Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 104 — page 14: what you’re looking at

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

14 Deadwood Dick’s Device. 2 i sss ‘‘ Not there!” Deadwood Dick cried, leaping forward. ‘‘ By Heaven! there is treachery here. What has become of the man?” ‘Yas! w’at hes becum o’ ther galoot?’ grunt- ed Beautiful Bill, were rp **Show me ther e ered around her—unable to speak except ina scream of agony—sensible only to the awful torture that she experienced. Her hitherto fair pretty face was contorted terribly, the eyes and lips being tightly closed except when she screamed and features were drawn out of | cuss ef he’s a candida r Judge Lynch’s shape. noose; let ther Pet Elephant o’ ther Leadville ‘Be calm, chief,” the physician said, at last; | trail adjust his necktie ter fit like a hoop ona ** her pain is virtuall over; sheisdying. Scout! | pork barrel!” will you call Rivers?” ‘What have you against the villain?’ Dead- Avalanche hastened to obey, and the minister | wood Dick demanded, sharply, turning so sud- soon made his appearance by the bedside of the denly upon the giant as to cause him to start in dying bride. his tracks. With tears in his eyes, he offered up an elo- ‘“‘Kerwhoop! plants o’ Jupiter and Satan! quent and touching de pert hay ong and | W’at hev I ag’in’ ther cuss—I, Beautiful Bill, earnestly to God to stop the terrible torture, and | ther Pet Elephant o’ ther Leadville trail? ease the spirit of the dying girl in her last mo- | Waal, now, ef I hain’t hed my fill o’ thet galoot, ments. Y’ll sell out cheap, you bet! Skinned me eleven One by one, as they heard the news, the road- | straight games o’ poker, he did, at two dollars agents filed into the room, and stood watching | a whack, an’ don’t ye fergit it.” with tearful eyes, for what was sorrow to them |, ‘Man, lam tempted to believe that you set was double sorrow to their chief, in this hour of the French devil at liberty!” the Prince of the death, Road cried, ‘Can you look me straight in the John Rivers’ prayer was seemingly answered, | eyes and say that you didn’t?” for at last poor Stella appeared to grow easier | ‘‘Can I? Great luminar ah o’ Jupiter of her pain, and dropped off into a state re- | an’ catapultian Satan, yes ye fer eye, Ido sembling slumber, but which was in reality | declare thet I didn’t hev anything ter death, all the contraction of her features hav- ing disappeared, and a smile of peaceful rest frozen upon her colorless lips. Thus died Deadwood Dick’s bride, within the very day of their marriage. , ‘“Weep no more, my friends,” Rivers said, solemnly. ‘‘ She has passed away to that bourne of everlasting peace where there is no pain, no dying, no marriage or giving in marriage, but where all is lifeand eternal joy in the sunlight reflecting from God’s beaming face.” Then, convulsed with emotion, he left the room—left the mourners by the bedside of the lost bride. Long they remained there in silent prayer; then, when they arose as if by intuitive consent, it was found that Deadwood Dick had fainted. Strong though he was, and generally a mas- ter over his emotions, he had at last succumbed to this unexpected and terrible blow. ‘‘Gentlemen, if you will carry him to his room,” Calamity said, addressing those of the band who stood around, ‘‘ I will care for him.” 0 wi’ lettin’ out ther cuss, and didn’t know nary a thing about it. Pile a stack o’ Bibles and Web- ster’s Dicksyonarys on ther ground as high as bis, La He eak, an’ up ’em I'll go, as spry asa spring kitten, an’ standin’ on ther e’ena’most top, T’ll wave my banner an’ yell, ‘I didn’t hev nothin’ ter do wi’ et! Jab yer bowie inter my pulsometer; agitate my spine wi’ a bucket o’ water drawn frum Greenland’s icy river—ay, squirt a stream o’ aged terbaccy-juice plum in my eye, an’ still wi’ martyr-like fortytude, Pll send forth the cry, ‘I didn’t take no hand in thet ar’ deal!’” the giant cried, tragically. Deadwood Dick turned grimly to his com- rades, his face darkening. ‘*Search the cabin an | the immediate neigh- borhood, and you may yet recover the pri- soner,” he commanded. *‘Take him dead or alive. A hundred dollars to the man who re- turns either him or his carcass here!” ‘* Thet’s business!” Beautiful Bill cried, enthu- siastically pounding his breast; ‘‘ you hit me righ thar ter a capital dot, my beloved chief. Eager were they to obey, and the chief soon | A hundred gold shiners more will I add ter ther lay upon the bed in his own room, and Calam- | pile fer the capture o’ ther French son 0’ a horse- ity and Avalanche were left to bring him back | eater, an’ fer ther privelege 0’ placin’ ther neck- to consciousness. lace 0’ justice about his neck!’ It was not a hard job, and they soon had him ‘You keep still! You may get it about yer sitting upright upon the bed, fully restored. own windpipe!” Avalanche cautioned. “You fainted,” Calamity said, quietly in ‘*‘Keerect, my scrimped-up, leetle old sucker answer to his inquiring look around. “ ‘You | —keerect. When his lordsh , ther noble Dick Deadwood shall ordain thet ther Va r moment has arriv fer me, Beautiful Bill, Pet Elephant o’ ther Leadville trail, ter shuffle off this mortail stage-road o’ life, I shall be ready ter peregrin- ate—ter transport myself with ther utmost for- titude ter ther realms o’ Jupiter an’ Satan.” A hurried but careful search of the rendezvous was made, but nothing of the Frenchman could be found; neither did out-of-door search discover him | had better lie still, for awhile, until you regain your strength.” “Bah! Ishall never be stronger than now, to strike the murderer of my wife. It was the accursed Frenchman’s hellish work, and he shall y the penalty of his crime. Come, Avalanche would have you with me. Calamity, can - look to you to care for her?’ And the chief's voice grew hoarse with emotion. ‘‘T will do all I ean,” Calamity replied, tears springing to her eyes. ‘‘ You know I would not Somehow he had escaped, but how? refuse you, even though you—you suspected me, He could not have got out of the strong room Dick.” without hands and help from the outside, and ‘Tut, tut, Jennie, my dear abs Banish the remembrance of that wrong from your mind. I was mad to think of such a sae” now know that you would sooner kill yourself than her.” And pressing her hand in his, he turned and accompanied Avalanche. Down the stairs they went, and to the mess- such help he had surely had. But, who was the guilty man, then? Was it the giant, despite all his protestations of innocence, or was it some other member of the band? This was the momentous questiom which puz zled Deadwood Dick, even as the escape of oom. Jacques Frouch angered him. Apparently there The band were all assembled in the mess-room, | was no way of throwing light upon either of the the pickets having been called in, Each man | subjects, which made it the more exasperating. sat with bowed head; a few were huddled to- Calamity came down, after awhile, and the gether, talking in low tones. Prince of ‘the Road made known to her what They all looked up, however, when Deadwood | had transpired. Dick entered—Deadwood Dick, looking so pale | ‘‘ Beautiful Bill’s your huckleberry, mark my and calm, that they felt something was about to , word,” she said, when he had done. “I calcu- transpire. lated he’d hit you a stab and he’s done it. He'll Nor were they wrong. do it again if you don’t lynch him, on the spot.” He paused in the center of the floor and gazed | “T don’t like to believe that he’d lie so to me.” around—saw sympathy plainly written in each | “ Pshaw! he can lie as easy as he can drink face—knew that each and every man there was | whisky, which ain’t no trouble at all, you ready to strike for him. bet.” “Comrades,” he said, after a moment, “ you Deadwood Dick was not quite satisfied. He have doubtless heard of the hellish crime that | had placed confidence in the giant, since his las been committed, by which my bride has ; ‘“‘com over,” such as he seldom placed in been stricken suddenly down. You all know | mankind, and he could not well believe that he the measure generally meted out to a murderer, | was mistaken in the honesty of the chap. A and it shall apply to this case as well as to | keen sense of perception generally served him others. Bring out the Frenchman who is im- | in lieu of a detective’s judgment. prisoned in the strong room. The day passed slowly away. A couple of stout fellows sprung forward to Sharp watch was kept from the Rendezvous do the chief’s bidding. The door was flung | for the self-styled Regulators who infested the open; then they stepped back as if in surprise. | woods around the Tract, but nothing could be ‘He is not here, chief!” they exclaim seen of them, Thoroughly hidden among the ; } | ee Sr eee ——™ ered into the dead pines did they keep, if indeed they were still there. By Deadwood Dick’s direction, some of the members of the band set to work and manu- factured a coffin-shaped box, out of such ma- terial, and with such tools as were on hand. This was then filled with dry leaves covered over with a white blanket, and the body of poor Stella was laid upon them—her last rest- ing-place here below. A beautiful corpse she made, for Calamity’s deft hands had been at work in arranging her body for the grave. Just as dusk threw its mantle over the earth, a deep grave was dug beneath the floor of the cabin, the flooring having been torn up for this pul . When completed the coffin was low- ve, and John Rivers read a short but touching burial service, after which the remains were covered up, in the presence of many a tearful eye, and the floor replaced. Deadwood Dick was seen no more for a couple of hours, but when he again appeared, he was attired in full riding costume, and was armed to the teeth. ‘* Now where?” Calamity asked, in surprise. ‘* To Leadville,” he replied. ‘* You need scarce- ly ask what for; I am going to hunt down the murderer of my bride.’ ‘“*But you are not going to attempt to go rene the Regulators?” Calamity asked, anx- iously. ‘Bah! yes. I fear them not, though they may number an ry fe I am a free man, and they have no right to stop me. If they do, I sh l kill every man that raises a hand against me. ‘* How about matters here?” ‘*It is of that I would speak. I leave every- thing in your hands—in your command. ‘i case of an attack before 1 return, do the best ou can—that is all I could do. Don’t touch he giant, unless you have positive proof of the guilt in which you may believe him con- cerned.” ‘Very well. I will take charge, and do as I believe you would do—fight in self-defense, if it should come to that. Im case we have to light out, Pll fire the cabin. Should you not find us here on your return, look in the Lead- prt koe for a Jetter for Elijah Goff.” fi‘ right. 1 will trust all to your manage- ment. It is sufficiently dark now, and I am Shaking hands with Calamity and Avalanche, and addressing a few words to the band, Dead- wood Dick then left the cabin, and mounting his horse which was held in waiting for bim, he galloped away toward Leadville’s electric city, through the gloom of the night. A few hours before, Jacques Frouch had en- tered the town, covered with dirt, as though he had been crawling through the mud. Escaped had he from the Rendezvous, in a way unsus- pected by those within the cabin. He had found a board in the floor loose, and carefully raising it he had slipped beneath the floor, and allowed the board to spring back into its place. To crawl] from in under the cabin was but a trifling task, and in the course of an hour he had stealthily made his way out of the Tract and into the forest, without being once halted, for he passed the Regulators unnoticed. Grimly triumphant over his success, he hast- ened toward the town. ‘* Now for la belle Fanny!” he muttered, ‘‘and the glorious prospect of coming in for the larger share of her harvest from her rich pro- - passes f Major Howell. Ha! ha! I’ll then be in- ependent of the stage and its mockeries—I shall be virtually made.” Thus musing, he made his way to his stopping- place, where he repaired to some extent his per- sonal appearance, after which he dropped into a saloon and imbibed a stiff drink o wry. Then, in high spirits, he made his way to the ert mansion, and mounting the steps, rung 3) CHAPTER XI. THE END OF A ROPE AND A YARN. Nort long had the Frenchman to wait, for the door was soon opened by a servant. Pushing him rudely aside, Frouch entered the hall, and listened. oices were audible comin from an upper parlor, and accordingly Frouc ascended with as much liberty as though he were in his own mansion, leaving the gaping servant to stare after him, in bewilderment too great for expression. To the parlor the villainous Frenchman wend- ed his way, and entered without the usual for- mality of knocking. Indeed, he already consid- GOMIIGVOOKS Ln -