Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 838 — page 9: what you’re looking at

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

- ° = é a rrTe * ~ a ae Pat ye ¥,* ry TS, rain oy a ) eee * Ae ae px» ’ or iad gt Fe) “> hy ~~ aes.” p’, “6 o 8 ¢ ie” ton J . De — ¥ - - + - ; Dn 4 ‘™’ ap 9 Poker Pete’s Double Dodge. + ; ¥ | . he was slippery as an eel, and CHAPTER IX. THE DANGERS OF A CONFIDENCE. Iv was no easy task holding the boy, for tried his best to wriggle out from under his captor. “No use, kid, we got yer foul. Better let up on that afore a axerdent happens.” The coarse, rough voice was entirely strange, but Clean Grit had no doubt he had fallen into the hands of the road-agents. In the excitement of meeting with Sailor Sam he had forgotten about his companion. Now he remembered him, and wondered if he had been captured in the same noiseless way. ‘* Hawks about, Pete!” he cried. ‘If you’re notin the hole yet take care you don’t get there.” ‘Don’t worry about Pete, youngster. If your ears were as sharp as they ought to be you would have heard him take a tumble a bitago. Lift your feet, my boy, and come along. You are wanted.” The voice belonged to some one else than the first speaker, and Clean Grit understood he was in the power of a gang. The words gave him hope, though, They might have killed or crippled him on the spot if they were afraid to truss him up and leave him there. He did not suspect he could be of any value to them as a prisoner, and since what Pete had told him in regard to the Red Owls he did not believe there could be any special hatred among these out- laws to account for their treatment. They did not seem. to be the worst of ruffians, after all, and he thought it best to speak a good word for Sam. ‘Say, you men, I don’t ask anything for myself, but if you’re white you'll look after a wounded man that’s lying there. If you don’t, he’ll be dead before morning.” ‘* Blamed ef J don’t think he’s dead now,” said the first speaker, who had been making an examination, ‘* What shall we do with him, boss.” “* Let a couple of the boys put him up be- hind you and tie him there. Dead or alive you bring him into camp, and if he comes in dead I’ll be looking sharp to see if there has been any mistake about it. If there has it will be the worse for you.” : The order was obeyed, and soon Clean Grit found himself in like position behind one of the other men. Though he could barely make out the nearest of the moving figures, the men attended to their work as though daylight and darkness were the same to them, All this time there was no sign of Poker Pete, and the lad began to hope, in spite of what had been told him, that the gambler had succeeded in making his escape. There were at least half a dozen in the party, and they pushed on in a rapid but noiseless manner. After what seemed to be a long journey came a halt that. was evidently for the night. There was a sentinel posted some little dis- tunce from the camp, and several men were al- ready there, reclining by the side of a low fire. Perhaps there were more not far away. ** See that the kid don’t get away; and as for Sailor Sam—I’ll take a look at him and we'll dress him up the best ‘we know how. Perhaps by morning he will be able to talk.” There began to be something strangely familiar about the voice of the leader, and he bent down over Sailor Sam, who had been eased down from the horse, and stretched upon the ground near to the fire, Clean Grit recognized him with a start. In spite of changes in voice and dress, this was the man known as Captain Kill, and who had posed at Pay Dirt in the dual of Dostor Hanshaw and Drunken Davy. He was evidently adding another character to his repertoire, but when once on the scent could deceive the keen-eyed lad. nothin ae by word nor look did the boy in- Neit tend to hetray the fact of recognition, for by i “@ Ji hr. a bl é * t ~ A wey hae ~h es . _« , id - iy a ri so doing he could only hasten the evil mo- ment he saw looming up for him in the near future. ‘There was a reason for the solicitude about the life of Sam. There wasa mystery about the treasure which had left Pay Dirt under the storekeeper’s charge, and it might be that he alone was able to unravel it. ’ The fingers of the whilom doctor had lost none of their deftness, and as he rapidly examined his patient a frown settled on his face. ‘Looks as though it was a bad case,” thought the boy hustler, ‘Wonder if he thinks he can bring the dead to life. Poor Sam! The fellow that struck him hit harder than Kill meant, and I wouldn't like to stand in his shoes.” Captain Kill, for he it was, recognized that for the present he could do nothing more than minister to the man. Tohope for any lucid conversation would be folly. Finally, the storekeeper was left under the charge of a man detailed to act as nurse, and silence rested over the camp. Clean Grit saw he was too closely bound and guarded to hope for escape, and though he remained awake some time, watching for a cnance, tired nature was at last too much for him, andin spite of his discomfort he fell asleep. When he awoke day had broken, and the outlaw camp was already astir. Ttie lad had a ravenous appetite, and be- fore long had a chance to show it. There was no design to starve him, for a bountiful if simple meal was set before him, and he did it full justice. Then Kill made his appearance, Sailor Sam was but little better, though he breathed and moved feebly! Kill examined him, and then turned to Clean Grit. “Sonny, I guess you want to get out of this as bad as we want you out. There’s just one way, and that is to open up to bed- rock, Are you willing to talk, or must we put the screws on?” “Talk! Bless your soul! I’m just dying to talk. Set a man up hyer to listen to me and I'll talk the soul out of him. And first along, if he’s a church member he had better hold his fists over his ears. They will ke principally cuss words,” The Boy Hustler reeled this off in a free and easy manner, but he felt far from easy. He began to suspect what it was Captain Kill wanted of him, and could guess what might be his fate if the outlaw chief did not get his wish. “Save all that up till after you have told me what I want to know, I will give youa man then to talk blind if it will do you any good. Now, what I want to hear is the words Sailor Sam vold you, just before we took you prisoner. He is in no condition to speak or we would get them at first hand. Time is an object. Speak up, and speak the truth.” ‘*Because I don’t carry a hatchet is no sign I don’t deal in gospel. I'll tell the truth, and stick to it and swear to it; but blame me if I know what you're driving at.” ‘That won't do. We know you're not of the forgetting kind, and we know he said to you the very thing we want to hear, Out With it; and remember it’s a little more than life youare playing for. If you stay obstinate you will be wishing you were dead before we are through with you.” ‘‘Hope I may die, and that’s a fact, if I know what you are driving at. He said something about the bloody land pirates, and then keeled over. If you fellows had kept paws off he might have said some- thing more, but as far as this court knows he didn’t.”’ ‘“My boy, you are a liar from ’wayback, and I think we’ll convince you of it. Last time of asking: what did he say?” ‘And last time of answering: I’ve told ep vA oii, we, FY you all I know about it, whip,” Clean Grit spoke with determination that would have been just as fixed had he been able to give the answer the outlaw desired to hear; but, as the reader knows, the lad really had not understood the confidence Sam tried to make, though he now guessed what was its nature, Several burly outlaws had strolled that way, and were standing at ease, waiting for orders. , “Cut the jacket off his shoulders, and carry him over to the fire. We'll see if we can’t roast the truth out of him. We should have been off before this, and any more delay will come out of his hide in one shape or another.” The latter part of this was more to himself than to the men, who were already obeying his orders, ' Bound at the Crack your wrists and ankles, Clean Grit could offer no resistance, even if he had desired to, and when they threw him upon his face one of the men planted a heavy foot upon his body, and kept him there. ‘We'll start easy with you. Here’s a little one at first.”’ Picking out a coal little bigger than a spark Captain Kill dropped it upon the bare skin of the boy. It hurt, of course, but it was only a fore- taste of what was.to come. ‘*'The next one will be bigger, and they'll keep on getting that way till we pile on the back-log last of all, if you keep your grit that long. chance,” The next coal was indeed larger, and made the boy wince in spite of himself. He understood now that though the chief was anxious enough to gain the information he believed the boy hustler possessed, yet he took a fiendish delight in the torture of the lad who had already more than once spoiled his plans, | Had Clean Grit told all the road-agent wished to hear it is doubtful if he would have left off the threatened scarification. The boy’s teeth shut more tightly, and Captain Kill raised another coal. CHAPTER X. HARKER HAZEN COURTS PERIL, AND FINDS IT. CLEAN Grit could still squirm his head around slightly, and he saw what was com- ing. “Say, my friend,” he said, as calmly as he could: ‘“There’s sometimes a hereafter, and it’s just as well to look a little out. The next time I hold on you it will be a dead center, and the lead goes to kill. I know you now, and don’t you believe it that I’ll ever forget you.” ‘‘ Happy to say, my lad, the acquaintance is mutual; and it is for that very reason I’m taking care there shall be no hereafter as long as I find you in this impenitent frame of mind. Take your choice, now, or hold your peace. Speak, or croak,” ‘I've given you the level truth, and if that’s not enough, crack your whip. I can’t grin, but I'll try to bear it.” ‘Curse you, if I can’t get the pointer J can make you howl, Here it comes,’ The boy hustler could already feel the heat of the living fire. He knew the cap- tain was playing with him now in order to break his nerve if possible; but he realized that Kill would not long delay his venge- ance, ‘* Let her went,” he critted between his set teeth, and the muscles on his back corded up tensely as he nerved himself for the torture. ‘* Before it has lain there a minute it will have eaten its way in to your life. Good-by, young man, and there it is,” The coal dropped—and so did Captain Kill and his assistant ruftian. | | OmMmICE : ‘ i r { aE Da gee rr Rayon ote ‘ ” ¢ - ~~ * Better speak while you have the —