Beadle's Dime Library No. 411: The White Crook — page 5: what you’re looking at

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

= weg ey a a . ‘e » * ie 5 A , : ; * * " 7 = 4. 4 e, 4 ~wi, : 4 * a” i ; « : “ - . et ow 24 e . - o J a ‘** You'll be sure to do that, Misther Crankeye, if they ever come across yez. Nothin’ ’u’d do thim poor Injuns more gud than to take yer scalp, afther roastin’ yez over a slow fire an’ playin’ wid yez all the divilish tricks they know of. Yes, you’d do’em a heap o’ gud,”’ ‘* You are prejudiced, my friend, against the poor aborigines.’ ‘“*Riginnys or no ’riginnys, thim’s the solid facts, and you'll have to be gittin’ out av this shanty annyhow, Misther Crankeye, beca’se m goin’ to be shettin’ 1t up right soon now, and try to find some way to git mesilf an’ me belong: 1n’s to a safe place.” “Tf that is the case, my friend, I will not stand in your way a moment. Beso kind as to oint out to me the direction of San Carlos, and will proceed to journey thither.” The Irishman led the man from Michigan to the back door of the shanty, and pointed out the road that led down the valley. ** Tt’s the road that brought yez here,” said he, *and anny fool ought to have sense enough to folley it back, Jist stick to that road, Mistber Crankeye, and it'll fetch yez to San Carlos, if yez don’t bring up in heaven afore yez git to the fut av the valley.” **T thank you, my friend, for your kindness and for your hospitality. Farewell, and peace be with you!” ‘* And good riddance to yez, fur a stingy an’ cranksided cuss that’s got a name to fit yer nater!” muttered the Lrishman, as the stranger from Michigan mounted his horse and rode away. Paddy Byrne looked after him for a while as he jolted off on his bony steed, and then return- d into the shanty. ‘* May the divil fly away wid me,” said he, **if | know what to make of that mon, anny- how. He’s ayther wan av the biggest frauds or wan of the biggest fools lever met, and it ain’t always aisy in this worruld to tell the frauds from the fools. Well, if he’s a fraud, he'll be likely to git found out afore long, and if he’s a fool, may the Lord help him in this country!” Paeey Byrne had meant what he said when he declared his purpose of shutting up the shanty and seeking a safe place; but he had various odds and ends of matters to attend to before he could stir out. He wanted to carry his property away with him, or as much of it as possible, and to that end it was necessary to pack up some bottles and other articles of glassware that would be liable to get ah ie His first move was to take all the money in the place—no large amount—and stuff it into a belt which he carried on his person, Then he proceeded to oe in a box a few articles that he considered worth the time and trouble that 1t would take to pack them. While he was thus employed, he heard the trampling of a horse near by. He listened anxiously, but was reassured when he perceived that it was only one horse, and re- sumed his occupation. The horse stopped at the shanty, and directly a man neppee inside, Paddy Byrne looked up and recognized the new-comer as Zeke Stebbins, the squaw man who had lately left that locality in such an ig- nominious manner. Though Stebbins was an unwelcome visitor, the Irishman could not afford to have any ene- mies on his hands just then, and he welcomed him quite cordially. ‘Walk right in, Mx. Stebbins, There’s no- body here now to pick a quarrel wid yez, and I’m glad to see yez come back safe an’ Sound.” ‘Did you think I'd run away?’ growled the other: ‘‘ Well, sir, I thought yez had sort o’ taken ‘yourself out o’ the way of danger, and I honor- ed yez fur that same, as it was jist what I want- ed yez to do,”’ “I want you to understand, Mr. Paddy from ‘Cork, that if I did git out o’ the way, I ain't afeard o’ Hark Sarpy, and never was!” “ Divil a bit was I hintin’ at a scare, and I thank yez kindly fur makin’ no bloodshed about my place. What will yez take to drink, Misther Stebbins?” ‘“ Whisky, and the best you’ve got. Whar are you doin’ here, Pat?” *‘Jist packin’ up a few things, sir, bekase I'm goin’ to be took wid a l’avin’ right shortly.” ‘‘Afeard o’ the ’Paches?” inquired Stebbins, ‘as he helped himself freely to the liquor. Well, I dunno. There’s no business doin’, and it’s tired av the place I am, sir. Howly mither av Moses, what’s those?” Well ae) the Irishman stop and stare, as his ruddy face turned ashy e and his bi hands trembled, for the trouble which he had feared but not expected had come upon him. “What's the matter, Pat?” sneeringly de- manded the squaw man before the bar, ‘* Look ooag r 4 In at the front door of the shan+ two stalwart Apaches, their BAe anid Cote painted for the Ming ecm and their rifles and ‘other weapons, with belts of abundant ammu- mation, showing bow formidable they could be df provoked, fn at the back door stepped a third. | a) . ge - * == al pg tt a e | pheasd _ Therefore Zeke Stebbins pushed his horse to at) : } ‘- <> wy? £ “ € as! ee Ms ; way it: “ + - at Lats . eee . - . Tre + e ATK Aas | o AA eral e White Crook. It was far from Paddy Byrne’s wish to pro- voke them, and his only hope was that they might not want his scalp. ‘** Who aro they, and what do they want?” he whispered to Stebbins. ‘** Customers, I reckon, and it’s likely that they want whisky. Say, Pat, what has become of . slab-sided cuss who was here a while ago "Gone down the valley, headin’ for San Car- os. ‘* How long since?’ ‘*Less’n half an hour. Say, Misther Steb- bins, if you'll take thim Injuns away, I'll give you all the money there is in the shop,” ‘** Reckon I could take it if L wanted it. The Injuns are all right, Pat. You treat them well, and they’ll treat you well.” With these words the squaw man walked out, mounted his horse, and rode away, leaving Paddy Byrne alone with the three Apaches. The unfortunate [rishman was ‘‘ between the devil and the deep sea,”’ Treating the savages well meant treating them to whisky. ~ If he should refuse to do so they might kill him, and if they should drink until they became ay they would be almost sure ‘to kill im. Despairingly he set out on his rude bar a bot- tle and some glasses, The Apaches were sufficiently civilized to un- derstand this hint, and the three of them step- ped briskly forward without waiting for any further invitation. They paid no attention to the glasses, which they despised as unnecessary articles of luxury, and the first of them at the bar seized the bottle and put it to his lips. The others grunted, growled and made threat- ening gestures at the Irishman, which could only be interpreted as meaning that more bot- tles must be forthcoming. Paddy Byrne perceived that there was no hope for him, and that his only chance was to sell his life ata better price ,jthan he was likely to get for his liquor. He stooped for another bottle, at the same time reaching for his revolver, though there was still a doubt as to whether his rude cus- tomers meant peace or war. They settled that doubt for him without the least ceremony or hesitation, As he rose from behind the bar, the savage who held the bottle brought it down on his head with a blow that sent glass and liquor fly- ing. What did they care for a few drops more or less of the firewater? They doubtless thought, to parody the words of the poet; ** No pent-up Utica contracts our powers; The whole unbounded whisky mill is ours,” Paddy Byrne feli like a log. CHAPTER VI. THE SLABSIDED ONE. As for Zeke Stebbins, he took no further in- terest in what might pepeen at Paddy Byrne’s hostelry, but rode away down the om as if he had nothing to do with the Irishman or his unwelcome visitors. It might have been reasonable to suspect that be had brought the visitors there, and it was not to be supposed that he felt any fear of them, though he left the shanty in such a hurry that he forgot to take away a bit of his proper- ty. In pulling out his handkerchief there, he een with it a bit of paper which escaped notice. His inquiry after Ephraim Cronkhite had evidently not been without a purpose, as he fol: lowed the road which the man from Michigan must have taken, as if with the desire of over- haulirg him. Yet he did not ride rapidly, as there was no occasion for hurry. ; He could not have failed to notice that Cronk- hite rode a lean, scrawny and _ill-cunditioned beast, which any respectable horse could pursue successfully without taxing its energies. Consequently he ambled along at a steady and decent gait, without pressing his steed, probably appoene that he would soon come in sight of the lanky man and his bag o’ bones, After traveling in that style a couple of hours or so, without catching sight of anything movy- ing ahead of him he was forced to the conclu- sion that there must be a mistake somewhere. Either Paddy Byrne had lied to him concern- ing the direction and the road taken by the Michigander, or the aforesaid 0° bones had weg speed and bottom than it been credited with. The squaw man was well aware of the fact that such unpromising beasts occasionally devel- oped a wy sony! amount of ‘git thar,” and it was quite likely that Cronkhite’s horse might he one of that kind, though it was not to be pre ‘sumed that its rider would be in any special <e .. - FF ete Fee Lies | ~ a ™ . » ¢ ‘ ra TX an, -) ae . . Pig, Dae ® - f 4. f a, = 1 4 5 th" < ran p< Tay “an Wp P bn vp Es i v3 ie a ih wea rhe. ? : : > P -. % Ji *: ae ' a Ls Re aD ees a a ’ ro : ke res emt Pd ") — " = J and them 9 : =) - ‘ a good pace, determined to overtake the man — he was pursuing pretty soon, if he should be on that road. ; It was not until near nightfall that heover- — took him, and then, judging by the position and appearance of the Indian lover, he wasin no great haste to get to San Carlos, eye phraim Cronkhite was seated at thesideof — the road, while his horse was hitched to a bush near by, and he was apparently dividing his time between meditation and the munching of — some cold victuals which he had taken from his saddle-bags. - koll He seemed to be not in the least surprisedor disturbed by the rapid approach of another traveler, and did not move until Stebbins halted and dismounted near him. ‘ Then he rose hastily and advanced to the = squaw-man, giving him his hand withanejacu- . lation of pleasure at the meeting. ‘oa “T am aly glad to see you,” said he, “though 1 had hoped when I heard the gallop Aer ing of your horse that it might be one of our In- — dian friends who was coming this way.” oe Zeke Stebbins stared at Cronkhite with aston- ined ishment, as if wondering whether theman was — a fool, or was trying tomakeafoolofhim. | ‘You mought ha’struck some of ’em,” said he, “if you had stopped at Pat Byrne’sa mn) 4,73 while longer: or some of ’°em mought ha’ struck — you, which amounts to the same thing. hae? “T have been anxious to meet you, my friend,” continued the Michigander, who was evidently intent upon pursuing his own course of thought. — ‘Your views and sentiments concerning the rights and wrongs of the unfortunate aborigines __ coincide so exactly with mine, that the callofa — common humanity must compel us to act in concert to cooperate in devising some plan for the amelioration of the lot of our red brethren.” Zeke Stebbins stared until his eyes rice. Se Surely the Michigander must be a c i= a why did his friends allow him to arge? s ‘*Say, stranger, you’re a notch or soabove my reach, Durn my skin if I kin understand » bit of what you've been sayin’.” i ae “Really? inquired Cronkhite with bland sme, Tc OA ‘Sart’in an’ sure. Did you swallera stack o® dictionaries afore you struck this latitood? ‘‘ All the better,” answered the missionary, **'You are, then, as I had supposed you to be ate ) simple cbild of nature, unaccustomed to the — brutal and fallacious arguments of our so-called — civilization. Cradled in thelap of nature, the _ greater part of your existence has been passed _ among the untaught aborigines, and you areex- perienced only in the plain manner of speech that is common to the children of the wilder-— ness.” Do ‘Climb down, I say!’ roared the squaw man. RK ‘Tf you git up any higher, I'll havo to shute to bring you down.” “ete ee ; - Ps » “ 4 < a* . f= ws * +. ma Rs ~% ~~ . ) “~ r He was almost convinced that his companion was crazy, but could not belp feeling a high re-— spect for the man who could turn upon him such _ a flood of language as to swamp him. E>, ‘“T understand you, Mr, Stebbins. You wish _ me to speak more plainly, and I shalldoso. Ags — our thoughts and feelings agreeso well, I think _ that we ought to try to work together tohelp the r Indians.” ny ‘* As how?” inquired Stebbins. yee ‘You, with your knowledge of the language and customs of the red-men, and I with my elc quence and influence among the white men, ought to be able to induce the two races to live | in peace, and to refrain from oppressing and — slaughtering each other.” , Ghee ‘Thar you go ag’in! Say, mister, have you — got any friends?” Fed, ‘Friends? I have many friends. All the friends of the red-man are my friends, and such | are numerous in the States of the East. Yes the red-man has many friends, and it is on — neces to establish a connection between bin, in order that their benefit may reach — him, and be appreciated by him.” “oy ‘‘ Jest so, though I wish I may be kicked to © death by a spavined mule if I know what you ~ mean. Did the Gov’ment send you out here?” | “It did not. The Government is in this mat- — ter a combination of cruelty and avarice,and I wish to have nothing to do with it.” Jia **'You ain’t one o’ them Quaker chaps, then -," what they call the peace policy men?” epee “T believe in the policy of peace, but despise — and abominate the Quakers.” “Sorter come out on your own footin’, I reckon,” suggested the squawman, ba Dale x was sent out, my friend, as an agent of the Society for Improving the Condition of he In- | dians, and that is the form and substance of p business here.” aes “Is it a scheme that pays well?” oe “It is not a question of pay, though my ex penses are guaranteed.” ahi ee ‘‘As I understand the thing, stranger, y og want to hire me to help you kerry on that busi- — ‘‘T have plainly informed you that I would be glad to have your aid.” Ree ‘** What pay’ll I git?” oY ee oud | a ** As I have already said, 1t 1s not a qu -stior “comicbooks.com Y Tha ’ " a . . ‘Ve iy: * a ay » * Ty - ° a ‘ > 3 z A of ‘eS? T. i