Beadle's New York Dime Library, No. 545 — page 29: what you’re looking at

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

| Hustler Harry, on the door of a cabin, peared, revolver in hand, ‘* W’ot’s ther row?” he demanded. The owner quickly ap- thing clear to the fellow. As soon as he under- stood, tha man was intensely interested, ‘* By Moses!” he cried. ‘If you kin lead us thar, youre ther galoot we’re bankerin’ arter. If ye’re foolin’ bout hit—” **Don’t waste time!” exclaimed Shark. “TI mean business, and I want twenty or thirty good men.” ‘* Hole on a jiff’,” spluttered the man, ‘ I'll be with ye, an’ I kin pick ther very galoots ve want, ur my name hain’t Tip Jimson.” He spoke the truth. In a remarkably brief space of time thirty armed men were ready to accompany the detective, ** Plum’ grit clean through—ther bull o’ ’em,” assured Tip Jimson. ‘‘ They'll fight like tigers. Ye says ye kin lead us thar in ten minutes. We're reddy. Show ahead, pard.” Straight toward the cabin at the foot of the cliff Dan Sbark led the men. When this was reached, he gave the peculiar rap of the Red Heart Brotherhood. Twice or three times he was forced to knock, ere he received an answer, Finally a distrustful voice demanded: ‘* Who is there?” Shark rapped twelve times, There was a moment’s pause, then the woman said in a doubtful way: ** Thort you was all—” She never finished the sentence. She had opened the door a trifle when both Shark and Jimson hurled themselves against it, The old woman was thrown down, and in a moment Dan Shark seized her. Sbe struggled. to her feet felt for a rope which hung against the wall. She evidently knew just where it hung, but in her excitement she missed it, The rope connected with an alarm-bell within the cavern. Shark kicked the old woman’s feet from under her, and half a score of hands held her while she was bound and gagged. When this was accom- plished, the detective arose, and said: ‘* Now every man be ready with his weapons. We are going into the den.” Within the council-chamber the Brothers of the Red Heart were again assembled. There had been some delay about getting them to- ether, as several of them had been drinking deavly, Indeed the entire band, with the ex- ception of the chief, had drank some, and two were so intoxicated that they were unable to be present at the ‘‘ trial” of Eric Craddoc, Strangely enough, although at first he had forbidden their drinking, the chief said nothing when they continued to do so, When they assembled within the council- chamber, the men were surprised to seo several glasses and a large pitcher containing a blood- red liquid standing upon the altar-like structure beside the chief, ‘* Brothers,” said the white-robed man, ‘‘ again we are assembled to decide the fate of a human being. Numbers Four and Five will bring the young prisoner in Cell 2 to this chamber.” The two men thus instructed departed from the chamber, They soon returned with Eric Craddoc between them, The young man was led to the stool directly in front of the chief. ‘* My brothers,” continued the chief, *‘ this is the offender. He has dared to threaten our or- ganization—he has dared to heap vile epithets upon your chief—he has offended in various ways. I feel that he deserves a similar doom to that of the detective whose fate you pronounced a short time ago, but [ am ready to leave every- thing with you,” Pie, chief paused a moment, and then said to ric: ‘Tf you have anything to say in your own de- fense, speak,” The young man sprung up. ‘*T protest against this outrage!” he cried. ‘¢ You have no right to—” ‘* Stop!” thundered the white-robed man. ‘* You are not to question our right. Might is right. You are to speak in your own defense, if you have anything to say.” For a moment Eric was silent, then he said, more calmly: ‘*f suppose it is useless to make a protest against pour right to try and condemn me, but at least I may beg of you that I am given a fair show for my life. The chief laughed scornfully, ‘* You presume to doubt our fairness,” he said, ‘‘This but makes your chances of escaping death still smaller. In fact there is but one of two things in store for you, and those two things are imprisonment and death,” “T see that you are not disposed to give me any chance atall, You might as well have con- demned and butchered me without permitting me to speak. Murder is your evident intent, and I have little hope of mercy at the hands of such a conscienceless crew of cut-throats,” ‘* You hear his words, my brothers,” said the chief, as he waved his hand toward the grim circle, ‘‘He continues to heap insults on the heads of us all.” > —EEE An ominous murmur came from the cloaked figures, : “It is time wasted to allow him further With a few words, Old Shark made every- : speech, You may as well pronounce his doom | ' at once, Let me hear what it shall be,” ‘© Death!” Again that terrible word echoed through the council-chamber, **Good!” exclaimed the chief, evidently well pleased. ‘* Your decision suits me well, See! I the Cowboy Sport. | fill these glasses with wine—blood-red, like the | liquid which flows in the veins of the con- | demned, I pass the glasses to you all. drink to the success of all our schemes and the speedy death of our foes.” He filled and passed around the glasses, then he stood in front of the prisoner with his own glass lifted, ‘* Drink, brothers, drink all together!” With the exception of the chief, every man drained his glass. ‘The wearer of the white robe had lifted his when, with a furious ery, Eric Craddoc leaped forward and tore the spotless mask away. The face of Hustler Harry, the cowboy, was revealed. CHAPTER XXXVII. SHOWN IN THEIR TRUE LIGHTS, At the same instant, a band of men poured out of one of the passages into the chamber, giving utterance to a chorus of wild yells, In an instant a revolver leaped into the hands of Hustler Harry, and, with incredible swiftness he shot out the lights, plunging the chamber into darkness, Then above the otber sounds a commanding voice was heard to shout: ‘* Surrender, Brothers of the Red Heart! You are surrounded on every side, and escape is im- possible! Resistance means death!” The desperado Brotherhood seemed peralyzed with fear and amazement. From out of a pas- sage a bright light was turned upon them, and ‘the men of Cimarron swarmed in and took them prisone s after a feeble resistance. Not a man was slain. Ere morning the entire town of Cimarron was aware that the Brothers of the Red Heart bad been captured and their prisoners released, At sunrise a great crowd gathered in front of the cabin against the cliff, Immediately before the cabin door a platform had been hastily ecn- structed, and it was reported that revelations of a startling nature were to be made to the as- sembly, After a time the throng grew clamorous, and finally the door swung open, A medium-sized, sana 8 man stepped out upon the plat- orm, ‘‘ Ladies and gentlemen,” said the stranger, with a bow, ‘* I am Dan Shark, the detective. I came to these parts in search of a man known in Missouri as Jack Tackaloo, who is badly wanted there for murder, You have known me perhaps—a few of you, at least—as Uncle Peter odge, from Maine, in search of my first wife’s brother, Jonatban Jinkins, ‘* What I have to say to you I shall make as brief as possible. You all know of the startling events which bave happened witbin the past few days—the kidnapping of Miss Molina and her father, who proclaimed a certain supposed cow- boy to be an outlaw. You kuow that a defiant bulletin, purporting to be from this cowboy, in which he claimed to be chief of the Brothers of the Red Heart was posted in the camp. None of you knew that for the last two days I was a piece in the Red Hearts’ power, and to-night was condemned to death. <A friend released me, showed me a secret way out of this den, and [ brought the best men in Cimarron down upon the Red Hearts. They were captured, and in their chief I found the murderer I sought~Jack Tackaloo, ‘* In order that you may fully understand this strange case, I must explain that Tackaloo, who is a handsome man physically, has a half-brother who is his very counterpart except in features. Tackaloo’s true name is Calvin Barret. He is the older brother, and from his early boyhood his mind was filled with evil things, and his acts were such as caused his father untold misery. His mother died at his birth, and his father married again. By his second wife be had an- other son, Philip. Strangely enough, both of these children had birthmarks on their left wrists, and, still more ris these marks were exactly similar—a crimson heart! ** When Philip Barret was fourteen his brother Calvin, ran away and went to sea. The vessel on which he sailed went down in unknown waters and it was supposed that the entire crew perished, Calvin returned home no more. ‘* But the reckless son was not dead. He was the only one who escaped from the wreck, and he changed his name. He became a gambler and villain who would hesitate at nothing to ob- tain money. He committed many misdeeds and fled from place to place, changing his name a score of times, ithin the past year bis moves have been rapid. A little more than a vear ago he organized a band of outlaws and called them the Brothers of the Red Heart. They began operations in Southern Montana. “At this time Philip Barret was also in We will | SS { \ Montana, but he little dreamed that his brother lived and was near. Philip was attacked by a -fever and received care at the bouse of a her- mit-like man, named Andrew Foscolo, Foscolo had made some rich gold discoveries and was said to be wealthy. He lived alone with bis daughter and an old negro servant. The daughter did much to nurse the sick man back to life. When Philip finally recovered, he left Andrew Foscolo’s promising to return within a month, for the fair Ruth had completely stolen , away bis heart. ‘The following day after Philip’s departure, the Brothers of the Red Heart, with Calvin Bar- ret at their head, appeared and attempted to force the old man to reveal the spot where his gold was concealed, This be refused to do, and he was finally murdered by the chief of the in- famous band. As Calvin Barret struck down old Audrew Foscolo, Ruth, the old man’s daughter, saw the red beart on the murderer’s wrist. This convinced ber that be was Pbilip Barret, and over ber fatber’s dead body she swore to hunt the murderer down. ** When Philip Barret returned he found only amass of ruins where Andrew Foscolo’s home had been, He also found a new-made grave,. After a time he learned what had happened, and he, too, swore to bunt down the desperado Brotherhood, A short time later the Brothers of the Red Heart bad a conflict with a band of vigil- antes and the organization was broken up for the time. Calvin Barret went “Kast. Jn Mis- souri he was known as Jack Tackaloo, There he committed a murder and I took bis trail. He led me a pretty chase, turning his fece westward. Meeting some of his oll band, he recognized the Brotherhood and came to Cim- arrop, Here he founda smal] band of petty robbers, and the two forces united under the name of the Brothers of the Red Heart, and their secret retreat was this cen which bad formerly served the petty robbers, ‘* After a time I trailed Jack Tackaloo to this: place. I met Hustler Harry, the cowboy, and attempted to take bim prisoner, I fcund more than my match. Ladies and gentlemen, allow me to present the man who was too much for Old Dan Shark!” The Hustler Harry stepped out througb the doorway, doffing his wide-brimmed hat and bowing gracefully, A murmur ran over the crowd, Gradually it grew louder and louder, but Sbark quelled it. with a gesture. v ** This. ladies and gentlemen,” said the detec- tive, “is Philip Barret, a white man from the | ground up. He it was who found the secret entrance to the Red Hearts’ den; he it was who released me and sent me for the men of Cim- arrop, He staid tbat he migkt protect the prisoners from barm. Already bad he knocked one of tue band senseless, bound, gagged and | hidden him. He did this that he might secure the cloak and mask which the man wore, Dis- guised thus, after he bad released me, be suc- ceeded in tapping the chief of the Brotherhood on the head. Ere the chief recovered, he bound and gagged him. Then he carried him to the cell where I have been confined, Not till that moment did Philip Barret know that bis older brother lived, for be had not met him while in this camp. You can imagine his amazement when he saw his face beneath the white mask, He exchanged the dark robe he wore for the: white robe of the chief, whom he afterward. successfully impersonated,” Again a murmur ran over the crowd, and again the detective checked the outburst. ‘*That is not all he did,” continued Shark, ‘* He allowed the men to drink, and as several of them filled up quite well, the absence of the man whom he bad tapped on the cranium was not observed, In his pocket he had a stupefy~ ing drug. He thought if he could only get seme. of that into the gang, they would be robhed of their strength and would be easily taken by the men from camp, He managed to accomplish what he desired by placing the drug in some wine, and causing the men to drink to the | death of young Eric Craddoc, whom they bad just condemned, He drank none himeelf. ust asthe men drained their glasses, Craddoc, who was deceived with the rest, tore away the mask which hid the face of the supposed chief, Then the men from camp charged into the chamber, Realizing in what danger he stood, onr friend shot out the lights, The drug got in its work and the Brothers of the Red Heart were easily taken, thanks to him whom you have known as Hustler Harry.” The crowd could restrain its enthusiasm no longer, ‘* Hooraw fer Hustler Harry, ther White Man © frum High Notch!” Such a yell as burst from that throng! Men, women and children joined in the universal up- roar, and for five minutes they seemed trying to yell themselves hoarse, When the excitement had subsided, Philip Barret said, with deep earnestness: j “*My friends, I thank you. I am glad the misunderstanding that has excisted between us isatanend. But, more than for anything else, I am glad that the great misunde ding be- il One big fellow kellowed: f Gomiecbooks