Beadle's New York Dime Library No. 389 — page 29: what you’re looking at

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

| ee a —EEE ‘*T reckon I can hide that cuss in there,” con- tinued Koopman, ‘‘ Where do you think you will bring up?” ‘“‘T am going to Jim Allen’s Hole. It would puzzle them tofind me there if they should search all through the bills,” Devil Dick rode off at a gallop, and was well out of the way when the men from Gonzalez came in sight. CHAPTER XXXIX, BEN HILLMAN’S FATE. WuHeEN Sheriff Mabry and his party reached the Koopman Ranch, they found everything moving on as if in the natural and regular way. On the surface, at least, there was nothing to arouse their suspicions. The cattle baron was directing the slaughter of a steer for beef, and he madea point of greet- ing the visitors pleasantly, if not hilariously, urging them to dismount and stay a while, _ The alacrity with which they accepted this in- vitation almost before it was tendered must have convinced him that they had special business there, ‘‘T am ever so glad to see you folks,” he said, when he had ordered the usual refreshments to be placed before them; ‘‘ but I can’t help wonder- ing what has brought you here. Has there been any excitement down your way?” “Yes, somethin’ in that line,” answered Sheriff Mabry. ‘‘ We came here to look for Devil Dick—Colonel Double-edge, the outlaw.” ** Devil Dick?” inquired the ranchman with an air of innocence that ought to have imposed upon his visitors, ‘¢ Yes—or Dick March, or whatever you ma choose to call him. You know him well enough.” ‘Oh, that chap. Yes, I know him, or did know him. He used to come around here quite a while ago, but Lieutenant Cripps there told me what kind of a character he was, and I shut downon him. I haven’t seen him for ever so long.” ‘Sure of that?” ‘*Of course Lam. I don’t know anything about the man any more.” ‘*That’s queer. He was raising Cain down in the Gonzalez valley yesterday, and had some of your men to help him.” ‘*Some of my men? You astonish me. Well, that may be so, for all I know. I pick my men up as I can get them, and don’t pretend to vouch for their moral characters or to control them in any way. So long as they do the work that I ay them to do, that is all I have to look out for. ff you think you can find any of those men you neak of about here, you are welcome to look for them,” The men who had been concerned in Devil Dick’s raid, were of course conveniently out of the way, and it may be doubted if anybody could evs identified them if they had been present, No attempt was made to search for them, as the Gonzalez posse was after other game. Lieutenant Cripps stepped forward to con- front the cattle baron, and in his hand he held concealed a small scrap of woolen cloth, | He looked curiously at the coat which the burly ranchman was feat i ee ‘‘ And so you haven’t seen Devil Dick ina long time?” he observed. ‘‘That’s what I said,” was the gruff reply. ‘‘How did it happen, then, that he wore your coat a while ago, when he went to Gonzalez in disguise, and helped his partner, Ben Hillman, to break jail there, and carried him avay? ; “My coat? What do you mean? “The coat you have on now, I came upon that scoundrel as he was letting his partner out of the Gonzalez jail, and grabbed him. He knocked me senseless with a heavy stick he car- ried; but I tore off a piece of the lapel of the coat he wore, and here it is. Let me see.” By a quick motion the cayalryman applied the bit of weolen cloth to a torn place in the coat worn by Jack Koopman, and it was evident to all present that it had once belonged there. “This man,” said Lieutenant Cripps, as he turned to his friends, ‘‘is Devil Dick’s side part- ner. If there is any hanging t> be done, I don’t know but he deserves it as much as any- y. ‘What's that, young man?” roared the cattle ‘You had better be careful what you ” ee am careful,” replied Cripps. ‘*T know just what lamsaying. That coat tells the story of - eonnection with the cut-throat, Devil ; ” ie coat? Well, there is something queer about that, and I am just beginning to under- stand it. I have been wondering how it hap- pened to get torn, and nobody about the place could tell me. Dick March must have stopped in here while I was away and borrowed it without my permission. It would be just like that scoundrel to play me such a trick.” Lieut. Cripps turned away, evidently disgusted with the ranchman’s evasion. “That won’t do, Jack Koopman,” broke in Sheriff Mabry. ‘‘ There ain’t a man of us who believes a word you say, and you don’t believe a SS ae i oth Colonel Double-edge. it, and it’s too thin to talk of. We know that you have been Devil Dick’s side partner, and that you deserve hangin’; but we ain’t ready to ’tend to your case yet. We are after the boss mean to find him.” ‘You are welcome to search the ranch,” re- plied Koopman, who was quite cut down by this obstinate unbelief; ‘‘ but you won’t find any such person here.” “‘That’s jest what we mean to do, whether we’re welcome or not.” The search was speedily and thoroughly made and of course it soon resulted in the discovery of Ben Hillman, That forlorn desperado was easily recognized by several of the visiting party, and especially by Sheriff Mabry, in whose custody he had been before he escaped from the jail at Gonzalez. He was hastily brought out, complaining of his wounded leg, and protesting against such rough treatment, and was confronted with the cattle baron. Jack Koopman had naturally expected this, and was prepared with a story to account for Ben Hillman’s presence there, ‘* What have you got to say to this, you big sneak?” demanded Mabry. ‘ You said that we wouldn’t find any such person as Devil Dick here. This is his partner, and if he ain’t some- thin’ like such a person, I don’t know what such means?” ‘‘That poor devil?’ contemptuously replied the ranchman. ‘‘Do you mean to say that he is Dick March’s partner?” ‘You know he is. Don’t you know that he was in jail at Gonzalez charged with stage rob- bery and murder, and that Devil Dick broke the jail and turned him loose?” ‘*T may have heard something of the kind; but I don’t take much notice of the yarns I hear,’ ‘*T reckon we will find a way to make you take notice of some of them before we are through with you. How do you account for this man’s presence in your house?” ‘* Kasy enough. The poor cuss came crawling in here last night, shot through the leg and com- pletely used up. He said that his horse had run away from him and thrown him, and that his pistol had gone off in the fall and accidentally shot him. I knew nothing about the man, ex- cept that he was hurt and in trouble, and I took him in and cared for him. Wouldn’t you have done as much?” This appeal to the sympathy of the party had its effect, though the ranchman’s statement was not really believed. : ‘* Was that the story you told when you came here?” was the question the sheriff put to the wounded culprit. As he could gain nothing by harming the man who had befriended him, Ben Hillman declared that it was. ‘* We happen to know that it was a lie,” said Jim Mabry. ‘‘ We know that you were workin’ with Devil Dick yesterday, and that your end of the game was to carry off a young lady while your partner got away with her friends. We now that it ain’t no fault of yours that she is aur now and doin’ well, while you are in this x. Ben Hillman was sch inclined to believe that it was his fault; but he was not going to make matters worse by attempting any further explanation. ~ ‘That’s a hangin’ matter,” continued the sheriff, ‘‘ to say nothin’ of the other crimes that stood ag’inst you. We are goin’ to settle up with you now for the new and the old, and we can’t afford to take you to Gonzalez jail, be- cause that has been tried once,” ‘Do you mean to hang me?” faintly inquired the young desperado. ‘That's about the size of it, but everything must be straight and lawful, and sol am going to take a vote on the question.” This the sheriff proceeded to do without any formality. ‘* All who are in favor of hangin’ this rascal will please manifest the same by sayin’ aye!” The ayes had it unanimously, and the sheriff called for a rope, which was quickly forthcoming. Jack Koopman had another word to put in. ‘Tf you are really going to hang the man,” said he, ‘‘I wish you would take him away from here. I don’t want such a sight near my house.” “You don’t, hey?’ shouted Mabry, turning upon him more fiercely than ever. ‘‘Do you fancy that you’ve got any choice in the matter? The best thing you can do is to keep a still tongue in ‘your head, for I swear to you, man, that it would take mighty little jest now to make us string you up there with your side- partner. We mean to hang him right in front of your door, as a solemn warning to you and all your gang, and there he’s got to stay till we take im down, Wewill be back here afore long, and if he ain’t hangin’ there when we come, somebody’ll have to suffer.” This was sufficient for the cattle baron, and he would have sneaked away if he had not been compelled to stay and witness the remainder of the proceedings. Ben Hillman, the person most immediately Se rascal, and if he is anywhere about here, we | 29’ and deeply interested, had nothing to say for himself—no word of protest, request or en- treaty. He knew that the game was up with him, and perhaps thought, in his forlorn condition just. then, that death would be the easiest and pleas- antest way out of his difficulties, Anyhow, it was certain that there was no other way, and he nerved himself, being no , coward, to endure what he knew to be in-/} evitable. Once before ke had stood with a rope around } his neck, and again he had been shut up with no hope of release but through the halter. ach time Col. Double-edge had been his friend in need, saving him from death at the risk of his own life; but this time there was no. hope of rescue or relief, and he had only the sad reflection of knowing that he had brought his. fate on himself through his betrayal of that. faithful friend. At the last he was true to the partner whom: he had estranged. When his hands had been bound, and the noose had been placed around his neck, and he had been led under the fatal tree, he was givem a a of mercy if he would lead his captors to» Devil Dick’s hiding-place. He professed entire ignorance of the matter., and was run up with no further ceremony. CHAPTER XL, A CLOUD-BURST. WHEN it was certain that Ben Hillman’s: earthly career had been brought to an end, another effort was made to induce Jack Koop-- man to give information concerning the where-- abouts of Dick Marsh; but he stubbornly de-- clared that he knew nothing about the des- perado or his hiding-places, After again warning him to leave the body of the executed culprit where it was hanging Sheriff Mabry and his party left the ranch and continued their journey into the hills. They all were well aware of the fact that the remainder and the principal part of their task would be diffcult in the extreme; but all were determined that it should be thoroughly per- formed, no matter how much time and effort it:. might require. ** We mean to fight it out on this line,” said Jim Mabry, ‘‘if we have to camp in these hills: for a solid month.” This sentiment met with general approbation, though jt was hoped that the end might be- reached without such a tedious search, When they had got fairly into the tangle at. the distance of several miles from the Koopman Ranch, Ben Hackett, an old hunter and guide, took charge of the party and laid out the cam-. aign. {t was his plan that they should separate inte squads and take different routes, hoping thus to surround the probable hiding-places of the fugi- tive and cut off his ways of exit. A general place of rendezvous was appointed for the next day, which was understoo by all, though all might not be equally able to find it. It was near the close of day when the party divided and the several squads hastened away.. The squad with which J oe Jones was con- nected was composed of himself, Lieutenant: . Cripps and Chinquapin. As the half-breed lad was their guide, they hoped to be able to do as efficient work as any- ody. When darkness came on they camped for the night near the edge of a deep gorge, as it was. not considered worth while to attempt to go any further before morning. They were astir at dawn, and decided that they would first explore the gorge that lay be- fore them, as it seemed to offer good chances for the concealment of the fugitive whom they were seeking. It was arranged that Lieutenant Cripps should ' take one side of the ravine, and Chinquapin the other, while the circus man should Usha to. the bottom and follow it up. They thus expected to corral Devil Dick, or to drive him out at the head of the gorge, if he apo be proved to have sought concealment. there, Leaving their horses at the camp, they took the poauons agreed upon and began their search, keeping as nearly abreast of each other ane difficult nature of the ground would per- mit, Lieutenant Cripps moved at a considerable distance above Jeptha Jones and to his left, but within easy rifle-range, while Chinquapin was similarly situated on his right, the difference being that the cavalryman’s side of the gorge - was very difficult of descent, and the half- breed’s side was comparatively easy. As it was desirable that the search should be - pursued quietly, they had agreed that they would not shout to each other, but would com- municate only by signs as far as possible. When they had gone up the Rorge a distance . of half a mile or so, it suddenly became much steeper, as well as narrower and generally more » difficult. ) This hindered their communications with each other, while at the same time it tended to » MIGDOO € S , (EO)