Beadle's New York Dime Library No. 271 — page 11: what you’re looking at

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

—_—_—— - —__—_-_- — “Ther blazes! Did you go thar an’ fling on style an’ big words?” ‘*T tried to make a good impression.” ‘Good thunder! -Ef you had talked ez I can’t help talkin’, an’ showed yourself unedu- cated, you'd got inter ther school all right. No fear o’ that. But, don’t ye see she tumbled ter ther fact you was thar with a motive not in ther schoolin’ line.” ‘What did she care if she got my money?” ‘That ain’t ther question, seein’ we know she did care. Ther question is, what/ll you do now —back out?” Horace brought his fist down on the table and plainly uttered a negative. “lll bilieve I see whar ther trouble lays,” continued Bunker, watching his dupe like a cat, ‘* Where?” ‘¢ Allen Sterling is ahead o’ ye.” ‘* Ho is?” ‘sf judge so, for he goes often ter sew her.” ‘‘Malediction! I remember he went there gust after I left. Ob! yes, 1 see! Mr, Allen terling is my rival and the favored one in all the king’s dominion. Bunker, I’m glad you put me on the track, and curse m3 if 1 don’t make him sweat. I carry a revolver and I know bow to use it, and what is more I will use it, Out goes Sterling.” Bunker bad brought matters around to the proper point, and he held the wheel steady, He played on Kellogg’s mood as on a piano and ex- tracted music every time he t_uched a*key. He talked philosophy, too, and, assuming to know all about the female sex and their ways, de- clared that Kellogg had only to put Sterlin out of the way and Miss Lawrence would fal into bis arms, ‘“No heart is so mighty tame ez ther beart caught on ther rebound,” added Buuker, He left his dupe in a far more hopeful humor than be found him, while his own spirits were at their best, ‘‘Tam a sort o’an Iagoin thiscase. Kellogg is in my way as Lockyard’s nepbew, an’ Ster- ling is in ther way as Lockyard’s clerk. Ef ther old man tells him o' ther Quickstep, ’'m afeerd [ shall step out quick. Weill, like Lago, I will play my two enemies ag’in’ each other, an’, ter change Shakespeare a bit, I kin say: ‘ Whether Kellogg kill Sterling, or Sterling kill Kellogg, or each do kill the other, 1 shay. x,jldo ther pot,’” "fey Some people mivht cavil at this quotation of the master of English drama, but there could be no doubt but Bunker had the Proust idea, and tbere was surely a good deal of [ago nature about him. But what was his exact game against Nathan -kyard, or what was the cause of it, or what he aimed to do, it seemed that no man except himself in Big Nugget Bend knew. CHAPTER XIII. LOOKING FOR A PRETEXT. Horace KELLOGG had become thoroughly imbued with tbe idea Bunker wished to put into his mind. Accepting Bunker as bis oracle, he believed he saw Sterling between bim and bis triumph with Althea Lawrence. Recogniz- ing the teacher as an honorable woman, he be- lieved the reason she would not smile on him to be that she had already given ber affections to Stirling; while he was equally ready to be- lieve tbat if the clerk was out of the way he would succeed to her favor. That he was wholly wrong the reader already knows; Althea was, if anything, less agreeable in her deportment toward Sterling than toward him; but the poor fool tailed to see the light, and went straight on in the path Bunker would have bim tread. : He cleaned up his revolvers with a special reference to making Sterling his target, and then meditated. ‘* How is it to be done? Of course I can’t shoot him down without a pretext, for not only would Althea object to that, but Big Nugget would rise on its hind legs and howl, Hang it! why is it such a moral town? Well, then, I must have an excuse for shooting him, bel ane it be?’ editation suggested a good many ways, but as he rejected the whole of them as unfesible, they need not be outlined here. He pondered on the subject mors or less all day, but only succeeded in muddling his weak mind hope- lessly. The desired pretext did not put in an appear- ance. As the hour approached for Miss Lawrence to dismiss her school, however, he was seized by an earnest desire to look upon her, if only from adistance. She would come out at the usual hour, of course, and if he could not speak to her he could at least see her go past. — Acting on this idea he made his way to ride north of the village, and at a point just back of the school-house. : It was a wild and romantic place, with plenty of rocks piled up in a hap- ezard way, but Horace took a tical view of thecase. He found . pest beneath a small tree and sat down watch, Stonefist, of Big Nugget Bend. — ————— qumeee In due time there was evidence that the schoo] was breaking up. Several children came out, roceeded homeward, and as the juvenile popu- ation of the Bend was small the watcher knew the supply could not last a great while. Last of all came she for whom he watched but not alone. A small girl was with her and Horace recognized the teacher’s favorite, Betty Pollack. He expected to see them go to their homes, but bis heart gave a thump as they turned to ward the ridge. He saw Althea look upward and was foolish enough to imagine, for a time, hy she had discovered and was coming to him. Coming she certainly was, for, with little Betty by her side, she reached the foot of the rocks and began to climb. Horace watched with rapt attention, and to any one it would have been an interesting pic- ture; Althea was so beautiful and gracicusly dignified, but always kind to the child and aided her sbort steps, and Betty so eager and quaint, her sharp little voice ringing cut ever and anon, But the watcher’s interest increased as they came directly toward him, Had he really been seen? Was the visit meant for bim? He did not know, so he hid behind a point of rock. Nearer came the couple until they paused not twenty feet from Horace. ‘* Here we are at our throne,” said Althea, seating herself on the rock where it was hol- lowed out by Nature like a great arm-chair, “Ts glad,” said Betty. ‘‘Reckon we is boff pretty tried; I is, "tena’rate, S’pect I never could ketch a mountain goat,” ‘‘That isn’t the kind of game young ladies hunt,” said Miss Lawrence, with her grave smile. Betty looked at her with expanded eyes. ‘* Does they hunt men?” she demanded, , Altbea laughed. ‘Not if they are wise, Betty.” ‘But I heerd somebody say it took Sam Jenkins’s wife forty years ter ketch a husband, so lL s’posed they hunted men,” ; ‘*Mrs, Jenkins may have done so, but we will not. You and I, Betty, will be wiser. I almost wish I eould live always in some such place as this, and never see a man.” Horace had been stirred up mentally by find- ing, the woman he admired so near bim, and at tis: point. he could not avoid stepping from his hiding-place, ‘‘ Men will come where beauty is, even though it be on a mountain,” he said, with what he intended for a captivating bow, Miss Lawrence was plainly surprised, but she did not start. Horace saw her Jips curl with scorn, and she sarcastically answered: “ They come uninvited, however.” ‘Don’t be so sure: { was here first,” he replied. ‘‘ You came to me, and I am pleased to see you.” : There was subdued anger in her eyes, but she did not deign to answer him. Instead, she turned to Betty. ‘*Come,” she said, quietly; ‘we will find another place; one where we can be alone.” Sbe was going away witb such an utter dis- regard of his prosence that Horace lost all sense of prudence, and stepped directly in front of er. ‘* Wait!” be said, in a husky voice. ‘‘I want to know what you mean by so persistently insult- ing me,” ’ ‘‘In what way bave I insulted you, sir?” “Am Iadog that you will not so much as speak to me vivilly 7?” ‘‘Am I not ajgoman and deserving ofjgentle- manly treatment from you?” The retort was y enough, but she re- mained une y calm. ‘* In what way have I failed?” st You have tried to force your company upon me. “« And you scorn it?” ‘¢T seorn no one; but if I do not care for one’s acquaintance I have the right todecline. Pardon me, but you force me to speak “yiay Ae ‘“T see: you reserve all your tender care for Sterling!” bitterly exclaimed Kellogg. “For whom, sir?” “For Sterling, I say. him!” : The Jast remark was intended to. be. crush- ingly sarcastic. ; ; Lhave seen and spoken to Mr, Sterling, but if you really think he is anything tome you are mistaken. Weare not friends. AndI will say, moreover, that 1 did not come to Colorado to have favorites or to indulge in favorites. You have seen that I am a poor and friendless girl. As such I am here w try to gain a com- fortable living; thatis all. I do not wish to receive attentions from any Rentiemans . All very well in theory, but it don’t satisfy e “T do not know, sir, that I am obliged to please you. Now, having made my ition plain, I beg that you will step aside and let me pass. ‘No, by my life; not till you have made amends for your scornful ways!” he cried losing his head, and forgetting for the time all I believe you know il ey —-_—— ] the good advice keener-witted Jack Bunker bad given him, ‘‘ What do you mean, sir?” ‘Give me your pledge to receive me as your friend,” **T will not, sir!” Althea exclaimed, losing her temper at last. ‘* Just as you say, my lady.” ‘* Let me pass, please.” ‘*'Po repeat your own words, I will not!” He was looking at, her in an evil and insolent way, and the battle seemed all in his own bands, but no one can tell what a breath of time may bring forth. Horace Kellogg was suddenly lifted and set aside, and then Althea saw Allen Sterling, his bat in one hand and a rifle in the other, ‘You can go now, Miss Lawrence,” he said, with grave politeness, But Althea did not go. She knew the prob- able result of leaving these men alone, and, as ber heart was all g if she was a trifle proud and reserved, she would not leave one who had twice acted as her defender to meet Kellogg's anger alone. : She remained, and she saw the young villain, recovering from his first shock of surprise, turn upon Allen with a furious look on bis face. a ‘* What do you mean, vou scoundrel, by inter- fering here?” be botly demanded. ‘9h ‘‘ We will speak of this matter later,” Sterling repli-d, in a low voice. ' ‘We will speak of it now!” Kellogg de- clared. “You forget a lady is present,” ‘*T don’t care if there are ten thousand ladies present. You have laid your bands on me, you, an office drudge, and your touch is con- tamination, I will bave satisfaction!” Even in the midst of his anger, Kellogg remembered that the desired pretext for a quarrel with Sterling had come to him and was greatly pleased that it was so, “T have no intention of leaving the Bend, and you can find me any time you wish, For the present let us say nothing. Miss Lawrence, do you wish to go?” e glanced from his face to that of Kellogg as though to see if the threatened trouble bad died away, but sbe was soon shown, Kelle had been waiting for bis chance, and at this pecs Uke he leaped forward and closed with terling. His purpose was at once appersnt. At the point where they stood, the rock, after running out a few feet in a shelf-like form, abruptly de- scended for twenty feet, while at the base were sharp and jagged rocks, He had aimed to hurl Stating over by his first rush—over to fall on rocks likely to dash life from his body, Allen’s indignation arose at this mu 13 assault, and, grappling in turn, he not kl evaded the fate intended for bim but forced Horace rapidly back, A struggle of fifteen seconds was enough to settle one point; Allen was the better man of the two and could easily have sent his enemy over the ledge. | Not caring to commit such a deed, be threw him heavily and, falling upon bim, left the fel- low unconscious, | Then, once again, the victor turned toward Althea, as calm and respectful as though noth- ing had occurred. ‘I would suggest, Miss Lawrence,” he said, “that ron leave here before this man recovers. The mischief may not be gone from him, and while he is getting his senses back you can re~ turn to the village.” CHAPTER XIV. 4 DUEL BEFORE SUNRISE, © STRANGELY enough there was more color than usual in Altbea’s face then, though many a woman would have been pale after such an ep- counter, and her answer to Sterling’s last speech was in a more womanly tone than she had ever spoken to him before. ; “I will go, but only on condition that you will accompany me,” Allen’s heart leaped, for not for a moment had he ceased to care for the school-teacher, and this wasa pelrepel ae ain in his suit; but he tried to hide pple of exultatiou and an- swer calmly. o ay f Miss Lawrence; I was just going that way. | bave been out ona hunt,” . He glanced once more at Kellogg, but he knew the fellow would soon recover and they left him there. He could care for bimself when he recovered and it might soothe the smart of his discomfiture a little to know he had found a “ pretext ” for quarreling with Sterling, be latter lifted Betty from a lower part of the rock, Althea followed—he did not venture to offer aid to her, as none was really needed— and they went on toward the village. ‘‘ This is the second time you have helped me, Mr. Sterling,” said Althea, showing an embar- rassment not usual to her. ‘It may not help me in your estimation, but I feel called nto apol for my rudenessin the past. I won- der you were willing to help me now; I don’t think { should have been, if similarly placed, AMIE OCC) (E(0) SHalGO)