Beadle's New York Dime Library No. 339 — page 12: what you’re looking at

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

> ~-- x te =~ => », = “~~ % ~~ Pall ~ ee ay ¥ > < x= ~S Z “> =, _ ” — 12 Spread Eagle Sam. “You make-a ze kick in ze stomacque zat is mine, wiz you’ foot, scelerat! You kick-a me, I kill-a you! I knock-a ze daylight t’rough you bones, zen—” and Kanuck involuntarily recoiled a pace, dropping his hand to his belt, as though antici- another fryin’- ating a shot or blow. But Laughlin smiled, owed politely, then extended in either hand— a cigar-case and a silver-mounted ‘‘ pocket- pistol” from the interior of which came a musi- cal gurgle as he poe shook it. ‘* My dear sir, | most humbly beg your pardon if [injured you. In token of forgiveness, will ‘you take a smoke and a little ‘smile’ with me?” Jean hesitated, one hand mechanically rub- bing that portion of his anatomy which felt the most seriously injured, but this winning polite- ness, added to the fine tobacco and still finer brandy—for Leo deftly removed the cover and | on oe, Leo wheeled quickly toward him, | frying-pan. | | permitted the aroma to escape—proved greater | than his resentment, and he accepted the peace- offering with murmured thanks. Spread Eagle Sam had made no move to in- tercept the half-breed in his second advance, but as he saw how deftly Jean was disarmed, he frowned still more deeply. Who and what was this dandified stranger? Was he to be per- mitted to make himself the master of all he sur- veyed? ‘* Your good health, monsieur,” bowed Leo, as he touched the flask to his lips, after the half- breed. ‘‘ You are very kind to overlook my dreadful clumsiness. It was all an accident, I bez leave to again assure you—all an accident.” ‘*The critter was so durned bad skeered, you see, Kanuck!” commented Spread Eagle, with a sneering grin. ‘He didn’t hev time to look afore he leaped—he wanted to hunt his hole so powerful quick!” ‘* Excuse me, my dear sir,” and with a bow of exaggerated politeness, Laughing Leo turned upon the giant hide-hunter. ‘Not scared, exactly, but surprised. That word has a better sound, and comes a trifle closer to the mark. ‘‘ Frankly, I was greatly surprised. I came to this place, expecting to meet men, if not gen- tlemen. But—’ He paused, with a cold, hard smile playing around his lips. Spread Eagle Sam flushed hot- ly, but managed to growl out: ‘Durn your buts—spit out what ye got to say, critter!” ‘Instead—I met Spread Eagle Sam!” CHAPTER IX. CLIPPING THE EAGLE’S WINGS. ; | } | | | ] | **Durn sech fool’ doin’s, anyway!” snuffled Old Misery, who still stood, like a grizzled paro- dy on Lady Macbeth, staring at the ‘* damned spot” which would not out of the bottom of his ‘Who's to fill up this gre’t hole agin? Who’s goin’ clean to the settlements fer n? Whar’s the flap-jacks to come from? That’s what J want to know! Augh! durn sech a kentry! Ef 1 was on’y back in good ole Mizzoury once ag’in—ef on’y was !” That snuffling plaint proved the feather which turned the balance against bloody war. Laugh- ing Leo broke into a gay peal, joined heartily by Jesse. <i ghee Eagle Sam was forced to fol- low suit, and even Jean La Vic grinned, after a fashion. As for Johnny Bull, he remained still propped up against the side of the dug-out, star- ing vacantly at the dandified stranger, as yet unable to proper! class him. ‘*Snicker ’e durned ejiots!” snuffled Old Misery. ‘‘ Ef you hed the cookin’ to do, mebbe you wouldn’t feel so mighty contraptious—no you wouldn’t!” Jesse Purchass stooped and picked up the silk hat, now pretty well shorn of its glory, examin- ing the double hole with a rueful smile before handing it to Laughing Leo. ** You'll have to charge it against me, ’m afraid, until the day comes when we can meet oe ati inside of civilization to find its dupli- cate. ‘‘Never mention it, sir,” blandly smiled Laughlin, as he took the injured article and tipped it erway on one side of his handsome head. ‘‘I think it is an improvement, rather than otherwise. It will do to hand down to eer as a proof that the owner really bad een through the wars!” ‘*T was in a bad humor at the time, and when that hat—” ‘‘Which no white or human critter would think o’ w’arin’ in these parts,” broke in Spread Eagle, gruffly. ‘‘We tuck it fer a monkey broke loose, or a squaw-man out on a bender!” ‘** Possibly you may find out that the wearer is a man, without the squaw, before the end is _reached, my pleasant-voiced little fellow,” said AGAIN Laughing Leo bowed, a smile on his | lips, a dancing devil in his eyes, his tones as smooth and placid as though he dealt only in honeyed compliments; but there was a complete- ly furnished hornets’ nest lying behind that lausible ambush, and the yx dn aling face of pread Eagle Sam showed plainly enough that he felt the poisoned on! The matchless impudence of this dandified stranger was so entirely unexpected that he was taken all aback for a brief space. And to that fact, either he or Laughing perhaps both— owed their lives. Jesse Purchass, after firing those reckless shots, had entered into the mad humor of the Hercules Hide-Hunter but half-heartedly, and now he was thoroughly ashamed of even that part as he saw how well the stranger was ‘* pan- ning out.” e saw that the rude jest was rapidly becom- ing deadly earnest. e saw Spread Eagle ~ shrink from that keen home-thrust, and he knew from experience that the reaction would be swift and deadly as a stroke of lightning unless the big hunter could be checked long enough to take a second thought. He stepped between the two men, grasping the gems arms of the stung giant anc forcing him back a pace before Spread Eagle Sam could divine his purpose. He gazed firmly into those glowing eyes, and his voice was half- sharp, half-pleading as he uttered the words: ** Touch it lightly, old man, if you love your rd! <A joke is a joke, but don’t rub it in foo eep. Show yourself half white, mate. This is my pie, since I cut in first. If you will insist on taking it all, you’ve got to eat me with it!” It was a risky deed, but the e7onne hide- hunter had not counted amiss. He knew that Sam was true steel at the bottom. Frank, hon- est and generous, if he could only be held in check long enough to take a second sober thought, all would be well. Keen-eyed, quick-witted, Purchass saw that his point was won, and releasing his grasp, he turned toward the stranger, a frank smile on his face, his voice apologetic. ‘I'm afraid you'll think you have fallen into a nest of savages, my dear sir; but, after all, though rudely and clumsily carried out, it was all a joke, free from actual malice. As I opened the ball, let me close it by saying that 1 am heartily ashamed of my share, and frankly beg your pardon.” ‘* Which is just as frankly accepted, my dear fellow,” replied Laughing ing the extended hand. ‘failed so completely in holding up my end of the jest. ughing Leo, coolly taking the measure of the nettled giant with his eyes, from crown to sole. ‘Dew tell! I want to kneow!” snuffled Sam, grinning. “ve got money that says you'll know more to-morrow than you did when you crawled out of your hole this morning. One point on which you will gain enlightenment is thjs: there is not room enough in this palace for two bosses!” Spread Eagle Sam was absolutely stupefied by this sharp, clear-cut sentence. He stared at the speaker, one hand slowly rising to his chin: | | | , cordially grasp- | position as host, said “T only regret that I | upon anadjoining seat. Jesse Purchass sat next to him, watchful, uneasy, fearing trouble before | but the fingers seemed unable to perform their duty. His under jaw fell, hisbig blue eyes pro- truded so far from his head that, as Johnny Bull afterward confidentially whispered, ‘‘ you c’u’d a-batted thim off wid a sthick, an’ niver lit the wood go widin’ a fut av the nose betune thim! Divil a lie in it, nayther, honey!” Jesse Purchass feared another mad outbreak on the ee of his huge pard, and once more stepped between the twain; but, luckily at that juncture Old Misery whined, peevishly: ‘*‘Come to grub, ye pesky spit-cats! Sech as it is—with nary a fryin’ pan fer to do anythin’ nur nothin’!” With all his faults, Spread Eagle Sam was too hospitable a man to crowd a quarrel in the face of such an invitation. The dark, troubled cloud fled from his face, and in a tone of hearty welcome, he said: ‘*? Tain’t much we've got to offer ye, stranger, but sech as it is, mebbe you kin make out a meal. Sit by, an’ holp yourself to whatever ye kin find that hits your tooth best.” Laughing Leo bowed slightly, then glanced around him. It is a religious rule with hide-hunters, and, for that matter, any set of men who live lives anything similar, to eat often, long and heartily. Living up to this maxim, Old Misery began his preparations for supper before the uncere- monious advent of Laughing Leo. He had a huge pot full of ‘‘ mummux,” or a nondescript stew, already prepared and resting in one corner of the big fireplace, intending to fry some steaks and cook some ‘slap-jacks” in addition, The unlucky stroke of Jean La Vic’s knife put an end to this portion of the programme, so he had but to boil the coffee, draw out the table, plant the steaming pot in the center, range the seats, and then summon the company to their feast. The “table” consisted of a wide plank, fitted with swinging legs which closed up when a meal was over, the board being shoved under a bunk, to get it out of the way. The seats were rude stools, with one exception formed of blocks of wood. That exception was a huge buffalo-head, dried with the horns and hair stall on it, stand- ing at the head of the table. ughing Leo noted this difference, and divin- ing the truth, he coolly advanced and took the seat of honor, Spread Eagle Sam opened his lips to angrily correct him, but remembering his not a word, but dropped all was done. Leo Laughlin tucked a snowy-white silk hand- kerchief under his chin, then gazed in mute dis- gust at the tin plate before him. In the middle was a streak of ashes. On one side was a cor- rect impression of Old Misery’s broad thumb, in pot-black and grease. Spread Eagle grinned sourly as he watched this little by-piay, then gently inquired: ‘‘ Waitin’ fer somebody to talk to thar plate, stranger? Ef you cain’t grub ’thout a blessin’, reckon you'll hev to come the preacher your own self; ‘tain’t ’zackly in our line.” ‘*Cook, will you oblige me with a clean erste gently uttered o, glancing at Old isery. The sunken eyes of the old man glittered ominously for a moment, and he glanced to- ward Sam, That worthy nodded slightly, and with a sickly grin, Old Misery reached across: the table and took the dish. He squinted at it, turning the plate at an angle for the brighter light to fall athwart it, then grunted: " euey is a leetle speck o’ dust onto it, I swan! Beats all how sech things come—never knowed it so back in Boos ole cpenperse SH He spat into the plate, rubbed it vigorously with his elbow, then handed it back with a com- placent grin, whining: ‘: Does that suit ye, boss?” Laughing Leo, bowing politely, took the plate, dropping it before Spread Eagle Sam, taking. the other in exchange. This he closely examined, then daintily wiped it with a corner of his ’ker- chief before helping himself to a small portion of the stew. Old Misery stared in stupefied amazement. Spread Eagle Sam quivered all over, but Jesse Purchass grip his arm tightly, and recalled him to his cooler senses. Johnny Bull snickered right out, and Kanuck turned his head to cough —an instance of remarkable politeness on his. part. Sam slowly uttered, his voice thick and un- natural: ‘*Kat your fill, stranger. When you've got through, they’s a word or two I want to whisper in them lugs 0’ yourn.” “Then, as now, I am entirely at your service, my dear fellow,” politely responded Laughing: No more was said just then. Laughing Leo. alone appeared wholly at his ease. The rest. looked and acted like men who felt a serious storm was impending. Laughing Leo ate daintily, and was not long in satisfying his appetite. He leaned back in his chair, or stool, glancing seriousl resent wre ot Jean La Vic, ngers into the half-emptied pot, offered him a subject for a lecture on common decency, which. he promptly improved. “That is another thing which should, and shall, be remedied in this camp. Because men are hide-hunters, there is no reason why they should live or act like mine. It is just as easy to live and act decently, and costs no more in the long run. There is no excuse for a cook to serve foul messes up in filthy dishes. There is no excuse for him to come to table with ashes in his hair and beard, smut on his hands and face, grease and dirt and blood and hairs all over his clothes,” ‘‘Mebbe you don’t like it, critter?” snarled Old Misery. ‘‘T am free to own I do not,” decisively re- torted Laughing Leo. ‘‘ More than that, I will not permit such insults to common decency. If the fault can be remedied in no other manner, a daily ducking in the creek without may serve to reform the gentleman from Missouri.” Old Misery half-rose from his seat, livid with rage; but a rapid gesture from Spread Eagle caused him to sink back in silence, With a cool bow, Laughing Leo turned to the huge hide-hunter, P aae “Thanks. I am glad to see you agree with me in this view of the matter. A beggar can remain a gentleman; then why not a party of honest hide-hunters?” ‘Which you're what you call a gentleman, I reckon?” said Spread Eagle, with slow and pain- ful politeness, ‘*T make some faint pretensions that way, cer- over his i. ‘‘Then I reckon we'll keep on gruntin’,” nod- ded Sam. His comrades laughed boisterously, but Laugh- lin yawned lazily behind his white hand. When the uproar died away, he spoke again: ‘A fearfully moldy chestnut, that of yours, my good fellow. Do you often commit such outrages?” Sam said nothing, possibly because he failed to catch the precise meaning of his strange guest. Leo added: ‘‘ There is but one excuse for you. You have lived out of the world of civilization so much of your lives, that you can appreciate nothin above your present low level. To illustrate: ‘You looked only at my garb. Because it differed from the one you wear, you thought I must belong to another race. You thought youi could readily impose upon me, without running the risk of getting your fingers scorched. You thought because I dressed, acted, talked like a gentleman, I must have been reared like a EOMmIiGDOOKS ipping his. (E(0)