Beadle's Dime Library No. 518 — page 18: what you’re looking at

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

i — so — — _— i 18 Royal Richard, the Thoroughbred. of this fissure, and that every second I am held | have been in total ignorance until within the | here under the muzzles of your weapons lessens | past few days. her chances of escape.” A cynical smile crept into the white face of | the manner in which the scoundre] determined the avenging sport—a deeper glow into his | to utilize the information thus received. dusky eyes, as the weak strains of Danton’s | not attempt to detail his various plots, just voice died away. ‘* A pretty subterfuge, that, Dave Danton, | I shall et; let it suffice, for the present, that I was waylaid and shot down—left for dead—by him and an under which to plead for mercy,” he enunciated | ally known as Dave Danton.” ee. ** Your brazen hardihood can scarce- y be said to be on the wane. No, no! on the whole, the lie does you credit—is worthy of ou! ‘* And yet, it will not answer. I’ve trailed you too long and too hard! ‘Keep your hands up—so! Now don’t so much as wink, for it is not my purpose to kill | unconscious, ane abet ge deserving you may be of such a ate. You would—” ** These will fit you snug enough,” the detec- tive interrupted, holding polished steel manacles, ‘‘ And you may as well come down easy and make the ton; for ’ve sworn to take you back to Colo- ag and Iam going to do it—hard as may be the job. **And you'll have company, too, for Rube Harpy is not going toescape. In fact, it may safely be said that he is even now witbin the toils, although not yet under arrest.” ** Good enough,” gritted Danton, his half-shut eyes glowing darkly. ‘‘ Put onthe darbies! If you’ve got him, Ill never say a word,” Slowly the Red-Hand Sport advanced, his brightly gleaming orbs seeming to read Desper- ate Dave through and through. But there was nothing indicative of trickery to be found in the cold, white face of the des- perado, just then, On the contrary, there was a vacuy, indefinable something about it expres- sive of relief, ‘**T might bave taken you into camp this after- noon, when we met at the wagon-train,” pur- sued Brazzleton, halting within arm’s length of his quarry; ‘‘ but the presence of the girls de- terred me. I hadn’t the heart to risk their coming face to face with the grim truth then and there,” Danton nodded shortly. “But Pauline—what of her?’ he muttered, rina pd hoarse and uneasy. ‘‘She is a cap- tive back there, as I told you, and she is await- in ee | ‘A swift rush of feet up the pass from the cket cut off further utterance, and the next instant Ben Harpy, at the head of a number of Apaches, came into view, scarcely, a dozen distant. **Run for it!” exclaimed Danton, dashing aside the manacles and bounding up the fissure. “Quick! or your life is not worth a straw!” Royal Richard needed no second warning. A usa at the dusky horde passing through the ssure made matters plain enough. ith a short, sharpcry of defiance, he darted out of sight in the shadows, en Harpy halted at his father’s side. ** After them!” he shouted in Apache. ‘‘ Don’t let either escape! If they separate, divide and follow their trails to the end? CHAPTER XXII, A FOOLHARDY MOVE. RETURN we now, for a brief space, to the Mordaunt party at the motte known as the Lone Timber, Upon the departure of Long Pete Jenkins and Dan Yuba, the udo-Royale, Rube Harpy, assumed charge of the train, and at once put in effect measures preventive of a second surprise by the Apaches, distributing his forces in a really skillful manner, and winning the hearty approval of the sorrowing brothers, Jackson and Roger Mordaunt. ** Ah, Dick!” exclaimed the latter, as the trio, with Nellie, met in the triangle formed by the three wagons; ‘‘oh, my boy! had you been with us, the red devils would not have found means to reach our hearts so readily and cruelly!” **T would have done my best, sir,” was the calm resporse. ‘‘ What that would have avail- ed, whether much or little, 1s, of course, beyond our means of knowing. “But of one fact I can assure you, my friends: I was not willingly detained. Im truth, Imay say that my presence here at this mo- ment is but one of the results of rare good for- tune—one of the fruits of a hard-fought battle— a battle in which no small figure was cut by our old enemy, Rube Harpy!” The Mordaunts started. Even the shadows of the motte could not bide the agitation wrought by the words of the daring pretender. “Yet no one of them spoke; each felt that Royale’s manner portended a revelation of some sort. “At Elephant Lode, up in Colorado, our trails crossed,” pursued the schemer, after a moment of intense silence. ‘‘It was upon y’s arrival there that he managed in some way to obtain possession of Pauline’s last letter to me, containing a ful] explanation of her in- tended movements, and requesting me to join you here in New M exico—matters of which I a ~— | i ee eect et ELL = ee eee indignantly. ** The dastard!” exclaimed Jackson Mordaunt, ** He is his father over again!” ** As truly a viper as he you branded as such Roger commented. ‘ But proceed, Dick.” " ‘“Of myself, there’s but little more to say,” | averred Royale. ‘‘ In their blind haste, the vil- lains bungled, leaving me severely wounded and A mountaineer, chancing that way, carried me to his cabin, where I was forced to remain for some days, until my wound had healed, when I at once hurried toward Alamosa, and thence to Palomas, where I found up to view a pair of | Big Dale Keith in waiting.” But how did you know of our movements, st of it, Dan- | the letter detailing them having been stolen?” Nellie inquired, with visible curiosity. Under cover of the darkness, a deep flush dyed the face of the pretender. ‘** Jim Kees, the mountaineer, found it witbin arod of the point at which I had been am- bushed, and so it came into my hands,” he re- plied, without apparent hesitation. ‘* But, to resume: The trip from Palomas was without notewortby adventure, up to the death of Big Dale to-night. He had pointed out the spot at which you were to go into camp, pend- ing the arrival of Mr. Jackson Mordaunt, here; and, as soon as I had given the faithful fellow burial, I set forward, hoping to reach it with- out further encounter. ‘*In this, however, I was disappointed. Mv course led me within a shorf distance of this timber, and in the moonlight, through an open- ing in the trees, in passing I discovered the wagons. ** As Indian sign was plentiful, I thought best to abandon my horse, for the time being, and so approached afoot, with all the caution I could muster. “4 ‘** My course took me to the western border of the motte. There an extraordinary scene pre- sented itself—Pauline in conversation with Dave Danton, the ally of Rube Harpy! ‘* Quick upon this strange presentment came a | } ee ee EE discovery, startling, but to have been expected. | The grass was literally alive with Apaches! Creeping Apaches, for whom Danton was act- ing as a decoy! ** My first impulse was to cry out and warn her of her terrible peril, but the folly of such a course was so apparent that I checked the words and hurried into the timber, from that point eo fo a an attempt to rescue her. I was too ' ‘* You did all that man could do,” vouchsafed Jackson Mordaunt, when the pretender had finished, ‘‘ We can only hope that Jenkins and Yuba may be successful,” ‘‘They will leave no stone unturned,” assured Roger. ‘It would relieve my mind of a con- siderable weight, were they to cut short the infamous career of this Danton, or McBuff! The only pity is that the Red-Hand Sport did a put the fellow beyond the power of mischief- oing! Again the pretender started. A sudden chill seemed to creep over him, ‘* The Red-Hand Sport !” he echoed, his voice low and hollow, his bands creeping toward his weapons, “Do you know him, Dick?” cried Nellie, eagerly. **Do I know him!” cried Royale, the words coming’ from between his tig tly-drawn lips with a peculiar hissing sound; ‘‘do I know him! Only too well, my dear girl! Let me tell you, bere and now, that Rube Harpy and the -Hand Sport are one and the same!” ‘* Impossible!” Nellie ejaculated, ' ‘Tt is an assured fact!” ‘* There must be some mistake!” protested the girl, with nervous energy. “ Why, if Danton and Harpy are allies, should the latter, in the guise of the Red-Hand Sport, bave come to our assistance so nobly this afternoon?” “You are now speaking to me in riddles,” was the cool response, **Pardon me! I had forgotten that you knew nothing of the occurrence of which I speak,” said Nellie, quietly, thereupon proceeding to recount the defeat of Danton and the two Mexicans. Royale listened attentively, his teeth hard-set, his dark eyes aglow. He realized that he was menaced by peril of no mean degree. This appearance of Royal Richard was as inopportune as unexpected. For a moment the ground seemed to be slip- ping from beneath the feet of the desperate adventurer; but he rallied gamely and not a trace of his A ce escaped to betray bim. ** Well, well! that was a most extraordinary thing for Rube Harpy to do—uniless, as I suspect, there was a powerful motive back of it all!” he exclaimed, when Nellie had ceased. ** And that motive?’ asked Roger Mordaunt. ‘*Unknown to me, I assure you; however, it * S - ey 9 | w A i ° ae } 4: is probable that tbe two rogues had fallen out, ' and that Danton was attempting to take the ‘You can readily imagine, at least in outline, | game into his own hands,” ‘* Yes, yes, the evidence seems to point that way,” coincided Jackson. “ At all events, if either of the knaves bas the temerity to approach us again, ke shall certainly be received with a degree of warmth he cannot fail to appreciate,” Roger grimly averred. ‘* He shall, indeed!” declared Royale. ‘* But I must away now, to the pickets, to learn if all seems quiet. With the departure of the pretender, the party lapsed into silence, Just at daybreak, Roger Mordaunt, alarmed at the prolonged absence of Royale, sought Snowflake on the northern border of the motte. “Make!” Mordaunt hailed, from the shelter of thetimber, as the negro passed; ‘* where is Royale?” alting, Flake grounded his rifle, then shook his head as if puzzled by the query. ‘‘’Deed I ba’n’t de leastest ideer, Mars’ Mor- da’nt!” he replied. ‘‘ He dun lef’ de camp er couple ob hours ago.” Mordaunt, in turn, looked puzzled. ‘* Mounted?” he asked. ‘“‘He was, sah.” ‘* Did be say where he was going—did he leave any word?” ‘‘He said, sah, dat you’d unnerstan’, an’ dat you need hab no fears on his ’count, sab.” ‘* Didn’t say when he would return?” ‘No, sah; he merely ’sarved cat he w’u’d jine de train ter-day or ter-morrer, sah, ef hit was possible, an’ den he rode off like de wind.” ‘* He has gone to seek Pauline!” uttered Mor- daunt, half-alond. ‘‘ A foolhardy move! I gave him credit for better sense!” *‘Resky, sho’s you’s bo’n, sab!” chimed in the negro, catching the low-spoken words. * But, Mars’ Morda’nt, w’en dode trail move?” ‘In a half-hour, ’Flake—nothing preventing. To-day will carry us to the end of our journey —the Hidden-Hopg¢ Mine.” CHAPTER XXITI. THE SHOT FROM THE BRUSH. ALARMED by the continued absence of Dave Danton, Pauline Mordaunt finally arose from the couch of skins upon which she had been de- posited by Three Bears, or Ben Harpy, and with her revolver in readiness for use stole silently to the door of the lodge. The camp seemed to have n deserted, As a matter of fact, it was practically without life just then. The squaws and their children, an the dogs, had at the first note of alarm been © banished to a series of caves bhoneycomnbing the upper walls of the gorge, while the braves, as already noted, had hastened on toward the prairie to form an ambuscade for the supposed foe, ‘“ Shall I await the return of Danton?” mused Pauline, as she peered forth. ‘May he not have fallen into the hands of the Apaches? It seems an age since he Jeft the lodge.” A decision was speedily reached. She determined to chance all upon an effort to escape! The moment seemed mostpropitious. Not a red-skin in sight—a night of transcendent brill- iance and beauty! Better to chance all the uncertainties of such a venture than to remain there, face to face with a bitter, black fate! Little she knew the utter futility of an at- tempt to scale the surrounding cliffs! The secret pass spoken of by Danton surely could not be the only unguarded outlet, There must be clefts and fissures almost without number, and through one of these she could certainly make her way, if the cliffs proved too steep to be scaled, These thoughts and ideas ran through her brain with feverish rapidity. With something like a prayer in her heart, she glided out of the lodge, her face cold and white in the gleam of the moonlight. A moment, then she halted. ; Which way should she go? Now that the first step had been taken, the very silence was por- tentous! “* Fiaet {” The sound came from the midst of the shadows to her left. She faced about, tremb- ling with blended hope and fear. Came the word from friend or foe? Only an instant. then her doubts were forever put at rest by a well-know voice, saying: ‘“‘Hyar, Pauline—quick! It’s ther ole man, hisself—Long Pete Jenkins!” Little need to urge baste! With the flurry of a startled bird, Pauline darted into the friendly shadow! “Glory!” ejaculated the giant ranger, grasp- ing Pauline’s outstretched hands with a fervor eloquent of boundless affection. “‘I knowed I'd find ye—but sech a windfall! ; ‘* Come—we'll strike a bee-line fer Dan Yuba —ef ye kin stan’ ther pressure!” ** Anytbing—anything, to get away from this place!” breathed Pauline, trembling be- tween excitement and joy. | ‘““Then hyar goes! An’ we won’t opencur “ talk-traps agin we're out ov ther den. Got eg “comicbooks:com |