Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 28 — page 10: what you’re looking at

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

ae — ee _ — eee —o a - =. ——-— 366 ee eee ee ' : : | | i f ~~ - we —_—— a o-oo —— ee em ee ee = qe +e. ee ee eee 10 —— ——— **Good!” chimed in all of the men, eagerly, “‘ Let’s string him up, now.” It was evident they were anxious to have the job done with. ‘* Well, so be it, then,’ assented Roxly, a murder- ous light in his eyes. “Get a rope some 0° you. Hyer’s a tree right handy. Fetch out the rascal.” he cabin door was burst open, and Buffalo Ben was dragged out into the night. In under the tree that was to be his gallows, he was made to stand erect while the noose was adjusted about his neck. CHAPTER XI. A COMPACT—BETRAYED—PERIL. UNLIKE most men, J. Aaron Wadsworth cared lit- tle for name or high position; he never participated or took ‘n erest in politics, and had few friends and little influence among his fellow-men, except what he chose to purchase with his wealth. Not a relative had he in the wide world, near enough of kin to fall heir to his possessions, should he succeed in effectually removing these children of the woman whose ver, ene 8 he hated. ‘‘ And [ will remove them,” this human fiend resolv- ed, “‘and also this = whom Fawdon is trying to alm offorntome Ill have her put aside, first, and hen hunt up the others. Bill Burk is the man to do the job, and I think I can now trust the fellow.” And the millionaire left the hotelin search of Burk —Luceifer in search of Satan. He first visited the Tabernacle, and scanned the sea of faces here, but the giant ruffian was not there. ae ‘* Metropolitan ’’ was next entered, with like re- su t. ‘These sheba are almost too high-toned for Bili,”’ he muttered. “ Something of a still lower or- der would better suit his tastes. Hello! here’s the EEE ooo — ne Bucket.’ That savors more of finding him,” and phe this, the vilest den in Deadwood, went the searcher. Sure enough he found Burk, sitting at a beer table in a drunken sleep and looking as if he had been through any amount of bar-room trouble. No doubt he had been making free use of the money he had lately received for his murderous job, six- teen years ago. “Hey! wake up!’ Wadsworth exclaimed, shaking him by the shoulder, roughly. ‘* What are you doing ere?’ * What's the matter wi’ you?” wled the ruffian, laring about savagely, his bloodshot eyes half swol- en shut, and his face flushed and bloated. ‘*‘ What d'ye want?” ‘How much money have you left?” demanded Wadsworth, feeling his way carefully. ‘*Nary a copper!”’ Burk grunted, rather sorrow- fully. * Reckon I bought tarantler fer the most part oO’ e 9 ‘Do you want more?” ‘On course Ido! Goin’ ter fork over a couple o’ thousan’? and out reached the ruffian’s hands, eager to clutch the money. ‘““Nce you dox’t,”” Wadsworth said, with provok- ing coolness. ‘“‘If you want more money you've got to work for it; dc you hear? Not another farthing will Lever give you till you do a certain job for me, and do it thoroughly, too.” Burk stared in a drunken way; shut u that he would not behold two J. Aaron standing before him, instead of one. “Some more dirty work ye want ter git onter my hands, eh?’’ he questioned, sleepily. “More bloody work!” the millionaire corrected with a heartless laugh. Then he ordered a bottle of stiff brandy, and a couple of glasses. ‘Help yourself, William, while we talk business,”’ he said, seating himself opposite the ruffian. ** Noth- ing ive a little dampness added to a transaction.”’ i one eye so adsworths nd Bill Burk was not slow to help himself, pour- out a brimming glass of the raw poison, and ga ping it down in a draught. Then he stared at adsworth, waiting for him to p . The millionaire was drumming on the table ina thoughtful manner, his brows knitted together in a dark seowl. ; ‘*Tt’s another woman I want put out of the way,” he said, at last, addressing his blear-eyed auditor, “‘an’ I want you to do the job.” ‘Waal, I’m agreeable, pervidin’ thar’s any money n it.” ‘“‘Of course, I'll pay you, but you must trst get rid of the girl. Dll give you a thousand dollars to put her six feet under ground. Fair, ain't it?” “Git out! Two thousan’ ‘d hardly be g decent offer,”’ the ruffian wled. “Sides, ye'IT hev ter cum down wi’ yer rhinoafore I'll lift a finger.”’ “Then [ll give the job to some other ae tS Wadsworth declared, decidedly, while he ea feint to rise. “There's plenty of desperate cusses who will jump at the chance.” ** Just hold yer hosses!’’ Burk said, eagerly, “Tl take the job at a thousan’, an’ ye can pay me after the gal’s a corpuss. Whar've I got ter steer ter find her?” ‘Not out of Deadwood. She is here, stopping at the same hotel I do. Her name is Stella. You see, Major F'awdon has set her up as one of my wife’s oe a heir to my estates; so I want to remove er.’ ‘*Major Fawdon?” ‘Yes; do you know an the inquirer grew excited. “Not much. Met him up in Helena four years | ago, when his company war stationed there. “Used | ter take a smile wi’ him, occasionally; that’s all.” | “And enough, too. It accounts for his know- | ledge of this heirship business; he then laid his | —————_— a EN eS hing of the fellow?’ and plans,”’ 4 The gral is~’*’ . Beadle’s Half-Dime Library. “His sister, no doubt. But I want her qoorniay buried, however. After you’ve done with the job, call on me for your pay. Mind, though, I am in = way. to be mentioned in connection with the air. “©’ course not, Mister Wadsworth. Sail ahead, an’ be a-countin’ out yer rhino, fer I shall be along soon.” Then the monster took his departure, congratulat- ing himself on his success thus far, That night while Stella was returning from_her midnight visit to the cabin prison of Buffalo Ben, she suddenly found herself confronted by the burl form of a man, in a gloomy portion of the gulc road. She could see nothing of his face for the intense darkness, but in stature he was a very giant. ‘Slow up, ma’am!’’ was the rough salutation, and Stella trembled with fear and apprehension, ‘ Bein’t ye Stella Fawdon, eh? w'at Buffler Ben be shinin’ up to?” ‘Why do you ask, sir? What right have you to ' stop a woman inthis manner? Let me ‘ or d I axed ye Oh! no, a fair question, didn’t I? an’ now. me a fair ans’er: durn my head n’t.” “Yes, Tam Stella, so let me go; l’‘mina hurry!” “Ye aire, aire ye? Waal, now,I ain't; so just be aisy ef ye can. I ain’t goin’ ter hurta ha’ro’ yer urty pate; but, after ye ans’er me a few questions, ‘m go n’ ter take ye straight to Buffler Ben, who wants to see ye.” ** What! do you come from him?” *Reckon I don’t come frum no one else, ef I know a “But, Ben is in em in a cabin, back here, and guarded by Regulators.”’ **He war, you mean to say. But he ain't now, though ther Regulators don’t know nothin’ about his escape. f then he has really i ne ‘Bet yer life, an’ I’m ther percise individual as helped him out o’ his little deeficulty.”’ “Oh! then I thank you so much!” Stella cried, a A “TI was afraid it was all up with him.” as, et looked purty squally, War you just down ter ther cabin?” > a did ye see ther Regulators?” “ as.’’ “ Purty nee set 0’ coons, hey? Durn ’em, they nigh about put a punctuation p'int inter me, w’en I helped Ben out o’ ther chimbley. Want ter go an’ see ther boyee, ma’am?”’ “Yes, if you will take me to him,” Stella replied, oy and without ashadow of suspicion, “* Where is he?’ ‘* Not fur, miss; you one foller me, an’ we'll soon come ter whar he’s hidin’.” “Rech sagen “Wl Bev tet tight mighty shy, aft con so; ‘ll hev ter : er salivatin’ them Regs,” z So saying, the giant led the way into a dark, deep ravine, that branched off from the main gulch. The path was rough and tortuous, and it was with some misgiving that the girl followed. Fully two miles were traveled in silence—it seemed ten instead of two to Stella—when the guide paused, ae er abruptly about, a cocked revolver in his and. “Thar, miss!” he said, with a brutal laugh, “we've gone fur enough. Buffalo Ben ain't here— bably never was.” * What /° Stella g , inhorror, ‘ You—” ‘* Hev fooled you nicely !’’ finished Bill Burk, with a hoarse laugh. ‘I fetched you out hyer out o’ sight an’ hearin’, an’ am a-goin’ ter blow yer brains out, an’ put ye six feet under groun’, How do that fit yer ijees, my pretty?” ye don’t do noffin o’ the kin re've abet ter give eh There were a few seconds of breathless suspense to those in the little mountain cave, as the fuse slow- ly burned nearer and nearer to the powder; then came a blinding flash, a tremendous report and shock, and outof the mouth of the e shot the LY oage wider, and down the declivitous mountain ae. All ran to the entrance, through the growing dark- ness, and watched the great mass of stone in its mad flight. Down! down! down it bounded in giant leaps, pausing at nothing, but crushing all in its path. _ an below, in its course, stood a miner's frame shonty. ‘* By heaven! it’s good-by to that caboose!" Walt cried, and in the next breath the stone monster struck the obstacle with irresistible fury, literally overwhelming it. Fortunately, the miner was ab- sent. The cave was a prison no longer, and the three ar- ranged at once to leave the place for one of ter safety, but first resolved to hunt up Buffalo Ben, in deference to the girl’s eager wishes, So Luke prepared a repast in short order out of the juicy flesh of the deer. Then Drayton made ready to descend the mountain into Deadwood, whose twinkling lights were visible far below. “Keep shady, and let no one in here, ‘less they give my signa!, which shall be—and here the wrestler lowe his voice—“ two hoots of an owl.” “All right,’ replied Ransom, “go ‘long wi’ yer aeeeae , an’ come back as soon as you can.” n then took his departure, and Luke and Belle were left alone in the cave. After a little while Luke gs sed that Belle should lay down for the night, while he remained awake, for it was not policy to leave the cave un- guarded. She did so, and, after covering up the fire, Luke took aseat near it, and relaps into a deep reverie. But he was soon aroused by the sharp report of a patel, and a bullet whizzed unpleasantly near to his Enemies were upon them! CHAPTER XII. ROAD-AGENTS TO THE RESCUE, “Youne feller, hev yer sed yer prayers?” Old Roxly ask as he adjusted the noose about the neck of Buffalo Ben, “fer ef you hain’t I'd advise you to be sayin’ ‘em, instanter, fer we're a-goin’ ter rot ye before yer Master, at er rattlin’ pace. Ye hev five minnits, yit; improve ‘em best ye kin.” Jerome had never been brought up religiously; from early childhood his lot had been cast among a rough, unbeliev set, who paid but little heed to either the laws of God orman, Still, he had picked up some education—learnt that there was an All-wise Ruler, to whom the sinful and wicked must at last look for salvation; he had, from his sister Belle, learned a simple little prayer, and this he now silent- ly offered to heaven—not for the power to escape, pon that God might have mercy on his erring, sinful soul. Then he looked up, a fearless expression upon his face. He could not speak for the gag that was fastened in his mouth, but the flash of his eyes spoke his defiance. “Waal, aire ye ready?’ demanded the chief, ea- ger to proceed with the execution, “Git reddy, b’yees!”’ the Regulator cried, and the other end of the rope was swung over a limb, and seized by a dozen hands. Itdrew tight about Ben's neck, and he realized that he was about to be sent into eternity. “All right. Go ahead—one! two! three! heave O!”’ cried Roxly; then there was a corresponding cry from the Regulators, and the young scout was the next instant dangling in mid-air. But, it was on- ly oe an me oe ntehs TF a ut upon the still night air rung the sharp p a number of rifles; the rope was severed ond Den dropped to the earth again; while at the same time bee of the would-be executioners fell dead in their racks. Then came wild shouts as a score of horsemen, headed by the terrible Black Rider, whose very name was aterror in the town of Deadwood, came uN up with drawn revolvers. Crack! crack! went these deadliest of small wea- pons, the firing coming from both road-agents and tors “At them, Night-Hawks!” rung out the order of Deadwood Dick, as he fired right and left—“ at them, and don’t let a mother’s son escape. Treachery merits death, an’ we'll give it to em! And fiercely waged the battle; but, though the Sp: posing party fought like devils, they rapidly weak. ened, and at last Old Roxly gave the order to scatter. And scatter they did, and took back into Dead- wood a tale of horror—a shock that aroused the populace to a pitch of frenzy, nearly bordering on madness. Buffalo Ben, upon falling to the ground, found that the thongs about his ankles had broken, and his lower extremities were For a moment he did not know how to act, but when the road-agents dashed up he Jeaped away into the darkness, and struck out blindly. Ben had no idea where to strike for, in the dense blackness of the night. He well knew it would be unsafe to show himself in Deadwood right away, after shooting the Regula- fore, 28 well as having the brand of a road-agent up- on head. No, he must hide somewhere in the surrounding hills, and allow the matter to blow over. With this determination he ed off, cautious- ly, now and then pausing to listen to the sounds of 1e battle of the road-agents and the ators. “Humph! Deadwood Dick don't bear them fellows no love,’* he muttered. ‘‘ He's got a grudge against a an’ he’s bound to wipe it all out, sooner or ter.” Ben worked his way carefully along through the ch, going from instead of toward Deadwood. He cept on the alert, and yet despite this caution he ran plump up against a horse, which was standing ike an immovable statue in his path—a large, — erful gray animal, upon whose back was mounted a woman, young and beautiful, as was evident at a lance. . It was also ap t that the strange fider had halted in this lonely spot to listen to the firing that came from the neighborhood of the old cabin. Ben leaped back with a grunt, inaudible on account of the gag still in his mouth. The bb ar gd held a gleaming revolver 2 her right hand, and its muzzle pointed toward his eart. **Who are you?” she demanded, suspiciously. Of course he could not reply, All he could do was step closer, in hopes that his interlocutor would dis- cover his predicament. “Come!”’ she said, sternly, “ain't you going to an- swer me?” Then, as she leaned forward, she saw that he was ed, and his hands bound securely behind his ack. ““Ha! you can’t speak, eh?” she exclaimed; ‘I thought you were WEE MP ; She drew a long glit knife from the silken sash that encircled her waist, and applied its keen edge to the gag-string. fell to the ground, and Ben was free to speak, once more. “Thank you!”’ he said, gratefully. ‘You may al- so free aa if yo Mi *ButI please yet,’’ was the cool reply. “Your e cannot do me any personal injury— with your hands it might be different.” * Oh! you need not fear. Iam not a bloodthirsty cS EMMI! OO (ECO)