Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 794 — page 3: what you’re looking at

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

with the utmost caution. Especially should we avoid any chance quarrel with these des- peradses which might involve us in ad- ditional difficulties.”’ Thus conversing, the Pards leisurely made their way through the camp, taking in the many scenes that met their view. They look- ed onall sides for the strange youth who had figured so notably in the events of thé pre- ceding night, but if he had indeed entered the settlement at all, he was extremely care- ful to conceal his presence, That there was a mystery of some kind connected with the case, the Pards were very sure. As they slowly threaded the one straggling thoroughfare of the camp, one of the gaming saloons in particular attracted their atten- tion, being a large two-storied structure, ainted a gaudy yellow, and bearing above its door in flaming letters the sign: GAMBLERS’ GLORY. KinG Krrey, Proprietor, It may be imagined that the Railroad Pards read this suggestive inscription. ‘So this is the den of our arch-enemy,” remarked Harry. ‘‘ Well, Rufe, we can’t learn the ropes any too soon; so I propose that we pay the boss of the camp a friendly call, just to see what his ranch looks like on the inside.” ‘* Beard the lion in his lair, eh? All right; Dm yer huckleberry! Lead to the slaughter, pard. Feeling secure in their disguise, the two entered the '‘ Gamblers’ Glory,” * to discover that the gaming *‘ palace” could boast of nothing remarkable in the way of interior decoration. The ground floor comprised one large, commodious room, divided in the center by a heavy curtain, the front portion being utilized as a bar-room, while the space back of the screen was allotted to the gam- ers Despite the early hour, the saloon was well-filled with loungers, and when the Pards entered, it was to become at onte the target for a battery of curious eyes, for strangers were such a rarity in the settlement that their presence always created more or less surprise and conjecture. he young railroaders sauntered in, ap- parently oblivious of these inquiring glances, and, leaning against the nearest wall for lack of better accommodations, surveyed the scene with the ease and unconcern of genuine natives. There was a lack of the usual excitement In the bar- ‘room, since those present seemed content to sip their driuks in comparative quiet. But, this was the calm before the storm! Plenty of excitement wus in store for the Pards, as was evidenced ere they had been ten minutes within the ‘*‘ Gamblers’ Glory.” There was a sudden commotion outside, and half a dozen ruffians burst into the saloon, led by a red-haired giant six feet high, whose belt fairly bristled with wea- ons, This giant approached the bar, bring- ng his huge fist down witha blow that made the structure shake. “Whoop! Set ’em up, barkeep'—drinks for the crowd! I’m flush to- -day, an’ I’m settin’’em up for all creation—I, Tom the Teaser, am doin’ the han’some! Sa- “ay, d'ye hyar me twitter? I, the boss bruiser <o’ Satan’s Camp, am posin’ as a universal liquidator o’ thirst, @ benefactor o’ the hu- man race! Haw, haw, haw! fo, ho, ho!” The bartender hastened to fill the order, while the red-haired bruiser who had styled bimself Tom the Teaser leaned against the bar with arms akimbo, and surveyed the throng with a complacent grin overspreading his ugly face. But, ‘suddenly, an angry gleam shot into his snaky rag and with a snarl he bounded forward. Headlight Harry’ S }Hunt “ Ah, ha! I’ve caught ye at last, ye durned misshapen imp o’ darkness!” he ‘bellowed, pouncing like a panther upon the object of his sudden wrath. The latter was a youth ot twenty or there- abouts, who had mingled unobtrusively with the crowd; and certainly a more grotesque specimen of humanity than he it would be difficult to imagine. A dwarf, standing scarcely four feet high, with legs bowed and arms 0 disproportionate length sbeari ing upon his broad back an ugly hump, and with a face decidedly repulsive of aspect. The dwarf whose grotesque ugliness had won for him the sobriquet of Spider, now withered in the vise-like grip of the Teaser. ‘*Ho, ho! lve got ye fast, ye hump- backed imp o’ Satan,” roared the boss bruiser, as his victim struggled vainly to escape. “D’ye remember, Spider, I swore I’d cut off one o’ yer ears next time I laid my paws on yer dirty carcass? Now I’m a- oin’ to keep my word, hang me for a hoss- thief if I ha’n’t!” And clutching the now writhing dwarf by the collar with one brawny hand, “the Teaser swiftly drew a huge bowie-knife from his belt, evidently determined to put his horrible threat into instant execution. “‘Tt'll improve your looks immensely, Spider,” he chuckled, giving the murderous blade a preliminary flourish, while his drunken companions locked on approvingly, Reckon I'l] have to make it two fly- | flappers instead 0’ one. Haw, haw!” A howl of terror burst from the hunch- back, and, slipping out of his jacket with a sudden, eel- like wriggle, he made a break for liberty, It chanced that Headlight Harry stood | directly in a line with the door, The bunéh- back dodged adroitly by him, and sped Mk a flash into the open air; but Tom ke | Teaser, rushing madly in pursuit, stumbled over the engineer’s outstretched foot and went heavily to the earth, his weapons flying harmlessly from his grasp. In another moment the big bruiser had regained his feet, and was prancing wildly in front of Harry, brandishing his huge fists, “*Cuss ye for a long-legged, big-footed son of a sea-cook!” he roared. ‘* What d’ ye mean by trippin’ up the boss bruiser 0’ Satan’s Cump? Can't ye keep yer lubberly carcass out of a gentleman’ s way?” Harry calmly faced the irate bully. ‘I’m sorry you had such an ugly tumble, my friend,” he said, coolly; ‘‘ but it strikes me that the fault lies wholly with yourself, Mad you looked as you ran, you would have escaped the fall, and would have the dwarf s ears dangling from your belt by this time” — a speech that had much the same effect upon the Teaser that a red rag would have upon an angry bull. ‘“‘Ho, bo! My fault, is it?” he howled, fairly dancing with rage and excitement. “Add insult to injury, will ye? Great hoppin’ horn-toads! I'll teach ye to buck ag’in' the boss bruiser 0’ Satan’s Camp! Hang me for a hoss-thief if I don’t chaw ye inter more’n a thousand pieces!” and the Teaser peeled off his coat, spat on his hands, and went through a variety of extravagant flourishes by way of preliminaries, A genuine fight was far more interesting than tantalizing a helpless dwarf, and the throng Waited impatiently for the red- haired giant to begin his task of pulverizing the in- nocent-looking stranger. As for Harry, he kept his eyes upon the cavorting ruffian, and awaited the expected onslaught with the indifference of one confi- dent of results, while Rufe Ruffle looked on in iNy-concealed anxiety, ready to support his friend in case of need. “Now, stranger,” cried the boss bruiser, ‘make yer will, say yer prayers, an’ prepare to quit this earthly sphere, for I kalkerlate yell be deader’n a door-nail in less’n three shakes of a lamb’s tail. Here I come, young | 3 feller!” and the Teaser bounded suddenly forward, aiming at the engineer’s head a blow that would have felled an ox; but the huge fist descended on empty space, while, at the same instant, the giant received a clip under the ear that sent him reeling back- ward. A cry went up from the assembled throng, while the Teaser eyed his adversary fora moment in undisguised astonishment. Then, with an angry bellow, he made a rush to crush his victim by sheer brute force. But, Headlight Harry was adroit enough to avoid this attack, and the red-haired rustler lunged clumsily past, clawing blindly at the air. This proved disastrous to the big tough for, like a flash Harry's iron fist shot out,. and Tom the Teaser, turning just in time to receive the terrific blow squarely be- tween the eyes, threw up his arms and went down with a crash that fairly shook the floor, lying there limp and apparently hfeless A deep hush fell upon the astonished crowd; then, when they comprehended the truth—realized that the boss bruiser, for the first time in his wild career, had been com- pletely knocked-out, there came a spontane- ous burst of applause for the bold stranger who had accomplished this to them remarka- ble feat. At this moment Headlight Harry made an unpleasant discovery. During the struggle with the Teaser his long beard and wig had become disarranged and the tell-tale articles ‘now lay upon the floor, together with his hat, while the engineer r stood revealed in his true character to ‘the curious gaze of the wild | ol ° Filled with chagrin and alarm at. this un- louked-for catastrophe, Harry hastily re- placed his headgear, while Rufe Ruffle look- ed on in unutterable disgust. However, this occurrence seemed to have awakened little interest among its observers, disguises be.ng by no means unusual in a place like Satan's Camp; and the Pards breathed more freely when, almost imme- diately afterward they Jeft the ‘*‘ Gamblers’ Glory ” and sought a more congenial spot. There were but two men in camp who would recognize them—King Kirby and his right bower, Black Jerry: but, as neither of these men were apparently on the scene at the time, the Pards were led to believe that no serious results would follow Harry’s in- voluntary unmasking. But alas! this belief would have been rude- ly shaken had they realized the truth—could they but have seen the man who, from be- hind the curtain that divided the two apart- ments, had remained an eager spectator to the entire scene, and whose evil face, as he watched the departure of the Pards, wore a look of the most malignant hatred. That mat was King Kirby, the boss of Satan’s Camp! CHAPTER III. THE KING ON THE THRONE, THE second floor of the ‘‘ Gamblers’ Glory ” was divided into several smaller apartments, which the proprietor had reserved for his own private use. Here, in a plainily-furnished room that overlooked the street, King Kirby, the recog- nized boss of Satan’s Camp, sat at his ease shortly after the events just cescribed. Lazily puffing at a cigar, he watched the curling smoke-wreath float upward with the dreamy aze of one deep in contemplation of some all-absorbing subject. ‘« So, then, the young fool has followed me to Satan’s Camp, eh? Of course he is after old Goff’s treasure—what else, indeed, could bring him here? Ha, ha! The young cchap’s greatly exceeds his discretion, or he would never have ventured to beard the lion in his fair, Well, since he has taken the trouble to hunt me up, I will see that he meets with a eordial reeeption.” As the geenier: s thoughts thus took form zeal F00KsS.com