Beadle's Half Dime Library (no. 643) (1889 11 19)
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“as 4S f 2 Lela Meal ell elle NeW Ye \ \ . \ N ; A \\ NY : \ : XS S ‘ COO WD UINWH WO LIN AS Entered at the Post Office at New York, N. Y., at Second Class Mall Rates. Copyright 1889, by BEADLE A¥D ADAmMs, November 19, 1889, $2.50 PUBLISHED WEEKLY BY BEADLE AND ADAMS, Price, No. 643. a Year. No. 98 WILLIAM STREET, NEW YORK. 5 Cents. Vol. XXV, Py ad . ) Pas WS le ye ih The Beautiful Jezebel’s Last: Stake, B72 ) seas Ee: Oe, So le || A STORY OF MONTANA, ri BY PHILIP 8. WARNE, AUTHOR OF “‘ OKLAHOMA HI,” ‘* LARIAT LIL,” ‘‘OLD WEASEL-TOP,” ‘‘ SANDY ANDY,” ‘¢mHE JOLLY PARDS,” ETC, CHAPTER I. FORGIVE ME! Crash! boom! roar! As if the very canopy of heaven had cracked asunder and fallen in ruins upon the shuddering earth, the detonating thunder filled the world SS) ‘| with uproar. sattoubnesiantsteal Crag and canyon reverberated the sound, till S SANS : OSSIAN SAND Oe the very mountains rocked to their foundation. THE NEXT INSTANT HAPPY HARRY LAY. STUNNED AND BLEEDING ON THE ROCKY TRAIL, tp Se antelg rocked eam WHILE HIS HORSE SPED ON WITHOUT HIM. lit up a scene of wildest confusion.
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= ‘and was in momentar 2 Down the canyon rushed the storm-wind, with the fury that made the myth-makers of old believe it a veritable demon, How it wrestled with the trees, twisting their stout trunks as an athlete bends the body of his an- tagonist. How it lashed the bald faces of the rocks with its scourge of swashing rain, But for us the mighty throes of nature reach their climax of terror only when a human waif is made their sport, In a mountain hut sata man on a rude stool, with his elbows on his knees and his chin resting in his hands, staring gloomily into the blackened fire-place, as if waiting to witness the last flicker of embers, now quickened into renewed life by an eddy of wind down the chimney, and now dying away into white-ashed extinction. He was not a bad-looking fellow, as miners go, yet evidently a man of strong emotions, and so, open to desperate deeds, if goaded to mad- ness. His hair and beard, matted with neglect, were jet-black, as were his eyes, now clouded with somber dejection, “Sam Bropey!” he muttered, calling himself by name, ‘‘ A dog-gone fool!” He ground his teeth and frowned blackly with rage. ‘“*Why don’t I go fur him, or her, or both of ’em?” he cried, starting up and pacing the room. ** Because I’m a biasted coward! ‘*She played me fur a gudgeon, an’ then flung me back into the drink!” he went on, lashing himself to fury with the scorpion-tongued scour.e of. humiliation, “Yd orter killed her then an’ thar. How I hate the honey-tongued witch!” Asif he could endure inaction no longer, he rushed out into the storm, scorning its wildest fury. What to his sturdy frame was the onslaught of the tempest? In fighting the wind he could vent the pent passions that ran riot within him; the pelting rain only cooled the fever in his veins, Yet it was a night when only such a madman would have needlessly exposed himself to the dis- ve me to the perils, of that way amid pit- alls, Once he was nearly blown over a cliff. Again he narrowly escaped a falling limb torn from the parent stem, and hurled like a war-club at the man who dared to intrude on this battle-ground of the giants. He only bared his head, and let the rain beat upon it. He gave his face to the whip-lash of the storm. As if to punish his defiance, the heavens opened, and a tongue of fire shot zigzag to the rock on which he stood, splintering the face of the cliff, = leaving him scathless, as if he borea charmed ife, In the midst of the shock, which left him half stunned, he was dimly conscious of a cry which ei through him by reason of its high pitch. While he was recovering, he heard the unmis- takable clatter of a horse’s hoofs, and knew that the animal was running away, terrified by the lightning. A moment later he witnessed a spectacle which filled him with conflicting emotions. Down the canyon came a flying horse, his head tossed wild, his nostrils dilated, his eyes rolling. Clinging to his back was a woman, as her flut- tering garments indicated. She had evidently lost control of the animal, terror of being hurled to death by a misstep of her reckless charger. By the flare of the lightning the man and wo- man recognized each other. ** Now, by all the furies!” he ejaculated. ‘Sam! Sam! Save me!” cried she, ** May I never see to-morrow’s sun if I do!” he muttered. ‘‘Go tothe hell you leave behind ou, wherever you find a fool to believe in your ying smile!” But another blaze of lightning showed him her face, agonized with appealing terror, It was a beautiful face, though her hair, torn down by the wind, hung in dripping strings, Her olive cheeks, her lips, rich, warm, pulpy when her passionate nature was weaving its spells, were now cold and bloodless; but terror could not rob them of their delicate contour, Her eyes, whose melting tenderness bad made fools of more men than Sam Bropey, were beau- tiful now in another way. Her petite figure—it was impossible for it to assume any but graceful lines, The man looked at her, He heard her cry again: “Sam! oh, Sam, I was coming to you!” And the dogged hatred was torn out of his Happy Harry’s Big Find. heart and flung away in the darkness, like the casting out of a devil. With a great heart-throb he sprung before the racing horse, and cried: ** Jump!” With a sob of relief, the woman complied with implicit confidence, She flung herself from the saddle with out- stretched arms, and be caught her, The horse, frightened, sheered outward, lost his footing, and plunged headlong to his death by horrible mutilation on the jagged rocks be- low. The man, in the pride of his strength, bore up against the shock, But, human muscles could not endure it; and, clinging to his burden, he rolled on the ground, almost over the verge of that awful precipice. When he rose, the woman was unconscious. Whether she had fainted from terror, or had been stunned by her fall, he could not tell. Instead of lifting her, he left her lying on the rock, while he stood over her, looking down, The momentary thrill of compassion had pass- ed with her sore exigency. She was safe, She had no further need of him, His old suspicion and hatred returned, ‘* A blasted fool!” he repeated. ‘* Why didn’t I let her go? She’d ’a’ been down thar now, out 0’ reach 0’ harmin’ any man, ‘*T’d hate to see her chawed up, though,” he reflected, as a play of omg revealed her to his gaze again. ‘*It’u’d be a blasted shame to sp’ile such a piece 0’ work,” The spell of her beauty was upon him, in spite of all he could do to banish it. *T reckon I'll pull out o’ this, I don’t want nothin’ o’ her, aw’ she don’t want nothin’ o’ me,” he declared. And like a coward, dreading the power of her quivering lips and pleading eyes, he turned his back upon her as she lay unconscious, and fled the spot. Back to his hut he rushed, slamming to the door, and dropping the bar into its slots. Did he believe that such a barricade could stand against her? He stood in the middle of the room, listening with bated breath, as a man might who had fled a ghost, and was in momentary dread of its fol- lowing him. ‘Tf she would only die, it wouldn’t be my fault,” he muttered. ‘‘She has no claim on me. Curse her! it’sa grace that I didn’t fling her over the rocks while I held her.” Minutes passed, dragging like hours to his strained imagination. *“What’s she wantin’ hyar?” he asked bim- self. ‘*She’d better stay with the snoozer she took up with. He’s gone back on her, I reckon, caught her at some 0’ her tricks, like’s not, an’ took a stick to her, toease hisconscience. She’ll fall back on me, will she? I reckon not! Let her starve, an’ rot, an’ be hanged to her!” Nevertheless, when he heard staggering foot- steps, the fluff of her wet garments as she sunk down on the doorstone, the feeble beating of her hands against the door, and her voice raised in pleading, he stooped his ears with his fingers in despair that would have been ludicrous but that it was all in such terrible earnest, It was of no use. In a moment he was listen- ing with his heart in his ears, ‘* Sam!” she wailed, ‘‘ open the door, and let mein. I have nowhere else togo but to you. I have not a friend or a well-wisher in all the world. And, oh, I so need friends! One is enough, if only itis you. With everybody else against me, I was sure of your love, and came straight to you.” **'You can’t come in hyar!” he growled, through the door. ‘‘Take my hoss, ef it ’ll be any use to ye}, but don’t let me never set eyes on you ag’in. “You'll let mein, Sam. I have nowhere else pen Ob, I am so cold, and wet, and miser- able! That and heart-broken sobs were her only plea. The man struggled, but lost the battle. **’You kin take the inside, an’ I’ll take the out- side!” was his desperate compromise. And he flung open the door, and strode past her, fairly stepping over her crouching body. “T can’t get up, Sam,” she said. ‘‘Some- thing is the matter with me. God knows there is reason for it! I believe I am going to be ill. I never was so weak before.” “You'll manage to git in when you’re tired o’ layin’ thar,” muttered Sam, lingering, however, with indecision, **T don’t complain at your treatment,” she an- swered, submissively. ‘‘I don’t deserve any better welcome, I know. But even drag myself across the threshold, I shoul want you to carry me in, I want to feel that you have forgiven me, I made up my mind, if I was to die, 1t should be here.” She laid her head down on the threshold, as if she had come to die at his feet, and make no complaint. Grinding his teeth, the man quickly bent over her, lifted her in his arms, and bore her into the house,” She twined her arms about his neck; and as he was about to lay her in his bunk, she said: “No! Lam not going to letyougo, Sit down, with me in your lap. have come to be for- given, and taken back; and I know that you will forgive me, and take me back once for all, when you learn what has happened. Weare never going to be parted again, Sam,” The woman spoke with conviction, The man, such aslave was he to his passion, clasped her to his breast with sudden spasmodic energy, at the assurance that she was to be his henceforth forever. She knew then that her end was secured. He sat down as she directed, Then she put her cold lips to his, and he felt them grow warm with the clinging pressure, CHAPTER II. GIVE ME REVENGE! THE room in which this strange pair sat was in utter darkness, save when illuminated to daylight brilliancy by the lightning. hen Sam had caught her from her horse, the woman was enveloped in a heavy cloak, Assured of her position in his arms, she now threw this cloak back, and clasped him again without obstruction. In the darkness Sam felt that her arms were bare; and the flare of the lightning revealed that she was in fanciful attire, cut low in the neck and short in the skirt, the whole being evident devised to set off her beauty to the greatest mb vantage. All rumpled and wet as it was, it showed the exquisite taste of the woman who had designed it, and more—that no disadvantage could rob her beauty of its positive charm. Another woman in her condition might with reason have pronounced herself “a fright.” This one looked like a water nymph. But instead of being charmed by the dress, Sam frowned at it, and made a _ passionate movement as if to extrude her from his arms, “No! no!” she protested, only clinging the closer. ‘Don’t bother about that, Sam, The moment I have others to replace them, these rags will come off. They have brought me no- thing but wretchedness; but I shall wear what you pay for with delight. It won’t cost you much, You know you have often said that calico looks better on me than silk on any one else, It will be yours, and that will make it better than silk to me. ‘*The old folly has been crushed out of me, Sam. I’m going in now for simple happiness. You know that money won’t buy that. It has to come of a free gift that costs the giver noth- ing, but makes him the richer for giving.” “ You're at your old trick,” growled Bropey. ‘“‘T never could chin ag’in’ you. Hain’t you made a fool o’ me to your satisfaction yit?” ‘‘T made a fool of myself, Sam—the biggest fool that ever threw her happiness away for such trash as this! I threw away Helen Bropey, to get back Flash the Fire-fly !” ‘* An’ that ugly devil, Purty Pete, in the bar- gain!” growled Bropey, grinding his teeth, and once more prompted to force her from his arms. Under the lash of jealousy, be even rose to his Loa striving to tear her clinging arms from his neck, “Wait, Sam!” she pleaded. ‘‘Do you think even that of me? Do you imagine that I ever really meant to give him your place?” ‘**Money’ll do anythin’!” snarled Bropey. * But not that! I played him for what I could get out of him, and fed him on expectations that even such a stupid oaf as be ought to have seen I never meant to realize. How could he—above all, how could you—imagine that I could give myself to such a monster?” “Ts that true? You are lying to me!” Oh, Sam! is it necessary to even tell you such a thing?” ‘Swear it! On your soul swear it!” She slipped down upon ber knees, and in the next blaze of lightning held one hand on her heart and the other upstretched toward heaven, * By all that I hold sacred I do swear that you |
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| | \ ‘ " \eP ey : ee ——_— 7 —— ' — “og ¥ \ Happy Harry’s Big Find. 3 ause for jealousy of Pretty Pete. He, monster, has never so much as kissed my nand. Do you imagine tkat I could let him even touch me without a shudder?” ‘*Oh, Nelly!” cried the man, bending over her now with the first touch of real tenderness, ** You ain’t foolin’? me? You know I’m so easy fooled when you set out to do it!” Nothing could be more abject than such an appeal from a man of so powerful proportions, With a throb of bitterness in her secret heart, the woman thought to herself: ** He wouldn’t do it!” Whoever it was to whom sbe thus alluded, and with whom she compared the man before her to his disadvantage, notuing of it all ap- peared in her face. Instead, she sprung upward, casting herself on Sam Bropey’s breast, **'You foolish boy!” she chided him, smiling and kissing him with a playfulness that would have imposed on a far shrewder man, and one less abjectly her slave, With a great cry of passionate longing he caught her inan embrace that well-nigh squeezed the breath out of her body. And while he devoured her with kisses, she felt his hot tears rain on her face, “Take the heart out o’ my body!” he ex- claimed. ‘‘But if you ever go back on me ag’in, Pll cut you into inch pieces, an’ then Vl blow myself into shreds fitten to bait fish-hooks, with a keg o’ giant powder!” ‘You'll have no use for giant powder, ex- cept for blasting, yet awhile,” she assured him. ** But you'll have to burn powder for me, never- theless,” ** What do you mean?” “That [ don’t come to you as a free gift, even in my wretched plight.” “ll give all I’ve got-for you. But what's wantin’?” ** Give me revenge !” Never in all his wild life had Sam Bropey heard so mach venom put into three words, The woman showed that she could hate far more intensely than he, with his weak bluster- ing. ‘** Revenge?” he repeated, ‘*Revenge!” she cried, fairly grinding the word between her teeth. ‘Who has injured you? Show me the man, _ he’s dead even before I git my paws on im! ‘* Let me tell you what has happened—to bind us together forever, you remember.” Did he remember? Would he ever forzet? Once more he nearly suffocated her, ** Wait! wait! Oh, Sam!” she gasped. ** My darling! [ll never hurt you, only when Pa we fur you carries me away!” e was at her feet, with his arms about her waist, looking up into her face with adoration. She stroked his hair, and bending, kissed him on tbe forehead, “Get up,” she bade him. ‘Sit down, and give me my old place on your lap, I have got something to tell you that may make you as keen to run away from me as you were a few minutes ago. Then I shall hang on to you again; and I want to have a good hold.” Her jesting tone made him laugh, “7 run away!” he cried. ‘I never meant it —you know that!” There was more than mere lover’s flattery in his declaration. He now felt that he had not really meant to hold out against her, no matter how she came back to him. Infatuation led him to betray the extent of his infatuation, ‘‘Look at my hands,” said the Firefly—for we may as well give her the hame by which she was best known in those mountain wilds—Flash, the Firefly, “‘T shall never git tired 0’ lookin’ at ’em!” ** But wait till you discover what is on them, before you try to kiss them,” “*Tt don’t make any difference to me.” ** Not if it’s blood?’ ‘¢ Blood? Have you been hurt, an’ I not know it? Thar ain’t any blood on your hands, Wait till the next flash.” ** Not my own blood,” said Flash, with a re- turn of her savage mood. ““ Who's else, then? Not Purty Pete's? you an’ him had a row? What! you don’t tell me! Have you finished him off, Nell? Is that it? Blow me ef—” ‘Don’t congratulate yourself on that score, Pretty Pete may have passed out by this time, but not with my help,” Sam’s face fell. ‘*But why? How?” he demanded. “Let me make my announcement first, I Have iy, 4 RE an Oe San et “* ‘ puta | a ‘ wy wy ” j will keep nothing back from you. I have just killed somebody; and the Vigilantes are proba- bly on my trail at this very minute,” * The Vigilantes?” ** Led by Harry Hammond,” § Happy Harry?” “ Yes, ? ‘* What has he to do with it? He don’t tie up at Hicks’s Hurrah,” ** Tt is his pard I killed.” “* His pard? What for?” ** Let us settle one point at a time. What dif- ference will it make to you if they prove me a murderess? Inever killed anybody before.” A shudder ran througb the girl, It. was in- stantly followed, however, by a glitter of the eyes, which proved that she was as far from repentance as her off-hand way of telling of her crime indicated. The man looked at her with a new serious- ness in his face. *“T wish’t you’d let out the job to me,” he answered, slowly. ‘‘Such things don’t matter much with men; but women oughtn’t to mix or meddle with ’em.” ‘Then this is between us—” She got no further. He threw his arms about her as if afraid of losing her. , ‘* It is, as you said, a tie to clinch us together. I’m so glad to git you that [ll take you an’ no questions asked, even if you only stick to me for protection.” ‘Then you will protect me?” “From anythin’ that Hicks’s Hurrah kin send this way. I’ve got provisions that’ll stand a longer siege than they’re likely to worry through, fur Happy Harry’s pard, or anybody else’s; an’ you know that I kin stand off an army if it comes to takin’ this place by storm.” “Well, then, to my story, You know how Hicks’ Hurrab got its name,” ‘*T never see the odd Dick myself; but I’ve hyeared tell how he grubbed away by himself on starvation wages till one day the boys hyeared him burrahin’ like a lunatic; an’ how he stood ’em off at the muzzle o’ the revolver when they run up to see if he’d made a find at last.” ‘* Did you ever hear what became of Hicks?” The abrupt fall of the man’s countenance showed what it was she was probing. ‘*T hyeared some talk about it,” he answered. ‘* But when Purty Pete was up fur discussion, I kin purty ginerally find somethin’ more agree- able to take up my attention.” ; ‘* Well,” persisted Flash the Fire-fly, as if moved by some freak of feminine perversity, ‘“‘everybody believed that Hicis had made a strike, but nobody got a chance to prove it till Pretty Pete put his clutches onto him,” ‘* Which the same he never would have done, ef be had put you after him!” growled Sam, with a return of his jealous hatred, ‘““That’s so,” admitted Flash, unconcernedly. ‘*T roped him in, and Pete clawed him, But, that isn’t all, You must have heard how it ended.” ‘Tn the lie direct, an’ revolvers acrost the gamblin’ table.” ; ‘* And the mysterious disappearance of Hicks, when the lamps, which had been blown out in the fracas, were relighted. What did you make of that? Did you believe that he run away?” ‘No, I didn’t.” “ What then?” ‘‘T lowed as Pete sperited him off,—bhis car- cass, I mean, an’ buried it, so’s it conldn’t be proved as he’d killed him, ef the boys took it in- to their heads to be ugly.” ‘“ But how could he have spirited him off? Where could he have taken him to? Pete was there when the lights were rekindled.” “T don’t know nothin’ about it. none o’ my funeral,” “Well, Pl tell you. him off, and alive, too.” “© Alive!” ‘* He’s alive to this day.” * Hicks?” “Of course. What do you suppose he had stumbled upon, that set him hurrahing so?” ‘* How should [ know?” “It was a cave, with a dry run in it.- Hicks panned the bottom, and found it loaded down with color. Pete found this out—that is to say, I found it out for him; and that fight wasa sham, to get a chance to capture him and imprison him in bis own cave, / ‘Pete, as you know, had won Hicks’s claim at faro: so all Le had to do was to take posses- sion.” j ‘But what did he want of Hicks, after he had got his dust?” . “That's just the point. He didn’t get all of his dust, nor anything like it. He knew that It wa’n’t Pretty Pete did spirit ‘ a i ene there was a lot more hidden; so he captured him to make bim show it up.” ‘* An’ has hung on to him ever since?” “Trying to starve and whip him into di- vulging the secret of his hidden gold.” ‘*The gold that was to fix you so’s you could swell around in Paris!” “Exactly. Well, Hicks buffled us, He knew that we would not kill him, so long as there was any hope of wearing him out; so he stood every-: thing, till to-day,” ** An’ what has happened to-day?’ ‘“ A woman—his sister, I fancy—came and rescued him,” ** An’ beat you an’ Purty Pete?” “She got the best of us, We did not suspect her. She was disguised as a man, and was backed by Happy Harry.” ‘* As his pard! Was it her you killed?” “Yes, She found her brother; but I got away with her, and made my escape,” ‘* An’ Purty Pete?” “*T left him in the cave, fighting it out with Happy Harry. I reckon he got the worst of it. ” “So that’s all?” ** All but my revenge,” “Ob! I thought you got square with the girl. What more do you want?” ‘Happy Harry brought her to the camp, for the express purpose of getting even with me for asligbt I once put upon him, He has carried his point, All that I have worked for so lon was snatched from me in a moment, Now want his blood!” ** You shall have it; or [ll git my own tapped tryin’ to git it fur ye! But first, we’ll look out fur your safety. Let the lot of ’em come, and see what they make buckin’ ag’in’ Sam Bropey.” He arose and put the place in a state of defense, Flash the Firefly took advantage of his cccu- pation to remove her wet clothing, and go to bed. He went and looked down upon her as she lay asleep, as quietly as if no stain of crime were upon her, ‘They'll never git her away from me,” be de- clared, shaking his fist in the direction whence the Vigilantes must come, ‘* They’ll chaw me up in inch pieces first.” But this degree of devotion was not demanded of him, No pursuers presented themselves, On the foliowing day, at the behest of the wo- man, Sam went on a reconnoitering expedition, in which he learned that the crime of which she had made confession had not been consummated. ller will had been good enough, She had shot to kill, with a malicé the spring of which be did not yet know; but her intended victim had escaped with only a painful, not necessarily dangerous, wound, ‘* What!” she cried, when she learned vhat the object of her hatred yet lived, * Everything lost to me, and no one pays for it? Now [I doubly demand your promise! You said I should have revenge. Nothing will satisfy me short of the lives of both of these.” ‘*Happy Harry an’ his pard—man or woman —shall pe yours!” ** We will exact this revenge together, I will the Firefl fight at your side.” And from that moment Flash combined the cooing gentleness of a dove wit the deadly malignity of a serpent, CHAPTER TII. THE PARDS, In all its exciting history Hicks’s Hurrah had never had such a sensation, The mystery of the disappearance of the man who had given it its name was solved. Everybody crowded about what had been Pretty Pete's dance-house, now reclaimed by its rightful owner, who lay within, recovering from the barbarous cruelty that had been prac- ticed upon him to wring from him the secret of his hidden wealth. ‘“ Why, blast his wicked heart!” cried an in- dividual who was Getailing his knowledge, with perhaps a coloring of imagination, for the edifi- cation of the gaping crowd, ‘ef Purty Pete didn’t treat him to a dose o’ the cat, night an’ mornin’, every day! He looks like a travelin’ sack 0’ bones, he’s that scrawny! ‘You hyear me, gents?—thar ain’t a gent inch o’ his bide what ain’t lined with the lash, as if he’d beem ona gridiron.” A roar of rage showed the resentment with which the crowd received this story of savage barbarity.
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4 ‘““Whar’s Purty Pete? hyar!” ‘* We'd orter stretched his neck when we sot out to, when Hicks disappeared.” ‘Tt ain’t too late now. Let’s hang him up to dry, an’ fill his hide full o’ lead.” i sch first ketch yer flea!” cried the first er. ** Has Pete got away?” *You bet! He had a back door handy out o’ that cave, When we weut in thar with a light, to clean up the blood an’ ha’r, Mister Pete he was among the missin’.” The crowd vented its disappointment in a howl of condemnation. At this point the door of the dance-house, which had been closed to every one not im- mediately concerned, was opened from within, and a man presented himself to address the crowd. He was as fine a specimen of young manhood as one need wish to see, His broad, square shoulders, the erect carriage of his head, the bright intelligence and cheerful- ness of his countenance, recommended him to every one at the first glance. ‘Happy Harry! appy Harry!” went up the cry. ‘Give him a hearin’, gents.” ‘Give him a roof-lifter first. Hip! hip!” “Hold on, gentlemen!” cried Happy Harry, stretching out bis hand in admonition. ‘* Noth- in’ will please me better than your expression of good will—at another time. But, just now, what we want most is quiet.” ‘* How’s the pard?’ demanded one of the list- eners. ‘ Did the Firefly git away with him?” ‘“We’re comin’ out o’ this thing better’n we expected,” was Harry’s assurance, ‘‘ The Fire- fly didn’t git away with the Jim Dandy, an’ don’t you forget it!” In spite of his caution, this intelligence was received with a suppressed yell of delight, ‘* ffe’s the peartest lectle cuss what ever stood in two shoes!” cried an admirer of Jim Dandy, ‘* He’s got more spunk’n ary ten men in this hyar camp!” declared another. “He'll pull through, Don’t you furgit it, boys! He was never born to be knocked out by no woman.” “ ffe'll take it kindly if his friends will dis- perse,” said Happy Harry. ‘‘ An’ not to send you away without some mark of bis apprecia- tion, he proposes an adjournment to the Last Nugget, whar the barkeeper will set ’em up against his slate for the rest of the evenin’,” If the Jim Dandy’s aim was popularity, he coul! have adopted no surer course than this, ] Let’s have him out o ** But, bold on, gents!” interposed one of their | number, ‘! What’s to be done about this byar? Ef we’re to come back at Purty Pete, we hain’t ot no time to lose. An’ thar’s the Firefly. Voman or no woman, she’d orter suffer.” ** Nothing is to be done,” objected Happy Harry. ‘‘ We're content with the present state of things, It’s Jim Dandy’s funeral; and both he and Hicks say the same thing.” ‘Waal, Hicks is mighty furgivin’, That’s all I’ve got to say.” “Ef Purty Pete had sarved me so, I’ huve the hide off his body from head to heels!” The crowd did not willingly forego its revenge; but Happy Harry at last prevailed with them, and they all went off to the Last Nugget tomake a night of it, Harry returned into the house, ** How is he comin’ on?” ho asked the doctor in attendance, ‘* He’s asleep,” was the reply. *You’re goin’ to pull him through, Doc? You're sure of it?” There was keen anxiety in the eyes that scan- ned the doctor’s face; and Happy Harry’s voice never had been more grave, “*Don’t you worry,” was the assurance, ** He’s good for many a battle yet.” “*T hope he won’t have ’em to fight,” said arate “With his pluck?’ cried the doctor, with a lifting of the brows in surprise. ‘‘ He'll never get through this wicked world without his share of the rackets.” Happy Harry made no reply, but went into the adtoining room on tiptoe, It was a very surprising room to find in such a rt t was fitted up with all the elegant frippery of the boudoir of a lady of wealth—the last thing in the world one would. expect torun upon in a wild western mining camp. Here the Firefly had prepared for her scheme of social conquest, when, rolling in the wealth wrung from poor Hicks, she should burst upon the French metropolis like a meteor of unrivaled splendor, Here, under tbe tuition of a Frenchman, M. Carmeaux, she bad been practicing the arts and graces required by her new role. A small upright piano stood against the wali. A guitar with a gay silken cord leaned in a cor- ner. A pair of high-heeled slippers that Cinder- ella might have envied were just visible under the end of arichdivan. A dress with a princess train bung across the back of a chair, in materi- al and cut the most elegant. She had learned to sing, to dance, to chatter French, to handle a fanas only a French coquette eould hope to doin rivalry of those senoritas who are born to this particular fascination. No actress was ever trained more carefully, nor had a more enthusiastic instructor, M, Carmeaux was a genius in his way, In his native Paris be had been a mantua-maker; and what he didn’t know about the arts of the artful sex would make a mighty small book! But the Firefly’s ambition was now brought to naught, and another was in possession of her conjuring wand. In an alcove, shut off from the main apart- ment by a rich curtain, sliding on gilded rings, stood her bed, in which now lay what had the appearance of a boyish figure, with, , however, the badge of early manhood on his shaven chin and upper lip. If Fash the Firefly had announced openly in Alicks’s Hurrah her suspicion that this was a woman in disguise, she would have been unhes- itatingly laughed to scorn, and her opinion set down to jealousy. True, tue Jim Dandy was small in stature, and one might admit almost effeminately delicate in every jhe But this said, there was absolute- ly nothing else to cast a doubt upon his being what he claimed to be; while there was abund- ant proof that he was not only a man in courage and address, but indeed an altogether excep- tional one. Never had there been a more dashing advent into any mining-camp. Happy Harry had been waylaid and assaulted, and was at the point of capture, if not death, when a stranger leaped into the melee, and with revolvers the triggers of which had been re- moved so that they might be fired with greater rapidity, turned the tide of battle, scattering such of the assailants as survived to run away. Charmed with his pluck and skill, Happy Harry had made overtures, which were accept- ed, to adopt him as his pard on the spot, engag- ing toaid him in a scheme which bad brought him to Hicks’s Hurrah. In the following matching of wits against Pretty Pete, no man could have been more effective than Jim Dandy had proved, The very name they dubbed him with was ia token of his prowess, By a treacherous shot the Firefly had brought him, as it was at first feared, to death’s door. The surgeon’s verdict, however, was more favorable; and now Happy Harry sat down beside his sleeping pard, fixing his eyes upon him with such loving solicitude as men bear each other only when friendship means a sharing of perils where a helping band may at any moment make the difference of a life, ‘There is no need of your losing your rest, Kitty.” he said to the girl in attendance on the weunded Dandy. ‘Tl watch him to-night.” “*T wouldn’t think of leavin’ him, Harry,” answered the girl. ‘‘ What do you know about makin’ him comfortable, if he was to wake up? He wants a nurse more thana doctor: I can tell you that.” ‘** Waal, lay down on the divan, thar, an’ I'll rouse you if he wakes,” “T'll do that, if you ain’t too tired yourself.” ‘“ What sheuld make me tired? Go tosleep, girl! A little strain on my nerves don’t use me up, as if I wasawoman. Now you, with the hysterics an’ what-not you’ve been through to- night, need rest.” And Harry laughed, Not at all disturbed by his chaff at the weak- ness of her sex, Kitty fetched a blanket, and curled herself up on the diyan, which made a far more luxurious couch than she was used to. While she slept the dreamless sleep of youth and health, Harry sat motionless, watching his pard, for hours, There was no indication of daybreak in this strange apartment; for it was within the mouth of the cave against which the house was built. Here no sound of the outer world penetrated, pa could what went on in here be heard with- out, Flash the Firefly had devised it, with a door that muffled all sounds, sothat no one would sus- pect her doings; and it was really for the comfort of Hicks, who occupied an outer room, that | Happy Harry had used Jim’s name in disp ing. the crowd. ut a healthy stomach is a mighty good alarm-ciock for the purpose of early rising; and at her accustomed hour the girl, Kitty, awoke, She received Harry’s report that his pard had slept the night tbrough without stirring, with bantering doubt as to his having kept awake to see;and then hastened out to prepare her pa- tient’s breakfast. It appeared that Jim Dandy, too, had had his sleep out, for the slight stir and low voices caused him to move restlessly, and the door had scarcely closed upon his nurse when he opened his eyes, CHAPTER IV. THE STROKE OF THE COBRA, AT sight of his pard sitting at his bedside, a startled flush swept to the Jim Dandy’s tem- ples, and he drew the coverlet up about his chin with a spasmodic little clutch. But, not appearing to notice this, Harry’s greeting was quite natural and unrestrained. ‘Waal, pard! how air you comin’ on? You're lookin’ peart, as sure’s yelive! I’m mighty glad o’ that.” Then the Jim Dandy recovered his presence of mind, and extended his hand with all his out- ward carelessness, ‘* Hallo, old man!” he exclaimed. ‘' What are you prowling around here for? You don’t mean to say you’ve not gone to bed? It’s asdark as a pocket yet, but it must be well on toward morning.” “Oh, don’t mind me,” answered Harry. ‘I’m never sleepy. But, how do ye feel, boy? That’s the question what agitates the community jest at present.” ‘*Heel!” repeated Jim, ‘Like a lark for spirits, and likes wolf for hunger! But, where’s Kitty? A healthy nurse sheis! Don’t she think I ever need medicine or grub?” “You ain’t dyin’ fur medicine, thank the Lord!” ejaculated Harry, rubbing his hands ip delight. ‘* Don’t you ever touch the p‘igen, Jim! That’s what makes hospitals an’ grave- yards—in the East, I mean, 0’ course, As fur grub, we'll fix you out in that line in no time. Kitty’s jest gone fur tosnatch that kitchen stove bald-headed. I let ber sleep on the divan yon- der; an’ ef she puts in her time as straight iu the hash-foundry, we'll soon have to put you in trainin’ to reduce your weight,” “Why, what time is it?” asked Jim, Harry explained why tke sun did not pene- trate to the apartment, . ** And have you been fool enough to sit there all night?’ ejaculated Jim, opening his eyes in apparent surprise, ‘The Doc said that how you waked up would tell the story,” explained Harry, simply, ‘‘So I lowed I’d be on hand to see.” ‘Oh, hang the doctor!” cried the Jim Dandy. ‘*Go to bed, man! I’m all right.” This was said as one man is won't to evade any unusual mark of tenderness on the part of another. But there was a look in Jim’s eyes which showed that he was not without apprecia- tion of his pard’s solicitude. “11 do betcer’n that,” replied Harry. ‘Til go an’ hurry up your breakfast, You'll have to take what the Doc says, though, fur a spell yet.” ‘No spoon-victuals!” the Jim Dandy calied after him. : But the nioment he was gone all this rollick- ing air disappeared. *©So!” mused the invalid, “he thinks enough of his pard to lose sleep simply to see how he is likely to come on?” He said no more aloud, but the fleeting ex- pression of his countenance showed that bis breast was a theater of shitfing emotions, Now he flushed vividly, and looked distressed ; again he smiled with a far-away look in bis eyes; once he murmured something under bis breath, so that, even if any one bad been pres- ent, it would have been unintelligible, 3 When Kitty appeared, with a tray contain- ing as inviting a breakfast as any invalid need wish, in spite of his previous profession of ex- treme hunger, Jim did not deign it a second glance, but shouted at once: ‘¢ Fasten that door!” ; ‘¢ It’s too late,” laughed his nurse, complying, however, with his wish. ~ ‘*How could you do sucha thing?” was the reproachful demand. ‘ How could I belp it?’ was the plea in exten- uation. ‘Could I tell him that he wasn’t to see his pard, and so set him to thinking of what he’d never dream of without being knocked in the head??
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Oh, Kitty! that comes of having too tender- hearted a pard!” **'You’ll not complain of that in the future, I'll go bail!” ‘*Hush! There never will be a future!” ** Pll bet my head on it!” ‘There won’t, I say!—and for a very good reason, It will be impossible ever to bury the Jim Dandy!” ‘*The easiest thing in life,” was Kitty’s as- surance, as she joined in Jim’s laugh over his own obsequies. ‘‘A man’s eyes are made of leather!” ‘* But, suppose he insists on digging up the body for identification?” ‘Well, he'll have you there, fora fact. But T wouldn’t let my breakfast get cold worrying over that chance. I fancy, Jim, if he does un- earth him, will have little trouble ia convincing him that a live sweetheart is better than a dead and gone pard,” ‘‘ Well,” answered Jim, thoughtfully, ‘Id do as much as that for my sister, to be sure.” And for some reason or other—what, I do not pretend to say—the two speakers laughed again. Then Jim proved that he did have an appetite, wnuatever the future might hold; and Kitty’s nursing, or his own youth and health, soon had him on his pins again, only the much-abused Hicks claiming continued attention. However, if he did not recover as rapidly, it was not by the fault of his nurses, The Jim Dandy was untiring in his devotion; if anything, Kitty was more faithful to him than to Jim; and there was, besides, Happy Harry. But then be may not have been an acquisition ; for he would not let his pard overdo himself in his own state of impaired strength, “This hyar won’t do, Jim,” he protested. **T like Hicks, but I like my pard a blame sight better; an’ I ain’t standin’ by an’ seein’ you wear yourself out on him or any one else, ye onder- stand,” “T thought our bargain was for you to do as I say, and not for me to do as you say,” objected the Jim Dandy, playfully. “Thar won’t no pardnership stand long on that basis, an’ that’s a fact,” declared Harry, more seriously. ‘It’s got to be give an’ take, au’ each with his innin’s when his turn comes.” ‘*Very well. It’s my innings now, When Hicks gets well, you can take your turn at boss- ing, if you care to. Ill do just as you like.” ** Will you?’ asked Harry, with a quick, pierc- ing glance, But he immediately went on in his natural mauner: ** Waal, you won’t find me much of a boss; an’ T ain’t bossin’ now.” ** What do you call it, when you dictate to me how far I may care for a pard of mine before I knew you?” ** A boss looks out fur his own advantage; but I’m lookin’ out fur you. Dll take your place, ye onderstand, an’ give your pard as good at- tention as you kin give him yourself, What you want isa free run till you git your nerve back. Ef we keep you shut up hyar, you'll soon be off yer feed, an’ then the deuce will be to ay. : **T sha’n’t soon be off my feed in this air,” laughed Jim Dandy. ‘But Pll let you have your way, the more readily since I have an idea in my head that I’d like a chance to work up,” ‘* What idee is that?” ‘Why, knocking about in search of Hicks, I happened to do a mite of prospecting; and I have a notion to see what there is in it.” “Ts it nigh hyar, Jim? Look a’ hyar!—what’s the reason the thing won’t keep till I kin go along with ye? Hicks will be on his feet then, to make the third,” ‘* What's the use of so many? Don’t you sup- pose I can tell color by myself?” ‘*Maybe you kin. But, to tell you the truth I don’t much like the notion 0” your browsin? around by yourself.” ‘*And why not, pray, sir?’ demanded Jim, quickly drawing himself up. ‘‘ Haven’t I proved my ability to look out for number one? If either of us, I think it is you that need looking after, How did I find you, my dear sir?” “Ina tight fix, Jim—I don’t deny that. An’ ou did sail in amazin’, If you hadn’t, maybe T wouldn’t be hyar now, But that’s the more reason why you shouldn’t run the same resk, With Purty Pete loose, an’ naturally on the war-path bigger’n a grizzly b’ar, the woods around this camp might not be a Sunday after- noon promenade fur you,” { “Pil look out for Pretty Pete, I should like nothing better than the chance to fetch in his scalp.” on SSS SSS SSS SSS SSS SSS SSS SSS ss, “sss SSS Happy Harry’s Big Find. The Jim Dandy was between laughter and seriousness, Though he had called off the ven- detta, he was far from viewing Hicks’s brutal persecutors with complacency; and it is prob- able that a face-to-face meeting with either of them would cause his natural resentment to get the better of his forgiving disposition. However, he went away cheerily, with his pick and shovel and pan and a day’s rations slung jauntily over his shoulder, waving a merry adieu to his pard and his many other ad- mirers, That was the last seen of him, When night came, it did not bring his re- turn. As the day progressed, Happy Harry had be- come more and more uneasy, blaming himself for letting his pard go alone at such a time. To be sure, nothing had been seen or heard of either Pretty Pete or the Firefly since their es- cape; yel either or both might be lurking about for revenge. Such people would not easily accept such a de- feat. In vain did the boys argue that Jim had gone prepared to stay over night if necessary. ‘“You stay whar you be, boys,” answered Harry. “Thar ain’t no call fur you. But ’m off.” There were a plenty to propose to accompany him when they found that he was determ- ined; but he said no, “Jim won’t want an army huntin’ him up, as if he wasn’t able to take care of himself. But ef he kicks at me, lll have to stand it. I’m off anyway.” And he went unattended. Kitty was left in care of Hicks; and when he asked for his pards, she told him that they had gone out for a little air and exercise, not inti- mating that they were out together, He went to sleep, ‘‘ as quiet as a lamb,” she afterward said; but bis sleep would have been anything but quiet, if what was going on that night could have visited him in his dreams! Up to midnight the camp wore its usual air of carousal; and the last inebriate reeled, howling and firing his revolver into the air, to his frowsy bunk, But the silence between midnight and dawn was broken by the wildest excitement. One heavy sleeper was roused by thunderous pounding on his door, and the startling sum- mons: ‘* Rouse out o’ byar, pard! loose, an’ the world’s on fire!” ‘* Who's hyar?) What in Cain be you tryin’ to git through you? Is that you, Jake?” **Rouse out, Isay! The Jim Dandy’s dead, an’ Happy Harry’s cut all to pieces! Doc Fleet- wood found him layin’ out in the woods, Gid Becket brung in the news. Everybody’s on the keen jump, an’ armin’ fur blood, Rouse out 0’ hyar ef you don’t want to beleft behind.” There was no further information to be got, even if desired, The speaker rushed off to the next shanty, to repeat his summons, | Others were engaged at the same work on all sides. The news spread like wildfire, and from ever direction men, some of them but scantily Apedead, but all of them armed to the teeth, came run- ning to the open space before what had been first Hicks’s shanty, then, much enlarged, Pret- ty Pete’s dance-house, and once more the posses- sion of the restored Hicks, The usual gasoline lamp was flaring luridly before the house, where an excited crowd was gathered about the door, staring at something fastened against it. This proved to be a cartridge belt, pinned in place by a bowie-knife thrust through it and deep into the wood by some yowerful hand, Everybody recognized the belt as one worn by the Jim Dandy, and the bowie as the property of Happy Harry. The belt was blood-stained and pierced by a bullet. The blade of tbe bowie was bloody to the hilt, which, even bore bloody finger-marks, Not a line, not a word, explained this ghastly symbol of defiant triumph. As the sleeper whose rousing we have chron- icled came up, he heard Zack Ringold saying: ‘Boys, they’re both goners! Look a’ that belt. It’s plugged plumb center! It must ’a’ took him in the spine.” Before the new-comer could make any in- quiries, some one else shouted: ‘* Look! look! what's this hyar? Blast my two eyes ef it ain’t Hicks!” ** Hicks, or his ghost! Who had the gall to tell him?” “Stand back!” It was the command of one who looked like a dead man, and everybody fell away at his word. Tophet’s broke 5 CHAPTER V. ENTRAPPED, Jim DANDY left the camp in a very gay mood, He was a bird that was fond of being on the winz; and his confinemehtas invalid, and after- ward as nurse, made all the world glow ina new light when he was free to be out in it again. Truth to tell, he was not much of a pros- pector, He was fonder of looking for gold in the sun- set than in the bowels of the earth. If the sober, matter-of-fact miners whom he had left, refusing to allow any of them to ac- company him, though more than one had inti- mated that he would esteem it a rare privilege could he have seen him stop and clap his bands in gles as he peered among the branches of a tree at a scampering cony, they would have thought him a remarkably rattle-headed fellow. His washing for gold, too, was the furthest possible from serious business. In the midst of it, his eye was attracted by a pretty stone; and he dropped his pan to exam- ine the pebble, But between the whiles when he strolled along, with his eyes darting about in every direction, so as not to miss a single wonder in the always-wonderful nature that surrounded him, while he whistled or bummed softly to him- self, there were long periods when he sat idly on the bank of some mountain run, tossing pebbles into the water, with a far-away, dreamy look in his eyes. A smooth stretch of sand invited him to write upon it with a stick; and this is what he wrote: “Mrs, Harry Hammond.” No sooner was the name traced, however than, with a swift-coming flush, he swooped down upon it with his pan, and scooped up the ‘* Mrs,” with a single pass. He was about to throw the sand far out into the stream, but on second thought arrested the motion, ‘“Tll wash it, and if there is gold in it, will take it as an omen of good luck.” With a grimace and a shrug he asked himself; ** Good luck for which? It will be hard luck for him!” And he fell to laughing at some pictures that flitted before his imagination. But gradually his face sobered, and he washed this panful of sand with far more seriousness than any that had preceded it. It was with something like superstitous anx- iety that he watched the lessening sediment in this pan. His face lightened up wonderfully when, in the fine black powder that it was finally reduced to, he discovered the glint of particles of gold- ust, It was not for the intrinsic richness of the yield, however, thet he put it carefully into a buckskin bag, declaring, with a sigh of satis- faction: “There! Ill wear that as a charm till some~ thing cones of it.” Having suspended this about his neck with a bit of ribbon, and thrust it into the bosom of his shirt, he addressed himself to his lunch, for which his ramble had given him a keen appe- tite, In the midst of this employment. he was star~ tled by the sound of a footstep, In a twinkling he had a brace of revolvers out; and now any miner who had seen him would have been convinced that he was of a very marked business turn when it came to an exchange of shots, Ata little distance he discovered what in the East would have been set down as the most wretched of tramps, In that country the per- son who presented himself thus unexpectedly would have passed at a glance as an unlucky prospector who was at the end of his ‘ grnb- stakes,” and well-nigh at the point of starva- tion, ‘Well, mister, what’s the good word?” was the Jim Dandy’s greeting, ‘‘Pard,” answered the fellow,“ ve got sich a big hole on the inside o’ me that thar’s lots 0” room fur words, but { don’t find but one handy.” *¢ And what’s that?” 6 Grub!” “How'd whisky do as a substitute?” asked Jim, quizzically. ‘“A drop would be a godsend, stranger; but I’d druther have a toothful o° terbacker, ef so be you mought have a mite abuut yer clo’es,” “Nary plug. But you are welcome to a cigar, if you can make any use of it,” “Give me a mite to eat, ef you have it to J NA. = «NM ee
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6 spare, an’ “ll git along with the weed after- wards. I’m amazin’ hungry, pardner.” As there was nothing suspicious in the appear- ance or manner of the man, Jim set apart the best of his lunch for him. ‘‘ Stow that away, stranger, where no investi- gating committee can get after it,” was his invi- tation. And his guest feil to with a ravenousness that made good his profession of hunger. “* Prospecting?” asked Jim, The stranger paused just long enough to an- sewer: "You bet!” “What luck?” ** Look a’ this hyar.” And from somewhere among his rags the fel- low drew forth a buckskin bag, and dropped it into Jim’s hand, ** Well! well! you don’t go hungry for the lack of the wherewithal to pay for a good dinner,” exclaimed Jim, hefting the bag. ‘* Thar’s more’n me as has been in the same fix in these hyar mountings.” “Were you on your way to Hicks’s Hurrah?” **T was on my way to anywhar whar I could git somethin’ fur to fill up this hyar cave in my stumjack! But I don’t know nothin’ about Hicks’s Hurrah. Whar mought that be?” “Straight down this gulch, within three hours’ walk.” ‘¢T mought ’a’ had three hours’ more walk in me, ef l’d been put to it; but you bet your sweet soul it didn’t turn my stumjack fur to find a dinner waitin’ fur me hbyar. An’ now, young feller, I'll tell ye what I'll do.” ** What will you do? Have the cigar?” “Pll take the cigar, but you ain’t to “low as I’m always lookin’ out fur number one. Ive took a notion to you—I have so; an’ I'll make you a proposition.” a All right, I’m open to propositions; which, however, isn’t saying that I’m likely to accept them. Bnt drive ahead. What’s your proposi- tion?” ‘“* You see that thar dust?” ** Of course.” ‘Waal, thar’s a heap more whar that come from.” ** Doubtless, if you’re willing to starve your- self to death getting at it.” “That ain’t necessary. What ye want is sup- plies, an’ then ye’re hunk.” “Yes,” laughed Jim, ‘‘ You appeared to be in want of supplies—bad !” ** That's jest it. Suppose a scare-crow like me goes into this hyar camp what you tell about an’ lays inastock of provinder? He'll be spotted pckesn greased lightnin’; an’a lot o’ galoots *Ll be doggin’ his heels the minute he tries to cut loose,” “Very likely. A fellow of your present ap- yearance would be apt to be looking for an angel efore he set out again, unless he was going to something sure.” ‘¢That’s jest it. It’s an angel I’m lookin’ fur, but not an angel to put up grub-stakes.” ‘“* What kind of an angel is more to your lik- ing?” ‘**T want a pard what kin go between my dig- gin’s an’ neighborin’ camps, an’ keep me in sup- plies, without wakenin’ suspicion; an’ you're jest the galoot fur todoit. You won’t go to one place all the while, ye understand; but now hyar, an’ ag’in yonder, ou’ve got the tenderfoot look about you; an’ the boys’ll bemore like to ‘low as ou’re blowin’ in yer rocks while you’re larnin’ he tricks o’ the trade—gittin’ experience.” ‘* What more would I get than experience, if I went into this thing?” “A heap. To begin with, you don’t put noth- in’ in. I furnish the dust fur to buy with, Then TP}l share with you—give you a third,” “You might do that, and yet I not make my salt.” * Before you go into the thing, Pll show you that it?l] pan out better’r ary thing you ever was in, in yer life.” “But if I conclude not to go in, I shall have your secret.” **I like the look o’ you, young feller; an’ I'll trust you not to give me away, Howsomever, 1 know you'll jump at the chance, on sight.” ‘Tt is only fair to tell you that I have a pard who would have to be let into this thing if I went into it,” “So much the better, ef he ain’t afraid o’ work. But I’d druther have somebody a mite nervier than you,” And the stranger scanned Jim’s slight figure without apparent prepossession, Jim laughed. “* My best hold is on the shoot,” he said, “ But my pard could get away with you, at anything ube > Happy Harry’s Big’ Find. you saw,’ ‘* Then I say ag’in, the more the merrier! It’s powerful lonesome, grubbin’ all alone by yerself, an’ that’s a fact. Whar’s this hyar pard ©’ yourn?” ‘Tn the camp—Hicks’s Hurrah,” “Wetch him on, But we'll have to swear him to secrecy. Idon’t want the hull o’ this byar Rocky Mountings droppin’ in on me, I’ve struck a good thing, an’d want to milk it dry before a lot more come in to the strippin’s. ** Meanwhile, if you like, you kin see whether the thing’s worth your while.” ‘* Where can | see it?” ‘* Within five mileo’ this hyar spot. I come down from the Yanktown way; an’ I didn’t ‘low as thar was ary camp so nigh. «Ef you’ll take the thing in, we kin strike the bargain on thespot; you kin come back fur grub, an’ I'll peg away fur all I’m worth.” Though, as has been said, Jim Dandy had come out with no Very serious purpose of prospecting, still he had no more aversion to the “ root” than has any one else, “Tf ican put Harry up toa good thing,” he reflected, ‘* he will be all the readier to take a vacation.” Jim laughed to himself at the part he was playing, and flushed a little too. However, he concluded to see what the stran- ger offered. “*T reckon I'll look your claim over,” he said, “ond if I like it, it’sa go. But what might I call you?” “ Barnaby—Betsey Barnaby.” ‘* My handle is Jim Dandy.” ‘Waal, the feller what give you that, know- ed what he was talkin’ about. You look a Jim Dandy.” “Td rather act it.” **T reckon you will ef the pinch comes, by the way you grabbed them thar weepons when [ first showed up, I lowed you was goin’ to bore me before I bad a chance to speak.” 7 One bas to be on one’s guard in this coun- try. if That’s so, pardner, fur a fact.” So they set out, with seeming satisfaction on the part of Betsey Barnaby, and certainly no suspicion on that of the Jim Dandy. However, he observed a certain instinctive, or rather habitual, caution. Without really doubt- ing the honest intentions of the stranger, Jim let him keep in front of him, as was quite natural, he having the way to lead, Barnaby’s manner might well have disarmed suspicion, even if at the outset Jim had been wary. He talked with apparent frankness, in an exultant strain, as was natural toone witha fortune in prospect. ‘“* Look a’ hyar, pardner,” he said, ‘this hyar windfall comes in about as handy fur me as fur ary galoot what ever comes into good luck. I’ve got an ole mother back in Missouri, what’s waitin’ fur me—as good a woman as ever stood in two shoes, An’ thar’s a gal what’s contract- ed to have me when she see as I could put a roof over her head. She ‘lowed as I wasn’t worth my salt, only fur huntin’ an fishin’, an’ fur knockin’? around on trainin’ days. But she’s got a soft spot in her heart fur me, all the same; an’I know it! But won’t her eyes bung out, though, an’ won’t she show her pretty teeth, when I drive up in my own hoss an’ waggin, an’ ‘low as we'll climb fur that thar parson as soon asshe kin git her sunbonnet on? Waal, now, pard, I jest: wish’t you could see her—I do so!” Inno other way could Betsey Barnaby have so wormed himself into Jim Dandy’s confidence, He was not such a bad-looking man, as he rambled on with that happy smile on his face, ‘*Whatis her name?’ asked Jim, with quick sympathy. ‘¢ Jerusha!” answered Barnaby. Jim smiled, this name was so little suggestive of anything very charming in the way of a sweetheart. But a lover can soften any name, and Barnaby pronounced this with a lingering affection that went far toward redeeming it, ‘*T call her Jerry,” he went on. ‘And she calls you Betsey?’ laughed Jim. “That's a curious interchange. You must be a jolly couple.” “You bet yer sweet life we jest be!” cried Barnaby, highly pleased. And so the conversation ran on, Barnaby winning upon Jim more and more as they climbed the precipitous way, Barnaby was as active as a mountain goat, and he easily scaled places that taxed Jim’s might propose, the best day you ever ? agility by requiring a stretch rather longer than his legs were made for. At such points Barnaby offered his hand, lift- ing with astrength that left Jim little or no effort, It was at a place of this kind, when Jim was entirely off his guard, that his guide gave such a tug as not only to lift bim up the bar- rier, but to draw him plump into bis arms, Jim at first thought it an accident, one altogether distasteful to him, yet of no great im- portance, till suddenly he realized that he was being disarmed, Barnaby possessing himself of both his revolvers while his hands were at his back, Dropping them when he had drawn them, his arms closed about Jim like the jaws of a steel-trap, and the whole expression of his face changed, With his heart in his throat, Jim began to struggle when it was all too late, ‘“No kickin’, pard!” said Barnaby, in an altogether new tone of voice, ‘I’ve got you! I’m much obliged to you fur walkin’ so quietly into my den.” Even then the illusion his plausible manner had created was not at once dispelled, ‘* Hold on,” panted Jim, ‘‘ Did you think I would betray you? I give you my word—” “1 wouldn’t give a rap fur your word, when I’ve got you yourself, word an’ all.” Jim was fighting for his bowie, far from yield- ing himself a prisoner to this prospector who took such high-banded means, as it appeared, to protect bis fiud. But the struggle was futile. He wassoon entirely disarmed, Not only so, but his wrists were tied behind his back, Then Barnaby sat down on a rock, and smil- ingly gave bim this recommendation: ‘Holler, Thar may be help some’rs within reach 0’ your voice,” Jim did not avail himself of this privilege, Seeing himself ‘‘ down,” he resolved to make the best of the situation. ‘*] prefer to appeal to your reason,” he said, quietly. ‘‘ You have taken me prisoner to pre- vent the betrayal of your discovery. I hope to be able to convince you that you bave made a mistake, and might better bave taken me at my word,” “Pard an’ all? laughed Barnaby. ‘ Didn’t your pard have no sisters, nor cousins, nor aunts, what might like to come into this thing?” ‘*But a partner—such a one as I offered you— would be a good thing for you. You would bave company; and you know that two men can work at better advantage than one, You are letting selfishness get the start of reason, when you try to hold on to this all alone.” ‘*T never was much on the chin,” answered Barnaby. ‘But byar’s somehody what kin hold her own ag’in’ even you—an’ you're a good one at it! Ef youkin convince her, we’ll go back to the old proposition,” * Her? Whom? And Jim Jooked about in surprise. ‘* Jerusha!” replied Barnaby, now with & mocking intonation which showed that he was really quite an actor, despite his disclaimer. A low chuckling laugh bere attracted Jim’s attention, and turning sharply arcund, he con- fronted no less a person than Flash the Firefly. CHAPTER VI, A PRISONER. THERE is nothing in this world quite so ma- licious as a woman scorned ; and_Flash the Firefly was such a one, She had told Sam Bropey that her resentment against Happy Harry was due to his having balked the scheme of ber life, and that he had been moved to this by a slight she had put upon him. Far from this being true, the situation was ex- actly reversed, With a persistence worthy of a better cause, she had paid court to Happy Harry; and he bad roused her to insatiable hatred by repelling ber with indifference, The sure instinct of jealousy told her that she would havea formidable rival in Jim Dandy, if, as she suspected, the Dandy turned out to be a woman. p That Harry would eventually discover it, if he was not already apprised of it, she had no doubt, : Moreover, she had watched Jim Dandy till she satisfied herself that it was no sweetheart of Plone, or if it was, that Harry had “cut him out, When she learned that ber shot had not proy- ed fatal, she was rather rejoiced than regretful. ; J. r ‘ é + dle hamnihes AY ms. OS ee all = al Sas aif th fe ay” ™ } ise ‘
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‘Tt will leave me a chance for a better re- venge!” she had said to herself. ‘* I will bring them together in my power, and wring their hearts before [ give them the release of death!” In pursuance of this malignant purpose she had used Sam Bropey to entrap Jim, how clever- ly, we have seen, His get-up as a starved prospector was her work. Unknown to Jim, his task was not a particularly bard one, And now the woman stood in the first moment of her triumph. **So! I bave you, my dear!” she exulted, showing her teeth with a quivering of the upper lip that reminded one of a beast of prey. Jim Dandy at once recognized her, and realized that his secret, if indeed he had sucha one as she supposed, was no secret to this infuri- ate woman, The cause of her rage was not hidden from him. His first sight of ber had been in the abandon of her last appeal to Happy Harry. “So it appears,” he answered, coolly, ‘* Hay- ing me, may I ask what you purpose to do with me? “You may ask what you please. I will an- swer what 1) please.” ** Undoubtedly. I attend your pleasure.” **T shall not keep you in suspense longer than is unavoidable. But I will give you this for your comfort: whatever you forecast, the reality will be worse than you picture it,” ‘¢ [ have no doubt that it will be as bad as you can make it. However, no game is done till itis played out.” * You fancy you will get a chance to come back at me.” “IT won the first trick, remember, Indeed, I fancy I may say, without conceit, the first two tricks.” And Jim Dandy shot a glance at his captor which brought the blood ina great surge into her cheeks, Without giving her time to reply, he looked at her decoy, to whom this last passage at arms was not quite intelligible, and asked: “Ts this a lover of yours?” ‘*He is my husband,” answered the Firefly, to Sam’s palpable delight at ber prompt acknowl- edgment. We was hitched with all the etceteras,” he put in, as if this needed explicit statement. “*T wish you joy of her. You havea prize,” said Jim, sarcastically. ‘¢T have what suits me,” answered Sam, with aswift flash of the eye that showed he would tolerate no disparagement of the woman he loved, **T congratulate her on having such a defend- er,” continued Jim, ‘*She may need you be- fore she is well through with this thing.” You carry a stiff upper lip, boss,” said Sam, ** We've got you dead to rights, an’ kin do what we like with you.” ‘‘Por the present, yes. But does it occur to you that you may be engaged in unworthy work? In spite of the trick you have played me, I fancy I see some good in you,” Oh, I know you're a woman,” declared Sam. “Your rig might ’a’ took me in ef I hadn’t been put up to ye beforehand,” ** And, being a woman, what do you think of yourself?” “It would be low-down, I will say that, ef [ was doin’ it fur myself. But I’m standin’ by my wife in whatever she says, you bet a hoss!” “*Come! Fetch her along!” ordered Flash the Firefly, to whom this discussion was far from interesting. ‘“* March it is!” responded Sam, with a prompt- ness which showed that, whatever his private sentiments, there was nothing to be hoped from his chivalry as against the Firefly’s commands, Indeed, to assure his wife of his entire allegi- ance, he seized Jim by the arm, almost roughly, “Tf you will allow me, I will accompany you without violence,” said Jim, with quiet dignity, * All right,” answered Sam, adding with a laugh: ‘* Betsey Barnaby 1s mighty easy to git along with, ef ye only keep step to his pipin’.” He led the way. Jim Dandy followed, Flash the Firefly fetebed up the rear. Their destination was the hut in which we first came upon Sam Bropey in his despair. ‘“ We have no time to lose,” said the Firefly, peremptorily. ‘* Let us dispose of her without delay, and go to the bagging of our larger game.” ‘We're ‘lowin’ to pnt you. miss, whar you won’t git no flies on you,” said Bropey. ‘ Make yerself easy. No harm won't come to you tell we fetch it.” And going to the center of the room, he lifted a Genstoor in the floor, Happy Harry’s Big Find. Jim Dandy could scarcely repress a shudder as he looked through the aperture thus opened. There was nothing to be seen through it but black darkness, He could form no idea what sort of a pit this was the mouth to, ‘*Am | to be put down there?” he asked. “Fur safe-keepin’,” answered Sam, with a grin, **T will give you any pledge—” ‘© We ain’t pawnbrokers,” ** Allright. How am I to get down?” ‘* With a mite o’ help.” Taking the end of a rope which lay coiled in a corner of the room, Sam tied it about Jim’s body, under his arms, The prisoner had no way of estimating the depth of the hole into which he was to be let down, tbe rope being indefinitely long, ** How deep is it?” he asked. ‘* Not so deep but Pve been down it many a time myself,” answered Sam. ‘‘ You kin take the measure as you go down. ‘* Now then, are you ready?” ‘* Perforce. Go ahead.” Standing across a corner of the opening, Bropey swung his prisoner clear off his feet, Then the rope began to slip through his hands, and Jim plunged downward into tke darkness, For a moment he held his breath, The chil) of the shaft seemed to strike through him to the very core of his heart, ‘* But this is cowardice!” said Jim, to himself, “What is it lam afraid of? The darkness?” And by an effort of will he braced kis nerves, “Sing out just before you reach the bottom,” suggested Sam, ‘*“T cannot tell. I can see nothing.” “*Of course not, Listen fur it,” But in spite of his efforts to obey, Jim struck the bottom very unexpectedly, and got quite a jar in consequence, “Thar you air!” cried Sam. ‘ Now east off.” It required some self-control to enable Jim to cut off bis only meaus of communication with the upper world, though it was only through his mortal enemies, He complied, however, knowing the futility of resistance, ‘*Now I reckon you'll be comfortable, an’ above all, safe, till we come back.” ** Am I to be left bere without a light?” “A light! Great Cesar’s ghost! Do you think you're in a fu’st-class hotel?” *‘ Good-afternoon to you!” **So-long! Ef you bappen to think of any- thin’ you want, touch the electric button, an’ the call-boy will be down,” The trap-door was then let down, and Jim heard Bropey walking over it, Nothing had given him so vivid an impression of his imprisonment as this, The people of the upper world were walking over bis head! It was as if he were in his grave, buried alive! His first proceeding was to explore his prison, He found that he had been let down in a min- ing-shaft. The bottom was rocky, as were the sides. In one direction he reached out in the void of a drift, Nothing could be gained by exploring this drift; 80, withdrawing into it sufficiently so that nothing accidentally falling down the shaft would strike him, he sat down to wait for his deliverance, with such patience as he could com- mand, Utterly helpless, in the power of a woman who had already attempted bis life at the behest of that mostimplacable of passions, j-alousy, Jim Dandy tried to forecast his probable fate. He recalled the expression of her eyes. They had been 7erocious, Evidently she held him in reserve for something that would glut her ven- geance more fully thaa swift death. The silence was as utter as tbe darkness, They had left the hut, secure in his inability to climb the shaft. Time passed, be could not guess how much, He had only his thoughts as bis measure, and they were so tumultuous that an hour might im- press him as a minute, or a minute as an hour, When it seemed asif he\had been incarcerated for an age, he was electrified by the footstep for which he had strained his ears till the very sense ached. The door of the but opened, and he could hear a heavy tramping across the floor, Straining his eyes upward through the dark- ness, he waited with bated breath for the first gleam of light. Anything—let him see anything, so that that rayless darkness was pierced! Let him hear the sound of a human voice, if that of his worst enemy; only break tbat sepulchral hush! f He followed every step of his jailer, and his rs heart came into his throat when he heard him at last stop in the center of the floor. The trap-door was thrown up. In the hght of a candle Jim saw Bropey kneel- ing at the opening, and gazing down. “Waal, pardner, how’s how?” In the first moment of reaction Jim could not find voice, **Sulky, eh?” commented Bropey, ‘‘ or maybe asleep. Ill rouse him outef he ain’t dead. Oh, yes! oh, yes! oh, yes !” Surely none but the dead could withstand such a bellowing summons, “You are wasting your breath,’’ said Jim Dandy at last. ‘‘l am very far from dead or asleep. NoramIsulky, What do you want?” “Oh! You ain't dead, ain’t you? An’ you ain’t asleep, ain’t you? An’ you ain’t sulky, ain’t you? Waal, we'll call it a mite deef. But I reckoned when Gabri’l blowed his toot it ’u’d pry the wax out o’ yer ears, What do I want? want you up out 0’ thar!” ‘You know the way to get me up.” “You bet Ido, Ketch the endo’ this hyar rope an’ tie yerself on, Tie the thing to stay, or you'll byear somethin’ Crap!” Jim needed no caution in this direction. While he was busy making himself secure, he could bear Flash the Firefly pacing the floor above with the restlessness of a wild beast in its cage, She had not presented herself to view at the mouth of the shaft; nor had she as yet let her voice be heard, There was that in her step which betokened a tempest of excitement, Was it that her revenge was now so near? Meanwhile, Sam Bropey was chattering away, as one who avoids a dreaded silence, ‘*T reckon you’ve had the blessin’ 0’ good com- pany down thar!” he Jaugbed., ‘*T have been fairly satisfied,” answered Jim, ** An’ you’ve took it cool an’ quiet while we wasaway? That’s a famous place fur takin’ things cool an’ quiet. I know how it is my- self!” His humor mighé have been veined with a touch of bitterness, Sam could remember many an hour spent in that shaft when he had need of coolness, if not of quiet, ‘ ‘*T have been free from annoyance,” said Jim, ‘* When you’re ready, you can heave away on that line,” “ Allright. Ease yerself up the sides. Now then! Heave-oh!” Jim, of no great weight for Bropey’s strength, was drawn up and landed without difficulty, Perhaps by Bropey’s planning, bis back, as he clambered through the trap, was toward the point where Flash the Firefly stood, The trap fell back to place, closing the open- ing, as he turned, only to stagger forward with a cry of despair, and to fall insensible on the floor. CHAPTER VII. DECOYED. ‘fr lacked full an hour of darkness when Happy Harry set out in quest of his pard, though it was already long past their usual supper time. ‘*P better start now than later,” Harry had said to himself, ‘I kin let on as 1 only come out to meet bim; not as [ was anyways anxious, Wf I waited till dark, he’a know I was huntin’ him up.” He had a general notion in what direction to look for the Jim Dandy. If he was on his way back, he must come down the gulch up which Harry was riding. However he reached a point where the chance of a divergence made everything uncertain, He might go on, and miss the returning wan- derer; and while he was stumbling about in the darkness and the mountain waste, Jim might be sitting comfortably at home, declaring that he was getting his deserts for bis want of faith, But this was not all that increased his anxiety. His hour of grace was well-nigh exhausted. The gray mists of evening were beginning to form in the valleys. The dusk hastening on, Then he heard a footstep aud the dislodg- ment of a pebble, and bis face lighted up as if by magic. ‘¢ Blast his hide, thar he is at last! I’m a fool an’ he'll tell me so!” Nevertheless he looked well content with his folly. “Pll play off as I’m as gay as u lark,” Indeed he was, just then; and it was not difficult for him to break into a rollicking song, after atrick of his own, which had given him his sobriquet of Happy Harry. rors e
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“T know a fair widder 0’ ’Frisco town. a Brown. An’ now she’s a chance fur to settle fur life, Ef she'll only consent fur to be Jones's wife! Oh Smith! No kin an’ no kith Will she be to you upin Glory! Oh Brown! Ole mutton, you’re down; An’ Jones has the best 0’ my story!” While he was bellowing this canticle, impro- vised on the spur of the moment, at the top of his lungs, hecould, of course, hear nothing but his own melodious voice. Whenit was concluded, instead of hearing a responsive shout of laughter from his pard, as he expected, he was astonished to bear the gal- loping of a horse in full retreat. “By Jove!” he exclaimed, ‘‘that can’t be Jim! He hadn’t no hoss. Who is ic, then?’ And putting spurs to his horse, he dashed for- ward to a point where he could see beyond the rock that had thus far shut out his vision. A cry of astonishment announced a very un- expected discovery. And well might he exclaim; for scouring away at full speed he saw one who had been in his thoughts, yet almost the last person he would have chosen to meet, “The Firefly!” he ejaculated, breathlessly. ‘*She’s never hung around these byar diggin’s all alone by herself, Who's she standin’ in with, then? Why, with Purty Pete, o’ course! An’ Purty Pete, what’s he up to? Jest what I was afraid of! ** But they hain’t got him yet, or she would- n’t be gallivantin’ around like this hyar by her- self, [ reckon Pll ketch on to you, miss, an’ hold you till I git my pard back.” While thus soliloquizing, Happy Harry was not sitting idly, you may believe. The instant he caught sight of the Firefly, he gave chase at full speed. If he could only have seen her face! It was simply devilish in its glee! ‘* Ha! ba! Come on!” she cried, under her breath. ‘‘ You have missed your pard already, have you? I thought you would, And you have arope for me, I have no doubt, if you catch me, Well, Pll be doing you a service, by taking you to one you miss so sorely.” And, being well mounted, she spurred away at aspeed that promised to give her pursuer quite a chase, ‘‘ Now give me light!” shouted Harry, gazing up into the gray sky. Spur, quirt, voice—he plied all like a mad- man. ‘Put all your life into the next ten minutes, an’ then die!” he shouted to his horse, ‘‘ Away! away! away!” Never was a wilder chase. “The fiend will overtake me before I am ready for him!” cried the Firefly, within her- self, ’ And she plied spur and whip and voice in her turn. “If either of us gets out of this withouta broken neck, it will be a miracle!” she exclaim- ed, as her frantic horse bore her like the wind along a way which he ought to’ have picked with care, But the girl was desperate, ‘*Let my life go, 1f I lose this revenge!” she cried. ‘‘On! on! Give me the hell of mutila- tion, or the heaven of seeing him writ:he under the sting of my torture!” Not less desperate was the man in pursuit. With pitfalls at every step, he goaded his horse as if on the open plains, ‘* It’s my pard, or nothin’! Ef I git her, I git him!” And setting his teeth and shutting his eyes to the danger, he pressed on like pursuing death, He cared nothing for the way the fugitive led him, He kept on her track, and he would do so if she leaped over a precipice! Nearer! nearer he drew to her, ‘*He shall not take me! I will kill him!” cried the girl, her eyes blazing with despera- tion, And she drew a revolver. “Hah! That’s your game, is it? cried Harry. “Waal, | never raised my band ag’in’ a wo- man before; but I swear ef you put me afoot, Cl pre you afoot! I hope the tumble won’t break your purty neck!” And he in turn drew a revolver. Then they sped on, he steadily gaining, **Pull up!” be shouted, when he was near enough. ‘J can dro; you any minute I please; an’ I don’t mean to let you gir away from me; you may bet your life on that!” Happy Harry’s Big Find. ‘¢ You'll never take me alive!” she called back First she married a Smith; then she married | to him. ‘* Dead or alive, you’re mine!” ** You'll make every point you get on me.” ‘* Pm elimbin’ fur ’em!” ** Look out you don’t take a tumble just when you feel surest.” ‘*Drop me if you dare!” ** Will you shoot me?” “You bet your life I will.” ‘* Well, here goes!” And turning in the saddle, she leveled her weapon, and fired at bis horse. Harry lined her horse, seeing that she was not shooting at him, but at the animal he bestrode, and waited the issue. His finger trembled on the trigger. The slightest wincing in his horse, indicating that he was hit, would have winged his merci- less bullet; and he was a dead shot, even in full +; career, ‘* It’s lucky for you,” he said, when the peril was past, ‘that you don’t know how to handle that weapon yet!” ““Pll practice,” she answered, now past all fear with desperation. Once more she leveled and fired, The result was as before; yet, if she kept this up, chance might bring her disastrous success. ‘* You’re temptin’ the devil!” shouted Harry. ‘He'll heip you out on one o’ them shots, jest to see you go down, I give you my word, I won’t spare you!” t ‘* When I ask odds of you, it will be time for you to talk, Here’s another!” And a third time she leveled the weapon. But at the moment of firing, she saw Harry’s horse stumble. There was a flash of his revolver, and— She caugbt her breath, but she rode on. The bullet which she fuily expected would end all, sped harmlessly by. Neither she nor ber horse was bit, ‘Ha! ha! That is your boasted marksman- ship!” she scoffed, plucking up courage. ‘** That is my boasted marksmanship!” retort- ed Harry. “If at the last instant I hadn’t seen that be wasn’t goin’ down, you would have been ina heap long before this, I could- n’t stop the shot, but I could turn it fur enough to let you cut.” And this was indeed the truth. When his horse stumbled, he took no thought of saving himself, but only of getting in bis shot where it would do instant and fatal exe- cution, not on the woman, but on the animal that bore her, He did not directly assail her life, since she was a woman; but he took the chance of break- ing her neck in the fall, In the instant when he perceived that his horse would recover his footing, he deflected his aim, though it was too late to arrest the con- traction of his finger on the trigger, But though he did not fall, the horse had re- ceived a sprain that perceptibly slackened bis speed. It was not tbat he was seriously disabled; but he was now timid. “T can hold my own against him now—at least long enough,” said the Firefly to herself. And she desisted from further firing. ‘*Sbe can’t escape me,” reflected Harry, watching the action of his borse, and the in- terval that yet separated him from his quarry, ‘**Tam still gainin’on her, If be loses his grip, Ill fetck her down, assure as my name is Harry Hawmond!” Still the Firefly pressed on, and still he pressed after. And now her eyes, if he could have seen them, were blazing again with triumph. **T hope the tumble won’t break Ais neck!” she muttered to kerself. ‘‘?’m as kind to him as he is tome. 1 only want to save him for my re- venge!” Then, as she passed a certain copse, she said, in a low voice, and without looking at it: ‘ * Don’t kill him!” ‘**]t was a breath, and she had sped by. Unsuspecting, Harry pressed on, ‘* Surrender!” he cried. ‘I’ve got you, an’ you know it!” “Hang onto me,” she retorted, looking back oe shoulder, ‘‘ But look out for your- self. Then she suddenly caught her breath, and drew hard on the rein, while her eyes stared with a fixed mtensity. Harry heard nothing. He caught the flash of something before his eyes that he took to be a falling twig, He ducked, to escape being hit inthe eyes, as he supposed, He felt a sharp blow across his arms and low down on his breast; and the next instant Happy Harry lay stunned and bleeding on the soely trail, while bis horse sped on without him, CHAPTER VITI. A HEART ON FIRE. WHEN Firefly and Sam Bropey left their pris- oner in the mining-shaft, they immediately pro-« ceeded to the second act in their drama of re- venge, p Tbe Firefly mounted Bropey’s horse, and Sam ran atthe side, assisting himself with a grip on the animal’s mane. The Firefly had already detailed her plan to her colleague, ‘* Happy Harry will be uneasy at the absence of his pard, He will biame himself for letting her go alone; and by nightfall he will have worked himself into such a fever that he will set out in search of ber,” ‘* He will have half of the camp at his back,” interposed Bropey. ‘‘I never _see_ the boys en- thuse so as they have over the Jim Dandy,” While Jim was recovering from the Firefly’s shot, Sam had several. times reconnoitered Hicks’s Hurrah, and it was to his discovery that Jim was about to go on a prospecting trip alone that the Firefly owed her chance of capturing her rival. ‘If he fetches a crowd with him, there will be nothing for us but torun for cover, and wait for another opportunity. 1t will be sure to come!” insisted the Firefly, a blaze of hatred in her eyes, fe An’ ef he comes alone, what?” asked Bropey. ‘*T think be will come alone. He will have no clear ground for supposing that anything has bappened to his pard, and so will not wish to stir the camp up for nothing. If lam right in this, he is ours!” ‘¢Give me one crack at him; an’, ours or some body else’s, he won’t be o’ no manner 0’ use to nobody !” ‘**I don’t propose to give you a crack at him, I have my own plans for his disposal.” ‘Say, Nell! what be you ’lowin’ to do? What makes you so close-mouthed about it?” ‘* Wait till we get bim, and you’ll see.” “All right! How be we goin’ fur to git him?” ‘You can throw a lasso—” “You bet! 1 kin shoot a lassoas goodas I kin shoot a pistol,” ; “Tt only remains, then, forme to fetch him within reach of your cast.” ‘* An’ will he come fur the askin’?” ‘7 think be will. I will station myself where I can see him coming. If be has a crowd, I will escape without letting them see me. If he is alone, [ will come upon bim asif by accident. Then I will turn to fly, and of course he will give chase,” ‘* He'll low as you an’ Pete is hangin’ around, layin’ fur gore; an’ ef he claps on to you, he'll be solid fur bis pard. By the way, what’s become o’ Pete, do you reckon?” ‘‘He may be lying dead somewhere in the mountains,” answered the Firefly, with no trace of feeling in the matter. ‘“Waal, Happy Harry bas a nasty way 0’ slingin’ cold lead,” said Sam. ‘‘ I reckon he did- n’t waste all‘his ammunition, ef Pete did manage to git away. He’s as good fur coyote bait as fur anythin’ else,” ahh And Sam seemed well content with this dis- posal of the gambler. So Bropey was stationed as we have seen, and the Firefly went to her role of decoy. Nothing could bave been more successful. Her victim fell into the snare without the slightest suspicion, and now lay bleeding and insensible at her feet. Z The furious pace at which Harry was going made it impossible that the snub of the lasso should pluck him from the saddle without a ter- rible shock, He would be lucky if the noose had not broken bis ribs, or the fall fractured his skull. The Firefly uttered a shriek of terror as she saw him fall, : “You bave killed him!” she cried, wheeling her horse and riding back. There was a fury in her voice that caused Bropey to look up at ber searchingly. Unmindful of the effect of her reproach, the girl threw herself almost frantically from the saddle, and down upon ber knees beside the pros- trate man. yal She did not touch him, but with quivering hands outstretched over him, bent forward and gazed into his ghastly face. : ‘Is he dead?” she asked, with an awed hush in her voice. ‘ } : ; ae ey ly ‘ Pete ‘* 1 deat ; pees pape seks Set PAST Pee eS Yee See besten b . a +) ay eg ‘ i Pree, tee af ea . 1 Rca by sibs ais SR alert By La apt i sites ka ! ' ul ea rae OL Ue EE eae ees v al ek, wd, va aye ms } Srnec kee igh weer — eae es i si i. yf y ; j a i
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Bropey made no reply, but, with a very curi- ous expression in his eyes, stood watching her, ‘*\Viuy don’t you do something?” she demand- ed, whirling upon him furiously, ‘* What’s to be done?” heasked, quietly, ‘‘ You wanted him; you planned the gittin’ of him; we've fotehed him; bhyar he is,” ** But is he to be left to die?” So far in the same unguarded tone, as a she- wolf might have demanded the life of ber cubs, All of a sudden the consciousness of Bropey’s white face and altered demeanor struck through her preoccupation, She was betraying her real feelings toward the unconscious man! That was the gleam of rising jealousy in Sam’s staring eyes! Tbe revelation came to her as a shock; but in- stead of throwing her into confusion, as it might have done a less consummate intriguante, andso ruining her cause, it stung her to the point of desperation which enabled her to rise with the occasion. Oh, you fool!” she cried, bursting into hys- terical laughter, ‘‘An hour ago you were jealous of Pretty Pete; and now your fertile im- agination has conjured up auother lover in this scoundrel.” And in evidence of her contempt, she struck Harry’s white face with the flat of her hand, and even spit into it. ‘Come! come!” she went on, with an air of annoyance, “ you have a poor opinion of your- self; and above all you make metired! Am I to be forever defending myself against the in- sinuations of the devil that haunts you? Do you fancy that I am interested in every man [ meet?” “Ef you—” But Bropey broke off. ‘* Let the cuss die!” he resumed, brutally. ** What do you want of him?” **To get square with him before he dies! Tl turn him over to you after I get through with him. Won't that suffice?” ‘© Yes, that will! By all the furies, I'll put him through a course o’ sprouts when I get him in my clutches!” The vicionsness with which Bropey delivered himself of this menace showed that, if the Fire- fly had allayed his suspicions, the hatred born of tfem survived in all its savage intensity, Woe to Happy Harry when he lay helpless in the power of this madman. ‘ Meanwhile,” said the Firefly, coldly, ‘‘ weare losing time.” Sam knelt beside their victim, and proceeded to give him a really intelligent examination, Though not a surgeon, nor indeed with any scientific knowledge of medicine, his life in the midst of bloody violence had given Sam a prac- tical knowledge of wounds and bodily injuries of various sorts, “Fe hain’t broke no bones,” he announced, after a careful examination, ‘‘ His ribs is sound as mine.” ‘““Never mind what is not the matter with him,” interposed the Firefly, with fierce impa- tience. ‘The question is, what is the matter with him?” ‘* Tt’s the crack on the topknot,” ** Will he recover?” ** Maybe so; maybe not.” **Ts his skull fractured?” ‘*T don’t know.” A storm of furious passion swept through the Firefly. es You don’t care!” she cried. ‘*What we want, and what I will have, is somebody who does know!” “Who'll you git?” “Doctor Fleetwood.” ** How’ll you git him?” **- You will fetch him.” “To my own shanty, an’ tell him that this is my work? Shall I fetch the Vigilantes along, to hang me an’ you after the doctor has had his say? ‘* You will fetch the doctor; and you will fetch no Vigilantes,” ‘*But leave him to put’emontous! That's better!” “You will fetch the doctor, Isay! But first this man must be taken to the Fort.” The Firefly spoke of Bropey’s shanty by the name which had been given it because of its im- pregnable position, Its early history included: an account of the defeat of a storming party by one desperate man fighting single-banded, Provision bad been made for the transporting ofa helpless man. The Firefly had forecast ail the chances of her desperate scheme. She went in pursuit of Happy Harry’s horse, which had stopped after the loss of his rider; soe Y Happy Harry’s Big Find. 9 while Sam Bropey cut two straight saplings, fastened them fice fills on either side of the horses placed tandem, and stretched a blanket between them, Into this litter he lifted the insensible Happy Harry, and so proceeded to his hut. While Bropey led the forward horse, the Fire- fly fetched up the rear, ber working features, as she gazed on the unconscious man, showing the shifting emotions that chased one another through her perturbed heart. Now pity overpowered her; now, as she recalled how he had scorned her love, how he had turned to another, rage swept every softer fecling from the field, The house reached, and Harry placed in Sam’s bunk, the Firefly’s first demand was that Jim Dandy be brought up out of his living tomb. The craving of her heart was for revenge be- fore all things else, Let her see the objects of her hatred writhing in torture like that which | distracted her. The spectacle, then, which greeted the Jim Dandy, was what be at once supposed to be the body of his murdered pard. That he was really dead there was no shadow of a doubt in the mind of the spectator. This wrung the cry of anguish from Jim, and sent him reeling insensible to the floor, If the Firefly’s suspicions were correct, and the Dandy was a woman, and in love with Happy Harry, bere was the wreck of her life’s happiness. “Hm!” growled Brepey, ‘she takes the thing to heart.” Then a throe of jealousy wrung from him; ‘*T wonder, ef that was me, would thar be sich a howl about it.” The Firefly paid no attention to this thrust. She had stopped in her restless tramp as the Dandy appeared above the trap, and prepared a grin of devilish glee for bis reception, It enraged her to be so quickly robbed of her triumph, Striding forward, she pushed the body of her insensible rival with her foot. ‘* This is a woman’s escape,” she said, ‘* How I hate myself for being one! But she will rouse again and remember, I have that hold upon her! Put her back into that hole. I have no further use for her just now, I don’t care to have a hand-to-haud tussle with her while you are gone for the surgeon.” ‘“‘About that surgeon. We hain’t got him yet.” ‘ ‘One thing at a time, Put her back in the shaft.” “*Sha’n’t we wait till she comes to?” “ No.” ‘* How'll she untis herself when she gits to the bottom?” ‘* Ha! ha!” laughed the Firefly, turning upon the speaker with a flash of amazement and scorn, ‘Is your heart softening toward her? I believe, on my soul, that I have better cause for jealousy than you! Ha! ha! J jealous of you /” Her tongue was like a lash of scorpions, It might be love for him that made her so fierce, It might be hatred for one who had power to divide the allegiance of even so abject a slave as this lover of hers, ‘“T? Me?” stammered Sam, ‘You know very well that you could carry her down, if necessary. Butitis not, You can fix a bight in the rope so that you can release it from above, after she has reached the bottom,” “Pll do it that way, if you like,” said Sam, not stopping to argue further the state of his feelings toward their victim, ** Do it!” commanded the Firefly, tersely. Doubling the rope at the proper length, Sam tied it once more about Jim’s body, so that he could let him down with one end, and then loos- en the knot by pulling on the other. Thus returned to his prison, the Jim Dandy lay insensible at the bottom of the shaft, with now the bitterest memory of his life awaiting his recovery of consciousness. Sam shut dowm the trap, and stood ready for a return to the question of procuring the sur- eon. ny There is another thing to be done while. you are getting the snrgeon,” said the Firefly, ‘Here is the cartridge-belt worn by that girl, Put a bullet through the middle of the back, smear it with blood to look as if it were on her when the shot went through it, and while you are in Hicks’s Hurrah pin_it to the door of the dance-house with Happy Harry’s bowie. That will announce the capture of both of them. Hicks’s Hurrah hasn’t beard the last of me!” ‘+ All that’s easy enough,” said Sam; * an’ it’s a stavin’ idee, I’ll make them fellers’ eyes bug out when they see it!” The love of sensation usual with such a man made Sam enter heartily into this scheme, He grinned and rubbed his hands in pleased anticipation, When his instrumentality in the affair became known, as it was sure to be in the course of time, it would add to his prestige as a dashing ruffian, and, if anything, make the punishment of his crime less likely, ** But,” he went on, ‘*we hain’t got the sur- geon yet. How air we to git him?’ ‘“You go to him in disguise, and tell him that there is a wounded man needing his attendance. Of course he will come with you, knowing that he has nothing to fear personally. You require that he submit to be blindfolded, This too he will concede. Why shouldn’t he? It is business to seccor men without reference to who they are, or how they come to be wounded,” “Oh, Doe ’ll come along easy enough, But the trick will be to find him alone, so’s to git at him without the crowd gittin’ onto me.” “You have to manage that according to cir- cumstances. Butif he is drunk, and you bave any trouble about getting him to come, capture him, and fetch him along willy-nilly! I am bound to get an hour’s consciousness out of this fellow, no matter at what cost,” ‘““¥You’re bound to have your way—I know ae You always was, an’ you always got t.” Having prepared the cartridge-belt as she di- rected, Sam set out on his mission. He was scarcely out of hearing when the Fire- fly cast herself on her knees beside the uncon- scious Harry, and twined her aris about him with a stormy outburst of passionate love. ‘You! you of all things living or dead! you are the only thing that I love, that I ever did love! Ob, my darling! my murdered darling! Come back to me! Awake! Oh, has my voice no power over you? If I were dead, a thousand times dead, and you should call upon me so, I would come back, from heaven or from hell, to rejoin you! Harry! Harry! don’t you hear me?” She fondled him, as a tigress might fondle her dead mate, She kissed his forehead; she stroked his cheek with her hand; she strove to infuse life and warmth into his chill lips from her own, The fire of ber love made them purse and glow, though till now they had been blue with the sluggish flow of blood from her chilled heart. In vain she pressed him to her bosom, as if to make her bursting heart beat for him too. He lay as still, as white, as he would ever lie in his coffin, Then she poured a rain of tears upon his face, sobbing as if her heart would break, But soon the tigerish side of her nature re- sumed its sway. As the old heathens, in their hour of despair, were ready to ccerce the very gods to their ser- vice, she would have pulled the heavens down about her, if possible, that all might perish in a common wreck. How she stormed about the room, now fiery supplications streaming from her lips, now shrill execrations of superhuman revolt, Imprisoned 1m the shaft, Jim Dandy recovered consciousness, and heard her with curdling blood, Only when her voice rose shrillest, in her paroxysms of rebellious fury, could he distin- guish her words; but the cadences of her voice told when she cast herself upon Harry’s body, and poured out her stormy passion upon him. Jim rose to his feet and stood trembling as he listened, fain to stop his ears and sbut out her blasphemies, yet straining all his soul through his ears to catch the faintest sound which would indicate the revival of his partner. This lasted so long that he gave up all hope, 6 He is dead ! dead! dead ! ’ be cried, Then bis heart swelled with indignation that this abominable woman should be permitted to defile his dear dead with her hideous passion, A cry of angry protest burst from his lips, as he stared up through the black darkness of his prison. He did not hope to produce any effect by it, but it happened at a moment when the Firefly was silent from exhaustion, as she lay across the body of the man she loved so inordinately, clasping him in her passionate embrace. She heard the cry from below, and it recalled to her the prisoner whom she had forgotten, Springing up, she rushed to the trap, threw it back with a bang, and kneeling on the verge of the opening, stared down into the blackness with all the deep hatred of her soul in her eyes,
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SO se Se 10 eee CHAPTER IX, BARGAINING FOR A LIFE. ‘* ARE you recovered, down there?” cried the Firefly, staring down into the darkness, though of course nothing could be seen below. ‘“T am recovered, and I[ hear you,” replied the Jim Dandy. ‘‘ Wretched woman! where is your dignity? Have you no shame, no decency? What right have you to deport yourself as you are doing over a man who would spurn you from him were he alive to do it?” Jim’s indignant protest ended in a sob, as he thought of that dear, dead face, in which he would never again see the light of recognition, ** Ha! ha! ha!” laughed the Firefly, derisively. ** Tt galls you, does it, to see me in the place you would be only too glad to fill.” “*T could never by any possibility occupy so degraded a position as yours,” answered Jim. ** High or low, you will never occupy it. But tell me, do you love bim?” Jim made no reply. Only a heart-broken sob was stifled in his throat, ‘¢ You may be frank with me,” pursued Flash, ‘“There is nobody but us two to hear you, and of course I have penetrated your secret.” ‘* Whether you have penetrated my secret, as you say, or not,” replied Jim, steadily, ‘ I have no wish to hold any conversation with you on a subject which can receive only desecration from your lips. ‘*T will not quarrel about your impertinence,” said the Firefly. ‘“‘I have too much the ad- vantage over you to insist upon sweetness of temper, my dear. But my question is not prompted by idle curiosity. I have a proposi- tion to make to you.” ‘* Spare yourself the trouble. I shall listen to no proposal of any sort from you.” “Tt will be because you stop your ears with your fingers if you don’t! Here is what I wish to say. I suppose you fancy that you arein love with this man. Weil, you don’t know what the graud passion is, It means win all or lose all! ‘“*Now I, without hesitation or evasion, de- clare my love for him, That love isa raging fire within me. It will make me an angel of tenderness, or a devil of fury, according as it is taken. My love cries out for possession! pos- session! possession! There is not a spark of generosity in it. I leave that for fools who don’t know what they really want.” *“*T fancy that you are one of those fools, and it is because of this that I am going to make you my proposal,” The Firefly paused, but Jim made no reply. However, be was listeniag with all his ears, in spite of his declaration to the contrary. “T have reason to believe that Harry is not dead, though he has Jain so long unconscious, However, 1 think he isso desperately burt that he will owe his recovery to careful nursing, such as either you or I could give him.” At the announcement of hope Jim Dandy had silently clasped his hands. He could scarcely repress a’ murmur at the suggestion that he might be Happy Harry’s nurse, ‘“* Hither you or I,” repeated the Firefly. ‘‘ The uestion is, which shall it he, if either? But this is my ultimatum: it shall be I, if either. What do you say tothat? Will you yield, or shall he die?” Jim Dandy held his breath, but answered not a word, “T will go further,” pursued the Firefly, ‘‘ to show you of what sort is my Jove, I have him absolutely in my power, and [ will kill him rather than let him escape me!” Jim gasped, but sfill held his peace, ** Now then,” proceeded the Firefly, ** will.you give him up, to save his life? Will you go away, if I release you? Will you disappear so that he shall never learn of your where- abouts, any more than if you were buried under ground?” In the darkness Jim Dandy buried his face in his hands, The emotions that swept through and over him seemed as if they would burst his struggling heart. Still he repressed every sound. ‘* All T ask,” went on the Firefly, ‘is a free field. I have every reason to believe that J can obliterate any impression that you may have made upon him, You came upon usina moment of estrangement. * He loved me well enough till a little while ago, when we quarreled, I admit that it was my fault. I delighted in my power over him. You know his cool way. Nothing ever ruffles his happy-go-lucky bumor. Well, 1 found that I could goad him out of it, and I wanted to parade him as my slave, Happy Harry’s Big Find. ‘Grant that it was more vanity than love with me then. But when I had stung bim to open revolt, I found that secretly I had cared for him as I never did for any one else. ‘* But his pique was fully aroused; and seeing that he bad turned the tables on me, he resolved to burn me with my own fire. “Then you came; and you know the rest. *¢ Now, I do not think that he knows you for anything but the pard that you profess to be. As his pard, lam not afraid of you, Men do not mourn inconsolably for men. But if he were to discover your sex, the case might be different. The romance of it might catch his fancy. That risk I am resolved not to run. ‘** Abandon him without letting bim know, and T do not fear my ability to win him back. Re- fuse to abandon him, and you certainly will never see the light of day again, If he discover my hand in your taking off, and so turn from me, he shall not live. ‘*Do you fancy that I can go through what I have just gone through, and then settle down to the knowledge that the man on whose account I have so suffered is in the arms of another” The excitement of the F refly was returning. The precariousness of her great stake was press- ing upon her. Hatred was again gnawing at her heart-strings. Her story of her relations with Happy Harr had told profoundly on the listening Jim. It had all the seeming of literal and circumstantial truth. Moreover, the first meeting of the Frefly and Happy Harry under the Jim Dandy’s eye—of which we shall hear presently—seemed to corro- borate it. So deeply did it strike the rankling iron into his heart, that Jim had cast himself face-down- ward on the rocky floor of the shaft, to writhe in mute despair. Some sound in the room above, inaudible to the Dandy where he lay, attracted the Firefly’s attention. She looked up with a quick start, her face suddenly glowing with eager expectancy. Then she bent far down through the trap, and cried with a hushed insistence: “Speak quickly! Will you give him up? It is your last chance, Yes, orno? It is life or death to him and you! You shall go free, with- outa breath of ney: I swear it! Will you do it? Will you? Will you?” ‘* Never!” shouted Jim, suddenly leaping to his feet, ‘‘ Never! never!” It was such an outburst as nothing had ever drawn from him before. ‘* Do you fancy,” be continued, ‘‘ that I would expose him to the tender mercies of such a wretch as you? ‘¢ Not that there is any danger of his entangle- ment in your snares. Oh, no! You have been lying tome. He has always scorned you and laughed at you as he did when I first saw you together. How could aman such as he be at- tracted by such a shameless monster as you have proved yourself to be? For him who can- not defend himself, I spurn you and your slan- ders!” But bere Jim broke down. ‘After all, he is dead! dead! dead!” he moaned. The Firefly did not hear this, She heard, however, the contemptuous rejec- tion of her proposal, and with an inarticulate ery of rage, she sprung up and sought to slam to the trap-door. Her failure was due to the door, as it swung over, catching in her dress, as she sprung to- ward the side of the room where Happy Harry lay. i her absorption in something that engaged her attention there, she did not heed the tearing of her dress. She gave the door an additional push, but only enough to hold it in an upright position fora moment. When it lost this mo- mentary balance, it fell backward instead of forward, leaving the trap open instead of clos- ing it. This the Firefly was too much occupied to notice, From his position at the bottom of the shaft, Jim Dandy stared upinto the room above, lis- tening with all his soul to discover what had af- fected the Firefly so. Was it the return of Sam Bropey, or—or— The Jim Dandy was choking with the alterna- tive possibility “Can it be that he is alive?—that he is recov- ering consciousness? Oh, Harry! Harry! Harry!” It was only a heartcry. No sound came from the quivering lips of the listener, 3) . > en nila, 4 It was the recovery of the wounded man, at ast. Happy Harry had moved, then opened his eyes, then sat abruptly up in bed, He had a dim consciousness of a familiar voice coming faintly to his ears. Whether it was to the outer ear, or only to the ear with which we hear in dreams, he could not tell, Whose voice it might be, even if indeed a voice at all, was equally uncertain. He awoke to consciousness with a glow at the heart, and the intimation of its cause so fleet- ing tbat he could not firmly grasp it. What hesaw was the Firefly springing to- ward him, her arms outstretched, her soul ap- pealing to him through her eyes. CHAPTER X. PLAYING FOR HIGH STAKES, THE sight of the Firefly springing toward him, caused the wondering expectancy in Happy Harry’s face to give place toa stern repellence that pierced her to the heart, In the abandon possible to only so unrestrained a nature, she cast herself at his feet, crying: *“* Ah! will you never forgive me? Trample upon me! Iam yours! I love you! I shall al- ways love you!” It was the old trick, with which she had sway- ed Sam Bropey and many another. Ilove you; Iam wretched at your feet; for- give me! [ Happy Harry passed bis bands before his eyes in the vague way of one just recovering from in- sensibility. Below, in his prison, Jim Dandy hung upon his first words. They came, in strong, clear tones. ‘¢Whar’s my pard?” With a smothered murmur Jim Dandy cast himself once more face-downward on the floor of the shaft. ; But now he was not struggling with despair. Now his heart was bounding as if it would leap from his breast. He had to reinforce his will by clasping both hands hard over his mouth, to prevent it from shouting, whether he would or no: “Harry! Harry! Harry!” With her back toward the trap, the Firefly did not know that it was open, so that her words, penetrating to the depths of the sbaft, were li- able to call forth contradiction hke an echo, **Your pard?” she repeated, with well simula- ted ignorance. ‘“{ know nothing of bim. But your fall from your horse—you will not helieve that I did it, Harry? You will not believe that I could really fire at you? I was afraid of your anger, you looked so terrible. But I would not bave harmed you, even to save myself, Oh, you will believe it, Harry? And I will nurse you, I will give every hour of my life to your service, ‘*To not tax yourself so, dear! You are weak, See! you are faint, Oh, liedown. Let me ease rou,” ” She would have put her arm about him, and let him gently back upon the pillow, He waved her back, brushing his hand once more across his eyes, and fighting off the faint- ness that threatened again to prostrate him. * BMnough of that,” hesaid, disdainfully. ‘* An- swer me! Whar’s my pard? What have you done with him—you an’ that devil?” ‘‘T swear to you!” cried the Firefly, ‘I have not seen him. I know nothing about him, dim Dandy heard this in amazement. “What brazen impudence!” he cried within himself. ‘ I will denounce her!” He was on the very point of revealing himself, when a thought froze his voice in his throat, What if he brought her to confusion, as he could so easily do? He recalled her bloody menace: ‘*T have him absolutely in my power! kill him rather than let him eseape me!” And she would do it—Jim knew she would, So she could afford to brave him, The one chance for the life of the pard he was ready to die for, was his absolute silence, He was thus doomed to helpless listening as this drama proceeded. f There was one comfort in it, however, the fuil assurance of Harry’s invulnerability to the en- chantress’s wiles! Let her weave her web of lying intrigue! She might kill; she was powerless to affect Harry’s loyaltygto his pard! ““It is between you,” Harry insisted, in reply to the Firefly, “‘ you or Purty Pete. Butas you are standin’ in together, o’ course what one does the other’s into. “But Iam notin with Pete. I have not seen him since I left him fighting with you,” “On the day you put that bullet into my pard! I will
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If you wasn’t a woman, I’d square up with you fur that! But, woman or no woman, if he hadn’t got well, I’d ’a’ hunted you— “Bah! We're gettin’ off the point. Will you own up? What have you done with my pard?” “*T have given you my oath.” “Tt ain’t worth the breath it cost you! ‘‘ Whar’s Purty Pete? Ill make it worth his while to compromise this matter,” ‘“‘ Again I tell you, [ know nothing about Pretty Pete.” * An’ again I tell you, you—air mistaken!” “‘T can do nothing more, if you refuse to be- lieve me.” ‘Tf you will excuse me, I never did_ believe you, except when you wereshoutin’ for Number One. But to prove to you thut my wits ain’t wool-gatherin’, as you may suppose, an’ I know what I’m talkin’ about, ll be obliged to you if you will tell me how I happened to be roped like a steer, if Purty Pete wasn’t at the other end o’ the line? Do you suppose I don’t know a lasso when I see it?” ‘* You were roped, but not by Pretty Pete,” admitted the Firefly. She knew how to acknowledge the corn hand- somely, when there wasno doubt as to her being “ down.” “Oh! I was roped,eh? Waal, that honest confession, I hope, will be good fur your soul. But, thar! Idon’t want to be rough on you, Suppose we talk this thing over quietly. Who roped me?” ‘Sam Bropey.” ** A left-handed cousin 0’ yours! Oh, excuse me! Will you tell me how he happened to be jest whar he was, so handy?” ; ‘“‘ We were almost within stone-throw of bis house,” Ts this it?” ac Yes.” ** An’ you was runnin’ to cover hyar?” “cc Yes,” ‘*T suppose this is whar you've hung out since you shook Hicks’s Hurrah,” seal hp [Ag ‘““Waal, that ain’t no business 0’ mine. I reckon you havea right to go whar you please.” “You might easily make it your business, Harry.” rg No, thank you! We won’t haveany more 0’ that, if it’s all the same to you.” “Tove her!” cried Jim in bis exultant heart. ‘¢ Would it be possible for a man who had ever cared the least bit in the world for a woman, to speak to her like that? r ‘Oh, if weever get out of this scrape, it will be worth allit has cost to me—ay, a thousand times over! “T might never have quite laid that ghost of suspicion. I would never have owned the jeal- ousy, even to myself; but now I know it is without a shadow of foundation, I am not afraid to face it.” ** Will you tell me whar Bropey is now?” con- tinued Harry, The Firefly did not reply at once but looked at him fixedly, ‘What's the matter?” she asked, “* Why don’t you speak?” **T suppose you will shrink from me,” an- swered the Firefly, ‘ Nothing that I have ever done for you has been received as I would re- ceive the same act, if you had done it for me,” ‘“ Waal, what have you done fur me now?” asked Harry, with an air of indifference that was certainly exasperating. JT thought that he had killed you. Of course it was for me. Hesaw you pursuing me, and unhorsed you to save me, But, as I said, I thought he had killed you; and—and—” The Firefly broke off, and started anew with a question, as if to test his feelings before com- mitting herself. “ Suppose—suppose,” she said, “I had shot him?” “* Waal,” answered Harry, with the indiffer- ence of incredulity, “fur one thing, you would never have got me in hyar.” “1 thought of that,” she answered, evidently not taken by surprise by this retort, ‘If you were alive, your chance would be better with shelter than without it. I got him to fetch you here.” “That was less tragic, 40’ more sensible,” said Harry, with the quiet sneer which he seem- ed unable to repress while talking to the woman before him. “When you were here,” went on the Firefly, ** we tried to resuscitate you for a long time, Nothing came of our efforts. I made up my mind that you were indeed dead.” __ “And then? queried Harry, seeing by her manner that there was more to come, ae Happy Harry’s Big’ Find. *€ T sent him to Hicks’s Hurrah for a surgeon.” ** Which he hasn’t got back with yet?” The Firefly’s eyes were fixed upon Harry’s face with penetrating intensity. She seemed to be struggling to retain her composure while she watched every line in his countenance, She had the air of a woman who was deliberately stak- ing her all on a single cast of the die. ** Which,” she said, now in a husky, choking voice, while her face became paler and paler with ‘suppressed emotion—*‘ which he will never get back with!” Her voice, deepening, died away to almost in- audibility. She leaned forward, her lips falling apart, her breath suspended. ‘*What do you mean?” cried Harry, startled out of hisskepticism by her tragic manner. She shut her eyes as if she had not the courage to see theeffect of her next words, and went on with ‘a rush, her voice now raising clear and strong, as if with desperation: nl! thought he had killed you—remember that! I followed him in the darkness and shot him. You asked where he is now. You will find him lying dead at the foot of the cliff, just where the ledge makes the only entrance to this place. ‘*T love you, Harry !—I love you!” She was on her knees at the side of the bunk, As the last wailing plea died on her lips, she fell forward, asif in a swoon. Nothing could have had more the appearance of truth than this seeming confession. ‘* What a liar!” ejaculated Jim Dandy, where he listened. ‘‘ But how can she hope to profit by anything so easily disproved? Bropey will be here before daybreak with the surgeon, Does she hope to induce Harry to leave the place be- fore he gets back?” Far from it. He did not yet guess the despe- ration of this woman, She had planned the end while she invented the beginning. If her story carried with Harry; if her crime won what her tenderness had failed to win, she would go out aud meet Sam Bropey and make good her words, Of course, in this she would only be protecting herself from his revenge. She could not allow him to enter there and find her in this relation with another than himself, But Happy Harry was not attracted by this mark of her passion for him, though he was for the moment quite taken in by her acting. ‘*- You monster!” he cried, casting her off from him. ‘¢What!” she cried, springing up’ with the savage fury of one who has lost all. ‘‘ You call me monster?—you, when it is for love of you that I have branded myself with crime?” “Eh!” he ejaculated, seeing her drawing a weapon. ‘Is this another mark of your love? You mean to kill me!” ‘“‘{ do! This is your last insult!” “ Riend!” he cried, springing out of the bunk, “Let me strangle you and end your career of mischief!” His strong emotion fascinated her. She had never before seen him so rovsed, If there had been a shadow of hope of winning him even vet, she would have fallen at his feet in ador- ation. As it was, she longed to let him live as long as yossible, that she migkt gloat on his passionate eauty. “€Do not touch me" she exclaimed, withhold- ing her fire, and backing away from him toward the open trap. He did not see this pitfall. He only saw the hideous distortion of her ghastly face, in its in- human blending of worshipful admiration with the resolve to kill, ; ‘ He sprung for her, not intending to realize his threat, but only to disarm her, and to save his own life. ge She did not fear his violence; but she did fear the loss of her opportunity. ““Good-by!” she said, ‘It is because T love you! I love you! Ilove you! Ah!. Oh, God!” Tha shot might have pierced her own heart, for the anguish it gave her as it sped, From where he stood, rooted with horror and dumb with helpless despair, Jim Dandy saw the flash, followed by an explosion, a ery of rage and pain, and the crash of falling bodies, The bead and anarm of the Firefly hung limp over the edge of the trap. Her long hair, torn from its fastenings, streamed straight down into the darkened pit. : Not a sound! nota stir! The dead silence and motionlessness of death rested on all, A moment the Jim Dandy stood staring up at this ghastly spectacle. Then, with a great cry, he fell senseless to the floor of his prison. CHAPTER XI. A HIGH-HANDED PROCEEDING. Sam Bropry was the sort of man who never means to fail in anything he undertakes. He had always made a special point of this where the Firefly’s wishes were concerned, She had only to speak, and if it was within the power of man, he looked to the accomplish- ment, When she deserted him fcr her iniquitous partnership with Pretty Pete, he was at a stand, He might have recaptured her bodily; but that would not have met his wishes. He loved her, with a tenderness quite unex- pected in so rough a fellow as he; and what he wanted in return was her free preference. Of course he could not compel this by physical violence, It was this, and not cowardice, that had kept him inactive, gnawing bis heart out while he cudgeled his brain for some means of winning her from that scheme for “ cutting a dash” in Paris. “ Purty Pete be blowed!” he had said to him- self many atime, ‘‘T’d swaller him, ef he was the only thing what stood in my way!” Through ell his suffering he had never been really jealous of the gambler, Pete was too hideous to inspire belief in his personal attrac- tions for any one. : pis But Happy Harry was quite different; and the more Sam thought of him, the less did he relish the Firefly’s interest in him. Why did she bate him so fiercely? The more be debated that question, the less was he in- clined to fetch a doctor to his possible rival, However, be would do it, if Dee Fleetwood was accessible, But, as he had predicted, Doc lav dead drunk in one of the saloons of Hicks’s Hurrah; and to get possession of him it would be necessary to take bim bodily. Of course it would be impossible to carry him off under the eyes of his friends; yet Sam did not despair of accomplishing bis purpose, There was nothing to prevent him from shar- ing openly in the revelry at Hicks’s Hurrab, His face had not been a very familiar one there during the Firefly’s partnership with Pretty Pete; but its appearance excited no remark, He drank and gambled out the evening, ap- parently in high spirits, Indeed, he started all sorts of horse-play, finally coming upon the ‘ enoozing ” surgeon seemingly by accident, “* Hullo, boys!” he shouted, ** what’s this byar® Doe Fleetwood, an’ drunker’n a b’iled owl! Say, fellers! how’ll we fix him? What do ye say to puttin’ him under the pump?” f But objections were raised to this. No one stated the real grounds for protecting the surgeon from the proposed practical joke; but the fact was, he was a man of rather stilted dignity, and a known dead-shot. Sousing in the water would resiore him to consciousness; and his recognition of his perse- cutors might be the occasion of a thinning out of the population of the camp when he was him- self again, ‘¢ Tet the Doe guzzle as much as he’s a mind to,” urged one of his protectors,“ He’s a heap sight better corned than he is sober; an’ ef you'll hark to me, you won’t do nothin’ what'll dis- courage his ge in prime condition.” Others joined in, to somewhat the same pur- se, till Sam laughingly cut them sbort. “Oh, I see through you cusses! Waal, we won't say nothin’ about it. But we'll fix the thing to your notion. 4 “Thar can’t be nothin’ ag’in’ packin’ bim off to bed, an’ layin’ of him out in decent Christian shape. What’s the word? Cancles at his head, an’ candles at his feet; an’ a bootful © whisky on his stomach fur to sbow what killed him, When he wakes up, he'll ’low as he’s the fu’st galoot out in glory.” The bove were ready enough for any sport to which the Doc would not be likely to take ex- ception, if be caught them at at, “PRetch a shutter, Andy!” shouted one. “ We'll lay him out on two chairs—” “ Hold on, you galoots! objected the saloon- keeper. ‘Don’t you "low as 1 want to shut up mv shebang some time to-night? as «Why, consarn your liver an’ lights! be you cin’ fur to stop the funeral percession W ile ou dump your ash-cart?” “You bet yer sweet life you don’t have no funerals with my property. Thars & plank what ’u’d orter do ye, What's the matter with that?” “Hang his ole shutter! Fetch the plank, Andy. Twoof’em! We don’t want the Doc to roll off on the floor,” “That's the ticket! Give him elbow-room.”
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12 “Take planks to your notion; but leave my shutter alone.” ‘* Clap the shutter over that snoozer’s mouth! We p’isons us, an’ then grudges us Christian burial! Fetch along the plank,” *¢ Doe’ll be a planked shad!” *¢ You'll wish’t you was a shad-oh, ef be gits a chance to blow a hole through ye!” ‘if he was as big a blower as you, my chance would be slim.” With such chaff the surgeon was stretched on the flat of his back on the plank. ‘*Now mount him, boys, We'll have a pur- cession through the camp!” proposed Sam, Catching at this idea, ready hands lifted the unconscious inebriate to equally willing shoul- ders, So the mock procession was formed, lighted by candles stuck in the necks of bottles, Through the camp they marched, howling dismally, to the huge amusement of the specta- tors along the tine of march. Sam Bropey was the acknowledged leader of the frolic, and it was at his suggestion that Fleetwood was placed in an abandoned shanty on the outskirts of the camp. The plank on which the inebriate lay was sup- ported at the ends on two boxes, and flanked on either side by an additional plank, so that he could turn over without ‘taking a tumble,” The candles were set around ina circle on the floor. The doctor’s boots were removed, and set at the foot of his bier, filled with water, After a doleful howl in concert, he was here abandoned to sober off at his leisure, What would have been the surprise of the bacchanals, if, instead of being sodden in liquor, they had been awake and observant a‘ter the camp had settled into silence and darkness? Sam Bropey, who had ostentatiously left the camp for home, against the protests of his friends, while the carousal was yet in full course, returned stealthily, and pimned the car- tridge belt to the door of the dance-house with a single jab of the bowie, He then went to the abandoned shanty, blew out the candles, and clapping tbe muzzle of bis revolver to the surgeon’s temple, shook him into consciousness, There are few things more effective in sober- ing a man than a suggestion of death by vio- lence. The doctor was at first disposed to be pug~- nacious, but the electrifying touch of cold iron and the discovery that he was unarmed brought him to his senses, ** Hold on!” be exclaimed. What do you want?” For answer Sam emptied the water out of his boots, and threw them down on the floor before him, with an inarticulate growl to intimate that he wanted instant and unquestioning obedi- ence, The doctor saw that his captor was a masked man, who was not disposed to disclose his iden- tity by speaking. His boots on, Sam made him stand with his back toward bim, in which position he bound his eyes about with a piece of cloth. Then clapping the muzzle of the revolver’ to his head again, to intimate the danger of revolt, he marched him out of the camp without ob- struction. Fleetwood tried to draw his captor into con- versation, but failed. He finally relapsed into silence, submitting himself to his fate. He had no fear of personal danger, his pro- fessional services evidently being in demand; yet, after he had proceeded he knew not how far, theugh it seemed to him miles, he suddenly heard the explosion of a pistol, and with a sharp ery ending in a moan he fell forward on his face. The shot carne so without warning that Sam Bropey stood stock still, staring about, and then down at his fallen companion. The doctor might be shamming, bnt there could be no doubt of the shot, However, so astounded was he, that it was not till a second stung his flesh like the touch of hot iron, that Sam recovered himself, and dropped to the ground as if shot in turn, He had two objects in adopting this course in- stead of running away. In the first place, he wanted to make sure that his companion was really shot. In the second, be wanted to ambush his hidden assailant. A quick passage of his hands over the surgeon satisfied him of the genuineness of the latter's prostration. He had been shot very nearly, if not.quits, through the heart. Then Sam waited perfectly motionless for his assailant to come up and examine his work. *You’ve got me. In this he was disappointed. Whoever he ? 4 SATIS eS wie Sie iy oe pee enV pies sorgeee am as a, _~ Happy Harrv’s Big Find. was, the secret assassin was too ‘‘fly” to run any such risk. Having assured himself of this fact, Sam crept away, and made his way home as fast as he could. ‘* Tt’s the Firefly! he said, to himself. ‘‘ The hussy has waylaid me to finish me off, She’s took up with that other one. That’s what she got me to bring him in fur. Waal, give me one more chance at bher—that’s all lask! <A blasted fool! a blasted fool!” Reaching his but, be approached it with the utmost caution, Not a sound indicated its occupancy by any living being. The light, however, was still burning. ‘* They’ve vacated the premises,” be declared. ‘** Or maybe she’s ambushin’ me, ag’in’ her first shot failin’,” When, after long maneuvering he ventured to enter the house, be stood in profound astonish- ment at the scene that greeted him there. CHAPTER XII, WOMAN AGAINST WOMAN. THE disposition of things in his shanty chang- ed Sam’s theory at once. At first he thought that these two had fallen victims tothe same assailant that had laid out the doctor and so nearly finished him, But examination gave him another view, ‘*He’s come to, an’ ketched on to the girl down below thar, Nelly must ’a’ had the trap open talkin’ to bher—pokin’ her up, I reckon, Then he climbed out o’ bed, an’ reached fur Nell, an’ she laid bim out, But he got in on ber, aw’ fetched her to grass along with him. Thar’s whar she knocked her head, an’ doused her glim, But PU fetch her out o’ that in two shakes.” He lifted ber tenderly from the floor, kissing her and letting his arms linger about her after he had laid her on her bunk, ‘“She said I was a fool fur Jowin’ as she cared fur fim; an’ I reckon that’s so,” he mused, ‘I wish’t I had the cuss what knocked the spots out o’ Fleetwood. I reckon she'll low as I salt- ed him, so’s not to have to fetch him byar,” But at the point he heard a voice calling to him from the depths of the shaft, ‘Ts that you, Sam Bropey?” “ You bet yer sweet life it is,” ‘Will you help me out of here?” ‘*T will so; an’ git you to tell me what’s been goin’ on hyar.” ‘* What you won’t very much like to hear!” But here the Firefly’s changed position began to tell. She stirred; and Bropey, whose interest in her was greater than in the Jim) Dandy, ran back to ber, She came to in his arms. ** Fle is dead?” was her first demand, when she had gazed about till her eyes encountered the motionless body of Happy Harry. *©'You laid him out?” ‘¢T was forced to. He attacked me.” ‘*‘Sam Bropey, will you let me out, and listen to what L have to tell you?” came the voice of Jim Dandy up out of the shaft. ‘““What is that? That hussy! Shut the trap down, and leave her to starve to death!” And the Firefly sprung up, to carry out her own purpose, “Will you let her fool you forever? From first to last, she has pulled the wool over your eyes, What a stupid ass you are, not to see through her! Who but a man so besotted with his own passion would fail to see that she was in love with the man she has killed?” With a concentrated sbriek of rage, the Fire- fly caught up her revolver from the floor, where it bad fallen from her hand as she went down under Happy Harry’s weight: and springing to the trap, she began to fire rapidly down into the darkness, A derisive laugh came from below—such a laugh as one might yet give utterance to when hife held nothing more but pain and vengeance, ‘* Will you let ber ‘silence me, the only one who can tell you the truth? Will you try to cling to your fool’s paradise till she kills you too, in a fit of disgust at your gullibility?” As if by magic, an abrupt change came over the Firefly. , She turned, and saw Sam staring at her with such a light in his eyes as she had never before called into them, She realized that the loss of her temper had betraved her into a wrong way of meeting the situation that now confronted her, It was impossible to:prevent the revelation of the truth. She must seem to welcome it, and trust to her wits to avert its force, **Come!” she said, with a shrug of her shoul- ders. ‘*A woman in a pet is always wrong. This promises to be interesting. Let us have her out of there, and see what sort of a case she will make out. 1 may learn something for fu- ture use. 1 have always revepges on hand,” And with a smile of contemptuors indiffer- ence, she went and sat down on the edge of the bunk, swinging one foot carelessly. Without a word Sam let the rope down into the shaft, and drew Jim to the surface. The Dandy’s first glance was at the prostrate body of bis pard, Throwing himself on his knees beside it, he gazed into the white face, with its closed eyes, Not a word, not a sound of mourning did he utter; but slowly bis soul swelled with a storm of grief and rage, Vben from his knees he raised his eyes to the face of the Firefly. Flash was smiling derisively. ‘* Well,” she said, ‘now to get equare with me! How do you propose todo it?” ‘* By unvailing your monstrous perfidy! By telling the truth, the whole truth—” ‘* Undoubtedly,” interrupted the Virefly. ‘But think what an elastic thing the truth is! Since the world began, it has always accommo- dated itself to the wishes of the teller!” Jim turned away from her without reply, He divined the tactics she bad adopted, It was to be an issue of personal veracity. With Happy Harry dead, there was no one to corroborate the statements of either. Sam would have to judge between their several motives— self-protection on the part of the Firefly, re- venge on the part of the Jim Dandy. How, tben, did he incline? To which would he lend a partial ear? Love and jealousy, which Wes most potent in his breast? Jim found it impossible to read his coun- tenance. It had become as impassive as stone. Covertly watching him, the Firefly too was buffled, ‘““T know the disadvantages under which I labor,” began Jim, ‘If I say that she has been deceiving you from the first, she bas but to re- ply’that [ am practicing upon your jealousy, to secure revenge for the injury sbe bas done me and mine; and it is but the word of one against the word of the other. I trust, then, to the con- sistency of my story with what you otherwise know, to win your credence,” ‘* You go ahead,” answered Sam, body has a show with me,” This was non-committal, ** The first time I ever saw her,” pursued Jim, ‘‘ Happy Harry lay wounded on the faro-table in Pretty Pete’s dance-house—wounded by Pretty Pete and his gang in a vweacherous assault on bim at her bidding.” ‘‘It appears, then,” interrupted the Firefly, “that I had a curious way of showing my love by employing some one to kill my lover!” “‘ T state only the facts,” said Jim, ‘ Interpret them when you bave them all, ‘*Happy Harry lay on the faro-table, The room was otherwise deserted, Pete and his gang being about to set out with others in search of the waylayers, bis purpose being to thus avert suspicion from himself. ‘*T looked through the window, and saw this woman enter the room. “She was almost beside herself with agita- tion, You know ber. You know, without my telling you, what it was like,” Sam Bropey’s face grew a shade paler, but his eyes did not waver. Nota muscle in his face showed bow he was being affected, ‘*Sbe was distracted with passion and re- morse, In a moment of pique she had set Pretty Pete upon tke man who had scorned her, to take his life, and now that the attempt bad been made, she had come to cast herself at his feet, and beg him to take her. « You know whether she is capable of such acts. Mae did know that she was quite capable of them, ‘* He only laughed at her!” cried Jim, flashing a look of triumph at the Firefly. “* And now 1 laugh at him—so we are even!” exclaimed the Firefly. 4 And she laughed a silvery ripple, only with a little jar of savage bitterness in it, “She has told you what she thinks I am,” pursued Jim, ‘‘ Let us say that she is in love with Harry, and that, as I have told you, he scorred her. Do not you suppose she would be jealous of me? Would she try to get possession of me with a view to torture? Would she want to torture bim too, to kill him rather than yield him to a rival? Which is the more probable— this, or the reason she gave you for her hatred?” Sam sat picking his teeth with a sliver of ‘* Every-
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mu. Of course this outward indifference was affected, but it masked bis feelings completely. ‘* How you captured him you yourself know-— IT do not,” pursued Jim, ‘* But I know this—as you nearly killed him in the taking, it is proba- ble that a woman of her nature could not wholly dissemble her feelings, I ask you, was there no outburst on her part which might be prompted by love for him, and hatred of you for the injury you bad done him?” This was a telling stroke, ** Look at her! look at her!” shouted Jim, sud- denly pointing an accusing finger at the Firefly, who had been startled out of ber carelessness, ‘*T have driven the blood from her cheek! I know tbat my surmise is true! What did she do? What did she say when Harry lay senseless under your blows?” Sam did not look at the Firefly to corroborate this accnsation, nor did the Firefly look at him to see how he was affected by it. But she burst again into a derisive laugh. “*T had to be painfully frank with this fellow, and call him a fool, as I may have to again,” she answered, for him. ‘* Would you believe it, he had your penetration, and discovered my love for Happy Harry? As for what I did, I had the supreme pleasure of spitting upon the man I loved so desperately.” Jim held his breath while he gazed at tho Firefly, Then he turned to Sam, “Ts if true?” he asked. ‘ Did she spit upon him?” ** Yes,” replied Sam. “Well,” cried the Jim Dandy, his whole soul glowing with mdignation, ‘I would not have ove it, even to save my life! You have proved ourself utterly unscrupulous where you were indifferent. Thatis bad enough But in your love you have shown yourself infamous!” So stinging was this denunciation, that the Firefly sprung from her careless attitude, livid with rage. ee bie as sit by, and let her kill me?” asked Jim. ‘* You see I am defenseless against her.” ‘She ain’t likely to kill you,” answered fam, not moving a muscle. The event proved that he understood the Fire- fly in some things at least. With another of her laughs, she desisted, and sat down again. “Go on! go on!” sbe said. ‘‘ Between your talent for fiction and your genius at guessing, you are making out quiteacase. Let us hear the end of it.” Jim concluded by giving a circumstantial ac- count of what bad-happened in Sam’s absence, all of which has recently been detailed, ‘“* That,” he said, ‘‘is my case. Let her make her defense, and then judge between us.” By way of inviting the Virefly to her defense, Sam repeated what he had said before: vs Me igen has a show with me!” ‘*But I desire none,” answered the Firefly, ** Let my actions speak. Whether or not I tried to get Pretty Pete to kill him, you certainly can not think that I ot aor him ever to leave this house alive. Finally, there heis, Who killed him? Actions speak louder than words. That bit of wisdom is older than the hills, I didn’t in- vent it.” And she smiled as if the whole thing were a rather good joke. ‘*So that’s all?” asked Sam, ‘I’m done,” replied the Firefly. For some time Sam had been regarding the prostrate Harry intently. He now rose, without any particular haste, and kneeling beside him, proceeded to examine him, as if for signs of life, ‘What is it? cried the Jim Dandy, breath- essly. “He ain’t done yit,” ** Alive! alive!” aoe off, ef you please” nd Jim being about to cast himself upon the body of his pard, Sam brushed him Bask You stand off hyar,” * But something must be done to revive him ifthis wretch bas not indeed killed him!” ‘Pll do what revivin’ isdone, You hark to what Tsay. I hain’t told ye yit whether I be- lieve ye.” ‘* But Harry can confirm my words!” “Tt won’t be necessary. Tho thing looks to me like this hyar. Let us say what you have been tellin’ me is as good as Gospel, an’ the Fire- fly hyar has been gullin’ me from the word go % that it wasn’t Purty Pete as she cottoned to, but this hyar snoozer. Waal, then, I reckon he’s the chap I want to hang up to dry.” “But he is innocent! He has rebuffed her » from the first!” “What in Cain difference does it make to me eS ee ee ee © eee Happy Harry’s Big Find what he thinks o’ her? The question before the court is, what does she think o’ him?” The Firefly went off in another of her ripples of laughter. “*So this is the fruit of your ingenuity?” she cried, ‘' Well, I ought to be obliged to you for helping me out. But one good turn deserves an- other. As you bave succeeded in getting your lover’s neck in a noose to oblige me, I will do what I can to get it out again to oblige you.” Then turning to Sam, with her eyes twinkling with amusement, she went on: “You said that I should have a show too. What do you say to giving it to me by supposing —only for the sake of argument, of course—that Ihave told the truth, and that I do not love him?’ ‘‘ Waal, that’s fair too,” admitted Sam, in the same dull way. ‘Of course it is!” laughed the Firefly rubbing her hands in apparent glee. ‘‘ Now then!” ** Ef you hawt no notion fur him,” said Sam, slowly, ‘‘so much the better, Tl finish him off to accommoda'e you.” ‘‘Ha! ha! ha! So he swings in either case?” **Sartain!” * Ah!” ejaculated the Jim Dandy. It was not a cry of protest, but of amazement and dismay. The Firefly bad fired a shot at Sam Bropey! It was done like the stroke of a cat’s paw. In a flash her face was transformed from the gay- est merriment to flendish malignity. Sam clutched at bis breast as if to tear out a scorpion that had stung him, and stood for an instant with mouth agape and suspended breath, Then, with a howl of fury, he cleared the space between him and the Firefly at a single bound, and bore her to the floor so that her second shot went wild, The Jim Dandy stood spellbound. CHAPTER XIII. THE LAST HOPE GONE. It seemed as if the infuriate man would anni- hilate the woman with his bare hands. Instead, he disarmed her, and then arose, apparently as calm as before his outburst, It was all done so quickly that the Jim Dandy had no time to interfere, or to do anything look- ing to the subsequent protection of himself and his pard. Though not otherwise injured, the breath was knocked out of the Firefly by her fall, and by the terrible violence of the assault. When she recovered, however, her old banter- int humor was gone, She had played her game and lost. real woman came to the surface. “You have won,” she said to Jim Dandy, “but it were better for you to have lost!” Then she turned to Sam Bropey. ‘¢ Now listen to me,” she demanded. ‘* What you have heard is nothing! J will tell you the truth from the ground up! “When I first saw you, I was the greatest fool in all Montana—or ont of it, for that mat- ter! I listened to you, because you had just made what appeared to be a great strike, and you promised that I should see the world. You snow how that went up in smoke! But [’ll tell you what you don’t know, and what I never favored you with before, * At that time one man was the sume as an- other to me. You would serveas wellas another, if you give me what I wanted—life! I thought you would do better than most, you was such a soft fool! I promised myself that, once out in the world, my nose-of-wax wouldn’t be particu- larly in my way. “Well, [ hadn’t cared for you: but when I found that you had fooled me, I hated you with a venom that words are hard to express! “Pretty Pete was my next venture. I need say but little of him. He was such a fiend of ugli- ness, but such a turkey-cock for vanity, that [ knew I could manage him with little incon- venience to myself. With wealth at his com- mand, I knew he would be only too glad of the privilege of parading me before the world as his wife, I making my own terms in private, ‘* Well, it was then I met the man lying here, Of him I will say only this—from the first I loved him as I Jove him now!” Her face was transfigured as she looked down at Harry. No words could bave conveyed an impression equal to that look, Sam Bropey’s face was already livid. Now only his bloodshot eyes followed every fleeting expression of her face. ** All this,” she went on, “bas been a desper- ate game to win him. In moments when I felt Now the Ben ~* - ei eee a Ses less Sess See oe es — 13 the utter powerlessness of anything in me to move him, I have hated him with an intensity compared with which my bitterest hatred of you was affection, In other moments ”—and the look of beatific adoration returned to her face—‘‘I have loved him so that I would not have exchanged the sound of his voice, even gibing at me, for a breath in Heaven! “But this is the end! Suppose you hang us together?” “ That’s jest my notion,” said Bropey, quietly. ‘It will be your last and greatest favor,” an- { swered the Firefly. ‘‘I shall be grateful to you for that, as I never was for anything else you ever did for me.” ‘*T reckon that’s so,” responded Sam, care- fully picking a hangnail from bis finger. Witha sudden cry of blended love and despair, the Firefly cast herself upon the body of Happy Harry, who was now breathing perceptibly, though still unconscious, Against this the Jim Dandy protested with al3 the energy of his nature, ‘ “What! Such sacrilege as this?” he cried. And instantly he pounced upon the Firefly, dragging her away. There might have been a struggle between the two, but Sam prevented it. Taking the Firefly aside, he set her down on the bunk, ‘You stay thar tell I’m ready fur ye,” he di- rected, : Next, taking the rope with which he had low- ered and elevated Jim Dandy in the shaft, he threw a bight of it over a hook driven in a rafter directly over the trap. With the shorter end of this he deliberately proceeded to tie a hangman’s noose. His evident purpose struck dismay to Jim Dandy’s heart. ‘*Oh!” he cried, ‘‘ what are you about to do?” “Tm *lowin’ to hang this hyar chap up to dry,” answered Sam, unmoved. ‘You cannot be so cruel! Think! he has done nothing to you. He bas—” ** Knocked all my calcalations higher’n Gil- deroy’s kite.” “One moment! He will not interfere with you. He will go away, It will be the same to you as if he were dead.” ‘*Not much! While thar’s life thar’s hope. As long as he’s kickin’, th Firefly ’ll be bankerin’ after him, This hyar won’t burt bim none. He’s past feelin’ it.” “But you shall not!” cried the Jim Dandy, seizing his hands in desperation, ‘Cheese it!” growled Bropey. big enough fur to fool around me.” ‘“ While I have the strength to oppose you—” “Drop it! The thing’s played, I tell ye!” “You may kill me; but you cannot induce me to submit quietly to this atrocity—” **Tsee Pll have to tie you up.” With scarcely any exertion of his great strength Sam pulled away the clinging hands of the Dandy, and held them, crossed at the wrist, in his single powerful grip. Then the Dandy’s wits came to the rescue, To be tied, was to be rendered helpless to take advantage of any chance that might offer. ** No! no!” be pleaded. ‘Don’t leave me in the power of that vicious woman, Kill me yourself, if you are determined to; but spare me the hu- miliation of being a helpless victim of her malice.” If Bropey saw through this subterfege, he had too much confidence in himself to care about it. Indeed, his pride spurned caution, asa mark of weakness, “Hands off, that’s all I ask,” he said, pushing Jim away from him, and proceeding with his preparations, Taking the one precaution to stand so that neither the Firefly nor Jim could get at the wea- pons at his back, he began to whistle softly to himself as an accompaniment to his worl. It was heart-rending to stand belplessiy hy and watch him deliberately measure the suit- able length of the bight in the rope, and then coil the spiral which was to allow it to slip easily. This he adjusted to Happy Harry’s neck as he lay, and then went to the otber end, to draw the unresisting body up off the floor, till it swung free over the open trap. The Firefly could not watch this unmoved, She quivered in every nerve, “] thought you was going*to bang us together,” she interposed. “Don’t you worry,» Thar’ll be room fur you when he’s danglin’. But Pm ‘lowin’ fur to give you the benefit o’ your work before you git your send-off. It’s your last comfort in this hyar world, ** You ain't
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5 3 a eS ee 14 ‘*Ttll work both ways. Ef you was lyin’ to me when you said you was in love witn him, then you'll git the revenge what you’ve worked fur. Ef you was lyin’ to me when you said you want in love with him, then you'll git the revenge what you spoke fur.” The Firefly replied with a hysterical laugh. But Jim Dandy could not endure his anguish in silence. ‘*Oh, for God’s sake!” he cried, falling upon bis knees, Sam Bropey was invulnerable to this appeal. He did not even look toward the suppliant, but deliberately hauled on the rope till Happy Har- ry’s body swung back and forth over the mouth of the shaft, This he secured in place by taking a double turn round a cleat provided for that purpose, Meanwhile Jim Dandy had got upon bis feet, to stare at the dangling body in breathless fas- cination, If anything was to be done, it must be done instantly. Ah! why had he delayed, when by some lucky chance he might have succeeded in throwing . the murderer down the trap, even if he had had to fall with him? But now it was too late. Evenif heovercame Sam, Harry would still be left hanging. He had waited from instant to instant for some opening that promised successful resis- tance, and none had presented itself. At this moment, when he was ready to throw up his hands and fall insensible in his helpless despair, or to fly at the murderer and seek to wreak vengeance upon him irrespective of any benefit to his pard; while Bropey still bent over the cleat; while the Firefly was laughing be- tween hysteria and insanity, the anguish of love distorting her face; the door was suddenly thrown open, and a gruff voice exclaimed in greeting: ‘Hullo, gents! Thar’s music in the air! What’s the reason we all shouldn’t have a show?” And no less a person than Pretty Pete leaped into the middle of the room. Never was there a more hideous-looking vil- lain than this. His hair and beard were matted with neglect. A bloody bandage was bound about his head. His clothes were torn, and foul with dirt, and black and stiff where blood from his wounds had dried in the cloth, The scar to whose disfigurement he owed his sobriquet—a knife-thrust wiich had destroyed the bridge of the nose—made a livid diagonal across his face. His bloodshot eyes were wolfish in their fero- city. ® Pete! Pete!” cried the Firefly, springing up at sight of him, “kill that devil for me, and ask anything in return!” He only regarded her with a fiendish grin of unutterable hatred, and then turned to meet Sam. He had not an instant to spare. The two revolvers exploded atthe same in- stant; and then the men came together with a crash, To such hatred as these rivals entertained for each other, mere death was no satisfaction, They must inflict it with their hands. Each, with the ferocity of a wild beast, longed to tear the other to pieces. As they clinched, their revolvers were dropped unheeded, Ah! this was the chance at last for which the Jim Dandy had waited so long in vain. With an inarticulate cry of eagerness, he pounced upon one of the revolvers; but the Fire- fly, quite.as alert as he, had swooped down upon the other. Jim had one instant the advantage in dis- tance, and so got ‘‘the drop;” but a glance showed him the dismaying fact that the cart- ridge under the hammer of his pistol had been exploded! He realized that the weapon had been fired clear round, and was now worthless save as a menace. He was quick to avail himself of all that it afforded him, ‘** Move a finger, an eyelash, and I will put a bullet through your heart:” he cried, Of course the Firefly could not know that he was powerless to make good his words, In Pretty Pete’s dance-house he had proved bim- self a dead shot; and she believed that only his reluctance to taking life preserved her from in- stant destruction. But now Jim wasinadilemma. Save as a see for the Firefly, his weapon did him no good, RY Happy Harry’s Big Find. The thing to do, were he free, was to close the trap, and then let Harry down upon it, But to untie the rope and leé him down would require the use of both hands; and this was im- possible, with the Firefly waiting to take ad- vantage of even a momentary turning away of his eyes, to turn the tables upon him, and secure in her turn the fatal *‘ drop.” That once acquired, she would make a merci- less use of it, he did not for an instant doubt. It remained, then, to disarm her. **T would rather not kill you,” he said. ‘*Drop that weapon! I have not long to wait! Drop it!” ‘* Never!” she replied. ‘‘ You can_ triumph over me in death, butno other way. Take your shot; put it where it will do the most good, or look out for yourself!” He saw that this was her ultimatum, Ths woman was so desperate that she would accept death before humiliating submission. Of course that left him helpless against her, Meanwhile Happy Harry was strangling to death, if indeed he had not already succumbed to his injuries, If his partner could get possession of another revolver from the writhing combatants, he might go to his aid, but only after having killed or disabled the Firefly, and probably both the men, Failing in this, there would be but one despe- rate recourse left—to secure a knife, if possible, and sever the rope, to let his pard drop to pos- sible death down the shaft! : _But even this poor chance was snatched from im. Round and round, back and forth, reeled the combatants, locked in that death-grip. Now they rapidly neared the open trap; now hovered on the brink, each striving to hurl his enemy to death without sharing his fate; now, with blending yells of rage and horror, plunged headlong down into the darkness, striking agains; the suspended body, and setting it to pb violently back and forth over the fatal abyss, Jim Dandy stood aghast. The horror of the double tragedy apart, his last chance was gone. Tt never occurred to him to appeal to the fero- cious woman who held him helpless, He knew that she would sacrifice Harry rather than yield him to another. ‘* Now,” he cried, falling upon his knees in despair, ‘‘ God help me!” CHAPTER XIV. THE LAST ACT. AS all nice girls are sura to have sooner or later, if they give the fellows half a show, pretty Kitty Macmillan had an adorer. Of course it was Gid Becket. Hadn’t she, many a time and oft, declared that there wasn’t another man within a thousand miles of Hicks’s Hurrah that she would waste a single glance upon? Stow Gid was a model lever. He always did as he was told, as all lovers should, And— well, if the truth must out—Kitty led him a dance, as the saying is. When darkness’ came without bringing the return of the Jim Dandy or Happy Harry, Miss Kitty cut short every would-be manifestation of affection with which Gid approached her, and commanded him never to let her see him again till he brought back the missing ones, She had nothing to suggest as to how he was to find them; the thing was to find them! Gid, feeling that the course of true love never did run smooth, went out into the wide were with only the direction due west to guide im, His wandering was of the most aimless sort, The only thing was, not to give up till he was successful. It shows what a faithful fellow he was, and how richly he deserved the reward he after- ward got, that he persisted against all reason- able probability till after midnight, and would have done so till daylight, for that matter, in- stead of playing ‘‘roots” on his exacting lady love, and bestowing himself comfortably where he could discover the wanderers’ return, if in- deed they did return. So it came about that he was startled by a shot, and afterward, guided by the groaning, came upon Doc Fleetwood creeping upon hands and knees down the gulch, that being his only — on his return to Hicks’s Hurrah and human aid. Shot through the left lung, the surgeon had yet strength and nerve enough to make slowly and with infinite pain, But he was glad to desist and lie by while Gid ran for assistance, It was while the camp was being roused with this intelligence, that the bloody cartridge-belt and bowie were discovered; and the rumors that then flew wild got rather mixed, as rumors are apt to do. It was only an inference that the Jim Dandy was dead and Happy Harry cut to pieces, The rest—that Doc Fleetwood had found them, and Gid Becket brought the news—was easily con- founded. It will be remembered that the news reached even Hicks, and that he got out of his sick bed to see for himself. He looked startlingly like a dead man; but the fires of excitement blazed in bis sunken eyes, and the strength of a dozen men seemed bound up in his shrunken limbs. When he had gazed at the belt and bowie, he demanded to hear Gid Becket’s account of Doc Fleetwood’s misadventure. This led to the detailing of how the surgeon happened to be in the shanty from which he was abducted. “That’s enough!” cried Hicks, suddenly. ‘Fetch me a hoss! How many is at my back? ei goin’ to lead you whar thar’s blood to be spilt! Of course, they were all at his back, or asmany as could get mounts, So it was that, under his guidance, a war- party swept out of the camp. Like black ghouls they rode through the dark- ness, never drawing rein till they neared Sam Bropey’s ‘‘ fort.” Hicks had reasoned correctly. He knew of the Firefly’s past, and of her relations with Sam Bropey. Sam’s agency in getting the surgeon where he could be abducted gave him the clew he wanted. Dismounting, they had better luck than they expected, passing the narrow entrance to the stronghold without opposition, So it happened that they surprised the “ fort,” The sounds of conflict going on within the hut led to the supposition that Happy Harry was struggling with his captor. Mad with rage, Hicks leaped forward, and burst open the door, The words of appeal had scarcely died on the Jim Dandy’s lips when this unexpected respopse came, He turned his head, and so released the Fire- fly from the menace of his revolver, Her glance went to the door. She recognized Hicks and the men at his back, TheJim Dandy no longer held the magical ‘‘ drop” on her. Like a flash she fired, but at the swaying body of Happy Harry. Then, with a wild laugh, she put her weapon to her own head, and pulled the fatal trig- ger. She would have delayed to fire at the Jim Dandy, but she saw that she had not time. Hicks was upon her like a tornado, and would effect her capture if she did not elude him in the only way possible, by her own hand. So she passed from all chance of further set- ting men at enmity with each other; and down in that black pit were found two mortal enemies locked in a last deadly embrace. But who ever had such a nurse as did Happy Harry? Everybody declared that Jim Dandy, so handy with the weapons most distinctive of manhood, could yet beat, in her own field, ‘ary woman-crittur what ever stood in shoe-leath- er!’ Gid Becket was the most complacent fellow you ever saw: and from that day Kitty was the most submissive sweetheart that apy man ever had, declaring that he had earned the right to freedom from teasing henceforth. But what do you think? It certainly wasn’t six months later, when Happy Harry was mar- ried to a young lady in ’Frisco, to whom he had been presented as the Jim Dandy’s twin sister, Jim himself being away from home. But when the knot was securely tied, Harry got his wife in a corner and said: ** Now, Jim, come down!” ; ‘““You knew it all along?” she cried, her face ablaze. ‘* Of course [ did,” he answered. : ‘‘Shame upon you, then! you’re a deceiver!" ** But you, Jim? How about you?” ‘*T don’t care! And I just hate you!” But Harry is well content with her peculiar way of manifesting that emotion, and still in- sists that she is a Jim Dandy. THE END. — ctu famed!
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ft t : ‘ - ne ry - r BY PHILIP 8S. WARNE, 67 Patent-Leuther Joe; or, Old Rattlesnake, the Charmer 75 Onpvatn Arizona; or, Petent-Leather Joe's Big Game, > 93 Captain Mask; or, Patent-Lexther Joe’s Defeat. iY Desapard, the Duellat; cr, The Mountain Vempires, 88 A Tough Boy}; or, The Dwart’s Revenge. 868 Little Tornado; or, The Outcusts of the Glen, B78 Little Jingos or, the Queer Pard S88 Little Oh-my 3 or, Caught in His Own Trap, 401 Little Shoo-F ly; or, A Race fora Ranch. 408 Little Leather-Breeches 3 or, Old Jumbo’s Carse, 481 Little Ab Sing or, The Curse of Blood, 451 Colorado Kate. A Tale of the olines. 450 Three Jolly Pardsa, 617 Jim Gladden’s Deputy. 527 The Jolly Pards to the Rescue, 647 Sandy Andy; or, A Good Man Down, $56 Lariat Lil; or, The Cast for a Life. 574 Old Weasel-top, the Man with the Doga, 698 Keen Clem, the Ranch Imp. 599 Jim Dandy the No-Name Sport. 618 Billy Blazes; or, The Skeleton’s Legacy. BY CAPTAIN FRED. WHITTAKER, 15 The Sea-Cat; or, The Witch of Darien, 20 The Dumb Page; or, The Doge’s Daughter, 48 Dick Darling, the Pony Express Rider. 4150 Lance and Lasso yp or, The Children of the Chaco, 454 The Sword Munters; or, The Land of the Elephant Riders, 159 The Lost Captain; or, Skipper Jabez Coffin’s Cruise to the Open Polar Sea. 200 The Boy Bedoutns; or, The Brothers of the Plumed Lance, 214 Wolfgang, the Robber of the Rhine. 249 Milo Romer, the Animal King; or, The Round the World Wanderer. 265 The Tiger Tamer; or, The League of the Jungle. B81 Black Nek. the Demon Rider. $95 California Joe’s War Trail, BY BUCKSKIN SAM (Major Sam. 8, Hall.) 284 Old Hesky ® **Boyees; or, Benito, the Young Horse- Breaker. 246 Glant George; or, The Ang’! of the Range. 275 Arizona Jack}; or, Giant George’s Pard. 297 The Tarantula of Taos; or, Giant George’s Revenge. BO? The Strange Pard; or, Little Ben’s Death Hunt. Bt8 Ker-whoop, Ker-whoo; or, The ‘Tarantula of Taos, B27 Oreeping Cat, the Caddo; or, The Red and White Parda, B82 Frio Fred: or, The Tonkaway’s Trust. $44 The Fighting Trio; or, Rattlesnake, the Tonkaway. B49 Wild Wolf; or, Big-Foot Wallace to the Front, 5% The Ranch paldere s or, The Siege of Fort Pargatory. 864 Snap-Shot, the Boy Ranger. BIS Chlota, the Creek; or, The Three Thunderbolts. SSL Kandera Bills or. Frio Frank to the Front. BY2 Romeo and the Reday or, The Beleaguered Ranch. 4 Little Lariat; or, Pecan Pete’s Big Rampage. 14 The Dalsy from Denver, 2% The Vhree Tratlers; or, Old Rocky on the Rampage, £2 Bluff Bill; or, The Lynx of the Leona. > Little Lene Stars or, The Belle of the Cibolo, BY EDWARD WILLETT. 467 Asa Scott, the Steamboat Boy. 599 Featherweight the Boy Champion of the Muskingum, 228 Ozark Alt’; or, Featherweight Among the Outlaws. 2452 The Typo Detective; or, Weasel, the Boy Tramp, 205 Fearless Phils or, The King of Quartzville, B11 The Roving Sport; or, The Pride of Chuckaluck Camp, B22 Nemo, the Detective; or, Kit Kenyon's Vendetta, $40 Olip the Contortionist: or, The Montana Vigilantes. BY J, ©. COWDRIOK. 860 Silver-Mask, the Man of Mystery. B69 Shasta, the Gold King}; or, For Seven Years Dead, 420 The Detective’s Apprentice; or, A Boy Without a Name. 424 Cibuta John; or, Red-Hot Times at Ante Bar. 489 Sandy Sam, the Street Scout. 467 Diaco Dan, the Daisy Dude. 490 Broadway Billy, the Bootblack Bravo. 506 Redlight Ralph, the Prince of the Road, 514 Broadway Bill y's Boodle. 524 The Engineer Detective. 686 Broadway Billy’s ‘ Difikilty.” 548 Mart, the Night Express Detective. 5S? Broadway Billy’s Peath Racket. S71 Alr-Line Luke the Young Engineer. 5679 The Chimney Spy; or, Broadway Billy’s Surprise-Party. 592 The Boy Pinkerton. $05 William 0’ Broadway; or, The Boy Detective’s Big Inning. 615 Fighting Harry, the Chief of Chained Cyclone. BY JO PIEROE, 897 Bob o’ the Bowery; °F, The Prince of Mulberry Street 415 The Vagabond Detective; or, Bowery Bob’s Boom, 452 Hotspur Bob, the Street-Boy Detective, 460 The ayers Shadow}; or, Luke’s Legacy. A472 Jaunty Joe, the Young Horse-King. 494 Surly Sim, the Young Ferryman Detective, 504 Five Pointa Phil. 509 Jack Jagwers, the Butcher Boy Detective. 516 Tartar Tim; or, Five Points Phil’s Menagerie, 526 North River N at, the Pier Detective. 688 Wreatling Rex, the Pride of the Sixth Ward, 541 Jeff Flicker, the Stable Boy Detective. 551 Nick Nettle, the Boy Shadow. 559 Harlem Jack, the Office Boy Detective. 569 Brooklyn Ben, the On-His-Own-Hook Detective. n t Pete, the Secret Sifter. 688 Jack-o-Lantern, the Unde #0n Wide-Awake Bert, the St -Steerer. 614 Whistling Jacob, the Detective’s Aid. 628 Buck Bumblebee, the Harlem Hummer. BY CAPTAIN MAYNE REID. 78 Blue Dick; or, The Yellow Chief's Vengeance. 8? The Land Pirates; or, The League of Devil’s Island. Wk? The Melpless Hand 3 or, Backwoods Retribution. 289 The Gold-seeker Guide; or, The Lost Mountain. nY MAJOR HENRY B. STODDARD, Ex-Scout. B06 Neck-Tle Neds or, The Dug-Out Pards, 846 Rapier Raphael; or, The Swordsmen of Zacatecas. B91 Kid-Glove Kit, the Dandy of the Rockies, B98 Kid-Glove Kit and Pard; or, The Gold King. 406 The Mad Man-Hunter; or, The Mystery of Golden 4, a cs f “ike Sea Prospector. Gulch. 505 ile tg Pardy; or, The One-Armed Giant. BY HARRY 8ST. GEORGE. 2 Iph Rockwood, the Ranger, HH Totaling Tube: or, The Nighthawks of Kentucky, 5Y Old Hickory ; or, Pandy Ellis’s Scalp. 108 Daring Davy; or, The Trail of the order Wolf, 166 Wickory Harry ; or, The Trapper-Brigade’s Spy, 172 Thunderbolt Tom; or, the Wolf-Herder, Published Every Tuesday. Each Issue Complete and Sold at the Uniform Price of Five Cents. BY ALBERT W,. AIKEN, 11 The Two Detectives; or, The Fortunes ofa Bowery Girl. 76 Abe Colt, the Crow-Killer. ZY Sol Giuwer, the Giant Srapper. 258 Joe Buck of Angels and His Boy Pard. 447 New York Nat. A Tale of Tricks and Traps in Gotham, 458 New England Nick3 or, The Fortunes of a Foundling, 464 Nimble Nick, the Circus Prince, 498 ‘Tues ‘Ted, toe Arizona Sport, 510 Cool Colorado, the Hali-Breed Detective, 5615 Cool Colorado in New York, BY GEORGE WALDO BROWNE, 86 Dandy Rock the Man from Texas, 90 Lhe Dread Rider; or, The Texan Duelist. 99 The ‘Viger of ‘Tues; or, Dandy Rock’s Angel. 115 The Mad Miner; or, Dandy Rock’s Doom. 181 The Golden Hand; or, Dandy Rock to the Rescue, 164 Dandy Keck’s Pledge; or, Hunted to Death. 178 Dandy Kock’s Rival; or, The Haunted Mald of Taos, BY CAP’. J. F. ©. ADAMS, 84 Oregon Sol; or, Nick Whifties’s Boy Spy. 46 Glussa-Eye, the Great Shot of the West. 54 Ned Hazel, the Boy Trapper, 56 Nick Whifiles’s Pet; or, In The Valley of Death, 60 The White Indian; or, The Scovt of the Yellowstone 70 Old re th Cabin; or, The Greenhorn in the Woods, 81 Lightuing Jo, the Terror of the Prairie. 85 Buck Muckram 3; or, Bess, the Female Trapper, 247 Vid Grizzly and Mis Pets; or, The Wild Huntress, 251 Light-house Lige; or, Osceola, the Firebrand, 257 The Lost Munters; or, The Underground Camp, 258 The Scalp King; or, The Human Thunderpolt, BY ROGER STARBUCK, 25 The Boy Captain; or, The Pirate’s Daughter. 114 The Black Schooner; or, Jib Junk, the Old Tar, 259 The Golden Harpoon; or, Lost Among the Floes, 848 Fire-Meels; or, Old Skinflint, the Death-Shadow. 854 Big Horn Ike, the Hill Tramp; or, The Odd Pards, BGL The Phantom Light-house. 870 Breaker Len, the Reef-Runner, BY WILLIAM tt, EYSTER, 190 Dandy Darke; or, The Tigers of High Pine. 210 Faro Frank; or, Dandy Darke’s Go-Down Pard« BY COLONEL DELLE SARA, 108 The Lion of the Sen; or, The Vailed Lady. 186 Cool Desmond; or, The Gambler’s Big Game, BY JAMES L, BOWEN 107 One-Eyed Sim; or, The Abandoned Forest Home. 110 The Black Steed of the Prairies, A Story of Texas, BY ©. DUNNING CLARK, 185 Captain Paul; or, The Boy Spy of the Mountains. 280 The Yankee Rajah; or, The Fate of the Black Shereef, BY GEORGE ©. JENKS. 455 Git Thar Owney the Unknown. 492 Git Thar Owney’s Pledge. 518 The Demon Doctor. 5bS1 Double-Curve Dan, the Pitcher Detective. HYS Flute, the Singer Detective, 608 Zee Pitcher Detective’s Foll; or, Double Curve Dan’s Double Play. 616 The Ocean Detective; or, The Last Cruise of the Black Bear. BY OAPT. ALFRED B. TAYLOR UW. 8. A. 191 Buffalo Billy, the Boy Bullwhacker; or, The Doomed Thirteen. 194 Buffalo Bill's Bet; or, The Gambler Guide, BY CHARLES E. LASALLE, 50 Burt Bunker, the Trapper. 62 The White Buffalo. A Tale of the Northwest Bx JONUN J. MARSHALL, 40 Roving Ben. A Story of a Young American. 97 The Outlaw Brothers; or, The Captive of the Harpes. BY WM. G, PATTEN. 489 The Diamond Sport; or, The Double Face of Bed Rock 519 Captain Mystery ; or, Five in One, 581 Dalay pare the Sport from Denver. BS? Old Bombshell, the Ranger Detective. 604 Iron Fern, the Man of Fire. 619 The Boy Tramp Detective; or, The Double Grip Witness, BY MAJOR E. L. ST. VRAIN, 292 Sancho Pedro, the Boy Bandit. 801 Leadville Nick, the Boy Sport. 812 Redtop Rube, the Vigilante Prince. B88 Brimstone Bob, and His Lightning Horse Quartette, 852 Tombstone Tom, the Arizona Boy of “Sand.” B59 Duranzivro Dave, the Youny Champion Wrestler. 871 Kingbolt Chris, the Young Hard-Shell Detective, 880 Avalanche Alf, the Foothills Guide. 890 Jaguar Joe, of the Mountain Mail-Line, BY EDWARD 8. ELLIS. 6 Bill) Biddon, Trapper. 8 Seth Jones; or, The Captives of the Frontier. © Nat Todd; or, The Fate of the Sioux Captive. 1 rne Frontier Angel. 98 The Boy Miners; or, The Enchanted Island. 182 The Hunted Hunter; or, The Strange Horseman, 254 The Half-Blood; or, The Panther of the Plains. 271 The Huge Munter}; or, The Steam Prairie Man. BY MAJOR LEWIS W. CARSON, 278 The Three T ; or, The Mountain Monster. 288 Indian See 3 eRe White Spirit of the Hills. BY FRANK DUMONT. 120 The Branded Hand: or, The Man of Mystery. 127 Wild-Fire, the Boss of the Road. 140 Blue Blazes; or, The Break o’ Day Boys of Rozky Bar. 171 Ebony Dan; or, The Rival Leagues. 185 Evil Eve; or, The Vultures of the Rio Grande, BY OAPT. MARK WILTON, 256 Young Kentuck; or, The Red Lasso, 270 Blizzard Ben; or, The Riot at Keno Camp, 286 Josh, the Boy Tenderfoot. BY BRACEBRIDGE HEMYNG, 89 Ialand Jim; or, The Pet of the Family. 91 The Captain of the Club; or, The Rival Athletes, 101 Jack Harkaway in New York, BE ADLE’S* FH ALF- DIME*] IBRARY. No .Double Numbers. 283 ———a BY JOSEPH E, BADGER, JR, 2 Yellowstone Jack? or, The Trapper. 48 Black John, the Road-Agent; or, The Outlaw’s Retreat 65 Murricane Bills; or, Mustang Sam and His Pard, 119 Mustang Sam ; or, The King of the Plains. 186 Night-lanwk Kit; or, The Daughter of the Ranch, 144 Dainty Lance the Boy Sport. 151 Panther Paul; or, Dainty Lance to the Rescue, 160 The Black Glant; or, Dainty Lance in Jeopardy, 168 Deadly Dash; or, Fighting Fire with Fire. 184 The Boy Trailers ; or, Dainty Lance on the War-Path 208 The Bey Pards; or, Dainty Lance Unmaska, 211 Crooked Cale, the Caliban of Celestial City, 810 The Barranca W olf; or, The Beautiful Decoy, 819 The Black Rider}; or, The Horse-Thieves’ League, 885 Old Double Fist; or, The Strange Guide 855 The King of the Woods: or. Daniel Boone’s Last Trail, 449 Kit Fox, the Border Boy Detective. 625 Chincapin Dan, the Boy Trailer. BY W. J. HAMILTON, 68 The Red Brotherhood; or, The Twelve Avengers, 66 Single Handy or, A Life for a Life, 72 Mad Tom W eastern, the Texan Ranger. 887 Ben Bird, the Cave King; or, Big Pete’s Scoop. BY JACK FARRAGUT, 815 Ned, the Cabin Boy. 820 The Sen Sorceress; or, The Boy Skipper, BY LIEUT. H. D. PERRY, U. 8, N. 176 The Boy Runaway; or, The Buccaneer of the Bay. 180 The Sea Trailer; or, A Vow Well Kept. 192 Captain Kit; or, The Mystery of Montauk Point, BY HARRY IAZARD. 828 Arkansaw Jack; or, The Scourge of the Mines, 829 Red-Skin Tomy or, The Demon’s Trail, 842 The Mountain bevil: or, Yellow Jack, the Outlaw, BY COL. A, F. HOLT. 899 Black Buckskin; or, The Masked Men of Death Canyoa, |' 419 Kenneth, the Knife-King. 485 Little Lightfoot, the Pilot of the Woods. BY J. W. OSBON. 469 The Rival Glants of Nowhar’. 498 Cactus Burr, the Man from Hard Lack, BST Old Buckeye, the Sierra Shadow. 564 Powder Phil, the Boy Miner. 609 Bolly Dorrit, the Veteran Detective, 620 Littie Lightning’s League; or, The Mystery oftne Island. BY FREDERICK DEWEY. 818 Cimarron Jack, the King-Pin of Rifle-Shots, 478 Tangemund, the Desert Detective, 5642 The Canyon Parda, BY ARTHUR C. GRISSOM, 440 Little Foxfoot, the Gold Bowle Kid. 5658 The Sure-Shot Parda, 621 Truthful James, the “ Pecoollar’” Man. X BY LIEUT. A. K, SIMS. 546 Captain Cactus, the Chaparral Cock, 568 The Dandy of Dodge. 576 The Silver Sport. B88 Sallfron Sol, the Man With a Shadow 589 Tom-Cat and Pardy or, The Dead Set at Silver City, 601 Happy Hana, the Datch Vidoeg. 611 Bildad Barnacle, the Detective Hercules, 622 Texas Tom-Cat’s Triad, MISCELLANEOUS AUTHORS, 4 The Wild-IMorse Ituntera., By Capt, Mayne Reld and Frederick Whittaker. 9 Adventures of Baron Munchauéen, 12 Gulliver’s Travels. By Dean Swift. 14 Aladdin; or, The Wonderful Lamp. 16 Robinson Crusoe. (27 Llustrations.) 18 Sindbad the Satlor. His Seven Voyages. 22 pee Sea Serpent; or, The Boy Robinson Crusoe, By Juan awl. 88 The Ocean Bloodhound; or, The Red Pirates of the Carribees, By S, W, Pierce. 86 The Boy Clown; or, The Queen ofthe Arena, By Frank S. Finn. 88 Ned Wylde. the Boy Scout. By Texas Jack. 61 The Roy Rifles; or, The Underground Camp. By Archie C, Lrona. 95 The Rival Rovers; or, The Freebooters of the Mississippi, By Lieut,-Col. Haseltine. 98 Robin Mood, the Uutlawed Earl; or, The Merry Men of Greens wood. By Prof. Gildersleeve, 105 Old Rube, the Hunter; or, The Crow Captive, By Captain Hamilton Holmes. 112 The Mad Hunter; or, The Cave of Death, By Burton Saxe. 124 Tippy. the Texan; or, The Young Champion, By George Gleeson. 128 The Young Privateer; or, The Pirate’s Stronghold. By Harry Cavendish. 148 Sharp Sam; or, The Adventures of a Friendless Boy. By J. Alexander Patten. 227 Dusky Darrell, Trapper; or, The Green Ranger of the Yel- lowstone. By Edward Emerson, 261 Fergus Fearnaught the New Ysrk Boy. m2 G. L. Alken, 266 Killb’ar, the Guide; or, Davy Crockett’s rooked Trail, By Ensign C. D. Warren. 298 Red Olaw, the One-Eyed Trapper; or, The Maid of the Cliff, By Captain Comstock. 817 Peacock Pete, the Lively Lad from Leadville. By Lieu tenant Alfred Thorne. 9 p 828 The Sky Detectives or, A Boy ‘a Fight for Life and Honow, By Maior Mickey Free. 850 Ked Ralph, the River Rover} or, The Brother’s Re- venge, By Ned Buntline, — 865 Baltimore Ben the Bootblack Detective. By A, P. Morris, 874 Gold-Duat Toms or, Beu’s Double Match, By George H, Moree. ‘i 876 California Joe’s First Trail, Hoyer Monstery. g 418 Billy Bombshell, the Cliff Climber. By F. 8. Winthrop, 475 The Black ship. By John § Warner, 484 Comanche Dick and His Three Invincible, By Henry J. Thomas. 528 Wizard-Arm, the andy 4 yh By Arthur F, Holt. 582 The Cowboy Duke. y Edwin Brooke Forrest. 552 Ariel the Athlete. By David Druid, 585 Will Waters, the Boy Ferret.” By H. Enton. A New Issue Every Tuesdays The Half-Dime Library is for sale by all newsdealers, five cents per copy, or sent by mail on receipt of alx cents each. BEADLE AND ADAMS, Publishers, 98 William Street, New York, By Colonel Thomas
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pee ops me ieee 3 EC He ee BEADLE'’S« H ALF- [JIME*[_ IBRARY. Published Every Tuesday. Hach Issue Complete and Sold at tne Uniform Price of Five Cents. BY EDWARD L. WHEELER, Deadwood Dick Novela, 1 Deadwood Dick, the Prince of the Read, 20 Double Dagwers; or, Deadwood Dick’s Defiance, 28 Bulfalo Ken; or, Deadwood Dick in Disguise, 85 Wilda Ivan, the Boy Claude Duval, 42 Phantom Miner}; or, Deadwood Dick’s Bonanza, 49 Omaha OL; of, Deadwood Dick in Danger, > The Boy Dnelliat; or, The Cruise of the Sea-Woll. O02 Dick Dead-Eye, the Boy Smugyier. 11 The Sea-Devil; or, The Midshipman’s Legacy. 16 The Hussar Captain 3_or, The Hermit of Hell Gate, OF Little Grit; or, Bessie, the Stock-Tender’s Daughter, 04 Gold Plume; or, The Kid-Glove Sport. 16 Bison BILL, the Prince of the Reins. 222 Grit, the Bravo Sport; or, The Woman Trailer. 229 Crimson Kate; or, The Cowboy’s Triumph, 287 Lone Star, the Cowboy Captain. 245 Merle, the Middy 3; or, The Freelance Heir. 250 The Midshipman M utineer; or, Brandt, the Buccaneer, 264 The Floating Feather; or, Merle Island. 269 The Gold Ships or, Merle, the Condemned. 276 Morte Monte’s Cruise; or, The Chase onip. 280 Merle Monte’s Fate; or, Pearl, the Pirate’s Bride, 284 The Sea Marauders or, Merle Monte’s Pledge. 287 Billy Blue-Eyes, the Boy Rover 6f the Rio Grande. 804 The Dead Shot Dandy 3 or, Benito, the Boy Bugler. $08 Keno Kit; or, Dead Shot Dandy’s Double. 814 The Mysterious Marauder; or, The Boy Bugler’s Long Tall. 877 Bonodel, the Boy Rover} or, The Flagless Schooner. B88 The Indian Pilot; or, The Search for Pirate Island, 88ST Warpath WIILl, the Boy Phantom. $98 Seawalf, the Boy Lieutenant. 402 Iaodor, the Young Conapirator ; or, The Fatal League, 407 The Boy Inaurgent; or, The Cuban Vendetta, 412 The Wild Yachtamans; or, The War-Cloua’s Cruise, 429 Duncan Dare, the Boy Refagee. 488 A Cabin Boy’s Luck; or, The Corsair. 487 The Sea Ratder. 441 The Ocean Firefly; or, A Middy’s Vergeance. 446 Waphazard Harry; or, The Seapegrace of the Sea. 450 Wizard Wills: or, The Boy Ferret of New York. 454 Wizard WIII’s Street Seouts. 462 The Born Gulde; or, The Sailor Boy Wanilerer, 468 Neptune Ned, the Boy Coaster, 474 Flora; or, Wizard Will’s Vagabond Pard. 488 Ferrets Afloat: or, Wizard Will's Last Case. 487 Nevada Ned, the Revolver Kanger. 495 Arizona Joe the Boy Pard of Texas Jack. 497 Buck Taylor, King of the Cowboys. 508 The Royal Middy: or, The Shark and the Sea Cat, 507 The Hunted Midxhipman, 5611 The Outlawed Middy. 520 Buckskin BILL, the Comanche Shadow. 525: Brothers in Buckskin, 580 The Buckskin Bowers, 585 The Buc skin Rovers. 540 Captain Ku-Klux, the Marauder ot the Rio. 545 Lieutenant Leo, the Son of Lafitte. 550 Lafitte’s Legacy: or. The Avenging Son. 555 The Creole Corsair. 560 Pawnee Bill, the Prairie Shadower. 565 Kent Kingdon, the Card King. 570 Camille, the Card Queen, 575 The Surgeon-Scout Detective, 580 The Outenst Cadet; or, The False 586 The Buckskin Avenger, 591 Delmonte, the Young Sea Rover. 597 The Young Texan Detective. 602 The Vagabond ofthe Mines. 607 The Rover Detectives or, Keno Kit's Champions, 617 Ralph, the Dead-Shot Scout; or, The Raiders and the Red Riders of the Rio, Monte’s Treasure of “The Gold Detective. BY BUFFALO BILL (len. Wm. F. Cody). 8 Kansas Kine: or, The Red Right Hand. 19 The Phantom Spy: or, The Pilot of the Prairie. 55 Deadly-Eye, the Unknown Secut, 68 Border Robin Woods or, The Pra! 158 Faney Frank of Colorado}; or, LATEST AND NEW ISSUES. 626 The Champion Pards; or, The Lucifer of Silver Bar. By T. C. Harbaugh. 627 Tom Bruce of Arkansas; or, The Wolfin the Fold. By Charles Morris. 628 Broadway Billy’s Dend Acts; or, The League of the Sworn Seven. By J. C, Cowidrick. Violet Vane, the Velvet Sport; or, The Jubilee of Jacktown. By Wm, G. Patten. Dendwood Dick, Jr. In No Man’s Land; or, Golconda, the Gladiator, By Ed. lL. Wheeler. 681 Tom Cat’s Terrible Tasks or, The Cowboy Detective’s Own Case. By Lieut. A. K. Sims, 682 The Dead Detective’s Double, By Gerald Carlton. 688 Plucky Paul, the Boy Prospector; or, The Deadwood Des- perado’s Last Innings. By J. W. Osbon 684 Cache Carl, the Chico Giant, or, The True Hearts of Red Eye Roost. By Buckskin Sam. 685 Oklahoma Hf, the Blue-Coat Scont; or, The Boomer’s Last Battle. By P. 8. Warne 686 Deadwood Dick, Jr. After the Queer; or, Sawdust Sam’s Last Green Gime. By E. L. Wheeler. 687 Dick Doan, the Dock Boy Detective. By T, ©. Harbaugh. 688 'Tom-Cat’s Triumph; or, Black Ivan’s Great: Combine. By Lieut. A. K. Sims, 689 Sunrise Saul, the Express-Train Ferret, 640 Bareback Beth, the Centaur of the Circle, Cow drick. Dismal Dave’s Dandy Pard; or. The Clew to Captain Claw. By Wm. G, Patten, 642 Deadwood Dick, Jr., In Buffalo; or, The Haunted Man. By Edward L, Wheeler. 648 Wappy Harry’s Big Find; or, The Beautiful Jezebel’s Last Stake. By YP. Warne. Ready November 19. 644 The Hercules Highwayman, By Co! P. Ingraham. Ready November 26. 645 Kit, the Pavement Sharp. By T.C. Harbaugh. Ready December 3. A New Iasue Every Tuesday. The Half- Dime Library {s for aste by al! newsdealers, five conte per copy, or sent by mail on receipt of six cents each, BEADLE AND ADAMS, Publishers, 98 William Street, New Vert. le Rover, » Trapper’: Trust, By Jo, Pierce. By J. C. 641