Beadle's New York Dime Library No. 241 — page 22: what you’re looking at

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

22 Spitfire Saul, King of the Rustlers. Faster and more furious played King Saul. Wilder grew the yells, cries, screams and laughter, as the Rustlers cut up all manner of ludicrous antics. Once more came the warning discords which brought out the loaded revolvers, Still on capered the Rustlers, listening for the warning to cock their weapons and to secure their aim; clear and distinct it came—then the volley of fire and lead—high above which rung out a yell of angry pain! On the instant one of the dancers whirled half around and fired a second shot, so rapidly following his first that it seemed a hang-fire, and King Saul fell over sideways. ‘“‘Koly mother!” screame ** King Saul is slain!” CHAPTER XVI. ‘ KING SAUL PUTS ON THE CURB. THE mad revelers seemed fairly petrified as, hearing that wild cry escape the lips of Queen Dixie, they stared toward the throne, only to behold their king and chief falling over side- ways, then lay motionless upon the mass of skins and furs. Brocky Bill was the first to break the spell, and even in that moment of intensest excite- ment and maddest fury, his drawling whine was more marked than ever, if that could be. ‘* Who did it, now? Who pulled that trigger? Sech a hell-fired, keerless critter ain’t fit to live, nohow, eb, mates?” “He did it! Lofty Dick! I see’d ’im!” splut- tered Snapper Johnny, spitting out blood and teeth with each explosive sentenee, ending with a howl of mingled pain and fury as he clapped one hand to his bullet-marked lips, and snatched Queen Dixie. - arevolver from his belt with the other. + rung out sha **You lie!’ cried Lofty Dick, at the same instant leaping forward, and with a single stroke, deftly landed between the eyes of the howling Rustler, lifting him from bis feet, and hurling him nearly across the room before his carcass touched the floor. ‘‘ The man that dares accuse me of such foul cowardice, has got to eat his words or my lead—mind that !” An accusation promptly resented, but things looked black for the dandy Rustler, and his white face grew still whiter, bis blue eyes glit- tered with a desperate light, as he saw the black scowls and heard the ugly mutterings which were rapidly growing audible. They remem- bered that Puepper Johnny had been the vis-a- vis of Lofty Dick. It was natural enough that none others had seen the shot fired, since they had eyes and thoughts only for their own part- ners in that mad dance, But if Lofty Dick had done the deed, then Snapper Johnny must surely have witnessed it, precisely as he charged. From her seat on the throne from which King Saul had been so eae removed, Queen Dixie witnessed thescene. She saw the grow- ing storm, heard the mutterings which were directed toward Lofty Dick, and right well she knew that, were the storm suffered to break, her lover would never live through it. Lofty Dick was equally keen-sighted, and scarcely had he delivered the swift blow that sent Svapper Johnny headlong to the earthen floor, than a cocked revolver filled each hand. A single, backwerd leap, carried him close to the foot of the throne, bringing all the Rustlers before him, and over the leveled tubes, the dandy outlaw cried, sternly, defiantly: “Fingers straight, and no snap-judgments this time! That dirty dog lied, and I’m ready to meet his charges, when made in proper shape; but you can’t crawl all over me first, then try the remains—not much!” Lithe and active in all her movements asa panther, Queen Dixie rose from her throne and with a single bound, alighted beside Lofty Dick, her little brown hands clasping the pearl butts of a brace of revolvers, the chambers of which threatened the irresolute Rustlers as her voice ly: Tll riddle the man that **Hold hard all! dares to pull trigger! Lofty Dick is innocent. 'I saw the shot fired—and the cowardly assassin was none other than Snapper Johnny!” A wild, tumultuous yell from the Rustlers seemed to presage a desperate onslaught, but then both Queen Dixie and Lofty Dick saw that their eyes were not riveted upon them—that they were staring beyond; and mechanically they turned, to behold a kingly form eg filling the throne, and to hear the voice of the man whom they both had believed slain, ring out: “The dance is over, and if there’s any more shooting to be done here, 7U do it! Put up your weapons. And you, my fair queen, re- sume your seat beside me.” Alive, samningly unbarmed, King Saul sat upon the throne from which he had so suddenly tumbled at the crack of that treacherously- aimed pistol. In each hand he held a revolver, covering both Queen Dixie and the dandy Rus- tler. A touch of his finger would be the signal for their death. They were wholly at his mercy, and realizing this, as their sole hope, they obeyed his commands and replaced their weapons. ‘*Keep your places, ali!” cried King Saul, the sneering smile vanishing and giving place to a stern frown the moment he saw the couple had | Give up your weapons, as I shall do, without relinquished \their weapons. ‘‘ There has been | any words or hesitation. We are playing with foul work here, and I mean to probe the matter | tigers, and must humor them.” to the very bottom. One cowardly cur tried to | Raising his head again, King Saul beckoned kill me, and though I was quick enough to dodge | to Brocky Bill, who shambled louwara: and re- his lead, yet the crime is none the less deserving | ceived the pistols which bis master held out, punishment. I heard Snapper Johnny charge | Mechanically Queen Dixie followed his example, the deed upon Lofty Dick, and Queen Dixie | though in her heart she felt that in doing so she make a counter charge. Seize and disarm all | was abandoning her last hope of either escape or three, but do them no injury.” sph sg For a moment the Rustlers stood irresolute, ** We are judges, not executioners,” said King looRing at the paling countenance of their | Saul, in explanation to the Rustlers, who still Queen, but then the whining voice of Brocky | stood irresolute, not knowing what step to take Bill broke the spell. first. ‘Look to Snapper Johnny and Lofty “The boss says so, an’ we got to doit, boys, | Dick, some of you. Restore them to conscious- we has sure!” | ness as A as possible. Remove their His bony hand fell upon the shoulder of Lofty | weapons, and handcuff both. Work lively, Dick, but had not time to fairly close, ere a | now!” bard fist shot out and sent him reeling back against his comrades, while the dandy Rustler | grated through his tight-clinched teeth: | ‘*Keep your distance, boys, or somebody’ll get burt, bad! [llsurrender to the king, but never to you!” At the same instant, with a cry of angry de- spair, Queen Dixie struck aside the hands that sought to grasp ber, and drawing a revolver, darted closer to the side of Lofty Dick. ‘“Back, you curs!” she cried, her jetty orbs flashing fire. ‘‘Tll kill the one that dares to pollute me with his touch!” The words had scarcely escaped her lips when one of the Rustlers grasped ber from behind, knocking her pistol-hand up so that the bullet spent itself on the ceiling. A terrified cry from the woman; then Lofty Dick, forgetting his own peril, ny v8 to her rescue, striking out swiftly with one hand, while he strove to draw a pistol with the other. King Saul as swiftly changed his aim, and then fired. At the sharp ae fo ae Lofty Dick ates a stifled yell, then fell heavily upon his ace, Startled, the Rustlers drew back, leaving Queen Dixie free, and a moan of bitter agony escaped her lips as she saw the form of Lofty Dick fall at her very feet. Sne forgot all caution, then. She only re- membered that she loved this young man as she had never loved before, and falling upon her knees beside him, she lifted the bloody head in her arms, pressing it to her wildly-throbbing heart. ** Dead, mv darling!” she gasped, each word wrung from her bleeding heart by a pang that defies description. ‘‘ Dick—look up! Speak to me—just one word! Say that you are not dead!” His eyes like coals of living fire, but with a grim smile curling his mustaches, King Saul gazed upon the woman for a brief space in silence, while the awed Rustlers shrunk still further away, for even they could not mistake the dangerous secret thus plainly revealed, and they expected 2 team | else than that Spitfire Saul would burst out into a furious rage which would sweep everything before it, innocent as well as guilty. But in this respect they mistook him. His voice was icy cold as he spoke, each word fall- ing distinct and metallic: ‘* Your majesty strangely forgets yourself. Instead of a foolish, hot-headed boy, one would think you were mourning over a brother—or a lover! Calm yourself, good queen!” His mocking speech had an instantaneous ef- fect. Queen Dixie gently lowered the blood- stained head to the floor, and arose, looking neither to the right nor the left until she had re- sumed her seat beside King Saul. Then she spoke: ‘*You are right. I forgot myself. But it all came so suddenly; your fall, dead as I believed; the lying charge of the real assassin; the wrong you put upon me when you bade the band dis- arm me; his being shot down—” ‘* Particularly the last catastrophe!” sneered King Saul. “T do not deny it,” she replied, speaking lowly, but with intense feeling. ‘‘ You had turned against me. Of the others, he alone had shown himself a _ sincere, sympathetic, yet thoroughly respectful friend. Can you wonder, Oth intof f ‘** | have passed the point of feeling surprise at anything, my dear,” smiled King Saul, show- ing his teeth. ‘‘ All I care to remember at present, is this: I have been shot at by one of the family, who are oath-bound to pro- tect and rd me upon all occasions. Only a pure accident saved me from instant death, as you can see for yourself,” turning and pointing to where a bullet-hole showed in the wall direct- ly behind where he sat. ‘‘ AsI lay half stunned on the floor, I heard Lofty Dick charged with the deed, and I felt that it was my duty, as chief of the family, to investigate the matter to the very bottom. Not alone for his punishment, but for his honor, if he is innocent, as you de- clared.” ‘Yet you killed him!” “Then the fault lies with the pistol I used, notin my aim or my intention,” retorted King Saul, with a shortlaugh. ‘‘ As the shortest way to bring the hot-head to reason, I creased him with a bullet. And now—a word in your ear. In silence he was obeyed. It was soon seen that Lofty Dick had not been seriously injured by the bullet that laid him low, the missile hay- ing simply glanced along the side of his skull, depriving him of his senses for the time being. napper.Jobnny was in hardly better case, that terrible blow having completely knocked him out of time, but the liberal application of cold water outwardly and hot whisky inwardly, soon brought both men around again, and then, dis- armed, their hands united by stout bracelets, they were led forward and guarded close before the throne. King Saul gazed at the two prisoners for a few moments before speaking. Lofty Dick, ~~ as death, save where two tiny rills of blood ad trickled down his face, held his head proud- ly erect, stern defiance glowing in his blue eyes, without the slightest trace of fear in his de- meanor. He believed that certain death would be his portion, but now that be was brought face to face with it, the old awe which he bad learned to feel for King Saul, died away, to live no more. On the contrary, Snapper Johnny was thor- oughly cowed, and stood with downcast head trembling convulsively in his boots and looked as though he would bave sunk nervelessly to the floor, but for the strong arms which held him Se up. Always ugly and forbidding in face, he was still less a beauty, now. Directly between his eyes was a rapidly swelling lump, already turn- ing purple and bearing the imprint of four sharp knuckles, where the iron fist of Lofty Dick had alighted. In addition to this, his lips were cut and dripping blood, where a bullet had torn its way, knocking out teeth both above and below. ‘* So, Snapper Johnny,” said King Saul, in on encouraging tone of voice. ‘‘It was your cry that I heard! What caused it?” ‘* That dirty cuss shot me, ’stead o’ the pipe!” mumbled the Rustler, casting a malignent aap toward his fellow prisoner. ‘Split my ips an’ knocked out my teeth—see!” As he uttered the word, Snapper Johnny opened wide his mouth, to show that he had only spoken the truth. All cf his front teeth had been torn out by the missile, ‘“‘You are sure of this?’ asked King Saul. “You are positive that Lofty Dick fired the shot that mutilated you after this disagreeable fashion?” ‘‘Sartin sure!” was the confident reply. ‘*Wasn’t he my pardner! Would anybo else shoot at my pipet An’ then I see him with my own eyes, which ain’t the wo’st, nuther—” ‘*One thing ata time, my good fellow,” in- terposed King Saul, lifting his band with an imperious gesture. ‘‘Answer the questions as I out them, and leave the rest to me. You pos- itively charge Lofty Dick with wounding you; do you believe it was the result of an accident, or that it was done intentionally, through pure malice?” ‘*You all know how he kin shoot, ef he likes,” mumbled the wounded Rustler. ‘Is it like that he’d miss a mark like a pipe, so cluss as we was together? He did it to git square fer my perposin’ the name o’ Buff'ler Red ag’inst him, when we all thought you was lynched!” ‘“You hear the charge, Lofty Dick; what have you to say?’ ‘‘That Iam very sorry for the accident, so far as that goes, but that it was the fault of the clumsy brute altogether, none of mine. Just as I shot, he lurched forward, and caught the leadin his teeth,” quickly, but calmly replied the accused, boldly encountering that burning az. ‘‘ You are willing to make oath to this?” “On the Bible—if you can produce one,” with a low laugh at the ridiculous idea. “you feel no ill-will toward Snapper John- ?? ‘“Why shouldI? He is a good enough man, when if comes to a tight pinch, where there is no outrunning lead, but beyond that he is hardly a man whom I would be envious of.” King Saul kept silence for a few moments, then turned to the remainder of the Rusilers, speaking sharply: ‘Did any of you fellows see anything out of the way? Can you throw any light upon this ugly affair?’ here was a breathless silence for a brief space, among the Rustlers, then Brocky Bill OT Sr “ ‘OTT bOOKS. Cc