Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 221 — page 12: what you’re looking at

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

7 oe “4 eee —~—s—— se ee and borrified at the harsh speech; but in a moment she comprebended that it was but aunofler freak of the poor girl’s wandering reason, ‘Speak!’ Calamity cried, her voice unusually strong. ‘*‘ What are you crying about?’ ‘*{ was ouly weeping because you are feeling so badly,” Bessie replied, drying her tears, but feeling a strange, indescribable sensation of alarm. ‘*‘lam sosorry I can not do something to help you.” **Pooh! You're a silly fool! I never was better in my life. [ understand your case. You see there’s every indication of my getting well, and you’re sniveling lest you don’t get Dick. Ob! 1 understand—I understand! I know how itis. Dick used to come here, I’ve reard, and was playing it up soft on you. But, ha! ha! he’s planted—thank goodness for that! Besides, he wouldn’t stoop to caress one of your little fingers.” Bessie listened, with something akin to horror, unable to make any protesting reply. But there was po particular need of it. Calamity soon subsided into quiet again; her terrible gaze however, never for an instant left the face of her supposed rival. It was a gaze of suspicious resolve, ani Bessie felt fearful lest she should attack her in one of her spells of insanity. At last she closed ber eyes, and kept them closed so long, that Bessie took it for granted she was asleep, and rose to steal from the room. But, as quick as a flash Calamity sat up in bed, her eyes fuirly blazing with anger, and in her hand she held a cocked revolver! Where she could have got it Bessie had no idea, but she had it all the same, and Bessie was the target at which it was aimed. “Stop! Desert me in this hour of trouble, and Pll make acorpse of you. I mean business, so sit down!” she said, with promptness and command. And nothing was left for Bessie but to obey. She sat down again, and appeared to busy herself at some sewing, but she was secretly expecting the erratic woman would make an attempt to do her some injury. Such was not the case, however. In about an hour, Calamity fell asleep. She )slept soundly until the shadows of night began to gather over the town, and in the mean time Bessie locked her shanty, and ran over to the nearest store for some groceries, She could but notice the many strange glances of those who had previously been friendly to- ward her, a3 well as of strangers, and this too | had sent a chill of terror through her frame, ‘*I wish L were far from this place,” she mur- mured, after she had made a few purchases and was hurrying homeward. Something seems to tell me that trouble is brewing. Indeed, I have hourly been expecting it since the commodore discovered Calamity in my house, if indeed he 0% time to discover her before he was dragged out. Just before she reached home she met Joe Langdon, the man who drove the stage. He was a sober, well-minded man of four-and- twenty, fairly good-looking, and making money, but not generally popular because he either drank, swore nor gambled, and would ~not work on Sunday. He had called on Bessie once or twiée to leave some washing, and during such occasions their acquaintance bad so progressed that Bessie be- came quite fond of him, while it was easy to see that she was one after lis special liking. He stopped her now by a gesture of his hand, the old quiet smile not upon Lis face, but in its place an expression of anxiety and doubt, ‘* Miss Burt,” he said, scberly, ‘* reports reach me that you are harboring the wife of the once famous outlaw, Deadwood Dick. Tell me, is this true?’ ‘Quite true, Mr. Langdon. Calamity Jane, asshe is called, came to me, wounded almost unto death, and as lam a Christian woman, I took her in, and have cared for her up to the present time.” “ Humanity in this case may work you ex- ceeding mischief. That blustering party who calls himself Commodore Burt has discovered that you are secreting the woman, and he has enlisted the majority of the citizens against you. _ To-night an attack will be made upon your eabin, and an attempt made to lynch you both.” Bessie gasped. “Surely they would not do this, sir?” “Tf fear they will, ifthey get you. Thename of Deadwood Dick, or any person who has ever been associatea with him, dou't get much mer- ey at the hands of the citizens of these rough —— — Sugar-Coated Sam. would show you no mercy. Your only safety is to take your iew effects and quietly leave the town.” ‘* What! and leave poor helpless Calamity to the fury of the mob?” ‘* What better can you do?” “Tcan die defending her, Joe Langdon, and that’s every bit what 1 will do before L’ll desert her. Indeed, l’d face a whole army if need be, before l’d be guilty of such a thing!” ‘‘Brave girl! I honor your decision, and though it has never been my wiil to war against mankind, Pll stand by you now. Hurry back to your bome, and I will join you soon, with ammunition and weapons, with which to de- fend ourselves!” CHAPTER XII. THE END. Besstz obeyed the siage-driver’s orders, for she had faith in him and his judgment, be- cause he had to her ever seemed honest and re- liable. According to promise, he soon followed her, bringing a trio of good rifles, several revolvers and stock of ammunition, It was by this time quite dusky outside, and an attack might be expected at any minute. Calamity was sleeping calmly, and at Bessie’s request, Langdon took a glance in at her. * Ah! very fair—too pretty, in fact, for the position in life she occupies,” was his comment, as he left the room. ‘‘I’ve heard of her as Calamity Jane, and that a wilder, more un- manageable piece does not exist in the bills,” ‘‘T do not know much about her,” Bessie re- plied, ‘‘more than she has seemed very nice, and has endeared herself to me, in the short time she has been under my care.” ‘Undoubtedly; she is probably handy at the endearing’ business, Nevertheless, you are to be commended for having taken ber in, under the circumstances.” An hour passed and no hostile demonstration was begun on the outside of the shanty, the doors and windows of which Bessie had taken the precaution to carefully fasten. A little later, however, there came a knock at the door, and Bessie thought she recognized it. “Getin the next room an she whis- pered, ‘‘and wait for my call. I tbink it is the commodore, come to talk the matter over.” Joe obeyed, and then Bessie went and opened the door. It was the commodore, indeed, and he entered promptly, when Le saw the door opened for him. ‘‘Hal ha! I see you are still here.” ‘‘Oh! yes, I am nearly always here,” Bessie replied, composedly. ‘* You were also here once before, | believe, but took leave so suddep- ly that you scarcely had time tosay your adieus, Ll wonder you are back so soon.” “Ob! yes. Iam aware that I have returned too soon for you,” he replied, ‘‘ but this time I mean business.” ne Indeed y? ‘You shall see, my independent miss. things all my own now.” ‘‘T fail to see in what respect, sir.” ‘Do you? Well, L have been fortunate enough to discover the important fact that you are secretly conniving against the law by har- boring the wife and partner in crime of the late Deadwood Dick. This fact is all the evidence I ean ask against you, for it will hang you with- out parley, if you don’t accede to my terms.” “Hang it shall be, then,” Bessie replied, cool- ly. ‘I would greet such a punisbment, if such it can be called, with the greatest alacrity, in preference to accepting or deliberating on any plans you might make. I am perfectly aware of your proposed attack upon my cabin, backed by a collection of ruffians whom cowardice forced you to hire to do your bidding. All I have to say is, come on! [am prepared, and I dare and defy you! Joe?” In response to the call Langdon stepped quick- ly from the adjoining room. ‘“Throw bim out, Mr. Langdon,” Bessie or- dered. ‘‘ His presence is obnoxious to me,” ‘‘ Yes, throw him out, you overgrown loafer, if you can!” the commodore cried, drawing a revolver, | ; But he had no opportunity even to cock it, for the wiry stage driver sprung upon him ata single bound, wrenched the weapon from his grasp, and, by a dextrous movement, pitched bim head-foremost out of doors. Then, with a pair of sixes in his grasp, he stood fearlessly in the doorway and waited for a return assault. But the valiant commedore evidently did not Ihave mining towns, and unless I guess amiss, they ' feel disposed to depend upon his own ability to « TS “ ~ win him laurels, and rising with a smothered malediction, he limped off. ‘¢ Now, then! look out tor trouble,” Laugdon said, as he closed and re-barred the docr. ‘'* He won't tarry long in communicating his p1.cv- ances to his backers, and we mery safely icok for the attack at any minute.” Aud he was not ‘** off” in his reckoning. In less than bhalf.an bour a hum of veices be- came audible out on (' enight, which the nearer it approached increu..d to a pandemoniure of yelis and screeches, mingled with terrible wofanity and the heavy confused tramp cof tet, ln the course of five minutes more the riotous crowd came into sight, many of them armed with torches, while others were equipped with weapons and missiles of every kind. They were all in all a hard Jooking cang, numbering forty or fifty. lf Burt was among them he was in the rear, where there was the least possibility of the bul- lets reaching him. Inside the cabin Bessie and Langdon stood near two loop-holes which the Jebu had thought- fully provided, and peered out at the rough gang, with anxiety and doubt written upon their faces, ‘‘Tt looks like we’ve got a bigger dose than we can swallow,” Langdon remarked; “ but there’s only one thing to do—be brave, and fizbt to the last. If wesucceed in beating them back, all right; if they once get their hands on us, up we go.” Bessie clinched her rifle tightly, but did not reply. By this time the mob had drawn up in formi- dable force before the shanty, and stood for a moment in grim silence. Then an uncouth, ruffianly-looking pilgrim who had evidently been appointed to command stepped forward and took off his hat, threw it under between hislegs and caught it again on his head, after which he said: ‘‘Gentlermen an’ feller citizens! This hyar is an occasion as shed fill every patriotic speerit with genuine enthusiasm, fer we’re on ther eve o’ one o’ ther greatest triumphs thet bes ever struck ther country wild. onder in thet she» bang aire three human mortals who stand in utter contempt and defiance of the laws of man. kind, one of whom is the wife of the recently killed outlaw, of whom every mother’s son of ou must have heard—Deadwood Dick. Asa ‘air, squar’ an’ upright set of galoois, we hev put our heads tergether in communion, and de- cided thet et becomes our station, as active honory citizens who takes our bitters straight three times a day, or more, ter boost these law- defying ones to an altertude above ther sins an’ sorrers 0’ this world. Tharfore, on callin’ upon ‘em ter deliver up, ef they refuse we aire ter sail in an’ tear ther shebang down over their heads. Ain’t thet ther ticket?’ ‘‘ Percisely ther plum!” responded one of the men, and the rest assented by sundry nods and ejaculations, ‘Then, to ve all whomsoever an’ whatsoever, may be confined witbin yon shanty, do 1, Grass- kopper Jake, issue a pre-cmptory command ter vacute them premises instanter an’ ter oncet, an’ surrender, or et’ll be ther wuss fer ye, an’ ye’ll hev ter abide wi’ ther consequences thet foller! Wull ye open up an’ surrender, or no?” ‘* No!” yo yelled, through one of the loop- holes, ‘‘ Beware, lest you tackle a hornets’ nest.” ‘‘ Hooray! Heer that, will ye! At ’em, boys!” the leader shouted. ‘‘ Capture ’em, an’ string ’em up, as ye would a haunch o’ venison to a—” They were the last words of the ruffian,. A bullet from Joe Langdon’s rifle cut off his words, and, with a gurgling moan he fell forward, dead. As they saw him fall, the mob uttered a venge- ful shout, and sprung toward the shanty, bent upon its destruction, It was but a frail, hastily built affair, and it was evident that the inturiated roughs must make short work of it. Langdon seemed better aware of the fact than Bessie, and knew that it would be next toa miracle if they succeeded in saving themselves from slaughter. | This fired him with awful resolve, and with his sixteen shot repeater he fired rajidly and with telling effect. Bessie was e!so enough of a border girl to well know the use of a rifle, and she fired her repeater nearly as rapidly as her companion. The mob were hanimering and pounding away on the outside, like a pack of demons, doing far more swearing and yelling than effective work. In the midst of the terrible cc ntusion Calam- (E(oypaylicel exeye) r-- —— -- S