Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 517 — page 7: what you’re looking at

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

| | | : : ; In the dead hush that rested on the crowd, somebody uttered an ominous word. ** Salt!” The pards looked up piteously, as if this ver- | dict were cruel to them. Jake cried out, as in desperate protest: ‘*No, no! Dot can’t be! See! dere is effery indication! Shust look at de lay of de land.” And as if his tongue were winged, he went over again the points he had called the attention of his pards to before the purchase. ‘*'You’ve got everything hyar but the dust,” said an old miner. ‘‘I ‘low it fooled me. But I’ve seen the like o’ this before in my time,” He turned to a ee of men who had come up from Jimson Bend, and who, like himself, had helped Cale and Banty, when it seemed as if they were the victims of dog’s luck, ‘**Gents,” he said, coolly, ** them scalawags bas played roots on us, for a sure-enouga fact. We air all in the same boat, Thar ain’t no use hangin’ out hyarnolonger. Thefu’st man back to Jimson Bend is the best off.” ‘* But are we to be tuck in the loike o’ this?” cried Reddy Scully, his face suddenly flaming as red as his hair. The miner from the Bend shrugged his shoul- ders. ‘* The thing’s done,” he said, laconically. But Jakey appeared fairly beside himself with e. ‘“* By shiminetta!” he cried, ‘‘ dey don’t do dot leetle Ving. Ve haf horses like dem rascals! Ve go after dem, unt got dot monish back. Come, pards!” He ran away to where the horses were picket- ed, and frantically threw himself upon the back of the best of them, without stopping to put on the saddle. Durin comers pocket. They were met with the assurance that they might as well turn about without loss of time. The jig was up. They would find nothing there but a salted mine and a badly sold community. ** Ai’ we dog-gone fools has hoofed it all the way from Sundown!” cried the leader of the newly-arrived gang, with comical ruefulness. ‘“*Cale?—Banty?” he said, a moment later, catching the names from the random ‘discussion that was going on about him. ‘‘ What fur galoots was them—say, now.” On receiving their description, he looked at his comrades, and then threw his head back with a roar. ‘‘The Sunday School Class!” he cried, as soon as he could fetch breath. **'You bet!” corroborated one of his compan- ions. ON which?” asked the miner from Jimson nd. ‘‘ Waal, gents, they floored Sundown fur the whisky-—beautiful! beautiful! But, say, didn’t they have a sheeny along?” ‘* A sheen ‘** Hello! that thar?” “ As sure as a gun!” ** Ain’t it, though?” And the boss of the Sundown gang out with his revolver, and without a word further in ex- planation, let fly several shots in rapid succes- sion. *‘Hold on! What’s this hyar? That’s one o’ the lucky pards you’re a-pepperin’!” ‘* Lucky nothin’! it’s cheek! After him, boys! He'll git away with a whole hide, as his pards has with the plunder!” All was wild confusion. Jakey was dashing out of the pocket, plying heels and halter-stra and voice to goad his horse to its highest ipeed. The men from Sundown were sending a hail of bullets after him, The others stared open- mouthed, not comprehending the situation. At last one ‘‘ dropped.” ‘* Why, it’s a sell all round!” he cried, ‘‘ That blasted sbeeny was in with Cale an’ Banty!” ‘¢ Ain’t he though?” cried the Man from Sun- down. ‘“‘“Have you got a hoss what'll ketch that thar one what he’s a-straddlin’? Ill bet my ile you hain’t.” ‘That’s the best hoss in this section, stranger; an’ I'll bet on it. I owned him myself.” ‘ ‘“*Good-by John!” said the Man from Sun- own. But che three lucky pards—Mallory, Buckle and Scully—when they realized how Bad they had been taken in, were frantic, Two of them r this exciting scene a squad of new- ad made their appearance in the "”” Blow me, ef— Say, Toby, what’s got horses, while one of them ran afoot, giving headlong chase, ‘*Make yourselves easy from Sundown. git tired.” boys,” said the Man ‘*They’ll be back when they Jim Gladden’s Deputy. He proved a true prophet. Some hours later, long after nightfall, the defrauded men found their way back to the camp. There was nothing lovely about them at their best. They were now savage with baffled rage. oggedly they listened to the little incident which the men of Sundown narrated with off- hand good nature. ‘* Boys,” said Tim Buckley, between his set teeth, ‘‘ 1 want somethin’ jest now worse than l iver wanted the gold-dust. I want revenge!” ‘* An’ we’re the boys as’ll have it!” cried Scully. ‘*So we will!” assented Mallory. They clasped hands, as men bind themselves by oath. ‘It’s three ag’in’ three!” said Scully. ‘*Whin we’re done, may thayre be enough of us left to bury the last o’ them!” said Mallory. And on the following morning they set out in pursuit of the men who had swindled them. CHAPTER IX, MR. ISAAC SALOMANS ‘‘ON DECK.” AND now we are back in Paddy’s Flat: and just in time for fun, to judge from appear- ances. In and out of the Terpsichorean Hall, kept by one erva McGee, swarms a restless multi- tude of thirsty mortals; and before that classic rtal the same crowd interweaves ceaselessly, eeping up a constant buzz of eager conversa- tion. Jim Gladden stands there with a crimson- corded baton and a silver shield, the insignia of his office. Beside him stands his deputy, Harry Keene, excitement and pride but thinly disguised by an air of affected ease. From tine to time his eye alone has detect- ed a scarcely perceptible flutter of the white curtain that screens the window above the door of old Abraham’s store. She is watching him! what palpitating delight. Jim bas no occasion to complain of the be- havior of his deputy, though he occasionally frowns as some one of his posse mutters a half intelligible excuse, and breaks from the ranks, always to dive into the saloon door. Next to this select body of men stands a much larger one, its members distinguished by an at- tempt at a uniform, in that each man wears a red shirt of some kind. But they are of all shades and conditions. Long wear has turned most of them purpl>. This is the fire department of Paddy’s Flat, and on parade day no man is allowed to wear a red shirt who is not a member of the organiza- tion. At the head of the company always march four men abreast, with gleaming axes on their shoulders. Next come four men Borers! a long pole, with a large iron hook at the end, anda rope attached. They are followed by four more with a ladder. The rest carry fire buckets. Just now the hook and der are ‘‘ stacked” in most imposing style; and most of the buckets are standing on the ground, to mark the place their bearers should occupy. It is generally understood that the absentees can be found when wanted at the bar of Dinny McGee’s dance-hall. But we have reserved the especial glory of the fire department for the last—a certain crimson silken banner, the workmanship of “ the ladies,” won by the boys in a wrestling, running and jumping match with the fire departments of a elf dozen adjoining camps. This banner was the champion prize of a yearly tournament. Paddy’s Flat had borne it off the field for two successive years; and every man was sworn to die before he let it pass into other hands. So far no tournament had passed off with- out a dozen bloody fights, and profane charges of foul-play without stint, There was a con- stant menace that out of the grudges there en- gendered would result mortal combats in duello, if not a general war between rival camps. ero these sports were adapted to the people. ) The prize banner was borne by the tallest man in the company, its silken cords proudly held on either side by Tom Murphy and Dick Jobnson. Suddenly Jim Gladden waved his baton, and shouted: ‘* Fallin, men! fall in!” Then there was a pell-mell struggle through the door of the saloon, a scurrying hither and yon, and the men got into place, ‘“* Forward march!” He knows it, and with > - - « is o ee | - e* 3 -_ a is ; : ‘* pe . a pa? a ° = »* ; , Ny , vee le “ley ha ‘os rere £ cenit Wey , el t tC . F ieee SNIP eo SR eet oes —_—————— ee SO i a — —————————————————————————————————eE———————EE—ee:—tt—e ee itm TS ~. @ And the procession moved out of the camp along the mountain road. Of course every male member of the camp, save those who were detained at their posts by business, straggled along beside the procession; and a cur that barked furiously at the sound of the fife and drum got a kick, and went off yelp- ing. A mile from the camp the men were brought to a halt. After an hour’s waiting, just when everybody had come to concur in the sentiment that it was ‘*a long time between drinks,” the ringing crack of a stage-driver’s whip, coming from far up the mountain, electrified one and all, Then there was a hasty reforming of ranks. The fire department separated, standing on eith- er side of the road, with the crowd back of them. All eyes were fixed on a point across a deep gulf, round which came the mountain road in the form of a horseshoe. A dark object was seen to leap into view against the sky; then, with a furious rattle of wheels and an eddying cloud of dust folowing in its wake, the Overland stage-coach came down the ‘‘ grade” on the wings of the wind! Cheer after cheer startled crag and canyon. The men seemed to go wild. Such lusty yells never were heard save from the throats of just such men. Finally, in a way that to an unaccustomed eye would have seemed to threaten the life of every one concerned, the coach was brought up in the midst of the howling crowd; and Jim Gladden stood shaking bands witha }: lly old fellow, with a fiery red face which bespoke no end of whisky toddies, who waved his hat, smil- gene bowing, from the door of the coach. arry Keene was almost overcome at the glowing terms in which he was presented to Judge Owney Maglochlin. ‘‘ We have two prisoners for you captured by his own hand,” said Jim Gladden. ‘““Has he?’ cried the judge, with a look of ee surprise, as he shook the young deputy’s and in his oleaginous ;aw. ‘* Be me sow], he’s a foine labd! An’ it’sa bitof a hangman we'll be afther makin’ 0’ yez, wan o’ these days!” But, looking past the speaker, Harry had caught sight of the face of another occupant of the coach, It was a dark face, yet not ill-looking. On the contrary, it was rather striking for its Hebrew comeliness, But its owner looked at Harry with a smile that turned the blood back on the boy’s heart. ‘* Who can he be?” asked the deputy, of bim- self. ‘‘ Where bave I seen him before? At any rate, his coming bere bodes me no paces ood, I begin to feel as if I was destined to ave a bout with him, of some sort.” Mr. Isaac Saloman was at the same time think- ng: ‘*Dot’s de little rooster! Vell, I clip his spurs for him before he’s much older!” CHAPTER X., FACE TO FACE. THERE were two other occupants of the coach. ‘**Gintlemen,” said the judge, with a wave of his pudgy hand in their direction, ‘‘ let me in- throjuce the honorable mimbers o° the har—both bars!” he interpolated, with a wink—‘ Colonel Blood and Milton Midge, Esq. ‘* These gintlemen swap lies, fur to kape hon- est men in jail, an’ get rogues off,” he added. It was plain that he never spoiled a joke to spare a friend. One was a man of ponderous build, with, seem- ingly) the good nature of a Newfoundland dog. The other was a little whippersnapper, who puffed out his breast with the important air which often goes with diminutive stature. =a have the honor, sir, to present you with my And the little colonel drew a bit of pasteboard from his vest pocket between the first and mid- dle fingers, and thrust it at Jim Gladden with a motion as if he were dropping a dueling pistol into line. ‘* Colonel Blood, at your service!” be said. “It does me proud to welcome you to Paddy’s Flat,” said Gladden, with all due gravity. “If you have any rascals to put through, I dedicate my modest abilities to the service of the State!” said the colonel. ‘“As prosecutin’ attorney, the colonel’s» the divil!” was the judge’s indorsement. In contrast with the little colonel’s self-impor- tance, Mr. Midge, who was lolling like a lazy giant, contented himself with a familiar nod and a pleasant smile. Keene took a liking to this man at once, oe ie - a ° a a a hy | y -