Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 730 — page 9: what you’re looking at

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

| Violet . YY ‘ wr ‘ * 9 es “Why need you tell him?’ eagerly asked uan. . ** Oh, I have to tell him everything!” **'Ycu need not,” ** He’d be shore ter find it out.” ** Not if you were discreet, Ob, senorita! If I thought you could care for me, I would do anything for you! Wor you my life I would lay down! You I have only seen a short time ago but in my heart I feel something my tongue cannot describe!” hen to the surprise of the laughing girl, he caught ber hand and fell on his knees, ‘* Senorita,” he cried, ‘‘ for you I would pass through fire and flood! Nothing should daunt me! Of no man would I fear! I will— ** Wal, I will be derned!” Daddy Duzenberry appeared at this juncture, the exclamation coming from his lips, and in a moment he had Juan by the collar, ‘*A consarned Greaser!” snorted the old man, snapping the Mexican wooer to his feet, while Liz clapped her hands and broke into a peal of laughter, ‘‘ Tryin’ ter spark my gal! Wal, may I be kicked ter Glory by a muel!” But, as he lifted his foot to administer a furious kick upon acertain portion of Juan’s anatomy, the fellow suddenly squirmed aside, Up went Daddy Duzenberry’s foot, and at the same instant Juan kicked the old/ man’s other foot from beneath him. With a chud and a grunt, the irate old fellow struck fairly on his back, The Mexican’s hand fell on the haft of a knife, but even as the weapon flashed in his grasp, Liz’s voice rung out clear and stern; ‘Hold on thar! I’ve got ther drop!” A revolver gleamed in her hand, the muzzle being turned full on Juan Pacheco, 6s Carajo td ‘** Git!” cried the girl. ‘‘ Git afore I bore ye!” The Mexican hesitated but a moment, then he thrust the knife into its sheath, doffed his som- brero, bowed low, saying: ** Adios hasta la mananda, alma mia!” (Farewell till to-morrow, my dear.) Then he turned and retreated with all the grace of a conqueror. Daddy Duzenberry sat up and stared after Juan, bis hand on a revolver and a:comical look of disgust marking his face, *‘ Wal, may I be chawed up!” he gasped. “ I’d liké ter run a tunnel in his system, but I hain’t post ag man’s back, How in thaeeer an’ guns did it happen, any old how? That is a question Da.like tor Rev Suaweren.* PP, ‘** He downed you, Daddy,” said Liz, putting up ber revolver. ‘¢ He never done it!” pe aveatens the old man, doggedly. ‘I ar yer s’pose I’d let an ornery no-’count Greaser down me? Wal, | sh’a’d howl! I tell ye I slipped! But Pll see thet critter erg’in an’ take it out of bis hide. I didn’t git much of a look at ther varmint, but I thought he looked like somebody Vd seen afore,” **{ thought so myself, Daddy.” While they were talking the matter over, the miner known as Red Lark approached, ** Hello, folkses,” he saluted. ‘' W’at’s hap- pened thet tickled thet Greaser so?” Daddy Duzenberry regarded the miner sus- piciously a moment, then demanded: ‘* Wat Greaser, pard?” ‘* Ther one I jest met,” ** Did he ’pear tickled?” ** Tickled! He wuz jest snortin’ with laffiin’.” ‘‘ Thet settles it!” snapped Daddy. “ Stranger, look in my off eye.” be ** Waal?” ‘S'W'at d’yer see?” ‘Not much of anythin’,””_ a ‘cog icing i gl ogee the lank miner, ily. ther great horn spoon ) | lood'shanr'? y 8 p > thar’s ‘* Ther Greaser—” ‘Is my mutton! He was laffin’ ’cause T slipped an’ felldown, Dyer see thet gal?” ‘* Wal, I caught ther o’nery yaller-skin makin’ love to her!” ** Sho!” ‘cs Fac’,” o* W’at did ye do?” ‘**T lit onter his collar, pard,” ‘‘Thet wuz right. Greaser hain’t no right ter make love ter a decent gal.” And Red Lark a at Liz asif he saw something that puzzled him. The girl also seemed puzzled, for she was re- garding the red-bearded miner closely, Daddy uzenberry saw nothing of this, being too much worked up by recent events. ‘Ther varmint was like a greased eel,” de- clared the lank miner, ‘Somehow he slipped a5 ’ - —— i o Ee 4 oaks “ ar - ~ le —_ -~ * els ? ae aout of my grip, and at ther same time I lost my footin’ an’ flopped down onter my back,” ** Wal, I sw’ar!” ** Fac’, pard.” **'W’at follered?” ** Ther yaller-skin’d knifed me ef ’tadn’t bin fer my gal thar. She jest yanked out a pop an’ kivered him,” Once more Red Lark gazed in a puzzled man- ner at the girl, ** She mus’ be a cuckoo!” he said, ‘* Wal, she hain’t no slouch,” was Daddy’s proud declaration, At this Liz thrust her thumb into her mouth and looked abashed, ‘Wal, ef you've got thet Greaser down on ye, you want to look out right peert.” **T guess you’re right,” ‘* How long you bin stoppin’ hyer?” asked the red-bearded miner, changing the subject. ** Some little time,” was the vague answer. “A right good bit?” Daddy grunted. ‘You bain’t thinkin’ of puttin’ in a claim fer these belongin’s, be ye?” he suspiciously in- quired, ‘Wal, not jest yit; though they do say you hain’t ther rightful owner.” ** Who says so?” ** Ob, I beerd it in Coffin City,” *‘ Wal, they talk too much thar, Ther feller as built this shanty’s dead. Hain’t nobody ever durst work ther claim sense, but I hain’t feerd of spooks,” t» Nop?” ‘** Not by er long chalk.” ‘| don’t s’pose you hev ever seen any sence yon kem hyer?” “*Ef lt had, ’d hurted it.” ** How?” ‘Wal, [ ginerally kerry a gun,” You'd shoot?” . Be ** Now you’re shoutin’.” ‘* But ye can’t hurt spooks,” ‘* Wal, critters as is playin’ spooks soretimes git hurted.” At this Red Lark only nodded, while he looked around as if inspecting the lay of the land. ‘* Thinkin’ of playin’ spook?” inquired Daddy Duzenberry, with a grin, The red beard started, **Ob, no!” he protested, ‘*I wuz jest lookin’ roun’. Wal, ll hev ter bid ye good-day, pard. (ot ter crawl back ter town, Look out fer ther Grenser.”. - And once more giving Liz a searching look, Red Lark turned away, The lank miner stood watching bis retreating figure, a queer look on his wrinkled old face, *Wuzn’t thinkin’ of playin’ spook, eh?” be muttered, witha grim smile, *“ Mebbe not; but Vll bet you wuz!” When he was beyond earshot, Red Lark growled: **Thet man’s too derned sharp! Tumbled ter my leetle game, fu’st pop. Ther ghost business won’t work, Got. ter try some other way ter git persession of thet claim, I don’t keer ’bout gittin’ filled with bullets, an’ I reckon he’d keep his word an’ shoot, ‘* But thet gal—she sticks me! Seems like I’d seen her afore, but I can’t jest place her, She looks like— But she can’t be. I sw’ar, lm puzzled |!” CHAPTER :'X, " PLOTTERS AT WORK, THAT day, as the dusky twilight of evening was gathering, Juan Pacheco entered the office of Elias Slink. The lawyer was sitting in bis favorite position, a cigar in his mouth and his feet on the table, ‘‘ Ah!” he exclaimed, rubbirg his hands to- gether, and he saw who bis visitor was, ‘* Have a chair, dear sir, I have just got in a new lot to-day, Had to purchase them second-hand, but they are better than no seats, I assure you. I am glad tosee you, Is it news, sir—is it good news?” aon, ‘No, senor; unfortunately [ cannot say it is, I thought I would tell you. It must be the vel- vet American has left the place.” . ** How is that?” : ‘*{ have been unable to find a trace of him since I saw you, He has vanished,” Own came Slink’s heels. ‘“‘Is that so?” he exclaimed, ‘Well, now, al, bad luck! I wonder what has become of m ‘That no one seems able tosay. He is gone, that is all I can learn.” This information put Elias in anything but a pleasant mood, still his oily manner did not van- ish, In a mild way, he uttered several oaths, While he was thus occupied, ‘‘ Judge” Benja- min Hogg came puffing and gurgling into the room. ‘* Struck it, Elias!” he croaked—* struck it!” ‘Struck what? I trust, dear sir, it is come- thing agreeable, for 1 do not care to hear any- thing more of a disagreeable sort at present.” _ ‘‘ Wal, if this don’t tickle ye, you’l! never be tickled.” ** What is it, sir?” ** Ther kid hes bin found !” ; Both Slink and the Mexican leaped to their eet. ‘The kid?” echoed Elias, in excitement, ‘* Not the boy we are after?” ‘* Ther very same leetle rat,” **'Who found him?” ‘** ‘Your humble sarvent hed thet honor, though it’s er derned wonder thet he wuzu’t foun’ afore, He hes bin in town sence ther stage arriv’ yes- orgay. ‘* He came on the hearse?” $$ Yeo, 24 ag ere any of the boys on hand when it came in? ‘* Not thet I knows of,” “That explains how he escaped observation,” **T reckon,” ‘* Where is he, judge?” ** At ther howtel,” ‘* Stopping there?” ** Yep; got er room, Stiles,” Juan uttered a low exclamation, while Elias Slink forgot his dignity for a time and danced gleefully around the office, Suddenly he stopped, exclaiming: **But soft, soft! There is work to be done, The Reverend Adam Jayne cannot have dis- Registered as Timothy covered the presence of this boy, else he would , have come to me with the information, The time bas not arrived for the boy toappear. He must be kept in the background. Elias, with schemes thy head should teem! If the boy is immediately forked over, we shall lose. our grip on the goose that lays the golden egg, If we secure him and keep him in the background, we can still squeeze the dcllars out of Adam, Ha, ha! I have a scheme!” Juan had sunk into bis seaf again, but he | was watching and listening with apparent in- terest, “ Judge,” and Slink halted in his wild dance, ‘go thou straightway out and bring in Lank lke and Sweet Jim. I have a use for them.” The ‘‘ judge” immediately departed, but with- in twenty miuutes he returned, accompanied by the two toughs, Although it bad grown quite dark within the lawyer’s office, Slink had not produced a light, ‘‘[t is quite unnecessary,” he asserted, as he made the door secure to preyentintrusion, ‘I have no curtain to the window, anda light would betray us to any one who paused to look in, We can talk aa well in the dark.” ‘* An’ I reckon ther most of us look as well in ther dark as we do any time,” gurgled Hogg, The five men gathered around the Fqgare table. a a Now ther fu’st thing is—w’at” inquired Lank Ce The explanation was made that the boy for whom they had been watching had walked into the trap at last, ‘Now, gentlemen,” purred Slink, and they, Re a could hear bim rubbing bis hands togeth ‘‘ how are we to get our hands on this boy with- — out raising a rumpus?” Ry ‘*Hasy enough,” was Hogg’s gurgling reply. ‘From the register 1 ’arned he hed room Num- ber 8, an’ thet room kin be reached frum ther rull of ther lean-to. Ike an’ Jim kin creep in thar ter-night an’ choke ther kid quiet, then they kin kerry him off ter any place they want ter,” a ‘‘Senors,” broke in the quiet voice of Juan, ‘I trast you will give me a chance to take a ~ part.” ** Course we will, ef ye want it.” ee l do,” ‘Then you can accompany Ike and Jim,” de- cided Slink, ‘ for I am in favor of carry ae out the judge’s little scheme. But where shall the boy be taken to when we have him?” ” } / *Tknow a safe place whar be will keep all HUW right,” declared Sweet Jim, ‘‘’Tain’t more’n three miles outer town either.” | “What is it?” bce | ‘+ A small cave.” | : ‘‘Good! Take him there and watch him closely, for there is money in his skin, I have paid you fellows well for you shall be well paid or this job, I every tbing to your good judgment, : 7 | y ‘ ‘ > # nt t ’ ; am | C) . i CN a a . ** W’at’s in ther wind?” e our past services, and Do not be- ‘. - ” : .*% & ey “ ‘ A : he ~ le) fi, ly < \— | S J u fe > . 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