Beadle's New York Dime Library, No. 512 — page 10: what you’re looking at

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

~ 10 aptain Velvet’s ig Stake. Geen ND again, and then lifting her head suddenly, sent | was followed by a dozen pair of eyes as keen as a glance toward the saloon. ‘I want the guilty punished—the guilty, mind you, Norgan,” she said to her companion. The emphasis on the last several words did not escape the assayer’s perception. ‘‘The guilty shall not escape,” he exclaimed. ‘‘ Boss Nevada made the accusation before the crowd, and he takes no steps without looking ahead.” ‘‘ True, true,” muttered Opal. ‘‘ He is always looking ahead. He knows but one thing—but one above all others, I mean, and that is to serve the man in the South. But Boss Nevada wants to get the right man this time. A murder has been committed, a man has been accused—ar- rested, i say once more, Norgan, be sure that Dun Duff is guilty before you take blood for blood,” * What! don’t you chink he is?” exclaimed the assayer. ‘‘ Are you going to say that Boss Nevada has pointed out the wrong man?” Opal gave him a mystical look, ‘* Remember, I say nothing.” said she, CHAPTER XII. A TURN IN THE GAME, NorGan looked curiously after Opal, as she walked away, with her last words ringing in his ears. What did the girl mean, anyhow? He dared not goto Boss Nevada with a re- port of what he had beard, for he did not want Opal to fall under his displeasure for a disobe- dience of orders, and he knew that the girl would give him no explanation of her words if he followed her for that purpose, Therefore the assayer of No Man’s Ground re- solved to leé Opal return to her abode unmo- lested and unbetrayed while he sought out for himself the meaning of her strange sentence: ‘“ Remember, I say nothing!” ‘Tf said Norgan to himself, *‘she knows something calculated to break the force of Dun Dnuff’s’ accusation and arrest, she may forget her allegiunce to the Colonel long enough to give the man the breathing period he mustnot have. Dun Duff must die. More than this: he must die for the murder of Nicol Mac- ticth the Gold Goth. Heis the most dangerous munof the two, He is cooler than Gideon Gold- bar, and if he breaks through the mesbes as Captain Nevada says, we must fight to keep the secret of No Man’s Ground.” Norgan crossed the Square to the mountain saloon where the Goths crowded and discussed the last events. Toey had already forgotten Boss Nevada’s promise that they should be taken through the mines on the following day. They did not talk of dust, lodes, pay-streaks and pockets, They put their heads together, beard touching beard in many instances, and talked darkly and me- nacingly of two men—Dun Duff and Nicol Mac- eth, Nobody noticed Norgan’s appearance in the den, and he was permitted to hear a good deal without being disturbed. ‘*T could touch off a magazine with a very small match,” thought the assayer. ‘* The pow- der is here and the match is to hand. A dozen words would precipitate fifty uncontrollable cool heads upon Dun Duff, and he would go out like a candle.” Norgan argued the case with himself while he listened and looked, At one time he thought of setting oft the magazine, at another he decided to let Boss Nevada play his hand out, Allat once the assayer saw aman who had walked quietly into the place. It was Gideon Goldbar his other suspect. ** Dun Duff’s masked pard!”? resumed Norgan. ** Two men like those don’t come to a place like this at rearly the same time without being allies, The same designs animate them; the same thoughts spur them to action. Can’t you see, Boss Nevada, that we have two men to deal with?” While Norgan watched Goldbar he saw him a group of Goths and crossing the bar-room e secured a good position for listening. ** What think you, pard?’ suddenly asked one of the Goths wheeling upon Gideon who had ut in a word which was calculated tocall forth 6 question, *“*T think it is not a clear case,” was the re- s . “No proof has yet been offered. We have nothing but the accusation.” f,“I thought so! Talking for his pees already,” paneely ejaculated Norgan. ‘ What more is needed to make the chain complete?” ‘You are right,” replied one of the Goths. ‘‘ Boss Nevada has offered nothing in proof of his charge. Dun Duff met it coolly.” ‘* But there was a derisivesmile at his mouth.” *T saw it, too.” “Tt seemed to say: ‘Gentlemen, I’d like to _ gee you prove anything. I hold the best hand just now. Prove itif ra can,’” There were several echoing nods to these words. ‘** Very well, gentlemen,” rejoined Gideon Goldbar, calmly. ‘‘ Let us be sure we have the right man. As much as we love justice we can- notafford to send Dun Duff, whatever bis record, to his deat innocent of this charge.” ‘ Goldbar left the group with these words, He At this moment the chemist pitched forward over some obstacle at his feet, He did not re- cover till he had fallen against the wall which he could not see. A nameless thrill told him that be bad found the antocrat of No Man’s Ground! Coming back to the thing that bad tripped him, Norgan scraped a lucifer along the stone. * Captain Nevada, by the fumesof Tartarus!” broke over his lips, and then he was glaring at the scene revealed by his match. At full length on the stone floor of ‘‘ the office ” mid the man of men on No Man’s Ground. oss Nevada looked like one dead and dead he was to Norgan., ‘* The pard did this!” came through Norgan’s teeth. ‘‘ Don’t I know that those two men came here as twin angels of destruction? Ha! what is this! A paper in the captain’s clutch?” The excited assayer of Shasta iand darted at the object his eyes had discovered, but the fin- gers of the nabow’s agent bad closed on it like the fingers of death. He had to take both hands to the task before him, and it took all his strength to loosen the relentless grip. Norgan tore the paper several times in getting possession of it, but at last be sprung up with an exclamation of triumph, and bunched five mat- ches for his lamp. Thrusting the little candle into a hole in the desk half-way in the wall the assayer looked at bis prize. e had to smooth the pieces out and put them together one et one. When he had finished he leant over bis work breathless and white. his own, ‘** Who is that man?” asked several Goths. ** Calls himself Goldbar.” ** He didn’t come with us?” ‘* No, he was bere when we came.” ** So was Dun Duff.” ** Of course.” ‘‘ What have they done with the prisoner?” It was the most natural thing in the world that this question should be asked. Norgan himself was not prepared to answer it though it had not been put to him, He did not know what had become of the man accused of murder. ‘* May beI had better investigate,” he thought, and the following moment he betook his pres- oe from the saloon and went in search of Dun uff, Fortunately for the assayer’s patience, the accused was not as hard to find as a bonanza, He went to a cabin considerably larger than its immediate neighbors, and found two dark figures on guard before the door. At once he knew where Dun Duff was. Beyond the little square window at one side of the portal burned a light, and Norgan was permitted by the guards to lean forward aud look inside. Leaning against the log wall, with his arms folded upon his chest, which was ample enough |; for any one, and ,ooking down at a man at the table in the middle of the room, stood the most prominent man in Satan City at that time, Dun Duff bad doffed his bat, and one of his bands bad brushed back from his forehead bis glossy black hair. . . b ae | “cc ” a“ He made a striking picture for the inquiring | pa ae ecm ne Haney ee ont ae eee ake and interested Norgan, and for some time he | fin you see him. The oath—the oath! The time has come /”” Norgan staggered back and cried: ‘* Captain Nevada, I obey!” CHAPTER XIII. THE QUEEN OF DARKNESS, suw Dun Duff only and not the man designated | by Boss Nevada to keep him company till the | hour of his doom, | ‘What does be say?” asked the assayer, as he | turned from the window. | This he addressed to one of the guards ina ata othing.” Tue assayer of No Man’s Ground found it bard ‘You mean that he neither affirms nor de- | to keep one part of the command, and that was nies?” not to speak to any one in Satan City before “Yes.” leaving it. He went back to Boss Nevada and found an inside pocket next to bis heart. It was sewed shut, but he soon got inside and took therefrom asmall flat packet of buckskin which he put carefully away where he felt it would be safe. ‘* Now for Sacramento, captain,” be exclaim- ed, looking down at the motionless figure on the “eat ‘‘ There’s no teiling what will happen ere during my absence, but I won’t spare horse- ‘‘ ut he has spoken about—about the dead Goth since the arrest, hasn’t he?” **Oh, yes.” “ce We ad ‘‘ He merely says that he did not come to No Man’s Ground to take life,” ‘* Which is no denial of the crime. Circum- stances may have caused him to silence Nicol ” wa, comer may have been a spy at his flesh in getting back as soon as possible.” heels,” By this time his torch of matches had flickered and gone out, and a moment later Norgan had left the office and was basteping toward the stables where Boss Nevada’s steeds were kept. He tried to avoid meeting any one, and found the horses without accident. The captain’s favorite was saddled in the darkness and made ready for the ride, Norgan led him forth and then down to his own shanty. Dropping tbe lines there he went ** That is true.” Norgan glanced at the window again, and saw the figure of Dun Duff the same as before, leaning against the wall with folded arms, ‘Do you think he has told Modoe anything?” Modoe was the guard inside. ‘‘He has talked a good deal with him,” re- joined the guard, ‘ But talking won’t save him, The secret message on the letter seals his doom, Boss Nevada won’t turn him over to the Goths, He has settled that. Dun Duff is to get the full benefit of the code.” ‘* When? Has the time been fixed?” ‘‘Tt bas, but nobody, knows it exactly but Captain Nevada. It may not be before day- light; it may begin during the next hour, You know we hold court here at all seasons,” Norgan did not have to have bis memory thus refreshed, The unflinching court of No Man’s Ground was ready toopen at any time, to try, to con- demn, to acquit or hang. ‘* But,” said he to himself, ‘*I want to know when it is to sit on Dun Duff's case. It must be before Opal has a chance to put in a word or a hand for him.” And then he added, as he had added before, at the close of his reflections: ** That man must die!” Let us follow Norgan as he walks awa7. His last look had been through the little win- dow of the cabin, and for the last time he saw the bronzed sphinx against the wall. a i in. ‘‘T was to speak to no one,” said he aloud. “But my hand can talk all the same, I can’t go away without leaving some word behind,” i wrote hastily on a bit of paper words like these: ‘Captain Nevada is dead in ‘The Office "—mur- dered! Iam off with his last message.”’ To this alarm he signed his name, placed it on the table where it would be seen by the first rson seeking him, went out, mounted the orse and rode off. He left camp in a walk, but no sooner did he reach the suburbs, than he touched the coal- black flanks with the spur, and a horse and his rider headed south went over the trail likea mad Centaur. There was something wild in Norgan’s riding with all speed toward a man hundreds of miles away. What was the purport of the message he car- ried in his bosom? What did the words “‘ the The sight seemed to lend to his limbs, time hascome” mean? He thought and thought, He went straight to Boss Nevada’s cabin, but | but did not approach a solution of the mystery. ‘‘They can’t blame the murder of Boss Ne- vada on Dun Duff, for he was under guard when it took place,” observed the solitary rider, ‘‘ Ah! there is the other man—Gideon Goldbar, Where bas he been since sundown? Didn’t I hear him talking for Dun Duff at Shasta Sam’s awbile ago? That is proof encugh of pardship. But will the boys see it? 1 might have put them on the trail by adding a word to the letter I left in the shantv, but I trust to their discernment to see the link that unites the two.” Norgan thought and talked thus to himself while he rode through the wild region of Shasta. Every now and then he let the horse rest by slackening his gait, but at times he used the ‘spur as if by dint of bard riding he could reach Colonel Bluff by dawn. We will leave him on the road with a promise to the reader to witness his arrival at bis jour- ney’s end, and go back to Satan City to scenes that demand our attention, it was empty when he entered. ‘‘ At the office, mebbe,” ejaculated Norgan, turning away. Going down the rambling street of Satan City he looked into Opal’s abode, but saw nothing, for the interior was dark and silent. Norgan kept on till he had left the last shanty bebind him, . He seemed to vanish among the shadows that lay thick everywhere, and five minutes later his footfalls echoed in a small chamber undoubtedly below the surface. The assayer of No Man’s Ground was in the mysterious ‘ office” across whose threshold the feet of very few men were permitted to pass. ‘‘Captain Nevada!” spoke Norgan, leaning forward into the darkness. There was no answer. He called again, a little louder then before, ey try the door of the cr Ph he said, to ‘He may be there, himself, he is not—’ Eom cbooks.ca * 2 £<* + . 4 os i. ** ‘ os