Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 510 — page 10: what you’re looking at

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

¥ _ Pod he b ~~ alt, > ‘ fh “ % eo v ’ = is% >” wi> — meee e - amen — ah T fe eS PT 7. io «Te a et fil | * r x \ *, Vi ‘ . . ow ‘* By the eternal mountains!” the Creole ex- claimed, ‘‘ it’s Teddy Flynn, the man who struck the Pine Creek Claim!” CHAPTER XI. A BOLD SCHEME, THE three sports looked at each other rather astonished at this unexpected appearance. Teddy Flynn was about the last man in the world whom they é¢xpected to see; and it cer-: tainly was strange that the man, who had an- nounced when he departed from the camp, after sticking the tenderfoot with the played- out mine—as he supposed—that he had shaken the dust of Bitteropolis from his feet forever, should make his appearance just as the three were engaged in discussing ways and means to —_ possession of the now valuable Pine Creek aim. Teddy Flynn was a decided character of Irish descent, as his name indicated, yet there was little about him to suggest the place of his birth, being a thin-faced, ugly little man with fiery-red hair and a beard of the same hue. He had not borne the best reputation durin his sojourn in Bitteropolis, as he was veeandaa as an utterly unscrupulous man, who was not rticnlar how he got money as long as he got it; not that any one ever thought he would re- sort to vielence to accomplish his ends, for he was not possessed of pluck enough to try any- thing of that kind. He was merely a low, mean, common tricks- ter. Back again he had come to Bitteropolis and from his speech, addressed to the barkeeper, it was evident that the world had gone wrong with him. ‘‘- Yes, barkeeper, I think as much of you folks hyer as any men I ever run across,” Flynn continued. ‘‘And in proof of it Pve come in hyer, the first shebang whose doors I have darkened since I struck the town, to blow in my last coin for a drink, and that’s the kind of manlam! You can size me all up and you will find me all wool and a yard wide!” Flynn had evidently been drinking, and al- though it made him a little free and careless in his speech, yet that was almost all the effect it produced, for Flynn was one of those peculiar men who never drink liquor enough to utterly lose control of themselves. In fact the majority of his acquaintances de- clared that the more “ firewater” Teddy Flynn drank the more crafty, cunning and rascally he became. Before Teddy Flynn had finished his speech, a _ ht idea had flashed into the head of Slender ud. ‘Tt is all right, pards!” he exclaimed, rapidly. “Teddy Flynn’s appearance in Bitteropolis just at this moment gives us the Pine Creek Mine!” The others stared in astonishment, but from the confident way in which the Creole = they understood that he had a plan in his head which he considered would prove successful. ‘Yes, sir-ee,’’ he continued, ‘‘ the chances are a thousand to one that we can make the riffle now, but we must put a stop to Teddy Flynn’s shooting his mouth off in that durned keerless way! lender Bud hastened to the door as he spoke, opened it, and stuck his head out into the sa- loon. ‘Hello! is that you, Teddy Flynn, or your ghost?” he exclaimed. The new-comer was just reaching for the bot- tle of whisky which the bartender had placed upon the counter when the words of Slender Bud fell upon his ears, Turning, he exclaimed: “Well, now, old man, you kin bet all your wealth that it ain’t ary spook that is going for your benzine in this free and easy manner! ‘‘No, sir, ’'m all flesh and blood! alive and kicking, and worth jest a dozen dead men!” “Well, ’m right glad to see you, old man ("3 Slender Bud cried, in the most cordial manner. ‘‘Never mind that eee Pick up your ducat and come in hyer and have a drink with _ “All right! I'm yer man and glad of the chance!” replied Flynn. ‘*T ain’t got so much wealth as to be keerless how I throw my chucks away!” Taking up the coin which he had cast upon the counter, Flynn entered the private apartment of the three pards. Slender Bud closed the door after him while Crooked Pat O’Neal produced a bottle of whisky and some glasses from a closet in the corner of the j plgrweg O’Neal bad quickly taken his cue from the Creole, although, shrewd as he was, he had not i | A y = ; 4 ~ ws - 4 * f ~ : " lf : 7 A ‘ e /,’ = ong A a oa .* ah ham a .* ‘ °° : Je v- “a7” 2 aa . - ~ yo vp ry vat eae bP Wan ry 7 a?’ ae 4 -. + ie P ptm 4 -« os ~ ~ — , a“ .° ar 4 - * *_.? ; vo * are’ ~ }; Pee ‘ - + 2a Pee . oe +o ye 4 7 a ee Fe - ad wn f Sages oa) ; het pen Oe » Pp a re. 4 er a ee see, J 7 * ¥ « : "* - succeeded in guessing aught in regard to the de- sign which had so suddenly flashed into the mind of Slender Bud. He understood, though, that the game was to treat the new-comer in the most hospitable manner possible, and so he welcomed him as though he had been one of his nearest and dearest friends. Flynn was rather astonished at the warmth of his greeting, for althouga he had been a regular patron of the Silver Moon Saloon, yet being a careful, crafty fellow he had never spent much money there; or in any other saloon either for thas matter. And when he was greeted so warmly by the three pards, he at once fell to wondering in re- gard to the reason, and, as was only natural in 10 3 Cool Colorado, the Half-Breed Detective. | ee ae t. 4 } enough. These gents were present and heard the whole thing, didn’t you, boys?” | Crooked Pat O’Neal and Missouri Johnny im- mediately declared that they remembered the whole circumstance as wellas though it was only yesterday. ’ O’Neal by this time had guessed the scheme which the fertile brain of the Creole had evolved and although the bouncer, less keen-witted, had not, yet he understood that some deep game was on foot and he was expected to aid it by all means within his power. ‘Oh, it’s all right of course, but I must have been clean off my nut to say such a thing!” Teddy Flynn observed, completely puzzled. ‘Well, you seemed to be all right. You said such a man, the only conclusion he could come | you wrote the agreement out and the old man to was that they thought he was “ well-fixed” | signed it willingly enough. and were eager to get a chance at his money. | Slender Bud immediately undeceived him in regard to this point though. ‘Help yourself to the whisky, old man,” he said, as he placed a chair for Teddy Flynn’s ac- ne and then pushed the bottle over to im. ‘‘ Don’t be afraid of the fluid! It is a little bet- ter quality than the benzine we sell over the bar and a man can b’ist in ten or twelve drinks with- out danger of getting a head on him as big as a bushel basket,’ ‘‘T heard the little racket you were giving the barkeeper, and though we three goin for mak- ing a dollar whenever we can, yet when it comes to an old customer we don’t care to take his last coin when he is in hard luck.” This declaration was as welcome as it was un- expected, and Teddy Flynn immediately came to the conclusion that the three sports were pretty decent fellows. ‘‘ Here’s my respects, gentlemen,” he said as he drank his whisky, the rest keeping him com- pany. ‘Sorry to hear that xe haven’t been a, ay-dirt since you left Bitteropolis,” Crooke at O’Neal remarked. ‘‘T’ve had the worst kind of luck!” “Too bad!” Slender Bud exclaimed. ‘*‘ Awful rough!” cried Missouri Johnny. ‘‘ You know [ had quite a little stake when I lit out?” ‘‘ Yes, the money you got out of the tender- foot, Williams, for the Pine Creek Claim,” Slen- der Bud observed. ‘‘ Yes, I stuck that old galoot pretty badly!” and Teddy Flynn chuckled as he reflected upon the cute way in which he had cheated the stranger, ‘‘ Lemme see,” remarked Slender Bud, reflec- tively, ‘vou got five hundred dollars out of him, didn’t you?” ‘‘ Yes, five hundred, exactly, and, gentlemen, I give you my word I wasn’t making ten dollars a week out of the mine!” Ohana 4 ‘‘T suppose you know that the old man took a snes soon after he got the claim, a fellow called ool Colorado, a practical miner with a deal of experience, and, thanks to his skill, the claim has been doing well.” ‘‘You don’t say so!” said Flynn, in sur- a ‘‘Then I didn’t strike the old man so adly after all.” ‘‘Oh, no, you sold the mine cheap. I suppose you know the old man is dead?” No, Flynn hadn’t heard of it, so Slender Bud told the story of the tragedy, but he was care- ful not to reveal to Flynn what a bonanza the claim had turned out to be. ‘“f ought to have held on to it!” Flynn ex- claimed, regretfully. ‘Yes, but your head was level when you made the agreement with Williams that you were to have the privilege of buying back the mine at any time within a year by paying a hundred dollars bonus.” ‘‘ Bh!” exclaimed Flynn, in astonishment. “That was the agreement, wasn’t it? and now hearing that the mive is doing well you have come to buy it back, I suppose,’ “What on earth are you talking about?’ cried Flynn. ‘‘ Who told you any such cock- and-bull story?” “Why you did yourself!” **T did?” ‘‘ Yes, and what is more, you gave me the agreement to keep.” ‘* The blazes I did!” ‘Well, that is what you said when you gave me the sealed envelope. You said the agree- ment was inside of it, and that is all I know.” ‘‘Say, I reckon you have been dreaming, or else I was drunk and didn’t know what I was talking about. ‘Oh, no, you wasn’t drunk!” Slender Bud re- plied. ‘‘ You knew what you were about well ‘ Me breed * at - eels on . , : J a) oe Pet — ; , ° » e 7 + ~ - " " 4 Toby align s\ Aah dee Pt os ae f a 7 - ~¥, Es pe ee 4 ‘e\ Joh » che see tails > ngiamekhe . ; 7 1g bY ; = i. a oe “1 ree. tT Ab ele ia if , arta. ne ¥ Tee eon " _ ee , bpd fon ° ay aa TT i< f dre Ps ’ gotta «Ze > : ’ : P I suppose you would know his handwriting if you saw it?’ Slender Bud asked. ‘‘ You bet! He wrote me two letters bout the thing afore we came to terms.” ‘‘Have you got those letters?’ The question was put in a careless, off-hand way, but Crooked Pat O'Neal readily understood how important iti was. ‘‘Oh, no; they were destroyed long ago, but I would know Williams’s writing anywhere. He wrote an elegant hand, jest like print, you know.” ‘Like the printed writing that is on cards sometimes?’ asked the Creole. ‘Yes, that is it.” ‘‘ Why, I write a hand like that,” then Slen- der Bud got pen, ink and paper and wrote in most beautiful characters, like copper-plate, the name: ‘ ALEXANDER WILLIAMS,” It was not the Creole’s usual way of writing, but he was a magnificent penman and could imitate almost any handwriting. ‘“That is it!” cried Flynn, ‘‘ that’s old Wil- liams’s fist to a hair!” And then a sudden idea flashed upon him—he comprehended the plot. **T reckon I did give you the agreement,” he said witha grin. “And if I swear to it and we git the mine what am I to have?” ‘‘ One-eighth interest!” Slender Bud replied, promptly. | ‘*T’m yer man!’’ Teddy Flynn cried. ‘“ You fetch out the agreement and I will swear to it through thick and thin!” ‘That gives us the mine!” Crooked Pat O’Neal observed, ‘‘and if Cool Colorado objects we'll wipe him out!” CHAPTER XII. JACKSON IS ROPED IN, JACKSON was in a terribly bad humor when he reached bis cabin, and he proceeded to lay down the law to his daughter. “See hyer, do you know whar I have been?” — he inquired. : ‘‘No, father, how should I know?” the girl re- lied, but she saw from his appearance that he ad been in trouble. The awful blow between the eyes which he had received from Cool Colorado had produced the usual result of a stroke administered in that particular spot, and now the old man could show as complete a pair of ‘‘ black eyes” as mortal | ever displayed. And in addition, Jackson felt sore all over— the natural consequence of the pounding which he had received. ** Wa-al, I’ve been out to have a talk with that scoundrel of a Colorado, and it is all your fault, too!” he cried, savage. The girl was not lacking in spirit, and she re- sented the speech. , ‘‘T don’t see what I have to do with it!” she exclaimed. ‘‘T am sure I didn’t tell you to go or want you to, and if you got into a quarrel with this young man it is not my fault.” ‘ Just then the old man, baving seated himself happened to catch sight of bis face in the Ki tle looking-glass which his daughter, with the usual instincts of womankind, had hung up by the side of the one window which gave light to the apartment. For a moment the old man, with a doleful face, surveyed his disfigured countenance, and then he broke out in a torrent of oaths, much to the horror of hisdaughter, who had never seen him so angry before. In vain were all her attempts to soothe him; he swore by everything he could think of, good or bad, that he would ‘‘ go” for Cool Colorado that very night with a gun and shoot him on sight, and he also warned his daughter that if he ever caught her exchanging a word withthe ‘. 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