Beadle's New York Dime Library No. 389 — page 28: what you’re looking at

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

SS <> _ mg ets A as, —- =s = + a ee + ee em ee “ LSE a = ee Ome et ee ee Oe DP OB RO ee ee ee a - - ~ . .— -everythin — 0 ‘You may go in and examine the wounded “man,” said the cavalry officer, ‘‘and I will join you shortly. If I am not greatly mistaken there is somebody coming yonder who will do more for him than all your skill can effect.” Charley Cripps was not mistaken. In the approaching party were Etta Throop and Chinquapin, and with them were George “Throop and his companion, whom they had met «as they were descending the valley. From those who were with her the young lady had learned all that had befallen her friends, and tnuere was nothing for Lieut. Cripps to do but to congratulate her on her safe return, which he -did so feelingly that she could not restrain her When the physician had examined Walter Brandis she was permitted to go in and see the wounded man, and she took her place at his side, as a matter of course, seeming to forget ati -once all the trouble and fatigue she had under- gone. It was apparent, too, that as soon as Walter Brandis was inade aware of her presence his ssymptoms changed for the better, and the Gon- <zalez physician declared that good care and nursing would soon put him out of the reach of danger. This was the pleasant surprise that awaited «Jeptha Jones and the men from Gonzalez on their arrival at the ranch, and it was more than f sh for one and all of them. ot only was it a great relief to their feelings, ‘but it made their task much simpler and easier by freeing them from the necessity of searching for the lost girl. Her story, as it was told to them, raised her to “the rank of a heroine, and their admiration for her was immensely increased by the skill and courage which she had exhibited in escaping from the toils of her abductor, At the same time her escape did not render ‘them any the less eager to apprehend and punish Devil Dick and his partner. On the contrary, the account of her peril and ‘suffering made them all the more anxious to execute speedy vengeance upon that precious pair of scoundrels, So they gave themselves a breakfast at the “Throop House, and mounted and rode across the valley, their first objective point being Jack _-Koopman’s ranch, Lieut. Cripps accompanied them, with Jeptha Jones and eevcacnh leaving the soldiers and “the rest of the circus men with George Throop ‘to rest and to guard the house. Before he mounted the cavalry officer went in ‘to take a look at Walter Brandis, and when Etta Throop stepped out for a moment he bent «down and spoke to the wounded man. ‘*f almost wish I could be in your fix, old boy,” said he. alter’s hi spoke an inquiry. ‘Oh, you know why. I wouldn’t object to a pretty bad gunshot wound if I could have her to stake care of me.” The wounded man smiled faintly. CHAPTER XXXVIII. JACK KOOPMAN’S GUESTS. Bren HILLMAN had been in many tight places ‘In the course of a life that had been largely sspent in conflict with the laws, and had expe- rienced some severe reverses of fortune; but it may be doubted whether he was ever more ‘thoroughly ‘done down,” as he would have ex- ‘pressed it, than when Etta Throop rode away Mer him with his horse and his revolver. Tt was bad enough to be beaten, but to be so utterly overthrown by a girl was simply shame- ful It was his own fault, too; he could not help -admitting that; and he had nobody but himself to blame. ' He had suffered her to lead him on, and had ‘most willingly been led by her, until she had ‘brought him to the edge of a precipice and drop- ped him over, leaving him in ‘the low grounds -of sorrow ” and the depths of a quite unavailing anger. tt he had obeyed the instructions he had re- -eeived eae adhering to them as he might easily have done, all this’ trouble would have been avoided; but be had allowed the fascina- tions of bis fair captive, mixed with consider- able whisky, to get into his head and upset He will , ae that his end of the plot was re- garded by Devil Dick as the important end. Some of the girl’s friends might have been killed in the trap into which they were to bo led; but they had been drawn away mainly for the purpose of causing her capture. ‘ e had begun well, but had ended most miser- -ably. The worst of it was that he had been thrown into the difficulty by his mad desire to cheat his rtner and secure for himself the main result -of the nefarious operations of the day. Of course he was not compelled to disclose that side of the business to Devil Dick, and he chad not the least intention of sodoing; but he would be obliged to account in some way for the loss of his captive, and the best excuse he «could make would be a lame one. The end of the wretched affair was that he Colonel Double-edge. = et found himself afoot and unarmed, as well as dis- | ** Indeed he did, just when he wasn’t wantcd, abled by a bullet-hole in his leg where Etta | and with his squad of blue-coats.” Throop had shot him. ‘**T’'d be glad to have the hanging of that con- Naturally he attended to the wound the first _ ceited*and meddlesome sneak.” thing, stopping the flow of blood, and binding it up so that he could walk with difficulty. } As it happened he was not far from Jack | Koopman’s ranch, though Etta took such a” roundabout way to get there, and he knew the shortest and easiest route to reach it. stopping every now and then to rest and to relieve his mind by the use of vigorous rhetoric. He reached the ranch shortly after the young lady had been there and gone away safely. Several of the cowboys were still up and about, and Jack Koopman was on his porch fretting and fuming, full of wrath at the es- cape of the Throop girl, and yet more angry at the insubordination of his retainers. He greeted the arrival of the wounded des: perado with a storm of curses. | wanted them. He cut a stick to aid his locomotion, and | slowly and painfully worked his way thither, | ‘‘That’s easy to say, pard, but the scheme wouldn’t work. For my part, 1 will be glad enough to keep my own neck out of a noose, He turned up at the wrong time, asI said, just when I had those squatters exactly where I We had laid out more than one of them, I know; but when he sailed in we had to drop all holds and skedaddle. It seems as if luck is dead against me right straight along,” ‘That’s what I was looking for, and the cursed cavalryman has put the cap sheaf on.” ‘“ Why, it’s not so bad, Jack. I’ve hit them hard, anyhow, and I drew the whole crowd of them away from the ranch, so that Ben Hill- man had a splendid chance to sneak up and steal the girl, and I reckon he’s got her safe.” ‘* Safe?” growled Koopman. ‘‘ Not much.” ‘What do you mean?” ‘*T mean to say that the girl came riding by Stripped of those expletives his violent talk ; here shortly after moon-up, on the horse I gave amounted to a demand that the man should tell | Ben Hillman, and that after a while he came where he had come from and what he had been doing. sneaking in, with a hole in his leg that you might put your thumb in, and his story was that Ben Hillman, who was completely exhausted | the female critter had shot him and run off with as well as thoroughly ashamed of himself, began to stammer a reply, but was immediately checked. ‘* Don’t give me any lies, you good for noth- aloot!” exclaimed the enraged cattle baron. ow what has happened. That girl has been here, and she rode your horse up to this very door,” ‘Where is she now?’ Ben Hillman ventured to inquire. ‘‘Gone away safe and sound. These cussed sons of cattle-thieves wouldn’t stop her or let me do it, but put her in the trail and sent her on her way rejoicing.” This piece of information was perhaps a relief to the desperado, as he could at least be sure that she would not tell of his treachery in that quarter, He staggered to a seat, and found bréath to ask another question. ‘Where's Dick?” **Don’t know,” gruffly r nded Koopman. ‘* Reckon he has made a botch of his part of the business, too. No sort of good luck is to be ex- pected any more. How did tbat girl give you the slip and get away with your horse?” ‘‘[ had stopped to give her a rest, as she was all fagged out,” answered Hillman, ‘ and she sneaked up and shot me through the leg.” Jack Koopman regarded the speaker with the most intense disgust, “She did?” he sneered. ‘‘ That girl? And she was all fagged out, too? That is the worst I ever heard in this world of wonders. And what was a man of your size and style doing while she was playing that game?” ‘*T wasn’t watching for anything of that kind. Who would have looked for it? bad hurt, Jack, and—and—” He would have fallen over if his companion had not propped him up and administered the readiest remedy in the shape of a drink of whisky. ** As you are here and helpless,” said the cattle baron, ‘‘I suppose I will have to take care of you; but I do wish that the infernal jade had shot you through the head and made a finish of you.” Koopman called his retainers to the assis- tance of the wounded desperado, “They took him into a back room and put him to bed, and one of them who was some- thing of a rough surgeon dressed his leg and gave him a drink of whisky for a composing draught, The cattle baron remained out on the porch cursing this new mishap and scolacing himself with abundant liquors and cigars, He had not succeeded in drowning his wrath when Devil Dick rode up with the men who had accompanied him on his raid—that is to say, with those of them who were left. ‘* Well, old man, what bad news have you brought?” demanded Koopman, as the leader dismounted and came to him, He knew that it would never do to treat this tall and stalwart desperedo as rougkly es he had treated his partner; but he could not help showing his ill-humor, all the same. ‘* What makes you think that I have brought | any bad news?” responded Devil Dick. as ho helped himself to a seat, not forgetting the bottle that was so handy. “Because I don’t look for any other sort of news nowadays,” growled the cattle baron. “Well, youre not far wrong, pard. My news is not as good as I wish it was, thrvch I have done my best, and so did all the boys,” “Spit it right out, Dick. Tell me the worst there is of it.” **Oh, it’s not particularly bad, oni good as it might have. been—that’s all. those squatters in a trap, and would have wiped in bs But I am right a a le seem een ens ene eseesianstasepen seeps sates maniac ot = not so his horse. He is in the back rocm there now, as badly played out a specimen of the scamp tribe as you would care to see.” Devil Dick’s face turned more than dark—it was positively black with passion. ‘*] want to see him,” said he, ‘Go and hunt him, then. You know where to find him. He is no friend of mine.” The big desperado strode into the room where his wounded partner was lying. Ben Hillman, rudely aroused from a stupor, was 1n a half-dazed condition when he faced the partner whom he tad sought to betray. In response to the savage questioning of Devil Dick he told about the same story that he had told to Jack Koopman. His statements were received with utter dis- gust and emphatic incredulity. ** You don’t know that girl, Dick,” he feebly protested, ‘‘Sheisaterror. She is as sly asa snake and as quick as a wildcat. How could I think that she was going to spring a shooter on me as she did?” ‘Bah! You Pretend to be a man, and let such a whiffet of a girl get the best of you! I would give considerable to know what it really was that you were thinking of just then. Where did she get the gun that she shot you with?” ‘‘She had it hid about her, somewhere; and I had never thought that she might be carrying such a thing.” ; ‘‘ Just so. And where was your six-shooter that you thought so much of?” ‘‘[ dropped it when I fell, and she picked it up and ran away with it.” ‘*That will do,” sternly replied Devil Dick; **T don't believe a word you say. You are neither a coward nor a fool, and I have no doubt that ycu bave been playing some game at which you deserved to be beat, even by a girl. I don’t expect to squeeze the truth out of yeu, but I can guess enough of it to feel sure that what you’ve got is less than you ought to have. Twice I have saved your worthless life, Ben Hillman, and you have said again and again that. you would be willing to die for me, and this is the way you keep your word. It would serve you right if Jack Koopman should kick you out and drive you away. For my part, ve done | with you.” Leaving his recent parmer in no enviable frame cf mind, the big desperado went out and rejoined Jack Koopman, to whom he made known his opinion of Ben Hillman in few but very vigorous words. ‘“f told him,” said he, ‘‘ that I wouldn’t care if you should kick him out.” “T wish he wasn’t here, and that’s a fact,” responded the cattle baron; ‘‘ but I can’t exact- ly kick him out. Id:n’t want you to stay bere either, Dick. It ain’t safe for you or for me. That double performance of yours and his isapt to kick up a deuce of a row about here, and there’s no telling when the soldiers or some other erowd may ccme here hunting you. I reckon you had better leak out.” “All right, Jack. That’s my notion, too. But there’s no call to be in a hurry. 1 am going to lie down here and get a good snooze, and you can look out for me. I don’t need to tell you | what to do,” Jack Koopman, who had been a soldier in bis_ day, sent out several of his retainers to picket all the roads leading to the ranch, and told Devil Dick that he might rest in peace. The proprietor of the ranch and the rest of the men sought repose, and Devil Dick did rest in peace, sleeping as scundly as if he had no trouble on his mind and no crime on his con- science. It was not until near noon of the following I got ; dav that he was aroused, Then some of the pickets came in and an- out the last one of them if it hadn’t been for the | nounced ‘‘a big gang of men comin’ from Gon- United States of America.” | ‘* So that scalawag turned up again,” observed Koopman, as an expression of disgust over- spread his coarse features. ® . ae “— ? zalez way.” " ; ‘You'll have to light out in a hurry, Dick,” said: the ranchman, and the desperado was al- most instantly in his saddle. Se ae Eomicboo (€ “Ss