Beadle's Dime Novels No. 126: Old Jupe — page 23: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

AFTER THE TRAGEDY. — RS life was extinct! Such was the speedy vengeance of the hour from people naturally kind and generous, but whose safety had been so‘often periled, and sense of right outraged by these dlesperadoes and outlaws, that patience no longer became a Virtue; to act promptly and relentlessly was but an act of safety.* Rendered sad and thoughtful by the terrible scenes of the night, Bryant sought his home in the gray dawn, almost un- conscious of the pain his arm was giving him. Mary sprung forth to meet him, for, uneasy and fearful, she had sat up all night. The sight of his bandaged arm gave her a thrill of distress, which could hardly be overcome by the assurance that the wound was slight. “Aunt Clare has some hot coffee for you, Luke; and then you must lie down and rest a few hours. I will send for the doctor to take charge of your wounded arm. How lucky it is not the right one! Oh, Luke, is it not horrible?” and she shuddered. : “ Yes, darling, it is. I did not mean to tell you about it at present. But they deserved their fate—richly. We have acted only in self-defense.” “T know it. Still it was dreadful. Why not give them a few hours to prepare for eternity ? I trust God will be more merciful than man.” “Would you release tigers to prey on children ? Your heart is too soft, Mary. Bring me the coffee, little wife, for, really, I stand in need of it. “ Jupe’s as frisky as a young pup,” said Auntie Clare, as she brought in the welcome beverage. “’Clar’ to gracious, I'll - hab to tie him up, ef he don’t sober down ’fore long. He’s knocked off my best blue platter, now, wid his frantics. It does set niggers up so when dey do any ting smart, like w’ite folks! Dey’s as vain as flitters, niggers is! And Jupe, he’s one de wust kind. He t’inks hisself quite a lion, ’cause he trapped dem counterfighters ; but Z tell him dat’s a hound’s * This incident will be recognized, by old settlers in north-western Mis- souri, as one of the episodes of their early-day history. All the western border, thirty years ago, literally swarmed with these desperate characters, and many an unwritten act of summary vengeance was performed by citi- zens, in self-defense. Lynch Jaw, with such desperadoes, was the only ter- ror; for all ordinary courts and processes they cared nothing. Hence the necessity of such an act as is above described. : comiclbooks.conn