Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 472 — page 7: what you’re looking at

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

oye — ee —— —_— ee ——$— P Jaunty Joe, the Young Horse King. 7 over the horse’s head. It was not yet arranged and as Jack was once more very doubtful and shy, he was given plenty of time. Finally Joe settled tt into place, buckled the throat-latch, and the bridle was fully arranged, Black Jack was more ill at ease than ever but Joe’s patience seemed unlimited. Once moré he gave him time, caressing his neck, and an- other point was won, Then he began moving him about the stable. Here again there was some delay, but Jack yielded gracefully after a while, and was led around the place with docility which dismayed the sharpers and amazed Mr. Job Perkins. Was this Black Jack, the *‘ wild horse?” Jaunty Joe glanced toward Banker and La- cour. He was ready for the next and crowning effort—work outside the stable—and despite the warning he had given them, he feared that they would make trouble. He knew, if the others did not, just what hold he had upon the horse, and how easily it could be broken. The great question now was, to what point would the men carry their hatred of him? On their actions depended whether he would wholly conquer Black Jack as he had be- gun, or see him turned into a demon. It was too late to move them on, and besides, he wished them to witness his triumph, He threw open the stable door, CHAPTER VII, THE BOY TRAINER’S BATTLE. As the door swung back, out came Joe and the horse, the latter moving with a quick, ner- vous tread, but still under good control, and the boy tamer felt sure that if all remained quiet he would keep his hold successfully. But what he had feared, now came to pass, Banker and Lacour had determined to break up this harmony, however they might show their hands, and as Black Jack came out with a restless toss of his proud head, Jasper put the scheme in effect. ‘Look out for him!” he cried, in a sharp, peneuranine voice, as though actually afraid, and then he beat a noisy, abrupt retreat, fol- lowed by the Frenchman. His trick acted like a spur on the horse, He gave his head a toss, his eyes flashed, and the spell thrown upon him by Joe vanished at once. He gave a great bound which almost swung the youth from his feet, and dashing across the yard, was again the feared wild horse, A wave of bitter anger swept over the boy’s mind; he knew his enemies had done all this purposely, and he would have liked a few min- utes’ reprieve in which to attend to their cases; but having once started with Black Jack, he would not leave him until the matter was de- cided. A temporary surrender would leave an im- pression on the horse’s mind hard to remove, Black Jack, however, was free from the spell and determined to be free from all control, and the struggle which followed made Job Perkins’s heart feel like lead in his breast, He fully ex- pected to see Joe Baldwin killed, With flashing eyes the horse tore about the ard with great bounds, and though Jaunty Joe ung to him gallantly, he could not control his movements. The bit, though jointed, was of an inferior kind, and might as well have been straight just then. ‘* Let him go!” cried Jasper Banker, from his perch on the wall, ‘‘Let him go, or he’ll kill ou! f Mr. Perkins confronted the turf-gambler, whip in hand, his usually mild face full of wrath, ‘‘Hush your cackle!” he ordered, sternly. ‘You've done enough already, darn ye, an’ ef you holler any more [li tan yer hide, I vum!” and Mr. Jasper Banker did not think it prudent to disregard the warning. In the meanwhile, Jaunty Joe was continuing his battle. He had lost the control of the horse he had gained by means of such patience at first, and it was now a mere battle, with the odds, it seemed, in the horse’s favor. _ The boy was not long in seeing that he must make some change. He could not hold the ani- mal, and in the way they were spinning about the yard his strength would soon become ex- hausted—thrown away in a helpless cause, It was a part of his creed to never alarm or excite a horse more than was necessary, but there was no other way in Black Jack’s case. He surveyed the smooth, well-rounded back of the horse, and then collected his energy for the grand effort. Desperate cases require desperate remedies, and he must fight Black Jack with his @wn Weapons. **Good gracious!” r. a SS eee ee eee—mm=mmmm0000110»_—'_'] _ The farmer uttered the characteristic exclama- tion in wonder as he saw Joe make a tremendous but light spring, and shooting upward, land on Black Jack’s back like a professional acrobat! He was almost as agile as a monkey, and be- fore the horse fully realized the indignity tc which he was submitted, his cool young tamer was fairly in position. A sneering smile swept over Lacour’s face, Making the effort as the boy had done without due means of backing up his position, he be- lieved Joe would be cast away like ripe fruit, ‘*Tt’s all up wiz him!” he said, to Banker, Black Jack’s eyes flashed and his nostrils ex- panded wonderfully. Rage and terror filled his mind, and he was, indeed, the ‘* demon” the sharpers had been anxious to see him become, He leaped away like a wild horse of the plains, and only the high walls of the yard kept him from leaving the narrow quarters in which he was confined, Dashing madly around, he tried to free himself from the degrading weight on his back. Jaunty Joe, however, clung like a burr, and showed that he was a prince of riders. In fact, he seemed as little disturbed as though sitting on a trained saddle-horse, But Black Jack was not yet done; his instinct told him there was another way of solving the question, and he suddenly reared on his hind legs until he seemed almost to be standing erect. Three times in succession he tried this, but Joe remained in place, easy, cool, but wary. What he expected, however, came to pass. As Black Jack went into the air for the fourth time he lost his balance and went over back- ward, falling helplessly to the ground, And Joe? Was he crushed under the horse? Hardly! When the animal fell he slipped neatly to one side, escaping all danger. Professor Lacour now expected to see him watch the horse and spring again upon his back as Black Jack arose, but Jaunty Joe had a wa of his own for taming a horse, Banker’s vil- lainy had forced him out of his regular path, but he believed he still knew a better way than to let the horse race around the yard indefinite- ly. Before Jack could rise he found his head pinioned to the ground by the cool-headed boy. He struggled fiercely, but found, as many a horse had done before him, that while his head was down he was a helpless prisoner, and to rise was out of the question. Joe had him captive! Quietly the boy kept his place, and, as the horse rested from his useless struggles, he he- gan to caress the glossy neck gently and, look- ing full into the great eyes, to talk soothingly. ‘‘ More witchcraft!” muttered Banker. ‘‘ Whatever it is,” said Perkins, impressively, ‘*T warn ye not ter interrupt. By gosh, you’ve done enough a’ready, an’ I won't hev no monkeyin’.” ‘‘ What have I done?” ‘‘ What hev ye done?” é Yes.” “Youve made all this rumpus, b’gosh! Mr. Baldwin had him as p.ac’ble ez a kitten, an’ you ruled him all up.” ‘* Yowre mighty suspicious,” growled Banker. The farmer gave him an expressive glance, ‘We'll talk o’ this later,” he replied. In the center of the yard all was strangely quiet. Joe continued to gaze into the horse’s eyes, t> caress his neck and talk in the old, soothing way; and the fire died out of Black Jack’s eyes and he lay as passive as though asleep, Lacour was wild with rage, He knew new that there was more in Joe’s way of taming than ordinary horsemanship, and as he saw the animal again yielding to the spell, his own hopes vanished, He longed to arouse the ‘‘demon” in the horse again, but the sturdy old farmer and bis whip were only a few feet away. Finally Horse-King Joe quietly removed his weight from Jack’s neck and touched his shoulder. ‘¢Get up!” he said, quietly, Black Jack obeyed, but it was not with the spring of a wild horse; instead, his manner was viet enough, and he seemed like one in a ream. Joe gently pulled on the rein, ‘¢Come!” he said. The horse obeyed, and was led unresisting to the stable door. He entered gladly, and for a moment both be and the boy jockey were invisi- ble. Then Joe came out, closed the door and advanced toward the trio by the wall. ‘““We will let Jack rest a while,” he said, coolly. ‘He is quiet now, but his nerves had not assumed the normal state in which | desire them when I continue my work. Mr. Perkins, have you any more business to transact with your visitors?” He nodded toward Banker and Lacour, ‘“* By gracious, no!” ‘Then I would suggest that they be allowed to go their way. We can do without them here,” ‘‘I’m not to be ordered off by you!” cried J pe flushing with anger, ‘““By gosh, you are by me!” retorted the farmer. ‘* We've had all we want o’ you, mister, an’ the sooner you huff it away the better. You needn’t come back ag’in either; ve had enough QO” your style ter last quite a spell.” ‘Same here,” put in Joe in a hard voice, “You did your level best to have Black Jack worst me. I had him under good control, and you would have seen him handled here as quietly as I began, only for you.” ‘Me? I did nothing,” ‘You purposely excited him, so as to break the hold 1 had upon him, hoping I would be de- feated. Your purpose was plain; it is useless to deny it.” “That's solid, added Perkins. ‘* How dare you accuse a gentleman of such @ thing?” blusteringly demanded Banker, ‘*{ merely tell the truth.” ‘You tell no part of the truth, and I want you to know I did not come here to be insulted y a country clodhopper.” ‘Yow ll git a country whip laid over yer hide ef you ain’t careful,” declared Job Perkins, “You needn’t think you can bully me or m frien’s on my own farm, Mr. Baldwin hez this matter down fine, an’ you kin take what be says an’ git out as soon ez you please, Your man an? team is Waitin’ fur you by the house, an’ if you go right along you'll jest ketch a train west.’ ‘**1’m in no hurry to take a train.” ‘*“'You’d better be in a hurry ter git offn my remises. Somehow, you seem ter p’izon the air round here, Now, I’m a man 0’ peace, member o’ the Orphans’ Aid Society an’ a town officer, but thar is sech a desire in me ter use this ’ere whip on ye that I’m afeerd I can’t hold in much longer. You'd better go!” Banker’s face was red with anger, and as he believed he could whip both his enemies, he felt a strong desire to do it at once, but he had pru- dence enough not to attempt so rash a thing. “Tt is beneath my rank in life to indulge in any such low, vulgar quarrel,” he said, loftily “and I will leave at once. You have insulted me grossly, but it is all I can expect from one like you. Come, Lacour, we'll go.” ‘You'll git more than you expect, ef you don’t look out,” said the farmer, nervously hand- ling his whip. But Jasper and his tool strode away without further talk and were soon in the carriage, mov- ing toward the village. ‘¢ Ah! zis is ver’ bad!” sighed the Frenchman, ‘‘The end is not yet!” declared Banker, with a scowl. ‘¢ Vat more can we do?” “That remains to be seen, but Tm not through with Black Jack yet. Tl either have that horse or kill him!” CHAPTER VIII. STRANGE DOINGS AT NIGHT. A WEEK passed. During this time the search for the Gy band. and for the burglar, was continued, but nothing was found of uny of the lot, People had become more acquainted with Joe, and no- body then thought of doubting his story, but it remained a fact that all the ‘‘ wanted ” people had vanished completely. Investigation had shown that John Kane was not at the bottom of the lake, and it was believ- ed he had escaped and made his way back te Brooklyn or New York. As for King Ryer and his band, they were credited with an unusual amount of cunning,: and nobody expected to see them again—anc nobody, unless it was Horse-King Joe, wished to see them. He spent a good deal of time in thinking about the stern old chief and his ven- detta: and quite as much in thinking about the girl who had so strangely flashed upon his life for a brief period of time, Melvina Ryer! Gypsy or not, the name and the face hovered persistently in his mind, Every day he devoted time to Black Jack, and it was one of the greatest sights of the town to see him driving the once-wild horse, with Mr. Perkins as a passenger. For Jannty Joe had effectually conquered the animal, and that, too, without another wild comicbooks a i