Beadle's New York Dime Library, No. 41 — page 16: what you’re looking at

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

16 The door was a good, stout one, fastened on the outside by a padlock, and within by stout bolts. The single window which gave light to the apartment was guarde: on the inside by a well-constructed shutter, through the upper part of which half-inch auger-holes had been pierced to afford light when the shutter was closed. ‘‘Strong enough to stand a siege!” the new lodger had ejacu- lated, after surveying the apartment, but at that time he had little idea of the difficulties ahead, which were so svon to call into ‘ play all his skill and resources, } Dan kept a wary eye about him as he walked from the Mexican saloon to his solitary shanty. ‘They are not going to let me off quite as easy as this,” he murmured, as he strode along, his cocked revolver in his hand, ready for instant action. ‘‘The Mormons fully believe I killed the man, and they will try to get even with me in some way. I may expect a visit from the Danites—the murdering white savages—at any time. How deuced unlucky to tumble at the very beginning into this mess of trouble, while to reach the end I seek, and bring my search to a successful conclusion, I ought to remain in the background unknown and unsuspected; but I had little idea that Gold Dan was so well known in the town of Corinne. If I had suspected it, I should have made sail in quite a different manner. It is too late now, though; I’m in for it, and bear-like must fight my course.” By the time that the plainsman had arrived at this conclusion he had made his way to the door of the shanty. Unlocking the padlock which fastened the door he entered the apartment, taking particular care to fasten the door securely behind him. ‘¢There’s no telling but what my Mormon friends may take it into their Leads to pay me a visit between this and morning,” he muttered, as he shot home the stout bolts,” and I don’t want them to find me unprepared for the visit. They’re a cowardly set of houuds for all their boasting, or else they would never have let me get off so easily to-night, and it would be just like them to try to quietly assassinate me here during the dark hours.” Through the holes in the shutter a few faint rays of moonlight struggled, and although the feeble light only made the darkness visible as it were, yet the plainsman easily found his way around the room, evidently possessing the cat-like faculty of being able to see in the dark. Little time it took to prepare for bed, for he turned into the blankets spread upon the bunk clothes and all, merely taking the precaution to remove the revolvers from his belt and lay them down by his side, ready for his hand, and then he essayed to compose himself to slumber. A light sleeper was the lodger, and he had little fear that } any one could be skillful and careful enough to gain an entrance into the room without alarming him. Many a night had he ; snatched a few winks of sleep, couched on the prairie soil, hostile red-skins hemming him in, eagerly thirsting for his blood, and yet lived to tell of the feat. Slumber soon visited the couch, and the plainsman slept as sleeps the just and the innocent. But not twenty minutes had when through the apartment came a sharp, peculiar sound, more like the hiss of an angry snake than anything else. In the twinkling of an eye, almost, Gold Dan’s senses were on the alert, but he moved not, nor gave a sign that he was not still wrapped in sleep, except that his firm right hand stole down and grasped the butt of one of the revolvers, Across the darkness of the apartment shot the wavering lines of light that found entrance through the auger-holes in the shutter; they cut the dark like tarnished bands of silver, merely perplexing the eye, not aiding it; but the keen gaze of the plainsman, disdaining the feeble aid of the moonbeams, reached through the gloom to the door, and resting there looked to see the strong planks tremble under the stealthy attack of a desperate but cautious foe. But the door vibrated not; no sound was there in either earth or air. The plainsman was puzzled. ‘*Did I dream it?’ he muttered. ‘If I did it was the first time that my imagination ever played me such a trick.” And then through the apartment again came the noise; a subdued note designed both to attract attention and impose caution. ‘‘Aha! I am not dreaming!” he muttered; ‘‘no imagination this time; but, where on earth does the noise come from and . what is the object?” The sound did not come from the door, but apparently from the extreme end of the room, ** It sounds like a snake, but it comes from a human’s lips or I’m out in my calculations,” Dan murm and then he sat bolt upright on the bunk. ‘* Who’s there?” he asked, clearly and cautiously. ‘* D-a-n-g-e-r.”’ Slowly the word was whispered, sighed rather, in low and mournful tones, yet as sweet as the plaintive music of the Aolian i . “It is a woman, by heaven!” the plainsman declared; ‘“ but where is she and who is it, and why does she take this strange method of warning me?” And then at once his thoughts fled to the pretty Mexican girl, jealous Katherine of Durango, but after a moment’s refi tion he dismissed the idea, for the voice was utterly unlike hers, yet it sounded familiar to the plainsman’s ear, although he had an idea that the speaker was trying to disguise it. Three or four minutes elapsed; Gold Dan kept silent and listened intently, and then again the strange hissing noise yesounded through the narrow confines of the room—a few Beadle’s Dime Library. moments of silence succeeded, and then followed the mysterious warning : ** D-a-n-g-e-r |” Gold Dan comprehended the situation now. The hissing was intended to awaken him from his slumbers, and then the single word was to put him on his guard, A superstitious man might have felt that there was something supernatural in this visitation, but the plainsman was no slave to fear in any shape, and no ghost or gnome had power to shake his nerves, ** Danger—from: whom—the Mormons?” he demanded. éé No-o ? ** Who then?” ‘‘A madman—wild with despair!” sung the voice—sweet, oh, how sweet! Then came a sturdy knock at the door. CHAPTER XX. BILLY BUTMAN., A GooD rough thump it was, and evidently given by a man’s strong fist. ‘“‘ Hullo!” muttered Dan, communing with himself; ‘that isn’t my mysterious talker; sounds more like a drunken miner, or some railroad-grader out on a spree.” Bang, bang! came the thumps on the door. “That row will be apt to start my singing friend,” Dan observed, and then he raised his voice and cried aloud: ‘‘ Hullo! who’s there?” ‘‘Tt’s me!” replied a hoarse voice, evidently thick with liquor. ** And who is me?” ‘*Why your old pard, Billy!” 6“ Billy?” “Yes, Billy; lemme in!” “*Don’t know you—who are you?” “* Billy!” cried the stranger, in a tone of indignant disgust, the voice so thick that the words could hardly be distinguished, ‘*Don’t know any Billies; travel along!” ‘*Won’t you lemme in?’ ‘Not by a jugfull.” ‘Blessed if I don’t kick the door down!” and then, as if to give due effect to his words, ‘‘Billy” gave the door a most tremendous kick. ‘Say, young man or old man, whichever you are, just quit that and travel along about your business!” Gold Dan cried : ut good-naturedly. He could not find it in his heart to get angry at a man evidently overcome by liquor. ‘Lemme in or I'll kick the blamed old door down!” and then the speaker gave the door another tremendous boot. “‘Stop your fooling and go about your business!” the plains. — man cried, a little sharply, as if beginning to lose patience, “Will you lemme in?’ “*Of course I won't!” ‘Down comes your door, then!” And then the unknown commenced a most vigorous attack with hands and feet upon the door. Dan laid back and laughed; he had examined the door pretty carefully and knew that the stout planks would bid defiance to all such puny assaults. . The man banged away for about five minutes and then, appa- rently tiring, recommenced his supplications. ‘“‘Say, lemme in and I won’t kick the door down; it’s me, Billy, you know, your old pard, Billy Buttman, of Julesburg.” ‘*Don’t know you; I’m a stranger here!” “Oh, get out! you can't play any roots on me!” cried the man in a tone that plainly betrayed how deep was his disgust. “‘T know you, Johnny, jes’ as well as I knows the back o’ my hand!” A sudden idea flashed upon the plainsman; he remembered that the landlord of the hotel had called the man from whom he had rented the shanty by the classic name of Johnny, The mistake under which this guileless stranger labored was plain; he believed that the original Johnny was still in possession of his shanty. “i'm not Johnny; my name is Dan, Gold Dan, and Johnny’s gone to Salt Lake.” “Too thin!” ejaculated the stranger, sententiously. ‘‘ I knows you by your voice! You can’t pull the wool over my eyes. If you don’t lemme in I’ll smash the ’tarnal old door down, and I'll whale you like thunder when I git inside—and I kin do it, Johnny, too, for dust!” Gold Dan’s anger began to rise; he was beginning to see that it was useless to attempt to argue with such a fellow; it was only a waste of words. ‘Tf you don’t make yourself scarce pretty soon, I’ll come out there and whale you, you drunken fool!” he cried. “‘Who’s drunk?” questioned the man, indignantly, ‘Why, you are, you big loafer.” ‘*You’re a —” ‘‘Take care or [’ll put a revolver-bullet through that door!” cried the plainsman, interrupting the man’s offensive speech. ** Are you goin’ to lemme in?” ‘No, sir;” and the borderer again lay down on his bunk, and prepared to make himself comfortable. ‘‘ Kick away, and when you succeed in getting in just let me know and I’ll come and boot you out!” . Grumbling and ¢ the man walked away, and Dan, believing that he had got rid of him, turned his thoughts again to the mysterious warning which he had received in so strange a manner. ‘A madman—wild with despair, eh?” he murmured, repeating the words of the warning. ‘‘ Well, it seems to me that I’m going 4 in —————— ae ——— —EE ——_ Eomichbooks ———_— ae eo