The Golden Argosy: Tom Gale's Ride — page 10: what you’re looking at

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

et Sarg pipe 0 «Ow “ s es . ein, ab ae Ak a a ta GLA ia OO TS SOR ee Ts at ee ee Sy fat ae aes ail fil Ste er es Teal Be 4. ee eee eT eee Cee ot es A. eee a ti daen Saba eee oe ate wie Pee Te ’ 3 Ms ‘ . - ah - 7" ae al = . ‘ § : Se na al bt mA 7 538 THE GOLDEN ARGOSY. JULY 23, 1887, I am too well acquainted with the open-| full extent of his white teeth, while admin- handedness of the mining fraternity in the | istering this rebuke to his darkey brother. Golden State and elsewhere to dream of} ‘‘Shoo! go way wid yer nonsenz, and haggling about terms as to payment of my| don’t bodder me,” responded the hungry poor services.” and aggrieved Jasper, who did not appre- ‘What, then?” said Seth. ‘‘We don’t| ciate the joke, the young Englishman's want to bind you down to any fixed sort o’| humorous mistake as to the result of his ’greement, if you'd rather not.” rifle shot not having yet been promulgated for the benefit of those in camp. y ‘*Am none ob you gentlemens comin’ to : oes tie dinnah, hey?” he called out, more loudly; pgp de dd-wtoejlic dade Micra rnce ‘* Massa Rawlin’s tell me to hab tings ready Bey beter WILTON hesitated a moment|/in brace o’ shakes; and now tings fix up before answering. right smart, nobody come. Him berry ag- ‘*T was only considering,” he re- | gerabating—can’t understand it nohow!” plied, at length, vexed at his own hesitancy, ‘‘None o’ your sass,” said Seth, grutily, ‘¢ whether I could fairly give up the party | although the lurking smile on his face with whom I started from Oregon, as I was|took off from the effect of his words; under a species of engagement, as it were, | ‘‘none o’ your sass, Jasper, or I'll keelhaul although there was no absolutely signed | you, and make you fancy yourself aboard and sealed undertaking. It wouldn't be| ship once more!” right, I think, to leave them altogether| ‘*Me not sassy, Massa Seth. I’se hab too without notice.” much respect for myself, sah, for dat! I ‘‘Nary mind the half-hearted lot,” said | only tells you as de meat’s done and gettin’ Noah Webster, at this juncture, putting his | cool, dat’s all, while yous be all jabberin’ spoke in the wheel. ‘‘Didn’t they leave |’way jus’ like passul monkeys. No imper- yer out alone in the mountains? I wouldn't | ance in dat, massa, as I sees!” give a red cent for sich pardners.” ‘¢Stow that, you ugly cuss,” said Seth, ‘But I promised to stay with these fel-| good humoredly, for he was used somewhat till we got over to the settlements on | to Master Jasper’s ‘‘cheek” by this time. side,” said Ernest Wilton, smiling at | ‘‘ You're jest about as bad as a Philadelphy characteristic vehemence against|lawyer when you get your jaw tackle -hearted companions of his who | aboard! todd held back while he had gone forward| ‘Now, boys,” he added, hailing the mi- himself, ‘‘and I like to keep my word | ners, who were nothing loath to obey the yhen 1 can, you know-—at all events, I| signal, ‘‘the darkey says the vittles are ght to send and let them know where I | ready, aad you as wants to feed had better x _ fall to!” “We sha’n’t quarrel about that,” said} During this little interlude, Ernest Wil- Mn, Rawlings, kindly, to put the other at} ton had been closely engaged in watching is ease, for some of the rongh miners did | the actions of the poor boy, ‘‘ Sailor Bill.” ypear to like the Englishman’s hang-| His face had attracted him from the first ; from jumping at their leader’s | moment he caught sight of him; but when ~~ < ; | He ‘4 man who is so anxious to keep| he had more leisure to observe him, after _his word, even with people who left him in| the palaver with Mr. Rawlings and the mi- er, and he noticed certain pe- pre ec will be all the more likely to act | ners was OV _-—-- straightforwardly towards us. Don't, how- | culiarities about the object of his attention | ss ever, let that fret you, for you will be able | which had previoushy esca: ved. his notice, to communicate as easily with your friends, | his interest became greatly heightened. were | more so, by stepping here with us, as| Sailor Bill had all r p- ae going on to the nearest frontier town- | pearance since the day he had bee : be passqble aga with a pale face and a wasved - ete a other gentry, with; The keen, healthy air and out-of-doors eeSys o do, come hanging | life out West had worked wonders with -|him, and he was now rosy and stalwart, ‘for you across the hills--for a; his body having filled out and his cheeks ynsideration, of course!” added Mr. | grown much fatter, while he was even con- gs, with his bluff, hearty laugh. siderably taller than he had been some six that there'll be,” said Seth Allport. | months previously. you trouble about that, mister;}| As on board ship, Sailor Bill stuck to with us a free heart, and run our | Seth Allport as his shadow, moving where us, and we'll be downright glad, | he moved, stopping where he stopped, with guess!” . 2. the faithful attachment of a dog, albeit “That we will, sure!” chorused the mi-| wanting in that expression of sagacity, ) which even the dullest specimen of the ca- nd so, irene’ with «rough but hearty | nine race exhibits on all occasions, lity, est Wilton consented to be a| Seth Allport seemed to be the mainspring aber of the miping party in the same]of the boy’s action. After a time it be- spirit, and was now saluted as one of | came almost painful to watch the two, al- the Minturne Creek adventurers in aseries | though the sailor had now grown azcus- __ of ringing cheers that made the hillsides | tomed to being followed abont in so eccen- echo and the cavernous canyon |trica fashion. So had, indeed, the rest of sound the refrain afar. the party, who were not so distinctly sin- - Jasper and Josh were now quite recon-| gled out by the poor boy's regard; but it ie pied after some “little bit of unpleasant- | was all new and strange to Ernest Wilton ess” between them, that had resulted in | as he watched and wondered. | perations tending towards a loweringof| ‘‘ What is the matter with the boy?” tr use ‘S, *: ae o 4 mc 7 aot ‘ ~—" : : yi Ee am | ee ic sage Pr . y 7 % to summon u ‘features from the hazy depths of his mem- the wool crop, as far as each was person- os ; ally concerned. They were unfeignedly ss glad the rather prolonged conference was tid on toe OUR: -.-- | ‘hey had been gazing at the group gath- ered Gonna the young Englishman with a --—- gort of puzzled wonder, and listening to overhear, 53322 Ove without being able to make out | ingly _ what the matter was about, with feelings of | Bill, whoin all had learned to Hike as they asked he, presently, of Mr. Rawlings, who, from the fixed observation of his compan- ion, had been expecting the question. ‘* Poor fellow, he doesa’t seem all right in Bis minds and a healthy, nice looking boy, too!” ‘*Yes,” said Mr. Rawlings, tapping his of conversation they chanced to |foreheed expressively, and speaking feel- as he looked affectionately at Sailor ‘mningled expectancy and impatience at the | would have donea pet dog. ‘* Something Pceteee yi — of the debate. wrong there, although I hope in time he 2% | ‘hen it was all settled, as they could see | will get over it in the same way he came by PAE ST from the dispersal of the gronp, their joy | it, if God so wills it!” was great, especially that of master Jasper, and present butler in ordinary, on account of the ey nia paid to his intima- tion that the viands were ready and ‘‘ din- ner served!” } , ‘* Hooray!” shouted out Josh, throwing ae | up his battered straw hat into the air, and eapering round the improvised caboose, in response to the miners’ ringing cheers on Ernesi’s consent to join the party and act as engineer of the mine. **T suppose he’s got some story attached genes who felt his dignity hurt, as a former stew- | to him, eh?” said Ernest Wilton. ‘*No doubt,” answered Mr. Rawlings; ‘*but nobody but himself knows it!” CHAPTER VII. THE MYSTERIOUS PARCEL. Boe to are WILTON'S curiosity seemed © to grow deeper. ‘* Why, I feel quite interested in the boy,” he said. Be- ‘¢Me berry glad | sides, his face seems quite familiar to me, Massa Britisher am now one of us, for | somehow or other. Yes, it’s really quite sure! Golly, we nebbah hab to put up with | familiar,” be repeated. dat nasty salt pork no more now, yup, yup! ‘Is it?” said Mr. Rawliags eagerly, body like him before. But I shall recollect presently, I have no doubt, after a little more reflection.” ‘“We picked up the poor chap at sea, half-drowned, and bleeding from a very terrible cut across the forehead ; and such a slender thin shaving of a boy that you would not have known him to be the same as he is now!” ‘‘Indeed!” said Ernest Wilton with greater interest even than he had displayed before ; and thereupor Mr. Rawlings told the whole story of Sailor Bill’s rescue, and how he afterwards saved the life of Seth Allport, to whom he had thenceforward at- tached himself; and how the worthy sailor had refused to part with him, and brought him out West. The young engineer had been curefully noting all the points of the narrative while the other was speaking ; and seemed to re- volve the whole circumstances of Sailor Bill’s history in his mind with a view t solving the mystery. ‘‘Tt is 2 curious case,” said Mr. Rawlings, ‘© for the boy was lashed to the spar that sup- ported him in the water, and he couldn't have done that, with the wound he had re- ceived, by himself ; so that gets rid of the theory of his being half-murdered and pitched overboard. Altogether, the story is one of those secrets of the sea that will never be unraveled, unless he comes to his senses at some tims or other and tells us all about it!” ‘And you don’t know his name, or any- thing?” | _ **No, only just what I have told you.” “Had he no marks on his clothing, or ing in his pockets, that might serve for identification, should any one claim him by and by?” said Ernest Wilton, pursuing his interrogatories, like a cross-examining barrister fussy omer is first case. ‘*He had nothing on but his shirt and I tell you,” said Mr. Rawlings, 1t what he called the badgering of asif he were in a witness- ys don’t carry many wie 4 s . we £m ‘ aioe e yey ‘suddenly of one item™ of the story he had | apparently forgotter till then, ‘I certainly Pvt tenetine,” 66 YY 1at?” said Ernest, still looking at | Sa lor Bill steadfastly, as if trying in vain the recollection of his ory; for the face of the boy seemed more and more familiar to him the longer he looked. ‘‘Well,” replied Mr. Rawlings, with a little hesitation, ‘‘I don’t suppose you want to know about the boy merely to sat- isfy an idle curiosity at seeing the poor, bereaved, young creature to be ou. of his mind?” ‘*Certainly not,” said Ernest Wilton. ‘*What you have already told me, besides his own innocent, guileless look, has inter- ested me strangely in him ; and, in addition to that, ’m sure I know something aboat him or somebody extremely like him, which : cannot at present recall to my recollec- on.” | **T believe you honestly,” replied Mr. Rawlings, stretching forth his hand in token of good faith, which the other cor- dially grasped ; ‘‘ and, that being the case, I can tell you something more, which only Seth Allport and myself know about, and which we have kept to ourselves as a mat- ter of confidence on the poor boy’s behalf. ‘* Of course Captain Blowser of the Susan Jane knows abont it, too, as he was en- titled to by rights, for having picked the little chap up; but he’s at sea, and it doesn’t matter whether he divulges it or not, as it wouldn’t be of much consequence to the boy; here on land, however, where anybody might track him out forinterested or other motives, it is a very different mat- ter; so I must ask you on your word of ey to keep the circumstance to your- self. ‘Most decidedly,” said Ernest Wilton heartily ; ‘*I pledge you my word I will— until, at all events, you think it best, | should things so happen, that 1t ought to be divulged.” ‘‘All right,” responded Mr. Rawlings, trusting implicitly in the other’s discretion. ‘* Now, I'll tell you. When TI said that the boy had only his shirt and trousers on in the way of garments, and that there was | nothing in his pockets to disclose his iden- tity, I related you only the simple truth, Massa Britisher am berry good shot, su-ah! | hoping that the young engineer might be | for there was nothing to trace him by. Him shoot tree sheep at one go. Golly, Jasper, you no laugh. I tell you for true!” able to tell something. remember that Captain Blowser, of the ( ‘‘ Yes,” replied the other, ‘‘and I can-| Susan Jane, regretted afterward that the And the negro cook grinned himself, to the | not tell how or where I have seen some-| spar to which we found him lashed had GO em, especially | been cut adrift, without any one having ex- amined it carefully to see whether there might not have been the name of the ship painted on the yard, or some portion of the canvas, or something else in the top along with the boy—for there was the topmast and yard, and all the gear of the whole mast complete, as if it had been carried away in a moment. ‘‘But you recollect what I told you, of the boy’s dashing out of the cabin as if he had been taken with a sudden frenzy, and going to rescue Seth Allport when he was swept over the side by the broken topsail halyards in that squall?” ‘* Yes, quite well,” answered Ernest Wil- ton. ‘‘ Well, after that he fainted away almost dead again for some time ; and when I was bending over him trying to rouse him, I noticed a thin silken string round his neck, which I hadn’t noticed previously, nor had Jasper the steward, although his shirt had been opened there, and his bosom bared in our efforts to resuscitate him, when we first took him down into the cabin.” ‘‘A fine silken string?” repeated the other, as Mr. Rawlings paused for a mo- ment in his recital; ‘‘a fine silken string round his neck?” ‘*Yes ; and on drawing out the end of it I found a smell parchment parcel, carefully sealed up with red sealing-wax, and an official kind of stamp over it which had been before concealed in an inside pocket cunningly secreted in the waist-band of the boy’s flannel shirt.” | ‘*And this parcel contained——?” said the young engineer with breathless atten- tion. i | ‘Ah! that’s what I just don’t Ww,” said Mr. Rawlings with provoking coolness. (Zo be continued.) = Ask your newsdealer for THE GOLDEN AR- aosy. He can get you anynumber you may want. [This story commenced in No. 227.) — y ARTH Author of ‘‘ Tom Tracy,” *‘ Number 91,” ete., ele. . CHAPTER XLVII. MR. SIMMONS CONSULTS HIS AUNT’S LAWYER. * EAVING Madge for a time in Brooklyn under the charge of Mrs. MeCurdy, it becomes necessary to record some events likely to affect the destiny of our hero, Ned Newton. Elias Simmons was in putea de difficulty. He had a good business, but was not a good manager. He tried to do more business than his capital would warrant, and this led to a difficulty in meeting his bills as. ee, came due. It was not only embarrassing, but ag- gravating, when he considered that a tempo- rary loan of three or four thousand dollars from his rich aunt would remove all trouble. But he did not dare to ask forit. The sus- picions of Miss Eunice would be excited, and she might cut him off altogether. As matters stood, he felt that he was sure to inherit the large property of his near relative provided she could remain asngrent of the existence of Mrs. Newton and Ned. He was very anxious to learn whether the oJd lady had made any provision in her will relative to these two. It oeceurred to him that it would be well to eall upon his aunt’s lawyer; and that he might have a good excuse for doing so, he decided to ask the attorney’s assistance in making his own will. Accordingly one morning he bent his steps Sal the office of the lawyer on Nassau Paul Holbrook seldom oy istic in court, being more of a consulting lawyer. Mr. Sim- mons sent in his ecard, and was admitted into the office. The lawyer was an elderly man, with a seanty fringe of hair inclosing a large bald space, like a horse shoe, on the top of his head. He had a courteous nianner, but his eyes were sharp and twinkling. “What can I do for you, Mr. Simmons?” he asked, for he had a passing acquaintance with the merchant. **T have been thinking of making a will, Mr. Holbrook, and knowing that you were my aunt’s legal adviser, I have decided to apply to you. **T shall be wang. te give you what aid you require. I hope l am not interfering with the prerogative of any brother lawyer.” ‘No; I have no lawyer of my own.” ae _ quite a your wel np r. Simmons drew out a half sheet of on which he had made some notes. Atabty The lawyer took from his desk a blank | forza eontaining the usual general matter, /an , mente for instructions. t is not necessary to go into particulars. It is enough to say that Mr. Simmons dis- posed by will of at least four times as much property as be actually possessed. It was meant as a blind, to impose upon the lawyer, and through him upon his aunt, to whom he supposed the ett? would communieate the particulars. In this, however, he was mis- taken. Mr. Holbrook had striet ideas of pro- fessional honor, and didn’t feel at liberty to communicate the confidences of his clients, , even when they were closely related, G <SGOim nfl JOO Bat bs