Beadle's New York Dime Library No. 367 — page 5: what you’re looking at

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

_— ein “want to mind your eye. , If you’ve been play- ing a bluff, guard yourself. Dan Brown is worse than a bear with a sore head when roused from a needed sleep, as now. If you can’t satis- fy him, [ don’t envy your reward!” The tramp of oncoming hoofs was now dis- tinctly audible, and turning in that direction, Sol Scott raised one hand and made a peculiar gesture. The horseman at once jerked up his animal, then turned and galloped back toward the grove of trees. ‘‘ It’s more comfortable talking in the shade,” Sol said, lightly, as the cowboys stared at him wonderingly. ‘‘And then, if Dough-ball has been st g us with wind-pudding, a tree will come handy.” ‘*Tt’s all right, ef they ain’t no trick hid on- der it,” grimly muttered Hampton. ‘‘ Mebbe yyou’ve got a crowd hid in yender, an’ think to take the critter out o’ our han’s.” Sol Scott laughed softly. ‘* Would I go toso much trouble, when I had him as good as in my handsa bit ago? Don’t fool yourself, my dear fellow. I’m not going about the country trying to save the necks of horse-thieves from the rope th»y so richly de- serve. Just the contrary; we are spending our days in trying torid this region of those very curses,” The cowboy was silenced if not convinced, but when he rode into the the clump of timber, it was with a hand on a revolver-butt. This was a needless precaution, as he quickly ssaw, for only one man was found therein; a mian so marvelously like Sol Scott in face, fig- ure, dress and even voice, that he could be none other than Dan Brown of Denver, the still famed detective. Now that his fate was about to be put to the test, Dough-ball Jimmy found his voice failing him, and he stood breathlessly watching the only man who could—as he believed—save his neck from the hangman’s noose, while Bill em ag was introduced to the detective by Sol Scott. ‘‘ You see the critter, yender?” added the cowboy, with a sidelong jerk of his head to- ward Dough-ball Jimmy. ‘ He’s bin a hoss- thief fer more years then I kin count up with- out stoppin’ to think. We ketched him witha ‘stolen hoes between his legs, an’ was jes’ goin’ to rope him to never-come back-ag’in, when he up with a cock-an’-bull story ‘bout how he could save your fambly by tellin’ somethin’ or— \Vith a swift stride Dan Brown of Denver gain- «| the side of the trembling wretch, grasping him :y both shoulders and gazing keenly into his hagerard, fear-drawn countenance, For a brief nace thus, then he released him, speaking cold- ‘‘Pve got the rascal down in my books. He “oes the dirty work for Aces-and and that vile eang. You couldn’t have made much of a mis- take had you strung him up the instant you <aught him.” ‘Tt ain’t too late yit,” grinned Hampton, with an air of relief. ‘* Don’t let him!” ¢ the wretch, hugging closer to Dan Brown, his face full of horror. I'll tell you the hull story—I’ll sell out the gang an’ all thar secruts, ef on’y you'll give me my life! I ain’t fitten to die, I ain’t!” ‘* And still less fitted to live,” was the stern re- tort. “Iean do nothing for you, beyond ad- visting these gentlemen to take you to the proper authorities for trial.” ‘‘Which we're them, an’ here’s the gallows ready built!” ‘* Whar the jedge an’ jury says b’ist him up ‘quicker’n scat!” ‘* Don’t let em!” screamed the miserable crim- inal as those strong hands again fastened upon his person. ‘‘Ef you do, salt cain’t save your wife an young-’uns, Dan Brown!” _ “Wait a bit, my good friends,” said Sol Scott interposing. ‘‘I don’t believe my pard rightl understands the matter, as yet. Time enoug a sunset. Let the poor devil confess, if he will. ‘* What do you mean?” Dan Brown demanded ae sternly into the face of the prisoner. Mone at danger threatens my family? Speak Life is very dear to even a wretch like this, and narrow as had been his escape from death thus far, he refused to take warning from them. Treacherous himself, he had no faith in others. He felt that unless he made terms for his life be- fore speaking, he would be cheated out of it afterward. ‘“Say you'll save me from them devils!” he gasped, ,oarsely, almost inarticulately, ‘‘ Sw’ar youll give me my life an’ let me go free when ve told you all, or I'll die with my mouth shet —so thar!” ‘“Tt’s on’y a bluff, pard,” impatiently mutter- ed Hampton. . ‘‘ Tf so, it will not deceive old players like us,” coolly interposed Sol Scott, who, somehow, seemed to place more confidence in the criminal than any of the rest. ‘‘ Let him have it out, will you?” Mild enough the tones, milder still the man- ner, of the detective, but for all that Bill Hamp- ton gave way. Ho felt that Sol Scott was ce ee eee eee Sees ees ee se EE, EE EE EOE EE OE EEE EEE OEE S -——- es — — C<—CrerrrrOr ready to change both tone and manner, should the occasion require, and the one specimen of his metal was sufficient for that aay Dan Brown gazed steadily into the face of the prisoner for a few moments, but he could read nothing satisfactory there. He had been on the go for a month and more, losing both sleep and rest, until his usually clear and swift perceptions were more dulled than he knew. Like the head cowboy, he believed the miserable rascal was trying a bluff as the last hope of saving himself from the doom he so richly merited. ‘‘T make no terms in advance to such men as you are,” he uttered, coldly. ‘‘Ifyouhave any thing worth listening to, give it utterance. If it is worth a life, you shall have your pay. Out with it.” ‘‘ Sw’ar to stan’ them cusses off, an’ [ll squeal —not onless!” des; erately uttered Dough-ball Jimmy. ‘‘Tf you were an innocent man, or if there was even the ghost of a doubt as to your de- serving death by the rope, I would cheerfully agree to do that; but you don’t even pretend that you are anything but a horse-thief, whom these gentlemen—” ‘‘ Caught red-handed, with the stolen critter atween his two legs!” interrupted Hampton, taking fresh courage from the black and ugly looks which he saw among his fellows. ‘‘ No white man ain’t goin’ to cut in to cheat the rope o’ no sech dirty whelp.” ‘‘ Nur no two men cain’t stan’ us off, like the whelp thinks,” sullenly growled a burly cow- boy, dtohine his revolvers around. it was an unlucky speech for his side. Dan Brown, worn and harassed, sorely tried in both body and mind, was in just the right condition to take fire at a spark, and with a cold smile he turned upon the last speaker. ‘‘ You believe what you say, of course, but I wouldn’t bet too big a pile on it, were I you, dear fellow. After all, the scoundrel has a fair claim to a fair trial before a different court than this. poscayy ap Wiapsee aman, while a few years in prison might make an angel of him, so to speak. He’d look well with a pair of wings sprouting!” A low, disagreeable laugh parted the lips of the detective as he turned once more upon the prisoner, unheeding the black and ugly looks which the cowboys were interchanging. Very unlike an angel was Dough-ball Jimmy just then; his haggard face still more repulsive as his fears and hopes wrestled for the upper hand. Huskily he whined once more: ‘* Tt’s true—so help me—” ‘* The devil, of course,” interposed Dan Brown of Denver. ‘‘ You rascal, I know you. I’ve got your name down in my black-book. You are a horse-thief, if no worse. The prison is just gr x lame ducks of your caliber!” A h of sullen rage came into the dirty, blood-stained face. ‘*You send me thar, an’ you'll shed tears o’ blood fer it, all the rest o’ your life!” Dan Brown uttered a laugh, cold and hard, unheeding the grave and anxious looks of his brother detective. ‘*That’s a chestnut, grown old and moldy ages and ages ago.” a Hampton fancied he saw his chance, and put in: ‘* Ef you two cain’t make no bargain, whar’s the use in waitin’ an’ wastin’ any more time? A rope the dirty cuss was born fer, an’ here it is, ready noosed, an’ jes’ a-pantin’ fer work!” ‘‘ Yank him up, an’ jaw afterwards!” ‘‘ That’s business in a minnit!” Hampton tightened the rope, but it was caught in the iron grip of Dan Brown, the de- tective, coldly smiling into the angry face above im. ‘* You heard me say that this fellow is one of those down in my black-book, didn’t you, dear fellow? Heis my game.” ‘Which we run down an’ ketched without any 0’ your help, didn’t we, boys?” ‘* Waal, I should remark.” Mighty right we jes’ did!” ‘An’ we know how to hang on to what we ketched, too, I reckon!” Sullenly, defiantly, Bill Hampton turned to Dan Brown once more as these and similar ejac- ulations broke from the lips of his fellows. ‘* You kin see fer yourself how the boys look at it. I don’t reckon you want to buck the crowd single-handed?” ‘‘ A pair of us, remember,” quietly interjected Sol Scott. ‘‘ An’ we’re ten! You cain’t fight the crowd, but you'll hev to afore you git this dirty dog from us, that’s flat!” ‘More difficult things than that have been done: but, after all, it would be a pity to get to pulling hair over such a miserable cur as this ough-ball Jimmy,” and Dan Brown turned once more toward the miserable captive, his tones growing still sharper as he demanded: ‘* What is it you expect of me, anyhow?” ‘“To stan’ off the gang—to keep me from the rope—to give me life an’ liberty!” hoarsely the horse-thief. ‘Is that all?’ and the detective arched bis brows in mock surprise. ‘* Why don’t you ask for the entire universe and done with it?” 5 eee eeeEeEeEeEeEeEeEeEeEeEeEeEeEeEeEeEeEeEeEeEeEEe—eEEee ee eee ee a rE a a a eA | ‘‘Tt’s wu’th more’n that to you, what I kin tell you,” persisted the prisoner. ‘‘I kin show up the hull gang. It’s a monstrous big game they’re playin’, an’—” ‘“Why didn’t you come tome with your wares a month ago?’ smiled Dan Brown, with a slight gesture of impatience and disgust. ‘* Tken it would have been welcome news; now itis too ancient. I know the whole game, and so will the world before many days more.” “You ain’t got it all—not that "bout your fambly!” spluttered Dough-ball Jimmy, his bloodshot eyes almost starting from their sockets as his last frail hope seemed to be escaping his grasp. Dan Brown started sharply at those words, and his entire manner underwent a change as complete as it was sudden. His eyes glowed like balls of burning steel as he grasped the horse-thief by the shoulder with a force that al- most made his finger-tips meet in the flesh. His voice was harsh and strained as he grated: ‘“What do you mean? What do you know about my family?” ‘‘ Promise fu’st! Sw’ar to give me life an’ set me loose, or I’m a shet clam fer good an’ all!” doggedly persisted the criminal. The iron grip on his shoulder tightened, and was supplemented by another on his thigh. Then, with a hard, ugly laugh, the border de- tective heaved the rascal into the air, holding him above his head at arm’s length, threatening to cast him with crushing violence to the earth, ‘You pitiful cur!” came gretn gly through his tightly-clinched teeth. ‘‘ Would you play such a silly bluff on me?” The cowboys looked on in silence. If not wholly satisfied, they did not care enough to in- terfere with the detective just then. It was too much like crowding in between a mountain lion and its prey. Not so Sol Scott. Cooler, less worn and wea- ried than his partner, he believed he could read something deeper than a lie under all this, and with a swift, firm grasp, he checked the enraged athlete. ‘‘ Give him a show, pard,” he said, quietly, as those blazing orbs were turned upon him, ‘ ‘You’re worn out, and your jor ved is too hot, ing of this fel- ust now. Let me have the han ow I ask it as a favor.” Where threats and remonstrances might— would—have failed, this plea succeeded, and Dan Brown lowered the trembling, half dead wretch to the ground. With a short laugh, he said: ‘ All right, pard. Take the animal and use him as your own.” em! Dough-ball Jimmy bent his head and touched the hand of his rescuer with his parched and bleeding lips. Sol Scott drew the member back hastily, giving it a little shake of disgust, but the poor devil did not seem to no- tice the action. ‘“‘T won’t fergit it to ye, boss, ef I be a di whelp an’ a hoss-thief! I wouldn’t trust to his word now, but I will to yourn. You'll give it? You won't let them devils stretch my neck this bout?” ‘‘T make no promises blindly,” was the cold response. “If you have anything of import- ance to say, spit it out and trust to my honor for your reward. If you deserve a reprieve, be sure you shall have it, even though ten times ten men stood in the way. But take care, my man! If you are trying to play it on us, you'll have scant time in which to repent of your folly. You understand that?” Dough-ball Jimmy hesitated, searching the cold, grave face before him as keenly as his in- jured eyesight would admit, still suspicious, still earful of losing his last chance for life. - Sol Scott frowned impatiently, partly turn- ing away as though on the point of droppin the matter altogether. ; ‘Tm not coaxing = to pour forth your secrets, Dough-ball. I don’t more than half be- lieve you have any worth the hearing. But if you have, you are playing the silly ass in hold- ing on to them so tightly. The rope is cock- sure, if you don’t purchase your life. The other way there is at least a chance for you to cheat the gallows. You are worse than foolish not to jump at it, hot-foot!” ‘‘You won't go back onto it, boss?” whined the r devil. ‘‘ Tf it is worth it, you shall go free. That is my last word on this point. Take it or leave it, and that in a hurry!’ Even that poor, half-crazed wretch.could no longer doubt the utter sincerity of tne detective, and in fear and trembling he spoke: ‘‘- You know the gang you’ve been huntin’— the outfit led by the man they call Aces-and?”’ Sol Scott bowed, and Dan Brown moved a lit- tle closer. ‘“ Waal, they’ve got tired o’ runnin’ an’ skulk- in’. They knowed they was all marked down, an’ in thar desperation they swore to play a big game fer to giteven. They swore it shed be a game o’ freeze-out *twixt them an’ you two, an’ that they’d strike f’ust at the heart an’ pocket 0’ nen Brown, o’ the Single Pot Ranch, the fust ay. pe What do you mean by that?’ demanded Sol . | comicboo Ss Scott. .