Beadle's New York Dime Library, No. 545 — page 23: what you’re looking at

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

five shots in rapid succession, firing straight up When he had satisfied his thirst, he mingled Hustler Harry, the Cowboy Sport. 23 -- ‘“* I jest thort ’'d cum in, sol jest come in,” > into the air. with the crowd, On every hand he heard the | he explained, witha smile. ‘‘ Heard thet you The effect was almost magical. men talking of the kidnapped girl and her sup- | galoots was lookin’ right sharp fur me, an’ so L { Within a minute’s time he was surrounded | posed abductor. Pete listened closely to this | called round, Sum of ye hev mighty pvor ) by a score of fellows, all eager to know what | talk, and soon noticed that no one mentioned his | *pinion of me, [I reckon; an’ beer abind me is a the trouble was. As briefly as possible he told | name or that of his comrades in connection with | dockyment w’at says I’m a cuss of low degree. them, andin a remarkably short space of time | this job. Hyer’s my compliments ter thet!” the searchers were scouring the place for the ** He’s kep’ bis word,” muttered the bummer, With remarkable swiftness, he whirled and man who had been branded as an outlaw, “though I don’t see how he dun it. Reckon | drove the knife which he held into the very cen- ; Among those who were aroused by the pistol- | thar bain’t no need fer Rill an’ Cas ter lay low. | ter of the proclamation. The next instant he i shots was Horace Kelnot, who had just re- | Nobody w’u’d jump at’em ef they showed up.” | was facing the crowd again, and he held a heavy | turned to e¢amp with a purty of unsuccessful But the absence of the three men from town | revolver in either hand, j searchers, Noticing that the shots were fired | had been noticed ‘despite the excitement, and ‘ Easy, pards,” he admonished, ‘‘I kin shoot | in the vicinity of Molina’s residence, he at once | the bummer was spotted as soon as he appeared | quicker’n a cat kin wink, an’I shell do itif I made his way in that direction, He came upon | in thesaloon. There were one or two of the | hev ter. Thar won’t be no talky-talk afore IT the excited mine-owner just as Molina sent the | lynx-eyed men of Cimarron who thought and | shoot, nuther. W7’en I begin ter sling lead thar . last man of the crowd skurrying away on the | reasoned for themselves, and they were not | ’ll be be a blood-red haze all over ther room, My hunt. ready to accept everything as truth that was | name’s Hustler Harry, an’ [mer mighty Hard ‘* What is the trouble?” asked the proprietor | mouthed by the multitude, One of these fol- | Nut ter Crack.” { o of the Silver Palace, as he came up. lowed Posey Pete as he sauntered here and there It was plain that the Man from High Notch ** Hello, Kelnot,” cried Molina. ‘‘I am glad to see you just now, The man you have been hunting for was here not more than three min- utes ago.” “ at? Not Hustler Harry?” ““That is the one I mean. By Jupiter! the fellow was bold enough to enter my house.” Handy Horace was amazed, ‘©'You are sure?’ **Sure! Well I should say so! He came into the room where I was and made himself quite at home, He handled me asif I were a child and made me listen to his lies,” ‘* What did he have to say?” ‘‘ Not a word of truth, I will guarantee. He denied everything.” *“Of course. But how did the fellow escape?” through the crowd. Handy Horace was not present. He had gone to report to Molina the failure of the search. Posey Hete listened eagerly to the variety of opinions expressed by the crowd, and his face showed no sign of satisfaction or dismay at what he heard, The man who was shadowing him, seemed disappointed at this, **T may be ’way off,” he muttered to himself, ““That old bum has not the sand to enter upon any such a desperate game himself, nor the brains to devise a plan of action; but Hickory Bill or the Spaniard has pluck enough and some to spare, he bummer was in with themif he had a hand initatall. But there isa guiding power back of the three, and that is where this fellow’s money came, from. Perhaps this was not in a trifling mood, and for a time the entire crowl was awed into inactivity. The cowboy laughed softly as he noted this, but all the while his keen eyes were peering sbarply around in search for some avenue of escape. He saw nothing but a distant window, and the open door beyond the crowd, It seemed as if he was trapped, Suddenly one of the crowd started forward, crying sharply: ** Surrender, you villain!” In an instant, one of Harry’s revolvers was turned upon bim, ‘** Whoa up!” commanded the Man from High Notch. ‘‘Go a leetle slow, pard, if ye don’t want ter run ag’in’ lead. I hain’t surrenderin’ this eve, my posey!” ‘** Held me covered and backed from the | accursedcowboy is the hidden power; perhaps ‘* Whar’s the marshal?” asked some one, . room. He reached the street only a moment in | not.” ‘* Hyer,” was the reply, as Boss Kayford came i advance of me, yet when | came out he had Posey Pete had not been in the saloon more | forward. ‘* Reckon I’m ther man t’ harness this \: q vanished.” than thirty minutes when the door opened and a | hoss, Throw down yer guns, sonny.” . ‘* He shall be captured!” cried Kelnot, ‘By | large, roughly-dressed man, whose features Hustler Harry laughed softly as he brought 4 heavens! I will turn this town into a perfect | were concealed by a mass of red whiskers, en- | one of the revolvers to bear fairly at Kayford’s a hornets’ nest! He shall not escape!” tered. His hat was pulled low down over his | breast, wl Then he turned and dashed swiftly from the ] eyes, so that but a glimpse of them could be ‘*7’m turrible bad "bout takin’ ther bit,” de- street, a revolver in each hand, firing at every chtalned? TbLe man appeared to be a stranger | clared the cowboy. “ As fer drappin’ these hyer "3 jump. in the place. pops—wal, I guess not!” f Into the room strode the stranger glancing **Drav em, ur Tll drap yon,” growled the a CHAPTER XXIX, sharply around, Hisentrance aftracted little | marshal, as he laid his hand on the butt of a re- a, A DESPERATE MAN'S DARING, attention! Although the new-comer appeared | volver. py KELNOT did in truth turn the town into a | lhkea person who would not refuse a drink, he **Oh, no, you won’t!” smiled Harry, ‘I kin ee ** hornets’ nest,” but for all of that, Hustler | did not apprcach the har, stave thet thar top button on yer coat all ter | Harry was not captured. After two hours of The rei-bearded man soon seemed to be at- | pieces afore ye kin git yer gun out. Don’t try yf | searching, the men begun to tire and give up | tracted by the loud talk of a fellow who was | it, pard!” ; ~ the hunt. Kelnot raved and fumed, but he only / surrounded by a throng of listeners. The Kayford saw that the desperate fellow meant : wasted his breath. stranger approached the crowd and listened in | business, and he held his hand. At the same q The men of the camp gathered in the saloons | a manner which seemed to indicate he was not | time he cried to the crowd: J and discussed the recent exciting events, With- | interested very much, **T call on ye all t’ help me take ther critter, ‘oa in the last forty-eight hours the town had wit- The orator in the center of the throng was | "Member ther reward, an’ take kim alive. Reddy oa nessed more excitement than ever before dur- | denouncing Hustler Harry in round terms, for a rush w’en I give ther word,” a ing its short life. ‘Wy, teller-citizens,” be cried, ‘thet thar ‘* Take him alive.” The words gave Hustler ' Hustler Harry was a stranger in Cimarron | galoot waz kicked out o' Slab City fur stealin’ | Harry renewed hope, If no man used a knife 4 and therefore had no friends in the place, Since | ole close not more’n three months ergo.” or a pistol, he felt that his chance of escape was 7, his appearance in the camp, events had con- ‘** How d’ye know thet, Joe?” asked one, ood. “a spired to place him in a very bad light. Molina ‘“*Know it? repeated the speaker, casting a “*Close the door, an’ guard the windows!” : and Kelnot were two of the most influential | scornful look toward the questioner, ‘‘ How | added Kayford. q men in the town, apd when they pronounced | do I know ennythin’ a tall? Didn’t I cum The time had come for action, The door must ‘2 against a man, the majority of the citizens rose | frum Slab City ter this hyer burgh? Didn’t I | not be closed. A up and denounced him, see ther durned cow-puncher kicked out mer- With a wild yell, Hustler Harry charged on “te But if Hustler Harry had no friends, Molina | self?” the crowd. Boss Kayford stood’ in his path. and Kelnot had enemies. Molina’s foes, the ‘*Thort you sed this mornin’ thet ye never sot | Harry knew that no time must be lostin a z greater part of them, were rough fellows who | eyes onter him afore t’other night?” struggle with the powerful marshal, Up into = | had once been in his employ and lost their ‘“Did I? Wull, I must ’a’ plum’ fergot, | the air he leaped, sailing fairly over Kayford’s ee | tions through their own negligence or reck- | Reckon I took too much stumach ‘ile arter | head! essness, He hadi one or two foes wko had met | breakfist.” Such ear-splitting yells as pealed from the - defeat at his hands in certain battles over mining The red-bearded man surveyed the speaker | cowboy’s lips bad never been heard in the Silver ie | property. Kelnot’s enemies were of two classes, | closely as if be desired to know him when they } Palace Saloon before. Harry appeared like a oe I There were honest, respectable men who dis- | met again, then he walked slowly away from | madman as he came rushing toward the sur- ail | trusted the proprietor of the Silver Palace, and | the little knot. prised throng, and in an instant there was a a he was also disliked by many of the rougher} Here and there in various parts of the room | general rush to get out of the way. This some 4 | class, But no one was bola enough to express | men were talking together, and the subject of | failed to do, i: | his dislike openly. ; their conversation was almostinvariably Hustler Down before Hustler Harry’s iron fists went ns : Despite the fact that Kelnot had told Molina | Harry. On every hand he heard the most un- | two or three, and almost before any one could . : that he should instruct the searchers to capture | complimentary remarks made about thestrange | realize that he was escaping from the entire % | | Hickory Bill and his companions, he did not do | cowboy. crowd, he shot out through the doorway and As! | so, Hickory Bill or Casper did not venture to Finally the red-bearded man paused in front | was gone! ta L appear in Cimarron, but during the evening the | of the bulletin which proclaimed Hustler Har- ra old toper, Posey Pete, stole slyly into the Silver Palace. The crowd was eagerly discussing the recent exciting events, and Pete’s entrance was not noticed. With a cat-like step, the old bummer approached the bar, and laying down a piece of money, called for liquor, The barkeeper glanced at the money in amaze- ment. It was a most astonishing thing for the old toper to have anything with which to fora drink, He usually beat his drinks out of whoever he could. Pete noticed the barkeeper’s look of amaze- ment, and hastened to say: ‘* Oh, it’s good, ole fel. No lead "bout thet,” “ That’s all right; but where did you get it” The bummer drew himself up as if he felt his dignity insulted. ‘Don’t reckon I’ve got ter count ter you fer every cent I git,” he observed, stiffly. ‘ Its thar, hain’t it?” “Tt spneat to be.” ‘* Wal, sot out ther forty-rod.” With an amused laugh, the dispenser of liquid refreshments complied. Pete seized the lake ry an outlaw and offered a reward for his capture. Slowly, word by word, the stranger seemed to spell out the lettering on the large sheet of paper, picking his teeth carelessly with a big knife, which he had drawn from bis sheath at his belt, ‘Wat d’ ye think o’ it, pard?” It was Posey Pete’s voice, and as he asked the question the bummer brought bis hand down vigorously on the shoulder of the stranger. In some way the bummer’s fingers caught in that red-beard, and lo! it was jerked from the large man’s face, The next instant be whirled and knocked Posey Pete twice his length. “‘ Hustler Harry!” The cry weat up from two scores of throats, The cowboy was before them! With a cool, half-scornful smile on his face, the Man from High Notch bowed mockingly, ‘“*Thet’s my handle,” he acknowledged, his voice cool and even, ‘“‘ I’m hyer, big as life an’ twice as natteral.” Posey Pete scrambled to his feet, rubbing his head, and muttering: ‘“*Durn "tall, pard; w’at fur ye want ter do | CHAPTER XXX, * RESCUED—BY WHOM? THERE were some decidedly crestfallen and disgusted people in Cimarron City that night. For the second time Hustler Harry escaped. He had appeared in their midst and left his de- fiance in the shape of a knife piercing the very center of the bulletin which proclaimed him an outlaw, And in the morning the people of the camp found something which increased their excite- ment still more—in fact, placed the whole town at fever heat. | Upon the door of the Silver Palace was tacked a large sheet of thick brown paper, upon which, ing: “HUSTLER HARRY’S DEFIANCE, ““ MEN OF CIMARRON:— “You have proclaimed me an outlaw, and I am an outcast from your midst. From this time your hands are against me and Thaxetncen ou. We e shall see who will conquer. IT hav e battle in earnest, and you shall learn that I am not un- lettered with a marking-brush, was the follow- — and Me op and as he turned out the liquor, ob- as now?” chic titehe. ee a bis tho of = z served: : or a moment the crowd seemed spell-bo mo a ‘Never mind ther change, I'll take it out in | with amazement, Hustler Harry rirtetie pounced TT a ata ee this hyer.” ' chance to speak, * Curer oF THE Rep Heart BROTHERHOOD,” ET ene mene Eomicboo S7com AL e oes ho