Beadle's Dime Library No. 490: 'The Lone Hand in Texas' — page 9: what you’re looking at

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

the town, and he had his office in an ell, built out from the main building. It was an apartment about twelve by fifteen, plainly fitted up. There was a desk at the rear end of the room, behind which the mayor usually sat, a smaller one on his right hand for the accommodation of the marshal, who had his office in the same apartment, and a half a dozen common chairs completed the list of the furniture. There was quite a crowd of citizens outside of the jail when the party emerged from it, and some of them made bold to question the mayor in regard to what had transpired. ‘Nothing at all, fellow-citizens, nothing at all,” Jack Hamilton replied. ‘‘We tried to pump the copper-colored galoot a leetle, but he wouldn’t have it; he is as stubborn as a mule,” And then some of the bystanders suggested that it would not bea bad ‘‘ idee” to introduce the half-breed to acertain distinguished indi- vidual known as Judge Lynch, ‘Oh, no, gentlemen, we musftn’t have any of that work in Pedroville, you know,” the mayor responded. “We are all law-abiding citizens hyer, and ontil the proper authorities fail to make the old thing work thar ain’t no need to call Judge Lynch.” The crowd followed after the party to the mayor’s office, and Hamilton saw that a num- ber of them had an ideaof going in, and al- though there is an old adage that in a multitude of counselors there is wisdom, yet in this case the mayor thought the presence of a lot of out- siders would not aid matters, So, on the steps of the office, he made a short speech, telling the crowd that he was going to hold a consultation with the gentlemen who had encountered the outlaws, and that as soon as he came to a decision what course to pursue in re- ard to capturing the robbers, he would make it public. he citizens did not admire this arrange- ment, and there was considerable grumbling, for they thought they ought to be admitted to the consultation, but Hamilton replied firmly that as long as he was mayor of the town he calculated to run matters as he thought best, and thatif bis actions did not suit the citizens of Pedroville they were at liberty to elect an- other mayor when his term expired. So into the office went the party, and the door was closed in the face of the citizens, much to their disgust. The mayor took his seat behind the desk, the marshal sat on his right band and the rest ar- ranged themselves in an irregular, half-circle, facing the two. ** Now, gentlemen, I reckon this ar’ case is a maiehty difficult one,” the mayor remarked, “This copper-colored galoot is as stubborn as a mule, and in my opinion we don’t stand any show of getting anything out of him by trying to skeer the cuss with threats.” _ “That is a sure enough fact!” the marshal interjected at this point. ‘‘ The fellow reckons that we are only trying to skeer him—he don’t think we mean what we say when we threaten to make it warm for himif he don’t spit out what he knows "bout these red glove galoots.” “OF course, the cuss is right, thar,” Hamil- ton observed. ‘‘He knows we can’t take him out and hang him, or flog him within an inch of his life, if he don’t answer; we have got to go according to law, and the galoot is cetbatating or. that.” ‘““If Judge Lynch took a hand in the game, mebbe he might find out that he was wrong in his caiculation,” the marshal remarked. “That is so, of course,” Hamilton assented. ** But seeing that we have all the regular ma- chinery of the law, there isn’t any call for Judge Lynch.” ‘“* Wal, my idee "bout this matter is that we don’t stand no show to git the truth out of this fellow without we go in to skeer him to death,” the marshal remarked. ‘“He is posted, of course, in regard to the law. All we kin dois to turn him over to the sheriff, then it will be three or four months, mebbe, before he is tried, and he reckons thar will bea good show for him to git away, by breaking jail, or something of that kind.” ** Yes, yes, that is undoubtedly the fellow’s idea,” Aldama remarked, ‘‘He is an old hand and knows the ropes,” Moreno declared. ; ‘*Gentlemen it seems a pity to let the man slip through our che in this way,” the mayor remarked, ‘‘ Yet 1 don’t see how we can help it. There is no doubt in my mind that heisa member of a desperate gang, and unless we do something to give them the idea that it will not be healthy for them to fool around this town we will be sure to be pestered by them.” ‘* There is little doubt in regard to that,” the Lone Hand remarked at this point. ‘‘I know this gang by reputation. They have been operating on the upper Rio Grande for some time, and it is said that they are almost the worst gang that has ever been known along the river, I suppose the country up there has grown too hot to hold them, and so they have come down to this section, “They are no common marauders but a well- organized band and work on a regular system. Their design in attacking this gentleman,” and he nodded to the old rancher, ‘‘ was to make him a prisoner, carry him off and hold him for a heavy ransom.” ‘¢That is a wise kind of a lay-out!” the mayor exclaimed, ‘* And it seems to me that we ought to do somet»ing more than to turn the cuss over to the sheriff. That will not keep the gang from troubling us. My idea is, as I said, to do something to make the rascals think it will be mighty unhealthy for them if they don’t quit this section of country. ‘*Now if we could get this copper-colored scoundrel to make a clean breast of it—to reveal all he knows about the gang, so that we would be posted as to whar they have their hiding- place, which, of course, is up in the hills some- where, then we could raise a force, wade in and clean the rascals out.” ‘* That is my idea too!” the marshal declared, and all the rest nodded their heads in ap- roval. Pn But you see, the whole thing turns upon get- ting this fellow to tell what he knows,” the mayor remarked, ‘* Tf he will not peach on his pards then thar is no show for us to work our leetle game.” ‘That is the pint I have been coming at all the time!” the marshal exclaimed. ‘‘ And I tell you there is no way to work the trick without calling upon Judge Lynch, — “You heered the talk outside, Mister Mayor! The people are jest ripe for it, 1 tell you!” **'Yes, but we, as officials of the town, ought not to be mixed up in any such thing,” the mayor remarked, reflectively. ‘*Of course not, and we don’t reckon to be mixed up either,” the marshal responded with a knowing wink and a prodigious grin, ‘*The thing will all be done bya lot of men with tha’r faces kivered so that nobody will know who they ar’.” ‘‘ They will jest make their appearance, like a lot of ghosts,’round midnight. Some galoot will tap on the door of the calaboose and tell Slab Relloge that they want to speak to him on mighty important business, ‘** Slab ain’t over and above keen, you know, and he will be sure to open the door without any suspicion that everything ain’t straight. Then a revolver will be shoved under his nose with the polite intimation that if he goes for to make any trouble, thar will be a vacancy in the position of calaboose-keeper.” ‘* Oh, Slab will come down like Captain Scott's coon when he sees that Judge Lynch is up!” the mayor declared. ‘*Slab is not fool enough to risk his life or make any trouble on account of any red nigger of a half-breed.” ‘*Then the gang goes in, puts a rope around the neck of mister half-breed and marches him out to the nearest tree, ‘* He is given two minutes to spit out what he knows about the gang. The chances are that he will be obstinate—think the men who have got him don’t mean business, mebbe—he says he don’t know noffin’, and up he goes; jest gitsa good taste of the rope, so as to kinder git an idee of what hanging is like; then he is lowered 5 the ground and given another chance to con- ess. **T have known galoots of this fellow’s kind to be so obstinate that they bad to be run up three times before they came to their milk,” the mar- shal continued in a reflective sort of way. ** And one or two I kin call to mind who stuck out so long that they were really hanged in good earnest, but they deserved the fate richly enough.” There were a few moments of silence after the marshal finished his explanation, each man ap- parently debating the matter in his mind. ‘* Well, gentlemen, it seems to me that this scheme ought to work,” the mayor remarked at last. ‘‘ And I don’t really see how else we can get a confession out of the rascal.” ‘*Don’t you think it will be best to postpone this operation for a while,” the Lone Hand asked. ‘‘ My idea was that this fellow in the jail would act as a bait to lure his pards into a trap. ‘* How so?” Hamilton asked. . “Why, the rest of the gang are almost cer- tain to make an attempt to rescue him, and by keeping a good watch with an armed force on the calaboose, the men concealed in the neigh- borhood of the jail, it might be possible to give the outlaws such a warm reception that they would fight shy of Pedroville in the future. ‘* Maybe some such scheme might be worked,” the mayor remarked. | ‘¢-Yes, but then thar is no telling that the out- laws wil] try to git thar pard out of the cala- boose,” the marshal suggested. Like the majority of narrow-minded men he was bound to opp se any plan but the one he fathered. “ That is true,” the mayor admitted. ‘* They are likely to do so though,” the Lone Hand urged. ‘‘ See how promptly they return- ed to the rescue of their wounded comrade. ‘Certainly they did not allow the grass to grow under their feet,” Aldama remarked. “Yes, but this is surely a different matter,” NN ee ee . . ey The Lone Hand in Texas. | - aa - yA es 33 ae ae Lay ss a on Moreno observed. ‘‘In the one case it was in the wilderness, in the other it is in the midst of a thickly-settled town. When they returned for the wounded man they were well aware that they would not encounter a large force, but if they try to rescue the half-breed from the cala- in they will run the risk of fighting half the wn. ‘‘That is so, sure as ye’r’ born!” the marshal exclaimed, ‘‘ Now, gents, if you will take my advice you will let Judge Lynch put in his work as soon as you kin, and in my opinion the quicker the better.” ‘‘It certainly seems to me as if that was the best plan to follow,” Jack Hamilton re- marked, ‘‘ And, as you say, the quicker we get at it the better.” ‘* Yes, I should certainly advise that there be no delay, as long as you decide to try the scheme,” the Lone Hand said. ‘““In fact, 1 would suggest to try it on this very night.” ‘** Yes, that’s my idee!” cried the marshal, who thirsted for revenge upon the man who had been deaf to his threats, ‘* Strike when the iron is hot! motto, allers!” ‘*But there is hardly time to get everything ready,” Moreno suggested. ‘‘ Would it not be better to say to-morrow night, so that we would have ample opportunity to get ready?” ‘*Oh, no, thunderation! we kin git every- thing ready inside of an hour,” the marshal declared. ** That is all right.” “Yes, I don’t see as it will take long to get ready,” the mayor remarked. ‘Certainly not. All we need is ten or fifteen good men, well armed, with their faces kivered with masks,” the marshal exclaimed. ‘ And a yard or two of black cloth will fix that in no time; and how long will it take to rig a rope with a hangman’s noose in one end?” **Not long, for sure!” Jack Hamilton assent- ed. ‘1 surely think that, aslong as you have made up your minds to try this scheme, the quicker it is executed the better,” Aldama re- marked. ‘Yes, for delay might give a chance for the gang to become aware of what was going to be done,’ the Lone Hand suggested. ‘*And after you got your man out of the calaboose, put the rope round his neck and were going to string him up, it would be unpleasant to have these outlaws make a dash and take the balf-breed right out of your hands; possibly, too, lay outa half-dozen of your crowd.” The rest looked at each other in surprise. This was a suggestion which had not occurred to any of them. ‘Yes, that would be the roughest kind of a surprise-party on us,” the mayor remarked. “Oh, but it ain’t likely that any sich game as that will be played!” the marsbal declared. ‘It would be the most likely thing in the world, if the gang got a hint in regard to this lynch business,” the Lone Hand retorted, ** Just reflect upon the matter and see how easily the trick could be worked. You caleu- late to have ten or fifteen men; they will be on + foot, of course; now, see how easy it would be) a. for a band of mounted men to dash in and = snatch your prisoner right out of your hands.” vs ‘** Wal, I s’pose the game could be worked,” > — marshal admitted, but with decided reluc- ance, “Yes; but it is eames Hen AB Mme that any such thing could occur!” Moreno declared. ** How, in the name of all that is possible, are the outlaws to discover anything about the matter?” ** Yes, yes; that’s the p’int!” cried the mar- shal, delighted to have a backer. L ‘We are not going to go about and proclaim ¥. from tbe house-tops that we intend totryalittla = | lynch business on this half-breed.” 3] ** Certainly not!” the mayor declared. That is my ‘We will keep the matter secret, of course, and only confide it to the men whom we pick out to assist us, so the fact that we are going to have a picnic with the half-breed will not be known even to the citizens of Pedroville with the exception of our picked men,” Moreno said. __ ‘* That is our game, of course,” the mayorre- __ marked, ‘And even if it was generally known | I don’t see how these outlaws could learn any- thin Soerto it.” sea at appears true enough,” the Lone Hand remarked. ‘ As you say, even if ourde- sign to treat the half-breed toa taste of Lynch _ law was known, the outlaws ought not to be { aware of it, but I am going on the idea that they have spies right in this very town.” “a his announcement caused a look of surprise to pocgaet on the faces of all. a ask *) ex , # hat makes you think so?” the mayor a 7 sked. a “It don’t "pear at all probable to me!”the marshal declared: 4 » Be **Oh, no, decidedly not!” Moreno asserted, while Aldama his lips and looked wise. The young Bostonian had not ventured to e in the conversation, conscious that _ asa stranger he was not capable of offering i" Fo vice. ** Well, I think that there is a great probabil- com (C DOO