Beadle's New York Dime Library, No. 453 — page 8: what you’re looking at

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

8 Captain Coldgrip’s Long T'raii. } ing forward, while Coral, still showing the effect | fall back into the clutches of the wretck who at the man who fronts Waco Dick! That is hel of the Russian’s words, stared speechlessly at him. ‘‘ Was it a mere accident, my good wom- an, or, a bit of nice play by the sweet-scented pair?” ‘*Tt was accident,” declared Coral. ** You are certain of this?” ** Before Heaven, [ am, Captain Mark!” “Cyclone would come back. He left Lead- ville kinder sudden, I presume.” ‘* He did not say.” “You need not tell me what brought him back. I have made a discovery.” Mark thrust a hand into one of his pantaloons pockets and Coral seemed to wait breathlessly tor its reappearance. nize on sight, for her eyes dilated. ‘* You will remember that I took possession of Cyclone’s shanty after the two exilescame. Well, between the logs [ found bits of paper, and now and then some fragments of writing. These I gathered ‘up to examine at some future time, I found this. You seem to know it, judgin’ from the expression in your eyes. You wrote it, in St. Petersburg, to Count Paul Demidoff, and sent it to him by your husband. It is dated |} sent one to torture a thousand feet under round, and the other, a child, to a strange ‘land, I am going to make war on all who help ; ate sleuth, includihg the New York spotter, Coldgrip, who is said to be linked to bim in this | hunt for innocent blood, Cyclone will be Paul + Demidoff’s pard inside of three hours.” d i WR the count’s infamy toward me?” cried oral, ‘“ Yes. Colonel Redpath, as he is called here, knows how to d:aw men like Cyclone to him. _ Before the fight opens you must go, Get ready, | Coral,” Mark Million leaned against the door, and, with folded arms, watched Coral, who emerged in a pleading voice. 4s 0,” **'You are cruel.” : ‘*T have to be in a case of this kind.” Coral turned away and gathered up a few ar- Among’em ; ticles, the larger number from a stout little chest in one corner of the cabin. ‘**lam ready now,” she exclaimed, wheeling suddenly upon the man at thedoor. ‘* [t doesn’t take me long to pack up. I came here poor and I leave as poverty’s daughter.” She cast over J Ws 10, 1872.” oral held out her hand, but Mark with a er shoulder a look of pain as hake of his head and a smile, drew hisown she reached the door with the fingers of the ‘back. | Colorado sport softly encircling her arm. ‘* In this letter,” he went on, with a cruelty | She must have thought that she was quittin that cut the tortured woman like a two-edged | a place where she bad at times been happy, anc knife; ‘‘in it you say that you will testify to | that she was going into exile with a hidden fu- _ away forever. anything in consideration of the suspension of a | | Mark Milhon led her through a part of Silver | Deck to a low shed at one side. certain sentence, and the sum of one thousand roubles—” Coral broke in upon Mark’s sentence with a | | walk?” wiry © iy ae “* My | is that in that letter?” she exclaim- ‘‘ Yes, and more. A little further down the page you promise to quit Russia and to remain For the suspension of sentence and the thousand roubles, Coral?’ ture to swallow her up. ‘*Aha! I am not going to be forced to ‘* No, Coral. I give you one of the best horses in Colorado.” | The woman stood aloof while the mountaineer ' entered the shed and led forth two horses, ‘* Is he going too?’ Coral asked herself. | The next minute the hands of Mark assisted The one woman of Silver Deck was a statue her to the back of one of the steeds, while he before the boss mountaineer. mounted the other. $e That is the Satan with the cold hand.” Million turned slowly and saw the person designated. “Right you are, Bolivar,” he said in a whis- per. ‘‘l’d know him among a thousand, He can hold no big hauds in Silver Deck!” CHAPTER X. FACE TO FACE. CAPTAIN COLDGRIP knew when he set out from Leadville, that he was soon to meet a man with whom, on a hunt which has nothing to do with the present romance, he had once had an encounter, Mark Million had been concerned in an affair which had called to the fore some of the great ‘* When a man moves he ought to take all his | slowly from the bewilderment caused by his important traps along,’ he continued, drawing | visit, sleuth’s keenest talents; but in the general . forth an old letter which Coral seemed to recog- | ‘* Can’t I see Cyclone before I go?” she asked, | catch at the close of the game, the now boss of Silver Deck had slipped through the net and es- caped. As his capture was not demanded, Captain Coldgrip had let him go, although he knew that the man was almost any body’s match in coolness, cunning, and bravery. Mark was now the head man of Silver Deck; he had around him a lot of men who were read to obey his harshest orders and his slightest tod, The New York spotter would find the camp against him; he could expect nothing else. The yasting of Bolivar blink in Leadville, told that ark Million was on the lookout for him, and that, from the moment of his reaching Silver Deck, he must expect to fight the crowd. He did not know that the man he had left in Leadville jail had effected his liberty; but Boli- was startled to see the fi var had decided too late to beat the sleuth to camp. When he came opposite the saloon he e of the spotter, and then he began an eager hunt for Mark. The men inthe camp now seemed to realize that the handsome man who came in with sparkling eye and a springy step was no ordi- nary person, and that he come for a certain Por pone. in aude Coldgrip looked the crowd over at a glance. ‘*T jeft Cyclone very eager in Leadville,” he said to himself, ‘‘I wonder if the old fellow took it into his head to come on? I was off the - | . | 4 ** T guess you don’t want to hear all the letter,” | ‘You need not go along, Captain Mark,” she main trail long enough to let him pass, if he 3 he continued, remarked, with a smile, which broadened as. started soon on a good horse! but I don’t see i ‘ ** You need not read it.” she added: ‘I’m not afraid to join alone the | him here.” a “T thought so. Idon’t know how this letter | mighty army of exiles.” Cyclone was not in the place just then. a ever remained in Cyclone’s hands. Perhaps it ‘* You sha’n’t have me with you long, Coral,” ot far away he and Colonel Redpath sat face ea was never delivered. But you testified, Coral; | was the answer. ‘‘I only want to show you the | to face in the tough’s old cabin, Bes ou went on the witness-stand of the secret | road.” The eyes of the Russian were watching Cy- kal ribunal managed by Paul Demidoff, and vou A minute later the two horses were moving | clone’s countenance, for he had just spoken a | __s swore to the most infamous story that ever left | away side by side, and continued thus until Sil- | sentence which had thrown the sport into deep a a human tongue. Forthe thousand roubles, was | ver Deck, full of strange fate, was a mile be es ae it?” hind them. “T had something here!” suddenly cried Cy- aes Coral seemed to be writhing in the grasp of ‘*-You can go now,” said Mark, drawing rein, | clone, springing u ‘* Among my paper's there ei - gome unseen demon. ‘Yonder runs the trail, which a horse like the | was a letter which I think would fetch Coral to / “ang ‘““ Spare me!” she suddenly cried, starting for- | one you have cannot miss on the blackest night. | terms.” ae ward. | Follow it, and it will lead you to other scenes, ‘* Let me see it,” replied Redpath. rr “TI ought to!” sneered Captain Mark. ‘“‘I | Don’t humor the temptation to come back here. Cyclone began to search the crevices between he? j ought to spare the woman who would not spare | Keep away from | ge Paul Demidoff, aad | the logs of the cabin, and his movements were mS when mercy waited at her gate. But, look here, | Captain Coldgrip. you come back, woman,” | followed by the man in the chair. _ oral. The man who left first to-night is the | and Mark’s voice got at this juncture an addi- ‘“Do you make places like those your chest?” (aa _ Scorpion of the Palace—the same Paul Demidoff | tional sternness, ‘‘ if you come back, remember | asked the Russian with a smile, & who suspended the sentence and gave the thou- | that I havea letter which in these mountains ‘Ves: they’re good enough out here,” laugh- ee, sand roubles—” would lynch an angel of light!” ed Cyclone, over his shoulder. ‘‘In Russia _ “He kept back the pay, the reptile!” cried Coral with flashing eyes. ** But the sentence?” The woman recoiled to the logs of the cabin oe as she listened, grasped Mark Million’s wrist. **You need not look for me!” she cried’ ‘*What should tempt me back to the Russian we'd need steel safes for our papers, eh Count?” “ And wouldn't think them safe then.” ‘‘ Hades and horns! it isn’t here!” suddenly grated Cyclone. ‘I left it between those logs _ as if the hand of the sport had been put forward | scorpion? Why should I want to breathe the | with a lot o’ paper.” «to touch her. same air with the New York spotter? Why ‘“ Why didn’t you take it with you?” eh “He said he would suspend it, but he lied | tarry where a man keeps for years a letter ‘“*T never expected to have use for it, you see, Tits ¥. !” she went on. like the one you found? No! no! You'll have | It was the letter she wrote you, saying that ‘aa _ ** What was that sentence?” to hunt me if you want me, Captain ion. | she’d swear to anything for certain favors, Ree ‘‘Not for a thousand pounds of dust!” she | Good-by! I wish you luck in the game, but let | You gave me the letter after the , you = cried, starting. me say ere I go—the exiles are not worth your | know.” y ” Well, keep your secret, Coral,” smiled | devotion.” . ' ‘‘] have not forgotten the circumstance. I'd | = Mark. ‘‘I won’t try to force that from you. She drew back, her fine figure rose proudly | like to have it now, for with it I could force her | y To-night, just now, he wanted to know what | above the saddle and the next moment Mark | to reveal the hiding-place of the exiles.” | r had become of the exiles?” saw her not, but heard the rapid gallop of an “Well, I’m sorry, count.” | | cae “Yas.” unseen horse! ‘¢ Perhaps she found it.” | Bie st ** And you told him?” ‘* Farewell, Coral!” he laughed. ‘ This is an ‘‘ Coral?” cried Cyclone. ‘‘ Why, she never re. ‘“‘That they were not here.” easy riddance—easier than I expected, I guess | knew I had it!” i ‘* Which he did not want to believe?” I’ve deprived the Russian sleuth of one pretty ‘Well, we'll have to try another scheme, By ‘He has discovered that they were here.” fair card, I doubt if I ever see Coral again,” | You did not see him when he came?” Oe ‘Through some traitor?” It was all guesswork with Mark Million, for ‘*T was in Leadville then.” ps7 **T don’t know.” he was destined to see once more, before death ‘‘So you were. I wonder how the girl look- met * Doesn’t be trust you?” claimed him, the woman he had just driven a iy “He did not want to when here,” into exile, ‘She was beautiful when they sent the father es “Did he threaten?” The boss of Silver Deck turned and rode | to the north.” Pe. . “Yes, but Cyclone told him through his teeth | back. ‘Very beautiful!” acknowledged the'Russian. sto slacken bis pace.” *** Medora will rest easy when I tell her that | Confound it all, Cyclone—I’m already used to we ** And he told Cyclone what?” the fair perjurer is gone!” he thought when, | your new name you see—we’ve got to fight a ** He said that he no longer was my husband.” | having put his horse away he walked through | this camp unless we can buy a part of it.” \ “Which is not true?” the camp. Cyclone leaned back and stared at the foreign | ae *‘ Which is true, made so by the courts of this | ‘Cap’n, for a thousand, I’ve found you at | sleuth. } 5 country since we left Russia.” last!” cried a voice as a man sprung into his ‘‘T don’t think they’ll sell,” he replied. 4 — ** Coral, there is to a drama here which | path. -‘‘I fell into the clutches of the Atlantic ** Don’t they like dust?” al i ‘ou might not wish to play in,” said Mark, as he | spotter, but here I am. Not even the jail of ‘They do.” | jeaned toward the woman watching him like a Leadville could hold Bolivar Blink from. bis ‘“They have to work hard for what they get.” ae falcon. ‘‘ You don’t want a mountain court, | master. He is at the door. Now look out for *“ And they sometimes throw it away, too.” ay: like the kind we sometimes organize in Colorado | Captain Coldgrip!” The Russian was silent for a second, By |: to pass on your actions across the sea.” rk Million looked into the man’s excited | ‘Call them all up before you, Cyclone!” he ay Merciful heavens, no!” the woman, | eyes and smiled. suddenly exclaimed, leaning toward the Silver | _ ag she in a second drew a mental picture of the | _‘I’m ready for anybody, Bolivar,” he ex- | Decker, ‘Go over them one by one, You i < - grouped pards of Silver Deck. claimed. ‘‘ You can tell me about it over the | know them all. Ain’t there one Judas in the a **Then you must get away.” counter,” and he led his Leadville watch into | lot!—just one?” “a hep ** When?” the saloon then a dozen steps away. ‘**‘ Not one traitor, count,” was the reply. Hl. Bai! “Now! 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