Beadle's New York Dime Library No. 533 — page 9: what you’re looking at

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

ee ee Oregon, the Sport with a Scar. ee a could do her no good just then. so sudden and well planned that there was no chance for resistance, For a very brief season there was a confused knowledge of struggling violently but in vain. After that was a blank, ‘‘ When her senses came wandering back she | might bave thought herself stillin front of . Morrison’s cabin had she allowed her eyes to re- main closed. She knew, however, that though the heavy shadows had lurked there, the gulch was no such darksome place as this in which she found The attack was | self out of avery bad box. herself, and there was hardly such an easy seat as this she rested in to be found just outside of tbe shanty. Where was she? The work had been so artisti- cally done that the comical side of the question struck her first. ‘“Ha, ha! If ever put on side again, or give | myself airs before a tenderfoot, male or female, it will be after I have made a new record from afresh start. At my time of life this thing is disgraceful and that’s the double distilled truth, I suppose they have gone through my pockets, if they haven’t [ll take a look at things anyhow. I may be able to catch on to my surroundings,” | It was something of asurprise to find the taper | matches just where they belonged. Striking a light she looked around, groan, more in earnest than the mockery that she tried to put into it, testified that the surroundings were not as choerful as might be desired, The simple fact was, she was ina | very good imitation of a dungeon, | A careful inspection showed no weak spot, or | salient point for attack, Though it might be possible to make her escape she rather preferred taking time to lay her plans, Very little could be accomplished for the present, and if she bad ore before it could do her a particle of good, Groaning would hardly improve the condition of affairs, and Merry May seldom did anything in which there was neither profit nor pleasure. She quietly lit a cigarette, and suffered herself | to sink back in her easy-chair. The rings of | smoke curled lazily up, and in the darkness all that could be seen was a aR red spot of fire, She was soon quite herself again, and did not move or wince when suddenly and unexpectedly, a hand was laid on her shoulder, ‘* Well, little one, does the prospect grow interesting?” ‘*Take your hand off me, sir. There, keep your distance or [ll begin to shoot, Your servants, I see, have been so kin« as to leave my derringers, and I assure you that I’know how to handle them.” **Of course, you do, my daisy; but I know you’re not wasting good lead on any one but an enemy; and I’m your solid friend, If you don’t believe it look in my eyes, I think you can read enough there to make you believe I’m the express champion of all your sex, have been saved, and you would have kept your- Now, what does that delectable pair want? [Pm not talking so much about the cub, for he’s bad clean through; but Viola ought to be an honest sort of a girl, | and I’d be willing to listen to her if it wasn’t for the others in the distance,” ‘* You can’t ever prove it by me till I get bet- ter points; but it’s something about a big for- tune—a million more or less—and a streak of justice that she thinks you deserve, They didn’t confide very deeply in your humble servant, but Merry May wouldn’t be herself if she couldn’t get one eye on the hole in the millstone, and tell pretty nearly what was on the other side,” ‘* Hum!” said the young man, reflectively. ‘* There’s various kinds of justice that an in- dividual of my general appearance might receive —some of them might be peaches and cream to take, and some fire and brimstone, You couldn’t define the term a little closer, I suppose.” ‘You are a cool one, anyhow. If yowreever in want of a job I’d advise you to hire out as a boss to Gadley’s Geng, I’m sorry I can’t be more definite; for suspicions can hardly go,” és Everything goes—shoes, stockings and all, Spit them out,” ‘‘ Why not see the young lady, herself?” “Why, confound it! ain’t I trying? This is the third or fourth effort for a little private con- versation; and they don’t pan out worth a cent.” ‘* Well, I can’t say for certain; but I think— mind you, I only think—that if [was a young man of eminently respectable birth and fitted to adorn society, but was run out of civilization by a charge of murder, bank-robbery, or some other standard crime, and some one came along to say that there was proof that it was alla ac , mistake, and that there wasa snug little fortune a visitor soon, that little would most likely be | waiting for the rightful heir if he would onl come home, be a good boy, and do so no more, | wouldn’t waste much time getting up a new crop of disabilities. Id be like Captain Scott's coon, and come down at once. That’s the gos- pel according to ete May, and if you are wise you will get Viola North to expound it as soon as possible. She may be a fool, or she may not; that’s for her to know, and you to find out. As I don’t see how I can be of any further use, [ think I may as wellretire. If you are a good boy, P’ll allow you toescort me to Jimmy Bow- er’s hotel, where you might make further in- quiries,” ‘* You are getting along finely-—in your mind. Unfortunate y, I don’t see my way clear as yet. The young man pulled thoughtfully at his mustache, and eyed his vis-a-vis in a way that she did not altogether admire, as he finally con- tinued: **T like your frankness, and there is a certain freshness about you that would be too sweet for anything, if it was played on another victim. Can’t you see that if there has been no mistakes made in all this guessing and supposing, that if “There, show a glim, somebody, and let the | Iam Cyril North, you know entirely too much damsel get her bearings!” | She was answered in a careless, laughing voice, but the hand was withdrawn; and at the order for my future peace of mind? What can I do with you?” ‘**T can’t see just why you are compelled to do to some one in the background the cell became | anything—except to turn me loose.” suddenly illuminated, With his arms folded, and a smile on his hand- some face, stood Neville North’s very double; if, indeed, it was not that gentleman himself, ** You know me, no doubt?” was his salutation, ‘* Excuse me! I suspect that you are a fe- male member of the widely-known circle of chevaliers Windustrie, If I was worth a mil- lion, you wonld know bow to approach it to do yourself the most good. ‘Give me ten thou- when he saw that Merry May gave something | sand or I'll ventilate your record around Brace very like a start of recognition, ‘“ It was somewhat inconvenient for me to grant you this interview; but when a lady, you know—a real dyed in the wool, broadcloth clad | lady—comes in such royal state, private matters must go to the wall. Iam at her service.” The sneer on his lips, as his eyes ran over the little lady’s disguise, might have brought a flush to her cheeks if she had held the man in higher esteem; but she was just as cool as she an- swered: ‘‘T can’t say that 1 have ever had the pleasure of counting you into the circle of my numerous acquaintances, but it is possible I might give a uess and not come a hundred miles off from hitting who you really are. If you’re not Cyril North who are you?” i ‘* [ don’t know that I am that Gentleman, and I don’t know but thatI am. If I am, what do you want of me?” : : ‘“ What do J want? Nothing atall. I’m just throwing the cards around fora friend. [ve no more idea of how they run, or whether it’s a stocked deck or a skin game, than if I was the man in the moon. But if you are the young man named, and want to hear of something to our advantage, I can put you into communica- tion with the individuals that desire to do the talking.” ‘¢ Glad to see that you speak the truth when it serves you better than something else, I thought there must be a mistake somewhere, Viola ‘North is a very fascinating young lady, but she can’t strike your gait to save a distance. So you were only looking for Cyril North’s hiding- place. Pity you didn’t say so up in that blamed old cripple’s shanty. I wouldn't have had to listen longer to hear some miscellaneous black- guarding of yours truly, and this folderol might * tT Box. ” ‘* Bless my soul! I didn’t know that you hada record,” ‘*That would not be hard to learn, You _know entirely too much, and it will require time to think the matter over. As Mrs. North —you are doubtless np ae for the position— your teeth would be drawn, If you were a corpse, you could tell no tales. I must think it all out, though I assure you that you will only go out of this as one or the other,” ‘* And poor Viola? Do you think she intends to visit this sin-cursed country for nothing? It’s not likely that she will make all this journey for the sake of getting me a spouse—even if I was willing to accept the worse alternative of the two. And neither of us aro willing to domicil- iate in Utah. Go a little slow, Cyril. Handle me with care if you don’t want to stumble across your last sickness,” _ You can threaten, can you, little one? I like you better when you are jesting, But don’t obtrude Viola too much, It’s only cutting away the ground from under your own chances, If [ turn to her, of course it makes your disap- pearance an absolute necessity.” ** Now, see bere, Cyril, I’ve a derringer in each hand, and the hammers back. At this distance, before you could move a finger, I could put two chunks of Jead through the big- ness of a silver dollar, I’ve practiced shooting from my pockets till I have it down very fine, If you’re going in for all this nonsense you are talking about, what’s to hinder my laying you carefully away out of the damp, and then take my chances on what comes next? Eh! Talk sense, will you, or come off of the roof.” ** Firstly, because you are a child of sense and must suspect, if you doa’t know, that back of ‘ | | — = the door there’s a gang that would make mince- meat of you if you performed any such experi- ments, There’s no money for you in my death, and you just have pluck enough to belicve that as long as the worst don’t strike you, there’s something better in the good time comin;:. **Secondly, as my boys are not natural born idiots, they extracted your teeth when (hey re- moved the cartridges from the aforesaid der- ringers while you were in the land of dreams,” ‘*Reasoned like a Philadelphia lawyer, ex- cept that you’re wide off everywhere. I can make more coin in one night, flipping tl e peste. boards, than mussing over you for a month; and as for my derringers—don’t you think I bad brains enough to load them again wirn I found them empty? Hands up, Cyril deur, or Pll bore you through!” There was a vicious snap in her last wods, as she tossed them at him, that convinced 1 lie man they carried sense as well as sound, If he did not elevate his digits he thrust them cut, so that it was plain to be seen they were ot try- ing to work any harm, while he made nv other motion, ‘*There’s always a chance that a woman can tell the truth, and Pll give you a minute or two to convince me that is what you are givirg me now. If you haven’t done it in that time, Dll take my departure, and you can try to invent something fresh against my return, It’s not very likely the boys would overlook any stray cartridges you might have in your pocket,” “Its the unlikely that always happens, Here’s asample. You can estimate the size of my pop-guns by the dimensions of the bullet, A nice hole it would make, Catch it!” Merry May never moved her eyes or her right hand; but she drew her left from the side- pocket, where it had rested and gave a toss, Under the circumstances it was natural for the movement to be a little awkward, and Cyril North could see that the cartridge would not reach the hand that he threw up, though he was not caring greatly. He thought he saw his chance to place himself at least on an even foot- ing, and the movement to catch was intended only as a blind, while bis other hand swung back in search of his own revolver. His motion seemed quick enough too; but Merry May was in a hurry. Sbe sprung side- ways just as the missile struck the floor, hen there was pretty plain evidence that it was no ordinary cartridge she cast. There was a little crash, followed by a sudden vi lunecf loud smelling smoke. It was a leaf right out sf Chinese warfare. More than once beloie she had successfully played the cuttlefish; avi the device did not altogether fail her now, ‘lhere were double pockets to her coat, and in the hasty search while she was insensible her reserve ammunition had been overlooked. There was just one shot before the room ut- terly darkened with smoke; and that shot flew wide of its mark. A deathly sickness overcame — the man as Merry May flew at him with clubbed derringers—coming from the side where she was unexpected, and striking with a fierce vigor unlooked for in her seemingly slender fre me, Once, twice she struck, and then dashed at the door, CHAPTER X, THE GAME AT THE HOLE IN THE GROUND, OREGON sauntered leisurely into Ki’ Glove Hank’s Hole in the Ground, just as much at home there as though he was a denizen «of the pare» and the room was full of his friends, In reality he had hardly spoken to a soul present, and was aware that the place had an unsavory reputation even in Brace Box, . n a business way Hank himself was bad enough, and if he protected his weaker patrons it was more on account of his love for a row than sympathy for them, The Hole wis a bad place for a man to set up claim to be a chief; and not a very good place to go unless he was one, The room was tolerably dark with tobacco smoke, and reeking with the scent of wicotine and bad whisky. ank leaned against the bar with his arms folded, watching bis cherubs ina possessory sort of way, while his assistants passed out the liquid lightning as it was called for, There were plenty of men Aig poker, cucher, and the like, at the rough little tables aroun the sides of the room, and a good many tnore were scattered around the floor, or clustered in little knots all the time circulating toward the bar and then back again, As it was comparatively early, those present were generally sober, anda man like Oregon could stroll through the room without attracting much attention. He looked as though be might be something of the same sort, and nof alto- gether healthy to meddle with. Neville North would have probably been received with more serious inspection if he h gaucherie of drinking by himself. Perhaps there was another reason why he was left unmolested by word oract. Just at that moment all the unattached began a move in one particular direction, while more than one of the short card-players looked up anxiously, as— though willing to join the rush, There was a long table at the end of the bar, JOO (E(O) AMC perpetrated the © (S.C le es GS y Bal Liked a thn , ae ee ee = ele ed se Wed ~ me me eae >