Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 902 — page 3: what you’re looking at

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

ere i exclaiming: — gis pei i mcten "Deadwood Dick "he. at Gold Dust. fe 2 : aa Ta ae ee * 1 : , fe es lie; you—” - Even if that was not his name, the ie. 2 as inchqaed instantly displayed some of the ' striking characteristics of the tiger. With a movement as quick as a uash, he laid hold upon the young man by the eollar of his coat and one leg, and jerked him off his feet, and swung him around _ with apparently as much ease as if the young man had been a puppet of straw. “ Who wants it?” he called out. “ Go- ing, going, gone; and the lowest bidder takes the lot!” CHAPTER II. A MOOTED QUESTION. Everybody turned in the direction of the voice. It looked as if the young man had made a mistake, indeed, as the other had tried to assure him. - In making the charge he had made, his hand had moved to his hip, as if for a gun with which to back up his accusa- tion, but he never drew it. Before he could even get his fingers upon it, the stranger was performing the action described, and with his last words he swung the young man over the rail- ing and held him there. “ Hello!’ exclaimed Handsome Harry, who happened to be one of the nearest. “What's the matter here?” “This young gentleman made the mis- take of calling me a liar, that is all,” ' ‘answered the’ stranger. “Who wants "} him? If nobody claims him in ten sec- } ends, I'll drop him with a force that may ~ . do him injury.” Brats. <4 Here, I'l] take him!” said Handsome ‘Harry, stepping quickly forward. | He put up his arms, and the young - man was dropped into them without any _ ghow of sparing his feelings, Handsome Harry did nothing more ‘| than break his fall, and stood him up on t+ his feet at once, - young man swung his hand to his hip, I'll fix—’ “Curse you! my young gertle- A SS ‘“« Better go slow, vad; man!” The stranger of the dark eyes was looking down at him over the tube of a thirty-two. “See here, Tom, what is the meaning ef this, anyhow?” demanded Handsome - Harry, catching the young man’s pistol hand, and preventing him from drawing. MAtap What has he done?” _ “He is Tiger Joe,” that’s what—” - “ Pshaw! you are dreaming, boy. He is no more Tiger Joe than I am.’ “So I tried to convince him,” said the stranger, “but he would have his own way about it, and wanted to make me agree with him,” : “Then let him say who he is,” cried _the ruffed young gentleman. AN 2» Nh He, by the way, was the son of Alf ae AY Godwin, of whom casual mention has ‘been made, and was used to having his ish _ own way in and about Gold Dust. epee My name is Finnegan, usually called es Trump, Finnegan by those who know y me well,” the stranger volunteered. | ele “Y’m American born, though my father Was. re ae and mother were. Irishmen—” hn ae - A laugh interrupted him. Dee ae , manded Felix Shea. ‘“ Dhe Bah pot un?" deme Irishmen?” ee Re My mother was the better man ot “i ‘hee: two, anyhow,” declared Finnegan. Bie /# And,” a4, he added, in the same connec- | Ma see tion, ‘ SB after my mother. As I Was going to say, I allow no,man to call | when instantly the. is Ba re father and mother were Irish- brother, anyhow,” growled young God- win. “There, if you had put it that way in the first place, young man, we would have come to an understanding without any unpleasantness, no doubt. I’m sorry if I hurt your feelings, but I couldn’t stand that, you know; my Irish was up in an instant.” “Hang you and your Irish!” cried young Godwin, as he walked away. “ Bedad! put it dhere!” cried Felix Shea, who had run up the steps, offer- ing his hand to the stranger. “Oi am Irish mesel’, and it is proud av ye Oi am, so Oi am!” Finnegan accepted the proffered hand, and they shook hands heartily. “Who was the young fellow?” Fin- negan asked. | Handsome Harry spoke up and told him. And he added: . “Tt will pay you to look out for him, for you have given his pride a worse take-down than it has ever had-before, I imagine, and he won't forget it. He is not a bad fellow, but, his father being mayor of the camp, you see he is afflict- ed with the big-head to a large degree.” “T see. And who is this Tiger Joe he mentioned? ” “Never heard of him?” ‘* No.” “He’s one of the cleverest all-around rascals that ever operated in this part of the country. A sort of gentleman cut- throat, you might say. Has cleaned out two or three banks, and is wanted for murder in two or three places. Alto- gether, an undesirable chap to fall in with. No compliment to you that you were taken for him, I assure you.” “Well, I should say not. Not very safe to resemble such a character as that. I’ll have to hold myself ready to prove up any time at a minute’s notice, I guess.’ “ Yes, if you look as much like him as that.” “Then you don’t know him?” ee “NG ‘Nor you, Irishman?’ *Divil a wanst, sor.” “Well, it would be worth while to know where Mr. Godwin made so worthy an acquaintance.” Handsome Harry looked keenly at the speaker, and the stranger returned his gaze. Felix Shea at the same time blurt- ed out, with a purat of greatest enthu- siasm: “ Begorra! no wan but an Irishman would have thought ay dhat, no more he would. It would spake bad fur dhe company dhe young gintleman has been -kaping, Oi would say. Sure, and it is | mesel’ dhat don’t belave you are dhe man, Finnegan, and av you want—” “ Hello, here is trouble!’’ suddenly in- terrupted Handsome Harry. — They looked where he indicated. Some ten or a dozen determined-look- ing men were moving in that lirection, with young Godwin in the lead. With him was his father, the mayor, and the stranger did not need to inquire who he was. the steps of the piazza, and it looked as | if there would be a scene. Only a few minutes had elapsed since the arrival of the stages. The stages had set 4own all their passengers, but they were still where they had stopped, and everybody had turned to see what was going on when the stranger was in the act of tossing the young upstart over the railing, and were They came straight on to! your decision—’” “Who are you?’”’ demanded the mayor. “Trump Finnegan, at your service.” “Can you prove that?” “What kind of proof do you want?” “The best that you can produce, and if it is not satisfactory I shall-put you in jail.”’ , “ Whew! That is a rather warm re- ception. I take it that you are mayor of the town, and that this chap here is your son. I made his acquaintance a few minutes ago—or, rather, he made mine.” “Your bravado is not going to save you, sir!” said the mayor, ‘severely. “You are either what you claim to be or you are not, and I want to know just who and what you are, and that mighty quick. Now, then, sir, speak up and let’s hear what you have to say.” ‘Your son charges that 1am one Tiger Joe.” “ Yes, exactly.” “Well, has he any proof to back ie what he asserts? ’”’ “As to that, his word is good enough. He has seen you before, and I believe he is not mistaken.” “Then it is merely his word against mine, eh? Well, now, mayor, I’ll make a proposition to you: Let him bring proof that I am Tiger Joe, and at the same time I’ll try to—” “Try to get away from us— A very clever proposition, but it won’t work with me. If you have not the proof at hand that you are not Tiger Joe, to the . lock-up you go, there to remain until we find out just who and what you are. Now, speak up.” ; “That is what I generally do, Myr. Mayor,” was the ice-cold rejoinder. “| am not your son’s worthy acquaintance of the name mentioned, and I have not the slightest intention of being enter- tained in your lock-up. Hence the ques- tion is— What are you going* to do about it?” The mayor was fairly livid with rage. “What am I going to do about it?” “That’s the question, sir.” “Tll mighty soon show you what Im going to do about it! Men, seize him and fire him into the—” * Be just a little bit careful how you proceed, gentlemen,” warned the ice- coo] voice of the accused, and a brace of guns suddenly leaped to the fore. “lL make no threats; but, all the same, go slow!” And they did. They fell back abashed. “What do you mean?” cried | the: mayor, fiercely. “T mean business, sir, * was the answer to that. “I say again, go careful.” “ You mean to defy me—me, the mayor of this city? By George, sir, I will not only put you in jail, but I will handle you without gloves when I get you . there! ”’ “When you get me there—Just ani Sa, made a fair proposition to you, and ycu would not hear it. I am not the man you charge me with being, and I appeal to your people here to say whether or not I am in the right. “What! if they do?” - “T’ll go to jail under the people’s seal tection, till you can satisfy yourself that your son has made a blunder. Gala. Dust, is that a fair proposition?” — “ Begorra, nothing could be fairer, Oi ‘should say,” declared Felix Shea, loudly. itsieale “Hould yer whist till Oi put it to dhe @ . ~~ ~ adi f* : _- bs * dl “at . ~y . ¢ ‘> If they onher Men of *as > - rs 43 Ses -- (iw. ie > ley ot salt a . ~~ 4 * ~we- ‘ po ’ =- ~~ ~~ oT «+ « as boys mesel’, and see phwat dhey have to — ae + : say about it. Min of Goold Dust, as “ae me a lar bs ‘my head when I have. the | still looking to see what the outcome “many av yez as are in favor av letting ues “tise of my two good arms.” would be. dhis gintleman go on his own ray-cog- bie ng heo Welly, if you are not Tiger Joe, The mayor and his men ascended the | nay-zance, say so; dhe rest av yez home; agree E> ie look enough like it to Buca his t in pinay, 8 and eontryntyd, the stranger. | -yure payce fur ever, — yas - 6 “f 7 . ‘ . . S : . ?sy r : 4 > a) > ‘ - < ° : + ? . * ¥ ~ i= , } ai, yt. » , ; » Fi) : ; . Ay : . ¥ ays f, i ‘ ‘ ad es ; * ’ : ’ _c. * >" ; 4 ; : : sur mm < ee - _ He: * nS . § ~~ . , 4 . '_/ - - » ' & -~ ‘ - % | bes , ' ’ .¥ * + * . “ .'y q w ih | * ++ et . oe ae Wa Hodhyl 4 # ’ + uae bile ed Mahe Ke’ A . * be ‘eg, ie ey celery ay née a3 icbooks ey