Montezuma's Castle, and Other Weird TalesCory, Charles B. (Charles Barney)
General
Montezuma's Castle, and Other Weird Tales
Cory, Charles B. (Charles Barney)
Fiction; Short stories, American
"Say, I sat in that booth over there having a quiet drink, and what do
yer think? A dude in the next booth commenced putting up a job with four
ducks; one of them is Mexican John and the other is Brady, our assistant
bar-keeper here. As far as I can make it out Brady got the three other
ducks. Say, wait a minute! I don't believe I ever will stop larfin'.
What do yer think? this dude is going up to the Cañon on my next trip,
and is going to have these four fellers stop the stage to put up a
bluff on his girl to show what a fighter he is, and he is to give um
twenty dollars each. He is going to jump out and pull his gun and clean
out the crowd, and then go back and bask in the sunshine and admiration
of the young girls. Oh, Lord! The skunk don't care how much he scares
the girls and the old man who are goin' along, but all he wants is to
pose as a fighter from away back. But say, Jimmie, what do yer think? I
have been thinkin' this thing over, and I don't believe his little
picnic will transpire. He calculates to blow in eighty dollars to make a
monkey of himself, and I am thinkin' that we can use that eighty dollars
in our business and teach the fellow a good lesson all ter wonce. What
breaks me up more than anythin' is that he told Brady to hunt me up and
tell me on the quiet that there was a reformed desperado going with me
who used to be known by the name of 'Fightin' Harrison.' Worked me into
the job too, see? What do yer think?"
IV.
The stage was slowly toiling up a dusty hill some five miles from
Flagstaff. The road was rough and the day was warm. The stage-driver let
the horses take things easy, and from time to time shook with suppressed
emotion. "I hope I may die," said he to himself, "if this ain't the
damndest."
In the back seats the two young girls, the old man, and the would-be
hero were enjoying the scenery and the novelty of the trip in spite of
the dust. Suddenly three men sprang into the road, and a loud voice
commanded the stage to "hold up."
"What is the matter?" asked Nellie excitedly.
"Don't be afraid," said Wendell, pressing her hand, "remember I am with
you."
A rough-looking man appeared at the side of the stage.
"Is your name Harrison?" he said, addressing Wendell.
"It is," answered Harrison boldly; "what do you want?"
"I have a bill here for eighty dollars against you, which will have to
be paid or you will have to get out and go back to town with me."
"What do you mean?" gasped Harrison.
"Just what I say, young man; your name is Wendell Harrison, isn't it?
You used to be known here by the name of 'Fighting Harrison,' didn't
you?"
"Certainly not, you have the wrong party," answered Harrison
indignantly.
"Well, I don't know about that; didn't somebody tell you that this
fellow was 'Fighting Harrison,' Bill?"
"They certainly did," answered the stage-driver.
"It is all a mistake," said Harrison.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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