Beadle's New York Dime Library No. 1092 — page 20: what you’re looking at

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

20 Old Cross-Eye, the Maverick-Hunter. . Tom followed his host to the room where the judge held business-like talks, and where the young man had been many a time in the days when be had been a cowboy on the ranch, Times were changed with him since then. Hé was rich, where be had been poor; but, at the moment when he entered the office, Tom felt that his old position, before the ranchers had begun to persecute bim, was preferable to the one he occupied that day, The judge did not even. offer him a chair, but took a seat himself and said sharply: ‘*Come, Field, what is it? [have no time to waste, fairly that there is no use for a man like you in Texas. You may h: ve cometo money; but it will only be a trouble to you bere, The best thing for you to do is togo to the East and stay there, Men of your temperament are not fitted for this part of the world.” To listened to bim respectfully. He had expected some such salutation, as soon as he saw the face of the old man and it did not dis- concert him, as it would have done if he had not been prepared, Before be answered he took a chair and drew it near the table where the old judge sat, at which tbe other stared in a manner that be- tokened a great deal of surprise and some dis- gust.. Then the young man spoke out: ‘1 beg leave to differ with you, judge, I have come pee to stay this time, and all the rancb- ers in Satanta county cannot drive me out.” The judge stared at the young man as if ~om bad gone crazy of a sudden, and retort- ‘Why, confound it, man; you don’t know what you are talking about. These fellows are all fighters, and you are not. Didn’t they drive has out of the ranch when I was your friend? can doa good deal, but I can’t put pluck into a man if it isn’t there by nature. But that has nothing to do with what you came here for. What did you want tospeak to me about? Tell it quick, for 1 am in a burry.” ‘om Field laid bis hand on the table. - **T want to buy a share in your ranch, for cash, 1 have not enough to buy thé whole place; but to purchase a share, and I will guarantee you sball not be the loser. I know the cattle business to the bottom now. IL have been a Maverick-Hunter for more than a year, ond I can put you in the way of becoming ric in’ a very short time.” The judge laugbed. ‘‘ Now, look bere, Field, I told you [I liked you. It is true. You have manners and edu- cation; but that is notenoitgh to make a gentle- man, to my ideas. A man may have all that, and yet be a very poor stick,in Texas, You want to purchase a sharein my ranco, Well, suppose I was to sell it? How long would ithe béfore the other ranchers would be after you, as they were before, and drive you out? It would be a swindle on you, my poor fellow, You would be sure to come to me before a month, and ask me to buy the share back, at half the money. Tney would make the place a erfect hell to you. Besides, it is quite possible hat 1 may find myself in a party “gar dae to the other rancher§ and take my life in my hand. What use would you be to me, under ia eased I could not depend on you Tom listened quietly, and when the judge had fivisbed, and lay back in his chair smiling, as if he felt sure he had ‘‘stumped” his inter- viewer, he answered: . yo may be mistaken as to that,sir. Imay not quite as helpless as you think in a fight, Ekavenecen-sieierse worn weapons, because [ d not know how to use them, but you may see that I bave th tA **Oh, bah!” the old judge interrupted him, with undoncealed contempt, “ That counts for nothing, Field. Ive seen many a man who wore a whole arsenal of weapons, and yet he would run like a hare, when he had to use them at targets that fired back athim. It is no use, I tell you. I wouldn’t have you for a partner. I want a man.” | | flushed slightly. With all his self-com- abe was mortified at the contempt which udge had for him. e struggled with himself for awhile, and then asked, in a low tone: ‘You say you are to be put into antagouvism with tbe rest of the ranchers. May I ask if the visit of that Englishman has anything todo witb it, sir?” The judge stared at him, ahd bis face took on its most forbidding look, as he said: ‘* Young man, that is not a question for you to ask, or me to answer. You bave no business to pry into my private affairs, I thought you bad the manners of a gentleman, but it seems that you have not even that. I might have known it, A man without an puck has not the foundation to build on, [t is time our inter- man th view was terminated,’ He rose as he spoke, and the young man be- fore him did the same, But fo all is uncere- mouiogs dismissal, he was not yet staggered, for “Tam aw: s that I had no busivess to ask the ne .” I like you well enough, but [ tell you | asa matter of business, I ' | KL ons I can guess what he has offered, J can bet- O::46,8 <1 ! ‘‘ What do you mean?” asked the judge, sur- prised, in spite of himself, ivto speaking. ‘*T mean,” said Tom, steadily, “that there is only one offer be can bave made you that would ut you into antagonism with your neighbors. e must Lave offered tu take your ranch into the company, and pay you in sbares. That would be the best thing he could. do, for he is the manayer and can do what he likes with the profits. ell, sir, 1 warn you that if you do this you will be sorry for it. Ihave known what it isto have the whole of a society down on me, and I do not envy you the experience. In a short time you may find it in your heart to put yourself into my position, and reconsider your opinion that | amacoward, Till then, good-day, sir.” So saying, he went out of the office and the judge stared after bim, muttering to bimself: ‘*Confouod his impudence! Dve a good mind to—” He did not say what, but followed his guest to the front door, and watched him mount his horse and ride away. As he went, the sun glittered on the barrel of he Winchester rifle that Field carried, slung at the back of bis saddle in a sort of holster, and the judge said to himself, aloud: “ By Jove it’s a pity. He’s a fine-looking fel- low enough. Wish he could shoot,” As if to answer bis desire, at that moment, he saw Field catch the rifle up from cut of the holster at his side and Jook upward to the sky. Then came a flasb and _report, and the jodge looked up to see what the young man was firing at. He saw a dark spot in the sky, and the next minute down it came, with a fluttering motion, showing that it was a bird of some sort, shot on the wing, CHAPTER XXIII. : aA GOOD SHOT. Down it came, and fell with a heavy thud at the very doorstep of the old rancher, showing him the white and biack plumage of the com- mon swallow-tailed bawk—more properly ki'e —of Texas, one of theswiftest of the Falconide, tbat always flies ata very bigb elevation, Tbe shot was remarkable; and the judge heard the sound of men clapping their bandas, not far-off, that showed the opinion of others on the subject, Looking, over.in the direction from whence it proceeded, he saw five or six cowboys, with red hats, in the uniform of the cattle company, star- ing from the otber side of the fence at the dead bird ard the figure of the dandified rider, as he rode slowly away without so much as looking k ck, The judge picked up the bird, and bis face wore a look of wonder, as he said to him- self: ~ 5 ‘* By Jove! thatwasa splendid shot. Wonder what made him do it?’ he whole operation had been that of a man who was certain of his aim, for there was no pottering or long holding. The rider had not even checked his horse, and had fired almost as soon as the rifle came to bis shoulder. As he passed ‘the cowboys by the fence, be threw the weapon across the front of bis saddle with the careless motion of the plainsman, and rode by them without deigning any notice. | They, on their parts, were so penetrated with the respect which had been called forth by his performance that they did not salute him with clumsy raillery, as they would have done any of the neighboring ranchers. They were under instructions from Berkeley to put themselves in the way of quarrels if they saw any chance, and to exercise a wholesome terror all over the county; but they forgot it all in the presence of a man who carried ten shots in one berrel, and bad just showed them that be could put them in the placa he wanted without any difficulty, } Had Tom Field meant the shot for a bint— and it is probable that he did—it could not bave been more ¢fficacions. He was permitted to ride away oomph and the judge picked up the bird and carried it to the house, where he called “ bis daugbters and Berkeley to see what had ‘“Would you believe it?’he said to them. “ That poor, spiritless wretch, Field, that we all used to laugh at, has turned out torbe a famous shot. I saw him take this bird on the wing, with no more treuble than [I would take to, put a bullet into the side of a barrel at ten paces. Never saw such a sbot! Splendid!” ~ ¢ Berkelev looked at the bird and asked, in his drawling English way: : ‘“Ah, ves; by the by, how far was the bird from him? vering, I suppose?” “ Hovering or not, it was a spléndid shot,” re- . marked Helen Collingsworth warmly, at which her sister ete ber a secret glance of great grati- tude, and Berkeley continued: ‘* Ob—ah—yes—of course—it was all that, you know—very good shot—but, I must say, I should like to see gag repeat it, and sbow it was not a e. I’ve known @ man make a bull’s-eye for first shot and miss all the| rest,” % Diana Collingsworth shot a glance at him, as. angry as the one at hersister had been grateful,. as she said slowly: ‘‘] hardly think that remark im good. taste, till you have bettered the shot, yourself, cap- |. tain.” Berkeley smiled, for he was a rood shot, and | knew it. ‘Oh, certainly, you know, by all means. De- lighted, I am sure, to give.you a little show, any time you may wisb, Miss Diana; but I haven’t a rifle here, and I don’t suppose there are hawks around the house, any time you want them.” Diana, with a malicious glance at the two long revolvers that still stuck ont from his side pockets, observed: ‘‘No, but I'we known those long, army-size pistols, to carry a bundred yards. Yonder’s an-. other hawk, if you think you cap bit bim.” Berkeley colored slightly. ‘‘ Ab, I beg your pardon, I’m sure; but I don’t know these things. They are not mine, you know,” —- . ‘“Not yours!” echoed Diana. they, then?’ Berkeley smiled, ‘* Whose are “Well, to tell you the truth, I got them by & kind of highway robbery, as you might call it. There was a gentleman who wanted to pick a quarrel with me, coming to your house, and I had to take these from him, Of course I don’t. intend to keep them; but really, the man was sa cheeky, I couldn’t help it, you know.” 3 He’ told his story so modestly that the girls were struck with it, and Diana asked: ‘Who was it? Do you know his name?” et ocapae handed her the pistols, saying lan- guidly: . ‘*] believe the name is on there, I didn’t look.” And, indeed, the name was there; for poor Limpy, in bis Texan vanity, had not been con-- tent till he bad had a pair of pistols with ivory are and his name in gold letters on a plate on each. - The girl had thought that the Englishman had been telling a fib, but the evidence of ker eyes: was not to be denied, and be added: ‘* By-the-by, judge, if the gentleman is a. friend of yours, be might take the return, fron» one of your men, more kindly then if one of my fellows was to go to his house with them. My menare apt to he very overbearing, I admi’, and it is my policy to be eas peaceable as I can consistently with our rights. Wii you be kin enough to take charge of them, and send them back to bim?” ' The judge took the pistols, and -looked af them with a queer expression in his eyes and mouth. us ‘What in the world was Limpy Balstrop about, to let you take these from bim, cap- tain?’ he asked. ‘‘He has the reputation of eg what we calla pretty good man here. Did he pull on you first?” : : Berkeley smiled scornfully. e ‘“My dear sir, I don’t give men like him a chance, But I don’t care to brag before ladies, It was all a little trick I learned from a ser- geant. Will you take charge of the things?” The judge put them away thoughtfully, say- ‘Certainly, But it puzzles me.” Then the Englishman set to'work to make himself asa able as possible, and, as he was a man who had seen a great deal of the world, and bad todo with two unsophisticated country girls, who bad never seen anything greater than the city of New Orleans, where they had ae pepo w days, on their way to Texas, be ad avery good measure of success. When he rode away, that evening, Diangw said to her sister: | “T jike him, Helen, and you’ mever gu what for.” “What?” asked her sister. af - Diana’s eyes flashed, : | ‘* Because be punished that brute of a Limpy Balstrop. But, oh, Helen, if he bad only done it, himself. It was Balstrop that insulted him, the worst, and he so inoffensive. Ob dear, oh dear, why can we not have all we want in this world?” | To which remark, Helen sagely replied: ! “ Ah, but that’s impossible, you know, Di,” And'tbhat night, when Diana Collingsworth went to bed, she was troubled witb all sorts of dreams, in which two men figured prominently. Ove of them was the Englishman,. and the other wes the man whom every one thougbt a coward, but whora she could not help loving, in spite of herself. CHAPTER XXIV. THREE DOSES ADMINISTERED, Dear SMITH was riding from his own ranch toward that of Limpy Balstrop, when he met that personage coming toward him, very slow- ly. looking thoughtful and depressed in spirits, — Deaf Smith and Limpy were o!d f and ton sogsthen very well; for Limpy let Deaffy et ar Sal Swe’ 7 = — . . “ ." * BR 7 a - : . . ~_Ve. ~~ Dn . SD Ore ss at a a > . Er 4 —_ =< = x A “ =| 3 we G+ = >? hus at > - ae D J . i a aye + Se ‘-~ - aw. ,