Beadle's New York Dime Library No. 303 — page 26: what you’re looking at

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

26 . a atin ee * ae Top Notch Tom, the Cowboy Outlaw. Tom stared at Hank, ‘* Are you in earnest?” he asked, surprised, Hank nodded his head. ““l'm the Marshal of Satanstown, and that man come into my ground, and tried to murder alotof innocent men. He’s got to be tried fur it, and he’s got to be arrested fur it, first, Is that plainf I’m marshal, and I’ve the power to swear you both in, as special officers. Wil! ye act? ‘““Why, certainly, if you wish it; but I don’t know about Wild Cat.” “Tf Wild Cat’s like most Injuns I know, I kin fix him, Tom. Tell him I want him to hel take that man, and if he helps, he'll git ten dol-’ lars for the job.” And, somewhat to Tom’s surprise, for he thought he knew all about the nature of Indians, as soon as the proposition of Hank was explained to Wild Cat, the Indian said: “T will go with the Man-with-the-big-scalp: for he is a warrior, and we have shed our blood together.” o the three men, who had lately been in such a perilous position that they had bad much ado to save their own lives, were now riding back toward their foes, with the audacious intention of arresting the English manager, in the midst of his desperadoes. As they rode slowly back, they began to hear the noise, which had at first escaped all but the fine ears of the Indian. ' The deep thunder of hoofs, at a gallop, was heard, more than a mile off, shaking the earth under the grass tufts, coming nearer and nearer, while the desperadoes in front were plainly uneasy, riding to and fro, as if not knowing what to do. CHAPTER XXX. THE TURNING OF THE TABLES. THE Marshal of Sataustown rode straight to- ward the line of desperadoes at the fence: but when he had arrived within some quarter of a mile, he checked his horse, with the remark: ‘* No use to hurry the thing, boys. Let them get all the scare they kin, aout of this. Keep your eyes skinned abaout that long-range gun, and don’t let the man ketch ye napping.” He and his friends therefore, instead of stand- ing still in one spot, walked their horses up and down, frequently changing the pace, and listen- ing for the apt agro thunder of hoofs. That the coming of tke strange horsemen, whoever they were, was producing its effect on the Berkeley party, was evident from the noise that began to spread from one to the other of the men at the fence, and the way in which they were galloping to and fro. Pretty soon the dark figures of distant horse- men became visible, coming from the direction in which the three had been chased, and Hank calied out: ‘*‘ New’s thetime, boys. We want to let them know where we are, or they’!] mebbe run intoa trap.” So saying, he put spurs to his horse, and rode straight at the fence with his friends, firing as be went, while Tom, who kept a little at one side, watching the distant horsemen, saw that they halted for a minute, at the sight of the flashes, and swerved to.one side, as if to get to tbe vicinity of the man firing. The Berkeley party replied to the fire of the marshal, and tried to get us a rush toward him: but the attempt was a failure, and Hank after firing a few shots, suddenly turned his horse again, and called out: ‘* We've got them naow, boys, Follow me and de as I do.” Tom and Wild Cat did as he directed, and the marshal dashed off to one side, in the same maneuver he had executed at the first, running the gantlet of his enemies, to get to his friends, That the Berkeley party understood it, was evident, from the way in which they rushed at him, to head him off; and, before the horses had passed over half a mile, it was seen that they would probably be able to execute their inten- tion. The distance between the two was not enough to let Hank scrape by, and. as he got closer, he recognized the fact. He rode ahead and the other two followed him, none of them firing, because he did not set them the example. When he had got within about three hundred ards, the Berkeley men began to fire: but, as e bad foreseen, the bullets flew wide of the mark, most of them whistling by the tails of the ponies. As soon as this happened, Hank turned again, and raced off, followed by his foes, gaining on them, till the bullets no longer whistled so close, and the Berke ey men stopped firing. Top Notch Tom, who was riding bere called out to Hank: ‘‘They’ve stopped again.” The marshal made no answer, till be had pees another hundred yards, when he wheeled is pony, and balted, crying: . “That'll do, boys. Look at aour men! Ain’t that bandsome?” As they wheeled to look, they saw the gallant cowboys of their own party, about fifty in num- ber, coming over ths prairie in the moonlight, the rear, ————— in a long, wavy line, and already almost with- in gunshot of the Berkeley party. Then Hank shouted: “No more firing, naow! Jl settle this busi- ness.” For he saw that the Berkelcy men had halted, and were gathering their force for a stand, which could not fail to end in desperate con- flict, should neither side give way. The advancing cowboys had already begun to yell, when the marshal dashed off to one side, to make a circuit round the Berkeley men; and this time they did not attempt to intercept bim, His figure was recognized as he went, and the cowboys set up a tremendous yell of delight, and halted as he expected they would. Top Notch Tom and the Indian followed him, and the three rode along the front of the Berke- ey men, who did not attempt to fire at them. t was plain that they were confused and de- moralized, at the prospect before them. The way in he yp» the cowboys, whom they thought they had defeated and dispersed, had come back in a body, showed that they would have a hard fight yet; and they began to trem- ble for the consequences of what they had al- ready done. Hank had relied on this element in his favor, and the result was that he was permitted to cross the front of his Jate pursuers in peace, and reach the cowboys, when he was greeted ly them, with a warmth of affection that left no doubt of its sincerity. Punch Burleson, his head tied up with a bloody bandage; Deaf Smith, with his arm ina sling; Colone Callahan, with a white band round one thigh; the rest of the men with marks of their recent conflict still on them; but all full of fight; with the fumes of the whisky taken out of them by the excitement and fatigue; had come up to the scratch again, ready to fight, hafder than they had done before, for the sake of sweet re- venge. The numbers at their command were not yet as great as those at the disposal of Berkeley; but the disproportion was not what it bad been, when the Berkeley men first came out of the ambush. And Henk knew well the power of the law on his side, and the demoralization that was suré to spread among his foes, if left to themselves long aneagh hat they were hesitating, was proven by the fact that they no longer fired a shot, but stood where they had halted, Py the cowboys, in grim silence, ready to defend themselves, but no longer inviting an attack, still less trying to charge. Most of the ranchers had come with the cow- boys. and Punch Burleson hastily told Hank: ‘Thar’s a heap more comin’, ef we kin keep those snoozers long enough. The taown boys is on aour side at last, and that’s wortha hundred, ef they only had bosses. Some of ’em’s comin naow, ef ye listen hard,” They had become so still, that the sound of more horses, coming at a distance, was percep- tible, and the sound produced opposite effects on the two sides. The cowboys raised a yell of triumph, and the Berkeley men moved uneasily to and fro, while see buzz of disputing could be heard among them. lt was quelled by the loud voice of Berkeley, who could be heard, shouting: ‘* Stand in your ranks, men! I'll shoot down the first that tries to run.” Hank heard him, and laughed grimly. ‘* Hark to that, boys,” he said. ‘* It’s come to that already, Wait till the other boys come up, and the game’sourn, No use to hurry a willin’ hoss.” The sound of galloping hoofs became more and more plainly audible, and the dark mass of horsemen sould. be seen, about a mile off, com- mgs the green grass. hen the movement among the desperadoes ceased and Punch Burleson remarked, in a low tone: ‘‘They’ll stand, boys. They'll stand, We'll have the best fight ye ever saw.” That the fight would be a desperate one no one doubted now, The Berkeley men had halt- ed, and they were dismounting from their horses, a sure sign that they were going to hold their ground to the last. Hank kept back bis men, who were eager to make the charge at once, with the words: ‘‘Let ’em stay whar they are, ye fools. As long as they stay thar, they ain’t gittin’ aout of the caounty, and when they do run we've got ’em sure.” So the cowboys waited, sitting on their horses, watching the Berkeley ~— , and waiting for the approach of their friends from Satanstown. In & quarter of an hour from the time when they were first spied the Satanstown party rode up to the cowboys, and warm greetings were exchanged between both sides, for the intelli- gence of the cowardly ambush that had been put on them had turned the tide of public opinion in favor of the ranchers. One man came up to Punch Burleson and cried out: “ve b’en ag’in’ you caowboys, fur ever sence I come to Texas; but when these hogs- thief galoots comes daown hyar, with thar games, to rub aout honest men, I’m fur Satanta caounty, every time, ag’in’ the world. Let's give ’em all they want, boys. Don’t let one of the darned critters go.” His words were echoed by the yells of the excited men, who had been drinking as freely as the cowboys, and there was a general move- |; ment, which threatened to break into a wild charge on the enemy. It was checked by the coolness of Hank, the Nailer, who rode out in front of the crowd and called out in bis deep, powerful tones: ** Boys, I've suthin’ to say to ye.” The words produced an instant husb, for the men of the town, as well as the ranchers, adored the marshal, who had led them se often to victory. Hank saw that he had secured their attention and went on: ‘IT want ye to answer me one i. guestion, and then ye kin do as ye please. bat does the State of Texas do to murderers when they’re caught?’ ‘Hang ’em. Hang ’em!’’ cried more than pes voice in the crowd, with charming prompti- tude. Hank raised his hand and continued: ‘‘That’s right, and what I expected. We don’t shoot’em. That's a death fur a man; but murderers ain’t worthy of it. Naow listen to me, and bold yer hosses, I’m a-goin’ to collar the man that made this muss, and [ want to know who'll stand by me when I make the arrest?” He was answered by a yell that showed the eagerness of his auditors to follow him any- where, to get vengeance for the mischief done that night. Hank raised his hand again, and the noise was hushed, as it had been before. “Waal, then,” he said, ‘‘ that’s settled, and I thank ye fur what ye’ve said. But, ef I make this arrest, ’m a-goin’ to make it in my own way, and ef ye won’t do what I say, it’l] end in a muss, and the men that did the mischief won't get what they desarve, but die like men, when they ain’t men, in my opinion. Naow, I want yeto unnerstand, I’m a-goin’ over thar, to those men, and tell ’em thar’s only one way they kin save thar hides. They’ve got to give up thar leader to be punished, or tbhar’ll be sich a muss as Satanta caounty never had afore. I don’t want no one to foller me; but Il want ye to watch what’s done. Ef they wipe me aout, ’m goin’ to resk it, and arter that ye kin doas ye please. But I’m e-goin’ to give them men a chance to come daown to the law, and git aout of the caounty, or know the reason why. Stay tag ard ef they fire, then go in si. do yer t.” And without more ado, the Marshal of Satans- town rode off alone, straight toward the men of the cattle company, who had intrenched them- selves bebind. their horses, and stood in a dark mass by the line of the wire-fence, which form- ed a cover for their front behind which herse- men could not get. Berkeley bad arranged thestand with military skill. The desperate scamp saw that the end had come and that his only chance of escapin with his life out of the county was to boa dove enough of his foes to make a retreat possi- ne, He was outnumbered now; but the men on foot could hold their ground for a long time against horsemen, and the chances of war were yet not exhausted. War it was, against society; and the man re- cognized the fact, and trusted to the desperation of his associates to save them from flight before all hope was gone. And then, as he expected a charge, he saw the figure of a single man coming out from the dark mass of bis foes, and the Marsbal of Satanstown rode out into plain view and called out: ‘Ho, thar, you men! We want to talk.” CHAPTER XXXI, THE ARREST. THE sight of the marshal produced an imme- diate impression among the desperadoes that surrounded Berkeley. They recognized him, and a tremor went through the ranks! for every man there had a fear of Hank the Nailer and Top Notch Tom. Had he been accompanied by any one, they would probably have fired at him, for fear of what might happen; but, as it was, they were curious to hear what he might have to say. an ees there af ag r full view, his ong beard waving in the wind, his rifle lvin sea the bow of bissaddle, ’ eae ‘‘T want to talk,” he repeated; “‘ and 1 want ye to choose one of ye, to come aout and do the talking. Ef as fire at me, the boys will riddle ve, afore ye kin say whoop. Thats plain talk. aow who's yer best man Berkeley cried out, in answer: ‘You go back, where you came from, or we'll shoot you. We are h on our own ground, and we are going to hold it. If you think you can drive us, just try it, my friend. Eomicbooks eee ~ | | 2