Beadle's Dime Library No. 299 — page 19: what you’re looking at

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

Three of a Kind. 19 throng, eager for anything that would serve as | Its significance could not be doubted, though an excuse for burning powder. | that Iron Despard could be taken so quietly When they learned that they were asked to | filled his friends, who could not yet see Lim, champion some cause—they didn’t stop to ascer- | with astonishment. tain just what—against the rival city of Coy- ‘‘Forward, men! No firing unless I order it!” ote, one burly fellow leaped into the air and whispered the Sportive Sport. struck his feet together thrice before alighting, | And silently, yet rapidly, they closed in upon shrieking out in bis delight: | their unsuspecting foes. ‘*Q-0-oh, peel me!” | Iron Despard did not move a muscle. He Everybody voluteered to go and “ tear out ” | saw at a glance the utter madness of resistance. the neighboring camp. The general sentiment | Any fool can ‘sell his life dearly,” as tbe —eeLL LLL RAL LLLLLLLL —— — -_---- -— was due for this free and easy appropriation of the hospitalities of the house. ‘“That’s right, gentlemen,” interposed his host, before he could proceed further. ‘‘ When my friends stand round waitin’ fur a special invitation between each move, they as good as tell me that I look like a chur) that gives a grudging welcome. Ef you make yerselves perfectly at home, I shal) know that you take me fur the good feller I try to be.” The Sportive Sport turned to look again at - Oe ~" Are! this man who clothed in rude phrase the finest instincts of a gentleman. The candle-light fell over a tall, straight, broad-shouldered and deep- chested fellow, with fair hair, and a blonde beard falling over his breast to his waist. His blue eyes had a twinkle cf merriment in them, and his smile was strikingly genial. Impulsively the Sportive Sport extended his hand, to have it received into a grip that would make most men wince witb pain. ‘*T count it an bonor to have met you, sir!” he said, impulsively. was expressed by one who cried: **Oh glory! me! life! That would have been something toward it!” ‘*Look a-hyar, boys!” cried Six-foot Si. ‘Stop your cavortin’.. Ye can’t all go. think td be fool enough to take sich a raft 0’ galoots to give the whole thing away? We may have to git in some fine work, ye onder- stand, before we git back. A round dozen o’ good men air worth more than amob of odds I never felt so miserably few in all my Six-foot Si laughed with almost childlike | an’ ends,” pleasure, as he gave the hand he held an added — or “Who in thunder air ye callin’ ‘odds an’ squeeze and a shake one of which was enough | ends?” demanded one, not ill-naturedly, for for all day. Six-foot Si was a general favorite, and said ‘* Waal, now, je t look a’ thar!” he exclaimed. | pretty much what he chose. ‘Tt onlv takes a pleasant word to make all men | brothers!” And in the exuberance of his good-will he in- cluded Tiger Dick in his beaming smile, and ; But the crowd stood aghast. Every man felt as if the one cherished ambition of bis life were in danger of slipping through his fingers. Then of a sudden they fell upon Si like a wish there was half a dozen of Why—oh! why wasn’t I born twins? | | D'ye | pbrase goes; but it takes a cool bead to accept calmly the hopeless present, and wait patient- ly on the alert for the first rift in the clouds of a brightening future. Tosuch men comes the opportunity to snatch victory from defeat. ‘‘It won’t do to try none o’ yer snap games,” said Moran, suspicious of this passive accept- ance. ‘‘ We've got you dead to rights, now: an’ our only complaint is that your friends ain’t keepin’ ye company.” At the pretty surprise he was going to spring upon the over-confident Joe, the old spirit of henter returned to the Sportive Sport; and catching at Moran’s words, he said, with the laugh which bad signaled the defeat of many a villainy: ‘* When wanted, we are always on hand! Ha! ha! ha!” CHAPTER XVII. gave him his other hand, swarm of bees. THE COMMITTEE, “This gentleman,” said the Sportive Sport, “Of course, ’m yer man. You want me, NOTHING that the Sportive Sport could pos- “ig Mr. Richard Langley, whom you may | Si. Jest tell me what to go fur, an’ then give | sibly have said would have equaled the effect know better under the name of Tiger Dick.” me elbow-room!” of the revival of that formula. This was the “ Tiger Dick? Ishouldsayso! Ireckon thar hasn’t meny in this section o’ country as hain’t heard o’ Tiger Dick. It does me proud, sir, to grip a hand asI know ain’t no slouch on the trigger.” ix-foot Si was not the style of man that Tiger Dick most admired. He had not that ap- preciation of innate courtesy, in however rough a dress, which drew the Sportive Sport toward their host. So he contented bimself with a sim- ple bow of acknowledgment. But as these feelings are apt to be reciprocal, Six-foot Si did not wait for an answer, but turn- J ed again to the Sportive Sport. Ve “8 And what might I ery hag now?” heasked, “Oh, yes! Tom’s all right on a knock-down- an’-drag-out; but what you want is a man that’s on the shoot. You know me, Si. Didn’t I lay out little Frenchy—an’ him jest greased lightnin’ on the trigger?” In this sort of contention—every one sound- ing his steeped qualificaticns—they made a perfect Babel, until Six-foot Si was fain to 'y: * Oh! shut up!” Then be selected bis men. But a last im- portunate one clung to bim, pleading with ex- aggerated aff ctation of exquisite anguish: ‘* Fur de love o’ God, Si, don’t leave me hyar! I’ve been sp’ilin’ fur months! I bain’t relished first time it had been heard on the border for over a year: yet so deep had been its impress on the rascals of that time, that now it was like the crack of a master’s whip to a beast that had for a season escaped from its keeper. oe Moran started, with a cold thrill running down his back, and half turning, looked over his shoulder. “You may /ook round; but, I beg of you, don’t turn round!” said the Sportive Sport, in the old tone of banter. All this was new to Adam Farley; but he was open to the force of the argument of su- perior numbers, The Sportive Sport felt a keen sense of ex- ‘*T don’t mind sayin’ that I’ve taken a likin’ to | my vitties—I sw’ar to ye,I hain’t! Ef you | bilaration as be resumed his old way of hand- re!” only knowed what it is to be a wild-cat shut up | ling rascals. : ‘*Thank you! My name is Edward Have- | in a Sunday-scbool! Make it a baker’s dozen, ‘Gentlemen,” he said, “‘I don’t trouble you land.” Si! Remember, thar’s luck in odd numbers.” to put up your weapons. nor to hold yourhands ; ‘*l’m glad to know ye, sir. I hope that we This plea was urged iv so plaintive a wail, at that uncomfortable altitude above your may see more of each other, ef so be it’s agree- | and the applicant, in spite of his tomfoolery, | heads so often insisted upon. On the contrary, } able to you.” was so desirable, that Six-foot Si relented, and | if you think that you can use them to advan- “T can heartily return the compliment, | made it a ‘ baker’s dozen.” tage ng abe packers J at pre to try. Mr.—” Then they set out over the back track at a ‘Ab! Good-mornin ,» Colonel Dangerfield! ‘* Waal, now, I reckon ye might as well call me Six-foot Si. Ef I ever had any other handle, I allow it’s about outlawed by this time. Now, ef weonly had Iron Eh byar! Why, Lord love ye— But thar! e’re furgittin’ this nye pore galoot.” ‘““We can leave him to the care of Mrs, Reilly,” said the Sportive Sport. ‘You can that, gentlemen. Don't worry about me. I can find everything I want.” ‘“Ma’am, ef I'd ’a’ knowed ye was comin’ I'd ‘9’ had things handier.” _ What we want immediately,” pursued the *ortive Sport—"' what we must have, is a body é‘ a men “Consider that you have the whole Bend!* cried Six-foot Si. ‘‘ Excuse me fur takin’ u time a-waggin’ of my jaw—the which it’s a fail- ‘I am afraid to wait for him to join us,” he “4, “He is determined enough to stand _ainst all odds to the bitter end. And then uis strength may fail. There is no estimating how severely he was wounded and otherwise hurt. Add to all this the danger of their out- flanking him; and I think that it is only com- mon prudence for us to go prepared to meet a . stea,Party of men who are determined on ‘> » and execution.” “~ - 97e to git up mighty airly in the Iron Despard!” said Six-foot “ Maybe thev kin Waal, “"'¢ ssurance. “—™ ithout nary winkin’. vance to try!” 2r he was rushing up and down ing at the top of bis stentorian = yes! oh ze Come! tumble out “avely! bef The devil’s to 0 a powerful burrv! Roll out! "in, oay way to git out! Wake snakes, ~ ae Yer money down!” in this kind of style it did not take long to ‘rout out” the whule Bend, Sleep was of no double-quick. With that genuine courtesy which underlay all of his intercourse with others, Six-foot Si, by implication rather than expressly, put bim- self and his men under the orders of the Sport- ive Sport. It was done so pointedly, yet so as a matter of course, that every one accepted it without thought, and looked to him for the di- rection of the party. As they progressed without meeting Iron Despard, the anxiety of the Sportive Sport in- creased. When they came upon the horses, he was in despair. “They have got him!” he whispered to Six- foot Si, not knowing as yet that the men were not near their horses. “Hold on,” said Si. ‘‘ Maybe we ain’t down ‘* Jest give me twenty seconds!” And Six-foot Si glided away. “*So, beys!” be said, soothingly, as he slipped among the horses. The borses recognized a friend ani made no disturbance. He struck a match and cast its light on the ground at their feet. The soil was but little broken by their hoofs. ‘*Good!” he ejaculated, and slipped back to his friends. ‘* Well?” was the Sportive Sport’s eager ques- tion. ‘‘They ain’t ten minutes abead of us!” ‘* Come on, then!” Ks ong safe yet,” said Si, as they glided for- ward. ‘* Yes, or we should have heard the noise of the capture.” Witt this encouragement they hurried on. “ H’st!” warned Six-foot Si, suddenly. ‘There they are!” The fluttering of the birds just awaking to the joy of the new day, bad covered the slight noise made by the party from Mulligan’s Bend, Is that you over there?” He broke off as abruptly asif he had just cis- covered bis friend. Without showing any surprise or relief, Irou Despard thrust bis revolvers into their holster coolly rose, took up his dark-lantern, and join bis friends, walking unconcernedly through the ranks of bis frowning enemies. ‘*Good-morning, gentlemen!’ "he said, sbak- ing bands with tbe leaders of those who had come to bis rescue, and bowing to the rdnk and e, ‘‘ Waal, old boy, ’m right glad to see ye!” cried Six-foot Si, striking his hand into that of bis friend with a report like that of a pistol. Then, looking hard at Iron Despard, he kept on: in’ of yours-truly—when spry’s the word.” yet! Them hosses is alone. kin tell by their ‘Ef thar ain’t no particular reason fur fur- And by way of making up for lost time, the | movements.” ther delay, I reckon we might as well be joggin’ giant began throw himself into hisclothes | ‘* Well?” along back, I feel as ef it was about fur with surprising rapidity. ** Don’t you see how it is? They've tied ‘em | breakfast.” While he-was doing so, the Sportive Sport | up, an’ gone in thar on the quiet.’ Iron Despard knew that a better reason 1d bim the circumstances under which lron “Then let us follow them immediately! We | breakfast lay back of Six-foot Si’s words. He a rd had been left. may yet be in time to save him.” understood them as an express wish that they om without further business with the men of oyote. “There is none, as far as I am concerned,” he said, bowing to the Sportive Edward Havelanc could admit an idea into bis head without the use of a beetle and wedge, so he said at once: ‘*Gentlemen, we only came to extend the hospitalities of Mulligan’s Bend to you. If you ever come within a mile of that place, stay there all eaner “ Yaas, within a mile of it!’ said the man eho bad ges ve “baker’s dozen” of the portive ’s party. With this sarcasm he repaid himself for the mild issue of their incursion into the enemy’s country. His companions Jooked their dissatisfaction, bat said nothing. ae the invading army retreated in good order. The thirteenth man still further consoled bhim- self by singing: “The brave old Duke of York, he had a hundred men, consequence when there was any “fun” in pros- | so that they come almost upon the others He marched ‘em up a hill, an’ he marched ‘em pect. undiscovered. down again. Everybody made bis appearance “full As Si whispered his pa those in ad-| ‘‘Wemight bave captured that fellow, Moran,” heeled,” of course. Whatever the occasion, | vance rose from the covert not five rods away, | said the Sportive Sport,looking to Six-foot Sifor shooting-irons were veverin the way. Six foot Si was surrounded by an excited eee SS __ -_ oC rr —(C i — — so that Joe Moran’s triumphant announcement | an explanation of bis desire to withdraw as of himself was clearly audible. they were, €om -. Ehooksreom