Beadle's New York Dime Library, No. 173 — page 4: what you’re looking at

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

fasten their luxuriant tresses. The handle was gold, and the blade, just about the size of a sailor’s needle, was polished steel, about six inches long. It was quite clear to all, the mo- ment they beheld this little weapon, that the stricken man had come to his death by means of just such an instrument. | spose you take them?” In an instant Keno Bill was on his feet. | Captain Joe Kersands, a brawny six-footer of “Boys, thar stands the murderer!” he cried. _ middle age, yet with snow-white hair and _ beard, was one of the first settlers of the town. CHAPTER ¥Y. | He kept a general store next to Bill’s place, THE POPULAR VERDICT. | where almost anything could be purchased—as Now, California John, cool as he always was, the inhabitant, proud of the prosperity of for a moment was a surprised man—the more | Needle Bar, was wont to boast, anything from so because by a glance at the faces around he Bill as though they thought he was the proper ee to take the tools of war, but he shook ‘* No, gentl’men, I kinder stand in the light of this man’s accuser and it don’t look exactly right for me to take his plunder. Capt’n Joe, ~~ COT err we =) —. ’ eet Ae ES rae < She > i ae *. e- os ~/: “pe © red. ' Se ee OS LO LE frame the head and body of a giant ed on legs short enough for a dwarf. me ature, too, had set an ‘‘ envious mountain” on his back, and Hiko, the Hunchback, as he was usually termed, was an object of general aver- sion. He had only made his appearance in the neighborhood within the last two months, com- ing no one knew from whence, and living no one knew how. With his own hands he had constructed the little hut on the river’s bank, and lived there all alone until a chance passer- by one day made the discovery that there was a woman within the rude habitation; she was tal) and stately in ‘e, dressed entirely in black and had her face covered with a heavy vail so a needle to an anchor. saw that the master of the keno-shop was not the only one in the crowd who believed the ac- cusation. ‘‘Seize him, boys,” Bill continued. ‘That leetle knife is the tool with which the murder was committed, and the man that has it is the chap that struck the blow !” The crowd, though, were not quick to obey this command, for upon the first sign of danger the sharp had pulled out his revolvers and was ready for what might follow. ‘* Hands off, gentlemen!” he cried, warningly. ‘‘T am as innocent in this affair as any one of you, and the accusation is all a lie on the part of this big brute.”’ ‘* A lie, is it?’ Keno Bill retorted. ‘‘ All the same you are the man that did the deed. You have the weapon, and if you didn’t strike the blow how comes it that you have the knife?’ ‘* Didn’t I tell you that I picked it up?” **Too thin!” sneered Bill. ‘* And if I was the man who did the deed, would I be fool enough to show the weapon in the open manner I did and so bring suspicion down upon myself?” “Oh, you cunning rascals play too sharp, sometimes,” Bill answered, ‘‘and you fetched out the knife so as to make us believe that somebody else did the job.” ‘*Men, I ap to you! Do you put any faith in this ridiculous idea?” California John demanded. And, thus called upon to define their posi- tion, the members of the little throng looked in a other’s faces and then stared at the ac- cused. The stranger sharp, a keen reader of the hu- man face, saw at once that the majority of the crowd did suspect there was truth in the accu- sation. ‘** Put it to vote,” su ted Bill; ‘‘thatis the way to come at the truth of the matter. And, stranger, I want you to do me justice right hver and now. I ain’t a-bringing this ae agz’in’ you so as to git out of the leetle difficulty we have got into. ou are a stranger in these parts, and mebbe you might think so, bub it ain’t the truth. eno Bill don’t crawfish to any man on earth until he is laid out on the flat _———_— ‘* All right if it is agreeable to the company,” the captain said, advancing, and the Californian delivered his weapons into the hands of the | old store-keeper. ‘Take good care of them for I shall want them back soon, for I am not much afraid about pulling out of this little scrape,” John assured, | as he gave up his trusty tools. ‘*Upon my soul I hope you will, pard,” the old store-keeper observed. by the manner of the other. “Well, what is to be the order of these pro- | ceedings, anyway?’ John demanded. Keno Bill shook his head. ‘*T ‘pass,’ pardner; that sort of thing is clean out of 4 line. Capt’in Joe, you are posted. How shall the machine be run? In truth the white-bearded giant was a vete- ran in frontier matters; for forty years at | least he had been in the front ranks of the pioneers of civilization, and had acted well his part in man administer frontier justice. “Since this gentl’man surrenders and is will- ing to stand trial the thing is simple enough,” the old captain replied. ‘‘ The first thing 1s to provide a place of confinement for the accused; | then remove the body of the murdered man to where it will be safe from harm, so that the j can look at it; on to-morrow call out the bull town, lay the matter afore the citizens and let them fix up a court, judge and jury to try the case.” ** But in the mean time there must be some- body to take charge of the prisoner. Not that I think you want to get away, pard,” Bill added, ‘‘for, from what I have seen of you, I reckon you have grit enough to stand up to the rack and take your fodder every time.” ‘You bet!” ejaculated John. ‘ But, there is a right and a wrong way of | doing things and we don’t want to go wrong when we can just as weil go right.” The men around assented to this, and the big mule-driver from Hualpais, who had first called attention to the presence of the stranger in the | keno room, now seized upon the opportunity to speak. “You want a sheriff, that is what you want! a — ee He was impressed | the wonderful news that there was a woman—«a a rude court hastily convened to | . pl of him, the town woke to the conviction that, that it was impossible to see her features. The simple miner, in his astonishment, had stopped short and looked with all his eyes at the unexpected — and the woman, perceiving that she was observed, had come forward and closed the door, thus cutting off the view. The miner, being ov his way to the town, con- tinued on his course, and when he arrived at the camp took particular pains to spread abroad real live woman—in the shanty of the hunch- back. When Hiko had first made his appearance in the town, some of the rough fellows were rather inclined to make game of him, thinking that a hunchback was only a sort of a cripple and that no danger was to be apprehended from such a being. But, as we have said, despite bis de- formity, Hiko had the Jimbs of a giant, and by the time He had nearly killed two or three of the boys, who had essayed to make a plaything despite his infirmity, there were very few men in the camp who had any business to fool with the Hunchback. . We have said that no one knew how he gt bis living; that statement we must qualify a little, for, since his arrival in Needle Bar, he had taken up a business which had been neglect. ed before he came, and one which no man in the town envied him the possession of; he be- came the public grave-digger. On the average there was about one death a week in the camp; not always by violence, al- though stabbing and shooting affrays were. alas! far too common, but it was @ hard cli- mate; all had to rough it: and many a tender youth who had left the crowded East intent upon finding a fortune in the golden West, suc- ceeded only in winning a nameless grave amid the rocks of the mountains or in the sands of the desert-like prairie. And to the rude, pushing men who people the remote cainps on the frontier, the burial of the dead, even when they are friends and ac- quaintances, is a thankless task. It happened shortly after Hiko’s arrival im camp thata stranger took sick and died. He had no acquaintances, and the “‘ plunder” he I know the hull lay-out, jest as well as if I was left behind him was not worth a ten-doliar running the game. You want a sheriff, and | en-dol know the cuss who kin fill the bill; jest the man | note. A discussion arose as to what disposition you want; true-blue every time and fit for ary should be made of the body. ‘‘ Toss it Into the man in this hyer region to tie to, red or white, river,” said one heartless wretch. ‘Put it out black or yaller! I nominate Jake Hairpin for on the perarie and let the wolves finish it,” an- of his back on the top of it. The min’te you fetched out that leetle knife the idee struck me that rae had something to do with this hyer au job, and I shall believe that you have until it is proyed that you haven't.” And California John, looking straight into 4 the eyes of the other, saw that he was honest in | sheriff! ho says ary thing ag’in’ it?” other, even more heartless than the first, sug- what he said. No one did; on the contrary the odd-sound- | gested. ee “All t! you will find me the easiest man | ing name seemed to tickle the fancy of the ‘‘ Hang it, no!” cried Keno Bill; “‘let’s start a crowd, and one of them immediately seconded the motion. ‘* T’}l yote for Jake Hairpin!” the citizen cried. , him?” ‘It ‘pears to me that I have heerd tell on him , ‘‘I will,” answered Hiko, a forward: graveyard with bim, and I will ap in five dol- in the world to get — with provided no man i a lars to defray the expenses, But who will bury uttempts to jump my claim and I am treated half-way decent. If this hyer community tiinks I had any hand in this cowardly mur- kee der, why, [am willing to stay right here and , re be tried, All I ask is a-fair show and no favor | ET LL TE Sa a se - ee ee sere or hav’ met him somewhar’s afore.” _ and so it was that. be came to take up this pe~ ‘‘Sartin, you have!” replied the mule-skin- | culiar business. He attended to the burial! and to either side.” . | ner. ‘Mighty few men on top of this yere then passed his hat around for a collection, and ‘That is squar’, and that is all I want. I'll | airth w’ot ain't either met or heern tell on Jake, | few men were there in the camp who refused to, own right up to you, stranger, I don’t like you | Oh, I tell yer! he’s a hustler from the word go!” | “chip in "something, even if it was only a overmuch,” remarked Bill, frankly. ‘‘ You are | “Hair will do all right for sheriff,” Al- | two- bit piece, unless they were completely too durned fresh and sarcy, and when a cock | cibiades remarked. ‘* But, where is he and how | \ stranped,” when the Hunchback passed around like you comes crowing around my ranch I al- | soon can he be here?” | the hat. : lers tries to cut his comb and take the crow out ‘“How soon kin he be hyer?”’ repeated the | But the mysterious woman, who always kept of him if it is possible, and it ginerally is,” he | driver; “‘ why, be is _— hyer now. Hyer he | her face concealed, and who dwelt in the soli- a. added with a grim smile. ‘I think you had a | is; ’m the man, Jake Hairpin, and you kin bet | tary hut of the Hunchback, for a short time : ae hand in this muss, and if you didn’t knife the | yer pile on it, too!” werfully excited the curiosity of the Needle * ee man yourself, you know who did it, and I | °. This disclosure rather amused the crowd. It | Barites, but Hiko explained the mystery in the Boot, OS reckon you ought to be tried. But let’s have a | was rather a novel idea for aman to nominate | most prosaic manner. show of. hands on that p’int. All you that | himself, but in the wild West the odder the idew | “ [t is my sister,” he said; ‘‘she has had the think this hyer man ought to be tried, hold up | the better it is liked, apparently. small-pox very bad, and her face is so dread- your right hands.” After all there was nothing to be said against | fully scarred that she doesn’t like to have any Slowly by ones and twos every right hand in the man. He undoubtedly would make as good | one see it. ee * * }4 - sh we (4 rte 4) *y 6 Few _ * * al a baad - ' the party went ‘up. If there were any in the | asheriff as anybody. So the mattér was set- This stilled talk speedily, and not only that, throng who thought the stranger was innocent | tled. Keno Bill suggested that the little room but it caused all passers-by to give the shanty a ofany knowledge of the deed, they thought also | back of his saloon would make as good a jail for wide berth, and even in a measure to steer sb that a trial would not do him any harm. | the prisoner as could be found in the town, and clear of the Hunchback himself, for all bad con- Ss ‘‘Unanimously elected,” the sharp remarked, | the prisoner and the sheriff proceeded thither. siderable fear of the horrid disease. on as he saw that every man in the crowd was in ‘Remember, we hold you responsible for the Let us now convey the reader to Hiko’s lone ‘ ; favor of a trial. “‘ Well, gentlemen, I’m not | prisoner,” Bill continued. ‘‘And, if you don’t | cabin. % = t m, . Ei iy pat the critter to back down on my word. Will | produce him in the morning Judge Lynch will It wasnear the midnight hour; the interior ste : you give me a good squar’ trial?” | have to try his hand on you, maybe.” | of the shanty was illuminated by'a candle ay ‘“Yes!” cried Keno Bill, ‘‘a squar’ deal, | And thus, instead of a duel there was to be a | placed upon the rude table, and by the table, pees ss every time!” | trial for murder. | her vail off and her face uncovered, sat the 4 ‘Oh, yes,” chimed in the crowd, ‘‘the clear | mysterious woman who bad so excited the curiosity of the people of the town, but great , would have been their wonder if they could | have seenhernow. The Hunchback’s story was a a trick to allay discussion. The face of the wo. man was as fair as the face of a child, and won. a? derfully impressive, too, although strongly mas, culine, and betraying in every feature that sh¢ white article and no mistake.” CHAPTER VI. ‘¢That satisfies me, gentlemen: hyer are my | THE VAILED LADY. pop-guns and my toad-sticker; take good care ABOUT @ quarter of a mile above the town | of them, please, for they have done me good | of Needle Bar, close to the bank of the river, ae service in many a tight pinch,” and the stran- | was a small shanty, the inmates of which were er, letting down the hammers of his revolvers, | a source of wonder to the dwellers in the camp. drew his knife from his belt and held them out Within the lonely cabin dwelt a man and wo- . | Fe toward the crowd. man, the one a strong cofitrast to the other, for an indomitable will. . | | All the members of the throng looked at Keno ' the man was short in stature, deformed in Footsteps were heard without rapidly ap : 2 | SRE Eo --comicbooks.com |’ Sa hae if. , ; ‘ % * 5 , = | - ‘ “ es S . s | Zz ; ~! : - = ——— = — eS -_ : c of .