Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 385 — page 11: what you’re looking at

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

- —— ————— ————E————— eo . i a ee _— =< | te = a ng - 2 - . , \ / es ’ - -_ ee ee - * —_—— I i yO — i ey, ———- - ~ . oe ae ‘ : - ~ . The bullwhacker said this in a low tone, and s0 earnestly, that Yreka gave him an inquiring glance, “If you want me to believe that you’re a friend, say so!” “‘That’s ther nail! TIl stick ter ye like a bur- dock burr in a cow’s tail an’ the cow a light hind-heeler!” ‘*] am at loss to conceive what advantage it would be to you—being my friend?” . “Mebbe, You don’t study grammar, as- a dictionary an’ common-sense, all at once. did ye a dirty deal once, an’ knowin’ yer bed rock, want a show fer doin’ ye a good turn!” ** A good turn, eh?” ‘You bet yer whole life on that—a turn what will make ye feel so good ye kin jump up an’ kick yer socks off. I ain’t no prattling porkypine. I’ve got a brain w’ot weighs six- teen an’a half ounces ter ey’ry pound, an’ I jedge I know when I’m lookin’ bias or polka dot, ’cept when l’ve got a gallon of ‘ner best bug on board—then, I feel like hevin’a round-to-finish, wi’ ther moon. Thet reminds me very forcibly thet my nerves hevn’t hed a ‘bracer’ sence Mary-come-hum,. I axed the galoot over at ther shebang ef I ked stan’ ’im off fer a ‘bite,’ an’ he laffed, an’ allowed ther was a rivulet, a mile b’low here, where they hed free-bar, the year around. Mebbe ye hevn’t a spare drop about yer habiliments, Yreka?” ‘‘ Never mind about the ‘drop,’” Yreka re- turned. ‘‘Come with me, and I'll sound you!” This conversation was carried on in an under- tone, and the following crowd, who anticipated some more sport, caught but now and then a word of it. Yreka led the way direct to his room, the door of which he Jocked, and motioned Maccaw to be seated upon one of the two seats which the place afforded, A tallow candle burned upon the table, and Joker bad taken upon himself to stretch bimself out on the primitive bed, instead of resting on the floor, where Yreka had left him, The animal immediately arose, however, when the two men entered, and eyed Mambrinus Maccaw with a sullen growl. ** See hyer, aire thet anymile dangerous?” the bullwhacker demanded suspiciously, declining to become seated and keeping near the door, for be was not certain but what Yreka had played a revengeful trick upon him. ‘**Oh, he does not eat any one up at this hour of night unless he is particularly hungry,” Yreka replied. ‘‘You had better go and kiss him, however, as he might take a mouthful out of you. He is passionately fond of kissing, and makes friends withevery one who osculates bim.” * Kiss thet b’ar?’? Maccaw ejaculated, in dis- gust. “Silver sand-jigs of old St. Vitus! I'd let im eat me up clean, furst. Say, look here; w’ot did ye fetch me here fer, Yreka?” The bullwhacker was evidently getting a trifle anxious about his personal safety, for he was afraid of Yreka by great odds more than he was of any other man he had ever encoun- tered, Yreka laughed oddly, ‘*Oh, for nothing more than to cut yer heart out and eat it!” he replied. ‘‘I believe ye said you were my friend, didn’t you?” ‘‘ Ev’ry day in a week, an’ don’t ye drop et, | Yreka!” ‘* And you’d stick by me like a porous plas- ter?” ‘‘ Better’n that, Yreeky—like black ter ther face uv a nigger!” ‘“You would even live, die, fight and bleed for me?” ‘** You kin bet yer boots!” ‘* And about this good turn you propose to do me, providing I take any stock, in you? How about that?” ; “Why, I'll give yea p’inter in regard to yer wife.” ‘* Very well, When you are willing to stand a certain test I will believe you.” ‘* What kind of a test?” ‘“‘Simple and easy, and yet only one man oct of a hundred’ would perform it through devotion to another. Will you do it?” ‘Great mazourky uv old St. Vitus! Don’t ver purpose ter tell a feller what it is before- and?’ And Mambrinus Maccaw began to look decid- edly nervous and suspicious, as he saw Yreka’s right hand drop to his belt. “*Not a bit of it. If you are a friend of mine, you must take it for granted that what- ever | say or do is for the best. Go and place yourself against the wall yonder, facing me!” Yreka Jim’s Joke. ** What yer goin’ ter do—sbute me?” ‘*No! An appte will have to be shot off your head, before I will believe that you will provea reliable and efficient pard!’’ ‘**Oh! ef that’s all, why I ain’t skeert—nary a time—no, sir-ee, l’d trust ter yer shutin’, Yreka, ’fore any other gerloot I ever see’d, an’ don’ yer drop it!” ‘** But, ’m not goin’ ter play William Tell,” Yreka declared, with a smile, ‘*Yowre not?’ echoed the giant, ‘‘ Then, who ther deuce is ?” ‘* My side pardner, Little Joker! You are to put your bead against the wall, and I will place an apple upon your head—lI happen to have a wild one, with me. I will then put a cocked revolver in tbe right fore-paw of Joker, as be stands facing you upon his bind feet, and he will split the apple in half, without barming a bair of your head. Do this, and I will be satis- fied that I can trust you, and consider you my ard! The bullwhacker put up his hands in horror. ‘‘Great oppery minny-musk reels uv ole St. Vitus,” he gasped. ‘‘Let thet aire animile shute at me—me ?” ** Hxactly—you /” and Yreka drew a revol- ver, and cocked it. ‘No, Ill be eternally gasted, ef I do!” and Maccaw grew pale with apprehension. ‘ Why, that aire thing don’t know how ter shute, no more’n a suckin’ goat knows how ter eat hoop- skeerts!” ** Don’t you fear; Joker can shoot better than half the humans, who pride themselves on their skill. Come, take your place. Ill guarantee he’ll not touch you!” ‘“Git out! S’posin’ he hits me plum in the middle o’ ther coackynut—-what ther blazes will yer garrenty be gud fer tew me, then? On! no —ye don’t git this hyer hydraheaded he-up-an’- haw ter be no stool pigeon fer a b’ar—no, sir-ee, bob-tailed burro J” ‘*Put your back to the wall, and obey, or I will shoot you myself!” Yreka commanded, sternly. ‘‘ You're in for it, and if you hesitate, you’re a dead man!” There was no doubting the menace in his tones, and, pale and shaky, the bullwhacker backed up against the wall, in the evident be- lief that bis time had come, Yreka then placed a small wild apple upon his bead, Appearing to realize what was wanted of him, Juker clambered off the bed,Jreared up on his hind feet, and Yreka placed a cocked six-shoot- er in the grasp of his right paw! _Then, there was a moment of the most intense silence, CHAPTER XIII. A COMPACT, CHARLES ST. MAuR leaned back in bis chair, coolly lit a cigar, and regarded the judge a mo- ment in silence, before beginning the narration, evidently enjoying the old man’s discomfiture, ‘* Well, to begin with,” he finally said, ** there once upon a time dwelt in an Eastern city nota thousam’ miles from New York a rich old banker. whom we will call Abel Ardmore, Prosp*-ity bad smiled upon him all his life, up to the ripe old age of sixty-eight, which period still found him hale and bearty. The Ardmores were the most popular family of the city in which they dwelt, and Abel Ardmore was prominently identified with several railroad corporations. Wealth and popularity, how- ever, did not. bring husband and wife the bap- iness both desired, Although one child was a to them, it was of the female sex, and old Ardmore yearned for a male heir, to hand down his name to posterity. / ‘* But, as years passed by and no son put In an appearance, the banker and his wife concluded to adopt ason, and bring him up as their own. So, they visited the almshouse of a neighboring city, and the result was, they adopted two bright twin boys, whose parents had isecently died of small-pox. The boys were but little older than their own daughter, and the trio grew up to man and womanhood, as promising as any parents could wish of their children— handsome and intelligent. *‘ Aones Ardmore was one of the most charm- ing of girls, and became a much sought-after belle of society. As sbe and her adopted bro- thers grew up, however, they gradually came to regard each other in a different light than as brothers and. sister, and it finally became ap- parent that Ralph and Rolfe were rivals for the hand of Agnes in marriage. ‘*Of course, she could not favor both, and, as in all cases of the sort—there had to be one favorite brother, This chanced to be Rolfe, | jess ip the extreme, 11. who, though not nearly so stylish and band- some as his brotber, was more even-tempered, and possessec of many better traits of character, Ralph, on the other hand, had an ungovern- able temper, and was not so weill-principled as: his brother, and was somewhat inclined to dissi-. pation, ‘* When the affection of the brothers for their foster-sister became known to Abel Ardmore, he was greatly incensed, and threatened to dis- inherit bis daugbter and the successful brother, should the love-affair not be broken up between them. His anger and threats bad little effect, however, Rolfe Ardmore was a man wiih @& will of his own, and as he loved Agnes devoted- ly, and she loved him, he replied that no moneyed prospect should stand between kim and a marriage. Accordingly, he and Agnes eloped, were married, and on a very primitive scale started in life for themselves. ‘“Tt appeared to bea hard blow to Abel Ard- more and his wife; for the latter died shortly afterward, and the old man did not survive her many months. When his will was read it was found that he had kept good his threat. He had disinherited Rolfe and Agnes, and left every- thing to the reckless Ralph, ‘‘Not long was the name of Ardmore to remain without a stain of FePTp see on it—a thing old Abel had made a lifetime’s struggle to guard against. Supplied with unlimited means, Ralph Ardmore grew to bea one of the wildest roues in the city. _He seemed to have no thought in life further than the gratification of his own desires and the spending of his foster-parent’s wealth. True, he succeeded to the presidency of the bank, but bis own short- comings gave bis clerks an opportunity to swindle him at every turn, and he finally awoke to the fact that instead of owning the bank, he owed if, ‘‘In the mean time, Rolfe and Agnes strug- gled through two years of marital experience, in the most frugal and primitive manner; then, when starvation looked not a Jong way off, Rolfe accepted a loan from his brother, and, dividing it with Agnes, left her and their little boy—a year-old babe—in the East, and came West, in the hope of making his fortune at gold- mining. ‘* Tn less than two months after his departure the news reached the East that he had been killed and scalped by Indians. This left Agnes alone and! poverty-stricken, at the mercy of the yitiless world, But it also left an opening that Ralph Ardmore was not slow to take advantage of. ‘¢ He offered Agnes a place in his home, and a few mouths later induced her to become his wife, Married life did not agree with him any better, however, nor cause him to mend bis ways. A son was born to them, and was but a few months old when Rolfe Ardmore returned Kast, alive, well, and rich beyond his most san- guine expectations, ‘The shock of finding Agnes wedded to Ralph nearly killed him; but, noble man that he was, he never went near them, but turned his face toward the setting sun—a stern, unfor- giving, imbittered man. ‘* A year later his own son and that of Agnes and Ralph were kidnapped from the latter’s. home, and never recovered, nor were they heard from for years. ‘*Then, when Ralph Ardmore had _ been forced to flee from the East for attempting to murder Agnes, the truth finally became known both to bim and her. It came in the shape of a. letter to each, from Rolfe Ardmore, . ‘* He advised them that he was alive and well —which undoubtedly they had suspected, Jong: before—and that the two boys were the same, but had grown up to manhood strangers to each other; that, when they were men, they should know tbe story of the past, and that would be. his revenge!” At this point St. Maur took time to help him-: self to a glass of wine. ‘“‘ These. boys!” Judge Alvin gasped, lerning forward, pale and excited—* their names?” ‘“‘Charles and James; but, in ‘the Jatter in- stance, originally Edward!” ‘‘No! no!” impatiently, ‘‘ their last names, I mean!” ‘“‘T can enligbten you as to that only about: the first-mentioned. He, after bis abduction, was reared under the name of Charles St. Maur! But, stop! do not interrupt me, for I am not through yet. Upon attaining my majority, h received a letter from Rolfe Ardmore—a long, explanatory letter, in which he not only opened up the past as I have mentioned, but often re- ferred to bis own life, wild, remorseful, merei- He said some day there» | icbooks-com a Fi . v - bay 4 j i Tel = 4 ae