Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 263 — page 10: what you’re looking at

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behind him? If he bad the soulful, undying love for her, tbat she had for him, could he stride on, without looking back, at the beckon of his own conscience? They were soon out of the ove, but he was ty. this time just far enough abead of ber not to stinguish her footfalls upon the soft soil. Down to the beach he went, not a hundred ards from the ferry, and took possession of a light skiff that was grounded upon the beach. ot far away lay Kate Laurel’s pretty skiff, with the oars at hand. Calamity glided quickly across the sands, and was in the little craft nearly as soon as the man she loved above all the world was in his boat. Deadwood Dick pane a strong oar, but with all his strength and experience, Calamity, true, loving, faithful, was soon close behind hiio. On! on they rowed! Nearer they ranged, until side by side they were, just at the on of the dismal forest, the roots of which sunk deep into the bottom of Swamp Lake. “Dick! Dick! Oh! God, come to me, and say that I am forgiven!” Calamity cried, her tone piteous and remorseful. In the next boat now sat, instead of the former black-clad figure, the apparition of Deadwood Dick—white-clad, deathly of face, with fap eyes, and an expression of uput- terable sadness. CHAPTER XI. KATE TO THE RESCUE. , Was this indeed a specter, instead of a hu- rcs she’ tae cteacee bore! s Calami 6, the strange burnin ze of the thin ; fe in the next boat turned accusing!y upon her, but the expression on the face did not change, neither did the lips move. A feeling of sickening horror took possession of cy girl, and sbe put out her hands entreat- y. mA Dick! Dick! speak to me, just once!” she cried, Pieotaiy. ‘* Tell me that you do not bate me, but that I am forgiven!” There was ro answer—no change in the stony stare in the eyes of the man, nor to the steny expression of his ghostly countenance. ith a scream of affright and terror, Ca- lamity sunk back in her boat in a swoon. The tax upon her courage was more than she could bear-—the very thought that she was in the of the departed spirit of her hus- Seelaconan on terrible as to drive her senses It was a long time ere she recovered her con- sciousness, and when she did so, it was with a violent start, and a gasp of wonderment. What transformation was this? Her recollection was of being on the lake, in pens ay er of the dread apparition of Dead- Dick—but she was not there now! Instead, she was now lying upon the hard fioor of the strong cabin or jail of the town. It was morning, and by the dim light that streamed in through the window, which was a. with iron bars, she was able to compre- d where she was. ‘“Caged!” she mused, gloomily, running her manely fingers througb her bair. ‘ Let me see. I must have fair’ u, and drifted ashore— or else Dick pilote. the boat ashore. Oh! my God, is he really dead? Am I after all mis- taken, iu believing that he isliving? Ob! why do I not know—for after meeting him, and he would not speak to me, I must believe that it was his ghost I saw. And yet, did I not hear him s to that viper that stands between us —Dick and 1? Maybe I am going mad!” She burst into tears then, and wept bitterly, ‘her * peak spirit seemingly entering into the ef. After awhile she ceased weeping, but there _ a remorseful expression upon her ace. “It was through the instrumentality of that ruffian, Maguire, that I am here,” she said, with conviction. ‘‘ He has adesign—if [ am right— in this. He proposes to keep me imprisoned in order to bring Dick to my rescue, and then cap- ture bim. But he will fail, there. Dick will never come!” Ske was rlgnt so far as the deputy marshal was concerned; it was he who was her captor. During the early part of the forenoon, the door was unlocked, and he entered. The ion of mocking triumph upon his face, exasperated Calamity, but sbe resolved to appear unconcerned and defiant. Poor child!” he said, patronizingly, as he approached where she wassitting upon the only bench in the rude jail. ‘‘ It is a sin to keep you in this dismal place,” Lg Deadwood Dick’s Divide. “Indeed! I sume it causes you many pangs of anguish,” Calamity retorted. ‘* The only thing surprise to me is your foolishness —for you surely must be foolish if you hope to make anything out of this move,” ‘““What move?’ Maguire demanded, with a smile, ‘'{ have made no move, and formed no plan, as yet, except to capture the festive phantom, Richard, and marry yourself!” ‘*Humph! | thought that was your game, as soon as I discovered myself here, in jail. But, let me tell you that you are reckoning without your host. You think my being imprisoned bere, will attract Dick to my rescue, but he will never come to my rescue, and you will have your trouble for your pains.” ‘““L rather fancy he will come around, when he sees you put up as a target!” Maguire sneered villainously. ‘* You seem to have tum- bled gracefully on to my design. I shall bold you a prisoner for a reasonable length of time, to see if the bold Richard cannot be enticed from his lair. If I see that won’t work, I shall have you taken from jail and sbot for complicity in his crimes as a warning that road-agents and their spies are not wanted in Arizona. I think this will assure your pet desperado that his end is drawing nigh, and the most reason- able thing he can do will be to come in and sur- render, or clear out for good and all.” Calamity laughed, scornfully. ** You know little of my busband, if you really entertain such an idea,” she said. ‘If he is really alive, which I but half believe, any longer, he wil! not allow bimself to be taken, you may rest assured! If you escape with your own life you may count yourself lucky!” ‘‘Pll take all the chances, while, as for your- self, you have only one chance, which is this: marry meand accompany me back to the States, and it will beall right. Otberwise, you will be kept here until to morrow, at sunrise, when, if Deadwood Dicky don’t obligingly stumble into my power, you will be taken from jail and shot as his accomplice and spy.” “Very well, If necessary, Pll take the shooting penalty, a hundred times in preference to marr ing a ruffian of your ilk!” Calamity firmly decided. ‘‘If you have done, be kind enough to take your departure.” ‘‘T will accommodate you!” the villian respon- ded, with a provoking grin. ‘*[T will, however, see you again.” He then departed, locking the door after him. Considerable excitement was created over Calamity’s arrest, many holding tbat it was not right, and when Kate Laurel heard of it, she was indignant, ‘‘Tt’s a shame!” she said, to herself. ‘‘I do not see what right this deputy marshal has to hold her for her Tu-bend’s misdeeds, if so be that she is the wife of Deadwood Dick, which now seems probable. There is evidently a serious rupture between them, and she thinks I am instrumental in furthering it. But she shall not think so, long. I will try to bring them together, for why should I not, after the good news Deadwood Dick brought me, last night? First of all, it remains for me to tuke word to him of Calamity Jane’s arrest. But to do this, I must do what no one else has done —explore the forest in the lake, in quest of him!” CHAPTER XTI. KATE’S EXPLORING EXPEDITION. Ir was a bold decision on her part, but she resolved to do it in return for something Dead- wood Dick had done for her, which will be dis- closed in due time, She saw now that there was little use to at- tempt to reach the gold that had been sunk in the lake; she saw that which was plain enough to her to satisfy that both Deadwood Dick and Calamity were more crowded upon by the peo- ple than they were sinniug. Therefore anything reasonable she could do for them she resolved to do, in defiance to the villainous intentions of either the deputy mar- shal or of Wild Walt and his element. Supplying ber boat with a small stock of pro- visions and ammunition, she next sought about the town for her nondescript pard, Old Bum. But he was nowhere to be seen, nor did any one confess to having seen him during the morning. ‘*T reckon I shall have to go it alone.” Kate muttered, as she went back to the boat, ‘‘ though I should like to have had him with me.” Just as she was completing ber arrangements to start, Deputy Maguire came down to the water’s edge with a pompous strut, “Hello, sis, where are you going in that boat?” be demanded, in an authoritative way that instantly aroused Kate’s *‘ Irish,” ‘‘T should like to know what it is your busi- ness, as long as it’s my boat? I generally go where 1. please with it!” she retorted, her face flushing with indignation. ‘ ‘Oh! it’s your boat, eh? Well, I can’t help that. 1l’m having a rigid watch kept over this town, and no one can enter it or leave it witb- out my permission.” Kate stared at the man in astonishment for a moment, then burst into a sarcastic laugh. ‘The powers of a deputy marshal must have increased some then,” she said, coolly. ‘I never was aware the law gave you the power to exert authority over everybody.” It was Maguire’s turn to be somewhat aston- ished; he had not expected to encounter se sharp a girl. ‘‘ Well, 1 have the power, and you will save ourself unnecessary trouble by obeying me!” e declared. ‘* Do tell!” was Kate’s response. ‘‘I dare sa you’d like to have me desist from doing as please?” ‘‘ You couldn’t bave hit it straighter had you tried,” was the declaration, uttered with a de gree of self-conscious pride. ‘“Then allow me to politely inform you that you are reckoning without your host, as [ re- cognize no master but myself and the One above. Your prepostercus supposition that ou can order me about is highly ludicrous and nsolent, so the sooner you get rid of a large per cent. of your freshness, the better your po Si will be for surviving your honorary cffice.’ Maguire flushed with rage. ‘‘T’ll show you what power I have if you at- tempt to leave the place!” be growled, menac- ingly. * Watt you, though?’ Kate flashed, drawing e self-cocking revolver suddenly from her i? and leveling it upon him. ‘t Now, Mr. Deputy Marshal, Vl give you until I count thirty to put vour anatomy out of sight around tre cor- ner of yonder building. If you fail to do so, you'll find that I am a most excellent shot, and not a bit ‘skeery’ about dropping a man of your type. Go, or I'll make you regret that you ever saw me;” Maguire’s eyes gleamed luridly. ‘Curse me! I ought to bave shot you without parley!” he gritted. ‘‘ You’ve got the drop, and I'll retreat!” : He did so, with a poor exbibition of grace, and Kate was left master of the situation. Improving the advantage thus gained, she tcok possession of her boat and pulled out upon the lake. As soon as she was wel] out from the shore, she headed her boat into the swamp—the strange gloomy forest which grew up out of me dark Nib of the lake. oo a Not without some misgivings Kate propel her boat up one of the gloom woker aisles, where in some places water-lilies rested upon the surface, and the frequent ‘‘chug” of the frog was heard, startled trom his perch by the approach of the boat, o thick were the branches and leaves over- head that, after she was fairly into the woods, Kate was unable to see but a short distance abead of her. There was a strange, peculiar odor on the still, damp air, and the weird silence lent a so}- emn cbarm to the surroundings. For an bour she threaded the labyrinth of the ‘cre with careful oar-stroke—then she abruptly alted her boat in curiosity. Just ahead of ber was land, to either side of of which the water diverged, proving that, in- stead of being the mainland, it was an island in the swamp. Fronting upon the water, how- ever, precipitous cliffs arose to a hight nearly equal to that of the trees themselves—cliffs which Kate at once perceived no ordinary mor- tal could easily scale unassisted. Having discovered this much, she pulled soft- ly on, careful lest the incautious dip of an oar should betray her presencs, In this way she made a voyage entirely around the island, and found the cliffs arose the same on all sides, There was one place, however, where a nar- row path had been hewn »ut up the sides of thix cliff, and was the only /isible route by which the top of the ‘‘lift” com be reached the water's edge. As a whole, Kate ja prised some forty or fif that the island com- acres, and was wood- ed upon the op ‘‘ This must be Deadwood Dick’s appa teng i was ber conclusion. ‘“ And, too, there must Eomicboo G SiGo