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#ntered as Second-class Matter in the New York, N. Y., Post Office.

No. 203,

 

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By

THE RED

STREET & Smirn, Publishers, NEW YORK, 29 Rose St., N. Y. 5 Cents,

Ino DANGER ..
ek, ul.$. SIGNAL:

LIGHTS AT RAWLINS.

By WB LAVWoON.

BERTIE’S FORM STOOD OUT IN

 
1

No. 203.

 

 

 

2

Diamond Dick, de-SDangersignal

THE RED LIGHTS AT RAWLINS.

eonigpel eres cece

By W. B. LAWSON.

CHAPTER I.
THE HASHEESH VICTIM.

““They say that the fellow with the pointed chin beard is
Nick Bender.”’

‘‘Nick Bender, the highwayman?’’

‘*Yes, and a relative of the once notorious Bender
family. There is five thousand out for him.’’

‘Why doesn’t some one take him?”’

‘*No one has the nerve.”’

‘‘He’s the fellow we’ve been watching.’’

‘‘Perhaps he is and perhaps he isn’t.
hand at disguising himself.’’

‘““Then 1711 mark him so that there will be no mistake in
the future.’’

‘(Mark him? Diamond Dick, Jr., it’s as much as your.
life is worth to try it.’’

‘‘Nonsense, Haggerty !”’

Diamond Dick, Jr., and Ed Haggerty, a detective whom
he had assisted on one or two ‘occasions, were conversing
in low voices in one corner of Yankee Bill’s gambling den
in Corkerville, Montana.

‘‘Do you see this?’’ queried Bertie.

As he spoke he drew from his pocket a heavy gold ring
set with a piece of the same metal in the form of a Maltese’
cross.

66 Yes’”’

‘“‘Well, that’s the mark I shall puton Bender. You may
watch me do it if you care to.”’

Haggerty’s attempts to persuade Diamond Dick, Jr.,
from his purpose were useless, and Bertie walked over to
the little group of gamblers where Bender was holding
forth.

Bender was a big fellow, standing fully six feet in
height and stout in proportion.

His face bore an indelible impress of the viciousness of
his character.

The lower part of his head, about the jaws, was heavy
and massive, while the upper pcrtion, about the brows,
where the intellect lies, was narrow and undeveloped.

This alone proved him a brute, while his eyes proved
him everything from a thief to a murderer.

Apparently careless, but really watching the man’s
every movement with the eye of a hawk, Bertie sat ata
near-by table.

Haggerty was growing nervous.

Knowing that Bertie would carry out his purpose, even
though the gambling hall was filled with Bender’s fol-
lowers, he toyed impatiently with the handles of his six-
shooters and waited.

He’s a master-

9 . DIAMOND DICK LIBRARY.

 

Throwing himself into a chair, the red-bearded man

called for a drink, and waited. ,

| Just then the bar-maid returned with the liquor for

Bender and his friends, and set the glasses on the table.

Bender tossed her a coin.

‘““Two-bits more,’’ she said, stretching out her hand.

‘“The deuce you say !’’ cried Bender, springing up. ‘‘Take
that and call it square.”’ :

With that he deliberately whirled about and pressed his
lips against the girl’s red cheek.

Quick as lightning, she brought her hand around and.
gave him a stinging box on the ear.

Maddened by the sharpness of the blow, an enraged oath
escaped Bender.

“Strike me, will ye, my little spitflre?’’ he cried.
oe pay for that with as many kisses as I choose to
ake.”’

He sprang forward, and the girl stepped back.

In a jiffy Diamond Dick, Jr., who had been waiting for
just such an opportunity, stepped between the two.

‘‘Stand back, you coward!’ he cried.

‘‘Who the blazes are you?’’ shouted Bender.

‘‘One who is able to protect a woman from insult.’’

‘*You called me a coward.”’ -

‘‘And so you are.”’

‘*No one ever yet called me that, an’ lived.’’

‘‘Then I’m an exception to the rule.”’

““No, ye ain’t, kase I’m goin’ ter smash ye!”’

With these words, Bender launched out with one of his.
immense fists.

Had that fist struck its anticipated mark Diamond Dick,
Jr., would certainly have been driven through the side of
the building.

But our hero was an adept in the art of self-defense.

Deftly dodging the terrific blow aimed at him, he feinted.
with his left hand, and as Bender’s guard shot up to parry
the blow, landed his right squarely on the outlaw’s
temple.

It was the Maltese cross that came in contact with Ben-
der’s flesh, and he dropped to his knees, swayed a moment
like a stricken steer and fell backward with a little stream
of blood trickling down over his face. -

“Kill the young whelp!’’ shouted one of the men, as all
leaped up from the table.

‘‘He used knuckles!’’ cried another.

‘‘He has laid out Bender!’’ chimed in a third.

‘Down with him!’’ went up from all, in chorus.

A dozen hands reached for revolver handles.

“The first man that pulls a gun, dies!”’

It was Diamond Dick, Jr.’s, voice that rang out high
above the hubbub.

In his hands he held a brace ot revolvers, and his eyes
peered resolutely across the sights.

Haggerty was sitting.

The detective likewise drew his weapons, ranged him-
self alongside Diamond Dick, Jr., and both retreated to the
door, and vanished in the darkness without so much as a
single shot being fired after them. Bertie gave a short
laugh as he dropped his revolvers. back into his belt.

‘‘Well, I marked him.”’
‘‘ And got off, as usual, by the skin of your teeth.”’

 

Yankee Bill carried on his establisament with. the
assistance of fancifully dressed girls, who waited on his |
thirsty patrons at the tables. |

In a loud, coarse voice Bender hailed one of the prettiest
of these bar-maids, and called for liquor for himself and his
friends.

The girl went away to get it.

At that moment a man wearing a full red beard entered
the saloon.

Upon catching sight of him, Diamond Dick, Jr., drew
his broad-brimmed hat down over his eyes, and Haggerty,
the detective, turned his back to the door, but fixed his
eyes on the pier-glass behind the bar, where he could see
every move that took place in the room.

The red-bearded man looked around, and seemed highly
satisfied when his eyes fell upon Bender.

“No matter. I got off.’’
‘‘Did you see him?”’
oe Whore

‘The man with the red whiskers.”’

‘“‘Of course. He’s the Duke. You and I have informa-
tion to the effect that the Duke is going to hold upa train.
We have made up our minds to block his game, but we

/haven’t been able to get our eyes onto the Duke for some-
‘thing like three days. As Bender is one of the toughest
characters in this vicinity we have been watching him,
hoping that he ang the Duke have something in common.
Evidently they have. If I am not mistaken, the Duke
came into the gambling hall purposely to find Bender.
Perhaps they are going to work that train-deal together.”’

“*T don’t think so.”’

‘““Well, it is a matter worthy of investigation.”

‘What shall we do?’’ =

‘“You shadow the Duke, and I’ll shadow Bender.”’

Bertie retreated backward toward the table at which ©

  
   

 
  

 

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formed with her eyes alone.

No. 203

 

DIAMOND DICK LIBRARY.

 

 

‘*Keno! Here comes 3 your man now, with a handkerchief
tied about his head.”’

Bender, however, had proved an easy subject.
True, upon the disappearance of the canvas the outlaw

Bertie and the detective had halted in the deep shadow had made several starts as though, by a supreme effort, he

formed by an angle of the building.

As Haggerty spoke the outlaw came out alone, and
walked across the street to the hotel.

Bertie followed him. -

‘*We’ve had to change your room,’ said the man in the
office to Bender as he game in.

‘““Why?’? queried Bender.

‘‘Because there are two beds in it, and we’re hard-
pressed to accommodate our guests. ”’

‘‘Where am I to sleep?”’

‘*In the room across the hall: a

Grumbling to himself because of the change, Bender
tramped up stairs, and 8 watching his opportunity,
followed him unseen.

It was strange if they were pressed for accommodations
for their guests at the hotel, for the room at fee side of the
one Bender now occupied was vacant.

The door was unlocked, and Bertie made his way into it,

and, through a knot-hole in the rough board partition, he

had a good view of the interior of Bender’s room.

The room was luxuriously furnished for a frontier hotel.

There was a carpet on the floor, and a stand with a
wash-bow! and pitcher.

There were also some pictures on the wall—among
others, a life-size, full-length painting of an actress.

. The picture was mounted in a broad, tarnished gilt
frame.

As a work of art it was merely a daub, painted by some
one who should haye confined his talents to the painting of
barns.

But, daub though it was, that picture was there fora
purpose.

Bender was evidently surprised at finding such an orna-
ment in his room, and Bertie saw him stand before the
painting, a hand on each hip, and give a low whistle of
amazement.

The outlaw looked at the actress for some time, and
then, never taking his eyes from the picture, he backed to
a chair and sat down.

Was it his a or did ihe eyes of that picture
follow Bender?

Bertie passed his hand over his brow in puzzled wonder,
and looked again. _

If those eyes were painted, the eleill shown by the artist
was strangely at variance with the rest of the work done;

-on the picture.

The eyes were life-like to an overwhelming degree.

In fact, they seemed to sparkle and glow with an
wanearthly brilliancy.

But what most astonished Diamond Dick, Jr., was the
effect the eyes seemed to have on Bender.

The outlaw appeared like a rabbit charmed by a serpent.

After one or two ineffectual attempts to shake off the
uncanny feeling, Bender rested his hands on his knees,
gazed at the eyes of the portrait, and became rigid as a
statue of stone.

It was impossible for him to move a muscle.

Just as Diamond Dick, Jr.’s, curiosity and ‘wonder
reached a culminating point, something peculiar happened.

|

 

would free himself from the fit that was upon him, but the
woman stepped out through the gilt frame, gazed at him
fixedly at closer range, and brought him more surely
within her power.

For fully five minutes she stood in the middle of the
room looking at the man before her; then she stretched
out her hand, holding a small white sphere between her
white fingers.

‘*Bender!’’ she said, in a low voice.

The outlaw did not answer.

‘*Bender,’’ she went on again, “take this Lit of hasheesh
and swallow it. It will loosen your tongue.’’

With a mechanical movement that suggested an autom-
aton in motion, Bender reached out his hand and took
the little white sphere at once, transferring it to his
mouth.

A few moments later the nature of his trance changed.

From the power of the woman’s eyes, he went under the
power of the hasheesh, and his head dropped on the table
like a stone.

The woman approached close to him and whispered:

‘*Bender!”’

‘*Well?’’ he returned, in a hollow voice.

‘‘Is Charlie Whipple in jail at Smithville?’’

66 Yes. 99

_‘*What is his crime supposed to be?’’

‘*Horse-stealing.”’

‘*Is he guilty or innocent?”’

‘*Dunno.”’

A look of satisfaction passed over the woman’s face.

‘*Have they bailed him out?’’

‘*His friends can’t raise money enough.’’ '

‘*What is his bail?’’

‘*Ten thousand.’’

‘*Has that money been sent?”’

‘*It will be on the train that passes through Rawlins
to-morrow night at ten o’clock.’’

‘*Smithville is the first station west of Rawlins?’’

SVeq 99

‘Ifthe money is received Whipple will be bailed out?”

‘‘He’ll be a free man before midnight.”’

‘“‘“Have you heard anything about a lynching Party
to-morrow night?’’

‘*Yes. The man whose» hoss Whipple is supposed to
have stolen is supposed to be back of it. Tim Flanders is
his name. But it’s alla put-up job by the Duke and his
understudy.’’

‘*Who is the understudy?”’

‘‘A woman with the eyes of an arch-fiend.”’

A grim smile parted the woman’s lips and showed her
white, even: teeth.

‘You are fond of the Duke, are you?”’

**T hate him!’’

Bender brought his clinched fist down on the table with
terrific emphasis.

Again the woman showed her white teeth.

‘‘And what are you going to do?”’

‘‘The Duke thinks the money goes forward dey after
to-morrow. Let him think so! I will hold up the train to-

The canvas on which the picture was painted rolled morrow and capture Whipple’s ten thousand, and what-
upward, revealing behind it the figure cf a flesh-and-blood ever other dinero the express manager has with him.’’

woman, standing in a kind of box, of which the canvas had | |

formed one side.

The life-like ethcler of the eyes was at once accounted
for.

Two holes had been cut in the face of the painted figure
where the eyes should be, and it was through these that
the woman behind had looked.

Instantly the nature of the scene he had witnessed
flashed through Bertie’s mind.

This woman was a “‘basilisk’’—a creature gifted with
that rare power known as ‘‘the evil 6ye.’”’

She was able, simply by gazing at people, to throw them
into trance-like conditions at her will.

What a hypnotist did with his hands and eyes, she per-

 

Like other hypnotists, however, the so-called basilisks
cannot bring their strange power to bear upon all.

‘‘But wait! If the ten thousand doesn’t reach Smithville
's0 as to bail out Whipple by midnight, he’ll be hung by a
mob, won’t he?”’

“That's Whipple’s affair, not mine.”’

‘“Where did you get all your information?’’

‘‘From Whipple’s father. ”’

“‘Does he know of his son’s situation?’’

‘*V'es. 99

Is Whipple’s father a rich man?”’

6 No. 99 /

‘‘Where did the money come from?’’

‘It was sent by-the girl whom young Whipple is going
to marry.”’

‘‘Ah! Where is Whipple’s father now?’’

‘*In the old lime-kiln on the Crockett trail. ’’

‘‘In the old lime-kiln?’’

*Ves. 99

  
  

DIAMOND DICK LIBRARY.

  
  

No, 203.

 

———

‘What is he doing there?’’

‘Waiting fer me to come an’ let him loose, I ee

‘‘He’s your prisoner?”’

“Yes. He’s tied up, an’ I’m going to keep him that way
ill after the hold-up to-morrow night.”’

‘“You’re going to do the job, are you?”’

‘*Cert. 99

From a pocket in the belt about her Se the woman
took two more of the little white hasheesh pellets.

‘*Bender!’’

She spoke the word so sharply that the outlaw raised ‘
this head,

He seemed to have lost.contro! over the muscles of his
eyes, for they were rolling about in their orbits in a kind
of frenzy.

‘*Take these!”’

Bender stretched out one trembling hand and took the
‘pellets. .

*‘Swallow them !’’

99

He pressed the white spheres between his purple lips.

Then the woman stood and watched him.

The color of Bender’s face turned from a purplish hue to
an ashen gray.

His chin fell forward upon his breast, and, an instant ,
later, he dropped like a log on the floor.

He was in the nethermost hades of the hasheesh. fiend. |

He dreamed and the awful images of his dreams were
@Giscorted out of all human shape.

His visions must have been horrible in the extreme,’ for
this limbs jerked spasmodically, and moans of pain and
muttered curses escaped his lips.

The woman glided to the door.

Pausing there, she gave vent to a short laugh.

‘“The hasheesh will keep him in chains of steel until the
Duke has had time to rob the train, and not only make a
haul of treasure, but, likewise, play even with ‘his bit-
terest enemy, Charley Whipple. <A good night’s work. I
have done my part; now, Duke, do yours.”’

She opened the door and vanished.

A few seconds later, Diamond Dick, Jr., followed.

Once out of the hotel, he hurried toa corral, had his
HOTSO put under the saddle, and, inside of ten minutes,

was fleeing southward like the wind. 8

He was acting with his customary promptness.

‘““The old lime-kiln on the Crockett trail,’’ he muttered.
“*The dastards! They would not only make themselves
thieves, but murderers, as well. Let them have a care
how they play their cards. I am in this game, and,
although they do not know it, I hold a pat hand.’’

CHAPTER II.
THE. OLD LIME-KILN.

The old lime-kiln was not a great ways from town, and
‘Diamond Dick, Jr., soon reached it.

After peering about him cautiously into the dark
shadows, he hitched his horse in a copse of bushes, and
walked up the small hill, whose crest formed the kiln.

A black cavity suddenly yawned at his feet.

He paused and looked down into the darkness.

He could see nothing.

The bottom of the kiln was completely ce from his
sight.

‘“Whipple!’’ he called.

He listened intently, but there was no answer.

‘If he’s down there he’s probably gagged,’’ thought
Diamond Dick, Jr. ‘‘Bender would be a fool to go away
and leave him otherwise.’’

Then, feeling his way carefully, he began descending. |

The sides of the kiln had a steep slope, and to descend in | |
the black darkness was no easy matter.

Suddenly a dark form rushed upward from below and
hurled itself against Diamond Dick, Jr.’s, breast. '

Our hero heard the rush and threw up his arm just in
time to receive a set of vicious teeth in the cloth of his
sleeve.

Accompanying the spring came the low growl of a dog. |

‘Down him, Tige!’’ cried a hoarse voice from some-'
~where near: “throttle him!”’

‘Quick as a flash, Diamond Dick, Jr., drew his revolver
and fired at the low crouching form of the dog.

 

 

 

— ———~ ————S>

_He made a good shor for, with a loud yelp, the animal

straightened out, and became silent and motionless,
‘*Curse ye!” again came the hoarse voice, ‘‘ye’ve laid
Tige out, an’
med’cine. Take that!”
There was another rush in the direction of Diamond

Dick, Jr., by a man, this time, and he met the attack with
his clubbed revolver, using the weapon so well that

he at once stretched the man on the rocks beside the dog.
“‘T will take a good look at your
‘so that I may know you if we ever meet again,.”’

Lighting a match, he held it over the unconscious
features of the man who had attacked him,

It was a brutal face, with a long, bristly mustache, and
a week’s growth of beard that met our hero’s eyes.

‘‘He bears the marks of the gallows,’’ muttered Bertie,
drawing a handful of matches from his pocket and turning
away.

Striking the matches one after another, he lighted him-

self down into the pit.

On turning a sharp angle, formed by one of the walls,

after he reached the bottom, he almost stumbled over the

body of a man.
‘*Is that you, Whipple?’’ queried Bertie.
A gurgling sound was the only reply.
Lighting another match, the youth held it over the man.
He saw before him a fine looking personage, with iron-

gray hair and beard, rather poorly dressed, and bound

hand and foot, and eagged,

Drawing his knife, Bertie bent over the helpless captive,
and soon had him freed of his bonds. :

“This is an unexpected deliverance,’’-said Whipple, for
it was indeed he, as he got up and stretched his cramped
limbs. ‘‘I had been expecting Bender to return and finish
his nefarious work. To whom am [I indebted for this
release?’’

““My name is Bertie Wade, but I am better known, per-
haps, by the title of Diamond Dick, Jr. How did you
come to get into the power of Bender?”

‘‘T received a line purporting to have been written by a
friend of my son’s. The note went on to state that if I
wished to help my son, who is in trouble, I should meet
the writer here, at this old lime-kiln. Not suspecting any-

‘thing wrong, I came here, met a man who called himself
Bender, and, supposing that he was a friend of my son’s,

told him of everything that had been done in his case.
While I was talking, Bender suddenly set upon me with
a club and knocked me down. When I recovered my
senses, I was bound and gagged, and lying as you found
me.’

‘‘Bender is not a friend of your son’s.”’

‘*T can well believe that.”’

‘*H6 is a thief and a rascal.
Whipple, is it not?”’

‘Ves, 99

‘*He is in Smithville now?’

“Yes; in the jail at Smithville. He was arrested for
horse-stealing, but it is os a plot on the part of his
enemies.

‘tWho are his enemies?’’

“T believe that a notorious villain who calls hiusel: the
Duke is behind it all. You see, Charley used to be deputy
sheriff of this county, and he ran down a desperate villain,
who was a partner of the Duke’s, and had him sent to the
penitentiary. The Duke swore he’d have revenge, and I
think he has taken this method of getting it.’’

‘*But the Duke would not dare show himself in an affair

Your son’s name is Charley

of this kind. He’s too badly wanted by the authorities

i himself.’’
“The Duke does not show his hand. A rancher named

|Tim Flanders is supposed to have owned the horse that

was stolen. Flanders is only the Duke’s tool, f am
confident of that.’’ y

‘‘But cannot your son prove his innocence?’’

‘ONO,
the sheriff of Custer County.
-Inysteriously disappeared. ”’

‘*Then let him appeal to the sheriff of Custer County.
He will probably remember the occurrence, and——’’
‘“The sheriff of Custer County was killed last week.”’
‘“‘By whom?’’

 

I’m _ goin’ ter give ye some of yer own

face,?’ thought Bertie,

He had a bill of sale for the horse, witnessed by
That bill of sale has |

 
  

 

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_ any rate, the coast seems to be clear now.

ya,

No. 2038

  

DIAMOND DICK LIBRARY. 5

 

 

#33 — -—

 

 

 

“No one knows, but I have my suspicions.’

“So have I. Your son, however, will nately free
himself. If he has been a deputy sheriff, his past good
record will help him.’

‘‘There is a plot on foot to take him fron the jail to-mor-
row night and hang him; but I believe this plot can be
frustrated. Charley’s bail was fixed at ten thousand dol-
lars. They thought it would be impossible for me to raise
that sum, and that I would have to leave my boy in their
hands. But Charley is engaged to marry a young lady
who lives in Butte, and she will send the money to Smith-
ville by express to-morrow. I will be there to receive the
money, and, by midnight, Charley will be free.’’

‘‘T hope so,’’ said Bertie, ‘‘ but your enemies are planning
to outwit you.”’

“How? +999

“Bender intended to hold up the train carrying the
money at Rawlins. He will not do it, but the Duke will
try his hand at it. The Duke understands that if the
money is not received, you cannot bail out your son, and,
consequently, he will be hung by the mob.”’

“My God!’’ cried the old man, passionately;
nothing be done to save Charley from his enemies?’’

““Yes,’’? returned Bertie, resolutely; ‘‘I will save him.
The money will reach Smithville all right. Merely bail-
ing your son out, however, will not free him from the
power of his enemies. Sooner or later he will be brought
to trial, and must prove his innocence of the horse-stealing
charge.’

‘‘Let us hope,’’ replied. the old man, ‘that something
will happen to effect that end.”’

‘*Hist!’’ said Bertie, suddenly, laying his hand on Whip-

‘*can

ple’s arm; ‘‘there is some one in this pit besides our-
selves.”’

“Ves; I see a lighted Idntern moving about over
yonder.”’

‘*Remain here,’ ’ whispered Berite, ‘‘while I investigate

._ and find out what it means.

With that, Bertie crept away into the darkness.

Advancing along the rough, irregular wall of the pit,
he finally came close to the lantern.

It was held by a man whose tall figure was:wrapped in
a cloak.

Opposite the man stood another whom Bertie recognized
as the owner of the dog which he had killed a short time
before.

““T tell you Duke,’’ this man was saying, ‘“‘thar’s some

’un around.”’
-**Bah! It’s only your imagination, Flanders, ”’
the Duke.

Se reckén it was my imagination, then, that laid out
Tige, an’ raised this beautiful lump on the top of my
head.’’

“Tt was some drunken cowboy, or an Indian, perhaps, ”’
replied the Duke, looking around a little nervously. “At
We'll transact
¥ou’ve

returned

our business as quickly as possible and get out.
got the mob organized, have you, Flanders?”’
‘You bet! Thar’s twenty-two of us.’
‘‘You’ll make a raid on the jail to-morrow night, say

-about three o’clock in the morning.

“Yes: but we can doit at nine o’clock in the evening
just as ‘well if? ve think thar’s any danger of that ten
thousand showin’ up——”’
‘Vou do your work at three o’clock in the morning. [71]
take care of that ten thousand. Have you got that bill of
sale witnessed by the Custer County sheriff. A
‘Ves. 9)
‘Hand it over.’
“Nix. I want dat myself.”’
“Why?”’
- “Simply kase it concerns me, that’s why. I swore that
that hoss was mine, an’ that I had never sold it. It ’u’d
be nice fer some ’un ter pull that bill o’ sale on me signed

te

- with my own name, an’ witnessed by the sheriff of Custer

County, wouldn’t it? Nope; I keep that.”
‘Then tear it up. You'd be safer if it was sie a
“Then 1 wouldn’t have no hold on you, Duke. You’ re

to give me a couple 0’ thousand, an’ I reckon that bill o’
sale is wuth it. o
‘Perhaps.’

 

‘‘When you give me the dinero, I tear it up.’’

“All right; suit yourself. It makes no difference te
me.’’ He turned and started away. ‘I’m going now.
Will I see you to-morrow night?”’ ‘

“*Sure.’’

“Very well.”

The Duke vanished, but his lantern could be seem
making its way up the side of the pit.

The light finally disappeared.

By straining his eyes, Bertie could see Tim Flanders”
dark form standing where the Duke had left him.

‘‘Wouldn’t ye like ter have this bill 0’ sale, though?’”
chuckled Flanders; ‘‘but ye don’t git it, Duke, ye don’t
git it. I know yer tricks. It’s ten ter one ye'll set some:
of yer men on ter hold me up an’ take it away from me.
So I'll jest fool ye a trip. T’ll hide it an’ I’ll hide it right
yore,

Flanders stooped down for a few moments, then rose up:
and glided away with a low laugh.

As soon as he was gone, Bertie crept forward, locating:
the spot where Flanders had stood as well as he could im
the darkness.

After some search, he came upon a large bowlder which
he rolled to one side.

Passing his hand over the place where the bowlder had
lain, he found a folded paper.

Lighting a match he hastily examined it. :

It proved to be a bill of sale for a horse, from Tim Flan.
ders to Charley Whipple and witnessed by Jack Osborne,,
Sheriff of Custer County. :

Bertie uttered an exclamation of satisfaction and hurried:
away.

Whipple was standing where he had left him.

‘“Who was it?’’ he asked, anxiously; ‘‘was it Bender?’”

“No; it was the Duke and Tim Flanders. I have secured
the bill of sale that your son lost.’’

“*You don’t mean it!’’

Bertie handed the paper to the old man and explained
how it had come into his possession.

Whipple was as happy as a child.

‘‘With this,’’ he said, ‘‘I can free Charley to-morrow.’”

‘*You must not do that.”’

OW hay ee?

“‘Because the Duke would at once infer that we had got
onto his scheme and might not attempt to rob the train
at Rawlins. I want him to make that attempt!’ —

““Very well. Then I will trust you to balk the proposed
hold-up. Iwill bail Charley out and save him from the
mob of would-be lynchers. After that, we can prove his:
innocence by means of that bill of sale.’’

“That's the idea!’’

‘‘But if you makea miss, Diamond- Dick, Jr., my son’s
life may pay the forfeit.”’

“‘T shall make no miss. You go to Smithville, but do
not put yourself much in evidence before to-morrow night.
See the express agent, and arrange with him so that you
can get your money as soon as the train comes in. Make
sure that the judge and the sheriff will ast at that hour.’”

‘‘The sheriff is a friend of Charley’s, and he has volun-
teered to have everything ready up to midnight. ”’

‘‘Good! You’re being lured here by Bender may prove:
a good thing after all. The Duke and Flanders had agreed
to meet here, at this time, and if you,hadn’t been here I

'shouldn’t have been here. Now that we have accomplished.

so much, however, let us get out of this place as soon as
possible.”

Whipple was agreed, and Bertie, thinking that the
Duke, having: a lantern, would pick out the best way to
the top of the kiln, tried ‘to follow the path he had taken.

Half way up the incline, Whipple kicked something with
his foot that gave out a sharp, metallic ring.

‘‘What is it?’’ asked Bertie, as Whipple stooped and
picked up the object.

‘*A revolver,’’ replied Whipple.

‘*Let me see if.”’

Whipple handed it over and Bertie lighted a match to
examine it.

The moment the youth’s eyes fell on the weapon, he:
started back in surprise.

The revolver was Haggerty’s, and had been in the

€

  
 

 

 

detective’s possession, to Bertie’s positive knowledge, not
many hours before.

What did the finding of it here signify?

Had the detective shadowed the Duke to the lime-kiln,
and dropped his weapon there? or had the Duke made
Haggerty a prisoner, appropriated his weapons, and lost-
one of them where it had been found?

Inasmuch as they were following the path out of the
kiln which the Duke had taken, Bertie inclined to the
belief that the outlaw had dropped the weapon and that
Haggerty was a prisoner.

Our hero did not explain this to Whipple, not thinking
it necessary.

At the edge of the pit they parted, Whipple starting on
foot for Smithville.

Bertie found his horse where he had left it, mounted
and galloped back to town.

He was determined to find Haggerty.

CHAPTER II.
HAGGERTY IN HARD LUCK.

We must now return to Haggerty, the detective, whom
Bertie had instructed to follow the man known as the
Duke.

The Duke came out of the gambling hall a few moments
after Bender and stood on the step and watched the outlaw
enter the hotel.

Through a lighted window he could see Bender have his
brief conference with the clerk, and finally leave the office

He did not notice Diamond Dick, Jr., however.

Our hero expected the Duke would follow, and governec
himself accordingly.

The coast clear, the Duke abstracted a roll of bills from |
his pocket, took off one under the light over the entrance |
to the gambling hall, folded it up and stepped across the
street.

Entering the hotel he extended his hand to the clerk, |
and the bill he had previously placed in his palm was
quickly transferred to another’s possession.

‘‘Howdy, Joe,’’ said the Duke.

 

‘‘Howdy, Mr. ny,
“Swift. ”’
‘“‘Ah, yes, Swift. I meet so many people that names

sometimes slip my memory.”’

The Duke leaned across the counter.

““T saw him come in, Joe,’’ said he.

“Ves, 29

*‘How about the Duchess?”

““*She’s up there.’

**Did he kick about your changing his room?”’

**Not much.”’

,. ‘When the Duchess comes down, tell her she’ll know
where to find me.’’

‘*Keno.”’

_“You’ll take care of his nibbs?”’

Ce Yes. 99

‘*He’ll probably be out of his head with a good old
hasheesh jag for the next twenty-four hours.”’

‘*Never mind; [ll take care of him.’

While the Duke was holding his confidential conversa-
tion with the hotel clerk, a young fellow, very handsome
and exceedingly well-dressed, approached the counter,
placed his elbows upon it and gradually slid along until he
was in danger of crowding the Duke.

The Duke looked up, and the instant his eyes met those
of the youth, he turned pale.

‘‘Barney!’’ he muttered.
Helena?’’

‘“‘After thinking the matter over I decided to remain
here and see this little game played out,’ replied the
youth, in a musical voice. ‘‘Besides, I want to meet—the
understudy-”’

‘*That would raise a row. The Duchess has got the devil:
of a temper. ”’

‘‘Would she be jealous?”

\ Probably,”

“*T don’t think so—while I’m in fing make-up.’

‘“‘Now, Barney, don’t be a fool,’’ said the Duico, leading
the young fellow away to one side of the room. ‘You go!

g

‘IT thought yous were in

 

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to Helena as we planned. After that job to-morrow night, 5

Ill shake the Duchess and follow you.

‘‘T don’t believe it, Duke. I’ve got an idea that you’re
going to shake me. ”

‘*Nonsense!”’

‘*Well, nonsense or no nonsense, I’m going to any here
until that job is over at Rawlins. ’

‘“‘But I need the Duchess to help me. If she finds out
you’re here, she’ll get leery on the whole job.”’ -
‘*Can’t I keep out of sight?”’ “

“Yes, if you will.”

“Very well. Much as I wish to see » this lady with the
hypnotic eyes I’ll forego the pleasure. What shall I do?”

‘‘Stay here at this hotel.”’

“All right.”

The Duke spoke a few words to the clerk and then, with
a meaning glance toward Barney, turned and left the
hotel.

Haggerty, who was standing just outside the door
followed him.

The detective did not see the face of Biaay peering
through the glass and watching him as he glided along on
the trail of the Duke.

Had the detective seen the youth, it is entirely possible;

that he would have changed his plans.

As he had no suspicions that anything was wrong,
however, he kept to the course ho had marked out for
himself.

The Duke entered a small frame house at the edge of
town.

An instant later a light appeared in one 6f ne ‘rooms
and Haggerty glided toward one of the windows.

As it was a warm night, the windows were open.

The detective saw the pg sitting at a table in the

icentre of the room.
He was smoking a cigar ‘and watching the puffs of.

white vapor reflectively.

In one corner of the room stood a tall Japanese screen.

Behind the screen was a window, and when the daring
detective had discovered this combination he was not long
in placing himself inside the room and behind the screen.

Barely had he accomplished this piece of reckless work
when the door opened and the understudy came in.

‘Ah, Duchess!’’ exclaimed the Duke. ‘‘What luck with
Bender?”’

“The very best,’’ replied the Duchess, seating herself

and lighting a cigarette.

“The picture scheme worked all right, did it?”’

“It worked to a charm.’

‘‘Glad to hear it. I had to give J oe a hundred dollars for
cutting the eyes out of that picture.”’

‘*¥ou paid too much.’”’

‘‘Not if your work was successful. ’’

“Tt was.’

‘““How about the money?”’

“It will pass through Rawlins on the ue o’clock train
to-morrow night.”’

‘‘That’s the programme, is it?’’

66 Yes. 9)

‘‘Where did Bender get his information?’

‘From young Whipple’s father.’

““How?”’

‘‘Lured him to the old hua ae got the information
out of him by palming himself off as a friend-of the old

man’s-son, then quietly knocked him down and left him

there, tied hand and foot.’’

‘“*The devil!”’ :

‘*‘What’s the matter?”’

ee my to meet Flanders at the old lime-kiln in half an
hour.’

‘‘That’s all right. It isn’tnecessary for you to have any-
thing to do with the old man Whipple, is it?’’

‘“‘No; and I shall have nothing to do with him. Old
Whipple is nothing to me; it’s his whelp of a son1 am
gunning for.
of sale. I must get that away from
menace to the success of my plot.’’

‘*He’ll never give it up. Ishould think you would know
Flanders well enough for that and not try to do an
impossible job.”’

The Duke’s eyes burned angrily.

It’s a constant

ee aS Te TE Sa

 

I am to see Flanders ae! about that bill |

 

 

 
 

 

 

No. 203.

DIAMOND DICK LIBRARY. 7

 

 

 

 

“‘Tf coaxing proves of no avail, we'll find other means

for bringing him to his oats.”’

‘‘T certainly wish you success, but nothing short of
force and a little knock-down-and-drag-out will bring
Flanders to do as you want him in this case.’’

“Then we'll have a little rough-and-tumble.”’

Just then there came a knock at the door.

‘“‘Blast it all! who can that be?’’ muttered the Duke.
*¢Go and find out, Duchess.”’

The woman went to the door and returned with a scrap
of paper. ‘

““A note for you, Duke.”’

‘“Who left it?’’ : :

‘‘A young fellow who said his name was of no conse-
quence.”’ |

The Duke hastily unfolded the note.

It ran as follows:

“‘DuKE:—There is a man behind the screen.
‘““BARNEY.”’

The Duke never winced or gave one tell-tale glance in
the direction of the corner.

‘What is it?’’ queried the Duchess.

For answer, he handed her the note.

She read it with as much composure as the Duke had
exercised. .

Opening a drawer in the table she allowed her hand to
drop inside and rest on the handle of a loaded revolver.

The Duke put his hand under his coat, started to his
feet, walked to the screen and flung it to the floor.

Haggerty stood confronting them, his back against the
wall and a revolver in each hand.

His professional instinct had made known to him the
Duke’s purpose, and ready to capture him though ‘the
Duke and his companion were, yet the detective assuredly
held the drop and looked as though he knew exactly what
to do under the circumstances.

‘‘Who are you?’’ cried the Duke.

““You know me.”’

“Haggerty, Diamond Dick, Jr.’s
Duchess.

“Richt you are! Stand aside! Raise a finger to bar my
passage and I shoot.”’ .

For a moment there was silence, and the detective took
a step forward.

At the same instant Barney appeared at the window
behind Haggerty, his forefinger on his lip, and a meaning
look in his eyes.

As the detective continued to advance, Barney climbed
through the window noiselessly, drawing after hima
heavy club which he had picked up in the yard.

. Then, with the soft tread of a wildcat, he advanced upon
Haggerty from behind, whirled his bludgeon about his
head and brought it down upon the detective’s head.

The revolvers dropped from Haggerty’s hands, and he
reeled backward, stunned and bewildered.

Doubling his huge fist, the Duke sprang forward and
followed up Barney’s blow with a fierce attack that
stretched the detective helpless on the floor.

In a few moments he was bound wrist and ankle.

‘Well done, Barney,’’ panted the Duke.

“‘T shadowed that fellow from the hotel,’’ returned
Barney, ‘‘whilo he was shadowing you.”’

‘Tt was a good job, Barney.”’

‘‘ And who is Barney?’’ queried the Duchess, flashing her
eyes into the young fellow’s face.

‘‘He’s a comrade of mine whom I met, not over thirty
minutes ago, at the hotel. Barney O’Brien, shake hands
with the Duchess.”’ -

Barney stretched out his hand, but the Duchess struck
it asid@& turned away, threw herself into a chair, and
lighted a cigarette.

‘(Don’t be a fool, Duchess,’’ said the Duke.

‘¢And don’t you try to make me one, that’s all I ask of
you,’’ she snapped.

‘‘You need never worry on that score,’’ he replied.
‘‘Barney, | leave you here to watch that prisoner,’’ he
went on, stooping and picking up the weapons that had
fallen from the detective’s hands. ‘“‘I’ll also appropriate
these, as they’re better than mine.”’

‘‘What am I to do?’’ snarled the Duchess.

pal!’ cried the

a ee

**You’re to go with me, my dear.’’

‘‘Where?”’

‘*T’ll tell you later. Come along.”’

With a meaning look at Barney, the Duae eft the house
followed by his understudy.

‘“You’ve got a fiendish temper, Duchess,’’ said the Duke
when they were once outside.

‘‘T admit it,’’ she replied, quietly.

**You made a fool of yourself.’’

‘““T admit that, too.”’

‘Barney is all right and he did us a mighty good turn.
to-night.”’

“T’ll beg his pardon, and show him that the Duchess
will be his friend.”’ ;

‘*Now you talk like a sensible girl, and I like to listen to
you. If there’s anything I hate, it’s a squabble.”’

OO 0a 207:

‘*Will you do as I tell you?’’

6 ‘Ves. 9)

‘“Then go to the hotel and tell Miller and James to go to
the lone cottonwood on the Crockett trail and wait for me
there. Then you stay at the hotel, and I’ll come back after
I finish my work with Flanders.’ |

‘All right.”’

Then they parted.

A peculiar light burned in the queer little eyes of the
‘basilisk’ as she went away.

Had the Duke seen the expression of her face he would
have felt disquieted.

And he would have had just reason. .

4 Going to the hotel, the understudy delivered her mes-
sage to Miller and James, two of the Duke’s most trusted
men.

But she did not remain at the hotel after that.

On the contrary, she turned and retraced her steps to
the house, where Barney had been left to watch the
detective.

Opening the door, she walked in unceremoniously.

Barney was sitting at the table in the centre of the room
in the chair recently occupied by the Duke.

Over his eyes he wore a pair of blue goggles.

Hearing the Duchess returning, he had hastily slipped
the glasses over his eyes as a safeguard, for he anticipated
trouble.

Barney had evidently just been carrying on a conversa-
tion with Haggerty, who had recovered from the effects of
his rough treatment.

‘“‘Well, Spitfire,’’ said Barney, ‘‘have you decided to
come back and keep me company ?’’

‘‘T have come back to beg your pardon for the rude man-
ner in which I repelled you when the Duke tried to
introduce us.”’ :

‘‘Say nothing about it. Let it pass.”’

Barney, however, did not take off his goggles.

‘*Will you shake hands with me now?”’

‘‘With pleasure.’’

Barney got up and stepped forward, his right hand
outstretched.

The Duchess caught the hand, and then, quick as a
flash, with her other hand she jerked off Barney’s hat.

As the hat was removed, a rippling wealth of chestnut
hair fell down over Barney’s shoulders.

‘“‘What do you mean?’’ cried Barney, in a shrill, angry
voice. ~

‘‘T wanted to find out whether my suspicions were
correct, or groundless. ’”’

‘‘What were your suspicions?’’

“That you were a woman and my rival!’

The words came hissing forth between the white teeth
of the Duchess.

Her eyes blazed malignantly and her hand crept to her
bosom and plucked therefrom a dainty dagger, whose
jeweled hilt and polished blade glittered in the lamp-light.

‘‘You are right,’’ said the\other, slowly. “I am a
woman and my real name in not Barney, but Berenice.’’

As she spoke she threw back the coat of her masculine |
attire and revealed a belt filled with weapons in leather ~
sheaths.

From one of the sheaths she drew a knife—no dainty
! blade like that of the Duchess, but big, double-edged, and

 

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No. 203.

 

such a one as Colonel Bowie himself might have felt”

proud to handle.

Tf it came to a battle royal it was plain that Berenice
would make an excellent showing.

‘‘What are you to the Duke?” asked the Duchess.

‘‘His wife!”’

The look of an enraged demon crept into the eyes of the
‘*basilisk.”’

*“You lie!’’

For answer, Berenice twitched at her pocket, drew
forth a paper, and cast it on the floor at her rival’s feet.

It was a marriage certificate.

At sight of it, “the demoniacal expression seemed to.
freeze upon the ““basilisk’s’’ face.

‘‘And he was to marry me,’’ she exclaimed, ‘‘after that
job at Rawlins.’’

She started for the door.

‘“The treacherous hound!’’ she exclaimed, coming to a
sudden pause.

Then she turned back and crept tow ard Berenice with |
the stealthy tread of a puma.

‘‘He shall marry me yet,’’ she cane
is married to you, I will make him a widower, -
him from me!”’

Berenice laughed.

Infuriated, the Duchess sprang at her, their knives
clashed together, and then, somehow, the little, jeweled
dagger was thrown to the side of the room.

‘*Yield!’’ cried Berenice.

‘‘Never+.You may kill me if you wish. I warn you that
nothing else will conquer my hate.’”’

But Berenice dropped her knife, seized the Duchess
about the waist, and hustled her to the door.

A moment later the understudy was cast into the street,
and the door was closed against her.

The Duchess turned and shook her fist at the RHEE.

“The double-faced villain!’’ she cried; ‘‘he deceived
me; but I have found him out, and what I know about
him will enable me to play even. Revenge! I will have it.’’

She whirled about and vanished in the darkness.

A few moments afterward she was destined to meet
Diamond Dick, Jr.

‘“‘T swear it! If he
You stole

 

CHAPTER IV.
STARTLING DEVELOPMENTS.
The Duchess’ demoniacal temper had been aroused
within her.
She professed to be penitent for her behavior toward

Barney, or Berenice, in order that she might the more'|

certainly secure her revenge.

She carried out the mission intrusted to her regarding
Miller and James, for, if she had not, the Duke would
instantly have suspected her and taken steps to prevent.
her from upsetting his plans. |

The Duchess was shrewd, and, although nearly beside
herself with anger, she was capable of sound reasoning.

Neither did she intend to betray the Duke’s plans con-
cerning the hold up at Rawlins for Frank Hosper, or
‘‘Hotspur,’’ as he was called in the mountains, had been
her lover, and it was he whom Charley Whipple had
hunted down and sent to the penitentiary.

Later, the Duchess had allowed the Duke to usurp Hot-
spur’s place in her affections, but she still yearned for |
revenge.

Let the Duke’s plan succeed.

Let the Duke hold up the train, secure Charley Whip-
ple’s bail-money, and then let Flanders and his men get in
their work.

After that, she had a plan to make her vengeance
complete.

When the Duke left Flanders at the bottom of the lime-
kiln, his mind worked in the identical groove anticipated
by the rancher.

In short, the outlaw had aurmoned Miller and James to
the scene, believing in his innermost heart that Flanders
would refuse to give up the bill of sale peaceably; in
which event, force would be used.

After extinguishing his lantern, he hid it among the

oes

“Miller !”? he called, coming to a halt.

In answer, two men rode out from the deeper shadows’

of the bushes.
‘‘Here we are, Cap,’’ said one of the men.
A relieved expression passed over the Duke’s face.
He felt assured that the Duchess was really true to his
/interests, after all.
Knowing her as he did, he had cherished a doubt, but.
that was now dispelled.
‘*You don’t know old man Whipple, do you, boys?’
‘“No,’’ answered both*men together.
| “Well, you won’t miss him if you ride rapidly by a
round-about way to where the road to Smithville crosses

‘Indian Creek. After you reach that place, lay low and |

waylay any man who happens to try to pass on foot. Only
one man will probably pass at this time of night, and he
will be the man we want. Gather him in and go through
his clothes. What I want is a bill of sale to Charley
| Whipple, from Tim Flanders, witnessed by Jack Osborne,

Sheriff of Custer County.’’

‘We'll get it, Cap.”

‘Wait: that’s not all. If you get it, drive to the house
‘in town, you know the one, and leave it with the person
standing at the gate. I shall probably be that person,
although disguised so you will not know me. If there is
no one at the gate to receive the document, leave it with a
young man in the house who answers to ‘the name of
Barney O’Brien,’”’

‘*All right, old man.’’

‘‘Be cautious. We don’t want to hazard our. luck to-
morrow by anything we may do to- day. We are already
half-suspected by the townspeople.”’

‘“We understand.”’

‘After leaving the house, ride straight to the rendezvous
and get Jones, Brighton, and Culpeper ; then go to the
hang- out near Rawlins so as to arrive there by nine
o’clock to-morrow night.”’

“We'll be on hand.”

‘““Who has the switch-key?’’

‘**T have,’’ said Miller.

‘Then you, James, attend to the man who works ae
semaphore. See that the arm is in position to signal the
train to pass. You, Miller, will wait at the foot of the
semaphore-post, and turn the switch that sends the train
upon the side-track. The other boys will be ready, with
dynamite and guns, to take action after the train stops.’”

The men nodded.

‘*That’s all,’’ added the Duke;
and away with you!”’

The outlaws struck spurs into their horses’ flanks and
dashed away.

The Duke’s horse was hitched near, and he mounted and.
started back to town, bent upon taking care of the captured.
detective.

He discovered, at the last moment, that he had lost one
of the revolvers he had appropriated, probably dropping it

 

‘“‘now make no mistake,

 

_as he struggled up the rough sides of the lime-kiln.

He’ shrugged his shoulders, however, and gave little
heed to his loss.

Some surprises were in store for him.

In fact, one was close at hand, for he had barely covered.

a dark figure stepped across his path and caught the bits
of his horse.

‘*Let go,’’ muttered the Duke, ‘‘or I shoot!’

‘“Not on your life!’’

The Duke stiffened in his saddle.

‘In the name of all the fiends, who are you?’’

‘* Barney !”’

As she spoke the word, the girl reeled, lost her. hold on
the bridle, and fell senseless to the ground.

In a trice the Duke sprang from his saddle, and lifted
her head in his arms. :

She had fainted, but a swallow of liquor soon revived
her.

It was a dark night, but the Duke could see that her
face was bloody, and her clothing in tatters.

‘“‘What has happened, Barney?” cried the Duke.

‘Diamond Dick, Jr., has rescued his pal!’’

 

rocks and walked alcng the trail until he came to the lone
cottonwood.

 

half the distance that separated him from the town when -

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CHAPTER V.
 BERTIE’S QUICK WORK.
It will be remembered that Diamond Dick, Jr., and old

man Whipple left the lime-kiln some moments after the

Duke.

But the Duke lingered for half an hour to talk with his
henchmen, Miller and James.

Bertie thereby gained time over him.

As the youth galloped into town along the principal
street, he saw a form passing hurriedly along the
sidewalk.

It was the wild appearance of the form that first
attracted his attention.

It was a woman whom he saw, and she was shaking her

_ clinched fist above her head and talking incoherently.

Suddenly she turned her face upward, and the rays of
the kerosene street lamp fell over her features.

Diamond. Dick, Jr., was surprised.

She was none other than the ‘‘basilisk!’’

Our hero recognized her at once.

Fearless of consequences, he spurred his horse upon the
sidewalk, and started in pursuit of the woman.

Hearing him, she increased her gait to a run.

But the fleet-footed horse was too swift for her, and
Bertie finally caught the Duchess by the shoulder.

**Release me!’’ she cried, endeavoring frantically to get
away from him.

**No; not until you have answered me some questions. ’’

At the sound of his voice she turned her head quickly
and peered into his face.

‘Is it you, Diamond Dick, Jr.?’’ she asked.

‘¢Ves. 99

The Duchess ceased her struggles and became strangely

quiet.

‘‘T am glad of it,’’ she said. “You are just the person I
wanted to meet. There is no need of holding me so tight,
I won’t run away.’

Bertie was very much surprised.

*“May I trust you?”’

“Certainly. Iam your friend.’’

‘“You cannot be my friend, and, at the same time, be
friends with that scoundrel, the Duke.’’

“‘T am not his friend. I hate him as I do the arch-fiend.”’

**Come, come,’’ said Bertie, gravely, ‘‘no ’possum tricks
will work with me.”’

‘‘This is no ’possum trick.”’

“Then you have experienced a wonderful change of
heart within the past few hours.’’

‘*So [ have,’’ she replied, muttering an anathema under
her breath; ~ but I will prove my friendship for yom if you

will allow me.’

‘SHow?’’

‘*By showing you how you may rescue your friend, Ed
Haggerty.”’

Bertie gave a quick start and peered steadfastly into the
woman’s eyes.

‘“‘Was Haggerty captured by the Duke?’’ he asked.

**Vos, 399

**And you will betray the Duke’s confidence, and show
me where Haggerty is?’’

Ves bey me.) 6).

‘“‘Very well, I will. Lead me to the place.”’

*““Turn your horse and come this way.’’

The Duchess started down the road at a rapid pace, and

- Bertie followed.

” said the
aa ig

“You had better hitch your horse here,
Duchess, halting some distance from the house:
the house, yonder.”’

Bertie dismounted, tied his horse, and joined the woman,
who was a little distance in advance,

‘*Whose house is that?’’ he asked.

“It belongs to some man here in town, but it was rented
by one of the Duke’s men, and the Duke uses it occasion-
ally for a rendezvous.”’

‘The Duke has a lot of nerve to use such a place as that

.for a rendezvous. ’’

The Duchess smiled sarcastically.

‘He doesn’t trust himself there very often in the day-
time. _ Your friend is in there, Diamond Dick, dr; -You'l!
have to go in alone,’

masculine attire.

 

‘‘You won’t go with me, then?”’

A suspicion that the Duchess might be sending hie into
a trap flashed over Diamond Dick, Jr.

‘‘No. There is only one person in charge of the prisoner,
and that person is a woman.

‘*Where is the Duke?”’

‘*He went out to the lime-kiln on the Crockett trad) 4

‘*Hasn’t he got back yet?”’

“oN Oo: 9:9

‘““T saw him leave there.’

“The Duke had other business on hand after he left the
lime-kiln, but he will be here very soon, so you will have
to do some quick werk. The front door of the house is
unlocked, and I would advise you to walk in and release
your friend without delay.’

Acting upon the suggestion, Bertie advanced to the door
and laid his hand upon it.

It yielded to his touch, and he stepped noiselessly inside .
and advanced to the door leading into the rear room.

In one corner of this room lay Haggerty, the detective.

Totally unconscious of Diamond Dick, Jr.’s close prox-.
imity, Berenice was sitting beside the table with a
revolver lying in front of her within easy reach.

By way of notifying the woman of his presence, Bertie
tipped over a chair.

Berenice started up, then reached for her revolver.

‘*None of that,’’ said Bertie, bringing his own weapon
into play; ‘‘keep your hands off that shooting-iron. From
the length of your hair, and the general cast of your
features, I take you to be a woman in spite of your.
I would hate to be ‘compelled take
extreme measures against you.”’

‘*Who are you?’’ she returned.

‘*T am called Diamond Dick, Jr.”’

‘““Why have you come here?”’

‘“To rescue that prisoner.’’

‘“Well,’’ returned Berenice, ‘‘I am only a woman; I can
do nothing against you.”’

Dropping into a chair, she,folded her hands,

‘‘That’s sensible,’’ said Bertie, as he advanced to the
table, picked up the revolver that lay on it, and threw it
into one corner of the room.

He then dropped his own revolvers into his belt and
started toward Haggerty.

‘‘Look out!’’ shouted Haggerty ;
Bertie!’’

With the spring of a tigress, Berenice had sprung at
Diamond Dick, Jr.’s throat, her big, double-edged bowie
in her hand.

Haggerty’s warning had been given none too soon.

A moment later and the knife would have been planted
in Bertie’s breast.

With a quick movement, Bertie struck the hand that
held the blade.

It flew from the woman’s grasp, its point gouging her
cheek in its flight, and bringing a trickling stream of
blood.

The wound had been inadvertently made, and Diamond
Dick, Jr., was sorry it bad been made at all.

Even though the woman had come at him with designs
on his life, he did not wish to injure her. .

The wound and the trickling stream of blood seemed to
rouse Berenice to a frenzy.

With a shrill scream she threw herself upon Ren tie, and
he was compelled to use force in beating her off.

So well did he succeed in this, however, that Berenice
broke abruptly away from the unequal str ugele and rushed
from the house.

The Duchess was waiting outside, and attacked Berenice
the moment she appeared.

In this battle the Amazons inflicted little physical
injury upon each other, and Berenice, who had another
object in mind, retreated from the scene of conflict.

The Duchess followed, but Berenice gave her the slip
and, escaped into the darkness, and the Duchess returned
to the house.

In the meantime, Bertie had released Haggerty.

‘*T’ve had a great experience since I’ve been lying there,”
said the detective, as he stretched his long limbs. ~

‘‘How so?”’

‘‘T saw a battle royal between two ladies with knives;

}

‘*she’s after you,

 

 
 

in DIAMOND DICK LIBRARY.

No. 203

cae cctty

 

one of them was the one you just detented, and t’other
one was the Duchess.’

‘““What were they fence about?’’

‘*The Duke.’’

‘*Are they rivals?”’

‘*Well, it looks as though this last one, Berenice she
calls herself, had cut out the Duchess entirely, for she’s
Mrs. Duke, and has papers to prove it. That made the
Duchess mad, and she swore vengeance on the Duke and
everybody else.’’

‘‘Ah, I began to understand the situation. It was the!
Duchess who ted me to this place for the purpose of
rescuing you.’

““Then this es has been of some benefit to us, after
all,’’ remarked Haggerty, as he picked up the revolver
which Bertie had thrown into a corner. ‘‘I’ll appropriate
this six-shooter.. The Duke took both of mine.”’

‘‘Here’s one of yours,’’ replied Bertie, handing over the
weapon that had been found at the lime-kiln.

‘‘Where did this come from?’’
| Bertie explained.

“The Duke must have dropped it.”’

‘“Probably ; but now tell me how you came to get into
this fix.’’

“Tt was all the work of that woman in man’s clothes,”
and Haggerty thereupon told the story of his capture.

‘‘That Berenice is as Gangerous as the Duchess,’’ said
Bertie.

“But if we have the two working against each other,
there is no telling how much benefit may accrue to us.
Where is the Duchess now?”’ : .

‘‘T left her out in the yard.’”’

‘“Let us see if she has any other information to give us.’

They left the house, but, although they hunted for e
*“basilisk,’’ she was nowhere to be found.

“Skipped, ” said Haggerty.

“Thought she had done enough for us, I suppose, but
there is little she could tell us that we don’t know.
And by the way, as the Duke is expected back here at any
minute it would be well for us to get out of the way. I
don’t want him to have a suspicion that that job at. Raw-
lins isn’t going to come off to-morrow night precisely as
he has planned it.’’

‘*What’s to be done?”’

‘“You’re to board the engine of the train here,’’ replied
Diamond Dick, Jr., as he unhitched his horse and started
on foot down the road, leading the animal and walking
beside Haggerty.

““You’re going to be at Rawlins, and work the thing
alone?’’

‘‘No; I’m going to have the sheriff and ‘halfa dozen men
to help me. Tell the engineer to pay no attention to the
arm of the semaphore at Rawlins. That ten o’clock train
doesn’t stop at Rawlins, you know, as there isn’t much.to
the town but a railroad crossing and a telegraph station.
Tell the engineer that, if he sees two red lights on top of
the semaphore, they are Diamond Dick, Jr.’s danger-
signal, and he’s to pull his throttle wide-open and go ahead
at full speed. Tell him he must do this and that, if he does
not. a hold-up may be the result.”’

‘“All right, Bertie. But what’s on now?”’

‘It’s nearly four o’clock in the morning and pretty near
time we got to bed, isn’t it?”’

**T should think SO. We’ve got a lot of hard work on
hand for to-morrow.’

‘“That’s just my way of thinking, and it won’t be a ‘bad
idea if we lay low all-day to- morrow, and not put our-
selves very much in evidence.’

Bertie teok his horse to the corral and then continued on
to the hotel with Haggerty.

Half an hour later they were in bed and sleeping com-
fortably, despite the exciting events of the night.

' But Bertie was destined to be awakened shortly, and to
suffer a disagreeable surprise.

In the meantime, the Duchess had been waiting at the
gate of the house which Diamond Dick, Jr., and the

plete,”’

 

detective had recently left.

The Duchess had been in hiding while Bertie and his
companion were hunting for her; she did not care to have ,
anything more in common with our hero and the detective.

In her scheme of vengeance they cut very little figure. ,

—

After they were gone, the Duchess came out from under

the house, where she had concealed herself, and lingered
about the yard, hoping for the return of Berenice,

Berenice did not come back, and, as the Duchess stood
leaning over the gate-post and thinking grimly of her
wrongs, she heard a tramp of galloping hoofs.

Her quick ears readily distinguished the fact that there
were two horses.

Who could they be? =

Suddenly the two horsemen broke out of the darkness,
and one of them paused, while the other rode up to the
gate and stretched out his hand without a word.

The hand held a folded paper, and the Duchess took ite:

Thereupon the’man turned away, rejoined his com-
panion, and together they went galloping off into ee
darkness.

Running into the house, the Duchess examined the paper
under the rays of the lamp.

A smile of grim satisfaction overspread her face.

‘‘The only thing I needed to make my vengeance com-
she muttered, exultantly ; ‘‘it has dropped into my
hands by the merest chance. Now, Duke, look well to
yourself. The hangman is going to make that pretty girl
in man’s clothes a widow; and before very long, too!’’ -

The Duchess then left the house and disappeared.

aeceen ennnmnninnemns

CHAPTER VI. .
WHIPPLE’S BAD LUCK.

Old man Whipple was in high spirits when he left
Diamond Dick, Jr., and started for. Smithville.

He had in his possession the bill of sale which was
ultimately to free his son of the stigma of a terrible crime
—for, in the West, there is little distinction between horse-
stealing and murder.

Although well along in years, Whipple was vigorous
and active, and he set out on his long walk to Smithville
at a rapid pace.

He soon reached Indian Creek, and was just sitting
down and pulling off his shoes preparatory to wading the
stream when Miller and James rode up.

‘*Hello, pilgrim,’’ said James.

“Hello,” returned Whipple.

‘Where are you bound for?’’

“Smithville. ”’

‘‘Why don’t you travel daytime instead of during the :

night?’’

‘‘For the same reason, I presume, that other people do i

the same thing.’’

‘‘Don’t get gay, old chap,”’ said Miller, as he jumped
down from his horse. ‘‘Stand up.’’

‘*What for?”’

‘Because I tell you to.’

Whipple stood up and Miller began going through his
pockets.

Gate it’s money you’re after,’’ said atone “vou won't
find any.’

‘‘It isn’t money we're after.”’

‘What then?’’

As Whipple spoke he had a vague idea that it might be
the bill of sale the men were after, and he clutched his
inside coat-pocket with a death-like grip.

‘‘Take your hands off that pocket.’’

‘‘Never! You can kill me first.”’

“We want that bill of sale, and we’re going to have it.’

‘‘Not while I live!’

James came to Miller’s assistance, and together tlie
outlaws laid hold of the old man.

Whipple struggled desperately.

He struck with his hands, kicked and cried for help;
but all in vain.

The outlaws tore the coat from his back, and pulled the
paper they were after from his pocket.

“Give it back!”’ shouted the old man, in an agony of
desperation.

“Give nothing back,”’
leaped on his horse.

‘‘Wait!’’ cried Whipple, wildly, as the outlaws galloped
‘away; ‘‘you don’t know what you are dolng. Iwill buy
_that paper from you, and——”’

returned Miller, gruffly, as he

ee AIRS

 

 

 

 

 

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No. 208.

But the outlaws were out of earshot, and the miserable |

old man sat down on a rock and cried like a child.

Then he got up and struggled along in the direction taken
by the men who had robbed him.

For hour after hour he continued on, and, at last, he saw
ahead of him the dark outlines of a riderless horse and
heard voices.

Was it possible that he had caught up-with the two des-
peradoes who had taken that bill of sale from him?

Acting under a sudden impulse, he started forward, but

stopped suddenly and dropped on his knees.

It would be better for him to play a waiting game and

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A AARP OT aE Freres attach wesc rir snap vote ea sane Negi Lars NTRP

DIAMOND DICK LIBRARY, il

‘“Who’s there?’’ called Bertie, from within.

‘*Whipple.’’

Bertie flung open the door and pulled Whipple inside.

_ “Great blazes, Whipple! What are you doing here?’’

Bertie spoke in a whisper.

“Speak low,’’ went on Bertie,
question.”’

‘*T was held up by, two men and the Dill of sale was
taken away from me.’

‘*Well, you are having a run of luck, and no mistake. I

‘‘and answer my

 

think I can understand how it came about, however. The
Duke couldn’t coax Tim Flanders to give up that paper so

reconnoitre and find out just what the situation was before he had a couple of men wait on the trail to Smithville and

he did anything.

So hecrawled slowly forward in the direction from
whence came the voices, and at last saw before him the
forms of two persons.

One of the forms was sitting up with its back against a-
rock.

The other form was standing beside it.

‘‘How do you feel now, Barney?’’

**All right, Duke.”’

Whipple could tell from the sound of the voices alone
that it was neither of these two persons who had robbed
him.

One of the men was the notorious scoundrel known as
the Duke!

The Duke—the man who was seeking to murder his son!

Whipple’s teeth clinched, and his fists doubled spas-
modically.

He felt as though he would like to throw himself upon
the man and throttle him, then and there.

But calmer thoughts prevailed.

Whipple laid still and listened.

‘*So the Duchess is-a traitress, after all?”’

““Yes; there is no doubt about it.”’

“You are sure if was she who attacked you in the
yard?”

‘*Positive.”’

“Then she must have led Diamond Dick, Jr., to the
house?’’

“There’s no doubt about that.”

'“Tt’s tough luck to have her act this way just now.’’

‘“‘That isn’t the worst of it.’’

‘‘What more is there?”’

‘‘The Duchess will put Diamond Dick, Jr., onto your job
at Rawlins——”’ :

‘‘No, she won’t.”’

‘‘What is to prevent her?’’

“Ill explain. My pal, Hosper, whom Charley Whipple
hunted down and landed in the pen, was the Duchess’
sweetheart. She’s as anxious for revenge on Charley
Whipple as Iam, and I know her well enough to be abso-
lutely certain that she won’t do a thing to block that job at
Rawlins. After that’s over, and Whipple has been put out
of the way, the Duchess will be very glad to come for-
ward and have me sent to the gallows for that, oranything
else she can remember, or get hold of. But T ll fool her.
After that job Tll pull up stakes in mighty short order,
and pull out before my lady has a chance to set her little

_ scheme in motion.’

‘*Good!’

Berenice had been hurt worse than the Duke had at first
suspected, and she had been compelled to rest for an hour
or more.

This was a fortunate thing for Whipple as it enabled
him to overtake them and gather the piece of information
set forth above.

Whipple had heard all_-he wanted to.

His heart was filled with fresh hope, and he sprang up,
aiter.crawling away to a safe distance, and started to find
Diamond Dick, Jr.

He thought this would be a difficult piece of work as

|

waylay him. As you and Flanders were both bound for
Smithville, and both went on foot, these two outlaws hap-
pend to get you, and happened to get the right man. It’s
a combination of circumstances, Whipple, and I don’t
know as there is any use of crying over spilt milk. Goon
to Smithville and follow out our plan as originally agreed
upon. The money will get there to-morrow night, and you
can bail out your son. After that, we'll see what we can
do to prove his innocence.’

““T’ve got a scheme for proving his innocence now.

‘‘What is it?’’

Thereupon Whipple related how he had happened to run
across the Duke and the ‘‘man’’ whom he called Barney,

jand told what had passed between them.

“I don’t see how that is going to benefit you,’’ said
Bertie.

‘*The Duchess is anxious to be revenged upon my son for
the part he took in sending her lover, Hosper, to the
penitentiary.’

S¢Well?’’

‘‘Suppose the information gets out that my son was
really killed by the mob? It would be very easy for me to
set such a bit of news to going, even after I had bailed
Charley out. If this reached the ears of the Duchess, she
would at once feel that she was revenged upon my son for
all he had done to her lover, and she would want to be
revenged upon the Duke. In order to gain this revenge,
she would turn upon him and show the hand he had played
all the way through.’’

‘‘By Jove!’’ exclaimed Bertie; ‘'I believe you are right.
At any rate, we’ll give the plan a trial. You set some
story to going about your son being hung after he was
bailed out, and I'l] take care of the rest.’’

'“Very good. Then I’ll go back to Smithville?”’

‘*T would; at once. Take your departure from this hotel
as secretly as you can, for one of the men connected with
it is a friend of the Duke’s, and would not hesitate to tell
him anything he thought he ought to know. I wouldn’t
have stopped here, but it is the only hotel in he place.’’

Whipple then took his departure and Bertie returned to
his bed.

CHAPTER VII.

THE RED LIGHTS AT RAWLINS.

Diamond Dick, Jr., did not rise until early in the
afternoon.

At that time he was awakened by a knock on his door.

‘*Who is it?” he asked.

‘“Haggerty.”’

Bertie hastily opened the door and Haggerty came in,

‘‘What’s the matter, old man?’’ asked Bertie.

“T don’t think that hasheesh was very strong.”’

SW diye?

‘*Because Bender has skipped.’

‘‘Isn’t he in that room?”’

‘‘No. I looked in through the transom over the door not
more than five minutes ago, and he’s gone.’’

A frown came over Bertie’s face.

 

‘Tf he and his men also try to hold up that train at

Bertie had so much to do it was a hard matter to tell. Rawlins, it will result in complications that may prove

where he would be at any given time.

| anything but agreeable to the successful working of our

Whipple, however, went straight into town and to the scheme, so far as the Duke is concerned.”’

hotel.

He was agreeably surprised to find, Bee inquiry, that
Diamond Dick, Jr., was there.

. Obtaining the number of the youth’s
stairs and knocked on his door. :

‘‘Don’t worry. Bender won’t try the hold-up now.’
‘‘What are your reasons for thinking so?”’
‘*Well, if he has got any sense at all he will know that

room, he went up some one has been working him He may not know what

‘he has said—he may not have the slightest idea of any-

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Os Sas a a LE RE Da aS LT NNN AS TI ST Sor Renee caaereee TET

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No. 203.

 

 

 

  

thing that happened to him while he was under the influ-
ence of that woman’s hypnotic eyes, or the hasheesh, but
he certainly knows this—that something out of the
ordinary has occurred and that it will stand him in hand
to be a little careful of himself. He may go out to the lime-
kiln to see his prisoner, Whipple. If he does, and discovers
that the old man is not there, then he cannot think other-
wise than that something decidedly to his disadvantage
has taken place, and that it will stand him in hand to lay
low.’

‘You are right, Haggerty,’’ said Bertie. ‘“‘I am going
down and get something to eat, and then I’m going to
drum up the sheriff and half a dozen good men and start
for Rawlins. You are to stay here, of course, and mount
the engine of the train when it comes through.’’

“All right. Ill go down and get something to eat with
you.”’

They went down stairs, ate a late dinner, and then our
hero parted with his friend.

After leaving the hotel, the first place Bertie went was
to a drug store.

At this place he bought a little tin can full of an inflam-
mable red powder, such as is used in theatres for making
red fire.

‘‘That’s the basis of my danger-signal,’’ he muttered, as
he left the drug store, and started for the courthouse to
interview the sheriff,

Fortunately that official was in his office.

He was a big, raw-boned Kentuckian, and at the moment
Bertie entered, was playing with a pair of immense blood-
hounds.

‘‘Are you the sheriff?’’ asked Bertie. |

‘‘T reckon I be—Kunnel Burton, that’s my handle.
What’s your’n?”’

‘‘Diamond Dick, Jr.’”’

“Sho! I’ve heern of you, sah, an’ dash my hide if it
don’t do me proud to shake your ADE What kin I do for

e?”’

“Do you know that highwayman and all- around bad
man, known as the Duke, is in this vicinity.”’

‘‘So people tell me, put I haven’t been able ter git hold
of him.”’

‘*T’ve come to tell you how you can capture him and all
his gang.’

‘Then you’re my huckleberry, sah; you are so.
is he?”’

“He and his gang will be at Rawlins to-night at ten
o’clock. They’re going to make an attempt to hold-up the
fast train.’’

‘“‘Then by the great horn spoon, we’ll call a turn on ’em.”’

‘‘Get together half a dozen well-armed and well-mounted
men and go with me. I will direct you.”’

‘‘T’ll have ’em rounded up in half an hour.”’

‘““That will be too early. Wedon’t want to start from
here before nine o’clock to-night.”’

“All right. Ill have ’em hyer at that time.
on me.’’

Bertie took leave of the sheriff and spent the rest of the
time at his command in reconnoitering about the
various saloons in the place.

He wished to see if he could find any trace of the Duke,
Barney, or the Duchess.

He saw nothing of any of them, however, and as nine
o’clock was near, he went to the corral, secured his horse
and galloped to the sheriff’s office.

The sheriff was as good as his word,

The posse was in readiness; the two bloodhounds
forming & part of it. -

“Ts that you, Diamond Dick, Jr.?’’ queried the sheriff,
riding forward.

‘‘Yes,’’ answered Bertie. .

‘Hyer we are, ye see, sah.
men as ever sighted along a gun bar’l.
start, we are.’

“‘l’m ready,’’ said Bertie, and he and the sheriff rode off
together followed by the reminder of the horsemen.

Rawlins.awas only a short distance away, and the little
party were soon close to the town.

‘‘Halt!’? said Bertie when they had come within sight
of the glimmering light of the semaphore. ‘‘I’m going to
leave you here, colonel, while I make a little reconnais-

Whar

Depend

I’ve got as fine a bunch of
If you’re ready to

 

sance. Ride into the woods there, with your men, and
wait as quietly as you can until you hear from me.’’ .

‘Very well, sah,’’ answered the sheriff.

Bertie left his horse behind him, and stole softly ahead.>

He was confident that the Duke and his men Se be
somewhere in the vicinity.

As the switch would probably fours in the hold-up as a
means for stopping the train, and as it was rapidly
approaching train-time, it was possible that some one of
the outlaws might be there.

‘Bertie advanced until he saw the lantern. over the red
arrow.

There was no one close to the switch, but he thought he
heard a slight noise at the bottom of the embankment, and
he crept softly in this direction.

As he advanced, voices were borne to his ears, and when
he had come near enough, he’ saw two men seated on @
rock smoking.

“It’s getting pretty near train time, it seems to me,’’ -
remarked one of them.

“Are you getting nervous?’’ queried the other. -
‘“No; only Iam anxious to get this job over with.
expecting to hear the captain’s whistle any moment.”’

‘‘How are you going to handle the semaphore man??’’

‘*With a club from behind.”’

‘“‘That’s to prevent him from doing anything to the
semaphore when he discovers that the switch is turned,
eh?’’

‘‘That’s the idea.”’

““T’ve got the easiest job. All I have to do is to throw
the switch.”’

“Where did you get your switch- key?”

‘‘Swiped it from a freight conductor.’

‘“By the way, the old man is all at sea over that bill of
sale, ain’t he?”’ a

‘‘T should say. Hecan’t imagine who we gave it to.
But he can’t blame us. He told us to give it to the person
we saw at the gate, and we did; so he’s got no kick
coming. ’?

“That’s so, but——’’

The speaker was interruted by a low whistle.

Both men immediately arose to their feet, knocked the
ashes from their ga, and put them away.

‘That means us,’ ' remarked the first speaker.
your nerve, old man.

‘You bet! If this job’s a success we make a cool
thousand apiece, don’t we?”’

‘‘That’s the understanding.”’

The men parted, and Bertie hurried back to the sheriff
and his posse.

‘‘Did ye find out anything?”’ asked the sheriff.

Ves, 29

‘OWhat??’

‘‘T haven’t time to explain now,’’ replied Bertie, hur-
riedly. ‘‘I want your strongest and nerviest man for a
special job, colonel.’’

“Thar ain’t much choiee, but I reckon Ames’ll fill the
bill as well as anybody. Ames, come up.’

A gigantic fellow stepped to the front. He was muscled
like an ox, and had a resolute face and a determined eye.

‘“‘What’s wanted?’’ queried Ames.

‘“‘Do you wish to do a special piece of work that will
prove a little risky?’’ asked the sheriff.

‘That strikes me plum centre,’’ answered Ames.

‘“‘T knew it would,”’

‘‘What is the job?’’

‘One of the outlaws is going to knock down the man
that attends the semaphore,’’ said Bertie. ‘‘I want you to
go to the little box of an office he hangs out and
capture that outlaw.’

‘‘T’11 do it,’’ said the big fellow, ith a snap of his
lantern-like jaws.

‘(Leave your horse here and hustle over to the semaphore
man at once. The outlaw may try to kill him.’

Ames hastened away.

‘*He’ll do the job slick as a pin,’’ said the sheriff, ‘‘you
can depend on him. It’s purty nigh train time—I jest
looked at my watch. What ’re the rest of us ter do,
Diamond Dick, Jr.?”’

‘‘Go down to about the centre of the spur track and cap-

I’m

_ “Keep

  

 

 

 
 

 

 

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DIAMOND DICK LIBRARY.

   

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- ture every man you can lay your hands on.
bag the Duke there.”’

“All right. Foller me, boys. Johnnie, bring the hounds
and hold ’em in well.”’

The sheriff and the rest of his posse started off under
cover of the timber, and Bertie walked in the direction of
the semaphore for a short distance, and then dropped on
his knees and crawled cautiously forward.

Far away in the distance his quick ear caught the sound
of the approaching train.

He looked down the track, but the headlight was not yet
to be seen.

From the track his eyes wandered to the semaphore.

The arm was dropped.

As. he looked at it, however, the arm was raised to a
horizontal position, and there it hung.

Bertie wondered if Ames had yet gotten in his work.

If he had, why was the semaphore arm working?

If he had not, what had he been doing?

The rattle of the on-coming train grew louder.

_ Again Bertie looked down the track, and he could now
see the glimmer of the headlight, as yet far away.

He looked up at the switch.

The arrow was turned!

The outlaw had already turned the switch so that the
train would be sent upon the siding!

The full meaning of this act flashed over Bertie in an
instant.

Where was the man who had turned the switch?

At that very instant Bertie caught sight of him coming
down the embankment.

Bertie realized that he must act quickly and decisively.

Drawing his revolver, he seized it by the barrel, made a
daring leap in the direction of the man, and clutched him
about the throat.

The fellow tried to cry out, but Bertie’s iron-like grip
about his wind-pipe made this impossible.

An instant later Bertie brought his clubbed weapon
down on the desperado’s head with tremendous force.

The man dropped like a log.

He did not even emit a groan.

Bertie had not an instant tu spare.

He had much to do and only the briefest possible time in
which to do it.

He must have that switch-key.

He began searching the clothes of the unconscious man to
find it.

Fortunately, he found the key in the very first pocket
he slipped his hand into.

This done, he bounded up the embankment, unlocked the

- switch and threw it back into place.

Louder and louder grew the rumble of the approaching
train.

It was almost at hand.

Bertie had still one more task to perform, and he leaped
to the semaphore post, caught the iron handles that formed
a ladder up its side and ran to the top.

Drawing the tin box from his pocket, he spilled two little
piles of powder upon the arm of the semaphore and touched
a@ match to them.

They blazed up instantly and Bertie’s form stood out in
strong relief in the red glare.

The train came dashing on.

There was not the suggestion of a slow-down.

As it thundred under the semaphore Bertie looked down
and saw Haggerty in the cab.

The detective was looking upward at the same time.

‘‘Hooray !’’ he shouted, and waved his hand.

The train sped along upon the main track and was gone.

The hold-up had been averted.

The Duke was balked and Charley Whipple’s life was
saved.

Crack!

The sharp, incisive report of a revolver broke the still-
ness and a bullet whistled past Diamond Dick, Jr’s. ear

“altogether too close for comfort.
‘“‘Now that my business is finished,’’ said Bertie, ‘‘I’1l
- get down. Some of the Duke’s men are firing at me, and I
don’t know. why I should stay up here and make myself a
mark for their guns. What has become of the sheriff? It’s
high time he was getting in his work down there.”’

Wau ought to

‘them there.

 

At that instant the ‘‘sping’’ of Winchesters was borne to
Bertie’s ears, accompanied by wild yells.

A few moments later the bay of the hounds was heard.

“They've evidently taken to flight,’’ muttered Bertie,
‘‘and the sheriff is after them with his dogs.”’

The outlaw who had turned the awiteh: was still lying
unconscious at the foot of the embankment.

While Bertie was wondering where he would get a rope
to tie the fellow, three men came up to him.

One of them was Ames,

He was leading a man with his hands handcuffed behind
his back.

‘‘Hello, Ames,’’ said Bertie. ‘*What success?’’

“TI got my prisoner; this is the critter with the bracelets
on. Here’s the semaphore man. I downed the outlaw jest
as he was about to hit him on the head with a piece of
two-by-four. The semaphore man wants to know what all
this fracas is about.’’

‘*What’s up?’’ asked the semaphore man.

‘‘A gang of desperadoes tried to stop and hold-up the
train,’’ replied Bertie, briefly, ‘‘and we prevented them
from doing it. That’s all. Have you got a rope, Ames?
I’ve got a prisoner here, too.”’

“No, I haven’t got a rope an’ I’ve only got one pair of
bracelets, an’ they’re on this chap.’’

‘‘T can get you a rope,’’ said the semaphore man,

‘*All right,’’ said Bertie; ‘‘hurry up.’’

The man disappeared and shortly returned with several
feet of rope.

The outlaw on the ground was just coming to himself
as Bertie tied him.

‘‘Now, Ames,’’ said Bertie, ‘tyou and the semaphore
man take these prisoners pack to the station and keep
I’m going down the track to see how the
Sheriff is getting along.”’

‘‘Keno,’’ said the big fellow,
prisoners.

Bertie went down the track a few rods and found two of
the possemen, each with a prisoner. : ©

‘‘Where is the colonel and the rest of his men?”’ asked
Bertie.

‘‘They’ve gone off with the hounds.”’

‘*How many men escaped?”’

SCE ore D9,

‘“Was any one hurt?’’

6 ‘No. 99

‘*‘Good! Bring your prisoners to the depot.’’

The possemen followed Bertie back up the track, and

starting off with his

‘they shortly joined Ames and the semaphore man.

About midnight another posseman rode in with a fifth
prisoner.

‘‘Where is the colonel?’

‘*T left him about ten pie from here, where the dogs
treed this fellow.”’

‘“There is only one more in the gang?”’

‘That’s all; the Duke himself. The kunnel swears he
won’t come back till he finds him. ¥

‘‘Good for the colonel!’’

It was daylight before the colonel and the rest of his
posse returned.

They had the Duke!

With them also came Ed Haggerty, the detective.

“Well, Haggerty,’’ cried Bertie, ‘thow is it that you
happen to be here?”’

‘‘T had the engineer let me off the train between stations
and started back. Met the sheriff and had hard work
explaining to him that I wasn’t an outlaw. He finally took
my word for it, and J joined in pursuit after the Duke.
We finally ran him down.’”’

“T don’t know what right you fellows have to set upon
a man who is journeying peaceably from one town to
another,’’ broke in the Duke.

“Oh, you’re mighty innocent, ain’t you?’’ sneered the
sheriff.

‘‘You can’t play a brace game on us,’’ put in Haggerty.

“Do you mean to say, Duke,’’ said Bertie, ‘‘that you
don’t know anyenine about this intended hold-up at
Rawlins?’’

‘‘That’s what I mean to say,’’ returned ne Duke, dog-
gedly; ‘‘I never heard anything about it.”’

Bertie turned to one of the prisoners.

  
 

14

DIAMOND DICK LIBRARY.

  
  

No 20.

 

 

‘‘Do‘you know that man?”’ he asked, pointing to the
Duke.

‘‘Never saw him before.’

The youth put the same question to all the other
prisoners, with a like result.

The Duke smiled triumphantly.

‘*You had. better release me,’’ said he, ‘‘or I will have a
heavy claim for damages against you. I repeat again—I
know nothing about any attempted hold- -up.’

‘You lie!”’

fhe words were spoken in a shrill voice, and fell with
startling suddenness upon the little group in the depot.

Every one turned toward the door.

The Duchess ‘had just entered.

CHAPTER VIII.
CONCLUSION.

The Duke was completely unnerved.

His face grew pale as death as he started back.

‘*You say this man tells an untruth,’’ said Bertie to the
Duchess.

‘*Yes; and I am prepared to prove it.”’

‘*You dare not lie about me,’’ said the Duke, with an air
of bravado. The Duchess laughed.

““You did not succeed in robbing the train, as you had
intended, and the money went through which was to be
used in bailing out Charley Whipple. He was bailed out,
but your man Flanders set. upon him when he was free and
hung him. So your dastardly work was successful after
a1"?

‘*T beg your pardon!”’

The speaker was a man‘in a long, linen duster, carrying
a satchel in one hand and an umbrella in another.

He entered the room as he spoke.

‘‘Who are you?’’ asked Bertie, drawing closer to the
man.

‘*Joe Redfield, of Smithville.’”’

‘‘And you say that Charley Whipple was not hung?”’

“Yes, do. That’s alla yarn. He’s alive an’ kickin’,
this minit.”’

As Joe Redfield spoke, he drew a bandanna handker-
chief from his pocket and wiped the sweat off his fore-
head.

As he did so, Bertie saw the mark of a Maltese cross
under the fringe of hair as it was pushed back.

An instant later he had Bender by the throat.

‘‘Bender,’’ he hissed, ‘‘I know you; say that Whipple is
killed—that you say he isn’t simply to benefit the Duke.
Do this; or, by heaven, I turn you over to the sheriff.’’

Bertie spoke these words so that no one could hear them
but Bender; for Bertie well knew that if the Duchess
thought Whipple to be alive, she would say nothing against
the Duke.

“‘Let me up!’’/groaned Bender.

‘* Will you tell the truth?’’ cried Bertie.

6e Yes. 99

‘‘Well, I'll give you a chance. Get up.’’

Bertie drew his revolver menacingly.

Bender got up slowly.

‘‘Who is the critter?’’ queried the sheriff.

‘““One of the Duke’s men; I recognized him. He came
here in disguise to try and shield the Duke.”

‘‘Then let’s take him in.’’

‘‘No; I’ve promised to let him go if he tells the truth
about Whipple. Goon Bender.’’

‘‘Well, I was lyin’,”’
dead, but 1 don’t think the Duke done him.”

That? senough. Pass out.’’

Bender slipped away.

He had gone to all this trouble just to give the Duchess
the information that Whipple was not dead.

The Duchess had gone to the hotel and administered to
him certain drugs that relieved, him of his hasheesh
stupor; she had then sworn to be his friend and help him
to get the better of the Duke—so Bender felt that he would
like to do her a good turn, and had attempted to do it in
this way.

The Duchess had not recognized him.
In fact, he was such a master-hand at making-up even |

 

-

was the dogged answer. ‘‘Whipple’s }'

 

‘‘Let this woman prove what ane says,’’ said the Duke.

‘‘You were behind the man who had Charley Whipple
sent up for horse stealing. It was your game.
was innocent and you knew it.”’

“Let Whipple prove his innocence!’’

‘‘He can—with this!’

The Duchess drew from her bosom a folded paper.

“Tt is the bill of sale for that horse you say he stole.
You knew of the existence of this bill of sale, and tried to.
get it and destroy it!”

This was a knock-out blow. 3

‘*Where did you get that?”’ asked Miller.

“You gave it to me as I stood by the gate.’

‘Jest as the Cap’n told us to do,’’ put in James. |

‘‘Shut up,’’ growled the Duke. «— ;

‘‘Not only that, but you killed Jack Osborne, the sheriff,
so that you might get Whipple tighter into your coils——””

**T could have sworn it!”’

Accompanying the words an athletic figure bounded into
the room, grabbed the bill of sale from the hands of the
Duchess and confronted the cowering form of the Duke.

‘‘Charley Whipple!’’ cried the Duchess, recoiling.

“You've made a fool of yourself, as usual,’’ said the

Duke.

“‘T sent your partner, Hosper, to the penitentiary,’’ cried
young Whipple, ‘
gallows, if I die for it.’’

* * * * ok * * *

» But little more remains to be told and our story is ended.

Diamond Dick, Jr., had accomplished his purpose.

By his courage and shrewdness he had saved young
Whipple from a terrible fate, for if the money for his bail
had not arrived when it did, Flanders and his mob would
have broken into the jail and taken him out and hung
him.

But the hold-up had been averted.

The Duchess was placed under arrest, and was tried
along with the Duke.

Nothing could be proved against her, however, and she
was set at liberty.

Owing to some indefatigable work on the part of Charley
Whipple the murder of the Custer County sheriff was

| fastened upon the Duke, and was so clearly proven at his

trial that he was condemned to the gallows.

His men were tried separately and senténced to various
terms in the. penitentiary.

What became of Barney, no one ever knew.

Hearing of her husband’s fate, she probably feared she
might herself become entangled in the meshes of the law,
and took refuge in flight.

On the day that Diamond Dick, Jr., left Rawlins to pur-
sue elsewhere his own particular line of adventure, young
Whipple came to him accompanied by his father,

‘‘Diamond Dick, Jr.,’’ said the young man, catching our
hero’s hand, ‘‘from what my father has told me I know
that I am indebted to you for my life. Iam not rich and
cannot reward you suitably, but my eternal gratitude is
yours. If I can ever do anything for you, call on me.”’

‘‘You can do something for me.’

‘*What?”’

‘*Go down to Butte and reward that young lady suitably

for sending you ten thousand dollars when you. needed it .

most.”’

Young Whipple blushed.

“‘T’1l do that, sir.’’ —

““Give her my regards, and say that I worked for her, in
this affair as much as I worked for you.”’

““T’ll do that, too.”’

Then they shook hands and separated.

In the afternoon of the same day, Haggerty came to
Bertie with a telegram in his hand and wearing a very
long face.-

‘“‘What’s the matter?’’ asked Bertie; ‘
though you had lost your best friend.”’

‘So I have,”’

“You don’t mean it!”’

“Yes. I’ve got a telegram here that summons me “back
East. That separates me from you, doesn’t it, and don’t I

‘you look as

Diamond Dick, Jr., wouid not have recognized him, had lose my best friend?”’

it not. been for the mark of that Maltese cross.

|

Bertie laughed.

Whipple ~

‘and now, by heaven! I’llsend you to the

          
   

 

 

 

a

 

 

 

 

 
  

  
      
 

   

 

Ss

 

 

 

 

 

   
 
  
   
 
 

| Ne 203.

 

“I’m sorry enough to part with you, old fellow, but per-
haps we shall meet again?”’

‘‘Not much likelihood of that. My sphere of action is.
the East, and yours is the West, see?”’ :

That afternoon they separated. a

Bertie liked the brave-hearted, whole-souled Haggerty,
and was sorry to lose him.

In a few days he left Montana and started for Texas on
something that proved to be a little the queerest case he
had ever tackled.
~ The story, however, will have to be told in a forthcom-

- ing issue of this library, to be entitled, ‘‘Diamond Dick,

Jr.’s Dark Case; Or, Lost on the Llano.”’
(THE END.)

“Tar Ack COPPERED TO WIN; or, SOL SLATER PIPING
THE DEAD Game Sport,’’ byAl. Pinkerton, will be pub-
lished in the next number (204) of the Diamonp Dick
LIBRARY.

 

  
 
 
  

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16 DIAMOND DICK LIBRARY, : Mo 218.

 

 

DIAMOND DICK LIBRARY.

IsSUED EVERY SATURDAY.

 

 

PRICH FIVE CENTS.

 

The celebrated Diamond Dick Stories can only be found in the D1iamonp Dick Liprary. Diamond Dick

is the most unique and fascinating hero of Western Romance. Don’t fail to read these stories. They are fine and
.. full of exciting interest. :

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1238.—DONALD DARKE: or, The Baltimore Detective. By George W. Goode.

139.—DIAMOND DICK, JR., IN DANGER; or, A Oucer Game at Maverick. By W. B. Lawson.

140.—THE FERRET DETECTIVE AND THE OPIUM FIENDS; or, Saved From a Terrible Fate. By Al. Pinkerton,
141.—DIAMOND DICK JR. AS A DEPUTY; or,The Clean-Up at Kingfisher. By W. B: Lawson.

142,_THE FERRET DETECTIVE’S SHARP WORK; or, A Beautiful Girl’s Mysterious Death. By Al. Pinkerton,
143.—DIAMOND DICK, JR.’S DRAG-OUT3 or, The Big Bluff at Boomerang. By W. B. Lawson.
145.—DIAMOND DICK, JR.’S DEADLOCK; or, The Hazy Knight From Juniper. By W. B. Lawson.

146.—THREE AGAINST ONEs$ or, The Whyo Gang’s Last Deal. By Tom Ward.
147.—DIAMOND DICK, JR.’S DUPESs or, A Blind Game In the Bad Lands. By W. B. Lawson.

148.—UNDER THE GULF; or, The Strange Voyage of the Torpedo Boat. By Harry St. George.

149.—DIAMOND DICK, JR.’S BOGUS DOLLAR; or, The Brothers of the Bowiz. By W. B. Lawson.

150.—THE GAYEST BOY IN NEW YORK: or, Adventures by Gaslight. By Dash Kingston.

151.—DIAMOND DICK, JR.’S DUAL ROLES or, The Bogie Man From Bad Axe. By W. B. Lawson,

152.—THE BOWERY DETECTIVE; or, The Bootblack’s Last Great Case. By Raymond Clyde.

153.—DIAMOND DICK, JR2S TOUGHEST TRAIL; or, The Coquette of Cochetopa. By W. B. Lawson, :
154.—MECHINET, THE FRENCH DETECTIVE; or, The Little Old Man of the Bagitnolles. By Francis A. Durivage.
155.—DIAMOND DICK, JR. ON DECKs or, The Treasure of the Montezumas. By W. B. Lawson.
156.<TELEGRAPH TOM, THE MESSENGER BOY DETECTIVE OF CHICAGO. By Charles Norris.

157.— TELEGRAPH TOMS TRAP; or, The Messenger Boy Detective in New York. By Charles Norris.
158.—DIAMOND DICK, JR.’S DANDY DISGUISE; or, A Tussle With the Pigtail Outlaws. By W. B. Lawson.

-160.—DIAMOND DICK, JR. AND THE DAYLIGHT SPECIALS; or, The Last of King Hip’s Tigers. By W. B. Lawson.

161.—NO SLOUCH. A Romance of Pike’s Peake. By Leander P. Richardson.
162.—DIAMOND DICK, JR.’S DARING DEAL; or, Under the Mafia’s Ban. By W. B. Lawson,
163.— TELEGRAPH TOMS WINNING GAME; or, The Messenger Boy Detective Among the Bowery Sharps. By Charles Norris,
164.—DIAMOND DICK, JR.’S DEUCE OF DIAMONDS; or, The Bravo of Bullet Bend. By W. B. Lawson,
165.—THE TICKET-OF-LEAVE MAN. By Leander P. Richardson.
166.—DIAMOND DICK, JR.’S DASHING DRIVE: or, The Hornets of Harqua Kala. . By W. B. Lawson,
167.—TELEGRAPH TOMS TRAMP; or, A Young Detective’s Luck. By Charles Norris.
168.—DIAMOND DICK, JR.’S DEMON ANTEs r, The Wind-up at Salt River. By W. B. Lawson.
169.—RIGHT IN ITs; or, A New York Boy asa Fancy Farmer. By Will Winner.
170.—DIAMOND DICK, JR.’°S DESPERATE DECISION; or, Comet Kate, of Calabasas. By W. B. Lawson,
171.—DIAMOND DICK, JR., AT DOS CABEZOSs or, The Countess of. Monte Cristo. By W. B. Lawson.
172.—PAWNEE BILL’S GREAT FIGHT; or, May Lillie, the Rifle Queen. By E. W. Wheeler.
173.—DIAMOMD DICK, JRZS WRITTEN RECEIPT; or, The Mystery of Casa Grande. By W. B. Lawson,
174.—PAWNEE BILL AND JESSE JAMES; or. The Kansas Rangers. By E. W. Wheeler.
175.—DIAMOND DICK, JR.’S CALL DOWNS; or, The King of the Silver Box. By W. B. Lawson.
176.—PAW NEE BILL AT WORK FOR UNCLE SAMs or, On the Trail With Spotted Tail. By E. W. Wheeler,
177.—DIAMOND DICK, JR.’S SNAP-SHOT; or, The Ten-Strike at the Tame Tiger. By W. B. Lawson.
79.—DIAMQ} K, IRS TRAVELING NAMOs or, Run to Earth in Grand Canyon. By W. B. Lawson,
180.—THE CRIMSON TRAIL: or, On Custer’s Last War-Path. By “Buffalo Bill.” Wie
181.—BiAMOND DICK. JR.2S PLAY TO WIN: or, The Naboh of Nowhere. By W. B. Lawson.
182. NIMBLE NIP, THE. CALL-BOY OF THE OLYMPIC THEATRE. By John A, Mack.
183.—DIAMOND DICK, JR.2S NIGHT DISPATCH: or, Little Thunderbolt at His Best. By W. B. Lawson. |
184.—BOSS OF LONG-HORN CAMP; or, A Fortune for a Ransom. By A. C. Monson.
185.—DIAMOND DICK, JR”S SILVER DECOY; or, The Thugs of Tonton Basin. By W. B. Lawson.
ae ae ery Pi ae ane aes hie of the Rail. By Chester F. Baird.
87.—DIAMON JR.’S L TNING DEAL; or, Up To Date, and a Little Ahead. By W. B. L ‘
188.—THE FIGHT AT DEATH RANCH. By Francis A. Durivage. — Pa as Sh ee
189.—DIAMOND DICK, JR.2S MIX-UP; or, The Tanglefoot Twins in Trouble. By W. B. Lawson.
aa Creme Wtce eS a a Gon ene wee Lieutenant Preston Graham.
eeu (, JRoS MYSTER is AGRAMS or Branding ¢ Ma rick. By W. B. L e
192._WILD BILI’S LAS’ TRAIL, By Ned Buntling Ss ae
(93.—_ DIAMOND DICK, JR.2S TRUNK CHECK; or, The Man in the Silver Mask. By W. B. Lawson.
194.—ROVING RALPH; or, A Pirate in Spite of Himself. By Herbert Ridly Mooney.
195.—DIAMOND DICK, JR.’S BLIND LEADs or, Playing for a Big Stake. By W. B. Lawson.
ean Se Roger Starbuck.
197.—DIAMOND DIC Ss THT AGAINST ODDS; or, The Fire Bugs of Cripple Creek. By W. B. y
198._HARK CRINGLE: or, The One-Armed Buccaneer, By Ned Buntline. Pr ae ‘ iin
199.--DIAMOND DICK, JR.’S STILL HUNTS or, The Secret of Yellowstone. By W. B. Lawson.
200.—STAR SPANGLED DICK; or, The Hero of Wyoming Valley. By R. M. Taylor.
201.—DIAMOND DICK, JR., IN A NEW DEATs or, The Tragedy at Geyser. By W. B. Lawson.
202.—THE WINSTON TRAIN HOLD-UPS or, Shots Through the Freight Car. By R. M. Taylor.
203.--DIAMOND DICK, JR.2S DANGER SIGNAL; or, The Red Lights at Rawlins. By W. B. Lawson.
204.—THE ACE COPPERED TO WIN; or, Sol Slater Piping the Dead Game Sport. By Al Pinkerton.

 

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