Beadle's New York Dime Library, No. 1102 — page 24: what you’re looking at

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

24 —— SS —_- ~—_-—- they will leugh at the matter asifit were a good joke fur me to fling away at night the sub- stance for which I toil during the day, and if any remark 1s made, ten to one it will be the saying: ‘<¢Oh, well, all men are a little wild some- times.’” ‘*That’s truth, every word of it,” Jitmson- wee exclaimed. ‘But the reason for the thing is simple enough; it’s the sheep and the wolves over again, ‘‘The gamblers are the wolves, and the cut- siders are the sheep, and you really can’t ex- pect the sheep to have a good word for the fel- lows who are going to devour them.” ‘‘There’s a good deal of sense in your simile, excepting that the sheep don’t run after the wolves and the would-be sports do after the gamblers.” ‘* Can’t allers hit exactly, you know.” ‘‘Well, I have become a sheep, but if any- hig picks me up for a flat, | pity them, that’s ] all. ‘‘But as to my motives for going into this thing, why, I should feel obliged to you if you'll say to every one whom you may happen to hear Grete: of the subject that the sole reason is, [am tired of leading a wild, roving life and have determined to settle down and come a respectable citizen, one against whom no mun will have cause to say a word, And there’s the whole thing in a nutshell.” Jimsonweed promised to do what he could to ~¢ the news to Mary,” as he expressed it. And he attended to the matter so faithfully that inside of a day all Santa Fé was in posses- sion of the knowledge that Jackson Blake, the Fresh of Frisco, was a changed man—had aban- doned the sport’s trade forever and had settled down to business with the laudable ambition of having in time the biggest store in the town. It did not take the news long to reach the alcalde’s ranch, and Old Bullion smiled grimly to himself, He thought that he understood the game the Fresh of Frisco was play me ‘¢ This is his first move,” he muttered. ‘¢ He has now become a respectable member of society, and when he comes as a suitor for the hand of any gixl to whom he may aspire, no one will be able to throw in his teeth that he is noth- ing but a miserable card-sharp who ought to be afianed of himself to dare to think of wedding au acnest girl. , ‘‘ The fellow means business, and the quick- ar I go to work to block his daring game the bet- Although he would not have been willing to acknowledge the fact, even to himself, the old gentleman had become impressed with the idea that Blake was about as difficult a man to “‘ get away with” as could be found in all New Mexi- CO. The alcalde cogitated over the matter for an hour or so and then formed a plan of oper- ations. Some time before his daughter had expressed a desire to pay a visit to some cf her schoo! companions in the East, and the father had re- quested her to wait until he could make it con- venient to accompany her, as he had some busi- ness in the East to which he ought to give his personal attention, So now he went to ber and said that, as if was impossible for him to set any deiinite time for his Eastern trip, perhaps it would be as well for her to go without delay and when she had gone the round of her acquaintance, and got ready to return home, he might be able to come on for her. Isabella thought this was a good idea and said as much. So it was arranged that in three days she was to depart, and the girl could not help thinking that her father seemed strangely anxious to burry her off, contrary to his usual behavior in such a case, for always before he had tried to have her delay her departure as long as possible and never gave anything but a reluctant consent to ber going. She was wise enemng, though, not to reveal her thoughts in regard to this matter to the old ntloman and the alcalde retired, chuckling in s sleeve, at the masterly strategy he had dis- played in the affair. ‘* Absence breeds forgetfulness,” he mur- mured when he had reached the sanctum again and resumed his old seat in his favorite easy- chair. **T don’t know as there is anything between the two yet; in there isn’t, and that is the reason word to Isabelle on the subject. to put the idea in her head, for a oung girlisa con creature sometimes, an ee The Stranger harp. —— ee $$ Going into partnership with Cohen made quite a change In his personal arrangements. Ever since his arrival in the town he had made the Forty Rod Saloon his head-quarters, but now in company with the honest Hebrew he slept in the store and merely took his meals at Jimsonweed’s hostelry. ‘* | hate to leave you,” he had said to the host, '*¢but I’m a business man now from the word ; go, and I must sleep in the store to protect my | ,oods a | . ‘+ (ohen is a first-class salesman; he can per- suade a customer to buy an article that he has no more use for than a dog has for two tails as well as any man that ever stepped in shoe- leather, but when it comes to war, he’s got to be counted out. ‘‘Butif Lam on the ground the man who at- tempts to raid that store will have as good a chanee for a fight as can be picked up in this world.” When this sneech was reported around the town, all agreed that it was the truth. With such a man as the Fresh of Frisco in- trenched in the store it would take an army to storm the premises. To even such a redoubtable force as the sheriff and his deputies defiance might be ven. Blake was leading a model life now. All day long he was in the store, excepting when he went down to the hotel for his meals. To half a dozen suggestions which had been made to him to come out and indulge in a little ame of ‘‘draw” at night, after the store had en closed, he turned a deaf ear. It was his custom after business was over at night to sit at the rear door with his partner, enjoy a cigar, and then go to bed, And on this night of which we write, as usual the two sat smoking justinside the door, when a shot broke the stillness of the night, and a bul- let knocked the cigar out of Blake’s mouth. A secret assassin was getting in fine work. CHAPTER XXXYV. | WHO FIRED THE SHOT? | Taz Fresh of Frisco jumped back out of the doorway into the darkness, for there was no light in the rear part of the store, which con- sisted of a small room partitioned off from the main apartment for the accommodation of the proprietors. A coal-oil ap was kept burning in the store itself all night, the wick being turned down, and as there was an open door in the partition which separated the small apartment from the store, enough light came through it to enable the poe to dispense with any light in the small room, But as this door was at the other end of the room from where the one which led into the open air was situated, the dim light from the store did not reach it to any extent. The moment he heard the report of the wea- pon, and beheld the cigar shot from the mouth of his partner, the honest Hebrew went over backward in his chair in a terrible fright. 3 ‘‘ Ough, ough!” he howled. “Quit your noise—you’re not burt!” cried Blake, drawing his revolver and peering cau- tiously out, anxious to discover the lurking-place of the ambushed assassin. ‘Oh, mine gootness! arc you not killed, Mister Blake?” asked Cohen, picking himself up cautiously, and taking particular care to keep out of the range of the doorway. ‘¢No, no, I am worth a dozen dead men, but it was a mighty close call, I tell you, and you can bet high on that, too!” Blake replied. ‘‘T didn’t think the night was light enough to enable any one to craw a bead on me, but [ never thought of my lighted cigar. ‘You see, the fire of my weed showed the rascal exactly whero to shoot, and although it was a rifle-shot and fired from a good distance, the fellow came within three inches of makin a bull’s-eye which would have sealed the fate o yours truly.” ‘‘Bor der love of gootness, Mister Blake, close up der door before der rascal fires mit der guns again.” . ‘* Oh, don’t be alarmed, the picnic is over for to-night,” the other rejoined. ‘‘The fellow is too shrewd to wait for a mo- ment after firing his shot, because there’s a chance, of course, that the aim was not correct, and he will hesitate to give me a chance to get at him. | “I thoughtI might be able to see him takin fact I teel pretty certain that | to his heels, but the night is toodark, Ifitha I dvin’t say a | not been for the lighted cigar he would not have I didn’t want | been able to get a chance at me.” ‘‘Mor gootness sake, Mr. Blake, don’t ever if 1 had told | smoke mit a cigar in der doorway agein!” the hor thaton no account must she take any notice | Hebrew exclaimed, still nervous with fear, of this impudent ergs perhaps that very ) waruing would lead her toward him, ‘+ Mo, no, no hint on my part shall put such a thing in her head. ‘‘The fellowis going to work in a careful way, but the removal of Isabelle will be apt to upset | eve all bis plana, I fancy.” Leaving the father to chuckle over bis bril- | bait to catch this fellow who is liant generalship we will return to tho Fresh, his rifle.” ** Don’t you worry abont that,” Blake rejoined. ‘¢ There’s an old saying which I always believe in living up to, andit is, ‘once caught, twice shy.’ But I tell you what it is, partner, Vil have a —_ — ‘‘How can cer dummy catch der scamp?”’ Coben asked, in wonder. ‘* Weil, the dummy will not catch him, but it will lure him on to get another shot, and Pil find some hiding-vlace ont vonde:. and after this ce Sg phizgs the dummy and starts to retreat, 11 be on hin like a thousard of bricks, and I give you my word, I’ whale him in a way that he will despise.” ‘‘ Mine zootuess! he should be killed, Mister Blake!” cried Cohen, earnestly. ' ‘* Well, after I get through with him, [ reckon he will feel just about as if he would as lief die as live,” the Fresh of Frisco replied, grimly: Then he closed the door and soon the partners retired for the night. And now let us avail ourselves of the author’s privilege, and follow the footsteps of the assassin. He had been concealed behind a little knoll of ground a good five hundred feet from the bacix door of the store. And this was the third night that the assassin had lain in ambush, waiting for a chance to get a shot at the man whose life he sought. On the two previous occasions Blake had sat back out of range, and though the spy had shifted his position a half-a-dozen times, yet he had not been able to draw such a bead on the Californian as he thought would surely result in destroying his life. The scoundrel was as patient as a red-skin about the matter, and had made up his mind not to risk a shot until he was certain that it would accomplish the result at which he aimed. On this occasion the lighted tip of Blake’s cor afforded him an excellent guide for his shot. And he discharged his rifle only after taking a most careful aim, Pure accident alone had defeated the purpose of the assassin and saved the life of the Fresh of Frisco. Just at the moment that the shot was fired, Blake, who sat with his chair tilted back on its hind legs against the door, moved slightly in order to get in a more comfortable position, and this change of position was all that saved him from instant death by the bullet of the assassin, for if he had not moved the ball would have —_ directly through his head. And after firing the shot, without waitin discover whether his design had snoeauied miscarried, the assassin rose to his feet and fled, running at a good rate of speed, but taking care to or that his footfalls should be as noiseless as pos- © sible. He was shod with Indian moccasins. on pur- pose, it would seem, to be able to meove a)- most noiseless!y over the earth. For fully five minutes he hurried on before relaxing his speed in the least; then, satisfied that he was safe from pursuit, he slackened his pace end finally came to a weik. ‘* Now, then, if I’ve settled his hash it’s w’ot T call a good vight’s work!” he exclaimed. ‘‘And I reckon the chances are jest about a hundred to one that ve done the trick, and no oné the wiser for it either. ‘+ '/'o-morrow, in Senta Fé, when they ask who killed tho Fresh of Frisco, nary soul thar will be able to answer the question.” The man went on, his rifle. carried in the hol- low of his arm, chuckling in glee at the success of his murdercus attack, for in his mind there was not the least doubt that his bullet hed sapped the life of the Californian. The noise produced by Couen when he had flung himself over backward in his chair, in his wild alarm at the shot, had reached the ears of the assassin and he supposed it was the fall of necane writhing in the agonies of death, that ho heard. And so, perfectly satisfied that he had accom- plished the murderous task which he had under- taken, he went gleefully on his way. The night was one of those peculiar ones, not dark, nor yet light, but now, as the moon was slowly rising above the horizon, is was gradu- ally becoming lighter. he assassin, feeling that he was now safe from all pursuit, was proceeding carelessly on- ward, without taking the least care to hide the noise of his footsteps, although. shod as he was in the soft Indian footgear, his steps were al- most noiseless. Not anticinating any pursuit, hs was not on the watch to discover if he was followed. Soon he entered into a rather rough and broken bit of po tego The same section, by the way, where the en- counter between the Fresh of Frisco and the Sharpshooter had taken place, as detailed in one of the earlier chapters of our story, as the patient reader will perhaps remember. And as the assassin marched along, with his mind full of satisfaction, there came a sourd to his éars which caused him to start and then ' come to a sudden halt. | The noise was like what would be produced by some one following cautiously in bis rear nico dummy fixed up to-morrow, and hereafter and .stepping by accident upon a dry twig, stent th this doorway every evening, just as a , night that dummy will smoke a cigar‘ J : > - SS > oe “ote: 7s (ht Ace tle which had snapped under the pressure. For a moment the heart of the fellow fairly so handy with | seemed to stand still, and his breath came thick and - sa co