Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 467 — page 3: what you’re looking at

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

4 cert tie ‘ eye. “Great Jupiter! Citizens, who laid out the ‘cyclone? Is he dead?’ ‘ That is my work, sir,” answered Disco Dan, “The man is not dead by any means, and will no doubt soon be up and howling for gore.” ‘*Then you had better make yourself scarce around here, my friend,” the ‘* parson” advised: “‘for when Red-eye Jim comes to, your life won’t be worth a tinker’s wink. He isa bad man, he is, and you won’t be anything in his grasp.” ‘* Thank you for the advice,” the cool sport re- | spon led, ‘* but I prefer to stay and face the mu- | sic. I donot scare worth a cent. I have laid the bully out once, and I have no doubt I cando it again, if necessary.” ‘Yes, but that is not the thing,’ the “ par- son’ persisted, ‘‘ Red-eye is a holy terror, and he will drill you on sight, and the best thing you can do is to slip quietly out of town while you have a chance,” ‘Yes, pardner, that’s so,” Barry Barleycorn added. ‘‘ You'd better take th’ ‘ parson’s’ ad- vice, and slope.” ‘** Nary slope,” rejoined the sport, decisively. **1 came here to stay. This Red-eye Jim may be the boss of this town, but he has no terrors for me. I'll see this thing out, gentlemen, if the heavens fall.” ** An’ bully fer you!” cried the man who had proposed the toast to the ** Daisy Dude.” ‘* You- ’re jest th’ true metai, pardner, an’ I, fer one, will stand by ye.” This man’s name was honest Ben Bantam, the miner. ** An’ so will I!” cried another miner, Billy Barber. ‘‘ Fact is, Mr. Dan,” he added, ‘ this heur bully has been runnin’ things his own way long enough, an’ it’s time he was sot down on. We've been talkin’ this thing over for some time, we citizens has, an’ we had almost con- cluded to go for Red-eye in a body an’ fetch him to terms. This has got ter be done sooner or later, an’ there’s always no time iike th’ present; so ef you want ter have it out wi’ th’ ‘cyclone,’ go fer him, an’ we'll see thet ye have fair play. Hey, pardners, be I right?” “Yes!” came the cry from a score; “ right you are, Billy, an’ we'll stand by ye.” ‘* Well,” said the ‘‘ parson,” then, “Sif that’s the way you’re going to fix it, all right; but I wouldn't like to see our friend here tackle the giant alone. He would be killed in less than no time.” “ Now let me whisper once,” spoke Disco Dan, **T thank you, citizens, for your intention to see fair play, but Ido not want any of you to In- terfere, This affair is my own, andif Red-eye wants any more, Iam ready to make him Black- So far as ] am concerned the fun is over now. Iam notso fond of fighting as to kick up a fracas unnecessarily, but if your giant goes for me, though, I shall do my best to take care of Number One, you bet.” ‘ Bully fer Disco Dan!” cried Ben Bantam. Meanwhile Red-eye Jim had lain motionless upon the floor, with a purple lump upon his forehead as big as an egg, but now he began to show signs of returning consciousness. He gave a groan or two, moved a hand, then his feet, gave another groan, and then opened his eyes. For a moment he looked around in silence, evidently too completely astonished to speak. He, the best man in the town, to wake up and find himself lying upon his back! It was be- yond his understanding. _ For a moment he was silent; then he partly raised himself upon his e!bow, and gasped: ‘\'W—w—what’s the matter here?” And in sosimple and silly a manner did he ask the question that aroar of laughter from the crowd was the only response he got, This had the effect of bringing back his scat- tered senses, though, and scrambling to his feet he fairly roared: | “ What's been goin’ on here? Did anybodysee a mule kick me?” = as he spoke he felt of the lump on his forehead. Never had they seen the bully in such a ridic- ulous plight. 7 avet yer ugly mugs!” the giant growled; “‘what’re ye all a-haw-hawin’erbout?”” And he glared around until his eyes rested on Disco Dan, Then he remembered the whole affair in an in- stant. be Look out for yourself, sport,” Kenton cau- tioned; “*he’s spotted you now. Disco Dan had no time to reply, for, 20 sooner had Red-eye Jim espied him than he drew a bowie and sprung at his enemy. ‘Ragin’ tempests!” he screamed. “I'll slit— O—o—h!” i And, right there, with that cry of pain, he | | stopper l. He had drawn back his arm to plant the bowie in the sport’s breast, when the loaded cane struck him on the knuckles with no gentle touch. The ugly knife dropped to the floor, and the **silver-tongued cyclone,” set up a howl that would have been a credit to a Piute brave. The pain must have been intense, for it brought tears to his eyes. **Oh! oh!” he howled, as he pressed his in- jured hand under his arm for one instant, and then the next instant jerked it up and down SSS et sesteeeeneenneeues wildly, as though each finger had been badly burned, ‘‘ see if [ don’t fix you fer this! You're mighty handy with that ar’ dude care o’ yourn, but you da’sn’t meet me like a man an’ fight this thing out fair an’ squar’.” That's just where you make your mistake,” Disco Dan responded. “I dare meet you, in any manner you can name, my gentle walrus; but the fact is I don’t want to. I did not come to this town to set up as a prize-fighter, and I want you to keep yourself to yourself, If you don’t— Well, there will be occasion for mourn - ing at your wigwam, that’s all.” ** Yas, but I won’t keep off, an’ don’t ye fail ter make a noteof it! You've carried this thing jest a leetle too far fer ter back out now, my een. doll; an’ I'm a-goin’ fer yer life’s gore! — O-o-h !” He had pulled a big revolver, but ere he could use it the ‘*‘ dude’s” cane had tapped him on the wrist. The bully again howled loudly, and the wea- pon fell to the floor. ‘*T tell you,” said the sport, “ that you had better Jeave me alone. I am too many for you; and if you press me any further, I shall have to go for you.” The crowd enjoyed the fun immensely, and the laughter and jeers only served to urged Red- eye Jim on, “Curse ye!” he cried, ‘‘ I'll fix ye, cane or no cane!” And he made a blind dash forward. But stopped suddenly. Disco Dan touched him gently on the sore spot on his forehead, causing him to fall back, ‘* When you have had enough,” Dan suggest- ed, ‘*‘ just let me know.” ‘*Curse ve,” he cried, ‘“‘T’ll fix ye fer this! You’re a coward, a coward! Yow re ’fraid ter tackle me fair!” Disco Dan’s manner changed in an instant. ‘*Lay aside your weapons,” he said, ‘‘ and I will do the same, and then we will see who is the coward, I have taken enough of your inso- lence; so now we'll settle who is chief.” Which was just what the giant wanted. Oh! Wouldn’t he fix this velvet sport, though! ‘I’m yer huckleberry!” he cried, and instant- ly he cast aside his belt and every weapon he had about him. Disco Dan did the same, and removed his coat, and then the two faced each other in battle ar- ray. ‘* Be ye ready?” Red-eye asked. ** Yes, all ready.” ‘Then look out!” And with one bound the ‘cyclone” was upon the “‘ dude,” and instantly had him in his powerful grasp. There was a brief struggle, and the’ giant swung the sport off his feet and raised him over his shoulder, CHAPTER ITI, THE ‘‘ PARSON” AT BAY. IT was just as the crowd had expected. Disco Dan was not man enough for the giant, and now he would most certainly be dashed to the floor and killed, , It was too late for ony one to interfere, for a moment would end it all. The crowd could only hold its breath in awful suspense and—wait. But, somehow or other, the performance did not seem to go off exactly according to pro- gramme; at least, not according to Red-eye Jim’s programme. ' His intention was to raise the sport just so high, and then dash him to the floor with all his strength and Ell him. It was an old trick of the giant’s, and he had performed it more than once, But this time, as we have said, it did not seem to work, He raised the sport up all right, but when it came to hurling him down there was a hitch in the proceedings. _ Instead of stopping where the giant terror intended he should, the sport continued to go right on over his shoulder. Nor did he stop until he had twisted himself around and planted his feet squarely upon the floor—greatly to the surprise of the citizens, but more of a surprise for Red-eye himself. A still greater surprise, however, was instore for about the time the sport’s feet touched th¢ floor, the ‘‘ cyclone’s ” went up. With a wonderful exhibition of strength the ** Daisy Dude” raised the * cyclone” aloft, held him for an instant over his head, and then hurl ed him headlong through a near-by window, carrying away glass, sash, shutters and all! Such a how! as went up from the crowd! It was simply deafening. ‘* Three cheers fer Disco Dan, th’ Daisy Dude 0’ Domino!” shouted honest Ben Bantam, and with a will the cheers were given. ‘‘ Great hurricanes, sport!” exclaimed the parson; ‘‘what a holy terror you are! For clear grit and muscle you do just take the waffle,” ‘Th’ waffle!” cried Barry Barleycorn, con- temptuously. ‘Why, a waffle don’t begin to meet th’ requirements of this case! He claims th’ biggest cake in th’ hull durn bakery, an’ th’ one with th’ most plums in it, too!” ‘* Ye might ruther say he takes th’ hull ’stab- lishment, from chimbly-cap to suller-floor!” Billy Barber proclaimed. And various other exclamations of similar import were heard. ‘““It was all done by a slight twist of the wrist,” the velvet sport modestly explained, ‘I warned the big brute to keep away from me, but he would have it.” And the spcrt placidly put on his coat and hat, stcaaael his necktie and brushed the specks of dust from his clothes, and while thus engaged he added: ‘*Some of you had better go out and see to that chieftain. He may be in need of assist-~ ance,” Several men had already gone out, but now a rreaf mnany more started with a rush, while arleycorn took a lamp and went to the broken window, to throw a little light upon the scene; for, as perhaps we have neglected to state, it was night, though not very late in the evening. There, on the ground, lay the fallen chief, flat upon his back, and senseless. And he was a sight to behold. The bump on his forehead swollen until it pro- truded like the nose of an anvil, his head was cut in a dozen places, from cruel contact with the glass, his face was covered with blood, and he looked as though he had been having a close- range struggle with a catamount. ‘Say, Barleycorn,” called out Ben Bantam, ‘* jest pass us out a little likker, an’ we'll see if we can’t survive th’ noble buck.” ‘To judge by his appearance now,” Barley- carn responded, ‘“‘I guess we're all likely to ‘survive’ him, Ben; but I’ll pass out th’ likker. Heur, somebody, grip onto this lamp.” The lamp was taken by a man standing near, and the proprietor of The Den hurried to the bar, soon returning with a glass of rum. ‘Better a big — let the rascal die, if he wants to,” muttered Kenton. ** Oh, no!” protested Disco Dan. ‘ That won't do! Bring the fellow in here, boys, if he is so badly hurt, and we will see what can be done for him.” Good advice. So, lifting the heavy form, the bystanders carried the giant around to the door and brought him in. ‘* Whar’il we put him?” they then asked. ‘‘ Lay him on the bar,” the velvet-clad sport replied; and there he was placed, And then the sport added: ‘* Were I a punster, I might be tempted to re. mark that ‘ Where this man found bis beer in life, he finds his bier in death; but asI am not a punster, and the man is not dead, it would hardly be appropriate for the occasion, ‘* Come, though, where is that rum? what we can do for him.” The as ge was handed to Disco, and he pour- ed a little of it into the Cyclone’s capacious mouth. Little good it seemed to do, however. ** Hello!” Kenton Dee yee exclaimed, as he espied a spot of blood on the man’s shirt, ** what’s this?” Disco Dan looked, and answered: ave § — it is from one of the cuts in his face or head.” ‘It may be,” the “‘ parson” agreed, * but let’s look and be sure.” And as he spoke he opened Red-eye Jim’s shirt and examined his breast. For a minute or more he made a great show of examining the unconscious man, feeling for wounds, pencing his ear to his breast, etc. It would seem that he had suddenly become greatly eencerned for the bully notwithstanding Let’s see