Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 268 — page 4: what you’re looking at

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

ee ee = eee oe - ———- - —— ee - ° . _ oun wt + a ee - a a a — -- exemption from search. The robber might take a fancy to you.” Marie frowned her displeasure at the implied want of confidence in her integrity, but did not | reply audibly. ‘Can it be that she suspects me of complicity in this affair?’ she mused. ‘If I was sure of it | With a horrified oath at Deadwood Dick’s de- mana, the bully held up his hand, and there followed a @ sh, a repert and a yell. The buMet had pierced the palm of the fellow’s hand, and cut its way clear through, making not oe a paint wound, but also a mark that was lMble to cling to him all his life. ““There!” Bick cried, sternly. ‘* You'll prob- ably kaow better than to insult a young lady in, by slapping her, If I ever catch you at saeh work again, [ll kill you.” He turned, and strode from the saloon, and not a band was raised to binder him, albeit, Seaport was counted one of the roughest places for a gingle man to get fnto trouble anywhere along the Slope, Lady Ctare also went to her room, a great deal ewcited at her strange adventure, and won- dering who was her handsome young rescuer. Late that afternoon the rain ceased to fall, and, as pany Chandos urged that an immediate start be made, the horses were brought around, and the ty mounted, consisting of Lady ndos, Lady Clare, Marie, and the old land pirate and wrecker, Jabez Quigg. Leaving the coast town, t ey ascended a nar- row andrugged mountain trail, bordered on one side by beetling cliffs, and on the other by a deep, dark abyss, many feet deep. ln the course of an hour, they struck a stretch of highland country which was level for miles, and set out across it, Old Quigg in the lead. or several hours they rode on. The sky overliend became clear, and the moon, nearly full, rolled up with Sap sg effect from behind the horizon, giving to the landscape a pictur- esque appearance. bout this juncture Old Quigg drew rein, and allowed the others to come up. _Thort to make ther trip interestin’, an’ give ther horses a chance ter blow, ye mought not object. ter heerin’a story, w’ich ain’t no darned fiction, but reg’lar downright facts,” Quig¢ averred. ‘Did ye heer tell on Guares, the red-handed Mexican band!t?” ‘Ob! no! no! do tell us!” fly-away Lady Clare cried. ‘*Be brief,” Lady Beatric2? said, with im- I’d choke her!” and her black eyes flashed viciously. They rode on, anxiously expectant. When they were within half a mile of the wood border, old Quigg once more drew rein. ‘‘What is the matter, now?’ Lady Chandos demanded, with a shiver of dread. ** Nothin’ much, med that we’re at the end of our journey. Look about you.” They did, and saw, out on the bigh grass on | every side masked men rising, armed with car- bines. ee gj you comprehend the significance,” Quigg chuckled. ‘‘ You are surrounded by the | brave men of Guarez the bandit, whose verit- | able self Jam, and now you will ki: dly allow me to suggest, is the proper period for you to | fork over your cash and jewelry, and save trouble and costs!” CHAPTER IV. DEADWOOD DICK’S DOUBLE QUEST. | Hap a thunderbolt fallen among the little arty it could hardly have more surprised the wo English ladies, while as for Marie, ske did not seem very much troubled. ‘‘ Sir! do you mean to say that you have been so base as to deceive and betray us?’ Lady Chandos cried, indignantly, gazing at the old wretch with flashing eyes. , ‘Yas, I have been just sur-base!” the villain replied, with attempted facetiousness. ‘1 war figgerin’ ona large amount 0’ spondulics out 0’ | this yere catch, an’ I opine I won’t get left on | it, nuther.” | | ‘* Monster!” ‘‘ Oh, call me all the front-parlor pet names ye want, mum; I ruther like ’em,I do. But ‘tain’t goin’ ter do ye a bit o’ good, more’n to blow off yer steam. You're prisoners, an’ vyou’ve got to come to terms, jest like docile patience, ‘‘I am more anxious to get to my | ducks, and don’t ye fergit it!” child than to listen to improbable bandit He gave a wave of his hand then, and the stories,” masked men immediately formed in a circle ‘Nothin’ improbable about this, I tell ye, | around. ‘*Bind the captives’ arms to their sides, and then, after blindfolding them, take them to. Black Gulch,” was Quigg’s order, and the ladies were cbliged to suffer their wrists to be bound | and eyes blindfolded. Their horses were then led away, and they could hear the fo@tfalls of the balance of the | band in their rear. | The journey was a long one, and the captives | neow. Waal, ye see et ain’t werry long. few years ago, down in Mexico, this Guarez launched out. in bigness by killin’ his first man, the age o’ eg) But, Lor’y! thet wnren’t nothin’. I killed tine when I war only six year old—put arsenic in ther old man’s coffee, for sugar. But, as I war sayin’—he killed his man, and then lit out. He was caught, and inwited to a teck-tie party; but, bless you, SU EEE SESE nner ec ee OT SS ri he slip away from ’em like a streak e’ | could judge by the frequent stumbling of the | greased lightnin’ from the hands of a soap- | horses that they were being taken into an even | maker, rougher country than that behind them. : ‘‘ Arter that he us’ter lay abouts, heer and thar, an’ catch onter rich gals an’ wimmen, an’ et warn’t long ago that he anchored up in this Finally a halé was made, and the ladies were assisted to dismount. The bandages were re- moved from their eyes, but their hands were | heer kentry. Ye see, he catches onter anything | kept bound behind their baeks. / wot’s got plenty o’ money behind it, and freezes tt was just daybreak, and they were able to | to it tii some one comes along and pays over a | dimly discern their whereabouts. They were good sum to get a release. Hope yeain’t got | in a deep gulch, which looked more like a na- | many spondulics wi’ ye, marm.” tural dungeon, with blackened walls rising on | “Why?” Lady Beatrice said, in alarm—‘‘ are | every hand to a tremendous hight. we in any danger of being captured by that bad Upon the bottom, where they had Halted, — man?” ' there were bones of animals, all bleached and ane redded his head in a rather grim | ghastly, while in one instance a human skull 100, was visible lying upon the rocks. | “Thar’s no tellin’. I’ve took parties across There were half a dozen rude cabins, and one | the kentry a pile o’ times, an’ given ther cuss | of these bore the sign ‘“‘ Saloon” over its door. the slip; but, ag’in, I’ve been caught, an’ m It was a den such as wolves and kindred wild parties made to fork over handsome. But we’ll | animals usually haunt, and certainly was a fit- og along, an’ I'll keep a weather eye out, and | ting rendezvous for the human wolves who had | jike enough we'll dodge ’em. Ef we kin only | captured Lady Chandos and her party, ge a, yonder dark line of timber, we're all After they had taken a good look about them | Sang Jabez Quigg once more approached and doffed | - They then started the old wrecker jn the lead, as usual, and pretending to keep a sharp look- | his greasy old hat. ) “Thar, mums, ye see wkat sort of a place ous, ern in reality he was doing nothing of ¢ , Guarez, the bandit, lives in, don’t ye? Thar’s | but one ble way to escape from here, and | that’s triple guarded, always. Neow let me Marie, who, haviug wotking of particular value | read ye ther rules and regulations, an’ then to lone, did not have s0 much concern. | ye’ll know how to act.” “ Whecy, what should we do if we were to He took a greasy piece of paper from his Jadies were pretty well frightened earcept lose our money” Lady Beatrice said, in a scared | pocket, and began: tone. Md ge ave to wait in this wild *Pirstly: Every person on arrival here shall country uatil we could hear from England. peaceably deliver up all his or her valuables, with- | “Til fight for mine!” Lady Clare decided, ! out hesitation or demur, to the chief, and shall | ‘firm. | make no attempt to escape, at peril of forfeiture of ‘You had both better turn gour money and | life. A ransom will be imposed, which if not satis- vainables over into my seeping, until we are | factorily settled, after first day, one toe will be am- as a weminder that we mean business. out of danger. If captured, I would very likely | Bach succeeding delay of one day will call forth Hot be sea ched, + lady ’s maid.” another amputation, which will be continued until ce smiled faimtly : q , the whole body is cut up, im default of payment of think it would do to trust to your ts 4 we | the ransom. “4 te ~ aie Deadwood Dick’s Death Trail. 'with a shudder. a —— a a gee fe. ‘So beware! The rules of Guarez were never known to fail to be carried out to the letter. So deliver up your valuables at once, and you will then not be molested until I fix upon a stittable ransom,” ‘*Oh! sir, pray do not take all we have, but instead, accept a part, and allow us to go in search of my stolen son!’ Lady Beatrice cried, piteously. “If I do not recover him soon, f may never see him again.” ; Quigg laughed, loudly, ‘‘ Ef ye evyer set pecpers on that kid, again, yell hev ter marry verry Carker, that’s all,” he declared, “fer Jerry tol me so, hisself. As fer ther spondulics, . want ’em all, ter one’t, or I'll set ther boys ter s’archin’ ferem. Ef ye’ve got ’em onconvenient, ye kin ie ep inte one 0’ the cabins, an’ relieve yerself of ’em.” Lady Chandos gave a despairing sigh, and motioned her companions to follow her to the cabin, nearest at hand, Quigg first having re- leased the hands of Marie. In the cabin the ladies removed a part of the money, and secreted it in a place where it was not apt to be noticed; then vook the remainder. together with some very costly jewels, and gave them to Marie to band to Quigg, which she did, and he went off, apparently satisfied, as the harvest aggregated much more in value than he had really expected. As the cabin was supplied with some rude furniture, the ladies decided to occupy it dur- ing such time as they should remain in the bandits’ stronghold, The day passed, without their again roe molested by Quigg. At meal hours, agyaske outlaw brought them some meat upon a tray, and then departed. During the afternoon, young Lady Clare ventured out into the gulch. She was a brave girl, who at all times was ready to protect and defend berself. She moved about here and there, inde- pendently, followed by admiring glances from the outlaws, none of whom, howcver, offered to molest or address her. In the further corner of the gulch, she present- ly spied some oe wild flowers growing up on a pocket in the rough wall. Determined to possess them, after some diffi- culty she succeeded in clambering up the rock and plucking them, and was about to clamber back again, when, chancing to glancé along the shelf, she beheld a man crouching on the narrow ledge, watching her. She gave a little cry at sight of him, for she ooden | saw that he was masked and dressed like the other bandits. Immediately upon her outcry, he raised his hand, admonishingly. ‘‘*Sh!” he said in a tone just audible. ‘‘Iam not an enemy, but a friend, bere for the pur- Po of rescuing you. Return to the cabin, and will jotn you as soon as practicable.” ‘“Who are you?’ Lady Clare demanded,. fancying she had heard the voice before. ‘*1 am Deadwood Dick,” was the reply—* the | man who punctured the hand that slapped you, over in Seaport. But, tarry not, lest suspicion be attracted to this spot, which would be dis- astrous to our mutual interests.” Feeling decidedly relieved at what she had | heard, Lady Clare descended from the ledge, and went back to the cabin, where she commu- nicated the good news to her despondent sister— for such was the relationship between the twa Jadies. The prosprct of escape brightened her up very much. Toward evening an unusual bustle was notice- able in the gulch. The bandits were collecting on horseback, as if with the intention of leaving | the rendezvous for a raid, as all were armed to the teeth. After a deal of consultation, they rode away down the gulch, and soon disappeared from view. Only five men were left in the valley—Old Jabez Quigg being among the number. ‘*T wonder what desperate errand those ruf- fians are going on{” Lady Chandos murmured, ‘*Oh! where is Cavanaugh, my hoy?” ‘‘ Take courage sister!—Perhaps this coming friend, Deadwood Dick, can help to find tho child?” ; ‘‘God grant we may be able to enlist his ser- vices in our behalf!” Lady Chandos sighed, ‘for what could we do alone? I fear we shall never see my little son again.” ‘*‘Ob, don’t despond. If you had half the grit I have, no amount of loss could make you give up hope.” About an hour later, the cabin door wae ‘comicbooks.co ie