Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 1096 — page 8: what you’re looking at

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

8 Dandy Dick’s Dragnet. “*T am aware of that, Yank. Now, you get back again without being seen, and lie low. I’m going to the Princess Primrose,” | “* Better lookee out, boss; allee samee much ; | badee place,” ' ‘Ob, I will be all right there, Yank. Where is Hudson?” ‘* Him holdee fortee,” “All right, go back and join him, and don’t worry about meif [I’m not there for some time.” The Chinaman was soon off, and when he had been gone some moments the rough miner, as he ‘‘That’s a good idea,” the others agreed. | ‘¢ But bow did he do it?” urged Corker. ‘‘ He Tie ‘* Big Ben ” referred to was a sort of local | seemed simply to reach out, and away went bruiser. | Big Ben as though he had been lhfted by the | He was not the greatest fighter the camp could , hind legs of a mule, I did not bear any blow, | boast, perhaps, but he was a “hard nut to | did you?” crack,” as was said of bim. | No one had, and they were puzzled, He was in the room, and in fact was one; Mr, Teaberry was standing and looking at the | among the dancers, he and another fellow of | fallen man, bis face a picture of surprise, as if | about the same stamp acting as partners and | he too wondered what bad happened. | going into it as if their lives depended on it, Big Ben was now righting bimself and getting | ** Do you see what he’s up to?” Goody present- | to his feet, His face was very red, and be was | ly asked, glaring around in a half-foolish fashion, as | ‘* Strikes me he wants to have a collision with | though looking to see if anybody had noticed his Teaberry,” said Baldy. fall. | looked to be, bent his steps in the direction of © ‘‘That’s it, exactly,” agreed Corker. ‘‘He’s; ‘‘ What was ther matter with yer, Ben?” some | the Princess, | going to provoke a quarrel, and that’s his way | one demanded, | When he entered it was some minutes after of doing it.” ‘* Yer went off afore ye was ready, didn’t ye? Mr, Teaberry bad treated the crowd, and that ‘‘ And mercy help him if it does prove to be | It looked like it, anyhow.” | gentleman was seated at a table, talking insur- | | i i | the man we think it is,” laughed Gold-plate ‘‘Do yer get them spells often? We thort ye|| ance toa couple of men he bad cornered, and George, ‘He'll get more than he bargains | was tryin’ ter learn ter fly, ye went up so! one of these men was Ham Stanton. for.” flighty.” Red Whiskers took a survey of the room for About the time he said that, Big Ben and The big bully was now upon his feet, Teaberry came together with force, and Big Ben ‘*‘Who done that ’ar?”’ be demanded, ‘ Did let out a bellow that would bave done fair credit | anybody see who done it?” and he glared around. to an angry bull, ‘‘ As I was saying,” remarked the insurance The dancing was stopped in a second, the ; man, ‘a policy is just the thing you need, my a moment, and sauntered down toward the rear, Most of tbe tables were full, but there happened to be a vacant chair at the one where Mr. Tea- bury was bolding forth. Laying a hand on the chair, Red Whiskers music ceased, and all eyes were upon Big Ben | friend, Life basso many upsand downs that we | asked: and the man with whom be had collided, are never sure what 1s going to bappen next,” ‘* Any *bjection to a man’s settin’ down hyar, “T beg your pardon, friend, | beg your par- ‘* Who done that ’ar ter me?” Big Ben reiter- | folkses?’ don,” Teaberry bastened to apologize, with a | ated. ‘Jest show him to me, an’see me lam | ‘“ Not the least, so far as I am concerned,” an- low bow and a flourish of his hand, ‘‘ It was | him! Who was it caught me by ther belt in | swered the insurance man, promptly. my awkwardness, no doubt, and I’m sincerely | that foul way an’ jerked me off my pins? Pint ‘‘ Reckon yer is welcome, seein’ as we don’t sorry.” him out, an’ see ther fun thar ’ll be!” own ther chair,” added Ham. ‘“ Sot right down, ** An’ I'll make ye more sorry, too!” bellowed ‘‘You have had a fair example of the uncer- | stranger.” | Ben. ‘* Yerisa darn awkward old cow ter be | tainty of certain things,” calmly remarked Mr, ‘‘ Have you any interest in insurance?” asked “} on ther dance floor, that’s what ye ar’, an’ I’m Teaberry. Teaberry. goin’ ter punch yer head fer ye, D’ye hear ‘‘ An’ you is goin’ ter git a lesson in ther sar- ‘** Insurance?” repeated Red Whiskers. ‘‘ Bet what I’m tootin’ at ye? Pm goin’ ter wipe ther | tainty of sartain things,” bellowed Mr. Ben, your life 1 have, stranger.” floor wi’ ye!” ‘* T beg off,” cried the insurance man. ** Won’t ‘‘Hal yon are just the man I want to see, 4 ‘My dear, good man,” urged Teaberry, ‘it | you please accept my apology?” then.” we was an accident, notbing in the wide world but ‘* Was it you what lifted me that way? Saay, ‘* Yer is welcome ter look at me,” ty a an accident, I assure vou. Pray don’t be basty. | was it?” . ‘Yes: to be sure; I see. But, I bave been k, tao There is no harm done, that is to say, no serious ‘* My dear fellow, can you believe such a pre- | trying to induce these gentlemen to take out harm, considering what it might have been, | posterous thing?” policies ov their lives, and they bang fire—so to Let me write up a policy for you—” ‘‘ But it was“you, cuss ver, an’ thar ain’t but | say. Now, sir, if you can say a few wordsin ‘“Durn yer policy!” was the whoov, ‘ Yer | one other man in ther woolly West that could ’a’ | favor of insurance you may be the means of needs one yerself, I’m tellin’ ye, fer ’'m goin’ | done it.” doing them a go turn by inducing them ter split ye up ther back like ary salted shad, ‘* And who is that?” to—” bi an’ don’t ye forget it! Lll show ve what it ** Dick Darrel,” ‘* Jest so, sir;” Red Whiskers interrupted. iy means ter run up ergainst a gentleman when ‘Then have you the bee in your bonnet that I | ‘*‘ But, maybe my interest in insurance wouldn’t tv he’s dancin’ bis purtiest! ,I’m goin’ ter scour | am Dick Darrel? Bless me, but I wish that in- | be jest what you’d want. Yer see, 1 have an bs id yer rear buttons right byar on ther floor, an’ | dividual would materialize; | ath tired of being | uncle who is insured in my favor to the tune of | | yar [come fer ye! Yer has waked up a sleep- | accused of stealing his thunder, as it were. Say, | several thousand dollars, and if any galoot bas in’ triang’lar cyclone, I’m shoutin’!” let’s compromise things.” reason ter be interested in insurance, that geloot —-—-- ‘* What yer mean?” is me, That’s about the length, breadth an’ CHAPTER XI. ** Let’s all take something.” extent of my interest in insurance, sir, Yer is THE UNCERTAINTY OF CERTAINTIES, Big Ben, now under the firm impression that | welcome to it, 1’m sure.” WHETHER real or pretended, Teaberry seem- | this mau was indeed Dick Darrel, was glad to ed frightened, get out of the trouble in a way so bonorable,” CHAPTER XII He backed away from the storming big fel- ‘*Then yer chaws dirt, does yer?” he demand- : » low, waving his hands at him to keep him off, SPREADING THE DRAGNET. “Don’t, don’t be hasty!” be urged, ‘‘ Can’t ‘** Yes, bushels of it.” Ham laughed, while the insurance man looked you accept an apology when it is so humbly ‘‘ An’ yer begs off wi’ a treat?” disappointed, offered? I don’t want to be roughly handled.” \| ,** Yes; anything to save my buttons.” ‘* That is hardly the kind of recommendation ‘“*Notbin’ but ber-lud, nothin’ but gore, will The crowd was laughing, now, seeing the neat | I was seeking, sir,” he said. ny \ satterfy me,” cried Big Ben, as be followed him | way in which Big Ben thought he was getting ‘* Waal, it’s ther best I have ter offer,” re- .« up. “Come, put up them ar’ dukes o’ yourn, | out of it honorably. turned Red Whiskers, soberly. ‘‘Itsa live in- * or down ye goes afore ye is nweer of it.” Many jeers were cast at him, and demands to | terest, I tell yer,” ‘* But, my dear, good man,” protested Tea- | know why he didn’t carry out the terrible ** An’ I reckon I’d have interest in it on ther berry, ‘‘it was an accident! I wouldn’t have | threats be had been making. To which he re- | same plan,” remarked Ham, ‘‘If yer kin scare done it on purpose for the world, In fact, it | plied that he ‘ couldn’t lick a man what chawed | up a few galoots willin’ ter insure in my behalf, didn’t seem to me to be any more my fault than | dirt so,” stranger, I’m with ye, every time.” yours, yet see how ready I was to take it all Mr. Teaberry stood by bis offer to treat, and ‘*Tt begins to look as though I have struck a upon myself, Shews you I was sorry.” while that was going on Pierre and his party | place where the merits of insurance are little f* An’ yer will be more sorry, 1’ tellin’ ye!” passed out, — | known and less appreciated,” averrei’ Mr, Tea- ‘But, I can’t fight, my dear man, and you ‘Well, isn’t it proof enough?’ the marshal berry. “I have done fifty dollars’ worth of will bave it all your own way,” asked, talking since I came here, but haven’t done fifty “Oh! let up on him, Ben,” some one cried. ‘* We've never seen but one other fellow that | cents’ worth of business.” ‘*He’s a good feller, an’ itar’ plain enough he! could flip a man over like that,” responded ‘“'Yas: it does look rather bad, that’s so,” ac- didn’t mean it.” Goody. quiescecd’ Ham, ; **Nary a let up!” snorted Ben, ‘' I’m goin’ ‘¢ And that was Dick Darrel,” finished Lawyer ‘* Lets valk about something else, while I rest ter punch his nose fer him, ter remind him ter | Corker, awhile,” Teaberry suggested, ‘* Did you know look whar he’s goin’ another time. Come hyar, ‘¢' You have named him,” decided Goody. Dick Darrel, Mr, Stanton?” durn ye!” | They passed on, ‘“ Waal, I opig I did,” Ham answered, He had vow pressed Mr, Teaberry into a {t was about this time that a stranger, a man ‘‘ Then will you tell me why people will insist f corner, and wade a reach for him with his left | in rough miner’s dress, stood lounging in the } that I am he?” wary arm, shadows just outside the camp, *‘*Cause they don’t know him as well asI do,” , 1 EPS, How it happened, no one could’ say, but in the He had been there for a little time, and was | responded Ham, promptly. * If they did, they’d ~ ae same moment Mr, Ben was lifted off bis feet, | apparently awaiting the coming of a comrade, know better.” os tare made to turn a complete somerset, and was He was a rough-looking fellow, with bushy ‘* Then can’t you set them right?” AE '_ Janded several feet away in a disgraceful heap. | red hair and beard, and bad his weapons in sight ‘What's ther odds? As long as they think : 5 ie “What dit I tell you!” cried Gold-plate | ina belt, yer is Dickey, that lois they’il be mighty keer- ae ese George, clutching Goody Crawl by the arm with Presently out of the shadows crept another | ful how they monkey with ye. An’ they’re all - | force, figure, and a Chinaman joined bim., , ther more sure of ye now, after ther way ye a ** But, how in the world did he do it?” de- ‘®Well, what is the word?” the man of the red | done it fer Big Ben,’ an Ky manded Goody, greatly perplexed by the sud- | whiskers asked. ‘* Then thev bave respect for Darrel, eh?” Sete __. denness of what had been done. ‘¢ Allee samee heap goodee!” was the response. ‘* Bet yer life on’t!’ cried Ham. ‘ Dickey 1 By. “Hang me if I could tell,” declared Baldv ‘You bave branded them all,!then?” has tured ’em, you bet,” | Bloome. ‘ [t was done so quick that I couldn’t ** Yes; evely one,” ‘‘ Toen it is something of an honor, I take if, Soe ' \ see how it wasdone, That’s him, sure!” ‘Good for you, Yank! It was arf$ky piece | to be mistaken for him, eh? I feel important.” oie | Oe “Of course it is!” agreed Goid-plate. ‘‘ We | of work, but I knew that you could doitif any-| ‘‘ That’s what it ar’, t yer had better keep have overreached him this time, and I wonder | body could.” yer eye skinned, fer he has some p’izen enemies. a. ae __—_what he'll say when we tell him it wasaput-up| ‘! You bettee! Yang Kee no—what you call | round byar, an’ they may try ter do ye up.” ; a - job on him? him?—slouch,” “Till look out for them aswell asIlcan, Lo | . ' ’ Sede ERA GY : ra ‘7 ;) 34 ae oi (u ? he : 4 W's } m= ; - tt + a | . { , Pn | et ey ae 4 a . 1 , —— a) “ ‘, ion at ! 7 4 < s . 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