Beadle's Dime Library No. 351 — page 7: what you’re looking at

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

—— -- —— —_ ware SUE i 0 Those who were watching the rival claimants most West Nick, the Border Detective. ————— this accomplished, and the Denver detective was mon upon the gashed and blood-dripping counte | still in ignorance whether it was a living or a dead nance, and for a few moments it seemed as though / closely when Dan Brown uttered his decision saw, or fancied they saw, momentary gleams of satisfac- tion in their eyes, as though that speech gave them no little relief. Yet this could hardly be, for a sim- ultaneous howl broke from the two men. “Good Lawd! how much furder is this durned foolishness goin’ to last?’’ growled the giant, ‘**Punchin’ an’ ha'r-pullin’, when my throat is so thirsty fer be-lud that I kin feel the cracks openin’ | clean down to my shoe-packs? Boss, cain’t you shove it at us a little tougher? Cain’t you chuck in a pistil or two, or a pen-knife, at least, jest to make it a trifle more bindin’?”’ Dan Brown drew a revolver and cocked it, ** Gentlemen, asI had the honor to remark before, he would succeed, for he checked the bull-like rush, his blows sounding like the thud of a log against an embankment of sand. Not two men out of a thousand could have stood up against that terrific thumping, and as often as he tried to move forward he was knocked back, only to lurch forward again with the same result, To less excited men than the spectators it would have seemed a sickening and disgustingly brutal scene, but their blood was also at fever heat, and they wildly cheered now one, now another of the combatants, as the tide of fortune seemed about to turn in favor of the one or the other. Such desperate work could not last long, and the man whom he had saved, when, with loud cries, three men rushed into the room. ‘** Don’t let the critter git away—hang fast to the p’izen cuss!"’ shouted the foremost man, abruptly pausing as he beheld the strange tableau. Supported by the left arm and shoulder of Dan Brown, hung the limp, almost paralyzed figure of the released captive, alive, but for the moment help- less. Yet there came into his blood-shot eyes a look of deadly hatred as the voice of Dick eeler smote upon his ears, and with an effort his head was turned until he could glare into the face of the man who had subjected him to a shameful torture more agonizing than a thousand ordinary deaths, “To —— with the band that set him free!”’ grated Jam acting as ring-master of this little circus. You | ring swayed back to give more room as the short : are the clowns, for this occasion only. This is my men plunged blindly forward despite the hailing | the oc bb od ver atin’ F spies ee a “tigkgat ee! which whip, and when it cracks it means business. I’m | storm of blows. exploded the instant 1 Came TO & level. ; not over-anxious to use it, but—you will greatly oblige me by stepping inside that ring!” Picasant and affable as were his tones, the dullest- witted man in that room had no difficulty in seein that the Denver detective meant business, pure an simple. Whatever else they might have been, nei- ther of the two claimants were fools, and without another word they entered ‘ihe ring which had been formed by the laughing, jol:ing crowd, as nearly as might be of the reyulation size decreed by the time- honored “>, R.”’"—fovr-and-twenty feet square, Dan Bro vn took his position, pistolin hand, just within the ring, wher: his front was toward the table at which St. Clair Guthrie still sat, shuffling his cards. If done by design, the detective gave no out- ward evidence of suspicion. ~ cu will remove your belt-of-arms, gentlemen,” said the “ring-master,”’ quietly. ‘‘Not that I be- lieve eitner of you would try to take any unfair ad- vantage of the other, but because they micht inter- fere with your freedom of movement. Give them in charge of whomever you prefer, and I'll guaran- tee their safe keeping and return when the survivor calls for them. Good! Now strip if you like, In five minutes I will call time.”’ ***Tain’t cause [need to Lake ‘em off,” said the fat claimant, with a grave shake of his head as he stripped off his ragged shirt, holding it up and view- ing the ajr-holes, “I could climb up that limber tel- egraph pole an’ foreclose my morgidge on that left ear without fazin’ a ha’r, but I don’t want to run the resk o’ soilin’ my bog Bo My enters Ef harm should come to them, I couldn't go to see my chunk © sweetness wropped up in caliker, until my New ‘* Now I've got ye!”’ he howled, and so he had, but in a very different shape trom that which he intended! Seeing that he must close, the tall man stooped and evading the blind grip of his foe, grasped his feet and witha tremendous effort, threw him over backward, then, his long hair caught by the falling champion, he dropped upon the other. With the breath knocked fairly out of his carcass by the heavy fall and added weight of his antagonist, the fat man found his arms pinned to the floor by the knees of the giant, whose right hand was raised above his face, the left clutching his throat, as he ated: Own up that you're a dirty liar! Give in that I’m the one an’ only Nor’ West Nick, or take your gruel!” ' “*Own up nothin!” Down came the heavy fist, effectually cutting short the defiant growl. A savage grunt from the fat man—then a furious struggle for the mastery. Just how it was doue, not one of the excited spectators could have explained, but all at once the huge legs and immense shoe-packs belonging to the fat man twinkled in the air, and the giant was tossed end over end, falling flat upon his stomach, while the man-mountain sat straddle of his back. “Oh, you needn’t kick an’ try to scramble, my urty little pile-driver!’’ chuckled the fat man, pant- ng heavily from his tremendous exertions, but with a broad grin upon his bloody countenance, ‘You hed your fun, usin’ me fer a choppin’-block long enough, an’ now it’s myturn! Say your pra’rs, ye Gneodiy heathen, an’ don’t fergit to ax fergiveness Whether the shot was directed at Dan Brown, or at the helpless being whom he had just rescued, ro one save the cowboy could tell, but the lead never found its intended victim. Swift as thought, the Denver detective stooped and lowered his burden to the ground, this totally unexpected action suffering the bullet to whistle harmlessly above their heads. As swiftly he arose, both hands armed, and as a second fierce oath grated through the cowboy’s clinched teeth, his right arm swung forward and a jet of flame-tinged smoke leaped from the muzzle of his revolver. Wheeler staggered back, dropping his pistol and clanping his band to his face, on which the lamp- light showed s‘ains of blood. The crowd scattered in mad haste, stumbling and falling over each other, for right well they knew that bullets set free in a meeting like this, are no respecters of persons—that innocent beings are quite as likely to suffer as those more immediately concerned in the fracas. Long-legs and Rickety Joe, believing their mate and acknowledged leader had received his death. wound at the hands of the Denver detective, jerked forth their pistols, despite the warning cry which Brown gave them. “/’m running this circus! Pull a weapon and you'll hurt— Ha! if thut’s your game—” Sharply he spoke, but still more sharply rung forth his pistols, one shot from each, almost simultaneous- ly, yet the result of those snap-shots proved plain enough that Brown had taken all the time necessary for certain aim, Cries of angry wonder broke from the two cow- boys as they felt their pistols knocked to one side York tailor sent me another suit. Han'le it eas cin’ w ntleman in | #¢ almost torn from their hands before they could ee pard!” and he tossed the ragged odoriferous gar: | yaint Spit it Sut, fore the ‘crack ©’ doom falls on | raise the hammers, but they partially divined the Se ment upon the shoulder of a well-dressed, finical- | top o’ your sinful head an’ bu’sts it wide open! ‘Fess | ruth as they felt the stinging of the particles of ; looking sport, greatly to that worthy’s disgust and | that you're a dirty liar, an’ that /’m the ’riginal lead which entered the flesh of their hands—the un- | the mirth of the appreciative crowd, Nor’ West Nick, or take your gruel red hot!” erring aim of the lightning sport had been directed ‘i The giant had less to say, but was even more | Back and up was dragged the giant’s head by the | 4¢,fheir weapons, not their persons. Re thorough and rapid in his preparations, eying the | hair, Aloft rose that mighty fist, but it did not Hold!” rung out the sharp, stern voice, as the oH immensely muscular development of his antagonist, | descend after the fashion intended by its owner, for | "¢@dy pistols covered them fairly. ‘Hold! unles Bee now that he was stripped. What had before seemed | just at that,moment a startling interruption came | YOU want a free passage over the range! I have q unwieldy fat now proved to be in the main solid fat | to completely change the situation. you down fine—I could riddle you all with lead, if I SS and muscle, and a look of concern came into the sits chose, before you could change those harmless tools a eyes of the giant, chasing away the look of corfi- for others—but I don’t care to have your blood on ae dence which had at first filled them. The victory pang CHAPTER VII. my hands, even though you tried to take mine, just ree not look so promising now as at first, and he STERY ON ANOTHER’S HEELS. OOw. : 4 scowled savagely as he heard the fast-flying offers | _ W#ouLy absorbed by the desperate struggle which |_| Even as they shrunk back from that cool front, — a of odds upon the fat claimant. was being enacted before them, now seemingly | the eoeness were mechanically trying to cock their -* “Time is up!”’ cried Dan Brown, closing his watch | Dear its end, not one of the many forming that | weapons, but in vain their attempts, and a mockin MI and restoring it to his pocket. “But one word be- | breathless ring heard aught of the short but wild | laugh broke from the Denver detective as he watch =f fore you open the ball. Our object is to get at the | tamult which arose directly in front of Aladdin's | them. P truth, in the shortest possible time, and on that ac- | Cave. _ Lhat won't work, gentlemen. If you take the re count we will dispense with the rules governing a | , Pressed hard by those reckless centaurs of the | trouble to look, you'll find Dan Brown's po e regular prize-fight, Rough-and-tumble will bring | desert, stung at every leap by those terrible whips, | Safety-lock on each one. Dig out the plug of lead, em out the truth the quickest, so pitch in, gentlemen!” | 80aded on to renewed speed whenever it gave signs | and you'll be all right again.’ ‘A The giant uttered a savage growl, for he felt that | Of failing, the once black bull with its strange rider, | _ Incredible as it may seem, it was nevertheless a _ .f this decision was a blow aimed against his interest. | plunged straight down the one broad street which | fact that the sharpshooter had temporarily disabled . ones within the grasp of those enormous arms, ena 8 pa o~—— peat penighs , blood trickling =e of yh a die nara § , vig m| ay a fi and science could avail but little against brute undred wounds, drop rom its wildly- SOR OF LOGIT CY ANCeES & Sune me “il strencth. 86 dilated nostrils, blind with its frightful exertions, on he lead between the barrel avd half-open chamber Py pleased, and there was a broad grin on his face that | , It had already suffered the tortures of a score of | the cylinder until the imbedded lead had been d 1% completely eclipsed his pug nose, as he danced | deaths pps. that long, night-mare race, and its | away. Tiny splinters of the bullet had struck Di 3 clumsily before his antagonist, working his huge | powers of endurance were be oe ebbing, when out | Wheeler in the face, blinding him for the moment, ts arms up and down as though trying to climb a | from the lurking shadows leaped a laevis but he quickly recovered and made a movement to- i, rope. form, heralding its coming with that peculiar blood- | ward the second pistol which still hung at his i ‘Come an’ see me, you up-ended angle-worm! | curdling gur7-r-7 which is the attribute of only one | waist. ~ ae htt. Yar’s your master, an’ yar's your mist’ess—wugh !”” creature—the bull-dog, “Touch that barker, my dear sir, before I give ~ | A tremendous grunt burst from him as the giant | 4 wild bellow of mingled rage and pain escaped | you leave, and you'll hear something drop, heavy /” OM shot out one long leg and planted his foot heavily | the mad Texan as those massive, undershot jaws | cried Dan Brown, in a tone that could not be mis- 2% | against the stomach of his rival, then lunged fur- | closed like the grip of death on its nose. Desperate- | taken, emphasized as it was by leveled revolver. hr H ward with both hands in swift succession as the | ly it shook its head, tried to use its horns, to bring “Who the deuce ’re you, to stan’ up fer a cussed re | head of his rival came forward as the result of that | its sharp hoofs into play, but though the ugly pet | hoss-thief an’ cattle-stealer like him?” growled the | ala # wind-damaging kick. Deftly the double stroke was | Of the doggy portion of Rocky Bar's sporting | Maverick-hunter, yet visibly shrinking from before ‘Se iv delivered, cutting the flesh and bringing the blood | population was lifted from its feet and swung to and | the muzzle, Aa |] from the puffy cheeks, and as the giant, with an | fro like some fantastic pendulum, that was all. | . “ You're a liar if you Couple my name with those we ; stock rose in the market, and several calls a One more smothered bellow—now oF utter panic | feet with difficulty, his blue eyes all aglow, ony (Peg ; evens were heard. and the bull plunged ney on, striking against | lacking the strength to leap upon and strike et. “*Somebody lend me the mone an’ Ill take all | the half glass doors of Aladdin’s Cave, shattering | enemy to the earth. — t sech fool bets as them!’ shouted thefatman. ‘Ten | that frail barrier and stumbling across the thresh- | ‘Cool and easy, gentlemen!” cried Dan Brown, zs i to one that he cain’t do it ag’in—fifty to one in thou- | Old, falling headlong in the very midst of the ring | “ Let’s go to work at this matter right end foremost. ee sands that I break him plum in two at the fust lick | Where the fat claimant was about to assert his right | Either this man is a frightful criminal, or else he roe he —only let me hit him once!” to wear the title of Nor’ West, Nick. ' | has suffered terrible wrong in being treated as we ara? ’ But that was the puzzle. Active as a cat, despite | With yells avd curses of fright the crowd scat- | Saw, just now.” ee Wy his ungainly build, the tall claimant dodzed here | tered, some of them being hurled across the room | An angry laugh broke from the lipsof the Mav- = = Aah and there, nimbly avoiding the bull-like rushes of | by the blind plunge of the tortured animal. With a | erick-hunter as he wiped the blood from his face, ata fl his antagonist, ‘propping him heavily whenever | howl of terror the fat man rolled off of his antago- | then pointed at the unsteady form behind the Den- _ oe he saw a favorable opening, his bony knuckles | nist, and has'ily scrambled away on all-fours, while | ver detective. 1 6 Sie io leaving their impress every time, until the red face | the giant, seemingly paralyzed with horror, layin | “Look at the critter! He calls me a liarwhenI © ia and beard of the fat man were dyed still redder, | 4 trembling heap at the very feet of the bull as the | say he is a hoss-thief an’ a cattle-stealer! Now I pe ‘a But that was the only result. The blows, heavy | #nimal recovered its footing, snorting loudly with say more—that in yender dirty cuss you see tbe re em! and w ll delivered though they were, only served to | Mingled fear and rage, no longer incumbered with | p'izen critter as calls hisself Cap'n Slyboots—” Sar“) ft render the man more dangerous, and ‘slowly the | the white bull-dog. An excited chorus from the crowd drowned the ae ; confident light faded from the eyes of the giant. Beneath its feet lay the carcass, erushed and words he may have added, and there was a hasty 2 His rapid movements were beginning to affect his | motionless, slain by the heavy fall Of its victim. movement as though to close in upon the man thus ee '. wind, while his adversary seemed quite as fresh as Of all in the room, but one man seemed to retain denounced, but Dan Brown, with revolver cocked ‘4 at the outset. his presence of mind, even in the slightest degree, and half raised, motioned them back. hae .% Knowin7 that he was no match for the giant in | He beheld that helpless form upon the bull’s back, _ “Steady, gentlemen, if you please! One book ‘ 5 science, the fat claimant devoted all his energies to | and with a cry of hot indignation, he flashed forth don't make the Bible, even though ge word it “36 ; coming to close quarters, confident in his enormous | @ knife and leaped forward. contains may be gospel truth. There’s always two ak ; strength, and he kept this end doggedly in view, de- | _ One stroke, swift as lightning, and to the full as | sides toa question, and we have only heard one of "a spite the address with which his intention ‘was | deadly, then the bull fell forward once more, Not them,” and he turned toward the released captive. ae + foiled, time and again, by the superior agility of the | even a quivering of its sinewy limbs, The surely- | ‘‘ You heard the charge brought by this gentleman? a oo Bec other. aimed weapon hed severed the spinal cord at its t have vou to say in regard | fet: a) ee At length his chance came. In evading a rush, | junction with the skull, and death was instantane-|_ Brief as the delay had been, for all that is recorded Sa 4 - the tall fellow dodged into one corner of the | ous. ¢ here transpired with wonderful rapidity, and utter ve oa et “squared circle,” and seeing his chance, the fat | Snatching from its bloody sheath the weapon | as had been his exhaustion, the stranger had recu- ra) pe Hercules plunged forwar’, both arms outspread to | Which had done such ¢ service, Dan Brown — in a manner remarkable er when all S te grasp his antagonist should he try to dodge past ag | slashed at the hide thongs which held the prairie that he had undergone is considered. And now, still Ae a fore, though he knew that he was thus laying Mazeppa, his wondrous strength and address saviug e, his eyes sunken, his face haggard, his voice rat Miinelt open to severe punishment, Pita the man som being crushed beneath the death- husky and unnatural, he stood and faced his ; sperately the giant sought to beat him off, ply- stricken animal as it ro over upon its side, acenser, ee Zz ing his bony fists with all the power he could a. Almost swifter than the eye wud follow was all “Just this. That fellow is a Har. Every word ~ ite ne JOO cS <€om fe