Beadle's Dime Library No. 429 — page 8: what you’re looking at

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

Kh > 8 Hair Trigger Tom of Red Bend. Darelle as the two stood a little to one side talking in an undertone. * All right, Pll wait a few moments and see how the cards are running. I heard of this Hawkins as we went through Red Bend, and they tell me he knows all the spots by name,” ‘* Who—who is his partner? The man at his elbow. If either of them is dangerous he is the once. His face looks familiar to me, though I cannot place it.” ‘*T understand he goes by the name of Silent Sam; and I have no doubt he is good enough for the company he keeps. He is certainly as pow- erfully built a fellow as I have seen for a long time. Ah, they have no more mercy for Dia- mond Charley than for the rest of them. He is either dealing a square game, or else he is play- ing for keeps from the word go. fee. They gather him in. I don’t think this is our night on.” If the old gentleman with the cough counted on the governor doing any reckless playing he made a broad mistake. That was not the way he had made his position at Bad Man’s Bar. It was because he always won that he had been tacitly elected a chief; and he had never thrown away the title by wildly sailing intoa game that he didn’t understand. He was aware that he had some pretended friends, who would be glad enough to see him go to the wall; and just now he didn’t intead to give them the chance, Still, he had brought the old gentleman there for a purpose. It was part of it to keep him there for a while, and he had his doubts if it could be done if both remained simply lookers- on. His hand had already gone to his pocket, with an eye toa small investment in chips, when an unexpected chance came to the rescue. Mr. Woburn, who had somehow drifted away from them, and who had been staring around a little more inanely than usual, had finally ta’ren an interest in the lay-out, and was just investins five dollars on the queen. ‘ ‘Let theam—aw—stay thaw,” drawled Wo- urn, Hart Hawkins gave the dude a quick look, ani silent Sam a steady stare. If the gentle- man from Boston had come in with any ona else but Governor Shaw he would probably have been in trouble before this. The Bar was apt to lay, en masse, for just such lcoking in divi luals—the last outsider that brought a high hat u was calmly reposing in the general grave- yard, The other men in the game did not notico tie by-play; but the outsiders did—and just ia time. A gentleman, generally known in his asence as *“ Pluggy” Nodkel had fancied him- self somewhat aggrieved. When Wellington Woodurn sidied up to the table he elbowed Becker just the slightest—and Plugry was ‘a chief.” The hand of the tough clinched, and his elbow went back. He had it in for ths dude on the instant, if his partner had not given him a warning twitch. ** Hol’ on, Pluggy. He comein with Eg. Shaw; ou jes’ want ter go a leetle slow. He may bea riend ov hissen; an’ he may jest be holy ole lightnin’ ’ith brimstun ’round ther edges, Ef I war you [’d wait an’ see. Then you'll know what ye’r’ lookin’ at, an’ how ter take him.” The only answer was a low grow); but the ad- vice was good. With Eg. Shaw in the distance, it wasn’t so hard to take, either. Mr. Decker simply held his hand till be could be certain that he had found a convenient season. And the glance of Hart Hawkins almost con- vinced him that, as yet, he had not. CHAPTER VIIL. WELLINGTON WOBURN TACKLES THE QUEEN— AND SOMEBODY ELSE. Mr. WoBURN’S second venture on the queen roved a success, and the Bar, as represented, elt a rising interest, intense as it was sudden. Very strange it was, but no one was at that mo- ment so nearly the center of all eyes. she! 9 2 a whisper that had somehow started around the room had something to do with it. Major Bang, another prominent citizen, was in general a cyclopedia of information. He had heen a true rolling stone in his time, and had volled into the Bar some months ago. As ho had some knowledge of the most of the strangers who followed him, and a personal acquaintance with a majority, the result was his dictum-— not good for much else--was sound author.ty for any required biographical statement. The major had seen the suppressed offer of Pluggy Becker, and just had time to consider, when ge Abe gave him a gentle shove witb his elbow. ‘** Who’n thunder’s that? Blame my hide ef I kin make out ef he’s a saint from a calf-ven, er a sinner on wheels, ’Tain’t likely ther Gov ’d be towin’ him ’round ef thar warn’t a bright streak somewhar. You know him, say?” “Him? I wouldn’t, sah, I really wouldn't make an affidavit to the fact; butif I was asked, sah, fur my personal opinion, I would suggest _that I saw him in Tucson in 78, Carey, sah, . was the name of the individual I then met— and some of the boys recollect him as Hair pepper Tom. Perhaps itis not the same man ee + ee ce et CC CC ie EE ——— ————————$$ TT EEE eee finger and dropping a corpse, in the absence of : intervals of rest the fiddle shrieking, moaning, any clear explanation you may set it down as | laughing, and making more music to the square my mistake. I bave heard of him later on and | inch than a whole orchestra in a more civilized elsewbere, but there, sah, was the only place I | sphere. met him. Sidney Darelle, leaning on the arm of Egbert “*Pears a youngish lookin’ rooster ter hev | Shaw, gazed at the scene, a look of bewilderment flourished thar then; but ef he are a daisy, he’s | on his face, six ox-eyes on a long stem. This hyar Hawkins seems ter know him, an’ not know anything too good fur him. Ef thar ain’t fun hyar afore ther deal’s over, you kin make up yer mind some one hes took water. Carey, yer say—Hair Trigger Tom, ov Tucson? Good enough. Ther boyees won’t bother him till they see what’s his game.” ‘*'Yer jest missed a circus,” Abe whispered in the ear of Becker, a moment later. ‘* You kin lay fur him furder on, but you want ter hev the drop when yer begins biz, It’s Hair Trigger Tom, ov Tucson.» Ther major knows him ov old.” ** Tom Carey, eh?” ** That’s the handle that Bang gives him; and he ought to know.” Becker’s mouth went up into a pucker. ‘Good ernuf, now I knows it. Il’vo heared ovhim. Butef Ud gone fur him eza flat what a holy ole sharp [’d’a’ picked up. Whatcher s’pose he’s after hyar? Wonder ef ther gov’nor knows?” ‘‘Ef Bang knowed him yer kin trust Eg. Shaw, But ef they’re standin’ in terguther ib i ; | friend, ough! vyon’t be ez well ter give him ther pointer thet | ther major hez dropped to him; an’ w’ot he knows ther hull blasted camp ’ll know in about five minutes. Thunderen blazes! He’s coppered ther queen, an’ won ag’in,” Sure enough the dude seemed to have struck a vein that was worth the workinz, if the ovening successes went for anything. The money ‘‘T’ve been with him days, ough! days; and I never suspected he was that kind of a man,” he huskily whispered, ‘‘ What do you suppose his business is, out here?” ‘*T didn’t pay much attention to him, myself, but [rather :upposed that his business was to follow your daughter. Is he not an old friend of your family?” ‘‘Priend! No, sir—ough! Never saw him before a week ago. He is—ough!—certainly a singular young man.” ‘* Very!” acquiesced Shaw, dryly. is Woburn, I believe you say? Any evidence that such is the case? The boys seem to think that he may be a sport in disguise, and are only riving him rope enough. If he tries to cut up many monkey-shines Lam afraid you will be short a travelivg companion and wiss Leona an adorer.” “My, my, that will never co! In spite of his ridiculous appearance an] antics, we are indebt- to him for numerous kindnesses, And you are mistaken about bis feeling for Leora, He is a Simply a traveling friend. Can- not we take him away?” ‘Triend, or not, 1 am afraid that the thing has gons past cur contro). J warned him before we started, andI am a man of my word, He has no business here; and if his friends don’t | care to have a coramittee appointed they can wasn’t so much, but he had broken the luck of | the bank; and the question was whether it was ageneralsmasi ornot, If he kad been acting as Mart Hawksins’s capper ke could net bave dlono him a better turn, rince several who had not yot been betting went in to sve, and Charley Saiider invested in another little pile of chips. Tue break-up was not comnicte, as these who had invested more heavily tuan ever found out, Wellington Woburn won, which was more than any one else did; and there was just the Iast turn left in the box. The dude had raked in his winnings, and was about to lay his checks for a call, His hand lingered over the lay-out, alone with several other hands, when, from tue bar-room came the sound of a couple of harsh chords tortured out of a violin. Woburn changed his mind at once, and slipped his checks into his pocket. ‘““Aw, musithk. It’s the strolling fiddler. Weally, I pewfer, don’t you know? When he wetires I can, aw, see you aguin,” He nolded to Mr. Hawkins, and turned to- ward the other room, whence now came the notes of alively breakdown. At Charley Shiffler’s the female element was seldom represented, as it was not a regular dance-house. But now and then, when music was to be had, the decks were cleared, and al! hands went in for a dance, such as it was. The fun was apt to be rude—boisterous—but none the less thoroughly enjoyed because of the semi- occasional nature of its occurrence, ‘* Whoop!” shouted Slim Jimmy. ‘Git yer pardners, an’ take places! Hyar’s yer cowtill- yun jest a-formin’, an’ them that don’t hurry’ll it left. Hyar you are! That’s all. Sides is full. S'lute yer pardners! Forward four, and away yer go!” And, amid a good-natured chorus of laughter and shouting, § miner he had gathered up by chance galloped yer pocket. we Ph em the opposite couple, which wan nono , drink er drop?” Oo er than Pluggy Becker and the Boston dude! For once the young man had thrust himself too far forward for his health, for he had no idea of what followed the advent of Uncle Daniel and his fiddle at Shiffler’s. While he looked on with a grin on bis fate, Becker came darting out from the gaming-room. He had just had a word or two with the gover- nor, and ho wanted to be seen. He caught Wo- burn by the elbow and sent him spinning across the floor. ‘You dance, ole man; I kin see it in yer eyes; an’ this bout yer got ter dance with me, I jest want sum’un with thunder an’ lightnin’ in his heels, for I’m a screamer meself, Hyar we go! _Forrads four!” Woburn was taken all off of his guard. If he had chosen to object, be had no chance, though it was by no means certain that he would. Music seemed to have a remarkable effect on him, Even in the stage, in the presence of Miss Leona, he showed it plainly enough. Here, where everybody else threw off the mask, he seemed to be inclined to do the same, and be as hilarious as any of them. By the time the im- pulse of Pluggy Becker’s arm had sent him up to the center of the set, he was all ready for the frolic, and he danced back to his place after a fashion that was new to the plave, but not to be despised, ‘* Balance yer pardners! Swing corners!” he leaves the room without crooking his howled Jimmy, and so the frolic went on, in the / ’ lim Jimmy and the red-shirted with a spoon, an’ pay | oer eee ee. fernish a coffin. Ab!” The dance had come to an end, the music bad ceased, and there was a flood cf heads, all setting in one direction—toward the bar, Or nearly all. Mr. Woburn, when the fiddler stopped, stag- gered back, wiping the perspiration from his forehead with a dainty handkerchief, as he lean ed “gainst the wall for support. Becker looked at him severely. ‘* You kin dance, that’s a fact; but it pears ter m? ye'r’ furgittin’ ter drmk. You see which way ther crowd's goin’?”’ ‘* Aw—thanks, but aw nevwer dwink. Not, aw, ina pawmwiscuous ewowd. Aw should be happy. aw, to look on, Don’t, aw, hesitate on es account.” ‘he response almost stunned the tough. He gave a short bark, that was the nearest he could get to a laugh, and glanced covertly toward Eg- bert Shaw, who, at thal moment, was looking at him. The governor nodded, and Pluggy Becker re- turned to the charge, with a wrath that had been gathering in violence during his silence, ** You will, eh—happy ter look on! Aw dog- gone yer, who’s ter pay? Ye’r’a stranger at ther Bar, yer hez enjoyed our amusements, put cur good coin in yer pocket, an’ now wants ter crawl] out with all yer sp’iles ter laff at us flats. Not much! It’s drink er drop, an’ [ don’t keer a durn which. Don’t yer do it, stranger! don't yer do it! I’ve got yer foul. Hands up, er down yer go.” The last words rung out with startling clear- ness, as the hands of the dude went nervously toward the side-pockets of his short frock coat. At the order he hesitated, as if not fully un- derstanding it. ‘‘ Aw, weally, mister, I don’t compwehend. Hands up, aw—fcah what? I pwefer not. You are not going to wob me?” ‘*T'm goin ter see yer crink, dog-gone yer, er I’m goin’ ter pour ther p’ison down yer fly-trap r it outen ther chips in Las’ time ov askin’. Will yer ‘‘ Weally, you mean it, aw?” Somebody leughed. Pluggy had elevated his voice a little more than he meant to, and the consequence was everybody looked his way. The laugh maddened him, It showed that some one thought he was talking to a better man than himself, who would get away with him in the end. He didn’t think so, but knew that he was cafe unless ae missed con- nection that he was generally willing to risk bis lifeon. Yet this odd-lcoking genius was as cool asacave. If he didn’t understand his danger there weuld be no fun or profit in dropping him; if he did, then be most likely had some way out of it tu fall back on, for he would bardly be tak- ing such wild chances on a professional shooter. ‘AN this he thought while his eyes never wan- dered from the face of the man he bad covered. But the half-simple smile would have rnaddened a more patient man than he, and again he threw up his hand, this time to shoot. Just exactly what happened after that no one fora certainty could say, and the owners of @ couple score prir of eyes were watching with breathless eagerness, Wellington oburn ceeamed to throw himself backward, while the sounds of a brece or more of pistol-shots echoed through the room. Becker had fired; but he had fired a shade late. His bullet went whistling a foot or more above tbe head of the falling Woburn, while JOO ‘* His pame - GONE <S a EO * tre -