Beadle's Dime Library, Vol. XII, No. 145 — page 6: what you’re looking at

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

OO handsome or hideous, could not well be told, since she was muffled up most thoroughly in a large water-proof, and thick vail, which was drawn down over her face, As these stepped out, in various stages of anger or fright, the chief of the road-agents ran . his eye over the party, which had been imme- diately covered by the weapons of his men, and then he turned to the driver: | “ How many passengers have you, Jim Car- peuter? This don’t seem to fill the bill.” _ Five if it please yer honor. Four pil- grims with boots on, an’a shemale angel that got aboard with her father at Hangtown. They’re all thar, an’ that’s ther bull funeral percession. Ef yer don’t b’’eve me, hyer’s ther way bill. ‘‘They are not all here,” answered the agent, sternly. ‘“‘ Where is the fourth man? You passengers there, hold your hands up, I say; and step. out toward yonder big rock. The first one that drops. his fingers will get a dose of blue pills that will setile his hash. And now we'll. try and roust out this skip Jack, that’s trying to play roots on us.” “‘Hold on, hold on!” shouted Carpenter, glancing back over his shoulder in surprised alarm, ‘“‘ Don’t go to shooting; you might bit some one. He was hyer not more nor a min- ute ago, right ahind me. He’s somewheres round; ah ef yer treat him right he'll come out fur he ain’t got a dog-goned cent, I know it, kase he sold Fritz ther ding-dongdest, meanest lookin’ cayeuse thet ever walked on three legs, to git ther duckats to chalk him a tearer when he’s riled.” “ Where is he, then? We’ll waste no time.” “Oh, I’m hyar, you bet,” answered a strange voice, that sounded from somewhere in or, around the coach, ‘‘I’m stayin’ hyar, too, till ther fun’s over, an’ don’t you furgit it! Alabaster Jim never ‘ll budge.” “You're there, are you? Just throw your irons through the window, and then hold yer hands tip and come out. Last time ot asking. Ready, boys!~ We'll each of us put a shot or two in, and if that don’t bring him we'll have to chim out.” . Now ‘the fact was that Alabaster Jim was’ not in the Coach at all, as the agents would have understood, if they had listened a little more closely to what Carpenter said. ' Just be- fore the coach haited he had been right behind the driver; but he had both a quick eye and ear besides understanding the disposition of the son the Jehu most thoroughly; and having seen 3 yre the sharp hail, an at it halted he énsconced himself le ygin ad av ag Dice ye * He ‘had put he had a great deal of grit. the road-agents, with a n bee stood covering the little | ‘ae A irper New ig tot the four remaining ag Sonch oind let drive a rattling mingled with the report of their weapons 1e short, sharp crack of two pe Pa on guard over the passengers fell b d t. / ’ 7 « ‘ j ’ moment the fusilade began one of 7 Yemen ers had dropped his hands tuning, and fired as they came on Up each sleeve had lain a self- hecho hidden there before he had from the coach; and when, at the first ot, the eyes of the guard had wavered a little, his time had come. | a Then, before the smoke had curled away, he the derringers and dragged from the belt around his waist a pair of revolvers, which he aimed full and fair at the as yet unsuspect- ing road-agents. | “ Now, up witb your hands, Captain Skull! Ive got you lined, and the first man that 7 a hammer or birloss a finger—yow die! ) call me Soft Hand, ’round hyer; but I shoot ba? Stes, Hain Yoo ib r t’s so, every time; an’h ther horns that'll toot fur ther last’ judgment afore yer kin witk three wunks.” | | ' And from behind the coach stepped . ter Jim, with a ready pistol in each hand! “te dai BP fr Rn a nner : Ld wile oa git ewe thous toe were not only dead shots, but they held the drop, was my + through. Touch him lightly, though, fur he’s’ while te of a carbine rise from bee a me re had flung himself from the top fe the | behind Soft Hand; and fro d the Pistol Pards. Everything had worked better for the man who was acting in the capacity of body-guard for Mr. Wilkins and his daughter than they had dared to hope for. Up to this minute it had not been certain how Alabaster Jim would act in case of a raid by the agents, since he had nothing to be robbed of, and seemed in such a hurry to get through that it was na- tural to suppose he would prefer to have the business over as quietly and as quickly as possible. But here he was, on hand, and ready for fight. de The four agents faltered, hesitated, and were in doubt, They knew that an aggressive mo- tion would be pretty certain to end in the | “He'll pull through?” ‘‘ You bet he'll pull through. It’s just gouged a rib out. He wants to get back to beadquar- ters, though. Jounce him around in that hearse fur a day er so and he’d peter out, sure. Don’t take on so, miss; it’s no good ter spile yer eyes, fer ef ther fever sets in they’ll be sore enough watchin’ ov him. MHyer’s one ov them agents’ mustangs cavortin’ ’round loose, an’ I'll mount him and ride back to hunt up sumthin’ to tot him to camp on. He can’t walk, an’ it won’. do him much good to strap him into the sad- dle.” ‘Now, see hyer,” interposed Jim Carpenter, the driver, who had been ascertaining the death of some of them, and no man knew which | amount of damage done to his vehicle, and had ones would fall. As for the leader, he was not so certain that any one had ‘him lined, though the chances were as good one way as another. | now resumed his seat, and gathered up the lines. “This amburlance can’t lose no more time, an’ them as is goin’ along hed better climb Of course the four could not afford to sur- | right in. Ez fur that man that’s plugged, you'd render, since that would mean a rope apiece, and no more stopping stages; but it is more better git him under kiver afore it gits much colder. Thar’s a leetle ranch down’in Red Cat than likely that they would have temporized | gulch, below whar she takes off ther road, two and opened negotiations to be allowed to march out with side-arms and thé honors of war had it not been for a sudden interruption. The guards that bad intercepted Victor Page and his sister, had heard the shots fired, and imaginéd that there was something wrong. With revolver at a ready one of the two has- tened to the turn of the pass, and saw at once the situation. Instantly he threw up his hand and took steady aim at the stranger from Cinnabar. ~The distance was somewhat more than an average pistol-shot, but the agent took his time for it, and he was a very accurate hand at such work, cool and determined also, and full of the idea that everything depended upon him. When he was certain that he had the bronze-bearded man exactly where he want- | ed him—and that did not take very long—he fired. It would haye been better for him, perhaps, if he had taken the risk and pulled sooner, for just then the insurance man caught sight of him, and saw his intention; saw, too, that the bullet was going to come straight for him, and down he went as two’ sharp reports echoed in the pase, ib > a Only Soft Hand had changed sid aim with marvelous quickness, firing as he fell, and over his head went the ball of the Retina e latter dro half-way around and Collapsed in a senseless heap, a big round hole in his forehead, At the same time there was a hoarse cry from his place at the back of the stage Alabaster Jim opened fire, while the stranger from Cinnabar, still ex- tended upon the ground, raised his deadly tubes, and was at work. . wo more of the road-agents pitched heavily to the ground, and the remaining two did not tarry. Loosing their horses’ heads, and plunging their spurs deep in their sides, they darted away; and as they went suddenly swung sowhr® bending down, Indian fashion, out of t, justin time to escape two bullets that _ Svesult: dead agents, and oné— . wounded; and behind sorneaa ping, with By wit} his a Harold Wilkins, with Kate bending over him, trying with her hand- kerchief to stanch the blood that was’ slowly - Around the bend the twohorsemen vanished like a flash, and Alabaster Jim, who saw the possibility of their making a stand from the cover of that spot picking off the group of pas- sengers, hastily chargéd after them, but by the time he caught sight of them again they were out of reach of his pistols. He Saw, ‘too, that there had in some way been an addition to their numbers, for he counted five riders plung- ing away into the shadows of the coming even- ing. He looked again, One of the equestrians was a woman; and seemed under duress, for immediately be- hind her rode one of the masked men, with a revolver: held © erent Ay her back, “He ear fter them with a puzzled look until they again ed from sight, then he turned to see what was the s of affairs nearer at hand. He strode up to Wilkins and looked. at m with acriticaleye, Cinnabar Charley had rn aside ge tay and was examining the und with deft fingers. He looked up at Jim and said inquiringly: pped his weapon, staggered | mile back, an’ mebbe yer could tote him that far,” “Who runs it?’ asked Soft Hand, sharply. “Trish Molly, ef yer knows ler, Alt aboard!” ' But one passenger climbed back. He had nothing to losé, and didn’t much believe that the road-agents would make another attack on the stage, though it had to follow the route taken by them in their retreat. He was will- ing to risk it anyhow. Carpenter drew up his reins, cracked his whip, and away rolled the stage, wich its silent passenger. Meantime Alabaster’ Jim had discovered that one of the outlaws was only badly wound- ed, and that if he had had the nerve to do it, he might have made things extremely sultry. To guard against such a contingency, while Soft Hand discussed with Kate a return to Red Cat gulch, he took away his weapons, bound up bis shoulder where it had been frac- tured by a ball that went through the bene. Then he tore the mask from his face, and shook his head as he saw that the man was only an ordivary looking villain, who glared at owed with a snarl on his lips, and a wild, hunted look in his eyes, like a cornered wolf, “Don't snap at me, my angel friend; I’m not goin’ to hurt you, an’ ef you don’t cut up rough I think ov turnin’ you loose to keep up ther breed, but I want to get answer to a y to Captain couple questions fust. You — Skull’s band?” - | | It was hardly worth while to hesitate, No answer that he could make would render his case any more despera‘e. The man nodded. “Then which of these galoots is him?” “ None,” answered the man, huskily, licking his dry lips with his hot tongue. — ee “ Don’t try to play it on me like that. I’m sure I salted the boss os n eae he tumbled the corpses got ixed. “The captain was not with tis. He picked the job out, and then left us to do ily a lieu- be whistling by right where their backs,| tenant. ““Reckon you must have a reg’lar fort, and atmy, with your captains and lieutenants, and all that, Tell us al) about it, can’t you?” — ~ “No, I can’t. I may as well be hung here right now. Sooner or later Captain Skul) find out an Ma Mes AR. to my chips straight in. etter be de Rint ate him looking for me the Waj"ie' Woks when any one goes back on him.” apie “That’s so. Now s’pose I let you go, are you goin’ to be buntin’ me?” “T swear not. Never, never!” “Well then crawl up on a hoes an’ git. IT swear I ain’t huntin’ road-agents, an’ ef they get you in at the camp they'll bang you, I hate arope; cuss me ef I don’t. Solong.” © The outlaw, who was, from his features evidently a Mexican, needed no second bidding. Weak though he was the prospeét of escape nerved him to exertion. Alabaster Jim in fact helped him off while the attention of the others was diverted, and with a look as near to one of gratitude as his features were capable of assuming he went his way unquestioned, riding his own horse, which had never moved from the spot on which it was standing when the outlaw fell. | Having done this much in the good Samari- ¥ Irish Molly’s ranch, though who she might be GOmiiGoooks (E() +