Beadle's Dime Library, No. 406 — page 24: what you’re looking at

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

| Bownsse saw that the man before him feared Stone for some reason, and took his : decision at once. Ile rose up, respectful but firm. | ‘* You've said your say, Mr. Leonard,’’ he answered, quietly; ‘‘now hear mine. You have entered into a contract which you can- not violate without being liable in damages. I shall hold you to it at any hazard, and when Mr. Stone comes back I am sure he will suj:port me. The law, sir, will give me my rights.”’ Leonard was about to answer when the door was unceremoniously opened and Stone entered, looking flushed and angry as he strode up to Leonard. i ‘What's this I hear?’ he said, sternly. ; ‘‘Is it possible you’re going to back out ' now, when victory is in our hands? Taylor | tells me a fine story about you. By Jove! & George, you're not fit to take care of your- - seif. I’ve countermanded all your orders—” Leonard jumped up. ‘‘How dared you—” he began, furiously, but Stone faced him down by sheer bravado, - roaring: | Sit down! Do you suppose I don’t know my business? I say I’ve countermand- _ ed your orders! What you want ’s nerve, and, by Heavens! I've got enough for us » both. Taylor shall not go; the exposure ' shall not take place—no, by Heavens, if _ wehave to tear this check from that little / scamp’s dead body! Do you understand me, , Leonard? J mean it!” Px, CHAPTER XXXII. beens MR. MOONE LOSES A TRICK. ' . Tue twoshows had left Charlestown in ' company, as usual, and little Moone had / gone ahead, full of work. The check, over which so much bad blood had been wasted, oe was safe in Pop Hicks’s breast-pocket, not to be used unless the warfare should be re- ss ~* newed under Taylor’s auspices. > , io” . ~ = But Mr. Taylor had disappeared, and in his place no less a person than Mr. Stone had gone ahead; and Moone smiled to him- self when he saw the well-dressed gambler _ making the rounds of the papers, and visit- _ ing bill-posters’ dirty offices, trying to do the work of advance agent. - |. Fe had no fears of Stone. After he had been out three days, how- ' ever, he received a telegram from Pop, say- ing; er! |; “Taylor has broken his word. I’m going to pub- Moone nodded and frowned when he read the message, and said to himself: - So much the worse for them. The story _ Twroteis enough to knock any show.” He was curious to know how Taylor had broken his word, ard was on the point of telegraphing back from Wheeling, where he was, to ask particulars, when he was sur- prised to receive anote from Mr. Stone, who -_ was in the same hotel, asking to see him. Quite confident of his ability to cope with the new agent, he sent word that he ‘‘ would see the gentleman,” and Stone soon after ~ walked in. With a charming smile, which he could assume on occasion, the gambler offered his hand, saying frankly: + ©Mr. Moone, we're on opposing shows, but that’s no reason why we should not be on good terms socially. Business is one _ thing, pleasure another. Do you smoke?” ee»; “Nat before dinner, thank Phase said Moone, coldly, declining the proffered cigar. Stone put it back in the case with a cour- teous wave of the hand. = “Sorry. Not beforedinner? Well, what do you say to dining with me, then? I can _ promise you some excellent wine.” | Thanks, but I never drink wine on my # ‘Dusiness trips,” said Moone. ‘Well, you’ll dine with me at least,” said - §$tone, persistently smiling. “Thanks, but I intended to dine at the next town,” was the frigid reply. Stone laughed good-humoredly. ‘Well, you’re a curious fellow. You - -won’teat, drink, or smoke with me. Where _ do you intend to dine then?” _ **At Cohock Station,” said Moone, a little _ incautiously, as he afterward thought. __ §$tune nodded and smiled. * * ~ 34 *€Gurious! The very town I’m going to make, too. I say, suppose 1 drive you up _ there. There’s enough money for both shows, " te ¥ P Pe -_ 7 Wralge en Old Pop Hicks, Showman. and as long as we share alike, we needn't snarl at each other. I’ve got the handsom- est tandem you ever saw. Come, say you will.” Moone shook his head. ‘‘Sorry to disoblige; but I’ve no time to drive. Your people keep me busy, and I have to hurry. I take the train.”’ ‘Well, Pllengage you don’t lose time,” said Stone, coaxingly. ‘* You see, the fact is, 11 make a clean breast of it. I’m not used to this business yet, and I’m only doing it forfun. Next season I hope to be with a larger show, in which [ put some money. You see I’m only learning the business now, and I’ve seen so muchof your work and ad-— mire it so much, that, by Jove, | want to try to steal a few points from you.”’ Moone smiled. The explanation was so | perfectly in accord with the ignorance of | show business displayed by Stone, that he accepted it at once, “Well,” he said, “if that’s what’s the matter, sir, I'll give you all the points in my | power, so long as you don’t use them against me,” ‘“Oh, no, honor bright,” ejaculated Stone. ‘To tell the truth, [ couldn’t, ye know, for I’m entirely at your mercy. You might stuff me with all sorts of stories.” Little Moone thought to himself: “You bet I will.” Aloud, he said: ‘*My dear sir, | see you’re green. green myself once. —— I was Every man has to begin, | some time. I would not willfully deceive you. It would be unfair, and not at all to my credit.” | This was said with the gravest of faces, | and Stone at once replied: | ‘“'Then you'll come with me?” | Moone shrugged his shoulders, | ‘‘ Tf you insist. I’d as soon ride at your expense as at any other man’s.” Stone laughed, and slapped him on the back, observing: ‘*You’re a knowing little chap. you. ‘Pon my soul | do.”’ Then he went off, and Moone packed his little traveling-bag, thinking: ‘* This fellow’s a regular flat, to think I would give him points to fight me. Proba- bly he wants to coax or bribe me into their service. If so, I'll take all the money he gives me, and fool him. Once is enough to | give up five hundred and eighty dollars.’ He went down and found Stone waiting in a tandem dog-cart, that he had not boasted of too highly, for it was a perfectly neat and splendidly appointed concern. To say that it was Leonard’s is needless, for Stone’s powers of suction were practi- cally unlimited. Stone waved his whip courteously, motion- ed Moone to a seat beside him, and then said, cheerfully: ‘* You won’t refuse a cigar now, I hope?” Moone laughed. ‘“ Well, no. Thank you.” He took the cigar and lighted it as they dashed off at a slashing trot. Out of Wheeling they went at twelve miles an hour, and were soon in the wild mountain roads leading to Cohock Station, when Moone began to feel a little giddy and sick, and threw away his cigar, saying: “Your cigars are too strong for me. Iam not used to smoking such.” Stone seemed vexed, but said nothing on the subject till they had ridden a few miles further, when the sick feeling passed off from Moone, and the gambler said, in a care- less ways ‘Better try another cigar, now. I’ve a much milder brand in the box under the seat. Try one.” ‘Thank you,” returned Moone dryly. “Once is enough. I won't smoke till we get to the station.” ‘Take a drink, then,” said Stone, in a good-natured way, and he hauled a bottle from under the seat. ‘‘It's the best French brandy.” Moone inclined his head. ‘Certainly; but after you is manners. That might be too strong likewise ” Stone looked at him keenly for an instant out of the corner of his eye, and then nodded waar bk saying. ‘* Well, you are a cautious man. I believe you think I want to drug and rob you.” Moone laughed heartily. 1 like ‘* Never thought of such a thing. Why, man, [’m not worth robbing. My whole baggage is in this bag, and you can look | over it at your leisure.” So saying, he cooliy began to unpack it; when Stone suddenly pulled up his horses in a lonely part of the road, seized the litile man by the collar and said savagely: ‘Yes, you're smart, cursed smart; but not so smart as you think. J’ve fooled you this time. Give me that check, or by the Heaven above us I'll choke you and throw you down the next ravine. Do you hear?’ The powerful six-footer shook the little agent in a manner that showed Moone he was but a child in the hands of Stone; but his pluck never failed him, and he looked _his foe in the eye fearlessly, saying: ‘* The check’s not here. I’m a fool? Pop Hicks has it, and if I’m not on hand to-morrow, he'll know that you’ve played foul and come hunting for you with Lion Charley. Let go my collar, sir. I tell you I’ve not got it.” Stone shook him violently. Do you suppcse ‘* You lie, you have, and I’m going to get. it out of you. Empty your pockets.” Moone actually laughed in his face. ‘*T’ll do that with pleasure,” hesaid. “‘ It’s so refreshing to meet a man like you, who wastes time over a minnow when he might. have a salmon, Let go my collar, and LI empty them. You neednt fear I'll run away. I’m going to the station with you since you invited me so politely.” ‘‘ Empty them out, then,” said Stone, bit- ing his lips at his inability to return sarcasm. for sarcasm with this little shred of a man who had so much cheek. ‘‘ Here, get out of the cart and let me see all you have.” Moone got out, and quietly emptied all his pockets, with their varied assortment of con- tract blanks, newspaper clippings bills and cuts, copy for advertisements and notices, and some little money. He let Stone ex- amine each piece, and passed him up a dirty towel and pocket-comb among other articles, remarking: ‘‘They don’t go well with your rig, sir; but they’re useful in country places.” Finally Stone saw that he had told the truth, and the gambler swore a bitter oath and dealt the little man a savage cut with his tandem-whip as he cried: ‘‘Go to the devil then, you little scampt Find your way out of the mountains if you can, Ill have that satisfaction cut of you, anyhow, curse you!” And he drove away full speed. CHAPTER XXXII. STONE’S PLOT. Mr. BownsskE was pacing up and down the ring of his empty tent after the morning rehearsal in a brown study, his hands in his pockets, two days after little Moone had been turned loose in the West Virginia moun- tains, The hands had gone to dinner, and G. B. B. was reflecting on the fact that Leonard, while he had not adhered to his refusal to go on with his contract in face of Stone’s blus- ter, had yet cut off supplies for a time, and insisted that all moneys in the treasury should be applied to the payment of ex- penses before he would advance another cent. And Mr. Bownsse was calculating, at the moment, how he could best increase the ex- penses to draw money out of his unwilling partner. The show had done badly for two days, aud Elephant Jim was off on another ‘‘ tear,” similar to the one which had ended in his dismissal from Pop Hicks’s show; while King Philip, released from his master’s care, with his burns healed, gave visible tokens of ‘‘going on the rampage ”’ again. Bownsse was in a brown study about all these things and feeling at his worst, when he heard Stone’s voice outside inquiring for him, and the gambler walked into the tent, flushed and triumphant-looking, to say: ‘‘Bownsse, we’ve got them at last. Here, I want to talk to you alone,” He took the manager to one side, and be- gan in a low, eager tone: . ‘‘No more trouble from Moone, i’ve got him fixed so he won’t disturb us for three weeks at least, if he ever comes back.” Bownsse started violently. © Eomicbdoo (E ————— — - . ~ * i La TS 3 >.