Beadle's New York Dime Library No. 114 — page 10: what you’re looking at

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

And in this cheerless domicile was housed the dainty Jules St. Auburn! As be crouched shivering near the fire and watched Lilian Amberleigh flit about, making the desolate room a little Veloaliie in her deft, woman’s way, his lip quivered, and into his cold, cynical eyes came a look of softened ten- derness. When she left him for the night, he rose, walked feebly with her to the door, and, bend- ing over her hand, touched it with his lips, and let fall upon it a tear. He had no words for his gratitude, Entering the room at that moment, the Gen- fleman from Pike saw the act, With a muffled, inarticulate cry, like the snarl of an enraged animal, he leaped forward and snatched Lilian’s hand away. Then these two men, both weak and pale with suffering, faced each other in a voiceless battle of the eye, while the girl shrunk abashed, and gazed from one to the other, unable to under- stand this antagonism too deep for words. William Carleton, ever so cool, now choked wilh passion, while his eyes blazed with a hate that would have annihilated, Jules St. Auburn betrayed neither fear nor anger. His eyes, his attitude, seemed to say: ‘* Strike!—you have the power and the cause!” But Carleton turned without a word, and drew the bewildered Lilian away. The next morning the Frisco Sharp was found raving in delirium. Then Hard Luck was seized with a panic which turned men, not overly humane at best, into veritable demons. ‘It’s all along of that Injun blanket,” said big Mose Finley. ‘‘ Gents, we’re snowed iu hyar, an’ that cuss has brought small-pow into camp! At that announcement the miners turned pale with dread. “Thar’s no runnin’ away from it,” pursued Mose. ‘We've got to grin an’ b’ar it now. But you know an’ J know that it’ll be fool’s luck, ef one in ten of us gits out o’ this hole alive. Ef I’'d had my way, that galoot ’ud ’a’ been out yonder, covered up by the snow, a- doin’ no hurt to nobody; but thanks to the humanity of some an’ the doggone fool craw- fishin’ of others, I was put down, An’ now gente, that you’ve got more’n you b ined or, what air ye goin’ to do about it?’ Ho was answered only by dark frowns. | Al- ready the sovereigns of Hard Luck regretted what they now considered their weakness of the day previous. ‘* Don’t be too sure that it is a case of small- pox,” said the Gentleman from Pike, making an effort to stem the tide of popular discontent, . ‘*[T will go and examine the sick man; and if it proves so bad as you fear, I will undertake the care of him without callin upon any one | on,” else to expose himself to ages, ‘*That’s all very fine fur talk,” growled ‘big Mose Finley; ‘‘ but I reckon small-pox can’t be barred out so easy. We was deggonedt fools fur lettin’ it into camp, in the first place.” * That’s so!” came a muttered assent. ** Boss, you’re shoutin’!” ‘We'd oughter strung him up before we let him leave this burg!” There was no use arguing with such men, The Gentleman from Pike turned to leave the room, to find Lilian Amberleigh at his side, ready to accompany him. “Lilly!” he exclaimed. ‘**{ will go with you,” she said, quietly. **No, no, my dear. It there is danger, you must not expose yourself,’ Then the face of the girl glowed with a grand- ly beautiful devotion, and her eyes took ona humid elcquence, ‘Do you think that I would sbrink froma peril into which you walk?” she asked, g zing upon him with a look that thrilled him stran ly. ‘‘ Besides, God has me in his keeping. In performing my me to humanity, I shall surely not go counter to His will.” “ ae the re oe ig demand your is sence, I wo not oppose your going,” replie her guardian. ‘“ But here all that "ie poeauar can be done without exposing you. Stay here!” He spoke decidedly. Though she gazed after him anxiously, she never dreamed of opposing his expressed will. But she was recalled to her surroundings by a discussion which was begun the moment the assembly was relieved of Carleton’s presence, ‘“* Look a-hyar, gents,” cried big Mose Finley, ‘is this hyar thing to be let torun? What air ye goin’ to do about it?” ‘*What kin we do about it?’ asked Moxy. “‘ We're in the box, an’ I reckon thar we’ve got to stay.” “Not much!” ‘Show us the way out—that’s all!” “ Burn the shebang over his head [” All started at this fiendish proposition. . Lilian Amberleigh utte a cry of horror, and gazed at the brute as if fascinated. He favored Ler with a scowl; then turned again to his male auditors. ‘‘ Remember, you went back on me. yester- day,” he said; ‘‘an’ this hyar’s what you git fer pated humanity !—a mighty smart chance to ve this camp rubbed out so clean that thar The Gentleman from ‘Pike. ese ee ee ee ee won’t be a grease-spot left to tell whar it stood. | But he heard her ery: Look a-hyar, gents—you know what small pox isin this country. A pepe ago it broke out in Pittman’s Bar, while the Injuns was blockadin’ the place. Thar’s twenty unburied skeletons up thar to-day—what the wolves an’ sich has leftof ’em! Two men tried to run the blockade an’ the Injuns ketched’em. Out of a hundred an’ fifty Injuns, seventeen got away! I reckon we'd better burn yonder shanty—don’t you ?” And the girl who had listened to this horri- ble story with bated breath, saw its dread ef- fect Sata p ee on the gloomy faces of those men in whose hearts fear now supplemented hatred, and slipping from the room sped with flying feet to warn the gentleman from Pike. And atter her went the furious mob, CHAPTER XIL THE ASSAULT. “* LILLIm, in Heaven’s name!” exclaimed her guardian, as the girl burst into his presence. ‘**Oh, Will! Will!” was the distracted reply, ‘they are coming to burn the cabin!” ‘Coming to what?” ‘‘To burn the house over this poor gentle- man’s head! Oh!, what shall we do to Brpyent such monstrous wickedness and cruelty?’ ** Do!” repeated the man, his eyes blazing fire as his face grew white and rigid. ‘* We will try the force of leaden logic!” With a firm stride one window beside the door. The crowd of miners were just pouring out of the No-tic under the leadership of big Mose Finley, who waved a blazing and black-smoking pine-knot. Judge Wiggins, reluctant to take a prominent part in this demonstration, yet in no wise dis- posed to impede it, lagged in the rear. Judd Baker and Tom O’Connor were excited- ly. arguing with the rioters, The remainin half-dozen who had shared Carleton’s peril au escape remained neutral, evidently afraid of the plague, and disposed to yield one man’s life however unjustly or crueliy, as the price of their own safety. “Hold on, boys!” shouted Judd Baker, ‘‘ You don’t know the Gentleman from. Pike as I do. If you push this thing, it’ll be war to the knife. He'll never yield up the man he’s undertaken to defend as. long .as he’s got a leg to stand on. And remember, he’s a dead shot! ‘‘That’s a game we kin all play at,” replied Mose Finley. ‘Shall we let a man that’s al- ready elected to swing breed small-pox in the camp that’ll leave us all. to rot unburied? What's the word, boys?” ‘*No! No!” “Devil a bit!” ‘* Smoke out the hospital rat!” ‘* Bf this hyar Gent from Pike chooses to back him, he’ll have to. take what he gits,” growled big Mose Finley. ‘‘We hain’t lettin’ no stran- er come in hyar.an’ run this: camp--eh, fel- ‘Right fur you, boss!’ “Shoot ary galoot that interferes!” ° ‘*Then thar’ll be two of us!” shouted Judd Baker, springing forward and placing his back against the cabin door, while he presented a frowning pistol in ei her hand. ‘* Arrah, ye divils! here’s another!. And re- mimber, tha-ur’s a lady in this cabin!” cried honest Tom O’Connor, ranging himself beside Judd. ‘‘Athrueson of Erin is always found on the soide av beauty and humanity!” — The door of the cabin opened at their backs, and the Gentleman from Piko stepped torth and drew his two ccadjutors beLind him into the doorway. ’ ‘‘ What is the meaning of this?” he demanded, facing the mob with a look that abashed most of them. ‘** It means that we’re a-goin to burn this pest- hole and all that’s in it!” cried big Mose Finley, Digsteringly. “Stand from under, for we're a-comin’ ! © the Frisco Sharp is bound to go up in smoke!” ~ “ Stop, gentlemen!” cried Carleton, still draw- ing no weapon, though Mose Finley menacing- ly waved iis, toe in one hand and his revolver in the other. ‘‘Since you are dead to all. con- siderations of humanity, I present one which will apuce directly to your selfishness. J have undertaken to protect this man, and I shall de- fend him to the death! While I live the man who attempts to apply a torch to. this building be dropped in his tracks!” ‘We'll see about that! Come on, boys!” yelled Mose Finley, and eae ge ee away at the champion who seemed unprepared for so sudden an asseult. But the assailed leapéd to one side, unhurt and the next instant Mose Finley went down in the snow, with a bullet in his leg. e crossed the room to the hain’t no call to hurt you; but, j | ' ‘* Ob, detain him! detain him! He will catch his death!” He turned his head, and saw a strange and startling spectacle. The Frisco Snarp had risen from his bed, and was rushing toward the door with the blankets trailing about him. With extended arms and eyes blazing with insanity, he looked like some dread forerunner of disaster, as he shrieked mt, “Flu! Ely for your very lives! In God’s name fly I” _ It was almost a quotation of that dread warn. ing which had rung aown the Death Canyon ten years ago; but of those who had heard it, Lilian Amberleigh was too young to remember it, and William Carleton had not leen impress- ed by his own words; so the coincidence had no significance for him now. But, shocked by the unexpected fall of their leader, this strange spectacle thrilled the miners with a sort of superstitious terror; and they fled in a body, falling over one another in their blind panic. The rout would have been ludicrous but for the tragic elements that entered into the scene. Jules St. Auburn would have rushed forth in- to the snow in his delirium, but he was caught and restrained by Judd Baker and Tom O’Con- nor. Even their united strength might have been insufficient; but Carleton’s eye calmed the ‘oe pale spirit, and the three got him back to ed. Then the Gentleman from Pike strode forth without a moment’s hesitation, passed the spot where big Mose Finley lay gnashing his teeth and groaning in pain and rage, and boldly en- tered into the very midst of his late assailants. CHAP.,.ER XIII. PAID IN HIS OWN COIN. In rapid, eloquent words the Gentleman from | Pike made his appeal; but nothing that he could say would oveicome the miners’ terror of the plague or move them to any show of self- sacrificing magnanimity. The utmost that he could accomplish was a truce in which be and his party were to be left to occupy the cabin with their patient unmolested. Food would be brought half-wa til the end of the snow blockade, they must shift for themselves. “Tt’s a poor preacher that don’t stand by his own doctrine,” said Judd Wiggins, sullenly. *‘As you’re backin’ humanity so strong that eyor willin’ to put us in a hole with the Fri-co harp, of course feb won’t have no objections to stayin’. with him yourself. Ef he’s good enough fur us, he’s good enough fur you!” ** Solid duke!” rumbled Moxy. “Ef you keep to yourselves,” pursued the judge, ‘**T reckon thar won’t be no more trouble, ut ye can’t none o’ you come among us, an’ don’t ye try it, ur thar’ll be wav, sure! One man kin. back down a crowd when they ain’t artic’larly sot; but no two-legged crittercan’t etch small-pox into this.crowd, now mind what I tell ye!” There are limits to what even boldness and determination can accomplish; and the Gentle-. After that man from Pike knew that be could make no- further head. Without more ado he returned to the cabin; Mose Finley was borne to the No-tic by his friencs;, and night settled..down over Hard Luck ap, Then followed cays in which the men of the mining camp ip tabed each other with brooding suspicion. he slightest-appearance of i!]ness caused the sufferer to be shunned by his fellows. Big Mose Finley was the first to.jeel] the cruel foree of the precedent he himself Lad,been fore- most in estal lis) ing, ‘* Boys,” said. Moxy, gloomily, *‘ thar’s no two ways about it—Mose is elected! .God only knows who'll come. next; Lut I reckon we’ve ot to take care of number one the best way we now how.” ““ What do you propose to do about it?’ asked J uggs Wiggins. : ‘* Mose pitched the trump himself. I reckon he'll have to swallow his own gruel,” replied Moxy. . Gite” asked the judge. 46 Git \”? ‘What d’ye say, boys?” pursued the judge. . The “ boys” said not a ord: Theil” eloseoy faces answered for them. ‘“ Who'll engineer the thing?” asked the judge, once more, , : ‘“‘Treckon your chief,” said Moxy. and lett for them to get, un- , A rumble of assent indicated the sense of the assembly. | Judge Wiggins picked out four men, and to- gether they went to big Mose Finley’s room. The wretched man raised on his elbow and glared at them. Heseemed to know intuitively ‘*T did not aim at his life, as you all must | why they had come. see,” cried the Gentleman from Pike; ‘‘ but the next man dies!” ; rm this moment ascream issued from the cabin. | For an instant Carletcn’s heart stood still. He was paralyzed by the fear that Lilian had been struck by Mose y’s bullet, > Nitro, i _ - — — ‘“ Waal, what’s the word!” he demanded. .__ ** Mose, I reckon you’ve got to. git!” said the i a - “What fur?” eet “You know what's the matter with ye.” ‘* §$mall-pox?” Me “* Small-pox!” . mIiGboo (6 cS..C (©)