Beadle's New York Dime Library No. 513 — page 26: what you’re looking at

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

Tere ak ae Sa .. 4 era U ey Or <5 Texas Tartar. Ne ee en eae EIT TE TIE IE SE ETE TA A ST TT RE ET a RE TS EAR a ES SS Yellowbird, the poetess, once tried her han’ at bein’ clairviolent. The poetry trade was egre- gious dull that spring, and though she writ up thirteen affectin’ strings o’ verses on ‘Spring,’ an’ fixed ’em out nice in feet, verses, canters, episodes an’ blue ribbons, she couldn’t sell ’em. hat’s why she took ter clairviolence, but, by hurley! she made a failure o’ that, too. I'll tell ye about it when I hev time, fur | remember mortal plain how she us2d ter rolf her eyes, snap her jaws like a toad ketchin’ flies, make up faces an’ kick over the furnitoor. Clairviolence is an atrocious bad complaint ter hev, ’specially ef you're in a temp’rance town, where the old women call ev’ry paroxysm an attact o’ jim- jams.” : There was stern work ahead, but nothing could check the flow of the mountaineer’s whim- sical fancy. He talked almost constantly, and his thoughts were chiefly of Moses, his poetess cousin, his Revolutionary grandfather and his remote ancestors. Nevermiss was in a contented, happy mood. Once more his feet were treading the wild ways of prairie and forest, and nothing could please him more. North of the lake a river flowed southward through a long, far-reaching wood which, how- ever, was often less than a mile wide. This was the course which the men took, and under Texas Tartar’s guidance, they hurried into the British dominions further and further, and hour after hour. Wilder grew the wood as they progressed, until it was little more than‘a jungle, but they took no rest. Higher mounted the sun, uptil it hung almost directly overhead, and cast upon the ground little spots of gold—the only parts of its yellow light that were able to struggle through the thick tree-tops. At last a river was reached which, flowing in an easterly direction, was of considerable width. There Texas Tartar paused. ‘‘It is time for you to take charge, Never- miss,” he observed. ‘¢ Close onter them, be we?” nas. * All right; we'll look ’em up; but first, le’s have some dinner. I feel melancholy in my stummick, by hurley!” ‘‘ Begorra, Oi feel loike a bank afther dhe cashier has skipped to Canada!” added Tim. They had brought food, and their humble meal was at once begun. “It is now time for me to make a fuller ex- lanation, Tim,” remarked the detective, ‘‘and will tell you, briefly, how I found the smuggler village. Yank was quite right when he said that { went in the smuggler boat, that night, in place of the guard whom we captured. The man who was shot was notI. That tragedy arose from a quarrel between two men who had been drinking heavily. They were desperate fellows, and when one applied a hard name to the other, he drewa revolver and fired. The man was killed, and his companions threw the body into the lake, ‘By great good luck I escaped discovery. The boat took us to the head of the lake, and as far up the river as we could row. Then we completed our journey on foot, and arrived at the smuggler headquarters before cst What I have called their village is only a col- lection of five or six huts, all small but one, Here about a dozen of the men make their home, and that they have never been discovered was owing partly to the tangled wood and the in- ferior size of the ‘village’? and partly to the fact that what little searching had been carried on, before, has deen directed to points too far east, ‘¢ When I arrived at the village I knew that all of my association with the gang must end that night. It was rare good luck that I had escaped discovery so long, but it would not con- tinue after the dawn of day, sol improved my time and learned what I could, One thing which I did learn was about the Horned Fish. T found out—what I had long suspected—that it was a craft belonging to the smugglers; and 1 also got that inkling to its hiding-place which enabled me to find it yesterday. lalso obtained certain facts which have led us to undertake this trip. “Before day dawned I deserted the village, but remained in hiding near at hand until near- ly voon, observing whatever I could, After that I returned to Powderborn Mile.” By the time this explanation was finished their dinner was eaten, and progress was resumed with Yank at the front. Secrecy was then the main object. They were near the village, and discovery by a wandering smuggler might ruin all their plans. Nevermiss was in his element, and he glided through the bushes with inimitable skill and * caution. Texas Tartar gave him some pointsas to direction, and they finally reached a position where the * village” lay revealed to their gaze. The detective had done well to speak of the dwellings as huts. They were only rude concerns of sticks, pine boughs and bark—just enough to sss ST | both as to individual position and in relation to each other. No human being was visible, but from two of the huts smoke was lazily ascending, indicating that some one was inside. The adventurers waited patiently, and they were not long kept in a state of uncertainty. Four men emerged from one of the huts. They were rough, lawless-looking fellows, but were not then in a hostile mood. Laziness seemed to rule supreme. They exchanged a few words in a languid way, and then sat down cn the SOND produced a pack of cards, and began to play. An hour passed. The game continued, but there was no further excitement. This was not according to the wishes of the trio outside the camp. Théy had come with a fixed purpose, and it did not seem likely to be gained without a change in the scene, Naturally, night would be the safest time for them to work, but the delay was not at all to their taste. Yank and Texas Tartar consulted. The rough, uneven ground was in their favor, and the possibility that they could creep along among the rocks and bushes was enongh to make them anxious to try it. There was danger in the attempt—danger so great that no ordi- nary man would have dared it—but they were not to be stopped by that. The only question with them was, Did the attempt promise success? They were not sanguine, but their decision was soon made. They would undertake it, and trust to good luck to carry them through. ‘We'll all go tergether,” added Yank, “Pll lead the way, an’ I consait thar won’t be no trouble.” ** How about the dog?” ** What about him?” ‘* What is to be done with him?” ‘‘ Wal, I consait not much. He don’t need no help, Moses don’t. Ef he don’t crawl as wal] as you nor me, you kin sell out my share in the resk, cheap.” ‘* Enough said. Lead on, mountaineer!” ‘** Craw] jest as I do.” This was easily said, but those who followed found it impossible to obey. Long years of ex- rience had given Yank skill they could not ope to equal, and to themselves their own movements seemed clumsy in the extreme. Moses, however, did all that his master had claimed for him, and nothing was to be feared on that point. They had drawn nearer the center of the camp, but still had some distance to cover, when Nevermiss came to a sudden halt. One of his fingers was bent toward the largest struc- ture, and as the others looked they discovered a new actor on the scene—a tall, imperious-look- ing man, who had evidently just come out of the long shanty. Texas Tartar touched Yank’s arm. “It is the smuggler leader!” he whis ‘¢ Be careful while he is in sight, for he pair of eyes too keen to trifle with!” CHAPTER XXXVI. THE FIGHT IN THE VILLAGE. THE smuggler chief remained quiet for sev- era] minutes, but his eyes were busy. He looked first at his card-playing followers, and then swept a keen glance around the camp. “'There’ll be severer work for you soon than idle gambling!” he suddenly ceclared. ‘‘ How’s that, Cap?’ asked one of the card- players, looking up. ‘© We leave here to-night.” ‘We do?” ‘*- Yes, I don’t like the looks on the horizon, atall. Each one of you see that histraps are ready for removal before dark, We'll carry them to the river and be off by nine o’clock.” ‘* What's the racket, Cap?” ** T scent danger!” With this brief, curt answer the smuggler leader turned away. He went afew paces to- ward the southern wood, and seemed inclined to go on a scouting expedition, but, after a few moments of hesitation, turned back and re- entered the shanty. ‘* He’s s’pishous,” observed Yank, in a whis- er. ‘*Hedon’t know we’re’round, I consait, ut he’s uneasy.” ‘Ts it safe for us to go on?” “ We can’t be’safe anywhar ’round hyar, but T consait we'll wait awhile ’fore movin’, though we may ketch some egregious complaint from the damp ground.” ‘“But the ground may have some property which will rid you of neuralgia.” ‘‘T never expect ter get red o’ the newrolgy,” said the mountaineer, shaking his head gloomily. “T’ve done about all that science an’ theology could suggest for it, but it has got so grafted inter my bones, muskles, sinners an’ n«rves that you might as wal try ter bleed a flint rock. **Once I’s down in St. Louis an’ heerd about a doctor who could cure bout ev’ry thing, so 1 went ter him. He caied" his ’stablishment by some egregious long-winded name which, I red, as a protect their careless, free-and-easy occupants | b’lieve, was Infarnal Dissipation.” from the elements. A hillside had been chosen ‘*Probably you mean Infirmary, or Dis- for the village, and as it was rough and wild, | pensary,” suggested Texas Tartar. the huts were in all kinds of erratic situations, .‘ That was it—that was just it!” Yank de- oy ES te —— ee Ee ee clared, shaking his forefinger at the detective. “*T rec’leck the sign now, plain. It read, ‘Dr. Pollard’s Select Infirmity an’ Dispensation.’ Your idee was right, Texas; though why he give it sech a mortal jaw-breakin’ name I dunno. Wal, in I went, an’ 1 found bim at his post like a militia corporal on muster-day. ‘* “Ts this the Infirmity? sez I. ***Tt is, my good man,’ sez he, benignant, ***T wan’t ter be cured,’ sez I. ‘** What’s yer inflection? sez he. *** A malev’lent case o’ atrocious newrolgy,’ a xs, wincin’ a leetle as it give me a twinge in e hip, ny Your blood is bad,’ sez he. ‘** Not much, it ain’t,’ sez I, quick an’ pep- pery, fur he made me mad. ‘I’m a Yellowbird,’ Sez ‘son o’ Melchizedek Yellowbird, o’ Peterses’ Corners; an’ half-brother ter Peleg Yellowbird, the learned fish-peddler; an’ we are an old an’ honorable fam’ly, an’ trace our jinne- awlogy ter Adam an’ Eve; an’my gran’father was a Revolutionary relict an’ posted on the tick-tacks o’ war, an’ our blood is as good as anybodv’s blood,’ sez I. ** The doctor had been tryin’ ter stop me, but I was atrociously riled up, an’ I wouldn’t hear ter bim till I got ready. ‘¢¢ My dear sir,’ sez he, then, ‘ you wrong me. I intended no harm; I only spoke in gin’ral tarms,’ or Better speak in colonel tarms arter this,’ sez I. ‘¢* How long hev you had newrolgy? sez he. ‘“*“ Rout forty year,’ sez I[, ‘but it’s b’en in the fam‘ly ever sence Hannibaw!1 the Great took Rome,’ ‘** Hered’tary, eh? sez I. ‘¢¢ Ves, it hurts like p’ison,’ sez I. **¢ What hev you done for it? sez he. ‘**T offered ter retire it on a pension, but it wouldn’t go,’ sez I. ‘** Have you taken much medicine? sez he, ‘¢¢ Bnough ter float a ship,’ sez I. ‘** When do you suffer most from it? sez he, ‘** When it gits ter achin’,’ sez I. ** “No levity!’ sez he. ‘** Not any,’ sez I. ‘** Do ye feel it all the time? sez be. ‘¢¢ Not when I’m asleep,’ sez L. “¢ Well drive it out o’ yer systerm,’ sez he, ¥ ‘** Better try coaxin’ it,’ sez I. ‘¢¢Tn a measure, we will,’ sezbe. ‘You go home,’ sez he, ‘an’ git inter bed between two feather-ticks, an’ have yer wife keep hot bricks at yer feet an’ feed ye on catnip tea an’ red pepper. Keep it up fur three weeks. Drugs ain’t no good jin your case,’ sez he, ‘ but my pro- scription wil] do the job.’ *** Tt will, will it? sez I, in an elevated tone o’ manner. ‘By hurley! I consait it will when I try it. Sleep ’tween two feather beds, shall I?” sez I. ‘Laud o’ Goshen! I ain’t slep’ on a feath- er-bed fur thirty year, an’ wouldn’t, nohow. As fur my wife, I’m a ondiluted old bachelder, an’ take catnip tea I won't! Take me fura baby with the colic? sezI. ‘Want ter fill my stim- mick up with extrack o’ weeds an’ cause apple- perplexity an’ liver distempers, do ye? sez I. Not much you won’t, mister! Present yer bill, an’ lil git out o’ hyar quicker’n hurley!’ sez I. ‘The atrocious eritter began ter write out his charges, an’ he made the figgers a ‘15,’ but just then I got a twinge o’ voylent newrolgy an’ ac- cident’ly slammed my rifle down on the floor; an’ he run his pen through the ‘5’ mortal quick, an’ only charged one dollar, ’stead o’ fifteen, ‘“*T marched out o’ his office, an’ I ain’t doo- tored none fur the condemned newrolgy sence. Tt don’t pay, fur it ain’t ter be wragtied down,”” ‘“You are greatly to be pitied,” observed Texas Tartar, wno was well aware that the mountaineer’s neuralgia existed only in his humorous conceit. ‘¢ Land o’ Goshen! I should say so; but that won’t help us do our work. While Ive b’en talkin’ I’ve watched, too, an’ I reckon we had better crawl along ag’in. Wait an artom. I don’t mean no disrespeck when I say you two ain't used ter crawlin’ like snakes, an’ it may be jest as wal fur you ter hold back a bit. You see that dwarfed pine over thar?” te Yes.” ‘Ef you an’ Timothy will go thar an’ beg Tll thank ye; an’ pooty soon I'll have a report ter make,” ** We will obey you fully.” **Good-by, then.” Nevermiss waved his hand and began cree ing forward, while Texas Tartar and Tim mate their way to the designated peint. They could no longer see Yank, but bent their gaze upon such parts of the village as were visible, und awaited the result. Two or three minutes passed, and then the smuggler leader came out of bis quarters again. This time he seemed to have some well-defined purpose in view, for he started off at a brisk pace. The men by the pine beheld his movements with sudden alarm—his course was directly to- ward where Yank was supposed to be. ‘‘ Begorra, dhere will be a skrimmage now!” Tim breathlessly exclaimed. ‘‘ Yank may avoid notice,” ‘* He can’t do it!” comi | buy ese . See ——