Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 1032 — page 7: what you’re looking at

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

Fred instantly turned toward Nugget Nell, | ** No; she is married,” saying, as he litted hfs hat: ‘*T trust you are not bhurmed, young lady?” “Not a bit!” was her prompt reply, as her band fell from the revolver she bad grasped, ‘* But you just saved that big tough’s life.” ** How is that?” asked Fred, in astonishment, “Tf you badn’t kn. cked him down just as you did, I certainly sbould bave shot him, I thank you for saving me such an unpleasant duty.” Tbe tenderfoot’s astonishment increasea, No- ting this, Nell broke into a merry laugh. ‘Perhaps you wonder what kind of a girl I am?” she remarked, ‘* Well, I am one who bas tv look out for herself.” ‘‘Wid my assistumce, Missy Nell,” put in Pete, who had risen to his feet and was softly rubbing his forehead where Whisky Jim’s fist had struck, ‘‘ By jinkums! dat feller’s batter- in’-ram wur kine ob hard, I|’s tellin’ ye’!” ‘* Look out there!” The cry came from the crowd, Whisky Jim had arisen to his feet, and drawn a long, wicked-looking knife, which he intended to plunge into Fred Walker’s back, He would have succeeded in his murderous design, for all of the warning shout from the spectators, but for Cowboy Chris’s prompt action, ; With a lithe leap the young cattleman reach- ed the tough just in time to catch the wrist of his descending hand and stay the stroke even as tue point of the knife cut tbe back of the tender- fooc’s coat, ** You spawn of Satan!” grated Cris, seizing the tough by the tnroat, and at tue same time giving his wrist a wrench that caused him to drop the knife. ‘‘ You deserve the dose you were going to give!” Whisky Jim was a powerful man, but just then he was no match for the furious cowboy, Chris choked the ruffian till his face grew black and his tongue began to protrude, then he hurled tre wretch aside asif he were a dog, and Jim fell to the floor with a heavy thump. With an exclamation of disgust, the cowboy turned toward the youth whose life he bad saved, ‘* Fred Anthrop, is it you?” he cried. ** Yes, Chris, it is 1.” ** And you are not dead?” ‘* Do [ look like it?” ** Well, I can not understand it!” ‘*T assure you, I have never been dead,” and the tenderfoot smiled sadly. * But left you with a bullet in your brain!” , ‘* Hardly that,” ‘‘ But I saw the place where the bullet struck, and your forehead was covered with blood,” Fred removed his hat, brushed back his bair, and revealed a red scar at the very crest of his forehead, “f ‘* There is where your bullet struck.” ** And it did not kill you!” ‘* A bullet from a twenty-two short is not such a terribly dangerous thing. It ran over the top of my skull and rendered me uncon- scious,” ‘‘I thank God your blood is not on my hands!” ‘It was a fair and square duel, Chris.” ** Fair and square, but, all the same, from that day to this [ have felt like a murderer. It is a terrible thing to think you have slain an old schoolmate and boon companion!” ‘“To this day the people of Woodsville believe it was an accident.” Chris looked amazed, ? ** How is that?” ‘*T told them it was done accidentally.” **And you held no bitterness after what had passed ?” ‘* None, selves.” The young cowboy’s astonishment was too great for utterance, Meantime, Nugget Nell and Fete had quietly left the saloon. Observing they were gone, Chris said: ** Come over here to one of these tables, Fred. I want to talk it over with you, and have many . questions to ask.” Together they went over to one of the tables and sat down. **As you said,” began Chris, ‘‘ we made fools of ourselves by fighting a duel over a girl, pat, ,, what has become of Jennie? Are you or— “Tam nothing to ber,” interrupted Fred. ** She is the only person who seemed to suspect the truth concerning our meeting, and from that time she would have nothing to say to me savein a friendly manner.” ** Then she is still single?” I saw we had made fools of our- f ** Married to whom?” ‘*A dashing stranger who came along, lives in Brooklyn now,” Curis fel back in his chair, a sad, yet half- scorning smile on bis face, ‘* Thus ends the first romance of our lives,” he said, ‘¢ But I am weil satisfied that the ending ‘is no worse,” declared Fred, ‘* You nearly succeeded in taking my life once, but to-night you more than evened the score by saving it,” They both glanced toward the spot where Chris had burled Whisky Jim’s limp body, and they saw the ruffian slowly arising to his feet, caressing his thick throat withone hand, He glared around the room till his eyes rested on the two young men at the table; his lips curled back from his yellow teeth and a wolfish look distort- ed his repul-ive face, **Cuss ye!” he cried, thickly. heart’s blood of ye both!” Then he turued and left the saloon, ‘* You will have to look out for that das- tardly whelp,” warned Chris. ‘* He will do his best |» murder you, [t would be an excellent thing if Judge Lynch wvuld take bis case in hand,” ‘*Tam armed,” asserted Fred, quietly, ‘*But there are some questions I wish to ask, The first is of my father, What about him?” ‘*T can tell you nothing,” ** How is that?” ** He left Woodsville shortly after your disap- pearance,” ** And his property-~” / ‘* He disposed of all bis property before leav- ing the place.” | * But, where did be ¢o?” ‘*No one iu Woodsvilie apprars to know. He seemed to feel that he was disgraced there, although no one else looked et it in toat light.” The young cowboy’s face crimsoned with shame. ‘*T am to blame forit all!” he cried, ‘ Still, there is less on my shoulders than I thought. But, Fred, how comes it that you are away out here in this wild country ?” Fred Anthrop cid not immediately re; ly. Indeed, he besitated so long that Chris said: ‘‘ Never mind; if there is any reason why you do not wish to tell,de not answer, I beg your pardon for asking.” Fred seemed relieved but confused, Chris held out bis band, ‘‘ We have been enemies and learned our les- son. Let’s shake and forget the past.” But, the youny Ha-tercer drew back, ‘+ T can’t do 1,” ue declared, Chris looked,a-t nished and hurt, ‘*Do you mean tuat you still hold bard fecl- ings against me, Fred?’ he asked, gravely, ** No; it is not that.” ‘Then I cannot understand why you should refuse to take my hand,” Fred became sull more confused, ‘“T—I am afraid I cavnot explain,” he fal- tered, His eyes fell before the cowboy’s steady gaze, but he suddenly lifted them, bursting forth, ues- perately: “Chris, things have happened that have placed me in a false position, I will acknow- ledge I have lived a trifle fast since Jennie Doris gave me the shake, and my companions have sometimes been of a decidedly shady sort, but never bavo I done a dishonest act,” “ T Lelieve you, Fred.” | ‘For all that, there isa stainon myname, I cannot take your hand till that stain is removed — if it ever is,” ‘‘ Nonsense, Fred! Whatever the charge against you is, J wiil believe ycu are innocent, if you say so, Give me the pleasure of grasping your band.” **Hold on, Chris. what I am charged,” ‘¢T do not wish to hear it, if you do not want to tell,” ‘‘But I do want to tell. I will give you the points in a few words, ‘* As I said, I have led a fast life, I had the misfortune of baving a father who supplied me with more money than I needed, and atter Jen- nie gave me the go-by, I used to visit the city often. There I fell in with a gang of sharps and got to playing cards. They skinned me right along, but I was fool enough to keep at the game, Finally a large check was drawn on father’s account at the bank, and on examining the paper, he pronounced the check a forgery. The next thing I knew, I was charged with being the forger. I never saw the paper in my life, but it was easily proven that I bad gambled She ‘i'll hev ther You must first know of the Man of Caliber. 7 heavily with the party who presented it at the bank, and be claimed I gave him the cbeck in payment for such a debt, One of his pals swore he saw me give the fellow the check, and things looked. black for me. Father hastened to straighten out the affair, but the stain remained on my Dame, and my own parents were inclined to beheve me guilty,” ‘*But I believe you are innocent. Shake, Fred!” ‘* Hold on, Chris; there is worse ‘to follow. Do you remember old Ichabod Spiles?” ‘* The old miser who lived in the hut on Har- * mony Hui? Yes, I remember him,” ‘*He was robbed and murdered. One of the parties engaged in the black work has been cap- tured, and he was the individual who presented the forged check, He has refused to betray his pals but suspicion pointed to me as being one of them. I found myself constantly watched, and it was whispered that the fellow captured had intimat- ed that he would confess if there was a chance of his sentence being made lighter, For three nights in succession I dreamed he had implicated me, <A terror I cannot describe seized upon me and although I suspect it was a foolish act, i fled, I am here, That is the whole of my story.” Once more the young cowboy held out his band. ‘*T believe you are innocent, Take it, Fred.” A strange look passed over the young Kastern- e1’s face, ‘‘Chris,” he cried, *‘you are white to the core!” Tien their hands met in a warm grasp. ‘* The past shall be forgotten,” came earnestly from the young cowboy’s lips, ‘‘ We will hope lee bolds something better in st re for us oth, CHAPTER VIII. A DESPERATE GANG, WHEN a man is dead, it is customary in the Wild West to get bim ‘* planted” as soon as possible, Jimson was dead, and bis comrades made immediate preparations for his burial, At the request of the proprietor of the Whoa Emma, the body was removed to a small back room, aud there the carpenter set about making the plain wooden box iu which the body was to be interred, Two more men were sent out with pick and spade to dig the grave, Tbe Whoa Emma was again filled with the motley assembly seen there earlier in the even- ing, and the faro-bank opened for the night's run, While the dealer was calling to the play- ers to make their gum., the sound of the car- yenter’s hammer and taw could be heard mak- ing the coffin of one whose game of life was enced, Some of the cowboys remained beside the dead body of their comrade, while others wan- dered about, their faces baru-set and a danger- ous gleam in their eyes, They were looking for Ligbtfinger Flip! But, the crafty card-shat p was “ layin’ mighty low” for the time, It was near midnight when the ccflin was completed and the grave prepared, Teniier hands placed the dead within the rude bex, and the cowboys stood around to take a last look at bis face and make remarks about the man’s natural though rugged nobility of soul. Their tears were dried, but there was a pain.in many a leart and many a face was marked with sadness, ‘* Wen we hev putt bim erway,” said Round- up Rube, softly, ‘* then we'llmake a bot hunt fer ther »ison skuuk w’at killed bim, Pore boy— pore Jim! He wuz ther clean w’ite article, an’ no mistake!” | Chris was silent, but bis face told his thoughts almost as plainly as woras could bave done, Finally, the cover was placed on the coffin, and Jimson was shut in from human eyes for-_ ever, A little later a strange procession moved along the single street of Hot Hole. In advance were two cowboys, bearing lighted torches, Close behind them came four more carrying the coffin that contained the remains of their com- rade, The others, also bearing‘torches, followed the coffin, There was no sound of solemn music, no tap of muftled drum, only the steady tramp, tramp of the cowboys as they moved toward the bury~ ing ground of the new camp—a place where an alarming number of new graves had already been made, The grave was reached, and with lariats the coffin was lowered ito the shallow hole, Then 7 fe wa? ret ‘wae \, ) rou me ad 7 ae Gam ag =