Beadle's New York Dime Library No. 209 — page 19: what you’re looking at

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

= So me ' Buck Farley, the Bonanza Prince. vo the office, where they found John Warne busily employed in trying to bring order out of the confusion to whicd the raid had reduced the affairs of the firm. That night the two partners and Benito had a consultation in one of the handsomely-fur- nished up-stairs rooins of the stone building. ‘So the Small Hopes dispatch was nothing but a hoax,” remarked Farley ‘Something more than that,” replied Warne. ‘“‘Tt was a scueme to draw meaway from Death Gulch.” ‘The scoundrels played a sharp game; but they will have to pay dearly for their fun. We need not worry about the funds they took, though the loss of some of the documents may seriously embarrass us. However we_ will straighten up matters as wellas wecan. Have you formed an opinion concerning the parties who were responsible for that robbery?’ ‘‘T can guess who they were,” replied the old gentleman. , ‘‘Of course youcan. He who was behind the business must have been a man who bad a per- sonal grudye against us, as mere robbers would have contented themselves with such plunder as they could use, without earrying off our papers. He was thesame man who led the at- tack upon me on the Biuffton road, and that man was Pedro Rosalba.” Benito winced. ‘*Tbhat man, for reasons that he can best un- derstand,” continued Farley, ‘‘has declared war against me, and war it is, I am sure to win, when [I choose to play my cards, and jus- tice must and shall be done. By the way, Be- nito, how did you succeed in your search for your sister?’ John Warne looked up eagerly as this ques- tion was asked. ‘‘T have not found her,” sadly replied the youth. ‘*Nosign, notrace, I obeyed your In- structions, and have not spared your money. scattered it freely, but witb no result, L have put some sharp and active men on the trail; but tue difficulty has been that there was no trail— no clew. She seems to have disappeared as completely as poor Dorlon did.” Buck Farley shuddered, and his partner turned ale. es I hope you have not given up the search,” said the former. ‘*Indeed I have not, sir, I thought that I[ ought to come back here and report. I have still one man out, and expect him to meet me here. His name is Wesley Ryder, and I con- sider him a remarkably good man for the work.” ** As I told you, Benito,” said Farley, ‘ there are some things that even money cannot do. No amount of money would have moved that stage another foot into Frenchman’s Gap, and all the money in the world would not have saved me from Pedro Rosabla’s clutches, if you had not made such fast time to Bluffton. But your sister shall be found. I mean to attend to the search myself, as soon as I can straighten up matters here. I must first settle with Pedro Rosalba, before he hires some scoundrel to shoot me down. Il am sorry that he is your father Benito.” ; ‘He bas been a strange sort of a father to me,” replied the young man, “ He has as much as disowned me, and he was willing to kill me the other night.” “He isa bad and dangerous man, my young friend, and he surely deserves killing.” CHAPTER XXV. A GOSPEL SHARP. A STRANGER rode up to the Right Bower, a mixture of tavern and saloon, but mostly saloon, on the edge of the new town of Warne- ton. He was a tall man of thirty-five or forty, neat in his personal appearance, well-moun and with a pair of black saddle-bags slung over his saddle. The most marked peculiarity of his personal appearance was his suit of black, the coat being decidedly of a clerical cut, single- breasted, and with a narrow, straight collar. A white necktie and a clean-shaven face, sur- mounted by a black hat, completed his clerical appearance, and gave him the look of an Epis- copal pastor on his travels, The bar-room of the Right Bower contained at that time several of the roughest characters that infested Warneton or Deata Gulch, and they opened their eyes in amazement as this clerical stranger, having hitched his horse, stepped in at the door with his saddle-bags on his arm. “A gospel sharp, by thunder!” exclaimed Smallpox Sam, the bully of the Right Bower. “T have called,” said the stranger, ‘to in- quire the way to a ah se or settlement, or camp, that nen the forbidding appellation of ch. Re he mean?” asked the barkeeper, “ Wal, stranger,” said Smallpox Sam, swag- gering up to the mA OOpIEN, as you’ve calle : Foch: got ashe yer and. hat do you Ww “Ne ay tend,” mildly replied the stranger, «] din-nan understand the nature of your question, and I am sorry to say that your manner igs not distinguished by the highest degree of politeness,’ ray ‘ ‘*Oh, bother yer big words! This is the Right Bower, and we’re all trumps. Got anythin’ to back the hand?” ‘‘Really, my friend, I must confess that your questioning is quite incomprehensible to me.” “Quit slingin’ them jaw-breakers and talk straight. What’s yer handle? Who are you, anyhow?” “My name is Wesley Ryder.” ‘‘ And you’re a gospel sharp, fur sartin. It’s mighty ,seldom we see a spekilator of your stripe in these diggin’s, ’specially a-slidin’ into the Right Bower, and we want to treat you right. Have a drink?” ‘**Pardon me,” replied the stranger, ‘‘I am not accustomed to drinking spirituous liquors, and I prefer to decline your kind invitation.” ‘“[t don’t make a dit o’ bifference what you prefer. We all take whisky straight. What’s yourn?” ; ‘‘Tn the interest of peace and harmony I will follow the example that is set before me, and take some of the same.” ‘Set ’em up, Eph.” The rounders filled their glasses, and Wesley Ryder poured out a fair allowance of whisky, which he qualified slightly with water, and swallowed it without a wry face. ‘‘That’s all right,” said Smallpox ‘‘ Now, stranger, it’s your turn to treat.” ‘‘Excuse me. Lam in the habit of teaching that the practice is a sinful one, and [ must con- form my prac‘ice to my precepts. If you will kindly direct me to Death Gulch, I will go for- ward.” ‘‘ Not till you give us a sermon. We hain’t struck a gospel sharp fur ever so long, and we’re keen fur a dose o’ docterine, Shoot olf yer jaw, and mind you hit center.” The stranger was visibly annoyed. He laid his saddle-bags on the counter, and looked Smallpox Sam straight in the face. “If you mean what you say,” said he, ‘‘ you are excessively impertinent,” ‘*Be keerful how you talk,” remarked the Spr ‘“*T’ve knowed men to be hornswoggled fur less’n that, You've got to give usa sermon, or a@ prayer, or suthin’.” **T would preach your funeral sermon with the greatest pleasure,” coolly replied Ryder, ‘Cand I don’t know but I might be inclined to furnish the corpse.” ‘ The burst of laughter which this retort aroused made Smallpox Sam furious. He felt as a boy may feel when a kitten that he has been torturing turns and claws him, ‘* Look-a here, stranger,” he snarled, as he shook his big fist in Ryder’s face. ‘ That thar’s fightin’ talk. You needn’t purtend ign’ance ’cause you know that’s w’ot itis. Jest git right down on yer knees, and beg my pardon, or [ll wipe up the floor with yer.” Ryder eyed his rough antagonist with a look of great disgust. ‘You are a very unpleasant person,” said he. ‘* Please remove that paw from the vicinity of my nose. It doesn’t smell a bit like peaches.” Smallpox Sam drew back the ‘* paw ” quickly, with the evident intention of aiming a blow; but bis purpose was anticipated by the clerical gentleman, who launched out his right hand so swiftly and forcibly that the bully of the Right Bower measured his length on the floor. ‘The stranger seemed to be transformed. ‘With his right han’ u~der his coat, bis left foot thrust forward, an keen eyes gleaming, he looked around to see if any person felt disposed to take up the quarrel on behalf of the fallen bravo. O one stirred. The bully’s domineering ways had made him obnoxious to the frequent- ers of the Right Bower, and they were glad to see him discomfitsd. Besides, the impression began to prevail among them that the stranger was *‘a bad customer to tackle.” It was a minute or so hefore Smallpox Sam recovered his senses, Then he sat up and looked about as if he was dazed. Seeing his antagonist, he drew a ‘pistol; but again Ryder was too quick for him, and he was instantly covered by a cocked revolver. ‘‘Drop that lethal weapon, my unchristian friend, or I shall be compelled to do you a dam- age.” . "The bully did drop it. ‘I give in, stranger,” he said. “If thar’s any gospel sharp that lays over you, I don’t want tosee him. Durned if I didn’t think light- ning bad struck me, And it seems like I hain’t ot no friends in this crowd, neither.” ‘Now that peace and harmony are re-estab- lished,” said Ryder, “I must overcome my conscientious scruples sufficiently to invite the present party to partake of some liquid poison.” All partook, and a feeling of admiration for the clerical stranger rapidly developed. At the same time it was evident that the credit of the crowd required that they should get even with him in some way, and Ben Smiley, who was the recognized card sharp of the Right Bower, pressed him to join in ‘‘a little game of draw.” “What is that, my friend?’ he innocently asked. ; : “Only a quiet and gentlemanly kind of a Sunday school. If you Sam, game, and nice as & don’t know it, we can teach it to you as easy as winkin’.” “T trust it is an innocent recreation. If so, in the interest of peace and harmony I will comply with your request.” All sat down to the game. It was to be sup- posed that the stranger had mouey, and why should not a portion of it pass into their pock- ets? Ryder displayed a childlike ignorance of the game; but he learned rapidly under the able tuition of his companions, and began to develop a real interest after he had lost a few stakes. “You must bet bigger if you want to win anythin’,” said Smiley. ‘* Nothin’ venture, nothin’ bave, is the rule of draw poker.” The stranger increased his bets, and soon there was a pretty heavy jack pot on the table, and it was Ryder’s deal, When the cards were dealt, Smiley opened the jack pot, one other ‘‘came in,” and Ryder completed the group that were to contest the ot. Smiley called for one card, and bis comrade for two, and Ryder betrayed a weak hand by taking three. Smiley led off with a bet of five dollars, which the second man raised to tey, and Ryder to fifteen, In the next round thirty dollars were added to the pot, and then Smiley, believing that the time had come to spring the trap, planked down a lump of fifty dollars. The second man dropped out. The clerical stranger seemed to be puzzled and confused, and studied his cards closely, keeping them out of the sight of those who were eager to get a peep at them. At last his solemn countenance showed that he had arrived at a decision, ‘*For the sake of the missionary society at- tached to my pastorate,” said he, ‘‘I will see you fifty dollars—I trust, my friend, that I am using the proper expressions—and go you fifty dollars better.” This was an astonisher for Ben Smiley, who began to fear that he bad undertaken to sheara wolf. But it would never do to ** weaken,” and he proceeded to cover the last named sum by borrowing from his friends, and ‘‘ called.” The stranger showed the traditional four aces, to which the card sharp of the Right Bower could only oppose the usual four kings, An expression of intense disgust pervaded the features of the party, as it was evident that they had been sold out ata cheap rate and on easy terms, Ryder again invited them to poison them- selves at his expense, and they absorbed their whisky sadly. ‘‘'Yere’s another chicken as feels like roostin’ low,” said Smiley. * Arter this a gospel sharp will be the last man I shall want to strike.” **Durned if I don’t believe he’s the chap that ruys the church of the Holy Poker,” remarked the barkeeper. ; ** Now, my hospitable friends,” said Ryder, ‘as this appears to be an eligible location for collecting funds for my missionary igre f I shall not hasten my departure. If the landlora will kindly see that my horse is attended to, I will take a short walk, for the sake of exercise and meditation.” The clerical stranger walked away, leaving a poorer and wiser crowd bebind him. It was a lonely road that he took—one which led to an abandoned mine—and he had not gone more than a mile from the Right Bower, when he met three men on horseback, ‘This is the biggest kind of luck—here’s a preacher,” said one of the three, when they were within hearing distance. Jey dismounted when they reached Ryder, probabl hat. He was a well-dressed young man; but his —_—_ y out of respect for bis clerical appear-_ ance, and the man who had spoken raised his low brows, dark features, and forbidding cast - of countenance were not at all attractive. ‘*Tam very glad to have met you, sir,” said he. ‘I am looking for a clergyman to rer- form a marriage ceremony. The place is but a short distance from here, and you will be well paid for your trouble.” ‘“‘T must ask you to excuse me,” politely re- plied Ryder, who was a little disconcerted by this application. “Iam traveling for pleasure, and [ never perform any official duties outside of my own parish.” ‘But this is a matter of necessity, sir, and J aminaburry. I really cannot excuse you.” , ‘Then I shall be obliged to excuse myself, as I prefer not to comply with your request.” ‘*T should be very sorry to use force witha clergyman; but I shall be compelled to do so, unless you will be more accommodating, and go with us willingly.” The speaker showed a revolver, and his two companions imitated his example. esley Ryder appreciated the force of these arguments, andthe matter did not seem to be of sufficient importance to require him to com- bat them. Besides, the urgeney of this appli- cation argued that there must be something strange and unusual bebind it, and his dis- position and proclivities prompted him to fiud . GEomicboo (E cS; COM) aga*