Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 489 — page 7: what you’re looking at

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

——— ewer we we erm ee Again he met with defeat, for the Sport seized his wrist, gave it a sudden sharp wrench, that caused him to utter a howl of agony and drop the knife. **Durn yer hide!” the bully cried; “TU kill you yet!” A crowd had gathered to witness the “ cir- cus.” Among the throng was the red-headed man. ‘Right, Bobbie,” he encouraged. ‘* Wade in an’ swaller’im. Don’t be bashful, but jist wipe im all around over ther avenue. ecw ’em what ’tis ter run against er tornader. Jist sot down on ’im, an’ make ’im think he’s run afoul a yarthquake. Yank ’im baldheaded, Make im think he’s fell inter ther han’s o’ er Down- East. school-marm. Go fer ’im red-hot, Bob- bie!” ‘¢' You dassent fight me,” howled Bob to the Sport ‘*{ should think you would be somewhere near satisfied, by this time,” Vane replied. ‘““You appear to be a genuine hog. I don’t think you know when you have got enough.” Will you fight?” ‘“‘ Oh, certainly, if you are bound to fight. I warn you that I shall give you satisfaction. How will you have it?” ‘t Pistols, curse ye! an’ I'll kill ye, too!” ‘‘That’s ther tork, Bobbie,” chimed in the red-headed man. ‘‘ Brace up an’ give ’im glory. Fill ’ira full o’ holes, You can do it, if you ain’t too thunderin’ drunk.” ‘¢ Pistols it is,” asserted the Sport, determined at last to read the burly fellow a lesson, he would not soon forget, ‘*There lies your wea- pon. I willusemy own. You can walk down the street as far as you like. Then, if some one will kindly give the signal, we will do our best .to furnish a subject for a funeral.” Roarin’ Bob gave a grunt of approval. Pick- ing up his revolver he walked slowly down the street, ‘Don’t go too far, Bobbie,” called out the red-headed inan, from behind a dry gocds box, where he had thoughtfully taken refuge froin all danger of stray bullets. ‘‘ If yer ain’t keer- ful you'll get so far off that it’ll take er cannon ter reach yer.” ‘I will give the signal,” said Robert Giles, stepping out of the crowd, witha cocked: revol- ver in hishand, ‘‘{ will alsosee fair play. The ons who makes a false move, or attempts to shoot before I give the word, I will salt.” ‘¢ Good enough,” answered Vane. ‘¢ Look out, you durned galoot, that yer shoot- er don’t go off accidentally an’ salt somebuddy,” cried the red-headed man, peering out from his refuge. ‘‘ Bet er dollar yer rusty ole guh ain’t loaded, anyway.” ‘You dry up!” cried Gilgs, angrily. “Dry up? W’at, me? Reckun you don’t know me. I’m dried up dryer than ther arid Dezzert o’ Sahary now. Couldn’t dry any dryer ef I sh’u’d try er month. I’m jist desert ary, I be!” Roarin’ Bob had now stopped and faced around. He was waiting for the signal. Robert Giles stepped forward and called out: *‘T will count three, and at the word you will both fire one shot each. If cither of these fail to take effect, vou will hold your fire until I give the signalagain. Are you ready?” “Yes,” growled the bully. ‘‘Say yer pray- ers, Dandy-Face. I’m goin’ ter bore ye.” ‘¢ All ready,” responded Vane, a cold, calm smile playing around his mouth, ‘© One,” counted Giles, Dead silence fell upon the crowd. ** Two !” The red-headed man attempted to hide himself more effectually. With open mouths and beat- ing hearts the spectators awaited the signal. Vane gazed along his weapon, as cool as an ice- berg. Roarin’ Bob swayed unsteadily, ** Three, FIRE!” Then came two sharp reports, followed by a howl of agony from the Boss Bruiser, as he be- an to dance frantically around, The Diamond Sport's hat lay on the ground, pier¢ed by a bul- let. “Great Scott!”-cried the red-headed man, as he emerged from his place of refuge, ‘ Sum- buddy’s hit! Good Laud! it are Bobbie. Too bad! too bad!” Despite his professed sorrow, there was a broad grin upon his face. ‘Ouch! Oh! O-o-oh!” howled Roarin’ Bob, as he danced frantically around, holding up his right hand, which was bleeding : rofusely. His revolver lay on the ground at his feet. ‘“ Are you dead, Bobbie?” squealed the red- headed man, as he came rushing frantically up. “You ain’t killed, be ye?” The Diamond Sport. ‘*Get away!” cried Bob, ‘' Hev I killed ther Sport?” ‘*Oh, yes,” replied the red-headed man, sar- castically. ‘* That is, you would ef you'd ’a’ hit ‘im; but you was so b’uin drunk ye couldn’t see | straight. You'd better go an’ cool off.” = Yon shot about two inches too hich,” re- marked Giles, coming up. ‘‘ The bullet went through his hat,» A couple inches lower would have done the job. Where are you hit?” ‘*My hand; blast *im, he’s tore it all ter ieces.” Giles hastily examined the bully’s wounded digit. ‘* Why,” he exclaimed, ‘‘ it’s not so bad. Only your little finger gone. Not another mark on your hand,” ‘Is that so?’ cried Bob! “By mighty! I thought my hull durned fist war gone.” “Will you fight him again?” eagerly asked Giles, as he bound up the wounded hand, ‘*Not ef I knows it! Ireckon I am er leeele full. Dll get even in sum other way. Iam satisfied fer this time.” ‘*Bah! You’re a coward,” snarled Giles, turning abruptly away. ‘*Does he want another round?’ inquired Vane. ‘Tl shoot away the little finger on his other hand next time. I could soathe Silla the drunken fool, but I didn’t want his blood on my hands,” ‘* He’s satisfied for the present,” Giles explain- ed—‘‘ fully satisfied.” ‘‘Got er hull stummic full,” the red-headed man announced, with a majestic wave of his Land, ‘I wish ter Moses my stummic war full. Oh! how dry I be!” At this moment, the smothered report of a revolver was heard, and a bullet whistled by the head of the Diamond Sport. CHAPTER VII. THE PARSON SPEAKS. ‘“HULLO! So it’s you, is it?’ Heath cried, in astonishment, as the summary unmasking revealed the solemn, pious-looking face of Par- son Grimes. ‘* This is rather peculiar business fora manof your stamp to be engaged in. [ll be hanged if you ain’t a double-dyed old fraud!” ‘Thanks, friends, for the es the parson said, quite coolly. ‘* This little piece of clisguise business seems to have fallen through— sort of caved in, so to speak, That beard was a miserable fit, anyway, and always fe.t uncom- fortable. It is quite a relief to have it off.” Much to Heath’s astonishment, the parson seemed perfectly unconcerned by what had hap- pened, His face was perfectly calm, and his voice was free from a tremor. ‘Who in Satan’s name are you, anyhow?” Heath cried, fiercely flinging the beard upon the floor, “Plain Parson Grimes, at your service. Leay- ing my little flock in the care of another, I wan- dered away from the verdant State of Vermont, to seek my future in the much-talked-of Western mines. There, you have everything in a nut- shell,” ‘*) believe you lie!” The parson Jaughed quietly. *¢ As you like,” he said. ‘‘ It makes little dif- ference to me what you think. The greater rogue aman is the more he suspects his fellow- men, You seem very suspicious.” ‘Bother your talk! Bridle your tongue, and let’s come to an understanding. Wd like to know What kind of a game you are up to, Tll be hanged if I don’t believe you are a detective!” ‘* Undoubtedly you will be hanged, anyway. What you believe and what you do not will make little difference in that affair. If I were a detective, youd be a mighty good sub ject for me to jot down in my ‘rogue list.’ ” ‘I'm going to tell you one thing,” Heath cried angrily. ‘*Whether you are a detective or not, you have run your nose into a mighty warm corner, and the sooner you settle and come to an agreement, the better it will be for ou. The parson laughed in a cool, exasperating way. He seemed little disturbed by Heath’s threat. ‘You are talking wild now. I told you who I was. Just plain Jonathan Grimes, parson, from Greenbush, Vermont, my nose into a warm corner, it strikes me that I have dropped into a fat snap. That there’s money in it I am satisfied,” ‘* There may be, but we are desperate men, and I warn you not to push us too far. pay you a fair sum toclose your moutk, but | high figures we cannot and will not pay. ee en a es ee ——- Instead of running |! more like a cool, nervy man, who thor¢ ugbly We will | worked vourself into an excruciating pitch of 4 —_——_——— - — -- - " _— -—- - - —_—- Rather than to have a dead man on our hands, we are willing to settle this matter as easily as possible,” | “* Exactly,” said the parson, in a lazy, indif- ferent way. ‘‘ lam willing to settle as easy as you please. You understand about how this matter lays. You folks are going to fall intoa bis fortune, which you have no more right to than the man in the moon has.” Well?” ‘Well, I have dropped on your little game, and I mean to come in for a little slice of that fortune. Do you savvy?” ** Look out!” cried Heath fiercely. ‘‘ Look out that you don’t run againsta lead ball before you lug off a slice of that fortune. You may leave your bones among these bills.” Again the parson gave vent to that lazy, in- different laugh, ‘Tf that is your game, you are fools to let me know #. Inmy opinion, friend, there is much more vapor to you than anything else. You seem capable of looking very fierce and talking very ugly, but I guess that is about all there is to it.” lt was all Heath could do to restrain his anger. He was boiling over with rage. He would have liked to fly at this taunting man’s threat and choke the life out of his body, but by a cesperate effort he controlled his rage. ‘* Let us come to an understanding at once,” he said snarply. ‘* By all means,” replied the parson. ‘I would like as well as you to get this matter settled, But I warn you that, when I talk, I talk busi- ness. ltis going to cost you something to keep me silent, and you may as well settle your umd on that pads It will take a heap to get the better of my conscience, It is no easy thing for a man who has been square and bonoreble all his days, a man who has ever loved his neighbor as himself, a man who has been a faithful ser- \ vant of the Lord—” ‘* Bah!” cried Heath, me tired.” ‘*T say,” continued Parson Grimes calmly, “that it is a difficult thing for such a 7; erson to enter into such a condemnably vil’amous scheme as this. It is roing to take thousands te drown my religious scruples. I hope the Lord sh Ag mercy on roy soul if I enter into it at all, ‘*When you get through with this te ffyin business we will talk common sense. Youn not set your mind on drowning your religious scruples with thousands, because you will never bave the chance.” : ‘Won't 1?” ‘‘No, you won’t! You may as well under- stand that, first as last. What will you take to clear out and never interfere with our game?” ‘*T believe you heard my fguresa few minutes ago, I have not changed my mindsince. In fact, when I settle my mird on anything, it takes a great deal to change it.” ‘** This is follv!” Heath cried. ‘‘ You evught to know that we shall never pay such a © mas that. I will offer you every cent we ce’ «: will pay you—just five hundred dollars, Dc you | } **Doletup! You make ae SL SS accept?” ni by no means. Do you take me for 6n cut- and-out double-distilled fool? I told you that I meant business when I talked. Il] bave my figures or nothing.” “Then I reckon you Jl teke nothing.” “Very well,” with cool indifference; ‘‘ go on with this game if you care, I know what! am doing, and don’t you forgetit. The minute vou attempt to carry out your plot Dil, expcse the whole scheme. Goon with your circus,” ‘You never’ll live, curse vou—” ‘‘ Na-ow, hold on!” cried the parson, shoving a revolver under Heath’s nose, ‘ Don’t you ate tempt to draw a weapon onme, I haven’ta cipele doubt but that you would like to lodge a ball in my brain, but to any such experiment, iron where it is.” Vith a hoarse grow] Herth relinqnished his hold cw the revolver. If the parson had not been on the alert, under the angry impulse of the moment, the fiery-tempered villain weuld have shot him dead. But ahout thet t.me, Par- son Grimes was very wide awake. The parson laughed as he lowered his revclver, He seemed very little likea parsonnow. Much am not at all agreeable Leave that shooting- understood his business. ‘*‘ Now, friend, continued the parscn, ‘‘ what is the use of getting all Wiledup? I worlen’t be im | your place now for ten dollars. Yon l«eve agony. Such spells are destructive to health, and sure destroyers of long life, Bridle your -booKs.com