Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 498 — page 8: what you’re looking at

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

(to. ae = oy ey oS Cactus Burr, the Man from Hard Luck, — ee ee eee - se Smooth, unruffled, carelessly-uttered, the silken accents trenchant with bitter force, the words were fraught with sicnificance that seemed to quell even the most belligerently inclined of the luckiess in- siders.”’ * Oh! Lawd! we aire in fer et!” exclaimed the owner of the wh ezy voice, a short, bulky-looking fellow, clad in the free-and-easy style of ihe genuine mining-camp bum, “‘ W’y, ob! w’y did I go an’ do et?’ he continued, half-aloud, his tones indescribably doleful, ‘*L didn’t want to, and Iwish I bedn’t; an’ 1 .’w’dn't—no, not even fer ther Kingpin ov Nabob’s Bar hisself. ef et hedn’t bin fer ev purty blue eyes! Dang my buttons! I mought ’a' knowed he'd light on me hot-foot fu’st ov ther lay-out, eny—” A hasty rustle of feminine skirts, then: ‘‘Now, calm yourself, Mr. Jclly—p ay dol" swift- ly interjected a clear, young voice, as a slender liant form swung forward and a daintily -ploved hand dropped pat sy ee the pursed-up lips of the fleshy passenger. “Be quiet, and I am quite cer- tain that you will not be harmed; let your tongue run on, and I am equally sure you will suffer!” The threatening import of the words was ap- arent enough to have been readily comprehended ya man of far less mental acuteness than this fleshy specimen of the ge.us bum, As it was, Nicholas Jolly’s little beady black eyes stared down into the beautiful face so temptingly near his own empurpled visage—cown into the clear, blue orbs of the girl, reading there an expression half-warning, half-beseeching. An instant thus, then his bulky form swung back until his mouth was free of the clinging hand. A swift, sidelong glance straight into the «yes of the road-agent, vhen: “'Tain’t thet—'cain’t thet, my dear Miss Axfell] Only wish et wus! W’at need fer ole Nick Jolly ter be skeered fer bis mortal corperosity? Nary need} Et’s to’ Aer, miss—w'at ef ther cuss sh u’d—”’ Tbis second hiatus ia the specch cf the fat passen- ger was filled in with a sort of chokin’, gasping sound—an inarticulate expression either of fear or astonishment, for Miss Axfell had thrown herself forward, almost upon his Falstaffian middie, thus b:inging her queenly head into such close proximity to his shaggy pow that her lips almost touched his ear. “ You mean to betray me, Nicholas Jolly! ‘Not another word, or you die!” Clear and distinet, swiftly spoken, and yet in tones so low that none save the one addressed could hear, the words sent an unmistakable shiver through the forin of Jolly. Intuitively, his gaze dropped to the daintily-gloved hand resting upon his broad chest and hidden from the view of his fellow-occuvants «f the stage by the slender, clinging form—looked down into the muz- gie of a cocked derringer held by that hand, and instantly realized that Miss Axfell was in deadly earnest. ‘*‘ Nay, pay, Pauline; I'll betray thee not!” quoth he, in melodramatic but guarded accents, his eyes again covertly eK to meet the flashi:g orbs of Captain Noname. **Dern my cats! Gal, ye hed orter know ole Nick Jolly better than that, Jestsay ther words, an’ I'll p‘int ther masked hellyon’s tes upward, so that ther suntlowers an’ ther lilies may nestle over his grave! Et aire jest like sech a cuss ter go thro’ secli a mis’abal-lookin’ Orph»nt es m — an’ ef he do, et aire a cold day fer ther Great Mogul!” ‘“OCome, now,’ broke in the smooth tones of the road-agent chief, as he deftly raised the muzzle of his revolver uutil it bore full upon the head of the fat passenger; ‘“‘step down and out—you first, my noble Romeo of the heavy jowl, if thy loving Juliet will suffer thee to depart her warm embrace for the nonce. Quick, for time is money. To daily lcnger would be to cast pearls before swine,”’ Impelled, through motives most powerful, to her strange conduct, Miss Axfell, at the insolent words, sprung erect and confronted Captain Noname, her blue eyes burning vividly. h r face deathiy in its pallor but for the hectic glow in each delicately- rounded cheek. A slight swaying of her Jithe form, a sudden en- twining of her hands and wrists, then ber arms shot out, and a brace of derringers, cocked and ready for instant use, covered the breast of the waiting toll-taker. That a tragedy was immivent none could doubt, The slizhtest pressure upon the slender triggers of Miss Axfell’s leveled weapons meant death swift and sure to Captain Noname. The occupants of the stage literally “ heid their breath.” A leaden ball through the heart of the outlaw meant death to them! Undaunted, Captain Noname stood quite still. his brillian' dark eyes fixed upon the face of the mad- dened girl in a gaze of strange intentness, A moment thus; then Miss Axfell’s lips moved, as if she were about to speak. The words, trembling upon the verge of utterance, were never spoken - A doleful groan from Old Nick Jolly, a sudden uivering and swaying of his short, bulky form, then his almost uwonaturaliy long arms deftly shot out. inclosing the girl in a bear-like hug, while his grimy palms closed firmly around the leveled repens in such a way as to preveut the hammers alling. “ Hate ter do et, miss—I sw’ar I do!”’ he gurgled, apologeticilly, his covertly roving eyes quickly not- ing the look of relief upon the faces of the other pass ngers. “ W’at kin we do? Thai’s whole hay- doogans OV ther varlets in ther bresh, an’ they'd ficht lice wil’cats ef we ever teched their chief. Et’s sinsply our gold-dust or our lives, an’ et aire mouxhty leetle ov_eyther we hev ter lose, Calm yer- self, roiss. fer— (Great he’vings!" —E Little won ‘er that the rough uttered the exclama- shoulder into the florid face of her captor, Miss Ax- fell had fallen back, inert and apparently lifeless in his arms. ‘The brutes!’ sharply uttered a clear, feminine voice from the rear of the coach, a sudden blaze of passion marring the natural mellowness and rich- ness of the tones, ‘* And this, too, in the land ruled uy the Strong band of the Vigilantes and good Judge yoo?! Had the blade of an assassin been plunged hilt- deep into his back, Captain Noname could scarcely have been more startled than by that voice. lastantly his eyes sought out the face of the speaker—a woman of age anywhere from twenty- five to thirty, of fine form, and garbed in a neat gre y traveling costume; a brunette of rare beauty and perfection of feature, yet whose face bore the unmis!akable indices of strength and decision, Her eyes, large and of midnight darkness, fairly blazed a3 they glared unwaveringly into the orbs of | ‘tion, for, with ove swift, terrified glance over her | dat hain’t henough, w’ot’s ca a i, hend hof der deal. An’ say, you, Jimmy Fresh—hif der limit ?” Diamond Dick, as the speaker had brusquely I»- _ troduced himself, was the oddity in that Mecca of - oddities, A hunchback, just below the average bight of man, with an abnormally full and well-roun ed _ chest; hands and wrists white and slender, the long, tapering fingers ablaze with precious stones; face pale and effeminate, v ith reguiar features, and adorned by long, gracefully-curling mustaches of golden brown; eyes dark aud piercing, and overhung by shaggy brows; hair, abundant, long and wavy, and covered by a glossy silk tie tipped Jauntily over one eye; attir: of broadcloth, with immaculate linen a row of dismond studs twinkling in the snowy shi | front; not o weapon visible, yet not a man present but would Lave sworn he was armed cap-v-pte—all im ' all. a man who could charm or repel at will, and one with whom no reader of human nature would care to chance @ quarrel; for there was that In the seem- ingly insipid tace which at once denoted desperate the outlaw; her soft white hands rested upon the | butts of a pair of elegant weapons, balf-drawn from their resting-place in her girdle, and just visible through the meshes of a light wrap, Asif suddenly confronted by one risen from the grave, stood Captain Noname, drinking in every feature of her anger-distorted yet beautiful face; then. as her eyes shifted to the strange symbol upon his white sombrero, he quickly stepped back, just a pace, bowing crisply, while a soft and musi- cal, but peculiarly irritating ripple of laughter escaped him, “Bee pardon, madam—madam— Which is it now?— Dane or Axiell, or something else?” At this from the outlaw, bringing the woman half to her feet either in anger or constermavion, the dark genius whom Nicholas Jolly had addressed as * Doc,” sprung up, bubbling over with wrath. ‘ Don’tanswerif yuu don't care to!” qui tly went on Captain Noname, scarcely deigning tie bellicose Doe Skaggs a glance. ‘*What’s in a name, any- how? Whethrr maid or wife—Dane or Axfell— [ll Jay a thousand you’re the same gay gal as of yore, “And permit me to remark, Carlotta, that the ‘land ruled by the strong hand of the Vigilantes and courage and treacherous cunning. Again the peculiarly irritating laugh of Elegant Fitz Jim, the particularly “‘bad’? man of Nabob’s Bar, rippled forth, as the cockney accents of Diamond Dick ceased. “And so you are the— Now, my dear friend Richard, for heaven's sake draw back to your own side of the table; don’t encroach upon the narrow space allotted tome. I'm no hog, believe me, but— but—-er—it must be confessed that your breath is not exactly attar of roses, Richard! Now don't—” “No matter bas to that!” shertiy returned the | cockney, his quick eyes noting the expectant faces rood Judge Lynch,’ is not likely to continue a popu | lar and pleasant summer resor, for gentiemen of a certain sort ’’—significantly touching the symbol Tr tt his sombrero, ‘Is the hint sufficient, or must (ulk ?” That this shaft from the redoubtable Noname was not delivered at random, was instantly attested by its peculiar effect upon the woman, Her color did of the Growd around the table. “I know yer geme, Jimmy—tork till cock-crow, han’ ye won't rattle me! Hit’s my first night hin Nabcb’s Bar, han’ hI come hexpectin’ ha’ rough row ter hoe, But bit's business first, then pleasure, with yours truly. Run hout der keerds; w’en der game’s ended—then, Jimmy, we'll see who's der boss Maverick on this range! Satisfactory?” pee gi * Quite—I accept the challenge in the spirit, tn which it is given,’’ coolly replied Elegant Fitz Jim, settling into an easy position In bis cushioned chair. ‘The limit to-night is. in cash, $),000—in checks, any amount you've a mind to put down, ‘* And now, my dear Richard, trot out ycur horses —‘Lay on, Macduff, end damned be he who first cries! * Hold! enough!” An icy smile porting his mustached lips, just enough to reveal bis sbarp white teeth. the bunch- back seated himself atthe table. A ceft motion of not change, nor her eyes falter in their hateful | stare; but a deadly tremor seemed to have seized | 'grown!” cjaculated a short, squat ruffian, with upon her, and, as if greatly azainst her will, she sunk back upon the seat—terrified, speechless! For a fleeting moment, a strange silence hung | over the scene, Then came a slight shuffling of raw-hide boots; a peculiar bitching and wriggling of his lank form, and Doc Skaggs opened bis lips to speak, Opened them, then stopped—his lower jaw fallen, his odd-looking eyes fairly bulging from their sock- ets, an expression of deep seated consternation frozen upon his cadaverous visage, ‘Correct, Skaggs—you’re wise beyond your day and generation!’ coldly uttered Captain Noname, his fluager playing lightly against the delicate trigger of his revolver. the muzzle of which had been shifted | to stare the lank rough straight between the eyes. ‘* You may speak once, and die, or hold your clapper and live to repent of any number of such games as ycu and your gang have attempted to work to-day. * But this foolishness has gone on long enough— five minutes have I wasted in this exchange of chin- music, time that cannot be recalled from the past. ‘* Now step down and out, one and all of you—yov first, Skages. ‘ And remember, any attempt to resist will be the death-warrant of one and all!’’ Utterly cowed the gangling rough obeyed the com- man. CHAPTER IX. A STORM BREWING IN NABOB'S BAR. ‘Oop-LA! Jane! Der ole gal win four times han’ turns hup soda hon der new deal! ’Ot stuff! ha slug she win gain!’’ Couched in the cockney dialect, rising high, in ac- cents of seeming excitement above the varied sounds of revelry, the outburst provoked a ripple. of laugh- ter and focused pon the speaker the eyes of the three-score men thronged around the gaming-tables and at the bar in Idaho’s Eldorado. Even Elegant Fitz Jim, the d/ase manipulator of the silver box at the first of the row of three faro tables, paused, With his finger upon the “soda” ready to slip it aside, and stared across the table, bis cold blue eyes Opened wide in wonder, real or con- summately simulated, “T don’t know—the windows are closed, but the door is open,” he uttered musingly, his voice soft and purring, yet. distinctly audible, his lips curling in a peculiar smile. his big blue eyes staring straight up into the face of the cockney gamester, * There’s no breeze to-night—it mst have wings!” And Elegant Fitz Jim followed the words with a jeering laugh. ‘Gentle sports, hI ham Diamond Dick, der one han’ honly! My money whispers!” crisply enunci- ated the man across the table, supporting his weight upon his hands and leaning forward until his face was within a foot of the dealer's. “ Fifty dollars hon der queen to win—der slug han’ hit’s winnin’s ter stand hopen hon der card to der ‘Ot stuff! hoe ’er down fer ’Anner | | | | | | his right hand, and upon the queen lay twenty golden slugs. A buzz of admiration went up from the denizens of the Eldorado. ‘Pards, he aire a fightin’ cock with spurs full- owerful shoulders and matted. tangled hair and eard of fiery red, standing directly behind the. _ stranzer-sport, his husky tones expressive of a high degree of admiration, ‘A high-roller, too, Sweetsie, or I’m ugly es sin!” was the prompt rejoinder, from a lark, villainows- looking fellow este the first “sj ene of ’ *Cain’t tell me—Fi z Jeems’ll look like ther ruins o7 an Egyptian mummy by ther time he’s through with this hyar leettle racket?” _ A quick up-lifting of bis blue eyes, a steady look into the faces of the two men, and the dealer, with an inclination of head toward the bar, said: “The poison dispensary is to your rear, gents—if you're talking *o wet your whistles. Drink, if you can idle your tongues long—”’ The rest of the sentence was wasted. for. with _alacrity truly remarkable, the two ruffians had headed for the ber. _ ‘* You seem to have a fair conception of the mean- ing of any quotation from the bard, judging from the size of your stack on the ueen.”’ he continued, addressing Diamond Dick. “ Or ies enh you deem the first blow half the battle,” with @ sneer. the’ hunchback Jaughed—a dry, mirthless sort of sound. “Not if ft bis der kind hof ‘blow delivered by you, Jimmy Fresh, three ‘undred ban’ sixty-five days hin der year,” he returned, ‘Han’ spéakin’ hof quotationg—there bis hanother that fits this festive hoecasion,” “Tt is what?” Smilingly coldly, a triumphant flash—spiced with just a suspicion of deadly malignancy—in his dark eyes, Diamond Dick bent forward, and in low, in- _ tense tones. strangely like the purring of a cat, yet rankling with virulent bitterness, hissed: “+ Felt hath no fury l kee von ans ornedl™ A slight start, a shiver as of one touched in a vital part, and the blood receded from the handsome face of Elegant Fitz Jim, A nervous twirl of his dark mustache, 4 swift lance around to assure himself that the words of Diamond Dick had reached his ears alone, then his luridly glowing blue eyes sought the evil, gloating face of the hunchback, A moment of silence, unbroken save by the deep breathing of the two men, then: “The game is made, gentlemen—the cards are about to turn, You can’t win unless you bet,” Hard, cold, even-toned, the stereoty ped words fell almost mechanically from the tongue of the faro- dealer. Even to those but sliebtly “cquainted with Elegant Fitz Jim, and the imperturbable coolness which had always characterized his conduet in such affairs, it was obvious that the caullously-uttered sentence from Diamond Dick—enigmatical as to its Spplicetion though it was bad reached a yulner- able point in the dashing sport's vaunted armor of self-control. And even as the nimble fingers of the knight of / - ~ ; ; ce, as eS “ a\4} 4 ve ok ; + v. pS ean etal Otho» Sins Cea fre <4" ’ So” Ss - } "yy: cay -« books.co