The Deadwood Dick Library: Denver Doll's Device — page 3: what you’re looking at

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

Denver Doll’s Device. ? Denver Dall’s Device; By THE DETECTIVE QUEEN. BY E, L, WHKELER, AUTHOR OF ‘DEADWOOD DICK” NOVELS, “ROSEBUD ROB” NOVELS, ETC. CHAPTER I. ONE NIGHT'S MYSTERY, “ Ar yar! ki! yit didn’t I done gone tell yer? Thar ib gous agtin, honey, Hl’s de cry oba ehile, suah sart?in!” And Fitz Walter August Christie, more com- monly known as Walt, rolled his comical eyes toward his three companious, his ebouy coun- tenance glowing with triumph. : But his three companions hovered closer to the lonely camp-fire that crackled briskly upon the gulch bottom, as if tbey were in no wise eager to ventureforth to ascertain from whence and whom had emanstel the piteous wailing ery that had twice faintly pealed forth on the chill November night. The camp-fire burnel in the mouth of a deep narrow gulch of forbidding aspect, and ata point where it openad out uEde a bar or pro- Jection, thres sides. of which were washed by the waters of a dark, swift, sileat river, whose appearance was ao more inviting than the wild mountainous country that gave it birth. Four men were gathered about the camp-tire, with rifles, picks and shovels lying by their sides, showing tham to be prospactors; and over all fell the first gentle flakes of the earliest au- tumual snow-storm, : : The darky was tha spokesman of the crowd, and appeared to consider himself virtually the Jesder. He was a trim, spruce-appearing fel- Jow, and had more than ordinary sagacity and intelligence expressed in his face. One of his campanions was a ponderous Dutchman of enormous girth, who grunted at every breath like au over-fattened hog and re- joiced in the happy cognomen of Jacob Strauss, or Yakie, for short. Both he and Walt were attired in miners’ habiliments and were well-armed. Next to Yakie was huddled up an almond- eyed Chinaman, about whom there was nothiaz particularly noticeable more than that be still wore his native queue, and had rather a crafty expression of countenance, not uncommon with the Celestials found in the West. The fourth person was a prisoner, bound to a trea near the fre—a man of some two-and- twenty years, in whose face was reflected little “that was villainous or bad. - Why he was held in confinement will present- ly be developed. The words of the darky, as stated, had no atartling effect upon his auditors. Chug, the Chinaman, gave an uninterested yawn, and Yakie grunted louder than ever. “ Dot vas a yiittcat!” he growled. peony! 2 ows more in one minute dan dat whole many,” Walt asseverated. ‘‘I say dat was de scream ob a chile, done gone suah, an’ ds common instincts ob our natures should i : cause us to go fru blud an’ water to save dat yar kid, sah!” “Of you vants to go, vy, dot ish all rigbc I don’d > Yakle declared. uty skin vas vor. too mooch to sell it to der vildcats und lions so ea ae ‘Hel he! lions in America!” sneered Walt, ‘'You’s done can tole a lion from a coon, fo’ suah; Yar’s Chug; he even knows dat daw nuffin’ like lions in America—hi, piggy?” Chung looked sagacious, but shook his head, “ Velly muchee liar in ’Melica!” he declared, ‘“Chinaman nebber lie allee samea likee ’Meli- can man.” / Just then came another cry floating into the lonely camp on the keen breeze—a moaning, piteons sort of wail peculiar to a child in dis- tress, Walt could stand this no longer; he leaped to his feet, his eyes rolling ludicrously and peering about in the darkness. ‘““] jes’ wish to poodness Denver Doll was hyar!” hecried. ‘Dat yar ery done gone chill all der marrer in dis chile’s bones, ’dead it does, Yar’s some lost baby in de mountings, au’ I ‘clar’ to da Lor’ it’s our duty to go to de rescus. Lae ay go long, Chug?” rv Ly ainaman belly big’ coward!” the Celestia said, hugging the fire closer. ‘No good at. ‘htee. No go wid black ’Melican man. he man at the stake, who, while listening and’ watching, had evinced considerable interest, now spoke op. “The black terrier is right!” he said, in a voice of command. ‘That isno animal ery. There is undoubtedly a child in distress, somewhere in this vicinity, aud it is your duty, as men, to go to its rescue. \If you are too co wardly, pra, Wicd me the privilege to go in search of it. fail to raturn, you can forever know Tom Jar- vis isa liar and an ingrate.” : ‘Yakie Strauss took his pipe from his mouts, long enough to put his thumb sarcastically to his nose, P ‘© Not if der Consditution of der United Statei vas acquained mit herself, und she rather dims she vas!” he chuckled, knowingly. ‘‘ You vas, purty shmardt rooster, maybe somedimes all dei wile, Misder Jarvis, but you don’d vas can come some foony pizness ven Yakie Strauss vas around, Yon pelong to derrobber gang off Mc- Parland und Co., und ve yoost hold you till der bass comes,” ‘‘ You will find your mistake when Denver Doll comes,” Jarvis repled, seeming vo be a lites worried at the Dutchman's flat refusal. ‘Tam in no way acquainted with McParland, nor do I serve him in any respect,” ss A grunt from Yakia wasall the answer this assertion elicited. Christie had crept out of sight up the gulch. Satisfied that he could get no assisbance among his own comrades, the plucky fellow had made up his mind to go it alone, in o venture to solve the mystery of the wailing cry. \ He had left his riflaat the camp, but had a trasty revolver drawn, ready for use, and thus aes ai crept on in the direction of the place — | whence came the sound, It was some ten or fifteen minutes ere ae