Deadwood Dick's Big Deal; or, The Gold Brick of Oregon — page 51: what you’re looking at

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

DEADWOOD DICK. 53 of the citizens, whose infitce was plainly turned against him because of his reduction of the wages of the miners? Truly, it did not look so! On the other hand, with no apparent chance of escape confronting him, he had no other conviction than that he was in a bad fix. The hours dragged by slowly. Outside he could hear the sentries pacing to and fro. These were the only dis- tinguishable sounds. As the nignt advanced a thunder-storm came up and raged furiously for half an hour. The thunder pounded along the heavens threatening, as the lightning played about the lone cabin with blinding glares. Deadwood Dick was by no means cowardly or super- Stitious, but he could not but feel a little awed at the sit- uation, and he kept his eyes roving about him, wondering if Crazy Chet would make any manifestations of his pres- ence near his former home. The storm finally passed, and dead quiet, reigned once more. Not even the sentry tramp could be heard outside. A weary sense of loneliness and exhaustion stole over the prisoner, and ere he knew it he was off in a doze. It was not in accordance with his habit, however, to nap long, except in safe quarters, and he soon sat bolt upright On the cot, wide awake and alert. Some instinctive warning of danger must have aroused im. He listened His quick ear caught the sound of ap- Proaching footsteps. “Some one is coming this way, and if I am not greatly mistaken, it is Stephen Raymond,” he mused. “Do they Mean to kill me outright, and thus make sure of me?” He had not long to wait. The night-visitors soon Teached the door, urlocked and opened it, and entered, one Of the number turning on the light of a bull’s-eye lantern. _ There were four of the party, and they were Raymond, ; Chester, Miles, the express-agent, and a ruffian of the camp called Hogshead Hank. 3 All were well armed, and looked forbidding enough for was ‘they tered, all but Hogshead Hank soon as en ap- Proached Deadwood Dick; he staying by the door to guard Qgainst a surprise. Comichooks Gom