Beadle's New York Dime Library No. 367 — page 14: what you’re looking at

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

14 and weapons flashed from their scabbards like magic. Top Dancer was right. This bold rider was none other than Johnny-jump-up, who, the bet- ter to carry out the daring plot he had formed in connection with Aces-and, had taken his life in his hands and thus braved almost cer- tain death. Timing his approach to the ruins, he dashed swiftly out from behind the nearest corral, rein- ing in his horse just where the morning sun would fall clearest upon his figure and face, the latter fully revealed by the pinned-up front of his broad felt hat. He made no motion when Top Dancer flung out his revolver, though he must have seen the gesture and taken in the purport of that angry ejaculation. And when the cowboys pulled their guns he showed no sign of fear, made no attempt to turn in flight, simply throwing up an empty hand and shouting in a clear, reckless voice; ‘‘ Keep your linen on, gentlemen! It’s not Johnny-jump-up alone that you are firing at but two women and three children—a kid full on queens!” Only that, but it was more than sufficient. Both ‘Dan Brown and Sol Scott divined his meaning only too well, and ther voices rose in sh and stern warning to their excited men; ‘* Hold! fire not a shot on your lives!” ‘‘ Down with your guns! Ill riddle the man that refuses!” They leaped in among their confused follow- ers, and knocked the revolvers to the right and left, repeating their commands in still sterner tones. And all the time J obnny Shae op sat his horse, his womanly-beautiful face lighted up with a smile of mingled amusement and con- tempt. Top Dancer, grating his teeth with dogged savageness, struggled to rise at least far enough to repeat the shot wasted by his weakness, i) could push himself to.a partially crect position with the aid of both hands, added to his indomi- table will, but as often as he would try to lift his weapon the weight of his body would prove too much for one arm, and he would drop upon his face, only to renew the bitter strug- le. : ‘*Somebcdy put his heel on the head of that broken-backed snake under the tree,” impu- dently cried Johnny-jump-up. touching his horse with the spur and leisurely advancing when assured that all present danger was past, ‘‘One of your victims, 1 more than suspect,” coldly uttered Dan Brown of Denver, moving forward to meet the villain. ‘‘T dare say,” drawled the desperado, covertl though keenly summing up the detective wit his keen blue eyes, ‘‘ Of course, if you say so,” with a bow of mock courtesy, ‘‘ though it’s sel- dom I leave any botchwork lying around loose. If I might advise, 1 would—” Sol Scott reached up and lightly tapped the mocking lips with the back of his hand. A hard smile curled his drooping mustaches as he saw the hot flush leap into the face before him, as he saw the gloved right hand drop to a revolver butt as though to instantly avenge the insult. But Johnny-jump-up did not draw a weapon. It was more the reddish glow in those two pair of eyes, than the warning muttering which went up om the vengeful cowboys, that held him in check. " You are one of a dozen big fellows, while I am alone,” Johnny-jump-up uttered, his tones smooth as silk, his voice low and even, ‘‘ Before T could draw a weapon, your hired bullies would riddle me with their guns. You know this, else ou would not have sand enough, even if coun- rfeit, to strike me thus.” Dan Brown caught his pard by the arm, but his fears of an prploston were without founda- tion in fact. Sol Scott simply smiled his con- tempt, then spoke coldly: ‘You were throwing out slurs against a man one hair from whose head is worth a thousand- fold your entire carcass. You shut him down without giving him a chance to defend himself, and—”’ ‘‘ There were three other fellows with him, if I’m not out in my memory for faces,” ghtty retorted J fre Ny Slag ‘* Allarmed, all sus- picious of yours truly. I was alone, yet they went down for keeps. Does that look much like cowardice, Mister Man?” ‘‘Let that pass for the present, pard,” said Dan Brown, his fingers closing more rigidly as he felt the muscles beneath swell and quiver. ‘* And you, dog! show little sense in calling up your dastardly exploits.” Johnny-jump-up laughed softly, meeting the fiery gaze without even the first sign of uneasi- ness, shame or fear. And his voice was by far the most carelessof the trio as he uttered, lazily: ‘‘ Well, what are you going to do about it?” As it was when originally uttered, this im- mortal conundrum was a puree not so readily solved by those to whom it was put, and once more the lips that pronounced it smiled mali- ciously,. ‘* You would like to repeat that blow in dead- ly earnest, Sol Scott. You would like to shoot me down like a dog. It would be pleasure most ecstatic were you free to cut and carve with your good knife until I might pass for hotel hash A Royal Flush. or boarding-house mince-meat. And you, Dan boy, but his words were inaudible to the sharp- Brown of Denver, bloodsucker, sleuth-hound, fattener on head money! you would ask for no reater boon in life than the privilege of stand- ing by as a witness while your hired bullies made of poormea Roman holiday! And why starve your appetites? Why hold your hands? Why hunger when before you lies such a deli- cious feast?” He ceased his taunt, removing his hat and running his pte fingers through the soft silken mass of curling locks, his face beautiful as that of a pictured angel. Stern and Silent stood Sol Scott and Dan Brown of Denver. If either were stung by his mocking words, nothing showed the wound. If they longed totear him from his saddle and trample life out beneath their feet, only the red- dish glow in their eyes betrayed the fact, and pone ut to the taunting devil who sat before em. A soft, bubbling laugh parted his red lips. ‘* Because you know that five other lives are bound up in mine. Because you know that when I fall a victim to your hot vengeance, five other souls will bear mine company to the glorious—” Dan Brown placed one hand on the little des- perado’s thigh, his fingers closing until the threatened to penetrate cloth and flesh, until Johnny-jump-up, gritty though he had and was showing himself, flinched with pain. ‘*You have said enough, you scoundrel!” atingly muttered the detective, his eyes aglow, is face showing how hard it was for him to keep from going further. ‘*Don’t soil their names by coupling their innocence and purity with your shameless turpitude. Don’t crowd us too far, or even their lives may not protect you longer.” ‘‘Itis for me to deal the cards, not you, Dan Brown,” retorted Johnny-jump-up, quickly re- covering from his temporary discomfiture. ‘*'You haven't a word to say until your betters are served, and then you have to take just what is given you. Bear this point in mind as we go along, will you? It may savé ‘you some trouble in the end.” The two detectives interchanged quick glances. They had arrived at the same conclusion, and Dan Brown spoke again; ‘“You are the messenger spoken of in this note, signed Aces-and?” ‘* My brother—yes,” ‘That, of course. Two such devilish scoun- drels could only come of one common stock, But a truce to compliments, and down to business. You have terms to offer?” ‘*To impose, you mean,” insolently corrected Johnny-jump-up. ‘*That word, if it likes you better,” coldly re- sponded Dan Brown. ‘‘ You admit that you are one of the gang, then?” ‘* And proud of it,” was the prompt boast. ‘I do belong to the same gang of horse-thieves, robbers, throat-slitters and law-breakers in gen- eral which you have been hunting from pillar to t for so many busy months, My brother is its chief. Iam his right hand, and perform the work as his brain lays it out.” ‘‘TIt was to hasten my mission that I called ou away from your chosen field, bloodhound. it cost a trifle,” and he aaa softly as he glanced over the ruins of § ngle Pot Ranch ‘but I knew you had a mighty rich wife, a could stand the pressure.” **' You set the ranch afire, then?” quietly ask- ed Dan Brown. ‘Of course,” was the impudent admission. ‘* For certain reasons which it is hardly neces- sary for me to mention, I did not care about cutting the bonds of your bully boys with my own hand. I knew that other eyes than theirs would quickly sight a red light, and so—you see —the ranch had to go,” ‘**Tt performed all you anticipated, then?” ‘‘That, and more,” was the admission, and for the first time since his coming, Johnny-jump- up permitted a trace of wondering curiosity to show itself in his face and eyes as he keenly scrutinized the two detectives. ‘‘I wanted the dogs set free that they might carry the news to you in a hurry; but 1 didn’t expect them to find you quite so soon.” ‘You may meet with other surprises before our head turns gray, Johnny-jump-up,” grim- y laughed Dan Brown. ‘‘ But to—” ‘Send some of your dogs to muzzle that snarl- ing cur, over yonder!” sharply uttered the des- ea oat pointing toward Top Dancer who, all his time, had not relaxed his efforts to secure a second shot at the man who had so wantonly shot him down while in the performance of his vi § inding it impossible to lift his nearly _par- alyzed body and support it with one hand and arm, Top Dancer, grating his teeth with savage resolution, choking back the deathly pain and faintness the exertion occasioned, turned over on his side and with his right elbow resting on the ground, was essaying to steady the heavy weapon for a death shot. Sol Scott moved swiftly over to where Top Dancer lay, and gently removed the weapen from his failing grasp. He stooped low and seem- ed to be speaking earnestly to the wounded cow- ly listening desperado. Better for him, per- haps had such not been the case! “He stole the madam—and the child!” pant- ed Dancer, faintly as to voice, but with a strength of hatred and revenge that almost. startled the detective. ‘* He butchered the boys. He shot me down. I don’t care so much for that. But the rest—I want to pay him. Let me get square—and Ill die easy! Just one shot!” ** Even though that shot dooms your mistress: and her little babe to death?’ whispered the de- tective, his eyes dimming, his voice shaken as no living foeman had ever heard it. ‘* The are held as hostages for his safety, Dancer. If oe fails to return with a report, they will suf- er. ‘* Not if you move swift,” gasped the wounded man. ‘* Disguise—as you know so well. Sur- prise the devils! They won’t—look for it—so soon, Kill him—” Sol Scott bent his head lower until his lips almost touched the ear of the cowboy, then hur- riedly whispered: ‘‘There are more ways of getting even than through a bullet, Top! If you wait, you may live to see this. Keep quiet. That running devil is watching you. Nurse back your strength, for if things come to the pass I firmly believe, you may want to have a finger in the pie. “Swear it, boss!” gasped the wounded man, the fire deepening in his sunken eyes. ‘* Swear I may help to—” ‘You shall, never fear,” and with a parting pressure of the feverish hand, Sol Scott added: ‘ Believe this, instead of the words I am about to utter. I want that devil to hear them, to throw him off the right scent. If you under- stand, ae my hand.” He felt the feeble pressure, and then drew back a pace or two, folding his arms over his swelling bosom, a grave, serious look on his handsome countenance as he ke in tones a. trifle louder than any he had before used: ‘*T can’t blame you, my man, when I remem- ber all you have suffered through that infernal bloodhound! And yet—if you knew that your revenge could only be gained through the death or at least the brutal treatment of others—of the helpless and innocent—of your mistress and her poor little child, Dancer? If you knew that the death of yonder vile scoundrel meant death to them, as well, would you still ask it of me, old fellow?” ‘“No, I wouldn’t,” was the quick reply, in tones of surprising clearness, coming as the did from one whom all around considered al- te on the verge of the grave. ‘* He swears itis so, and I believe him. He wouldn’t risk his life within reach of our hands, if he hadn’t some such safeguard.” ‘Let him go, for now. If I can do anything rT their sakes—I’m only too glad. But, oss! ‘“'Well, my good fellow?” ‘You won’t forget him. Time will come— when he must pay for it all. Then—score him one—for Top Dancer, boss!” ‘*T will, as Heaven hears me!” cried Sol Scott, his clinched right hand raised toward the zenith.” ‘“ That’s all—right. I’m—satisfied, boss!” Worn out, the wounded: cowboy leaned back against the tree-trunk to which Sol Scott had restored him, and his eyes closed. He looked more like a dead man than one livin , and as Sol Scott bade two of the men go to him and nurse him back to ies if possible, they hastily moved forward, while the detective re- tiene his steps to where Dan Brown and John- ny-jump-up had been silently watching his. movements. As Sol Scott came up, the desperado with a sneer uttered: ‘Did you succeed in soothing the big baby, my fine fellow? Does he still insist on having my scalp?” ; ‘I made him a pledge that satisfied him,” was the quiet response. ‘‘ Are you anxious to learn what that was?” ‘Suit yourself,” was the careless reply, “I’m satisfied with the cards I hold, and know that you dare not jump the game, or play a bluff, without first obtaining my permissicn. For once you have met your master, Sol Scott. Which includes you, too, Dan Brown!” ‘*The game is not played to an end yet.” ‘**Or you would be standing here, stripped to the buff!” with a hard and merciless laugh. ‘*'You would be poorer than the poorest man among these gentle tail-twisters! You would not have a dollar to cross yourself with! A hoof nor a horn to console you while dreaming of the pe when you could wallow in riches Ended? Not much, my dear Mr, Brown! It. has only just begun!” ‘*So much the worse for you,” steadily re torted Dan Brown. ‘‘ Because there is still a chance for you to lose, invincible as you seem to think the hand vou have drawn from the deck,” added Sol Scott. ‘‘ We have played the game before this, and you are eer ainst the men your own class first dubbed ROYAL FLUSH!” CONMIGO + fo) = _—* J - J