Beadle's New York Dime Library No. 533 — page 16: what you’re looking at

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

16 Oregon, the Sport with a Scar. i more in him than ther boys hev bin thinkin’; 'makes a feller look a leetle out, but be ain’t goin’ ter find that Gang, It'll take a man ter do that.” 7 Bless your innocent soul, he’s the gang him- seit, Oregon gave a whistle— more of surprise than dissent. He had all along been giving Chink credit a trifle further than be had yet gone, and he did not understand what the girl gambler had seen to give her such an idea, ‘*T wonder you didn’t see it, Oregon. Chest- nut is in disguise, and all that fol-de-rol was just put on, There's a deep game going on somewhere, and we haven’t been thrown off the trail quite so badly as we thought, You traced that young man to the dug-out, and thought that he got away from you then. Bet youa dollar he didn’t, and it’s lucky you didn’t say avything about him. He just shed his feathers and rigged himself over again while you were watching at the door. Hey, presto! Chestnut Chink comes in bis place. Freeze onto bim then, trail him down when he leaves the but, Ten to one you'll strike oil, Keep mighty dark, and don’t let him throw youoff. Sam and I will go back toJimmy’s and take a fresh start; but you'll either find us there, or they can give you an idea where to look if you happen to have anything to report.” ** But whar d’ yer think he’ll go to ef he skips ther dug-out?” ‘* Tf he gets away from you, and you can’t see anything better todo, make a break for Paul Morrison’s cabin, up the gulch, When you get there go slow, We're notdone with the madam, by along sight, And, by the way, she’s got a peeeruine interest in you, unless I’m away off. ook ous for ber teeth. She can bite hard.” ‘“Wh’s ther madam! Blamed ef you ain’t picked up more pints in balf a dozen hours than I hev in a week, Aw I bin keepin’ my eyes open,” So fev Oregon hac not received more than a hint of 7lerry May’s adventures, and of course did not understand her allusion to Paul Morrison, and the gulch. Now, she hesitated just a 1:oment;remembering what Mrs, Morrison bad toll herin regard to Cyril North’s list of friend. She could not have told them nor coul | sie tellnow, why it was; but she believed tna to woman was speaking for a purpose, An ilea so.-gested itself, \Vi. . ut answering Oregon’s question she turn- ed] *o 8..in Ryan. ‘*eue bere, pard, Suppose some one would hire « tnan to follow Colonel Rollins around B ace Dox, and take a peculiar interest in his affuir-; what do you think would happen to this innecvns individual?” ‘Iii! r generally shoots when he has anythin ter say that he don’t want disremembered, 5 should s+y he’d kill him.” : “Charles Coldeard is tarred with the same stick, ain’t he?” **'You bet,” ** And yourself, Sam? What would you be apt to do?” ‘Tm upt ter hit—an’ hit hard. I wouldn't like to sw’ar I wouldn’t break his neck.” *That’s about the way I look at it; and I guess tl madam hasthesame idea, The madam, Oregoii, is supposed to be Paul Morrison’s wife. She’s 2 handsome woman, pard, a monstrous hanidiscine woman; and she don’t mean to live all her life up the gulch, If she’s not taking a hand in fer tiiis half milliou pool ’'m wide off my base, that’s ail,” ‘* And she’s got an interest in me?” **Sne has that, if my eyes are worth as much as [ think, Perbaps she’s afraid of you—think you boli too big a hand fer her in ther game that is being played.” * A han’sum woman, askin’ about Oregon! That’s kinder queer, that, But Oregon’s byar, an’ kin speak fur himself, Thankee, I'll act ac- eordin’.” He turned back as he spoke, leaving Merry Muy avd Solid Sam to find the way to the hotel. ‘They vere barely out of sight of the dug-out, so that, before be had gone far, he began to use caution. If Merry May was not mistaken—and she was one whose opinion was never very far wrovg in matters that concerned craft and eye- sight—le needed to look well to his going. Chestnut might be looking out for bim, (n Jess than five minutes Oregon felt satisfied of tiie «orrectness of the girl gambler’s guess, He took up a convenient position and watched the -iamty closely, By the moving ef a shadow he kuew that there was some one within. Patience was not one of Oregon’s cardinal virtues, and before long he was debating Whetier it would not be the cheapest plan to twi>t Chink’s neck until he told the whole truth. Perpers he would have eventually determined on trving that, but just as he was deciding in his mind that some such plan was feasible, the door ovened, and some one stepped out. After thatthe man with ascar bad no doubts as to} iscourse, This was not Chestnut’s garb, and it was the young man originally trailed to the spot; yet, as he fastened the door with a adlock, sa ga°e a proprietary glance around efors lysving, it was not bard to believe that Merry May buci mt it about right. ‘“*He’s nerve Ly ther bushel,” muttered Ore- ‘‘ After a game like that, to give hisself away Mebbe he’s riskin’ a heap—he can’t be prezactly a fool—on the chance ter win big money back. Look out, sport, thar’s a trap somewhar.” The work of following only looked a little too easy. Cyril, or whoever he was, moved with a careless swing, the very reverse of Chestnut Chink’s shambling gait, and did not appear to have a care in the world, Tbe hour was rather late. Though here and there a glimmer of light shone from some win- dow, for the mest part Brace Box was wrapped in darkness, and the streets seemed utterly de- serted, For a stranger to pass through the camp was not a particularly dangerous thing, though there was a chance of meeting some of the night-birds, that were sometimes felt rather than seen, and who, at this hour, weredoubly to be feared, If Oregon knew little concerning Paul Morri- son and his wife, beyond the warning that Chest- nut Chink had given him, and the brief expla- nation of Merry May’s visit, he knew where the gulch was, and he fancied that bis quarry was aiming in that direction, It puzzled bim, too, If this was Chestnut Chink, or Chestnut’s friend, why had that much underrated individual directed his attention that way? By this time they must know that he was identified with the interests of the Norths, whose foes they seemed to be. _ Perhaps there might be some mistake about that; whether they were or not, he proposed to find out in some way or other. While he was revolving these things in his mind, but all the time keeping a keen eye on the shadow in front, he saw the young man halt suddenly and throw up his hands, while from the ground around him rose up three or four other shudows, that sprung at him with a snarling curse, At the sight Oregon rushed forward. CHAPTER XVIII, AND OREGON IS LEFT. Tus attack did not belong to Oregon’s circus; but for any one that knew the sport, it was a sure thing that he would have a hand in the show before it wasover. He never saw two at one without trying to make it even; and if three were at one, he tried all the harder. The distance that separated them was not great; the young man sprung lightly to this side, to that, and backward, When Oregon arrived on the scene, no great harm had yet been done, An instant later, the young fellow struck straight from the shoulder, one of the m in down as though he had been shot. it was very neatly and very quickly but it took time and attention, He d seem to notice that one of his assailan d flung himself to one side, out of reach and range, but he boldly followed up the other two, who were shifting in just the opposite direction. This gave the strategic villain his chance. He sprung in from behind, caught the young man by hip and shoulder, and flung him high up in the air, It was almost the same game that bad been played on Merry May, but Oregon never thought of that. He dashed in to the rescue of his own quarry, which he managed to snatch or catch and place safely on the ground, and yet be in time to meet the attack of the bludgeon- ers, who, silently and viciously, at once closed ll. There were four rough men against one, for Oregon did not count on any one but bimself. If the young man ran away he would not be much disappointed, since he rather preferred to play a lone game. If he managed to get ina couple blows first he would make things seem more even, If he did not, and the shooting be- gan, it would be all the better not to have bis aim distracted by unnecessary objects. Until some one made a movement to produce a pistol Oregon preferred to leave his own weapons in aga A stranger in a strange town wants to e a little careful how he shoots, even at such ruffians as these, And he would, just .as soon as not, have seen them slinkaway. Indeed, he half expected they would when they saw that there was a real, live man in the way. ‘* Hold hard, thar!” he shouted. “1’m real old rough and ready when you crowd me; but soft ez silk ef yer treats me white. Jest take yerselves afore ye’r’ hurt, an’ you'll feel a heap better in ther mornin’. Easy, now; er sing out fer ther coryner. An’ yer bet- ter call him now!” He changed his tone with startling suddenness when the three came at him in savage silence, He would sooner have had a shooting frolic and be done with it, since it would have given him a chance to use his own weapons at an earlier stage of the game than he otherwise cared to ig them, The luck of the night could not forever, and sooner or later he would have to fall back on his irons, Nevertheless, the time that followed was ex- tremely lively. Stop and parry, hit and jab— for a few moments the five were mixed together in a row that was fierce enough for a dozen, which Merry May had leff and Oregon found that the contract was heavier than he could carry, These men did not mind a hard crack or two, and there was no chance to knock any of them out. In addition, while he was enjoying the fracas the young man would slip away, and be lost. f the latter had taken a hand in he might have evened up matters amazingly; but he only folded bis arms, and standing far enough away to be out of the game, watched it with evident interest, A side glance showed this to Oregon, and it angered him. He hit out as hard as he knew how, and chance had given him a fair mark, The man he struck tumbled endways, and the Sport with a Scar sprung out of the rout. It looked as though he was going to run away. Of that, however, he had no idea. As he bounded off he drew his revolvers: and before the toughs understood what he was. up to be was half a dozen paces away, his bands out, and holding !he cocked pistols very straight, ‘* Han’s up, thar, you! I ain’t keerin’ ter lay out corpses, but, by ther rollin’ wheels! ther’ll be a stack ov ‘em ef yer crowds me now, [lve got ther drop, an’ I’m jest about ready ter use it!” Somehow, to-night, bluff did not work worth acent. The men just listened to what he said, and then moved on, as though they cured no more for his sixes than if they bad been pop- guns. At that, Oregon, with right hand and left, began to pull trigger as fast as bis thumbs could lift the hammers, Before the villains had passed over half the distance separating them, they should have all been dead men, Yet not a man dropped. Click, click, dropped the hammers, but no re- ports followed. “ Doctored! by ther jumpin’ jimcrank!” ex- claimed Oregon, as each cylinder completed its full revolution; and he realized that there was more in this than he had dreamed of. With fierce energy he burled the otherwise useless weapons, each one striking a man full in the face, and felling him with the certainty of a oleax, ‘‘ Yer head ’ll feel wuss than ef I’d hed ball an’ powder fur ter hev creased yer. Would yer? I guess not, Down infront, thar. Now I give it away, an’ now you’ve got it sure.” The heavy revolvers landing just where he wanted them, did splendid execution, and at the same time completely demoralized the enemy. so that he had no difficulty in planting two more blows that seemed to make complete victory certain. Just as he was standing with his right drawn back, ready for a heavy blow, the young man, who seemingly bad been the cause of all this hard fighting, threw up bis own hand, and aim- ing his revolver, which had not before made its appearance, fired one shot. ; There could be no mistake about his aim or intention. Oregon was too near to be mistaken for any one else, and though it was a snap-shot that was made without an instant to linger on the aim, Oregon fell. ‘*Now, then, you infernal botches, bear a hand!” the young man shouted, as he thrust away the smoking pistol. ‘You can’t begin to shoot, even at this hour of the night, without baving some one on hand to see the fun. Catch hold, and get him out of the way.” ‘“Ef be’s a stiff, what’s ther use ter tote him ‘round? Let Brace Box berry him, an’ we'll git under kiver.” ‘“‘ Dead? Not for money. If I thought he was I’d turn loose on you. Four to one; and he'd bave killed you all with his bare hands if I hadn't chipped just in time!” ‘* Bf you hedn’t barred out ther tools, I reckon you wouldn't ’a’ hed to chipped.” ‘‘And if I hadn’t had his tools fixed before- hand, where would you have been now? No more wind, or I may take a fancy to go on with bis work where he stopped. Clapa stopper on his mouth and a hitch around his wrists, or he’ll be up and at you before you get ready to be- in,” 5 None of the five seemed in an amiable bumor, but the young man had his ruffians well in hand, and after the exhibition they had of Oregon’s prowess, their respect for the Sport with a Scar was sufficiently great for them to take the ad- vice without delay. They gagged him, bcund him, and then, hasti- ly fastening a handkerchief around his head, more to prevent a possible drop of blood here and there from marking a trai] than for any in- terest they had in his welfare, they carried him away, while the young man who had led Oregon into so dangerous an ambuscade, pur- sued his way alone. His steps led through the town and then to the cabin of Paul Morrison, that lay up the gulch. CHAPTER XIX. JUDGE LYNCH BEGINS TO WHISPER, _ Ir took some little time for Neville North to shake off the cloud of jealous gloom under resting EOMIEDOOKS ' Ss.com ee ae