Beadle's New York Dime Library, No. 390 — page 13: what you’re looking at

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

~ —-_--——_— ——— The Giant Cupid. 2g friends, and his charming bride was clinging to him for protection. Again a break, and then another shifting of the scene. Now the excitement and confusion were all over, and joy and gayety ruled the hour, Musie was heard, and the dreamer and his bride were leading the grand march, while all uround were hundreds of faces, all smmil- | ing and happy. Suddenly out from the crowd at one side of the room sprung a man, a gleaming revol- ver in his hand. It was Don Juan Bartolo. His eyes gleamed like those of a wild beast, showing that he was beside himself with jealousy and rage. The dreamer attempted to draw his own weapons, but, horror! he could not move! The Mexican sprung before him, leveled his private business, e would go down to the Town Hall (Ante-Bar now boasted such an institution) and spend an hour or two there, attending to whatever public business might come before l,im, and then devote his time to his mining interests. He, like your humble servant, was—if the word will apply—a_ pluralist, ile gathered his shekels from two sources, And, like your humble servant again, he made it a rule never to allow the duties of his one office to interfere with the duties of his other. When he was alcalde of Ante- ar, and in the alealde’s office, then he was that and nothing more; and when he was at- tending to his mines—well, then. he was something else, and only that, On this particular morning when he came out of the Dew-drop lun at his usual hour, * See “ Cibuta John,” Ha'f Dime No. 424. | Ante-Bar!” and turned his steps toward his office, he | of having tried to take the life of one of our was surprised to see so many people stand. | ing around idle. Ante-Bar was a busy town, and it was not a usual scene. What surprised him still more, however, | was, as soon us he was espied, to hear three | cheers and a tiger for “th’ Prickly P’ar o’ ‘“What—ho! Citizens!” he cried out, laughingly. ‘‘ What means all this?” * Don't ye know?” Bill Twicker queried. **] must confess that I do not.’’ The little affair with the winged giant had entirely slipped Cibuta’s mind. “Why, that ’ar long-legged feller with th’ wings is ter be tried fer shootin’ Jem Patter- son in th’ arm last night.” “Oh! yes. Sure enough!” Cibuta ex- claimed. ‘‘I bad forgotten all about him. Where will the fun come in, though?” most worthy and peaceable citizens. What have you to say?” *T ain’t got no lawyer,” the red giant now proclaimed, “You do not need any,” Cibuta assured him. ‘This is nothing more than an ex. amination before the town authorities Had you killed Mr, Patterson, though, the chances are that it would have proved the court of Judge Lynch. ‘Now what do you say?” ‘“Wal, I say | ain't guilty. I didn’t try ter kill th’ galoot. i i I only aimed ter wing him, | jest like I did do.” ‘*Then you are guilty of having shot him, anyhow.” ‘* Yas; but then I done it in self-defense, don’t ye see?” “That does not hold good, Mr. Jim; it does not hold good at all. You came herein a little. What could it mean? He had ex- ree to be pretty roughly dealt with before e got through with it. Could it be possible that this man, the alcalde, was afraid of him after all? A smile played around his mouth at the thought, ‘* Wal,” he queried, ‘‘ what d’ye think ye’ll do wi’ me? Dye mean ter hang me?” Oh, no, Cu—I mean Mr. Jim. Oh, no! We do not intend any such thing,” and Ci- | buta’s tone was most assuring, | ‘fT see it just behind you,” Cibuta de “Wal, then, what dye mean ter do?” clared. “ T will tell you. We will give your wea- | The giant turned instantly, and he saw it pons back to you unloaded, and give you too. ' just one hour to get something to eat and get | ‘*Teave,” he muttered. ‘Go on with th’ out of town, never to come back again. funeral. You've got th’ dead wood on me' ‘‘ We have no room here for such as you, now, fer sure.”’ and the sooner you go the better we shall | ‘‘ Well, Mr. Jim,” Cibuta went on, “you like it.” are here as a prisoner to answer tothecharge _—If the giant had been surprised at first, he Eomicbooks ' Oner, to—”’ | ‘‘ Me a pris’ner! Haw, haw, haw! Td | like ter know waar ye see it!” And he thrust | his thumbs under his belt, straddled his legs, | and looked his most ferocious look. The man’s hands were free, but he was unarmed, and directly behind him were half a dozen drawn and leveled revolvers. He | wus a prisoner in every sense of the word, as | much a prisoner as though he bore the fetters _ and chains. ) his revolver and fired. ‘‘ Why, we reckon as how he'll try to run | your war-paint, declaring that you were a And then came the strangest part of all. th’ hull biz, an’ that you'll kinder set down | chief, hungering for fight and thirsting for The dreamer could see the bullet, like a ball onto him a leetle.”’ gore. You wanted it understood that you of fire, coming toward him. Nearer and ‘ Well, if he attempts to carry on with a | were the Soaring Buzzard of the Sierras, or nearer it came, and directly toward his heart. , high hand, I shall, you may be sure,” something of that kind. You desired to A cold perspiration seemed to break out | ‘Bully fer you! Oh! tharll be fun! paint this town as red as your own hair and upon his brow. He seemed doomed to enough, an’ don't ye fergit it!” P ons i raat i die ‘* Well,” said Cibuta, ‘‘l am going down ‘In the first place you called for rum, an As the bullet came nearer, though, there to the office now, so bring along your rooster | when you found you couldn’t get any, then came a sudden gleam of light, and there in and I'll see what is to be donefor him, How | you got your ‘dander’ up. ou crowed, its path, standing—or hanging—without vis- is Jem’s arm?” tried to fly, wanted to fight the whole town, ible support, was—the silver dagger. Mr. Patterson was right on hand to answer | and made an ass of yourself generally.”” The bullet struck the dagger, glanced for himself. It was plain to be seen that the giant’s aside, and the dreaming man saw that his ‘It feels purty sore,” he said, ‘‘ but I | blood was boiling. He, the fighting terror, life had been saved. guess it'll soon be all right ag’in.” the scarred veteran of many a bloody fray, to — Then the scene vanished, and in its stead ‘‘That ain’t th’ thing, though,” declared , be called ‘‘ buzzard,” ‘‘ ass,” etc, Oh! it was appeared—in mammoth letters upon a white Bill. ‘‘ It might ’a’ been a fatal shot, an’ we | too much! ground—these words: don’t want no shootin’ o’ that kind ’round, ‘‘ Then,” Cibuta vice phat pat pene ‘“*—_life or death—". “ Take warning!” Bear’ 2 inquiries concerning one Giant John, and © emis Vokn aiddanivoronsed natal find “That is true,” Cibuta agreed. ‘‘ We) when you learned that he had been hanged, that his e Ke still nae aithoud pai +, Want no unnecessary shooting here at all, I | then you got howling mad, as I am told, and the pa Page Ni inn P will see to the gentleman.” swore eternal vengeance against all Ante- Had he really Races asleep? es right, we'll fetch th’ beauty down fer | Bar. i woe ipa out your pe ee and “ ‘ ; «a9 ‘ trial.” got the drop on the crowd, and then you the i vod oer ee basi Never ip Cibuta John passed on and entered the | thought ree would have some fun,” keep “3 hy me. nicht-andide He Town Hall, which was soon filled, and in a The Shanghai's eyes blazed fire, and his y 7 MAS, m8 y: few minutes the prisoner was brought in. hands twitched nervously, CHAPTER XIII ‘* Cock-a-doodle-doo !” he bellowed the mo- pone velaagie of ne, Conan pia 4 j ; ment he entered the door. ‘ Oh! I'm th’, ther’s name only served to anger him the Tan edie da re Spay ce Be great old hump-backed rhi-nossy-ross o' th’ | more. ~~ radslett ; dave B Cay great wild West, Jam! ‘* You thought you would start u dancing- : “te Ee ape fae SOfaibat a. day. an wasthe | ‘* Cock-w doodle-doo ! Dee-doo, dee-doo! school,” Cibuta went on. ‘* You compelled dav of Cibuta Jobu'e® trial nied murder but ‘‘ Sixteen men couldn't ’a’ brought me in| everybody to dance. You threatened in- it Ae an exciting one nevertheless . heur if I hadn't wanted ter come,” he yelled; | stant death to any and all who refused, You The citizens awoke to the fact that there | | DUt I jest thought 1'd come down an’ look | are aE Skynn eo eae he bet 3 the ee _ On, anyhow. oor. Any one would have been fully justi- nae at least Vaid a **Good-morning, Cupid,” Cibuta John re- ‘One citizen, Mr, Jeremiah Patterson, did And there @ae tunahead.. To.use:the pro- sponded; ‘* how did you rest?” try to draw his iron and plug you; but it per Westernism—You may just bet there was ** Bully.” aif Sp ieeasihe pene you were a little too quick for him, $ **That is good. Iam glad to hear it.”’ and—” shag ig pl was ite ** Ye be, eh?” : VA Bet hie I Mis! too nee pecan . Hy ; ‘‘Yes, Cupid, lam. I—” the winged beauty cried. ‘‘1 don't ‘low no A OP | ae ra oa ene ers ‘* Now look ’e heur!” the giant cried, and | man ter git th’ drop on me when I|’m thar; shooting of Jem Patdertons which... oa. fhe meee $6 snapped in hae ‘jest ae a an’ I ain’t thar, | Vo Anse > git thar ’ 5 os +, me that ‘ar name ag’in, ef you please. e | purty soon, you may safely gamble reaeeT hae pens ect eae Bill | want ter save this heur burgh from total det f dn. Ppt tis tS The eople expected that this bo satin wastation, don’t call me that.” ‘*There—there!’’ Cibuta John exclaimed. , “Ae nid try;to, run thentsdal hieoven eae ‘‘Pardon me, Cu— I mean sir,” Cibuta | ‘‘ We've beard all about that. We know a that wed alealde would have to ah implored, ‘‘ Not by 7 act of mine would | what you are—the Braying Jackass of the rien th As ra and scour bisurees futons Petal about such a dire calamity. What aN jungless or something bc it. We : Neus F an. ao you wish to be called?” on’t care to hear any more about it. : ant howled. s a (RED ad ee of pe ie Ae Jum f I didn t say nothin’ ’bout no Jim-jim, damage, xpos enc aa you pay yom aid pot Jim-j ” t to ki will take your word for it A all possible to do so Rena bili ett Me ‘ : ‘ W Sas ; ‘“Very well. For the present, then, you | And since you have had quite a lesson in ia it haben Ae eapaie, custom: aoe ie ae ' want to be ee All right, I'll try and bear | dancing yourself, I am inclined to let you off ee that in mind. easy.” tae calde of the town ere he devoted himself to | ‘Now, Mr. Jim, you are here as a pris- This announcement surprised the giant not | 3 «| Eom