Beadle's New York Dime Library, No. 455 — page 2: what you’re looking at

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

z Yank Yellowbird. f ' They were three in number, but a fourth man ‘“Todd is the master-b’iler, though a critter was there—one very different from them in ap- | named Nelson Langleigh runs the town an’ owns pearance, pooty much all on’t. Take Todd an’ Langleigh, He who rode at the front was plainly a man | an’ throw in Montclair, who runs the hotel, an of the West, and a veteranat that, This wasto | you hev nigh about all the brains Big Medicine be seen inhis garb, his plain, worn weapons, and | kin’ boast on.” in his easy manner. He was quiet and unob-| ‘I judge that you are not favorably disposed trusive, yet his whole air was that of a man | toward this trio.” thoroughly at home. ** What makes you think so?” He had evidently seen about forty-five years ‘* Your manner is not complimentary to them.” of life, but Time had been very kind tohim. His “T ginerally d’liver my compliments by word face was somewhat wrinkled, but not a gray | o’ mouth, as t may say; butaster the Springs hair could be found among: his flaxen-hued | I consait that Doctor Todd did one job thar that locks, and his whole form seemed to be as tough | was a good ’un. He had upachap who was aud hardy as well-seasoned wood. He was tall | ‘flicted with pneumonia an’ old dirt. Ef he and somewhat slender, but his chest was full | wa’n’t an unwashed sinner I never seen one, fur and his limbs large and muscular, without any | he had so much o’ Mother Earth plastered onter superfluous flesh, In fact, he was blessed with | him that you couldn’t tell whether he was Amer- less of flesh than the average, being decidedly of | ican, African, Cbhinee or Tottenhot.” ---—- ———————— rrr er ought not to lament over neuralgia, It’s only a little pain in the head.” The guide had dismounted, lain down on the aroind $ and doubled himself up. He now sent up a mournful groan, ‘© In the head!” he repeated. ‘‘ Mister, I reckon you ain’t ‘quainted with the sort o’ newrol’gy | hev. It’s all over me, an’ it’s wu’ss than a prairie fire, It’s a Lightnin’ Express, an’ a telegram systerm, It’s in ev'ry j’int, an’ my bones are tyin’ up inter knots, It’s liable ter snap my legs outer their sockets, an’ pull my clothes right off my back!” He twisted and squirmed on the ground as he spoke, and uttered a few more dismal groans. “Come! this is absurd,” exclaimed Gault. ‘‘ What do you mean?” “Mister, Lean’t go on, nohow. I’m in the hospital, so ter speak, an’ may stay hyar a ‘ e set erself up as a oy Spy that formation commonly called ** bony.” Perhaps he expected an increase of avoirdu- ois, for his garments were so large that they 1ung upon his gaunt frame with striking disre- gard of fit and size. | His face was tanned to an extreme of color, and was far from handsome. His cheek-bones were too high for beauty, his nose too large, and his gray eyes too small. His hair had not recently been trimmed, but as it was thin and perfect! stiaight, it only covered the back of his tek with a flaxen vail; and his light-colored beard was by far too sparse for dignity or good looks. A plain, honest, homely man he appeared to be, and not one fit to represent the West in the estimation of those who look for what is wild and dashing in the men of that region. kind of a gallant he would have made, judging by appearances, though a closer observer might have seen, after prolonged survey, that the mild, placid gray eyes had a suggestion of latent force and determination, and the large mouth, which looked good-natured and contented, was sup- ported by gos jaws which gave a further in- dication of firmness which circumstances might arouse, This man had been in deep thought as they rode, but the leader of the other men suddenly addressed him. ** Guide, how much further have we to ¢o?” ‘** Five mild, or sech a matter,” was the ready reply. f Do you measure as the crow flies?” **Not much, I don’t; I never interfere with the crows, nor any other sort o’ sky insex, onless they run afoul my rifle, Ground measure is good ernough fur me, an’I refar only ter this trail. Jest five mild from a yaller blade o’ grass we pee back yender.” ** Was that a landmark?” ** No; it was a grass mark.” **You are dis to be facetious, Mr. Yel- lowbird, though I feel very little like it. I am about wearied out, and I think the rest of our can say the same. How is it, Chicker- me You are right, Gault,” replied the man ad- dressed ‘'S’pose we go inter camp?’ suggested the guide quickly. ; : . What! are you tired, too?” The guide turned a sober, surprised face to- ward bis companions, ** Me tired? Yank Yellowbird tired? Land o’ Goshen! I reckon you don’t exactly know me. I’ve been through so many storms an” calms, so many long marches an’ long camps, an’ s0 man triberlations an’ distresses, that I never it pisyed out now. Iam imprevious ter all the buman flesh is heir to—all but newrol’gy. I’m a great suffered with newrol’gy; I do hey it my !” ge so, by your looks,” I may offer a word o’ advice, don’t ein this kentry!” retort- e guide, somewhatsharply. “ J edge Lynch has sorter got the reins ’round hyar, an’ he don’t tolerate a rival. Ef he gits his grip on you, yer fam'ly will mourn the loss 0’ one o’ their cosset lambs, by hurley!” “Thanks, Mr. Yank Yellowbird, but I shall not tempt your Judge Lynch long. AllI want is to get my own game and go back East. By the way, what sort of a place is this we are go- EE A poor | ee ee week. You'll hev ter go on ’thout me, es Go on 1? ‘*To be sure.” ‘* But we don’t know the way.” ‘Can't you see the trail?” ‘“‘ Ves, but it may branch—’ ‘¢ Tt don’t branch.” ‘‘ Man, I don’t believe you’re in pain at all.” The detective looked suspiciously at Yank as he spoke. ‘You don’t, do ye? Mister, ef [ rekiver from ‘* A good subject for the Springs.” ‘“Mebbe, but ef the Springs could ’a’ chose their company, he wouldn’t hev gone in, by hurley! Even Todd was jubous as he looked at the critter, an’ he was afeerd o’ a_landslide when they got the dirt started. Hows’ever, they put the critter a-b’ilin’, an’ kep’ bim thar two hours. When he come out some o’ the dirt was gone, an’ he had changed color amazin’. ‘You uster live in Arizony,’ sez the doctor. ‘** How d’ye know that? sez the patient. ’ “Your present outside coatin’ is Arizony | this distemper, Ill see ye about that later, jest sand,’ sez Todd. ‘Go in ag’in!’ as like as not.” “The critter went in, an’ they b’iled him two ‘If you are really in trouble, it is our duty to hours more. When he come out he was red as | stand by you. Come, what is it?” an Injun, an’ the doctor looked him over nar- | “Tis the newrol’gy, I tell ye, an’ it’s o’ a rerly, matlev'lent species—it’s ketchin’, an’ I've gi'n it ‘** T don’t recognize that s’ile,’ sez he. ter lots o’ folks, an’ it’s sure death; nobody that ‘**T think it’s red earth from Maryland,’ sez | ever had it ever lived two days. The best thing the man. you kin do is ter run like all possess't. Face to- ‘** Then go in ag’in,’ sez the doctor, ward Big Medicine, an’ lick yer hosses inter a ‘* He went in, not only once, but six times, an’ | run!” come out dif’rent colored ev’ry time. They | At the last words the guide was taken with a traced the sile o’ Kentucky, Californy, Maine | fresh paroxysm, and his heels and arms flew an’ Alaska plain enough, for he’d laid on a coat | about in a most surprising manner, in each place, but he finally come out a-shinin’, Gault looked at his companions in uncer- an’ lookin’ like thin smoke. | tainty. ‘‘* What's this? said the doctor, bewildered-' ‘It is my opinion,” said Chickering, ‘‘ that | this fellow is a humbug. He has received his ay for guiding us, and now wants to back out. | Let him go, say 1. We need no guide, anyhow; this trail is as plain as an Eastern road, We can’t delay here, or we shall never capture the convict. This fellow’s freak is a Western eccen- tricity, I take it; he is not deserving of any time or attention. I say, ride on!” Gault looked at the third officer. “And you, Wing?” “T. too, say ride on.” ‘“Then we will go. Gault redirected his toward Yellowbird. ‘* Come, my man, you go with us?” ‘‘ Can’t do it, nohow,” the guide lugubrious] replied. ‘‘ The newrol ey is snappin’ my j’ rh ‘round so that it might jerk me right off my hoss. On one ’casion it lifted me up in- ter a tree-top two hundred feet high, an’ I had an ous time gettin’ down. I won’t go on, thankee; I’ll stay byar an’ hang onter the grass, so the newrol’gy won’t lift me. Don’t mind me; I’ve had a good many fatal attacks, but I al- . to me that ou are a f ‘ It is clear y raud, and oy: | like. ‘**T think it’s London fog: I lived thar when I was a boy, ’splained the patient. *** Praise Providence!’ sez the doctor, ‘ we must be gittin’ nigh the surface. Bile him | ag’in!’ ‘* He sighed as he spoke, bein’ about tired out, fur they had been at work over the chap sence breakfast, an’ the sun was jest goin’ down. The last b’ilin’ did the business, though, an’ the patient come out white an’ poo as a baby, but the dirt they had washed off him clogged up the springs so that they had ter cart it away. | Thar was a canyon h the town they had wanted ter bridge over, but they couldn’t raise money age ut it’s a sober fack that when the earth they had D’iled off the patient was dumped in tkar, it filled the canyon ter the top an’ no bridge was needed !” ‘*A true story, no doubt,” observed Gault. ** Doctor Todd ought to hire you as an advertis- ing agent. When we have caught Philip Tem- pleton and his Se aed I'll recommend you, if you help us faithfully.” Yank Yellowbird turned suddenly in his sad- ways re dle, we will waste no_more h you,” said ‘*Da’rter! Did you say da’rter?”’ Gault, angrily. ‘* You deserve age oe but ‘* That’s what I said.” we will le you go. Come, men ‘‘So yer runaway convict is companied by He started his horse with a savage jerk at the rein, and, followed by his fellow-officers, rode away. The timber soon concealed them’ from view. his da’rter?” ** Certainly.” ** How old is he?” ‘* Sixty years, possibly.” When they were fairly gone Yank Yellow- At thie moment Chickering addressed Gault, bird’s f ' seein to abate; be looked after and their conversation was directed to other | them cautiously, a smile appeared on his bronzed matters. The tall guide, however, did not hear | face, and he arose withou uble. what they were saying; he had relapsed into ‘‘'You kin hunt old men an’ their darters all deep thought. e want ter,” he observed, ‘‘ but I ain’t no sech ‘*An old man,” he was thinking, ‘an’ his , atrocious insex; not much, I ain’t! Can’t go da’rter! Yank Yellowbird, this ain’t no fit | ag’in’a woman, nohow. Come, Remorse; we'll work fur you. The critter may be an esca ped | travel t’other way. We ain’t no woman prose- convict, an’ all that sort o’ thing, but he’s old, cutors—not ter my knowledge.” an’ he’s got a da’rter along! Ef I'd knowed this The last words were addressed to his horse, I'd never agreed ter guide these man-hunters ter | He swung himseif into the saddle, and with a Big Medicine; I ain’t no woman-hunter, by hur-_| quiet smile on his face, rode away in a ¢ rection ley! WhatllI do? Ef I go thar, an’ see her | at right angles with that taken by the convict- _ Chickering. ‘‘Isn’t it run by a Doctor Todd?” ‘* White outlaws?” ‘‘No; it’s newrol’gy.” ‘* Neuralgia! What do 7 sort. _ “That’s about it, though it’s a healthy place ter keep away from.” sf . ou mean?” “Only in the b'ilin’.” ‘‘ [ve got it, an’ not that, either—it’s me! got For heaven’s sake, explain. You are hard | Land o’ Goshen! how the pains shoot through to draw information from.” me!” ‘* This is sudden,” said Gault, ‘y, ‘* Awful sudden!” Yank coiucided. | ‘« You'll soon be better.” ‘*T ain’t got no inflammation, but ef you hev, Big Medicine is jest the place fur you. Tell ’em how you’re in trouble, whether it’s inflammation brain fever, dropsy, or a gunshot wound, an “JT don’t think it,” mournfully lied the they'll flop ye inter the Springsan’ b’ile ye. It’s | guide; ‘‘ | hev a presentiment that it'll be fatal. an egregious place fur b’ilin’, an’ the b’ilin’ is ister, take yer army an’ goon. [ll lay down tvarranted ter cure all ills in all stages—yes, or pb an’ ef the egregious newrol’gy kerries me en hoss-back, either, for that matter.” off, an’ ye find my remains byar on yer return, ‘I think I have heard of this place,” said | jest put up a headstun’ fur me, will ye?” ‘*Nonsense! Such a brawny man as you he Lie be Medicine Springs, or Big Medicine, or | triberlations an’ distresses, itll on fit me fur | hunters. whatever it’s called.” work fur a month arterward. I won’t go!” ‘* It’s a place whar they b’ile folks.” He his horse suddenly. ) CHAPTER II. : gs folks?” ‘ ane now?” Gault demanded. “Is it In- THE WAY OF AN OLD FRIEND. o be sure. ians OTHER riders had le along the trail that ** Ah! perhaps you mean that it’s a health re- ‘* Mister, it’s wu'ss!” said Yank, in a melan- | day before Abel Gault and his fellow-oflicers. ” choly voice. | in number, and, though They were two strangers in the vicinity, bad no guide, thou one was a man well advanced in years, and the other a young girl who looked out of place in that wild, Western land. 3 | Both had a weary, barassed. look, as though they bad reason to fear some impending ae’ and had overtaxed their stre to avoid it. They were persons to attract more than pass- ing notice. The man had a fine, wits figure; his smoothly-shaven face was full of intelligenee | and power; and his short, snow-white hair gave him an aristocratic look. His companion lad probably seen twenty- two years of life, and was strikingly pretuy, if not strictly beautiful. She was a pronoun brunette, baving rippling, jet-black hair, dark Gomicbooks. ' 4 ‘ #au% . 4 om f da >. pare. aa “ay Mw € 7 : wel y : rt (E(o) | } ——~“hy ~~ a ee