The Dragoon Detective; Or, A Man of Destiny — page 3: what you’re looking at

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

The Dragoon Detective. iy children, and gold that I find here will en- | ble me to buy pack my old homestead and live , 1s once we did. ‘‘ Ah, me! how long will be the winter days and nights until that happy time— Ah!” Ile uttered the exclamation as a knock came upon his door, He received .few visitors, and the loud rap had startled him. **Who is there?’ he asked, with the caution horn of constant danger, and he approached cue door with his hand upon his pistol-butt. ‘* Judge, I have come down to see you on a little matter, sir,” said a voice without. ‘“ Who are you, friend?” ‘* Landlord Champ sent me.” ae Ab {?? The door was opened and a man stepped in. He wore a cloak and a semi-military suit of clothes, with a slouch hat, top-boots and spurs. His face was heavily bearded, and that, with his colar and slouch hat, completely concealed his face. ‘7 don’t think I know you, friend,” said the old miner, closing the door to keep the wind from blowing out the candle. ‘But sit down, for you are welcome,” he added. The stranger threw himself into the large easy-chair, and the Judge took the only other one there was in the cabin. ‘*T know you, sir, though, for I have been on your trail now for five years.” The words were spoken quietly and sternly, and the miner turned pale,;as from his lips came the words; ‘* Tn God’s name, who are you?” ‘‘ Hold on, Judge! don’t get your hand in the neighborhood of that revolver, for I have not been such a fool as to come here alone—there are pards of mine outside,” ‘Who are you?” again demanded the miner, and bis voice was hoarse and hardly audible. ‘*T am oneof the Rocky Mountain detectives, Judge.” ‘* 4 detective ?” gasped the miner FY de. sir”? ‘* And why do you come here?’ ‘* For you.” ‘‘Of what do you charge me?” ‘‘Ot fraud.” ‘*Oh, God, havé mercy upon me!” ““ Heaven may be merciful to you, sir, but I cannot, for I have come for you,” was the stern rejoinder, ‘* Come for me?” ‘* Yes, see!” He held up a pair of handcuffs as he spoke, The miner’s face dropped into his hands, and he groaned aloud, while his whole frame shook with emotion. At last he said, looking up quickly; ‘‘[ owe no man anything, for have sent every dollar that was due, ay, and with interest at that.” ‘What you sent was never received.” “‘ faa, how know you this?” almost fiercely masked the miner, ‘* You sent it, yes, an pretended that it was for certain people you defrauded; but it was to wo to your son, for his use, and yours,” ‘‘ftis an infamous die, and in your teeth I fling the lie!” The old miner was on his feet, white with raze, and his hand was upon his revolver. The stranger never moved a muscle, but suid; ‘“Sit down, Judge, and keep calm, while I tell you what became of your money.” ‘‘ Well, sir?’ and the miner folded his arms and leaned against the chimney. ‘*' You sent sixty thousand dollars in dust Bast?” ‘* Yes, I did; and have the proofs here that I alid so.” ‘You gave it to Ribbon Rob, the driver of the Overland, in six different parcels?” ce Yesr.”? ‘‘Ho brought you receipts for his transfer to the other drivers along the Overland?” ‘* He did.” ‘““Well, Judge, your gold-dust never got a hundred miles from your cabin!” was the smil- ing reply. ‘In the name of God, what do you mean?” gasped the miner, ‘‘The Road Raiders of the Rockies got every bit of it.” With a low cry the old miner tottered to his cheir and sunk into it, He seemed the very picture of. despair and misery, and yet the man who had dealt him such a blow showed not an atom of com- passion. ' ' At last the miner raised his head and asked: “Ts this true?” ‘“Kvery word of it.” ‘“How do you know?” was. the suspicious | cuestion, ‘* Did I not tell you that I wasa Rocky Moun- tain detective?” , ‘* Ab!” and the old miner shuddered but asked: ‘* And all is lost?” ** very dollar.” * ‘‘ God be merciful, for this seems more than I can bear.” ‘t ‘You must bear more, Judge.” ‘* What mean you?” ‘* You must go with me this night.” “Go with you?” ‘* Yes, Judge,” ‘* Whither?” “* To prison |” Again the poor old miner seemed stunned by the blow dealt him; but his merciless visitor said, sternly: ‘‘Come, Judge, you must go and at once. I have a horse outside for you to ride, so pack up what things you need.” Like one in sleep the poor miner went about his cabin, gathering up a few things which he wished to take with him. From the chest he took some papers, and a bag containing a few pounds of loose gold, and strapping all into a double bundle, which he could throw across a saddle, he said sadly, ashe glanced about the little cabin that had long been his home: ‘“‘T am ready.” ‘*Now, Judge, take your pen, there, and write a line that I will dictate,” ‘* Well, sir?” ‘Write: ‘T have gone Kast on important business, “Do not disturb my cabin. THe JupG#.”” This the miner wrote word for word, and; taking it, the detective tacked it upon the door outside. ‘‘ Now, Judge, hold out your hands.” The miner shuddered and shrunk back as he saw the irons, while he cried: ‘* No, no, not that indignity, I beg of you.” ‘Tt must be,” was the unrelenting response, and the irons were snapped upon the wrists, ‘Now, Judge, we will mount and away,” and, locking the door, the detective pocketed the key, Hitched to pines near by were two horses, one of which tue detective aided the miner to mount and then threw across his saddle his bundle. Then he sprung upon his own horse and said: ‘*Come.” ‘* And your comrades, where are they?” ‘* Thave none,” was the cool reply. ‘‘Oh, that I had known you were alone, for then it would have been your life or mine!” and the words came from the old miner’s white lips with the intensity of aman in utter despair. CHAPTER IV. HOW THE RAIDER WAS RAIDED. RiBpBoN Ros was just mounting his box at Jumping-Off Station, preparatory to seizing the “ribbons,” and sending his six fine horses along at a swinging pace the twenty-odd miles to Gilt Edge City, when therecame a ringing halloo down the trail, a clatter of hoofs and two horse- men dashed into sight. ‘*f don't go empty, arter all, for I guess that means pilgrims for the trip,” said Ribbon Rob to the keeper of the station, as he saw the horse- men coming along at a swinging gallop. ‘It’s a army chap, Rob,” returned the keeper. ‘* Yas, and a nigger sojer ter boot, ‘*] doesn’t want him inside ther hearse, and I doesn’t want him on ther box with me, for nig- gers as has brass buttons on is too stuck-up fer me,so 1 guesses PJ put him in ther baggage- boot behind.” The two horsemen now rode up and were seen to be a young cavalry officer in fatigueuniform, and a negro soldier, Both were well mounted and a pack-horse well-laden trotted obediently behind. ‘* Comrade, 1 would like a seat in the coach to Gilt Edge City, if you please,” said the officer, | pleasantly, aud Ribbon Rob replied: ‘You can get the whole coach, sir, for she’s empty.” : ‘*So much the better forme, as I cau get some est, ‘Joe, this gentleman will give you accommo- dations until to-morrow, I trust, and then the horses will be rested enough for you to come on to the mining-can ps. “You can l.ok utter my man and his horses, sir, can you not?” and the officer handed to the keeper a twenty-dollar gold-piece, ‘“Oh, yes, cap’n, sarv’in, and give ’em the best,” responded the delighted station man. ‘* Allright! Good-by, Joe!” And the soldier sprung into the coach, Ribbon Rob cracked his whipand the spirited team sturted off at a, brisk trot on the long and dangerous road to Gilt Edge City. ‘‘Now, what in thunder are he going to Gilt Bdge fer?” thought Kob ashe drove along. ‘Tf he wanted ter be sociable like, he c’u’d hev rid up here with me; but them army fellers is allus stuck-up, they says. "Wal, be’s chipper enough, when all goes well; but we’ll sea if he won't wilt should ther Road Raiders happen ter call on me ter halt.” So thought Ribbon Rob as he went along, over hill and down valley, following a trail where it — a cool head, strong hand and a skillful one O £0. e had worked himself into real ill-humor | + 5, See ow against his passenger, whom he saw, by looking inside, was fast asleep, oblivious of all danger from those terrors of the Overland Trail known as the Road Raiders of the Rockies. Asthecoach reached the top of the ridge, some five miles from Gilt Edge City , there came a rustling of foliage on one side of the road, and a horseman dashed out and drew rein right by the coach, while sharp rung his words: ‘*Handsup, Ribbon Rob!” The heavy brake was put down hard, the coach stopped: short, and Rob answered with the promptness of a man who knew his danger. ‘Op they go, Raider.” “Up with your hands, Raider !” The voice was deep and ringing, and a reVol- ver covered the head of the masked Road Raider, while the head and shoulders of the young cfficer leant out of the coach window. Ribbon Rob gave a low whistle, but the Road Raider promptly raised the revolvcr he had leveled at the driver above his head aud also his other hand. ‘¢Give the order to your men to draw off, or they will have to get a new leader,” sternly cried the soldier, in a loud tone. ‘Shall we riddle the old hearse, cap’n?’’ came a voice from the roadside. ‘*No, for he has the dead drop on me,” was the reply. ‘* Driver, go on slowly, aud we will take this gentleman for company until we are out of range of his thieving comrades,” cP say quits now, and drop off, soldier pard, calling it square,” said the Raider. ‘* But it is not to be square, for you are beaten at your own game. ‘* Drive on, sir.” As the soluier spoke he caught the bridle-rein of the Raider’s horse, and ve utinued: ‘* Keep your hands up or | will kill you.”: Ribbon Rob drove on with a chuckle, and, led by the soldier, the Raider’s horse trotted on by the coach window untila hundred yards had been passed over, Looking back, Rob saw a group of ha'f a dozen masked men standing in the trail gazing after the coach and gesticulating excitedly. It was evident that they were Ina quandary as to what to do. ** Halt, driver.” Rob obeyed. ‘Now, Mister Road-Agent, I would serve tn right to send a bullet through your heart, ut I am not one to kill a man in cold blood.. ‘Still, 1 wish a souvenir of you, so will take your revolvers as a gift, while I will give youa remembrance of me, and so mark you that [ will know youif we meet again.” With his words he took the revolver from the Road Raider’s hand, and another from his belt; then, suddenly, he threw his own weapon to a level and fired. A shriek broke from the Road Raider’s lips asa bullet cut through the palm of his upraised hand, while stern came the command, ‘* Now go!” i Away bounded the horse with his masked rider, while Ribbon Rob cracked his whip and sent his team flying along the trail, at the samo time laughing until the mountains rung with echoes at the way in which the Road Raiders had been beaten at their own game, If the masked robbers had any idea of follaw- ing the coach and seeking revenge, they gave it up, and Ribbon Rob dashed up to the door of The Barracks without further trouble. Springing to the ground from his box, Rob threw open the stage door, an honor that he was never wont to show to the passengrrs with- in, unless they were distinguished personages. Dard, er uniform shows yer ter bea sol- dier, and | doesn’t know yer rank or yer naive, but £ do say you is the ali-firedest coolest man I ever seen, when it comes ter deadly music, and you did the primest thing I ever see done when yer marked thet Road Raider chief, Cap’n Brass, as we calls him, and jist borrered his guns so neat. ‘1d like ter grasp yer hand, sir,and be proud of it, ef yer is willin’.” All this was addressed to the soldier, who had sprung out, and listened tu Ribbon Rob’s words with a pleasant smile, ‘“Corsainly, my friend,and Iam glad to know ou. - ‘‘Permit me to present you with one of the revolvers I took from Captain Brass,” Rob was delightcd, accepted the gift, grasped the hand of the soldier, and, as he led him into the hotel, said to the landlord, who advanced to meet them: ‘““Pard Champ, allow me ter interdooce my friend,and I’llsay fer him heare ther manniest man I ever see, fer he jist marked Cap’n Brass fer life, and tuk his guns away fer keeps.” “‘Tam glad to meet you, sir, but I did not quite catch your name,” said the landlord. ‘“My name is Harl Gaston, sir. Ihave come to Gilt _Hdge City to enjoy myself as best 1 can through the mines. My servant and horses will arrive to-morrow, and untill can get set- tled I would like to remain with you.” - The words were spoken in a frank, off-hand manner, and the landlord was as pleased wish his guest as Ribbon GOMIGDOO Ke