Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 940 — page 9: what you’re looking at

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

| ; ; - Harding? Harding?’ urged Buck. , that?” Deadwood Dick, Jr.’s, Shake-up. “In the cooler.” “The mischief! Well, this is news! I thought you were his right bower, Dan?” *“Mebby I was, but. I am on the side of law and order now; we have had too much of the other sort of thing lately.’’ ‘Lam glad for the prospect of a change. But what started the ball to rolling? Hasn’t this thing cropped out all of a sud- den? What was the thing that forced it?” “It has been thought of for some time, Sir, and last night when this stranger kem near almost gettin’ murdered by that hot- tempered galoot, we thought et was about time to put on the screws. And that "minds me to interdoose him; Mr. Felix Fox, let me interdoose ye to Samuel Hard- ing, manager of the Blue Wasp.” This, then, was the man Dick had been asked to call upon. ‘Glad to know you, sir,’’ assured the manager, extending his hand. ‘Glad that you eseaped the fate intended for you, according to this man’s story.” *T have him to thank for it, sir.” * Well, he was too modest to tell me that part of it, | suppose. Who is the lady?” : * As I have no one to introduce me I will introduce myself,” spoke up the girl sport, promptly. “I am Tulip Tilly, the flyest chick of the flock, and able to take care of Number One any time.” “You remind me more of a bright daisy,”’ said the manager, gallantly. “Tbank you, sir!’ with a smile. The manager, a young man, not more than thirty-one or two, cast a searching jook at the girl as she turned away. Just then came a yell from the direction of the jail, where a guard had been left to look after the prisoner. In an instant every thought was for him. “ By Harry! I believe Welcher has got out!’ eried Dan. “Tt sounds like it; now there will be fun in earnest, I expect,” assumed the sport, | * You can safely set it down that there will be,” agreed the mine manager, ““Welcher holds a wonderful influence over the men of this camp, and can bend them to his will.” “He won't bend us!’ cried one of the rebel band. “That is right, boys,’’ encouraged the s anger sport. “If you are tired of his rule, just stand together, shoulder to shoulder, and we can dump his little throne for bim.” hs ‘All we ask is for you to lead us,” cried another. “If you do that we are sure to win. And we'll ‘bey you, right to the Jetter, you can bet on that part of et!” ‘All right. if the others are willing. What ‘say, Mr. Buck? And you, Mr. ay s “Do it, certainly!” “But about your bein’ our mayor, Mr. | “Will you do “Yos, if it is desired.” “Then consider yourself in office! Boys, three cheers for Mayor Harding.” They were given with a will; but no} sooner had they died away than the shouting in the direction of the jail ceased and there Game a noise like the pounding upon a door, | | __ “ Boys, I believe they haven’t got him} yet, at all! Forward, double-quick, and maybe we can yet secure him. If we do, we will defy them to take him out, for we can camp around the jail!’ were the we sport’s words. | And off they went in haste, yet with something of order, for not a few of the men had done military duty, and all had seen more or less of such service, so there sf vi wen fie > i - e ¥ —_—_—-—— — ments, When they came in sight of the jail. however, the door had just been broken down and Ben Welcher leaped out, his hands still bound. One of his friends | _—_ oo - + was something military about their move-| You have only yourself to blame, so do not squeal.” The whole crowd had come to a hait. “Charge them!” Welcher’ shouted. * Wipe them off the face of the earth! I shall not rest until I see made haste to cut his bonds and put a | burned alive at the stake?” weapon in his hand; then the man was a | tiger unloosed. Many of them had seen Welcher in a passion, but none of them had ever seen him in such a rage as now. He was like an infuriated wild animal, and bidding his men follow, he rushed upon the band of rebels as if he alone and single-handed had the prowess to ‘do them up.” es CHAPTER XI. TAKING A PRISONER, “Too late for our plan!’ observed the Sport commander, calmly. “ But not too late for a ruction,’”’ added Dan Buck. ‘ Look at that rip-roarin’ cy- clone, will ye!’ . “I will take some of that out of him if you will leave it to me,” said the leader, in his quiet fashion. “ He is too excited to shoot straight, so we need not fear his first fire.”’ “But he may hit one of us by acci- dent.’ “Tf he does not shoot before he comes a little nearer I will forestall that,’ the sport promised. Felix Fox stood calmly waiting, while the deposed mayor and his followers made a mad rush forward. <As they advanced, Welcher shouted for his followers and friends to come again 'to his support. And, as might be imagined, men did come sneaking out of places where they had been in hiding, and fe!l in with him, and in a few brief moments his band had been swelled until he had a force even superior to that of the insurgents, Wwhereat some of their faces blanched. “ Stand firm,” ordered the sport, cool as ice. “You know them for cowards by what you have seen. Their leader is the only brave man of the lot, and his is only born of the rage he is in. Don’t be afraid, for we can whip them out of their boots if it comes to the fight. By the way, Mr. Harding, any place in your camp where weapons and ammunition are sold?” , +s Yes.”’ “Go and buy up the lot right away. That will weaken them, in time, even if not immediately.” } | “T'll do it. Never thought of that!” So the new mayor went off immediately to secure the stock. Meantime, the mayor-that-was was near enough to be called to a halt, and was challenged by the sport leader of the rebels. * Hold up there!” he shouted. “ Put on brakes! If you don’t, I'll spatter your gore all over the surrounding territory and fit you for planting.” | The response was a mad bellow and—a shot. The shot. was wild, but near enough not to be pleasant, and Tox jerked his gun up to the level and returned the com- pliment. | Instantly the bellow was changed int a yell of pain, as Welcher’s right arm dropped helpless to his side, while the re- volver fell out of his grasp and dropped upon the ground. | | “Curse you for that!” the man screamed. “ You shall suffer for it or I am a liar.” . * Your own fault,” shouted the sport. “If you had come to a halt, and had not fired at me, you would not have got it. 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Aon VeD ae ¥ i pe ie AY COP Fie na Wo wed - - _— oF al ~ ~ at wens \ Lat © os ———————————e Sem a tal eT a ay “You will never rest if you wait for that,” averred the other. “ And your men had better go slow abovt making a charge in this direction; we give them fair warn- We are prepared to offer you terms, if you want to hear them; if not we shall just shoot to Kill.” The sport had motioned his men to draw up in line, and they had done so— making a double file clear across the Street, and their weapons looked at the other party threateningly. The assailants stood huddled in a bunch, undecided what to do. They were afraid to obey their passionate leader, and yet, on the other hand, they had been so long under his rule that they hardly knew how to disobey. “To Hades with your terms!” yelled Welcher. ‘You will be begging terms before another hour rolls by. See if you are not! Charge them, men! Don’t you hear my order? Who is mayor of this camp, I would like to know? Are these scoundrels going to turn us out?” “Come right along” Harkins. ‘‘Come right up an’ git your medicine, and then we'll go and take a drink!"’ | But they did not come, and Welcher could not prevail upon them to advance another inch! “When you get tired of that I will talk with you,” called out the sport. “* Curse you! what do you want tosay?” “Yo offer you these terms. We will let you down easy if you surrender and re-| sume your place in the jail and await your trial.” | “Never! By the Lord Harry, never! You have got the drop this time, but we will meet again and then we'll see who will hold the best hand. Curse you! you, have ruined me for life!’ ‘Blame yourself.” “Well, there will be a settling of ac-| counts between us mighty soon.” * Settle it now, if you say so. But, what are you going to do, since you refuse the terms?” “T’ll retreat for the present, but you will, hear from us again as soon as I get this arm fixed up a bit. You wili find that Ben Welcher is the worst snag you ever ran up against in your life.” “That'is your proposition, is it? Now] ~ hear ours: You will walk right over here and surrender, or we will open fire 6n you and your men. : will give you medical attendance, and make you as comfortable as a prisoner can be made under the circumstances.” Pale before, Welcher turned even more; pale on hearing this threat. “ And I will give you just thirty seconds in which to make up your mind, and not! & second more,” was added. “Men, take aim! Each one sight a man!” That long double line of revolvers came} up to a higher level, and eyes squinted along the tubes. Ben Welcher was not the only pale man they covered, either, for — all were white to the lips. The mayor-ihat-was was seen tov fairly, grate his teeth in rage. He turned and spoke to Riggle, and Rig: gie nodded. “Hurry up!” the sport warned. “Well, you have got me, and I cave,” confessed Welcher. 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