Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 467 — page 7: what you’re looking at

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

—e ———— with my affairs as you are doing,and— Hands ” Without the slightest warning the supposed helpless hand came up with a revolver in it, and the sport found himself ‘‘ covered.” “Pretty well done!” Dan exclaimed. “A pretty neat little trick, Mr. ‘ Saint,’ and no mis- take.” And being fairly in the toils, he raised his hands as ordered. Wal, by th’—” But Red-eye Jim got no further. He had attempied to step forward to the sport’s aid, but the ‘‘ parson” suddenly stepped to the fore and covered him. - What do you think about things in general now?” the ‘‘ parson ” inquired, smiling, ‘*He laughs best who laughs last,” was Disco Dan’s reply. bo ‘‘ That’sa true saying,” responded the “ saint,” | *‘ and this is about the last laugh in the game, I oe guess.” rs ‘* Don’t be too certain of it.” 5 The sympathy of the majority of the crowd | was Clearly with Disco Dan; but when the citi- ; zens pressed forward to help him, they found ' themselves held at bay by Barry Barleycorn. al Barleycorn, Kenton and Barker very evident- ae ly understood one another’s ‘‘ game” pretty thoroughly, and it looked rather dubious, indeed, for Dan and his new-found pard, ‘* Now,” called out the “saint,” “let every man who sides with me in this matter, step this | way.” i Of course he was sure of the support of every . employee of the Poor-man’s Find, and the num- | ber of men who crossed over to his side was by no means a small one, Disco Dan and Red-eye Jim were soon bound, and then the ‘*‘ parson” said: Citizens, this festive sport had his turn, and now comes mine. I and my pard Barker will take charge of the prisoners, and we will try and convince you that this flash ‘ dude’ is a man who is guilty of a dozencrimes. In him you be- hold _ no less a personage than MipnicuT Dav, the California road-agent |” Had every person in the room been suddenly struck dumb, the silence for a moment could not have been more profound. Could it be possible? Could this handsome, fair-faced sport be tae notorious robber and murderer the ‘‘ parson” had named?—the outlaw whose very name had become a terror to all honest men? Could this be be? Only a moment the silence lasted, and then arose the cr~ of ‘‘ Hang him! Hang him!” CHAPTER VIL. A STAY OF PROCEEDINGS, An hour had not yet passed since Disco Dan had first entered The Den, although it seemed to those who had not been actors in the exciting and blood-stirring events of the evening, that fully two or three had elapsed. Disco Dan was used to exciting adventure of all kinds, but here he had found it spread on a little thicker than usual. And now this last dilemma fairly capped the climax. | It was the most serious of all. To, be accused of being a noted outlaw upon whose head a price was set, was not only terri- re bly unpleasant, but it placed him in a highly a dangerous situation. Once let the crowd become fully aroused to the belief that he was really that man, and the chances were that a *‘neck-tie party” would be on the tapis in short order, Already the me: of “Hang him! Hang him!” had been raised by the friends and followers of Barker and Kenton, the “saint” and the “ par- son;” and it was being rapidly caught up by half the people in the room. a And then to that cry some one added: . Vos, an’ hang ’em both!” . Quite a little group of the more cool-headed EY ones, however, headed by Ben Bantam and oe Billy Barber, raised their voices in protest, and Rue counseled their hasty fellow-citizcns to go a lit- f tle slow until they had some proof, H “What more proof aye wants _ Some one ie bawied. ‘* Ain’t we got th’ bos 8 word fer it? t Ef th’ ‘ parson’ an’ th’ ‘saint’ sez it’s so, it must so! e’ve got their word fer it.” ‘“* Yes,” retorted Ben Bantam, ‘an’ that’s all ye have got, too. That don’t amount to a row o’ pins in a case o’ this kind, whar it’s life or death. ® must have th’ solid proof!” ‘*That’s jest what’s th’ matter wi’ Hanner!” | exclaimed Red-eye Jim. ‘‘ What we wants is MPs proof! Th’ sport heur has showed ye th’ kind o’ »_—__— stuff he’s made of, citizens, an’ 1 ruther reckon ye’ve found him ter be th’ pure quill an’ clear white. He’s th’ reg’lar-made article, an’ Pm | | ay.) <9 SB bury 24] | | ‘No, Iam not! I allow no man to meddle | willin’ fer ter gamble high on it. Ye'’ve all drunk his health, feller pards, an’ this heur town ain’t th’ kind of a burg fer ter go off at half- cock on a question o’ this sort. Ye jest want ter take Ben bantant's advice, an’ go slow about it. ‘* Sides that, what th’ ragged old deuce be ve talkin’ o’ hangin’ me fer? What have J been doin’? Dve been a purty hard citizen, pards, I know; but by th’ great peak o’ Shasta, I kin sweer I never done nothin’ ye kin hung me fer!” ‘** You haven’t, eh?’ sneered the “‘ parson.” ** No, I haven’t, eh!” ‘* Well, it seems to me you’re too free and friendly with this outlaw to enjoy a clean bill of health for yourself.” *That’s just where you hit the nail, every time!” agreed the ‘‘ saint.” ‘Yas, but I wasn’t no friend to th’ sport till he did me a gcod turn by blockin’ your leetile game, ‘ parson,’ an’ you know it, too!” ‘*Bosh! That was all done for show!” ** All bosh, was it? All done fer fun, eh? ‘ Parson,’ ye’re a fool! D’ye spose these heur citizens is goin’ ter swaller sich a tale ez that? D’ye mean ter say I went through that ’ar win- der fer fun? D’ye s’pose it’s fun ter have my han’some face all mussed up like it is? You talk hke aman made o’ putty an’ stuffed wi’ shay- in’s, you do!” Disco Dan said nothing. He was waiting to see which way the tide would turn ere he set his voice against it. And the poor blind girl, meanwhile, sat where the sport had placed her, her mind a prey to mapy doubts and fears. Well she knew that her friend and charapion was in trouble. The blind are always quick of hearing, and she understood all that was going on, almost as iy as though she could see everything about er, And it was for her that the sport now felt most concerned. Would any one else there have the nerve to protect her? He feared not, Mentally he cursed himself for having al- lowed himself to be so easily thrown off his guard, and he tried to lan some means by which to regain her liberty. But be planned in vain. He could only wait and see what turn events would take. The aynperey of the crowd, he had found, was as fickle as the wind. When he had had it of the greater part of the crowd a few minutes ago, only a few stood by him new, The ‘parson’s” accusation had turned the tables completely. And he—the * parson” with Barleycorn and the *‘ saint,” still continued to ‘“hold the floor.” The “parson” had found time to give the **saint” a Lurried idea in whisper of what had been going on, and it was clear that they meant to push this advantage while the time was ripe. ey had been at the mercy of Red-eye Jim long enough, and here was a chance to cast off the yoke for good and all. So they reasoned; and here the reader will guess that the paper which Red-eye Jim held, was one which they had reason to fear and de- sire to possess, Such was the case. And, too, since Disco Dan had had that paper in his hands, and the ‘‘ parson” had seen him glance at it, it would be safe to put him out of the way, too. What the secret of that paper was, is the point upon which the plot of our story hinges, It will be revealed in good time. ‘‘Tt’s no use, Red-eye,” said the ‘‘ saint,” *‘ for your story won't go down. We citizens have more than once talked about calling you to ac- count, and now .is the time for us to do it. We've got the dead-wood on you now, my boy, and you and your outlaw friend have got to stretch hemp. Am I not right, boys?” ** Yes! yes!” was the cry again. “ Hang ‘em! Hang ’em!” Red-eye began to‘‘turn a little pale around the gills,” as some one expressed it. Not so the cool sport, however iy Was as cool asa ton of ice. sreat heavens!” Jim gasped. ‘You don’t mean fer ter hang us wi’out no trial. do ye?” That is fer the crowd to say,” the “ parson ” answered; “and I fancy they will say yes.” ‘But, that ain’t no fair! I’ve got a right fer ter have a good, fair an’ squar’ trial, an’ so’s th’ sport; an’ b’gosh we wants it. too!” ‘See how he speaks for his ‘pard,’ too!” ob- Disco Dan, the Daisy Dude. SCO — — —- —SSts—ses -this thing, of course. served the “saint.” ‘Don’t it show for itself, boys, that they’re old chums?’ “*In course it do?” ** And.” the ‘‘saint” went on, “ there’s a re- ward for this bold Midnight Dan, dead or alive. Youw’re not going to let that slip away from you, are you?” “Not by a long sight we ain’t! Git a rope, pards, an’ we’ll make cold meat of ‘em in no time!” ‘* That’s th’ idee! Hang ’em! The excitement now ran high. Three or four rushed away to find ropes, while a dozen others advanced to lay hands upon the unfortunate prisoners. Red-eye Jim was seized at once, but not so the sport in velvet, He had given a sud: en and powerful jump, and now stood upon the bar trying to make himself heard, ‘*Gentlemen,” he said, as soon as he could be heard, ** you are too hasty in this matter, and if you carry out your present intention, you will live to regret it. I am not Midnight Dan, the California road-agent, and I never saw this man Red-eye Jim in my life before I saw him here to-night. ‘*AsI have told you, lama pilgrim stranger here, but Iam a white man, clean through and through; and it is your duty, as square und up- right citizens, to investigate this case before you go to@xtreme measures, ‘**T have a right to a trial, and I demand one. Just let this thing rest until to-morrow, and then go about it ina business-like way.” ‘* And give you the night to find a chance to escape, eh?” queried the ‘‘ parson.” ‘Yes, that would be a fine thing to do,” added the ‘‘ saint.” ‘* No, ” yelled the crowd. Hang em!” no! ’im right up now!” ‘*Hold on! Hold on!” cried Dan. ‘One mo- ment, b ys! How many here are in favor of giving me a fair trial?” Instantly Ben Bantam and Billy Barber, with their little group of ten or a dozen, shouted back: ‘* We are! pard, we are!” ‘*Then,” cried the sport, ‘‘ help me!” And he gave a sudden kick which sent Barleycorn’s re- volver flying out of his hand, thus deliv ering his friends from ‘‘ cover.” And they instantly took advantage of the moment, ‘“* Let’s string their weapons, they all sprung 4 the Drawin fore, and Ben Bantam cried ont: ‘“Karlo Kenton an’ Barton Barker, we’re jest ez good citizens o’ this heur town ez you be, an’ we all demand a fair trial fer this heur stranger. What d’ye say?” These law-observing citizens were only a handful, but they now held the ‘‘ drop,” and that was everything. ‘*But,” cried the away!” ‘*Ef he does, let him. Ef he really is Mid- night Dan, th’ reward for him sez dead or alive; an’ sence ye’ve got him alive, tl ar’s no need fer ter make him dead. What's more, jest set it down fer gospel that if ye go fer ter hang him “saint,” “he will get heur to-night, thar’ll ke blood spilt. Them’s th? sentiments o’ this crowd!” ** Bully fer you!” cried Red-eye. “ You’rea hoss, Ben, fer a fact!” The *‘ parson ” and the “saint” were beaten. ‘Oh! well,” said the ‘‘ parson,” yielding the point as gracefully as he could under the cir- cumstances, “we do not really want to force We are willing to have the prisoners locked up till to-morrow, and then we will give them a hearing.” “Of cour e,” assented the “saint.” “Tts nothing to vs, whether you heng them or not; but we thought it wculd he for the good cf the town to do so. We'll lock erm up, as the ‘ par- son’ says, and then we'll see how you feel about it in the morning. ‘* Never mind the ropes now, boys,” he added “we're going to keep them over till to-m« rrow,” ‘* There,” said Disco Dan, *‘ that is more like it. Now, the question is where are you going to ut us‘ “Where shall we put them, ‘ parson’?” ‘the “saint” asked. ‘* How will Pete Hanker’s old cabin do?” ** Just the place! Bring them on, boys.” gold on a moment Jonger,” said Dan. Who is going to guard us? ‘““Oh! we'll leave two or three men to do that. Don’t let it worry you, for you won’t get out, I guess,” ‘‘That’s not the idea, though. I don’t care to trust myself. entirely to your men. I want two men from Mr. Bantam’s party and two frou yours. How does that strike you?”