Beadle's Dime Library No. 297 — page 12: what you’re looking at

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

reckon Dave Buzzard ain’t no spooney counter- jumper. Git some color back in yer cheeks an’ talk, will ye?” ‘What shall I say?” asked Zetta, trying to subdue the tremor in her voice. ‘‘ What be they doin’ at Hotspur?” ‘* Nothing new, sir. Everything is as usual, so far as I know.” * No sign o’ an attack on Sugar Loaf?” ‘“‘T bave seen none, sir.” ‘*That’s queer! Who be you, anyway?” ‘““My name is Zetta Willis, and I am the friend of Mona Ralston.” Dave laughed grimly. ‘* You think that name is a safeguard, do ye? | Wal, you’re wrong, mightily wrong. Mona was my sister once, but she ain’t now, an’—” ** She still loves you,” interrupted Zetta, ‘* Bah!” retorted Dave, with a prolonged ut- terance, and putting bis hand on his stomach as though the idea made him sick. ‘“ Don’t try that dodge on me; it won’t ketch onter an old sojer like me. But, gal, you’re safe enough; our pooty face is ther best protection you kin have: an’ ez it’s likely you hev been tellin’ ther truth, you kin toddle home ez soon ez you choose, like a good girl.” The giant puffed out his cheeks and grim- aced as though he thought himself remarkably tha but, before Zetta could answer, he added: “But, afore ye go, you must give me one kiss!” CHAPTER XV. ZETTA’S CHAMPION, Dave BuzzARD had no earthly object just then except to annoy the girl. As has been said, he considered it a weakness to care fora | | he looked more keenly at the man he held at his woman, but the alarm pictured on Zetta’s face aroused the natural element of viciousness in his disposition, and he resolved that sbe should not be able to return to his sister and say she had met him and received good usage, It would destroy his prestige as a hard cha- racter. Zetta shrnnk back, but he promptly advanced upon her, and with the chasm on one side and | his burly form on the other, she had no chance for flight. ‘On! sir,” she implored, Have mercy!” He laughed mockingly. **T reckon ye don’t exactly know me. [I’m Dave Buzzard, an’ I’m a terror,I] am. 1 eat three pounds o’ raw beef evy’ry mornin’ fur breakfast.” Dave, having never dweit directly in a west- ern town, was not exactly at bome with fabu- lous metaphor and boast, but he tried his best to sustain his character as a “* tough.” ‘‘Let me go!” she said, feverishly. Mona’s friend, and I never harmed you. me go, and I’ll leave here at once.” ‘*T don’t deubt it, my pink o’ loveliness, but Simon don’t say ‘thumb’s down.’ Come ter my arms!” He spread them out {in a way which left room for several like her, but the drama was sudden- ly and unexpectedly interrupted, ** Hold, there, you dog! Advance another step and I'll kill you as | would a wolf!” ave swuug around on his heel like a top, and as he did so his rifle came up with the hammer sbooting back with a double click. Not far away stood a man with a cocked revol- ver, and itis doubtful who would have got in the first shot, but the giant no sooner saw the new-comer than he laughed aloud, dropped his rifle-hammer and grounded the weapon. He had a faculty for remembering faces, and though he did not know the name of the man with the revolver, he remembered him as the same one who had interfered with Bill Buzzard and been so completely knocked out the night of Mumford’s inauguration, It was Neal Bishop. ** Hallo, Pony,” he said, with grim facetious- ness, ‘‘ when did you leave yer cradle?” ‘* None of your business!” retorted Bishop. ‘‘ I want you to let that lady alone.” ‘“Children have ter be humored, an’ now I hear yer rattle, o’ course I won’t tech ther pink 0’ prettiness.” ‘*'You had better not.” ‘‘ Bf I did, I s’pose ye would rise in yer wrath an’ scatter me ter ther four winds, wouldn’t ye, Pony?” ‘* 1'd put a bullet through ye.” ‘‘Be you sure yer pop-gun is loaded, little boyee?”’ asked Dave, the aggravating grin never leaving his face. ‘*Sneer on, you big ruffian. Iam aware that you weigh something like sixty pounds more than I do, but here is the weapon which makes all men equal.” Bishop preserved his coolness remarkably. He had never been a coward, and, of late, circum- stances had made him utterly reckless. He knew he would be only a child in Dave's hands if it came to a grapple, but he did not intend that it should, and he tapped bis revolver as he _ spoke with a resolute air. ‘*T think I’ve see’d yer afore, Pony,” Davo mockingly continued. **Tt makes no difference whether you bave or ‘*T am Let > » : es a ue ‘ » Fi 3 ‘Sta 4 * | of him. _be recklessly answered, a 75 o he ‘aa eS ea Rall Tar : Colorado Rube. not. What we are now talking about is the present case. I tell you that if you molest that lady, [ll put a bullet through you. Stand aside and let her pass!” | On one condition. That is—” | ‘*There are no conditions about it. I tell ' you to stand aside. If you don’t do it before 1 ‘count four I shall fire, and V’ll aim to kill. | One!” | ‘Take her place an’ she may canter off ez | soon ez she pleases.” | sé Two )7? | Dave’s smile did not fade a particle, | Take good aim, Pony!” ‘** Three!” Then Dave moved. Without turning his head he sprung backward, seized Zetta and whirled her round like a flash for a shield, It was a crit- | ical moment, for Bishop’s finger was already pressing the trigger. If he discharged the | weapon with good aim, the bullet would strike, | not Buzzard, but the girl. Crack! The weapon spoke, but the bullet went wild. Unable to check the pressure of his finger, | Bishop had managed to turn the barrel slightly, and Zetta escaped a danger even greater than the one from which he had tried to save her. **So much fur your marksmanship,” sarcastic- ally laughed the giant, still holding Zetta in front ‘*Now, what d’ye think o’ that?’ | Hethrust his own revolver forward, and Neal, unable to fire without danger of hitting the girl, saw the deadly weapon bearing full upon him. He was facing death, and he at once decided that there was no chance for him, but he delib- erately folded his arms and laughed recklessly. ‘* Blaze away!” he directed. A new expression crossed the giant’s face, and mercy. ‘*Mebbe you don’t know who I be,” he said. ‘*'You are a big ruffian, named Buzzard.” ‘* Ef you know so much, you orter know I kill men fur less than that.” Bishop cast his revolver on the ground, almost at his adversary’s feet. ‘*Don’t waste any more time in preaching,” ‘All Vil ask is that ou’ll blaze away. I don’t carea picayune for ‘don’t touch me, | life, and all your ugly ways can’t frighten me. Here I am—a good target. Blaze away!” He meant every word he said, and sincerely hoped Dave would obey. Life was valueless to him with the mill-stone about his neck which was there; the sooner it ended, the better, But his very recklessness was a recommenda- tion to Dave Buzzard’s respect. He could not understand how any man could regard life as of no value, and what was really despair he took for real bravery. He pushed Zefta away from him so violently that she almost fell. ‘* Go!” he said, tersely. Then he flung his own revolver beside that of Bishop’s. “ Pard,” be exclaimed, ‘‘ you’re a man arter my own heart—” e paused abruptly. The moment Neal saw the change in the situation, his mood changed, He had another revolver in his pocket, and a fe- verish desire to get even with this man who had scoffed at him, assailed him. He drew the wea- pon with a jerk so quick that a professional might have admired it. Dave Buzzard saw the act, and the suspicion flashed upon bim that he had been tricked; that all Bishop had done had been an artifice to turn the tables, The giant uttered a roar and sprung toward his fallen revolver, but Neal did not wait for him to recover it. He had bis weapon at a bead, and he pulled the trigger. Dave abruptly arose to a nearly erect position and then staggered back. Bishop fired again, and then the giant, blindly catching at vacancy, staggered over the edge of the chasm and dis- appeared from view. Neal was master of the field, but his quick victory surprised him not a little. He hesitated, and then advanced to the abyss. Only a black vacancy met his view; there was no sign of Dave Buzzard. It was not until he was satisfied that the fellow had really disappeared tbat he again thought of Zetta. He looked up and saw her just disappearing in the distance. Thoroughly alarmed, she bad seized the first chance to escape from the vicinity. Bishop smiled grimly. ‘Well, I'm master of the field, ar iat 6 and deserted by foe and friend. There’s no know- ing when another Buzzard will show up, so I think I'll get back to Bull’s Head as soon as possible,” And he started for the peak. ‘*Pve got it, pard; I’ve got it!” Colorado Rube was walking quietly along the street when these words were excitedly spoken ust behind bim, and he turned around and saw akepeace Mullin in pursuit. “You'd better consult a physician then, at : once,” said the Strong Arm, coolly, “Thad? What fur?” a ’ } & > p Yow vi —_ ” ES ss ~7-_—__—_—————— | ‘* Hydrophobia is dangerous.” “‘On! I didn’t mean I’d got that. No; f referred ter Broderick. I knowed I’d place his phiz; ez Socrates used fer ter obsarve, ‘ Ther mind’s ther standard o’ ther man;’ an’ mine is an uncommon active organ.” ‘Tf you've settled the matter, spit out your information.” ‘Wal, I see’d him in Leadville, two year ago. He was a-gamblin’, he was, an’ men said he was ther wu’st man at that biz that Colorado knowed. What I seen showed him a scoundrel} o’ ther darkest dye, ez Socrates would put it.” **' What did you see?” ‘““Speak soft,” said the janitor, as a man approached, ‘‘for I can’t prezactly prove what I say, an’ ez a public official, I must be keerful an’ not be indicated fur slander.” ‘‘Have no fear. Just blow your bugle with- out delay, and I’]l see that it’s all right.” ‘Wal, ther facts o’ the case are jest hyar: Ther night [ see’d him he bad a victim, a mere boy, an’ he perceeded ter pluck off ev’ry feather ther poor chap had. He did it, too; he cleaned him out o’ ev’ry dollar he had, an’ then ther poor boyee begun ter see whar he stood. He got ez pale ez a ghost, an’ told ther winner how he had worked three year fur what he lost that night, an’ how be had an old mother an’ two sisters in Obio he was goin’ home ter, and he begged Black Burke—that war his name then— to give it back.” ‘*Did he do it?’ **Did he? I reckon not. No: he laughed at. ther idee, an’ while ther boyee, in a passion, accused him o’ gettin’ him drunk ter induce him ter play, begun scoopin’ up ther money. Burke laughed ag’in, an’ then ther boyee drew bis re- volver. ‘Iwas ther wu’st thing he could ’a” done; he had ter deal with a man a heap quick- er on ther shoot than be was, Thar was a re- vort, an’ then ther boyee lay on the flour, shot through, Ther gambler turned on ther crowd an’ asked them ter b’ar witness it was done in self-defense. Thar was them ez hankered ter pick it up, but Burke's friends raised their voices in his behalf, an’ ez ther other seen ther odds war ag’in’ them they let it drop, Ther boyee didn’t die, but he laid abed six weeks, an’ then went bome a physical wreck, sent thar by ther charity of ther decent miners. That’s what I know about Black Burke.” **1’m not surprised,” said Ralston, ‘I mark- ed him as a blackleg the moment I saw bim, and now I am convinced that he is not in Hot- spur for any good,” ‘* Kz Socrates used fer ter say, ‘A man may grin an’ grin, an’ be a durned villain still,’” Rube observed that he would keep an eye on Mr. Jobn Broderick, and then resumed his way. He bad gone but a short distance when he saw something which brought him to a sudden halt. It was the sight of Broderick and Zetta engaged in conversation. The girl’s back was toward him, but the man was talking animated- ly, and Rube did not doubt but the conversa- tion was one of mutual interest, A frown crossed his face. He liked Zetta, and knew her to be a fine girl, and as he re- membered the incident Mullin bad told bim, he was seized with intense indiguation, and strode toward the pair. ‘He shall not make her a victim, as he did the boy,” he muttered. ‘I'll stop it if IL have to flog him!” CHAPTER XVI. COLORADO RUBE RUNS AGAINST A ROCK. RALSTON had taken but a few steps when he realized that his premeditated course would be arash one, and be came toa halt. In the first lace, there was a possibility that Makepeace Mullin had been mistaken; secondly, even if it was true, Hotspur City would not thank bim for giving mortal offense to a representative of the Denver & Rio Grande; and, last, but not least, an open rupture was not in keeping with the Strong Arm’s usual way of managing deli- cate cases. He came to a halt, but, so strongly did he fee] at seeing the manon such pleasant terms witb Zetta, & resolved to give him a hint, let the consequences be what they might, and warn him not to molest Miss Willis. The chance was soon given, for Zetta left Broderick and burried toward her home, and then the latter walked in Rube’s direction. The two men looked at each other without any sign of love in their expression, but Brod- erick managed to force a smile. ‘Done with the office for to-day?” he lightly asked. “Yes; I am my own man now, and if you are not in a burry I have a word to say to ou.” Broderick detected an undercurrent of men- ace in the quiet voice, but he readily replied: ‘‘[ have no business at present, except to listen to you. Say on!” ‘* The subject is a somewhat delicate one, and I wish to say in advance that it is to be regard- ed as strictly between us, and not in any way to affect. your standing with Hotspur City ina; business sense,” ‘*Quite right. I will so regard it.” The menacing cloud grew darker, but Brod- vee |