Beadle's New York Dime Library No. 533 — page 5: what you’re looking at

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

=. Oregon, the Sport with a Scar. just at a level when a harsh, rasping voice croaked: “* Han’s ups Jimmy! Turn a spoke, an’ you bet yer croak.” ‘** Han’s are up,” returned Jimmy the driver. ** You jest got er puddin’, ‘Hoop in yer work so I kin hustle along. This hyar cargo are = . Short hoss, an’ you kin curry it jest too uick. Me Yer keep yer han’sup, and yer blame mouth shut tell some ’un wants yer ter chipper. This are all our say-so, an’ I reckon we kin find out the vally ov our band, Now, then, you inside! What yer goin’ ter do?” ‘I think we have got you, Mr. Gadley,” was the swift retort. ** Whether we have or whether we haven't don’t make any difference, I’m going to shoot anyhow, You move and you’re dead.” he man outside at the window did not under- stand about the coincidence, and it seemed to him that the drop had been caught on him quick- er than he could think. It was a sure thing that if the revolver looking him in the face should go off, he would go down, : Nevertheless he made the best of an awkward position. ** Yer don’t give us much chance ter put on ther perlite line ov frills, When yer come at ns that ways we hey ter talk with ther bark on from ther word go, Tl jest hev ter take my chances, an’ the rest ov ther boys ‘ll clean up ther hearse, Pitch them shooters out, an’ step down an’ out, er they'll bea dead young man afore you kin count twenty.” ‘Pd be willing to bet two to one that the dead young man won’t be on the inside then. Come, now, Pll gamble four to one that if you press this game you die, Hands up, you, or down goes your building.” ‘* Up they are, my son; but you are laying up a heap of trouble fur that lady with yer in ther coach, ter say nothin’ ov yerself. Thar’s half _ er dozen ov ther boys goter bead on ther coach, an’ ez soon ez they see thar’s no chance fur me, they’ll begin ter punch it full ov holes, Thar’s jest one thing dead sure; [ won’t go over ther range aloue. I ain’t keerin’ fur you, an’ [ don’t kick fur myself. But I feel jest too sorry for ther young lady ez are along with er. ** Don’t deat about ber, but confine your re- grets to yourself, in case you are going to try to interfere. Say, there, you Jimmy! Lay on the braid, and take us through. It’s no use to be fooling around here!” As Merry May’s voice to the driver rung out, the road-agent’s voice was also raised. ‘“ Take’em, boys! Tl run ther chances!” The words were not well out of bis mouth when Merry May’s pistol cracked. At the same time there was arush on the other side of the coach, a chorus of yells, and a violent plunge, as Jimmy, with more courage than he had been receiving credit for, brought his whip down ina long, stinging sweep, that touched leaders and wheelers alike. The man at the door bad his bands already up. At the snot he simply pitched stiffly to the ground. Before he touched ita stream of fire began to pour out of the other window, to which May had turned the instant she first pulled trig- er. ‘: The defense was not an instant too soon, The outlaws had been creeping up on the unprotect- ed flank, and several hands were reaching for the dvor when Jimmy started his teams. It was touch and go, but the stage rolled on, two or three men dropped away from it with shrieks or groans, as Merry May, cool as an ice- berg, sent them crashing down, and as the speed of the horses increased to a mad run, under the vigorous application of the whip, there was only one chance for the discomfited road agents. That chance two or three of them were anx- ious to take, They were already raising their hands, when up from the ground sprung the spokesman, who had fallen at May’s first fire, ** Hold hard toar, allov yer! Ther fu’st man that picks trigger goes ter kingdom glory! Yer > me speakin’é ; “ah front of them all he rushed with outstretch- ed hands, and a mad look on his countenance, such as they did not care to face, ‘Thar ain’t coin ernuf in ther outfit ter pay fur ther wu’th ov ther gal ef arything happened toher, Hold yer bush, now; our time’ll come by an’ by.” The road-agents slunk back and the stage dashed on, For once Captain Gadley had missed in his swoop; but he or his representative was willing to bide his time, CHAPTER V. NEVILLE NORTH IS HEARD FROM, THE stage went bounding along at a rate that would have baffled the pursuit of any one not well-mounted. The horses were so near to making a clean runaway that at the end of a mile or so Jimmy became more anxious to check their speed than to distance the outlaws, He pulled steadily on the reis, gradually increased the pressure of the brake, and spoke in what he intended sbould be a soothing tone. To his relief the horses yielded to his control just in time to slacken their pace before reach- | ing a dangerous turn in the road, though they went around the Devil’s Bend at rather an un- comfortable speed. “Very well done, Jimmy!” said the voice of Merry May, and that young lady looked out at the window, : ‘‘Make your schedule now. Bring us into Brace Box safely on time, and I'll see that you’re a century better off for the risks you ran, It’s not every driver that would have answered up as you did,” ‘*Thankee, marm,” answered Jimmy, without looking down. ‘They say we feilers ain’t willin’ fur to do nothin’ but drive. Dog-gone ’em, we’re ready ter do our level best ef wesees a show; but thar ain’t no sense in gittin’ plugged fur nothin’, I’ve got me han’s full jist now, an’ can’t do much talkin’, Sut I'll tell yer more what I thinks later on. I won’tsay Pll earn it, but if ye’r’ goin’ ter give a wiadered orphin, wo’t’s lost bis wife, a extry hundred when yer ’rives safe at Brace Box, all I’ve got ter say are, you bet you'll git thar. Stiddy now, will yer? Glang!” Jimmy’s attention returned to bis team, while Merry May’s went back to her companion in the coach. : Miss North had remained very quiet and somewhat pale throughout the trouble with the road-agents, She was unused to such scenes, and did not know how to lend a belping hand. But she understood that Merry May had beaten off the attack, and so expressed the gratitude she felt. “That's allright, It was number one I was looking after, all the time. They were the easiest gang to handle that ever J saw. It strikes me they wee a little too easy, There was no one killed, or even very badly wounded, If they had had it in fer us at all bad, and had the pluck of a mouse, they could have got away with our luggage ip style.” ** You will foreign! blame them for letting us get away?” asked Viola, with a smile. ‘* No; but it looks confounded bad. They’re not the chaps to be scared off by a few flesh wounds, They were looking after your safety —or mine, Confound them! I wish I knew which one they were after! You can bet a dol- lar, and be safe as a church if you wager that one or the other of us will see them again, and that before very long. You don’t know of any- body in Brace Box willing to pay big money to keep you from getting there?” “ With the exceptions of Neville and a man who goes by the name of Oregon I am afraid I know no one at all there; and I certainly can- not see how any one could know me, much less be interested in causing my absence, No, no! believe it was simply an attempt at plunder. When they found that there was more danger than dollars they fell back.” ; May looked at the speaker a little sharply as she listened, but did not utter the words that were on her tongue. On the contrary she roi Ni carelessly and snapped her finger and thumb, ‘‘Kasy as that, wasn’t it? And they call Captain Gadley a thoroughbred? My, oh ad What a joke on the boss ruffian; Jimmy will just do himself proud in tbe telling of it; and | wouldn’t wonder if I blew my own horn considerably, They'll think we’re holy horrors, We're safe enough now, for they never show up, nearer than this to Brace Box, and you have a clear road or I’m very much mistaken,” May hit the truth exactly, since there were no more interruptions, The stage rolled into Brace Box at about the usual time, and drew up in front of the hotel where Neville had been stop- ping. Jimmy Bower was out with his customary promptness, and held out his hand to assist Miss Viola to alight ‘* Bin lookin’ fur ye, miss, Hev yer room all slick ter rights, an’ you'll find Jim Bower don’t keep no slouch ov a place, Yer gripsack? Ov course. Hyaritbe! Any other baggage? No. Wal, jest fcller me right in, Ther queen ov Sheba never see’d a bed like it,” He caught BP oe traveling-bag and turned away. Before Viola had a chance to get ina word edgeways she bad passed through the portal, and was following the landlord along the narrow hallway. She had several times tried to question him, but was always choked off about the second word, Perhaps it would have been so to the end of the chapter if she had not planted herself firmly, at the door of her room, _.‘* Before I goa step further I wish to know, if my cousin, Captain North, is stopping with you? It seems very strange that he is not here to meet. me.” “Strange! Why, strange are no name fur it. Thar’s his room; thar's his plunder; thar’s everything but him, hisself. He vent out one night fur a stroll; an’ sure ez preachin’, he’s furgot ter come back yit, But, he’ll be long. He’s bound ter come; Solid Sam’s on ther war- ath, ter fetch him; an’ what Sam says goes—ef it’s in three halves an’ a dozen quarters.” Viola bad felt a premonition of evil, so that the not very clear statement of Mr. Bower was not as great a shock as might have been ex- pected. She questioned him with a coolness 5 that he had not thought she would possess; and so attained tbe history of what had happened at the Bower, the previous evening, with far greater minuteness than Jimmy had yet given it ** And this man, Oregon; what was he doing while all this happened? What has he been do- ing since?” * He got thar jest after ther lights went out. Him an’ Sam hez bin lookin’ ’round fur a trail ever sence; but I can’t hear ez they’ve found one, They do say ez they jest turned ther Bower upside down, an’ them a-kerryin’ a shooter ineach band. They didn’t find nothin’ ez I’ve heard ov. Ef you'll take it kinder easy till yer gits through with supper mebbe I kin find ’em an’ bring ’em in, They kin tell yer a heap bet- ter what’s bin goin’ on. Beggin’ yer pardon, miss, [ jest run this hyar hotel, and don’t take much ’count ov what’s ter pay at them rum- mills,” “Very well. Try and find Oregon. I need supper soon, as you suggest. If I tried to do anything without it [ fear I would break down, This has been a trying day. That will do.” She allowed Bower to escape—which he seem- ed very glad to do—and entered her room, clos- ing the Sor behind her, If Jimmy had been listening a moment later, he might have been concerned for the health or safety of his guest. Fortunately, he hed moved fairly out of hearing of the low cry that Viola uttered when she saw, limply lying in the one chair in the apartment, the figure of a man, The cry was given in spite of herself, and it was not repeated. Already there seemed to be something familiar about the figure. She bold- ly advanced toward it, though it would have been no great wonder if she had been more alarmed than ever at finding in her room Ne- ville North, haggard, weak, and his clothes de- cidedly the worse for wear, The entrance of Viola bad not startled him, and when he recognized ber he did not seem surprised. ‘* ‘You are kere, are you} See that the door is shut. I didn’t think I would be able to meet yon; but, ’'m bere, on time, after all, and not much harm done, ‘When I get rested a bit, and surround a square meal, 1 think I shall be able to leave Brace Box, in the first boat. I’ve had enough of this camp, and no mistake.” In the outset the voice was lowand uncertain, but it gathered strength as he went along. The last sentence came out so round and full that there certainly could be no discount on his earnestness, Viola was sympathetic; and yet there was a, by ber, unsuspected tinge of scorn in her voice as she spoke: **So soon? I warned you that it was no child’s play, but you pepe you could succeed where men who were bred to the most desperate work had failed. It is early in the game for you to quit, but itis littl more than I expected. At least, you will tell me what has happened be- fore oo go?” *“You are right. They have broken my nerve between them at the very outset, but— perhaps I can mend it, so that it will be stronger than ever. I am not myself. Twenty-four hours without food or drink—water never tast- ed so sweet as that I gulped a few moments ago —sbakes a man’s conceit out of him. When I have filled the aching void, perhaps I will be more like myself,” ‘*Twenty-four hours! Wait a moment. I can help you; and it will be just as well that ou keep out of sight until some of that patch- ing is done, Do not move. I will be ready ina moment,” She opened her gripsack hastily. In one of the compartments there was a lunch that had been a little too solid for her delicate tastes; but was just about the thing for a superlatively hungry man. The cold meat and biscuit that she set before the young man disappeared in a twinkling, while half a dozen generous mouthfuls from her traveling flask helped wonderfully to steady his nerves, ‘“There, no more!” he said, at length, “I have had all that it is safe to wish for, [am afraid I made an idiot of myself, a bit ago; but, the fact was, I was all broke up. I can assure you that while the danger lasted I kept as stiff an upper lip as could be desired,” ‘* But what was the danger?” ‘“*T heard that idiot who runs this concern mooning to you about my mysterious disappear- ance, As far as he went the facts were not so far wrong. You ought to beable to suspect. Some one is interested in preventing the success of our mission, and made a very healthy effort to put a stop to it in the very send-off. ** A very well-posted set of rascals they are; and the wonder to me is that, knowing so much of the inside facts in the case, they should not have begun with you! When I found whata would get into Brace Box alive. I doubt if you would have done so had they known of your coming.” ‘* You are mistaken, there, Neville,” retorted Viola, quietly. : The young man was speaking as though it was ee ay mess I was in, I vow I never thought that you © Gomilecbooks