The Dragoon Detective; Or, A Man of Destiny — page 21: what you’re looking at

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

The Dragoon Detective. threatening to come on with the night; but the dari clouds rolling up over the mountains added that much more to the beauty of the scene, which the Dragoon enjoyed as he rode along. Reaching Fort Folly he saw the Governor, his wife and Sylvester Vernon seated out upon the piazza, also enjoying the-scene, : ‘*Glad to see you, captain, so dismount and join us. ‘“‘ You have been a great stranger of late,” cried the Governor, as the Dragoon rode up. Hitching his horse, he joined the party on the piazza, Mrs. Courad welcoming him pleasantly, while the manner of Varnon was constrained. ‘““T bought you a mine to-day, Governor, and it is a good one, so I rode by to tell you of it,” said the Dragoon. ‘(Tam very much obliged to you, captain, for not a mine of your selection for me have I that does not pay handsomely. ee: aig go there with you to-morrow and ar- range matters.” ‘¢ Then I will come by after breakfast, sir.” “Ts it far?” asked Mrs, Conrad. *¢ About six miles, and up at the head of the valley.” ‘*1t will be a pleasant ride there and back; but can a vehicle go there?’ ‘* Yes, madam, for the trail is a good one.” ‘“Then, husband, you can drive me in the spring-wagon, and Sylvester can ride with Cap- tain Gaston and Kate on horseback.” Thus it was arranged, and the Dragoon arose to go, when Mrs, Conrad said: ‘Stay to supper, captain, for we will be most happy to have you.” ‘Thank you, Mrs. Conrad, but I have been in the saddle all day and am considerably travel- stained, while it will also rain within the hour.” ‘‘Yes, and that storm makes me anxious about Kate, for she should be back by this time.” : : ‘*She is not away alone, I hope?” said the Dragoon, quickly. ‘*Oh no, she went with Parson Prim, who was anxious to have her ride over and see the new site he had chosen for his church,” said Mrs. Conrad. The Dragoon raised his field-glass to his eyes, for he always carried it with him, and swept the camps from one end to the other, ‘*T do not see them, and unless they return soon they will get a ducking,” he said. ‘“ You will not stay, Gaston?” said the Gov- ernor. . ‘‘No, thank you, sir, but I will be on hand in the morning. ‘* Good-night,” and raising his hat he strode away to his horse, and mounting rode home at arapid canter, arriving there just as the big drops of rain began to fall. CHAPTER Xi. A MYSTERIOUS DISAPPEARANCE, Tur Darling of Destiny was seated in his comfortable cubin, engaged in studying the sketch of the ‘' bank God Mine, The supper had been cleared away by Han- nibal, who was seated on one side of the table, reading a book, é Without, a fearful storm was raging, and the winds howled about the cabin in a most savage way, While the rain beat in torrents upon the roof, ‘‘ Hannibal, Iam more sand more convinced that L will find this mine,” said the Dragoon, at length. ‘‘{ believe that you will, sir, for you cannot help it, if you go over the land as you are with- in ten miles of Gilt Edge City.” ‘The question is, will I findit being worked by others, or just as it was left by its owner?” ‘“Tf there are miners working it, sir, they are the ones who should give an account of its for mer owner and how they got possession of his idk phe oa “So I think, Hannibal— But hark! there are hoof-falls without.” Both listened, and then came a loud hail: “Hello! hello!” The Dragoon stepped to a secret slide in the wall, and called out: ‘Well, what is it?” ‘* Ah, Gaston, that is you. I am Conrad.” ‘‘Dismount at once, Mr. Conrad, and come in,” and the Dragoon stepped away from the slide, while Hannibal threw open the door open- ing upon the piazza, nan instant the Governor entered, enveloped in a storm-coat. His face was very pale, and the Dragoon saw at once that something had happened, so he said: ‘« My dear sir, what evil has occurred tc bring you out in such a storm?” : The Governor sunk down into a chair, and groaned: ‘* My child!” “What has befallen her?’ and the voice of the Dragoon was deap and stern. ‘‘She went off with that parson, and she has not returned.” ‘* Ha! can this be so?” ce Ves,” “They may have stopped in some cabin to aveie tha stores” ‘* Kate would ride through fire, knowing our anxiety about her, rather than do such a thing. ‘* No, she would come if she drowned the par- son on the way.” ‘* Then what do you expect as the cause of her absence?” ‘* One of my miners came to the house to tell me he had struck a rich lead in that mine you made that assassin Darby sell to me, and he says he saw them going out the Hagle Cliff road, Kate, the parson and two or three other horse- men,” ‘* Indeed! what could have taken them that trail, and who were the two horsemen?” “That I do not know, and that is wLy I came to you, “Mrs, Conrad is almost frantic, and in our distress I said I would come at once to you.” ‘‘ Hannibal, get my horse, Trailer.” “Yea, air.” *€ And | want my storm-suit, too.” ‘* Yes, sir.” ‘How long ago was it that the miner saw them?” ‘* Two hours ago.” ‘*That was about sunset?” ‘ Just about.” ‘'Did he say where on the Eagle Cliff road?’ ‘Yes, near the creek crossing.” ‘“There are five trails that run off from that point, and those five diverge into a score. ‘*T will carry a lantern and see if we can find tracks, but this storm is against us,” ‘*T will, while you are getting ready, go back and see if she has returned.” ‘*No, Mr. Conrad, 1 will send a man,” Taking his bugle down from where it hung, the Dragoon stepped to the door and blew a pe- culiar call. This he repeated ‘after half a minute, and it was answered.by a long, ringing shout. ‘*T will have a man here in a few minutes, sir,” he said, and soon there rode up to the piaz- za a young miner, who sprung from his horse and entered the cabin. ‘‘ Well, captain, something is up, to get your call a night like this, but here 1] am,” he said, pleasantly. He was a young man, with a well-knit form, piercing eye and heavily bearded face. Like most of the miners in Gilt Hdge City, he wore his hair long. He was enveloped in a storm-suit and looked ready for business. ‘* Murdock, the Governor’s daughter rode off this afternoon with that infernal parson, and has not returned. ‘“They were seen going out the Eagle Chiff road, with two horsemen, ‘*T am going to the brook crossing, to see if [ can catch their trail there, and I wish you to ride to the Governor’s and see if they have got- ten back. ‘‘ Whether they have or not come after me and let me know,” ‘Yes, sir,” and the young miner was off like a flash. ‘*Now, Governor, I am ready, for here comes my horse,” Dressed in his storm-suit the Dragoon mount- ed, and the Governor doing the sane they rode away in the driving storm, going at a canter. Each carried a dark-lantern under his cloak, and after a ride of half an hour they pene to the brook that crossed the Eagle Cliff rail. It was now swollen to a torrent, and the Dra. goon said: ‘‘ Governor, you do not know your horse as I do mine, and T would not advise you to attempt to swim him across. ‘‘ The trails I seek are on, the billa few hun- dred feet beyond, and I will go there and make search, and you remain here in the shelter of these pines, ° ‘“*Tf Murdock comes by hail him and tell him to also wait, for this stream is no easy water to cross unless one knows the animal he rides.” ‘Then do not you attempt it, captain.” ‘* Trailer will make it, sir, without the least trouble,” and the Dragoon rode boldly into the torrent, Trailer seemed to understand just what was expected of him, and he breasted the waves splendidly and carried his master in safety ACTORS. — Arriving at the place where the five trails branched off, the Dragoon dismounted, and leaving his horse standing unhitched, began to search the ground, _ ‘Che rain had washed the tracks out, but in a little pool of water, in the trail turning off to the fee the Dragoon found a glove. This was all he said as he picked it up, looked at it an instant and thrust Wants his pocket. Calling to Trailerto follow him, he went along the trail, lighting his way with the lantern, and occasionally stopping and examining the ground carefully. At length he came toa ridge, and onit the earth was soft. There was a heavy growth of pines on top, and these had kept off the driving rain, while | there had been no wash. Here were a number of tracks, and the Dra- goon set himself to work to study them out as he would a puzzle, After quite a long while thus spent, he moved on, Trailer following closely, and soon came to an indistinct trail turning off up the moun- tains. He had gone but a few steps on this when something white caught his eye. It was a handkerchief, This went into the pocket with the glove. Then there were other. tracks seen that had not been washed out, and after examining them closely the Dragoon said: ‘* Well, Trailer, we will go back.” Mounting, he rode back at a canter, plunged into the stream, and swimming across was join-, ed by the Governor and Murdock. ‘The Jady had not returned, captain,” said the young man. ““T know it; she has been kidnapped,” was the Dragoon’s response. CHAPTER XHUI. THE DRAGOON’S VOW. THE words of the Darling of Destiny were a severe blow to the Governor, for he groaned in anguish and murmiared: ‘“My poor child! my poor wife!” ‘“My dear Governor, do not take it so to heart, for all will come well.” ‘“for God’s sake, go with me, Gaston, and tell her mother so.” “* Certainly, sir’, if you wish it.” Ata brisk pace they rode back to Gilt Edge City and thence to Fort Folly, the Dragoon tell- ing Murdock to go to his cabin and await his return. As they rode up to the door Mrs. Conrad thoughtthat her daughter had returned, and ut- tered a glad cry. But she shrunk back in bitter disappointment ag she saw only her husband and the Dragoon. ‘*Oh, sir, tell me where is my child, for you seem to know everything,’ cried the sorrowing mother, ‘* My dear, be calm, for the captain has come at my request to tell you all,” said the Goy- ernor. ; She sunk back in her chair, and Sylvester Vernon, who was there, said eagerly: ‘Then you have news of her?” ‘““T went to the home of the captain, as yow know, and he at once took the trail, I going with him, and what he discovered he did not . tell me, as we could not talk in that driving rain and wind. ‘“T begged him to come home and tell you, wife, all he had found out, and his words gave me hope.” ‘*Oh, sir! save my child, and I will never for- get you in my prayers.” ‘*My dear Mrs. Conrad, I went on the trail, where the miner told your husband he had seen Miss Conrad, with the parson and two other men. “‘T crossed the brook, for five trails diverge on the other side, and—” “Yes, and he would not allow me, or the young miner, Murdock, to cross, so fearfully swollen was the stream,” ‘*T found on the trail branching to the right our daughter’s glove,” and he handed out the ittle buckskin gauntlet. Seizing it, toe mother cried: ‘‘ Yes, it is Kate’s, and this provas that she went that way.” ‘Tt proves more, madani, for it was dropped as a guide to whom might follow.’’ “ Ah, and you think she did it on purpose?” ‘*T know it.” ‘* And then, sir?” ‘*T went along the trail on foot, my horse fol- lowing, and I searched it thoroughly with my bull’s-eye lantern. ‘Coming to a ridge, that was protected by pines, and had not washed, I found a number of tracks. ‘‘ A halt had been made here when the rain began; but they did not stay long.” : ‘You could tell this?” ‘* Yes, for the Roofs had trampled the earth but little, which proved a short stop. ‘* Here I found four horses had been,” ‘Then the miner was right?” ‘*'Yes, Governor, and I recognized the hoof- tracks of Miss Conrad's horse, and also of the animal ridden by the parson, for I took occa- sion of late, for a certain reason, to get a model of the hoofs of his horse.” They looked at the Dr while Sylvester Vernon chet ‘* Why did you do that?” “‘ Because I doubted him,” “You once expressed yourself ageins‘ him, I remember. ’ ** Yes, | never liked Parson Prim.” “‘ But pray tell me more,” cried Mrs. Conrad who felt that perhaps after all the Dragoon had been right. ‘* T recognized the tracks of the horses ridden by Miss Conrad and the parson. ‘Then I took a trail leading to the right, and up into the Wild Mountains, for I had a guide there in the shape of this handkerchief,” oO oon in rise, emanded, almost GComichoo KS7eGOnr