Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 888 — page 9: what you’re looking at

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

, 27 hey + : ae ©) ot , et pot +f at) tat * yA cs . ty Ww ae , Oo Are P P 4 a. - - - —_¥, +4” aT, 7 >- es ‘He was thinking of this when the second wave of trouble arrived at the Grapevine. There was a rough trampling of feet, and four or five burly looking ruffians came stamping up to the bar. Phelim was regaling an admiring auditory, and had just poured out a glass of whisky when an immense paw reached over his shoul- f der to settle on the tumbler, while a duplicate te paw thrust him aside with a rough wave of strength. Phelim went tumbling one way, his hat flew another, and his pipe shivered on the Hy floor where his feet had been standing. i ‘*Git out ov that an’ let room fur aman all over. ‘That’s Bollivar Ben’s benzine, an’ hyer’s Bollivar hisself ter drink it.” The tumbler went up into the air, lingered an instant around the mass of unkempt hair | which almost concealed Bollivar Ben’s face, eo ve its contents disappeared in a twink- \ ing. S| But Bollivar had not come alone, for there were two or three more like to him in ap- ) pearance if not in size, and they were all iz strangers in Honey Dew. He Without wasting any time they had cor- ralled, each man, a glass, and between them captured the decanter. The evaporation of pe fluids which followed was almost magi- cal. ‘‘Hoop la!” shouted the leader of the | . Strange gang, as all the tumblers came back re to the bar with a simultaneous crash. i “‘’m Bollivar Ben, ther big elephant of ther Brazos, an’ these hyer be ther baby ele- phants ov ther perairie. Take yer change outen that.,”’ | He threw down a gold turned with a grin to meet aghun. At first, the little TNshman had stood as , though spellbound, his red face growing redder, and his eyes almost ready to pop out of their sockets, after he had mechanically r gathered himself from the floor. His short, bristly hair rose like that of an angry wolf, . and his jaws moved savagely, though no sound came from between them. As Bollivar Ben turned he sprung at him oo like a tiger. The fracas arose so suddenly the barkeeper had no time to remonstrate. But, as this ap- em: 4 iece; and then helim McGran- ‘eee peared to be a time when talk had to have oo something behind it, he was about to dive for . his weapons when he was aware the drop a ‘was already on him. be | ‘‘Hold off, Johnny. This are a case ov ae: pure fun, an’ you don’t want ter try ter ota spile it. Han’s on ther bar, an’ fingers a empty, er down yer go.” on One of the ‘‘ baby elephants” had him lined, and was talking as though he meant ty business. . f i Straight for Bollivar Ben the Irishman sprung, clutching with one hand and strik- in with the other as he came. (ae, en’s head went back, enough to break ' * gomewhat the force of the blow which other. wise would have gone fully home, As it was, there was a resounding whack Be which told the Irishman knew how to hit, i; and how to hit hard; and he dodged back 2 a with scientific speed from the return which cate slowly booming along. By that time Phelim was cooler; but all the 1 same, he went in for a hurricane fight, per- fectly unmindful of the fact that the ‘‘ baby wa elephants’’ had drawn their revolvers, and ‘ were keeping the ring with more regard to __. Ben's interests than bis own, one of them ex- claiming: ‘‘Stiddy, thar, all you! Give ’em room fur their size, When Bolly hits I jest want a ter see him drive ther kid inter ther ground.” el Ben did not exactly succeed in doing that, a but when one of his blows chanced to con- nect, in spite of a skillful‘ dodge, and a scientific guard, Phelim went flying back al- most to the opposite wall, driving three or four of the men of Honey Dew to this side ae oe ‘ ‘i. Nn n nnn nnn nan erence nnn n cnn cnnnncncnccnnnnn nee nace LL ten a a W\s ‘ , a W, ‘7 oa ? py eer Monte Saul, the Sport. and that, or upsetting them altogether. It was a hard stroke, judged by its effects, and it was quite a surprise to see McGranaghan come flying back again to the attack. Ben had lowered his hands; and they did not come up in time to ward off the sudden attack. ‘Two or three times the assailant ap- peared to get in sharply on body and brow, and Ben actually began to give ground, Then, one? the ‘‘ baby elephants ” threw out his foot, and tripped the following Phe- lim, at the same time exclaiming: ‘* Sot down on ther leetle runt! in’ more time ner we kin spare, in’ his guns now!” All this had passed more rapidly than it can be told, and the men of the town had been giving the strangers the floor. Phelim appeared to want to look after his own in- terests, and as long as there was fair play every one was willing he should do so, But this began to look too much like mur- der, when the whole gang made a movement for the one man, and he down, Honey Dew, in the persons of half a dozen of its fighters, started a rush, and just then Phelim sprung from the floor, shooting as he sprung, It did not seem as though he had begun his work any too soon, for the ‘‘ baby ele- phants” were coming as well, and it looked as though their intention was to tramp him into the ground, Bollivar Ben leaped lightly to one side as the Irishman pulled trigger, and there was a suppressed exclamation, and the sound of a fall near the monte table. He's kill- He's draw- CHAPTER IX. MONTE SAUL HEARS THE LATEST. THe exclamation was from Monte Saul, and it was the sound of his body striking against the floor which had been heard. At the same time, he was perfectly un- hurt, though amazed at the sudden and seemingly causeless attack which had sent him down, just in time to escape the bullet which went hissing over his head. ‘* Stiddy be jerks!” whispered a youthful voice in his ear, ‘‘That’s one ov Hold Up Charley’s men, an’ he’s doin’ Clark Bruce’s dirty work. He hed yer lined when I cracked yer j’ints an’ tole yer ter sot down.” A little paw on his shoulder held Monte Saul steady while this revelation was being made, Then, the boy dodged under the table, though, before he had gone, Saul had recognized him as his youthful friend of the night before, Harry Carter. if it was true what the lad told it would be just as well to act with caution, for he had heard the hist of the bullet as it went along through the point in space lately occu- pied by his head, and could understand that nothing but his involuntary tumble had saved his life If the party who shot believed his first shot had done its work it was not likely he would try another, when the attention of every one bad been drawn that way. Monte remained motionless for an instant, and then suddenly threw himself around, pistol in hand, and looked in the direction of the bar. There was where the shot came from; and there was where there was now a confused medley. Men were dodging this way and that; some trying to get to the center of the fray, and others trying to get away from it. ‘* Bedad, av it’s double tame yez are af- ther Phelim McGranaghan prefers a foot-race toa foight. Kim afther me av ye wants to foind where Oi live.” As he spoke be whirled a chair around him to open the way, and came bursting out from the throng, and made for the near- est window. One spring—the chair still in ‘| menced that pein ( front of him—and with a crash and jingle he went through the breaking sash, Bollivar Ben and his allies following close at his heels. Monte Saul sprung to his feet in time to sce the vanishment of the Irishman, and Bollivar Ben and his ‘‘ baby elephants” streaming away after him, some by the win- | dow, and others by the door. If their cries | were to be taken in good faith it would go hard with Phelim if they caught him. ‘| ; ‘Great Scott!” exclaimed Diamond Dave, t looking up at a jagged little hole in the wall ' ‘*'There is heap more in luck than in judg- ment or you would have been elected fora na hole in the ground. The infernal fool had i you lined.” ‘* Looks like it,” said Monte, hesitating a | moment, between a desire to follow the fugitive, and a curiosity to hear what other news Harry Carter might have to tell him, ‘* And, unless I’m away off, he didn’t hold a bit straighter than he intended,” He did not wait to give any further ex- lanations, for at that moment he saw {arry slipping through the crowd, and mak- ing his way to the door. There was noth- < ing to keep him there any longer, and he _, y followed at once, 14 ‘* Be you lookin’ fur them fellers, er did | yer want ter see me?” Harry had slipped in behind the sport, and flung the question at himin a way that was a surprise, for up to that moment he had not caught sight of the boy outside. Still, Monte answered promptly enough, though in a tone which was not loud enough to be overheard by the men who were near, ‘* You first, of course. After that I may Want an interview with the party who com- Men can make a mis: take sometimes, and that is all right; but mistakes done on purpose ought to go over again, with the advantages the other way. Are you sure that was straight goods you gave me in there?” ‘* Dead sure, beyond ther shadder ov a doubt, an’ when yer hears what I got ter tell ye, you'll see things ther same way.” ith that he began the history of the pre- ceding evening's entertainment. The reader is already acquainted with what happened up to the time when Jimmy y O’Brien was about to dispose of the boy, and | Angus Ames opened on him with his Win- chester, from the other side of the river, Harry found little;trouble after that in making his way to the opposite bank, but he did not think it worth while to go near Ames, since that gentleman might begin asking questions to which he was not cer- tain he knew the proper answers, He satisfied himself, however, that it was the mill-owner who had come to his aid, and then, after making sure the outlaws were not attempting tofollow him, proceeded down the stream for a little, and finally crossed again to follow them. Captain Hold Up was in no great hurry, and there were advantages for concealment which the boy was prompt to use. He managed to creep up so. close that he heard, something of the conversation held among them, and though no names were mentioned, it was not hard for him to catch the mean- ing of the most that was said. ‘* Pretty long tramp fur me mammy’s eld- estorphan, butif I ain’t thar ter hear fur'der d’velopments, Clark Bruce kin call me a baldheaded leetle liar. With a short cut an’ limber legs reckon I kin beat even Hold Up Charley.” rb He had heard where the trysting-place was, and knew the spot well enough. When Bruce made his appearance, Harry was there before him, and heard, not altogether to his surprise, the arrangements which were made for a further raid on Monte Saul. How he made his way to Honey Dew, and how he got track of O'Brien and his assis- ——T books ) 4 . eae ’ Powe ‘ i fl co