Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 296 — page 4: what you’re looking at

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

~ we Ee. Fe -> f wx passing,” be said. “ ee” £ ~~ ob | ee rp | rm wm te ee me + tt rene 0 Ome SS A eerte | Sereda eee ame mene otetraaes “Stop that girl!” La Force cried; and a dozen of his admirers in an instant took the detective queen into cusiody, and disarmed her, She struggled, but it was no use. Man though she might appear in her jaunty suit of male attire, she was still a weak woman as compared with the hardened miners who seized hold of her. In the struggle her sombrero fell to the floor, and her beautiful hair was tossed into wild con- fusion, which, if anything, made her more beau- tiful than ever, with ber cheeks flushed and eyes dancing with indignation. ** Release me!” she cried. ‘‘ What is the mean- ing of this assault?” ‘Jest be quiet, if you please!” La Force said, with a wicked chuckle, ‘' You raised the money, and got here too late to redeem the mine. Supposin’ you jest explain to us law- abidin’ citizens how and where you raised the swag!” OF will explain nothing!” she retorted. ‘‘I defy the whole of you! ou are a pack of ruf- fians; and if that mine is not given back to me, this town shall know what a wronged woman can do!” ‘*T guess no one ain’t skeart of you!” La Force growled. ‘‘ Ef you don’t tell where you made a raise of the swag, why we'll bold ye till we find out. Mebbe there has been a stage robbery, or somethin’ of the kind, since money ain’t picked up so orful easy !” A close observer might have noticed that Dol] winced perceptibly; but none of tnoe crowd probably noted the fact. . It indeed was she who had tapped the stage, that night, and so boldly relieved the passen- gers of their cash under the name of Red Star. But, how did La Force divine the secret? And why did he order her arrest?! It would not be long ere the stage would arrive; then ber identification as Red Star was almost a certainty. The thought fairly maddened her, and making another sudden and desperate struggle for lib- erty, she succeeded in breaking away, and a bound carried her through a window, taking the glass and cross-bars of the sash with her. Tn an instant, all was the wildest excitement, and the rough men of Freshet Flats poured from the saloon, weapons in band and yelling vengefully. Across the gulch, in which the Flats were situated, sped the detective queen like a fright- ened fox. The drizzling rain and deep darkness hid her from view, and it was literally useless to follow —yet Jean La Force led the pursuit. Soon they came to Rapid Creek, a furious mountain torrent that whirled through a deep but narrow channel, on its southward course, No bridge spanned the stream, and only a very expert leaper could reach the other side; yet beyond the stream, and above its angry roar, they heard Denver Doll’s defiant yell. Had she leaped the stream? If so, it was something that no man in the party could do, and the detective queen was safe, so far as the immediate present was con- ce ordered Force knew this, and growling] tit was the men back to the saloon, satisfied t useless to attempt further pursuit. But, had be known it, he was deceived, as re- gards Denver Doll being on the further side of the stream, for she was not. On reaching its edge, and realizing that she could not get across, she ran on down the shore, and after proceeding for a little way, cut back in a cir- cuitous way into thecamp. | ** They think I leaped the creek, but they’ll find out better ere long,” she muttered, grimly. ‘**T wonder if they’ll visit my shanty?” Her abode was on the outskirts of the camp, and thither she made her way, taking care not to approach too close, until she was satisfied that Force and bis followers had returned to the Satanello. She then approached the shanty, when to her surprise she perceived that the door was open, and a man was standing on the threshold, smoking a cigar. an CHAPTER IV. A GIANT SUNFLOWER. A GLANCE convinced her that he was a stranger, anda handsome one in the bargain; and as there was nothing particularly hostile in his demeanor, she concluded to advance and find out what he was doing there. He stepped from the doorway as she ap- proached, and Spoed his sombrero politely, ' ** Excuse me, but perhaps I have been tres- happened along here, and LLL LL LL LL — EE 4 -_ Denver Doll’s Drift. A EO ee SO eee Ome eee et finding the door open, and no one apparently at home, I concluded I'd better play watch-dog until some one did come,” ‘‘Thank you. I must have forgotten to lock the door when I went away,” Doll responded, regarding him curiously. * Will you step inside, until the rain slacks up?’ ‘*Tf you think proper, yes. me with your name first by ‘* Denver Doll is what Iam generally called, Will you favor ‘* Indeed! I have then heard of you frequent- ly, and am glad to meet you. et Arizona Alf—a name, perbaps, not familar to you.” ‘‘I have also heard of you. You are called the Avenger of Joaquin?” ‘* Exactly.” They then entered the rude dwelling, and Doll closed the door, seating herself near it. ‘You will excuse me for not striking alight,” she said, ‘‘as 1 am sought forby a gang of ruf- fians, and do not want them to know I am here, If they do come, I'll give them a warm recep- tion before they shall capture me,” ‘Then count on me as your assistant. But how is this? I have heard that you were one of the prominent citizens.” ‘* Possibly prominent, from the fact that I did own part of the quartz mine, but hardly popular —with the rough element.” uke say you did own the mine, or a part of it?’ ‘Yes. If you like, I will explain.” And she proceeded to narrate, in a straight- forward manner, what is already known to the reader. Arizona Alf listened without speaking until she had finished. ‘‘T am sorry to hear this,” he said. ‘‘ From all accounts I have ever heard of you, you have hitherto borne an unimpeachable record; but I fear, as you say, that you are outlawed, so far as this town is concerned. What do you pro- pose to do, in regard to the mine?” “Fight for it to the bitter end!” Dol) cried resolutely. ‘‘If the Drift can’t do me any good through one minute’s loss of time, it shall never do any one else any good, and you can bet high on it ‘Bravo! I heartily admire your grit. If you ever need a friend, don’t forget that the Avenger of Joaquin Muriete bas a heart that beats warmly for the weak and downtrodden, and a hand that can grip like steel, [—” Just then there came a loud knock upon the door-—a knock that must have been given by a onderous fist, for it made the door rattle on its inges, eeotad Doll looked at Arizona Alf, whom she could just see through the gloom, and motioned silence, In a moment came the powerful knock again, and following it, a coarse, blatant voice cried out: : ‘Open up thar, cuss ye, or Pll tumble yer door dows! Ye needn’t purtend thar ain’t no one to bum, ’cause I know a darned sight bet- ter. Heerd yer squawkers a-goin’ a minit ago,’ Denver Doll tip-toed over to where Arizona Alf was seated. “Do you think it’s some of La Force’s gang?” she asked, in a hae ja ‘| don’t know. Sounds more like some half- drunken bullwhacker from out of town.” Just then there came a furious kick at the door that made it spring inward. ‘‘ Aire ye goin’ ter open?” the hoarse voice roared. é Doll drew a revolver and cocked it. ‘‘ Better ask who he is, and then you can jud better what to do,” Arizona Alf suggested. ‘* He may not be the party you expect.” ‘Who are you, and what do you want?” she demanded, sternly. ‘Ef ye don’t open up yer ranch Ill cussed soon show ye!” was the savage response. ‘I’m Sunflower Sam, right down frum Cicnamon Gulch, an’ ef ye don’t open V’ll show ye how to smile. I’m wet ter the skin, an’ want shelter till I kin get a bite—then I’m gone.” Not off her guard by any means, Denver Doll unbarred the door and carefully opened it, hold- ing. her revolver ready for instant use, — ' he sight of the applicant for admission satis- fied her that he was a stranger. And a typical Western stranger, to boot, If giants prevailed in ancient times, this being coe to prove that the race was not yet ex- net. He was very nearly seven feet in hight, and largely proportioned otherwise. His face was massive and rather grotesque in appearance, reer ET, LL LLL LLL LAL LLL ee ee Oe OR ———- en ee Ae Oe 8 OE OS with a huge mouth, and large nose with a plain inclination toward the pug. A goatee of about fifty bristly hairs of fiery-red ornamented his chin, while his eyes were little, peering and cun- ning. His attire, however, was that of the usual slouchy bullwhacker, consisting of greasy cor- duroy trowsers thrust into a pair of stogy top- boots, an equally greasy and ragged red shirt, open at the throat, and a much-worn plug-hat/’ upon his cranium that had evideatly been used as a target for much pistol practice, judging by, the number of holes in it. A belt around his waist contained three horse- ely, each one of a different pattern, and a arge knife. The moment Doll opened the door he grinned and bowed obsequiously. ‘* Aba! “Thou art one so young an’ fair— By me life, I reck’ed a man lived here!” he said, with profound rev: rence. ‘Fair lady, behold in me Sunflower Sam'l on a spree; I'm bound to have a jamboree, In honor o’ the Wild Fejee!”’ And then the giant turned his back, and ex- hibited a huge cloth imitation of a sunflower, which was sewed to his shirt. Denver Doll burst into a merry laugh, while Arizona Alf came to the door to see what was the matter. , ‘‘ Why, Sammy, where’s your stockings and knee-breeches?” Doll asked, ‘‘ You are not. complete as an zesthete.” ‘True. I have been neglectful, fair queen o the Muses, in not adorning my shins wi’ them togs, but then I am so much more esthetic than brother Oscar, that it is hardly worth mention- ing. Can I come in?” ‘* What do you want?” ““If you have no bear meat or yanked veni- son, I can, on a pinch, put up wi’ a leetle whisk made wi’ sunflower tea, miss.” ‘¢ Better invite him in, rather than make bim an enemy!” Arizona said, in alow tone. “if I mistake not, the man is worthy of good hand- ling.” ** Well, come in,” ‘* An’ my dorg?” ‘* Of course!” ) The sesthete gave a whistle with his enormous mouth, folowing which a mule of the scrawniest character and size, made its appearance around the end of the shanty. ‘‘That’s my dorg!” Sunflower Sam explained, surveying the animal with pride, ‘an’ me an him ailus sails together through this briny vale of teers.” ‘“You don’t expect to bring that beast. in- doors?’ Denver Doll exclaimed. ‘Bet I do, ef I come in!” Samuel grinned. ‘* Jurisprudence aire jest as much of an sesthete as | am, an’ we allus sleep together, dines to- gether, fights together, drinks together, an’ com- munes together. Any one as misuses Jurispru- dence misuses me, an’ thar’s goin’ to be trouble when we gits mad.” : ‘‘ Well, come along in; but, mind—there may be a fight heerabouts to-night, and we shall expect you to stand witb us. “ Bet I will! Great blizzards an’ blisters! Ye just orter see me fight when my dander gits riz.” And with these words the giant entered the shanty, the burro following him, and lying down in one corner, At Arizona Alf’s suggestion, Denver Doll now lita lamp, while the Sunflower became seated. ‘* Now then, gal, ef ye can trot out a gallon 0’ bug-juice, with a little yanked venison to wash it down with, et won’t take long to nerve me fer fightin’ anything from a grizzly to a rhinosereous, an’ don’t ye ferget it. You shall see what Oscar the Second can do in the way o makin’ the fur fly.” ‘Grub you can have, but nary bug,” Doll re- plied. “I don’t keep the stuff around my shanty.” ‘“So? Well, now, then, couldn’t ye give mea bottle o’ water wi’ a bumble-bee or wassup in it —semethin’ to get up an irriatation when it goes down my muzzle?” , “Guess not, unless perchance you can use 2 cactus bur.” ‘‘Humph! I’ve used ’em already: but they don’t lacei ate one’s gullet enuff as they godown, like bug-juice does, Brother?’ And he cast a glance at Arizona Alf. ‘*No. Why do you ask?” “Qh, didn’t know. Looks like as ef be was from good fightin’-stock.” He then relapsed into silence, and proceeded to deyour the meat and bread Doll set before him, occasionally tossing a piece to the watch- EComicbooks (0)