Beadle's New York Dime Library, No. 173 — page 7: what you’re looking at

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

eee le w+ oe plied, with an assumption of great dignity. It was a peculiarity of the doctor that the moment he got in liquor he became very dignified. In person he was a little, short fellow, with a fat, unmeani face, terribly bloated from the effects of drink. ‘‘And who sed you could, hey?” the sheriff demanded, ‘ Blamed if I know whether I ought te let you or not.” “T’ve seen the prdge, you long-legged, no- herned specimen of a Texan steer, and he says that there isn’t any objection!” the doctor re- torted. ‘‘This gentleman hasn’t got any too ‘many hours before him and I come to see him in regard to his private affairs. He probably wants to set his house in order before he takes the long leap into the other world.” The Fresh looked sharply at the doctor. He didn’t know what to make of this visit. “Wa-al, wot do you say?’ asked Hairpin, turning to the prisoner. ‘‘Do you want to swap some lies with this little fat cuss?” ‘‘i shall be pleased to hear what the gentle- man has to say, of course.” ‘‘Drive on yer mule-team then; I can’t go outen the room, ’cos that is ag’in’ orders, but I will sit over hyer, and if yer don’t gabole too loud, I reckon that I won’t try to pick up wot you ; The sheriff sat down ‘by the door, while the doctor hel himself to a chair which he drew up close to where the Californian was “Have adrink?” said the doctor, producing a flask, and thus opening the conversation. The prisoner declined but the invitation was nos lost on the jailer, whe instantly signified his willingness to ‘‘h’ist in a leetle p’ison.” “Take care, it may be drugged!” the doctor warned. Hairpin drew back his big paw which he had eutstretched toward the flask in some little alarm. + mg liquor, you know, which will upset your apple- , and then I can help the pris- ener to escape,” . The jailer shook his head and laughed his great hoarse laugh. ‘* No, sir-ee! You can’t fool this child with any such idee as that; you might lay me out, but how are you gwine to get past the guards at the door? Oh, no, too thin! and I’ll sample the licker and risk it anyway.” And, sample it he,did to an extent that en- raged the Doc. “Pll bring a demijohn next time I come,” he muttered. “Do, or a demijack, either; I kin git away with ry Sere that has got licker into it, big or little,” Hairpin remarked, complacently. Then the sheriff sat down again, and the doc- tor, drawing his chair as closely as possible to the one occupied by the prisoner, began a confi- dential conversation. ‘You are in a tight place here,” he said. ‘*'Yes, but I have been in a tighter one.” ‘Ami you will be in a tighter one to-morrow when they take you down to the bank of the Colorado and swing you up.” ‘Is that the programme?’ ““ You bet it is!” . “Many a slip between: the cup and the lip, you know.” ‘* Perhaps life is worth something to you?” “Well, I reckon it is worth something to every man, isn’t it?” ° ‘“* Yes, but to some more than others: If you saw a chance of escape you would embrace it?’ ‘“* Most decidedly.” “* I take a great interest in your case.” ** You are very kind.” “Yes, Jam going to attend to the hanging.” The Fresh drew back and surveyed the other | man, w for a moment at this intelligence. “Oh, you are the hangman?” a ee OI [ LLL LALLA ett, . it seems to me that you are anxious to see my hand without being willing to show your own. “ ‘What do you mean?” *“* Exactly what I say; you come and ask what I would be willing to give to get out of this scrape, but you haven’t explained to me how that is to be accomplished,” ‘“*T will attend to that, of course.” “Yes, I presumed you would, but at the same time I want to know something about it; I want to have aclear understanding in regard to the plans; the idea that you have may nof be good for anything.” “Oh, but it is!” cried the doctor, quickly. “There is not the slightest doubt about its suc- ceeding.” “Well, I can tell better about that when I know what it is, so go ahead and spin it out,” The doctor shook his head and looked wise. “Oh, no, I cannot, I really cannot; I cannot tell you my plan until I am satisfied that it is go- ing to pay me to work it, for the risk is great, you know. The men who have doomed you to death are no children to be played with.’ “I should say not; not the kind of playthings I should select at all.” **They would be apt to make mince-meat out of me if I cheated them of their vengeance.” *“* Very likely.” “‘The — is certain to succeed; it is no new idea ; ‘it has been tried before, but only the well- read medical man would be apt to know any- thing about it, and the joke of the thing is that these men, who are hungry for your life, will pe cnemes of their vengeance without knowing t. The sharp looked at the doctor, a strong ex- urges of unbelief upon his countenance. In act, the Californian believed that the other ee so ‘‘ fuddled” he did not know what he was saying. x ut, the doctor was rather amused than other- wise at the doubt of the prisoner, for he smiled as he said: “Oh, it is all right; don’t you be afraid; I can fix it every time, provided I can see it is to my advantage to work the miracle. Now, then, to come right down to business; how much can you give?’ ** Well, how much do you want?’ ‘“‘ All that you have got,” was the frank an- swer. ‘You might take all I have, and it wouldn't break your back to carry it away.” ‘“‘T s’pese you aré pretty well heeled? You sporting gentlemen generally are,” the doctor rsisted. ‘* Sometimes we are, and sometimes we ain’t: it depends a good deal on luck, but, there is one valuable that I always carry a pretty good store of round with me.” ., ** Aha! what is that? Diamonds, I presume.” ‘“No, you are wrong; it is cheek—an article ~ more value toa man than diamonds, some- mes.” ‘* No use to me, rein, retorted the doctor. ‘“‘I s’pose you could rake up two or three thou- sand dollars, either in coin or dust?” ‘Oh, yes; give you the collateral for it,” ‘* Collateral? hat collateral?” ‘* My note at ninety days: good as wheat.” The doctor looked disgusted. ‘No joking for Heaven’s sake! This is not a joking matter.”’* ‘“ You are right there, sure as you're born.” ‘‘ Notes are of no use to me. ow much gold ——I s’pose a thousand dollars at the least?” ‘*] s’pose nearer a hundred than a thousand.” ‘‘ Five hundred?’ ‘* Under one, including thirty odd dollars that I just h’isted out of that big galoot yonder, in a leetle game of poker. Five hundred! Why, at are you talking about? Do you think I am a walking United States mint?” ‘Oh, if you haven’t got but a hundred dol- “Exactly; I am.the only medical man in the | lars itis of no use; I can’t afford to run the risk town, so the boys reqiiested me as a particular favor to boss the job. Itisa leetle out of my line, you know, but I couldn’t make them un- derstand it. A doctor’s mission is to preserve fife, not to destroy it, but our citizens are a leetle thick-headed.” “Some doctors kill more than they cure,” re- plied the Californian, with grim humor, “ Very true; mistakes will happen in all voca- tions. ut I say, do you see any way to escape this threatened doom?” ‘No, I do not swered, frankly; eould he discover. _ ““Whatis your life worth to you, anyway?” The prisoner looked puzzled at the question. **I see you don’t comprehend what I mean.” ** Indeed I do not.” “‘1 mean, if you had a chance to buy way ont of this scrape, what would you give?” “A man would give has for life.” ‘‘ Ab, that is the point that I am coming to,” and the doctor brought his lips still closer to the ear of the Californian; ‘‘ what have you got, that you would be willing to give?” “How much wealth?” “Yes.” “Well, I don’t exactly know.” the Fresh re plied, thoughtfully. ‘But see here, pardner, not a single means of escape o ‘ ag * et 9 74 wh ae ee at present,” the prisoner an- | | ' i ' j | i your | cuss my cate! if [ wouldn’t | and asked if he coulc for that. Haven’t you friends of whom you could borrow some money?” ‘‘Nary man in the town to chip in for me, that I know of—nary pard, man or woman!” ‘Well, so-long!” observed the doctor, in a tone of intense disgust, rising to depart. ‘‘] will do the best I can for you, and see that you are swung off as easily as possible, but a hempen cravat is always a tight fit.” CHAPTER XT. A BOLD ATTEMPT, ‘“ A CONSOLING sort of a fat cuss he is, ain’t he? and chock-full of bug-juice, too,” Hairpin remarked, as the door closed behind the doctor. ‘*Durn me! if he come and talked to me ’bout a hempen cravat and a-swinging me off easy, if I | was fixed like you with a rope ’round my neck, if him one under the ear that would smack him right through almost anything that he | the side of the house!” The prisoner did not reply. He was too busy cogitating whether there was anything in the doctor’s plan or not, but, finally, he came to the conclusion thatit was more idle talk than any- thing else, Then another man put his head in at the door have a few minutes’ con- versation with the prisoner. This was Charley Yampas, the proprietor of ‘.* : f ~_ iv? 4 ~~, 2 i '« at tne ‘ i a oN ~~ rf '7 a the popular resort known as the Silver Hell, one of the roughest placesin the camp, as the reader will probably remember. He was the well-built, copper-colored fellow with the ter- rible scar on the face, and who had such an’ effeminate look about his features. ** Look-a-hyer! this ain’t a ball, nor a fan- dango, neither isit a picnic, and I ain’t a-goin’ to have the hull town a-cavortin’in this hyer dungeon, and don’t you forget it!” Hairpin cried, roughly. ‘Well, I come upon important business, and I’ve seen Captain Joe about it, too, and he said that it was all right,” the hal -breed—for, such he claimed to be—responded, in the soft way peculiar to him, “‘ You see, I lost a mule yes- terday—as fine a beast as there was in the ter- ritory, and I didn’t know but what this gentle- | man might have come across the animal in his | travels, see?” and as Yampas finished, he slip- | ped a small flask into the hand of Hairpin. |" Oh, sartin! If you come on business, that is a hoss of another color. Go ahead and speechify all you like!” and the big fellow immediately proceeded to investigate in regard to the con- tents of the flask, while Yampas approached the Californian, who regarded him with consid- erable curiosity. “T come to inquire about a mule which I thought you might have met with in your travels,” Yampas began; and, then, casting @ rapid glance over his shoulder, and perceivi | that the jailer was too busy sampling the whisky to pay any attention to anything else, he low- ered his tone and whispered, rapid] 2 4 Right behind you there are two loose boards; a touch of the d will dislodge them and give you room to pass through. Twenty paces on there’s a good horse picketed. Onee on his back it will be the fiend’s luck if you cannot escape from the town. Here is a revolver, loaded and capped. Iwill meet you to-night about twelve, three miles up the river just above Fort Mo | bave. There’s a bend in the stream and a bunch | of cottonwood timber there, so that you won't miss the place. You can see where the boards are by looking for the marks of the saw. While the trial was going on we put up this job here. This big brute will be called out of the room in a moment—that is to give you a chance to es- cape. So you haven’t seen anything of a —g* gray-white mule?’ he continued, raising voice, ‘‘Caramba! Iam sorry. I would sooner sal give twenty dollars than to lose that mule!” wh) ** Waz-al, ee me the money, and if I see the : animile I will hold on to her for you!” Hairpin exclaimed, ger 86 ‘Oh, no; I will hold on to the money until I see the mule,” and then the half-breed took his departure, leaving the Fresh in a state of con- siderable amazement. A few minutes before he had declared that he did not have a friend in the town, man or wo-. man, and, loand behold! here a friend had sprung up to aid him. So unreal did the episode seem that he would have found it difficult to believe that his ears had served him correctly had he not felt the solid substance of the revolver in his bosom whither he had thrust it for concealment. And then, too, be glanced tert nt at the wall “1 and there, sure enough, across the boards he ri could detect the line of the saw. er At the very time when he was being tried for his life, and believed that he was utterly friend- less and alone, preparations were on foot for his rescue, The thought came to him—might not this be a trap to compass his death? might there not be armed men lying in wait without who would riddle him with bullets when he made his ap- pearance in the open air? But after a moment’s reflection he dismissed_the idea as being un- , worthy of credence. His death by the rope... seemed certain enough; why then should any one wish to oe matters? Soon one of the guards at the inner door which led into the saloon poked his head in at the portal, and waving a bottle invited Hairpin to come and take a drink. a ‘All right; I'm your old he-b’ar!” the mule- > skinner exclaimed, and forgetting his orders . not to lose sight of the prisoner, he passed through the open doorway and pulled the door shut behind him. fs This was the moment toact. He ran to the side of the room where the boards had been sawed. In these Western shanties the wall © — corsists of one thickness of boards only, no plas- | tering. The boards 2a under the stron 1 ea oressure Of his hand and tumbled outward, 95° Sy eaying an open space amply large enough for him to pass through. To go through the hole was. but the work of @ moment, and, as the half-breed had said, a few yards off a horse was tethered. With the speed of a deers the Californian bounded over the ground, jerked the lariat up. and sprung into the saddle; but, not unob- served, as ill-luck would have i A a" = — ’ it. A group of fellows busy in e»nversation down the street saw the escape, and at once gave the alarm. my | ‘Stop him! stop him!” they cried at the top ~ an of their lungs. ‘‘What’s the matter?” cried an old hunter, . | pe le Mie a too , & % as 7 a » a2) ‘ - 3 ha" a ee ed . “ «Dee .