The Brand Burners of Cimarron — page 6: what you’re looking at

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

iA Sale ey ae a ‘ “as * ia 7 4 & oad Pai ate OAT SF 4. The morning. I have written a short note, par- tially explaining matters, which I shall entrust to you to deliver to her.” “Tt doesn’t state that she is Ma- jor Duncan’s daughter?” queried Spanish John. ‘No; you may unfold that fact to her in your own way. Let it answer, now, that she is a good girl—one whom even Duncan may well be proud to acknowl- edge his daughter. My wife—” Brown ended abruptly. His wrinkled brow gathered in a slight frown. He looked suspiciously from one to the other of his callers, and asked: ‘“ You mean no harm to Ruby, gentle- men?” “ Assuredly not,” clared. “Tt ig well. While there is a wide gulf between us, I tell you now that I would protect her at any hazard. In fact, I had almost decided to take her to Major Dun- can and throw myself upon his mercy !” “How foolish !” sneered the gambler, “He would shoot you on sight,” Bel- mont averred. “You need have no fears, Johnny Brown,” Spanish John continued, after a moment. ‘No harm shall come to the girl. Indeed, I have busied myself for months past in her behalf, and when she returns to her father it will be under a husband’s protection.” “A husband?” “So I gaid. I have decided that Ruby Ranger shall wed my friend here, Rupert Belmont.” That announcement came like a thun- derclap out of aclearsky. Leaping to his feet, Brown glared angrily at the two men, “‘T object !” he exclaimed, sharply. “ Why?” “ Because, Barmillo, your friend Rupert Belmont is an infernal scoundrel!” Spanish John de- CHAPTER IV. THE MESSENGER. At that abrupt declaration, the ranch- er’s face grew red, and his eyes gleamed wickedly; but for Spanish John’s prompt intervention, he would have sprung upon the speaker. “ Sit down, Belmont,” the gambler or- dered. “ Don’t give point to the quip by showing your teeth!” “Brown, you are extremely candid in expressing your opinion!” 3 “Yes. I judge the man by the com- pany I find him in. You, Barmillo, are a miserable cutthroat. But for you I would be free of crime.” ‘Granted !” “T sometimes think of revenge.” “You are wise to shrink from attempt- ing it! Sit down. Let us come to terms.” “TI fear it is impossible. Certain it is that I shall never agree to Ruby’s mar- riage with that man.” “Be sensible, and we may waive that point.” “Can I trust you?” “You will be compelled to do so. Re- member, you are an outlaw—a criminal, You abducted Major Duncan’s daughter. Both you and your victim are here. We ean wrest her from you, and you will be powerless to resist.” “You forget, Barmillo, that you insti- gated the abduction.” “ You cannot prove it !” “Nor can you prove that Ruby Ranger is Duncan’s daughter. The power to do that is vested in me alone !” The gambler winced. “True ! true! Sit down, man, and let us come to terms,” he iterated. “It is folly for us to quarrel.” “Swear to waive the marriage, and to restore the girl to her father, and I will depart at midnight, leaving her here. Refuse, and I shall go straight to Duncan with the whole story, much as I dread the step.” “Very well, then. I swear.” “ And I,” added Belmont, quick to fol- low the gambler’s lead. ‘We shall consider the point settled, « , . o/s ee 5 : ‘ . ie ‘ + od ee Bel ip . AUR / a - 7 : ine et ‘ hes p vee! \ ‘ eras Doak gw - 7D ti ; wh ee Tee cP her a4 . 4 4 ? *. ee! Seba: P r | SS oP det Brand-Burners of Cimarron. then, gentlemen; I will go; the girl shall remain. I warn you, though, that I shall not be far distant. I intend to keep an eye on Ruby, and any infraction of your agreement shall be promptly pun- ished.” ‘* Meaning—just what?” “ Just this, Barmillo: the girl is bound to me by law, and I shall keep the articles of indenture, that I may reclaim her should you attempt to wed her to that scoundrel !” Again Brown pointed to Belmont; again the rancher rose from his chair, only to be held in check by the gambler. The wicked glitter in the latter’s single eye showed that his anger was roused to a desperate pitch. Yet, his voice was soft and purring when he spoke, saying: “Your suspicions are ill-grounded, John Brown—your threats foolish. Time will prove aS much to you. Let us finish this business.” Brown laughed shortly. For some lit- tle time the trio talked quietly, and mu- tual good will seemed fully restored, Then Spanish John drew a cigar case from his pocket, and passed it to his companions. Both men accepted cigars. The gam- bler took one himself, closed the case and returned it to his pocket. “TI trust the matter is now fully set- tled,” he remarked, when he had secured a light. ‘‘ We understand each other, at last, and I am sure no one will attempt any double dealing.” “Quite sure,” Brown declared. ‘“ Do you know, gentlemen, what I had deter- mined to do if I found you playing me false?” sé No oer “Prove Ruby Ranger my daughter !” Despite his iron nerve, Spanish John changed color at that significant declara- tion, and started sharply. But the ques- tion forming upon his tongue was not uttered. A terrible change had suddenly come over John Brown. He staggered blindly. His eyes rolled in their sockets, and his face was horribly distorted. A peculiar look flashed across the gam- bler’s visage. Leaping lightly past his astounded ally, he softly closed and se- cured the door. “Silence !” he hissed, when Belmont would have spoken. ‘“‘ Take your stand beside this door, and note if any one ap- proaches.” The rancher mutely obeyed. In another breath, Spanish John seized the unfortunate traveler and laid him on his back on the floor. Brown attempted to speak, but the words died in an in- articulate murmur. Then a shiver ran through his form, and he lay quite still. With deft fingers, the gambler emptied the traveler’s pockets. A small sum of money and a number of important-look- ing documents were brought to light. The money Spanish John returned; the papers, he hastily secured about his clothing. The single eye gleamed and glittered evilly; the dark face betrayed both triumph and disappointment. There was just a trace of hesitancy, then the long and supple fingers passed quickly over the moribund in search of his money-belt. It required but a moment to locate it, and in another minute it was in the gam- bler’s possession. Then, at a sign from his ally, the rancher threw open the door, and both lifted their voices in cries of alarm, quickly drawing Burton King to the camp-house. A few words from the plotters explain- ed matters to the liveryman’s satisfaction. “It is heart disease, I think,” Spanish John observed. ‘“ A doctor can do little good, I fear, but we’ll send one at once. “Come, Rupert. Let’s hurry,” With that, the allies departed. On their way to the Silver Shades, they stopped long enough to notify a physician. “What did it?” the rancher demanded, | when they, were again in the room above the saloon, a we : M4 Veh | and—” eho) iy Te™ Rae 2 Ang Un ge Ste eG Ge ee ta Aah p “Heart disease, or something of that sort.” “T feared—” * What?” ** Poison !” Spanish John shrugged his shoulders. He laughed carelessly. “ Fudge!” he exclaimed. I have poisoned the man?” “The cigar. I suspected—” “ Drop your suspicions ! You took one; so did I. Brown selected his at random. He is dead; we live. In the words of our itinerant friend, the gospel sharp, let us call it a mysterious dispensation of Provi- dence, and quit that phase of the subject. There are now other matters demanding our attention,” The subtle gleam in the gambler’s eye did not escape the rancher. But he had learned to fear his ally, so bent his head in acquiescence. “That is true,” he rejoined. must now prepare to seize the girl.” “Yes; our original plans are knocked into a cocked hat by Brown’s death.” “We can abduct her.” “ No, we dare not hazard that, just yet, even in this half-lawless country. Leave it to me. I will evolve a plan before I sleep.” At that moment, a brisk step sounded just beyond the door. Spanish John started to his feet expectantly. Then came a sharp knock. — “ Enter !” The door opened, and a short, heavily- built, roughly-dressed man stepped into the room. “Ha! Noolan, it is you!” the gambler ejaculated. “ You bring news from the Cimarron !” “Yas, boss,” was the deep-voiced re- bly. “We've caught ther old man him- self.” “Not Duncan?” “Yas, Major Duncan !” iis We CHAPTER V. ZEBULON PEGGS. Burton King certainly had not departed from the truth in characterizing Ruby Ranger as beautiful and good. She was a shy, unassuming girl, petite of form, and a pronounced brunette. Old Zebulon Peggs had a daughter, seemingly a year or so older than Ruby, a bright, sparkling creature, slender and graceful, with brown hair, black eyes, and almost faultless features and com- plexion. The two maidens, both young and guileless, seemed drawn to each other by a mysterious, but powerful influence, and in the few hours they had been thrown together mere acquaintance deepened in- to warm friendship. Zebulon Peggs looked on with an ap- proving eye. We say eye, because, like Spanish John, the humble cobbler had lost an optic. Moreover, he had a wood- en leg. As he was a man of unusual girth, this artificial member was at times the innocent cause of much trouble. The Peggs domicile stood a short dis- tance out of town. In common with the greater number of residences in and around Tiptop City, it consisted of two rooms—a box house sixteen feet square, with a shed kitchen in the rear. On the morning following John Brown’s arrival in town, the cobbler sat at his bench in a corner of the front room, pegging a boot. The two girls were seat« ed near, chattering away, and the veteran was giving more attention to their talk than to the work in hand. The death of John Brown and its ef- fect upon Ruby’s future was the topic un- der. discussion. “ Really, I don’t know what I shall do,” Ruby declared, in reply to a question from Polly Peggs. “ As I have told you, the man always claimed that I had been bound out to him when very young, “Thar, Now! Hev ye ever seen ther papers?” interjected Peggs, suddenly lay- ing down his work and bending fo | 900 , . 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