Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 962 — page 7: what you’re looking at

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

Flip-Flap Fred at Hag#d Pan. ~ He had a dirty fist, that looked heavy enough to floor an oxif the muscles above it undertook to send it on that duty; and he was larger around the waist than about the shoulders, which was say! ng a good deal, is face was covered with a stubby beard of several inches in length, that looked as though it had not made the acquaintance of a comb for weeks; and the long hair that stuck out from under the battered old black hat that was drawn tightly down on his head was even more matted and tangled. ‘Ver name’s Amariah Holdfast, ain’t it?” asked this fellow, suddenly tapping Amariah on the shoulder, to call attention to him and his ‘* Sich air ther current report,” responded Amariah, coldly looking the fellow over. Of course, this intrusion meant mischief, and Hold- fast was not to be taken off his guard. ‘* Sometimes knowed ez Cyrus Dawling?” **Not ez lamawareoy. An’ now, my frien’, mebbe yew would answer a pair ov questions? W hat air yewr name, an’ what do yew want? I hev no time fur tomfoolery, an’ ef ther re-sponse ain’t ontirely satisfactory 1 shell hev tew tear Sica away, even ef su’thin’ rips in ther opera- un. The conversation attracted attention. The burly man was a stranger to the Hive, and his looks were not in his favor; while Amariah, as a protégé of the ad rietor, had the call on the sympathies of the house. The stranger from the door bad got considerably rearer by this time; but so had a number of those who had seen the performances, **T don’t mind givin’ my hannle, an’ my bizzi- ness along with 1t; but it’s because ther gents ez hangs ’round this shebang may feel kinder an intrest; an’ it'll ’splain things to ’em az they go ty | I'm Happy Hank, ther lightnin’ detec- tive frum Gideon’s Bar, an’ I want to talk with you mighty bad—an’ so does ther c’rowner ov that rustlin’ burg. Ef it’s all ther same ter you, Ill jest take you in now, an’ you kin hev ther conversation later on. Murder’s ther charge, an’ ef ther’s arv foolishness my men ‘ll use the’r irons, CHAPTER VIL. DANDY HOLDS WP HIS END. Ir the face of the taan had been unfamiliar to the frequenters-of the Hive, the name was not. Hank varoy, otherwise Happy Hank, had a wide-spread reputation. It was rather a stretch of courtesy to call him a detective, since no one had ever heard of his doing. any remarkable work in ferreting out the authors of any mys- terious crimes; but as a hound to trail down the game that once was started, he was known as one of the boldest and most successful deputy- sheriffs in the West. When he marked a man if was not so certain that he was guilty, but it was a reasonably sure thing that Hank would run him to earth before he lost the trail. Amariah seemed to be familiar with the name, though its announcement did not appear to dis- concert him at all, ‘* That’s sayin’ a heap,” he retorted coolly. “Er yew be Happy Hank, an’ ef yew hey 4 warrant fur Amariah Holdfast, it’d be ther p’int OV wisdom tew play coon an’come down. But ez I hev.my doubts ov all both, I'd advise tew keep yewr hand off my shoulder, an’ yewr irons where we cain’t see ’em, tell them questions be settled.” The man had been watching his chance, and thought he sawit now, His answer to Ama- riah’s warning was a spring, quicker and more vicions, than an ordinary observer would have expected of a person of his build. is hand shot out, and seemed to bury itself in Amariah’s neck, while there was a rush that almost brought some two or three of the strange men to his side. Then, without any effort as it would seem, the advantage was reve The fingers touched Amariah’s neck; but they never closed there, Down slid Holdfast until his head was almost on a level with the waist of the other, and then as suddenly and easily be straightened up again, with Darby in his grasp. With a sudden shake he flung the huge body away from him, and turned toward the men who were supposed to be Happy Hank’s partners. arby fell with a crash and lay motionless, As he struck on the broad of bis back no bones were broken, but the breath was so completely knocked out of his body that it was several minutes before his choking gasps subsided and he was able to sit up aud stare around in a half- bewildered sort of way. In that time there was a change in affairs that made it seem less than ever like his night on, The glance that Azariah took showed him that the men of the Hive were going to give him fair play, even with detectives, They had marked the strangers at last, and without the delay of an instant had swung in front of them in a de- termined sort of way, and the appearance of re- volvers was the signal for action, as prompt as it was bold, a, “* Tf you pl , gentlemen,” said Harper ad- vancing, & stiooter in his fist. ‘* When thére is a racket in my house /am the man to interfere—and as long as they don’t break things, I generally want to give two gen- tlemen who have a difference of opinion a chance to fight it out. Whileit isan even thing between those two, and nobody getting killed, you will please keep on the back shelf. If you don’t I will be under the painful necessity of using this gun myself, You hear me whisper?” As several others were whispering for fair play in the same vigorous manner there was a tin the rush; and all this gave Amariah a chance to renew his attentions to his fallen ad- versary, It was done so deftly that no one saw what he was about, when he leaned over and swept his hands over the breast of the gasping man, Nevertheless, in that hurried motion he had drawn from its hiding-place in an inner breast- ket a bundle of papers, When Hank camea ittle to his senses Amariah was‘coolly looking over his capture, and seemed to be paying no attention to its owner. A glance or two was sufficient to make him acquainted with the contents of the package; and then he hastily thrust it Away, before any one had observed that it wasin his on, and just in time to evade Happy Hank’s first glance. **It strikes me yew ain’t makin’ half ther noise in ther world yew sot out to do,” he remarked to the slowly-rising man, ‘““Ef {war yew I would be shootin’, shoutin’, an’ jest a-makin’ folks think merry war ter pay inside, Then, mebbe, yew could git what yew kim arter, w’ich war not me, bya long sight,” Amariah gave a suspicious glance toward the door at which his little flock had halted, Fanny caught the look, and nodded reassuringly, She also pointed at the bolt, as much as to say that she understood, and was not to be caught nap- ping. On one side of her stood Fairy Fred, while on the other was Dandy, his face as solemn as that of a bear could well be, If it was on her account Amariah was anxious, he could see that she had looked after herself as well as the circumstauces would allow, He answered the nod of the girl with another of the same kind, and turned again to the burly gentleman who at last was slowly rising from the floor. The by- play had taken but a moment, ** Dollars ter dimes yer can’t doit again!” ex- claimed the fellow, as he regained his feet, and taking a step forward without a sign of anger in either face or voice, “Yer caught me off my guard, an’ did what no man I war tryin’ ter collar ever done afore, I ain’t bearin’ malice; but I want ter know ef you be a better man than Happy Hank. It may be it’s gittin’ time fur him ter go inter some other biz, Efit are he oughter know it.” ‘**Pwouldn’t do yew a mite ov good, honey, I kin tell yew, without ary braggin’, that yew hey met a man thet’s jest ez good ez Hank Darby ever war er will be. I don’t say thet he’s ary better, cause ernuf’s ernuf, an’ ary more would be hipgerty-hop. I don’t pile it on tew thick when ther fax speak for the’rselves.” ‘* That ain’t puttin’ up good money on it, A fair show, an’! kin down yer—an’ hyer’s ther dollars ez sez 80,” In his fist the man shook a roll of bills that looked to be of large denomination, and he seemed to be in the deepest earnest, ‘‘ Thanks fur ther chaince tew amuse ther boys, but I ain’t a prize-fighter, an’ I only let out ther links when I see my gizzard’s a-~’pendin’ on if. Yew hed better go hum afore su’thin’ happens, an’ ther’ won’t be money in it far no one, neither,” **'When I go home Til be takin’ you along, dead er alive. I give yer ther chance ter break my neck an’ make money a-doin’ ov it. More fool you fur not takin’ovit. Now—han’s up! I’m a-goin’ fur you ter keep,” And then arose suddenly the wildest uproar that bad been heard in the Hive for many a day. The little conversation, brief though it was, and the sight of the money that had been produced, called the attention of Harper and his friends from the men they had intercepted to the men | astnnEnSSSEREEEEIEEIRnenemeenssstie a ce CC (reat, ‘atau LL LL LL LLL LLL LLL LL LLL LLL LA who were the center of the affair. The result was something that wasa surprise to the most of the spectators, There was no general or par- ticular attack, and it was hard to see who was the object, or what, of the assault. But there were yells and something worse than yells; there was the rattle of fire-arms, and what seemed to be a deadly struggle going on in the center of the room. Fairy Fred had a chance to understand what it all meant—at least, be thought he did, Inthe height of the din, when a sound could not be dis- tinctly heard for any distaace, and two or three girls could have yelled at the top of their ung without attracting attention, the door ath back was tried, cautiously at first, and then with a firmer hand, When it did not yield a heavy body came against it with a bang that threaten- ed to burst it fr: mits hinges, Harper knew what he was about when he put up his building. The doors were framed to re- sist a-siege, and there was no sign of giving. Again the assault was made—and again with- out result that was visible on the inside, Some one was seeking to make a hurried entrance; and some one had heen beffled, Fanny heard the sounds and looked at Fred. ‘‘ They don’t catch us asleep,” was what ber eyes said; and just then Fred darted forward like a battering-ram, his head held low down, and aimed fairly at the stomach of aman who was hurriedly pushing toward the girl. The fellow held a blanket in his hands, and though it was doubled up so as not to be readily noticed there was no doubt in the mind of Limberleg what it was for, Nestor Northrup had, prob- ably, something to do with this, and the object was the capture of Funny Fan. This man was doubtless to throw the blanket around the head of the girl, and hand her out to the man or men now trying to enter by the rear door, He reckoned without Fred, The hard little head had caught him on the spot it was aimed at, and the breath left his body at once. ‘* Tell Dandy ter sit down onhim! We ain’t no place ter run to, an’ ef we hey ter stay here we may’z well suve what we get till we see what we'd better do with ’em,” Fred had tumbled along with the man, but was on his feet in an instant, spluttering as he arose, . The auggestion was not without its value, and Fanny acted upon it immediately. By the time that the fellow had his eyes open enough to take any notice of outside affairs Dandy was squat- ting unconcernedly on the spot that bad just been made sore by contact with Fairy Fred’s crown, As nothing had been said about sittin down easy, Bruin had plnm himself so solid- ly that the man underneath, without knowi who or what he was, thought that some one dropped on him who weighed a ton, And when . he fairly got sight of the long, hairy face, the grinning jaws that displayed a savage array of teeth, and the long tongue that was ae out so near to his face, it was no wonder tha great was the scream he gave when the idea flashed across his mind that he had passed over the lest river, and this was one of the denizens of the lower regions. The yell had no particular effect on Dandy. He kept his seat, and only suffered. his eyes to wander across, toward Amariah. He would take an order or two from Fanny; but he recog- nized Holdfast as his real master. Amariah was sufficiently busy just then to have nothing to suggest. The man who had an- nounced himself as from Gideon’s Bar was giv- ing him a surprising ameunt of employment, This time there was no nonsense, He struck ponderous blows, one after another, Any one of them would have settled the question of Amariah’s resistance if it had taken effect; and Azariah had full occupation for a little while in seeing that they did not connect. Still, the wonder-man did not draw a weapon, Though there was a good deal of shooting going on, no one so far gave any signs of having been hit. It was possible that there was a go d deal of fuss and feathers about the affair—though Holdfast had a sbrewd idea that if the oppor- tunity offered itself there were men about who would not hesitate to kill him. The room, bow- ever, was rapidly darkening with smoke. Some one was burning a good deal of bad powder. In the face of the rain of blows Amariah kept his wits about him, and waited for his time to come. Atlast it seemed that the line of friends, on whom he was depending, gave signs of waver- ing.. Having waited for some time to seo what was the meaning of all this before going into the fight, it began to look as though they were making up their minds to stay out altogether, and to step out of the way. EoOmicaoo (¢ com