Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 801 — page 13: what you’re looking at

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

_- — ee ae ae ee COs me wee re ee ee ee ee ee ee he becomes an unreasonable creature. Sus- picions and evidences light as thistle-down are magnified until they change into storm-clouds that shadow the whole sky, Shelton had practically abandoned the work which had brought him to Rogue River Ranch, Just then, winning a wife was better than winning fortune and renown; better even than doing one’s duty, In urging Marian to an immediate marriage he had pointed out to her her need of a protector; her need of some one who would have authority to stand upin ber behalf and fight down the black calumnies that were likely to be heaped on her devoted head, As her lover he could not well do this; but as her husband he could enter the lists for the purpose of opposing any and all who might array themselves against her, His arguments and pleadings had won the day. Doubtless her own inclinations assisted the favorable decision; for she was as ardently attached to Seal Shelton as was he to her. Of course Seal was not tbe man hurled from the cliif by Tom Conner. He had departed from Rogue River Ranch the night before, be- cause of a warning brought him by Marian to whom it had been secretly conveyed by one of the cowbvys. Before leaving the ranch he had arranged with his sweetheart to meet him the next day at the residence of a friend, from whence it was Lee they should proceed to Piebald on the following night and be secretly married. This friend and his cowboys were now the witnesses squatted in the minister’s little parlor, and awaiting with eager impatience the Rev. Templeton’s nervous movements, When the reverend gentleman had assured him- self that all things were regular and legal, he re- quested the candidates for matrimony to stand before him; and was proceeding with bis usual brief lecture on the responsibilities and duties of the marriage relation, when there came a sudden and unwelcome interruption. A quick step was heard in the hallway, the door was thrown open and a woman obtruded her presence on the company. Her dress was disordered, her eyes flashing and flery, and her pesitade one of intense and uncontrollable excite- men ‘‘Beware what you are doing!” she shricked, leveling her bony fore-finger at the expectant pair, ‘* You will call down curses and ruin on our heads, Take the warning of one who nows you better than you know yourselves! ‘And you!—and you!” singling out Marian. “Think of the fate of vim Carlow! Think of the fate of Jim Carlow!” This ended in a wail that was 80 startling that every inmate of the room shivered, As she uttered the last word she backed through the doorway and fled swiftly out into the darkness, The parlor was instantly a scene of confusion, The ranchman and his cowboys started to their feet with looks of bewilderment, fear.and dis- may. The Rev. Mr, Templeton seemed tem- pogerty paralyzed, As for Marian Carlow, her over-wrought nerves could not endure the strain, and she sunk back into the arms of her would-be hus- band in a white and deathlike swoon. One of the cowboys, more thoughful than his fellows, ran to fetch some water; while the others, led by the ranchman, trooped out into the bail and into the gloom of the night to learn if giembscpoi more of the strange creature who had created such a sensation, She was not to be seen, Search and pursuit were alike useless; and as no one knew her co could only speculate vainly as to what it all meant, Seal Shelton, bending over the still, white form of the woman he adored, bitterly cursed the old hag for her intrusion; and as bitterly cursed the High-Kicker from Killbuck, He did not know why he thought so, but like a rush it came to him that Kirby had been babbling of his suspicions, and that they had reached the ears of this intruder, He did not stop to reason that it was not at ail like Kirby to dosuch a thing, Of late he had begun to lay the blame of every mishap on the head of that long-suffering detective. The eff-ct of the water dashed freely in her face speedily restored Marian Carlow to a sense of her position and surroundings, Her Jover supported her as she tremblingly arose. The cowboys re-entered the room and, except the sLacow which bung almost palpably over all, there was nothing to prevent the continuance of the interrupted ceremony. | , Th» minister's voice had a perceptible sbake in it and Marian visibly shivered as she listened to “a. —,’: x « ‘ y a ‘ ' < Yaw “LE . i he ie i, 8% ey a }- é. | Sent hale Ure me ee ee ee ee ee si—(Ci— eS C—O - - - his words, Her asby lips could scarcely formu- late the monosyllabic replies; but it was all over at last; she was the wife of Seal Shelton, and leaning heavily on the arm of her newly-made husband, she turned to quit the room, The cowboys stood respectfully and with heads uncovered until Marian and Seal had passed out, Then they followed for the purpose of tendering their assistance. CHAPTER XVII. SEAL SHELTON S CHALLENGE. Krnr Kirpy was fumbling with a bit of writ- ing which he had recently picked up when he was interrupted and startled by an angry ex- clamation. The writing was in the penmanship of Marian Carlow, and Kirby had been poring over it long and intently, Now he thrust it in a crumpled wad into his pocket and turned to face the owner of the wrathful voice, He saw before him Seal Shelton, purple with rage, and witha hand dropped carelealy into a pocket, Kirby did not doubt that the hand held a revolver, It was the day following that of the wedding at Piebald. Seal Shelton, driven half insane by his ever- present fury, had ridden out from the little cattle-town for the purpose of a settlement with the man whom he now regarded as anensmy, His eyes gleamed balefuliy, and the veins on his forehead were swelled almost to bursting, ‘I have come over to ask you to retract your slanders against Marian,” he-began, striv- ing desperately to control himself, She is my wifs, now; and I feel that I have a right to make thisdemand, You will take back what you bave said, or you will fight me, That is, if you’re a man!” The blank look of amazement on the High- Kicker’s face gave way to one of imperturbable good-humor, He clasped his hands to his sides, broke into a loud guffaw, and for a moment seemed bent double in an attermpt to repress this unpardonable outburst, ‘*Haw! haw! haw! Ho! ho! ho! the last long-drawn and whistling, ' ‘* Sar tbat ag’in, younker! I can’t think that my ola years heerd aright, Take it back er fight ye! Why, dad gast ye, have ye plum fer- sook yer seven senses? I hain’t got nothin’ to take back, fer the very good reason that I hain't never breathed a word of that there bizuess to any livin’ soul but you!” ‘Take it back or fight me!” Seal com- manded, not in the least mollified, ‘‘I came here to get satisfaction for that and I'll haveit!” “Satisfaction be blowed!” with that same aggravating jol‘ity. ‘*Set down and! be gen- sible, You couldn’t hire me to fight ye, no way ye could put it, You're out uv yer head, right now, er you wouldn’t think uv such a thing; an’ a feller that’s out uv his head hain't no wise responsible. I’d jes’ as soon think uv fightin’ a lunatic. Set down an’ talk sensible!” He motioned the angry man to an empty cracker-box, which was conveniently near, Seal could not have told why he obeyed, but he took the indicated seat, feeling that he was a fool for not shooting Kirby on sight, as he had half resolved to do before reaching the ranch, He still gripped the revolver with ner- vous clutch, and closely eyed the man he had learned to hate, ‘* You are married, eh? I "low it’s the proper thing to congratulate you, even if I didn’t recelve an invite to the weddin’, You've got a smartish lookin’ gal, Seal, Hyer’s to hopin’ you may trot well together in ther matermonial harness, I wish ye the best o’ luck; 1 do reely! Shake!” He had dropped his levity and now advanced with outstretched nand. Seal rather reluctantly loosened his hold of the revolver and placed bis hand icily in that of the other, Heedless of this the Hi h- Kicker wrung it! with the fervid grip of” a grizzly. Then he stepped slowly and carefully back. ward and seated himself with great deliberation on the block he’had vacated, ‘*T hain't throwed up on the pard bizness yet, if you have,” he firmly declared, ‘ An’ in that line I'll ask you aquestion: Have you seen any- thing uv Tom Conner and Sylvy Sterlin’? Like- ly they’ve gone an’ got married, too, One seems to breathe matermony in the Ro air. The last I seen uv ’em they was a-scuddin’ across the prairie over there, on the backs uv Hoo-ee!” ; + ey ¥ ~ Pvc A gue River | Kent Kirby, the High-Kicker from Killbuck. 13 two uv the best bronchos, Frum the trail uv dust they left they must ’a’ felt bound to reach a. minister in a hurry,” To Shelton éhis seemed levity. ** You’re avoiding the point at issue,” he re- minded. ‘* You do not take back what you said about Marian; and you refuse to fight me, | can’t shoot you like a ward. WhatamI to think of this?” The wide-mouthed smile came back to Kirby’s homely face, ‘That I’m the most onreasonable critter ve ever runagainst! That I’m a white-livered,pol- troon witbout nerve enough to bat my eyes at thesky. That ’maA 1, first-water di’mund uv a fraud! Anything that you please. I’ve had hard words slung at me till my eperdermis is thicker’n a bull’s hide, You kin fergit that l’m yer pard an’ that we come to Rogue River on the same mission, if you want to. I’m the High- Kicker, Lut 1 bain’t a-goin’ to kick at anythirg you may do; not while you're off yer head as you be now, Come tome when you git the fire out uv yer blood!” It was plainly impossible to fight or quarrel with thisman, There is an old saying to the ef- ic two are necessary for anything of that kind, Shelton sarcastically said as much, ‘* Right yeair, my boy. I won’t fight ye nerlL won’t quarrel. It wouldn’t settle the rights er wrongs uv anything fer us to stand up and bang away at each other with revolvers, Besides, I’ve got work to do and can’t afford to be shot jist yit, An’ they hain’t no use riskio’ makin’ a wid- der out’n that new wife,” Marian had been in his thoughts when Seal put in an appearance; and even now the words of the writing ran swiftly through his mind, However, he dared not show tbe paper to Seal, It was evidently a leaf from Marian’s diary, and this is what it contained: ** Date Father and I quarreled this morn- ing, Itis notthe first time.’ He is becoming ver crueltome. He threatens to disinherit me:and this ofter so long treating me as hischild. Itmakes me desperate, I can’t endure the disgrace of beinz thus. cast off. I must prevent it.” Although Kirby bad been assured by Conner that Seal Shelton was not hurled from the cliff, he bad not been wholly atle to believe this state- ment of Conner’s; and therefore, had been con- siderably astonished as well as pleased when he beheld Seal alive and well. eve~ though the lat- ter was threatening him, He now spoke to Seal of what he had seen on the cliff, Seal could throw no light on the subject; and the mystery seeming impenetrable Kirby turned from it to the counterfeiters, ‘There hain’t a soul but me on the ranch: aside frum yerself, of course, If you'll follow me into the old mine, and fergit yer mad a little while, l’ll show ye something wu’th lookin’ at,” Shelton was at first 'undecided whether to or not to accept this invitation, but after a few Vaan he reluctantly followed Kirby to the mine, A careful survey of the surrounding countr was made before descending into its dar depths, for the place was likely to prove a bad trap should any of the band return while they were in there, ane descent and the examination were quickly made, Kirby had ventured into the mine once before: during the absence of the counterfeiters, and had been fortunate enough to discover their tools and dies, together with several finely exe- cuted engravings of bills and a quantity of the spurious money, He had not touched anything; and he now simply pointed out to Seal these evidences of the guilt of the band, hen they had returned to the upper world he showed Seal the roster be had made; and then explaiued to him his plans to surprise and cap- ture the counterfeiters that night. This evidence of his good will and continued affection won so strongly on the recently irate man that he placed the challenge in abeyance, and agreed to assist the High-Kicker to the ex- tent of bis ability. ‘*T knowed you had the right stuff in ye, and that it ’u’d come to the surface as soon as the fire went out of your heac ” With this, he affectionate] Seal’s shoulder to more conciliation. laid a hand on ectly effect the re- CHAPTER XVIII. RAKING IN THE ROGUES, Out from the gloomy shadows of the cotton- wood grove into the shadows of the plain, that ~ 4 . ve y . i ? fs comicbooks , ee ve ah . rs .