Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 1003 — page 6: what you’re looking at

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

- disturbin’ him.” | by his knowledge. - the form of a man coming toward him, German Joe, the Hayseed —_S_S Dacy and Nick Goodloe looked sullenly at the glanced about theroom. ‘‘I guess not, for this advancing men, while Parson Pete cringed | is where he sleeps. I suppose— Why, here you against the doorway. are now,” “‘ Well, what’n blazes do yo’ fellers want hyer | Dacy started back as he caught sight of his ag’in?” asked Dacy, ina tone of suppressed but | visitor, but recovered himself at once, and said, fiery anger. ‘‘D’ye want more people killed by | a little impatiently: yo’r blanked foolishness?” | ‘* What d’ye want here now? I hevn’t hed a ‘‘Naw—we don’t,” replied Keen, ‘‘ We jist | wink of sleep now fur two days, an’ et this rate come ter make a friendly call, an’ incidentally | I won’t hev any fur two days more.” to take home with us ther kurnel’s daughter. | Hesat down and looked sharply at- Dunning, We know she’s here,” who handed bim the black sachel, saying: ‘*Then yo’ know a sight more’n I do,” cried ‘‘ There’s $45,000 worth of Government bonds Dacy. “Ef yo’ find herin this house I'll give | in that, worth at present about $60 000.” Dacy stared at the speaker in utter bewilder- ment, ‘‘ They are mine, and I want them deposited in a bauk to my credit, If you will take these over to Junita to-morrow and have me credited with forced calmness, ‘‘1’ll go with yo’ so’s the | with the face value of them, I will give you the boys will know what’s up, Jest like’s not they'll | interest.” shoot a half a dozen of yez before yo’ git ‘* Fifteen thousand dollars?” yez one hundred dollars apiece—every one on yees.” This munificent offer did not abash Keen, who ordered his men to search the house forthwith. ** Allright, if yo’r’ bound to do so,” said Dacy, | through.” ** Exactly.” But they didn’t! “But I—I never—” The “* boys,” who were awakened, opened their ‘““T know you never did,” said Dunning, eyes to stare a revolver in the face, and what-| calmly, ‘‘ Just have $45,000 entered in a bank- ever protestations they might have offered were | book to the name of Samuel T. Warren, bring kept to themselves, the book and a pad of blank checks to me, and “Vell, t'er gurl don’dt seem ter pe heer,” said | keep the reat for yourself.” German Joe, when the last room had been Dacy set the sachel back on the floor and searched, ‘‘She certainly don’dt vhas on tis | walked several times around it before saying, flo r, onyvay.” slowly: **T guess yo’r’ right,” said Keen, with a sigh, ‘* That’s a good deal of money.” while a grin of malignant satisfaction lighted up ‘*T know it, but it’s all mine,” the homely visage of Dacy. ‘*Ther gurl sar- ‘* And how ¢o yo’ know but thet I wouldn’t t’inly ain’t here, an’ we owe Phil an apology fur | run away with ther hull boodle?” ‘You can’t very well,” said Dunning, stretching the truth somewhat to suit his own convenience. ‘*T would have their payment ‘* An’ yo'll giv’ me out ’n’ out, in cash, fifteen thousand dollars ?” ss Yes.” ** Then I'll risk it.” Dacy picked up the sachel, and, carrying it to the closet in which Joe was concealed, opened the door and set it inside. The detective | But the apology was not made, and the disap- pointed men walked down-stairs, and, mounting, hastened back to Placer Raneb, All’ but German Joe, The “* hayseed sport,” as Little Pete had term- ed him, remained in the building long after the others had left it. He had concealed himself in a closet in the last room that had been reached, and when the others left, he kept perfectly still and wes not discovered by Nick and Dacy, who waited until the sound of hoof-beats died away, | thought he had beeh discovered, but the dark- aud then resumed their quarrel, ness had concealed him, and the door was shut “Nick Goodloe,” began Dacy, “‘yo’ve took | again, that gurl from 5 ke because yo’thought mebbe| ‘‘ Be very carefulof them,” said: Dunning, as I wouldn’t treat her ez I'd oughter.” he rose to go. ‘‘ Don’t let any one know you've ** I didn’t,” replied Goodloe, hotly, ‘* But if | got so.much money in the house, and just as I did, isit any of yo’r business? Yo’ ain’t got | soon as you get back from Junita bring the noright to ther gurl, I’m, payin’ yo’ to keep | book to me.” her, ain’t I?” Dacy promised to do so, and after carefully Dacy nodded, ‘locking the door walked with Dunning down- ‘*Then why ’n thunder hev yo’ let her git | stairs and stood talking with him for some min- away?” continued Nick, walking up and down | utes at the front entrance. When he returned, the room. ‘* Why didn’t yo’ keep her ez I | he locked himself in bhisroom and walked ner- paid yo to do? If she ain’t escaped by her-| yously to the closet, ‘Tl wonder what them things are like,” he ryt ae to himself, as he opened the door. ce f “i The proprietor of the ‘‘ Badgers’ Nest” stag- gered back as if he bad received a blow. He tried to utter a cry, but his lips refused to move, and he could only stare into the closet with wild, distended eyes. It was empty—the sachel had been taken away! CHAPTER VI, THE MISSING FORTUNE. For some time after making the discovery that the sachel and its contents had been stolen, Dacy stood glaring into the closet in stupefled silence. He had locked the door of the room ‘when he left it to accompany Dunning down- stairs, and had found it locked when he re turned, How had the thief entered? Dacy was not a man capable of self— ** She couldn’t,” broke in Dacy. ** Well, ef she couldn’t do thet, why then, some one hez taken her away. Did eny one “ae besides me an’ yo’ thet she wuz kept yer? ‘“Only Limpy Dick, an’ he wouldn’t take her,” said Dacy. ‘‘ Ther cripple wuz hyer — ,afternoon, inquirin’ about yo’ an’ ther url. ‘* T know,” replied Nick, ‘‘ He helped me git her frum ther kurnel’s,” There was silence for a few moments, and then Goodloe said, moodily: ‘* Well, ther game is up, but ef I see ther ger- loot w’ot took thet gurl, there’ll be trouble. I hain’t a man thet kin be raised out’n his hand by any son-uf-a-gunin this county, and if yo’ took her, Phil, P’il—” **T didn’t,” said Dacy, simply. Nick glared at bim a moment and then strode angrily out of the room, while the proprietor of asping a ‘the ‘‘ Badgers’ Nest” sunk into a chair and laid | perplexing situation very readily, and after one his head upon bisarm onatablenear him. He | or two attempts at reaching a conclusion in tie remained thus, deep in thought, for nearly ten | matter, he arose, and putting on his hat, hastened minutés, and then walked softly out of the room | down-stairs, and down the hall. ‘‘Tll hey to see the man thet Joe now opened the closet door and stepped | money,” he thought, as he walked rapidly in out. He had overheard the conversation be- | the direction of the ‘‘ Whitehouse.” ‘‘ Mebbe tween Dacy and Goodloe, and intended to profit | he'll think | took the money—but, anyway, he But before he could get to | kin hev the bonds duplicated and the payment the door opening into the stairway that led to | stopped.” the saloon below, he saw in the semi darkness ith this comforting thought, Dacy walked Joe | into his rival’s saloon, and having called on shrunk back against the side of the wall, and, | Dunning before, went directly to his room, He as the man drew nearer, he recognized John | was just about to grasp the knob of the door, Dunning. His experience of the day befo when the sound of a woman’s voice within had taught him what to expect from that | arrested him. gentleman, and he hastily retreated to the ‘*Oh, sir, you said you would take me to my —_— closing the door just as Dunning en-/} father, and here you are keeping me in as ter- . ; riblea place as the other. hy will you not **T wonder if Dacy’s in bed,” muttered that release me and let me go home?” gentleman, half aloud, as he set a small black } 4“ Because, my pretty dear,” responded an- gachel down on the floor beside him and o'her yoice, which Dacy recognized as Dun- ive me ther LT LLL Sport. ning’s, ‘‘ you’re much too handsome te waste yourself on the people out here in the woods. 1 mean to take you with me to-morrow to a home in the East.” ‘* And you won’t let me see my father? Oh, if you only knew—” ‘*T know everything, my dear. If you will promise to accompany me on a wedding tour afterward, I shall have no objection to your see- ing the old gentleman first. Butotherwise you must stay with me. The landlord has fixed up a room for you on the next floor, and you will be left entirely to yourself.” été But—” ‘¢No buts about it,”he interrupted. ‘I mear to marry you whether you will or no. Andl don’t see why you should object. I am good- looking, ricb and well behaved. I’m sure we'd make a good match.” Dacy heard a long-drawn sigh, and then the man added more earnestly: ‘© See here, now, you and I ought to get along together better than this. I mean to treat you like a gentleman should—” ; ‘Then take me home,” cried Grace, ‘‘ Why torture me longer?—for I shall never willingly become your wife,” ‘‘Unwillingly, then,” returned Dunning. ‘¢ But I will have to leave you now, I am go- ing to Placer Ranch, but Darkin will come here ape ggns and tuke you to your room. Good- night. There was no response as the man opened the door, and coming 1nto the hall, locked it on the outside. No one wasin sight, for Dacy had re- treated to his own stronghold when he heard Dunning coming, and was now wrestling with his own unpleasant thoughts, The many incidents and accidents of the day had so upset bim tkat the discovery of the girl In Dunning’s room had added but lit- tle to the perplexities wita which be was sur- rounded, ‘‘Ef this thing keeps up,” be mused, as he prepared for bed, ‘‘1l’m a-goin’ ter leave ther lace. Ther ‘Nest’ is raided twice, two men killed, $60,000 stolen, adetectivefrom New York State wuz in ther very ‘house, ther kernal’s daughter—” But sleep, the balm to all wounds, and rest and comfort to troubles of all kinds, came to er Pack) him in the midst of his woes, and the worst man - in Junita county lay snoring on his bed as peacefully as a schoolboy. But not so Dunning. That restless indi- vidual, after leaving Grace, mounted one of Darkin’s horses and started for Piacer Ranch, He was in an unusually happy aad contented frame of mind, and sung snatches of operatic song as his horse ambled peacefully along the quiet road, ‘‘}"}] Jeave my money in the Junita Bank un- til I go East,” he muttered. ‘‘1t’s giving Dacy a good deal for his trouble, but I reckon I'll be able to get it back again. Anyway, it is safer in the bank than at the‘ Whitehouse.’ I was beginning to suspect Darkin—these men out here are not all models of honesty. Dacy won’t try to keep the bonds, however, for his ig- norance of such things will give me the advan- tage of him.” hus musing on everything that came into his mind, and occasionally expelling unpleas- ant thoughts with a snatch of song, he jour- neyed on to Placer Ranch, reaching that enter- prising town an hour after daybreak. He rode up to the door of Limpy Dick’s cottage, and ty- ing his horse on the outside, entered without knocking, . Both Dick and Goodloe were on the inside of the cabin, the latter stretcoed out on a bed fast asleep, and the former trying to cook a piece of ham over a wood-fire in the stone chim- ney. a Hello, Limpy,” said Dunning, speaking soft- ly for fear of waking Goodloe, “* Why baven’t you been to see me for the last few days?” “IT couldn't come,” replied Dick, getting on his knees and trying to fan the smoke up the chimney with his broad sombrero, ‘1 wuz mighty skeert over thet gurl bizness,” ‘“Then you helped Nick kidnap her, eh?” * Yes, but I didn’t wanter, yo’can bet yer life. It wuz resky business, an’ } tried to keep im frum doin’ it. But he wuz all ata fer ther gurl, an’ in’ co’rse he hed ter hev her. An’ arfter ali, we hed all ther trouble fur noth- in’.” ‘ Why?” asked Danning, ‘6 He took ther gurl down ter Dacy’s, an’ he romised to a her tight till Nick wanted her, He went over last night and sho wuz gone. Nick raised the Old Boy with Dacy, but didn’t do no good, I reckon,” “comic 200 co