Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 700 — page 5: what you’re looking at

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

+ ~ - “an — ax -s —~_. ~_ = "~~ art marked, calmly, eee eae 2. ae ee 2 ~~ we a —— _—* Se ee SY ee Sherer eS Deadwood Dick, Jr.’s, Drop. spring, let alone me. Come, sonny, run along now, afore I have ter pull yer ear fer ye.” ‘‘ T can’t seem to impress it upon you that I mean business,” observed Dick. ‘And de yer mean business, really?” High- hoss asked, in the most sneering manner he could assume. ‘Take that for your answer!” With the words, Dick reached out suddenly and gave the fellow a ringing slap on the cheek, That opened the ball, to express it tersely, in about the shortest time imaginable, It aroused the giant to iinmediate action. ‘* Whoop-ee/” he screamed. ‘‘ Did yer see that, boyees? Did yer see ther leetle cuss slap my face? Durn my old socks ef I don’t take bim and give hima,bath in ther spring! Slap me in ther face, wull ye, young one! Why, et war ther wu’st job ye ever done in yer life!’ “Was it?’ taunted Dick, ‘‘ Well, there you have it again, just for luck.” He reached out and gave the fellow another smarting open-hander on the other side of the face, That was enough. The buliwhacker gave out a roar like a tiger, gave a spring forward, both arms extended to grasp Dick in their terrible embrace. The next instant he was lying flat out upon bis back on the ground, Dick’s iron-like fist had met him on the fore- head with a kiss that sounded like the crack of a whip, and over he went, Then the crowd broke out into a cheer, glad enough to see the terror of the town getting his deserts at last, ‘*T hated to dirty my hands with the fellow, gentlemen,” Dick remarked, calmly and coolly, ‘but you allsaw what he did to me. It was a jittle more than I[ could put up with, seeing that I was saying nothing to him.’ ‘* Sarves him right!” some one cried, ‘‘Give him another dose of ther same medicine!” to his feet, ke @ bull. High-hoss Noah was scramblin by this time, and he was pateine S **‘ Whoop-ee /” he howled. ‘‘ Jest let me at him, now, and see what Ill do with him! Didn’t want ter dirty yer hands with me, didn’t yer! Sarved me right, did et! TJl show yer, fer [ll eat bg alive, I will, sure’s I’m a ragin’ tornader! Hyer | come, now, ter do et!” “Come right on,” Dick invited. ‘‘ You will only get some more of the same kind of syrup. I keep it on tap, and when it is running it is free toall, Wade right in, now, and take satis- faction.” * Yas, I’m comin’, you kin bet I be!” ar the bullwhacker. ‘*‘ And thar won’t be a grease-spot left of yer, when I git done, nuther,” “i ‘*That is where we hold different opinions,” answered Dick, ‘‘ But, the proof of the pudding is the eating.” “And Ill do ther eatin’, you bet!” In he rushed, arms swinging, as though he in- ‘tended to ‘Knock the redoubtable Richard clear over the range. Dick stood calmly awaiting his attack, and as soon as he was near enough, let him have an- other stinging blow in the face that sent him to tthe earth once more. This raised a bowl. Up scrambled Noah, mieoping out a knife as he did so, and with mur- der in his eyes, rushed at Dick with the inten- tion of killing him. It was a moment of terri- ble suspense for the lookers-on. , CHAPTER V, A THRILLING DISCOVERY. But, Deadwood Dick was ready to meet the fhalf-crazed bullwhacker; it was not the first time by a good many that he had faced death in ° similar ses tt ot a person there, we may ventur who did not expect to see him go dove i ts death under the giant’s knife, and yet, not a person offered bim any assistance, In’ truth there was no time, bad any one been go inclined. for the fellow was upon Dick ina moment, ’ Dick let him come quite near, before he made a move to defend himself, but, just as the ruf- fian drew back the knife to strike, Dick acted, His right leg was lifted suddenly, and his heel was planted with force upon the rascal’s breast, bringing bim to a stop with a quickness that al- most snapped his head off, while the knife went pee. out of his hand and away off into the ‘So, that was your game, was it?” Dick re- ! ) ‘*T always raise a point of objection to such proceedings. If there is one thing more than another that I am opposed to, it is to being probed with a knife. Sorry to spoil your fuu, but that is a rule with me to which I allow no exceptions.” ‘‘Cuss yer!” the bullwhacker screamed, “‘ what did yer kick me fer?” Don’t yer know that I’m ther great old ring-tailed tiger from ther tiger headquarters? Ef I don’t jest everlastio’ly chaw ye up, now, yer kin jerk me out of me clothes and kick me four times around ther Plazer! Waugh! I’m on ther war-path fer blood now, and I mean ter have some! Look out fer me!” ‘*Come right along, my ring-tailed chimpan- zee,” Dick invited. ** This is your own circus, you know. You struck up the music, and now you'll have to dance till the band stops playing. Come up to the mark, my beauty, if 1t 1s blood you are thirsting for, All the blood you will get, though, will be a bloody nose, I’m think- ing, “Waugh!” the bullwhacker screamed again. ‘Did yer hear what he called me, fellers? Nothin’ but his nose wil) satersfy thet aire insult! I’m goin’ fer your nose, mister, and I’m goin’ ter chaw it off! Hyer I come!” But the fellow’s loud talk and vain boastings did not win for him the battle. He had picked upa hot potato this time, so to say, and he knew it, He was rather wary how he went into the fight further. His reputation was at stake, though, and he was forced todo something in the hope of saving that. It would never dofor him to allow a man of Dick’s size to whip him ina fair fight. He himself had begun it, too, and he must see it out no matter what the cost, He rushed in again, presently, but he might as well have bucked against a stone wall, Indeed, it would have been better for him to have tackled a wall, for then it would have been a matter of simple resistance without retaliation. Dick allowed him to comein and paw away at the air for a while, for he bad no trouble to dodge his blows, and then when Mr. High-hoss began to weaken he hit hima clip that turned him end over end once more, The crowd yelled and hooted till it was hoarse, Never had the town of Satan’s Spring seen anything like this, though it had seen some frisky scrimmages in its day, High-hoss Noah knew now for certain that he had found more than his match, but he died hard, Hedidnotliketogiveup, It would never do for him to own that he was whipped. Up he got again, with a cry that was a com- mingled scream and roar, and at Dick he rushed blindly, fiercely. Dick’s fist met him, but the fellow’s momen- tum was too%great to admit of a knock-down this time, and the next moment he had Dick in his embrace! At once Dick was swung off his feet, whirled around, and the bullwhacker dashed bim down with all the strength he could bring into play for the effort, But, even in that, a surprise awaited bim, Dick landed upon his feet with the agility of a cat, and the bullwhacker’s strength being spent, for the instant, it was his turn to take the brunt. Before the fellow could recover, Dick had bim in his arms, and then, with a display of strength that no one had deemed possible, raised him above his head and held him there, But even then he did not know what to do with bim, for he did not want to kill or maim the brute. ‘“ What sball I do with him, men of Satan’s Spring?’ he demanded. ‘‘ You saw the trick he served me, and the way he went for me with his knife,” ‘Kill ther cuss!” shouted some, ‘* Bite bis years off!” advised others. 0, no,” sung out some one else, *‘ don’t do that; throw him inter ther spring and give bim his first bath of ther season!” __“*Won’t it scald him?’ Dick asked, as that idea struck him favorably. ** No, et won’t burn him now; et ar’ some minutes sence she bubbled. Inter ther spring with ther cuss! Et wuil do him good!” * All right, into the spring he goes, then,” agreed Dick, ‘‘and if he gets cooked the rest of you fire-eaters can have him for breakfast. If e don’t, it may teach him a lesson,” So, with the fellow still over his head, one hand holding his belt and the other the back of his neck, Dick made a run for the spring, Mr. High-hoss Noah kicking and squirming his best to escape his promised fate. The spring was not far away, and Dick was soon there with his burden. ‘Let up! let up!” the roffian cried, ‘‘ Don’t heave me in thar, fer ef ye do, she'll bubble up an’ cook me!” “Just what such a dirty scamp deserves!” —_———— EEE LT >. 5 * y . . oa - oad ~ Bb 4 = - 2 — cried Dick, ‘‘ One, two, three, and away you go! With the word “‘ three,” he gave the giant a toss, and into the spring he went, with a “‘ ker- splash” that sent the water flying in every direction. The crowd sent up a howl of approval, and all gathered around the rocky basin to see how the town terror would enjoy his warm bath, for warm the water was, most decidedly. At firs} the fellow sunk out of sight, but the water was too heavy to allow him to sink very far, and the next moment be bobbed to the sur- face and floated like a bad egg ina tub of brine, Then the bellow that escaped him would have shamed a buffalo bull, ‘* Wha-a-o-ough!” be shrieked, ‘* Help me ont! help me out! The meat are’ bein’ cooked off me bones! I’m scaldin’ to a blister! Help! help! Git me out of byer afore she b’iles, or ’m adead man! Help! help ra ‘“ How do you like it?” asked Deadwood Dick. ‘Help me out!” High-hoss cried. ‘* Don’t let me cook up, mister!” ‘You hadn’t ought to kick,” said Dick. ‘‘-You had sonie fun with me, and now I’m bav- ing a little with you. We'll make soup of ye, aud then we'll call the coyotes of the plainstoa feast, if they’ll eat it.” ‘‘Oh! help me ont! help me out!” the cowed giant begged. ‘Don’t let me burn up in this hyer hole! I bollers’nuff, I does! I won’t tackle ye no more, mister, Isw’ar I won’t! Only git me out afore she bubbles!” ‘“ Are you sorry for your misconduct?” ‘“ ‘Yas, yas! Do fer ther love of goodness git me out!” ‘* And you won’t do soan ‘* No, no! I promise ye more!” ‘* And you beg my pardon for what you have done?” ‘‘'Yas, yas! Anything! Only git me out o’ byer afore she b’iles!” ‘Very well. Men, help the miseratle cur out,” Dick directed, and he turned away. There were indications, now, that the spring was about to boil again, so some of the crowd mace baste to get Mr, High-hoss out. And they were none too soon, either, for he had not been out half a minute when the sprin was boiling away ata fierce rate, and he woul have found it most decidedly uncomfortable had he been there. | Most of the crowd had followed Dick, cheer- ing a as tkey retraced their way to the hotel. And in the crowd was Tombstone Dan, cheer- ing with the loudest. One of bis eyes was closed up, and he held his band over it, but he forced bis way to Dick, and extended his other hand, exclaiming: ‘* Pardner, shake! You are a_ he-boss, you be, and it’s me what says so! Curlin’ smoke! but you did do thet aire fine, and I’m jest as roud over et as though I’d done et meself! I’m jest as much obliged to yer, I am, as though you’d give me a thousand dollars, spot cash, in ther clean kerdcodleum,” ‘* And you’re welcome, I’m sure,” responded Dick, ‘ I didn’t do it on your account, though, but on my own.” : ** No matter bout that; I’m ’bliged to yer jest ther same.” ‘* Yas, et war done neat,” cried some one else in the throng, ‘* but you wants ter keep yer top eye peeled fer High-hoss Noah, now, mister.” * And that I'll try to do,” Dick assured. ** He ar’ piizen death, he ar’, and he’]l be on yer trail wi’ blood in his eye, now, You'll have ter be on ther watch fer him.” By this time they had regained the porch of the hotel, and there some one proposed three cheers for the new chief of Satan’s Spring, and they were given with a will. ‘ And asa “ chief ” Dick was looked upon, Any man who could ** jump on” High-hoss Noab, and “do him up” at such short notice, deserved the title. But, in the mean time, what of the parboiled bullwbacker? A No sooner bad be been helped out of the spring, then he began to bluster and threaten what he would do. But his power was broken, now, and he was laughed at. He was advised that about the best thing he could do, would be to slink off home and go to bed, J He stormed around for a time, calling loudly for his “‘ dude” to come out and give bim satis- faction, but, as Deadwood Dick paid no further at/ention to bim, he finally made his way back more?” won’t bother ye any to the Tiger’s Jungle, where he proceeded to take . satisfaction of another sort. ad) GoM aN CDOOK IN W oF ~ J} ih + bee Saeeee oi “—“, = mm ll