Beadle's New York Dime Library No. 28 — page 26: what you’re looking at

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

6 ” ficient. The conflagration was checked, and ‘before long died entirely out. Few of the f) ‘more prominent buildings had suffered. For p obvious reasons Joaquin’s men had avoided the i! |more frequented quarters, or houses where lights i (denoted occupants. By this chance both Lon om’s gambling-house and the “ Miner’s Rest’ y | escaped. . » The moment all danger was over, Sheriff . Hayes demanded and received the attention of p the begrimed miners. Hiss h was short but * pointed. Joaquin had given them the dare, once ) | again; and it should be the last. He did not 3; | call for volunteers; he simply bade every man ! | be meaty to take the trail with the first gleam of day. is ieantiatel Sleepy George had strolled idly to- A — o— ._= a a — hohe | ward the spot where Long Tom lay—not, how- | 4 | ever, to weep over the corpse of his late master. \ | Satisfied that no one was watching him, the bum- “ mer’s hand stole swiftly into Long Tom’s pock- -et—then a sharp yell of terror broke from his lips. A cold hand grasped his arm—there was 'a metallic click—and a low voice hissed in his Sad | ear: >| ‘They heard your cry and are coming here; « promise to do what I wish of you, or [ll tell { them you were trying to rob me—quick! prom- i e, or—” “Pil do it—Ill do it,” gasped Sleepy George, | who knew from experience how little it re- ; _ quired.to set such a mob on fire; still less, after what had already transpired. | ' The hasty shot fired by Zimri Coon had failed i to work his will. Unless making close allow- i ' ance, one is certain to overshoot, in the night- 4 time. This was the case now, and Long Tom, R though stunned, received —ns more than a _ scalp-wound. The actions of eepy George 7 aroused him completely. ittle Volcano by Joaquin had it ict the {! jury might have brought in, had matters been _| allowed to take their usual course, can only be — 1. ‘The rescue of , changed many things. Whatever ve by Y _ surmised; but had ed eves called upon for , one now, there would have needed no deliber- 4 ation. ith this, came a change toward Lo i» Tom, who had, at the risk of life, ex | the outlaw’s plot. He was set free, and even honored by some because he had labored hard for the conviction of the prisoner. With the day-dawn, Sheriff Hayes, with Ar- kansaw Jack as his ibis a bower,” rode out of Hard Luck at the head of forty men, meaning to bring in Joaquin’s scalp or lose his own. Neither Long Tom nor Sleepy George offered their services; both wounded, they had a good excuse for not serving. ‘Tt doesn’t much matter, though, as things have turned out,” resumed Long Tom. ‘That young devil is as good as d Jack Hayes + ————E him out of the game. But there’s that other— Crazy Billy. Twice you made a_ wretched boteh there—of a job a child could do! You are growing worse than useless, old man. Un- less there are changes for the better, and that soon, you'll have to be looking out for some oth- er location. I want men around me.” “You want me to try ag’in—is that what ou meant, out yonder?’ muttered Sleepy eorge, but with an air of evident relief. Ves: and the sooner you do it the better will your pay be.” *‘T won’t try it on alone; you must let in my two mates, anyhow. They’s no tellin’ who a body may run inst upin the hills. Let them in and [ll do it inside o’ two days.” . | ‘“‘Take as many as you | opm the pay will | be the same, though. And if you let in any 4, new hands, keep a close tongue; I have dealings | only with you—you will pay them their share; remember that.” ‘‘ Hamfat and Cockeye is all I ax, boss, an’ I don’t reckon you n hev any fear o’ them,” | grinned the bummer, ne | | ie | ee Glad to escape so easily, Sleepy George lost no } time in seeking out his comrades in crime, whom | he found playing draw poker for drinks, in their i shanty, with a jug between them, from which ' the winner of each game took a horn. But on | | his entrance the pasteboards were cast aside, and they listened to the bummer’s story with no \ little interest. The reward offered was a Hh yet the worthy pair seemed to be somew t + crossed by recent events, ‘¢ They’s money in it, ys say,” said Cock- eyed Waddel. ‘But ‘tain’t wuth the resk. | They’s a heap better lay-out waitin’ on us,ef we | kin only strike it. You know we own that pla- | cer; what’s to hender us from turnin’ honest | diggers, an’ makin’ our *pendent fortune—” | % Jack Hayes,” dryly interrupted Sleepy |} George. “don't reckon *twould be healthy er |. the feller as jumps that claim ontel he gits his |) permission; anyhow, J don’t keer much about | tryin’ it on. But they’s another lay—thar’s the | gold them fellers stole from us—-” : ‘“Whar?’ was the eager, simultaneous in- uiry. ‘3 tt goes with this job,” grinned the bummer. ‘(Share an’ share alike, ef you go in with me. _ What’s the word?’ ; | ‘There was little need of his asking this ques- tion; there could be but one nnswer. And then . circumstantial. | Sleepy George grew more ——$_——$_——— _ ee OO e-—reaa = —— a 7 —_——_— will hunt him down like a wolf, so we can count: Beadle’s Dime-Library. The gold which had been given into charge of Jack Hayes, still lay within the log ‘* jug,” cov- ered over with a pile of old sacks. It had been utterly forgotten in the confusion and excite- ment following the rescue. “We'll rig up as if fer a long trip—if any- body axes us we’ll tell em we're gwine to look fer the varmints as robbed us of our honest se- cret. We'll leave this some time afore night. We'll strike into the hills an’ lay low fer dark- ness. Then we'll mosey back yere, watch our chaince, slip in the jug, pocket the slum an’ when they find out it’s gone, they cain’t none on ’em pick onto us takin’ it,” and Sleepy George fairly chuckled over his brilliant plan. st even shares, ’member,” put in Hamfat ack. He ig a Injun!” and so the matter was set- The trio quickly perfected their arrangements, even inviting notice. Pet Pete gave them a friendly warning; he didn’t think it would be healthy working on that placer until Sheriff Haves had settled the question of ownership. ‘“We don’t ‘tend to strike a lick thar,” candid- ly replied the bummer. ‘‘Nur we don’t mean to let anybody else do it, nuther. The chainces is them two cusses ’ll try to poy wigs onto us, by slippin’ in thar while they’re bein’ looked fer in some other place. Ef they do—we’ll fetch ’em in camp, dead or alive, you bet!” Pet Pete laughed shortly. Though he said nothing, he did not believe that trio would care much about meeting Little Voleano and old Zimri, after what h ; As already arranged, the three men took to the hills and patiently bided their time. The night fell, dark and threatening a storm. Ev- erything seemed favoring them. By ten o’clock they returned and entered the town, steal- ing along unseen, reaching the log cabin and crouching down close to its walls until the mo- ment for action had come. The delay was not <a — streets of ae oo een eee ete eserted, particularly as the rain n fall in blinding torrents. "Satisfied that a was no danger of discovery, the three men glid- ed around the building and opening the oor, entered. A low growl of delight broke from Sleepy George’s lips as he felt the contain- ing the gold. He would have ed it out himself, but that did not suit his comrades. As nearly as possible, in the dark, they divided the gold, then they stole away through the dark- ness and storm, eager to reach some place where it would be safe for them to halt and examine the prize. This spot was soon after reached; deep down in a ravine, where a tetas, made an admirable “‘lean-to” camp. Here a fire was kindled, with some difficulty, and by its rays the gold was examined. A division was attempted, but that was soon found to be impos- sible. They had no leader. Neither was will- ing to take the chances of “guessing.” Finally it was resolved to cache the treasure, where it should remain until they had performed Long Tom’s work. Then they could choose their time, and seek more congenial quarters, to begin a new life, with their : The storm cleared off sometime before day, and the worthy trio picked their way through the hills toward the cave inhabited by their intended victim. It was truly wonderful what a strong affection had sprung up between them in that one night! If either chanced to fall be- hind for a moment, two pairs of eyes were in- stantly searching for him. Never were three “a ‘ap stuck together more closely than ese ‘*We’re most thar,” cautiously muttered Sleepy George. ‘‘ Keep your eyesskinned. The cuss may be out som’ers. Ef he sets eyes on us, the jig’s up fer keeps. He ain’t hafe *pears to be.” Cautiously, stealthily as red-skins upon the war-path, the assassins stole forward, nearing the hermit’s cave by degrees, their eyes rovin, over every rock and point of the hillside, but nothing was seen of their game. Not a sound came from the cave. “ Pick Jour ground, fellers,” muttered Sleepy George. ‘*Take kiver whar you kin hide your starns as well as figger-heads, They’s no tellin’ which way the varmint may come, ef he’s out, Keep your shooters ready fer work, but don’t use em ontel you hear me shoot. Then, if I | | his i | ¢ fairly upon the ool he pain. : | ' don’t down him, open on him, hot and heavy. | Understand?” : They did understand, and said as much. They sought cover, each in a clump of bushes, within easy range of the cave, and composed themselves to wait as patiently as possible. Hour after hour passed without interruption, and they began to fear that their game had taken to flight, when suddenly « curious sound startled them. Faint and indistinct, wailing, yet ironi- cal, for atime the assassins were at a loss to understand its purport. But then it grew loud- er and clearer, until they knew that some being was singing, within the hermit’s cave. They cocked their weapons, and eagerly peered out at the vine-masked entrance, The singing died away, and for a moment.all was still. Then the ambushed men’s eyes glow- ed as they saw the vines vibrate, then oats move Crazy Billy stepped forth; ee Ot—D ee —— ' ; ’ / ) ’ ; : | ! and § low their CO stood like a statue of stone, gazing fixedly down the valley. Sleepy George leveled his rifle, and took a long and deliberate aim. Then his finger touch- ed the trigger. A vant ead’ puff of smoke; then he peered breat y through the bushes. He saw Crazy Billy reel back, then fall heavily With a wild f t h, h ith a wild cry of triumph, he sprung from his ambush. . CHAPTER XXXII. TO THE DEATH! ANY person in the slightest degree acquaint- ed with Sheriff Hayes would have seen that he meant business, when he took up Joaquin’s trail. There was a cool deliberation in every movement, yet nothing cut to waste. He saw that his followers were well mounted, thorough- ly armed, with plenty of ammunition, food, water and liquor. He waited until daylight, then placed two Indians—friendly Utes—upon the trail, promising them a barrel of whisky in case they ran the game to earth. The scouts lifted the trail rapidly, though at times the ground was hard and rocky, and they had to proceed more slowly. Still, fast or slow, Hayes would not allow a man to pass his trackers, ‘I know we'll find them, this way, even if it takes a year, while, by overrunning the trail, we may get fooled, just as we have twice be- ore. __ A few of the more impatient grumbled, but it was done beneath their breath. They could see that Jack Hayes was “rattled ;” to most men that knowledge was enough. As Hays often declared, afterward, his ill- fortune all came to him in a lump. Steadily fixed as was his resolve never to leave that trail while Joaquin lived, it was fated to be broken. The trail, at one point, wound around the side of a precipitous , along a narrow, uneven ledge. At a certain point, near mid- way, the horse bestrode by Hayes made a misstep, stumbled, and though desperately striving to recover itself, plunged over the precipice with an almost human shriek of ter- ror. An unusually skillful rider, Jack Hayes did not lose his presence of mind. Realizing the peril, he freed his feet from the stirrups and made a leap toward the wall, but one of his — canant in the thick mane of his mustang. hairs broke loose, but not until the sheriff lay upon the very verge of the abyss. Jack Gabriel sprung over his animal’s head to lend assistance, but he was too late. Without a sound, ee he must.have felt that death was at his feet, ee slipped over the edge, and fell down—like a shot. His followers could distinctly hear the dou- ble thud as horse and man struck upon the rocks, far below. MHorrified, they peered over the escarpment. Over a hundred feet below lay the two bodies, both close together, appar- ently dead. One breathless moment, then the entire hastened ahead or turned back, to reach the y of their leader. Imagine their oyful surprise, on reaching the bottom: Jack ayes greeted them with a laugh—faint, to be sure, but far from what a dead man might be supposed to utter. His escape had been little short of miraculous. The brief struggle upon bim. , feet foremost, he struck ’s carcass. Yet the ac- cident was enough to decide his share in the coming fight. Though no bones were broken, his limbs and muscles were so severely strained that every motion was agony. Hedid insist up- on being aided into the saddle, but ten minutes’ work conquered even bis iron will. ‘That settles it, boys!” he muttered, with a groan, more of intense disappointment than of ‘It’s good-by Joaquin, for me! I’m clean knocked up. It needn’t matter much, though, for the restof you. You know what we started for. There’s Jack Gabriel—he can Jead you just as well as I could—you can’t elect a bet- ter captain. Only remember; there must be on- ly one leader, whoever you choose. What he on a be law. Lge tales d he goes, you must ollow. Promise me this; then the li mi aUs; the better I'll feel.” yee is proposal was greeted with cheers. Next to Hayes, Arkansaw Jack was the most popu- lar leader that could have been found in those parts, Ef we do run the devils down,” said Jack from Arkansaw, earnestly. ‘Ef we do run ’em down, boss, they’ll each one of us fellers put in a i fer you. + wee ayes did not reply, but impatiently mo- tioned them on after the er gee a at not even paused when the sheriff went over the cliffs side. He was left with plenty of food, water and everything he could possible require, He listened intently until the hoof-strokes died away ,then coolly commenced to bathe his bruises with jab as Steadily the Man-hunters pressed on, nor did ‘the ledge. before , was what had saved ooting down f : _ they make a regular halt until the darkness of night made further trailing impossible. At times through the day, when the ‘thers were picking out the trail in an unusually rocky or n spot, the men would dismount an i CORLC DOG (E() L ks