Beadle's New York Dime Library No. 414 — page 23: what you’re looking at

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

‘ ‘ < . * ~ ‘ < . © . _ ys ml v ‘ ; A +288 = 5 = were not the kind 0’ a gerloot, so he rode on ahead, and you seen what he did?” ‘*Yes, and | killed him.” ‘‘ Yer did, fer a fact, and I does hope I hain’t goin’ his way arter death.” “No, you have a good heart, my man, and died doing your duty, so don't fear that it will go hard with you hereafter.” ‘““Them is cheerin’ words, pard, and I'd like ter hey yer chief mourner at my bury- in’. ‘‘ Jist carry me back ter Bonanza ter plant me, fer yer kin wrap me in a blankit and give me a free ride on top ther huss, and take me back with yer.” ‘‘T]] do it, my friend.” ‘‘Tell Parson Pete ter shout over me and plant me up in Kingdom Come Cem’try. ‘But I must tell yer, pard, thet I heva box o’ tin under ther rear seat thet belongs ter Doctor Dick. ‘‘He wants it tarned over ter ther Express Comp’ny at mine | City, and a receipt give fer it, and they'll put it through to his ban- ker’s, accordin’ to direcshuns.”’ ‘*|’ll attend to it.” ‘‘The gal passenger 1 was ter take ter Fairy City; but she tuk herself off, so thet let me out.” ‘* Yes.” “Now, pard, thet are all, ‘cept’in’ yer promise ter see me planted, and tell ther boys I did my duty— Yonder comes ther horsemen, and they is sojers.”’ ‘‘You are right; they are soldiers,” said King Kendall, as a horseman in uniform rode into view around the bend, followed by a score of troopers. Catching sight of the stage-coach, mer halted suddenly, and then came on at a gal- lop, to draw rein near. ‘‘Well, sir, you have had warm work, it looks like,” said the young officer, gazing upon King Kendall, with evident admiration at his striking appearance, then at the dying driver, and next at the scarred coach and the tired horses. ‘Yes, captain, we had a race for life fora couple of miles, and this poor fellow, the driver, has received a mortal wound,” was the cool reply. ‘‘ Yas, cap’n, my checks is called in, and I are goin’ pretty lively, for a side-pard o’ mine sprung a trap on me, and ther Gold Buzzards chipped in, and ther devil were ter pay, with a beggin’ pardon fer a cuss-word from a man so near ther grave.” ‘* Pray tell me just what has occurred,” the young. officer asked of King Kendall, who told the facts as they were, with an occa- sional interruption from Old Hickory in praise of the young miner and the Indian. ‘‘The young girl escaped, you say, to the Gold Buzzards?” ‘Yes, sir,” ‘‘ And you know not her motive?” ‘No, sir, unless it was because she recog- nized one of their number, or, in reality, was one of their band.” ‘Tt is very strange; but she may be, as you suggest, one of their number. “Yet I cannot account for the Indian’s flight.” ‘Nor I, sir, and he is a most mysterious person, whom 1 would like to know more of.”’ ‘You say he is Red Renard, the Sioux Miner.” ‘< Yes, sir.” ‘He is a remarkable character, sir, and I have seen him at the fort, where he has come to visit the colonel; but his business seems always of a private nature, and he is, as you say, a most mysterious person, and I have heard it suggested that he is secretly in the Government service and a detective.’ _‘*Indeed! I can well believe it, sir— Ah! my poor friend here is dead.” ' A gasp for breath had called the attention of King Kendall to the driver, and in a mo- ment Old Hickory breathed his last. ‘‘Poor fellow; but will you drive the coach on, sir?” ‘Yes, captain, to Fairy City and back to Bonanza City.” ‘‘You are certainly not a driver of the Overland?” ‘‘No, sir. I am a miner.” ‘*Indeed?” and the officer lanced at the handsome attire, diamonds and gold chain of .- Se” = eal : : ey" 2 4 ~ =< ~*~ | : wrt at AT . . ™~* ‘ : & "sé _. ‘*My name.is Bradford Bentley, sir, and I /am a captain in the army. ‘‘May I ask your name?” said the officer, _ politely. “Certainly; it is King Kendall.” ‘“‘Ah! I have keard of you; for some | miners drop into the fort now and then, and | you were reported as the dead shot of Bo- | nanza City, and were a giant in strength.” ‘They flattered me, Captain Bentley; but as you may be able to come upon the Gold Buzzards down the trail, for they will be | looking after their dead and wounded, I will not detain you.” ‘‘Shall my men not bury your comrade | for you, Mr. Kendall?” | No, thank you, sir; for 1 promised him I would take him back to Bonanza for burial, and I will do so.” ‘It is kind of you; but good-by, and I will report your fight at Bonanza, while, if you hear aught of the vailed lady, kindly drop me a line at the fort.” King Kendall promised to do so, and while the soldiers rode on at a gallop, he rolled a blanket about Old Hickory’s body, placed him in the coach, and drove on to- ward Fairy City. CHAPTER XL. A PROMISE THAT WAS KEPT. Farry City gained its name on account of iis situation, for it was located in the moun- tains, at a point where the mountain crags and cliffs, under the rosy and golden tint of the setting sun, gave one the idea of Castles of Fairyland. The town proper was of less importance than was Golden City, for it was a camp of five hundred souls, scattered along the moun- tains in search of gold. A better name for it would have been Shantyville, for it boasted of only one pre- tentious structure, and that was known under the title of the Fairy Queen’s Grotto. In appearance it was not a grotto, and no fairy queen could have survived there more than one meal. The proprietor was a Dutchman, fat, jolly and rich, so he enjoyed life. His house was the poorest, his table the worst, and his beds as bad as the liquor he sold; but his prices were enormous. Fairy City had acrow over the Bonanza City in that an Express came there once a month, and it was a shipping-point for gold- dust, for the fort was only a few miles dis- tant, and gold-trains from that point were guarded by soldiers. The Fairy Queen’s Grotto was but one story high, yet it occupied an acre of space, It was the stoppin the stage-coaches. and starting point of p to its door did King Kendall drive with the dead driver his only passenger a couple of hours after nightfall of the day of the attack of the Gold Buz- zards. He was on time, and a crowd were at the tavern to receive the coach, as was their wont, All could see, as the horses dashed into the light of the pine torches with which the stable- boys came out to meet it, that the horses had been hard driven, and also that a new man dall sprung lightly to the around, He was a stranger in Fairy City, except to Dutchy, as the landlord was familiarly called by the miners. And Dutchy had seen him but once before, when he stopped all night at his tavern on the way to Bonanza City. “*Vell, vell, vat ish it, mine fri’nt, ant vere vas Rattler t’e triver?” called out Dutchy, as he advanced toward the coach, a crowd at his heels. ‘‘As I understand it, sir, Rattler, fell and broke his leg and another driver took his place. ‘That other driver is in the coach, dead, and I took the box, being a passenger, and there was no one else to run the stage in. “‘l would like first to see the Express agent,” was King Kendall’s response. ‘“*T has the mans right here. ‘‘Vat vas it you vants, mine fri’nt, and tell us apout t’e troubles, for t’e vehicles looks | | held the reins. Tossing the reins to either side, King Ken- the young miner, and mentally thought that | like a pepper-box mit t’e holes in it, and t’e he looked more like a border sport. | horses is wounded,” a - —_ — — mr re at e+ te ee ++ rm. a ee es Red Renard. the Indian Detective. _-—-- — | 23 ‘Yes, we had a hot run of it from the Gold ' Buzzards; but I met the soldiers and they , went in pursuit. i / ! uaa _? - Ne reer er RR I ‘““As you are the Express-agent, I give to | you these papers, and turn over to you a box of dust which you will find under the rear . ‘Please give me your receipt for them, and then let a man watch the coach all night, with the driver's body in it, and I will pay him well for his services. ‘‘ When does the coach start back?” “At six o’clocks mit t’e mornings, mine fri’nt.” ‘Very well, I will drive it back, 4 ‘‘ Now, gentlemen, tet us take a drink,” i and King Kendall led the way to the bare a room. Dutchy took a peep into the coach, and the dead driver tumbled into his arms. With a yell he started back, but realizing the cause, that the jolting had thrown him against the door, he called to the stable-boys to pick him up and bury him, while he took ~— the gold-box out. : This he took into his office and locked up, and then joined the crowd at the bar. “*Come, landlord, what will you have, for I am waiting to see what you drink before I order, and then I know I will not be poison- —S ed?” said Kendall. ‘‘Here vas t’e receipts, mine fri’nt, ant I vas takes schnapps, for I vas a Dutchmans, and as t’ere vas no beers, Schietam schnapps vas all I drinks, and I vas fetch ‘em over 3% F from Germany.” —, ‘Well, give me the same. \ Pe ‘‘Gentlemen, your very good health and prosperity. ee ‘‘Cigars all around, please. Now whatdo I owe you?” and King Kendall turned tothe bartender. Rae 4 The latter saw the sly wink of thelandlord and numed an exorbitant price. et Without a word Kendall paid it when Dutchy whispered: oa X “You vas a tuyfil fool, Hans, that you don’t vas say more,” and turning to Kendall | he said: Alam ‘‘T vas pay t’e mens, mine frint, for te buryin’, and t’ey vill need some drinks ven vey comes pack. EP “It vas ten tollars each I vas gives them, — aaa ant you vill pay for their drinks, too, 1 vas guess.” a ‘Yes, for drinks to all hands; but what ~— have I to do with a burial?” oy yt ie Pore. *'T’e deat mans.” low has no friends to bury him.” > ee buried?” and King Kendall's eyes flashed. =~ “No, for I promised him to carry his body rk <a and put him in the coach, and here isa fifty remarks went the rounds that he “was a_ i errand. and so he said: and I vill gives you five tollars.” bar-room with a distressed look upon King Kendall had already asked to be _ Disgusted with his poor breakfast, Kendall heard loud voices without. 2. “Tf I kill a man I'll see him ee a "a buried, or I'll pay the score if some poor fel- — ‘“<Tt vas t’e triver, mine fri’nt.” eee “What! have you dared to have that man ‘It vas petter that he pe buried, if hevas dead, don’t it?” mer - back to Bonanza City, and I shall do so, 5 Oe ‘“Quick! go and have the men dighimup — for their extra work.” oon A cheer greeted the words of Kendall,and = man from his boots up.” 2 ye ‘‘ Vell, mine fri’nt, I vill have it done, put it vas hard vork for t’e poor fellows,” and with a sigh Dutchy departed upon his... As he well knew, the stablemen had not yet taken Old Hickory away to bury him Pz | ‘* Poys, I vill not have t’e mans planted to- B nights, so von of you watch mit t’e 7s: “‘T’'ll do it, boss,” said a seedy fellow, ands . giving him his pay. Dutchy returned to the face, for he regretted not having cftered gt ry three dollars for the night’s vigil. ak | shown to a room and retired, so that Dutchy __ did not see him again until morning. started out to mount the box,and leaveupon his return trip to Bonanza City, when he A crowd had gathered, and seeing him, _ Dutchy said: ae “Tere vas three gentlemans that vas go mit you as bassengers, mine fri’nt.” “All right, let them get on board, for I have no desire to tarry longerein Fairyland.” Ecomicbooks.cor x hs bam a ‘ ms > ‘ . - . - a om -- ™ bs. + PO i ee ee me —_