Beadle's New York Dime Library, No. 229 — page 12: what you’re looking at

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

12 Captain Cutsleeve. want to take revenge on a woman who has only tried to hold her own when in danger? I will not believe it. There are better hearts even among thieves and cut-throats.” ‘“‘When a woman acts like er woman she’ll find us squar’ ez they make ’em; but when she begins ter sling lead ’round she mus’n’t whimper ef she hez ter take a blue pill. Brace up er bit, though I don’t reckon ez it’s a sure thing fur you er thar wouldn’t ’a’ bin ser much trouble tuck. It wouldn’t been no trouble to er rung ip neck back yander. Onless they means ter ang yer, which 3) Baten when they’re extree desper’t’, thar may sum sorter er show fur yer life yit.” This was cold consolation; but the outlaw was a frank, out-spoken fellow, in spite ef his e. ‘* Listen,” said Ellen, in a whisper even yet lower than she bad used. ‘‘ You must know my father—Colonel Canley. If I have not been degeived he is a wealthy man; and I know that for me. You know these mountain paths. Help me to escape, take me to him, and name your own price. It may be your last chance to escape from a life of crime that sooner or later can have but one ending.” “That’s solid, hoss sense, miss; ony ther facks, ar’ ag’in’ it. It’s likely now, Ill go euten the wet with my boots on; but it er’ too late ter pervide ag’in’ that. Thar’s no goin’ back now.” “Do not think so, It is never too late to mend; and the service you could do me would make you friends that would be with you tothe death. “Thet mout be, an’ not ermount ter much either. Why, ef I war ter go back on ther Cuteleeves, 1d hev er knife in me throat afore twenty-four hour, even ef [ give ’em ther slip ter-night. They’d do it right in Glory Gulch, afore ther hull town; an’ no one ’u’d keer ter take it up. Besides, my sheer ov ther sp’ile es ar tied up in ther bank ar’ more ner Jim Canley e’a’d plank down onless he’d sell ther Slap Jack. What's a thousand dollars er so ter me? An’ that’s about ther figger he’d think it war *way up ter offer. Now, leetle miss, you’ve hed yer fling, whar it couldn’t do me no dammidge, better simmer down an’ take er easy.” “ And you think I should be at ease with such an uncertainty rey y. 5 over me? When shall I know the worst? After that I may indeed be more unflinching.” “ Yer a game one now, lady-bird; an’ I’m no end ~— ur yer, ezI likes pluck meself. I don’t jast reekon, though, thet you'll know much more ner I tole od till yer sees the capt’n—an’ that won’t be some time. Keep yer lip stiff till then, an’ Pll see nothin’ hurts yer ez ez he hain’t sed so,” len lapsed into silence, With this man, who did not seem to be alto- ther devoid of good points, she could do noth- ; of what kind would she find the more ruffians of the gang? Unless her friends should be able to account for her sudden disap ce,and in some way strike upon the she had nothing to rely upon but her own wit and feeble strength. How far they would go remained to be seen; though she did not altogether lose ence. The Cutsleeves to hunt in threes, for there were three in this set. In the narrow roadway they went single file, and Ellen was on the middle horse. [It would have been almost impossible for her guard to have fallen im with her offer unless he had first slain his eomrades, and for herself she understeod that ony attempt that she might make would be bly a Bhe could now see around her, in ashadowy sort of way, just managing to make out the ferms of the horsemen in front and rear, ough on either side still arose a black wall. ently there was more light entering the paes or canyon. The g rider ped suddenly. iis aanake atvase — up his hand in an un or silence, - apalmal gama a broad band went over EI- -Jen’s mout “* Mebbe can’t stan’ temptation, an’ ef 7 don’t, hev ter wring yer n an’ all nothin’, I s’pect thar’s some o’ the Sleeves im the distance. "Tain’t offen any other ger- ioote travels this hyar road at midnight.” Very true this seemed, yet there seemed a doubt in the minds of the three, for they re- _ mained motionless as of carved rock. Their ears had heard sounds in the distance; and these now w louder. A horsemen was approaching, was singing, in a cearse, rasp- ing tone. “So I got drunk —#o T got drunk n; So I got drunk again.”’ “Ourse him! Id like ter sing that chorus on his throttle. Shall we let him go by, er take hith in cuten the dam a Ellen caught the whisper, and then the warn- ing “Sh!” ‘Let him goby. Thar's more lead an’ steel ’round that loot than thar ar’ dust fn his buckskin. atch out that he does go by, and then we’ll light out.” ai Thar’s two ov them, by mighty! Jist lis- n. Sure enough, it was easy to make out the footsteps of two horses, though whether there was more than the one rider was past finding out. ; , The singer kept straight on, roaring out his chorus, and then beginning another verse. Ee evidently passed at right angles to the course the Cutsleeves were following, and was perfect- ly unsuspicious ef the proximity of any living creatures. One of the outlaws slid off of his horse, and stole cautiously away. After a little he returned, ‘Thar war two of ’em, an’ they rid eons like lam’s. If they knowed what er close ca they had, they’d git up an’ dust er heap sight faster. They've took the main trail, an’ yer won’t hear no more ov ’em,” Again the outlaws moved on. No further comments were made jn regard to this chance encounter, but it gawe Ellen food for reflection, that lastedther until they came toa balt at the outlaws’ retreat. CHAPTER XVIII. HOWLIN’ BILLY DESERTS HIS PATRON. Brtty BENDER stood outside for a moment after Touch-Me-Not disappeared. He did not seem to have much hankering.after assisting in the interview, even as a possible listener. . He walked a step or two away, and then came back, then he repeated the movement, this time going a little further. If anything his uneasiness increased. ** He’s a howtin’ hyener, he ar’; an’ like ez not they’ll be blood on ther floor. But ther young sport kin talk fur hisself; an’ ef he’s ez good on ther shute ez he ar’ with the mawleys he orter keep ther books squar’ ef they don’t show a bel- ance on his side. 1 nxin’t bankerin’ arter no coffin in mine; but I hate ter go back on ther little man, though he ar’ plavin’ off on me. No Court- ly Hammond ar’ he; an’ what troubles me most ar’ that I can’t help thinkin’ he’s me ole side rd, Jobnny Ling. That couldn’t be, tho’, e’d be fifty year old now—an’ he war hung Jong ago, afore I war a drunken, ole, broken down bummer. Isw’ar I dunno which hed ther wust ov it. What would that woman say ef she’d see me now? She wouldn’t know her own work. Sometimes I don’t know it meself.” The vagabond seemed in a peculiar humor this night. The sight of the man who so strange- ly resembled his tner of years before—aad some offthe things that. Touch-Me- Not had said, either at random, or because of some knowledge that no one would have suspected him of possess- ing—had turned his mind into certain ehannels in which it did not often wander. A little hon- ger and he ome have forgotten what it was that had brought him there. He turned again; and this time be was off for the nearest rum- mill, in search"of the liquid poison that might drown his thoughts. He had taken perhaps a dozen steps, in a sul- len, dogged eort of way, when he heard the re- port of a pistol from within the doctor’s shanty. The sound was a familiar one to his ears; b e one suddenly aroused he gave a great start, lik pine ag from a ee and once more from Black ‘““T know’d it, Elfjer fishbites I know’d it! Me ole side pard o’u’dn’t go in thar ’thout ther’ bein’ music in the oly Oh, he’s just lovely on ther shute, he ar’s ’sides bein’ ther clean white article in more ways ner An’ he’s sly, too. Den’t come a-prancin?. fher door ther fust gerloot ez xims erlong ter p’int out ez ther shootist ez turned ther sawbones’s toes up. He’ll wait ti ther racket ar’ over, an’ ther band strikes up sumwhar’s else,” It happened, too, that th Bh there had been a few foot passen sinee Billy took up his sta- tion, jast now the str et was utterly deserted. He ran no apparent risk in waiing near the spot. But Touch-Me-Not did not comesliding out of the' house, though Daddy Bender wuited some minutes, in anxious expectation. ‘* Kin it be that ther boot’s on ther other leg? But no. Ef the doctor got ther drop, he’d b’en a- cegbhaae 2 ther — out eng meant ra pe a’ fired together, an sw’ar it’s ed cur’us,” Pate crept up quietly to the door and lis- ned. The lamp was still burning brightly within, but he could detect no pobre that would indi cate any living occupant of the-room. He knocked faintly, but there was ne answer. “T sw’ar this —s ee an’ curi’us- ser, I'll hev ter tec ef I lose er team. var goes, In aceordanes with his resolve, Bender raised the vee pero the door open, and ad- vanoed a a n the room. At first sight the room ap to be peers and measure, advan Billy, astonished beyo a step or two further. Then he looked suddenly over his shoukler, a hey the barre! of a pistol aimed squarely at ‘What the great horn spoon dew yew want?” —— Doctor Sylvanus Coffin was seated in one eor- ner of the room, and had been calmly perusing a newspaper at the time of the interruption. , No sign nor trace was there of the little sport, and so surprised was Mr. Bender that he had ne words in readiness to answer the question, which was repeated with a slight variation, and a great deal more emphasis; ‘Don’t shute, fer gracious rake don’t shute. It’s on’y ole Billy Bender, ov Bleck Dam.” ‘An’ whatin Jewrewsalem krickets dus.yer want byar?”’ ‘I’m lookin’ far me side perdner, Teeh-Me- Not—jest the sweetest leetle sport ez ever drew breath, when he ain’t got one ov bis spelis en him. Then, I tell yer, be’s a bad man from Chicken Crick, an’ don’t yer furgit it.” bre What hev I got tew dew with yer bad men? tl ‘*But hole on. Whar ar’ he. I'll sw’ar be come in hyar, ez he sed he’d pertickler big with ee an’ arterward I heard a horn blowin’ fur r war, an’ I thort Id come an’ Jead bim out, I tell yer, when I say come,;, he’s ez peaceable ez a lam’.” ‘Yew are drunker ner a D’iled owl. No sich man air byar, er hez bin. Yew hetter take sum enshian in yer bitters, an’ go git some sleep. her man with ther poker hez started fur yew,, sure.” Bender’s earnestness seemed to convince the doctor that he was there with no evil intent, and his manner changed into a contemptuous one, that would have cut the bummer to the quick if he had had any pride. But he was sadly deficient in that article, and very much in earnest in bis search for Tench- Me-Not, of whom he could not see the slightezt. trac e, He scratched his head, looked around in = puzzled sort of way, and then marched out. In the street he put his arms akimbo and’ stared at the shanty in a bewildered sort of way. a Dog my cats, I can’t hev ther man with ther poker; butef I’d bin really drinkin’ bard I'd hev me doubts. Did I orter gone fur him hot; er war it all er ding-blasted dream? “Tb must er bin; fur thar ain’t no five foot six: ezcould ’a’ throw’d hisself round loose on ther- muscle«zI thort he did, onless it war me ole side-pard, Johnny Ling, an’ be war hung ten ear ago, ‘‘ ’ll rustle round ter Goodman's an’ see ef he won't stand three fingers of bug-juice to ther man what's lost his pard.” ‘ Howlin Billy went hesitatingly up the street > and Dr. Coflin watched him over the paper blind. witb a scow! on bis face. “TI orter tuk him in, foo,” be muttered, “ but who'll b’lieve ther drunken cuss?’ CHAPTER XIX. THE PETERSES.GO TO GET EVEN ON A SURE THING. Ceoperees had the won! “egw of Bender's foot- ‘ps died away, when the doctor sprung awa from the wialow, and, moving to the rear Of the room, aeeane @ door that there looked out into the night. ‘Curse them, if they bad been worth their salt - = nonsense as this would have been e Isu they are } hid aw runk, une wore and the Bis will have ‘ bunt half over town to findthem. If they don’t om around before that idiot comes back with alf the Gulch at bis rear there is going to be trouble in thiscamp. That is the way, when a man can’t do his own work.” The draw] was all eons from his voice, which was harsh and quick, and as he s there, looking out and listening, he was no longer the same man, Fortunately for his plans, he did not have long to wait. First he saw three or four dark shadows, and then be heard the noise made by a number of ag ee feet. ‘‘There they ere, atlast: or else it’s a flank movement—and I should have thought the old fool would have thought of that t thing. Anyhow, Glory Gulch will hardly back on me now, after all I’ve donefor it. There’s nota chief in town that I haven’t had under my hands, and I touched them lightly and bronght them through.” Three men came up quietly to the door, and — on the instant the doctor reccgnized them. “So you didn’t get him?” Cofftn’s tone was dry and sarcastic. ‘* Blazes, nol He war a streak ov light- nin’; pay got us, afore we contaton t vee sup. It war my fault an’ you kin me head fur a foot-ball, an’ I won’t wiggle.” “And you call yourself a good man? Three of you tried to handle one little boy, and dn’t keep him out of mischief. About how ear do you suppose I can trust you after “Pile it on. Call me names. I desarve it. It war me ez let him coax us inter a fair foat, an’ I war ther fust one he put ter sleep on ther floor, He jist mopped Johan Goodman all up with me, ar’ then. when we meant biz- . H kstco oe my GCOMICE * a } we lamang: omar - 2 ee =: ~~ Mm = c=