Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 901 — page 2: what you’re looking at

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

2 _—— -- the distance they saw a gang of men, who looked and acted as though they were a good crowd to avoid in that lonely spot. The speaker was @ young man, with a fresh face, keen eyes, broad shoulders, and clad in a neatly-fitting suit, which seemed rather the wrong thing then and there. His companion wasa man older by a dozen years, and in almost everything a contrast. He was roughly clad, his long hair strag- gled out from under the much _ battered brim of his hat. His nose and chin were pointed, while his face had a sallow look. He was chewing tobacco nervously, while his long bony hands gripped the tripod of the theodolite which he had been carrying for the greater part of the day. ‘‘ Five they be, an’ bigger imps ov Satan never drew breath. What divelment are they up tew, now?” ‘Trying to make things comfortable for the Express, I should judge. Looks as though they meant to let it off the rails; but, I must say, they have chosen a decent spot for the operation. It can take the ditch without much danger of damage, be- yond delay.” ‘That's what. An’I don’t see how tew stop it,” ‘Only one way, Sandy. Sail in! If they keep up that motion they will have half a mile of track up before we get half done resting. I think I'll go down and talk to them right now. It’s a thousand pities you left your guns at home.” ‘*T dunno ez it air my put in, er yourn; but ef so be yew intend tew go down, San- dy'll hev to go ‘long. No time tew waste, fa" quick,” ‘he other rose up and stepped out from his late place of concealment, and before he had taken half a dozen steps Sandy was at his side, They had not been in hiding at all, but the five evidently did not expect to find any one there, and never thought the huge rock which had hid them might cover lurkers. As the two walked swiftly, and the distance was not great, they were upon the raiders before their coming was noted, ‘* Told on, there! You’ve done more damage in five minutesthan you can fix in as many hours, Suppose you »go a little slow till we can find out what it is all about.” That was the first intimation the five had of the presence of-the strangers, and every face was turned in their direction, while a savage scowl distorted! that of their leader. The latter was short and thick-set, with close-cropped hair, and bull-dog jaws. He held a pick in his hand, and had been us- ing it with as much vigor as skill. ‘* An’ who be yez, mon, to sthop the good worruck? Av yez wants to stand up phor the graspin’ minopoly say the worrud an’ down yez goes, Av yez wants to sce honist min makin’ the sthruggle wid tyranny and ophression, an’ not take part in it, we won’t force yez; but go’long wid ye afore ye git in- to throuble.” ‘‘ Why, you infernal scoundrels, do you think you five can fight the road with the whole United States behind it to boot? You have been rustling around here pretty lively, but so far the damage is not so much that it can’t be fixed. Ill give you just one chance, Mike McKane, Get that track lined up in time for the Express, and swear off any more of this nonsense, and J’llagree to keep mum. If not, Vl flag the train, and after that I'll see that you have a chance to play checkers with your noses behind the grating.” ‘* Harrud worruds break no bones, Mis- ther Baker, an’ it wad be betther phor yez av vez spake fair an’ azy. Phat wor yez do- In spoyin’ round here?” ' ‘* You know me, do you? You ought to be sure then that this outrage will .be stop- ped, one way or another, It was a lucky thing that to-day was chosen to run a line down from ‘‘ The Fair Isabel.” Come, Mike! ” =) Seer ee e———eeeeeeeeeeEeEeEeEeEeEeEeEeEeEEeEeye—e——eEeEEEE—————eE—e—E—E—E———E LEE Diamond Dave, the Gilt-Edge Shooter. TS a Listen to reason, as you can, and it will be all right unless I again. You men are the last in the world I would have suspected of trying to wreck a train.” Baker had been cool enough from the out- set, but now that he had secured the atien- tion of the men he was willing to try the effect of argument. It was possible he could carry his point. Though it was the first time he had ever spoken directly to any of the men, he had from the outset recogniz- ed them as being the regular gang of the section, They, in turn, evidently recognized him ag a civil engineer in the employ of the com- | pany, but felt none the more friendly to- ward him on that account. The wonder was they had not rushed on him at first sight, and downed him for once and all. Men engaged in their present em- ployment are not apt to waste time in parley. ‘‘Sure, Mr. Baker, we don’t want to do yez a harrum, but we’ve sthruck, an’ so hez ivery mon wid a heart in him along the road. An’ there’s a car wid guns to the top comin’ for the dirty spalpeens they call deppity marshalls, Betther to sthop thim roight here than to lit them go on phor to do murdher,”’ Baker looked keenly at the foreman, and decided he was telling the truth, or some- thing near to it. It was the first he had heard of the big strike, but he could believe something of the kind might have happened while he was practically out of the world. At the same.time, he did not propose to see the track torn up if he could help it, and he was @ man who when he had once made up his mind could dare a great deal. Besides that, he did not trust Mike Mc- Kane. A strike there might be; but was there not something more than a desire to keep back the car of arms spoken of? Mike had the reputation of being a desperate man, in spite of the responsible position he had been filling, If he had only been armed Baker would have felt easy on the subject; but by a most exasperating oversight he had left his pistols behind him; and the man he had called Sandy was in the same fix, When it had cropped out some few hours before that both of them were unarmed he was inclined to treat it as a joke; but Sandy had looked serious, and repeated the old truism that a man may carry a gun for years and never use it; but just when he has not got it will he the time he will want it, and want it mighty bad. ‘‘There may be a strike; und perhaps, when I know the rights of the thing I will have as much sympathy for the strikers as anybody; but I will never consent to see the property of the company damaged. Goon with your striking if you want to, but straighten up the track to start with, and then leave italone. If you don’t you may find yourself ina bad box before you are done with the matter.” Baker spoke with a tone of authority. Unarmed, and with the odds against him of five to two, he was uncertain what the re- sult might be if he precipitated matters to an engagement, yet he never thought of re4 ceding from the position he had taken, though he knew these men could be desper- ate enough. | How desperate, he was yet to find out. Mike McKane had concealed his feelings well, though he was really boiling over with rage at the interruption, and at the man who made it. ‘* Sure, an’ it’s to save loife, Misther Baker, that we're here. Thim bluddy deppities are heired ter shoot; an’ they always be af- ther thinkin’ they moust earn their money, Yez wouldn’t want ter say ther poor b’yes stritched out, joost phor insistin’ on their roights wid a bluddy corporashun?’” Get this thing in shape, | ' of that when they go into the fight, yo hear of something of the kind being tried on | know as well as I that if they leuvge 7 v a) + es ~~ “The boys will have to take their chey ™ property of the company alone there Wig no shooting, if you strike from nowtG@ / day of judgment. ; Gradually, Baker was being deceived !the manner of the men, and he was beg | ning to think that they would listento » © . son as he ungerstood it. Sandy was listening grimly, but with a word. Baker knew the man of the ¢ low face would stand by him, and: that if had anything to suggest would not be bac ward about saying it. He gave a glar toward him now, and though Sandy nev turned his head he caught the look, ai made a scarcely perceptible motion by wi of warning. And, it was none too soon, The two parties were drawing toward ea other, and Mike’s face suddenly changed expression. 4 ‘Look eout!” exclaimed Sandy, in a lo J tone, ait Then, the pick in Mike McKane's hand le Wey —= “a, 7 —— — it, and it came hurtling forward. CHAPTER II. he THE DANDY FROM DEAD LATCH. | | x's THE warning given by Sandy was more it f stinctive than for any practical purpose. : From under the slouched rim of his ba & tered old hat he had been watching tb a , section boss with unwinking gaze, and he two parties were so near he could cat : the glint in the eyes of the Irishman, wh im his knowledge of the man told him what w coming. As the hand of the Irishman swung fof ward Sandy gave a step ahead. Then, he gave a twirl of the staff he hel in his hand, caught the pick in mid air, an sent it to one side. One of the sharp points was buried deeply in the ground, | ‘Darn yez, take that!” yelled Mike as h¢ made his cast, with all the skill and vigo1 that lay in his brawny arm, An instant later he shouted: ‘‘Down thim, b’yes! Down the dirth scabs! Thromp the loife outavthim! Brea their bones av yez don’t whant to suck ye fingers behindt the bars.” 4-. And Mike, unarmed as he was, plunge;{ forward to lead the rush, while his me) joined in, flourishing their picks and sh els. . Two men against five~and the five on murder! et the two never flinch Kent Baker threw himself together into & attitude best suited for attack or defense, and stood waiting to dodge, strike or parry, ae. while Sandy, handling his staff as though it 4 was a rifle with a bayunet attached, dropped into the position of a soldier- on guards and waited for the attack. | Yet the charge never reached the two, for nh every man halted as though he had been shot. There was a brace of sharp clicks which reached every ear, and then a laugh- ing voice, which to them seemed somehow to have an echo of denth behind it: ‘‘Basy, Mike; easy! Sorry to do it, gents, but I’ll have to call you down, - Reckon you know me.” HY, Sandy's eyes never for a second left the AV gang, which he watched with a cold, un- b. flinching stare; but Kent Baker cast a quick glance toward the new arrival,,who bad so suddenly appeared to the rescue. A young man wis standing a few paces 5 2. aa - - P vig? = ~ away, and he had not left his tools at home, ‘ On the contrary, he held a brace of shin- > Me ing tubes, one of them covering Mike, while aa the other menaced the remaining four at . bi large. ae He had a bright, handsome face, Which Dy . was wreathed with a good-natured smile, ie } i and he was dressed with even more atten- nd ie tion to style than Kent Baker. In fact, he ee SS was a regular dandy at large, oats fi ‘ ; ’ i+ A ' ye A A ? APS 5 Dies PLO J 3 a< us ’ ns | % ~~ a. ) yh f ' y : \ e : OO we Me ES F. »,