Beadle's New York Dime Library No. 436 — page 24: what you’re looking at

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

_ signature, th a oe f ‘ ay “hus ~ ~_——— ‘Tv ‘*T, on the contrary, have faith in my na- taral intuition, and { heg you to be cautious iud on the lookout for danger.” ‘‘Thank you for the warning. I shall try to keep out of danger.” ‘‘This presentiment may mean nothing, and yet it may mean a great deal: so, for my sake, be careful.” ‘*T will. I am more than ever on the look- out for danger since the night 1 fell so easily into the hands of your men.” They left the room and ascended the stairs to the narrow passage, and after a glance into the faro room, as once before described, the sport bade his fair hostess good-night and went away. Passing around to the street, he made his way at once to the hotel, his mind preoccupied with thoughts concerning the strange case in which he was playing a part. He was not careless to his surroundings, how- ever, and it would have been no easy matter for any one to have taken him again by sur- rise. When he reached the hotel and entered the bar-room, the worthy Teuton landlord ex- claimed: ‘* Ah! mein leib Genducky Cheans, how you vas, eh? Here vas ein letter for you, may pe.” ‘* A letter for me?” the sport repeated doubt- fully, as he took the missive from the Dutch- man’s hand; ‘* where did it come from?” ‘*Tt vas left here py a feller apout ein half- hour ago, may pe, I guess. He says it vas im- portant.” ** Yes, it is for me,” the sport decided, as he read the superscription, which was this: ‘* JEAN GRANTLEY, EsqQ., ** Kverybody’s Home.” ‘Tt vas all right, eh?” ‘* Yes, it is all right. low who left it?’ ** Ya—ya, I knowed him; he vas a feller what vorks at the Preak o’ Day Mine.” ‘* Ah! and did he say who sent this by him?’ ** Ya, he let fall der oe 5 that it vas Charlie Denson, [ guess, may pe; [ dunno.” **Charlie Denson! why, he is at Denver! But perhaps if I read it I'll Jearn more.” ‘* Ya,” Hans agreed, ‘‘ that vas ein goot idee.” Tearing open the envelope, the sport drew out the sheet it contained, and read: * FRIEND JEAN:—Returning unexpectedly from Denver, 1 have stumbled upou s»mething of inter- est to us both. Not knowing where to find you, I send this notetothe hotel. If you receiveit before, or by, twelve o’clock, or even later, come at once to the old cabin in the woods on the other side of the canyon—the cabin we were looking at the other day when Willis Stanton passed by. I have a pris- oner there. Yours in haste, | ‘““ CHARLES DENSON,”’ _ Not even a suspicion of the truth entered his Did you know the fel- e had seen Charlie Denson’s writing and and this was to all appearances his. ingeniously was the missive worded, at n shade of doubt of its genuineness was created. The sport took the explanation just as ren, and thrusting the note into ‘his pocket, glancec at the clock and went out, ‘Vell, vell,” muttered honest Hans, as he gazed after him, ‘‘I vonder vat’s in der vind + . . a. Daa) VW > | a sine ‘ hastened on, an Wondering what could be the discovery his friend had made, and still more who the prisoner could be, the sport turned his steps up the street and hastened away toward the bridge that spanned the Blue Stone Canyon, The old cabin mentioned was about a quarter of a mile beyond the bridge, and a short distance back from the road, and was about the only one that remained of the Bended Bow of the past— of the town as described in our opening chap- It had formerly been Po de by Mr. Denson carne father, during his first year at Bende ow. Passing by on the road one day together, Charlie had called the sport’s attention to it, and they had turned in to look‘at it. While they were there, Willis Stanton passed by on horseback, and saw them, as they did “It was this circumstance that enabled the cashier to word his note so effectively. With no thought of a suspicious sort the sport was soon at the bridge. Of course he bad no intention of entering the woods without being fully prepared for any em- _ergency, for a detective—amateur or otherwise —must be constantly on the alert for danger; but, as said, he had no suspicion that the letter he had received was a decoy, and that he was in} being lured into a trap. ‘4 He was not Jong in ignorance of the truth, however. all Barely had he crossed the bridge, when four nis with their boots muffled in pieces of old ° ee blankets and bagging, rushed after bim from Ay. behind the end of the iron-work of the abutment sf of the structure, and the first he knew of their in . nce was when they laid their hands upon PC) m in no gentle manner, and made him their prisoner’. \ Rea ts . oo ees ; — _——o eee ee Kentucky Jean. — 9 =e Once again he had been cleverly captured. Not a sound had he heard, the men havin their feet padded as shown, and so unexpec had come the attack that there was no chance for him to make a move in defense. This attack had been carefully planned. ess, and they reasoned that as he drew near to the old cabin he would be on the lookout for danger, and to attack him there might cost some of them their lives; but to waylay him at the bridge, where all the chances would be in their favor, they were more certain of success. The result is shown. The sport struggled desperately, but all to no purpose, for in the hands of four men one man can do but little; so he soon desisted and re- served his strength. His first thought was that he had again been set upon by the Faro Queen’s men, but a mo- ment’s reflection caused him to throw that thought aside. He knew her too well now to believe her capa- ble of treachery to him. No, these were not her men, The men were masked, but they were not such big, brawny fellows as the four who had attacked him before. Quickly he was disarmed and gagged, and his 1ands secured behind his back, and then the , men laid hold of bim and forced him with them into the woods, hurrying im along in the direction of the old cabin. Not a word had been spoken. The sport now understood the whole plot, and mentally cursed himself for his stupidity, as | he chose to class it, in falling into the trap | so easily. It was as clear as day to him. | Charlie Denson, he knew, had had no inten- | tion of returning before the morrow, and even | had he done so, and the circumstances were the | same as set forth in the letter purporting to be | from him, what need to add the words—*‘ the | cabin we were looking at the other day when | Willis Stanton passed by?” The whole plot was revealed, and that one | sentence proved Wiilis Stanton to be the writer of the letter. Why, he asked himself, could he not see | through the scheme at once? Why had he been so stupid? Was it stupidity? Might not an older man than he have been deceived in the same way under the same circumstances? Be that as it might, we offer no excuse for our hero, except to call attention to the fact that he was but a youth, and of course lacked the experience that comes with the years of manhood’s prime. Such experience as he was now gaining, how- | ever, must soon teach him the lesson of caution. | Such a schooling must soon inure him to danger, and teach hmm to be constantly on bis | ard, no matter what the appearances might | e, Mentally he vowed that never again would he be so easily overreached, if he had the good for- tune to get out of his present dilemma alive, which he had doubts about. He was certain that he was in the power of Jared Kenneth and Willis Stanton, as certain of it as he was later when the truth of the situ- ation was revealed; and he believed Jared Ken- neth to be a man who would not hesitate to put him out of the way. On through the woods he was conducted, and at length the old cabin was reached, There two other men were in waiting, they, too, wearing masks, ‘*Heur he be, cap’n,” said one of the four who had made the capture, ‘‘an’ now what’s ter be did wi’ him?” gees = Jean was in no friendly hands, and ife, his very life, so far as Jared Kenneth was con- cerned, was in peril. How would he escape? CHAPTER XXVII, THE VILLAIN FOILED, ‘““KENTUCKY JEAN, my gay and festive sport,” said Kenneth, whose voice the sport re- cognized in spite of his attempt to disguise it, ‘‘ what an obliging fellow you are, to come when you are sent for:” removing the sport’s gag. ‘‘- Yes, Jared Kenneth,” the sport responded ‘‘T received the note written by our frien Stanton here, and hastened to come at once as requested. I can’t say that 1 am in any way obliged to you for the escort you so thoughtfully furnished, though.” | ‘Ha, ha, ha!” Kenneth laughed, as he at once threw aside his mask, ‘‘ you are a cute one, and no mistake; but we got the bulge on you by placing our men where you least expected to find any one, didn’t we? Ha, ha, ha!” ‘* Well, yes, you did get the best of me there, as I am willing to admit. A man is bound to fall once in a while, he can’t help it; and whenever it comes my turn, ’m always ready to own the corn.” “Sensible idea. ‘Say, though, how in the deuce did you tumble to that letter, and who | wrote it? Come, Willis,” turning to that wor- | have mentioned me.’ The men had a knowledge of the sport’s prow- | aa | thy, “you may as well drop your rag: the fel- _ low is sharper than steel.” ‘* What in thunder did you want to own it for?’ Stanton growled, as he snatched off his mask: ‘* he was only guessing atit. You needn’t ‘* Well, it wasa mighty straight guess, any- how. Say, sport; do you know why we have brought you here?” ‘* ’m not worth a cent at guessing riddles, and never was.” ** Well, Pll save you the trouble of guessing this one. We're going to settle that little score we owe you. We have brought you here to flog rou. ‘* The dickens you have!” ‘*It is so, I can tell you.” ‘* And only six of you to do it?’ as the spert glanced around, and there was a tinge of ircny in the words. ** Do you see this?’ cried Kenneth in rage, ig- noring the remark, and as be spoke he held a most cruel-looking rawhide whip up to view. ‘“Yes,” Jean answered calmly, “I «see it, Have you turned bullwbacker?” ‘Curse you! Dll turn you before I’ve done with you! I’m going to whip you with this till I make the blood fly with every cut. Here, men! replace this gag in the fellow’s mouth,” At once the four men sprung to obey, andina trice the spurt was again gagged. ‘*Now, men, give attention,” Kenneth con- tinued. ‘‘l want you to strip tls sport to the waist, and then tie him up by his thumbs to a convenient limb, Now, go for him!” ** Hold !” Clear and sharp came the word, and in a wo- | man’s voice. Instantly action was suspended, and all eyes turned toward the quarter whence the sound came, ‘‘ Raise one finger against that man,” the voice added, ‘‘and you die! Step back from him, one and all!” With the command, the speaker stepped out | into view. In each hand she held a cocked and leveled revolver, and over her face was a mask of silk. It was Incognita, the Faro Queen, ‘* Step back, 1 say,” she repeated, “‘ or as sure- ly as the stars shine above us I will shoot, and shoot to kill!” Without a word the men fell back, Kenneth and Stanton included. A few steps behind the Faro Queen could be seen the forms of four men, dimly outlined. She had not come alone, ‘*' You cowards!” she exclaimed, in tremulous tones—tremulous with scorn, ‘‘ you all deserve to be served as you intended serving this man! howe forward, my men, and show them to light. nstantly the queen’s four men advanced, tak- ing their places on each side of her, and then at once four bull’s-eye lanterns flashed their light upon the scene. And, taken as a whole, a thrilling scene it was. Jared Kenneth glared at the woman in sullen hatred, and Willis Stanton seemed fairly to cringe under the glare of light, while their four hirelings shrunk back as though anxious to get a chance to steal away in the darkness. ‘* Now, Jared Kenneth,” the woman command- ed, ‘‘ you step forward and remove that gag from the prisoner’s mouth, and release his hands,” The tone of voice she used carried with it the impression that-she meant business, and Kenneth stepped forward and did as directed. he moment he was freed, the sport bowed to the woman, and said: ‘‘Madame Incognito, lowe you a debt I can never repay. You have saved my life, I do not doubt.” The queen inclined her bead, and replied: ‘* We will speak of that later.” Then to Ken- neth she added: ‘‘ Now, restore his weapons to him.” This Kenneth ordered his men to do, and in a moment more the sport was not only free, but ‘‘Now,” said Incognita, “itis for you to say what shall be done with these men. Shall I or- der my men to give them five or ten cuts apiece with the whip they were about to apply to you?” ‘*It would serve them right,” Jean replied; ‘* but, if you are willing, we will let them go, I could not demean myself to strike a man who is helpless in my power.” his cut as deeply as the whi done; and while Kenneth pressed bis lips in si- lent rage, Stanton’s face flushed with shame. “Very well,” Incognita agreed; “it shall be as you say. You have a noble heart. Turn your weapons upon them now, and make them do your will.” Ts sport covered the six men, and the Faro Queen lowered her weapons. The tables were new turned. * Jared Kenneth,” the sport said, ‘‘ you hed me in your power a moment ago, and I have no doubt you intended to do all that you threatened. Now I intend to return good for ria and let you and Stanton and your men go. ree, ‘‘' You're a fool 1f you do,” was the sullen re- could have a ee GOMUE ,OO : ; : ‘ . * -- ae n aie sa | : i '