Diamond Dick, Jr.: The Boys' Best Weekly — page 23: what you’re looking at

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

DIAMOND DICK, JR. OCT: OF SIGHT, 21 month now, an’ it is gittin’ oneasy—kin fee] it movin’ roun’ in ma pocket!”’ ‘*Allee sanee you bettel holdee fast to it and keepee it out of sight, else you gittee into tlouble clear up to ears, you bettee !”? ‘“Keep: ’way, I tell ye! I really love trouble, an’ oncet ye git me stralited-—~—”’ ‘“Glee-ory to snakes! but he has got sand !”? | ' ‘““Once ye git me stahied, no tellin’ whar I’se gwine to fetch up,’ the negro youth finished. ‘‘I'l] fill de whole atmo- sphere wid pigtail, red whuskers, blouse, stogy boots an’ stripe shirt! Be no end to trouble! Bettal drive slow, las’ time!” **Ai-yi! Chin-kum-foo! Chow-cliow- how-ow! Allee sannee be dead coon to plant if pullee dam lazor on me, you bettee! Me gottee little piece cold hard- ware in pocket, allee samee spittee up ounce of lead ewely time speakee ; plunkee hole thlough before can communence to vinkee eye! Bette] not show lazor ’lound here, bettee life!” | ‘All right, all right; but drive slow all de same, else you have to be gethered up ina basket. You want to look out fo’ me, boy !”? ‘““Glee-ory to snakes!’’ cried the Ser- pent. ‘‘Don’t you two cusses git at,et, fer somebody would be bound to git hurt. We don’t want ter harm you, nig, so jist keep your razor under kiver.”? ‘CAn’? I don’ mean dat ye shall halim ine, eeder, you bet! Keep vo’ distance, I tell you, till I know more ’bout ye!”’ ‘‘Allee samee what name is?’’ inquired the Mascot. ‘‘Ma name is Junius Brutus Crow, an’ don’ you forget it, eeder!*? ‘““Glee-ory to snakes! You aire as black as a crow, anyhow, I be durn ef you ain’t!”? : “Took heah, white man, don’ you go for to fling any you’s ’sinuations ’roun’ | heah, else you will stir me up an’ cause trouble fus thing you knows!’ “Vou keepee still, Hally, let me sinooth down liis-rumpled feathers; he all light, I begin to think. Allee samee vou got no shorter name ’n’ that? That too muclee name to say in hully.’? ‘““No, Iain’t got no shorter name ’n’ dat; an’ if I had I wouldn’t tell you, so dere!”? ‘Den allee samee have to call Blackbel]l y—— ‘‘Glee-ory to snakes an’ Andy Jackson! Jist the thing, Mascot, jist the thing! Couldn’t call himanything better if ye tried!) Blackberry is better’n Crow, any day! Give us yer hand, Blackberry !”? ‘*Keep ’way, white man! Don’ yo’ come nigh me, else I rip out dis heah razah an’ begin operations! I’s stood all de ’buse I’se gwine to stand fv’ one day, on yo’ life! Jist now got put off de train kase I han’t de dough to put up, an’ I warn ye you ‘to look out!” ‘*Ai-yi! Then we your fliends sure nuff!’ cried the Mascot. ‘‘We all in same boat; misery bely much like com- pany, so hear tellee.”’ ‘Den you don’t belong ’round heah?”? “*VYou bettee nit!’ ‘But we have got business hyer, Black- berry; glee-ory to snakes, we have so! And if you want to jine our combination till we git out of the woods, I’]] put up the stuff for your fare to where you want to go to; I will so!”’ ‘Vo’ mean dat, white man?” ‘Wake up, snakes, an’ prove ther pud- din?! DoT mean et? I’m mean enough fer anything, an’ I mean et jist as hard as I kin. I like the sand vou showed when you stood us both off like ye did, an’ I ‘shouldn’t wonder if Diamond Dick, Jr., would cotton to ye——’’ ‘*Diamond Dick, Junyah!”? *‘Bet yer life——”’ ‘‘Ma stars! Not de Diamond Dick, Junyah, dat I have read about!”’ ‘* Allee samee same one,’’ declared the Mascot. ‘Only one Diainond Dick, Juny, an’ he’s our boss, you bettee!”’ ““Glee-ory to snakes, no! Thar ain’t but one, but he’s the only original, is my leetle pardner, son of his dad; God bless him!” ‘‘Ma stars an’ Sally Jones! Go way, trouble! Diamond Dick, Junyah—Oh! Oh! Come an’ hug me, Sally, hug me hahd! Den you must be Handsonie . Harry. white man, an’ you de Mascot!’ ‘““Glae-ory to snakes! Give us yer hands, Ace o’ Spades, give us yer hands! And that’s another name fer ye, et is so! Oh! Wake up, snakes, an’ lick merlas- ses! Mascot, we hev found ther subster- toot fer the Two-Cent Kid, we have so!”? COMmicsoOolkxsS.Com