Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 1140 — page 7: what you’re looking at

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

. Jeetle diffikilties ain’t worth the botherin » “ee4> sob to do . rolled over upon the ground As he advanced still further in the dim twilight of the camp-fire, and his hideous face reflected the features of the Modoc, Flat-Nosed Billy, it could be seen that he carried a long, gleaming knife in his right hand. The wolfish, eager glance that he cast upon the form of Nick Whiffles left no doubt of his pecs bury the knife in his back the instant 2 should approach nigh enough. CHAPTER VI. FOOLISH MERCY. ““T DON’T know a ag ae? Meee about you,” said Nick Whiffles, still holding the hand of the young Blackfoot in his own, and looking down in his face in his quaint, fatherly way. ‘*There be some things in your actions which I’m free te -- Sav_ain’t as cl’ar to me as I’ve see’d the sun But sich over, when a man has got them diffikilties t are pizener than them. Now, I don’t know who this here Drooping Lily and the elder gals be, but, from your description, I powerfully ’spect that they’re of the female SeX, and you’re in love with the younger one. I’ve been in love myself,” he added, with a sigh like that of a pair of blacksmith’s bellows, ‘“‘and I’ve heard my father say that he was once in love with my mother, a good many years ago; but he got over it in as soon as they hitched together. There’s nothin’ like hitching teams to cure a feller of love—which is the reason that Nick Whiffles don’t get married. He’s been in love one hundred and eighty-four times, more or less, and there ain’t any doubt but, at this minuté, there’s about double that number of female ladies down in the clearings that are in love with him, and the only way’ he can keep from ing ’em is by coming out to the . ro ee Riptagtia so as to keep away from ‘em. , As sometimes in the middle of the day. ong as a woman sighs and hankers arter | you, she thinks a d deal more about you than she does arter she’s got you, and that is why Issteer clear of the females when I find that. my booty is beginning to distarb thar peace of mind, and prevent thar eating more nor eight or ten pounds a day of pork ‘and ns. I s’pose, Marunyo, that you’re wonder- ing what this talk means, and what it has with Drooping Lily, and mebbe you're getting a little impatient to be off.” Fiat-Nosed Billy, the Modoc, by this time had _ reached the point nigh enough for him to strike . the fatal blow. He was in a crouching tion, and grasping the murderous-looking ite in his han began rising slowly to his feet, so as to gat@er the force necessary to drive the blow home. Still Nick Whiffles was talking, in his humor- ous way, with the Blackfoot before him, with no suspicion of the sree f pra his rear. The latter had alm ap hi Steyr gem himself, and was already drawing his hand back, with all the concentrated hatred and treachery that comes natural to a Modoc, when there was a sudden athe a whirring rush, and adark body bounded like an immense ball, from the dark- _ mess, and the next instant Flat-Nosed Billy with the teeth of ‘Calamity fastened upon his throat. The sudden, overwhelming shock caused the knife to fly out of his hand, and he went backward with frightful violence, the dog cling- ing to him with an immovable gripe. The wretc struggled and clawed with his hands in his efforts to get free of his merciless enemy. FPiat-Nosed Billy was a terrible-looking object, as he lay struggling upon his back, with the mastiff at histhroat. The fire-light falling upon his fi showed his black eyes protrudi or- ridly, while the checked respiration ca i = avd gasp like one who was strangling With the of Calamity u the Indian, Nick Wilke vhethd wie the suddenness of ting, while Marunyo stepped cattiously back in the darkness, as if 40 prevent himself being identified by the red-skin upon the ground. _ ** Oh, it’s a little diffikilty between Flat-Nosed Billy and the pup,” replied Nick Whiffles, who fully understood what it all meant, and did not - fail to appreciate the inestimable service done “It’s allers a principle of mine never to interfere with other folks’ quarrels. I ge may that it’s the principle of the Whif- fles my uncle, the traveler, in India from poking gee f quarrels. He was rid- aul he bollored to ‘om , when he ied * 2 Ryley Testnde Oregon Sol. 7 to stop; but seeing they was too busy to take | “* Billy sick,” he said, rubbing his throat and any notice of him, he jist drove~his hoss and | looking very sick indeed, *‘ he can not fight to- gig right atween ’em. ‘That sorter ou see, but it didn’t pay my uncle very well. oth the tigers went at the hoss he was driv- ing, and ten minutes later, by the watch, there wasn’t any thing left of him but his tail and one shoe. My uncle had put on his spectacles and leaned back in the gig, expecting to see the two beasts scatter like Satan, when they was shoved apart; but when the hoss-meat begun to fly, and one of the legs hit him in the face, he concluded it would be a good idea to adjourn his t of obserwation to some tree, and so he did; though when he got there, he hadn’t any clothes left on him but his shirt-collar, and the button was off that. ‘Since that time, the Whiffles family have been opposed to interfering in other folks’ diffi- kilties. Me and the pup have traveled through | the woods a good deal, and I don’t like to hender his enjoyment, and he does seem to enjoy put- | pee Sis teeth in the throat of a Modoc.” is jengthy observation was uttered with | ration natural to the a = | the | all the deli while he stood within a half-dozen feet o combatants, with the Modoc struggling desper- ately to save himself from the horrid death that threatened him. The wretch saw that his nag escape was in the mercy of the master; for the dog with his teeth closed like a vise in his throat, showed no disposition to relax his deadly gripe, which | must speedily end in death, unless released very soon. So he turned his protruding eyes toward the hunter, and moved one hand in supplication. Nick Whiffles was not cruel at heart and never could be. Accordingly, when his would-be as- Ssassin made the appeal for mercy, he stepped | forward, and spoke ye 9 Bas Calamity. ‘Let him go, pup, let him go! Because he | got himself into a p’ison diffikilty, and axes us | to help him out it won’t do to refuse. Let him | go, pup, let him de Calamity had n taught from his earliest outh to obey his master implicitly. earned more than once that the hand that could cherish and lift up could chastise with severity, when it was deserved, and a word or look from his master, was always sufficient to insure instant attention; but he never hesitated as much as he did now to render that obedience and it required a repetition of the command and a threatened blow, before he unclasped the powerful jaws and stepped back. The wouK-be assassin was so near death that Nick stood looking at him a second or two, full believing that his mer¢gy had come too late; bu after some choking’ and gasping, he revived, and assumed a sitting position, pressing his hand to his throat and glaring with murderous hate upon the canine that ted him, by planting his foot upon it. ** IT guess not, Modoc,” he said, as the red looked up inquiringly at him. ; ty wit og, an alone arter this. I mean by coming up ‘d advise you to let it hind me in that style, when it was only a little while ago that we | shook hands?” After some hard swallowing and choking, the Modoc was able to speak, nt. for an insta **Marunyo, bad Indian. He tried to kill Captain Jack, and Captain Jack send warrior Bil y to kill him.” Nic k Whiffles might well have asked why, if he were seeking the life of the’ Blackfoot, he | with a for the presefit that it would be better to affect a belief of -this © Modoc, the Blackfoot is,here and you may have your knife and take it out with him, for he is here; while I look on | that the way you stood should steal behind anepher drawn knife: but he concluded tran nt falsehood. ** If such was your idee, and see that you, both have fair play.” As Marunyo heard these words he forward with his knife in hand, ready and r to settle their ‘ diffikilty ” thenand there ut such is not the style of Modoc warfare; | He doesn’t wish to meet his enemy face to face. young warrior standing before him, e clasped in hand, he shook his head, - ‘em, | | now to He had | hands with a Modoc, and as it inflicted this terrible berrias his knife, near at hand, he reached out his hand to take it, but Nick Whiffles antici- ou into a p’ison diffi- say, Flat-Nose, what did you le ttl I NE | travels. In the first’ place, I and he told the | following lie, which did not deeeive the trapper | — pl t, ar | dering Maen the wa Flat-Nosed Billy saw the dauntless with his day. He meet Blackfoot warrior some other day and fight him with knife and gun. He go at chief, Captain Jack.” ‘* Modoc,” said Nick Whiffles, s ing with impressive earnestness, ‘if it everrun m the Ww hift es family to thirst for a fellow being’s blood, it isn’t in the branch that I have honor to represent. It has fallen to the lot of this here rifle of mine to send many of your race to their happy hunting-grounds, but I truly say it was never done onless it had to be, and I can’t help rer in, that there’s many a time , when surciety would have been more benefited, if { had aimed and pulled trigger instead of rest- ing in the holler of my arm. I never had any doubt about it, when the red-skin consarn was a” Modoc, for though there ain’t more nor about a hundred of.’em, counting in weet id and pap- pooses, yet that’s just a hundred too many, fur the good of the Nor’-west. Fact, by mighty There’s sure to be some p’ison diffikilty with ’em tell the last one is wiped out from the face of the yarth. * Flat-Nosed Billy, your name is a blamed sight more handsomer nor your face and heart is. You’re one of the most p’isonest noosances of a lot that are all p’ison, and it goes ag’in’ my conscience to show you mercy, when you've tried to sneak up behind me and stab me in the back. The rattlesnake allers sends you word afore he strikes, and once in a while you find a red-skin that does the same, but he don’t Lice, tothe Moedocs. But as I obsarved a minit ago, don’t hanker ptcad aa blood, so yon £0.” The Indian motionless while receivi this scorching at the hands of the tra a when it was finished the base wretch effrontery to advance and offer his hand to the trapper, as if desirous that he should forget the dastardly crime, which he had come so nigh per- petra > But N fok Whiffles recoiled and shook his head, I’ve allers tried to live in such a way that m dog there could respect as well as love me. He wouldn’t do neyther if he should see me shake is, itll take some time afore he'll forgive me for d him away from your throat. Take my advice, Mo- doc, and clear out afore it’s too late.” Flat-Nosed Billy did not repeat his er, but turned on his heel and disappeared in the wood without giving utterance to another words CHAPTER VIL. MODOC WARFARE, As the treacherous Modoc moved away, Nick Whiffles turned to his dog: ‘‘Foller him, Calamity, fur a little distance, brt don’t you tech him onless he turns to come back, and then you kin put your teeth in his — ‘og let °em ge 3 his oo e ous dog awa a shadow, the = per cursed to Marenvo. with is old theaioal smile “TI guess the won't but if he should happen to the Modoc was medita- ting about coming back, I won’t scold him too hard; and now, Blackfoot,” he add more Seriously, “ Yong a word with you. It don’t run in the Whiffles family to speak with two ton except my uncle, traveler, who said he ened it now and then in want to know whether you knowed that p’ison Modoe was creeping up behind me afore I turned round to see how he and the pup was meee eee Marunyo started as if he had mei well he might at such a pointed question. fore he could reply, Nick added: “Pll allow it’s ccming to a pretty s ‘int to put such a question, but I may as well tell vou that there are some things about that x deans understand as me exactly Vike, In first place, ev me I see in tarms with ’em, Ill allow a f showed that ycu’ve got the you Was on good there’s some | _ kilty atween _ clea? grit. Voa ahdih a leetle smazed at the. m talking, and mebbe you've cach Other, sad I tell pow tae Geleen ae me think abeut alike Ra such things, and I allow | would think a ~ ‘ “ 7, 7 ,