Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 240 — page 12: what you’re looking at

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

— - meee 12 ot nd —<. Sa Sees + oe oer ee ee ; . ‘ a ee hee Cyclone Kit, the Young Gladiator. “You'll not be apt to get any trial! ct all!” was the gruff response. ‘‘ 1 reckon they’|! string you up without ado.” During the early part of the forenoon one of the elders entered the temple and approached age Grim, who sat with his head bowed in his ands. The elder’s name was Jones; he was a hard, cruel, selfish-looking man, who ap ed better capable of conducting a massacre than a meet- ing or revival. rim looked up as he approached, his withered countenance wearing a doleful expression. ‘* Well, sir,” the elder began, sternly, ‘‘ what have you to say for yourself?’ ‘Nothing! nary a gol-darned thing,” Josh responded, with his genuine Yankee twang. “** ’m like the boy who eat a busbel of dried ap- ples, over in Vermont; I hain’t a word to say.” . Well, sir, we shall see about that. ho are you—whatr is your business here?” s name—why it’s Joshua Grim, Bskwire from Bosting, an’ I’m agent fer ther Nonpareil Lightning Rod Company, by jingo, and you bet thar ain’t another rod invented that can tech within forty-rods o’ ourn, on wardin’ off light- nin’, “Tf so, why did you take sides with yonder outlaw, and help to kill off several of our best men?” “Waal, ye see, I didn’t know which was wrong, an’ which was right an’ so I chipped in wi’ ther weakest side. Them’s my sentiments— Pd help a hen any time ef she couldn’t lick a rooster.” ‘*Then you had no purpose, other than this, in entering the affray?” ‘* Nary a darned one, by gosh!” “*TIt is well for you. nder any other cir- cumstances you would be subject to a sentence ofdeath. Asitis, you will ranted a fate altogether different and better. on will have to become a Mormon among us, and your first initiation will be to marry at once. The late Ejder Grimes, who died recently, left bebind him six young and buxom wives—all workers, too—who would be glad to hitchup in the matrimonial barness again.” ** Jee— wax! Ef that'll settle the thing jest trot out yer stock, an’ [’ll couple-up, you t, providin’ they’re good-lookin’.” ‘‘ Then, Mr. Grim, come right along with me, and you shall see for yourself!” Jones said, cut- ting the detective’s bonds, ‘‘When you are wedded, you will be a full-fledged ,Mormon and entitled to the privileges of a fully established citizen.” And so Josh left the temple ia company with the elder, Once he was a Mormon, he argued to himself, he would have a better chance to work. That, of course, was his only object in joining the Mormons—it would disarm them of pn ag and enmity, and give him liberty to do what he could toward finding Bertie Bird, and res- cuing Cyclone Kit from his impending peril. Soon after leaving the temple bey came toa ' group of six promees who arene Lage ed together conversing exci , and evidently oxpectin the new catch the sar had in tow. Slat ‘They ranged in age from twenty to forty years, were dressed alike in calico, and there ‘was not one of the sextette, who was not beastly hemnely- Grim’s heart sunk within him in utter horror, as the elder paused and waved his hand toward them; he wondered what would be his fate, should he not be able to get out of this scra into which he was about thrusting his neck? The thought was appalling, ‘*There they are, sir—-they’re all yours as I hereby pronounce you man and wives!” Jones announced. ‘‘What do you think of them, Joshua?” “Oh Lord! I—I don’t know!” Josh an- swered, his teeth chattering. ‘*I—I wish I was back selling lightning rods” , ‘*A little timid you seo,” the elder observed to the women, ‘‘ but he’ll soon break in and be as giddy as a young butterfly; then, you want to look out for him, or he’ll be bringing home a seventh Mrs. Grim, for you six to nourish and support in Juxury and elegance,” ‘ Never!” the six women said in a chorus—so forcibly, that the shock of their utterance made Josh feel light-headed, in the extreme. _ ‘ You bet!” he’chimed in, believing it the best - policy to keep on the right side of the squad, until he could give them theslip. ‘I ain’t anx- ious to shouider over half a dozen, jest now, till I get the nack o’ supportin’ ’em.” | ‘I guess you're ievel-headed on that score, young man,” Jones declared; ‘‘ and now, I’d ad- Wise you to get a pan an’ shovel, an’ go to work on the flats, down yonder, in order to get ‘scales’ enough to buy edibles for your large er 5: ee ‘* Yes, and you better be back hum, by sun- down, or I’ll come arter you with a strap!” the eldest of the six declared, emphatically—a large, raw-boned feminine, with much of the bull og in her face. ‘‘Keerect!” Josh agreed readily. He was only too glad to get off so easily. ‘* Ill be with you at six P.M., boney!” Then, he meandered off, at no mean sort of a aie. and procuring the necessary implements, 6 set to work with a number of other miners, on the gulch bottom, at the outer edge of the village, on the bank of the creek. He worked steadily through the day, finding the ‘pay-dirt’ very rich, and while laboring, kept a weather-eye out to see if he were watched. Once or twice he saw the big wife, No. 1, at a distance, which was enough to satisfy him that she was keeping a watch of his movements. ‘‘T wonder how Ill manage to elude the old catamount?”’ he muttered. ‘‘ One thing is cer- tain—one thing and no more, just at present. If the old imp catches me, she’ll have to hunt for me. He waited until it was growing dark, and the other miners had quit work; then he skulked away to the vicinity of the temple, where he took refuge in a tool-house, until it should get dark enough for him to venture forth, with safety. “Tf Ican get Cyclone Kit free, and the girl Bertie Bird, and then capture tho assassin, Artbur Carlison, I shall be prett well satisfied with this trip,” he mused, ‘‘as I shall make a snug sum, out of it.” While sitting in the tool-house, he was by no means idle, as many would have been. Unbuttoning his vest, be took from an inside / a plack false beard, wig, and misshapen at. The beard he fitted to his face and the wig to his head. The hat also was donned in place of the battered ‘‘ plug ” he wore, Next he took off his clothing, turned it inside out, and put it on again. Being reversible garments, he now presented an entire change of appearance. e cleth- ing had evidently been repares for a purpose, for the side now exposed to view, was covered with patches and mud, and he looked every inch a rough miner, and also strikingly resembled some of the Mormons whom he had seen about the valley. ‘“*T guess I'll pare. My receut brides won’t know me in the darkness.” ‘‘ Ty troth tha won’t,” a decidedly Irish voice exclaimed. ‘‘Shure ye are the laddy-buck for make-ups!” Grim’ started, and peered about him. Dark as it was, he was able to discern the outlines of a man’s figure, looming up from behind a stack of implements, behind him. “Hello! Who in thunder are you?” was the Yankee’s exclamation, as he sprung to his feet. “Faith, I’m mesilf,an’ who in the divil be you?” was the answer. ‘‘I'm a man, every inch of me, as you will find. Are you hiding here?’ Grim demanded. ‘Shure, I am, an’ it’s expectin’ to be hauled out an’ bave tha skilp taken from me any min- ute, I am.” ‘‘What for? How came you here?” ‘‘Och! 1 came here a.divyil a long meh ago, an’ tha ould Turk tha called Don Juan, he wouldn’t let me leave, an’ made me act the loikes of his sarvant, an’ called me Pietro. An’ d’ye know, tha worst of all, he called me an Italian, tha bloody thafe!” ene so you’re hiding from him for that, ) ‘‘ Divil a bit! Faith, he set me to guaard the pee the other night, an’ a feller wid blud in is eye walked off wid her, leavin’ me nothin’ to do but go back to the Don an’ git kilt ontire- ly, or hide away. So I’ve been scbroochin’ in here ever since, an’ I’m as hungry as the sha- dow av a buckthorn bush after a drouth.” ‘* Well, then, you're the very chap I want!” the other said. ‘‘ I’m Josh Grim, detective from Bosting, Mass., an’ I want you to help me!” CHAPTER XII. GRIM AND OLD MEG, Iw a short time after their ronetieng Grim and the Irishman had come to favorable terms, by which the latter was to give the Yankee detec- tive such assistance as was in his power, and Grim in turn was to help the poor Hibernian to escape from the gulch and to civilized parts. ~ After collecting some points he needed to be- gin with, Grim left the tool-house, promising to return before daybreak and report. On getting out into the night, he found that the darkness was not nearly so thick as when he had entered his place of refuge. The cause for this was at once apparent. In front of the residence of Juan Cordiz, near! the whole population of the town was gathered, watching or participating in some strange work that was going on, In one placo a number of men and women were carrying and adding fuel to an already large bonfire, the reflection of which lit up the heavens with a lurid glow. In another place, and directly in front of a low veranda of the house, several other men were engaged at carpenter work. It needed but one glance from Grim’s eagle eye to inform him what they were building. It was a scaffold! Who for—Cyclone Kit, alias Cleve Carlison? It struck the detective so, and he uttered a moan of regret. ‘‘Tt’s too bad!” he growled. ‘ They’ll han him in spite of me, unless I am smarter than give myself credit for being. By blazes, I wish wh had a squad of Bosting police up here now. But be hadn’t, and knew something had to be done, and that, too, right lively, if he succeeded in saving Cyclone Kit’s neck from the noose. A lot of the men and women were hooting and yelling in anticipation of what was to come, evidently, while another portion stood partly to one side, and took no part or interest in the demonstration. Grim’s keen eyes noted this fact, and he won- dered at it, even while racking his brains in search of some suitable plan by which he could avert the impending doom of the prisoner of the temple. For one single man to attempt to take the captive from such a crowd would be utter folly, as he well knew. To attempt to rescue him from the temple was equal foolbardiness, in all prebability, as it was likely it was strongly cuarded. Again, there were chances that tho guard had been lessened, owing to the approaching execu- tion, and after viewing the matter in both lights, Grim decided to skulJk around to the temple «24 make a reconnoissance, e was about to do so, when a hand touched him lightly on the shoulder, and he turned quickly with a smothered cry of anger. “} o the—” he began; but a cool, harsh voice interrupted him. ‘‘Not so fast, Joshua Grim!” the harsh, cracked voice exclaimed; ‘‘1 know ye of old! The detective looked puzzled. He had seen a good many ugly-lookng human beings in his time, but none who woul hold a candle to the woman who stood before him, with arms akimbo. And this woman was the so-styled witch ef the Phantom Acre, Old Meg Mather! “You know me!” Grim gasped, surveying her Pin he the light of the great bonfire lighting up ber furrowed features gretesquely. ‘Well, if you do, I must say you've get the advantage of me.” ‘‘No I haven’t. You know me well, and I know you.” ‘But I say you’re wrong. All I know about ou is that you’ve got the ugliest mug I ever held on mortal woman.” ‘Indeed? How strangely currents of thought will sometimes run. I was just congratulatin myself. I always supposed I was the homeliest person living, but I find that lam wrong. You are so much uglier looking than myself, that I already fancy myself quite pretty.” Grim laughed, for he appreciated the retort. ‘‘Well, be that as it may, who are you, that you apport to know my name, bere in a strange and?” he demanded. ‘‘T am one whom you used to hook apples for when we were many years younger than now —you were living with the Carlisons at the time; 1 am one whom you used to throw admir- ing and wistful marcas at, but never had the courage to pop the question, until it was too late; I am no more nor less than Meg Mather— that was, in those bygone days.” i ‘““You—you Margaret Bird?’ Grim ejacu- lated, incredulously. ‘‘Ay—the wreck of that once free-hearted, sunny-tempered and pretty girl. But why are you here? Tell me.” Grim did tell ber, in as few words as possible, what he had told Cyclone Kit, and what is already known to the reader, concluding by saying: SOMGDIOOK whe ~— + | “com