Beadle's New York Dime Library, No. 375 — page 2: what you’re looking at

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

“> a =, 2 might well make a neophyte shiver and shrink. Blazer’s Bar, in its every-day dress, was bad enough, but when it was all dressed un in its Sunday fixings, and out on the war- Royal George, th strike fur Jumptown ef he gits clear oy ther Bar; an’ thar we'll hev no Bess Stanley takin’ up fur a man ez c’u’d cut a throat in cold Dlood. Hi! It looks ez tho’ they’d run him path, it took a man of nerve to stand in its | down, arter all.” From within the house there arose a snarl- nd Brilliant Bess was very much in its | ing ery, then a confused medley of sounds, Way. In front of her was a gang of tough citizens, in full paint and feathers, more than one brawny hand resting on a revolver, while a little in advance of the rest stood Gentle Joe, the sleekest, smoothest, silkenest, yet the very worst man in the lot, ‘‘My sweet child,” he answered, in his softest tones, a quiet smile on his handsome- ly chiseled lips, ‘‘no one here has the slight- est curiosity about the temperature of this or any other section of the country. What we want is the high-toned gentleman who is hid- ing behind your skirtycoats. If you are wise ‘you will stand aside and let justice take its course.” ‘* Justice in Blazer’s Bar!” Her voice was full of ringing scorn. ‘* What justice is there among you wolves? I know them all; and you, Gentle Joe, the | ernuf fur your share. | ' | | | and, a moment later, the mob burst forth, bringing in their midst, as a captive, the man about whom there had been so much racket. No shrinking tenderfoot was this, but a man a little worse looking than the worst; and as he was led forward to meet the judg- ment of his peers he was greeted with a howl from those who had not joined in his cap- ture. In all that crowd, when Bess Stanley was once swept away, there did not seem to be a single one who was rot anxious for his death. And yet, in spite of the yell he put into r ' e Three in One. s | ‘*Pris’ner,” a harsh, rasping voice was saying, ‘‘ yer war fairly tried by ez squar’ a jury ez ever sot at Blazer's Bar, an’ when yer case war left in the’r hands, yer hedn’t sand | ernuf ter wait fur ther jedgment. Ef nothin’ else war offered, that'd be proof ernuf ter convince this hyer court, which hez decided ther case on ther facts, however, an’ now axes hey yer ary thing ter offer afore it passes sentence? Speak up like a leetle man, an’ we'll listen to ther las’ speech you'll hev a chance termake. Ef yer should mention ther names ov yer pards, it would be tooken inter considerashun.” ‘‘ Ef | onderstand ther honer’ble court, she hev passed jedgment ‘thout regard ter ther jury,” answered the prisoner, in a tolerably strong voice and looking at nobody in par- ticular. ‘‘ Ov course | hey a slight eenterest _in hearin’ what they hev ter say, tho’ I s’pose the general chorus, Ragged Rufe must have | had an idea of his own, since he let the crowd with its prisoner sweep by, while he touched Gentle Joe lightly on his arm, ‘I'd drap it now, honey. You've done l’d let sum ov those worst of the gang! I ask no odds of any of | bully boys, what likes ter run things, git you, the man whose ideas of it differ from mine! | He'll never meddle with another case in a Judge Lynch court. And where I leave off there will be another to take up the work, if need be.” At the back of Gentle Joe, a rough, ragged man crept closer. ‘* Easy, Joe!” he muttered. ‘‘ She’s a daisy with ther irons, an’ what she says an’ does | Sine'lar Sam will swear to—an’ he’s a boss, right hyar in Blazer’s. Take yer time with ther daisy, an’ ef we don’t git him ter-day, we'll hey him ter-morrer. Ther night's young, an’ it’s a long time till mornin’.” ‘And meantime we're balked by a girl. Not this time ~some other time. the front of Blazer’s to run this thing and I'll stop when the job is done, and not sooner.” So he said, as much for the benefit of the rest as for the man at his shoulder. While he spoke his eyes watched warily the girl in the doorway. She never winced, nor allowed her gaze to | nocent!” wander from his face, while her hand still unwaveringly held the cocked revolver with which she menaced the rest of the gang. Ragged Rufe, the counselor, skipped nim- bly to one side, and watched the two with an evil grin on his battered face. ‘YT cu'd drap her easy whar she stan’s but then ther howl 'd be on her side, an’ | reckon they’d be ongrateful ernuf ter swing ther man, an’ let ther daisy have his effeks fer a monyerment. An’ him a-gittin’ outen ther back winder!” He concluded his soliloquy with a chuckle. the range of the girl's weapon, and the bul- let, glancing along the stock, had dropped harmlessly to the side. Before she could use the weapon again he had caught her around I’ve got to | | Tiltakea stand for justice; and woe to | hold ov the drag-ropes, while you an’ me watches how things runs, frum ther outside. It’s all right up to ther present time, but now | | | } ' it don’t make much diff’rence. Fire away! I’m tired 0’ torkin’, an’ I wouldn’t give a cent fur the diff’rence atwixt hangin’ an’ starva- shun. Gimme a boost, en’ lemme go over ther range! I’m on ther way now,” ‘Yer ackno'lidges, then, ez you're ther gerloot we've been after?” ‘‘Ackno’lidge nothin’! I struck ther burg ’bout sundown, an’ war mounted on sight, why, wharfore, an’ fur which, I can’t say. But ef you'd go a leetle slow, an’ stir ‘round an’ then there’s sum afterclaps ter this sort | ther wood-pile, I reckon you'd rout out ther er yore an’ it ain’t best ter be two fur for- rads.” ‘Right you are, old man. I’m not tying ropes myself, but when a camp tries a man for murder, and says the man must hang, it’s not always healthy to be too far back, either.” ‘‘Allers pervidin’ ther’s bin ary murder | done,” put in the bummer, with a sly wink. ‘‘T’ve knowed men es war hung fur bein’ in | ther road, an’ them jest ez innercent ez lam’s. mighty suddint, an’ ther proof ag’in’ him might be a leetle stronger. You ain’t takin’ much stock in it yerself, ef I hev one eye on it. Eh?” ‘Pretty time to come around with your doubts when the man is as good as dead. you have any proofs in his favor spit them out. By heavens! He sha’n’t die if he’s in- “Thar you go, off at half-cock. ’Cause they can’t prove he’s guilty don’t say thet he’s innercent, does it? He desarves hangin’ aryhow, an’ thet’s ernuf fur Ragged Rufe ” Gentle Joe looked at his evil-faced coun- selor in unspeakable disgust, and the excru- ciatingly sly wink that the bummer gave him hardly sufficed to put him in a better humor. ‘Innocent or guilty, I swear the man ‘sha’n’t hang this time!” he suddenly ex- claimed. “Oh, come now, honey, yer wouldn't fight ther camp, would yer?” ready ter bite off a heap bigger hunk than he kin chaw. “That’s ther way, tho’! Jest ez I gits eenterested in a man, suthin’s bound ter hap- Seems ter me this hyer yell sot up | _ justice. nigger. I’m in your hands, pards; run me ter suit yer own blessed selves.” He spoke with an air of weafy unconcern, that was rather puzzling to a man of the caliber of Mart Hammers, who had been ele- vated to the dignity of judge on brief no- tice, and without much regard to his own wishes. ‘‘Fur why, then, did yer try to cl’ar out ef yer knowed thar war some mistake? This camp are squar’ ez they make ’em, an’ yer ‘mou't hey knowed we didn’t want more ner Mebbe you'll tell this hyar court an’ jury thet thar wa’n’t a man lyin’ in the | trai If. with his throat cut when you come down ther mount in ter Blazer?” ‘Didn't come down ther mount’in at all,” responded the prisoner shortly. ‘Come right erlong up the crick from Jones's Fork. Bin thar a week perspectin’; an’ I kin prove it; but I don’t say ez thar would be eny use. Ef ther jury are through it’s too late ter open ther case agin ” “Strikes me yer wants ter be hung,” answered Hammers, shaking his head. “ Looks thet way, an’ it’s a pity ter dis. serp’int a man when he’s set on athing. Ef yer hain’t ary thing ter say we may €z well git ready fur ther send-off.’ It was plain that Mart was not ‘altogether satisfied in his own mind; but that made no difference to the crowd behind him. ‘There Was an Ominous grow] at his hesitation, and he knew unless there was something Over- He had just noticed that the man for whom “The camp! By the holies, I’d fight the | whelmingly in the man’s favor, and very the crowd raved was no longer crouching | territory if I once said so! Watch me, Rufe, suddenly introduced, that the proceedings i behind the girl. and see me sail in.” would lose their semblance of form and de- The chuckle changed into an exclamation Without another word he broke away, | generate into the boldest kind of mob-work, | of surprise. Gentle Joe had sprung sudden- | striding toward the throng that was drag- In that case he did not wunt to stand in the | ly forward, throwing up his hands as he | ging off its victim. roud—and he did not see how he could well o went. get away from lending a helping hand. He ir The girl was as good as her word, With- | CHAPTER II. looked around in a disgusted sort of way, out an instant’s hesitation she raised her hand AN ARREST OF JUDGMENT. that had in it an appeal to the crowd, The and fired. : RAGGED RureE put his hands in his pock- | Bar understood him well enough, but had no It was point-blank range, and Brilliant | ets, and looked after Gentle Joe with an air | intention of letting bim off. : es Bess was known to be a perfect shot at any | that spoke more of commiseration than any- “* Sail ahead, Mart; you’re doin’ of ther ls distance, yet the rush of Gentle Joe was not | thing else. thing right, an’ no one kin say it warnt a 7 even checked. When he threw up his hand ‘A good leetle man are Gentle Joseph, | squar’ deal ef Mart Hammers made t. Finish 4 he had flung the butt of his revolver just in| but sp'iled more ner less, an’ jest gittin’ | up ther i an’ call on ther boys ter help. f e’re all a-waitin’> He's jest a-chinnin’ ov Thar war Jess Hurley ez sez he seen Ain’t er. im over at Jumptown yesterday, that ernuff?” ASN the waist and flung her to one side. Then | pen ter him. Sum dies ov ther jim-jams, an’ In detachments the crowd spoke, and all ‘ing the mob rushed in through the open door- | sum gits the’r thrapple stretched fur _hoss- together they made up a statement something Ks way. stealin’, an’—yes, thar war one ole pard died | like that, and then there came a pause that * a “Jt warn’t wu’th ther reesk, Gentle,” | in his bunk. That war Si Sellers, ez war | allowed another and a single voice to intrude, Rw chuckled the ragamuffin. “I seen thet ther | fool ernuf ter wander back East. Hediedin| ‘‘ Excuse me, Baby Burt, but that's not gerloot hed skipped, an’ ef I hedn’t wanted | ther Hotel de Sing Sing. quite enough when a man’s life is hanging | fer sce what c’u'd be made outen a teeklish| ‘An’ I can’t ford a new hat-band jest on it. This is hardly my circus, though I . job I’d gi'n yera hint. Yer did it well, but | now, or ter spruce up fer a mourner. I | was fool enough to take a hand in it. I Tm ‘feared we'll hear frum Sing’ler Sam | sw’ar, | b’l’eve I’d better coax him out, an’ can’t say that I like the looks of the fellow, I "bout it. He’s that squeemish "bout ther | let ther durned cuss hang, tho’ it’s rough on | but Vl say a word, whether it counts in his Pe daisy thet it ain’t safe ter look her way.” | an ole side-pard.” ‘favor or not. I was down the creek myself, fe ‘You didn’t suppose I would take water; If Ragged Rufe had any serious desire to yesterday, and so | know he was at the Fork ee on his account, did you? I would want no | be of use, he took a very deliberate way of and couldn't have come over from Jumptowy Fy trouble with him, and least of all would I | showing it. He sauntered slowly away in Sorry to contradict Mr. Hurley, but 1 knew see Bess come to harm; but, when men talk | the wake of the mob, and arrived in front of he was lying. I don’t suppose any one here ‘ women must get out of the way.” the Eagle about a minute after the court had is going to doubt my veracity, and | think — “Thet’s so; an’ we'll have him yit. He’ll' attempted to reopen. ‘this court had better adjourn over till to- = . PE ae Gbooks