Beadle's New York Dime Library No. 389 — page 18: what you’re looking at

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

‘thing can be settled. 18 of the mob; but after awhile he gota see. | a, and begged them to tell him what they wante The answers were more numerous than was consistent with a clear explanation; but their purport was unmistakable, The mob wanted Jim Sartine. termined that he should not be carried away. They insisted that the officers should not be allowed to leave the hotel. They were there to protect Jim Sartine against an abduction, and | the Gov’nor, and it won’t be safe for any man they meant to do it, no matter what might stand | or any mob to meddle with us.” in their way. ** Don’t go too fast, my friends!” entreated the | the landlord, ‘Have a little patience, and this It’s got to be settled. Go as easy as you can, and don’t hurt the house, while I go up-stairs and tell those Rangers that they must turn the man loose.” landlord. i | They were de- | Texas if they play that game.” his was surely the casiest way to settle the | difficulty, and it seemed to the terrified landlord that there was no other way to settle it. Such a mob as that, armed and excited and determined, was abundantly able to enforce its ‘demands, and it would be shecr folly for a few men to think of resisting it. It would only be necessary to let the Rangers down easy by causing it to be understood that their surrender was made as a personal favor to the proprietor of the hotel, and there would be no more trouble, But he was not yet acquainted with the men he had to deal with. They had not come to Sandstone to be seared, and the idea of giving up their prisoner could not enter their heads. Even stupid Sol Nettley, whose bungling had collected the mob, was ready to die right there, but never to surrender, As they sat in the room with their prisoner, the yells of the crowd outside came to them plainly enough; but they paid no more atten- tion to the noise than if it had been the whist- ling of the wind. They were quietly conversing about matters that had nothing to do with Sandstone or the | | was comparative quiet while the committee was Sandstonians, and Joe Burgess was about to. light a fresh cigar, when the landlord’s quick step in the hall was followed by his hurried knock at the door. ‘‘ Come in,” said Burgess, and he entered has- tily, his pale and excited face contrasting strangely with the ‘‘quite-at-home” counten- | the scene and style of action. gery gq ances of the others. “Glad to see you, pard,” srid Joe Burgess Sit down and make yourself at home. enjoying ourselves, you see. Take a drink? Have a cigar?” ‘‘There is ‘no time for foolishness,” protested Jones and their prisoner, noticed the lull in | ‘“‘T have come to tell you, Mr. | the storm outside, and commented upon it. the landlord, ee “Will we? ‘You will have to, selves. There is the biggest crowd outin front of the hotel that you ever saw, and they say that you’ve got to let him go.” ‘¢ You must be stretchin’ it, Mr.—” ‘** Beers is my name.” ‘“T’ve seen some tol’able big crowds in ‘ny time, Mr. Beers—bigger than any that Sand- stone can furnish, I’m keen to bet.” ‘Go and take a look at the people. will be convinced.” “All right. Anything to oblige you, Mr. Beers.” Joe Burgess went to the window at the end of the hall that opened on the street, and looked Reckon not.” - down at the crowd. It was then night, and there was no moon; but there was plenty of light in the main street of Sandstone to enable him to judge of the size of the crowd. He was able to tell its temper, too, if that could be rightly judged by the style of the noise . jt made. ae =: - you They would never gain any sort of a p’int by There are mobs and other mobs. That is to say, some mobs are wavering and uncertain, ‘‘ mere sound and fury, signifying nothing,” unless a sudden move by the right sort of a leader may give them a dangerous im- petus and direction. Other mobs are more quiet and sullen, but ap- parently possess a settled intention and a deter- ed purpose, and such are dangerous from e start. It isprobable that Joe Burgesss Was inclined to regard the Sandstone mob asone of the waver- ing and uncertain sort. tall events, when he returne:1 to the room he ae ot seem to have been powerfully impressed it. Me That’s a fair crowd for a small town,” said he, ‘‘ but not much to brag on.” “There must be two or three thousand people out there,” insisted the landlord. ite ‘‘ Cut that down half, and you'll hit it closer.” ““They mean business, too. They say that ust let that man go.” ‘‘T have my orders from the Govw’nor, Mr. Beers, and I don’t tuke any from other folks.” s They will just turn this town up on its end if you don’t give in.” Sieg will they do?” inquired the Ranger. “They will burn down this hotel and ruin ” “reckon they can’t be such fools as that. ‘ | Colonel Double-edge. ee Se ne eet need spilin’ your property, and they would only burn up their friend with the rest of us. If they mean to make us give him up, their best chance would be tocome here and take him; but they will have to settlo with the State of ber as a spokesman—Peter Brimmer, a banker, who was wealthy but still young and active, and who was known as one of the strongest par- tisans of the ex-marshal. ‘* We want Jim Sartine,” answered Brimmer.. ‘“We understand that you have got him in there, and that you expect to take him out of the State.” ‘**That’s just the way the case stands.” replied Burgess. *‘ We have arrested him under a n- quisition from the Gownor of Arizona, signec ‘Ts that your last word, Mr. Burgess?’ “The first was the last. Weare here in the nome of the law, acting under the orders of ‘‘Tt’s all up, then!” despairingly exclaimed ‘*T will go down and tell them, and the circus will begin.” ‘* Let her cirk!” was Burgess’s brief rejoinder. He and bis comrades seemed to give no | further thought to the matter, and there was not an immediate commencement of any sort | of a hippodrome, : The fandlord went down-stairs and out at | the front door, where he was met by a rush of questions from the noisy mob. | ‘It’s no use,” he said, sorrowfully shaking | his head. “They won't give in. They say | that the law is on their side, and they mean | to hold to what they’ve got.” | This was met by howls of defiance for the | i | take him up to Arizona to stand his trial. I reckon you know the facts well enough, and it’ss no use goin’ over the whole rigmarole agam. If you want to see our authority, one of you can: step in here and we will shew it to him; but I warn the rest of you against comin’ any closer.” This was not what the committee wanted. They had no donbt of the authority of the Rangers, knowing well that they would not have made the arrest unless they had been sure: of their right to do so. What they wanted was the release of Jim Sar- tine, and the only question was whether it could be effected without a resort to force. ‘* We don’t doubt that you mean well,” said Brimmer; ‘ but there has been a mistake. We know Jim Sartine well, and he is not a mau who» would commit any sort of a crime.” ‘We've got it in black and white, though, and it’s sworn to, and the men is identified. He is certified to us as havin’ been guilty of robbery and murder over and over again.” ‘We know what that means, Mr. Burgess. law, yells of execration against the Rangers, and shouts for the immediate release of Jim Sar- tine. Nothing came of tis noisy demonstration, however, and none of the leaders of the mob seemed to have any practical proposition to | make, It was reserved for the Jandlord to make a | proposition, which he did as soon as he could | Jim had to kill some scoundrels up in New get a hearing. Mexico, and the rest of the gang had played this ‘“‘ Suppose,” he said, ‘that some of our best | game to get him up there and wipe him out.” men go up there—sort of a committee, you know | ‘It won’t do, my friend. I have heard that cand settle th ngs with those Rangers, square | before. New Mexico has nothing to do with this: and solid.” | business, and nothin’ is to be settled by talk, as. This was acceptable to the crowd, and there | I and my partners are neither judge or jury. We have cur orders, and are bound to carry selectet and prepared for action. | them cut,” , It was composed of a dozen of Jim Sartine’s | ‘You won’t take Jim Sartine away from stanchest friends, all vigorous and determined | here!” roared Brimmer. men, and every one of them well armed. | ** Well, we mean to try.” A cheer greeted them as they entered the | ‘You sha’n’t try, cither. What you've got to hotel and started up-stairs. _do is to turn him loose end get out of town, and. The proprietor of the Lone Star Hote] doubt- | you've got to do it right awey, too.” less congratulated himself upon having changed | ‘* Suppose we don’t.” | ‘Then we will take him away from you, and Much better for him would bea fight up-stairs the job will be a worse one for you. That is if a conflict must come, than a riot that would | what we are here for.” We are wreck his property. that you will have to let that man go,” | You can’t help your- | situation. | | | Then you | his hilarity was short-lived. | ** And we are here to keep him,” retorted Bur- The Rangers, as they were quietly seated in | gess, ‘‘and we will make it hot for any men wo their room with Walter Brandis and Jeptha | would meddle with us.” ‘* You will only throw away {one lives, my | friend. You know that we are able to do whut. ‘The circus don’t seem to be in a hurry to | we mean todo. You may get away witha few cirk,” was Joe Burgess’s brief sutumary of the | of us before we down you; but we have the whole town of Sandstone to back us.” ‘* And we have the whole State of Texas to back us,” firmly replied Joe Burgess. “If you want to buck against that gume, pitch in!” This ended the diplomatic efforts, and brought the affair to a crisis, Peter Brimmer consulted in whispers with the other members of the committee. Those in front, who knew that they would be exposed to almost certain death at the opening of the conflict, were not anxious to begin it; but those in the rear, who were comparatively safe and could hope to win the final honors of the The heavy tramp of the committee on the stairs was the first intimation they had of the intention of the crowd to * go for them.” ‘*Tbat means business, I reckon,” said Bur- gess, as he rose and beckoned to bis partners, The three Rangers drew their revolvers and saJlied out into the hall. Jim Sartine chuckled with satisfaction; but Walter Brandis and Jep Jones remained with him, and the leader of the Rangers stopped at the door and spoke to them. ‘Stay there, you two!” was his order. ‘“‘If | battle, were eager for the onset. those folks mean fight, and if they get away | _ The men at the rear were largely in the ma- with us, shoot that man where he sits, Will | jority, and the will of the majority prevailed. you do it, sure?” ‘“Once again,” said Brimmer, turning to the “« Sure!” they answered together, and their | Rangers, ‘* we demand the release of Jim Sar- pistuls clicked ominously. tine. If you refuse to give him up, you will die The situation suddenly lost its charm for the | where you stand, and there will be nobody to blame but yourselves,” “ Just a minyte,” observed Joe Burgess. ‘‘T’ve got one more remark to make before you start in to wipe us out. There’s two men in the room here, and they’ve got your man cov- ered. If we ipree arp their orders are to blow the top of bis head off, and they'll do it, sure as death.” This announcement threw a sudden damper over the enthusiasm of the committee. Not a man was willing to advance when it was evident that the first shot would be the death-warrant of the friend they had come to save. If the determination of the Rangers had sur- prised them, their desperation astounded them. There was silence among the men who were crowded in that narrow space, and. no doubt some of them drew long breaths of relief. [ ‘Ask him, if you don’t believe me,” said Burgess, Then a shrill voice called out to the prisoner: prisoner, as it seemed certain that if his friends should overcome his captors, they would at the same time make an end of bim. By the time the three Rangers had stationed themselves outside of the door, leaving it open, the committee had reached the head of thestairs that led to that floor. They presented a formidable appearance be- cause of their numbers, but not more fcrmida- ble than that of their three resolute antago- nists. The hall was narrow and dimly lighted with oil lamps, but the opposing parties could view each other with sufficient distinctness. Joe Burgess stood near the door cf the room, a step in advance of his two comrades, as the space was not wide enough for the three men to stand abreast and use their weapons, There was no chance for a foe to get a a them, and the twelve men of the committee were also wedged in the narrow space, so that the conflict, if there should be one, would be most decidedly deadly. “Jim! Jim Sartine! Is that true? Have —— they A Nis you covered?’ ; CHAPTER XXV. ‘* Yes, curse them!” was the sullen and bitter reply from the open room, ; is settled the case of the committee, Peter Brimmer did not need to consult his companions again, as it was clear enough that they could not make a move. ‘“You have got us foul, Mr. Burgess,” said he. ‘‘ We knock under and give up the scheme, But you needn’t think that you are going to get off soeasy. The game’s not up yet, e give you fair warning that you sha’n’t take Jim Sartine SCHEMES THAT FAILED TO WORK, “Hat there!” was Joe Burgess’s clear and sharp command, as the head of the column came within ten paces of his position. This order was emphasized by the clicking of the locks of three revolvers, and the committee halted. ‘* What do you want?” demanded the Ranger. The committee put forward one of their num- by the Gov’nor of Texas, and our orders are to . com c oKoye) ‘Ss r ~ é a | } I “’®. : ae 4 — ———— ty errs y