Beadle's Dime Novels No. 226: The Mustang-Hunters — page 11: what you’re looking at

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

SHERR¢& AND SHERIFF, POKER AND PISTOL. “3 “Then I returned, and found things going to rack and ruin. My father, bitter and desperate about the fall of the Confeder- acy, sat brooding all day. At night he would go to the vil- lage tavern, and drink his senses away with “ rot-gut” whisky, while he played poker with all the professional gamblers of the State. Many and many a quarrel arose there, and several duels occurred, in which the colonel come off victorious ; till ut last, about a year ago now, he fell-in with a notorious des- perado, named Austin, who shot him before he could draw his own piscol.” . “J know that ’ere Austin,” said Pete, scratching his hea’, * “and he ar’ one of the cantankerousest varmints as ever I did know. There ar only one man in all Texas as he ar afeard of, and that’s little Gilmore.” “J know another,” said Frank Weston, gloomily, “ and that is myself. When the news was brought tome, I was at home, and I galloped to the village before doing any thing else, determined to shoot the murderer on sight. But he fled the place and has avoided me ever since.” * Wal, mebbe he is afeard,” said old Pete, doubtfully, “ but I would never trust to that ef ever yer see him. Git out yer six-shooter fust ; that’s the way to plum Jim. But how did yer cum here,lad? That's what's the matter.” + “It's a sad story, Pete,” said the other, gloomily. “I = found, when I came to. settle up my father’s estate, that it was ‘_. \ mortgaged to its full value, and as there was nothing where- with to meet the creditors, the sheriff of the county sold it at auction, in a month after my father’s death. The furniture and live stock, carriages, wagons and working tools, etc., paid off all the debts, and left me at last as you see me. I only | retained, of all my father's stud, one horse, and he stands by” : ur the tree there” - * But he ar’ a ripper,” observed Pete, parenthetically. “You say true, Pete. He is one of the sons of old Lexington, and he can come near his father’s time, too, in a four-mile race.” | o 2 ‘* Bi, “Yer don't say!” exclaimed Pete, admiringly, “And Whar hev yer be’n since, Frank ?” ma Pe: “Pye wandered all over Texas, trying to find Austin,to