Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 241 — page 11: what you’re looking at

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re oe ee ——- was suddenly darkened by three figures, and a moment later two men, leading a third between them, entered the den, ‘*T thought the bullet would go straight with- out aimin’ but thar’s whar I missed!” ejaculated the roughs’ prisoner, and he then encountered the fierce gaze of the man led by the couple just mentioned. It was Revelation Rube, clad in a dark shirt, and buckskin pants, the ends of the latter gar- “asc stuffed into the tops ofa pair of dingy 00ts. There were stains of blood on the shirt, darker than its own swarthy texture, and around the desperado’s chest was a broad bandage which told that Cinnamon City possessed some one who professed to know something about sur- ery. Rube’s eyes had the glare of a madman’s and although weak, he tried to stand alone when he found himself before Bill Bravo; but he would have fallen forward if his conductors had not caught and held him firmly, ‘“My pards didn’t hunt you long, Bravo!” commenced Rube laughing not at his own words but over the pleasure occasioned by the sight-of the mountaineer in the midst oF his roughs. ‘*You war hyar last night! 1 carry in my lungs yer infernal compliments.” Did Bill Bravo’s eyes shoot the speaker a look of triumph? ‘‘Thet’s enough! you war hyar!” continued Rube interpreting the glance. ‘‘ You thought you would pay me back fur the cubs, eh Bill?’ ‘Fur ther baby b’ars!” flashed the grizzly king, straightening so suddenly that the breath- less crowd involuntarily drew back. “ Ef I reseed a bullet in yer lungs an’ not in yer head ast night, it warn’t my fault. I broke a solemn promise when I teched the trigger an’ thet is why, mebbe, the bullet went astray. Yer pards an’ ther Injuns stopped fightin’ so sudden thet I hed to come back to see what it all meant. I could have heard ye through if you hadn’t boasted about slittin’ the cubs’ throats. I had raised ther b’ars from little chunks ov meat an’ h’ar, an’ to hear you talk the way you did war more ’n I could stan’ !” Revelation Rube ground his teeth but demon- ism danced in his eyes. ae wouldn’t do it again, Bill?’ he ven- ured. ‘Wouldn’t I? Try me!” was the quick re- joinder, as the revolver of the bear-tamer left is belt and was cocked despite the menace of the twenty that surrounded him. ‘Jes’ boast ov yer visit to the Retreat, Revelation. Laugh now ez you laughed last night about cuttin’ the babies’ throats an’ yer laugh will end in the ears ov death!” Out shot Bill’s right arm as the last sentence left bis tongue, and its muzzle almost touched the forehead of the Tigers’ chief. ‘* Keep down yer pistols!” he said, sending a lightning glance through the crowd. ‘I’ve got the call on yer pard. I want’im to laugh once more over his butchery ov ther little grizzlies!” But the laugh did not ripple over the white lips of the menaced rough. ‘*'Ye’r’ sensible, Rube,” said Bill a moment later lowering the revolver but keeping bis finger at the trigger. or a second Revelation Rube did not speak. Almost choked by rage and fear, he was that length of time catching his breath. ‘* What if you shot me hyar, Bill?’ he said. ** Thet’s so,"was the answer. ‘‘I would be a fool to hurry the grim monster over the trail he’s on at this moment.” ‘*Then you think I’m goin’ to pass in my last chip aa | Bill Bravo’s gaze answered the desperado. “Pll go you a pound ov dust thet I'll see more sunrises than you!” hissed Rube. ‘* You'll hev to see a dozen afore dark, an’ to do thet you'll hev to wipe Bill Bravo out.” ‘* ‘You won’t stake ther dust, then?’ ‘‘T never bet with dyin’ men.” Revelation’s eyes left his prisoner’s face and encountered the eager gaze of his minions. ‘‘ Organize ther court!” he said, in a tone in- tended to be a voice of command. _ ‘*Hyar, Rube?” inquired a dozen men. ‘‘ Sartinly, ef Ike hez no objections,” **Go ahead, gentlemen,” responded Idaho Ike. ‘* You hevn’t held court hyar since last spring.” Ike knew that during the session of Judge Liynch’s eourt a goodly quantity of liquor would be imbibed, and be was, therefore, wil- ling that the farce should be enacted in his den. ill Bravo said nothing, but a contemptuous smile was visible at the corners of his mouth. He saw a rude platform erected upon several wooden benches at one end of the room, and to order. At that moment a man glided past the bear- tamer and halted a foot away. hen he had asked for a drink, he caught Bill’s eyes for a moment, and said hastily, in a penetrating whisper: ‘* Thar ar’ twenty ov us, pard. We took you in by a unanimous vote last night. Lift yer hand when you want us.” That was all, The stranger swallowed his liquor and disap- gene almost before Bill had had a square look at him. One thing he did know—the man was not Placer Pandy. “The man may lie,” murmured the bear- tamer. ‘It’s impossible fur me to hev twenty friends in Cinnamon at sich a time ez this. I hevn’t one; but I'll lift my hand when I need help, jes’ to try ther experiment.” CHAPTER XII. NEW HANDS IN THE GAME. To more than one man in the improvised court the termination of Revelation Rube’s wild career seemed a question of Ling? few hours. The rage that flashed in the eyes that were riv- eted on Bill Bravo did not abate one jot, and be- neath them, around the twitching lips of the desperado, lurked a triumphant smile. ‘* Make ’er short!” he whispered to his attend- ants, referring to the trial about to take place. ‘‘Tll feel better when ther hand thet teched ther trigger last night stiffens under a limb. He won’t be hard to pull up when the verdict hez been pronounced, I'll be thar when ther affair comes off. By thunder! I'll be strong enough to read ther sentence ov death. The man what meddles with Revelation Rube’s affairs in Ciu- namon handles niter-glissereen !” Trials before Judge Lynch’s court open with but few preliminaries; none are needed. Such courts are invariably organized for conviction, and the one hastily established in Idaho Ike’s den with Solid Sol as judge was not an excep- tion to the time-honored rule. The jury—twelve bronzed athletes who did not relinquish their revolvers when they ye aside and stood shoulder to shoulder with their eyes fastened on Bill Bravo—had delivered its verdict beforehand, Solid Sol opened court with a few remarks in which he expatiated on the enormity of the shooting of one of the most prominent citizens of Cinnamon, and dwelt fora moment on that well-known article of the frontier criminal code which declares for ‘‘ blood for blood.” ‘* Thar, Sol, thet’ll do!” exclaimed Revelation Rube as his swarthy right hand went up in view of all. ‘“‘ Bravo admits ther shootin’ an’ I’m yer prominent citizen what rig’ Wy his ball. He knows ther law. Throw ther case into ther hands ov ther jury unless he wants to speak in his own defense.” Thus choked off, Solid Sol stepped back and everybody looked at the bear-tamer. Defiance and contempt looked out of bis eyes. He said nothing. ‘‘ Give it to ther jury, then,” continued Rey- elation, and he finished in a whisper to his at- tendants. ‘‘ He’ll open his mouth when thar’s a limb over him!” Into the hands of the bronze twelve went the cause, and a minute later the verdict fell upon Bill’s ears. Death by hanging within the hour! ‘He war afraid to put up his dust,” ejacu- lated Rube. ‘‘ An’ I wouldn’t hev to see all my sunrises yet to-day.” ‘*'You miserable AA pe death is gnawin’ at yer vitals now!” cried the mountaineer whirl- ing upon the op per of the Tigers whose rejoic- ings had reached his ears. ‘‘ A thousand times afore you give up yer chips you'll curse Bill Bravo whose bullet opened to death the door to yer heart. I wouldn’t hev shot you through the head last night fur all the gold you ever dug an’ stole! You'll die a thousand times afore the king ov terrors closes round yer heart, an’ you'll wish you’d never teched the dancin’ cubs!” Heedless of the menacing look of the Tigers of Cinnamon, and of the fingers itching to press thirty pistol triggers, Bill Bravo stood erect and launched his hatred into Rube’s teeth. ‘‘He’s grit himself!” whispered more than one rough to his companion. ‘Ef Revelation expects him to blubber under the limb, he’s chosen the wrong pard fur a coward, that’s sartin.” j Rube heard the king of the grizzlies through, though he burned to interrupt him. . Bill Bravo and His Bear Pards. 11 ‘* Ar’ you through?” was all he said when Bil had finished. ‘* T’ve hed my say. ‘‘To ther limb!” was the response which was a command, for strong arms seized the moun- taineer as a score of pistols encircled his head and a moment later Idaho Ike’s den did not con- tain a single person, for the proprietor was in the motley crowd ae rte the square, Once outside the saloon, Bill Bravo mechanic- ally threw his glance around, for the words of the stranger had recurred to his mind, but he saw nobody but his executioners. ‘* Ef Dandy Dick an’ his pard knew this, thar’d be a scene enacted what ain’t on ther bills,” he said to himself. ‘‘ But mebbe I hev no pards now ef Black Feather an’ bis wolves ar’ loose among the mountains; mebbe Dictionary an’ the big eae ar’ lyin’ together euchered by a cold deck.” Near the further side of the square grew a tree which, standing alone as it did, seemed to have been left by the lawless founders of Cinnamom City for the express purpose of carrying out the mandates of Sade nch’s court, One of its limbs stretched toward Idaho Ike’s like an arm of bronze, and Bill’s eye saw that a rope sup- plied with a noose already dangled from it. “The boys war anticipatin’ ther verdict,” said Solid Sol, catching the doomed man’s glance, and then his voice dropped to a whisper full of admiration: ‘‘ You’re goin’ to go out game, Bill?’ A proud flash full of resentment shot from the bear-tamer’s eyes and Solid Sol dropped his gaze, abashed by the silent rebuke, Bill Bravo's “When I die Pll die like my mother’s boy!” was not needed to tell Sol that no coward was marching to the fatal tree. Under the limb the grizzlies’ pard halted of bis: own accord, and turned to the mob. Near by stood Revelation Rube held by a man at each side. A slight color came back to the rough’s face us the eyes of the two enemies met. “You won’t put up an ounce of dust now, Bill?’ he broke forth in insulting banter. ‘Tl? be more liberal than I war at Ike’s. I'll bet you a pound to an ounce thet I see more sunrises than you, an’ none ov ’em to-day, either!” * You'll never cut another cub’s throat! Tl) go youa pound to an ounce on thet,” was the response, velation winced and bit his lip. ‘* Let’s put an end to the man what refuses to bet when ther odds ar’ in his favor,” he suddenly cried. ‘‘Thar ar’ rope an’ limb, jedge; ther man ar’ not wantin’. Men of Cinnamon, carry out ther sentence ov yer court!” Down came the noose over Bill Bravo’s head, and lay for a moment on bis broad shoulders, At his left with eyes fixed on Solid Sol stood the four men who held the other end of the lynching cord. * Fa try the signal!” suddenly said Bill to himself. *‘‘ Ef E hev pards in Cinnamon, I need ‘em now!” The command that would have jerked the bear-tamer from the ground was hurrying to the lips of Solid Sol when with a quick stride Bill Bravo threw himself forward. At the same moment as he drew his splendid figure to its true hight up shot his right hand above the heads of the crowd! ‘What does that mean?” stammered Reve- lation Rube. A loud voice answered him. It came across the square and made every ” Tiger turn. ‘*Ther Cherubs ar’ his ds!” exclaimed Solid Sol. ‘‘ We might hev knowed this, Reve- lation. They held a secret meetin’ last night,” * An’ they voted him into the’r club,” Was it not true? : Scarcely thirty yards away and in front of one of the shanties from which they had prob- ably emerged, stood fifteen men with rifles: ee on the mob under the hangman’s imb! To all outward appearances they resembled the Tigers, but they were the rival shooting: club of Cinnamon — the fearless Cherubs in - whose ranks Placer Pandy had often been found, and whose captain, Wildcat Carl, was rou hism itself. Bill Bravo’s eyes filled with astonishment when he beheld the startling effect of bis egal and heard the words which had kept back the. command trembling on Solid Sol’s tongue: ‘Halt thar, Tigers! You’ve carried ther joke: fur enough!” There was menace unmistakable in the brief’ demand, It drove every vestige of color from Revelation Rube’s face; Solid Sol looked at his om a —* books.com