Beadle's New York Dime Library No. 519 — page 12: what you’re looking at

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

ie a hae Ae ee ea < : 12 stake in the ground, one that stood about five feet high when they were done. Then they be- gan to pile brush up around it. ‘* Mercy me!” exclaimed Deborah Flint, who was the first to guess what the intention of the old ranger was, ‘‘ they are going to burn him at the stake.” - **Right you are, m’am,” owned Riddles, in a tone loud enough for the prisoner to hear him. ‘‘ He has either got ter talk or die, an’ it don’t make no difference to me which it is,” Of course this was not strictly true. They had no intention whatever of taking the man’s life, much less of burning him at the stake; but the old guide thought this would prove the quickest and surest way of inducing him to open his mouth. **Oh! you horrid thing!” cried Miss DeVere, ** vou surely do not meanit. You cannot be so cruel,” ‘That is no more cruel thanit was fer him ter try ter drop a lump oO’ lead inter me,” argued the ranger, “ an’ if you ladies don’t want _/ter hear him holler, you had better go inter the cabin an’ shut th’ door an’ plug yer ears. Th’ feller has got ter suffer, an’ no mistake.” ‘Oh, but to burn him at the stake is some- thing dreadful.” *“*So it is somethin’ dreadful ter have lead pitched inter ye, miss,” returned the old man, ‘an’ he orter thought o’ that when he was so mighty eager ter make a sperrit 0’ me,” iss Drayton turned to Kingsley to learn whether the old ranger really meant what he said, and read the truth in his laughing eyes at once, ** Would it not do better to hang him,” sug- gested Miss Flint, ‘‘since you are determined that he must die?” ‘* Bless ye, no,” was the Eepey ** Tf we choke off his wind he won’t be able ter say anything even if he wants ter. No, he must burn, an’ that settles it.” Mrs. Woodland tried to induce her husband to interfere, but he declined to do so. He was able to assure her, however, that he thought it was intended only to scare the man into a con- fession. Priestly and Sniffin had their little tilt, as usual, while the arrangements were being made, into which Miss DeVere dropped grains of wis- dom from her store of knowledge of German literature, and Kendrick and Duff tried their nee to make themselves agreeable to Miss lint. In a short time the torture-stake was ready, and the prisoner was led out. There was a look of terror in the man’s eyes, but his face bore an expression of disbelief min- gled with hope, as apr he thought it could not be their intention to burn him to death. ‘‘Now, ladies,” announced Old Riddles, “there is goin’ ter be a scene here that you won’t want ter witness, fer if ye do it will ha’nt ye as long as ye live. That bein’ th’ case, ye had tter git inter th’ cabin’ an’ not come out till th’ man is dead an’ buried.” The old mountaineer spoke in all earnestness of tone, and the face of the i deigind hdd pale. ‘* Yes,” added Kingsley, ‘* you better go in and shut the door, ladies, for his cries will no doubt chill your blood,” **Oh! this is horrible!” cried Miss DeVere. “Will you not spare him the torture and shoot him instead?” sg Yes,” pleaded Miss Flint, ‘‘ do shoot him in- stead. ‘‘Can’t be did,” declared Riddles, sternly; **he has ter burn, an’ that settles it.” Miss Drayton caught hold of Deborah, Mrs. Woodland doing the same with Olivia, and they were quickly ruv.into the cabin, where a few words of explanation set the two ladies’ fears at rest, “Now, my man,” said the old ranger, as soon as the ladies bad disappeared. ‘‘I will give you an outline o’ th’ programme. We have an idee that you kin talk if ye want ter, an’ we have made up our minds that you have got ter talk or else die at th’ stake. Which will ye bave?” The man grew still paler, and groaned dis- mee ** Can’t talk, eh?” the ranger queried. The man shook his head ‘* No,” “Then ye’ll surely have ter burn. We're sorry as kin be, but that don’t alter th’ case any, an’ there is no help for ye.” The terrified man was led forward to the stake and securely tied to it, all the time mak- ing the valley hideous with his moaning and groaning. As soon as he was tied fast the wood was Hee up around him, and jt looked decidedly ike business, “Kin ye talk yet?” the old man asked, when _ this was done, Again the wretch shook his head, not onl once but several times, and opened his mout wide and protruded his tongue, as though to call attention to the truth of his statement—if it may be called that, “That is bad fer ye, very bad,” was the com- ment. ‘* You will surely have ter go up in smoke,” _ “Is it not possible that the poor wretch is telling the truth?’ remarked Mr. Woodland to Kingsley, as they stood a little back from the place of torture. ‘* Yes, it is possible that he may be,” was Kingsley’s reply, ‘‘ but I think the same as the old man. I think he can talk fast enough if he wants to.” ** Suppose that you are mistaken, though: it will be horrible to burn him,” “Ob! we do not intend to burn him. The first lick of the fire will show us whether he can talk or not.” While this conversation was going on, the old guide was lighting the pile Witb face as stern and hard as iron. he applie’ the match, and a little sheet of flame sprung up and began to lick its way toward the trembling wretch at the stake. ‘“‘Thar she goes,’ the old man observed coolly, as he stepped back, ‘‘an’ if ye really can’t talk, I feel mighty sorry fer you. It is either talk or burn, an’ that is all there is to it.” The poor fellow’s cries, groans, moanings etc., where pitiful to hear, but his captors stood and looked at him in grim silence. His face was as pale as death, the perspiration stood out upon his forehead, he rolled his eyes and pro- truded his tongue, and his whole manner went to indicate that he was dumb indeed. ‘‘Ugh! Ican’t stand any more of this! ex claimed Socrates Sniffin, and he made a break for the cabin immediately. **'No, nor I!” cried Barrington Dutt and he too hastened away, Priestly, Kendrick and Woodland too, drew further away, leaving the oldranger ano Kings- ley responsible for the outcome of thei: work. “What do you think about him old man? Kingsley whispered, as they stooa together » “IT don’t know what ter think of him the ranger confessed ir the same ‘ow tone Th fuss he is makin’, an th way he Jooks, makes me think that mebby he is sure-enough dumb after all.” Then it will not dc to let him get burned.” ‘No, I will look out fer that It is no doubt jest beginnin’ ter feel a litthe warm but! kir tell by his face when it bites ’ The flame was by this time beginning to burn up with more spirit, and it was time that the man spoke out if he could talk at all. Old Riddles walked forward jeisurely, took up an armful of brush that he had reserved for the purpose, and threw it upon the pile right in front of his victim. At the same time a tongue of flame darted out and stung the fellow sharply on the leg. This was the last test, and unless the man gave in, the old ranger was ready to kick the fire away in a moment more. But this test was sufficient. To see the ad- ditional fuel piled on, and to feel the tongue of flame bite his leg, broke the fellow’s nerve, and loudly he bellowed: ** Help! help! Don’tlet me burn! Ill talk!” The old ranger sprung forward aud kicked the wood away from around him, and re- marked: ‘**T was purty sartain you could talk, an’ now you have got ter talk or you will have ter burn fer sure. That is ther gilt-edge truth.” The immediate danger over, and the heat one, the man looked as though he would like to ve some one kick him for giving in, for he could now see, even as he had believed before, that they had no intention of burning him. Now that they knew he could talk, however, he knew they would make him do so, ‘* Wal, what d’ye want me ter say?” he asked sullenly. ‘“*We want a straight story out of ye,” was the reply. ‘‘ We want th’ hull truth, an’ nothin’ but th’ truth. We know who an’ what ye are, an’ we want ter know what ye was sent here ter shoot me fer.” ‘Ye say ye know who I am?” ‘* Yes, sure pop.’ ‘Who am I?” ‘Yer name is Burke, an’ ycu are one of th’ Night Hawks. You an’ a feller by name o’ Ben kem up here yesterday ter put me out o’ th’ way, but ye didn’t doit. You got nabbed, an’ Ben struck out fer home, after he had made a mess 0’ th’ thing same as you did, only wuss. D’ye see them ’ar hosses over thar? They was captured last night from a party o’ your friends that kem here with th’ idee that they could git ye out o’ our hands, They got left, an’ left bad. Now, what was ye sent here ter kill me fer? Don’t ye try ter lie, fer ef ye do I'll put back th’ wood an’ let you roast.” ‘*Wal, you have got me in a bad fix,” the man owned, ‘‘an’I s’pose I might as well on- wind, bein’ as I can’t help myself.” “* That is hoss sense; go right ahead.” **IT am one of th’ Night Hawks, an’ there is about twenty of us, all told. Th’ leader’s name is Captain Red-hand. Thatis, that is what he is called. I s’pose he has some other name, but if he bas I don’t know what itis, We have been plyin’ our trade up in th’ Park region of late, but th’ captain had word of some fat game down on this trail,an’so we kem down. Ye see Utah Dave is one of his men, an’ him an’ one other feller set out ter take these folks that are here with you down inter Arizony, It was all cut an’ dried, an’ when Dave had got’em Old Riddles, the Rocky Ranger. down here jest where th’ captain wanted ’em, he left °em an’ kem over to our side, an’ we went fer ’em.” ‘You worthless dog, you!” Old Riddles ex- claimed in indignation, ‘‘ you deserve to be hanged.” **Mebby 1 do,” was the return; ‘but if I make ¢ clean breast of th’ whole biz, will ye let up on me?” ** Yes, if you will tell th’ whole story, an’ tell it straight, we will let up on you.” * All right, I'll do it,” The other men of the party had now returned to the scene, and all stood around to hear the miserable rascal’s confession, CHAPTER XV. DEATH AT THE STAKE, ‘* J wavs told you th’ most of it already,” the fellow began, ‘‘ but there is some more p’ints ter be added to it.” ‘There is one p’int that I will keep you in mind of,’ declared the old ranger, ‘‘ an’ that one is ter explain why they wanted ter git me out o” th’ way.” * And another,” added Kingsley, ‘is to give us the name of the man who aided Utah Dave in his rascally work.” ‘It was more like th’ man that Dave helped,” the outlaw observed; “‘ but, I'l give ye th’ hull racket.” ** Go ahead.” * Wal, th’ name of th other man is Walden Terrill. He was at Denver, with Utah Dave, layin’ fer some kind o’ Bante ter turn up, when this Mr Woodland an’ his party made known their wants fer a guide, Terrill played his keurds mighty well, an’ got on th’ right side o” th party. Then he interdooced Utah Dave, an’ they roped ’em in in fine style.” ‘The rascals!’ Woodland cried. ‘‘ They were well recommended to me, and I took Utah Dave in good faith.” ‘Yes Dave had a purty good name, but that was jest whar he helped th’ captain th’ most. lf his party didn’t promise much, they got through with Dave as their guide all right; but if they was any way well fixed, they gen’ly fel] inter th’ hands of th’ Hawks.” * Where is the rascal now?” demanded Wood- land, turning to Kingsley, ‘* He set out to look for some game,” Kingsley explained. ** Yes,” declared the outlaw, ‘‘an he has gone so fur that you ain’t likely ter see him again in a hurry. He has left ye an’ gone over to th” captain.” ‘* How do you know that?” asked the old ran- ger. ‘*He kem an’ told me last night. When it. was his watch he kem round ter where I was ter see if I was all right, as he told th’ other fel- ler, an’ he would ha’ let me off then, only he was afeerd o’ bein’ caught at it, as there was only th’ one way fer me ter git away. He told me that you would try ter make me talk this mornin’, but told me ter hold out, fer he didn’t think you would burt me much, I had ter cave when ye got at me in ’arnest, though, so you have got th’ hull facts in th’ case,” ‘*Th’ infarnel p’izen varmint!” grated Old Riddles. ‘‘If I had him here this minute I would wring bis neck fer him,” oa would serve him right,” agreed Wood- land. ‘““You remember what I said ter you this mornin’, don’t ye?” asked the old man, turning to Kingsley. ‘* Yes, and it seems that you were right,” Kingsley answered. ‘‘ But, that don’t tell why th’ p’izen critters wanted ter kill me,” reminded the old man, turning back to the prisoner. ‘‘So go on with yer story.” ‘*' Why, ye see th’ captain has heard tell o’. you afore, an’ he knows that there ain’t a great deal o’ show fer him ter do as he pleases till you are out o’ his way. When he found that th” party had fell in with you he made up his mind that you had ter be killed. Hesent mean’ Ben Denning cut ter do th’ job, but we made a mess of it, an’ I got th’ wu’st o’ th’ bargain.” * Ding bast his eyes!” the mountaineer thun= dered, ‘* there will be a settlin’ o’ counts atween him an’ me, an’ don’t ye fergit it. When an enemy 0’ mine takes that sort 0’ notion inter his head th’ hills ain’t big enough to hold us both. You kin bet that yer Captain Red-hand has got ter suffer. But, what does he intend ter do? ‘* Why, he an’ his pets hes made up their minds that they want th’ wimmin o’ yer party, th’ young ones, an’ they think as soon as you: are out 0’ th’ way it won’t be a bard matter to it em.” ‘¢ Yes, I see; but Old Zeb Horn is on deck yet, an’ he meanster stay on deck, too.” *““Do you know anything about who it is that is warning us against this Captain Red-hand?”’ asked Kingsley. ‘No, that is a puzzler ter me. Terrill told me about it, an’ that is one reason why he set. off so soon ter join th’ captain. He was goin’ ter stay bere an’ play traitor in this camp till they could git away with th’ gals, but he didn’t. know what trouble he would be gittin’ inter if he did, fer he was afeerd that th’ strange letter-. ‘> ’ “CoO mire ,OO z 25