Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 900 — page 8: what you’re looking at

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

er ee ° ° % - * r ” . , ey ie S Ps ae Tas hie > ig JA tana MLW, row eee we The elephant struck at her as she passed, : barely missing, and the horse became for the te instant terrorized and stopped with a snort | right where the elephant had opportunity to repeat the blow. ' “On, Beauty!” cried the arena queen, while she looked back at the infuriate elephant with horror, The brute had its trunk raised, and was batik, 2 flourishing it like a man about to strike a 4 blow with a club, and Hunter applied the torment again, Down came the weapon with which nature had provided the monster, and only for the fact that in the same instant the horse gave J a leap forward, both rider and horse might ‘ae have been killed, 4 _ As it was, they barely escaped. Hunter was out from his hiding-place and away in a moment, and the cry of the woman brought employees to the spot im- mediately. There was excitement fora few minutes, but there was no time to spare just then, and another performer was on in a moment, while the employees took charge of the enraged beast. ‘‘Ourse the luck!” muttered Hunter. ‘‘ It would have done me good, if the old fel- low had bit the woman and killed her on the spot. But, I have it in for them, and they have not felt the weight of my hand yet. wait till to-night! I'll fix them both if I can!” In another minute he was at work at some- ening and no one took particular notice of : ees cee ey, le -~ - _ ~s - ¢ * a a ae =~ = «-~ * a. 2 é = ee ee > ~ : re = * “Sat — + os = ~< * — <a e 4 _ ry ee es ~ ny —* 7 ‘ ° a. . we = r ~_ a --- = m, Gradually he made his way around toa certain tent, Here he made himself busy, Several tumblers were there, making ready to appear, and presently they came ies ; forth running, and the discharged employee Mae of slipped in. | ed o one was there, but others would bein | as soon as the act ended which was now being performed, and whatever his errand ‘was the fellow had to work lively; and he did, too. He was well acquainted with the ¢ ace. | Going to a certain chest, he opened it, and taking out some articles, quickly eelected, he thrust them into his pockets. Picking up two buckets, then, he was just going out with them when’ another man came in, but Hunter’s presence was not ques- tioned, as he was taken to be one of the reg- ular drudges of the company. Rs) Needless to say, though, no water was pes) brought, and the buckets were found later | on around on the other side of the tent. ef Hunter left the grounds and made his way to some stables in the rear of a third-rate tavern, Here he found the man Mulvern, ‘Well, what luck?” that worthy inquir. 2a wl ne - > a + ‘ = | e —, = : ~ S*.% : ~_9* —_—-- - ~ ay ee ee a re, ee -- . ao te, - a | . oo — es ~ 4 4 “_ = > a ee — se. ed. ‘Good luck and bad,” answered Hunter. ‘*T tried to kill the woman, and failed, but I did get the disguises we need for our business to-night!” ‘* Excellent! Just as well that you did not succeed, and you were crazy to try it. Such an accident would have spoiled every- thing for this evening’s performance, you ought to have known.” CHAPTER IX. Lit | A GLIMPSE OF THE PAST. - Wuite we have purposely omitted th talk between Hunter and this man Muitvern, the foregoing is sufficient to show that they had come to an understanding. That there was a double scheme on foot needs not to be said, now. But, whether or not both or either of these schemes would be carried out, remains to be seen in the chap. )) 2 eters to follow... | In his visit to the grounds, Hunter had i ‘ at . - * : 7 =) ' fellow’s disguise fooled even the keen eyes of Jumping-Jack. Deceived once, he was likely to be again, for Jack was only a country boy after all, and it was just possible that he would be overcome and disposed of before the night’s work commenced. When the performance was over Jack made his way to Sam Bruce’s tent. ‘Well, what did you think of it?’ Sam asked. ‘‘Immense!” cried Jack. ‘‘ What did you think of that woman who wanted to lay claim to your child?” ‘Say, do you know her?” ‘‘Yes, sure; she had a child stolen from her a good while ago.” Jack related the circumstances as_ they were known to bim, and the clown and ‘“Mlle, Lucie” listened with interest. ‘lt is a strange story, almost like & ro- mance,” the hnndsome woman observed. ‘Yes, and there is another chapter comin’ that will be stranger still,” declared Jumping- Jack. ‘‘Yes? What do you mean?” “I’ve got my optic onthe feller what stole that child.’’ | ‘*'You?” ** Yes, me.” ‘‘Why don’t you expose him, then, and have him arrested?” ‘‘T haven’t got the proof all down fine yet, that’s the reason, Just give me 9 little time, and [’ll yank him.” ‘¢ Who is he?” . ‘‘Never mind that, now; he is standin’ in with this feller what is tryin’ to steal your child, and they want to play the same trick over again. But, they won't do it while Jumpin’- Jack is around!” Jack jumped up, cracked his heels, flop. ped over and came down in his same tracks, without apparent exertion. Just then Mr. Murray appeared, bringing with him Farmer Cooper and his wife, ‘Bruce, these good people want to see your little girl again,” he said. ‘1 have heard something of: their story, and you can’t use them too well.” Mrs. Cooper entered first, trembling. ‘You are the child’s mother?” she asked of Mile. Lucie. ‘‘ Yes, madam,” the answer. ‘‘May I hold her on my lap, just for a minute, while I look at her pretty face?” ‘Certainly you may, Bess, go to the kind lady, and let her love you, for she once had a little girl very much like you, she ays.” The child obeyed, half timidly. ‘©God bless you for your goodness!” the woman said, with trembling tone. ‘ You need not beafraid of me, little deary, for vane are the image of the little girl I lost, my ittle Lucy.” She placed the child-upon_ her lap, as she gat on a stool in the tent, and toyed with its hair as she looked fixedly upon its sweet face. | “Tt is the very face of my lost darling,” she said, half to herself. ‘* Don’t you think she is like Lucy, Albert?” ‘¢-Yes, she certainly does look a good dea! like her, that’s so,’ the farmer admitted. oy If we could keep her,” the woman sigh- ed. boaty ‘“We could not spare her,” said the fond mother, pleasantly. without our baby Bess.” ‘Yes, but yom are bringing her up to a hard, rough life, as you must know, and she is so young and tendera flower. Couldn't i you let me take her and bring her up for ” you— , | ‘ ‘The mother laughed, but it was a painful | effort. ‘* No, no,” she . said quickly. This life may seem rough to band and me, and we have several thousand | to contain himself any longer, ‘*We could not live you, but it is all right | ‘But, we are worth a fine farm, my hus- dollars besides; let us have this child, and every cent of it shall go to her when we lay down our heads,” “You ask an impossibility, madam,” spoke up the clown. ‘‘ Besides, we have just come into a fortune ourselves, and can leave this life at any time.” Mrs. Cooper sighed deeply, ‘Tt will seem like losing my child again, to part with this one,” she said. ‘‘I wish we had remained at home, Albert, and hadn’t come out to see the show at all, I shall never get over this.” ‘‘Yes, I wish we had,” the man answered, ‘« How long is it since your little girl was taken?’ the mother of Baby Bess asked. ‘Tt is seventeen years this summer.” ‘‘ Let me see, she must be a young woman about twenty three by this time, then, if she was the age of Baby Bess.” “Yes, if she is living, but who can say?” “That is true. Did you live here at the time?” ‘Veg, we have never lived anywhere else.” : _ ** And you never heard a word about i her?” ‘Nota single word, Oh!.you can’t im- : agine how terrible it was.” et. ‘Yes, I can imagine it, too, for it is some: thing we have been in dread of in regard to Baby Bess. I should go mad!” «Tt would be a blessing if you could if it | should happen. But, what have you to fear — for her? Who would be 80 heartless as to ey, take her from you in that way?” | “Tt is hardly worth the while to tell the story, madam. It isa man who was in love with me and who wanted to marry me wher I gave my band to dear Sam_ here, and he swore he would have revenge.” Mrs Cooper was pale again, and she look- ed at her husband. « ‘Tt is our own story over again, Albert,” | = “ee ee eo a at oe aS ~~ = et om she said. ‘* You remember all about John oy Witman, the poor, worthless fellow?” a “J remember him well enough,” was his me, response, ‘‘and I have never quite give Ty, Ped up the idea that he had something todo ja i with the disappearance of our little Lucy, = either.” MD ag The farmer’s face was drawn, andthere was a hardness in his tone. VAS ae « What was his name?” asked Mlle, Lucie. Fees ‘‘ John Witman; he is now knownas Old Wit, the bum. He is a good-for-nothing fellow who does not draw a sober breath | from one end of the year to the other.” Solas “Yes, and I have got a iron in the firefor 9 chim, you bet!” cried Jumping Jack, unable ‘*T am goin’ : for that feller, Mr. Cooper, for I feel certain = he’s the man that did take your-little girl i off,” ; . ‘* Ha! what is that you say?” Aa Bin et ‘* That’s what Isaid, and I’m goin’to prove it on him, too,” ‘ | * abhi : ‘Say, ain't you the boy they call Jack, that I offered ‘a home to once, about a year ago?” f y ‘¢T’m the same Jack, sir, and I know you, I feit ‘bliged to you, but I wasn’t never cut lore out to be afarmer, and there was no usefool- © in’ you.” ‘Grin AGE 7 ‘ But, do you know anything against Old ral iL Wit? Ifyou doit is your duty to lep me know about it atonce, and I'll attendtohim. = * I have allus thought in my heart he done ** You hold on just a little bit, sir, aw .™ aR. r said ad Pet Ue . Nes tothe NAN a P 41 \ ; A, eho % : Jack, and give me a chance at him, and I'll — 5 RI find out all about it.” meets af = Jz ‘Yes, but what can a boy like youdo against a man?” Lea aS ‘Didn't I put him in the cooler once?” - ‘«« Well, yes, that’s so.” _ | a: «“ And I kin do it again, you bet, | f'h* "2 in We A a) i, Be) geen nothing o umping-J ack, Sor Gite when you're used to it. _ No, no, we cannot_ C x | Hn, . 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