Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 891 — page 4: what you’re looking at

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

——————— a 4. are Deadwood Dick, Jr.’s, Dead-Sure Game, <= tainly owe nothing to your town of Nug- getville,” ‘“You talk big caliber fer a little gun, sonny.” Dick smiled in his grim fashion. “Tf you don’t want to take my word for it, come. and measure,” he invited. ‘‘I am open to inspection. If you fellows came here for trouble, you are likely to get into it, clear up to your ears,” ‘* You come out hyer,” roared Abe Ar- nold-—-as he called himself, ‘‘an’ see what trouble you will git into!” ‘‘There is no occasion for any trouble for anybody,” spoke up Lucy Love, desirous of making peace. ‘‘ I certainly had the right to stop off here at Rosy Posy if I so elected, and I acted upon my rights, Let me extend a cordial invitation to your people at Nug- ” a) rs 4 7 r 4 a > i * 4 4 ay to be present at the opening of my ancing-schoo] this evening.” ‘* Ata dollar a head,” chipped in Dead- wood Dick. ‘‘ We'll be hyen, don’t you doubt et,” as- serted the baffled ts ope for the delega- tion from Nuggetville. ‘* We’ll be hyer, an’ et won’t be no dollar a head, nuther, you bet!” ‘‘ No dollar, no dance,” taunted Dick. ‘* We'll show ye, blast ye! Say, who be you, anyhow, young feller?” ‘Well, I wasn’t much of anybody half an hour ago, but now I hold the office of vusi- ness manager to this lady.” The mayor, as well asthe delegates, looked at the speaker in something of surprise, as did also Joe Juchert, Barth Dimund, and others; and Abe Arnold broke out into a laugh. f ‘*Wull, you ar’ a daisy-lookin’ duke fer a manager, you ar’!” he cried. ‘* You don’t Jook as if you could manage a side-show toa pepny circus. you dont, ’ Deadwood Dick flushed, and to the young lady he whisperd: | ‘* You see how it is; my appearance brings llisgrace upon you, Miss Love,” ‘Do not let that trouble you, sir,” was the spirited answer, ‘‘I know you for what you are—a gentleman.” ‘* Ha! what do you know about—” He was not allowed to finish, for just at that moment a chunk of turf, thrown by Abe Arnold, caught him im the neck with some force. — ‘‘Let’s see what you are good fer, any- how,” the chief of the delegation cried as he flung it. ‘‘If you have got the spirit of a cow you will paw up dirt and bellow, at this my opinion of you! Ha-ha-ha!” And the others laughed with him. Dick coolly shook the dirt from his neck and shirt, and started down the steps. ‘Take care, sir,” cautioned the young lady. ‘‘ There are five of them against you. But, there is the mayor with you, and no doubt all the rest. Still, take care of your- self.” Dick glanced at the girl, and their eyes met in a peculiar manner, : ‘‘Don't worry about me,” he answered. —“T could not put up with that, even if they were twenty-five against one,” He continued on down the steps, and out in the direction of where the five men from Nuggetville were standing, and these five had their hands at their bips, with guns in their grasp. , The mayor had already leaped from the, porch, but hesitated, seeing that the five were ready to draw their weapons. The others also hung back, ‘‘Take care!” warned the mayor. what they’re up to?” ‘‘You keep out of it, sir, and let me deal with them,” responded, Dick, in a low tone. He walked out to where the five were standing, with his thumbs thrust under bis belt and with an air of utter carelessness and ** See - unconcern about him, | / - v ‘ga “% - i) % - . ¥ ™ 344 " a ‘ , ‘ '. * edt Cal ol ‘ See i wa The five evidently knew not what to make of it, and their leader looked puzzled. As headvanced, Dick stooped and grabbed up a fistful of sod, and continued straight on and up to the leader of the delegation, spite of the fact that the fellow drew his revolver. ‘Keep off,” the fellow warned, ‘or by hokus I’ll give ye somethin’ wuss’n a chunk o’ dirt, by a mighty sight! D’ye hear? By ther Lord Harry ef I don’t let ’er go at— Whoup! Ouch! Ugh! Splush—sh—!” And he ended with a choking sound that made the crowd laugh. CHAPTER IY. A 8TROKE FOR ROSY POSY. DraADwoop Dick had quietly and wisely weighed all the chances, and had taken action accordingly. In the first place, he did not believe one of these fellows would dare to shoot, for if he did the chances were that they would never get out of the place alive. After picking up the bunch of sod, Dick had walked straight on, and when within a 9 of paces of the leader he made a eap. The revolver was brushed aside, and, in that instant, the new-comer had Abe Arnold by the neck. And in the same moment the clod of dirt was jammed into Abe’s mouth. It was quite probable that never before in his life had the fellow felt a grip like unto this of the young man into whose hands he had fallen, for the clutch on his throat almost paralyzed him. He tried to utter a whvop, then he gave a squeal of ,pain, followed up with a grunt in the same breath; that was followed by a choking splutter that set the onlookers to laughing loudly at his expense. The next moment Dick gave him a fling off that sent him upon his back, ; Abe Arnold's friends had just awakened to the realization that their duty was to assist their partner in distress, and sprung forward to do so, but they were just a trifle too late. ‘Back all of you!” and the manager con- fronted them with a brace of revolvers drawn. . Back they fell—every man of them with weapons in hand; but Deadwood Dick had the drop on them and they were helpless. It was a rule that would not ‘work both ways—at any rate they could not be certain that it would; if they had not dared to shoot Dick, for reasons given they had no assur- ance that he would hesitate to shoot them. ** Kill him!” spluttered Abe Arnold, having got the clod out of his mouth. | ‘* Go slow about it,” cautioned Dick. ‘* Fill him fullo’ holes!” ‘¢ Don’t try to, that’s all.” ‘‘Muake a porous plaster of his skin, hokus!” ‘Take care that you don’t get converted into a porous plaster yourself.” Abe was scrambling to his feet, trying hard to see, for some of thedirt had got into his eyes as well. By the time he got upon his pins he was able totake in the situation with one eye at least, and what he saw did not thrill him with delight. ‘‘ What yer mean by jammin’ that inter my mouth?” he bellowed. ‘Just what you meant by throwing a lump of the same at me, perhaps,” Dick re- torted. ‘‘ Dose for dose is my law!” ‘Blast ye, I’ve a notion ter chaw you all up! D'ye hear? Chaw ye all up, by hokus, an’ spit ye out!” ‘* With a dirty mouth like that? Oh, no, thank you; I respectfully decline to be chawed. I’m not in the market for the chawin’ process at present, my friend,” The crowd whooped with delight at the fellow’s expense, | Dick did not for a moment relax his watch by 4 ¢ 4 ™:. » , : * os ; -" SS - ve "a, ¢ re ea ee ) mabe pe : * sab | a => ‘ » > b," at } : . ~s ‘now I'll do my best to uphol bd - A, j 4 “Ae “a $ " ’ om tre ¢ +4, > pins iF : ? : » Ve f- aco ; f &% bd Meer Ss ean upon the others, but kept them under cover while the Nuggetville delegate talked. ‘You ar’ a ding-dang rip-stavin’ coward, that’s what you ar’! D’ye know et? An’ I kin chaw ye all up into little bits afore ye kin squeal, ef you'll put up that ar’ gun!’ ‘You alarm me, sir—dreadfully !” ‘Yas, an’ I'll harm ye, too, by hokus! I’m a tiger right out of ther jungle, when ye git me mad, an’ I’m half mad a’ready!” “Ig that so? I took you fora billy goat!’ At which the crowd whooped it up again, ereatly to the disgust of Mr. Arnold, and his four comrades. The four put up their wea- pons. ‘““Come on, Abe! Le’s git home!” one urged. ‘Not by a ding-dang sight!” the Nugget- ville gladiator bellowed. ‘‘ Not till I have taken satisfaction out of the hide of this hyer striplin’, you bet. Now I’m goin’ fer your ee sonny!” ‘* Let me know when you have got it, will you?” ‘You'll know et, by hokus! You kin bet you will You jes’ put up that ’ar gun, an’ see what'll happen next!’ ‘All right! Just give up your weapons to Marshal Mackerel here, and I’ll do the same, and then I’ll be at your service.” ‘*Do ye mean fair?” ‘* Nothing else.” | ‘¢ And I'll see to it that there is fair play,” the mayor promised, The crowd had circled, by this time, around the two men and the others from Nuggetville. ‘Better a darn sight come home,” again suggested one of the four. ‘‘We have got into a hornets’ nest an’ ther best thing ter do is to go out ’fore we git stung.” ‘‘There’s horse sense for you,’ added. Dick. ‘‘)’m doin’ this hyer,” bellowed the would- be whacker, ‘* You hold your jaw till I ax ye to putet in, Den Hiker. Come, young feller, put up that weepin an’ let me git at ye, fer I’m dyin’ now ter git a taste of yer blud.” , : “All right, I'll oblige you, You four get out of this ring, and some of my friends will keep an eye on you to see that you don’t. chip in. That’s right; and now, Mr. Splurge, give up your weapons tothe mayor.” ‘‘Hyar they ar’,” growled Arnold, handing over his guns, ‘* And your knife, too,” reminded Dick, Such a weapon was forthcoming, and was surrendered, and the homely, bearded tough slightly pale, was ready for the fray. ‘Mayor, here are my weapons, too, and the credit of Rosy Posy,” said Dick. ‘‘If I get the worst of it, Just plant me under the willows by the brookside and scatter a few sunflower seeds around, will you?” 4 ‘No danger of your gettin’ done up, I guess,” laughed Mackerel. “Thar ain’t, hey?” roared ugly Abe. ‘ I'll show him in jest about two holy seconds, by hokus! Take that fer a Starter, dang ye!” and the bad man from Nuggetville led off with a rouser from the shoulder, but Bristol brushed it aside deftly. ‘‘T’ll show ye, blast ye! Take this hyer, then!” but again the blow was parried. ‘Yes, but you don’t get itin, Mr. Splurge. What’s the matter with you? This is the way to do it.” And Dick let out his left, and head-over- heels went Mr. Abe Arnold, to the intense delight of all who were there to witness it— save the four. Up he got, with a commingled roar and bellow, and at his foe he blindly rushed, — What happened would not be easy to deseribe. There was a swift commotion in which two pairs of arms and legs took pro- minent part, and when it was over Ugly Abe again lay upon his back, * (ee) mice rb ee DOOKS. ¥ - ~~ * = 7% +. ~% -< 4 = = * eS Geers YW : § hy 4 5 ‘ , .. . Lis. * 7* he “Ff >» ms . Saw olaal , a ‘3 . ) a 4. M S Lane : eh” J a “ ea -> -—-— » . 7. Nit. ~.