Beadle's New York Dime Library, No. 434 — page 17: what you’re looking at

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

—a— al ee ee ed 17 ‘* So Iam the man who did all this, am I?” he — ee ¥ ’ ——— Sn ws -_ Lucifer Lynx, the Wonder-Detective. ‘‘Shall we go down to Hank’s?’ asked Ana- | and Scar Chick appeared to regard her with new conda Alf. eyes, suddenly exclaimed, darting toward the girl as Scar Chick started, ‘*No. I can’t believe it,” she said in firm if he intended to jerk ber out of the chair. ‘* Down thar without my man?” he ejaculated. | tones. | Sbe did not flinch. ‘* You are the man!” she said, coolly, meeting his look half-way. ‘Do you stand where you are, Scar Chick, sport of Thunder, and tell me you are not?” He did not speak for a moment, and then he showed his teeth in a malicious grin, **Not now! I promised the boys that I would catch something in the trap, an’ they're waitin’ for the game. You kin go down an’ break the news, Anaconda. Julian is with ’em, an’ you'll hear an outburst 0’ rage when he catches on. He is more than he appears ter be—Julian is. Be- | The big sport of the ‘‘ Red Divide” recoiled, | but the next moment, with a suddenly trans- formed countenance, he was leaning toward the girl with his big dark hands on the table. ‘What put that crazy belief in your bead?’ | he exclaimed. ‘‘Did Doctor Lynx hoodwink tween you an’ I, Anaconda, thet man came hyer for mischief!” ‘*He came from Helena, but he don’t b’long to the town.” ‘‘Of course he don’t. He’s got city ways or I’m a shrimp!” exclaimed Scar Chick, ‘If I war ter gauge that new sport, d say that he war first a mountain tough an’ later a city tiger. You want ter watch him when you break the news o’ the magician’s last trick ter ther crowd at Hank’s,” The two men separated, one going toward the famous saloon of ‘Thunder City where the promi- nent events of camp life took place, and the other toward the opposite part of the camp. The latter person was Scar Chick. ‘‘ Beat by a magic sharp!” he growled, his »seemed to render her beauty the more striking, you?” ‘* No,” answered Flavia. ‘Sit down,” and she pointed to the chair at Scar Chick’s end of the table, The desperado hesitated. ‘*T want to tell you why I do not believe that Reckless Roy died from the wound that Gold Grit gave him,” she resumed. ‘I can tell it better if you take a seat,” | | The bully of Thunder City dropped into the | chair and said, across the table: ‘*You'll have ter tell an almighty straight story ter convince me, Flavia. By Jericho! if thet young myth-trailer hadn’t shot Reckless the Golden Gates wouldn’t bev opened for him yet. That’s my opinion, and I’m afraid you can’t make me give it ther go-by.” des ructive, ‘** You have no proof!” he said. ‘Just as if 1 want any!” and Flavia rose slowly and leaned toward him. ‘* You know, Scar Chick, that my word will outweigh yours even here in Thunder City.” He looked at her, astonished. *’ What are you going to do?” he asked. Flavia smiled. Scar Chick had not denied the truth of the story she had told with no embellishments. His actions and his look betrayed him; the man was guilty. ‘* 1 will Jet the future control my action, Fla- via said in reply to his question, and then she let_her hand drop upon his sleeve again. ‘* What are you going to do?” ‘**Me? I’m goin’ ter stay whar I am, if it suits tance from the girl’s abode. Ecomicbooks | ‘ a i , , a . > eyes flashing at the thought. ‘*Thar'll be a For a moment Flavia eyed the sport in si- | me!” he exclaimed with a desperado’s bravado. twinkle in the girl’s eyes when she sees me, an’ | lence; then, as one of her hands came up and | *‘ You say that Gold Grit did not kill Reckless if I don’t confront it now, mebbe I'll lose by it | dropped on the table, under the lamp, she be- | Roy? This is not substantiated by any wit- after awhile.” gan: nesses. You don’t want ter stir the camp up A little while afterward Scar Chick saw a ‘‘T will go back to Reckless Roy’s last day. He | with a story of this sort; you can’t afford ter, cabin door open in response to a light rap by his | was on the mend from the first flushes of light | Flavia,” he added mysteriously. hand, and the person on the inside uttered a cry | to the very moment when death found him. The girl's eyes flashed, but she caused the light at sight of him. Doctor Lynx had unbounded hopes in his recoy- | to fade by a powerful effort. It was Flavia. ery, and I had tooked in upon him myself to find ‘** Well, we will not discuss that point,” she “Pardon me, but I war passin’ by an’ saw | that he had taken a big turn for the better, | went on. ther light,” said the bully of Thunder City in a | When night came and found Reckless Roy sound ‘* You think you have me under your thumb, coarse apologetic tone. asleep on his cot, the doctor left him for a little | eh?” There was a mental question in the girl’s eyes, | while. He had not been gone long when a man ‘*) think nothing of the kind. I know who but she did not speak, came from toward Happy Hank’s. He came | killed Reckless Roy; that is enough.” She knew that Scar Chick was to springa | along in a manner that told that he did not| ‘* Which means that Gold Gritis not ter be sen- trap of some kind on Lucifer Lynx, want to be seen by the whole camp. ‘He had the | tenced hyar?”’ / ad he tried it and failed? or, was it yet to | step of a cat that approaches a wary victim. ‘* Yes, it means that.” be sprung to the doom of the detective? ‘*This man came to Reckless Roy’s shanty. ‘* All right!” exclaimed the bully of Thunder Flavia thought she could read disappointment | The door stood slightly ajar, and he opened it a | City. ‘‘ By glory! we’ll cross the rivers as we on Scar Chick’s countenance, but for all that it | little more and looked in. Aftera few moments | cometer them! I am not answerable for the was a singular admixture of madness and un- | he opened it wider and stepped inside. Reckless | actions of the pards o’ Thunder. If Gold Grit certainty. . Roy lay on his back, fast asleep, with the shanty | war to come back they'd be likely to throw a He soon relieved her. lamp fastened to a peg in the wall not far away. | rope over ther first limb.” ‘‘ Well, Flavia,” he continued, as he leaned | The visitor stood over Roy for some time. He ‘*And what would you do?” asked Flavia, against the door with the lamplight on his | had shut the door behind him, and was alone | flushing. bronze face and burly figure, ‘for once my | with the bully of the ‘Divide.’ All at once he ‘** What could one man do?” he laughed a failed ter catch the fox.” began to stoop. Lower and lower he went, un- Flavia made no reply, but looked him steadily He said this with a smile that did not repre- | til at length he knelt at the very edge of Reck- | in the face for several moments. sent the state of his thoughts. The girl could | less Roy’s cot, ‘Flavia, Pve often thought what a sta not repress a start. ‘Then it was that this man raised his hands. | queen you’d make!” he went on, laughing still, Lucifer Lynx, her friend and Gold Grit’s, was | They hovered over the sleeper’s head like vul- | but over his own words now. “ I’ve never seen safe yc thank fortune! tures, but allat once they fell—snap! upon Reck- | your like on any of the stages in Frisco. You ** He turned ther tables on me slick an’ clean,” | less Roy’s throat!” don’t need any trainin’, for you could go right ; Scar Chick went on as he leaned toward the gir] Flavia threw her body forward as she uttered | upon the boards an’ beat creation. Thar war whose eyes showed her satisfaction. ‘* By | the last sentence. aime Nell, whom we made protegee of Cam: Jupiter! he played a hend that’ll stir Thunder ‘Heavens! who saw all this?’ cried Scar | Coonskin. She got upon ther stage and da City when ther boys hear it. He carried off | Chick, starting back as far as his chair would | ther hull continent.” ther major\” let him, Flavia did not move till he had finished. ‘* What?” ejaculated Flavia. ‘* Let me finish,” continued Flavia, coolly. ‘**Are you in earnest?’ she asked. ‘'Do you **He’s left camp takin’ Major Sphinx with ‘*Go on,” want me to quit Thunder City? Why, your him,” answered Scar Chick slowly. ‘* Well, when the hands of his man dropped | luck would go with me!” The girl seemed struck dumb by the announce- | upon the throat of. Reckless Roy, they stuck **Luck be hanged!” cried Scar Chick. But ment, there like leeches! not only that, but they closed | no, Flavia, I warn’t more than half in carn- ‘I'm hyer ter say that I don’t keer much | like the devil’s vise. Roy started from his | est,ha, ha! The major used ter say that he’d > about ther major; “he’s nothin’ ter me, Flavia. | sleep, but what could he do in the grip that | see you iu a fine posish’ one o’ these days, but he But by ther eyes ov Jupiter! I don’t hke ther | held him down? This wound had taken his | won’t now, | guess,” way my trap worked. ou’re laughin’ at me | strength; he was a child in the hands of the ** Did Major Sphinx ever say much thiogs?” now.” ris man who had come like a thief for his life. B ** ‘Yes,” “Tam not,” cried Flavia, although her spark- | and by the man got up and looked down at his ‘** What did he mean?” ling eyes did not confirm her words. work. A smile stole over his face and he said **1 don’t know.” “Tl make it work yet!” flashed Scar Chick, | aloud: ‘I guess we’ll Joop the gold sherp now!” ‘* Anything about the stage?” and his hand caught Flavia’s wrist before she | Then he turned to the door and went away leav- ‘**T used ter think he meant that; but Pm net could withdraw it. ‘‘Thet man is not what 1 | ing Reckless Roy dead bebind him!” as intimate with him as Ozark is, nor as is that thought he war—a spy of Lightning Lay-out. A silence fell upon the conclusion of Flavia’s | man who says he came from Helena, when bis Ss Under ther mask he wore last ~ he carries | story. She was leaning forward with her | city edge hasn’t worn off yet.” i another skin! But what dol keerf Long Lige, | eyes riveted upon Scar Chick, whose face was aj} “Julian?” We who.has an eye like an eagle, says he looks like | curiosity. ** Julian! that man in whose handsther blood- the Doctor Lynx who tried ter save Reckless} ‘Ts this all?” he asked, in a voice not like his | stick bled last night! But I’m not going ter Roy; but this time I gness Lige has used his | own, keep you hyer forever, Flavia.” . eyes for nothin’, Don’t you think so, Flavia?” ‘“My God! isn’t it enough?” exclaimed the e drew back toward the door, ie The fair girl nod“ed assent. girl. ‘*I must remind him that he cannot go too bt ‘*Ther youngster won’tcome back hyersoon,” | He laughed. far,” said the girl to herself. “Ihave a grip — continued Scar Chick, ‘‘He knows thet ther} ‘I should say it is! Bat who can vouch for | on this enemy of Gold Grit’s which he will feel __ death o’ Reckless Roy ’s sealed hisdoom. Why, | the truth 0’ this yarn o’ murder? Who saw all | if be attempts to do violence. Gold Grit may his neck wouldn’t be worth the rope they’d take | this?” come back here. There is no telling what — ter hang bim with. Thet doctor bad ther im- The girl's eyes got a sudden sparkle and her | phases this mountain game may assume before pudence ter sav thet somebody in Thunder City | hand darting across the table fell upon the des- | it’s played out. Allis in the future. Julianis —— —some one 0’ ther pards—and not Gold Grit, | perado’s wrist. here, Ozark has gone to find Gold Grit at Major helped ReckJess Roy across ther border!” ‘‘T am the witness!” she cried. ‘‘I saw the | Sphinx’s command, and the major bimself is in _ “Yes,” said Flavia. ‘“‘ He said it before all of | whole dark drama!” the hands of Lucifer Lynx the cetective.” re you, I am told,” | “ You?” With these thoughts Flavia came toward Scar ‘‘ He did,” admitted Scar Chick. “It warn’t ‘* Flavia, the waif of the ‘ Divide!” was the | Chick, who seemed to anticipate her resolve. Bs advisable then ter refute a lie o’ thet magnitude, | answer. ‘‘ The man who killed Reckless Roy is ‘*T’ll raise no rumpus,” he exclaimed with a . * and so I let him waste it on therair. He gained | in Thunder City to-night. More than this, “He light laugh. time by it an’ got ther young red-handed sca mp | is before me now |” She stopped in front of him. | de off. Thar’s no livin’ person in Thunder ter-night Scar Chick sprung from the chair with a wild ** Let us understan 1 one another, Scar Chick,” who b’lieves thet Reckless did not die from ther | cry, and Flavia looked at him in triumph. she answere] impressively. ‘1 donot intend — wound given by ther mytb-hunter 0’ ther ‘ Di- to tell the open truth about Reckless Roy’sdeath vide.’ You b’lieve thet, Flavia? CHAPTER XXT unless circumstances force it from me.” carr The beauty of Thunder City suddenly drew : ‘* Ho! is that it?” cried the desperado, “hy back. ‘ FLAVIA KEEPS HER HEAD. ‘* Yea,” ; “Don’t you b’lieve it?” cried Scar Chick flush- | | Tam man standing before the beauty of Thun-| “ Then. youll never get the chance in all — age he followed her up. t der City was white, but with passion. | probability!” was the reply, and hefore Flavia lavia stood at one end of the little table with | He looked at her like a man whois struck by | could fathom its meaning Scar Chick said ‘‘ good- her perfect and queenly figure drawn to its true | some terrible announcement. nigot ” and was gone! ia's hight, and with her bewitching eyes fixed upon | Flavia did not know what he was going to| “Great Jehosapbat! who thought she knew _ : the head sport of Thunder City. 0. it!” ejaculated the sport of the “Divide” when The lamplight falling softly upon her face She had launched her bomb, and it had proved |} he found himself under the stars and some dis- _ 4 ‘* A secret is never cit 4 « 7, mee ie - Leas