Beadle's Dime Library No. 429 — page 16: what you’re looking at

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

_~ > -,* - * Si cen ale te Qe e a) ees eee - ' - . a. ~ _ Pd Pd - . ————— = "ae ly nd . A es 4 ie . . 4 « r 5 —~ FF, 44 ™ - # a * e - ~ * - eee oe ae «ee ts . : - ‘**T know that vou are worthy of the trust.” ‘*] hope so; and time will surely tell. By the way, how did your father obtain this informa- tion on which he is acting?” ‘*That seems to be his secret, though why, I know not. He has not trusted me.” *‘Task for areason. I think he ison the wrong trail, if I unders and in which way his expecta- tion looks. Others are mistaken, I know; and he may have been led into the sameerror. I cannot tell you more at present.” ‘“*One last question, Mr. Shaw. Forsome days we have been traveling with a strange-looking animal, all drawl and stutter. I have hardly given bim a thought until very lately; but some- thing has led me to suspect that he may be play- ing a part. You have seen him. Is Mistaw Wellington Woburn just what he seems?” The governor laughed, ** Yes, I have seen him, and talked with hir. I believe he’s the genuine article; but he may hold a hand that is unsafe to bet against. Such men are sometimes like the fabulous singed cat— a great deal better than they look. I wonldn’t play him altogether for a fool, myself, till I saw what be was worth. Someone else did, and got left, bad.” ‘*Thanks, We will go, now. At least I feel releived—a little more encouragementand I may have hope.” CHAPTER XVII. THREE RUFFIANS AND A LADY IN THE CASE, SHORTLY after Miss Darelle had started on her excursion a gentleman came softly to the break- fast-table and took his seat in the awkward way of one rather ill at ease. The landlord, who honestly looked after his special customers because he intended to charge them two or threo times as much as his every- day :atrons, saw him sliding into his place, and sympathized with him on the spot. He simply madea mental memorandum to a charge fifty cents extra for being late to breakfast, and en pod to put him under more cheerful condi- ons, ‘*Goot morning, Mr. Woburn. Gladt ter see you. Dos vosa fine morning ven you gits yer eyes vidt open. Dey tondt hafe such vedder pack East, py shimminy, no. Dake yer dimes mit der crub. Vho make dis der Happy Home, shoost vhen you vants it. So you tond’t coom at alldot macht nicht aus, Shoost, vhen you kits dare—vade in,” tie stretched his hands over the table ina wave of blessing. “Aw, thanks; but, aw, this morning, aw, don’t {weel well. The, aw, dissipwation of last night did not agwee with me. Aw, have a wetched headache, and could hahdly dwag my- selfdown. Weally, it’s dweadful.” Hoopnagle had exhausted his oratory already, an retired disgusted at the poor result, ““Py shimminy, [ sharges him feefdy cents extra ag’in, deo dimes. ot makes a tollar. Mebbe next dimes he hafe soom abbedites.” As this was only a mental announcement, it had no effect upon the unconscious object of his wrath, who toyed with the edibies, glanced ap- prehensively, from time to time, at doors and windows, and finally swept away ata rate that showed he was in haste. Shortly afterward came the final installment, in the person of Sidney Darelle, who bustled in, in better shape and spirits than the Bar had yet seen him. He ate ahearty breakfast, joked with Jacob, inquired after Shaw, took a brisk turn up the street, and coming back rubbing his hands in pleasurable excitement, took a seat on the porch. Last night’s dissipation had agreed with him; and the dangers of the preceding day ar etee to be ali forgotten. ter a spell of waiting, in which the time did not appear to hang heavily, Miss Leona ap- peared, with her escort; no traces of the late ex- citement in her face. The governor met Darelle frankly, eyed him meal! expressing pleasure at seeing him looking s0 well, and dropped naturally into a conversa- tion about Bad Man’s Bar, and the surrounding camps, Leona joining in. Time passed; the dined together; and the afternoon was well ad- vanced before Egbert Shaw took his departure. “A fine gentleman, a fine gentleman,” mut- tered Dare, looking after the receding form. “A little too young for me to thoroughly fra- ternize with, but I can appreciate his worth. Pe Le like him, Leona?” e “fine gentleman” hsd given rather more time to them than he had to spare, and before he had gone twenty yards accelerated his pace until it would have puzzled even Mr. Woburn to kee up with him, for the little distance it fasted, which was only to the edge of the camp, where he had astable. Without any detay he let outa horse, and mounting, galloped away toward the Phenix Mine. It was nearly nightfall when he came back. He was riding at a more sedate gait, and was full of his own thoughts. He did not even notice a graceful figure and a handsome face loitering by the trail side, until the animal he bestrode called bis attention in that direction by a mo- mentary hesitation, and a slight turn of the ears, ———————— Looking that way he saw Fairy Fan, the fair mistress of the Quartz. ** You didn’t come near me to-day, so I drew a bow at a venture, and it seems I struck you the | first clatter. What sort of a gameare you up to now, Eg. Shaw?” He drew in at the free-and-easy address, and | first glancing around, dismounted leisurely. ‘*You’re a very charming young lady, Fan: you have plenty of nerves, loads of good looks, and it’s an honor as well as a proit to know | you; but you are too everlasting curious. In the _words of the sublime poet: It’s none of your | business.” ‘**Whew! Something has gone wrong to put you in such a flaming bad humor. Any deaths among your immediate friends and acquaint- ances? See here, old man,I want to have a word of solid talk with you; and you may as | well go into it with a little more exuberance of spirlis, ‘‘FHor Heaven’s sake, if you must talk, talk fast and to the point! Ive no time for fooling here with you. What is it?” ‘* Really, it seems to me I remember when you did not consider it lost time while you were making yourself agreeable to Fairy fanny. I’m afraid if the good people of the Bar heard that speech, the haif of them would think you were stark, staring crazy!” ‘*The whole of them, my dear—the whole of them. Half, perhaps, for talking that way; but the other half for saying anything to you at all. What’s the matter, now? Don’t the Quartz assay two figures to the ton—do you need any coin on the table? If so, you know it’s ready, and no questions asked.” ‘*Bosh! Haven't you had your dividends as regular as clock-work? And haven’t I offered, time after time, to buy out your share and in- terest, provided your good-will went with the bargain? No, sir; lasked you what you were gomeg to do, and you know what I mean well enouzh. I saw you prospecting around to-day with the young lady who came in on foot last night, and { understand you have already onened out at ‘draw’ with the old gentleman, I asked, and I ask it again, what are you going to do? Third time’s the charm. Open up, or—jump the game.” ‘¢ You must be mad to ask me such a question. What should Lintend todo? The love of money is the root of all evil, and [ want enough of the filthy to sprout a healthy old tree. I intend to go for money, of course.” ** And is that all? Are you sure you have no idea of assuming another burden along with it? Because, if so—’ “Well?” ‘| might be tempted to call your attention to the fact that you already have a wife, and the first of the full set of olive branches. You un- derstand me now! Go for the old gentleman any way you choose for all the funds he may carry wit him, but let the old gentleman’s per- manent fortune, and his daughter, alone. ou will find them both mighty bad medicine, and don’t you forget it!” ‘Thanks for the warning, but it strikes me ou are wonderfully disinterested—or would be, if you were walking anywhere within a mile of the truth. I know nothing of any Mrs, Shaw, or of any Miss Olive Branch, and I don’t intend to. The less you know about them the better it will be for your soul’s salvation, if you have any occasion at all for time to repent. You interfere if you dare, and face the conse- quences.” ‘‘[’'m giving you warning, now. If it is neces- sary, the interference can come later on. Here it is again, straight as a string, and you’d better et hold of one end of it tight, 1f not both. You ust win all the stamps you can off of Sidney urelle, as long as you can rope him into draw, but let his daughter alone. I have other use for her. And I don’t intend that she shall call ber father a ruined man. Another thing. That hound, Pluggy Becker, is scouting around on a bad errand. If he harms that innocent, he'll have me to account to for the performance. I’ve use for him, too. If Becker is acting as one of your hounds, call him off, too,” ‘* You'll take in the whole camp by-and-by, at that rate. Allow me to ask seriously if you mean all that. Are you really in earnest ‘*T doand am; perbaps [I mean more too, I talk in the only way you can understand me. Be assured that it’s business on my part, chuck up. : ‘* Connected with a lunatic asylum, I sup : I haven’t time to answer your folderol; and you have made a threat which is something I never answer if there’s a woman in the case. Drive ahead, and see whether you even have the chance to observe me wearing crape for the wife and kid aforesaid. Um nota wicked man, you understand, but [ take care of myself, tooth and nail. Now, good-by; I reckon this is only a bit of heathenish nonsense.” ‘* Very well. Iam in hopes that you might honor me with your confidence. If you were wise you would take whot I say to you as straight. If you met me fair and square might give a reason for what I have said.” ‘*Blast your reasons! Solong. I suppose I shall see you later.” —_— i a ee a a, RN ; Neen ee en eens Hair Trigger Tom of Red Bend. * — ee **T don’t know whether you will or not; if you don’t ‘you had better hunt me up and talk it over. ‘*Bah! ’minahurry. Look for usall around at the Quartz to-night.” They had been walking slowly side by side, he with his bridle-rein over his arm. Now he sprung into the saddle once more, leaving Miss Fanny to follow alone and at leisure. She did not seem to be in much haste, and when the governor had disappeared around the bend in the hillside trail bebind which lay hid- den the Bar she seated herself by the rcadside. She did not care to enter the camp too soon after Shaw; and she had some things in her mind to think over. ‘*] have warned him,” she thought, *‘ but will that do any good? He will go his own way, and I may as well lay my plans for a fight now I know too much, and not enough. I can be dangerous to him; and yet may not be able to either pull him down utterly, or to protect my- self. Andas for Mrs. Shaw--if she is still living it might not be altogether eesy to produce her in a shape that was available. If 1 wasn’t open and above-board from the word go I wouldn't have shown my hand: yet what use after giving myself away to that fool of a girl? She will betray me the very first time she gets into contidential talk with him. And I wouldn’t doubt but that she has done it already. They weren’t sitting up on the hillside all morning for nothing. I wonder what I had best do?’ Unconsciously she asked the question aloud. Miss Fan was not avery apt conspirator. From the way she had opened on the governor it was Jain that at all times she preferred an open ight. Nevertheless, treachery or surprise had never yet overwhelmed her, since they were things she was constantly expecting; and a harsh voice at ber elbow scarcely came as a sbock, though she could not guess how its nid coe ha stolen there without haying been per- ceived. ‘*Come with me, my daisy, come with me. That’s what you’d better do; an’ that’s what you'll hev ter do. You listenin’ to me warble? An’, 1 wouldn’t! Hyar, pards, ketch ther tiger- cat! She wants ter scratch.” The grin behind the mask straightened out in haste, and the draw] left his lips. He was no slouch of a villain or he would not bave been en- gaged in the work. He acted as promptly as a tiger, and before he had uttered the last word he was acting himself. He saw her band darting to her breast. and knew that it was for a weap- on: but as it came out he caught her wrist and shoulder, and twisted ber back over his knee, ‘Put the gag on er vou'll hev ber screamin’ fur all out-deors. Thar, that’s comfer’ble. Now tote her away, afore some guy blasted fool comes erlong, an’ hez ter bev his gullet slit ter keep his wind frum goin’ out ther wrong way— fur us. You hear me, say?’ He spoke in sharp anger, for the two men at his back had not moved. Glancing at them he saw them neo straight forward, each witha pistol in his hand. ‘¢ What is it, eh?” Fan’s two wrists were transferred into the grasp of one band, while his other band jerked out a revolver as he caught the direction of their gaze, and wheeled accor anes: ‘“Weally! I am su’pwised!” answered a minc: ing voice. ‘ What—aw—are your intentions? Allow me —aw—to expwostulate. This seems vewy iweg- ular.” ‘-Hyar’s yer answer, then. out!” And as he spoke the 1uffian pulled trigger. CHAPTER XVIII. THE TRIUMPH OF VIRTUE—AND MR. WOBURN. ‘* Hr’s down!” shouted the leader, as his pistol spoke, and he saw his mark tumble. “Take ther gal, blame yer, an’ git away with her, ef ye’r’ ain’t sense nuff ter shoot on sigut. I'll see thet he’s saved fur sure,” It was easy enough to say, take the girl; but the girl was not at aj] willing to be taken, and as he threw her toward his pards, he gave her the chance she was leoking for. The very instant his hand left her wrists they went once more to her breast, even while she cave a great side-spring that carried her beyond his reach. ‘Touch me if you dare; move hand or foot and you die. I hold the drop, and can shoot very straight. ‘“ Aw, as aw should wemark,” came in a mum- bled drawl from the little heap of garments a few yards distant, and with it a pistol-shot. * Curses on it, ’'m ductored!” howled the ad- vancing ruffian, halting suddenly, and slippin his left hand to hiselbow as the revolver droppe from his right. ‘*‘ Why in brimstone don’t you shoot?” : ‘ “Tf you dare!” again shouted Fan, in ringing tones. She held the two under her muzzles, anda turn of the finger would have doomed them both, but, woman thatshe was, she shrunk from taking life, even after the first shot had been fired. Instead, she started back, struck with a clubbed pistol a desperate blow vnder the ear of the wounded outlaw, that ca him Git down an’ Comichooks €om