Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 517 — page 11: what you’re looking at

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

ll of 5‘< Y Hs u- is Jim Gladden’s Deputy. 11 who was ready to go his pile on the honor of the | they say that she stays, I will take her back camp was plain. ‘Pll lay fur my gay an’ festive lovyer!” And this he did, with the result of discovering his int@rview with Tom and Dick. ‘* His pards! Them’s the enes to spot. While he’s a-doin’ of the inside work, they’ll be a-doin’ of the outside. I’m after ye, my sly dodgers!” That he made good his word, we have seen. He saw the boys take not only their own horses, but his. He did not interfere with them, willing to wait until he had the whole lot. “ The getting of the side-saddle placed their pur- pose beyond a peradventure. And now, in such agitation that he could scarcely speak coherently, Harry put the whole matter before him. Jim Gladden listened patiently to the end, and then said: ‘*T reckon, boy, as you allow I hain’t nothin’ ag’in’ you?” ‘** T know that, Jim.” ‘*T don’t bear ye no grudge fur what ye was up to as fur as takin’ my hoss is consarned—the which thar ain’t his match in these hyar parts. ‘Ye'd be welcome to him an’ a good deal more, ef so be it would do ye any good, an’ that was all thar was in it.” ‘“*T believe that, Jim. I wouldn’t have con- sented to taking the horse if I hadn’t.” ‘*So fur, so good! We hain’t no quarrel up to date. Now, then, what you’ve been a-tellin’ me may be allstraight. I’m free to say as I don’t believe it.” ‘*But, Jim!” cried our hero, in trepidation. “Oh, yowre allright. You believe it,” said Gladden. ‘‘ But the ole man in my opinion, has been usin’ you to mop up a dirty job. This hvar gent has give me all the ins and outs o’ the case; an’ I allow he’s willin’ todo the thing up purty white. The ole man don’t like his son-in-law. Like as not he made half the trouble between man am’ wife. When you know more about these hyar fam’ Py rumpuses, you'll “low that’s mighty easy todo. The mother dies, an’ the old folks runs off with the child. They brung her up onalie. What for?” Harry hurriedly repeated old Abraham’s ex- planation. ‘“‘That’s a dead give away!’ declared Jim, at once. “They ‘low that the girl wouldn’t sta with them ef she knowed she hada father. He can’t be sich a scare-crow as they make out; or they wouldn’t be so afraid o’ leavin’ it to her to choose.” “Then,” he concluded, ‘‘ after all’s said an’ done, thar’s the honor o’ this hyar camp.” was in despair. CHAPTER XV. MR. SALOMANS MAKES A POINT. ‘ WILL nothing move you?” cried Harry. ‘“*T reckon not, chicken,” answered Jim, kindly. ‘‘ You take the girl back home, You give me your word that you'll drop this thing right hyar. Ill see that the ole man don’t do nothin’ without atv] help. An’ we won’t let on as this hyar has happened,” ‘* But suppose I refuse?” cried Harry, passion- ately. ‘*T should hate to do it like p’ison. The Lord above knows asI would that! Ye see, I’ve taken a notion to ye; an’ that’s a fact. But, ef so be it comes between the honor o’ this hyar camp—the which I’m free to say I’m p’ison sorry I ever had anythin’ to do with the office o” marshal o’ thet same—between the honor o’ this hyar camp an’ that thar—that thar notion, I ‘low I'll hev to clap you and yer pards—ye’re a pison set when ye git goin’; J know that—to x, you an’ yer pards in the calaboose, all fur ied Cc to keep ye out 0’ mischief, tell this byar case is tri Re Through all the despair of the moment, Harry felt the love of this rough fellow, and the re- luctance with which he opposed his scheme, He had planned to fight his way through any opposition; and he was not daunted now by the numbers I, Pa him. But it was impossible to enter into deadly combat with this man who had let him see into his heart with almost childlike simplicity. | Jim,” he said, at last, ‘‘ I can’t tell you how I feel about this. But you will believe that I ‘bear you no malice?” **T’'m glad to hear that—I am so!” ' “ Well, then, let us compromise the matter in shis way. Let us call all the boys of the camp iogether er mee the knowledge of hese outsiders, I mean—and lay the case before hem. I will abide by the general vote. If the »xys say that the girl goes, and that you are ex- merated, you withdraw your opposition. If home to await the trial.” But Jim shook his head. ‘*Not countin’ the law,” he said, ‘‘ we hain’t the right to do it that way. Give the girla show. She’d orter know who her father is. Ef she wants to go with him, she’d orter hev the chance. If she ’lows to stay with the old folks, Pll give ye my word to this hyar:—thar hain’t law enough in this hyar section o’ country to git her out o’ Paddy’s Flat, as long as thar’s a live man in it!” This was Jim Gladden’s ultimatum. His voice and manner showed it. Harry had sense enough to know a finality when he came to it. Besides, Jim’s argument—the very one Harry himself had used before he had been swept away in the tide of the old man’s grief and indigna- tion—now weighed with him again. Was it fair to take the girl’s fate so completely out of her hands? ‘*So be it!” said our hero, with sudden re- solve. ‘‘ But this I swear:—I will protect her against everything save her own feelings!” ‘* We'll all do that, little pard,” averred Jim, putting his hand affectionately on Harry’s shoulder. Sore at heart, and dreading the future, the boy went back to the girl in whose eyes he longed to stand a hero. ‘* What will she think of me?” he asked him- self. ‘*I have failed at the very outset!” He went up to her, and took her hand, and put his arm about her, at a loss what to say. She bent down over him, as before, so as to whisper to him. ‘* All is lost!” shesaid. ‘* Ido not blame you. I see—it is your friends. You cannot fight them, even if they were not so many. Let us go back. It is true, that the law should not be broken. He is a brave man anda good man; my papa has saidit. Maybe the law will not be so cruel, after all. I do not fear.” ‘* Whata girl you are!” cried the young lover. With admiration of her courage, and with grati- tude for her clear view of the dilemmain which he found himself. ‘*‘ But, Miriam, believe me, if yuu stand by those wholove you most—whose love you have proved—you indeed have nothing to fear. Al) the boys in the camp will stand by ou, and protect you from harm. I have Jim ladden’s pledge that you are to be allowed to choose your own fate, no matter what the law may say about it. You know it is impossible to enforce the law here against the will of the community.” ‘*Then why should we fly?’ cried the girl. ‘*] need not leave my dear papa and mamma! And—and—you need not be in danger on my account!” : What could be more delightful than such a confession, in accents all vibrant with tender solicitude? The boy deputy lifted his sweetheart from the saddle, and stood her on her feet. At that moment an ominous voice broke on their ears. ‘** You are a brafe man and an honest vone!” Although Miriam had never heard the voice before, she recognized the Hebrew accent, and knew that her enemy stood within a few feet of her, addressing Jim Gladden. With a startled cry she shrunk closer to her lover’s side. Harry encircled her or ig, Egat with his arm, and instinctively threw his other hand round to the butt of his revolver. Jim Gladden’s voice next came to them, cold and stern. It was plain that he had taken a dis- like to the man who had caused the defection of his deputy, and was impatient at his intrusion =e the scene where he could gain a knowledge of it. “You hyar?” he said. ‘‘ With an eye to my own interests,” replied Mr. Salomans, with his wonted coolness. ‘* You have tracked me, to see that I did my duty?” was Jim’s next demand. ‘No. I was on de heels of dis young gallant. I took his measure, and made up my mind dot it was in him to play mea trick. Since a trick dot was played on me some years ago, I have made it a point to count my own game. How- ever, it has given me an opportunity to hear what you have said; and once more I say—you are an honest man,” ‘*T wish I could return the compliment!” said Jim Gladden, so bluntly that it was plain that, the longer he talked to this man, the more dis- posed he was to pick a quarrel with him. But Isaac Salomans’s temper was proof. ‘* It is not necessary,” he said, coolly. Then he walked over to where Miriam stood eee eee EEE ns etme clinging to her lover, and said, in alow, winning tone: ‘* My little girl, dey have taught you to hate and fear me. It is natural dot you should be- lieve all dey say. I ask you to wait until to- morrow, when you shall hear my side of de story. For as many years, almost, as you have of life, I have wandered over de face of de earth in search of you, to tell you dis story. Ah! those have been years of — when I despaired of ever finding you! But I have found you now; and all I ask is dot you listen tome. If den you still believe them; if den you have no pity on me, I vill go avay and leave you in peace. I do not come as an enemy to you, or to those who have wronged me. I do not use the law to force you against your wishes, nor to punish them, but only to compel those who have kept us apart to give you a chance to hear me. Dey may ae to poison your heart against me to-night; but beg of you—wait! wait!” Fis voice broke. Those who heard him be- lieved that there were tears in his eyes, hidden by the darkness. In spite of himself, honest Jim Gladden went back to his former opinion. ‘* Pll sw’ar he ain’t so bad!” he decided to him- self. Even Harry was moved. ‘* He will convince her!” he said to his heart; ‘* and I shall lose her!” Miriam had hidden her face in her lover's breast, clinging to him all aguiver. For the time, neither words nor manner had any percep- tible effect upon her. In her fear and preju- dice, she did not listen. But later she was to re- call both. The wily Mr. Isaac Salomans turned abrupt- ly away and left the spot. ‘* Come!” said Harry, and he led tke shrinking girl back to her home. ‘* Dis is a great go!” said Dick to his comrade in disappointment. ‘* We'd better cut out o’ this,” suggested Tom. ‘* Maybe Jim Gladden won’t let us off so ’asy as he did Harry.” But Jim said nothing at all to them. He simply removed Miriam’s side-saddle from his horse, and placed it on the back of Harry’s broncho. Then be and his men went almost as silently as they had come. ‘* What’s de reason we can’t cut de dirt out from under ’em yit?” whispered Dick, excitedly. ** All we got to do is to run after Harry, an’ tell him de coast is car.” ‘** You’re a fool!” said Tom. ‘* Didn’t he give his word to Jim Gladden?” ‘* What o’dat? I reckon no sich ’tickler p’ints wouldn’t hold dis coon!” ‘* Well, Harry’s a coon of another color,” said Tom, dryly. Without further discussion, they betook them- selves back to the camp. Meanwhile, the fugitives gained readmittance to the home of the old Jew. Abraham and Rebecca were in despair. Mir- iam threw her arms about both of them, and the three wept in a commou embrace. CHAPTER XVI. ‘ A STUBBORN OLD MAN. ‘* My friends,” interpose i Harry, ‘‘ pardon me for breaking in upon your grief, but we must lay our plans for to-morrow. Another thing— Miriam must not be made sick by this prolonged excitement. Let her go and lie down, while we plan what is best for her.” Old Abraham understood our hero’s wish to get Miriam out of the way, so that they could talk freely. ‘‘Go, my dear,” he commanded, brokenly. The girl obeyed at once, without a question. Her very readiness pained Harry. ‘*That is the blind obedience she will give to her father when she knows him,” he said to himself. Abraham had the same thought. ‘‘You see,” he said, when the girl was gone. ‘** Ah, ve haf taught her too vell dis loving obe- dience!” ‘“We must make the best of it,” decided Harry. ‘* Do not forget that the more she loves and trusts you, the less ready she will be to leave you.” The old man shook his head. ‘Tt vill be he dot has de right to command her,” he said. ‘* What preparation can we make to break the force of his authority?” asked Harry. ** None!” replied the old man, in gloomy de- spair. ** One thing, at least, is plain. She must not learn the truth from him. The old man started, and clasping his hands,