Beadle's Dime Library No. 562 — page 20: what you’re looking at

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

oe _ Greervilleon any monkey the cowboys outfit ready, and if they dare to come inter business I will make 20 Lone Hand, the Shadow. ‘Sure as ye’r’? born! He was ' ust getting | Hand remarked, to which the marsbal returned you on a string, stranger, and don’t you ferget | a confident ‘* Bet yer life!” and the interview it!” ‘*Maybe he was, but he seemed to be all right.” ‘*That is bis way allers! It comes easier for him to lie than it does to tell the truth!” the cowboy declared. ‘** Oh, well, if that is the case, I will not bother i with the affair, but [ thought that with a man who was posted a stake might be made,” and after this observation the Lone Hand took his the jailer and again the card game went on, CHAPTER XXIV. ON THE WATCH, In the street the Lone Hand stopped to ex- | change a few words with the marshal. “Did you succeed in gitting anything out of him?” Bud McCracken asked. ** Not a thing!” ‘‘Wa-al, I didn’t reckon you would,” the marshal remarked. ‘* You see, stranger, the thing is jest as I told yer, George Hardacre picked a quarrel with you out of pure deviltry —thar is no other name for it, and when you licked him so durned badly he made up his mind to git squar’ with you if it took a leg!” ** That was natural, | suppose, under the cir- cumstances,” ** Oh, yes, ’most any man would have felt in that way, and I reckon he made a bee line for his pard for to git him to help to squar’ up with ‘* Well, the attack on me by the cowboy was so entirely unprovoked that I had a suspicion that Hardacre might bave been set on by some- one, though it was am Ussink why any one would want to do it, seeing that [ was a stranger—in the town, and have not been here long enough to make any enemies,” ‘*Oh, no, thar wasn’t anything of that kind!” the official declared, ‘‘I told you that before you went in to see the galoot, I knew you wouldn’t git anything out of him, ’cos why, thar wasn’t nothing to get.” ‘That is certainly a good strong reason.” ‘*Thar’s no mistake ’bout it, It was all pure deviltry, I tell ye. Hardacre told you that thar was big money to be made by going arter the Red Wolves, ’cos he knew tbe odds were big that you wouldn’t have anything to do with it, and then he would have an excuse to pick a fuss with you. That was his littl game. He wanted a fight.” ‘Well, he succeeded in getting it,” the Lone Hand remarked with a quiet smile. This remark appealed forcibly to the mar- shal’s sense of humor, and he “baw, haw’d!” right out. ‘* Yes, you bet he did—got it red-hot, too, right off the griddle! I don’t reckon that thar ever was aman in this hyer county of Greer who made a bigger mistake!” ** How about the prisoner—do you think you will be able to keep him all right?” “Oh, yes, thar won't be vo difficulty "bout that?’ the marshal assented, confidently. ‘I know the calaboose is not so strong as it might be, but Black Jack will stay inside with bim, and I am going to puta couple of men as guards to keep watch outside,” ** Do you think that there is any danger of the | ket, be left the apartment through the window; ‘as it happened, the room was on the opposite cowboys making a raid on the town during the night for the purpose of rescuing the man?” the Lone Hand asked, “Oh, no, they wouldn’t try any sich game as that!” ** But such things have been done,” the man- hunter urged. ** Yes, that is so, but thar isn’t any danger of the game being worked hyer—not to-nigbt, any- how,” the marshal replied, full of confidence. ‘*] suppose you calculate that there has not _ been time for the cowboys to talk the thipg over and make arrangements for a raid?” ‘* That is the way I reckon.” ‘‘Butif such a gama was to be worked, the quicker it was worked the better.” ‘Yes, that is true, but, stranger, yon don’t know these cowboys as well as I do,” the mar- shal remarked in a patronizing way. ‘I have lived right among ’em for years, and I reckon no man in this byer State of Texas knows ’em any better tban I do; I know’em from A to _ izzard, and when the galoots go in to work a trick of this kind, they always doa heap of chin- _ ning afore they git good and ready, In three or four days thar might be danger of tha’r git- ting up a surprise party, and dusting inter tbe town for to git tha’r pard out of the calaboose, but you kin bet yer sweet life that I will have plenty of warning that something is up, and gobs of time to get ready for them.” ** Ah, yes, I suppose so; you ought to know.” “You bet! I’m no tenderfoot!” “It is not advisable then to raise a force to guar! the jail?” **Oh, no!” the official declared, emphatically. “‘No use turning the town upside down until begin to growl, then I will git an it warm for them, you bet! | ended, The man-bunter proceeded toward the hotel, sauntering along slowly, and carefully examin- ing the surroundings as he went. The Lone Hand noted this and a scornful smile curled his lips. ‘* If this precious pair take a few more drinks a nice condition they will be in by midnight to af a vigilant watch!” he exclaimed. ardly had this observation left bis lips when The moon was coming up so there was light | along came Whispering Ben, and he, too, stop- enough. ‘*Tf this man was only a common cowboy the marshal might be correct in hia surmise that it would take three or four days to get his com- rades started, but if he is one of the outlaw band departure; bis place was speedily supplied by | —one of the Red Wolves of Wichita, as I sus- pect, it is certain that the rest of the gang will | | | | | > a — —— lose nu time in coming to his assistance, and I think the chances are fully a hundred to one that the attempt to rescue him will be made to- night, despite the marshal’s belief to the con- trary, and so I will be on the watch, for if the Red Wolves do come I may be able to pick up some valuable information,” Having come to this determination the Lone Hand made a circuit around the calaboose so as to ascertain all the particulars in regard to the surroundings, The building was situated near tbe upper end of the town, there being only three houses beyond, and in the rear of it extended the prairie. . ‘* About as easy a place to get at as [ ever saw,” the Lone Hand remarked. ‘‘And if a party of rescuers succeeded in getting the pris- oner out, and on the back of a horse, with that rairie so bandy, all the men in Greeryville, or in reer county for that matter, could not prevent the man from getting off. . ‘“Tt will not be a difficult job to capture the two men on guard, if the affair is worked rightly,” the man-hunter mused. ‘‘ And when they are secured the worst part of the work is over.” The Lone Hand slowly made his way back to the point from which he had started, making a complete circle. ‘“ Now then for a hiding-place, so that I will be able to witness the proceedings,” he mut- tered, Directly across the way from the calaboose was asmall corral which was almost in ruins, the house to which it was attached having burn- ed to the ground. Making a detour so as to enter the corral from the rear—this movement performed so that his proceedings would not be likely to at- tract the attention of any one passing by at the | moment—the Lone Hand made a survey of the | premises, —— ee ee ee | | | ped to bave a word with the guards, The Lone Hand glanced at his watch; it wanted only a few minutes to midnight. The words of Whispering Ben came distinctly to his ears. * Well, gentlemen, you bave a weary time ahead of vou, and you have my sym} athy!” he exclaimed. ‘* Duty is duty, you know!” responded one of the guards, and his voice showed that he was well under the influence of liquor. “That is true; no mistake about that; but it is rough on you, gentlemen,” Whispering Ben remarked. ‘* Say!” he exclaimed, abruptly, as if a spd- den idea had just occurred tohim, ‘‘I bavea flask of whisky here which I was going to carry home for a quiet drink. Maybe you would like it? The guards caught eagerly at the offer, and the flask was transferred to them, and then Whispering Ben went on his way. CHAPTER XXV, AN INVASION, ‘‘LooK a-hyer, Dave!” exclaimed the guard who bad taken possession of tbe flask tendered by Whispering Ben, ‘ this isn’t going to be such a bad thing arter all,and I reckon we didn’t make any mistake when we volunteered to keep watch.” “You jest bet we didn’t,” the other respond- ed. ‘But I say, give me a pull at that bug- juice sol kin see if it is up to the mark; my throat is as drv as an ash-heap.” ‘‘ Arter me is manners,” the first guard de- clared, and then be took a drink from the flask, and when the draught was swallowed, he smack- ed his lips with great relish. ‘*Aba!l that is the stuff!” he exclaimed, ‘‘ Blamed if that ain’t as good whisky as 1 have struck in a dog’s age,” ‘* Hand it over so I kin sample it. and don’t be so durned long about it!’ the second man re- marked. And then when he got the flask in bis posses- sion he took as long a pull at it as bis compan- ion had done. ‘*‘ Wal, bow is that? Don’t you call it prime?” | the first man asked, when the second removed ‘This will do admirably!” he oxclaimed. the flask from his lips, and smacked them to- ‘‘ With the aid of a blanket I will be able to make myself pretty comfortable here, and keep a close watch on all that goes on in the neighbor- hood of the calahouse.” So, baving ascertained all the particulars he required, the man-hunter went to the hotel, got his supper, lounged awhile in the office, then went to the old Jew’s and bought his cigars, receiving from him a report that nothing new had bappened, returned to the hotel, smoked in thesaloon, and chatted with the acquaintance be had made until after ten, then retired to his room under pretense of going to bed, In bis room the man-hunter remained until about eleven o’clock; then, rolling up his blan- side of the house to the one on which the moon sbone, so that the shade east by the building covered this operation, Once safely outside the hotel the Lone Hand struck off over the prairie and made a wide sweep around until he came to the rear of the corral, which he approached with the stealtby tread of a red warrior crawling in upon his rey. Thanks to these precautions he reached the corral and found concealment within it with- out attracting the attention of any one, although the streets were far from being deserted, for Greerville kept late hours. The Lone Hand arranged his blanket in a cor- ner of the corral, from which he could command a good view of the calaboose and then reclined upon the ground, ‘‘ There, 1 will be able to have a good view of everything that takes place to-night in the neighborhood of the jail,” he remarked. ‘* And possibly, if I think it will pay me to do so, may be able to take a hand in the proceedings.” By this time the moon had reached its height and was beginning to descend. It was three quarters full, so there was ample light, and the watcher was able to see all that happened in his neighborhood almost as well as though it had been day. The two guards were on duty before the cala- boose and, as watching was rather tiresome business to these Texan gentlemen, they had procured two arm-chairs from one of the neigh- boring saloons; seated in them by the door of the house, one on each side of the portal they were taking things quite comfortably. Every man that passes made it a point to stop and ebat for a moment with the guards, and | Sundays!” bs EE ct gether fully as vigorously as the other had done. ‘‘-You bet it is!” he replied. ‘* I don’t hanker arter no better liquor than that. I reckon that it is good as I have run across for a month of ‘YT disremember ever drinking any better benzine than that since I struck this hyer State of Texas,” the other observed, with an owl-like air of wisdom. ‘“T reckon you never did!” Then the two drank from the flask again, and it did uot take them long to drain the bot- e, ‘Tt is all clean gone!” remarked the first guard in a regretful tone. ‘* Ts that so?” cried the other, bis voice begin- ning to get thick and husky. ‘Yes, sir; it isa sure enough fact, and Iam mighty sorry for it, too.” Here the other indulged in a prodigious yawn, arta you ain’t gitting sleepy?’ his partner cried. “Blamed if I ain’t!’ the other responded. ‘You see, I didn’t git much sleep last night, and as I have been in the saddle the better part of the day I am pretty well tuckered out.” ‘““Go ahead and take a snooze; I will kee watch for you,” the first man observed, ‘ reckon this hyer watching business is all a piece of blamed foolishness, anyhow,” he added. ‘‘ How in thunder is this cuss going to git out of the calaboose when he is locked in, and Black Jack Thompson is inside for to keep his eyes on him, too?” ‘* Ah, you are too much for me, pard, and [ reckon that it is all durned foolishness, jist as ou say,” and again the man yawned, extend- ing his mouth to its utmost width. ‘t Jist take a snooze if you feel like it. One is enuff for to keep guard, and I am as wide-awake as a night-hawk,” ; ‘‘ Wal, 1 reckon I will, if it is all the same to you. I will take a nap and then you kin do the same, and as the hull town bas gone to bed no one will know anything ’bout it.” “That isso; Ireckon that thar isn’t many ople awake in the town, for thar ain't a soul in the street, and I am so durned eleepy that I can’t keep my eyes open.” ‘‘Shet ’em up then, and I will wake you up when I feel like taking a snooze.” * All right!” And then the man stretched himself out in his chair, leaned his bead back against the wall two or three of the wayfarers pressed a drink | of the jail and in afew minutes was sound upon them from their private flasks, an invita- “J see you understand the situation,” the Lono tion which the sentinels did not refuse. » 4 * >. we ~~ tess eek ts: ee ia Eo asleep. . Every word of the conversation bad come micbo \ , at - Se whe Li. Loess ath hee. ms = @ bp — ai. es