Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 129 — page 12: what you’re looking at

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

12 | ann And then, taking her gun, she departed. The night shadows were ho vering dense and dark over the valley, when we penetrate the deep forest, and arrive at the outlaw’s camp, consisting of a large rude cabin, hastily erected, with a large bonfire blazing in front of it, anda corral, near by, for the horses. Inside the cabin the outlaws were congregated —some were rolicd in their blankets near the fire; others were gambling and drinking; some were reading and some were cleaning their weapons. Their captain was pacing to and fro, a dark expression aboub his mouth and coming from his eyes that gleamed through the holes in his mas : Deadwood Dick’s Double. A rapid gait soon took him away from the camp, when he slackened his pace and exercised more caution in his movements, for it was very dark, and the outlaw knew not how many foes > be lurking in the gloom. e was not a particularly brave man, this brigand who had appropriated the name of Deadwood Dick. Indeed, at heart he was a thorough coward, but, by a rough, boastful manner, be contrived to produce the impression that he was a hard customer. With cautious steps he stole along through the forest, on the alert with both eye and ear. Finally he reached the edge of the timber, whence he could command a view of the fort, —_ oa _ esos nae but his hands were as powerless as his eet. Before him, not a half-dozen yards away stood the ghost of Gorgon’s Gulch—the spectral borse and rider that twice had been seen in the edge of the wood by the colonists, but never un- til now by the bogus Deadwood Dick. It stood in the center cf a little natural glade, inho which the outlaw had taken several steps be- fore he had noticed it—stood there, grim and ghostly, the figure in the saddle being a perfect counterpart of what Royce [lliott had been in life, except that the eyes were now closed and the lips slightly parted by the falling of the lower jaw, while a strange, whitish halo of light surrounded both borse and rider. he fact that the outlaw was none too cour That he was not sorely wounded was evident, for his stride was strong and his movements | him, elastic. Not a dozen yards distant to his left was the Without a word to those gathered around | grave of Royce Elliott, and his gaze wandered and here he paused, and gazed keenly about ageans, and was inclined to be superstitious, but ded to his terror, for he pedily recognized the Phantom Horseman as the victim of his dia- him, he continued to pace to and fro, until an- other outlaw entered the cabin, the mud upon his garments telling that he was but recently from the saddle. ‘‘Ha! Davis, is it you?’ the chief demanded. **T am glad. hat news bring en from the old camp, ap the Tartoise, for i would hear ‘The news is not of a pleasant nature, Cap- ” Davis replied, unbelting himself. ‘* The sheriff and his posse have cleaned the place out, os only two of the boys escaped with their ves. is of there I | to it as a chuckle escaped his lips. ‘‘T fixed him cursedly nice,” he muttered, ‘‘and wish the rest of the gang were served the same way. But, never fear! They shall not long usurp my rights. Ill crush them, one by one, until not a shadow of them shall haunt the gulch!” And gritting his teeth, he took his course once more across the valley toward the north- ern gap, to find the man Lyons. In due time he arrived at the spot mentioned by Davis, and found a man lying upon a plot of grass, apparently asleep. bolical scheme, and quaked with tear at being thus confronted bya spirit of the cead, for such he really believed the apparition to be, For several moments the specter remained motionless, but finally it began to come nearer upon its snowy horse, until but a couple of yards intervened between it and the outlaw, Then the horse came to a halt, and trembling from head to foot the outlaw gazed with a hor- rible fascination at the white-robed thing, be it spirit or human. Not a movement of the specter was there, ex- cept that the lower jaw suddenly clesed, with a ‘* Furies! this is bad business! What else?” A slight sbaking, however, aroused him, and | snap, and a moment later the lips began to “‘Much, The sheriff is scenting after your | he uttered a fierce grow] at being disturbed. move and furm words that the outlaw heaid trail, and as he comes this way, no doubt but be ‘““What d’ye want?’ he growled, angrily. | with increased horror. will locate you.” ** Who are you?” ‘* Curse him, let himcome. We'll be in wait- ing to receive bim, after we’ve cleaned out the colonists. What else?” ‘* A letter, chief. It was handed me just after I entered the valley, with the instructions to give it to you.” ‘‘ Ah! what kind of a man was the giver?’ the outlaw demanded, ‘*T do not know, as it was so dark that I could scarcely see him. Iam of the impression, how- ever, that he was masked.” With eager fingers the outlaw chief tore open the envelope, and hastened to peruse it. Written in a plain but egent chirography, it was easy to decipher, and he read it over, his face growing dark below his mask, and his eyes gleaming with a suddenly wrought fierceness, This was what he read: ‘Srr: You are using my title, without any au- thority or permission from me, and I must request you to drop it, at once, or I shall be under the ne- cessity of dropping you. Understand me—I mean business. Your career of outlawry is adding stain after stain to my somewhat famous title, and I command you to ‘cheese it,’ and pick up another name, Also, you’d better get out of this part of the country immediately ess you are a candidate for a tarred-rope picnic. “*] advise you to puckachee. **Deapwoop Dick.” P A hb of anger connped the ah geo ae - ung the paper upon the floor, and ground i heneath hin heal. eeccithe ““What else, Davis?’ he demanded, as he - turned to the courier who still stood in wait- ““‘T am Deadwood Dick,” was the reply, as the outlaw pase and turned on the light of a small bull’s-eye lantern. “One of my men stated that you wished to see me; so I came.” ‘Oh! you’re the chief o’ ther gang, eh?’ Lyons demanded with a groan. ‘*T am the chief,” was the reply. ** But not the original Deadwood Dick?’ ** What does that concern you, sir?” ** Not much, only I reckoned ri twigged you,” the Kansan replied; ‘‘ don’t make no difference who ye be, so long’s you're not over scrupulous, which I opine ye ain’t.” ‘*Not over scrupulous, I presume,” the road- rover replied. ‘lf you’ve anything to propose, I’m open.” Lyons raised himself to a rest upon his elbow. ‘* lve got a wound that has made me rather lazy; still, 1 am better than a haif-dozen dead men. I was dropped by thet gal who hangs about the fort under the name of Slippery Sal. Who she is, is more than I can tell. But, thet ain’t to ther p’int; I want thet gal, Ethe! Hiliott, the Judge’s daughter, and ’'m goin’ ter have her, ef I have to work till ’m gray as a badger. But Pll allow etain’t no healthy job fer a man ter try ter gobble onter her alone, an’ accord- ingly, I want help. D’ye see?” ‘You want my aid, eh?’ Deadwood Dick’s Double demanded. ‘Exactly, an’ ef ye aire a-might to, we kin work the game successful. You’ve a notion after the woman, Edith Harris, I take et, and ef ye wanter g°0 in snacks wi’ me, we'll capture ’em both, at the same time.” ‘* Aka!” the specie spoke, ina strange, chilling tone; ‘‘aha! I have thee, now, ruffian and mur- derer! For days I have been searching tor thee—ever since thou deprived my earitl.ly body of its life. Knowest me, thou cringing cur? I am Royce Elliott, in the spirit instead of the flesh!” A faint gasp came from the wretch, but that was all, e shook in every limb, but affright had sealed his tongue. ‘‘Thou knowest me,” the specter continued, with a frightful eng “thou couldst not forget me so soon, nor the agency thou hadst i» causing my spirit to take its flight from the earthly tabernacle for the realms above. No! no! thou well rememberst me, and tremble at my approach like the monster thou art, to thy very heart’s core. Aha! I see thee, even without eyes. And thou fearest me! Well thou mayest, for I have come for thee—come to transport thee to the border of a Jake of fire that burneth with brimstone. Art thou ready to ‘‘No! no! Spare me! spare me!” the outlaw gasped, his terror becoming greater each mo- ment. ‘I beg your forgiveness—anything— everything—only don’t kill me!” **Didst not thy hands poison the water that killed Royce Elliott, villain?” the specter rate sternly. ‘‘Didst not thy hands help to behea the St. Celton brothers? And yet thou keggest for mercy, thou craven!” “Ay! Pll own my guilt—I’ll admit the truth of what you say—but still I want to live that I may by good deeds atone for the past. Spare me, and ask of me anything you will, and I will ing. ‘Good. Td give much to get the woman, | grant it.” A man, chief, whom I found wounded, near | Edith, into my power. But how would you| There was an awful moment of silence, during the trail. He belonged to the colony, and | manageit? I have no access to the fort.” which neither spoke. wants to see you.” ** Ts he here?” “No. I left him where I found him, and promised to notify you at once,” the courier re- CHAPTER XI. VILLAINS PLANNING. “T wILL go,” Deadwood Dick’s Double said. “This man may be of use to me in diy SPOS these accursed colonists. Direct me, Davis, ‘*Ha! ha! yes. Ill look out for myself. By } the valley at once.” | that I may find this fellow.” the way, lend me a swaller from your canteen, ‘‘ Ay! go, and see that another sunrise does se al ‘‘-You will find him, chief, in Gorgon’s Gulch, | and then [ll rest a little longer before attempt- | not find you within this valley. Go!” and the beyond the basin, to the north. Walk five ago reach the fort.” | apectet fore-finger pointed in the direction of from an old ae stump, due northward; eadwood Dick’s Double passed over the can, | the outlaw camp. en turn eastward, and enter thicket. You | and Lyons took a big swig before returning Without waiting for a second invitation the will find the chap in a small glade in this | it. miscreant found strength to stride on into the thicket.” Then the outlaw departed, directing his foot- | depths of the forest, leaving the ghost of Royce “Tt is well. 1 will go at once, under the | steps toward the fort; but he wide of | Elliott in possession of the glade. cover of darkness. If aught should happen of | that building, and entered the forest at the Straight to his stronghold the outlaw went. importance previous to my return, give me the |! same point where he had quitted it. But he | and aroused what of his followers were not alarm in the usual way.” had taken only a few steps into the forest, | awake. _ Donning a heavy coat, and pulling the slouch | when he paused, abruptly, an exclamation of ‘‘ Awake! Get ready!” he shouted, standing ™ hat he wore down over his eyes, he then looked | horror leaping from his lips. in the center of the cabin, and blowing upon a He tried to retreat, but he was rooted to the ** Look to your to his weapons and stepped out into the night. ‘‘That need make no difference. I have, and that will answer the same purpose. Say we select to-morrow night as the time for the job. When the fort is asleep, I will silence the sugrd, and you can be near, ready to enter. ter that, it will be an easy matter to creep upon the girls, and gag them and make our pe. ‘All right! Ill be lurking in the vicinity, soon after dusk, with horses ready. In the meantime, do not be surprised if I attempt to take the fort. All you need do is to keep out of rifle range.” spot, and could not. He would have drawn his ved x 4 : —— i I i OOOO alien on If bis ghostship had heard the words of the outlaw he was evidently giving them considera- tion. Finally the deathly lips moved again, and the specter spoke: ‘‘Thou shalt have a reprieve of life upon one condition, which is: that thou shalt forever quit this valley and withdraw your claim. Refuse, and I will smite you down where you -now stand !”’ “‘T promise that, and swear to it,” Deadwood Dick’s Double said, eagerly, ‘‘ and, with your rmission, I will away to order my men from small bugle when not Epenking. arms and prepare to steal a march upon the v aa Gi @ ) oleae eye) ks.com &