Beadle's Half-Dime Library No. 109 — page 14: what you’re looking at

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

= -_— —_—— -- = = se" SS qa oe aa 4 14 -_—— a ee rn ee oe + +e ' scarce who would care to get into an engage- ment with him. More eager were the assembled crowd to wit- ness the forthcoming duel between the girl gladiator and the chief magistrate of the little wn. All through the mountain mines California Kate had the reputation of being the best fenc- ing-master to be found. While of the may quis rowess with the shining blade, the crowd was ignorant, Never had they seen him engage in a conflict, and therefore the general judgment was that he would get ‘ licked.” In a state of terrible wrath was he as he strode up, His eyes were red and gleamed ‘savagely, and his face flushed from copious draughts. of liquor which he had taken to steady his nerves. ‘‘ Where is this woman that sent me a chal- lenge?’ he cried, glaring around, with uwnaccus- tomed fierceness. ‘‘Show me the she-cat, at once |”’ ‘‘My royal Napoleon, allow me to present ou!” Beautiful Bill exclaimed, and seizing the onorable Clancy’s “rm he half dragged him wow Gases svot where California Kate was standing. ‘* Thar she is, beloved ace o’ hearts— that’s ther gal ye’re tertake yer first degree in masonry from. Oh! but, mayor, she will lam it to you, beautiful, will my gal Kate—she’ll cut ye up inter sirloin stakes afore ye can spit a stream o’ terbaccy-juiceoover yer under jaw, an’ I'll bet two ter one on’t. A critter o’ ther crack breed ar’ thet Kate, you bet. Pile a pack 0’ Bibles one on top o’ t’other as high as ther summit of old Grizzly’s hoary peak, yander, an’ up ’em I'l go an’ standin’ on ther e’ena’most top, I'll wave my old slouch hat, shout housan- ners, an’ sw’ar thet Kate’s gud fer twenty sech galoots as ye, beloved pilgrim!” “Ob! it, you, is it?’ the Honorable Clancy sjacuiated, when he saw the girl gladiator. “And you are the woman that sent the chal- lenge?” “T reckon I’m ther same,” Kate replied, with - eorim chuckle. ‘I sent ther challenge, and I recken iii ceady to back it up, every time.” ‘‘Pshaw! why fight? ’Tis folly, and I guess we can compromise the matter,” his Honor said, in alow tons. ‘Come, what do you say?’ “T say no—nix cum a@ rouse!” Kate replied, coolly. ‘‘Yesece, I and Beautiful Bill hey made a bargain ter show him I’m competent to hoe my own row, No, sir-ce, my dear mayor, you’ve either got ter toe tho scratch, or acknowl- edge here before the crowd that you’re a cow- ard and a sneak!” ‘Never will I acknowledge a lie!” the mayor cried, anyrily. ‘‘If fight you want, ight you shall have, and without mercy too. Woman though you are, you shall feel the heft of my hand, when, I strike your death-blow!” “Correct,” the girl gladiator said, quietly. ‘Square yourself, and if J cannot defend my- self, you are at liberty to mow me down. Gen- tlemen, a ring, if you please.” A ring was instantly formed, the crowd form- ing its margin, in dense masses. eager crowd were they, too—eager to see two humans fight for their lives—ready to cheer the victor, whichever that might be. A people as wild and rude as the rugged mountains around them, they saw no special sin in this “innocent” sport, in which each combatant had anequalchance, Death was but a common- place occurrence—murder was less than a seven days wonder. he mayor threw off his jacket and vest, and rolled up his sleeves, like a man who was pre- paring for a hard day’s labor. While Califor- nia Rate merely threw her hat hy in the air, and caught it on her head, thus adding to, in- stead of datreasing her apparel. Cool as an iceberg was she, seemingly, while her opponent was agitated. Nervous—doubt- (ul was he what would be the resuit of the con- test. Nothing of the principles of sword prac- tice did he know, but he hoped on the strength of his arm that he could get in one disabling blow upon the girl, after which it would be easy to follow up his advantage. “Git ready, mayor, me darlint!” the mule- driver cried, prancing aboutin delight. ‘‘ Squar’ yerself, an’ annoint yer j’ints fer ye’re about ter buck ag’in’ a consarned ’arthquake. An’ above nll, say yer catechisms, afore ye engage ter lick Catherine, fer yell never hev a better op- pertunity. A playful kitten be thet ar’ gal, ap’ she may play wi’ ye at first, but she’s bound to lay ye out, on ther hum stretch. Hain’t got nary a connection wi’ ther coffin trade. nuather, altho’ she is sed ter be interested in selli¥ lots in a new cemetery !” | “Tf you will keep* omr musth svt, sir, {shall f ‘ eS ee a eee ee ee ee ee + owe oe eo ee +e em em ere ee growled, as he seized his sword, and examined its Cage. ‘* Keep my mouth shet! Ha! ha! thet ar’ moral impossibility, my dear sir. Ter keep my bread-trap hermetical! quarts o’ mucilage an’ other gumstickem. No, sir, me noble duke, et is a teetotal impossibil- ity ! ‘‘ Choose your second; Beautiful Bill will act as mine,” California Kate said, ‘‘ and the crowd will be umpire. Be lively, now, for I’ve got another critter to lick after I get through with ou. . In vain Honorable Clancy looked around for a man whom he could cail his friend, but there was not one present. All were miners whom he had in some way wronged during the period of his rule in Rough Shod, or else were total strangers, whose looks were not sympathetic, at the best. ‘‘ Let the second go!” he growled, finally; “I will play fair, and you do the same.” Accordingly they entered the ring and ap- proached each other. Kate was cool, com 1, watehfu. was nervous, agitated, doubtful. ‘* Git reddy, now, me jocund zephyrs,” Beauti- ful Bill aan from his position at the right hand side of the mayor, where he half-crouched, with a pair of huge navy revolvers in hand, all ready-cocked for business—“ get reddy, my hilarious hotspurs, an’ when ye heer ther clarion ~otes o’ Beautiful William, Apoller o’ ther Nor’- West. sing oui aulcet strains, the word ‘three,’ latest approved style. rooster crows and awa At the given signal, the contestants crossed blades, and the duel had commenced. Strange was the spectacle there in the main street of the little mining town, beneath the gathering shadows of early evening—strange to see a man and a woman battling with each other fo. victory, and the victory to be decided by death. With a strange, breathless eagerness, the Rough Shodites looked on. Never before had they witnessed a similar scene, although this was not the first time the girl gladiator had wielded the sword within the very town, on wagers of money or for the championship. angi» One—two—three / ther she goes!” But such encounters had previously taken | place in the sort of theater in the rear of her father’s ‘* Roost.” Clash! clash went the glittering blades of steel as they met, the ring resounding strangely upon the evening air. For the first five minutes the game was pretty evenly divided between the contestants—it was thrust and parry, feint and foil, and the mayor held his own, to the surprise of the excited audience. But at last Kate began to warm up to her business, and scored a cheer by hitting her op- ponent a terrible slap on the cheek with the flat of her sword. It was a stunner, and staggered the mayor, and elicited from bim a hawk but he succeeded in maintaining his equilibeium. ‘* Kerwhoop! warn’t thet a daisy, pilgrims— warn’t thet a huneysuckle, tho’?” roared the giant, Heenoreg about, nearly beside himself with delight, ‘‘Oh! Kate, my gelorious sugar- plum, I love ye fer thet ar’ stroke, I do, frum ther bottom o’ my heart. Never did I see a thing did more skientific, since Noaher entered the ark. Give him anuther, my nugget o’ pure a’riferatum—sock et to him, ef ye want ter transport ther great Pet Elephant wi’ actooal joy!’ ; Whatever might have been the eccentric girl’s desire in this direction, she continued the amusement by reversing the order of things, and slapping the mayor ra the other cheek thereby calling forth another howl of pain and rage from Adair. “Catapultian comets frum Jupiter!” the iant roared, his satisfaction knowing no bounds. ‘Oh! glory hallelujer! Sumbody fan me wi’ their boot, or I shell bu’st, by thunder. Jes’ luck at ther gal, will ye, my feller-citizens— jest unfurl eee optics an’ glue ’em onter my affianced, and see her lam it to thet nabob, will ye? Behold her give him ther toothache as mortal pilgrim nevyer hed it, before. Oh! oh- 0-0-0-0! And the hig mule-driver laid down in the middle of the dusty street, and rolled and yell- ed and kicked, while California Kate continued her x pain, 4 and novel sword-play. as a turkey gobbler’s were the mayor’s | hold of fat cheeks growing, and he found himself like a child in the girl gladiator’s hands. Slap! whack! sealed, would require | tons o’ glue an’ por’us plasters, ter say nothin’ o’ | or sped, as fast as his legs would carry him, gail right in ter each other, in ther | Deadwood Dick as Detective. EEE ee | ee et ee ee a ee | ee eee ——_—_ = oe ee ee be greatly obliged,” the Honorable Clancy | cheek in rapid succession, each blow eliciting a ell of pain—each blow making bis face ache he harder, until the pain grew unendurable, a | and dropping his sword he made a dodge beyond the reach of her arm, To take advantage of a ap in the crowd was but the act of a second’s ime, and then away down the street the may- amid hoots of derision from the crowd. Not a whit cared he for these yells, however —his only thought was to get away alive, and out of the reach of the girl gladiator. Down the street he rushed on, never pausing to look back, but keeping on with the persever- ance of a race-horse, pursued by a baiterore of barking, yelping curs that had been attracted by the extraordinary street 4 wt yee Never even in the lives of the canines had anything of the kind occurred before in Rough Shod’s little city. Straight to his cabin steered the chief magis- trate, deer at every step, and cursing at every breath. His dignity was wilted, his power over the people lost. o longer could he hold sway over them az. a ruler of the town, when one weak wcman herd ‘cv che simple turning over of her hand chastis- ed him publicly, until he was forced to beat an ignominious retreat. Out among the border towns no man is deem- ed fit for office, no matter how humble it ma be, whose courage is doubtful, or who will ‘*turn tail and run ” in a battle. The Honorable Clancy knew this, and he was not long in realizing that he had come to public { disgrace, and that his days as ‘‘ boss” in the | town were literally at an en@’, | beyond recognition. ' | | Once within his cabin hr 2a .e way to a round of profanity that was ; ‘zhtfui to hear: he cursed all things below + a above, and raved with the vehemence of a mauman. After he had grown calmer, he applied liquor freely to nis swollen cheeks and jaws, and also to hisinner man. The result was that bis rage diminished somewhat, but his evil nature re- ceived all the rancor and stored it away for a fresh outbreak. Waiting until night had firmly settled its mantle over the earth, he resorted to his box of wigs, and soon sueceeded in disguising himself Evident it was that ha had long practiced the art, judging by his in. stantaneous success. Arming himself well, he again resorted to his liquor-flask, and when he had emptied it, left | the cabin. | { | To the Fair Shake saloon he next took bhim- self, and although the place was crowded he passed for a stranger. After about an watch-chain that sported a dagger-shaped charm of gold. The disguised mayor at once signaled to him, and was answered, after which both directly left the saloon. Outside they met, however, in a dark spot where the moonlight did not penetrate. . ‘Sh! I am Adair, and have work for the Archangels,” the disguised man _ said, in a low tone. ‘* How many are in town?” ‘*Ten of the regulars,” was the reply. “Good, Thatis enough. Get them together as near the candy-shop as you can, when the town is quiet. I will be near, and shall want some eM Be cautious, now.” And then his Honor turned and strode away, CHAPTER XII. CULMINATING EVENTS. PHINEAS PORTER had been hunting after Mr. Oswald Yates. He scarcely knew why, but he had a desire to know if tke man was, as he had surmised, the father of the pretty little candy. woman. He had therefore taken an afternoon stage down to Leadville, and there instituted inqui- ries after his man. ‘‘Oswald Yates?’ said the clerk of the Hazel- tine house, reflectively—‘ well, yes, I believe we have such a party booked—think you will find him in the oflice, yonder.” Accordingly the detective sought Oswald Yates in the office of the hotel, and found him— a little man of eight-and-forty, with a gloomy countenance and gray hair and beard, and bearing a faint resemblance to Edith, thought the detective. . My name is Porter—I am a detective,” he said, in his cool, matter-of-fact way. ‘“‘I got our name from the register, up in eee Shod, and I made bold to hunt you up.” “Well, sir, Iam willing to hear you en. smack! the flat of the swerd hit him upon either Go o., sir!” the Chicagoan replied, lowering com our a man entered wearing a. ll JOOKS COM