Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 962 — page 2: what you’re looking at

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

Flip-Flap Fred AT HARD PANS: OR, The Stroller Showman’s Shake-Up, BY WM. R. EYSTER, AUTHOR OF ‘‘ DANDY DARKE,” ‘‘ FARO FRANK,” ‘* HARRY WINKLE’S LONG CHASE,” ETO, CHAPTER I... THE WONDERFUL WHEEL, ‘‘ Trp us a case, mister, an’ 1’ll bring yer luck. I’m Little Limberleg, ther boy with ther glass nose. Mammy’s dead, an’ daddy’s dead, an’ ez fur me—look at me! Iispeak fur meself. I war blowed up in ther big 'xploshun, an’ that leg’s bin soever sence, Ican’t work; I don’t keer ter play, an’ all ’round it’s a thunderin’ bad fix fur . por ov my size. W’ot yer goin’ ter do’bout The benevolent-looking stranger, with the long, flaxen locks, and the e-blue eyes, re garded the boy with a mil IY curious gaze, while Little Limberleg swung his right leg back- ward and forward and around in a bewildering sort of way, that suggested that it was either without a bone, or was a fraud altogether. With a leg like that it seemed a happy miracle that the boy could crawl, let alone walk, other- wise he was better-looking than the average, having an intelligent face, clear, ferret-like eyes, and a sturdy form. ** Jewhillikins! Ef that’s a nat’ral leg, an’ kin be put to ary use, it’s a wonder an’ no mistake, Kin’ yew walk on it? Ef yew kin ther’s a fortin’ in it, an’ no mistake—sure ez my Dame air Amariah Azariah Holdfast. Why, ther’s men by ther cord ez would give a dollar tew see that leg. I'll xive two—ef yew take it off.” ‘**Yer thinks ther Pints onscrews, does yer; an’ ther hull thing a fraud? Ye’r’ mistooken, stranger. It’s jest ther natur’ ov ther b’aste, Eé it’s charity yer bin a-thinkin' ov don’t wait nolonger. Bin three weeks toa day sence I hed a squar’ meal, an’ two sence I tasted water, It’s coin I’m afther, an’ not good advice,” Azariah Holdfast was a likely-looking object for an appeal of this kind to reach, He was tenderfoot all over—tall, gaunt and ungainly in build, and with the unmistakable look of a man whose proper place was in the rural districts. It seemed as though, if he had any business in Hard Pan, it was serge oats un- fortunate, That camp was of the kind that swallows such men at a mouthful. Limberleg was pretty certain that he saw the hand of the stranger go into a pocket, and come out not altogether empty. He held up his hands and Azariah cast @ coin. But, even as sharp a boy as Limberleg will sometimes slip up on a sure thing. He saw the coin—it was a great, hig, old-fashioned dollar of our daddies. Hesaw the motion of Holdfast’s hand; saw the dollar leave it and come spinning toward him; and he made a grab accordingly. The trouble was that when his fingers closed thedoliar was not there! It spun past his hands; be heard behind him a low, silvery laugh, and turning, saw a Be with a coin in her hand. Azariah had pitched it with a double curve, and never having had a chance for practice on the twist, Limberleg did not ‘‘ get onto him” at the first trial. But, the girl troubled him more than the loss of thecoin, He had hithertoseen no girl, and had not suspected her presence, Who was she and what was she doing in the company of Azariah Amariah Holdfast? She gazed at the boy; smiled; nodded; and then threw the dollar down at bis feet, ‘‘ There, Little Limberleg, if you need it you may haveit. Father did not mean to make you feel badly, or angry, but it is a way he has, WwW hen you know him better you will laugh ? The boy scratched his head, looked at the coin, and at the two—first at the girl, and then at Amariah, “A kitten she be, Amariah, full of fun, an’ velvet on her paws. Mebbe there’s claws, too? Does she bite?’ and without wai for an an- swer, he bent over backward, slowly and with eimide ai balance, until the top of his head touched heels, and his body and legs formed a perfect imitation of a round ‘*O.” Down went his hands, up went his heels, and upside down he marched on his hands toward oldfast, holding the dollar in his mout». Flip-Flap Fred at Hard Pan. —— | may makea fortin’, but whar, oh, whar would | J kim in at? W’ot mought he be doin’ thar? When he was within a yard he came right side | Now I see him, an’ now I don’t see him. up with a thump, and extended the coin. ‘* Take her back, mister, take her back! I don’t d’serve it. A boy ez kin be fooled that easy o’rt ter be starved, an’ that’s a fact, An’ Azariah, I’m hungry, an’ that’sa gospel; but ain’t jest so shoal on ther bar the t ean’t whack up ther price on a squar’ meal al’a’secoad-class hash-house when I git ter Hard Pan. That what I tole yer war all bizziness; this here be suthin’ else, See?” He drew a handful of coin out of his pocket, shook them in his two closed hands until they clinked together noisily, and then sent them rattling back to their m Be Azariah had calmly taken his dollar again, and was vrcsg Freres listening. He did not seem surprised at the display of capital made by Limberleg; nor did he when the boy began to revolve with a succession of back handsprings, that increased in rapidity until he seemed to go around the patch of level turf like a turning- wheel, Twice, or almost twice, he made the circuit; and then suddenly stopped in front of the girl. ‘‘ How’s that, little one? Fur a poor offling, can’t I sling on style? W’ot I war tellin’ ther old man war all guff. I’m Fairy Fred, ther boss boy ov North Ameriky, an’ I’m goin’ inter Hard Pan ter make a fortun’, Now, who be you?’ The girl looked inquiringly at Amariah, who nodd Meantime the boy went on: ‘*T cottoned to yer at fu’stsight, Thoselaughs ov yourn—silver bellsain’t nowhar! An’ them eyes! ’Lectric batt’ries nowhar, neither. I’m all gone, right off ther han’le. Pat it thar, retty pard, an’ ’sider me yer solid fr’en’ till Feat. W'ot did yer say Vilcall yer? I'd orter know, ’cos you an’ me’s like ter run in one ring —fur a while, anyhow.” The girl was still smiling as she answered: ‘* You talk too much, Noone can get a word in edgeways. Iam nopard of yours, and I do not know that gti are my friend; but, I like you. [ shall tell you who I am because father says I may; but, don’t be foolish. He may take a notion not to like you, and that is always bad for little orphans. Suppose he blew bad luck at ou-—you would lose your money, you would be hungrier than ever, and you couldn’t turn any more wheels, or anything. Oh, father Holdfast ean be a terrible man when he wants to!” ‘* W’o’s ther chatterbox now?” Ov all heaps ov talk *thout sayin’ nothin’ this takes ther cake’ Maybe you noticed that I war slightulally irreg- ular in my opticks—w’ich makes mea trifle hard ov hearin’. Say it a leetle slower this time; an’ not much more ov arything else, Me mind’s kind ov weak an’ wanderin’, I reckon; dunno ez I kin take in more at a time.” “Funny Fanny!” and she looked at him gravely as a judge while she pronounced the two words, The boy gave a quick glance over his shoulder at the spot where Azariah had been standing, but the man was gone! and Fairy Fred—or Little Limberleg, as he had first called himself— was alone in the dingle with the young girl. ‘‘ Honest Injuv, be that yer reg’lar, go-ter- dinner name an’ han’le?” ** Honest Injun.” ‘That’s funny, Fanny! Our names be purty much ov @ muchness, an’ a good bit alike. | hey a strawberry mark on me arm—hevy you? Might be my Jong lost sister, don’cher know.” ‘‘No, Little Limberleg, 1 have no such mark on my arm, and you are not my brother. Don’t be foolish. What are you going to do at Hard Pan?” ‘Goin’ ter turn wheels an’ flip-flops, an’ make my everlas‘in’ fortun’, When ‘oy git in ther fine touches I jest throw ’em all cold; I parellize ’em, I break ’em all up, an’ snatch em bald-headed, But I say, Fan! don’t it strike you ez a great pity thet ye’r’ otherwise ed? Ef I hed a likely-lookin’ leetle gal like you ter nae round ther hat w’ile I war trottin’ "bout, heels up, I’d rake in a heap more ov ther dust. You couldn’t be indoosed ‘‘No, Freddy, I think not. I have enough to do without that, You have never tried Hard Pan, lam not sure that the partnership would pay. They may not care for your wheels and flip-tlaps. Then what is to become of yout The town isa wicked one, It gobbles up young children like you as though they were early onions. I prefer Azariah. Perhaps, if you ware to ask hing, be would take in charge. en we cou together hother, Shall I speak to him about it?” arr ebbe Amari “Don’t ‘know "bout that. ah Thar’sa myst’ry ’bout bim, an’ ain’t so sure it wouldn’t pay ter foller it up. You cert’ that er wasn’t dragged off frum yer home in child- o00d’s happy hours; an’ that ther’ ain’t no rich parient ready ter stack up a big pile ov duckuts fur me a-bringin’ yer inf You ain’t no kith ner kin ter Holdfast, that I’ll swear to.” “‘Don’t swear, little boy, or the fish won’t bite.” Little boy, nothin’! I’m bigger an’ older ner you be; an’ ther fish w’ot I wants ’ll come soon ernuf,. Don’t come peekin’an’ peerin’ inter yer Uncle Ezra’s affairs. ‘*T think you are as anxious as [ to peek and peer. But we don’t mind it one bit. Stay with us to-night, and look us all over. Azariah will give you a bed under the wagon, and in the morning we will all go into the town together, You shall have some supper, too, if you are a good boy. I think that father Holdfast has gone to start the fire now.” ‘‘ Then you ain’t trav’lin’ afoot-back! Good! I war thinkin’ ov makin’ a camp meself, an’ don’t mind j’inin’ forces, You kin furnish ther grub, lll stake up eppeek te, an’ we'll sbeer.an’ sheer alike, ’Bout whar may that camp be?” ‘* Come and we willsee, It seems tome that I can smell the smoke already. Can’t you?” ‘¢ T smell fresh meat, an’ 1 reckon he’s a-cook- in’ ov it. Lead on, me noble nibsess. I would- n’t d’zert yer—fer less ner a dollar.” At the further end of the dingle some huge trees concealed the bend in the banks of the shallow ravine beyond, Still further on there was a small, natural amphiteater, where the fire was built, over which was toasting the fresh meat whose presence the boy had so promptly discovered, Fred’s éyes were as quick as his nose, As he came in sight of the fire, with Azariah bending over it, he gavea start. He had discovered the resencs of come ame alae, and he caught Fanny y ths arm as hispered sharply into her ** Say nothin’ nobody! Ther’s some one else there, an’ l w a peek af him afore this thing fur’der,” © ™, ‘“‘ Att right, little Limberleg ; but I did noi think you were sucha coware,” m ‘¢ Coward coes tell I kin find out suthit bet- ter. But ef that’s ther kind ov frien’s Amariar hez I dunno eg want ter j’ine his combination. Ab, be’s snookin’ ‘round this way, Good- mornin’!” and without waiting for answer he slid off into the bushes, in spite of the warning whisper—almost a cry—that Fanny sent after him, Nevertheless, he heard it—and understood it when he heard a deep growl, and saw an immense oer slowly rise up, until it stood erect and facing im. CHAPTER II. A BOY FOR THE BUSINESS, BEARS have a certain unreliability about their tender mercies that makes them objects of in- terest to the boy of moderate bigness, Some- thing of the same kind has been observed con- cerning the nature of the boys, but that does not t. for much with the bears, Fair®’ Fred was not overwhelmed. The bear had evidently been routed from a snooze, and if it had been untamable, or very fierce, it would doubtless have interviewed A mariah before this, Naturally enough, the sf being in the habit of thinking rapidly, decided at once that this wag Amariab’s property, Bat, bow was Holdfast’s chattel going to take this intrusion? There was some risk. Fred never winced, ‘¢ Hoe I could ’ford it ’d ran—hard, now 1 ain’t runnin’, an’ ef ther’s ary ser’us diff’- rens ov ’pinyun I’d jest ez soon talk it over some other time. Stiddy, ez yer be! Nevertheless, the bear advanced. He was in no very good hamor, and to Fred he looked as though he had an eye to business. It was some- thing of a relief vehugi he saw Fanny glide past him and fearlessly lay her band on the head of the animal, si Down, Dandy, down!” she said in a whis- per; and without a second’s hesitation Dandy sunk to the ground, EN en still oye rete cm ghd aie fg AS, . our woo who is to be treated yeh respect.” sniff might nevertheless be ver} good eating. Then he w4% silent, while Fanny Gomicbooks.co ‘“‘ Basy by jerks, old fellow!” he walspered. ut, jest