Beadle's New York Dime Library No. 1003 — page 6: what you’re looking at

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

3 “On yes, I’ve got back,” Dan answered with a queer smile on face. | ‘And ’ow Is the gal—curse her! ’ow is she, eh?” the Mormon aried in wrath. “Pretty well, I thank you; how are you?” “Do you know what I’m goin’ to do to youl” and the irate busband meiiaced his destined victim with his huge fist. “No; I haven’t the slightest idea.” Zane won’t know yer when you go back to her!” ‘Well, that will be rough on Mary-Jane, won’t it?’ ts “Tl Yarn you how to come foolin’ round my wives!” 3 ‘“« It’s to be a fair fight, then?’ and the plainsman didn’t seem to be at all appalled at the prospect. “ A fight!” cried the angry Mormon in contempt. “ No! there won't be no fight, for ’'ll jest mash you into pancakes the furst lick |” ‘ Gentlemen!” the plainsman exclaimed, addressing the crowd at large, “‘ you see how this thing is. This man forces the quarrel on me, and all I ask isa fair show. Can I have it?” An emphatic “‘ Yes” came from the lips of nearly every man tp the room, despite the angry looks of the Mormon gang. ‘'That’s all I ask!” Gold Dan cried, ‘‘and now then, you fas acoundrel, proceed to mash!” “Oh, Pil fix yer!” Googer yelled, as he made a blow at the smiling face before him, It was a stroke that would have alinost felled an ox. But, like the lively flea, renowned in story, Gold Dan wasn’t “there;” he ~dexterously dodged the blow and the Mormon bruised his knuckles against the wall, splitting the board clear in twain; but, before he could recover himself, the plainsman, who had nimbly slipped under his arm, had him round the mid- dle of the body, raised him from the floor, and with a strength which few would have believed possible, pitched the burly “saint” headleng to the other end of the room. Down went the Mormon, all in a heap, with a concussion that shook the very house to its foundations. A long breath came from the spectators, who had anxiously “watched the scene—a breath of relief that the Mormon bruiser had met his.match. Then Gold Dan quickly stripped off hisgaudy hunting shirt and tossed it to the Monte Queen to hold, rolled up the sleeves of his fanne! shirt, displaying a pair of arms, wonderful in their devel- epment; and, too, the bystanders saw that in the belt that girded in his supple waist, the plainsman carried a small arsenal of offensive weapons. The Mormon, perceiving that he had taken no easy task upon himself, also stripped for the contest. He was bruised and bat- tered by the fall and his right hand was almost useless, injured - by the terrible blow which had fallew upon the wall. : ‘‘Game,” though, was the Briton; but he advanced with cau ffon, determined this time not to hold his antagonist too cheaply. But the Mormon, despite his boasting, was no boxer, as was soon apparent, for, after a few passes, the plainsman made a desperate lunge with his left hand at the puffy face of his anteg- onist; in haste the Mormon essayed to ward the blow, and anucovering himself by the action, gave his skillful foe a chance to plant a most terrific right-hander full in the stomach, just avove the belt. The blow when it struck sounded like-a vigorous thump given to a bass drum, and with a howl of pain the Mormon went over fiat on his back, knocked completely out of time. The bystanders roared—the Mormons excepted, for they swore fearfully. This was the most ridiculous fight that the town of Corinne had ever seen. It was fully five minutes before the bully recovered. “No more fista! Give me a pistol, somebody!” he aried A. ats, , CHAPTER VIL : UNDER THE MOON. | aos, “Gin me a pistol, I say!” the enraged Mormon voeiferated, a | smarting with pain, every bone in his body aching, the result of pe, the violent concussion with the floor. re The bystanders had watched the scone with anxious eyes. a Gold Dan waa pretty well known in the town of Corinne, having ee made it his head-quarters in the past, when in from scouting. A ae prairie-guide and scout, he was reputed to be very excellent in a: | his calling; a bold, daring fellow, who held his life at a pin’s fee; ret a good shot, skillful on the trail; an able wielder of the ponderous eee bowie-knife, so common to the frontier; but not a man within | the room had ever imagined that the plainsman could “handle” 3 tans himself so well in a fisticuff match. | ax? ee No mean foe was the brawny Briton, as more than one boast- > ine ing borderer had found to his cost, and yet Gold Dan had played Pee with him as though he were but a child. | RS Even the dark-faced Danite leader, stern John Clark, knittea eee bis brows and looked with wonder upon the scout. The bold ante “Duke of Corinne” was not given to underrating a foe, but ae | en in his highest estimate he had never held Gold Dan highly; . Soe bat after this display of the plainsman’s quality, Gold Dan had ee rove much in his estimation; therefore the Danite attempted to | “Don% make a fool of yourself, man!” he said in the ear of Beer the Mormon, grasping his shoulder with his strong hand; “ you’ve ae it encughi came away? = Vz ° ad r. m. tn Der 8b . ia? * “ni ‘4 << . ie <a oh 7% ~ : 7 “ ie . . co” 2 . "n> ¢: + ~~ <a “Se x : oe y tg : le bw >? a ~ . : 7 Fi ‘ wn ‘Sid Fn Cnn SR Fae 5. 5 | dh Oar a3 ; . < - :~ ag) ae. i =e <=t 4 = 2% . Ps a - ~ a - a Jn ° @ 7 2 - ae Fee Ul? Ig ae eas, tee . _ot a “oh ‘5 are ial, ~ . ~ ° Ls Te ;* ; toe > Fog Ps.2 A dig 3 Si un $ YS . " Bom « 3, - tte, “Pg - | x —s a“ —— - ~~ ee ee eS a re 7. - 4 ' * - eo o a “Pm a-goin’ to mash that pretty face of yourn so that Mary- < ; 4 ‘s ¢. : te < et E a Ce Rh ++ Orn | * . * ~ ey ee * * : PPS oy ay et ae » * Cans? Ld i & Dime Library. up so! It’s ‘is ’eart’s blood I’m arter now! Somebody lend me a barker, now—quick!” he cried. For a wonder the Mormon was not armed. ‘‘ Who wants a pistle?” cried a loud, hoarse voice, as a brawny, six-footer, attired in a red-flannel shirt, sadly in need of soap and water, rough pantaloons and big boots, strode into the saloon. A shock of red hair covered his head, the frowsy ends escaping from under the edge of the well-worn, high-crowned felt hat he wore, and his chin was hidden by a bushy red beard. The belt that girdod in his massive waist supported a whole arsenal of sma!l weapons. The man was a stranger to Corinne, aud all within the room looked at him with astonishment. “Kin I believe me ears!’ the stranger sjaculated. ‘‘ Do I hear a free American citizen a cryin’ out for a pistlet Ware's the man? I kin gi’n him a choice of we’pons all the way from a jack ass battery down to a pop-gun!” The giant’s eyes now fell upon the figure of Gold Dan. He gave a start, brought his brawny palm down upon his thigh with a slap that sounded like the report of a pistol “ Wa’al, durn wy old cat’s left hand hoof!” he cried, “ I reckon I’ve seen you afore, pilgrim! Shake!” and he made an affectionate rush at the plains- man and shook hands with him vigorously. ‘It’s a heap of years since we paddled our canoes together!” “Yea you remember me, Gold Dan, eh?” the plainsman replied, with a searching glance into the face of the other. “Sartin, in course! Why I knowed you was my antelope the moment I set eyes on you; but, I say, whar’s the man that was a-howling for « pistiv?” The Mortnons had taken advantage of the interruption, afforded by the giant’s entrance, to gather around Googer and endeavor to persuade him to give up his purpose of meeting the plainsman in a pistol encounter. ‘You fool! he’ll settle your hash, dead sure!” cried one. “ You won’tstandany chance ai all!” declared another. ** He’s a dead-shot!” exclaimed a third. but thoy might as well have talked to the winds as far as pro- ducing an impression was concerned. The blood of the beaten Mormon was up and nothing but a duel to the death would satisfy him. A fair type of the average follower of the Latter Day Sainte was Googer—a brutal, ignorant fellow, with very little more brains than a bull dog, and possessed of the dogged ferocity that is the characteristic of that brute. “T want a revolver and I don’t want no talk!” he cried, bluntly. “I reckon that I’m as good a shot as he is, or hany two like ’im!” ‘‘ Let him have his way,” Clark said, contemptuously. “Give him a revolver, some of you, and you had better make your will, Googer, for this fellow will be pretty sure to settle you.” Googer, busily engaged in examining the revolver which ons of his companions had handed him, merely growled; his rage waa so great that he could hardly speak. The Mexican, Castana, the proprietor of the saloon, who had been a witness to the quiet scene which had transpired, now thought it time to interfere. “Gentlemen, let me suggest that you adjourn to the street,” he said, in his quiet, snaky way. ‘‘The moon is bright—there is plenty of light, and it is a far more suitable place.” “Yes, to the street!” Clark exclaimed; “we need air and room.” And then the Mormons at once poured through the door taking the unwilling Googer with them; the angry Briton hated for an instant even to lose sight of his foe, - “And was that the ’coon that wanted the pistle?” the red- shirted giant cried, “and he wanted it for to slew you withl Wo’al, durn my luck! an’ Il was a-gwine to lend him one of my pop-guns; an’ he’s one of the Mormons, too, I reckon—the cusses that wrastle with flve wives, when one is enuff to make mule sick; but you kin salivate him, I reckon,” os “‘f can try,” the plainsman replied, quietly. hee This conversation took place as the two were passing throngh the door, following the lead of the Mormons. The moonlit street did indeed give ample scope for the designa of the men who were about to stand up opposite to each otber ia mortal encounter. All the men within the saloon had marched into the street anxious to behold the shooting match, and even the dark-eyed Queen of Monte, dashing Kate of Durango, through the oper door of the saloon watched the proceedings intently. The Mormons had gone up the street two or three hundrad yards and were clustered together; Gold Dan leaned carelessly against one of the awning-posts of the saloon waiting for the bali to open. The bystanders generally had selected positions from wher a full view of the fight could be had without danger of stopping a ball. In these street encouriters the bystanders are generally exposed to about as much peril as the actual duelists them- selves. Long John Clark left the Mormon group and advanced dows the street to where the plainsman was standing, “ Are you all ready?” he asked. ‘4 “Yos,” Gold Dan replied. “So is the party yonder; are you willing that I shall give the signal for the thing to commence?” [ve no objection.” almost a stranger to me, and maybe I’m the same to you, but I~ reckon that there isn’t a hurnan on top of this earth that can say that John Clark ever took a mean adva tege of the man t trusted him. I’m no friend to you, swanger, and I shoulda’ 4 x — ee 1,2 ~ ie ee ee ——— = wvekag 7 —— = cua eg in —~ i - _%. Re AG: ee a a ™ “. te F = =" ~~ s » a2 mile . oa . oe ae PI " Pad sal =7 =" “4 ™ wie oul -* _— > a , hf - _— f _ mprits ™ ~ os =~ “Pll do the square thing, you may gt eee 4 it; you're - | PCN ESSE a i a — ae ft - ‘‘ ~ bm a _* > o zd _— © : . Se ~¢ 2 *w i = ee ; ee ; a s" . —~ t roel yo het - tL . pee 2 x « + Bs, Fo et a, is > | Pe “& . * a “). d fh ae é> ‘ J y if " E — wf 4 ~ ..% *. +s . diy *. 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