Beadle's New York Dime Library, No. 508 — page 3: what you’re looking at

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

| | ne <="... —_— nn rete nn, _— * . *, - hee ~ f * ” = ge, = - a * + lapse -the ravolver and Topnotch Tim, the Mad Parson. 3 “‘ Help!” he shouted, ‘ Murder [” * The four toughs were sure that no help could come to him, or they migbt not have been so cool and confident in their deliberate torture. Yet there was help at hand, the presence of which they would never have suspected. Bureh Blanton, the mining engineer who bad been sent to Topnotch in the employ of the new company, happened along; and had halted in front of McGinley’s, There was nothing of the look of the tender- foot about Burch, who, though a young man, was fully six feet high and splendidly propor- tioned, with bronzed features and a general yf secboer of being able to stand the weather. is stout corduroy trowsers showed signs of wear; his high boots and his short coat with many pockets were made for hard work and rough usage, The cartridge-belt at his waist proved that he was ‘‘heeled,” and the keen gray eyes that flashed from under the rim of his wool hat gave token of a spirit that could back up the beeling. He had looked in at the open doorway of the saloon, and bad beard enough to understand what was going on there. It will be perceived that the help at hand was not extensive; but it was willing and efficient. At Simon Marvel’s yell the engineer dashed into the saloon, and his action and words were alike effective. ‘¢ Let that man go!” he ordered, in clear and ringing tones, that spoke of power as well as purpose, ‘* Let him go, I say, or I will make daylight shine through you!” Deadwood Dave stared in amazement at the intrepid stranger, and so did the others. As be was only one man, his audacity in is- tae orders to those four was surprising to them, As big Dave did not instantly obey the order, Blanton seized his wrist, and gave it a twist that almost made him howl with pain as he dropped his grip on Simon Marvel’s coat-collar. **Run out of this, my friend,” now ordered the engineer; and Simon, quickly availing bim- self of the privilege, darted out of tbe doorway. Burch Blanton backed out, after him, holding the four tough citizensin check with a leveled revolver, which he had drawn and cocked, The four were at first so astonished by his un- expected and audacious action, that they could make no move, thus allowing him to get a de- cided advantage. CHAPTER JII. TOPNOTCH TIM, BurcH BLANTON backed out into the street, put was followed by the four toughs, whose as- tonishment was immediately succeeded by the intensest anger. It was a burning shame that one man should have been permitted to overawe them and rescue their victim from their clutches. He was also evidently a stranger, and as such obnoxious to the Topnotchers. Deadwood Dave turned himself loose to do justice to the occasion. ‘*Come on, boys!” he shouted. ‘‘ Let’s make an end of that pup, so that he’ll never bark ag’in! The four toughs poured out of the saloon, and Bart McGinley, jumping over his counter, stood in the doorway and looked after them to behold the ‘‘ circus.” Simon Marvel, who ‘had awaited the exit of his new friend, thought when he saw the sally that the locality was a good one to get away from, ** Let’s run,” he suggested. “You may run if you want to, and perhaps you had better,” answered Blanton. ‘For my part, I can’t afford to run.” Simon Marvel might have thought that he could afford to run; but he had too much man- hood to do so, under the circumstances, He drew his revolver, which had ereuns rested peacefully in his hip pocket, and prepared -to stand by his rescuer. Anyhow, it would be better to be killed in an open fight, than to be tortured to death by those miscreants in McGinley’s bar-room, There was one person in the vicinity who could afford to run; but his running did not carry him away from danger. ‘ He came loping toward the scene of action with great strides, reaching it just as the four toughs were starting for Burch Blanton. There was nothing of the tenderfoot about the new-comer, and in appearance and manner he was a peculiar person. Fully as tallas Burch Blanton, he looked much taller, being remarkably aunt and lean, but with thews and sinews that might be compared ‘to those of a race-horse. His long black hair and abundant beard were thickly streaked with gray, and his dark eyes shone with a strange and unnatural fire, In dress, also, he was peculiar. His stout woolen trowsers and big boots would have well suited a miner or cattleman, and so would his rough slouch hat, to say nothing of cartridge belt that were scarcely concealed. The peculiar portion of his attire was a long black frock coat, single-breasted, such as is worn by some clergymen, together with a white oi aes under the collar of his coarse flannel shirt. In his right hand he carried a long and heavy hickory stick, too long for a cane, but an excel- lent article for offensive or defensive purposes, Blanton and Marvel stared in amazement at this man as he came bounding to where they stood, and the four toughs were evidently ex- cited and apprehensive. ‘* Look out, Dave!” cried Sandy McGuckin, ** Here comes Topnotch Tim!” The man who was styled Topnotch Tim halted in front of the two young men, and faced the others, ‘*The sword of the Lord and of Gideon!” he cried in a loud voice as he brandished his stick and shook it threateningly at the toughs, ‘*The sword of the Lord and of Gideon! Be- ware its might! Whatdo you mean, ye hell- deserving pups of Satan? Are there no hen- roosts or clothes-lines for you to rob, no new- dropped calves or sick lambs to steal, that you molest and maltreat two decent white strangers who bave come here to build up your gone-to- seed, rum-soaked, God-forsaken town? If they knew you as well as 1 do, they would put u their pistols and kick you out of Topnotch, as hope they soon will do.” **Git away from here, parson,” replied Dead- wood Dave. ‘Stand out of the way, or you may git hurt.” ‘Get hurt! J get hurt? Who is to hurt me, I would like to know?” *“What is to hinder me from blowin’ a hole through you with this gun?” ‘Everything is to hinder you. You do not dare to do it. The Lord God of Israel would strike you dead, you big loafer!” As the old man uttered: these impressive words, he seemed to grow taller, and his face was lighted up as that of a prophet of old-time might have been. He looked as if he really believed what he said,and the four toughs looked as if they be- lieved it, too, At all events, they stared at him in a hesitat- ing way, asif they supposed him to be possess- ed of some mystericus power, ‘* Here Tam!” he shouted again. ‘‘ Shoot if you dare! I have not near as much fear of you as I would have of askunk. You are a coward of the meanest kind, and so areall the man gang you run with, fit for nothing but to soa whisky and sneak around to steal the oN ed of decent people. Unless you can double-ban aman, you would never dare to look at him. A little while, now, and you will go to the place appointed for liars and drunkards and thieves, and the world will be well rid of you.” Strange as it seemed to Burch Blanton, the big bully did not raise bis revolver, nor did either of the three others make any hostile de- monstration. Perhaps they really feared the old fellow who denounced them sha aialy and bitterly, or per- haps the truth of the denunciation struck them so forcibly that they were unable to object to it. Whatever the cause, they looked like whipped curs as they stood and listened to that vigorous objurgation. opnotch Tim advanced toward them, brand- ishing bis stick as if he needed no other weapon to cope with such adversaries. ‘The sword of the Lord and of Gideon!” he cried again. ‘‘Scatter, ye miscreants! Get to your dens, ye wolves! Get to your holes, you cowardly coyotes, whose yelp is always worse than your bite! Sneak off, I say, and hide your- selves, and await the day of doom!” To the surprise of the two young men, his order was immediately obeyed. The four toughs did sneak off, silently and as if ashamed of themselves, and re-entered Mc- ey s saloon and closed the door behind em, It was well enough for them that they did so, as the loud voice of Topnotch Tim and the ap- parently belligerent group had atttracted to the scene several nen, among whom was Pe Burnham, the proprietor of the Topnotch Hote where Burch Blanton had énguicell a room and rd, So seldom did Burnham get hold of a guest in those days, that he could not allow such an angel visitant to be killed or damaged; there- fore, seeing Blanton in what appeared to be a difficulty, he bad hastened te bis assistance. Topnotch Tim followed the toughs to their hole in McGinley’s saloon, and then walked swiftly down the street, his ed, Pao as well as his general appearance, making him a con- spicuous figure. **It was wonderful, the way the old man scat- tered those scalawags,” remarked Simon Mar- vel, who was then as bold as a lion. He had stood by his rescuer when they two were pitted against four, and had risen consid- erably in his own opinion. - “There is another strange thing about it,” added Blanton, ‘ He spoke of us as two men who had come here to build up the town. How could he know anything about that? I have been sent here to prepare the way for the <a eae | ai ——————————— z es eS - - new mining company; but you, my friend, may I ask what brought you here?” ‘*T am here on business for the mining com- pany, too,” answered Simon, ‘Then we are partners, and must work to- gether,” ‘**T will be glad to work with you, sir, and it is a great pleasure to have met you. It is more than a pleasure, because, if you had not come to my help as you did, i am afraid that those scoundrels would have robbed me, and perhaps murdered me.” ** We are both well out of that scrape, thanks to the old man. My name is Burch Blanton. What is yours?” ‘*Simon Marvel, and Iam the son of one of the directors of the company.” ‘*T know your father, or know of him, To keep out of such scrapes in the future you bad better go to the hotel with me, where I am putting up. Mr. Burnham, here, is another victim for you. We two will help the cause a little, and when the mine gets started up again, you may expect to do a land-office business,” Perry Burnhum accompanied his guests to the hotel, glad to keep one and to get an- other. On the way Blanton asked him who and what the old man was who had sothorougbly terrified the toughs. ‘*His name is Timothy Marlow,” answered the landlord. ‘‘He used to be a preacher, and I have no doubt that he was a goodone. His wife ran away with anotber man, and that is what upset bis mind. He quit preaching because he said that Satan had got bold of him, and that he had no right to meddle with the Gospel while he was fully determined to kill that man if he could ever discover him. Some people call him Topnotch Tim, because he lives high “es oe notch Mountain with his daughter. He surely knows where there is gold, and has some secret diggings of his own, as be used to bring plent, of dust and scales and nuggets to town, and suppose he does yet, unless he bas transferred his trade to Tolbert.” ““T will be bound that heis not lacking in sense,” observed Blanton, ‘“‘though he pg crazy on one point. I would like to meet him and have a talk with him, as I believe he could give me some good advice about laying out a road,” ‘**Don’t you consider him a very brave man, Mr. Burnham?’ inquired Simon Marvel. ‘‘Brave or reckless, it is hard to say which, It may be because he is crazy and don’t know any better, but itis certain that he fears nothing in this world.” CHAPTER IV. SIMON MARVEL AS A HUNTER. WITHIN a week after the unpleasant occur- rence that had signalized his advent in Topnotch Simon Marvel, who bad secured an office, but had little or nothing to do, set forth on a hunt- ing excursion, t may be said for Simon that he dressed the character to perfection, and, though the performance might not come up to the appear- ance, he had the satisfaction of believing that he was highly attractive. Though the wild beasts and birds might not cheerfully come forward to be killed, female eyes would rest upon him with pleasure, and he might count on making a conquest if he should meet any of the marketable sex. Indeed, be was ‘‘ got up regardless,” and it ) seemed a pity that his sweetness should be wasted on the desert air, as it was not at all likely that he would meet any possible admirers after he got out of sight of Topnotch. The result proved that as a hunter he was more beautiful than successful. He wandered far up the mountain-side and roamed about until noon, without killing any- thing or seeing a chance to kill anything. Then he found himself Dg weary, as well as with a well-developed appetite, and was angry with bimself because he had not had suf- ficient forethought to puta lunch jn his orna- _ mental game-bag. He had entertained the delusive idea of kill- ing game, and cooking and eating it, in true woodland style. It was easy enough to cure the fatigue by sitting down and resting; but the appetite was not so readily satisfied. _ He struck a trail that led up a steep ravine, and finally brought him out ona broad and level plateau, from which there was a most magnifi- cent view of the country below, mountain, plain and valley, as far as the eye could reach, But the most delightful view to Simon Marvel then was a substantial log house at the ck of the plateau, about which were visible various evidences of comfort and prosperity. There was a kitchen garden, fenced and thrifty, and there was a barn which hinted at horses and cattle, and there were flowers in abundance around the house. Better than all was the sight of a young wo- man who was seated near the door, busily en- gaged in sewing. She was a remarkably handsome young wo- man, in spite of the fact that ber face was some- what browned by the sui: and wind, and her Gomicboo (e S —