Beadle's Dime Library No. 387 — page 2: what you’re looking at

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

2 a toms his shattered brain had conjured up, they had vanished into nothingness, and for one brief moment the poor wretch was happy. But only for an instant. That horrible thirst returned with redoubled force, and he muttered: ** Just one, mate! I'll pay you its weight in dust, just as—” » ‘Shell out, Humpy, av here she am,” but one strong paw retained its grasp on the black bot- ile. ‘You've hit her too heavy a’ready, but it’s ’g’inst the law to deny a man with the money to pay fer it. I wouldn’t credit my gran’daddy fer—” He thought long experience behind, the bar had armed him at every speech was cut short, and he felt his red face turn still redder as Humpy Dick flashed a proud, almost haughty look over the rude barrier, er and clear rung out that voice: ‘“ Why say that, when it is written on your face, Dan Nipperley? Your sole god is gold, and for a dollar you would cheat the very eyes out of your own mother’s head! Give mea drink! I’ve spent gold enough in this hell-hole to pay for it all a thousand times over, TVll spend as much more—I’ll fill the glass twice over with pure dust, if you ask it—give me one more drink, old mate—just one !” Sharp and clear and contemptuous at first, only to quaver and degenerate into the pitiful whine of the broken-down drunkard who wan see naught between him and ‘“ the horrors” but a glass of the vile eres which was surely de- stroying him. And quite as naturally the red glow in the brutal face across the bar turned to anger. A huge fist vibrated before the face of the de- formed, and a gruff voice oo out savagely: ‘That's the one ye’ll git, Humpy Dick, an’ it*ll send ye so fur yer mule-loads o’ oro ’Il melt afore egit back! DPve had enough o’ ye fer once, kin out afore ye hev tocall fer a cart to tote ye! Not a drap o’ drink do ye git in this shebang, ef ye was to Jay down dead loads o’ the dust—d’y’ mind that?” The deformed shrunk back, pale and ghastly, though it did not seem altogether fear. There was a wild, half-idiotic glare in hiseyes. His bony fingers were picking nervously at his bosom. A low, cracked ‘laugh came faintly through his tangled beard, and then the broken sentences: ‘* Loads of it! Mule-loads—boat-loads—enough to dam a big river—and all mine! Enough for a million, yet allmine !” The sound of his own voice appeared to startle him, and the r wretch cast a basty, covert lance about him, More eyes than one pair were tarned upon him, but none with an interest greater than that generally bestowed u whois playing the fool without wages. except those of Dau Nipperley. " Tr eivderts the door, ye travelin’ sign, an’ the quicker ye git to the other side, the less danger yellrun o’ broken bones. I’ve taken too much o’ yer lip aready. Git—in a hurry, too!” “A bit of a night-cap, mate,” mumbled the de- formed, fumbling in his pockets with eager fingers, smiling sicklily as he glanced apologetic- ally around the little ccne ena “Td call all hands, gents, but I’m broke—dead on just now. Another time—plain whisky, Dan; ’m tapering off, you know.” ‘* It’s the juice o’ fives, in the shapo of a punch ll git, Humpy Dick, ef ye don’t levant in a oly minnit! Scat! not a drop more will ye hev this night out o’ my bottles.” The burly barkeeper made a move to abandon his position, the ugly scowl upon his uglier face telling plainly enough what course he had in view, but a swift alteration came over his face and manner as a man swung up to the counter, leaning his back against it, thumbs in the arm- holes of his vest, shining hat tipped over his brows, the stiff brim fairly meeting the ash-tip- ped cigar. An evident plagiarism on the histori- cal ‘* Mose,” thinly disguised by a more modern if not graceful garb. Tall, with broad shoulders and long arms of which a professional bruiser might ave been proud, and a ‘‘mug” that said “‘ fight” in its every line and scar; in the low, retreating fore- head, the small, deep-set eyes, the broken-bridged nose, the wide mouth with its thin lips and broad, square chin and massive cheek-bones, to say aught of the stiff, heavy mustaches, too in- tensely black for unaided nature, A stiffly- starched shirt with high collar, spot- mn one ave and _ ted over with bulldogs, and an enormous pin ' the coat tightly buttoned and barely reaching the hips, the trowsers fitting vizhtiy to the bow-legs which ended in shining ‘Boots with broad flat heels and turn-up toes. his specimen ‘ tough” languidly turned his lead far enough for his eyes to catch a glimpse ef the now bowing, obsequious barkeeper out of vheir corners, and drawled: ; ‘* Lyin’ ag’in, Danny. Give the gent what his heart craves fer. Tell the gent you was only funnin’. Or—tell me Mose Sawyer lies!” Dan Nipperley laughed and bowed and bustled around after his most active fashion, and almost before that worthy could comprehend what had wrought this wondrous change, a bottle and httering in its front. A suit of plaid, both fasae and * loud,’ wx? : ; ; int, but his blunt | -glittered with sudden fire. glass were standing before him and the surly barkeeper was almost begging him to drink. ‘* Drink hearty, pardner,” nodded the tough, taking possession of the bottle after filling a glass for the hunchback. ‘‘It’s the Droop-eared Daisy’s treat this time. Gents, to the bar!” It is only following the general rule of those who had the exquisite pleasure of ‘‘ Lop-eared Mose’s”” acquaintance, that one peculiar feature of his person had been left until now for men- tion. Moses was very touchy on that point, and woe be unto the luckless individual who dared even hint at his sacred appendages without wait- ing for the ice to be roles by their owner. His ears were enormous, and curved ‘over at the top so decidedly that they stood out at right engles with his skull, thus readily suggesting a nickname which was, at the time treated of,only too well known in Denver and other Western towns. Without an exception the inmates of the room stepped up to the bar and called for the liquor each preferred, Dan Nipperley serving them with his broadest smiles, though in his heart he was savagely cursing ‘Humpy Dick. For 1t was about an even thing whether or no Lop-eared Mose ever deigned to pay for the liquor. If not voluntarily, Dan might as well charge it to profit and loss; it would be cheaper in the end than an attempt to collect the bill. Lop-eared Mose was kcenly though covertly watching the deformed drunkard, his interest growing with each moment, though he might have been puzzled to explain just why this should be the case. His action had found birth in a lazy desire to show his power over a tough case like Dan Nipperley, but now— A red light shot into his little eyes and step- ping forward he thrust one hand under the dwarf’s chin, pushing his head back until the light of the lamps fell fairly athwart his face. ‘** Hellow, old mate! It’s your face, but durn the body! What's squatted ye down so? You air my old pard, Sterling Coin?” A strong contrast they presented. Humpy Dick was justly named, for his back and shoul- ders were much the ‘‘ biggest part of him.” He was curiously deformed, his spine being twisted until it nearly formed a letter 8. This forced his head forward so that his face was kept at a sharp angle with the floor. His arms were long, and when pendent were capable of tying his shoe strings without the bending of his body. His skin was dark and deeply lined, where left visible by the matted growth of hair and beard, now white and black in curious streaks. His arb was a eee blending of rags and skins, eld together by bits of wood and thongs. Who he was, or from whence he came, few if any, in Denver could have satisfactorily ex- plained. For weeks and months no one would see him in the saloons where, if at all, he was to be found. Then Humpy Dick would put in an appearance with gold in plenty, and at once proceeded to “enjoy himself.” This he did after a certain fashion. He cared only for drink, He would take in a dozen saloons in the dourse of a day, at each one drinking heavily and treating everybody who cared to join him. Only in his eyes and loosened tongue would he show the effects of hisheavy draughts, for mortal man never saw him when ke could not walk as steadily as though liquor never ome his lips. And as long as he had adollar eft, he would refuse to drink at another’s ex- pense. The round completed, he would begin over again, to keep this up until, as now, he could no longer obtain credit even for a single drink. Then, with ‘*the man with the poker” close at his heels, Humpy Dick would melt away to be seen no more until he was ‘ well heeled” again with gold. : At first men would try to dog him to his retreat, believing the deformed had “struck it rich” somewhere among the hills, but as often would they return, having been thrown off the track. nd at’ last, despite the vague boastings of Humpy Vick while deepest in his cups, of his enormous riches, of his untold thousands safely hidden away, of his golden secrets, all such efforts were abandoned. Humpy Dick was set down as a harmless crank, whose riches existed only in his mind. “And one wit dubbed him. ‘The Beggar-millionaire,” which title still clung to the poor fellow, Humpy Dick shrunk away from that rude grasp with a shiver of fear which was intensified in his dark eyes. Huskily he gasped: ‘* Don’t—spare me! mercy, for—” “Don’t you know your old pard, Sterling?’ persisted Sawyer. Humpy Dick passed one hand over his eyes, then laughed faintly. : , “It’s a good joke, ain’t it? A good joke—but I’m only Humpy Dick, and so turribly dry! Perishing for a drop of whisky, and with a golden secret here—here!” tapping his sunken chest with his claw-like fingers as his black eyes ‘“Perishing from thirst, and yet able to buy the whole town with- out missing the price from my store! But it’s all mine, now, though I was only to have one- fourth!’ All mine—all mine—and enough for a thousand!” _ His tones sunk into low mutterings as he slunk away from the bar, his hand still fum- / Pd “md =< e eae Ke =p ref? ny Aba p — eee... NE eee Ee Dark Durg, the Ishmael of the Hills, breath of relief. Whatever the grizzly phan: | bling at his bosom. Was that the faint sound of crackling paper? Cop-anted Mose believed it was. He turned to the bar and paid for the drinks, then with good-humored blutfness drew Humpy Dick’s hand through his arm and led him toward the door, ‘“We'll take a walk, pardner. I know whar we kin git heap better lush than what Pizen Dan keeps on tap. I’m on it to-night, bigger’n a wild wolf, an’ you want to stay with me—eh, on ar. umpy Dick hung back a little as they cross- ed the threshold, but Lop-eared Mose tightened his grip and moved along without pausing. He believed himself on the point of a wondertul dis- covery, and wanted time to think as well as a better place tor solving his doubts. He knew that his sudden ejaculation, his pro- nouncing that name, together with the pecu- liar affright betrayed by vipat Dick, had at- tracted the notice of several of the men in Dan Nipperley’s saloon. They were none of them his particular cronies, and if anything should happen, they might talk too much were he fool- ish enough to fully awaken their curiosity. ‘‘T don’t think—it’s time I was going home,” muttered Humpy Dick, making a feeble effort to free his hand. ‘He'll be looking for me by this time. He'll be coming after me, sure!” ‘Your pard, I reckon? Mebbe I know him? What name did you say?” Humpy Dick freed his hand with a F piohae and as he turned’ upon his companion, Lop-eared Mose caught a etiam as of bare steel amid the rags that covered the sunken chest. “ Sneak it, and I’ll split your heart in halves!” grated the edhbmce, with an intensity that for an instant chilled the blood of the burly rough. ‘‘They’d hunt him down to death!— they’d hang him like a dog! But not while I live—not while—I’m thirsty—so dry! My throat is parched until it cracks. And I’m rich—rich enough to buy out all Denver and never miss the amount, though I made a bonfire out of all the houses; Rich! and it’s all mine now. mine, though 'they said my share was only one- fourth! Rich! and not a drop to cool my poor throat!” “Not a drop, pard, but I’ll kick in the head of a bar’l an’ you kin jump into it up to your chin, ef you like,” laughed Lop-eared Mose, once more taking the Beggar-millionaire by the arm and hurrying along the dimly lighted street, heading for a saloon where he felt confident he would meet with some tried and true comrades in evil. His belief that he had unexpectedly stumbled across a bonanza was rapidly gaining strength, but he wanted time to study the puzzling enig- ma out before making any decisive move. He was ready enough to use violence, to shed blood, if. needs be, but it was just as well to be sure the reward would pay for the risk and trouble. Lop-eared Mose was not out in his calcula- tions, for as they entered another saloon, cf a still lower class than that vont by Dan Nipper- ley, if possible, he recognized three boon com- panions seated at a table near the rear of the smoke-filled room, Only an almost ae, ape ble nod acknowledged their greeting, and they instantly took the cue. If they watched the movements of their chief, it was so covertly as to attract no attention from outsiders. _ Lo ed Mose provided Bumpy Dick with whisky, seating him at a little table In one cor- ner, himself returning to the bar as though to give further orders, but in reality to scan the face and figure of the deformed, trying hard to reconcile the immense difference between that twisted, awry figure and the one he had known in the days long gone by. | It seemed almost impossible, but surely that was the face—older and more marked, but still the same features—of Sterling Coin? And then, those few words he had dropped. Might not some accident have twisted and warped that tall, lithe shape? | E “he Humpy Dick finished his liquor, and seemingly forgetting his late companion, rose and crept out of the saloon. Lop-eared Mose gave his three fellows the wink, and followed after. He kept an eye on the deformed as he moved through the night, muttering to his men: “Follow, but not too close, I may need ou.” de Not him ?” incredulously asked one of the party. 2 “It’s only Humpy Dick, an’ be ain’t got a st about him, - he we dn't be leavin’ a saloon so airly!” added another. . F “Tf not dist, he’s got just as good hidden in his rags,” a little roughly returned Lop-cared ose. “Ef you take his say-so,” laughed the third rough, at the same time prudently taking a ste backward out of reach of the heavy fist whic he saw closing significantly. ‘Lord, mate, yowre too long from Denver fer to know, the crooked little cuss as well as wedo, He kin blow wuss then a thunder-gust 'bout his heaps 0” old hid away, but it ain’t no more’n wind. We've made sure 0’ that, ain’t we, pards?’ “ That's what !” ‘Slide off, then, durn ye!” savagely growled the Droop-eared Daisy, with a significant ges- EComicbooks..< Ee i