Beadle's New York Dime Library No. 525 — page 12: what you’re looking at

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

12 take much stock in them. And you forget the luck that always brings me out right side up. Why, it’s just ten toone that by this time to- morrow morning we'll own a ranch, ten thousand head of cattle, and each of usan undivided half of a silver mine. I mind making that much clear, once, in twenty-four bours; and it warn’t much of a season for mines either.” ‘‘ Ef he’d paid me fur a yearstid ov a month I wouldn’t mind takin’ them odds, but I cain’t rake up ’nuf ov rags ter make it wu’th yer while ter try iton. I kin remark thar ain’t no sich money in the wood.” ‘‘Oh, yes there is, Robert, if a man has the nerve to play for it, Yonder are the cattle; up there are silver mines by the cord; all that’s need- ed is to get together the man that owns them. You might go out and steer him in, while I look around to see what sort of a country itis, any- how.” ‘* Not any sich foolishness in mine,” was Robert’s answer. He did not seem to know ex- actly what to make of the sport’s proposition. It sounded like serious earnest as a proposal, and arrant nonsense according to the doctrine of probability. ‘* Them (Greasers kin skin ther hull rest ov ther are world out at monte like lightning, which ther only game you kin git ’em ter back.” ‘‘ Bat supposing I order you? [understood that you were hired by the month to look after my comfort,” “Not by daylight nohow. [’m me own boss ez long ez that lasts. I tho'rt I hed a puddin’ when I struck ther job, but I didn’t count on this dog-goned picnic.” ‘‘ Well, then, you stay here and [ll look around. If { shouldn’t turn up by to-morrow, hunt me out. I don’t know that anythingis go- ing to happen, but it’s just as well to castan an- chor to windward in this blarsted country, don’t ‘you know?” ‘* Yer mean it?” ‘* Every word,” ‘Then I’m stayin’, an’ off duty fur ther night. Yonder seems ter bether spot I'd admire ter lay off at, an’ you'll find ine thar ef nothin’ ha pens an’ yer want ter try tercome my way; only don’t try too much foolisness; 1t’s what they don't admire down hyar, an’ they'll jump yer quicker ner scat,” Jones had pointed to the entrance of what seemed a bough-shaded dingle, sunk in among the hills. It was perbaps half a mile distant. They had not visited it as yet, but as far as out- ward appearance went it was just about the place for concealment, which was what Jones was after, Foxton noided, gave a glance around to fix the location in his mind, and then, turning to the right, rode slowly down toward the plain, Had he accompanied Robert to the a ie he would have seen and crossed the trail of Raleigh’s caravan; and perhaps changed his present in- tentions altogether. In a few moments the two men were out of sight of each other just as they had long ago dropped out of the range of vision of the major and his party. ‘* Well,” thought Foxton, as Rhadamanthus sedately picked his way downward. ‘“ I have ot rid of him for the present. He’s not exact- ie the sort of squire one would want to knock or him at the Castle Gate, and yet there’s some- thing about the blamed idiot that makes me think a man might have a worse pard at his back when the game was running rough. There’s something deuced cool about him and his ‘ hired by the month,’ that hits me about where I live. It’s a satisfaction to know he’s there, at the other end of the string, if things gocrooked. Butnow for a glance around, It’s a fact I might be ina better looking shape, but a fellow don’t step out of a bandbox when he lands here, and like as not I’ll find more fun than pleasure. I gen- erally do, inspite of the bluff I was trying to give Jones a moment ago.” As he let such fancies run through his brain he smiled to himself, It was an amusement for him to guess at what, if at all anticipated, might make some very good men pause, or per- “i take a back track. ut Foxton kept his face in one direction, and that was toward the Banzos Hacienda. He had a glimpse of the speck in tbe distance which marked that location before he bad called a halt, but nothing like the clearer view of the major, Jones had said orion in regard to the ranch; and if he had not seen it Frank was not going to call his attention to it. The speck bad vanished before he had ridden a hundred rods, That was on account of the rollin the land. The points of the compass re- mained fixed in the mind of the Fresh Sport. For several miles he ambled on after his usual careless fashion, Then he suddenly sprung to the ground and threw the reins over the head of his mule. Something ahead demanded his attention. One foot he advanced to its investigation. ‘‘New series, adventure number one,” he softly murmured. ‘‘A regular frolic, with all the trimmings and side dishes.. 1t’s awful, the amount of fun I have to suffer—all because I won't shut my eyes, or travel the other way. - But what is going on here, anyhow? It | ee awful much like a neck-tie party with the vil- lains at the wrong end of the rope. Let me see, a little; let me see.” He scepped so lightly that not the slightest sound followed his footsteps. By so doing he had the chance of hearing a conversation that was earnest and fierce. As he spoke Spanish like a native—or a little better—there was no trouble about understanding what was said; while the scene that met his eye when he had gained a concealed point of observation, spoke better than words. ‘¢ And so, senors, you would slay me?” It was a woman’s voice that spoke the first words that came distinctly to his ear. As their mellow cadence reached him he grip- ped the stock of his ready revolver a little barder. A singular smile played on his face while his eyes ran over the jittle knot of men clustered around the one woman in the center, ** Just as cool as they make ’em,” he muttered ; ‘let’s listen for the answer; there’s only four, but if it’s not an actual necessity I don’t see that there is any pieasure in killing them all. It’s really lamentable the amount of slaughter one has to do anyhow.” The conversation being interpreted ran after this fashion: ‘*No, no, senorita, We would prevent you from slaving yourself. See, now? We are needy rascals, who long have had a mind to ask alms at the hacienda, but were too modest to intrude. So we staid up there in the mountain and starved. But to-day, holy saints! You come right tous. What can we do but tell you our needs? Wedo not threaten, but those that slight our prayer seldom live long. Providence cuts off the hard-hearted ones, even in the bloom of their youth.” ‘* A quite poetical villain,” sag Foxton, “though 1 don’t know but what | prefer the Black Eagle style. The senorita don’t seem to be suffering, so I may as well wait to see what she willsay. The little witch! She looks more charming than ever.” ‘* Providence must even work its will since no alms have I to give thee. Yet hasten slowly. There are those who seem to love me living, and once dead they would hound you to your holes and take a fearful revenge.” ‘We will risk the revenge so long as we find other things are satisfactory. Of course we do not suppose that the senorita carries her fortune with her when she rides upon the plain, but it would not be hard out of the abundance of her wealth for her to make us wretches happy for life. Ten thousand pesos, for instance. It is but a drop in the bucket, and she could spare it so easy.” ‘*Not as easy, perhaps, as you think. If it was cattle, now, that you wanted, I could say, ‘Here, Tomaso! there are a thousand, two thou- sand, ten thousand head of cattle; take what you want of them.’ But the cattle you can get anyhow.” ‘*T understand, But you can send it or have it brought to us,” ‘* AsT have not a dollar in the world there might be some difficulty.” “Pardon me, senorita: if I was a woman I would say that too, even if I was told that I lied by those I was trying to deceive, Cattle are no good to us; it is money that we want.” ** And I have noue,” ‘Sorry then. ‘You will bear us witness that we have given all the chance to come to terms that we possibly could; now we must try some measures a little stronger. Take your last look at the world around you. It is a lovely one, is it not?” ‘** But what would you want?” “The key to that safe that sits .ver in your room. There are fortunes in it.” ‘* But I swear there is no coin; and the key I had has been lost.” ‘*No nonsense, now. For the last time I ask you. Will you furnish us the key or the con- tents? Will you promise us the ten thousand pesos? We'll keep you safely till they come if you do. Otherwise, we end it all right bere, for you; and sack the ranch when every man who might help defend it is out looking for its buried mistress. How shall it be, Senorita Madelaine Banzos?” ‘*T am in your hands by an accident and my own foolishness. I cannot say that I am sorry I cannot comply with your request since f doubt if I would if I could, There is only one thing [ can do, I have done it already, and assure you again that you cannot and will not get from me the ransom you demand, while the only person who maight help you to it, Raimondo Carjador, is away. There is no money in holding me, senors; and there is a great dea] of danger. If you are wise you will take my promise to say nothing of this outrage, and set me free. Some other time perhaps you may find me with things in more favorable shape for your interests,” She was a dainty little lady, the perfect type of a brunette beanty ou a slightly reduced scale. She spoke without fear or hesitation, neither sinking under the threats of her captors, nor shrinking at the incredulous scorn with which her words were received. “ A lady after my own heart,” thought Fox- ton. ‘She don’t sink worth a cent. As long Fresh Frank, the Derringer Daisy. as she can keep her courage up it may be as well to stay in the bushes and see what these fellows are after. That one seems to be pretty good- looking, in spite of his disguise. He must be the boss of the outfit. The others are just an ordinary-looking set of ruffians. Ah, it struck me there was something more than dollars and dimes at stake. He begins to show bis hand. A man might light a match at hiseyes. They’re red-hot.” The spokesman was answering the young lady,,. and for the first time there was a gleam of pas- sion in his tone. '‘*So you think if we can get no coin we should turn you loose, Never! There is something al- most as good—revenge, If it were only the pesos, truly would I have seen thee strangled before would have moved a step against thee. But re- venge! Ah, perhaps it is not too late for thee to see into whose hands thou bast fallen?” The cheeks of Madelaine flushed a trifle and she shot a piercing glance at the speaker. Yet a puzzled look crept over her face and she slowly shook ber bead. ** Never bave I seen thee before, if my memory serves me rightly. Nor doI know that I ever harmed one so that be shoula seek such revenge as you speak of.” ** Not thou, but thy accursed race. Thy lover —Carjador—thy friends. Theirs are the sins for which thou must begin to pay. Oh, I will have such vengeance—” ‘*Good Lord, man! Hasn’t this thing gone far enough? If it basn’t I guess the balance of the conversation bad better be addressed to me. Hold bard there all of youordown you go, I have the drop, and there’s not a living man that knows better bow to make the most of it,” Foxton saw that threats of the villain were having their effect on the senorita, and thought it time to interfere. He stepped coolly out of the bushes and acva*ced toward the outlaws with a cocked revoiverin each band, and his mouth full of Spanish words and English idioms. CHAPTER XIII. SOMETHING IN A CELLAR BESIDES WINE. In spite of herself a little cry of delight es- caped the lips of the senorita as she saw Foxton with his revolvers, and heard him so coolly call a halt in the proceedings. If she fanced that he had a troop behind him it was no more than bis actions seemed to her to warrant. In her view of things if one man was attacking balf a dozen armed desperadoes he would begin to shoot while he held the advantage of being unseen. She hardly understood the et- iquette of ‘‘ the drop.” The outlaws, or whatever they were, evident- ly did. There was a something in the tones of this man that meant business. Besides, he was evidently an American, and bad _two revolvers. He might have had half a dozen knives and they would have laughed at him; but a pistol was a different thing. The spokesman with a mechanical movement did draw a knife half-way from its sheath, but the motion stopped there. He was looking right into the muzzle of the weapon in Foxton’s right hand, and it seemed to him, in the first shock of his surprise that he could see in it the substance of approaching death, ‘‘ Open to reason are you?” laughed the Fresh Liste as he noticed that be had his men well in hand. ‘‘ Now, that’s something like. I'm not going to barrow your feelings asking you to hold up your hands, but I'll simply remark that the first man that tries to handle a shooter goes over the range. You understand me? I always speak the truth, and I can shoot to the line of a hair, My friend, you! What were you going todo with that rope?” He nodded toward anoosed cord that had papece from the leader’s band when he grasped his knife. ‘*Who are you? By what right do you inter- fere?’ was the answer, given in the sharper tone of a reviving courage. ‘* Know you not that we are five to one, and that if we but reise our hands, the fall of them would crush you? Pass on, senor, if you are wise, and leave this woman in our hands, where she belongs. Look her in the face and see if it does not show that it is but the truth I speak.” ** Thanks for the explanation, but the pre as it is covers about all the ground I care to take in for the present. We'll accept all that for granted; but what I asked was, what were you going to do with that rope?” ‘Senor, it was to hang me with; at least, so ra said.” here was as yet no ge recognition, but Madelaine saw that the man to the rescue was an American, so that she spoke in his own tongue. ‘“And you intended to hang the senorita,” continued Frank Foxton, still speaking to the outlaw-in-chief. ‘* What a shocking villain it was! I really have my doubts about your being fit to live and if the lady would only convince me tha T’ve a call to act as executioner, blame me if I wouldn’t send you out of the dew myself!” The light, bantering tone of the sport may have deceived the Mexicans, or it may be that cS COR ‘ GOMmiIGghboo | - P * § tet omy, nf 2s ‘