Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 1005 — page 16: what you’re looking at

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

16 game had’ been made successfully. But, there was another yet to follow. It was night, and a man was softly stealing his way out of Powder Pocket. “Banker Brown,” ruined, was trying to eiude his mortal foe, and he believed he could do so. Little had been seen of Brown the re- mainder of the day, after the business transaction at the bank, and Card-Sharp Cale, and Joe, too, had disappeared. In disguise, as a miserable, hungry outcast, Captain Joaquin was trying to escape with his life, with a bitter resolve in his heart that, sooner or later, he would square the account with his im- placable foe, Deadwood Dick. Out of camp he stole, unhindered, and off into the hills. For a time he used caution, but, at last, feeling that escape was assured, he ran, and did not stop until he was near- ly breathless. “Curse you!” he panted, shaking his fist in the direction of the camp. “I have escaped, and you shall yet hear from me! Your inning this time, Dick Bristol, but mine will come!” “me He fairly gnashed his teeth in his im- potent rage. “You are not done with Captain Joa- quin,” he yowed, in emphatic tone. ‘‘ He will yet suck your life’s blood from your veins—and yours, too, accursed Susana! It was all through you that this blow fell upon me. I[ will take to the road again; I will gather my men around me once more, and nothing shall stop my career.” Of a sudden light flashed upon the scene, and a woman stood before him— Susana—with a leveled revolver! “T will not bear the blame that does not belong to me,” she said, her voice firm, but her face pale. ‘‘ There was a time when [ could; and would, have fol- lowed you to death, but you blasted my love by your cruel suspicions. You wrongly accused me, and you would not show mercy where mercy was deserved. You turned my love to hate, and now I am your most bitter foe.” “Ha! ha! ha!” the outlaw laughed. “So, wildcat, it is you? I am glad we have met, for my vengeance must begin with you. Drop that gun, or, by the stars above, I will drop you!” He dodged and drew his own weapons; but, in the same second, he was grabbed from behind by strong hands. It was in vain he struggled. “Did you hope to escape me?” asked Deadwood Dick. ‘‘ You were a fool to think it. Do you know what is in store for you? Let me first bind your hands, and I will tell you.” Dick was not alone; there were other men besides himself, who held the pris- oner while Dick bound him. “There,” he said, having tied the road- ruffian’s hands, ‘“ now you are safe. Per- haps you remember what you did for me. ‘Perhaps you remember this horseshoe. Perhaps yon—”’ Captain Joaquin uttered a scream. “You do not mean to brand me!” ““An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth,’”’ assured Dick. “Anything but that—anything but that!, Shoot me, hang me, but do not brand me!”’ “Oh, it will hurt you no worse than it hurt me,’ averred Bristol, with a laugh. “If life is spared you, it may teach you a lesson of mercy to others. You are to be branded.” The wretch cried, begged to be spared; but all ‘to no purpose. Dick called his men around him and told them the story, and his decision met their hearty ap- Deadwood Dick, Jr., - proval. Not only so, but Susana exhib- ited no sign of pity or mercy for the cow- ering wretch. A fire was made, and the horseshoe was heated. Now,’ announced Dick, when all was ready, “I will repay you in your own coin. This is the very same jron that branded me, and, while I do not fancy | wearing a brand the same as yours—or | allowing you to wear one similar to mine, rather—yet justice demands it. I feel again that iron searing my flesh; I fee] again the rope around my’ neck; I hear again your mocking laughter, you execrable villain! ”’ “Have mercy! Have mercy!” “Yes, I will have mercy; I will not hang you. I will give you your life. Hand me the iron!” The victim writhed and screamed in anticipation of the acute agony he must suffer, as the iron was handed to Dick by a piece of wire caught in one of the nail holes, Dick Bristol took the wire and held the red-hot shoe over the bare breast of his foe, smiling at his plea for mercy. and his request for death at once, speedy and sure. He held it near enough for its heat to be keenly felt, and the cries of the craven wretch for mercy were in- deed pitiful, “Such mercy as you showed me!” re- minded the detective. “I ought to brand your face with it instead of your breast. Suppose I lay it on your forehead and call you Cain? But, no, I will do no worse than you did to me. I will be merciful that far. When you feel it bite your fiesh, when the smell of your own burning greets your nostrils, think of your own unmerciful act.” Dick moved as if to lay the shoe on the bare flesh, but hesitated. He glanced at Susana. She was. standing by, her eyes on the ground, not a muscle mov- ing. He recalled how she had pleaded for him, and contrasted her silence now, What were her thoughts? He looked again at his writthing victim, and allowed | the voice within him to speak—the voice | that had been struggling to be heard, | yet which had been suppressed by his iron will. ‘No, I will not!” he said; as if speak- | ing to some one invisible to the others, | “ Let my punishment consist in showing | merey where mercy is not deserved.” As he spoke, he flung the hot iron as far as he could: among the bushes’ and boulders. “ Thank God!” “It was Susana, and she threw her arms around the detective’s neck. ‘Not that I care for him,” she said; “he deserved it,/and I would not have lifted a finger; but-I thank God that you are more merciful!” Dick kissed her, in turn, and ordered his -men to lift.the outlaw from. the ground, This they did, and led -him away. In.due course the road-ruffian. was found guilty and imprisoned for life. When Susana came into the property which had been,.deeded to her, and ‘had turned it into cash, Bristol saw her safe- ly to her friends, and there took leave of her, She had been a true pard, and he almost loved her. That she did love him was not to be, doubted, and if ever he wanted a true friend he knew where to find one, _* THE END. a Next HauFr-Dime Liprary, No. 1006, FLIPPER FRANK'S FLUSH. BY CHARLES MORRIS, >t ‘gay 7 BW< “a - ~ — = ef) - | ” 4 r ' ‘ ; Branded. to i uh . Dy ~ . ' >. a Beadle’s Half-Dime Library. BUFFALO BILL NOVELS, BY COL. PRENTISS INGRAHAM, 995 Buffalo Bis Drop; or, Dead-Shot Ned , the Kansas Kid, SS Buffalo Bil’s Lasso Throwers, YS1 Buffalo Bill’s Fighting Five, 975 Buffalo BUMs kKifle Shots, , 965 Bulfale Bills Kush Ride; or, Sure-Shot, the High-Flyer. ¥64 Bulfalo Kills Decoy ;: or, The Arizona Crack Shot, 955 Buffalo Bill’ Mazeppa-Chase. ; #48 Buffalo Bill's Snap-Shot ; or, Wild Kid’s Texan Tally 942 Buffalo Bill’s Tough Tuaale. 986 Buffalo Bill’s Boy Mascot; or, Joe Jarvis’ Hold-up, 929 Buffalo Bill's Crack-shot Pard, 650 Buffalo BUls Boy Pard; or, Butterfly Billy, 216 Islaon Bill, the Prince of the Reine. 222 Bison BILI’s Cluet or. Grit, the Bravo Sport, BY BUFFALO BILL, Deadly-Eye, the Unknown Scout; or, The Banded Brotherhood Border Robin Hoody or, The Prairle Rover, Faney Frank of Colorado; or, The Trapper’s Trust. BY CAPT, ALFRED B, TAYLOR, U, 8. A, Buffalo Hilly, the Boy Bullwhacker. Buffalo Bill’s Bet; or, The Gambler Guide, BY COLONEL PRENTISS INGRAHAM, 982 New York Nat’« Drop: or, Ex-Ferret Sykes’ Bold Game 926 New York Nat and the Traitor Ferret, 920 New York Nat Trapped. ‘ 914 New York Nat’s ‘Three of & Kind. 90S New York Nat's Double. 902 New York Nat’s in Colorado. 596 New York Nat in Gold Nugget Camp. SSY New York Nat’s Deadly Deal. SS8 New York Nat’s Crook-Chanke. STT New York Nat's Trump Card. STi New York Nat and the Grave Ghouls. S65 New York Nat’s Masked Mascot, New York Nat, the Ganiin Detective. ° Dick Doom’s kidnapper Knock-Out. | Dick Doom’s Ten Sirlke. Dick Doom’s Flush Hand. : Dick Doum’s Deuth-Grtp; or, The Detective by Destinys J Dick Doomi’s mueetin y's or, The River Blackleg’s Terror, Dick Voomys or, | he Sharps and Sharks of New York, Dick Doom In Beaton; or, A Man of Many M 6 Dick Doom tn Chicago. 8 Dick Doom in the Wild W eat, Dick Doom’s Clean &weep; or, Five Links in a Clos, ; Dick Doon’s Death Clue. . Dick Doow’s Diamond Beal. Dick Doom’s Girl Mascot, Dick Doom’s Shadow Hunt, Diek Doom’s Big Heul. : Daxhing Charlier or, The Kentucky Tenderfoot’s First Trafi, Paxshing Charlic’s Destiny; or, The Renegade’s Captives Dashing Charile’» Pawnee Pard, Dashing Charlie, the Rescuer. 497 Buck ‘Taylor, King of the Cowboys. Buck Taylor, the Comanche’s Captive. Buek Taylor’ Boys; «r, The Red Riders of the Rio Grande, Pawnee Bill, the Prairie Shadower. Pawnee Bill: or, Curl, the Mad Cowboy. Pawnee Bill’« Pledge; or, The Cowboys Doom, Pawnee Blk: or, Daring Dicks Redfern’a Curtous Craet_o, The Rival Sharps, Kedtern at De vila Kaneh; or, The Sharp from Texas, Redfern’s High land; or, Blue Jacket. Redfern’s Last Trail: or, The Red Sombrero Rangers, And Fifty Othera, BY T. J. FLANAGAN, Midehipman Dare, the Pirate Catcher. The ¥ cane Cowboy Captain. The Two Midshipmens or, The Corsair-Chaser’s First Cruise. } The Three Lieutenanta The Mascot Middy ¢ or, The Four Commani#ers,. } Fighting Jack Shubrick. . - bkighting dack’« Middies; or, Dandy Dick’s Dash. 4 BY LIEUT. A. K. SIMB, Tom-Cat and Pardy; or, The Dead Set at Silver City. Tom-Cuat’s Triad; or, The Affair at Ton batone. 681 Tom Cat’s Terrible Tasks or, The Cowboy Detective, 683 Tom-Cat’s Triumph; or, Bleck Dan’s Great Combine, 646 Captain Cactuny, the Chaparral Cock; or, Josh’s Ten Strike 568 The Dandy of Dodge: wr, Ruftiing jor Millions, . The Bilver &port; or, Josh Peypermint’s Jubilee. = 55 x 19 19 — 909 25 988 49 950 v66 YTR 589 #22 Saffron Sol, the Man With a Shadow © + Happy Iana, the Dateh Videeq: or, Hot Timeaat Round-Up Buiidad Barnacle, the Detective Hercules. Cowhoy Gtid, the CattleRange Detective. Warbling William the Mountain Mouttebank Jolly Jeremiah, the Plains Detective, F Signal Sam, the Lookout Seout. h? Billy, the Gypay Spy: or, The Mystery of Two Lives, | fm, Siraple Rim, the Rroncho Buster: or, For Ble Stakes. } 712 The Meamerl«t Sport: or, The Mystified Detective, 788 Toltec Tom, the Mai Prospector. 745 Kansas Jim, the Cross-Cut Detgsetive. 764 Marmaduke, the Mustanger Detective. 778 The Rustler of Rolling Stone. 785 Lone Hand Joe, the Committee ot One. vd S01 Kent Kirby, the High-Kicker from Killbuck, ud S82 The Noctor Dete etive in Texas, — - : S72 Two Showmen Weteetiver in Colorado, $87 The Texan Firebrand or, Brazov Billy's Snap.Shot 961 The Tramp’s Trump-Trick. - +* NEW ISSUES, . pi! 1004 Scorcher Sam’s Sweep-Stake a 5 or, “Bieycle Bess, ‘a The Boulevard Belle Deteati ve. By d7 Cowadrick. . 1005 Deadwood Mick, Irss Branded; or, Red Rover at Powder Pocket. by E L. Wheeler. 1006 Fl Frank’s Flush; or, Tracking the Dodger from - New bot es New Orleans.: By Charles Morris. 1007 Buffalo BIll’s Sure-Shots. By Col. P, Ingraham. JUST ISSUED. £ 999 Jack Lang, the Privateer Rovir;. or, The Man of Many * . Names. . By T. J. F anagan, vy 1006 Ruffalo Pill’s Decoy Boys. By Col. P. Ingraham. | 1001 Banty, the Denver Bootblacks or, The Dark-Lantern o . ety. «¥ : * 0 Detective. By E. L. Wheeler. 7 - 1002 *ix-Foot Sol, the Sharp-Shocter ; or, Johnny on the ¥ Spot. By Wm R Eyster, ; 8 German Joe, the Hayseed Sport; or, The Twin Racket MP at Placer Ranch. By H, M, Boynton. ; A New leane Every Tuesday- The Half-Dime Library is for sale by all newsdealers, five cents per copy, or sent by mail on receipt o: six cents each. BEADLE -AND ADAMS, Publishers, 92 William Street, New York, ed . Pil | ae ' | i RO OS ,JOOKS.cOoOMm com