Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 1004 — page 6: what you’re looking at

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

be. a. . Scorcher Sam’s Sweep-Stakes. ——E sured Sam, giving him a pull and taking Cactus Bill was an interested auditor. He had taken hold of Sam’s wheel, at a signal from him, so Sam had both hands free to manage his man. Doolittle struggled, but found that he was no match for Sam, and, seeing that the detective really meant to carry out his threat, he began to “ take water,” “ But my wheel!” he exclaimed. ‘‘ You will damage my wheel! You have got Sasa oe oe 2 ° a f fashion or not, and I'll see how far your ey i. rights to take another man’s property | him right along. x Nes extend. I’ll see—’ — iti cE “Don’t tell me anything more about . >, it,’ warned Sam. “I'll give you my ty i name as well as my number, if you want te “e it, and you are welcome to go straight Mr. Miser / ¢ to headquarters with any complaint you Ane ce have to make against me in this matter. Con x Move on now, for you are drawing a Ro ee erowd. If you don’t go at once, I'll do | as the saying is. Ries et myself the honor to put you under arrest om if : / and escort you.” CHAPTER VI. TAMING JOHN HENRY. The Scorcher meant business, for he e , A. we - PT al | "ae ! ‘Sra a ’ — _, Warning, so I°must keep my word with you. hate to disappoint a gentleman . of your stripe. We'll go to the nearest station together, where you will be given time to refiect upon the rights of citizens, and so forth. Will you walk or ride?” ““Release me, sirrah!” the individual ~Shouted, striving to get away, but Sam - seemed like a mountain to move, ‘ “You are my prisoner.” *“ Remove your hand, sirrah!”’ “Do you prefer to walk or ride?” “Let him go, please!” pleaded the woman. “I will take him away; I prom- ise you I will.” | | ‘““You will take me away, Marthy Jane “a Fa Doolittle?” cried the irate, as he turned ' wpon her fiercely. ‘‘ You will take me away? I would like to sec the woman _ that could take mc where . didn’t. wart to Z0—’’ | ay FE A crowd was around them by this time, sss amd it was fast being augmented. ot ‘They all laughed heartily at that, but / this laughter only served to increase (eee oes red-head’s choler, and he fretted like the fabled porcupine. | “Yes, [ll take you,” arated the wo- ¥ ie Be advanced upon the irate ventleman as Ne ia he spoke the words of fair warning. 88 fi The other man was bigger than he, Sere ig and-somewhat older, with red hair and od | ee a fiery red mustache—and evidently a a ae temper to match, but that made no dif- i Be ' ference. ee Ft The woman in the case was for peace, Mi, i and was tugging at the man’s sleeve, try- My pe ing to induce him to come away... She fae Bi Was evidently his wife, for no gne else ee a in the world would have ventured such i URS |g familiarity with a man of such fierce and eer : , fiery mein. cam ia “Come away, John Henry, come Pre si we: away!’ she urged. ‘“ You will only get eG Be into trouble if you don’t. Don’t you me uae ” see he is a policeman?”’ Nay “I want his name and number, that I a is all I want,” cried the angry John ee te Henry. “I’m going to see what we pay ee hf meee our police for, whether it is to protect Mr 5 ee our property or appropriate and make (eee off with it at pleasure. I’m going to see Seo pa what rights a law-abiding—’” oS A “Come away, John Henry—” DU aE Seen “*Yes, come away with me!” supple- Ce ey mented the Scorcher, laying a hand on | See ee aa his shoulder. “You would not take my . y ¢ Fj ‘we t. (F eee May ye L ne, + ty d Biss ; man, with grim determination in her aX tone, and her mouth formed itself into a # __. straight line that was not to be mistaken. 5 ea 5 “Did I ever!” cried the man, looking ae Ms at her disdainfully. Bed J -“Tf you never did you will now,” was wis the response. ‘‘ You are making a fool pes i Sle yourself, John Henry Doolittle!” — “We can’t allow discussion of the mat* ter here, madam,” interrupted Scorcher Sam. “ The domestic arena is the place ee ‘to settle such points. I will let you take _ him from the police court—’ 7 aN, pret e at ste ia me at a. disadvantage! And my wife— she will be without a protector if I am obliged to go to the station with you. Your name and number, that’s all I want of you; I will do the rest.” “You are a fool, John Henry Doolit- tle!” cried the woman. “Let him go, please, Mr. Officer, and he will go with me fast enough. You know right well you will, John Henry. If you don’t, I will create one of the worst scenes here you ever dreamed of in your life. You hear me?” “But, Marthy Jane, think—” “Think of nothing. Will you come with me or won’t you? [I am not arrest- ed, and I’m going away from here this minute.” “Hold on! hold on!” cried the irate, John Henry. “T’ll ‘go with you; all I want is this fellow’s name and number, and if I don’t put him in a sweater for the indignity heaped upon me—” “Will you go to the station, or will you £0 peaceably with your wife? Take your choice! ” } “T’ll go! Vll go!” averred the man. “T’ll go with her now, for I have no time to fool away with you; but you will hear from me again, I promise—’” “John Henry!” The woman now took hold-of him and gave him a shaking. “Get on your wheel, ' this minnit, or you will see one of the very worst scenes. right here that you ever dreamed of! What are you thinkin’ about, anyhow?” The Scorcher let go his hold and gave the woman a signal to take charge, step- ping back out of the way. By that time a couple of regular policemen had ap- peared, and one of them Sam knew. “ Move this crowd on, Jer ry,” ‘he called out to him. ‘ The excitement is all over and nothing more to be seen.’ This the two policemen proceeded to do; while the irate Doolittle, under the guidance of his better half, was moving in the opposite direction. “T’ll see about your case, young man,” he called back as he rode away. what we pay our police for—” but he ceased suddenly, and nothing further was heard from him. — The crowd dispersed, Scorcher Sam could give his attention to the showman. The young woman in the fancy attire was near him, and two or three other performers were standing around. “Well, you got the wheel back, Tr see,’ 2 observed Cactus Bill. “Yes, but I didn’t get the man; he managed to get away from me.” “Too bad, after we have waited and watched so long to get a sight of him,” the girl spoke. She knew the language well enough, but, as said, she spoke with a pronounced foreign accent, that lent a charm to what she said. “Are you sure it was the man you want?” asked Sam. -“ Oh! do you think I could be mistaken, after all he has made me suffer?” she “T’ll see —— “Then there must be two Louis Mur-. rills,” said the detective, “Two Louis Murrills. you?” And the young woman looked from Sam to Cactus Bill, wonderingly. “I mean that if the man who took my Wheel from here has not a twin brother, then he has a double, for I Have seen two of him, if I may use such an expression.’” . Impossible! ” eried the young woman. ‘There is only one Louis Murrill, and he was the man you saw here. You have been fooled; you have seen the same per- son twice and have been imposed upon, Oh! why did you interfere with my brother in his just vengeance? ” CHAPTER VII. CACTUS BILL’S PLEDGE. Scorcher Sam was one point ahead. What mean He now knew the relationship that ex-~ . isted between Cactus Bill and the young woman. But that only served to whet his appe- tite for more knowledge concerning them and their grievance against the man, Louis Murrill. That it was’ no trifling matter their hatred attested. “That view of it might be acceptable, madam, were it not for the fact that I saw them both together, at one and the Same time,” the detective rejoined; “as well as for the fact that they were differ- ently attmed, and that one made his es- cape while the other remained.” : “It is wonderful; I do not compre- hend.”’ “You are sure the one we saw here was Murrill?” “Yes, yes; I could not be mistaken in that face, sir.” “You do not know ‘him yourself, sir, it appears,” ‘turning to Cactus Bill. “ No, I have relied entirely on my sis- ter’s recognition of him,’’ was. the an-& swer. taken.” “I do not believe she was mis-. “ Then I wish it were possible for me to bring both of these men faee to face’ with each other here before you. I think you might find it difficult to tell one from the other.’’ “Did Louis have a brother? ” asked the showman. “Not that I ever knew, of,” answered his sister. ‘“And yet you are positive in what you state?” turning to the detective again. * lind “Tt is just as I have stated it to you,’ assured Sam. “There are two of the men, and they look very much alike. There is a question I would like to ask, madam—” | “No, na! I cannot tell you, L cannot tell. you,” cried the young woman, mo- tioning him off with her hands. “ It is something that I will not repeat, but that — I would willingly forget if I could—no no; not forget; heaven forbid it!” . The Scorcher was nonplussed, but hig. curiosity was greater than ever; he be- lieved that an interesting story lay be- hind it all. It had not been his intention to as for that, however, and he hastened tc set himself right in that respect. By wi ning the regard of these strange pers! he would get the story all in good tim. “You do not understand me,” he gf quickly. “It is nothing of your sec that I would ask; I was on the point v inquiring if. there is any mark of any kind upon tthe real Louis Murill by which you could unmistakably identi him? x) ‘ - ““A mark? Yes, yes! There is a mar on his throat, just beneath his ml white seam that looks as if his t a “All I want is your: AME, sir, your asked, and her wide eyes looked up into a “mame and number! y his appealingly. No, no; I am sure it | had been cut and had healed up i iret! oe ‘get those at the station,” }? wed was Louis 1S Noa eee page amie ah e | It is on: inches long, 7 a. straight | n ai it Py roa: ; , . ae : Aa be “oat ; - Se e 6u y < ot ee AE . = y 5 Sap . oe ote Tipe bet LAr Ns iv, Y yy v« Tiree? ae iy “4 ig of TE re) ¢ oe PS NaS et : a " ve ie & apap bo ae RN. go ae te ae Ae yinye Sere Tene inal h ahcy asd FC Mar Oe ag es EPR nee Nya GRIN. 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