Beadle's Dime Library No. 297 — page 2: what you’re looking at

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

"Colorado Rube. Colorado Rube, The Strong Arm of Hotspur City; OR, The Giant Brothers of Buzzard’s Roost. BY WM, H. MANNING, AUTHOR OF ‘“‘ THE GOLD DRAGON,” ETC., ETC, CHAPTER I, THE LEAGUE OF BUZZARD’S ROOST. ‘VENGEANCE shall be mine! Hotspur City has sowed ther wind, an’ she shall reap ther whirlwind ter her sorrer. I’ve been deceived, played with, an’ef I[ b’ar it, may I die like a dog. ll rally ther boyees, an’ I'l] make Col- orado Kube an’ his gang repent ther day they sot down on Bill Buzzard!’ a It was the voice of an angry man, a voice | thick with passion, and the speaker’s face was distorted by a scowl which made it a network of ugly lines, He was a man who stood six feet in his boots, with corresponding proportions. His shoulders | were thick and broad, his chest rounded like the | side of a drum, his arms long and powerful, and his whole appearance recalled the story of Sam- son’s prowess. But be was by no means a handsome man. His face was face; his eyebrows seemed the work of ink, so dark were they; and coarse, straight black hair hung all around his head, It was an evil face in every way, and when such a man swears vengeance, one may be sure no sentiment of honor will stand between him and the desired consummation. This man, striding along a mountain trail, with bis fingers playing nervously with the breech of the rifle be carried on his shoulder, was not such a companion as any timid person would care to have, The scene was in Colorado, where the foot- hills of the Rocky Mountains slope away to- ward the Gunnison valley. A mile away was the town of Hotspur City, a prosperous place, where men were doing a good deal of gold-find- ing, but the face of the traveler was toward a peak which lay to the northwest of the gold town Sugar-Loaf Hill, the peak was called, and on its top was Bill Buzzard’s home. Few men knew much about it, for, ever since gold-seekers came to the place, the Buzzard brothers had claimed all Sugar-Loaf and stood ready to main- tain their claim at the rifle’s muzzle. Four stalwart brothers they were—Bill, Jack, Tom and Dave—and though no rupture had ever occurred between them and the other peo- le, it was because they were feared and al- owed to have their own way. So far, they had not been particularly bad citizens. No lawless deed had been traced to their door, but bad the earth opened and buried Sugar-Loaf and its self-styled owners forever from sight, there would have been re- joicing in the village. Of late there bad been mutterings of a storm. Once the Buzzard brothers bad a sister who kept their house in order—Buzzard’s Roost, it was called—but among the miners who came to Hotspur City was a dashing young man named Rube Ralston. He had met Mona Buzzard by accident, and love had at once sprung up in each heart. Ultimately they married, despite the loud disapproval of the brothers, who had sworn to kill Colorado Rube, as the husband was called, and though no hostile act had yet occurred, people daily expected it and wondered at Rube’s rashness in remaining near his revengeful rela- tives, Unknown to the citizens, the cloud bung huge and dark on this day when Bill Buzzard was hurrying across the mountain, his face like that of a maddened tiger. He reached the base of Sugar-Loaf, but his strong limbs seemed tireless and he went up rapidly. Almost at the very ree half-conceal- ed by trees, was the house which people called the ‘* Roost.” Bill knew he would find his brothers in at that hour and, striding to the door, he flung it opeu and entered. Jack, Tom and Dave were there, engaged in eating their supper. All were like him in physi- cal proportions, and, with the exception of Dave, all had the same swarthy complexion. The youngest was lighter, and his face was handsomer and less sinister, but if he was better at heart, Hotspur City had never dis- covered the fact. The trio looked up indifferently as Bill enter- ed, but when the breech of bis rifle dropped to the floor with a resounding thump, they knew something unusual had disturbed the mind of their amiable relative, ** What’s ther matter?” growled Jack. “Ther matter is, we're played fur fools!” answered the eldest brother, in a terrible voice- Each one of the trio laid his hand on his knife. ‘* Who has did it?” demanded Tom, ‘* Listen ter me!” answered Bill. * We hada sister onc’t, didn’t we?” an.” It was Dave who answered, ‘* And she fell in love with a durned galoot we all hated, an’ married him spite o’ all we e’u’d say, didn’t she?” 66 Yas.” “That galoot was Colorado Rube, an’ we hev sworn ter hev his life fur stealin’ Mona. Ain’t I right?’ ‘Right ter a dot,” answered Tom, scowling. ‘‘A week ago thar was an election o’ mayor in Hotspur City, an’ ther thing resulted in a tie-vote between old Cy Mumford an’ Pete Ros- seau. We knowed that our affairs was one o’ ther issues o’ ther campaign, an’ that Rosseau and his gang was in favor o’ deprivin’ us o’ Sugar-Loaf, but we didn’t car’ a durn, an’ we didn’t go nigh ’em ter cast a vote, did we? Wal, what then?” ‘* Then ole Mumford come hyar an’ asked fur our votes, promisin’ that his party would de- eh our rights ter hold Sugar-Loaf,” said nCK, ‘* Yas, an’ I answered that we didn’t keer a durn; that Sugar-Loaf was ourn, that we'd hold it ag’in’ all Hotspur City, an’ that we wouldn’t vote with ther town. What did he answer? That the man who stole our sister, | that sneakin’ Colorado Rube, was fur Rosseau, irregular, coarse, brutal, but | strong: a short, jet-black beard covered bis | an’ that ef that party won, it would be a triumph o’ Rube over us. What did 1 answer?” ‘*'You put vour hand in his’n an’ swore you would go ag’in’ Rube Ralston in any, an’ all, schemes, an’ then we went ter Hotspur an’ voted, an’ our four votes put in ole Mumford ez mayor by jest four majority.” “Jest so. Wal, what d’ye s’pose I l’arned ter- day?” ** What?’ “I repeat, we've been played fur fools. Colorado Rube is ter be Mumford’s clerk, an’ that shows ther hull game bare. Ralston was never fur Rosseau; Mumford told ther lie, which was prob’ly hatched by Rube, ter rope us in, an’ we’ve not only been played fur fools, but we’ve gi’n ther man we hate ther best office in Hotspur—ther best, ’cause Mumford is so old an’ feeble, Ralston will be ther real mayor o’ ther town, an’ he’ll grow rich off o’ what our votes gi’n him!” Bill Buzzard hissed the words through his teeth, his face the personification of rage, and his stalwart brothers sat like men of stone, They hated Rube Ralston as much as he did, and the idea that they had thus belped him was a most bitter pill to swallow. ‘Why don’t ye speak?’ shouted the elder brother. Jack Buzzard arose, drew his revolver and stretched it out as though aiming at a foe, ‘*When I speak, it’ll be with this!” he an- swered, Tom and Dave echoed the words. **Good!” exclaimed Bill, ‘I see thar is no reason ter doubt your ‘sand.’ Up with your hands, an’sw’ar vengeance on Colorado Rube!” Four long, powerful right arms were raised and the brothers spoke in concert: ‘* We swear!” | ‘““Good, ag’in! Now, hear my plan. This evenin’ ole Mumford is ter take the oath 0’ office, an’ we’ll be thar ter see ther mummery. We'll go armed ter ther teeth, an’ we’ll make our mark ina way Hotspur City won’t forgit. No man kin cheat Bill Buzzard an’ live. e’ll go, an’ we'll wipe out three vipers: Mumford, Colorado Rube an’ ther sister who desarted ber own flesh-and-blood fur sech a craven ez him,” ** Not Mona!” It was Dave Buzzard who spoke, and he faced his eldest brother with a firm countenance. ‘* Why not her?” ‘* She is our sister.” ‘‘She’s no sister o’ mine!” Bill declared. ‘‘She’s mine,” Dave answered, ‘ an’ she will be ez long ez she lives. We've cast her off, an’ rightfully, too: but she was a good sister ter us afore that reptyle stole her away. For ther sake o’ old times, I say she sha’n’t die!” Bill Buzzard, with his thirty years of life, had been in the habit of looking down upon the brother who was but twenty-two, but he saw at that moment that Dave had a will as strong as his own, ‘** Be you chicken-hearted?” he sneered. “Ther man who says I am, shall fight me!” retorted Dave belligerently. ‘‘ Don’t be a fool, Bill. I favor killin’ ther men, an’ I ask nothin’ better than ter be ther man ter carve Rube Ralston; but Mona must be spared.” ‘* He’s right,” said Jack. ‘* Leave alone ther woman who was once our sister.” ‘*That’s right an’ proper,” coincided Tom. ‘Have it so, then,” said Bill, after a pause; ‘but Rube an’ Mumford die, Ther Mayor 0’ Hotspur won’t be either o’ them. Get ready yer weepons, boyees, an’ we'll be thar at ther sw’arin’-in, Ob! itll bea merry inauguration!” He laughed harshly, and his brothers joined like a chorus, Al) their slumbering hatred had been freshly aroused, and to it was added a cut P ot Pe Se we * aT Rr ep. « & ‘ a | ambitious, and as there was a tendency of gold to their pride as they thought that they hag been outwitted and deceived, Woe to Hotspur city when their red hands fingered the six-shooters and the knives. From that moment the cabin became a scene of activity. Each man drew the cartridges from his revolvers and began cleaning them, for they wished to have all in order for the grand man-hunt. They felt no pity whatever for the men they had marked for death, and if they had their way, the night would be the darkest in the history of the mountain town. Just at twilight they went out, set their faces toward the town, and began to descend the rough side cf Sugar-Loaf,. Few words were spoken, but it was because their thoughts were too deep for words. Led by Bill Buzzard, the would-be assassins were going forth like hungry tigers to the un- suspecting town, and the last sun-rays, touch- ing the peak, threw shadows no darker than those in their hearts, CHAPTER IL. THE GIANT BROTHERS VISIT HOTSPUR CITY. Hotspur Ciry had taken the initial step to- ward becoming a place of substantial impor- tance. Like nearly all young places it was | interest toward “‘ the Gunnison,” it was confi dently predicted that Hotspur Cioy would yet havea reputation rivaling that of Deadwood and Leadville. Consequently, the citizens thought there ought to be a mayor, and one was elected. As -we have already seen, the first vote resulted in a tie, but when Cyrus Mumford was finally elected, all, including the defeated candidate, joined hands in contributing to the success of his term of office. This harmony was largely brought about by _one Reuben Ralston, more familiarly known as — ——a ed i i j _Colorado Rube, who possessed great influence, and, though at first a supporter of Rosseau, had brought the defeated party into the fold of peace in a way more celebrated politicians would do well to imitate. It was Hotspur City’s fancy to celebrate the election of their mayor by a social event of im- portance, and it was agreed that there should be a formal taking of the oath of office, and a general jollification. This event was set for the evening of the day on which our story opens, Near the center of the town was a small, neat cottage owned by Rube Ralston before men- tioned. At about the same time the Buzzard brothers were starting from the summit of Sugar-Loaf, Ralston and his family were sitting down to supper. Ralston was a man of about twenty-six years, but be looked older, despite the jaunty, dashing air which seemed a part of his nature. He was good-looking, in a manly way, with a well- poised head around which elustered short, black curls, while a heavy mustache covered bis lip; and though there was a frank, good-humored, laughing look about his face and eyes, there was a nameless something which pie | Sig ty an iron will and unwavering courage when he was aroused. He lacked two inches of being six feet, but his form was robust and well-rounded, indicating an abundance of muscle, His wife was the sister of the Buzzard bro- thers, but what a ccntrast! While they were iants, she was a little woman who seemed, at first sight, as inoffensive as a kitten, and one look at her sunny, happy face would convince an observer she was of a noble nature; but she was not wholly devoid of the Buzzard peculiari- ties. In the nimble, active movements, the quick glance of her jet-black eyes, one could see, as in the case of her husband, signs of a volcano which might make trouble if aroused. Properly epeeeiniss Colorado Rube’s family ended here, but on this occasion they had a guest at supper. This was Zetta Willis, who was the niece of Mayor-elect Mumford. At ten o’clock there was going to be a grand supper at the Old Rye Hotel, given by Mr. Mumford, but it was to be served by Landlord Chipp, and Zetta was spending the intervening hours with her friend, rs. Ralston, She was a pretty girl of twenty years, @ blonde, and of a retiring nature, but those who knew her liked her well. ' “Do you realize the solemnity of this occa- sion?’ Ralston asked, laughing. “Just at present we live in an obscure mining- town, be- fore we sleep, it will be the celebrated munici- ality—of what, deponent sayeth not—called otspur City!” ** And seat Mr. Ralston,” added Zetta, in the same mood, ‘will be next unto the king him- self, Mona, are Sy not proud of the honors thus accumulatin The sunny feouet Mrs. Ralston clouded. “T suppose you will laugh at me, but Iam not pleased, whether I am proud or not. I have a presentiment that trouble will come of it,” Colorado Rube laughed lightly. ‘‘ Nihilists and dynamiters will scarcely take notice of the mayor and chief clerk of this Colorado town.” 900 (GE com or re. --