Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 888 — page 8: what you’re looking at

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

Co] thoughtfully, when he had finished his stor ‘*T lost my man too; and I sent lead as straight for him as it ever went anywhere. The worst of it is, I can’t spare the time to oe him up, and it wouldn't look well if I id.” ‘*Sort of a bad night for men, anyhow,” laughed the outlaw. ‘*It might be worse. If he is alive, as I[ think he is, he has probably struck out for Honey Dew, and it won’t be in his nature to stay under cover a bit longer than he can help. I’d give five hundred if some one would drop him before he gets back to Dead Latch, and save me the trouble. I can’t wring the same gaine in on him twice.” ‘*Bedad, an’ av it’s ave av absince the captain will be afther givin’ me Oi’ll take the job mesilf,” interposed Jimmy O’Brien, ‘*Not sayin’ I wouldn’t give half the coin to the mon who hilped me wid the worruk.” ‘*if our friend here chooses to trust you with the job you can have three days to do itin. After that I need you myself. You will have to meet us at the station by early candlelight, Thursday night. And [ll vouch for it that there couldn’t be a better man to put on the case,”’ ‘Will you vouch for it that if he is pinch- ed he wil netrar squeal?” was Clark Bruce’s question. ‘* Anybody could dothe job after a fashion, but it’s not every one who would be smart enough to get away.” *T’ll vouch for Pinay being solid every time, besides having the cunning of the Old Boy if you only let him have his own way to show it.” ‘*Good enough then, I'll have a little talk with him, if you are not objecting, after we have settled what is to be in the matter of you know who,” There was considerable conversation carried on in a low tone with the captain, and as much more with O’Brien, When Clark Bruce turned back toward Dead Latch matters were once more arranged to his lik- ing, and he hoped the failures of the night would be recouped before long. Monte Saul had not altogether believed his disappearance would puzzle Bruce complete- ly, but he had not expected it would be so promptly and shrewdly dealt with. The wound in his shoulder was not at all dangerous, but the pain of it had turned him a little sick, and the fact that he had been foolish enough to turn over his revolvers to whi Tredgar took some of the steel out of m. ” He fancied that until located Bruce might or would postpone his attack on Angus Ames; and he wanted to be in his best shape before taking the hand he expected to in the ame, He had a friend in Honey Dew with whom he could rest, and perhaps there was some- thing further to be learned there about Clark Bruce. The distance to the town was not so many miles, and the walking was good, but Saul found the tramp harder than he had ex- pected. At first, excitement kept him going, but by the time he had decided he had left no trail behind him which could be read, and that for the future no care would be needed, he began to feel the effects of the strain. When he came banging against Diamond Davc's (oor it was not so far off of daybreak, and he was almosi exhausted, A day of rest toned him up wonderfully, ‘and a plaster which Dave fixed on his shoul. der held the edges of the wound together so well. he hardly knew it was there. When evening came the two went down to the Grapevine. Saul was heeled now, and felt he would have no particular objection to meeting Clark Bruce over again. . He had no intention of ‘doing more than. a. = Monte Saul, the Sport. stroll around a little, and take in the sights. Some word of it might go over to Dead Latch before he got there himself, but he had recovered so rapidly he had no objection, He never cared to hit & man when he was unwarned, and would just as soon Clark Bruce had some notice before they met again, As he entered, halfa dozen sports looked up from the table at which they had been gazing. ‘* Just the man we wanted!” shouted one of them. ‘* Hyer’sa game‘that we don’t have much show against. This galoot knows the cards by name, hedoes, and if yuu don’t come up to help against the mighty, he'll kerry off the whole boodle of the’ camp. Chip in, Saul, an’ the camp will give yer the funds to meee but we're bound to beat it somehow.” ‘* Much obliged for the offer. I always reckoned to buy the box at my own funeral when the time came, but thisis a game [| have no use for.” ‘‘You cannot win if you do not bet,” said the man at the table with sententious preci- sion. ‘““AndIcan lose mighty muchif I do. I know something about the habits of the ana- mile myseif, and he can bite worse than the tiger. Besides, I’m in a bad gtreak just now, and I wouldn’t*want to win if I could, so I guess you boys can just keep on rus- tling the game till you get tired. To-night I’m not ashamed to confessI haven’t the nerve.” The Mexican behind the table cast a little glance of scorn at the laughing gamester, and then proceeded to throw out his lay-out, and turn the deck to deal them out of hand. He knew nothing about Monte Saul, but he saw it was a surprise to those who did when he took water. . The game went on all the same, and the cards on the table were pretty fairly patron- ized. Vs Saul was not greatly interested in the game, but he would not have been himself at allif he had not kept a casual eye on it. The dealer was a stranger to him, and almost one to the town, but he handled the cards with the grace and skill of an adept, though not with the the unvarying good fortune complained of to Monte Saul by his friend when endeavoring toinduce him to takea hand in the game. The betting was lively, but it was not large, und though the banker was on the average a winner he was not likely to make a fortune at the rate things were progress- ing. it was not very long before Diamond Dave fell a victim to the seductions of the game, and was. banking his coin with the rest of them, in spite of the friendly warn- ing Saul attempted to convey by a pressure of his albow, There was some rough talk, now and then, but that was part of the game, and the dealer went on with his work as though he was deaf, and whether he lost or won gave no sign of excitement. The thing might have kept up all night, for it was something of a change to the boys, who enjoyed it though they did not care ta strike it too hard. The interruption, if there was destined to be any, had to come from the outside, and in due course of time it seemed to be arriving. Through the open door staggered rather than stepped a little stranger, who tried to prance up to the bar, though the attempt could be looked upon asa rank failure. He was an Jrishman, if looks and brogue went for anything, and he was on the war: path from the word go. He had a battered old plug hat, set jaunt- illy on one side of his head, a short clay pipe, almost as black as the hat, was in his mouth, and in his hand he flourished a stout stick with a knob on the end of it, 0 ep eee pg inti ~—_—_—_— ‘‘Phor the love av the blessid saints. sit ‘em up, barkeep. Oi am Phelim McGrana- ghan, out pho a lark, an’ whin Oi sphread mesilf Rhome howls.” He brought his stick down on the bar with a great whack, and then began to caper in @ most extraordinary manner, executing what he might have intended'as a war-dance, but which required a drunken man to execute the figures. ‘“Go slow, thar, sonny, er thar will be trouble in the church,” said the barkeeper, with a glance to see that his revolver lay ready to hand under the counter. ‘‘This is no dance-house, an’ don’t you furgit it,” CHAPTER VIII. BOLLIVAR BEN AND HIS BABY ELEPHANTS. AT the sternly uttered words of the bar- keeper the Irishman braced himself up, but not in any apparent terror. He gazed at the speaker with a ludicrous stare, while he slowly drew from his panta- loons pocket a handful of coin. Then, he covered the one hand with the other, and shook the two till the musical jingle of gold against gold could be heard all over the room. ‘‘D’yez moind the sound av that, me b’ye? An’ w’ad yez foire out a custhomer loike Phe- lim McGranaghan phor a bit av loiveliniss, whin he’s joost foive minnits in the land av love, an’ ownly sthopped long enough at the infayrior places to take an idge off the ragin’ thourst phot has: been gatherin’ phor thray long wakes.” ‘“Now you begin ter talk a little closer to ther line. You kin eat an’ drink hyer, but yer wants ter be blamed keerful how yer go about bein’ merry. Reckon you ain't near ez drunk ez you peared ter be.” ‘*Dhrunk! Phelim McGranaghan dhrunk! An’ him ownly six or sivin dhrinks to the good, wid a good, long thray wakes av thourst to his cridit. But av it’s the rule av the house, sure, an’ he kin be doumb asa clam—more loss to the jintlemin who love illegant conversation, sthraked wid intertain- mint.” The milder tone had its effect on the bar- tender, who thought he had succeeded in taming the intruder at the first effort. He had seen such cases often before. When he noted that the potation poured out by Phelim was not more generous than the average he was satisfied that all present danger of a riot had been averted, and he was tacitly awarded the run of the house, Nor aid it take very long for the Irishman to get on speaking terms with a good many of the habitues of the place. lf he did not let off his effervescent spirits in a wholesale manner he could talk in a rollicking under- tone, In ten minutes he had won the hearts of the loungers, had made them laugh half a dozen times, and drink almost as often. And, withal, if looks went for anything, he was less under the influence of the ‘* cra- tur,” as he called it, than when he came in, All this could not go on without attracting the attention of Monte Saul, who generally had eyes for everything; but he had no part in it. Diamond Dave was still interested in the game, and Saul was standing at his friend's shoulder, with coldly scrutinizing eyes watching the play. The dealer seemed to be aware of the fact, for he looked up more than once, when luck seemed to be going rather against him, and the stakes were heavy; but always to meet that fixed gaze. Saul noticed the fact, and smiled. : ‘‘Looks as though I had some particular attraction for him,” he thought to himself. ‘‘ Wonder if he believes I will hoodoo his luck? More likely he wants to work his ad- vantages, and is afraid I may catch him in the act. He hardly expects me to join them,” —— F cpoo » .. re ’ = . “a - a» % qa 7 - > va rh y F. A ft, . me | g ‘ca .4 Pe =,» ae : ee | ne 2 ek ee ‘ — ——— 4 - « - = > — =. > : ne ‘ -