Beadle's New York Dime Library No. 438 — page 11: what you’re looking at

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

He turned away to join kis men, who were al- ready busy at work, and at a word from Lieu- tenant Ballingal he took charge of the task, leaving his superior to call the principal mem- bers of the party together. He did this partly because he wanted the mat- ter put on a plain basis at the earliest possible moment, but mainly because he had noticed some of the more hardy boomers passing among their fellows, whispering hastily, then passing on to others, and he knew that some sort of trouble was brewing. Silently, sullenly the boomers answered his eall, and it wasa circle of dark, scowling faces page which he gazed as he stood in their mid- die for a brief space in silence. Then, gravely, clearly, he laid the situation before them. He recalled the laws that forbade them entering as settlers the Oklahoma region. He said that it was not a question of right or wrong, as viewed from a public standpoint, but purely a question of law. That law denied them admission. Another law sent him there to ar- rest and remove ail illegal settlers. Itgave him no option. It said he must enforce the law. And were he to show leniency toward even a single person, he laid himself open to court- martial and disgrace. ‘* That’s naught to us,” doggedly muttered one of the boomers. ‘‘Tae law you speak of was made fer the cattle kings. Was paid fer with tha’r money. It lets them go whar they will, fattenin’ while we pore devils is starvin’. It ain’t no /aw—it’s a cussed outrage!” ‘We've come this fur, an’ we're goin’ on to the end!” grated still another, with one quiver- ing finger pointing to the silent row of dead friends and relatives. ‘‘ Look at the price we've paid a’ready! Look at them—an’ they’!l be others to ’range beside ’em ef you hirelin’s stan’ in our road! I say it—I sw’ar to it, too!” A deep, sullen murmur ran around the circle. Lieutenant Ballingal stood in cold silence until this subsided before uttering a word, Then his voice was clear and earnest, graver than before: ‘You will think better of this, my men, and that you may look at the matter from all sides, I have asked you to gather here so soon. You are not fools; You are not madmen, though I know you have gone through enough to unsettle almost any man’s brain—and I am grieved to my heart’s core as I recall all you have suffered, all you have lost,” ‘*Talk is mighty cheap!” growled one of the boomers. Lieutenant Ballingal turned upon the speaker, his blue eyes flashing vividly, his face stern, his voice clear and cutting as he cried: ‘* Tt must be, else your tongue would not wag so freely! It is just such miserable fellows as you—worthless, trifling, ever in mischief—as lead better men to > Grek and misfortune. Silence, sir! Another word and Pll buck and gag you!” Cowed, the boomer slunk away. An tenant Ballingal resumed: “To you, gentlemen, I talk as man to man. You know that Iam a soldier, bound to carry out the orders of my superiors. I must escort you back across the border, but Pll make mat- ters as pleasant as lies in my wer. This, if you are sensible enough to submit quietly.” ‘* S’posin’ we don’t look at it that way, through your eyes?” ‘* Supposing you were foolish enough to try to press on by force; granting that you could brush us aside, or in some manner elude us: what then? Let me tell 8 what would come to passin such a case,” with sudden increase of gravity in voice and manner. ‘Do you know how uneasy the Indians are tle Say these repeated invasions? Do you now what the Cheyennes have openly declared? That unless this movement is checked, and that right y, they will take the matter into their own hands; and you can guess the result!” ' Neat won’t no flies light onto ’em, any- wa ‘‘In other words, you would fight? You would resist their demands? When they tried to run off your stock, or pinler your wagons, you would pay them in cold lead?” ‘‘Sartain sure we would!” “ And with D a first shot stir up every red- skin in the Territory,” was the swift retort. ‘‘ What the end would be, I leave you to figure out for yourselves, They would hardly offer you a chance like the chance I am offering to ou.” “i There was no response to this speech. The boomers interchanged uneasy glances, It was true, strange as it may sound, that they had not once given thought to how the Indians would take this wholesale invasion. Lieutenant Ballingal saw that he had made his point, and he was shrewd enough not to press it too far, too hastily. He knew that each hour of quiet reflection would help to rivet the nail he had driven. ‘You can talk the matter over between your- selves, and let me know when you have reached a decision. There is no particular hurry. As long as your injured friends are unable to travel we will watch with and for you. And now, I must Bo fo send a courier with the news, and to brin k competent medical aid. Good-day, gentlemen |” Lieu- Boomer Balt drew a long breath as he saw the gathering disperse. ‘* Ef he'll only send Tom O’Donnell! Long’s his cat’s eyes isin the kentry, they ain’t even a ghost of a chaince fer us to slip off!” enry Hornkohl pepe te his shoulders with a slight smile at the evident perplexity of his guide. His own doubts seemed to have van- ished since listening to the speech of the officer, and his manner was that of one who sees his way clear before him. ‘Never fash yourself, old fellow,” he said coolly. ‘* lve got a key in my pocket that will unlock a closer prison than this, ugly as it may appear to your eyes,” ‘*'What ye drivin’ at, pardner?” pth mut- tered Balt, his eyes all aglow. ‘Ef you kin git out o’ this, don’t lose no more time then you kin help! Think—the twister may hev ketched the Wrights!” Henry Hornkohl gazed keenly into the flushed face, curiosity filling his dark eyes. “What is your particular interest in the Wrights?” he asked, almost sternly. ** 1 thought they were strangers to you?” Boomer Balt dropped his eyes for a moment, but then firmly met that searching gaze. And his old drawl came back as he replied: ‘Waal, I didn’t say jest that, did I? They’s some I know less of, but they’s others I know heap better. See?” ‘That you are holding something in reserve; but let it go for now,” with the shadow of a frown as he rose to his feet. ** An’ you hain’t kept back nothin’, of course?” There was a curious meaning in that drawlin question, for query it was, but Henry Hornkoh only shrugged his shoulders and strode away to where Lieutenant Ballingal was busily oversee- ing the work of repairing the sadly-battered wagons, Boomer Balt watched his employer touch the officer on the arm, apparently speaking earnest- ly. Watched them move slowly to one side, there conversing with seeming interest. ‘*Limber tongue be yours, lad!” the white- haired guide muttered to himself, eagerly watch- ing the two men. ‘“ Butter him up an’ butter him down! Butter him crossways ef he’ll stan’ it! Anyway, stick to him ontel he gives you your own way—fer that way is mine, too!” And ashe watched, Boomer Balt grew con- vinced that his employer was gaining his point, despite the doubts that assailed him at first, for there was a bright smile on the face of Henry Hornkohl as he parted with the officer and retraced his steps, to be met 4 his guide with a grim, 1 joyful chuckle of delight. ** Done it, didn’t ye, pardner? Lord! ef you was only a woman, I'd hug ye tell the ribs cracked—so I would, now!” ‘Yes, I gained my point,” was the quiet re- sponse. ‘‘ After all, it was a very simple mat- ter. I just told him of the Wright family and how they were slipping through for Oklahoma. Of course he couldn’t stand that!” ‘You told him that?” gasped Boomer Balt, wide-eyed. ‘*T did. He'll send a few scouts in search of them, and we’ve got permission to go along with them,” was the cool response. ‘That does settle it!” and Bcomer Balt ut- tered a long whistle. . CHAPTER VII. AN AWKWARD PREDICAMENT, EVANDER WRIGHT rose to a sitting posture with many a grunt and groan, yawning until it looked as though the upper half of his head would presently fly back like the hinged cover toabtox. Yawning until myriads of tiny stars flashed and glittered through his brain, and there came a pang so acute as to make him gasp and groan again, ‘Tf I didn’t know better, I'd think it was “lec- tion-time!” he moaned, pe, * both hands to his throbbing temples. ‘* Holy Abraham! what a head [ve gotonme! WasId¢runk? Drunk, an’ never knowed it!” Staid and sober, head of a family and member 11 he steadied himself by grasping a wheel of the nearest wagon, brusbing his other hand across his eyes. ‘* That twister must ’a’ muddled us all up, fer here it’s broad day an’ never a soul stir- rin’’cept me—an’ I’m asleep or dreamin’, with a head onto me bigger’n all out-doors!” The boomer was still so bewildered, his brain was still so befogged, that be hardly knew what he was doing or saying; but he was an obstinate fellow, with all his good nature, and not one to let a simple heedache conquer him. By the red rays of the rising sun he knew it was long past their usual time for rising, and leaning against the wagon he winked rapidly until he was able to see about him, The little tent was still closed, and not a sound came from within it, though, as a rule, Wright was the first one astirin camp. Pe Wright lay snoring dully. The waif of the storm— Evander Wright uttered a little cry and lean- ed forward, brushing a hand swiftly across his bleared eyes. There was the blanket he had iven Jerry Viggles, but where was the man? ad he aed up before his host, and gone— where? Evander Wright glanced around as these thoughts flashed across his bewildered brain, and a harsh, startled ejaculation broke from his ling lips as he failed to see the horses where fos knew they had been staked out for the night. Something of the miserable truth flasbed up- on him then, though he fought against it, mut- tering as be staggered forward: ‘*They ain’t gone—the stranger’s jest changed them to better pickin’ while we was oversleepin’. They ain’t gone. How could they—” He stopped short, digging at his eyes again; but they were not at fault. And with a harsh, savage cry the boomer sprung forward, to drop on his knees at the side of Oklahoma Nick, ‘Who done it? Whar’s the stock? What does it all mean, anyhow?” he panted, glaring almost wre ie into those dark eyes. Instead of words, an inarticulate sound; a faint, smothered moan that drew his eyes to the lips of the guide. And ashe saw the gag that distended the jaws of Oklahoma Nick—as he saw his bound limbs and the rope crossing his throat, pinned fast on either side—the boomer began to realize what all this meant. e sprung to his feet with a wild roar, that caused Perry Wright to stir heavily and mutter inarticulately ; that aroused the heavily slumber- ing women in their little tent. He glared about him, one band tumbling at his waist in quest of a weapon; but only too well he knew the mis- chief was wrought and the workers far beyond his immediate reach. Oklahoma Nick uttered another moan, lifting his tethered feet and thumping them against the sodden earth at the same time. Evander Wright turned toward him, and with a knife quickly set him at liberty. ‘* Wa—water—choking—” Only a few feet away there was a small pool of water which had not entirely been absorbed by the hard earth, and as the shortest method, the boomer epee up the broad-brimmed hat that lay beside the guide, filling it from the pool and pouring it over the head and face of the gasping, choking fellow. Once was enough, and Oklahoma Nick strug- gled to his feet, able to speak, though bis tones were hoarse and unnatural, hard and strained, ‘*That devil—that liar!” he gasped, his hand- some face fairly convulsed as he gripped the arm of the boomer, staggering toward the wagons. ‘* Fooled us—stole stock—” Somehow the very excitement shown by the guide served to steady the nerves of the boomer. e knew the worst, now, and it was bad enough in all conscience! Stranded Without means of advancing or retreating! was like being cast away on a desert island! He knew the very worst, yet he grew cool and clear-witted. He clapped a broad palm over the lips of the guide—lips that were almost tinged with froth of madness—as he noted a stir in the tent. But if he hoped to keep the terrible t-uth a secret from his women until it could be in the desert! It of the church though he was now, Evander | broken more mildly, he was doomed to disap- Wright had not always been such a model. Time was when he had been ‘‘ one of the boys,” and though that time was far past, there are pointment. The door-flap was flung aside. and mother and daughter emerged, their pale snd egitatcd some things which can never entirely be forgot- | faces showing only too plainly iFat th y bad ten. And during those first few moments of wak- ing, this splitting headache, that bitter nauseous taste in his mouth, knocked many a long year off the calendar, and carried him back to the days of yore when it was deemed the sacred duty of each free and independent voter to “have a head on him” the day after election. Surely he must have been drunk! And yet— With an effort he opened his aching eyes and stared around him. For a breath in stupid wonder at his surroundings, so different from those which were naturally connected with these ‘lection-day relics. But only for a few seconds of time. Then the truth flashed upon him as he noted the tattered wagon-cover, and he started to bis feet, to reel and stagger, stumbling over the prostrate figure of his son, who merely snored the louder in consequence. *“Wuss then drunk!” the boomer muttered as heard too much to be satisfied with anything short of the entire truth. ‘Yes, the stock is run off.” gravely roddcd the boomer, seeing that nothing less would serve. **Seems like mighty tough luck, but we're livin’ an’ well—an’ that’s more’n we ixpected to he last evenin’. It ain’t no time fer cryin’ an’-- what on airth ails the boy?” Mrs. Wright had sprung tothe sidesf Per‘cles, who was still recumbent, still breathing heavily despite the noise about him. A gasp of nmother- fear showed her alarm as she shook his arm ard gazed into his flushed face. And it was this that caused Evander Wright to break off so abruy t- ly as he strode to her side. “Drugged!” hoarsely cried Oklahoma Nick, clearing his own mouth as of a nauseous taste. ‘*That ragged devil drugged us all! No wonder he was so anxious to wait on us last night! The devil—the—” mm (a(o JOO (E s.i€O * iT