Beadle's New York Dime Library No. 533 — page 24: what you’re looking at

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

24 and it seemed to Neville that there was disbe- lief in his tone. ** Devan—the last man on guard over me— can tell you that he was with me but a few mo- rapes ago, and promised to be back at the rial. ‘“‘That’s so,” said Devan, nodding his head, ‘* Ef yer wanted him he was there, and he didn’t look much like running away.” Jimmy Bower was not about, or he could have corroborated the statement and given a point or two’ in addition. Billy, however, had no doubt of its truth, * Here, half a duzen of you—no more—search the house and hustle bim up if you find him. If Saul could get his eyes on him perhaps he could recognize him, sure enough.” ‘*One moment, jedge,” interposed Saul. ““Mebbe Mister Oregon is into this game, an’ mebbe he isn’t; but he warn’t one of the gang I seen, That Pll swiar to. I’d know him a mile; an’ he warno’t thar.” “That’s your say-so; but there’s some one else to talk. Hunt him up, boys, but don’t hurt him. We need him, bad,” The detail moved forward, and was about to enter the house, when some’ one came out with the force of a body hurled from a catapult. The men fell to this side and that, and a couple of them stumbled against the judge’s chair, leaving the cause of the trouble doubled up in a central heap on the porch and fairly lined by the muzzle of Billy’s revolver. If the saloon proprietor had not, while his arm was going up, recognized Jimmy Bower, the latter gentleman would bave probably gone out of the world as unceremoniously as he bad entered the presence of the court, | take ther money, out! _ never want ter say | him, | pan to the fire. Every one looked anxiously at the doorway, | expecting that there was more to follow, the Committee of Search gathering itself up, and the judge continuing to hold his revolver in readi- ness, Jimmy appeared to be the most thoroughly bewildered of all. He stared at Neville North as ote he was looking at a ghost, and scarce- Billy when he spoke: ‘Say, Bower, it’s reported that you know the whereabouts of the man known as Oregon, How is it?” ‘** He—he’s in thar now!” exclaimed Jimmy, spluttering wildly in his eagerness to speak. ‘**Dog-gone my cats, if this don’t beat the Jews! If this are him, who in thunder are ther other galoot? Hyar. Ther’s somethin’ wrong! Some ov you men come along an’ help me ter bring ’em forra’ds. It'll jist knock this court blind.” ‘““T guess you’ve been hitting the jug rather harder than the law allows,” answered Billy, “* Just explain what’s the matter, and what you mean by coming out that way, head-first. This crowd’s not in the humor for much foolishness, and it’s a wonder you weren’t knocked endways as a starter.” “But [ tell yer he’s in thar, Got ther drop on me when I didn’t see him, an’ war a-goin’ ter shoot when I did. If Oregon hadn’t a-went fur im I wouldn’t a-bin hyer now.” ““ What? Who? No more nonsense, or I’ll go for you now.” “Ther other North. Thar! Don’t you hear ’em? They'll gitaway. Didn't I tell yer so?” He held up his hand warningly. The conversation had caused a hush. From somewhere within the house came the muffled sounds of two pistol-shots, It was like shaking ared rag before a mad bull, The crowd, so to speak, shut its eyes and made a rush before which barriers disappeared, and judge, jury, and escort to the prisoner were swept away. Before Jimmy had time to raise an objection, his house was packed with unin- vited guests, who ravened through it from one end to the other, They found nothing. Oregon was gone, and the other North—if such a person there was—had disappeared along mor had J b r immy been making his story all u out of the whole cloth? . ZA 5% Some such suspicion as that caused a rush to be made once more, and this time in hunt of Bower. A few of the energetic ones were searching in the rear of the house, and a few were going over the inside more carefully; but the greater part of the crowd, heading for the front, met the landlord vainly trying to make his way in, and forced him out into the open air. It is dangerous work trifling with a mob. ‘* What sorter a yarn’s this you bin givin’ us?” growled the nearest man—Bull Dog Ben—as he twisted his hand in Jimmy’s collar. ** Thar’s no sign of ther Sport with a Scar— an’ l’d give a hundred ter find him—ter stand with bim, face ter face,” ‘““He war thar!” puffed Jimmy. “I war lookin’ fur him, when I struck ther other in this one’s room. I’d bev bin a dead man but fur him, Ef they ain’t thar they’ve skip ther camp, one runnin’ an’ ther other follerin’. I begin ter b’lieve thar’s bin a big mistake.” Mistake nothin’! Ef we find him he climbs _ atree; but you’re too bad scared ter tell ther truth ef yer wanted. Take us _whar yer left him. He held over me last night, curse him! but ef I meet him ag’in [ll show ther hand ter An’ef you bin a-lyin’—look plays race Box fur flats ’ll is prayers but once more. rp way thar! Jimmy ’ll show us whar ter ook. Ther man ez For a moment Bull Dog Ben, his hand still clutching the landlord, stood to one side of the door, while the stream, that otherwise would have blocked the way, poured out, Then, as he turned to re-enter, he heard a cry of surprise. He had been too excited to notice himself, but this sound called his eyes straight to where Neville North bad stood when last he saw him,” ; There was no one there now. His voice arose with dozens of others in a how] of rage, and he flourished his revolvers as he sprung to the edge of the porch. ‘* Rescue! Rescue!” he shouted. ‘* Whar’s ther men that helped him away? They’re part ov his Gang. Scatter out an’ shoot, boys! Ef we can’t have ther rope, we'll try cold steel!” ‘“Go slow, you fool!” muttered a voice in his ear, ‘The boys have him, and the boys will keep They stole him away in the racket, and took him down to the big oak, They’ll whip the life out of him if he don’t tell who his pards are. Whoo! I don’t want to see it,”’ CHAPTER XXIX, COLONEL KILLER’S NERVE, NEVILLE NoRTH had passed from the frying- The court wanted to see everything done de- cently and in order; but now he had fallen into _bands that wanted things done, and cared very | Pass him out! i * little about decency or order, The move was made without any precon- certed plan of action, and apparently by chance, When Jimmy came dashing out, be threw everything iato confusion. Those on the outside of the semicircle heard little, and were not well pleased with what they did hear. It seemed as though there was a bit of underhanded work going on; and they were ready to stop it at any rice. a What's ther use ter*bother ’bout outsiders?” asked one man. ‘This hyer one we hev, an’ were sure he’s guilty: why don’t they hang him first, an’ then go on with their side-shows? har’s a rope? Are they goin’ ter let him git away? Ther blamed, bloody, woman-killer!” Such cries coming from one and another, were warming the crowd up. When a vacuum was created in front, the mass lately in the rear surged forward, the majority coming to kill if ee got the chance, he pistol-shots inside the house had interested Billy, the guards. and the prisoner himself, Be- fore the latter knew what was on foot he was swept off the porch, away from judgeand escort, and was being marched straight to the outskirts of the town, Behind were left a few soreheaded men who had vainly striven to oppose the voice of the people, ‘* Take it ent gentlemen,” said Neville, when he found breath and a chance to speak, ‘* We may as well go along with some comfort toall of us. There’s nohurry. You won’t do anything until the crowd all arrives, and there are plenty of stragglers already, You needn't be alarmed about losing your prey. There’s no one that will care to interfere when your work is once begun,” ‘* He’s a cool one,” said the man at his right shoulder; while the man at his left called to those in front to slacken their gait a little. There was a rope around North’s neck, and balf a dozen were at the other end. They had not been stepping sedately, and the two that clutched him, one on either side, had been help- ing to drag the prisoner along until they were well nigh breathless, The distance from Jimmy’s to the big oak was not great, and the court that assembled there now was a good deal more to be feared than the one left bebind. Neville saw no hope of escape now. These men had made up their minds, and did not intend to allow an opportunity for them to be altered,. ** Now, then, pards!” exclaimed a burly miner, looking over the crowd, ‘‘I don’t guess thar’s a man hyer ez thinks he ain’t guilty. Ef thar be let him shout out, an’ say his reasons. Be quick, for we ain’t waitin’ too long.” ot a voice was raised. If there had been any doubters they had not come with this crowd. The fact was, it was understood it would not ke a healthy place for them, “That's right then, We're all agreed on that. Hangin’s too good for him, But it won’t do to forget there’s more of ’em in the bushes, Mebbe it’s this man, an’ mebbe it’s that, but we want to know who they are, and all about it. A fel- ler that kin talk an’ won’t talk, kin be made ter talk. Them ez wants ter know how they killed ther gal, an’ who kerried her to Blindman’s Shaft, jest say so,” A general how] of affirmatives answered the question. eS a A a eee Re Oregon, the Sport with a Scar. ** You hear ’em?” asked the miner, turning to Neville, ‘*Ov course it’s a dance on air-at ther end; but, thar’s room ter be ca, ae oncomfortable afore that time comes. Thar won’t be no foolin’, er chin-chin, Are yer ready ter make a clean breast; er shall we put on ther patent ex- tracters, an’ git ther truth anyhow?” ‘**Gentlemen, I know as little as you do about the affair. All I can do is to say this, and throw myself fa the mercy of the court, un- less you are willing to wait until my witnesses can be found, and the whole thing investigated. I swear to you, gentlemen, that I never harmed my cousin in deed or even thought, and—” ‘‘That’s enough! He’s had his chance; now we'll take ours, Bring out the sticks an’ trice him up. [ve seen the fire and brimstone taken out of just such larkies in my time, already,” Neville North grew white—and no blame to him. He had submitted to the inquisition of a court of Brace Box’s citizens; but if he had the gts he would have fallen into such hands allve, It was too late for resistance now; but he could at least meet his fate with coolness, well as he realized its horrible nature, He turned to the self constituted leader. Some one had hastily started a little fire, and the glow illuminated the faces of the two men, so that their eyes could meet, **T have not yet said one word against an in-~ vestigation of my guilt or innocence; I do pro- test against this brutality to a man to whom you have given no chance at all to prove either. There’s sometimes a cae on a sure thing, and I give you warning. If lever have the chance I will shoot you like a dog, and without warn- ing. a Look out, Jack, the kid begins to kick!” The crowd kept quiet long enough to hear the savage threat; and then, casting that bit of ribaldry at the man who had winced in spite of himself at Neville’s declaration, they pressed forward, ‘*Off with his coat, and up with him to the tree! We'll hear another kind of a song by the time the blood begins to run!” North had a new experience then, He had never realized before how easily a dozen strong men, ablaze with excitement, could handle him, Before he had even thought of resistance the coat was torn from his back, a rope was knotted to his wrists and he was anchored eens the tree, his hands drawn high above his ead, ‘* Now, pris ner, here’s your last chance, You hang anyhow; but if you make a clean breast we turn you off aseasy as we can. If you don’t, we tuck on the gad. hat’s your answer?” ‘“*T have already told the court all [ know about the affair, and can say no more. Do your worst.” It was something of a surprise to hear this young tenderfoot talk so firmly; but it never staggered the settled belief of the majority of those there. ‘*That settles it. When you get ready to talk sing out. Stand a little back there, boys, and give room fer the work.” The crowd that had taken its look, bungry, cruel, ravenous look that it was, opened the cir- cle a little, and two men stepped forward with the whips in their hands—long, tough rods, that could beat, and cut, and bruise, all at once, 6é Now 1” r At the signal the rods raised high in the air— and remained susyended, Along the road at breakneck speed came a horseman, If he had shouted be would have made less im- pression, Since he silently devoted all his ener- ies to getting there he must have a good reason or his coming. It was only one man. There was nothing be- hind him, and he was ch intoa mob small but select, that cared very little for human life and whose members were never very careful of their own. As he dashed up he leaned forward in his sad- dle, staring at the figure half suspended from the tree. Then his horse halted at the end of a bound, and the man, with a great leap, swung himself into the beart of the crowd, ‘““Gentlemen!” he said, not raising his voice above an ordinary tone, far enough. Just let this gentleman down, toss him his coat, and then continue your stroll. I don’t remember that I have any further use for ou. . At the sound of his words the rods dropped promptly, and if Neville was not cast loose it was because the rope was securely knotted, and no one was paying any attention to him. The most remarkable thing was that nota man drew a weapon, though a moment before the crowd seemed ready to fight to the death rather than lose its prey. ‘* It?s Kunnel Killer!” was the exclamation of those furthest from him. Those nearer—all but one—looked and said nothing. It was too uncertain what he was going to do. Jack Miller was the only man who did not shrink back as those flashing eyes swept around the circle, and Jack, though he had been taking so prominent a part in the lynching, was com- ‘* This thing has gone. | — GCOF EComicbooks ~ piensa ae a aii =