Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 268 — page 3: what you’re looking at

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

Deadwood Dick’s Death Trail. —_+—~ ee ee ee ee hy interested in me to enter into my scheme and belp further it to a success.” ‘* Dearest of men! I assure you nothing could please me better than to work for your success!” was the response uttered in a tone that indi- eated the strength of her love for the man, ‘* What is it you wish me to do?” For Carker to relate bis plans did not require much time. ‘ Marie listened attentively, her face under- going many changes of expreasion. ‘*Your plan is good,” she said, when he had concluded. ‘‘I will help you in whatever way { can, still remaining in her ladyship’s employ, until you are ready to claim me. But you must swear that, when all is achieved, you will then marry me!” ‘*By all I hold sacred, I swear that I will,” Carker cried, dropping dramatically upon one knee. He then arose, kissed her, and said, hur- riedly: “Knough of this now. I must get to work. You say you have the child in your care?” es. ‘‘Then in about ten minutes get him, and take him down the back stairs, ou will find a shed in the back yard. Wait there until you hear me pecs Slipasr run up the stairs and give an alarm, by which time I and the kid will be a goodly ways off, and Ill defy them to find me! Is her ladyship alone in the parlor?” ‘‘Yes—or was a few moments ago. Lady Clare is in the kitchen getting dry.” Carker’s eyes twinkled villainously, as he passed on toward the parlor, while Marie went down-stairs. ) Opening the parlor door, he boldly entered, and closed it benind him. Lady Beatrice Chandos sat before a fire on the hearth, clad simply in a wrapper, which she had borrowed of the tavern-keeper’s wife, and her damp hair fell carelessly over her shoulders. Carker’s eyes lit up with admiration, and he stepper forward with doffed hat, and smiling ace. ‘‘My dear Lady Beatrice, at last we meet after so many years!” he cried, ‘‘ Do you not recoguize me, my lady?” ‘* Indeed, sir, 1 do not, and I consider your presence here an intrusion!” was the haughty answer. ‘‘ You will be kind enough to leave!” ‘*No! no! not till you know who I am!” Carker persisted. ‘‘l am your betrothed, Sir Ferrol Falconer!” Lady Chandos had arisen haughtily a moment before, but at this declaration reeled back into her chair, with * gasping cry, her face as white as death, her sycs staring wildly, while Carker as we shail stilt continue to call him, stood looking on, trinmphantly. ‘*You!—you Ferrol Fulconer? Oh! God!” her ladyship gasped, as soon as she could find her voice, ‘‘ Well, yes; I was Ferrol Falconer before I ot transported, but now I’m plain Jerry Tasker, one of the roughest roughs on the Slope —only about half-civilized since I fell away from your kindly influence. How was Chandos when you left him?” _ “Very well, I believe,” was the cold reply. * But how did you know of him?’ ‘*Oh! Pve kept posted, and I'll admit I was a ittle surprised that he should marry one who. was to have been an outlaw’s wife, but for the intervention of the law the day before our nuptials were to have been celebrated. Suppose he tne nothing of this?” “Of course not. From the moment you brought disgrace upon me as wellas yourself, by crime, I ceased to respect even your memory. Sir, the interview is prolonged too far already. Fray.eol : ‘Nos yet, Beatrice. The sight of you to-night has rearoused all my old fierce passion for you. Ob Beatrice! look at.me as I am now, and com- pare me with what I once was! You, and onl you, can redeem me from everlasting hell. e are here together in this far-away country. Lord Chandos is in England, at his cards, wine, and midnight suppers, thinking naught of you antil he recovers from the effects of his revelry, and then, seized with a fury of insane jealousy, he curses the very ground you walk upon, lest while be has been debauching, you, perchance, may have met your old true and faithful lover, Ferrol Falconer.” Lady Chandos sunk back again in her chair, faint and white, an expression of exquisite pain upon her features. What did it mean? Did she know that every word Carker uttered was the truth? ' od “True, I am not an attractive man now, Seatrice,” he went on, ‘* because I have allowed myself to go wild like the other wild despera- does in this rough region; but let me be encour- aged—then mark the change!” A sudden wave of fierceness swept over the face of the pallid lady. She sprung to her feet, her form drawn to its fullest hight, her eyes flashing like diamond fire. ‘*Go! Ferrol Falconer—go! Remember that evéry word you are saying is aninsult, as I am a married woman, Go!” ‘I will go, but before I do go, I tell you that you will be sorry in more than one sense for our hasty decision. More—you will live to earn the truth of what I say, that no man loves you but me. I shall seek revenge, but in the end it will result in uniting two hearts into one, and in the saving in some degree of one man’s soul, Au revoir, Lady Beatrice—aw revoir |” He knelt quickly, seized her hand and raised it to his lips, and then was gone almost in an instant. Five minutes later Marie came rushing up the stairs, screaming at the top of her voice: ‘*Help! help! murder! thieves! kidnappers! Some robber has snatched Lady Chandos’s son miso d arms and fled! Help! Help, for God’s sake! In her room sat Lady Chandos, still deathly white over her recent shock. She beard the terrible news; then the great strain of the even- ~— excitement upon her nerves caused her to fall off into a deep swoon, from which she did not awaken for hours. CHAPTER III. A DOUBLE SURPRISE. THERE was sensation once more in Seaport ess the kidnapping of Lady Chandos’s pretty child. When it was found that her ladyship had fainted, and consequently po news could be ined from her, Marie was taken in charge by rs. Howler, and made to give an account of the affair, which she proceeded to do in a hys- terical, sobbing re She stated that she and little Cavanaugh had started down the back stairs en route for the kitchen, as they supposed, when along came a big, bad man rushing after them, snatched up the child, and disappeared down the stairs. She could give no description of him, more way that he was a bold, brigandish-looking fel- ow. When Lady Chandos was finally restored to consciousness by the united efforts of Mrs. Howler and Lady Clare, she was very calm. ‘‘Oh! my lady, [ trust you will forgive me, and believe it was not my fault!” Marie whined. ‘*Bo still, Marie! I know you were not to blame. But Ae ought to have given chase and not allowed the villain to escape, I know him —he was in my room but a moment or so before I heard your cries. He calls bimself Jerr Carker, and is a rufflan of the worst type. He came here to threaten me, and finding he could not do that successfully, has taken his revenge,” Her ladysbip’s declaration that it was Carker who was the bold ener soon spread around the little town, and old Jabez Quigg immediately thereafter had an excuse to pay her ladyship a call. ‘‘ixcuse me, marm, ’case I’m so rough, ye see, but I jest heerd about yer losin’ a child, an’ thort I’d drap in ter see ef I couldn’t help ye out of ther ining pases " , ‘Tam sure your kindness will be greatly ap- preciated,” her ladyship answered, simply, and yet with feeling. ‘‘I am sureif youcan give me any news of my lost boy it will be most gratefully received. The loss to me is one of the greatest I could possibly have sustained,” “Waal, I reckon,” Quiggs assented, with a shrug, ‘‘ tho’ I war never blessed with any kids of my own. Ye see, I don’t know for cert’ jest whar yer kid might be jest at present; but I al- low I do know where Jerry Carker’s hang-out is up in the mountings jest as well as I know my own nose, ‘Oh! thank Heaven,” Lady Chandos ex- claimed. ‘And you will go to the rescue of my darling?” “That depends on sarcumstances, mum, Ef ye hev_ got money to pay fer my services, kerect, Pll go an’ take ye avang; ef ye hevn’t, durn my boots ef I kin see how kin get a livin’ doin’ work for nothin’.” *Tcould not ask you todo sucha thing. I yet have some money that I saved from the wreck, and will pay you handsomely if you will assist me to recover my little darling,” ‘‘Waal, then iv’s a bargain. Dt’s toe wild er eee -—t— eee ee eee ee out to-night to venture inter the mountains, but ef et elears up by mornin’, we will get an early start. Will you want to return way in case ye recover yer child?” ‘* Not if we can go overland by stage, so as ta reach the railway. I am tired and ald of roughing it in Western America,” ‘‘Then I will provide horses for the entire party, and we’ll most likely get off by sunrise.” This was a great relief to Lady Chandos, for pyeny moment’s delay was positive torture to er But disappointment came the nest morning, as regards their getting an early start, for tha rain was pouring down in torrente, making it impossible to travel, so the staft had. te be post- poned until the rain ceased, which was not until late in the afternoon. During. the forenoon several mountain eharac- ters rained down into the town, among whom was a little bent old man, with a painfal bump on bis back, and who seemed able to hobble along, even with the aid of the two staffs he carried, Little of his face could be seen owing to the mass. ot snow-white hair and beard that cov- er . About as well-fitted for an undertaker’s ser- vices, was he, as any other odd charactor that had ever landed down in Seaport, and he was surveyed by the habitues of Howlei’s saloon with much curiosity. Decrepit as he was, however, he managed te hobble up to the bar and order his whisky, which he downed with great gusto. ‘‘ See hyar, old goblin’!” ejaculated Bill Far- go, the proncunced bully of the town, “‘ you ain’t lost yer lip fer bug-juice yet, I see, ‘‘ A very, very leetle, jest ter soften my rheu- matism!” the old crook replied, in a squeaky voice. ‘Yas, whisk’ is a great limberer!” Fargo as- serted, ‘‘I know, ’ca’se I’ve bin tryin’ it these many years, but I’ve oceasionally got so stiff wi’ ther consarned critter that ve not bin able to move for a long spell. But I tell ye, old man, what aire the best thing to limber ye up—this /” And he dealt the old chap a tremendous slap on the hump upon his back, that caused him to utter a howl of pain. Up went the ruffian’s hand to inflict another blow, but it was caught before it descended and held in a that was by no means loose, although it belonged to a woman, And the woman was pretty Lady Clare, pale face and flashing eyes. Passing thro he hall on her way up-stairs, she had seen > assault of the bully. ‘Stop! stop! You cowardly ruffian!” she cried. ‘‘Have you no manhood penitns hg thus strike a poor defenseless cripple? For shame!” Fargo surveyed his accuser for a moment in mingled astonishment and awe, then, suddenly flaming with anger and mortification, at interrupted by a weak woman, he snatched wrist from her grasp and dealt her a slap in the ace EAE knocked her to the floor alm ess. It was a brutal act even for a man of Fargo’s type, and he had cause not to forget ft soon. or he heard a wild, ringing yell, and he and the others turned to stare at the crook-back, from whom the cry came. But. no hunchback was there now; instead, behold the transformation! Upon the floor lay a white wig, beard and a ai i beta th bled d stood nd before the assem crow man of striking appearance, with a reaclite: hand- some, beardless face, and a pair of eyes that were piercing and magnetic, ~ His garb was Jetty black, now, and a bels about bis waist contained a handsome revolver, in addition to one he held in the grasp of his right hand. | argo uttered a , at the sudden e, while Dick of Deadwood—for the new-comer was none other than that famous charac pointed sternly to the floor, his eyes ing with a deadly light. : ‘Brute, behold your cowardly work. For & you shall pay dearly. Ill learn you a you'll not soon forget. Hold up the hand with which you struck that brave young lady.” Fargo growled, and disobeyed, “I ain't “ Waal, I reckon not!” be swore. gsech 2 Hane as that!” ne wit it,” cried Deadwood Diek ‘ae our on ance save 6, den’s aon a bullet agg throu nets ‘ te avenge this young lady, Fpl rics ab One, two, ag, SA ; pense- om books.