Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 42 — page 6: what you’re looking at

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

6 Beadle’s HalfDime Library. its proprietor a late Confederate, and probab chibvaitie the name as one appropriate to his enth mients. Reraign to this hotel, which was perhaps a quarter of a mile from the Man-Trap, went Carlos Cambre, a waiter showing him to a commonly-furnished room on the second floor. The only occupant of this apartment was a woman of some five-and-forty years—a woman on whom time had left marks, for her features were wrinkled and pinched, and her hair threaded with gray. Her eyes, however, still retained their fire of youth— were rather sinister of expression, inasmuch as they could at times become fascinating in their glances. Her attire was simple, yet neat, and upon her mar- riage finger a solitaire diamond ring was worn that in its day had costa e sum, the pattern showing it “4 apy been of = ent manufacture—probably a c of past erations. The Woman looked up from some sewing at which she was engaged as bre entered, nodding me- chanically to a chair opposite her. ** You are back, I see,”’ she said, as if the effort to converse was nful, “I suppose you bring the same old story?” ‘No, Cathie,’’ the ex-lieutenant replied, “‘ Ido not. I to-day called upon Fordyce Graylford, and broke the ice. But Ifear that your claim won't pass mus- ter. The old rascal claims that it is outlawed, it be- ing twenty eons since you left his bed and board,”’ Ah! so he will defy me, eh?’ and Cathie com- eee her lips, tightly. “Well, we will see about He cannot dispute my son’s right to the estate, even if 7am outlawed. Please touch the bell on the table, there, Mr. Cambre!”’ Cambre obeyed, and a moment later an elderly tleman step into the room, hat and cane in and. he evidently coming from an adjoining apart- ment. “Ah! did you summon me, madame?” he asked, bowing low. ‘‘ What service can I do you, pray?’ **T wish to ask you, Mr. Bolton, if I am out: lawed from claim upon the Graylford property—that is, really outlawed by time? As a lawyer, your opinion ought to be decisive on that subject.” ‘““Ahem! yes. Well, my dear madame, I am in- clined to the belief that your claim is indeed out- lawed, on account of se greet number of years that have passed since you the shelter of your hus- band’s roof.” ‘Oh! then are all my hopes and tions to be crushed?” the woman moaned, b her face in her hands and burs into tears. ‘I believed after I found that my truant husband was here I could make him own me, or I and my boy could come in for the it a after death.” **“Oh! I wouldn’t be disco yet, madame. Your son’s claim will hold all the PESDERNY if you can but find him, unless the old gent has te will. I don’t know how the case would be, then; I would have to gO to Boise City to consult the Terri- torial tes. statu “That son will not be easy to find, I think,” said Cambre, drumming upon the table. ‘Of course I know nothing about who he is, but I have a saspicio derived from a word Cathie let drop when I first me her in Deadwood.” “Ah! so you have a suspicion, eh?” the woman ght at him until he was forced to aror Eis gees, a flush of ie mounting his cheek. eer | eve you are p a double game, here, Carlos Cambre.”’ ‘Oh! you do, eh?’ he Si eng. a meaning glitter in his eyes. ‘“ Well, think what yon please. I don’t ota. You proposed crave — employment one that I should tender my assistance on account of my knowledge of the country, belie I might be a iy 2 tool. But a tool usually executes m nism, and, in procuring of all your papers, I have pro- vided myself for the hour when my services would be no longer needed!”’ As he thus spoke, the face of the scheming villain was lit up by s smile of triumph, which exposed his gross nature. “What? What is this you say? demanded the woman, Cathie, sp to her feet, excitedly, while Lawyer Bolton followed her Seastnie—* you possess Topies of my papers, Carlos Cambre?” Exactly, madam! I saw a big game at stake, when I dntatel your service. I saw that J had the matter all in my own hands, I stole your papers and ) them!” “Ah! but we have the Is still!’ cried Bol- ton, gleefully, “‘and our mony will overbalance yours—you an ex-outlaw. Ha! ha! take cour- , madam; we still bid fair to come in on the home- ** But ruled out of time,” replied Cambre, with a sneering laugh, ‘‘ Oh! it’s all right, my friends—on side. It Ican put my rs on the right party. ‘and make him heir, of course leaving you out the cold, unless you will handsomely to be in- terested, Ihave my e originals, also—’’ ** You lie/’’ cried thie, fiercely. **Oh! no, I don’t; look and be sure of your point before hae show your hand!”’ A look of horror overspreading her features, and with falte footsteps, Cathie went to a desk, in one corner of the apartment; and unlocked a wer. oe one” she gasped, reeling back, as if she had struck a heavy blow. “Gone?” echoed Bolton, the lawyer, spri for- ward to ascertain the truth of madame’s statement. “Gone!” assented Cambre, with a me Sa laugh, *“*and I have got them—put away for safe keeping. My dear madam, and worthy limb of the law, allow ame to bid Fon a pleasant S000 eat And he wed himself out of the room, with a tri- umphant smile op his lips, leaving the two astonish- ed victims of his villainy to their bitterest reflections, while he made his way down-stairs and out into the gulch street. It must have been fully an hour, after the departure of the terrible Phantom Miner, that Old Avalanche spent in the mine tunnel, unable to move or from the effect of the combined scare, defiance an robbery, before he felt a return of his stunned senses and the blood once more coursed through his veins. From some incomprehensible cause he had stiffen- ed where he sat, but soon was able to move his hands and feet, after Mf roe violent exercise of those limbs he found once more himself n. dence occupied the same position she had be- fore the spell, and was sleeping complacently with one eye open, while Florence Cordelia was brows- s gad at some brush she had dragged into the unne “Great ham-bone thet afflicted old Joner,’’ the old man gasped, when he found that his power of speech was returning. ‘‘Rushes thet bull-dozed old Moses! am I or am I not am I, as the lads say? An’ whar am I? Be TI ther dreaded devastater o’ the peraries? Aire I ther t eppydemic 0’ ex- tarmination—ther terrific Injun fizsic Or aire la phantom—a ghost—a hog-gobblin’ or discomboweled speerit, frum ther immortal shades uv Tinctarrius?”’ He’ peered around, ——— still to behold his hantom foe, but to his unbounded relief, only blank arkness hovered around, “The dasted critter’s vamoosed, sure’s thar’s fun in a jack-mule’s hind foot. An’, by thunderation! my gold’s gone! Fact, by ous! Here I’ve bin made a h Cee old galoot by some infernal power, a Tag y skinned uv my a’riferous by a hog- go +? The old scout was sorely puzzled for once in his ven- turesome life. He knew 2 Bris uae “ beg h ery an n made a help- Saat Sittin ad atin: Fobbea ae nih won. Then his mind reverted to the fact that he had discharg- ed seven shots at the ghostly apparition, and what human mortal could stand up under such a fire, and every bullet sent unerringly! Ah! here was a mystery of mysteries! Turning Prudence about, the Annihilator rode slowly back into Bonanza in, and down across the slope to where a camp-fire burned upon the edge of the creek, He was resolved to say not con- cerning his encounter with the Phantom, ¥e . He would let t work their own way, and keep a vigilant watch in the future, trus to his own ty to unravel the mystery of the tom. ortunately, he had none of the others’ gold but his own with ‘him, and no one need know anything about his loss. Indeed, it would be death to the interests of the mine to alarm the superstitious a sg as they would no doubt instantly quit the claim. i He found — ng — =, lounging ee * the re, smo and telling yarns, Keno and Little Alt being without rivals whet, Avalanche was absent. But when he rode into camp on his sorry-looking imen of a horse, followed by the ugly, sneakish-appearing billy-goat, a shout went up. “‘Hurra! here’s the great eppydemic o’ Injun fiz- zic!” cried Little Alf, with a rty laugh. He had finished. the latter of his ee to Eureka in company with wood Dick; later had en- valanche’s employ in -~ Now, tumble .off, Annihilator, and spin us an old } yarn, for you’re the boss on lyin’, ef bh seh: was a boss. You ’n’ old Whiffles orter been hed tergether like the Siamese twins, Nick Whiffles was a good shot, by the way, I seen him scrape a rosy blush frum a gal’s cheek, onc’t, quicker’n ye say Knickerbocker.” “* Jess so,” Avalanche observed, sitting sidewise on Prudence’s back; “‘ reminds me uv a time when ther great Annihilation war up in Nevada, scoutin’ eround, One night I hed a , an’ I dreampt thet I war lookin’ inter my darter’s room, in Ebbit House at Washington. I thort I see’d a big muskeeter crawling upon ther fair face on ther piers it made my blood bile ter see ther cuss ickin’ his chops in contemplation uv a gory feast; I drew my revolver, an’ tuk aim, bound thet et shed be blood fer blood; I pulled: ther trigger, there was an orful report, accump'nied by terrific screams, an’, gentlemen, I bein’ in Nevada an’ that gal in Washingto what d’ye suppose? w'at d’ye s"pect war the tr” You hit the musketeer, eh?’’ from Alf. “No, he hit the !” declared Keno. “No, I didn't, ees. Great hambone! In m sleep I'd pulled a six-shooter, an’ pinned Florence's tail, hayr, ter a cottonwood , Jest as nice as ye please. Ther hole’s thar yet, ef ye wish to make an examination.”’ “Pshaw! thet’s nothin’, averred Keno, laying aside his . “T once see’d a feller lay a field-glass on top 0” his rifle, an’ shoot clean from Galveston ter London and knock a fly offin the nose o’ Queen Vic- to ae oF pass,”’ cried Little Alf. “*T guess it remains fer me ter order ‘em up, next time we go to ’Reka,” added Avalanche, dismount- ing, with a smile, ‘tho’, gentlemen, I hev beat even thet. I once sent a bullet across ther peraries after a man as owed me ten cents he'd borrowed fer a drink, an’ ther et went so fast and at so much friction, thet et set ther bull tro afire, an’ ther fire heated ther bullet an’ it red-hot, an’ therrays frum it set fire ter thet feller’s clothes, an’ he was a cremated corpuss before he’d got any- where’s near ter ther bullet, or ther bullet got anywhere’s ter him, and— : ther. “Hold on! we pass,” cried both Keno and Alf, de- precatingly. The Annihilator unbridled Prudence, and let her free to graze, while he sat down upon a log, and lit his pipe. “Avalanche,” said Alf, exc ig glances with er!” the others, ‘‘ we’ve seen the Phantom *“Eh? You see’d the Phantom Miner?’ ** Yes, or what we supposed to be his ghostship—a white floating thing in mid-air, sailin’ about as ef there was fun in scarin’ folks out o’ their wits.” ‘‘And by heaven! there comes the infernal thing again!’’ yelled Keno, sp to his feet. san pparition reas slowly and gracfully floating g y ap, was y a y ng th h the air, surrounded by a Saystorious halo of light ‘at was far above them and only dimly visible against the inky-black heavens, with no motive pow- er visible. Was it a spirit of the air? Could it be that Bonanza Basin was really haunted by supernat- ural beings? The thought was horrifying! But 3 res me :-- Avalanche warned the group 0 eir danger. apparit hantom, or w , was coming swiftly ddamsars? s CHAPTER VIL A BLOW STRUCK IN FIRE—WHICH OF TWO. Tue words that rung through the Man- saloon were uttered by a strange horseman who had ridden boldly in through the open door, and with a cocked revolver covered the crowd of miners and ruffianly characters, who pressed forward against the bar upon which Red-Hot Harris stood so sen me S e words also caused Old Roxly to lower his aim upon Red-Hot, and wheel partly around, uttering a curse as he beheld the rider. Was he wrong? Was this black-clad, masked youth on the horse t genuine Deadwood Dick? Ah! what doubt could there be of it? It was the same outfit he had worn in Deadwood, or one a very exact counterpart of it; the same handsome figure, and graceful ease in the saddle. But the two revolvers held in the leveled hand caused the crowd to shrink back with a murmur o fear. Roxly stood fora moment in speechless dis- may. Ves, I am Deadwood Dick!” repeated the same ringing voice—‘‘ the so-called road-agent, on whom the world lavishes such a wealth of pure, undefiled af- fection,” with a bitter, sarcastic laugh. ‘I tried to reform, but you would not let me, Your work be co your own heads; this time it is fire—the next be blood!” Sternly came these words; then, at a le word, the powerful black horse wheeled and bounded from the saloon, bearing away its dare-devil rider into the gloom of the starless night. ‘*Ten.thousand devils! Quick! after him; a thou- sand dollars for a horse!’ yelled Old Roxly, spring- ing after him in oo re with the excited habitues of the Man-Trap at his heels. “Stop him! A thousand dollars reward for Deadwood Dick! Shoot him! A horse! a horse!’’ But Eureka did not possess m available hor- sés, and these, at the time, were browsing some- where within ten miles of where they were wanted. So that Deadwood Dick was free to thunder away up the gulch on his charger, unpursued, while the mighty walls of mountain rock echoed back his wild h mockingly. With terrible rage Roxly realized that he was again a subject of defeat. Among those who escaped from the saloon in the rush, was. Red-Hot Harris, the boss poker play He slipped away unnoticed and hurried off into the darkness, taking the course toward the Deadwood Dick Bonanza, a puzzled expression upon his hand- some, fee eee face, and astrange gleam in his black, etic eye. “Tt is tine for me to be elsewhere!”’ he muttered striking a match and g at his diamond-se gold watch. “Lieft the old galoot at eight; it is now pear feo and time I was back. That road- pont chap ckily freed me from what promised to be a recarious situation. be him! I guess ‘ll be all right in the future. Ha! a fire, by all that’s holy!" We had now reached the upper end of the town, when chancing to look back, he perceived that sev- eral tents one e shanty were in flames, near the other end of the town, at the end of Eureka Seren =e lis of anger, borne on the evenin reeze, proclaimed that the citizens of Eureka h h d ye ered the fires. Men, womren and children were ndings frantically in the direction of the flami buil , the light of which lit up the heavens wit a lurid reflection, “Ha! I remember!’ Red-Hot muttered, passing his hand over his brow. ‘“ Deadwood Dick said blow would be fire, and yonder’s the blow! The next will be blood! Ha! ha! ha! but look; yonder are flames creeping up two cabins at this end of town! And now men are coming this way, which makes it necessary for an individual of about my size to va- moose!” : He rie as fire eal < ror er: then urried up the lon a brisk Deadwood Dick had made a threat of fire; now he was executing it. Unknown inveniaries were applying the torch to the dry crisp shan without being seen, and the heavens were growing lighter each and every min- ute. Men, women and children were rushing about in confusion; every heart was filled with indignation and fear; consternation and anger were the prevail- i Bet contagion thar oa eaten tk fe) on was e -earned homes, te A few puny attempts were JOO €om cS (E