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HAPPY DAYS.
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That Boy of Brown's.
By R. T, EMMET.
CHAPTER I. +
THE MIDNIGHT GUESTS.
The sun had already sunk behind the
peaks of the Rocky Mountains and the rain
was coming down in lively style when Mr.
Peter Brown, landlord of the Mountain
House, the one hotel in the little town of
Copper Ridge, in the southwestern part of
Colorado, came out on his piazza and took
. “Gosh hang
that boy. Where is he? Never round when
he's wanted. Ned! Oh, Ned! Consarn
He gets lazier and more stupid every
iy.
“Ned! Hey, you, Ned! Where’s them
pails of water you was going to fetch?”
screamed a shrill female voico from the
kitchen end of the house.
“I’m a-coming, ma'am!" was the reply,
aud a boy of about eighteen, dressed in a
tattered old suit, which had evidently once
een Mr, Brown’s, as it was miles too bi,
for him, came staggering up the hill car-
rying a heavy pall of water in each hand.
, there you be!” exclaimed the land-
lord. “I knew blamed well that you was
fooling away your time somewheres.
Haven't I told you over and over again to
get your kitchen water earlier in the after-
noon? them pails and fetch
some logs and kindling wood for the bar-
room fire, d’ye hear?”
ote rola. will half kill me if I “do,
ed Ned Dennis, the Mountain
House drudge and boy of all work. “
e there in just a moment with the wood
if you'll let me carry the pails in.”
-“What! Do you dare to answer me
back!” roared Brows, who was “half shot”
and desperately a as he always was, at
that hour in the
- Ned started to run to the kitchen door
win the pails.
fhe didn’ t take the water in he knew
knew he would catch that anyway, and,
like most people who try to sit on two
stools at once, poor Ned fell between them
and caught it all around.
“How dare you go against my orders to
the boy, Pete Brown?” screamed a thin,
vixenish woman, running out by the
kitchen door with a soup ladle in her hand.
“Why don’t you make the boy
work at ‘the proper time instead. of just
at night when I want him?” retorted the
landlord, hurrying toward her.
met in the yard in front of the
Kitchen door, with Ned and his pails be
tween them.
“Take that!” screamed Mrs. Brown,
throwing the soup ladle at her husband’s
“T'll learn you not to interfere with
my kitchen work!”
The ladle took the landlord on the left
ear just as he was‘in the act of kicking
poor Ne
Disastrous results followed.
The landiord lost his balance and fell
backward, sprawling on the ground,
smarting under the blow of the ladle and
swearing like a pirate all the while.
Ned got the kick all right and it was a
good, hard one, too.
It sent him ‘tumbling over against Mrs.
Landlord and he dropped the pails of
water, barking her shins with the heavy
buckets and drenching her feet and skirts,
hew! What a row there was then!
Mrs. Landlord caught the boy by the
hair, gave it a fearful tug, slapped his
face and threw him over against her hus-
band, who had just managed to regain his
fee
AB Ned happened to be a good-sized fel-
low for his age, he fell against Brown's
stomach with considerable force, tumbling
him over again-and this time Into the
water, which had run down into a little
hollow, forming quite a pool.
do his}
Ned scrambled up in a hurry, but
Brown, swearing. till the air was fairly
blue, got-on his feet and caught him be-
fore he could reach the road, Mrs. Brown
screaming out at the top of her lungs all
sorts of pleasant things, while her hus-
band shook the boy and kicked him most
brutally.
Ned ‘yelled and begged for mercy, his
cries reaching the ears of two men who
were driving by on the roa
“Say, Jack, they seem to be murdering
somebody up there at the tavern,” re-
marked one.
“Oh feplied the nna “it’s only that
boy of Brown's, always catching it.
Brown oes he's halt- witted and don’t mind
it, thou,
“Don't believe a word of it,” said the
first speaker. “if I was that boy of
Brown's I'd break the old man’s face for
him and run aw:
The men drove
“That boy of Br own ’s,” escaping from
the landlord’s clutches at last, took in the
wood, built the parroom fire and then car-
ried in the kitchen wai
Brown kicked him peain when he came
in with the wood and Mrs. Brown cuffed
him when he brought in the water.
And. oe it was every day week in and
week 0}
Night. came on. Supper was served. The
miners gathered .in the barroom, as usual,
and Ned had all he could do to wait on the
tables where the various poker games were
in progress.
Brown was usually more civil to him in
the evening because he needed his ser-
vices. .
Years before he had taken Ned out of the
Denver poor house and the reason why the
boy did not run away was probably be-
cause he had never known any other life
than this and consequently did not know
where to run to.
At any rate there at the Mountain House
he stayed and by nearly everybody in
per Ridge was looked upon as half Witton,
because he did so,
miners far and near, who were in
the seen of riding to Copper Ridge for
their supplies and stopping at the tavern
for their whisky, wyyarably spoke pitying-
ly of poor Ned as y of Brown's.”
ut the worm will tura vand the pitcher
that is sent too piten to the well is said
to Bet broken a’
“That boy of Brown’ 's” had no bed, When
his long day’s work was over he was ac-
customed to roll himself up in a dirty old
blanket and sleep in the corner beside the
dying fire.
About one o'clock that night Ned, left
alone, the last guest having departed and
the landlord having staggered off to bed,
prepared to turn in as usual.
“TH be hanged if I can stand this any
longer,” he muttered. “I know
if by get out of this. Tm going to run
away.”
was a bad night for such an under-
taking, but Ned did not care much for
te bad often fbougat of taking the step
and now that his mind was made u
last he etermined to go a e.
He went behind the bar and got an old
coat belonging to Brown, which he pulled
over his own; then, putting on his fur cap
and taking a thick walking stick out of the
corner, he softly opened the door and
looked out at the rain.
“Which way shall I go?” he thought.
“Wonder if Mat Morgan is on the road to-
night? He swore he'd kill me. I almost
wish he wou
Te was ust ‘about to close the door and
start off in the storm when his ears caught
the sound of wheels and a covered wagon
drawn by two stout horses came dashing
into th
“Fello! Landlord! Hello!
Mountain House?" called
Tg this the
a man, looking
out.
“Yes, itis. What do you want?”
“I want to change horses if can. I am
most anxious to make Agua Fria by three
o'clock so that I ean catch the Denver
mail, My daughter is here with me. She’s
half frozen. Hope you've got a good fire
in there so that we can warm up. Thunder
and guns! What’s the matter with you,
boy? What are you staring at? Why
don’t you speak?”
“I don’t think Brown would let no
horses go out this time of night,” replied
Ned. “Besides, he’s turned in I
dassent wake him up. The lady can come
in and warm herself, fboush. There’s a
fire in the barroom
“You call the Tandiord,” said the man
sternly. “If you don’t I'll go upstairs to
his recom and call him myself. .We must
have the horses. Tell him I’m the Hon-
orable Lucius Beatty, of Denver, and {nat
I have a large sum of money wit!
have reason to know that "Mat Morgan,
the Mountain Terror, is on my trail and I
am most anxious to get aboard the cars be-
fore he can overtake me. Do you under-
stand what I’m saying to you?. Can you
remember all that
Thus saying a Honorable Mr, Beatty,
who had descended from the wagon, helped
a decidedly pretty girl down: upon the
piazza.
“Don't speak ‘so roughly to the boy, fa-
ther,” she said. “You frighten him. I’m
sure he will do all he can to help us.”
She smiled sweetly upon Ned, who stood
staring at her speechles:
It was the first time that a pretty girl—
or an ugly one, either, for that matter—
had ae smiled upon “that boy of
Brow:
o ey tL do what I can for a miss,” stam-
mered Ned. “Come:in by the fire. I'll
speak to Mrs. Brown, but I dassent wake
the gia man; he'd half kill me if I did.”
‘i give you this if you'll help me
out” ” said Mr: Beatty, | sHpping a fyedollar
gold piece into Ss. ut.
handed it. back, with Bis ven still yea
admiringly upon Miss Ter
don’t want your money," he stam-
tea, “I—I'll do it for the lady.”
Hello there! Hello! Mountain House,
ello!” came the cry from down the road
at this mome’
Ned tarned jfeathty pale and slammed
the door hast
“That's Mat Morgan's gang now!” he
exclaimed. “Oh, ! What am I going
to oer He swore he'd kill me next time he
CHAPTER II.
NED READS MAT MORGAN A LESSON.
Usually “that boy of Brown’s” was too
badly browbeaten and cast down to feel
frightened at anything except the brutal
landlord of tbe Mountain House and his
shrewish w
But Ned was = thoroughly frightened now.
Besides himself an e belated guests
there was practically: 4 no one in the hotel
capable of making the slightest resistance
against the “Mountain Ter
Morgan, the notorious bandit, whose evil
gang had for the past two years infested
this region, was called,
The landlord was drunk
would not have been of the slightest | use nit
he had been Sober, for he was a great cow-
ard at all tim
Mrs. Brown, was not to be counted, of
course, and there was nobody else except
Pridget, the chambermaid
The Mountain House stood on the ex-
treme edge of the town and was but little
frequented by travelers, except such as
called at the barroom.
Formerly Mat Morgan stood in high
favor with the landlord, but there had
been a quarrel and, unfortunately for Ned,
he was mixed up in it.
He spoke the truth when he stated that
the outlaw chief had threatened to shoot
him on sight.
If the “Mountain Terror” was really com:
ing “that bey of Brown's” had good rea-
rom te Teel alarmed,
“Ned!
Nel! What is-it all about?”
screamed Mrs.
the stairs,
“Its Mat Morgan again, ma’am!”. an-
swered Ned. “He’s coming here!”
“Heaven preserve us! And Mr. Brown
drunk again! Let them have anything
they want, Ned, so long as you keep them
ownstairs. _ Don’t you try to stand out
against them. . They'll murder us all and
burn the house down. if
Now it n not be supposed, for one in-
stant that Ned stood quietly listening to all
Brown from- the head of
He did nothing of the sort.
As he felt then hi 8 didn’t care whether
the house was burned o: nee noe
The horses were coming ¢
“Hello, the Mountain House!
gained on us
my shall
“Fight for it,” was the stern "reply. “Boy,
you'll stand by, me? I’m going out for the
-Hide us ‘somewhere and I'll never
fe started for the door, but Ned pulled
him
obese go!” he breathed” hurriedly. “Get
out the back window, | barn is right
behind there and there’s six bully horses
in it. You saddle a pair of ’em and I'll
get your money and chuck it out through
the window to the lady; before they get
through with me and have the first round
of whisky you can be off across lots. You
needn’t show yourself on the road at all.”"
“Boy, ‘you’ve got a great head! Upon
my word you have!” Mr. Beatty exclaimed.
“Do it, father, Do: it for my sake!”
pleaded Teresa. .
“Bless your heart, I mean to do it!”
cried Mr. Beatty. “It’s a mighty. bright
suggestion, but pow shall we ever find our
way to Agua Fria?”
“If they don’t yan me I'll ride after you *
ang show you the way,” Ned quietly said.
‘But to leave you in danger——
“Never mind me! Ge before it's too
late.”
He threw up the back window and
pointed out into the stor
“What about the money?” he asked, run-
ning back toward the doo:
“It’s in a dress suit case “under the seat,”
replied ae Beatty, hastily. “Don't lose a
moment, my | Come, Teresa. It’s our
only chance.
He lifted” the girl through the window
and sprang after her,
Meanwhile Ned threw open the front
door and sprang into the wagon, got the
dress suit case, dashed back ie the bar-
room and threw it out the win. a
“T’'ve got it!” phispered Mr. Beatty. “We
are off for the barn. I've got a dark lan-
tern in my pocket. Por heaven's sake take
care of yourself, boy!
He thought that Nea was there to listen,
but he wa:
“That boy of Brown's” realized his dan-
ger 00 well.
ope he may be ardo fe
determination he had me ned for the
© got to le out ot this or Mat will do
me. sues was the thought uppermost in
3
a,tielto, the Mountain House! Hello!”
cry again, this time at the foot
of the little hill which led up from the
they were right upon him.
Ned knew that all depended upon his
keeping them nee in front of the house
ban le Mr. Beatty got in his work at the
arn.
Paying no further heed to Mrs. Brown’s”
shrill cries, for she was still at it, except
to tell her that she had better go back to
bed, Né@ went out on the piazza and lighted
the big lantern, which was fastened
against the side of the house.
It threw a broad beam of light dewn to-
ward the read and he saw the Mountain
Terror, at the head of his band, come dash-
Ing up to the tavern door.
“Hello! Here's that boy of Brown's!”
shouted a big, heavily-bearded man, wear-
ing a cowboy hat and long boots, with half
a dozen revolvers stuck in his belt. “Here’s
the young snipe that I'ye sworn to kill!”-
Tee Tne NSM edt ete ihn taabasatnidgiink bemoan ses iraestas font
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