Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 321 — page 2: what you’re looking at

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

Deadwood Dick’s DoZeM ¢ | cur narratives and although brave Agnes Biye OR, The Fakir of Phantom Flats. BY ED. L. WHEELER, AUTHOR OF ‘‘ DEADWOOD DICK ’’ NOVELS, “‘ ROSE- BUD ROB” NOVELS, ETC., ETC, CHAPTER I. BLACK BOB’S RETREAT. I? was a dark, stormy nightin the month of May, when a drizzling rain swept down over the mountain and through the gulch. Intense darkness made the landscape one great blank, and the occasional rumble of thunder added to the wildness of the night. Struggling with this storm and darkness, two persons on horseback. rode through a rugged mountain defile, in charge of a third person, who rode behind them, and kept them covered with a repeatiog-rifle. The two captives were plainly not residents of that section, for both were ladies, and their hy iudicated that they were fresh from the st. One was a young lady of some seventeen or eighteen years, who, though muffled up ina waterproof, was plainly of graceful figure, and whose partly exposed face showed her to be ven, pretty. . * Her companfon was an elderly spinster of angular form and vinegar features, and every of the horse she rode, as it stumbled along hrough the night, elicited from her a groan, The man who rode in the rear was a ruffianly- looking fellow, who preserved a grim silence, not even condescending to answer any of the quéstions now and then propounded by the spinster. ‘‘Oh, yo needn’t be so cluss-mouthed, ye big overgrown wretch!” she snapped, after one of her failures to elicit a response from the captor. ‘¢ You're nothin’ but a mean, nasty brute, an’ ye orter be horsewhipped and tar-an’-feather- ‘‘There! there! aunty; don’t say anythin more. There is no use,” the young woman said. ‘‘ We are coerce, and there is nothing left for us to do but make the best of it. As soon as pape gets to Phantom Flats, he will get the igilantes out and hunt forus. Don’t fear but what papa and Mr. Gerald will find us.” ‘* But the ugly brute said we would be held for ransom,” ‘ “True, but there can be no doubt. but what we will be rescued.” ““Oh! dear, dear! I wish I had never come to this terrible country. No civilization, nochurch- 4g, no nothing bere but ruffianism.” And Miss a Spilkins rela into silence. A word of explauation, just bere, might not be amiss. ' Miss Spilkins’s companion was Miss Agnes Blye, to whom she was in no way related, how- ever, having for years been a member of the Blye family, first as Agres’s nurse, then as her attendant. Agnes was the onl are of Captain Boston Bive,a prominent Western speculator, and their bome had, until recently, been in Vir- ginia City, since when they had resolved to move to the new mining-camp which had sprung up among the gold-bills of Arizona under the ominous name of Phantom Flats, Phantom Flats, a dull camp, had existed several ra, but it wasonly within a few months that developments of a profitable char- acter had given to the place a decided ‘‘ boom.” It was while en route for the Flats, by stage, that the capture of Agnes and her maiden com- panion had occurred. “es A dozen mountain roughs had pounced down upon the stage and secured the ladies, without offering to take eee Blye or Miss Blye’s lover, George Gerald, into custody. They had been notified, however, that a ran- som would be fixed upon the ladies, and that they would never be seen again until the ransom was paid. ° The 24, of the y not being present, Captain Blye was informed that he would be duly notified of the ransom required to secure his daughter’s release. The stage had then been ordered to continue on its way to Phantom Flats, and after its de- re, es and Miss Spilkins had been ed over to the charge of their present ee y= who was to conduct them to the strong- hold of Black Bob, the brigand, the main party remaiuing behind to look after the Hastern- bound stages. .tive of his coming to Phantom Fiats. Deadwood Dick’s Dozen. = eee bad many misgivings for her future safety, she tried to keep up as brave a spirit as possible. For hours they rode on, under the direction of their brigand guard, who rejoiced in the title of Coyote; then, sbout midnight, they sud- denly debouched upon a high mountain plateau, which overlooked a large area of the rugged, mountainous and timbered country below. A hedge of pines fringed the edge of this mountain fastness on its front, and from the plateau a cave opened back into the overhang- ing mountain. As Coyote and his captives rode up on the plateau, a brawny Indian darted to the mouth of the cave, and lit a heap of dry sticks and pine-cones, and a bright glare almost imme- diately illumined the scene with great distinct- ess, The ladies were assisted to dismount, and Coyote led them forward into the cave, where another fire burned, while the Indian took charge of the horses. Within the cavern the furnishings were after the rude style usual to the mountaineer’s home —a few stools, tables, piles of skins, a barrel of whisky, cooking utensils, and weapons, A man was seated near one of the tables, en- gaged in smoking a long-stemmed pipe. He was of large, powerful frame, and his garments were jetty black, even to black gloves upon his hands, His hair was of a like hue, and a full mask upon his face effectually concealed the features from view. A keen pair of eyes surveyed the prisoners, as they were ushered into his presence. ‘“Hyer they are, boss!” Coyote saluted with a grin, as he shoved the ladies forward into the light. ‘* We captered ’em without any trouble an’ hyer they am. One’s young and purty, an the t’othar she’s a wilted cabbage-leaf.” “Oh, you wretch! Wait till I get a good chance toscratch your eyes out!” Miss Spilkins sped. oe eck Bob gave an una ay oy nt. Baca did ye tell Blye?’ he demanded, y: at I sed to him as how the ladies would be held for ransom, an fae let him know the figgers,” Coyote answered. “Correct! The captain can afford to pan out right handsome, e girl is worth—let me see. Take off yer wraps, young woman, 80 one can get a fair look at you. Come, belively. I don’t stand no squeamisbness. I'm a bad man when I’m crossed.” ‘You are no gentleman, to use @ woman as a means of extorting money!” Agnes retorted, taking off tbe h of her waterproof, and re- vealing a face of exceeding beauty. ‘You are wrong, J am a thoroughbred gen- tleman in my way. By Jove! I had no idea ou had grown to be so beautiful. No wonder lye is proud of you! Then, you're valuable, too. I think, on the whole, that I shall have to put a valuation on you of ten thousand dollars, my dear!” ) ‘Sir, you will find out your great mistake when ey father brings the Vigilantes down upon you ; ‘¢ Bab! there is‘no living person outside my own band, that suspects the location of my re- treat. If your father don’t come to terms— But, pshaw! © oe cheap to bim, he believes, at any price | * o are you, sir, that seems to know of my father?’ Agnes demanded, her curiosity aro . ‘‘Hal ha! that’s rather a conundrum, m dear! I’m generally known as Black Bob, bu what other name I might own, is a mat r of conjecture. Sufficient for you that I know both you and your father, and_ the prime mo- I had no idea of your being so pretty, however, and it is quite possible I may conclude not to accept a ransem for you, but to keep you here and make you my wife!” ; “TI become your wife? Never, sir—I akbor the ve to my father at once, you will be severely punished.” ‘‘ Never fear. Black Bob is a man that few persons care to oppose. Coyote, I will keep the girlhere, You go to the Flats and see how ag ransom can bo geennver from Blye. Mind ou don’t get caught. sr What are you going to do with the old woman, boss?” “Oh! take her and give her to Red Deer. He can either scalp ber or make her bis squaw.” Without ado, Coyote seized Miss Spi @gbt of you. If you don’t restore me‘ ee ee a ——— eee + ae ee ee a ee and forced her, screaming, from the caye— Black Bob in the mean time keeping a pistol leveled at Agnes. *“ You sit still, my dear!” he cautioned in a way that showed he meantit. ‘‘ The old woman will be all right in Red Deer’s custody, unless she goes to shooting off her mouth, when, ten to er he'll raise her bair. As for you, beatity, He did not finish the sentence but broke off into.a reverie, his masked face being turned toward the fire for some moments. Poor Agnes!. With a white face and sinking heart she watched him until he should be ready to speak, wondering if he were not in a measure going to relent, « He ely looked up, but spoke more as though he were deliberately consulting with himself. “Yes, yes; it’s a nice little game, and why shouldn’t I have a band init, too? Money is an object to me as much as it is to Boston Biye, no matter if it is dishonestly gotten, Godse! i hardly expected I was striking so rich a bonanza when I ordered*the stage stopped!” lack Bob looked up, with a cry of su to behold a man standing im bis abiien coe ‘‘Great God! Deadwood Dick!” the brigand yelled, leaping to his feet, while his hands dropped to the weapons in his belt, But the gentleman who had so suddenly ap- peared upon the scene, held him covered witha gleaming revolver. Deadwood Dick! Agnes Blye’s heart gave a bound. She bad heard much of the daring Apollo of the West; of his escapades, stage-coach exploits and other reckless deeds; then too, she had heard many a miner eulogize him as being as square a man and as thorough a gentleman as the West could produce, when not crowded upon or wronged. The comrarison between him and Black Bob was so striking, it was little wonder that Agnes felt a degree of relief at the Sport’s coming, Handsome as ever, in his resolute, manly fashion, his dark eyes burning brightly, and that natural oF expression upon his face, aderfed with its graceful mustache and clean- cut features, Deadwood Dick looked no ajder than when during the feverish days of he bad made bis name a terror in the Black Hills country. | He was attired in knee-boots, light colored pants, a white flannel shirt, open at the throat, a dark jacket and a jaunty sombrero turned up at one side. Besiies the revolver in his grasp, his belt con- tained two more of the same pattern, and a knife, the handle of which was brilliant witb sparkling stones, Around bis neck and attached to his watch in a small pocket at the top of his pants wasa massive chain of solid gold—a regular “ log- chain” an Easterner would bave termed it. At the furious recognition and cry of Black Bob a smile of triumph broke over the counte- nance of Deadwood Dick, while Agnes arose and stood with pale, expectant face awaiting the issue. . “Yes, Deadwood Dick, Bobby!” the Sport re- torted. ‘‘I.fancy that in your little nook u here you felt so secure as tc have lost all recol- lection that a sleuth was on your track.” ‘‘Curse you! What brings you here? You have run yourself into my trap at last, you e ‘But broke the spring, Robert, ere I entered. We are all alone here with no one to botker us. We can hold one of the most interesting of con- ferences without any trouble; in fact, can come to a settlement. Take care! don’t for the world be so rash as to attempt to draw_a& pop, as over oes your load of hay at once. u know me, bby—you know just what an eccentric indi- vidual I am, for, although the psalmist forgot to mention me, and I never ran for President, m =e is quite known in the ‘“‘The devi] take your name and you, too! What do you want here? Speak up, before I mangle you!” ‘““Well, Bobby, to be plain out and out, I have come for you. You're wanted at Yuba Creek, where you murdered a miner, bis wife daughter end aged mother, in expectation of pers a big haul of gold.” ‘It’s a He! I didn’t do nothin’ o’ the sort. It war Jim Lacey—I sw’ar it was!” ‘Oh, no! James was accessory, but he only did outside duty, and you killed him afterward. He lived long enough to give you away, how- ever, and that’s why I swore to h you down to the death. You’re too bad a man te EGNOOGKS com (ei e)