Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 42 — page 9: what you’re looking at

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

known there. Chicago and Cincinnati, even, have entered into competition in the race for the rewards set upon my head. No, I shall remain in the West and fight it out on this line to the end. I see that counterfeits are being shoved on the market—that is, sham Deadwood Dicks. We have one here in Eureka—the same individual who rode into the Man- Trap saloon last night, and afterward fired the town. I wish to meet this chap, and learn where — obtained the right to use my copyrighted han- e!’’ ‘Then you say that was not you?” ‘*Swear to it, if necessary. Saw part of the fire from a distance. Was in the saloon at the same time this Deadwood Dick entered.”’ “* Ha! then — were, after all, Red-Hot Harris?” the sheriff exclaimed, shrewdly. The road-prince laughed. ‘Bah! Red-Hot Harris claims to be my brother, but he is not. I do not possess one of those branches . of relation. He looks so much like me, that he has to manufacture some yarn to prevent a strung up in my place. My wife’s brother p in his t resemblance to wood, you may have checks thus, on account of a me. As it happened in De heard of it?” “Yes, at the time. Resemblance to a criminal I should say would be undesirable. And, now, about this Cambre! You know him, eh?” ‘“Oughtto. He was a lieutenant in my road-agent band, before I left them.” “Ah! that is good. Doyou think you would know him, at sight?’’ Certainly. I owe him a grudge, and shall not for- get him. You want him in connection with this massacre affair, eh?” ‘* Yes." Then the sheriff showed him the paper, and related what he knew on the subject of the attack and murder. ‘“Cambre and Graylford’s son were undoubtedly in the plot,’’ Dick said, after listening attentively. ee is sly and wary, yet I know him to bea iain. You have proof enough to him. Fol- low up — clew, after the description ve given you, and let me know the result.” When will I see you again?” possible to aay as my movements are un- certain. A letter left.on this rock, however, will reach me. This is Deadwood Dick’s fice!” Then, after a few more words and a cordial hand- ity therauich, weal steeply om toward Migeeica, e and tramping o Ww. which lay some six miles below. Startling and crushing was the intelligence the note brought to poor Leone Harris—that the only man she had thought her friend, was in reality an enemy. And it was his intention to attempt the kid- napping of her babe, that the innocent thing might be delivered into the hands of this Deadwood Dick No. 2. Who was this Deadwood Dick No. 2? bah did he wish to obtain . ion of her child? these questions flashed across her mind with light- ning rapidity, when Noisy Nell finished reading the strange missive. **Oh! Nellie!’ the poor yo wife exclaimed, tears cou down. her pale ch What shall I do? Where I go? t does it all mean?” “Tt means there is more deviltry afloat than we have imagined. I did not like the looks of that Carlos Cambre. He is a villain,’ replied the girl. ‘*Ah! itseems so, but I never thought him other than afriend, before. But now that It of it, he has several times said thi to me that were un- warranted and ungentlemanly. Ah! since the death of my. brother, the world has tried to deal me a blow. Nellie, do you know what I begin to believe? —though God. knows the suspicion may be an unjust one.”’ - No, sweet sister. What?"’ that my husband hates me, and Se away with the c and then with myself, he inten f himself of m bonds, so t will to free again be at liberty to woo and win!’ —— you do not think him so base as this, Mrs. arris +9 ‘Maybe I am very wrong, but else these things can be. I enemy who could wish to child.” I cannot see how know of no earthly harm me through my “Ah! you are greatly at fault, my dear. Dead- wood Dick is no such a villain, a well satisfied, from what little I saw of him. Perhaps this Dick No. 2 is some one who has a against Dick No. 1, and takes the method of st at him through you.”’ * Ah! you are an angel,”’ Leone said, la Nellie, Master Dick upon the bed, and embracing her nd. ‘You can see things in’# truer light than T Of course my Dick is no such villain, and I have deeply wronged him by my unjust een. But, whee shallldo? Itisn ; that I should find another lace, as I will no longer safe here. M r ba- fo Dick! Can it be that your young life be be- set with and be forever hunted like that of your fearless father? Oh! heaven forbid! In the eee I will take you to the Big Bonanza Min where e a syemenohe | is ae _— = will protect you. e e ess, but many unseen dan- gers mag ht } be in our path. Daylight will answer So they remained up through the long night, watch- ing for he first streak of | ht in the eastern sky heralding the approach of dawn. Morning came at last, cloudy and dull, with a pros- = t of along drizzling rain, e au Soike b ng such as Nell was the owner of a couple of saddle-horses, and mounted upon these, the two girls rode through The Phantom Miner, 9 the town, and up the gulch in the direction of Dead- wood Dick’s Bonanza, Nothing was seen of Carlos Cambre, and a hope entered ne’s heart that she would yet escape him. Once under the protection of Old Av che, she felt that she would be safe. But alas! how sudden hopes may be blasted, and their fruit destroyed. They were yet a quarter of a mile from the en- trance to the mine, when, on looking back, they be- held Cambre coming furiously on in pursuit, his animal covered with flecks of foam. He was not to be defeated! CHAPTER X. A FEMALE DETECTIVE—INVASION. THatT night poet Mae flight of Leone and Nelly from Eureka, found the cada saloon filled to overflowing, both with miners and men-about town, together with the new-comers fetched in by the evening stage. Almost every type of character, from the negro, all through the. various imported for- eign races, down to the plain-faced Yankee, was represented within the crowded whisky den; men who, for long years, had dabbled in crime, were here, as were new nners in the bloody field of action. A study of the rough-bearded faces, some kindly of expression while others were peerice and villainous, would have revealed a t deal in the history of human nature. Could all those faces have had their tale written out in plain lish, such startling events might be brought to light as “Dinving gan bling. figh ing and ral carousal nking, gambling, t and general caro were, as usual, the order of the evening, in which all hands were goes forced to ooo dengea ea or ‘‘ante out.”’ And then, like meron pe hat unlucky individual who refused to share the “fun,” would be followed and mauled by the drunken crowd. This is how they do things in “ brown style " in the lively little unmapped city of Eureka. No man is too good to fight there—none need be too pious to absorb moisture at fifty cents a drink, or swear a streak as long as a search-warrant. The one church of Eureka had boasted of but one minister, who preached to a co tion of four or five “religto " with a pair of cocked re- volvers by the side of Bible on the pulpit desk. But he had, ere long, ti and flown other fields, where his effo we hope, were more fully ae ee eadwood Dick was among those within the room which constituted the saloon, but he was in deep disguise as a rough miner. He had a desire to see the wife of Carlos Cambre, whom it will be remem- bered, he encountered on the first night of his ar- rival in Deadwood. He knew she would aid him materially in discovering Cambre himself, if he were in hiding or disguise. He spied the petite little about and serving drinks to the thirsty patrons o the establishment. Pretty of face, he inwardly pro- nounced it a pity to see her spen her life in such aden as this, where oaths and indecent language were the order of the hour. It was some time before she passed where he was lounging at a table, and he had a chance to hail her. *“What is it?’ she demanded, coming up with a number of beer glasses upon her ape OF ‘Bring me a of light wine; one for your- self. I wish to with you a while.” ““Who are you?’ she questioned, looking him over, suspiciously. ‘“‘ What do you want of me?” ‘You will learn in time. Fear not, for Iam Dead- wood Dick!”’ She _s a nervous start, as if the intelligence sur- prised her; then nodded her head and went away. It was full an hour, and. Dick was Goring pa- tient, when she reappeared, brir e wine. ‘Indeed! have you come at You must im- agine a fellow’s appetite is not strong!"’ he said. “It is probably not stronger than that of these thirsty brutes around us,’’ was the reply. ‘I knew at men news more than beverage, so I let you wait.” ‘“* And have you news that will interest me?” ‘*T just have. I have a story—or part of one—to tell you. But, first, what do you want to know?— what brought you here?” “ Curiosity—longing for adventure—want of news,” he replied, with a smile from his jetty-black orbs. nee is your so-called husband—Carlos Cam- ere long, flit “About town somewhere, plo mischief, as pry Went up the gulch to-day, r Noisy Nell an ne—’ ‘What!’ Deadwood Dick exclaimed, starting vio- len: “*Leone, you say—surely not my Leone—my e “Yes, your wife, Mr. Harris. She is here; has been here for a couple of weeks. Cambre has gota lot afoot to steal her babe, and deliver it up to this Deadwood Dick No. 2, whoever that may be. I warned her, and saw her and Nell Brandon ride u toward Bonanza Basin. Cambre followed, and would have done likewise, only that my attention was called to matters here.” * And you do not know what became of them, ‘“‘No, but I think they were far enough ahead to reach the Bonanza before he overtook them.”’ “T hope so. He is a worse villain than I ever be- fore took him to be. He was concerned in this Gayl- ge tee +A ae abt * ‘He was the instigator of it!’ Martha re- plied. “I know all about it. He and Graylford’s son ae in the plot +o ety ou seem p well posted upon every- thing. How do you know so much?” a : “Tt improve my spare time in shadowing m faithless: husband. and i into his secrets. find that there is a plot on the tapis, in which you are concerned. cannot give you the full ic now—not till I learn more. It ap hat this Fordyce Graylford has a wife and son 1iving by a first marriage. He deserted his first wife—or she deserted him, it is hard to tell —and wedded again. Now this first wife uP» and as soon as she can produce her son-heir, whom she has traced here to Eureka, she intends to me claim to the tke stage rather, intended to. But, something happened which will for a time check her progress. Camhre entered into her service a few weeks ago, and has, while os her trace up this missing heir, learned the whole story, and stolen all her papers—marriage certifi- cate, birth-paper, and so forth—with the intention of taking the e into his own hands.” ‘“But what has all this to do with me?’’ Dick de- manded, wonderingly. *“* You are the jirsi and pe lawful son of Cathie and nib be Graylford /” replied Martha, in a low tone, that her words might not be overheard. “Git out! what are you t to give us now? My parents are long since in their grave, for which I am_grateful to that they may not know the level, to which their son has sunk,” Dick re- “‘T have reason to think that you never knew your true parents, sir, but cannot at present give ou any further information. Cambre holds the yur card in the possession of those papers, and I shall try to get them from him. He eves ‘you to be the heir, and will probably try to negotiate with you, when you meet. But, don’t aie him. Leave the matter to me, and all will yet come out right. See here; and turning her to the opened the om of her dress. ck caught of a gleaming silver e caused him to stant ** You are a— **Detective,”’ finished she, with a peculiar little laugh. ‘‘ You probably wonder how I came in pos- session of this bad My father was one of the shrewdest and most successful detectives on the border, and on his death, the honor of an appoint- ment was conferred upon me, because I on several occasions materially aided him in capturing rogues. Thus I have the power to aid justice, even though but a woman. In my vocation here, I have chances to detect villainy, quite often.” ‘“‘Doubtless. But this is all -- surprise to me, and I am naturally interested. I must now go and look after coy e, Leone, for should harm befall her, I co never forgive myself. I trust this matter in your hands, and when you learn anything, and to, communicate, give a letter to She Murrill, and he will dropit fi Deadwood Dick’s post-office.’ Then the young outlaw stalked toward the door of the saloon, looking strange in his rough dirty i But he was des- escape, unn Calif ornian, who had got i mind, b hell a than was good for his © stepped forward, and intercepted him, grin widening his flabby, stubbly countenance. y ns a Hy —— pitching forward Tyco a drunken leer, and extending ro hand, “howdy do, Mr. J oaquin Murieta. ‘How a thataee did ever find yer way down here? Remember ime I b’longed wi’ eae Salibuster the suit, and b red beard. ned Sot to gn Rok A brawn f the great water-melon o’ Quin He did not have time to the remainder of his information, for Deadwood Dick age him quick- — and made a leap for the door, just in eg, escape a bullet from the revolver of Old He had evidently been and the Cali- fornian used as a delay- and trap. But this failed, for when the crowd swarmed out of the saloon Deadwood Dick was nowhere in sight. ““Oh! heaven, we are lost!"’ Leone exclaimed, as she beheld Cambre sp madly toward them. “Ah! my r baby boy, your battle against the pei has Mndeed begun! How, oh! ey will it en 7 “Do not despair, dear sister,”’ replied Noisy Nell, ‘“*for there is nothing to fear, for you. Ride on, un- til you reach the entrance the mine. You will not go amiss, for the sign ‘“‘ Deadwood Dick’s Bonan- ; ** will guile ee the —— Ride — essly through, an basin, ‘ond, you w find Old Av che.” “And you, Nelly—?” “T will meet this villain, and turn him back. There! there! don’t cry; I'mnot afraid of him. I can shoot straighter than he, and ‘ll show him the style of girls Ei hea abs a. Go onnow, and trust in 4 he'll not desert you.”’ Saying a she a os. her toed, and whines him around facing the coming man, w 1oone pushed desperately on toward the Bonanza es. Had she not been incumbered with her child, she would not have hesitated to have faced Cambre her- self. - Noisy Nell waited with cool composure for the out- law to come up, one of her fair hands ing the bridle reins, and. the other & small sitseatated re- volver, which covered Cambre’s approach. She had spent nearly all her lite amid scenes of peril and excitement, and had grown to take things Seong Bm indifferently. Few were there that knew a ng mi Pg came to ag her or it r anger, for she sent her bullets true, every ti and had laid out more ruffians than any chhar femenie in the rushing little city. Some had attempted to 0)(0\(0) €om (c “Ss (E(0)