Beadle's Dime Library No. 429 — page 14: what you’re looking at

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

14 t a sacrifice. Then he would have no excuse or forcing himself into the game at a different time and place, where there was more to be won. There is no necessity to follow them step by step. Under the liberal limit it might have been possible to win or luse a great deal in the course of an hour, yet fortune was so far balanced that without much interference things ran fairly well to suit the governor. Becker was a hundred or him straight, er leave ther camp; you kin see that yerself. An’ me bin foolin’ ’round with ’er logger-headed buzzard like him! Tt find out who he is an’ kerrel the ole man’s rocks. Then —ef every grain ov sand down thar war a sep’- rate gridiron, an’ he war a-toastin’ on ’em all, er kin add it up an’ it won’t tetch wo’t I’ve got in fur him, Ob, [ll break him all apart, soul aoe body. Ef I don't, kill me. I ain’t fit ter ive, solved mystery. saysomething. I think I could even stand some doddering nonsense from you. Speak up and tell us all about it. ‘*Oh, Lain’t nothin’ ter say. I war jest think- in’ how Fairy Fan choked you an’ Jake off last: night. She’sa hummer from ‘way back, ain’t she? Gosh, yes!” ‘*It was the reward of disinterested benevo- lence joined to a desire to explore an as yet un- There was a lady in the case, sure; but if she came out all right, and had no so ahead, and Darelle as much or more to the ‘You seem to take it hard, and it was rather | ‘ ' — ': <— — iu snag -- ¢ , sheer kim in at?” Becker, coarsely, as Shaw threw his hand in the | middie and pushed his chair back from the table. ‘‘It ain’t daylight yit, an’ we may ez well finish ther nigat cut.” * That don’t go among gentlemen, Becker. I have been watching Mr. Darelle’s watch, it you | have not, and the bour is up. Come on now! The safest plan is to get you out of temptation. A little success is a t to turn your brain.” At the same time he gave an impcrative ges- | ture, that checked the grumbling remark that | was on the lips of the cther. Sidney Darelle looked from the one to the other. There was no coubt but what he was willing, now, to go on. The watch had been forgotten, atid he even did not seem at first to | understand the action of the governor. The few cold words called him to himself, and | all of their conversation. with the sigh of a man coming to his senses, he, too, ushed back his chair. ** Perhaps you are right, governor, You see that it is as [ told you, | lose my senses at once over the card-table. [ would have played straight on, Now, how is it, and about how do we quit?” **You play a very strong game, if you were not quite so earnest: and if we had not fixed it beforehand, you might have just scalped us. governor at the time | bet they won’t give you any show till they down | you. You began the racket on your own hook, _and carried it out to suit yourself. Ive only | showed you how it fell into my hand. Don’t 'tellme, ITve other fish in the pan to fry. Now, | you can wagon on home. | to be blowing about the little poker party to- night. If it gets out otherwise it makes no dif- ference; but through you—thanks, it don’t sound well. Vl have something to say my- self.” ‘All right, boss; I sabbe. [’m dumb ez a clam.” The two men separated then, totally uncon- | scious of the fact that from a window near by there was a watcher who had overheard nearly ot onto the trail of the luggy Becker was being Hart Hawkins had ‘led away. He was shrewd enough to imagine ' an occasiona that there was something up, and that he would learn little by intruding. Accordingly, he kept awake, and even made scout. It wasn’t very dignified, but when he was after points dignity didn’t count. The partitions were not very thick in limit takes half the science outof the game. Asit | the Happy Home, and by running the risk of is, ro are the principal winner, and Becker has | a little streak that has put him somewhat | have even been able to follow the varying for- ahead, though I think you would have slaugh- tered him in a hand ortwomore. If you can being discovered by some outsider, he might tunes of the game. “As it was, when the trio quit, he had a fair control your temper, I see no reason why you | idea of what had been the result of the hour’s should fear to meet the average player; and I guess even the chiefs would find some trouble in getting away with your baggage. an opinion, though; a few hands, such as we played this evening, can hardly show.” **No, no—ough! I was not at my best. To- morrow night we may test the mnaiter again. Your judgment may be worth a million to me. and I want to have it. I will expect you then.” ** You may, if nothing turns up to prevent.” *“* But we must go somewhere else. My daugh- | That's just | amusement. Eleeven debated whether he sbould not follow the twoin the hope of overhearing something of their plans. | ‘* But it’s getting too late in the night,” he } | thought. ‘*Some confounded early bird will be out. ways does prosper—but if he saw me skippin ' around in the rear he would just blow me cold. ' Maybe they’ll stop outside.” It was a fortunate hesitation, since he un- doubtedly heard more by far than he would ter might become aware of it, and she is terribly | otherwise have done, set.” He looked after them with a curious grin on *That is true, and this stuffy little room is | his face. hardly the pleasantest place in the world for a ‘*So the old gentleman is an ‘angel,’ is he? long sitting. I will call for you. There’s the So’s the young lady. Thanks, governor; I'll Lay-out, where we were this evening. We can find accommodations there; or at the Quartz. I might make up a little party of our representa- tive men, if that is agreeable. If not—well, we can be alone ut either place.” “Thanks, thanks. You are taking a world of trouble. A night-capif you must go, then we will say good-night again. Strange, how some- thing always swings us together. Perhaps, though, chance 1s tired of persecuting us. ) ought to be able to sleep well.” 1@ flask which Darelle produced had a mar- velously good filling, from which none of them were ashamed to drink heartily. Then the two took their departure, stepping lightly and saying nothing till they got out otf the bui ding. ‘A reg’lar angel,” whispered Becker, ‘‘ can’t lay draw fur a cent, an’ ther more he loses Soar more he wants ter stack itup. Ef you’re in’ ter hev ther pickin’ ov him whar’ll my “Don’t be excited, Pluggy, Tll give you a chance to make a right mat f thing of it. You stick to the trailing, and stay out of the game. When we got to going fer blood and hair we would swamp you about the first deal. And I was glad to see you take the wink. Don’t say anything about Hair Trigger Tom to the ola gentleman. He’s the very fellow that Dar- ellie is after. There must be some mistake about it anyhow. I don’t recognize him, his fa- ther don’t; and all the idea has tostand on is the spouting of that wind-bag, Major Bang.” ‘*But when he talks abouta gerloot he means aheap. He picks ’em all out ez they comes, don’t ver disremember.” ‘ “Well, he’s made a mistake this time, any- how, though I’) admit be is not what be seems, It takes a putty good man to get away with you, Becker; to tell the truth, I didn’t think it could be done unless some one got the drop on ou with the irons, and laid you cold. know who he is as muchas any one. i | I want | without giving any sign. It is | for any one else, he would have seen that Sam —_—————— eee a drop the bank and keep an eye on both. Where there’s a heap pile of rocks falling, it’s queer if Hart Hawkins don’t get a share.” CHAPTER XV. MISS DARELLE HEARS THE NEWS. In spite of the hubbub, the excitement, and the good share of personal danger she had expe- rienced both along the trail and after reaching the Happy Home, Leona had had a fair night's t rest. While the venerable Sidney Darelle had been playing the good Samaritan to Pluggy Becker, Hen ater ened amusing him and the governor with the little game before mentioned, she had been calmly sleeping. As a consequence, she arose the fcellowin morning feeling thoroughly refreshed, and wen ? ae breakfast with an appetite like a young awk. En route she knocked at her father’s door, and after several efforts aroused him enough to get his order to go, and never mind him. He would tuke his sleep out. As she knew nothing of the ‘draw ” that had occupied the hours he should have been sleeping, she curned up her nose some- what scornfully and sailed away. At the table she found three ap already seated, the gentleman nearest to her being Hart Hawkins. The natty little fellow was as spruce and smiling as though be had not been up two- thirds of the night. He smiled formally, nodded his head, and then went on with his breakfast. If she wanted to ask any pS apehesiie the way was open; otherwise, he would not intrude. She recognized him as the young man who had expressed such emphatic sentiments in re- gard to Mr. Shaw the evening before, and for the present had nothing to say, though from \ ole to time she gave him a contemplative | glance, which the little minister of chance noted lf he had spared eyes will have some men gunning for you, and you | } _ terest. I needn't tell you not | He'll never notice them—wickedness al- | i good whea Shaw cailed time. ' tough. Be careful how you do your work, | desire to have our valuable assistance, why— ““What yer want ter stop now fur?’ asked | though. If any shadow from it falls on me I | Barkis is willin’.” Miss Leona was listening, and showed her in- She remembered now what had totally slipped her mind on rising, that she had been | disturbed when she was too sleepy to ask for or | a en the cause. show up my way unless you have something to | *é hope, miss—and you will pardon me for speaking, but an apology is needed—1L hope that we gave you no alarm, and but little inconven- ience. awcub felt it his duty to go the rounds and { went along to see that the thing was done decently and in order.” Miss Darelle drew back—and then as suddenly changed her mind. ‘“‘T remember something of the kind, but I have met with such outlandish adventures in these regions that nothing seems out of the way now. Il thought perhaps it was the eustoin of the house to call the roll regularly at two o’clock in the morning to see that none of the guests were missing. What was the trouble?” There was a bang as a chair fell to the floor. Sam Loftus, who had occupied it, msce no movement to pick it up, but slouched out, a look of disgust on his face. “Samuel is unfortunately somewhat hard of hearing,” said Hart Hawkins, unblushingly. “Tf the rest of the house dropped behind bim into never-come-back-again he would never hear the racket, but go straight on. He slept through it all, last night, like a little lamb, and wouldn’t believe a word of it this morning, when I tried to tell him.” ‘*But what did happen? That is, was there anything else after the little adventure of ours?” ‘* Oh, there was plenty. It would have taken a pint of morphine to keep me from hearing it —but then I’m not blessed with a guiltless con- science.” Miss Leona took no notice of what may have been a covert hint. She kept her eye on the mark, ‘* Was it, then, too dreadful to tell? Hardly. The town looks as lazy as ever, and I can see no ominous gatherings on the street corners.” She strained her little white neck in glancing out of the window at a vista of shanties, and here and there a man lounging down the strag- gling street. ‘* Lazy! You mustn’tcall the Bar lazy. You only see its denizens in their home of rest and recreation. But by night—oh, they are just as industrious—with the pasteboards, and shoot- ing-irons, and such! hy, you know how it is. yourself.” ‘But last night?’ insisted Leona, with the. pertinacity of a woman who scents a possible secret. ‘* Well, you must take itall in together. You see, previous to your affair the governor took your father and the young man who arrived in your train around to see the town, and the young man from Boston, after bucking the tiger and dancing to uncle Daniel’s fiddle, got. involved in a row with a local chief named Becker. Result, somebody shot from their pocket—presumably Mr. Woburn—and the local chief was laid out. When he came to his senses: the other party had eloped, and Becker ad- ourned, ‘*Some little time after the racket here, at the Happy Home, the two came together once» more, and were bent on death and destruction. The Dutchman objected toa row in the house and shoveled them out into the street to settle: wr difficulty, as they agreed to do, with their sts, ‘‘ Then, when everybody was looking on with breathless eagerness, and the bets ten to one on Pluggy, from a window overlooking the scene came the crack of a derringer and the scream ofawoman., That was what excited our worthy landlord. He first assured himself that you were safe, and then looked after the gentle mis- tress of the Quartz, who was very much there, and altogether safe. There’s the whole stcry, illustrated with cuts.” ‘**One of which is the result of the little con- troversy that was going on in the street. [s there to be a funeral to-day, or are the obsequies over?” Miss Darelle could adopt the festive style ber-. self. Hawkins went on, somewhat encouraged :: ‘‘ As for that, Pluggy was laid out again, and pretty certain that he has not come here for | Loftus in hisquiet way was staring at both; and | the other fellow ran away. If he quits running” nothing, and if he means to strike the old gent | that the third man—no other than Tommy | Becker will probably decide that the third time- Tough—was watching all three. If signs went is the charm, and try him again.” | And is that all?” She was a witching little woman, and Haw- kins was an admirer of the sex in general, and | this portion of itin particular. He had a sus— _ picion that he had better keep his knowledge to himself, yet be could at least put another spoke in Eg. Shaw’s wheel. So he spoke; | Mmicboo he may interfere, heavy.” ere was a subdued but decided aroma of | for anything, he was amused at something, and sulphur in the air, for though Becker was lis- | once or twice opened his mouth as if to speak. . tening he was thinking; and the remembrance | Hawkins happened at last to catch one of OF of how he had been handled by the dude brought | these efforts, e. the blasphemy to his lips in a choking stream. “Well, young man, what is it? I’m the ‘*Onless he’s after ther gal, blame dash him! | easiest darling to get acquainted with that you | But yer needn’t keer fur him. I’ve got ter lay ever saw; and l’m ’most dead for some one to | : ‘ : “-, « \ P ° ~ me = *¥ - f * 4 7 ye | : * 1S wy J ‘ ; ‘ . a 7 - f cS (E (0)