Beadle's New York Dime Library, No. 464 — page 24: what you’re looking at

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eer * ~ = 4 ‘ * = 7? ss =a” * 2» «* = and the end will soon come. ———ts found their way in the darkness back to the skiff, and returned to the Gazelle as silently as wt had come. Shortly after they had got out of sight of the sg and before they reached the shore of the e, a woman stepped forth from the deep dark- ness of the forest, a tall and gaunt woman, with a wrinkled face and piercing black eyes. The description will be easily recognized as that of Madame Lavalette, the Creole fortune- teller, and she it was. ‘‘ Another fine plot,” she said with a sneer, “Tt is wonderful liow easily these fine plots mis-~ earry. How carefully they bave buried the treasure they stole, and how safe it is! Yes, how safe it is!” CHAPTER XXXII, A FEMALE ALLIANCE, THe weather was hot at Spoon Lake, and mosquitoes were abundant, During the day the black gnats were the special pests; but at night the mosquitoes re- veled and souuded their trumpets trium- phantly. At the camp of the Mountaineer a tent had been made for Mrs, Crebbs by laying a pole across two crotched stakes and stretching a tarpaulin over it. She was not altogether pleased with bein tented in that way, and felt that she migh have passed the night quite as pleasantly in the open air, if not a little more so. Finding herself sleepless, oppressed by the heat and werried by the insects, she crept out from under the shelter, and discovered that the night had become clear and fine. The storm that had threatencd had not tran- ee the heavy cloudsthat had covered the sky had been blown away, the moon was shin- ing, and the air had become cooler. Attracted by the beauty of the night, Mrs. Crebbs wandered away from the camp, and got down to the shore of the lake, where she could see its entire expanse, with the Gazelle plainly visible at a little distance, On that boat was the man who had slain her father, and upon whom she had vowed venge- ance, and it was a joy to her to feel that she had been largely instrumental in bringing his pres- ent calamity upon him. She knew that the creek had been barred, and that the Gazelle was shut up there like a rat in a trap, with no chance to escape. Could Sandy Crawley escape? If not, would the penalty for the bank burglary be sufficient unishment for his crimes as she looked at em? She thought that there ought to be something more, and hoped that there might be something more. As she stood there, meditating these matters, she was startled by the sudden appearance of a woman, who seemed to have risen out of the ground, There was no mistaking that tall and gaunt _ old woman with the withered face and the bright black eyes. Though Mrs. Crebbs had seen her but once and could not have the faintest expectation of meeting her there, she recognized her instantly. ‘*Isit really you?” she asked, in wonder, ‘*Of course it is. Did you take me for a ghost? You have not forgotten me, then?” “You are Madame Lavaletce. You are his mother.” ‘* To my shame I must admitit, I have done much evil in my life, but the worst thing I ever did was bringing that wicked man into the world, There is nothing of mein him. He is like nobody but his father, who was a terror.” ‘* He is a bad man,” assented Mrs, Crebbs, ** And you are the woman who lived with him as his wife.” ‘*T hate myself when I confess that I am. But, if [ had known what I now know, I would never have entered his house or taken a dollar of his money.” “Il know what you mean. He killed your father, and caused the death of your brother.” _** How did you know that I was connected with the man he murdered in what they called a duel?” _‘T have my ways of finding out things. oe he does not know it, unless you have told m., ‘**'You may be sure that [ have not.” ** Well, you have done what you could to get even with im, but it was not enough. Do you want to do more?” ‘Everything that I can do.” ‘* You want to see the end of it, I suppose, It is a long lane that has no onli, and his has made a sharp and sudden turn, If you want to see the end of it, you must come with me.” ** Where will you take me to?” inquired Mrs, Crebbs. ‘** To the end of the lane.” ‘* The lane that has turned?” “ce Yes ” ‘“ How far will that be?” “Tt is a pretty long walk; but you will be safe. Are you afraid to go with me?” “Tam not afraid; but my friends will not know what has become of me, and they will be very aneey when they miss me.” ‘“Qo back and leave word for them. There must be somebody awake at your camp. You need not tell them who I am, I will stay here and wait for you.” Mrs. Crebbs, who believed implicitly in Madame Lavalette’s powers as a seer, Was anx- ious to be “in at the death,” and her mind was quickly made up. She hastened back to the camp, and spoke to the man on guard there, who happened to be one of Sheriff Heilnzan’s deputies. ‘‘ When Colonel Tazewell gets up,” said she, ‘T wish you would tell him that I have met a friend here, a woman, and that I have pune away with her. I don’t know when I will be back; but it is important that I should go,” ‘‘ Beg your pardon, ma’am,” answered the de- uty; ‘but are you sure that it issafe? This is a ticklish country, in more ways than one,” “T am quite sure that it is safe for me.” “Can you shoot a gun, ma’am—I mean a a pistol?” ‘* Indeed I can, and I have one of my own.” ‘‘ Glad to hear it. I was going to offer to lend you one, as you might need it.” “Tf IT should, I can use the revolver that I have. Please say nothing about this to Colonel Tazewell, or anybody else before they wake in the morning, and tell them then that they need not worry about me a bit.” Tom Heilman’s deputy was by no means sure that Mrs, Crebbs was about to do the right thing, or the safe thing; but he was a gallant young fellow, who was not going to stand in the way of a woman’s will. Mrs. Crebbs returned to Madame Lavalette, and told her what she had done, ‘* That is right,” said the old woman, ‘‘I am glad to see that you’re not afraid to go with me,” ‘* Why should I be afraid?” ‘You ought not to be; but some women have such foolish ways. Come on, then!” The journey through the forest that followed was tedious and wearisome to Mrs. Crebbs, pega her companion did not seem to mind it at all, Madame Lavalette went straight ahead, with- out turning to the right or the left, and without pausing to consider her route, following as straight a course as if she had carried a com- It was near daybreak, and Mrs. Crebbs was pretty well tired out when they reached their destination. It proved to be the cabin which Sandy Crawley had visited when he lost his way in the forest. A light was shining through the chinks and out at the open door, where a negro woman stood, looking forth as if waiting for some- body. It was Madame Lavalette for whom she was waiting, as she sprung forward when the old woman drew near, and literally ‘‘ kissed the bem of her garment.” +* You may go now, Rachel,” said the fortune- teller. ‘Yes, missus.” ‘“And you need not come back. I shall not want you any more.” ‘‘Won’t you come to see us pore folks ag’in, missus?” **T will if I can.” ‘*Oh, you kin do anyfin’ you want to, missus, and we pore folks is allus mighty glad and proud to see you.” **T will come if I can. The negro woman disap and Madame Lavalette | the cabin, It was a single small room, with a clay fire- place, a rude couch covered with blankets in a corner, some blocks of wood for seats, and a very few cooking utensils. The blankets and cooking utensils had been brought there by the negroes from whose settle- ment Rachel had come, and they had ministered to the wants of the Creole, who was evidently held by them in great reverence, Mrs. Crebbs was full of curiosity, and asked many questions which the old woman did not answer very freely. ‘‘How did you get here, and why did you come?” she wanted to know. ‘‘Oh, it was easy enough to get here, and I came for the same reason that you are here now—to get to the end of the lane—to see the last of Sandy Crawley.” ‘* How did you know tbat you would find him here?” ‘‘ How did I know? How do I know many things that people believe I could never find out? But that was simple enough, and I will tell you about it. I knew that some big piece of villainy was on foot, and that a man named Berry Sanders wasconnected with it. He came to see me, and I got him drunk, and_ he told me all about it. He is an open-mouthed idiot when he is full.” ‘* That was simple, indeed.” ‘“Many strange things are simple enough when you know how they are done. He came here to visit me a little while ago.” Run along, Rachel.” red in the forest, her companion into Sandycraw, the Man of Grit. i TT LL ES===s=sS — —---- — _ ~~~ + —E—————— ‘* Your son came here?” / ‘* Sandy Crawley came,” ““ How did he know that you were here?” ‘¢ He did not know it, or he would never have come near me. He had been hunting, he said, and bad Jost his way, and he called here to find out how he could get back to Spoon Lake. He was glad to get away; but he will come back, and will come soon.” ‘** How do you know that?” ‘‘T am sure of it, and that is enough,” Mrs. Crebbs was so thoroughly convinced ol the ability of Madame Lavalette as a seer and a person who was generally aware of everything, that she ceased to wonder, and asked no more questions, CHAPTER XXXII. QUELLING THE HITCHLEY TRIBE. THERE was naturally much wonder and no little uneasiness in the camp of the Mountaineer’s men when they discovered that Mrs. Crebbs had disappeared—not mysteriously, perhaps, but at least very strangely. Some were disposed to doubt whether she was in her right mind; but the man who had been on guard declared positively that when she spoke to him she was in the full ion of her senses, and evidently knew what she was about. It seemed so impossible that she should have found a friend in that wilderness and at that hour of the night, that her statements were re- garded as incredible, and it was only certain that she was missing. As it was of course utterly useless to search for her, there was nothing for her friends to do but to go about their business and attend to the matter that had brought them there. There was the Gazelle; but how was she to be got at? Leaving a guard at the camp, the greater part of them sallied forth to reconnoiter, to get the lay of the land, and to settle upon a plan oop effecting the capture of the robbers, They had not gone far when they discovered the Hitchley homestead, and it instantly oc- curred to them that the friend ef whom Mrs, Crebbs had spoken might be located there, Inquiry of the Hitchleys elicited only the re- peated declaration that they had seen no such woman and knew nothing about her. Efforts were made to find out what the Hitchleys did know, and at first the efforts were not successful, as the squatters fought shy of answering questions; but after a while, and under pressure, the truth was gradually brought out. They told when the Gazelle came there and went away and returned, and admitted that they were acquainted with Sandy Crawley and others on the t, who had come on shore and visited them. ‘‘ Who air you’ns, anyway?” demanded Hiram Hitchley, becoming inquisitive in his _ turn. ‘““Whar did you come from, and what did you come hyar fur?” ‘“T am the Sheriff of New Madrid county, Missouri,” answered Tom Heilman, “‘and I have a warrant for the arrest of three men on that boat, who are charged with robbing a bank at New Madrid. There is no doubt that they did rob the bank of a large amount of money and other valuable property, and they have the plunder with them now, unless they have put it out of the way, which is not at all likely.” This statement opened the floodgates of truth in the breasts of the Hitchleys, and it poured forth as from a sluiceway, though they were careful to say nothing about their disastrous attempt to “‘ coliar the swag.” ‘‘ Just what I said,” declared the old man. ‘‘T knowed it, and was sure of it, though the boys here was all ag’in’ me.” “What did you know, and how did you know it?” inquired Heilman. ‘‘{ knowed that Sandy Crawley an’ t’others had robbed a bank up thar, just as you said, and that the money was on the little steam- boat.” ‘* How did you find that out?’ ‘‘One of the fellers—Berry Sanders his name is—got drunk and told me all about rt.” ‘‘ Did you believe him?” ‘tT did, ‘cause a drunk man ’most allus tells the truth; but the boys wouldn’t believe a word of it, *eause they allowed that Sandy Crawley wasn’t that kind of a man; but you can’t most allus jest adzactly tell jest what sawt o’ devil- ment men is goin’ to git into when they has the chance.” ‘‘ Did you say anything to Crawley about it?” ‘ Wal, yes, [ kinder hinted at it; but he faced me down and stood out that thar warn’t a word o’ truth in the story, and so did t/other chap who came along arterwards,.” ‘“ Who was that?” ‘‘ Ben Somes he called himself.” ‘‘T reckon he knew his name, and he is one of the men we are hunting. So the gang are ait together now, and we have got them in a hole, and are bound to corral them if we are anyway smart,” * Air you givin’ it to me straight, mister? Is your business really what Fes say it tis?” ‘‘“You may bet your life it is, old man, and I <€om Meee > ote bess Chooks:com uae a. 5 ? - St eo (is “4 re a