Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 851 — page 15: what you’re looking at

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

o- - OF fog th, . ARS Ba, <i. * a ~ DB ee a : Lo © @ lookout while I look our pards here ver and see how bad they’re hurt. If you think they are starting in on a rush let me know.”’ Now that they had got down to busi- ness at last Hammond was as cool as the coolest, and though he did not think very much of the boy’s capacity as a pistol-shot he was willing to make use of him at a pinch. Hastily he looked over Giant Jim, and muttered: ‘‘If there's nothing more than I can see on the surface he will keep till after the frolic, and perhaps wiil join in on the grand chorus at the close. Now, let’s see how Briggs has fared. I begin to suspect he is worst off of all, If he had played a straight game, confound him, it might have saved im getting plugged.” He bent down, took a useless arm in his hand, heard a few words that ended in a low moan, and then started back with a ges- ture of surprise. At the same time, Billy Jingle, from his post of observation shouted: *‘Hyer they come!” CHAPTER XVI. BILLY JINGLE’S BRAND, AND THE MEETING DISSOLVES, HA.F a dozen desperadoes to one man and boy looked like long odds, but the smaller arty had the advantage in position, and nless they could be surprised it was pretty tain, so long as hey fought as best they new how, they could not be routed by a wrge without considerable loss, But. Morris Howe did not know exactly > the defenders were, or how much dam- Pe had been done to them, and the churge that was driving up to the cabin was made more for the purpose of finding out than through a hope of immediate succcss, If he had only known it, the Tie To Sport ‘was a past master with the pistol, and could have brought them down one at a time be- tween the moment of coming within range, and the time of their closing in on him, It was not fear for himself that caused him to utter a challenge. . Nothing could have suit- ’ ed him better than a wild attack upon the stout walls of the little cabin, “Let up, there, Morris, if that’s your name. I hate toslaughter, but if you crowd me I swear I'll slay. I can drop every man- jack of you before you can reach this door, and if you come on after the warning I'll do it, too.”’ The answer was promptly given. ‘*You are the man who shot Dave John- son when he wa’n’t looking, That’s your _ style of work. We ain’t afraid that you'll | ghow much fight when it comes face to face '.. with men. If you surrender we’ll take you 9% back to town and give you a fair trial.” If you don’t, we’ll have you out of there be- ee 29 ore you know what’s coming, and hang +5) ~— +you before you can wink twice, Throw up, or shut up.” > “And what will I be colng? I never eed trigger on Johnson, but let that go. ti ove off, and give us a fair roadway,and you '_ €an find us at the Flat to-morrow, ready for all the law may direct. Crowd us, and you _ take what you get.” i ae _ * An’ it war my popper ez slapped ther *) brand on Davy when he war, shootin’ at a 5) man ez looked ther other way. I’m therson ~. | >. ae ~ * ~ = . r ~~ Py ? Sy Ra ae ae oe — * . ~ + ‘Se ap 7 Te payor . oe ; as * nd ‘ a’ ~~» eZ . > - . _- - : o =. bai : * ’ — . OO OLD OO TE PS eS I was be: 1 4 veh te syn Bee)! ; oa < * ; : ew he : w A af ar (Cm , 4 =o j i ‘ 77 - 7° 2 Zt ‘| + ; in é “ * \ . ’ J 1 ‘ ‘ ° « t vir *y ay “ be - ‘ _ , ¥ re * oe A i= | é « é oe | ae ci iof wa! 4 4 «= , in 4 ee i f . M \e' : UF ! ow ‘i - ™~\, «. ' —- 3 aw +! ‘ wea ; a a 7 . rw > ry “ r™ A : ~ . % se / _. 4 ” . a | . tt ti oa ” - i", ” N me be J * 7 ‘et J Ms ’ D - A F “ re ue ‘ee : (+e es a 4 ov Hiram Strange, ov Side Ace, Morris ' Howe, an’ yer orter know w’ot that means, » You killed my. dad, an’ I’m jest a-yearnin’ ) terkill you. Ef yer white, stepfto ther front ' an’ hev your gang go to ther rear. Then, ' you an me’ll settle this, man ter man.” ee Billy Jingle was having his little say-so, _ and he said it with such vicious rapidity » there was no choking him off until he had _ To him Howe vouchsafed no answer. “Stranger, you may not know it, but you i q v4 vt «\ nF Med r,) The Tie-To Sport. claim. That’s my shanty you are in, and | reckon the law allows me to get you out. Ifyou come feet first there’s no one but what will say, served you right.” ‘* Liar!” thinly screamed a voice as yet un- heard. Giant Jim had dragged himself to the door and was speaking through one of the loop- holes his own hand had long before fashioned, “It is my claim. Every dime you ever loaned me was paid before you dragged me down and killed me as youthought. I have the papers to prove it. I am in my right mind now, and whether I live or die you'll never hold the Fair Dove again.” Down in a heap he fell as he said this, but he was not dead yet, and the defiance seemed to have an effect. The men without not only halted but they fell back a pace or two, and huddled together. They were gathered in a little knot, and from appearances were discussing the situation. To Daisy Dell the situation seemed sus- picious. If Howe had continued to bluff he would have been better satisfied. So long as they held the cabin Morris Howe and his men might raven around on the outside; but what if they were driven out? Somehow, the huddled little crowd did not look as large as it should, and with a whispered order to Billy to keep careful watch in front he moved over to the other end of the cabin. He was in time to discover, but not soon enough to prevent. With a-erackle and.roar a sheet of flame rushed up the side of the building, and at the same time the cabin began to fill witha smoke like that from a Chinese stink-pot. Morris Howe had been taking no chances, He intended to drive them out into the open where six to one would soon end the game, Against that they had the chances of death where they were. : In the East the dawn was ready to break, but in front of it lay the deeper darkness of the hour, rendered more intense by the flare from the fire in the rear of the cabin, Prime expert though he might be, Dell Hammond could do nothing with his pistols, and there were but a few moments left him to decide on his course. ‘Keep your head now, Billy. There’s but one thing for you to do. Ill make a rush and go for them. Perhaps I can take them all in; perhaps Ican’t. When you see me getting down to work, and them a busy, throw the door open and commence hauling these out. You will probably have a chance to put a brand on two or three of the gang that’s setting things up behind the house. If I get through all right, good enough, If I don’t, save what you can of the outfit, and perhaps you had better begin with the girl, She’s an old friend of mine, Billy, though perhaps you wouldn’t think it, and if you help her out of the hole you’ll do me proud,” The gang was edging up as he cautiously opened the door a little and sidled out. Then, with a revolver in either hand he rushed toward the crowd. Morris Howe was kneeling a little in ad- vance, His left elbow pressed against his side, and from the rest he took steady aim at the figure of the Tie-To Sport. ! The advantage of the light was all against him, but Hammond knew he must take chances, and did not hold his fire a second after he thought he was within range, Had he seen the crouching figure of the mine- jumper he migh have ‘nade an ending then and there. First with the right, and then with the left, he fired a shot; and then, Mor- ris pulled his trigger, A shout arose, and a rush followed, as Daisy Dell threw his hands straight out and pitched forward. With him down Howe was up and leading the charge. ‘** All right fur you, p’r’aps, but hyer’s my brand,” squeaked Billy Jingle, his voice ris- ing shrilly above the hurrah. have jumped my 15 ‘‘Thar ye hev it, an’ how do Gyer like it? That’s one fur dad.” Morris Howe never knew what struck him, and as he stumbled and fell Dell Hammond rose again, while a sharp voice which as yet had not been heard in the racket broke in: ‘“What’s going on hyer, an’ whar do yer expect me ter come in at? You Sinners ov ther Flat, yer drove me out once, when I war a honest man, an’ 1 orter ter kim back on yer hard when I got ther chaince. Pick up yer boss an’ travel, er me an’ my men will let go.”’ It was Captain Brand who was talking, and at his back were half a dozen of his men. Whatever had been his record of late, just now he had appeared on the side of the right, and meant every word he said. With Morris down the man knownas Mari- posa Mike stepped to the front as leader and spokesman, ‘They say you are square, Adam, and I'll swear to it you used to be, That's a fair bargain, and we'll take you at your word, You have the biggest crowd, and we're not altogether sure of the rights of this thing anyway. We’ll get back to town with our corpses, and you can come in in the morning and tell the boys just how things ought to be. They'll give you a warm welcome. For the present, just count us out,” Captain Brand allowed him to make his speech to its end, but watched closely to see that no game lurked behind it. When they gathered up their fallen comrades and de- parted he turned his attention to the little hospital he had on his hands. Billy Jingle had passed through unharmed, but the rest were all more or less deeply bit- ten with the lead. Giant Jim was.Guyon James no longer. From the time he received the wound which stretched him out in front of the cabin he was once more the Guyon Stone who had found the Fair Dove. Howe had done better for him than he knew. In after years there was a fortune in the mine which so far had been little more than developed. The Tie-To Sport was barely scratched, He dodged at the flash, and had not Captain Brand taken the contract off his hands he would have been up and giving a good ac- count of himself. What he said to Stella, when she had at last drawn herself away from her father’s arms, may explain all that need be said. ‘‘'Yousentme away from you for good, as you said, and boasted that you were going to solve a mystery, and take care of yourself till it was done. Ill swear had given you up in despair, but it strikes me | came in mighty handy to the end.” ‘‘For that you have my thanks,” she an- swered, blushing as he spoke. ‘But if you had come a little sooner it might have saved some of this bloodshed. And—who—who is ‘Aat man?” She nodded with her head slightly, and the direction of her head was toward Briggs, who, pale but. reviving, crouched against the side of the cabin, ‘Charley Briggs, sport at large, so far asI know. If he has anything more to tell you T’ll find out and let you know. For the presesnt you had better take care of your father,” He moved over to the gambler. ‘Oh, I’m all right, sport,” muttered Briggs ashe came, ‘‘ Help me out of this.” “Ag wellas 1 can, but I reckon you may as well understand I know you for Meg Brandon, the lady of the Gates of Glory. Just how you intended to profit by this mix I don’t understand, but, you must know your chance is over.” ‘Yes, yes. And I will tell you further, I was once Guyon Stone’s wife. Yonder girt is my daughter. had thought them both dead and would have gathered in the Fair Dove for myself. That is overnow. They must never ‘einw: Help me away that Ican