Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 219 — page 10: what you’re looking at

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

7 ; 10 Despard, the Duelist. _ How did you come to know what you have just told?” ne asked. ‘“‘T learned it when I was a girl from her,” was the tremulous reply. ‘* Who are you, any way?’ was the abrupt in- terrogitory. The woman caught her breath and her heart ceased beating; but, not noticing this, he kept on: “T have always been haunted by a resem- blance in you to some one whom [| must have known or seen in the past. Tell me—who were you?” ‘‘No, Joe, you never saw me before,” replied the woman having somewhat regained her self- possession. ‘* You may have heard her speak of me—her little cousin, Hatty.” “By Jove! I have. And Hally and Hatty are both from Harriet, of course.” ‘* Tt is my family resemblance to her that has puzzled you, and 1 have often been afraid that ou would find me out. You'll forgive me, Joe? didn’t want to pain you by recalling the past.” There was an absent lookin hiseyes. Instead of replying directly to her, he said: ‘*Go home. And, understand, there is to be ho more of this.” ‘* Yes, Joe.” She gazed at him as if hungering for some emaress, even a look of softening—the slightest ‘sign that she had not hopelessly offended him and alienated his love. He offered none. With a humility born only of the utter aban- ‘lonment of love, she lifted his hand and kissed it deprecatingly, then turned and walked si- dently away. ** So,” reflected the man when he was alone, “it is to save her cousin from her own unhappy fate that she has come back!” But instead of softening him, this opposition made him more resolute, until he declared: “ll put this thing through, or bu’st!” He had been walking with his eyes on the Ties in deep abstraction. When he came to is resolution, he raised his head and stepped put boldly, but stopped with a sudden chill. He had nearly ran into a body hung across the toad—the body of Tidy Tip! It bore the bloody marks of the Skeleton Avengers. “My God! another?’ he exclaimed with a shudder. ‘‘There are but three of us left! What is the connection between her coming and these mysterious skeletons? Are they super- natural after all? Am J reserved for the last? Bab! I will defy them all!” Into the camp he went and roused the Vigi- lantes. When the body of Tidy Tip was ex- hibited to the crowd, it wrought them to a ter- rible pitch of fury. All day long the worst element of Hell Hole had congregated in groups, talking in low rumbling tones, and often turning glances of frowning hatred in the direction of the Palace Saloon—a feeling that was fostered by the “ival saloon interests, When [ron Despard appeared upon the street, perhaps a little paler, but in no other way showing any trace of the terrible affray of the night before, the fact was commented upon to this effect: ““Ye see, blood-lettin’ don’t hurt him none. He has ways an’ means 0’ fillin’ up ag’in!” And now the worst construction was put upon the death of Tidy Tip, just at this time. ‘‘Didn’t I tell ye? Tidy Tip had to make ood the blood that Bullwhacker Ben let out of im last night!” ‘“ Boys,” declared Dan the Devil, ‘‘ thar’s no two ways about it—he’s one of ’em/ You seen the fix Ben was in arter he got through with him. I leave it to any gent in the crowd, ef Tip’s case hyar ain’t a chaw of the same plug. e might as well douse his glim first as last. I move that we go fur him instanter!” Growls of assent passed through the crowd gradually swelling to yells, which in the en took the form of: ** Down with lhe vampire |” The crowd surged madly and was on the a of breaking away to storm the Palace loon, when the Kid made himself heard. 1 “Hold on, gentlemen,” he said, in his cool, | off-hand _|daintily between finger and thumb. way, while he held his go ** Vm ‘with you, in this matter, heart and soul; but let me suggest that what is done hastily is sel- ‘dom done well. Admitting that Iron Despard is a vampire, does it occur to you that vam- pires don’t Sa in their checks after ordina methods? Suppose this one chooses to vanis in a cloud of smoke, just when you think the ins are all up to give him the grand bounce? What indeed? Here was a dilemma which took everybody by surprise. The men stood neog: gazing blankly into one another’s faces. ‘‘ Now,” pursued the Kid, as indifferently as if he were arranging the most trivial thing in the world, ‘‘ I have a plan.” ‘*Spit ’er out, boss!” cried a burly fellow. ‘*Ef you seea way clar to flax him, we'll back ye, every man Jack of us!” ‘*T have a fancy,” pursued the Kid, blowing a thin wreath of smoke into the air, *‘ to pitch my luck against his. You see, a vampire can always kill himself, when any other man could .t touch one side of him. Now I propose to stand him three hands of draw, the one who comes out sevond best to pass in his checks in any way most agreeable to himself.” Those who heard this remarkable speech stood dumb with astonishment. Then con- sidering the coolness with which it had been made, the Kid returning nonchalantly to the enjoyment of his cigarette, the man who had guaranteed the support of the crowd, in antici- pation of the Kid’s project, said: ‘**That’s a purty good joke, as jokes go; but this hyar ain’t the time o’day fur no doggone foolishness.” ‘* Joke!” replied the Kid. ‘Do I ever joke?” ‘* But what in thunder’s the sense o’ this thing? What fur would you pit your life ag’in’ his’n!’ “Oh, a whimof mine. [ve played for all sorts of stakes in my time. Just now I’ve a notion to put up one that is worth while. If he’s a better man than Lam, Pll not squeal— you may bet on that.” ‘*But, pardner, by all accounts, a vampire ought to be so’s he could stock the keerds ag’in’ the devil himself.” ‘Tf he can beat me at it he’s welcome to try,” replied the Kid. Although he spoke so carelessly the men saw that he was really in earnest. There was some- thing wildly exhilarating in the idea of such a game; so they fell in with it. Instead of charging the Palace Saloon with a war-whoop, as they had purposed, they betook themselves thither in as orderly a manner as is usual with such men, the Kid modestly avoid- ing any conspicuousness of position, CHAPTER IX. THE THIRD DUEL. TRON DESPARD’S wound wasa comparatively slight one, in the arm, instead of in the side, as the spectators supposed. He had fainted from excessive excitement, his system being already taxed by illness. Early in the day following his encounter with Bullwhacker Ben, Hoss Johnson came to him and said: ‘Look a-hyar, pardner, I like you; an’ when I take stock in a man, I’m bound to give him pints, if I kin. Now, I reckon you're calculated to hoe your own row, asarule; but a man that takes a contract to clean out a hull town is bound to get licked. Thar’s some purty tough cusses in this hyar town, an’ the hull gang is down on you. They’re talkin’ vampire; an’ you know what that means as well as I do. he thing’ll come to a head by night, if you hain’t jumped the place. So I’ve come to say, if you and your lady wants places in the stage, I kin pick you up on the quiet a couple o’ miles down the road.” ‘““You are very kind,” replied Iron Despard; ‘but I never yet was run out of any place. i propose to stand against all comers as long as I have a leg to stand on.” ‘But I hate to see a good man bowled out in this hyar way; an’ they’re bound to do it.” ** Perhaps.” “Then you won’t go?” “ Thanking you for your kindness—no.” Later in the day, after her meeting with Hally, Hortense Dangerfield sat in the livin room of her home, while Iron Despard leane with his elbow against the sash, looking dream- |" ily out of the window. Not raising her eyes from her sewing, she asked :— ‘“‘Despard, have I contributed to your happi- ness during our association?’ He started out of his reverie, and going over “= where she sat, began to stroke her hair fond- y. Under that silent caress the womam stopped her work, but did not look up. She sat rigid, not moving, scarcely breathing. ‘* What is it, my queen?” he asked. “Oh, nothing—nothing—a woman’s whim,” sheréplied. ‘‘ But—you haven’t answered me.” After a pause, he said, simply:— 6s Yes, ”? She went on with her sewing, very quietly, feeling that his eyes rested upon her specula- tively, though he did not question her further. Perhaps he believed that, as she said, it was merely a passing whim. When he left the room, she abruptly dropped her work, leaned back in her chair with chisel eyes, and sat perfectly still for a Jong time, while her face grew paler and paler, until sud- denly she started to her feet with a low, intense cry :— ‘*My God!” For a time she moved aimlessly. about the room, alternately clinching her hands and dash- ing the hair back from her damp forehead. The fever, whatever its cause, finally burnt itself out; and her wonted haughty calm returned. She showed no trace of agitation when, that evening, the Kid presented bimself, followed by men whose hostility to Iron Despard was well known. ' ‘*T have the honor of addressing Mr. Despard Dangerfield?” he asked, courteously, of the gam- bler prince. ‘*That is my name, sir,” was the cool reply, Iron Despard instinctively feeling that this was preliminary to a challenge. . ‘‘T am George Gordon, perhaps better known as the Kid.” “Tt have heard of you. you?” ‘* T have come to serve you.” ac Ab 1”? ‘In this way. You know, of course, that your road, thus far, in this town. hasn’t been a very smooth one.” ‘‘T have no reason to complain,” interposed the gambler prince, indifferently. ‘“No,” smiled the Kid, ready enough to see the point. ‘‘ But things are getting no better fast. The fact is, this camp has made up its mind that it bas no use for you. 1 don’t say that a compromise could be effected. I take it that you’re not the man to be backed down—” ‘“ Hardly!” ‘* And then, perhaps, things have gone so far that the boys wouldn’t listen to it. I needn’t tell you that you rather hold over some of our old citizens in the same line of trade; and a man’s pocket is his god. Then, .Ten-strike Tom and Bullwhacker Ben were good men in their way, and bound to have their crowd, I reckon these are the parties that are bound to get square with you. They yell ‘ vampire,’ and in this camp, just now, it’s a deuced ugly cry. I tell you, frankly, I don’t take any stock in it: and that’s why I am here with the proposition I in- tend to make.” ‘What proposition?’ ‘* Well, I don’t like to see a gentleman tram- pled out like a hog; so I oh Heh to give you a chance for something better. TIl play you three hands of draw: and the man who loses snuffs his own candle in the way he thinks most becoming a gentleman.” Deftly rolling a new cigarette in his left hand, (a connoisseur would be ashamed to have to use more than one hand for this purpose) the Kid coolly waited for Iron Despard’s reply. ‘‘ But, one moment,” said the gambler prince. ‘“You have no personal hostility toward me?” ‘‘On the contrary, I am trying to do you a friendly turn, as one gentleman serving an- other.’ “ But if you win, what do you gain?” ‘““The satisfaction of knowing that I did not leave one of my own caste to be trampled in the mud—par la canaille,” be said, speaking in French, so that the men of Hell Hole might not know that he was calling them ‘“‘ the rabble ” to their face. ‘* And if “eto lose?” The kid shrugged his shoulders. ‘‘T shall have done the best I could for you.” « And do you mean to say that in that event ou would take your own life?’ ** Certainly.” ; “T thank you for your kind intentions; but I decline to play with you on such unequal terms.” “ Oh, but you must!” ** Must?” ‘¢T have told the boys that I meant to play you; and I never go back on my word.” ‘But do you suppose I would accept safety from any man, by exposing him to a gratuitous ‘lc? How can I serve ‘Don’t misunderstand the situation. There is no safety for you any way—only a choice of how you shall pass in your checks. If the fickle jade sends me up the flume, you will be ‘ust where you are without my interference. he boys will bounce you rough-shod.” ‘Tn any event, yeu are taking this hazard ‘| ‘What de yeu propose to do about it?” EoOmicaoo G <SGOiMmn