Beadle's New York Dime Library No. 513 — page 7: what you’re looking at

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

Texas Tartar. @ It was no fancy. The boat was very near and an irregular black spot in the darkness o the night showed where the unknown craft was. At first the girls believed that a landing was to be made near them, but it soon became evident that it was moving in an oblique course aleng the shore. It began to recede,and soon no visual sign remained of the voyagers. **Tf [ was a detective, [ think I could make a discovery to-night,” observed Norma, calmly. ‘+ And learn who the smugglers are?” ‘** Possibly.” ‘Why can’t we go to the village and give the alarm?” ‘Tt is toolate. Every one has retired, and we could only arouse the inmates of our own house; and by the time we did that the smug- glers would be gone. Besides, if we did so, I should get severely censured for going out to- night. Let us be philosophical, my dear Albia. The smugglers have never done us harm, Re- port says they never harm any one, and I am not quite sure that [am theirenemy. Their sin against the law is nota great sin, and their bold, free life must be very exciting. I fancy I should make a capital smuggler!” Albia was shocked, and she did not hesitate to say so. It was not always easy to tell when Miss Westerley was in earnest, and her counfi- dent ways were often of a startling nature, All sounds of oars had died away, but the girls remained at their post, listening and watch- ing. There was an unspoken belief that some- Divas more would occur. Perhaps the boat would return; perhaps something more exciting would occur. This was precisely what did come to pass. Half an hour had passed when Albia suddenly grasped her companion’s arm, ‘*Some one is coming!” she exclaimed. ‘‘ Bs calm!” directed Miss Westerley. There was time to say but little more. Some one certainly was approaching, moving along the shore, and the murmur of voices showed that there was more than one person, Unless something very unusual occurred the girls were not in danger of discovery, but Albia could not fully believe this, and she was trembliug with ,excitement and apprehension. Nearer came the other night-wanderers, and when they reached a point on a line with the girls, Albia began to take courage. The had only to goafew yards more and they would be well past. a They did not keep on as had been hoped, but paused within fifty feet of the silent watchers, and aray of light suddenly fell partially upon them. The slide of a ‘‘dark-lanterr ” had been turned, and while one of them held up the ob- ject in question, the other produced a package from his pocket. Both Norma and Abia were watching eagerly, and hardly daring to breathe, but there was lit- tle for them to see. Thea light was as limited in its range as such lights usually are, and neither man’s face was brought into plain view. This prevented any positive recognition, but the same idea was in the mind of both girls, There was something very familiar in the low, cautious voices of the men. He who held the package unrolled it, and a long white line fluttered down toward the ground. Then both examined it at once, and, though no one sentence could be distinguished a word drifted to the girls’ ears which settled any doubt they might have had. he object of the men’s scrutiny was lace. Norma watched with growing uneasiness. She had heard the smugglers talked about con- siderably, and while some persons insisted that jewels and lace were unlawfully carried across the line, others bad as stoutly declared that, considering the location of Powderhorn Mile, the idea was ansurd. Now, however, the point seemed settled, and only one question was in Norma’s mind. Who were the smugglers? She could not forget the familiarity of the voices, and she was in a state of painful suspense. Albia suddenly grasped Miss Westerley’s arm as the lantern was raised, but neither girl spoke as the light fell plainly on the men’s faces, Recognition had then been as swift asit was startling. The men were David and Edgar Westerley, It was the younger brother who held the lace, and, as though they had examined it sufficient- ly, he now rolled it up in the package. No longer did the hiding girls need to fear molestation; the brothers of one and the friends of the other were at hand; but neither made a move toward revealing their presence. The same inquiry was in the mind of each—What were David and Edgar doing there, and how had they come by the lace? The ray of light was shut off and the brothers went their way. Conversation could then have been resumed with safety, but it was only after & pause of several seconds that Norma said: ‘Come, we will secretly follow them to the house. I wonder where et found the lace? In some nook jin the rock, I dare say, Don’t ou mention it, Albia, but leave it to me to santer them at the table in the morning. They om » Suspect what eyes have been upon CHAPTER VIII. THE DOCTOR’S STARTLING STATEMENT, WHEN the Westerley family began to gather, the following morning, each member had one question to ask—‘‘ How is Norma?” And the reply invariably was that Norma had sent word from her room that she was entirely recovered. This was good news, but it was a surprise when, after Captain Grandford, David and Edgar had sat down, as they supposed, to a lonely break- fast, Miss Westerley sailed into the dining- room as calmly as though nothing had oc- curred, Grandford rose hastily. ‘‘My dear Norma, isn’t this reckless?’ he asked, ** How so, uncle?” ** Would it not be better for you to keep your room to-day?” ‘* Not by any means, Let me at once put a veto on the idea of considering me an invalid, I have been indisposed; I am well again, Let that settle it for now. Possibly I will argue with you later.” ‘*What would you say if the doctor was to call now ?” ‘*T should offer to walk with him as far as his house.” ** And I should countermand your rash pro- ceeding. After. what occurred last night, you must not venture out to-day.” Miss Westerley bestowed a significant glance upon Albia, who had followed her. What would they say if they knew she had been out the night before at such an unhealthy hour. Captain Grandford was firm in a very kind way, and he smiled slightly in response to the expression on Norma’s face, ** As usnal, youth scorns the wisdom of age,” he added, in a serio-comic way. ‘“Let me add my voice,” said David. ‘The air is not of the best.” ‘* Have you been out?’ asked his sister. “ Not this morning,” “When, then?” ' ‘** Last night.” **T did not know you were a night-owl.” ‘*T was not out late.” ** Were you hunting the Horned Fish?’ “ec No.” ** What did you hunt?” ‘* Nothing whatever.” “Then you have no great discoveries to re- port?” ‘* Not one.” David answered promptly, but Norma ob- served him look significantly at his brother, ‘“* How disappointing!” she exclaimed, ‘* Didn’t you even find a smuggler!” “ei No,” ‘* Don’t bring another report like that. Should you go out again, I shall expect you to bring me diamonds, or other valuables, freshly cap- tured from the smugglers.” Miss Westerley was giving her brothers all the chance in the world to explain what had | happened the previous night, but they did not seem inclined to make any statement. “*ft’s a poor place around here to look for such things, I fancy,” observed David. **T don’t place much faith in these smuggler stories,” added Edgar. ‘* Nor I,” agreed Captain Grandford. ‘ But I think we have serene more important to speak about. You are looking very well, Nor- ma, but [am all the more puzzled. I don’t un- a nS a a tS derstand—” ’ ‘¢ Suppose we wait until the doctor comes be- | fore we try? Im any case, let me rest until | after breakfast!” Miss Westerley spoke irritably, and all gave way toher. It was not strange that she should be in such a mood, they thougbt,‘and conversa- tion drifted to other subjects. She did not question David and Edgar further. Whatever | they had been doing the previous night, the were not inclined to relate their experience, If they had found any smuggled goods, they evi- dently intended to keep the secret. Conversation became general and pleasant, | though the men were perplexed and not wholly at ease. They had been seriously alarmed about Norma, and the impression was strong in the minds of each that if she had bad one such strange attack she was liable to bave anvther, | Her present healthy appearance did not seem to | promise fully for the future. Shortly after breakfast the doctor called. His manner was not that of one who calls upon a patient seriously ill, and after a sharp glance at ber, he made his greeting in a cheerful voice. | Next he made a professional investigation, and then leaned back in his chair, ‘* How do you find her, doctor?” asked Cap- tain Grandford, anxiously. . th well,” ““Then she is really better?” ‘** She is as well as you or I, captain.” ** You please me, even though you do use ex- aggerated terms.” ‘*Pardon me, but I use nothing of the sort. IT said that she was as well as you or I, and 1 mean it,” ‘¢ Perhaps,” added Miss Westerley, steadily, - ae can tell the cause of my mysterious ill- ness ’ 4 - : P; + se aie a I RT ee “T can.” ** And what was it?” ‘“'You were drugged!” Norma was the only one in the room who did not look surprised, and Captain Grandford re- peated the doctor’s last word in amazement. ** Drugged!” he cried. ‘* Exactly.” ** Are you crazy, Wimple?” ‘“Not dangerously so, my dear captain. Let me come to the point at once. When I first saw the young lady last evening, in ber insensible state, I promptly recognized the fact that all the indications were to the effect that she bad been put into her profound slumber by a drug. I did not mention it then, for I really could not see how this could have been done. That she would take the drug knowingly wasan absurd idea; that she would, or could, be cruggrs in her own home was equally wild. Hence, I worked over her and said nothing.” “Yet you still hold the opinion?” ‘Yes, Before I went away, I saw her gradu- ally recover just as she would from a drugged sleep. I was satisfied that all danger was past, and her present condition confirms that idea. I regret that the limited means open to me in this wild border town donot give mea chance to learn just what @rug was used, but you know I am not yet fully established. I have no means of analysis, and nothing to analyze.” ‘My good man, you surely must be away off,” asserted Grandford. ** How so?” ‘Why should any one drug Norma?” “That I don’t know.” ‘‘ No outsider could bave done it, and, surely, ou don’t mean to say that any inmate of this ouse would do it?” ‘‘Captain, I don’t presume to judge on_ these points. I ama doctor, not a detective. I have given my professional verdict, and you can rely upon its being accurate in every way. Beyond that the case rests in your bands, It is for you to decide who drugged Miss Westerley, and what the motive was.” ‘“‘Bnt I can’t believe anything of the kind.” ‘*T can, and do!” The speaker was Norma, and her utterance was steady and cakn. ‘‘ What do you mean, my dear?” “T told Albia, last night, just what Doctor Wimple has now said, I felt sure of it, even if I was not a medical person. You know that Ll have always had the best of bealth. Such an experience as mine can be accounted for in only one way—lI was dragged y ‘* But who should drug you?” ‘*T don’t know.” ‘What object could any one have?” “T can only infer that it was to prevent my marriage to Robert Kendall.” ‘* Who could wish to prevent it?” ‘‘ Now you ask too much, Uncle Lloyd. Iam wholly at a loss to know, though it may be that Robert can throw some light upon the mystery. I don’t know who the iow party was, nor how the work was accomplished.” . ‘‘Kendall should be seen at once,” observed Wimple. ‘* He is coming now,” said Albia, who was sit- ting by the window. ‘*Then, with your permission, captain, 1 will remain and hear what he has to say,” added the doctor. ‘* Certainly. We want this mystery cleared up, if possible. Iam still reluctant to believe, but if I find that your theory is correct, the cuilty scoundrel shall have all the law that Powderborn Mile can muster!” Grandford spoke with emphasis, Norma was his sister’s child, and had always been his favor- ite, and the idea of adrug having been given her aroused all his anger. ‘* With your permission, I will question Ken- dall,” continued Wimple. ** Do so, doctor.” Robert Kendall entered, tall, strong and handsome. Wimple gave him due chance to greet his betrothed, to inquire after her health and express bis pleasure at finding ber so well; and then pleasure gave way to business, ‘““Mr, Kendall, have you an enemy?” asked the doctor, abruptly. Robert started, flushed and looked at David Westerley. The latter believed that the glance was a silent inquiry whether he had told them about Grizzly George’s charges, so David shook bis head. Kendall meditated a moment, and then replied: ‘‘) presume I have enemies,” He knew that he-might as well admit as much, for if George’s story was not already pub- lic, it might become so at any moment. CHAPTER IX. . THE GOVERNMENT OFFICER’S BOMBSHELL. Doctor WIMPLE’S face cleared. ‘‘ Ab! and what enemies bave you?" he asked, ‘| haye given no onecause to be so,” answer- ed Kendall. “I spoke on general grounds, only.” ‘Is there any one who would wish to prevent you frem marrying Miss Westerley ?” Je Paki a “No.” Gomilcboo <S CO wry