasses were being eagerly emptied of their contents, and click! click! click! they came back to the counter. ‘“’'That man is an adept,” said Julian to him- self. ‘* But is it more than a coincidence that we should be in Thunder City at the same time? I wonder what Scar Chick thinks of him?’ The boss of the gold camp was eying Bruce Bartlett as closely as ever, but the magic just ed had astonished him. e’d like ter hev yer hyer all ther time, pro- fessor!” broke outa gaunt fellow, who smacked his lips over the free drink he had just indulged in. ‘Let’s sw’ar ’im in, boys, an’ keep thet flask ter ourselves.” The bronze crowd laughed at the proposition, but there were some, the speaker among them, who treated it seriously. ‘“Give ’em suthin’ else,” whispered Major Sphinx, at the magician’s elbow. *‘* You’ve got this crowd in tow already. Show ’em suthin’ else as good as the flask trick.” A peculiar smile appeared at the corners of Brute Bartlett’s mouth. ‘*The major here wants a little further diver- sion, gentlemen,” he said, stepping free of the crowd, ‘* Yon see here a simple wand,” and he displa —_ man at Major Sphinx’s heels and grew quiet. about to transfer the octagon stick back to his A stranger in Thunder City at that time | pocket when there was an eager movement on —_—-—_— —-—— = making several swift passes with the stick be~ fore the silent crowd. ‘It was given tome by an East Indian magician. It is a solid piece of wood, yetgit sweats blood when it is grasped by anybody who has committed any crime which has never been brought to light. I don’t think it worth while testing it among you, gentlemen. I have too high an opinion of your henor; but | merely produce the wand to exhibit it as one of the curiosities of the world.” Having said this, the magician-detective was the part of the audience. ‘* By Jupiter! we'd like ter see thet stick tried!” exclaimed several. Bruce Bartlett’s hand stopped at the edge of his pocket. ‘*The blood-rod is called for!” he said ina stage voice. “If there is a universal demand. for it—” ‘* Give it a trial!” ‘* We’re all innocents hyer!” ‘‘ Send yer rod on its rounds, professor!” The detective seemed to acquiesce in the gen- eral demand, and turning to the major, he re- quested bim to form the pards along the wall of the saloon. ‘* Everybody!” was the general cry. ‘ This is: a free show!” and the bronze toughs began to arrange themselves with expectancy and merri- ment in their eves. | ‘* Come!’ said Scar Chick to Julian the Spider. ‘We want ter bumor ther boys. That stick won’t bleed,” and Bruce Bartlett saw the two men station themselves side by side against the logs. Happy Hank was the only person not in the line, and he leaned over his counter with eyes, agleam with wonder. The detective placed himself before the wait- ing toughs. ‘*You want to inspect the wand first,” he said, handing the stick to the first man. ‘See that it is solid wood—no humbug. It bleeds in the hands of those whose secret blood-shedding is yet hidden.” The stick went trom man toman. Some took it charily, others seized 1t with eagerness and pressed it with all their might. ‘‘ Now for the test!” exclaimed the magician, ‘*T place it in person receiving the wand back, Soo ghulah ava-goom J in the hand of each man. Presto! here we go!” Each man was requested to hold the wand a moment in his hand before giving it back to the magician. It went down the line slowly, and was eyed - with much curiosity. All at once twenty men uttered a cry of as- tonishment, and leaned toward a common center. Drops of red were oozing from ene end of the wand, and we e falling to the floor. Aud Julian the Spider was holding the stick! The bronzed men were thunderstruck. ‘‘ Tt’s only a trick, gents!” laughed the detec- tive, coming to Julian’s rescue, for the Spider was almost colorless, and gieatly embarrassed, ‘*T take it from this gent’s band, wipe off the Ah! who’s Inno- Prestol blood, and start it on again—thus! the next tester. My friend, the major. cent as a babe, pure as a dew-drep! bere we are, major)” Major Sphinx seemed to shrink when the magic wand was put into his hand. give it ther grip Julian did!” ‘* Hang me if ‘“T'll just close on it, he mentally exclaimed. that’s all!” ** Jupiter! yer boot!” Look, major! It’s a-droppin’ on Major Sphinx looked at the wand and lost . color, 5 ‘(reat Jericho! the infernal thing is a lie!” he cried. ‘*There! take yer blood-stick, Bruce Bartlett. The man who says I ever committed a secret crime lies from the ground up! I,a criminal? It is a joke sure enough, by Jove! Ha! ha!” And the stick, lying on the floor at the magi- cian’s feet, was red at one end. ‘““That ends it,” muttered Julian. enough of this charlatan for to night!” CHAPTER XV. THE WARNING HAND, THE test of the blood-rod was the concludin trick in ae for the night, and the meeting a Happy Hank’s broke up shortly after. Bruce Bartlett was offered odgings by Ana- conda Alf, whose cabin was the one in Thunder City always open to strangers, and not long after the scenes at the saloon he was the shanty’s uest, P It was evident that the pards of the ‘‘ Divide” had not got enough of magic, and the detective’s last words ere he left them were a promise that he would not burry himself out of the camp. It was just what Lucifer Lynx wanted—an excuse for sojourning awhile at Thunder City— and his eyes snapped ere he fell asleep at thought of his success, ; ‘ Major Sphinx still exhibited signs of the late * Pve got roduced an eight sided stick about nine inches | shock when he plunged into his cabin and threw ong and beautifully polished. “This is the famous blood-rod,” he went on, i - is a _ an & Pa himself into a chair. ; “Devilish queer if it was a trick!” he ejacu_ Gomicbooks f a a * e 7 * ¢ a” a :