Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 940 — page 8: what you’re looking at

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

- Samaritan. 8 Deadw oe mr a —— Se“ camp is under rebel rule now, and I am the chief of the rebel host, so ter say.” ~ “Yt is all the same to me, sir,’’ assured the all-around sport. ‘“ All I ask is a fair hearing and a just verdict.” “You will get ef, don’t doubt. Who is ther first witness?” No one responded. *T think you have got him in jail, in the person of the mayor,” suggested Fe- lix Fox. “You will have to bring him out, I guess, if it is necessary to have him here.”’ “Et ain’t necessary,” declared Dan. “Is thar’ ary galoot hyer that says this man is Doe Dalton, same as Ben Welcher ‘declared him ter be?’ he asked, raising voice so as to make himself heard by all. No one spoke up in the affirmative. “Don’t be afraid ter speak out,” Dan added, “fer et ain’t Ben Welcher that is askin’, and ye needn't fear a bullet. We can’t have a trial onless thar’ is some one to accuse the prisoner of the charge. Speak right up, if thar’ is any one that thinks the same as the mayor.” But it appeared no one thought as the mayor did on that point. “Well, friend prisoner,” said Dan, after waiting a few moments, “et seems that nobody is goin’ to make the charge. What have you to say for yourself You know the charge our mayor made against you.” “Your mayor was mistaken, sir,” de- elared Mr. Fox. ‘‘I am not the person he took me to be. I have been unjustly im- prisoned, and my pard of last night has been separated from, me. Naturally, I have no feeling of profound love for your mayor. I am Felix Fox, a sport at large.” “ And I reckon thar’ is no proof to ther contrary,” added Dan, “and, now I give your case over to the jury. What is your verdict, boys?” “Let him go free!” was the shout. “Free it is!’ agreed Dan. “ Stranger, you aire free to go and come at will, and ’ll see to it that your guns aire handed back to you as soon as I kin find the man what’s got ’em.”’ “Greatly obliged to you, boys!’ said the sport-at-large. “If there is anything IT can do in return, just say so.” “Mebby thar’ is,” spoke up Dan. “ We Want a new mayor.” | “You would not suggest my taking that office, would you? If so, I must de- cline. I am a stranger among you, and I must prove myself before anything of that sort is thought of.” At that moment Happy Harkins reap- peared. “Whar is the new mayor?’ he de- manded. ‘ Who is he? I want to make his acquaintance as soon as possible. Is it you, my good friend of last night, w made me happier..than I had been “many a long, long day?’ “No, it is not 17’ avowed the sport, “ Worse luck, worse luck! ‘You would fill the office with eredit to yourself and honor to your supporters, I don’t doubt a bit, and no doubt with benefit to me, for methinks I recognize in you a good IT had rather drink to your health than any one else's that I know of, unless the other fellow speaks first.” “Tet up and shut up!” ordered Buck. “You are putting nails in your coffin hourly. ? To which Happy sang: “T long for enough Of the ever good stuff; If vou can’t find a glass ‘Bring a pall; | Though each drink I take Be considered to make For use of my coffin A nail. “Sen Now, “Rill the bowl of good cheer, And don’t deem it queer If I drain it off quick While it’s good; And don’t be surprised, : When at last I’m capsized, To find a coffin all iron And no wood.’ The erowd shouted for more of the song, but Happy merely shook his head. ‘You are a genius at song-making, my friend,’ decided the sport. ‘And a fiend at rum drinking,” Aaverred Dan Buck. “But, Happy, you make a nuisance of yourself by chipping in where you are not wanted. Keep your mouth shut now for five minutes and—”’ “Great ‘ruptions!” eried the bum, in pretended terror. ‘“‘ Make it one minute, won't you? I eould never stand it five Without a drink!” They gave him no further notice. At that moment the girl sport, Tulip Tilly, came running up. “Get on your war-paint, boys!’ she cried. ‘“ There is another army marching up the gulch!” “The deuce you say!” exclaimed Dan. “Which way? How many?’ “That way!” indicating, ‘and half a hundred strong.” “Then it is Riggle, with Welcher’s gang.”’ “That means a scrimmage, I take it,” spoke up the sport-at-large. “ Well, that is jest what et do, I opine,” ugreed Dan. ‘*' You had better get inside if you don’t want to get hurt.” “Do you mean to insult me?’ de- manded Mr. Fox. ‘‘ You have used me well, and now if L can do any favor for you in return I am here to do it. I think we can make it hot for these fel- lows.” ‘You mean to take a hand in et?” “T will take command, if you say so.” ‘By hokey, if you will do that I will be your second, and we will give ’em p'tic- ‘ar fits!—Hail Columbia on both sides of the drum!” “And you don’t want to count me out of it,’ spoke up Tulip Tilly, as cool as if it had been a mere invitation to a dance. ‘*‘T am good for one or two of them, in a ruction.”’ “Are you not afraid, lady?’ asked Felix, the sport. “No, sir! not a bit! I am only anxious to help these men to clean their camp, for I realize that it needs it badly. Wolves and hyenas are out of place here!’ she asserted. | | “S$_s--say, miss,” spoke up Happy Har- kins, falteringly. “I hope that you ain't one o’ them ‘ar’ temperance shemales, what would pour out all the good likker in the camp, aire ye?” Another laugh started, but it was cut short, for, with a whoop, Hank Riggle and his men ¢ame tearing up the gulch, firing as they came. ** CHAPTER ‘X. MAKING A MAYOR, Some one had just brought Felix Fox’s weapons. He leaped down from the piazza, his guns in hand, and took command of the rebels, | Dan Buek gave way to him at once, and Tulip Tilly placed herself beside Dan in order to make herself useful to the new commander, and take a hand in the scrim- mage that seemed imminent. The sport divided his force with prompt action, and gave Dan an order respecting one half. | That order was at once undertaken. | Fox himself led the other half, in an- other direction, Tulip Tilly going with ood Dick, Jr.’s, Shake-up. y ai .i uy \e L Foale —— — o——— — - — ——r — —_ --— —- him, and in less than a minute the street was deserted. On came the opposing crowd, yelling like wolves and, hyenas, and they thought they had cleared the street by their ap- pearance, forcing the rebels to seek shel- ter to save their lives. They kept on shooting as they came, to add to the terror which they already had created—as they believed. The very worst element of the whole camp was in the band. Past the Hog Pen Saloon they dashed, and on to the Shanty Palace, but when they were only halfway between the two they met with a surprise. From the rear came the challenge: “Hands up, every dog of you, or we'll fill you so full of lead you can’t wiggle!” They turned in dismay, to find there the ‘| prisoner of the night before, Felix Fox, as he had called himself, with a dozen men, covering them with their guns, while at the same time they were hemmed in on either side, On one side came Tulip Tilly, with her tet and on the other was Dan Buck and is. “Put them right up, my daisies!” cried the girl sport. “If you don’t there will be trouble here, and you will be right in the middle of it, you bet! We mean grim old business, every time, and you can bet on that, too! We have got you where it will hurt if yon resist!” * Drop them ’ar’ guns!”’ ordered Dan, at , about the same time. “If you don’t we will let drive at you, and thar’ will be weepin’ and wailin’ and gpashin’ of teeth till you will think the gates o’ Parrydise have been closed and you left out in ther | howlin’ wilderness! This hyer rebellion is in dead earnest, and the sooner you give up or come over to our side, the bet- ter fer yer health!” Some of them dropped their guns, others declared their willingness to join the in- surgents, while others ran away as fast as their legs could carry them, and among the latter was Hank Rigegle. “He! ha! haw!” laughed Happy Har- kins, as he slapped his knee; “ef that wasn’t about the neatest thing I ever seen. I'll take a drink on that; who will say treat?” : * Well, that is the first round, anyhow, and a bloodless victory,’’ observed Felix . Fox, with a cheery laugh. ‘“And thanks to you for it,’ said Dan Buck. “Well, not altogether, for I was not alone in it. Now, how many of these fellows can you trust, Buck?” Tt did not take long for Dan to decide. Those who chose were allowed to join the rebels, while the others were disarmed and allowed to go with a warning not to appear again, JEW) vane They went, but were not pledged to keep their parole, since their word in that respect would not have been consid- ered good for anything, anyhow, but they had been deprived of just so Many weap- ons, About that time a new-comer appeared upon the seene—a person of good appear- anee, well dressed, and looking like a keen business man, | ‘How are you. Mr. Harding” greeted Dan Buck. “Did you see the way we done that little triek?”’ “Yos, and you did it well; but what does all this mean?” | “Ti means that this is a rebellion; that we have got tired of Ben Welcher and have made up our minds to make a change hyer, and we want you to fill the nlace of mayor of this hyer camp, Mr. | Harding.” bah + “ Where is Welcher?” « ’ . * . Ld yy " ‘te oe > ee wal ;> s 4! t . ~ —_<s Me : a 4. 4 ' _* ; -' ‘ ‘ ek NS iy ar : ln aa , an = ) _ G @) hw ~~ * - : Na ww ‘ : . md ; ; A >,» . . y . ‘ t & d + L . - = S | :* re "Ke - ON ai | 1 & ”" = = ; = =: IN ‘ *. Bes 4+ oe “é . nals A .