Henry Dodge

“ Dodge said, as he, accidentally of course, spilt a little upon Slinger's blanket under which he yet remained coiled; "by drinking it then you will not know whether it is double distilled or not. Come, be alive!" he went on to say, shaking his friends and almost lifting them upon their legs; "be alive, my boat is on the shore, and my bark is —where?" he said, casting his eyes in the direction in which he had left the canoe over-night; his bark was not there. Further observation confirmed his belief that the river was a tidal one, and that the plains and the bay of Westernport were not far off. ”

“ Dodge was a volcano; an eruption might occur at any time! The air to-day was wholesome; to-morrow it might be as full of lead as the Ozarks! In this fashion vibrated the hair-hung fears of the Ground Owl, and with a cheek of chalk he sought out Mr. Masterson to canvass ways and means to best conserve his safety. Mr. Masterson, who could hardly grasp the notion of personal cowardice on the part of any man, was shocked. However, he made no comment, evinced not the least surprise, but asked:
“You’re afraid some of the boys’ll shoot you up?” ”

“ With the utmost coolness, extending both arms, and still carrying the novel flag of truce, Dodge left the shelter of the store and walked towards the door of the hut, from whence a tall man issued in a similar attitude. After exchanging a few words they went back together, and the door was closed.
"You are as good as taken," were the first words Dodge uttered as he entered. "Don't deceive yourselves, you can't escape. As it is, you have shed no blood in the fray, and may escape hanging."
"But since the choice remains with us, we prefer the risk of being shot," was the rejoinder. ”

“ Dodge, who was not given to dream, particularly in broad daylight, had been more practically engaged. He had been so unfortunate as to break his only pipe, and had nearly completed the construction of another, the only means at his disposal being the bone of a leg of mutton, out of which he had formed the bowl, and the wing bone of a swan serving for a stem.
"You seem to like the sunshine," Dodge observed, boring into the mutton bone with his pocket knife.
"I do," Slinger replied, "how bright everything appears!" ”

“ Hugh asked.
"To that respectable gentleman I spoke of—old Dodge himself—He is your humble servant.—Strangers, allow me to introduce to you Giles Dodge—squatter—an outlaw (that means out of the reach of the law, you know,) —the will-o'the-wisp of lawyers—the terror of bailiffs—and as good a rifle shot as any in these parts; who can sneak a kangaroo or a bailiff with any man in the settlement—if he can't may I be darned." ”

“ The taunt about being in Dodge when he ought to be over on the Cimarron, harvesting a vengeance, had stirred him deeply. To have it intimated that his courage was slow, and his friendship cool, wore sorely on the soul of Mr. Masterson. It was the harder to bear when flung from the tongue of a woman; for his hands were tied, and his mouth was closed against resentment. “One thing,” thought Mr. Masterson, by way of self-consolation, “the man never made a moccasin track in Dodge who could have said as much and got away. Aunt Nettie’s right though; I ought to be evening up for Billy right now.” ”

“ I'll talk with any man alive for £50, not excepting that 'spectable old trump Nailem! Who'll try me—whar's the man?" As no champion appeared upon the lists, Dodge quietly resigned himself into the custody of his friends, with an intimation that he was "quite unaccustomed to public drinking, and that his feelings were beyond expression," which was certainly not the case with his countenance, for that bore most unmistakable characteristics of inebriety. ”

“ Dodge, to be able to state—and he had no delicacy in doing so, for Mr. Dodge was too honest a man to feel ashamed of the truth—that the handsome manner in which the colonists had come forward would completely relieve Mr. Dodge from all his embarrassments, and leave him a considerable balance afterwards.
At this information, no one was more astonished than the person chiefly interested. He looked inquiringly at Slinger, who simply said "Fact! Raymond and I made out the balance sheet." Whereupon Dodge, extending a hand to each, said, in a faltering voice, "I may thank you for all this;" ”

“ Trask and Mr. Tighlman and Cimarron Bill sorrowfully gathered at the Wright House and gave a dinner in his honor. Following the dinner, Mr. Masterson translated himself to Arizona, while Dodge relieved its feelings with the circulation of a document which read:
“We, the undersigned, agree to pay the sums set opposite our names to the widow and orphans of the gent who first informs on a saloonkeeper.”
The white American is a mammal of unusual sort. He doesn’t mind when his officers of government merely rob him, or do no more than just saddle and ride him in favour of some pillaging monopoly. ”

“ Giles Dodge of Westernport, are you, Sir?" inquired the lawyer.
"I am," said Dodge. "You have unpleasant news to communicate."
"Very," said the other, with a grim smile; which did not escape Dodge's notice, for he could not comprehend how it could presage bad news; besides he detected a stifled laugh from the clerks' office. "I have something which will surprise you; and he turned over a pile of papers which lay on a desk, presently singling out one, he dallied with it for a short time, still conversing with Dodge, on whose mind flashed a suspicion that foul play was intended. ”

“ Old friends are claiming our attention now. Raymond and Slinger, your hands.—Honest hands too, though horny to the touch and somewhat of the brownest. Dodge, we wish we had a third hand to give you. We are glad to hear the world has gone well with you all: that your business in Melbourne, commenced with a capital of £350, sold for £3,500; that your cattle have multiplied exceedingly under the watchful superintendence of Big Mick, who now resides with his wife and family at the station once owned by Dodge. ”

“ Here's Raymond and I have cut out all our plans, and you want to come in and spoil everything, you ungrateful old creature: give me your hand: we will hear nothing more to the contrary, you shall come in as a partner."
"Here's a pretty position for a man to be in," said Dodge; "why how many more partners do you want to take? I hope you don't find" ———— and Dodge whispered the name in Slinger's ear, "so unwilling as I am." ”

“ A man can scarcely be more moderate than that, I think." Whatever his friends might have thought, they did not feel disposed to dispute the proposition.
After Dodge had been silent for a short time, he exclaimed, "We must go through it;" and depositing the pipe in his pouch, he flourished his tomahawk, and, joined by Hugh and Slinger, they commenced a vigorous attack upon the part of the scrub which seemed most likely to give way under their exertions. ”

“ Some bad paleface might otherwise sell him a gun that was bewitched. Mr. Masterson would protect him from that fearful risk. Mr. Masterson was an honest man. No one could fight as Mr. Masterson had fought, unless his heart were very pure and strong.
The only drawback to a visit to Dodge lurked in this that it would compel the Lone Wolf to speak English. Surely, he had learned English at Carlisle; but knowing, as know all Indians, that to speak the white man’s language brings misfortune and sickness and death, he had had the wit to discontinue the practice. ”

“ When Palo Duro Pete, from his seat in the Dodge Opera House, arises in a torrent of tears, pulls his six-shooter and slams away at Miss Witherspoon, while that cantatrice is singing “Home, Sweet Home,” Dodge wholly understands the sobbing, shooting Palo Duro. Had he ridden away on another’s pony, or sought to shift the title to a mule by heating a running iron and changing its brand, Dodge would not have attributed the act to any excess of emotion. It would have recognised a crime, and dealt coldly with Palo Duro as with a criminal taken in the felon fact. ”

“ On the 18th of April, five companies from Pennsylvania, the advance of a mighty host, had gone through to Washington. The next day Colonel Small, to whom I have referred in connection with Paoli, at the head of the Seventh Pennsylvania Regiment, and the Sixth Massachusetts Regiment, were attacked in Baltimore. Among the wounded was Henry C. Dodge, a printer in the office of the Weekly Phœnix, the Phœnixville newspaper, who returned home with a cut across the hand and established his reputation as a hero. The immediate danger at Havre de Grace soon disappeared. ”

“ Thus was it with the ebullient folk of Dodge on the dry occasion of Prohibition. The paper adverted to gained many signatures, and promised a fortune to those mourning ones it so feelingly described.
When Mr. Masterson laid down his regalia as Sheriff and the public realised that he had pulled his six-shooters, officially, for the last time, a sense of loss filled the bosoms of those who liked a peaceful life. There was another brood which felt the better pleased. Certain dissolute ones, who arrive at ruddiest blossom in a half-baked Western camp, made no secret of their satisfaction. ”

“ Here's a fellow," turning round to Slinger and pointing to Dodge, "who would face any created thing in the shape of a man, running away from a handbill, which after all I believe is genuine, at least I know that a certain Giles Dodge deserves the praise of the colonists for the part he played in the capture of the bushrangers. ”

“ Short, coldly, while a gray glimmer, a kind of danger signal it was, began to show in his eye. “Every gent inside the Long Branch is for Bat Masterson or he wouldn’t be here. Also, to suggest fraud,” concluded Mr. Short, as Mr. Webster seemed about to speak, “would be an attack upon my honour, me ownin’ the joint.”
Now the honour of Mr. Short, next to Mr. Short’s six-shooter, was the most feverish thing in Dodge. The mere mention of it sent a shiver through Mr. Webster. Without parley he surrendered tamely, and the count at the Long Branch began. ”

“ Yes, but what Dodge will turn out will outwear that suit two to one and, besides, it’ll fit you, Rowland. You won’t have to pay the whole bill right away if you don’t want to, only you mustn’t tell faculty. ”

“ It has been well said that even the greatest rascals have some good points in their nature which outlive the commission of crimes of the deepest die. The man who acted as leader opened the door without saying another word and motioned Dodge to depart, who returned to his friends and recounted to them the failure of his mission, when the firing recommenced.
During his absence, at Slinger's suggestion, a rough kind of shield had been constructed of split slabs capable of being borne before an advancing party. ”

“ Robberson, and exclaimed, "Come, shake it; it is far cleaner than it looks, and I don't care to leave you with any ill feeling." But Mr. Robberson was far too dignified a personage to regard Dodge's honest freedom with the respect it deserved, so he coolly turned his back upon him; whereupon a torch was again lighted, and amidst a round of cheers the advance was gallantly and rapidly made. The firing from the bushrangers almost ceased until the attacking party approached near the back of the hut. The lighted brand was then thrust under the dry bark of which the roof was constructed. ”

“ Dodge said to Slinger, "I can fight my own battles. Let us drop this nonsense; we have our work before us: is every thing ready?" Every thing was ready. "Now, Mr. Robberson, who is going to transact this delicate piece of business, you or I?" The gentleman was silent: perhaps with indignation.
The shield was raised and tested, when it was pronounced bullet proof, and was again moved out from behind the trees. This time both Hugh and Slinger accompanied Dodge; who, before starting on the doubtful service, offered the post of honor, as well as danger, to Mr. Robberson ”

“ On doing so, the bailiff found, to his dismay, that he had been provided with a wrong one. Dodge was in his glory. The lawyer was beaten on his own ground. Turning sharply on the bailiff, who was not recovered from his surprise, Dodge dealt him a smart blow which threw him from his saddle, and then putting spurs to his horse he rode through the town at full speed, shouting, at the top of his voice," Whoo-oop—whoo-oop—hurra!—I'll show you the road to "Westernport!—hurra!" ”

“ Immediately upon landing at Liverpool, Donald had begun his search for the missing Ellen Lee, who, if she could be found, surely would be able to help him, he thought. From all that Mr. Reed had been able to learn previously, she undoubtedly had been Mrs. Wolcott Reed's maid, and had taken charge of the twins on board of the fated vessel. Soon after the shipwreck she had been traced to Liverpool, as the reader knows, and had disappeared at that time, before Mr. Reed's clerk, Henry Wakeley, could see her. ”

“ Before Slinger had completed the grave, Dodge, assisted by Raymond, stripped a tree of its bark (the invariable substitute for boarding in all bush work,) and then laying the body of the bushranger on one sheet placed another over, and binding all tightly together with a rope made of twisted grass, brought the body to the edge of the grave ready for interment.
"'Twas under just such another tree as this," said Dodge, as they lowered it into the earth, "that I buried poor Tom, and in silence too; but come, lads, we must shake off the dismals." ”