Beadle's New York Dime Library, Vol. III, No. 34 — page 6: what you’re looking at

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

sd ** Now, Bess, Llike you, with all your nonsense, and I've made up my mind to have you. I feel pretty sure that you like me now better than any one else and when Sa do make up your mind to it, you'll love me. You can’t fool with me as you have with the soft-heads that you’ve made game of ever since you came to the Bar. You've tried once too often, and this time your ‘ hand * ain’t worth much, and I’m going to rake in the stakes myself. I'll treat you like al ¥; dress you up like a pre? and maybe, some day, I'll take you East, and let you shine in the New k palaces. Diamonds won't look bad in your golden hair, my pet, and AS shall have ’em, big enough, too, to make the New York ‘sharps’ turn pale with envy. I’ve got the ‘open sesame’ that shall split the rock, society, and give us entrance, My gold-dust will blind ’em. , gold will bu everything in New York, from the ju on the bene down to the bootblack The girl was led by the fiery ene of York's words; here waS a new p of the gambler’s char- acter. “Why, Jim, how you talk!” she murmured. She was fascinated despite herself. It was the charm of the serpent that binds the bird. Over her senses crept a strange lethargic feeling; her breath came short and fast; her bosom rose and fell tumultu- ously; her face burned and her heart beat; like one in a dream, she permitted York to wind ‘his arms around her and draw her tightly to his breast; kiss after kiss he pressed upon her soft lips, still she re- sisted not. 6 was under a spell, The dominant nature had triumphed over the weaker one. **You are mine!" he muttered, in triumph, “I press my seal of love upon your lips, and I defy man or devil to tear you from me,” Her senses reeling with strange passions, her head sunk down upon his shoulder; she was almost help- less, weak as a child,” - Long and Ne ad York looked upon the fair face nestled on his shoulder.. The better angel of the man seemed to have taken possession of him, and the dark-winged messengers of fraud and rapine were for the time forced to fly. One little gm of clear moonlight amid the clouded sky of Jim York’s lawless life. Then into that little dining-toom, putting to flight the ws Ye of peace and love, and bringing wrath and discord, came old Pop Shook, Old Pop’s naturally red face grew redder still when he beheld his treasure in the arms of Jim York, the gambler. He uttered an oath, which made it plainly evident that the host of the Waterproof saloon was With a slight scream, Bessie essayed to escape from the embrace of York, but, with a strong arm, he restrained her, and looked with calmess in the face of the angry father, “Look a-here, York, what does this mean?” the old man cried, unable to keep still, and dancing about like a turkey ona hot plate. — ** Well, Pop, I should think the position that your poate’ Snip occu pies just now wouldn't eall for much explanation.” What have you been saying to my gal?” ** Just pt! = aoe ag rr ites a good many ears ago,”’ York re , coolly, ve What?” the old. man fairly screamed; “and, Bess, do you love this fellow—this gambler—this rapscallion!’ ‘Hold or!” York cried, quickly, in his clear, cold tones; ‘‘don’t call names. It ain't for me to quarrel with you just now. As for my character, I guess it’s about as good as any other man’s in these dig- gings; and if it ain't, I'll just strike a new ‘lead’ au’ e it as good. love this girl, and she cares more for me she does for any one else. I’m go- be to have ee A hom: your gg eae I hope, yc Bare ranywa she’s willing. every man for miles aronant said no. That's my hand, Pop, and aiwnys Diy my cards for all they’re wort! Just talk matter over and I'll see you sore Then York released the girl and quitted the house, leaving old Shook in speechless amazement, CHAPTER VIL THE PRICE OF A WHITE SQUAW. — For full five minutes the old man glared around him, his mouth open and his face scarlet, while Bes sie stood erenabinety before him; but, at last, he oe his tongue. “Bessie, I’d rather see you laid out in your grave- clothes than to see you the wife of that rascal ! he cried. os t don’t be an with me!” she ex- asco nave es full of eine if then she sunk down in a chair and began to sob as if her heart would break. “Why, Bessie, how can you think of this fellow for a min’te?” the old man asked, his anger cooling down at the sight of her grief. “Oh, I don’t know!’’ she moaned, between her 8. ; “Why, gal, he's a_ e to the Bar; a cool, clear-headed scoun Thar’ ain’t an honest man in the Humbug valley that likes him. He ain't got no friends; he’s only a card- at the best. oa a gg the Waste-water Guich mine,” protest- the girl. ** Well, I don’t dispute that; he’s got two perners, Kan and Bill Rackensack, though; they run the mine; he don’t sile his dainty white ds much; he’d rather sleep all day and gamble all night.” “But, Doc Kidder gambles too,” Bessie persisted. She knew that Kidder was a particular friend of her father. “Yes, but he ain’t like York; he’s a gentleman, he is, He couldn’t run a mine, if he wanted to; his health ain’t good. But he’s a squar’man. He don’t cheat BUA be gre! ay air sane Be pent ring an n a leetle game, en rake him for hee: worth. He don't play keerds with a revolver on the table and another one in his lap. Why, gal, ef the Vigilantes ever get started in this town, they'll string up that Jim York and his gang jist as sure as the Wisdom runs into the Missouri.’ “I know that people don’t like him,” she con- fessed, drying her eyes with her apron. ‘ “And that’s the reason that you do; that s a woman all over. Your mother couldn't b’ar the sizht of me till her old man said that she shouldn’t have me and drove me out of the house with a horse- whip; and arter that time she made up her mind fur SP ee ee Oe « ~ meu = Beadle’s as LNT8SR: to have me anyway, jist to spite him. Now, I ain’t a-going to be as big a foolas hewas. You kin have the man ef you want to; you’ve got to live with him not me. But ef you do have him, jist make him pull up stakes and git, ’cos I should hate to have to string him up toa xine some day, seeing that he was my darter’s husband,” ‘* But, father, I haven’t married him yet.” ” Well, you'd better, ‘fore long, or there’ll be some nice stories ’round about you. S'pose anybody else ad come in and caught you a-hugging of him?” “Why, father, I wasn’t!” , he was you; same thing; ‘tain’t much differ- Old Pop was getting bitter. ‘“‘ You kin do jist as you please; I ain’t a-going to lift a finger to stop you. I know that I couldn’t ef I wanted to, and I ain’t a-going to try. Jist go your own gait, but don’t say that I didn’t tell you, e you marry bim and wake up some fine morning and find your husband Pele 27) ap a rope round his neck from a_ pine tree wi the warning of the Vigilantes pinned onto - his breast.” The girl shuddered at the thought. “T won't have anything more to say to him, we i " gos eas ms : t ane ieee ci at’s e father sa appro , “Thar ain’t an t ia Win, ‘Gooner cuss, an he gits out of the valley the better it will be for the Bar. We've got altogether too aay hf ape here now. A man with two ounces of gold-dust ain't safe arter dark any more. I reckon that the Vigilantes will call on Judge Lynch to take a hand in the game and purify this town afore long if things get much worse than they are now.” “Do you think that a Vigilance Committee will be got up, father?’ “ Jist as sure as shootin’, gal,” he replied, decided- Ve “Things can’t go on this way muchlonger, Poor immy Collins was killed last night; jist knocked on the head for a few ounces of the dust he had with him, and one of the ‘Johns’ up near the Chinese camp was shot dead not a hundred paces from the main trail down the Wisdom.” ‘Perhaps *twas Rocky Mountain Rob's road-agents that did it?” suggested Bess. "Faint ae A they go for the coaches and the express stuff—don't trouble the mines much; ef they did, it wouldn't be long afore we’d make the countr too hot to hold ’em. Ef the Vigilantes do get the hands in they may clean out these fellows up in the mh, my! and th girl ddenly to h a my !"’ an e rung suddenly er feet, “pm letting those eggs be cooked all to rags!” and she proceeded to remove them from the fire, ** Who did you cook those for?” ** Jim York,” she replied. “Well, put ’em away and keep ’em; somebody may come in and want ’em,’’ said the provident Shook, “Big Ingine eat eggs,’’ said a guttural voice from the gerbe Old Shook and the girl turned and beheld the In- dian chief, known as Mud Turtle, standing in the rei @ was wrapped to the chin, as usual, in is a red blanket. The Indian was no stranger to either father or daughter, for du the last few days he had been a constant patron of the Waterproof saloon. visits, though, had been more frequent at the bar, where the fragrant fire-water was dispensed, than to the eating department of Pop Shook’s hotel. ‘‘Want something to eat, I s’pose, chief?” Shook asked. “Ugh! Pale-face barefooted-on-top-of-his-head speak straight. Big chief—Mud Turtle—eat heap now. pretty soon, bimeby.”’ ‘Sit down in the other room, Injun; I reckon you kin pay for what you want!’ Shook’s motto was, no trust. a ee no pay, no eat,” the Indian observed, with That's co-rect! Bess, jist fix something for the Injun. The chief stalked into the dining-room and sat down at one of the little tables; Shook followed while Bessie 2 ph ge the ham and Cees. The Indian looked at Shook stolidly but so steadily that the old man’s attention was arrested and he guessed that the Indian wished to speak to him. So when Bessie brought in the ham and eggs, and placed them on the table, Old Shook drew a chair up and sat down opposite to the Indian, as Bessie retired to the kitchen. The chief surveyed the eatables, gave a grunt of satisfaction and proceeded to dispatchthem, Then, his hunger satisfied, he wi his mouth on his blanket, leaned over the table and laid his finger impressively on Shook’s arm. “Me, Mud Turtle in pale-face camp—drink fire- water—sleep anywhere—play poker—more white man than Injun,’ “Yes,’’ Shook assented, , “When chief goes north he wakes up; his tribes call him O-wa-he; he lead the Blackfoot braves on the Nar aty and the scalps of the Crows hang thick in his wigwam.” “Is that so, chief?” Old Pop wondered what the savage was driving at. . “Mud Turtle—white Injun—is a skunk who drinks fire-water and lies, O-wa-he, Blackfoot chief, would not lie to save his life, barefooted-on-top-of- head father has py, squaw—the chief’s lodge by the great river far off is cold—the chief wants squaw with eyes like sky.” To say that the old tavern-kee was astounded would be but to faintly express it, ‘What! give my gal to you?” he exclaimed, breath- lessly and with wide open mouth, half-rising to his feet, ‘*No give; chief buy squaw,” the Blackfoot replied, with dignity; “‘give white father one pony, two squaws, bag gold-dust,”’ and the savage produced a buck-skin bag holding perhaps half a pound of dust, and opening .it, exposed the yellow to the gaze of the old man, whose first impulse was to get angry, but a single glance at the face of his guest convinced him that the chief was in sober earnest and was conscious of no wrong in offermg to buy the white maiden. . : Then the ridiculousness of the offer struck him, and he roared with laughter, somewhat to the In- dian’s amazement. He watched Old Pop's face ver, narrowly, mentally calculating if he had bid hig enough for the white squaw, CHAPTER IX, THE OUTLAWS “AT Howr.” Onwanrb through the narrow passage for a hundred yards or more went Talbot and his capturers; then suddenly came a halt. The bandage was removed and Talbot looked around him, to see, as he had guessed, that he was in the cavern of the outlaw. The AAS then was true which said that the road- agents had a treasure-house in the mountains which served also as a refuge from pursuit in time of dan- er, It was a natural cavern, lit up now by tallow can- dles stuck round upon the rocks, and no crevice ap- peared in the roof through which the daylight mi ht enetrate, All was black as ink, except where the ickering light of the sputtering candles flared out from the rocky walls. The chamber in which he was now (for Talbot essed at once that the cavern branched here and ere through the rock, as is common with such freaks of the earthquake’s giant force) was some thirty feet long by twenty wide. At its further end rose some rock, pulpit fashion, over which a buffalo- robe was spread, and on the robe sat a dark-bearded man, armed to the teeth, and clad in the wild garb of the mountains, wearing a black half-mask, through which shone glittering eyes, Ph om Bes tion which ne uae heard 6 man, at once rec Roc Rob, the merciless outlaw. sims “y; By Talbot's side were two of the bearded men who had aided in his capture. The upper parts of their faces were also concealed by black masks like the one worn by their leader. The prisoner took in the situation ata glance, He was helpless in the hands of those who had every reason to take his life and none to spare it, But he wondered why he had not been stricken to death in the mountain gorges—why had all this trouble been taken to bring him a prisoner to that stronghold? “Here we are, captain, with our bird,” said one of the ruffians by Dick's side. He spoke in a hoarse voice, evidently disguised. The person seated upon the buffalo-robe nodded and seemed for a few minutes to be engaged in sur- veying Dick; then at last he spoke. ‘You are Dick Talbot, the sport from Bannock?” the masked man said, in a low voice, evidently dis- ised. tr Yes,’’ Dick replied, with his usual confident air. “Tm that very individual.” The moment the outlaw spoke, Dick became cer- tain that he had heard the voice before. . ““You made a rather foolish bet in Bannock city, the other day, if [have been rightly informed,” the outlaw continued. ‘*T have made quite a number of foolish bets in my time,” was Talbot’s careless reply. “But none as foolish as this one, or you would not be here now to ny so. You bet a thousand dol- lars that you wo bring the road-agent, Rocky Mountain Rob, alive or dead, into Bannock city, did you not?”’ ’ “ Just what I did say.” “Tt was a stupid thing not only to put up a thousand dollars against an equal sum, but to throw in the chance of 1] your own life, You have al ready lost; and now I suppose you are wondering why I have taken the trouble to bring you here, in- stead of having you killed at once the moment you fell into my hands?” ane that circumstance has puzzled me,” Dick replied. ‘I will explain to you my reason. When you made your bet, one of my agents stood by your side, and the bet was hardly offered and taken before an- other agent, mounted on a fast horse, was riding like the wind northward to bring me the news; and from the time that messenger reached me until your cap- ture to-night, not a coach has rolled northward from Bannock city, not a pierint "has trod a trail lead- ing to the Humbug v , but my scouts have seen and reported. You came in no coach to Humbu Bar, nor by any footpath known toman. Now, te me, how the deuce did you get into the town with- i? my knowledge?”’ , ical Fote' hk erhaps some one of your spies etrayed you?” Talbot suggested. hind o teeth of the outlaw came down tightly to- ether, ‘By the Eternal! I'd cut his heart out if I could discover who it was that had played me false,” Rob cried, flercely, “I’ve had a man night and day on every mountain trail, in every gulch leading into the Bar. A full description of every man, woman and child has beén. beovant tome: Now then, I want to know what hound has betrayed me, Tell me his name; give your oath to trouble yourself no more about Rocky Mountain Rob or his affairs, and ¥ will let you go free.”’ albot shook his head. ‘*What?” cried the road-agent,in a tone of men- ace, ‘do you refuse my offer?” oS regret that I cannot accept it,”” was Dick’s re- ly, He certainly was not in the least agitated by he threatening manner of the outlaw. ** Why cannot you accept?” “Because your men are faithful. My wits, being keener than yours, showed me a way into Humbu Bar which your 4 did not and could not . ou would hear that I was on your track, and that you would layin wait for me. The trick was mine; the second is yours.’ “And I rather think that the g’'me will end now, Ses to the bandit chief remarked, with evident cance, . ‘While there is life there is hope,” was the com- posed rejoinder, 7 For a few moments the outlaw was silent: he azed at Talbot intently, as if to read the truth in ace, “T think that you are deceiving me,” Rob gai slowly. “I fully believe that is. one of my ban has be ed me, and is in league with you. You would not have made so rash a bet had you not had some prospect of my capture. “I’l] make you an other offer, I'll give you a thousand dollars and your Ls Bye <i will reveal to me the name of your iend. “Again, I tell you that I cannot,” Talbot ex- claimed, impatiently, “Ihave a friend who was to aid mein capturing you, but he never belonged to your band, and though I may die by your hand here amid these rocks, yet my death-pang will be freec ven of ountain . MICOOOKS “CO (E(0)