Beadle's New York Dime Library, No. 375 — page 30: what you’re looking at

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

ca J 30 you can, and go enjoy the patrimony that they are dividing up among a dozen.” “That is singular talk; what do you mean?” The man drew himself up stiffly, as though .offended at the freedom shown Mr. Cath- cart, and then looked anxiously along to where his antagonist was waiting for him. ‘‘T mean that if you are Major Neil Kav- anaugh—”’ ‘‘Astcertainly am. This is one of the times when I do not care to deny the name.” ‘‘And if yonder is Caton Ormsby, who, for years, has been a fugitive from the sus- picion of having killed you—” ‘Tt is—I swear it. Wd know that face of his if I saw it in the midst of the flames of Hades! It’s the face with the laugh on it that I saw years ago as he dropped me toa fate worse than death—to_ a living hell from which I have escaped doubly a_ devil. Enough. He is waiting. Give me the pis- tol. I have trained eye and nerve till I could cut the fringe off of his eye lashes at forty yards; and all for this meeting, PU kill him now, and then { will go back.”’ He put all the fire of blazing passion ini his tone. Yet an instant later he was cold as an iceberg as he reached out his hand for the weapon that Cathcart was extending toward im. ‘All right, then. You know your own business best; but you’ve swindled me out of five thousand dollars’ reward, that he would have been worth to me, Kill him, if you wish; after that you will settle with me.’ Then turning toward Gentle Joe, and speaking as he stepped away: ‘* All ready here!” ‘* And ready here!”’ came back the reply. ‘*One—” ** Hold on.” In the nick of time was the interruption, the voice rising just.at Cathcart’s elbow. ‘‘You are covered by a dozen revolvers, Shut your ears to reason at your peril. This thing goes no further now!” Short and sharp. came the words; and as he wheeled and heard the click of half a dozen hammers Cathcart only murmured: “Why?” ‘‘ Because my own safety forbids it. I’m sure of the Ormsby shekels now since here stands Neil Kavanaugh, yonder white-hand.- ed thief isa full-fledged. fraud, while J am Caton Ormsby.” And Mr. Cathcart was looking full into the ‘glittering eyes of the gentleman known to the Bar as Major Widespin, CHAPTER XXXVI. A WAKE UP. ‘‘Goop enough, if you can prove it,” said Cathcart, as the major finished his singular statement. ‘‘I’ve just heard enough not to be sur- prised at anything you can say; but that don’t mean I’m going to believe it without some proof. Here's enough evidence to tear the bottom right out of several stories a good deal bigger than yours. If these two men dont Know each other, what’s their racket about?” “*T can’t help what mistakes or what ras- cally games they may choose to set up— perhaps something about the estate that I now dare to claim, since it is certain that yonder villain is none the worse for an inter- view that I once had with him. It may be that they are both mistaken; but I would sooner believe it was the other way. If you have told the truth, and your mission here was to find me, it will be a success, and not the worst job of your life, for I will need ou, and will pay you better even than you ad counted on being paid, when you have roved for me, as you can, that yonder vil- ain lives, and that I can be once more placed in my proper sphere.” The major talked very quietly, but Cath- cart was sharp-sighted enough to see that he had his eyes about him, and was ready for anything. The citizens of the Bar had taken their positions pretty well out of range at the out- set; but by this time they were beginning to crowd up, for it was plain that something more than was bargained for at the outset was happening. ‘‘How is this?” asked Cathcart, turning sharply to the man for whom he had been acting as friend, . Royal George, the T “‘T’vye come on the ground with you, but hree in One. thd | All that was a mistake, however. As the if you think to draw me into any plot by | major spoke, a little knot of men came from which I am to be made a cat’s-paw, you may find me a worse man than you gave me credit for being. Is there any truth in what Major Widespin has been saying?” Kavanaugh gave no immediate answer. He was watching Gentle Joe, and the men that were standing near him, as though he was puzzled from the ground up, The anger that he had shown at the first meeting had some way evaporated. He was not half as anxious as he had been to take a shot at the little gambler. When it came to murder, with a whole town looking on, he was will- | ing to be counted out—at least until the major proved his position. Yet he scarcely seemed to believe Widespin. Ragged Rufe was around, however. He had been listening, having followed Wide- spin, as the major went sidling up. When the extraordinary statement was made, a sat- isfied grin overspread his features, ‘‘Ef ye’r’ wise, you'll b'l’eve him. ‘Tell yer, thar’s noend ov fun comin’ out ov ther mix, It ain’t half opened out yet. When yer git clean down to ther rights ov ther thing, you'll jest open yer eyes an’ howl.” ‘‘T can't see that it’s going to make much difference whether I believe it or not. . My end of the string is alltied up. I’m ready to leave now. Either way, Ill throw up. my hand and get out—but you can bet there'll be an excitement in New York when they get a | report of what's going on the other side of the continent. ing to slide out while he has the chance, and go back with me. his name—seems to be more interested in Gentle Joe just now; and I don’t think he will care to interfere if you'll only let him | ; As he stared into the burning eyes of the alone, What say you, major?” ‘‘Give me my pistols. There is more in this than you think fer; and as for yonder dog—I’m not done with him yet. It’s a game they’ve got up to fool me out of RY. re- venge. By the heavens: I'll scalp them both |” ‘‘He ain’t half ez mad ez he looks fur,” whispered Primrose. ‘‘ Give him his irons, an’ Watch him take ther short-cut fur ther gittin’ out place—onless he’s goin’ ter go fur ther major. He may fool you tenderfeet, that hain'’t seen a regular circus; but not Ragged Rufe—oh, no! Ef ary one ov ’em hed been in airnest, yer don’t s’pose all both ov ’em would be standin’ jest now? Not much,” ‘*T thought you were Lipscombe’s second, Why are you not attending to his affairs?” Maybe the, major will be will- | the rear of the saloon with a rush, dragging in their midst the figure of a bound man. ‘*Hyar we are; now up with him! We've got Mart kerreled, sos he can’t do no dam- age, an’ ther Baby we jist rocked ter sleep. No foolin’, but jist show ho., Blazer's kin sling out jestice when she wakes up!” ‘‘Right you are an’ hyar’s ther rope all ready knotted fur Gentle Joe. Swing 'em all both off tergether!” ‘*Good enough! and you, Caton Ormsby, _ you, Archie Divine, you, Royal George of the road-agents, you all three in one, throw up your hands! We have you foul!” And quicker than eye could follow, Gentle Joe’s hands went up, a revolver in each, that covered the head of the chief of the Bald Eagle gang—Major Widespin. CHAPTER XXXYVII, THE PLACE OF PAYMENT. THE major’s hands went up, an uneasy look for the first time settling down upon his face as he heard another voice, harsh and stern: ‘*You galoots ov ther Bald Eagle, an’ you other kids ov Royal George’s band—don’t yer move astep or raise a finger. We've got yer all Jined.. Honest men of Blazer's Bar, stand aside till ye hear ther hull truth.” So cried a rough-and-ready-looking man, _ who sprung to the gambler’s side, just as two Caton Ormsby—if that 2s | The sharp inquiry of Cathcart was perti-_ nent enough, but Rufe was ready for it. ‘“Solam. Ther very holy minnit I seen thar was a hitch I went right in ter hit ther knot. Ef this hyar white head ain't stirred up, poor Joe won't git a shot; an’ after ther | way ther game opened, that would break his | heart, Ef yer listen a leetle, you'll hear him roarin’ now.” Sure enough, Gentle Joe was making his little speech. ‘It's a lie, is it; and Idon’t know my own name? Excuse me, major, I don’t want to | crowd you, but if you think you can wring | inacold deck like that on a man like me) you're ’way off your base. Proof! Oceans of it! I didn’t think I wonld ever want to prove that the name was mine, but I didn’t think if I did I would have any trouble do. ing it. Yonder detective has a picture of me—taken some years ago—and I haven't changed a bit. Look atit and knock under ” The major had always been noted for be- ing a quiet man, so that no one wondered at his showing no great excitement now. He smiled and waved his hand, “‘As between us the Bar will scarcely have any doubts which to choose. If you don't share the fate of the miserable man with whom it last night doomed you to die, it will be because my influence can save you up for something else that is perhaps worse, They are bringing him now—do you want to be elevated alongside of him, or do you want to save your worthless life by telling the or three of the men that came with him cov- ered the party that dragged up the cross-eyed man, and half a dozen of the men best known about Neddy’s Jungle, drew their revolvers and dropped them to an aim, An explosion had come, and found the major unprepared. speaker, he could only gasp out: ‘“Who are you ?” ‘WhoamI? Wal, Ish’u’d smile ter re- mark, I’m another ov ther men yer mur- dered, an’ hope ter git even; not fur ther shot ova few hours ago, cowardly ez that war, but fur ther villainous murder ov so many years ago. I’m goin’ ter git even clean through, an’ jest show yer what yer lost when yer couldn't be an honest man.” ‘*An’ hyar’s ’nuther ov ’em, mafor, ez sez ther same thing. T’ve been a-itchin’ fur it these half-dozen years, Oh, I| tell yer, we're all hyar, trimmed an’ heeled,an’ ready fur biz. John Cathcart, now’s yer chance. Sail in!” Ragged Rufe was the happiest man in the whole outfit. He rubbed his hands, and looked from Widespin to Gentle Joe, and then around at the crowd. “Thar war two tramps a-missin’ ther night ov ole Hi Stanley's murder; an’ them two tramps war the cross-eyed man, an’ yer humble sarvant. Whar we went to ther major kin jest guess a leetle closter than ary man’s ever shot off his lip on ther sub- ect. ‘Hold your tongue, you infernal, roum- scaked old villain! I want to know who yonder man is. If he can’t speak for him- self let some one else talk for him,” ‘Who is it?” broke in Gentle Joe, sharp- ly. ‘* You know who it is—Hiram Stanley, the man you tried to murder; the man who’s wealth you filched.” ‘In deed! Then were it all true that you have been charging here you haven't put up a hanging matter yet. Here is Hiram Stan- ley, and yonder is Neil Kavanaugh; while, for the proceeds of the mine Hiram can settle with his own brother—Sam Stanley. He took possession; and the deeds that he signed show that it was all regular and cor- rect, What are you going to do about it?” «Sam Stanley—otherwise Singular Sam— one of your tools; don’t bet on him, major. If you had looked after his interests a little better, instead of thinking only of your own when you were playing off Gentle Joe up in the old shafts, you might stand a chance now. But Singular Sam has made a clean breast of it: the girl knows now that he was always a fraud, and never her uncle; and Hi Stanley has got you down fine. But whole truth about what seems to be a deep- | you're a leetle out on the gentleman Over laid scheme?” For a time it had seemed as though the than Singular Sam’s was Stanley. The | just part of the little game we have been cross-eyed man had been® forgotten. His name is no more Kavanaugh yonder, He was crowd was all on the outside, and Mart | setting up, and he drew the truth, that we Hammers was havin time standing behind Neddy’s bar. a very comfortable | weren’t sure of being able to prove, right out of your lips.” Geom chooks: - g J # ao ;