Beadle's New York Dime Library, No. 136 — page 3: what you’re looking at

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

Lo te Se i ee ee The Outlaw Hunter. * “Well, Toby, hard at work?” said Bale, gal- loping up to him, and pulling up short before him. ‘‘ These hurdles must be mended, and the roof also would be no worse for a few sheets of bark. I think I told you this before; do you intend to follow the example of your pre- decessor?” ‘‘T'll be hanged,” replied the new but-keeper, sulkily, ‘“‘if I do a piece of work before I have some tobacco between my teeth, My throat is so dry that I can hardly breathe,” The overseer laughed, ‘‘Very well,” he said, putting his hand into his pocket, and throwing him the much-longed- for. tobacco; ‘‘if that’s all, I have brought some. But now the machine is greased, [hope it will work,” “Think so,” replied Toby, with . satisfied mien. Without further ado he tore the paper, and as soon as he found a corner uncovered bit into the whole piece. ‘‘ You'll be satisfied with me. Hang it! that’s good!” ‘How long have you been without to- bacco?” ) “How long? It must be an eternity. I have lost all notion of time since. To-day a new year begins.”’ “Where is Hendricks?” “Gone for a walk with the sheep.” “Tn what direction?’ “Oh, in what direction? That way. I saw him just where that tall pine tree is, stand- ing.” The overseer bad just turned his horse’s head in the direction pointed out, when it occurred to him that he had something else to tell the hut-keeper. “Hallo, Toby!” he shouted to him, as the latter was returning into the hut to fetcha pipe in order to derive double pleasure from his long-denied refreshment. ‘Mister?’ said he, leisurely turning his head. “The dray will very likely come to-morrow morning. It is possible the governor may want a few more sheep, unless he «hould kill at the station.” ‘““ Why, bless me! The whole load can’t be ‘eaten up yet?” Toby exclaimed, with astonish- ment. “Tt won’t last long. We have numerous visitors, a swarm of the black police is quar- tered at the station. Well, don’t keep the man too long to-morrow morning with the bullocks.” Without waiting for a reply, the overseer set spurs to his horse and soon disap- peared among the bushes, leaving his new but- keeper in by no means a joyful surprise. He even forget his pipe at this unwelcome news, and stared after the horseman as long as he could see him, “The devil!” be muttered; “ this is a pretty business! Tke bloodhounds here! My only hope now lies in the bush. Well! well! well! There will be the devilto pay! <A hut-keeper in the bush, with a pound of tobacco as an earnest, aud the black brutes perhaps upon my tracks the very next hour, Now Jack Loudon will be awfully pleased at this. ‘Johnny, Johnny! a desperate business this; and if you get out of the scrape this time, I shall have all possible respect for you!’ But after all,” he added, with a toss of hi3 head, ‘‘ who knows whether they will come so far? We must not shout before we are burt, and with time comes counsel... I shall not go away before they fer- ret. me out and force me to take to my heels; in this soft soil I should have them all behind me ina line, A blind man could feel these tracks in the sand with a stick. But we’ll keep a sharper look-out at any rate; and if they do come, curse them,” he added, with a dark ex- pression, ‘‘they will discover that they have not chased Red Jobn for three days in the busb, and forced him to fraternize with these blacks, without teaching bim some of their cunning. Besides, my gun will be of service; and as long as I have: powder and ball, I shall easily keep them off.” ) With these words he went into woe hat, quietly cut sufficient for a pipe, filled it, and, while puffing away with evident pleasure, took his gun.- He drew out the old charge, cleaned the barrels, loaded: afiesh, and slung the weapon across his shoulders, and then set about the work be nad to do at tne hurdles, Should the «icay come in the morning, he would at least learn from the driver what tne were about... Pernaps, too, they had goné away, and .in that case ho had nothing to Tear. ; : ’ 7 % He had not dinished his work at the hurdles until the afternoon, and he then set about re- pairing the roof. For the work at hand he needed a few large sheets of bark, and armed with a small hatchet, which he found sticking in one of the posts, he walked slowly to an old lagoon, on the border of which stood several large gum-trees. As a necessary precaution, he took his gun with him, and placed it behind one of the trees, a little out of sight, in case the overseer should return that way, after which he cut and strip- ped off the necessary sheets of bark with a practiced hand. He was so deeply engaged in his work, that he actually for a moment forgot the circumstances in which he was placed. While occupied in piling up the bark, be sud- denly heard a voice close by, calling him by his bush name, ‘‘ Red John.” He turned round as if stung by an adder, and he certainly had sufficient cause to be frightened. Scarcely fifteen paces from him, with his gun leveled at him, though nodding to him in a very friendly’ manner, stood a black, in the dreaded uniform of the bush po- lice. He called out to him with a laugh, on seeing his dismay. “« How do you do, Red John, hein? butsheri? —yabon butsheri!—yes—remain togeth@r now —going to great smoke (i. e, large town.) Stop! not stir!” he exclaimed, in a threatening manner, as the so-called ‘* Toby,” made an al- most involuntary movement to the place where his gun was standing—‘“ Kuyunko has bullet and much powder in it—puff! goes off, and makes hole in poor Red John!” Joby was ready to burst with rage at being caughy in this manner. He felt ashamed that the old cunning bush ranger bad allowed him- self to be thus outwitted by a soldier of the police, However, there was nothing to be done by violence for the moment; he knew very well that if he was only wounded by a shot, he must be lost in the bush. Besides, more of them might be near at hand, and they would be sooner attracted by the report of the gun. A hasty glance, however, which he cast at the tree behind which his gun was conceal- ed, convinced him that the black did not sus- pect hé was armed, or else he would have crept up to him from that side and made sure of him. There was therefore one hope left, and man stiil clings to it to the very last mo- ment with all his might. All he could do now was to oppose cunning by cunning, and he scowled with great coolness, although with no friendly look on the black. ‘‘ Hallo|—what’s up now? Can a man not quietly do his work in the bush, without such a black blue-coated gallows-bird sneaking up and leveling his gun at him? Are we among. bush ; rangers here, or on a peaceable sta- tion? ‘All very well, Red John, very well,” said the. black, laughing with intense satisfaction at the success of his stratagem: ‘‘ must not run away, or—puff! . Bullet quicker than boomerang.” “Oh, go to grass!” grewled the white man, ‘*What do you want, and why do, you call me Red John? My rnameis Toby, and 1 am hut- keeper here,” “‘ Butsheri!” said the black, ‘still laughing. “ All yery well—Mr. Walker will be very glad.” ‘‘Walker—the devil,” thought John. ‘A pretty pickle you have got into.” However he did not let the black see how uneasy this name made him, but replied: ** Who will be glad? Now hang it, do take your precious gun away! Don’t you see, you blind mole, that I can’t escape you?” At the same time, he slowly hobbled, with his back turned upon the black, toward the tree, which was about five paces from him, and laid him- self down at the root. Kuyunko watched this maneuver with great suspicion. He kvew perfectly well, by the tracks which he had followed, that the white man was not lame and it could be nothing but a stratagem on bis part, to put him off his ard. But the black laughed at the idea that e white man thought him so stupid, and as the bara sand-hill behind the tree formed a steep ascent of about forty paces, the bush runger could not attempt to escape that way, without being all the time exposed to his fire, and so guietly let him do as he liked. He only put his gun down from his shoulder as he saw him sitting, and¢then walked up to him but still with the utmost caution. li ““Who will be glad, eb?’ John asked, again turning round to him. P= Dwi toe » fo oh ee oe ee as oe . H “Well, Mr. Walker, the lieutenant,” said the lack. ** He!” exclaimed John, with such well acted joy, that even this cunning black felt per- plexed. ‘ Well, if he is there, then I have nothing to fear, my boy. ‘Why, be wrote to me that be had my full pardon in his pocket. “Pon my word, my good fellow, the news is worth a piece of to- bacco.” ‘Tobacco! Have you got any?’ Kuyunko asked, greedily, without, however, venturing within reach of his captive, considering it much safer to keep a respectful distance with his gun still in his band. ‘Well, I. should think so,” said the bush ranger, ‘aughing; ‘‘the overseer brought me a pound. Do you want any?” The black hesitated a moment before answer- ing. But his conscience was not very scrupu- lous. What he could get out of the prisoner for himself was pure, unexpected gain; of course he would not let bim off on that ac- count, ‘‘Good,” he said; “‘ but then Red John will you go with Kuyunko to Lieutenant Wal- ker?—do him no harm,” ‘‘ Yes, I know his kindness of disposition,” thought John, and then said aloud, feeling his pockets for his tobacco, with great calmness and apparent unconcern: ‘Certainly, my boy, with the greatest of pleasure, I shall be d—d glad to see your lieutenant again. But what’s become of this tobacco? Are you alone here?’ “Quite alone,” replied Kuyunko, laughing, and not a little préud to have outwitted the dangerous bush ranger unassisted, ‘‘ The others are all at the station.” ‘‘ Ah—I think I put the tobacoo into that bush, just behind you. Kuyunko; you are treading upon it.” Kuyunko looked cautiously toward the place pointed out, without, however turning bis back upon John. It was only when he saw that the bush ranger remained on the ground lean- ing upon bis elbow, that he turned his bead to look for the tobacco. It was the work of a moment, yet enough for Jeln to spring up, and before Kuyunko could raise his or take aim, he jumped behind the tree. e black, not suspecting that John had a weapon concealed there, thought he only wished to get the tree between them, to run up the hill and escape into the bush. He therefore, with his gun to his shoulder, and without the least con- cern about his own safety, ran sideways to- ward the tree, wishing to get sight of the fugi- tive, when, suddenly, the latter jumped up close before him. The next instant the report of a gun re-echoed through the still forest, and Kuyunko, whose weapon slipped out of his grasp, stood motionless for a moment, staring at his assassin, then dropped his arms and fell dead to the ground. Red John remained standing on the spot from which he had fired, reloading his:gun. “That’s a quietus for bim!” he muttered, according to his habit of speaking aloud when alone. ‘‘This rascal has his reward; but it won’t be long before I have the whole pack upon my heels. Well, if the brute badn’t sneaked up like a cat, 1 should not have thought that they could outwit me in this fash- ion. What’s to be done now! Bah! Red John has not been chased these three years like a wild hog for nothing. I need not despair now, with perhaps four-and-twenty hours’ start! We'll see which is cleverer, I or these black heathens, whom our Christian governor set upon the white man as he does his bounds after foxes. They have not caught Red John yet; and if they would only send up their men one by one against me, I should put an end to all the precious police. Ha! ha! But, let us set to work, now, and I'll be banged if I. don’t lead them by the nose until all is blue.” " He listened cautiously for some time, trying to discover whether a new enemy was in pur- suit, but all remained quiet; and this man, hardened in crime, set about, not concealing his deed—that, be knew, was impossible—but to endeavor to lead his pursuers astray; for be was aware that they would soon be upon his track. His sole object, therefore, was to place himself in security. _ Having fired off the dead man’s gun, he threw it down upon the ground beside bim, After this he took nis peckerchief off, and thoroug of bark, which he carried upon and then walked as quickly as he could toward ,f mircboo oo + comicbooks “~ ital C om eo ee ee — "LDS