Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 891 — page 9: what you’re looking at

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

- * 4 ra > bh e » . “rs ee — ak ~ * ae: Deadwood Dick, Jr.’s, Dead-Sure Game, 9 The others made no objection, and it was | boastfully. ‘Don’t reckon you kin I’arn found that the number of applicants had ex- ceeded twenty by just thirteen. ‘¢T thort et was a darn big score,” declared one of the thirteen, ‘‘ but I wasn’t goin’ ter be the one to kick ’bout et, Ef she had counted from this end, we would have been in et, sure.” ‘‘But, seein’ that she commenced on the right, you got left,” cried Big-foot, jest- ingly. ‘‘An’ then thirteen is a onlucky number, anyhow.” ‘* Et seems ter be, this time.”’ They were like a lot of overgrown boys, all of them, and they had to have a little fun in their own way as they went along. All wore rough stogies, had their hats on, and all were armed, having revolvers either in their belts or dangling in holsters at their hips, and their appearance as a whole was - Not prepossessing. ‘“* Now, are you ready?” asked the teacher, ‘* You bet!” cried Big-foot. ‘‘Hold on, though, before we begin; can any of you dance at all?” ‘‘I’m ther chicken what kin, you bet!” Big-foot Ben declared quickly and positively enough. ‘* And can any others?” ‘t's accordin’,” muttered one Tough- jaw Terril, so-called. ‘* According to what, sir?” ‘*To what kind o’ dance ye mean, ma’m.”’ ‘‘True enough. I am speaking now of the waltz. Can you waltz, sir?” to Ben of the big-foot distinction. ‘‘That’s jest whar I git in my finest work at dancin’, you bet,” Benjamin declared boastfully. ‘‘Ef you doubt my word, jest set up ther moosic an’ see me gopivitin’ around hyer oncet.” ; ‘‘T will see what youcan do. Mr. Brown, a waltz, please.” The musician struck up a tune, and Big- foot Ben began to swing himself as if to get into perfect rhythm with thestrain before he cut loose from his moorings. ‘‘ Let ‘er go, Benjamin!” some one sung out. ‘ What yer waitin’ fer, like that?” _“ Keep still,” another. ‘‘ Don’t yer see he’s strainin’ to start his feet? You let Ben alone; he’s all right.” ‘‘ Bet yer life he’s all right,” averred Big- foot himself. ‘‘ Ns optics onto me, ef ye don’t believe et. Now I’m off, an’ away we goes; tra, la, la—tra, la, la—tra, la, Ja, Ja.” And thus sirging, in time with the strain, he launched out and began to waltz—in his own peculiar fashion. , e could dance—oh! yes, he could dance; but such dancing! Only a step or two had he taken when the teacher began tosmile, and before he had made half the circle of the floor she wa laughing, ) And not only she, but all who were look- ing on at the performance, for Big-foot Ben had all the native grace of a cow, at dancing, to say nothing’ about a good deal of the stiff- ness of a man with wooden legs. ‘That will do, sir, that will do!” Lucy Love cried out. ‘‘ How was that ’ar?” cried Big-foot, ending with a final flourish. ‘‘ Wasn't thet ’ar jest superb?” | ' ** Wull, et was that,” cried one of the on- lookers. ‘* Never seen nothin’ like et before in my life, old man; you take ther,palm fer - dancin’ every time, you do!” ‘* An’ whar’s thet dollar I hey won?” ‘* You hol’ on till we have heard ther lady say jest how much you know ’bout et, Ben- jamin!” demanded the man with whom he bad laid the wager. . “What do you say, gal?” cried Ben, © You are a wonderful dancer, sir,” was the acknowledgment. ‘‘ You certainly have a peculiar step of your own that is positive- | ly inimitable sir,” “What did [ tell yer?” hellowed Ben, | me anything ’bout dancin’, kin ye, ma’m?” to the young lady. ‘‘T hardly think I can, sir. teach those who are beginners.” ‘‘That’s what I thort. Trot out that ’ar dollar, old pard!” And Big-foot Ben proudly left the dancing- floor and went in quest of the dollar he cer- tainly felt justified in claiming, The teacher then gave her whole attention to her class, and for half an hour the room was kept in a constant uproar of laughter oc- casioned by the awkward efforts of the roughs and toughs at dancing. ‘There, gentlemen, that will do very well for your first lesson,” said the young lady, finally. ‘° You have done well enough. You may retire, and I am ready for another class,”’ Just at that moment there was a commo- tion at the door. ‘‘ Hold on,” the door-tender was heard to cry out: ‘‘ you have to pay to get in here, boys!” ‘‘Ther thunderashun we does! We'll see ‘bout that, we reckons! Didn’t ther bills you sent up ter Satan’s Pocket proclaim that dancin’ lessons was free this evenin’?” Deadwood Vick moved in the direction of the door, and likewise Marshal Mackerel, ‘Yes, that’s straight,” responded the man at the door; ‘‘you won't be charged any- thing ter go on the floor to-night, but you have to pay to get in to see the fun, and don’t you try to get in without payin’, either!” ‘‘ What say, pards?” the man from Satan’s Pocket demanded. ‘‘ Ar’ we goin’ to ante this hyer deal, or pass?” : ‘‘T think you'll anté—before you pass this door,” spoke up Deadwood Dick, at that moment showing himself with a pair of fivers to the fore, ‘‘ The admission is one dollar, boys, and we have no free list to- night.” IT had rather CHAPTER XI. THE HOT FIGHT IN THE HALL. Tue fellow gave one glance at Dick, and that was enough. Dick’s steady hand, and his fiashing eyes, backing up the brace of guns, won the point in his favor. ‘*Pard, you holds a royal flush, you does,” the fellow meekly declared. ‘*I kalkylate et will haveto be as you say. Pards, we'll have to ante, I reckon, ef we hope ter git in ” ‘T’m glad you see it in the right light,” said Dick. ‘‘Et’s the only light we've got, pardner,” the fellow rejoined. ‘ And you and your crowd are from Satan’s Pocket?” ) ‘“That’s straight, boss.” ’ ‘Well, you are a pretty decent-looking lot of men, I will confess. I bave seen worse faces in a Penitentiary, many a time, You are welcome to Rosy Posy—as I will take the liberty of saying for our mayor here, and all we ask of you is that you observe order,” ‘Yas, but darn me ef I have I have got a dollar to ante,’ declared the spokesman of the crowd, who had been fumbling through his pockets. ‘‘Il wanted ter see this hyer show durn bad, too,” ‘You say you are strapped?” asked Dick. ‘Clean gone dead broke, boss, an’ I swear I didn’t know et.” ‘Well, here’s a dollar ll lend you. You have got an honest face on your head, and Yl trust you a dollar's worth on the ex- pression of it.” ti, aes Dick thrust bis hand in his pocket and gave the man a dollar. The fellow’s face beamed. ‘sPards.” he cried, turning to his crowd, this hyer is what I call darn white treat- ment, et is! What galoot amongst ye dares to say et ain’t?” Not a man of them denied it, but one fel- low shouted: ‘« E's jest as white as snow, pardner, you bet!” “That's what I say. Ef ary feller has got anything to say contrary, let him say et now or ferever afterward an’ henceforward hold his peace, b’gosh!”’ ‘That's what's ther matter.” ‘' You hear?” cried the favored man, turn- ing to Dick. ‘‘ We ar’ with ye, an’ ef one of these hyer galoots what’s come with me dares to kick up a row, he is got to answer to me, an’ don't you ferget it. I’m Crow Bullinger, from Satan’s Pocket!” ‘‘Pleased to know you, Mr. Bullinger,”’ said Dick, giving his hand, ‘‘ Comein, now, you and your crowd, and we'll entertain you. The lady is waiting for this little interruption to be settled. before she begins with her second class of the evening. A dollar a head, boys, please.” And so they filed in, good-naturedly, and mingled with the denizens of Rosy Posy in a very friendly manner. ‘Bristol, you are a hoss,” declared Mar- shal Mackerel, aside to Dick. ‘“T don’t know how that is, mayor,” was the answer. ‘‘I had an object in handling this affair as I did.” ‘“ And what was your object?” : “To win the friendly feelings of these men from Satan’s Pocket.” ‘‘T knowed et, by scat! An’ that’s why I siy you ar’a hoss! I see what yer game is, boy.” | “IT want to be prepared for Nuggetville, if they come here looking for fight. You see, we couldn’t make acertain stand against Nuggetville and Satan’s Pocket together, but with Satan’s Pocket on our side we are all right.” ‘‘That’s what’s ther matter. You ar’ a born diplomat—ef that’s ther word I am after; by scat you ar’!” ‘Tt was only a stroke of hoss sense, that’s all,” y ‘An’ you are the hoss!” Lucy Love was again forming her class, now, and ere long she had twenty more raw recruits in the roped ring for their lesson in dancing. | It was rare pleasure to the rough fellows, to have this dainty little woman take hold of them and pull them into line, showing them how to place their fect, and it was rich fun for the audience to watch them. There was a constant rattle of pleasant jesting, when the music was still so that it — could be indulged in, but while the enchant- ing notes of the zither were sounding the crowd was for the most part still, save when an outburst of laughter ran through the room, It was about the rarest treat this town of Rosy Posy had ever enjoyed. And so it continued for another hour, without interruption, and it began to look as if Nuggetville would not come to mar the happiness of the occasion. | However, they reckoned without their host—that, is to say, without counting Nug- getville in it, those who entertained this pleasant delusion; but Deadwood Dick and Marshal Mackerel were not of the number. The doorkeeper hud grown a little lax in his duties, since no one had applied for ad- mission during the past forty minutes or longer, and of a sudden the crowd was startled by hearing a loud-mouthed yell in the direction of the door, and there stood Abe Arnold! His face was swollen and discolored, and he was just able to sce his sutroundings clearly and no more, - “ Whaucun !” he bellowed again, in the most terrifying tone he could bring up for the occasion, ‘‘Hyar I be, ther dancin’ dicky-bird of ther woolly West, you bett /