Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 702 — page 3: what you’re looking at

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

A teat - - _—--& ——_ — ag Blue Jacket Bill. ‘‘T verily believe that he is the very man they mistook Pard Baxter for!” Trent Baxter had told Lariat Dick that he was a Southerner, and the young miner now saw about the place half a dozen negro ser- vants. Two of them were in the saddle, acting as eowboys, or herders, and they had greeted the settler as be came home with an earnestness that showed they were fond of him, Two other men, negroes, were working about the place, and several negresses wore seen, with some children playing in the back yard, which added to the home-like look of the place, So it was that Lariat Dick sighed when by- gone memories of his boyhood’s home flooded apon bim, An hour after their arrival supper was an- mounced, and Ruth appeared in a neat, well- fitting homespun dress, while the settler was greatly refreshed by his nap. Lariat Dick had “ freshened himself up” in the room given him, and the trio were quite cheerful as they sat down in the open hall to supper, just as the sun cast slanting rays from over the ridge. And such a supper the miner bad not beheld in many a long month, and said frankly that he eould hardly realize that he was upon the frontier, in a sparsely settled country, for Mr. Baxter’s nearest neighbor was half a dozen miles away. There was a moon a week old, and the three sat out upon the ‘piazza after supper, enjoying the beauty of the night, the settler puffing away at his pipe as he reclined in his easy- chair. At last he said: ‘“‘Lariat Dick, I have only hinted to my daughter that I got into trouble up in Colorado, and I wish you would tell her just how it all happened,” ‘** Better not talk over anything so unpleasant, Pard Baxter.” ‘Yes, but I wish to know all, Lariat Dick, for so I must call you, as you havenot yet given me your other name,” said Ruth, with an ex- emnigaald broad hint that she would be glad to now, But she was disappointed, for the miner re- plied, in his frank way: ‘‘The boys call me Lariat Dick, Miss Baxter, so that name is good enough, and I rather like it.” Ruth was disappointed, as was also the set- tier, for thus far the miner had not given him his real name, and there must be some dread reason for his hiding it, “My father went up into Colorado,” con- tinued Ruth, slightly piqued by the miner’s re- fusal to give his name, ‘‘ to look after some in- ‘terests he once held there, in partnership with a miner, who told him that he possessed a very rich mine, ‘Father helped him out of much trouble by buying a half interest with him, and as he has nave haadd more than that the property was expected to pay largely, and that was two years ago, he went to bave a look at it.” nt sy you find your partner, sir?” asked Lariat Dick. ‘*No; for I got into trouble before I was able to do so.” ‘* Who was your partner, may I ask?” ‘¢ A man by the name of Ben Bostwick.” ‘“‘T have heard the name somewhere,” said Lariat Dick, and Ruth resumed: **T did not wish father to go, for I have had little faith in the value of his investment, and that which we bave here is paying him a good income. ‘*L really bad a dread of evil befalling him.” ‘Tell her, Lariot Dick, that her presentiment was 4 correct one,” said the settler, ‘** Well, miss, 1 met your father in obeying the Vigilantes’ call to turn out and hunt down Biue Jacket Bill, a noted outlaw chief of New Mexico, who found his old camping-ground too hot for him,and disbanding bis men came to ©olorado and took tbe trails alone on horse- back. ‘‘T learned that he had been dogged to Col- orado by a scout from Fort Blanco in New Mexico, who was known as the Revolver Sharp), and that he put the Vigilantes on the track of the outlaw chief. , ‘““{ obeyed orders, and when, With several other miners we joined the Regulators they had ‘already a prisoner who they said was the noted Blue Jacket Bill, and that man was Pard | Baxter here.” ‘My father!” cried Ruth with indignant anger, springing to her feet, fairly startling the young miner with her vehemence, CHAPTER IV. LARIAT DICK’S STORY. “My child, do not get angry, for mistakes often occur you know,” said the settler mildly. ** Yes, but for you to be mistaken for an out- law is a mistake I can never forgive,” was the reer: ** Many an innocent man has been hanged by process‘of law, miss, while on the border here mis- takes seldom are made and we generally get the right one, ‘But your father’s resemblance to the man in question, this outlaw, Blue Jacket Bill, was what caused the trouble. “*Now you said your enemy of yesterday was strangely like your father,” d‘It is true, for they are of the same size, tall and well formed, only father is a few years older, I judge. ** Then he has beard and hair like my father’s, and even their voices are alike.” ‘* Well, he was doubtless the man whom the Scout Redfern tracked from New Mexico, and giving the note of alarm that Blue Jacket Bill was in the Colorado mines, and describing him, some Of the Regulators met your father on the trail, covered him with their guns and ordered him to surrender. ‘*He did so naturally, and he was asked his name, “He gave it, and that very name, Trent Bax- ter, Redfern the Revolver Sharp had said was the name by which Blue Jacket Bill was some- times known. ‘*So, as I said, when my party of searchers came up with the main band, they had your father a prisoner, charged with being Trent Baxter alias Blue Jacket Bill. ‘‘ There was a border trial, and yet a few of us doubted, for I felt that your father seemed strangely honest-faced for a man whose crimes had been so terrible as those of which the New Mexican outlaw was accused. ** We spoke in his favor, and at last it was de- cided tosend for Redfern the Scout, who was known to be at a place a dozen miles away.” ** And he came?” ** Yes, miss, and he looked with a quick glance into your father’s face and said that he was the outlaw.” ‘* Infamous!” ‘** Your father urged against it, and to be cer- tain the youth—” ‘¢' Youth?” ‘Yes, miss, for Redfern is scarcely over eighteeen.” ‘** And a scout?” ** A noted one, miss.” ** You called him also by another name?” “‘He is known as the Revolver Sharp, miss, for he is the handiest man with his guns on the frontier, it is said, while asa gambler they say he plays only to win,” ‘* A strange person, indeed!” and there was a sneer in Ruth’s tone, But unnoticing this, Lariat Dick replied: ** Ah, yes; he’sa dandy, miss, and handsome enough for a girl, ‘‘In fact, but for his splendid form and great strength, one would think he was a woman, he is so dove-eyed and gentle. ‘** But he’s got more nerve than half a dozen ordinary men, and dresses as gorgeous asa Don, while his rig is velvet and silk, Mexican rure top to toe, with a scarlet sombrero embroidered with gold thrown in, not to speak of a saddle, bridle, and spurs worth a mint of money, **His revolvers and knife are gold mounted too, and so they cal) him the Gold Revolver Sharp,” > What bas he ever done to deserve one word of praise?” asked Ruth. * Well, he wears a mighty long string of In- dian scalps, miss,” ‘‘ And he said that my father was this crime- stained man known as Blue Jacket Bill?’. ‘* Yes, miss, he took a second look and a long one, and then told us we had the right man. “* Then the Regulators, unbeeding your father’s protestations of innocence, strung him up and the Red Sombrero rode away.” ., es how terrible! but who rode away?” cried uth. ‘*The Revolver Sharp, miss, for he is also called Scarlet Sombrero.” ‘* And these murderers who called themselves Regulators?” ‘*T was one of them, miss, 1am sorry to say; but we rode off, leaving your father hanging there.” “Ob Heaven, have mercy!” gas Ruth. ‘But I still had my doubts, and so I took the back track alone, cut your father down, found there was life in him and brought him to after a bard rub of it. That’s the story, miss,” ‘* Except, Ruth, that he carried me to his cab- in, l riding bis horse, he walking, and cared for meas tenderly asa woman cculd have done, until I felt that I must come home, ‘“* He refused to let me go alone, so came with me, and thank God that he did, for you owe to way Dick’s coming your life as well, my Cola, ‘*God bless you, sir,” and rising Ruth placed her hand upon the arm of the young miner, who responded; **T might as well tell you, miss, that there is agrave at the tree, which the Regulators will think Blue Jacket Bill is in, so that your father will hardly bein any more danger of being taken for him, while it’s my opinion the one’who didn’t quite make the leap you did across the canyon, will never trouble you more.” **.No, that man is dead, I am certain,” said the settler earnestly, while Ruth mused aloud: ‘** That Redfern the Scout made a fearful mis- take, and he has my undying hatred for his ruthless act,” CHAPTER V. A CLOSE CALL. THERE was really a striking resemblance be- tween Settler Trent Baxter, and the man who bad been in pursuit of Ruth, when his chase terminated so suddenly and unexpectedly. They had the same long waving hair and beard, the same form, and were really alike in feature, voice and bearing, The man was well mounted, and his desire to capture Ruth must have been very great to have him risk the fearful leap. He was appalled at seeing her take the risk, and acry.of admiration broke from his lips at her successful spring over the chasm. He was not one to back down from a perila woman had conquered, and so he set his splen- did horse on the run to make the bound, while she bad reinec in her horse in the terrible dread that he would not meet death in his daring ef- fort to capture her. But, though his horse shot up into the air and forward, he was never destined to reach the other side, as the crack of Lariat Dick’s rifle upon the ridge sent a bullet into the brain of the animal, when it had been hastily aimed at the brain of the man, Down went the horse like a stricken bird, while, with a mighty spring the rider caught with one hand upon an extending limb of a tree crowing in_the crevice of the cliff ten feet below the edge. The branch bent wildly, the tree cracked as the strain came upon its roots in the crevices, but it did not yield and the man drew himself up the trunk and sat there, his back against the wall, his face white, his whole form trembling with fright, He sat thus for some minutes when he heard voices, but the ‘wall of the canyon slanted un- der from the edge, thus hiding even the scrub tree growing on its side from one looking over the precipice. There were a few minutesof terrible suspense, and then the voices died away and the man drew a long breath of relief. He had seen his horse borne away upon the current, to dash to pieces upon the rocks where the stream tumbled over a fall into the river. “Tt was the closest call of my life,” he mut- tered with quivering voice. But though safe for the present he knew that he was not yet rescued from peril, Beneath him, fifty feet, surged the torrent, and upon all sides was a wall of rock, The tree that was his only support and ho was hardly eight feet in height, a dwarf oak, with a thick trunk and short branches. Above him ten feet was the top of the wall of rock, but it shelved outward above him, and not even a bird could find footing there. As the situation was faced it grew more and more desperate, and the cold sweat broke out upon the man’s face as he felt that he bad es- caped death with his horse but to die later by a fall from the tree, ee He knew that no mortal being could live in that wild torrent, or go over the fall alive. Still he began to consider that it was his only chance, and until night he sat there considerin the course he would pursue after he had drop into the stream on the morrow, for he would attempt nothing that night. In making himself as comfortable as possible for the night, be suddenly discovered that he had his lariat coiled about ham. He had taken it from bis saddle-horn to bind 5 ' sr } ¢ ;