Beadle's New York Dime Library No. 345 — page 14: what you’re looking at

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

nm -~* = i et lly “ a = .- . - ~~ ** « a — ee SSS Y * <_ ~~ ‘ lh A a al Alay lh Ba = = aS Ss 2 1] _ I should think.” and grating teeth, and his right hand snatched a revolver from his hip. Boldly the Parson confronted him, his voice filled with contempt as he drew his symmetrical figure erect, making no effort to escape the threatened shot by either advance or retreat, his gloved hands empty, his voice cool, his tones even as though he knew he bore a charm- ed life. ‘*Shoot, you bullying cur! And then go make your brags that you murdered an unarm- ed man!” It was plucky, but very foolish conduct, for all that. emas Fee was fairly beside himself | with rage, and though under ordinary circum- stances he would have scorned the idea of drawing on an unarmed man, such “ chivalric ” scruples were lost sight of now, and he meant sudden death when he tore his revolver from its scabbard. Fortunately for Alva Bohee, there were oth- ers nigh who acted to much better purpose, else he surely would have filled a bloody grave, as well as the brother whom he had not yet avenged. Jessie darted to where Dike Roberts stood leaning on the muzzle of the rifle which he had taken from her a few minutes before, and snatching it from his grasp, she covered its rightful owner, her voice ringing out clear and sharp: * Drop that. gun, Demas Fee, or Ill spoil the shape of your head with one of your own car- Coward! to draw on an unarmed tridges! man!” It may be doubted whether he heard or com- peat her indignant ere so terribly was | e angered by the blows he had received, and almost certainly there would have been a double tragedy had not Colonel Victor Vanderlyn | promptly seconded her action Pe catching his | comrade by the wrists, holding him powerless | despite his desperate struggles. trong, muscular though he was, Demas Fee was powerless in the grasp of the big soldier who shook the pistol from his hand and turn him around so that his back was toward his | enemy, bending his head low and whispering swift words. | Dike Roberts was taken completely by sur- prise, and not until the crisis was past did he make a move. Then, with a sternly-lowering brow and something very like a muttered curse, | he caught the rifle from the hands of the girl, | pushing her toward the cabin as he growled: ‘**You want ms to break your back, Jes’? Scat with ye! Git into the house an’ don’t you | dar’ stick even the tip o’ your nose out ag’in | without leave, onless you want me to snap it | right off. The idee! a gal like you comin’ | atwixt men, an’ makin’ a heap wu’ss bobbery with your durned nonsense! Git!” ‘Give him a fair show, then. If Iam onlya girl, Pl not stand tamely by and see a friend | murdered!” cried Jessie, as she reluctantly yield- | ed to his greater strength. | ““Who’s doin’ any murderin’, you keerless | critter? When a man hits another, he does it with his eyes open, an’ ef he’s bit off a bigger | mouthful then he kin swaller, that’s his own lookout. It’s too late then to plead the baby- ' ' ; t. ‘* But not for his friends to see fair play.” ‘** He’s no fri’nd to you, nur you to him,” was the surly reply, as Dike Roberts pushed her to- ward the cabin. ‘ This is his last comin’ to this | lace, unless he’s got lives to spar’, like a cat. it in thar, an’ ye want to stay put, this time!” | Alva Bohee said nothin during this bit of by-play, though his flushed cheeks and glowing | eyes showed how strongly he was tempted to in- | terfere. His heart thrilled within him at the erous defense made by the one whom he had EareAd to love so dearly, but he knew that any word or action from him just then would be worse than useless. Still holding the rifle which had played so rominent a part in the little drama, Dike berts left Jessie at the threshold and walked | slowly back to where Alva Bohee stood. His | face was grave and stern, his voice anything but pleasant as he addressed the young man: ‘*T reckon you kin give a guess as to what | must come o’ them two slaps, young feller?” ‘* Had a gentleman received them, I could an- swer your question with more certainty,” quiet- ly replied the Parson. ‘‘ What yonder foul- mouthed rowdy would like to make the out- come, his actions have made sufficiently clear, “You slap his wits clean crooked, I do reckon,” and there was a covert look of wonder | ly in his eyesas Dike Roberts glanced up and down | kill the white-livered whelp in his tracks, else! the trim figure before him, as though he sought in vain to discover the muscle that enabled the | Parson to handle his athletic rival so deftly, -_-— Soe eee eee Masked Mark. the Mounted Detective. (a less I was all ready to see it through to the | be settled finally at another time,” decided Vane eend; but you, Parson, ain’t got even so much | derlyn. as a gun about your clothes!” ‘*So have I counted the cost, Mr. Roberts,” quickly replied the young ranchero, his voice growing hard and cold, his blue eyes glowin apis ‘**I have borne all that any one with | a smnave spark of manhood in his composition | could bear without becoming utterly disgraced. | I had urgent reasons for showing so much out- | ward humility; but there is a limit to all human | endurance, and I have been crowded across that line. Ever since I came to Rackabout Range | the people have taken particular pains to tread | on my toes, doubtless believing ‘the Parson’ | would not fight. I’m going to open their eyes, now, and as one of the chief among the bullies, babe. ay with Demas Fee, in any style he may prefer. ‘** Your head won’t turn gray while you wait | fer the chaince, anyhow!” muttered Roberts, as Colonel Victor Vanderlyn parted with his | young companion and gravely approached the others. ° —— With a degree of conew that seemed ex- | aggerated, the ex-soldier lifted his hat and bow- | ed to Alva Bohee, who as politely returned the | salute. His tones were as grave as his face, when he spoke: | ‘This is a very unfortunate affair, Mr. | Bohee, but as a gentleman by birth and breed- | ‘*Clear as mud!” bluntly ejaculated Bohee. showing his white teeth in a sarcastic smile, ‘“f suppose I am to stand up like a little angel and turn first one cheek and then the other toward your principal?” ‘* And close your eyes, too, or the red-cheeked ruffler wouldn’t dare strike at aman from in front, even then!” cried Jessie, from the cabin door, plainly glorying in the spirit so unexpect- edly displayed by the generally despised and be- littled Parson. ‘*Dad-scorch you, Jes’!” muttered Dike Rob- erts, frowning ferociously, but with a twinkle in _ his dark eyes that showed how he secretly gloried _ in the spunk of the little girl. ‘* Git onder kiver with you, an’ hold your hush—you hear me?” Demas Fee uttered a grating oath. Colonel Vanderlyn tugged heavily at his drooping mus- taches, but his tones were cold and hard as he spoke again: ‘You are presuming on your being unarmed,, Mr. Bohee. Considerable allowance can be made, under such circumstances, but for your own sake, I trust you will not overstep the limit.” ‘*Durn so much palaver!” growled Demas Fee, fairly boiling over with mad wrath and hatred. “Spit it out in one word, or I will. I'd riddle the whelp, but my hands are bound by—” ‘‘Once more, be quiet!” sternly interposed the ing, of course you know that it is impossible for | colonel, turning apap his principal with a por- it to end without going further.” He paused, but the young ranchero simply bowed assent. ‘** When blows pass between gentlemen—” Alva Bohee lifted one gloved hand with a ges- | tentous frown, anc thus rem the keen light which shot into the eyes of the Parson, ‘* Make him come to Limerick, then!” “Pm ready at the word, bully,” coldly uttered Bohee. AT I want to know is the time, place ture that caused the colonel to pause in surprise. | and method.” And then, his tones, clear and cutting, smooth and even, yet raised sufficiently high for Jessie to catch them as she stood in the open door, and each syllable stinging Demas Fee like the stroke of a whiplash, the Parson spoke: ‘**Tf you limit the term gentlemen to yourself and me, Colonel Vanderlyn, [ am willing to ac- cept it and listen further; but if by it you mean to include that fellow with the finger-marked cheeks, you are both wasting your words and shooting very wide of the mark. Demas Fee is not a gentleman; never was nor ever will be a gentleman, if his treatment of a stranger be taken as the criterion. He has shown himself a foul-mouthed ruffian, a brutal bully, a cowardly cur. He has no claims to recognition at the _hands of an honorable man. He would be too highly honored by a salute from the boot of a gentleman’s lackey. He is too low—” ‘Choke him off, or [ll riddle him like a sifter!” cried Fee, almost suffocating with rage, WEebing as though actually under the excoriat- ing lash. a The gentleman you allude to is my friend, Mr. Bohee,” stiffly uttered the colonel, flushing warmly. ‘“ By insulting him, you insult me, ag! have consented to act as his representa- ive. “That, of course would be a matter of regret to me,” politely bowed Bohee, but showing no signs of uneasiness or fear at the implied threat. ‘* So far as [ know, you have treated me as one gentleman should treat another. Still, when you make so palpable a mistake as to bring me a message from a half-drunken, wholly dis- reputable brute, and claim that it 1s from a man of honor, I must correct you, let the conse- quences be what they may.” ‘** Then I am to understand that you refuse to ve my friend satisfaction for the blows you ealt him, just now?’ the colonel stiffly demand- ed, emphasizing the word friend by way of 77 hal his declining the estimate made by Bo- ee ‘* Not a bit of it,” was the swift reply, the red lips curling with scorn. ‘‘Since decency is at a discount on Rackabout e, and a man is deemed a criminal for and behavin himself as a gentleman should, I'll waive al other considerations and xe even Demas Fee satisfaction when, how and where he pleases,” ‘‘ Give him a gun and step aside, you /” grated the young ranchero, fairly purple with passion, aie nervously fingering the weapons in his Colonel Vanderlyn turned upon him with up- lifted finger, his eyes flashing a stern warning as he attered: ‘*[ heg you will keep silence, sir, until called upon. You have placed yourself in my hands, and have promised to abide by my decision. If you prefer to break your pledge—” ‘** ‘You know I can’t,” the other replied, sullen- his voice sounding harsh and choked. ‘‘ I'd But I’m bound to get even—mind that!” ‘Mr. Bohee, are you willing to abide by the | decision reached by our friend Roberts and my- *‘or the kunnel couldn’t ’a’ got his gun away in self, after consultation? If we decide that the time to save his bacon. As it is—you’d better shake foot mighty lively out o’ this onless you’re raa ly hungry fer a wooden overcoat.” ‘Would you run, were you in my place, Mr. Roberts?” pointedly asked the young ranchero. The weatherbeaten countenance flushed a lit- | I ask is half a chance. tle, and the old squatter actually seemed con- fused. Then he muttered: **T wouldn’t ’a’ stuck into no sech game, on- affair shall go no further, will—” ‘*There needs no further deliberation that I am aware of, in this case,” was the cold inter- ruption. ‘‘ That fellow thinks he requires satis- faction. I am quite ready to give it to him. All As to the when, where and how, I am perfectly indifferent.” ‘*Very well. A blow calls for a blow. Let the score be made even, and then the matter can rrr cerns sense ee eC ‘Right now, durn ye!” snarled the bully, throwing off all control and stepping forward. ‘*Tf I can’t shoot, I can lick ye so your own mammy wouldn’t know her pet cub!” ‘You can try, better say, bully,” calmly amended Bohee. ‘‘Are you willing to meet him in a fair fist- fight?” eagerly asked the colonel, his eyes aglow. ‘‘Any way you please. Lead the way toa quiet spot, and—” ‘* Right here and now!” cried Demas Fee, un- buckling his belt of arms and casting it to one side. ‘Jes’ saw you spat me when I wasn’t peSparess she shall see me lick you until you beg: ike an egg-sucking cur under the lash!” Alva Bohee hesitated, glancing toward the cabin and meeting the eager gaze of the red- headed girl. He smiled and gave a barely-per- ceptible nod. Jessie read the gesture aright, and the grave, anxious expression fled from her face and she cried: ‘‘A new saddle against a new canoe that the sinner goes down before the saint!” ** You Jes’!” sternly warned Dike Roberts. “Tf you lose, ’'l) cheerfully pay the debt, Miss Roberts,” laughed Bohee, tossing his perforated head-gear to one side, ‘If I leave enough of you in one piece to find Sena geet cocoa sneered Demas Fee, his face ighting up remarkably now that he saw a pros- pect of fairly wiping out the stain cast upon his manhood by the despised Parson. “If I could only insure your not yelping enough under five minutes, I wouldn’t change places with an angel right from heaven!” ‘Tll try my level best to make those five ininutes the most interesting of your life, bully, if you hold out that long,” lightly laughed Bo- hee, as he cast aside his coat and turned back his damp wristbands. Dike Roberts seemed fairly on the fence and@ at a loss which champion to crow for. All his interests, as he viewed them, pulled toward Demas Fee, but at the same time the wholly unexpected pluck and nerve displayed by the Parson, whom he, in common with nearly every one living on Rackabout Range, had’ placed down asa poor weakling, the mere counterfeit of a man as considered from a “ wild and wool- nee standpoint, won his admiration despite him- self. He fidgeted about uneasily while Demas Fee was completing his ominous preparations for the fight, and when Alva Bohee folded his arms and quietly watched the athletic ranchero strip- ping, he could not refrain from muttering: ‘‘ Durn it all, lad! you ain’t goin’ to fight with all them tight clothes onto ye? An’ Demas the wu’st two-handed fighter en all Rackabout Range! Strip to it, lad, an’ I'll make Jes’ git inside an’ shet the do’ ef you’re bashful.” Alva Bohee cast a grateful glance on the squatter, his voice softer than it had been since the disturbance began, save and except during his brief remarks to Jessie. ‘Thanks, Mr. Roberts, but I hardly think it necessary. The rum-bibber is quite heavily enough handicapped as it is.” “You don’t raally think you kin lick him?” ejaculated the squatter, his eyes widely dis- nded. ‘* No; I know I can,” was the cool response. The conversation was checked by the actions: of Colonel Vanderlyn, who paused midway be- tween the two rivals, saying: ‘It is understood that you two are to settle this unfortunate affair between yourselves, with nature’s weapons alone. All’s fair, solong as: EGOmMmIG : A i oKoxey, * * . ~ - eee 8 # 7 .