Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 527 — page 10: what you’re looking at

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

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It was now daybreak; and the two new allies parted at the door of the shanty in which they had met, leaving the knight of the rueful coun- tenance sitting with folded hands and sighing dismally in the discomfort of his new ‘ rag- out,” ‘If you don’t commit suicide:before I get back,” was Jack’s lauching leave, ‘‘ VU. put you out of your misery by trading back.” Salter sat for perhaps an hour, pondering his wretched plight. Then, striking his knee with his fist, he muttered: ‘‘Ef I ever git a show at that ornery galoot DPU—VU—TU chaw his ear!” Pors CHAPTER X. A HOT TRAIL. JACK DOWNING went directly to the Spanish quarter of the town, and there procured a cos- tume for himself and one for the Kid, complet- ing his preparations by the purchase of the bronchos and some provisions. With the last he sent the Kid to camp, direct- ing him to keep ‘‘ shady” until called for at a certain point in the mountain wilderness between the San Milo Crossing and Biles’s Flume. ‘‘ As for me,” he reflected, *‘my first move is to get onto Cale Burchard and Bowlegged Banty. Our gay and festive plotters lose their man at Blind Hoss, and go on to Fiddler’s Ford to find out what’s gone with him. If I can’t pick them up by their all-round style, I’ve lost my sleight. Once I catch on, it will be queer if they get away with me,” He did *‘ pick them up” at the Ford, and so cleverly as to attract not the slightest attention to himself. **'You two will smell out the racket at San Milo,” said Jack to himself; ‘“‘ but while you’re at it, ll just drop in at Paddy’s Flat. I faney that it won’t go amiss to post myself a bit on the young cdeputy.. I can feel him in the air. He’s the onethat I’ve got to look sharp after.” And it was at Paddy’s Flat that his sagacity and detective cleverness were given full scope. Having studied the Three Jolly Pards, he came to this decison: ‘‘They are wide-awale kids, and might give us a rustle if they undertookit. But there is no immediate danger from them. They are fix- tures here for the present.” But at this point appeared the three Irishmen, and held their interview with the young deputy. It was impossible to steal upon them and overhear what they had t@ say, but the spy did not overlook their savage vindictiveness &nd the excitement imparted to their auditor. Then Harry ran for his pards, and they took his excitement as by contagion. As before, the Jack of Hearts was forced to yield to prudent counsels. He could not spy upon them without betraying himself, But he reasoned rapidly and accurately, “That is not professional excitement, too intense. Those Irishmen are in some wa connected with the girl. In their excitement, the youngsters will be more off their guard than their princival, It is my game to pipe them.” So, instead of following Harry to the an- nouncement of his departure to the men of the camp, Jack shadowed Tom and Dick. He was rewarded. Believing that every one in the camp was attracted to the, space before the Terpsichorean Hall, the boys talked freely, and Jack picke 1 up all the points he needed. ** Soho,” he reflected, ‘* Ike has been playing a desperate game. Well, he has given us a nice complication of enemies. Two and three are five, and three more are eight, distributed into three parties, one of which, at least, is at odds with the other two. I ought to be able to play them off against one another, and slip away with the prize while they are knocking sconces.” He managed to get out of Paddy’s Flat even before the avenging Irishmen, and matured his plans as he pressed forward to Fiddler’s Ford. Making a detour just before he reached the latter place, he entered it from the west, as if he had just come from the Suan Milo Crossing, and was in conversation with the landlord of It is * Fe up. While they made inquiry about Salomans, he stood by with the air of waiting of a man whose conversation is interrupted by matter which does not concern him. He had timed his words so that they should break in upon a narrative about Cale and Banty, and as they turned away he immediately re- sumed, so that they could not help catching what he said. ‘‘ Waal, sir, ef them scalawags wa’n’t Cale Burchard an’ Bowlegged Banty, then Dll pass on the two bowers an’ the one-spot, every time,” The Three Avengers flashed about as if a shot had been fired at them from the rear. But Mallory hastily threw up his hand to prevent his pards from speaking, and muttered in a low voice to them: ‘* Hold on, boys!” Whereupon he turned and walked out of the bar without a word further. Jack stared at the retreating Irishmen as if at alossto account for their strange behavior. ‘* Them galoots has got ’em bad,” he observed, and went on with what he was saying. Without losing too much time, tor he did not care to wait until the Three Jolly Pards putin their appearance, he presently lounged nM ki the bar, to be at once buttonholed by auory, ‘* Pairdner, av it’s a kind turn ye’d be afther doin’, ye’ll not take it amiss av 1 axes ye what ye know about Cale Burchard an’ Bowlegged anty, as ye was sp’akin’ about a while ago. ‘*Be you friends o’ theirn?’ demanded Jack, with a penetrating look of suspicion. ‘*Divila wan of us!” cried Mallory, hastily; and Tim and Reddy swore with a vim that could leave no doubt of their sentiments. ‘Then what do you want to know about them?” ‘It’s not a fri’nd o’ thim spalpeens that you might be, sor?” asked Mallory, warily. ‘**T?” cried Jack, with well-simulated indigna- tion. , ‘‘ Beggin’ yer Honor’s pairdon, sure, it’s cautious we have to be. Thayre’s a bone of contintion betwane thim maraudhin’ oma- dhauns an’ uz; an’ av yez know whayre they’re to be found, it’s thankful we’d be to yez fur put- ting us onto the same.” This was right to Jack’s hand; and he told them that he hud met Cale and Banty,in disguise, on the way to San Milo, and the landlord of the Ford House had just told him that they had been prowling about the Ford asking for a Jew ype had passed through the place two days be- ore. Having got an accurate description of Cale ape if Mallory took his leave with profuse thanks. ‘The shany will be fur doublin’ an’ twistin’; but it’s only yan two spalpeens we have to folly, to fetch up to him in the end,” he remarked to his pards, And away they rode for San Milo. They found there that the objects of their pursuit had doubled, returning northward, and that no such persons as the Jew and his daugh- ter had passed through that camp. ‘*Thay’re’s a hitch somewhayre,” suggested Mallory, not yet divining that there might be a break between the Jew and his whilom pards. ‘The shany must ’a’ althered his plans widout getting the word to the others. ell, here’s fur Blind Hoss. We may pick them up all together.” But at Blind Hoss they learned that Cale and or had been there before going to Fiddler’s urd, ‘‘And now,” said Mailory, ‘‘thayre’s but wan other way. The lot o’ them has gone northward. Bod scan till they’re wrigglin’, but they’ve cost us a d’ale o’ time an’ trouble.” By this maneuver, Jack himself went north- ward on the heels of Cale and Banty, well in ad- vance of the Irishmen, whom, however, he had put on the alert, so that they would be ready for action in an emergency. On the way he picked up the Kid, and was all ready for the part they were to play when they overtook Salomans and Miriam, The Three Jolly Pards, coming last, were told by the now thoroughly curious landlord of the ord House that they were the third party who had been on the track of the Jew and his daugh- ter. ‘‘T’ve hyeared about that thar trial up to the Flat,” hecontinued. ‘‘ Somethin’ crooked about it, wa’n’t thar?” ‘* The deuce you be!” cried the landlord, open- cE ing his eyes wide, and staring with a grinof wondering curiosity. ‘‘ Take somethin’!” And he hastened to offer his Soap ettty . No, thanks,” declined Harry. ‘Il never drink,’ “Kh? What? Nev— Waal, I sw’ar! I never see no marshal, nur depitty marshal, nur any other kind o’ marshal, what gagged at his bitters before, But, bless, yer soul an’ body, you'll never git yer full growth on cold water— you hyear me !” “Tl risk it, if you please. But I have told you my office sothat you will see that lama proper person to make inquiries about the men who have been seeking; Isaac Salomans,” The landlord was ready enough with his in- formation. Harry would have ‘‘dropped” to Cale and Banty, even without the testimony of the stranger who claimed to have recognized them through their disguises. It was true that they had been in Paddy’s Flat unrecognized; but then no oné was on the lookout for them. ‘‘ There is something in this change of plan,” said Harry to his pards, when they had left the landlord. ‘‘ It’s all very plausible that he should. change from horseback to the coach on Miriam’s account; but why, then, didn’t he leave some sign to his pards? So, when he found that the Hebrew had run to cover, and that a Spanish Don and his son had started u just where he had disappeared, he too ** dropped.’ Missing the Irishmen in the doublings between San Milo and Blind Hoss, the Three Jolly Pards brought up the rear in the chase, : Reaching Grub Stakes, the Jack of Hearts found Isaac Salomans in a sore dilemma. But, to begin with, he was very nicely situated for Jack’s purpose, When Grub Stakes first started, the main street, following the supposed oriferous tract, had run east and west. ; On it Jake Drinkhauser had erected a fair- sized ‘‘shebang,” bearing a large sign across the gable end, with the legend: “FINE LICKERS.” Over the door was a smaller sign, reading: ‘*PooL FUR THE DRINKS.” Nailed to the door-jamb, a mere “shingle” modestly announced the remaining branch of his business, as if it were an afterthought: ‘¢Grub an Logins.” Later it had been found that a richer deposit ran north and south; and with the influx of res- idents a new street, at right; angles with the old, lad sapped its business vitality. ; ‘Thereupon Jake had built a larger establish- ment, as increased prosperity warranted, facing upon the new street, joined to the old structure so that the latter formed an ‘‘L” to the maiu building. The bar, the gambling-room, and the dance- hall—all in one—occupying the new quarters, the ‘‘L” was given up to lodging, with a result- ing privacy in this department such that, unless some one was stirring in the ‘‘L,” the oecu- nts of the rooms could hold neighborly com- munication, if desirable without attracting at- tention. ; You may believe, it was not long before the Jack of Hearts was in Isaac Salomans’s room, and the latter, wringing bis hand, was crying: ‘*Good heavens! | was never so glad to see any one in alll my life before!” CHAPTER XI. © SETTING UP THE PINS. Isaac Salomans was indeed pale and nervous. But at sight of his ally, the color came back to his cheeks, his knit brows relaxed, and his eyes brightened. ‘“What’s the row?” asked the Jack of Hearts, “Row!” repeated Salomans, ‘ Everything has gone wrong.” ‘‘But what are you doing here?” ‘Miriam was prostrated. I was afraid she was going to have brain fever, or something. I was forced to tie up here, and wait for our enemies!” , ‘‘ Brain fever! 1s she better now?” ‘*¢ Yes, she has rallied.” ‘So that you can go on” ‘“‘T was ready to set out again to-night; but—” Salomans paused, and again frowned with anxiety. ‘* Well?” prompted Jack. my heels.” ‘You know that Iam the deputy marshal?” | Cale,and Banty?’ es. said Harry, guardedly, mis ’ : Jat ‘A ~ ees" ; % . ‘ - A” TS $, '* Pa be : —> === a en = i™ 5 5% - vy . . 3 =. . So ey eee yee: - 44% = _* “— * TP ~ rs4 wt « os <a we i. 2 o* 4 — “- - » & a LA, - a “ P 3 . - = % ~ “Tm afraid that those bloodhounds are at 13%