Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 385 — page 13: what you’re looking at

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

‘cessful man at the ef we ain’t got ther steer by ther horns, fer onc’t,” ‘*T think so. After election is over, we will see, Now I'll excuse you for to-night, as I have some writing to do. To-morrow—providing | do not get murdered in my bed to-night, by St. Maur—we will see what we can do for elec- tion.”’ “Oh! yer kin bet Dll keep a eye onter ther skunk, so thet he don’t trouble yer sleep,” Mac- caw assured, fan’ Ill bet a boot-leg thet aire b’ar kin lick a dozen of him, As fer myself— **1’m Mambrinus Maccaw, From East Saginaw, An’ ther pride o' my life, Aire ther size 0’ me jaw. I live on gunpowder, An’ Ki Paso cold slaw, An’ I’m bevel-edged death On a mother-in-law!” Then the giant grotesquely bowed himself out of Yreka Jim’s presence, CHAPTER XIV. ELECTION, THE next day dawned bright and auspicious, the sun shone warmly on the mountain-peaks, and the air, which swept down the gulch through Red Nose town, was pine-scented and refreshing. The populace was early astir and in a feverish state of excitement, for to-day was to decide who was to hold future sway in the camp as its ruler—or its ‘‘ mayor,’ as the people chose to designate the office. It was as yet but a matter of conjecture who would be the successful candidate—Yreka Jim er Judge Alvin. Both men had their backers, and the struggle for victory promised to be a spirited one. The judge was abroad bright and early, and made ic a point to button-hole every man he met, ‘* You’re al] right for protection toour mutual interests, of course,” be would assert, with a great amount of confidence. “It would be rash in the extreme for you to give your vote to a person who has no monetary influence or power to give you oe tr i Who ‘pays your wages? Ido. Whoowns the cuntrolling inter- est in the camp, and furnishes you laborers with work and money? Ido, of course. Can Yreka Jim do this? Certainly not. He has not a cent invested in the town, and if you go back on me, who is to furnish you employ- ment?’ lt was a strong argument, and naturally had its effect upon those who were dependent upon their day’s wages for their livelihood, And as to such as acted at all ‘*cflish,” the judge made no hesitation whatever iu slipping a ten or five-dollur note into their hands, so that it seemed pretty evident that he would be the suc- polls, Yreka Jim arose late, and his appearance on the street was the signal for an outburst of en- thusiasm which found vent in hearty applause. ‘‘Hyer he comes, feller-pilgrims!” roared tbe stentorian voice of Mambrinus Maccaw, waving his battered hat high above his head—‘ hyer comes ther rose-geranium frum ther rea)ms o’ honesty! Hyer comes ther new Mayor ov Red Nose, an’ ev’ry mother’s son as don’t vote fer him orter be rid on a bevel-edged midsummer'’s- night’s-dream frum heer tex Hamville. Three yells an’ a yoop fer Yreka Jim!” The cheers were heartily given, and those who proposed to cast their vote for the sporr gathered around him and shook bim by the hand, The polls were kept by Jaxe Taylor, of the Buckin’ Cayuse, whom every one allowed could be depended upon to do the square thing. As the day progressed the excitement grew more intense. Bets were openly offered, ten to seven, that Judge Alvin would win, but found few takers, until after mid-day, when the larger sbare of the camp’s votes bad been polled; then, to the astonishment of everybody, Mambrinus Mac- caw loomed up as a sporting individual. On top of an up-ended kerosene barrel, in the middle of the street, did the bullwbacker take his stand, and by wild hoots and gesticulations succeeded in drawing a crowd around, ‘Hyer I am, ye gaupin’ galoots, the great nickle-plated bydra-beaded bowlin’ he-up-an’ haw from Hadesville—the srortin’ snappin’-tur- tle, w’ot stands ready ter snap up yer bets faster’n a mother-in-law’s jaw kin work. Bet? Bet? Why, great silver sand-jigs uv old St. Vitus! I’m ready ter offer ‘any man odds 0’ Yreka Jim’s Joker. eens ome oe fifteen ter ten thet Yreka Jim carries ther town!” ‘* We are taking all that kind of bets,” Judge Alvin cried, stepping up with a fistful of bank- bills. **Whatis your limit, big mouth?’ ‘Hey! what’s that ye say? Big mouth? Holy shakes uv old St. Vitus! jest yer wait, old big corpus, till 1 get thr’u’ bettin’, an’ ll jest erbout climb down thar an’ punch brands o’ claret out o’ you. Big mouth, eh? Oh! b'ilin’ bufflers! jest wait till yer git hit by a bevel- edged back-hander from yer unctious uncle! Walk up, pilgrims—fifteen ter ten, an’ ther bank wide open, that Yreky Jimmy smuggles ther sock at this hyer el.ction by a large ma- jority!” ‘‘Tf you want to bet, I stand ready to bet you any sum from five hundred to five thousand!” the judge shouted excitedly. ‘*' How much money bave you got that you are making so much fuss over it?” ‘¢ Just perzactly seventeen cents!” Mambrinus declared, with a grin, exhibiting a lot of pennies in the palm of his band, Judge Alvin would bave turned away, in dis- gust, but the bul)whacker did not give him time. He dived down into either coat- pocket, and therefrom drew two huge rolls of green- backs, encircled by rubber bands, ‘‘Ho! ho! Thort ye caught ther great he-up- an’-haw a-napping, didn’t yer?” the giant roar- ed. ‘* But sech ain’t ther case. I’m ther hy- pothecated ba’r-pin w’ots sp’ilin’ ter bet yer any amount ye wanter—don’t keer a decimal darn what ther figgers am. I’m asnorter, a sneezer, an a snuff-taker, an’ * favorite dish aire pud- din’. So, Vd jess as lief tackle yer crust as not!” “ll bet you five thousand!” the judge roared, enraged to see that others had money afloat, besides himself. ‘*Go yer five, au’ raise ver five better,” Mac- caw yelled, executing a jig upon the barrel- head. ‘*Bet you ten thousan’ ter five, twenty ter ten, a hundred ter fifty, ef ye like, thet Yreka gathers in ther electoral garter, this elec- tion!” ‘* And I will bét a hundred thousand, even, the same way!” acool voice cried, and a man stepped forward, whom Yreka Jim, who was an interesied listener and spectator, recognized as Vox Van Gelder. Judge Alvin glared at the new-comer, a mo- ment, fiercely, receivirg alike look in return; then, with a muttered curse, he dived down into various pockets, and hauled out roll after roll of greenbacks, One thing was evident; he had not come out upon the street of Red Nose with the idea of be- ing bluffed on account of money matters. ‘*¢T wiil take both bets!” he cried, with an oath, ‘‘ Here is a gold eagle—bead or tails, for choice of stakeholder!” ‘*Tails!” Van Gelder cried, as the judge sent the coin spinning into the air, After rising upward about ten feet, the coin fell upon the hard-pan street with a sharp ring. ‘ Tails wins choice!” a dozen voices cried, as many heads were craned forward, ‘‘Then l appoint Yreka Jim stakeholder,” Van Gelder answered. ‘‘ And I second ther motion—by ther great high horned bumper from Hidaglo!” assented Maccaw, It was not for Judge Alvin to object, although his rage was fearful. He had made tie propo- sition, and must abide by the result, or run the risk of incurring the disrespect of many of those whom he depended upon to help him into the mayoralty chair. Accordingly, he deposited one hundred and fifty thousand dollars in Yreka Jim’s hands, while Van Gelder and Maccaw each surrendered their stakes of one kundred. “Gentlemen!” Yreka said, when he bad re- ceived the money, a smile playing over his face, ‘‘each man whose money I hold had better keep a watchful eye on me, or I may skip with this cash |” “T’ve no fear of that!” Van Gelder said, ‘‘there’s not that sort of stock in you!” “Yas, an’ I’m not frettin’ ther fringe off my face!” Maccaw declared. Yreka sauntered over to the hotel, took a seat there, and spent the balance of the atter- noon in chatting and smoking. Not but what he was every minute on the alert, for be surmised that en assavlt might be made upon him, at any minute, by Alvin’s party, for possession of the immense sum in his keeping. About an hour before the closing of the polls, when there were yet somewhere near forty votes to be cast. Mambrinus Maccaw, after a — ae ee —_—~_ — ce ee et ee awe ee oe + eee temporary absence made his reappearance om the street neer the Buckin’ Cayuse. His unsteady walk plainly indieated that he had been gorgiog himself with drink, Not only this, but in bis arms and pockets, together, be brought with him over a dozem bottles of wine—the rich old Burgundy, which Judge Alvin had secretly, from time to time, supplied his private closet with, He had, in truth, bad a ‘skeleton in bis closet,” but it bad made its escape, now, and Mambrinus Maccaw was escorting it up the street, with the dignity of the leader of a cen- teanial parade, The sight was one that to some extent electri- fied the people of Red Nose; at any rate it created a wide-spread sensation, As be advanced, Maccaw waved one bottle in triumph above bis head, and gave vent to yell after yel , of the most ear-splitting charac- ter. ‘*Hyer I come,” he shouted, “ther great hydra-beaded be-up-an’-gee-haw, from Take- ’em-in-out-o’ the-Wet— ther bevel-edged mid-— summer night’s dream, from Monkey Mount~ ings. Hyer I come, thet bibulous bi-Centenpniah celebration o’ ther elecksbun uv old Bacchus, in Red Nose!” W hen he reached the as yet undisturbed bar— rel, from whicb be hed made his wager with Judge Alvin, he proceeded to place the bottles thereon. ‘*Come up, ye thet hev not voted, an’ aire: thirsty, thru hevin’ bin torked tew death, fer ther great he-up-an’-baw aire ’tendin’ bar to- day, an’ before ary man o’ you teches a sme)h o’ this invigorator, 1 bev ter ye a tail tew un- fold!” The invitation was not unheeded, and in short. order, a goodly ccngregation surrounded the bullwhacker, ‘* Now, ladies ean’ gentlemen, not barrin’ ther tender sex out, ef thar’s any present,” Maccaw began, ‘‘l am beer ter let yer onter suthin’ ow importance, Every minnit I expand my )ungs,, in makin’ this matter known ter ye, I expect. ter git salivated. Ef I do, wull yer as a people, avenge me?” “We will!” came a hoarse shout from the as- semblage, who bad more of aneye to the row of bottles upon the barrel-top than to the giant’s. 1 speech. ‘**On course you will!” Mambrinus declared, juggling a bottle from thumb to finger, ‘* An” ef ye don’t, thar’s a man in this burg who will —tbat’s Yreka Jim. An’ now, all o’ yer keep an eye screwed onter Jedge Alvin, an’ I’Ib open battery, Last night I played spy onter ther judge, jest ter satisfy meself ther sort of @ hairpin he was. Now, from what ’pears ter bo ther wrangle in this hyer town o’ Red Nose, ther jedge hey bin Jettin’on he wouldn’t tech & drop of intoxicatin’ likker, ef yer wor ter give him forty milyun shekels o’ gold,” A murmur of assent arose—a murmur that was somewhat ominous in its meaning, and caused Maccaw to gaze sharply eround, ‘Yas, the judge let on he wouldn’t give a cent fer all ther whisk in all Christendom, an” wanted ter keep yer noses all away from ther bupg-hole, while he hed his lips glued ter a nez~ zie. An’, boyees, thet’s ther kind cv a ha’rpin who wants ter be Mayor o’ R:d Nose! These hyer bottles o’ wine lh found in his house, an™ last night I see’d him an’ St. Maur suckin” ther bibulous from ther tame sort v’ bottles. An’ now, who orter rule Red Nose?’ For an instant after the conclusion of the giant’s address, there was a silence so interse that a pin’s drop might bave been heard; then: as of one accord, there arosea shout, strong and hearty. uttering the name “YREEKA JIM!” A rush was mace for the veranda of the hotel, where the sport was seated, watchiog the scene, In spite of bis attempt to ward them off he was seized, raised upon their bands, and borne aloft over the heads of the crowd, Revolvers glistened here and there, also, and more than one voice uttered the inquiries; ‘“ Where's Alvin?” ‘* Whar’s the judge?” But seeing the exposure that the gianthad turned upon him, the jorge bad wisely vamosed, and St. Maur, even trough disguised, had not followed far behind him, And when it became evident the local element: was strongly against Alvin, not counting bis. previous opponents, a party was organized, and -sent in search of him. But his dwelling was unoccupied, and ro. trace whatever could be found of him, He had, as he supposed, done the wise thing, and lost no time in getting out of Red Nose, After the exposure, ana the comment over books