Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 283 — page 3: what you’re looking at

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

Gree 4 “« * Ol ee —— aoe ee ~~ eee - + ‘“Shoost ash you like,” said Yost, returnin the cordial pressure, ‘‘I nefer like to quar mit no mans. You pees very strong mit your arms. Von dimes I dinksI c’u’d t’row you, unt anodder dimes I dint s ygu eu’d t'row me, Vat you do ous here anyvay?”’ ‘We ar’ on a hunt,” saidJeff, ‘“ That young chap come out alonger us arter deer, grizzly an’ buffer, I’ve told him thar ain’t much safety hyar, ’cause the red niggers is thick ez flies on spiled bacon, Howsomever, ef he ain’t afraid, I ain’t got no call to be, seein’ it’s the life [ lead a year. Much of a shot, you?” “*T pees a Toochmans,” said ost, who did not quite understand him, or else, with the sly humor peculiar to him, was desirous or puzzling dis new friend. “ Oh, shet up. I mean, can you fire a rifie?” ‘said Rooter. ‘‘T vires mine gun deux or dree dimes. I pees *fraid mit virearms,” said Yost, with a sly look. ‘Kin ye hit any thing with a shootin’-iron? You kerry a durned good one, an’ ef’ye kain’t shoot, it’s a pity to hev it throwedaway. Luoet’s try a shot,” “TI ttinks I can nefer. hit any t’ings ven 1 shoots,” Said the Dutchman. “ Shpose dis gun should kick? DénI pees kilt.” ‘*Don't beafraid. Let me load it for ye,” “No,” said Yost, laying a protecting hand on his rifle, ‘‘ I loads him mineself, Off you loads him, you puts in too mooch powder. Dat ish nix t.’ He loaded the piece awkwardly enough, and they looked about them for something to shoot at, At this moment a pair of turkey-buzzards, attracted by some offal which bad been thrown on the grass, alighted about three hundred yards away, and began to feed. “*Thar’s a chaince,” said Jeff, eagerly. yer hand at them birds off thar.” , ‘Vat?’ demanded Yost. ‘‘Dey ish too fur avay. I can nix shoot dem.” “Yes ye kin, ‘Tain’t a foot more then three hundred yards. Try them once’t, I know a man that kin uold a rifle straight kin fetch’em everv time,” “Perhaps I can nix holt bimstraight. Some- dimes I holt him straight, odder dimes I holt him more crooked ash der duyvel, Of a man vos, maf deux pair of eyes,den he hit dem pirds. You shoot,” Jeff, raised his rifle to his shoulder, took a steady aim, and fired. One of the birds sprung into the air and fell dead; the other rose aloft. As he did so, to the surprise of every one, Hup- pen brought his rifle to his shoulder, took a quick aim, and fired. As the smoke curled slowly upward, they saw the bird, with closed wings, falling swiftly to the earth. Yost dro ped his rifle and threw up his hands in astonish- ment, ‘‘Gootness cracious! I vas hit de pird mit nvine cun!” he cried, “Didn’t you think you could hit it?’ asked Dan, suspiciously. ‘‘ lt seemed tome you meant to doit. That shot wasdone like an old hand in the business, Tell the truth, now. You know all about a rifle.” ‘* Off course [ knows all_apout a rifles,” said Hoppen, indignantly. ‘*You dakes de little cun, unt putsin some bowder, Den you pnisin some baber, unt trives it down mit te ramrot. Den you pufs ina pall, unt wraps a biece off jedder ronnt it. Den you puts on a cap, unt cocks ter cun: Den you shuts bot’ eyes unt vires it off, unt tam der cun percause it kicks, Dat ish vat you toes, I know dat very yell.” ‘*Tt must hev been a chaince shot ye know,” said Jeff, “* ’cause thar ain’t many of us on the prairie c’u’d hit a buzzard af three hundred yards, let alone on the wing. You didn’t mean to kill him, I know.” “Dat ish von lie,” said Yost, calmly. ‘I means to kill him pad enough, Dere ish a cont many tings mit dish life vat ve means to do, put ve can’t alyaysdoit. Vat ve toes mit der pird, now ve haf shot him?” “Eat him, of course,” said Jeff, winking at his companions, ‘* Didn’t ye know that this yer is one of the best birds on the plains?” ‘* Nix,” said the Dutchman, shortly. “Tl go and git it fer ye,” said Jeff with sur- prising good-nature. ‘‘ Ye must be tired and hungry too, seein’ ez how ye hev walked a good ways, Til cook it fer ye, too.” “Vat you says? You cook dat pird vor,me?” “Yes,” replied Jeff. ‘‘1 wouldn’t fer any other man.” . “/You very gont. Vell, co unt git him.” Jeff walked off hastily, after making a signal to his friends to say nothing, and soon returned carrying a buzzird in a gingerly manner, as if be did nof care tu touch it maure than was neces- Se pn ne ee -- eceus $C anes, | Indian Joe. =. ot rete ee meee oe. ae me ee em. ewe ee -—— sary. Nothing would have induced bim to touch the filthy bird; but the desire to playa peaccical joke, for which these men are famous, e rest looked on smiling, though Dan was de- termined not to let the joke go too far. ‘/ Vere ish your pird?” asked Yost, “Shot all to. pieces,” said Jeff. ‘‘Thet’s a powerful good gun of mine; a mighty good one, vou bet. ’Tuin’t offen ye find a tter one, Thet gun kin kerry a ball jest fifty mile. It kin shoot a thing jest ez fur away ez a man likes to strain his eyes to see. All he’s got to do is to hold it up to his shoulder, p’int it at the objec’, an’ pull the trigger. if thet ain’t sartin deth, raise my ha’r.” As he spoke, he was busily employed in pulling the feathers from the bird, with a curious con- traction at the base of the nose which was not unobserved by Hoppen. The task was done at length, and a five lighted. In a moment the bird was swinging on a notched stick over the blaze, carefully attended to by the busy bunt- ers, Who relished the joke of making a Dutch- man eat a turkey buzzard immensely, Dan looked on in silence, At last he spoke: ** Did you come out bere witbout a horse?” The Dutchman turned a questioning look upon the face of the speaker before he answered. There was a lurking suspicion in the dark eyes, and Hoppen thought twice before he answered, ‘*Nein. I cooms ous from St. Shoseph mit a goot horse. Putous dere py der river he shtrays avay unt I can nix find him. .I looks for bim all ono day, unt ven I gets tired ous, I lays down unt goes to shleep. Ven I vakes up you vas shaking me mit your hant, unt delling me off I was not git oop vile you.dalks mit me, der pears vould eat me, I vakes oop den. I vas not vant to shtay dere any longer. I pees ’fraid mit der pears.” ‘It is a great pity you have lost Md horse,” said Dan. ‘ Luckily for you, we have a spare one which you can ride. take it for granted you know how,” ** Yaw, I rides some.” **Loet’s git up a little game,” cried Jeff, for- getting the buzzard as he saw an opening for new mischief. *‘ Let’s show Dutchy how the Indians make a moccasin out of bark.” , ps Come, come—” began Dan, ‘‘ Don’t go too ar, Jeff took his arm and‘led bim aside, _*‘ Look ver, capt’in, You must be a little keerful, Frontier men will have their fun, They must, vou. know. Now, we.ain’t going to burt the Dutchman a bit. [like him. He's aright good fellow at bottom, an’ ef he Parns these little games from us, he won't l’arn’em from some one thet will use him rough. You Parnt how to make a moccasin yourself, didn’t ye?” Dan laughed. “TI believe I did,” he said. ‘Very well, Go ahead, only don’t be hard on him. I think we shall find him of service before we get to the end of our hunt.” ‘“Thet’s jest the idee, capt’in, He’s gt to Varn the ways of the woods, an’ he mout as well Varn ’em hyar as anywhar else.” | They went back to the fire, and Jeff diving into the depths of his “kit,” which was thrown upon the grass near at hand, produced what ap- peared to be a thick piece of bark, about six inches wide and a footilong. ~~ : **See hyar, Dutchy.” ‘‘ My name’ish Hoppen; Yost Hoppen.” ** Jerusalem, what a handle! Allright. See hyar. Them shoes of yours is gittin’ worn out mighty fast.” : ** Yaw, I pees very hart on mine shoons,” said Yost. ‘I vear ous more shoons as vould make a man so rich as nefar was, Off I could oe make my own schoons I should peo very glad. “Yo kin ef ye want to,” said Jeff. ‘Tt’s mighty easy. I make mine, so do all tha men thet ain’t got wives out hyar. Look at thet moccasin. No man ain’t got no right to wear a plantation like that under you out hyar on the trail. No, he ain’t, by gracious. Anybody could foller the trail ye leave, by feelin’ along the track, Ye orter w’ar moccasins.” *“*T dinks datis drue,” said Hoppen. ‘ Put how ter tuyvel vill a man vear moccasins ven he no moccasins haf? I can nix make dem,” *T’ll teach ye how.” “Vill you? Dat ish goot., Dat ish better ash oot! I likes you more ash efer, - Show me, en.’ ‘*Come hyar,” said Jeff, laying the Bibs of bark he held on fhe ground. *‘Lordy. It’s easy eZ goose-grease. Ive Varnt a durnéd ood many bow to to make moccasins, Indian ashion. I’m what ‘ might call a. Philan- thropist. Durned ef I think thar ought ter be any sech words in the English language, But . i ‘ ‘ | 3 a os _— Oe. Oe nee 2 + —_ | thar is, an’ thar will be, Put yer foot on that ” piece of bark. ; Hoppen st ai and placed his right foot on the bark. Jeff stoo and precended to ar- range his foor. But he did not get it in the proper position. ‘*Move it a little mére this sa said he. ‘That's right. <A littl more weight on it, That ain’t enough. Lift up yer other foot. I want to git yer measure.” SORE did as he was bid, anrl the heels of the Dutchman appeartd in the air, and his head struck the prairie grass with a doll thud, The whole thing was a trick. The bark, instead of consisting of a single piece, in reality container two, fitted together nicely and counted with grease on the inside. The mement the victim consents to lift bis foot from the ground, the upper piece is jerked suddenly away and in spite of his struggles, the victim seeks bis mother earth. Hoppen scrambled up, but not quickly enough, it seemed, to see Jeff set the two pieces together again, ** What ar’ ye tumblin’ about in that way fur, you?” demanded the guide, in assumed anger, “Td a’mmost got yer measure when over ye went, “I dakes mine own measure,” retorted the Dutchman. “I dinks some von bushes me down.” ‘No, sirree. Ain't nobody teched ye. Come along and git yer measure, or ye don’t git no moccasins from me.” ‘You show me how, den,” said Yost. The party gathered about them, and Jeff proceeded to show how it. was done. ‘“Yoe pnt yer foot on it so,” he said, placing his moccasined foot in the proper position, *‘ an’ lif€ the other foot in this way.”. ‘How you does him!” demanded Yost, coming nearer, ‘Do him again.” : Jeff again placed bis foot on the bark and lifted the other. Yost was very near. Bendin forward suddenly, he gave a quick tug at the bark, The biter was bit. Down went Jeff amid a hearty peal of laughter, the second which had greeted his downfall that day. He sat upright with a comical expression on his face’ and — shouted: “Thar I is, kerwhop! An’ I took the bint jest ez I teched the grass. He did it cute, too,” A new roar of laughter greeted the confession. Jeff rose, casting a puzzled look at the Dutch- man, whose face was as stolid and ession- less as ever. Dan thought he detected a cun- ning twinkle in his biue eyes. But, the im- pression was gone in a moment, *“Durn meef I don’t think thar’s more in thet Dutchman then he Jets on,” muttered Jeff. “Never you mind. I ketch him yit. He kain't always fool old Jeff. He knows his biz on a raft. ' With these words he sat down at the fire and again turned his attention to the buzzard, which was cooking with any thing but a savory — the circle ; smell, The men moved further out of of the flame, holding their noses. ‘*T dinks 1 smell somét'ings,” said Yost, snuffing at the air, likea war-horse, mA ‘No ye don’t,” replied Jeff. ‘ Don’t git thet idee into yer head, You don’t smell nothing.” ‘“Yuw. I pees sure I smells somet’ings mit mine nose,” answered Hoppen, pe elevating that organ. ‘’Tis nix goot, vat I smells,” “Oh, don’t be foolin’. Nobody else smelis nothin’. Do ye, boys?” F ‘“No,” said one of the men, who had heen holding his nose and breathing through bis guy: ing mouth for fifteen minutes. ‘‘ Durned ef 1 smell a thing.” ** Course ye don’t. Thar. The bird is done,” said Jeff. ‘I don’t s'pose Tl fer my trouble. [Pm always a doin’ somethin’ thet I don’t git no pay for) * It’s jest my way. No ceremony. Takeitonthestick.” — ° Yost took the bird cautiously, bolding it at arm’s length. **Vat you call him?” he said. “That? Possible you don’t know the name of the great Ameriéan partridge? That’s curiss, I never thought no man could be so fur behind the times ez that. That’s the American part- ridge.” ’ ‘He is a pig pird,” said Yost, “He is that; a durned big bird. Yer in luck, oldman. *Tain’t offen ye git sech a animile ez that all fer nothing; cooked too,” I ‘Tain’t right vor you to do all the vork yor nottings,” said Hoppen. “I knows petter ash dat. Thetpa you mit some off der pird. Déere; dake der creat American partridgé, unt eat him oop. I shmells him too mooeh mit mine nose.” * Yon don’t mean to say thet ver gwine to make me los’ all my time thet an? Way said git any thanks | "a 1™ — ea *% > ne Comicbooks (E(0)| <S