Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 104 — page 11: what you’re looking at

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

’ | i —_---—-— - ther Pet Elephant off his nut, jest salivate him, kerslap.” ‘‘Consider it settled. Though the belief is with me that your motives in this action are honest, I shall have you watched, lest the devil in you, and which infests every man’s nature, may accidentally leak out, when [ am not on my guard. Now, give me your advice as to this gang of cutthroats, under Major Howell.” Beautiful Bill did so, giving an accurate ac- count of what he had heard and seen, while playing the spy. After he had finished, Deadwood Dick accom- panied him to the mess-room of the band, and ordered the cook to give him some supper. In the meantime, he gave orders to have more pickets ted, for he was ill at ease— more s0 than he had ever been before at the prospect of a battle. This uneasiness was in a easure caused by the fact that a part of his men under an aide-lieutenant, named Farwell, were out on the road, and might return unsus- pectingly to the glade and be surprised and cut to pieces by the ruffians under the command of the Howells. As for himself and those within the rendez- vous, he had no fears, CHAPTER VIIL WATCHING AND WAITING. Danby ALF HOWELL concluded not to make the attempt to reach Deadwood Dick’s cabin, inasmuch as such an undertaking would incur a great deal of risk of life, for he doubted not that the new heir of Dead Pine Tract had taken the precaution to post guards on the watch for enemies. At the cabin Deadwood Dick was pom | ready for the battle which he was sure woul come, and he meant not to be disappointed or surprised, Several small howitzers he had had brought to the Tract, and these he ordered now into the second story of the cabin, with their noses pointed out of convenient windows, one in the east, west, north and south respectively. They were mounted upon small trucks, and being loaded heavily, were the very thing for mowinz down a crowd. While Dick was superintending these arrange- ments, Stella Howell was by his side, watch- ing without a remark the preparations for bat- e. ‘Why are you making all these preparations, Mr. Harris?’ she ask i at last, Pempelled no doubt by curiosity. ‘“‘ Are we going to have war here, on Dead Pine Tract”? ‘“‘Tt would seem so, when we are surrounded by nearly a hundred armed ruffians, under your uncle and cousin!” Dick replied. ‘‘ They have come, no doubt, to take poabenatisn of the Tract!” ** And you will give it up to them?” ** No, lady—not while I have powder and lead to drive them back. Is it your wish that they should have the mine, here, and all that was your father’s?” “Oh! no, indeed. I want you to have it; I want every clause in poor papa’s will obe ed!” the maiden cried, enthusiastically. “If you have a place for me, give me a gun, and I will fight as long aad have Nag al ‘*No need for that, Miss Stella! What you could do in the way of fighting I will take off your hands and do myself, with pleasure,” Dick said, gallantly. «You may rest assured that if the invaders attempt to reach my claim, they will do so at the peril of their lives, for I shall fight to the bitter end, and render the name of Deadwood Dick a greater terror than it is.” “You are a brave man,” Stella said, warm- ly, “although if all the stories about you are true, you are to some extent a wicked one bh a > Tt am loth to believe, you are so bold an and— ‘* No flattery, lady !” enjoined Deadwood Dick, as she paused in confusion. ‘I know what you would say, but J deny the accusation. Good looks I never laid claim to, the Lord only knows, and as for boldness, my life has made me too bold I fear.” ‘“*A man can not be too bold, in some ways— in others he can be so without'trying very hard,” Stella replied, as she turned away. After arran ging everything to his satisfaction above-stairs, Deadwood Dick descended to the first floor, to find Old Avalanche in the mess- room. ** Hello! ou, Alva—how came you here?” “Great ham-bone, Dickey, my jewel—how did I get hayr? How did ther old cavortin’ cy- clone o’ ther North-west get hayr? Moses thet perigrinated off on therearuvabullrush! I jest waft down hayr on ther palatial car uv old SNS —- ———- — - — —-- — — + —-———- —— Deadwood Dick’s Device. -_-~— -—- - — Aurora Bory Alice—a ginnywine thunderbolt o’ extinction—a storm-cloud o’ etarnal annihila- tion an’ extirpation, fac’ by gracious! Jest gaze at me, Dickey, ye thoroughbred daisy—jest ac- celerate ther speed o’ yer glance onter my royal nibs, and remark ef ye don’t obsarve a teetotal change in ther old ragin’ eppydemic o’ ther per- rarers!” ‘*You do look somewhat enlivened, that is true,” Dick yp smiling at the old man’s earnestness. ‘‘ Your eyes seem to havea brighter luster, your mouth has resumed specie payment and you seem all cured of your lameness, al- though I can’t see that your ears have grown much lately.” ‘*No, Dickey, old Perriwinkle! Them ears won’t nevyer adorn my venerable skull, I reck- on,” the veteran muttered, rubbing his horny ae over the spots where those useful organs ad once upon a time grown. ‘“ But thet ain’t no HENCE pp pO aB A Ree archipelagological ham- bone, no! Jest luk at me, I’m as fresh as a spring lamb—as frisky as ther little sheep Mar had, w’at ye read about in the Catechisms. fe) longer is ther Great Annihilation a thing o’ ther past, but ther livin’ reality in boomin’ condishun —me, ther great devastatin’ eppydemic o’ these boreal lattitudes an’ longytoads, an’ my mare, Prudence Cordeliar, an’ Wt goat, Florence Night-in-a-gale. Yes sir-ee, bobtail hoss! ther great cavortin’ cyclone o’ ther West ar’ ag’in in workin’ order, an’ hayr’s w’at hes grown six yeers younger, inside o’ five hours—fac’, by gracious.” ‘Do I understand you, then, that you have recovered your goat and horse, old man?’ ‘** Great Tuternational ham-bone, yes—recov- ered ’em, yes, on course [ hev, Dickey, my trans- parent emblem o’ vartue—ye Goddess of iberty! On course I recovered ’em, an’ this is how I did it. War settin’ on ther steps down at ther Ton- tine, when a galoot he came waltzin’ up on ther o o’ a hoss, an’ behind him dogged as sneakish a lukin’ billy-goat as ever chawed cast-iron, an’ don’ ye fergit et, my posey. Great discomfited ham-bone thet discombobberated ther terrestyal gravytation uv old Joner! I know’d thet ana- mile ther minit I spied her, an’ et DOPE ed inter my head ter hev sum fun. So I jest hopped ter my fut, an’ I sed, sez 1, ‘ Qui vas senio las monto du diablo,’ wich war hoss-latin fer Prudence Cordeliar, ye consarnéd old son of a sea-cook, ye old devil!’ Waal, sir, thet sagacious anamile luked up an’ glued her eye onter me; then she began ter’ whinny an’ elevatin’ her backsliding propensities, she sent that galoot w’at rid her, aa ayin’ leap-frog t’other side o’ ther street, after which she walked serenely up ter me an’ shuk hands, an’ larfed as only a hoss can laff, till she nigh cried. An Florence she snickered too, an’ thar on ther steps o’ ther Tontine, we three component parts o’ ther great devastatin’ Anni- hilation ag’in leagued ourselves together fer ther pu e 0’ cavortin’ about on anuther toor uv extirpation, in these yere pestiferous longytoads an’ lattytudes.” “Well, I’ve business for you, right here, if you are spiling for a fight,” Deadwood Dick said, smiling. “ Great ham-bone, yes; I know all about it, my daisy; an’ ye kin reckon on ther Annihila- tion fera part o’ ther conflict. But, Dickey, thar’s one thing I want ameliorated—thet is say, changed. Ther g’ard at ther door, he ac- tooally re ter admit my Florence an’—” ‘‘T'll settle that,” Dick said, with a laugh. “‘Come along, and the worthy j’int of the anni- hilation shall have the best the establishment affords.” And, true to his word, Deadwood Dick had the venerable goat admitted to the mess-room, and furnished with a repast sumptuous enough for wf goat to eat. orence evidently had a retentive memory, for she appeared to recqgnize the Prince of the Road, and rubbed about him, lovingly. Shehad wn more venerable looki uglier, but had lost none of her love for a scrim- mage, apparently, for she eyed Beautiful Bill with a twinkle in her eye, which would seem to express the sentiment that she hankered after giving his giantship an interview with her head gear—that knotted sledge-hammer-like batter- ing-ram she knew so well how to manage. he night wore on. Those within the Rendezvous watched and waited, expecting momentarily to hear the first signal of the attack; but still it did not come. hat was the meaning of the delay? Were the wolves of the Howells intending to starve out the little garrison? Or were they creeping up, previous to a big rush at the cabin? These were the questions not easy to answer, of late, if not 11 for there were no answers to them at present evidently. The moon had gone under a cloud, and outside was impenetrable darkness. Not a foot before his face could a man see now; then the boom of thunder along the hea- vens predicted a storm. y trusting his men, Deadwood Dick did not venture out into the night, but remained within doors directing those of his followers who were inside. Avalanche with many of the principles of the true soldier, suggested several little additional improvements in regard to the defense, which Dick accepted with hearty thanks. At home was the Annihilator, with his many odd, extraordinary stories and uncouth expres- sions, now that he had Florence to gambol and frisk at his side. ‘Great ham-bone! why don’t ther galoots git up and ‘tend to their knittin’, ef they want ter fight?’ he grunted, as he approached Dick, who stood in the doorway of the Rendezvous, and gazed out into the black night. “If I war them pilgrims, I'd go bathe myself in the Sloughs o’ Despond, or sum other such a place, and then dig me a hole in the ground, and crawl into it and pull it in after me. ‘* You'll see ’em soon enough,” the Prince re- plied. ‘‘ We shall have a bi shower soon, and then can look out for ’em. here’s Calamity, Alva?” “Ther Lord knows, Dickey, my peony. I ken’t no more keep track wi’ that gal, than I kin’ 0’ a bat. She’s heer, thar, an’ all overs, jest whar her inclination leads her, an’ I reckon ye Les be surprised ter see her heer ter- night. uder and heavier boomed the thunder along the heavens, until it seemed to jar the very ‘earth, while the lightning diffused itself in vivid glares. . On ascending the stairs, Dick found Stella Howell crouching in one corner of her room, trembling violently. ‘‘Oh! Dick—Mr. Harris, I mean, [ am so glad you have come. I was so afraid of the hunder.” And she glided forward and put her hands in his, confidingly, while she looked into his face for assurance. ** Afraid, were you?” the Prince asked, smil- ing down into her dilated eyes, sdmiringly. “Why astorm like the one that threaténs us, is in perfect keeping with my nature, my little ward. Itisgrand. The crash of the thunder, the vivid hiss of the zigzag lightning, and the weird sound of the falling rain, are the sounds that thrill me with renewed life—fill my soul with a yearning to go forth and ride madly through the warring elements!” “Oh! how ean you? I am always timid ina storm like this. It must be nice to be so brave and courageous.” ‘“‘There is no bravery in not fearing the storn.s of this life, Miss Stella. A man who trembles not at the sound of his Maker’s voice, is not natural, or else he is a devout and sincere servant of the Lord; one or the other. But as unnatural and wild as the may be, I believe there is no man or beast not in a measure sus- ceptible to God’s influence, during a storm.” “I agree with you, indeed,” Stella said, en- thusiastically. ‘‘ You are a philosopher, in your way, Mr. Harris.” ‘**Perhaps I ought to be. But, don’t call me Mr. Harris any more. It is a name that don’t belong to me—Dick is what they call me—Dead- wood Dick, and the name will cling to me ag long as I live.” put bis just as well, so long as you are proud of it. ‘‘T am not proud of it—of any thing. I de- spise a man who is proud of himself, his name, or any worldly possession. He is as much to be despised as the buzzard who gluts himself on carrion, and then is in misery the remainder of the day. No! I am not proud of the name of Deadwood Dick—I should be a contemptible sinner were I. It isnot a name to be proud of, for there are many stains upon it, never to be washed out; yet, outlaw, road-agent, dare-devil though I have been, and am now, I have been driven on, step by step, by a people who have no mercy—who ref to let me alone, after I had hanged and thus paid the penalty of crime. So that, though my future prospects may not be pleasant to reflect upon, I have the consola- tion of knowing that no man has ever paid nature’s debt by my agency, who was not at heart a ruffian and a villain, and whose death was not a relief to the community, and a favor to every honest man.” ie And must you always live this wild, strange e?” NOOO] KS (COMMING Gor