Beadle's Dime Library No. 429 — page 21: what you’re looking at

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

.~ 5 ole oS . ws - _a eee = a _ , —— —— . SY ae, ae O neg = <= ma ce ay eee OE OEE Nt ~ > — er . _ « = : —_—— -_~ in play tili I had the young lady off of my hands, but this seems to be my entertain- ment, and I couldn’t think of letting you go any further: I'll just take hold of the ar- rangements, as you have them set up, and see how our friend from Red Bend pans out. He may, by the way, be from that festive burg, but haptics he gives it a wide berth. I notice, also, a coil of hope hanging over every bar in the camp, and every tumbler- juggler that I struck fer the meaning remark- ed that it was for Tom Carey, the first time he came in. Now, then, Thomas, name your variety. How is it to be?” ‘‘One at a time, and they'll last longer. I’m going first fer the man that took one shot at me when I wasn’t looking. At least he claimed that he did when | wanted to give you the credit of it. next—if you haven’t run away!’ There had been another change in Hair Trigger Tom. The flush had left his face and he was deadly cool. ‘‘If you’re taking Cy Robbins first. be- cause he shot your drop away, you're making | the mistake of the season. He’s just been holding you here till I got back. Now, then, hold your hush and get down to business,” **You galoots will put up one game too many between you. If he didn’t, who did? Answer that and I'll shoot you for fun or stamps.”’ ‘*That’s something he don’t know, I can’t tell, and you won’t find out, if you moon around for a month of Sundays. 1’m waiting for you.” He turned his back on the desperado as he spoke, and sailed off as though there was no danger of bis being shot from behind. Without hesitation Carey and the crowd followed, with the exception of Egbert Shaw and Colonel Boutelle. The two had dropped out of the front rank long ago, and were watching the pro- ceedings with silent interest. ‘Of all good men gone to seed he takes the cake,” said the colonel, heartily. ‘‘ That kind of a man, when he does turn tough, turns it all over.” ) ‘*Yes,” responded Shaw, absently, ‘‘and the oddest thing 1 see about it is that that man is not Hair Trigger Tom at all. He would make two of the original, as I saw him. It looks to meas though some one had hired him to make a dead set at our friend, Darelle. You had better look out and hurry matters up a little or you will be out a part- ner, sure.” ‘‘ Are you sure about that? Hawkins is a reckless little fellow, but he’s not staking his life that way unless he knows what he is doing.” ‘‘ Just as sure as Iam of my life. Hair Trigger Tom was a little fellow, hardly as big as Hawkins. He drank little and talked less, while this fellow is all talk and drink. I’d give a dollar to know what it is.” ‘Aw, weally, governor, that is too cheap, aw. But woaldn't it be best, aw, for you to unmask him?” The drawling tones of the Boston dude broke in with a suddenness that completely upset the governor. ‘* How—why—what difference does it make to therest? If Hawkins is not a party to the deceit, then heis the man that he means. The rest have no interest; and, after all, I may be mistaken. Let them fight it out. I’m taking no stock either way.” ‘But, aw, don’t you see, it should be stwopped. What would Mistaw Hawkins say if he found, aw, he was killed by the wrong man? If you don’t stop it, J will!” ‘* Better waght then,” remarked the col- onel, to whom the new arrival was an utter stranger. They are in position by this time, and in five seconds more there will be one dead man, if not two.” ‘‘Gwacious! Heah, stwop! It’s a mis- take! That's the w’ong man!” shouted the dude, as he skipped out in the direction of the combatants and the crowd. ‘* Mistaw Hawkins! Heah! He’s a fwaud, he’s a fwaud! Stwop it, stwop it! Don’t you heah?” ‘*Fire!” echoed the voice that had been chanting the signals, and the two men were wheeling, for they had been standing back to back at fifteen paces, when the dude, rush- ing out upon the scene, came headlong upon Tom Carey. ‘‘Thank you, Cyrus, for keeping the lamb | Hair Trigger Tom of Red Bend. He was in a mighty bad place if Hawkins! that she might as well have saved her shot a shade wild; but he was equal to the | emergency. With a convulsive effort, he threw his; ——$—$—$ $$$ $e ee 21 breath. ‘“No, Leona If I am to fail in finding ycur brother; if—ough—this is all delusion; arms around Hair Trigger Tom, and sudden- | if that double-dyed ruffian, who last night ly fell backward to the ground, bringing Carey with him. The two fell with a squelch, the desperado on top. “QOhah! Weally!” Hawkins, on the very touch of the trigger, saw the interference, and without under- standing it, gave a-quick turn to his wrist, that sent his bullet whistling upward, and then came forward, while the crowd closed After that you come | ee ———— — up, laughing at the dismal exclamation of Mr. Woburn. It was most tikely that this was all going to end in a tragedy, but mean- time they were willing to take all the fun that was going. ‘*T thought so,” was Hart’s exclamation, bending over till he got a view of the two men that were rolling over on the ground. “7 thought so. Here, Cy, take a leg and we'll pullthem apart. Somebody spank that dude and send him home. There ought to be a committee standing over him with a shotgun till he gets out of camp. He can’t move a rod without getting into trouble.” ‘Yes, but every time he draws he files,” said Robbins. ‘‘ From what I hear of him, he’s a tearer. Look out he don’t mount ou.” ‘ ‘‘Not a bit of it; I'll run first;” and the little gambler, catching hold of an ankle b a quick snatch suited the action to the word, and running around in a half-circle, brought the two men ina straight line, end to end, with their heads together, and their grip broken. ‘* Whah’s Miss Fanny?” spluttered Welling- ton, rising toa sitting posture, his clothing disarranged, his hat beaten down to his ears, and a smutch of blood beginning to show on his face. ‘*Whah’s Miss Fanny? She invited me to call at the Quartz, but did not pwomise me such a hawwid weception. Bwing her to the scene of battle, and let her see the work of, aw—her hawnds.”’ He stared wildly around, and then for the first time the crowd noticed that Hair Trigger Tom did not move. He lay perfectly still, in a horribly suggest- ive heap. CHAPTER XXIII. HART HAWKINS COMMITS HIMSELF. Bap MAn’s Bar felt no particular thrill the next morning, the workers going to their work as usual, and the idlers lounging around according to custom, perhaps talking about the late ripples of excitement at the Lay-out, the Happy Home and the Quartz in a listless, perfunctory way. Such events as rough-and-tuinbles, and shooting matches were too frequent to elicit much remark, unless they had a much more remarkable ending. For, after all the racket the night before, as far as heard from nobody was killed or wounded. There may have been some re- mark as to why Eg. Shaw had not shown fur- ther forward, and some curiosity to know just how the man from Red Bend had _ been so thoroughly and quickly laid out. When he got up he was a subdued chief. There was a black and blue mark on his throat, a little cut on his temple, and he had lain senseless for a quarter of an hour ‘«T guess it’s not my night on,” be mutter- ed, quietly, after a stare all around. ‘‘They’re not here now; but perhaps I'll see ‘em all later.” Then he stalked away into the darkness, without even thanking the two or three men who had taken the trouble to resuscitate him. The dude had been hustled out of the way, the colonel and Shaw had taken their de- parture, and tlart Hawkins was in the bar- room, setting them up for the house, and puzzling over the meaning of it all. When Sidney Darelle and his daughter came to breakfast together, the old gentleman seemed a little more timid than usual, while Leona had a troubled look. Darelle could be very obstinate—in fact, he always was; and the young lady, who had been airing her Opinions about the proposed investment in the Isabella, and strongly urging that after the failure of the night before it was best to turn their faces eastward once more. found claimed the name, is really he whom | thought my son. then it is too late to hope to find him, or even traces of him.” “Then why not go at once? Weruneven more risks than you know of.” ‘* Because, if we lose one million we can and will make another, 1 cannot go back poorer than I came. I will not. Ough! And may be he will come. Who knows? Oh, I know he’s not dead. He can’t he dead.” His voice died away in a whine, and he turned aside. When he did that there was nothing further to be said, and a little later the two went to their breakfast. Boutelle had not forgotten—neither had the governor; for though the colonel came early the other was earlier. ‘“Mr. Darelle, good morning. I want to talk over the unfortunate escapade of last night; but I must say a word of warning first to be sure that I will have time. You will permit me, will you not?” ‘‘ Certainly, sir, certainly. Though, ough, I am not afraid, not at all afraid. 7 can see that in every crisis some one comes to our aid. Fora moment I trembled before that ruffian; but it was because the sudden re- action and disappointment almost destroyed my nerves. Speak, I will gladly listen.” ‘‘It is not in regard to your personal but your pecuniary safety. You were talking to. outelle last night about investing in the Isabella. If there was anything in it don’t you think I would have known it and seized the chance before you had even heard of it?’ I do not say you will lose money—the colonel is an honest man, if a little reckless—but you can make comparatively, nothing; and it will be several years, in my judgment before you will even realize the interest of your money. Think if you can afford to make an investment that for so long a time will be practically dead.” ‘* Ha, ha!” cackled the old gentleman. ‘‘T understand, I understand. But | am not like you younger bloods. 1 have learned it is best to build for the future. You see I have come into a fortune that is practically uninvested. I have oceans of money, sir, that is bringing me nothing, and it does not trouble me. I can put fifty thousand into the Isubella and not feel it—ough!” ‘* But as the colonel requires cash will it not cramp you in your search to pay out so large asum? For your own sake and that of your daughter I am trying to have you at least examine the situation well.” Darelle leaned over, his voice dropping to- a whisper. ‘‘ITcan hand him the amount here and now and have enough ieft to meet any amount you choose to put up on four aces.. Don't be mistaken. Sidney Darelle plays his own money on his own game, and no folly of mine can ever wreck Leona’s for- tune. Many thanks for your advice; but I think the colonel is coming now.” ‘“Very well. Of course you will do what seems best. Please consider what I have said as confidential. I do not want any chance for hard feeling on Boutelle’s part, though I felt I must do my duty.” As he spoke, he noted that the door at the back of his vis-a-vs opened noisclessly, and Leona stood there with her finger on her lip. When she saw that she had caught his eye she beckoned him with an almost impercept- ible motion, and then retired, softly closing the door behind her. Just nodding to Boutelle, who came a mo- ment afterward, he went out and was met by the young lady, who had hastily donned a walking-suit. ‘*Come; let us get away from here. [| must have some one toconfide in, and though you have deceived me twice, it may be that you are honest for all that.” ‘Seemingly deceived you. Pray say it that way. You have honored me with your confidence so far that I think I understand the position. Twice I found myself where | had to act for your best interests, without consulting you. if I erred, it was not inten- tional. You will say that I profited by it, but otherwise some one else might have profited much more. Perhaps it would be EGomicsooks (E(O)