Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 743 — page 12: what you’re looking at

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

12 Buck Taylor’s Boys. months he fetches me back supplies, so I never have to go to the settlements to buy. **T am fond of good living, for I was raised to it, and we won't starve, that is certain, for I have on hand now several thousand dollars’ worth of pelts.” ‘Well, I shall be glad to rest here a few weeks with you, and then we will start upon a plan [ have for getting gold.” ‘*T am with you, if I can get a chance to kill too,” ‘*'Yes, you will not have to miss the enjoy- ment you seem to take in putting a fellow-being out of the world,” ** Well, they all hate me because [ am deformed, so [ return their hatred ten-fold. ‘If they laugh at me, they insult me, and then I avenge myself—see?” ‘Yes, but to my plan?” ** What is it?” ‘There are hundreds of rich ranches along the border line.” sé Yes.” ‘The rancheros all have money and keep it at home, and some of their wives wear jewels galore, while others have silver plate with them worth much. ** Now, I can get together a band of men and strike the richest of these houses on stated nights, ‘** We can dash in, robbing only one or two at a time, and be off in an hour’s time, ‘*T know those that have plenty of booty, but it will be well to have a spy visit them all and give full particulars, as to number of cowboys and just what is to be gained. ‘* You see, with a dozen good men, mounted upon the very best horses, we can go by night on slow marches, to a point near the place we intend to strike, and so we will reach the place without tiring our animals, ‘*Our first duty will be to creep in and lead off or cripple every horse, to check pursuit. ‘*'Tbhen we can do our work and get away, re- treating to some point where we must have ar- rangements for covering up our tracks, or lead to the belief that we go across the Rio Grande,” ‘t'Yes, I see,” ‘* Now, in some of these ranches dwell people of wealth, and to kidnap a wife, or child, will bring us big ransom.” ** So it will.” ‘There is one ranch in particular that I de- sire to visit, for revenge and gold, ‘** You see, I have reason to know that the one who dwells there has received recent knowledge of a large fortune left ber.” ‘fA woman?’ “Yes, and if I get her into my powerI can get the fortune, and then good-by to this wild ife of dread.” eee,” ** Now, the place to store all our booty is, just here, with you, and we can bring our captives here, awaiting ransom,” sé Yes.” *‘ And we can so cover up our trails that no one will ever suspect that our retreat is here.” ‘* T can do that for you most fully, for we will prepare for it, and back of my cabin is a caverp which runs back through the ridge, and I could hide a regiment there, ‘‘ Tf any one came here, they could find noth- ing but an old deformed man, hiding the shame of his deformity from the eyes of his fellow- men,” ‘Yes, and I am cheered with the hope that we can do well together, form a compact, in fact, that will enrich us both,” ** So be it.” ‘* Now, do you know any men that we can get?” ‘*T know as choice a lot of devils as Satan would wish to have serve him,” **Good! where are they?’ *‘In the mining-camps and on the prairies.” ‘* How can you reach them?” ‘Well, they once belonged to a band of cut- throats I had under my command; but I tired of the hard life, and sent them away, ‘* But they are bound by ties they must obey, and I shall simply go and round them up,” ‘** Tt will take some weeks,” ‘“Yes,and I cau do a little work as a spy, meunwhile, and you can do the same.” ‘‘T am a hard man to disguise, I fear.” ** Ob, I can rig you up all right.” ‘* Well, go ahead,” ‘Play parson, for instance, and then any other character that may suit you.” ‘‘T believe, as we are not unlike, except in years, I could imitate you.” “Would you do it?” ** Why not?” ** Well, with you it would be playing a part only, while with me it would be the bitter real- ity of deformity,” was the low and earnest re- sponse of the hunchback, te CHAPTER XXVI. PLOTTING MISCHIEF, AFTER a few weeks’ stay at the cabin of the hermit, the renegade decided that it would be well to begin work. The two bad planned to get so many men, and that they would have them go in the disguise of red-skins, so there would be no chance of recog- nition whatever when seen as white men, They would send them to a certain rendez- vous, to await their coming, and then would run down the line of ranches, spying out what in- formation they could, ani! changing the disguise of the renegade as frequently as he deemed necessary. It was in this way that Devil Dick started out as a spy, and every couple of days he would meet the old hermit by appointment at some selected rendezvous and talk over matters. The hermit’s work was to get the men he knew of, as being competent villains for the work in hand, and also to spy out all he could as to the different ranches where he stopped possessing anything of value or not, The disguise which Devil Dick assumed, im- persouating the hunckback, was remarkable in its clever imitation. He hed the stoop in his gait, the hump, and with his well-fitting false beard and wig of gray, his spectacles and worn clothes and slouch hat, as the two men were about the same size, it was hard to tell the original from the representation. Devil Dick had stopped at several places and played his part so well, that he felt emboldened to visit Soldier’s Retreat Ranch, the home of Captain Hassan, He mace it his business, however, to arrive after nightfall, and was cordially welcomed at the hospitable home, He told the same story of his being an old man in search of his son, and Captain Hassun went to all the cowboys to learn if he could hear of such a man as the visitor wished to find. Saying that he must be off before dawn, he found breakfast ready for him, and agsupply of food given him for his journey. - He dared not risk in daylight the scrutiny of the eyes of Mrs, Hassan who had known him as the slayer of her brother and the destroyer of her home, and he quailed under the beautiful, honest eyes of little Belle, whom he had so long held as a captive in the Indian village. If recognized he knew what his fate would be, and so he gave a deep sigh of relief as he rode away in the early morn from the house where he had been so kindly treated. So he went on his way until at last he again dared to venture before the eyes of the woman whom he had so wronged, She had treated him well, ashas been seen, with more than kindness; but he had felt uneasy under tbe gaze she had kept upon him, and glad he was to get away from there too. The more he pondered over the searching look of Ruth, the more he decided that he had risked a terrible danger, and he hastened on to his ren- dezvous with the bermit. , He saw him coming across the prairie and as their trails crossed they halted. Then he told the hermit of his fears, that he feared Ruth Redmond might recall him and send in pursuit. “Tf she does, lama lost man, so you must help me out,” he said, ** How can 1?” ‘You mount m directed me, while to Mustang Center. ‘tI will stop there to-night and wait for you to join me, for if they do not overhaul you by sun- set, then there will be no danger of pursuit and you can come on after me,” ‘‘Tf they do?” ‘‘Thev’ll discover that you are the real not the made-up man, and al! will be well,” ‘* [T see, and I'll do it, ‘* Let us get from one horse to the other with- out dismounting and leaving tracks,” said the cunning old man. This was done and they parted. The reader bas seen tbe result of the pursuit of Ruth and her cowboys, and of Carl and Merton following the man that had gone to Mus- tang Center which was a small settlement where half a dozen trails met, consisting of a tavern, blacksmith shop, several stores, and half a dozen saloons and gambling dens, with a score or more of ranches surrounding. horse and go on as they take your horse and ride on ——_—- . * * . . » 7 * an There was a fine group of springs there, plenty of timber, and it had been a great haunt of wild horses, hence its name of Mustang Center, When Ruth and ber cowboys left the hermit to go on his way, he continued on to the timber, staked his horse out and built a fire, ‘* They will see the fire and know I have gone into camp. ‘“*A big head has Devil Dick, and if he had not conceived the plan to change horses with me he would have gotten it into a lariat noose sure, ‘Well, it was a narrow call, for that young girl meant business. ‘* She is the one he said he intended to kidnap and force to yield up a fortune lately left her. ‘*T hope he may get it. ** Now to have supper and then for a night ride to Mustang Center, and my advice to Devil Dick will be, as I will find the last man I am lookiag for at Mustang Center, to light out for safer quarters, for if suspected we will get into trouble when unprepared for it.” Two hours after the hermit was on his way to Mustang Center. eee CHAPTER XXVII. AT MUSTANG CENTER, THE ‘‘Grand Hotel” at Mustang Center was exuctly the opposite of its name, [t was little more than a board shanty, and ‘* dormitories” were the style in which guests were roomed, with one or two exceptions, for there were half a dozen ‘‘ special rooms ” in one wing for which three times the regular rate was charged, ‘** Parson” Peter Pry, as Devil Dick in his ecclesiastical disguise had written himself down, was assigned to one of these special rooms, for the landlord had a streak of piety in his nature, and had an eye to saving his soul by kindness to what he was pleased to call a ‘* Gos- pil Peddler.” He had said to his wife; “Tsay, Sarah, thar’s a Gospil Peddler here, and I’ve give him ther Bridal Chamber, and won't cbarge him nothin’, so jist git our kid ready in the morning and we’ll have him bap- tized.” ** Ah, Caleb, how nice that will be, ‘Til put on his little cowpuncher suit, with the littlerevolvers the gambler gave him,” ‘Ther boy don’t wish ter shoot his way inter heaven, Sarah; but doas yer likes, and remem- ber his name are ter be Jim Dandy Sykes,” ** Yes, Caleb,” and the wife was happy, and set about getting up some extra dishes for the ‘* Parson.” The pretended parson enjoyed his supper and had a talk with Mrs, Sykes afterward, also having the honor of meeting ‘‘ Jim Dandy, the Boy Baby Cowpuncher,” a youth of six sum- mers, who lariated the distinguished guest most skillfully across the room, very nearly choking him, causing him to feel that it was a forerun- ner of what might be his fate. He also gave vent to a few words, which fall- ing from the lips of a parson, Mrs, Sykes in the goodness of her soul mistook for prayer. But Jim Dandy, better educated in such words, escaped from the room and told his father that he ‘* had roped the Gospil Sharp and made him cuss great big words,” Then he added: ‘¢] was jiss chokin’ de stuffin’ out o’ bim, dad, when mam corraled me,” Parson Peter Pry haa promised Mrs, Sykes to ‘‘yound up” Jim Dandy in the morning and baptize him, and then retired to hisroom, known as the “ Bridal Chamber,” as it was kept for newly wedded unfortunates who drifted that way. It was a room twelve feet square, with one door, one window, a bed with a corn shuck mat- tress, a straw pillow, unbleached sheeting and cases, or ‘‘ grandmother’s quilt,” and a Mexican Serape for covering. There was ashelf with a tin basin and pitcher, for a washstand, a towel on a roller, two chairs and a glass over a shelf on the wall. When he saw the bed the parson did utter a fervent prayer: ‘‘ Heaven help those in the Grand Hotel who do not occupy the bridal chamber!” Then he sat down with a tallow candle upon the shelf, and looked over some papers upon which were pencil-notes. He was thus engaged when the door opened without any premonitory knock, and Landlord Sykes said: ‘** Parson, thar’s a hump-backed pilgrim out here as says he wants ter see you.” =: Va —> nt -- +9668 - OF we = rs 7 — —— cbhooks:com