Beadle's New York Dime Library No. 389 — page 12: what you’re looking at

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

12 and jumped up on a log, so that the upper half | of his person showed plainly above the low bar- ricade. He was not in time to use his revolver at close quarters, but was justin time for some- thing else. Hardly had he jumped up on the log when something dropped over his shoulders and tight- ened around his arms. The next instant he was jerked over the bar- ricade and dragged down upon the earth on the other side. Luckily the noose had dropped below his neck. If it had tightened a trifle sooner, he would have been quickly strangled to death. But he was helpless in its clutch, and his rough contact with the logs and limbs of the woodpile bruised him severely, and when he drop on the outside the breath was nearly knocke out of him. The big black horse started away at a gallop |, that promised to put a speedy end to the exist- ence of Jeptha Jones. And so it would have done, but for the inter- vention of Chinquapin. The lad was near Jep when the lasso was flune, and as it settled over the circus man’s shoulders he leaped up on the log to cut it, but was too late, : He sprung over the woodpile as his friend was dragged away, and the black horse had scarcely started when Chinquapin threw himself upon the victim, clutching the rawhide rope with his left hand, while with the right he wield- el his knife. At the risk of having his arm jerked from the socket, he clung on, and succeeded in press- ing the keen edge of his knife against the twist- ec hide. With a crack it parted, and, relieved from the strain of the weight it carried, flew away as a serpent springs. The black horse, also suddenly relieved, stum- bled and fell, and Devil Dick, who had been spurring on without: looking behind him, feil with the horse. When he had recovered himself and remount- ed his steed, he looked around for the man he had lassoed, naturally supposing that the lariat had broken; but the man was not visible. Chinquapin, with an exertion of strength of which he could scarcely have heen supposed to be capable, had picked up his friend and tumbled him over the barricade, leaping after him into the iuclosure. Instantly he grabbed his rifle, and was on guard again and ready for action. In the mean time an exciting event had taken place at the other flank of the woodpile fortifi- cation. George Throop, who incautiously exposed him- self at the beginning of the action on that side was struck by a bullet from the rifle of one o the charging cowboys, and was knocked out of the fight. 4 His sister, who was standing in the house, watching the fray through the partly-opened mi uttered a shrill scream as George fell back- ward, . But there was more of vengeance than of ter- ror in her cry, and she did not content herself with a useless scream, Flin ing the door wide open, she rushed down into the inclosure, and in a few seconds was at the side of her wounded brother. She did not stop an instant to notice wheth- er he was alive or dead, but seized his rifle and took his place at the barricade, opening fire at once upon the charging cattle men. Hey fire was quite as effective as her broth- er’s could have been, and the others were so inspirited by her example tnat they threw them- selves into the work with the utmost vigor and determination. The result was that the attack on that side of the woodpile was a disastrous failure to the cattle men. Three of them dropped out before they were near enough to do any more damage, and Jack Koopman, who was the leader there, was so as- tonished at the hot reception of his party that he ordered a re‘reat. It was well tor him, perhaps, that he did so, as he and the remaining two had as much as they could do to take care of. their fallen comrades. It was then that the cowboys put in some of their best work. Like the Indians, they would not leave a man on the field, and their display of horsemanship was only equaled by their daring. It was a fine sight to see one of them suddenly bring his galloping horse to a stand at the side of a dead or wounded friend, reach down and pick up the man, and then bear him away at full speed. While they were engaged in this duty, they were not molested by their foes atthe woodpile, who were only too glad to get rid of them, and to turn their attention elsewhere. By this time the other side of the fortification was equally clear of enemies, Col. Double-edge had three men with him there; but the retreat of Jack Koopman and the others speedily determin d their action, and Colonel Double-edge. they lost no time in getting out of range of the rifles that had done so much harm among them. The two parties soon came together, and, after a brief halt, slowly and sadly rode away across the valley. As they carried off their dead and wounded, the party at the woodpile had no means of as- certaining their actual loss; but it was certain that Jack Koopman had been dealt a blow from which he would not be likely to speedily re- cover. Etta Throop had in the mean time hastened with Walter Brandis to the assistance of her brother, and Chinquapin was attending to the needs of Jeptha Jones. The former was found to be very seriously hurt, the ball that struck him having broken his collar-bone and passed downward and outward; but it was hoped that no vital part had been touched, though he was suffering severely from the shock and loss of blood. Jep Jones soon recovered his senses, and was able to stand alone. He was quite sure that he had sustained no real injury, though he was bruised all over, and declared that he felt as if he had been flung through a knothole. Two of his men had been slightly wounded, one by a Lullet and one by a splinter, and that was the sum total of the casualties on the side of the d@fenders of the ranch. George Throop was taken into the house and cared for as well as possible, while one of the circus men was mounted on a fast horse and burried off to Gonzalez for a physician. Jeptha Jones, when he discovered that he was entirely safe and comparatively sound, was overjoyed at the poncesatal defense of the ranch. ‘*George Throop is badly hurt,” he said; ‘* but he will soon be about with such care as he will get here. Thatis the only drawback. Every- thing else worked splendidly, much better than we could have hoped for. The business is set- tled now. The ranch is safe, and I fancy that Jack Koopman and his crew won’t want to worry us again.” ‘* How about the tall, dark mah on the black horse?” inquired Brandis. : ‘Oh, the scoundrel! Did you notice him, Walter? Did you see him close?” ‘* Not as close as you did, I suppose, but well enough to recognize him.” ** You know, then, that he is Jim Sartine?” ‘* Tt seems impossible, but he is the exact im- age of the Marshal of Sandstone,” ‘“T am sure, too, that he is Devil Dick, or Col. Double-edge, the stage robber and cold- blooded murderer, But it seems that Satan protects his own, It drives me wild to think that when I had such a fine chance at that wretch I drew a bead on him three times and missed him every time.” ‘*Tt must have been his daring that saved him. His cool and determined style was some- thing splendid, and it is evident that he meant to make a sure thing of you, Jep.” ‘Yes, and he would have succeeded if it hadn’t been for Chinquapin here. That boy will do to bet on every time. It saddens me to think that I was of no use in the fight, as every shot of mine was thrown away. ‘* Devil Dick was as much out of the fight as you were.” ‘* But he got his work in, all the same, just as he meant to, and Iam afraid that we would all have been in a bad fix if it hadn’t been for Miss paEony: She is entitled to go up head and stay there. CHAPTER XVI, A DISGUISED DESPERADO. THE next morning Jeptha Jones, feeling quite well and hearty, though a little sore in his flesh and bones, rode alone to Gonzalez, on business connected with theranch and his own affairs. Gonzalez was a straggling little town, rather more Mexican than American, a queer mixture of the two styles of civilization, but rapidly ac- quiring the characteristics of the newer order. Adobe buildings, whose age nobody knew, were scattered about the plaza with cheap and showy shanties that were not intended to last for any length of time. Mexicans in serapes and sombreros lounged about, jostled by wide-awake Americans in red shirts and félt hats. With these mixed, but did not mingle, ug] and slouchy Indians, their faces streaked wit red .and yellow ocher, and their attire a gro- tesque complication of the aboriginal garb and the cast-off clothing of their conquerors. These differing nationalities had but one thing that was really common to them—they all drank the same whisky. Jeptha Jones, after placing his horse where it would be cared for, moistened his interior with a glass of the customary beverage, in which op- eration he easily found a friend to join him. He then went to the stage and express cflfice, where he ‘had some business to transact that was connected with his circus enterprise. At the entrance of this establishment he saw a Mexican lounging about, whose appearance struck him as peculiar. This man was of tall and stalwart build, ee) 2 | ew much taller and larger than the average of Mexicans. He wore a large serape, although the weather was warm and dry, and was also noticeable by reason of a very heavy black beard. Near him was a large black horse, that stood without being bitched at a post in front of the building. In the horse, as well as the man, there was something that struck Jep Jones as familiar; but he gave them no notice at the time, further than a quick glance that took in the | articulars that have been mentioned. He passed into the office, where he met Sam Jones, the driver of the stage that had been ‘‘held up” in Chiapa Pass, and the two men greeted each other cordially, Jep Jones quickly transacted his business at the express office, and then had a chat with the other Jones, beginning with indifferent matters, and soon striking a subject that was interesting to both. ‘‘Sam,” he said, ‘‘do you remember, Colonel Double-edge?” ‘*Remember him?’ answered the driver. ‘T should say I do. Reckon I’ve cause to. He gave me the roughest deal ve ever had in these yarts. Dd remember him a good bullet’s worth if [ should ever set eyes on him again.” ‘Do you think you would know him if you should see him again?” ‘Well, I ought to know Devil Dick. The first time he held me up, jest outside o’ this town, he dropped his mask, and I kad a good, square look at his face, to say nothin’ of his form, Yes, ’'d know him,” Jep Jones kept glancing out of the open win- dow at the tall Mexican, who was still lounging near the black horse, **'You are mistaken about that, pard,” said he. “You did not know him the other day when he held up your stage in Chiapa Pass,” “What! do you mean tosay that the sham Injun thar—” ‘*Was Devil Dick? Yes, that is just who he was. He knew me, as you noticed at the time, and I knew him, and he knew that I knew him. That is what made him so hard on me.” ‘* Holy Moses! If ’'d known that—” ‘*Hush, Sam! Don’t speak so loud. Gonzalez to-day.” ‘*Are you sure of that, pard? We ought to bounce him, then, and take him in.” ‘We must, and he is near us right now. Keep quiet, Sam, and notice the tall Mexican outside there.” ** You don’t mean to say—” “Ves, Ido. That is Col. Double-edge. Tale a good look at him, but don’t let him find ou: that we are watching him.” The tall Mexican was not standing quietly in one position. He changéd his attitude occasionally, locking up or down the street, and once he glanced in ati the window of the stage office. ‘The man is tall for a Mexican,” muttered Sam Jones. ‘ His hight and shape are like that scoundrel’s, and the back view favors him. But the face ain’t a bit likehim. Your Mexican has a big beard, and real Devil Dick had nothin’ 0” He is ix the kind when I saw him, end he couldn’t ha’ crewed that one by this time,” ‘* He is made up again,” answered Jep. ‘‘ He fools you now, just as he did when he was fixed to pley the part of a red-skin; but he can’t fcol me. I’ve been in the theater business, Sam, as well as the circus business, and I ought to know a beard thatis puton. That beard bas the symp- toms mighty strong; but I am going to settle the question.” ‘* What will you do?” , ‘*T will go out there and speak to him, and then I will notice him lonely: If 1 believe then what I suspect now, I will pull that beard off his face. If he should prove to be a Mexican, with an honest beard, there will be nothing to pe afraid of, and I shall pass the trick off as a joke,’ ‘“Tf he should prove to be Devil Dick—” ‘*T shall expect you to back me, Sam, end the two of us ought to be enough for him. There is a reward out, you know.” “Tl back you, pard, to any length; but that galoot, if he is really Devil Dick, or Col. Double- edge is nothin’ short of old Satan himself,” ‘What of that? We will take him off his guard, and we ought to be able to get the drop on him. Be ready with your shooter, Sam, and I will do the advance work of this show.” ‘* Lead out, then.” : ‘Rasy, Sam. We will loaf along toward him and take a good squint at him.” Jeptha Jones led the way out of the stage office, closely followed by his friend. The Mexican was standing there In the sun- shine, leaning against the post to which his horse was hitched, and looking up the street, Jep stumbled against him as he came out, and the man turned pote ; Jep spoke to him in Spanish. ‘** Que quiere usted ?” demanded the Mexican, but with an accent that was decidedly not Spanish. As geek as thought the circus man reached out and seized his heavy black beard. It came off at once, revealing a face that was com ebooks-com 5 |