Beadle's New York Dime Library No. 245 — page 20: what you’re looking at

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

20 os would suspect that he was not Barranca l, To the dead man he could give all the dark erimes of Ben Warren, Paul Pindar and the other men of whom he knew; to himself he could take the reputation, wealth and other ‘blessings of Barranca Bill. . Moreover, he would be more likely to succeed with Vivian Brown. W hen be was first saved by William, Horace had felt a degree of gratitude, for he was well aware that he bad been saved from the lynchers’ gibbet, but the selfishness of his nature soon as- serted itself, and he went from one degree to another, until, on this evening, the climax ap- proached. If only Barranca Bill would die! Why not? Abe Neal had seen and identified him as Ben Warren; he had sworn to kill him; and Horace knew enough about Abe to feel sure ho would keep his word if possible. One touch of the finger on a trigger, or one doft blow with a knife, then—exit, Ben War- ren, Paul Pindar and the others; enter, the only Barranca Bill. Tl do it!” It was with this resolution that Horace went to bed, and in the morning, luck favored him, “I’m going away for the day, Horace,” said William, at breakfast. ‘‘ You need not look for me until after dark.” ‘* Another day alone for me? Well, I'll bear it. Which way do you go?” ** North.” ‘Not to Ramrod Bar?” “No; ’m afraid I might not be welcome,” gaid Bill, grimly. ‘You will probably get home about nine o'clock.” ‘* That’s the figure I set.” It was two hours later, when Barranca Bill ‘was well away and Hans Vedder snoring in his chair, that Horace left the house and walked boldly down the street. It was not more than ‘three minutes’ walk to his destination, but he was so much afraid that he would meet Abe Neal, or some one from Ramrod Bar, that he was perspiring freely when he entered a second- Sane clothing store toward which he had bur- ried. He was vay politely greeted as ‘‘ Mr. Lin- eoln” by the bland Jew who kept the place, and, somewhat relieved in mind, he proceeded to business. Half an hour Jater, having bound the Jew to silence by a generous payment, he emerged from the shop in a disguise which left no trace of his reai self. Clad in a rusty dress-suit of black, he had as- ‘sumed a gray wig and false beard, an old silk hat and a pair of blue spectacles, Seen then, one would have said he was some homeless old ‘‘ crank,” a would-be inventor of pepe motion or something of that kind; and he was confident he could walk the streets -of Comet Camp in safety. “Tam playing with fire,” he thought, as he “walked at a pace suited to his new character. “¢ Tf this plan fails,and my worthy brother learns -of my absence from the house, he may be set on the road to Bere discoveries. But, the plan snust not fai ; I'll find Abe Neal and touch hi to the quick!’ It was not so easy to find Abe, and the schemer ‘had visited nearly all available places when he ‘finally eame upon him inasaloon. Six years had passed since he had seen him, but the recog- nition was instantaneous, For one moment Horace wavered, for he knew that if Abe Neal should recognize him in turn it would be a death affair for one of them; then, summoning all his resolution, he went to the same table with him and called for a glass of liquor. He made no haste to speak, and when he did it was on a trivial subject, but with the ice once broken he wound around to his object with great skill. His courage increased as time passed, and it ‘was plain that Abe did not suspect him. The latter treated him after the fashion of a play- ful grizzly, for the seemingly rusty old man rather amused him, little suspecting that he was literally being bearded in his den, His greatest foe was before him, and he knew it not; Ben Warren was before his eyes, and he was merely jesting at his expense. Anon, the old man in blue spectacles had a story to tell. He had once owned a mine in Zigzag Gap, but by a flaw in his papers one Barranca Bill had wrested it from him, and on that particular day he felt particularly sad because he had heard Barranca Bill say to another man thatat nine o’clock that evenin he would enter the town by the northern trai with twenty thousand dollars in bis pocket, a ‘three months’ yield of the mine. ‘*He earries this fortune in his pocket like a | ‘common man would a jack-knife, and I am a ‘begear added the old man, viciously. Neal’s eyes were sparkling. Twenty “thousand dollars! What a chance to. secure evenge and a fortune at one and the same ; ! It would never occur again; it must be : rove ordered liquor for the man in the blue spectacles, and then plied him with questions until he had heard the statement again and again. bere could be no mistake; Barranca Bill would that evening approach Comet Camp with twenty thousand dollars in his pocket; whether he would reach the village was another question. If Horace had not had a strong head he could not have taken care of all the liquor Abe placed before him, and he was glad when the fellow was willing he should go. He regained his room without any trouble. ‘The plot works well!” he muttered, rubbing his hands, ‘‘ Neal will shoot Bill at the edge of the village, and I’ll be near at hand so that I can run to some saloon and say that I have found a dead man outside the town. Believing me to be Barranca Bill, the crowd will follow, and when they see how much the dead man looks like me, they will raise their tuneful oe and say, ‘This is Paul Pindar, dead!’ a! ha!” Barranea Bill had spent the rey, in endeavor- ing to gain some trace of Helen Neville; but, as the evening shadows were falling, he was home- ward bound, disappointed and discouraged, He had championed the girl’s cause unasked, and as she seemed to have vanished forever he intended to drop the matter right there. Gentle John was doggedly fixed in the opinion that they had witnessed her murder on the cliff by Cephas Brown, but no further sign had been found, and Sheriff Sharpe refused to arrest the great man of Comet Camp on such flimsy evi- ence, So, riding homeward that night, Barranca Bill resolved to jthink no more about the girl. He had done his best, but the matter seemed likely to remain a mystery until the graves gave up their dead. As he neared the first scattering cabins of the village his way lay along the base of a ridge, which was lined with rocks, while on the other side, a few yards distant, the ground again descended gradually. He persed along the place in a thoughtful mood, but he was aroused ina way which was , decidedly practical. Bexacal things occurred with startling ra- vidity. : His horse pricked up his ears and directed his eyes to the left, and then, as though the sight did not please him, gave a loud snort and tre- mendous bound at one and the same moment, and Barranca Bill went off the saddle as though he had been a log. , The fall was not a heavy one, for he partially saved himself by one hand, but he was con- scious that something else had happened. | There had been a bright flash by the wayside, a dull report and a singing around bis head as he went down, and he was sharp enough to sus- pect that only the leap of his horse had inter- vened between himself and death from the bullet of an assassin. Realizing this he lay perfectly still but drew his revolver, and in a moment more two men darted from behind the bowlder. ** Quick!” cried one, ‘‘ his infernal horse has gone on to ther village an’ will give ther alarm ef he is see’d. Do you cut his throat while I go through his pockets!” Barranca Bill smiled grimly, He had been in the West long enough to know how to deal with such fellows, and he lost no time in be- ginning work, Crack! crack! Twice his revolver spoke, with only a breath of time between the shots, and the man who had drawn the revolver went down in a heap and his companion uttered a yell and started off in rapid ight. Such a edy victory was unexpected, but the attack had been so cowardly that Barranca Bill resolved to see it through to the finish. He bounded to his feet and, only pausing to make sure that the man with the knife was down to stay, started in pursuit of the fleeing Crack! Another revolver spoke behind him, but though well aware that a third man had joine in the shoot, he did not even turn his head. Horace Lincoln came out from behind a rock, a revolver still in his hand. ‘‘ Curse it! the plot has failed!” he hissed. *t Does Bil) bear a charmed life? Here’s a rough down forever, and Abe Neal is tearing for cover like a deer. I’ve also tried my hand and failed, and I reckon the safest thing I can do is to make tracks for home. Two to one Bill kills Neal; I’d give my last dollar if they would kill each otber!” : And then Horace started for home at a rapid pace, growling maledictions on the luck which ad saved his only brother from death at an assassin’s hand, He reached his destination without mishap, CHAPTER XXVIL. BARRANCA BILL DOES A LITTLE SHOOTING, In the meanwhile, Barranca Bill bad fol- lowed up his would-be assassin in an earnest way. Once or twice he was on the point of Barranca Bill, the Revolver Champion. trying his revolver again, but he had no desire to shed blood unless in self-defense, The fugitive, who was Abe Neal, did not sus- pect any such scruples on the part of his pur- suer, and instead of making for the Weeping Willows in a direct line, as he wished, he dodged about among the miners’ cabins im a confusing way. Many of the owners of the huts were in or about their premises, and though a shooting frolic was no strange event in Comet Camp, they at once became interested and Barranca Bill soon had a dozen stout fellows stringing along in his rear. The dark outlines of the Weeping Willows had just appeared in front of Abe Neal when two pedestrians were brought to a halt by the race, ‘* Howlin’ Hannah!” cried the foremost, ‘it are Bill o’ ther Barranca in a muss ag’in! Bad Lung, gird up yer lions an’ foller me, There’s fun abead!” The speaker, who, of course, was Gentle John, drew a ete of revolvers, and from under his coat Bad Lung produced a ten-pin, ** Me setee ’em up ag’in. ’Melican man runee mighty fast!” The Celestial panted the words as he endea- vored to make his short legs keep time with bis employer’s longer ones, but all interest was centered on another point as, the Weeping Wil- lows being reached, Abe Neal, not daring to take time for an ig, oS at the door, went up and forward with a tremendous bound and a crashing through the window, sash and all. What remained of the sash was still quiverin when Barranca Bill followed in like style, an Gentle John came to the scratch a good third. Bad Lung was the fourth in the race, but he could not have taken the leap to save his life. He ran to the wall and began climbing in, but he was only half-through when the foremost miner took the leap and knocked the Chinaman over like one of his beloved pins; and then like a flock of sheep the whole tail of this human comet followed and it was something like fifteen men in a dark room. Those who came last alighted on a twisting mass of humanity, but except for that no one could account for anybody except himself. At this critical moment a door opened, light fell on the scene and the Witch of the Willows appeared to the view of all who were in condi- tion to look. On her part, she saw a strange scene, On the floor by the window the miners were trying to distinguish arms and legs in the crush, Gentle John was on his feet with a revolver in each hand, Bad Lung lay in the middle of the floor gasping like a stranded fish, and well apart from the rest Barranca Bill held Abe eal by the collar and menaced him with a six- shooter. Gentle John’s voice arose cheerfully. ** All down but two,” he observed. The remark aroused Bad Lung, who staggered to his feet and, seeing his ten-pin, caught it up affectionately. ‘“Me setee ’em up ag’in!” he observed. By this time Hecate had recovered from her amazement and her voice arose shrill y: ‘‘What in the fiend’s name does this mean?” she cried. “Tt reckon, marm, thet ther cows hev kim home ter roost,’’ responded Gentle John, who was plainly no farmer. ‘‘My window is broken and my house in- vaded. It is a riot, and I’ll have vengeance a you all!” she shouted, shaking her staff at them. “Just hold your horses, old lady, and we'll pass the hat,” said Barranca Bill, coolly. “Pll pay for your window and tame the rioters. Pve ot 3 I came for and we'll leave you with your ambs.’ The miners had regained their feet and stood firm in the rear, as good backing as one could wish for, but to Abe Neal the situation began to look dubious. He was a child in the hands of Bill, but he was game to the last and not in- clined to take water with Hecate’s Lambs in ony call, ; e knew Bill was watching his arms care- fully, but being a man of remarkable supple- ness he was not at a loss for ways and means. - One moment he threw his nerves to a tension itch and then arose in the air with a fine evo- ution which sent him over his captor’s head broke the latter’s hold and nearly demolished Bad Lung, who was keeping an excellent alignment as a rear-guard; and then a second bound took him bebind the bar—for this was the room which the Witch kept open during the day. With the scent of battle arising so strong Hecate struck her staff on the floor, lea aside and tho Lambs came pouring through the door, ferocious as usual in their tattered cloth- ing, shaggy beards and hy gered of firearms, There they halted, and the rival factions looked at each other, both reluctant to proceed to extremities, but every man resolved to be Counted in if bullets were turned as tromps. A hush followed, but Abe Neal was far from being idle. He had dropped behind the counter comicbooks ° 2