Beadle's Dime Library, Vol. XII, No. 145 — page 4: what you’re looking at

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

Hs in a flashing glance. ‘““Why, I’m ther bald- Pistol Pards. ‘‘T'm a stranger hyer, all the way, last from beaded loon on nine wheels; an’ I’m chuck - Cinnabar; but I must observe I’m backing this full ov fun from heel to top-knot. Run me out, will yer? Not ef this hyer infant knows herself. Jest two er three ov you chaps that sich galoot ez ther kunnel, He raised a row an’ got salted down. He's the duck that turned ther cards, an’ ef Hangtown war half ez good ezits name they’d roust him out. But what yer goin’ fur me fur?’ “Dry up on that,” interposed Hawley, sternly. ‘* All the cheating done was by your pard, and the crowd hyer knows it.” man’s game,” At the same time he placed himself by the | side of Alabaster Jim. howls ther loudest come an’ taste me, an’ I'll | sweeten up ine hull crowd that backs up any | “Yer couldn’t git furder from the truth | an occupation that gave employment to others. with four borses an’ a wheelbarrer, an’ yer a natural born liar. I don’t know ther stranger from Adam, an’ I don’t know but that he is Adam,” responded Alabaster Jim, in a cheer- ful tone. ‘‘ What I do know is thet I watched ther game an I'll swear all ther cheatin’ war done by ther man I just pasted, ther galoot you call kunnel. Ez fur leavin’ town, I’ve done nothin’ byer to rile any one but that man yonder, an’ [m waitin’ to hev it out with him.” “That's all thin,” began Jack Brace, another ofthe Dave Hawley kind. ‘‘ After what we seen sich talk settles the matter. to git.” “too was feeling for his weapons. would require very little to start a general row; and perhaps that was what some: were hoping for; but Colonel Dashwood had shaken himself together, and once more he came to the front, his voice breaking in, hoarse with vengeéful rage. **But, first of all he settles with me. struck me and I'll wash out that blow with his blood yet.” This time his hand was on his revolver; it was Out; the bammer was back; and though be stood at the further end of the room he had Alabaster Jim covered with his eyes, ready to seize the drop on him at a motion. “*T reckon be not in a hurry about startin’ that sport. ng away hyer, an’ ther chances is you'll plug about three ov yer friends. Let ‘em stand to one side, an’ then you blaze. You can’t hit the side ov a barn.” - There was a provoking coolness about the man that would have stirred all the blood in the colonel, had it not been red-hot already. To one side and the other sprung his friends, while he slowly raised his revolver to a level, with as much outward calm as though taking zim at a mark ona post. It looked as though some one’s time bad come. But Alabaster Jim was no greenhorn, and he bad no intention of passing in his checks, though it seemed impessible for him’ to draw the weapons still in his belt and bring them to a level before Dashwood could fire. He did not attempt it. His hand, hanging carelessly by his side, sud- denly caught from the belt of the bronze- bearded man who stood silent and motionless, just at his shoulder, a long-bladed, keen-edged bowie-knife; and with the same motion, that was steady and sure, he flung the weapon up, and around tbe back of his neck, just a twink. ling before the colonel was ready to pull the trigger. The knifé left his fingers, made a half-turn, plunged through the air like a gleam of light, sailing, point forward, straight for Colonel Dashwood, who saw it coming. Full of grit though be was, he turned his face as he fired. The involuntary motion saved both men, for the bullet went whistling over, only an inch or two too high, while the heavy knife missed the throat at which it was aimed. Yet it did not fail altogether in its ghastly errand, for right between the lips of the col- onél it passed, and on through his cheek, act- ually pinning him uwgainst the wall, while the blood spouted out over beard and breast ina sickening stream. There was a buzz of surprise from the lips of some; coarse Oaths fell from the lips of others, but for un instant no one else was exactly ready to move, and in that instant Alabaster Jim whipped out his revolvers and stood lean- ing back, with his eyes covering in a compre- hensive way, the whole room full of excited men, Nor was he altogether alone, for the man with the hronze beard dropped his hands on his own w and quietly remarked in a vone just loud enough to be beard by every one: seine ape = You'll hey eyesight with money. ' ' —_— Scenes LL LLLLLLLL?LLLLLPL BBL LLL LLL LL Et tt ' . CHAPTER IV. COLONEL DASHWOOD JUMPS THE GAME. COLONEL DASHWOOD was a very well-known man to the people of the camp; and without being particularly popular it was not singular that at first thought his cause should be es- poused, as against total strangers. He was a citizen; always had plenty of money; and if he did not labor with his own hands he bad Perhaps if Dave Hawley, and two or three more of his set, had kept a little in the back- ground their desires might have been accom- plished with a good deal less risk, to them- selves. : But it happened that three or four very fair- minded men were there, who had been watch- ing the game; and as Wilkins was a stranger and had what seemed exceptional good luck, their attention had been directed principally to him. ‘Now these men were willing to back their As they had not seen Harold Wilkins working avy advantages, they It | were certain that he, at least, had been playing a square game, and were actually inclined to see that the strangers had something like fair play, and a chance to settle it somehow them- selves with the colonel. In addition, the fact that Michael Mitchell - was in a way a voucher for the man who came He tas ‘with him, bad its effect. Alabaster Jim and the man from Cinvabar had not a unanimous camp to face, though in that crowd they could not know friend from foe. It was fortunate for them that just then came a diversion, that directed attention from the two defiant men who stood ready to meet all comers. The immediate friends of the colonel had the kindness, to release him from his painful position. That occupied them for a moment. He was a frigh'ful looking object though the wound of itself was not at all likely to prove fatal. It was a straight, clean cut, ‘through and through the cheek, and bled pro- fusely; but he had had worse wounds in the course of his life, and this hardly put him out of the battle, though it sickened him in spite of himself. ‘Give me a pistol, some one!” he mumbled; and reached out a wavering hand. “’ll set- tle this thing right here or you kin put me to bed with a shovel. It’s Tom Dashwood he’s ‘mounted, an’ afore he gets through he'll find him hard to climb.” “Hold on, kunnel,” interposed Jack Brace. “You ain’t fit to play blue pills with a regular driver like him. Lay off an’ we’ll handle ther ribbons fur you in style,” Half a dozen cthers added their protest and their promise; but the fact was there was some hesitation about attacking the cool pair, who seemed to cure little what decision was arrived at. “Oh, give him a pistol, somebody,” sung out Alabaster Jim. ‘‘ Give him two er three pis- tols. He’s a slayer from Slayersville, he is; an’ wants to wade round hyer in gore; me an’ my pard is just waitin’ fur ther fun to begin.” And while the two parties faced each other, Harold Wilkins, who had revived a little, made his voice heard, and his presence visible. He broke away from Mitchell, and staggered toward the men who had made his quarrel their own. ‘The landlord of the Seven Angels tried to hold him back; for, believing that there was a strong chance for every one to drift into a general row, he wanted to get Wilkins away before it began; but the latter exclaimed angrily: ‘Let me go, Mitchell!’ I’m no cur, and as long as I can raise a finger Tl ask no man to fight my battles unless I’m fighting with him.” As he ranged up by the side of Alabaster Jim, there were two reports, one right after the otber, ahd Red Dave Hawley dropped his revolver as though it was red-hot. He had taken a snap shot at the man with whom the row had begun, his hand held low down; and only for a sharp eye, and a quick, true hand it would have ended the life of Harold Wilkins, then and there. But at the same moment the man from Ciunabar, whose gaze seemed to be every- — a being who came flying to the rescue. where saw what was coming, and check- mated the move; for raising his own pistol just a trifle, he pulled his trigger a shade the soonest It was a wonderfully good shot, if it was in- tended to do bloodless work. The ball struck the end of the pistol-cylinder, thus throwing up the muzzle, and though the weapon was discharged it was by chance rather than inten- tion, and Hawley, too surprised to understand exactly what had happened, dropped the re- volver, shook his hand as though some one bad been rapping him over the knuckles, and cun- sidered himself, for the present at least, as counted out. It was natura) to suppose that these two re- ports would be followed by a regular fusilade, but such was not the case, for the shots were echoed by a scream, short ard half suppressed, but unmistakably from a woman’s lips. Then through the open door that led to the larger room, Kate Wilkins came flying. Through the crowd that stood m her way she burst, and flung her arms around her father’s neck. ‘“‘ Are you men?” she shouted, and she looked defiantly around, ‘‘that you would see a man with one foot in the grave, murdered to gratify the malice of a fiend in human shape? It shall not be so, unless you kill me first. Here! The bullet that strikes him must pass through me!’ Women were no strangers to the Star of Empire; but not such as this. There was nothing of the Maenad about this little voeart of er face seemed full to the lips of truth and inno- cence, as well as all womanly courage, and on the instant there was more than one rough miner, or reckless sport, who was ready to do herhovor. As she turned her face, brave yet blushing, toward the crowd, she was a weapon more effective than half a dozon revolvers. Again the fray received a check, just when it seemed likely to end in a melee. Indeed, Ala- baster Jim rather endeared himself to every- body but the special backers of the colonel by the prompt wayin which be answered ber general appeal. ‘Bless yer heart, miss, nobody ain’t going to hurt your father. This is just a little frolic fer the boys. Why thar ain’>) a man byer that wouldn't chip right in ther bull size ov bis pile ef he see’d he war in danger. Ther fun’s about over now, though; an’ es maybe ther Star ain't an interestin’ place, p’r'aps he’d better walk along back with you to the Angels.” “* But they told me up there that they were murdering him.” Kate looked around in a bewildered sort of way, and her eyes falling upon the group in the further end of the room she did not hear the response of the irrepressible: “Folks will talk; an’ savin’ yer presence, miss, they will lie. Nobody’s ever murdered hyer; it’s only fun.” Nevertheless she knew it was not often that two parties were so arrayed against each other, without something deadly coming out of it, and her eyes were fixed upon one man in a questioning stare. It was Colonel Dash- wood, who bad recovered full consciousness, and strength. Almost the first thing he saw was the fair haired girl, with her arms around her father’s neck, and her gaze resting in hor- ror upon bis ghastly-looking face. He started, and then turned away, just in time to avoid meeting her eyes, while it was clear that that one glance had been sufficient to work a change in bis purposes. As though the men with whom he had started whst seemed to be a mortal quarrel were po longer in the room, he staggered up to Haw- ley, and placing his hand upon his shoulder. whispered : “Wait! The fun will come, but this is not the time and place—I can’t shoot these men down now without raising a stir that I want to avoid; and you men have bungled the work since it came into your hands. Draw out now - I mean it.” The command was @ positive one, and Haw- ley, behind whom seemed to be trailing halt a dozen others, did not hesitate to obey. Then the colonel turned to Herold Wilkins, and his words were plain if his voice was y altered. ‘“‘T have shown you up as the cheat that you: are—now, for the sake of this woman, your daughter, I offer you a chance to retreat; but if you don’t take it promptly Ill kill you on sight. Either leave this plate by the next stage or settle with knife and pistol when we. ECORMIGOOOKS A com