Beadle's New York Dime Library, No. 375 — page 5: what you’re looking at

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

<< » ‘*I—I guess you had better stay,” began labors. the coach, and slammed shut the door. before Mortimer had recovered his equilib- air with his hands in a silent sort of way that e Speak ther hull outfit, from boot ter driver.” brain of his pony. The next instant he was ——— + eee eee eee ‘‘Sw’ar ter gracious yer can’t prove it by me. He must be stickin’ ’round somewheres, He war thar a minnit ago. Ax ther female. She kin give yer a pointer ef she will.” ‘* No pointer is necessary,” broke in Mrs. Ormsby. ‘‘ | have told you the simple truth, The villain threw us off our guard with a story 2bout Royal George—”’ ‘“ Meanin’ me. J’ mthe Simon Pure article,” broke in the leader of the road-agents, with a | bow and scrape, ‘‘It makes no difference who he meant. Jie robbed us all the same, and under that | name. If you can find him you are welcome to him, and I will guarantee a large reward if you return to us the papers that seemed to be the principal object of interest with him,” ‘‘Reckon you would, fur they’re ther prin- cipal object of ourn. What sorter a racket hev yer bin puttin’ up on us? Blame me ef { don’t b'lieve this Buck Burke’s a side pard o’ yourn, ez kept an eye out an’ when he seen us a-comin’ touk yer vallybles fur safe keepin’ an scooted, Sorry, fur it'sa mighty bad go. We've got ter hev them dockey- Royal George, the Three ey ee Ct he maples = ' ‘Tt is what I intend to do,” answered | Mortimer, taken by surprise. ‘‘ Jumptown is a very good place—to get away from. I have no business there.” . ‘‘Jest ez I tho’t. Yer war bound fur Blazer's frum ther start. Mebbe yer ain’t sich a fool ez yer look; and mebbe, when ver git thar, yell find ther other Missus Ormsby. Ef yer do, give her my respecks, an’ say I’m on ther road—I, Ebeneezer, ther man frum—” And Mordaunt Mortimer heard no more, and knew no more until the stage drew up | in front of the stage station and hotel kept by Ante Jim, at Jumptown. | The stage came with a roll, and it halted suddenly. ‘Bin held up!” yelled Tony. ‘* Thar’s a | pilgrim inside ez I reckon are skeered outen | his boots, an’ Ll left two behind, Durn ther | route, it’s ther last time | drive it, an’ don't | yer disremember, Look after ther cargo, | Jim, I’m dry.” | Without a word more he flung the lines | aside and dashed into the bar-room, followed ments, an’ ef we can’t find ’em one way, | by two-thirds of the curious crowd. mebbe we kin another. Which ov you two d’yer think kin find him quickest?” *Tind him! Find who?” “Buck Burke, 7 course {” “And why?” Mrs. Ormsby was not quite so cool. For all their air of semi-deference these men The remainder of the spectators peered anxiously at the coach, and uttered 2 low burrali as Ante Jim half led, half carried the single passenger from the stage into the office door. One man was as Curious as the rest, but he kept well in the background. When once might be as desperate as they looked, and | he had obtained a fair view of Mortimer’s toyal George himself was open to suspicion. ‘‘]’ll give yer a reason with ther bark on. One ov yer hes got ter try ter find him, an’ git them papers, an’ ther other hes ter stay + with us fur a reasonable time. If they don’t | come we'll send a legin ter hurry things up a | leetle. Ef that don’t bring ’em right soon, yor kin keep ’em, an’ we'll keep a corpse. | lake yer cl’ice now; which are ter stay with | Royal George?” . . . s . . ' Mortimer, with a general incoherency in his manner. ‘‘I—I think I would be the one to find him if it can be done; and I—I wouldn t like to lose a leg. It would be horribly in- convenient.” ‘“You' miserable coward, you! No, If they mean it I will remain, and trust to Providence to help me out of the scrape. You, sir, consider me your prisoner until | whatever ransom you may demand shall be | paid. Certainly a woman whose safety wiil be worth money to you can trust herself in | your hands.” ‘Bz long ez thar’s money in it—ez long ez thar’s money in it! Drive on, Tony, an’} don’t yer stop till yer gits ter Jumptown. | Arter that Mister Mortimer kin begin his In yer go; an’ I wouldn t advise yer | ter look backwards,” | As he ceased speaking, the man who claimed to be Royal George seized Mortimer, and with a wonderful ease flung him into Withoutany delay the vehicle started; and rium, the lady and her surrounding guard Then Mr. Mortimer got up and straight- | ened himself and chuckled, and sawed the was, nevertheless, very expressive; and if Royal George could have seen him he would | have been apt to suspect that, in one way or ate another, he had been very badly fooled. ) But, in the midst of the pantomime, a | heavy hand was laid on Mortimer’s shoulder, and he was forced down into his seat. He turned his head in sudden and genuine | alarm, and his nerves were not quieted by what he saw. Buck Burke had come again, | and was sitting there a8 unconcerned as | though nothing had happened. ‘You again?” stammered Mortimer. ‘In the name of Heaven, how did you get here?” ‘‘That’s ther wrong place ter talk about when Buck Burke are on ther wing. Ef yer nose are in a right snifty condish, yer might git a smell ov brimstone ef yer struck ther right ellervashun; but that ain’t hyer ner thar. Tlyar’s yer papers—leastwise, those ov ’em ez IL don’t want. Ef you'll take a focl’s advice, I wouldn't tarry long ’round hyar. ‘Thar will be a stage outer Blazer's Bar to- morrow; an’ ef yer know what’s good, you'll age a full seat, even ef yer hev ter be- | > | face he wheeled and strode rapidly away. CHAPTER VI. A SHOT IN THE DARK. THe man who was undoubtedly interested in getting a sight of Mortimer had not far to walk. A tough-looking little mustang was tethered near by, and in a moment, and with- out having attracted any attention, he was in the saddle and away on the trail that led from Jumptown to Blazer’s Bar. Some men would have thought well before venturing over that trail in the night time. Corpses had been dropping along it thick and plenty—strangers all—and how they came to be left there had never been satis- factorily explained, though the facts were tolerably suggestive. ‘‘ Singular Sam,” was the name of the lone equestrian, He had had a more definite title at some previous period, but this suited him well enough, and in ordinary conversation he answered readily to the call of plain Sam. - He was well mounted and armed, and looked abundantly able to take care of him- self. He had stout muscles, a keen eye, and the most complete belief in himself; so. that he was not likely to be disposed to fear the unknown danger he might be called upon to face along the lonely miles that lay between him and the Bar. As he went swinging along he presented a picture of health, strength and unconcern. By and by the shadows grew deeper, the road more precipitous. He glanced care- lessly around, like one who simply looks at old, familiar things to see that they are had dropped out of the range of vision, | all in their right place. around the bend. Once or twice he thought that he heard the ring of a horse’s hoofs on the road ahead of him, and then he did bend forward and listen for a moment more intently; but it seemed as though he could not hear when he listened, or listen when he heard. He cer- had no thought of any danger to him- self, but had a natural curiosity to know who was on the same road with him. For an hour or more he traveled on, with- he being positive that he heard another soul. Then, suddenly, he flung himself forward upon the neck of his pony, which, an instant later, sunk deliberately to the earth. At the same time there was the sharp crack of a Winchester rifle. The spot was well chosen for an ambush. Upon one hand were the mountain-side, densely covered with an undergrowth; upon the other was a patch of open, where the figure of any passer-by was distinctly lined against the clear sky beyond. And right here was where Singular Sam had. been am- buscaded. He had been riding with his shoulders weli bent forward, his head bowed down; and when he ducked at the flash the bullet whistled over him and buried itself in the i in One. hidden in a clump of bushes, his revolver cocked and ready for his unknown assailant. He waited for some little time, half-expect- ing that his hiding-place would be explored by some rancom shots; but no further at- tempt was made. He listened intently all the time; but there was not the slightest rustle of departing footsteps. ‘Ef ther mount’in won't come ter Maho- met I reckon Mahomet must go to ther mount'in,”’ he muttered to himself. ** All ther same it'll bev ter be keerfully done. Ther feller ez slung thet lead ain’t no slouch; an’ ther same game on him wouldn't win twice, don’t yer furgit it. Ifyar goes.” With the utmost caution he began crawling away from his leafy covert, halting every new and then to listen, and to be sure that he was not losing his bearings. He had a pretty good idca of just where the party who fired the shot had been hidden,and believed he could go the spot with his eyes shut, but he wanted to run no risks, and was accordingly very deliberate. By slow stages he reached the point he had been aiming at, and could command the spot where the would-be assassins had doubt- less stood. Then he looked around more keenty than ever; and was forced to admit that whoever he was the unknown had vanished with a noiseless skill fully equal to his own. He had hoped that he held the mystery in his gripe—and found that he was mistaken. Nevertheless the nan might still be lurk- ing near; and cautiously he examined the ground, moving slowly from one point to another until at last he reached the very spot from which he had believed that the shot was fired. Then he found that he had not been mis- taken; though few eyes but his could have discovered the faint traces that indicated the late presence of some one just where the opening in the boughs left the way clear to the trail below. ‘*Put yer hand on er mount’in flea, will yer, When he’s got three hops ther start? Not this time, Sammy; some other time. I kin hoof it along over ter Blazer's, an’ keep me mouth shut ez ter what l’ve seen. Meb- be I kin git a p’int that way, ez I'd clean miss all tergether ef I shot off my lip. Ary- how I ain’t dead yit—an’ I’m ther fu’st ez ever slipped through when they tried fur a strike. Thunder! LIL know more about it ef | lose a leg.” And fully satisfied that unless he lost. more time than he felt willing to spare he could learn no more about the mystery, Singular Sam quietly glided away. He had all his belongings on his person, and never went near his dead broneho. If any one was watching it they were doomed to disappointment. And it was fully a mile from the spot that Singular Sam again glided into the trail. In that espace he had flanked the point where it seemed possible to him that another ambush might be placed; and he went on with aconfident step, though his keen eyes roved around, ready to take in the very first significant sight. But that one stroke was all that was at- tempted. The hours plodded-on and the miles slowly dropped away behind him, and at last in the early morning Blazer’s Bar lay just below him. He halied for a moment, looking down on the little town with that curious stare that comes natural to a man returning to his place of residence, even after but a brief ab- sence. As he looked he started. From the side of the trail, and but a few yards away, there rose a voice, harsh, rasp- ing and utterly unfamiliar. ‘Say, boss, that camp beats Jumptown allholler. Ef yer ain’t purty well heeled an’ lierble ter shoot at ther drop ov ther hat, I wouldn't advise yer tergo in. They've did fur me—er so near it thet thar ain’t no fun in ther missin’ ov it—an’ I'm right smart my- self. Yer couldn’t hev ther omnibus call at ther door, er ther street-cars back up to ther edge ov ther pavement? I’m thet tired thet I don’t b’lieve I kin git back ov meself; an’ I wouldn’t trust nothin’ but a public ecnvey- ance ter help me.” ‘“Who ther thunder be Sam, sharply. the man, and as he heard the first sound of his voice the suspicion struck him that it ou?” answered He did not like the looks of (eo) oo) LUG S -