Beadle's New York Dime Library No. 271 — page 14: what you’re looking at

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

it : = = = —— = — a, . Se ee eee ee ere — a SS Oe OS “ ores ee SS * 14 Stonefist, of Big Nugget Bend. os CHAPTER XVII. WARFIELD GETS HIS ANSWER. SHORTLY after breakfast, the following morn- ing, Mr. Warfield walked into the money- lender’s office where Zora was behind the desk. He had begun to smile, having quite a fancy for pretty girls, but she cut bim short by saying that her father was in the inner room and ex- pecting him. Then she lowered her gaze to an unromantic day-book and the visitor saw he must be content and go on. He did go on and was soon in Mr. Lockyard’s presence, The money-lender greeted him with a smile and cordial grasp of the hand, and War- field believed the battle won, ‘*’You see I am on time,” he said, ‘* Yes, sir, and I fully appreciate punctuality and would have been disappointed had you not come,” said Father Lockyard, in his genial way. io The fish is caught!” thought Warfield, ex- ultantly: but, aloud, he said: ‘‘I never neglect business.” ‘*] judge not, from what-I have seen,” said the money-lender, passing over acigar. ‘‘ Well, shall we come to business?’ ‘* If you please.” ‘Very well; [ have seen my friend.” ** And what does he say?’ ‘He is favorably impressed. He has fifty thousand dollars he would be pleased to put into a well-paying mine, and such he chinks tbe Quickstep must be.” **§> itis, or rather, so it will be when prop- erly developed by the aid of capital.” “ Exactly; be understands all this.” ‘* Well, am I to see him now, or do you act as his agent?” “ Yor the present Iam his agent, but when certain conditions have been complied with be will come to the Bend and see you personal- ‘What are the conditions?” “Well,” said Father Lockyard, in his most genial way, ‘‘the Quickstep mine must be dis- covered, the town of Cutaway City must be built, and some information is necessary as to your half of the capital.” Warfield stared blankly. ‘‘T am not sure I understand.” ‘*T say the Quickstep mine must be discoy- ered and the town of Cutaway City built.” * You plunge me deeper than ever in per- plexity,” muttered Warfield, his mind full of alurm. ‘In plain words there is no Cutaway City and no Quickstep mioe!” “What do you mean, sir? Do you accuse che misrepresentation?” blustered the baffled villain, **T accuse you of peeping, sir.” **Bot J say there isa Cutaway City and a Quickstep mine,” ‘Somewhere, possibly, but the two are not corinscted in Idabo, There is no Cutaway City there,’ “Sir, I say there is.” “In that case you are at liberty to develop its resources, My friend is reluctant to invest in ao Aladdin’s lamp, but if you have Cutaway City down so fine there is no reason why you should not become a millionaire from it!” Lockyard spoke as calmly as ever, but War- field’s soul was filled with bitterness, His care- fully laid and nurtured plan had failed, and not only that but he had been played with up to the last moment. He longed to spring on the old man and strangle him, but such things were ot safe at Big Nugget Bend, Various plans for his immediate conduct oc- curred to him, but he decided to act the justly indignant role and get away as soon as possible, He feared a counter‘stroke, ** Sir,” said he, ‘‘ [have to-day been most vile- ly insulted; [ bave been stabbed in man’s dearest vein—my honor. Words cannot tell you the emotion in my mind; suffice it to say your gray bairs save you from chastisement—’ “Unnecessary clemency on your part, sir,” interrupted another voice and Allen Sterlin walked in. ‘‘ Jam here as the fighting-man o the outfit, and if you really thirst for exercise, here [| stand!” Allen made the announcement pleasantly, and that may have been why Warfield did not sharpen bis scalpiog-knife and go on the war- sak or it may nave been that Allen’s muscular orm had something to do with his reply. ‘*T am not a bruiser, and I feel myself above noticing you. I wash my hands of you all, and may Big Nugget Bend fare as ill as you have served me!” Wich this parting shot he strode from the room, and, passing Zora without a glance, made for the outer air. He looked over his shoulder once, to make sure the muscular clerk was not on his track, and then hastened toward Parrott’s botel. Ten minutes later he burst into the room where Jack Bunker and Horace Kellogg were When he entered the room bis face told the | than Allen Sterling. All things, he thought, story, but not until he sunk into a chair and pointed to Allen as the man, and assuch a sharp began cursing furiously did they give up all | young fellow would be very much in the wa hope. tt was Bunker who spoke first. ‘*Save your brimstone an’ come ter business, What hez happened?” he asked. The question brought Warfield back to his feet and he told the story fully, not forgetting to mention all that bad been done to annoy him, He finished with a fresh stream of prckensy) in which Kellogg joined, but Jack Bunker leaned bis head on his hand and reflected. His mind was not clear, and he was frank enough to confess he had been very drunk the previous night; though, as before said, he bad no recol- lection of the indiscreet talk be had made to Mr, Jones; but he still had more brains than eitber of bis companions. ‘‘What do you make o’ this?’ he finally asked. ‘*Make? Why, we don’t make anything; we lose the whole infernal business,” Warfield answered, *‘T reckon we do, but how come ther old man so posted on Cutaway City?” * Now you have me.” “Ter me it seems simple, Somebody who’s wiser than he is hez been knockin’ our plan in ther head, Who?’ ‘Sterling, of course!” cried Kellogg. ‘*Sartain,” said Ja k, with a nod, “ He’s ther cr tter, He hez been around ther West a good bit, an’ when ther old man told bim o’ ther scheme he set right down on’t an’ tole bim thar was no Cutaway City an’ no ickstep mine. Yes, pards, we owe it all ter that same varmint!” Kellog a subdue once. “Will you give up the game?’ he finally asked. ‘‘That’s fur Kellogg ter say.” ** And I say, never!” ‘*Then,” said Warfield, ‘‘Mr. Allen Sterling must be removed.” ‘‘A lump of lead will settle it,” muttered Kellogg. aS ump of lead won’t settle it,” said Jack, coolly. ‘‘ You galoots er too hot-headed. I hev a better way.” ** W hat is it?” “Ef we plant bim, you kin make up yer mind ther gun will kick. Ef he clsapresiod suddint, ther fust man ter be suspected would be one Horace Kellogg, ’cause folks know 0’ ther quarrel. No, sir—no shootin’ while I’m in ther game. Sterling must be got away from the Bend on some pretext.” * But he will come back.” ‘‘Not when I hev put my foot on his head, I reckon ther right way is ter hev him arrested on some charge, an’ took ter Denver, Give ii a leetle time ter think, an’ I’ll study it . And it did indeed seem as though Bunker could strike the right key if any one could—na- ture had created bim a schemer, and he had al- ways kept in practice, He did not remain a great while longer with his allies, but took bis way to the cabin where he made his home. A very humble and unpretentious man was Mr. Bunker; and those who saw him smoking his short pipe before his door, knew little of the Atyariens schemes running through his mind, On this occasion he did not smoke outside the door, but wentin where becould think undis- turbed. He first dipped his head in cold water, for the ache of his over-drinking was not yet all one, and then sat down heittia bio table to give is mind ful] play. As he sat there, he would have been very much surprised had he known that a pair of sharp eves were watching him from the loft of the cabin; for his predecessors had been a large family, and a loose flooring had been laid from plate to plate to make an extra room. There, a man was lying flat on bis face, and watching Jack through a crevice. What was bis object? Not robbery, for Jack was clad in rags; not bodily violence, for he —— have shot the fellow down at once. What then It mav be set down asa fact that half the men in our world do not live to show gray bairs without having a past well worth telling. Sometimes, they are anxious to bide tbat past, and suce<ed ; in other cases, the old drama rises, phoenix like, from its ashes and makes trouble for him who would have kept it forever in its grave. Perhaps Mr. Jack Bunker was no exception to this rule, But if the watcher expected to see him do anything strange or compromising, be was not rewarded for his trouble, Jack kept his seat, smoked and meditated as stolidly as though no clinched his hand, and swore in a key, but Warfield did not answer at of his plot to swindle the money-lender, it fol- lowed that be must be removed, But as Jack sought for the way he saw noth- ing of the spy above, though the spy saw noth- ing else save bim. The keen, bright eyes were tireless in their watch, and if there had been a betraying word or sign from Jack it would have been noted, Jack, however, kept his thoughts to himself, and when his face inaicated that he had settled his problem, abruptly arose and went out, Then the spy’s eyes disappeared, only to be succeeded by bis body, a moment later, as he came down the rud- ladder. And the spy was none other than the briefless lawyer of the Bend, Wisecraft, alias Old Ketchum. . CHAPTER XVIII. OLD KETCHUM MAKES A CALL. THE lawyer went no further than the door, for, as be looked out, he saw a crowd of men and, in their center, was one particular man who was just mounting a bowlder, His object could not be held in doubt wher one saw that it was Bartholomew Blake; be was about to make another attempt to show the peo- ple of the Bend how wicked they were. It was clear they anticipated some fun, but Old Ketchum was far from sharing their an- ticipation, It was all rigbt for Jack Bunker to pare out among them, but it would hardly do be Ketchum; it might lead to unpleasant re- sults, So the lawyer secretly shook bis fist at Blake and wished him miles away, As there was not much hope that be would go, the prisoner turned to look at the window. The space was not Jarge but he resolved to try it. Resolute squeezing took him through, but. when he looked for Bunker be was not to be found, He had gone straight about his business and Ketchum had lost the desired chance of dogging bim. Convinced that this was so be paused fora mowent to hear Deacon Stonefist. He was talking in the old vein and giving the men of the Bend a very unfavorable pen-picture of themselves, but the lawyer soon tired of it and went away. . Returning to bis office be found a letter which had just arrived for him. He looked at the post- mark and then quickly broke the seal, Evi- dently it was short, or else be read rapidly, for he soon lowered it and a look of satisfaction crossed bis face, ‘*Good!” be muttered; ‘‘ the Jast links in the chain are closing in and I shall soon have my lord, the money-lender, on the bip. His pre- tense of being a quiet, humble old man of mod- erate means, as well as this other affair, may be exposed at any time. Proof enough is before me, but just now it does not suit me to make the facts public. I have thrown the old man intoa panic already, and I'l) not do any more for fear he may flee from here and so defeat all my plans. As for the girl—I wonder who pave ber the heatbenish name of Zora—I shall not do per any harm so long as she behaves well, Per- a — ere a fly walked into Mr. Wisecraft’s ink- bottle, and by the time the invader was driven off the lawyer was too much flushed from his exertions to continue a steady train of thought, ‘ He passed the remainder of the dey in his office, but, shortly after dark, took his way toa sma}] house at the outskirts of the town. It was here the Pollacks lived, and here that Althea Lawrence boarded, Old Ketchum’s knock was answered by Betty who gravely listened while the visitor stat that he wished to see the teacher. The small girl looked him over deliberately. She had dis- covered that there were some men who were not pleasant associates for her beloved teacher, and she wanted to be sure Wisecraft was all right before she admitted him. The examination being fairly satisfactory, he was ushered into the main room of the house while Betty went for Althea. The latter soon entered, a doubtful look on her face, but she started with surprise at sight of the lawyer, ‘‘ You here!” she exclaimed. “Yes, my dear,” be said, taking her hand. ‘** Are you surprised?” ‘“‘1 did not suppose you would come to see me openly.” “Tecan do no barm, Everybody here sup- poses you to be a mere penniless school-teacher, while J] am looked upon as a sort of raven, after the style of Poe—‘a thing of evil.’ They bave facetiously dubbed me ‘Old Ketchum,’ little suspecting how appropriate the name is, But, by the way, are we free from listeners?” Althea knew the character of the Pollacks well enough to feel safe in saying there was no ———— CCD, Att ana a - —$$$—$—$—— | seated. The latter was fresh from his duel, . and Jack was just out of his night’s debauch— en te pct ts Bt i | MURSng. wich bare 0 our midrting ued plans on tbe result of the y’8 | ously consi the bility that the old man ‘Nothing whic op our un od mission. might have been warned by another person ' though there are several things of anothe? | (eo) JOO spv was within fifty miles. He was sure that Lockyard had nearly swal- lowed the Quickstep bait, and he did not seri- nger. ‘‘Then, to business. Have you anything to gS AMLUCS (E(0)