The Deadwood Dick Library: Denver Doll's Device — page 18: what you’re looking at

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

i. “ Dezuver Doll's Device. rival lover. { f ward retaken, and is now in McParland’s camp.” : : “ You are an expert at your business,” Yankee The child was rescued, but after- said, with sarcasm, ‘You are well versed in the case, but I already have learned all that your revelation discloses. Can’t you give me something new?" ‘*T nave not dune, yet,” Zoe replied, unrufiled at his taunt. ‘‘ Your present is one of great importance—more than was the past. A fortune is pendiug on your child. You want her—so do thers, aud each is ready to pay for her, and our enemy has the advantage by being on in- imate terms with the child's captor, fo that, although you may employ detectives, it is likely the 20th of November will pass without your seeing anything of your child—then, ncr there- after—unless you go at the matter in a different way. There 1s but one person who can get pos- session of Ethel Hisler, on short notice, ane that person is myself!” Yankee whistled: “T thought you were working arcund to somethiug of the kind!” he said, ron mounte- banks-are all frauds.” “Nevertheless, [ will wager all my money that I can produce the child within a certain number of hours. My price is your band in marriage. You are handsome, and I am by no Means a fright. We would make an excellent worldly team, I fancy.” ‘¢ Undoubtedly! But, child or no child, for- tune or no fortune, Iam not in the matrimonial market.” “Oh! Well, you have not had time te con- sider yet.' After-thought may bring a change, Possibly I shall possess the child, and if I can do nothing better, can sell it to Verner, He is, T-understaud, very anxious to possess her, so that he can put it out of the way. My pro- fessional charges are fivo dollars.” “Dirt cheap!” Yankee said, as he tossed her a gold piece, and strode from the tent. “ Another schemer who has spotted the case, and is trying to make a stake!” he muttered, going toward the \Post-office. ‘td give a deal to know who she is,” In passing Crystal Carrol’s he dropped in, but.a mulatto boy was tendiny !o business, and the pretty proprictress was Howbere a be seen, - When the stage came rolling down into the town, it carried, for a wonder, but one passen- Saale weazened, pinched-up little specimen of umauity, some fifty years of age, whose nose was of a ripe cherry color, and whose head was asbald asafull moon. The hooked cherry nose graced his visage, just above a large tobacco- Btained mouth; his beard was of a week’s growth, and the most striking sign of intelli- ence about him was a pair of little peering lack eyes, sunken under a pait of shaggy over- hanging -eyebrows. In them was expressed a wily cunning, that belonged to-one of his na- This individual, who on the journey had voluntarily introduced himself to Mickey Pryor as Monroe Miller, was as soon as he left the stage, by Verner, with a hearty hand-shake, and the two walked away together toward the Monaco, The eyes of Denver Doll, who was at the Post- office at the time, took in the matter, and a faint swile curved her pretty mouth, “There is t be a meeting, to-night, and that iv man with a tinted nose will perticipate,” she ~ mu‘ed, “If I don’t learn what this meeting is about, I hope I may never see daylight.” She watched Verner and his chum enter the Monaco; then she stepped brixkly across the gulch to the boarding-house, and made her way to her room. In fifteen minutes she emerged from the room transformed into a rough-shod miner—and one of the hardest-looking specimens of the miner's fraternity that one would be likely to meet in a long time. Leaving a note mnder the door of theroom ru by .her three comrades, she left the boarding-house, and made for the Monaco, } where she presented herself at the bar, and or- dered whisky. ““Where’s yer rhino?’ the astute Emily de-° manded, eying ber sharply? ‘© Put her on ther slate!” was the*reply, ‘tm Glycerine George, from Poverty Claim, dead bu’sted, by thunder!” “Then go make a raise!” was the advice, “Plenty o’ suckers lavin? ‘round loose,” Glycerine George turned away wich a sigh. Near by stood Old Pap, locxing nearly as for- lorn as the delegate from Poverty Claim, ‘*See hyar, pilgrim, don’t despair,” he said, mournfully. ‘' Don’t despair, fer thar'’s a silver lini’ ter every cloud they say. [ hnaven’s smiled fer a month—think o’ that. My pard he tried to make a raise, but ther last { see’d 0’ him war his heels vanishin’ over that air dis- pensim’ counter, “ «Et's hard ter be broke, an gowi’out ile, But Sea oO’ change, when we rope in our p ‘Whether this logic affected the party from Poverty Claim, or not, is bard to say, but he zigzagged his way into a corner, immediately ‘In the rear of a a Verner and Miller were seated, and fell ina heap, as if ‘‘ all *eas over!” ‘‘Who is the galoot?” Miller eried, in an un- dertone, : “Bah! Some drunken tough, dead drunk and dead _ broke, I reckon,” Verner said, care- lessly, ‘* You say we can depend on half of the men at the camp, certain?” ‘Yes, I have given the matter a careful canvas, and there's fully that many ready for mutiny. Two months have passed without a divy being declared, an’ the boys are kind o* skeered.” “ What off! ‘* Well, there’s a heap of Uncle Sem’s men in the vicinity, which makes the situation look uupromising, in itself. Then, Mac has held off about the divy so long that some have an idea. he intends turnin’ traitor for sake ©’ savin’ his’ own skin.” “T wouldn't be nd Ease TPve no confidence in him. But let us Sobarh until the midnight meeting. I have notified all the safe men to be |