Beadle's Dime Library, Vol. XII, No. 145 — page 13: what you’re looking at

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

Pistol Pards. 13 ‘* Fellow-citizens,” he said, ‘‘I understand | | party selected ‘step out. He can have a few { the men’ ofthe camp, one Jack Brace, who had there have been séveral murders lately, and that having captured the assassin over thebody of one of his victims, you want to have the sanc- | moments’ conference with the prisoner, but there has been too much time lost’already.” In all the camp there was not a man who tion of a court and jury before you send him | ever had been more disagreeably surprised than off with a short rope on a long journey. I am glad that you show such a regard for the forms of law and justice, and I assure you that so far as [can control this court, both accus- ers and accused shall meet with fair play, and the best man sball undoubtedly win. Prisoner, stand forth!” — ‘‘ That’s squar’ talk, kunnel,” put in Ala- baster Jim, “but I'd observe thet afore you put ther pris’ner on answer, ther’ hed better be a jury picked; an’ ez fur standin’ up, [m afeard you'll hey to excuse him. They’ve tried to make a sieve, an’ just missed sp’ilin’ a man, Thar’s three er four bullet-holes in his head an’ shoulders, an’ [ shouldn’t wonder ef thar war enough ov ther lead left stickin’ around him to weigh a pound, he seems so top- heavy.” “Gentlemen,” said the colonel, quietly adopting the suggestion, ‘“‘if it is the wish of this assemblage, select your jury, and proceed to business. 1’m not yet in shape to do much talking, so I hope you won’t expect it. I'd sooner handle the tools; and perhaps I will be- fore this thing is over. Go on, now, and don’t ‘waste time.” At this rather direct allusion to himself and his affairs, there was a humin the crowd, and every eye scanned his face narrowly. As far as could be seen in the dim light, it presented little trace of the ghastly wound of a few nights before. A few strips of plaster had drawn the clean edges of the cut together, and in the short time that had elapsed they had already joined, so that he looked but little the worse for wear. Alabaster Jim, at the implied threat, manifested no uneasiness or interest; though he heard more than one voice muttering, “ We'll hang 'em both afore morn- ing!” Order was beginning to come out of chaos. A dozen men were quickly picked, to whom no objection was made, and then Dash- wood announced that the court was open for transaction of business, and the accusers were requested to stand forth, ‘‘One thing more, kunnel. This yere man don’t seem able to talk fur himself, an’ I just guess it wouldn’t be more nor fair ef he had some one to speak fur him.” _ “*T suppose that means that you wish to ap- pear ‘as his counsel, but it seems doubtful whether under the rules of this court you can be recognized as an attorney, not’ being a citi- zen of the ) camp, and being a subject of strong suspicion.” ‘‘That’s so, kunnel,” shouted Jack McCaw. ** We're going to try ’em both, an’ ef you say the word we take his pop-guns, and trice him right up.” “One thing at a time,” said Jim, coolly. When he had seen that the danger of immedi- ate lynching was over he had put up his pistols and was leaning carelessly against the wall of the building. ‘Finish yer first job, an’ then trot out yer charges agin’ me; but my name is oF lay, an’ I’m goin’ to see thet this pilgrim Ther talk ain't goin’ to be all on one side.” “There is some sense in what man says,” interposed the judge, who seemed anxious to tone down rather than excite the passions of crowd. ‘‘If the prisoner is not able to talk for himself, let him look around and select ‘whom he chooses as his counsel, Certainly the men of Tierra Roxo, will do justice, even to an assassin, Prisoner, will you make your Bes raised the prisoner, a little slowly, but with “oy of gathering strength, and thrusting up the ov brim of his hat with his two bound bands, he looked over the crowd of 94 There was not a single friendly one there From right to left, and back again, went his glances. hen suddenly he raised his, hands a pointed straight at Victor Page, who was standing near, watching the proceedings, that had for him a strange nation, ‘ There’s one, I take it, isa stranger here, and an honest man with some firathe: If I can’t pull through by myself T want him to take hold of the tow rope and do his level best. ‘You won’t go back on me, will you, pard?” Several score of heads turned & suspi- cious. rea yur. who was thus po “out. t seems a Feeboatle request; let the _was Victor Page at this minute. He had seen | —EEEE in on — — —— — - ee TTT TTT EEE LL --sSSSsssssssssssessss——eenen~~eee~snee~ been missing for some days. Alabaster Jim bent down .and whispered in the ear of the counsel for defense, who up to this time had remained silent, and Page nodded his head. Then in a voice that faltered some- that strangers there were objects of suspicion, | what he asked: and that the less attention they attracted the | better it was for their necks. To be thus | pointed out was an invitation to trouble that once given could not well be declined. He could scarcely believe it posible that he was the man meant, and looked again. But no mistake was there; and now, stand- ing there, with the flaring brim of his bat pushed back, and eyes bent on him with a cold, commanding gaze, he saw his own vic- tim, the man of the vaults of the old mission, Soft Hand, from Cinnabar. A cry burst from his lips, and turning he would have staggered away but a detaining hand was laid on his shoulder. ** Not so fast, stranger!” snarled a voice in his ear. ‘*We’re going into this thing alto- gether, and you can’t shirk your share of the frolic. If there’s any reason why you das’n’t face the music we'll have to look it up; and maybe hang you too. You march up front.” “‘ An’ ef he don’t come,” added Alabaster Jim, whose quick eye and ear saw and heard, ‘‘Tll hev to draw on him; an’ he orter know that I’m certain death.” “Tm only a stranger, as you say, drawn here by the noise and excitement,’ stammered Page, more unnerved by the resurrection of Soft Hand than his own personal danger. “I know nothing of the prisoner or of your ways of dealing with crime. Choose some one else who can defend him better, and let me go.” ** Fool!” hissed Varna, at his side, “‘ where is your nerve? Go to him, and do your best, either to have him hanged or set free; but don’t waver now. As his counsel you can at least close his mouth. Who else is there to speak? And he does not intend to unless forced. You know him; there never was such another man.” - And thus urged on, Page staggered forward to the side of Soft Hand and bending down listened to a few whispered words, while in brief, set terms Colonel Dashwood declared the strangely constituted court was open for busi- ness, and requested the accusers to begin wilt their evidence, , It had really seemed a very clear case to the mob, and when Tom Denham, who was the first ‘witness called, had ‘told his story it was clearer than ever. Half a dozen of them were passing through the gulch when they stumbled over the body of Pedro Mercado, lately killed. The slayer had either gone on into Hangtown, or else taken the path up toward the old mission. As they had not passed him there was no other course open to him. Accordingly the party separated, and three of them went to the ruin where, in the vaults they came upon the pris- oner, as already detailed. They had but a glimpse of him, but ig the light of subsequent events the were satisfied that the man who had faced them there was the prisoner at the bar here, whom, a little later, he, Denham, had found in the hands of some of the men who had come’ out from Tierra Roxo. He stood aside to let one of them tell the further history of the arrest. Damon Carter was one of. those itis dashed away after the horseman who, on their ap- proach, had ridden away from the mission. The rider, whoever he was, was thoroughly reckless, went down the hill at break-neck speed, plunging into the shadow of the trees in a way that few of them wonld have cared to risk. Without much hope of overtaking him unless he accidentally came to grief, they ran after, one or two discharging their revolvers = a venture. They were rewarded by hearing the noise made bya blundering fall. A minute later the horse seemed to recover himself and dart off with renewed speed. Down they all went, and after ‘a long bunt saw a man stealing awa and as he refused to halt, and seemed inclined to show fight, a vol- ley was fired that dropped him. ‘This man was the prisoner at the bar. Then ee Wade took the stand, or rather stood up, ng the crowd, and after detailing vied how they came upon the prisoner, he i haa result of the Bevan, em subse- made. From the grave they had eaeir lie taialcee ot neste oem known to “ Did not both of these men announce their intention of leaving town some days ago?” Wade hesitated a moment before he an: swered; then confessed that he had heard some- thing of the kind. ‘“‘And did they not disappear the same night?” He confessed that they did, according to the . best of his knowledge and recollection. | ‘And if they had not been seen about the camp since, was it not likely that they had left for some sinister object? How else could you account for their bodies being found on the op- posite side of the town?” ° “That’s your conundrum; answer it your- self,” answered Wade, sharply. ‘*' What was the character of these two men?‘ Were they honest miners, or were they gam- blers or loafers by profession?” “T can’t sée that that makes a difference. I reckon foul play is foul play. If we let this. secret stabbin’ an’ shootin’ go on, everybody ‘ll be afeard to have a leetle fun. I b’lieve that cuss an’ his pards killed *em both, an’ that’s all I keer to know.” “Tt makesa great deal of difference,” said Page, straightening up, ‘because those two men, and another, prepared the grave for this man, who escaped from it by a miracle. He was buried there alive, and if he had killed them a dozen times, it would have been no more than they deserved. For three days he lay there, part of the time unconscious. He revived to find himself in the open air, and a few moments Jater he was set upon by the men who had tracked the slayer of Pedro. Mereado to the old mission. Who that slayer was we know not, but believe it was the third man. Your prisoner is the victim and not the crimi- nal, His story, if he is strong enough to tell it, will Garry truth on its face. Who was the man in the vault we know not, nor who was the man on horseback, but it was not Charles _ Jones, of Cimmabar, and: we shall demand his acquittal. ‘ This © wildly imippobable story was wensted | with a yell of disapproval, and for a moment it seemed as though the court was to be broken up in a row, and summary punishment inflicted without even the authority of Judge Lynch. Such a preposterous defense was rss ry a even for Tierra Roxo. And then, suddenly, to the most dabei sur- prise vf all Colonel Dashwood faced the crowd, waving his hand for silence, at the ae exclaiming in stentorian tones: *‘Silence in the court. While I’m nieing this thing, ’ll have the dignity of this court respected or drill the first man that is guilty of contempt. You've put meup for Judge Lynch, and Lynch law you shall have!” > ‘‘But, kunnel, men that play such a hand as that on Hangtown ought to be strung; stand out of the way and let us at them.” — Such -was the substance of a dozen speeches; but to one and all came back the Spon answer: ’ “You men know I’m no friend of his, for he’s one of the party I’m waiting to settle with about the fun the otber night at the Star; but I’m square as a die, and as Judge I say the defense is a good _— because J ene ai is true.” dtd ’ CHAPTER XVIII. ALABASTER JIM’S GRATITUDE, Sprite of their savage fury the crowd had sense enough to balt and listen; for some were « ‘personal friends of the colonel, and the rest knew that he was ho trifler. And then, over the shoulders of the prisotier, again peeped the revolvers of Alabaster Jim. In the universal hush. that followed the startling announcement the latter »was — only one to audibly voice his sentiments: - “Say that ag’in, kunnel; I aiirtined bleachin’! It’s gospil truth, but who ther sanc- tified blazes would ’a’ thort o’ hearin’ it frum you?” v* Dashwood paid no attention to this interrup- tion. Now that every one was silent, if. still incredulous, and ene ee hear ‘onan stead explanation was be given, he GOMG 0\(6\(6) cS continued (Elo)