Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 36 — page 9: what you’re looking at

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

The Boy Clown. ‘« Jessie, I once heard a preacher read from the Bible these beautiful words: ‘Whither thou goest, there will I go, and where thou dwellest there will I dwell; thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God.’ Tt is thus I feel for you. I have given you my word, and I will not break it.” Strange words to come from a clown, were they not, and yet could they be nobler? ‘* Jessie, I have been thinking that after the search for us has been given over, we had better beg for work at some farm-house, and, in the quiet round of duties, forget all trials and troubles.”’ ** Will not Murker find us out?” ** No, for we can change about, and rove from place to place.” The rumbling of whecls caused the run- aways to turn, and discover a team coming behind them. The driver, noticing Henry and Jessie, asked them to take aride. He proved to be a peddler, and, though travel- ing in a Southern State, had all the peculi- arities and inquisitiveness of a Yankee. They accepted the invitation, and a con- versation at once commenced. ‘Where might you be traveling at this time of night?” asked the wagoner. ‘‘ Not far,” was the evasive answer. ‘Was you to the circus to-night?” “ Of course.” ‘Wasn't it prime fun? The fellow that acted out the clown was a smart young ‘un. He’ll make his fortin’ Pll be bound. Don’t you think so?” | Perhaps,” answered Henry. ‘‘ How did you like the lady rider?” “Oh, she was pretty enough to be the queen of England. If I wasn’t a married man, with a couple of squalling youngsters in the cradle to home, I might take a notion to shine up to her myself. But, I guess that Boy Clown will be after her, one of these days. He kinder looked at her loving-like when he held the ropes for her to jump over. — I seen it, plain as day.” Even under the paint of red and white, Henry’s boy love for the charming Jessie could be read in his fave. Ah! this love is a sad tell-tale.’ — ~ “But,” continued the peddler, “I allus like the clown part’best. It’s in my nature to laugh, and it makes me feel ten times better when I can have a hearty goffaw, My wife is one of the quiet kind, and calls my laughing, howling. By the way, young- ster, don’t you know of some song to cheer us on our way? It il keep us awake, and I’m near asleep now.” “Pil try to,” answered Henry; ‘but it will not be a very sensible one.” . * Never mind that as long as it’s funny.” So Henry rattled off the following jingle Swiggleton, Swageleton, iggling J — Hike eton, Haggleton, What's Ji a Stietier aaa hee ata piece of, Kiddiwink pie. ' er Kick erty, Kookerty, : wtickery, ees, Mick a ep c + Hocker = Turketum, Torketum, He kissed her so nice; Smurketum, we Once and twice, vingitnny, ,Jangletum, pa * Stri Sees _ Strangleton, Well, who's afrai Sackl k, Sickleback, ane foitlobs There, I've got mee & This seemed to satisfy the peddler, for he stamped with a gusto that showed he was well pleased. It was now time. to leave their new-found friend, and, as they saw a large piece of woods not far distant, Henry and Jessie stopped the driver, and, telling him that they had but a short walk before them, left him, bidding him good-night, and thanking him for the ride they had been treated to. The peddler drove off one way, as Jessie and Henry took the path to the woods. It was a warm night in the midst of sum- mer, Consequently our young hero and heroine did not feel those inconveniences, which they would have done, had_ it been winter, Jessie was fired, and after finding a soft place to sleep, threw herself upon the ground, and was soon lost to all conscious- ness. Henry was too much excited with the events-of the evening to allow him to close his eyes, so that the girl had a watcher. Jessie slept calmly on, and her regular breathing indicated that she was peaceful and calm in her dreams. And so the night passed, and the gray of dawn was creeping up the eastern sky be- fore the faithful sentinel thought of relin- quishing his post for the purpose of catch- ing an hour or so of sleep. The spot selected for the night’s rest was beneath the wide spreading branches of a huge oak tree, over which a large grape-vine had circled its many folds, thus making still more dense the leafy canopy that served to. shelter them from the dew. - A short distance from where Jessie lay. sleeping, the main, or Jargest stem of the vine had taken root, and,as Henry turned to take a glance at the sleepitig girl, to make sure that his movements had not disturbed her, a slight, very slight motion, of what he at first thought was the hanging vine, at- tracted his attention. It-was but a hasty, careless glance, but it rested long enough for him to see that it was something élse than the vine that had’ moved. Another and longer look through ‘the gloom that still pervaded beneath the heavy foliage, and instantly a low cry of terror burst from the parted lips of the almost pa- ralyzed youth. Around and around the brown stem he saw the folds of an enormous serpent twined, and heard, as if in answer to his cry, the sharp hiss ‘that tells the reptile’s anger has been aroused, while at the same instant, the broad, flat head shot forth, nearly reaching to where the unconscious girl lay, and be- | gan a slow, wavering motion from ‘side to | side. The light grew Stronger each moment, and little by _— the true size of the ‘rep-' ‘dea tile, with its flashing tongue and glittering eyes, became revealed. Henry had a brave, strong heart and cool head, but in the face of this approaching danger, not to himself, unfortunately, he thought, but to the helpless girl who slept on unconscious of peril, he stood complete- ly unnerved. But he soon recovered, and instantly prepared to offer his life if neces- sary. Without changing his attitude, he glanced around in hopes of seeing a stout stick that might be used as a weapon of attack, but unfortunately there was none at hand, and when he made a motion as though to go in search of one, he immediately saw that such a step would at once precipitate mat- ters. Even the almost imperceptible movement he had already made, aroused the serpent to the utmost fury, as if the creature was aware of his intentions, and hiss after hiss cut sharply on the silence. What could he do? He could not hope that the attack would be much longer de- ferred, and there, in easy reach of the fell stroke, lay Jessie, with her fair white throat fully exposed. Suddenly he remembered that his knife, & strong, serviceable weapon, with keen edge, was in his pocket. Slowly stealihg his hand upward, he grasped the weapon, and cautiously drew it out. The next moment the blade was open, and then, with a single bound over the sleeping form, he = between it and dan- ger. He was not a second too soon, for éven‘as he alighted, the reptile launched itself for- ward, striking him full on the breast with such force as to almost knock him from his feet. But that blow was his salvation. Had he stood his ground an instant the coils would have been about him; but, in staggering back, he got beyond the reach of the tail that whizzed past his face, while at the same time he instiuctively made a slashing sweep with his knife. He felt the blade come in contact with a yielding ‘substance, and knew that fortune had favored the stroke. — Such, indeed, was the case. The reptile, a moment before so formidable, now lay writhing and twisting with horrible contor- tions upon the ground at his very feet, the body nearly severed a short distance from the head. With a joyfulcry Henry quickly stooped, and, raising Jessie in his arms, bore her be- yond reach’ of the terrible thrashings of the snake. . | 4. “Where, am IP What is the. matter, Henry?” exclaimed the young girl, wildly, | and then ¢éatching sight of the -wounded > reptile, she uttered.a piercing shriek of terror. ‘Tt is powerless to. do you harm. now, Jessie,” said Henry, striving to calm the frightened girl. . “ You have had a narrow escape, but, thank God, I was permitted to ayert the danger. ““Oh! how fearful it looks!” exclaimed Jessie, drawing still further back. “If it had bitten me, I \ould have died a horrible 0)(0)(6) com (E Sl Ele)