Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 118 — page 10: what you’re looking at

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

10 But et would be hard to prove sech a thing, an’ ef ye git a chance to scoot,,take my advice and slide out.”’ And with this comforting advice, the sheriff of Deadwood’s magic.city slid out ixgself, leav- ‘ing Jack to the solitude of his rude and cheerless prison cell, which was gloomy and dismal. His situation was anything but pleasing, and ‘the prospect thereof anything but inviting. ile realized that he was in a tight place, ana ‘that he was in the hands of foes who would be unrelenting. hat the companion of Tom Tremaine was his father, in disguise, Jack had no doubt, and he knew that the two coupled together were as strong a pair of arrant knaves as ever lived. That he would stand but little show at the coming trial was only too evident, and convic- rer in this rough city of the Black Hills, meant eath. ~~ Through all the long night he sat and ponder- ed over his situation, and endeavored to con- ceive a way out of his dilemma, but utterly failed, and at last sunk into a troubled slumber, ‘from which he did not awake until nearly noon. Mackintosh brought him in some crackers ani a mug of beer, at noon, and then retired, with- out speekle. _ Shortly after dinner hour, Tom Tremaine and the y-haired personage of the crutches, were admitted to the cell, the sheriff locking them in and retiring. Jack was lying stretched out upon his cot, but made no motion to rise. ‘You seem to be taking matters coolly enough,” Tom Tremaine growled, evidently samy Pere not to find him agitated. ‘‘ One would naturally suppose you would be engaged in prayer. a" I pray when I desire—not at the option of others,” Jack replied. ‘‘ What brings you and your evil father here, Tom Tremaine?” ‘surprised. “Yes, your father—that old son of a sea-cook behind you, with the false hair and whiskers — the runaway bank robber, whom Harry Hunter | | visitor was, and hi wants to see. Oh! it’s no use to feign surprise, or to attempt to deceive me.” ‘Well, then, if you already know us, we shall need no introduction,” the Lowell ex- broker said, removing the long false white beard from his face, and smiling darkly. must have a keen so clever a disguise SS —: =<, 2 ss: : ae z= *. = - — 2a Jack Hoyle. I = ———— --— — | over me in this manner, I would die a thousand deaths!” The two Tremaines looked at each other. Plain it was that Jack had balked their little game. “Well, if oa will be so stubborn, we can not help you, and you must die the ignominious death of a thief. I am sorry, for your father was my dearest friend. Neda if I stay the proceed- wi A ht will yet conclude to come down, liber- ally. ‘ Don’t entertain so vain a hope, I beg of you,” | Jack exclaimed, “for you will surely isap- pointed.” ‘‘Curse you! You talk brave now, but you | will change your tune when the halter is placed | | | outer door of the “My father?’ the younger man said, as if | the door of his ce i i ! “You | of a handsomely-tanned, frin perception to have penetrated | belted at the waist, and reac] ” around your neck!” Tom Tremaine sneered. ‘‘Come, daddy, there’s no use arguing with a stubborn mule.” ‘No more there is, but the mule shall die, and we will get possession of his money besides!” the elder villain the cell, whiels Mackintosh had come to unlock. After they had gone, Jack rolled over on his couch, and reviewed the situation. ‘Perhaps I was foolish vot to make terms | proverbial brigan with them,” he mused, “but my grit wouldn’t allow it. Curse them! Even ip they des- troy me they shal]! not triumph in the possession of my money.” In the meantime the day passed, and the night came on, apace. When at last it grew dark, Jack’s wonder increased, for, as yet, no sheriff had appeared to lead him out to the scaffold, which was to be a pare of the programme. hat was the cause of the delay, he could not imagine, unless, as they had proposed, the Tremaines had stayed the proceedings, in ex- pectation that at the last moment Jack would come to their terms. About ten o’clock in the evening he heard the i softly close, and ph y as softly opened admit some person whom he could not see, on account of the darkness. In a moment, however, a bull’s-eye lantern supplied sufficient light for him to see who his astonishment knew no bounds when he beheld standing before him the vision of his dream. ‘Yes—the same trim-formed Indian maiden, clad in a semi-male suit of buckskin, consisting ed hunting-shirt, g nearly to the knees; leggings of the same material, and top- “*T recognized your blockhead of a son, here, | boots of a light material of leather upon her and so 8 a nice fix, haven’t we, now?’ “Very likely. Dll give you credit for your skill in villainy.” ‘‘ Which we proudly accept, my dear Hoyle. You always were profuse with your compli- ments. By the way, how do you like the idea of trying on Judge Lynch’s new style of Picca- dilly co warranted to fit any neck?’ ‘“T am not afraid to hang,” Jack replied with coolness, resolved not to betray any sign of anxiety or fear in their presence. “You will change your mind, when your -wind begins to fail. ‘‘ Not in the least; and when I get to the end ‘of m 5 poor I shall telephone down to you hart e my situation.” ‘‘ Bah! talk is easy,” Tremaine said. ‘‘ We know that you desire to live, and therefore we pro to make terms with you.” “ Make terms?” Jack echoed. “ Ay, make terms. You have money, and’can ‘well ord to purchase your liberty. In con- sideration of the twenty thousand dollars you have somewhere hidden away, w® will with- draw our charge, and give you your liberty!” ** Indeed ! ill you really do all this?” ‘‘ Yes, upon our honor as gentlemen.” ‘* How eee you are!” Jack ‘said, with biting sarcasm. ‘“ ran stand up under so magnanimous an offer, “ great respect for you, however, prevents me taking advantage of your generosity.” sf _ you refuse?” ‘‘ Most emphatically!” “Then give us ten thousand.” “1 am sorry to decline.” ** You certainly will give five, then, rather at your identity,” Jack an- | daint / ' ' ; i / ' / ' i marvel that you _ ains, who wants to see you. little feet. ouch hat of white felt was worn upon her wered., | ‘Well, laying aside jokes, we’ve got you in | head, the hair of which was the color of the raven’s wing, and fell in profusion over her shoulders. Her features were well-chiseled, with eyes of jetty black, a mouth of firm yet pleasant ex- pression, teeth of pearly whiteness, and a com- plexion of nut brown. Taken asa whole she was remarkably pretty, her features being round and classical, rather than flat, like the usual features of the Indian race, Jack’s speak, but this was not the case with the girl. “The Americano is surprised,” she said, in- terpreting his silence. ‘‘ Let him not fear, for I am Wild Flower, of the Sioux nation, and at peace with the pale-faces. The pale-face miners call me Wild Jo; the prisoner may do the same, for there’s nothing in a name.” ‘‘ Evidertly not, out in this wild region,” Jack confessed. “What can Ido for you, miss?” “ Nothing. It is I who have come to do for gou. Ieome from my father, who is the king of the mountains, and I come to offer you a re- lease, and a chance to make money. Will the pale-face prisoner come to the Locked Valley, with Jo? ‘‘To the Locked Valley?’ “ Ay—to the home of the king of the mount- He is getting old rise was so great that he could not 'and no longer can see to read or write, an | ' } i | | when Jo told him of the pale-face hermit, he was pleased, and said, ‘Bring him hither, and Onoboko will make him a great man,’ ” Jack gave vent to a little whistle of astonish- ment. | Here was something that savored of the fairy tale, and he was in the presence of a being ap- A owled as he followed his son from | aroused to find the ce ! in your fanrily?” he asked, determined to know all he could, first. ‘‘Qnoboko and Jo are alone of one family, but they have many servants, and live in much ndeur. Will the pale-face come? After he as visited the mountain king, and received much gold, he can return to ‘his people, if he does not like it in the Locked Valley. Will he go with Wild Flower to her home?” “Yes, I will go, providin: I can get out of my present qu«rters.” ‘*'Then, let the pale tee? remain here until an hour before daybreak, when the night is the darkest; then Jo will come for him,” the Indian | irl said, and turning, she left the cell, locking | e door behind her. Jack listened until he heard her leave the jail, then he threw himself back upon his cot, re- solved to catch a few hours of sleep. He had not slept long, however, when he was filled with pee wT be- whiskered men, who wore long black cloaks, and masks upon their faces—men who were armed to their eer, and as fierce-looking as ‘* Come, young feller, git up and dust yerself,” the leader said, handing Jack his hat. ‘* Keep yer mouth shut, too, if, you don’t want your brottle shut off.” ‘“Who are you, and what do you want?” J ype demanded, surprised at the strange aspect of affairs. ‘* Well, I reckon we’re what they call road- agents, up in this kentry, an’I, Capt’in Pete Porkypine, am ther prime factor. e want, ye ter go’long wi’ us ona visit, up ter our leetle stronghold, ef ye ain’t got no objections!” CHAPTER IX. JACK SHOWS HIS HAND. ““ WrLL, I suppose there isn’t any carthly use of refusing, when you hold the biggest hand,” Jack replied. “I want you to answer me one uestion, however: have the Tremaines any- thing to do with this abduction?” - me no questions, young feller, and [ll tell ye no lies,” the captain suggeste with a chuckle, which convinced Jack that he had not guessed far from the truth, Jack’s arms and wrists were now bound; then he was led from the jail and placed upona horse, a number of which were standing near by in the charge of another road-agent. The remainder of the outlaws then mounted and filed slowly up through the quiet main street, which was deserted at this hour of the night. The horses feet were muffled; neverthe- less the road-agents held their rifles in readiness to repel an attack, should one come, It did not come, however, and they rode safe- ly out of town with their prisoner. Jack was not blindfolded; consequently he took good care to notice all the points of the route they traversed. After leaving the town the road-agents rode up Whitew ch to its intersection with ugget gulch, which they entered, and followed for many miles, until it ended abruptly in the face of a huge mountain. : A tunnel-mouthed entrance to a mine had been worked into the base of the mountain, and Jack concluded they had about reached their destina- tion, but found that he was mistaken, when they began to work their way around the base of the mountain through a rugged and narrow path. Until daylight they continued around the mountain, when they at last arrived in a con- tinuation of the valley, which was timbered with a scattered collection of dead hemlocks, st contained a large pond of stagnant, slimy water. Near the edge of that pond was a yard of con- siderable extent, fenced with long slabs which had been split by hand and set up perpendicu- ly. Inside this inclosure were a large number of little shanties, sheds and Bane, Sorte of the latter evidently containing wild animals, judging by the sounds. ‘Riding inside the inclosure, the road-agents dismounted, and assisted Jack to follow their oom “Ye kin foller me, young feller,” the captain said, leading the way toward the largest cabin of the lot. ‘‘ Thar’s no use fer ter to escape, fer I’ve a pair 0’ bloodhounds who’d hunt ye up, ” ‘than to hang. | parently from unknown realms. an’ dissect yer carcass in a jiffy. “T certainly will not!” _~ What to make of it, he did not know. If he} Believing it policy to obey, Jack followed the “You are foolish. How much will you give? | should agree to follow this Indian girl, might he | captain into his stronghold, which was rudely Your life is-certainly worth something to you.” | not be venturing literally out of the frying- furnished, and had anything but a cheerful ap- into the fire? At any rate, his chances of es- pg ty death could not be any worse, among > : dians, ‘‘ Where do you live, and how many are there “‘T will not give you one cent, nor a fraction of acent. If you came here with a view to ‘make money out of me, you will find yourselves sadly at fault. Rather than let you triumph pearance: nor did he when he saw Tom ee and a sca bios aie toa en- na eo w poker. He eo eatishied ft from the moment he left the jail, (ee) books com!