Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 659 — page 12: what you’re looking at

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

~~ > -—— Toved! cy, “4 ty =. : rs i , + 12 i just search her well and see if you can find it The next natural place to look suggested itself to the woman’s mind, and bending over the senseless form she felt in the bosom of her cress, f From there she drew out two letters, a flat package, and a photograph. Cibuta took them and hurriedly read the let- ters, ‘*Good!” he exclaimed, when he had done so, ** Now, Mr. Moonlight Morgan, you are my whippoorwill!” ** Whose photograph is it?” Nettie asked. ‘** The ex-postmaster’s,” Cibuta answered. ** May I see it, sir?” asked Azora Warrick. ** Certainly ;” and he passed it over to her. The woman took it, and the moment she glanced at the face it pictured she uttered a cry. % This is Hudson Haverstraw!” she exclaimed. *‘ Ts it possibie!” echoed Nettie. ‘It is true,” cried the woman. ‘I would know his face among ten thousand.” ** Well, you will soon have the satisfaction of seeing him in his proper place, the jail,” prom- ised Cibuta. ‘* His proper place is further than that,” said the woman; “ he deserves to be hanged.” ‘*Tf his career is not cut short, it will come to that,” assured the sheriff, ‘Shall we proceed in trying torestore Amelia, now?” Nettie asked. ** Before you do so,” Cibuta directed, *‘ replace these things just where you discovered them, and when the girl comes to do not let her think that they have been seen. Ifshe finds they have been, it may upset al] my plans,” ‘* All right, John, it shall be as you say,” Net- tie promised, She returned the letters, the pdickage, and the photograph to the bosom of -the girl’s dress, and then she and Azora proceeded in their work of restoring her. In two or three minutes the girl opened her eyes and looked around her, and as soon as the recollection of what had happened came upon her sbe looked startled and asked: ** Where is he?” ‘** He is gone,” answered Nettie, ‘and you are safe, You are more frightened than hurt.” **T thought I should die!” So the girl gasped, and with assistance she sat up, Suddenly she remembered the letters and the money in her bosom, and clapped her hand to ber dress to see if they were still there and safe. te ake that they were, she was more easy in mind, ‘* How long have I been here?” she asked. ‘*Only just a few moments,” Cibuta quickly answered, ‘* How did you bring me to?” turning to Net- e, ‘‘ By rubbing your hands and face,” was the rep: - The girl recovered her strength very soon, and getting upon her feet declared that she aust hasten on to the store. ** Shall I go with you?” Cibuta asked. ** No,” was the answer, “it won’t be neces- sary, if the fellow is gone,” Yes, he is gone; he went off down the road, “Then I will go.” ; ey few other remarks were exchanged, and elia set out, Cibuta and his wife and Azora standing on the porch till they saw ber enter the store, e / | ** To-morrow night,” observed Cibuta, as th turned back into the house, * the outlaw sha be sj Sela pot and he explained his plans. Ww Amelia entered the store, her father met her with the demand: _ “Was that you that yelled so, gal?” ** Yes,” Amelia answered; and she told what had nd ‘“‘Tt will Yarn ye ter stay in,” was the gruff comment. “I wi do th’ goin’ to ther office my- self, after this, Later on, when the girl bad retired to her her money was safe - room, she made sure and then set about writing a note of well to her father. _ Only one day more for her at Ante-Bar, and ‘then for a life of happiness with the man she When m __ In the open space in front of the jail wasa x ‘tree, and to one of the limbs of that tree hung a _ wtuffed figure, on the breast of which, in big + ‘ters, was the na orning dawned once more, the citizens of the town had anotber surprise awaiting Moonlight Morgan. “CIBUTA JOHN.” On the door of the jail, too, wasa notice which read as follows: ** NOTICE! ** Citizens of Ante-Bar, behold your sheriff! You will soon see him in just about that graceful posi- tion. All he is good for is to stretch hemp. He has been a year trying to catch Moonlight Morgan, and is no nearer to doing it now than he was when he started. It is time you had a change, so the office will soon be vacant. This is the last you will see or hear of me, so I'll say good-by to ail. ‘* MoonLiIGHT MorGAN.”’ The whole town turned out to see the sight, and it was not long when some inventive genius in the crowd suggested that the effigy be taken down and another name put on it, This idea took hold immediately, and soon it was accomplished. When the figure was hoist- ed to its pluce again the name it bore was: ** MOONLIGHT MORGAN.” One group in the crowd was made up of Cibuta John, Inspector Riggles, bis man Samuels, Ducats Dion and others. ‘* That is rather a sweeping insult at you, Mr, Jones,” Ducats Diouw observed, addressing Ci- buta, ‘* Yes, rather,” the sheriff admitted; “‘ but let him have his fling, for my turn will come some time.” ** The fellow says he is going away, though.” “Tt will be a good thing if he does, but I do not believe it, ou see he has as good as vowed to hang me before he goes,” ‘** Yes, that’s so.” ‘* Perhaps we shall take a hand in that game, when he begins it,” remarked the inspector, ‘*and he may find himself at the wrong end of the rope when the pulling-up begins,” ‘*T would like to have a hand in the fun,” Ducats Dion declared. ‘‘ By the way, sheriff, have you got hold of any clew yet?” he asked, Cibuta looked at him sharply, as he had done on one other occasion, and made answer: ‘* No, nothing positive; we must wait for him to move.” While they were talking, the old-time Cupid worked his way through the crowd to where they stood. e was a hideous-looking object. Almost all of one side of bis face was black and blue, and one eye was closed in entirely out of sight. The beauty of his velvet suit was gone forever. The stains of mud were all over it, and it was shrunk all out of shape and propor- tion. The old Shanghai was sober, however, and in his one available eye burned the fires of revenge. Cibuta saw him, but paid no attention to him, As soon as the giant came opposite to where the sheriff was standing, however, and not more than five feet away, he suddenly threw himself into fighting attitude and cried out: ‘* Now you have got ter suffer, Cibuta John! Now I’ve got ye, fair an’ square, right here afore ther hull crowd, an’ ’m goin‘ ter pay ye up fer all, Put up yer paws, or I'll lam ye,’ P aera stepped back with an exclamation of ust, ‘“*Go away, you blattering idiot!” he cried. “Yes, I'll go away after I’ve knocked ye out, an’ not afore,” was the yell. ‘‘I tell ye ’m goin’ ter lick yer, an’ you had better put up. If ye don’t, Pll make ye. You had me foul last night, but now Ill make yer wish ye had never n born,” ‘“* Tf ye don’t shut up and go away, I will have eu locked up,” Cibuta cautioned, ‘‘I amin no umor to fool with you.” In retort to that the giant threw back his head and crowed, and then he spit squarely into the sheriff’s face. There was a melee immediately. CHAPTER XIV, THE DEATH-CALL SOUNDED. No sooner was the insult given than the crowd fell back. They knew what the result would be, and made room for action. The oldest citizens who witnessed it could not recall a time when they bad seen Cibuta so quick- ly and so thoroughly enraged. ~ With a grow] like that of a tiger, he jumped forward and dealt a blow at the cowardly giant’s head which, had it struck its mark, would have almost killed the fellow. The giant warded it, however, and sending one back with lightning quickness, Cibuta just es- ca it and no more. Then the fight was in deadly earnest. It was not to be denied that the giant was ac- | complished in the ‘‘art” of fisticuffs, and the fight was bard and bitter. Cibuta was out of practice, having had no more than an occasional bout with some brawl- ing blowhard, and that only when it was forced upon him, and had no advantage other than that which has been mentioned, namely, a splendid physique. lt was this that stood him in good turn now. Enraged as he was, he forced the fight at his hardest, the giant doing the same, but for some time no telling blows were got in on either side. At the end of two or three minutes, however, the giant was breathing hard, and be soon sprung back to get his wind, But Cibuta showed him no quarter, and he was forced to continue fighting. In another minute the giant’s blows were weak, and then his punishment began. Cibuta put it to him on every side, first with one hand and then with the other, the blows cracking and thudding so tbat they were heard all over the square, This could not last long, and finally the bully began to bellow for mercy, when, with a final blow as a finisher, Cibuta sent him spinning end over end far out into the crowd, Hats were instantly snatched off and _ tossed high up in the air, and a ringing cheer for Ci- buta John was given. . The sheriff was panting some, too, by this time, but he wasin fair condition yet, and re- sponded to the cheer. ‘*T hope that will settle his case for good anc all,” he observed, ‘I did not want to do it, but I could not stand being spit upon.” ** You are a terror!” exclaimed Ducats Dion, in admiration, ‘I consider myself handy with my fists, but I have no desire to tackle you.” ‘*T would like to see you meet Sullivan, sir,” remarked tae inspector. ‘** Nonsense!” Cibuta cried; ‘‘ he would knock me out so quick that I could not remember what my vame was, Besides, I do not set up asa fighter, and do not like to fight. I do it only when it is forced upon me,” By this time the old Cupid was up, and he came staggering forward, the blood running through his fingers as he held bis band to his face, and when he had reached the spot where Cibuta was standing, be said: ‘** Cibuta John, sheriff, I give it up. You be th’ best man, an’ there’s no use o’ my kickin’. I’m satersfied now, clear up ter th’ neck, I don’t want no more,” ‘*Tam glad to hear you say so,” responded Cibuta, ‘‘ for I can’t do any more for you uuless I kill you outright.” ; Those of Ante-Bar’s citizens who loved excite- ment were having their fill of it now. This reminded them of the old red-hot times the town had e most at a standstill. And so the day passed, but without anything further to add to the fever. | With the evening, however, came another thunderbolt, The mail was somewhat later than usual in aries and an eager crowd was at the post- office. Finally, when it was about an hour late, the carrier dashed into the valley, hatless, and with- out the pouch. ‘*'Where’s ther mail?’ was the question on every hand. ‘*)’ve been robbed,” the carrier answered, when he drew rein at the office door. ‘* Robbed! Who robbed ye?” ** Moonlight Morgan.” ‘* Ther deuce yer say!” ‘*'Yes,” the carrier proceeded to explain, ‘‘ he met us not half a mile out o’ town, afoot, an’ went Parongn us in food style. Frank tried ter draw on , but Moonlight shot him afore he could do it,” ‘* Frank Denton dead?” git J ust so, He had a big boodle with him, The man mentioned was an Express-messen- ger, who carried valuables between the town and the railroad, He and the mail-carrier generally joined forces when the messenger was on the road, Cibuta John soon came to the front, and proe ceeded to get at the bottom of the case, ‘* Where did this take place?” he asked. ‘*A quarter of a mile the other side of Big Bend,” was the answer. ‘* Was Moonlight Morgan alone?” sé Yes,” ‘* And in his usual disguise?” “Yes, just the same, except that afoot.” ‘* How did you get away from him?” rienced, and work was al- 4 -