Beadle's New York Dime Library, No. 434 — page 29: what you’re looking at

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

| F eee ee ee ee The following moment the Spider and his | oe aemengee heard a voice that startled them th. It came from a point behind their steeds and Julian turned in an instant. ‘* A stolen march, by Jupiter!’ he exclaimed. Firmly planted in the trail at a little eleva- tion stood the very man for whom Julian had been waiting with finger at the trigger. With two bands thrust forward and a re- volver in each Lucifer Lynx looked triumph- antly into the face of the man be had surprised. *You’ve made a good run, Julian,” he said as he came forward. ‘* Your revolvers you will toss over your head into the shrubbery behind our horse. This is no child’s game, and no- ly knows it better than you.’ The New York sport saw the look that ac- companied the words, and with a_ sullenness that would bavedone a bafiled tiger credit, he obeyed the ccmmand. Five minutes later, so rapid did the spotter work, three people formed a little group where Julian had been brought to bay, and a little while afterward they rode down the trail to- ward Thunder City, and one of the men, a handsome fellow with a proud ‘dark face and brilli nt eyes, kad his bands crossed and tied on his back, Julian the Spider had failed to take” Flavia into her bonanza kingdom, but occasional flushes to] 1 that he had not given up the game, ‘*Give me the shadow of a chance!” he ejacu- lated more than once to himself, as he gave Lucifer Lynx some black glances. ‘* Hereafter I will go back to my old role and be Devil Jule! Then for a game that will make the ‘ Divide’ famous forever!” But Julian was not permitted to get free those dangerous hands of his, and whenever he glanced at Lucifer Lynx, he would catch the detective on the alert like a man who never slept. ‘This is the mouth of Golden Gulch and he knows I am here!” said a man who locked lke astatue in the sterlight that came down be- tween two walls of massive rock. ‘‘ He prom- ised to bring me the young man to-night; he made the promise in the cavern to which Luci- fer Lynx carried me at the muzzle of his pistol. Scar Chick seer.s anxious to get Gold Grit away from Thunder City and I’m just as anxivus to see him safe in my bands—I am, by Jove, ha, ha! Scar Chick is playing some game of his own, bat I don’t care what it isso long as I get my bonanza. He left me awhile last night and went down into Thunder City to see how the land lay, as he says, and he didn’t come back in the kest of humor; he didn’t, by Jove! I’ve got my plans laid, anyhow. With the bonanza boy in my grip, lll break over the Helena road, and let ‘em catch the major if they can! I’m no infant if I did tumble into that New York spotter’s clutches through his disguises, by Jove, no! Julian has deserted me; let him go! Ozark has pet to Lay-out to defy ther pards there. It ooks jike he has gone back on me, too. Well, curses on ’em all! Let Scar Chick fetch the Yousaer, to me, and I'll beat ’em all—I will, by ove, ha, ha!” Major Sphinx, our old acquaintance, was carrying out his part of the compact with Scar Chick, the sport exile, and true to it, was wait- ing for that worthy at the mouth of Golden Gulch, a well-known place not far from Thunder City. Th was the night after the gold camp’s anxious day, and while he occupied the darkened mouth of the gulch the pards at Happy Hank’s were growing uneasy over Ozark’s absence! Scar Chick had not told the major that it was his stone thrown through the cabin window in an outburst of anger that had staggered Gold Grit when he was calling upon Heaven to re- store the memory of his missing years. The outlawed bully of the ‘t Divide” had not considered it worth while to impart this infor- mation. He knew that bis villainous throw had almost taken the young myth-hunter’s life, and he would not have crooked a finger to have saved it. But as the youth still lived, Sear Chick con- sidered it a duty to hand him over to the man who wanted him, and to do this he had brought Major Sphinx under cover of night to Golden Gulch. The major had still a deep and desperate game to play, and he knew it. eserted by Julian, who had found a fortune in Flavia and her mysterious papers, and prob- ably spurned by his old right bower, Ozark Oll, the maior had to work fast in order not to be baffled by the cool-headed man who bad crossed the continent for him, and for the Gotham Spider. There was yet a chance. With Gold Grit in his hands, he could make his escape until Lucifer Lynx should lose him or fall before the revolver of Julian, or some other | foe; then, with the myth-hunter’s memory re- stored, he could go back to the far East, help the boy into the possession of the large fortune awaiting him, and afterward swindle him out of every dollar. “ em ee et - - — ee em ee - -7—- —_ ~—_—-7--- It was a grand plan, and worthy of birth in the major’s prolific brain. In the mean time Scar Chick had returned to Thunder City, intending to keep his part of the He did not know that Julian had made his play, and believing that Flavia still occupied the little cabin, he glided to the one tenanted by his victim of the night before. The young gold-hunter had refused to sleep any more under Anaconda’s anodynes. He stood in the door, which was open, as Scar Chick look- ed around the hut, and started at his first glimpse of the exiled bully. In an instant Scar Chick was before the youth, _—— —— ee ee ———————— -_— Lucifer Lynx, the Wonder-Detective. SS and as Gold Grit retreated, he felt the hand of | the ruffian on bis shoulder. It was a moment of peril and excitement for the young man. ‘*T want no warnin’ cry!” exclaimed Sear Chick. ‘* You ar’ alone—that is enougn!” and in the lamplight the ruffian saw the bandage | about the youth’s forehead and showed his | teeth. ‘* What do you want?” asked Gold Grit. You!” And then something glittered in | Sear Chick’s hand. ‘You were here last night, if camp opinion is not at fault!” cried Gold Grit. ‘‘I war, eh? What have you ter show for it?” **My head,” was the reply. ‘‘ But I don’t know but that I ought to thank you, Captain Scar Chick, You gave me back the missing years. The bully of the “ Divide” quick look, and started. ‘*] know all the past; your quartz bowlder restored it,” continued the young myth-bunter. ‘*I know what you tried to do some time ago. compact with the major. | | } | me up! 29 a ee giant tough held fearlessly in the coor cf the ranch, the Idahoans saw their inveterate fees, There came a calm as the two ranks stoced face to face; it was the calm which sometimes pre- cedes a storm. Forty hands held as many cocked revolvers, and the two mountain tribes glarea at cre en- other like tigers; they leaned foi ward in their eagerness, and gave look for look with Satanic interest. ‘* Wal, we ar’ byar!” suddenly ejaculated the leader of the Montana pards. ** So ar’ we!” was the enswer. ‘We've come ter wipe out ther score!” ‘We ar’ hyer ter wipe it ont!” Tt was diamond cut diamond; the rivals of the ‘© Red Divide” were well matched. Not far away, and urseen hy either party, stood a man wh», with glaring eyes ond clinched teeth, awaited the opening of the battle, If was Scar Chick. **T reckon T don’t owe any ov ’em anything!” exclaimed the outlawed. ‘* Thunder w: uld like ter noose me for finishin’ Reckless Roy, an’ Lightnin’ Lay-out—Jupiter! it'd like ter chaw I'l wait hyar till ther scrimmage opens, | an’ then I’ll take a hand as it suits me.” / ‘ } | ' ; But before thesworn foes could straighten and throw up their hands for the death-grapple, the gallop of a horse was heard, and a minute later there dashed between the ranks and into the light a horse to whom a man was lashed. The Montana sports uttered startling cries at | sight cf the pair. gave the youth a | oat is Ozark!” cried Brass Ben, of Thunder ‘i tv, as he stepped toward the horse, which bad halted. ‘‘ This is ther way be comes back from ther liars’ nest beyond ther ridge!” ‘*Don’t touch that man!” yelled the Montana You killed Reckless Roy, and did all you could | captain. brutal as it was, makes amends. I wouldn’t turn you over to Thunder City if Icould. I can identify the men who plundered and killed that | terrible night in New York. I have lived over | those events a thousand times since your bow]- der brought back my memory. I will face them some day! Why should I not live for ven- geance?” ** Jehu!” exclaimed Scar Chick, almost releas- ing the young man’s shoulder. ‘‘So you're ac- tually all right at last, eh?” and he leaned for- ward till his bronze face almost touched the youth’s white one. ‘*T am myself a ** Then I gain.” uess he don’t want ter see you!” **Het—whom?” And Goid Grit broke from the bully’s grip and went toward him. ‘ What do you mean? I have a right to know some things now.” ‘* But I’m not bound ter tell yer!” was the an- swer. ‘*I guess 1 won’t, either. for you, Gold Grit, but I not for ther ae thet fetched my anatomy ter camp. didn’t intend ter fix yer up with my nugget last night, but fortune gave yer a lift. They don’t want Scar Chick hyer, do they boy? They’d sooner bear from Ozark jes now—” At that moment a loud cry from a human throat came in at the open door. ‘* Ozark!” ejaculated the myth-bunter, ‘* Mebbe him, an’ mebbe not,” was the reply, and Scar Chick turned and walked forward. The gold-hunter saw him stand astride of the threshold and listen, his large figure almost fill- ing the narrow doorway. The yell beyond the cabin had died away, but the echoes were still alive, All at once another cry of similar import sa- luted the listeners’ ears, and then came a dozen revolver shots, , ‘Wake up, cowards ov Thunder! Ther day 0’ jelgment hez come overland from Lightnin’ Lay-out! Whoopee! Whar ar’ ther skunks o’ ther ‘ Divide? ” ‘‘They have come!” ejaculated Gold Grit, springing to Scar Chick’s side, The exiled turned on him like a tiger. “It is ther death grapple o’ Thunder an’ Lay- out! You want no hand init, boy!” And Gold Grit was grasped and flung clear across the cabin with a fury that threatened to finish the work of the quartz nugget, A moment later the figure of Scar Chick dis- appeared as a weird silence settled over the camp. CHAPTER XXXVII. WHICH ENDS THE GAME, | to fasten the crime on me, but your last act, It was true that Lay-out had come to Thun- | der City, and true, too, that the Montana pards _ were not the only persons who had come. | The wild yell which bad startled Scar Chick / aud the young myth-hunter at Lucifer’s cabin | had also roused the occupants of Happy Hank’s mountain den. | Before the dozen revolver shots had ceased to reverberate among the spectral shanties, the saloon was thrown open, and the toughs of ae City rushed yelling into the star- ‘* Hyer they ar’!” cried the Montana wild men as they saw the eager response to their challenge, and in the light of the saloon lamp, which a ' rass Ben kept on, with an oath on his tongue. ‘* Hyer comes another hoss!” cried some one on the Thunder City side. Sure enough another steed appeared from to- ward the mountains, and the person who drew rein alongside of Ozark Oll was greeted with ex-. | clamations of wonder. | I came byer | with a snap. don’t want yer now— | between the rival camps,” | “Ther girl by all that’s holy!” ejaculated Sear Chick from his place beyond the light. ‘If ther tribes would open on each other nuw, saltpetre wouldn’t save that seraph!” It was Flavia who had come upon the scere, and asif she was not aware that she sat mid- way between the rival camps, she leaned to-— ward Ozark and ran a knife under his cords, ** Don’t touch that man!” roared the Montana leader again. Flavia looked up and caught his eye. ** You see I obey you, Fargo Frank,” she ex- claimed, and that moment the cords parted ‘* This looks like the final grapple ‘Tt ar’ nothin’ else!’ As Ozark Oll, released from the cords which had cut into his flesh since daylight, tried to straighten on the horse, Flavia slid dextrously to the ground, and gave her steed a stroke whic sta him forward leaving her between the armed sports. **There shall be no blood shed here unless it be Flavia’s,” she cried. ‘‘ The duel is not to be fought where [ stand unlessI open it.” And the girl threw up her hand with a revolver in it. Her words were met by silence. “IT throw upan eagle,” she went on, holding up a coin in her left hand. ‘‘ I will throw it so that it will fall at Fargo Frank’s feet. If it falls heads, I will open the battle by shooting the man whom I elect; if it falls tails, I will walk away and shoot from the edge of light vender. Ah! here we go!” Flavia’s lips had a smile as she prepared to execute her purpose, but ere she could do so a voice rung out from the ranks of the Thunder City crowd. ‘We stand nothin’ o’ that sort,” exclaimed Brass Ben. ‘‘ Flavia has nothin’ ter do with this fight. Step back, girl! This is ther hour long looked for by Thunder.” avia seemed to get new resolution, ‘* A while ago a man was found waiting for not rin at the mouth of Golden Gulch,” she said. ‘‘ Jupiter Pluvius! they found ther major!” ejaculated Scar Chick, “That man has been a citizen of Thunder City,” the girl went on. ‘‘ He was waiting for a person who had promised to bring him a cer- tain man from this camp. He waits no lenger,. for like his old pard, Julian, be is in the hands of the man who has crossed the continent to find them both. Gentlemen of the mountains, shall I open this death-grapple as you call it? Ui toss the golden eagle toward the stars?” and her band was ready to throw the coin into the air. ** Oh, Jingo! let's ne ther play!” sung out a little man at the end of the Montena line. ‘** What’s ther use o’ all this tiger | izness ‘tween man an’ man, anyhow? Thar’s gold enough in ther ‘ Divide’ for all—a bonanza for each man if he bunts for it.” The wild men of the Rockies looked across the space that separated the two ranks, and then into each other’s faces. 1 It was the critical moment. » GOMIc JOO ‘S * — t (ee) * * ee - =o me nee - a - way, A gee o~ — — - — ~-- s+ 26 erg ~~ oe ee - > “ ee ee Y te — ." ~T: a - ad BS 220 wb a>. , 3 —- = iy] 77 * + ; ‘ Te * : : * es ct: “eo ~, i s, : —_- a. —~ 2 . : Z —-—, t . , i a ee we, oe. al enti et -; ’ . * + Wa " . *\*' he _