Beadle's Dime Library No. 490: 'The Lone Hand in Texas' — page 18: what you’re looking at

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

BI ; The a ee ail Lone Hand in Texas. the breath of the Lone Hand come a trifle quicker and harder. ‘¢Great Scott! old man, you got it that time!” the landlord exclaimed in the ear of the bully. - ‘7 am done for,” the other whispered in a husky voice, hardly able to speak, ‘* Ts that so?’ t ** Yes, all gone.” } : ‘‘Oh, no, brace up and take another hack at /. him; he is winded too.” The landlord knew that this was not the truth, and only said it to encourage the other. *‘No, no, he’s all right, but I’m played; any- body could whip me now, I thought the job would be an easy one, but I never tackled such a tough nut before.” iy ‘‘Time!” cried Doc Mortimer at this point. oe The Lone Hand advanced, promptly. ‘*T have got enough, I am a whipped man and can’t come to the scratch,” observed the English- man, doggedly. By this time he had recovered so as to be able to stand without the landlord’s assistance. “Tt is your inning this time,” he continued, “but you kin bet your life that the hour wili geome when I will have mine. I have got if in _ for you, and if I can’t down you with my fists, I kin with a weapon.” “Tam your min at any game you choose to _ play,” the Lone Hand replied, as the English- ~ man took his pea-jacket and slunk away. — * Colonel, you are ‘left’ and yet it is nota -. cold day!” the sport declared. ‘x CHAPTER XXIII. 7 C4 THE PLOTTERS. Arter the departure of the Englishman the rest returned to the hotel and in consideration that he had won the only bet which had been - made upon the fight, Doe Mortimer insisted upon standing treat, and the colonel took pains to ex- plain that in his mind there had never been the ~ Cost doubt as to how the contest would end, and all he had bet upon was the Jength of the - fight. _ “When you consider,” he said, “‘ that these professional pugilists will battle all the way - from one to three or four hours, it did not se2m _ tobe possible that a big ruffian like this English- - man could be settled in ten minutes,” The man was no match for me,” the Lone Hand remarked; “he is old, stale, as they say in the language of the prize-ring, all out of condi- tion, loaded down with fat, and what physical _ strength he had possessed weakened by long in- _ dulgence in all sorts of dissipation.” _ The refreshments were disposed of; the Lone Hand returned to his newspaper; the sport and the rancher departed.. Moreno also sauntered out, and as the barkeeper came in just at that moment, it afforded the landlord a chance to - join the young man on the street. _ Moreno stood at the further corner of the house leaning against one of the pillars, support- - ing the piazza, which extended along the front of the hotel. : ; _ Moreno was rolling a cigarette in the Mexican _ fashion as the landlord came up to him and he tendered him one. _ Plunkett accepted, the cigarettes were lit, and the two smoked away, apparently killing time; in reality though they were discussing import- ant matters. “Well, what do you think of this affair?” Moreno asked. © _ **] think the man was a fool to try it on,” the landlord replied. ‘‘ But he is one of those bull- headed Englishman into whose noddle it is Ee pognole to get any sense without bammering _ * He got well hammered to-day.” _ “Bah! he stood no chance at all.” _ * Not the Shightest, andI had asuspicion that t would be so from the very beginning, but, as you say, the fellow was obstinate and wanted ie play bis own game.” _ “Well, he got a lesson this time, but I don’t ieve it will do him much good.” _ * T don’t know about that,” Moreno rejoined. “The next time he bas a job like this on ; and he will not be likely to depend upon his _ * T should have advised a weapon.” -“§o 1 did, but the man was so confident in abilities as a fist fighter that he actually liked of killing his man with his fists alone,” . “Ts it possible? the fool!” exclaimed Plunkett, mptuously. “Yes, or at any rate, he would hammer him o that he would not be of any use to himself or ly body else for a month or two,” “Now if be had only waited until night and lepended upon a revolver or upon a nice, quiet knife-thrust,” the landlord remarked. “Yes, that is what I my eet but the fellow WE ves certain he could do the trick that I let, try it. He was coming to the town anyway to ‘arn Comanche Joe to be on the lookout to- night, and said it would not be any trouble for 1 to lav out this stranger at the same time.”. Well, the trick has failed, and that is all he 8 to it. Some other game must be ‘Tf he joins the lynchers to-night—and I on’t suppose there is the least doubt but what i? - ~ Pt on @ , os ’ oe 4 ecg Re x a =~ ey ye an . Ly oti: "= iw i RS = he will, the chances are long that when the dash is made, during’ the confusion, there will be an opportunity to put a knife into him, or end his career with a revolver shot. ” ‘Yes, yes, it ought to be accomplished easily enough.” ‘ ‘* But I say, what do you think of him?” ‘‘He isa mystery,” replied Plunkett, with a doubtful shake of the head. ‘¢ Have you tried to pump him?” se Yes.” ** Any information?” ‘‘ Mighty little; he is a speculator— his name is Hand, and he is down hyer looking for ! chances to make money.” SS —E SS ee . i sn ‘‘ Yes, that is what he said before; but if he is a man with money to invest, what is he doing traveling around the country on foot?” “Very true.” ‘*Men with money to invest don’t usually travel in that way.” ** Not much!” ‘*Tt looks to me as if he was a spy, and on the track of the Red Glove Raiders of the Rio Grande.” ** So it does,” ‘‘ Ts was natural for this Webster to be hoofing it from Brackett down here, because he was without money, and could not afford to come in any other way; but thera was no necessity for this Hand to come on foot if, as he says, he isa speculator, with money tu invest. Besides, he has not been in Brackett at all.” ‘Ts that so?” ‘‘T saw one of our men from there this after- noon, and when I described Hand to him he was ositive that no such man had been in the town ately.” ‘rom what direction did he come, then?” ‘‘Down the Rio Grande, evidently following right in the track of the Red Glove Raiders.” ‘Upon my soul it looks like it!” ** But now the question is, who and what is the man—is he an army officer in disguise?” ‘*He seems like a soldier—he certainly has a military bearing,” the landlord remarked. ‘*Or is he some bloodhound employed by the Governor of the State?” ‘* That may be probable.” ** By the way, a company of State rangers has been ordered into this district.” ‘‘The deuce they have!” exclaimed Plunkett, evidently startled py the intelligence. ** Yes, that was why our man from Brackett came down, The moment he heard the news he came to warn me.” d “The moverrent is being kept a profound secret: buf our man heard the dispatch as it passed over the wires. I instructed bim to keep bis ears open and watch the telegraph.” “It was wise,” Plunkett remarked with an approving nod, ‘** Now then, has this movement of the rangers anything to do with the presence of this mys- terious stranger in Pedroville?” Moreno asked. ** Well, that is a difficulé question to answer; it certainly seems, though, as if there was a con- nection between the two. When the rangers come, what will be the game of the Red Glove Raiders?” “To draw the troops into an ambuscade, and give them such a beating as will fill the country around with terror,’ Moreno answered, fiercely. The landlord shook his head. ** Bad policy, I think, for when that is done the country will be made so hot that another move will have to he made.” “ Exactly. that is tae caleulation. By that time the cow will be milked, and there will Le longer be a reason for the band remaining ere. ‘* Ah, in that case, then it might do. By the way. I made the inquiries you spoke of.” aT Yes” ‘The girl has been fooling you. Jack Hamil- ton, far from losing money, has been making it, hand over fist.” ‘*Ts that possible?” asked Moreno with an ugly frown. ** Not a doubt of it! who know what they are talking about. one of the richest ranchers in the county.” ** How about Aldama?” ‘* Oh, he is well fixed, too, but no better than Jack Hamilton, Either one of them is worth close to a million apiece, at the lowest esti- mate.” ‘*] had a suspicion at the time that the cun- ning minx had penetrated my purpose and was deceiving me,” Moreno remarked, thoughtfully. ‘* There is little choice as far as money goes between the two girls,” the landlord observed. ‘* Yes, but there is a deuced sight between the two personally,” Moreno replied. ** Cordelia Hamilton is too sharp to suit me; I detest these smart girls! Now the other, Mer- cedes Aldama, is all love and sweetness, and I would rather bave her with half a million than the Hamilton girl with ten.” ‘*Yes; but, my dear fellow, you aresurely not thinking of marrying and settling down?” the landlord exclaimed, as though he was annoyed at the idea. . : ** Well, I den’t know; itis a subject, of course, that requires serious thought,” Moreno replied. “‘T have been tolerably sucessful in this life I have it right from men He is which I have been leading, but then it is one, you know, that a man cannot hope to always follow. The manu must make an end of it some- eae or else fate will be certain to do it for im, ‘*Theére is an old saying, you know, that the pitcher that goes often to the well will be broken at last.” rh Yes, and I reckon there is a deal of truth in at.’ ‘‘ Now, then, if the yangers didn’t arrive so quickly as to interfere with business, there is a chance of making some good hauls in this dis- trict, and after the money is secured, if I could succeed in winning Mercedes Aldama I know a nice interior district in Mexico where, if a man has plenty of money he can live like a fighting- cock, and even if there is a suspicion that he has led a rather wild life the people will think no less of him for it.” ‘*T suppose the majority of them have been in the same boat,” Plunkett observed. ‘Very likely. That is the game I think I shall play.” ‘‘But if this stranger is not disposed of there may be trouble.” ‘Oh, yes, I understand, that, and he must be got outof the way. It may be possible, you know, that he is acting on his own hook; there isa cag eRe offered for the capture of any of the Glove Raiders.” ‘“‘T sounded bim on that, and hinted that it would be a good speculation for a daring man to go into,” ‘* But he didn’t betray bimself?” ‘Not in the slightest degree,” replied the land- lord, emphatically. ‘‘Oh, he isa deep fellow. Another supposi- tion—he may~be the agent of private vengeance. The band may have slain some one near and dear to him.” ‘* Very true.” ‘¢ Whatever the motive, I feel sure he’s a blood- hound, and he must die.” ** And the other?” ** Webster?’ iz Yes.” ‘‘ He is harmless, and will not be troubled un- less he becomes dangerous, which is not likely. Well, adieu; £ must be off to prepare for the night.” And with a graceful salute, Moreno departed. CHAPTER XXIV, IN THE HOTEL. hi shades of night gathered over Pedro- ville. Like the majority of towns on the frontier the ~ place was a great deal more lively by night than. by day, for the ranchers and their men for twenty miles around came into the town, for the purpose of securing supplies, hearing the news, and whiling away a few hours in one of the saloons. The Lone Hand found himself the lion of the night, much to his amusement, for he had no anticipation of such a thing. As his victory over the big fellow had been witnessed by ouly a few people, he had no idea that all the pee ue of the affair would so soon become the property of the citizens. But the marshal, who, as the reader will re- member, bad keen one of the spectators, al- though, contrary to bis usual custom, had kept very quiet, yet after the contest was over he made amends for bis unusual silence by relating the particulars of the battle with great gusto to every man he met. And like all good stories it lost nothing in the telling, so by the time the marshal had narrated the yarn half a dozen times, and had a drink with each man to whom be told it, ** Mister Hand” was described by the loose-tongued mar- shal as possessing muscular powers second only to Samson of old, and if there bad been any wild beasts handy, no doubt the marshal would bave volunteered to go out and catch one so that the stranger could give an exhibition of his strength by rending his rugged jaws asunder. One result of the marshal’s story-telling was that after a couple of hours some of his friends had to take him to the hotel, where be had a room, by means of a convenient shutter and put him to bed. Thereafter the marshal was invisible until about nine o'clock, when he made his appear- ance, feeling particularly “rocky,” as he ex- pressed it. But he had put the tale of the Lone Hand’s prowess in circulation though, and as it was something out of the common run it spread like wildfire; and by nightfall it was pretty widely known for twenty miles around. : As a result, almost every man, as soon as he came to town, hurried to the hotel to get a look at the champion. — And with the majority of men the process of interviewing ‘ the best fighting-man ” that had tran struck the town of Pedroville was as fol- ows: Enter the rancher into the bar-room of the hotel—a pence around among the crowd as- sembled there, and then an advance on the bar, ** Say, colonel!”—leaning over the bar, confi- 7 geotialy to the landlord—" whar’s the cuss w’ot whipped that feller so keen in the corral?” |