Beadle's New York Dime Library No. 513 — page 19: what you’re looking at

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

Yellowbird, but chance favored her; she had | might as wal bought buff’ler meat an’ fed it ter | one bad been there sivce be left the previous “e not gone far from the house when she saw the Moses. The atrocious newrolgy is hitched outer | night. Passing ou, he proceeded to make the aA mountaineer and his dog. A motion from her | me ter stay, an’ all the money afloat can’t decoy | circuit of the lake. ; = was enough to stop tbe veteran, and she soon | it out. Money I hev no use for, but thar is one This was no small undertaking, and he kept i. 4 joined him. article would come in handy,” his strong limbs moving rapidly when oppor-- ot Texas Tartar. 19 ‘* A few trifles, and a package of lace.” Grandford made the statement carelessly, but it seemed to exercise astrange effect upon all his out. She did not know where to find Yank His grave expression at once attracted her attention, ““T wanted to see you,” she began, abruptly. **T have heard—” ‘* What happened last night?” ac Yes, ” Yank shook his head soberly. ‘*[’m afeerd Texas Tartar has come ter grief.” as gittin’ red o’ the newrolgy was consarned, I ** What is that?” ‘*A blanket, A good, warm, cosey, comfor’a- ble blanket, soft enough not ter bruise my skins when I accident’ly bit em ag’in’ it.” ‘** You shall have just such a blanket, my kind | friend. We have more than we need at the house, and I will send you one immediately.” ‘**1%m much obleeged, by hurley! Ill be at and deserted, and there was no sign that any 24 hearers. Norma and Albia exchanged a quiek, ‘‘ What wasin the smugglers’ den?” the hotel an’ receive it whenever you pass it significant glance, and then the former looked Without outward evidence that be considered | along.” toward her brothers. They were gazing at euch | as peculiar her disregard of the subject he had ** You shall not wait an hour.” other, and appeared to be perturbed. introduced, Yank gave the list in a deliberate Norma extended her hand and bade him good- Verily, the word ‘‘lace” was a firebrand in | way. by with a frankness which touched him anew, n that bouse. ‘‘And the lace? What was it like?” she | and as he watched her walk lightly away, he ‘‘ Where did he get the lace?” asked David, at | asked. shook his head soberly. last. ‘‘T give most on’t to Sheriff Troy, but kep’ ‘Yank Yellowbird, [ ain’t sure but you're ‘‘ Out of the smugglers’ store-house.” this smaJl artom as a sample.” degeneratin’. You've talked fair an’ nice ter ‘¢ Were there other valuables?” | He fished in a huge pocket in his coat, and | that artom o’ feminine sweetness, an’ all the “T think not. There was not much in the , brought out the ‘‘sample.” His big fingers | while you was layin’a trap fur her unwary store-house, anyway, and the smugglers took | handled it awkwardly, but nct so with Norma. | feet—an’condemn’d pooty little feet they be, away vearly all in tzeir boat.” She placed it in a favorable position, and a} too! Look out, you venerable old tramper, that ‘*it seems strange to me that these outlaws | single look was enougb to settle one point, you don’t put no stain on the Yellowbird pedi- cannot be captured,” cried Edgar, with zeal. The lace was exactly like that lately in the reen, al, thar’s one comfort, ef you do find ‘** Perhaps they will be now.” store-room of her own house, er male frien’s is guilty, she’s your client an” ** Any fresh measures afoot?” She wus agitated, though she tried to hide the | you’re bound ter keep all her secrets. No word ‘* Nothing especial, but a vigorous search will | fact, and she was not reassured when she looked | o’ mine shall ever harm ’em, an’ ef my gran’- | be made, Yank Yellowbird is reticent, but | up and saw Yank’s gaze bent keenly upon her. | father was alive I know he’d approve o’ my Saad nearly every one else is of the opinion that the | Almost instantly, however, a good-humored | tick-tacks.” smugglers have allies right here in Powderhorn | smile appeared on his face. This idea appeared to afford the mountaineer Mile, and a close search will be made.” ** Egregious funny how folks will run ter sech | considerable consolation, und as he walked to- David and Edgar exchanged glances, trifles, ain’t it?” he asked. ‘I never had many | ward the hotel he talked genially to Moses, and. | ‘‘ Here is a chance for us, Ed,” said the older | sech vanities. [ve beerd my marm say my | told a story as gravely as though the dog could brother. clothes was mortal skeerce the fu’st time anaennane it perfectly. ‘“ Yes, Who knows but we may get the clew | she met me—though [ don’t rec’lect much Arriving at the hotel, he went at oace to his and run these fellows down?” about it, myself—an’ I know I always went ter | room; but Jess than balf an hour had passed David laughed. school in blue-drillin’ trowsers an’ a caliker | when the landlord appeared, bearing a good- ‘*T think our shew is as good as anybody’s, | jumper. They give free play ter my muskels, | sized package. and we will consider it more seriously anon. Is | an’ it was amazin’ how I growed. Ef my ‘*This is for you,” he announced, there more news, uncle?’ cuticle hadn’t stretched like the mischief I'd ’a’ ** Jes’ so,” was the matter-of-fact response. “No.” growed out 0’ my skin, as wal as my jackets.” “T consait my sweetheart bas writ. She’s ‘* Then Dll excuse myself, and see you allata ‘¢ Do you really think Texas Tartar is dead?” | named Temperance Ann Jinks, an’ she lives at future time.” inquired Norma, with another abrupt change of | Grasshopper Crick. When she writes letters He ieft the room, while Norma _ ques- | subject. she never spares ink, an’ she ginerally sends ’em tioned Grandford further. She had been deeply ‘*T wish I could say I don’t,” by the distress taf Much obleeged; VIL shocked by the news about Texas Tartar. The ‘* Some one else may bave been shot.” read it when I’m through smokin’.” fact that he had agreed to help her had done ‘* 'Ye-es, but why should somebody else be The landlord went out, but the door had much to keep up her flagging spirits, for she re- | shot?” barely closed before the mountaineer’s pipe alized that he was a man to secure victory if one ‘¢T am very sorry,” said the girl, sighing, ‘‘I | was put aside, and he hastened to open the was to be gained, but Robert Kendall’s chances | liked him, aud had great confidence in his | package. seemed to have grown much more dubious, ability to help Mr. Kendall.” As he had expected, it was the gift from The captain told all he knew, but that was ‘¢He’d done it, too, Texas would. By the | Norma; but it did nut create a feeling so agree- not much. and it did not serve to encourage | way, hev you asked Kendall ’bout the han’ker- | able as that usually aroused by a present from a Norma, The latter found berself growing ner- | cher?” young lady. vous, and as she felt almost incapable of keep- ope. a hy The promised blanket lay before bim, and it ing still, she finally decided to go out and see ‘* What did he say?” needed only a casual g.iance to show that it was Yank Yellowbird, ‘‘He lost it the day before we were to be| an exact mate to the one found in the smug- Accompanied by Albia she went up-stairs, | married, He does not know when or where, but | glers’ store-house, but once in her room sbeé excused herself to | it disappeared during the day. I was cautious, Yank’s face grew more sober, but he turned | her friend and went out. She had not forgotten | as you directed, and did not let him knowit had | to the corners for the last clew. There, traced what Grandford had said about the lace brought | been found. Don’t you think this clears him?” | in the same letters he had scen on the other on in by Nevermiss, and it had vividly recalled the She looked at the mountaineer in a pitiful | blanket, was tne name that had first arcused other lace of which she knew, way that toucbed him deeply. In his opinion it | suspicion—‘t Westerley.” This particular package had been restored to | increased, rather than diminished, the doubts evermiss went back to his seat and took u the niche in the store-room after Susie had com- | concerning Robert Kendall, but he would not | his pipe. He was troubled, and tobacco al- pleted her work, and Norma had seen itnolong- | tell her so. He removed his old fur cap and | ways ead a soothing effect upon him at such er ago than the morning of that day. Some | ran his fngeE slowly through bis hair. times, mysterious power now seemed to draw her to- ‘* Wal, it may be so,” he dubiously replied. “It’s a nat’ral faculty the Yellowbirds have, ward the lace, and she obeyed the inclination, “Tf he lost it one day, he could not have | ter fight their pootiest licks when the battle Reaching the store-room she posed along | dropped it at the Point of Pines the next even- | looks goin’ all ag’in’ em,” he observed; ‘‘ but E 4 among the barrels and boxes and soon gained | ing.” must say thar is an artom more o’ this than my the desired point, but when she raised her eyes a ‘*T should say that was a fack.” appetite craves, Too much of a good thing is new experience awaited her. ‘Some of the smugglers found it.” egregious prone ter upset things in gin’ral, an” The package was gone ! **°*TP would be jest like the atrocious insex. A | it looks like a mortal onhealtty upbeaval byar.. Unconsciously the girl pressed one hand over | man who would break laws by smugglin’ would | Mebbe ’twas all chance, but I’m dub’us, as her fast-throbbing heart. Her mind was all too | jest as soon tnrn thief.” it by chance that han’kercher got ter the Point active, and the various scenes of the drama ‘*T see you are not sanguine,” sadly added the | o’ Pines? Was it by chance the blanket got ter " went flitting, kaleidoscope-like, before her. irl. the smugglers’ den? Was the first lost by Ken- 4 First, there was the night-scene in the hills ‘Who? Me? Land o’ Goshen! I ain't givin’ | dal] an’ found by some stranger who dropped it ye when she saw David and Edgar have and exam- | up the battle. Nota tall. Not much, I ain't! | at the Point? Was the blanket stole from ine a package of lace. Rob Kendall is my client, an’ I consait Pll pull | Westerley’s house? I hope so—yes, by hurley? Secondly, there was the discovery of lace in- | him through ef sech a thing is possible. Mind | I hope so—but it looks mortal queer!” . side the Westerley bouse. you,” and the veteran leveled bis index finger At that moment he caught sight of a paper Thirdly, there was Grandford’s recent revela- | at Norma, ‘‘ thar ain’t an artom o’ direck evi- | which was pinned to the blanket. and bad pre- - tion, and the fact that lace had been found in | dence yit, an’ while thar ain’t, we don't purpose | viously escaped his notice. He arose, unpinned : thesmugglers’den, She remembered how David | ter admit no p’ints. A man with as pooty a| itand found afew words written onit, They : and edgar bad ois a onap oer = ne re- ane wp si ne a got desarves we be | were as follows: mark of the latter which almost indica sym- | pulled through all right, an’ we mean ter do so a na athy for the free-traders. Now, the lace, which Be Rob. We do, by burley!” ee 9: OF friend, Xank Yelicwtin’s rub: te Be + had so recently been in the niche, was gone, and sa! Tet g . ' Norma did not fail to remember that David had CHAPTER XXVI. The mountaineer gravely folded the note. 7 | left the room a little before her. AN IMPORTANT WINDFALL, ‘‘ Sounds jest like her. Worded as} octy as : | The natural inference was that, alarmed by YANK and Norma remained in conversation | you please, an’ full 0 grace an’ style, I couldn’t 4 the news of Yank’s discovery, young Westerley | for some time, and the latter gradually grew never express myself in sech style, but thar is N had hastened to secure—or, perhaps, to destroy | more cheerful. Yank was not a detective, like | one thing I kin do—fight like all posses't, An* ~ —the tell-tale evidence in the store room, Texas Tartar, but he was a shrewd, experienced | Vi do it, too, fur the little woman’s sake!” nd | A light step sounded behind Norma. borderman who was said to be a tower of He arose resolutely. Inaction was not a pro- 2 | She turned and saw Albia. strength, and not only must she put reliance ee thing for a man with so much upon his ™ One glance the girls exchanged, and then they | upon him now, but she had faith to believe that | hands, and during the afternoon he intended to 2 knew that the same impulse had brought both | there was good cause to do it. make a circuit of Rifle Lake and see if there eS i there. Norma took her companion’s arm, His ability as a trailer might prove more | was any sign of the smugglers, ’ ** Come!” said she; ‘‘Jet us go back.” valuable than any detective’s art. Every time he thought of Texas Tartar the g They went to the sleeping-room, but not an- Nevermiss had one more object to gain before | latter’s parting words came to bis mind—** Re- x other word passed between them on the subject | they parted, and he saw the opportunity when | member I am The Man with Nine Lives!” There: 4 nearest their minds. They would have denied | Norma again spoke of paymg him well for his | was not much consolation in the recollection, ' witk energy any assertion that David or Edgar | aid. but the words haunted him, and he could not at could be guilty of a crime or a misdemeanor, ‘* Money I ain’t much use for,” he answered, | avoid being influenced by them, ce Ne | ’ but their hearts were heavy, There was a mys- | ‘‘’Bout all the use ever found for it was ter | He had dinner at once, and then left the vil- a, tery about it all which they could in no way ex- | buy cures fur newrolgy. I’ve tried an _egre-| lage with Moses for ‘his only companion. ‘a ' plain. gious lot o’ them, Most all was what I call Walking rapidly be reached the smugglers” oy” : Norma made her preparations at once to go | good, fur they didn’t hurt me any; but as fur | store-housein due time. The place was silent. a: | tunity occurred. He was anxious to find where the smugglers bad landed, and when the char+ acter of the shore required it, he devoted care~ ful attention to this part of his work. ‘ Hour after hour he toiled on, but no dis+ Eomicbooks “a - <" S {SS ee a ee