Beadle's New York Dime Library No. 367 — page 10: what you’re looking at

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

- ~ ¢ - -» = * et ww 6 -* > : = : a _ 8 or a a _ —_- “ on ad . ma ei ¥ —- af > & 2 ‘and ? a. — “ —s SS nw ~ t , = re ~ ee 7 y 7) 4 As, *,) 7 ha: 4 - 4 ~ 2 F oad ~_ 10 Tell him that you three, with Sol Scott’s wife and kid, make up aroyal flush for him to draw against.” Rachel made no reply, but drew a sheet of paper from the drawer in the table before her, a bright, burning light filling her eyes as the ay ran swiftly to and fro, telling the whole lack story. And as she neared the bottom of ' the sheet, Aces-and, looking over her shoulder, ‘ uttered a grim laugh of pleasure as he cried: “That's right, my dear! Make it strong— in the poison! I wantit to sting the blood- ound to the very core of his heart! Ha!” With a sharp cry Rachel caught up the paper and was about to tear it to bits, when it was snatched from her fingers by Aces-and. **No, you don’t, my beauty!” he cried, ma- ygnantly, rire | the paper beyond her ea “*Tt will cut the bloodhound to the very heart, and all the deeper for its breaking off so—” With a half-insane cry, Rachel tore open the drawer, snatched out a revolver and covered the mocking demon, who abruptly ducked, cry- ing: “ Shoot, and Baby knifes the boy!” | Rachel saw the giant flash a knife over her helpless child, and knew by his savage grin that he would be only too glad of an excuse to drive the deadly weapon home to poor Willie’s heart! CHAPTER VII. JOHNNY-JUMP-UP DRAWS TO FILL. THE desperado with the golden locks and the womanish face, cut little time to waste after leaping through the window on parting with Aces-and. With that enforced message in his possession, he knew just what he had to do, and as it contained a spice of danger amid its pure deviltry, Johnny-jump-up was all the more ready for business. ‘Weaving Mose, I want you and your three mates,” he said, as he moved toward his horse. ‘*T'm going to take a little ride, and there may be a bit of rough play before the end comes, Mount and look to your tools, then follow me, The rest of you will stop here under orders of Aces-and.” He leaped lightly into the saddle and rode rap- idly away from the spot, casting a passing glance at the corpse of poor Mark Hopkins, which still lay just as the cowboy fell before that unerring shot. ‘ At the base of the corral fence .ay the sur- viving cowboys, bound and helpless, sullen and . silent, with the faces of men who more than half anticipate a cruel death ere long. Jobnny- jump-up laughed softly as he rode past them, and waved his dainty hand in mockery. “Tit fer tat, an’ it wouldn’t be no more’n fair ef the boss was to let us take the kinks out o’ our trail-ropes with a two-legged weight at the eend o’ each!” growled the tall, gangling fellow known among his fellows as Weaving Mose. Though seemingly addressed purely to his nearest comrade, these words were loud enough to reach the ears of the yellow-haired despera- do, who turned partly in his saddle and gazed into ine rough, freckled countenance of the grumbler, coolly purring: ** Aces-and ceil d be delighted to hear you ex- ress your opinion, Moses, l’m quite sure. But, f you please, ’'d like you to wait until after nd at have performed the share of work [I’m lay- out for you.” | eaving Mose grinned dubiously, with a shrug of his shoulders, **1 didn’t whisper it out loud ontel I was dead sure the len’th o’ my tongue couldn’t nigh reach the boss, Johnny! Though I do look so much like it, I ain't a plum’ fool, clean all over. I know he runs the deck, an’ that we common keerds hain’t got no say-so in the game ’cept what he gives us of his own a’cord. Nur L ain’t kickin’ at that, nuther. I on’y say as I think, that it’s a durned sin an’ a shame that we cain’t yank them cowboys up like they’ve bin b’istin’ our to glory.” “Be darned ef it jes’ ain’t, now!” muttered another of the party, emboldened by the license given Weaving Mose. **Tt’s a green player that throws out his whole strength on the first hand, my good fellows,” smiled Johnny-jump-up, wha appeared to be in an unusually communicative mood, even for him. ‘ Wait until we hit the hand we’ve been laying low for, and then you'll see the feathers fly in earnest. It won’t be long—unless something crooked turns up in the road, this very sunset will show us at the top-notch, read to make Dan Brown and his fellow-bloodhounds swear white is black, blue, green or yellow, just as the fancy strikes us!” **Tt’s mi ehty consolin’ to arn even that much aforehand!” uttered Weaving Mose. Johnny-jump-up was in high good humor over the complete success of their scheming thus far, and seemed willing to please his followers still further. He laughed lightly at the plain hint thus conveyed, and spoke easily: “You want to know just how much danger there is ahead of your precious carcass, do you? Well, that’s easy counted up. **T am bound for Sol Scott’s ranch. I am go- ing to bring the madam and her kid back with me, to sort ’em out ‘longside our first draw.” A Royal Flush. CF Tr ‘*'Won’t it look sorter dub’us, when she sees five critters, all of ’em strangers, when the mad- am back yender mought jes’ as easy sent some 0’ her own men?” shrewdly asked Weaving Mose, fancying he detected a flaw in the plans of his leader, Johnny-jump-up laughed softly, nodding his head approvingly, ‘* Don’t try to teach your grandmother how to suck eggs, Mose! I’ve provided for all that. [ll drop you fellows under cover, just ahead,” and a wave of one hand indica the point where asort of ‘‘ draw ” or narrow coulee crosse the trail, aeechony sprinkled with scrubby trees and undergrowth, ‘‘I’ll ride on alone and do the talking.” A few moments more of brisk riding brought them to the cover, and Johnny-jump-up poin out to them the ambush they were to occupy. In silence they listened to his repetition of WP plans, and then he rode onat a § op toward the not very far away ranch owned by Sol Scott. It soon after came into view; the counterpart at first glance of the Single Pot Ranch. As he rode briskly on, ohnny-jump-up assur- ed himself that his weapons were all in good order, for he knew that he was taking his life in his hands. It might easily happen that some one or more of the cowboys employed on the place had met him before, and if so—if his real character should be so much as suspected—al- most certain death would be the reward of his audacity. ‘**It’s all in a lifetime,” he muttered, with a low, reckless laugh. “If it is to be, it will be. But [ll not believe it just yet. The game has run too smoothly so far to have a bad break now. We've got to win!” Even as he uttered the words a dark frown corrugated his brows, for he saw the figure of a man apy suddenly into view from near the foot of a tree which stood a little distance in front of the ranch, and even at that distance could tell that he was scanning him through the medium of a field-glass. A few moments thus then he caught the faint echo of a shout, and almost immediately a small body of horsemen came sweeping around the corrals and build- ings to one side of the ranch proper. | ‘Four men—five, with the spy!” muttered Johnny-jump-up, showing his white teeth sav- agely, but not checking the pace of his good horse in the slightest. ‘‘ They keep a better watch than at the Single Pot Ranch, but I’m pecking that the result will be the same. If any one of you fellows happens to know Johnny- jump-up, better begin with your prayers in a aurry, or itll be forever too late!” He saw the man with the field-glass leap into the saddle of a led horse and then spur toward him, closely followed by the four cowboys who had responded so promptly to his signal. But Johnny jump-up only waved his hat on high as he dashed on toward them. Whatever his faults, lack of courage was not one of them. “*Hvening, gentlemen!” he cried, when still at some little distance. ‘This is Sol Scott's ranch, of course?” ** Tt is,” pRouipay replied the leader of the lit- tle band of guards, as he ret scrutinized the new-comer. ‘* You are bound there?” ‘* Straight as a string,” laughed Johnny-jump- up, boldly meeting their close and searching scrutiny. ‘‘ Ll wish to see Mrs, Scott.” As ‘he uttered these words Johnny-jump-up reined in his horse. It was either that or else to veer abruptly from the trail, for the five cowboys kad bated so as to completely bar the way. ‘You bring a message from Mr. Scott?” ‘Well, not precisely from him, but—” ‘* He did not send you here, then?” interposed the other, his voice growing a trifle sharper— ‘you have no token from him?” Johnny-jump-up opened his blue eyes widely, as he shook his head. ‘*Then you can’t see the mistress,” was the positive rejoinder. ** But Pve got business with her, my dear fel- low! I’ve come expressly to see her, and ** Sorry, but orders are orders, and we’re here to see that those orders are faithfully executed,” coldly uttered the cowboy, shaking his head. **If it is important, you can reveal your busi- ness to me, and if I think it is necessary I will pass it on to the mistress.” Johnny-jump-up laughed hardly, his eyes be- ginning to glow. “One would think you owned the whole ranch, stranger!” ‘*[’m in charge, under the mistress. If you don’t like our way of doing business, the back trail is open to you, sir.” ‘This is not an insult to me, personally, I hope?” ‘Not a bit of it,” was the quiet response, though the bronzed cheek flushed a little at, the hard, almost insulting tone in which the query was couched, ‘* Our orders apply to all who come here without a particular token from Mr. Scott. If you were the president, you could not pass us without that token.” ‘All right, then,” and a complete change came over the demeanor of the yellow-haired ‘ ee sss essences . " desperado, ‘‘I fancied you were putting on frills just to show your authority in the face of a single man, and he a stranger. If such are the rules and regulations, I’m the last mortal to kick againstthem. Though it does look a lit- tle odd!” ‘I presume Mr. Scott has his reasons for giv- ing such orders, but they are orders, and we have only to do with them,” was the calm reply. f That's all right, my friend,” and Johnny- jump-up took the note from his bosom end hand- ed it to the guard. ‘‘ Mrs, Brown, of the Sin- gle Pot Ranch, gave me this, and begged me to hand it to her friend, Mrs, Sol Scott, Ill come as near doing it as your rules will allow, and if there’s any afterclap, I'll turn it over to you.” ‘You can wait here with the boys, while I deliver the note,” said Top Dancer, calmly, turning bis horse and speeding off to the mn in the front door of which the keen eyes of Johny-jump-up now caught a brief glimpse of a woman’s figure. ‘Feels his oats a little, don’t he?’ laughed the SPERE PED, with a wink to the remaining guards, ‘*S’posin’ you ax him when he comes back?’ dryly retorted a tall, grizzled fellow, who ap- parently was not greatly fascinated by this fan- cifully rigged out stranger. sgnnny faap y shrugged his shoulders and contented himself with lighting a cigarette, la- zily puffing at it while keeping a: keen though vailed watch on the front of the ranch, where the figure of Top Dancer was still visible, hold- ing his hat in his hand and evidently wait- ing for further instructions from his fair mis- ress. These were not long delayed, for shortly after Johnny-jump-up caught another glimpse of light drapery just within the door, and then Top Dancer turned about, waving his hat above his head. ‘‘That means you’re to go yonder, with us, stranger,” growled the tall cowboy, wrenching his horse around. ‘* Anything to please the company,” laughed Johnny-jump-up, with a brilliant sparkle in his eyes that told how well satisfied he was to obey this command, For a few minutes he had feared bis plans were going crooked to his hopes; but now he felt Sips the contra The vailed hint contained in the note had evidently produced the effect hoped for, and Mrs. Scott’s curios- ity to learn more would not permit her to wait. Johnny-jump-up leaped from the saddle and doffed his hat with a courtly bow as he neared the threshold where the lady awaited him, and a light of admiration filled his blue eyes as he took in her appearance at a glance, If lovely before her marriage with Sol Scott, May Beverley [See Brapiz’s Dime LIBRARY No. 141] was even more beautiful now that she was a wife and mother. Her slender figure had filled out and developed into a most charmin 4ymmetry, and the love of husband and chilk had long since driven the grave, sorrowful ex- ression from her face and the haunted look rom her eyes. ; She bowed pontaly in response, a winning smile curving her red lips, her voice sounding bent and cordial, theden Johnny-jump-up fan- ae he could detect just a trace of anxiety in her ones: ‘* You are just from Fairview, Mr.—” _. ‘** Murgatroyd,” with a low bow. ‘‘ Direct from there, Mrs, Scott.” : ‘* And you left all well? But please step in- side. I have so many questions to ask you,” she added, with a little laugh that betrayed her actual nervousness, Johnny-jump-up complied. The “cunning ester soon found himself seated in a cosey little room, with Mrs. Scott be- fore him, her eyes far more impatient than her tongue, ‘Mrs, Brown was well, of course? And the children?” ‘‘Mrs, Brown was quite well, though I fancied she looked a little pale, if not troubled in mind. It may have been a mere fancy, though, for years have passed since I last met her; shortly after her marriage, infact.” ‘*Then you are quite an old friend of hers?” ‘Of her husband’s, rather,” bowed Johnny- jump-up. ‘‘ We were in the same line of busi- ness then, and when I chanced to stumble across Dan Brown, of Denver, as we used to call him, he j mped at the chance of sending a letter to his wife,’ ‘You are just from him then?” and a wistful look came into the woman’s eyes. ‘‘ You--did you happen to meet my husband?” The winning smile suddenly fled from the face of the cunning gamester, though he quickly lifted a hand to hide the change, and he laughed. inwardly as he saw how pale the poor, deceived lady grew. Just as he intended, she was fearing the worst. ‘‘ No, I did not meet him. In fact, there was little chance of that, for | only stopped there a few minutes, and then—that is—” “What do you mean, sir?” cried Mrs, Scott, her whole frame quivering, her face pale as that > eomichbooks