Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 321 — page 8: what you’re looking at

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

———————— esser. Yes, brother, [ have you emphatically n er, and since you have received me 80 i tee propose to twist you without mercy. You have money; I havenone. Being my brotber, it is certainly yeur duty to divide th mre. You will refuse, but I know a twist of the thumb-screws will make you shell out | liberally and cheerfully.” “We shall seo. Do your worst, yield to you a point, you villain!” ** Not when | expose you to the authorities,’ and you see a gallows in the future?” “ Nol a thousand times no! Idefy you, An outcast you have made me, and I[ defy the law also. I now have men to defend me, who are not afraid ofanarmy. If you think you have me so far in yonr power, go on with your vile schemes, I'll quickly show you where the ad- vantage lies!” ‘“*Bah! Your chief dependence is the hunted outlaw, Deadwood Dick; but [ have the pleas- ant task of informing you that the lion Richard now languishes in the jail at Phantom Fats, so there’s nothing that remains but for you to come to my terms. I want money, and you have plenty of it. Reports say you are better fixed even than a millionaire. Give me one hundred thousand dollars, spot cash, and [ will not only deliver up to you the tell-tale confes- sion, but will put you in possession of some- thing which will forever after gladden your life! ** You cannot approach me in that manner. If I am broken down and white-haired, Boston Blye, I am yet wise enough to shun any trap ur cunning brain can lay. Happiness for me 18 out of the question; I buried the thing years ago, ‘‘ You are-mistaken. Listen to me. When you left Boston, you deemed that there was no one in all the world who could be dear to yout ‘True; there was not one who cared for Ill never e ‘You believed my lie that your wife was fai h'e-s to you?’ Had I not sufficient evidence?” “No; it was all but a part of my scheme to ruin you. A truer wife never lived than Celia Llye was to you.” ‘Man! dare you stand there and tell me of ‘your foul work? I will kill you!” “*Oh, no you won't!” and the captain quickly : w bis revolver and cocked it. ‘‘ When it c— down to killing, l am athome. Yes, I up your home the same way I broke you Your wife was never divorced from you. ut night, when you saw Bill Roberts, I sent him there in order to bring about the result.” ** Monster!” was all the hermit could gasp, “On, certainly!” Blye assented, with a laugh. *‘ AsI wassaying, your vife was never divorced, Shortly after your flight I enticed her to a lonely spot on ane IsJand, under sesso of king ber to you. I there tried to force her to romise me her band in marriage, but she scorn- nlly refused, and in my frenzy at her taunts I stabbed her through the heart and fled, taking your child, Agues, with me’ ' - Old Jewel did not answer, for his gaze was _ fixed upon his villainous brother in an awful glare, “T lay in noe a few months, and then hearing no sensation about the matter, an finding that no trace of a murder bad been made public, I quickly closed up business in Boston, and fled West. The child is still with me—now a beautiful, refined young lady—and all that it costs to get ber is one bundred thousand dollars, and I’il throw in the confes- sion.” | ‘““You haven’t got the child!” | “I have, She is where [ can get her in a balf- Gay. “Then go and get her, hand both her and the confession over to me, and the money is ours. . Biye burst into a loud laugh, “Well, you're liberal, ain’t you?” he sneered. * Why, man, [ wouldn’t take less than half a million for the girl! I have merely been draw- ing you on, to see if there was anything human ou. Half a million, and no less, will e confession and the girl!” You are , man. As much as [I could desire possesion of either, or both, I could never think of gratifying you by yielding to co terms. Leave me, Boston Blye, and never 7 ‘our face again. “Will T leave ar though?” the scbemer sneered.. *‘ Well, I rather fancy not. You are too. a bonanza to discard. You say you will not come to my terms, but I know you wid You see this revolver? Well, I'll give Deadwood Dick’s Dozen. qe Sea you, just five counts to swear that you will pay me my price within five minutes, use, and you know me well enough to believe that Pil not hesitate to put a bullet through your heart. Remember, now, I’m in dead earnest. One!” Up came the revolver to a level with the her- mit’s heart; and the diabolical expression upon Blye’s face spoke better than words of his fiendish determination. If it were possible, the pallor increased upon Jewel’s face, and a frightened, hunted expres- sion crept from his eyes, He did not speak—his tongue seemed palsied, while a nervous tremor shook his frame, “Two!” Boston Blye cried, sternly and unpityingly. ‘“‘Speak up! It is your last chance!” Jewel made no answer, but an appealing ‘expression came over his visage, an uuspoken prayer for mercy, as it were. A faint chuckle of triumph escaped Blye. He pulled back the hammer of his weapon, the click sounding like the knell of doom to the sad hermit. Still he spoke not. ‘*Three!” called out the captain. “Stop!” a voice cried sharply, and at the same time a pistol was pressed against the side of his head, ‘If there is to be any murdering done here, allow me to take a hand in it.” Blye wheeled and dropped bis pistol, with a startled oath, to behold the postmistress of Phantom Flats, who rejoiced in the cognomen of Poker Kate! She was, as usual, richly attired, and wore the vail over ber face, so her features were cleverly disguised. The gleaming weapon in ber hand showed that she was in no wise loth to lend a belping ‘hand to the weak and defenseless, ‘What the devildo you mean?’ Blye growled savagely. ‘Is this your business, you hussy?” ‘Precisely, you foul-mouthed scoundrel. don’t allow such vipers as you to abuse old men like Jewel!” was the stinging retort. ‘‘ You are a detestable wretch, Boston Blye, as I well know by hearing your conversation with the. hermit here, and none too good to hang, and bang you will, or I miss my guess.” **'You lie, curse you.” Do I? Well, [rather fancy not. Now, then, face about, and strike for the Flats, at a two- forty gait, before I blow the bead off from you. When you reach the Flats, do you ‘buy your- self a horse, or steal one—which latter would be the most natural to you—and vamose for parts unknown. If I see a button of you, when I get back to the camp, I'll drop you as I would a coyote. D’ye hear? Git!” «Furies seize you!” the captain gritted. ‘ Pll get even with you.” “You'll never live to get the opportunity, unless you trot out lively, before I count ten. One! two! three!” Blye waited to hear no more, He was satisfied that Poker Kate meant busi- ness, and that the best thing for bim was to get back as far as Phantom Flats, anyhow. . So he turned and stalked away toward Phan- tom Flats. Without a word to the hermit, Poker Kate followed in the villain’s wake, keeping her wea- pon in readiness for an emergency. She evidently meant that Blye should not get another chance to molest the hermit, that night, at least. eing a walker, Blye soon distanced the post- | mistress; in fact he was not aware that she was. following him; but, half-way between the her- mitage and the Flats, he suddenly became con- scious that for the second time that evening, a pistol muzzle was pressed to his temple, while a gruff voice cried out:— ‘‘Whoa up thar, Boss Blye! Hope ye ain’t goin’ ter slight me, while yer out wisitin’. Kinder strikes me that ain’t fair. Jest come up this hyer fissure. Thar’s a little hoel hyer, which constertutes my new head-quarters. No hesitatin’ now, ef ye don’t wanter git slugged wi’a chunk o’ lead.” “ Who are you? What d’ye want?’ Blye de- manded savagely. “I don’t know you; you're mistaken in the person.” ‘‘ Not ef ther jury aire any goon. the other |. posed r oy retorted, seizing the scheme the arm. ‘‘ Bf you don’t know me, I happen to know you, my dear; so waltz right along without a whimper. I’ve somethin’ ter tell ye that will in- terest you, and I don’t mean you no barm unless you git peevish and balky—then I'll scatter your brains to the four winds of the earth. i ou come?” es, sented. -bim into our schemes; ~~ -——«— “Then get in before me, Satan, and march!” the brigand ordered, for we may as well add right here that Boston Blye’s captor was none other than Black Bob, outlaw, who had captured Miss Agnes. e faced the schemer abows, they entered pe ravine, which was narrow, deep, dark Kigypt. The footway was extremely rough and un- even, and one would scarcely bave looked for a human abode, Yet the ravine soon ended at the mouth of a shallow little cave, near the opening of which a fire of pine-cones was burn- 1D 7 ‘A couple of logs lay near the fire, and bid- ding Blye be seated om one, the brigand occupied the other. *‘ Now, then,” he “we are ready for business. Take a good look at me, Boston, and see if you don’t remember me.” ‘‘No, I don’t,” Blye declared, irritably. 43 see in you nothing but a common ruffian.” ‘‘Thank you for your flattery. I am nota common rufflan, however, asl am chief in the Order of Rogues. Iwas lurking about the hermitage, to-night, and saw and heard all that took place.” ** Well?’ ' ‘Well, I saw that Poker Kate rather baffled you, and thinks I, Blye is in bard luck, and maybe I can help him out! See?” **Go on,” : ‘‘Well, [dropped in here ahead of you, and here we are, after a long separation, with noth- in’ to hinder ovr joining issues, and making an alliance, What d’ye say, Boston—shall it be so or not?” ‘*] don’t understand you. Who are you— what do you know?” ‘‘1 am Bill Roberts, once upon a time your go-between in the matter of separating a man and wife.” | ‘“The devil you say! long ago.” | ‘‘Then you thought wrong. I’m Bill Roberts, alias Black Bob. The aspirant for your charm- ing niece’s band, who holds you to some extent in his power, is my son,” ‘* What! Leon Shrimp?’ “The same! Now, then, to business. Ail can be told in a jiffy. Phantom Flats, somewhere, is a lost mine of immense wealth. There is, I believe, but one person who knows of its whereabouts, although there are twelve dumb men ever searching for it. Deadwood Dick is the captain of these men, and the defender of Old Jewel, whose heir he expects to become, He intends to drive you to the dogs, and as svon as he finds 1 am alive, he will w war. He will yet ingratiate himself into the favor of the people, until be gets pone arg A tions to his Dozen to run the town and the secret mine, See?” ‘Yes; but it must not be.” ‘Of course not. We muststopit. Let five of us form a league, and work to the one end of ending the career of Deadwood Dick, securing Jewel’s wealth, and capturing the secret mine, all to share equally in the profits!” CHAPTER VII. A HEINOUS SCHEME—THE FAIR FAKIR, A Few nights later, four men met in a lonely spot, outside Phantom Flats, and stood facing each other, with grim expression of counte- nance, } They were Boston Blye, Leon Shrimp, Black Bob, and the ludicrous giant, old Swilltub. The appearance of each pointed to the fact that the were there upon a mission of importance, as a were well armed, and the eyes of three were leveled inquiringly upon the fourth, who was none other than the mountain brigand, whom Deadwood Dick supposed he bad killed. After a short silence, Black Bob spoke: “Well, my pards, I see that all are here ex- cept one, and that one I have just learnéd, bas succeeded to the captaincy of my old band, so it wlll be out of the question to think of taking but four of us are that are needed, so let us proceed.” ‘One little matter needs explanation, beyond what we so far know,” Captain Blye inter- I thought you dead ‘““At-a previous meeting, you stated to me that you were sure tbat but one person in Phan- tom Flats knew the location of the Dumb Dozen’s lost mine. Who is that person?” “I know not; [ have only a strong suspt- zion! . ‘Out with it then, I thought there was to IT suppose so,” Blye reluctantly as- be no secrets between us,” | ‘Neither is there. I believe that Poker Kate Gomicbooks