Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 820 — page 9: what you’re looking at

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

him - “What can I do for you?” “Oh, I’ve come ter do somethin’ you,” ‘¢ Alirs ‘‘ Yep; goin’ ter give ye a pointer.” ‘‘ How much will it cost?” Old Billy drew himself up with injured dignity. ‘*Nary blamed red! look onery an’ seedy,” ‘‘ What's your object?” ‘*To benefit an ole comrade.” ‘*Very kind! I am listening. ‘“Then I want ter tell ye ter look out fer thet tenderfoot.” “Who?” **Call’s hisself Nat Kirk, I reckon, though his real name is Carter Wayne.” * What of him?’ “* He'll sell ye ter ther nesters.” ‘What makes you think so?” ‘*T hey good reasons,” ‘** Name them.” The old man shook his head, ‘ Can’t do it now.” ‘Why not now as well as any time?” ‘Now, youre doubtin’ me, major; thet’s fer I'm no bum, ef I do ”» , why you are crowdin’ me inter a corner with questions. Thet hain't right. I hev come of my own free will, an’ I don’t ax northing fer w’at I tells ye. Take my word, an’ let it goatthat.” | ‘‘How can Il know you speak the truth? I have no reason to doubt Kirk, You are an utter stranger to me—’ ‘But an old sojer,” ‘So you say,” ‘*Do you doubt thet?” **T may.” | The old man assumed an injured air. “All right! all right!” he repeated. ‘‘ All ther same, [ warn ye ter look sharp, major. Kinder keep track of this yere critter, an’ see ef he don’t try some crooked turn. ,Jest you ax him ef he ever heerd 0’ a man called | Carter Wayne, an’ you see ef he don't look | broke up. A man.as tries to work hisself off as somebody else is shorely crooked.” — “1 do not understand how yout happen to know so much about him.” “Tm his enemy, major, an’ I’m playin’ ter throw him cold, That’s the size o’ it.” ‘‘ Bring me proof he is crooked.” ‘“Now you're axin’ too much. Thar hain’t no reason why I sh’wd do that, even ef I c’u’d. All ther same, he’s a snake. He'll bite w’en ye least suspect it. Thet’s all, major. Good-day.” Rather hastily the old man bowed himself out of the room. | _ He found several cowboys gathered near the old white horse at the door. The ani- mal still seemed asleep, _ ‘‘ Hold on, old coon,” contmanded Mustang Harry. ‘‘ I want to talk with you.” ‘“Tain’t got enny time ter waste talkin’,” was the retort, as Old Billy. pulled himself laboriously into the saddle. | “T believe you are a spy for the nesters,” declared the foreman, his manner being - somewhat serious. ‘‘ Youdon’t b’long round VAyere :.: __ The stranger turned a scornful glance on the cowboy. | _ * You're a knowin’ galoot!” came sarcasti- _ ally from his lips. ‘* You give me_ pains! ” Go off somewhar an’ fall on yourself!” “Ketch holt of ther old hoss’s tail, Jack- son!” shouted Harris, ‘Hold the beast while I pull this old whelp off an’ examine , One of the cattlemen premptly caught “* Jinuary’s” tail and hung on. "8 Not long! | ‘Bounce him, hoss!” squealed Old Billy grate -. Bedam. | eT Up went the creature's head and out shot + One hind foot, striking Jackson in the stom: ‘ach and hurling him nearly ten feet. When _ the cowboy struck the ground, he did not at wees once, Nobb . » —_— , . . ? ce 4 a. i pf i ee ae OP Bs: ont U hh. ‘* Scoot, Jinuary!” Like magic, the white horse shot away, swiftly cutting around a corner and disap- pearing. “Ta, ta, snoozers!” shrilly laughed Old Billy, as he vanished. After a moment of motionless astonish- ment, the cowboys ran.to the corner. There they saw the white horse dashing away at wonderful speed, while its master was waving his hand derisively at them. With a volley of violent language, Mus- tang Harris pulled his revolvers and blazed away. The others followed his example, but the strange old man seemed to bear a charmed life, for, although bullets whistled all about him, neither he nor his horse were touched. They were soon beyond pistol-shot, CHAPTER X. OLD BILLY ASKS QUESTIONS. Op Bitty BepDAM turned up at Cross Bar Ranch some hours later, cheerful and chip- er, : “lve heerd *bout this yere trouble over ther barbed-wire fences,” he said, speaking to Git Thar Gert, ‘fan’ I jest drapped down in these yere parts to see of I c’u’dn't git a job fightin’. I'ma great fighter, by thutter, an’ my hoss, Jinuary, is a clipper. We'll make a hull team with a brindle bull-purp throwed in. Oh, you need us.” ‘‘What do you want to do?” asked the Girl Rancher, “ Fight—fight like thunder. You most probblikely hev heerd thet thar clagsic leetle pome with a line ’bout lettin’ dogs delight to bark an’ bite, fer tis their nater to. Waal, T’m somethin’ like a dog in thet respec’, I jest etarnally revel in a good squar’ fight. They say you’re ther Queen o’ ther Nesters, an’ so [kem to you fera job.” She looked him over suspiciously, shaking her head. ; ‘*T don’t think we need you.” | ‘Now, don't say thet! I’m out of a job, an’ [ll fight cheap. Tried to strike a_bar- gain with Major Blukes, but he don’t need any help, so I kem overhyer. I told him 1 b'‘longed to ther army, but ther only army I ever hed anythin’ ter do with was ther Salvation Army. I beat a drum with them oncet. He didn’t seem ter put any confi- dence in my word, so I moseyed away, fol- lered by eighteen or twenty bullets. Say, ef the nesters can't shoot no better’n them fel. lers over thar, thar hain’t no reason why any damage sh’u’d be did.” Although the old fellow eloquently urged his cause, and boasted of his qualifications of a fighter, he did not sueceed in impressing the Girl Rancher, and he was curtly dis- missed. Growling to himself, he went out to where his horse was standing, finding Hustler Hal, the foreman, near at hand. ‘‘T hain’t "preciated,” Old Billy growled. ‘*T can’t seem ter strike a job.” Hustler Hal was in a bad humor, and he growled: — ‘* You'd better take somewhar to die!"’ ly. Wot do you know *bout dyin’?” he final- ly asked. ‘‘ I reckon you know a heap sight more "bout killin’.”’ Hal started. ; ‘* What in blazes do you mean by that, Old Bones?” he snarled, advancing on the queer stranger, ’ Jest erbout whut I sed.” “Blame your old mug! ate—” ' ‘*Mebbe I do,” cut in the old fellow, bold- ly. ‘‘Anyhow, I seemed ter hit whar I aimed by ther way you squirm.” Do you insinu- ‘TIL teach you manners!” snarled the cowboy. “You don't know manners ter teach,” t . ‘ ¢ ‘ y Nat, the Tenderfoot Detective. yer old hoss an’ go off Billy paused and looked at the foreman. ‘keen ) | Hustler Hal asked: | ¥ s A s Le é> . : >) ~~ Pa 7 41¢° ‘G + snd Ae rae = r ei ® . 4 oi ha - Le ie ’ Al iy ; ¥ * ; i < 4 . ey: ay ect ta) yp ie 4 _ . s) 7 a ‘ - — apt See Taha" OT n' Vue es - ae ay 2 Mead CL) 9 —_--—_ Thoroughly aroused, Hal rushed furiously at Old Billy. The.man did net seem alarm- ed at all, and easily avoided the blow which the foreman aimed at his face. ‘How does this fit?” he inquired, as he struck the Hustler fairly under the ear. Down went Hal. Calmly mounting the old horse, Billy Bedaim rode away, singing in a cracked and wheezy voice: ‘Sing on, pray on, ye followers of Emanuel, Siog on, pray on, ye followers of the Lamb.,”’ The blow must have been a terrific one, for Hustler Hal was stunned and lay still for some time. When he sat up and looked around, the man who struck him was far away. Fuming and furious, the cowboy scram- bled to his feet. ‘That old devil knows too much to live! I'll have his life!” Ina few minutes, Hal had his horse sad- dled and bridled and was away in pursuit of the strange old vagrant. It was some time later that Git Thar Gert came from the house and looked about for Old Billy, having suddenly conceived the idea that the stranger could tell many things of interest, if he chose, Hal had left word that he would soon return, and some words he dropped showed he was going in pursuit of the stranger, Gert looked serious when she heard this, ‘Saddle my horse,” she ordered. To Hal’s surprise, the white horse which Old Billy bestrode made very good time, Pricking his own animal with the spurs, the cowboy kept steadily on the trail. . The strange old man headed directly for a particularly rough and rocky section of the country, and the pursuer saw him disappear amid the gullies and ravines. Hal urged his horse faster than ever, lunging hjindly into the cut where Old illy had vanished, ~Lipie 7 Of a sudden, a man rose from behind | some rocks, a lariat shot through the air, the | noose settling over the cowboy’s shoulders. Then Hal was snatched from his xnimal’s _ back, striking the ground with such force. that the breath Was knocked from his body, When he recovered in a measure from the shock of the fall, he found Old Billy Bedam bending over him. He tried to rise, but dis- covered his hands and feet were securely tied, ‘Take it cool, pard!” suggested the vagrant, grinning cheerfully. ‘Don't git — excited an’ make a ‘tarnal row, for you'll | only waste yer breathe. 1 like ter see a man | as kin allus adopt hisself ter circumstances, Thet’s ther kind o’ a coon! be, mind a tinker’s hurrah whether I’m on top ur underneath,” “You miserable old devil!” panted+ the cowboy, straining at the cords. ‘‘ Youshall suffer for this!” : | “ys “Tut, tut, tut!” cautioned the other, seat- ing himself on a conyenient stone and calm: — ly watching the corffortions of his helpless captive. ‘‘ Never make threats w’en ye're | in this kind o’ fix. It mayn’t prove healthy, Fellers allus wants ter look sharp as ter his — gineral health. Thet’s ther way I kim ter _ live so long an’ keep so kinky, Why, I'm — as spry as I uster was, or more 80,” | e A few feet away stood the queer vagrant’s _ wonderful old horse, and the animal seemed sleeping again? ture was most deceptive. bal iy When the first burst. of anger had péssed, sgh “What is the meaning of this, old man?” ‘Oh, I wanter hev a leetle chat with ye,” replied Billy... st 8g Lane te “Tg that an excuse for this outrage?” — - stage villian! I went toa play up in Denver — ° oncet an’ saw the villian prance round, Some- how he looked monstr’us like you. | He wuz ‘a devil, fer he’d killed a man jest ter meery mek a ‘\ Se 4 | ' 1 Ki ae sped TT Tes ) i “ iy : ’ ‘ ‘3%3," : 2 o~ Ww - ’ fy * ’ : 4 é rt St ned i : t . - + f] af pd Thiet . (Ea 9 he & y am SS JT. don’ tus: Y ‘ T ‘ ie . Like its master, the crea- "y ‘ al a) “Derned ef you don’t talk jest like a — +s