Beadle's Dime Library No. 562 — page 23: what you’re looking at

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

Lone Hand, the Shadow. 23 word, Sandy MacAlpine, I would not have be- lieved it. I have always thought that the poet who wrote about a man living upon a woman’s smile was a little cracked in the upper story, and ought to be in a lunatic asyium rather than at large, but you area living illustration that the thing is not impossible. You will be mak- ing a hearty dinner out of snowballs next.” ‘*Not so long as I remain in Greer county, and in the State of Texas!” MacAlpine declared, laughing, My name is Nahan Bishop, and Iam from the City of New York.” The young men said they were proud to make his acquaintance, and the three entered the house. Dinner was soon served, and the party sat down; the fare was plain but wholesome, and all of them did full jastice to it. CHAPTER XXTIX, Pd ——— ‘* Yes, it is not visited except by hunters in search of game, or by some man run out of civilization who seeks to find a hiding-place there from the officers of the law,” Sandy MacAlpine replied. ‘*Ah, yes, my information is correct then,” the stranger remarked, rubbing bis fat hands gleefully together. ‘“‘Itis just such a country as it has been represented to me to be, ‘* Now, gentlemen, I want to make a trip to the Wicbita Mountains, is there any danger— gentlemen, if you please. I suppose that after ‘Well, that is true; but you would if you THE PARDS MAKE A PROMISE, any Indians?” could, I will be bound.” : ‘““WHELL, gentlemen, I am pretty badly stuck, ‘*No particular danger from the Indians, al- And then the two hurried their steeds into a | eh?’ Nahan Bishop remarked, after the meal | though it is so near the reservation that the ) canter, and rode on at a brisk rate, wus finished and he had tendered the pards | bucks use it for a hunting-ground, and as there | When the chums arrived at home they came | cigars from a well-filled cigar-case. are some bad men among the reds, if they should : upon a stranger, mounted upon a sorry-looking ‘* Yes, I am sorry to say that you are,” Sandy | happen to meet a stranger in the mountains and , mustang, who had halted just beyond their sod | MacAlpine replied. the opportunity seemed to be a favorable one, 2 house, and witb a legal-looking paper in his ‘* Brown has been trying to get some one to | they might relieve him of his arms and valua- i , hand, was looking around him in an inquiring | take the place off his hands for nearly a year, | bles,” Sandy MacAlIpine said. ’ a way. but he couldn’t give it away to anybody who The under jaw of Nahan Bishop dropped, | ‘‘T wonder what he is after?’ Sandy Mac- | knew anything about it,” Eddie Livingstone ex- | and he looked at the pards in a helpless way for 4 Alpine remarked. plained. a few minutes. ' | **Can’t guess! He is a tenderfoot, by his ‘** Yes, he would have been glad to have taken ‘““Dear me, dear me!” be exclaimed at last, looks,” flve dollars for it any time,” Sandy MacAlpine | “ this is not an encouraging prospect truly!” Perceiving that the young men were dis- | added. ‘* For my part I should not be as much afraid . mounting, the horseman rode over to them. ‘* Dear, dear! to think that there are such | of the red bucksasof any white men that might ‘ ‘‘Good-day, gentl2men,” he said in the most | rascals in the world!” Naban Bishop exclaimed, | be encountered up in the Wichita region,” Kd- ¥ courteous manner, ‘‘I am in want of a little | with a solemn sbake of the head. die Livingstone declared, { information, which you can probably give.” “Tf you had only inquired around Greerville ‘from the description of the country I pre- : The chums returned the salutation, and Sandy | ia regard to Brown, almost any one would have | sume that there are more outlaws than honest MacAlpine said they would be happy to be of | told you that there was not the slightest reliance | men to be found there,” Nabhan Bishop re- 4 service, if they could. i to be placed upon anything that he might say,” | marked. ’ ‘*T want to find the homestead claim of John | Eddie Livingstone lelarell ‘*Oh, yes, any man that takes up his quarters y B. Brown.” ‘* Well, [suppose it was only stupid in me, | in the Wichita region does so because his crimes . ‘John B, Brown?’ Sandy MacAlpine ex-| but, gentlemen, I give you my word, I never | have made civilized communities too hot to hold A claimed, in a tone of question. W202i thought of such a thing!” Nahan Bishop ex- | him,” Sandy MacAlpine declared. ‘‘He, means Blower Brown,” Iddie Living- | plained. ‘The man seemed to be so honest and ‘Tt would not be safe then for a man like x stoneexplained. ‘ John B,—B, for Blower, you | straightforward, that I had no idea of question- | myself to venture up there?” now.” : ing his integrity.” ‘*T would not recommend you to do so,” Sandy 4 ‘Yes, I reckon Blower is John, come to think ** You would bave been a hundred in pocket | MacAlpine replied. ‘‘ Apart from the danger | of it,” MacAlpine remarked. ‘‘ You see, stran- | iftyou had,” Sandy MacAlpine remarked, ‘For | of the proceeding, you would never be able to : | ger, people bere have got so in the habit of call- | the chances are ten to one that the first man | find your way through the hills without a guide. - | ing him Blower Brown that the fact that he | you questioned about the matter would have | I have been there six or seven times on hunting _ had another handle escaped me.” told you that Blower Brown was as big a fraud | excursions, and so know just what a rough bit 4 ‘‘ Well, I am a stranger to Texas and to | as could be found in the town.” of country it is.” . | Texan ways, being from the North, but I have ** Ah, well, I will know better next time. ** And I want to reach a particular spot there 4 noticed since my sojourn in the State that when | Thank Heaven! the loss of a hundred dollars | too,” Nahan Bishop said, with a melancholy | | a man acquires a nick-name, he usually loses bis | is not so great a blow but what I can bear it | air of disappointment. a | rightful appellation, as seems to be the fact in | with calmuess,” and the modest calmness with “Tf you are not acquainted with the country a this case.” which Nahan Bishop delivered the speech | the chances are ten to ene that you could not f ‘* Yes, that is true,” Livingstone replied. made a decided impression upon the young men. | find it, especially as I take it that you are no a e ‘*Did you say you wanted to find Brown’s ‘‘ And, now, gentlemen, since you have been | woodsman,” Eddie Livingstone observed. | | homestead claim ?” so kind will you allow me to trespass upon your | ‘‘ Bless your soul! I am from the city, I } | Yes, that was the object of my visit here. | patience a little longer?” the ex-bunco man don’t know anything about woods and wilds!” o | If I mistake not you are Messrs, MacAlpine and | continued. ‘‘ There are some other points upon ‘* In that case then it would be risking your ‘ | Livingstone,” which I desire information and as you both | life to go up in the Wichita Mountains!” Sandy | The young men nodded, seem to be well-posted I do not doubt you can | MacAlpine declared. ial ‘‘ Well, lam ar Sn bea neighbor of yours, | give it.” Nahan Bishop hesitated over the matter for a a | for I have bought Mr, Brown’s estate, and he Of course the chums said they would be glad | few moments, an air of deep perplexity upon bis ‘a told me that it was the next farm above yours, | to oblige. / countenance, a but really, gentlemen, I do not see anything ‘*Gentlemen, I suppose I must own up that I ‘‘Dear me, dear me! I had no idea when I | that at all answers to the description he gave.” | have not displayed much sharpness in this little | started on this quest that I was going to have so | The young men looked at each otber and | real estate transaction, and I presume you will | much trouble!” he remarked. | then a quiet smile appeared on their faces. think that I am indulging in a slight boast if I| And then an idea seemed to come to him and ' ‘*The Brown place does join us, but what sort | declare that I am not such a fool as I look,” | his face brightened up or gy A | of claim did you expect to find?’ Sandy Mac- | Nahan Bishop remarked in his innocent, placid | “Ah, I have it!” he cried, ‘* Would it not be | Alpine asked, way. possible for me to employ guides?” ** House, corral, corn-house, small barn, other **Oh, no,” Sandy MacAlpine observed. ‘* We ‘Yes, no doubt that could be arranged,” Mac- small outbuildings, and one hundred and sixty | know Blower Brown well enough. The fellow Alpine replied. | acres of land all under fence,” bas an extremely plausible way with him, and it “They must be faithful, honest men, beyond oa Both tbe chums laughed outright as the | isno wonder that you were deceived.” the reach of temptation,” Whispering Ben of stranger read this description from the paper| ‘‘You are not the first man by a long shot | added. ‘‘ Men who could be trusted withalarge = which he held in his band. who has fallen a victim to that humbug,” Eddie | sum of money!” % “Why do you laugb, gentlemen” asked the | Livingstone added. The pards shook their headsand Nahan Bishop) stranger, in amazement. ** Well, [ am glad to hear that,” the other de- | looked annoyed. a ‘At this exhibition of Blower Brown’s gen- | clared. On the sag you know, that misery ‘*How is it, gentlemen, are honest men so ius,” MacAlpine replied. loves company. 1 will frankly admit that the | scarce in Greerville?” ‘ ‘¢-Yes, when you come to look for those im-| wily tongue and pleasant manner of Mr. Brown ‘Oh, no, there are plenty of honest men in provements, particularly the fence, I reckon | were too much for me, and I sup you will | the town, but unfortupately for you they are you will discover how it was that the old man’s | hardly credit it, gentlemen, when [ say to you | not acquainted with the Wichita Mountain mo name was changed from John into Blower,” | that until I met this man of guileless ways, I | country,” Sandy MacAlpine answered, me Eddie Livingstone remarked. had no idea of investing in any real estate down Nahan Bishop seemed to fall into a brown ‘‘Great heavens!” cried the stranger, amazed; | in this region.” study for a few moments, then suddenly he ‘‘rentlemen, you don’t mean to say that these Both of the chums expressed their surprise | raised his head and a beaming smile came over | | improvements exist only in Mr. Brown’s imag- | that he should have fallen into Mr. Brown’s | his broad face. | Ly ination?” snare. ‘Really, gentlemen, I believe I am losing ‘That is the actual fact,” Sandy declared, _ “He represented to me that it was a good | what little wit I ever did possess!” he exclaim- __ ‘‘ He was only drawing on the future,” Eddie | investment, you know. I could easily rent the | ed. ‘Here Lam bothering my head over this | Livingstone explained. ‘‘He described the | farm to some man who understood the business de matter, going around, metaphorically, place as he expected it would be some day | on shares and realize a good interest on my | like Diogenes with a lantern, in search of an : | when he got money enough to make the im- ae 2. honest mau, when the guidesI want areright | provements.” ‘* The old fraud!” Sandy MacAlpine declared, | before me, i mean you two gentlemen, for did | “Why, this is an outrageous swindle!" the | ‘‘ He knew very well that no one would take the | I not understand you to say that you were fa- Stranger declared. ‘‘ And I wondered, too, gen- | place unless they were paid for so doing.” miliar with the Wichita region?” a | tfemen, that I could not see anything in the ‘* He followed the scriptural injunction—I was ‘‘We have been in the mountainsahalf-a- — neighborhood that answered the description.” a stranger and he took me in,” Nahan Bishop | dozen times, maybe, with bunting-parties, bu A | ‘The only improvement that Brown ever | remarked. ‘‘My business in this section was | of course are not thoroughly posted in reg f; made was to dig a hole in the ground and cover j of an entirely different nature from that of in- | to all the nooks and corners of the hills like men _ A it with a sod roof, but as he never took any care | vesting in real estate.” who have explored them for years,” Sandy Mac- of it, preferring to bum around the town, it is| The pards nodded. Alpine answered. all out of repair, and is not fit fora decent dog} ‘I have been informed that this is the near- ‘“There is another point, too,” Eddie Living- to live in, let alone a human,” MacAlpine said. | est town in the Wichita Mountain region—is | stone added, with aroguish smile. “‘How do | | ‘Upon my word, gentlemen, this beats any- | that correct?” you know that we are honest and can be — thing that I ever heard of!” the horseman de-| ‘‘ Yes,” responded MacAlpine,rather surprised | trusted?” Re. : clared. ‘‘ And I gave the rascal a hundred dol- | at the question. ‘* Ah, gentlemen, I am sure from your faces | lars above the mortgage, which I assumed.” % that if a man desired to go to the | that you can be trusted!” . ‘You are badly sold and no mistake!” Living- | Wichita Mountains that the town of Greerville | The s laughed. " ) stone remarked. ‘For not only is the place | would certainly be selected for a headquarters?” | _‘‘ Better not build too much on that!” Sandy without oF improvements, but the land has “That is true enough,” Eddie Livin ne | MacAlpine warned, ‘‘ Remember your experi- never been broken up. But come in and have | assented. ‘‘Greerville is nearer to the Wichita | ence with Blower Brown, and be careful.” ©: dinner with us, and after we eat we will show | Mountains than any other town bya good thirty | _‘‘ Yes, we Texans are awful deceptive cusses!” you over the place.” miles.” Eddie Livingstone added. > | ‘* Gentlemen, I shall be dtoacceptthein-| ‘‘ Now, gentlemen, what sort of a country is | Nabhan Bishop made a grimace. & vitation in the same frank spirit in which it is | this Wichita Mountain region—wild and unin-| ‘‘No more of the Blower Brown business, tendered, and allow me to introduce myself, ' habited, I presume,” { Ebooks we. .*, . ta vr : } ¥ _ = a 17> Ce wee ~~ am a -~* E(0) ~ at : (@ y voraey af ~~ ga: ‘4 _— e “ bee og, Paes zy, il a