Bellefonte, Pa., September 19, 1913. |
Rex Beach
Adventure Stories
The Shyness of Shorty
By REX BEACH
Copyrieht by Rex Besch
PROLOGUE. |
As a teller of adventure tales
Rex Beach ts without an equal
én America. Years of experi-
ence as a miner in Alaska made
him familiar with a little known
quarter of the globe where life
Slows at full tide; consequently
hus stories are not only intensely
interesting, but they are abso-
lutely true to nature. Most of
his characters are real people,
changed somewhat to suit the
motives of the particular story
in which they appear. He has
been in many an Alaskan gold
rush and has had many narrow
escapes. One of the stories in
this series describes a [fright
Jul experience in a blizzard in
an Alaskan pass. Beach par-
#icipated in a trip of this very
character and barely escaped
being frozen ts death. One of
the Ind«ans who accompanied
hum died of exposure. Beach
made his first great hit with
““The Spoilers,” a remarkably
interesting tale of life near the
arctic circle, and this was fol-
lowed by "The Barrier” and
“The Silver Horde.” His Ad-
venture Slortes are varied in
character and full of thrilling
ancidents and humorous epi-
sodes. In appearance he resem.
bles a college football player,
being six feet two inches tall
and weighing 200 pounds.
AILEY smoked morosely as he
scunped the dusty tral leading
down across the “bottom” and
away over the dry, gray prairie,
toward the hazy mountains in the
west,
He called grufily into the silence of
the bouse, and his speech beld the
surliness of his attitude:
“Hot Joy: Bar X outfit coming.
Git supper.”
A Chinawanp appeared In the door
and gazed at the sis mule team de-
scending the distant gully to the ford.
“Jesse one man, bey? All ught'”
and he siid quietly back to the kitchen.
Whatever might be said, or, rather,
whatever might be suspected, of
Bailey's roadhouse—for people did
not run to wordy conjecture in this
country —it was Known that it boasted
a good cook, and this atoned for a
cntalogue of shorteomings So It
waxed popular among the hands of
the big cattle ranges near by. Those
given to idle talk beld that Bailey
acted strangely at times, and rumo?
painted occasional black doings at the
-—
He Seemed to Bounce Galvanically,
Landing on Joy's Back.
Bacienda, squatting vuiture-like above
the ford, but it was nobody’s business,
and he kept a good cook
Balley "did not recam the face that
greeted bim from above the three span
ms they swung In frout of nis corral, |
But the brand on their flauks was the
Bar X, so he nodded with as pear an
approach to hospitality as be permit
ted
It was a large tace, strong featured
and rugged, balanced ou wide, square
shoulders, yet some oddiess of posture
held the gaze of the (other till
stranger clambered over the wheel
the ground. ‘I'hen Bailey re
brier and beaved tempestuously in
&hroes of great and silent mirth,
it was a dwarf. The head of
Es®
g
Titan. the body of a whisky barrel,
rolling ludicrously on the tiny limbs
of a bug, presented so startling a sight
that even Hot Joy, appearing around
the corner, cackled shrilly. His laugh. |
ter rose to a shriek of dismay, v
ever, as the lite man made a
with the rush and roar of a
ball In Bailey's amazed eyes he
ing on Joy's back with such vicious
suddenness that the breath fled from
bim in a squawk of terror. Then,
seizing bis cue, he kicked and bela-
bored the prostrate Celestial In fever
ish silence. He desisted and rolled
across the porch to Bailey. Staring
truculently up at the landlord, he
spoke for the first time.
‘Was | right in supposing that some
thing amused ye?"
“No, sir; | reckon you're mistaken.
1 ain't observed anything frivolous
yet.” i
*(:lad of it,” sald the little man. *1
don’t like a feller to hog a joke all by
himself. Some of the Bar X boys
took to absorbing humor out of my
shape when | tirst went to work, but
they're sort of educated out of it now.
| got an eye from ove and a finger off
of another. The mst one donated a
ear”
Batley readily conceived this man as
# bad antagonist, for the heavy corded
neck pad spin buttons from the blue
shirt, and be glimpsed a chest hairy
and round as « druus, while the brown
arms showed knotty and hardened.
“let's liquor,” he =ald and led the
way into the big, low room serving as
bur. dining and living room. From
the rear came vicious clarterings and
siammings of pots, mingled with orien-
tn! mmentations, indenting an aching
body rather than an chastened spirit
“won't see ye often,’ ne continued.
with a toueb of implied curiosity.
“No. the old mais don't lemme get
uwey much: He knows that dwelling
close to the ground, as [ do, | pine for
. spiritual elevation,” with a melting
glance at the bottles behind the bar,
doing much to explain the size of his
first drink.
“Like it, do ye?" questioned Bailey,
indicating the shelf.
“Well, not exactly. Booze is like alr
-] need It. It makes a new man out
of me and usually ends by getting both
me and the new one laid off.”
“Didn't hear nothing of the wedding
over at Los Huecos, did ye?
“No Whose wedding?”
“Ross Turney, the new sheriff.”
“Ye, don't say: Him that's been
elected on purpose to round up the
Tremper gang, hey? Who's his un-
tagonist?
“Old man Miller's gai. He's cele-
brating his election py getting spliced
1 been expecting of ‘em across this
way tonight, but | guess they took
the Black Butte trail. Ye heard what |
he sald, didn't ye? Claims that in.
side of ninety days he'll rid the coun- |
ty of the Trempers and give the re- |
ward to his wife for » | present. |
Five thousand dollars on ‘em, ye
know." Balley grinned evilly and
continued: “Say. Marsh Tremper 'll |
ride up to his house some night and
make him eat his own gun in front of '
his bride, see If be don’t. Then there'll |
be cause for an inquest and an elec-
tion,” He spokej with what struck |
the teamster as unuecessary Beat.
a brash young feller, | hear, but he's |
game. "Taint any of my business,
though, and | don't want none of his
contrac’. I'm violently addicted to
peace and quiet. | am Guess I'll un.
hiteh
As the saddened Joy Iit candles in |
the front roow there came the rattle |
of wheels without. und a buckboard
stopped In the bar of light from the
door. Bailey's anxiety was replaced
by a mask of listless surprise as the
voice of Ross Turney called to him:
“Hello, there, Baller: Are we In
time for supper: If not. I'll start an
insurrection with that Boxer of yours.
He's got to turn out the snortingest
supper of the season tonight. It isn't
every day your shack 1s honored by |
i
i in a fury, as the tall young map gazed
| sheriff.
| peace.
; ¥e big wart, or I'll trample them new
| clothes and browse urcund on some of
". und, spying the girl, blushed to the
| ~der the labor of bis discomfort:
seemed to bounce galvanically,-land- |
, Turney.”
| the Bar X outtit. All his life he nad
| tions. Undoubtedly it must be quench
“Dunno,” said the other. ““lurney’s k °¢
8 bride. Mr. Batley, this is my wife,
since 10 o'clock a. wm." He Introduced
a8 blushing, bappy girl. evidently in
the grasp of many ewotions “We'll
| stay all night, | guess.” i
“Sure,” sald Balle. “I'll show ye |
| a room,” and be ied them up beneath
| the low roof where an unusua! clean-
; liness betrayed the industry of Joy.
' The two men returned and drank to
! the bride. Turney with the reckless i
i lightness that distinguished tim, |
{ Balley sullen and watchful, |
“tiot another outtit bere, haven't |
, you” questioned the bridegroom.
“Who Is it?" |
Betore answer could he made, from
; the Kitrben arose u tortured howl and
i
|
the smashirz of distes, mingled with
stormy rumbiings Che door burst wn.
wird. and an agoulzed Joy fed, tap
pig out oto the might, while behind
hii rolled the caricature from Bar X.
“lI just stopped for a drink of
water.” boomed the dwarf, then
paused at the twitching face of the
sherify.
He swelled ominously. tike a great
pigeon. purple and congested with
rage Strurting to the newcomer, he
glared insoiently up nto nis smiling
face.
“What are ye laughing at, ye shave.
tail? His bands were clinched till
tis arms showed tense and rigid, and
the cords in bis neck were thickly
swollen.
“Lemme in on it!
wor.
I'm strong on bu-
What in b—1 alls ye?” pe yelied,
fixedly. and the glasses rattled at the
bellow from the barreied-up lungs.
“I'm net laughing at you.” said the
“Ob. ain't ye?" wocked the man of
“Well, take care that ye don't,
your features. I'll rake ye apart till
ye look like cut feed. Guess ye don't
know who | am, do ye? I'm"-
“Who 1s this man. Ross? came the
unxious voice of the bride. descending
the stairs.
The little man spun like a dancer
color of a prickly pear, then stammered
painfully, while the sweat stood out un
“Just ‘Shorty,’ miss.” be finally qua
vered. “Plain ‘Shorty’ of the Bar X-
er—a miserable, crawling worm for
disturbing of ye.” He rolled his eyes
belplessly at Bailey while he sopped
witb his crumpled sombrero at the
glistening perspiration.
“Why didn't ye tell me? he whis
pered ferociously at the host, and the
volume of his query carried to Joy
niding out in the night
“Mr. Shorty,” said the sheriff grave
15, “let me Introduce my wife, Mrs
The ovbride smiled sweetly at the
tremulous little mau, who broke and
fled to a bigh bench in the darkest
corner, where be dangled his short legs
1D a silent ecstasy of bushfulness.
“1 reckon I'll have to rope that
Chink, then blindfold and back him
into the kitchen, if we git any supper,”
sald Bailey, disappearing.
later the Chinaman stole In to set
the table, but he worked with nectic
aud titful energy. a fearful eye always
upon the dim bulk in the corner, and
ut a fancied move he shook with an
ugue of apprehension. Backing and
sidling, be finally announced the tien
prepared to stampede madly at notice.
During the supper Shorty ate raven:
ously of whatever lay to his hand, but
asked no favors. The agony of his
shyness paralyzed nis huge vocal mus
cles till speech became a labor quite
impossible
To a pleasant remark of the bride he
responded, but vo sound issued; ther.
breathing heavily into his larynx, the
reply roared upun them lke a burst
of thunder, seriously threatening the
gravity of the meai He retired ab-
ruptly into moist and self conscious
silence, fearful of feasting is eyes
on this disturbing loveliness
As soon as compatible with decency
be slipped back to bis bunk In the
shed behind aud lay staring into the
darkupess. picturing the awazing oe.
currences of the evening At the wem
ory ol ner level glances he fell a-rrem
ble aud sighed ecstatically, prickling
with a new, strange emotion. He a)
tll far into the might. wakeful and an |
sorbed He was able to grasp the 1a
but dimly that ali this dazzling per.
fection was for one man. Were it nor
manifestly impossible be supposed
other men iu other ands knew other
indies us peautifui, ana it furthermore
grew upon nim olackly, in the thick
gloom, that In all this world of wom
unly weet hin and Lenuty no modicum
of it was the misshapen dwarf of
fought. furiously to uphold the empty
shell of nis dignity Iu the eyes of his
comrades, yet always morbidly con
scious of the difference iu bis body
Whisky had been bis solace, his sweer
neart. It changed him. raised and be
atified -bim {nto the !keness of other
men, and now as he pondered he was
aware of a consuming thirst engen-
dered by the beat of his easller emo-
He rose and stole quietly out into the
Lig front room. Ferhaps the years of
free life in the open nad bred “
picion of walls; perbaps he fe) «
conduct would not brook discover:
perhaps habit prompted nim ke
the two heavy Colts from their holster.
and thrust them 'luside his trouser
band.
He slipped across the room, siim
and cavern-like, its blackness brok:
by the window squares of starry sk
till he felt the paucity of glasswn:
behind the bar.
“Here's to her.”
fully.
“Here's to the greom.”
more alluringly.
“I'll drink what | can and get bar
It burned delig!
It dog.
to the bunk before It works” be
thought, and the darkness velled the
meusure of his potations.
He started at a wise on the sialr-
way. His senses. pot yet dulled. de-
tected a stealthy tread—oot the care
‘ess step of a man anafraid, but the
autious rustle and halt of a maraud-
er Every perve bristled to keenest
; Rlertness as the faint occasional sounds
approached, passed the open end of the
i bar where be crouched. leading on tc
the window. Then a match flared, and
the darkness rushed out as a candle
Wik sputtered
Shorty stretched on tiptoe, brought
Dis eye to the wvel of the bar and
razed upon the borrent bead of Bailey.
He sighed 1hankfully, but watched
with nmterest his strange beharvior.
Baliey moved the light across the
window trom eft to right three times.
puso, then wigwagged some code out
te the might,
“Hes signaling.” mused Shorty
‘Hope be gets through quick. I'm
geting full” The fumes of the liquor
were beating ar bis senses. and he
Enew that soon he would move with
dithieulty
The man. however, showed no inten.
tion of weaving, for. his signals com-
pleted, be Liew ont the light, tirst lis-
tening for any sound from above; then
bis figure womed black and immobile
agmnst the dim starlight of the win-
duw,
“Oh, Lord. | got to set down!" and
the watcher squatted upon the fluor,
bracing against the wall. His dulling
perceptions were sutliciently acute to
detect shutfling footsteps on the porch
und the cautious unbarring of the
door,
“Getting late for visitors,” he thought
as he entered a blissful doze. “When
they're abed I'll turn in.”
It seemed much !ater that a shot
startled him To his dizzy hearing
came the sound of curses overhead,
the stamp and shift of feet, the crash-
[Continued on page 7, Col. 1.] }
Medical.
Just in Time |
SOME BELLEFONTE PEOPLE MAY WAIT
TILL IT'S TOO LATE,
Don't wait until too late, i
Be sure to be in time.
Just in time with kidnev ills.
eans curing the backache. the dizzi.
ness, the urinary disorders,
t 80 often come with kidney trou.
Doan’s Kidney Pills are for this very
purpose,
Here is Bellefonte testimony of their
worth
Mrs. H. 1. Taylor, 70 S. Water St., Belle
fonte, Pa., hy “We think just as high.
ly of 's Kidney Pills
some years ago, when we pub!
t fe were procured at
Green's Pharmacy Co. and pruugit relief
from backache and kidney trouble. On
several occasions since then we have tak-
en Doan’s Kidney Pills and they have al.
ways been of the greatest it,”
For sale by all dealers. Price 50 cents.
Foster-Milburn Co., Buffalo, New York,
sole agents for the United States. |
Remember the name—Doan’s—and take !
no other. 58.29
Hardware.
Cabinet Dockash..
The short story of a Cabinet
Dockash
Let us show them to you.
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