Beadle's New York Dime Library No. 262 — page 19: what you’re looking at

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

_—_ ‘‘Humph! Yes. In the Mexican service. Young man, we don’t think much of that. Take my advice and drop him as soon as you can. qaey. Send me word as the suit goes on, and I'll sweer to the meceneary papers.” He bowed with a frigidity about which there was no mistake, and Harvey took the hint and his departure at the same time. Colonel Svenson took the pele to make an elaborate bow to the old millionaire, and said in his politest way: ‘*Ver’ bappee to see you at my academie any time, general, You sit still too miuch. De fencing vill prolong your life, I assure you. It vill make you strong man again.” The general made the slightest possible bow, and the door closed on him. As they went out, Harvey said to his friend: **The general doesn’t think much of fencing- masters, colonel, He warned me to drop Sa acquaintance, or I should be sorry for it. What do you think of that, my friend? Colonel Svenson laughed gocd-humoredly. ‘Is dat so? You know vy?’ ‘**Ob, I suppose because he doesn’t know any- thing about you.” “Not quite dat. He havea sham Toledo in his collection of arms, and I tell him of it. He vill never forgive dat, But come now. Vat ve do now, my dear friend?” “Im going to Jarvis’s,” said Harvey, firmly, “to claim Nines, and take her to her uncle,” The colonel shook his head, ‘You vill not get her.” “You think not. I shall get an order from a judge, and he'll have to give herup. Habeas corpus can’t be trifled with.” he colonel looked ubstinate. ** Dat is all right, but you vill not get her.” ‘Why not?’ ‘Because dat Jarvis is no fool. He vill not take her back to de Retreat.” You think not?” ‘“‘Tam sure of it. Suppose you vas de same man, and have an heiress you know vas wanted by oder people! You keep her vere dey get her? No, you hide her. So vill dis nor Buck, He vill hide de senorita. But ve vill get her for all dat.” Harvey compressed his lips. ‘You may depend upon it we will, or I'll know the reason why.” CHAPTER XXIV, MR. JARVIS TAKES A TRICK. Mr. Jarvis, familiarly known as “ Buck,” his face wreathed in a malignant smile of joy and triumph, stood with his arms akimbo, one leg crossed over the otherin a graceful attitude, leaning with his back against the -bar of the ‘* Retreat,” and facing the door, that same after- noon, Mr. Blessing, the scow!] gone from his face, a ‘*schooner” of beer firmly clasped in his dexter paw, sat in a large arm-chair by a table, and observed blandly: Dot vas all recht, Meester Sharvis; dot vas all recht now. Here vos poe fery goot ’ealt’, and de petter as vas acquaintance. ‘*Drink hearty,” responded Buck, affably. **Me and you hain’t no cause to quar'l, Bless- ing. There’s biz enough fur both, and your fellers don’t interfere with mine. I tell ye it was a put up job to steal the gal, and I got her back where they won’t get her again. They wouldn’t never have got her if there hadn’t b’en oo My boys would ha’ wiped ’em out like Mr. Blessing rapped his empty schooner on the table, asa gentle bint to Jim the bar-keeper that it needed replenishing, for the etiquette of the liquor trade requires every visitor in the same business to Spend money at his rival’s bar freely and reciprocally, “Vat you haf, Meester Sharvis?’ pursued Blessing, as Jim carried off the schooner, and Buck responded over his shoulder: : “Same as before, Jim,” Buck was still looking out of the door, await- ing his second glass, when Blessing saw a flicker- ing ete come over his host’s tace, and said astily: ; ‘Vas ist, Meester Sharvis, vas ist?” Under his breath Buck muttered; ‘* By gosh, here they are again.” He saw, coming in from the street, the erect po of Colonel Svenson, accompanied by that of the deceiving dude, Harvey, both followed by a couple of thick-set men, in whom he recog- nized sheriff’s deputies, The pallor on his face deepened, but he set his teeth with a desperate effort as they came in, affected not to know who they were, and said with exaggerated politeness: ¢ ‘Walk in, gents, glad to see ye. Set right down, Bar-keeper will bring your orders. The little party came in without noticing the friendly advances, and Harvey pulled out a paper which he handed to Jarvis, saying in a quiet, but stern way: , -‘*Wewant Miss Somers. You resist us at our peril. You’ve abducted her, and her uncle brought sait to reclaim her. Now tell me where she is, and we'll give you no further RR eal Fighting Tom. trouble; but don’t try to obstruct us, or it will be the worse for you.’ The colonel and the two officers had fallen a few paces apart, watching anieuly to see what would happen; but Buck merely looked at the paper without speaking. e affected not to understand it, for he finally asked with affected innocence: ‘“* What’s this here, mister? I ain’t a lawyer, and don’t understand these things,” ‘It’s a demand on you to procure the body of Nina Somers at once,” said Harvey coldly. “She is up-stairs, Will you bring her down, or 49 you want us to search the house, and take her Jarvis again looked at the paper and scratched his head in apparent perplexity. **]T don’t know nothen ’bout no Nina Somers,” he said. ‘‘ Reckon you must ha’ got hold of the wrong man, mister.” He looked so mild and innocent that Harvey could bardly believe it was the same person, The saloon was empty, except for Mr. Bless- ing and the bar-keeper, for it was nearly six o’- clock. Mr, Blessing was glaring at Colonel Svenson in a way that showed he remembered that gentleman to bis disadvantage. For a moment Harvey was staggered, and then he said coldly: . ‘*] think not. Your name is Jarvis, is it not?” “Certainly, mister, my name’s Jarvis, and I’d like to hear any man say a word against it,” returned Buck SEer etal ey Harvey waved his hand, ‘* Don’t excite yourself. You're the man we want. You. married a lady, a widow, Mrs. Somers—” ‘And what if I did?’ demanded Buck sourly, ‘What business is that of yourn, Id like to know?” “Simply this. I want that girl. fuse to give her up or not?” ‘*T tell yer 1 don’t know nothen "bout no girl,” said Buck doggedly. ‘‘S’arch the house and see. But when you’re through, I'll bave the law o’ you, see if I don’t, young upstart.” Then turning to lean on the bar, he said to the bar-keeper: “They ain’t no good for drinks, ’em till ye see the cash,” Harvey turned to the colonel. ** We shall have to g0 through the place,” he Do you re- Don’t trust said. ‘I know she’s hidden somewhere, Come on, boys.” The two sheriff's officers stepped forward, but the colonel sat quietly down at a table and rapped on it, saying: “Whisky sour! Quick! I vant talk to Mees- ter Blessing here.” The bar-keeper looked at bis employer as if to ask for orders, but Buck merely nodded, with the observation: ‘* Fur cash—yes.” So Jim, the bar-keeper, made the required libation and brought it to the colonel, with the curt remark: ‘* Fifty cents, We pay afore we drink here.” The colonel handed over a piece of silver with a smile of some contempt, ayn ‘**You are vat dey call a skin, Isee. Fifty cent for dat! Bah! See vat I do vid it.” He took it to the door, threw it out in the street, and then came back and sat down by Blessing, to whom he said: ‘*Vat you take? Dis is my treat.” Blessing scowled at him. He did not know the colonel, whose slender rs Sal and very pre- cise attire, together with his eye-glasses, gaye him the aspect of anything rather thana fighter, while the German was a large, powerful man, whose experience as a Turner made him confi- dent of his ability to crush any ordinary man by main strength. The young lawyer and the sheriff’s deputies had gone out of the room up-stairs, and Mr, Jarvis bad followed them, so that there was no one in the bar-room but the colonel, Mr. Bless- ing and Jim, r. Blessing scowled, and replied in a surly one: ‘“‘T trinks mit mein freunds, not mit te loafer like you, Yougo to br ep The colonel whistled softly, and became at once exceedingly polite. | ic Vy; my dear friend Blessing, vat is de mat- r? Blessing curled up bis lip. “You go to plazes. You understand de En- glisher sprechen? You go to plazes, or maybe you vant me your kopf to preak, hein?” As he spoke he shoved his chair away from the table, so as to face the colonel, and doubled up his fists lying on his knees, while he glowered on Svenson in an awe-inspiring way. é _ Mr. Blessing was evidently bent on provoking a fight if he could. But the colonel only smiled blandly. ; ... Mr. Blessing, my dear friend,” he said, surely you cannot be angry with me when I hl = your house yesterday from being cleaned Blessing struck his fist on the table so as to make the glasses ring, vociferating: You go to plazes! Hein? You yas fool me und mein freunds, to morrow vas de day pefore; 19 1 vas put you can nicht nier foo! disser day. You hear smash you on de shaw for five cent. dat—hein?” The colonel drew back his chair as if he were beginning to be alarmed, so as to face Blessing about six feet aw ay. Then be put out his hands deprecatingly. ‘“*Mr. Blessing, my dear friend, do not. be rash. You say you smash my nose for five cept?” “Yah!” roared Blessing, rising and glaring at him. ‘For funf cent—nein, fur zwei—fur ein Potztausend! I do it for noddings. For tun Idoit. Hein?” ‘* Mr, Blessing, my dear friend,” returned the colonel, suddenly becoming grave, *‘ You shall do itin a minute, if youcan, But first let me ask, You want make money?’ Blessing hesitated. He was very angry, but the word ‘‘ money ” made him pause. ‘‘ You go to plazes,” be repeated sullenly, ‘You don’t got no money.’ The colonel put his hand in his pocket and ay set a ten-dollar gold-piece, which instant- y fascinated the eyes of Blessing. “You see dat ten dollar?’ he asked. Blessing let his bands drop, “Yah, Isee him, Vell? The colonel smiled pms “T give you dat ten dollar you smash my nose, Meester Blessing,” he said, sweetly. As he spoke he rose and dropped the hand which held the coin behind him, facing the Ger- man with a provoking smile, Blessing, seeing that he was being Inughed at, colored up furiously and rushed to the attack at once. He was no hoxer, as any one could see, but. depended on his great strength to clutch his enemy with one hand while he pommeled him with the other, He drew back bis right band behind bis head, to hit down like a bammer, held out his left to clutch, and came lumbering on, a good two bundred and fifty pounds of flesh. He had almost clutched, when the colonel slipped to one side, and Blessing brought his formidable fist down on empty air, Colonel Svenson, with a bowing motion of the head that looked anite easy and deliberate, had ducked under bis left arm and come up on the other side, when he dealt the stout German a kick in the rear, crying as he did so: ‘“* Meester Blessing, my dear friend, do not get excited. It is bad for de digestion.” Then he was away, laugbing, and Blessing, furious at the exhibition made of him, wheeled round and came at bim again, with both buge arms going like the sails of a windmill, while be spluttered out bis German curses, and, could he have once got bold of the active colonel, might have made him suffer. Jim, the bar-keeper, looked on from behind the bar with placid indifference, for he had had enough fighting the da hands on the base-ball club he kept for emer- meee in case either of the combatants should amage the saloon. Colonel Svenson never so much as lifted his hands when the infuriated Blessing rushed at bim, but watched him as he came, and with an- other light movement evaded his rush and ad- ministered a second kick, which made the Ger- man almost crazy with fury. The third rush was made with more of de- liberation and design, so as tohem the foe into a corner, when Blessing shouted: an I got you! Potztausend! _Donnerwet- With that he advanced, with outstretched arms to either side, intent only on clutching an apiagonist whom he regarded as puny but quick, and forgetting entirely any guard for face or peed: Colonel Svenson fell back slowly, tripping from side to side, as if intent only on getting out of the German’s clutch, laughing all the time, and flourishing his hat in one hand, while he showed the gold-piece with the other, **Ten dollar, Mr. Blessing, my dear friend, if you smash my nose, Ten dollar you cannot do it, Ah! go sitdoun!” A sudden change had come over the scene in those four words, ‘a Svenson had reached the wall, and Blessing thinking: his capture a certainty at last, had swooped down on bim, In that moment the old fencing master crouched to half his former hight, as the Ger- man’s huge paws almost clutched bim, and Blessing s after him, _ The stoop was only for one instant, the next Syenson rose with a prunt of extreme exertion and sent his head full butt into that portion of Mr. Blessing’s body where ‘‘ the contents of the thorax and abdomen (in medical pbrasc) are divided from each other by the membrane of the gat pik | het In other words, he took him ‘in the wind ” or: what boxers cali the ‘‘ mark,” with a force com- unded of two meeting bodies, and Mr. Bless- ng instantly obeyed the order given him. ‘Oh ! sit down !” He pip sit down, with a concussion that sbook the whole house, and his face became of the color. of chalk instantly. -_ before, but he had his | com (¢ S) (E(0) JOO