Argosy, Vol. 1 (1882) — page 356: what you’re looking at

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

TRAIN AND STATION. ‘gazed at the outlaw with a fast beating heart, awaiting, with a sort of fascina- tion, the beginning of the contest. ‘Hallo! the house!” came the hail from without, the pursuing party evi- dently fearing to approach the cabin. * Hello, yourself! ’’ responded Mis- souri Pete through the window. “It’s no use, Pete; we've got you surrounded, and you might as well sur- render,” returned the same voice, evi- dently recognizing the tones of the out- law. “Well, now, do you know I think there is just a little use,” drawled Pete; and then he shouted defiantly: “ If you want me, you'll have to come and take me, but the first man who comes near this cabin will pass in his checks: You know me.” | They evidently did know him. There was the report of a rifle, and a bullet crashed through the window, but no one showed himself. Pete glanced through a crack near the window, and then raising his revol- ver, he fired through the opening. “Got you that time, my man,” he chuckled, as a cry came from some one who had evidently been hit. “I know you, young man,” went on the outlaw, motioning towards Dyke- man with his hand and keeping a sharp lookout through the crack near the win- dow. “ You’ve been a Jonah to me— a hoodoo; but I’m not going to blame you for this fix. Here, take this, and if I’m killed it’s yours. You'll . find a claim on that land that'll pan out your fortune,” he concluded, extending behind him towards the other a paper which he had taken from his pocket while he was speaking. Dykeman’s heart gave a great thump as he stepped forward, took the paper, and asked: “ How was I ever your Jonah?” “Back on the St. Louis & Pacific.” “At the attempted robbery at Big Cut?” “Yes.” “Ts your name Orloff?” pursued IT A 347 Dash eagerly; and even as the man an- swered him he glanced at the paper in his hand and saw the name Petroff B. Orloff on the back. Only a hasty scrutiny was sufficient to convince him that the document was the return deed from Dorothy’s mother for the land in Colorado. The outlaw was evidently Dorothy’s uncle. The revulsion of relief, produced by this evidence that the robber was not his father, was so sudden that it almost took Dykeman’s breath away. “ Yes, my name is Orloff. Why do you ask?” responded the outlaw. “ Petroff B, Orloff? ” persisted Dash, that there should be no doubt, since he had just seen the name on the paper that had been handed him. “Yes; but I was never called Pete till I came to this infernal State. The name I’m most known by is Basil Or- loff! 99 7 , “My father!” gasped Dash, weak and faint at the announcement. At the same instant there was the explosion of a rifle from the outside, and Missour: Pete pitched forward against the logs of the cabin with a bul- let in his brain. He never spoke another word. In talking to Dykeman he had become careless, and had incautiously exposed himself before the window. Was the outlaw his father after all, . and also the Orloff who had been lost at sea? Dykeman asked himself these questions in bewilderment. If his fa- ther and Dorothy’s uncle were one and the same, then the young girl must be his own cousin. Weak and full of the horror of it all, Dash thrust the deed into his pocket and staggered to the door to admit the pursuers of the outlaw. CHAPTER XLITI. A NOBLE DEED. In the absence of more positive evi- dence, or any information to the con- CORMIELOG SS CO