Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 296 — page 7: what you’re looking at

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

o-oo . ae At last the last vote was counted, and the two men said something low to Hawkins, who ad- vanced to the front of the platform. In an instant a dead silence reigned—a invriad of gleaming eyes watched the man eager! . 2, Gentlansad "he said, “‘the votes, by fair count, entitle Denver Doll to remain an outlaw, and Jean La Force to keep the mine. Ten votes did the business.” “ Ach, mine Got! Den I vas oud yoost anud- der thousand dollars, I vill neffer vote for dot vimmens again,” shrieked Nathan Blob, above the din of cheers that followed. ——— CHAPTER VIL. DOLL MEANS BUSINESS. : W® pass over two weeks in the history of the “ats, The result of the election was not entirely unexpected to Arizona and Little Bill, but it fell with almost withering force upon the tuiners who had in a measure regained their hopes of being restored to work in the Drift. Little Bill was around among them, however, like a sunbeam of encouragement, and his in- variable expression, was— ‘Cheer up, fellers; the end is not yet. Dve n few dollars in the Drift, an’ outside too, an’ ve knows I an’ Doll allers war squ r’ with ye, Ye kin eat my ears off ef thar ain’t a change, afore long!” Many of the men thanked the lad heartily, for they bad a strong attachment for him, but some were morose and gloomy, and seemed in- clined to rebel. The La Force gang were naturally in their element, and glorying in the fact that they had won the election, they likewise appeared to con- sider that they had won the town, and pro- jceeded to boss it, literally, according to their own liking. Jean La Force was pronounced mayor, with power to act in all cases—which very naturally made bim more officious and insolent than ever. The La Force gang worked day and night in the Drift, and the deeper and larger grew the excavation, the more gold was discovered, and the more men were required to mine it, so that before the end of two weeks, all of Denver Pol?s former ogee lon were working for the frambler alae as he now might well have wen called. In some respects, La Force was a keen di- plomat, and he foresaw strength by joining the disappointed element to his own party, at good wages—for, reasoned he, there was no telling when or in what shape, he might hear from the road-agent queen. | He had caused a large reward two be offered for ber capture, and notices to this effect were posted at we! approach to the town. Arizona still lounged about the camp, having stuck up a shanty for his own conven- ience; and he devoted the most of his time in sauvtering about the streets, varying the mo- notony with an occasional game of cards, by which he seldom lost anything. Little Bill dodged about, here and there, keeping an eye out, but saying little, _ He knew that he was watched secretly, by La Force’s orders, and that the gambler only wanted some reasonable excuse to lock him up, and thus put him out of the way of doing any mischief, Nathan Blob had purchased the site of Den- ‘i Doll’s ill-fated abode, and erected thereon a arge, and, for a mining-camp, comfortable ‘dwelling. é His daughter, Christie, had arrived, and ctrange to say, did not betray any signs of be- ing a Jewess, beyend the fact that she pos sessed a brunette complexion, and liquid black es. *She was very handsome, both in face and fizure, and dressed richly, as well she might, considering her parent’s reputed wealth. She and the snob, Apollo Snap, were seen out ) fora gallop, every pleasant morning, and it be- caine quite apparent that the Englishman—for such he was—was courting her, and that, too, with the paternal Blob’s hearty approval. — Miss Christine, however, was the least bit of ti coquette, and she had been but a few days in tive Camp, ere she saw the handsome face and fizure of Arizona Alf, and through another ac- qualisgese managed to get an introduction to 11m. After that, it might have been noticed that the intimacy grew, : to get out for his The Avenger meg et morning walk, about time Miss Christine and her escort took their gallop, and it was al- / i Denver Doll’s Drift. 3 most a certainty for them to meet, and exchange greetings. This seemed to highly displease the English- man, and, one morning, he made it his business to encounter the sport upon the street. ‘‘Aw! I say—see heah!” pausing and glaring at his imaginary rival; ‘‘you are the fellah that presumes to make advances to Miss Blob?” ‘*Reckon I’m the mutton!” Alf laughed, fold- ing his arms, and eying the ‘ blood” sarcasti- cally. ‘*‘ Why?” ‘* Well, my deah fellow, I demand an a logy from you, and a promise that you wil heah- after cease your attentions in that direction.” ‘An a-what-ogy?” the sport asked. “An apology, sir—an apology !” ‘Hal halba! What gall! What d’ye mean, you pup? I apologize to a snob of your com- plexion! Why, you better go set yourself up tor a clothing store man’kin.” “Sir-r-r! If you do not apologize, [ shall publicly chastise you with this!” Snap declared, producing a small harmless riding.whip, from undcr his coat, At sight of it Joaquin’s Avenger laughed heartily, as did several bystanders who had come up. “Why, that wouldn’t kill a flea!” Alf ob- served, ‘* But it will leave the sting of an insult!” was the reply. “Oh! it will? Well, strike out. to!’ The suitor of the handsome Jewess was evi- dently dead in earnest, for he raised the whi and struck the Arizonian a cut upon the nec that left its red mark; but, had he counted the cost beforehand, he probably would have held his anger in check. A few feet away was a road-side “ swale” filled with greenish water, and tenanted by frogs. Scarcely had the blow fallen, when the stal- wart Arizonian, seizing the swell, raised him above his head, as though be had been an infant, and hurled him forward, he:d-foremost, into the nasty ditch. A cheer went up from the spectators, which in- creased into a how! of derision, as Snap scram- bled out of his bath, a most disgusting and piti- able object. He paused for an instant and shook his fist at his foe, and then trotted away toward the Blob residence, like some whipped school-boy, fol- lowed by hisses and cat-calls from the bystand- ers; which was all that was seen of Apollo Snap that day, and the ridiculous incident became the town's talk. Nothing had been heard from Denver Doll since the proclamation, This silence was not reassuring to the people of Freshet Flats. The ruffian element went armed to the teeth, and even Jean La Force ap- peared nervous and watchful, and to have less confidence in himself than usual. When or how the blow was to come was a mystery that worked the community into a state of feverish expectancy. Every man be- came watchful and anxious, Little Bill, though watched narrowly, sbowed I'll dare you no signs of having any knowledge of the where- abouts of Denver Doll, nor of her forthcoming moves. Probably there were only two persons in the camp who knew that Arizona Alf was acquaint- ed with the whereabouts of the road-agent queen, and these were Bill and the wsthetic giant, Sunflower Sam, who had started a little three-card monte table on a vacant lot, and was living off his profits, which were not small. He was something of an unreadable mystery, this same giant, and was so regarded by every one—the general opinion being that he was not what he appeared. a6 One dark evening the stage came whirling down into the town during a violent thunder- storm, and unloaded a dozen passengers in front of the new shanty hotel which a party of specu- lators had hastily erected and opened as a place of refuge for travelers. Hardly had the stage halted when Budd Har- ris, the new driver, arose on his seat and yelled; **Road-agents! road-agents! Denver Doll and her gang halted us a mile back, an’ cleaned us out o’ absut two thousand dollars. Hyar’sa letter to the mayor, Jean La Force!” The letter was promptly taken to the gambler at the Satanello, and he was requested to read it for the benefit of the crowd, Accordingly he mounted the bar and read, in a loud voice, the appended epistle: “3 ar “Orrick oF Denver Dou. * JRAN ORCE!— | “ Srr:—According to my promise, after being de- f ~<a i aa ‘at LL ALLL LLL ALLL LLL LLL LLL LLL LLL LL LLL LL LLL LLL LLL LLL LLL LLL LAL LAL LLL LLL LLL ABDLLDDADLL DAA LLL 24 ee ee ee eS 6 ——- SO ee Oe - «ot om OCD ——“—2 feated in my attempt to obtain my rights through o vote of the people, I will to-night begin my cam- n by stopping the acted 3 stage, and hel yself to such valuables as mig the camp of Freshet Flats. From each pans out will be required his name and future ad- dress, and this will be attached to his valuabl subject to safe-keeping and restoration—in case am given back my mine. When the goods are re- stored there will be a pawnbroker’s rate of five per cent, interest on value of each ‘kage per month pie I exact as compensation for my trouble and OSSES, ‘*By a vote of my band, we shall persist in this course against you and your people, and if you make an attack upon us, we are amply prep for that. We shall not only relieve the stages, but the camp itself, and all moneys taken that are profits of Denver Doll’s Drift will never be restored, “There is but one way to break us u ve Jean La Force and his ruffian gang from the town, and give me back my mine, and the war is ended, Otherwise, never /—and, too, what we get we keep, if war it is to be. “Yours from the word go, * Denver Dow!” Here was astunner, and an invitation for the well-meaning men of Freshet Flats to take the matter into their own hands, and revolutionize matters so that the detective queen should have her own again. But it bid fair to be some time ere sueh a move would be made, unless sturted by the new- comers; for the old citizens had no cause as yet to complain of any loss, These new-comers too, if relieved by the road- agents, as a rule would hardly feel like espous- ing Denver Doll’s cause;—they would be more apt to be ready for revenge. So Jean La Force considered his star consid- erably in the ascendant. The letter created a sensation, of course, and on being questioned the robbed passengers all corroborated what the girl bad stated. . Their names and addiasies had been taken, and written in a book by a masked man, who was evidently the lieutenant of Denver Do Of the band that had surrounred the stage, - there were fully fifty, all masked, dressed in pitas ae red corduroy, with slouch bats and uckskin leggings, while each man was armed with a Winchester rifle, and revolvers, Some influential speculators were on the coach, and on arriving at the Flats, they club- | bed together and made up a purse of five hun- dred dollars, which they offered for her cap- ture, This, with La Force’s offer, made a thousand dollars on Denver Doll’s head. Her letter was posted Bp in a conspicuous place, in the Satanello, and left for public in- spection., The following morning, Little Bill met Ari- zona Alf. ‘‘Didn’t I tell you she was a hoss?” he said, triumphantly. ‘‘It will be a blizzardous day — when, Doll-baby gits left. Reg’lar ole pawn- shop she’s runnin’. Like to see her. D’ye think she'll ever get the Drift back?’ Arizona shook bis head doubtfully. ‘* Don’t know,” he answered, ‘ La Force is etting his feet planted firmer and firmer every fay. It will take big odds to root him out, or lose my guess. The girl is plucky, though! That night the Sctanello was more than un- usually full, and the same might have been said of some of its habitues, Gambling in every form was at its hight, and the scene was at once exciting and hilarious. | During the evening a striking looking person- age entered the saloon, who gradually attracted attention. Of medium, alt rounded stature, and graceful carriage, he possessed a clean- shaven but dusky countenance, excepting a heavy mustache, and bis hair, long and straight, hung well down bis shoulders, Over his eyes he wore a pair of impenetrable green goggles. His attire was a rich and costly suit, such as is usually worn by a Mexican nabob, the trim- mings alone being of immense value. A stiff sombrero was worn upon his head, and asash of satin about bis waist. Upon the fingers of each hand were four magnificent diamond rings. This striking man paused first at La Porce’s table, and looked on a few moments, and then sauntered on. ‘Did you ever see that fellow—do you know him?’ La Force asked, addressing a bystander, who from his rough appearance and long white beard, looked like a ’49er. ‘‘Oh yes,” the man answered, ‘That is Senor Cobra, tre famous Spanish-Mexican — oker-player. Rich as Croesus, and never met is equal at poker!” ra ‘“Humpb! I wouldn’t mind taking the con- ceit out of him if that’s the case. Rs some on poker, myself, Just mention to that the mM chool . ott te Mh Peed ol tie aie te in tconduce to aurioh ; who -_-