Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 286 — page 13: what you’re looking at

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

— - —————— Se —_———_—_— - —— a shadow lingered for a moment around Jack’s classic face. He had noticed that the full force of Tiger Mine employes were present, and as they outnumbered the other guests, Magoffin wondered what would happen if they got on the rampage, Their behavior was excellent, however, and as the hour for closing drew near, the landlord grew correspondingly igh | In the midst of this Eden-like scene, however, | the doer was suddenly pushed open and four | men entered. The first was Dave French, the second, a burly stranger with a Ps | Mesa beard, and the third and fourth, Messrs, Thayer and Foster, of the firm of that name. Jack Magoffin stood like one suddenly turned toa statue. He ‘*scented the battle, afar off, | but very near,” as he afterward expressed it. The man with the black beard advanced a few steps and then paused. ‘ ‘Jamin search of one Joshua Pepper,” he said, in a distinct voice, as he looked the crowd over. ‘rte don’t live here,” said Pistol Pete, promptly, as he blew a mouthful of smoke into rings. ‘‘ Moved to Denver last week Wednes- day, with his family. Opened an employment | office for ‘longshoremen in Tabor’s Block, I[ | believe.” The stranger frowned. | “Wo trifling, sir,” he said. “‘1 am Sheriff Straw of jane Butte, and I am here to arrest reung Joshua r. : “Ont I though it was the old man,” said Pete, coolly. ‘ Why, what’s Josh been doing?” ‘“He has robbed Thayer & of dust worth five thousand dollars!” the sheriff. 3 Then followed a dead silence, but every man —— j ee wos besy thinking. Jack Magoffin, on his part, felt a deal like praying, but there were fhose whe had more to Pistol Pete and Roaring Ben Bundy saw the whole plot at once. Thayer had been beaten eff on Nora Barr, but he was resolved to have re on “Brindle Josh,” to whom the girl ewed escape from the mine-hoider’s power, In this emergency, arguments, entreaties and | elibis would alike prove useless; the plaintiffs would carry their case through if they could, and as they had packed all their men inside the room, the chances were decidedly in their favor. Pistol Pete, however, was not blind, nor did ke believe in fooling around the case. “Your little game is a charming one,” he said, calmly, “but the sheriff part won't go gown. You ain’ Sheriff Straw no more than | am. You had better speak in your natural voice, Mike Sweet, and let the boys know you.” He had spoken the name of one of Thayer & Foster’s workmen, for he had penetrated his disguise, and a jeer ran around the room as all rick. Me bat don’t matter,” said Thayer, belliger- | ently. ‘‘ Weare here on business, and we are not to be bluffed. Josh Pepper has stolen five +pousand dollars from us and we want the »y back.” ve The man that says I’m a thief is a darned ‘iar!’ . words arose from the rear of the room, ind thet the Boy Tenderfoot st forward a es, @ flush of anger on bis face, ten Phat’s him!—that’s Brindle Josh!” shouted French. Dav van it’s me!” my ig n’t, either, I ain't a— rae pola abruptly. Indiscreet words, re- ferring to the events of the previous night had had been on bis lips, but he ¢ 10ked them down. | “Mr. Sweet, take your prisoner! said Theyer, in a loud voice, ; wae mee Hold to shouted Joshua, In a way which | “and I ain’t made the counterfeit sheriff pause. | are bayer dew yeou mean this charge In arnes : | Yes, sir, I do!” Thayer angrily answered. < « Yeou know it ain’t true?’ ssPene? O' course it ain’t! What does sech a )\iser'ble skunk as bim want o’ the truth? Lord, | “e wouldn’t know it ef he met it face ter face mm a meetin’-house!” {t was Roaring Ben Bundy who thus express- ed his opinion of Thayer, and he did it because collision must come, he saw plainly that a and | did pot believe in fooling about the matter. He brought matters to a crisis as he had ex- ted, but the result was hardly pleasant. fbayer attered a a command, and at the .-ord every employee of the Tiger Mine wie - yt a revolver, and the smaller party found the ds against them. Y Bichteon to thirteen, all told, was the count, sad ihe larger party held the drop, “I¢ one of you attempt to draw you are = Wis Josh, the Boy Tenderfoot. dead!” said Thayer, warningly; and then, as he saw that they did not stir, be burst intoa laugh. ‘‘ Ha! ha! you poor miserable flunks!” be said, tauntingly; ‘‘I pity you, but I feel a good deal sorrier because we have such men on the soil of Colorado.” ‘What's the matter with us?’ asked Pistol Pete. ‘Why, you ain’t got the wit of a louse!” said the mine-holder, contemptuously. “Just you call off your bloodhounds a second | and give mea sbow!” cried the insulted man, hotly. ‘*‘Why, (ll blow your brains out in a squirrel’s jump!” ‘‘ No shootin’ byar, gents; no shootin’ hyar!” implored Jack Magoffin, from behind the bar. He bad worked rapidly all this while to stow his bottles and other fragile articles awa where they could not get broken, for he antici- pated a “moral earthquake,” as he expressed it, on the good old Western plan, At this moment Roaring Ben Bundy pushed to the front. “If I may put in my lip,” he remarked, ‘I would humbly suggest a compromise, Ther oot that you want—Thayer—is a boyee—a id o? some seventeen year. Now, we all like ter see fun, an’ I propose that one o’ your gang lay hold o’ ther accused an’ b gre him out bodily while ther rest on us stand by an’ hold their bunnits. ©’ course, ter make ther scuffle fa’r, te must send in yer youngest man. That's m | And Bundy leveled his finger at Dave French. The ex-cowboy was for a moment startled at the tion, tor he bad tried the prowess of “ Brindle Josh" before then to his sorrow, bat even his own friends shouted at the idea, and he dared not object. The majority of men like to see a contest of the kind, and as the i employes were all sure that Dave could wal ht over the angu- lar tenderfoot, they decided that rare sport was in store for them. “Go ahead, Dave, and take him out,” whis- pered Foster, ‘‘ and if you can contrive to break | his ugly head while you're about it, I'll back you up, Dave put on a ferocious scowl and advanced toward the Boy Tenderfoot, while a pensive smile began to quiver around the corners of Pistol Pete's mouth. He had seen the two youths pitted against each other before, and be was not only sure that Joshua would contrive to look out for himself, but there was also a good-sized chance that the Tiger crowd would lose the drop before the act was over. If they didn’t, Pistol Pete was ready to for- feit his title. Dave bad cut down half the distance when Jack Magoffin ventured to raise bis weak voice from behind the bar to suggest that both boys lay aside their weapons until the affair was over; and the motion was seconded and carried through the house. Once more the old foes faced each other. Dave French had nerved himself for the fight and he was resolved to conquer and pay off old scores or get uncomfortably whipped. _ The pride of the tenderfoot must come down into the dust, or somebody get too badly burt to attend the next lynching affair in store for Buzzard Bar, CHAPTER XVII. BUZZARD BAR'S BIG NIGHT, ‘ BRINDLE JOSH” awaited the coming of his enemy with outward coolness. but it was a situ- ation that called on his nerves direct. In his revious encounters with the ex-cowboy he had een in the heat of passion, but now he was to meet him coolly, as though ina regular ring, [t seemed an unequal fight, with the odds of two years in favor of Dave French, but Joshua stood firm and resolved to use all the tricks of ogy Frenchman, who had taught him so we Dave advanced with a terrific scowl on his face, and, going quite near, made a motion as though to put his hand on the tenderfoot’s shoulder, but, suddenly changing his tion, he shot out his clinched fist in a terrible blow straight at his head, The trick nearly cost Joshua dearly; he had been led to believe that Dave intended a grap- le; and when the blow came he barely had linie to pass it over his shoulder, and then his to the floor, rom the Tiger foot slipped, and he fell cera. A tremendous bow! arose ang. Not one of them was fair enough to see that the fall was the result of a slip, and as their cheers rung out Dave gained new and reckless e. ie Page P a dive for his adversary, lying as 13 es a the latter did on the floor, but, somehow, the Boy Tenderfoot slid away from his grasp, and then, arising, caught at Dave’s legs and raised him bodily trom the floor, One moment everybody held their breatt, and then, with a tremendous effort, Joshua cast his victim aside, and he fell in the crowd, near- ly knocking over one of the Tiger men. Still that was only a beginning. Dave was stung to fury by his discomfiture, and with a series of wild curses he rushed forward with doubled fists. He reached Joshua and struck out fiercely, but in a moment more the latter dod serene- ly under the hostile arm, and stood with a smile awaiting for his adversary to turn, “Oh! bring us a man !” yelled Roaring Ben. Bundy. ‘‘Send out eight or ten on ’em with each one’s fightin’ yi t. Take this stick in og treat him for colic.—Hurrah! I told you. so The last exclamation came as Dave French went down like a log, knocked off his feet by a blow three-fourths science and the rest strength; but the oheer of the miner suddenly died ares Pistol] Pete had anticipated the result of the fight from the first, and be knew Jared Thayer had not enough honor to abide by it; he would press his claim even eu Brindle Josh whip- ped the whole crowd of Tigers at once, Knowing this, Pete had only been waiting for Josh to gain a decisive advantage, and when that time came he pere i bis own While they foug had managed to draw his revolver unseen by the Tigers, anti as Dave- went down there were two reperts in rapid suc- cession and the room was ed. in darkness.. Pistol Pete had played the old trick of shoot- ie the lights. nother moment and his hand was on the- tenderfoot’s arm, ** Back}—Get out of the room!” he hissed. Joshua caught the idea quickly and they be~ gan to make for the stairway, but at that mo- ment the voice of Foster rung ‘out ane * ‘Tigers this way! Fire to the front Pistol Pete knew what it meant, but he ways not a man to be taken unawares. He forced Joshua to the floor, and then several lumps of lead whistled over them. There were other sounds, too—cries of rage and pain, and one heavy fall, which showed that all the lead had not gone astray. | “ tee stairs, quicker’n light ~ contin: ued Pistol Pete, and then they moved together . They beard another man just ahead of them,. but, without trying to secure the door, which, at the best would stand but little pressure, they ran up the stairs, At the top Nemo met them with a light, his dusky face full of battle-fire, and in his hand the revolver which he well knew how to use. Pistol Pete saw that the man who had pre-- ceded them was Ben Bundy and his own hopes» arose. He caught the light from Nemo’s hand: and set it down near the head of the stairs. ** Now, fall back, all of you,” he said, ‘ and we will face the gap at twenty feet. If we: nea hold the fort at that range, I’m a iar! They caught at his idea and secured theixr a ape Bundy tipped over a table and he and! ete turned it into an impromptu breastwork; while Joshua and Nemo brought chairs into the: ’ game, Then, with their gazes on the top of the stairs, and their revolvers ready, they grimiv waited for further deve!ypments, and it woul } really have been a mau Lrave to wild reckless-- peas who would have dared their fire know. ingly. In the lower room, quite a circus seemed jn progress, There had been some shooting, and » suspicious crashing of glass as though some of the miners had gone out through the windows, and then loud voices and angry cries—them utter silence, - eH pei mischief in that silence,” said Pistol ete, ** What does it mean?’ Bundy asked. ‘* Mischief, I tell you, sure as you live. A lull like that is on oh whether it speaks for white men or red,” Joshua looked over toward Nora. She sat in a chair facing them and the stairs, and her bravery thrilled him, He felt an admiration too great to be easily stifled, but it was not a time for words. As he turned back his mind received a new impression. The scent of smoke reached his Is. For a moment he felt no alarm, and he almost smiled as he thought that the wild men below bad probably overturned the stove vd COMUNE S) OO} O (Elo) |