Beadle's New York Dime Library No. 420 — page 8: what you’re looking at

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

ee 8 a aa a ee ee a SE IF ety Or sen i ee ay ey —_ ia me, 7 a 4S ee —_ _ 5% lll - ~ * ae a . eed yas 3 AS 2 - ~ % ~ ¢ oa * » °* «a Se 8 a —_——_ eee ee ee oe ee eee ee en a a a Se. ds but to an extent imitating the movements of his friend. He got up eas Gordon did, but, instead of thrusting his hand into bis pocket, he slipped it behind his hip where his knife was. When Gordon knocked down old Israel, Ger- ald sprung vpon young Israel with his tnife, notusinge the blade, but the haft, with which he struck his tall antagonist such a sudden and savage blow as stretched him senseless on the floor. li was the surpri-e and unexpectedness with which the two castaways had got their work in that told the story and turned the tables in (heir Gerald Talcott had been not ony watching, | | | | | ee ee favor so quickly, and the fact that young Isreel | was ombarrassed in his movements by his fath- er’s fall against him had groatly aided Gerald in his attack. The old flatboatman, who was not stunned by the blow he had received, specdily began to pick himself up, but his revolver was then in Uor- don’s possession, and the sharp click of its loc! intimidated not only him, but his wife, who was brandishing the hatchet sho had held behind her Sg the intent of making an attack upon Ger- ald, “You will have to take a back seat, my friends,” quietly observed Gordon. ‘* We are running this game now, and you are counted out, I think, Mrs. Gonder, that you had better look after your son, though I don’t suppose that he is badly hurt. Your style of keeping a ho- tel, I am sorry to say,does not suit us at all, and we will have to leave you; but we musttalo the tools that you try to collect your bi’ls with. Gerald, pick up that shotgun.” Geral possessed himself of the weapon, while Israel Gonder and his wife stood there scuwling, not daring to move, and in no humor for talk- ing. **As we are not in tho habit of taking something for nothing,” continued Gor- don, ‘* I will leave you my revolver in place of this one. A fair exchange is no robbery, Mr. Gonder, and my pistol is a better article than yours, though it is a little under the weather just now. The shotgun we will pay cash for, and how much do you think it might be worth? Say ten dollars? That is a big price for it, but I will put it at that figure, if you have no objection.” No objection was offered, and Gordon fished out of his wet pocket a ten-dollar gold-piece, which he Jaid on the bar counter, ‘‘ Now we are square, Mr. Gonder,” said he, with the odds in your favor, and I will thank you to open the door and bow us out. Of course you are sorry to see us go, but you need not add toour grief by saying so. If you expect to go on keeping hotel here, my friend, I would ad- vise you to change your style, as yeu might run across some people who would kick against it worse than we did. Farewell, then, and may we never Icok upon your like again.” Tsracl Gonder had opened the door, and Ger- ald and his friends backed out, for fear of ac- cidents, and stepped ashore, As they backod cut they perceived that young Israel had vitality enough to stir and got up on his knees. They climbed the bank without any Celay, and walked away into tho woods, glad that they had so easily got out of what had threatened to be a bad scrape, and carrying the weapons which they had taken, rather to get them cut of the hands of the flatboatmen, than because they supposed they might need thom. As Gordon turned and looked back across the river, he perceived signs of coming day in the eastern sky, and, as the moon had not yet set, it was apparent that they need not have any fear about finding their way. In fact, there was a trail which led from the ‘bank directly toward the west, which they naturally stepped into and followed. ‘** We are well out of that little difficulty,” ob- served Gerald. ‘* Yes, a little better than I had expected at one time, and ( am glad that you take it so pleasantly. Glad, too, that rou were so wide awake a when your wits were wanted. ‘If you had not seconded me as you did, we would rave been worse off. But I am afraid, my boy, that you are tired out and can’t stand much more fatigue and worry.” “What, I? As I am young and strong, I surely ought to be able to stand this kind of thing, and I inay say that I am just getting warmed up to it. Itis for you, whoam much older than J, that [am uneasy, when I think of what you have gone through for my sake, You have risked your life, and have got yourself in- to all this trouble, for a mere chance acquaint- ance. If it had not been for you, I would not be living now, and how can I ever thank you?” ‘*Ié1s not worth while to try, Gerald. As a matter of fact, it was not entirely for your own sake that I tried to help you, but partly for your fathor’s sake.” ‘*For my father’s sake?” ** Yes, | knew him when I was consideratly younger than I now am.” ‘* You knew Colonel Talcott?” **IT never had the pleasure cf meocting that gentleman.” — ‘*Of whom are you speaking, then?” / TTT ihe Old River Sport. ‘Of your father, whoso name was not Tal- cott, but Holeomb, I supposed you knew that.” Gerald did know that, to his sorrow. He had hoped that the unpleasant fact might have pass- ed into oblivion: but this was the second time he had been reminded of it within twenty-four hours—first by the man who had sought to slay him, end then by the man who had unquestion- ably saved his life, At the moment he almost wished that his savior had let him alone, and that thought kept him silent for awhile as they followed the forest trail together. . But reflection soon convinced him that such a feeling was unworthy of him. How could he be angry with aman whose friendship was so | sincere and had been so fully proved by his con- | duct? ‘*So you wero acquainted with my father?” he said, after a while. ‘*T know him years ago,” answered Gord<-n, ‘*svhen 1 was playing cards on the river here.” ‘‘ Ie was a gambler?” .** At that time he was in tho pasteboard busi- ness, just as[ was. Quite a decent fellow, too, in spite of that, and generally respecte d.” ‘* T suppose you know that he is deacl.” ‘*Years ago, asI have heard. Well, Gerald, ’ Heleomb under the sod, and wo wl let him | rest,” ‘*You are very kind, Mr. Gordon, and you have done so much for me that I ought not to question anything you have done or may cdo; but there is one matter about which I am a lit- t'o curious.” ‘Question away, my boy, end question as much as you please, I don’t protend to be al- ways right in what I do; but you may be sure | that I mean well by you.” | ‘tT would like to know, iben, why you, ifyour | name is Grayville Gordon, registered czy board | of the Rowena and passed yourself off there as | Benjamin Gray.” “Tt is a fair question, and one that is casy to | answer. That is one of my little games, If | amuses mo, and I think there is no harm in it. | T am still fond of a lively game of poker, and of | course I prefer to play to win. Therefore I | don’t impose myself cn tho suckers, as the pre- | fessional gamblers call their victims, but let the | lambs alone and pay uttention to the wolves, My only chance to get hold of them in the right way is to pass myself off as a sucker and let | them play me for allI am worth. When they think they have got the hook in my gills it de- lights me to upset them and run off with their fishing tackle, as I did with the two fellows wh were fleecing you.” ‘Do you often worry them in that way?” in- quired Gerald, “Very seldcem; but when the freak scizes me I have to give way toit. If they can beat mo, they are welccme to do it; but their success vould never co to brag on.” Daylight had appeared, and soon the sun rose; and the trevelers had no difficulty in making their way through the forest, especially as the path they were following was a plain and easy one. It was somewhat strenge, however, that they came across no cther road or trail, and failed to see any farm-house or cultivated land or even a clearing. **{ don’t understand this,” observed Gordon. “Tt is of course an uninhabited tract that we have struck here, and it may be many miles in extent; but there ought to be scme sort of a road leading up and down the river, which this trail should cross. A river road is what I should have calculated on as a sure thing.” ‘Tt is bottom-land that we are crossing now,” suggested Gerald, *‘ and J] suppose it 1s overflow- ed when the riverisup. Perhaps the river road, if there is one, keeps to the bluffs,” ‘* Well, we will know more about it pretty soon, as there are the bluffs.” The bluffs which became visible through an opening in the trees appeared to be but moder- ate elevations of the land, except at one point where they assumed a billy and broken char- acter. Toward that point the trail which they were following tended, and there was as yet no clearing or other evidence of human habitation in that region. ‘*Confound such a country os this is, any- how!” grumbled Gordon. ‘1 suppose we wll have to tramp until we tire ourselves out, before we strike a house or any people. No, Gerald, there’s a whiff of smoke rising from the bluff yonder. Do you see it?” Gerald did see it, and perceived that it seemed to come from a rift in the bluff toward which the trail pointed. It was but a thin and light curl of smoke, but with a homelike and hospita- ble look, strongly suggestive of the breakfast which the two wayfarers wanted so badly. Spurred up by this cheering signal; they has- tened on at their best speed, and soon entered ee the breakin the bluff to which the trail led them, and from which the smoke was yet rising. It was deep, narrow and heavily timbered, gradually tending upward from the bottoin- | | there aro plenty of worse people then Josiah | | / 2 oe —— o— sg - tH o- — = 22 $e ee land, and with no road or path leading into it but that by which the travelers had come. When they bad got apparently about half-way up the bluff, the passage began to wicen, and they could see the smoke more plainly before them. ‘*T think it can’t be long now,” remarked Gordcn as they halted fcr an instant, ‘** before we see someth.ng or somebody.” Asif in answer to his werds there came a sharp and sudden bail frem right ahead. ‘‘ Hello thar! Stop whar you are!” Gerald Talcott, who was carrying the shot- gun, involuntarily raised it at this menacing salute; but another hail advised him to drop it, and he did so. CHAPTER IX. AMONG THE MOONSHINERS, ' TRoucn there had been two hails, and though it was easy to judge pretty closely the locality frem which they bad preceeded, the entire aifair was pervaded by an element of unpleas- ant uncertainty. As they had keen ordered to stop where they were, and as it was reasonable to suppose that _ the order had backing to enforce it, it would be as dangerous for the travelers to retreat as to advance, ’ _ Having come so far, they were in no humor for retreating, and the uncertainty did not suit either Gray Gordon or his friend; so the former made a move to break it. ‘* Hello, yourself!” he shouted. ‘* What's up here? Who are you, and what do you want?” * Jest you wait right thar!” responded the voice ahead, ‘* and you'll find out arter a bit. If you try to stir, you'll git hurt.” Then followed a shrill whistle, answered frem further up the ravine. ** Wait thar till we ccme to you!” ordered the voice again. 7 “T can guess what this means,” whispered Gordon to his young friend. ‘* We have struck ' a secret still, and one of the lockouts has halted us. Iam afraid that this means more trouble for us, and I wish we bad not ccme here.” There was no use in wishing, as they were there, and the only reasonable thing to Go was to stay there and await the issue of the event. Gray Gordon set the example of patience and coolness by depositing himself on the trunk of a fallen tree, and the uncertainty wes presently broken by the approach of three men wko came down the path. One of them was quite a young man, another was considerably older. and the third was an elderly person, to judge by his grizzled hair and white beard. A}l were rough in their dress and general ep- pearance, and all were armed with repeating rifles and revolvers. Gray Gordon, without rising frem his seat on the log, looked wp and addressed them ina peaceable and conciliatory manner. “T hope you will tell me, my friends, whet is the meaning of this. If there is a°war go- ine on anywhere, or if there is any sort of a military camp about here, we were ignorent of it, and we want to be counted out of other folks’s fusses. We are strangers in thislatitude, and we were looking for a place to rest and get something to eat when we were halted bere.” The old man, who had been looking close)v and sharply at the travelers, addressed himself to his companion who was next to him in age. ‘*T reckon, Sam, that you bkave medea mis- take about these men. There don’t secm to be anything the matter with them.” ** Didn’t say thet thar was anythin’ the matter with ‘em, Colonel Rapp. Orders was to keep a sharp lookout and halt everybody, and that’s what I did.” “That was right, of ccurse, and there’s no harm done, But there gentlemen are straight enough, I should say. They don’t look as if they had anything to do with Uncle Sam's revenue service,” “You are quite right there, sir.” responded Gordon, “We are connected with nobcdy but ourselves, ond aro rrainly given to minding no- body’s business but our own.” ‘So I suppose, and yeu wouldn't want .to worry ary poor pecple who are trying to make cn honest living in a small way.” ‘Not we, indeed. There is nothing the mat- ter with us, except that we are in bad luck just now, and need fcod and rest.” ‘* Come on up to our den, then, and we will do what we can for you.” The old man who bad heen addressed as Colo- nel Rapp led the way, ard his two follcwers brought up the rear, with Gordon and Talcott in the middle of the party. This arrangement, indicating that twostrang- ers were under guard, made the little procession look more like a capture than a friendly visit: but it wes not worth while to object to it cn that ground, as Colcnel Rapp and his men ap- peared to be well disposed, and especially as any objection could only have taken the form of a fight against odds, Gordon was willing to admit, however, that he did not exactly like the look of things. ‘I think,” he whispered to Gerald, ‘‘that ve have struck the still from which our friends of comic! S Eboo €or | ' - “4 ’ S —<7- E-* . P a Desi