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Copyrllhtod. 1889, by Bunu AND Axum. Enumd It mu Pun (mm M. an Yurk, N. Y., M Second Clan Mall Mnmr. August 1, 188).

 

No  02.50 Published Weekly by Beadle 3nd Adams, v.4“, V01 

n "‘5'"- No. 93 WILLIAM 51.. NEW YouK. 1”“ 00"“-

 

 

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£55?”

 

 

 

“W‘M’s THAT!" cmnn emu! JAKE, mmw GASPING m AMAZEMINT AND RAGE.

 

 

 

L

. r the men
during

, . ., 4

8 Peacock Pete. the Leadville Sport.

 

Peacock Pete,
THE LEADVILLE SPORT;
03.

Hawk, the Boss Miner.
BY ALBERT W. AIKEN,

anrnoa or “ THE GOLDEN CHIEF," “ ran BLACK

BAND or ROBIDEAU,” ETC., arc.

CHAPTER I.
REDMOND HAWK’S LAY-OUT.
“ Tin man that dances with you to-night dies,
and I care not if he be my own brother!”
Full of passion was the voice of the man as he

 

r hissed out the words, and the beautiful girl to

whom the speech was addressad could not but
believe that he meant every word he said.

It was a strange speech, a strange scene and
in a strange country.

It was in the bonanza land—in the “ marvel-
ous country "so rich in its stores of precious
metals. of which the city of Leadville is the

center.

Colorado, the modern Eldorado. where the
mining scenes socommon to California in the
(In of '49 are being repeated.

9 write of a little mining-camp, not over a
hundred souls all told, situated up in the moun-
tains almost due west of Leadville, on the little
gem: known as the Roaring Fork of the Grand

ver.

Five Mile Crossing was the name of the camp.

It was a new place; had not been in existence
over six months, but as the adjacent country
was extremelly rich in precious metals it was
thriving won erfully.

Already it boasted a good-sized inn, known as
the Blac Bear Hotel, from the circumstance
that while the workmen were engaged in erect-
ing it, a large black bear came down one night
and endeavored to make a meal out of one of
who had sam led too much fire-water
the day and ha foolishly lain down un—
der a ush to sleep it 011.

Bruin ied the sleeping man, and if some of
his oomr es had not chanced to pass that way
at that particular moment, no doubt the moun-
tain lord would have made a speedy end of the
intruder upon his domain.

But as it happened. the bear’s design was
frustrated, and in the battle which ensued. the
{makers of the workmen made a finish of the

to .

'1‘ eowner of the hotel, an enterprisin mid-
dle: god Irishman, who had graduatedg as a
whisky-seller in the big Eastern cities. but had
been forced to emigrate to the land of the set-
ting sun on account of numerous dlfficulties he
he got into, from his summary method of

. forcing his delinquent customers. to settle their

 

bills hv punching their heads, and who was

' called Patrick McMulligan, had been in a quan-

dary in regard to the name of the hotel.
. He wanted a new and novel title, for like
about all the rest of the settlers, he had an idea

that in two or three years, Five Mile Crossing

 

would he the metropolis of the region, complete-
disigalncing Leadville and all other would-be
riv s.

‘The Black Bear Hotel had struck him as being
a splendid name for his hostelry. . .

McMulligan was originally from Philadelphia
and Eastern Pennsylvania, where such titles
are commonly applied to houses of entertain-
ment for man and beast. _ ,

The hotel, like all its class in the mining re-
gion, comprised also a restaurant and bar-room.

The town had started a little differently from
the usual run of mining-camps, there being
quite a number of the softer and fairer sex from
the beginning, and so in order to make things
pleasant, eVery Saturday night a hop was given
in the dining-room, the apartment being cleared
for that purpose.

McMulligan was a jolly, sociable sort of a
fellow anyway, and liked to see fun going on,
and then in a business point of view the hop
brought custom to the house, for it made it the
general rendezvous for everybody in thecamp,
and the outlying districts tributary to it, and
of course the bar trade profited by this.

The hops were nicely conducted, for McMul—
ligan was a man of powerful build, very nick-
tempered and not at all particular what kind of
a weapon he got hold of, when excited. to make
an attack upon a fee; so it was really as much
as any one’s life was worth to attend one of the
Saturday night hops at the Black Bear and at-
tempt to kick up a disturbance.

Of course there are fools everywhere. and on
the verge of civilization there are plenty of
those ig-headed idiots who deli lit to kick upa
distur ance in any place of pu lic resort, par-
ticularly, one where they imagine the lines are
not strictly drawn.

For the first two months that McMulligan
carried on his hops, he had had considerable
trouble, for some of these tools had imagined
that because the hope took place in a mining-
camp on the frontier, they could do about as
they leased.

“ at do ees take this forr’he was wont
to exclaim. ‘ Yer murthering blaggards! Do
yeos think that you’re in a Leadville shindig or
a Pueblo dance—house break-down? This is a
respectable ball-room, and I’ll be afther break-
ing the nose of the fu’st man that dares to mis-
behave himself!” v

And he was as good as his word.

The Irishman was as strong as an ox, toler-
ably scientific, and being on his own ground,
had little dimculty in preserving order; there-
fore, in a very short time, indeed, it became
generally understood that the man who waltzed
into the Black Bear Hotel on a “hop night”
with the idea of proclaiming that he was a chief
and ca able of running the town, really took his
life in is hands. for the citizens present were
always ready to lend a helping hand in assisting
McMulligan to preserve order.

80 it was that the best people in the camp at-
tended the hops, and bad characters were strict-
ly forbidden entrance.

The man who uttered the words with which
our chapter begins was a good-looking fellow
of about thirty-flye, tall, muscularly built. with
dark eyes and hair and a short, brown beard.

Miran-3.

we

 

1A..

 

i

' visit to the hop, Miss Hopkins h

Peacock Pete, the Leadville Sport. 8

 

He was dressed after the usual fashion com-
mon to the frontier, excepting that the flannel
shirt which he wore was a rather elaborate af-
fair, with a rolling collar under which a black
silk neck-tie was passed.

He was called Redmond Hawk, and he was
boss of the Gothic Mine, the leading concern in
the valley.

Hawk was one of the prominent men of the
town—one of the active citizens who are always
up and doing.

Socially, too. he was considered to be a fine
fellow, he béiug quite a ladies’ man and about
the best poker~player in lhe‘neighborhood.

The girl to whom he addressed the menacing
words was a tall. queenly, brunette beauty al-
most perfect both in face and figure, a in em
Cleopatra, a second siren destined to fascinate
about every man fortunate enough to cast eyes
upon her.

She was a new-comer in the camp, having
on}; resided there a couple of weeks.

er name was Evangeline Hopkins.

Her father, Clinton Hopkins or Clint Hop-
kins as he was generally term , was a portly,
middle-aged gentleman, with egray hair and a
full gray heard, who had open a general store
in the camp about six months before, and had
prospered exceedingly well.

He had a smooth, easy, plausible way with
him that impressed the average miner greatly.
The fellow who dropped in to buya pint of

whisky, a dollar’s worth of powder, or any\

other small article was waited upon with as
much politeness as though the storekeeper ex-
pected to corral a thousand dollars in the trade;
and, without exactly sayin so in words, yet he

ave the customer to un erstand that he felt
immensely honored because the other chose to
trade with him.

“ Old Soft-soap ” was the irreverent nickname
that some of the prejudiced men of the camp
had bestowed upon Hopkins.

“ He was too durned soft and sweet,” they
averred; but this is always the way with the
world, the tongue of censure is never idle, and
the more shining the mark the oftener comes
the shaft.

From the first day of her arrival in the camp
when the superintendent of the Gothic mine ha
been introduced to the queenlav Evangeline, he
had acted like a man fascinate .

Hawk and Hopkins were quite intimate, and
so it happened that the superintendent had been
lucky enough to secure the first introduction to
the lady, thereby rendering himself the envy of
the town. .

But from the beginning the girl seemed to
take a dislike to H8 wk, although the latter tried
by all means in his power to make himself
agreeable.

On the previous Saturday ni ht, her first
danced with
Redmond three times, but on the evening of
which we write she had positively declined to
on age herself to him even for asingle dance.

awk was not a patient man, and his blood
was in a flame in an instant. .

“ Is it pessihle that you are engaged for all of
the evening?” he had asked, both face and voice
betraying the anger he felt.

 

“You have no right to ask such a question

gsithat,” the beauty had replied, in cold dis—
a n.

“Possibly not," he said, striving with all his
power to restrain his anger. “ I do not assume
that I have any such right, but I think it is only
natural under the circumstances that I should
ask the question. If you are engaged for the
entire evenin , then, of course, it is not possible
that you can ance with me; but if you are not
an aged—”

‘ I am not—I am not engaged for a single
dance,” she interrupted, haughtily; “ but that
has nothing to do With you.”

“ Excuse me, it has, as I will show you.”

CHAPTER II.
HAWK EXPLAINS.

TEE lady tapped her taper foot upon the floor
in an uneasy, petulant way.

“ I suppose you will think that I am very pre-
suming?" Hawk continued. ‘

“ I do, most decidedly.”

“ And et, if you will look at the matter care-
fully, 1 0 not believe that you will think so;
you cannot, if you have any seme of justice.”

“ Indeed i" and the lady’s lip curled.

“ You have declined to dance with me, yet I
am not a stranger, but have been favored with
the pleasure of your acquaintanceship. If your
hand is engaged for the entire evening, that is
an ample reason for the refusal, and as a gentle-
man I must bow to it, althou%i I should deeply
regret being so unfortunate. at if you are not
engaged, then I consider that I should not he
doxng justice to myself if I did not ask, why
should you refuse to dance with me? What is
the reason? Have I offended you in any wa l
I am not conscious of it, and am ready to ma 6
amends in any possible way.”

“In the school of politeness in which I was /
educated. a lady was not required to give her
reasons for declining to accept the society of a
gentleman,” Miss Hopkins answered.

“It was a very poor school, then, and such an
education is not at all fitted for this region,” he
retorted. “ Here we live openl and speak.
frankly. The hollow shame of t e East are
sweptfiaway as mere cobwebs that obscure civil-
ization.” . ~

“ I see that you are determined to force me to
explain myse f whether I wish to or not!” ,
Evangeline exclaimed, a little hectic spot of red -
beginning to burn in her cheeks and her dark.
eyes flashing.

“ I think that an explanation is most certain-
ly due ” he re lied. “ You danced with me last
Saturday nig t and as I have not given you
any cause to become ofiended with me, it cer-
tainly seems very strange that you should de«
Cline to do me the honor to be my partner this
evening.”

" You must have a strange code of politeness
in this region, if a lady can be forced to give
her reasons for so simple a thing as declining an
invitatbn to dance.”

Evangeline was plainly annoyed—there could
heno mistaking the fact~but Hawk was per-
sistent.

“ He, too, was angry, for he had taken a
fancy to the girl up0n first sight, and had made

 

 

 

 

‘lv‘x‘

 

 

 
    
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  

 

4 I Peacock Pete. the Leadville Sport.

 

up his mind to win her, and as he was by far the

most eligible man in the camp—in his own 0 in-

ion—he did not think there Would be much iifi-
culty in accomplishing his purpOse.

“ You must pardon me for holding a different
opinion, but I think I am entitled to an explan-
ation,” he said.

“ It will be unpleasant, possibly," she return—
ed, col y.

“I cannot; help that, and I must ask you to
exptllaig why you will not dance with me to-
nig t. y

“ I do not like you, sir, and I do not wish to
dance with you," the girl replied firmly. She
was no coward, and 'belicved in the old adage
that when danger is to be faced it is always the
best policy to meet it boldly—to take the bull
by the horns.

Hawk was terribly angered by the bold avowal.

“ You do not like me?”

“No, sir."

“ I do not understand what reason you can
possibly have to dislike me,” he observed,
slowly. ,

"No reason at all, perhaps,” she replied, in
an indifl'erent way. “I do not think I could

- give any: no more, at all events, than that
reason generally ascribed'to women—‘ because.’
I do not like you because I do not like you, and
that is all there is to it; and as for dancing with

‘ you, I would far rather prefer to sit here quiet-
,y all the evening and take no part in the pro-

ceedings.”

I“ You would prefer to do that?” be ques-

tioned. a near curling his lip, and a fearful

light shining in his eyes.

“ I would, most decidedly.”

“ Then you shall, if I can possibly arrange it
in that way; for the man that dances with you

. to-night must fight with me.”

The lady gazed at the speaker in angry indig-
nation.

“You forgot yourself, sirl she exclaimed.

, “ You are not talkingr to a chilci Such a threat
‘ is utterly ridiculous."
’ I “ Is it?” he rotorted, scornfully. “ Wait and

on may have reason to change your opinion.
on are not in the efleminate East now, where
laws press so harshly upon an impulsive spirit,
but out here in the wilds of the West where
‘ each man is, in a great measure, a law unto
himself.
' “In the East if two men quarrel. resort to
was ns..and one falls by the hand of the other,
the aw calls it murder, and with either jail or

,V - glbbet punishes the victor.

“ Here. in this section, untrammeled by the

I ' . restraining devices of civilization, we deem it a

fair fight, an easy way of settling personal dif-
ferences, and we respect the victor, instead of
attempting to punish him.
‘ “ Believe me, I am not boasting when I say I
have had a fair share of such encounters since it
\has fallen to mv lot to dwell in this marvelous
country, and I have not been backward in tak-
I ing up a quarrel when I saw that it could not
honorably beavoided, and I have always had
I the luck to prove the victor.
“ Therefore, understand that it is no idle
vaunt when I say that the man who dances
with you tonight does so at the risk of his life.

 

 

“And you will be doing great injustice to any
one who asks you to dance it you do not warn
him of the threat that I have made.”

Then, with a. polite bow, Hawk snuntcred
away.

Hopkins, at a distance, had noted the conver-
sation, and had guessed from the expressions
upon the faces of the speakers that it had not
been an amicable one.

He hurried at once to his daughter.

“ What’s the matter, Eva?” he asked. “ Have
you and Mr. Hawk been having any-trouble?”

“ Yes, a little," responded the girl, whose face
was in a flame.

“What on_ earth is the matter?” cried the old
gentleman, impatiently, for Hawk was about
the last man in the town whom he desired to
oflend.

The girl briefly explained.

“ He asked me to dance with him, and I de-
clined; he became angry, pressed me to give my
reasons, and I told him frankly that I dld not
like him.” ,,

“ Oh!” and old Hopkins groaned; “what in
the name of all that is wonderful possessed you
to do that?”

“ It was the truth. He said he would not be
satisfied until I explained my reasons, and so.
of course, I spoke freely.”

“ But it was perfectly awful; and Hawk is a
dangerous man to offend, too,” and the old gen-
tleman shook his head gravely. He was greatly
annoyed at the unexpected and unfortunate
aflair.

“Of course I do not know much about the
man; but, from what littleI have ascertained. I

was satisfied he was not an acquaintance to be

desired."

“ My dear child. you don’t know what you
are talking about," Hopkins exclaimed, much
annoyed, and plainly betraying it. “ You must
not fall into the error of judging men in a wil-
dEerne’ss like this by the same standard as in the

set.

“A gentleman, father, it seems to me, must
be a gentleman always no matter where he may
be found," the girl replied, evidently astonished
that her father should be so aflected about the
matter.

“ Hawk is a gentleman—a perfect gentleman:
one of the best men in the town, too. Oh I tell
you, this notion of yours is absoluter absurd.
I wish to Heaven that you had said something
to me before you compromised yourself so fear-
fully; and you’ll get me into a scrape, too.”

“But I do not see how that can be!" Evan—

geline exclaimed, still more amazed. “ Surely “

I am at liberty to decline any acquaintance I
choose without brin ‘ng you into the matter?”

“ Of course not. am your father, and it is
only natural that any one bavmg cause of com-
plaint against you should in a measure hold me
responsible. You see. my dear child, y0u are
just fresh from boarding-school, and no matter
how complete your education may be, you are
sadly lacking in worldly knowledge, or else you
would never have made such a blunder as you
have been guilty of to—night.

“ Mr. Hawk, my dear, 18 a perfect gentleman,
and there isn’t a man In. the camp whose good
will I more earnestly dome.”

 

 

«[4. .. .,

 

 

 

Peacock Pete, the Leadville Sport. 5

 

“ A perfect gentlemnnl" cried Evangeline
amazed.

“ Yes, my dear, that is what 1 said and it is
quite true too."

“ But, father, is he not a gambler and a man
who has stained his hands in blood a dozen times
at lea~t?”

“ Nonsense! he’s su rintendent of the largest
mine for miles aroun , and although I presume
he does play cards once in a while, it is only for
pastime—just for amusement, you know, and as
to his having any blood upon his hands, I pre-
sume that he has been mixed up in some afl’ruys,
but you must understand, as I said before, you
cannot judge men and matters in such acountry
Es this by the same rules that would apply in the

list. -

“ This is a new country with new men and
new customs, and must be gauged by new rules.
There are no regular officers of the law in such
a. place as this, and if disputes arise between
men here, they can not be settled as they would
be settled in the East.

“ If two men here quarrel and agree to go out
and settle the matter with deadly weapons, if one
is killed in the encounter we hold the other follow
blameless of all harm.

“ Self-defense, you know—merely protected
his own life, that is all. I presume it is some
affairs of this kind to which you allude.”

“ I do not know, but I was told he was an in-
veterate gambler and that a dozen men had fal-
len beneath his unerring aim. He is no gentle—
man father, but a bravo, for he has threatened

to kill any man that dances with me to-night.”

CHAPTER III.
WHY sn‘n REFUSED.

TEE old gentleman gave utterance to a. low
whistle of astonishment.

“ Well, upon my word 1” he exclaimed, "you
have got ourself into a nice scrape! Why, my
dear childy, I wouldn’t hove had this happen for
a thousand dollars, but luckily it is not too late
for me to repair the mischief. I will go to him
immediately and explain that there has been a
misunderstandin ;—but by the way, who took
the trouble to tel you about Mr. Hawk?”

“Nearly all the ladies who have visited me,”
the girl replied. ,

“ The infernal old cats!" Hopkins muttered
under his breath in indignation.

“ Of course, as I was a stranger and wanted
to learn all I could of the lace which was to be
my future home, I listene with interest to the
gossip of the town, and I was amazed to find
the opinion which prevailed in regard to Mr.
Hawk."

“No, no, my dear Eva, you must not put it as
strongly as that 2" Hopkins hastened to observe.
“ You must not believe all on hear.

“ A man like Redmond awk naturally has a
great many enemies. and these foolish old
women ought to have better sense than to re-

 

peat toastrunger such idle, foolish talk!” the ,

old gentleman observed, testily. “But. as I
was going to say. Ican gotoMr. Hawk and
explain that it is allamistake; you can give

1 him the first dance and as many others as you

choose and everything will be all right.”
The girl was amazed. She was not half as

 

well acquainted with her parent as a irl of her
age ought to be, but having the mis ortuneto
lose her mother at an early age, she had been
reared by some of her father’s relatives in the
country and then when old enough had been
sent to a boarding-school.

She had never known anything of her father’s
affairs except that ho was a merchant in New
York, doing business on a large scale, and was
only favored by a visit from him three or four
times a year, and on these occasions he only re-
mained for a few hours.

When she left school, which was immediately
after graduation, she had returned to her former
home in the country, expecting to meet her father
there, but she did not, and the welcome she re-
ceived was cold in the extreme.

Then it was revealed to her that her father
had failed in business and had been obliged to .
go to the West in order to commence a new life.
and furthermore, she was informed that as her
father had not made any provision for her sup-
port, it would be impossible for them to provide
for her.

But the father had not deserted his daughter,
as tbs worldly-minded relatives coarsely sug-
geste . I

On the very next day a letter arrived contain-
ing a check drawn to Evangeline’s order, with
instructions to join her father at once in his new >
home, which was given as St. Louis.

When she arrived at St. Louis, though, and
went to the hotel to which she had been directed,
instead of meeting her father as she expected,
she found another letter which directed her to
come to Denver.

At Denver another letter gave her instruc-
tions how to reach the mining-camp of Five
Mile Crossing, where he stated he was permu-
nently located.

All this seemed very odd to the girl, but in her
ignorance of the world, she did not trouble her
head much about the matter, althou h she won-
dered why she had not been direct to come to
Five Mile Crossing in the first place, particu-
larly when from the gossiping neighbors she ‘ 1
learned that her father had been doing business
there for some six months.

Upon mentioning the sub 'ect to him, though,
be immediate! assigned a p ausible reason.

“I expec to be able to meet you in St.
Louis,” he said, “ and then when I found that '
my business en§agements would prevent me
from so doing, was sure I would be able to
come to Denver, but, unfortunately, events made
it impossible.”

The explanation was perfectly reasonable to
the girl, and she was satisfied, butif Hopkins
had been a man who had flezl from the East and
was afraid that some one might trace him by
following his daughter, he could not have de-
vised a better plan of blinding the trail. '

So the reader will see Evangeline’s parent .
gas almost the same as an utter stranger to

er.

The amazement which took possession of the '
girl as she listened to her father‘s words, wall
wonderful.

“ Oh, no, no. I could not think of such a
thing for an instant!” she exclaimed. “ 0f '
course, I cannot with justice pretend to have ,

   

 

 

 

\

l_.\.

 

 

 

  

8 l. Peacock Pete. the, Leadville Sport.

 

‘ much knowledge of the world, yet, if I am

guided by my womanly instinct, I do not think
I will go far wrong. I cannot hear the sight
of this man; instead of a gentleman, I think he
is a rufiisnly desperado, and I would not dance
inst?" him it I never danced another step in my
1 e

Hopkins had no idea that his daughter os-
sessed such a spirit, and being 8. Weak, irreso ute
man be naturally quailed before it.

“ Well, Isuppose you will have to go home,
then, and this affair shut you out from all such
innocent recreation as this while you stay in the
camp," the old gentleman remarked, with a
groan.

“ Go home!” and there was an angry blaze in
the great dark eyes of the girl.

“Yes, what else can _you do? If you stay
here on will be asked to dance, of course, and
then ’ve no doubt that Hawk will be quite ca-
pable of keeping his word tothe letter. He’s a
«dead shot they say. and I know that there are
not many men in the camp who would like to
run the risk of exciting his anger.”

“ And do you suppose for a single instant that
I will permit this rufl‘ian to drive me from a
public assemblage such as this?" Evangeline de-
manded, With the air of a tragedy queen.

“ This is a strange country, I know, and since
I have been obliged by circumstances to live
here, I may as well be as strange as the people
among whom I am forced to live."

“ I will not go home! I will sta here, and if
any gentleman asks me to dance, will tell him
of the threat that this rufllan has made,” the
girl replied, spiritedly.

“ But don't on see you will only be getting
some poor fel ow into mischief?" the old man
exclaimed, who did not at all like the way af-
fairs were tending. “ And it will be some stran-
ger too, for I don’t think that any of the men of
the camp would be a t to risk angering Hawk,
for he’saterrible fe ow when he is roused to
action.”

“ Is he a king then, this contemptible bully,
that every one should fear him?” the maiden ex-
claimed in supreme contempt, her proud lips
'ourlin , and her dark eyes flashing.

“ Has a sort of chief among the rest, there’s
no mistake about that,” her father replied.
“ He‘s a regular fire-eater—just as lief fight as
eat—and that is the reason why men who have
any regard for their lives are a little careful
about offending him. If I were you I would

smooth the matter over or else go home."

“ Father, I am not willing to do either. I am
not disposed to how the knee to this vile crea-
iiiire "if all the rest of the camp is afraid of

m.

“ Ah, you’re like your mother. When you
ones get your temper up, there’s no use in wast-
ing words upon you.”

When I am in the right lshould be ashamed
to play the coward’s part!” Evangeline replied
with roud dignity.

“ ell, wel ;I am afraid that it will cost us
all dearly, but I will see McMulligan; perhaps
he can arrange the matter in some way,"and
then Hopkins, terribly put out by his unfortu-
iioartie accident, hurried away to find the land-

 

Briefly the storekeeper explained to McMulli—
gan what had occurred.

“ Bedadl it’s an ugly affair,” the landlord re-
marked.

“ Yes, and I am afraid it will breed trouble."

\ “ Sorra a bit of trouble.”

“ Don't you think Hawk will live up to his
word?"

“Oh, he’ll do that same. Hv‘s on the fight
from the word go. No man iver axed him to
step up to the captain’s ofl‘ice and settle without
finding Mr. Hawk to the fore ivery time.”

“ What is who done?” asked the old man in
dismay.

“Faixl I dunno. I tell yees phat it is, Ho
kins, women are the divil for kicking up a hog:
bery. Hadn‘t you better be after taking the
gurl home and see if ye can‘t talk her out of this
tantrum!”

“ She declares she won’t go,” replied the per-
plexed father. “ She thinks she has been terri-
bl y insulted, you know. by this threat of Hawk’s,
and looks upon going home in the light of a re-
treat.”

“ Shurel the gurl’s head is level enough as far
as that is concerned. That is exactly phat it
is. Let her stick it out thin and face the music.
She might as well do it now as any other time.”

“ Yes, but won’t that raise a row? Hawk.
you know, swears that he will kill any man that
dances with her,” Hopkins remarked with great
agitation.

“There isn’t the l’aste taste of a doubt that
he’ll th to he as good as his worud, for he‘s a
broth 0 a b’ye entirely whin he gets started,”
McMulligan replied. “ But he knows me too
well to raise any row here, besides that ain't the
kind of a b’ye that he is at all, at alll He’ll
quietly invite the gintleman to walk outside
aiid then he’ll pop him over n’ate and aisy as you

ase.

“ Oh, it’s a most unfortunate aflair," the old
gentleman exclaimed, deeply affected.

“ Yis: but it’s wan of those things that a man
can’t help, you know. A‘fthe » your irl sees
phat a foine fellow Mister Hawk is, meb she’d
change her mind and dance wid him. Shurel
phat more can any famule ax than a bold buck
willing and able to murther ivery fellow that
come along for her sake? But there’sthe music
and I must attind to the dancing."

McMulligan hurried away, and Hopkins re-
turned to Evangeline in a decidedly unhappy
state of mind.

 

CHAPTERIV.
ran STRANGER.«

“I’VE spoken to the landlord. but he says he
cannot interfere in the matter,” the old gentle-
man said. in a helpless scrt of way. “ He evi-
dently thinks that you areacting queerly, for he
has a good opinion of Mr. Hawk.”

“ Oh, I’ve no doubt, for he and the man are
probably friends.”

“ Don’t you think you had better go home and
take time to reflect upon the matter!” Hopkins
asked, in a persuasive way. “ Perhaps in time
you will come to see cause tochange t 9 opinion
that you now hold.” . .

Evangeline shook her head decidedly. This

   

  

Peacock Pete. the Leadville Sport. '7

 

beauty had a will of her own, and she was not
at all inclined to give way.

“ Father, I reflected carefully upon the matter
before taking the step I (lid " she replied. “ And
I am quite sure I shall not change the opinion I
have formed."

‘‘But if you stay here some one will be sure
to ask" you to dance, and then there will be
trouble.”

“Oh, no, that does not follow. I shall tell
all who accost me how the matter stziiirls. No
gentleman is obliged to risk his life by danc-
ing with me unless he chooses to do so. There
isn’fitho least bit of compulsion about the mat-
tor.

“But surely you wouldn‘t allow any man to
put his life in peril by dancing with you, know-
ing the threat that Hawk has made?” exclaimed
the father in amazement.

“ Why not, if the gentleman chooses to dare
the peril after knowing all the particulars?
Father, I cannot understand how you can look
at the matter in the light that you do!” she
cried, impulsively. “ Why, from the way you
speak one would think that this man was a very
king and that everybody in the town stood in
awe of him.”

“My dear, he is a resolute, determined man
and I assure you there are not many in the
town who care to encounter him, for in all the
personal encounters in which he has been on-
gaged he has been wonderfully successful in
getting the best of the struggle and therefore
men who know him are careful to keep from
angering him in any wa .” ' i

“ Oh, I understandl” and the proud li of the
girl curled in scorn. “ Every word heard
about him was strictly true; he is a desperado
although he assumes to be a. gentleman, an
relies ,i’ipon his murderous exploits to secure re-

c .

“ My dear child, this is not the East, and you
must not expect to find things here as they are
there,” the old gentleman replied in despair.

At this moment the first note of the music
sounded through the apartment, and McMulli—
gan opened the festivities by exclaiming:

“ Now, gentlemen, select your partners for
the first dance, if you please! ’ -

The music was of the primitive order, con-
sisting only of a single violin in the hands of an
aged negro; but he was an extra good player of
the simple melodies required, and no one had
ever yet been so fastidious as to complain that
the couldn't dance to Black J ake’s music.

’beree or four of the gentlemen present had
had their eyes upon the stylish Eastern girl,
who was by long odds the prettiest woman in
the room; there was only about a dozen of the
fair sex present.

The first one to reach her side was a. tall, raw-
boned youth, one John Michaels, a miner with
a prosperous claim a short distance up the
valley.

And as the girl looked at him, the conclusion
was quickly reached in her mind that he was
not the man to brave Redmond HBWk.

With his best how he asked for the honor of
the lady’s hand for the next dance.

Evangeline politely begged to be excused; but
as the youth persisted, she said:

 

“There is a reason why I should not dance
with any one this evening. Mr. Hawk asked
me to dance and I refused. Angerod by m
refusal, he threatened that he would settle wit
the man that dared to dance with me to-night.”

The under jaw of the youth dro ped at once,
and the girl saw that she was pergctly right in
coming to the conclusion that he would not dare
to brave Hawk.

“1 guess there must be some mistake,” he
stanimered. “ I‘ll see Mister Hawk—he’s a
friend of mine and—”

“If you have to obtain Mr. Hawk’s permis-
sion to dance with me, you may he sure I will
not be willing to accept you as a partner under
such conditions!” Evangeline cried, quickly.

The youth stammered out a few words, hard-
ly knowing what he said, and then retreated.

Three followed him in rapid succession, and
the same thing happened with every one.

I looked amazed, glanced at Hawk and then
backed out.

By this time the nature of the situation had
become bruited about the room and the girl
found herself the center of all eyes.

Her position was an extremely painful one.

“ The cowards!" she muttered under her
breath: “is it possible that a single bravo can
lord it in this manner over a whole town?”

Hardly had the words escaped her lips when a
stranger made his appearance in the room who
was so oddly dressed that he attracted general
attention.

He was a good-looking well-built fellow,
with light, yellow hair that curled in little
crispy ringlets all over his head; a slight mus-
tache and a small iin rial of the same has
decked his 1i and c in. His features were
regular and c early cut: his eyes a blue gray,
were large and full. with a clear, honest expres-
sion—{that sort of thing that wins friends immo-

iate y. -

He was dressed in buckskin, but the u per
garment was out like a coat instead 0 the
usual pattern of a hunting-shirt, and the lover
articles were more like pantaloons than leg-
gings. .

Long riding-boots of untanned leather came
up high on the legs, and a high crown soft hat,
white as the driven snow, protected his head:
and in the hat-band was stuck a cluster of pea-
cock-feathers.

He wa fully armed, and the weapons have“
were far superior to those usually carried by
the men of the region.

The new-comer was evidently a stranger, and,
after he had surveyed the scene for a moment.
had inquired what was goin 0

g D.
As it happened, the landlord, McMulligan, was ’

the party to whom he put the question.

“ It‘s a slight taste of a dance,” responded the
Irishman, after surveying the other with a
critical glance, as if to make sure he was a
proper person to be present; “ if you would be
aft’her shaking a leg, pick out yer gurl and hop
inl '

Now this was easier said than done for the

line.
“ But, Jovel she’s a beauty!” the young man
exclaimed, when he caught sight of er match-

only lady in the room not engaged was Evange-l

 

   
  
  
  
  
  
   
 
    
    
 
    
  
   
   
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
    
   
   
  
    
 
   
   
 
 
 
 
   
   
 
    
  
        
        

.5 (:3)... ~..,vn.v._.. ...<;. 1:.

N .
'L

  
   
  
 
 
 
   
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
    
   
   
  
  

 

 

Peacock Pete, the Loadville Sport.

 

less face, “ and she’s a cut, too, above the rest.
Maybe she‘s a little proud, and don’t care to
join in one of these common shindigs. There
must be some such reason or else suchagirl
would be snapped up right at the beginnin .
Anyhow, she can only say no, and it will not 0
an harm to ask."

0, without loss of time, he walked to where
Evangeline sat, made her a polite bow, and
asked that he might be favored with her hand
for the next dance.

Every eye in the room was upon the couple,
and Redmond Hawk, who stood apart with his
arms folded, glowered with gloomy eyes as he
looked upon the scene. I

The younaiman rigged out so jauntin was a
stranger. ould he dare to dance with the
girl despite the threat that had been made?

This was the question that the angry man put
to himself, and he could not help admitting that
,it was more than likely the stranger would
brave the risk, for he looked like a resolute fel-

' low and one not easily scared.

“.‘Let him, if he dares 1" Hawk muttered!
“ First, the dance, and then a settlement with
me, which will not be so pleasant."
inThe girl surveyed the applicant with search-

eyes.
are was a man who looked able to hold his
own with any one whom he had ever seen.

His face, too, was a good one, and despite the
roughness of his picturesque dress, which seemed
to proclaim him to he as much hunter and trap-

, per as miner, she felt sure he was a entleman.

It was an awkward explanation or a girl to
make to an utter stranger, and she was con-
scious, too, that every one in the room was gaz-
ing at them, eager to see what would be done.

at Evangeline was equal to the occasion, for
her spirits rose to meet the emergency.

“ 1 am not engaged, and I should be pleased
to dance with you, sir,” she said; “ but there is
a circumstance which you must know.

“ Soon after I came here this evening, :1 en-
tlemau asked me to dance with him, and re-
fused, because I did not like him. He became
offended, and declared if I did not take him for
a Bar I should not have any one else.”
vaei‘aigeline then paused, and the new-comer
laugh outright, much to the wonder of the by-

t e

I standers who were watching the progress of

interview.

None of them, of course. were near enough to
hear what was said, and therefore could not un-
derstand why the stranger laughed.
~ “This fellow must be a regular meat-ax, just
hungry for blood.” he observed. “But. seri-
ously, the man who .would say such a thing as
that to a lady is a scamp, and ought to be
thrashed.”

'9 His name is Redmond Hawk. He stands
yonder, with his arms folded, and bears the
reputation of beln a desperate man.” '

“Desperate wit his mouth, no doubt.” the
other remarked, with a slight sneer. “Well,
my name is Peter Peacock, but, after the fashion
of this country, folks generally call me Peacock
Pete, and the say I’m the liveliest lad that ever
came from adville; and if you'll take m
arm. I‘ll be our partner, and settle with this

' gentlemana terw .”V

 

CHAPTER V.

THE BIVALS.

EVANGELINE rose and placed her hand upon
the offered arm.

Somehow she did not feel that she was expos-
ing this man to any danger by acce ting him
for (a partner, despite the threat that awk had
ma 6.

_He seemed so fully capable of taking care of
himself that she felt sure he would prove more
than a match for the desperado who had at-
tempted to control her actions.

Perhaps if she had taken time to reflect upon
the matter, she would have hesitated before
she allowed the strange young man to enter
upon this quarrel, but she was mortally offend—
ed; nevenbefore in all her life had any one pre-
sumed to dictate to her, and the idea that this
Hawk, a man whom she utterly despised, now
that she knew his true character, should at
tempt to force her to accept his company by
depriving her of the society of all other gentle-
men was perfectly monstrous.

It was only natural under the circumstances
that when a champion appeared, ready and
1willing to do battle for her, she should accept

1m.

He knew the conditions and if he was willing
to accept them she oughtto be glad of the
chance.

Hawk glanced savagely at the girl as she rose
and took the arm of the young stranger and
then, as they moved to take their place with the
rest, as if unable to bear the sight, he turned
abruptly and left the room.

Nearly every one in the apartment by'thls
time understood what had transpired and was
on the lookout for new developments.

Therefore when they saw the irl accept the
stranger as a partner and watc ed Hawk re-
treat in anger they understood that there was
likely to be bloody work, and the shook their
heads, significantly. They gu ‘ what would
come after the dance. _

Hawk was well known and his reputation as
a fighter stood high, and not without reason, for
in all the aifrays in which he had been con-
cerned he had in every case succeeded in getting
the best of his antagonist.

The angry man had retreated to the saloon,
and the whisper went around the room.

“ He’s gone to have a look at his we’pons and
brace up'with a cocktail for the fight, ’cos he
sees that this hyer young cuss is well-heeled."

The supposition was correct.

Hawk wastoo keen a fellow not to take a
careful survey of his man, and he had come to
the conclusion, from the stranger’s peculiar get-
up, that he was a cowboy, who, tired of his
pralilrle work, had concluded to try mining for a
399 -

Now, from the nature of their business, the
cowboys are “ no slouches,” to use the Western
expression, in the use of weapons, and as a, gen-
eral rule the members of that class are bold and
desperatefl hters.

All this awk understood, and he did not at
all underrate the man whom he proposed to
“lock horns ” with at the first convenient op-
portunity.

 

1W”; ,.

 

‘t
I
l
l

 

 

Peacock Pete. the Leadville Sport. 9

 

He hadn’t the sli htest doubt, though, that he
would be able to uy the stranger out, for he
was a much larger man in every way, and
prided himself upon his skill in the use of all
weapons; and then, too, he was rather inclined
to look upon the young man as a conceited chap,
who thought more of a fancy dress and of his
personal appearance than anything else.

“ I’ll spoil his beauty for him!” Hawk mut-
tered, grimly, to himself, as he sat down by the
bar in such a position that through the open
door he could see into the room where the danc-
inngas takin place.

awk had ecided upon his programme.

It was the custom when the dance was ended
for the gentlemen to partake of liquid refresh-
ments at the bar, light wines and lemonades be-
ing carried in to the ladies, who remained in the
ball-room. '

For the general entree into the saloon Hawk
waited; he proposed to accost the young man
and call him to an account the moment he made
his ap rauce. ,

He id not intend to take any unfair advan-
tage, for he believed in always kee ing the light
on his side, so as to stand well wit the citizens
who were prompt to frown upon any underhancl
measures. .

Hawk’s position had not been unnoticed by the
men in the dancing apartment, and it was easy
for them to guess what was about to take place.
They understood that Hawk was “lying low ”
for the young stranger.

There were some men in the room who did
not bear Redmond Hawk any ood will, and
one of these took it upon himse f to post the
stranger as to what was likely to happen, when
in the course of the dance he got a chance to ex-
change a few words with him without attracting
notice.

“ Sa , do you see that galoot a-sitting in thar.
’long side of the bar, like a domed big spider?”
said the miner, who was a young, elongated
fellow with a hatchet-like face.

“ Oh, yes, I see him,” Pete answered; he was
too wide awake not to have kept his eye upon
the man who had made such a threat.

“ He’s 'ist old p’ison, that cuss is! His name’s

mon Hawk, and he kinder thinks he is a
boss ’round this town. He don’t like it 'cos that
gal you air dancing with didn't dance with him,
and he has sw’ared that he’s going to make it
warm for the man that takes her for a pardncr
to-night; so keep your eyes peeled for him; he’ll
be apt to do you a mischief if he kin.’_’

Pete thanked the well-meaning miner for his
caution, and said he would be on his guard. .

When the dance was ended he conducted his
partner to a seat, thanked her for the pleasure
she had aflorded him, and then followed the rest
of the gentlemen into the bar-room“

It was the tranger’s idea that if there was

oigg to be trouble it might as well come first as

s

As Pete came into the saloon, Hawk rose and
accosted him.

“ See hyer, young man, I’ve got two or three
words to say to you!” he exclaimed, gru y.

“ All right, spit ’em out; that's what I’m here
for,” Pete replied.

“ My name is Redmond Hawk, and I’m an old

 

citizen of this town, while you, I believe, are a
stranger hyer.” -

“That is m misfortune, and not my fault
you know, an it is something that is soon got
over.”

“What I was going to say was that it isn’t

sible for you to know exactly how the land
ies, but you've get yourself in trouble by danc-
ing with that lady,” Hawk continued. “ Didn’t
she warn you that if you danced with her you
would be called to account?”

“Oh, yes; but I never pay any attention to
fool-talk of that kind,” Pete answered in the
most careless and indifferent way.

“You’ll find this is no fool—talk, you yoliigg
cock-sparrow!” Hawk hissed, his anger to
by the careless speech.

“ You don’t really mean to say that you are
going to quai rel with me about such a little
thing as that?” ‘

“ Yes, I do.”

“ Why, what a bloodthirsty cuss you are!
Thunder! you wouldn’t strike a. man without
giving him a chance for his life?"

The speech seemed to indicate that the stran-

ger was getting a little afraid, and Hawk was , '

quick to improve the opportunity.

If the stranger was so weak in the backbone
that he could be runout of town without a light,
so much the better. _

“ No, I‘ll give {on fair warning to git up and
dust, but after t
town it will 0 hard with you.”

“ It won’t pleasant for the lady to be mixed
up in a matter of this kind,” Pete suggested.

“ What do I care for her? She has insulted
me, and must take the consequences!”

‘ Yes, but I say, can’t we leave her out, and
fight about something else?" Pete asked. “ I
will say something ugly to you, and you can‘
snap Etly“ face, and that will be a good cause for
a .

“ don’t care how you fix it,” Hawk re-
sponded), somewhat astonished by this novel

ro sa .

“ ell, then, hyer oes; you’re a tarnel, mean,
pesky skunk!” cried t e young man, in tones so

oud that they could be heard all over the room.

Hawk was puzzled by this strange method of I

procedure, but as every eye in the room was
xed upon them, attracted by the sound of the
altercation, he saw that the best thing to bedono

was to begin operations immediately. so he raised -
his hand and gave the other a. sounding slap in

the face.

But his antagonist was not to be caught nap-
ping in this primitive way.

Hard] had the hand of Hawk touched his
cheek w on out shot the right fist of Pete with
terrible force, and the blow catching Haw be-
tween the eyes, knocked him squarely 0 his
pins, and he went over like a log.

By this time McMulligsn was in the room.

“Ye can’t fight hyer, gintlemenl” he cried.
“ Go out of dures and fight where ye like, but
not on my premises!”

CHAPTER VI.
ran DUEL. '
“ OH, I ain’t articular where I fight.” Peta
remarked. “ I ’s all the same to me, only that

 

at time if I meet you in the '

 

 

 

 

 

      
 
 

   
  
   
 
 
    
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
  
 
 
 
 
 
   
 
    
  
   
   
    
    
  
  
 
  
    
   
    
   
  
   
 
 
 
   
   
   

advantage, I ought not to be required to give it

u .
p” This man struck me first—you all saw that.

He's a perfect stranger to me and I to him.

There’s no earthly reason why he should seek to

quarrel with me, except out of pure ugliness.

“ Now, pards, I’m not the kind of a man that
goes round knocking chips OR of any man’s
shoulder, but if I am assaulted I’m going to lay
out the man that does it, if I can.

“ I take it that this trick is minel. I’ve got
my man foul, and is it the square thing to ask
me to let up on him?”

This was putting the caso pretty strongly,
and the bystanders shook their heads; they didn’t
see exactly how the could interfere, but the
Irishman, after the nil-headed fashion of his
race, was determined to interfere and rescue
Hawk, who was a articular friend of his, from
., ' the scrape into wh ch he had thrust himself.

' “See hyer, young man,” McMulligan cried,
“ I'm the owner of this place, and, be the piper
that played before Moses! I do be‘afther telling

ass that I’ll have no fighting in this saloon!
at is it to me whether yees have the drop on

the man or not?” ,

“ That is a kind of a side-pard of yours, and
you want to help him out, eh?” queried Pete,

' ‘who immediately jumped to a correct conclu-

on.
“ You’re too fresh,” responded the Irishman,

. gal-y to think his motives had been guessed so

\ ’ ly, “ and if you’re afther stayi ’ronnd
these parts long you’ll have to be salte , or else
ye’ll not keep. do ye mind?”

“ Oh, I reckon I’ll manage to worry along,

and anyway, I'm not asking advice from you

on the subject.”

“ I’m the man that kin give it to ye.”

“ Not much you ain't!”

McMulligan had been indulging in this talk

W- simply to enable Hawk to neutralize the advan-

‘ta 9 gained by the other. .

ut Peacock Pete was too lively a lad to be

can ht napping.

e still kept Hawk “covered,” and did not

vs him a chanceto draw a weapon. He did not

~ vs the least idea of letting the Irishman, with

a little cheap talk, deprive him of the advan-

tage which he had gained.

. Upon me soul, ye sha’n’t fight hyer!” Mc-

Mulligan declared. “ Drop ye we’pon; or I’ll be

either layin’ ye head open wid this club!"

And sewing a club which he kept behind the
'. . bar In readiness for just such emergencies,» he
' ' advanced toward Pete:

But our hero had expected some such move-

, ment as this from the beginning, and therefore

i}  he was fullydprepared.

if Hardly h McMnlligan taken two steps when

I «with his left hand Peacock Pete drew a cooked

vderringerd'rom a side-pocket in his coat and lev-

eled it at the breast of the landlord.

“ Stogejest where you are, my friend, or else

I shall under the disagreeable necessity of
plugging you in a manner that you will de—
 . l” Pete exclaimed.
. McMulhgan’s face was a icture as he found
himself so suddenly halted, is purpose thus un-
y defeated. '

   
 

t.

according to all rules, having obtained a decided ‘

 

_‘..,_...:_-.1........ ..,fld.,.,. » _,..,..,.

Peacock Pete, the Leadville Sport.

“ Take care what ye’r’ about 2” the landlord
cried. “ Be aisy wid that popgunl”

“ 0h, I’ll be aisy,” Pete re lied, mimicking
the manner of the other, “ or ifE can’t be ‘ aisy,
I’ll be as aisy as I can.”

McMulligan was no coward, yet he was not
at all ready to die, and most certainly he was
about as near to death now as a man could well
come. for he felt sure from what he had seen of
the young stranger that if be advanced Pete
would not hesitate to drive a ball through him.

Some of the bystanders now felt called upon
to say something.

“ Say!” cried an old and weather-beaten
miner, “ McMulligan, this hyer ain’t exactly the
square thing. If this hyer man is a stranger,
that ain’t any reason for the hull town to want
to climb him. -

“ I ain’t no enemy to you, Hawk,” he contin-
ued, “ but seeing as how you commenced this
little racket, I reckon that it’s only the square
thing for you to stand up and take your grucl
like a man.

“ Fair play is a jewel, and I reckon this hyer
camp ain’t a—going back on fair play nary time,
211' the court knows itself, and she thinks she

oes.

“ This hyer gintleman has got the drop on
you— at it by fair means, and as far as I kin
see, al that you kin do is to gi'n in whipped, or
give him a chance to wipe you out.”.

“ Yes, yes,” exclaimed three or four of the
rest, not sorry to see Hawk getting the worst
of the afl‘air, for by his peculiar ways, he had
made himself anything but a favorite with his
fellow-townsmen. “ That’s the squar’ thing an’
no mistake.”

“Own up whipped?” cried Hawk, white with
rage; “ not much. What do you take me for?
Because this fellow took the first trick is no sign
that the game is his! Blaze away! but if you
don’t disable me the first shot, I wouldn‘t give
two pins for your life!” -

“ Oh, that ain’t the kind of man I am.” Pea-
cock Pete replied. “ If I had been going to go
forkyou, I wouldn’t have wasted all this time in
ta in .

“ Afihough I’ve got the right to plug you ac-
cording to all the rules of the game, yet I’m not
going to do it.

“I can down you in a fair fight, and not half
try, either, and as the boss of this hug-juice
ranch don’t like fighting inside of his doors, we
can go outside.

“ There’s a good moon. plenty of light outside,
and I’m willing to give you the fairest kind of a
show.

“You can just march out of that door and
down the street a hundred feet, then the moment
I show my nose outside you can go for me as
you please. -

“Gentlemen, what do you say? Isn’t this a

square deal that I’m offering?”
. The bystanders were unanimously of the opin-
ion that it was the squares: kind of a game, and
even McMulligan was obliged to admit that no
fault could be found with the proposition.

The quarrel had put an end to the dancing.
and all the ladies were peeping into the room
with anxious faces.

The tide of sympathy ran strongly in favor of

 

  

 

gnu-tun

 

 

.' of L

Peacock Pete. the Leadville Sport.» 11 : oi"

 

 

the stranger, for Hawk was not any more popu-
lar with the ladies than with the men of the

cam .

Thxen too the cause of the difficulty had been
whispered around, for Hawk, upon being joked
by some one who had noticed that the lady had
preferred another partner, had bluntly declared
that he was going to kill the “ fresh young
rooster” the moment the dance ended.

Therefore. when Hawk marched out into the
moonlit street and Iook up a position some hun-
dred feet off, his revolver coc ed and ready for
the fray, all the doors and windows of the hotel
were ('1 led with anxious faces.

With his cool, jaunty, devil-may»care air,
Peacock Pete walked out into the middle of the
street after his antagonist had selected his posi-
tion.

_Every eye was strained in breathless atten-

tion.

The duelists walked slowly toward each other,
each, apparently, havmg determined upon re-
serving his fire until he could make a sure thing
of it.

“ By the way, I never thought to ask you, but
is there any particular place where you would

prefer to be hit?” asked Pete, evidently not able 4

to restrain his ropensity for chafling.

For answer awk halted, raised his revolver
and took deliberate aim at the speaker, but be-
fore he cnnld fire, Pete’s revolver spoke, and yet
the Lively Lad had not apparently taken the
trouble to aim.

It was one of those rapid, snapshots, which
only the most experienced marksman can render
dangerous.

Despite his Spartan-like hardihood, acr of
pain escaped from Hawk’s lips, and his revo ver
fell from his hand to the ground, the concussion
causing a discharge; but the bullet whistled
harmlessly up through the air, as if bent on a
trip to the moon.

eacock Pete had gilt abullet through the
fleshy under- art of awk's right hand, just
grazing the utt of the revolver, and coming
out at the wrist.

A trifling wound, not at all dangerous, and
yet for the moment very painful, and' utterly
disablin the hand.

The no] was over, and Hawk departed,
swearing vengeance, and Pete returnedto the
ball, the hero of the hour.

CHAPTER VII. ~
nawx’s scanun.

THERE was a stormy scene that night between
old Hopkins and his daughter when they reach-
ed their home.

“ I do not see what possessed you team; so
foolishly this evening,” the old man exclaimed,
testily. “ Mr. Hawk is one of the best men in
the camp, 3. man possessed of a great deal of in-
fluence, and there isn’t one in the place whom I
would not sooner offend than Hawk.

“ And now all the fat is in the life}. That
young ruman has succeeded in disabling him,
and as you were the cause of all the trouble, of
course he will blame you.”

“ Father, 1 cannot understand Why you should
act so meanapiritedly in this matterl" the irl
exclaimed, in indignation, “ Mr. Hawk as

 

this breach with Mr. Hawk.”

 

no one to blame but himsclf, and if any one
has played the ruflian most surely it is be.

for this young man the quarrel was forced upon
him, and he on ht not to be blamed because he
defended himse f when attacked.”

“ Oh, it’s all very well to talk that way but
you are looking at the affair in the wrong light ‘
entirely,” Hopkins replied. “This fellow is a 
nobody—a nameless ruflian not worth two .,
cents. The woods are full of just such fellows, _.-'
while Mr. Hawk is a man of standing in the ~'
community; he amounts to something; his _
friendship is worth having.” .

“ Father, I do not understand you at all when , 
you speak in this way i” the girl exclaimed, im— '5
patiently. “I am satisfied from whatIhave .
seen tonight that every word I have heard in » 
regard to the badness of Mr. Hawk’s character
is true, and why you should be willing I should 
be on friendly terms with such a man is a mys- I
tery that I cannot fathom.” .‘ ' 

“ My dear child, you do not seem to under-
stand my positiun at all,” the father replied.
“I am just getting along—just gettin my ,
head above water, but am still in that critical
state when even a single blow would do much
damage. Mr. Hawk has been very friendly-—
hasghelped me materially, and now you have «.I
repaid his kindness by treating him badly and
thigugh you he became embrofled in this quar-
re

“ Oh, no, father! How can you say so?” > _
Evangeline exclaimed, annoyed at the accusa- , ,
tion. “Even admitting that I was in the “5:
wrong in declining to permit the acquaintance-
ship to continue, there wasn’t any necessity for
all this trouble. ~

“I have always understood that it was ,
lady’s privilege to terminate her acquaintance
with a gentleman at her pleasure, and in this 7
case when he pressed me for a. reason, I gave it
to him fully and frankly. 7 j

“Judging by what took place tonight, the ‘
stfiigger is amply able to take care of him— '
5e . .

“ Oh, you haven’t any idea of what kind of a
man Redmond Hawk is,” Hopkins asserted.
“ He has along purse and a long arm, and he
will not rest content .until he has had ample ,
measure of revenge. If he, personally, is not a v. ~ '
match for this stranger, it will be an easy mat-
ter for him to call upon his friends, and wig ~
their assistance he will. be able toaccompl‘ v
his object. ‘

“ But, Eva, my dear, I want you to patch-up ~ >

 

  
 
  
 
  
    
  
 
  
 
 
 
  
   
  
  
  
 

“ Ob, father, it is impossible l” 

“No, it’s not; what utter foolishnesstq talk ‘» .:
in that way 1” Hopkins exclaimed, with more "
anger in his face and voice than the girl had
eVer before seen him display.

“ You don’t seemjo understand. I want Mr.
Hawk’s aid, and I must have it. I cannot allow
any little foolish girlish whims of yours to in- ‘
terfere with my business."_

“Father, what you ask ls impossible,” the girlj
replied, greatly troubled, yet quite firm. “ Af~‘
ter what has occurred I_ cannot bring in . If to-
ever again associate With this man on riendly
terms. .
Hopkins stared blankly at the wall for a 10W.

 

 

l‘i'l=‘»,minutes, and it was plain he was greatly per—

' : plexed b this decided announcement.

1’, I: ' ~ “ We] . well," he said at last, after 8. ion

' ’ pause, “ I guess you had better go to bed an
on the matter. Perhaps in the morning

you may think differently.

. 3‘ Oh, no, father; I have fully decided in regard

A: to the matter, and I feel sure I shall not change.”

A few more unimportant words passed be-
tWeen the two,and then they parted for the night.
‘ It was a long time before the old man closed
his‘eyes in slumber. .

He had very little knowledge of his daughter,
for since she was a child she had spent all her
life, with the exception of a few holiday Visits,
at the boarding-school where she had been
, at her mother’s death.

. Hopkins's idea had been that she was only a
child who could be easily molded to his will,
filiandfthis stubbornness of hers astounded him.
 ‘Hopkins was not a man who believed in bold
' "’ ransom; his policy was always to gain the end
gf'henought by indirect and devious means, and
“3*, mwhen he found the girl so determined about
'Mlha'matter he forbore to press her.

.7, She had expected from what he had said, that
‘ When the morning came he would renew the dis-
cussion; but Hopkins, having taken time to 11x
 upon the matter, had determined to adop
" “another policy.

   
 
  

 

   
  
   

    

   
     
 
     
    
   

E’s, in regard tothe necessity of calling upon
wk as soon as possible, in order to see how he
was tting along. _
judged, from what the people said last
ht, tha he is not severely wounded,” Evan-
. he remarked, perceiving that her father ex-
' " her to say something.
;:“'The wound from a pistol-shot is one of those
a. n ; s which no one can tell much about.
have known a man to die from the infliction of
less severe injuries than Hawk has re—
:- ” Hopkins replied, with a grave shake of

 
     
  
 
 
    
    
 
  
 
   
 

"

a, " It was his game to magnify the hurts that his

 ‘, ‘ had received.

" affilAlthough I do not like the man. I sincerely

Wope that he will speedin recover from his in-

' juries.” the girl replied.

‘é-Herfather’s words did not produce the im-

  lon upon her that he desired, for all the

.n the night before had made light of the
es that the assailant had received.

Alter the merninghtrade was over, in the noon
I Hopkins left t e store in charge of the

; . -headed boy who acted as his assistant, and

genttothe Gothic Mine to see how Hawk was

‘ an along.

Hawk occupied a cabin. on the mine premises,
' _' was reclining upon his bunk when the store-

" , entered. *

..  looked gloomy and ferocious. and barely

' “geek/them In to nod when Hopkins entered.

~, His hand was swathed in bandages, and he

. ‘ ‘- like a man who had been pretty badly

‘ :.x EWell, how do you find yourself this morn-
;  the storekeeper asked, helping himself to
‘ chair, and assuming a. sympathetic look.

9"Den°edly badly !” Hawk replied.

 

     
 

 

 I . Peacock Pete. the Leadville Sport.
, , .
Il

“ Dear me, how distressing!”

“ YeS, I do not find it at all agreeable."

“I had an idea that the wound was not seri-
ous, and would not trouble you much.”

“ It is not as deep as a well nor as wide as a
church door, as the fellow says in the play, but
it is quite painful enough to give me all the
trouble that I care to have at one time, and it
is all the fault of that infernal daughter of
yours, too I" Hawk exclaimed, savagely.

“ Yes, yes, I know, and I am distressed he-
vond measure at the unfortunate occurrence.

Italked with her about the matter last night

and tried to make her understand how repre-
hensible her conduct had been.”

“ I reckon from what I have seen of her that
you might about as well have talked to the
wind for all the good it did,” Hawk observed,
with a searching glance at the old man.

“ Well, I must admit that my words did not
seem to produce much impression upon her,”
Hopkins admitted. .

“ Oh, she’s a stubborn jade, I tell you !” Hawk
exclaimed. “ She is one of the kind whose will
is like iron, it will not bend and therefore harsh
measures must be used. Her stubborn spirit
must be broken.”

“ I don’t hardly think, Hawk, that it is as bad
as that,” Hopkins replied, tr in to smooth the
matter over. “She is willfu , I now, but then
you must take into consideration the fact that
she is only a child, just fresh from boarding-
school, you know, with all sorts of foolish, ro-
mantic ideas in her head. It will take time, of
course, to get her out of her silly notions, but I
haven’t the least doubt but what I can do it."

“ Well, I have a great deal of doubt about it,
unless you use harsh measures and make her un-
derstand right at the beginning that you don’t
intend tohave any nonsense.”

“ Oh, I’ll be firm with her, but I’ll do it gen-
tly, you know; the hand of iron in the glove of
silk. But,'I say, who is this young spout? Have
you found out anything about him’l’

“ Yes, my friends have not been idle if I am
laid up for repairs,” Hawk replied, significantly.
“ He’s been a cowboy, but has tired of punching
steers and 'so has come out here to try his hand
at mining.

“ He’s a marvelous shot, as my wounds can
testify, but I’ll be even with him et; 1 have
commenced to pull the wires alrea y. Mister
Peacock Pete, of Leadville, will he interviewed
some time to—day b a boss rustler, and if he
don’t take water, m i be beaten to a jail ."

“Capital, capital!” cried Hopkins. nd be-
fore he quitted the cabin he was in possession of
all the details of the scheme.

CHAPTER VIII.
GRIZZLY Janis.

NATURALLY all the particulars of the encoun-
ter betwaen Hawk and the young stranger had
been the talk of the town and the easy victory
that Peacock Pete had achieved excited univer-
sal wonder.

Hawk had already been so successful in his
encounters that the camp had come to look
upon him as an invincible fighter, and for this
young chap with his dandy ways, to win such
an easy victory was an eye-opener to all.

.. my“... W”

,..-.-______-4  l

I.‘ “n. .

,4......-__M 4  

 

 

Peacock Pete. the Leadville Sport. 18;

 

But the wise men of the camp who knew what
kind of a man the vanquished foeman was,
shook their heads gravely and to their immedi-
ate associates predicted that the end of the mat-
ter had not come.

As one old fellow remarked:

“ This young cuss is amazing quick, and
reg’lar chain lightning on the shoot, but thar’s
other ways to kill a cut ’sides putting u bullet
through the aniniile, and you kin jest bot .vcr
bottom dollar that Hawk, jest as soon as his
hands git well, will find a way to salivato this
cuss: he‘ll ngver be satisfied to let things rest ns
they air now. Thur’s too much of the gumecock
’bout him for that."

This was the prevailing o inion of the camp
and so much talk was creates by the afi'air that
the sporting sharps of the town got to betting
about it.

It’s an old saying that talk is cheap and it
takes money to buy land and in this instance
the way the bettin ranged was a better indi-
cation of the sent ment of the town than any—
thing else.

Hawk’s friends were numerous and loud in
their talk, declaring that as sobn as the van—
quished nmn recovered from his hurts he would
make it lively for the conquering stranger.

But when the sporting men, who were guided
by cool and close calculation, and did not allow
friendship or sentiment to interfere with busi-
ness. offere I to bet two to one that Hank would
not be able to get the best of the daring young
stranger, the loud-spoken advocates of the Five
Mile Crossin :ite, did not dare to accept the
wager to any extent.

A few bad faith enough in the powers of their
man to put up their money in a limited amount,
but the great majority preferred to talk rather
than bet.

Now Peacock Pete. although abundantly able
to take his own part, as he had amply proven to
the camp, was by no means of a quarrelsome or
vindictive nature, and when he was warned
that he must he on his guard against Hawk’s
malice, he smiled at the idea.

“ Oh, I guess that is all ri ht,” he replied.
“ He was anxious to see what ind of a man I
was, so he took a crack at me, and now that he
has found out. I don’t believe he will be likely
to trouble me again.”

“ But Hiwk is an old citizen hyer, you know,
with lots of friends,” said the miner who had
been kind enough to go out of his way to advise
the stranger. It was John Michaels.

He felt sure our the fact that Hawk’s threat
to shoot the man who dared to dance with Eva
Hopkins had frightened him off, and being full
of admiration for Peacock Pete, therefore had
taken it upon himself to post him as to how the
land lay. _

“ Lots of friends,” the youn miner re eated.

Good many of them are osperate allows,

too.
“ Hungry for blood and slaughter, I sup-
!” Pete remarked, not at a] disconcerted
by the intelligence.

“ Oh, yes, a terrible gang. You see, Hawk
runs the biggest mine in this neighborhood and
he has an opportunity to throw a dollar or two
in the way of these scamps once in a. while,‘and

 

so a good many of them swear by him. And, 3'
between me and you and the bed-post. I believe V
nine out of ten of the cusses would be willing to,
cut any man’s throat for a tendollar bill.” I.
“ You think then that Hawk will try to get.
square with me by means of some of these tel-g:
lows?” Pete remarked. v 
“ I reckon that will be about the size of it, for",
I liocrod a good deal of talk round town this 
morning among a certain gun , and though: .
they didn‘t say it right out, at t ey as good as I
hinted you would be fixed a ore long.” .'
usnmetimcs such talk don’t amount to any-m
thing,” Pete suggested. “ It is very natural, of 
course, that Hawk and his friend should be A
sore over his defeat, and should let their ton 95;,
wag pretty freely in regard to it, but talk ‘t 1
action, you know.” 3:.
“ Yes, I know that; but I feel pretty sure that 
this ng mean business this time, so aesthean .
and 'eep your eyes peeled.“ ». ,3
“Oh, I’ll be on the lookout! you can de 11-":
upon that,” Peacock Pete replied. " I’m no the 9-
kind of a follow to be caught napping. The}
man that takes me asleep will haveto et in),“‘
pretty early in the morning; but I the you ;._-
for the warning all the same." ‘7 
“ Don’t mention it; I hated to see a 
imposed upon," the (younglininer responded. ‘11"
know Hawk of o] ; he as trodden on m 
two or three times since I’ve been in the aim? ‘
but I knew I wouldn’t have any show a nlnotfi'
such a man as he-is. so I’ve had to grin an 
it. The case is different with you nowg ou’lo-i
able to hold your own against him, and boo. ‘
hanged if I want to see you jumped upon wither
out warning by any of his gang. So-longl” "75,
And then John Michaels went on his way. lat‘ ~,
isfled that he had put a considerable spokelir‘v
Redmond Hawk’s wheel. -, ‘1
“ Now that he knows what to expect, Ireokon -~
he’ll be able to flex any of Hawk’s pardl out 
their boots, if too many of them don’t pile on”?
him all to once," the miner remarked to himndf"
as he went on about his business. -  r, I
Pete had brought quite a little capital WEE"
him, and was looking for a good chance mme: "
vest in some paying mine, so had arranged ""
meet a party who had a claim to sell that morn-2.1
in at the Black Bear Hotel. . it.
hen he arrived at that point he found nib}
a number of people congregated in the o '63:
the hotel, engaged in discussing matters  
things in general. , r53;
Pete soon engaged in the conversation, nnd’f
three or four of the throng improved the oppor-‘~
tunity to give him a gentle hint that he would“. ‘1
be wise to keep his eyes open after what 
transpired between himself and Hawk. , . ’w -
The leading spirit of the Gothic Mine did u a r .
have as many friends in the t0wn as he im- a
n 'ned, for a great many of the quiet citing“, a:
w 0 did not wish to become involved in 
quarrel, did not, like the overbearing wa %‘ V
which Hawk indulged, yet retrained r '
openly expressing their displeasure. ’

 

 

 

\

 

 

 

.4
v

But now that a champion had a peered who;
’ seemed likely to dispute Hawk’sp pretending ’.
they were ready to range themselves on his Bidet-l
“ Oh, well, entlcmen, I calculate to keep my " j 3’
self prepared or danger; that is the way I m :
x 47‘ '

.~

 

 

 
 

I n...

Peacock Pete. the Leadville Sport.

 

  

” , "raised, and the man who takes me at a disc

A

advantage will have to put on his thinking-cap
and bustle about, right lively,” Pete responded.

Just at this point the attention of the group
was attracted to a man advancing up the street
whose appearance was decidedly peculiar.

He was a big fellow, a. regular giant, standing
about six feet high, and muscular in pro-
portion.

He was dressed in the usual fashion common
to the far West, big boots into which his penta—
loons were tucked, a dirty flannel shirt, and a
huge, broad-brimmed, slouch hat.

Around his neck though, he wore a strange
» ornament. and this instantly attracted the at-

- ’tion of the crowd.

It was a necklace composed of the teeth and
claws of the grizzly hear, such as is sometimes
worn by, a savage Chieftain.

And in the case of the red-man it is a trophy
: of victory, and signifies that in single tight, the
' dusky warrior has vanquished the mountain
lord and despoiled him of his weapons.

‘ “ Who is he?" asked one of the crowd.

“ Some mighty hard case, I’ll bet a hatl” ex-

' . claimed another.
And the majority of the gathering nodded
agent to this.
’ In truth, the face of the man was anything
but grepossessing, for his features were gross
" and rutal. and the short, wiry, black heard
that covered his chin gave him a. decidedly sinis-
ter expression. '
 reckon from the looks of the critter that
..he’s the chap I heern tell on yesterday,” one of
the miners remarked. “ He’s a new man that
— ,j was taken on at the Gothic Mine two or three
«1' 1' days 0; a regular rustler, so I understand
some 0 the boys up thar to say. One of the
3*; kind of desperate galoots w’ot is on a fight,
g‘; ’. Mgger’n a wolf—has a man for breakfast, you
' know, two or three times a week.”
“ It he goes in on that game in this town, I
x ‘7 reckon he’ll have to start a. private graveyard
‘fOI his own," Peacock Pete remarked; “ for he
. won’tbe able to find accommodations for his
stilts in that little God’s acre up the valley."
' 'I‘he bystanders looked at each other signifi-
V‘cantly, as the young man spoke.
From the particularly hostile and defiant man-
.- nor in which the stranger was approaching,
“10% got the idea that he was on the “ war-
t , and as he was connected with the Gothic

 

 
 
 
 
  
 
  
  
  
 
 
  
  
   
  
  
  
  
    
 
  
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
  
  

'.
\r

.. iue‘ at the head of which was
, Haw , it was only natural to suppose the
; chances were about ten to one that Peacock
._ Pete was the man of whom the big tellow was in
 search.

“Wal, pardners, how do you all find your-
'~ solves this morning?” the stranger inquired, as
. xhe halted opposite to the group, and surveyed
-. them with an insolent leer.

9‘ I reckon you tellers ain’t ever had the pleas-
3 use of making my acquaintance, and so I’ll have
who introduce myself.
I “ My name iz Grizzly J alter; and I’m the great

War-eater from the Rockies!

. CHAPTER IX.
' I A mum mms'r.
“ OK, I mean it, every word ov it, pardnersl”

 

 

Wefifififfi 134;”: 'J?‘ , a,

y

 

the big fellow continued. “ I’m the old orig‘nul
b’ar-eater and no mistake.

" I reckon some of you critters must have
heered ov me, it so be as how that I ain’t been
long in these hyer parts.

" I‘m jest the toughest galoot that ever struck
thisptown, and you kin bet all your wealth on it,
too

“ I’m as hard as a pine—knot, as Spry as a cat,
and as savage as a Rocky Moun'tuin lion. And
if you don’t believe it, gest some of you critters
waltz up to the animile sden, pull his tail and ax
it he’s to hum!”

And then shoving his well-Worn but down
over his e es in a. rakish manner, he placed his
hands on is hips and surveyed the crowd in in-
solent defiance.

There was a moment’s silence.

No one of the miners seemed anxious to take
up the banter.

“ Wal, it strikes me that I’ve kinder run inter
a Quaker meeting h yer i" the new—comer ex-
claimed, his face and voice both fully express-
ing the disgust he felt.

“ Say! ain’t you got any men inter this durned
ole hole of a: town? Are you all children w’ot
has got to run home and ax their mummies
for: they kin dare to look a gen’leman in the

ace

“ Thnr’s a reg’lar an of you cots hyer.
Ain't thar a man in gthegcrowd wo t has got the
least bit of fun into him, hey?

“ W’ot sort of a graveyard do you call thi,
anyhow? You cussss don’t go fortofiatter your-
selves that this hyer is a camp. do ye? ‘

“ If you do, you’re the biggest set of Jacks
that I’ve struck in a long time.

“ I thought you had some fighting men in the
town—some men with sand and plenty of it

too.

“ Who’s this pesk galoot wo’t calls him-
self Peacock Pete? e’s the man that I’m a-
hunting!”

And the speaker fixed his sinister eyes full on
the youn stranger.

Peacoc Pete was so diaerent both in dress
and personal appearance to the rest, that it was
not a difficult matter for any one to recognize
him after being furnished with a description.

The b standers were not astonished at the
declarat on, for from the beginning they had
felt sure that the desperado had been egged on
by Hawk to attack the young man.

“ Stranger, I reckon you are barking up the
right tree,” Pete remarked returning the
other’s stare with interest. “’1! you are look-
ing for Peacock Pete, you can bet all your
wealth that I am the man.”

“Mani” exclaimed the big rufiian, with a
contemptuous snort, “you don’t mean to call
yourself a man, do you?" .

“ Well, I reckon I pass for one in a crowd.”

“ it would have to be a mighty big crowd,
as}? a mighty poor one, tool" retorted the
0 er.

“ What do you know about it? Whoset on up
as a judge?” Pete demanded. “What 0 you
know about men, anyway! You don't call
yourself a man, do you? you great overgrown,
op-sided ape l” .

“W’ot’s that?” cried Grizzly Jake, fairly

I inn.

Peacock Pete. the Leadville Sport.

 

gasping in amazement and rage at being thus
rudely accosted. “ Why, Jon whipper~suap r!
do you dare far to go an calla gen’leman ike
I am an ape?"

“ So you are an ape, and the biggest one that
I ever run across. ’ Peacock Pete answered.
“You had just better keep your eyes peeled,
and look out where you go, or else the first
thing you know some showman will get hold of
you, and then you will be toted ’round the
country in a cage as the great American ape,
captured in the wilds of Colorado, the only
specimen ever taken alive, admittance twenty-
flve cents. visitors must not poke the animal
w1th canes or umbrellas, and children are re-
quested to refrain from 'ving him candy or
gingerbread for fear of ma ing him sick.”

Despite the fear which the man had inspired
with his savage and insolent ways, there was a
gaggral snicker by the crowd at this speech of

e 8.

But Jake became red with rage.

He shook his brawny fist defiantly at the
youn man. »

“ I it wasn’t kinder cutting it too fat for a
man like me to waste powder on sich a whip-
per-snapper as you are, smash me into hash for
a Di ger Injun if I wouldn’t jest pound yer till
I too all that sass out of you i”

“ Oh, you would?” and Peacock Pete assumed
an air of amazement.

“ Yes, I would. bu’st me if I wouldn’t!”

“ Just because I said you were an ape?”

" That's it, exactly. I reckon arter I got
through with you—if I should keer to take the
trouble to tackle you—that you wouldn’t be so
durned free with your names.”

“ But you are an ape, you know. 0! course
it’s no fault of yours—you can’t help it, because
you were born that way,” Peacock Pete re-
marked in the most innocent manner possible.

“ You cussed galootl I’ll smash you into pan-
cakes!” the bully cried in a rage, and he made a
rush at Pete.

Hawk, when he had bought the services of the
rufilan—for Grizzly Jake had come to the cam
for the express purpose of picking a uarrel wit.
the young stranger, had been care ul to warn
him that Pete was a wonderful pistol-shot, and
that it would not be wise to allow him a chance
to use his revolvers.

So Jake had made up his mind to bring on a
conflict with nature‘s weapons, and as e had
grimly remarked to his employer:

“ l’ll hammer him so that he won’t be worth
anything to himself or anybody else fora month
of Sundays!” _

And it was with the intention of carrying out

this threat that be rushed upon the youth.

Really the odds did seem to be most decidedly
upon the side of the big fellow, for he looked to
be nearly twice the size of his antagonist.

But in all encounters of this kind it is not the
mere weight of bone and flesh that counts.

Grizzly Jake was a flabby, overgrown mon-
ster.

He was a man that weighed over two hundred.

He could easily have spared flit pounds of

fat and been decidedly the better or it, while ‘

Peacock Pete was in the best possible condition,
not an ounce of useless flesh upon him.

l

 

He knew too how to use his fists, being expert
both as a boxer and wrestler, while Jake was a.
clumsy, awkward animal who trusted simply to
brute force.

The bully’s idea was to hear his opponent
down by the mere weight of his rush.

And when he galloped at Peacock Pete it did
not really seem to the bystanders, who were
watching the scene with anger eyes, as if the
young man stood any chance, for they thought
he most surely would be borne to the earth, so
uneven appeared the contest.

But it was not the first time that Peacock Pete
had faced a. foe who looked to be big enough to
eat him.

He did not attempt to sto the rush of his an-
tagonist, hull-like in its 0 aracter, but gave
ground, and then, when Grizzly Jake, encour-
aged by the thought that his opponent did not
dare to stand up to the rack, renewed his efforts
to bear down his nimble adversary, Peacock
Pete, with the ease and grace of a dancing-mas-
ter, slipped under his antagonist’s arm, and as
the other turned in a clumsy attempt to follow
him, be dealt Grizzly Jake a blow under the ear,
so well delivered and with such stunnin force
that it brought the giant to a halt imm lately. '

It was an ugly lick, and Grizzly Jake was as-
tounded. He would not have believed that it
could be possible for such a slimly-built man as
his opponent to deliver such a blow.

The bystanders were as fully amazed at the
stroke as the man that had received it, for they
all believed the contest to be a fri htfully un-
even one, thinking that in the en the giant
would most surely succeed in getting the best
of his lighter antagonist.

But the vicious blow dealt by Peacock Pete
coupled with the peculiar manner in which it
had been delivered, as well as the decided eifoct
it had produced upon Grizzly Jake, caused them
to open their eyes.

 

.. 

 

 

‘1',

 

rt,
.931

 

 

“ Gosh i" cried one of the miners in amazement  2'“

to his neighbor, “did you see that air licki Darn
me if it didn’t fetch the big feller up all a-stand‘ I
ing. as a sailor would 38 .’ i

“ It was as pretty a he as I ever see’d struck,”
the other remarked. “ i tell you what it is. boss. s.
I reckon that this big galoot has run foul of the \
wrong man. Right at the beginning I didn‘t
think the little cuss had any chance at all. but
I'm beginning to reckon that if had mcne to.
bet on this flghthi should be apt for to put t on
the dandy chap.

“ You bet!” responded his companion with do, ' ”

cided emphasis.

Grizzly Jake had been enraged at Peacock Pets
for daring to “ save " him, but now that he had,
felt the weight of his knuckles and found them

  

decidedly harder than he had anticipated his ' '

wrath was unbounded. .

“ You darned jumping-jack!" he cried, facing
Peacock Pete, and panting for breath, the relul .'
of his violent exertions, “ why don’t you stand
up to the rack and take your fodder like a man!”

 

CHAPTER X.
was: CONFESSION.
“ OK. you want me to stand up to the rack. do

you?" Peacock Pete asked, approaching hilari- ‘3:

  

v

 

16

onist slowly, his hand down at about the level
of is waist.

“ Yes, sires, hoes-fly Bob! that’s the kind of
man I am,” responded Grizzly Jake, still puffing
from the efl’ects of his severe exertions. “ W’ot
kind of fighting do you call it u-skipping and a—
jum ing ’round like u. pea in a hot skillet?

“ be way for to fight is to stand up and take
a hammering like a man 1”

“ But you‘re almost twice as big as I am, and
that gives you a most decided advantage,” Pete

u

r5 In course it does; any fool knows that,” the
big fellow replied, “ and that’s the reason why
you hain’t got any business to fool ’round any
sich man as I am. You ought to take a back-
seat when you see a cuss ’bout my size come up
the street.”

“ And if I don’t choose to take a back seat?
the other queried.

“Then you ain't got no call to growl if you
git hammered into a jelly.”

1You want me to stand up and face you?”

‘ Now ou’re shouting! That’s the kind of
y born that ’m blowin’l”
“ Are you ready '1"
Peacock Pete was uite near to the bully us
he put the question, at just be ond arm’s
length, and with a great flourish rizzly Jake
raised his hands into position and cried:

f‘ I’m the cuss that’s always ready! Come fer
me as soon as you are able 1’ '

Hardl had the, taunt left his lips when/his
antagou st did “come for him ” in a way that
he des ised. ' v

Wit the most wonderful quickness Peacock
Pete advanced upon the other.

“Crack! crack!"

Never in all his life had Grizzly Jake received
two such terrible blows and yet he had taken
, part in many a brisk fight, where hard knocks
were freely given and received.

Backward sta gored the rut-namelth blinded
and demoralize by the two tremendous blows.

For a moment, like a man dazed, he stood
and gated, as if unable to comprehend what

waned.

heghe spectators watched the scene with breath-

less interest. .

' Never since Five Mile Crossin had had a
‘local habitation and a name had t e camp wit-

nessed such a struggle.

And then, recovering a little from the eflects
of the blows and with a determination to “ do
ordie.” izing at last that when he had an-
s to face Peacock Pete he had picked out a

man at to stand before any of the trained gladi-
ators of the ring that had ever tossed their caps
into the magic circle, with a hoarse growl of
‘ rafiehe rushed upon his fee.
at a single inch of ground did Peacock Pete
yield this time.

But as firmly as a rock he stood, and as Griz-
, fly Jake rushed upon him be measured the dis-
v, tance With his e es as coolly as though he was
' ‘ I in a sparring so 001. engaged in a friendly bout
, with the loves, and when his antagonist came
within “ nos,” delivered a couple of blows,
‘ ~ atrai ht as a die, which most eflectuallmt a

4 no; the other's advance and brought to
I

 

Peacock Pete. the Leadville Sport)

, Wildly Grizzly Jake struck at his skillful op-
ponent, but Peacock Pete pan-led the blowa
with the utmost ease, and then, as if determined
to show the bully that he was his master at all
points, he brushed the feeble guard of the other
aside and closed in with him.

A grunt of satisfaction escaped from Grizzly
Jake’s lips as he grappled with his nimble foe.

“ Now, then I’ve got yer!” he growled, as
he grabbed eacock Pete with all his vast
strength.

He made the mistake common to ignorant
men, who think there is nothing but brute
strength in the wrestler’s art.

“ 0h, you’ve got me, have youl” quoth'Pete, as
he grappled with the bully. “ Well, I reckon it
remains to be seen whether you have got me or
I have got you!” -

Exerting all his strength, Grizzly Jake en-
deavored to crush the life out of Pete; but the
other was like an eel, and seemed to slip out
of the giant’s grip with the greatest possible case.

A dozen times Grizzly Jake fancied he had
secured a hold which the other could neither
evade or break, but each time Pete easily escaped

him.

Jake felt that his strength was failing. Bi
dro s of rspiration stood upon his brow, an
his rest came hard and fast.

This was the moment for which Peacock Pete
had been waiting, for hitherto in the terrible
wrestle he had not attempted to throw his oppo-
nent, but had remained strictly on the defensive;
but now, perceiving that Grizzly Jake was com-
pletely winded, he chan ed his tactics, secured
an “ under-grip ” upon is man, and in a twink-
lin the heels of the giant went up in the air
an he was pitched upon the flat of his bros
back with a force that seemed to knock every
bit of breath out of his body.

Never before had the bystanders witnessed
such a sight '

The giant was as thoroughly a. whipped man
as ever the camp had seen.

One and all made up their minds that the
young stranger was head and shoulders above
an pilgrim that had ever struck the town.

eacock Pete, considering the amount of work '
which he had done, showed little sign of the
strain which he had undergone.

He folded his arms across his chest, and wait-
ed for his opponent to rise.

The giant was in no hurry to get up.

It was fully five minutes before he recovered
from the efl'ects of the violent shock which the
fall had given him. and then he only rose to a.
sitting posture, and looked about him in a dubi-
ous manner, as if he didn’t exactly know what
had happened.

But w an his eyes fell ugon his antagonist the
clouds passed from ‘his rain, and he rightly
comprehended what had occurred.

A look of amazement crept over his dull face,
and be carefully surveyed Pete from head to
heel, as if asking himself by what magical means
he had been defeated by a man apparently-so
faras all outward seeming went—not able to
stand up for five minutes against such a bruiser
as he was.

“ Time 1” ejaculated one of the crowd, anxious
for more “ fun.”

.\

Peacock Pete, the Leadville Sport.

 

17

 

A look of utter ' net 3 red upon the face
of Grizzl Jake. dug ppea

“ I rec on if some of you- galoots had been
_ through wo‘t l have, you wouldn’t be so durned
eager to yell out time,” he remarked, rising
slowly to his feet as he spoke.

Peacock Pete unfolded his arms, and put him-
self into a position toassume offensive measures.

But Grizzly Jake had got all he wanted, and
made haste to proclaim the fact.

“ Hol’ on, wo’t air ye ’bout?" he cried. “None
of that. No more of it in mine, if you please.
I ain’t a hog! I’ve got enuff. I’m a whipped
matri’and I know it, so you kin jest count me
on .

“ Oh, you are satisfied, then?” Peacock Pete
asked.

“ You kin jest bet all the wealth thet thar is
in Colorado on thatl” Grizzly Jake declared em-
phatically.

“ Suppose I am not satlsfled?” the conqueror
queried.

“ S’pose you ain’t satisfied!” cried the big
fellow, repeating the words in utter amazement.

“ That is what I said.”

“I reckoned so; but what in thunder do you
~meani"

“ Who began this affair?” Pete demanded.

“ Wei, I reckon that it was a critter ’bout my
size, who came slashing ’round, anxious for a
fight," Grizzly Jake replied. “And I got it,
too. stranger. I‘ll own right up to that. I ot
all I wanted, and a heap more, too; you can at
your chips on that, and you’ll beat the game
ever time!"

“ ad I was the man you were looking for,
too,” Pete cried, Iternly. “ I was the man you
wanted to pick a quarrel with, and now I want
to know who set you on—who paid you to as-
sault me.” .

“ No one,” replied the giant, in a sulky way.

“ You are not telling the truth, but you must
own I: or take aucther hammering l” and Pen-
cock ete took a step forward, his manner
threatening.

“ 1101’ on, I’ll spit out the hull thing 1” ex-
claimed Grizzly Jake, retreating in alarm.
“ Nobody hired me; I ain’t a-doing that sort of
work, but a party told me that you could flax
me, and bet me a hundred dollars to five on it.
I reckoned it would be an easy matter to lay
Eu gut, and so I went for the bet that and

en.

“The man that made the bet was Redmond
Hawk, the superintendent of the Gothic Mine l”
Peacock Pete cried.

“ Now you’re shouting! he’s the man. .So-
long! I’ll see you later mebhe," and the giant
retreated, aux ous to get away. ‘

The battle was over.

CHAPTER XI
ANOTHER. PLOT.

To say, that Hawk was astounded when he
learned of the result of Grizzly Jake’s attem t
to conquer the young stranger would'beto on K
mildly characterize the state oi mind into whic
the kuowled e threw him.

Grizzly ake had gone straight from the

 

\ saloon to the shanty of the superintendent.

And when, in answer to his knock, Hawk had

 

induired who it was—for prudent men in the
wi d Western mining region do not open their
doors until they have ascertained whether the
applicant for admission he friend or foe—Jake
had answered:

“ It's me, boss—all thar is left of me.”

“ And who is me?" asked the superintendent.

“ Your old sidepardner, Grizzly Jake; but for
the love of goodness, let me in!”

By this time Hawk had recognized the voice,
and satisfied himself in regard to the identity of
his visitor, so throwmg open the door, he bade
him enter.

Hawk helped himself to a chair, and by the
dim light of the solitary window that only par—
tially illuminated the apartment, anxiously ex-
amined the person of his visitor.

Grizzly Jake did not present a pleasant pic—
ture to gaze u on.

But from is appearance the ‘ arch plotter
gathered hope. He had evidently been engaged
in a fierce encounter, and from the fact that
Jake was not disabled, he came to the conclusion
that he had probably finished his opponent.

“ Aha! you look as it you had succeeded in
finding Peacock Pete,” Hawk observed.

“Oh, yes, I found him, you better believe I
did,” the giant remarked.

“ You found him, you say?" cried the superin-
tendent, anxious for the particulars. ‘

“ Oh, yes, I found him and he found me,” and
Jake grinned in what he intended to be a humor-
ous wa , but the injuries his face had received
made 1: e grimace a fiendish one.

“ Did you have a hard time of it?”

“ You bet!”

“ I warned you that for a medium-sizedlman
you would find him to be a tough customer."

“ Medium-sized!” cried Grizzly Jake. as it
much amazed. “W’ot in thunder do you call
medium-sized? Arter he hit me a couple of
cracks I would have taken my oath that he was
the big est man that ever wa ked on two is l”

“ We 1, you look as if you had been somew at
damaged,’ Hawk observed, after a critical in-
spection of the other.

“Damagedl well, I should smilel See hyeri
do you know I don’t believe that I’ll ever be a
good-looking cuss a’ginl
that he has 8 ’ilt my beauty. I don’t know how
the blamed t ing looks, but my nose feels as big
as a meeting-bonsai" _

“ But he—Peacock Pete!” exclaimed the su-
perintendent. “ Is be dead?” ’

“Not muchl I reckon it you were to tackle
him, you’d be apt to reckon he was the liveliest
dead man that you had ever struck," Grizzl
Jake responded, with another one of his prod -
gious grins. ‘

Hawk was disappointed.

“ I was in hopes that you would be able to
make an end of him.” .

“1Yes,’that’s just the racket that I was trying
to p .’

“ all I su so you have laid him 11 , any,»
way i” the snpg-‘Igtendent remarked. anxiously,
for a suspicion'had crept into his mind that t o
rutflan had not succeeded in his attempt.

“ Not much I haven’t!”

" You don’t mean to say that he got the best
of the fight?" ,.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Durned if I don‘t think ,

 

  

 

18

Peacock Pete. the Leadvifle Sport.

 

   
 
 
 
 
 
  
  
  
  
 
   
   
 
 
  
  
 
 
   
   
 
  
 
  
 
  
 
  
 
  
  
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
   
  
 
 
  

I “Pard. you never spit out a truer word in
your life,” returned the bully, gravely.

“I wouldn’t have believed that such a thing
could be possible! Why, you look as if
you passessed twice the fellow’s weight and
strength.” '

“ That’s jest w’ot I thought. but inside of five
minutes arter I tackled him I came to the con-
clusion that be weighted 'bout a ton, and had
an arm that could hit as powerful a lick as the
hind leg of ary mule that ever hawed, hawad!
Oh, I tell yer, I opened my eyes until they
struck out like two blamed sorcers!" responded
Grizzly Jake, perfectly serious.

Hawk did not disguise the disgust which in-
spired him as he listened to this recital.

“In plain English, then, you went for wool
and returned shorn.”

“In plain English, I got the worst Ifounding
that I ever had to take in my life, an you kin
jest bet that I’ll never forget it, either 1”

Hagk sunk back in his chair, utterly dis-
guste .

“The idea that a man of your inches should
not be able to hold our own with this dandy l”
Hawk exclaimed at ast.

“ Wal, boss, it’s a sure-equ fact, and thar’s
no gitting out of it,” Grizzly Jake admitted.
“ And the cuss may look like a dandy, with his
peacock-feathers, but I'm satisfied that he’s as
good a man as ever put up his hands. I tried
him on two or three p’ints and he was right
thar and more too every time.”

“ But thar’s no need of my saying much ’bout
that, you’ve been thar. and know how it is,
yourself, I reckon,” and Grizzly Jake cast a sly
glance at the wounded hand of the other.

“See here, Grizzly, I must find some way to
beat this fellow. It is no use mincing the mat-

ain’t big enough to hold us!” cried Hawk in a
Voice full of passion.

The giant scratched his head reflectively.

“ I tell you w’ot it is, boss," he observed, after
cliuite a longfipause. “ self-praise I despise but of
‘ couldn’t st the galoot, durn me if I know
any critter ’round these digging: who kin.
W ot’s more, arter w’ot happened to me I reckon
that you’ll find its hard matter to git any of
the rest of the boys to try the riflle.

“ The cuss knocked me out fair and squar‘,
’fore a hull crowd, too, and when the thing gits
talked round town it Will he apt toscare any
of the big Chiefs who think themselves some
pumgkins on the war-path.”

“ ould not men be got from some other
camp?” Hawk suggested. “ Men who have
never seen this Peacock Pete nor heard anything
about him?”

“That’s the ideal” cried Grizzly Jake full of
enthusiasm at the happy thought.

“ I think that can be worked.”

“ I know it can, sure as shooting !”

th“Do you think you can put your hands on

9 men
“ I should blush to murmur!” cried the giant

facetiously.
“ And ’11 make the same terms with them
that I did with you. I’ll bet them a hundred to

five that they can’t lay out Peacock Pete!"
. “ A hundred to five with each of ’em?"

ter' both of us can’t live in this camp, the town

 

“Yes, at that rate! That ought to be an in-
ducement to good men.”

“You’re right thar, it ought to be, rticu-
larly if they don’t know the cuss,” 0 served
Grizzly Jake, thoughtfully. “ But to a man
like myself w’ot has been introduced to the
guloot and felt the weight of his fist, I reckon
that a thousand to fifty-five wouldn’t be such a
heap of a temptation."

“It’s plain that Peacock Pete has taken all
the steel out of you,” Hawk remarked, with a
sneer.

“ I reckon you air ’hout right that. I ain‘t so
big a fool as I look. When I git hammered
Within an inch 0’ In life, my legs have been
too well brought up er to see my body sp’iled
forever.”

“ How soon can you get at these fellows i” asked
Hawk, abruptly, taking no heed of the other‘s
musings, but pressing nght onward toward his
revenge.

“ Lemme see! two or three days, I reckon.”

“ Where are the men, and how many do you
think you can scare up—how many will be
needed for the job?”

“ Wal, from the way I feel tonight, I should
say that somewhar’s ’hout fifty would be
enou h.” -

“ ah! you are talking like a lunatic l”

“ Thunder and lightning! I ought not to talk
that way, for if ever a man had Sense hammered
into him b the wholesale, then I'm the critter!
I’m only to king ’bout the thing from the way
I feel, you know. Why, I’m as sore as a b’ile,
all over me.”

“ Two or three men ought to be enough,” ob—
served Hawk, reflectiVely.

“Three men will be better than two; don’t
go to weakenin the outfit. or he’ll be sart’in to
clean out the hu 1 business."

“ But are they good men?”

“ No better ones in Colorado.”

“How soon can you get at them?" '

“ Wu]I say three days at the outside.”

“ All ri ht; go towork and hunt them up
immediate y' here’s flfty for your trouble.”

And Haw placed the money in the eager
palm of the bruiser.

“Much obleegedl and now I’ll be travelin !”

Grizzly Jake arose with considerable fli-
cul , for his hurts made him sore.

“ as quick as you can!”

“ You bet; 50-1011 1”

The ' nt do or , leavin Hawktohis own
reflections, w ch were anyt ing but pleasant.

 

. CHAPTER XII.
rams: ranr'rr mm.

THE plotter felt decidedly better after the de-
parture of his visitor. At last there seemed to
be a chance for him to get even with the man
who had defeated him so easily.

“ The scoundrel will do h s best to hunt up
the proper men,” he murmured, communing
with himself. “for not only has he the motive
of revenge to u 3 him forward; but he knows
that I will pay 11 rally for the service.

“That fifty dollars was a clincher. That
convinced him that I meant business from the

. word go.

fl

 

 

Peacock Pete, the Lendville Sport. 19

 

“What are a few dollars in a case like this
when I am hungering for revenge?

“The Juck-a-dandy, despite his looks, is the
best man that ever struck this town; I am satis-
fled in regard to that.

“ He ot away with me easily enough, and
though lgthought Grizzly Jake would be able to
best him, for he is reputed to he a terrible
fighter, it is evident that he received more
severe treatment than I. He is right about the
three men. It Will take three men at least to
cope with this rascal; and if three men are not
enough, I will get six.

‘ “ One thing is sure; from this time forth it is
war to the death.”

Hawk had wrought himself up to a perfect
fury about the matter.

By day and night he thought and dreamed
only of one thin , revenge upon the man whom
he had provok into a conflict, and who had
triumphed over him so com lately.

Then, too, the beautiful vangeline was con-
stantly in his thoughts. I

From the moment that he had first beheld the
Fir], he had been impressed by her beauty, and
had made 11 his mind that she was exactly the
woman for im.

He had a certain hold upon the old man, her
father, so he could surely count, not only that
Hopkins would not oppose the match, but
would push it forward in every way in his
power.

True, the girl did not seem to be favorubl
disposed toward him, but Hawk did not thin
her likes or dislikes amounted to anythin .

“There isn’t a doubt she does prefer t is im-
pudent scoundrel to me; but I don’t care two
cents for that," he murmured.

“ When I come to put the screws argon the old
man. it will be mighty apt to make or change
her tune.

“ She will be glad to do almost anything then
to keen the matter quiet, for an exposure would
be a terrible blow to her pride.

“If she only knew what I know, I reckon she
wouldn’t hold her head quite so high, or put on
so many frills as she does now.

“ My course is all plain sailing after I run
this fellow out of ‘the town, and I will either do
that? else put him where the dogs can’t bite

m.

In such gloomy meditations as these the
wounded man passed his time, anxiously count-
ing the hours as they passed slowly away, Old
Father Time being seemingly shod with lead. ‘

Three days came and vanished, yet the big
fellow returned not with his hired bravos.

The plotter began to get impatient.

“Can it be possible that the scoundrel has
gone back on me?" Hawk asked. _

“ Has be taken my fifty dollars and made him
self scarce?

“ Curse me if it don’t look like itl"

But he wronged Grizzly Jake, for on the even-
ing of the fourth day, just after nightfall, the
bully made his appearance, accompanied by
three of the hardest-looking rufl'lans that the
superintendent had ever Set eyes upon.

‘ ’m a leetle ahind time,” Jake remarked as

' he entered. “ But it took longIer than I expect-

ed to hunt the boys up, and reckon the old

 

saying will fit right in hyer, ‘it's better late
than never!”

“ That’s true,” responded Hawk, “and I’m
glad to see you. I looked for you all day yes-
terda , and when you didn’t put in an appear—
ance begun to think that something was
wrong."

“ That’s nat’ral, of course, but I tell you, I’m
the squarest kind of a cuss and when I say to a
man that he kin depend on me, you’ll find me
right that every time,”

“ Glad to hear it; but help yourselves to
chairs, entlemen.”

Grizz y Jake proceeded to introduce his com-
panions.

“ Pard, I’ve picked you out the three best
men that ever trod in shoe—leather in these hyer
mountains,” he began, and his companions grin-
ned at the compliment.

“ Yes, sir, you can’t make no mistake ’bout
these three galoots when you are looking round
for three good men to tie to.

"This hyer lanky cuss is Gunnison Johnny,
the best man that ever came out of that town."

And Gunnison Johnny, who was a tall, raw—
boned fellow, with a swarthy, evil-looking face,
rose and ducked his head in acknowledgment
of the introduction.

“ As good a man at either pistol or rifle as
ever pulled a trigger. They say down whnr he
come from that e never went out yet that he
didn’t lay out the galoot that dared to stand up
ag’in’ him."

“ That’s a fine reputation,” the superintendent
,observed.

“ And he kin live up to it too, every time.”

The man from Gunnison sat down and Jake
motioned for number two to rise.

He was also a six-footer and muscular in pro-
portion.

“ This gen’leman is from ole Kentuck, the
State whar they raise the best men on this hyer
footstool.”

“ Kentucky is a fine State,” Hawk observed.

“ You kin bet high on that and you’ll win
ever time!” the giant asserted.

“ a]. it took this gentleman so long to git
from Kentuck out hyer that he lost his name
on the way an so for short he calls himself Bill
Kentuck.”

“That is as good a name to take a. drink
with as I have ever heard,” the superintendent
observed.

“ You bet! Wal, this gen’leman kin handle
all sorts of weapons, don’t matter what they are,
from harpoons down to penknives, and he’s just

as good with one as be is with t’other and when .

you take him with fists, he’s a reg’lar bruiser
and don‘t you forgit it 1”

Bill Kentuck sat down and the third man gut
up.

He was a short thick-set fellownwith a bull-
like appearance aving a short, their neck set
upon a massive 'body, tremendons‘in its Jgirth.

“ Bowie-knife Sam,” said Grizzly like in
introduction.

“ The best man that ever took an Arkansaw
toothpick in his hand,” continued Jake, “and
the best wrestler that ever took an under-grip
onto a man and heaved him off his pins.

.1

 

 

 

 

 

   

 

20

“ft

Peacock Pete. the Leadviile Sport. '

 

“ They do say that Sam hyer once run foul of
an old he b’ar and hugged the critter to death,
and that’s the kind of a hair- in he is!”

“Don’t pile it on too thic , pard,” observed
the man of muscle as he resumed his seat, grin-
ning from ear to ear.

“ Why, I ain’t said half enough ’bout you!
Thunder in lightningi if I was to go on I could
spit out euuff for to make a brick-house block.”

“ I suppose, gentlemen, that Jake has already
ex'Flaiued to you how things are?"

be three looked at each other and then Bill
Kentuck and Bowie-knife Sam nodded to Gun-
nison Johnny to go ahead and act as spokes-

“ Yes, he sort of give us a look at the lay-
out,” observed the ruffian. “ As we understand
it, thar’s a sharp come to town who is putting
on a heap of frills and kinder allows that he kin
run the place.”

“ He’s a good man, mind, too, boys,” inter-
posed Grizzly Jake. “ Don’t you fool yourself

bout that! He’s no flunk, and so far he has ot
away with every man w’ot has dared tac 1e
him. He’s a. rustler, and no mistake!”

“ Jake is ri ht about it," the superintendent
coincided. “ t will not do for you to start in
with the idea that he’s no good, because he is
one of the best men that ever struck this coun-
try, and he isn‘t a big fellow either.

“ To look at him no one would take him to be
a fighter.” .

“ Sure as you’re bornl I picked him up for a
dufler myself. and got whaied like blazes,” ob-
served Grizzly Jake. with a wry face.

"‘ The way to work the trick 5 for all three of
you to jump on him at once. fu’st getting into a
quarrel. It will not be a difficult matter, for he
don’t take any slack from anybody.”

“ We kin do it, easy as rolling off a log, if he
don’t take water when we go to chinning him,”
Gunnison Johnny remarked.

“ Well, ou‘ll find him at about this time at
the Black ar Saloon, and as there’s no time
like the present, go for him at once.” '

'i'lliie rufiians assented, then departed on their
m on.

 

CHAPTER XIII.
THREE TO ONE.

“ SAY, you fellows want to be keerful," Griz-
zly Jake remarked to his companions as they
walked tow rd the hotel.

“ Keerfu ’bout w’oti”

man. -

“ Wai, this is the squarest kind of a camp, you
know, and if the three ov you go for to jump on
the man at once, the fellows standing by will be
mighty apt to.take a hand in the game, and if
you succeed In wiping Peacock Pete out, the
town will probably provide a bempen necktie
for every mothers son of you, free gratis, for
nothing!’

The uliies did not receive this information
with a good grace.

“ Domed particular camp, this is, I reckon,”
growled Gunnison Johnny, "if they are going
1g  up a fuss ’bout a leetle thing of that

n .

' “ Cuss me if I would live in sich a place i” Bill
Kentuck asserted.

asked the Gunnison

 

“ Mighty low-down town now, and you kin
bet on it!” cried Bowie-knife Sam.

“ Wal, it’s a sure enuif fact, pards, and I’m
giving it to you as straight as a string. That‘s
the lay-out that you‘ve got to play at.”

“ i reckon it would take some good men to
run that job through!” the Gunnisou sharp ex-
claimed defiantly.

“ They’ve got ’em, pard, they’ve got a heap
of them in this town, and thar ain’t a mite of
use of your getting the idea into your head that
you kin run this burg, ’cos it can’t he did.

“Thar was five good men came in one night
and calculated to make the camp howl, but the
boys went for ’em, jist like so many bees when
a stranger comes fooling around the hive, and
the result was the hull band got laid out inside
of five minutes. It was a pooty fight while it
lasted, but it didn’t last long.”

" How kin we work the riffle then?"1 asked Bill
Kentuck. “ I’m durned anxious to finger the
hundred dollars, ’cos I’m flat-broke, but I ain’t
wiiling to fight a hull camp for It, particularly
if it’s a camp of good men like you say this hyer
one is.”

“ I reckon this is ’bout the size of it,” Bowie-
knife Sam remarked. '

With all their bravado, the task of attempting
to brow-beat the entire camp was not one that
they cared to undertake.

“ Wal, pards, I have been a-cogitating ’bout
the matter, and I think the trick kin be worked
in this way,” Grizzly Jake remarked, after re-
fleeting for a moment.

“ Go into the saloon se arately. jest as if you
didn’t know each other. ou’ll know this Pea~
cock Pete the moment you set eyes on him, ’cos
he wears a leetle bunch of peacock feathers in
his hat.

“Then one on you must raise a row with him.
The best way to fix that thing will be for one of
you to git up close to him, and stand with your

ack to the galoot, then turn round all of a sud-
den and bump ag’in’ him.

“ That will give you a first-rate chance for to
pick a fuss with him.

“You kin git mad as thunder, you know,
and ax him w’ot he means by bumping ag’in’ a
gen’leman in that ornery way. - .

“He won't take a bit of chin, you bet, and
59’" give it to you back as good as he knows

ow

“ Then rush in and grab him, and, pards, you
want to put in the best kind of work let this
E'int, or, if you don’t, the cuss will have your

eels in the air and your head on the floor, and
you a-spinning round like a durned top afore
you know it, for he's the heftiest man on a
wrestle that I ever see’d.”

The three immediately expressed then- warm
approval of this plan, for it seemed to them so
extremely simple that it could not possibly fail.

One by one, they sauntered into the Black
Bear’s saloon. where a goodly company had al-
ready assembled.

The saloon was the common lounging-place
for all the men in the camp when the toils of the
day were over, for there all the current news
was to be had.

The stories of the rich strikes in the neighbor-
hood—the sad record of discouraging failures—

 

‘ 5,.

- for it!

Peacock Pete. the Leadviue Sport. 21

 

the new arrivals, and the departures from the
camp, were all retailed at length.

In fact, a man couldn’t keep well-posted in
what was going on if he didn’t drdp into the
saloon once in awhile of an evening.

“ The boss place for swapping lies!” an irrev-
erent joker had declared.

Peacock Pete was leaning against one end of
the bar, the end nearest to the door, busily en-
gaged in conversation with three anxious men
who had “ pooled their issues” with the idea. of
bulging ashore in the Eva Mine.

ut Peacock Pete firme and most decidedly
declined to sell.

“ What is the use, gentlemen i” he said. “ We
have got all the money we want to run the
thing; we are not at all hampered for lack of

' funds, and as we are sure that it is a good thing,

what’s the use of letting anybody elsa in to share
it with us?

“ It‘s a big strike, gentlemen, and the deeper
We get into it the better it seems to be.

“ We would be a set of tools to sell an inter-
est, unless we were compelled so to do; but if
you wanted to buy the whole thing, out and
out, now, why, then there might be some use in
talking.”

The three jumped at the idea.

“ Mebbe we might arrange it in that way,”
remarked one, thoughtfully.

“ To be shurel why not?” cried the second,
who was no other than McMulligan, the keeper
of the saloon.

The lrishman was a wily fellow, and when he
saw that Peacock Pete promised to become a
man of considerable importance in the town,
he hastened to range himself under his banner.

In fact he had taken considerable pains to as-
sure our hero that there wasn’t a man in the

v town for whom he had a higher res set.

“We was afther having a litt- e misunder-
standing at our first meeting, do ye mind,” he
said, in the oily, insinuating way that he could
assume when he so desired. “But ye see I was
not either knowing you thin.”

“It will take big money to buy the Eva
Mine,” Peacock Pete declared.

“ How much,"my h’ye?” asked McMulligan.

“ About a hundred thousand dollars."

A low whistle of astonishment came from the
lips of all three.

“ Oh, no more than that trifle? Begobl I
thought on would be afther wanting a million
h, we‘ll take it, of course, but we’ll
take a dhrink furst.”

And it was just at this point of the conversa-

f tion that Bowie-knife Sam bumped against Pes-

cock Pete.
“ Say, young fellow, can't you see whar you

‘ go?” he cried.

Now Peacock Pete was one of those keen-eyed
men,who saw everything without appearing to

7 see anything.

He had noticed the three rufl'lans enter the sa-

- icon, and then after a short interval, saw

Grizzly Jake come lounging in behind them. and
from the expression upon the face of the ruiflan,
as he glanced carelessly around with a studied
endeavor to appear indifferent, he uessed that
the bully had entered the saloon or no good

pumm-

 

Then too, he fancied that be detected lances
of intelligence passing between Grizzly J a e and
the three strangers.

So, the moment that Bowie-knife Sam stum-
bled against him, he was satisfied that the man
had done it on purpose, and suspected a plot.

“It was your own fault, partner," he replied.

“You’re a. liar!” cried the other, attempting
to seize him, but Peacock Pete was on the alert,
and springing back he dealt the man a terrible
blow between the eyes that sent him reeling
backward.

In their rage at seeing their pard thus roughly
handled, the other two rushed upon the young

an.

But his trusty revolvers were out in an in-
stant, cocked and fired as if by magic.

Both men fell badly wounded, and Bowie—
knife Sam, essaying to draw his pistol, was also
served in the same way.

“ Hold on, don’t kill the cusses, they’re
friends oi! mine,” cried Jake, oomprehendin
that the battle was over almost before itha
begun.

“And tools of Redmond Hawk of course!”
cried the victor with a sneer. “Well, let him
send a few more along.”

Again a cunning scheme had miscarried.

CHAPTER XIV.
NAMING TEE MINE.

As was only natural, under the circumstances,
on the next day the heroic conduct of Pen-
cock Pete was the talk of the town, and one and
all agreed that for real true courage the new-
comer could not be excelled, if equaled, all along
the border.

For five or six da 3 his gallant acts were the
common subject 0 conversation in all public

laces, and then, as nothing new occurred to
eep his name before thepublic, the recital of
his bold deeds was forced to give way to a
newer sensation, a rich strike havmg been made
by some lucky souls right on the outskirts of the

 

wn.

Peacock Pete was one of the first to invest in
the new mines, after he became satisfied that
the new discoveries were likely to prove profit-
able, for our hero was no greenhorn to be
swindled out of his hard-earned money by a
“ salted mine.”

It is a common thin in the mining regions
for sharpers to bury ric bits of ore in worthless
mines and then dig them up with a great flour-
ish, and on the strength of the “discovery” sell
the property .at a handsome figure, then go else-
where and repeat the operation in some other
locality, and thus manage to make a good thing
by “ bleeding " unsuspecting greenhorns.

There were two others interested with Pea-
cock Pet/e, John Michaels, whose acquaintance
the reader has alread£ made. and an honest,
fore-handed Irishman, ennis Murphy by name,
universally acknowledged to be one Of the
squarest men in the camp.

It was the common opinion that Peacock Pete
had had the luck to get in with two of the best
men that could possiny be selected.

When the three met to arrange matters, al-
most the first question that came up was the
name or the mine, and as Peacock Pete possessed

 

   

 

 

 

 

   

 
 

 

Peacock Pete. the Leadville Sport.

 

a half-interest, while his associates only boasted
a quarter share each; it was agreed to allow him
to name the claim.

" Well, entlemen, it strikes me that the Eva
Mine won d be about as good a name as we
could ick out,” Reacock Pete observed, after
revolvmg the matter in his mind for a few mo-

ments.

The Irishman burst into a loud laugh, and hit
John Michaels a violent slap on the back, for
with his native shrewdness Murphy had sur-
mised that Peacock Pete had named the mine
out of compliment to old Hopkins’s daughter
Evangeline, and it was no secret in the town
that the young miner had been diligent in his
attentions to the lady ever since she had ar-
rived at Five Mile Crossing, although since the
night when Redmond Hawk had thrown down
the gauntlet of defiance to the whole town by
declaring that he would kill the man hold
enough to dance with the storekeeper’s daugh-
ter against his will. Michaels’s lack of inclina-
tion to take up the bully’s dare was thought to
' have put him out of the race for the lady’s at-
fectlons.

“Aha, me laddybuckl there’s a name that
will be either suiting you, I’ll go baill” the jolly
Irishman cried.

Michaels got red in the face, for he was rather
a modest, bashful young fellow, not lacking in
courage, yet with not enough of the dare-devil
about him to make him anxious to face such a
man as Redmond Hawk.

“ I think it is a good name,’f he said, in con-
siderable confusion.

“It’s an illegant name, and mebbe that spel-

n of a Hawk won’t be mad as hops when he
ears of it!” Murphy exclaimed.

“ 1 don’t suppose the lady will object,”
Michaels observed.

“ Oh, no, I should say not. ’If she looks at it
the right way, she will consider that it is a com-
pliment,” Peacock Pete re lied.

“ I s’pose Hawk will be indsr r’iled when he
hears about it,” Michaels remarked.

' “Let him be mad, and be hanged to him, the
murtherin’ blaggardl” Murphy cried. “Phat
do We care for him? Not two wags of a goat’s
tail, do ye moind?”

“ Oh, I reckon he will be inclined to out up
nasty when he hears about it," Peacock Pete
observed. “ But he don’t own the whole of this
camfi yet, and it he has ever been of that way

I t inking, the events of the last week or so
ought to have convinced him that the supposi-
tion was not correct.” ~

“I understand that he was out to-day,”
Michaels said.

“Oh, yes, I saw him meself, and he gave me
wan of his ugly looks. whiu somebody spoke in
his hearing of our partnership,” Murphy re-
marked. “ But to the devil I’d pitch the blag-
, gard. Shore I wouldn’t give a five-cent piece

for either his friendship or his enmity.” '
“I reckon we’ll have another tussle one of

these days.” Peacock Pete observed, reflectively,

“and I tell you what it is, ntlemen, the next
time I run foul/of him I don intend that there
shall be an tooling in the matter.”

Peacock skis manner was serious, and it was

 

plain to his companions that he had fully made
up his mind on the subject.

“ I am getting sick of being required to fight
all the bullies that this scoundrel hires to attack
me," Pete continued. “ The fellow isamcan,
miserable rascal anyway; no one but an utterly
contemptible scoundrel would attempt to do
business in that way.

“ If there was anything of the man about
him, he would be content to wait until his
wounds healed and then go in to get 5 uarc."

“Oho, he’s not that kind of a gint emnn at
all, at alll” Murphy exclaimed. “ You can
take yer oath that it’s a mighty long head
Mister Redmond Hawk has on his shoulders.

“ He has had a taste of your unlity, and he’s
not anxious for a second tria , unless he can
have iverything his own way, bad 'cess to him,
the humble-backed thief of the woruldl”

And this was how the claim belonging to the
three partners came to be called the Eva Mine,
and the Irishman was right in his surmise when
he said that Redmond Hawk would be enraged
when the fact came to his knowledge.

“ The infernal scoundrel has done it expressly
to aggravate me!" Hawk exclaimed to his boon
companions, “ but I will be even with him one
of these days. I will strike him a blow when he
least expects it.”

The listeners took in the words, but said
naught. .

In their own minds there was considerable
doubt in regard to the succeSSful carrying out
of this scheme, for Peacock Pete had been so
uniformly victorious in his battles that the im-
pression had become general that he was in-
vincible——his “medicine” was good, to use the
jargon of red-men. and it must be a mighty
chief, indeed, able to take his scalp.

There was another angry and disgusted man
in the camp, too, when the fact became gene-
rally known that the three partners had named

their claim the Eva Mine, and that was the A

fatherot the beautiful Evangeline, Clinton Hop-
k ns. ,

It was the general impression that the old
man was rather more inclined to favor Hawk
than the new-comer, and so when i the name of
the mine became noised around town a couple
of the wags of the camp dropped into hopkins’s
store to chat? the old man about it.

And they had their fun, too, for Hopkins, by
his manner, showed that he was seriously an-
no ed, the moment the news was made known
to im, although he strove to conceal it.

“It’s a very good name, I should think,” he
answered. when one of the wags asked his opin-
ion in regard to it. “ I’m not much of a judge
of such things, of course, and as far as I can see,
it doesn’t matter much what. the. mine is called,
so long as it turns out pay-dirt in large quan-
tities.

“ I s’pose you'll kinder celebrate the thing,

eh?” said the second joker, following his com-

panion’s lead. .
“Celebrate!” exclaimed Hopkins pretending
to be astonished; “ why should l celebrate?
What interest do 1 take in the matter? It isn‘t
anything to me.”
“ Oh, come, Hopkins. don’t try for to play the
innocent dodge!” cried the first joker; “you

 

-..i

u.

'._._._ “mm .uw 1
_ -s . .ss. 40:,— ‘__

If)"

2‘." «In-v:—

.‘<v

L «ism.

 

. your,»

Peacock Pete. the Loadville Sport.

 

23

 

can’t pull the wool over our eyes. on know.
We understand—we’re fly—up to sun , you bet!
The mine is named arter your gal, and I say, I
s’pose she’ll be getting spliced to Pete ‘fore
long. You’ll gi’n ’em a bang-up Wedding, of
course?"

“ No, siri” replied Hopkins, angrily. “it‘s no
such thing. There'll be no wedding! It is ut-
terly ridiculous. The man may be fool enough
to name the mine after my daughter; that fact
is neither improbable nor impossible, but it is a.
matter which neither one of us can control; but
when you speak of the man as being a suitor for
my daughter’s hand, it is almost too absurd for
me to take the trouble to deny it. It is no such
thing, gentlemen, I deny it in total”

The jokers expressed their sorrow at having
been misled by the false report, and then with-
drew chuckliug over the fact that they had suc-
ceeded in making the generally genial store-
keeper lose his temper.

As a result of the interview Hopkins went at
once to his daughter and told her all about it.

“ Well, father. I should consider that the gen-
tlemen have paid me acompliment if it is a valu-
able property, as I understand it is,” the girl re-

lied.

“ But you don’t seem to comprehend, child,
this Will enrage Hawk terribly. He is bitter
enough now as matters are, but when he hears
of this he will notleave any means untried to
have revenge upon this young man.

“ If Peacock Pete desires to meet with a speedy
death he could not have gone to work in a better
way.

“ Hawk will spend his money now like water
to get satisfaction. ‘

‘ I should not be surprised if the rash young
man met his death with n a week.”

“ I do not think that is likely ” the girl re-
spond_ed in a very quiet _way, much toHopkius’s
su rise.

P ainly she did not care for her champion as
much as he had thought.

CHAPTER XV.
A BRAVE ansonvn.

CLINTON HOPKINS, leading storekeeper of Five
Mile Crossing, late of—no one knew where, for
the old man was as dumb as an oyster in regard
to his old abiding- laces—rather prided himself
upon his skill an cunning. but with all his
shrewdness he was no match for the apparently
simple girl whom he called daughter.

He had told her the story a at thqnaming
of the mine and Hawk's threats, thinking that
if she did have any sneaking regard for Pete,
fear for the safety of her lover would be a t to
make her speak plainly and he would be ab e to
get a correct idea of what she thought about
the matter.

The girl. by her silence, however, completely
baffled this design, and when the interview was
over the storekeeper was as much in the dark
as ever.

If she cared anything for the young stranger
ishe was not disposed to allow any one to know

Beg Hopkins did not take this view of the
ma r.
He was more disposed to believe that the girl

 

 

was indifferent as to what befell or became of
Peacock Pete.

“ If she would only get over her dislike for
Hawk,” he murmured, as he returned to the
store.

The old man had apparently urgent reasons
why his daughter shou d favor the suit of the
superintendent of the Gothic mine, yet it would
have puzzled any one to guess them, for though
Hawk was a prosperous man, yet this new ven-
ture that Peacock Pete had entered into seemed
likely to make him a fur wealthier man in the
101,12?1 run than his rival.

e girl, too, followed her father‘s example
and uttered words to the empty air, as if invisi-
ble spirits were hovering near, willing to render
aid and counsel.

“ Heaven help me!" she cried with a des air-
ing accent. “ for I am utterly friendless. hat
a terrible thin it is that I cannot trust my
father in this ire extremity and must depend
upon myself alone.

“ Why does he press the suit of this (lurk and
dangvtérifius rufllan with so much firmnessi
teri hy does he think is man, above all
others, to be a fit mate for met”

It was a. weighty question, and one over
which she pondered for a long time.

But the more she thought about the matter,
the greater became her perplexity,‘ until at last
she gave up the attempt to unravel the mystery
in des ir. Her father’s words, though, had
made er determined to take an active part in
the matter.

She was satisfied from what her sire had said
that Hawk had,determined to attack Peacock
Pete, and she uessed the mischief would be
wrought by red braves, who muld not give
their victim any chance for his life.

“At all risks he must be warned l” she ex-
claimed. “ and as I cannot trust any one toigive
the warning, for the person whom I might
select would be far more apt to prove a foe than
a. friend, I must contrive in some way to see
In gallant champion myself.” A

K‘he darkness came on that night thick and
muggy, for the storm-clouds were in the air,
and a deluge of rain seemed probable.

It was an easy matter for the girl to wm
herself in her waterproof cloak, draw a dai-
vail over her face, and make her exit from the
house by the back way.

She trusted to be ab e to speedily find the man
she sought, so as to return to the house before
her absence was noticed.

A very favorable time had she chosen for the
execution of her scheme, for from seven to ten
her father was always extremely busy in his
store. for nine-tenths of the trade of the. day
was concentrated in those few hours, the miners
not being able to leave their employment until
the shades of night had descended upon the

ma.

Evangeline had set forth with a Well-defined

u .

p Sge had nned a brief note, writin it on' a
half- ge ofioolscap, in a large, roun , school-
boy and, and inclosed it in a common yellow
envelope, so that it looked as unlike a lady’s
missive as possible.

should he care aufiht about the mat- .
t

 

 

 

 

  

Peacock Pete. the Leadville Sport.

 

It was her idea to find some boy to carry the
note to Peacock Pete, for the irrepressible small
boy made things lively in the little camp of
Five Mile Crossing, as well as in the towns and
villages within the confines of civilization.

The small boy was easily found.

He knew Peacock Pete, and the gift of a
silver quarter induced him to gladly undertake
the delivery of the note.

‘ ’ Pete was at the hotel, as Evangeline had ex-

” Bectded, and the note was safely given into his
' an s.

And when he had perused the missive, he as-
sumed a careless air, so that it would have
been a sheer impossibility for any of the by-
standers to suspect that there was any message
of importance in the note, bade the boy follow
him, and when he got into the street, made the
heart of the urchin leap with delight by the pres-
ent of another quarter, when he pointed out
where the lady was standing in the shade of a
buildin , a little removed from the main street,
and the ighte from the gayly-illuminated saloons
cutting into the darkness.

“ Run along, sonny, you’re a good boy " said
Peacock Pete, after the lad had informed him as
to the whereabouts of the lady.

The boy obeyed the injunction, eager to dis-
play ta) his companions the prize that he bad
game .

“I have something, important to say to you,
sir," Evangeline said, just a little nervous as
Peacock Pete approached, “ and so I took this
method of meeting you, for I could not think of
1 any better way.”

_ “ I am very much obliged to you, I am sure,"

responded the young man, dofling his hat as

respectfully as though he was 'addressing a
neon.

“ I have only a few words to say, and I sup-

.we can talk here without danger of inter-

» ’ ruption,” Evangeline remarked, with an inquir-
‘ 1 ing glance around her.

. u ‘ We had better walk along slowly,” Peacock
. Pete replied, “for we would be apt to attract
attention if we remain stationary here.”

The girl perceived the wisdom of this advice,
and so the two strolled slowly along.

“I felt it my duty to warn you that you have
_ apowerful and unscrupulous foe who will not

stop at anything calculated to injure you,” she

. said, coming at once to the point, for she felt
strangely embarrassed by the novelty of the sit-

- nation.

. “I can guess to whom you refer. This Red-
mond Hawk is the enemy who is so anxious to
do me harm." '

“ Yes, he is a bold, bad man.”

“ There isn’t the least doubt about that. It
was my fortune to run foul of him when I first
came into this camp, and I suppose the war will
be kept up until one of us is either killed or
driven from the town.

“ The fellow is something of acoward, too.
for all of his pretensions; he has been around

,town for a day or two now, amply well enough

 

 

   

‘. t torenew the quarrel if he so desired, but he. has

not made a move, although I have been expect-
ing it and have been on my guard, ready for

war.
“ Ah, but I do not think that he intends to at-

 

 

tack you openly?” Evangeline exclaimed, quick-
liy. “ He has learned better than that. He

098 not intend to trust to his own pOWers now,
but will hire desperate, blood-stained men to
fight his battles."

“ Why. Miss Evangeline, that has been his
game right from the beginning,” Peacock Pete
replied. “ Ever since the night of our encoun-
ter, when I succeeded in whipping him so easi-
ly, he has scoured the country all around in
search of champions to carry on his quarrel.

“ But I think it is about time that that game
should come to an end.

“ 1 am not a professional fighter; I do not pose
as a bully before the town.

“ Of course when a quarrel is forced upon
me I always try to do all I can tocome out
ahead.”

“ Oh, I feel sure that you do not desire
trouble," the girl exclaimed, earnestly. “ Some-
times, when I reflect upon the matter, I feel so
sorry that I was the cause of this man’s hatred
toward you.

“ Perhaps it would have been better on that
dreadful night if I had left the dance and re-
tired to my home, but then I was not used to
this strange country, and the man angered me
so that I forgot the dictates of prudence and de-
termined that his menace should not drive me
home.”

“ You acted exactly right i” Peacock Pete de-
clared, warmly. “ No one can blame you. It
was your privx ege to refuse to dance with the
man if you did not like him, and he showed that
he was nothing but a low-bred ruflian by act-
ing as he did.”

“ But I have been the cause of your being in-

volved in a quarrel with this man. If it had V

not been for that unfortunate affair you would
not have been drawn into this difficulty,” she
said, earnestly. .

“ I’m not so sure about that,” he answered.
“ it is more than probable that We would have
had trouble about something else, for he is in-
clined to play the bully, and I am one of the
kind who will not submit tamer to anything of
that sort.”

“ I had a brief conversation with my father
this evening and he told me that Hawk. was de-
termined to have your life, and that he intended
to hire rufiians to attack you, and so I could
not rest until I got an opportunity to warn you
of the danger that threatened.”

“ Miss Evangeline, believe me it will be along '

time before I shall forget this service 1’!

“ Oh, do not speak of it; think of the danger
that you so freely risked for my sake!” I

“ There’s one thing puzzles_ me. Evangeline,
but perhaps you can explain it.” Peacock Pete
observed thoughtfully. “Why does your father
seem to favor this man i"

“ I cannot explain it.”

“ Are they old acquaintances?”

H  ”

“Yet I am told that he looks upon him as his
future son-in-law.”

“ Oh, no, that will never he!” cried the rl
in instant denial, and she felt she was blush g
furiously.

“ Evangeline, I am almost a stranger to you,

max .

as W

V mix,“ 4  

my}, 4.4

m— 4

. , flaws“.-.

“gt 3 94“ V

‘Aa;‘.'-

.. V-..

I

L

 

Peacock Pete, the Leadville Sport,

25

 

yet I have the presumption to ask if I may enter
the lists as a suitor for your hand I”

“ Why not, if such a man as this ruflian dares
to hope for favor?" answered the girl lowly and

Sb 1 .

X {will see your father then, and speak freely
to him, although I imagine my suit will not meet
with much favor in his eyes,”

“ Time will tell; but it is I who am to be mar-
ried, not he.”

“ You are willing that I should speak to him
-it is not disagreeable to you?” he asked, pass—
ing his arm caressiugly around the slender
waist of the girl, for, by her actions, he be-
luieved he had discovered she was well disposed

him.

“ Yes,” she murmured, in almost inaudible
tones, and her shapely head sunk down upon his
manly shoulder.

Then he drew her closer to him, and, liftin
her vail, imprinted upon her ripe red lips, soric
in their dewy sweetness, the first lover’s kiss that
they had ever received.

But for a moment she nestled against his
broad chest, and then as if alarmed by her own
weakness, shook hands with him and hurried
away.

Her home was only some fifty feet away, and
soon she disappeared within it.

CHAPTER XVI.
rm: covo'm FROM BUENA VISTA.

PEACOCK Pam, after watching his lady-love
until the door, closing behind her-"hid her almost
perfect form from sight, took his way slowly

ack to the hotel.

“ It’s a deuced queer thing,” he murmured, as
he walked alon , “ that a man like myself, who
has been a roling stone for years,a regular
football for fortune, should, in this wild moun-
tai? camp, meet with such a perfect angel of a

ir .
g “ Upon my life, she is the sweetest piece of
womanhood that my eyes have ever looked

upon.

“ And the idea of this Redmond Hawk, bully,
gambler and desperado as he is, daring to lift
his e es to such a maiden.

“ be thou ht is perfectly ridiculous.

“And Mr. awk must be brought to reckon-
ing with me pretty soon, too. I am getting
tired of fighting his bullies.

“ He must come up to the scratch in person
and face the music like a. man.

“ There has been quite enough of this beating
about the bush. He must meet me in sin le
fight, and stop this second-hand business. 9
must either fight me or leave the town.

“ The camp isn’t big enough to hold both of
us. I will push the matter toe conclusion to-
morrow. and Redmond Hawk must either
knuckle or git I"

By this time Peacock Pete had reached the
hotel, and he went into the saloon, the general
lounging-place for the town.

Eighteen or twenty men were in the place,
and as he found himself the object of the, gaze
of all eyes when he entered, he concluded that
he had interrupted some conversation regarding
himself. ~

A stranger—a regular giant of a fellow, big—

 

../,

 

ger even than the renowned Grizzly Jake, whom
ete had conquered with so little trouble, was
leaning by the bar with his back a ainst it.

He was dressed in the usual roug miner fash-
ion, was well-armed, and altogether looked like
a. man who would prove to be an ugly customer
in a row.

The fellow had a lion—like head, long, bushy
yellow hair came out in tangled masses from
under his weather-beaten hat, and a long .yellow
beard swept down low on his breast.

His face had a sinister expression, and Pen-
cock Pete, as he took a mental survey of the
fellow, came to the conclusion that in the event
cl! a difficulty he would be a tough pilgrim to
handle.

The stranger had evidently been addressing
the group. for his mouth was open as Peacock
Pete entered, and he paused for a moment to
take a look at him.

Then, when Peacock Pete closed the door, he
went on:

“ I tell you wo’t it is. Eurdners, I’m jest a-
hungry to see this maul” e cried, in a rough,
ho‘arls’e voic;,flike the bellowli‘pg (g: bullE18

ma ety man,myse I ,par , you
had 'est better believe that!

“ on might look far and see long afore on ,
could run across sich a rip-staying, rev ng,
snorting cuss as I aml

“ You kin believe that, ’cos I’m the critter
wo’t is a-telling on it to you!

“ My name is sudden death, or else a long fit
of sickness! ‘

“ I’m the Howling Coyote from Buena Vista,
and I have come a] the way to this hyer camp
of Five Mile Crossing expressly to see the dog-
goned galoot that calls himself Peacock Pete!”

Now our hero understood why all Within the
room had surve ed him with such curious eyes
when he had en red. '

The stranger had come into the camp for the'
express purpose of trying conclusions with
him, and had been bragging about it in the
saloon.

“ He’s a dandifled chap, too, I heard,” the
man continued; “ rigs himself out in good
clothes, puts ’ile on his ha’r, and washes himself
once a week.

“Bah l” and the stranger, by this emphatic
exclamation, endeavored to show the disgust
which fllled his breast when he thought of any
such reprehensible practices.

“ I hain’t got no use for no sich galootsl" he

cried, loftili.
“ And sic a chap as this hyer milk-so I have
heerd held up as a flghterl” and he ook his

huge fists in the air.

“Hyer’s the shop whar he ought to come if he
wants mutton l" and then he pounded his chest
with his brawny ,hands. ‘

“ Say, some of on, for the love of goodness!
jest run out into is e town and scare this critter
up! Tell him that the finest geu’leman in the
country is a-waiting at the shebang, just a-dying
for to make his acquaintance.

“ Peacock Pete! Oh, my!’ and the man ve
vent to a. snort of contempt. “ Won’t I 'ma 9 3
peacock out of him when I git my two hands
onto him? Oh, no; not much! but on kin be:
yuur bottom dollar,‘ you high-how ing sinners,

 

 

 

 

 

’7,

 

 

   

26 Peacock Pete. the Leadville Sport.

 

that arter I git through with the critter, thar
won’t be sun of him left for to make a good-
sized grease-spot out of 1 That’s the kind of man
I am, and don’t you forget it!" ‘

Peacock Pete comprehended at once how the
land lay.

Here was another bully who had been set on
to attack him by his unscru ulous foo.

It was not pleasant, and 9 determined this
time to make such an example 01‘ the man that
it would deter any one else from trying the
same game.

“ l’m Peacock Pete!” he exclaimed, steppin
forward and confronting the stranger, “andi
you {’nean business, I’m ready to accommodate
you.

The Coyote from Buena Vista had guessed as
much, for the peacock-feathers that the young
man wore in his hat, were quite enou h to dis—
tinguish him from the common run 0 men.

And this was the reason why he had been so
profuse in his taunts.

He was not impressed by Peacock Pete’s looks,
for he was one of those ignorant fellows, who
believe only in brute force, totally ignoring all
science, and as Peacock Pete was not six feet
tall and built in proportion, he did not think he
stood the slightest chance in a contest with a
man like himself.

“ You don’t mean to say that you’re Peacock
Pete. the galoot that I’ve hearn so much ’bout?”
the Coyote cried in the most contemptuous man-
ner sible.

“ hat’s my name.”

“ Why, you don’t amount to a. clump of sage-
brush !” the other exclaimed. “ Thunder and
lightning! ’tain’t hardl worth while to smack
the face of sich a ratl' e chap as you are any-
way.

“ Oh, you’re gging to smack my face!"

“ Yes, sir-ee oss-flyi that’s est the identical
leetle job that I propose to tack 0.”

“But what are you going to do that for-
what have I ever done to you?”

“ Nothing at all;, my festive rooster. I’m jest
a-doing it for fun.

“ No- you mean you are doing it for money,
and I now the man that at you up to it!‘
Peacock Pete retorted, sharply.

“ Oh, you talk too much with your mouth,"
cried the other, “ and that’s one reason why on
ought to be smacked, anyway, jest to put a ee-
tle sense into you—sort of teach you to hold
your tongue when the boss is around.”

“ Your boss is Redmond Hawk.”

“ You’re a liar l” replied the big fellow, taking
a ste toward Pete.

“ on have been hired to pick a quarrel with
me; but} ve you fair warning that I am

etting tire of this sort of thing, and if you
bzme'ye into a light I’ll kill you as sure as you’re

ru.

“ Hey! ou’re crowing pretty loud for sich a
bantami reckon I’ll have to wade in and take
some of the nonsense out of you.”

“ Come out into the center of the saloon then.
where there‘ll be room for the circus!”

“ You don’t say that you really mean to toe
thgedmark, and face the music?’ the Coyote
as . '

“ Try me and see,” Peacock Pete replied.

 

The bystanders drew back out of the way, so
as to afford a clear field for the encounter.

They had an idea that inside a minute the
stranger would be about as amazed a man as the
camp of Five Mile Crossing had ever seen.

Most of those in the room had been witnesses
of Peacock Pete’s rowess on the occasion when
he had so easily p0 ished off his op onents.

They remembered how, with is iron—like
fists, he had hammered Grizzly Jake until the
nearest and dearest friend of the bully would
never have been able to recognize him.

And, although this fellow seemed to be a
better man than Jake, yet it was the general
opinion that he would not succeed in making
a much better show than that worthy;a

“ Now, then, are you ready for to smashed
right up into Remakes?” the Coyote queried, as
he assumed a ghting position.

“ Oh, yes, l’m all ready; but if you don’t eat
anything until that o ration is performed
you’ll be mighty apt to ie of starvation,” Pea-
cock Pete replied.

CHAPTER XVII.
; smoum PROPOSITION.

As the two faced each other it really seemed
as if it was a most unequal contest, for the
rough-and-ready personage, who termed himself
the Coyote from Buena Vista. appeared to be
nearly twice as big as Peacock Pete.

But so great was the confidence of the by-
standers in the youn champion’s ability to cope
with the stranger, t anks to the essay manner
in which he had overcome Grizzly Jake that
there was hardly a man in the crowd who
would not have been wlling to bet odds upon
Peacock Pete.

“ Look out for yourself now, for the’ sixth-
quake is a—comin ,” the big fellow exclaimed,
and then he rush upon his antagonist.

There wasn’t any dodging this time on the
part of Peacock Pete as there had been when he
encountered Grizzly Jake.

But he stood like a rock, and as the Coyote
attempted to close in upon him he met the giant
with a blow between the eyes that made him
see more stars than he had ever distinguished in
the heavens, oing down with a crash that
shook the who e building

The Coyote from uena Vista' had been
“ knocked out" in the first round.

It was a fact; the terrible blows had stunned
the man so that it was fully five minutes before
he recovered suficiently to know what was go-
in on around him.

one of the bystanders hastened to his assist-

ance for there wasn’t a man in the room who

1wasn’t glad to see the bully receive so terrible a
esson.

When he recovered from the effects of the
shock he sat up and looked around him, a look
of utter amazement upon his face.

And as he glanced at the man who had han-
dled him so roughly, the expression in his eyes
seemed to say:

v“ Is this ossible or is it all a dream?”

Peacock ete’s blood was up though and he
was anxious to bring the matter to a conclu-
sion. ,

“ Come, ‘ rise up, William Reilly’ and toe the

xi"

-+

the- I

 

 

Peacock Pete. the Leadville Sport.

 

scratch l” he exclaimed. “You set out to
smash me into pancakes, you knovv. and you
can’t do it sitting down there on the floor."

“ Wal, I reckon you’re a. bruisernyou air 1”
the fellow growled, rising slowly to his feet.

“ Oh I can do a little hammering once in a
while, particularly when I can run across such
a first-class chopping-block as you are to oper—
ate upon,” Peacock Pete rejoined.

“ Cuss me! if you ain’t the hardest hitter of
any man I ever struck,” the Coyote from Buena
Vista observed, examining the young man in
the most careful manner as if seeking to dis
cover from whence he derived his wonderful
power.

“ Oh, I can’t hit at all to speak of; the fact is
you're such asoft, pasty, putty‘like man that
almost anybody could lay on out without any
trouble,” eacock Pete rep led, to the great de—
light of the crowd who “ haw-hawedl” outright
at the idea. ‘

“ But come, we’re wasting time,” the young
man continued. " You’re to smash me into
pancakes. you know, and as you was mighty
anxious to Wade in a few minutes ago, suppose
you gird up your loins and try it on again.”

“ Not if the court knows herself!” cried the
Coyote immediately, “and she reckons she do.
No, sir, you can’t play that racket asecond time
on me.

“ I’m the ,keenest man that ever struck this
town and don’t you forget it.

“ I know when I’ve got enufl and that’s the
kind of a keno wheel I am I”

“ What?” cried Peacock Pete in astonishment,
“are you goin to crawfish—going to take
water at this ear y stage of the game? ' Why,
the fun hasn’t begun yet."

“ Wal, on ma call it fun to be hammered
into aegel y but ’m blessed if I do!” the other
growl .

“ Why. you .big boobyr l” Peacock ~Pete ex_-
claimed in contempt. ‘ You came Into this
camp for the express purpose of laying me out
and now you back out of the job, right at the
beginning.” .

" Nary back out, no sir-ee: that ain’t the kind
of a mud-scow that I am,” the Coyote replied,
promptly. “ I am going to down you—I’ll lay
you out afore I get through with you, but not
with fists. No. pard, I pass on fists!”

“ Aha, you’ve got enough at that game 1” Pea»
cock exclaimed in contempt.

“ You bet. You don’t dar’ to fight me with
revolvers !”

“ Oh,. don’t I? .Why you overgmwn lunk-
heald’ I can wipe you out any way you take
me

“Mebbe you kin and mebbe you can’t!” the
giant retorted. “ I heered that you was a dead-
shot and I reckon you don’t dar’ to give achance
to git squar’ with you i" ,

“ I’ll give you any fair chance.”

“ Will you fight a duel with revolvers?”

I5 I will.”

“ Two revolvers to each man?”

“ Agreed.”

“ Distance, twenty paces apart.”

“ All right.” ‘

“We to stand with our backs to each other
and fire over the tops of our heads. A Judge to

\ .

l

(V
/

 

be app’inted with liberty to shoot down the cuss
w’ot attempts to turn ’round.”

A hum of astonishment went through the
room at this novel proposal.

Peacock Pete understood the game instantly.
His adversary had probably practiced this novel
style of shooting, and felt satisfied that he could
hit his man.

The man who had set the stranger on to attack
him, knew that he was an expert revolver-shot,
and so had devised the odd conditions of this
duel on purpose to neutralize his skill.

“ It suits me first-rate, pardner; you have hit
me where I live, every time,” Peacock Pete said.
“ And now, who will you have as judge?”

“ Let the crowd decide that!” cried one of the
miners, determined that the stranger should not
gain an unfair advanta e.

“‘W , I s’pose that wi be fair,” the Coyote
observed slowly, although from the expression
upon his face, it was plain that he would have
preferred some other arrangement but a glance
at the faces of the bystanders he revealed to
him that they would not be apt to stand any
nonsense, and that if he proposed Redmond
Hawk, as he had originally intended, there
would be instant objection made.

“ All I want is a fair shake,” he continued.
“ I’m the squarest kind of a man, and all I want
is a squar’ deal.”

“ That’s jest what you will get in this camp!"
exclaimed the miner who had before spoken.
“ We’re all squar’ men hyer, and we don’t pro—
pose to take nary bit of advantage of anybody,
nor allow anybody to come any rigs on usif we
know it. I nominate Tom Coffin, hyer, for
judge, and you kin jest bet your bottom dollar
that he is the man w’ot will see that everybody
Sits a squar’ show, and no mistake,” and as he

uished, he hit a veteran, gray-headed miner
who stood by his side a hearty slap on the
shoulder.

Tom Coffin was one of the original prospectors
who had located the cam , and his nom nation
was received with decide signs of approval by
the rest. -

“Yes, yes, Tom Coflinl” cried a half a dozen _

in a breath.

“ Coflin is a first-class name for the judge in
such an affair as this,” Peacock Pete observed,
“and as far as I am concerned, Mr. Coffin will
answer as well as any man that you could pick
up in the wide World.” I

“ Well, how does it suit your royal highness?"
asked the spokesman of the Buena Vista Coyote.
who was looking askance at Coflin, as it unde-
cided in regard to him. _

“ Oh, I reckon he’ll do,” the giant replied.
“Anybody will do, I reckon, so long as I git a
squar’ deal; that’s w’ot I'm arter.” -

“ Me, too, all the time,” Peacock Pete remark-
ed. “ I can lay on out in a mare fight, and so
I ain’t anxious or any funny usmess. _

“ So look out for yourself now, for I give you.
fair warning.”

The Coyote grgnted a defiance, and then the
whole party a j urned to the street.

CHAPTER XVIII.
ram srannr rronr.
BY this time the storm-cloud which had

 

_,'

29'

 
  
  
  
   

 

 

28

Peacock Pete, the Leadville Sport.

 

threatened toburst upon the town had passed
away, and the moon was shining brightly, so
the duelists had plenty of lightfor their con-

test.

The sudden irruption from the saloon of such
a crowd attracted immediate attention, and
everybody within eyesight hurried to the spot,
anxious to see what was going on.

It did not take many minutes for a crowd of
thirty or forty people to assemble.

The contestants examined their revolvers, and
Tom Coflin, as judge, rehearsed the terms of the
tight, so that there should not be any misunder-
standing.

“ Now, gen’lemen.” be said, “ I reckon that
both on you are anxious for a squar’ fight—a
fair "field, no favor, and may the best man

I).
"Eggt’s me, every time!” Peacock Pete re-

mar

“ I reckon that’s all I want, though mebbe I
won’t git it, seeing as how that I’m a stranger
in this burgh,” the Buena Vista Coyote observed
with a doubtful glance at the faces of the by-
stanéiers. ’

, tranger, you re going to git the squarest
kind of a deal l” Tom Coflin cried, impressively,
“ and I don't want you to forget it either.

“ This is a uar’ camp—squar’ as a die every
time, and that s the sort of reputation we travel
on.

“ No man ever struck the camp of Five Mile
Crossing yit and went out of it complaining
that he didn’t git a fair show for his money.”

“ We], a fair show is all I axes,” the "ant
replied doggedly. “ But I’m a stranger yer,
while this galoot-” '

“ Is a stranger, too!” Tom Cofiin hastened to
exclaim. “ He hain’t been h er but a mighty
few days, but that hain’t real y got anything to
do with it.

“ The pilgrim sharp w’ot hasn’t got a friend
to hack him up stands jest as good a chance for
a fair show in this hyer town as the oldest citi-
zen in the place.

I “ This town ought to be called Fair Play

Camp, for we‘re jest as squar’ as squar’ kin be
in sich things.

“ Now. you‘re to stand twentoyo‘paces apart—
J obn Michaela, you’ve got a g pair of long
legs, suppose ou paces off the distance.”

‘ Allri ht, ’m agreeable; anything to oblige,”
the miner.

reapond

hen, startin from a line which he made
with the heel 0 one of his boots in the dirt in
the middle of the street, John Michaela paced
of! the distance, and at the other and made a
similar mark.

“Thar you are, right as ninepencei” Tom
Comn exclaimed. “ One man stand on one line,
and the other man on t’other.

“Each man to have two revolvers, one held
in each hand.

“ You are to stand with your backs to each
other and fire over the top of your heads, and
no other way. ,

“ After one revolver is empty you are at
liberty to use the other.

“_ I’ll actas umpire, with my cocked pistol. and
I give you fair warning that I’m the biggest old
' deadehot that you kin scare up in a thousand

 

miles, and the first man that attempts to break
the terms of the a cement, or to take any un-
fair advantage I’l plug quicker’n a wink."

“ That’s it! that‘s the talk 1" the bystanders
remarked.

And it is worthy of note that, although the
sympath of the crowd was most entirely with
Peacock era, and they firmly believed that in
this novel contest he would be successful in
whipping his antagonist, there wasn't a man of
them who would not rather have seen Peacock
Pete defeated than to win by unfair moans.

“ S’pose we use up all our shots and neither
one on us goes under?” the Coyote asked.

“ Oh, you’re both of you too good men for
that to happen, I reckon,” Tom Coflin replied.

“ But s pose it does?” the big fellow per-
sisted.

“ Well, wait until it does, and then it will be
easy to arrange something else; that’s fair and
square for both on you, I reckon.”

As there was no gainsaying the truth of this,
the Coyote held his peace.

“ Now, gen’lemen. if you will have the kind-
ness to toe the scratch, I’ll give the signal to be-
gin the fun,” Tom Cofliu remarked, drawing one
of the heavy six-shooters buckled to his waist,
and deliberately cocking it.

The duelists took their positions.

“ Put your heels onto the mark, if you please,”
said the judge: ‘

The two 0 yed. ' ‘

“ Now, out with your we’pons, and git
ready 1”

Each man drew his revolver and cooked it.

“ Hands over your heads!” sung out Coflin.

Up went their hands.

“ Are (you all ready for the fandangoi”

“ Rea l” both answered in a breath.

“ Now ’11 count one, two, three, and after
three you kin fire. You understand that all
ti hti’

‘ Yes,” responded the two in chorus.

“Kee our eyes peeled nowl One two,
thsee! pWyaltz in, you cripples!” yelled the
Ju go.

As Peacock Pete had surmised, the big fellow
had practiced at this difficult backward shoot-

m .

fit was Redmond Hawk who had devised the
scheme.

He knew that no one but an extraordinary
shot would stand any chance at all against Pea-
cock Pete’s wonderful skill at a regular shoot—
ing-matcb, and so he had puzzled out this odd
backward shot, thinking by the novelty of the
thing to take Peacock Pete at a disadvantage.

The Buena Vista Coyote was a good shot, but
hardly a match for such a master-hand at tar-
get-practice as Peacock Pete.

He was an old acquaintance of Hawk‘s and
the arch plotter had sent for him and after he
had arrived, for three days he had ke is himself
secluded, practicing diligently at the ackward
shot, and when he had got the thing “down
flue ’ as he expressed it, he had set out to try
glistegalme upon the man whom Hawk hated so

1 r .

But in this matter the conspirators had reck-
oned “ without the host,” for the backward shot
was an old trick with Peacock Pete.

’.

v» :. -s

’ new; -

._.._....M_.n-_~. ti... .2. . ....

Peacock Pete, the Leadville Sport.

 

N. w~r.:.~ A,” . «m...

 

He had experimented at it in all sorts of
ways, first holding a mirror in the left hand and
shooting over his shoulder with his right, tak-
ing aim at the target by the aid of the reflection
in the mirror, and then had tried it without the
glass, the trick being to get the target in a di-
rect line with some object in front of the marks-
man.

This was the dodge that the Coyote intended
to work; but accident on this occasion favored
Peacock Pete most decidedly, for right in front
of him was a tree which seemed to guide his
aim, while the other had nothing better than
the end of a. house, which was some distance

0 .

And then, too, Peacock Pete had nerves of iron
and was just as cool when shooting at a human
target, with his own life put up as a forfeit for
a miscalculation, as when practicing at a mark.

The Coyote, on the contrary, was nervous, and
then too the hammering which he had received
was not calculated to steady his nerves.

Consequently he hesitated in aiming while
Peacock Pete fired almost immediately after the
word was given.

And with so true an aim that the report of the
pistol was answered by a howl of pain coming
from the lips of the Buena Vista Coyote.

He staggered for a moment and then went
down upon his face, the revolver dropping from
his nerveleSs hand.

Peacock Pete’s unerring aim sent a ball
through his right shoulder, making a wound
which although not mortal was sufficient to
keep the bully from being able to do damage to
any one for many a long day.

“I reckon the picnic is over,” the judge re-
marked; but hardly had the words left his lips,
and just as Peacock Pete turned to look at his
fallen foe, when there was a sharp pistol-crack,
and the chain ion went down.

The pistol-s ot came from a horseman' who
was artially concealed behind a house about a
bun red feet away.

And the moment the shot was fired, and he
saw that it had taken effect, he put spurs to his
horse and fled.

He would have escaped, too, had there not
been a hunter in the crowd with a. repeating
rifle, who had just come in from a hunt.

And it was not a difficult job for this expert
rifle-shot to draw a “ head" on the fleeing man.
and put a ball right through him. .

The rider threw up his hands and fell from his
horse, stone dead, upon the instant.

The well-aimed ball had cleft the heart of the
assassin in twain. . .

And when they came to examine him they
discovered that it was Redmond Hawk.

He had laid in ambush. determined town}-

the death of his foe by foul means, If his
ired bully failed.

Justice had quickly overtaken him, though,
and called him to a stem account.

And Peacock Pete, too. escaped with but a
slight wound. for the ball had been discharged
at such a distance that it had lost its powerto
do mortal harm when it reached him.

Reader, our story is told; tor, WWI) the death
of Hagvk, Peacock Pete’s persecution came to
an en .

 

And now that Hawk was gone, the store-
keeper, old Hopkins, made no objection to the
young man when he came asu. suitor for his
daughter.

Hawk held a rod over him, having discovered
that the old man had been enga ed in crooked
transactions in the East, and opkins feared
exposure.

And so, basking in the sunshine of prosperity.
we leave our hero. but at some future time we
may again follow the fortunes of the Lively
Lad from Leadville, Peacock Pete.

THE END.

 

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Dialogues No. Twenty-n 9..

 

 

 

 

 

   

 

BEADLE'S POCKET LIBRARY.

82 Seth Jones: or, The Captives of the Frontier.
By E. S. Ellis.

83 Canada Chet, the Counterfeiter Chief. By E. L.
Wheeler.

84 The Dumb Page: or. The Doge’s Daughter. By
Captaid Frederick Whittaker.

85 The Boy Miners; or, The Enchanted Island. By
Edward S. Ellis.

86 Jack Harkaway in New York. By Bracebridge

emfiig.

87 The ussar Captain; or, The Hermit of Hell
Gate. By Col. Prentiss In raham.

88 Deadwood Dick in Lea ville: or, A Strange
Stroke for‘Liberty. By Edward L. Wheeler.

89 Bill Biddon, Tra per, or, Life in the Northwest.
By Edward S. E 1s. .

90 Tipgy, the Texan; or, The Young Champion.
B eorge Gleason.

91 ustang Sam, the King of the Plains. By Jos.

. Badger, Jr.

92 The Ocean Bloodhound; or, the Red Pirates of
the Caribbees. By Samuel W. Pearce.

93 Phil Hardy, the Boss Boy; or, The Mystery of
the Stronghold. By Char es Morris. ,

94 Deadwoo Dick as Detective. By E. L. Wheeler.

95 Buck Buckram; or, Bess the Female Trapper.
By Captain J. F. 0. Adams.

96 Gilt-Edged Dick. B Edward L. Wheeler.

97 The Black Steed o the Prairies. By James L.

wen.
98 The Sea Serpent; or, The Boy Robinson Crusoe.
By Juan Lewis.
’19.? Bonanza Bill. the Man Tracker; or, the Secret
, Twelve. By E. L. Wheeler.
. 100 Naiithgdd'uor, The Fate of the Sioux Captive.
y . . s. ‘
101 Daring Da , the Young Bear Killer: or, The
» Trail of the order Wolf. By Barry St. George.
102 The Yellow Chief; or, The Half-Blood‘s Ven-
geance. By Capt. Mayne Reid. “

108 Chip, the irlsport. By Edward L. Wheeler.
104 The Black Schooner; or, Jib Junk, the 01d
Tar. By R0 er Starbuck. ,

105 Handsome arry, the Bootblack Detective. By
Charles Morris.

106 Night-Hawk Hit; or, The Daughter of the Ranch.
By Joseph E. Badger, Jr.

’10? Jack Hoyle‘s Lead; or, The Road to Fortune.
By Edward L. Wheeler.

108 Rocky Mountain Kit, the White Mustanger. By
T. C. Harbaugh.

109 The Branded Hand; or, The Man of Mystery.
By Frank Dumont.

110 T e Dread Rider; or, The Texan Duelist. By
George W. Browne. I '

111 Boss Bob, the King of Bootblacks. By Edward

. L. Wheeler.
112 The Helpless Hand. , By Capt. Mayne Reid.
113 Scar-Faced Saul, the Silent Hunter. By 011

Coomes.
114 Pine Paul, the Mountain Boy. By T. C. Harv

bang .

115 Deadwood Dick’s Double- or, The Ghost of Gor-

n’s Gulch. By Edward L. Wheeler.

116 abez Coffin, Skippier: or, Lost in the Polar
Regions. By Capt. . Whittaker.

117 Fancy Frank 0 Colorado; or, The Trappers

' Trust. By “ Buffalo Bill.”

118 Will Wildfire. the Thoroughbred; or, The Win-
nlng Hand. By Chas. Morris.

119 Blonde Bill' or. Deadwood Dick's Home Base.
By Edward L. Wheeler.

’12!) gophler Gld, the Boy Trapper. By T. 0. Hal‘-

, aug .

‘ 121 Harry Armstrong, the Captain of the Club. By
Bracebrldge Hemyng, (Jack Barks.an .

122 The Hunted Hunter: or, The Strange orseman
of the Prairie. By Edward S. Ellis.

123 taillid Sam. the Boy Road-Agent. By Edward L.

ee er - r

124 JudzeLyncthq or.TheBoyV lento. B T.

o. Harbaugh. ‘31 y

 

125 The Land Pirates; or, The League of Devil's
Island. By Capt. Mayne Reid.

126 Blue Blazes; or, The Break 0’ Day Boys 0!
Rocky Bar. B Frank Dumont.

127 Tony Fox, the erret; or, Boss Bob’s Boss Job.
By Edward L. Wheeler.

128 Will Wildfire’s Racer; or, Winning Against Odds.
By Charles Morris.

129 Eagle Kit, the Boy Demon. B 01] Coomcs.

130 Gold Trigger. the Sport; or, T 1e Girl Avengers.
By T. C. Harbau h.

131 A Game of Go (1; or, Deadwood Dick’s Big
Strike. By Edward L. Wheeler.

132 Dainty Lance, the Boy Sport. By Joseph E.

Bad or, Jr.

133 Wil -flre, the Boss of the Road. By Frank Du

mont.

134 Mike'Merry, the Harbor Police Boy. By Chas.

Morns.
135 Deadwood Dick of Deadwood; or, The Picked
Party. By Edward L. Wheeler.
136 Old Rube, the Hunter. By Capt. Hamilton
Holmes. ,
137 Dandy Rock, the Man from Texas. By G.
Waldo Browne.

138 Bob Rockett, the Boy Dodger. By Chas. Morris.

139 The Black Giant; or. Dainty Lance in Jeopardy.
By Joe. E. Badger. Jr.

140 Captain Arizona. the King Pin of Road-Agents.
lily Philip S. Warne.

141 ew York Nell, the Boy-Girl Detective. By
E. L. Wheeler.

142 Little Texas, the Young Mustanger. By Oll
Coomes.

143 Deadly Dash; or. Fighting Fire with Fire. By
Joe. E. Badger. Jr.

144 Little Grit, he Wild Rider. By Col. Prentiss In-

ra am.

145 The Tiger of Tans; or. Wild Kate. Dandy Rock’s
Angel. By Geo, Waldo Browne.

146 The Cattle King; or, Cortina’s Right Bower. By
Frank Dumont.

147 Nobby Nick of Nevada' or. the Scamps of the
Sierras. B Edward L. Wheeler.

148 Thunderbo t Tom; or, the Wolf-Herder of the
Rockies. By Harry St. George.

149 1Blob _Rockett, the Bank Runner. By Charles

oms.
150 The Mad Miner; or, Dandy Rock's Doom. By
G. Waldo Browne.
151 The Sea Trailer; or, A Vow Well Kept. By Col.
Prentiss In raham.
152 Dandy gazes; or, The Tigers of High Pine. By
r

W. H. ys .

153 Wild Frank, the Buckskin Bravo. By E. L.
Wheeler. _

154 The Boy3 Trailers; or, Dainty Lance on the War-
Path. y Joe. E. Badgfiar. r. ‘

155 Gold Plume, the Boy andit. By Col. Prentiss
Ingraham.

156 W11] Wildfire in the Woods. By 0. Morris.

157 Ned Temple, the Lender Boy. By T. C. Har-

haugh.

158 Deadwood Dick‘s Doom; or. Calamity Jane's
Last Adventure. By E.’ L. Wheeler.

159 Patent-Leather Joe’s Daft-at; or, The Lady
Road-Agent. By Philip S. Warne.

160 Buffalo Billy. the, Boy Bullwhscker; or, The
Doomed Thirteen. By 001. P. Ingraham. ‘

161 Bob Rockett, the Cracksman. By C. Morns.

162 Little Hurricane, the Boy Captain. By Oll

‘ Coomes.
163 Deadwood Dick’s Dream; or, the Rivals of the
ad. By E. L. Wheeler.

164 Tornado Tom; or. Injun Jack from Red Core.
By T. C. Harbaugh. .

165 Buffalo Bill‘s Be ; or, The Gambler Guide. By
Col. ' P. Ingraham.

186 Will Wildfire Wins and Loses; or, “A Trump

ard.” 'By Charles Morris. 1

167 Dandy Rock's Pledge; or, Hunted to Death. By

George W. Browne.

 

 

v' It:

., ads...

BEADLE’S POCKET LIBRARY.

 

168 Deadwood Dick's Ward' or. The Black Hills
Jezebel. By Edward L. color.

169 The Boy Champion. By Edward Willett.

170 Bob Rockett‘s Fight for Life: 01'. ShadOWBd in
New York. By Charles Morris.

17! Frank Morton, the Boy Hercules.
Coomes.

172 The Yankee Ranger; or, Dusky Darrell. By
Edwin Emerson.

173 Dick Dingle, Scout; or, The Frontier Angel. By
Edward S. Ellis.

174 Dandy Rock's Scheme: or, The Golden Hand.
By G. W. Browne.

175 The Arab Detective; or. Snoozer, the Boy Sharp
By Edward L. Wheeler.

176 Will Wildflre’s Pluck; or, The Hidden Hand. By
Charles Morris.

177 The Boy Commander; or, The Maid of Perth.
By Col. Prentiss Ingraham. ‘

178 The Maniac Hunter; or, The Mysteries of Night
Island. By Burton Saxe.

179 Dainty Lance: or, The Mystic Marksman. By
J. E. Badger, Jr.

180 The Bo Gold-Hunter; or. Navajo Nick’s Scout.
By T. . Harbaugh.

181 The Scapegrace Son. By Charles Morris.

182 The Dark-Skinned Scout; or, The Freebooters
of the Mississippi. By Lieut. Col. Hazeltine.

183 Jabez Dart, Detective; or, The Hermit Trapper.
By 011 Coomes.

184 Fegtherweight, the Boy Spy. By Edward Wil-
e .

By 011

the Overland Prince. By Col. Pren-
am.

188 Dainty Lance and His Pard. By Joseph E.
Badger, Jr.

187 The Trapped Tiger King; or, Dark Paul's Plot.
By Char es Morris.

188 The Ventrilo uist Detective. A Romance of
Rogues. By dward L. Wheeler.

189 Old Rocky’s Boys; or. Bonito, the Young Mus-
tang-Breaker. By Maj. Sam. S. Hall.

190 Sim Simpkins Scout- or, The Faithful Mountain
Mastiii‘. By James , Bowen.

191 Dand Rock’s Rival: or. The tel-ions W 
Rider? By Geo. Waldo Browneguy' o

1992 Hickory Ear ' or. Roaring Ral h, thb ntrilo-
qulst. By Hgny St. George. p N

198 Detective Josh Grim- or. The Young Gladiator's
Game. By Edward L. Wheeler.

594 Prospect Pete, the Boy Miner. By 011 Ooomes.

196 The Tenderfoot Trailer: or. Plucky Phil, of the
Mountain. By '1‘. C. Harbaugh.

196 The Dandy 'Detective' or, The Abducted Boy
Mystery. By Charles orris.

19” Roy, the Young Cattle King: or, The Texan
Sport Unmaske . ByCol. Prcntiss Ingraham.

198 Ebon Dan's Mask; or. The Rival Leagues of
the Myines. By Frank Dumont.

185 Bison Bi
tiss I

 

200 The Twin Horsemen: or, The Brothers of the
Plumed Lance. By Capt. Frederick Whittaker.

201 Dandy Darke‘s Pards; or, The Hawks of High
Pine. By Wm. R. Eyster.

202 Tom, the Texan Tiger; or, Old Luke‘s Luck. By
011 Gnomes.

203 Sam. the Office Boy; or, The Tables Turned. By
Charles Morris.

204 The Young Cowboy; or, The Girl Trailer's Tri-
umph. By Col. Prentiss Ingmham.

205 The Frontier Detective; or, Sierra Sam's Scheme.
By E. L. Wheeler.

206 White Lightning; er, the Boy Ally. By T. J.
Harbaugh.

207 Kentuck Talbot’s Band; or, The Red Lasso. By
Captain Mark Wilton.

208Trapper Tom‘s Castle Mystery' or Dashing
Dick’s Disguise. By Oll Coomes. . '

209 The Messenger-Boy Detective; or, The Tables
Turned. By Charles Morris.

210 The, Hunchback of the Mines: or. Reckless
Ralph, the Road-Agent. By Jos. E. Badger, Jr.

211 Little Giant and His Band; or Despam. the
Duelist. By P. S. Warne.

212 The Jimtown Sport; or, Gypsy Jack in Colorado.
By E. L. Whee er.

218 The Pirate’s Prize; or. The Mysterious Yankee
Schooner. By C. Dunning Clar .

214 Dandy Dave. of Shasta: or, The ‘Frisco Flash 0'
Lightning. By T. C. Harbaugh.

215 Daring Dan, the Ranger; or, The Denver Detec-
tive. By 011 Coomes,

216 The Cowho Captain; or, Ranger Ralph's Ruin.
By Colonel entiss ngraham.

217 Bald Head of the‘RockieSfiolrl‘: The Ang'l of the '

Range. By Major Sam S. a

218 The Miner S ort‘ or, Sugar-Coated Sam’s Claim.
/By Edward . Wheeler.

219 Buck, the Detective; or, Paul, the Boy Pard. By
Albert W. Aiken.

220 Crack-Shot Frank; or, Bill Bounce, the Moun-
tain Bravo. By Charles Morris.

22! Merle the Middy: or, A Wait of the Waves. By
Colonel Prentiss Ingraham.

222 Rosebud Ben’s Boys; or, The Young Prairie
Rangers. By Oll Coomes.

228 Gold Conrad‘s Watch-Dogs; or. The Two Pards
oi Vulture Bar. By T. C. Earbeugh.

224 Frisky Fe gus, the New York Boy. Br' (3". L.
Aiken.

225 Dick Drew, the Miner‘s Son; or. A llo Bill, the
Road-Agent. By Edward L. Whee er.

2% Dakota Dick in Chicago; or, Jack. the Old Tar.
By Charles Morris.

22? Merle, the Boy Cruiser: or, Brandt. the Buc-
caneer. By Colonel Prentiss Ingraham.

228 The Preacher Detective; or, The Boy Ventrllo-
quiet. By 011 Coomes.

229 Old Hickory‘s Grit. By John J. Muslim.

Captain Frederick Whittaker.

1“ Dictionary Nat. Detective- or Bill Bravo the 230 The Three Boy Sports' or. The Sword Hunters.
Bear Earhau’zh. ' l By

Tuner. By T. 0.

 

 

 

BEADLE’S POCKET LIBRARY.

 

281 Sierra. Sam, the Detective.
Wheeler.

232 Merle Monte’s Treasure; or, Buccaneer Brandt’s
Threat. By COL Prentiss Ingraham.

233 Rooky Rover Kit; or. Davy Crockett‘s Crooked
Trail. By Ensign C. D. Warren.

234 Baldy, the Miner Chief. By Capt. J. F. C.
Adams.

285 Jack Stump‘s Cruise; 01', The Montpelier‘s Muti-
ueers. By Roger Starbuck.

236 Sierra Sam‘s Double; or, The Three Female De-
tectives. By Ed. L. Wheeler.

5237 Newsboy Ned. Detective; or, Two Philadelphia
Gamins. By Charles Morris.

288 Merle Monte’s Sea-Scra or; or, Little Belt‘s
Droll Disguise. By Col. remiss Ingraham.

239 Ben's Biz Boom; or, The Boss Miner's League.
By Capt. Mark Wilton.

240 Sharp Shot Mike; or, Columbia Jim on the War-
Path. By 011 Coomes.

241 Sierra Sam’s Sentence: or. Little Luck at Rough
Ranch. ‘By Edward L. Wheeler.

242 The Denver Detective; or, Dainty Dot at Gold

v ‘ Gulch. By T. C. Harbaugh.

248 Dutch San’s Dilemma; or, The Mysterious
7 Mountain Monster. By Maj. L. W. Carson.

244 Merle Monte’s Disguise; or. The Capture of

, Brandt, the Buccaneer. By Col. P. Ingraham.

245 Bzildy’s Boy Partner: or, Young Brainerd’s

Steam Man. By Edward S. Ellis.

246 Detective Keen’s Apprentice: or. James Jumper

the New York Gamln. By Charles Morris.
247 The Girl Sport; or, Jumbo Joe‘s Disguise. By
Edward L. Wheeler.

248 Giant George’s Pard; or. Arizona Jack, the
Tenderfoot. By Buckskin Sam.

249 Ranch Rob’s Wild Ride; or, Old Winch The
Rifle King. By T. C. Harbaugh.

250 Merle Monte's Pardon; or, The Pirate Chief‘s
Doom. By Col.‘Prentiss Ingraham.

251 The Deaf Detective; or, Weasel, the Boy Tramp.
By Edward Willett.

252 Denver Doll’s Device: or, The Detective Queen.

. By Edward L. Wheeler.

258 The Boy Tenderfoot; or, Roaring Ben Bundy of
Colorado. By Capt. Mark. Wilton.

£54 Black Hills Ben; or. Dutch Jan on the War-
Path. By Maj. Lewis W. Carson.

255 Jolly Jim. Detective; or, The Young Protege‘s
Victory. By Charles Morris.

256,Merle Monte’s Last Cruise; or. The Sea Robber

, at Bay. By Col. Prentiss Ingraham.

W The Boy Chief of Rocky Pass; or, The Young
California Pards. By Maj. E. L. St. Vrain.

258 Denver Doll as Detective. By E. L. Wheeler.
4259 Little Foxeye, the Colorado Spy. By 011
, Coomes.

mo Skit, the Cabin Boy. By Edward Wiliett.

261 Blade, the Sport. or. the Giant of Clear Grit

amp. By T. C. Harbaugh.

362 Bill , the Boy Rover; or, Terror Tom of Texas.

By ol. P. Ingraham. \
263 Buster Bob’s Buoy; or, Lige, the Light-Ho
Keeper. By Capt. J. F. C. Adams.

264 Denver Doll’s Partner; or, Big Buckskin the
Sport, By E. L. Wheeler.

965 Billy, the Baggage Boy' or, The Young Railroad
Detective. By Charles orns. ,

£86 Guy's Bo Chum: or, The Forest Wait’s Mask.
By  k: ,

By Edward L.

 

267 Giant George’s Revenge; or, The Boys of “ Slip<
up Mine." By Buckskin Sam.

268 The Dead Shot Dandy; or, The Rio Grande
Marauders. By Col. Prentiss lngraham.

269 The Quartzville Boss; or, Daring David Darke.
By Edward Willett.

270 Denver Doll’s Mine; or, Little Bill's Big Loss.
By E. L. Wheeler.

271 Ebon Jim’s Terror; or, Ranger Rainbolt’s Ruse
By 0 l Coomes.

272 Kit, the Girl Detective; or. Dandy Dash in Cali-
fornia. By T. C. Harbaugh.

273 The Girl Rider; or, Nimble Ned's Surprise.
Jos. E. Badger, Jr.

'4 Dead Shot Dandy's Double; or, Benito, the Boy
Pard. By Col. Prentiss Ingraham.

By

.275 Fred, the Ocean Wait: or, The Old Sailor’s

Protege. By Charles Morris.

276 Deadwood Dick Trapped; or, Roxey Ralph’s
Ruse. By Edward L. Wheeler.

277 The Idiot Bo Avenger- or. Captain Wild-Cat’s
Big Game. y Albert  Aiken.

278 Arizona Alf, the Miner: or,*Little Snap Shot‘s
Luck. By T. C. Harbaugh.

279 Colorado Jack, the Tiger; or, The Ghost of the
Trailer. By Frederick DeWey.

280 Dead Shot Dandy‘s Last Deal; or, Keno Kit’s
New Hole. By Col. Prentiss Ingraham.

281 Ned, the Boy Pilot; or, The Pirate Lieutenant‘s
Doom. By Jack Farragut.

282 Buck Hawk, Detective Loy, The Messenger Boy’s

Fortune. By Edward Wheeler.

283 Roving S ort Kit; Or The Ghost of Chuckaluck
Camp. y Edward Willett.

284 The Showman’s Best Card; or, The Mad Animal
Tamer. By Capt. Fred. Whittaker.

285 Old Rock ‘s Pard; or, Little Ben‘s Chase. By
Buckskin am. _

286 Dick; the Dakota Sport. By Charles Morris.

287 Ned, the B0 Ski per; or, The Sea Sorceress’
Cruise. By ack arragut.

288 Deadwond Dick’s Diszuise' or, Wild Walt, the
Sport. By Edward L. Whee er.

289 Colorado Nick. the Lassoist; or, Old Si’s Protege.
By Major H. B. Stoddard,

290 Rube, the Tendertoot' r, The Boy‘s of Torpedo
Gulch. By Major E. L. St. Vrain.

291 Peacock Pete, the Leadvlne Sport: or. Hawk, the
Boss Miner. By Albert W. Aiken.

292 Joe Morey, the Night-Hawk; or. The Black
Rider. By Jos. E. Badger, Jr.

293 Dwarf Jake. the Detective; or, Kit Kenyon's
Man Hunt. By Edward Willett.
Ready August 21.

294 Dumb Dick‘s Bard: or Eliza Jane, the Gold
Miner. By Ed L. Whee er.
Ready August 28. '

Bnmn’s Poona-r LIBRARY is for sale by all News-
dealers, five cents per copy, or sent by mail on re-
ceipt of six cents each. ,

Bums mo Anus, Publishers,

w William Street, New York.