Beadle's Dime Library No. 429 — page 23: what you’re looking at

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

Hair Trigger Tom of Red Bend. 23 oe ™ = -see if the madam is around. read her eyes aright, I am going to be the friend of her life—and something more. Only give me time, and I don’t care whether the old fool is willing to back his theory or not.” ; In some such way ran his thoughts, though they were more troubled than his words may seem to imply. More troubled, in fact, than those of Pluggy Becker, who loosened both revolvers and imagined that he was on a straight trail. Yet when he entered the Quartz nothing was to be seen or heard of the stranger sport. If he had come in there no one seemed to have taken notice of him, nor did he appear, though the tough waited for him at least an hour. For an hour or two more Becker roamed around among the other bars; even, for a lit- tle while, standing at the governor’s shoulder as he bet against the little game that the smiling Hawkins had opened at the Lay-out, then something brought him back to the Quartz in time for a wild roar of excitement that had just come in with the tide. A young man with a straggling goatee, and a face that was generally expressive of wonder, came rushing in. ‘‘Whar'’s Miss Fairy Fan? I’ve got a let- ter for her; l’ve got somethin’ thet will make her open her eyes so wide she kin see six Sundaysina month. Wharis she? Trot her out afore I burst myself spittin’ out ther brimstun; an’ then he gives me ther letter, an’ I kim jest ez tight ez laigs could kerry. | I’m all outer bre’th now. Kin yer gimme a drink, an’ charge it ter that postmaster- | ing anything? gin’ral? I’ve earnt it, gosh, yes.” Fanny said nothing, but nodded affirm- atively to Robbins, and tore open the envel- ope, a cloud rising in her face as she read the contents. ‘‘ What is it, Miss Fanny? Anything that the publie can help you in, if you read it for general edification?” ‘‘The public may as well hear it; but [ll have to help myself—I suppose, because I cant. and I’m not sure the little vagabond is worth | that. Here itis. Open your ears and eyes, and keep your mouths shut until I get through: § *“*HeapQuaRTERS Rep Benp AGENcy. Date Unknown. ! “Dear Miss FANNY: — ‘it grieves us to the very soul to be compelled to draw on you without notice, but the case is urgent, and we ask your immediate attention. A young stranger, slightiv known atthe Bar as Wellington “Woburn, has fallen into our hands. As he had no coin available we intended to scalp him, but he suggested that you might be willing to advance his ransom, which has been fixed at the moderate sum of ten thousand dollars, As one of our friends was recently skinned alive at the Quartz we felt like doubling that amount when we heard your name mentioned, but wishing to keep our established r°putation for fair dealing we have held to the original sum. A public announcement that you will be responsible forthe amount will bring an the wind. waiting if It’s only a matter of ten thousand; | } . 'me; or has the old gentleman recovered his take the back And that little Can she have been say- If the dude ¢s her brother, as she swears he is, she would back his game desperately. She wouldn't hesitate a minute to wring in a cold deck on me ; and I'm not senses and determined to track? I must find out. vixen at the Quartz. | sure she has not done it. Things look mixed, and perhaps this delay may be all the better if it gives me a chance to find out what is in Plngey will have a sweet time 1 dont get him word of the change of base.” With Sidney Darelle Leona was having rather an uncomfortable time. He was pee- vish, fretful and suspicious. The young lady was hardly out of his sight the whole _ day, and it was almost sundown when, seeing him drop into a doze she stole away fora | little air and exercise. She had now had a little experience in the . climate of the Bar, and was aware that the evening air outside of the limit of the burg might very well prove unheaithy. There was no wandering this time to view the town from a distance. She simply paced down the street, much to the gratification of the loiterers. When she was nearly opposite the Quartz she was overtaken by Fairy Fan. Looking around at the sound of the light footstep the eyes of the two met, and then Fanny spoke. hull truth aforehand, which I swore I | intimation as to the ways and means of payment, ‘‘It is not too late for you to take the ad- wouldn't. Gosh, yes!” 4 goede gon oy by the release of the present vice that 1 gave you when we first met, and | ‘Who are you, young man? Who are you?” asked Cyrus, who was again on deck. ‘Oh, ’'m Tommy Tough, from Red Bend last, an’ I hev a letter.” ‘‘Give it to me then, and I'll see that she gets it the fu’st thing in the morning.” ‘The morning!” howled Tommy. ‘‘ That won't do, she must hev it now. Ef she don’t he'll go ter kingdom come!’ * ‘‘Don’t splutter,” said Cy, softly. ‘‘ No doubt it’s important, and all that, and [ll If she ain’t you can keep the letter, and he can go. I don't know that we've lost anybody that we're weeping cver.”’ ‘But, good gracious gosh, look a yere. "Thar’s a man’s life a-hangin’on it, an’ ef anything happens ter him thar’ll be a holy ole picnic.”’ ‘Whose life is hanging on if? What’s this young gentleman trying to get through him?” Miss Fanny made her appearance at this juncture, and relieved Cyrus of any further responsibility. ‘“Yer can’t prezactly prove it by me; but ‘hyar’s yer letter; an’ ef that don’t tell, call me a liar frum ’way up ther krick. It’s a mighty bad piece ov bizzness, ary way.”’ He drew from his breast-pocket the docu- ment that he thought of so much importance and placed it in Miss Fanny’s hands. As Tommy’s announcements had been public, or a little more so, there were plenty of curious listeners. ‘‘Where did you get this?” asked Fan, turning the letter over in her hand without opening it. ‘‘Jest a few minnits ago, ez I war a- strollin’ away inter,town thar war a man met me. He war jest an ord’nary sort er ap- am not sure but what your brain planned it. €. pearin’ man when I war a lookin’ at him;| Tue following morning Egbert Shaw was | Was it one of your heelers who, last night, ; ‘but he war red blazes an’ all ter talk to. Hej} on hand bright and early, as was Colonel | as Hair Trigger Tom, took such an affection- “ stopped me an sez: | Boutelle. ate interest in my welfare? I half suspect of “ «Be you a-goin’ inter ther Bar?’ It was a pleasure to be met by Miss Leona; | that it was. What sane man would act in | «Bf I aint I dunno it,’sez I, ‘This | but their ardor was a little dampened when} such a way without a reason? Beware! “ hyar orter be ther road, onless it’s moved sence ther las’ time I war thar.’ ‘©*T)on’t be smart,’ sez-he, ‘fur I’ve knowed sech kinder people ter git soddenly sick.’ . : ‘An’ ith that he whips out two revolvers, an’ hed me kivered. ““«Now,’ sez he, ‘I want yer ter take a letter ter ther leetle duck ez runs _ ther Quartz, and say ‘ith my compliments, if ther matter ain’t fixed ‘thin forty-eight hours we'll hang ther young man fur sure, an’ send a leg 2 fur a sample. How does that strike er?’ ‘It struck me heavy, an’ | tole him so. ‘““* Wal, sez he, ‘you kin jest sw’ar ter -do ez I've tole yer, er set out fur kingdom come. Up with yer hands, .an’ say it straight.’ ‘*So me hands went up; an’ I swore tell ther road tvrned green, it was se blue ‘ith ae C—O *] am, madam, re Very respectfully yours, * COLONEL JOHN LONGHAND.”’ ‘‘The infernal rascal! What does he mean, referring to you? Announce public- ly that they may hang and be blessed, and | don’t give the matter a second thought. | Longhand wouldn’t commit such an outrage, | anyhow. If he did, except for the name it would give the Bar, I don’t think the lamen- tation would be loud.” ‘*Some things ain't the same as others, my dear governor,” retorted Miss Fanny. ‘There is an appendix that explains more fully, and you will see that I have to pro- vide the pewter. Here it is: ““My Dear SISTER:— ‘*i| have fallen into the hands of the Philistines. While trying to make my exit from the BarI was captured by a gang of road-agents, who train under the banner of a st Geter ruffian, styling himself Colonel Longhand. e sends herewith a demand for ten thousand dollars’ ransom. If it is in the wood, arrange to ay it andI will make it square when we meet. If you don’t comply it is positively settled that my mortal existence will come to a sudden ending. They insist that I have been slaugh- cone some of their ‘pards.’ Give my love to old Mr. Darelle and his daughter. It is unnecessarv to add that my hopes in that direction have gone glimmeriog. ** Affectionately “Your brother, ‘* ARLINGTON AUBURN.” ‘‘That settles it,” she continued. ‘‘ He’s not much to look at, but he’s all the brother I’ve got, and I'll have to pay the ten, if I mortgage the Quartz.” ‘An’ didn’t I tole yer so?” whispered Becker in the colonel’s ear. ‘‘ He skipped on ther first boat, an’ thar’s whar he landed.”’ ; CHAPTER XXYV. A LITTLE MORE CONFIDENCE, she announced that her father would be un- able to undertake the expedition, that day at least. Nothing serious was the matter as yet, but he had undergone so much lately that he was afraid to run any risks. In a day or so he would probably be at their ser- vice, ‘‘A day or so from now may not suit so well, but I will try and provide,” muttered Shaw, while Boutelle expressed with much earnestness his regrets, and his hope that a day or so would rl, Mr. Shaw all right. With fifty thousand at stake he might well be anxious. Presently Miss Leona excused herself to look after the invalid, whereat the two gen- tlemen went away. “Things do not look as brilliant as the did tp aapishert Shaw was pe my: f + cloud has come over the spirit of our dreams. What can the matter be? Does she doubt + ral LnADLMMA LLL ALLL Cll ll lll AAA AAA le . | perhaps you feel more like believing me now. I want to warn youagain. If you are wise _ you will not join this intended excursion. To say nothing of the journey, which is rough and tiresome, there is special danger that you would hardly face if you could understand its nature.” “And as I hinted before, how do you know anything about it, unless you are a confederate? And if you are, how can I trust you?” ““You must be able to understand that strange people visit the Quartz, and while there they are not always cautious in their talk. What I overhear is generally kept safely locked in my soul. If it was simply a plot against your father I would leave him to protect himself when the time came. But with a woman it is different, as you may find out when it is too late. ‘‘If your father has made up his mind, then, let him go. I have no proof of what I say; but if you start off on this insane ride, the result will prove itself.” ‘* Thank you; but I care not to hear what ey say you fancy. The arrangement has een made, and i will stick to my share of the project, even though I confess to you that it is against my own better judgment. Not that 1 am afraid of the dangers by the wayside—where my father goes I go also— but because I fought against the coming here from the first; and doubly fought against an investment that could only serve to keep us here. Bad Man’s Bar may suit you, but to me it is worse than Pan- demonium. Were it not for duty, mil- lions would not keep me here a day. You have had a chance to see some of the merry- making that has greeted my arrival—and I You may interfere once too often.” As Miss Fanny said nothing, she continued her oration until she wound up in something of a fury. Fan now interrupted her, though all the time keenly watching. When the tirade was over, she spoke calmly. ‘‘l am ixclined to think, if you were less jealous of my supposed influence with Eg- ert Shaw, you would listen more prudently tomy warning. You are widely mistaken. Some day I may be able to prove it to you. I will only say now, and for the last time— let the governor alone.” Miss Fanny turned away, and Leona did not attempt to prevent her. The daughter of a million had gone too far already, though she might have a curiosity to know more of the woman who seemed trying to be her friend. About a dozen paces away she met another EOmMmiGbooks (E(0) rs