Beadle's Dime Library, Vol. XII, No. 145 — page 2: what you’re looking at

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

—— Pistol Pards. Pistol Pards; SOFT HAND, THE SILENT SPORT FROM CINNABAR. BY WILLIAM R. EYSTER, AUTHOR OF “DANDY DARKE, ETC., ETC. CHAPTER I. . A DISCONSOLATE PILGRIM. TIERRA RoOxX0, to give the settlement its Mexican name, was in the hight of its glory. Pilgrims came in and bullion and dust went out. There were miners, sports, bankers and bummers, men of every trade, profession and expectation under the sun, clustered, together in the straggling camp that spread itself like the young musbroom that it was. Next to the “Seven Angels,” stage station and high-toned hotel, the most important building in the plac? was the ‘‘ Star of Empire” salodn, an institution run on high pressure order as a drinking and gambling resort, and datice-house, by a man whose one, only name seemed to be Fritz. Scattered through the camp there were other ‘‘shebangs,” ‘‘hash-houses,” ‘* rum- mills,” and the likes but ‘these were by far the most pretentious buildings) and their proprie- tors were just coining money. The host of the Seven Angels was a tho- | roughbred American, who had _ fallen on his feet as much through luck as by judgment, | . forhe had come to Tierra Roxo away ahead of, the rush, and installed himself in the valley as a stock-raiser, having purchased at a very | moderate price the ranch, including the build- ing which now did duty as a hotel, from its former proprietor, Don Jesu Comarcos. From the north-bound stage, one pleasant afternoon, there dropped two travelers, one of them a slender built, consumptive-looking man of forty or fifty, it being hard to guess within ten years of bis age on account of his sickly face and.evident weakness. Side by side with bim, and apparently ready to offer her shoulder in case he might need assistance, was a young’woman, A little, slender mite of a thing, with the softest. of blue eyes, hair of burnished gold, a petite form, and a short, dimpled hand. In that rude country she cer- tainly looked like one, who needed a protector herself, and it seemed like the irony of. fate | | I Se -tsit eeeee — —— _ _ bein’ a good deal used to men in a way, I should say you looked like a man that had taken chances.. If that’s sport, you've bin there,” A gloomy look overspread.the face of the man as he heard the response; but there was nothing of anger in his voice as he answered: “Yes, I have taken chances in my time, though not so many, perhaps, as you think, of the kind in vogue at the Star.” It’s the chance of life or death that I have taken, and I’m tired of it.” “Terribly wearin’, ain’t it? But I reckon things hes bin movin’ along better of late. You look solid.” | *“You-are mistaken. Go where I will and when | will it’s always the same. I’ve struck such a chance coming here, I don’t want Kate to know anything about if, but I feel it in my bones that there is trouble brewing for me. It’s a little odd to talk of it to a perfect stranger, but when aman feéls that way he wants to say something to somebody, and you look like an honest man, that can keep your own coun- ”? 4 . “Oh, talk right up, if it does you any good; ee See | | SS —_ the previous day, would searcely have sup- posed could come from her troubled lips. Down the street was coming a‘single foot-passenger. It was not the passenger himself, however, that brought the laugh to the lips of Kate, but the extraordinary looking quadruped that he was dragging along behind him. Perhaps triped would bea better name, for the animal limped along on three legs, and at every third step manifested a decided inelina- tion to halt. As for the rest, it was a little, lean, scrubby, Indian pony, with hogged mane, and, comparatively speaking, no tail at all, . Just in front of the Seven Angels the sin- gular procession cametoa halt, and immedi- ately the cayeuse dropped its head, folded its ears, and twisted its lips and nostrils with a general expression of sorrowing resignation that would have been heart-breaking if it had not been so comical. >» At the further end of the porch there’ was a little cluster of half a dozen men; and these burst into a hoarse laugh, causing Kate, who was already ashamed of her merriment, to draw back into the shadow of a convenient I can be as dumb asa clam. And, mebbe, if | doorway. you were to tell me your trouble, I could help you out, someway.” “For that matter I don’t know what it is. Perhaps it is sickness; perhaps it is bad ‘luck; perhaps road-agents—I heard considerable said down yonder about a Captain Skull and his men who have been raiding on this route. Do you think there is much chance of our meeting him to-morrow?” te “ That’s hard to say; but he’s wuss than -his pictur’, an’ for the sake of yer darter 1 hope yer won’t run foul of him. I did hear some one offerin’ to take three to two that he would be heerd from this week ag’in. Mebbe you’d better “stay till. he’s run off, er .corraled. Hangtown ain’t a balf bad place to camp in.” ‘But I can’t, I can’t! For myself I tell you, I don’t care; but for Kate to fall into their bands! Oh, I was mad to ever drag her to this country. If I was alone I would fight them to the death; but with her my. hands seem. tied.” ‘‘How would it do then to get some one to do the fighting? I don’t know-how many~men Captain Skull may have in-his,band; but they say there’s never more than half a dozen shows~up-at a time; and»=two or three good men, that could handle the tools, ought to stand them off. that she should be compelled to. assume that | thin’ but you needn’t"pay ’em Unless they put role, However, the gentleman, for such his man- ners and general appearance proclaimed him to be, seemed unconscious of the tender solici- tude of the young lady; and, taking the lead, mounted, with slow but tolerably certain steps the porch of the Seven Angels, where he ad- dressed himself to the host, Michael Mitchell, who was waiting to receive him. He gave his name as Harold Wilkins, travel- ing northward, in company with his daugbter; and stated that he intended to stop over until the next stage to. recuperate, and take a view ~ Of the mining country around the town. Of course he was duly welcomed, and man- aged to make himself very much at home; so much so that he hardly puta foot off of the porch the balance of the day, but sat in the shadow with his daughter by bis side, though he looked around bim, from time to time, with a nervous stare. . The following morning he seemed a great deal stronger than when he arrived, and set off for a stroli by himself. When he returned bis face had a troubled look; he took his old seat, and from that until dinner time was lost in his own thoughts, scarcely paying any attention to his daughter, who sat in silence by his side. After dinner he brightened up again, and Mitchell, the landlord, ventured to approach him, ) thousand dollars for | you through safe.” “True; but can those men be found? When you go to enlisting an army,in such a camp as this you’re apt to get cut-throats that go over to the enemy at the first fire, or turn out bigger villains than the bandits ” © * That’s so, that’s so; but you must pick the right sort. Chirk up a leetle. Ef I can’t point out the men I can take you over to Fritz, that runs the Star, and he knows every pilgrim and sport in the deestrict. What he says you can tie to, if he does run a tough old ranch, He’il pick you out a pard or two that will see you over the road.” It may have been that the host was only talking for the sake of encouraging bis guest, who seemed to be so»down on his luck, and that the. proposition to visit the Star was meant to divert his mind as much as anything else; but at any rate, after some hesitation and a refusal, Wilkins suddenly changed bis mind. . “Why should I not?’ he asked, his face brightening perceptibly. ‘‘I have not been inside of such a place for years, but I will go with you to the Star to-night and if Ican_ find a man with the face I like [ll not stop at a his insurance of a safe trip. Say nothing of this talk, however. It will be time enough to broach my wishes when I have seen this Frita myself.” ; And in this way it happened that arrange ments were made for a visit to the Star that ** Wal, sir, hope you found the place worth | might, and nothing was said of the why or lookin’ at. It ar’n’t much of a town, I allow, by daylight, ez the men is mostly to work; but at night she blossoms up right peart./ If a gentleman wants sport, then, he kin find bull wagon-loads of it at the Star. You ought ter look in there afore you leave camp,” wherefore to Kate, who hung, a little later,” | ' Wilkins looked up with a quick, keen glance. | | daughter were standing together in front of “ How so, sir? Do I look like a sport?’ It was hard to tell whether the question was asked in anger or not. Michael Mitchell hesitated a moment before he answered: with such solicitude, over the shoulder of the diseonsolate travéler. - fo .. CHAPTER IL “© . FIVE KNAVES TO ONE PACK. LATE in the afternoon Wilkins and his the Angels. Father and daughter seemed in much better spirits than they had been, and Kate suddenly clapped her hands and burst “I dunno if you want a squar’ answer; but | into a laugh, such as one who bad seen her on It might cost a little some-, | The pedestrian gave no sign of having no- ticed her. In fact he looked like a man who would not be affected by trifles. If he was not larger than his’ pony, hé ‘belied his Ap- pearance wouderfully. For dress and equip- ment he had a broad Mexican hat, a miner’s shirt of blue flannel, wide corduroy pants, stuffed into the tops of a pair of bigh-legged but remarkably well made boots, and around his, waist the usual belt of weapons. As he ‘halted, with one hugé paw he struck the wide brim of his sombrero, with a gesture that might or might not be intended for salu- _ tation, and addressed himself to Wilkins: vhe’s fur sale. ‘I’ve bin a long time on ther road, pard, but I’m hyer et last; you want me, sa-a-y?’ Surprised by the unexpected address, Wil- kins held his ground, nevertheless, and an- swered with a cheerful coolness scarcely to be expected from the man. ‘‘I.can’t.say.that I do. Im a stranger here, just passing through, and if I ever get out of this heaven-forsaken country, and into civilization once more, 1’ll hardly make a fool ot myself—this way at least.” ‘Waal, no offense, stranger, ef stranger yer be. Yer look like a man thet wants suthin’, an’ I thought mebbe it war me. P’r’apsiit’s ther cayeuse. Ef it’s him, buy him; Clipper-rigged, copper-fastened A No. 1! I tell yer he’s a howler. Jist turn him out ter grass fur a’ week an’ he’ll make a war hoss that'd do yer proud, though Ill allow thet jist now he ain’t on ther snort so much ez a prancing warrior might want ter see.”’ ‘Thank you, I have no use for the pony. Im afraid that if I staid here, waiting for him to get into condition, I would die of old age.” ‘Oh, yer can’t guess how quick he'll fatten up ef yer give him arest. An’ he’s no slouch ova pony, either; carried me more ner three hundred mile the last week, ai? would ’a’ come in jist snortin’ ef be hedn’t got a ’Pash arrer in thet off hind leg. Fact ar’, stranger, 1 must sell him. I ain’t fond er walkin’ meself, an’ ez he can’t kerry me jist now I’ll hev to raise rocks on him so’s I kin take ther north-bound stage to-morrer. I’m bu’sted wide open, yer see,” At this frank statement of his condition Wilkins only shook his head, ‘‘ So long, then; an’ ef yer change yer mind *bout ther war-hoss sing out fur Alabaster Jim. I} be ’round somewheres, fur I can’t git out afore to-morrer.” . Waiting fur no answer the man hooked the reins over his arm once more, gave a jerk to arouse the sorrowful-looking cayeuse, and the procession again moved on. “Perhaps that is the very man I want,” muttered Wilkins th . “He looks like a bold, dashing f , tolerably honest, and full of nerve, But, somehow, his face seems familiar. Where have I seen him?” He pointed him out to Mitcheli, who hap- pened along just then, but the Jandlord shook his head. Although nothing but the back of Alabaster Jim was visible he declared that it must be some new-comer, ov he would certainly be able to recognize him. There were to his cer- tain knowledge, no such man and pony belong- ingtotbe camp. And whilo the eyes of the two followed the retreating figures a horse- man approached, unperceived, the Seven Angels, ECORMIE DOOKS (E (E@)