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Now, when strapping, good-looking Dick Darvall came to the ranch in the course of his travels and beheld Mary Jackson, and received the first broadside from her bright blue eyes, he hauled down his colours and surrendered with a celerity which would have mightily amused the many comrades to whom he had said in days of yore that his heart was as hard as rock, and he had never yet seen the woman as could soften it!
"I say, Jackson," observed Darvall, when the worthy ranch-man found leisure to attend to him, "of course you know that this is all nonsense an abominable lie about my friend Brooke being an outlaw?" "Of course I do, Dick," said Jackson, in a tone of sympathy; "an' you may be cock-sure I'll do what I can to help 'im.
The scout accepted the responsibility; the arrangements were soon made; "boots and saddles" was sounded, and the troopers rode away, leaving Charlie Brooke, Dick Darvall, Buck Tom, and the scout in possession of the outlaws' cave. When the soldiers were safely away Hunky Ben returned to the cave and brought Leather down.
"From what you say I should think that my friend Brooke won't have much trouble in findin' Traitor's Trap," remarked Dick Darvall, pausing in the disposal of a venison steak which had been cooked by the fair bands of Mary Jackson herself, "but I'm sorely afraid o' the reception he'll meet with when he gets there, if the men are such awful blackguards as you describe."
"Beat Leather!" exclaimed Darvall, "why, he beats all creation. I never see'd anything like it since I went to sea." "Since you came ashore, you should say. But come, Dick," said Charlie, "let's hear about this wonderful shooting. I'm sure it will amuse Buck unless he's too wearied to listen." "Let him talk," said the invalid. "I like to hear him."
His appetite began to return, however, and it was evident that the short daily allowance would be insufficient for him. When this point was reached Dick Darvall one day, when rations were being served out, ventured to deliver an opinion.
Finally, however, he gave in; and accordingly, one fine morning at daybreak, Dick Darvall, mounted on Black Polly, and armed with his favourite Winchester, revolvers, and cutlass, "set sail" down Traitor's Trap to visit his lady-love! Of course he knew that his business was to obtain letters and gather news.
"He's up to everything," said Darvall in a low voice, referring to our hero. "From pitch-and-toss to manslaughter," responded the boy, with a broad grin. "I do believe, Mr Brooke, that you can turn your hand to anything," said Captain Stride, as Charlie came on deck a few minutes later. "Did you ever study doctoring or surgery?"
Bigfoot, with the agility and strength of a gorilla, leaped up and over the stockade and sprung down into Jackson's arms, while Darvall and Crux resumed their almost ubiquitous process of defence, and Buttercup's weapon again thundered forth its defiance. This time the fight was more protracted.
We were greatly surprised, for we knew that the old gentleman is not and never was, a smoker. She threatened to leave, but we have since heard, I am glad to say, that they have made it up! "H'm! there's food for meditation in all that," said Dick Darvall, as he knocked the ashes out of his pipe and put it in his vest pocket.
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