Beadle's New York Dime Library No. 523 — page 5: what you’re looking at

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

ens ee — Reynard of Red Jack. 5 saw two hands on a huge flat stone with ‘* Rat- | mountains. tlesnake City” under one and “Red Jack” Darrell, the youth, walked straight into the beneath the other, he kept on toward the last | bivouac. ‘“*T may be going too far,” suddenly cried he. ‘‘The camp of the soldier is no place for curious civilians, But they have no guard out, and I can go back as quietly as I came when I named camp. After awhile he left the roughness of the mountain behind, and found himself among the cabins of Red Jack. At the edge of the square he drew rein and | wish to,” looked forward over his steed’s sharp ears. The next minute he was aware that he was ‘‘Soldiers!” cried he. ‘‘{ wonder what this | seen. A few feet away leaning against a horse and so close that horse and man were barely distin- means? There were none here when I went away and none were expected. There must be fifty. Well, whatever brought them, there will | guishable, was a figure not clad in uniform. be some people here who won’t try to make | Darrell saw the man by the merest accident, their stay agreeable,” | and thinking that he had found some one on He rude on, crossing the Square to where, be- | whom he could press a few inquiries, he went yond a low porch, he saw lights and the figures | boldly forward, of men. Allat once the stranger moved, and before ‘‘ Hello! Back once more, Darrell?’ was the | the youth could fairly notice bim he had en- greeting he received from a man who Jeaned | tirely vanished. against oue of the unplaned pillars of the Darrell stopped sbort in bis tracks. veranda, and took a pipe from his mouth, ‘*That’s a queer move,” thought he. ‘Yes, I have just come in, What means all | think the man was a soldier, that out yonder?” rs he doing here?” . ‘* Soldiers,” replied the Red Jack citizen tart- It struck Darrell that the other side of the ly, and in no good humor, as was apparent by | horse might afford him another glimpse of the bis manner. vanished man, but 1t did not, and be beard no ‘“1 saw they were troopers,” returned the | footsteps that indicated flight. young man. ‘ But why are they here? That's Unable to reach a solution of this little mys- what I want to know.” tery the young man turned back, and walked ‘‘The old mystery that seems ter be distur- toward a group of soldiers whose talk and laugh- bin’ Unele Sam's sleep. I'd like ter know what | ter were unguarded, makes that infernal old stage so valuable. It As he drew near he caught sight of a figure didn’t have diamond spokes set in gold hubs, I | lying full length on the ground. It was not far reckon.” from the soldiers, and Darrell at first mistook it A new light seemed to break in upon the | for a cavalryman. youth called Darrell, He still approached the soldiers, but suddenly ‘“*T thought the Government had given the | halted for the apparently sleeping trooper was matter up,” said he. wriggling away, as if he wanted to escape with- ‘‘Doesn’t look that way out there, eh?’ | out being seen. laughed the smoker motioning toward the In an instant, it flashed through Darrell’s bivouac on the Square. mind that he had again encountered the man be ‘‘ When did they come?” bad just seen dodge oat of sight around the *¢ A bout dark.” horse, “ Who is their leader?” His first impulse was to spring forward and ‘A man named Raymond, captain, [ think. close with the fellow, who was doubtless a camp ‘'hey’ve been beatin’ the brusneverywhar ’twixt vagabond among the soldiers for no good, but ayar an’ Cut-throat. Solid San: did the guidin’ fear of discovering a stranger held him back. business.” Darrell continued to watch the rolling figure ‘‘ 1s he here now?” tillit had rolleditself beyond reach, when he "Yes," gave up the task. The young man turned toward the Square ‘ He stood aloof awhile and watched the soldiers again and studied the dark figures there a few who reclined on the ground and were making moments, merry with army jokes, The presence of the cavalrymen seemed dis- ‘* Hush! the captain!” exclaimed one throw- tasteful to him. He had not expected to be ing up bis hand. greeted by a scene of the kind, and the abrupt- Darrell at the same moment caught sight of an ness of the meeting had taken bim aback, approaching figure, and as the merriment be- ‘‘Do you know when they are going back, came bushed he saw an officer join the group. Blondin?’ be suddenly asked, Tt was to obtain a glimpse of the leader of the ‘*No, I baven’t asked the captain.” soldiers that Darrell bad invaded the bivouac, There was manifest irritation in the speaker’s . and now that he had been successful he leaned tones, and Darrell looked at him a moment half , forward burning with peor asf perplexed and resentful. The full round moon which bung in the sky ‘*No, and [ wouldn't ask the captain to save | like an oval shield of burnished silver showed our neck, either,” growled Blondin under his | the youth the soldier figure of the army detec- rroaahl watching the youth who crossed the | tive. It did not reveal) his face as well as could porch to look into the open door of the bar-room | be desired, but the keen eyes of the young man just beyond, ‘‘ You didn’t have ter come back | saw enough to convince him that the mystery ter Red Jack, for we kin get along without you / | hunters were well led. The military kind o’ struck you hard, eh?| It happened that Darrell was in shadow, but, Warr’t lookin’ for auythin’ of thakind, Neither | as be had not entered the camp on the Square for war we,” and Blondin threw a look toward the , the purpose of playing spy, he decided to with- Square and continued to smoke in silence. draw, The young man did not enter the room, which This he could do with some satisfaction, for he was pretty well filled with here and there a blue- | had seen Captain Raymond, but he was not so coat, but turned away after a glance and passed | sure that he could get back unseen, Blondin to the horse he had left near the porch, He might have heard the words that were Grasping the rein, he led the animal away and | passing between Raymond and his men, but soon disappeared, Darrell refused to play eavesdropper. In a short time he turned up in a small house Gliding back, he managed to get beyond the some distance from the soldier-oceupied Square. ; boundaries of discovery, and, as he was quitting When he had struck a light he went to a cot | the Square, he heard a footstep and then a voice. which occupied one corner of the room, and ** When did you come in?’ thrust one band under the bedding. The young man bad to turn to see the speaker, A moment later he drew forth several bits of | and as he did so a stride on the man’s part paper which he opened and read one after the | brought them close together and face to face. other at the table. *“Ah! my spy of a few moments ago!” ‘‘ Nothing about the soldiers,” he exclaimed, | mentally exclaimed Darrell as be took in the looking up from the last note, all of which were | personnel of his confronter from head to foot, written in pencil in the unmistakable chirogra-| ‘I came in a short time since,” Darrell an- phy of a member of the gentler sex. ‘‘I forget _ swered. that they came in sincesundown. Ontheold | The man who was a few years his senior, trail, Blondin says, Six months have passed, , slender and wiry, with a quick, restless glance, and here the Government is still looking for the looked toward the soldiers. stage-coach. I wonder what the detective’s ‘** What do you think of them?” be asked, mission was? but I’ve been doing this ever There were bate and anger in bis tones, and since.” his ao seemed to ignite. He laugbed to himself, and put the slips of “I haven’t been here long enough to pass an paper in his pocket. opinion,” responded Darrell. ‘' They tell me “‘ [tis too late to see her to-night,” he con- | that they’re looking for the lost stage.” tinued, a second later. ‘I shall not have that ‘*The blue-coated fools!” growled the lithe pleasure before to-morrow, I[ can go out and | tough, ‘They've ridden over the mountains to take a look at this Captain Raymond for I’m | their death. Do you hear that, Darrell? I say anxious to see what sort of a man Uncle Sam | they’ve come to a trap, of their own setting, i has sent after his lost investigator.” don’t care partick’lar what fetched "em. There The light was lowered in the cabin and Dar- | won’t be one o’ them see Fort Meade ag’in!” rel], who had laid aside the pistols be had worn The youth looked at the speaker in a maze. during his ride, went out, ** What use have we for an army when Uncle Curious to see the leader ef the troopers, he | Sam turns it into a pack o’ bloodhounds?”’ he bent his footsteps toward the Square, went on, Some of tbe men had spread their blankets | Jack must be invaded like this? [’'m glad youw’re on the ground and had arrange their saddles ; back, Darrell. You can’t hate soldiers as I do, for pillows. Others had fallen asleep as if wooed by the beauty of the night and the at- for when he reached a turn in the road and | mosphere redolent with fresh orders from the “*T don’t If not, what was ee eeeS—e ) : : ° : “~ 7 i at i | OO _,_CrCrRvOnn dW nO Orr ae eee ae ee OC ** Ar’ we a set o’ murderers that Red | he asked. could go out there and shoot’em all dead in inflicted, their tracks, But their doom is sealed, There won’t be one o’ them get back to the fort. Tbey’re just as good as dead men now, Ha, ha! then Uncle Sam will have a sensation on his hands,” It was a cold, devilish laugh that grated harshly on Darrell’s ears, and he saw the man walk off with his hands tearing away at invisi- ble throats. CHAPTER VI. FORD FAVERELL’S PLAY, THERE was no better known man among the Spots Hills than Tough Talbot, the soldier- ater, The mere mention of a soldier was sufficient to excite him, but the sight of a blue-coat was sure to throw him into a perfect frenzy of rage, e accused the army of murdering a brother, when in truth the brother was a repeated de- serter who had been caught at last and shot according to military law. It did not require much imagination to be- lieve that Tough Talbot’s hands were already stained with the blood of more than one unfor- tunate soldier-guard of the wild frontier. He carried his vindictiveness to extremes, and was always ready to plot against the army or against any person even remotely connected with it, His threats and prophecies sent a chill of horror to Darrell’s heart, Could it be that the little command was to be enticed into some ambush and mercilessly butchered? He kn w tbat Talbot was none too good to plan such a piece of villainy, but he could not carry it through unaided, The young man after watching the soldier- bater disappear, looked toward the bivouac where all bad become quiet. The fires at which the men had cooked their coffee had been put out, and it seemed as though the whole camp had dropped suddenly into aeee slumber. ‘*If Talbot told the truth the butchery must be prevented,” he said to himself, ** Fifty brave men must not be slaughtered like sheep in the shambles because they are obeying orders, or because one man bates them. If thereisa conspiracy afoot, they shall be put on their guard. As for Tough Talbot, be cannot carry out his insane wishes alone, Who backs him? That’s what J want to know,” Darrell did not follow Talbot, but walked to- ward E] Paradiso. Beyond the open door were a score of cory figures, and as he stepped upon the low pore one separated from the rest and came out, Darrel] stopped instantly. ‘* Ho! I heard you were in camp!” exclaimed a gruff voice, as he was observed by the speaker. In a second the youth was coufronted by Ford Faverell, the ‘litan of Red Jack, and before he could reply, the man went on: ‘*Come with me. I want to have a minute with you.” “I'm at your service, Which way?” The giant led Darrell down the street and threw open the door of one of the cabins, As they entered, Darrell heard a singular noise, and glancing at the top of the door saw that aniron bolt had fallen, thus locking the portal effectively. Faverell eyed the young man after the man- ner of the hawk that finds the captured mouse securely in its claws. Physically the men were not equally matched, Darrell was well muscled, ective and strong, but for all his advantage he could not cope with the crusher of the Yellow Hills, After a few moments of silence Ford Faver- ell leaned suddenly toward bis companion. There was but the corner of a rough table be- tween them, ‘‘T think we’d better come to an understand- ing first’as last,” began the giant, oung Darrell looked at him with a puzzled expression. ‘*Don’t know what I mean, eh?" laughed Faverell, ‘I’m talking about Coral.” Darrell fell back as though the head of a rat- | tlesnake bad darted across the table at him **T see you know now,” continued the bi tough. “Ive got the call on yeu, toy, an there’s no use keeping it a sect. The major and I thoroughly understand one snot er, and Miss Coral is not going to oppose the decrees of fate. In otber words, as you may not compre- hend the situation, from tbis night tke girl is the betrothed, of Ford Faverell, Esquire, the Titan of Red Jack.” The speaker seemed to take fiendish delight in spreading this bit of important information be- fore Darrell, and he could see by the color which came and went that the youth had re- ceived a thunderbolt. For a moment Darrell looked at his torturer in blank amazement, then as the full meaning of the words seemed to burst upon him, he flushed to the temples with indignation, ‘*Ts this the news you wanted to impart?” told this and nothing more?” ‘“‘That’s about it.” answered Faverel! with an- because you never sffered at their hands. I | other smile for be saw the caping wound he bad ‘“ Was I brought to this cabin tobe _ comic JOOKS:. ee