Beadle's New York Dime Library No. 189 — page 2: what you’re looking at

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

‘ <<? _ . aS 7” — ; i” i) e A Wild Bill's Gold Trail: THE DESPERADO. DOZEN. [A Sequel to Major Dangerfield Burr’s “Wild Bill's Trump Card,” Dime Library 175.| CHAPTER I. THE THREAT. ‘‘Tuey does say as ther Desperado Dozen were a-workin’ this lead pretty strong, whip ard.” ‘‘ Waal, they tells gospil truth, an’ I will shout thet we is in luck if we gits inter Poker City without hearin’ ther Dozen sing out ter ‘Halt an’ ban’s up!’” The first speaker was a rough-looking, hairy- faced man in miners’ garb, and wearing a belt with a pair of serviceable revolvers and a bowie stuck in it. . His soft hat was well worn and shaded the upper part of his face, and a scarf, tied be- neath his large woolen shirt-collar, raised it up to the ears, giving him the appearance of suf- fering with asore throat. His hair and beard were long and unkempt, and he certainly was not a man one would pick out of a crowd as the most honest-look- ing one in it, no matter of whom it might be composed. He was seated on the box of a stage-coach, “running on the line to Poker City, a represent- —s ative border town of the far frontier, and the one he addressed was Andy Rush, the crack driver of that part of the Overland, and who held the ribbons over the backs of his six epirited horses with the air of a man who knew his work well, and did it. The stage was rolling along the mountain road, some ten milés from Poker City, and Andy Rush was keeping his reins well in hand for he was in a very dangerous neighborhood, +s the Overland robbers known as the Vesperado Dozen, had stopped the coaches quite frequently of late, and the driver knew that he carried a precious load, And precious in more than one meaning, for, besides a box of gold, concealed in a false bottom to the coach, to avoid the keen scent of the road-agent, there was in the vehicle a levely young girl traveling in company with a tall, gray -haired man, evidently her father. A Jew peddler, a young and timid-looking parson, evidently fresh from a_ theological seminary, and a lady closely vailed, so that no one had seen her face, and with a slender, graceful form, were the other occupants of the coach, and the two ladies Andy Rush always looked upon as more precious than the boxes of gold he frequently carried. That the gray-haired gentleman felt anxiety at the dangers of the road, was evident by his ‘ace; which wore a troubled look, and he otten glanced nervously toward his daughter, and kept his band in his pocket, as though upon a weapon. The . parson was naturally timid-looking, and had an expression of nervous dread upon his face, for he would fairly start whenever he caught the beautiful eyes of the maiden fixed upon him. ? As for the Jew, he sat as though the seat of the stage was a reversed pin-cushion, and every time the horses went at a slower pace, he started and glanced out of the window, as though fearing to behold the dreaded robbers of the mountains. If the lady so closely vailed felt fear, none of her fellow-passengers knew it, for she had not spoken, and had hardly moved during the day’s journey. ‘<T'her Dozen hes tackled your hearse sev- times, I hes heerd,” said the miner on the box, addressing the driver. They has.” ‘¢ And is likely ter do so ag’in?” “ Yer, only I does hope they won’t this time, fer I hes two leddies, as yer seen, inside, an’ tem I w’u’d sorrow ter see skeert by if I gits by yonder ledge o’ rock, which are ther entrance ter a canyon running back inter ther tains, I’ll be safe, fer thar are ther spot they gen’rally shouts.” “‘ Waal, I don’t see none now,” and the miner peered intently ahead. " Wary, an’ yer won't ontil they sings out.” The miner kept his eyes fixed on the ledge : ee and seemed eevigad to read the secret which it did or did not « onceal. Nearer the coach approached, and although the road was comparatively good, Andy Rush brought his horses down to a walk, to the bet- ter halt, should the warning cry ring out, for to think of disobeying the dread command— ‘Halt! up with your bands ”—never for a mo- ment entered his mind, against such odds as he knew the road-agents would confront him | with. As he slackened his pace, out of the window popped the bead of the Jew. ‘‘Fader Isaacs! ish de rcbbers here right away?’ ‘‘No, Dutchy; but I advise you to keep that The miner laughed lightly, and) suddenly dragged from his face and head ‘the bushy hair and unkempt beard. ) The act revealed a very handsome, reckless and evi] face, with eyes that were piercing and almost savage. One glance was enough fer Andy Rush, and instantly he put his foot on the heavy Califor- nia brakes, and reined in his team, while he said, in suppressed tones: “Jehu! you is ther devil hisself.” ‘Yes; I am Captain Tiger, the leader of the Desperado Dozen. Do you surrender?’ The reply was as-cool as though the speaker uttered an ordinary remark, and not the asser- tion that he was a man noted as a flend in head of yours inside, or you might get a bullet | human form. in it,” answered Andy. In went the head with a sudden jerk that caused the back of it to come in collison with the upper part of the coach window, and which knocked the hat off into the road. ‘Mine hat! mine hat! stop for mine hat! ‘Tt cost me five tollars,” shrieked the Jew. ‘‘Durn your hat! I wouldn’t stop in this place for that hump-backed nose of yours,” answered Andy Rush, and he added, in a tone which only the miner on the box heard: ‘I never stop here, even for a broken trace, unless [ gits ther word.” “Yer means from ther agents, pard?” “*T does,” Just then the elderly passenger looked out, and said anxiously; “Driver, won't you quicken your pace, for my daughter is very neryous in this part of the mountain?’ “ll do it, sir, an’ fer her sweet sake, Pll try and go through if they’ does shout, fer jist now I recognizes who she are—” He started his horses forward, while the maiden’s lovely face glanced out of the other window, and she said, in the softgst, sweetest tones: ‘Thank you, sir.” ‘You is welcome every time, miss, an’ it will be a surprise ter them Dozen ter see Andy Rush take ther chances and go by, if they goes ter halt ther hearse ter-day; but I be- lieves it kin be did, and I’ll try it this onst.”’ ‘‘Thank you again, sir, for both my father and myself would rather risk their shots than meet them. ‘* And, if our fellow-passengers knew these outlaws as we have had cause to know them, they would gladly risk their lives to escape them.” ‘‘But we don’t want to be shooted mit te pullets,” cried the Jew, for the maiden’s re- mark had been addressed to those in the stage, rather than to the driver, as she had resumed her seat. Her father then said something to her in a whisper, and instantly she drew a thick vail from her pocket and wrapped it closely around her head and face, which rendered ber as un- ‘recognizable as was the lady on the front In the mean time the stage had gone on at a ps ot old bis rein upon the ledge. .. reins well in hand, had Fores ey foc ecko, and had his whip ‘seat ror ‘tof te that “it was. “his intention, if called upon to halt, to attempt to run the gantlet of ‘eee outlaws’ fire. ‘‘ Holy Rockies! there they be. Fly, you four-footed terrers!” suddenly shouted Andy Rush, and he cracked his whip viciously, and shouted to his leaders, for suddenly he had caught sight of two forms half hidden by the . In response to his urging, the willing team sprung forward, and the large coach was jerked along at a slapping pace for a few rods. But then there came, in stern, suppressed tones, the command: “Put your foot on that brake and halt, or you are a dead man.” It was the miner who spoke, and he held a revolver-muzzle against the ear of the driver. CHAPTER IL. THE PARSON’S PLUCK. Tue threat of the miner, uttered in tones there was no mistaking as being otherwise than in deadly earnest, caused Andy Rush to be taken iene: for, where he had locked for aid in running the gantlet of the Desperado Dozen, he now found unexpected resistance. “Say, pard, ef yer is skeert, git inside, fer I intends ter go by,” said Andy Rush, with firm determination, “IT does. You takes the chips,” sullenly replied Andy Rush, as he brought his team to a halt, just as half a dozen villainous men, ee eee :0(000000 es - a C8 rere Oo E0&CGCOO™O)D wearing black masks, stepped out from behind the ledge, with their rifles at a level. — The moment the stage came to a halt, the pretended miner removed his disguise and shouted: ‘‘Keep your eyes on this man, boys, for he’s slippery.” Seemingly recognizing their chief, the men answered in chorus: “‘ Ay, ay, cap’n, we has him covered.” Then the chief sprung to the ground and ap- proached the door of the stage-coach. The stern voices, the starting forward of the stage, its sudden balt, had told those within that the evil was upon them, and their worst fears were realized. As soon as thie was known, the young par- son suddenly lost his timidity, and said firmly, addressing the elderly gentleman: “Your daughter, sir, spoke as though she had cause to dread some great evil, were she taken by these.outlaws, and I will aid you to defend her and this lady here from their ruth- less power.” ‘*Nobly said, sir,” answered the elderly gentleman, at the same time drawing a weapon from beneath bis coat. ‘Defend me, too,” yelled the frightened Jew. ‘‘ As a man, sir, you should defend yourself, “4 replied the parson, sternly. “Are you armed, sir?” asked the elderly gentleman. ‘‘T am not, sir, as one ef my cloth should not bear arms. But I know their use, and as this gentleman seems incapable of using his wea- pons, I will borrow his.” the young preacher took one of the revolvers from the hand of the Jew, for he had two, and was flourishing them about with more danger to those inside than those outside of the coach. “Dat ish cost me twenty tollar, unt you must give me him back,” said the Jew. The. parson coolly examined the revolver, found it loaded, and confronted the window on which side the voices sounded, just as he saw the young girl draw a weapon from her dress and hold it with the air of one who knew well its deadly nature, and just how to use it. Just at that moment the Desperado Captain appeared at the door and threw it open. They had seen him before as a passenger, and not knowing what bad occurred on the box, the Jew cried anxiously: “ Well, mine friend, we has scared dem off?” “ No, sir; but on the contrary the Desperado Dozen demand to)l of you all. “Come, sir, out with your gold, then I will take my ‘prize in this fair i ten ” said the cutlaw leader sternly. The words fell like a cs teclal ‘upon those who heard them, coming as th they did from the lips of a supposed friend; but hardly had they been uttered, when there came a@ flash and singing report, and the miner staggered back, shouting: ““ Ho, men! seize the girl and then get your old.” : It was the parson who had fired the shot, and he sprung toward the open door just as the pr appeared upon either side of the oon followed savage voices in command, shots, shouts, groans, a shriek, and a stern command: ‘* Drive on for the love of Heaven 1” ‘Pll do it, parson, or die. “You is a howlin’ brick turned loese, or I are a liar,” shouted Andy Rush, and the whip fell upon the horses and the stage surged ahead, crushing the body ofa fallen outlaw , JOO (E(@) im (e ‘Ss (E(o)