Beadle's New York Dime Library, No. 508 — page 6: what you’re looking at

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

G Topnotch Tim, the Mad Parson. that you owe that old party a grudge, and that the best way to get even with him will be, as old Grant said, to move onto his works,” ‘* How am I to do that?” ‘‘- You don’t need to do it yourself. You can hire it done, if you want to. The old cuss has got a darter.” ‘*T believe he has,” observed Handsome Dan, musingly. “She must be quite a woman w. ‘*One of the purtiest critters you ever laid eyes onto—just as bright and sassy as you ease. Heand she live ’way up on Topnotch Aaountain, and he often goes away and leaves her alone.” ‘* What has that to do with me?” ‘* A heap, if you want it to. ve got a grudge — Topnotch Tim, myself, and I and some other fellers have made it up, to speak plain, to carry off his gal. The only thing that puzzles me is that I don’t know what to do with her arter I git hold of her. Now, if you would keer fur such a piece o’ property—” ‘* What’s that you are saying, Dave Steiner?” sharply demanded Handsome Dan. ** Ain’t it plain enough? Don’t see how I can make it any plainer. I say that we are goin’ to carry off the gal, and that you can have her if you want her.” Handsome Dan’s rather worn and faded face was lighted up. ‘* Ts she very handsome?” he asked. ** Handsome ain’t no name furit. She is just the loveliest thing, to my notion, that walks the earth.” thas She ought to be; she must be,” mused an. ‘“* And you can have her for the takin’, and by so doin’ git even witb the old cuss who broke your bank.’ : “Tt will sar him away from here, too, I believe that will suit me, Dave. Put the girl where I can get her, and you and your friends shall have a big pile of money. But I must not be known in the matter.” **“No reason why you should be. We are ds, then, Dan.” *“*Pards? Nothing of the kind, and you need not call me Dan. I haven’t got that low, and l hope l never will. When I want a partner, I choose one to suit myself. When I pay a man todoa oe for me, and it is done, that ends it, When this job is done, you had better make sure that it is ended, as far as you are concerned.” ** All right, Cap; I reckon I understand you,” answered the big ruffian as he rose to go,” **Hold on, Dave. Here is some money to ag ou start the scheme and carry it through. If it works well, there will be plenty more for u ” aadions Dan handed his confederate or toola sum of money that made him open his eyes—enough to supply himself and his friends with an abundance of whisky for some time to come, ** Yes, she must be beautiful,” mused the gam- bler when Deadwood Dave had left him. ‘Ske is sure to be a very handsome woman by this time, She must be mine. The more I think of it, the stronger I settle on that. When I get her, I will keep her, and then I will be even, if not alittle more so.” CHAPTER VII. TOUGHS ON THE TRAIL. It had been a sunny day on the plateau where Topnotch Tim had his dwelling-place. nder the smiling warmth of the sun, the vegetablesin the kitchen-garden and the flowers about the house seemed to have taken a fresh start, and could almost be seen to grow. Near the hour of dusk, Susan Marlow was seated in her favorite place in front of the house, rather lazily engaged in sewing or mend- in . aioe she was occupied with gazing at the vast expanse of sky and the splendid prospect of distant mountains, and in meditating with a wistful look in her dark eyes, rather than with the work that often lay idly in her lap. From the cabin issued a man whose appear- ox was a striking contrast to that of the lovely girl. He was a dwarf, seeming to be nearly as broad as he was long, and there was not so much as a hint of gooa looks about him. His breadth of chest and loins indicated great strength, and, if he could bave been stretched out and given the hight of an ordinary man, there would have been enough of him for the pap o0e s face was entirely covered with hair, ex- iy the nose, a little space under the eyes, and a low line of forehead, and its expression just then, as far as it could be seen, appeared to be amiable. His only visible garments were a blue flannel shirt, a pair of coarse trowsers, heavy boots that were proof against snake-bites, and a red skull-cap, from under which his dark hair flowed ‘down upon his shoulders. This man, who was the faithful and unweary- ing servitor of Timothy Marlow, answered to the name of Cesar,» and was a deaf mute of whom the ex-clergyman had taken charge years ago, o> ire Susan’s face lighted up when she saw him, and she questioned him with rapid fingers. ‘** Kettle boils,” he answered. ‘* All right in- side,” ‘*T wish father would come home,” Cesar intimated by his expressive gestures that be wished it, too. ‘*T suppose it is hardly worth while to expect him,” Susan said to herself. ‘‘ Of late days he has been absentso much more than formerly, and I never know where to look for him, and am always afraid that be will get into trouble.” Ceesar evidently urderstood ber by watching the motions of ber lips, and he began to talk fast with his fingers. ‘He isallright. He can take care of him- self, and I can take care of you. He will come home safe when he gets ready. When he does come, I will have a fine lot of gold for bim.” The dwarf brought out from an inside pocket of his heavy shirt, a small buckskin bag, pour- ed outinto his hand some yellow scales and chips and small nuggets, and then returned them to the bag. ‘ The bag must have held, ata rough guess, five hundred dollars’ worth of gold. ‘* Better goand hide it,” telegraphed Susan. ** We do not know what may happen.” The dwarf went around back of the house, and soon returned without the bag. “Tt issafe now,” he said in his manner of speaking. Suddenly his face assumed an alert look, and he threw himself down, with his ear to the ground. ‘*Somebody coming?’ asked Susan, as he looked up. He nodded. ‘** Tt is father, of course,” Ceesar shook his head as if that might bea matter of doubt. “Ts there more than one?” she asked, im- *“It must be father, then. Let us go and meet him.” They hastened to the western edge of the plateau, but had not reached it when they were yn ar by a man who had just come up the tral He was not Timothy Marlow, but a tall and fine-looking young man, whom Susan, who had previously seen him ata little distance, at once recognized as Burch Blanton, the mining en- gineer, who had seemed to be well acquainted with her father. As Blanton courteously raised his hat, Caesar looked to his mistress for instructions, but got none. Indeed, there was an evident blush on her face, and she showed no disposition to order the intruder off the premises. “T 6a it was my father who was com- ing up the trail,” she explained, ‘I would not have thought of meeting a stranger here, es- pecially at this bour.” ““T wish for your sake that it was your father,” answered Blanton. ‘‘To explain m presence here I must confess that I lost my way and became completely bewildered. Seeing a trail, I followed it, in the hope that it might lead me toa habitation, and it brought me here. My name is Burch Blanton, and I am connected with the new mining company at Topnotch.” * You are a friend of my father’s, I believe,” observed Susau. ‘If your father is Timothy Marlow, I am proud to call myself bis friend. He is a man whom I admire greatly, and who has kindly rendered me much service,” ‘** And so you have lost your way. We could easily tell you how to get to Topnotch; but, it is nearly dark, and you might lose your way again. We are every minute expecting my father to come home, and perhaps he would be of more use to you than we could be.” “Tf I can stay here until your father comes home, I shall be glad to do so.” ‘You must be hungry, too, Mr. Blanton. Perhaps you had better go to the house and have supper with us. Iam sure that my father will be glad to see you here.” Susan Marlow was by no means sure of the truth of the statement which she made so con- fidently, as it was probable that if her father had wished to see his friend at his home he would have brought him there. She was obliged to admit to herself, however, that she was glad to see the young man, anda poor excuse was better than none. The two young people walked back to the cabin, Caesar following a little behind them, He had never met Burch Blanton before, and supposed him to be a stranger to Susan, but whatever she chose to do was right in Cesar’s eyes. *“*T should think your father would feel un- easy at leaving Big, here alone,” said Blanton after a little talk concerning the beauty and healthfulness of the location. ‘“*Ceesar and I believe that we are well able to take care of ourselves,” answered Susan. “We have never yet been tried; but we are not raid. ‘*He looks as if he might be a good guard; ‘Stes S/o VED eee Aaa rit eo Vd: but he might not prove to be sufficient if any real danger should come.” ‘*T am not a bad fighter myself,” she remark ed. ‘‘When your friend Mr. Marvel was up here, he was attacked by Deadwood Dave, down there in the glen, and 1 drove the big bully off at the muzzle of my rifle.” ‘* Was Murvel up here? He never said a word to me about it.” *T told him not—that is, I supposed that he would not care to talk about such an adven- ture, andI suggested to him that he need not mention it to anybody.” The engineer felt a twinge of the same sort of jealousy that had troubled Simon Marvel when Susan Marvel asked him about Burch Blanton. If*be had known that Simon had been sent et with an intimation that he need not trouble shimself to cail again, Blanton might have felt easier, “Tf father does not come soon,” Susan an- nounced, ‘* we must have supper without him.” Then she telegraphed to Cesar that he might go inside and look after matters there. nstead of dcing so he threw himself down again and laid his ear on the ground. As his sense of hearing appeared to be quite undeveloped, it was to be supposed that the earth conveyed to him in some mysterious man- ner the information which he surely derived from it when he was in that position, He started up with a look of alarm and anx- iety on his hairy face. “Ts it not father, then?” eagerly inquired Susan. ‘*No,” answered Ceesar’s rapid fingers. ‘*More than one, Maybe four or five men coming.” ‘* That does look like danger, Mr. Blanton, Cesar says that there are four or five men coming up here. Get the rifles, Cassar!” It was curious to see how she spoke to herself or to another, and then used the sign language in addressing the dwarf. ‘* Tf there is danger, I am glad that I am here to help you,” declared Blanton. ‘‘ It is true that I have only my revolver; but I can make good use of that.” Ceesar brought out two rifles, but returned into the cabin at an order from his mistress. e reappeared with a third rifle, which she handed to Blanton. In the prowess of this tall young man, and in his willingness to fight in her defense, she had a confidence which Simon Marvel could never have begun to inspire. ‘Tt is a seven-shooter,” said she, understand it?” ‘Thoroughly. We three with such weapons ought to be an easy match for four or five men.” ** Yes, in a fair fight; but there are rascals about Topnotch who are capable of any mean- ness “Do you In spite of Blanton’s remonstrances, she led the way to the western edge of the plateau; but their enemies, if they were enemies, had already mounted the steep, and put in an ap- rance. It was night then, but not a dark night, as there was moonlight enough to make the entire plateau distinctly visible. Yes, they were surely enemies, Burcb Blanton recognized the burly form and coarse features of Deadwood Dave, and so did Susan Marlow. With him were three others, the chief mem- bers of his gang and his almost constant com- panions, They had reasonably supposed that the four of them would be sufficient to easily overcome and capture one girl; but it was another mat- ter when they found themselves confronted by three opponents, It was true that one of the three was a woman, and another was a dwarf; but women and dwarfs may be dangerous foes when they have rifles and know how to use them, ‘** Halt, there!” ordered Blanton in his clear and commanding tones. ‘‘Who are you, and what do you want here?” There was no answer; but the four toughs huddled together, and seemed to be consulting. ‘*That won’t do atall,” decided Susan, ‘* We must order them off and drive them away, or ee will be playing some sneaking and cowardly trick. Blanton was quite of her opinion, and acted. on if at once. ‘¢Clear out!” he shouted. ‘‘I know you for a set of scoundrels, and you have no business here. Clear out, or we will shoot you down!” He and Susan leveled their rifles, and Cesar, who was closely watching every movement they made, followed their example. Instead of obeying the order, the toughs sidled about and separated, as if to divide the fire of the three, and possibly to flank them. As the engineer shouted another warning, a shot was fired by one of them, and the bullet. whizzed by his ear. He fired immediately, and a howl from one of the toughs told him that his shot had counted. Just then, as Susan Marlow and Cesar were about to open fire on the intruders, there was a ee - cnn ene aa - =~ *. new and startling development, Ss , ‘ Z Eomilecbooks. ; = ~ _% ao Ps pe ee ees i - =, tyes ; ‘