Beadle's New York Dime Library, No. 283 — page 3: what you’re looking at

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

— tor Ajax turned and plunged blindly into the arms of Oswald, who held bim in a vise-like rip. = ‘** Let up, durn it!” he panted, struggling des- perately to free himself. ‘* They’re comin’ back to massacree the bull kit-an’-boodle o’ us! as the good Lawd’ll let me do it!” ‘‘Peace, you fool!” angrily grated Oswald, knocking his feet from under him with a dex- terous trip. ‘‘ You’re running straight into Sleek Sam, the Devil of the em ee e——T —— Le’ | me go—I’m sick—I want to hunt my hole quick | ——— - — — make out somebody yellin’ bloody murder, We _ reckoned thar was crooked work o’ some sort | goin’ on, an’ so lit out to take a hand in, afore the bank closed. sence you're to the fure.” ‘*Fortunately, it is all right, though it was a | rather close call for a good man,” laughed Os- danger; do you want to get knocked on the | head for good and all?” “Ef L kin ever git out o’ this cussed kentrv with hull bones, lil jine the church ef it kills me!” whined the trembling wretch, hugging Oswald’s feet as though they migh® prove a bul- wark of safety. * Listen to me, you infernal idiot!” bissed Os. wald, clapping the cold muzzle of a pistol against the temple of the moaning craven. ‘“‘ Stand up and obey orders, or [il scatter what few brains you have got all over the ground!” ‘Don’t shoot! It was born in me, don’t | tell e? I cain’t no more holp bein’ a coward then | kin fly without wings!” whined Hector, rising to bis feet, but trembling so violently that he could searcely stand alone. “They're coming from toward town,” mut- | tered Talfourd, bending his ear in listening. ‘+I don’t believe it can be the gang that attack. ed me.” ‘**There’s no telling. New Babylon bas a hard list of citizens, and there’s more than one among them who would rather slit a throat than takea drink. Leaveit to me, and I reckon we'll come out somewhere near the top of the | heap,” coolly replied Oswald, casting a swift glance around them. | ‘* We're too much exposed here. Over yon- | der where the shade is thickest, we will wait for the gentlemen.” | As he spoke, he moved forward along the | road, one hand firmly grasping the arm of Hec- | tor Ajax, as though be fesred an attempt on the part of that worthy to stealaway. Onlya_ few rods, then be paused agiin, where the shade cast by figures but indistinctly visible at a little dis-— tance, The bum of voices now sounded clearer, and at no great distance they could distinguish a half dozen lights, shining redly over a score or | more human sha ‘Let me do the talking, and you make sure this coward don’t make a break-away,” mut- tered Oswald, releasing Hector Ajax and stoop- ing low over the ground. For an instant thero— was a tiny spot of light on the ground beneath bim, but it quickly vanisbed, and he once more | stood erect, facing the now close-at-hand er wd. | ‘*Hellow! yender they be, under that tree!” | cried a hoarse voice from the crowd. “ Say— you, ‘Keep your distance, if you please, gentle- | men!” cried Oswald, sternly. ‘ You're quite close enough for talking, now.” ‘* Now you've done it!” groaned Hector Aj :x, deftly slipping around behind the broad figure of Talfourd. ‘*Talk ‘em a little more easy, cain’t ye# Weill all be massacreed, sure /” “‘ Silence, you infernal cur!” grated Oswald, | savagely. | There was a bustle among the crowd at this | ' an overnanging tree rendered their | - | around, “A friend of mine happened to fall among thieves, a bit ago. Tuey tripped up his nag, and took bim by surprise. The chances are that he would bave been murdered, only for the opportune coming of this nice old gentleman,who put the gang to flight, and neat- ly laid out a package of cold meat, just over yonder.” During this interchange, the party from the direction of town, were slowly advancing, Sieek Sam no longer opposing them, and as he uttered the last sentence, with a low laugh, his hand clos-d upon the shoulder of Hector Ajax, ia- stantly renewing that curious ague-fit. ‘*Now you jest want to quit, durn it!” whin- ed the old. man, bis voice a most doleful squeak. * The good Lawd knows | ain’t able fer to kill a buman critter ef I wanted to ever so bad! You done it your own self, an’ now you want to chuck it off onto me, to eit my durned ole neck stretched out o’ shape, It’s a pesky shame, that’s what it is, an’ me a pore ole cuss that wouldn't burt a sick kitten. Lawd! ef I could only hunt my hole, an’ pull it in arter me!” A chuckling laugh broke from the crowd. “*Hellow! ef it ain’t ole Bag-o’-bones, I’m a petrified liar right from head-quarters!” “Do you know him?’ demanded Oswald, sharply, turning the full glare of light from his lantern upon the face of the old man, who still trembled in his iron grip. A broad grin expanded the coarse features of the spokesman as he came a little closer. ‘* Waal, we sorter got a’quainted to-day. He come in on the mornin’ train, an’ as the boys see be was a pilgrim an’ a stranger, they felt it thar bounden duty fer to take him in—” ; ‘* They jest up an’ did it, too!” snuffled Hector Ajax, ‘The ole coon got purty full o’ bug-juice, an’ then sot his clapper goin’, stuffin’ us greenies with all what he could an’ hed done, ontel he made us tired. Then we sot little Banty Dick onto him, an’ you’d jest ort to see how the pesky ole fraud lit out fer tall timmer! The durndest fua! I didn’t reckon he'd let up on his gait this side o’ the jumpin’-off place, he was so ’tarnal bad skeered! An’ him’s the one you give credit 0’ keelin’ over a buman critter? Boss, ef it was not you, I'd bu’st wide open with the joke—I would so /” ‘| knowed it wasn’t me that done it—cause I couldn’t ef [ wanted to,” grinned Hector Ajax, in a steadier tone. “It’s a pesky shame you tryin’ to shove your bloody murders off on a ole wald., | man like me—if j-st is/” ‘All right,” with a reckless laugh. ‘Since you are determived not to share the honor, Pll ar itas best lean. I’m only sorry I was not in time to lay out more of the cowardly curs!” ‘*Then they was somebody laid out?” cuy ous- ly asked the tall fellow, with a keen giance * Wharabouts mought a feller look fer the cadaver, boss?’ “Back here a bit,” replied Oswald, turning and flashing the light of his lantern along the defiant response to their challenge, and for a | road. ‘I forgot for the moment—we'd ought to few moments there was silence. But then the fellow who had spoken before, uttered: | “Who ’in blazes be you that crows so loud, | ge ae rass-back game, trimmed and gaffed! have been crowdin that gang, instead of wast- ing time in palavering— Ha!” A sharp exclamation broke from his lips as the light flashed around the base of the white . bowlder, and leaping swiftly forward, he paused Mines. It’s all right, now, though, | | with a short laugb. oe Do you want my pedigree and fighting weight?” | witha grating oath of mingled surprise and > promptly reto Oswald, at the same time turning the slide of a small bull’s-eye lantern, casting a clear light full upon bis bold, hand- some features. A brief silence, broken by a startled cry from the crowd, telling that they recogn | thus set in light for their benefit; then a hoarse voice uttering: “Sleek Sam, by the Eternal!” “Ay! Sleek Sam, the Devil of the Mines! Now what sare you going to do about it?” mockingly cried swald. CHAPTER II. A MAN OF AUTHORITY, ipa aap tater the answer came: ‘* Foller the level you strike out, an’ ax no uestions, We didn’t ketch onto seh voice at the fust-off, an’ never punted OU Was any- whars in these parts, Ef I hed, I'd ’a’ more butier on the tip o’ my tongue afore slung it at ye.” . It was the same stalwart fellow who had act- ed as spokesman for the crowd from the start, but now bis tones were very different from those in which he had couched his chal e, Clear and prompt enough, but with a ] quaver in them, as though it found birth in a cee of oy og who had so boldly branded himself ‘¢ The Devil of the Mines,” ‘That's all right, my good fellow,” with a careless laugh, as he lowered the hammers of his pistols, and returned them to their resting- laces. ‘* You came at us so brash that I looked for nothing short of a pitched battle.” chagrin. A little pool of blood marked the gravel which surrounded the bowlder, but no corpse was visible. “Gone? and I could have taken my oath that ized the face | he wasa dead dog!” exclaimed Sleek Sam, in plainly puzzled tones. ** Mebbe Lis mates toted him off when you was . on the lookout fer us,” suggested the tall citizen of New Babylon. ‘‘Kither that or else he was only hurt, and | has crawled off in the bushes to die,” mutvered , Oswald. ‘* Ef be did that, I reckon our noses is keen enough fer to smell him out—eh, lads?” A chorus of affirmative exclamations greeted this observation, and hound-like the crowd be- gan to scatter as though seeking a lost scent. “If you find him alive, bring him to town,” hastily observed Sleek Sam. ‘“ There’s some: thing curious about this affair, and I'd like to get to the bottom of it.” “Jest as you say, boss. Whooray, lads, fer aman-hunt! P'izen fer the crowd that I corral the fust skelp!” recklessly cried Long Jobn De- ment, dashing into the cover. With yells and shouts and bursts of laughter that were even more menacing, rough crowd followed his example, tearing here and there, trampling down the bushes and thick valley grass as they searehed for the missing body, “Let them ou muttered Oswald, as he turn- ed toward Talfourd and the old man. “It’s a mighty tough outfit when they've got fire-water ———— —— 3 — ne _ -_ ——— — _ ** We heard the shootin’ and thought we could aboard, and though I don’t doubt but what I could hold them in check, at the worst, I reckon we'd better goon while they’re busy looking for sign.” ‘‘{ hope it’s not far away,” said Talfourd, “TI can see stars yet from the little love-tap those bounds lent me, and I’m afraid my poor borse is in still worse fettle. ‘* He'll never carry you ag’in, boss,” mutter- ed Hector, who had been stooping over the still ror mene animal. ‘‘ All two both forelegs is roke whar he pitched onto the gravel!” A basty examination assured both Talfourd and Oswald of this fact, and with a swift mo- tion the latter plunged bis knife into the throat of the suffering creature. Talfourd started back with a little cry as he witnessed this deliberate deed, but Oswald only laugbed shortly as he tore up a bunch of grass and wiped the stained blade. ‘“*]t was all that man could do for the poor beast. Surely you wouldn't bave him lie suffer- — son was on his side, but for all that, Tal- fourd felt a sudden repulsion for the man who had so gallantly ridden to his assistance when so hard pressed. His manner of using the steel was more that of a butchér than a merciful man. ‘You can ride my horse,” added Oswald, his tone again soft and smooth. ‘* The town is only a short quarter away.” **And you?” hesitated Talfourd, again feel- ing _ weakening sickness born of the loss of lood, ‘* New Babylon is my destination, as 1 jueze itis yours, also At any rate, you can g010 further this night, until you have bad that head of yours looked after. I can’t say much for the town or its acconimodations, since the end of the road has left it behind, but there’s Diego Zarate—” ‘** You know him?” ‘By name. IJ intend putting up with bim while I remain in town,” was the quiet r ply, as he held the borse for Talfourd to mount. ‘* May he bea friend of yours?” ‘*Hardly that; but I e t to meet som:> friends there,” hesitatingly replied Talfourd, climbing heavily into the saddle, that sudden- born repulsion still numbing bis tongue. ' Sleek Sam turned abruptly upon Hector Ajax, saying: ‘*As for you, my aged friend, now that the coast is clear, you had better bunt your hole. Some of that gang may still be skulking around, and you'd fare hardly if you were to fall into their clutches, after your exploit this eve. Good-nighbt!” The old man dodged nimbly around the horse, but instead of taking himself off, clang tena- ciously to a stirrup-leather. **i’m goin’ too,” he muttered doggedly, “I’m goin’ to stick to ycu all ontel I know ef them holy terrors find that cold meat. Ef they do, ’'m goin’ to stick it oat that you done the bis murder —not me!” ‘‘'No one shall lay the weight of a finger on vou for your share in this night’s work, my friend,” said Talfourd, earnestly, bending over and gently touching the head of the old map. ‘*You must come with me. I’ve not had time to thank you—to thank either of you—and there’s those awaiting my coming who will be gied to join their thanks to mine. Oswald said nothing more as he led the good horse on toward the town, and the old man kept pace with them, though witb an uneasy eye on Sleek Sam the while. Around a bend in the road along which the party under lead of Long John Dement had come, then the little town came into uncertain view beneath the moonlight. Not a very picturesque looking sight, despite its imposing title. A few scattering shanties, more or less dilapidated, more from the powers of the warring elements than the decaying touch of time, bowever. Not long since “the end of the road,” full of life and bustle, a hot- bed of sin and high-handed crime, a marvel of business activity; only to be blighted in a night, like a bed of rank weeds by a heavy The road moved on, and the greater part of New Babylon moved with it, leaving only those few who had not the means or the ene te keep pace with the ever-shifting “ ness- center.” Oue more of the rui wnilestones which ever mark the p of a great rail- way through the mighty West. *That’s the house over yonder, unless this knock on the head -bas turned my senses topsy- - turvy,” hastily exclaimed Talfourd, as O.wald turned abrup ly to the left. “JT know,” was the _ a “T reckon we'd better go around Robin Hood’s barn. Al! of the town didn’t go out with Long John, and you don’t want to have to answer too many curious —— until after your head’s patch- ed up. This way, we can rout up old 0, without disturbing anybody else.” Even his eagerness to meet an t those whom he felt sure were awaiting his coming fully as anxiously, could not blind Talfourd to the wisdom of this course, and under the influ- ence of that consideration and with those soft, _ et . —_— , —_—_ _ 7 GOMIGEROOKS (Ele) fi \