Beadle's New York Dime Library, No. 173 — page 8: what you’re looking at

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

- jo i... 4 “ d - we > * : 5 ¥ Yi > ey - a i, + ~ ~~ Cae ae a 7 a eh ~ Rg < pipet. « > te", hy 4, i. «vr 2 “-* Nee ee wed 2. ae ios a * 3 a j “rt. a +2 * > ; A * —t who had just come into the town from a trip up the Celorado. ‘‘A murderer is escaping!” yelled a man in the crowd. ‘“Whar—that man on the hoss?” ‘* Yes yes!” “Oh, Ul fetch him!” cried the hunter, and up came the trusty rifle to his shoulder; a moment he glanced along the glittering tube with his keen eye, leveling it full at the flying steed, urged onward by the fugitive at its best pace, aaa then came the little tongue of fire in the midst of a smoke puff and the sharp report re- sounded on the clear air. The horse gave a single convulsive leap as the * well-aimed bullet struck it, and then came down all in a heap, stone dead. So sudden was the shock that the Fresh, skill- ful rider though he was, caught a ‘‘ burster,” and was tossed clean over the animal’s head. The soft prairie soil received him kindly, though, and in a second he was on his feet, ep well shaken up by the force of the fall, ut in no way injured. His first thought was to continue his flight on foot, but half a dozen of the citizens who had joined in the hue and cry were mounted, and a moment’s reflection convinced him that he stood no chance ai all to escape. Luck was dead against him this time for cer- tain. Fully thirty armed men were after him, _ counting both horse and foot, and, although at _ first when he found that his escape was cut off, his impulse was to show fight and to find a death rather by the bullets of his pursuers than by the rope of the hangman, yet upon the old ales occurring to him—while there was life there was. hope—he concluded to yield to cir- cumstances and surrender quietly. He had not _ drawn the revolver from his breast, and now that he saw how things were he was very glad that he had not. ** No one knows that itis there,” he murmured to himself, ‘‘ and at the last moment perhaps it mey serve my turn.” eno Bill was the first to reach the side of the itive. s the crowd came on the Fresh had dis- ghey his open hands, so as to show them that e did not meditate any resistance. ** Well, you didn’t make the riffle th's time!” Alcibiades remarked, as he rode up. **No, but 1 made a good try for it, though, and if it hadn’t been for my friend with the rifle, I reckon that no man in this crowd would Have been able to put salt on my tail.” ‘‘ Better luck next time, old man!” ejaculated the sheriff, Jake Hairpin, who came up at this _ moment, blowing like a porpoise from his exer- ‘‘ Nice man vow are to look arter a prisoner!” Keno Bill exclaimed, in contempt. ‘Niece kind of a house you’ve. got, whar a man can kick the hull eend-board out, and light for the setting sun, right afore my own two- looking eyes!” and Jake winked at the prisoner, as to say keep quiet, and don’t tell on _ “ We will try and keep you safer this time. I was a big fool that I didn’t examine the walls, but, who would have thought of such a thing?’ Bill remarked, ‘‘I reckon, though, that you ain’t so friendless in this hyer camp as you try to make out.” California John did not take the trouble to re- ly, and the procession slowly proceeded back the spot from whence the ehase had started. The prisoner was placed in his former quar- ters, the hole in the side of the house nuiled up, and a careful examination instituted, so as to be sure that there wasn’t any more weak “poe Bill was bound that the prisoner should stay where he was put this time. >» CHAPTER XII, ALCIBIADES’S IDEA. Tre gloom of the night was just begivanh to thicken over the town of Needle Bar when Keno Bill came stalking into the store of Cap- tain Joe, Kersand’s was a great resort for the Toungers of the town, particularly with those who were of an economical turn of mind, for if a man “loafed ” around a saloon it involved the obligation of treating once in a while, and to stand a “‘ round” for a crowd of six to ten fel- lows with drinks at two bits apiece was no joke # a man unless his buckskin bag was well lined. But, in Kersand’s store a man was under no ob- ligation to purchase anything unless he wanted sotodo, No liquors were sold by the glass, al- though a full stock was carried for the atcom- modation of customers, and the captain kept a private bottle in the little room back of the store, his office by day and his bedroom b night, and to the contents of this private bottle im t Ouyers were heartily welcome. er a wonder the store was bare of customers when Aleibiades entered, and thecaptain sat on one of the counters swin 1g his legs in a sort of a brown study. It was just about supper-time and the men of the town were busy about the evening meal. Be it remarked in passing that _ nearly all the men of the town kept ‘* bachelor’s hall”—very few indeed being provided with helpmates. <a *) ? . : i ‘ ’ / r of. « % ? be : — Ns » , ws tb - . ; ‘i * © « e | ia John, the Pacific Thor Alcibiades nodded to the captain and took his seat upon the cracker barrel which stood at one end of the counter. : Kersands, roused from his abstraction, took a on at his visitor and Bill in return took a look at him. Each noticed that the other was unusually serious, aud as a rule neither one of the two was noted for this sort of thing. ‘*f have kinder been a-co tating over mat- ters and things in gineral,” Alcibiades re- marked, taking out his jack-knife, springing out the blade and beginning to jab the point into the cover of the barrel. ** Well, sir, I reckon that to a chap who uses his head at all thar has been mighty good cause for a man to put on his thinking-cap in this hyer town since the sun went down last night,” replied the store-keeper. a What do you think of this hyer affair, any- way? Bout the murder?” “Yes; do you think that we have got hold of the right chap?” **? do: I reckon thar ain’t much doubt on that pint. Didn’t he go for to give leg-bail the furst chance he got?” “‘That’s so; but, seeing as how death was a-grinning right in his face he would have been a tool if he hadn’t,” . “But, who put up the job? Who sawed the boards in the wall, and who provided the hoss outside? The feller says that he don’t know anybody in the town, but he must have some vale round or else the trick couldn’t have been worked.” ‘*In my opinion thar isa gang of them,” the Kero King declared, ‘‘So fur we hain’t been troubled much with anything of that sort in this camp, and it is only nat’ral to suppose that sooner or later a gang wi/l come in and try to run the town. All camps have got to go through with that sort of thing, you know, and between you and me and the bed-post, cap’n, I shouldn’t be in the least surprised 1f we have a heap of trouble with this feller afore we get through with him.” “I reckon we will get through with him to- morrow,” the store-keeper observed. ‘* Yes, if he don’t give us the slip to-night.” ‘* Well, Bill, you ain’t the man I take you to be if you let that beppee.. ‘‘T won’t, unless this feller and his gang are smarter chan I think they are; but, I say, cap’n, who do you s’pose fixed the thing, who sawed the boards and who told the feller of it? There was only two people in to see him, Charley Yam pas, who had an idea that the man might know something ’bout a stray mule of his’n, and the Doc,” ‘*T don’t take much stock in that air medicine- man. I think he would sell his own father for whisky if he couldn’t get it any other way,” Kersands averred. ‘Well, cap’n, I ’spect you have sized him down ’bout right. I haye an idea that it was the doctor who acted as a messenger between this sharp and his pals on the outside, and I have made up my mind to keep a mighty keer- ful watch onto him. But, cap’n, setting this matter aside, I have been thinking over this hyer gal left all alone and unprotected. ’Pears to me like as if she had a mighty hard road ahead on her.” ‘* Well, Bill, it does look kinder that way,” the store-keeper admitted. ‘*Thar ain’t much call for any sich women as she is in any sich camp as this’byer.” ‘*Not much call, Bill,” and the captain shook his head solemnly. ‘*?Pears to me asif something has got to be done for her, though.” ‘* Yes, pears so,” but in his own mind the veteran thought that if the girl had not been a ppt ene f-womankind, the long-headed Alcibiades would never have troubled his brains about her. Yes, sir; something has got to be done for the gal, seeing as how she has been left all alone and unprotected right hyerin our town. We might all chip in and -raise a subscription, you know, to send her home, but, as fur as I kin find out, the ain’t got any home or friends on top of this hyer earth.” ‘Pears so, Bill; pears so.” **Of course I would be glad to give her a chance to come and ¢clerk at my place, but a keno saloon ain’t exactly the sort of a ranch to stick any sich handsome heifer in as this ’ere beauty.’ , “No, Bill; some wild galoot would be sure to shoot off his mouth at her, and then thar would be trouble, of course, for she ain’t the kind of a gal to stand any nonsense, I should say.” ‘Not much; and it wouldn’t be healthy for any man to try it on when I was ’round,” a sav- expression upon his face. ‘‘And that is whar the trouble would come in, you see. Why, Bill, a gal like this critter in a fase like yours would be good fora funeral a Ray. She would make business lively for the Hunchback, but it would be mighty bad for the town,” “Oh, it ain’t to be thought on, cap’n; but I tell you what itis, [have kinder made up my mind that the girl ought to be seen arter, and I ¢ Oo + erm we er te ee ee _ ee a LEE —— ~ or ° Ps a Pes * - * . = - reyes : =q 4 ; ; | oa Pd pe 5 Soh ag > 7. S ba wea Lay a4 - a “* Loa a cs g-* oo : > 2 4 a Ap ten oJ i . , ™ ' ~ ® * " * Os* ie ~~ . - + ttt ae “Te TT ee oor eos Se reckon thar ain’t any man in this town who kin chip into sich a game any better than a man ’bout my size.” The captain nodded approvingly. ** Now, I have been thinking over the matter, and I reckon { have found a place for the gal where she will fit as snug as a bug in a rug.” ‘““You don’t say so?’ and the store-keeper looked amazed. He coulda’t for the life of him think of any opening that the camp afforded for an honest girl to get a decent living, particu- larly such a ladylike creature as Mise Foeero. **Oh, Dn I have been speculating on it, and I reckon I have got it down fine,” Alcibiades con- tinued. ‘*This hyer town needs a furst-class hotel, a reg’lar bang-up place, you know; furst- chop, Eastern style; none of your Grand-Cen- tral-Mickey-Lynch’s dive; I own that vacant lot, you know, right side of my place, and | have made up my mind to put up a hotel thar that shall jest knock anything down along this line. Jest as soon as we hang this sharp to-mor- row, and so get this little business settled up, I will pitch rightintoit. I'll make it three stories high, with a what-do-you-call-it on top, anda flag-pole, and I will put this gal in to run it; nothing for her to do, you know, but to play the lady and take in the cash. I want to call it some big name; how would the Colorado Palace Hotel do?” ‘* Bully, Bill; couldn’t be better.” ‘Oh, I will do the thing up mighty fine new, when I’ve waded in, and don’t you forget it.” ‘* No doubt about that, Bill, for you have got the dust to back you.” ‘* Well, I hain’t lost any .coney since I struek this hyer town: and in fact, cap’n, as I am pretty well fixed now I am getting kinder fired of this talk *bout Keno Bill. I don’t like the name, and I want to get shut of it as soon as I kin. The keno shop is all right: it pays like a gold mine, but for all that I had just as lieves not be so much mixed up in it.” “I say, Bill, Lreckon that if you su*ceed in carrying out this leetle plan, the gal and you might conclude to hitch teams one of these days,” the store-keeper suggested, wiih a sly chuckle. Alcibiades closed one eye and winked signi- ficantly with the other. | ‘* Well, such a thing ntight happen,” he ad- mitted, ‘‘and I must say that she ‘is ’bout the only gal I have seen for many a long year whe has at all struck my fanéy. And if I make up my mind to go for ber, what man is there ’round this hyer town who weuld be able to take her from me?’ CHAPTER XIII. AN ODD REQUEST. ‘*NARY man, Bill; thar ain’t one of ’em that could do it!” the veteran admitted. “That is what I think. Well, the race is epen to anybody, and I don’t see why I shouldn’s enter for the prize as well as the next man. At any rate I have made up my mind to take a hand in the game, and if I don’t win it won't, be for the want of trying.” **You’ll win, Bill: J would be willing te bet my bottom dollar on it!” the store-keeper de- clared, enthusiastically. At that moment a form, stepping into the dovrway, obscured the light, which was rapidly growing more and more dim as the clouds of evening lowered. Both of the men looked to see who it was, and both were equally amazed to discover that it was the very lady who had been the subject of their conversation. The veteran sprung from his seat and hasa- tened to the door, while Bill slowly dismounted from the cracker barrel and leaned up against the counter. The girl in her perfect beauty looked like a picture framed in the dowway, and it was no wonder that the breath of William Aleibiades came thick and hard, and his heart beat vio- lently. thumping against his ribs as it were, while a ‘oatieret vow came from his lips. ‘* By all the powers of fate, Pll have this girl no matter how much it costs to wiu her or who stands in my way!” The girl had hesitated timidly in the doorway as if uncertain about entering, and the eaptain hastened to bid her welcome to his donaiciies “Walk vg ces in, miss; don’t be afeared; you are among friends hyer, and anything that we kin do for you we will do right gladly. Ain't that so, Mr. Alcibiades?” and he turned appeal- ingly toward Keno Bill. ‘Ob yes, miss; you can jest count on us, aids time,” the master of the keno shop as- , doffing his hat and making quite a gal- lant bow. ‘‘T am ever so much obliged,” the gir] re- plied, advancing a yard or two into the stere, while the captain hastened to close the deor be hind her. : ‘‘Some of our boys ain’t got any too muoh sense, miss,” ho explaimed, ‘‘and if any of the dunderbeads happened to pass by and see’d you in hyer, they wouldn’t have no better man- ners than tostare right in at you, jest as if you was a wild beast on exhibition.” | Meanwhile Alcibiades had hunted up a chair in the back office and brought it out to the lady, eom EbDOOKS * ee . eo = et ee ee vo