Beadle's New York Dime Library No. 438 — page 16: what you’re looking at

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

- forcin th sid ing to find some occupation there which*would aid him in killingtime. ‘* Jest as it looked dead ‘sure we'd giv’ em all the slip, an’ was well be- ond the lines they watch the closest! Jest as t seemed we was free to take our pick an’ choice o’ the best! Jest then—a dirty, whinin’, mis’- able whelp like you, Jerry Viggles!” His flaming eyos rested on the blanket which had been loaned the pretended waif of the storm, and, church-member though he was, Evander Wright ripped out a sonorous oath as he caught up the article, split it from top to bottom, flung the fragments into tha fire, driving them well into the coals with a thrust of his heavy boot that sent the hot ashes and sparks flying ali about. He drew a long breath, casting a glance to- ward the closed tent as though afraid of being seen, and then turned his back witb face flushed and half-ashamed, But the outburst had done him good, oath or no oath! He busied himself among the things which had been most disturbed by the overturning of the wagon, and while thus engaged became aware of the reappearance of his wife. For a a little while he fought shy of her, stealing covert glances at her pale, care-worn face; but as she silently set to work clearing away the breakfast things, and as Otelia still remained invisibie, he tinally ventured to accost her: ‘‘Waal, mother, they ain’t nothin’ gone wrong with the child, is they? ’Telie ain’t tuck sick?” Mrs. Wright shook her head silently, though the expression of care and worry deepened in her eyes. Sluggish, slow-going as he was, Evander Wright saw that there was something wrong: but before he could put his questions into shape, Otelia stepped from the tent and slowly came to his side, She was very pale and her eyes were red with - tears. Her voice was unsteady, and her man- ner almost hysterical as she clung to his side, sobbing out her fears for her twin brother. She told him of her strange, horrible presenti- ment of coming evil: of the danger which some- thing told ber threatened Perry from the hand of Oklahoma Nick. She begged him to leave them in charge of the wagons, and hasten in | — of the two young men, either keeping os company or else bring Perry back with m Wright was startled, as well be might be, but though he felt like laughing in her faceat sucha ridiculous fancy, he saw that the poor girl was terribly in earnest, He questioned her clo-ely, only to learn that she had no real foundation for her superstitious fears. Never by word or look bad Oklahoma Nick give her cause to suspect him of such a dastardly act. And though he reason- ed with his child, taking pains to show her how foolish she was in yielding to such nonsensical fears, Evander Wright felt more like giving her a good shaking. ‘Pd do it, too, “Telie, only I see you ain’t well got over your skeer o’ the cyclone. You never --was any too jest to the boy, th ugh he only done But never mind! his bounden duty when— You'll wake You go lay down an’ try to sleep. up laughin’ at your silly notions,” It was tolerably clear that Mrs. Wright took much the same view of the matter as her hus- band, for Oklahoma Nick was a favorite of them both. Dearly as they loved their daughter, they wished no better fate for her than the one offer- ed by the dashing young guide. Mrs. Wright prepared a hot draught for Otelia, her to swallow it and then he down, Si- lently the girl obeyed, and shortly after dropped off into a heavy, yet refreshing sleep. It was past noon wher. she awoke, more like her ordinary self, and she even smiled when Evander Wright rallied her on her fantastic su- _ perstitions of the morning. ‘‘T trust it may prove no worse than you think, father,” she said in low tones, never look- ing up from her plate. ‘‘ Indeed, I begin to be half ashamed of my folly, already!” There was little hunger and less eating that meal; but the ‘‘ going through the motions” would help*consume time, and that: was well worth the trouble. Fully a score of times Evander Wright had passed around the little clump of timber to stare off over th plain in the direction taken by the two trailers, though he knew that it was worse idle to look for them back so early, And twice as often bad be searched the horizon on all for some sign of human life. Not that he hoped or wished to find it; just the contrary. ‘But itll come,” he muttered, sullenly. ‘It never rains but it pours, an’ bad luck guns in eks! Itll come—I know it jest as sart/in as hough T see’d it down in aor rit!” And yet, often as he looked, great as were his fears of just such a visitation, it remained for Otelia to first catch sight of a moving body, far away on the plain, in a direction almost at right - angles with the course followed by the trail of - the horse thieves. Like every woman and child, almost to the babe in arms, who formed one of the number me mn — ee ———OOOOOO ee a ee Oklahoma Nick. ee ee oe ee stant she sichted this distant object, she gave vent to her suspicions in a sharp, startled cry that brought Evander Wright to her side, pale and uneasy. ‘‘T knowed it!” came gratingly through his clinched teeth. ‘‘I said it never rains but i ours! I- said bad luck never come alone, hem hounds hev smelt us out an’ run us down! Ef the lads were here—ef it wasn’t fer you wim- men, ’d—” He bit the sentence short off, feeling how in- sanely foolish such an idea was, even in that moment of fierce madness. He knew that he dared not openly resist the representatives of the law, of the Government. He knew that he could do nothing but submit to being turned back from the Promised Land and escorted across the border into Kansas. ‘‘ Mebbe it ain't them,” he muttered, as his sight grew less clear and the far-off body seem- ed to fade out like a fleecy cloud before the wind. ‘It don’t look like it was—’Telie, your eyes is younger’n mine: look close an’ tell mé the plain truth!” & tt is a body of horsmen, father,” was the re- luctant reply. ‘* But they ain’t comin’ this way? They're te ridin’:on *bout thar own business? They ain't see’d no smoke, an’ we didn’t come from that wav to lay a trail fer ’°em—an’ what we did make the cyclone an’ the rain blotted all out! Mebbe they wor’t sight us, ef—quick!” he cried, springing to the wagons and with trembling fingers essaying to loosen the snow-white tilts, ‘*They’ll stzbt these kivers! Durn fools we fer not thinkin’ o’ that afore!” ‘*Tt’s no use, father,” said Otelia, her voice sharp and hard as she watched the approaching body of horsemen. ‘‘ They’ve seen us before this, or else they’re bound for this timber on some other errand, They’re riding direct for this spot, at a gallop!” Evander Wright glanced over bis shoulder at this, and a single look convincel him that Otelia spoke no more than the truth. Already the little spot had spread into a blot thrice its size when first discovered, and even his passion- hot eyes could make out the figures of both men and horses. A groan of bitter + broke from his lips, and one hand dropped the weapons at his belt as he wheeled and glared over the plain at the coming riders, Almost unconsciously he muttered: ‘* Ef I could! Ef I hed even the ghost of a right! I wouldn’t be turned back now my foot is almost on the land that belongs by honest right to me an’ mine!” Inspired by the fighting-fire in his blazin eyes, Otelia sprung to the tent and came bac with his Winchester in her bands, ‘‘Take it, father, while I get the other!” she cried, her face pale as that of a corpse, but her voice ringing out clear and resolute, ‘We can beat them back—we can whip them, and not half try!” 3 She believed what she said, too, but ber words brought Evander Wright back to his senses, The ghost of a smile flitted across bis face as he took the weapon, drawing the spirited girl close to his side with his other hand, bending his head and pressing a gentle kiss upon her bare brow as he uttered: ‘*T wouldn’t ax anythin’ better then to try, ‘Telie, pet, ef it wasn’t fightin’ ag’inst the Gov’ment, We cain't do thot, right or wrong, t! Wecain’t do nothin’ barder than talk— an’ mighty little that'll count with them crit- ters! _The maiden bent her head back, gazing intent- ly up into his face. She saw that he meant all he said; saw that be was now as cool and col- lected as he had but a moment before been mad with reckless disappointment. ‘** And we must give up all our hopes!” ‘Fer this time, little girl,” with a flashins eye and quickly compressed lip. ‘‘They kin turn us back, but they cain’t keep us from tryin’ it over ag’in an’ still ag’in—from tryin’ ontel we it thar at last! Even the Gov’ment that cks ’em wp vain’t do that much!” It was a poor consolation, but as it seemed to give the boomer a certain gloomy satisfaction, Otelia would say naught to banish it. She turn- ed in silence to inspect the approaching party. Beyond the possibility of a doubt, they had espied the little band of boomers, for they scat- tered out as though each man was eager to gain an unobstructed view of the camp. Or, as Evander Wright bitterly muttered: ‘‘They want us to hev a chaince, to count ‘em, so we kin see it aim’t no use to kick ag’in’ the pricks! But ef it wasn’t jest so—ef the Gov’ment wasn’t standin’ to thar backs—it ain’t Be bri men that could ride over even me by my- self! ‘* But, father!” cried Otelia, with a quick gasp, her great eyes filling with startled wonder as she gazed at the horsemen. ‘“ Those aren’t oy pst Look! not a blue coat among them ! Evander Wright showed his teeth sullenly, for he had already made the same discovery, who longed so ardently for Oklahoma, Otelia | and it gave bim scant comfort. knew how fatal to their hopes would be a meeting ‘Sm much the wuss fer us, "Telie,” he growled with dither soldiers or army scouts, and the in- ' fingering his rifle nervously, temptation press- ————_ Tcl — OEE ests os ——— ae a NT ing hard upon himin his despair. ‘*‘ They’re the houn’-dogs that runs the game down fer the soldiers, It’s a gang o’ what they call army scouts.” By this time less than a mile separated the two parties, and while the borsemen did not actually come to a halt, their progress slack- ened until their animals were walking. Either they felt confident of their game, since they could see that no horses were hitched to the wagons, or else they wanted to give the boom- ers plenty of time to think twice before making a rash move. Evander Wright laughed harshly as he noticed this deliberation, for he naturally placed the least complimentary interpretation on it. ‘* Tt wouldn’t be much of a job! Ef only the Gov’ment didn’t back ’em up in it! Ef it was only atween man an’ men! Wouldn’t I?” e seemed afraid to trust himself too far, for he thrust the Winchester into the nearest wagon, turning with empty hands to his wife and daughter who were watching the slow com- ing of the enemy. ‘** We cain’t do nothin’ but submit, mother. an’ keep on hopin’ fer better luck next time. They won't be no fightin’ nur even hard words, but you’d best take ’Telie an’ go to thetent. You in see cn’ hear everythin’ jest as well, an’ yit be outo’ the way. Critters that make a livin’ like they do, ain’t apt to beany too whi e, or smooth-tongued, Goin thar with your mother, *Telie—so/ Meekly Mrs. Wright obeyed. All her life she had yielded to others, and it was not likely she would hegin to rebel at this late day. And Otelia went with her, though reluctantly. Her hand was clasping the butt of a revolver that lay in her pocket. “Her eyes were flashing, her lips tightly compressed. If she could have decided, those horsemen would only have gained the Jittle camp through a storm of bullets. ** Hello, in thar!” cried one of the horsemen, suddenly spurring out in advance of bis fellows swinging a broad-brimmed hat above his head as he drew rein again a hundred yards or more from the wagons. ‘* I’m lookin’ at ye, critter!” sullenly respond- ed the boomer. *That’s all right, jest so you ain’t squintin’ over a gun,” laughed the other, replacing his hat and slackening the reins, his horse slowly — forward, the main body following after. ‘Ef that’s all, 1 kin ’commodate ye mighty uick!” was the retort as the boomer snatched the repeating rifle from the wagon where he had placed it. ‘‘ You halt! Nota step furder ontel you show your colors!” ‘* True blue—army blue, ef ye like it better,” was the cool response, though the horseman reined in with admirable promptitude, throw- ing up an empty hand as he uttered the words. ‘You ain't soldiers, by a mighty sight!” cried Evander Wright, feeling a faint satisfac- tion in the parley, though he never doubted the actual authority of these men. Not jest soldiers, but mighty nigh as good,” with a short, reckless langh that was echoed back by his comrades beyond. ‘'Mebbe you never heard of Tom O'Donnell an’ his scouts?” ‘*[T never heard no good of ’em, anyhow!” ‘* Bein’ a boomer, that’s nat’al enough,” with another laugh. ‘‘Men ain’t apt fer ter see raise in the doin’ of a duty that goes mighty ard ag’inst thar grain. don’t blame ye rdner. Id feel like kickin’ my own self e was in your place. But kickin’ won’t git you any furder this trip, an’ you look too smart a man to make a bad matter wuss by raisin’ a row that kin only hurt you—not us.” ‘*Mebbe you’d see cause to change your ‘pinion on that p’int, ef you didn’t hev the hull Gov’ment at your back, Tom O’Dcnnell!” ‘*You weuldn’t fight us?’ with an echo of genuine surprise. ‘* 1d lick you too quick!” was the instant re- tort. The horsernan seemed doubly surprised, for this was not the manner of one who is idly blustering. He cast a keen, suspicious glance over the wagons as though suspecting an am- buscade, and involuntarily drew the head of his horse around and higher, as a partial pro- tection to his own body, ‘“Whar’s the rest of you, pardner?” he de- manded, sharply. ‘* 7m the rest,” was the prompt response, on the spur of the moment, though he could hard- ly hope to cover the fact. that two other men belonged to the party. ‘‘Come in ef you've got to. I ain’t fightin’ the Gov’ment, though it’s pitino temptin’ when it keeps an honest man fer makin’ a home fer bis fam’ly!” Unegracious as was the permission, the fellow who introduced himself us Tom O’Donnell, then the chief of the scouts employed by the army in searching out and turning back invaders, did not wait fora more cordial one. A motion of his hand brought up bis fellows, and then he led the way into the camp, aligbting before the boomer, extending a bony hand with a grin of good-bumor on his gaunt features, But Evander Wright shook his head doggedly as he refused the proffered member, “*T ain’t got naught ag’in’ you as a man, Eomicbooks co