The Brand Burners of Cimarron — page 7: what you’re looking at

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

Yeo, > a air es — - Pua’ > a dael ‘ Ft.” - tal wid >? te re ow | Fl ee ee ee 4 en Ne ple Zebulon Peggs ter speak ill o’ the dead, but mebbe Brown hed no sich docky- mints !” Ruby shook her head. ‘‘T never saw the papers, Mr. Peggs, but I believe they exist. Mrs. Brown first explained the matter to me, and as she was a good, true woman, I have no reason to doubt her statement now.” “Ay! ay! But ef ther papers can’t be found, then Ruby, ye are a free gal, mebbe, ‘“‘ How old be ye now?” * Sixteen.” ‘‘“An’ bound till eighteen, ye said?” “Vous air..’ “Two years yet !” Peggs pursed up his grizzled face. His single eye beamed compassionately at the girl. “A long time. Vum! Its a dangnation—” ‘“ Pop '?? Polly Peggs interjected the homely ap- pellative with crisp energy. Her shape- ly foct stamped the rough floor by way of emphasis. “JT forgot,” humbly apologized Peggs. “‘T meant ’twas a mighty bad law. Next thing ter bein’ a slave. I reckon Brown’s heirs or assigns will be after Ruby.” “They shan’t have her. Now that Brown is dead, she shall stay with us, Pop.” * Shore, jaw.” “The law—fiddlesticks ! ° got to do with it?” “Pverything. Ther law is supreme, an’ must be upheld. Do ye heur?—up- held ! Be keerful, young lady, an’ more respectful, or it’ll putt a kweetus on your owdashus expirations.” Peggs spoke’ sharply, and his eye gleamed with unwonted severity. “ Quietus on my audacious aspirations, you mean, dear Pop, don’t you?” asked Polly, meekly. “Jest what I said! Vum! I’ve fit an’ bled fer ther law, an’ I’d do et ag’in. I kerry a monymint ter my valor—lI do !”’ At that point, the veteran pounded the floor with his wooden leg. His gaze rest- ed reverently on a rusty army musket, with bayonet attached, hanging on the wall above the door, “Thar is an instrument o’ ther law,” pointing to the relic. “In my humble hands, it hes mowed hull platoons o’ ther enemy. It kin do it ag’in. You under- stand dear children, thet Zebulon Peggs upholds ther law?” “Yes, Pop.” “ Certainly, Mr. Peggs.” “Now we begin ter understand each other,’ pursued the veteran, nodding sagely. “Of course, I’m goin’ ter help Ruby. "Tain’t in law thet I sh’u’d let any one oppress a young critter like her, an’ I’m goin’ ter see about it. “Whar’s mommy?” “She's up town.” The answer seemed satisfactory to the veteran. Rising from the bench, he stumped out of the room and into the kitchen. “It’s ‘forty winks,’” whispered Polly, shielding her pretty mouth with her hand. Ruby seemed puzzled. “T don’t understand,” she confessed. “«Tarant’ler juice ’—whisky.”’ se Oh 1"? “Yes. Poor Pop! He’s a dear soul, but like the rest of us he’s got his fail- ‘ings. If Mommy were here that jug wouldn’t be going ‘ gug-gug-gug’ right mow. No indeed! “Now, I can tell you just what will happen. Pop will come back in a minute or two. His face will look a bit redder, and his eye will shine. He'll take down the old musket and go through his ‘ bay- onet drill.’ ” “ What's that?” “ Wait and see. I only mentioned it so you'd not be frightened by any war-like an’ welcome, on’y for ther What’s it | demonstration.” In some little alarm, Ruby nestled clos- er to her friend. At that moment, Peggs re-entered the 1 ; wrt AZ, 7 rely Ame aN , re * * . a! - 4 ‘ ; Byrn : - fe > ot pe \l- ey 4 ns to }e) ¥. Fa 5 4 aa { * ’ it 4 tol hy’ a ace _ “Ther bind-out papers, I mean. ’Tisn’t | room, closely followed by a mongrel dog. f Ath >, "4 1 ne er Rete nih Be “5 Ceo wy = The Brand-Burners of Cimarron. A glance showed Ruby that Polly’s pre- diction as to the veteran’s face and eye was literally true. Stopping in the centre of the room, he stretched out his arms. “Vum! My old bones are gettin’ dang —eh ?” “For shame, pop !” “Don’t ye observate on yer parent’s indiscussions, young lady. ‘’Tain’t res- pectable. As I was about ter remark, my old bones are gettin’ stiff. They needs exercise. I'll drill a while.” “ Well, do be careful, pop. You forget that Ruby isn’t used to your ways.” “Shore! But no one need be alarmed. I know my business !” | With that, Peggs pushed a table against the wall. Upon it he placed a short, heavy board, on which was chalked a small circle. “ That’s his target,” explained Polly,’ in a whisper. “ Get away, Bounce,” grumbled the vet- eran, tripping over the dog as he started toward the door to take down the musket. “You're al’ays in the way. Git out !” The dog sullenly retreated beneath a bed in the corner. Then Peggs swung the musket off the hooks supporting it, and patted it affectionately. “An old friend o’ mine,’ he assured Ruby. “ Tergether, we’ve upheld ther law; tergether, we kin do it ag’in.” An expressive wink accompanied this declaration; then, when the girls had retreated to the work-bench, the “ drill” began. It consisted of a series of awkwardly performed movements, somewhat simi- lar to those prescribed by the military code, interspersed wtih charges across the room and savage bayonet thrusts at the target on the inoffensive board. In the midst of the uproar thus occa- Sioned, the front door was suddenly flung open, and Spanish John stepped into the room, At sight of the intruder, Bounce uttered a sullen growl, and darted from beneath the bed. Unfortunately, he collided with his master, bringing the veteran down with a crash. The jar exploded the mus- ket, and with its resounding boom all be- came dire confusion. CHAPTER VI. SPANISH JOHN SHOWS HIS HAND. “ Bagonets an’ bullets ! I’m murdered!” wailed Zebulon Peggs, struggling frantic- ally under cover of the cloud of dust and smoke raised by the double accident. “ Lend a hand, some o’ ye! Shore, now, I’m bleedin’ ter death !” This cry aroused both Polly and Ruby from their momentary stupefaction, and both sprang to the veteran’s assistance. A prolonged pull put him upon his feet, and then it was found that no material damage had been done, the charge from the musket having passed through the open door, to find lodgment in the bole of a tree near by. Peggs looked around in a bewildered manner, and groaned dolefully. The gambler uttered a grating laugh. “Peggs, you are a scoundrel—an in- fernal scoundrel !” he declared, viciously. “ You have attempted my life !” That charge at once cleared the veter- an’s brain, and turned his confusion to wrath. He pursed his lips and whistled sharply, “Vum! You’re a dinged prevaricide !” he exploded. “ Why should I kill you?” “ For revenge !” “For revenge?” “Exactly. I killed Tom.” Peggs’s florid face grew white. “So ye did! You shot my boy!” he thundered. ‘ Wretch, you shall hang for that crime! Bagonets an’ bullets !— yes !” * Don’t, pop !” pleaded Polly, clinging to the enraged veteran in an agony of fear. “Please don’t! He may shoot you !” “ i 4 « I i? ' " iy + va be) ,y" ' : a ~~) rn ‘ \. Bf 2 . y ape OP ry : » pd Bi TPT: way ' ayy ‘ ‘ eee ways? ol. : “ Yes, do keep quiet, Mr. Peggs,” Ruby added, fairly quivering with terror as she noted the look in Spanish John’s blinking black optic. ‘“ He is a terrible wretch.” “ You, too, eh?” sneered the gambler, turning his gaze upon the girl. “ Well, you keep quiet. Do you hear? Know this: When I order, you obey, or ’twill be the worse for you !” Ruby Ranger drew herself proudiy erect, and her dark eyes sparkled scorn- fully. From her curling lips came the re- tort : “Sir! You forget yourself. You pre- sume upon my friendless condition, when you address me so. You—” “ Little ’un, you got friends,” interrupt- ed Peggs, hoarsely. “ Thar’s me, an’ Pol- ly an’ Mommy. Ef ther three o’ us can’t cutfight or outwit thet one-eyed thief, we're no good. That’s all !” Spanish John turned upon the cobbler. “ Mr. Peggs, I warn you not to incite this girl into rebellion against my au- thority,” he explained, coldly. ‘“ Mark you: I am in deadly earnest.” “Don’t keer a dinged cent fer yer authority ! I’ve al’ays upheld ther law; I've even fit ter uphold it. Now, ther law’s got ter uphold Peggs. It says every man’s house is his castle, an’ it’s his right to defend it. Ther gal’s in my castle, an’ thet makes me her lawful per- tective.”’ As he finished speaking, the veteran suddenly fiung both girls aside, and caught up the musket. Before his inten- tion could be divined, the sharp point of the bayonet was pressed to the gambler’s breast. ‘“ Han’s up—you !” hissed Peggs, eye gleaming with vengeful fury. Spanish John shrank back in alarm, and promptly obeyed, muttering: “ Have a care, Zebulon Peggs! I warn you to go slowly. I am here in the name of the law.” “In ther name o’ ther law, eh ? What- fer game—” “You are harboring this girl, Ruby Ranger. She is lawfully indentured to me, and I demand immediate possession of her.” A thunderbolt could hardly have creat- ed greater consternation among the trio. A glassy look came into Peggs’s eye, and his mouth opened until his double chin rested upon his breast. Shivering with dread, Ruby uttered a faint cry and sank half-fainting upon a stool. Polly was the only one of the three whose faculties remained unshaken. “I think that is a deliberate false- hood !” she exclaimed, abruptly. “ You do, eh?” “Yes, sir; I do. Ruby was bound out to the dead man, John Brown, and not to you.” “You are mistaken there, Pretty Polly. I took Ruby Ranger from the poor-house ten years ago; she was legally bound out to me. My circumstances changed, and I placed her in Brown’s keeping. Brown brought her here on my demand. Hired help is very scarce now, and a spry girl like her is worth a hundred dollars a year on any of the farms or ranches around Tiptop. She has two years to serve yet, and I would be a fool to lose the two hundred dollars she can earn, when it is legally mine.” “You're a brute!” snapped Polly. “Vum! Yas—a cold-blooded scoun- drel!” supplemented Peggs. ‘A mis’- abul, soullers, two-penny scorpion ! Bag- onets an’ bullets! I’ve a notion ter jab ye once, fer luck !” “Silence! I am ready to prove my his words. I have the document here.’’ “Projuce! Ther law must be up-. held.” So saying, the veteran grounded his musket and extended his hand. “PBasy, my friend! You must pledge yourself not to mutilate or destroy the documents.” “T shore won’t hurt ’em.” “Very good. Examine at your leisure,”™, i . o a f ' —- ?. z » = P ” C '@ } f - | ‘il. ’ tee “4 7 a _- a yaa ie + Eat co whe “9 ee > a 4) # AT mae ~ 7 i