Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 902 — page 6: what you’re looking at

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

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Fa > Se Be, ‘ ’ - _ : = Wh a= . en »? rw . 4, * Tivore a. 1% ae Yale 4 4s no use my tryin » ~ - “ ° ‘ - - - = e CE) ee Sk St aos ‘ Ye ? —— “ < le at a & ~ a ~+~ — ay Me ae, by - cia a , oe Deadwood Dick, J r., at Gold Dust. “Well, ruther, I do! eye open fer him.” “What did I say?” chipped in God- win, the younger. crowding his way to the front. ‘‘ Here, now, is proof.” Handsome Harry and Felix Shea had been rendered speechless for the moment by what seemed to be irrefutable proof that their companion was indeed Tiger Joe, as charged. “ Perhaps my son’s word will be worth something to you now, men of Gold Dust,” reprimanded the mayor, severely. ““Here the man is recognized again as Tiger Joe, and this time by a deputy sheriff, who certainly can’t be mistaken.” They had the drop on Finnegan in the worst way, the mayor himself having pulled a gun. “A clever. game, on my word.” said the prisoner, coolly. “What do you mean?” roared the mayor. “Would you make the insinua- tion that—” “No insinuation about it, sir; I say it right out flat; I say it is a clever game, for you must think me blind not to see through it.” “What d’ye mean?” deputy. “Just what I say.” “ And what d’ye mean to say?” “That is the question, what do you mean to say?” Both guns were aimed straight at the man’s heart, but still he was as cool as a cucumber. “Well, what I mean to say is just this,’ Trump declared. ‘Knowing that I am not Tiger Joe, it is plain to me, if to nobody else, that you are a manu- factured second, my man.’ He spoke to the deputy. “Well, cuss your impudence!” that worthy cried. “I have a notion to bere ye fer luck. Here I have jist come over from Red Horse, ain’t hardly said ten words to nobody, and hadn’t the least idee of seein’ you here till I sot eyes on ye. What does he mean, mayor, any- how?” ‘“He means to try another bluff, that is what, but it will not work this time. We have got the dead wood on him tco hard.” | “He can bet his life we have,” said the son. “ Well, what are you going to do about - it?” asked the prisoner. “What are we goin’ to do about it? _ I reckon we'll show ye that,” the deputy declared. “Well, that is what I want to know, so as to be prepared for the worst. If you mean to run me up to a limb, I suppose you will give me time—” ““A jimb nothin’! ” “What then?” “You go in the cooler, that is where you go; then I'll take ye to Carson and reap the reward that is on yer head. You don’t give me the slip Mke you did ‘the boys before.” -_ _ It was convincing; the sympathy of | the crowd was with the fellow. Finnegan was looked upon with scowl- I have had my demanded the | i ing brows, and more than one hand in "that crowd was on a gun. “You have got the drop on me, there ie to get out of that,” the prisoner spoke, calmly. “lm not | | ‘fool enough to invite. ‘a bullet when there is. st re death in it.” _ : hat’s hoss sense, anyhow,” averred “the deputy. — _. “There is only one thing I ask.” » “What is that?” v4 $i) “The word of the mayor, here, in the presence: of the people of Gold Dust, taking them to be white men in the ii: wa, that ce yee Ne a tair snow for | ee abo «thy rus ae J Wea ane re ae my life. If I surrender, am I to have the protection of this camp and a fair hear ing to-morrow? ” “If you surrender?” sneered the dep- uty. ‘“‘What else can you do, I would like to know?” “That does not answer my question.” “You will be lodged in the jail and kept there until the authorities at Car- son can come and get you,” asserted the mayor. “ You will be protected all right; don’t worry about that. We'll put you where the dogs won’t bite you.” “This is all one-sided, though.” “What do you mean?” “You do not mean that I am to have a hearing, and a chance to defend my- self and prove that I am not Tiger Joe, evidently.” “That will come later. When the Car- son people get hold of you they will give you all the trial you want, I guess; you needn’t allow a little thing like that to disturb you.” “That’s what’s the matter!” cried the deputy. “That reward is mine, my chappie! ” “Then you refuse a hearing?” “Yes, till the Carson people get here, we do,” vaunted the mayor. “Very well; now, hear what I have got to say about it: I am not ‘Tiger Joe, and I refuse to submit to this ar- ‘‘Oh-ho! about it?” ** Resist.” There he sat, sipping his drink, the coolest man of them all, apparently. “Why, you dosh blank fool!” howled the deputy. ‘‘ We have got the drop on ye in the hardest kind of way, and you ain’t got a ghost of a show.” “Look here, Jasper,” cut in Handsome Harry, “are you right down sure that you are not making a mistake? The man is positive in declaring that he is not Tiger Joe, and he ought to have a hearing.” “Let him have it, right here and now, then,” cried the deputy. “‘ Let him prove that he ain’t Tiger Joe, and we'll own the corn. I was a deputy at Carson the time we had him there, and I guess ¥ had ought to know him, Let him prove up, if he can.” Mea “That is the ticket!” cried the crowd. “Give every man a fair show, is our motter! ” What are you going to do _ CHAPTER VI. THE TABLES TWICE TURNED, A big crowd had now encircled the table. - The accused man was stil! sipping his Wine, and Handsome Harry and Felix Shea were still seated with him. Having taken sides with him, and hav- ing expressed their friendship for him and invited him to call on. them if he needed help, they were bound to him in honor. At the same time, it was plain that even they now doubted him, for the proof was too self-evident for any o to doubt; while the charge the accused ‘| had made savored of absurdity. It did not stand to reason that the mayor would charge him falsely. Tom Godwin and Seth Dalton had moved close by this time, and ‘were ready to lay hands on the prisoner at the word. Handsome Harry and the Irishman ex- | | yourself as a means of foo changed a glance, and stood up. Finnegan sat still. “Come, what are you going to do. about it?” demanded the mayor, with a show of impatience. _ eh Sat, rh M4 : ‘ * v -_ Bs Mi sii! BES Eapaere Rig: wa pion Mets 38 stand seta fine fellow. Mut iy — ion ’ ane —a - S. . _* + ne . ¥ Ley ers * ——) rl WHI? I o ee up and show myself, and not put a pullet aie 3 into me for it?” the accused suggested. “Yes, you kin stand up,” said the «°@ deputy, “ but take awful good care that . your hands don’t move to’rds a gun. Ef > they do, you are a goner that same in- stant.” “All right; that is understood.” With that, the stranger put down his glass, and deliberately stood up in his chair, in plain sight of everybody. “Perhaps some of you remember what I said this afternoon, gentlemen,’ he ~ remarked, in full, clear voice. “I said that when you could prove that Iam | Tiger Joe, I would walk into your jail without a murmur. Do you remember that?” “Yes; and do you recall what I said?’ demanded the mayor. “I said that you would go in, whether you made a kick or not.” “Yes, so you did; and I observod at the time something about the possibility of your being mistaken.” “It doesn’t look much like it.” “That’s what et don’t, by golden!” cried the deputy. They still had their guns covering the accused man’s breast, and held the beiter hand. “We are not always to judge by ap- pearances,” said the prisoner. “I sup- pose this crowd is open to honest con- viction, if I produce good proof thatI am , not Tiger Joe?” ““Dhat same is all dhe bhoys want, v2 assured Felix Shea. “And I have full confidence that he can produce it,” Harry. ‘“ Make it a fair Gat, men of Gold Dust.” “That’s what we will! % “You bet!” “That is all the assurance I hate gentlemen,” said the accused. “I sup- — pose you will allow me to produce a ~ paper from my pocket, deputy? ’’ “T reckon so, but don’t be all night: about it. I know you are Tiger Joe, and it is all blame foolishness ietting you e try to make other folks think that you it ain’t.” ‘This would be a queer world if your ideas of justice prevailed,’ remarked the — accused, as he produced’a paper from his — pocket and opened it. “I have here a de- We eee an scription of this Tiger Joe, gentlemen, om ‘ which I will read aloud for your benefit.” The Godwins exchanged quick glances. — Here’ was something they had not counted on, evidently. Even the deputy. was disconcerted. rie. 4 Without delay the accused read the te | description of Tiger Joe,“as he was Pauls “4 > popularly known, and any one at all able to comprehend a word picture could see “There you have it,” he said, in. con- oh clusion. “The man wanted is two — inches under my height, weighs thirty © pounds less, and has steel-gray eyes, — ty: while my own are nearly black. He has ae may 45 light complexion, and is of nervous tem-_ a perament. Has a restless way of moving his hands when excited.” i ' vat ve “ Et’s a darn fake!” cried the deputy, iy “That don’t fit you at all, and I ‘swear a is that you are Tiger Joe!” | ‘No, it does not fit me, you are ‘nightie ‘and yet it is the published description fr 2 of Tiger Joe, as sént out by the author- ities. I put one in my pocket, thin ae Ne | I might run across him some time.” ; “More likely that you had it Revit alk a 4 ODI Ah soft enough to be taken in by jit,” Te cat joined the mayor. “How is it that the ys | notices have never appeared at x01 | Dust? Your sory is. of too thin fabri moet ist Se bent ee ; Phy sith pica “com declared Handsome ma a at Te) See ing ‘ 4 , 4 S. Ly i A ’ ahs , a? ¥ . 7 7 a ms ' m4 oe that it did not apply to him. ss ie