Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 340 — page 4: what you’re looking at

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

. , , Pr w Py - "2 » a eel A 7 —_ ra oo * . - § 4 though,” interposed Mat Warner. ‘My daughter has said that she prefers not to accept you as a suitor, and that question is settled. I gave her no advice on the point; but I am free to say that my opinion agrees with hers,” The visitor rose from his chair, and stepped toward the door, The devil in his eye was no longer lurking, but came forward in plain sight, and showed its full stature. “You have said that Iama stranger to you, Mat Warner,” said he; ‘‘but you will be likely to know a good deal more about me before you are through with me,” “That sounds like a threat,” replied the ranchman, ‘‘ You have no right tc threaten us,as we have treated you politely and have done you no harm.” ‘* Take it as you please, I am a straight and re man; but 1 have ahead of my own. offered to do the fair thing, but was refused a chance, I mean to come here, all the same, but will suit myself in coming, and when I do come you may have cause to wish that I had stayed away.’ | | He left the house without another word, mounted his horse, and rode down the valley. Mrs. Warner was greatly distressed by this ay and her husband looked as if he would glad) have got along without if. ‘“*That_ isa dangerous man, Iam afraid,” he remarked. | ‘You are bt about that, sir,” said Clip Saunders, “I doubt if there is a more AppEer: ous man anywhere about here. What did he say he was—a prospector and aspeculator? He speculates in faro and poker, and he prospects in other peopl ’s pockets, Spence Symmes is a mighty safe man to keep away from.” “It is a pity that we should have made an enemy of him,” said Mrs. Warner, : “That couldn’t be helped,” replied her hus- band. ‘‘We did right, and he himself has lnbag that we did. It is better that he should an open enemy than an unsafe friend.” CHAPTER IV. | _ CHEYENNE CHARLEY. JupGk WALLER was one of the magnates of Orodia. There wére not many magnates thers et, and it was easy for him to be the top of the eap; but he was the kind of man who might be expected to stay at the top. He had been a judge in irginia, City, and the title had stuck to him after he had left the bench and turned his attention to the founding of a new city. : Lots in Orodia were going off like hot cakes, and Judge Waller was busy and prosperous, But business was over for the day, when he sat in his office one evening, cleaning up his desk preparatory to closing his neat little white- washed office. | : ae Consequently he was a little surprised when a stranger stepped in. | This stranger was a tall and brawny man, rather roughly dressed, unshayven considerably travel-worn, and looking as if he had just come in from an extensive tramp. Judge Waller’s keen gray eyes ‘‘sized him up” at once, and as he resumed his seat at his desk he partly opened a drawer in which lay a cocked revolver, | | He invited the stranger to be seated, and in- quired his business, : “1s this Judge Waller?’ he asked. ““ Yes.” “Lived a long time in these parts, I under- stand.” “ Rather long, considering that this is a new co ry. “Lived in Virginia City, and been a judge.” “ Yes.” **Reckon you know who’s who and what's goin’ on about as well as most anybody.” “‘T am largely acquainted and pretty well posted.” “Well udge, what I want et at is this. I = ‘told that you have Vigilaetes in these **So [ have heard,” replied Judge Waller. **Of course you ain’t one of them, and you don’t know who they are,or anything more about them than anybody else does. But Ive a notion that if a stranger should want a sound and square opinion about what he t to do to keep out trouble, you would be likely to give it to bim, | “T can girs my opinion, of course,” ‘* Well, judge, how would th Vigilantes be apt to treat a rough citizen who should come here and want to settle and go straight?” ‘‘T don’t believe they would trouble any man Clip, the Contortionist. who is disposed to behave himself. Are you that sort of a cifn?”’ ““IT may say thatlam. Where I came from I was known as Cheyenne Charley.” ‘* And your real name is Charles Rentz.” ‘Hullo, judge! So you know me?” ** You have been something of a public char acter,” answered Judge Waller, witb a smile. ‘*Durned if 1 ever struck you before, though.” ** Perhaps it is as well for you that you did not. Let me see, You left Cheyenne in a hurry, because of a difficulty you had there, in which a man died.” al vay: there got sorter prejudiced against me, and I took a change of venue, as you lawyers say.” ‘“*But without leave of the court. Your last exploit was_in the southeastern part of this Territory, where you went honestly to work at herding cattle on @ ranch, Ope morning the ranchman missed you and a pretty big pile of | bis voice, gold coin.” _ “ He got his money back, though.” 43. That was because be chased you wp so sharp. | ell, judge, you seem to know as much about that sort of thing as if you was one of the Vigilantes yourself, and your opinion must be worth something. Do you think, now, that they will leave me alone if [settle down and go eae: ) ~ pag ““T am quite sure that nobody will trouble ou a, long as you are peaceable and well be- ** Much obliged to you, judge. Ever so much obliged. Good-evening.” p eaied Judge Waller looked after his visitor as he slowly sauntered up the one street of Orodia,. “*T don’t believe that that. man could go straight if he tried,” said be, ‘‘and I am sure that he don’t mean to try He wanted to get on the blind side of me—that’s all.” The judge beckoned to a young man who stepped out from the shade of a tree-trunk. ‘* Follow that man, Clip, and notice where he goes and what he does,” “ All right, sir.” Cheyenne Charley strolled into Miss Nettle’s mown, the Stunner, and Clip Saunders followed m. That hostelry was pretty well filled with men, although it was yet early in the even- ing, and its frequenters were gradually filling themselves with the contents of the bottles in the bar. The gentleman from Cheyenne watched this operation with longing eyes, and looked about in vain for an opportunity to satisfy his thirst. But he was a stranger, and nobody asked him to specify his poison, and he knew well enough ee pe could not get trusted there for a thim- efu His hands went down in his pockets again and again; but they did not bring forth from those vacant depths as much‘as the smallest coin. Mr. Charles Rentz was flat broke, and his condition was almost unendurable, After awhile he slightly raised his right hand, closing his fist with the exception of the re cea which he bent and held in that posi- tion, | He did this several times, as if casually, and finally attracted the attention of a man who approached him, and that man was Spence ymmes, Symmes went through the same motions with his right hand, and then the two stepped a little aside from the others, and spoke in a low tone. “C RO,” whispered the man from Cheyenne. “OK,” answered Spence Symmes in a simi- lar whisper. Then they shook hands, ; Their mysterious whispers had been inaudible to everybody but themselves, with the excep- tion of Clip Saunders, who had taken pains to get in a position that would allow bim to listen, and whose sense of hearing was unusually acute. ‘*Do you want anything?” asked Symmes. ‘You can bet I do,” replied the other, ‘‘I am dead broke—dead and buried, with a tomb- stone on top.” A gold piece passed from the pocket of Symmes to the hand of Cheyenne Charley. ‘““We are going to make a big strike soon, and | you will bave a chance in,” said Symmes. ‘Take care of yourself now, and keep a level head, and don’t get into trouble, and I will see you in the morning.” tiht oa “ All. right,” r ded his companion, and Speure mmes quietly left the saloon. But! beyenne Charley soon forgot the as- surance of level-headedness that he had given. It was long since he had known the luxury of a real, rearing, tearing, rampageous spree, Worse than that, days had passed since he had tasted liquor. He was fairly freezing for it, and he had money in his pocket, and the supply of aqua- fortis was abundant. Therefore be set at work in earnest to make up for lost time, and in a little while was on familiar terms with most of the men in the saloon, treating and being treated. He fired ' so trequently and so heavily that he became belligerent, as it was his nature to, and then he proceeded to pick a quarrel, which was easy enough at that time and place. The quarrel was rapidly passing from the wordy stage to the fighting stage, when the proprietress whispered to Clip Saunders. **Do try to quiet ’em,” she said; ‘‘that’s a dear boy.’ 3 : “Clear the way!” shouted Clip at the top of ‘‘The performance is about to be- gin!” This was a welcome announcement, as most of those present knew what it meant, and a clear space was quickly made in the middie of the room, the belligerents being unceremonious- ly hustled aside an separated. . Clip immediately began rolling and tumbling, throwing somersaults, posing himself in the most extraordinary attitudes, and twisting him- a her the most impossible pratHons, e Kepb this up for ten m teh and was re- warded with the most uproarious applause. Miss Nettle beckoned to the man from Chey- enne, and laid ber heayy band on his shoulder, “TI don’t allow no gbtin’,” she said. “If ou try it ag’in, I'l have to take a hand and unce you.” “I believe you could do it,” answered Chey- enne Charley, who had cooled down. “She kin do it, stranger, and that’s a solid fact,” remarked a big bystander. ‘‘Ef she cain’t, thar’s plenty to help her.” The stranger took the hint, and subsided into a chair, where he soaked his clay in silence until he fell asleep. : Clip Saunders sought Judge Waller, to whom he reported what he had seen and heard, ‘We ought to understand that,” said the judge. ‘Putting this and wae together, it seems to be plain enough. C RO and O K— that. spells OOK, which is a good enough watchword for men of their style.” ** Crooks they both are,” remarked Clip. ‘Yes, and I am afraid that there is going to be trouble, and somebody will get hurt, and hemp will be in demand. By the way, have you any news yet concerning that affair of yours?” , ‘No, sir.” : +) f am afraid you are on a blind trail, my ‘‘ Blind enough, but I believe that the man is somewhere about here.” CHAPTER V... THE VIGILANTES’ NOTICE, _ CHEYENNE CHARLEY was duly put to bed in the Stunner at a late hour, and in the morning nce Symmes came and arotised him from his heavy slumber, The man who was going to turn over a new leaf objected to this mterruption; but his new friend consoled, him with several drinks, gave him a breakfast, and then put him on a horse and took him away from Orodia. ‘You have been making a condemned fool of yourself, old man,” said Symmes, as they rode along. ‘‘ You got drunk, after I cautioned you not to, and started in to raise a row. uckily, you were not allowed to go far, or rou might have been buried in your boots fore now.” , | ‘‘T. was powerful dry,” protested the other. ‘* Hadn’t got outside of a square drink for days, and the stuff went to my head.” ‘*'You had better leave it alone if you can’t manage it better than that. I knew who you were, Charley, as svon as I saw you, but didn’t know that you were one of us until you gave the sign. And right here I must give you some solid advice, and I mean to talk to you like a father. We will stand by you; but none of us. are bound to stand by aman who won’t stand by himself. So, if, you expect to stay with the Cautions Crooks, and take their chances, you have got to a ©. level head and be careful ob to slop over. You may have been a big man down in Cheyenne; but bere you will have to e take your place in the ranks, and submit to.aar y rules and regulations, .. OW we aro mi; : particular abot walking straight ane Peeking ‘ tout of all sorts of scrapes . vw C * ©) | | . _ ™ re: = = —_"*