Beadle's New York Dime Library, No. 375 — page 7: what you’re looking at

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

——— given him to carry out his expressed desire. He looked quite calmly at the approaching mob, as if to judge how much time was at his disposal, and then turned to the ragamuf- fin, in the coolest of ways: | ‘¢Old man, you have plenty of nerve, but if it’s all the same to you, I would just as soon that you wouldn't be too closely identi- fied with the movement. I'll have about as much as I want to do to take care of my own immortal interest, and if I have you hanging around ny skirts I guess I won't know which way to shoot, or how scon torun. I don’t generally leave a pard in a hole, and I’m not wanting any pard just now, Sabbe?”’ “‘ Kerrect, ef I mou’t so observe. er OWn canoe, an’ I'll git outen range. I <in sce whar yer live, an’ thar ain’t room fur more, THyar they be.” The crowd that was approaching held on at a rapid rate until they had about reached a possible ‘revolver range. Then, as they could see that Joe Lipscombe had his hands in his pockets, and was watching them with an air of quiet unconcern, the pace was moderated to a slow walk, that allowed those in the rear to close up. The combination produced quite a respectable bunch, P “Sorry fur it, Joe,” said Mart Hammers, who was at the head of the procession, ‘J don’t think myself ez you got inter ther scrape on ther wrong side except frum pure cussedness, but ther boys hes *bout conelud- ed ez thar must ‘a’ bin suthin’ atwixt you an’ him, er yer wouldn’t a-chipped on his game, an’ they hev decided you hed better pags ther night in meddertashun an’ prayin’, an’ ef he don’t turn up afore mornin’ they Il try yer on ther ginr’al issyer, an’ perobably advise yer ter emirgrate to onc’t.” ‘Two of us sorry, then, I know you're about as square as they make ’em, and it’s a pity to have you mixed up in a racket with sucha lot of scrubs as these touch citizens cf Blazer’s Bar. Suppose you step down and out, and leave me to settle accounts with them. I swear I don’t want to hart you, as I know I'll have to if you stay in front of the ruck,”’ While he spoke, he ran his eyes critically over the crowd. Neither Jess Hurley nor the Baby was present, and he did not see Dave Dukely, who was crouching down in the rear of the crowd. He was looking for other faces, too, but the Bar gave him little time to make an itemized bill. Bis words had cut a hitle deeper than he imagined, and he had gone so far that apology was no longer possible, The last words had scarcely left his mouth when there Was a sharp report, and Lipscombe staggcred back. A yell arose. Every one thought he was hard hit; and the surprise was great when he turned squarely and bounded away. He ran too fast and strong for a badly-injured man, and the supposition was that in his bewilder- ment he had temporarily lost his sand. Perhaps he had; but Ragged Rufe, watch- ing him from a safe distance, scratched his head in evident distrust. There must pe some object behind this. So into the reading-room of the Golden Lamb darted Gentle Joe, just as Mrs. Orms- by had announced her unwillingness to see him. The abrupt entrance brought the three to their feet, Mrs, Ormsby uttered a short, sharp cry of surprise; Mr, Cathcart glared about him with a look that might mean any one of half a dozen different emotions, As for Gentle Joe—he Sprung into one corner of the room, where he could com- mand the door without being seen from the outside, and with his revolvers out and the everlasting silken smile on his face, watched for the approach of his enemies without more than a hasty glance at the trio in the room. Hither he was strangely reckless, or he felt pretty well assured that they would prefer looking after their own safety to bothering With him, If the latter was his supposition events showed that he was not far wrong. Mr. Cathcart’s hesitation was only momentary. With more quickness than one would have expected from his build and general appear- ance, he caught Mrs. Ormsby around the waist and swung her out of the line between Gentie Joe's corner and the door, and to- ward the window. Then he threw up the ‘Paddle Royal Geo > ae Se ‘ ¥ ~ ae. sash, and in another moment would have had her out of the room, had she not broken away from him and stared at the little man with the two revolvers, who had suddenly | flung up his hand and taker a snap shot at the first head that had rather cautiously been Above the echo of the report of the revol- ver there rose a snarling cry, that showed some one had been hit, and then Mrs. Ormsby, dropping her hand on the shoulder of the major. who had by this time moved to her side, whispered into his ear: ‘““Why did you not tell me the whole truth? That man there is my husband, [or | Heaven’s sake hide me from him. If hesees | me he will kill me.” The major was as cool as the veriest fire- | eater, yet he looked at the door in some per- plexity. Certainly his range of vision was as extensive as was that of Mrs, Ormsby, | yet he saw no one there atall. He shook | his head. | ‘‘You are mistaken. Do not be alarmed. | No one shall harm you—provided we once | get out of this corner. Here! Cathcart is | outside, let me pass you out to him. The | best of us get out of range when the bullets begin to fly.” Ife was keeping extra cool on her account, and his words had some effect; bit she re- fused to move. On the contrary, she pushed back a step, and, risking the very thing she had appeared anxious to avoid, pointed at Gentle Joe. : “No, 1 am not mistaken—nor have you | been, either. Yonder is the man I mean— Caton Ormsby.” | | } | ‘Then there are two of a kind, for that man is not the one who told me the history that answers so exactly to your descripticn. That is Joe Lipscombe, a gambler, a sport, a ‘bad man’ in our parlance, but not such a style of badness as you have been telling me of. But come now. Rest assured that he | can be found when you want him, and the band will not refrain much longer from striking up out of deference to you.” And as if in echo the chorus arose outside: ‘*You in there, we're after Gentle Joe, an’ we mean ter hev him, but we don’t want ter do ary damage to outsiders. We've got ther winders kivered, an’ ther fu’st head that pokes outside ov ther door without a pair ov empt hands in front ov it gets a chunk of lead in it, Ef thar’sa Jady thar we want herter hev a show ter git outen range, but we ain’t wait- in’ very long.” The truce was perhaps as much of a ne- cessity as of gencrosity. As Lipscombe com- manded the avenue in, and the crowd the way out, a parley was naturally in order. The presence of Mrs. Ormsby was a con- venient excuse, and while she was getting out of the way it might be possible to get the drop on the reckless little gambler. The major saw the points in the game, and as he was interested for himself, and had no apparent bias for either side, he answered the spokesman without, in his own particu- lar interest. ‘“Ton't be foolish with your irons. I euess if you promise Joe a fair show he will . come out and reason with you; but any way | you don’t want to burt us. The lady is a_ ittle wild, as she is a stranger, and not ac- | customed to the style of business at the Bar. Give me a moment more and | will get her | Out of harm’s way.” “Thanks,” said Mr. Lipscombe from his corner, ‘‘Thatis just what | was going to suggest. There is a prospect for a lively time here, and the sooner the kitchen is cleared the sooner the full orchestra can strike up. Escort the lady out, I «ill hold my hand till she is out of range, and if Iam not greatly deceived as to the chivalry of Blazer’s it will do likewise.” Of course he had not heard the wild state- | ment of Mrs, Ormsby, and he had only favored her with a glance, that certainly gave no sign of recognition, He Cid not seem to dream that she did not want to go. | Then the lady moved: but toward the corner of the room, and not toward the door, She held out her hand as ghe ad- vanced, . ; “Caton Ormsby, is this the way I find you?” There could not be the shadow of a doubt ree, the Three in One. thrust into the room. | | he could not help it. in regard to her meaning, and Lipscombe | looked at her with a queer jerk of the head, @ and the everlasting smile deepened on his face, ‘What name wa; that your gracious high- ness was pleased to observe? Ii is a strange one to me and unless I hear it again I am afraid I may totally forget it.” “If you would deny your own name no doult you would deny me, Both should be familiar enough. You ruined the one and well-nigh killed the other, You are in the usual desperate strait now, and yet it would be a safe wager that you will escape as usual and go out into the world to find more victims to sacrifice.” ‘‘l can’t say that I exactly sabbe, but no Coubt you intend to insinuate that you are one of my boyhood friends. Don’t be too rash about any such statements, fer I am a good deal older than I look, and there’s no use to give yourself away fer nothing. I’ve a tolerably strong memory, madam, and a thorough regard for the truth. Hating to hurt your feelings, all the same, truth com- pels me to say I never set eyes on you before in all my life.”’ The woman uttered a short, unpleasant laugh. **] knew it, without understanding how he could hurt or harm he would deny me on the gen ral principle. Were it not for the child no such chance would I give him. For her sake [ can be brave, even to once more risking my Jife in his hands.” , She held up both hands, and Jooked around over her shoulder at the major in an appealing way, Evidently she wanted him to speak, to reassure her. The major shook his head. He desired to postpone the consideration of these subjects until a more convenient season. He could not well leave a woman in the lurch; but after the warning she had it was certainly time for them to be going. He heard the impatient growls that were beginning to rise outside; and was decidedly inclined to be- lieve that the woman was a little demented, He lcoked from one to the other in a critical way, his lips opened, and he was evidently about to make some _ pertinent observation, when there was a sudden change in the status of affairs. Wifhout warning Lipscombe threw himself backward against the wall, and then, in some way, not so clear, suddenly and entirely disappeared, just as the crowd came roaring in. CHAPTER IX. RAGGED RUFE MEETS AN OLD FRIEND. ‘*Re moderate, gentlemen; be moderate,” The major spoke very quietly. He knew what sort of a crowd he had to deal with; bow many friends he had in it; and had no desire to turn the fickle wrath of the balance against himself by an unguarded course of action, If he could call attention tothe lad in the case it was possible that the proceed- ings would not so deeply shock decorum as they otherwise might do. As yet he had no idea that Gentle Joe had made good his es- cape. Moderate, thunder! We've got ther king-pin ov ther gang on a string at last!” snorted the foremost man. ‘* Whar is he? Which way did he go?” he added,- when, after looking sharply around there wes no trace of Lipscombe to be seen, ; The major was not the kind of man to be drawn into the concerns of others unless He said nothing as the room rapidly filed up; but watched the dcor keenly for a chance to make his exit. He would have perhaps tricd the window but for the warning he had received—of course taking Mrs, Ormsby withhim. He gave her a warnirg ‘‘hush,” and pressed her arm slightly with Lishand, As keen as she had shown herself to be there was no doubt in his mind that she would take the hint. There never was a more surprised man than he was when she suddenly sprung forward, givin a further attention to him, nor care to her- self. “Here, this way!” she exclaimed. ‘‘ If it is Gentle Joe that you are in search of you can find him if you make speed. Break down the partition, quick, before ke has time to get away. There is some secret door there, but waste no time in trying to find it; Down with the wall, I say, and you will have him!” She beat against the wall with her white, naked hands, as she spoke; and her words a MIGDOO (¢