Beadle's New York Dime Library, No. 292 — page 3: what you’re looking at

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

it bie ete ie atti YY Ww wetw Ww SS. Bees oe a » Ata single _ Moke Horner, the Boss Roustabout. 3 rest, Tandy lowered his bald head to the sanded oor. With many a grunt and gasping groan; with many a futile effort he tried to obey the stern commands of the rabbit-foot; but with a dole- ful lack of success that drew oily chuckles of half-frightened delight from the buge lips of the watching blacks, and resulted in a loud chorus of laughter from the trio of white men in the curtained doorway. "Deed I des cain’t do it—I won’t do it, so dar!” ke at length groaned, gaspingly, as he made a move to regain his feet, But he was not to escape so cheaply. Moke Horner shook the rabbit-foot over him, mut- tering in a deep, sepulchral tone some gibberish or words in an unknown language, Seeming] subdued, Tandy made one more desperate ef- fort. Moke shook the rabbit-foot over him. The huge, flat feet rose spasmodically in the air, and then the yellow boy stood on his head in the center of the floor, his fat cheeks com- pletely shutting off his eyesight, his rags flut- tering as his mountain of fat quivered under the severe strain, “You cain’t an’ you wouldn’t—but you did!” laughed Moke Horner, drawing back, waving his empty hand as though to remove the potent spell. ‘ An’ it’s de rabbit-foot dat done it all. It holded you up, an’ now it takes ’way its "fluence, ober you tum’le like a bu’sted tub o’ soap-grease!” ith a force that shook the whole building, sandy fell over on his back, muttering husk ily: y: “ Yabbit-foot ole humbug! J hoodoo ’coon ‘too, J is!” At the chorus of laughter which burst from the spectators be rose to a sitting position, star- ing vacantly around, Then the humiliating truth seemed to burst upon bis befogged brain, and serambling to his feet, he turned trembling- ly toward Moke: “Take it off—take off de’pell, boss! Fo’ de good Lawd’s sake, uncunjer me, an’ I’ll nebber mo’ say nuffin’ ’g’in’ de yabbit-foot—so help me hebbenly Moses!” ‘‘Den you gib in dat de rabbit-foot ain’t humbug?” grinned the Boss Roustabout, slip- ping 08 ey into his breast. ‘**Deed I des does, boss! Cunjer-bag no *count ’longside dat ’ar charm! I gwine to git yabbit-foot des as soon’s I kin—mebbe you sell dat one?” eagerly uttered the yellow boy. ‘*"F you got de money, yas,” was the prompt reply. “I got heap mo’ when dat’s gone, I know de cunjer-man dat makes ’em, sabed his life, some time ago, an’ he gibs me all T kin tote ef I want. yar it is, gen’lemen!” and Moke Horner held the charm above his head where all could see it, “ De ginewine rabbit- foot, full vartue, made strong as de best hoodoo man in de worl’ could fix itup. Kerry dis, an’ nebber git drownded. Ef you hab inemy, he you’ meat, ’long’s you tote dis little bit o’ medi- eine. You see yallar gal dat take you’ fancy, she come to you like b’ar to honey-tree when you des shake dis at um. You want to ruffle de pasteboards fo’ big money, des breathe soft on de ole rabbit-foot, an’ den goin you’ wbull len’th, fo’ dey ain’t no common luck gwine fo’ to shet ye out den. ** All dis an’ a pow’ful beep mo’ de rabbit-foot kin do—an’ de iggest money takes it yight now! Who's a-shontin’?” Those keen blue eyes saw hands fumbling in pockets as though to take stock of the amounts therein, and abruptly brought his remarks to a conclusion. But he bad said enough. Each and every one of the excited negroes were eager to possess the treasure, and in a chorus they named the price they were willing, or rather able to pay for it. Into the hand of the highest bidder Moke Horner placed the rabbit-foot, then produced another and another from his well-stocked bosom, until the last bidder was supplied. Then with a generosity and magnanimity that drew cheers from the blacks, he produced still another and presented it to Yellow Jack Tandy, who fairly blubbered with joy as he ac- cepted if. ‘’Tain’t de money I keers fo’,” said the Boss Roustabout, nodding to the barkeeper to set out his bottles. “It’s de doin’ good to my feller- critters. Drink hearty, gen’lemen!” CHAPTER II. MOKE HORNER, THE BOSS ROUSTABOUT. PROUD as country politicians basking in the rare smiles of the member from their ‘‘dee- strict,” the negroes flocked to the bar, laughing at the slightest sign ofa jest from the lips of the “‘cunjer-man,” and the most obsequious of them all was Yaller Jack Tandy, rom a skeptic he was apparently transformed into a devotee, No sooner were the glasses emptied than Moke Horner ordered them refilled, saying: ‘*Des one mo’ fo’ luck, gen’lemen, an’ here's wishin’ you nebber want de licker fo’ to keep the channel of you’ froats cl’ar ob towheads an’ ! san’-bars Ip the dose of fiery ‘ turpen- tine-gin” vanished down his throat, to give oom to the words; 2 See eee vy. “a ee ~ on-set oie re sc es, ee | ** An’ now dis yer ’coon’s gwine fo’ ole Maum | Joseph Baldwin, if the plain truth must be Jinny’s, to git de kinks out ob he legs an’ work de ailide ty off um beels. Who gwine ‘long? You, yaller boy?” told. Over his past life hung a cloud of mystery which even bis most intimate acquaintances ‘“Wha’ dar? Whodem Maum Jinny? asked | had never fully penetrated. For years bis face Tandy curiously. ‘*Who dar, youax? De gals—de purty gals —de sweet honey gals, from brack to yaller:— dem’s dar, boy! Hoo! you mighty green in O’leans, not know Maum Jinny!’ With an oily laugh, Yellow Tandy locked arms with the Boss Roustabout and turned to- ward the door, grunting: ‘‘ Ef piney gals dar, dat all dis nig wants. Mebbe | hain’t got sech mighty fine clo’es as you, boss, but I kerry de yabbit-foot now, an’ when you see me shook um at dem yaller gals de good Lawd! how dey des will flop ‘round ole Tandy—hi-yah! hi-yah!” As the queerly assorted couple left the saloon, the head man of the three whites dropped the curtain which until now he had held aside, and led the way back to the dingy round table from which the trio had arisen when attracted by the boisterous sounds from the other division of the Tricolor. A slight nod conveyed his orders to the watcbful Pere Godet, who was presiding in per- son this evening, and a brisk waiter quickly placed fresh glasses on the table. Though so che! ag waited upon and apparently so well nown, the actions of the waiter showed that either trust was unknown to the Tricolor, or else that the man who gave the order was too well known, and he only retreated when a trembling, sbaking hand tossed him a yellow coin, ‘** A powerful cute game the mokes played in yomaer the shivering man said, as he thrust he uncounted change into his pocket, taking a brief sip at bis glass, ‘‘There’s big money in it, if a body could only lower himself to work the oracle for all it’s worth. If the whites would only bite as freely!” * Divil a know I know what he mane, anny- how, cap’n dear!” uttered one of the otber men, wiping a dirty, ragged sleeve across his lips as he set down his hastily emptied glass, ‘Is it the purty tbrick the black naygur played onto the yalla rowl o’ soap-gr’ase?” ‘* And you sucked all that in, too?” scornfully laughed the man addressed as captain. ‘‘ Was that why you tried to crowd by me when Moke put his rabbit-foot up at auction?” ‘** Divil take the red cint Purty Paddy had to bid on the same, but fer all that, wan o’ them things w'u’d be moighty handy to kape in the house—d’ye moind that, now? When the ould ’oman breaks out in a nasty ruction, sure, cap’n, dear, couldn’t I tarn her all upside down wid a teenty sbake o’ that noice little dubbeen over the hid av her, an’ save the wear an’ tear o’ me fist an’ blackthorn coclin’ av her down?” “If the lunk-head didn’t swallow it all I’m a howling liar!” laughed the shaking man, after a wide-eyed stare into the half-abashed coun- tenance of the stocky Irishman, “Tf it was a trick, it was mighty well played,” slowly uttered the third map, with a covert glance into the amused face of the first speaker. ‘Then the thrick was all in the rabbit-fut,” doggedly persisted the Irishman who had called himself Purty Paddy. ‘‘Sure, an’ ye saw it your own silf, cap’n dear, how the yalla boy tarned ind fer ind while be said all the time he wouldn’t be doin’ ay it—now, didn’t ye, man, dear?!” ‘Of course I did, and I saw more than that,” retorted the captain, lowering bis voice a little as he noticed men at the tables nearest them glancing that way, as though attracted by the sound of their eager dispute. ‘‘ This makes the third time I have seen that dandy ace of spades lay the same rig, with unimportant variations; el in St. Louis, and at Natchez under-the- Hill, when the Flora Belle was laid up for re- airs after trying to root upa snag with ber w, last year.” . ‘Then you think Moke and the yellow boy are running a rig on the darks?” asked the third man, curiously. “T know it,” was the positive reply. ‘‘ I’ve seen the same game played by bim before, I tell you. Each time he basa different partner, but it always ends after the same fashion; he porelee out rabbit-feet as long as theré is a stray ollar in the crowd; then be and his partner go off pear to whack up the proceeds. I’d bet big odds that were we to follow them now, we would find them dividing the spoils in some cor- ner! ‘It wouldn’t be such a bad spec,” muttered the fellow, with a guarded glance around them and a cautious lowering of his tones. “The *coon took in a good many ducats, and he seemed pretty well heeled in the first place. A nigger more or less would never be missed.” ‘An’ thin I c’u’d try the rabbit-fut on the ould ’oman, jist fer luck!” eagerly chimed in the Irishman. The eager, bloodthirsty look in their liquor- inflamed eyes died away as the man whom they sppesred to regard as a sort of chief, slowly shook bis head, Yet he did not appear greatly shocked by their ugly mutterings and uglier looks, It took a good deal to shock Captain’ . E " ‘ x ‘ ‘ oe ., iP “_ ai % P . ox. rnd Se “ibe ‘has ies As : “hi 7 | and figure had been familiar along tbe river and in tbe lower levels of New Orleans, but from whence he originally came, or what his first steps along the pathway of crime, none save himself could have told; and on that point Shaky Joe, as he came to. be familiarly known among the ‘‘fancy” of later years, invariably kept a close tongue. t was known that he had ‘“‘served time” in more than one State, It was strongly suspected that his hand had engineered far more ugly work than any he had ever been called upon to answer for before the bar of justice, Certain it was that those who needed a piece of dirty or dangerous work performed without personal danger or trouble, never felt any hesitation about applying to Joe Baldwin. His own band was never actually seen in such work, but when the pay was liberal and the money sure, some- how the desired work was always promptly attended to, and Shaky Joe as certainly claimed the reward, . This last title the adventurer had gained from being a victim to that curious disease known as St. Vitus’s dance. His hands were ever trem- bling like those of a man afflicted by a severe fit of ague. The muscles of his face twitched and sah with a ludicrous persistency, and bis thin ips kept quivering constantly, despi'e the habit which be had formed of almost incessant] pinching and then smoothing them with his claw-like fingers. In figure he was tall and well shaped enough, ough rather too thin for perfect symmetry. His features were tolerably regular, and he might have been called handsome, despite his gray hair and beard, only for his nervous afflic- tion. His garb was poor, but of a flashy order. A mock jewel flashed in his bosom, and there a equally valuable rings on his thin, white ands. Despite the affliction which has been mention- ed, Joe Baldwin was widely known among the “fancy” as an expert at any and all card games; a dead shot, a bold handler of the long ‘tootbpick” which he eb dpe ed carried in a concealed sheath at the.back of his neck, and a ‘““bad man to tackle” in general. His present companions were of a still lower level, being roughs and thugs of the most brutal order, One, from his name of ‘‘ Purty Paddy,” given him in aido@robability from his extreme ugliness, and his broad brogue, was plainly an Irishman of the lowest class, His hight was not great, but his form was heavily and compactly built, his shoulders and arms being covered with great bunches of mus- cle, toughened end trained by his practice in the “squared circle” as a worthy “knight of the fives,” His low, receding forehead, his square bulldog-like jaws, his broad cheek-bones and his ferret eyes, all were those of a true Stet Saltapd and that he had passed through more than one tough combat in the ri: g, was evidenced by the cuts and scars which marked his face, togetber with bis broken nose, Purty Paddy was evidently ‘‘down on his luck,” judging from his dilapidated attire and eneral hang-dog appearance, This might be aced back to a “ double-cross,” when he sold_ out bis best br ckers for a stake that dazzled bia covetous eyes, sbort sighted like the mejcrity of his class, Deserted by those who bad kept him “‘like a fighting cock,” and for much the same pur , Purty Paddy went rapidly down the hill, drinking a great deal too heavily for a fighting-man, and thus steadily lessening his chances of ever regaining the position which bis treachery bad forfeited. And now, without a dollar to bless himself with, be was ready to en- ter on any job no matter bow evil or danger- ous, for the sake of ‘‘a stake,” The third and Jast of the party, Teddy Huke was of still another class, differing from both o his present comrades. e was one of those of whom it might be said, came into the world wicked, sonar is parents were honest enough. He was kindly treated at bome and given a fair education, but he went to the bad without an effort at self-preservation. Notbing good or pure bad tbe slightest attrac- tion for bim, and he was a thief before he could talk plain, For lack of other victims, he would have stolen from bimself, His parents did all they could to break him of bis evil habits, but in vain, He robbed them until be brought them tc the poorhouse, and then he turned bis back on those who had brought him into the world, and struck out for himself, preying on humanity. Short and slender in build, Teddy Huke was physically a bundle of finely tempered steel springs. A remarkable gymnast in feats which required either pis be or adroitness, he might have commanded a bigh salary as such, instead of living from band to mouth on the preceeds of thefts and burglaries had he so elected; but as he more than once remarked, bread konestly earned would choke bim! ** We've got bigger paying business on hand comic ,OOKS RAPD BT Oe A, Be - . ry ote KS % —