Beadle's New York Dime Library, No. 1102 — page 15: what you’re looking at

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

=» « “ < ye" = f —. 2 on — a - ) 15 with the same favorable eyes that she did only a short time ago.” The Stranger Sharp. a match,” he soliloquized, as he leaned back in his chair and elevated his feet to his official ‘‘Oh, I know you're a born fighter, chief, but | this man of whom I speak is one fellow picked | out of ten thousand. ‘* His name is Blake, and he calls himself the Fresh of Frisco; perhaps you may have run | across him somewhere?” The Indian shook his head. ‘- Well, he’s about as bad as they make ’em now, [ tell you, and you'll find it no easy job to get away with him. ‘You know the Indian girl, Lute Winne- mucca?” The chief nodded. ** Well, I, with five good men, attacked this Blake and the girl on the Se prairie, the other night, and got mighty well whipped. ‘Two of the men were killed outright, and the other two so disabled that I doubt if ten thousand dollars would be any inducement to bring them to attack the fellow again.” ““ F will meet him single-handed and slay him!” exclaimed the chief, loftily. ‘* All right, if you care to try it; but if you ‘will take my advice you will lay a trap for him and jump on the fellow with all your warriors, so as not to give him the ghost of a chance to escape.” **] will see,” replied the Indian, who, for all his boasting, was a crafty fellow, who de- sired to always work with the advantage on his side. ~ ** And the odder job?” ** When this first one is finished I will explain ‘the second. Come into Santa Fé to-night and take a look at your man.” ‘*T will come.” said the Indian. ** Any one will point him out to you. Jackson Blake is his handle,” And then he rose and approached his horse. ‘*The Painted Bean never forgets,” the chief replied, he stranger mounted and with a wave of his hand rode away. CHAPTER XXII. THE PROPOSAL, OLD BULLION sat in the plainly-furnished of- fice pace as alcalde, he ruled the town of San- ta Fé. To do the burg of Santa Fé full justice it eof be remarked that the town almost ran it- se Then the captain of police, Miguel Santilla, was an excellent man, although he did not succeed in holding his own when opposed to such a man as Jackson Blake, the h of Frisco, but then there were few men who could. Marmaduke thought a good deal of Santilla: he was such a pleasant, courtly gentleman; but then he came of a good family, had seen service under half a dozen different flags and in as many climes, and was a thorough polished man of the world. Old Bullion had noticed that for the last six or eight months the captain of police had been paying particular attention to his daughter, the rless Isabelle, and he was rather pleased at a idea. Ever since his daughter had grown to girlhood and begun to attract attention by her rare beau- ty he had been anxious about her. The sole heiress of his enormous wealth, it was only natural that she should attract suitors, even if she was as ugly as sin itself, but when, in addition to the wealth, a girl as beautiful as an angel was to be won, it was not strange that every man who was free to marry should desire to find favor in her eyes. And the father had been apprehensive that some plausible scoundrel might succeed in win- ning the prize so well worth the toil of any True, he knew that Isabelle was no silly girl —no frontier maiden used only to the wild Fife of the Far Western wilds—for she had been carefully educated at one of the best convent schools that the cultured East could boast. The grim old cattle-king had suffered the pang of parting with his dearly beloved daughter when she was oe eight years old; he carried her to the East, placed her in school, and then returned to the West,and for ten years had only seen a Gabe a year for a few weeks at a time duri er vacation, _ Old Bullion had the right idea about the mat- ter, and was determined that his girl should be educated as a young woman ought to be who would one day inherit a colossal fortune. And besides the accomplishments and graces which the school imparted, during her vacation visits to the frontier she learned to ride as well as any cowboy, shoot like a champion wing- shot, run like a grevhourd, and could even boast of the accomplishment of throwing a bowie-knife after the fashion of the red war- a The 1 had a level head, too, and the father ‘boasted, with justice, that there wasn’t any non- bout his beauty. TO oa the Western expressicn, she was all desk, at the same time producing a cigar and lighting it. ‘‘ As a general rule, I don’t take much stock in Mexicans or Spanish - Mexicans,” he con- tinued. ‘* The boys hit ’em off about right when they call them Greasers, and [ should be mighty sorry to have my gal get afoul of one of them. ‘* But this Santilla doesn’t seem to be of that breed at all. ‘* He’s a pure Spaniard, with none of the Mex- ican-Indian blood about him, and a gentleman clean through. ‘*4 man of brains and pluck, although that infernal sassy rascal who calls himself the Fresh of Frisco did get the best of him the other night, but then he managed toclean me out too; he’s the darnedest cussthat ever struck this town, and I never saw his equal for either getting into scrapes or getting outofthem. Hang me if the town sin’t really seemed to oe Smarter since he struck it.” At this point the door opened and the captain of police made his appearance. Notwithstanding his complete defeat at the hands of the dashing stranger he did not seem to be at all the worse for the encounter. He felt the sting of the discomfiture though, and it rankled to his very soul. ; ‘** Hallo! glad to. see you; sit down,” said Old Bullion, waving his hand toward a chair. ‘* You don’t seem to show any signs of your leetle misunderstanding with that sassy chap t’other night,” the alcalde observed, as the cap- tain of police took the chair and seated himself in it. ‘* No, luckily 1 escapea any severe hurt, but honestly, alcalde, I have to thank my opponent for it, for he could have either wounded or killed me if he had so chosen.” ‘lf that galoot wasn’t so terribly fresh and sassy he’d be a wonderful man,” Old Bullion growled. ‘* Yes, he appears to be a master-hand with all kinds of weapons ‘* When I became embroiled in a difficulty with him I was somewhat puzzled to know what weapon to choose, for I had an idea that he was an Paper Devers and also equally skillful with the rifle. ‘* Now, though I can do fairly with either yet Tam not a.crack-shot by any manner of means, and I was determined after | became mixed up in the affair so that there wasn’t any possible retreat, without showing the white feather, that I would not give him any advantage if I could possibly avoid it.” ‘*T see, I see, and that was the reason you chose sabers, thinking that with such a strange weapon you would bave the dead-wood on him.” ** Yes, that was the idea exactly. I fancied that the odds would be about a hundred to one that he never had a saber in his hand, much less knew how to use one.” ‘‘ But the fellow had you foul!” old Bullion cried, ‘‘ He used the blamed thing like a fencing- master,” ‘¢ Yes, I have taken lessons in the use of the saber myself, of course, and was counted to be a pretty fair swordsman, but I was like a novice who had never handled the weapon before when confronted with this fellow, ‘* But enough of this; it makes me sick when I think how completely I was defeated!” the captain exclaimed, an expression of disgust upon his dark yet handsome face. ‘* Oh, yes, I can understand that.’ ‘We'll leave this disagreeable subject and come to a more pleasar.tona ‘*T don’t know as you have noticed it, Mr. Marmaduke, but for some time past I have been endéavoring to render myself agreeable to your daughter, the beautiful Isabelle.” ‘+ Well, well, I reckon I ain’t blind, Santilla,” Old Bullion replied, lying back in his chair and indulging in a grin, accompanied by a series of knowing winks. ‘*T presume I ought to have a to you in the first place,” the other continued. ‘ But a nervous dread lest my suit might not find favor in your eyes kept me silent.” * Oh, that’s all right!” the old man exclaimed, heartily. ‘‘ There isn’t the least objection on my part; Goin and win if you can.” | ‘* Mr. Marmaduke, I appreciate your kindness, I assure you, and will do my best to deserve your favor.” ** Oh, I'm up to snuff if I am getting old and in my dotage!” the alcalde exclaimed. ** No one that knows you would say anything of the kind,” the other observed. ‘‘ There’smany a man of forty in Santa Fé who is not as young as you are in reality.” ** Well, I reckon thar’s a deal of truth in that. I hold my own about as good as the best of them. But, I say, how do you get on with my ‘* In faith I hardly know how to answer that ** Well, that’s strange.” “Will you pardon me if I speak frankly the suspicion that is in my mind?” Santilla asked, abruptly. The alcalde looked surprisea. ‘“* Certainly, go on, spit it out. “‘It may be only my imagination, of course, but it seems to me that since the arrival in San- ta Fé of this Jackson Blake—this Fresh of Fris- co—her manner toward me has changed,” ‘*Oh, but that is utter nonsense!” the alcalde blurted out. ‘** You can’t really believe that a gal like my Isabelle would fall in love with such a fellow at first sight?’ ‘“‘ Tt doesn’t seem possible, alcalde, but then things of that kind do havven sometimes, you know.” “Oh, yes, I admit that, but then the gals are not like my gal!” “The fellow bas a dashy, showy way with him, and since he has been in Santa Fé has suc- ceeded in playing the réle of the hero to perfec- tion. ‘* He has been engaged in twoor three brawls, you know, and has come out the winner every time. ‘* With such a man a romantic girl. might fancy herself in love.” ** Yes, that’s very true, but the trick can’t be worked. This fellow is as brave as a lion and as cunning as a cat, but he’s nothing but a com- mon card-sharp according to all accounts, and my gal is not for him.” ‘*‘it may be merely an idle fancy, you know, but I thought it worth while to speak.” ‘Certainly, and I'll keep my eyes open, and if there is anything in it, you can bet ll find it out. ime would not say anything to your daugh- r. ‘*“Ob, no, it is with my gentleman I will deal.” And here the conversation ended. CHAPTER XXII. ANOTHER WARNING, It was on the evening of the same day that the conversation between the great cattle-king, Old Bullion, and the captain of police took place, as detailed in our last chapter. Blake sat in his room in the Forty Rod Sa- oon. He had just finished his supper cordance with his usual custom, had lit a cigar and was seated in a chair, tilted up against the wall, enjoying the same, when a stone was tossed in through the open window. The dusk of the night had come and Blake had lita candle, the rays of which dimly illu- minated the room, and so he was able to plainly distinguish the stone which landed on the floor right at his feet. ere was a paper tled to the stone. ‘** Hallo, that’s a message!” he exclaimed, as he stooped and picked up the stone. ‘* And that reminds me that I must be care- ful how I promenade around this room with that candle burning and the window open and uncurtained. ‘* Any decent shot could plug me from the outside without any trouble, and no one would — know weer 3° Job was eo gt t was only a little scrap of paper wrap around the stone and neatly tied with a rns sy Blake removed and unfolded it, Upon it in a plain, round, schoolboy-like hand was written a sentence: **The friend who warned you the other night de- sires to say a few words to you if you will have the kindness to come to the back of the hotel.” ‘Of course I'll come,” the Fresh muttered as he thrust the paper into his pocket; then he made an examination to see if his pistols were all right, extinguished his candle, put on his hat — ee to ° ¥ ie vol . e passed out of the back door of the saloon and, as he expected, in the distance discerned the youth wrapped in the black cloak and mounted upon the dark pony. Blake advanced directly toward the horse- man, and on oF Spe the rider urged his steed forward ata walk until a spot was reached so situated that the conference between the two could not possibly be overheard by any prying eavesdropper; then he drew rein and waited for Blake to come — z and, in ac- ‘*T had somet the horseman remarked, ‘Sand as I was scout- ing around the hotel I happened to catch a glimpse of your figure through the window, so I tossed the stone in with the note attached.” ‘“*T am very much obliged to you indeed for your trouble, and I will try and return the ser- vice if I ever have the opportunity.” ‘*Oh, don’t trouble yourself about that,” the horseman replied. important to say to you,” ed, a ee baa = toe thard horse sense from the word go. question,” the captain ied, slowly. The thoughts of the old man were turned to| ‘‘I had an idea that thy attentions were not Miguel Santilla and his dsughter at the time we | distasteful to her, but in the last day or two it introduce the reader to the alcalde’s office. seems to me that her manner toward me has “Tt wouldn’t be a bad idea for them to make changed, and that she does not look upon me “It is a duty that we owe t~ ~ach other, and Pe we are not fit to live in this world if we are not Wo willing to assist a fellow-creature.” ‘*That is the golden rule, I know, but there are a great many who do not live up to it, and LLL —LLSSF LL ee 6 SSS Ss Ss... 00°00 ee ae “* , : ; , 4 y * “wey ts * be d 4 - 3 Ee yn Ly ss Se Pee a Fae me lk gh ne ee iy eg ten EN te EE ee ® " , ireigt 3 cel wt Aigte® 724 . - a % = 7 rx - | ye . Py _ ° t » id ag ——- ef 7 O74 my fe te. 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