Deadwood Dick's Big Deal; or, The Gold Brick of Oregon — page 55: what you’re looking at

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

DEADWOOD DICK, 57 “Shoot? Lor’ yes! Ef ye attempt ter tighten thet noose about Dicky’s neck, somebody in sev’ral instances 18 gwine ter drap. I ain’t foolin’—I mean biz!” “What do you say, boys! Let’s pitch into the old rascal and lick the blazes out of him,” the express-agent sug- ested impatiently. Chester and Hogshead Hank shook their heads. They knew that the veteran had the reputation of being in- vincible in a fight, and that having the drop as he did, it Stood to reason that he would give them a chance to join. the army of the departed. “Lookee here! that’s all nonsense!” Chester growled. “I fer one would like to know what’s to be done? Are we to hang this ruffian or not?” “Emphatically not!” Avalanche .answered promptly. “Ye’re jest gwine ter turn yer toes toward Right Bower, and mawg! D’ye hear? I mean it. Ef ye refuse one minnit, down goes the apple-cart of him w’ot hesitates. One, two, three—git!” Stern and authoritative were the Great Annihilator’s words, and not a man of the would-be lynchers’ quartette that he would do as he had promised, “Boys, we've got no choice but to obey,” Stephen Ray- mond cried, “and I am going. It will be an unhealthy thing to remain here.” “T'll fix you if you ever show up in the camp, old man; and you, too, Deadwood Dick!” Ralph Chester threat- ened, savagely. “All right! I shall make it my business to hunt you up, yOu scoundrel, since I’ve found out who you are said to Dick retorted. Then the baffied party set out in single file toward When he wes no longer ‘able to hear their footsteps, and was satisfied that they were really gone, Avalanche @Pproached Dick and took the rope from his neck. “A narrer escape, boyee—a narrer escape. Didn't much allow I'd skeer em away so easy, Hello! what's this?— handcuffs, eh?” “Yes. I reckon I’ find it difficult to get them of,” “Dunno. That reminds me. When I was comin’ heer, fust I know’d I found a key in my hand. How the ’tarnal comiclooks.comnn