Beadle's New York Dime Library, No. 512 — page 9: what you’re looking at

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

C examined the products of their expedition they repeated the operation, tideon shook his head over the result. ‘ Another water haul—not so much as a fin,” Jauched Jobnny. ‘Not a scale,’ was the response. xo back now and try else where,” And out went the candle, and back they went. ** Captain,” suddenly whispered Johnny Jump- up, and at the same time he touched his com- panion’s sleeve, ‘‘ tnere’s something behind us.” Tu an instant the two men stood like statues in the darkness, and the silence that hemmed them in was something striking. ‘¢ | don’t—hear—it—now,” said a voice at Gideon Goldbar’s ear. “‘ But I did, by the souls o’ my dead!” Five minutes longer stood the two friends, without apparently moving a muscle, much less doing anything to create the slightest sound. The presence of a spy, a tracker, a sleuth of No Man’s Ground in that underground cavern, was not calculated to give rise to pleasant thoughts, (tideon Goldbar and Johnny Jumpup thought of the same thing at the same time. ‘* We can’t affors to have spies at our heels at this stage of the game,” was the sentence that formed itself in their minds, ‘‘ The man who sits in his wheeled chair in Sacramento and oparates on No Man’s Ground, has too much at stake not to employ the keenest spies money can buy.” Johnny Jumpup was the first of the twain to try his tongue again. “Let me tackle it, captain, he whispered. ‘(49 ahead, making noise enough for two. [ll stay behind and take care ofit when it comes up.” x You don’t know what it is, Johnny.” ‘‘ Something o’ flesh and blood,” was the an- swer and if he had not been standing where he was he would have supplemented his words with his favorite chuckle. Gideon Goldbar leaned back to his companion and said: ‘* Be careful. you, Johnny.” ‘* Will you ever be, captain?’ ae No,” After this a step went down the corridor and Johnny Jumpup was the only person standing on the spot that step had left. Gideon Goldbar continued on for some dis- tance, all the time listening over his shoulder. Not a sound came from the man he had left behind, He kept on to the mouth of the mine, but he did not push on into the starlight. ‘* Johnny must have been deceived,” he thought to himself, ‘*The best of ears are mistaken sometimes, Johnny is right. I will never see the time when I can spare him, He is the best ‘help’ lever saw. Without bim I might not be this far in the gume to-night and Mona and Vetla might not havea friend on the strange trail to No Man’s Ground.” Gideon waited a little longer for Johnn Jumpup and as he did not come, he retraced his steps back into the mine. e went back to where he thought he had left his companion, but found nothing. Johnny Jumpup had disappeared as if a demon of darkness had spirited him off. Gideon Goldbar hunted in the gloom awhile, but suddenly, as if he recollec that he was needed elsewhere, he whirled and went to the entrance, ‘ : Out of the mine—Mine No. 3—Gideon went, hack to the camp near by, and down one of the irregular streets toward the Square, It did not take more than a glance, and not half a dozen overteard words, to tell him that something had happened. The Gold Goths formed a crowd near the tree on the Plaza. If any person had taken the trouble to count them, he would have found that all were there. ' ‘‘Tt’sa clear case 0’ cold-blooded assassination!” «rowled some one, ‘ The rascal Julius didn’t Co it for the committee took care of him on the way up here. And yet no other, Goth held a grudgs against Macbeth.” ne By this time a little lane had opened in the crowd, and Gideon Goldbar took advantage of it to go forward. In a minute he was. lookin man lying on the ground, an eyes were fixed on him, ‘ ‘*Gentlemen, you want the man who did this do you?” suddenly rung out a voice. ‘‘ Well, there he stands!” Goldbar turned with a start and saw— of finger of Boss Nevada covering Dun Duff! a ‘* We can Iam not yet prepared to spare down at a dead twenty pairs of CHAPTER XI, A COOL HEAD, Or course words like these directed the gaze of every one to the man thus singled out by the head master of No Man’s Ground. Gideon Goldbar had. not witnessed the scene enacted when the Gold Goths learned of the murder of one of their number—Nicol Macbeth, | OO —————————————— SS __________ eS —————rerrnEenn ee eee = 2 ee: ' | the man found between the cabins stabbed to the heart and taken off ina gion Being absent in the mine where be had left Johnny Jumpup waiting for the object which had disturbed them, he had missed the events | just mentioned, But he bad come back to camp in time to find | the gl '-hunters still grouped about the mur- dered Goth, each and all swearing vengeance of | the direst kind. | Not five men of the crowd had seen Dun Duff approach, but the eyes of Boss Nevada—those cold penetrating eves that seemed to miss noth- ing, had watched him from the moment of bis coming in sight, and he only bided his time when he could break out in startling denounce- meuf. There was light enough on the spot to bring the tableau out in all its fitness. Dun Duff met the looks of his accuser and the Goths with a coolmess that surprised men ac- aptain Velvet’s Big Stake. —_ — — | deep water? No, Norgan., m on the Plaza. customed to cool desperadoes. Not a muscle seemed to move, and the figure, straight before appeared, to lengthen a mite. a bold man. Boss Nevada evidently thought of his last words to Opal—that he intended to ‘‘ make safe the secret of No Man’s Ground,” whatever it was, and there came back to him as the accusa- tion poured over his lip the writing which Nor- gan’s chemical bad brought out on the paper. It was a bold charge, but it had been made by | Dun Duff was not standing five feet from the | head,” murmured Norgan. dead. There was nothing between him and Macbeth but the space across which the corpse bad lately | same errand, been carried. ‘‘ Gentlemen, one and all, I accuse that man,” continued Boss Nevada, with five seconds be- tween his first words and the present ones, ‘* You see that the man on the ground has been murdered, The bowie stab settles that beyond doubt. I happen to know that Dun Duff there has more than one name, that he is here for a purpose inimical to the rights of Satan City. I order him under arrest!” Everybody expected an outburst of rage and denial, They looked for some quick shooting, but none came, On the contrary, a strange smile lit up Dun Duff’s eyes. He looked at Boss Nevada as if he would look him through, and then his eyes wan- Gere: Bast the Goths to. the figure on the ound, ‘‘The dead. can’t talk,” said he in tones that betrayed no excitement. ‘If the ape rane could move as they have often mov would be willing to rest my case with them, My wen ee Gentlemen, Dun Duff is at your dis- posal, Se calmly and coo], without the semblance of fear or resentment were these words spoken that even Boss Nevada wondered what kind of man he had accused, ‘*We will test all that,” he replied and then he looked at the men who watched him. ‘‘ Men of No Man’s Ground, [ order that man in- to custody.” Several citizens of the camp step and Dun Duff was formally taken der of Nicol Macbeth. The gold-miners looked. at one another, but did not. comment on the situation, Boss Nevada walked away. ‘* What’s to be done next, captain?’ asked a voice at his elbow as a finger touched his arm, ‘‘ You ought to know, Norgan,” was the quick retort as the master of No Man’s Ground looked down into the face of the camp assayer. ‘What is your proof?” ‘Proof, my man?” laughed Nevada, ‘Do you forget already about the secret command in the letter?” . Norgan shook bis head, , ** [T have taken time by the forelock,” resumed the crippled nabob’s agent, ‘* We had to do it, Dun Duff is already in toils from which there can be no, escape. . You saw the menacing looks of the Gold Goths?” | ** Well, don’t you know that they are ready to fly at Dun Duff and take vengeance for the murder that has been committed? .L could lift a finger and launch the whole lot at him likea pack.of half-starved wolves.” Will you do it?” ‘*Not just now at least.” “1 see.. You want to see first what sort of hand Dun Duff holds, You would like to know why he came to No Man’s Ground under a name which is not his true one?” “*T would like to know that, Norgan,” rejoin- Boss Nevada. ‘Of course my opinion is that the secret brought him. If not the Colonel would not have written the merciless command forward or the mur- in the message.. We hold the fort at any cost, | and apart of that cost must be the life of the man now under arrest,” ‘* What of the otber man?” ** What man?” ** Gideon Goldbar.” **One man at a time,” was the quick response. ‘*Come with me, Norgan.” . “9 The two men walked to Boss Nevada’s cabin and when the captain had shut the door, he took from his bosom the sheet of paper and the Qs pc a on oni cine =: — - ea p ft 9 stub of red sealing wax which he had taken from the desk in the office, “You see I am ready to write out the rerort,” he observed to Norgan holding the objects be- fore bis companion’s eyes. * To-n orrcw, Nor- gan, you shall set out for Sacramento with some good news for the master.” **So early, captain?” “Why not? Do you think I am going to let the fish in the net cut the mesbes and get into men. e did not blunder wheu we had Mark Moline’s ca:e in hand, We shall not blunder now,” ‘* A blunder would be fatal.” ‘‘[t would give Dan Duff more than a breathe ing spell,” continued Boss Nevada quickly. ‘‘Give him that and the secret isno longer safe, No, the prisoner under arrest is already con- demned, and condemnation on No Man’s Ground means death. You will go back to the crowd Feel the pulse there. If it beats fast don’t do any thing to decrease it. See tke pards and drop a word here and there. The ' coolness of the man can’t preserve him. By the eternal heavens, if he had everything in his favor he should not escape.” Norgan the assayer locked at Boss Nevada as the clinched hand came down on the table by way of emphasis, and then walked from _ the bps leaving the master spirit of Shasta-land alone. ‘*Tt must be quick work to catch this cool- **T don’t surrender my previously-formed opinion—tbat both Gid- eon Goldbar and Dun Duff came here on the Time will prove it.” The suspicious assayer went back to the Square, . omehody—one of the Goths, perhaps—had covered the corpse with a blanket, and no one was near it now. Across the ‘‘ open” stood the door of Shasta Sam’s saloon ave wide, and Norgan could see that it was well filled with a crowd, whose single topic, of course, was the murder and the arrest, A singular curiosity took gan, when he found himsel figure under the tree. 4%, t drew him toward it almost irresistibly, and in a moment he was leaning over the blanket. Overhead a full moon was shining brightly having just passed frem behind a dark vail of elouds, and Norgan thought himself the only living person on the scene. “Vl take a look at the man destined in death to eucher Dun Duft’s hand,” thought he. Then he lifted one corner of the blanket and held it up so that the moonlight could fall on the face on whieh had set tbe mute stare of the ssession of Nor- near the covered ead, He looked at Macbeth several seconds. “He came a long distance to get the knife. He should not have recognized Dun Duff,” mur- mured Norgan, ‘A man who will be avenged in a few hours! Ah! good-night forever, Goth.” The assayer was lowering the blanket when he was touched from behin ‘ Let m him, please.” . The c of the mountain shroud nearly dropped from Norgan’s hand, but he looked around to stare at the calm and white face of Opal. : ‘You here?’ be stammered. ‘ Don’t know, girl, that Captain Nevada—” | oe, © know,” roke in the beauty of No Man’s Ground. ‘I know that I was to keep to my cabin all night, that I bad orders from the autocrat of this wild land to that effect; but I am here, forall that, Norgan. I want to see the face you were covering.” . It was next to sm possins ‘6 prevent Opal from having her way. She was on the ground, her hand had been transferred from hissleeve to the shroud itself. If he did not lift it for her it would be raised all the same. . With a wondering look at the girl who bad boldly disobeyed the commands of Boss Nevada, Norgan threw back the blanket again, Opal uttered a light cry as she leant over the body and looked down into the face revealed by the moonlight, cee Se He watched her till she had taken her Icok and stood erect again. Then her bands took the blanket from his clutch and with the tenderness of a sister she covered the dead with it, arrang- mi the folds till they did not Jook as rough as ore, , | ‘Somebody is going to pay for this, ain't they, Norgan?” hy asked, : . The assayer nodded. “Who is the man they have arrested for the deed?” : , **Dun Duff.” While he answered, Norgan could not but wonder how Opal had beard of the accusation and arrest. " ‘Is he guilty?” . It was a strange question. ‘Ts he guilty?’ echoed the assayer, as he allow- eda smile to part his lips. ‘‘ Opal, do you think they would charge ap innocent man with such a oe ee Pee = tie? | ope not,” rejoined the girl, Z ~ © T think sok answertd Siecaaa Opal looked down at the blanketed figure yeu MMIELMOOLES (E(0) (E(o) ‘ weer i Cnet ~