Beadle's New York Dime Library No. 367 — page 8: what you’re looking at

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

~~. 8 A Royal Flush. men of your caliber, that it’s mighty hard to keep to a straight trail, even when sudden death lies close on either hand; as it does right now, Jimmy.” ** Don’t I know it, boss? Ain’t I talkin’ fer wee now?” whined the miserable wretch, fawn- ingly. ‘See that you don’t forget that guide-board, then, Jimmy. Goon.” ‘*On’y that much did the boss tell the hull rang, then he turned us out while he talked his plans over more perticklar with J meaner ah an’ that over-growed critter they call Johnny’s Infant.” ** And you played the eavesdropper of course Jimmy?” Dough-ball grinned after a sickly fashion, ‘“That’s what Aces-and paid me fer, mostly boss. He tuck me as a sort 0’ scout an’ spy an? crawler, like. It was second natur’, like, that made me try fer to hear them talk over the ame, an’ it’s lucky fer us all here that I done t, too!” **{ can judge that better after I hear what ‘you discovered, Will you go on?’ and there was a trace of growing impatience in the tones of the detective that acted as a spur to the Ahorse-thief. “They was talkin’ ‘bout Dan Brown when I ot whar I could ketch onto tha’r talk, boss. hey was cussin’ him up hill an’ down, layin’ -all the blame onto his shoulders, an’ sw’arin’ fer to git even ef it tuck a lifetime. Ye see, I didn’t hear the fu’st, nur yit the last of it, but from what I did hear I made out this much: a ae py was goin’ to play a big game of freeze- e out, fu’st keerds they was goin’ fer was the fambly o’ Dan Brown. With them in tha’r han’s, Aces-and said they could sweep the board.” | **What were they going to do with them?” demanded Sol Scott, one strong hand catching hold of Dan Brown as he started forward. ** Speak quick, or salt won’t save you.” ‘Make Dan Brown pay through the nose fer em, Aces-and said,” the cowering horse-thief spluttered, casting a shy glance around him like one who meditated safety in flight. ‘‘How were they to get possession of them? When?” **T cain’t say fer sure, sence [ hed to skin out © that in a hurry; but I do know that the boss, Johnny-jump-up, the Infant, an’ nigh all o’ the . Sing hes gone off somewhars.” ‘* Leaving you behind?’ ‘*Mo an’ two others, to watch on you-’uns, ff you turned head to’rds home, we was to break-neck but what we kep’ ahead o’ you with the word. We was to make straight fer the Single Pot Ranch. Ef we didn’t run on the gang by that, we was free to look out fer our own. necks.” ‘You didn’t hear my—nothing mentioned about my family then?’ Slowly, calmly Sol Scott pronounced these words, but his calmness was only outward. Be- - neath that cold exterior were wildly conflicting _ ‘passions. He saw his own wife, his only child, but an infant. So few miles separated his ranch from that of his brother detective! And he felt that he must be hated almost as intensely as Dan Brown by the gang of outlaws and robbers whom he had bunted so relentlessly. Surely they would not miss such a chance to strike him a _ blow similar to the one this rascal admitted they had planned against the owner of Single Pot Ranch? If they should—if they had! . It was a soul-sickening dread that assailed chim, and for an instant one hand sought his throat, tearing open the loose collar as if it was choking him. And as Dan Brown saw this—as he interpreted that ghastly pallor aright, his strong hand clasped that of his mate, and in seh 6 uttered comforting and strengthening words: ** It’s not too late yet, pard, never fear! We'll et there in time, if we set to work at once. heer up, old fellow—never say dic!” Hoarsely and forced came the words, but they served their purpose. With an effort Sol Scott : fans off that momentary stupor, and cried: ook to the horses—get a remount from these fellows, Il send up the sign for the boys. And then—to save,-or—avenge !” Thoroughly aroused now, Dan Brown glanced -Tapidly over the horses on which the cowboys ‘were mounted, taking in their good points with the eye of a born jockey, In less than a minute he had selected the ones that instinct told him could best be depended upon, and he said: **T want these nags—must have them! Name your own price, and Ill double it.” ‘* But it'll leave us afoot, boss!” muttered one _ of the men, like all men born to the saddle feel- ing helpless at the bare idea of having to depend on his own legs for means of locomotion, ‘*T must have them,” repeated Dan Brown, his eyes all aglow, his right hand on a revolver. **Tf you won’t sell them, I'll take them, I don’t want to kill you but I'll do it without a second thought, if you refuse to give way.” Cold and even weré his tones, but those who listened and looked into his white, drawn coun- tenance just then, knew he meant every syllable he uttered. sss qq a _—O—O— a ae ss ‘Double, treble, ten-fold your price, I tell you!” he added, with a trace of deadly impa- tience in his voice that acted like a spur. ‘*They’re yourn, boss,” cried one of the cow- boys, ie to the ground and resigning his animal, ‘‘ We’ll settle the price when we meet the next time. I ain’t a hog, ef I do grunt once in a while.” ‘Same here,” echoed the other man, as he re- signed his mount, but with a loving, lingering touch of one hand that only a true horseman could understand. ‘‘ Treat him the best you kin a’ford, boss, fer he’s as good as they ever make "em, he is!” ‘Would ye?” snarled the first cowboy, mak- ing a sudden dive into the underbrush in pur- suit of Dough-ball Jimmy, who had taken ad- vantage of this episode to steal away, as he thought, unobserved. ‘“* Would ye, you durned sarpint? Not much ye don’t!” But Dough-ball evaded his grasp, and know- ing that his newborn hope was in yain, he turned and leaped to the side of Dan Prown, Sands sd him with trembling arms as he splut- rea; ‘You swore you’d set me free, boss! Don’t leave me with—” His speech was cut short by a swift stroke of a fist that sent him reeling back into the brush. Dan Brown had thoughts only for his imperiled dear ones, and freed himself of this reptile with- out even hearing his imploring words, Bill Hampton interchanged swift and mean- ing glances with his men, and the twain on foot as BM pounced upon Dough-ball Jimmy, hauling him completely under cover, holding his en motionless, his lips closed by a broad palm. Sol Scott, immediately after uttering that hasty speech, strode out of the motte and began tearing up a aire gh 4 of the sun-cured grass, plans it ina little pile before him. Kneeling, 10 struck a match and ignited the heap, then took a paper package from his breast. Opening this, he dropped a pinch of its contents on the blaze, when a dense puff of black smoke rolled up past his face, soaring aloft like a slowly in- creasing ball. tn rapid succession he repeated the action, until at least a dozen of the black balls floated in the air, rising higher and higher, each one retaining its globular shape and den- sity. One swift, keen glance he cast around the hori- zon, but it was purely mechanical, for he could not expect to behold an answer to his signal as yet. Then he retraced his steps to the motte, entering the little cleared space just after Dough- ball Jimmy was hurled into the bushes by that terrible blow from the fist of Dan Brown. He never missed the horse-thief. Though he had showed it less outwardly, his anxiety and fears for the safety of his loved ones had been no less acute than those that assailed his brother de- ripe and he had thoughts for nothing else just en, He approached Bill Hampton, not noticing the confusion imprinted on that worthy’s face, and thrusting the paper package into his hand, together with a number of gold coins, hurriedly uttering: ‘Keep a fire going outside the timber, and send up a ball of smoke every few seconds with this powder. Keep on until the signal is an- swered—until those who answer it meet you here. Say you will? More than life may depend on it!” ‘‘T'll do it ef it takes a month, pard,” was the quick response. Bill Hampton meant it, too, although the re- sponse was mainly prompted by a feverish wish to hurry the detectives away before eithcr of them should remember the existence of Douzh- ball Jimmy, ‘*T ask it for the sake of women and children, man!” hoarsely added the detective, a momen- tary dimness coming over his blue eyes, ‘‘ It’s to call in our pards, and when they come, tell them what has happened. Give them fresh mounts if they need them, and send them on to our ranches, Ill make your loss good, if it beg- gars me!” ‘*That’s all right, pard,” was the cheerful re- ply. ‘' But how’m I to know it’s the right crit- ters as comes? Mebbe some o’ the gang may try fer to play roots onto us?” Sol Scott drew a curiously marked bit of ivo from his pocket and thrust it into the cowboy’s hand, adding: “Show them this, and ask their names. If they say either Enoch Dodge, Nor’ West Nick or Turk Elder, they’re all right. Send them after us, and bid them spare neither man nor horse- flesh! ‘You will?” ‘“Sart’in, pard, an’ good luck go with ye, too! Mebbe we'll j’ine in, ef you wouldn’t think it too crowdin’?” ‘* Furnish them with a fresh or extra mount, and we'll ask nothing more of you,” was the hurried reply as the voice of Dan Brown rung out in sharp impatience: “To saddle, mate! It's for more than life, now, and a minute lost may mean worse than death for our loved ones!” Even as he spoke he leaped into the saddle and dashed out of the timber, leading his extra horse. And close upon his heels thundered Sol Scott, Jet-marked cheek. never giving a thought to luckless Dough-ball Jimmy! ‘‘Hold yeur breath, critters!” hissed Bill Hampton, an unholy light leaping into his eyes as he watched the two detectives eee away. ‘* Don’t breathe crossways fer fear that feller ‘Il think to ’member his word to Dough-ball Jim- my!” ) ‘* He wouldn’t turn back now, ef he did!” ‘* Don’t you fool yourself, boy,” was the mut- tered retort. ‘‘ Ef they was twicet as much at stake, Sol Scott wouldn’t let his word go bu’st ef he thought of it. Itll cut him mighty deep ef he ever comes to find out what raally came to Dough-ball!” ‘We'll never tell,” laughed one of the party. ‘Nur I don’t reckon Dough-ball ever will,” added another, with a low, reckless laugh. Hampton said nothing, watching in silence the rapidly disappearing horsemen through the growing shades of evening. Not until they had completely vanished from view did he draw a full breath. Then, with a hard, reckless laugh he cried aloud: ‘Fetch out the critter, boys, an’ let him look his last on this world, while I send up them smoke-balls while they’s light enough fer a crit- ter to sight ’em. A promise is a promise, with us, anyway, ef Sol Scott hes fergot all about his’n!” Trembling, moaning, piteously begging for life, Dough-ball Jimmy was hauled out into the clear space, and there brutally baited and bad- gered by the cowboys while bill Hampton saw to sending up more smoke signals. Not a Hittle to that worthy’s astonishment, he beheld the balls of smoke, so black while the clear light of day lasted, take on a luminous a pearance as the shades of evening deepened, He regarded the powder with feelings something akin to awe, but faithfully kept up the ceremo- ny with brief intervals during which he joined the cowboys in their clumsy sport. Then, tiring of this sport, and at length feel- ing certain that Sol Scott had not recalled his promise to Dough-ball Jimmy, or if he had, that he would not lose so much precious time as it would cost to turn back to remedy his un- fortunate oversight, Bill Hampton spoke up: ‘ We didn’t make no promise, did we, pards?” A chorus of negatives effectually drowned the husky prayers of the doomed horse-thief. Not one voice was uplifted in his favor, “*Cept when we swore to hang the fu’st horse- thief we froze onto,” amended the leader of the little band. ‘‘ That was swore to. Dough-ball is the fu’st hoss-thief we’ve met. He e’s a rope, thar’s a tree, an’ we’ve got han’s fer to do the pullin’, It ain’t white to go back onto a oath sech as we tuck, pards! We're white, so—” No need to finish the sentence. No need to de- tail what followed. Enough that prayers and pleadings availed naught. Enough that as the shadows deepened, one player was “ froze out” of the big game forever! CHAPTER VI. ACES-AND STOCKS THE CARDS. PLEADING for her children as she would never have condescended to plead for herself, Rachel Brown knelt at the feet of the gambler chief amid the rude, yet subdued laughter of the evil gang. And more devilish than all the rest came the voice of their master. ‘ “Spare them?’ he echoed, showing his teeth with a savage smile that sent the blood chilling back to the heart of the poor mother. ‘Spare them or you? Ay! just as Dan Brown has spared us! No more—no less!” “At least, they have not harmed you,” she faltered, still kneeling, still forcing herself to hope against hope, still er | to save the little ones who were dearer far to her heart than her own life, . . Aces-and laughed as he again touched his bul- Her cheek flushed briefly, and her dark eyes filled with fire. “ A child—a baby—and you hold so savage a grudge against him for trying in his poor, feeble way, to defend the mother that gave him birth? Rather, you should glory that he belongs to the same sex—the sex which you are so basely shaming.” And then, fearing she had spoken too sharply for prudence, Rachel Brown drew the curly head closer to her palpitating bosom, ready to shield him with her own life if need be. And Willie, gallant little hero that he was, clung to her neck with his chubby arms, flash- ing a look of defiance over his shoulder at the outlaw as he sturdily cried: “Youre a bad, ugly man, to make my mamma cry, and I'll kill you when I grow up big enough—I will!” ' * “Hush, Willie, mamma’s little man,” mur- mured Rachel, pressing his poor bruised face into her bosom, with an apprehensive glance toward Asa Sand. ‘The bad man might burt you if you talk so loud.” : ‘Then papa’ll whip pty the bad man ’at hit Willie—whip ’em all, till they go dead all over!” | Johnny-jump-up laughed softly as he stood patient beneath the slow but gentle and loving SRECoimicbookskcom — :