Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 962 — page 9: what you’re looking at

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mee ae ne with other things, the child, at whom his wife looked in a far-away | didn’t sort of manner, and the introduction of the stranger into the household was complete. She was not noticed again, that evening, save to have pointed to her the sleeping accommodations that were to be hers; and for this she was thank- ful. Like Mrs, Crowfut, she had her own thoughts, upon which she did not then care to have others intrude. But the next morning Mrs, Crowfut discovered that the child was not so much of a child as she had thought, Fortunately, at the same time she took a liking to her or she might have made it uncomfortable for her liege lord, and (supposed) master, who had either allowed himself to be hoodwinked, or else had attempted to perform that operation upon her, The two had some little’ conversation together, and then Mrs. Crowfut took her guest out for a walk, which bad the office as oneof its stopping places. And thus it happened that Mrs, Crowfut was there to speak for herself when Amariah made his proposition. A woman who has roughed it for a dozen years of frontier life, even as the wife of a gradually prospering merchant, generally means what she says, and what she says is remarked in earnest that can be mistaken, After the way she suited the action to the word, and brought ner foot down as she spoke, Amariah would hardly be hopefully able to repeat his request, Nor did he, The ap nce of Mrs, Crow- fut was a surprise for which he had not been at all prepared, He did not attempt to combat her resolution, or even frame an excuse, ‘* Dll see yew later,” he said to Mr. Crowfut, with a bow; and motioning to the boy of the Jimber leg he led the way out of the office, leav- ing the proprietor unable to tell whether any- thing he had said had been in serious earnest, but inclined to believe that it was alla rough joke on the part of the lonaveignged man, If not, what was the meaning of this duplicate daughter, and why was she brought to him? He scarcely heard the voice of his wife, de- manding to know who that man was, and what nonsense 1t was that he had been gabbling, A sharp, ‘‘ Eh?’ recalled him to his duty, and he tried to frame an explanation that would not give him away én regard to the young lady who was standing théPe Pezarding them both with an amused look/4n her handsome young face. + ** The idea of that man taking my house for a Tiere what was worse, just an ordinary boarding-house! Did it as coolly as if I had to work my fingers to the bone for dollars and cents! I’ve seen some rough timesin my life, and I have followed Ebenezer faithful and true through thick and thin, but I never got down to taking boarders, and I hope I never shall, I haven't too good an opinion of human nature as itis,and by the time! had a gang around me for a week I wouldn’t have any faith at all left, in that or anything else. It was.a blessed thing { was here. I saw it in his eye, Crowfut was just going to say yes again, when he saw me. Hé\had said yes and no doubt he meant it, But with his wife before him he couldn’t well help remembering her, and so, as a second thought, and to save his crazy old head, he must talk about consulting her, And a man would have said, no, and kicked him out for the impudence, Come, Ebenezer, what have you to say for yourself?” For an instant Ebenezer was tempted to tell his wife the whole story, and see what she made of it. She could understand, then, the meaning of the words she had heard him utter, Second eS ee came to hisaid, however. He remembered that when Mrs, Crowfut was in a mood like the one that her now, com- mon sepse and reason were alike thrown away on her, He might succeed in turning her away from Laura; but that was all the good he could do by opening his soul, Hence, Ebenezer was silent. Amariah chuckled softly to himself as the two went away from the office. He had wisely re- frained from saying anything to Mrs, Crowfut, and so escaped without ey the loud opinion that she would have been willing to give con- cerning his proposition; but he could very well imagine it, and it afforded hima great deal of amusement, When they were out of earshot of the building he laugbed a4 little louder ag he spoke to Fred. ; ‘“L reckon thar’sa pair OV em at it, hammer an’ ton ef Ebenezer aln’t tew astonished tew take his own part. It’s fun amazin’ jest tew ess what he’s thinkin’ ov, an’ how he’s tryin’ w straighten out ther hank. Ther darter oy Simon Sanford! Wal, now, he must think ther woods are full of Simon’s relations, and all ov ~~ <A sss sss Flip-Flap Fred at “Hard Pan. t a extry wheel out for now. too long while ther’s sich men ez Hank Darb skootin’ ‘round on ther outside ov ther clearin’. **Guess Fan could take keer ov herself,” an- _— Fred, as though a question had been dressed to ° ‘** An’ with Dandy ter help her I sh’u’d say she’d make it mighty lively fur arything less than a An’ it’s that same gang thet tried ter make a strike last night, that I’d afeard ov, if 1 war tryin’ ter borry trouble,” ** Never mind that be ef I’d bin so keerless, knowin’ how ther land ng. It didn’t amount | lay, I’d be a-kickin’ myself frum here ter way- ) ! Then Ebenezer brought in | ’em a-steerin’ fur Ebenezer Crowfut’s. But ef I | to go away from the ambulance; and was to spoke in Jarve Jackson’s | keep Dandy within hearing. In fact, after that, m mighty much out, Guess we'll strike | Holdfast had chained the bear under the wagon, I don’t keer tew stay away | and if he was now gone there must be a reason for it. ““*Peers ter me ther lambs may hey win round after all. What you make out ov i Amariah? Yer wants ter talk quick, fur e ther’ ain’t a explanashun most mighty sudden yer Uncle Ezra will ter begin ter git ready ter go on ther trail. He’s a boss when it comes ter playin’red Injun, I ain’t sayin’ more ner ther law allows ter make yer feel bad, but ter much anybow; an’ it’s got other fish tew fry | back fur doin’ ov it. You said it were all afore now. ILopine thet they begun tew run ez soon ez they got out ov sight, an’ ain’t done go- in’ yit, ty frisky fellers be those same lambs, but they’s allers willin’ ter frisk outen ther way ov danger when they think it’s around,” ‘*Couldn’t tell a feller suthin’ "bout them lambs, mebbe? Kinder seems ter me they’s a interestin’ lot, an’ ther’ might’a’ bin money in ’em ef we'd ’u’ held on ter ’em when we hed ‘em, Say, Mr. Holdfast, why didn’t yer think ov that? Hf they’s part ov ther gang ov road- agents ez bez bin playin’ smash round these re- gions, I’ve peared ther’ were a big reward fur em, dead er alive. W’ot were ther matter with you an’ me rakin’ it in?” **The matter ov blood on it,. I want tew do my killin’ on my own account, er not at all, An’ ef we’d’a’ hung in tew ’em, I reckon they ‘would ’a’ got away all ther same. Yew see, they hed pards in ther bushes, thet wouldn't shoot tell they hed tew on account ov ther girl: but sooner than see the’r pards run in they would massaker haff a dozen girls, an’ make not more ner two bites apiece on us.” ‘*Oh, bosh! How could they hev hit ther gal without ther chance ov hittin’ the’r pards same ezus? Amariah, I’m afeard ye’r’ playin? a deep game; an’ it beho’ves yer ter open out, clean down ter bed-rock, Then mebbe I kin offer some sorter a suggestion,” ‘* Small boys want ter be seen an’ not heard, Yew kin tumble tew a charm; but when yew try ter take road-agents I sh’d think yew war clean off yer base. Better puta button on yewr lips an’ le6 me do ther thinkin’,” ‘*That *pends suthin’ on yer hevin’ ther brains ter do it with. Ef I were sure ov them I’d not he chinnin’,” ‘Yew hush! We're gittin’ nigh ter camp, an’ yew dunno who may be a-prowlin’ round. I ain’t ready tew give ary points away tell I’m outen danger. Ef I could ketch ’em, it might make things a heap easier.” ‘All right. I’m dumb ez a clam, It won't be long I'll hev ter hold in, fur Fan likes talk ez well ez ther next one,” Amariah made no audible answer, but gave an impatient wave of his hand, that enjoined silence with a good deal more force than if he had shouted ever so loud, Limberleg remained uiet, and the two approached the spot where the wagon was almost hidden in the dense thicket of bushes which Amariah had selected as his camping-ground, No signs of the “lambs” there. There was utter silence instead. In fact, the silence was too intense, Fred looked around him with an anxious glance. Fan ought to be stepping out to meet them, but somebow he did not look, for her. Something was telling him that she was not there. When Amariah stepped into the wagon Fred followed bim with serious eyes, and waited to hear the very words that floated sadly out to him a moment later. hum | Neither man nor boy was of the excitable kind; and at this announcement Fred felt a hoa deal Jess like talking than he had done be- ore, Hestepped hurriedly forward, and peered into the ambulance, There was nothing there that looked as though there had been visitors during their absence, and there was no trace of anything like a struggle in the neighborhood of the wagon. Perhaps there was nothing wrong afterall. He turned away his head, and called softly: ‘“*Fan! I say, Fan!” There was no answer, Then Fred slowly made :: circuit of the spot looking narrowly at the ground, in search of any footprints, or traces that might show what nappened. If Fan was not in the neighbor- the wagon it was certair that something had happened, Fred remembered the last t Amariah said to heron leaving. She was n y ginger, Limberleg, ther- gal’s not tew | | | . LL LLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL LLL LLL LLL LO LL LL LLL LLL LLL LLL LLL LLL Nf tt ttt LC ett ttt right, an’ I were a-trustin’ ov yer, ’cos I thort hae knowed ther ropes an’ it wa’n’t my say-s0; ut you kin bet yer bottom dollar thet I ain’t trustin’ nobody “i when Fairy Fred’s around. Talk - man! ’*ot yer got ter say fur yer- self? Ef you can’t take keer ov a girl like Fan better, she wants a new g’ardeen; an’ when I gits my han’s on her—w’ich in course I will— she’ll hev it; an’ it'll be Fairy Fred.” ‘* Ef talkin’ will do ary good, I sh’d say no doubt yew will git thar with both feet; but it ain’t so easy tew see how talk’s goin’ tew do ood in this case. I kin only say I thought I ed it all safe. Mebbe Fan wandered away. She’s one ov the wanderin’ kind—monstr’us strange how that gal will wander sometimes— an’ may be back while we’s a-talkin’ ’bout her.” ‘*Not much, Amariah. Ef I war in ther guess bizziness ez big ez L be sumtimes, I’d say thet yer wa’n’t half ez sorry fur this ez I be; an’ ef yer made me fightin’ mad Id say thet yer left her here pu’ppus ter be took, Ef yer don’t like that—we both hev weepins, an’ yer kin pull ez quick ez yer wants to, Fairy Fred’s ready fur you.” There was an honest indignation in the tone of the boy that told how much in earnest he was in his charge; and he looked more angry than ever when Amariah, for answer, burst into a fit of laughter, that was none the less hearty becsuse it was done under bis breath, so to k, ‘*] might ’a’ knowed ther’ war no flies on Little Limberleg! I don’t say yew’r’ right er wrong; but ef ther right party hev got her, it’s ther best thing fur both ov us,” CHAPTER X, THE FRISKY ‘* LAMBS,” FROM what has already been said concerning Miss Fanny it has probably struck the reader that she was nota young tady given to nerves, and that she would not at all afraid to be left by herself for a few hours, when she had Dandy and her revolvers for her protection. She waved her hand to Fred, as the boy looked back over his shoulder, and watched the two depert with a smile on her _ When they were out of sight her first move was to loosen Dandy, and call him out from un- der the wagon, ‘* Much good you would do me there, sir,” she said, patting him gently on the head, ‘““T would have to crawl under the wagon after you, and by the time I got you loose it would be too late, We'll put youin position now, and then you will be all ready for any prowlers that may come around. There! That will do better, Lie down, sir, and stay till you are called for, I hope that 1 will not need your ser- vices, but if I do you will be on hand.” Dandy sniffed around lazily, and threw him- self down on the spot pointed at, which was be- hind the nearest tuft of bushes, where he would be mear to the wagon, but screened from the view of any one approaching the camp by the regular route, : Having begun in this manner it is no wonder- ing matter that Amariah’s injunctions were otherwise and totally ed. With Dandy to watch it the wagon would be safe from any prying intruders; or else’ they would have to make enough noise disposing of the bear to call her to the spot, Without any ap rent thought of danger to herself, Fanny strolled away, look- ing from this side to that, as if greatly interest- ed in noting what sort of a region they had reached, Everything was lonely enough to suit the test eremite in the world, As far as could seen there had been no one near for ages. The turf that was scattered here and there among the trees and bushes showed the marks of no footsteps of either man or beast, and save for an occasional bird that fluttered by in the tamest oo imaginable she saw no signs of any living ing. Very aimlessly did she wander, or seem to; (©) G “S MmiGboooks. com