Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 510 — page 8: what you’re looking at

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

-. 8 Cool Colorado, the Half-Breed Detective. NE —————— IIIT are able to hold their own, I reckon, with any | the other night, but you can’t do it ag’in. Tm crowd who kin be scared up in this section!” Big-nosed Smith was right about this, for though the up-creek men were all honest, in- dustrious miners, without a gambler or a black sheep of any kind among tbem, yet they were all brave and hardy fellows, men who would not stand any nonsense from anybody. Conversation was suspended as Jackson and the three sports approached, and al] eyes were aoe upon the new-comers in curious specula- ion. Old man Jackson came on until he got within a couple of yards of the half-breed and then he halted. ‘* See hyer, Mister Cool Colorado, I’ve got a few words to say to you!” he exclaimed in a see and arrogant tone, his manner full of of ense, ‘¢ Well, I am always ready to listen to any- thing that any one is anxious to say to me,” the half-breed rejoined. ‘‘ But allow me to say to you, right in the beginning, that there is not the slightest necessity for you to shout in that way. Tam not in the least troubled with hardness of hearing, and I am quite sure I will understand every word you say if you speak in an ordinary tone, so, will you have the kindness to oblige, yours truly, in that respect?” Jackson stared at the speaker for a moment as if he didn’t exactly know what to make of him, while the three pards exchanged glances. It was the half-breed’s peculiar calmness and this odd way of speaking which had fastened upon him the appellation of Cool Colorado. ‘‘T reckon I will talk as I durned please!” ex- claimed old Jackson angrily. “Oh, certainly, of course, go ahead, just as you like,” replied the other. ‘* You are not obliged to do as I want you to you know; it is only a polite request, addressed from one gentleman to another gentleman, and if you don’t choose to heed it, there’s no law to compel you to do so.” ‘Oh, Dlazes! you talk too much with your mouth!” cried old man Jackson, who was not so dull as not to understand that at this sort of thing he was no match for the other. ‘‘T can’t spit out the big words so darned easy as you kin; but, I reckon, I kin talk plain enuff so you kin understand w’ot I am a-driving at!” “ And if I don’t you will explain, of course; I feel sure I can rely upon you to do that,” Cool Colorado replied immediately. Some of the miners could not help snickering at this rejoinder, which served to enrage Jack- son the more, ‘‘ Oh, darn yer cussed foolishness!” he cried. ‘*T come hyer for business, 1 did, an’ not to foel, an’ I want you to understand that I mean busi- ness, every time!” ‘“ Certainly, of course, who said you didn’t?” ‘‘T want you to understand that I don’t "low any galoots to come sneakin’ arter my gal Polly, an’ I jest take this opportunity for to tell you that if 1 catch you hangin’ ’round my cabin thar will be a heap of trouble.” ‘‘ Hold on! let us understand this matter!” said the young man. ‘‘Didn’t you say in the Millionaire’s Home, when I first met you, that no man should come after your girl until he had shown ‘that he was a better man than you was?” “Right you ar’! I did say it,” responded Jackson, too dull-witted to guess what the ques- tion led to, ‘* And didn’t I prove to you that I was a bet- ter man than any fellow that ever stood in your shoes, so what is the matter with my talking to our daughter, provided that it is agreeable to er, and I’m betting a stack of chips that it is?” ‘‘Darn yer impudence!” howled the old man in a rage. “You ain’t no better man than I am!’ ‘‘ The deuce I ain’t? Didn’t I down you in a fair fight, and didn’t you own up that you had got all you wanted, and wasn’t anxious for more?” ‘‘ You did it by a blamed trick!” yelled Jack- son, in a terrible state of rage. “And I had been drinking, too—I had been b’istin’ enuff ben- zine to float a ship. ‘‘ But now [ am all right, an’ I’m able to pound you within an inch of yer life!” ‘Oho! that is what you are after, is it?” “You bet!” ‘‘ You want a fight?” “‘P'm jest hungry to chaw you up!” ‘* When you try it on, I reckon you will find I am the toughest bit of meat you ever attempt- ed to chew!” ‘‘'That is all blow!” exclaimed Jackson, flour- ishing his long arms, windmill fashion. ‘““-You come some sort of a durned trick on me | wry f seh, ss ~~ er mutton, an’ if I don’t hammer you until yer est friend won’t know yer, then I don’t want a cent!” " : You are hungering after a fair fist fight, eh?” ‘*Now you ‘call’ me!” ‘‘ Without weapons?” “‘T don’t need ary weapon to mash you all to pieces!” cried Jackson, in the most ferocious manner. “Tm too much of a gentleman to tell you that you are a gas-bag, but that is about the size of it, as you will discover before this picnic is over.” ‘*‘ Are you ready for me?’ howled Jackson. ‘You bet! Let her go, Gallagher!” CHAPTER IX. AN ASTONISHED MAN. OLD man Jackson’s’ plan of operations was simple enough. Taught by sad experience that as a wrestler he stood no chance at all with his more experi- enced foe, be had made up his mind not to close in with him, but, with a bull-like rush, to batter him with his big fists. Not that Jackson possessed any boxing skill, fora man more ignorant of the so-called *‘ no- ble art of self-defense” it would have been hard to find. His only idea of boxing was to rush at his op- ponent and strike at him as quickly and as vici- ously as possible. Coo] Colorado in his pilgrimage through the world had acquired considerable knowledge of the pugilistic art, and although he was not as big a man as his antagonist, yet he was fully as powerful, and in all that goes ‘to the mak- ing of a successful boxer was far more highly favored by nature. The moment that Cool Colorado’s defiance fell upon Jackson’s ears he made a desperate rush at the half-breed, intending to smash him with a cou le of sledge-hammer like blows. The young man did not yield an inch of ground, but as the old fellow rushed upon him his powerful right arm shot out, the fist landing plump between the eyes of his antagonist, bringing him oy all a-standing, as a sailor would say, and old man Jackson was surprised by the appearance of more stars than he had ever witnessed before. And then, quick to improve his advantage, the half-breed ‘* measured ” his opponent, to use the boxing term, and sent out his powerful “‘left;” the mighty stroke landed full on the chest of Bad Man Jackson, compelling that astonished individual to tumble over backward in an ex- tremely awkward manner. And he came down too with a concussion which shook him up internally, in a particularly disagreeable way. An exclamation of delight arose from the throats of the miners as they beheld the sight, while the three pards had all they could do to conceal their disappointment at beholding their champion thus early di of, a conclusion which was a complete surprise to them. “Oh, this is no go!” Crooked Pat O’Neal Mey args hurriedly in the ear of the Creole, “This fellow will never be able to do any- thing with such a man.” “So I am afraid,” replied Slender Bud in the same rapid and mysterious manner, “We will have to trz either hot lead or cold steel on him.” Then they sprung to the assistance of Jackson and helped him to his feet. “Take it easy, old man,” said Crooked Pat O’Neal in his ear, ‘and be careful how you ex- pose yourself to this fellow’s blows, He is con- siderable of a boxer, evidently, and you must try to do a leetile in that live.” “Yes, don’t rush in, but hammer him at long range,” the Creole counseled, “Tt was all an accident, you see,” Missouri Johnny explained. “The cuss couldn’t hit you that way again and I’m betting dollars to cents on it too!” And if he had added the slang expression “* in my mind,” it would have been nearar the truth. he miners were delighted with the ‘‘ show,” as Big-nosed Smith termed it, when he expressed his opinion that to be permitted to see such a a sight was worth, “fifty cents of any man’s money, reserved seats extra!” That, despite his apparent advantage in size, the old man was fearfully overmatched was the pe ie a of the spectators, shrewd, practical men of the world.” “He's in for the worst kind of a licking,” one of bystanders remarked, 3 pap > ‘‘ He don’t stand no more show with Colorado than a turkey-buzzard does alongside of an eagle, and the longer he keeps at 1t the worse it will be for him,” Big-nosed Smith observed. “Tf he’s wise he will quit now,” the first speaker declared.” But the old man had more pluck than they gave him credit for, and then, never having en- countered such a foe as the half-breed before, or having witnessed any display of boxing skill, he could not bring himself to believe that the two terrible strokes which he had received were not accidental. So he was ready to renew the contest when he gained his feet. But he had learned that it would not do to attempt to ‘“‘rush” bis antagonist. No, he would try the game of his opponent, and bring a little science to his aid. So, acting on this idea, he sparred clumsily at the half-breed. The bystanders watched the scene with de- lighted eyes; it was not often that they had the chance to enjoy such a treat. For a few moments the antagonists sparred, and then old man Jackson, thinking he saw an opportunity to get at his opponent, proceeded to improve it, and this time Cool Colorado re- treated slowly, parrying the blows af his oppo- nent, though with very little trouble. Jackson was not skillful boxer enough to hit out straight from the shoulder, but gave “‘ round arm ” blows. Encouraged by the thought that he was get- ting the best of the half-breed, for the giving way of the other seemed to him _ to indicate ~7ic- tory, he redoubled his efforts, advancing in the fiercest manner, showering blow after biow, which, despite all his efforts, landed upon the empty air, instead of upon the person of his an- tagonist. Now, there isn’t anything which will tire a man out much quicker than to strike heavy blows at intangible space, and after a minute or so of this fatiguing work, Jackson was com- pelled to pause from sheer weariness. ‘Bellows to mend!” was the cry with him, for old man Jackson was burdened with a great deal of superfluous flesh, and in a contest of this kind every extra pound of fat that a man car- ries is a serions disadvantage to him. From sheer want of breath Jackson was com- lied to pause, and it was as much as he could do to keep his hands un, for each one of his fists seemed to him now as if it weighed a ton. This was the opportunity which Cool Colo- rado sought—the ‘‘ opening” for which he had planned. The moment that Bad Man Jackson halted he assumed the offensive. He made a “ feint” with his left at the head of the other, Jackson, in the most clumsy manner possible, threw up both hands to ward off the blow, thus leaving his chest unguarded, which was exactly what the half-breed supposed he would do, then out came Cool Colorado's dangerous ‘ right,” ae on Jackson’s breast, just above his eart, Over toppled the ‘‘Pride of Bitteropolis,” going down all ina heap under the force of the tremendous stroke, which knocked about all the wind out of his body. ‘‘ Gen’lemen, it’s a thousand ducats toa smack in the face that old Jackson won’t come to time arter that lick!” Big-nosed Smith declared, with the air of a prophet. His companions shook their heads in grave as- sent, for not one of them had the least doubt about the matter. As for the three pards, although accustomed from the nature of their her reo conceal their feelings, and meet either good or evil fortune with perfect unconcern, yet on this occasion, despite their great self-command, they were un- able to prevent a look of disgust from appearin on their countenances when they saw their too make so poor a show of himself. “Nice kind of a galoot this is for rg ae shine as a fighting-man,” Crooked Pat O’Neal growled in the ear of Missour! Johnny. ‘*'Yes, you bet,” replied that worthy. ‘‘ Why, he don’t stand no more chance with such aman as Cool Colorado than { would for to stand up ag’in’ the champior m a ring fight.” Ri Oh, well, if our gun misses fire the first time, we must grin and bear it,” Slender Bud remark- ed, overhearing the words with his remarkably acute ears. ‘‘ We must have another go. don’t succeed, trv, try again.’” ‘“That’s the ticket!” Crooked Pat ON 2a! as sented. ‘If at first you ; -_ a “f rT ie “gt 7 — ee 2 ay : e ~~ t « f , ~~ Camicbooks:com ~