Beadle's Dime Library, No. 406 — page 17: what you’re looking at

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

ae | ee -_—— —— —— —s—- —_—_-— ooo chest, and had both knees bruised and slight- y gashed, but did not seem to be going lame at all, and, when Stone mounted him, moved off readily, and appeared disposed to run again from nervous excitement. But the gambler, mounted, with his hat straightened out and his clothing dusted, felt like a new man from the battered Stone who ~ liad been rallied so unmercifully on foot. He made up his mind to go back and witness the punishment of King Philip, if he could get Tom to face the elephant, and ac- cordingly he leaped the few fences to the road, and went back to the field where the circus men were gathered. An idea had come into his head. He would get even with some of them, and Se ee ered through its whole vast bulk, but uever offered to fight. The moment the sound was heard, Sally clapped her hands and cried: ‘‘That’s enough, Jim! He begs!” Jim Jaughed aloud in a proud and trium- phant way as he threw down his irons, and set his foot on King Philin’s head. *“* Aha, ye old thief!” he cried. found your master again? Hey? if you’re tamed yet?” He walked all over the prostrate monster, took up the end of its trunk, slapped it with his open hand, and let it drop again. King Philip never offered to stir. Then Jim turned proudly to his men: ‘‘Te’s had enough,” he said. ‘* Let him up. He won't give no more trouble this ‘“Have ye Let’s see especially with the saucy litthy minx who | season, and he’s a better card than ever.” had dared to mock at him with her show slang. He saw them all gathered in the field, and sally Hicks still sat on Flirt, not twenty feet from the elephant’s head, watching the operation with tranquillity. King Philip was trumpeting defiance, and struggling frantically to burst the tough cables that stretched him out, while Jim Perkins stood by a little furnace of the tinker’s pattern, which was smoking away, and in which stood several long, wooden- handled irons to be heated. Elephant Jim looked up as Stone rode in, and nodded familiarly. ‘‘ Hello, Stone, back again? hoss was too much for ye.” ‘‘Thank you,” returned Stone loftily. ‘‘I never found that sort of a horse yet. He chested the fence or I wouldn’t have had any trouble.” Sally looked at him with her saucy smile, as she observed: “T guess you ain’t used to riding much, are you?” Stone flushed crimson. “‘Thank you,” he answered, ‘‘ I’ve ridden a good deal in my life. I don’t think much of ring riding. It’sallshow. Nothing so very Gifficult about it that I see.” And then he stopped short, as he saw that all the men were snickering at him, while Jim Perkins said in his grim way: ‘*Hem! Horse’s knees looks like you was a bully rider. Next act, boys!” So saying the elephant-trainer drew a pair of irons from the fire, and went straight toward King Philip’s head. The entangled monster saw him coming and slapped viciously at him with its trunk, which was still free. Jim held out the glowing irons to receive the blow, saying savagely: ‘Would ye, ye old thief?” There was a hissing sound, and the ago- nized elephant struggled vehemently, trum- peting defiance, but unable to bear the ain, The seared trunk was whipped out of the way, and Jim ran in close to the animal’s eyes, burning with the irons and scolding all the while with a torrent of blasphemous objurgation. : | Stone turned pale at the sight and sounds, as the punishment continued, and Gray Tom ‘bolted and plunged, shaking in every limb, while King Philip resisted for a good half hour, at times nearly bursting the great ‘cables that bound him to the trees, trumpet- ing savagely, striking with his trunk af everything in the way, but still harassed by the relentless Jim with fresh irons, and growing weaker and weaker. Stone at last got his horse to stand within fifty yards, and could not contain his amaze- ment at the coolness of Sally and her little mare, They stood within a few feet of the radius of the wildly lashing trunk, and Sally did not seem in the least excited over the contest, Thought the * occasionally dropping a word, such as: ‘“ He’s weakening, Jim! Give it to him! Don't let him beat you!” And so the contest continued of man’s de- termination and subtlety against the wild rage of brute force, till at last Philip stretched out his trunk and lay mute and still. ‘- Fresh irons!” was the merciless order of Jim, and straight at King Philip’s head he went again, burning away with savage de- termination, the tough hide hissing with a sickening odor, till at last the prostrate ele- phant uttered a low, whining noise, which rose to a scream of mortal agony as it quiv- ad LT Sst eS Then to Stone he cried: ‘‘ Bring up your gray hoss! that, he’ll stand anything.” Stone, by dlnt of much spurring, got Gray Tom within a few feet of the elephant, and finally succeeded in riding round King Philip. And the elephant never stirred while they were taking off the ropes. It lay there, completely conquered, while Jim passed about body and legs, striking them everywhere with his open palm, and at last called out: ‘*Get up, ye old thief! Get up!” Then the great beast rose up slowly, and stood before its master, while Gray Tom made afrantic bolt again and tried to run away, but this time was checked by Stone so well that Sally called to him: ‘Well done, sir. You’reimproving. Take a few lessons in the ring, and you'll know how to ride after a while.” Then she turned Flirt, and waved her hand to Jim, saying gayly: ‘‘Good-by, Jim. He’s all right, now.” ‘Thanks to you, Miss Sally,” Jim called out very earnestly, taking off his hat and exe- cuting a profound bow. Sally kissed her hand and galloped away on her ride from Coalville, when Stone seemed to make up his mind what to do, and dashed after her.. She never heeded the sound of hoofs till he was close behind her, when she waved her hand and called: ‘“Want ariding lesson? I'll give you one. Come on for a race,” Then she sat down in the saddle, spoke to Flirt, and away went the little mare like an arrow from the bow, with Gray Tom thun- dering after her. Stone was, as he liad boasted, a California rider, and understood his business; but he had never ridden Gray Tom till that day, and did not know the ways of his horse as fully as he could have desired. Gray Tom was a ‘‘rusher,” and had the trick of getting the check of a straight curb in his teeth when he ran away. Stone managed to catch up with little Flirt in a race of something over a mile, when Sally put on her whip and suddenly turned and darted down a side-lane so quickly that Gray Tom was thrown out, and the mare had gained fifty yards before he could get into the lane. Stone had hardly any definite idea in first chasing the girl, but now he ground his teeth, for she turned in her saddle, waved her whip and called out to him tauntingly: ‘You can’t ride forsour apples! Bet you can’t catch Flirt for stamps!” ‘We'll see about that,” he shouted back, and, as he spoke, he dug in his spurs and sent Gray Tom off like a flash, gaining every stride. He knew the big horse could outrun the little mare, and they were in a narrow lane with high fences on either side, which there was no room to leap, and therefore the chances were in his favor. Sally saw it, too, and checked Flirt, letting Gray Tom come up hand over hand. In another minute, with a shout of tri- umph, Stone was beside her, and grasped at the bridle as he came. With a taunting laugh the girl pulled up so suddenly that he overshot the mark again, wheeled her mare and darted back up the lane toward the road. Stone ground his teeth as he followed, coming up again and shouting: ‘*Now, my beauty, I'll get you this time, and you'll pay the forfeit, too. Ill have that kiss or I'll die for it.” ; if he stands / ld Pop Hicks, Showman. | | ' ' she had it not, and Stone was too wary to . : | of the chase, and began to dodge as well as Flirt, in proportion to his size. Stone reached out his hands a third time, ’ ; : ’ | ' ; ' 17 Sally turned and shook her whip at him, crying defiantly: ‘You'll have to catch me first. Come on, you sick dude. You'll get a nice riding ies- son before I’ve done with you. Houp-la!” CHAPTER XXII. GRAY TOM WINS. AWAY went Flirt, and away went Gray Tom after her to the road. The little mare, from her perfect training, could double on the big horse every time when she had room, but in the narrow lane overshoot his mark a third time. Besides this, Gray Tom, with the instinct of a well-bred horse, entered into the spirit. F'mally they were alongside again, and crying: ‘* Now I’ve got you, my lady.” Smack! crack! The sting of a riding-whip was in his face, very nearly blinding him, and he instinet- — ively threw up his hand to keep his eyes, when he heard the girl’s cry of taunting — scorn: ‘ ‘* Not yet, my solid guy. You’ve got to learn to ride first. Houp-la!” And before he had recovered his sight she was ahead again, laughing at him. | Setting his teeth angrily, he spurred Gray Tom till the horse fairly flew alongside of — Flirt, and crowded the mare close to the — fence. ia Another moment, and Stone stooped from the saddle and grasped at Sally herself, in- stead of the bridle. “4 He had his hand on her waist, and leaned — over further to get a full grasp, when Sall suddenly flicked Gray Tom in the face with 2% her whip so sharply that the big horse shied violently, nearly unseating its rider, and — Flirt shot out into the road, Sally waving her* whip and crying defiantly: “= ‘‘Not caught yet. I’ve played that game before, old fellow. Houp-ia!” pa They were in the high-road again, and off — they went, full speed, Gray Tom gaining as before, till Flirt dodged again and threw him out. ae Then Sally called out: . ‘‘Good-by, dude! I’ve got business at fey Why don’t you catch me? Houp- — a!” deal And this time she put Flirt on the way to — Coalville and scoured along, laughing. the — little mare covered with foam, but doing . nobly yet, with the grit of her full blood. But Gray Tom had the best of her now; ~ ‘ ~ ¥ ae ~- EY , -.) ni . for he was a long distance horse, and began — to come up again faster than before. Pair And this time Sally altered her tactics, steering from side to side of the road, saving ro Flirt ali she could, and confining henevae : dodging and going on again. Bae Stone felt more confident at every am, for he saw the mare was tired, and his own © horse was fresh. . He had ceased to speak, and his face was lighted up with eagerness as he saw that Sally had more difficulty at every turn in | evading his grasp. ‘eG The little girl herself kept up her pluck as _— well as ever, till she had to use her whip again and again on Gray Tom, fighting him — off when he caine too close. —_* Then her face flushed angrily, and she © called out to Stone: ree S ‘ * ‘‘Leave me be, you coward! How dare — you insult me like this? Take that! and | that!” Seg And she flogged away with her puny — strength, for she began to see the man was a ruffian, and meant to take advantage of his — superior strength and the size of his horse. They were on ‘a lonely part of the high- read, for King Philip had acted as a perfect — scare for all the people in the neighborhood, — and there were woods on either side of the | road that hid the country, beyond a curve, a — quarter of a mile off. Stone laughed at her frantic efforts to keep | him off, and got closer and closer at every — turn, till he finally mangged to catch the end — - her whip in his hands, as she flogged at — im. . EComichbooks