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PUBLISHED WEEKLY BY BEADLE AND ADAMS,
No. 98 WILLIAM STREET. NEW YORK.

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The Jackméf Hearts.

A Tale of Hide and Seek In the
Mountains.

BY PHILIP S. WARNE‘

AUTHOR OF THE “TIGER DICK” SERIES, TH]
“PATENT-LEATHER JOE ” SERIES. THE
“JOLLY YARDS” SERIES, “A
HARD CROWD," “ LITTLE
JINGO,” ETc., ETC.

CHAPTER I.
THE JACK or HEARTS.
“ So this is Paddy’s Flat?”

“ You bet, par-d! An’ 3 mshin’ leefle place it
is 1700.”

 

 

 

 

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Pards to theRescue. ,  I '

 

 

“ Waal, they’ve got the dust, far one thing.”

“ Hum! That’s supposed tomake most things
rush I believe. Anything else?”

“ They do ’low as, hyer an’ yon ye kin pick
up at the Flat a galoot as has a slight with the
pasteboards.”

“ Oh, no! Ye can’t strike me on that lay,
Johnny. I’m going straight through.”

“ Maybe you’re a mite that way yerself?”

The stage—driver looked out of the corner of
his eye at the chatty passenger who rode beside
him on the box.

Suppose we follow' suit, taking advantage .of
the pause that suceeeded this “leader, the
str‘anger quietly ignoring the effort to draw him
0

u .

That he was a “sport,” the whole style and
get-up of the man declared.

From his soft felt hat, with its raccfully
curved brim, to his high-heeled patenE-leathers,
all was ele ance and scrupulous neatness.

His ban 5 were so white and soft as to suggest
the use of cosmetics. Every movement of his
long, taper fingers evinced the suppleness which
accompanies manipulative skill. ‘

He might be a pianist. In that country, it
was more likel that he had turned his talents
toward the car -table.

Not to make a mystery of what he had no
thought of hiding from the world—certainly not
from simple Dave Pritchard the sta e—driver—
this was none other than the amous ack Down-
ing, of ’Frisco—the Jack of Hearts, as hisfriends
affectionately called him, in token of his almost
universal conquest over the frivolous fair.

“ They’ve struck a new kink lately,” )ursued
Dave, accepting with a good grace the si ence of
the other,_ as a hint that he had been a little
“fresh.”

“ Ah?” responded Jack, absently, scanning
through lazy, half-shut ‘_cyes the mining—camp

they were a iproachin ,
“Judge wney hfl’glochlin has taken the

Flat into his circuit, an’ the boys is havin’ jest -

one rustlin’ time OVeI' the new broom, you bet.”
“ Yes,” 'yawned the Jack of Hearts, indiffer-
ently. “ be lace looks as if it had been struck
by a New En and Sunday.”

“Reckon‘i t e Court’s a-settin’ on some on.-
lililckyfiievil, an’ the boys is all in the Terpsi—
c or

“ Terpsi—what did you say?”

“ The Terpsichoreau Hall.”

“ Ahl fine name. Is the proprietor a college
professor or only--”

“ Whatl—Dinn McGee?”

“Then it wasn his idea.” ,

“ His idea! I ’low he ain’t troubled that
way

‘

the dance-hall)
“ That’s the size of it, pard.”

“ Seems to me I’ve heard somethingbglse about '

the place. What is it? Some gaff a at a boy
running the camp.”

“ That’s therdafputy, marshal.”

“ You don’t  to tell .me that it’s so?”

“ Don’t you , throw 03 on the boy, pard, tell
ye size him up. He’s a rustler, I tell you!”

“ He must be. And he has a lot more of
rustlers under him, like himself, in short jackets
and knee-pants so I was told. A healthy
ml‘riliiav’ ' t r ’ boa It’ his penis

ar ereon agin, s. s --
the Three olly Pards.”

“ Yes, that’s it. They must make it jolly for
the wn‘ men who knuckle down when they

crac the hi .”
:“Hold an—ho-o-o-Id on says. on! The
an’ bick Jo nson, the

pards—Tom Murphy
which the last is a coon what ye don’t often
ketch a-nappin’—-they hain‘t got nothin’ to do
with the marshal biz. Harry Keene sportsa

{fine "hand thar, only playin’ to Jim Gladden’s

ad.
“ Gladden? That’s his principal?”
“Yes, the marshal. But ard, ef ou’d seen
,1 the way the deputy waltzed n a coup e 0’ road-
" cuts a month ago, you’d ’low as he wasn’t so
a ow bein’s as he’s a mite under age.”

“ I should judge that there was nothing par-
ticularly slow about him,” laughed Jack. “ If
I remember rightly, there was some gossip about
a row With a pretty J ewess, in which he - cut a
prominent figure.”

“ Oh, that s all right " was Dave’s assurance.
“ She’s the daughter 0 an old fraud that skins
the boys out 0’ their eye-teeth. A chap happen-
ed along when the court first sot in the Flat, an’
tried to git her awa from the ole man. But
the Three Jolly Pa
out o’ the camp.”

"Well, 'do 'ou pull up here for a bit? I
wouldn't min stretching my legs, and—well,“

7)
I suppose, then, they’re holding the court in.

stood himoff. an’ run‘him

. impl’

 

yes—getting a sight at this wonderful deputy
marshal.” .s '

“Sorry, boss. We only stop long enough to
water the stock an’ take in passen rers, ef thar
is any. That blasted brace brea in’ right in
the middle 0’ that infernal wallow, put me half
an hour behindhand, as it is; an’ it ll be dark
before we pull into the Ford. Worst bit 0’ road
in the State, that last mile; an’. excuse me at
you please !-—I don’t want to strike it much after
sundown.”

“ Then I reckon I can’t do any better than to
go inside, and double up. It Will be a change;
and I'll have the whole place to myself—that’s
one comfort.”

As Jack finished Speaking, the coach drew up
before the Golden Gate Hotel, which flanked the
dance-hall, and indeed was under the same pro-
prietorship. '

For the first time perhaps in the history of
stagecoach in that section of country, there
was not a so to receive the time-honored vehi-
cle, save the stable-boys, who came with buckets
andfl’sponges, and an abundance of profane
cha .

Jack Downing stepped upon the wheel, and
dro )ped lightly to the ground.

He cast'a glance of half-awakened interest at
the door of the Terpsichorean Hall, from which
proceeded a great hubbub.

But Jack had seen border courts in abundance
—-to his credit be it said, not from the stand-
point of “ the prisoner at the bar!”—- and, real] ,
the novelty of a boy deputy marshal was scarce y
sufiicient to make it worth the while of this lazy
gentleman to take the few extra steps necessary,
En the uncertain chance of getting a glimpse of

up.

So, with a yawn, Jack Downing turned on his
heel, got into' the coach, and tried to conform
his elegant figure to the angies of the back seat,
so as to . get into a comfortable position for a
snooze.

_ At this moment mine host of ‘theflolden Gate
ap ared, quite red in the face with excitement,
anse ulflng and blowinglwith haste.

“ me sowl!” he cried, “but yez came that
near stealing a mairch an me!”

“ A full house, Dinny,” said Dave, with the
ofl-hand airiness of a stage—driver the world

over. .

“A full house, is it? Faith, if it might be the
house alone that was full: but it’s ivory wan in it
that’s in the same fix!” ’ ,

“ Waal. ye don’t have courtin’ every day in
the ear.”

“ hist, man! it’s not the court that I’m com-
plainin’ of.”

“ Oh, no! you’d not be so ungrateful. It brings
grist to your mill.”

“ An’, be the same token, you’ve brought noth.
ingralong wid eesl”

‘ And I’ll e nothin’ away—eh, Dinnyl
That’s even all round.” ,9 . 4

“ Sor’ a sowl ye’ll be getting hear, this day!”

“They’re havin’ jest one sweet time in thar,
by the sound.”

“ The divil’s own! Sure, it’s nothing but Ar
it- pl’ase ‘the honorable coort.’ an’ The learned
counsel fur the defince 1”

“Air they talkin’. hempl— Hi thar, Sam!
What the deuce air you up to?”

“ You can’t tell me nothin’ about my business l”
muttered the hostler so sharply reproved.‘

‘.‘ I kin send this whip-cmker huntin‘a tender
spot in our hide; an’ hang me ef I don’t do it,
of you on’t let that thar hoss alone!”

‘ They’ve not come to the hemp yet,” said
Dinny, this little exchange of civilities between
the stage-driver and the elinquent hostler being
of too ittle importance to divert the conversa-
tion. “ It’s a matther out o’ the ordhinary that’s

g them.”
at’s that?”

“Well, yeZ'see—J" ‘

But.at this int Dinn broke oi! abruptl ,
with an astonis ed ejacula ion under his hreat .

“Waal, l sw’ar!” exclaimed Dave Pi'itchard,
followin the direction of Dinny’s glance.

The hu hub in the court-room had increased,
until it sounded as if a free fight were imminent.
While it was at its hight, the door of the dance-
hall was thrown o n, and from it issued a man
carrying the sligh figure of a young girl in his

arms.
She hung li . Dave Pritchard’s first idea
was that she been hurt; and his immediate

impulse was to leap from his seat and rush into
the crowd, to wreak ven eance on the man who
had dared to lift his han against her.

A second glance revealed the fact that she was

unconscious.
. “Who is it? It can’t be old Abraham’s

daughter?” he exclaimed.

r Dick, passionate] . ,

 

“ Owld Abraham? To the divil wid ’um 1”

cried”Dinny, indignantly. “That’s her father,
man.

“Her what?” 5

“ Whistl He’s comin’ this way!”

 

CHAPTER II.
SALOMANS CARRIES THE DAY.

11‘ was not without reason that all of
Paddy’s Flat was assembled in Terpsichorean
Hall, even to the neglect of the glories of the
incoming stage.

For over a year, an old Jew merchant, whom
nobody suspected of an thing more romantic
than a life-long study of ow to palm ofl‘ shoddy

oods from Connecticut as “ imbordations from
aris,” had secreted a beautiful young girl in
his house.

Then, with the first sitting of a legally consti-
tuted court, had come a stranger, who claimed
her as his child, summoning the old Hebrew to
the bar of justice, to answer to the charge of
abduction and unlawful detention. ,

But the girl was spirited off by the Three
Jolly Pards, and the stranger fairly drummed
out of the camp. V ,

Relyin u )0!) the ublic sentiment thus ex-
pressed, t e riends o the beautiful Jewess had
returned her to her home immediately upon the
ad 'ournment of the court. '

ut enough time had not been allowed for the
disposal of all the pending cascs, so Jud e
Maglochlin had determined upon a second 811:-
ting, on his return that way, only two weeks
later.

And now it appeared that Isaac-Salomans had
not accepted his defeat as final. The writ was
again laced in the hands of the marshal.

As he first case under a regular tribunal of
justice, and his first official act, Jim Gladden
had sworn that it should go through “on the
square,” and had almost come into deadly-colli—
sion with his subordinate, when he stood in his

ath and prevented him from being the first law-
reaker under the new order of things. i I

And now, when the boys showed a dispos1tion
to lynch Isaac Salomans for his persistence .in
Ehe face of the popular verdict, Jim

rm.

“ The girl has a right to hear what her father
has to say. When he’s done, at she says go,
then go it is. Ef she says stay—"’

But here the 'marshal pulled up. It was not
quite consistent with his office to declare his

readiness even to defy the law, if necessary, in 1
leaving the girl :freedom of choice. .But the‘

boys unde tood, this, and yielded so much.
Fair play w s all they asked. '
' So now the case was up again, and no one,
save the Three Jolly Pards, having thus far so
much as caught a glimpse of her ace, all were
on 319 gm? 'vwe'to ,see her stand unveiled in-
cou .~

Abraham and his wife, Rebecca, were pros- ‘

trated with d air.

Harry, who oved the girl, felt that he was
now about to lose her. .

His pards, Tom Murphy and Dick Johnson,
wild‘l‘y counseled open warfare. . .

“ hat of the hull camp am ag’m’us,” cried
“ We got away wid ’91:;
once, an’ we kin o it ag’inl’ . - ‘

But Harry knew better. Nothing could be
done. The case must now rest with Miriam
herself. .

So Judge Owney Maglochlm, as merry an
Irishman as ever crooked leg at a shindy, sat
serenly on the bench—a veritable bench of good
honest pine—while the counsels for the rosecu~
tion and defense respectively—Celene Blood,
a fiery little whiflet, and the ‘Honorable-Mr.
Midge, a bland iant, and both as precious
Scampi as ever aimed the passions of_ their
clients to increase their fees—sat as placnily in
their places.

Isaac Salomans, at
pale, but resolute.

the colonel’s elbow, was 

In all the denso crowd that packed the dance",  ,-

hall, not a friendly glance rested upon him. In-
stead, the boys glowm'ed at him resentfull .'
Then the door: opened, and. Jim Gl den-
himself this time—at the head of his posse,
escorted in the bowed figure of old Abraham

and two deeply-veiled women. One was round: - "’
the other, as supple ,5
one

shouldertd and totteriigg; .
as a willow wand, walk vtimidly between t
who were now so powerless to protect her.

At the former trial, the young dept}? had
ow he»

been intrusted with th
reed 3.?er i.
99' a ewasin grace. .’
As ey entered, the crowd burst into gnaw
of ejaculatiOns, of admiration and sympathy-foe

ascert-duty.

beside his principal,‘ L

 

 

 

   
 

 

 
  

    
       
       
    
   
  
     
  
 

 

  
  
   
    
  
  
     
  
  
 
  
  

     
   
   
   
  
  
   
    
  
 
    
  
   
   
  
 
       
     
 

 
 

  

' ging the pardon of ’the learned

illmoment that was todec , ,
game, He gawl at the gir with the yearnins‘of
, 4:3 great love, long denied its 'satisfact10n- Tea”

The Jolly Pards to the Rescue.

 

’i . .
 the girl, and of resentment toward her persecu-
‘g‘tor.

As every one sought to get a glimpse of
Miriam at once, those in the rear almost climb-

. iag upon the shoulders of the more favored, the

whole roomful of eager faces surged like the
surface of a troubled sea, each pair of eyes
seeming to glare at her with savage gloating.

To the timid girl, it was as if she had sudden-
ly been thrust into a den of wolves.

These were the incur—the demons, rather—
whom she had beexgtaught to dread, when they
should catch sight of her fresh young beauty.

She believed that the terrible crisis of her life
was upon her; and throwing her arms about
her lover, she buried her face in his breast with
a low cry of despair.

' Old Abraham beat the air with his feeble

hands, créing:

“ Ach ottl acli Gott!”

Miriam heard his voice, and with the bound
of a startled fawn, she tore herself from Harry‘s

‘ r r Lpporting arms, and leaped into those of the

01 man, whom she felt that she had wounded
by this turning to another at such a time.

Her vail caught axon Harry’s badge, and was
torn from her hea , leaving her face exposed,
at last, to the stare of the curious crowd.

\Vith the instinct of protection, even when all
was lost Rebecca closed her arms about her
darling, hiding her between her own body and
Abraham’s.

Jim Gladden ordered back the crowd, and
hurried the party forward to their places.

Isaac Salomans rose, pale with excitement.
Now was his hour of trium )h or defeat. The
latter probably meant rou treatment at the
hands of the crowd, besides the loss of his
daughter.

As he stood there in their midst, he was well
worth a second glance.

He had a dark yet clear complexion, a deli-
cately aquiline nose, and intensely black hair
and eyes.

He was a Jew unmistakably, yet not of the
German type. There was a fineness and ii ht-
iiess about him that seemed to indicate the st
blood of the Roman nations.

He might be of Spanish or Italian lineage.

This much he owed to his ancestry, while, as
"the outcome of his individual life, 19 had the
reckless dash and sparkle of a professional sport,
instead of the usual shrewd usiness air of his
race.

His dress indicated that he had used his wits
to good account. Take him all in all, he was a
good-lookiig _man, whose rather “ loud ” tone
was not su eiently marked to provoke comment
in the West. , -«

The girl, who had never seen him before since
habyhood, was fascmated by him. The crowd,
too struck by his wonderfulresemblance to her,
exclaimed with astonishment; and once more
the fickle tide of public sentiment turned in his‘

avor. - .

In- that. en reme moment, Ha Keene" un-
consciously ngered the * butt of is revolver.
He had it in his heart to shoot this man before
a word was spoken. ,

It was not the instinct of a murderer. It was
the impulse of one who would save all that he
held dearest on earth. He belieVed that the
girl’s life happmess was menaced. What mat-
tered his fate then. if she was spared? ,

It rquired Jim Gladden’s stentorian voice
“backed y the authority of the’ judge, to still
the hubbub that revailed.‘ I

When he co d be heard, Isaac Salomans’

spoke. ,

, ‘f If it pleases the honorable Court, and beg“
counsel, this

matter need go no further. All has been ac-

complished that I sought. I do not wish to use

the aw‘to force my child to o thh'me. No!

110‘! it is her love that I would ve.

law has brought her face to face with

, ' me an com lled those who would prevent
 ,, .he13froitili rewiring to metestand aside. It now

I may speak to'her, she shall be then free to do
as she c 00393.”

., He stood in the attitude of a man' bowed with
the weight of a great wrong; He wrung his
.hands, as if unconsciously, in the anguish of a!

do all the hopes of his

~ were inhis sad eyes.

A: hush'foll ju the crowd. It was plain
a

" I l ‘th to", .s' 'ta'rwasdeep]. "ya acted. I,
  B\Vlllfiecy‘.Mtislochiin, nkellhe i ve
" fan

h hewaa,‘ run ’ d' s ' this
sm.....r g “P a" 8“
‘Be- the sow! ’.me_body,I.b’la‘ve ye’re an

 honest mom» he med.

 

Isaac Salomans wrung the cordial hand, too
much moved seemingly to ex )ress his thanks.

The judge then turned to iriam, who sat be-
tween Abraham and Rebecca, and said:

" Look ye, my gerrul! Do yez think this
owld mou, that’s mesilf, would do yez the least
taste 0’ harruinl”

Min‘am looked at him without replying.

“ Come now!” he ejaculated, tting her on
the head. " Yc’re a foine gerru , so e be; an’
it’s the divil’s shame to kape yer face id undher
a bushel, the way they tell me this owld spal-
pecn has been ch’atin’ all the b’ s 0’ their just
dues. But we’ll mend all that, plr’aze the Lord!”

And he winked at Harry. .

“ Now b’lave me, my child, ye’re not goin’ fur
to be hurted. Just hairken till this gint. Luck
at ’um! Has he the Paste bit 0’ hairrum in him,
at all, at all!l Faith, he axes yez only the taste
of a worrud, an’ then ye go yer ways if ye will.”

Miriam looked at her unknown father. .

Isaac Salomans drew from an inner pocket an
envelope, from which he took a package care-
fully wrapped in tissue paper. ‘

W ith the touch of tenderness he removed sev-
eral coverin rs, and shen gazed for a moment at
a )hotograp which he thus brought to li rht.

‘rom the photograph he looked at iriam,
and advancing, extended it to her in silence.

The girl gazed at the photograph, yet fearing
to touch it. ,

“ My picture!" she exclaimed, in an involun-
tary whisper.

Then she looked at the man before her, in as-
tonishment at his having it in his possession.

HR is the picture of your mother,” he said,
sa 1y.

“ My mother?” exclaimed the girl, opening her
eyes wide.

Then she turned and looked at Rebecca, whom
she supposed to be her mother. _

The old Woman bowed her face in her hands,
and moaned aloud.

“ My mother!” re ieated Miriam, and turned
to Abraham for exp anatiou.

He could not look her in the face. The ter-
rible moment that Harry had warned him
against was upon him. His own obstinacy had
brought it. .

For a moment the irl sat trembling, gazing
from one to another, at ever back again at the
picture. .

Suddenly she s rung to her feet, and beating
the air with her ands, to repel the picture an
the man who had brought this agonizing doubt
upon her, cried: .

“ Go awa ! go away! I’m afraid of En!”

And whir ing she cast herself upon becca,
clasping the o d woman? in her arms, and cry-

in :

Ea Mammal mammal my own mammal” '

She felt as if she were on the point of being
robbed of her nearest and dearest.

“And you can turn year back upon your
dead mother?” asked Salomans. '

Miriam clutched her supposed mother only the
more tightly. ‘

But beeca could stand this no longer.

at is  we whee-n. - ‘

rue v c 'riam s ' awn from

her. “What is true?" ’ y

“ That I am not your mother!” ,.

“And he?"-—pointing at Abraham-“ lie is
not my father?” -

The old man answered neither byword or

100 .

“ You have been deceivin me all m ' life l”
gried the girl, in sudden wil grief and ndigna-

ion.

Without warnin she snatched the hotograph
out of Salomans’s find, and fell to kging t and
crying over it. '

‘ D18 is my mamma—my own true mammal
Ah! dey have robbed me!

“Thank Gottl thank Gottl” murmured Salo-
maus. , '

“ And you l—who are you?” demanded Miriam,
taming abruptly to him.

“Can’t you guess!” he asked. “Why have I

‘ carried that picture in my- bosom these 'many,

many weary ears? Why have I wandered Over

A the face of al this broad country, searching for

on?” v ‘
3’ .iWho are you?” repeated Miriam, seizing
hold of hi with hot hands, with the sharp

petulance o a child.
“ Your father I” he replied, with infinite ten-

erases.-
“ Is dot true?” she demanded, turning fiercely
upfin 01% Elma}??? ed] a nod ' I ‘pl
ese' stee, logg an enore y.
All was lost. What was '9 use 0 words? '
“It is true! it 18 true!” .
With a sharp cry, as if her heart were break-

. :.x__
.. .
I... f v. .v .

 
   
 

 

.
“‘1 x 

5...;u “L'JI’ " l
> A' x. r -
» . lean-atrrefi‘ -. ‘ '

ing, she suddenly threw her arms about Salo-
mans’s neck, crying:—

“Take me away! Take me to my mammal
Ah, those cruel people, they have kept me from
you l—they have ro bed me of my mammal All
mgiife long they have lied to me!"

lomans clasped her in his arms, and bow-
lug his face to hers, wet it with his tears.

. 0 far the “ boys ” had stared at this scene
with open mouths. Now a murmur of rage be-

an to rise. Wrathful eyes glared at Abraham
'rom every side.

“ Snake him out 0' this!” suddenly shouted a
voice. “ The old fraud !”

The crowd surged. Harry started, as if out
of a dream.

“ Hold 1” he cried, springing before Abraham,
with drawn revolver. “ The man who lays afln—
ger on him dies in his tracks!”

But here Jim Gladden interfered:

“ Stand back!” he commanded.

Meanwhile, with excess of emotion Miriam had
In ised into unconsciousness.

or father lifted her in his arms.

“ Are you satisfied?” he asked of the judge.

“ What have you to say against this man's
glaim?” inquired Judge Maglochlin, of Abra-

am. »

The old man shrugged his shoulders disdain-
fully. '

The judge turned to Salomens, who was wait-
ing for his decision. ' -

‘ The gerrul has settled it hersilf,” he said.
“ Take her away. It‘s her own words.”

Without more ado, Salomans walked through
the crowd, and out of the court-room.

The lover stood dumbl ‘

Outside was the waiting coach.

“ Driver, have you room for two passengers
more?”

“ You bet! All the room ye want.”

“And you are ready to start at once?”

“ It's only a crack 0’ the whip, an’ we’re o .”

“ Then lose no time.” ~

“ Hadn’t you better stop to it a bonnet fur
the—the—lady? We ain‘t in sue a sweat as all
that comes to.” I

“ I wish nothing—she will want nothing—-
remind her of her past. Take as as we are.
Drive on.”

And throwin open the coach door, the

man entered wit the-insensible girl in his aims.

As he did so, Jack Downing leaped up, ex-
claiming: .- - ' ‘

“ The deuce; Salomansi Is this you?” .

“ Ah! the Jack of Hearts!" ' ' l

“ But what have I you there? Here! put her
on this seat. But what’s the mattefl You must
be crazy, man, to set out like thief”

“ All right?" cried Dave the driver.

“ All right l” responded Sahmans.

There was a crack of the whip like a pistol-

shot,and then the lurch and lEway‘lng of the g

coach, and the roar of the whee

They were on; and the unconscious fir] lay
in the] comfortable berth ‘that the hat of
Hearts had fixed for himself, while he» sat
gazing at her wan beauty. with a wondering

Among the crowd that had poured out of the
Terpsichorean , some Just in‘advance and
others upon the heels of the bearer of that fair
burden, and who new; stood staring open-mouth-
ed after the receding countrymen two men to
whom a. detective might have “ dropped ". as
being in disguise. »

0n the disappearance _of the coach, the rest or
the crowd re-entered the dance-hall, not to mics
the next trial; but the‘two whom we have desig-
nated lounged away, and mounting waiting
horses, rode out of the camp in the direction op-
posite to that taken by the coach. ‘

“ Could an in’ ’a’ worked purtier ’n that
tbarl" cried be taller of the two enthusiastic~

a . '

“95w” shouldn’t it work! Thar warn’t noth-
in’ {to bender,” replied the mailer with the
charlish air! of one who grudges the slightest
praise to another. I

“ You be blowedl” exclaimed the first weaker.
“ When on kin set up’the pins fur such a racket
as that t , then you round, and I’ll talk
to yo. I tell ye,the sh ny’s knowled able."

‘ You ma ,l’am as he’s altogether
edgable, be are you git through
grbwled the other. - ’

“ Nixy!" returned the am, with of!

confidence. “That  
straight through, wgbmed' Gold- urchard,j
gogggged-Banty & ., C. 0. D: :‘VVe’ve seen
1 o . . . '17". 2 - I
is An’ run jest one sweet‘resll emu: of‘jt,” V
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Rescue.

 

And these precious scoundrels, of whom we
shall see more presently, rode on, enjOying their
triumph.

Alas for the victim who fell to their tender
,mercies!”

 

CHAPTER III.
A COLD-BLOODED BARGAIN.
THE insensible girl whom Isaac Salomans had

3' borne into the coach in so unusual a manner,

had his beauty of feature infinitely refined, so
that any one could guess their relationshi at a

' glance. Yet, as a matter of form, Jack own»
’ mg asked:

" If it isn’t an impertinent question, whom
havifyou hyer?”

“ y daughter,” replied Salomans.

“ And where have you kept her along back?
You never let on to have a dau hter.”

“ It’s a long story,” said Sa omens brushing
the cold sweat of excitement from his row.

“ Suppose we do something to fetch her round,
before you begin on it—if you’re free to favor
me wit your confidence.”

“ I have no objection to that: but I prefer to
let her stay as she is for awhile. No harm will

* come of it. She is only a little overcome.”

“Say, Ike," said owning, with a sudden
side-glance, ‘ {on may reckon me a little fresh
this morning, at another personal question has
occurred to me, if on don t mind.”

“Out with it! m in the humor for almost
anything just now. I may change my mood

I.

“Then I’ll take you on the fly. What’s the
reason that you sometimes have a marked He-
brew accen and then ag'aoin from lyour speech
no one co d’ tell you in an o d Knicker-
backer?”

Isaac Salomans smiled and shrugged his
shoulders.

“ Dot is a matter of taste,” he said, assumin
his most marked Jewish accent, by way of ass
“ \éen it sfirfsl'mlytfmrpoze, you hahve it den. h

e spoe ig yzye again epassed is
hand over his face as if to calm the excitement
that still vibrated through him, after the scene
throu h which he had just passed.

J ac DowningI’s interest returned to the girl.

“ Well, what ave you been up to?” he asked.

“ Getting my daughter back.”

“ A rather excitin rocess, I should imagine,”
observed the Jack o carts, lapsing again into
his wonted lazy air.

“ Yes. I had to outwit a shrewd old scoun-
drel—my respected father-in—lawl—and this
youiifildeputy marshal.”

“ l The deputy marshal turns u again?
I’ve just been iscussing him with 6 stage-

ver.

“ I thou ht I’d have to discuss him—or rather
discuss 1 him across the barrel of a revolver,
before I got through with it.”

“ In the character of a lover, I’ll be bound!”

“ Of course. The young bantling puts on all
the airs of a full-fl cock 0’ the walk.”

“ But the old man I suppose he has had pos-
session so long that he began tofancy your claim

sort of outlawed.”

“Well, you see, her mother died when she
was a kid, ’wa back in the States; and the old
her ever since. I was away at
the time, and—well, not to put too fine a point
on it, they allowed I was a trifle fast for the
bringing up of a girl; so they packed up and
cut the country.”

“ Ah! I begin to twig.”

“ I’ve been on the lookout for her ever since,
after a fashion. I drop onto them at last,
took them into court, an bya little flank move-
ment got the girl on my Slde, and here she is.”

“ A flank movement?”

“ They had broughther up to believe that she
was their child. hey had filled her mind with
terror of some secret foe from whom they were
compelled to flee, for her safet ; and also with
fear of the re h fellows out ere.”

“ Delightful ife! She must have had a sweet
tihr‘iiiefiof it. But why burden her with all

t

5‘ It furnished an excuse for never letting her
go out of doors without Wearing a ' uise
that made her indistinguishable from old bra-
ham’s wife, Bebecca.”

“ The deuce you say! But how-J’

“ The built a bum on her back and hid her
face or a thick In that deous rig she
rode out evezngay on a little donkey beside old
Abraham. or over s. year not a soul in

the c’ampsomuch as suspected even her exist-

once.
“ b {oval Thaw likeargomanoeimls it

P081, AM ,IIO ydI‘OPPBd. an on

openedup?‘ - ’

 

“ Oh, yes. The thing was blown severa.‘
months ago. That’s the we. this infernal little
deputy marshal ot his wor in.” '

“ To be sure! at how did it fall out?”

The Jack of Hearts had been roused into an
interest unusually wakeful for him. He gazed
at the wan beauty of the unconscious girl with
keen zest.

At his question her father’s face clouded.

“ There was a couple of scoundrels, it seems,
called Cale Burchard and Bowlegged Banty,
who took it into their heads to rob the old man.
They were blufl’ed by the Three Jolly Pards;
but they discovered the existence of the girl.
Then they tried to capture her, for a ransom.
The same sharp little rascal—that was before he
was made deputy marshal—and his pards balk-
ed them again.”

“ Confound his im udence! But he deserves
some reward for his uck.”

“ That’s as you 100 at it.”

“ But the secret was out, I su pose? He
wasn’t sharp enough to stand oi! t e rogues,
and yet throw dust in the eyes of the discerning
citizens of Paddy’s Flat?”

“ No. Cale and Banty are d rate knaves;
and they bucked against the who e camp, at the
risk of their necks. But the kids succeeded in
one thin . Not one got a chance to see the girl’s
face; nn , as before when she rode out, it was
impossible to tell whether it was she or the old
woman.”

“ Good for them! I wish now I had stopped
to look them over.”

“ You may have a chance et. I’m free to
confess that I don’t believe t ey’ve given the
matter up-not by a good deal!”

“ Well, go on. The rescuer became a regular
visitor, made love to the girl under the old
folks’ noses, and all that?”

3 I suppose that was pretty much the way of

.“ But how did you drop to the scheme! You
didn’t know—”

A ain the Hebrew’s face darkened.

“ 0,” he said. “ I owe my knowledge of the
cBlgld’S "whereabouts to this same Cale and

H t .hat!”

“ They found me all broke up lying in the sun
aslee nd I confess, drunk l—hefore a saloon.”

:: ell, that’s interesting, to say the least of
it

“ They recognized me by my resemblance to
the irl, and proposed—what do you think?”

“ eaven only knows!”

“That I go in with them, get session of
her and marry her to the scoundre Cale!”

e Jack of Hearts sat upright with a start,
involuntarily clutched at the pearl handle of a
bowiein his belt and hurled a very round ob-
‘urgation at the head of the would-be candidate

or matrimonial honors.

“This was the price of their knowled of
where the girl was to be found,” said alo-
mans.

“And on made such a bargain as that?”
cried Jae , in a fine rage. '

“ It was easy to agree to anythi .” '

“”Oh! I drop to you. That’s tter. Go

on.

“ The first thhig needed was money; and we
were all dead broke.”

“ That’s so. There would be no use in coming
on spch an errand in the character of a beg-

ar.

“ I knewthat. We got the rocks, by a little
exercise of our wits.”

“For which somebody else had to suffer, of
course!”

“ Of course. You know how it is yourself.”

“ No recriminations, Ike! We know each'
other of old.”

‘“ Well, I came as a rich man, in search of the
child of whom he had been robbed in her in-

fanc by his wife’s relations. A free hand at '

the r got the judge and the public on my
side. I had the pins all up, ready to how! my
ted father-in-law out at a ten-strike, when
these be gas-1y little scamps secured a gostpone-
ment 0 be case for three days, an on the
night of the second got up a shindy in honor of
the first session of the court, at which they
floored that whole cam on drugged liquor,
threw dash—probably go (1 dust !—in the eyes of
my paid watchers, and even found means to
knoc Cale and Banty on the head, while they
ran the girl out from under our very noses!”
“Bravo! bravo!” cried the Jack of Hearts,
roaring with laughter. “ Hang me if our young
uty isn’t a nine!” ~
‘I believe , here were older heads in that
schem'e,” said Salamans, “ but I can’t just place

 

He then gave an account of the renewal of
the struggle, and its final triumph.

“ And now that you’ve got the girl, ” asked
Jack, when the narrative was concluded, “ what‘
do you propose to do with her ?”

‘ I don’t know yet. Make my fortune out of
her somehow.”

The Jack of Hearts did not express the dis-
gust he felt at this cool proposition. While lis—
toning he had conceived a scheme of his own;
and he now saw the way to its accomplishment.

" Nothing easier in t e world, my dear fel-
low!” he cried, with enthusiasm.

“ How?”

“ ill you let me into the thing on the ground,
floor?”

“ Certainly.”

“ Then it’s just this: Make her a queen of thee

'een!”

“ Faro?”

“ It don’t make any sort of difference what it
is. If it was only chuck-a-luck, she’d coin
money. I tell you, there ain’t her match in the
State of Califomy!”

“ I don’t have to be told that,” said Salomans.

However, he looked at the child with a new
interest. As a matter of fact he had not 
valued her. He had not considered the exguisite
purity of her flowerlike beauty. Her vu'ginal
innocence would ssess a charm for hardened
men of the wor d who would pass by With
scarcely a second glance the garish beauty of a.
woman of their own class.

“ It‘s a go?” asked J ack‘of Hearts,

And as readily as he had acceded to Cale Bur-
wags pgoposition, Isaac Salomans said: .

ne

 

CHAPTER IV.
“BLINDING” THE TRAIL.

Ar this moment the girl showed signs of re~
turning consciousness.

Instantly her father dropped upon one knee
before the seat on which she lay, and put his
arms about her, murmuring:

“ Miriam, my dear child! ’

She opened her eyes and looked into hi face

in the vague wa common at such a time. Then . ‘

she ave a su den start, and raised herself
brus ing her hand across her forehead, and
starin at him and about the much.

“A 1” she gasped. “What is this? Where
m i

?’

“ With the father who has lost you for so-
lon . With the memory of your dear mother,”
sai Salomans, in a, voice of infinite soothing.

And he placed the photograph of her mother
in her hand. .

She at it; and then, as the memory of
what e had so recently ssed through rushed!
back upon her mind, she urst into tears.

But present] she was seized with an almost.
franticdesire
for an hour, for even a moment! She had 1
without a word of forgiveness to those who,
after all, had always been kind to her. Then
Ego, all the little mementoes of her life were

ere. .

Salomans, with infinite tact and tenderneSS,
but firm! , overruled every reason for return—
ing. He d ken the .word of forgiveness in
her behalf. A of her httle belongings should
be sent for.

Could she tell him that she had left her heart:
behind? In despair sheonly gazed at him dumb—
ly, and then sunk back in the corner of the
sta e, and closed her eyes.

S owly a tear began to ooze through her eye—

lids. As she felt it glide down her cheek,she,

hastin hid it in her handkerchief,

“ It s that confounded little deputy marshal,”
reflected Salomans, divining all that she had
left unsaid. “ Havin carried the day against
even him, I shall have 'ttle further trouble with
you, in dear.”

And e was right. Henceforth she offered no ~

op sition to his wishes. . . ‘
hen she was calmer, he introduced Jack
Downing, as his old-time friend and business
r ner.
paJack acknowledged the introduction in his
flandest style, and wound up by begging
irilgm to count him as With her against the
wor .
“We have need of a stanch friend until we
at out of this wretched country,” interposed
omans. '
Then, turning to Miriam he explained: ’
“ My dear, I do not wish to‘arouse yOur ap—
prehensions, but I must make one demand on
our co before we shall be in safety. You

ow of the enemies who have persecuted you in ,

the past. Cale Burchard and—”
“ Ah!” gasped Miriam, in sudden terror.

be taken back home, for a dag '
e

i:

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The Jolly Pards to' the Rescue.-

 

 

“ Do not fear them.‘ my dear ” said her
father reassuringly. “ They shall not harm
you. but it will be necessary to evade them by
once more assuming a disguise, for the last time
in your life.”

‘ And you can find some use for me?” cried
the Jack of Hearts.

“ Yes, you can serve us materially.”

“ Command me. I am yours without re-
serve.”

“ We shall pass the night at Fiddler’s Ford,
and will arrange everything there.”

At the Ford Salomans entered his dau hter’s
room with a plethoric pair of saddle-bags t rown
over is shoulder.

“ This is your disguise,” he said, throwing the
saddle-bags on the bed, and proceeding to open
one of them. “I left it here, knowing the ini—
‘gossibilit of setting out on our flight from

addy’s ‘lat. I have horses, too, in readiness.
Everything has been carefully arranged.”

As he drew forth several gaudin decorated
garments, the girl exclaimed in surprise:

“ A Mexican costume!”

“ Yes; we will attract less attention in that
than any other.”

“ But this is—this is—”

She stammered and looked confused.

“A bov’s dress,” supplied her father, with a
smile. ‘1 It will throw our enemies the more
eifectually 01? our track.” .

“ Oh, but I cannot wear such a dress!”

She was rosy red with startled modest . Never
was a prettier picture than her 3 rinking
maiden shame. -

“ It is necessary, dear,” urged her father.
“And no one who sees you in this will know
you, or guess the truth, or ever see you again.
Am I not your father, and can you not trust
yourself to my guidance?”

He was her father. She had been taught un-
questioning obedience. Any other course
seemed impossible to her. _

“ I made it myself,” he explained. “ When I
was a boy I was apprenticed to a tailor. I had
to make it from a general description of you. I
was told that you were about so igh, and slight
in build. Now you must try it on, to let me see
what alterations are to be made, so that it may

>flt you properly.”

He told her the use and mode of adjustment
of each garment, all of which were strange to
her, and then left her to don the dress.

In a few minutes he was timidly summoned
back into the room.

Never was anything so exquisite as this shy
little maiden, with her slender figure revealed
by the picturesque costume of a little Spanish
grandee, in a pose of shrinkin embarrassment.

“She is a picture for the g i” thought Sal-
omans “She would make her fortune on the
stage, if she could preserve that grace after
nature had ceased to lead her to assume it un-
consciously. But her modesty is too extreme.
It will betray her real sex, and spoil all.”

To her he said: ‘ .

“My dear, you make a charmin boy. No
one in the world will guess the trut , when we
have got that great mass of hair out of Sight.”

“ Ah!” she breathed, “ you will have to cut it
off!”

She turned very white, and tears sprung to
her eyes. . I

Her beautiful hair was her one little vanit —-
a harmless one, Since it sprung entirely from or
love. Harry had admired it, and one day had
said that he would not sacrifice one strand of it
for all the gold in the Sierras.

“ Cut it off?” cried Salomans. “ Well, I guess
not! Do you know the value of such a suit of
hair? There are women in New York—for that
matter, in any great CIW-‘Wbo Would ‘ve ten
thousand—ay, a hundred thousand do ars, for
it, if it could be made to grow upon their own

i heads.”

“But no boy’s hair is ever so long. Anybody
will know.” i

“ We’ll see about that. I am not an e rt at
hair-dressing; but I think I can remedy t e dif-
ficulty. Sit down, and I Will show you what
can be done.” -

Combing her hair from the nape of the neck
upward and forward Over her head. he braided
it carefully, and then coiled it in a mass directly
on the top of her head. He next bound about a

y silk handkerchief, so as to entirely hide her
fixr; and crowned the whole With a handy-
'huliioned Mexican sombrero. . .

e crown of the hat was entirely filled With
Tier ir; but there was no trace of it Visible to
‘the e e. . _

“ here!" he cried, looking at her With satis-
‘faction. “That isa triumph. You are a per-
fect little Mexican dandy.” ,

 

He took from the saddle~bags a toilet mirror,
adding, gayly:

“I am almost afraid to intrust you with it,
lest. like Narcissus, you should fall to flirting
with yourself.”

She leoked at her reflection, with a wondering
curiosity pretty to see, and blushed rosier than
ever.

“ But, how strange!” she murmured. ‘.‘ Ever
Sue ,will notice that my hair is so carefully hi -

en. ’ ‘

“ Why,” exclaimed her father. “have you
never seen a Mexican with his head bound in a
’kerchief?”

“ I have seen so little,” she pleaded, shvly.
“ And there were no Mexicans at Paddy’s Flat,
I think.”

“ Poor child 1” cried her father. “ Well, we’ll
make up for that. You are to live in one of the
gayest cities in the world. How shall you like
to see people from almost every spot on the
earth, with all their strange costumes, and all
their ueer ways—not as you see them on the
sta e, ut as the are in every-day life?”

iriain look at him in wondering bewilder-
ment. She had never been inside a theater in
all her uneventful life. She did not know what
“ the sta e” meant.

‘t It wi 1 be very nice,” she said, in a way that
shoWed that she comprehended it not at all.

“It is all right to have your hair hidden,”
pursued her father. “To-morrow I shall be al-
most your counterpart in everything. In that
respect there will be no difference.”

“ You shall wear a dress like this?”

“ Certainly. We shall appear to be a Spanish
Don, and his son and heir, on our travels.

The girl looked relieved. This gave her more
confidence.

“ I shall not be so much afraid,” she said,

simpaev. ‘

" e are in luck,” pursued her father. “Your
dress could not fit on better if it had been
madeto measure. hat scoundrel was faithful
in one—”

But here he came to a dead halt.

“ In the fiend’s name!” he muttered to himself.

But Miriam was not on the alert to perceive
that he had so nearly betrayed himself.

“ We must have our friend, Jack, in to see
you,” he went on, hurriedly.

h Tgat drove every other thought out of her
ea . '

“Oh, no! no! no!” she cried, looking as if she
contemplated flight.

“ My dear, remember that he is a very old
friend of mine, and will be as good a friend of
yours.”

“ But I cannot let him see me looking like
this! Indeed l indeed !—”

' “ It is that you may get a little used to havin
peo 1e see ou in an unfamiliar dress, that
WIS it. e must see you, in any event, to-
morrow.”

She offered no further objections in words;
but she was red and white by turns, trembling
like a leaf; and her eyes looked into those of her
father with the piteous, troubled appeal of a.
dumb animal that dreads some cruel blow from
a hand it has learned to love and trust.

“ Courage! courage l” said her father, tting
her on the cheek. “ I want to be prou of my,
little girl’s self-pOSsession, as well as of every-
thing else that pertains to her.” ‘

He explained to Jack the part he was to play,
and then took him into the room.

The heart of the gambler rose into his throat.
He had never seen anythin that so charmed
him. In that first moment Ins face would in-
evitably have betrayed him, but the irl was so
much abashed that she could not 1' ther eyes
from the floor.

There was a pause before he could control his
veice; but then he Spoke with admirable quiet-

ness.

f‘I should never have suspected you, Miss
Miriam,” he said. “ No one can poss1bly guess.
It is wonderful, the change a difference of dress
will make.” , .

She lifted her eyes timidly to his face. There
she did not encounter the bold stare of admira-
‘tion she had dreaded. He looked at. her with no
change in the quiet respect he had shown her
from the first.

She sighed involuntarily, and murmured:

‘ “ You are very kind.”

In the morning, Salomans went through a
sham sale of one of his horses to the Jack of
Hearts, and a real sale of the other to a resident
of Fiddler’s Bord. explaining that he had pre-
pared to take his little girl on horseback but
found that she was too much prostrated to
make the {ourney in that way without prejudice
to her hen th.

I

, waste.
Close at hand

 

   
   

To Jack he said in confidence:

“We are oing through a farce which I ex-
pected to p ay without assistance. You have
only to o to a neighboring camp, with the sad-
dle and ridle over your shoulder; give out that
you got lost, and that your horse fell in a
treac erous path and broke his leg, so that you
had to shoot him; purchase another' and bring
the two to the Crossing. The saddles that We
are really to use are hidden at hand.”

So the Jack of Hearts rode away. and a little
later Miriam and her father resumed their places
in the stage-coach.

Some miles out of Fiddler’s Ford, they came
to a crossing with another stage road, running
southward. Here they were set down, ostensi-
bly to wait for the southern stage; and the
coach from the Ford Went on its wa .

“ This is where our trail will be 10$ 1” declared
Salomans. _

"When the coach in which they had come was
out of sight and hearing, be hurried Miriam
down the southern road a little way, and then
leaving it, plunged into the trackless mountain

however, they came upon a
secluded spot, where they found the Jack of
Hearts in waiting for them, with the horses.

“I wish you every success until we meet
again,” was his leave—taking. “Hark! there
comes the down stage. It’s a close shave. If it
had at in an ap ance a little sooner, it
won] have balk our combination. But I
must be in time to take it. Good-by, and God
bless you 1”

He pressed their hands, and hurried away.

So it was he who took the southern stage, and
shortly after a ga ly-dressed Mexicon senor
and a daint little on rode to the north.

Miriam’s eart hung in her bosom likea stone.

A faint sigh between her pale lips and
the thought that went out with it showed the
hope to which she clung till now.

“ He will never know what has become of me!
I shall never see him again l”

CHAPTER V.
LIFTING THE BLIND.

Lars: that afternoon, two horsemen rode into
a mining-camp which, in characteristic Western
style, had been called “ Blind Hose.”

One of them was of large frame, with the look
of a man who overrode with brute violence
every obstacle that appeared in his path.

The other was a stocky little rascal, who
Enade up in low cunning what he lacked in

orce.

It was almost needless to introduce them the
former as Cale Burchard the latter as How-
legged Banty, and to add that _they were the
same precious pair who had Visited Paddy’s
Flat in disguise. _

Both of them looked Jubilant and ex tent.

“What’ll we say?” asked Cale. ‘ Will we
jest order him to fork over the girl an’ the
rocks an’ git?”

“ Wasl, you air a blasted fool!” declared
Bant , contemptuously.

” hat’s the reason I am?” demanded Cale,
with" i pose h ’d f

’ at ( 0 you su e say 0 we come
down on him in anyguch style as that?”

“ It don’t make a thunderin’ bit 0’ difference
what he’d say l”

" Waal, I ’low it jest does.”

“ What would he say?”

“He’d put it short an’ swoet. Go to the
deuce!”

“Ain’t we the bosses 0’ this hyag game, I
want to know?”

“ Not in a camp whar he kin git backin’ fur
the askin’." .

“ How air we gom’ fur to run it, then?”

“ Why, we’ve ot to play our cards with com-
mon decency. e’ve got to stand in with him
tell we t him wh r we kin drop him out o’
sight on t e quiet.” 1 .

‘I’m about sick ’ this soft-sawder biz. It
jest turns my stummick, an’ that’s a fact. H ar
we’ve kep’ it u fur a month 0’ Sundays. ow
I want to brea loose, an’ tear somethin’!”

“You jest keep yer shirt on! Ef you’d had
I our swing, you‘d ’a’ knocked thin in the

end time an ag’in, before you he thepins
half sot up.” -

" You’re mighty fond o’ runnin’ the game, I
notice!” \,

“ When I git through with this hyar, I’ll be
hanged ef I don’t cut loose from you fur a
blasted fool, an’ leave you to run yer own ma.
chine to yer own satisfaction!”

“ Hold on, Bantyl You’re as touchy this
mornin’ as gun-cotton. You know I hain’t ot
no head fur layin’ out work, but I’ve got a

  
    
    
   

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  -Joiiy"“P§r s' 'to‘thé' Rosetta

nerve to ut it through when you give me the
p’ints. all the thing 011’, an’ we’ll drive ahead.”

“ Then jest you keep yer infernal growlin’ to
yerself "

Cale “ took in his horns” very gracefully, con-
sidering the sort ofa fellow he was. But it was
plain that he knew the worth of his confed-
erate. .

“ Hyar We be,” he concluded; “ an’ we’ll say
no more about it.”

And in a tone of blunt good nature he hailed
a miner who was sunning himself before a sa-

loon.

“Hallo, pard! This hyar’s Blind Hess, ain’t
it?"

“Ye’re mighty right!” was the emphatic re-
sponse.

“Say, now; when does the coach come this

way?” ,

‘ It’s gone through more’n an hour ago.”

“ The deuce! I shouldn’t wonder, now, of
thar was some place in this hyar burgh whar a
stratiger Would be like to hang up fur the night.”

“ p to the Dchrop-In.”

“ Yours truly. Ef you happen along up thar,
it’s my treat.” -

And our brace of scoundrels jogged on up the
street. ”

That the Dew—drop Inn—which, as a matter
of course, had been W esternized into Do-Drop—
In—was a drinking saloon with accommoda-
tions for transient lodgers, goes without saying.

Cale and Banty dismounted and lounged into
the bar, ordering drinks. "

“The hearse has passed hyar an hour gone?”
observed Cale.

“ That ain’t no lie, stranger,” replied the bar-
keeper.

“ Ef it had dropped anybody, they’d ’a’ put
up h ar, I reckon ’

“ r laid out-doors i”

“ It—ah—didn’t drop a pilgrim or two?”

4‘ Nar I"

Cale fooked blank, and exchanged a glance
with Banty.

He was at a loss how to proceed.

Banty came to the rescue.

“ What went through this trip?” he asked. _

“ Waal, thar was im Buckson, o’ Fiddler’s
Ford, an’ another party with him. They do say
as he’s lookin’ fur to place some rocks. He’ll
leave ’em, of he drops ’em up to the Ford.
That’s, my opinion; an it don’t cost ye nothin’.”

“ Nobody else?”

“ Not a smell.”

Banty’s eyes contracted slightly, but his face

1,! did not wear the blank stare of helplessness that

Cale’s did.

“I say, pard,” he went on, “ do you ’low as
that thar sta e come straight through from—-
from Paddy’s t?” ' ,

“ Thar am’t nowhar else fur it to come from.”

“ When might it ’a’ left the Flat?”

“Yistiddy. ’ '

“ An’ laid over at Fiddler’s Ford?”

“ Last night. , Reckon, now, you was expectin’
some one?”

“ Yaas. an ole side pard.”

Cale stared. He was not equal to any such
finesse as this.

Banty drank his liquor with apparent uncon-

cern. :

“ Mebby you’d like to put up hyar fur a day
ur two, an’ wait fur your pard?’ observed the
barkeeper. “ We’ve got as good beds as you’ll
find in this hyar section. An’ as fur forage,
we kin stall anfiythin’ but a Jew. They do gag
at the grunter. ,

2‘. 9mm might that thar stage be along
a m
“ It’s up‘ to-morrer, an’ down ag’in the day
after.” '
“ Waal, I reckon thatthar won’t, do. ’Bleeged
tozou, all the same,” , ,
nd he led the way out of the saloon, with
‘ the saunter t a man who was not disturbed by
triflln dimfigointments.
“, hat’s t at thar about a side pard?” asked
Cale when they were outside. ,
“ ever ow yer hand when the me don’t
call fur it, answered Bant , sentent ously.
“ W I 'low thar’s a m , eal hyar some’rs.”
3%.: 30“" ‘" “pose’ miEt‘h‘ioi-i’iti
on re 0 a.
r “ Find out}? p ‘
“.0’ con . But how i”
‘4 By go 11’ to Fiddler’s Ford.”
“ Doggou ’low as they’ve laid over thar‘l”
“_ g ’t ’low nothin when I don’t know noth-
121., ' r I find out, I kin tell ye more about
“ Bay, Banty,”—-and Cale manifested an un-
 amonnt of shrewdness, for him,—-“ do
Jon M like the look 0’ things!”

.«I—‘

»~‘ I

" mu :-
"" which

“ Don’t you!” asked Banty, following out his
polilcy of not committing himself unneces-
sari .

“h o, I don’t!” declared Cale, with a round
oat .

" What’s the reason you don’t?”

“ Waal, that doggone snoozer is too mighty
knoxvin’ fur my style; an’ that’s a fact.”

“You’ll l’arn to take the fat with the lean,
one 0’ these da 5.”

“ Oh, I ain’t kickin’—not yit!”

“Jest wait, then, tell you find somethin’ .to
kick out.”

“ You lead the way. I’m a-follerin’.”

And with this understanding, they mounted,
and set out for Fiddler‘s Ford.

It was noticeable, however, that Banty
urged his horse to a fair speed.

Arriving at the crossing, Banty pulled up
and glanced up and down the transverse road
sharply.

“ What’s the row ’i” asked Cale. -

“ Nothin’,” replied Banty, shortly.

“ That’s a stage road.”

“ Any fool would see that.”

And Banty rode on without more ado. But
now he rode faster than before.

Reaching the Ford, he lost no time in seeking
to pick up information indirectly, but went at
once to the tavern.

“ Boss," he said. to the fat and laz host who
was lounging before his door, “ di the coach
leayleIary pilgrims hyar to-day'i”

‘ r

“ But didn’t it bring anybody from on be-
yond .9” ,

“They went on through.”

“ Who might they be, now?”

“ A couple 0‘ sharps an’ a bit 0’ dry-goods.”

“A couple 0’ sharps! Was they travelin’ to-
gather?” I

“ Waal I reckon not. One on ’em sold t’other
a boss. heckoned he‘d stick to the hearse, be-
in’s as how the gal was poorly.”

“ A hoes?” re ted Banty, in surprise.

, “Now, what-fur ookin' galoot was that thar

cha with the gal?”

“ aal, I sized him up as an A1 Sheeny.
Thar wa n’t nothin" slow about the gal, nuther.
’Low she was his’n. She favored him.”

“ An’ they want on through?”

“ That’s so, boss.”

“ What-fur road is that thar what crosses
this’n a bit out an i”

“ The Ban 0'! That thar takes the State
en‘dways.” d?”

Stage roa

“ You bet.”

“ Reckon, now, it might make connection
with the coach out today.”

“ You may gamble on it.”

“ North or south i”

“ South.” ‘

Bant paid his score, and added a casual re-
mark a out the weather. ‘

The landlord eyed him narrow] . -

To be put through such a catec ism as he had
just been subjected to was not an uncommon
thing in that countr ; but such questions were
seldom asked out of i le curiosity. ‘

“ You might be a—lookin’ fur some stray ani-
miles?” observed the landlord, by way of a
feeler. ,

 “ Me? Oh, no.” _

And. Banty lounged out.

“ I b’lieve ye’re a liar!” muttered the landlord
to himself.

“ Waali” observed Cale, when, they were
alone. i

“ Thar ain’t no call fur no chin-music,” an-
swered Banty. .

“ He’s ve us the nasty shake!”

“He’s ried to!”

“ Eh! You’re ’lowin’ to foller him up?”

“ Air you takin’ whatever’s dealt to ye?”

“ Not without kickin’ i”

Cale swore with savage intensi

“ You’re wastin’ yer breath.
fur to cool yer porridge.”

‘ What air we to do now?”

a bee-line fur SanMilo.”

They did so, to find that no such rson as
they were in quest of had occupied he coach
when it passed there on the day in question.

“ But. gents, thar was a dandy sharp aboard
an’ don’t ye fur t it! My eye! but he spar
a sparkler what u’d make ye stone blind jest fur
to come down on it with yer lass optic.’

Banty._started at this seco appearance of a
flash sport,.and immediately proceeded to get
an exact description of him. '

“ on drop to this gay an’ festive gent?” he

i; . ’
getter keep it

 

asked, ale when the were again alone.
Inna, Idon’t.” ‘ y -

   

 

J2: .'

“ Ma be on didn’t see him git (10% o! the .1” 
box at he at.” - - .-

“ How do you know it is that galoot?” - ' j

“l, caught the flash of his sparkler in the '
sun. ' v v

“ Waal, what has he to do with our man?”

“He bought his boss, and then we see him
back in the coach, an’ our man has gone up in
the air, or down into the round.”

“ It’s a blind!” cried Ca e, at last seeing dimly !
through it. -

“ I should say so,” assented Banty. ‘v ,
“ aal, it’s your lead.” (

“ North!”

And away they went again, this time really
on Isaac Salomans’s track.

At Biles’s Flume they learned nothing of a. ;
man and girl, but here they heard of a Mexican 1
Don and his son—“ a daisy little shrimp fur to
look at,” added their informant, “ but a back—- !
ward, flat when it came to speakin’ up fur him- ‘
self. ' ‘
Banty “ dro ped ” at once. i .
“ With two ays the start of us!” said Cale, \
when the whole thing had been made plain to 3
him. - .
But—~the came 11 with the objects of their ! i
pursuit at ‘rub Sta 'es. ‘ i

The httle Don had fallen ill.

“ We‘ve got him!” muttered Banty, exalt»

antl .

“IYIe’ll be hard to find when we git through
with him!” replied Cale, with a savage glitter
in his eyes.

That ni ht they caught sight of Salomans,
looking pae and anxious. It was evident too
that he was on the alert to find out whether he
had been followed.

“VVe’ll lay fur him,” said Banty. “When i
he’s jest whar we want him, we’ll drop onto him 1
out of a clear sky 1” O _

They immediately left the camp, to he in .v ' I
wait for their prey. _______ 

l
l

CHAPTER VI.
LOST! ‘

TOM MURPHY and Dick Johnson, whose words
and deeds will soon make them better known
than could a personal description, had elbo wed
their way through the crowd on the heels of
Isaac Salomans, as he bore his unconscmus
dau hter to the coach. _ _  .

“ e’s gwine fur to cart her 03!” cried Dick, . ' .5
excitedly. ‘ g ‘

“ Anny fool would see that,” assented Tom. ‘a

“ But dah’s Harry tied up by de leg, an’ can’t.
take his own part.”

“ Did we tie him up?”

It was not that Tom was less concerned than
his comrade, but he felt helpless to prevent what
he reen nlzed as a calamity. . n ,

“ N o, ut dat don’t let us out,” 1ns1sted Dick.

“What air ye goin’ to do about it?”

“ Wig-’uns ought to do What he’d do at he was
hyeah.

“ What would he do?” .

:‘ He’d bitch on to dat ’ah, somehow, an’ stop
' 3

1t. . i
“Faith, you’d betther throy your hand.” i
“ What kin we do?” . v ,V
“ Ag’in’ the lawyers an’ the judgei—not to i

mintion gJim Gladden. Didn’t he say that the 

law should be carried out this wanct,'1f it niver , :2‘

was ag’in?” ‘ , ;

Dick looked hopeless. 1  _

“ Harry ought to know dis hyeah,” he   {'7'

sted. L ‘
“ Go an’ tell him,” said Tom, dejectedly. .  xi. 5r
“It’ll be too late when he gets h eah. parse,-
off alreadi‘. Hi! Dah’s Jim Glad en!” .  . 

With a ound he tore his way through the; 
crowtd that had come out before the door of the '1. V
cm . i I,  .. .

“Jim! Jim!” he cr'ed, seizing the h v .g
the marshal, utter be ad carromed n on. ‘ '_
every one who stood in his path, knoc 111%. . . _ = ‘
heeili essly to right and left like so many uma‘n; 
P00 433118. _ '
Jim Gladden, as fine-a spammen of ysical
manhood as one need wxsh to see, stood ookmg‘
gloomin after the coach that was half‘hidden

y the cloud of dust that rose in its wake.

“ What d’ye want, pickamnnyl” he asked.

" Day’s carryin’ her Dita—Missy l”

“ Don’t I see that?” asked Gladden, as if re-
senting an implication that he was responsible.-

.~m Man

a»... an“,

El

  

.e
l"
l

.a

 
 

,Vt.-;"“

 

“ But, say Jim !——you don’t know. She’s ,‘
Harry’s gal—his best gal, ye unnerstan ! He sets
a heap by her—he do, so!’

“ So much the worse fur him!” growled Jim, , 
witha’frown. .  > _-
But it was plain that he was not free irony  *
fireproach.’ Still, he felt bound by   
3 cos. . r - . v -

   

 

G .- HM

 

 

 

   

 There was the law. He had sworn to uphold
-, it. This was the very first case of its execution
under him. What could he do?

Was the law to be a respecter of persons?
Should he play fast and loose with duty because
his heart went out to the boy who suffered from
this bufl’et of fortune?

However, he felt the need of still further justi-
fication. even to‘so insignificant a person as Dick
‘ Johnson.

' ‘ “ The girl had the right to go with her father
, if she liked,” he said. “ He left it to her; and
l she said a.”

“ But arry?" insisted Dick, illogically enough.

“ He'll ham to grin an’ bear it‘. Life would
be a mighty easy game, of we hold all the
trumps every hand.”

And turning upon his heel, Jim strode into
the court room.

“ Now it’s betther yo feel!" said Tom, with
bitter irony.

He thought that this talk about duty was all
ver fine—as talk; but when it came to going.
bac on one’s friends at the bidding of a lot of
pettifogging lawyers. Tom, like a true son of
. the West, said “ Nixy!”

l ‘ Dick gazed after the receding coach in de-
spair.

“ Ef Harry was only hyeah,” he groaned,
plaintively, “ we free would knock do socks off’n
all deir law!”

But Harry stood at his post, pale and anqious,
Lut little dreaming that the rumbling coach-
wheels were already bearing away his love. He
supposed that she had been taken into the hotel
adjoining, and that he would at least have one
last interview with her before they were sepa-
rated forever, if sbfi finally decided to sacrifice
him at her father‘s idding.

He could not even go to the aid of old Abra—
ham, who rose painfully to his feet, and put his
hand on his wife’s shoulder.

“ Come! come!” said the old Hebrew, in a
tremnlous, husky voice. “All is ofer! Coniel
—come h me.”

rl'he ol woman seemed dazed. The thick

3. black vail she wore hid her face, so that her
' dumb anguish was sacred from the curious stare
of the ru 6 miners. ‘ i
_ 4, She rose feebly, clinging to the unsteady arm
9 , of her husband.
' So these two forlorn old creatures assed out
of the court-room, that hush ofvawe w ich is iii-
’ spired by deep ief falling upon the crowd,
,fi . which opened to et them through.

.; » Alone they left the hall; alone they tottered to
their desolated home, alone they sat down amid
the wreck of their hopes and happiness. Old
egg and deSpair! _

ut the blow fell With scarcely-(less severity

5‘ wM¥H~ ....-......~..... .

- upon the ounger shoulders.
When Harry learned of the calamity that had
fallen upon him, he stood white and still. He
saidtohimself what Jim Gladden had said to

1'
l

 j ; Dick. The girl had chosen, as she had the right
3

to.
He felt a hand on his shoulder, and Jim Glad-
den’s voice pleaded—s
“ Kid, ye don’t hear me no malice?” ,
. , The boy looked up with a long-drawn inhala-
3.  «

.FNo—rno,” he answered, passing his hand

, r ' . Iliad todovit,” said Jim, sadly.
~ ' ‘ v' ’ ‘50!» course. on did. That’s all right, J im.”
{F , “ You know ’d ’a.’ stood by you while wood
5‘ g ' groWed an’ water run?”
’ t . ~ ‘ “Yes, Jim; yes.” ‘
’  _, ff- - f The marsh? turned away reluctantly, and
.. 4* I ‘ went; about his duties. In his heart he execrated
9’ ; the man who had raised this cloud between him
, and the boy whom he loved With the kind of af-
o ,fection that binds the heroes of the mountains
“and plains to one another to the death.
. . ,With leaden feet Harry walked away, seek-
.  solitude in the first throes of his pain, like a
_ A I w d beast when wounded.
', 2 , Later he came back to the camp, and went to
‘ I old Abraham’s. I
- The house was dark and desolate. The old
people sat in the living room, back of the store,
sat there alone, in silence, in darkness. I
- .. 4. . I Harrcil-y sat down Ramong them, and no one said
‘ a .4}; arm . , _
“  It wasworse tha‘n if a. corpse 18y m the ad-
"! ‘ 50% room. The atmosphere of the room
;,,  , thick, heavy, stifling, like the rent air
, of a tomb:
‘. To Sit‘thus amid the ghosts of memory was
,unendumblo. Our hero rose and left those whom
‘ he was powerless to console—he who so needed
'~ _‘ consolation himself.
u On the marrow the store was closed, the shut-
ters remained up. ..

   
 
 
 

 

d
E
'93
(D
g
D.

   
  
  
  
   
  
 

V,

  
    
 
 
  

 

 

Old Rebecca lay in her bed, with her eyes
shfiit,?m0tionless, uncomplaining, waiting—for
w at .

Abraham sat bowed beside her, with his eyes
fixed upon her white face.

How deep the seams Were! How pathetic the
tremor of the thin lips!

So Harry found them.

“ This will neVer do!” he declared.

And he installed a kind-hearted Irishwoman
in the house, to set the home-life going again,
and so to win these poor old souls back from the
tomb-like chill that had paralyzed them.

Meanwhile, the business of the court went on.

The boys shook their heads over the Sentence
of the road- agents to imprisonment for a term
of years. After the spicy Work of’ stringing
such characters up to a limb of the red cedar
that grew before the Terpsichorean Hall, that
was rather flat.

Then the court resumed its circuit. Jim
Gladden was called u )0“ by a neighboring
marshal to lend his skill to the apprehension of
some knights. of the road who Were making an
adjoining county notorious by their exploits.
gargry Ixecne was left in charge of Paddy’s

:i .

He had enjoyed this distinction but a single
day, when three horsemen rode into the Flat,
itSked for the marshal, and were referred to
um. ‘i

CHAPTER VII.
To run RESCUE.

TIIE strangers were three Irishmen, of. as
many different types of Hibernian manhood.

Tim Buckley was in middle life, were a fringe
of beard following the line of his throat, and
walked with his hands 'folded under his coat-
tails, in imitation of the “ gintlemen 0’ the
owlden toime.”

Redt‘ly Scully was a “ brick-top,” with beauty-
spots—invidiously called freckles—in such pro-
fusion as to quite obscure his otherwise fine
complexion.

Pat Mallory, of powerful build, had the bullet
head and pugnacious jaw of a prize-fighter.

All three of these men agreed in one respect—
they were pale with dogged purpose, their
eyes glittering with a. wolflsh thirst for re—
venge. , \

Mallory scanned our young hero with a. look
that was almost contemptuous.

“ An’ is this the mairshal?” he demanded.

“ The depluty marshal,” corrected Harry,
coloring slig tl , yet also beginning to bristle.

“ 13_e me sou , it’s a. bit of a niairshal, or
(Igeipffil’iy, or what-not, that contints Paddy’s
a! - ‘

Mallory had made this same objection upon
29mg riaferred to the deputy, but he had got for

is rep y:
.“Stranger don't you throw off on that boy
till you Size imuup. He’s little but he’s loud!”

Now Harry said in his own he alf:

“ I believe that I do Content the Flat. And
don’t forget that Napoleon was but a bit of a
corporal.” . I
-\ “Napoleon, is it? Belike I’ve heard of him
before. A Frog-’ater, wasn't he?”

“ He was known better as the king-eater.”

“ Well, that's . nather heur nor thayer.
Ther’s no kings in this counthry fur anny one
to ’ate.”

“ If you’ll give me a. whack at you, I’ll see if
I am deputy marshal enough to satisfy you'”

“ It’s not at me that yez nade be whackin’,
ossoon. Faith, it’s mesilf that has the achin
in me bones to git a whack at a maraudin’ divil

that’s lately been in yer camp, I’m told.”

“ Who’s that?”

“ A thafe of a shaney!”

“A what?” cried Harry, with a. start.

“ Isaac Salouians, the curse 0’ Crummel an
,un] !”

“ Isaac Salomans!”

“ No less.”

“ lint what of him? What has- he done to
on?
y “ A thrifle! Cl’aned out the crowd of uz!”

At which sarcasm Roddy Scully and Tim
Buckley broke out in fierce execrations.

“ What do you mean?” asked our hero, be-
ginning to tremble-

“ I m’ane that this thafe o’ the worruld and
his 'two pards have robbed us of ivery grain 0’
dust we had to the fore.” ‘

v “Robbed on!”
“ Robbed us!” Didn’t you never hear tell 0’
the finkeho’ that:j before?” k ,
at is or 8 cu s e of.,’
It  that” p° , . ..
e ' ' y away wid um!’ burst
Roddy Scully. '

 

 

“Ay! ay! I’ll grind his bones to powder
wan 0 these days!” added Tim Buckleey ‘

“And Bow egged Bantyl” cri Harry,

“ No less, curse ’um!” assented Mallory.

Harry stood staring, with his mouth open,
struck in a heap.

“ You know he Sfalpeensl” asked Mallory.

“Know them? have reason to! And you
are sure that these men are pards of Isaac
Salomansl”

“Well, I know it to the tune of thirty-five
thousand dollars 1’”

“Ah! That’s where his wealth came from!
And Miriam— Gcod heavens!”

But it, was no time for idle repining.

“ Tell me all about it,” he urged, beginning to
show his metal in a sudden rigidity of the
muscles all over his body.

“ It’s but a taste to tell. Thayre’s me, an’
Roddy Seully, thayre, an’ Tim Buckley—~f’aith,
we came up from the Isthmus in asea-eoflln,
alon ' wid a lot more of unliieky divils. Who
but eddy had the shakes an ’um, along 0’ the
h’athen wather o’ the divil’s own counthry, that
he'd. not sthaiid on his two feet? An’didn’t Tim
have a bout wid Yallnh Jack, bod luck til ’um!
As fur mesilf, well, I shtud it well enough. So
they fed as on rotten meat an’ Wormy beans till
the seiirvy tuck us, an’ them as we put over-
board into the salt—wather ocean had the luck
wid ’um.”

Seully and Buckley showed by sullen shakes
of the head and muttered oaths that that sea-
voya re had been one of horrors not pleasant to
recai .

“ Well, we wint to pieces an the rocks a
hundhred miles or so below ’Frisco; an’ divil a
taste of anny cn toard but me, an’ Roddy
Scully, thayre, an’ Tim Buckley, came u out o’

‘ breathlessly.

the wather alive. So we futted it to Frisco,

an’ shook han’s an it to shtand by one another,
make or break. '

“ It was make wid us from the shtairt, till we
see thim maraudhin’ diVils—the shane an’ his
two pairds. He wint in pajrdners wi us; the
two 0’ them salteda mine; an’ who but him
bought it wid our dust—~thirt -iive thousand
dollars, or I’m a liarl—an’ m e off, the lot 0’
them!”

At this climax all three of the victims of this
oft-repeated mining-trick fell to swearing sav-

gel .

“ but how came you to let men who were
pardners take you in like that?” asked Harry.

“ Did annv one know that they were aird-
11ers? Wasn‘t the wan 0’ them our pair , d’ye
moind, an’ the other two sthrangers to lum?”

“ Ah! I see. They rung in a cold deal on
you. And now, what do you propose to do
about it?”

“ We’ve sworn to folly them to kin dom-come,
but we'll get the dust back, an’ their lood, tool’

“ I’m with you !” cried our hero.

And in a few words he detailed his own cause
for revenge against the Swindlers.

Having set the Irishmen on their track, he
hastened off to find his own pards.

“What’s the row now i” asked Tom Murphy,
seeing his excited face.

“ Row enough!” re lied Harry. ” Funds, are
you to stand by me t rough thick and thin?”

“ Dah ain’t no discount on dat.”

“ Divil a dis’!” .

“The expenses shall come out .of my share of
what we made out of the show biz.”

“ G‘way dab! Don’t you say nuflin’ ’bout
’spenses!” _ .

“ Is it pairds we are, till it comes to the s end-
ing of a thrifle 0’ money?” cried Tom. “ ivil
swa the loike of thitflé pairdsEZh t H

ithout stop in , argue is oin , arty
recounted what‘lie, had learned. p .

“I tell you what it is, pards,” he concludedd '

“it’s Cale Burclard and Banty from the groan
up. They have got hold of this Balcmans, and
have made use of him to get Miriam into their
wer. God hel us! they have succeeded only
well! But w at is to become of hert Even
if her father is not scoundrel enough to Sacrifice
her—which I believe he is—Qale and Banty will
not rn’ake two bites of him, if he stands in lr

wa . .
‘yDon’t say anudder word !” cried Dick. ‘ Me
an’ Tom is after dem rapscallions, bot-foot; an’
of you wasn’t tied u hyeah by (19193...” . .
“ TiOdl” .8110qu fill-“‘5’. ‘ Do you suppose,
will stay tied?”

“But what’ll Jim say, er you shake him i

ling”

“ It don’t make any difference what he says!
I’ll manage that. But is it a o, Tomi” I

“ A go, is it? Dou’t ye ins tine, monl”

Harry wrung the hands of his generous

  
   
        
     
     
    
   
 

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“ I’ll never forget you, fellows!” he said.
“Hurry up, and get everything ready for an
instant start, while I fix things with 'the boys
about my jumping my office.”

Tom and Dick rushed off to get horses and
provisions, blankets and bullets, in readiness.

Harry ran toward the center of the cam ,
before the Teirsichorean Hall, shouting at t e
top of his lung :

“ Ob, es! oh, yes! oh, yes!”

The e ect of this summons was such as is seen
only in a Western mining-camp. The boys
came “ tumbling up ” from every direction, on
the keen jump.

In an almost incredibly short period, the
young deputy marshal was haranguing a crowd
of eager isteners.

“ Boys, I can’t tell you the reason for my ac-
tion, but it is absolutely necessary for me to
leave here as soon as I can get into the saddle.
I know that my duty as deputy marshal calls
me to stick by m ‘ t in the absence of Jim
Gladden, and that haven’t been so faithful in
the past as to make this desertion excusable on
that score. But there are situations before
which every consideration must yield, and the

resent is one of them.

“What I have called you to other for, is to
have you elect a man in my p ace; and when
Jim gets back, he can expel me from the force
and make his own selection of my successor. I
he the next man will serve him and the Flat
be ter.”

As briefly as he spoke, it was lain that the
young deputy did not look forwar with indif-
ference to the disgrace of being degraded from
his office. .

But the boys declared that no such penalty
should fall upon him. They knew the circum-
stances of his dereliction of duty in the past, and
heartily sympathized with him. Nowhere in
the world are the technicalities of the law so
little regarded as among these headlong moun-
tain-men. They are so used to des rate reme-
dies for desperate cases, that they 0 not appre-
ciate the benefits of a more orderly, if slower,
mode of procedure.

A man was raised from the crowd to Harry’s

lace; and with scarcely more than a wave of
the hand in acknowledgment, he ran off to
Abraham’s.

There everythin was as it had been ever since
Miriam’s loss. Re .cca seemedto hang between
life and death, and Abraham sat like a man
whose brain was paralyzed.

“ Cheer up, dear friends!” cried Harry, burst-
ing  upon them. “ We are going for Mir-

aml

Abraham looked up with a start, but after a
momentary stare at the bearer of (glad tidings,
he sunk back to his old position of espair, shak-
in his head gloomily.

becca, who had been lying with her eyes
closed, opened them, and turned them upon the
speaker. From their caVernous depths, they
loollgecll1 like coals of fire set in the eye-sockets of
a s u . ' -

“ Hat mu come to kill her, by raising false
hopes, to followed only by disappointment?”
asked Abraham, glancing sadly at his 'wife.
“She is dyino' fast enough alreaty l”

“ But the Three Jolly l’ards are sworn—”

“ To conquer her will?” interposed the old
man, meaning Miriam’s, '

“ No! To expose the infamous scoundrels
with whom her father is leagucd.” '

“Dot makes not’iiig. He is her father. The
worse you make him out, the more she will feel
bound to stand by him. I know her!”

“ But she is to be the victim of a. dastardly

lot. If her father is not a party to it—which I
lieve he is -he will at least be unable to pro-
tect her.”

“ Make her believe dot i”

It was plain that Abraham would not be con-
vinced. C

As this could wait, while the state of mind of

‘ Rebecca was of much greater importance, Har-

ry hastened to her side.

“ Do not despair,” he said, taking her hand,
affectionately. " I promise you that I Will bring
dgar tMiriam back. I know what I am talking
a on . .

“ Meanwhile, you must not lie here like this.
It will pain her to see you looking so ill. She
will feel that she is to blame, and Will never for-
give herself. If you love her, you will get up
and get strong again, so that you can welcome
her without causing her this bitter self-re-
preach.”

“ ring her back! brin her back!” sobbed old
Rebecca, clinging to his nd, and weeping pit-

eously.
“ I will. But you must do as I say.”

 

"Yes, yes! Gott vill help me!”

Abraham followed our hero down to the door,
and there wrung his hand in parting, so deeply
moved with gratitude that he could not speak.

Then into the saddle and away.

As the Three J olly Pards dashed out of the
camp to the rescue, they were sped on their way
by ringing cheers. Without knowing just what
their miSSlOD was, the boys guessed that it had
something to do with the Pride of Paddy’s Flat.

CHAPTER VIII.
“ FAIR EXCHANGE is NO ROBBERY.”

N 0w, Jack Downing had a head on his shoul-
ders, and one that was something more than a
“ rub and gabble mill.”

e was scarcely out of the presence of the
girl who had touched his heart, on his way
south from the San Milo Crossing, when he re-
flected:

“ Blessed if I like the run of the cards. Here
I’m running away from the prettiest little wo-
man I ever set my two peepers on, and leaving
her to Ike Salomans, to be steered clear of the
conscienceless scoundrels who are pursuing her
with the most sinister designs. Was there ever
such a flat?

“ It isn’t necessary for me to 0 clean to
’Frisco to blind this trail, and I’m geing to jump
it instanter.

“ I havea resentiment that there’s going to
be trouble. hat little angel will betray er-
self. She’s too shamefaced and timid to play
the boy. Hang me if I don’t make it a point to
be on hand when those devils call Ike for all he’s
worth, and to ante enough to give me a show in
the game.”

Pursuant of this resolve he left the coach at
San Milo. On the way thither he had matured
his lans. v

T e place was an old Mexican Mission, the

acefn life of which had been suddenly burst
in upon by an irruption of the outer barbarian.

In one quarter the natives huddled in sullen
endurance in their adobe huts, picturesque in
costume, but of no account in competition with
the red—shirted miners who held possession of
the slope over against them.

en these products of a new civilization
made a descent upon the fandan of the older
inhabitants, the “ Greaser ” ha to lay wall-
flower, while the German, the Iris man, the
Swede, the-— But why quibble about their an-
cestry? Were they not “Americans” all, h
birth or naturalization? So, with the lordly ar-
rogance of all conquerors, they did what con-
querors have done since the world be an—took
possession of the women of the wee er race,
a’nd— Well, they “raised Cain,” at their sweet
will! The refinements of steps and music were
nothing to them. The man who could yell the
loudest and “ hoe it down ” with the most mus-
cle was “ cock 0’ the walk.” '

Jack Downing went to the slope, which had
been burrowed until it looked not unlike a
prairie-dog town on a. gigantic scale. .

Lounging up, to a shant , before which a man
of not far rem his own uild was squatted on
his haunches, frying salt pork_in a long-handled
“ spider,” Jack hailed the miner With off-hand
Western frankness, and sat down and entered
into conversation with him. ’ ,

Of course a “ pocket-pistol ” came into requi-
sition very “early in the game;” and it was
trul refreshing to see how it oiled the wheels of
goo -feIIOWShip.

“ Stran or, you must hail from ’Frisco,” re—
marked t e miner, as he smacked his lips and
handed back the flask with evident reluctance.

“Eh? Why so?” asked Jack.

“They don’t set 11 no fire-water like that
around these diggin’ . Steve Salter hain’t get
outside 0’ no sich fur a month 0’ Sundays.”

Jack laughed, acknowledged thathe was re-
cently from the Golden Gate, and said that he
didn’t like to be poisoned.

That was the last he bad, though, and they
would finish it together.

' Then he observed, with an apparently relish-
ful snifl', that the frying pork smelt good. .

Of course he was inVited to partake, which
he did, saying that the cornododger tasted even
better than the pork. .

He was careful to let his host have the better
part of the contents of his flask, while they
chatted like old cronies. _’

When Steve began to show signs of getting a
little mellow, Jack unmasked his battery.

“ By the way. ard,” he be an, “ you haven’t
ot a spare out t that you’ like to dispose of
or the price of a new one?”

~ “ Outfit?" r ated Steve.
“ The whole gure,” said Jack—“ toga, shovel,

 

 

pick, pan, and camp kit.”

lam?”

“ You see, it’s like this,” explained Jack. “ I
want to go up the country a piece. I don’t
want to sport he togs I've got on, and I don’t
want to look like a tenderfoot. There’s nothing
for it, then, but to buy out somebody who hasn’t
too stron an affection for old friends.”

“ Oh— —see!” replied Mr. Salter, winking
hard, and nodding his head wisely.

“ I’d take it as a favor—”

“ Don’t mention it! Ef I sported a Sunday
suit, I’d lend it to ye, an’ bless ye up hill, an’
down, ef you hinted anythin’ about pay. But
to tell ye the honest truth, I haiu’t got a rag
what ain’t on myback !”

“Well, what’s the matter with that? Come!
we’ll go and rig you out brand new, from top
to tee, and I’ll take your cast-off shell. But
you’re not to give it away, ye understand.”

Steve stared, and did not receive this rope-
sition with any great enthusmsm just at rst.

Then the Jack of Hearts had the tact to wave
the matter for the present, and entered upon a
long rigmarole as to what he was proposing to
go, kmeanwhile plying his ' gudgeon with the

as .

By the time he got to the end of his SW3
Steve Salter was in such condition that he co d
have refused his worst enemy nothing. '-

“Pardner,” he almost wept, shaking Jack’s
hand and in fact his whole body, as he clun to
him for support, “ jest you clean me out. ake
anythin’ what suits ye;' an’ of ye see what 6
don’t want, call fur it. Tha’s what kind 0 a
feller Steve Salter is. Ain’t that so, pardner?
One 0’ the fellers what ye read about?”

It is needless to say that Jack Downing read-
ily conceded this modest claim.

Then he put a very liberal allowance for a
new outfit in Steve’s hand and sent him to make
his urchases. .

T e miner returned presently, laden like a
burro as he declared.

And now began the task of getting him out of
his old clothes and into the new.

Jack was shrewd enough to know that the
bargain must be clinched beyond all backing
out, while the owner of th
in his present humor. Later would come regret
and ugliness. _

Just now he was willing to do anything. In-
deed, he could not do enough for his new friend.
The only thing that impeded the progress of the
transfer was that he was exceedingly talkative.
He had large ideas. What he was gomg to do
in the immediate future would have staggered a
bonanza king—in his senses. '

But Jack Downin had “ been thar " before.
He knew just how to andle a drunken man. so
as to make the wagging of his tongue only tu-
accompaniment to more senSible action.

Finally Mr. Steve Salter stood rigged, and
smelling ii .
Downing rolled his new possessions up, and put
them in a corner to await his claim.

“I’ll be back for these things to-night, pard,”
he said. “Keep fly, and don’t take me .for a
bur lar.” ‘

T en, esca ing Mr. Salter’s hospitality with
some difiicul , e returned. to the coach, which
was just rea y to resume its course, and rode
out of the camp as he had come.

At Colter’s'Pass he left the stage, bought a
horse, and rode back to San Milo.

He had to reuse Steve Salter from a heavy
sleep, at the risk of Waking the who
But flnall be effected an entrance, an
the trans ormation of his identity.

Steve satin his new clothes and watched an- '

other man get into his old “_togs,” for every
ragged and dirty piece of which he new con-
ceived a remorseful affection.

. “Stranger,” he said, with a deep sigh, after a. .

long silence of wistful meditation, “it do seem
as ef I was sellin’ the blood 0’ my mother!”

“Nonsense!” laughed Jack. “ When I come

back this way, 1 mean to banter you to trade

back. I’ll bet you won’t trade, even to boot!”
“Boss, ef you want yer. mone , au’ as much
more on top of it, you kin sha e them duds,
quicker’n ef they was full 0’ tarant’larl”
“ Oh, no!” said Jack, good-naturedly. “ When
I’ve got what I want, 1 always stand my

n . 4 . .
“ I’ll play ye fur ’em !” urged Mr. Salter, with\

a. fiickerin up of hope.
But he? wasn’t to be tempted.

“ It must be nearly morning outside,” he re .' I

marked, snufilng the candle with his fingers, so

as to get a better light for:th next step in his a _‘

change of character.

It was one that must havo cost him a pang. ;. Vi .

“ But why in Cain don’t you buy yer traps at: 7:»1
the sutler’s, ef you’ve got the rocks to pay fur "

e coveted outfit was «

ke a bale of new gd’ods; and Jack ,

 

 

    

 

  
  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

,flannel shirt:i designed for a air-sized

 

' The Jolly Pards to the Rescue.

 

._‘_

If there was one thing in his personnel in
which he might take a justifiable pride, it was
the silken hair that fell to his shoulders in lus-
trous lines of been .

“For thee, sweet iriaml” he said to himself,
as, havin taken from a receptacle which was a
combination of grip-sack and saddle-ha s a
small mirror and pair of scissors, he haggl the
ends so as to resemble the awkward work of an
amateur hair-cutter. '

Watching this proceeding, Steve Salter re-
flected within himself:

“ Thar stan’s a sharp as is up to some mis-
chief, or I lose in guess; an’ h ar sets a blamed
fool as has helpe him to it. hat’ll I do with
these hyar ornery things, I want to know? That
thar sharp has done me in a way I despise i”

In the midst of thesc bitter reflections, the
door of the shanty opened abruptly, and a pip-
ing voice called out:

" Hallo, gents! What’s this hyar, I want to
know?”

Jack Downing whirled round with the start
of a man caught in the act.

A moment he stared wrathfully, and then his
face suddenl relaxed, and he exclaimed with
evident delig t:

“ By Jove! Just my size! Come in hyar,
you ornery leetle galootl”

 

CHAPTER IX.
A KNOWING “ KID.”

WHAT Jack saw was a head thrust in through
the half-open door, as if its owner was war
of trusting his precious person within the reac
of posmble enemies without previous reconnois-
sauce.

This head was made up of a shock of yellow
hair and a face the predominant expression of
which was that blending of shrewdness and im-
pudence called “ ’cuteness.”

What struck Jack was, that the head was

about the same distance from the ground as that
of the beautiful J ewess would have been, under
like circumstances.
’ In a flash be conceived a scheme that altered
all his plans, whence his bluff salute, in keeping
with his assumed character, his disguise being
now complete. '

“ Who in Cain be you?” demanded the urchin,
eyin him critically£1

“ ’m a galoot w t carries a lot 0’ these hyar
things around in his pocket,” answered Jack,
producing a handful of coins and tossing them
into the air. '

The alert eyes followed their flight and the
shrewd face br ened into a. grin of deli ht as
they fell into Jack’s palm with a musical 0 ink.

“ Hi! Them’s jolly!" cried the piping voice.

“ How’d ye like a few, jest fur to jingle?"
asked Jack. .

“ You git out!” said the urchin, with an air
of injured dignit . "‘ I reckon you ain’t the
only sport as kin ash them things.” ,‘

“ I call you, pard! Show up!” .

“ Waal, you’ve oversized my pile, I do allow.
But that ain’t nothin’.”

“ Come in hyar, an’ I’ll divvy with ye.”

“ No ye won’t.” '

“But I say I will.”

“What fur, I want to know? , You don’t owe
me nothin’.” ‘

“ But that ain’t sa yin’ that I won’t before the
day’s out.”

‘ What do ye want 0’ me?”

“ Come in hver, an’ I’ll Open up}!

“ Oh, yes! You ketch a weasel!” with a sar-
castic Wink. _

“ What air ye afraid of? Won’t; Steve Salter
stand by ye?”

.The urchin looked at Steve inquiringly.

“ Come in, you blame fool!” was Steve’s rather
caustic invitation. /

The urchin opened the door a little further,
and slid in cautiously, standing however with
his hand on the latch. I

He proved to be a- boy of Just the size demand-

, ed for Jack’s pu

“If I’d had t emakin of him, he couldn’t
have been better!” was ack’s internal reflec-
ion.
In dress he was a nondescri t. A ragged
man
draped his iminutive figure in folds that sag:
seated an elephant’s skin, the too-great length
of sleeve havmg been remedied by the simple
method of tearing OR the ends. A man’s tl'ows-
61‘s» 90 large that the waistband girt his body
just below the arm-pits, were suspended by a bit
of rope over one shoulder, and knocked his heels
in. heavy rolls at the bottoms. The only other
thin about him, barring the dirt which nature
supp led. gratis, was an indescribable piece of

 

felt, “ without form and void ”-—of any remains
of a band, which did service as a hat.

“ Waal, you want a new suit, an’ you want it
billdl” observed Jack, looking him over critic~
a y.

“You’re another!” was the prompt response.
Jack lau hed.

“ Say! 0 you know?—I cotton to you. Who
air {911, an way?”

“ he Ki ,” replied the boy, somewhat molli-
fled by this outspoken friendliness.

“ Of course, an’ a mighty sharp one, too. But
that ain’t a name. What’s yer name?”

“ Kid,” repeated the urchin. “ Ef that don’t
suit e, gimme another.”

“ ever!” cried Jack. “That suits you down
to the round, an’ you bet it suits me too.”

“W at air e growlin’ about, then?” ask
the Kid, sturdi y. '

Jack tossed him a coin, saying:

“Take that fur yer sass!"

He caught it as a dog snaps at a piece of meat;
and it disap ared somewhere in his raglan as
the meat vanishes in the animal’s maw.

“ You ays yer money, an’ you takes yer
choice!” he chanted, with the pert readiness of a
street Arab.

“ Whom do you belong to?” asked Jack.

“We, Us 85 Co. 1”

“ Eh? Who’s yer father, 1 mean?”

The Kid answered with a wink.

“ I ain’t that child, boss.”

“ What child?”

“ The wise one.”

Jack laughed. He had seen sha boys be-
fore, but not one that impressed him ust as this
one did.

“Got ye thar, eh?” chuckled the Kid.

“ Whar do you live?” proceeded Jack.

“M residence,” replied the Kid, throwing
himse f back with a pompous air, and hooking
his thumbs in the arm-holes of his shirt, ‘,‘ is
whar I {fits my washin’ done; but I votes whar

it’ll do e most cod.”
And he pa his trowsers-pocket signifi-
cantly.

“ But whom do you live with?”

“Nobody—not stiddy,” he added, by way of
exactness.

“ What do you mean by that?”

“ Waal, the boys lets me shake down in a cor-
ner when I likes; but I takes mostly to elbow-
room, I does, myself.” '

“ And do you mean to say that you knock
about the camp without an home?”

“ That’s about the size 0 it, boss.”

“ Haven’t you any mother?”

“Any which?”

And the Kid looked up sharply, as if this
were an unusual expectation.

“ Anv mother,” repeated Jack.

The Kid laughed.

“ Waal,” he said, “ ef yer humble servant
ever sported arv sich incumbrance as that thar
I ’low' we must a’ divided the pot between us at
a ver early stage 0’ the ame.”

“ hat’s that?” asked ack, curiously.

“The ole women must ’a’ took the inside 0’ the
house, an’ iVe yer humble the outside,” ex-
plained the id, gravely.

“ Is there no one at all to look after you?”

“ Only when I gits away with a side 0’ bacon,
or some sich matter.” .

“ And then they don’t find you, I’ll bet!” said
J ack. falling in with his humor. _

“ Nix l” replied the Kid, with evident pride.

“ An it’s because of the outstanding grud 65
for odd bits of bacon and the like, that you re
so wary?”

“ It stands a leetle cha in hand to be fly.”

“But the boys don’t urt you if they catch
you?” asked Jack, with a feeling of pity.

“ Waal,” said the Kid, somewhat dubiously,
“ that jest depends.”

And he glanced down at his “ unmention-
ables” as if with the remembrance of an occa-
sional “dusting.” _

“I’d like _to catch a lubberly galoot hiding a
mite of a kid like you for a beggarly piece of
bacon!” cried Jack, with generous indi ation.

“ What’s that to _ou?’ demanded t e Kid,
with spirit, as if repel mg an imputation against
his fellow-townsmen.

Jack turned to Steve Salter. .

“ Is that so?” he asked. “Is nobody answer—
able for him?”

“ I reckon not,” said Steve. . .

“And suppose I was to offer him a little Job
with money in it?” t

“ You make yer terms with him.”

“ And nobody has a word to say?”

“I reckon not, ef he’s satisfied.’

“ But whar did such a waif come from?”

“That I’m free to say I don’t know.”

“How did he get into this camp?”

“ Afoot.”
aInland no one knows anything about him at

?

“ I reckon not.” ‘

“ Whar did you come from?” pursued Jack,
turning back to the boy.

“ Up Sutter’s Mill way.”

“ And did you live there as you do hyar, with
nobody belonging to you?”

“ Si Stebbins useter back me thar.”

“ And who was Si Stebbins?” .

“ I reckon he was jest Si Stebbins, that’s all.”

“But what did he do?”

“ Drink mostly—an’ fight,” added the urchin,
as an afterthought. - .

“ And what became of him?”

“ He got one.”

“ Got one?”

“ Whar he lived.”

“ He was killed?”

“ He was planted,” said the Kid as if this
migllilt be accepted as fair evidence of the man’s

eat

“ And who before Si Stebbins?” asked Jack.

“ I say, boss,” observed the Kid, with an
abrupt break in the dialogue, “ain’t it gittin'
a Ion while between drinks?” .

An b way ofahint as to his meaning;l he
groduce the coin that had been 'ven to 'm,

lliped it into the air, caught it eftly, and be—
stowed it again, with the li htning-like move—
ments of a slight-of-hand pe ormer, somewhere
in the folds of his raglan.

“ Misery loves company,” he added.

Jack laughed, and tossed him a companion

iece.
p “ I disremember,” he said, answering Jack’s
question as if there had been no interruption.

“ And so this is your life history, as you
know it?” said Jack, again sympathetically.

“ Oh, my!” responded the boy, with a sarcas-
tic groan.

It was evident that he was not discontented
With his lot.

“You are ver

ours,” pursued ack.
ow to keep it shut.” . . _

“When thar’s danger of gittin’ it slapped,”
answered the Kid " and—”

He aused and ooked so knowing that Jack
.jogge him.

H And?”

“ When it pays!” '

“Do you suppose that I’ve got enough money
to secure that result by the latter method?”

“ It’s a purty good-sized mouth, so it takes
more buttons than it would ef it wasn't so big.
Show us yer pile,” said the Kid, coolly.

Jack displayed four quarter ea les in old.

“I’ll hev to bury it,” observ the id, re-
flectively. _ . _

Then, with the posxtive air of one who was
used to making prompt bargains, he concluded:

“ That’ll do. ’

“ 'lhat ain’t all,” added Jack. “ If we make
the rifle. I’ll ive you something better to do
than knockin’ a cut, stealin’ yer grub an’ sleep-
in’outdoors.” - a '

The Kid looked at him shrewdly. '

His disgiiise was rfect. He _had already
made his hands an face look like those of a
weather-bronzed miner. Besides, he had been
careful that his speech should not betray him.

“ When I git the rocks, you. won’t. owe me
nothin’,” answered the Kid, as if he did not in-
tend to count upon this promise.

So the bargain was struck.

“ An’ now, pard,” said Jack, turning to Steve
Salter, “I want you to take this hyar leetle
chap to the nighest sheeny, an’ rig him out in
Christian style.” .

“This hyar’ll be a daisy camp,” responded
the knight of the rueful countenance, witha .
melancholy shake of the head, “ef you put us
all in bran’-new outfits!”

“ I draw the line at my friends,” laughed
J .

ack. ‘ .
Steve looked as if he would have replied, , '
“Save me from my friends!” if he had been fa-
miliar with the quotation. .

But the Kid here aeserted his own dignity. ~ I

“ Look a-hyar, boss.” he inteiipiosed. ‘ I reckon
lkin do my own shoppin’. hat fur do you
’low to tie me to_a gran’motherl” '
“ But who Will sell you a new outfit?” asked

J ack.
“ Ole Mose’,” replied the Kid, not catching his
ob‘jection.
‘Oh, yes!” exclaimed Jack, sarcasticallzg
“ He's likely to believe that you’ve got the rec
to pav fur ’em.”
“ Won’t I flash the Shekels? An’ what’s the

ready with that mouth of
“I wonder if you know

 

reason he won’t come down?”

l

  

 

.' a.” ..._-

J. :  “- .-
w... _ ~ _ _ , .
w. _

‘ . A -. ~...—-...',~r...:ra —~—‘—‘

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(«1

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'.

 
      

 

a, if

. . I.
, i
fin I I .

 .3"  .   jig V i ‘3-  .. .,  , . 
{I119 ‘,5’;olly~Pards to the Rosana. ?. ..

    

 

 

 

“ He’ll drop onto your money, an’ ask you
how on come by it.”

“ hatl—a sheeny?” cried the Kid, with su-
preme contempt.

“ I reckon you’ll dol” said Jack, coming to a
sudden resolve.

He gave the Kid the money, and told him
what sort of a suit to buy, adding further in-
structions as to where he was to go and wait for
his patron’s ap ,arancc.

It was now ( aybreak; and the two new allies
parted at the door of the shanty in which they
had met, leaving the knight of the rueful coun-
tenance sitting with folded hands and sivhing
(lisir’rally in the discomfort of his new 8mg-
out.

“ If you don’t commit suicide -bcfore I get
back,” was Jack’s laughing leave, “ I’ll put you
out of your misery by trading back.”

Salter sat for perhaps an hour, pondering his
wretched plight. Then, striking his, knee with
his list, he muttered:

“ Ef I. ever git a show at that oruery galpot,

ZI’ll—I’ll—I’ll chaw his ear I”

 

CHAPTER X.
A HOT TRAIL.

JACK D0\VNING went directly to the Spanish
quarter of the town. and there procured a cos-
tume for himself and one for the Kid, complet—
ing his preparations by the purchase of the
bronchos and some proyisions.

“'ith the last he sent the Kid to camp, direct-
ing him to keep “ shady” until called for at a
certain point in the mountain wilderness between
the San Milo Crossing and Biles’s Flume.

“ As for me,” be reflected, “ my first move is
to get onto Cale Burchard and Bowlcgged
Banty. Our gay and festive plotters lose their
man, at Blind Hoss, and go on to Fiddler’s Ford
to find out what’s gone with him. If I can’t
pick then. up by their all-round style, I’ve lost
my sleight. Once I catch on, it Will be queer if
they got away with me.”

He did “pick them up” at the Ford, and so
cleverly as to attract not the slightest attention
to himself.

“You two will smell out the racket at San
Milo,” said Jack to himself; “ but while you’re
at it, I’ll just drop in at Paddy’s Flat. I fancy
that it won’t go amiss to post mysclf a. bit on the
young deputy. I can feel him in the air. He’s
the one that I’ve got to leak sharp after.”

And it was at Paddy’s Flat that his sagacity
and detective cleverness were given full scope.

Having studied the Three Jolly Pards, he
came to this decisTon: '

“They are wide-awake kids, and might give
us a rustle if they undertook it. B t there is no
r immediate danger from them. T ey are fix-
tures here for the present.”

But at this point appeared the three Irishmen,
and held their interview with the young deputy.

It was impossible to steal u on them and
overhear what they had to say, at the spy did
not overlook their savage vindictiveness and the
excitement imparted to their auditor.

Then Harry ran for his pards, and they took
his excitement as by contu ion.

As before, the Jack of carts was forced to
yield to prudent counsels. He could not spy
upon them without betraying himself.

But he reasoned ra idly and accurately-

“ That is not pro ‘cssional excitement. It is
too intense. Those Irishmen are in some wa
connected with the girl. In their excitemen ,
the youngsters will be more off their guard
than their principal. It is my game to pipe
them.”

So, instead of following Harry to the an-
nouncement of his (10 )arture to me men of the
camp, Jack shadowed em and Dick.

He was rewarded. Believing that every one
in the camp was attracted to the, space before
the Terpsichorean Hall. the boys talked freely,
and Jack pickel up all the oints he needed.

“ Sohoi" be reflected. “ 9 has been playing
a desperate game. Well, he has given us a nice
complication of enemies. Two and three are
five, and three more are eight, distributed into
three es, one of which, at least is at odds
with e other two. I ought to be able to play
them off against one another, and slip away
with the ,. prize while they are knocking
sconces.” :

He managed to get out of Paddy’s Flat even.
before the avenging Irishman, and matured his
plans as be pressed forward to Fiddler’s Ford.

Making a detour just before he reached the
latter place, he entered it from the west, as if
he had just come from the San Milo Crossing
, and wasin conversation with the landlord o

the one public house when the Irishman rode

up.

While they made inquiry about Salomans, he
stood by with the air of waiting of a man whose
conversation is interrupted by matter which
does not concern him.

He had timed his words so that the should
break in upon a narrative about Cale an Banty,
and as they turned away he immediately re-
sumed, so that they could not help catching
what he said.

“ Waal, sir, of them scalawags wa’n’t Cale
Burchard an’ Bowlegged Banty, then I’ll pass
(tin thp two bowers an’ the one-spot, every

mm.

The Three Avengers flashed about as if a shot
had been fired at them from the rear. But
Mallory hastily threw up his hand to prevent
his pards from speaking, and muttered in a. low
voice to them:

“ Hold on, boys I”

“'hereupon he turned nd walked out of the
bar without a word furthgr.

Jack stared at the retreating Irishmen as if
at a loss to account for their strange behavior.

“Them galoots has got ’em bad,” he observad,
and wont on with what he was saying.

Without losing too much time, for he did
not care to wait until the Three J olly I’ards
put in their appearance, he presently lounged
out of the bar, to be at once buttonholed by
Mallory.

“ I‘airdner, av it’s a kind turn ye’d be afther
doin’, ye’ll not take it amiss av axes ye what
Ve know about Cale Burchard an’ Bowlegged

anty, as ye was sp’akin’ about a while a o.

“ Be you friends 0’ theirn?” demand Jack,
with a penetrating look of suspicion.

“ Divil a wan of us!” cried Mallory, hastily;
.and Tim and Roddy Swore with a vim that
could leave no doubt of their sentiments.

“ Then what do you want to know about
them?”

“ It’s not a fri’nd o’ thim spalpeens that you
might be, sor?” asked Mallory, warily.

t. “ I?” cried Jack, with well-simulated indigna-
1on. -

“ Beggin’ er Honor’s pairdon, sure, it’s
cautious we ve to be. Thayre’s a bone of
contintion betwane thim maraudhin’ oma—
dhauns an‘ uz; an’ av yez know whayre they’re
to be found, it’s thankful we’d be to yez fur put-
tinlg us onto the same.”

his was ri ht to Jack’s hand; and he told
them that be ad met Cale and Banty,in disguise,
on the way to San Milo and the landlord of the
Ford House had just told him that they had
been prowling about the Ford asking for a. Jew
twho had passed through the place two days he-
ore.

Having got an accurate description of Cale
and Banty, Mallory took his leave with profuse
thanks.

“The shany will be fur doublin’ an’ twistin’;
but it’s only you two spalpeens we have to folly,
to fetch up to him in the end,” he remarked to
his pards. .

And away they rode for San Milo. .

They found there that the objects of their
pursuit had doubled, returning northward, and
that no such rsons as the Jew and his daugh-
ter had passe through that camp;

“ Thay’re’s a hitch .somewhayre,” suggested
Mallory, not yet divmmg that there might
be a break between the Jew and his whilom
pards. “The shany must ’a.’ althered his plans
widout getting the word to the others. W'ell,
here’s fur Blind Hoss. We may pick them up
all together.”

But at Blind Hoss they learned that Cale and
gangy had been there before going to-Fiddler’s

or .

“ And now,” said Mallory, “ thayre’s but
wan other way. The let 0’ them has gone
northward. Bod scan till they’re wrig lin’, but
they’ve 0051: us a. d’ale 0’ time an’ troub 6.”

By this maneuver, Jack himself went north-
ward on the heels of Caleand Banty, well in ad-
vance of the Irishman, whom, however, he had
put on the alert, so that they would be ready for
action in an emergency. 1

On the way he picked up the Kid, and was all
ready for the part they were to play when they
OVertook Salomans and Miriam.

The Three J olly Pards, coming last were told
lfiy the now. thoroughly curious landlord of the

0rd House that they were the third part Who
{head been on the true of the Jew and his ugh-

r.

“ I’ve hyeared about that thar trial up to the
Flat.” be continued. “ Somethin’ crooked about
it, wa’n’t thari”

 

‘ “ You know that I am the deputy marshal?”
said Barry, guardedly.
. \

i

 

    

“ The deuce you he!” cried the landlord, o -
ing his eyes wide, and staring-with a
wonderinghcuriosity. “ Take somethin’ 1”

And he astened to offer his hospitality v '

“ No thanks,” declined Harry. “ never

ink.’

“ Eh? What? Nev— Waal, I sw’arl I
never see no marshal, nur depitty marshal, nur
any other kind 0’ marshal, what ga ged at his
hitters before. But bless. yer son an’ body,
you’ll never git yer full growth on cold water—
you b ear me!”

“1’1 risk it, if you please. But I have told
you my office so that you will see that I am a.
proper person to make inquiries about the men
who have been seeking; Isaac Salomans.”

The landlord was read enough with his in-
formation. Harry woulc have “ dropped ” to
Cale and Banty, even without the testimony of
the stranger who claimed to have recognized
them through their disguises.

It was true that they had been in Paddy’s
Flat unrecognized; but then no one was on the
lookout for them.

“There is something in this change of plan,”
said Harry to his ares, when they had left the
landlord. “ It’s a 1 very plausible that be_sbould
change from horseback to the coach on Miriam’s ‘
account; but wh , then, didn’t he leave some
sign to his pards?’

So, when he found that the Hebrew had run,
to cover, and that a S anish Don and his son had
started 11 inst where 9 had disappeared, he too .
“ (ll'oppe( .’

Missmg the Irishmcn in the doublings between
San Milo and Blind Hess, the Three J olly Pards
brought up the rear in the chase. -

Reaching Grub Stakes, the Jack of Hearts
found Isaac Salomans in a sore dilemma. .

But, to begin with, he was very nicely Situated
for J ack’s purpose.

When Grub Stakes first started, the main
street, following the supposed oriferous tract,
had run east and West. _

On it Jake Drinkhauser had erected a fair—
sized “ shebang,” bearing a large sign across the
gable end, with the legend:

“ FINE LICKERS.”

Over the door was a smaller sign, reading:
“ Peon run run DRINKS.”

Nailed to the door-'amb, a mere “shingle”
modestly announced 1: 6 remaining branch of
his business, asif it were an afterthought:

“Grub an Logins.”

Later it had been found that a richer dc" osit
ran north and south; and with the influx 0 res-
idents a new street, at right angles with the old,
had sapped its business vitality. .

'l‘hereupon Jake had built a larger establish-
ment, as increased pr rity warranted, facing-
upon the new street, jomed to the old structure
so that the latter formed an “L” to the main
building.

The bar, the gambling-room, and the dance—
hall—all in one—occupying the new quarters,
the “ L ” was giVen up to lodgmg, Witha result-
ing privacy in this department such that, unless
some one was stirring in the “L.” the occu-
pants of the rooms could hold neighborly com- Y
munication, if desirable Without attracting at-
tention.

You me. believe, it was not long before. the
Jack of earts was in Isaac Salomans’s room,
and the latter, wrm mg his hand,.was crying:

“ Good heavensl' was never so glad to see
any one in all my llfe before!”

CHAPTER XI. ‘

’ SETTING UP THE PINS. .
Isaac Salomans was indeed e and nervous. ‘
But .at sight of his ally, the co r came back to
his cheeks, his knit brows relaxed, and his eyes

brightened. I .
‘ What’s the row?” asked the Jack of Hearts.
," Everything

 

“ Row 1” repeated Solomons.

has gone wrong.” ‘
“ at what are you 601 here!” _
“Miriam was prostra . I was afraid, She

was going to have brain fever. or something» 1 , _
was forced to tie up here, and wait for our
enemies l” I
“ Brain fever! Is she better now?"
“ Yes she has rallied.” ,
“Sothat you cango on?” ' _  r
“ I was ready to set out again to-mght; but—”  -,
Salomns paused, and again frowned with .

anxiséy. . _
“ ell?” prom ted Jack. , i  p
“ I’m afraid t at those-bloodhound: mat If.

my heels.”
‘ Gale and Bantyi”
H  n

 

‘ot -

7PT..

and. q or; .

 

 

 

 

 

      

' '4 I. I hijfiv‘hatimhkes you think so?”

- v

 

fl.

 

The Jolly Pardsvt'o the Rescu

A

 

 

'while I double back on m

" his heels.
‘ on top of the others?”-

they win

V'V."

“I believe. that 1 have caught sight of Cale.”
-f “Why, don’t you know him when you see
him?”

‘ “ He was in disguise. I half suspect that they

I followed me to Paddy’s Flat.”

. “ At the risk of their necks!”

“They are desperate fellows, and Banty is a
suspicious rascal! He never fully trusted me, I
think.”

“ Egad! you have justified his doubts. How-
ever, you are right. They are at your heels.”

“ You know it?”

“ I have followed them.”

“ And that is what brings you here?”

“ Itoccurrod to me that we Weren‘t playing
our hand for all it was worth. I allowed to be
of more use to you, than sitting by twiddling
my thumbs, while you played a lone hand
against those rascals.”

“ But this disguise, and tho boy you have
with you i”

“ Are parts of
scheme.”

“ Open up, pard. If you can help to got me
out of this hole, .1 1100.1 you.”

‘ “ W'cll, Gale and Banty aro laying for you in
or about this camp. The [rishmen are follow-
ing me. ”

As the Jack of Hearts opened up this new
lead, he had his eye covertly on his partner.

Salomans started, and repeated:

“ The Irishmcnf”

“Your bankers,” said Jack.

“ But how did you kn0w—” I

“By finding out. How is one to know any-
thinn‘ that’s Worth his while?”

.“ ‘hen you do know—” _

“All about the leetle game with a pinch of
salt in it.”

f‘ I come down !”

“ Of course you do.” I

“ And I have them. too, on top of me, just at
this unlucky moment?” 9.

“ What l—are you growling over your best
card?”

“ I don’t see it.”

“Aren’t they after Cale and Banty, as well as
after 01.1?”

“ Ah, es!”

“ Then What’s the reason we can’t throw them
one or both of these rascals, as you throw a
buffalorobe to a pack of pursuing wolves?”

“ It the rascals wereonly kind enough to per-
mit themselves to, be thrown.”

“ That’s a mere question of skill.”
 “ I shall have to look to you for it.

’3
myself at a loss.
‘ “ And I have come prepared to carry out
what I propose—at the risk of.a bullet or two
through me, you understand.” »

“ You are exceedingly kind to expose yourself
so for me.”

“.I never go back on a friend, nor forget an
onem .” I
. “ ell, what is the scheme?” .

“ YOu and I are of nearly the same build.
T119130? I'bave brought with me is about the

a. somewhat complicated

I confess

,higilht of Miss Miriam. .I have in my saddle-bags
ex

a icon costume for myself and another for
the Kid.” ,
you Propose to draw of)? these fellows,
. track? But, Jack,
they’ll kill you out of him . You‘ll never see
the shot that lays on out. What use have
they for me? It IS t e money and the girl they
are after. They’ll salt you from behind the first
rock outside of Grub Stakes!”

“ Hold on! Notsofnst! Touching the risk——
nothing venture, nothing gain! I reckon I’ve
never owned anything, except perhaps the
clothes on my back, that 118-811": u up, one
time or another. .As for your doubling—it
would be to fall into the arms of the young

deputy marshal. Are you so anxious to renew

is'ac unintance?”
“ t! he too?” ,
J‘No. "He three! Of course his pardfi are at
“ But what brings them down upon me, right
That’s old.

“It never rains but it pours!

 71'th have dropped to your little game. The

let them in.”
“ Jack, the jig’s up!” '
“Ngver say die! When you have nothing,

I. bluff.
 . ‘ “But they reckon to show me u and 80 turn
mam ' ' {is

“sunset me. You know at it isn’t so
mud! 3 question of law, as of her obedience. If
her consent. all the judges between
"here $215 Phfitnglden Gate couldn’t enforce my

-r1 ..

’\

 

, “Just so Thére’s nothing like a good vigor-

 
 

ous public sentiment. That’s what adds the
Spice to life in this delectable count Mean-
while, they haven‘t possessmn of Miss Miriam
yet; and she is read to run like a.‘ March hare
awa from Gale and anty.” «.3

“ 0 on with your plan.”

“ \Vell, you give out to the people here, that
on account of your {son’s illness you are going
south again, to the climate ho is used to. You
make the resolve suddenly, and set out at once,
though it is nightfall. You will have the full
moon to light you; and it will be better for th
boy than riding in the sun. ‘

“But it is the Kid and I who orsonate the
Don and his son, loavmg you and iss Miriam
the rigs we. now have on, and our identities.

‘ “ Sec! Everything is made to our hand. You
make all the arrangements in person. At the
last moment you and I ma 9 a lightning
change, and I am the one that slips out of that
side door. mounts, and awayl

“ Now let’s see what follows. Cale and Banty
are on the watch; in anticipation of just such a
documping. They believe that the fictitious
Don is doubling, having dropped to them. They
give. chase. They will not be anxious to fix him
too close to Grub Stakes. They will be content
to follow at least for enough so that their pistol-
practice cannot be heard.

“Meanwhile, our Hibernian friends are tak-
ing advantage of the moonlight to press for-
ward. Thcy have a description—and an exact
one—of Cale and Bfmty, from me. They will
be sure of them; while, even if they have smelt
out the duh and his son, there will besome doubt
as to their identity. It is my task, then, to run
these entlemen into one another’s arms.

“ hile the fur is flying, the Kid and I go on
our way rejoicing.

“The Three Jolly Pards, not informed of the
vicinity of Cale and Banty, will be on our trail
exclusively. if they are on the roa at all, it
will be because they have dropped to the Don.
Of course the are not on the shoot, and the
Kid and I wi l have a. chance to lead them a.
chase without risk to ourselves. When they
catch us, they will believe that the Don was a
false scent.

“ How does that strike you ?”

“As 'ust the thing. as far as it goes. But,
meanw ile, what am I to do?” -

“ In In _clothes and the Kid’s, you and Miss
Miriam s 1p as soon as the coast is clear. I will
arrange so that my departure will be ex cted.
Later, when every one is satisfied that t 6 Don
and his son are not the persons is are after,
you resume that disguise. With th 3 start, you
can‘t fail to et to where you can bid defiance
to Gale and anty. The Iyoung deputy we shall
have to stand off. The rishmen we may have
to buy off before we are through with them.
By the time they at onto you, we shall have
made enough to a 0rd it.”

While Jack was going over the details of
their future movements, he was startled by
the dsound of a. piping voice out in the stable-
yar . .

“ I say, you, Mr. Man! You don’t want to
go loafin’ round the business end 0’ that thar
broncho. She’s got the spring-halt, an’ she’s got
it bad.” '

“Good Heavens!” cried Jack, leaping to his
feet, as if a pistol had been fired close to his
ea

r.

“ What’s the matter?” asked Salomans, start-
ing With apprehension.

‘ Matter enough! Thar’s that young scala-
wag'gdvertismg himself to the w ole commu-
nity. . .

And slipping out of Salomans’s room, the
Jack of Hearts went out to the scene of disturb-
ance.

His manner, however, underwent a. marked
change. To the eye of any one who saw him
leunge out into the stableryard, be a peered like
a. man who (had nothing on his min more seri-
ous than a good feed for his horses, and the reg-
ular allowance of “ hog-meat,” soda‘biscuit and
muddy coffee for himself.

The Kid was putting the flank of his bronoho
with a very important air.

A man was Just moving away. Jack saw
only his back, but reocgnized Banty!

CHAPTER x11.
. um nncovs.
“I luv. gov’nor." cried the Kid. on he ccuzht
Blkht of his tron. “I ketched that aim foolln’
 this yar animile. an‘ I jest hater Lv stood

“1 ‘low that that’s all right," replied Jack, uncon-
cerned]! “ Don‘t you be too fres ." ' ‘

Ashe reached the side of the horse. he stroked
her as a. man will who has an infection for onl-

 

   

 

But he spoke under his breath in a manner which
betrayed a very different frame of mind from that.
which appeared on the surface.

@003, ound you! Didn’t I tell you to keep
8 Y

The Kid stared. and began to bristle at once.

“ Hold on!" cautioned Jack. intercepting his
ready retort. “ Don't look at me like that. and don’t
shoot of! your mouth so that any one can hear you.
Don‘t ou understand that there's more up on this
band t ian our infernal neck‘s worth?"

The Kid new when to “take his gruel without
nary wry face.” He had lived among rough men
long enough to learn to justify some pret y plain.
talk on the part of the “ boss," when one under him
has been guilt of an indiscretion jeoparding the
end for which t ey are associated.

He thoreiore drop ed his voice. and spoke with-
mucb more humility ban was his wont.

“But, purd that was jest the reason I kicked at.
that thar dui‘hlr maulln‘ this hyar boss over."

“You should have waited and told me. I could?
have seen whether the beast had been tampered
with."

" Wrml," remarked the Kid, with a return to his:
accustomed humor. " the child‘s born. an‘ his name‘s
Anthony."

At another timo Jack would have laughed at this:
sunnnar disposal of the matter. It was plain that.
the Kid olt that he had made. such amends as was"
in his owcr, and if the boss “kicked,” why, let.
him kic .

“Come into the house," said Jack. ‘

And he 1' d the way.

The Kid took his introduction to Isaac Solomons
demurcly enough, but the instant the latter's back
was turned, the young rogue shook his hand beside
his ear in grotesque caricature.

ack caught him by the ear. and gave it a. by no
means gentle twmk.

The Kid grimaced. but received his punishment
without a wlnmper.

“He‘s a game little rooster," reflected Jack. re—
warding this fortitude with a look of admiration.
“Whatever else he doas I‘d count on his not giving
a ard away in a inch. ’

his was after ack had said to Salomans:

“ It‘s time that we let the kids into the thing. It
won't hurt to let this young vagabo d see the girl'
he‘s aim: to help." _ . v

“ - irl?" repeated the Kid, pricking
stantly. >

“ ow’s that?" laughed the Jack of Hearts. “If
she was my sweetheart, I’ll be hanged if I wouldn't
be ealous of him already 1"

ereupon they went to Miriam‘s room.

The maiden sprung up from the bunk bed on
whichshe had been lying, dressed in her Spanish
costume.

The intrusion of two strangers-401' at first she did
not recognize the Jack of carts in his disguise-—
caused her not a. little embarrassment.

Newr was a prettier picture than she made, with
the sensitive color coming and going in her cheeks,
and her supple body unconsciously falling into line:‘
of timid grace.

And the Kid’s eyes—you should have seen theml

“ Is that a —"

But Jack‘s and was over his mouth.

“Will nothing keep you quiet?" he groaned, im»
patiently.

“ Boss.” answered the Kid,.when he was released,
“from this out, I‘m dumb as an oyster!"

“Miss Miriam.” said the Jack of Hearts. with his-
wonted grace, “ I have to apologize for the manners:
of this youn ter. Helms sprung up wild."

At this po at, the Kid. who had never taken bier
eyes from Miriaij face. abruptl transferred his
interest to Jack himself. his quic ear catching the-
gambler’s altered speech.

“Hold on, boss." be interposed, with a. marked.
change of manner. “ Before we throw 'em around
ag’in, let‘s an the run 0‘ the pasteboards.’

“ What‘s the matter with dyou?” asked Jack.

“ By you, Or baili’t you?" emanded the Kid, look-
ing lnm steadily in the eye.

' What are you driving at?"
. “You've been a-givin of me gulf; an’ I took it
like alamb." ‘-

The Kid’s disgust at havin permitted himself to
be taken in was ludicrous int c extreme.

“ You‘ve dro ped, eh i“ said Jack.

H An’ droppe hard,” replied the Kid, with a. sigh.

u Wen," uefied 

“We won t'say nothin‘ more about it,” rejoined?
ahfii Sid, r6818an-

1 n

“ But. miss." he added. turning to Miriam. “I
’pologizes ,fur myself. I’m a had sold community.
But of all this hyar is fur you, I’m allowin’ fur to»

his ears in-

stan’ by ye while wood grows and water runs! You ‘

kin call yours truly the Kid. fur all he’s worth 1”

And he made a ho
devotion what it may have lacked in race.

“ You are very kind,“ murmured
called upon to acknowledgevthls gallant s eech.

“ Don t mention iti” replied the Kid. w th A lordly
wave of his hand. 7 '

“ Let us see how nearly you two are of a night.“
said Jack.

They turned back to back. .

“There’s “light difference in feature.“ was the
vex-dist; “ but as all cats are gray in the dark. you’ll

"And now, Miss Miriam. and you. Kid. W” ‘0
me. and I’ll tell you what we‘re up to."

“It‘s about time," observed the Kid. with his law-
len indedendence. ‘ ' ' ‘

“Well. then, u must know that there are a.
couple of scoundrels in pursuit of this IONIC M1,.

\

“Go ahead. with yer rat— '

w to her that made up in true ’.
iriun, feeling .

 

  

M.

IL" ~... :-..-. ‘

v w..‘

. a I-."._

 

-  :61in :5

  
 

K. . j...

 

ards to~ the'Rescue.

 

 

 

 

and it is the business of you and me to throw them
off the scent." .

" We’ll do it!” declared the Kid, positively. “The
question is. how?"

"You see the dress Miss Miriam has on. I have
another like it for you, and one for myself."

" Don’t tire yer chin on my account," said the
'Kid, interrupting Jack unceremoniously. “Ef you
was to gas all night, i wouldn’t know no more about
it than i do now. We rag out like the ov‘nor.
hylalr, an‘ the young lady; an‘ while we ta 'es the
co __H

He checked himself abruptly. He was on the
point of sayingi‘mold lead;" but thinking that that
'would startle iriam, he ended disconnectedly:

“ They skips. When ye’re ready, let ’er go!"

Again Jack recognized the metal of the ally he
had secured.

" Kid,” he said. with the terseness of that countr
where men express a great deal in a few words, “ i‘ l
tie to you!"

“The lady kin tie to me," replied the Kid. “ Miss,
'whoever is a ’in‘ you, has Kid ag‘in‘ him!“

“ConfOllili him!" muttered Jack to himself, “if
3e ever. drops to us, he’ll shake us for the young

8 uty."
ut the Jack of Hearts was not much of a hand to
borrow trouble. He played one hand at a time.

Sensible of the Kid‘s devotion, Miriam extended
her hand. thanking him warmly.

" Miss." he stammered. with the first show of em-
barrassment, "el’ I had looked fur this h ar, I'd ’a‘
washed 3 mite o’ the soil 0’ Californy o my paws
before I come. The boss didn‘t mme no ointer.”

“ We’ll have to go over you wit a subso low be-
fore we make on into a Grosser." laughed t 0 Jack
"of Hearts. “ ut come! Night is approaching. We
héiven’t more .han time enough to make our prepar-
ya ions. ’ .

So the programme was carried out. The identity
\of the young people was changed first. Salomans
once more proved his skill as a hairdresser. in the
cleverness with which he let the ends of Miriam's
hair bani! below her hat, so as to make an imitation
‘of the Kid ‘s shock that would pass muster in the
twilight.

Then both he and Jack arranged for their depart-
ure, the horses being brought round to the side
entrance.

Of course Jack and the Kid would cargy oi! the
Mexican saddles and bridles. and these alomans
would have to replace b purchase when he came to
resume the character 0 a Don.

Then, at the last moment, the two. men made a
hasty exchange of identities, and Jack and the Kid
issued from the tavern, mounted, and rode away
«southward.

Thea-swore scarcely out of sight when two horse-

men hed through the camp, and with a bounding

lfiean Salomans recognized the figures of Gale and
antv.

“ Now, my darlin l" he cried, going to Miriam.

” Our enemies?" s e panted, clinging to him trem-

ursuit of our decoys.

ulously.

“ Have just gone in The
way is clear. afety 1 es befiore us. Come!"

In their new disguise they pissed out, taking the
road northward.

Meanwhile Cale and Banty had fallen into the trap
“without a shadow of suspicion. There had been
nothin premeditated in the latter’s examination of
the Kl ’s horse. It had been only a cover for his
hanging about the tavern. His real purpose Will
presently apiear. _

On being ‘ eld up ” so vigorously by the Kid be
had contented himself with a surly growl. and ad
louniged away, not caring to attract particular at.-

ent 'in. ’

The plotters had waited on the northern side of
the camp. intending to let their victims pass them.
But as the latter -or what appeared to be them—
rode awa . Cale cried: ‘

“ Ifiook look! The vagabones is goin’ the other
we

“ They’ve dropped to us!" said Banty.

“ Along 0’ your fly reconnoiterin’l" growled Cale.
‘“ That was a healthy way!" ' ’

“It has thrown the game into our hands. The
‘night will sarve us bettei"n the day.”

"But is he runnin' fur the Flat ag’in? I should
'think he’d keep clear 0’ that."

“ He means to turn off at the fu’st crossin‘."

“ We‘ll turn him off before he gits tharl"

And so they rode in pursuit.

“ They’re after us!” said Jack to his companion,
.as ihe heard their following hoof—beats across a
xav ne.

“ That's what we're after,” replied the Kid.
bl"&l‘h’ey’ll close in upon us when we round this
u .
"That suits me down to the ground 1”

And—a thing that Jack never suspected—the Kid
slipped his hand in among the folds of his dress to
where a revolver was secreted. He had purchased
the weapon when he did his clothes, without a word
'to his patron.

_" There they comel" exclaimed Jack, as his pre-
diction was ulflhed. “ Now let’s lead them a
chase i"

" I've got a clean pair 0’ heels under me i" observ-
ed the Kid.

“ But what’s the matter with this beast?" cried
Jack. when they had ridden alittle way at speed.
" He‘s gonng lame!"

“Gov'nor, that’s the trick he was up to!”

“ The trick who was up to?"

“ That shorty.”

“ But it was your horse he was meddlin with.
.Agg‘that is back at the tavern, for Miss m to
Ian . ‘

 

“ Boss. didn’t you look that boss over?"
h “ Qf course. I wasn't taking any chances for
er.’
“ An' he was all right?"
H  M

‘;,Then you d dn't drop to the shorty's game, did
ye '

" It appears not.” -

“ He was attendin’ strictly to business, he was.
What had he to do with us? It was his own man he
was after.”

" I believe you are right.”

“You kin gamble on it. Jest you it oi! 0’ that
cgtte’r, an' you’ll find a pebble force in under his
s oe. ‘

“ But we haven’t time to stop now.”

“ We’ll have less before we have more.”

“ I have nothing to get the stone out with, if that
is the real trouble.”

“ I have."

it You?” :

“ What’s a feller’s head on his shoulder fur? I’m
a travelin’ tool-chest, I am! I carry around in my
pocket the complete outfit fur a blacksmith. a car-
penter, a shoemaker, a barkee er— But tharl—to
cut it short, I‘ve got everythin' ut a hot goose an' a
thimble. I 1] have to let the tailorin’ out.

And he stretched his hand across the space that
separated their flyin horses.

“ You‘re a god-sen —that‘s what you are!" cried
Jack, when he saw what he had received from the

b0 .

i‘t was a combination knife which the Kid had
added to the clothes and the revolver.

Hin ed to the back was an instrument used to
clean no frog of a horse's foot.

“ Ready?” called the Kid.

“ Now i" responded Jack.

At the same instant they reined in their horses,
and both leaped to the ground. ‘

The Kid seized Jack’s horse by the head. and in a
twinkling Jack had the halting foot between his

ees.

“ h! Here it is. You were right," he said, as,
having run his finger around inside the shoe, be dis-
covered the pebb e.

A eigsping gouge, and the obstruction was re-
mov .

A crly:
“ Al right !" .
beA itirolund into the saddle, and they were—ready to
0
But the pursuers hadcgained DB?!) them, and now
came thunderin aroun a crag their rear.
Cale was in a vance, and insane with the lust for

ood.

“ Down with the traitori" he yelled.

And throwing up the revolver that he already
carried in his hand, he blazed away at what he sup—
posed was his derelict partner.

 

CHAPTER XIII.
'rna KID “roo rnnsn."

THE shots flew wild. Nevertheless there was the
chance of any one of th in finding its mark.

But the Jack of Hearts had accepted this de -
rate hazard when he undertook the enterpr ,
getfiiinlg that the danger was to himself, and not to

e ( .

Further, it was no part of his plan to fight Cale
and Banty. Dead, they would be of no use to him.
Living. he could play them ofl against the Irish
avengers. . _ _ _

So, digging his spurs into his horse’s flanks, he
bowed low over the animal‘s neck to lessen the
danger as much as possible, and bounded away
without retort.

Not so the Kid. He had bought his revolver not
knowing but he might have use for it to protect
himself against the stranger who employed him for
an unknown use.

Now. the prospect of a fight inflamed him with a
delicmus madness. He lost his head completely,
and forgot his assumed character. He saw only a
couple of arch villains, enemies of the girl whose
beauty had fascinated him, and assailants to the
death of his pard and himself.

Plucking out his weapon, he dropped it into line,
and blazed away.

With a scream of pain and terror, Cale Burchard’s
horse leaped into the air, and came down in a heap,
ghrowing his rider sprawling in the road over his

e .

"Yah!" yelled the Kid, in mad elation at the suc.
cess of his shot.

And wheeling his horse short round, he sped after
his principal. .

Jack Downin groaned in des air.

“You inferna little imbecile ” he cried feelim! 8»
strong impulse to seize the led and shake him till
his teeth rattled. ' -

“ What‘s the row now, boss?” asked the Kid in
surprise.

" Rovvi’i’: growled Jack. “ How came you by that
wea n ’

“ y honest purchase, me noble jukel What‘s the
matter with the weepon?”

The Kid was always read with a sarcastic retort
when any one showed disp ensure with him.

“ Confound you! I‘ve a mind to show you. Who
toldfi’ogiat‘o shoot at that fellow?"

0 ye
“Then what did you do it for?”
“ Because he shot at us."
“That’s no reason for
toplwhat risk.”

aal, boss,” responded the Kid, with sarcastic

     

 

your shooting at him. I_

      

 
 

kin‘ fir o

dellberateness, "I don't mind your res wni T'v.
I We all the

h.de, of so be it’s to yer taste; but, e

same to you, I'd rather you wouldn’t make quite so , ’ “

free with mine.”

"You ran no risk whatever! Didn’t they think
you were the girl they Were after?"

The Kid did not reply directly. but afterasbort
reflective pause. he blew a rolonged whistle.

“'You've knocked the w ole combination in the
head i" cried Jack, hot with vcxation.

He might have demanded the offending weapon.
after the manner of a provoked parent, but even in
his anger he had sense enough to know that the Kid
would probably not ive it up.

“Gov’nor,” said is e lad, ‘I’m a dutfer, an’ no
mistake."

This was his apology, and though it would not
mend the matter, it was all that he could do in
re aration.

ut Jack’s apprehensions proved to be well-
founded.

Independently of the thorough shaking-up he got
by his fall there was little likelihood of any nice
idea penetrating Cale’s thick skull; but the more
subtle Banty at once saw through the cheat.

Instantly pullin 11 his horse. he leaped to the

ound. to ascerta t 0 condition of his fallen con-

ederate. -

“They‘ve downed us!" roai ed Cale. with a volley
of furious oaths.

“They’ve sold us.“ corrected Bant . more coolly.
“Come! rouse out 0’ this! Are you urt?”

“ Hurt!" bellowed Cale, scrambling to his feet.

Beside himself with rage, he was about to set out
in further pursuit on foot, when Banty arrested
him by clutching his arm.

“Hold on, you numskull!” he cried. “ Didn’t I
tell you we was sold? We’ve got to take the back
trac . -/

“Back track?" repeated Cale, stupidly. turning
bloodshot eyes upon his comrade. “ hat do we
take the back track fur? Air we goin’ to let ’em
give us the slip?”

“Can’t you git it.through ye that them ain’t the
parties we're after!"

“ The deuce they ain’t!” ‘

“Would agal that never killed a mouse in her
life be so handy With the shootin’-irons,d’ye think?!

Cale stared blankly, dropping his jaw.

“ Who is it then?’

“ The leetle cuss what held me up so brash in the
stable-yard." .

“ How do you know that?"

“ By his yawp. Didn’t you hyear him blew his r.
bugle? But, come! What are we chinnin’ hyar '
fur? Beara hand h ar.”

And Banty caught old of the tail of the yet feeny
struggling horse, which had received its death-wound
from the Kid‘s pistol. m.

“ What air ye up to char?" demanded Cale.

“Do as I tell ye to, an' talk afterward i” cried
Bant . “ Snake this h ar carcass over the clifl!”

Ca e caught hold of t eanimal’s tail, and to ether
they dragged the body out of the road and r0 led it
down the declivity. ,

“Now up behind me!" commanded Banty, leap—
ing into his saddle. v

Cale obeyed, and away theydashed back toward
Grub Stakes.

“ Now. what‘s all this hyar about?" asked Cale.

“ You seen that galoot what come to Grub Stakes
tQ-dgj. with the In about as big as the gal?”

63  1

“Waai, he’s the dash sport what rode with the
sheeuy from Paddy’s Fla to Fiddler‘s Ford. He
bought the sheeny’s hoss, an’ then we see him
back in the hearse, an’ the sheeny nowharl"

» " Eh! you 'low he’s standin’ in With Salamans?”

" He ain’t doin‘ nothin’ else._ He_ brung that kid
thar to Grub Stakes, only to rig him in the al’
outfit. an‘ pull us off the trail. so’s our bird coul fli
while we we was huntin’_a mare’s nestl',‘ . ‘ ‘

Cale had recourse to his usual relief. He swore
in impotent rage. ' 1

Banty, who saved his strength for action. went
on. cool- headed:

"What do we donow? ‘We turn back, buy a new
boss. an‘ reach out fur what has ihe look of a may
ole miner an’ a kid in bran-new logs.”

This programme was carried out, with results
which we shall presently see. .

Meanwhile, the Jack of Hearts and the Kid rode
on. not long after coming upon three‘horsemen
pressing toward Grub Stakes.

“ There they are!” cried Jack, guardedly.

“ Qur bowld avengers!” responded the Kid.
nothing daunted. .

“ Now for a dash! Give your mouth a day 01!. if
you can, while I do the chinnirig. ’ , ,

“ Spiel yer own game. boss! ’ f

The kid was bound to have the last «word.

“ Back, senors! back!" shouted Jack. throwing up
his han'l warninglv. and affecting a Spanish accent.
in keeping with his assumed character. “, We are
pursue! by two lawman—vat you cam—robber, '
road-agentl—the villains that plunder the San Car.
105 stage! The stocky little rascal. Banty, the giant
Calel"

an’ Bant amier ve’s? .. _

“ The $.33; They at? armed to the teeth! They'
have wonn my 80“ ’ , i .
Jack spoke as if he were frantic with fear and
distress, as. Without drawing rein, he dashed
through the group of staring Irishmen

"Thim‘s the chaps, we're aftlierl Away we g‘oi’.’ ' 4 " "- ‘

shouted Mallory. completely taken in.

That Cola and Bantv should be in pursuit of the: 

on and his son was evidence of the incorrectness of.

D
- the suspicion that this was adisgulse  byr

\

Hum“!-

“-L— H mm

‘ .r . - --__._..—____
Mn“... _,_—..‘ .—.v.._.n__~. n...“— .......‘_. .. I . .

 n..-

.. «m: .

 

 

" An' what’s that Vegay?" cried Mallory. “,Ca'le . J ‘

 

 

 

 

:Aur':

fin-“ 7.,._“.....__‘ ‘

.Qefi ..... Wm-..‘ «flew..- , .

.  ‘05... .

 

 

 

 
 
   

'5’ \i.
' l

 
 
 
 

 

 

  

\

  ' :‘ the shtairt of us?" demanded Roddy Scullv

1'.

   
  
  
    
 

   
  

 
    
 

The Jolly Pards to the Rescue.

 

 

 

. 7‘1;- salomhns and Miriam. Then, too, the voice of the

seeming Mexican was clearly not that of the
Hebrew.

‘ 80 Mallory and his pards put s urs to their horses
and dashed on to a meeting wit the men who ha
so grievoust wronged them.

" New Jack Downius‘s statement that his “son "
had been wounded. led to two results.

It helped to enable him to get through the ranks
of the Irishmen unchallenged, but it also led them
to suppose that the pursuers were close at hand.

or course they found no one. even though they

. passed the 8 0!: where Gale‘s horse had been shot;

or the two naves Were spurring back toward Grub
Stakes, out of sight a 2d hearing.

This disappointment set Mallory to thinking.

“ B‘ys,”. he remarked, “ what’s the reason that
Greaser didn‘t pull up whin We was four to two?"

“ Faith. I dunnol" responded Roddy Scull .

“ EIch did he come to know that it was ‘ale an'

t . '

“ Belike, he was in the San Carlos coach whin they
pulled it up." suggested Tim Buckley.

“ Ma 'be so " assented Mallory. " But why did he
tell us We new nothing about it."

“ He couldn’t know that.”

“ We don‘t find thim, do we?"

“No, curse the two 0‘ them!"

“ Suppose that was the divil of a shany afther
all. an tbayre was no Cale or Banty hereaboutl"

The other two swore at the bare suspicion of such
an imposture.

“ Wouldn't he threw out the bait o' thim two

al ens to us?“ pursued Mallor “ st fur t
clings wild, all he got by?" y' 13 0
All pulled rein, on sat staring at one another.

" But it wasn‘t the voice of him," protested Roddy

Scul‘ly.
" oices is deceiviu'," suggested Mallory.

“ It's sold we air, justl" cried Tim Buckley, with
‘ we‘i‘i’mfilhave a t

‘ e square s uin at ‘um. ann wa sl”
declared Mallarly, wheeling his horse about.y y

The others to lowed his exam lo, and all dashed
back in pursuit of the pretend S aniard.

“Gov nor " said the Kid, the rishmen having
been passed, “ when I git in a hole ag‘in, I’ll call on
you fur to pull me through."

1 rigging this tribute, the Jack of Hearts com-
p a n :

“See how nicely we should have succeeded
leading these two parties into one another's armus1
but {fir youmertffienco l” d

i on 11’ en perforate boss!” ob co
the Ki , in self-defense. ’ j ted

" That was my lookout. Now, the Irishmen may
or may not overtake the others. They dropped to
you, and turned back. Ten to one, you’ve given
them the exact clew. What‘s to prevent them, then,
from spotting Salomansf We‘ve got the whole thing
to do over in 1"

"split ml kl" said the Kid, terseiy. “Better
luck next timel"

" If thereuan next time. Now, our only course is
to t out of .th s road, make a detour, and overtake

fin’ans. If it comes to fighting, we‘ve got to
fig ti

“I’m with ye, me boy! That’s ‘jest what I'm
achin‘ furl”

“ We must avoid the J oily Pards, if possible. There
is no use in drawing them off. if Cale and Banty are
left to dog Salomariis’s heels.”h

‘ Thar’s a cross n somew ar about h ar ” said
Iggrfiigérecalling theirpassage over the {cad that

'1 hey soon came upon it, and turned westward.

This crossing was a sore perplexity to the pursu-
ers. Here were three ways 0 n to the fugitives.
Had they kept directl on, or a ndoned the road?
{fiéllagfilgtter case, had they gone to the right, or to
mg: often happens, there were as many opinions as

- “ Faith, what would he l’ave the road fur, having

“ Whisht, moni” cried Pat Mallo . "' ' t
him wpuld be an the lookout for thgyJollwal’lfh-ld‘sl?
They’re an the road somewhayre,"

“ Would hte llama gnawin' taint"

“ Wouldn' e ‘avo m alone an
Trothi it’s not fur Paddy‘s Flat he‘s d-mgkigplfime“
, "Well, then. is it_ to the right or the left?"

. I u The right,”   Buck] % 
hi“ The right!" cried Mallory. “ ivil a w“ of

m

“An' who not?” demanded Tim, a trifle net 1
at this sumnyiary re ection of his advice. t ed

It was Seldom t at he interfered, and he dldso,

now only because it seemed to him 5 fOl'egone con-

on.
" Aint’t it to the west he’d be making! Thayre'g
nothlhgto the east fur ’um.”
"An 'yhat but that’s the r’nson he’d be fur going
“ ekaze there was nothin fur ‘um!"
" " 'Iaon, dear. Bekazesve wouldn’t think it of

That set Tim Buckle t so atoning his head. '
*“WOH.” he sailtti,”dzcigedfy, “it's by me. Pitch
erse .
carried his point, Mallory. like most
circumstances, felt less eonfldence In
$022001? than while he was urging it “POI! the
Everythin turned 1: th subtlet of his reao
' aoni . If the avefinad bgen less gunninfitht
he, or. fulfilling, nesae. had trusted to their eels,
he would go on rely wrong. Then, in all probabil-
oby to their moneyl --
hehungontheissuqtbemnnightair

  

 

broulght him the clatter of hoofs on the road south-
war .

“ Good luck til the lot of us!" he ejaculated.
“ Here’s some one coming. We'll find out av the
divil has gone this way, annyways." -

And in us impatience he spurred to meet the a -
preaching travelers, followed headlong by his par 8.

 

CHAPTER XIV.
a “own-AWAY."

Tnvns was one flaw in Jack Downing’s little game
which perhaps no one could have provided against.

It was probably true that he could not have at
the miner to part with his outfit without gett ng
him drunk. In his sober senses Steve would have
disdained to sell the clothes off his back, as he would
have put it.

But this process of getting the better of his pride
left him in bat condition in which the most trivial
idea assumes gigantic roportions in a drunk
brain. to the exclusion 0 every other thought.

The ion or he meditated on his loss, the more hu-
miliated e became, and the more he felt that the
stran or had taken a mean advantage of him, or, as
he 11 it, had “done him in a way he despised."

or such a frame of mind there was but one med-
icine—more drink!

Besides, he must " git squar‘ " with somebody; so,
as a salve to his wounded honor, be resolved to go
over‘to the Mexican quarter, and “ paint the town

This he did, in a most complete, yet not altogether
satisfactory manner.

The “ Greasers " did not have "backbone " enough
to suit him.

“ Whoop!" he veiled, burstin into the midst of a
fandango. and planting himsel in the middle of the
floor, with drawn revolvers, his head thrust for-
ward, and his eyes rolling from side to side, so that
he looked not unlike a Spanish bull in the arena.
“ Come fur me, boys! come furmei only come fur
me easy 1"

But, instead of accepting this challenge, the
dancers scattered in dismay, the women screaming
and scuttling away like a flock of frightened geese
while the men, the boldest of them, those who did
mitt sneak out of the room, stood about in sullen
s1 once.

But was it altogether a matter of courage! Would
boldness be a virtue when they knew that the kill-
ing of a miner might lead to retaliation in which
any number of them might be massacred with as
little compunction as if they were Indiana, or China.
men, or dogs?

However, this one-sided sport soon became monoto
onous. Voting the “ Greasers " a lot of duffers,
Steve “shook the hull outfit," and went over to the

“it”? “"6"?” bli d

ere e so 0 gam n . an drinkin and hard
luctk went hand in bangd till be we: " cleaned
on ."

The finale was a very well-founded accusation of
fraud, upon which the gentleman whose honor was
impugned, disdaining to shoot him in his drunken
state, contented himself with “ putting a head on "
his accuser.

Steve sat in the middle of the floor and we t, until
the barkeeper dragged him off to a corner where he
would be in nobod ’s way, and there he slept in a
thoroughly demor heap.

When it came time to shut u for the night, he was
“set on the outside," withou disturbing his slum-

hers.

It was broad daylight when he woke, exceedingly
shaky. A sympathetic soul ve him a “sheet-
anchor,” seeing that he had pu led both his ckets
inside out, to indicate his pecuniary state. at he
was not yet read to " taper o ," so he hung about
the place ul disconsoiateness.

So it happened that he was on hand to hear the
Three Jolly Pards making ingulry about the occu-
pant of the stage two days be ore.

When they learned of the flash s rt, and mani-
fested a keen interest in his descrip on, Steve made
up to them like atship tacki in a chopping sea.

*‘ Gents." he began, sotemn y, “ look at moi look
at me well i"

“My friend,” said Harry. “we have no time to
spend with you this morning. We’ll see you

later.”
“ You see before on " ursued Mr.Salter.not at all
abashed by this re "if, ‘ a wreck—a moral an’ con-

stitutional wreckl Gaze on these store clo’si Why

on

,an‘ wharfore‘ is this timely? Confidence, siri—a

victim of misplaced confldencei"

Harr “ gazed," as requested, and saw a new out-
fit that. had be ill career ith hard usage. It
was covered wit dirt, nd bore races of its wearer
having received “a bloody nose.” ‘ ' '-

“I’m sorry for yo", pardner," was the deputy
marshal’s mechanical expression of sympathy as
he sought to get awa without giving oflense, ‘ but
I am in a very great urry just now."

” Who," persisted the Inebriate. raisin his voice,
and wavin his hand oratorically—“w‘ho, I say
played this yarlow-down game on a self-respectin‘
an‘ law-abidin‘ citizen 0’ this hgar r-r-reat an' gul-
lorious country? Who but t e first-class fraud
what ye’re artalkin‘ about, the sharp what took in
t ~hyar cam , an' t00k in yer humble sarvant
wuss n he did t e camp,

H

by a dog- can si htl”
d at‘s that!" cried the younggdeputg, wheeling

roun s. ‘ 1y. .
u! , ‘
more that“ fimlfid Steve, complacently. Got
01:"?! tin-nod away again. flushing with voxa-

“ Come, f 90 u o
“I I Vomgltlomnhe  Its timewo wm

 

 

 

 

He would have mounted and ridden away, but:
Steve detained him more seriously.

“Hold on, pardi Thar ain‘t no shenan an about
Steve Salter, ye, onderstand. Drunk or so r¥ when
he blows his bazoo, it's business, every timei’

“ What have on to say i“ demanded Harry.
“Jest this. ou limber me up, and I'll o n up a
lead what‘il jest make you git up an' owl, of

so be e‘re after the sharp what come through
hytvlarhyistiddy, or the day before—i disremember-
w c ."

“Excuse me, but that‘s too thin l" responded the
deputy, seeing in this only a pretext on which to so~
cure a drink of whisky.

“ Why, consarn yer ugly pictur‘i" cried Steve.
“what am i doin in these b er store clo’s, I want.
to know? A bran' new out t from to to toe, an”
nary rag what's ever stood by me when was sailin"
down the flume on a. cedar chip!"

“ I say, pard " interposed the proprietor of the
taVern before which they were standing. “ I should~
n’t wonder ef thar was somethin‘ in this hyar.“

“ Somethln‘ in iti" shouted the lnebriate. “ Thar‘s'
millions in it!"

“ Steve's been a—sw‘arln' about that thar outfit.
ever sense he got it—-that was the very day the
stranger sharp struck the placewan‘ lettin‘ on as.
how some ornery galoot took him in-—“

“ In a way i despise l" interpolated Steve. with a.
dismal groan.

“ If you can give me an information that is worth
while, ' said Harry, “ I w 1 pay you for it in money;
but I’m not a drinking man myself. and I nevertreat-
an; one else to liquor."

teve slowly stoo down till his hands rested on
his knees, and let n his aw drop, stared at one-
who could utter suc revo utibnary principles as:
these in cold blood.

“ Great Caesar dead 1" he ejaculated, when he could.
Madam?“ “i terposed 'r u h i t
‘ r eeper, n om urp Icomng o»
a nick decision. “ set out the best you've got."

e did not drink himself, since Harry had had
enough influence with his pards to induce them to
“swear of!" for once and all; but he had not his,

rincipal's scru les about treating another when.
here was anyth ng to be gained by it.

Steve turned to him, and dotted his hat with an.

ex rated bow of respect.

“ e're a gentleman an' a scholar; an' when you.
run fur Congress, ye kin count on the vote of yours.
to command!‘

When he had had his drink Tom suggested:

“th it short, pairdner. We can‘t stay here air

a .
"’1 must tell my story in my own peculiar way,”
re lied Steve. '
nd he did. But as his “ own liar way " con--
slsted chiefly in spinni it out to an almost unen~~
durable length by b eni the account with di--
ressions on his states of fee ng, we will not weary'
k e r eader with a repetition of facts already-
nown.
Suffice it to as that. partly from Steve and parto
1 from the ob ng keeper, the. T roe oll
ards got a fairly accurate descrigteion of the on t:.
ed its owner
d, whom he had

which the Jack of Hearts had
intfi) artlin it1ritl;,vfnd‘of the 20y, km wn pu
on s n sse ce cream on o rpose.
“ Depend upon it.",declu‘°d Harry. when they
1 h a sin onq’tzheir way, “this fellow is in league.
w t omens.
He “put this and‘that together" as Banty had

done.

“ The ride together from the Fiatto Fiddler’s:
Ford. his sharp pretends to buy Salomans's horse.
The horse disappears. and Salomans along with it..
and we and the sharp back in the coach. FinallJ.
he gets a disguise, and doubles back on histr l-
Now, mark my words! We‘ll strike this precious
pair following all along the route and when we

light upon on We’ll spot the other. ‘

‘ But what’s e g’wine to'do wid dis hyeah kid f'”
asked Dick.

“ Can‘t you essf He’s about the size of Miriam,
by accounts. e'll have to look sharp or we‘ll be
led off on a wild! oose chase after t is graceless:

little scam in tt coatsl"

When thgy 0:138 upon the Spanish Don and his
bashful son. and found no further trace of the Be-
brew and his daughter. Harry corrected this one.-
defect in his unraveling of the plot.

Lon before he reached the crossing ust south of
Grub gtakes, he “ had the thing down ne,"

“ Harkl" he cried, suddenly reining in his
horse. “ Here's somebody coming down upon us at
full speed."

“ Let‘s take to cover “Wit the drop on ’em, who-
ever the be." sug ested ck.

“It’s on late. e’ve been heard. and— Why,
it‘s the three lrishmen i"

“ De must ’a‘ scan a ghost! Golly'. dey‘s pawns
in fur eepsl"

“ They must have seen something a great deal-
more interesting to us than ghosts.”

And in sudden excitement the young deputy mm,

M10913“ mmm' ried Mail
" n s erse ’c cry, on reco nizing-
a: Pardhts." x'rne Lord be good to yez, baffle».
r .

0|

fiat is the matter?" demanded the young (lop

ut . .
XDon‘t sp‘ake a worrudi Has the divil's own got
by on, I dunno!"

“ 0 one passed "

“Th he‘s taken to th cm ‘."

veins" .... .3... .3... .. .... .. .

‘ w ew ,
ghmhwmmmogmmmw

   

 
  

   

 

 

7 play t.e young deputy's
‘ nature.

' “I feel so strange.

' I a“. In

‘  The my Pards to m. Rescue.

 

 

  

“What do you say? Was it a Mexican? Did he
have a young )oy with him?"

“ Sure fur you."

“It is Salomans and Miriaml"

“ Be the sow] 0' me body l"

“ Have you seen him? Did you let him pass you?

' Which way did he go?"

“ Who but him lied to us? He came tearing down
upon us. yelling fur us to look out fur a pair 0’
marauding divils—Cnle on' Banty, no less.”

“011, you should have known—you should have
known! Where did you see him? How long has he
bmen gone? How should a Mexican know anything
about Calm and Bunfy ?"

“That's what I S'll‘_l to mesilf whin we didn’t find
hide nor hair 0’ them.”

“ Ifind them? Of course not! He has fooled
you. ‘

The Irishmen began to curse in unison, but Harry
:soon called them to more profitable occupation.

By rapid questioning, he drew from them just
what had happened. .

In the course of the cross-examination, Mallorv,
in the attempt to alliate his havin r been so easily
taken in droppe a word that e anged Harry‘s
theory oi the case all in a: flash. He said that
the voice of the seeming Mexican was not that of

.Salomans.

At once the youn deputy reverted to his previous
suspicions of the lush sharp who had figured so
in sterlously in the case.

‘A decoy l" he declared within himself.

He was now confronted by a terrible dilemma.
He believed that the Eretended Mexican had one
to the westward. and (3 could therefore sen the
.Irishmen after him.

But if his theory was wron ,and it was indeed
Salomans. then, if he eluded t 1e Irishmen, Miriam
mi'ht be lost forever; while, if the Irishnien over-
too him, they would probabl kill him.

Whatever the faults of the ather, could the lover
send a lot of murderers on his track? .

0n the other hand, if he himsplf went in pursuit
of the Mexican. the Irishmen would be sure to ac-

tclompany him, and all might be thus led away by a
( eeoy. '

The situation pressed for immediate solution.
They were already at the crossing. Then came into
knowledge of human

“ It ma be honestly a Mexican, after all,” he
said. “ ou did not go far enough to see whether
th , were indeed pursued. Do you 20 clear through
to rub Stakes, and see if you strike an traces of
Cale and Banty, and I will take after this cllow." '

But the Irishmengirotcsted in a unit. They argued
that the lover woul naturally tr ,to secure for him-
self the best chance of rescuing is Sweetheart and
(he did not propose to let slip this bird in the mud
w is they went beating the bush for twothat might
not be there.

“ Well!” cried the young deputy, with'an a ear-
ance of Vexation, “ this is no time for squaggling.
We can’t aifprd to waste all of our force on one
chance. I \\-'i lgo to Grub Stakes. But if it proves
to be Salomans. you must promise me not to harm
his companion.” .

“The colleen? Faith, what have we ag’in’ her?”

And so they separated.

At Grub Stakes Harry received what he'believed
to be confirmation of his theory.

The Mexican and the miner had not been seen to
hold communication with each other, but they had
had rooms in the “ L,” which was deserted in the
early evening.

“ Why should a miner take a sle‘e ing room when
he did not intend to stay over nigh f" reasoned the
j oung deputy. ” Of course he pretended to change

mind on account of the bright moonlight. But
he must have known that before. Then a ‘ enuine'
miner would not have thought of securing h 8 room
until it came time to turn in. Certainly he weald
apt tl)iav¢,a,occupied it before sunset in preference to,

e or.

Lastly‘two men answering to the description of

Cale and Banty had been seen to ride through the 1

camp and take the road southward almost on the
heels of the Mexican, and the miner had left north-
ward short] after. Within an hour the two who
had followe the Mexican had dashed into the camp,
ridingldouble, with the story that one of their horses
had pped and broken his leg. They had be lit
another, and instead of resuming their way-of t e
earlier evening, bad dashed northward, with the ap-
pearance of haste and excitement.

“ That's enough!" cried the young de uty. “Salo-
mans has tried to outwit his ards, an they some-
how droppedto the deco bus ass. Come, fellows l”

And away they dashe , now on a hot‘trall.

CHAPTER XV.
'rnn SACRIFICE.

Tn! fugitives had gone scarcely five miles when
‘Salomans saw Miriam ve a lurch in her saddle, and
recover her balance w th difficulty. ,

t “ VIVhat is the mater, my dear?" he asked, solici-
. ous y.
“ l—I—I don’t know, dear papa,:l’dsh¢:r’ stammered.

I am faint—
Salomans muttered an oath below is breath.
“ She will ruin a;ll Curse her woman’s weaknessl
What can be done now?”

Miriam uttered a murmur that was half a moan,
and clung to her saddle.

Apprehensive that she would full. her father
drew hastily to her side,and threw his arm about

 

r.
"Paul" she murmured, and sunk, over against ti

ihim, almost fainting.

  

 

Furious with rage, he drew up the horses, dis-
mounted and lifted the sinking girl to the ground.

“ Drink this,” he said. holding a flask of liquor to
her lips. “It will give you strength. We cannot
stay here. We must keep on to the next camp, if
no further." _

She 'took a swallow. but the fiery liquor strangled
her, and she put it away:

“Oh. let lllO dicl” she moaned,

And sinking to the ground, she bowed her head on
her arms, and burst into tears of utter wretchedness
and despair, ’

“This will not do!" cried Snlomans. with more
harshness in his voice than he had permitted him-
Self to manifest thus far. “ You mud get up and go
on i"

But the girl was broken-hearted. _It was more
that th'n physical weakness. One thrill of gladness
would have given her more strength than all the
li nor in the world. ‘ _

ut her loved ones were lost to her. and the dis-
cover of her father had brought no happiness.
Simu ate the outward forms 0 kindness as he
might. that subtle sympathy which cannot be de-
fined, but which the heart recognizes with unfailing
certainty, was wanting between them.

In vain now did he appeal to her love, her duty,
her fears. She lay panting, unresponsive to him,
careless of what became of her.

Chafing inwardly, he was forced to wait to giye
her time to rally from the prostration of despair.
But her state remained unchanged, until he was
nearly frantic with rage. .

Finall there came to them the clung of flying
horses’ oofs.

“ Therel They are upon us!” he cried. “It is
Gale and Bantyl You have destroyed yourself, and
baffled all m efforts.”

She starte up with a low cry of terror, and clung
to him wild-eyed. But it was on] like the flickering
of dying embers. Her head sun sideways, and she
lapsed again into her state of apathy.

He caught her up in his arms, and ran with her of!
the road among the crags and undergrowth. If
they could hide until the ruflians passed, they might
yet escape.

Returning for the horses, which would betray
him if left in the mad, he no longer heard the
hoof beats that had warned him of the approach of
horsemen.

But there was no 'time for speculation or recon-
noitering. He must act instantly, and trust to for-
tune for the rest.

So he sprun r recklessly into the road, and clutch-
ed the horses’ eads.

He hart no sooner done st, than he heard a double
click-click; and a voice, low, but vibrating with
fiendish exultation, challenged him.

“ Hold on, boss! We’ve got ou! Hands up!”

What had iven Cale and anty'lhis advantage,
was the fact t at just before the spot where Miriam
had failed there was astretch of sandy road, so that
they were almost directly upon him before Salomans
was warned Of their approach by hearing their
horses strike harder ound.

In his excitement e did not estimate correctly
the distance of the sounds, and Cale and Banty came
up with his waiting horses in the moment while
he was secreting Miriam. I ,
t They instantly drew up in the shadow of some

recs.

“Hold er awpl” cautioned Banty, seizing Cole’s
arm, as t e b unter 'rui’flan was about to give voice
to ,his exultation. “He’s liver-abouts, somewhar.
The gal’s played out ag’m. ark!"

It was the sound 0 Salomans’s returning foot-

steps. ,

So, the instant he appeared, they“ held him up.”

The’Hebrew saw that his game to elude his part-
nerswas now “ tags” for the time, at least; and be
lifted his hands a ve his head, as commanded.

While Cale'held him under his revolver, Banty
dismounted and tool: from him his wea ns and
ammunition. The char es ware drawn rom his
revolvers, and they were ended back to him, use-

693.
“That'putsa News on you furtbe present, an’
no? let’s talk 6 matter over quietly,"‘proposed

a e. 1 ,

He dismounted and sat down as if they had
plenty of time, f'ore them.

“ Wool, par ;” he pursued, “you’ve done some
tall flggerin’, all furto git away with the Three
Joli Yards. This hyarwa’n’t so bad a. scheme, to
sen the Don on the back track. We come nigh bein’
shunted oi! the track/by it ourselves."

“ What do you to we now!“ asked Salomons.

“ I thought the t at was aliphalkod down," re-
pliedt gale “ I marry the gal, an’ we say no more
a. on . .

'? Lo‘ok here." said Salamans, comin to a sudden
resolve. “ What will you take to call t t thin 011'?
I’lltgc; half my share of the pile we did the Iris men
on o ." .

“Not b a dog-gone sight!” declared Cale. “ It’s
the , al I argained for ’an' it’s the gal I’ll have!

” ow hark to me! or ain’t no use whitewashin’
this h or thing. You tried to shake us. I ’low that
thar h sharp offered you a bigger stake. But the
thing! won’t work. We’re down on you, my boy, an’
we’re down fur to stay! '

“ Now hyar’s the law an’ it‘s me as is a‘~layin’ of it
down. You tell yer that I’m yer solid friend, an’
as how she's to marry me, with your full knowl e
an’ consent; That’s what you do! An’ of you y
of! on me, I'll lay 6 out. 1311' run the game myle f.’

There was no ng for it but compliance. Salo-
mans had the grace to entertain one mental reserva-

,,5. 

,QL....£;..Ln.-.».. an... " ,’

 

on. -
“I'll have to knock under now. but I’ll watch my-

chtance, and make awidow of her before she’sa
wi '91

Cale and Banty accompanied Salomans to where
Miriam lay, and the Hebrew introduced them as his
friends and hers.

The girl start-d in terror and bewilderment. There
was no outward show of compulsion. The best
understanding seemed to exist between her father
and these men whom he had but a moment before
held up to her as the enemies before whom they
Were fleeing. ’

"Yes, marm.” corroborated Cale, taking ofl’ his
hat and bowing awkwardly. “Your ole man an’
me is thickern thieves. Ve was boys together.
I‘ve loved yer for a long time. an’ your ole man
says to me, one day. cf [could git you away from
the ole bloke what’s u to Paddy's Flat. I could
have [yer fur my wife, an he’d say Blew.- 11:, my chil-
drenl. Waal, ye knows as how I tried to kerch on,
toe which the Jolly Pards wouldn’t have it. Then
your ole man says he‘d try. an’ you bet he‘d fetch

e. ’Cause whyi—‘cause he’d have the law with

im. So he made the riflle, an‘ hyar we be.

“ Up the road, hyar, a piece, thar’s a aspel
sharp what’s a pertic’lar friend 0’ mine. ef
you please, we’RJest step up to the captain's omce
an” git hitched, an’ say no more about_ it."

The irl only stared at him, shuddering.

Calefiooked hard at Salomans. .

“M dear," said her father. “This is the bus-
band have picked out for you. In this. wild coun-
try you need a brave protector. With him you will
be safe."

Safe l—with that monster!

Ah! this was the father against whom her kind
old grandparents had tried to protect herl And she
herself had gone to him, denouncing theml _

She could only stare at him, as the bird stares into
the gaping throat of the serpent that is charming it '
with the baleful glitter of its eyes. ‘

He turned away, unable to bear the mute re-'
preach of her gaze.

"Come!" he exclaimed, sharply, “let us he go-
ing."

There was now no show of weakness. She did
whlatever they bade her; but her silence was ter:
rib 9.

“Ford,” said Cale, with a sinister chuckle, falling
alittle behind with Salomans, “Without "lowin’ to,
you’ve run jest the way I marked out. I told ye
when you got the gal, I'd have the parson, an’ I’ve
got him, ou betl”

It was in that darkest period just before dawn, the
moon having one down, when they came upon an
old ruined ado e mission-house. The slighter struc~
tures that had once surrounded it had been leveled
to the ground by] time. The Indian devotees had
been scattered; t e priests had disappeared before
the march of a new civilization.

This relic of the by-gone had been taken asses-
sion of by a man who claimed to have been a otes-
taut minister “in the States.” Of what denomina-
tion, no one knew or cared. The boys “ ’lowed he
had had a p’ison difflkilty With his congre ation,
an’ had left fur the good 0’ the cause.’ ewas
now a poor wretch, drowning in drink the memory
of a life “gone wrong.”

The nearest mining-camp was a mile awqyrbut
the boys were wont to diversify the entertainment
of Sunday gambling and drinking, by dropping over
occasionally, to “give the person a 1i t,"as they
said. Their one stipulationwas, that he should earn
the mono they-dropped into til," hat by Putting 1‘ ' 8
power 0’ rimstun in the eminent." .

Cale Bur-chard roused , this wreck of manhood
from the heavysleep that follows a drunken de-
bauch. Candles were lighted, and set u n the
crumbling altar. to cast. heir light upon a ,alf-obo
literated picture of Christ hanging on the cross, a
rude" wooden statue of ’the [/Madonna, in the last
sta es of deco , and a broken candelabrum.

are, in at ire that was a rody on the dress
affected by the clergy, wit breath _ reekin
with the fumes of alcohol, and bloodshot eyes rol -
iug heavily, stood this re rebate, lurching' With un-
steaclé be once as he wai ed. a dilapidated cop of
the , ble in hand, to do the bidding of the 3111'
who employed him. , x . ,

The girl who was to bathe victim of thb im ous
farce stared at him as a part of the horror 0 her
surroundln . Nothing was further from her

Enought an to "appeal tosuch a brute, for pro-
BOD on. , i .
“ Now person," said Cale, taking her unresisting

band, “driveahesd, an’ seethat ou’arn er money
by doin’ the thing up brown. want t to hold

water. ye onderstand. Nothin’ snide about mystep- ~

pin‘ off, you bet yer life!"
“You kin tie to me, boss." was the response.
"I’ll ut outbrough in style." - ,
And)  the ttllilick articulating)“ of adiquor-
r z o no eceremony gan. . ‘
pa0:32;: ‘Mirigtgh aimed her eyes toward her father,
in an appeal of dumb agony and wondering re.

“ii”? ed hi 1' away ‘ 

e um s ace .

Then, of a sudden the air seemed filled. with new
age sounds. Scarce with comprehension of what
was going on, she saw these about her start in end-
den alarm. There was the dull thud of boots, a
chorus of fierce yells, and the rush of men into the
further and of the mission-house. which the few
candles could not illuminate with their feeble

rays. _ . .
‘Traitorl" elled Cale Burchard. , V '
At the semi instant a revolver exploded in his
hand, aimed at whom she, knew not. ,
She saw Booty leap forward without $2.31
and at one sweep dash the line of candle! lit
altar. Then all was‘as'dark as Erebusl

/

.n 
'flf; 

.. 2/1.
.9

 

   

  

 

 

 
  

 

       
   
   
  
  
  
  
  
   
  
   
     
  
  
  
  
  
  
   
  
  
  
   
   
  
  
  
  
  
   
   
    
   
   
    
   
    
  
  
  
   
 
  
   
  
  
  
  
 
  
   
 
  
 
 
    
   
 
   
    
  
    
   
    
 
   
  
  
  
   
 
  
    
    
  
   
   
  
  
  
 
   
   
  

 
 

 

  
 
  
 
 
 
 
 

 

' 

'- e nail leased witbhi
qutll l,

“‘a‘.‘

’ eve

‘ had lot. an’ no mistake.

rry.
; situation mostfavorable to his hopes.
:for Abraham’s consent, his fears told him that, an

’cu lamenti ain't
Pfi thighs omen

 

The Jolly Pards to the Rescue.

 

 

CHAPTER XVI.

TRE JOLLY minus To run unscvnl
ALI. about her were the sounds of rushing feet,
of men stumbling, falling, but up and on again. Out-
side were yells and oaths and the rattle of firearms.
But one sound thrilled the deadened faculties of

‘ the girl into a mad eeéitnsy that seemed as if it

would deprive her of reason. It was the sound of
her name, called in accents that. as she i-ncalled
them in after life, never failed to set her nerves to
Vibrating and her heart to’throbbing.

‘ “ Miriam! Miriam! Miriam! Where are you?
Speak to me 1”

Then how her voice rung outl

“Hahrecl H'ihreel Huhreel"

How did he reach her in the darkness? Neither
ever knew. It was enough that he'lield her in his
arms, while she clung to him, as if no power on
earth 001 1d ever separate them for a moment again.

What t him were the escaping rufilans? He had
the one object of his pursuit—had her safe beyond
their owor ever to harm her again.

“ D ckl Tomi” he shouted.

But they Were far_away in headlong pursuit, not
a step behind the Irish avengers. It was a strange
voice that answered his call.

“ What’s wantin’, boss?"

“A light,” he replied.
you any matches i“

“ You betl" came
without the cit-caterer.

The rasping scratch of a match was followed b a
blue blaze, which in turn gave place to a bright i in—
mination.

“The little Donl" cried Harry, catching sight of
the holder of the match.

“The little luimbug!" responded the Kid, with
disgust in his Voice. “Whar’s them candles? Ah,
hyar‘s what’s left of ’em. When we’ve got a little
more light on the subject, I’ll light my man what
takes me fur a (lreaser.”

And he cooll proceeded to set the candles in
place on the a tar, and light them one after an-
ut er.

"How did you come here?" asked Harry. while
this restoration was in process.

" 0n hossback," replied ihe Kid, with his wonted
nonchalanco.

“ But didn’t you take the cross-road south of
Grub Stakes in the early part of the night?”

“ You bet, an’ a mighty tough cross-road it was
too—as crooked as a ram's horn. all u -hill both
\vays,'and with the wind in yer face com n' an’ go-
ifn’. ‘Ellbtl’lt come out at the right spot, an‘ don’t you
arm 1 ‘ o

By this time the speaker had finished lightin the
candles, and he now turned. and b0 g to riam
ivith a grand sweep of his sombrero, addressed
ier:

“ Miss, yer most obedientl”

But. as the girl gazed at him suspiciously, clinging
to the side of her lover, he went on: ‘ .

“ Don‘t you go fur, to salt me down With that that
scalawag what you seen me With the fu’st time
whatlpaid my respects to ye. if you please. Be-
cause why? I ain't o’ the same stripe. Didn’t I
oculd tie to meij‘
ave Hyou seen this young 'lady before?" de-
manded any, with some shar ness.

He wanted it to be clearly an erstood that every-

y was accountable to him where Miriam was
concerned. .

f'Now jest you Ireep yer shirt on, in Christian
111996. an’ we won’t have no fallin’——ou " wasthe
Kid 3 cool rejoinder. ‘The yougfidfidy seen me in
fiad‘pompany, 311' I’m jest expl ’ of things to

or.

That his explanation was satisfactory was $998?“
ent, from the fact that a few minutes later both
Harry and Miriam took his hand; and when with the
break of day Tom and Dick returned, they were

he Irishme mthi h (1 th J [1
n a- : eels an e 0 Y
Paras charging the bridal part , the Jack of Hearts
saw that the 83319 W“ up; an calli to the Kid to
follow him, be flipped’ But thgfiid had taken
in the situation at aglance, or at .16“; em, h to
satisfy him that there was something "crook ” in

“ Whoever you are, have

the response. "I never travel

I the game these masqueraders were pinging, with

Miriam figuring as the victim. He mak no
mistake if he stuck by the girl; so he :3: ed. 0
His story added to Mlfiam’l 'e rénce made
clear; and when he nthli: relations boo
tween Harr and Miriam. he tool: the former aside

and advl : ,
“My Christian friend. lyou're a-bnckln'v ’in. a
f on want tom; he in.

side track on that low-down ad. est you man-y the
gal out 0‘ hand! , Thut thar don t cost ye nothin‘,
bur. that‘s millions in itl’

The thought electrified Ha Here ' was the
if-he waited

sorts of obstructions—religious (1138191109. for one
thing—might a ring up in ‘5 way' '

He pressed iriam for a comgliance with his
wishes; and thoroughly convince of her mother's
villainy, and seeing in this a sure protection from
his cruel designs against her happinew She elded
tothe prom ing of her own heart, intimat ng her
consent wit as pretty blushes as ever WWW“
the bestowed of a trembling heart-

The minister had disappeared while the lights
were-out but they had no use for such as he. J ndB‘e
Owney was holding court in a neighbor-
lug camp, and thither the rode. and 9WD“
thJinee. Ives before him hand hand.

' Age is lthribd‘the 39' judge, on Ho ’3

of t eir wishes with 6
was of age on that very d57-

 

“Be the sowl 0‘ me bo~ly.liut the th‘afe o‘ the
Worruld that can st‘alo a gcrrul from her father the
like 0‘ this. is old enough to marry her anny dayl
Step up here just. till 1 tie yez up together like a
bunch 0’ radishes!"

Whatever might have been their feelings under
different circumstances, neither Abraham nor R0-
becca ever said a word against this marriage. They
held their darling once more in theirariiis. this time
safe and sure, and that was blessin 1' enough.

Rebecca got well and strong. he’boys swore
that "of she kept on gittiu’ vouuger un‘ harn-
somer.” it wouldn‘t be long before she not to look
like Miriam; but it “would be a cold day before
Miriam ever looked like the old woman ag'iu! Thar
wa‘n‘t t) be no more masqueradiu’, ye onder-
stand!"

They were so delighted with the thin I, that the
whole camp fell to, and in an almost ilncredibl
short time ran up an addition to Abraham’s buil -
ing, and furnished it “in A No. 1 style, you bet yer
bootsl" for the occupation of the bride and groom.
At the grand “ blow-out " of their installment. Jim
Gladden acted as Master of Ceremonies, and never
were marshal and deputy on better terms than
those of Paddy’s Flat.

There were four Jolly Pards henceforth: for the
Kid coolly established himself as Miriam’s Left
ginger, graciously permitting Harry to be the

ig t.

Later it was discovered that Cale Burchard had
given Isaac Saloniaus a mortal wound, so that he
escaped the Irish avengers only to die in a neigh-
boring camp. .

Whether they succeeded in catching Cale or
heat was not positively known, but it was be-
heve not.

So lifted the shadow from Miriam’s life. She
bloomed to new beauty in the ha piness that had
come to her, and the boys, of w om she had no
further fears, were never denied the gracious sight.
If you want to brin r a whole camp about your ears,
to the last man ack, lift a finger or whisper a
word against the Pride of Paddy‘s Flat!

THE END.

 

Beadle’s Half-Dime library.

BY RIAJOR E. L. ST. VRAIN.
99B Bum-ho Pedro, the boy Bandit.
81H lwudvllle Nick, the liuy Sport.
812 Redtop Rube. the Vigilante Prince.
8338 Brimstone Bob, and His Lightning Horse Qunrtette.
8593 Tomb-tone Tom. the Arizona Boy of “ Snnd.f’
8.39 Dunning-o “are, the \' mm umum n n ‘n rustle-l".
871 Khmbolt Chris, the Young Hard-Shell Detective.
350 Avalanche Alf. the Foothills Guide.
890 Jaguar Joe, of the Mountdu Mull-Line. ’

BY FRANK DUMONT.

120 The Branded “and t or, The Man of Mystery.
137 Wild-Fire. the Boss of the Road.
140 “Inc Blazes; or, The Break 0’ Day Boys of“, an
171 Ebony Dun ; or, The Rival Leagues.
185 Evil Eye; or, The Vulture; of the Rio Granola.

 

BY CAPTAIN MAYNE REID.
'28 Blue Dlek; or, The Yellow Chief's Vengeance.
87 The Land Pirates; or, The League of Dovll’l Island.
187 The Helpless "and; or, Bopkvvoodl Retribution.
389 The Gold-seeker Guide; or, The Lost Mountain.

BY JACK FARRAGUT.
815 Ned, the Cabin Boy.
890 The Sea Generous; or,'l‘ho Boy Skipper.

BY J0 PIERCE.
89? Bob 0’ the Bowery; or, The Prince of Mulberry Street.
415 The Vagabond Detective; or, Bowery Bob’s Boom.
459 llotspur Bob, the Street-Boy Detective.
460 The Lawyer’s Shadow; or, Luke’s Lq-cy.
479 Jaunty Joe, the Young Hone-King.
494 Surly Sim, the Young Fenymau Detective. '

BY enonen WALDO shown.

86 Dandy Rock, the Man from Texas.
90 The Broad Rider; 0!, The Texan Duelist.
99 The Tiger ofTuoI; or, Dandy Rock's, Angel.
115 The Mad Miner; or. Dandy Rock’l Doom.
181 The Golden “and; or. Dandy Rock to the Rm”.
164 Dandy Rock’s Pledge; or, Hunted to Death.
1?8 Dandy Rock’s Rival! or, The Haunted In“ on“.

BY J. C. COWDRICK.
860 Silver-Mask, the Man of Mystery.
869 Shasta, the Gold King; or, For Seven 10mm,
490 The Dctectlve's Apprentk-e; or, .A Boy wan"; .

Name.
484 Clbuta John; or. Red -Hot Times at Auto Bu.
489 Bandy Sam, the Street Scout.
461' Blleo Dan. the Dfllly Dude.
490 Broadway Billy. the Bootblock Bravo.

BY CHARLES E. LABALLEm
.50 Ihn Bunker, the Trapper. .
5‘ The Whlte Bull’slo. lA Tale of the Northth

BY JOHN J. uAnsnAu.’ -
40 Roving Ben. A-Stm-y on Young American.
9‘! The flutlaw Brothers; 0!, The Captive of the Helped.

 

 

BY CAPT. MARK WILTON.
956. Young Kelltuok; or, The Red Lnun.
270 Blizzard lien; or, The Riot at Keno Camp.
886 Josh. the Boy 'l‘enderl'oot.

BY MAJllll LElVlB W. CARSON.

978 The Three Trapper“ or, The Mountiln Monster.
888 Indian Joe; or, The White Spirit of the Hills.

BY WV. J. llAMlLToN.
68 The Red Brotherhood; or, Thu Twelve Avon”
86 Hlngle “and; or. A Info for n Life.
7’3 Mail Tom Western, th’I‘unn Ranger.
337 Ben Blrd. the Cave King; or, Big Petu’l Scoop.

BY “’ILLIAM R. EYHTER.

190 Dandy Din-kc; or, The Tigers of High Plus.
210 Faro Frank; or, Dandy Durku‘u Godhwu i'ardo.

llY ROGER STARBIICK.

25 The Boy Culilnln; or, The Pirate's Daughter.
114 The Black Schooner; or, Jlb Junk, the Old Tar.
259 The Golden Harpoon; or, Lost Among the Fleet.
848 Fire-Heels; or, Old Skinfllnt, the Death-Shadow.
854 Big llorn Ike. the lllll Tramp; or, The Odd Pudl.
861 The Phantom Light-house.
870 Breaker Ben, the Reef-Runner.

BY CAPTAIN FRED. “'IIITTAKER.
15 The Sea-Cut; or, The Wltch of Darlon.
29 The Dumb Page; or, The Doge’n Daughter.
48 "Ink Dnrllng. the Pony Em... Rider. ‘~

- 150 Lance and Luna; or, The Children of tho Chaco.
, 154 The Swurd Hunter-i; or. The Land of the Elephant Riders.

159 The Lost Captain; or, Skipper Jabes Codin’l Cruise to the
Open Polar Sen.

I00 The Boy Bedoulnn; or, The Brother: of the Plumed Lance.
214 Wolfgang. the Robber of the Rhine.

249 Milo Romer, the Animal King; onle Round the World
“'iinilerer.

865 The Tiger Tamer; or, The League of the Jungle.
881 Black Nick. the Demon Rider.
895 California Joe’s “'ni- ’l‘rull.

B 1' 1! l1. ACE“ ll "NE E IIEM Y N0.

89 Island Jim; or, The l'rt oldie Family.
91 The Captain oi'tlie Club; or. The Rival Athlete‘-
101 Jack llarkaway in New York.

MISCELLANEOUS AUTHORS.
4 The “'Ild-lloroe Hunters. By Capt. Moyno Rold and
Frederick Whlttuker. ’

9 Adventures of Baron Munehnuoen.
12 Gulliver’s Travels. By Donn Swift.
14 Aladdin; or, The Wonderful Lamp.

10 Robinson Crusoe. (91 lllmtratlonl.)

18 Slndhad the Sailor. HII Seven Voyages.
29  Sen Serpent; or. The Boy Robinson Crusoe. Dy Jun

W I.

88 The Ocean Bloodhound; or, The Red Pirates or the
Carrlbeu. ’By S. W. Pierce.

8Q Thfi lloy Clown; or, The Queen of the Arena. By Funk
S. un.

88 Ned Wylile, the Boy Scout. By Texan Jack.
51 '13)? Boy Blane; or,.'l‘hu Underground Camp. By Arcth
o ronl.
95 The Rival Rovers; or, The Freobootm o! the Mlniulppi.
By Liana-Col. Haultlno.
98 Robin flood. the Outlawed Earl; or,Tho Merry Men of Green-
wood. By Prof.Glldenleeve. .

'105 01d Rube, the Hunter; or, The Crow Captive. By Captain
Hamilton Holman.

' 119 The Mad Hunter; or, The Cave of Death. 3} Burton Sun

194 glow. the Tenn: or. The You": Chmvlon- Br Gwen
eunu. "

198 The Youn Privateer; 0?. 7110 Pink" sm'lhOld- 3!
Harry Cnvenfillh.

148 Sharp Sam; or, The Adventure! olo Wendi-u Boy. By J.
Alexander Patten.

“I hunky Dung-ell, 71». pm or.‘1'ho Grun Ranger ofthe Yo].
low-tone. By Edward anon.

261 Fergus Foal-naught. it" N0" “Pk 3°)“ 3! 9‘0?” L
Al on.

068 Killh’nr. the Guido; ov.DIvy Crockett): Crooked Trail.
By Enlign C. D. With!!-
998 Red Claw tho Om-Eyod Tripp"; or.’l'ho Maid out. cur.
By Captain omotock.
1; Pete. the leoly Lad from Ludvlllo. By Lion-
811 lilil‘fffiima Thorno.
It: Defective; or A Boy’s Fight for Lil. and Honor.
8.8 gyglajoryMlckey Free. ’
al In the River Rover; or The Broth ’
“0 fitti‘sy’xh Buntlino. ’ "‘ R“

865 Baltimore Ben. the Bootbluck Detective. By A. P. Martin.

‘ 374 gamma Tom; or, Ben’s Double Match. By George H. '
om. .

8'16 Callfbrnla Joe’s I'll-It Trail.
" Hoyor Monetary.

‘18 BI“! Bombshell. the Clifl‘ Climber. By F. S. Winthrop.
“0 Little Foxfoot, the Gold Bowl! Kid. By Arthur C. Gm
475 The Black shlp. By John 8. Warner.

484 Comanche Dick and Ills Three Invllclbm‘ 3'
Henry J. Thomas. ~

(1 s m.‘
489 Eng, 213m33un_port; or, Tin Doublo Tu. and
A New lune Every Tied-7. ‘ ‘
The Half-Dime Library in for solo by Ill m.”
out per copy, or sent by mail on. 1’} ofdlelnb out.
menu: A ‘  us. Publishers"
‘3 m.- “not. How 

By Colonel Thoma

  

    

 

  

  

runway his

BEADLE’SrHALF

Published Every Tuesday. Each Issue Complete and Sold at the Umform Price of Five Cents.

   

,' _ i. ' 4 I a
F. r“ - , '~

a» W -  ' Am A I“...

a... "z.’ , 
t v ' ’i.
.

w .4 \w- a Q, ~. [rem r: :-- 

-DIME*LIBRARY.

No Double. Numbers.

 

 

BY EDWARD L. “'llEl-ILER.

Deadwood Dick N ovoln.

1 Deadwood Dick, the i’rinm- ol'thi- itmnl.
20 Double Huggerafi or, Deadwood llii'k‘n Definnce.
28 ihlifllio Den; or. )tflllltvtltill Dit‘k ill ilingllinc.
85 Wild lvnn. the Boy Cliiinh- iluvnl.
42 l’hnntom Minor; or, ilvlltiwomi ilit'k'a iionnnzn.
49 “mahu (ill' or llreailwmnl Dirk in Danger.
5? Deadwood Dir-li’n Englen; or, The l'ar-l. oi Flood Bar.
78 Deadwood Dick on Deck; or. t‘iiiiiiiiitv Jam-,tim Heroine.
77 Corduroy (‘hnrllot or, I'cmiwmvd Dit'k’a Lint Act.
100 Deadwood Dick In Load ville.
104 Deadwood Dick'a Device: or, The Double Cruaa Sign.
109 Deadwood Dick aa Detective.
129 Deadwood Dick‘o Double; or, The Ghoat oi‘ Gorgon’l

ivllll‘ .
188 illnude “ill! or, Deadwood Dick'a Home Brine.
149 A Game of hold; or. iii-adwood Dirk’n liig Strike.
156 Deadwood Dick 01' Deadwood]; or. The l'it‘ifl'li Pariv.
195 Deadwood DIok'n Dream; or, ' lie Kinda of the Road.
201 The Black Iiilln Jezebel; or, Deadwood Dick’s Ward.
205 Deadwood Dick's Doom; or. Calamity Jnuo’a Lani. Ad-
Volliill’o.
21? Captain Crackoflhot, the Girl Fri and.
221 Sn ar-Coated Sam; or, ’l'lia lilac Gown.
282 Go d-Dunt Dick. A Romance of Roung and Toughn,
268 Deadwood Dicir'n Divide or. The Spirit 0! Swamp Lake.
268 Deadwood Dick’n Death rail.
809 Deadwood Dick’a Big Deal; or, The Gold Brick of

Oregon.
821 Deadwood Dick'n Dozen; or. The Fakir ofPhantom Plate.
241' Deadwood Dick’n Ducata; or, Rainy Dayl in tho Dig-

inga.
851 Deadwood Dick Sentenced; or, Tho Terrible Vendetta.
862 Deadwood Dick’n Claim; or, The Fairy Face oi Faro

all.
405 Deadwood Dick In Dead City.
410 Deadwood Dick’a Diamonda; or, The Myalery of Joan

Porter.
421 Deadwood Dick In New York; or. A "Cute Care.”
480 Deadwood Dick’a Duat; or, The Chained Hand.
448 Deadwood Dick. Jr.
448 NlokelJ’late Ned; or, Deadwood Dick Jr’a Defiance.
488 Sunflower Sam, at Shanta; or, Deadwood Dick Jr’a Full

Hand.
459 glunh Fan, the Ferret; or, Deadwood Dick Jr’a Big Round—
‘65 i’iiilo Fly, 0! Phcnix; orI Deadwood Dick Jr’a Racket at
(‘laim lo.

411 Belem." fill]; or, Deadwood Dick Jr’a Corral.

4T6 Humboldt Ilarry, the Hurricane; or, Deadwood Dick Jr’a
Dog Detective.

481 Moll Myntery; or. Deadwood Dick in in Deadwood.

491 Prince Pistol, the King of the West; or, Deadwood Dick
Jr'a Compact.

496 Mon.e Crinto, Ira or, Deadwood Dick Jr'a Inheritance.

800 Dent wood Dick’n Digfllugn; or, Dr. DeathvGrip’a Swoop.

508 Dem wood Dick'n Dc- verance.

515 Dent wood Dick’n Protexec.

522 Dear wood Dick'a 1 cc.

529 Dead wood Dick’a Danger Dueko.

584 Deal wood Dick‘a Death llunt.

589 Dead wood Dick Jr. In Texan.

544 Deadwood Dick, Jr. the Wild W'ent Vldocq.

549 Deadwood Dick on Ilia Mattie.

554 Dca lwood Dick. Jr. In Gotham.

561 Deadwood Dick In lion-ton.

567 Deadwood Dick, Jr. In Philadelphia.

572 Deadwood Dick, Jr. in Chicago.

578 Deadwood Dick, Jr. Afloat.

584 Deadwood Dick, Jr. In Denver.

590 Deadwood Dick, Jr‘n. Decree.

595 Deadwood Dick Jr. In Bcclzebnb’n Baala.

600 Deadwood Dick Jr. at Coney Inland.

606 Deadwood Dick Jr’n Leadvlllc Lay; or, Brlatol and
Bucket'n boom.

Other Novcln by E. L. Wheeler.

.6 Ciovcn "00!, the Buffalo Demon.

82 Bob ‘Vooll’; or, The Girl Brad-Shot.
F 89 Death-Face. Dotoctive; or, Lil'o in New York.
45 Did Avalanche or, Wild Edna, the Girl Brigand.
53 Jim liludnoe. r.. the Boy Phenix.
I 1 Buokhorn lllllé or, The Rad ltiiie Team.

Gold Riiie the .lm Ihootarz or. The Nov Detective.
Roncbnd I ob or. uggct Nod. the night.
ldyl, the Girl . Iner; or. Rosebud oh on Hand.
Photo ra it PM“ or. Holobud Roh'l Ronnpearance.
Calla a U et; or, Old Anaconda in Sitting Bull’s Camp,
“Yum-NE a; or, Aruba and Angela oia Great City.
Jack Iloy e tho Ynung Snectiliitnr.
Gilt-Edged Dick. the Sport Detective
1 Cinnamon Chip, the Girl Sport.
5 Bonanza liill. Miner.
188 Bonn liob the King of lloothlackl.
141 Solid Sam the Boy Road-Agent.
145 ganglign Derret, the New York Detective; or, Bou Bob'.
UII 0 .
161 New York Neil, the Boy-Girl Detective.
1?? Nobbi‘NIck ofNevada; or, The Sierral Scampa.
191 \Vild rank, the Bucknkln Bravo.
209 Fritz, the Bound-Boy Detective.
218 Fritz to the Front; or, The Vontriloquili Hunter.
226 Snoozer the Boy Sharp; or, The Arab Detective.
286 Apollo iiiii. the mu Tornado.
240 0 clone Kit, the Young Gladiator.
244 S crra Sam, th. Frontier Ferret.
24% Sierra Snm'n Secret; or. The Bloody Fontprintl.
258 Sierra Snm’n l’ard; or. The Angel nl Big V iata.
25! Sierra Ham‘n Seven: 0r.’l‘he Stolen Bride.
2T8 Jumbo Joe, the lloy Patrol: or, The Rival Heira.
277 Denver Doll. the Deteillve Queen.
281 Denver Doll’n Victory.
gar, Denver lioll'n Decoy : or. Little Bill‘a Bonanza.
291 Turk, the Iioy Ferret.
296 Denver Doll'n Drift; or. The Road Queen.
299 A No. 1. the Danhing Toll-Taker.
808 'idza Jane, the 'x‘lr Mint-r; or. the Iron-Nerved Sport.
825 Kelley. lllckcv all 00., the Drwt‘tivea ofl’hiladelphia.
880 Little Quick-fl ot; or, The Dead Pace of Daggenvlllo.
884 Kangaroo Kit; or. The Myaterloua Minor.
.89 Kangaroo Kit’n Racket.
848 Manhattan Mike, the Bowery Blood.
856 Fir-LCM“ Fred, the Giant lrom Gopher.
668 ‘ijrekit Jim. the Gold-Gatherer; or, The Lottery oi
.I I
872 Yreka Jim’n Prize.
873 Nabob Ned; or, The Secret of Slab City.
8fl2 Cool Kit. tho Kin: of Kidli or. A Villain’n Vengeance.
885 Y rcka Jim’n Joker; or, The Rivala of Red None.
830 “Icyr-le lien; or. Tho Lion of Lightning Lode.
894 Yreka Jim of Yuba Dani.
400 Wrinklen, the Night-Watch Detective.
416 Iligh Ilat ilarry. the halo Ball Detective.
426 tiara Slab-Alden. the r-Bov Detective.
484 Jim Beak and Pal. rivato Detecting.
g8 Santa Fe Sal, the Slanhor.
6 Sealaknn Data. the Sparkler.

ir‘-
..

 

 

oo-Heemrmoa
“flaunt-:2

 

 

ll Y C" A RLER .110 R RIS.

113 Will floniorn, the Ho); Dot-active:
122 Phil Iinrdy, the iii-an lluy.
126 l’li-nyuiie i'ou-g or, Nil'flliullllll, lilo, Dog Detective.

180 Detective, Div, : or, The Horn in ltugs.
1'12 Ilaminome Harry, the Bouihliii-k Detective.
14? \VIII Wildfire, the Thoroughbred.

152 lilack “can, \Nill Wildfire, n Racer.

" fiilke Merry, the. iiill’iltll’ Police Boy.
“' Ill “'Ildilre in the “'oodn.
105 Hilly Hag ago. the Railroad iiu ,
1'“! A ’l‘rnmp nrd; or. Will Wildfire Wine and Lona.
174 Rob Rockett; 0r, MyIlrrietui New York.
179 Bob Rocky“, the. Bank ltiiniier.
 i

H‘
a?
fie

The Hidden land or. Will Wildfire'a Revenge.
7 Fred lialyard. the die Hunt lioy; or. The Smugglefl.

1N9 Rob Rockett: 0r. Driven to tho \Vali.
I96 Hhadowed; or, Bob Rookett’a Fight for Life.
206 Dark Paul. the Tiger King.
212 Danhlng Dave, the Dandy Detective.
220 Tom Tanner or, The lilack Sheep oi the Nod.

25 liam Chart-0a lhc Premium Darky.
2315 Shadow Sam. the Meuenger Boy.

42 The, Two “ lllooda ”; or, Shenandoah Bill and HI. Gang.
252 Dick Danhaway ; or, A Dakota Boy in Chicago.
262 The 1 nun: Sharpen; or, Rollickliig Milto'l Hot Trail.
274 Jolly Jim. the Detective Ap minim.
239 Jolly Jim’n Job; or, The oung Detoriive.
298 The \‘Vatcr-Iiound; or, The Young Thoroughbred.
805 Danhaway, 01' Dakota; or, A Woutcrn Lad in tho Quaker

"t

(«l y.
824 Ralph Ready, the Hotel Boy Detective.

Tony Thornc, the Vagabond Detective.
858 The Reporter-Detective; or, Frail Flyer'a Blluard.
86? W Ide-Awake Joe; or, A Boy oitha Timon.
879 Larry. the Leveler; or. The Blooda of the Boulevard.
408 Fire y Jack, the River-Rat Detective.
428 The Loni, Fin or; or, The Entrappod Caehlcr.
428 1“er 1"l er. t 0 Reporter Detective.
482 invincib e Lo an, the Pinkerton Ferret.
456 Billy Brick, t to Jolly Vagabond.
466 \VIde-Awake Jerry, Detective; or, Entombed Alive.
4. 9 Detective Dod e; or, Tho Myatary of Frank Hoarty.
gill ii"? nil.“ '1‘th it?" '1" Sh ! b Sharpe

no a, e oy lrcman; or, no nrp art 0 r.

566 The Secret hcrvice Bo Detective.
596 Jimmy the Kid; or, A b Among Wolrcn.

BY 01.1. 00031118.

5 Vagabond Joe. the Young Wandering Jew.
18 The Dulnb Spy.
2? Antelo e Abe, the Boy Guide.
81 Keen- nlfe, the Prince of the Prairies.
41 Lanno Jack, the Young Muatanger.
58 The Border Kin ; or. The Secret Foe.
71 Delaware Dick, t a Young Ranger Spy.
74 Hawk-e e Harry the Young Trappor Bangor.
88 Rollo. t e 110 I an er.
184 Sure Shot Set , tho y Rlfleman.
Scar-Face Raul the Silent Hunter
146 Silver Star, the iioy Knight.
158 Eagle Kit, the Boy Demon.
168 Little Texan, the Young Multanger.
178 Did Solitary. the Hermit 'l‘ra )per.
182 Little Hurricane, the Bo nptairi.
202 l’roa ect Pete; or, The mini: Outlaw Huntera.
208 The 0 lleroulea i nr. The Prairie Trampa.
218 Tiger ' om. the Texan Terror.
224 Danhln Dick; or, Trapper Tom’a Caatlo.
228 Little ildflre, tlia Young Prairie Nomad.
288 The Parnon Detective; or The Little Ranger.
248 The Dlngulncd Guide; or, ll‘ild Raven, the Ranger.
260 Dare-Devil Dan, the Young Prairie Ranger.
272 Minknkin Mike, the Boy Sharpihootor.
200 Little Foxfire. the Boy Spy.
800 The Sky Demon; or. Ralnboll.,tlic Ranger.
884 Whip-king Joe, the Boy Ram-hero.
409 llerculen or. Dirk. the Boy Ranger.
417 Welli'oot. one. the Tramp Detective.
422 Rab Sam, the llny Giant ol'tho Ynllowatono.
444 tht e llucknkln. the Young Prairie Centaur.
45? Wingedfoot Fred: er. “1d Polar Snni.
468 Tamarac Tom. the llig Tritfiper Boy.
4"! 01d ’l‘om Rattler, the Red iver Epidemic.
4N2 “tone-wall "oh, ihe liny 'i‘roinn.
562 Blundering Ranll, the Hermit Boy Trapper.

BY T. C. ilARliAUGll.

28 Nick 0’ the Night; or, Th" 30 Spy of "It.
37 The Hidden Lodge; or The L ttlu Hunter.
47 Nightlnfale hat or, Tno Porelt Ca taint.
64 Druid uok; or, he. Oiitlawa or the regon Trail.
82 Kit I arei’oot the Wood-Hawk.
94 M ldulght Jack or, The Ito Trapper.
106 Did Fronty, the ulde; or. T in White Queen.
128 Kiowa Charlcy the White Multangor.
180 .Ind 03 Lvnch, Jr.x or. The Bov Vigilante.
155 GolifTrig er. the S tort; or, The Girl Avenger.
169 Tornado om; r-r, npin Jack From Red Corn.
188 Ned Temple, the Border lloy.
19" Arkannaw: or, The Quer oi Fate’n Rovengo.
207 Navajo Nick. the Boy Gold Hunter.
215 Captain Bullet; or. Little Tonknot’a Cruaado.
231 l'lucky l’hll; or. Roan, the Roi Jezebel,
241 "ill Bravo; or, The Rough: oi’ the Rockiol.
255 Captain ApolI:-, inc King-Pin oi Bowie.
267 The lincknkln Detective.
279 Did “'Inc-h or, The iliickakin Deaperadoel.
294 D namlte Dan; or. The Bowie Blade of Cocheiopa.
802 T 0 Mountain Detective; or,1‘heTrlggur Bar Bally.
816 (ill Eollpae, Trump Card of Arizona,
826 The Ten Pardn; or. The Terror oi Takchotico.
886 Big Bennon; or. The Queen of the Lht'lo.
845 Pitilenn Matt; 0r, Red Thunilerholt’a Secret.
856 Cool ham and Purril or The Terrible Six.
366 Velvet Foot, the Indian Detective.
8116 Captain Cutlaan; or, 'I he Buccaneer'a Girl Fee.
896 Ron h Rob or. The Twin Champion. of Blue Blanca.
, ilken mono; or, The Rona of Ranch Robin.
418 Felix Fox, the Boy Spotter.
425 Texan Train the Border Rattler.
43“ Phil Flanh t e New York Fox.
445 The City an Iron; or, Red Roii'c'a Pigeon.
461 line Again“. 1" fly; or, The Laat Man of Keno Bar.
470 The Roy Shadow; or, Felix Fox’a Hunt.
477 The Excel-liar Sport; or, The Wuhlngton Spotter.
499 Single Bi ht. the One-Eyed Sport.
502 liranded en, the Night Ferret.
512 iiodger Dicli. the Wharf-S y Detective.
521 dodger Die k’n Bent Dodge.
l'or and Pa .con, the Bowery shadowa.
-.,. like it, the Dock Ferret.
‘ Dic k’n Double; onghc Rival Boy W
“0.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

‘ho wo
582 Dodger Dielr’a Drop.
Jt e Lon, the Street-Singer Detective.

 

BY COLDNEL i’RENTISS 1N1: RAIIAM.

7 The Flying Yankee: or, The Ooeiiii (liitriult.
17 Ralph no ', the liiiy Buccaneer; or. The Fugitive. Yacht,
24 Dlamond )[rk - or, The Mystery of the Yellowstone.
62 The Hhudow Ship; or. The Rival l.ll'llit'lli|llil.
’35 The Boy "nellal ; or. The Criiiao of tin: Sea-Wolf.
02 Dir-k Dead-It: 'e, the Boy SilluL' ier.
11 Thu Sea-Devil ; or, The A‘liilflill‘liulnn'a Loam-y.
16 The llnnnar Ca tnin; or, The Hennii 0| “all (into.
197 Little Grit; or, lit-nine, ihc Stock-Tomler'a Daughter.
204 Gold Plume; or, The Kid-Glove Sport.
218 nllon “ill. the Prince oi the Reina.
222 Grit. the llravo Sport; or, The Woman Trailer.
229 Crimnon Kate ' or, The, Cowhoy'a Tl’lunlplL
287 Lone litar. the owboy Ca itain.
245 Merle the Mlddy nr,’ ho Freelance- Heir.
250 The hiidnhipman utinecr; or. Brandt, the Buccaneer.
264 The Floating Feather: or, Merle Mouto'ii ’l‘raaaura

a and.
269 The Gold Ship; or, Merle, the Condemned.
276 1311"”: Montea Cruine; or, The Chane of “The Gold

230 Meprle Monte’n Fate; or. Pearl tho Pirate‘a Brldo.

2 4 The idea Marauder; or, Merle lionte’. Pledge.

287 Billy llluc-l-Iyen, the Boy Rover of the Rio Grands. .

504 The Dead Shot Dandy. or, Benito, the Boy Bug]...

808 Keno Kit; or. Dead Shot 1 anily‘a Double.

814 Ethic] Myaterioua Marauder; or, The Boy Bugler’a Lon.
a .

l’
87? lionodel, the Roy Rover; or, The Flagia-a Schooner.
868 ’li‘he Indian I’Ilot; or, The Search for Pirate Inland.
887 iNarpath Will. the Boy Phantom.
898 Iloawali’. the lloy Lieutenant.
402 ] aodor, the Young Connpirator; or, The Fatal League.
40? The ll. Inaupgcnt; or, l'ho Cuban Vendetta.
412 The WI (1 Yachtnmant 01‘. The War-Clouu’a Cruiu.
‘29 Duncan Dare, lho Bo Refugee. ~
488 A Cabin Bo ’n Luc _; or, Tnc (.oraalr.
48? The Sea Ra der.
441 The Ocean Firefly; or, A Middy'a Vengeance.
446 Ilaplaazard Ilarr ; or, The Scapcfraco oi the Sea.
450 Wizard “'iill or, he Boy Ferrato New York.
454 “’Izard “'Ill’n Street Scot-tn.
462 The Born Guide: or. The Sailor Boy Wanderer.
468 Neptune Ned, the Boy Connor.
424 Flora; or, Wizard Will’a Va nhond Pard.
488 Forretn Afloat; or. Wizard ill’n Laat Cue.
46? Nevada Ned, the Revolver Ranger.
495 Arizona Joe the Boy Pard of Texas Jack.
49? Buck Taylor. King oi the Cowboya.
508 The Royal Middyh‘ or. The Shark and the Sea Cat.
50? The lluntcd Midn loan.
511 The iiutlawed Mid y.
520 Rucknkin Bill, the Comanche Shadow.
525 Rrothern In Backnkln.
560 The Rucknkin Bowen.
585 The Rucunkin Rovero.
540 Captain Ku-Klux, the Marauder oi the Rio.
545 Lieutenant Leo, the Son of Lafitte.
550 Lailtte’n Legacy; or. The Avenging Son.
555 The Creole Cornair.
560 Pawnee Bill, the Prairie Shadowor.
565 Kent Kin don, the Card King.
570 Camille, '- o Card Queen.
575 The Surgeon-Scout Detective.
580 The Duh-ant Cadet; or, The Falae Detective.
586 The Buckakla Avenger.
591 llrlmoate. the Young Sea-Rover.
597 T he Youn Texan Detective.
602 The Yoga ad ofthe Mince.
60? The Rover Detective; or, Keno Kit'e Championa

H‘fl

 

 

BY BUFFALC BILL (lion. Win. 1“. Cody).

B Kan-an King; or, The Rad Right Hand.
12 The Phantom say: or, The Pilot of the Prairio.
55 Deadly-Eye. the nknown Scout.
68 Border Robin flood; or, The Prairie Rover.
158 Fancy Frank of Colorado; or, The Trapper’a Trim.

LATEST AND NEW ISSUES.

608 The Pitcher Dcteetlve’n Foil; or, Double Curve Dan’e
Double Play. By Gco.'C enka.

609 Holly Dorrit. the Veteran Detective; or, Little Lightning’-
lnrliiclblea. By John W. bon.

610 Did Skinner, the Gold Shark; or, Tony Sharp on Guard. By
T. C. Harbaugh. .

611 Bildad Barnacle, the Detective Haroalu; or, The Titanic at
Tnhle Mountain. By Licut. A. K. Siml. .

612 Deadwood Dick .1 r. In Detroit; or, Turning the Tum...
on Satan. By Edward L. Wheeler.

618 Billy lilazcnl or. The Skoleton’n legacy. By P. S. Warn...

614 Whlntllng Jacob, the Detective’n Aid; or, The Queer Cm“-
binatlan. { .10 Pierce.

615 Fightin Iarr , the Chief of Chained Cyclone; or, The
Heathen lnec’a . iaaion. By J. C. Cowdrick.

616 The 0ccan Detective; or. The Last Cruise 0! the Black
Bear By Gee. C. Jenkn.

61'! Ral . the Dead-Shot Scout; or, The Raidm and the
Red Rider! 0! the Rio. By Col. Prentice Ingraham.

618 Deadwood Dick. Jr. In Cincinnati; or, The Clincher
Campaign. By Ed. L. Wheeler.

619 The Boy Tramp Detective; or, The Doubio Grlp Wilma...
Bv Wm. G. Patten

620 Little LI htning’a League; or, The Mvntery ut‘tne illflnli.
By John . Oahon.

621 Truthflil Jamea, the “Pecooliar” Mamor, The Spoiler
Diapoiled. By A. C. Grlaaom.

622 Texan Torn-Cat’n Triad; or, The Queer Afl‘air at Tomb.
atone. l'lv Lieut. A. K. Slim. '

628 Duck Bumblebee. the Harlem ilurnrner; or, The
Old Captiiin’a Moving Miracle. By Jo Pierce.

624 Deadwood Dick. Jr. In Nevada; or, The Preacher oi
Pokcrvilie. Bv E. L. Wheeler.

625 Chinca In Dan, the Boy Trailer; or, The Hero oi the
Crater. By Jon. E. Badger, Jr.

626 The Champion l‘arda; or, The Lucifer oiSiiver Bar. By
T. C. llarbaugh. Ready July ‘23. .

627 Torn Bruce of Arkannan; 0!. The Wolfln the Fold. By
Charlen Morria. Ready July 30.

628 Broadway Bill ’a Dead Act; or, The League of the
Sworn ven. Bv .C. Cowdrlck. Ready Auguat 6.

629 Violet Vane, the Velvet Sport; or, The Jubilee of Jacktown.
Bv m. G. Patten. gend'vANuguitllii.’ L a G I d

680 Deade Dick r. n 0 an a an t or. 0 can a,
iii. Gladiator. 3, 23¢ L. Whaler. Ready Augult 20.

A New Ian-o Every Tueaday-
Tlo Ilalf- DI-o Library in for aala by All nowadaaIeI-I, In
www.crmt by mail on receipt otalx canto each.

BEADLE AND ADAHI. Paul-hero,
98 Willia- Streot New York.