You Bet Bob from Cross Crick — page 6: what you’re looking at

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

. a os ae * 2 * ‘s , + 7 ee ‘ ¥ — 2 , - » Le ? Ans ~ >, eS. i. 7" , oe = we - “ , a 2 a z _- = a= - —_ —?« i Pees S, WAL + Shy tale < nL ge es = 7s - oe . Pr | ' . ae 7 <r ¢ ¢ mee hs SY o- ; + me a ae * Rs . > ea —> > e" &- Pall Fi ett: ao . a” og ale! Sony mm he a 7 | 9 - zens * eV at < - , ~ ae . t. 7 2? 3 yay 2. oe * yo: ae — . 4 ~~ “a <= are ef oad ° i» 7 . : e 7. - _ ——- to poppin’ ther question fer ther fust time. “Spit et out! spit et out!” the gentle gazelle urged him on. “ Don’t git rattled jist ‘cause a lady asks a favor ov yer, fer mercy sakes. You men makes me tired.” ““T was goin’ ter say,” said the actin’ mayor, “ that I don’t happen ter recollect ther gentlemen’s names—’” “ Bob Horner,’”’ spoke up my pard, com- in’ to his rescue. “Cy Johnson,” I follered suit. “Glad ter know ye, glad ter know ye,” chippered the little Kitten, in a pussy-like way. ‘‘Shake, ef ye don’t mind!” and she offered a number seven- teen hand to each OV us. We shook et haff hearty. “As I was goin’ ter say,’ she then continnered, “ ther minnit that I sot eyes on ye I knowed et was my last chance, and hyer I be, accordin’. Now, what l want ter know is jest this: Ye see, while Gunsight John and me wasn’t actooly engaged, that ain’t ter say that we moughtn’t ’a’ been ef he had lived, fer I was settin’ my cap fer him—the which same I speak right out without fear or favor, fer I am a woman that don’t do nothin’ ter be ’shamed ov.”’ She glared around as if ter challenge anybody ter say that she was, and no- body said et, you bet! They wilted under her glance like as ter grass under ther breath ov a sor- okker. Me and Bob ‘changed glances, still in ther dark. What was that ter us, and where was we at? we both wanted to know. “ But that’s nuther here nur thar,” she chirruped again, purty presently. “‘ What I want ter know is jest this: Ye see, seein’ that we mought ’a’ been engaged, ef he had lived long enough, [| feel that it is my bounden dooty, ter some ‘stent, anyhow, ter show out my grief fer his goneness, and fer that reason, if fer no other, I sorter orter conduct myself ac- cordin’, don’t you think so yerselves?”’ Me and Bob wur plum dumfuzzled. What.in ther mischief wur she comin’ around to, anyhow? How did she make out thet we wur her sallyvashun, as she had said? I looked at Bob, and he looked at me, and ther crowd wur all lookin’ on as still as ther dead man in ther box behind us. We felt like two blame fools, not know- in’ what wur comin’, We nodded that we thort so, anyhow. “Ov course,” said she. ‘ That is jist ther p’int. Now, what I want ter know is jist this: Ye see, ther minnit that I seen ye I knowed ye would be glad ter render me ther simple service, and so, as I said, I slicked up a bit and pranced right over hyer—’ “Miss,” said Bob, clean gone frazzled, “in ther name ov Goshaway come to ther p’int. What kin we do fer ye?” “Yes, tell us,’ I chipped in, “and if it is anything that we kin do—” “Oh! you can do it, and you'll be glad to, I know. What I want ter know is jest this: Ye see, it was—” “Blushin’ damsel,” said my pard, “stop right whar you be.” She stopped. Bob was sorter recoverin’ from his skar. ‘You have come ter that p’int severial times, and mebby ye hadn’t better pass et this time. Better tell us ther wust and done with et.” “I second ther moshun, timid lass,” said I, sorter ketchin’ et from Bob, and perkin’ up a trifle. “ Thar is nothin’ so bein’ | _, Killin’ as surspense, and if you hold us ww 4 4 « we =) i afd wu foto) he eon io, AP ‘ 7 gag . x al a ae 5 eh , as 4 DP | oa Wi es, Sly i <r jo " o] . o sei" Ya * 4 | Be or * You Bet Bob from Cross Crick. any longer on this ragged edge, no know- in’ what ther kornsekence wull be.” “See hyer,’ she fired up, and ‘minded me ov a she wildcat gittin raspy, “be you tryin’ ter poke fun at me? ”’ “ Bless yer, no!” cried Bob. “Not fer all ther world!” cried I. “Wull, ye hadn’t better; that’s all! Il ain’t no blushin’ damsel, ner no timid lass, as mebby you will find out when ye come ter know me better. Iam a straight out widdy-woman, with no frills about me. Bear that in mind. Now, what I want ter know is jist this: Ye see, when I seed ye comin’, as I said, togged out in all this black goods, said 1 to my- self, said I—They kin as well as not she my feelin’s to ther world on this sad and sollum occasion, and—” Bob fell a-gaspin’ and I ter swollerin’ a lump in my throat. “She shur wants ter borry our mourn- in’,” said Bob, in aksents wild and full ov ’larm. “She shure does,’ I gaspered. “She mought jest as well ask us fer our wads, or, what’s wuss’n that, our good names, Madam, what ye 9” and be done with et. ask is onpossible.” “Ye don’t mean ter refuse?” she cried, pluin dazed. “We have ter,’ said Bob, sollum. “We shur do,” said I. “ But, think of et!’’ she wailed. “ Hyer I be, and not a yard ov mournin’ ter be had in ther hull camp, and what am I ter do? Surely, you kin spare me ther: streamers from yer hosses’ tails.” ““Nary a stream,” declined Bob, * Positiv’,’” I seconded. “Then a yard or so from what's on yer hats, 1 beg ov ye.” “ And what would ther camp ov Cross Crick say?” I asked her. “ Ther only reason We ain’t got more, is ’cause we got all thar was.” * But, think ov me,” she growed des- prut. “ How kin I ’pear as a mourner with nothin’ ter mourn in? ‘Ther best I have got is only gingham, thanks ter that wuthless Lunk Cuddyloop, and—’” “See hyer,” Bob interrupted. “Wull,” sez she. “You wasn’t married to ther late la- mented Gunsight, wuz ye?” “Well, no; but that’s nuther here nur thar.”’ “That does away with ther need fer fust mournin’, then,” declared Bob. “ Ye wasn’t even ‘gaged to him, I; think ye said,” “Well, no; but, that’s nuther here nur thar. We had come to—” “Let me have my say,’ put in Bob. “That does away with ther need fer sec- ond mournin’, I take et. Mebby he hadn’t even begun ter shine up to ye, and ef that—”’ “That is none ov your business,” she fired sassy. ‘‘I told ye that I was sorter settin’ my cap fer him, and no tellin’—” “That is jest it,” rung in Bob. “ What you need is about third mournin’, I take et. Go an’ let down yer ha’r and drape yerself in a hoss blanket, and you will do prime—’” That thar crowd let out a bust ov lafter that shook ther shanty, and that old gal colored up like ary carrot. She made a flew at my pard, with her claws ready fer biz, I’m mentionin’, and he had ter whip out a gun ter check her in ‘her mad kareer. “Don’t yer do et, lady,” Bob gently warned. “He has ’sulted me!” she cried, turn- in’ and ’pealin’ ter me. “é 3 33 i I 1 He didn’t mean ter,” said I, ter coo we * , re et “a pus ‘ Wh; Pe re Pye TD, ¥ to) Ahoy Coe? ans py waits es ey \ ne ff . 4 Oe : a. yi a = oe = <¥ ‘ : : ‘4 as ef 4 ‘> i 4 : : ¢ i SSS ee ee _) | | spare me a triffe of et, enough ter show ee <<< “He don't, ove ‘quired in’t crowded her down a bit. better.”’ “ Drape myself in a hoss bla : | whcoped, givin’ a jump thayver 10 hn her ha’r come down. “ Third 22Y* mman is it? Look out that thar tT CO ey mcurnin’ fer you, that’s all!’?™ ‘hae sa hu ae ns oe said I, turnin’ ontc ter ike was mad clean throu he amazed at yer, ter speak ad fell ieee hyer widder. Ther best Te kine gteo do is ter offer ‘pollygy, rigtise’ a) ‘cause et ain’t our’n—” Bpeec™ ov “ Ain’t your’n?” cried ther eget Es put ‘“ Ov course not!” owned up Be oe his | aire hyer as a dellygashun fr eee pe Crick, and this hyer drapin’ ye ‘Saes ag thal bulk ov sorrer that is sent gt r is W faint ‘spression ov ther sympa: te ‘hank y camp ov Cross Crick feels fer Rah come City in her time ov trial and ah - our to What’s more, ef I have said any” a rankle yer f.ner feelin’s, dear" wine re humbly chaw dirt.” we aire ? She was mollyfied ter onct,, ., aire down her rumpled feathers. Att Hop Wils more palaver she took her depar “son?” relief ov ther crowd, et ’peared Tv sary a 8k Then we found oppertoonerty.», ther on turn to ther main biz ov ther d, ,way, an we wanted ter l’arn what had bee, one ez we wur comin’ inter town. |. vearth That hadn’t slipped our minds,, ave font 1, a CHAPTER VII. eet Gi WHAT WAS AMISS. ‘aire in h However, my pard had somethipper pre on his mind that demanded morej\q can’t & jit attention. So th Ther ’citement ov ther mome‘yjjc mint sorter ’vaporated ther flavor ov th¢ejjer cit bibe he had tooken, and he kalk_—jyst th that it was time fer another. 4 thar 2! “Fer ther luv ov mercy,” he “Jet’s take another sip. That théy a one, man has’so onsot my Narves thaiaiy tag most fergit what we aire hyer ipof gost want somethin’ ter take ther oa penis ov my mouth,” rd. Et was a gentle hint. vy not oO Our friend Wilson—him ov ther at wow finger capacity, he made haste ter s?” crie ther moshun. ali, that Everybody else took moshun ferharge @ counter, and thar they ranged irter sat selves before you could say scatorter PD ther bar-keep was ready to sarve ’éry ijee soon as ordered. vasn’t f “Ts et a go, Gila Gabe?” he inqgtbek. “Ov course et’s a go,” chimed outsj] ye ¥ Wilson. “ Ef thar ever was a time \pard— et orter be free, this hyer is ther tiyy Cro At that ther hull crowd voted in yv—’” ‘firmytive, and thar was nothin’ fer 6ftly, B ter do but order et up. He was locy thin fer honor, ye see, and he had ter semd if sails to ther wind that blowed. yff pra So he said et was a go, and et goe act f Hop took four fingers again, good, n’t gi" smacked his chops as if he wur goods don four more. feyties Me and Bob wiped our mouths on, stub mournin’, and then we sallyed inter i see, |! immejit biz on hand. Bob guy mea] wan ter take ther lead, and I’ braced up 4 ro said: iu “Now, men ov Sawbuck, we hope t he @ our comin’ hyer ain’t in no way delayther anything that ye have got sot down le th yer day’s program. We aire hyer to teas 4 part in anything that offers, and weov * ter uphold ther reppytashun ov Crdhat Crick on this hyer ’casion.” , ye, Thar was a murmur ov approval, afer a Rob nodded et was good and fer me tt et purseed. AN I purseeded: Anc “ Bz we hove in sight over ther rid , on our comin’ hyer, et peared to us tha *. somethin’ was amiss hyer, and we wouM) Vi \. oc * ei ? ie” dues eh + “ee ee oF, hed Le Ra . é mie} Mos ash al bie . by ilk, wr Ny Bs "} Ne a ¥ . comicbooks.com