Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 347 — page 13: what you’re looking at

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

_—_ A ——e a bie pe ee — “Nonsense, I say again! A dare-devil girl of pag grit, weakening tosuch an utter delusion. ’m surprised!” es Can't help it. A white figger suddenly ap- peared almost near to me, and pointed for me to git up an’git. You can just bet Igot. I didn’t ax no questions, nor give back ne chaff, but moved! An’ that arm pointed at me, till I couldn’t see it no longer!” “Tf this is a fact, 1 have little doubt that my pard still lives. "But, were it 50, Why was he not here to my rescue ? ** He was !” Both Kid Karl and Roaring Ruth started and glaneed around them. No one was within twenty feet from where they were standing! Vet the voice had sounded as if almost directly applied to their ears. he majority of the miners were all collected about McBride, who was treating, at the bar. Jefferson Jackson stood fully twenty feet away, puffing at a cigar. Miss Judith Green was seated at a table, uietly and unobtrusively making a meal off ecn crackers and cheese, from her carpet-bag. Surely, no one was near enough to have heard their conversation; yet the answer seemed to indicate to the contrary. ‘“What infernal mystery is this?’ Kid Karl growled. CHAPTER XIII. THE BESOM OF DESTRUCTION, ROARING RUTH laughed: ‘‘ Hither we have the Old Nick among us, or else a clever ventriloquist—and, even, if the lat- ter suggestion be correct, how in the name of common sense could he have overheard our con- versation?”’ “Sound carries a considerable distance, in such an apartment as this,” Kid Karl said, re- flectively. ‘‘ It’s a remarkably strange case. No one appears to be looking this way. Ruth did not reply, and Karl soon sauntered ever to where Judith Green was contentedly munching her cheese and crackers, ‘You will excuse me, for interrupting your dinner!” he said, ‘* but I couid not longer per- suade myself to delay expressing to you my heartfelt gratitude for the manner in which you so kindly and skillfully interested yourself in my behalf.” ‘‘No thanks are required, sir,” Miss Green said in a voice soft and sweet, and strongly in contrast with her former speech. ‘* T happened to know that you were in need of assistance, hence did not hesitate to volunteer. You are not out of danger yet, however.” “So I am satisfied. By the way, you have betrayed to me that you are not what you seem. May I make bold to ask, if we have ever met, before to-day?” ” Not to my nowhere, although I have seen ou, *‘That is strange. Pray explain.” ‘‘Oh no! When, where, or how I saw you, does not matter, now. Enough is it to say, that I bave seen you, and chose to take sides with you. Mind you, you are not out of the woods, yet. If you have discovered that I am not what Irepresent, it was because I chose to ket you discover it. I[ trust you will have the good sense to keep the fact mum.” ** Rest assured of that. Your interest in my S sacxemm sm serves to increase my interest in ourself. I trust our acquaintance, 80 strange- y begun, may not as suddenly end,” Aes, bowing gallantly, he passed on, secretly hoping he bad made an impression; for he was ready to swear that Miss Judith Green was a fairy in disguise. After lingering awhile longer in the saloon, he sought his room. The temporary respite granted Kid Karl was not genera ly regarded with favor. And, if there were any undecided men, who, as in politics, were not certain which way to _ turn, there was a large chance that they would ’ be won over to the antagonistic side, as Mc- Bride and Masked Mose bad put down sufficient money, so that a ‘‘free bar” was assured for severai hours to come. As a consequence, in a place like Devil’s Dig- gings, such an unwonted streak of liberality conduced to capture public sympathy; to resist a chance to get drunk for nothing, was a thing not to be thought of, and for Masked Mose’s psy. they gave him ‘their influence. while the conviviality waxed warm and enthusiastic, Masked Mose improved an oppor- tuvity to slip from the crowd, and saunter near cre Miss Judith Green was finishing up the ' bast of ber cheese and crackers. Deadwood Dick’s Ducats. ‘“Woman!” he hissed between his clinched teeth, ‘‘ I fancy we have met before!” Juditf. looked tk ated up, at him, through her green goggles os Twa nine, A case brute, of course we have! I’m Judith Green, attorney at law, who just beat ye at yer own game. S’pect yer mem’ry ain’t very overly good, eh?” It was the old rasping nasal voice that now spoke, instead of the soft, pleasant tones that had greeted the hearing of ‘Kid Karl. Masked Mose uttered a snarling curse, and stalked on. pe ge aps I’m mistaken, after all!” be growled, fiercely, *‘though but for that cracked voice, I’d swear I wasn't. Aba! me Judith Green, it’s lucky I am not satisfied on thst one point, ‘for, was I, your life would pay the forfeit.” Tbe remainder of the day dragged on, without particular incident, except that the feeling of antagonism against Kid Karl, gradually grew stronger, and now and then, the suggestive word “lynch,” might be heard, among the miners who guarded the approach to the bar, with zealous care, It became more than evident that if Kid Karl was put on trial again, he would not stand a host of a show, an the probabilities were that # would not be left unmolested, until such in- formation should be elicited, giving positive proof whether Deadwood Dick was dead or ative. About dusk, Masked Mose and McBride went to the latter’s room, and locked themselves in. With a bottle and a lighted candle between them, they seated themselves at a rude table. ‘‘No danger o’ bein’ beard here!” McBride said. ‘‘I asked old Argyle, an’ he sed the rooms on either side 0’ us, were unoccupied. So steer ahead.” ‘‘ Well, we’ve got to come to an understand- what’s to be done!” Masked Mose declared. te won’t do to delay any longer, or we may isis by it. In my opinion, ’tain’t advisable for us to hang around here much longer!” ‘Ye seem sorter skeery about somethin’ or other!” McBride suggested. “‘Not without cause, however. But that does not matter so much. I don’t see anything ined by bothering further with Kid Karl. Be miners will look well to it that he does not escape, and we may as wel] turn our attention to jaa for the buried treasure. As experi- ence bas proved, we don’t care particularly about fooling around the mine. It’s a nest of hornets I’m skeery of ej up again.” ‘*PD’ye think it’s allies Ban wood Dick, w’ot’s quartered there?’ ** Most likely, though I'll swear they’ve not been there long.” “Po you think Deadwood Dick is really dead?” ‘*There can be no doubt of it. I fired—” ‘*Hal you ?” Masked Mose Jaughed grimly. “Well ee I, if you want to know it. I fired to kill, and I know the bullet went where it was intended to go. You see I had stumbled onto the mine, and found out who was workin it, and all the particulars, except where Dic cached the ducats. I intended to shoot Leclede, too, but didn’t get a pop at him until he arrived here, when I concluded to work the other racket on bim. Somehow, I’ve made a bungle of it— but, I am satisfied that Deadwood Dick is dead, though the devil only knows what’s become of his body!” “Ym bettin’ he’s squirmin’ yet,” McBride protested. ‘‘I sorter fee! it in my bones, An’ ef be is, I pity you, fer they say he goes fer them as gives him a cold deal!” “Say, rather, you pity Leclede—ha! ha! he'll catch the blame. No one happens to know who Masked Mose is.” ‘Well, what have you to propose?” ‘‘ Let me think a moment. He tapped his foot on the floor—then, leaped to bis feet, with a startled oath. “What the devil ails you?” growled McBride, vag ‘‘Enough! By heavens, listen!” Masked Mose stepped upon a board in the rough floor, that was not altogether fastened down, and there was a splash of water. McBride turned whiter. “Tbe place is surrounded by water! Yes, and within half an hour, too. It is already floor high. Ha! ha! listen!” The stentorian voice of Nick Norvell, old peers 8 nephew, was heard in the great main a ‘* Wide awake! wide awake!” he shouted. ‘*Clear the building at once! The gnich is fill- ing up, at the rate of a foot every five minutes! 1s a | Fly tor your i for your lives. Any one who remains does. so at the peril of his life, as this place will surely be swept away!” It was an awful moment. A moment, at least, never to be forgotten by those benighted citizens of Devil’s Diggings. An indiscriminate stampede was made from the building, and the greatest excitement and | confusion prevailed. In rushing from the building, the crowd went splashing knee-deep in water, and through this, in wild frenzy, they wallowed toward higher ground, in some of the lower depressions of the gulch sinking neck -deep, thereby eliciting hoarse and discordant yells, The night was as dark as Stygia, and from some unaccountable cause the gulch was sud- denly filling up with a literal ocean of water, which threatened to submerge all objects upom the bottom. The rain poured down with relentless fury, thus adding to the terrors already encompassing the scene. There seemed but one object among the ha- bitues of the Argyle—that was to escape to high ground. n their room, after the first alarm, Masked Mose and McBride sat glaring at each other. om ~_ time for business has come!” the former gto ‘‘Two persons must not leave this ilding?” sé W ho? 9” “Kid Karl, and Judith Green!” “Good. Come!” They glided from the room, u along the narrow hall, toward which was upon the second floor. McBride knew the number, They reached the door and listened. There was a series of hurried movements within. Karl was preparing to evacuate. Each door of a room in the Argyle was pro- vided with bolts on the inside, and padlocks cm: the outside, The lock and key to Karl’s chamber hung im the staple outside the door, With deft fingers, Masked Mose clapped the hasp over the staple, inserted the lock, and turned the key. moving it, he placed it in his pocket. ext they visited the apartment of Miss Ju- dith Green, and repeated the action. They were then about to return down-stairs, when they heard some one in another room. ** Ha! who’s in there?” ‘** Lock it, anyhow!” McBride advised. ‘ 4 was done; then they descended to the main a The last person bad just left it, and the lower part of the building was deserted, with the ex- ception of the two ruffians. here was a foot of wator on the floor! ** We'd better get out!” Masked Mose admit- ted. ‘If wedon’t, we shall baveto swim for it, and I'll swear I can’t swim a stroke.” “Nor, byer. We'vé time to take a smile tho’,” McBride said, wading to the bar, and beginning to pour down the liquor. “Drink away, hog. I'll fire the place,” Masked Mose exclaimed. And he put the threat into execution by dashb- ing several oil lamps to atoms against the walls, and touching lighted matches to the oil which trickled down, and igniting, burst into a mass of raging flame. McBride during the day had soaked himself with liquor, and bis deep potations now flew to his head, and he staggered out of the doomed building, en route for the mountains, nearly drowning before he reached safe footing. He had scarcely left the Argyle, when a: buman figure leaped in through the open door- way, and Masked Mose turned to fivd himself confronted by Roaring Ruth, a pair of cocked revolvers in her grip. At the same instant a great wave rushed in at os door, raising the water in the room to their elts. ‘Quick! quick! To the stairway, or die here,” the girl shrieked, frantically. The ruffian obeyed, she close at bis heels, They mounted the stairs, but bad barely reached the upper landing, when the great building tumbled, as from the jar of an earth- quake, A look of terror mantled the features of Masked Mose, and Ruth’s face was very pale. ‘‘Quick!” she gritted. ‘“ Not a moment is te be lost. The shebang will swing off her founda- tion in a moment. Unlock the docrs you locked !* ‘‘ Curse you, no /” ‘Obey me, or I'll kill you where you stand.” the stairs, and id Karl]’s room, 900Ks.cor