The Brand Burners of Cimarron — page 10: what you’re looking at

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

Shylock has demanded and received his due, I wish to add just this: “The ticket I hold was purchased for and belongs to Miss Ruby Ranger. With it she has won her freedom !” A moment of profound silence followed this announcement. Then, as Pawnee dropped lightly to the ground, a tremen- dous cheer rose on the gathering twi- hight. *“ A thousand curses be upon them !” gritted Spanish John. “Jim! Pete !— away with the wheel !” The gambler turned his back to the crowd, and strode hastily to the rear of the platform, where he dropped to the sround and slipped away to the Silver shades. Belmont had preceded him. The ranch- er was utterly dazed by that seemingly inexplicable miscarriage of their plot, and swaited his ally’s appearance in a sort of fevered stupor. “Oh! you're here !” snarled the gam- bler, as he burst into the den. “ Thick- head, do you know we are ruined?” ‘J do not understand it.’’ “Certainly not !” “Something went wrong,” “Decidedly !” “The boy, I suspect.” The gambler smiled. But his curling lips and gleaming teeth expressed not mirth, but rage. “ The boy, eh?” he muttered. what you suspect.” “He may have changed the numbers. We were fools to trust him. He is a stranger here—a nameless waif. Perhaps he is a spy.” “Oh! oh! Perhaps he is!” “We were fools, I repeat. One of our old and trusty men should have done the drawing.” Pe “The result would have been the same. , Belmont, we have made a blunder. That is all!” “J cannot believe it.” “It is simple. Sixty-six held upside down is ninety-nine. There you have it. The wrong number went into the pocket, and the wrong number came out.” Belmot started. “A blunder, I say,’ repeated Spanish John. - “The girl had one chance in two hun- dred, and she won!” the rancher mut- , tered, . “ A gtroke of fate !” The two men looked at each other _—. * Tell me ss * Strange! But we must watch the ee oo id eg.) f? “Very queer! Yes, I'll keep an eye on ar him, Rupert.. Do you the same.’ pes “ And the girl?” sa ia “JT must plot again. With father and es daughter in our hands, we can bend them to our purpose. “We must possess the Ten-Bar Ranch and Touchstone Mine.” | §panish John arose, and restlessly pac- sed the flood. After a moment, he uttered a few words to the rancher, then turned and descended the stairs. : Lighting a cigar, Beimont lifted his heels to a corner of the table, and puffed away with the air of a man beclouded with perplexity. His eyes were half clos- ed, and there was a scowl on his face. 3 The minutes slipped by unheeded, un- ¢il Spanish John had been gone a half- ‘ . Then a firm tread sounded on the ! ae ateireny, and the form of a man, with a ws - gample case in hand, appeared in the [ rway. | a Ae Enter ! 1” eried the rancher, taking down his feet. Fi _. “Mr, Belmont, I believe?” 2 “That is my name.” ee soe “Mine’s K. K. Sparlock, representing wo Nt ’ * - ry P . stil wd & Meyerdrum, cigars and to- : Mi ‘While speak he i to the nd deftly, Got a ing, the traveler had ad- bored where he put down opened the sample case. Cl Belmont grufflj ~ on 7 in- py . nd og A el ie 5 4% ae us r 12 As viet pate be mT ae * | nish now. ‘ 4 ~ * ~ ay ‘ A ‘ , The Brand-Burners of Cimarron. “ Nothing !”’ “Got a side line—something entirely new to the West—’” “Don’t want it!” Down went the voice to a whisper: “ Graduated knock-out drops _ for troublesome customers or fat purses. In- sensibility from one to forty-eight hours, or death quick as ‘scat’—just as you like ! Leaves no trace—defies analysis— “ Heavens ! man, what ails you?” Belmont, pale and trembling, had leap- ed to his feet. **[—I—am violently ill.” “Shall I call for help?” ‘“‘ No—leave me. I am subject—” Snap ! went the grip. With a sweeping bow, the-traveler turned and departed. On the stairway he passed Spanish John, who Jooked at him curiously. “Belmont, who was that man?” asked the One-Eyed, a moment later. The rancher shivered, and muttered: “T’m not quite sure,” *“ Not, eh? Well, I'll tell you: Goldspur, the detective !” oe CHAPTER X., MOMMY PEGGS’S QUERY. That sibilant and mysterious command from Zebulon Peggs to his wife made a deep and lasting impression on_ that poor creature, ‘Hear all—remember all !”’ These words, seemingly possessed of a dire and secret significance, lingered in the mind of Mommy. What did they mean? Why should Peggs have displayed such guilty weakness one moment—such in- tense interest the next? Of what import was the detective’s er- rand to him? What knowledge or interest had he in Major Duncan, or the stolen child? Pondering the matter, Mommy shook her head doubtfully, and muttered: “ Lawd, save ’im! ’Is ’art’s hall right, Hi know, but there’s su’thin’ hon ’is ‘ead. Hin the six years we've bin ’usband han’ wife, ’is honly fault ’as bin ha cup too much hat times; but now—” A sigh took the place of utterance, and her rolly-poly figure quivered like a huge jelly ball. “Ts ’art’s right, Hi know !” Baffled by the perplexing problem, Mommy thus put it aside, and carefully obeyed the order. There was not much that she could tell Peggs, beyond what he had already learned from the detective and Ruby Ran- ger; but he listened attentively to that little, and attempted to add to it by dili- gent questioning. It may be remarked that Mommy was the cobbler’s third wife. Satisfied at length that he had received every scrap of information his wife could impart, the veteran rose to a sitting pos- ture, and rested a moment on the side of the couch. He was pale and visibly ill at ease. His single eye gazed furtively at the floor, and anon he ran the fingers of one hand through his seanty locks. “ Dear ’art, you look blue haround the gills,’ Mommy remarked. ‘“ You're hill. You need ha stimulant.” Peggs shook his head, and growled: “Vum! Ther jug’s smashed.” * Smashed?” He was Rising, Peggs opened the door, pointed to the fragments, and groaned. “?Art halive !) W’ot did hit?” “Hi did hit,’ in mimicry. Then he winked, and pointed over his shoulder. “Ther gal was in danger.” Mommy caught her breath sharply. Her doubts vanished like mists under the summer sun. “ Blessed man !” she ejaculated. Peggs looked mysterious, and stepped outside. “Ding et all! we ain’t out o’ ther woods yet, ” he reminded. aaa om Pa as Bu ay hhh oh ; Kat " " i gy 4s isnt, Fo - » ~ i ‘el id shah a is t. “I’m - goin’ ay not be back till nearly hi ‘ an poeasis Be: gue pero Pan”! Pat ies } * Too deeply impressed to question, Mom- my nodded and closed the door. Peggs stood quite still until he heard the key click in the lock, then stealthily moved out of the yard. It was nearly nightfall when Peggs re- turned. There was a stealthy, half-sinis- ter expression on his round, red face, and he obstinately refused to meet any of the inquiring glances leveled at him. Supper was eaten in gloomy silence. As soon as the meal was ended, the veter- an loaded his pipe and puffed away ina slow and methodical manner. Suddenly, ne leveled a sharp glance at Ruby, and said: “Young lady, et’s right an’ proper ye sh’u’d go down ter ther camp-house an’ see thet cawpse before et’s planted, bein’ as ther man done raised ye, an’ raised ye well.” “TI would like to go, Mr. Peggs, if—” “No if’s! Duty’s duty, jest es law’s law. Vum! yes! An’ both must be upheld.” “T’ll go with you, Ruby,” cried Polly. “No, ye don’t !” asserted Peggs, stiffly. “Yes I will !” “T’ll ’tend ter this hyar percession my- se’f, Miss Rattlehead. You keep still. I don’t want no rebellion. Bagonets an’. bullets ! no !” “ But I might go along, Pop.” * An’ ag’in ye mightn’t. See?” Ruby rose. . “T’ll be ready, Mr. Peggs, as soon as I put on my hat and cloak,” she said. “ Wery good, young lady, on’y ye must : go in disguise. Understand ?—disguise. ; Jest ye take Polly’s bonnet an’ coat, an’ 4 yell slip right through ther enemy’s lines.” Polly’s vexation vanished in a burst of laughter. gl “You dear, cunning old soul! I see, — now,” she exclaimed, dancing away after the ‘articles in question. Peges uttered a smothered growl, and resumed his smoking. A moment later Polly re-appeared, bearing a sunbonnet and a rough cloak, which she assisted Ruby in donning. When these preparations were complet- ed, the veteran knocked the ashes from his pipe, and took up his musket. The | next minute, he and Ruby quitted the — house. i Left to themselves, Mommy and Polly were occupied for some time with the ever-present household duties. These at- tended to, they entered the front room and sat down to await the return of the absent ones. Then a thought suddenly occurred to Mrs. Peggs, and she lifted her pudgy hands and said: “ Hi bethinks there’s not ha match hin | the ’ouse for the mornin’.” yy “T’ll go for some, Mommy.” or “Make ’aste then, dearie.”’ . Catching up Ruby’s hat and cloak, Pol- — ly quickly enveloped herself and darted away. Mrs. Peggs was a timid soul. Opening the door, she invited the dog Bounce in- to the house for company, then resumed — her seat and patiently waited. The minutes passed into an hour—the hourt into hours, and no one came. Poor | Mommy, not daring to move, sat silent and motionless, staring blankly at the ~ wall, while the tears coursed slowly down her cheeks. ~ . The clock on the shelf tolled the mid- night hour. A moment later she aah | Peggs’s well known rap at the door. Pte, When he entered, he was alone. 4.7). “Where's the girls?” asked Mommy, | peering past him into the darkness, “Ther gals? I dunno.” Keke * “But Ruby went with you!” “She did.” “ Where his she?” \ . “J dunno, I tell ye.” 1S 8 ~ Peggs spoke sharply, then started gui 2 ily, and slyly gs apis his | tap oa mt ‘him. : ad ee 25 * Jie a x a nes aie Sey L sat = ‘comicbooks.com