Beadle's Dime Library No. 278 — page 4: what you’re looking at

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

3 looking into Lola’s face. £ colonel an’I war. Our interests war the same an’ in death they shall not be divided. I will win what he started out to win. I will kill the man he wanted to kill. I will: reach the end he wanted to reach. I swear it! Here by my dead pard an’ in presence ov heaven an’ the liv- in’, I swear to keep my oath!” and Cold-Deck Carl’s tensely drawn visage and flashing eyes revealed to Goldspar the implacable nature of the stranger sport. Carl sprung up as he finished. ‘*'Ye’r’ bound to keep - By first estimate ov yer,” laughed Hereules Goldspur. ‘'Ye’r’'a full member ov the family ov fools. Go East or West—go ter ’Frisco or ter Denver; but don’t stay hyar and try ter keep that oath. It can’t be did.” **T will keep it!” “ Oh, you.can’t! Look hyar, Carl,” and against Carl’s arm again fell that soft velvet hand. ‘¢] will never ask you again what fetched that dead man ter You-Bet. The man what killed im knew, an’ that’s enough.” “ An’ P tp say you didn’t?” “J did not, but if Ihad seen him in time by py would have dropped him.” ! ’ od of course, my dear Cold-Deck,” smiled Hercules, ‘So you won’t go back?” ‘““No, I’m byar to stay.” ‘* Without a friend?” ‘“T have friends—the best a man in Idaho can have.” Cold-Deck Carl threw back bis coat as he spoke and displayed the butts of two revolvers, tetany action provoked only a smile from Her- cules. “Then stay,” he said; “ but let me say that the errand what brought yer dead = ter You-Bet will never be accomplished by living man. Not whileI live an’ not while the man who fired to-night can shoot, Don’t leave You- Bet on Pigmy Pete’s account. He’ll hurt no- body; but that black-eyed caisy ov his es more dangerous. She'll shoot, but I can’t say that ov Pete. They ar’a strange pair an’ it’s a mys- ry how they ever got together. When you choked Pete to night you had yer bands at Lola’s throat just as much, She'll never forget that, She'll keep your money, too, an’ if you tread on pe 4 toes again, Carl, she’ll take more than your h. “ My life?” ‘‘Try it an’ see.” “* Mebbe I will.” ‘‘ Well, I wouldn’t, big as I am,” and Gold- spur’s eyes twinkled merrily as he seemed to in- crease an inch in stature. ‘‘I know these Mexican-blooded women too well for that. Life away up hyar, Carl, don’t cool ’em down one bit. So oe are bound ter stay?” “TI have told you, yes,” “To do the work that carkiss came ter do?” ‘* Ves,” “Then, good-night.” Hercules Goldspur stepped back, followed by the eyes of Cold-Deck Carl till he reached the railroad track. ’ “Go back to You-Bet, Goldspur, an’ proclaim to the bull population thar that I’m hyar fera P , an’ that [’'m goin’ ter win! Til draw that blood-iine I’ve spoken about—by Heaven! I will. No livin’ bein’ shall balk me. A thou- sand Mexican women sha’n’t turn me back. All | the nooses an’ revolvers in Idaho have no ter- rors for me. I was bound to this dead man with an awful oath. I don’t care if the man who killed him hears me now. I hope he does. I’m a tiger an’ a devil, an’ the man what crosses my path dies! I don’t care if Hercules Gold- spur is interested in my comin’ to You-Bet.” ‘*Wal he is,” came in stern tones from the lips of the = who had halted on the track. “* We understand each other, then,” said Cold- Deck Carl. CHAPTER IV. ‘THE FICKER FROM SILVER BOW. Tue mining-town of You-Bet wes known for its rough citizens who had founded it before the coming of the Nortbern Pacific. The mines in its vicinity were “err productive, d marvelous stories of their wealth had gone abroed to bring back a harvest in the shape of speculators, silver sharps, desperadoes and men of all classes except the honest, fair-dealing ‘It boasted of a population of several hundred souls, all men, save the black eyed creature already seen bebind the bar of the most prom- inent gambling-house in You-Bet. Zoe, the girl pee to be under Hercules Goldspur’s pro- n. Let us #p back to her. ‘Pigmy Pete had scarcely touched the floor unconscious from Carl’s unmerciful choking, the Mexican girl, was at his side with a face whitened b fear, and while the unsym- pathetic crowd drow back and left ber, Zoe -'t from bebind the counter and glided to her e. ‘*The wretch hasn’t killed him?’ she said, “No, but his fi met in Senor Pete's throat,” was the hissed reply while the eyes of Hercules Goldspur. the speaker fairly glistened. ‘‘I will make him remember his work. He shall feel the ven- geance of Lola.” . “Of course. But your diamonds?’ ie Mexican girl sprung up and rushed to the e. Not a diamond had been disturbed, but all lay where she had left them glittering among the notes Cold-Deck Carl had thrown down as his stake. Coolly transferring notes and diamonds to her pore Lola came back to Pigmy Pete and ad the satisfaction of seeing him open his eyes and put his hand to bis throat as if to satisfy himself that it was all there. ‘‘ Where is he?” he asked hoarsely, as his eyes searched the room for the man who had admin- istered the severe choking. es Gone,” said Lola. ‘*Gone where?” t+ Awa 7 “* He will come back?” ‘**T hope so.” ‘‘He will—he must! I’m little, tiger, Lola. Ab! you know that. in the pot?’ ‘* I did.” ** Good !” With difficulty Pigmy Pete got upon bis feet and walked straight to the bar where a man waited to set out whatever he ordered. “Four fingers ov lightning,” he exclaimed in answer to the questioning look. ‘‘ Cold-Deck stopped the circulation of my blood with his in- fernal fingers. He dammed up the red tide, but lll start it ag’in. Thar’s comin’ a day ov set- tlement!” And the glass which Pigmy Pete emptied at the conclusion of the last sentence came down upon the counter with an emphasis not to be mistaken, ‘*He seems to be a jumper,” remarked the bartender. “Tl jump ‘im!” was the flashing retort. ““Thar’s only one real jumper in Idaho an’ yon- der she stands. Thar’s the gal ov the North- ut I’m a ho raked west. She kin out-shoot any man, white er aller, what ever clutched a dropper. Come yar, ‘Leola.” At sound of ber name, the dark-skinned beau- ty advanced toward Pete who eyed her proudly as she came up. ‘*] war just tellin’ ’em that you war ther boss shot ov the Northwest,” he went on. ‘I’m lit- a he I never lie. Give ’em a sample ov your skill. ‘* With the revolver?” asked Lola. ‘Yes; ye’re queeu on that.” Vigmy Pete and his dark-eyed protegee were of course the observed of all observers in the bar-room, and Lola’s eyes glistened as she ad- vanced to the center of the room with a silver- mounted revolver in her right hand. Something glittered in her left, something that possessed a clear, metallic ring, and all at once she sent a silver dollar spinning toward the ceiling. Following it with her eye, she waited till it touched the roof, then, elevating the revolver she fired, catching the coin in its descent an knocking it far from its course, ' A murmur of applause rose from the - of the spectators and brightened Pigmy Pete’s eyes. in and again Lola sent coins toward the roof of the den, always hitting them just as they turned to descend. Sometimes she would have two in the air at once, but she never failed to send them flying from their course. “* Now the dollar act,” said Pete, taking a sil- ver dollar from his pocket and putting it be- tween bis teeth so that one-half of it projected from bis mouth. Then he strode across the floor to the further end of the room, and at a distance of sixty feet turned one side of his face toward Lola. Quick as a flash up went the girl’s revolver, and without seeming to take aim in the least, she touched the i sent the coin jing- ling from bis mouth! “She's a daisy an’ a jumper, I tell ye!” ejacu- lated Pete, wheeling proudly upon the rough spectators. ‘If you've got a match fer her, trot ‘er out, Lola an’ me ain’t exactly on a starrin’ tower, but we’re willin’ ter exhibit ufore any audience, J’m part wild-cat, an’ she’s all business. She hasn’t done half what she kin do with the dropper. Whar did I pick ’er up? Wal, I guess not—not ter-night, gentlemen.” And Pete showed his teeth in a grin that seemed to delight him. A moment later he stood at the girl’s side, and, before one member of the crowd could ad- dress him, he was leading her toward the door. ‘* Hold on thar!” cried a voice that startled every one, and at thet moment a droll-looking man stepped into the den. ‘‘ Take one with me atmy expense, rattlers. Lallus treat first when I ne a new town, an’ tharfore it’s my treat to- night, ; very eye was turned upon the speaker. He wes a heavy-set man not above five feet six in stature, about forty years old, and with eyes full of humor, and with a good-natur<d, jony face. is garments fitted him loosely, almost baggi- a ly, as if to admit of the expansion of his bod whenever he laughed. ‘Nominate yer p’isen an’ take one with the Happy Rattler ov Silver Bow,” he continued. ‘‘ I’m no lookin’-glass an’ if | war you fellers would see some infernal homely picters. I allus set ’em up first in anew town. It’s my style. Durn the expense, my blushin’ kyotes, Re 1 don’t look like a bonanza king I’ll feteh in my security who kin kick his way through creation ina jiffy. Ho! ye that ar’ dry, ter quote the only scripter Lever caught onter. Walk upan’ drink with the Happy Rattler ov ‘silver Bow!” His manner and looks had amused the crowd from the first, and when he finished, with one exception, and that one was Lola the Mexican girl, they stood along the counter ready to do justice to the invitation just extended. Zoe, who was about to quit the room when the man from Silver Bow entered, stopped and fixed ber eyes upon him. ‘*] wonder who he is?’ she said, ‘* Hercules has told me that strange men might be seen in You-Bet before the summer closed, and I begin to think that he knew what he was talking about, There have been strange men here to- night—Cold-Deck Carl, and Pigmy Pete, though be is not so very strange, and now this man comes.” The Happy Rattler did not seem to take much notice of Zoe, although she eyed bim with in- creasing interest, for while his face was not very attractive, there was something in his ex- pression that demanded more than a casual glance, ‘* Now, my saintly rattlers, Pll call in my pard,” he suddenly exclaimed. ‘‘He never drinks, but he’s got a babit which will go with him to the grave. He’s alsoa native ov Silver Bow, to ther manner born, an’ the highest kicker now on exhibition. I1’)] call ‘im in.’ S:‘epping toward the open door, the Heppy Rattler of Silver Bow called ‘‘ George ” several} times, the last call producing an answer in a pair of tremendously long ears that appeared at the threshold. ‘‘ The boss elevator ov the United States, an- gels ov You-Bet!” said the Happy Rattler. ‘He isn’t clothed in scarlet,an’ fine linen, ner as ther lilies ov ther valley; but he sustains bis Sane as the da’siest elevator ov the kentry. altz in ter victory, George,” and in came a small but strong-limbed donkey, whose eyes seemed to share the merry twinkle that lighted up the depths of his master’s. ‘*What’s yer counter worth, my gentle shep- herd?” asked the Happy Rattler, leaning over the rough wooden bar and addressing the dis- penser of drinks bebind it. **T don’t want to sell,” was the reply. “Ob, you don’t?” with a look of well-feigned disap intment, “Tl give you twenty.” ‘No s Fifty.” ss No.’ “Then I'll split the difference which is the counter. Come up ter work, George,” The donkey advanced straight toward the Happy Rattler, and at a wave of his hand turned bis beels toward the bar. ‘You won’t sell, eh?’ he asked the bar- tender. ‘‘No! an’ if you let that kickin’ machine ov yours—” ‘The reputation ov Silver Bow must an’ shall be sustained,” was the interruption. Now, my dynamite serapb, preceed ter busi- ness! . The next instaut the work began. The donkey’s heels thundered against the bar with a force that was perfectly irresistible and the boards flew in every direction. ; The animal seemed to relish the sport for at times he appeared to stand on his lengthy ears while he elevated his heels above the head of the astonished man who kept his station behind the bar despite the flying splinters and de- molished framework. The counter was a pine affair, rougbly built. and os dry enough to yield rea to the assaults of Kicking George. It was an exciting scene and one that bad its funny side, The crowd, astonished at first, laughed, and then roared. The whole interior of the saloon was in a hilarious uproar in the midst of which the only grt spectator was the man on whom the oss fell. Kicking George stopped when there was nothing left to conquer. He had kicked the bar into kindling wood and demolished numerous jugs that had been mare under it for want of room On the elves. ‘4 levator "said the Ha a bg Any Nit the difference with (py Idaho p’isen—split it inte, you sustained the repy. You’ve no more worjq’, kindlin’. Nobly have tation ov Silver Bow. te ne” , ; “But. [have 1” grated the = cewperr stridj toward the Rattler over the S of sep was & revolver in his hand, ‘*Not yet, fairy com ov the blazin’ orbs!” Said. (| o XoXo) S ‘ + “e .-% —— s