Beadle's New York Dime Library, No. 535 — page 22: what you’re looking at

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

aa cae ead ~ , + - i 8 ine * % 22 Dandy Dutch. of his partner and the dangerous game he was pursuing. They might have met and reached an amicable understanding, but the chances were that they had pressed still further ahead, and Solemn Saul chose this alternative, making a goodly race of it, to in the end seek an elevated perch from whence he hoped to sight bis quarry. He made the discovery, as intimated, and feeling pretty sure from the action of La Masque that she intended no further flight, he lay under the scraggy bush that crowned the rise, panting beavily. e He no longer wore the gorgeous livery of black and yellow, and though of course his gaunt features remained the same, few who had noticed the Decorator’s valet in Prospect would have recognized him in this sober, rough-clad mountaineer, ‘‘ Now’s the time you want to keep your two eyes peeled, pard!” muttered the spy, his own gaze passing slows keenly, searchingly over the spot where La Masque had come to a pause, ‘““Maybe I’m ’way off, Maybe she’s woman enough to grant more kisses than bites. Maybe she’s just playing for a sucker with gilt scales and ee fins, but I’m doubting it mightily!” Nevertheless his closest scrutiny failed to de- tect a single suspicious item to that scene, If others were near, they kept close cover and never showed themselves, until— ‘Ware hawks, pard!” cried Solemn Saul, springing to his feet, revolvers flashing into his hands as he saw a tall figure rise from the busbes directly behind his partner. He saw La Masque fling herself bodily upon Dandy Dutch, forcing the kneeling detective backward, to sink like one dead beneath the blow that third figure so swiftly dealt, Saw all this, and uttered a fierce groan at his own: help- lessness. ' Nearly half a mile divided him from that spot, and of course his firearms were useless, is voice could have covered the space, but even as he thought of trying that as an alarm, he saw other dark figures issue from the bushes and surround the pair, detective and decoy, as he now firmly believed, After those first moments of savage fury Saul Sunday regained his natural nerve, an leaving his covert ran swiftly toward the scene, keeping under shelter the while. ‘““They’ll take him alive, or powder would have burnt at the start,” he decided. ‘If they linger long enough for me to get within range, powder will burn, sure!” It was not until fully half the intervening dis- tance was covered that Solemn Saul got a chance for another look, When that chance came, he was barely in time to catch a glimpse of his partner being carried away by the road- agents, riding his own horse, though a tall ras- cal was lending him support as they passed out of sight through the rocks and shrubbery. He saw nothing cf La Masque, anJ halted for a little while lest she might stumble upon him if returning direct to Prospect, ‘Tit for tat if so, my lady!” he grated, viciously, crouching under cover and using both eyes and ears the while, ‘‘Tll take you—dead or alive! And I’m not so particular just which!” But La Masque did not come, and fearing to linger longer, lest he lose track of his friend, Solemn Saul crossed the trail and cut across to intercept the retreat of the Bats with their prize, Once again the natural obstacles foiled his hopes, and when he succeeded in gaining a point which commanded the narrow trail taken by the outlaws, they had passed beyond pistol-shot, ‘Cut and come again, then,” Sunday dog- gedly muttered, tightening his belt and pre- paring for a long and trying race, ‘‘ As long as you keep to the hills you can’t give me the clean shake, and I'll run you for it until the night shuts down, anyway!” So long as the daylight should hold out, he knew that. the outlaws could hardly escape bis sight for good, and as time went on, and he saw that Dandy Dutch was able to sit erect and ride without assistance, he began to wonder if, after all, everything wasn’t turning out for the best? “* Don’t that look like it?” he grimly laughed, watching the manner in which is partner was being blindfolded, ‘‘ Don’t that smack of a den somewhere hard by? Dollars to cents, Captain Vampire, that I'll know when and where to put my finger on you and yours after this night!’ rom what he had seen thus far, Solemn Saul felt fairly well assured that Dandy Dutch had ~ no immediate prospect of being put to death by ~ his captors, and though he now Jay almost with- in reyolver range, and might have lessened the distance while the outlaws were blinding his rtner, he made uo such attempt, ‘‘Tt'li pay better to run ’em down, I reckon,” he grimly decided, once more pradling, fhe enem as they took up their advance. ‘* Dandy’s all right. Captain Vampire, La Masque or Silky Steele, it’s to be pinching before croaking, And —who knows? the little joker may turn up just when it’s Jeast expected!” . At odd times Saul Sunday would lose sight of the outlaws fora few minutes, thanks to the wature of the ground over which he was forced = si ea a a a ae Ee ea to dog them, At times he was forced to linger until their winding course carried them out of sight before he dared venture forward, lest wandering eyes catch sight of his figure among the gray rocks, thus foiling his double hopes, But as often he again struck the scent, following it as surely as though the bloodhound to which Captain Vampire had likened Dandy Dutch. His bopes were delayed much Jonger than he had sri OR gain when he saw his partner being blindfolded, and it was almost sunset before the Bats showed signs of actually nearing their des- tination, Solemn Saul made the best possible use of his eyes as he saw the outlaws draw rein and come to a halt, near the base of a fairly precipitous hill, the face of which was well lined with stunt- ed trees and clustering vines, e saw Dandy Dutch cut loose from the saddle and placed upon his feet, with a hooded desperado attending him on eitherside. He suw them make their way up the hillside, and care- fully noted each crook and turn in the trail, gazing long and steadily at the point where they nally disappeared from his sight, making sure that this was the entrance to a cave of some sort, since the minutes passed by without aught further being seen of them. At the same time he took notice of the main arty, seeing that they had no intention of fol- owing with their horses, half their number keeping their saddles and each leading a second animal, passing around the base of the steep hill, quickly vanishing from his sight amidst the trees and rocks, The other outlaws showed no in seeking the retreat into which Dandy Dutch had been taken, and when they did begin scal- ing the hill, the tall fellow whom Sunday had decided must be the one in command, remained behind in company with another, his equal in hight, but more slenderly built. en the chief mounted the path, while the other outlaw moved lazily down the defile until at a point from whence a more extended view could be gained, squatting himself on a shelf of rock some few yards above the level of the pass, striking a match to light a pipe. His actions were those of one who knows a tedious spell of watching lies before him, but which he considers is little more than a matter of form, ‘*Maybe not, my dear fellow,” grimly mut- tered Solemn Saul, noting bis movements and utilizing the last lingering rays of light to mark out the easiest and surest method of approach- ing that position. ‘* You play watchdog, and Pl play you!” It was yet too light to make the perilous ven- ture on which he had already decided, and | Solemn Saul improved his opportunities to the | best advantage, keeping well under cover and taking notes, He saw the men return who had ridden away | with the extra horses, and mount the hill to vanish at the point where he had already located the secret entrance to the Bats’ Den, None of them returned, and he concluded that there was to be no further flitting for the night. As soon as he deemed the gloom was deep enough to cover his movements, Solemn Saul set about carrying out the scheme which he had ci ati out in his mind while lying in articular haste - wait. He retreated until he felt that he could cross the pass withcut danger of being discovered b the man on guard, then gained the other hill, crawling along, guided big the different points which he had memorized while waiting, And in half an hour after beginning that crawl, he caught the scent of tobacco smoke curling up from the little ledge of rock where the sentinel had taken his stand. To guard against possible accidents, Sunday removed his pistols, placing them where the might be easily recovered, then selected a round, heavy stone which fitted well in the hollow of his left hand. Edging closer to the rock, he peered over, to almost immediately discover his intended vic- tim,* the fitful glow of the fresbly filled pipe guiding his gaze. This showed a little to one side, and in order to make his leap as effective as possible, the detective bad to shift his posi- tion slightly, This was done without disturbing the ontlaw on the shelf below, and preparing himself for the shock, Solemn Saul dropped over the edge, alighting safely beside the fellow, flinging an arm about his neck and dealing him a s arp blow on the head with the stone, ; Only a gasping groan, then the outlaw lay at his mercy! | CHAPTER XXVIII. SOLEMN SAUL TALKS SPANISH. INSTANTLY dropping the stone, the detective twisted his enemy over until he lay on the broad of the back. One hand clutched his throat, the other pressed across his lips, while a knee was lanted upon his chest. Even if that blow had een less accurately delivered, the outlaw could not pcssibly bave given an alarm loud enough to reach the ears of his fellows in the Den on the hillside. But there was no effort on his part to cry es aloud, after that one spasmodic sound, And as he felt the man lying motionless beneath Lim, Solemn Saul began to fear he had overreached himself. ‘** Not a bit of it, good luck!” he muttered, af- ter a hasty examination of his prize, ‘* Knock- ed silly, but worth a dozen dead men!” Satisfied on this point, the detective fell to work with deft rapidity, first binding the fel- low’s hands bebind his back, and holding a stout gag in readiness to be applied with the first sign of recovering consciousness. This was not long delayed, and Sunday quick- ly inserted the gag, knotting it securely behind the fellow’s neck, then harsbly saying: ‘“'You’re my meat, critter! I'd ruther take e on the hoof, but ef you’re too big a fool to ear to reason, I'll strip your pelt right as ye lav! Which shall it be?” Of course there could be no answer in words, but a muffled groan and the shivering below his hands told Saul that his words had cowed the still bewildered wretch, **[T'm reg’lar ole pie ef everythin’ comes m way, critter, but Im sprinkled all over ’it assnick an’ strychnine when anybody crosses me crooked. ou lay right byar an’ play lamb ef you want to see any light come ag’in. Kick ef you’re feelin’ chilly enough to want a bot berth below!” He quickly scaled the rock and regained his pistols, then dropped once more to the shelf where his captive lay shiveringly awaiting his fate. pitting ‘him to a sitting posture, Sunday grimly added: ‘Tm goin’ to ax ye will ve walk out ‘o’ this quiet, pardner, an’ ef you know bow much easier a critter kin breathe with a bull ruff on the top o’ his cabeza, you'll say fer sart’?in! Git up on your hoofs, pard!” His strong arm lent the captive strength for this, and then, aiding bis unsteady steps, the detective managed to march the outlaw down the pass until at a point where the other slope could be climbed witbout much difficulty. He paused only when in a covert from whence he could keep watch on the hill where lay hidden the Den of the Bats, and cuttimg the broad leather belt worn by the fellow, be bound his feet together, using the other portion to fasten his bound hands to a stout bush. ‘* Now, critter,” ee in front of the prisoner, playing carelessly with his long-bladed knife the while, ‘‘ ’m goin’ ‘to talk Spanish to ye: Spanish, with a might strong United States accent, mind ye! ‘Youre tryin’ to figger out who I be, but that ain’t your business jest now. The matter o’ this leetle lesson is heap more interestin’ to me then anythin’ that I already knows heap plenty wel] enough. ** Youre one o’ Captain Wampire’s gang o’ Bats. Stiddy!” as he held the weapon so its keen point pricked the skin beneath the cap- tive’s chin, cutting short his start of mingled rage and fear, ‘‘ I’m a butcher by trade, an’ you wouldn’t be the fu’st mooley bull Pve skun ak Yer the present Pll do ail tbe talkin’ an’ sech, ‘* Now I’m goin’ to ax you a mighty heap 0’ questions, an’ they’ll be a right smart sprinklin’ *mongst ’em, which I kin answer mebbe better then you know how to tell me, Ef you try to lie, an’ happen to hit on any one o’ them—gocd- by, John! Tl salt you down fer pickled pork an’ winter eatin’! Sabe, John?” With this warning, Solemn Saul removed the gag, giving his captive full use of his tongue, but holding his ugly weapon ready for instant use, in case the fellow should attempt to alarm his mates by an outcry. **Fu’st an’ fo’most, pardrer, who is this Cap'n Wampire o’ yours?” ‘*T don’t know, boss,” huskily mumbled the outlaw, shivering with fear, ‘‘ He’s more’n one, or else be kin change his bigness as he likes. An’ TI never see him with his face clean. Ef it ain’t masked, it’s kivered with a big baird, black one time, light nother time, an’ gray the next, most like, Ef it ain’t that way, then it’s blacked an’ painted ontel his own mother would- n’t know him!” “Ts they any secret bout gittin’ inside 0’ the Den up yender? Any critter keepin’ watch as a reg’lar thing? Any passwords an’ sech? Keer- ful, Johnny, fer I’m layin’ fer ye!” The prisoner answered at further length than need be taken up by his answer here, and though he was impatient to get down to more valuable work, Solemn Saul permitted bim to talk as he wished, studying his voice, its peculiaiities and all, as carefully as possible. In substance, the outlaw reported that mo regular guard was kept at the entrance to the cavern, for it was so secluded that surprise or discovery hardly ever troubled the minds of the Bats. And, of course, each member was well acquainted with the voices and shapes of all the others, so that it would hardly be possi- ble for a stranger to make his way undiscover+ ed among them, even while disguised by the flour sacks. He added, and to this part Solemn Saul paid particular attention, that the chief had bidden them, one and all, retain their cowls until after their captives were disposed of, . eomicbooks Pf Cia