Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 378 — page 7: what you’re looking at

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

a a, ~- “ eS “—\. out by Eagle City Ed, . ane no danger, sir, on my account. Iam not worth “Indeed ! Hid laughed as he reloaded his re- volvers. Then he disappeared up the chimney. It was an easy matter to get out upon the roof, and thencs to the ground, at the side of the cabin, which was still enveloped in the deepest shadow, It would not be so easy a matter to get back to the roof, however, in case he could not gain access to the cabin by the front door, without exposing himself as a target. eaping to the ground, he made a detour, and soon arrived at a point where the watchers should be if still keeping their vigil. The ligbt bad now materially increased— enough so, that he was able ina short time, to satisfy himself that the miners and roughs bad all sought the main part of the mining-camp, either for rest or for drink. The sport therefore hastened to the cabin, and was at once admitted, Polly had her few effects in readiness, and leaving the place, was a goodly distance away, and out of sight, ere the full light of day broke over the City of Slabs, CHAPTER VIII. MADE TO ‘‘ PONY UP,” Naspop NEpD's night bad been rather illy spent, at the Bung-Eye saloon, After failing to score his scheme, so that it should implicate Pedro Sperra, the apparently treacherous Mexican, he was left in a moody and sullen state, and, something new for him to do, drank deeply. He had considerable money—somewhere in the neighborhood of five thousand dollars, and before two o’clock in the morning, what he had not spent at the bar, he had *‘ blowed in,” at the faro table, without making a win, This served to further sour bis humor and he paced to and fro across the gaming room, in tip-top order, as one miner suggested, to * spit up blood and swaller it.” A short time before daybreak, the watchers reappeared at. the Bung-Eye, rain-soaked, and as disconsolate a looking set of humans as ever ut their red flannel shirt-fronts toa Western ar. ‘“We takes bug-juice, we do!” Big Boots bellowed, in a tone that was nove the mildest, “We driok's tarant? ler, wi’ a rattlesnake or two throwed inter it, ter warm up on, an’ Nabob Ned hs pays fort.” The Slab City conveyancer heard the declara- tion, and strode forward, with a fierce oath, and & savage scowl, He evidently didn’t ‘ tumble.” ** Who said I was going to pay for the drinks here?” he cried, sava ely. ‘‘I reckon the party that said so made as ight mistake.” ** Waal, I should blush!” Bi Boots roared, putting his arms akimbo, and glaring at Na bob as if it would be a pleasure to him to make a meal off of him. ‘‘ My cognomen air Big Boots, and I’m a hustler from Hell Hollow, you bet! I did asseverate that yeow war goin’ to pay fer ther drinks, an’ I’m here to back up what I said, or masticate something.” “Youll have to go to masticating at once, then!” Nabob retorted, ‘‘ for I'll swear I don’t pay for any drinks that go over that bar, with- out Iorder ’em personally. I’m in no wise in- debted to any of you. Had you remained on duty till morning, you would each have been entitled to five dollurs. As it is not morning yet, vou have for feitied all claim on me,” ** Et aire mornin’!” Big Boois declared, ‘ an’ we watched thet Eagle City Ed didn’t leave the cabin. We ’arnt our money, an’ yer kin bet yer duckets thet we gits it.” Eh! boyees?” ‘On course we do!” ‘* Hooray fer Big Boots!” “We gits the cash or we spills a bar’l o’ bleed!” ; Such and kindred shouts filled the air, in re- sponse to Biz Boots. Revolvers were drawn, and Nabob Ned found himself covered, “Oh! you've got ter come ter time!” Big Boots howled. ‘Ye war licked by one leetle snake-eyed Mexican. cept thet ye war picked an’ then ye got onter sd ear an’ went ter pickin’ onter him. Now, "ll disseck my ole boots, and chaw ther pegs fer dinner, ef ye kin play any o’ yer slim games on yer uncle—oh! no, not a durned smidger ofit! I’ve eat up grizzly b’ars alive on toast, I hev, an’ swallered molten lead, an’ when ye git my mad up, I’m wuss’n a elerphant w’ot’s bin fed. on terbac. So yerst you flicker out our pais an’ tell ther juice-wrassler ter treat us \ ‘or 7F “ ’ te Oe ae Pia — oe Ad ei ry . i ; . » OA ae ; : | TT rr ste-sn een ee ee ‘Ned. white, or yer funeral percession will form in line at tew P. M.!” Back to full cock did Big Boots draw the hammer of his revolver, and Nabob Ned clearly saw that the men meant business, and he turned a shade paler, for he now bad not a cent at his immediate command, ‘*Come! d’ye hear my zephyr voice?’ Big Boots roared, flourisbing his persuader, ** Aire ye goin’ ter come down, or aire you not?” “This is unfair!” Nabob dec ared, his eyes glitteri ing angr ily. ‘* Ye’r’ a liar!” Boots bawled, fiercely. “We stayed out thar in ther dew, like leetle ducks, an’ never whimpered, till ther stripes o’ Aurory beginned tew sbow in ther east—then, we calky- lated thet Eagle City Ed hed bin game enough, an’ we levanted. We see’d ther devil’s dwn fiery serpents a come pourin’ out o’ ther chim- ney, an’ the cussed things chased us half-way ter camp. Now, ef we ’arnt ther cash, we gits it—that’s all. Ef we didn’t, you git it— cold lead, right from ther muzzle!” Nabod Ned was silent a moment, before he made any response, ‘‘lLam sorry, gents,” he finally said, ‘‘ that I haven’t a cent of money about my person, at the present moment, having just b'owed it all in at the bank, yonder, as the dealer can tell you. What I propose is this: You all go down to the cabin, and order Eagle City Ed to open up, or burst in the door if you get no answer. If you find kim there, dead or alive, come back to me, and you shall have your money. If he is gore, you get none, 4 Some of the men gave a grunt of assent, Big Boots, however, and one or two others, immediately objected. ‘*Thet won’t work!” the giant declared, ‘‘ Ye want a chances ter play ther skin game on us, yeou do, Et won’t work fer a cent. We'll go down ter ther cabin all rigbt, an’ find Eagle City Ed thar allright, you bet. But afore we 0, we'll jest sit a leetle watch onter Mr, Nabob Neddy, so be ean’t slide off out o’ our vision like duck down on top of a Montana zephyr.” ‘*T refuse to be dictated to in this manner, sir! Lam no’ a suspicious character, to be dog- ged by spies, and shall do as I please, If you don’t choose to do as I proposed, why I have potbing more to say.” ‘* What are ye afeard ter let one o’ us watch ye fer?” Big Boots demanded, ss Ye must hev some cat ye’r’ afeard o’ lettin’ out o’ the bag, or else a treasure cache, or suthin’ o’ the kind!” ‘* I will not argue with you. I have said my say.” ‘Then, durn yer pictur’, we'll hev our say, you bet! We’ llgive yer jest five minnits ter fork over the cash, or do as we tell ye!” The barroom of the Bung-Eye afforded a clock, and the hands pointed to within five min- utes of the hour. Big Boots fixed one eye on the dial and the other upon Navob Ned, while his fingers worked around the trigger in a restless manner, that was dangerously suggestive to the man at whom the weapon was leveled, What Nabob would have said or done, under the circumstances, can only be surmised, for, at this juncture, a man stepped forw ard, say- ing: ‘“There is no use of having any distur bance about this matter, gentlemen, I assure you, N:ubob Ned, as you call him, is undoubtedly re- sponsible for all he says he will do; but, if his word won’t answer, 1 will loan him’ what money he needs, How much will it be, sir?” Nabob Ned’s face betrayed great surprise, but he made no hesitation in accepting this way out of a dilemma, ‘There were twelve men; accordingly, it will require sixty dolla rs,’ he said, ‘An’ ther cost o’ the whisky fer ther house!” Big Boots added, with an ugly grin. Without a word the man, who was a stranger in the town, counted out Sixty dollars, which be placed in Nabob’s hands, and also threw a twenty-dollar note upon the bar, with the brief remark: «There, gents—drink that out!” This stranger then retired to a seat at a card- table. - Nabob Ned paid off the men, who really seemed loth to take the money, as they bad got their ire up fora rumpus; then he quietly a proached the stranger who had go voluntarily come to his aid, and put out his white hand, “Sir, although you area stranger to me, ac- cept my sincere thanks for your opportune act,” he said; ‘‘and rest assured, if it ever comes within my power to be of any service to you, you can command me.” ‘‘T may take advantage of your offer, sir, of ae ; ‘ ra - “y - ¥ we . _— . ‘ z , a — me = — e ; : ' » ad Ys oe i fF y . ; ; . x é Mate yee eo ‘ ths al No tag “| | ft O @ e sooner than you think,” the stranger replied, puffing away leisurely at a cigar. He was a man about whose appearance there was nothing extreordinar oi. - thing quite sin- gular, too, for a town like Slab City; for the gold and silver region population is so largely made up of singular persons, This person in question was of some five-or- six-and-forty years of age, well built, and just an ordivary-looking man, with brown eyes and beard. He evideutly had spent some vears in a West, but as evidently was not Western rn. His attire was a serviceable blue suit, and heavy walking-shoes, and a straw hat, a rather odd-looking head-gear it was, too, for a country where snow-capped peaks hovered above the town the year round, He wore no weapons exposed to view, if in- deed he carried any at all about his person, Nabob Ned drew a chair to the table and sat down, Tbe reply of the stranger bad given him the impression that a further acquaintance was wante > ‘* Might I make so bold as to inquire your name?” he asked, “Ob! certainly,” was the reply, in a calm yet magnetic tone—for, dear reader, you must admit that there is magnetism in voices. “ My name is Harold Henshaw ; I presume you bave heard of the name before,” Nabob shook his head in the negative. Only a slight twitch about his mouth betrayed that ke had beard the name before. ‘““T donot think I bave met or heard of you before this meeting,” Nabob answered, ‘* Hen- shaw—Henshaw! Let mesee, No, lam sure! have never known a person of that pame.” Mr. Henshaw lavghed again—a_ peculiar laugh it was, expr essing to some extent a feel- ing of sarcasm. “Biward Landis, you do know. the name even as well as you know uite useless now to deny that you know me. id you ever bear of a little town in Colorado, called Silver Cliff?” Nabob Ned’s face flushed, the gleam that nestled in his eyes grew stronger in iis inten- sity. “Well! what of Silver Cliff?’ he demanded, ‘What of Silver Cliff?” The words of Harold Henshaw evidently had aroused the sleeping tiger of the little sport's nature, Henshaw eyed him a moment, curiously, ‘*Do you want me to.repeat a all I know about you and Silver Cliff?’ he demanded. The sport did not answer at once, but regard- ed Henshaw much after the manner a caged tiger regards the people who are peering in at bim from without the grates, ‘‘T do not think it necessary,” he replied, at ‘You are surely mistaken in your man for ea I think you made the drive at me for the purpose of finding out if there was not a possftil y that 1 might be your man. What is your business? Are you a detective?” ‘Tam not, although I have a mis-ion some- thiny of the nature of detective work,” ‘¢] surmised so., Cv ance has made it within my power, perhaps, to aid you, inreturn for the favor you have done me to-night, My name is not Edward Landis, by any means, but. Edwin lergth. Hurst. I, however, bave met this Kdward Landis,” | ‘You have?” “T have, Tell me your errand after Edward Landis, and I may be able to put you on bis track,” Henshaw looked thoughtful a moment, ‘“T don’t know thatI ought to make confi- dants of strangers,” he said, greene he ‘In this case, however, I don't know tha can make any particular difference, If not Ed- ward Landis, you are, | presume, a person of good character, and one who can be trusted,” ‘Without a doubt!” ‘Well, then, I will confide in you, you know this Edward Landis?” ‘‘T bave seen bim!” ‘Ah! Where?” “Go on with your confidence. after you are through.” Henshaw frowned at this, He had no boy to deal with. “ Well, I will go on!” he said, watching Na- bob as if he was suspicious of him. “T am a gentleman worth considerable money, and until recently a resident of Silver Cliff, where my family reside. My extensive mining-interests ‘You say I can answer have kept me away from my home more than [ . | could desire. This fact has brought me dire trouble. During one of my absences, my eighteen-year old daughter Helen met and be- » ce see > . + - vx { 4 ’ put , .* ; yout own, and it is