Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 900 — page 3: what you’re looking at

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

. - eee Jumping-Jack’s Jubilee, ‘* He'll never make a performer, though, | “What do you mean by the other case, . and lend me a hand if I want help. to carry — 23 athe " af { get a fair chance at him before I leave | old fellow?” Hunter asked. ye eo out my plan?” this town. IJ ll break his bacx for him, “16 was a case in which I figgered myself ‘* Well, how much is there in it?” , for what he did to me. What is your | about the same as you seem to figger in this ‘* Five dollars,” 3 grudge?” one.” ‘‘)’m yer turnip; you needn’t look no fur- 3 “Oh, well, that don't matter; you kin do ‘*'Tell me about it.” der.” ar — ye please to him, fer all o’ me, neigh- ‘I don’t mind, seein’as you have shown{| ‘‘ Allright. I'll think of the plan, and re f bor.” your hand to me,” will see you again before night.” ut 9 “Say, [ want to talk with you soon’s the | ‘‘ You needn't have any fear, if it’s any- | ‘* Good seated: But, ee, you don’t Fs | F ‘parade starts.” | thing to be afraid of; maybe we can work | mean to kill the kid, nor nothin’ like to that, fi ; ‘* All right, neighbor.” together.” do ye?” — “4 It was true that Old Wit had no love for | ‘‘Oh, no; the thing I speak about was ‘* No, of course not.” VG Jumping: Jack, done years ago, and has almost died out of | ‘*Can’t help ye, if ye do, that’s all. I’m | About a year before the time of our story | mind and memory. Still, mebby 1 could be 1a hard old nut, but I couldn’t go te that 7 there age been some stealing done in and | handy to you, for a consideration, What | length.” a around Warrenton. Say?” ‘* You needn’t have any squeamish feel- t y A young man was accused of theevil- | ‘* We’llsee. Goon with your story.” | ings on that point, for I’ll talee the kid and ate - doing, and might have been arrested for it ‘“Tt ain’t to-be supposed that you ever | bring her up in the profession, There'll be fe oe had it not been for Jumping-Jack, who clear- | heard tell of Albert Cooper, a farmer that | a fortune in her, once she has learned to ride “4 ed him by putting the crime upon Old Wit, | lives just a few miles out of this town, who | well.” 4 where it belonged. had a child stole away from him about seven- ‘*An’ you'll bring her out?” hae? 4 | The bummer got off with a light sentence, | teen years ago; no, of course not. Well, this ‘“'That’s the plan; and, maybe marry her ae 4 as Only one crime could be proved against | kid you call Baby Bess is the life pictur’ of | some day. Ha, ha, ha! that would not be a M4 “ him, but that put an end to the stealing. that child.” bad idea; since I couldn’t have the mother, Hence, his reason for the dislike he had | Jumping Jack's ears were wide open now, | take the daughter. Ha, ha, ha!’’ for Jack. if ever in his life, The fellow laughed aloud, and the old — The parade now started off, in all its array of gold and glitter, and the band struck up a popular air. Every man, woman and child in Warren- | bummer looked around to see if any one was ton had heard the story of Lucy Cooper, for | paying attention to what they eee re it was a matter that would probably never As he looked he espied Jumping-Jack be- lt came as nearly up to the bills as such | be forgotten. ; hind the tree, and with an oath he got up, : parades generally do—maybe a little nearer, ‘‘ Never heard of it,” said Hunter. ‘‘ What are you doin’ there?” he fiercely and the waiting crowds broke into a cheer ‘‘ No, not to be s’pcsed you had. It was a | demanded. when the music struck up, and the boys ran | mystery for a long time—in fact it’s a mys- At the first word Jack was upon his feet after the wagons. tery still, and allus will be one, I reckon, | and at a safe distance, and as Hunter, too, There was one exception—Jumping-Jack, ; The recollection of it will never-die out, here | sprung up, he glared at the boy in a way He had heard enough of the conversation | at Warrenton, it ain’t likely; and, there has | that bcded ill for him if he could get hold of between Old Wit and Hunter to make him | allus been a sneakin’ suspicion that I had | him. eager to hear more. somethin’ to do with it; but, I hadn’t. You ‘““T was takin’a rest, after luggin’ water As the wagons passed, there was one little | see, Al. Cooper an’ me was rivals fer the | all the mornin’,” Jack answered. chariot in which rode Baby Bess, who was | child’s mother when she was a gal.” ‘Yes, and you were listening, curse billed also as the ‘‘ Rose of the Ring,” and ‘‘Ha! the case is something like this one, | you!” cried the discharged circus man, in a Old Wit looked at her again keenly as she | sure enough.” | rage, and he looked around as if to see who rode by. | ‘*That’s what I told ye. Ye see, Mary | was watching. : | ** Dast me if I couldn’t swear it’s the same | Reed was the finest gal in all this part of ‘* Well, a feller couldn’t help hearin’ what © kid,” he said aloud. | country, and she could have had her pick of | was said in his presence, could he, old hoss?”’ * Upon a flat, open platform, just ahead of | the young bucks around—and she did, too. | demanded Jumpiag-Jack, fearlessly. ‘I ae the tiny chariot, rode a clown of the usual | She picked Al, Cooper, though I made ahard | was here when you set your mills to runnin’, 7 type. fight myself, an’ it was that disapp'intment ore He looked in the direction of Old Wit | that sent me to the dogs, Lallus hold. Like ag and Hunter, and kept his eyes upon them | you, I swore I'd git even some day, and by until they were left behind, when he gave | heavens I did—that is, it was just the same | his attention to the ‘‘funny business ” of the | as if I had, when their child was missin’ an’ a hour. couldn’t be found,” | | ‘‘ That’s the kid’s dad,” said Hunter, call- ‘The very thing!” exclaimed Hunter, ing attention to him. ‘‘ He is more’n half | ‘‘ You have given me a plan, old fellow, and . Roe afraid of me, ’fraid 1’ll do harm to the brat if | I'll pay you well tohelp me carry it out!” | TL et.the chance; and, between you and me, | | | a _.._ ld fellow, there is some foundation for his _ fears. My time has about come, I tell you.” — + +** What have you got against him?” Negi . Enough, be sure of that. See this hand- and I hadn’t no eall to pull out.” ‘Tl pull you out, curse you!” grated Hunter, taking a step forward, 3 “And Ill knock you out, if you try it a on,” declared Jumping-Jack, picking up a e. stout stick that lay handy. | As he spoke he swung the stick inathreat- . _ ening manner. ‘Did you hear what we said?’ demanded Hunter, ‘Yes, every word of it, Don’t see any need to lieabout it, What's more, if you go to carry out what you intend doin’, you will find that a feller ‘bout my size is goin’ to CHAPTER IIL JUMPING-JACK DISCOVERED. Tt SA — stusneennneneetiiet: ° « eo some woman coming now?” JUMPING-JACK could hardly contain him- ; have a-finger in the pie, As fer you, Old ae yy He indicated a beautiful young woman | self. _| Wit, you had better take care how you run a of ah - mounted upon a splendid horse and attired He believed he was getting at the truth of | the risk of gettin’ intotrouble. Ifixed you. _ inacharming habit. that mystery of so long ago, something that | out once, and I can do it again, if I have to.” mo a ** Yes, I see her,” said Old Wit.. had taken place before he was born. * * You didn’t hear nothin’ to hurt me,” de- ve ~} _ ** Well, she’s Mile. Lucie, the mother of | John Witman had been suspected of hav- | clared the bummer. ‘“ Everybody knows he ee FS Beha the brat. Ha! shesces me, too. See where | ing something to do with the disappearance } that story I told, an’ I said plain as how it vats she’s got her hand? Well, she’s got a pistol | of the little girl, but he had denied it, and | wasn't my doin’,”’ | us * . in her fist; the way I know, she pulled it on | nothing could be proved against him, and so ‘“That’s all right; but, you are this feller’s ~~ They sat down, and Jumping-Jack, lean- | ‘* Then you} think you'll steal her?” asked | he wants to,” cried Jumping-Jack, flourish- ps" meonce.” . | he went clear, ; . turnip fer five doilars—that’s what you said, ~~ fae) “t Whew!” Now, by his own words, it seemed plain | and if there is any funny work goin’ on here ~ >) “Lm giving it to you straight, I was | that the suspicion had been right, although | you will get a berth in the jug again,” | ~~ §$Sam Bruce’s rival for her hand, about seven | he still denied it. The loud words had now attracted some of Wee ———s«ears ago, but I didn’t stand no show, as she Jumping-Jack certainly believed him guil- | the laborers belonging to the circus, and one a (oa § was struck*on Sam. I swore that I would | ty. | of these stepped toward Hunter, Oe eae a ee git even, though, and I haven't forgotten it. ‘‘So you are goin’ to try the stealin’ rack- | ‘ Here, what's the row?” he demanded. P00 | ~—s« i: joined the same show a-purpose this year.” | et, too, are you, my fine fellow?” said Jack “None of your business,” the retort. ~ _ |. **Hang me if it don’t sound like t’other | inthought. ‘‘I guess [ll have to take a | ‘ 1’m doing this.” as ~~ ease; neighbor. Here, let’s set down on this | hand ia this game myself and see what will| ‘ Well, a make it my business, anyhow, = } = box fer a chat,” | | come of it. Ifyou have got it in for me I'll | and you won't be doin’ it—if you intend | ‘There was a box just behind them, at the | have it in for you, too, and you sha’n’t harm j to hurt that boy.” , ie |} ~~ foot of the tree. the Ring Rose if I can help it!” | ‘Let him come and gitataste of thisif ~~ -. ing against the tree on the other side, could | the bummer. ing his stick. ‘‘I have tumbled him once ts . oe - ‘Not have had a better chance to listen. = | “That's what I’m going todoif lifeisspar- | and I can do it again. I ain’t ‘fraid of = _ _ Now the crowd was gone, and the remain- | ed me until this night. I'll be revenged the , him.” ; Crna ant. ’ ae » i ey « ‘> ’ ~ ing ~workmen, all of whom were busy, or | same as you—” (are sot ek Ge out OS: tags anyliow, Tom eg a » eng all, were in front of the two men as} “‘ Yes, but 1 haven’t said that I stole the | Hunter,” cried the showman. ‘*You have = 2y sat down on the box. 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