Beadle's New York Dime Library, No. 508 — page 2: what you’re looking at

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

_ meanness. | That he should drink alone was bad enough, 2 Topnotch Tim, the Mad Parson. only hope of Topnotch lay in its annexation to Tolbert by means of a land-slide or snow-slide that should sweep it down into the valley. Some people were mean enough to say that not a bit of barm would be done if the remain- ing Topnotchers should be overwhelmed in that sudden removal. Yet Topnotch had its excuse, and there had , with a hoarse laugh. been a reason for its existence. | reckon? The coyotes have cleaned him up be- In the exciting events which are to forma | fore now. When the Deadfall boys had got portion of this narrative, the reason for the | their fun out of him, they turned him over to original establishment of the camp may more | us, and we made short work of him. He sol- plainly appear. | emnly swore that he’d leave the country, and Suffice it to say now that a very promising | then we made a sure thing of his keepin’ his lead had been developed up there, and a wealthy | oath.” company bad been formed to work it out, and ** How did you do that, Dave?” Topnotch therefore promised well at the start. **Took him to the Deadfall, and jest pitched he vein had ‘‘ petered out,” and the wealthy | him over. I reckon that drop settled it,” company had abandoned the works, and what! ‘* It ought to,” observed Bad Lands Ben; ‘‘ but was there left for Topnotch? i that wasn’t as neat a scheme as a few of us The only wonder was that anybody remained | worked with a tenderfoot we met on the King- there, and it was agreed that none but the | pin Road.” toughest citizens could have ‘ stuck it out.” ** Now we're goin’ to git somethin’ good,” ex- But there was a day of regeneration at hand | claimed Sandy McGuckin. ‘‘ What was the for Topnotch, or at least the promise of one, | scheme, Ben?” though the Topnotchers knew it not. ** He was a tenderfoot from Softville, as any- ‘The forerunner of that regeneration was a | body could see at a glance, and he was travelin’ slim young man who was seated one day in | ona mule with saddieba and a gripsack, and sech odds and ends as hammers and picks and pots and pans.” ‘* No wonder you dropped onto him,” “You oughter seen the outfit. Well, we axed him what he had come here for, and he said he was goin’ into the minin’ business. We wanted to know how much money he had brought in, and he said ’twas only a little. We ulled him off his mule and searched bim, and he durned cuss had told the truth. He didn’t have money enough to last a decent white man a week.” “Jest like those tenderfoots,” remarked big Dave. ‘‘ He had the presumptuousness to come here, expectin’ to make a livin’ off the kentry.” ‘*That’s what the matter was. Of course we couldn’t stand that sort o’ foolishness, and so we strung him up.” ‘‘Jest strung him up?’ scornfully observed Dave. ‘Thar warn’t no sort o’ fun in that.” ‘‘ But we strung him up by the heels, and left him danglin’ thar. The muleand the rest of the outfit we confiscated.” ‘*Served him right, the poverty-stricken coy- ote!” put in Aaron Isaacs. ‘‘I do hate a ten- derfoot.” ‘Not near as bad as I hate ’em,” averred Deadwood Dave. ‘i allers go fur the galoots whenever I come across ’em,” This sort of talk was not a bit inspiriting to Simon Marvel; it was not calculated to improve his appetite or aid his digestion. There had been no such blood-curdling trage- dies as were described, and the stories he had heard were mercly imaginary, intended to ter- rify the presumed tenderfoot; but of course he was not aware of their fraudulent and windy character. He perceived that he had got into the wrong place, that he was in a bad box, and it naturally occurred to him that the best thing he could do would be to get out of it as quietly as possible, before the men who were so fond of going for the tenderfooted ones should take it into their heads to go for him. Leaving his glass of liquor untouched, he got up and stepped to the bar, with the intention of settling his account and leaving the house. This was a move which the four tough citizens were by no means willing to permit, and they hastened to put a stop to it. When Simon Marvel looked around to learn the cause of what seemed to be a sudden com- motion in the saloon, he saw that two men had blockaded the door at his left, while two others were approaching him from the right. There was a significant grin on the face of Bart McGinley, who highly approved of the preparations of his friends. ow could he be expected to interfere in be- Speaking so that he could easily hear them, they talked to each other as if continuing a pre- vious conversation. ‘What became of the tenderfoot, Dave, that ou struck at Deadfall P’int?” inquired Sandy eGuckin, ** Became of him?’ answered Deadwood Dave, ‘Well, what do you Bart McGinley’s juicery, in the presence of a few of the toughest citizens of Topnotch. The truth was that a new company had been formed to develop the abandoned mine, with better methods and improved machinery, and that the slim young man, whose name was Simon Marvel, and who was the son of a direc- tor of the company, had been sent to Tonnotch to establish an office, and act as a kind of finan- cial agent in advance of the operations. He was a sandy-haired young man, with weak eyes, inoffensive in his manner, and very neat in his dress. Another young man, Burch Blanton by name, and a mining engineer by profession, had been sent to Topnotch to select a site for the works, one lay out a practicable road up the mountain- side, It happened that neither of those two youn men was aware of the errand of the other, an that they had never met, These matters, moreover, were entirely un- known to the four tough citizens who were then seated in McGinley’s place, wishing that they had the wherewit to drown their trou- bles in drink, As their credit was limited, they could only cara in an occasional bath, and drowning was out of the question, The four tough ones were Sandy McGuckin, Ben Staples, otherwise known as Bad Lands Ben, a big ruffian who styled himself Deadwood Dave, and Aaron Isaacs, a gentleman of the Jewish persuasion, who had never been known ttiog, ail sipled. shenieite a ey sty. emselves prospectors, an professed to be engaged in iat seoababde avo- cation; but it was more than surmised that their prospecting was confined to seeking out and ap- propriating the ey rty of otber people. Simon rvel, baving lately ‘‘struck the camp,” had in his simplicity inquired for a res- taurant, and had been direc by some ma- licious. and untruthful person to McGinley’s juicery. ‘ It was for him to perceive when he en- tered it that it did not have a bit of the look of a restaurant; but he accosted the proprietor, pai wanted to know if he could get a lunch ere, ‘*Thar’s lunch fur them as drinks,” gruffly re- ‘* Give me the best you can, then, and I will pay for that and my drink, too.” o doubt Simon Marvel believed that this was the liberal thing, though to the others who were present it appeared to be the acme of and that he should waste money on victuals was worse. half of an outsider, who was not only a tender- However, it was not to refuse such a rea- | foot, but was mean enough to drink alone and sonable request, and Bart McGinley ungracious- | limit himself to one glass of whisky? ly set out a shabby bit of lunch on a dirty table, at the same time directing the attention of his newt the more important matter of something Simon Marvel ordered some whisky, wiich he did not expect to use, and tackled his lunch with or, if not with enthusiasm, t was neither nice to look at nor to eat; but the young man was hungry, and he felt that it would not do to be too fastidious in Topnotch. As soon as he entered the saloon, the four tough citizens, who have been mentioned above, marked him as a tenderfoot, and with one ac- cord they determined to victimize him. In this opinion they were justified, as Simon Marvel was unquestionably a tenderfoot, being quite ignorant of the ways and manners of the people of that region. e had heard and read much about them, but had yet to form their acquaintance, and nothing ** goes” among their sort but personal experi- ence. Having settled on him as a victim, the four aes to ‘“‘roast” him in a style with which ey were familiar, CHAPTER IL. FOUR AGAINST ONE. SanDy McGucKIN and Ben Staples were the two men who blocked up the doorway, while those who advanced from the rear of the saloon were Deadwood Dave and Aaron Isaacs. The big bully paused at the little table, where the stranger’s untouched glass of liquor pre- a a temptation that was not to be re- He drained the glass before Isaacs could get to it, and lifted up his voice in tones that were tough, if not tragic: “Strike, cut, shoot! I smell the blood of a tenderfoot. Dead or alive, I'll git the galoot!” This was not calculated to tranquilize the mind of the only tenderfoot present, who showed vis- ible signs of uneasiness, and Deadwood Dave continued his unpleasant remarks, ‘He is mean enough to drink alone, this ten- derfoot is, and he don’t take but one drink, and that he don’t swaller,” *“You helped him out of that part of the scrape, Dave,” remarked Aaron. ti et NE SE si LL ** And you wanted to; but I got in ahead of you. Feller-citizens, what’s to be done with a tenderfoot who hain’t got no more conscience nor public sperret than that? Don’t he ought to be took holt of and taught his duty to his kentry and his feller-man?” “You've struck it right, Dave,” observed Sandy McGuckin. This was decidedly personal to the one tender- foot in the saloon, and was calculated to prey upon his feelings, especially in view of the har- rowing narratives to which he had listened; i it was possible that harm was not intended im. The only way to test the question was to at- tempt to leave the place, and for that purpose he moved toward the door. There be was stopped by Bad Lands Ben and Sandy McGuckin, and the heavy grip of Deadwood Dave fell on bis coat-collar, “Not much, my cherub,” firmly declared Dave. ‘* Not much, my tenderfooted darling. You can’t tear yourself away from us in tbat heartless style. As citizens of Topnotch’ who never go back on public sperrits or private liquor, we’ve got to investigate you.” ‘‘You had better leave me alone,” replied Simon Marvel, trying to bristle up. ‘* You don’t know who I am. ‘‘That’s true enough, sonny, and you don’t know who we are, either; but we are goin’ to interjuice ourselves to you, and you are goin’ to make our acquaintance in a way you will be likely to remember. Don’t you reckon that afore the circus begins, you bad better show your public sperrit by treatin’ this party? It may be said for Simon Marvel that he was strongly inclined to repudiate this propo- sition, Though by no means belligerent, he was not a coward, and it did not please him to feel that he was being imposed on; but his enemies were four to one, and he was helpless, It was barely ossible that he might conciliate them; so 8 peoret to the bar, and invited them to drink, They accepted this invitation witb cheerful alacrity, ranging themselves so that there was no chance for him to escape. He laid down a gold-piece to pay for the round, and the man behind the bar * hived it” with no ceremony. “* Where is my change?” inquired Simon, ‘¢That’s all right,” answered Bart. ‘' When the rest of the drinks is paid for, you’ll git what’s comin’ to you.” ‘“‘There are no more drinks to be paid for, and you have no right to keep my money.” ‘““Can’t you understand, my dear?” urged Deadwood Dave. ‘Just look at the matter in the light of a sperrit, and what would on expect? ou axed us to drink, and we've tees to drink, but we bain’t finished drinkin’. Don’t r’ile us up by gittin’ the thing wrong.” “This is nothing less than robbery,” boldly protested the young man. ‘Dear me! Hear him talk! If you don’t try to git hold of a little public sperrit, lg pe you are likely to have a hard time in these parts. Whar’s your mother?” ‘“ Where is my mother?” innocently replied Simon, who was naturally surpri by the uestion. ‘‘ Where is my mother? She is at neota, Kansas.” ** Does she know that you are here?” **T don’t Sy os she does,” ‘* It’s to be hoped she don’t, as it might worry her to think that you’d got into trouble for the want of public sperrit. Now you're goin’ to ax us to drink ag’in.” “Now I am going to leave this clared the young man, who had go up, and was becoming desperate. i ‘“‘T reckon you won't!” remarked his tor- mentor. : “*T will, though. You may kill me, but you sha’n’t keep me here.” It was quickly proved to him that they could kill him or keep him, as suited their pleasure. As he turned to make a second attempt to get away, Deadwood Dave clutched him, whirled him around, and held him with a grip from which there was no escaping. j ‘* Not this time, honey!” roared the big bully. **'You have settled it now, you durned fool of a tenderfoot, and we mean to skin you alive. We'll teach you better than to trifle with the public-sperrited citizens of Topnotch.” ‘““You had better let me Be” urged Simon, ‘You will suffer for this yet. : “Oh, no. not us, It is somebody else who is goin’ to suffer. How does it strike you that we can be made to suffer, sonny?” __ ‘* When my father hears of this, he will find a way to settle with you.” ‘** Hear him talk! dr Spe us are . That’s too much for public-sperrited citi- cath to stand. Hold bim_ up, Ben, till I land him one on his nose and sp’ile his beauty so that his pa will never know him ag’in.” The situation had become something more than serious; it was actually terrifying. Simon Marvel, unable to help himself, con- centrated all his energies upon a yell for assist~ ance, pure !” de- his spunk eae (¢ S G (o) EOmicboo a ™ 25> “_ —— « Pa mh ae -