Beadle's Dime Library, No. 406 — page 25: what you’re looking at

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

— —— —— * Stone. 7 9", . : aiud -* ; - “4 —— -——__———_— - xe No foul play, I hope? That won't do.” Stone laughed sardonically. “No, only atrick. He’s up in the moun-/to ‘‘move over.’ tains, in the hands of a party of moonshiners, and they think he’s a revenue detective. They'll hold him, you bet.”’ 2 Old Pop Hicks, Showman. ee ee ee ee “ s+ ee ‘Good heavens, man, what do you mean? | fork and advance fearlessly on the elephant, ‘“T’m running this show,” was the dry an- which he rated in the savage way he had heard practiced by Jim Perkins, and ordered | give it a chance.” King Philip raised his trunk to make a slap at his disturber, when Stone prodded it with the pitchfork, and assaulted the beast so violently, swearing Then he told the way in which he had en- | and shouting all the time, that King Philip ‘iced Moone into a drive through the solitary | shambled over as he was bid, evidently mountain roads, and concluded: ‘‘T left him in the road, and I knew he would try to walk to Cohock Station. I had cowed by the man’s daring. ‘* Now,” said Stone, triumphantly, ‘“‘ you see I’ve not been round this show for nothing, my men all fixed for him about a mile fur- | Mr. Bownsse. I’ve been studying this brute ther on; and Pop Hicks won't have a bill up | for weeks, and I never let anytaing master or a dodger out in any town on the road till | me, long. he finds out that Moone’s gone. Taylor?” Bownsse shook his head. ‘Gone again. Pop spotted him and had the story all ready to put into the papers, when Taylor weakened in earnest, and has gone off to New York. He left all the work Vheres J perform the elephant. | | | If Jim don’t come to time to-day, That will bring Master Jim to his senses, hey?” Bownsse gazed on Stone with a wonder and respect that found voice in the words: ‘* Well, you're grit, ain't you? I didn’t think he would have let you into his stall.” Stone laughed and jabbed in the fork cut out for you; but you'll have to do it, or | again, driving King Philip round, just as he the show will go up.” Stone bit his lips. “That’s allright. I can do it well enough; but I want to do something else. show going?” ‘Slim, slim, cursed slim. King Philip’s on the rampage again, and Jim’s on a tear. We've had to put the chains on.” Stone uttered an impatient curse. ‘‘] wish the brute would keep his work for the other show. I say, Bownsse,” ‘* Well?” ‘If he gets loose again and goes for the other show, we're not to blame, are we?” Bownsse looked at him with a peculiar ex- pression, as he said, dryly: “I thought you'd had enough of elephant driving. y suppose you know he hasn't for- given you?” ‘Who hasn’t? Jim?” ‘““Ay, ay, Jim—and, for the matter of that, King Philip too. You see you tried to punish him, and he got out. He'll know you, and remember that.” Stone affected to be incredulous. “Oh, nonsense, I’ve been round him | had seen Jim do, and then came out of the stall, saying proudly: ‘‘T told you I could do it, and I’ve done it. How’s the | Now, Mr. Bownsse, maybe you'll believe I can execute the plan I told you about.” Bownsse looked decidedly uneasy. ‘“Yes, yes, | believe it,” he said hastily; ‘‘ but for heaven’s sake, don’t do it. I know rcu’re a good man, and you've got the grit of the best; but you don’t know what those beasts are when they get going. He may obey you now; but if he gets into a regular tantrum, Elephant Jim himself couldn't stop the mischief.” - Stone shrugged his shoulders and lighted a cigar, saying obstinately: ‘‘T don’t care a curse for Elephant Jim. I’m going todo aslIsaid. If you're afraid, take the train for the next station. J manage this show in reality, as you know, by virtue of Leonard’s money. [Refuse to let me have my own Way, and you can manage him your- self. You know whether you can get any money outof him, without me to back ou.” * Bownsse winced, for he knew the daring more than once since that, and he has never | gambler spoke the truth. offered to hurt me. [ll risk him.” Bownsse shrugged his shoulders. ‘‘As you please. do?” Stone took him to one side and whispered to him for a long time, the manager’s face expressing all sortsof emotions during the recital, fear being the most prominent. When Stone had finished Bownsse said: ‘*You'll have to take the risk, Stone. I won't stay here myself. If you want to come any such games, count me out, Il ‘sell my share to you, but that’s all [ll do. It’s not safe to do what you propose,” Stone sneered at him. ‘You want nerve, that’s all, I tell you it’s ‘a safe card to play; and if it succeeds they’re ruined.’ Bownsse shook his head. __ “T don’t want no part in it. DPve got a family to take care of, Mr. Stone, and I don’t want no coroner's inquest over mé, “‘Well, then, go away to the next town ‘and leave me to manage the show for to- night,”said Stone, roughly. © I tell you I'm going to smash up that show if it brings me to State’s Prison.” ‘That's where it’s darned likely to land you,” replied Bownsse, still more dryly. | 4 tell you it can’t be done. Yow can’t do it. “Can’t 1? I'll show you whether I can or not. Where's Jim?” Bownsse sighed. ' “*Lord knows. I hope he’ll be on at the afternoon show, but I ain’t confident. If he don’t come, I'll have to keep King Philip in his stable.” ‘You won’t do any such thing,” retorted the beast myself.”’ Bownsse stared at him. ‘‘ You? He'd kill you sure!” “‘ Would he? Come to his stable and see.” | Pop, cheerfully, Stone walked across the ring to the stable where King Philip stood, alone in his glory. secured with strong chains, The animal looked Sleepy and Fa ap but | place, and Rabbetts remarked, had a sullen fire in its eye that boded no good to its disturber. ‘‘Don’t go near him,” said Bownsse, in an earnest tone. ‘‘ You ain't used to him.” Stone’s only reply was to take up a pitch- ) What do you want to the same boat, | | | He turned apologetic at once, saying: ‘‘T know that, Stone. Me and you’s in I'll do as you say; I'll go on to the next town and get ready for ye. But let me have my own way in one thing.” ** What’s that?” asked Stone. ‘‘Pack up and move off, before you do it.” The gambler seemed to be struck by the words, for he answered cheerfully: “4. good idea. If he breaks loose on the road, it’s no one’s fault if he comes back to his old quarters. On my word, Bownsse, yon one some head on your shoulders, after all. Bownsse nodded his head emphatically. ‘* You'll find out | have; and maybe, after it’s too late, Mr. Stone; but all T’ve got to say is—look out for Jim !” Stone laughed scornfully. ‘‘Jim be hanged! I’ve cowed him before and I can cow him again. I know his se- cret of elephant-driving. It’s all bluster and nerve, and | give in to no man on nerve, my friend,” — -——_— CHAPTER XXXIII. A RINGMASTER’S DREAM. Ni@ut had settled over the little town of Lovenville, and Pop Hicks was rubbing his hands and saying to his old friend, Professor Rabbetts: , ‘‘Luck’s turned again, professor. This week’s more’n paid expenses. But I can't think what’s become of Moone.” ‘Ob, I suppose the gentleman will turn ‘* Sooner than lose him, J’ perform | up after a while,” returned Rabbetts, coldly. “ He’s got a way of surprising people. It’s his business, you know.’ “Yes, and he does it darned well,” said ‘Well, Rabbetts, ’'m_ go- ing home, by gum! I sha’n’t move till day- light, and we'll give all hands a rest.” It was after the show when this talk took ointing to the vacant place lately occupied by the Bownsse tents. ‘“They’ve moved out, and they’ll have the best place at the next town, I suppose you know, Mr. Hicks.” __ + ee 4 : | while Rabbetts departe swer. ‘‘ When the luck turns, it’s as well to And Pop went away in one direction, in another. It was a lovely moonlight night in the month of August, and the professor thought he would take a stroll in the suburbs of Lov- enville before he went to bed. The other show people, whose physical hard work always tired them, had gone to bed in their vans at the close of the show, ‘. expecting to go on as usual, and the drivers, whose business at other times was to harness up and get on the road, had celebrated the indulgence granted them by Pop, by going to the nearest groggery to have a little ieank of their own. Perfect silence restec on the show, for the cages were covered up and the horses were all asleep in their stalls as Rabbetts walked © away. z The higher salaried performers, such as Noble, Tom Fowler and the ladies, glad to $ exchange their narrow berths in the van for’ a civilized couch, had gone to the hotel— ; the only one in Lovenville—and the drivers and canvas-men were the only people left in charge. The little professor was something of a poet in his way, and enjoyed the beauty of the night as he strolled off to smoke a peace- ful cigar on the country roady He went about a quarter of a mile toa grassy knoll which commanded aview of the | country for some distance, with the wind- ing streams of the infant rivers that make — the landscape at that corner of the Union so charming, and sat down to smoke and © muse. 1 Even the ringmaster of a circus thinks | sometimes, and Professor Rabbetts, with all his pompous ways, had a good head, and | thought considerably ; for he was notacom- mon ringmaster. A He was getting old, and pondering as does many a man in the show business, on Whata mistake he had made in entering it. ie “If I'd only taken to the law,” he said to himself, as he sat down with his elbows on __ his knees and puffed gloomily away, ‘‘ what a career I might have had! 1 might be tak- ing my hundred-dollar fees for a speech, in- _ stead of announcing acts at fifteen dollars a __ week and board. 1 might be called ‘Coun- selor’ or ‘Judge,’ instead of ‘Old Rah,’ and _ Lmight— But whet’s the use of thinking now? JI’minthe ring and can’t getout” © He smoked away gloomily awhile, till in- sensibly the beauty of the scene soothed bim to repose, and he was nodding, half-asleep, so that his cigar dropped from his mouth a and he started awake. Pens ‘‘ Nearly asleep,” he muttered; ‘‘too hot | to goin. May as well doze her.” e| The little man forgot allabout the dangers of night dews and malaria, as he stretehenll “ae himself, fully intending to take only a few winks. ree When he closed his eyes, the moon, in her third quarter, was just above the lower — branches of the trees under which he lay down, and he fell fast asleep, to wake up _ with a start and find the said mvon high in the heavens. te For a few moments he was confused as to his locality, for a strong odor, such as per- vaded the show when the cages were open, was all round him, and Rabbets ee he ¥ * 4 a —_ was in the stables, till the nodding over his head undeceived him, a The odor he smelled was the well-known — effuvium of wild beasts! = For a moment the little man was about to start up, and then he turned his head to one side, as he heard a slight noise near him. The sight he saw nearly caused him to — faint dead away, and as it was, he lay still, _ sweating at every pore. ar Within twenty feet of the ringmaster was the enormous head of King Philip, the | vicious elephant that he remembered go well, and the great brute was alone and entirely — unfettered ! i To say Rabbetts was frightened is to un- — derstate the case. : a He was completely demoralized. a He had always feared the ill tempered - brute, and King Philip had often made a. * 7 \ 7 1 scutter out of the ring, double quick, in pure malicious sport, till the poor ringmaster had positively refused to announce Jim Perkins, at J a. choo gs) = com com