Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 100 — page 7: what you’re looking at

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

— - - _ — of the Road. Murphy listened, grimly. ‘He's bin moighty accommodatin’ to yez, I'll admit, sur, but it’s not every poor son av a gun gets tr’ated that way. Twixt you an’ me, there’s divil a man but is ’fraid as dith av either he or Captain Hawk.” ‘Tf am inclined to believe that Deadwood | | some. Dick will do as he has said, in every case!” Sir Noel replied. ‘‘ But, that is neither here nor there. It was not he who stole my sister, and I shall not wage war against him. In the case of this captain Hawk, what do you propose to do, or, what do you advise me to do?” ‘Faith, it’s sorry little ye can do, lam afraid, Sir Noel. It would be rash to venture into the mountain in search of the bandits, for by their own number, it’s ivery man av us they could surround and cut ter pieces. The only way will be to sthick up some papers, offering a re- ward for the capture av Captain Hawk, pur- rting to be your offer; and another lot signed by me, offering a reward for the return of your sister. Thar’s nary anither — to aqual it, I believe. How much reward do yez want me _ to offer?” ‘Just whatever you choose. I shall not stand about dollars, if I can get my sister back ares “Thin I will have some bills put out at once. Ye kin rest a few days, yer honor, an’ if we don’t hear from yer edc y, we'll adopt some other plan av action. But it’s meself that be- laves the money will bring Captain Hawk to the front in thrue Skidmore sthyle!” Sir Noel took leave of the sheriff, and walked back toward the Tontine Hotel, through the crowded street, trying to make himself believe that he was comforted by the advice he had received. But it was meager satisfaction af- ter all. He thought a great deal of Lady Belle; she {was his pet, and he hers, since they had grown ‘up from childhood. For she and Sir Noel were unlike the rest of the family, except old Sir Roderick, who possessed some of their free, pleasant nature. From the cradle Chandos had been ugly and of a quarrelsome disposition, and had Sir Noel not been of a mild temperament the two could not have lived under the same roof together. There had been another brother, older yet than Noel but he had turned out badly, and had been sent to the penal colonies years before, The matter had been hushed up, so that very few knew where he was, or if they did, they were ignorant of what crime he went for, and as old Sir Roderick had utterly disowned and | disinherited him none cared where he was, The estate by entailment in the house of Farnsworth, of course descended to the eldest son, together with the title, but in case of the death of the eldest son or his disinheritance it descended to the second son. Thus it was, that, though a younger brother, Deadwood Dick in Leadville. | He was fully six feet and a half in hight, and correspondingly bulky of limb and trunk, with swelling muscles, and feet of tremendous size. His head was even too large for the size of his body, and was covered with a stubble of grizzly hair, as was the greater share of his face. His eyes were bleared and vicious in their expres- sion, and his large mouth exposed a row of fang-like teeth that were anything but hand- He was clad in ragged, greasy garments, several sizes too small for him, and a battered stove-pipe hat—probably the only one in all TAnityiieseres cocked upon his head, Altogether he was a hard,looking citizen, and in his short residence in Leadville, had set him- self up as ‘‘ boss” of the town. Few were there who cared to cross him, or dispute his assertion that he was monarch wherever he went, for he had shown his authority, at once, by killing several men. Justice let him alone. He was regarded with terror by the majority of the citizens, and no one dared to tackle him. And this giant’s name was Beautiful Bill. He was parading around, singing a baccha- nalian song, but the minute Sir Noel entered he stopped short, and glared savagely toward im. ‘Hello! kerwhoop! W’at in the name o’ ther seven planets fave we here? Lookee, will ye, my gay brethern, and behold thet snoozer, will ye—an Englisher, ’) bet my old hat! Say, ye galoot, ’ye know me—d’ye ever hev ther pleasure o’ my acquaintance?” And straight up to the baronet, the giant pranced, with a leer of triumph. Sir Noel stepped to one side, to pass, but Beautiful Bill again confronted him with a chuckle. ‘* Hold yer hosses, my darling, or Pll mount yeand gnaw off yer nose, now, you hear me remark! Vll allow Vm boss of this town, an’ them as sez I ain’t don’t live long in these perts. I’m Beautiful Bill, I am—Beautiful Bill the Charmer, they call me, fershort. Don’t remem- ber of havin’ heerd o’ me? Waal, thet’s singu- lar. Webster defines me as a man 0’ great im- portance—a Northern Light in ther sky o’ ther West—a sort 0’ second cuzzin ter ther planet o’ Jupiter, ye see!” Sir Noel had inherited the whole Farnsworth | wealth, together with the title. Being unmarried mother, sister and b Chandos and Lady Farnsworth often gave him much cause for provocation, and put him to great expense. Returning along the street, he was attracted by a large crowd to one side of a little vacant lot, where a man was lying on the ground. Upon approaching nearer, he perceived that he was dead. A bullet hole in the forehead had work. oo What is the matter?” Sir Noel asked, of a big red-shirted miner, who stood by. ‘“ Has murder been done?” . “T should smile!” the miner replied, with a chuckle. *‘ Ye see thet galoot what is a corpus stranger? Waal, he tuk a notion into his hea that he war a-goin’ ter capter Captain Hawk, the bandit. _ XOu see how he suckseeded. ‘i hey jest found his carcass a-layin’ on ther trail, up above here. Oh! Vll allow thet Hawk’s not a-goin’ ter be captered wi’ chaff, like us crows !” rning away, Sir Noel continued along the street, until he came to the Casino, where he paused, and curiosity finally prom ted him to enter. It was not often he looked into gam- bling dens; indeed, he had never visited one of these wild Western palaces of game. Upon his entrance, he found the room nearly full of men of all types of character, the same as they were upon the streets. But the principal attention seemed to be centered upon a drunken bullwhacker, of gi- gantic size, who was parading about like a strutting cock, and using his mouth after true bullwhacker fashion. he had always kept his | rother with him, although ‘* 1 don’t care who you are. you don’t Pll summon uid!’ ‘*Oho! ye'll summon aid, wull ye? Ye won’t notice ther great Pet Elephant o’ ther Leadville trail, eh? Sayee, lookee hyar, ye durned little British rooster, d’vye know what Ive a mind ter do wi’ ye? D’ye know,I say? Waal, I'll tell fs I’ve got seven kinds 0’ a notion ter jest swaller ye, jest like Joner did the whale. An’ hayr’s the trimber fer thet same lettle exploit, ef ye don’t git down on yer knees fer thet same little slack o’ yer tongue. ISKneel, durn ye, and apologize ter ther Pet Elephant of ther Lead- ville trail, or Vill gobble ye up like a cat will a young rat. You near me, Beautiful Bill!” ‘* And you hear me!” Sir Noel cried angrily, ‘that if you don’t remove yourself, and allow me to pass, it will be the worse for you. Though somewhat smaller, 1 am not in the least afraid of you.” A faint cheer went up from the crowd that had gathered around. None had they ever seen before, who dared to face Beautiful Bill thus boldly. And the giant was even somewhat astonished, for he glared at Sir Noel with a greenish glitter in his eyes, as if he could not believe the evi- dence of his senses. ‘“You talk thet way to me!” he sped, hoarsely, his fingers working convulsively— ‘you talk thet way ter me, the great second cuzzin ter Satan an’ Jupiter! Haw! haw! why, ye little banty, Pll chaw ye all inter coyote fodder in less time’n it takes ter cook a China- man. I see plainly thet ye don’t re’lize my tre- mendous calibre—my importance as a respected an’ law-abidin’ citizen. hy, I’ve got a leetle pg dainge grave-yard o’ my own, outside o’ town ayr, whar I’ve made funerals fer sech carvort- in’ pilgarlics as ye!” ‘Once and for the last time, are you going to remove yourself from my path?’ Sir Noel de- manded stern] ; ‘‘ No, sir-ee!”’ the giant replied, ‘not ef ther court knows herself, and she rightly concludes that she do. Ther Pet Elephant o ther Lead- ville trail is a king, and don’t step aside fer any- .% Let me pass; if y. “Then take that, and reflect upon it; you overgrown ruffian, and let it be a lesson to ou!” and, springing suddenly forward, and into the air, Sir Noel planted his right fist squarely between the giant’s eyes, with sledge- / COS - a hammer effect, for Beautiful Bill dropped like a log. ‘Only stunned, however, for he stagger d back to his feet, with a terrible roar of pain wd sh it ring upon one of Sir Noel’s fingers ta ut an ugly gash upon the bridge of his nose, om which the blood spurted, copiously. Blood blinded, the Pet Elephant of ti ec Lead- ville trail glared around until his eyes rested upon Sir Noel, who had borrowed « knife from one of the bystanders, and stood coolly await- ing an onslaught. ‘“‘Cuss ye!” he gasped, wiping away the blood with his coat-sleeve. ‘‘Cuss ye, ye duried Brit+ isher. Lend me a knife, sumbody, an’ watelr me carve him. Watch me dissect his carcass!” Ralph Gardner, standing near by, tendered the giant a long, handsomely mounted blade, a greedy, wolfish glitter in his eyes, Seizing the knife, Beautiful Bill made a lunge forward, a frightful oath upon his lips. A murmur of anxiety ran through the crowd, for it was expected that Sir Noel would be butchered on the spot, so much faith had these Leadvilleites in the prowess of the giant. But they were disappointed in their expect- ations, Sir Noel met the onslaught with a skillful parry, and then, throwing himself quickly upon the Pet Elephant, drove his knife to the hilt in his shoulder. For the second time that night Beautiful Bill went tumbling to the floor, this time not to rise, though howl after how] of pain escaped hit lips, wnile a thundering cheer greeted this act of the baronet’s. ‘*'You have done the country an invaluable service!” Thoroughbred Tom said, coming for- ward out of the crowd, to shake Sir Noel’s hand. ‘* But you want to keep an eye out, now, for the bullwhacker is as revengeful as a Spaniard, and has paenky of backing among the ruffians, He’ll nab at you some of these times, if you don’t look sharp.” ‘“Thank you for your advice. I shall look out for him,” Sir Noel replied. ‘‘I should not have touched him, but he forced me into it.” ** You did perfectly right. If you had killed him, you would have done a good job, By the way, have you heard the news?” “To what do you allude?’ ‘To the news concerning this bandit scourge, . Captain Hawk. He has threatened, ii is report- ed, to come down here with his men, and take the town, and the mines, A sccvut has just come in from Malta and Adeloide City, and states that large gangs of ruflianly characters are leaving for the fastnesses of ti.c mountains, where it is supposed they intend to join the bandit forces.” ‘‘ God pity my poor sister!” Sir Noel groaned, In anguish of spirit. ‘‘ Do you think she will be harmed?’ ‘No, [do not,” Thoroughbred Tom replied. ‘*Captain Hawk, though a veritable fiend, seem- ingly, is said never to misuse a prisoner, Ha captures them for the purpose of extorting as ransom. If the ransom is not forthcoming, he kills them, but does not in any other way il- treat them.” ‘Where is his stronghold?” “That I do not know, ner do any of those who are not in league with bim. He would seem to have many, for different bodies of his gang operate at different points at the same time, and if pursued, escape as easily as if the earth had opened up to swallow them.” Shortly after the twain parted. Sir Noel re+ turned to the Tontine, while Thoroughbred Nat went to Izzard’s lodging-house upon State street. The following morning was the beginning, literally, of a new era, in the history of Lead- ville—an epoch witnessing many strange and startling scenes. For with the rising of the sun, there were found posted up all through the town huge posters, hand printed, bearing the following: “‘ Notice:—To whom it may consarn. I am sworm thet ther town o’ Leadville ar’ doomed, Warnir is given, fairly, to all who wish to save life and lim}, that unless they take advantage of the next ten hours to puckachee, they won't be allowed to escape, but will be hedged in, and massacred. I have a standin’ army, who are impatient to come to battl®, Leadville is mine, and I am bound to have it. This is my only notice CapraIn Hawk!” This was all, but it was enough to set all Leadville in a furore of excitement, for they believed that war was uponthem. Enough had they seen and heard of Captain Hawt, to bee lieve that he would keep his threat. com IOO