Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 525 — page 8: what you’re looking at

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

_ Yas, up with ’em” ; 4 . ) ' - *, wen vie a % xvy*.2 . = 8 ** Now, pards, ther boss tuk gold away from here with him, to spend it for cattle, and thet nigger know’d he war goin’and so told ther Comanche and they kilt him and got bis money and then comed back here to bluff Sim and me. * Thet’s a fact, fer I hed a dream thet they kilt Pard Henry, and dreams is true signs, so my pee said, and she—” . ‘Durn yer old grandmammy! where's the gold?” cried the huge cowboy, breaking in some- po rudely upon Sim’s story of his grandmo- ther. - “They hain’t got a cent with ’em, in course, for they has hid it. ** But I leave it to you, pards, ef they hain’t guilty o’ murder iu ther first degree?” ‘ ty are a clean case ag’in’ ’em,” said the ully. - it are a dead sure thing,” another remarked. ‘* Hangin’ is jist too good for ’em.” ‘‘Hangin’ is ther game we plays with ’em.” *" And we plays to win.” ** Yas, our hands kin beat ther ace o’ spades an the jack o’ hearts ef they is trumps,” and tne cowboy who said this designated Scraps as the ace of spades, while Red Wolf came in as the jack of hearts. ‘‘ What does you make it?” asked Nick, of the huge bully, who was fond of the name he bore, which was that of Giant Saul. ‘*T makes it hangin’, and I wishes a word with ther nigger. as I is ther jedge ter pass sentence,” aud Giant Saul turned to the brave negro, who had calmly watched every face and listened to every word as coolly as did his red-skin com- panion, for Scraps had made up his mind to die bravely, for that merey would be shown him he did not for a moment believe. He saw that the gold that his master had left was what Nick Rawlings and Sim Lucas were after, and he smiled grimly as he felt that he would have his revenge upon them by dying with the secret to go with him into the grave. CHAPTER XIII. UNINVITED GUESTS. TURNING to Scraps in his bluff, rough man- ner, the self-appointed stowboy judge stepped up and looked fixedly into his face. . The negro did not flinch from the glaring eyes of the desperado. ‘* What's yer name ?” he thundered. ** Scraps,’ ‘* Scraps o’ what?” ‘*My name am Zekiel Tanner; but I’se been called Scraps since I weie a boy,” and Scraps spoke with considerable respect in his tone. “* Whar on ‘arth did yer git thet name?” ‘*My old master gib it to me, ’cause I ust ter run ’round de place pickin’ up all de scraps and sich,” The bully laughed roughly and said: “Scraps! What a name fer a tombstone!” ** Guess 1 won’t hab no tombstone.” ** 'Ye’re rig! t, for yer’ll be in luck if yer gits a Reaye for I'd leave yer ter ther cayotes ter ck! at You intends ter hang me?” ‘‘That’s jist what’ll happen, nigger!” “‘ And ther Injun?” “711 hang bim too,” ** What for?” ** Murder.” : ‘* He hain’t no more guilty than I am,” ‘**T knows guilt when | sees It, and ef you two bain’t got ther sin o’ murder on your souls, then Tm a har.” ‘‘ Yer sees yer own soul reflected in our honest eyes,” was the quick response of Scraps. The bully seemed about to strike the bound man, us his comrades laughed at the remark; but, checking himself, he said: ‘© won’t kick a man as is on ther gallers.” ‘Waal, ’'m ready to die, and I guess Red Wolf are, too. Hain’t you?’ and Scraps turned the silent Indian, WhO complacently an- wered: ** Me live, me die, all same.” “Now just hear dat, and he b’long to no chu’ch nuther,” said Scraps in great admiration of his red brother. ‘‘Soon go to happy bhunting-grounds,” added Red Wolf. ~ TJ hope I'll strike ther same trail; but maybe they won’t want no coon in Injun heben, and | — now I tinks of it, 1’d ruther not go thar, dere is a Injun or two I don’t want ter meet, seein’ as 1 sent ’em thar,” and Scraps seemed a trifle worried as to just which celestia] destina- tion his soul would embark for. ‘“* Come rds, Stop foolin’, and sees hang lings, ther murderers,” cri Raw ote -~ a = lal ag Brothers in Buckskin. c Han ‘em ” ‘*'Yonder’s a good limb.” ‘*Tt’s ther boss fer a gallows!” And so the cries arose on all sides, while Giant Saul and Nick Rawlings dragged the two prisoners toward the tree indicated as ‘‘ a good gallows.” As they went along Nick Rawlings, who had hold of Scraps, said in a low tone: ‘Tell me whar that box are and durned if I don’t save yer from hangin’.” ‘* Yer hain’t got ther narve ter do it, if yer had ther heart. No sab, dies silent!” ‘‘Durn yer,” growled Nick, and he struck the negro a blow in the face. n spite of it the brave fellow laughed htly. “He was devoid of all fear of his tormentors and intended murderers. The party had now reached the tree, which was just under the shelter of the hill bebind the cabin, and was the very tree in which the tin box was hidden. Scraps’s heart almost stood still, for if a man climbed the tree to put the rope over the limb, he would be likely to find the tin box in its hiding-place. But Giant Saul skillfully threw the two ends of the rope over the Bedi, and then placed = oor about the necks of Scraps and Red olf. ‘*Now, pards, git onto the ends of ther lariats, four on each, and when I says pull, up they goes! ‘*Now, nigger, if yer knows any scraps 0’ prayers, shout away; and as fer you, Injun, prayers don’t do heathen no good. ‘* All ready!” A shout answered his words, and the com- mand to pull was just about to issue from his lips when suddenly Night Hawk and Broncho Bill dashed upon the scene, as if by magic springing into their midst, and each hand held a revolver. Then rung out in deadly earnest the threatening words: ‘* Hands up, all of you!” They were uninvited guests at the ‘* hanging bee,” but they were too well known on that border for the stern command of ‘‘ hands up” not to be obeyed. From the ropes they held, up went the hands of the eight men, fir grouped together as sey were, and with full self-cocking revolvers, suc as the Powell brothers were known to carry, twenty-four bullets could be rained into that crowd before a weapon could be drawn. ‘‘Waal, hands is up, now -what?’ queried Giant Saul, glancing first at Night Hawk and then at Broncho Bill,who sat their horses serene- ly, still covering the two groups with their re- volvers, CHAPTER XIV. COWED. ‘* Puu tell you what is up, Giant Saul. ** You are about to commit a foul murder, for those two men are not guilty,” came the calm, nig ry of Night Hawk to the huge des- rado. i ‘‘Tt’s a lie! they is guilty!” yelled Nick Raw- ings. A shot, a single one, followed his words, and as a howlof pain came from his lips, Broncho Bill coolly remarked: ‘ve marked yourear, Nick Rawlings, to re- _— you that you called the wrong man a ar. ‘‘ Pards, has we got ter stand this?’ whined Rawlings. ‘* Hands up all of you: ‘*Move and we open fire, and you know our aim,” and at Night Hawk’s words the gang, jhe i was becoming restless, became still as eath, Riding forward a few paces, Broncko Bill lowered one revolver, took his knife from his belt and quickly severed the bonds of Scraps, rite the knife be said: ** Pick it up and free the Comanche.” Scraps did not take an instant in obeying. ‘* Now disarm those men, both of you.” ‘* Yer’s cowards to take advantage ’cause yer kin,” growled Giant Saul. | Broncho Bill laughed in his light way, and ht Hawk said: * We came here two to eight, but we are four ow against yc and if you Wish of rht it out are W ling Mein ' « fae have theirsagain.” ~~ « tohy' ‘Yer knows ef we kills yer we'll hev ther whole fort down on us,” said Giant Saul. ‘That's the way you sneak out of it; but if you call us cowards again [’ll mark your ear as te “ee ete <> - . | away and hab Money and papers < re Will has Nick Rawlings’s, to keep civil tongues in your heads.” here was no mistaking that Night Hawk and Kroncho Bill were in earnest, and the band of bullies were cowed completely. As the Indian and Scraps ha: now disarmed them, Night Hawk said, addressing the negro; ‘* Now, my man, what is the trouble between you two and this gang of despera oes?” ‘* You calls names now,” cried Giant Saul. ‘‘If you don’t like what I say to you, take our revolver, step off ten paces and resent it,” and Night Hawk leaped from his horse grasped a Weapon, which Scraps said belonged to the giant and held it out to him, while | Broncho Bill kept his weapons still covering the group and the Indian and the negro also stood ready for deadly work, if called upon, ‘*] hain’t a-goin’ ter fight again’ dead sure odds.” ‘* What odds?” ‘¢ Ther whole fort.” ‘* You hedge on the fort as an excuse for your cowariice. ‘*‘ But we wish to hear the report of these two men as to why you want to hang them. “Now, my man, tell us what it was all about?” and Night Hawk turned to Scraps. _ As for Scraps his whole form was trembling with delight. He had looked death squarely in the face without a quiver of fear visible; but being snatched from the very grave, as it were, almost unnerved him. ‘*I done tell yer all about it, boss, and you, sah,” and he bowed to Broncho Bill, while he spoke to Night Hawk. ‘Well, my man, take it coolly and let us know.” | ‘* Yes, sah, gemmans, me and my poor boss en Henr , we rid out for a hunt fer several ays. ‘* This are his ranuch, yer see, and two o’ these men was his cowboys, sah. ‘‘ Waal, sah, we got chased by Injuns, and we had a hard run of it and I guess we'd hev keen cotched if some sojers hadn’t come in sight an’ run de Comanches back. ‘* But poor Mars’ Henry he were wounded with an Injun arrer in his back, and I tuk him on to some timber and tried ter help him, but be says to me he know’d as how he were gwine ter die. ‘** But, 1 went off wid de canteens, to git some water, leavin’ Mars’ Henry lyin’ on de ground, and de hosses near him, when some —— jumped me in de timber and chase me far off. ‘Lis mighty spry on my feet, if I does wear number ’levens, and I made de dirt fly too fast for dem Injuns, and I got inter a little cabin house dat I see’d in de woods. ‘‘T stayed dere all night, and next day de In- juns had gone and I went back to whar | left s’ Henry. ‘‘Oh, gemmans, he war dead and tored to pieces by de wolves, for de Injuns had tooken de horses and left him lying dere, arter robbin’ him, I s’pose, ’cause 1 didn’t see no clo’es round. ‘‘ Wal, I buried what dere was ob de body, and den I started on foot fer home, and mighty tuckered out and hungry I kin tole yer. ‘*Den 1 seen three horsemen coming, and one was dis Injun gemman, who I know’d, and t’others was some o’ de Cowboy Pirit band, 4 ‘Dey had jist captured Red Wolf, and dey was gwine ter burn him up, for I were hidin’ av’ I done heerd dem say s0. ‘So I jist opened fire on’em,and Ikiltde half-breed man, and t’other, 9 Mexikin, jum on his pony powerful quick and got amey for * wasn’t anxious ter foller him, seein’ as I had got | € de Comanche all right, 1% ‘“T untied Red Wolf, and den I tuk de horse o’ de half-breed and we gome home, . “T hab my orders from poor Mars’ Henry — afore he die, and 1 axed de Comanche io libwid me here, and so he got Lis outfit and comed home wid me, f. “Den I tole Mister Rawlings my story, and at might he and Sim Lucas dere, his pard, Come — at Red Wolf and me and hab us dead eure. 7 ‘So dey make us pris’ners, and den Sim he © go arter de cowboys to come and help hang usg *% for dey pretend to say we kill poor Mars’ Horry | and dat he owe dem money, and dey tal.e d ranch and cattle. } “But he only owe’em for dis Month, as knows, and Nick and Sim, dem men, we 5 git Mars’ Henry’s tin box, Which are hid A tg a <a ase “4 L - . « ? r g ° ‘ : : ; - “ ¢ 4 ot ~ " J . 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