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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
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Disclaimers
Disclaimer of Liability Disclaimer of Endorsement
OCR
Major Magnet, the Man of Nerve. |
a
13
and lovable as this impulsive child, and marvel-
ously like unto ber in face as in actions, too!
Just so had that other been wont to thank him,
when her heart was too full for easy speech.
The memory was maddening, since with it
came all that bad followed after, and almost
roughly Major Magnet drew away from his
companion, bis tones cold and measured as he
spoke again:
“You are eager torun down yonder to join
your fellow-passengers, Miss Bryer, but { must
isk you to delay yet a Jittle longer.”
« Why should wef? with a start, a touch of
that banished fear coming back to her great
eyes as they turned upon his dimly seen face.
“Surely those dreadful men have fled, and there
can be nothing more to fear from them?”
“Such of the evil gang as wore the insignia
may have done so, but what of those still more
to be dreaded? For, on my word as a man, Miss
Bryer, I believe there were secret allies aboard
our train.”
‘Even if so, they would not dare harm me—
with you as a guard,”
ot openly, perhaps, but you had a trusted
escort before, and be rushed you into trouble
instead of protecting you from it.”
Rose shivered, that haunting voice coming
back to her again, and though he made no sign,
Major Maguet felt that she was learning to dis-
trust handsome Creed Ashmole, Did he dare
tell her all?) Would it be wisest? Would it still
further shake her already overtasked nerves?
“Sit down, please,” he said, gravely. “I
haye much more to tell which you ought to hear
before rejoining those people down yonder.”
The maiden obeyed, though a faint sigh parted
her Jips. She longed to leave these ugly shadows
for the clear light. She louged to see many
friendly faces about her, to bear their unre-
strained voices, She felt that much more of
“You need not fear our missing connections,
little lady,” laughed the major, reading part of
her fears and hastening to set them at rest,
““While prowling around in search of a lost
treasure—my friend’s treasure—I picked up
quite a bit of information. Part of that was
how our engine had been disposed of, The
Muck-a-mucks run it off the track into a gully,
waere it lies a mass of useless iron,”
““Can’t_that one engine serve both trains?”
ventured Rose,
‘When tke track is repaired, yes. If I'm
any judge, that is just what our good friends
of the freight intend doing as quickly as -
sible,” nodding his head toward the bustling
men beyond and below, ‘* And while they are
thus bridging over the break, I beg you will an-
swer a few questions, Be sure I’m not asking
them to gratify a simple curiosity, Miss Bryer.”
“‘T could never think of you in connection
with augbt mean or petty or trifling, Major
Magnet,” was her earnest response, ‘* Ask me
what you will, I freely admit your right.”
‘* This is your first trip so far West, then?”
“Yes, I hardly expected to come, even now,
but father wrote that he would not’ be able to
pay me his long promised visit, through business
complications, and asked me how Ta like to
come out to Animas City instead. Of course
the idea pleased me, and I told him so, Thenhe
said be would send a trusted friend to meet and
escort me on the way.”
‘That friend was Mr. Ashmole?”
Rose bowed ber head. She hardly dared
speak just then, for that voice—so strangely
like the voice of Creed Asbmole—seemed to be
ringing in her ears once mor
‘' [supposed so, from his actions on the train,”
quietly uttered the raajor, curbing bis impulse
to bluntly accuse the handsome young fellow
with shameful treachery, ‘I had met bim be-
fore, though hardly often enough to call bim a
friend. He is in your father’s employ, I believe.
He isan old friend? You had met him before
you accepted his escort for this journey?”
“T only knew him by the letters which he
brought me from father, but—you are hiding
something from me!” with sudden. suspicion,
“T¢ can’t be that I have been so basely deceived?
He is really what he represented himself?
Father did send him?”
“T haven't the slightest doubt of
ebild,” quickly replied the major. ‘ A
you, I’ve met Mr. Ashmole a number of times
in your father’s office. He is a sort of secretary
and confidential clerk, and that your father
selected him to act as your escort, ought to be
recommendation enough for any man, stranger
or friend.”
Rose was silenced, if not quite convinced,
Though she tried to banish that haunting voice
and reason herself out of the ridiculous fancy
that it was indeed Creed Ashmole who had
spoken in front of her hiding-place, she was
only partially successful.
As for Major Magnet, he was content to let
that point rest for the present, satisfied that
there was nothing like a love affair between the
young couple. Though Creed Ashmole should
suffer for his vile treachery, the proper time
had not yet arrived for exposing him in his real
colors, and as there was a chance that Rose
might meet kim again before reaching ber des-
it, dear
s I told
tination, better let her have no chance for sbow-’
ing him what the future beld in store,
‘* What I am about tosay may shock you,
Miss Bryer, but you ought to know why I fight
so shy of taking you back to the train. It is be-
cause I still fear that you have ugly enemies
among those people, and if they were to see you
return, even under my escort, another attempt :
might be made to get you again into their evil
clutcbes.
*‘T said _I believed the train robbers bad allies
aboard. I say sostill. In no other way cau be
explained the words which I chanced to bear
while searching for you in the gloom, I learn-
ed enough then to feel sure your abduction was
an important part of their scheme, if not their
sole reason for their halting the train, though
they tried tocover itup undera general rob-
ery. vy,
“What am I to do?” faltered Rose, shivering
nervously, ‘tI cannot stop here. I cannot
walk all the way to Animas City,”
Major Magnet laughed softly, more to reas-
sure his fair companion than from any actual
lightness of heart just then,
“Tl not ask impossibilities of you, little lady,
be sure, You shall ride to your destinatiou on
yonder train, or at least as far as Durango,
You should go instateas the heroine of the
night, if I knew that might be done without
again endangering you.”
‘Then you think—”
“That there must have been a traitor aboard
our train, else bow could the Muck-a-mucks
know just which train to lay a trap for? They
must bave known for hours just when to expect
your coming. nd if the one who sent them
such information was cunning enough to wear
his mask of innocence so long, what is to binder
him from still playing the role of an_ honest
traveler? What is to hinder him from keeping
a close watch for your return, and then from
signaling his evil gang? And though I can’t ex-
plain exactly how that could be arranged if we
delay our return until the train is about ready
to pull out once more, still it is not impossible:
even then he might giveasign tbat would re-
sult in another deadly trap being sprung to gain
their rich prize.”
Rose shivered with sickening despair even at
the bare thought, but she managed to utter the
ords:
‘* What am I to do, then? I have only you to
guide me, now, and i am feeling so weak, 50
fearful, so distrustful of my own powers!”
“You trust me, then, little lady?”
The maiden leaned forward, gazing intently
into his face, now dimly revealed by the pale
moonlight. Then she said:
“T do, I will. I trust you as I would my own
father.”
CHAPTER XVI.
EXPRESS PACKAGES.
“Ir I betray that trust, may God fail me in
the hour of my greatest need, Rose Bryer,”
solemnly uttered Major Magnet as he clasped
her hands between his and p them firmly.
With those words came a strange sense of
ace and security to the maiden, and her past
ears seemed to melt away like fog before the
warm sunshine,
“Tell me what lam to do, dear friend,” she
said, simply.
** You will not be afraid to remain here alone
for a short time?”
‘Not if you tell me it is all for the best,” was
the brave reply,
“*T believe it is, or I'd never propose such a
trial after all you have so bravely endured this
night, little lady.”
“Then I will stay.”
“T hardly think there is any danger to be
dreaded, beyond the airy notbings of thenight,”
with a softlaugh that went far to strengthen
her. ‘If you lie quiet, a dozen Muck-a-mucks
might pass by within as many yards of your
refuge without so much as suspecting what a
rare treasure they were missing.”
“Then you still think some of those evil men
are near?” :
“No, I don’t, to be frank, And yet, they
are hard to trustin, They may be hiding near
by, hoping to receive a signal from their secret
ally, but if so they'll take precious good care
not to expose theraselves to notice by wandering
about, so you're safe against them, don’t you
see? But if anything should happen—you know
how to shoot?”
‘*T know which is supposed to be the danger-
ous end of a pistol, if that may be called know-
ing how to shoot,” with a faint laugh as he
placed a revolver close beside her.
“That’s all that is necessary, even should
rouble come, for I'}l not be gone long, and at
the worst I'll al ways be near enough to answer
such a summons before harm could come to
you.
‘* May I know where you are going?”
“Certainly; the trust is not to be allon one
side, little lady, even if you do have to furnish
the greatest portion, thanks to circumstances,
Iam going down yonder to engage passage to
Animas City for you and myself, Is that suffi
cien
Rose looked as though she would like more
light, but for fear of seeming to repent ber
pledge to trust bim implicitly, she forced back
the questions that struggled for utterance, bow-
ing her head silently,
“T appreciate your anxiety, Rose,” taking
her hand and pressing it warmly as he added:
“But as my plans are not yet fully formed, 1
can’t tell you more just When I como
back, you shall know everything.”
“Do not be any longer than you can help,
please.” .
“Tf not exactly Arie), I'll do my level best,
little lady. And you must lie hidden under this
bush until you distinctly reccgnize me, And
don’t give a sign even then, unless 1 call you by
that title: little lady. You understand me
fully?”
““] understand.
me, dear friend.”
Even with important work before him, Major
Magnet found it bard to tear bimself away from
the side of this maiden, who bad so strangely
come into his Jife, who bad so strangely taken
full rossession of—was it his heart?
‘\T vowed never to love a woman again, but—
And she looks on me as a sort of adopted father,
just. for a night!”
With that bitter reflection, Major Magnet
turned away, passing over the little rise instead
of making bis way directly down the slope to the
cars, Although he had no fears of being at-
tacxed, even should any of the train-robbers be
skulking near, he bad his reasons for wisbing to
keep out of sight, not only of such enemies, but
of those who might be called friends, at the cars
below,
“TeIcan get hold of Oberland, and win bis
backing, the riffle won’t be nigh so hard to
make!
He made a circuit wide enough to guard
against his being noticed by any person near the
coaches, then drawing near the point where the
passenger engine had been wrecked by the train-
robbers.
The united crews were busily at work, patcb-
ing up the track for temporary uve, This was
not a very formidable task after all, since only a
single rail bad been removed by the wreckers,
and it had escaped injury from the locomotive
when that frightful plunge was taken. .
A number of the ties were broken and torn out
of place, the opposite rail being bent and loosen-
ed; but all that could be remedied, und by cau-
tious pushing the cars could be gotten over the
dangerous point.
Major Magnet slouched his hat, and turned
up the collar of bis coat, knotting a handker-
chief about his neck, tbus obscuring his face, and
disguising his identity sufficiently, without mak-
ing it an object of suspicion to any who might
notice bim,
He found the portly conductor manfully at
work, puffing like a porpoise, and a few minutes
assed before be found a fair chance to make
imself known to Oberland.
“Mein Gott! I hear you vbas deadt!” that
honest fellow spluttered, as the major spoke to
bim; but fortunately nocne else caught those
startled words, and Major Magnet quickly drew
the conductor to one side, where they could talk
without fear of heing overbeard,
“Never mind just how I bappen to come back
from the land of ghosts, my friend,” laughed the
major, freeing his hand from that excitedly joy-
ous grasp. ‘' The story’ll keep for a more con-
venient opportunity, and I’ve gota mighty fa-
vor toask of you.”
“ Ask anything but the geod frau, dear boy,”
Jaughed Oberland, losing Lis broken English, as
I will do precisely as you bid
he fairly realized that the man whom he deem-
murde: and growing cold, wasalive and
quite himself,
Major Magnet cast a quick glance to the work,
seeing that it was rapidly nesring com pletion
so far as it could le finished with the tcols an
means at their disposal.
‘*Come a little further cff, please, and "ll tell
‘ou what I want. They'll net miss you, unless
i be by finding more room for their elbows to
swing in.
left a pound of fat for every furlong be-
tween here and the station!” solemnly declared
Oberland, wiping bis brow and puffing at the
bare memory of bis long night race,
“You can spare it without being taken fer a
living skeleton, old fellow, tut that don’t count,
You saw Ashmole jump the car with Miss
Bryer? Well, the Muck-a-mucks got her, and I
maneged to get ber away again; just bow, lll
explain when there’s more time to spare.
“Enough tbat I found out enough to feel mor-
ally certain that this whole business sprung
from a wish to pret ber into their clutches, to
squeeze money out of her father. And that
there was somebody on the train that kept them,
posted as to her journey.”
“Creed Asbmole, for a moral!”
**Don't say it, even if you think so,” hastil
uttered the major, “If it ts he, be sure he'll
ay the penalty when the right time comes.
iVbat [ want to get at is this: The young lady
can’t hoof it clear to Animas City, nor yet as
far as Durango,” .
| ‘What's the matter with the train?”
“Tt might be a good deal, if she was seen to
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