Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 80 — page 4: what you’re looking at

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

control his agitation, and when he retraced his a and reseate himself, he beheld the Sport watching him, narrowly. ‘*Well,”’ that individual remarked, with a quizzi- cal smile, ‘the announcement that I was bert Mapleton, Esquire, seemed to cause you considerable emotion.’ ‘* Yes, indeed, young man. The name came down upon me so suddenly, that I was little else than over- powered by sire ye memories. If you are the son of obert Mapleton, know then that he and I were boon companions, and sworn friends. When he suddenly was taken off, it seemed to meI had lost my own brother, and I have never ceased to mourn for m 93 “Ah! I see you were very much agitated when I mentioned his name, and the bottle on the table sug- — only too plainly how you have been trying to own your sorrows!” Rosebud Rob replied, with stinging sarcasm, which made the millionaire wince. “ Ah! let me see—how long ago was it the old gentle- aR took his departure from this earthly taber- nacle?”’ “Over a yearago. Itis strange that you should ett forgotten it, if you were in communication with ** Well, you see how it was, the old gentleman and I were not on very excellent terms, as it chanced. In early youth I manifested a reckless, roving disposi- tion, and one day when I attempted to do Shak- earean characters in the horse-barn, the unkindly re furnished the necessary adjuncts with a horse- whip. My ambitious spirit was set on fire, as well as the sensations in the back of my waistcoat, and bid- ding the old homestead an affectionate adieu, I wended my way down the old oma road leading = into the world---followed by a load of buck- ot. ‘For several years I battled with grim death in all its phases,and occupied positions in almost every trade and profession extant. My latest triumph was upon the stage, but there was a woman in the case, of course, and I had to light out, as Iam particular- ly afraid of the feminine gender. So, chancing to be out in this latitude of the hemisphere, and havin been apprised that the governor had hied himse ng { thought I'd call around and see we? “Well, sir, you came too late. From all we can learn, Robert Mapleton, Sr., has been in his grave a matter of fourteen months.”’ “And did he leave any wealth behind?” ‘Not a copper. He died insolvent, having been very unfortunate in his speculations, and his credi- tors mourn his loss!’ the millionaire said, with a peculiar, rasping laugh. “Poor fellow! Poor, poor fellow!’ Rosebud Rob hed. ‘‘ How very sad to contemplate! ‘But, perhaps I have wearied you, Mr. Malvern, and I will retire. We will talk again upon this sub- ect. Au revoir.” And with a meek courtesy, the andy Sport arose and abruptly left the roona. After he had gone, the mine-owner sprung to his feet, his hands c enched and eyes gleaming, as he walked the floor. ‘*Ha! evil take the fellow. He is as cool as an iceberg, yet (deep enough to drown all the devil’s imps. Is he not here with a purpose? Certainly; though he may try to hide it; but, curse him, he shall be defeated at every turn! I will have him watched; I will guard every avenue. Then we will see what the young vagabond can do. This head of mine is older than his and more educated, I flatter myself, in forming easily-executed and efficient schemes. So that if I cannot outwit him, it will be a seventh wonder of the world. Ha! and the young washer- woman—she is his sister / Curse me, but things are becoming interesting!’ CHAPTER III. THE CONCERT SALOON—HICKORY HANK ON HAND—BEL HELENE—HOW CINNAMON GULCH PANS OUT YOUNG PerHaps, reader, you have heard of the Jardin Mabille of Deadwood City. If not, you have but to mquire, and any citizen of that notorious city can locate it for you, if you wish to pay it a visit. As friends, however, we should advise you to keep away. A ‘scene of our romance calls us thither, and we go as an eye-witness of a picture peculiar in itself and confined to the mining regions. It is a place with a wooden front, but after you nass through the portals, you find yourself in a can- vas-roofed garden, with sidings of rough boards, and ‘it by flaring blazes of benzine gas from overhang- ‘ng burners. The garden is used for a variety of purposes, being ‘arre and commodious, with a su ntial flooring. ere is a long bar at one side, with a villainous- ‘90king chap behind it, in his shirt-sleeves, and be- ind him still, a glittering array of bottles, decant- ‘rs, glasses and mirrors. onder is a space allotted to dancers, and here is a number of tables, ever surrounded with gamesters "ho deal the brace and fleece new-comers out of heir money ona variety of games of chance. Yonder, at the further end of the room is a small “strum, furnished with a drop curtain, and from this direction, the crowds that flock to the Jardin ‘labille are generally greeted nightly by a song from “9me person, hired for the purpose, by the enter- rising proprietors, Several nights after the scene’ just pictured in a preceding chapter, the Mabille was packed almost +> suffocation with rough miners and rougher des- peradoes from the surrounding gold districts; the “7m of many voices was now and then outgeneraled i y some frightful yell, or string of curses, or maybe «& pistol report. rae Beadle’s Half-Dime Library. It might have appeared that the whole population of Deadwovod was present within the concert saloon and garden, but you had only to step out into the _thronged main street to be convinced of the er- — ett SS ————_—_—_—__ ww RaQ OOOO eee, lOO OO See SS | | ) roneous impression. Anyhow, the place was uncomfortably full, and consequently the bar reaped a bountiful harvest. A star was booked upon the boards of the Jardin Mabille to-night—one Bel Helene, a dead shot with the pistol—and, therefore, the crowds flocked in. Many were the conjectures concerning her, among the crowd, some of which were amusing to hear. ‘* Purty!’’ said one burly bull-driver, with an im- pious expletive. ‘‘ Why, she lays anything in the shade that evyer stood on high-heeled gaiters, you bet! See’d her down at McDannell’s Bella Union in *Shian, I did, you heer me, ther Wolf o’ Wyoming, an’ she ar’ jes’ as purty as—”’ ‘*Me!l’’ exclaimed a voice, and Colonel Bill Stokes ushered himself into the circle; ‘‘fer they do say thet Iam actooally the handsomest galoot as ever sot stogy on the Black Hills soil. y, feller-citi- zens, I tuk ther gold medal fer sublime beauty at pet aoe memorable Centenyal— fact, Tl sw’ar oO et! A boisterous laugh followed the colonel’s asser- tion, and no one offered to dispute the fact that he attempted to establish, for Bill was an authority in correctness, belonging to the firm of Schriner & Co., attorneys and leg atjustere. Close behind him followed the ever present ‘* Judge * Jacob, accompanied by his faithful clerk, Adolphus Syringus Cole, the fop. ‘* Hayr we ar’ ther hull legal fraternity o*Schriner & Co.; so dish up yer amusement!’’ the colonel yelled, as he limped along with the aid of his meaty cane. ‘Hello! ef hayr ain’t the galoot they ca Rosebud Rob! Shake, ye galoot!”’ “Certainly |” the Sport replied, as he extended his hand; ‘glad to meet you. Quite a crowd to- night. e amy of old Methus’ler, yes. Ef et war a sermon on ther great question o’ future punishment, ye’d not see a galoot hayr. But, ye know, these hayr pil- grims 0’ Deadwood would go a mile any time ter get a glimpse uv a descendant uv old Eve. Mr. Rosebud, make ye acquainted with ‘‘ Judge” Jacob Schriner, uv ther legal bar—also, Mr. Adolphus Syringus Cole, cleark o’ common fleas.”’ ‘Aw! Pleas, sir, PLeas!’’ Adolphus interrupted, in an affected drawl. “ LAPpy to meet you, gentlemen!’’ Rosebud Rob replied, bowing. ‘I suppose, like ag you have come here to see what is goin’ on, eh?”’ ‘Vell, dot ish yust sg der size uv id, Mr. Rose- pud!”’ the judge replied, with a dignified strut. ‘Ve pull up der plinds mit our offis at six, unt come der visit mit der elephant.” ‘*Ha! ha! I hope you will enjo with this remark the Sport stroll Not unnoticed, however. There were many eyes that centered upon him guriously. Seldom did dandies turn up in the city of Deadwood of his peculiar type. His dress and appearancs were in every sense elegant—nearly faultless, Then he had the cool, independent bearing of one who had had a vast deal of experience—of one who was utterly unconcerned and fearless. It is this type of strangers whom the roughs of a mining region at once mark out as hard customers to handle. Their study of human character enables them to point out the man they can bull-doze, and the one they had best let alone, at a single glance. There was no doubt that Rosebud Rob was a quiet voleano. There was just enough quiet swagger about him to convince a close observer that “he had fight right in him.” As he strolled toward the rostrum he espied a iano, the instrument which furnished music for the ance, and without a request from anybody he sat down and ran his fingers dexterously over the keys, calling forth a strange weird harmony of sound. Then he struck off into a lively quickstep, which filled the garden with exquisite sounds of melody. Involuntarily the crowd surged around him and everyt became quiet, as the roughs and miners: listened with keen appreciation. Such playing had never been done before within the w of the Jardin Mabille, and the roughest, most uncultivated spirit could but pause from revel- ry to listen, entranced, to the beau music. Hickory Hank and his gang stood back near the har, and the ruffilan leader watched the Sport with an evil glare in his terrible eyes. While he gazed thus he felt a touch upon his shoul- der, and wheeling about with a grunt, he came face to face with Munro Malvern. The mine-owner was attired in an elegant suit of broad-cloth, with a diamond-pin in his immaculate shirt-front, and a polished silk hat upon his head. He raised the gold-headed cane to his lips to en- join silence upon catching Hickory Hank’s glance, and, turning abruptly, left the place. The ruffian leader followed him a few minutes later and they met in a dark shadow of the mountain walls, which towered above the gulch like grim phantoms, where the moonlight shot in bars through the spectral pines. ‘Ah! is that you?” the millionaire said, as the ruf- flan came up. I am giad that you came. Have you been drinking heavily ?”’ **No: haven't had half a dozen snifters to-day.” “All the better for my purpose. You saw the dandy devil who was arousing the spirits out of that pe ae as individual who styles himself Rosebud OW! “Shedn’t wonder ef I'd cast my eye at him!’’ was the gruff response. * And what is your opinion of him?”’ yourself!’ and away. — STUER a “Thet he ain’t no slouch. He’s lightnin’, an’ a hull voleano all tucke white vest of his’n.” “Ha! ha! then you’re afraid of him?” ** Did 1 say so?” ‘**Not exactly. Anyhow, I want you to pick a quarrel with him somehow, and you're certainly a hard customer to handle, so you can easy get away with him.”’ fens ow much insurance ye goin’ ter put on my e 99 “Oh! leave that tome. You shall be well paid if you do the job well.” **Do you want him knifed?” ‘*‘T’m not particular about that. Suit yourself.” And, with this understanding, the twain separated, entering the garden again soon after, Rosebud Rob was still entertaining his rough audi- ence upon the piano, and to the music of a lively waltz several had paired off, and were adding to the entertainment in Terpsichorean revelry. But the music was destined to cease as suddenly as it had begun. Hickory Hank came elbowing his way through the crowd, backed as usual by his bull-do pals, and ad- vancing to the piano, he slammed the heavy lid down with an oath. Rosebud Rob narrowly escaped havin smashed by the descending cover. and he leaped to his feet, a hot flush rioting over his countenance. ‘* What do you mean, you fool?” he cried, sharply. ‘** Did you intend tojam my fingers?” ** Shut up, ye dandy galoot, ef ye don’t want me ter make chow-chow out o’ yer ear!’’ Captain Hick- ory cried, with a hoarse guffaw. ‘‘ Reckon I’m pur- Wy much boss, hyar, an’ ef I want ter stop the music ther’s nary galoot as sez I ken’t, ef ther old court knows herself !”’ ‘“*So you think you’re boss, eh?’’ Rosebud Rob said, coolly. ‘* You’rea big bullying bloat of a bull-dog, and I’m the very lad as kin back it.” A murmur of applause ran through the garden, for Captain Hickory was perhaps the most unpopu- lar man, among the mining class, in the whole town, there were few who cared to cross him. He now stood half-crouching, glowering at the youthful Sport, with deadly intensity. nd the apes met his gaze with a cool, unflinching stare, while a grim smile lurked in the corners of mouth. ‘What! what! ye call me names, the burly captain yelled, as soon as got thunder, under that his hands e leetle imp?”’ e could find ware after the astonishment created by the words ne ? Sport—* ye dub Hickory Grim a bloat and er ull-dog 9 “T reckon I sed something of the kind,’’ Rosebud Rob replied, with a provoking smile, ‘and I'll allow I didn’t cum purty much out o’ ther way. Soif you are in for a fight, jest say the word, and you'll find me the right man to suit this very circumstance. Come! don't be bashful about speaking up.” A loud cheer went up from the crowd. Hickory Hank gave vent to a frightful curse, and, quick as thought wnruped a pair of revolvers from his _ and cocked em, with an ominous click! click “Oh! ho! I'll show I’ll stop yer spoutin’— “Hold! Back you cowardly dog! Would you shoot down a man who has no weapons!” cried a ringing voice, and Baltimore Bess leaped suddenly in upon the scene, clutching in hand a pair of re- volvers full as imposing as those of the ruffian. And, close at her heels came the blonde scout, Persimmon Bill, Colonel Bill Stokes, and Dutch Jake, the worthy ‘* Judge ;”’ seeing which the miners every one whipped ye—ye leetle bantam rooster! weapons from their belts. * Curse ye!” Grim hissed, perceiving that the odds were heavily against him. “ You and I shall yet hev a day 0’ reckonin’, girl!’’ “Shack ‘em Jump-up! dot’s fifteen hundred unt sixty-swi times ash dot pig loafer say dot same t’ing, Pessie!’’ affirmed the ‘idge.” ‘Yes, lknow it, judge, but_he knows me too well to believe that I am afraid of him. Now then, Hick- ory Hank Grim, what were you just about to do?— commit a cold-blooded murder?” “Vich ish punishable mit der limb of a tree, or a fine of five t‘ousan’ dollars, ash lam der judge of der shury. I impose dot fine on you, Hickory Hank, unt pind you to appear mit der court. Adolphus Syringus Cole, yust_ make der t’ing town mit der re- cord of der City of Deadwoodt!”’ Adolphus, however, was not at hand, and so the “ Judge ’’ could not make a case of it.” ‘‘T cave—I'm beat this time!’’ Grim said, restoring his weapon to his belt, and turning as if to go. ‘As fer you, ye bantam dandy, I'll bore a hole through our heart, inside o’ a week, or my name ain’t Hank rim!” “But, hold on; don’t be in such a hurry!” Rose bud Rob said, coolly stepping in front of the ruffian and blockading his path, “I haven't got through with you, yet! You offered me an insult, and I never receive one of those bon mols without proper eos cers a } ! ied Balt Bess * Hip! hi vurra!’’ cried Baltimore swi ing her hat above her Lead; ‘“‘thar’s a lad fer 7, pilgrims—a reg lar ourang -cutang up-an’-down sport, as isa brick, an’ Tll bet high on his keerds, every time. Pull off her shirt, Hankey, ye posey, and show us ef ye kin fight!” “Ef the younker wants fight, let him pull his — forator, an’ I’m ready!’ Hickory Hank growled, reaching toward his belt. ** Hold up! I will not fight you with weapons other than those with which nature adorned us—fists! Them’s my terms, an’ ef ye ain’t a coward, e'll come to the scratch!" cried Rosebud Rob, bh g his hat to Baltimore Bess, (E(6) JOO (E