Beadle's New York Dime Library No. 533 — page 25: what you’re looking at

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

— a Ss — — ee as —) Oregon, the Sport with a Scar. 25 rr —_— aratively a new-comer, He had never seen ‘the Killer” at work, and he did not like to give up his game, ‘See here, colonel, I guess you’re not going ter buck ag’in’ ther hull camp, He’s ther low- lived galoot that killed ther purtiest bit of calico ever seen in Brace Box. e war goin’ ter tr ter find out his pards, If it makes yer sick we'll leave that part out; but he’s got ter climb ther tree, with a ropo helpin’, ® wouldn’t take water even that far fur any other man livin’, Ain’t that all straight, boys? Speak up!” Rollins was not a large man; but for a mo- ment Jack Miller did not doubt that he weighed a ton, It was only a leap and a blow straight from the shoulder, but they came so quickly, and so close together, that before any one had more than time to suspect what was coming, Miller lay senseless on the broad of his back, his fingers dropping away from the pistol-butt they had been clutching, ‘** Now, then, are you going to take that gen- tleman down, or are we to have trouble over it? {don’t want to have to talk with the bark on; but in a case like this, if you won’t listen to reason Ill have todoit, The young man may be a tenderfoot and a fool, but he’s innocent as a lamb, and somebody has been roping you in to do their dirty work. I know what I’m talking of, and [ don’t want to have to explain further.’ While the colonel talked, some one—the crowd in general did not see who, and who would not have objected if they had—cut the rope at Neville’s wrists. The young man reeled as the cords dropped away. The reaction was strong, but he man- aged to keep his wits about bim, ** Thank you for that, Colonel Rollins. The proof of my innocence was just developing at the lynch court, to which I was submitting my case without a murmur. These men stole me away, and if they’re not in contempt of court some of them ought to be. I am per- fectly willing to go back and have the trial con- tinue. Sooner or later my innocence will appear, clear as the noonday sun,” ** That’s all right,” responded Killer, ** You’ve said your little speech now, and the gentlemen here understand the situation, Any- thing further that you may have to say to me Mie can tell quietly as we go along. We'll go ack to Brace Box now, and if these gentlemen wish, they can go along and see the upshot. If they’re not satisfied, then I'll be happy to talk it over with any one of them, or all of them.” He made a sweeping gesture toward the crowd, and then coolly tucking Neville’s arm under his own, set out toward the central part of the town. The horse that he had ridden seemed to understand the matter, and followed sedately close in their rear. ‘* Heavens, man!” exclaimed Neville, under his breath. ** Are you not afraid they will shoot you from behind?” ‘** Wonderfully afraid they may try it, but it don't do to let the curs know, They know I al- ways kill the man that begins the racket, and that makes them modest about opening the ball, If I hadn’t been fooled out of town this could not have bappened. I guess Charley Coldeard will say the same when he gets back,’ ‘** But the guilty parties—will they escape? I swear the murder of Viola shall be avenged!” ** Oh, it’s two to nothing she’s not dead at all. When we get your case disposed of, we'll soon find her.” CHAPTER XXX, ‘¢7" ONE WAY WON’? DO, ANOTHER WILL.” Ir there Was an unseen hand manipulatin ublic opinion against Neville North, its wor had certainly been done well. Colonel Rollins barely arrived in time to save the young man; while the two other “chiefs” were out of the affair altogether, The trial was not over, though the drift of public opinion—among those who had remained at Jimmy’s—was veering around in favor of the prisoner. Jimmy Bower had seen Neville’s double under circumstances rendering it impossible for him to be mistaken. Jimmy admitted that be had been prejudiced against the prisoner because he put on airs; and stuck to the story of his having found the double prowling in North’s rooms, and of Ore- gon having come to his rescue. He believed that the other North had made his escape, and the sport had followed in pursuit. *° This was all very well in itself, but meantime Neville was in the bands of men who were not concerning themselves about his guilt or inno- cence. e would have been dead by the time his innocence was firmly established if it had not been for Colonel Rollins, The absence cf the colonel had been comment- ed on and explained by several men who had seen him start out on horseback that morning, bound for Cactus Fork. : A man from the East was there, waiting to buy out the ‘“‘ Oriental ”—one of the bits of min- ing property in which Rollins was interested. The colonel bad no reason to doubt the gen- uineness of the letter, as he bad been in corres- ponene with the person signing himself J. eadly; and had set out in good faith, *Most any other man, when he found that J, Headly was not there, and had never been heard of before, would have camped for the balance of the day, and the night, in the best hotel in town, Instead of that the colonel spent half an hour in investigation, and then headed right back for Brace Box. He was a man of in- stincts, and his instincts told him there was something wrong. He made the quickest run on record over the mountains, and got back just in time, There was still a great crowd left at Jimmy’s, and the subject under discussion was whether to hunt for the missing prisoner, or let the self-appoint- ed committee that appeared to have fim in charge finish the business, After all, it was just as likely as not that he was guilty. Killer digested the story in a moment, and formed bis own conclusion, ‘*Gentlemen, the man is innocent, There’s a game up somewhere, If he had been guilty, they wouldn’t have taken the trouble to fool me out of town. You can settle it among your- selves; but Pll go and hunt him up.” No one else in camp would have cared to un- dertake that task single-handed; and it was not so sure that it would be an easy one for him. There was every prospect of his meeting with a warm reception. Curiosity to see how it would be, gave him a strong following—at a distance, He had Neville safe and half-way back to Jimmy’s before the advance guard was met, They turned, and, the crowd increasing as they went, Neville’s return was a good deal like a triuinpbal march. Since the movement had failed of its object, the effort at lynching proved to his advantage. Everybody was willing to listen, and even Billy waved his dignity and doffed his hat when the colonel took the floor, and got through his say-so as briefly as possible, ‘‘Gentlemen!” said Rollins, ‘* we haven’t reached the bottom of this matter by any means, though you may pot believe what I think. Iam sureI was tricked out of town to prevent my taking a hand in this game, That satisfies me that things were not what they seemed. I think pretty much all of you can see it now. If this prisoner is innocent—as I think he can show if he has a little time—he ought to be hunting around for the missing gee lady. I propose that he be turned loose, will guar- antee his appearance if there is ever a call for him again to answer to thecharge. If Iam not ag enough for that, don’t Le afraid to speak. 11 be willing to argue the question with the be t man left in Brace Box.” ‘*The court accepts the recognizance, and stances adjourned,” said Billy, with a courtly wave of his band; and Rollins, who began to take an interest in the case, hurried Neville away to his room, leaving the crowd to argue whether the body of Viola North was in Blind- man’s Shaft, or whether they bad been deceived by a deeply-laid plan, If the latter—well, there were a great many men in Brace Box who would go a good deal further to get even for such an affront than they would to serve the cause of simple justice. ‘* Now, young man!” said Rollins, when he and Neville were alone together, ‘‘T presume you are on the square, and if so you want all the help you can get to straighten out the tangle. If I badu’t slept quite so hard last night, getting ready for my ride to-day, I might have heard something of this racket in time. There have been a good many hours lost; but if the young lady was taken away un- harmed, the chances are that she is safe yet, and we can get her out of danger before the ruffians know who’s taken hold of the tow-rope. I’ve heard something of the story; but let me know all about it. Who do you suspect?—I un- derstand you have some ideas, And there was something said about a letter. It you want me in with you, tell tae whole truth, and [Pll see what I can do,” While he spoke the colonel was eying Neville in a way that would bave made him very un- comfortable if he had anything to conceal. The inspection seemed to prove satisfactory, however, and he closed with the promise that meant a good deal when given by the ** Killer,” ‘‘T’m a little shaken up,” said Neville, wiping his forehead. ‘*Tt seems to me that I can feel the accursed rope on my throat now. I didn’t realize my danger till it was over, I didn’t think I could be so broken 2p without having received any actual bodily harm, Ill talk to you as straight asI can, and if I don’t get it right the t time, Pll go back and start fresh,” ‘Take your time to it,” said Rollins with a smile. ‘*T know how it is myself, I twice came near stretching a rope wheu I was young; and was just as innocent as you are, That served as a aan: After that I always let the other man get far enough advanced to take me clear of the courts, and then went for him with all that I had, Unless a man is naturally quarrelsome, after he gets a record he don’t have much trou- ble. They would hardly have tried such a court on me,” North went over his story_without hesitation. —_—_—_— _ ne LL LC Several times before it had been received with unbelief; but the colonel heard it without ques- tion to the end, “You have confidence in this Oregon of course?” ‘** Certainly,” ‘*And this young lady, who has been mas- querading around in your interest—what has be- come of her?” ‘* Unfortunately, Oregon did not explain though he must know. He only said they ha held bim in a box all day, and tried to kill ber. How nearly they succeeded he did not let me know, or how he knew, or where she was,” ‘* Where was she going when she left you? It may be that in hunting for her we would strike the trail of your cousin.” ‘*Perhaps. But what has become of Ryan, and his friends? It seems so strange that halfa dozen persons should disappear without there being anything to indicate which way they went, I know as well as I know anything that Viola is in Cyvil’s hands; but is it possible he has the rest? And how does it come that, knowing Brace Box as well as he does, no one there seems to know him?” Killer rubbed his chin thoughtfully and took time to consider before he answered, ‘* Names don’t go for much here; it’s the men themselves that we want toknow. Like as not he’s been in town often enough, and I may bave been seated on the other side of the table from him more thanonce, But the man that bas been running this affair is a good man—-just about as good as the best—and it seems strange that I can’t think of one that would fill the bill, Cold- card has nerve enough, but be’s not that kind; and Solid Sam is not much for headwork, and is honest as they make’em, You say he looks like ou?” me He seems to, when he has his fixings on, though we never noticed it much years hd ‘7 don’t remember him, and I’m pretty well acquainted in these parts, too. I suspect there is one man who could talk if he wanted, though IT am sure that he won’t. I mean Billy whoruns the Bower, It was cheeky in poe him up as Judge Lynch after what bad happened to you in his house; but J suppose he was the best ma- terial they had. The fellow’s not afraid of you, for he don’t know the meaning of the word, but he would a little sooner than not see you out of the road, without being too particular how you went. I wouldn’t stop much to get up a gang and raid bis house. The boys would follow me, and we might find out something.” ‘**You might find a trap-door, but even that is uncertain. Billy swore that if I didn’t crawl out myself I was smuggled out by the door, while everybody was thinking about the gas- fixtures. I bardly know what to think, With the business he has one would think he would not fancy trying on such a risky game,” ‘** Unless he was about ready to close up that business. We'll look through bis place quietl if we can, and the cellar they had you in, We may find sign. But I su: pect no one, unless itis Sam, who bas gone far enough. I should footit up sometbing like this,” He ceased speaking suddenly, and glared at the window, his hand darting around to his pis- tol-pocket and then rising in line, just as there was a jingle of breaking glass, There was a double report. Colonel Rollins fell back, the blood on the instant beginning to crimson his face; and then came asecond shot, that whistled close to Neville North’s head, while he heard a scuffling sound and an exclamation without. It was no time to look after the wounded. The attack was aimed at him, and Neville did not hesitate to meet it. He caught up Rollins’s pistol, and rushed to the window, throwing up thesash. Right be- low there was a little heap doubled up on the ground, and half a dozen persons were running toward the spot to see what was the meaning of the shot, though at another time the noise would not bave attracted attention. Beyond this he could see nothing; and the little heap turned out to be Merry May. ‘CHAPTER XXXII, | NUMBER EIGHT LEADS A PROCESSION. As Viola did not change her mind within the hour, she saw no more of Cyril for the night, The woman who brought her meals was fully equal to the description given of her, and after one glance Viola was satisfied. Sbe scarcely looked at her again, and spent the remaining hours of daylight in meditation. It was hard to believe that Neville was in such danger as his cousin averred; but even if he was, she said to herself a hundred times, he should not be saved by any such sacrifice of her- self as Cyril had claimed, If she bad seen any way to deceive Cyril, she would not have hesitated; but when she had spent an hour or more trying to form some plan she remembered that it was too late. After that, if no opportuniey to escape presented it- self, there was nothing to do but wait, No such chance did turn up, and as she had exhausted herself thinking by daylight, by night Viola slept, She was still sleeping when, just about daybreak, Cyril North came dashing into camp, threw himself from his horse, and after a ? com, (EOMNE OOO KS