Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 1003 — page 5: what you’re looking at

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

nc ne ee his injured head. ‘‘ He’s tracked me here from New York and i'd give five hundred dollars to see him out of the way.” ‘**'Yo' would?” asked Dacy. ‘Yes, sir, | would. If you want to under- take the job I'll give you that amount in cold cash,” Dacy looked nervously about him, and then said with a forced iaugh: *' It ain’t in my line, but ef I git a chance I'll do anything jest to oblige you,” ** All right,” said Dunning. ‘‘I wish to thun- der you would, If [ see bim again I'll bet he’ll go under or I'll know the reason why he don’t,” ‘*What’s he follerin’ yo’ fur!’ asked Lacy, innocently. ‘*He thinks I’m connected with a murder out East, and is watchin’ me, | suppose, to see if he can’t find some evidence to criminate me.” **I shouldn’t be surprised ef you wuz,” said the other, referring to the first part of the sentence, ‘‘ But, anyway, it’s yer own busi- ness.” Dunning looked shale at Dacy, and having bandaged up his head, left the room, In Silver- side he was stopping at the residence of a man named Darkin, who kept a place but little better than the ‘‘ Badgers’ Nest,” known to the residents as the ‘‘ Whitehouse.” He had come West ostensibly to engage in mining speculation, but why he had chosen such an out-of-the-way village to commence his operations in, probably he alone could tell, Dunning had not been in Silverside a week be- fore he had made friends with nearly all of its citizens, The wound in his forehead proved to be a very painful one, and added several degrets to his hatred for the detective. After re-arrang- ing the bandages several times, be returned to the ‘* Badgers’ Nest,” and, finding Dacy busily engaged in presiding over a faro-table, he walked up-stairs to inspect a room which was being prepares for him, ot knowing which of the many similar rooms had been set aside for him, he tried bis key in several and finally opened one at the far end of the hall. As he crossed the threshold, he was gré@eted with a scream from a person already occupying the room, ‘I beg your pardon, miss,” said Dunning, hastily retreating. “T thought this was my room because my key unlocked the door. I as- sure you I didn’t intend—” Grace Denmore, for it was she, interrupted sar speaker with an eagerness that startled m. ‘* Oh, sir, if you will only let me escape now that the doorisopen. That horrible man has been keeping me here for acouple of days. 1 am the daughter of Colonel Denmore, of Placer Ranch, and was taken from home last Thurs- day by two men. Won’t you please let me get away This agonized entreaty was poured into Dunning’s ears almost in a breath, but he took in the situation readily and proffered bis assistance, which it is scarcely necessary to inform the reader was not entirely disin- terested.” The beautiful girl had made a de- cided impression on him, and he rapidly evolved @plan for transferring her from Dacy’s charge to his own, “You cannot hope to escape unsoen now,” he said. ‘* But about two o’clock to-morrow morn- ing I will be here to release you. Dacy will have retired by that time, and your flight will mot be discovered for several bours,” “On, thank you, thank you!” said the young irl, fervently. ‘' My fatber will do anything or you, if you will only get me,out of this ter- rible place, ‘* I will be pleased to do so,” replied Dunning. “But I must go now; keep up your spirits until I return,” He bowed.and smiled, and then leaving the room, locked the door on the outside, ‘* Well, this is what might be called a soft snap,” he mused, walking slowly down-stairs, ‘“‘T’ll rescue the beautiful young gir! from the heavy villain, and then play heavy villain my- self. [ reckon Darkin can accommodate her over to the ‘Whitehouse,’ and Dacy’ll never suspect me of taking ber from him, And at the same time;the Plaver Ranch crowd will think Dacy is the Man who's got the girl.” Dunning chuckiéd) softly to himself, and throughout the afterngon and evening was in an unusually jovial mo So much so that Dar- mm asking the cause of his good humor, was ae a a ea eae ee ** And,” said the former, ‘‘ it’s more than like- ly that she will be here some time to-night.” ‘* Very weli,” responded Darkin. ‘* Ther best in ther house is readv fur her—ez long ez yo’ foot der bills. Which yo’ always do,” he edded hastily, for fear that his guest would take offense at his reference to such a trivial matter. When Dunning had left, Grace threw herself upon the bed and fairly cried for joy. Without knowing who her captors were or why sbe had been held a prisoner, the poor girl had been sur- rounded with a thousand unknown fears, **Oh, if he should fail!” sho thought again and again, ‘‘ What on earth wouldI do? But he won’t—he can’t! I do so wish it was time for him to come,” And thus, trembling between hope and fear, Grace spent the long afternoon and evening. Her supper was broug!:t to her at midnight, but she could scarcely force herself to eat a mouthful, so great was her anxiety. Tne little nickel-plated clock on the mantel struck two at length, however, and almost before its echo had died away,a stealthy footstep in the hallway announced Dunning’s arrival. She flung a shaw! over her bead and shoulders, and alm: st rushed into his arms as her rescuer unlocked tbe door. **On, ’'m so glad you’ve come,” she panted. **T feared something would keep you, Let us go at once, some one May come,” The excited girl did not know that her com- panion’s arm was resting across her shoulders as locked the door and placed the key in his pocket, ‘‘ My dear,” he said, calmly, ‘* keep very still until we get outside, The slightest sound may awake Dacy or one of his men.”’ The two had scarcely reached the outside of the building before another key turned in the door of the room in which Grace had been con- fined, and three persons cautiously entered, They were Pail Dacy, Nick Goodloe and a man called Parson Pete, a pretty tough-looking fellow who passed in the village as a regularly ordained Protestant minister. The two former paused on the threshold and uttered a ery of dismay, “She ain’t hyer,” cried Dacy, and the words were echoed by Nick Goodloe, who accompanied them by a suggestive movement toward his hip- pocket, ‘*Dacy,” he said, and an angry light gleamed in his. eyes; ‘‘I told you to keep watch er thet gurl an’ yo’ promised faithful thet yo’ would,, She’s gone now, and I’m goin’ to hold yo’ to ac- count fur it.” The proprietor of the ‘* Badgers’ Nest” was too completely paralyzed by the girl’s disappear- ance to pay attention to Nick’s threat. Several times he tried to speak, but not a word came from between hjs clinched teeth. Malai he turned toward Goodloe like a ger. “isnt ‘* Did yo’ take thet gurl?” he hissed, ‘' Yo’ an’ me were the only ones who knew she wuz hyer, She’s gone now, an’ y ther Eternal, Nick, ’’ll make yo’ suffer far it.’ The two thoroughly maddened men stood looking into each other's eyes, * Nick, whar's thet gurl?” **Yo'd better ask, yo’ sneakin’ scoundrel! Didn't I trugt her with yo’ an’ ain’t yo’ gone back on yo’r word? Didn’t yo’ hev charge uv her, an’ didn’t—” ‘ W batever further questions Nick might have asked were interrupted by the tramp of feet down-stairs, and before the disappointed trio could conceal themselves, a score of Placer Ranch men with Kid Keen at their head, came rushing down the narrow hall. CHAPTER V. NICK GOODLOE’S PARD, — A MAN well known in both Silverside and Placer Ranch as ‘‘ Limpy Dick,” must now be introduced to the reader, He came to the latter town with its first settlers and bad drifted back and forth between the rival villages ever since, He was one of aclass of men which more than anything else, is likely to discourage future emi- gration to the Far West, : A murderer and a thief, brought up in the very midst of the worst kind of. crimes and criminals, his natural appetite for devilishness of any sort had been srenginenes not satis- fied by past indulgences, In ap singularly repulsive, one ear being entirely gone ~ the Other showing signs of attempted ampu- on, A bullet, had plowed through the half of his leg when a boy, and this disablement had won nce he was ee Ce C5 —ee or? on A ESSAY ae the only man who would acknowledge any deep regurd for him was Nick Goodloe, A strange but lasting friendship had sprung up between these two, and there was no scheme too danger- ous or plot too intricate, which, if proposed by one, would not be fully carried out by the other. Nick’s infatuation for. Colonel Denmore’s daughter was the only point on which the two pards differed. Limpy Dick did not like wo- men of any kind or caliber, and when Goodloe asked for his assistance in kidnapping Grace, he at once attempted to dissuade his partner from the crime, But Nick was not to be thwarted, and atter much argumert he induced Limpy Dick to lend bis assistance to the scheme, Since the kidnapping the eg had kept silent for fear of suspicion, most of the time re- maining in the Little log cabin near Placer Ranch, But when two days had he ventured out of his hole, and almost the first man he met was German Joe. ; ‘* Hello, Limupy,” was the latter’s salutation. ‘’ Whar’ve yo’ peen so long?” “Laid up with ther r’umatiz fur a week,” re- piled, Dick, gruffly. ‘‘Couldn’t git out’n my ‘‘Too bad,” said the Dutchman, ‘ Does dodt Nick Goodloe lif midt yo’?” «és Yes,” ‘¢ Vell, I come aroundt to see him, Is he in?” ‘‘ No, not now; but ef you play keerds, yo’ kin cum in an’ wait fur him, We mpught hev a cordi’l game uv poker, eh?” Joe acquiesced and the two entered the cabin. Dick produced a pack of cards, which Joe readily saw were marked; but be made no ob- jection, and the game began, Each one took in 3 pot, and then the door opened, admitting Kid een, ‘Say, Limpy,” he cried, excitedly, ‘ Nick Goodloe’s got into a muss with Phil Dacy, au’ you'd better—” : The cripple threw down his hand, and seizing his rifle aud cartridge-belt, rushed behind the cabin where his borse was tied. In another,in- stant he was galloping madly toward Silver- side, ‘‘ Waal, Dutchy,” said Keen. ‘* Thet wuz a pooty cute game, Now we've got rid of ther chumps, yo’ search ther cabin an’ 1’ll watch out- side.” ~ s Keen had propesed that they search Limpy Dick’s cabin, to see if they could find anything there to connect Goodloe with the kidnepping. Joe searched the single room very thoroughly, but nothing could he find that would tend to criminate Nick. But what he did discover, with a shock of surprise and delight, was a legal-looking paper bearing a seal, and under it the words: ‘The Last Will and Testament of Joseph Sehlerger.” He quickly slipped the paper into his pocket, and rejoined Keen outside, ‘ ‘*T vhas nodt fint anyt’ings,” he said in a dis-: appointed tone, ** All right,” replied Keen, ‘‘ We'll hev to look elsewhere.” ° ‘*T tell yo’,” said Jo walked up the streef, ™ to vould pe to raitd dot * Pe s’ Nest’ to-night. Ter gurl ish dere now, budt Tacy may take ber avayudany time. V’y nodt ged de boys toged- der, and go for t’em to-night ‘‘T guess we'll hev to,” said Keen, slowly. **Tt’s askin’ a deal uv the boys to go there again, but mebbe it would be best. We'll see.” The two spoke to a score or more of men whom they met, and all of them volunteered their services in the good cause, althongh not a few regarded German Joe with looks of sus icion, He bad not yet explained why the knife ing his name had been found on the spot up- on which the girl had been kidnapped, and his failure to do so was not regarded in the right light by some of the men who bad been at the’ first raid on the ‘‘ Badgers’ Nest.” __ But late that night, however, a party of horse- men, led by Kid Keen and German Joe—for Little Pete had not yet recovered from the gun- shot wound in his right shoulder—trotted ovt from Placer Ranch to Silverside, The journey was taken leisurely, and it was morning by the time they reached the “‘ Nest.” The door down- Stairs was unlocked, and the party across the floor of the saloon and up-stairs. At the lower end of the hall they caught sight of the trio of rascals whom we left so much dis- comfited at the close of the last chapter. “There they air,” yelled Keeu, cocking his earnestly, as the two the best thing ve can told to prepare @ room for the reception of a | for him the sobriquet of ‘‘ Limpy Dick.” Hi ¥ . . pv Dick.” His | revolver. ‘* Don’t let ’em git ther drop on young lady ~~ to become Mrs, Dunritg. friends in Placer Ranch were very few, in fact ' yees!” | | iL 4 " ft Ps. f ee ae YS itaaa ier Wis he ais eas oe =. -comicbooks