Beadle's New York Dime Library, No. 375 — page 12: what you’re looking at

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

12 - --—- = - ee oe — furgot him, when along waltzed a letter frum his hieh-toned relatives over the water in- quirin’ whar he war ter be found, an’ sug- gestin’ that thar war ’bout a millyun in ther findin’ ov him, er ther perducin’ ov his nigh- est heir. ‘‘She’s got ther heir all right, but ther trouble are thet mebbe he'll turn up hisself; an’ ef he don't, it ain’t jest so easy to prove thet he won't, an’ so she’s come out hyar ter find out all about it. Thet’s ther story ez fur ez you know it, ain’t it?” ‘* Very true as far as it goes, but if you have nothing more to say, I can’t say that you have been of much benefit, since | knew all that long ago.” **But thar’s one thing yer don’t seem ter know, an’ I ain’t sure I orter tell yer. It would bu’st yer all up, ’'m afeard; an’ what war left on yer might think it wouldn’t be ther kerrect thing ter remember ole Rufe what did it.” ‘If you know anything more, sir, out with I never go back on my word.” ‘* Sure ov that, be yer?” “As sure as of anything. ‘'That’s not sayin’ much, fur in this world yer can’t most always sometimes tell; but if yer say so ag’in, I'll let her went. It’s ther las’ time of axin’. D’yer want ther truth?” “The whole truth,” responded Mr. Cath- cart, somehow more impressed than he want- ed to be by the words of the vagabond. “Then, hyar she be. This hyar Caton Ormsby b’longs to ther Saratogy fambly ov Ormsbys; but Linda she’s after ther wrong man. I’m ole-time rocks, | be, an’ when | say a thing, she are so! Ye'’re a-wastin’ good money on a blind lead. Pull out an’ try a new trail.” ‘Man alive! this cannot be true!” ex- claimed Cathcart, with every symptom of genuine surprise, while the very earnestness of his tones showed how hard he had been hit. : ‘‘Thet’s fur you ter b’lieve ef yer wants to; ef yer thinks not, go ahead. When yer find it kin an’ are, jest recommember | tole yer so. I don’t jest guess yer keers ter hear any more.” ‘‘Nothing more but the proof of what you - have said. That I want, andif you can give it, | must have it.” ‘* Lemme see. hurry. I’ve got a starter hyar, an’ ther rest kin keep. I don’t want too much to once— an’ I ain’t ov ther trustin’ kind. I’ve gi’n yer a start, an you've gi’n me a start. When ‘I git dead broke, I'll hit yer ag’in; an’ ther next time it'll be more solid fax.” ‘‘One question, though. Last night Mrs. Ormsby accused the man known here as Gentle Joe of being Caton Ormsby, and her it. ” Royal George, th Ther’s no use ter be in a! ‘count from the other side Three in One. went out at full cry, there were just two that | held on, and they were so far in the advance that they did not know of the defection. If they had known they would not have cared. They generally traveled together; and asked for no other backing. Jess Hur- ley and the Baby were a full team, and all £9. would have been impossible; but at the same time they had not run altogether at random. About an hour later they were crouching among the mountain shadows, listening to the noise of approaching footsteps. ‘* It’s some ov ther fellers frum ther Bar,” muttered the Baby. ‘‘ What’s ther use skip- pin’ outer sight?” ‘‘Durned ef I don’t b'lieve yer ’fraid ov him.” ‘Don’t you worry about me; I'll look after my interests when the time comes, and won't give an inch, either. Just so the boys don’t fail with the women— Ah!” Then there was the sharp explosion of « pistol. They had not followed any trail, since that | | ** Don’t fool yerself,” answered Hurley, in | a cautious whisper. ‘* Ther fellers from ther | Bar ain’t this kind; they went back half an | hour ago. ther full wu’th ov our money an’ ther right change back Lay low now, an’ don't yer use yer irons till I give ther word ter sail in. It’s p’ints we're after; not blood an’ hair. It's some one scoutin’ ’round, an’ it’s a fair bet he’s got ther girl hid away safe ernuf. Ef anything happens ter him, she mou’t starve long ernuf afore we could find her. Don’t shoot.” We’ve jest hit ther place ter git | Jess Hurley had been listening and look- ing. The voices did not sound altogether un- familiar, yet he could not place them, and as from time to time they fell almost to a whis- per, he did not altogether cateh the drift of what they were saying. From where he was lying he could not obtain a view of the face of either of the speakers. He shifted his position slowly and care- fully, andhad his reward. Beyond a doubt he placed the owner of the rough voice, and he had his suspicions of the other. A little further and he could make a strange dis- covery and name them both. Slowly and without the least noise he rais- ed upon his elbow. Then the man upon whom he was spying wheeled, threw up his hand and fired. Jéss scarce knew what hurt him, dull, half-uttered groan he gunk With a to the ' ground, and the man came boldly forward, ‘“‘ What yer givin’ me? I ain’t one ov ther shootin’ kind; but ef I git my dukes on him, I'll jest mash him. Rua it ter suit yerself; but when yer want backin’, say ther word, | /an’ I'll be thar ez usual.” The warning, however, had the effect of making the Baby shrink back further in the darkness, and Hurley hugged the ground so closely that even hiscompanion could not see him; though there was an open patch of moonlight just beyond, While they looked a man stepped into this vista, and first glancing sharply around, ut- tered a low whistle, which was answered a moment later by a similar signal, and then a | second man cautiously approached. Up to | the instant of making himself known by the whistle, the Baby was unaware of his pres- ence in the neighborhood, and he gave an in- voluntary start as he thought how narrowly they had escaped stumbling upon him in the dark. ‘* All correct here?” asked the first comer. ‘You bet—up to ther present time. We'll hev a hull menagerie ov turtie doves ter choose frum, ef ther thing keeps on comin’ straight. Ther jobs hez bin started squar ernuf, anyhow.” **Good enough! b There will be a fair ac- of the house, though it might be better. “Everything right in town, then?” | ‘Right as far as they went; -but there was | and bending over, looked down into his face with some curiosity but no pity. . CHAPTER XVI. ROYAL GEORGE TIGHTENS HIS GRIPE. THERE was a certain other Mrs. Ormsby, mentioned in the earlier chapters, whose fate may still be a matter of interest to the - reader. The stage had hardly swept out of sight. when there was a transformation scene. The little lady was on her feet, and a smile on her face, though there was an element of per- plexity in it that showed that her pleasure was not altogether unalloyed. ‘*So much for him. lf he has a chance to see further into the millstone until we have a hole drilled clear through I want to know. At the same time you came a shade too late. There is some one else taking a hand in the game, and I’m very much afraid that he has a point or two more to the good than we have. Who is Buck Burke?” — Royal George did not seem in as happy humor, He looked at Mrs. Ormsby in a cold- ly critical sort of way, in which there was more of suspicion than anything else. ‘Oh, you needn’t growl over it. Things are as they must be, of course, and if we are fated to fail, why, it’s only so much the worse for us, that’s all. But do you know who Buck Burke is? His face somehow looked familiar, though | couldn’t place him, and I don’t suppose I would have tried if he husband. Is that the truth?’ a bit of confounded carelessness that spoiled hadn't taken a hand in our affairs. If he po Tes: ‘* You bet it’s true, fur I heard her a-doin’ the evening. Dave isn’t much better than a | knows us we must really know him.” e ee oy it; but whether he’s Caton Ormsby, er ef | wooden man for sharp, hot work, and Jess ‘* Ana that truck war kerrect thet you war so ther right one, an’ ef he are, ef he be her husband—waal, thet’s ther hub ov ther hull mystery, an’ fer ther present I ain’t givin’ it away. Day-day, I don’t b'lieve I'll tarry.” The man of rags waited for no more ques- tions, and before Cathcart could make a mo- tion to hinder he had slipped out of the door and out of the hotel. For the day he was While a lot of infernal chinnin Hurley and the Baby had to get mixed in. was going on the cross-eyed man skipped. He’s scared away, good enough; but I'd sooner have seen him carried out feet foremost. He’s not one of the kind that forgets, and he might have more than one neck stretched if he opened up. I tell you he’s drifted back a-tellin’ us, of his hevin’ waltzed off with yer paper?” ‘Partly. There wasn’t anything in them that the world at large mustn’t know very soon, and if an inkling gets out sooner where’s the difference? It may be all the better.” ‘Glad yer think so. Only, if this Buck Burke should happen to be one ov yer old side pards, an’ yer tried ter throw me, it might make a mighty onpleasant mix fur al? both ov us. I’m willin’ ter give yer all ther help 1 kin but I don’t intend ter be a cat’s- paw either. Jest recomember thar may be trouble yit in ther household.” Mrs. Ormsby laughed, a clear, ringing lit- tle laugh, as though she found something here fer a purpose.” ‘“Whar didhe goto? Ef he slid out of camp it gives all ther better show.” ‘* Heaven only knows. The man is like a weasel. He can crawl inanywhere, It’s not the first time I’ve had him hunted. If they had payed less attention to Gentle Joe, and more to business it would have saved a heap The next time V’ll havea man to seen no more in the neighborhood of the, Golden Lamb. CHAPTER XV. _- A FOUL SHOT. om i | THE greater part of Blazer’s threw up their “= “hands very early in the game, and went back to town. “Bess Stanley was popular because of trouble. | | - * ©. she was handsome and full of nerve, though run things.” : very amusing in the tone of the man, ag she kent the whole camp at a distance Never mind ther next time—that ain't ‘You dear, delightful old bear, don't _——* there was very little real knowledge about hyer yit. What's ther bonus fur ther scalp?” | worry about me. Just provide for your own ag her. _ ‘A cool hundred extra.” safety, and I'll engage that no harm will a ei ~ It was, accordingly, not to be expected ‘‘That’s biz; I'll promulgate. An’ how | come to you from me or mine, and that If re that their enthusiasm would carry the men “bout Joe? What war ther ground he war | will live square down to what I have prom- die, | from the Bar further than the law allowed— takin’? I’ve bin a-thinkin’ he warn’t foolin’ | ised you. Now. the ehestion is, how have ; eur 2 or even quite so far. After all, it was ’round Blazer’s fur nothin’—an’ he ain’t | things been running, t. what—is the latest Sy Singular Sam’s circus, and he wasn’t about. makin’ salt out ov ther keards.” from that sick hole of ino*uity; Blazer's Bar? a ate As like as not she had gone away of herown _ ‘‘ Don’t fret yourself about him; I’m watch- | Are they looking for me tiv're, or will I have be ie 2 accord, and allthis public demonstration was ing him. If he’s only thinking about the | to introduce myself and open thofsubject up a so much nonsense. The girl might have pasteboards, he’s a man we'd better not | from top to bottem®’” =. ‘Of. GOT, Hees 5. been frightened over the adjournment of the meddle with, but leave that to the Bar. ‘* Blazer’s Bar ain’t the worst paad in th 2 lynch court, or she might be leading away It does look as though he and the woman | world, as you may find afore you w» “hroug “So the man they had intended should be their might be setting up a game in partnership. | with it. There’s mines thar Ov"'tairc TM victim. ok ) He ig just gritty enough to run the awful big | kinds, an’ we're goin’ ter work ’em fury) oh When these ideas began to be broached the risks for a shy ata fortune. If that’s their| they’re wu’th. But I don’t think they¥e _ 3 YS) pursuit slackened, ceased, and the people game they would be setting it up mightily | lookin’ fur you very bad jest about this time.” eg Sot went quietly back. Of all the gang that neat—if it wasn’t fer one thing.” Fact are that if ther stage are on schedule