Beadle's New York Dime Library No. 189 — page 3: what you’re looking at

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

Wild Bill’s Gold Trail. 4 a a LS beneath its heavy wheels, and wringing from him a sbriek that those who heard never for- | : ' name A few bounds of the frightened horses, and now.” got. the vehicle was clear of the outlaws, but dash- the Dozen are a fearful lot they say, and their captain, Tiger they call him, well deserves the he goes by— Ha! there’s Andy’s horn As the words left the “ Governor's” lips, the ing along at territic speed, for Andy Rush well | clear notes of a stage-horn came floating down knew that pursuit would follow. “* Hold! parson bent out of the window. ‘‘ Which one, parson?” ‘The vailed lady.” Wother, I’d go back and fight it out fer her. ‘“Whar is she?” ‘Fortunately she fainted when she saw her father dragged out of the coach.” “ “Ther old man gone?” ** Yes, he was seized and pulled out of one | door, jist as the outlaws dragged the lady out at the other.” ‘‘ And the Jew?’ “Oh, he is safe,” and the young preacher smiled, ‘Ther young leddy hain’t kilt you think?” ‘‘No, only swooned away.” ‘‘Then on we humps ourselves,” and once more the vehicle rolled on at a breakneck pace, and, though several of the Desperado Dozen ran for their horses and went in pursuit, Andy Rush sent his team along too rapidly for them to overtake him, and they soon gave up the chase. CHAPTER ITI. WILD BILL. AmonG the loungers on the piazza of the Hikok Hotel, as the principal houss in Poker City was called, wasa man whose appearance would attract the attention in any assem- biage. He was a man over six feet, straight as a Mexican lancero, had broad shoulders, small hands and feet, and dressed with an extrava- gance that was especially marked in that fron- tier town, where a blue woolen, or red woolen shirt and coarse pants, stuck in stout boots, was the make-up of the average citizen. The person in question however wore black broadcloth pants, stuck in cavalry boots, the | heels of which were adorned with massive gold spurs. : His shirt was of soft white silk, the collar being turned down over his velvet sack coat, which was open, displaying an embroidered belt with a large silver buckle. That the belt contained a pair of revolvers and knife, none who knew the man doubted, though they were not visible. A wide-brimmed slouch hat, encircled by a gold cord, and fastened up, on one side, with a gold pin, a miniature revolver, sat jauntily upon his head, and shaded his darkly-bronzed, stern face. Though his ot. was stern, and a trifle sad, it was yet very handsome, and there was that in it to interest the most indifferent reader of the human countenance, Half a hundred other men were on the piazza, in the bar-room, or grouped on the steps, yet none were the equal of the one I have described, and who, as he sat with his feet upon the railing in front of him, puffing a cigar he seemed hugely to enjoy, appeared wholly unconscious, or if conscious, wholly in- different to the fact that he was the object of almost geveral attention, and of whispered con- versation. Though he bad a ranch some leagues away from Poker City, and the very hotel upon whose piazza he sat, was named in his honor, and often was he seen in the streets of Poker City, its citizens never saw him but they re- garded him with interest, and their mien to- ward him proved that he was held in a certaix awe, “Well, Dan, the stage is a little late,” said the one I have just described, as Dan Dole, politely dubbed ‘Governor Dan,” by the “‘ boys,” and the proprietor of the Hikok House came forward to where his honored guest sat smoking. “True, Bill, it is a half-hour late, and I am always 4 trifle suspicious when it happens, since the Desperado Dozen have begun collect- ing toll, as they have of late.” “So am I, Dan, as I am expecting some friends, as you know soon, and in a few days will begin to run in and out with Andy, to be on hand, should the Dozen attack them.” “Don’t do ‘., sill, unless you have help in- side, or, you may yet turn up your toes, for Driver, one of the ladies has been | captured, and the old gentleman,” and the | | from the mountain, and then fellowed the rapid rattle of wheels, and next the stage ap- peared in sight,dashing along at a slappimg pace. ‘*Something’s wrovg, or Andy would not | drive that hill the way he does,” said Dan, and | all were on their feet now, gazing anxiously ‘‘She’ll hev ter go this time; but ef it were | toward the coming stage—all but Wild Bill, who still retained his seat, and puffed away calmly at his cigar. A few moments of suspense, for there was evidently something wrong with the coming stage, and Andy Rush reined his team up be- fore the Hikok Hotel, and threw his lines to the stable-boys, while he sprung to the ground. ** Well, Andy?” called out the proprietor. ** But ’tain’t well, Gove’nor Dan, as thar has been trouble. ‘‘ Are Wild Bill here?’ was the reply of the driver. A dozen voices cried out: **He are.” ‘Yes, lam here, Andy; how are you?’ and Wild Bill approached, the crowd making way for him. “T have one of your friends inside, Bill, and t’other got left on the road.” ** Which one?’ and Wild Bill sprung to’ the stage door. “The old man. The gal are inside.” Instantly the door was thrown open, and into Bill’s arms sprung the Jew peddler. The manner in which he continued on his way among the crowd, and the shout of laugh- ter that went up, proved that Wild Bill. was not pleased with the person who had so affec- tionately sprung into his arms. . “Oh, Mr. Hikok! thank Heaven I have you left,” said a low voice, and Wild Bill took the slender form from the vehicle, and led her into the hotel, while behind them came the young on, *‘ Boys, this heur gent are ther new Bible- churner I guesses, jedgin’ from his looks; but he are ther dog-gonedest fightin’ parson I ever seen, as he jist laid two o’ ther Desperado Dozen out fer cold meat, an’ saved ther old hearse, or I are a liar. “Come, parson, an’ wet yer whistle, so thet ther Doxology will run smvoth as fallin’ off a log, when yer shouts it to ther boys on a Sun- day,” and slipping his arm in that of the @bashed young minister, Andy Rush drew him into the bar-room, followed by the crowd, curious to know all that had happened. But now realizing that the admiration of the driver was going to force a drink upon him, the parson drew back and said in’ an earnest tone: “IT thank you, my friend, for your kind invitation, but will be frank enough to tell you that liquor was at one time well-nigh my rum, and only from the degradation to which it dragged me did I rise to become what I now am, a clergyman.” ‘Waal, pard, you know best; but take a cigar, fer 1 admires yer, I do, an’ ef yer can sling Scriptur’ as yer kin bullets, yer’ll hit every sinner in Poker City squar’, an’ call in ther chips o’ wickedness.” The parson accepted the treat of a cigar, and then sought to escape, but Andy called out: “Boys, Pll not pour speerits down while ther parson are heur, or ax you ter do so; but when he are gone ter his den, then we’ll take a leetle drop. ‘‘ But now, fust an’ foremost, I wishes ter say, in ther presence o’ ther boss Gospil-grinder I ever see, thet ther Desperado Dozen tackled us, an’ they got two o’ my pilgrims, draggin’ ‘em out o’ ther hearse, an’ they would hev got ‘more, ef it hadn’t been fer ther parson, who showed fight, when I didn’t believe it were in him, an’ tharby saved ther gold dust an’ t’other pilgrims. ‘Now, boys, yer knows him by my inter- dooce, an’ ef any man in Poker City don’t treat him white, he’ll hey ter settle with Andy Rush, an’ then go ter jedgement. ‘Yer heurs me talk.” “Three cheers fer ther fightin’ parson,” yelled a voice, and in the yells that followed the young minister managed to escape, and sought his room, while the crowd assembled around Andy Rush, who told over minutely the incidents of the attack by the Desperado Dozen. Oe —_— THE MAIDFN TELLS HER STORY. Into the parlor of the Hikok Hotel Wild Bill escorted the maiden, whose face was white and full of anguish, as she sunk down upon @ sofa. *‘Oh, Mr. Hikok! my poor, poor father,” she groaned. ‘*] received your father’s letter, Miss Insley, telling me that he would return soon; but I did not expect you for some days yet, or I should have gone to Flushtown to meet you.” “Yes, we anticipated our starting time by several days; but tell me, is there no hope for my poor father?’ *‘ He was not killed then?’ ‘é No. ”? ‘** You were attacked by the Desperado Dozen, I believe.” ‘‘ Yes, some miles back on the mountains.” *“ But how did you manage to escape?’ ‘“‘My father seemed to feel most nervous as we drew near Poker City, as though he had a presentiment of trouble, and asked the driver to go faster, and he said he would attempt to run through, if attacked, for he recognized us as your friends, it seems. ‘‘But there was a man riding on the box with him, whom we all thought was a miner and a passenger, and when the driver attempted to run the gantlet he prevented him, I believe, and the stage came to a halt. *‘Then the man whom we thought to bea miner appeared at the door, and he proved to be Captain Tiger bimself, for by that name the leader of the outlaws is called, 1 believe. ‘*The young clergyman fired upon bim and wounded him, for he staggered back, and I heard the cry to ‘ Seize the girl.’ “There was a lady in the coach with us, and she was seized and dragged out of one door, as my father was out of the other, and we would all have been captured had not the young clergyman killed two of the outlaws who grasped me by the arms. : ‘Then I fainted, end when I recovered con- sciousness, the stage was standing still near a ri and the clergyman was bathing my ace. “‘The driver said that my father and the vailed lady had been captured, and the minister’s killing the two outlaws had saved us and the gold, for he had called to him to drive on.” ‘That was a plucky young parson,’ said Wild Bill, in admiration. ‘* He was. indeed, and I owe him more than I can ever repay. ‘But is there any hope for my father, and that poor lady, Mr. Hikok?’’ ‘*] hope so, and I believe so, Miss Insley. ‘‘At any rate, I shall take the trail at once to try and rescye them,” “Please be sure and take plenty of men with you.” ‘No, I shall go alone.” “ Alone?” ‘ Yes, as I can do better alone. ‘But did you recognize Captain Tiger as any one you had seen before, Miss Insley;” sé No, sir.” “There was nothing about him that struck you familiarly?” ‘‘ There was not.” ‘Describe him, please.” ‘‘ He was in rough miner’s dress, slouch hat, and had bushy hair and beard.” ‘‘ A small man?’ ** No, rather tal] and stout.” ‘* His eyes?” ‘‘ Were very bright, but I do not know the color.” ‘Then he did not strike you as being your old foe, Hugh Harcourt in disguise?” The maiden shuddered, and answered ina low tone: ‘‘Oh Heaven forbid! As he had not beén heard from for so long, so you wrote my father, I believed, and hoped; wicked as it may seem for me to.say so, that he was-dead.”” “I will frankly tell you, Miss Insley, that it is now my belief that he is not dead, and if alien the character of Captain Tiger just fits im, ‘“But do not be alarmed, for I will do all I can to save your father, and as soon as I have had a talk with that brave young preacher and Andy Rush, I will start on the trail of the Desperado Dozen.” ‘‘From my heart I thank you, Mr, Hikok; but I fear so to have you go alone,” ‘‘T can work better alone, 3 EMME) (E (EO)