Beadle's New York Dime Library, No. 197 — page 17: what you’re looking at

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

to, nd- - Della, in person. out the same nonsensical rigmarole at my feet, / Revolver ——— -- -— ———e —_— -—_—_- ——_-__ --- rescued from one enemy only to fall into the | ber aid, and between them they contrived to power of a still more dreaded foe, died anatural | prop Barnacle Bill up against a siender yet death. | well-rooted shaft of rock, to which Dashing ‘‘Miss Delsarte! Thank heaven it is you!” | Della quickly and securely bound him with the she gasped. silk - yb you are the daughter of Colonel For- | waist for the purpose. rest Flamsteed, are you not?’ came the soft response, for the hte was indeed none other | belt, then started swiftly back, for Barnacle than the blonde siren of Nugget Camp, Dashing | Bill, with a gasping snort, opened his eyes and “It must be so, for surely | flung out his long arms. | ‘* Back-fin up an’ tail a-wigglin’!” he muttered, there is not another maiden in this wild region pa i : so fit to bear the proud title of the ‘ Belle of | the characteristic shibboleth flowing mechani- Nugget Camp!” cally from his lips, while his brain was yet so Was there a vailed sneer in these words? Pet | clouded that he knew not what had really Flamsteed fancied there was, and, ungrateful | happened him. ‘‘ Whaé in thunder—” as it may sound, at that moment she felt that ** Stop!” cried a sharp, menacing voice, and she rather disliked this brilliant, off-hand | accompanying it Barnacle Bill heard the metal- beauty. lic click of a revolver as its hammer was raised. Though Dashing Delia had spent the greater | “Not a word—not a motion, unless you are part of a year at Nugget Camp, and very | anxious to fly over the range on the wings of a shortly after her arrival becoming one of the | cherubim!” he ‘lions ” of the lively little town, it so happened ‘*‘Two angels—durned ef thar ain't!” mut- that the two women had never met under cir- cumstances which would admit of a regular introduction, though of course each had noted the other, as women will do when they hear another of their sex praised for beauty, and in this case, being of such totally distinct types, each could afford to admit the claims advanced for the other without a shade of mental reser- vation. tors. I’m a liar, Barnacle Bill!” Despite the stern demeanor which she strug- gled hard to maintain, Dashing Della was not proof against this, and her mellow voice broke out in a clear laugh that did more than aught else to restore the scattered senses of the giant. Once or twice Colonel Forrest Flamsteed, who For a brief space he stared in open-mouthed was an ardent admirer of Dashing Della, had | amazement, then a deep flush crept over such of feebly hinted at a desire for Pet to form her | a face _ se nang of hair left vis- acquaintance, but never save when he felt a| ible, as he realized the tru - little tbe worse for liquor, which may have | “Great Scott an’ little minners! You're in been the reason the litthe woman took such a | a — Lapa omgp en - it bad * , strong dislike to the fair gambler. ; at have you say in your defense “No—he was drunk, else he would nob have Len yor rere ees = este i ee Dashing Fetanclensing dete) adiinapibgesstollye ch | Mak Miadeduarcbrent so.) oct very co was foolish to cry out so. I am sure he meant ‘ Nota word, anngelifferous madam,” was the no harm. He stumbled, and it was only by prompt reply, in a tone of unmitigated disgust. accident that he caught me by the arm. You | *‘ Nota durned word, fer I’m too p'izen mean to should not have shot bim—poor fellow!” live! Pull the trigger an’ let her flicker! Go A swift flush ashe over the face of Dashing | an’ fetch mv old muel here ome aes its Della, then died away, leaving her pale as a. off hind-huff! Cut off my back-fin an’ tie my corpse. Pet Flamsteed saw this, and knew that starn propeller up into a double hard knot! her nw pr a, had ee her to the quick. | bes ys anaes fool a each et hang me ‘*Pardon me—1 believe I am half-distracted, | up fer to skeer the crows wit te & and hardly know what I say—but it is so awful o— with —— vie tho te nec an tet be to shoot a man—” chuck me into the dri er to be p’izen bai ‘IT believed it the only chance of saving you,” the alligator-gars!” was the quick response. “Two poor, weak With a groan of mingled disgust and shame, women would only have made a mouthful for Barnacle Bill closed his eyes and hung his head. such a giant, and when you cried out for help,I | Pet Flamsteed was about to speak, but with an thought only of how I could free you from his | imperious gesture Dashing Dell silenced her, grasp.” and, half-afraid of her, the little woman obeyed. Dashing Della bent over the prostrate figure; | William. Thotack; for°som lave tnouived Utne ashing Vella bent over the prostrate figure Villiam 0 » LOF ? : and with one white hand pastedthe long golden _lady in the most bare-faced manner, besides a fing er pores the a a from a et ge | by no om yore view, then arose with a sigh of relief. *" Tt was the cussed whisky done it. ‘You have your wish, Miss Flamsteed,” she * Possibly; but the whisky is beyond our said, the color once more coming into her | reach, just at present, since there is no stomach- cheeks aur — ——— a ye her blue | — wares and a pee Pp Ps suffer for eves. uckily, as it bas turned out, my aim | its wrong-doing, 8 t was faulty, and my bullet only grazed his temple “* Shoot—ef you think ’m wuth the powder sufficiently to stun him for a few minutes.” iv’ ee to blow me = eS eee es ‘You are sure?” and the little woman drew a ‘** No—no!” cried Pet Flamsteed, springing long breath of relief, for it seem as ee forward, in mortal fear lest Dashing Della she had been guilty of the murder of this hand- some Bacchus. ‘* You can see for yourself,” parting the hair and showing the bloody trace of the lead, which had but little more than broken the skin, ‘‘In an bour from now he will hardly know that | the speaker, and the flush of shame deeepened part ck him. ; ~ ‘ | — his ae voice was husky as he “* But now | have a proposition to make you. | spoke in a whisper: know this man. I saw enough of his inter- Saami oe! —" go Sree madam—I view with you before I fired the shot that set ain’t wuth the breath. thought you was a you free, to feel certain Pes he was making ree A I was drunk, I know you're one, furious love to you. Am I not right?’ _ now I’m sober ag’in!” , The little woman flushed warmly, but could | ‘** And 1?’ demanded Dashing Della, frowning. not deny it. | “Only last night J was the angel whom you Dashing Della laughed softly. | wished to marry out of band, and, when I re- “I can imagine just what he said, for no | spectfully declined the honor, you threatened longer ago than last evening, he was pouring | to leave the world and climb a tree—or words to that effect!’ and when I laughed at him, he vowed to commit | **T was a durned fool, that’s all: nur T hain’t suicide—to gee a holein the drink me his | Rot over it yit,; nutber!” muttered Barnacle carcass, as he tically put it. Lovemaking | Bill. | seems to be a chronic disease with the fellow, | “For what? For falling in love with me, or aan 1b eee oneal in disguise, not only | resp to Sei yourself with this lady, after to him, bu Ose luckless females whom he | my refusing the honor? , may chance to meet hereafter, were we to read | * All-two-both on ’em!” desperately cried the MThough she may hateiie lout, tio.| “tars enogtoe clee lot-pse Grhel intou tae oO : who | ‘*‘ Now shoot, or els ‘ avows his love for ber, the woman does not live | an’ pull it after me!” who can hear with composure that he has | poured forth the same eee at the feet of another, much less that this occurred only a few short hours before he sighed at her feet, and Pet Flamsteed was but a very natural woman, ‘‘He is sorry for what be said, and I’m sure I forgive him—I was very foolish to get fright- ened |” The great goggle-eyes opened and gazed at Della. ‘**t do not care to have your blood on my hands, though if could scarcely He counted a sin, after the crime of which you have been after all. | guilty. My own wrongs I could forget in time, ‘How do you mean? He isso very big and even though the cruel scars might remain for strong!” years to remind me of the time when I gave my ‘So was Samson, yet Delilah overcame him,” retorted Dashing Della, her eyes twinkling mis- chievously. ‘Quick! help me lift him against this rock. He will recover what few senses he can boast in a few minutes, and be must awake to find himself utterly helpless, or the tables may be turned on us.” A little dubiously, yet carried away by the ardor of the fair gambler, Pet Flamsteed lent first love to a base deceiver, who, while the words were scarcely dry on his lips, I find mak- ing furious love to another woman —” Barnacle Bill stared at the fair speaker with such ludicrous amazement, doubt and conster- nation writtex upon bis face, that she could not continue, but was forced to turn away to ‘hide her face, but even this she made adroit use of; for, as her form shook with hearty laughter, tho ken sash which she took from around ber | Stuff my. Stern and cold became the voice of Dashing | ob, the Red-Hand od. sounds which passed her lips were those of bit- ter grief. ‘* Don’t—don’t take on so, now don’t ye, ann- | gelifferous madam!” spluttered the poor fellow, } | obfuscated were his wits. This done, ste removed the weapons from his | i never once suspecting the truth, so completely “ Didn’t you say that it was no go—that it didn’t could be? You said right out flat-footed that you wouldn’s marry me, an’ looked mad enough to eat me up fer my impedence in axin’ secha thing—now didn’t ye?” ‘Because you asked me before all those peo- ple; and then, if you bad any sense, you’d know that when a woman means yes she always says no!” ** But she said no, too!” and Barnacle Bill | glanced doubtingly toward Pet Flamsteed, who | ' ' ' | P averted her head quickly. ‘*EKnongh words!” cried Dashing Della, stern- ly, as the shortest road out of the dilemma thus resented. ‘*‘ What love I may have felt for you has been turned to gall and verjuice by tered the confused giant, his pop-eyes roving | the discovery of your shameless treachery, and stupidly from one to the other of his fair cap- | it only remains for me—with this lady’s help, ‘* Dead an’ gone to Heaven—ef you hain’t | for her wrongs are even more bitter than mine —to mete out to you the punishment your du- plicity so richly deserves!” ‘“An’ I won’t kick ag’in’ it, even ef you tie me to the stake an make. a he-old barbecue out o’ me, fer I feel that I desarve it all an’ a right smart heap more, too!” “Take off your belt, then, and toss it to me.” In silence he obeyed, and Dashing Della, drawing a slender knife from her bosom, slit the long leather strap in two, lengthwise. “Put your foot out to that stone,” she or- dered, indicating a projecting spur of rock to the left of Barnacle Bill’s front, and when he obeyed, without a murmur, she knelt down and bound the huge member firmly to it. In a like manner the other foot was secured to a second stone, and thus the giant was rendered helpless, his long legs stretched to their utmost tension, and almost at right angles with each other. In silence, but with a growing curiosity in his pop-eyes, the Wall-eyed Pike o’ the Peak watched her motions, and an involuntary sbud- der came over him as Dashing Della stood be- fore him, knife in hand, her white fingers play- ing with his long locks, for despite his avowed willingness to submit to whatever punishment she might see fit to inflict, he did not relish the idea of being scalped alive. ‘*Do you know of whom you made me think when I first saw you?’ sbe asked, with a pensive look in her’ blue eyes, ‘‘ Of the biblical hero Samson. It may have been your long hair—t am rather inclined to think it was. As with him, so your strength lies in those flowing locks —or at least your power over us weak, foolish women, for never one among us all could resist the charm which they conceal in themselves— and to prevent others from being so shamefully beguiled as we have been deceived and played with, I take - myself the role of Delilah!” Barnacle Bill winced as he felt the cold steel touch his scalp, but only bis hair suffered, the long golden locks falling like stray sunbeams at the feet of the beautiful barber. A stifled groan rose up in the throat of the should take the despondent sinner at his word. | poor devil, for as Dashing Della shrewdly sus- ected, he was inordinately proud of his cheve- ure—second in estimation only to his magnifi- cent beard, ‘Let me go now an’ hunt my hole, anngelif- ferous madam,” he muttered, an uneas ight in his eyes as Dashing’ Della stepped back a pace to view the startling change her art had wrought in his appearance. Great indeed was it. The uneven stubble | stood erect as the quills of fretful porcupine, | | ; | | and full half the gloryof the Wall-eyed Pike o’ the Peak had vanished. ‘It will grow again, if you have patience,” said Dashing Della, consolingly, with difficulty smothering a laugh at the doleful countenance turned toward her. ‘ Let this console you: I will have a magnificent switch woven out of these golden threads, and every time I don it; I will think of the first owner.” Barnacle Bill forced a sickly was little of mirth in it, and trayed itself anew as he said: ‘*An’ I kin go now? You ain’t no furder use fer the old man? Ef I promise néver tol sech a fool ag’in—” ** Peace!” cried Dashing Della, more sternly than ever. “™ Your forfeit is only half paid. Possibly a few of the stronger-minded women might resist the charms of your chevelure, but not one of them all could hold out long against that wondrous beard—” A groan that was not entirely lacking ‘the strong flavor cf a curse broke from the lips of the poor fellow at this confirmation of his worst fears, and Pet Flamsteed started forward with an exclamation of indignation. ** You shall not—he has suffered hum! iation enough—” Dashing Della pushed her back, gently e1 ‘ugh, but with a hidden power that the little w man cowld not successfully resist, saying with a cold resolution: “The case has passed beyond your jurisdic- tion, Miss Flamsteed. I am sole judge and exe- CORMIE KOOKS in, but there anxiety be- (E()