Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 851 — page 4: what you’re looking at

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

The report ot half a dozen rifles would hardly have terrified heras much as what she saw. With a brace of revolvers pointed her way the captain was stepping forward, while by his side walked a man with a rope, in which he was just knotting a running noose, and looking upward ata stout limb which overhung the side of the trail. **] dunno ez you orter be called a woman, you ole she-wolf,” grated the captain. “Try another trick an’ we'll hang you high ez Haman—lI ain’t sure but what we'll do it yit. Le’mme see.’ He caught the paper from her hand and gave it a hasty glance. ‘Yes, [ reckon you got down ter bedrock at last, an’ we can't ask more frum you this trip. Lucky all ’round thet this kid hed sense ernuf ter see what war ter be done, an’ griternuf terdoit. I want a leetle talk with him, ter see ef thar’s ary way Captain Brand kin show he kin be grateful, an’ ther rest ov you kin be pilin’ in ther hearse. There was no waiting for this permission to be repeated. Without any attention to the rule of gallantry the male passengers scrambled back to their seats, followed first by the younger and then by the elder of the females. The latter, as she entered the coach turned and shook her fist at the outlaws in a savage but silent burst of wrath. No one paused to consider or care what was to become of Billy Jingle. The captain had led him a trifle to one side and held with him there a brief con- ference. When he too crawled into the coach his face was full of smiles, but he said not a word, ‘* Now, Johnny, crack yer whip!” laughed the captain, and without any apparent fear of the passengers whom he was leaving to their own devices he and his men sudden! disappeared by the same route which Dell Hammond had seen them take upon their ar- rival, Their horses were hidden somewhere in the covert, and though they did not reap- pear there was evidence the animals had not turned up missing. Ina few moments the departing beat of hoof-steps could be heard along the trail below. Johnny was willing enough to crack his whip; but he was too prudent to try it on till some temporary repairs had been made. A knife in the hand of one of the outlaws had made bad work with his harness, and there was considerable tying to do before he thought the harness would stand the strain of the up-grade, In the midst of his labors he became aware there was a stranger on the spot, Without worrying himself about the possible suspicions his appearance at such a time and place might give rise to, Dell Ham- mond stepped coolly into the road, and after a careless glance in the direction taken by the road-agents approached the vehicle. The explanations he offered were brief, and he said nothing of fhe man he had left behind him in the shadow of the rock, but while he dexterously assisted Johnny to tie a knot here, and fit a buckle there, he put in an application for the vacant seat on the driver's perch, and his plea was not re- jected. The result was that when the coach came rolling into the Flat the Tie-to Sport was withit. It did not matter to him that some of the -other passengers thought he was a coward, while others were sure he belonged to the band of Captain Brand. He had saved a weary old walk, and felt himself abund- antly able to paddle his own canoe in case he found he had thrust himself into deeper waters. The ride was rather a pleasant one, for it did not take him long to get on friendly terms with the driver, and though he could not see much of his fellow-passengers Johnny was able to tell him a go of them, besides posting him as to the con- dition of affairs at Sinners’ Flat, deal about some. Pe ‘ i . Sail * Bhp rete w ree = \ mel st. , - ./ a o The Tie-To Sport. “The lady ov size? Oh, yes,’’ he respond- ed in answer to a question. ‘‘Meg Brandon are ther name we know her by, an’ in her time | reckon she has been a daisy, though she is passing along in years, an’ don’t pan out fur good looks quite ez strong as she used ter did. All ther same, with her Sunday harness on, silks and streamers, diamonds and sich gewgaws, she kin hold her own yit. An’, stranger—” ‘*Which my name is Dell Hammond,” laughingly interposed the sport. “Allright. Ill jot it down. But, ez I war goin’ ter say, she knows how ter run ther ‘‘ Gates ov Glory” s’loon clean up ter natur’.” ‘Ah, that comes my way, at last. Some- thing to be done there with the pasteboards, I take it?” ‘‘Everything—ef you have ther gift, an’ ther luck’s on your side. But mostly they play it ther other way. Oh, ther sheckels she hev raked in are jest wonderful ter think ’bout. An’ stra—Mister Hammund, I mean —I wouldn’t be a-wonderin’ ef she was goin’ ter rake in some ov yourn. Thar’s ther look ova sport in ther twist ov yer eye, an’ I sh’ld say yer war lierable ter go whar thar war the show ter rake in ther biggest pile.” ‘‘Right you are. When I can strike a square game without a Jimit I am happier than pigs in clover. ‘* And how about the other female? Does she travel under Meg Brandon’s wing?” ‘* That's whar you'll find it, but you want ter go slow on kickin’-when yer loses, fur Ante Ben an’ some ov ther other heelers ez trains onder her flag are holy terrors when she r’iles. An’ fur ther other bit ov caliker, you can’t prove nothin’ by me. She’s a stranger ter ther Flat, an’ ef she warn’t, frum her looks I jedge she wouldn’t be goin’ thar. No one lookin’ fur her down thar er they would ’a’ asked me ter keep an eye out fur her. An’ it’s a scand'lous fact thet ther Flat are a bad place fur an innercent, onpertected female. Thar’s boys thar, mind yer, ez are white; but they’s others ez b’long down ber- low, an’ jest come up hyar fur a sort ov summer vacashun,” ‘«Then the town is equal toits name and reputation. So muchthe better. Isee Iam not going to be disappointed in the place. And that little fellow, with the squeaking voice Does he belong about here?” ‘‘’Nuther stranger ter ther Flat: but I reckon he can hoe his own row. But Meg won't be apt to be his best friend. EfI war him I would steer wide ov ther ‘ Gates ov Glory,’ er they may open fur him in good earnest.” With such sort of conversation had the way been beguiled, and when the stage drew up in front of Decker’s Hotel, Hammond had acquired more knowledge of the town than some men would have gained in a week. As he had the advantage in position he was the first passenger to the ground, and as he moved away some one brushed by him so sharply he took a more than passing glance at the individual. ** Looks like a steady-going miner, but you can't sometimes almost always tell. Hellow!” The mental exclamation was caused by the fact that as Simon Decker, bluff and ready for trade, began his task of helping the passengers to alight, the first out was the young lady passenger. And the man who had brushed past Ham- sng; was coming eagerly forward to claim er. He halted at her side, touched her on the shoulder, and bent forward to whisper some- thing in her ear. The girl looked up with a start, and was inclined to draw away, but what the man said appeared toreassured her, She nodded, uttered a few words in a low tone, and the two walked off together. For the first time Hammond had a fair glance at the face of the yonng lady. : 42%, Cae Py ye i — ee. | _—_ » . ty ie ' » ~~ « —. He started forward as though intending: to speak, then drew back again, though he followed the pair with his eyes until they passed out of sight. As far as he could see they were making their way out of town, ‘Dollars to cents, the man is a scoun- drel!” muttered the Tie-To Sport to him- self, ‘‘T’ll swear he is under cover, in disguise. Shall l, or sha’n’t 1? Yet, what right have Ito interfere at this stage? If thereisa scheme on foot Ill know it in time, and you bet V’ll be elected, as usual, for a leading part on the other side, ’ Again he made as though he would fol- low, but felt a tug at his coat-sleeve. ‘‘Eyes open, stranger, an’ fingers full,” whispered at his side the squeaking voice of Billy Jingle. ‘‘Ef they git ther chaince they'll down yer, an’ down yer hard. Billy Jingle’ll be ‘round ter siap ther brand on, but among ther sinners ov ther Flat mebbe even he cain’t save yer.” Then Billy skipped into the hotel, while the sport gravely followed, never showing by word or look that he heard the warning. CHAPTER IV. SAINT AND SINNERS. Tue Tie-To Sport did not expect toe much in a town like Sinners’ Flat, and there- fore was rather astonished when, a few hours after his arrival, he stepped into the Gates of Glory Saloon, and moved along with the tide which flowed toward the bar. After what he had heard from the driver, that it would be prosperous went without saying, but he hardly expected to find such a well-furnished and thoroughly appointed place. “If the madame owns all this she is retty well heeled,” was his thought as he ooked around, ‘‘Everything first quality, and spick and span as a new pin. I don’t see how she keeps it so, and holds her custom. The kind of a crowd that gathers at Sinners’ Flat ought to turn it into a pig-pen before the night is half over, and if she tried to shut off the steam I should think they would kick, or go somewhere else. It suits me to a charm, but I shouldn’t think it would be the place the boys would like to have fun in.” Nevertheless, he saw plenty of rough-look- ing cases there, and they were enjoying themselves, | If he had been therein the early days of the Gates he might have seen some of that kick- ing he was thinking about. In those times they knew less at the Flat about Meg and her men at arms, and it required some sharp lessons before the rank and file could be in- duced seriously to listen to her. After that, Meg had her own way, except. when there was general emeute, which did not happen there very often. Shedid not ob- iect to a little noise, and a bit of horse-play; ut she did to having things broken, or too much of a litter made on the floor. “és be ‘- $ - 7 a, a, ‘ aes 4 7 rg Son . ' \o\ Nae 4» The center of the frolic just now was a none other than Billy Jingle, who occupied a cleared spot in the middle of the bar-room. He had finished piping off a rollicking song, and strange though his voice ordinarily sounded, when he sung there was a good ~ deal of music in it. When the applause which greeted his efforts had a little subsided he began a breakdown, executed with a skill and pre- cision that showed he was as skillful in the use of his heels as of his tongue. After that, he passed around his hat, & and received liberal direction. If he had not already shown ‘to the that he possessed plenty of cheek, mond might have thought a be 7. offerings from every “4 * sect - + + la wf + ¥ ¢€ o Js é- -. 7 ‘he ad * al , * oe he > : ee oe - i" £ “2 4 ir eee ; ct: as.” : ee = J f 4 4 awe *%, - “oe tind ae Sa ‘ a © ae 4 uy 4 oy ye >. i fon” 7) “ee ~~ 7) + . . - « .s é ~ ih Mm ee <Ss.com — © > - ’ i @