The Project Gutenberg eBook of Ducky entertains
This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and
most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions
whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms
of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online
at www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States,
you will have to check the laws of the country where you are located
before using this eBook.
Title: Ducky entertains
Author: Douglas H. Woodworth
Release date: August 23, 2026 [eBook #79433]
Language: English
Original publication: New York, NY: The Frank A. Munsey Company, 1928
Other information and formats: www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/79433
Credits: Prepared by volunteers at BookCove (bookcove.net)
*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK DUCKY ENTERTAINS ***
[Illustration: All the brightness of this moon-faced deputy wasn’t
on his silver star.]
DUCKY ENTERTAINS
By Douglas H. Woodworth
“Hello, Ducky, what’s yours?”
The moon-faced deputy of Silver Springs waddled to the bar, hitched up
his trousers, laid a sweat-stained sombrero upon the battered wood, and
wiped his perspiring face before replying.
No one looking at Ducky Drake’s pink and white features and well-padded
form would have guessed him to be fifty-two years old, still less would
they have imagined that here was the shrewdest and most feared man
hunter in the region.
His indolent, complacent manner masked a brain as keen and sure as a
finely tempered blade, and his corpulent, slow-appearing body gave no
indication of the surprising strength and agility the man possessed.
Ducky returned his bandanna to his pocket and regarded the barkeeper in
the Colorado mournfully.
“Jimmy,” he said pleadingly, “I hankers fer somethin’ tuh take my mind
offen the cares an’ troubles of my exactin’ duties. I craves some hard
likker, the kind that falls with a clatter an’ lands with a bang. I’m
plumb meloncolic, that’s what. Don’t keep me in expense no longer.”
The grinning bartender slid a bottle and glass across the battered
“mahogany” and leaned his elbows upon the bar as he watched the fat
deputy pour himself a drink.
“I’ll betcha business is rushin’,” he agreed facetiously. “What all yuh
been pesterin’ around at this bright mornin’?”
“Collectin’ tacks.”
“Collectin’ taxes? You? Say, Silver Springs ain’t needed a tax collector
like you since Sittin’ Bull was a calf. Quit stringin’.”
The only other occupant of the room—a tall, quiet, keen-eyed man dressed
in “Eastern” clothes, standing at the other end of the bar—set down his
glass and looked at the bartender.
“I wonder now—perhaps this gentleman could—”
“My mistake,” declared Jimmy. “This here’s Napoleon Drake—we calls him
Ducky because he toes in an’ waddles when he walks—an’ this, Ducky, is
Mr. Armstrong, of Milwaukee. That’s some place back East. He is honin’
to invest some dollars in more or less real estate in our fair parts.
Gents, there yuh are.”
Ducky had unobtrusively scrutinized the other upon entering, but now his
moon face beamed full upon the Easterner as he held out a moist, limp
hand.
“Perhaps I’m in luck,” Armstrong said with a slightly superior air. “I
heard you speak of taxes, and I thought perhaps, having access to the
rolls, you could—”
“Mister, yuh got me wrong,” broke in Ducky. “I ain’t no Fairy-see goin’
round collectin’ any tax. It was tacks I got—t-a-k-s, see?”
Ducky, after a short struggle, withdrew from his pocket a box of carpet
tacks and tossed it on the bar. “No, sir,” he corrected, shaking his
head dolefully. “Me, I’m only a pore paper-hanger, but buh-leeve me,
gents, if I ever gits the chance I’m gonna be a printer.”
“Oh, I see,” the stranger murmured politely. “My mistake.”
“Paper-hanger?” Jimmy lifted an incredulous eyebrow.
“By cripes, yes! All the mail we gits is reward notices of hombres what
never poke their snoots within a hundred mile of Silver Springs, an’
I’ve plastered them up so thick in the office I tremble every time I go
there fer fear the walls ’ll cave in on me. I was jest thinkin’ the
printer what makes all of them notices must be some wealthy.”
“I neglected tuh mention, Mr. Armstrong,” the bartender bowed in mock
gravity, “that Ducky here is our prized an’ cherished deputy sheriff.
One of the biggest in the glorious West, if I do say it.”
The stranger seemed taken aback for a moment, but there was no doubt of
his interest.
“Let’s all have another, bartender,” he suggested easily. “I am still
certain that Mr. Drake can give me good advice about the purchase of
land in this region. I suppose,” he continued, turning to Ducky, “that
you make quite a bit now and then, cashing in on those rewards, don’t
you?”
The fat deputy waxed sarcastic. “Yeah, we shore do. If I’d ’a’ got the
five hundred that was offered fer ‘Squint’ Sanborn last summer and jest
five hundred more, I’d have a cold thousand now, I would. Who in heck
would come out here in the open tuh hide, I asks yuh?”
“Who indeed?” agreed Jimmy sympathetically.
“On the other hand,” went on Ducky, “there’s what yuh might call fittin’
e-mollyments. Them reward notices is the only funny readin’ that comes
tuh the office. Here, lissen tuh this one that come yesterday.”
Ducky reached into the inside pocket of his vest, and his face went
blank. One by one every pocket was explored without result.
“Guess I lost it,” he sighed. “Well, it’ll save me the trouble of
tackin’ it up, an’ I can remember what it said pretty well. Goes
somethin’ like this: One thousand dollars reward will be paid fer
information leadin’ tuh the arrest of Clarence B. ‘Dandy Claire’
Winslow, formerly of Chicago. This man is wanted fer the theft of
diamonds worth over two hundred thousand dollars from a Chicago jewelry
salesman. Believed to have headed West. Possibly the coast. Notify
somebody or other at Chicago.
“Course they was other information included, sech as this Winslow feller
had two legs an’ a pair of arms, an’ he was a des’prit critter, an’ so
on. But if he was plumb foolish enough tuh come tuh Silver Springs, who
would know him anyhow?”
“I have heard of this man Winslow,” nodded the newcomer. “I understand
he is a very dangerous rascal and would not hesitate to shoot at sight.”
Ducky held up a restraining hand.
“Don’t make it no worse,” he begged, gulping down another glass of
whisky. “By cripes, I’m so nervous right now betcha I won’t sleep a wink
tuh-night. I shore hopes none of them critters invade this here vale of
peace an’ plenty of heat. One more snifter, mister, an’ I’ll be on my
way back tuh barricade myself in the office. Here’s how!”
Armstrong barely sipped at his glass and set it down quickly as Ducky
picked up his package of tacks and slapped his limp hat upon his
thinning locks.
“About the land, now—”
“Come over tuh the office any time,” suggested Ducky. “Come over right
now, if yuh wanta. I ain’t got much tuh do, now I lost that notice an’
won’t have to nail her up.”
“Are you certain it’s lost?” inquired Armstrong as he retrieved his
satchel from the end of the bar and followed the deputy outside. “You
see, I am locating land for a party back in Milwaukee, and I carry quite
a bit of cash on my person. I would like to read an accurate description
of this Winslow. Who knows, I might meet him some day?”
“If yuh did,” declared Ducky, “yuh prob’ly wouldn’t have a lot of time
tuh bury no dust. Yeah, it’s lost, all right. Must ’a’ dropped it on the
way up from the post office, an’ with this wind she’s halfway tuh
Californy by now. Here’s the office. Right tidy place, huh?”
The stranger surveyed the weather-beaten little jail building without
enthusiasm. It was a one-story structure, standing alone in the hot sun
a few yards back from the board sidewalk. Behind it was the stable where
Sheriff Frank Parker kept the horses.
“It looks hot,” he decided, “but I guess it’s hot everywhere to-day.”
Ducky nodded and sank down into an old swivel chair that creaked
protestingly and threatened to emulate the end of the wonderful one-hoss
shay. Waving a fat hand toward another chair by the wall, Ducky leaned
back, placed both feet upon the sheriff’s desk, and started to roll a
cigarette.
“The sheriff, I take it, isn’t in?” remarked Armstrong.
“Nope,” grunted Ducky, searching for a match. “Frank and Nate
Rossman—Nate is the other deputy—they went down toward Rosalie tuh serve
some papers, an’ left me plumb lonesome.”
“Well, well. Only the prisoners for company, eh?”
“Nope. Nary a prisoner. Gittin’ so dang peaceful hereabouts the jack
rabbits make love tuh the coyotes. But a few year ago!” Ducky rolled his
eyes dramatically and pointed to the wall behind Armstrong. “Mister,
lookathere. Purty near every one of them lead slingers was took from
des’prit bad men.”
The entire side wall of the room was literally covered with firearms of
all sizes and shapes. The stranger stared at the array in silence, while
Ducky chuckled to himself.
The collecting of guns was Drake’s only weakness. Almost every cent of
extra cash he had scraped together had been put into these firearms, and
Ducky knew as well as any one that the collection was now worth far more
than it had cost him.
Guns, rifles, and pistols of every description were represented, from
long-barreled flintlock Kentucky rifles to the latest model Winchesters,
and from engraved dueling pistols to modern double-action Colts. If ever
a man loved guns, it was Ducky Drake.
Now as the stranger stared at the wall the deputy unblushingly began the
recital of the history of some of them.
“That there flintlock at the top, now,” he declared, “that’s the gun
Dan’l Boone shot the coon with. Davy Crockett had the one next to it.
Jim Bridger had that there hand cannon next tuh the corner, an’ that
six-gun with all the notches belonged tuh Sam Bass. Them two-hand guns
with the rosewood stocks was old ‘Chilled’ Steele’s, what lived down on
the Diamond S south of here a piece. See that funny shaped Evans rifle
there? Holds twenty-six ca’triges in the magazine. Dick Brownlee down in
Arizony shot twenty-seven ’Paches with that one day without reloadin’.
Yuh see, two got in line wunst.”
Armstrong shook his head with proper awe, and behind his back the
grinning Ducky continued:
“Yes, sir, I’m right proud of them guns. Jest one thing I lack. I never
see one of them newfangled automatics I’ve heerd about. I’d give a
pretty penny fer one of them.”
The stranger turned to look into Ducky’s innocent eyes, then smiled
coaxingly.
“You’re a collector all right,” he declared admiringly. “Tell you what
I’ll do. Lead me to a good ranch near here that I can buy cheap, and
I’ll see that you get an automatic. How’s that?”
Ducky’s blue eyes opened wide.
“By cripes, will ya? Got her with yuh? Le’s see it?”
“Yes, I have one with me,” Armstrong admitted. “My brother gave it to me
when I started out here. Silly thing to do, of course, but I did it for
his sake. Here.”
A little too smoothly for a novice, Armstrong’s hand slipped under the
lapel of his coat and withdrew a .38 army style automatic. This was
tendered to the delighted deputy.
“Look at her!” Ducky gloated, turning the shiny blue pistol over and
over in his hands. “Say, I’ll take yuh down tuh the Steele place this
very afternoon. Betcha could git that ranch cheap, now the old cuss is
dead.”
Drake started to return the weapon, then suddenly drew his hand back as
if in afterthought, and glared at the Eastern man.
“Well, I’ll be danged! ’Most fergot it. Don’tcha know it’s against the
law tuh carry concealed weapons in this here town? By cripes, I’ll have
tuh lock yuh up till Frank gits back.”
Armstrong studied the fat deputy coldly for a moment.
“Don’t be so anxious to complete that collection,” he sneered. “Did you
steal all the rest of them?”
Ducky looked peeved.
“Let me tell yuh, mister, I know the law, an’ it says no concealed irons
goes.”
For several minutes the stranger sat thinking deeply, then looked up
with a pleasant smile.
“I’ll tell you what I’ll do.” Armstrong’s tone was placating. “I could
not give you that pistol, for it was a present. How about shipping it
back to my brother and asking him to send another for you?”
“Can yuh play checkers good?” Ducky asked irrelevantly.
“Can I— Say, what’s the idea? Of course I can play checkers. What’s that
got to do with it?”
“That settles it,” Ducky declared, dropping his feet to the floor with a
bang. “Gotta lock yuh up till Frank gits back. Ain’t had a decent game
of checkers since old man Ambrose died last winter.”
Armstrong sprang to his feet, his face white with righteous indignation.
“What kind of a damn fool are you?” he roared. “Think for a minute you
can put that kind of a game over on me?”
“There, there,” soothed Ducky. “’Twon’t be but fer a little while, an’ I
got orders tuh lock up every gazabo that’s packin’ concealed weapons
till the sheriff looks into the case. Yuh’ll jest git a dinner on the
county an’ have a chanst to rest up some from yore travels.”
The fat deputy drew his long .45, and waved Armstrong toward the open
door that led to the back room, where two empty cells were waiting.
The stranger looked at the weaving gun muzzle and remembered the
generous libations Ducky had been enjoying. Then he turned sullenly and
headed for the indicated doorway.
Might as well humor this half-baked old fool; no telling what he might
do. When the sheriff came he could get even easily enough.
Ducky picked up the Easterner’s bag, opened it, glanced casually at the
contents, and slid it along the cell floor after his prisoner. The door
clanged shut.
“There,” said Ducky. “Now I’ll git the checker board.”
“Wait a minute,” called Armstrong. “You aren’t going to steal that
automatic, are you? Let me send it home, and honest to God I’ll have my
brother send you another. Give me a box and let me wrap it up.”
Ducky chuckled silently to himself as he turned his back and searched
diligently through a cupboard in the corner.
Presently he returned with a cigar box and an old piece of wrapping
paper. Dropping the pistol into the box, he slid it between the bars and
turned to leave.
“Fix it up yoreself,” he called over his shoulder. “I can’t be bothered
with yore troubles. Gotta find the checker board.”
Armstrong looked at him curiously.
“Did you ever stop to think,” he said softly, “that with this gun I
could shoot you where you stand?”
Ducky paused and looked back.
“Nope,” he admitted, “I never did, but wouldn’t the sheriff be mighty
peeved if he come back an’ saw his best deputy shot an’ the killer
behind the bars waitin’ fer him? Besides, I took all the ca’triges out.”
With that parting shot Ducky strolled into the office and began
rummaging in the cupboard again. When he returned it was with a stool, a
chair and the checkers.
The stool he placed next the cell door, upon it he laid the checker
board, then waved for his prisoner to draw up his chair.
“Give me yore package first,” he advised. “Dassent let Frank come back
an’ find it in the cell with yuh.”
“I haven’t a pen to put on the address,” Armstrong objected.
“Tha’s all right. Yuh can put that on at the post office when we go out
fer dinner. I’ll take the blacks ’cause I’m used to ’em. They’re one
short, an’ I hafta use a pants button. You move first.”
Ducky left his opponent arranging the checkers and carried the box into
the office. Then he returned, and the two men settled down to their
game. Armstrong caught something of the humor of the situation, and
smiled as he pitted his skill against the wily Ducky.
What a story this would make when he got back and told the bunch! He was
wearing a puzzled frown after Ducky had beaten him three straight games,
but the fat deputy laughed happily and laid out his men again.
“I’m getting hungry,” Armstrong said suddenly. “Can’t we go and get some
dinner?”
Ducky looked at his great silver watch. “By cripes, that’s right. Almost
noon. Wait till I go feed the horses an’ I’ll take you down tuh the
Chink’s.”
The Easterner waited with what patience he could, but he would have been
more than surprised if he could have watched Ducky as the deputy gave
the horses their noon meal.
“Was kinda expectin’ Frank back before dinner,” Ducky remarked as he
reëntered.
“Then let’s hurry,” Armstrong said with a nervous grin. “I’d like to
make the county buy at least one meal before I’m let go, just to pay for
this foolishness.”
As they passed through the little office Armstrong retrieved his box
from the desk.
“Let’s mail this first,” he suggested. “Won’t have to carry it all
around.”
“All right,” agreed Ducky. “But buh-leeve me, mister, it ’ll take a lot
of cash tuh mail that heavy box. Better leave it in the office safe till
Frank gits here.”
“And have you steal that automatic? I guess not!”
Ducky chuckled again as he led the way to the musty post office.
“What time does the next train leave Silver Springs?” Armstrong asked of
the dour old postmaster as the latter stamped and registered the
package.
“’Bout fifteen minutes. Yuh shore got here jest under the wire. This ’ll
cost yuh three seventy-five. What’s the value?”
“Fifty dollars,” answered the Milwaukee man promptly; and Ducky grinned.
“Do them dang things cost that much?” he asked, round-eyed. “By cripes.
Betcha yore brother won’t send me one after all. Well, let’s hunt up the
Chink an’ crawl around a snack.”
After a generous meal the two men returned to the jail, and Ducky
insisted that Armstrong be locked up again.
“I take a nap every afternoon,” he explained, “an’ I don’t want yuh
runnin’ out on me.”
“Then let’s play checkers,” growled the Easterner. “I’m going to skunk
you if it takes all the afternoon.”
They were in the middle of their fifth game and Armstrong was still
seeking revenge, when Sheriff Parker and his other deputy entered the
office.
“How are yuh, travelers?” Ducky called over his shoulder. “Take off yore
hats an’ rest yore faces an’ hands.”
“Whatcha doin’?” asked the sheriff, entering the cell room. Then his
glance fell upon Armstrong, and he paused, staring at the prisoner.
“Well, I’ll be—” he breathed, drawing a reward notice from his pocket
and comparing the printed picture with the man in front of him.
Armstrong had leaped to his feet, his face twisted with rage.
“Good Lord, Ducky!” Parker cried. “Do you know who you’ve got? That is
Dandy Claire Winslow, shore as I’m a foot high!”
“Kinda figgered it was,” admitted Ducky calmly. “Don’t git excited in
this heat, Frank. He’s safe, ain’t he?”
“You dirty skunk!” Winslow bellowed, shaking his fist at the placid
deputy. “You said you lost that notice. You tricked me into—”
Anger choked the prisoner into speechlessness.
“Up tuh yore old tricks, agin, eh, Ducky?” Parker grinned. “Now, what
was it?”
“Aw, shucks!” the fat deputy defended himself. “If I’d ’a’ let on,
where’d our checker games been?”
“One thing,” snarled the prisoner, coming close to the bars and pointing
a triumphant finger at Ducky. “You missed out on the best part of it,
you cheap crook. They can’t do much to me if they can’t find the swag.
Know where it is? In that box I mailed! The train is gone. Know the
address on the box? Try and git it, damn you!”
“Nope, I don’t know the address yuh put on that box,” admitted Ducky,
packing the checkers away. “But I was honin’ tuh git that gun fer my
collection, so I rung in a cold deck on yuh. Yore stuff is safe in the
cupboard, an’ yuh paid three dollars and seventy-five cents tuh send a
box of pebbles back East!”
[Transcriber’s Note: This story appeared in Argosy, All-Story Weekly
Magazine, June 16, 1928. It is believed to be in the public domain
in the United States; copyright status may differ in other countries.]
*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK DUCKY ENTERTAINS ***
Updated editions will replace the previous one—the old editions will
be renamed.
Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright
law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works,
so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United
States without permission and without paying copyright
royalties. Special rules, set forth in the General Terms of Use part
of this license, apply to copying and distributing Project
Gutenberg™ electronic works to protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG™
concept and trademark. Project Gutenberg is a registered trademark,
and may not be used if you charge for an eBook, except by following
the terms of the trademark license, including paying royalties for use
of the Project Gutenberg trademark. If you do not charge anything for
copies of this eBook, complying with the trademark license is very
easy. You may use this eBook for nearly any purpose such as creation
of derivative works, reports, performances and research. Project
Gutenberg eBooks may be modified and printed and given away—you may
do practically ANYTHING in the United States with eBooks not protected
by U.S. copyright law. Redistribution is subject to the trademark
license, especially commercial redistribution.
START: FULL LICENSE
THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG™ LICENSE
PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU DISTRIBUTE OR USE THIS WORK
To protect the Project Gutenberg™ mission of promoting the free
distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this work
(or any other work associated in any way with the phrase “Project
Gutenberg”), you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full
Project Gutenberg License available with this file or online at
www.gutenberg.org/license.
Section 1. General Terms of Use and Redistributing Project Gutenberg
electronic works
1.A. By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg
electronic work, you indicate that you have read, understand, agree to
and accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property
(trademark/copyright) agreement. If you do not agree to abide by all
the terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or
destroy all copies of Project Gutenberg electronic works in your
possession. If you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a
Project Gutenberg electronic work and you do not agree to be bound
by the terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the person
or entity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph 1.E.8.
1.B. “Project Gutenberg” is a registered trademark. It may only be
used on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people who
agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement. There are a few
things that you can do with most Project Gutenberg electronic works
even without complying with the full terms of this agreement. See
paragraph 1.C below. There are a lot of things you can do with Project
Gutenberg electronic works if you follow the terms of this
agreement and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg
electronic works. See paragraph 1.E below.
1.C. The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation (“the
Foundation” or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection
of Project Gutenberg electronic works. Nearly all the individual
works in the collection are in the public domain in the United
States. If an individual work is unprotected by copyright law in the
United States and you are located in the United States, we do not
claim a right to prevent you from copying, distributing, performing,
displaying or creating derivative works based on the work as long as
all references to Project Gutenberg are removed. Of course, we hope
that you will support the Project Gutenberg mission of promoting
free access to electronic works by freely sharing Project Gutenberg
works in compliance with the terms of this agreement for keeping the
Project Gutenberg name associated with the work. You can easily
comply with the terms of this agreement by keeping this work in the
same format with its attached full Project Gutenberg License when
you share it without charge with others.
1.D. The copyright laws of the place where you are located also govern
what you can do with this work. Copyright laws in most countries are
in a constant state of change. If you are outside the United States,
check the laws of your country in addition to the terms of this
agreement before downloading, copying, displaying, performing,
distributing or creating derivative works based on this work or any
other Project Gutenberg work. The Foundation makes no
representations concerning the copyright status of any work in any
country other than the United States.
1.E. Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg:
1.E.1. The following sentence, with active links to, or other
immediate access to, the full Project Gutenberg License must appear
prominently whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg work (any work
on which the phrase “Project Gutenberg” appears, or with which the
phrase “Project Gutenberg” is associated) is accessed, displayed,
performed, viewed, copied or distributed:
This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most
other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions
whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms
of the Project Gutenberg™ License included with this eBook or online
at www.gutenberg.org. If you
are not located in the United States, you will have to check the laws
of the country where you are located before using this eBook.
1.E.2. If an individual Project Gutenberg electronic work is
derived from texts not protected by U.S. copyright law (does not
contain a notice indicating that it is posted with permission of the
copyright holder), the work can be copied and distributed to anyone in
the United States without paying any fees or charges. If you are
redistributing or providing access to a work with the phrase “Project
Gutenberg” associated with or appearing on the work, you must comply
either with the requirements of paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 or
obtain permission for the use of the work and the Project Gutenberg
trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1.E.8 or 1.E.9.
1.E.3. If an individual Project Gutenberg electronic work is posted
with the permission of the copyright holder, your use and distribution
must comply with both paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 and any
additional terms imposed by the copyright holder. Additional terms
will be linked to the Project Gutenberg License for all works
posted with the permission of the copyright holder found at the
beginning of this work.
1.E.4. Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project Gutenberg
License terms from this work, or any files containing a part of this
work or any other work associated with Project Gutenberg.
1.E.5. Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute this
electronic work, or any part of this electronic work, without
prominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1.E.1 with
active links or immediate access to the full terms of the Project
Gutenberg License.
1.E.6. You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary,
compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form, including
any word processing or hypertext form. However, if you provide access
to or distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg work in a format
other than “Plain Vanilla ASCII” or other format used in the official
version posted on the official Project Gutenberg website
(www.gutenberg.org), you must, at no additional cost, fee or expense
to the user, provide a copy, a means of exporting a copy, or a means
of obtaining a copy upon request, of the work in its original “Plain
Vanilla ASCII” or other form. Any alternate format must include the
full Project Gutenberg License as specified in paragraph 1.E.1.
1.E.7. Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing, displaying,
performing, copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg works
unless you comply with paragraph 1.E.8 or 1.E.9.
1.E.8. You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or providing
access to or distributing Project Gutenberg electronic works
provided that:
• You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from
the use of Project Gutenberg works calculated using the method
you already use to calculate your applicable taxes. The fee is owed
to the owner of the Project Gutenberg trademark, but he has
agreed to donate royalties under this paragraph to the Project
Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation. Royalty payments must be paid
within 60 days following each date on which you prepare (or are
legally required to prepare) your periodic tax returns. Royalty
payments should be clearly marked as such and sent to the Project
Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation at the address specified in
Section 4, “Information about donations to the Project Gutenberg
Literary Archive Foundation.”
• You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who notifies
you in writing (or by e-mail) within 30 days of receipt that s/he
does not agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg™
License. You must require such a user to return or destroy all
copies of the works possessed in a physical medium and discontinue
all use of and all access to other copies of Project Gutenberg™
works.
• You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1.F.3, a full refund of
any money paid for a work or a replacement copy, if a defect in the
electronic work is discovered and reported to you within 90 days of
receipt of the work.
• You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free
distribution of Project Gutenberg™ works.
1.E.9. If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project
Gutenberg™ electronic work or group of works on different terms than
are set forth in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing
from the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the manager of
the Project Gutenberg™ trademark. Contact the Foundation as set
forth in Section 3 below.
1.F.
1.F.1. Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend considerable
effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofread
works not protected by U.S. copyright law in creating the Project
Gutenberg™ collection. Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg™
electronic works, and the medium on which they may be stored, may
contain “Defects,” such as, but not limited to, incomplete, inaccurate
or corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other
intellectual property infringement, a defective or damaged disk or
other medium, a computer virus, or computer codes that damage or
cannot be read by your equipment.
1.F.2. LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES - Except for the “Right
of Replacement or Refund” described in paragraph 1.F.3, the Project
Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the owner of the Project
Gutenberg™ trademark, and any other party distributing a Project
Gutenberg™ electronic work under this agreement, disclaim all
liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal
fees. YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICT
LIABILITY, BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSE
PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH 1.F.3. YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATION, THE
TRADEMARK OWNER, AND ANY DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE
LIABLE TO YOU FOR ACTUAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR
INCIDENTAL DAMAGES EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH
DAMAGE.
1.F.3. LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND - If you discover a
defect in this electronic work within 90 days of receiving it, you can
receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending a
written explanation to the person you received the work from. If you
received the work on a physical medium, you must return the medium
with your written explanation. The person or entity that provided you
with the defective work may elect to provide a replacement copy in
lieu of a refund. If you received the work electronically, the person
or entity providing it to you may choose to give you a second
opportunity to receive the work electronically in lieu of a refund. If
the second copy is also defective, you may demand a refund in writing
without further opportunities to fix the problem.
1.F.4. Except for the limited right of replacement or refund set forth
in paragraph 1.F.3, this work is provided to you ‘AS-IS’, WITH NO
OTHER WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT
LIMITED TO WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE.
1.F.5. Some states do not allow disclaimers of certain implied
warranties or the exclusion or limitation of certain types of
damages. If any disclaimer or limitation set forth in this agreement
violates the law of the state applicable to this agreement, the
agreement shall be interpreted to make the maximum disclaimer or
limitation permitted by the applicable state law. The invalidity or
unenforceability of any provision of this agreement shall not void the
remaining provisions.
1.F.6. INDEMNITY - You agree to indemnify and hold the Foundation, the
trademark owner, any agent or employee of the Foundation, anyone
providing copies of Project Gutenberg™ electronic works in
accordance with this agreement, and any volunteers associated with the
production, promotion and distribution of Project Gutenberg™
electronic works, harmless from all liability, costs and expenses,
including legal fees, that arise directly or indirectly from any of
the following which you do or cause to occur: (a) distribution of this
or any Project Gutenberg work, (b) alteration, modification, or
additions or deletions to any Project Gutenberg work, and (c) any
Defect you cause.
Section 2. Information about the Mission of Project Gutenberg
Project Gutenberg is synonymous with the free distribution of
electronic works in formats readable by the widest variety of
computers including obsolete, old, middle-aged and new computers. It
exists because of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and donations
from people in all walks of life.
Volunteers and financial support to provide volunteers with the
assistance they need are critical to reaching Project Gutenberg’s
goals and ensuring that the Project Gutenberg collection will
remain freely available for generations to come. In 2001, the Project
Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation was created to provide a secure
and permanent future for Project Gutenberg and future
generations. To learn more about the Project Gutenberg Literary
Archive Foundation and how your efforts and donations can help, see
Sections 3 and 4 and the Foundation information page at www.gutenberg.org.
Section 3. Information about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation
The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a non-profit
501(c)(3) educational corporation organized under the laws of the
state of Mississippi and granted tax exempt status by the Internal
Revenue Service. The Foundation’s EIN or federal tax identification
number is 64-6221541. Contributions to the Project Gutenberg Literary
Archive Foundation are tax deductible to the full extent permitted by
U.S. federal laws and your state’s laws.
The Foundation’s business office is located at 41 Watchung Plaza #516,
Montclair NJ 07042, USA, +1 (862) 621-9288. Email contact links and up
to date contact information can be found at the Foundation’s website
and official page at www.gutenberg.org/contact
Section 4. Information about Donations to the Project Gutenberg
Literary Archive Foundation
Project Gutenberg™ depends upon and cannot survive without widespread
public support and donations to carry out its mission of
increasing the number of public domain and licensed works that can be
freely distributed in machine-readable form accessible by the widest
array of equipment including outdated equipment. Many small donations
($1 to $5,000) are particularly important to maintaining tax exempt
status with the IRS.
The Foundation is committed to complying with the laws regulating
charities and charitable donations in all 50 states of the United
States. Compliance requirements are not uniform and it takes a
considerable effort, much paperwork and many fees to meet and keep up
with these requirements. We do not solicit donations in locations
where we have not received written confirmation of compliance. To SEND
DONATIONS or determine the status of compliance for any particular state
visit www.gutenberg.org/donate.
While we cannot and do not solicit contributions from states where we
have not met the solicitation requirements, we know of no prohibition
against accepting unsolicited donations from donors in such states who
approach us with offers to donate.
International donations are gratefully accepted, but we cannot make
any statements concerning tax treatment of donations received from
outside the United States. U.S. laws alone swamp our small staff.
Please check the Project Gutenberg web pages for current donation
methods and addresses. Donations are accepted in a number of other
ways including checks, online payments and credit card donations. To
donate, please visit: www.gutenberg.org/donate.
Section 5. General Information About Project Gutenberg electronic works
Professor Michael S. Hart was the originator of the Project
Gutenberg concept of a library of electronic works that could be
freely shared with anyone. For forty years, he produced and
distributed Project Gutenberg eBooks with only a loose network of
volunteer support.
Project Gutenberg eBooks are often created from several printed
editions, all of which are confirmed as not protected by copyright in
the U.S. unless a copyright notice is included. Thus, we do not
necessarily keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper
edition.
Most people start at our website which has the main PG search
facility: www.gutenberg.org.
This website includes information about Project Gutenberg,
including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary
Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to
subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks.
