Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 913 — page 9: what you’re looking at

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

~—— . nie ~~ ee > 23 o~ * “ hh a : - % rr. yf } ‘ GE Paw’ *. ° if you expect to getit from me. Notone more nny will you receive from me,Joel Sefton. I ‘bargained with you to leave this part of the country, never to return, andI paid you well. Now you have come back, expecting to bleed me 3 of more money, but you have come in vain!’ “Oh, I have, have I?” Blinker sneered, ** Well, if that’s the case, I suppose I’ll have to make a raise in some other direction. By the way, how's the guv’nor getting along these times?” ‘* He died over a year ago. It would have oes benefit to the country if you had died, L1so. ; : : ‘** Mebbe you think so, but, you see, I have a different opinion. So the judge is dead, eh? Waal, I dunno about that. You never were remarkable fer tellin’ the truth, and I’m of the opinion thet you're tryin’ to shut my eye up now. Howsomever, notwithstanding, neverthe- less, it don’t matter. I want money, and you’re goin’ ter give it to me!” ‘* Not one farthing! and if you don’t get out of this neighborhood at once, ’ have you ar- rested!” ‘“‘Humph! What for?” ‘* You are an escaped jail-bird, and are want- ed in Washington!” Bum Blinker laughed loudly. ** Arrest and be hanged!” he grunted, ‘* Look out fer me, tho’. I ain’t nobody’s fool, By-by! Tl) see you later!” And, leaping from the table, the noble speci- men of the genus tramp snatched another pie from a shelf, and made his exit from the kitchen in surprisingly quick order. Mrs, Darrel, now grown pale with alarm, rushed 'o the door and called after him, but, paying no heed to her, he hurried from the “rounds, munching the pie as he went. ** Good heavens! I did wrong not to give him money!” the scheming mistress of the Manor gasped, as she stood with pallid countenance, watching him depart, ‘‘I wonder if he will dare betray me?” CHAPTER X, REUBEN SWEET, OF CONNECTICUT, THE village of S——, which was about three miles from Darrel Manor, contained nearly five hundred inhabitants. Having no railway fa- cilities, its chief dependence was the farming country surrounding. It was, however, not particularly prosperous. The people were, of course, both good and bad, and it was not strange that the dwellers of the hill districts should bring their moonshine whisky in exchange for groceries, ‘The “ Horn of Plenty ” tavern, run by a man named Howler, was the only place in the village where the ardent was regularly retailed, and, ce ey be judged, the place was well patron- ized, On the evening following the events last nar- rated the Horn of Plenty was more than usually full, for a gang of “‘ up country ” men had come to town, and several of Jack Jarvis’s coast rangers had come up to mix with the crowd, There also was present a man attired in a plain business suit, black softfelt hat, and white shirt and collar, sporting a full gray beard and bair silver gray. This stranger kept rather aloof from the carousers, for he was quietly seated in an out-of- the-way corner and appeared absorbed in noth- ing so much as a brand new corncob pipe which he was leisurely smoking, He wore spectacles, carried a stout hickory cane, and to all appearances was some fifty years ofage. ~ Another noticeable self about with no Blinker. In some way he had succeeded in getting snough moonshine to make him tipsy, and he was cavorting about with the friskinegs of a erson who disported him- ittle flourish was Bum half-crown lamb. * Ye tell me my yal aire gone up ther spout!” he siiouted, “I tell yerno! Thar. ain’t a word ©’ truta init, She war no sech darned fool as to £0 s-ootin’ out inter a storm, tumble off a cliff, an’git drowned! Shehev lived too long on ther coast fer that, an’ he’s a liar who sez there is. My gal hev been kerried off by some cuss, an’ ther job lays atwixt three galoots!” Several times Blinker paraded up and down the oom mousing this harangue, and shaking t in a promiscuous manover. | bes mgt he was ‘interrupted in one of his rounds by a burly up-river rough, Big Erte nearly as huge anc " ferocious of aspect as was Howler, the provetogr of the Horn of Plenty, ‘See here, Joel Sefton!” Big Pete growled, . * , ” . ae > 9 i ee ates ha , -FS i’ > < Kit é seizing the bummer by the shoulder,‘ ye’r’ mak- in’ ter danged much noise for a man 0’ yer size, You’ve been prancin’ up and down here lon enough, a-shootin’ off that some one hez carri off your gal, an’ ye say it’s one o’ three persons as did the job. Now, which is them three per- sons? We, ther people, want ter know, and don't ye fergit it!” **Dunno as it’s anything to you,” growled Sefton, sobering up. ‘It ain’t you I mean!” ‘*] don’t care a tinker’s pot for that. You spit out who ye do mean, or I'll take it upon myself to smash you!” ** Mebbe ye think I’m afeard of you!” returned Sefton, spunkily, ‘‘ You an’I wasallus on good terms, Big Pete, an’ never had a quarrel ; but, jest the same, I ain't afraid o’ you!’ ‘* Well, you just tell me who ye’r’ slingin’ hints on, concernin’ carryin’ off yer gal, or |’!l make you the sickest-sucker as ever hung around this mee. ‘* Well, I ain’t afeard to express my opinion,” Sefton declared, evidently believing that discre- tion was the better part of valor. ‘*' I’m sart’in my gai has been carried off, an’ the job lays be- tween three men. One of them aire Roger Dar- rel, another is Jack Jarvis, an’ t’otheris Cap Cussick. Thar! now, are you satisfied?” Big Pete uttered a savage oath. “So ye accuse the captain, do ye?” he reared. ‘‘ Waal, I want yer to know that the captain is a friend of mine. .D’ye know what he’d do ef he war here?’ **T don’t know, nor don’t keer!” was the re- tort, ‘‘One of the three hasegot my gal, an’ I’d just as lief suspect one as t’other.” ‘© Well, Pll tell you what the captain would do if he was here—he’d smash ye all over the floor, ef he didn’t kill ye, an’ bein’s he’s a friend of mine, I'll jest about look out for his inter- ests !’ And with tha* he hauled off and struck Sefton a fearful blow in the face, It was a stroke that would have felled an ox, and Sefton went crashing to the floor, blood gushing from his mouth and nostrils, He quickly staggered to his feet, however, a vengeful light burning in his eyes, ‘You accursed low-lived moonshiner!” he yelled, “I'll get square with you for this. By the God above me, I’ll have your heart’s—” He did not finish the sentence, for another fearful blow from Big Pete’s fist laid him out senseless on the floor. The ruffian then dragged his victim to the door of the saloon, and pitched him headlong into the street, W bether Sefton was dead or alive, no one left the saloon to see. The incident of the knock-down evidently soon passed out of the minds of the revelers, for the orgies went on with unabated hi- larity. During the evening, Hen Howler substituted a bartender for himself, and sauntered over to where the man with the gray beard was seated, ‘Well, old man, you ‘pear to be takin’ it sorter easy, ain’t ye?” he said. ‘* Yas, sorter,” was the reply. ‘“* Been kinder lookin’ over the crowd to see if I couldn’t pick out some man who could give me some point- ers, ‘** Pointers, eh?’ and the landlord eyed him keenly, ‘' So you are a detective ?” The old man laughed heartily. ‘** Waal, no,” he said, ‘* not as any one knows of. IT am Reuben Sweet, from Connecticut. Heer’s my card,” Howler took the extended card, and glanced atit: lt read: “ REUBEN SWEET, Wholesale Dealer in Wines d: Liquors, Saybrook, Conn,” ‘* Ah! you’re in the liquor trade, eh?” Howler bserved, ‘* Yas, this last twenty years,” was the reply. ‘‘ Handled a heap of stuff in that time,” ‘*] should presume so, Up this country on business?” ‘* Waal, yas. I was told, on the quiet, ef I’d fetch my boat up along this coast, I could pick up a cargo of ‘moonshine’ at a pretty reason- able figger; so a8 my stock was runnin’ low, I thought I'd try the experiment, ye see,” “Tl understand,” Howler said, drawing a chair to hand and sitting down. ‘* And I opine you’ve come to purty nigh the right | ity, gent, providin’ you’ve got the stuff to pay or it. ** The ‘ stuff’s’ all right,” Sweet assured, with a nod of the head. ‘‘! always pay cash,’ ] a rte ae tre yt + ap > n& on 4* 9 Ps els - , 4 ‘ . ae 5) i i> a’, ‘ = di - <4 * rr = “: ye | + a4 “he # #: hey Xt * 3° f <> ; ° a” ; : * r ~% . r Keith, the Revenue Spotter. f > ay! J ; 7 - » Pa ’ * . ‘ Pas ¥. ed r <a a.’ i, , 4 \ tn ke Peboe Nh oe 2 Or me Cea" SR ee bY nell 1.4 - - * 7 -— - ° ~ = ~~ os “ss - . “~ P ¢ 9 ‘*Have you made any purchases yet?” ‘‘No. Only just arrived, this afternoon. Thet is what I have been sittin’ round here for to see if I couldn’t pick out some one who could put me onto a bargain.” ** Well, old gent, since you appear all on the square, [ can help you out, or, at least, | know a fellow that can.” The proprietor of the Horn of Plenty then called out the name of Big Pete, who stalked forward, and was formally introduced to Reu- ben Sweet, of Saybrook, and siown his card, ‘“* Mr. Sweet bas come to these parts, Pete,” said Howler, ‘‘ with a view to purchasing a con- signment of mountain-dew, to take back with him to the Nutmeg State. His boat is anchored down along the coast, in readiness to ship a cargo, and here’s a ripe chance for a sale, W here’s the captain?” - ‘*Up the Run, I reckon,” Big Pete replied, surveying Mr, Reuben Sweet rather suspicious- y. ‘** How much stock has he got on hand?” Pete shrugged his shoulders, ‘*More’n he'll be likely to get rid of right away. The stuff will keep, tho’, providin’ the captain shells out the money to the boys, How much d’ye want to purchase, stranger?” ”* ‘*Waal, that depends su’thin’ on the price, From fifty to a hundred bar’ls, or thereabouts.” ‘* Pay cash?” ** Sart‘in.” ‘* Well, ef you mean business, ye kin go ‘long wi’ me up to the Run to-night and see the cap- tain. Reckon he’ll be glad to make a sale like thet.” , ‘“* Ts the stuff full proof?” ‘You bet! There’s no better stuff made, Howler, here, has some of it, Ye kin see what it is.” ** Just let me have a taste, judge of the juice.” Whisky was ordered, and Reuben sipped a lass of it leisurely, occasionally smacking his ips with a gusto. ** That's prime!” he declared. about that. Vil take a bundred bar’ls of it at thirty-five cents!” ‘* | reckon not, it!” ** Not for a hundred bar’ls?” ‘*T reckon not,” ‘* Waal, then, I reckon, as ye say, that Ill have to look further,” Reuben said, tipping back in his chair and relighting his pipe. ‘* Can’t af- ford to come all the way from Connecticut and ay them figures, I’ll take a hundred bar’ls, de- ivared at Jarvishaven, at thirty-five, but I won’t pay a cent more,” And the old man appeared resolute in his de- cision. Howler and Big Pete exchanged glances. ‘** You'd better take him to the captain,” the former said. ‘‘I’ll go tbe drinks he’ll accept the offer on account of the size of it.” ‘* Well, maybe he will,” Big Pete admitted. ‘“*So you can go ’long wi’ me, old gent, an’ meb- be we can fix ye out, The captain ain’t werry hard to deal wi’.” ‘* Very well. What time will you be ready to start?” ‘** Oh, not tillafter midnight. Have to be kind of careful, you know,” ‘Correct. LIunderstand. While waiting, I'll go and look the town over and hire mea hurse., Vil be back long before you are ready to start,” The little party broke up, and Reuben Sweet left the tavern. “If everything works right,” he muttered when out it the,.> enair, “ l’m in for a scrap. I wonder what has become of Sefton? The poor devil got it bad.” He wandered leisurely down the lone main street of the village, his mind busied in formin plans of action, when suddenly a man ste from a shadow and grasped bim by the shoul- I'm & purty good Nothin’ less’n forty will touch er, It was Joel Sefton, looking almost hideous in the bright moonlight, covered with clotted blood as he was. ; ‘* Halt!” he commanded, in a boarse voice, “Are you the old man who was in the tavern to-night?” as es,” ‘* You see me get laid out?” ** I did.” ‘Is Big Pete in there yet?” ‘* He is,” ‘‘ All right. That's all I want to know. I'm goin’ to kill him when he comes out,” ‘** No, you are not!” ‘““ Why not? What the deuce have you got to say about it?” 7 r ae . bed » . + ’ «3 AY a 4 <a Om ‘¢ No chemicals —