Beadle's New York Dime Library, No. 41 — page 15: what you’re looking at

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

“Tl have her, though I peril hellin the attempt!” he muttered between his firm-set teeth. “Tm ready. Good-by, granddad!” she exclaimed, advancing toward the horses, The elder alighted in order to assist her to mount, but with a spring as light and agile as a bird’s she sprung into the saddle. ‘No need to assist me, elder!” she cried gayly, ‘I can ride like an Injun, and as well without a saddle as with one!” “So I see,” replied the Mormon, remounting. **Good-by, granddad!” again exclaimed the girl, waving her hand to the old man as she rode away. Biddeman also took a glance at Cripples, but the old man did not seem to pay any attention to either of them. ‘¢What a fool I was to allow myself to heed the words of that old idiot!” the elder muttered, ‘‘ Once in my ranch she’s mine past all redemption.” CHAPTER XVIII. A JEALOUS WOMAN, THE moment the trial was ended, and Judge Lynch had de- clared the prisoner to be a free man, there was an eager rush forward on the part of the townsmen to congratulate the borderer. They regarded Gold Dan in the light of achampion. To slay a Mormon—for a great many of them really believed. that the plainsman had had some hand in Googer’s downfall, despite the evidence to the contrary—was no crime in their eyes, Too long the Mormon bullies, aided by their bravo confederates, the white ‘savages, the terrible Danites, had lorded it over the men of Corinne; but it was plain now that the days of the rule of the Latter-Day Saints had ended. A single man had disputed their power—braved their anger and lived to boast of it, Foremost among the throng was the giant from Red Dog, ““T know’d it!” he cried, vociferously. ‘ Untold wealth would I hev lavished upon a bet that you would git clear an’ be able to grin in the faces of these durned heathens, who gobble all the guls up an’ make ’em skeerce in the market, an’ we free, native- born white men hev to go without!” And then the giant glared around, eager to discover some Mormon brave willing to dispute his words, but the Saints had already begun to make themselves scarce. They had got the idea into their heads that Corinne wasn’t a very healthy place for the followers of Prophet Brigham just about that time, and they had not stood upon ceremony, but had mounted their horses and ‘‘lit out”—to use the terse westernism., ‘Tm very much obliged to you, indeed,” the plainsman said, in reply to the many speeches of congratulation so freely bestowed upon him; ‘‘a stranger in a strange land—” and then he suddenly hesitated, “Bully for you!” sung out the Red-Dogite, always ready to applaud, ‘And, friends, if you will, join me in a social glass at the Castle of Durango, I shall esteem it an honor,” the plainsman said, taking a fresh tack, and one that impressed the crowd more than the highest burst of eloquence could have done. There was an immediate movement. in the direction of the Mexican saloon on the part of the crowd, while Gold Dan and the-man-from-Red-Dog gracefully brought up the rear. In the saloon, which was densely crowdcd, for all the town were quite ready to drink at the expense of the plainsman—or at anybody else’s invitation for the matter of that—Dan tossed a gold-piece—‘“‘ a good solid ten dollars!” as Dandy Jim afterward observed, when describing the events of the night—on the, bar, and requested that liquid refreshments be freely dispensed for the benefit of the crowd at large. Then somebody proposed “three cheers for the man that wasn’t afeared to stand up ag’in’ the Mormon galoots!” The cheers were given with a will, the borderer gracefully pledging the crowd in a glass of cham- pagne. At the time of which we write, champagne flowed as freely almost as beer in all the ‘‘first-class” saloons in Corinne, and was sold at the same price—twenty-five cents per glass. Dan now took advantage of the general rush at the bar, and the confusion attending it, to make his escape through a side door. His absence was soon discovered, and a chorus of regret arose, but the Red-Dogite excused the act by explaining that -the plains- man was a good little man, but couldn’t hold much fire-water, but as for himself, he, the son of Red Dog’s famous town, could set’em up all night, and he should consider it his duty to represent his friend in his absence, and so the merriment proceeded without abatement. tC It was the first time that the Mormon gang had ever been backed down in the streets of Corinne, and the inhabitants felt inclined to celebrate the notable event, , : Outside the door Gold Dan came face to face with Katherine of Durango, the Monte Queen, who, through the window, had been watching the scene. ‘You had a narrow escape en. she ages “ iss is a goud as a mile, you know? ' ee bets pape tiasi tine abe death of the Mormon,” the girl persisted, surveying Dan searchingly with her brilliant eyes as she spoke, ‘ “Yes, very strange. | ef A friend in dood is a friend indeed, they say, and surely you can count the hand that fired that shot the hand of a friend, for it came in good time.” ; } The teases tone in which the girl spoke excited the plains- man’s icions. : * Do You know who fired the shot?” he asked, abruptly. “No; how should 1?” way ‘“‘T fancied from your tone that you did. “No, but you surely know.” 8 eS ** Indeed I do not.” “Is that the truth?’ Evidently the girl doubted, ‘““Oh, yes; when you come to know me better you will find that my word is generally to be depended upon,” the plainsman replied, in his easy, careless way. ‘‘AndI do not fully agree with you in regard to the shot being the act of a friend, for the effect of it was to lay me open to the suspicion of having killed the Mormon in an underhand and cowardly manner. As Heaven is my judge, I sought not his life, and even when I faced him, revolver in hand, I did not intend to do him serious injury. I am generally pretty quick on the trigger, and about as good a shot as you can scare up west of the Missouri, although I do say it myself. I reckoned that I could get first fire, and I intended to wing the fellow and disable him, for I wasn’t anxious for him to plug me, for these greenhorns do make a mistake once in a while, and succeed in hitting their man.” ‘IT saw where the shot came from!” the Queen exclaime, abruptly. “You did? Where was it from?” **F'rom behind a horse-shed on the opposite side of the way. I happened to glance in that direction at the very instant the shot was fired, and I saw the little puff of white smoke curl upward on the air, I believed that it came from a friend of yours, and so I held my tongue about the matter.” ‘‘ Well, I'm very much obliged to you for your consideration, but as if has turned out, it was about the worst thing that you could have done, No friend of mine fired that shot, but some secret enemy of the Mormon, who took advantage of the oppor- tunity to wreak safe vengeance upon his foe.” ‘What. became of the Mormon woman that ran away with you?” Katherine questioned, suddenly. “‘Upon my soul I don’t know! No Mormon woman or any other woman ever ran away with me!” “Oh, it is useless to deny the truth!” the girl cried, bitterly, ‘and I was a born fool to believe that you ever cared anything for me.” The plainsman looked surprised. It was quite evident that he was not prepared for this accusation. ‘‘T was a fool to believe it, for I had heard often enough that you were. as false and fickle as the wind.” ‘*'Ye—yes,” the borderer was embarrassed, and no wonder, for it is no joke to face an angry, jealous woman. “And it is true, too!” “Oh, no!” Oh, yes; you told me that you kad lost your heart within the Castle of Durango, and the very next day you ran away with this Mormon woman; and you have changed, too; you are not at all the same man; you look like the old Gold Dan, and talk like him, but you are twenty times his better. What has changed you?” The plainsman Jaughed. ‘You do not answer.” ‘‘How can I? Time changes all things, all men, but as far as regards the Mormon lady, I deny the soft impeachment. The Gold Dan who now addresses you never ran off with any Mormon woman—don’t care much for women, anyway, for to him they have ever brought ill-luck.” “And yet, to-night, there was one woman willing to brave all the rage of the Mormons to save or avenge you. If your is re ball had struck you, I would have shot him on the spo “ Katherine, Katherine!” cried Castana’s harsh voice. “It is my father!” she exclaimed, hastily; ‘‘he must not see us together, or it will bring more trouble upon you. Adieu!” and then she hurried into the house, leaving the plainsman con- siderably astonished, “In the name of goodness is there anything else that Gold Dan has done?” he cried, as he strode away, CHAPTER XIX, A STRANGE WARNING, STRAIGHT to the shanty which served him for quarters the plainsman proceeded. — On his arrival in town he had sought accommodations at the principal hotel, but the town was crowded with strangers, attracted thither by the near approach of the Iron Horse, and the jovial landlord had tersely said: “Stranger, we kin eat you but we carn’t sleep you, unless yonire agreeable to taking your blanket and bunking in the entry. To this the plainsman objected, and a bystander who had overheard the conversation settled the difficulty by saying that he had an unoccupied shanty close at hand, just behind the hotel in fact, and the stranger was welvome to it at a half a on a day as long as he choose. old Dan at once planked down a five-doll -pi si conducted to the shanty in question. oo ee eee t was a small building about twelve feet square constructed, and appearing more like a abi ahaae than auyitece else, but it was water-tight; there was a comfortable bunk in one corner, ingeniously constructed out of sacking and tree- branches; a small chimney in another; a rude table inthe center made of two boards cleated together and nailed securely on two uprights; a couple of kegs for chairs; and to take tho shanty and its furnishings all in all, it was far preferable to the narrow ask of the hotel. @ borderer counted himself a lucky man to secure good quarters, and like the old Indian-fighter that he Rea first movement after taking possession was to look to the means of offense and defense. _ ce a a Gomichbooks. con