Sir Arthur Conan Doyle - "The Doings Of Raffles Haw"

Hector St. John de Crevecoeur - "Letters from an American Farmer"

Louis Antoine Fauvelet de Bourrienne - "Memoirs of Napoleon Bonaparte, v5"

Alice Hegan Rice - "Lovey Mary"

New Philadelphia Book Publisher Highlights Local Talent
Book and Publishing News from Publishers Newswire(tm)

Looking for Child to be on Cover of a New Book, 'The Model Child'
PHILADELPHIA, Pa. -- The Philadelphia literary world will celebrate the launch of two new players today, April 10th: Kay Square Press, a new publishing company focused on Philadelphia-area artists, their stories, and their art; and Kay Square's first release, 'With the Rich and Mighty: Emlen Etting of Philadelphia' (ISBN: 978-0-9815129-0-7), a critical biography by Kenneth C. Kaleta.

FlatSigned Press Alleges Don Imus Remarks Damage Legacy of President Gerald R. Ford
NEW YORK, N.Y. -- Nathan Yungerberg, an accomplished model scout and professional child photographer is launching a nation-wide casting call to find the cover model for his highly anticipated book release, 'The Model Child: A Parents Guide to the Child Modeling Industry' (ISBN: 978-0-9817018-0-6).

Books: Happy Hawkins

R >> Robert Alexander Wason >> Happy Hawkins







CHAPTER THREE

UNDER FIRE


As soon as I finished takin' care o' Starlight, I give Monody's
mount a look-over. The old bald-face was whipcord an' steel; but he
looked purty near ready to own up.

"Monody, confound you," I sez. "What the deuce did you hammer this
old skin over the road like this for?"

"That's my pony," he growled.

"Since when?"

"Since I bought him, that's since when."

"When did you buy him?"

"It ain't none o' your business when I bought him. I bought him the
mo'nin' you pulled out."

"What did you pay for him?"

"Are you goin' to talk about that ol' cayuse all night?" he snorts,
gettin' wrought up.

"I'm goin' to talk about him until I find out about him," sez I,
"an' you might as well come out of it an' tell what the' is to
tell."

"I don't have to tell nothin' about him. He neveh belonged to you.
Jim, he owed me some money on my wages so I just took the pony for
the money. An' now I hope you're through pesterin' me."

"How much did he owe ya?" sez I.

"Now you gone about far enough with this!" yells Monody. "I don't
know how much he owed me, an' I don't care. I reckon he owed me
more'n the pony's worth,'n if he didn't he can just pertend he
raised my wages last month."

"Why didn't you let him raise your wages a little more, an' bring
along a bunch o' five-year-olds too?" sez I, grinning. I was mighty
glad to see the old scamp, an' I knew he had drawed the worst end o'
the bargain; but I wanted him to understand that it was embarrassin'
to go again my wishes without my consent. He had the pot o' coffee
just ready to set on the rock where we was goin' to eat, an' all of
a sudden he straightened up an' shot a scowl into me. "Look here,
Happy." sez he, "I don't care a sky blue flap doodle for the whole
Jim Jimison outfit! I told you I was comin' along, an' I come. I
tells you again that I'm goin' wherever you go; but if you don't
shet up about that royally sequestered ol' ball faced camel, I'll
dash this scaldin' hot coffee--right on the ground!"

Well, I fell on my knees an' begged him to spare me, an' I kept it
up until he was gigglin' with laughter--he had a funny way o'
laughin'--an' then we sat on the stone an'--well, the' never was a
human mortal 'at was qualified to carry water for ol' Monody's
cookin'.

"What's your news, Monody?" I sez, after I 'd satisfied myself that
I couldn't swaller another crumb.

"You're headin' for the Diamond Dot, ain't ya?" sez he.

"This is a corner o' the Diamond Dot range," sez I, lollin' back an'
puffin' slow an' comfortable at my pipe.

"The pony corral stands at the mouth of a little canon, don't it?"

"Yes," sez I.

"An' the cook house is to the right of it?"

"Yes," sez I.

"An' the ranch house is kind o' sprawly with--"

"Look here, Monody," sez I, interruptin', "this ain't no news. What
are you gettin' at?"

"You got friends there, ain't ya?" sez he.

"I got one friend anyhow," sez I, "but as long as you've insisted on
taggin' along after me, you'll see the place an' you'll see my
friend; though I somehow doubt if you'll be invited in for a meal."

"Is your friend a lady?" sez Monody.

"Oh, no," sez I, sarcastic, "she 's a two-year-old heifer. I
wouldn't think o' goin' this distance just to call on a lady."

"How old is she?" asked Monody.

"Now you look here, you old pest," sez I, "lf you're just tryin' to
get even with me about the bald-faced roan, why cut it; but if
you've got anything to tell, why tell it, 'cause I'm gettin' sleepy.
She'll be eight years old to-morrow."

Old Monody shook with silent laughter for a moment. "A lady!" sez
he. Then he sobered an' sez, "Is it your child?"

I heaved a rock at him which he dodged, an' then I sez, "You wicked
of beast you, do I look old enough to have an eight-year-old
daughter?"

"Sometimes you do an' sometimes you don't. You're one o' these
fellers 'at ain't got no age o' their own, but just age up accordin'
to what's goin' on,"--an' ol' Monody stumbled on a bit o' truth when
he said this, an' it's still true.

"Well, what are you gettin' at?" sez I.

"The Diamond Dot is goin' to be raided to-night," sez he.

I jumped to my feet. "Who by?" I sez.

"You're fifteen years older right now than you was two minutes ago,"
sez Monody. "I stumbled onto Bill Brophy's gang last night. Bill has
seven o' the lowest grade wolves 'at ever wore man-hide--I--I used
to know Bill down in the Territory, an' Bill he thought I was still
on the grab. He put me on. I'm supposed to be at the pony corral at
midnight to turn the ponies loose an' bottle up the house gang in
their shack. Brophy's bad medicine; you'd better pass up your eight-
year-old lady friend an' come on back to the Lion Head with ol'
Monody."

I walked up an' down a time or two, thinkin' it over. "We can ride
right into the ravine 'at leads to the pony corral from here," sez
I. "It's a good average four hours' ride. Now I can do it in three
on Starlight; the old bald-face couldn't do it at all to-night--"

"Look at him now," sez Monody. There he was eatin' grass as lively
as a cricket. "Well, you follow as you can, only you'd better lay
low unless I whistle the Lion Head signal. If I get time to break
you gentle to the home gang, it'll be all right; but you ain't apt
to be due for a cordial welcome, not when strangers to you are
lookin' for hold-ups."

He had tossed the saddles an' bridles on the hosses by this time,
an' we left our outfit lyin' on the rocks. We hit the saddles in the
same tick an' settled into a swing. Big an' heavy as ol' Monody was,
be was a light rider, an' the bald-face hung at my cinch for the
best part of an hour an' then we slowly oozed away from him. The
stars were all full power that night, an' a feller could see most as
plain as if the'd been a moon.

It smelt good to be back at the old place again, an' my blood was
racin' through my veins till I fair tingled. Finally I reached the
canon an' began to ride careful. It was only about eleven; but I
didn't want any o' Brophy's gang to take a pot shot at me. All of a
sudden something moved on a little grassy shelf on the side of the
cliff. Starlight shied off to the left an' my gun flew up over my
head, ready to drop on whatever it happened to be. My eyes were
drillin' into the gloom when a mite of a creature with her hands
clasped rose up an' said, "Oh, Happy, Happy! is it really you? an'
ridin' on the black hoss with the silver trimmed leather!"

"Barbie, child!" I cried, "what on earth you doin' out here this
time o' night an' all by your lone?"

"I just couldn't sleep, Happy," she said, comin' to the edge o' the
shelf an' sittin' down with her little bare feet swingin' over; "I
got to wonderin' how it would feel just when the birthday was a-
comin' on; so I sneaked out here, an' I was just beginnin' to feel
it when you hove into sight. I been thinkin' o' you lots lately,
Happy."

"You little minx, you," sez I, "I doubt if you've thought of me
twice since I been away, while I've been thinkin' of you every
minute. But come, jump down behind me an' we'll hurry on. I want you
to go in an' wake Daddy up an' tell him I've got something mighty
important to say to him, while I scurry over an' wake up the home
gang."

"The home gang ain't here," sez Barbie." The ponies vamoosed this
afternoon--they nearly always do the days I turn Mr. H. Hawkins with
them,--that's what I call the pinto. He's an awful scamp; but the
best pony on the place."

"Then I reckon they'll bring 'em around the twist an' down this
canon. Now you get down here an' sneak into the house while I stake
out Starlight in the big cathedral--see how well I remember
everything."

I set the child down, rode Starlight into a big open nook with a
narrow mouth, an' then hustled into the house. Old Cast Steel was
standin' in the dining room in his stockin'-feet with a gun in each
hand an' a question in his eyes. "Get ready for a raid, Jabez," sez
I. "Who from?" sez he.

"From the Brophy gang," sez I.

"How do you know?" sez he. "They are due to arrive here at midnight,
Jabez," sez I. "I don't know why; but I think we'd better get ready
for 'em now an' argue about it to-morrow."

"I know why," sez lie. "One of 'em stole one o' my ponies an'
started to run off a bunch o' my own cows with it. I strung him up
an' he said 'at Bill Brophy'd get even with me for it. That was two
months ago, an' the' hasn't been a minute since 'at I was so bad
prepared for 'em. How many's in the gang?"

"Bill an' seven others. I found out through the meanest lookin'
mortal you ever set eyes on. He's a giant, nearly black, an' the
ugliest critter you ever set eyes on; but he's white inside. He'll
be along as soon as he can get here--don't shoot him."

"I ain't apt to shoot any help this night," grins Jabez.

"If it wasn't for the little girl, Happy, I'd be right satisfied to
have it out with Bill; but I hate to think of what may happen to
her. How'll we fix for 'em?"

"Get in the dug-out cellar," sez I, for I'd been plannin' it all
along.

"I reckon they'll burn the house down," sez Jabez; "but I'd rather
they destroyed the whole blame outfit than to have anything happen
to the little lass."

"Where's Melisse?" sez I. "She left," sez Jabez; an' I hadn't time
to learn particulars.

By this time we had everything barricaded, an' gettin' Barbie we
made a run for the dug-out. It was only two hundred yards; but we
hadn't left the shadow of the house before a rifle sings out
followed by two revolver shots. The' was a big pile o' winter wood
in the L of the ranch house, an' without sayin' a word I swung Jabez
with little Barbie in his arms back of the wood pile.

We didn't shoot much, although the gang kept pepperin' at the wood
pile purty frequent from behind the cook house. "They'll fire the
house purty soon," mutters Jabez, after we'd beat'em off on their
second rush. "We'll have to try for the dug-out sooner or later."

Just at this minute the six notes o' the Lion Head signal floated
in. "There's ol' Monody," sez I. "I wish Barbie was safe an' we'd
show'em a merry time of it." I answered the call an' the' was
silence for a long time. Presently we heard a rattlin' volley, an'
the cook rolled around the corner o' the house an' joined us.

"The next time they rush," sez Jabez, "we'll charge out after 'em
an' try for the dug-out. They won't monkey much longer."

They didn't monkey at all. Two of 'em had broke into the house from
in front, an' the next we knew a window had been flung open at our
back an' we would a-got it right then, but Monody heard 'em, an' as
soon as the window shutter flew back he emptied his gun inside. At
the same time the remainin' six charged in a body, an' for the next
few minutes we was some busy. But we beat'em off, an' as they
scurried for shelter to load, we made for the dug-out; me in front,
ol' Jabez in the center, an' Monody closin' up the rear.

Just before we reached it, a revolver cracked in the doorway o' the
dug-out, I felt a sting in the left shoulder, spun around and fell,
but jumped up just as Jabez changed directions for the cook shack.
It was only a step from the dug-out an' we rushed in, slammed the
door, dropped in the bar, an' turned to face a man with two guns on
us. Monody dropped on him, an' I was about to shoot from the hip
when of Jabez sez, "By George, Jim, I'd forgot all about you--we can
sure fix'em now. These is friends, Jim." Jim was a savage lookin'
brute an' I eyed him purty close. "This feller is cookin' while
Flapjack is on his bender, Happy," sez Jabez.

The cook shack was built out o' pine logs at the bottom, an' fixed
so the upper sides'd swing out like awnings in hot weather. We felt
purty comfortable. The' was a square window at each end an' one on
the side facin' the house; the stove was on the other side. We made
little Barbie sit in the corner behind the stove. Jabez took the
window facin' the house, me the one facin' the dug-out, an' the sub-
cook facin' the corral. I could shoot cleaner'n Monody, so he stood
by to do my loadin', an' we proceeded to waste ammunition. It's
enough to make the oldest man the' is reckless, when you think of
the weight o' lead good aimers can throw without spillin' any blood.

After a bit things grew quiet, an' then we saw a small freight-wagon
backin' down to the door with a lot o' wood across the back of it.
Jabez came over to my window an' we shot into an' under the wagon;
but it still backed up. The' was a little grade down to the cook
shack, an' after they got it started the' wasn't much to do but
guide. They had fixed a stick o' wood pointin' straight back from
the rear axle, an' when it hit the door the bar broke an' the door
flew off its hinges an' clear across the room.

But gettin' the wagon away for their rush was a different matter,
an' we all shot at one another purty regardless. Once I reached back
my hand for a fresh gun an' failed to get any. I turned around, an'
there was Monody holdin' the sub-cook's right wrist with his left
hand an' grippin' at his throat with his right. The' was a horrid
look on the sub-cook's face, an' just as I turned to interfere,
Monody gave a wrench which tore out the cook's wind-pipe, gave him a
sling which landed him under the table, an' handed me a fresh gun. I
was some bothered about this; but that wa'n't no time to hold an
investigation, so I begun shootin' at flashes again.

"How's your catridges holdin' out?" sez Jabez.

"Ain't many left," sez Monody.

"I'm about cleaned myself," sez Jabez. "Where's Jim?"

"I think he's about once through," sez I, an' we proceeded to shoot
more economical.

Purty soon they quit firin' again an' then the freight wagon started
up the hill. They had put their ropes on the tongue an' were
draggin' it out with ponies. We knew what that meant an' took a
brace.

The lull what followed was the hardest part o' the whole business.
Ther' wasn't a blasted thing we could do, an' it seemed hours before
the neat volley came from the corner o' the dug-out. We didn't reply
to it, which was most uncommon lucky for us; 'cause first thing we
knew, they came rompin' around each corner an' poured in on top of
us. They was used to fightin' against odds, an' it irritated 'em
consid'able to take so long at a job with the odds in their favor.
Outside, the starlight give us a purty fair aim, while they couldn't
do more than guess at us--so we beat 'em off once more.

"The's only three shots in this gun," sez Monody, cheerfully, as he
handed my iron back to me.

"What's that?" sez Jabez.

"We're about out o' fuel, Jabez," sez I.

I heard him grit his teeth in the darkness. "Where is she, Happy?"
sez he.

"She's still in her corner back of the stove with the shack door in
front of her. They won't hurt her, Jabez--no matter what happens,
an' the' 's a good fight in us yet. Ol' Monody here don't begin to
fight till the ammunition has give out; so keep your mind easy for
the next rush," sez I.

Next moment they surged down on us, shootin' as fast as they could
fan. We didn't explode a catridge until they was bunched in the door
an' then we emptied out. They cussed an' groaned consid'able; but
they surged on into the cabin, just the same. The smoke was like a
cloud inside, an' a newcomer couldn't see an inch; so I backed into
my corner with my left arm danglin' at my side an' holdin' my gun by
the barrel.

The shootin' stopped in a flash an' the silence hurt a feller's
ears. The' was a sloppy, floppin' sound over under the table an' now
an' again a low groan. "Fetch the lantern out o' the freight wagon,
an' let's chalk up." said a deep, heavy voice. In about a minute a
light ripped its way into darkness an' I never saw a worse sight.
Jabez was lyin' face down with a hairy viper on top of him face up.
The feller'd been pinked in the bridge o' the nose an' it was most
horrid ghastly. Two others lay still with their bodies inside the
shack an' their legs outside; while another was lyin' just at my
feet. Some one had swatted him in the temple with a revolver butt;
but the sight that just about made me homesick was Jim, the deputy
cook.

Monody hadn't broken the windpipe, an' he wasn't dead yet. It was
him 'at made the floppin' sound. Oh, it was sickening! Brophy was a
fine lookin' man--I recognized him from his description right at
once--an' he hadn't been even grazed. He looked around cool but
quick, an' just about took it all in, in the snap of a finger. Then
he loaded both his guns before us an' made the feller with the
lantern do the same. After which he looked into Monody's eyes--
looked into 'em until Monody's ugly black face turned ashy; but
Brophy hadn't even a scowl, an' when he spoke, his deep voice was
steady an' calm. "How did that happen, Monody?" sez he, pointin' to
the sub-cook.

"I--I reckon one o' the boys mistook him in the dark," sez Monody.

"I reckon you lie," sez Brophy. "The' ain't no white man would be
beast enough. It's one o' your own heathen tricks."

I was surprised at the way Brophy talked. I'd allus heard 'at he was
a rip-snortin' screamer, an' here he was talkin' low an' level like,
as if he was conversin' about the weather; but when I looked into
Monody's face an' saw it gray an' quivery, I knew 'at Brophy wasn't
no bluffer, whether he yelled or whether he whispered.

I moved about an inch 'cause my leg was strainin', an' three guns
dropped on me. "Don't try nothin'," sez Brophy. I didn't--I stood
mighty still.

The man under the table give a gaspy squawk, Brophy dropped on one
knee to look at him, an' I could see him shudder as he looked at the
torn throat. "My God!" he muttered, an' then he started to git up,
his voice fairly snarlin' with rage. "Monody, you beast!" he yelled,
snap-pin' back the hammer of his gun, "I'll--"

He never finished it. With a queer, guttural cry Monody took a step
forward with his left foot an' kicked him under the chin, lifted him
clear from the ground, an' rolled him over, a crumpled an' broken
thing, on top o' the sub-cook The man with the lantern began to fan-
shoot into Monody, an' I jumped for him an' hit him in the temple
with the butt, o' my gun. He went down with a crash an' the lantern
went out.

"Monody!" I called. "Monody, are you hurt?" The' wasn't no answer;
the' wasn't a sound. I felt like the last man on earth. Then I
thought of the girl. I waited a moment to quiet my voice, an' then I
sez, "Are you all right, little Barbie?" Still the' wasn't no
answer, an' I fairly yelled to her.

"Yes, I'm all right, Happy, but I want to get out. Are you all
right?" Her voice was steady, but it sounded a long ways off.

"Yes, Honey Bird, I'm all right," I sez.

"And is my Daddy all right?" she asked.

My! but it was a world o' comfort to hear the child's voice again,
an' some way I felt unreasonable tickled to think 'at she had asked
about me first. "Your Daddy ain't here just now, Barbie," I sez.
"You'd better just stay where you are until we make sure 'at they're
all gone."

"Well, all right," she said in the same muffled voice; "but I'd like
to get out."

I hunted through my pockets for a match, but I couldn't find one,
an' what I wanted just then was light--Lord, how I did want a light!

And then I heard a tramplin' an' a poundin' as the herd swept down
the ravine an' into the corral, an' next minute I heard George
Hendricks give the yell he allus give when a job was done, an' I
yelled back--yelled till my voice cracked; an' it was the biggest
relief I ever had.




CHAPTER FOUR

PROFESSIONAL DUTY


I kept on yellin' until they got to the cook shack. "What the
bloomin' blue blasted blazes is the matter?" sez Spider Kelley. "An'
who the fiber fingered flub-dub are ya?"

"Get a light, get a light an' see!" I yells, hatin' to move.

"It's Happy Hawkins!" yells the whole bunch, an' the tone they used
was all-fired welcome.

Purty soon they come in with a lantern, an' then they stopped askin'
questions. For a moment we all just looked at that floor, an' it was
sure a hideous sight. I put my finger on my lips an' pointed to the
corner back of the stove where I'd put the shack door in front o'
little Barbie, an' then I motioned for 'em to drag the bodies out.
Monody was alive an' he had a satisfied grin on his face when I
helped to carry him out in the air. Jabez never moved, an' the boys
lifted him mighty tender--he'd been a good man to work for, spite of
his queer ways. The two men in the doorway were still gaspin', but
the rest of Brophy's gang had passed on as they had a right to
expect, wearin' their boots an' their guns hot in their hands.
Brophy himself had his neck broken, but his face didn't look bad. It
was peaceful under the lantern light.

As soon as they was all lined up on the side porch I took the shack
door down, but Barbie wasn't there. "Barbie!" I called. "Barbie,
child! where are you?"

"Here I am, Happy," answered a muted voice. "I'm in the oven. Can't
I come out now?" I opened the door to the big oven an' there she
was, wrapped in a coat an' all rumpled up as if she'd been sleepin'.
"Who put you in there, child?" I asked.

"A woman," she answered. "A woman with a soft, kind voice. She put
me in here an' she told me to go to sleep, an' I did sleep most o'
the time. When you'd all shoot together it would wake me up; but
then after a minute I'd doze off again, an' now it's gettin'
daylight an' I'm eight years old, an' I didn't get to see how it
felt comin' on. Where's my Daddy, an' are all the robbers gone?"

"A woman!" sez I.

"Yes, an' she had the kindest voice," sez Barbie. "Ain't she here
now? I want to talk to her. I've missed ol' Melisse something
fierce--but I never let on to Daddy. Where is Daddy, Happy?"

"You ask more questions'n an almanac, Barbie," sez I, tryin' to
speak easy. "I'm goin' to carry you in an' put you to bed, an' you
can go on dreamin' about your beautiful lady, an' then in the
mornin' I'll tell you all about what's happened."

My heart weighed about a ton in my breast as I carried the child
into the house with the gray dawn light drippin' over her an' the
still form of her father lyin' around on the side porch. I thought
o' the mother she hadn't never seen, an' I hoped that things was
fixed so 'at that mother could keep on comin' back now an' again to
put a dream into her lonely little heart like she'd already done
that night; but I carried her into her little white bedroom hummin'
a dance-tune, took off her shoes an' stockin's, covered her up warm,
an' told her she could sleep late, as we wasn't goin' to have an
early breakfast. The big lids closed down over her bright little
eyes, an' purty soon she was breathin' soft an' quiet, an' then I
left her. I stopped in the doorway an' looked back, an' my heart
ached when I thought of her havin' to wake up an' face it all. It
ain't just killin' a man that's so bad, it's the awful hole most of
'em makes in some innocent woman's heart.

When I got back to the side porch my breath liked to 'a' stopped,
for there was Jabez sittin' up an' complainin' most bitter because
he had an achin' in the back of his neck. I stopped in my tracks
gappin' at him, an' purty soon he noticed me an' sez, "Well, what
are YOU starin' at? Remember 'at I ain't no chicken heart, an'
remember 'at what I hate worse'n anything else is a liar. Now where
is my child?"

"She's in bed and asleep, an' if you're sure you 're alive you've
lifted a ton off my heart. I thought you was dead," sez I.

"This whole pack of idiots thinks so yet," he yells, "an' they won't
let me get up. I got to see her, Happy, I got to touch her an' make
sure for myself that she's all right."

"Where was you hit, Jabez?" I sez.

"I was creased--I was creased the same as they crease a mustang" he
sez. "I was just touched in the back o' the neck an' it paralyzed
me. These blame pin-heads are crazy to strip me an' see if I ain't
shot all to pieces, but I won't stand for it." He tried to get up,
but his legs wouldn't work, an' he sank back again.

"You just set an' rest a bit, Jabez," I sez. "I want to see how old
Monody is."

The boys hadn't paid much attention to him, thinkin' him one o'
Brophy's gang, an' not carin' much whether or not he was
comfortable, 'cause he was the most bloodthirsty lookin' of the
whole bunch. "Are you hurt bad, Monody" I said. His face lit up with
a smile. "I don't hurt at all, Happy, but I reckon I 'm done for--
the' ain't no feelin' in me from the waist down."

I got three o' the boys to help me, an' we put him on the shack door
an' packed him into the house an' put him into one o' the spare
beds. He was shot three times in the left shoulder, an' it wasn't
till I noticed it that I recalled my own fix. Monody's shoulder was
all shattered to smash, but still, it wasn't no reason for him to
die, so I begun to kid him about it. He grinned an' said he didn't
intend to die on purpose, but he reckoned it was his turn, an' he
didn't intend to side step. He was most unreasonable an' wouldn't
let us bandage him nor nothin', said he had a salve 'at beat
anything a doctor had, an' we got it for him out of his coat which
was the one wrapped around Barbie. He examined my shoulder with his
right hand, an' his fingers worked around inside my bones clear and
true, but some way without hurtin' me much. "It ain't broke," sez
he, "just grooved a bit. You got bones like a grizzly."