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Full Title
Major Magnet, the Man of Nerve; or, The Muck-a-Mucks of Animas. A Romance of the Silver Range / by Jos. E. Badger, Jr.
Author
Badger, Jos. E. (Joseph Edward), 1848-1909 .
Date Added
9 January 2014
Format
Journal
Language
English
Publish Date
1889-03-06
Publisher
New York : Beadle and Adams
Series
Beadle's New York Dime Library > v. XLII, no. 541
Source
Dime Novel and Popular Literature
Alternate Title
Muck-a-Mucks of Animas. Beadle's New York Dime Library, v. XLII, no. 541, March 6, 1889.
Topic
Dime novels > Specimens.
About
More Details Permanent Link
Disclaimers
Disclaimer of Liability Disclaimer of Endorsement
OCR
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8 “Ma jor Magnet, the Man of Nerve.
Fair and welcome though that vision was to
his eyes, Major Magnet gave it but the single
glance just then, turning bis eyes swiftly to
sweep the little glade aud sum up the odds he
must encounter m order to complete the rescue
which he had vowed to bring about,
He could scarcely believe bis good fortune
when he saw but a single man on guard, and in
Lis eager joy at the favorable prospect he for-
got his caution so far as tosnapa twig as he
rose and leaped forward, felling the Muck-a-
muck with one sharp stroke of his revolver.
And with a low, gasping cry %f terror, Rose
Bryer struck ber frightened horse sharply with
band and heel, plunging swiftly away in flight!
CHAPTER 1X.
A SPUNKY LITTLE FIREFLY.
“ He’ be as good as his word, will Tom, sir,”
said Dan Keithwood in low, far from steady
tones as he sought in vain for any signs of re-
lenting or mercy from that quarter, .
** And I'll be good as mine,” was the mocking
respouse, ‘If the stubborn rascal hurts either
‘ou or your mate, I'll toast him over a slow fire
just as soon as he’s turned over his keys to us.”
‘* Hapo o’ good that same’ll do the loikes av us,
ay moind, now!” groan: Patsy Brannigan,
but with a touch of bot indignation in his honest
blue eyes. ‘t Weedy’s no liar—av he ownly wor,
this noight!” .
Only a thought of “ Lizzie and the kids” kept
Dan Keithwood from whirling the heavy ax
around to bury its blade in what lay behind
that grim mask, And that same thought led
him to make one more appeal to the resolute
Express messenger and his backers, the mail
clerks, .
“* Tom—boys—you know I wouldn’t play the
baby if there was even thé ghost of a show to
make connections; but there isn’t.. The whole
gang is here, and that’s big enough to carry off
the car if they can’t get at the inside eny
easier,”
he We'll play the tune for them to keep step by,
then!”
“That isn’t Devil Dan talking
was never known to lose his nerve
These words came from one of the mail clerks;
and the bronzed face of the veteran engineer
flushed hotly at the sneer, but he was playing for
more than his own life, and again addressed the
messenger:
‘They swear to butcher us both if we don’t
break down the door, Tom, and I reckon they'll
keep their oath, You're single, but I’ve gota
family depending on my single arm, . It isn’t a
very heavy run, Tom, and you’ve done enough
already for any one man—even the old man
couldn’t give you your time for yielding to a
gang as strong as this,”
“It isn’t the old man, nor the amount of
money, Keithwood, but the oath I took to do my
duty while breath lasted.”
‘*T'll make the money loss good if I have to
crawl on my knees from door to door to beg it
from the charitable, Weeden.”
There came no reply, but that silence was a
refusal even more significant than could have
been shaped in words.
Keithwood turned once more to the High
Muck-a-muck, his voice calm with the greatness
of his despair.
“‘Tye done my level best, You heard wha
he said, Tom Weeden will defend his charg:
against any and every odds, and be’d kill us
without mercy if we tried to batter down that
but tkere; he
!
oor!
“And Pll kill you if you don’t make the at-
tempt!” flashed the head train-robber, pistol in
and.
‘*'Ye won't shoot, Weedy—ye’re ownly blath-
erin’?” cried Patsy Brannigan as a forlorn hope.
“Sure, the divils ’ll make us do it!”
“Td shoot my own father if he tried to break
in here,” came the cold, steady answer, and
with it vanished the last faint hope of the two
unfortunate prisoners,
““That ends thé palaver; now get down to
your work, gentlemen!” the High Muck-a-muck
cried, his revolvers covering them as though he
had the power to read the mad, desperate
thoughts which crowded their brain,
The same fierce impulse was upon them both,
and only for that sudden precaution the end of
that head rascal would bave come right speedily,
As it was, both Keithwood and Brannigan knew
that before their arms could swing and strike
with those keen weapons, Captain Junius could
and would shoot to kill,
‘*Get_to work, do you hear?” repeated the
chief, his shrill notes growing more vicious with
the delay. ‘* Let the buli-headed fool shoot if he
will, there’s a chance for him to miss you, while
I never waste a cartridge.”
With a switt glance at each other, the two
men dropped the axes and folded their arms
over their quickly throbbing hearts, Dan Keith-
wood steadily sayi:
“All right. If
white to the last!”
‘* You refuse to do what I order?”
‘Tom swears he'll kill us if we try it on, and
you can’t do more than tat if we refuse,”
_ The last word had hardly crossed his lips be-
ng:
we've got to die, we'll die
fore those weapons exploded, almost together,
and the two men stagge back.
Not in death, but with a sensation as of a red-
hot iron sweeping across a cheek to pierce an
ear, while the flame and smoke temporarily
blinded them. .
“Last call!” rung out the sharp voice of
Captain Junius, as a motion sent his men to
grasp the half-stunned prisoners. ‘* Will you
play cat to our monkey?” .
“It’s more loike a pig—with a bit out av me
ear!” spluttered Patsy, losing all fear in his bot
rage at thus being marked, *‘ Divila lick will
I stroike anless ye give me a chance at the
dirtby noggin’ av ye! An’ thin its niver
anither ye'll be beggin’ for, I'll go bail!”
Captain Junius strode forward and pressed
the muzzle of his pistol fairly against tbe fore-
head of the angry fireman, the hammer lifted
anJ kis finger on the trigger.
Branning flincbed a trifle as the cold metal
touched his skin, but then rallied and gazed de-
fiantly into those flaming eyes.
“ Shoot, ye cur!
anyway!”
This ite hung on a hair, and not one among that
evil gang but felt certain hls brains would fly
to the winds the next instant; but so sudden
and painless a doom did not satisfy the enraged
chief.
Withdrawing hls weapon and starting back a
little, he cried: .
“Truss em up,lads, some of you, while the rest
start a fire under the car! They shall all roast
together, though it be the last act of my life!
Lively, for—”
Two shots came in swift succession from the
car, and Captain Junius gave an augry start as
a bit of lead stung him sharply on one shoulder,
though the skin was hardly broken. But the
warning was sufficient, and with his men drag-
ging their prisoners along, that position was
abandoned for another which would not be so
readily commanded by the defenders of the
Mail and Express.
With their chief urging them on, the Muck-a-
mucks made rapid work of the terrible task
assigned them, so far as kindling the fire was
concerned. The ends of burning logs were
dragged from the big fire and piled under the
car at each end, close to the trucks, then fresh
fuel was hurriedly cast upon the glowing
brands, to shortly ignite and send up forked
tongues of yellow flame, licking and blackening
the bottom of the stubbornly-defended coach. .
“That's plenty!” harsbly cried the High
Muck-a-muck as he saw this, ‘Toss these
fools in for back-logs, and let their howlings
tell their mates inside what they have to ex-
pect!”
Even those crime-hardened rascals hesitated
to obey, unable to fully credit their ears, and
before the infuriated chief could repeat his ter-
rible order, the swift clattering of hoofs came
through the night, and Little Firefly dashed up
to. the spot, shooting out of her sadddle as
though hurled from it by the sudden stopping
of her horse, rather than of her own yolition.
‘‘For shame! How dare you be so cruel?”
came pantingly from her lips as a little gloved
hand struck Captain Junius sharply on one
arm that was flung out to arrest her progress,
‘*Tbere are human beings in the car—merciful
eavens!”
The ejaculation came with a painful gasp as a
couple of shots rung out, the flame-tinged smoke
lighting up the barred window briefly, .
A fierce oath came from behind that grim
mask as the High Muck-a muck flung an arm
about the trim waist of the girl, whirling her so
as to hide that sight from her eyes, and there
was a curious blending of love with the anger
that rung in his voice as he said:
““Why did you come—how dared you break
my, orders, Firefly?”
he girl quickly rallied from the awful sick-
ness which seemed to overcome her as she real-
ized in full the evil work that was being done
by command of him whom she called father. /
“ Pather—men—are you devils, instead, to
stand idly by and witness such an atrocious
crime?, Letme go—I’ll scatter the brands and
save those poor fellows if it kills me!” .
“Tt’s only to scare them into opening up
little fool!” growled the chief, holding her pow-
erless, despite her frantic efforts to break away.
“They'll cave in good time, be sure of that.”
_ Little Firefly suddenly ceased her struggles,
like one convinced that her alarm had been
witbout full foundation, and her father added
in a tone of visible relief:
“Go back and wait, as I bade you, Firefly.
This is no place for such as you, and I was an
infernal fool for letting you come.” .
‘*'You promised me that no great harm should
be done, You swore that unless you could ac-
complish your ends without sbedding blood, you
would give over and turn away to wait fora
better chance,” .
‘°T meant all I said, too, but—”
Men!" flashed Little Firefly, turning her
head as she spoke; ‘Put out that fire! Go—I
command you!” .
Though Captain Junius said no word in denial,
not one of the Muck-a-mucks made a move to-
I can’t die but the wanst,§) s
ward obeying the girl. Whatever their senti-
Ss!
ments toward her, their dread of the chief way j
still more potent. .
With a swift, desperate effort Little Firefly
broke away from the arms of ber father, hiy
grasp having relaxed as ber struggles ceased,
“Back !” she cried, drawing a revolver ang
turning the muzzle toward her own temple ag
Captain Junius started to catcb ber again, *
heaven records my oath, Vl fire if you dary
toucb me again while the poor fellows in yonder
car are in peril!”
“*Don’t—Little Firefly!” hoarsely gasped _ the
startled chief, recoiling with a hand uplifted,
“Order your devils to put out those fire,
father,” her voice cold and steady though her
dark eyes seemed flaming. ‘* Quick! hesitate
and see your child fall dead at your feet! Isweay
it, by mother’s grave!”
«Go_do as she says, men,” the outlaw com.
manded, his voice so altered that his men would
never have recognized it bad they not seen his
gesture in confirmation.
They sprung forward, eager enough to obey it,
med. Crime-stained and bardened though
they were by a life of lawlessness, they were not
anxious to bave ashare of such an atrocious
deed on their souls,
**Are you satisfied?” asked the chief, with
forced calmness, but not daring to approach bis
daughter as long as that deadly weapon wag
held against ber white temple. ‘Put down
your gun, Firefly. If it should go off—”
“It would not inflict near so awful a wourd
as my poor heart has already received, father,”
came the broken, grieved response. ‘Yo
swore to me—you said there should be no lives
taken and—”
“It was their own fault. Whby must they
hold out so recklessly?”
“Go—go help them make sure! If any mis.
take shculd be made, even now, I'll never live
to see the sun rise again. I could not, knowing
that my father was—a murderer ” .
Captain Junius hesitated for a moment; then
he turned and hurried down to where his men
were scattering the blazing brands and whi
ping out the few streaks of light that marked
where the bottom of the car had already caught
fire.
Not a word was uttered by eitber himself or
bis men, They were curiously aw his
silence, and hardly one among their number but
dreaded what was yet to come,
Would even Little Firefly escape without
harm?
CHAPTER X.
FOILED AT ALL POINTS.
Nor until Captain Junius had fairly reached
the car and joined his men at work extinguish-
ing the fires, did Little Firefly lower that weapon
from her temple, but when it: did drop to her
side, with it went all outward emotion save tbat
of hot anger as_she flashed an angry look upon
the two men still standing near.
“Why are you skulking, you wretches?” she
cried, boldly advancing, to recoil a bit as Dan
Keithwood made reply:
“Tf you look at our hands and feet, miss,
you'll see the answer.”
* An’ divil a bit w’u'd ye be seein’ us this long
av it worn't fer thim same—bad luck to them
same knots!” growled Patsy Brannigan, pitch-
ing heavily forward on bis knees then rolling
over on his side, the consequence of bis attempt
ing to take astep in his hampered condition,
“ Av ye'll jist lind us the loan av a knoife, mum,
we'll make up fer sthoppin’ be pullin’ her woide
opin an’—”. . :
Don't ask too much, Patsy,” interposed
Keithwood, not daring to press their good for:
tune too bardly at first, © ‘‘ We already owe you
our lives, ledy, and if I get clear this night,
there'll be Lizzie and the kids praying for you,
night and day.”
‘* You don’t think—it was only to frighten the
guards into opening up the car,” faltered Little
Firefly. :
‘¢ Ay’ him biddin’ the imps pitch the botbo
us in the foire box to make more st’ame wid the
fat o’ us? indignantly spluttered Patsy, wholly
ignoring the muttered caution from the lips of
is mate. ‘‘Fricken be—-av ye say so, mum!”
at last taking the hint and smothering his re-
sentment.
“Tecan’t think that, but. I promise you now
that neither of you_ shall be barmed further,”
hurriedly declared_ Little Firefly, noticing the
return of Captain Junius and his men.
** Are you satisfied, now?” the chief asked, his
voice low and seemingly shaken, as he drew near
10 where the girl stood by the side of Dan
Keithwood.
‘**] will be, when you pass your word of honor
that neither of these two poor fellows shall be
harmed, father,” steadily replied Little Firefly, }
one hand lightly touching the arm of the
engineer, ’
** Will you mount your horse and ride back to
where I left you?” :
“Vd much rather stay with you, father,” and
her hand moved to his arm instead, her dark
eyes gazing up into his, the only. feature visible
with that grim mask covering his face. :
‘© Because you doubt me?” :
‘Because I'd rather share your fate, be that
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