Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 1005 — page 10: what you’re looking at

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

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Moreover, they were even then nearer than Dick imagined, and just as he ‘ swung his legs over the edge of the plateau to begin the descent, the light 4 low and his pursuers discovered him. With a wild shout, they opened fire upon him immediately. Deadwood Dick was in a death-trap. 5 Gin * me 4 Te. CHAPTER XI. | DICK’S ONLY DEFENSB. “Surrender!” called out Captain Joa- quin. “We'll consider that point a bit first,’ , responded Dick. | He had drawn back out of range with | considerable alacrity, for the bullets had come uncomfortably close. “You will surrender, and that uncon- ditionally, or we will riddle you with bullets!” was the threat. ‘ You have now cancelled any obligation I may have been under.” “Tf I surrender at ali, it will be under conditions,’ rejoined Dick. “We will make terms, or I will fight it out to the death.” “It will be to your death, mine.” “Don’t be too sure of that.” “You are not armed.” “< No? 9 * No, you are not.” “Do you want me to show you? You present a fine target there where you stand.” There were five men in the company, four besides the captain, and those four sprang to cover instantly, lest a shot might find them. Captain Joaquin laughed. “Don’t be alarmed, boys,” he’ said. “T tell you he is not armed. I took his guns away from him, and he has had no chance to get others. We must have him down from there!” Pig” & Peaiess Said) = “y es *~ ¥ > a ao ae ou x ae atl * _~ - ‘ a at - : aad - * then, not ate FF, a4 ¢ “There is only one way to get me,” said Dick. “And we will take that way- + “At your peril.” Captain Joaquin was no coward, He started forward at once, calling on his per men to follow. : Been te _.. The men responded, reassured by the ‘word of their leader, as well as by his Ree! Cs Maa own intrepid example, and followed the mae): ‘Red vie up the steep ascent with their oY aS fold! “4 Sey ae ‘Speathtoo’ Dick So ordered. . - ¥ They stopped and looked up, as men oe a in their position naturally would do. ee “You will advance another step at _ your peril,” Dick warned them. “I am safe from your bullets, but you are in S§ _ plain open sight there, and it seems a _ pity to pick you off.’® “That be hanged!” cried Captain - Joaquin. “You are talking to gain time, that is all. Come on, boys!” Rast. ADO you want this boulder rolled _ down upon you?” cried Dick, | It was useless for him to pretend that . met a he was armed, when he was not armed, > ‘3 us s ee | A ¥ oe | Re theta i Ha! ha!” laughed the captain. 3 ee ou could not roll that he cavity in which it oe $¢ “Four men like cat! poulder out of | af os oy lies. I tell you we have got 70U, and 4 Cait escape us.” | asia peg. a cay of it. a ) Fy r ~ gy eS = ff ae ys ge Sh M *% ) m+. i 3 Sy ey One ale 2! of torches flashed out of the gulch be-' A shot would ‘have been the only proof Pesawoed Dick, Jr., ‘Branded. : ee — ee = - +--+ It was all true, what was said of the boulder, It weighed a ton if it weighed a pound. The reason that one man was enabled to move it at all was because it was partly balanced in the little basin in which it rested, and could be. tilted to another bearing in one direction. * Hold! ” Dick’s voice rang out forceful than at first. Again his foes stopped, for they were in no position to disregard such a com- mand from a desperate man. KF’ Well, what now?” demanded. the Red Rover. “I told you that we would make again, more terms, or I would fight it to the death.” . “Bah! what care I for your threats? What position are you in to talk of terms? You are as good as in my hands already. Come on, boys!” “One moment,’ cried Dick. “It is true that I have no guns at hand, as you well know, and it is also true that I cannot roll the boulder, but I have a weapon nevertheless.”’ “What is it?” “This bag of money.” “Ha! ha! ha! What is that?” “TI will tell you what it is. It is a fortune in compact form If I set a match to its contents it will go up in smoke.” There was a howl instantly. “And I can do it before you can get up to a level where you can get a shot at me,” said Dick. ‘‘ All you will find will be a little heap of ashes for your trouble.” “You do not dare!” howled the Red Rover. “ You would not have the nerve to destroy such a fortune!” 6 No? x “No! I defy you!” “ All right, come on and see. It will take you several minutes to get here, and by that time I can have destroyed by As “ But, what of you? By heavens, | would put pitch on you and burn you at the stake, Deadwood Dick! You do not know the tiger of my nature yet, or you would not rouse it.” “T am seeking rather to tame it,” said - Dick. “ And I swear that I will do just as I say, if you destroy that money before I can get hold of it.” “I would prefer a leap off this peak to the depths below, rather than that,” said Dick, “and I could carry with me what of the money I might not Sie ha to burn.” “You would not do that.” ee There is one way for you to prove it, come and see.,”’. “You have no matches there.” “Here is proof of that.” * ‘Dick struck a match as he spoke, and to have in his pocket. Captain Joaquin was dismayed. Dick could hear him consulting in low tones with his men. ‘What are you going to do about it? fs Dick inquired, after a pause. “I am ready to offer my terms.” | He had a potent weapon to use ibe has them, and that was the possession of the fortune they had risked so much to get possession of that day. | “Ready to offer terms,” sneered the Red Rover. | get, I guess. We offer, if any terms are made at all, fete i T mean Sr a when ahold Mes winpins She saph P et fire to a piece of paper he happened “You mean that you are | resay, to acce, t such terms as you can : will be the ones to | are letting valuable time get away from ay eae rats He aon =) 4 ee “And I hold the stuff. Beare ‘ma ‘any mistake.’ “ Well, what would you call termes" f shh fy ia | surrender to you, with this bag of money intact, will you allow me to go free?” “Yes, we'll do that,” was tho prompt answer. And every one of them voiced approval. They were prompt and liberal with their promises, if he would surren- der at once. Deadwood Dick laughed at ana “It is too plain a case,” he said. “That is not the kind of a bargain I am going to make with you, however.” “You won’t trust us? ” “Not a bit.”’ “You will have to, or we will starve you out. And at the first sight we get of you we'll pick you off.” “Try that, my friends, hour I remain here I will burn ten thousand dollars of this money. [I have got money to burn, not only figuratively, but actually.” “Curse you! want? ”’. “Ha! I thought you would presently recognize that I hold the better hand,” said Dick. “T recognize nothing of the kind,” was the return, “ but I don’t want you to be fool enough to destroy that Money. —my hard earnings.” “That is precisely the little joker ti and every What terms do you hold,” said Dick. “Well, what do you want to do?” ot want you to return my revolvers to me, in good order—” “Say, do you take us for fools alto-— gether? We have got the advantage, now, and we mean to keep it. Forward,,. men, and at him!” , “ Hold!” cried Dick yet once again. “You evidently forget the fate of this money if you advance another step. And more than that, if you keep me here one . hour the pile will be ten thousand folk lars less.’’ | ; It was a peculiar situation. CHAPTER XII. CAUGHT IN THE TOILS. Deadwood Dick was Ina desperate fix. He did not see any way of escape, no matter which way he looked. Be ce fey Having been there in the daylight, he Rete boli knew there was no way down save in Bae ¥)i BS: the one direction. ‘ And in that direction the way was blocked by the outlaws, who would shoot 5 him on sight as they would shoot a dog that might offend them. | a They had the advantage of him in ey- ery way save one only. He held them in | momentary check by his threat to de- = stroy the prize they were after, and *) which, according BP their code, valong ee ay to them, rar sg yea There was another consultation among. them, , ee “a Then Captain Joaquin called out: | a d Me “ Deadwood Dick?” 3 RR “ Well? ase Cee is, “We have to admit that you have a gots eae, the best of it at present. We are wile’ es Ang ing to make terms with you.” Sah f “ Well, you. have heard one of the con- - | ditions.” bay a ae “Yes, but that would. be to place stil AM more advantage on your side. We can’t — afford to arm you against ourselves, you | a know.” ee, i That is-one of the ‘conditions, never- ie ‘theless, and I want to tell you that you ii | 7 oF, zs > Oe } Pa. I say Ir will e pee this stuff. * y hs + i a — - wi a * . . - So 7 2 “ ‘+ e . Cr < hd . - y . . = 2 4 a o-aeeediliettd = wei A ~~ Patt 7 rig 4 - ~ — 553 * ~, * ~—_ A De —s. wa ” ~