Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 268 — page 2: what you’re looking at

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

—_— 2 Deadwood Dick’s Death Trail. we eee ee = - -- = i Headwood Dick's Death Tra’: FROM OCEAN TO OCEAN. BY EDWARD L. WHEELER, AUTHOR OF *‘ DEADWOOD DICK” NOVELS, ‘‘ ROSE- BUD ROB” NOVELS, ‘‘ BONANZA BILL,” ‘* GILT-EDGE DICK,” ETC., ETC, CHAPTER I. THE WRECK AND COAST VULTURES. MANY miles up the rugged Pacific coast from San Francisco, going north, a little town nes- tles upon a sloping beach whereon huge bowl- ders form a feature of the rugged landscape. A rude collection of huts and shanties com- ses the town, such as usually tenanted by hermen or wreckers, with a couple of saloons, and a few general stores. We will call the place Seaport for want of a better name, as it was only known as Quigg’s by those who knew of it, or ever ventured to it, from inland by stage. ' Its harbor was rough and dangerous in the extreme, and could yy be made by fishing sloops of light burden, but it was seldom that Seaport received a call from any vessel what- aver. Occasionally there was a wreck upon the coast, which to the inhabitants of the town, was a fortunate circunistance, and many hard stories were told by experienced sailors, of false beacon lights to lure vessels to destruction upon the rocks. Which was not untrue, as the larger part of he Seaportians, were of a hard class to say the east. Some of this class belonged to the permanent residents, while another element hailed from an adjacent inland mining camp, the worst charac- ters of which frequently poured down into Sea- port, to drink, fight, and squander their hard earnings in various ways. All of which tended to give Seaport the hard- esc name of any town on the coast, At the time of which we write, there had been little or nothing to arouse the citizens from their monotonous Jife—no fights, no wrecks, nor incidents of any sort, worth relating. __ But as the rainy season was setting in, it was reasonable to expect some accident or incident would offer the desired relief. One wild stormy night, when a fierce gale drove the great Pacific waves in upon the rug- ged beach with a thunderous roar, a signal gun of distress was heard off the town. In a few minutes the inhabitants of the town were gathered at the shore, and a hard-looking assemblage it was—a bad crowd, whose mercy would not be less cruel than, the winds and waves. The signal gun had not been fired far from shore, as the report was loud and distinct, prov- ing that the vessel, which it was impossible to see from the shore, owing to the dense darkness, eould not be far off the rocks, “he’s bein’ driven in this way I reckon!” Old Jabez Quigg cried—the grim o d coast con- dor who had long haunted Seaport, and profited bgp innumerable. ‘‘ Can’t make her out, ’», account o’ the spray, blarst my old eyes ef I can. Guess ther poor vessel will’hev to go to pieces ’case how no rescue boat can ever live in shet aire surf.” A stranger might have thought the old vul- ture’s whining tone meant that he was grieved because the doom of the sbip seemed sealed, but such was by no means the case; it really de- lighted him to know that he was about to have fall into his hands a handsome prey—for it was a wreck from which he could not realize richly. Louder—louded ‘roared the thunder of the storm and sea, while the wind shrieked among the + fr galbablap aang shrillness. . “al mistake not, they’ve lost their masts!” said Jerry Carker, one of Old Quigg’s right- hand men, as he seemed to penetrate the dark- ness with his hawk-like eyes. ‘‘Not a sail in ‘If that’s ther case, ten to one she'll go down afore reachin’ the rocks,” whined the old With eager eyes did the motley crowd poor out upon the stormy sea, in quest of the ship, nee Yn nothing could be seen of if any- where, During the next hour, a number of pieces of wood aud rigging came ashore, thus proving that the vessel had gone down, kore having = to reach and be dashed to pieces ypon the rocks. The disappointed and disgusted crowd was about to turn away, when Carker descried a dark object dashing in toward the shore, and gave vent toa cry of astonishment and joy. It proved to be a ship’s launch, and with startling mapas. the little craft was hurled high upon the beach, amid terrified cries from those within it. The wreckers gathered around, holding their torches aloft to view the occupants of the boat. These were four in number—three women and a little boy of four years. The oldest of the women was perhaps thirty- eight years of age, stately of figure and lovely in countenance, her rich attire and general ap- pearance indicating her superior social position. The second lady—a girl of seventeen—was evidently the daughter, or else the younger sis- ter of the first, as there was a strong resem- blance betwee. them, The third female was probably not many years out of her teens, and might also have been voted handsome, although there was a marked difference between her type of beauty and that of her twocompanions, to whom she was evi- dently acting in the capacity of traveling maid. Hers was a dusky countenance, of brilliant, even fascinating expression, with large, bold black eyes, a tempting mouth with pearly teeth, and a head burdened with a wealth of hair thatany woman well might have envied. The little boy looked somewhat like the state- ly lady, and doubtless was her son, yeti ie although the first to discover them, had no sooner taken a good sharp look at them than he quickly shrunk back out of sight, leaving old Quigg to act as reception officer. * Waal, marm!” the old vulture said, steppin forward, and addressing the eldest lady, ‘‘ ormere kim nigh gittin’ ducked, didn’t ye?” ‘*We are thoroughly drenched, but do not mind that, since we have been so fortunate as to escape with our lives!” was the shivering reply: ‘Then ther ship went down, did she? What was her name?” “The Belle, of Portland, Oregon, bound for San Francisco. She lost her masts when struck by the gale, and would have been dashed ashore on the rocks only she sprung a leak, and sunk, when not over two miles out.” o And you were the only ones that escaped, 9 ‘TI think so. WhenI saw the masts go, we took to one of the boats, preferring to risk our lives thus, than in the larger craft.” ‘* How many were there on board?” ‘*Ourselves and the crew. 1 don’t exactly know how many there wasof them—perhaps twenty. Is there a hotel here, where we can go to get dry?’ ‘* Yas—thar’s the tavern back yonder, kept by old Jim Howler. ’Spect ye might find ’comydations thar, tho’ I allow it’s more goes thar ter get wet than it is ter get dry, Cum along an’ I’ll show ye ther way!” The ladies, by this time out of the boat, made haste to follow the old land pirate, and the tavern was soon reached. , Howler being interviewed, consented to ac- commodate the guests with the best parlor and bed-room off, providing they forked over the cash in advance. One day’s board was paid im advance, ac- cordingly, and the ladies were shown to their rooms. ‘ Upon Howler’s unpretentious register their names were inscribed thus: ‘LaDy Bratrick CHANDOS, London. *““Lapy Leona CLARE, ** CAVANAUGH . " ** MLLE = ‘** All of Chandos Heath, London.”’ *“ Waal, neow, cuss my carcass, ef we hain’t got a rep’lar nest of aristocrats down among us!” old Quigg growled, as he peered over the register, after the ladies had retired to their rooms. “ Luks like ter me thet thar mought be some money in thet party.” Jerry Carker glided sneakishly into the saloon, just then, and took a hasty glance around to see that no one was present belong- ing to the English party, and an expression of relief came over his face when he perceived that there wasnot.° | He somewhat differed “1 appearance from the —— class of Seaport’s citizens, from the fact at, though hawkish looking and slouchily at- tired, there was less of the genuine ruffian in his conduct and appearance than in many others around him. His features were finer, and his face one that wasn’t mistaken. Lady Chandos, eh? ——— os might have been termed villainously handsom with its es black mustache, trimm away enough at the mouth to expose a glitter- ing exhibition of pearly teeth. e wore his hair clipped close to his head; his eyes were black as a raven’s; his form was one of evident great strength coupled with agility and endurance. He was clad in rough ~ _l garments, with top boots and a slouch at. He glided up to the office-counter, and peered over old Quige’s shoulder, at the register. ‘‘Humph!” he grunted. “I thought I Well, of all surprises!” ‘“Tork’s though you know’d her?’ Jabez observed curiously. ‘*Reckon I orter,” was Carker’s sententious answer, ‘‘ when she an’I uster be a good deal more ter each other than we be now, Jest give us yer ear, a bit, an’ [ll bite a hole in it.” uigg followed Carker to a quiet corner of the room, where they sat down, and Carker began in his rough Seapoinitnty’ ‘Now ye see this yere Lady Chandos isa urtickler mash o’ mine, or uster be, an’ I aven’t given her up yet, although she’s hitched to another lord over in London. Iam of noble birth myself, but I got inter a deefikelty, an’ hey fell a peg, after gittin’ sent to Van Dieman’s Land. Nevertheless ve bin keepin’ an eye on family matters, an’ allow my time ter play has jest cum!” ‘Ye don’t say so?” ‘‘ Bet your chips I do! venge now!” “Tn what way?’ ‘Oh, easy enough, now! I propose to steal the child, and keep it hidden away for a time. If I mistake not this will have the effect of separating Lady Chandos from her husband, as he is insanely jealous of her, believing that she still has a hankering after me, which may be true. Therefore,in case the child is missing, Lord Chandos would nodoubt_ believe his lady guilty of putting the kid out of the way; a separation would follow; I would restore the boy to her ladyship in case she would marry me, and have a picnic off her annual income forever after. Or, should this little game not work like a charm, I could undoubtedly get a large reward from one or the other of them, for the restoration of the child.” ‘‘ Jeminetta! but you're the arch rascal, ef evyer I see’d one!’ ‘* But, what does this consarn you an’ me, col- lectively?” ‘*Oh! as to that—” Here the villain lowered his tone to a whis- per, and spoke rapidly for some minutes, after which he said, on arising: ‘‘ There! how does that strike you? Do you think I am not using you well enough to se- cure all your efforts henceforth in my behalf?” I’m goin’ ter hev re- ‘“‘Kerect!” Quigg replied, with a grin. ‘“‘ Every detail shall be executed according te your directions, so far as lies in my power ‘‘Then so be it!” Carker said. *‘ Have my horse awaiting in the rear, ten minutes hence. He turned, went to the bar and procured a liberal drink of whisky, listening the while, with grim satisfaction, to the roar of the storm, without. | ‘Just the night for my work, to enable me to escape without difficulty.” Dispatching his liquor, he left the bar-room, and entering a narrow hall, ascended a flight of stairs to the next floor. At the top of the sete pe met Marie Maros, ndos’s attendant, Ma two stopped and gazed at each other a moment, in mutual recognition—then Marie flung herself into bis arms with a glad cry! CHAPTER II. A VILE SCHEME. CARKER put her away, after endurin a mo- mentary bug, and held her off at arm’s length. © ‘Well, itis really you, is it? and you haven’s forgotten me?” surveying her curiously. ‘‘ Why i supposed you married, ere this!” ‘‘ Not while you remain above the grass,” she replied significantly. ‘Have you forgotten our plighted troth?”’ : “Tam not likely to forget it—nor the soon- succeeding circumstances that secured mea free passage to Van Dieman’s Lard, as a convict. I’ve had tough luck since_then, Marie—cursed tough luck, mark me; but I’; now about on the eve of quitting cutting thre ts, in order to drop eracebully into a little goo... fortune.” ‘Indeed! And do Ms pach ye" to make our solemn promise to me ‘Most assuredly, providing you are suflictent. nicbooks Jabez Quigg declared. ' (Ee)