Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 812 — page 4: what you’re looking at

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

— re niosity.” Deadwood Dick, Jr.’s, Head-off = the trifles ot life. I am all soul and inner peace. | beg of you!” the poet cried. ‘‘ [t is bad for the You look only upon the outer man.” With two fingers of his right hand thrust un- der the lap of his buttoned coat, the other hand behind him, one foot slightly advanced and his head thrown back, he looked like a caricature of Ajax defying the lightning, in a longtailed frock coat, The crowd was amused. ‘* By the way,” recovering from one pose to strike another of equal grace and beauty, *‘ am I right in supposiug this edifice to be an hotel?” ‘‘ Can’t ye read ther sign—Union Hotel?” was demanded, ‘¢ Ha! now I see it, and I am made aware that my supposition was right. But, is it strictly first-class?” *€ You bet!” ‘* Because, no plebeian abode will do for me you know, And, have I been rightly informed that Dn have a newspaper here?” ‘¢ You have not been led astray on that point,” spoke up Editor Sneed, promptly. ‘‘ There is oue pewspaper here—one only, and I speak for Hustlevilie as well as for our own city.’ ‘¢ And that one, sir, isthe Hustleville Hustler,” chimed in Editor Dubby, of that sheet. ‘“ contemporary has well said there is but one; bis own flimsy apology for a newspaper is a disgrace to the press at large. If you want the news, buy the Hustler, sir!” ‘The stale news,” cried Sneed, ‘* You will get nothing else there,” ‘‘ Ha! 1 am in good fortune!” cried the poet. 5 chee I can get a place on the stuff of each as poet laureate, I will call on you to-morrow, gentlemen, at your respective places of business, if I mistake not in supposing you to be the editors of the papers in question.” ‘* You needn’t darken my door,” cried Sneed, ‘¢T want no poetry.” ‘* And as I never accept anything once declined by my contemporary, you needn’t call on me,” Dubby assured. The poet’s chin dropped to his breast, and he stalked sorrowfully off toward the hotel and entered the bar-room. Many others had gone in by this time, to learn what they could about the new arrivals, and now many more followed, eager to see more of this eccentric character and maybe expecting some fun, It was just after Fly Fan had registered and ee away with her parting remark to the clerk, : The self-proclaimed t strode to the bar and taking up the pen the female sport had laid down, ded forthwith to register without let or hindrance, | This was what he wrote: ‘** PHILEMON TENNISON, Poet. ‘* Poetry on tap, exceeding fine And only twenty cents a line!” ‘*See here, what are you about?” cried the clerk, seeing the pen running on and on, ‘*T have done,” said the poet, humbly, laying the pen down, “I could not resist the tempta- tion to insert a sample of my inspiration,” ‘*Sample of your grandmother’s gingerbread ! You have spoiled that page, now, with your fooliybness! I'll charge it against you in your bill. You had no business to do it.”’ ‘*Your pardon I bumbly crave, dear sir,” with a meek and lowly bow, ‘“ But, asI said, the temptation overcame me. When I have a pen poised in hand, and the virgin page is before me, it is impossible for me to resist, I am willing, however, that you put it in the bill, as you suggest.” “And Dll put it in strong, too, What kind of a room do you want now?” ** What kind of a roomdol want? Why, I want the best, to be sure, sir. In the words of the bard— “* Wan wants but lit'le here below, But wants a good deal of it,’ ‘* However, it isn’t a question of my want, but of what you will supply. The fact of the matter is, sir, [am lacking the plebeian where- with called cash, At the present time [ am minus the—” ‘*Great Scott! broke?’ **So a more vulgar mind might term it, sir. I myself will call it a state of temporary impecu- You don’t mean to say you're ** And yet you bad the gall to prance up here and slam your name down upon this register! And not only that, but a lot of rubbish es! Sir, l’ve a notion to take you out and set the dogs on you!” pie Ohi) Lae ie ee ‘Se: / Sod s sa Se health to give way to choler, Let me explain my case before you condemn me. Verily, I thought my name alone would be sufficient guarantee of good faith, till I could redeem it with the legal tender.” ‘* Worse and worse! You are askin, that’s what you are, and the sooner you get out of here the better!” ‘* You wound a tender spirit,” the poet cried sadly, placing his band over his heart and roll- ing his eyes, ‘* You can never know the pangs you have caused me in my soul,” ‘* Pll cause you pangs somewhere else, if you don’t get a move on you,” was the hot rejoinder, for the clerk was truly mad. ‘“‘ You'll find that you can’t come here t> Roundabout and do just as you please, no matter what you can do any- where else. Come, I mean biz!’ ‘* Say, hold your horses a minute!’ spoke up the girl-sport, Fly Fan. ‘‘ Give the poet halfa show, It’s one on you, anyhow, seems to me, How much will make him solid here for a week?” The price was named, and the girl tossed a coin to the irate clerk, ‘* Take that,” she said, ‘and try and cool off. Don’t mention it, sir,” to the poet, ‘* You can repay me when you get afloat again.” ‘Fair lady, accept the honest thanks of a humble bard,” cried the poet, bowing low before her. ‘* With my first earnings here I will repay our gracious loan. Thou, sir,” to the clerk, ‘behold me once again a man /” The clerk grumbled something to himself, while he made the change for the gir!-sport, while the others present indulged in a littlo jest- ing and joking, at his expense, which, of course, did not add to his good temper, This badinage had not yet subsided when something of a thrilling nature took place, A man who had entered quietly sprung suddenly forward, caught the girl sport by the arm, and in a loud voice cried out: ‘“‘Ha! you jade! I have got you at last, have I?” CHAPTER IV. AND NOW A FIGHTING POET. THE room was all excitement in a moment, To the amerygrent of all, the man was no other than one Aaron Prestley, chief owner and manager of the Minnie Mine at Hustleville. Who and what was this woman to him? That was the question that came instantly to each mind. For tte moment no one moved or spoke, ra aig apparently waiting for some one else to lead, The poet was the first to take action, and ho did so without delay, At such a time, seconds seem minutes, and it was not probable that more than a single second elapsed before the poet acted. e did so even before the woman herself could speak, for she had sprung back, making an effort to get away, staring at her captor in momentary alarm. In that bricf moment the t was to ber rescue, Sir)” he cried, laying hold upon the mine- manager’s arm with a grip that made him loosen his hold by the girl’s wrist, ‘‘ what means this? This lady has just rendered me a will not see her abused, much service, and I What do you mean by your less insulted, words? “Come, answer me, and answer quick, Or the floor I'll wipe up with you slick!” That tickled the crowd, and all laughed, The poet did not look as though he could master the weakest man in town, in a fair scrimmage, ‘Remove your hand,” cried the manager. **Tf you don’t you'll repent it. I donot have to answer to you or any one else concerning my doings—” ‘*“You make a mistake there, my dear sir,” the poet interrupted, ‘‘ You have got to answer to me for this bit of your doings, for this lady bas befriended meand I am not going tostand by and see her abused. Justexplain what you mean by what youhave ssid. And, in the mean time, let go of her arm entirely. ‘* And do it quick, or you will rue it; What I’ve said I’ll do, I'll do it.” As he spoke his gr p tightened upon the man’s arm, and with a wince of pain the manager let the girl’s hand drop, ‘Yes, [ll explain what I mean,” he cried. “Tt means that I have just found this woman, my wife, who ran away from me a couple of years ago: and it means, too, that [’'m going Don’t be angry, dear sir—don’t be angry, I | to take charge of her now in spite of you not noticing the interruption. lowed,” and all the rest of the crowd here, Further- more, it means thatif you do not let go of me instantly you will find yourselt at full length om the floor!’ ‘111 take my chances of that, in the defense of woman fair,” responded the poet, ‘‘ Lady, what say you to this man’s charge?” ‘*T say it is false!” the woman cried, with ac- cent of keenest scorn, ‘‘ I never saw him be/ore in my life!” ‘* How sayest thou?” the poet demanded, ‘I take the word of the lady, every time.” ‘IT say take your hand off my arm!” cried the manager, now flushed with rage. With a sevage jerk he tore himself loose. ‘What I have said is true,” he criec in rage. “This woman is my wife, and I am going to have her in spite of all she says to the con- trary, and in spite of you, too, Out of my way, you scare-crow !” ** Don't drive too hard over rough places,” the poet warned, ‘* You may spill your load if you do, [ have been called the fighting poet, and. I’m going to carry out the little job I have un- dertaken here; that is, to defend this lady who has befriended me, Did I not do sol would not be worthy to be called a man, sir—a man! ‘I’m here to do my little best Defending beauty in distress.”’ “That’s right, Poet!” sung out one man, ‘We are all hunky on that !” ** And he’s only a bustler, anyhow,” reminded another, whether the poet could understand the significance cf that or not, his man, Aaron Prestley, was a comparative stranger at Roundabout, He had been at Hus- tleville not more than a couple of months at most, and very little was known about him. It was known, though, that he was a stern, bard mau with his men, and that he had a will that was hard to bend. Furthermore, he had displayed his prowess asa fighter. On one occasion he had overcome tbe admitted. ‘‘bad” man of the camp in a very brief time, and since then had been left pretty severely alone. Hence, his action on this occasion was a. mit and it looked as though the poet would suffer. The men who had called out to the poet were more eager for a little fun than anxious for the poet’s personal safety. ‘“You are here to get a broken back, as you. will mighty soon find,” the angered man cried, “I tell you this woman is my wife, and 1 want that to settle it. She got up on ber ear and left me a couple of years ago, as I said, and I haven’t seen her since, Pll show her now, though, that she won’t do it in.” “ee Better not jolt yourwagon too bard,” the poet mildly advised, ‘* The lady’s under my protec- tien by force of circumstances, and there she will remain till you can prove your claim, Now, what are you going to do about it?” The woman had placed herself behind the poet, thus showing by her action that she ac- cepted the protection offered, whether it would amount to anything or not, and all the crowd looked on eagerly to see the outcome, As for the mine-manager, he was placed in & ition from which he could not now draw ack without discredit to himself, ‘¢ What am I going to do about it!” he cried, fiercely. ‘‘ I'll show you in one brief minute, curse you!” at which threat he leaped forward, dealing a savage blow at the poet’s nose, ! The poet did not get injured, however. With asweep of the arm he brushed the blow aside, and the mine- manager collided with him at full force, breast to breast, in an unexpected man- er, ‘** You will find that you have run up against something solid, sir,” hesaid mildly, as he gently pushed the man back from him. ‘‘I am not called the fighting poet for nothing, Now you had better listen to the voice of the bard and go a little slow till you are sure you are right, ** As the sage unto the student said; Be sure you’re right, then go ahead.” “Who the deuce sre you, anyhow?” the man- ager fiercely demanded. ‘* Philemon Tennison, sir, at your service,” was the answer, and with hand upon his breast the poet made a bow. “And by what right do you take it upon yourself to interfere between man and wife ‘‘ By the right that the lady has befriended | me, and I won’t see her abused, in the first place; and then, what you claim is denied b her, You will have to bring the proof, and think the good citizens of this camp will bear me out in what I say. No proofs, no claim al- - Eom ~“ —_. A <a or 1. rR 4" S14 =i a Or °