Beadle's New York Dime Library No. 436 — page 16: what you’re looking at

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

a ee ewe ee eee ee ———— ee - — ~~ A ey ee 16 * They are the same.” ‘* But,” Colonel Dallas insisted, ‘*how came way into your possession? Are you a wizard?” he sport laughed. “No,” he answered, ‘*‘I cannot lay claim to | I am, however, as I have been | givin’ Belle that twent that distinction. obliged to confess to Mr. Denson here, something of an amateur detective, and—” ‘*And you are already at work trying to solve the mystery?” cried Minnie. ! ‘Yes. When I heard about it last night at the hotel I wondered over it not a little, and this afternoon, when I read the full accounts of both shootings in the local papers, I wordered still more; and at last I resolved to see what I could learn for myself.” ‘But, and pardon my interruption,” said Colonel Dallas, ‘‘how can you tell that these two bullets were formerly alike?” and he rolled them over in his palm and looked at them witha | great deal of curiosity. ‘*That ain’t no very hard matter,” Rube Rit- tens declared, ‘‘if a man makes a study of sich things.” ** That is the explanation,” said the sport. ‘I have paid quite a little attention to the subject, knowing the importance of it in some cases, These bullets, [ am satisfied, came from the same firearm.’’ And then he went on and ex- plained to the satisfaction of all upon what grounds he based his theory. ** But,” said Minnie, with something of im- atience in her tone, though she favored her ero with a winning smile, *‘ pray proceed, and tell us how you found them.” ‘With pleasure,” responded the sport, and he resumed; ‘** Resolving to investigate the matter a little, I first paid a visit to the doctor who attended the wounded colored woman, and from him ob- tained the first of the bullets, after quite a little talking, for he seemed loth to part with it. Even as it is, | am under promise to take it back to him, as I certainly shall do. “What I wanted, you see, was to satisfy my- self whether the two shots had been fired by the same person, or by different persons. ‘** To do this, of course I had to gain possession of the other bullet, and compare the two. If I found them alike, then I should take it for granted that one person had fired both, ** Of course this would not be proof positive; for two persons may carry weapons precisely alike, or one person may carry two weapons of different pattern. Still, the result of my inves- tigation satisfies me that there was but one per- son in this case. ‘** Ah! pardon me, Miss Denson, I will come to the explanation at once. “x en I left the doctor’s office I went at once to the Break o’ Day Mine. There I loitered around for some time, listening to all the idle — eovered gossip I could, and finally learned what I wanted to know. Some young man by and by explained to some companions what he knew about the shooting, he evidently having gained his in- formation in like manner; and from him I learned where the mysterious woman had stood when she fired, and the direction of the shot, ‘*It was your superintendent who discovered the woman stealing out of the yard a few mo- ments after the shot, I believe, Colonel Dallas.” ‘* Yes, it was he. And can you account for her strange and sudden disappearance when he went out to intercept her?”§ ‘*T think I can, sir.” ‘¢ What do you think became of her?” ‘6 My idea is this: She had barely passed out the gate when she heard the office door open, and saw the superintendent bastening along the fence to the corner, and she instantly drew back into the yard again, keeping well in the shadow of one of the posts, and remained there unt'l the man retreated, when she slipped out again and hastened away.” ** No doubt you are right.” ** Well, to go on, when I had the range of the bullet, I went around to the other side of the office to see whether it had passed through. I found it had not. On looking carefully, how- ever, I was presently rewarded by finding a newly-made crack in one of the boards—a crack that plainly showed how it had been made, and I knew the bullet lay just behind the splinter it had started. ‘“‘T went away satisfied for the time being, but after supper at the hotel I returned to the office of the mine, which was then closed, and thrusting my knife into the crack I had dis- ied the x henge away and the bullet fell out into my hand, ‘*T had but little time to examine it then, for your cry for help, Miss Denson, came soon af- Seward I have examined it since, however, with the result I have explained.” “ And still you class yourself an amateur in the detective business, eh?’ Charlie Denson ex- claimed, interrogatively. ‘*T cannot class mvself a professional.” “Do you intend carrying your investigation further?” asked Colonel Dallas, an Yes, if I have time,” was the reply. ‘‘ Since Mr. Denson has done me the honor to engage my services, I must give this case my first at- tention. : ‘* An’ while ye’re’bout it,” said Rube Rittens, —— ' | | a a Oe rr er Kentucky Jean. ‘“ve might as well take hold o’ my case, too, an’ give me a lift with it. To tell ye th’ truth, I don’t believe ’'m cut out for a detective,” ‘* What is your case?” the sport asked. ** Why, I wants ter know who it is has been dollars every month. Find that man, Kentuck, an’ my opine is that we kin solve th’ hulldurn mystery in jest a frac- tion o’ no time.” ‘*And you are right in your opinion, toa great extent. I had not overlooked that point, and it shall come in for a goodly share of con- sideration,” ‘“That’s the idee, every time. Once ye git hold o° him, an’ kin make him tell what he knows, th’ rest will be easy.” ‘*'The hardest part of all, though, may be to get hold of him.” ‘* Yes, no doubt yo’re right.” **Do you think your housekeeper can be hold- ing anything back? May she not know who the person is?” ‘No, sir-ee/ she’s told all she knowed, you bet! Why, she was skart out o’ her wits, al- most, and made a clean breast o’ all she knowed, I’m sure.” ‘Yes, I think daddy is right,” Belle added. ** Aunt Dinah no doubt told all she knew,” Colonel Dallas had but little to say, though he offered a suggestion now and then. He seemed to be busy with his thoughts, whatever they were: and who could guess them? And Mrs. Dallas said even less than her husband. She was a strange woman, one who seemed to be Fea more by fear than by affection in all she did, The case, as we have said, was gone over in detail, and Kentucky Jean became acquainted with it in every particular, as far as it was known. At length the conference ended, and the sport took his departure, as did Rube Rittens and Blue-eyed Belle. On the morrow the ball would be set in mo- tion, and once rolling, it must roll to the level. No power could stop it, nor cover up the truths it was destined to lay bare, CHAPTER XVIII. A STRANGE ADVENTURE. KENTUCKY JEAN accompanied Rube Rittens and Blue-eyed Belle until they came to the point where they turned aside from the main street, and then went on alone toward the hotel. The evening was growing late, and nearly all the places of business, except the saloons, were closed, The sport was walking Sab leisurely along, busy with his thoughts, and paid little attention to the persons he met, s Suddenly he was stopped in a most startling manner. Four men sprung out from behind a pile of empty boxes before a store, and ere the sport could make a move toward defending himself, they were upon him. Taken completely by sur- prise, he was overpowered in a moment. Two of the men laid hold of his arms, another instantly wound a heavy cloth around his head and face, while the fourth caught hold of his feet, and lifting him they carried him quickly into a dark alley between the store mentioned and a saloon standing next to it. The whole time consumed was barely ten seconds, Half-way down the alley the sport was car- ried, and then the men entered a door .eading into the saloon building. Here they paused, closing and locking the door behind them, They were now in a small room, and the dark- ness was impenetrable. As soon as the door was secured, though, one of the men struck a match and lighted a candle, and then the cloth was removed from the pris- oner’s head in order that he might breathe. ** Don’t ye open yer yawp-trap, mind ye,” one of his captors cautioned, ‘‘fer if ye do, our orders is ter blow yer head off, an’ by snakes, Pll do it!” The cool young sport smiled and nodded. Four more villainous-looking faces it had never been his misfortune to see in company. They were unmistakably cut-tbroats of the very lowest order, The room, as stated, was small—uncomfort- ably so. It was not more than eight feet square. And it was completely void of all fur- niture., The floor, the walls, the ceiling were all of boards, roughly painted, and apparently it con- tained but one door. All this the sport saw at a glance. As soon as the door had been secured, the can- dle lighted and the cloth removed from the sport’s head, and he warned to remain silent, ore of the four men took hold of a small wire which ran from floor to ceiling in one corner of the strange room, and gave it a slight pull. Immediately followed the tinkle of a bell in some far-away part of the building. The moment be had pulled the wire, the man stepped back, and almost instantly that part of the floor disappeared from sight, disclosing a 7 steps cmnge | down to a room below. of the men still had firm hold on Ken- ’ : - ? 4+ 5 “co = - * 4 / tats < e ati + as - = tucky Jean’s arms, while the third held a re- roere pointed at his head, and the latter now Said: ‘* Now, my lad, you kin take yer choice; you kin walk down them ’ar steps, or we will pitch fe down head-first. Ye kin do jist as ye please. Vhat d’ye say?” ‘Well, if you insist upon my going down,” the sport answered, “ I prefer to walk.” ‘* All right, go ahead!” The man who had pulled the wire and rung the bell was the first to step down, and then fol- lowed the sport, the two men still holding his arms and rendering him powerless to re- sist. When they reached the bottom of the stairs the sport heard the trap-door close again, : d then his captors led him forward toward a door, ' They had descended into a sort of dismal cellar, where there was no floor save that afford- ed by the ground, It was but a short distance from the foot of the steps to the mentioned door, and as soon * oe reached it the man ahead gave a light cnock, Instantly the door was opened, and a flood of light poured forth from a room that was l — the saloon of some grand palace, in its splen- dor. As soon as this door was opened, the man who had knocked for admittance drew back, and then Kentucky Jean was thrust forward 96 released, and the door swung shut behind im. He was free, so far as the use of his limbs was concerned. Instantly his hand dropped to the handle of one of his ever-ready revolvers, and he glared around. He was completely alone. He strode forward to the middle of the room and looked, but no one was there. And the door by which he had entered— where was it? Nota sign of it was to be seen. And yet it did exist, and he was made aware of it not by hearsay, but by the actual evidence of sight; and seeing is believing. Overhead could be heard the noise of the saloon, and the cracked voice of some miner who was singing to the still more cracked and wheezy tones of an accordion. The sport knew where he was, too; that is to say—he knew what saloon was over him. He had posted himself pretty thoroughly since his coming to town, and remembered its name, It was known as the ‘‘ Enchanted Hall,” and he rememberedfseeing its illuminated sign just a moment previously to his being set upon by the four men. janes the room he was in—there he was puz- zled. He doubted whether there was a parlor in the town that could equal it, or in Denver even, for that matter. The floor was covered with the richest of velvet carpet; the walls were gilded and bronzed, and shone resplendent with heavy mirrors, while magnificent paintings hung bere and there, The furniture was of ebony and silk lush; heavy curtains draped in rich folds efore pretended windows; a massive table stood in the center of the room, on which lay books upon books, chiefly of poetry and music; a piano was there, and also a harp and a guitar. he sport tried to recall all that he hed heed concerning this saloon—the ‘t Enchanted Hall.” He had stepped in there that afternoon fora few moments, and had noticed over the entrance what he had supposed was a balcony for musi- cians. It was draped Pheavily with silk cur- tains, Now he understood its purpose. It was but a sham—an imitation of a balcony, and served to conceal the true source of the music when the piano—or the other instruments—was played in this gorgeous room in which he now stood. The sport, always cool and possessed, could but stare around him in wonderment. Of all the adventures be had ever had, this one stood at the head. While he stood thus, wondering why he had been forcibly brought there, and what would bappen next, he suddenly caught the reflection of some one in one of the mirrors. He turned instantly, revolver in hand, Before him stood a woman. ‘* Pray do not shoot me,” she said, in low and musical tones; ‘‘no harm is intended to you.” The woman advanced as far as the table as she spoke. “T will take your word for it,” responded the sport, touching his bat, and he replaced the weapon. Well he knew that if immediate harm had been intended him, he would have been disurmed and bound when the four men held him in their wer. The woman was of medium hight, finely formed. and was clad in a close-fitting robe of black velvet. Over her face she wore a silken mask. ‘** Please to be seated,” she invited. Kentucky Jean sat down, and then re- marked: {SONG = A * 200 fe \ > EO | = = =v. lat Re - )