Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 1 — page 11: what you’re looking at

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

——— He came sauntering along and halted on the thresh- oe to the occupants of the little a ent with a nonchalance which was not assumed. ‘*Good-evening!” he said, tipping his sombrero, but taking care not to let the mask — from his face. ‘*T hope mine is not an intrusion. Hearing music, I was loth to stay away, for I am a great lover of mu- sic;—it is the one passion that appeals to my better nature.’ He seated himself on the little stone step, and mo- tioned for Redburn to proceed. One of those inside the cabin had been strangely affected at the sight of Dick, and that person was Anita. She turned deathly Poe her hee assumed an expression of affright, and she trembled violently, as she first saw him. e Prince of the Road, how- ever, if he saw her, noticed not her agitation; in fact, he took not the second a at her while he re- mained at the cabin, His eyes were almost con- stantly fastening upon the lovely face and form of Alice, Thinking it best to humor one who might become either a powerful enemy or an influential friend, Redburn accordingly struck up a lively air, a /a banjo and in exact imitation of a minstre rendered ‘‘Gwine to Get a Home, Bymeby.” And the thun- ders of encore that came from the outside listeners showed how surely he had touched upon a pleasant chord. He followed that with several modern serio- comic snes, alt of which were received well and heartily applauded. “That recalls ines hy soed old pear a BA vat the road-agent, as he lean against the door- sill, and ened at the mountains, grand, majestic stupendous, and the starlit sky, azure, calm and serene, “ the days of early boyhood, that were gay, pure, and nappy. Ah! ho!” He heaved a deep sigh, and his head dropped up- on his breast. A deathlike silence pervaded the cabin; that one heartfelt sigh aroused a sensation of pity in each of the four hearts that beat within the cabin walls. That the road-agent was a gentleman in di was not to be yogpen ie all felt that, despite lawed calling, he was deserving of a them, in his better moods. As if to accord with his mood, Alice began asweet birdlike song, full of tender pathos, and of quieting sympathy. It was a quaint Scottish melody,—rich in its honey- ed meaning, sweetly weird and pitiful; wonderfully soothing and nourishing to a weeping spirit. Clear and flute-like the maiden’s cultured voice swelled out on the still night air, and the mountain echoes caught up the strains and jent a wild peculiar accom ment. wood Dick listened, with his head still bowed, and his hands clasped about one knee ;—listened in a kind of fascination, until the last reverberations of the song had died out in a wailing echo; then he sprung abruptly to his feet, drew one hand wearily across the masked brow; raised his sombrero with a deft movement, and bowed himself out—out into the night, where the moon and stars looked down at him, perhaps with more lenience than on some. Alice Terry rose from her seat, crossed over to the door, and after the straight handsome form, until it had mingled with the other road-agents, who had cam upon the slope. Then she turned about, and sat down on the couch beside Anita. “You are still, dear,’ she said, stroking the other’s long, unconfined hair. “Are you lonely? If not why don’t you say something?”’ “T have noth to say,”’ replied Anita, a sad, sweet smile pla over her features. “I have been too much en up with the-music to think of “But, you are seldom talkative.” “So brother used to tell me. He said I had lost my heart, and —, burn was ing on the window-casing with his fingers;—a sort of lonely tattoo it was. “You seemed to be much interested in the outlaw Miss Terry,” he observed, as if by chance the thought had just occurred to him, when, in reality, he was downright jealous, ‘‘ Had you two ever met—” “Ce not, sir,’ and Alice flashed him an in- lance. ‘Why do you ask?” **Oh! for no reason, in hae nae only I fancied that song was meant espec for him.” Redburn, afterward, would have given a hundred dollars to have recalled those hofirdeny Te the haughty half-indignant look Alice gave him instantly show him he was on the wrong k, If he wished to court her favor, it must be in a dif- ferent way, and he must not again give her a glimpse ’ out- among of his jealous nature. You ke of a brother,’ said Alice, turning to Anita. ‘* Does he live here with you?” “Yes, when not away on b ess. He has now been absent for over a month.” Os, Is he as sweet, sad, and silent as your- Be “Oh! no , Ned is unlike me; he is buoyant, cheer- mn Red? What is his full . name, dear?’’ ce grew sudde e and ess, as she remembered the handedese oung miner whom Fear- less Frank had slain in the duel, just outside of Deadwood. This, then, was his sister: and evidently she as yet knew nothing of his sad fate. **'Do you know aught concerning Edward Harris?” Redburn asked, seeing her agitation. Alice con- sidered a moment. ““Ido,”’ she answered, at last. “This Fearless whom I came here with, had a duel witha man, m above Deadwood, whose name was Edward “My God;—and his fate—?”’ Deadwood Dick. ~_-—— —— — **He was instantly killed, and left lying where he yg ne 3 ere was a scream of agony, just here, and a heavy fall. ta had fainted! CHAPTER XIV. THE TRANSIENT TRIUMPH, REDBURN sprung from his seat, ran over to her side, and raised her tenderly in his arms. “Poor thing!” he murmured, gazing into her pale, still f “the shock was too much for her. No wonder she fainted.” He laid her on the couch, and kept off the others who crowded around. “ Bring cold water!’ he ordered, *“‘ and I will soon have her out of this fit.”’ Alice hastened to obey, and Anita’s face and hands were bathed in the cooling liquid until she began to show signs of returning consciousness. ‘You may now give me the iculars of the affair,’’ Redburn said, rising and closing the door, for a chilly breeze was sweeping into the cabin. Alice proceeded to comply with his request by narrating what had occurred and, as nearly as possi- ble, what had been said. Whenshe had concluded, he gazed down for several moments thoughtfully into the face of Anita. There was much yet that was beyond his powers of comprehension—a knotty problem for which he saw no immediate solution. “What do you think about it, ‘‘General’?’’ he asked, turning to the mine-locater. ‘‘ Have we suf- ficient evidence to hang this devil in scarlet?” “*Hardly, boyee, hardly. ‘Peers ter me, ‘cordin’ to ther gal’s tell, thet thar war a fair shake all around, an’ as duelin’ ar’ more or less ther fashun ‘round these parts,—considera’bly more o’ less ‘n less 0’ more—et ain’t law-fell ter yank a critter up by ther throat!” ‘*T know it is not, according to the customs of this country of the Black Hills; but, look at it. That erage pouny-toiees a -_ b any ra ae not o en the lifeo r Harris, but, very probably, has given his Sister ber death-blow. The fueeton is: should he go unpunished in the face of this evidence?” cette Let him go; J will be the one to punish m }"’ It was Anita who spoke. She had partly arisen on the couch; her face was streaked with water and slightly rd; her hair blew unconfined about her neck and shoulders; her eyes blazed with a wild, almost savage fire. **Let him go!”’ she repeated, more of flerceness in her voice than Redburn had ever heard there, be- fore. ‘‘He shall not escape ny vengeance. Oh, my poor, poor dead brother!’ She flung herself back upon the couch, and gave herself up to a wild, passionate, uncontrollable out- burst of and sobs—the wailings of a sorrowi heart. Fora long time she continued to weep an sob violently; then came a lull, during which she fell asleep, from exhaustion—a deep sleep. Redburn and Alice then carried her into an adjo room, where she was left under the latter’s skillful care. Awhile later the cabin was wrapped in silence. When mo sunlight next ped down into the Flower Pocket, it found everything generally astir. Anita was up and her household duties, but she was calm, now, even sadder than before, making a strange contrast to blithe, gaysome Alice, who flitted about, here and there, like some bright- ed butterfly surrounded by a halo of perpetual e. Unknown to any one save themselves, two men were within the valley of the Flower Pocket gold- mines—there on b ess, and that business meant bloodshed. They were secreted in among the foot- hills on the western side of the flowering paradise, at a point where they were not observed, and at the same time were the observers of all that was going on in front of them. How came they here, when the hand of Deadwood Dick guarded the only accessible entrance there was to the valley? The answer was: they came secretly through the pass on the night p the arrival of the road-agents, and had been lying in close con- cealment ever since. The one was an elderly man of portly , and the other a young, dandyish fellow, evidently the elder’s son, for they resembled each other in every feature. e make no difficulty in reco them as the same precious pair whom Outlaw Dick ca tured from the stage, only to lose them again throug the treachery of two of own band. Fg — considerably the si for wear, and e gaun expression on their features, as the remen Bnge w shone down upon them, de- clared in a language more adequate than wo that they were beginning to suffer the first pangs o ation, “We cannot hold out at this rate much longer!” the elder Filmore cried, as he watched the bustle in oe valle ne wt ‘I’m as empty as a collapsed bal- oon, and what’s more, we're in no prospects of im- mediate relief.” ” Filmore, the younger, groaned aloud in agony of spirit. “Curse the Black Hills and all who have been ret ts ~ eset | t back in th d of civil sa fur et me the land o - ization again, and you S bet your bottom dollar I'll know enough to stay there.” “Bah! this little rough experience will do you gece If we only had a ge meal or two and a wee a sheexy, I weg “me quite ape Noth- a rospect reasing our vidual Sino would ever have lured me into this outland- inhabit them, oat ag !” he growled, | 11 ooo — OQ.) = place. But money, you know, is the root of a aes > “Evil! broke in the other, ‘“‘and after three months’ wild-goose-chase you are just as destitute of the desired root as you were at first.” “True, but we have at least discovered one of the shrubs at the bottom of which grows the root/” ** You refer to Deadwood Dick?”’ “tT do. He is here in the valley, and he must never leave it alive. While we have the chance we must strike the blow that will forever silence his tongue.” Yess but what about the girl? She will be just as much in the way, if not a good deal more so.’ “We can ae} her all right when the proper time arrives. Dick is our game, now.” ‘““He may prove altogether too much game. But, now that we are aoe how much of the ‘lay’ isto be mine, when this boy and girl are fin- ished?”’ he queried. ““How much? Well, that depends upon circum- stances. The ot may fall to you.” “ The girl? ! i'd rather be excused.”’ The day ed without incident in the mines. The work went steadily on, the sounds of the crusher — strange music for the mountain echoes to mock. Occasionally the crack of a rifle announced that either a road-agent or a Ute miner had risked a shot at a mountain sheep, bird, or deer. Generally their aim was attended with success, though sometimes they were unable to procure the slaughtered game. Redburn, on account of his clear-headedness and business tact, had full mere of both mines, the “General” working under in the shaft, and Fearless Frank in the quartz mine. When questioned about his duel with Harris by Redburn, McKenzie had very little to say; he seemed pained when approached on the ree en would an- swer no questions a ; was reserved and at times esp haughty. During the y Anita and Alice took a stroll through the valley, but the latter had been warned, and fought shy of the —— mine; so there was no encounter between Anita and Fearless Frank. Deadwood Dick joined them as they were return- ing to the cabin, loaded down with flowers—flowers of almost every color and perfume. “ This is doen day, Mek rere S a daisy, as he wa gracef ong. “One rare sees SO many beauties centered in one little valley like this—beautiful landscape and mountain scenery, beautiful flowers beneath smiling skies, and lovely women, the chief center of attraction eee all.”’ “Indeed !"’ and Alice gave him a ue smile; “you are flattering, sir road- t. ame at least, are not beautiful, in that horrible black suit and vil- lainous mask. You remind me of a picture I have seen somewhere of the devil in disguise; all that is lacking is the horns, tail and cloven-foot.”’ Dick broke out into a burst of laughter—it was one of those wild, terrible laughs of sO to hear from one who was evidently enn 2 years. Both of the girls were terrified, and would have fled had he not detained them. “Ha, ha!’’ he said, stepping in front of them, “do not be frightened; don’t go, es. That’s only the way I express my amusement at anything.” “Then, for mercy's sake, don’t get amused again,” said ao dep ly. “‘ Why, dear me, I thought the Old Nick and all his couriers had pounced down upon us.”’ ‘Well, how do you know but what he has? J may be his Satanic majesty, or one of his envoys.” “T hardly think so; you are too much an ee for that. Come, now, take off that detestable m and let me see what you look like.” **No, indeed! I would not remove this mask, ex- cept on conditions, for all the gold yon toiling miners are finding, which, I am satisfied, is no small amount.”’ “You spoke of conditions. What are they?” “Some me, perhaps, I will tell you, lady, but not now.__See! my men are signaling to me, and I must go. Adieu, ladies; and in another moment he had wheeled, and was striding back toward camp. In their concealment the two Filhmores witnessed this meeting between Dick and the two girls. **So there are females here, eh?’’ ted the elder, m ly. “‘From observation I should say that Prince Dick was a comparative stranger here.” “That is my opinion,” ed Clarence, his thoughts revert hisempty stomach. “Did Ae hear that laugh a moment ago? It was more like the screech of a lunatic than an else.”’ ere is no doubt of that in my mind.’ “‘And we shall have to keep on the alert to take him. He came to the cabin last night. If he does to-night we can mount ore — the elder Filmore succeeded in ca turing a wild goose that had strayed down with the stream from somewhere above. This was killed, dressed and half cooked by a brushwood fire which they hazarded in a fissure in the hillside wherein they had hidden. This fowl they almost ravenously devoured, and thus thoroughly satisfied their 4 tites. They now felt a great deal better, oe the work in hand—of capturing and slaying the devil Deadwood Dick. As soon as it was dark they crept, like the pees ing wolves they were, down into the valley, and posi- tioned th es many i A between the cabin and the road-agent’s camp, several yards apart, with | @ lasso h above the grass between them, to serve asa“ / ee sky fad become overcast with dense “ep ouds, and gloom valley was quite im- penetrable. From their concealment the two Fik IOO COME cS (E(0)