Beadle's Dime Library, No. 406 — page 12: what you’re looking at

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

“Take your brute out! Take him out now—at once—or, by the | above, I'll kill you both right here!” There was something in the old man’s intense passion that awed Jim Perkins, big and strong as he was, **T didn’t mean—” he began, sullenly. ** Not a word,” answered Pop. ‘‘ Go, sir, go!” Jim tossed his head at that in defiance. **Very well,” he said. ‘*VlU go, and you'll find out who’s the paying card of your show when I’m gone. Good-night! Come on, ye old thief!” He addressed the last words to King Philip, as he unfastened the chains that tied up the ani- mal’s hind legs and led it out. ; At the door he turned and shook his fist. : ‘*Now mind, all of ye!” he roared. ‘* Arter this, your darned show don’t have no luck. I’m a-goin’ to git double your figgers in Bownsse’s, and don’t you forget it. And as for Lion Charley, curse your skin, ll be even with you yet for kickin’ me when I was too drunk to fight straight. Bah! Go to blazes, all of ye!” Vulgar and insolent to the last, he went off with his elephant, and quiet reigned over the show behind the scenes, In front they knew nothing of the row that was going on, for the band was playing and ee was just executing her famous trapeze act, 3} CHAPTER XIV. MOVING THE SHOW. Por Hicks looked rather blue the moment the excitement of his fight with Jim Perkins was over. - The manager overcame the father, and the old man whistled thoughtfully to himself, and even forgot all about his daughter Sally, who was just then riding into the ring to do her manege and jumping act. He had lost a big attraction, and there was no denying it. Moreover, things had turned out in such a > way that his rival, Bownsse, was going to get ’ the largest amount of free advertising out of | the affair. _ Of course Jim’s going to Bownsse,” he thought, ‘‘ and he’ll have Lion Charley, too. begin to believe it’s a put-up job between them Fo all to injure me and that this Noble’s in it.” I So Fh you! eavens coldly, - ood-by. yea. ** Good-night, sir,” the manager said, haugh- tily. ‘‘I hope you're satisfied with the way you've acted. You may call it business, but I my don’t, sir. I call it a mean, underhand way of 2 - doing business.” _ * ~~ Noble looked at him in a sorrowful kind of fas way as he answered: 7. ‘*T know it looks so, Mr. Hicks. I know it looks as if ’'d put up a job to steal a card from m7 ou. ae, ar I'm glad you can see it,” retorted Pop, in his most sarcastic tones. ‘‘I suppose they’ll raise your salary for the work.” The lion-tamer shook his head. . ‘¢On the contrary, sir,” he answered, ‘I shall a, not only not take advantage of this matter, but I promise you one thing: If Mr. Bownsse en- ges Perkins, after the way he has acted, J Tacos his show !” Pop started and his face brightened, but the =H gleam faded away as he said: Bie ‘* Yes, yes, that’s all very well to talk; but I can’t hold you to any such promise, and you is knowit. Besides, that would do me no good.” Big ‘“Not if I come to you with my cages,” the BaF other returned, inquiringly. ‘I can’t afford to oot: be idle if I leave the other show.” Pop hesitated. a ‘You don’t mean it? You wouldn’t come to — me? Not but what [ll admit you're a better / gard than Jim Perkins.” Ae “Mr. Hicks,” replied Noble, quietly, ‘‘ ’'m not hunting engagements, but I like fair play. _. You’ve been badly treated to-night, and I know % who's at the bottom of it. It’s not show business i, atall. It’s crooked work. If Bownsse engages Jim Perkins, after what has happened, J leave him at once and come to you if you'll pey the same. That’s a fair offer, isn’t it?” Pop was apeeigoed ty surprised. **Tt’s a good offer, Mr. Noble, and I accept it, if youll come at once. But how am I to know br what to bill? What have you got of your BA own?” : I own my cages—two of them—with four ”. are lions, a pair of tigers, another of leopards, and a tigress with cubs, not trained, in a third cage. “eae I own the teams that draw them and all the whut paper you want.” ve op’s eyes glistened. ‘Pll take you at your own terms. When will you come?” ‘*As soon as I know they’ve taken Perkins; Ys not a moment before. I can’t serve them a a2 mean trick because he serves you one.” whe ; The ea ormen shook his d with cordial- ty and respect, saying: ** You're a good man to have, Mr. Noble, and a if we come together I hope you'll have pleasant Bo : es in my show.” ~ Ab “T hope so too,” returned the lion-tamer, and somehow or other, he colored up and looked awkward. ‘* Good-night!” , Then he went away, and Pop bethought him- self of talking over the affair with Moone after his usual fashion; but Moone was in front at- tending to his business with the newspaper guys, and Pop had to forego his talk till the show was over and the people out. Then he went outside to ask if any one had seen Jim Perkins, and found that the drunken trainer had taken his departure, bag and bag- gage, after he went outside, and had last been seen going off by the same road as that taken by the Bownsse show, with King Philip stalking behind his wagon, frightening all the teams on the road, while the brute’s brutal master was howling drunk again, with a bottle besidehim. | dangerous every day. ‘*'We’re well rid of him, and make a good ex- change,” he told Moone, as soon as he saw the little agent. ‘‘ Noble’s a better card, anyway. What d’ye think, hey?” Moone looked as imperturbable as usual. ‘*I think the fight’s begun in earnest,” he said. ‘‘ Bownsse has gone into partnership with a man called Stone, and they’ve got money. Elephant Jim wouldn’t have acted as he did if he hadn’t wanted you to release him from his contract. You shouldn’t have done it. You’ve given him the whip hand.” ** Whip hand be darned,” snapped Pop. ‘ Do you want me to let him kill my darter for the ri of his contract? I believe he meant to do it. ‘* That shows how little the small agent, coldly. on your daughter when he’s sober. with half an eye could see it.” nop was unfeignedly surprised. **Klephant Jim! Sho! you're coddin’ me, Why, he cussed her outrageous.” “hat was because he wasdrunk. You mark my words, Jim Perkins is gone on Celestine, and you'll find it out.” Pop Hicks looked uncomfortable. ‘* How many more fellows is gone on Sally, I'd like to know?” he said, grimly. ‘** Any quantity,” was the calm reply. ‘‘ Noble for one, as I told you.” Pop laughed triumphantly. **You’re darnation cute, but not so cute as you think, young feller. It’s Zoralina’s his mash, and my darter’s nothing to do with the ou watch,” returned ‘*The man’s dead-gone Any one It was these thoughts that made him nod | hull affair.” when Noble came to him to say | Moone looked quietly amused. ‘** All right if you think so, Mr. Hicks, I sup- pose you’ve heard it takes two to make a bar- gain. Zoe’s sweet on him, but he’s not on her by a jugful, as you’ll find out some day.” And so saying, Mr. Moone left his employer in a brown study, and went off to attend to his own affairs, while the vans were driving up to take away the tents, and the usual routine of moving the show was 4 cy Pop Hicks was very thoughtful that night. It was the first time he had begun to think seri- ously of the fact that his daughter had become a woman in years and feelings, while he had been so in the habit of thinking her a child that he had been blind to the passage of time. Jim Perkins in love with his Sally? impossible in face of the man’s brutality to her a short half-hour before, and yet Pop Hicks be- gan to open his eyes as he recalled things. He remembered Jim’s words about not run- ning the show for ‘‘ women and their mashes,” and it set him to thinking Lion Charley had taken the honors of the evening, and Sally had been looking on while Jim had been bitterly mortified. ‘* P’r’aps tng Buy was jealous,” he said to him- self. ‘*‘That Moone’s an all-fired sharp-eyed snoozer, and ain’t apt to be mistook. nd Noble’s a reg’lar masher. I must kinder keep an eye on Sal.’ Not that he suspected his daughter for an un- kind word had never passed between them, and It seemed Pop could have trus her with his life at any time. ‘* But gals is gals,” the old showman said to himself, ‘‘and Sal ain’t got no mother, and there’s things gals don’t like to tell a man, if he is their dad, so she kinder gabs with the other oe: I must see her and have a talk with er. The old man got into his sleeping-van for the night, where he og oe an apartment in com- mon with Professor Rabbetts and Tom Fowler, the ‘‘ upper crust ” of the show, so to speak, and soon forgot all his troubles in sleep. His next station was Coalville, and he had dispatched Moone ahead to work the town be- fore he came in, and find the drift of public opinion. Moone was awake when every one else was asleep, which partly accounted for his general appearance of weariness, as he had to work hard for a small salary compared to his needs. When the sun shone in on the van next morn- ing, Pop Hicks rubbed his eyes and woke, when the first sound he heard, over the rumble of the wagons, was the scream of King Philip, never to be mistaken, and the old showman instantly sunbed out of bed to see what was the matter, or the sound boded evil to him. He looked out of the van window and saw that his column was entering the show-lot at Old Pop Hicks, Showman. ; | g ‘ | | | Coalville, and that Bownsse’s people had ar- rived ahead of him, had taken the best place,. pitched their tents, and were already feeding their animals for the day’s work. King Philip in all his glory of seven-foot white tusks, with steel bands and chains shinir in the sun, stood in the midst of the open spa + before the show-tent, fastened by the hind le, toa stout hickory tree, a foot in diameter, and was trumpeting fiercely and trying to get loose, all alone in the center of a respectful circle of | azers. Pop Hicks looked at him, and said to Rab- | betts, very dry! | ‘* Professor, Perkins left us last night. That brute getsmo. | ? ' The professor, in a red woolen night-cap over ' ae bald poll, sat up in bed to answer emphatic- © ally: ‘* Mr. Hicks, sir—J am glad, sir, glad, glad,. very glad, the cursed brute’s gone. began to — feel nervous announcing him, sir, for fear of some terrible accident, sir, yes, some terrible, — awful accident! It’s as much asa man’s life’s © worth, sir, to be in the ring with him, keeper or no keeper. I wish them joy of him. If Per- kins gets on another spree in that show, the brute will clear everything.” ‘*But suppose he comes at us ?” said Pop, in rather an uneasy tone. Rabbetts nodded his head vehemently. 4 ‘* Then, sir, I believe in calling out the troops, sir, and shooting the cursed shooting him, shooting him.” ‘*T reckon you're right,” said Pop; ‘* and now I recollect they’ve got two comp’nies of milishy in this town, Rabbetts. move to inv.te ’em free. think of it?” Rabbetts screwed up his face. ous of Moone, and Pop knew it.” ‘*Mr. Moone is a young man yet, and cannot, of course, be expected to remember or to know I wonder if Moone’ll He was jeal- tle Tom Fowler called out from his bed: There’s more brains in that guy thought of having. straight. Look at the notices we get. If we all did as well as Moone, this show would coin money.” f ‘*Speak for yourself, sir; yes, yes, speak for ourself, ha! ha!—yes—good—speak for your- self,” retorted Rabbetts, loftily. ‘I knock un- der to no man in the ring, for real artistic work in the presentation of all the attractions. Elv- quence, sir, eloquence rules the world—ha{ geod —very fine thought that! Eloquence—rules— the world.” Tom Fowler turned over back again in his corner with a grunt, muttering: ‘‘Darned old bucket of slops! Go to blazes!” Mr. Rabbetts affected not to notice the epi- thet, for he arose and followed Pop Hicks’s ex- peo in dressing for the day. hen they sallied forth, the first person they saw was little Moone, pale and weary-looking as usual, coming up on foot. ‘Well, Moone, what have you done?” asked Pop, to which Moone replied: “The town’s all right, but they’re goirg to have a row, and I’m promised the soldiers.” CHAPTER XV. LION CHARLEY’S GRIP. Mr. CoLpEN A. STONE, dressed in exquisite taste, without any diamonds, in a black silk- faced frock coat, with pearl-gray trowsers; a high hat, and kid gloves, stood at the door of than you ever the Leonard House, Coalville, about nine o’clock that morning, waiting for some one to come up the street. In the billiard-room inside, surrounded by parasites, was the magnate of the town, owner of the house and half the ground on which Coal- ville was built, George Leonard, pale and lan- guid as usual. The virtuous pair had come to their own hictng ge Sag and were waiting for the re- port of Mr. G. B. Bownsse, their prime minister}. to conduct the war on Pop Hicks’s show. Stone slapped his boot with his cane, and hummed a tune while he waited. He knew his. time was coming. Presently he saw the yellow road-cart coming up the street, and G. Bragan Bownsse got out. and came up the steps to meet him, wiping his forehead, and looking nervous and absent- minded, as he usually did. He pretended not to see Stone till he very nearly tumbled into him, when he affected great surprise and Joy. ‘Why, Mr. Stone! My dearsir! I was just thinking of you. Happy to meet you.” Stone curled bis lip. ‘* None of that. I’ve been in the business be- fore. What news?” Onion George smiled blandly, and looked up and down the street, as if searching for some one, then suddenly seized Stone’s sleeve, and led him off to one side, to say: ‘**Perkins has come in. He’s in our show, ele- for taking him in, can he?” IJOO cS coim co (E rute, sir—yes, © It might be a good © everything, Mr. Hicks,” he said, coldly, but lit- | “You leave Moone alone, you old fraud. © I'll bet he’s done his work | phant and all. He raised his rumpus, ard Pop | — discharged him. He can’t find fault with me \ I ‘aint more’n half-sorry J 41% |: