Beadle's New York Dime Library No. 531 — page 24: what you’re looking at

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

24. not in an atom of danger, but I fancy I know some one whois, Judah, did you hear me shout, ‘Hold the horses tight, Pembroke!’ just before the driver lost consciousness?” ** | heard you, and you did well. sure the driver caught the name?” ‘**7’m sure he did, and, besides, we left the re- volver. Everybody knows that belongs to your friend ‘Pem.’ Oh! he’s in the toils!” ** And we have the mail.” **Let’s overhaul it an’ git home!” nervously suggested the man who had been called David Bastion. At this point of the adventure, unlike the time when the stage was being robbed, genuine names were used, Phe robbers were Dike Harrington, Judah Mardwin and David Bastion. There was more to the affair than appeared on the surface. Each one of the trio desired the plunder which the mail-bag’s contents might furnish, but Harrington and Mardwin each had another object in view. What the latter’s was has already been shown; he had planned to have the robbery laid at Hall Pembroke’s door. Harrington wished to get Bastion wholly in his power. He had not yet learned the secret by which Esther controlled Tyrington Perham, but, eager to win Czarina by fair means or foul, he recognized the value of an alliance with the Bastions: and as his first attempt to get Esther’s secret had resulted in the naming of a large sum of purchase money, he had concluded that he ought to have David wholly in his power. This he had done at last. By making hima party to the robbery of th3 stage he had ob- Ye ahold the Bastions would not dare to efy. Depraved and vicious as David was he had never gone so boidly into crime before, He had been made party to the deed in the fullest sense; not only was he one of the trio, but he it was who had struck Pete Jordan with the re- volver. All this had been planned by Harrington, and Dave was wholly in his power, The young reprobate did not suspect the snare into which he had walked so completely but, now that the deed was done, he was filled with lively fears, What if he should be detected? He shivered at the thought, and was glad when Harrington cut open the mail-bag. The pes there would be a salve to his fears, and e hoped it would fill his pockets for days to come, ** A good mail!” pronounced Dike. ‘‘It may not make usrich, but itisa centralization of wealth of which I highly approve.” “We ought to form a soph of three and keep it up—I mean stage-robbing.” ‘**{ don't b’lieve I'd like it!” David hastily de- clared. ‘** Are you alarmed?” laughed Harrington, ** This is ticklish business.” ‘**Right you are, Dave; if we get found out we shall all stretch hemp. Themen of Si Gotch would string us upin short order. However, there is no fear as long as we stand by each other. Now for the mail.” Harrington spread it out. **Of course,” he added, ‘‘ we ean’t stop to examine every letter here, so I will divide it in- to three equal parts, and each of us shall take home one-third and examine it there, Of course we are to share equally, as agreed upon, but we can trust one another. Each man shall take the money from his own letters and bring it to his fellows; then we'll split it by a figure ‘3’ in- to just shares. See?” ** Yes,” returned Mardwin, ** Yes,” added David. ““Tll draw out all circulars so that we need not be burdened with them.” Dike went over tbe mail with the skill and rapidity of an expert, The circulars—of which there proved to be but three—were tossed aside, and the letters were arranged, as he went over them, in three equal piles, Even there Harrington and Mardwin were doing their best to cheat David. Not for a mo- ment had they intended to give bim an equal share of the plunder, and the whole matter was arranged soas to get ahead of him. The talk about throwing out the circulars was only an excuse to enable Dike to handle each letter, and he did handle them to good purpose. As he worked he noticed the address on each envelope, and, when possible, the postmark, and he disposed of them accordingly. Nearly all the Eastern letters, and all which came from large cities, were put in either Dike’s or Judah’s pile, while to Bastion went those that came from small Western towns aad camps, The idea of this was for the leading conspir- ators to get all, or nearly all, the gp fh et- ters, while deluded David ‘would get little or nothing. And the fair division of which Harrington talked would never be made, Bastion might have suspected something if he had been less nervous, but he was frightened ; he had a fool’s confidence in Dike; and the lat- ter had done the work with remarkable skill. ‘*So far, good!” uttered Dike, as he finished. ** Now, each of you take home his share. Put what money you get in your own pockets, and But are you Saddle-Chief Kit. hide the useless letters in your house, I havea use for them in the future.” So he had—at least for David’s share. If the Bastions refused to deal with him, so that he could get the secret tosubdue Czarina, he in- tended to take revenge and have the sheriff find the stolen letters in Dave's possession. The latter young man had run his neck into more danger tbat night than he could get out of in many days tocome. Better ror him had he restricted his genius for mischief to black- mailing helpless old men, ‘** Now for home,” added Harrington, rising. ‘* Shall we show ourselves to-morrow?” asked David. ‘* Why shouldn’t we?” ** They may suspect us,” **Nonsense! They’ll suspect us if we don’t show ourselves, Weall want to go to the post- office as soon as we get home, and get our let- ters put away, and wait for the mail with the rest. ‘“*T hadn’t dare ter!” stammered Bastion. “Bah! you ain’t going to show the white feather, are you?” ‘* No,” answered David, flushing. ‘‘T'll bo around to-morrow, all right, and bold as a lion.” A cynical smile crossed Harrington’s face, but Judah Mardwin frowned thoughtfully. As they started homeward he found chance to speak privately to Dike, ‘* Harrington,” he said, ‘‘I’m afraid of our partner!” ** Why so?” ‘*He may betray u3,” ** Never fear; he’s a fool, but he won’t peach.” ‘“*T don’t fear he will, intentionally; what I distrust is his cowardice. He will carry around a face like a sheet, and its pallor will attract attention. Then let some one question him and be will go to pieces,” **Pshaw! have no fear, Mardwin. The boy is a fool, as I said before, but when kis own neck is in danger he has sand enough to keep a secret,” ‘* Well, I hope so,” Judah doubtfully replied, CHAPTER XXXII. PLANNING NEW RASCALITY. THE three men separated when near the vil- ake and each went the way which led to his ome, Tbe booty had been secured, but David Bas- tion was by no means in a happy frame of mind. He did a good deal of skulking on his way to Perbam’s, but, despite this, he met two persons by chance, and he thought they looked at him suspiciously. The stolen letters seemed heavy to him, and only the hope of get- ting a good deal of money out of them kept up bis spirits, He had already settled what should be done with them. Eanugice had ordered that they should be preserved, and as Dave knew no suitable place where he could put them, and have them safe, he proposed giving them to his mother, From the latter he expected a severe repri- mand when it was known that he bad turned road-agent. Esther bad no conscience, but be believed she would disapprove strongly of his putting his neck in such danger. This, however, would not deprive him of her aid. The deed was done, and Esther would be eager to shield her son, No one would think of suspecting her of being one of the robbers, and the safest place for the letters was in her ‘hands, Harrington and Mardwin were old heads at crime, aud they were troubled with no such thoughts as they went away. To take an out- side party into their confidence would, in their opinion, have been the hight of madness, and they did not intend to have a trace of the rob- bery left,an hour later, which could connec them with it, The course of both was the same when they reached a place of safety. In the privacy of his room each sat down and rapidly opened his share of the letters, No attempt was made to read those which proved to have no inclosure of financial value, and the few that bad money inside received only casual notice. On the whole the financial harvest. was dis- appointing, Enough money was obtained to enable them to sit down to a game of poker, and that was about all, When the “‘ mail was assorted,” as Harring- ton facetiously expressed it, every scrap of worthless paper was burned and the ashes scat- tered so that they could tell no tales, Only the money remained. Thus, while David Bastion had one-third of the letters, with orders to. preserve them care- fully, the remaining two-thirds had gone for- ever from the sight of men; and while David bad in his possession the means by which his treacherous partners in crime could ruin him if they saw fit, they would have borne a rigid scrutiny and come to no harm through it. They had picked up David for a fool, and he had filled the bill admirably. When Mardwin’s share of the work was done he walked to the post-office to meet Harrington, according to agreement, but the latter stopped him at the door and took him aside. : ** There’s mischief afoot!” he answered, ** How so?? **T’ll tell soon, First, let me say that the folks are beginning to wonder why the stage don’t come.” ‘** Naturally; it is an hour late.” ‘*'Yes; but itis frequently late. They don’t suspect trouble yet, have some notion that I am watched!” ‘What! so soon?” “Oh! it’s on a different lay. You see, I’ve had somewhat of a row with that Saddle-Chief Kit, and he threatened that wherever I went I should be dogged by one of his men, and not allowed to leave Si Gotcb.” ‘* Why didn’t you bore Jameson?” “To be frank, he and I have tried conclu- sions, and he has proved himself the better man. The confession comes hard, but so it is, Well, when he set his watch-dogs on me, [ got into a panic—more fool I!—but it was only a bluff. The watch-dogs soon let up. Since I went to the post-office this time, however, I’ve seen some signs that I am dogged again.” ** That’s bad.” **T reckon it won’t amount to much.” ** Suppose they saw you have the letters?” ‘*No fear of that. How did your mail pan out?” Notes were compared on this point, and, for a wonder, both men told the truth, Then Dike abruptly added: “Now for the mischief that is in the air, ‘Your scheme is in danger!” ‘What one?” ‘*The idea of having Pembroke implicated in the stage-robberv.” ** Malediction!” ‘* When I promised you that one of my men should gobble on to Pembroke, and keep him for the evening where he could prove no alibi, I had selected a good man, and one Pembroke imagines is his friend. My man did his best, but he slipped up.” ce How ” “First thing he knew, somebody else had Bg in charge—namely, Miss Jessie Hol- is, Mardwin scowled fiercely, ‘* Curse the Juck!” he exclaimed. . ‘*They met outside the village, and there they walked, arm in arm, until my man was tired out. “Then the jig is up.” ab How so?” ‘** Pembroke can prove an alibi by Jessie.” ‘Not if you are shrewd.” ‘© What can I do?” ** Kidnap the girl!” ‘“*Zounds! Can it be done?” ** Just like a fly. The men here who look up to me with reverence stand ready to do what- ever job I name—and pay them for. What will be easier than to go to the Hollis house and seize the fair Jessie during the night?” ‘* It is easier to plan than to do.” “Tis clear you are not suchan old head at crime as I am, Let me go with you, and plan the thing, and I'll guarantee a success, To- morrow morning Jessie will be missing, and when Hall Pembroke is charged with the rob- bery of the stage, where will he get his alibi? He can’t get it; the girl and my man are the only ‘two persons who can prove that he was elsewhere than on the Cobble Camp trail. One won’t be at band to talk; tother can talk, but won't!” ‘‘figad! there’s something in your schemes, Dyckman, and I reckon I'll test it. By the way, it is odd that Jessie happened to be walking out- side the village after dark. I never knew her to leave her invalid mother at such an hour,” ‘Possibly she had some one to take her lace.” *¢ Very likely.” ‘Well, Judah, is it a go?” ce Yes.” ‘*Then we'll go and make ourselvesseen at the post-office so as to avert suspicion, and some time before midnigbt I'll gather the kidnappers. I feel for you in this matter, Jude, for I have a contumacious lady-love myself.” ‘* Czarina hasn’t come to terms, eh?” ‘* Nota bit. By the way, she’s left Si Gotch.” ** Ts that so?” ** Yes; gone to Belated Camp; and, confound the luck, that accursed Saddle-Chief Kit was her escort. I didn’t see them go, but I heard of it, Brother rascal, I could cheerfully kill that so- called Centaur!” . “Why don’t yout” _ “ He’s too many guns for me. Twice, if you'll credit it, I have laid plans to have him slain off- hand, and my trustiest fellows were given the job; but the thing miscarried. Luck saved Jameson, and some changein his plans kept him out of the trap. I doubt if he suspects he has been in danger, but, be that as it may, he is still on deck, and he has gone to Belated Camp as the escort of my fair enslaver.” | ** Better run bim into a snare like the one I’ve set for Pembroke,” ** It’s not in my line, and if I were you (duse Pembroke as I mean to use Jameson.” cS ' | 5 — a a i — = $$ a —— EEN econ ee — - =~ ee —E — ne —— —- Eomichboo \ cor * et a,