Beadle's New York Dime Library, No. 292 — page 23: what you’re looking at

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

ee ‘Moke Horner, the Boss Roustabout. 23 throat, causing the murdered man to fall for- ward across the table, his blood gushing in a frightful stream over the gold and bank notes. One wild, gurgling scream, then he lay a dead man above the money and the telltale cards! With cries of horror the spectators fell away from the spot as the, assassin flourished the blood-dripping biade above his head, glarin madly around him, his eyes like those of a wil beast, his quivering lips drawing back from his pointed teeth in a savage snarl. ‘*‘ Hands off! Keep your distance!” he grated, darting swift glances around him to guard against being taken by surprise as he stooped and secured the derringer which the luckless planter had knocked to the floor. ‘The man that tackles me will sup sorrow! I only de- fended my honor—no man can attack that and live!” Ever following close on the heels of an unex- pected deed of violence of this description, there are a few moments of time during which those who may chance to be spectators are actually incapable of action or connected thought. It is this universal fact that so often enables the criminal to make good his escape from the immediate scexe of his crime; and it was this that, though he could not really seek safety in flight, being cut off from the shore, gave the murderer time and freedom to gain a position where he could not be surrounded or attacked from the rear, Clipping the heavy back of the bloody bowie- knife between his teeth, Shaky Joe produced the mate of the cocked derringer which he gripped in his left hand, and threatening first ove and then another of the pale-faced, startled passengers, he fell back until he reached the right side of the cabin. ‘‘Keep back, gentlemen!” he grated, the ‘words hissing past the red-dyed blade betwixt his teeth. ‘'Touch a weapon or take a single step toward me, and I'll stretch some of you out to keep that dead dog company!” The brain of the assassin was very busy, for he knew that the chances of escaping the con- sequences of his dastardly crime were greatly against him. If he couid once escape from the cabin and gain the outer air, there might be some hope for him, He knew that he bad lenty of friends on board the Water Witch, bat he also knew that those friends were bound by the oath which he bad broken in his fit of madness at being detected while play- wng a foul hand, and that they would allow him to reap the full consequence of his folly, unless the time for dealing their great stroke was ripe. As + warned the passengers back, Shaky Joe dropped one hand to his side, stealing it bebind him as though to assure himself that his other weapons were in readiness, but in reality his fingers sought the knob of the door against which he stood, turning it and try- ing to open the barrier. To his dismay and agtual terror, he found bis state-room was locked; Deftly as bis action was performed, a pair of keen eyes detected it, and a warning voice cried out: “Look out! He’s trying to dodge through the state-room! He'll risk a dive and swim rather than the rope he so richly deserves! Around and cut him off!” A dozen men started to spread out and gain the line of state-rooms to carry out this ex- cited advice, but Shaky Joe extended his arms to cover the line, grating viciously: ‘Hold! keep your places! Tl kill the first two who try to dodge into those holes! Back, you infernal bloodhounds!” A single determined man whom certain death stares in the face, bas this great advantage over a mob, as long as he can refrain from dealing his blows; knowing that one, two, or more lives must be sacrificed before the victory is won, each atom of the greater force believes that some other unit can be better spared by the world, and thus it comes that too frequently a blood-stained criminal succeeds in escaping alto- gether. Shaky Joe stood alone against nearly two- score, all of whom were more or less thorough- ly armed and accustomed to use the weapons they bore, while he had but bis knife and two bullets to pay for his life. Two-score men, and each of them looking for some other to take the lead and receive the penalty of brav- ery! - ‘*Keep your places, gentlemen!” warned the murderer once more, his ferret eyes, now gleaming redly as shough they were bathed in the blood of his stiffening victim, roving swift- ly from side to side, ever on the alert against a hestile movement. ‘‘I don’t want to hurt any of you, but you can’t Pisy lynch-law on me this trip! I only defended my honor, as the best among you would bave done if charg- ed with foul play, and you knew that it was all a put-up-job to skin you out of your honest money ! ‘*I defy any man to say truthfully that he ever caught me playing an unfair gameof poker. When I can’t win on the straight, I'll never try to take crooked. Look at it for yourselves, gentlemen! That fellow dealt the cards. How often in single-handed poker is it that two such hands—the highest in the deck—come out on the same turn? He only claimed that I held one ace by trickery. The deck was a fresh one. What chance had Ito stock up? None! The scoundrel stole an ace to trap me with, from the old deck before calling for a fresh one, then put up a cold hand on me, not only to gouge me out of my hard-earned money, but to cry cheat and foul play the better to hide his own rascal- ity! Shaky Joe paused, probably feeling that he was getting himself seriously tangled up in his hasty explanation of what might but had not happened, And then, too, a small, plain-look- ing man stepped to the front. ** Back, you /” snarled the murderer, covering the little man with one derringer, his eyes glow- ing viciously. “Back, or Pl scatter your brains all over the cabin!” The little man paused, but he did not retreat an inch. He quietly turned the palms of bis empty hands toward Shaky Joe, uttering in cool, almost contemptuous tones; ‘You wouldn’t shoot an unarmed man— would you, my dear fellow?” ‘Td shoot my own father if he dared to crowd me now!” “Am I crowding you, Shaky Joe?” and the cool hand even laughed as he spoke. “I don’t want to crowd you, but as no other gentleman in this crowd seems desirous of coming to the front, I thought I might as well make myself conspicuous,’ ‘** You will be—as a corpse, if you dare come one foot closer!” snarled the gambler, viciously. “Now don’t make an ass of yourself, Joe Baldwin. I’m going to take you in out of the damp, and you’re not going to lose your only chance of saving your throat by boring my brain-pan, boldly as you talk.” ‘Til never yield while I can pull trigger or hold a knife! And I'll make sure of you at the jump-off!” ‘** As well me as any other, if it has to come to that,” was the careless retort. ‘ But you're going to listen to sober reason, captain, You know that when a man of my caliber says in panze that he means to doa certain thing, do it e willif it takesaleg. I said I meant to take ve in out of the damp, fur want of a better and at the bellows, and in you’ve got to come —warm if l can convince you, but cold if you will have it that way. Take your choice, Shaky Joe!” “T'll never yield to be lynched—” ** Nor do I ask it!” was the swift romey' rig piedae you my word as a white man that there shall be no hanging witheut a fair and legal trial. To save any further bloodshed, I am confident these gentlemen will back up my pledge,” and he turned with an inquiring bow toward the eager spectators. There was a brief silence, no man caring ap- parently to utter bis opinion first; but then one of those who had been piaying at the same table with the murdered planter just before the fight between the two roustabouts broke up the game surlily growled: **What show did the hell hound give poor Stone? It was a bloody murder, committed by a detected thief and cheat!” ‘*That’s so!” chimed in another, ‘‘And the rascal would dodge the gallows if we were fools enough to turn him over to the law! Lynch the bloody cheat say I!” The little man showed his teeth in a sarcastic grin. “Then, gentlemen, of course you are ready to take .up the affair right where I leave it off? I'm not in favor of lynch law, because experi- ence tells me tbat it murders more innocent men than it punishes guilty. I resign my hand to, you—there, is the pot; rake it in—if you have the sand!” But neither of the two whose voice was raised for hanging showed any inclination to assume the responsibility, and as Shaky Joe turned the frowning muzzles of his derringers upon them they shrank tremblingly back, “You are too modest to take such a promi- nent role?” the little man laughed quietly, then adding: “Is there any other gentleman in this crowd who thinks be can master the situation? Don’t be bashful gentlemen. don’t hanker after the position if I can shift it on any other shoulders. What! not one among you all volunteers? Then, Shaky Joe, it’s you and I for it after all!” ‘Keep back!” warningly cried, the mur- derer. “I don’t want to kill you, for you're a a man every inch! but J’ll never give up to. die like a sheep-killing cur at the end of a rope!” _“*Nor shall you,” was the quick reply. ‘TI pledge you my word of honor that there shall be no lynching done while [ can raise voice or weapon against it. Gentlemen, who among you will second me in this? Promise this man a nyyere deal and he will surrender. Refuse, and take bim who will—I wash my hands of the whole affair.” Gideon Gillespie stepped forward first of all. ‘‘{t is no more than fair. He swears that it was a paicnp job on bim. 1 cast my vote in favor o ing his neck if he is proven guilty !” \ ~ a + Xs S eee + giving bim a fair trial, then of stretch- This was the mp wedge, and one by one nearly one-fourth of the party sided with the first two. But still Shaky Joe kept his weapons leveled, a dogged resolution written on every feature. **Talk is cheap, but you can’t catch me with empty wind!” be growled, sullenly, ‘‘I’ve seen little snaps like this before and I know how easy it is to break promises made after this fashion.” **What more do you ask? You have our word for it, man!” **And I believe that you give it in perfect ood faith, too. I don’t doubt you, but those ounds who can growl] when a man faces them ready to strike back, but who'll be eager enough to flesh their teeth the moment they think they can do so without getting paid back. The mo- ment I gave up my arms, they would shoot me down—and once dead, you wouldn’t deal very severely with them!” ‘“‘if that is all, we can fix it easily enough,” was the cool response, as the little man moved toward the table and placed upon it a knife and brace of pistols, ‘‘Gentlemen, I beg of you to follow my example, All we want to see is justice performed. That will be better served y capturing a live criminal than taking a dead one, after losing two or three other lives in ad- dition, Come! disarm, and then fall back!” Gideon Gillespie imitated the example thus set, and his mates did likewise, Their action seemed contagious, and one by one the remain- ing passengers added their weapons to the Eaplaty, Stow ing pile, then falling back beside Gillespie. In five minutes from bis own disarming, the little man saw that the job was complete. Then, without a trenor or sign of eitber fear or doub he walked straight up to the leveled pistols o the murderer, taking them from his reluctant hands, Standing thus, side by side with the assassin, he cast a keen glance around the cabin. A oe culiar smile lit up his hard, square fave, anda still more peculiar Jaugh parted his lips as he uttered: ‘*Gentlemen, I thank you most sincerely for the trust you have reposed in me! As you see, I have disarmed the man you were afraid to tackle. I hold his weaponsin my hands—and from the looks of them, I reckon each one car- ries a life in its throat, if held by one who can do them simple justice, I wouldn’t be afraid to wager big money that I could send a blue pill through any particular brai: in the company!” As he spoke, the little man turned the pistols on the astonished crowd, bis keen eyes glancing along the leveled tubes like those of a man who most decidedly meant business, ‘What the foul fiend do you mean?” cried Gillespie. ‘That ve got you just where I want you!” came the swift retort, as the little man uttered a sharp whistle. ‘‘ Up with your hands, gentle- men, unless you are eager to visit the other world! I take command of this bogt, if you please!” There came a heavy trampling—doors of state-roon.s were suddenly flung open—the doors of the office swung wide—and into the cabin marched masked men, bearing rifles and shot-guns, the muzzles of which centered upon the little crowd of disarmed men. They were entrapped, without the slightest hope of offering anything like a successful resistance! CHAPTER XxX. THE FRESH-WATER SHARKS. WHATEVER the intentions of the masked men, they were evidently resolved to trust nothing to chance. Their swift actions showed how well they understood the duty assigned to each, and net one minute elapsed after the little man uttered his whistle before every possible loop- hole of escape was guarded, and each cyan, 1 felt that at least one gun was covering precious person in particular, Two of the masks stood at the sliding-doors which divided the two cabins. Two others re- mained by the door which led into the office, while the remainder covered the group of as- tounded passengers, And then, cool and care- less in all outward seeming as when he faced the leveled pistols of the murderer, the little man advanced to the weapon-laden table, hold- ing all that pile of knives and firearms at his disposal, ** Gentlemen, I where the wool’s short, but if there are any specially hot-heads among you who would ra- ther chew a bullet than to live to die of old age in the midst of their families, the sooner they come up to the rack and take their fodder, the quik the rest of us will reach a pleasant un- erstanding. Who comes first?” Flippantly as he spoke, it. was sufficiently clear tothe ones who naturally felt. the deepest interest in his words, that the little man was talking business, pure and simple. In bis stead- ily glowing eyes, in the steel nerved hands that held the pistols of the murderer with fingers on trigger and the muzzles covering the group, in each and every line that marked bis square face, they could read grim determination of the sort that balks at nothing, reckon we've got you right ~~ €omicboo cS ‘ +! ; y