Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 480 — page 2: what you’re looking at

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

| ee sss !??:.:.:.0806..36.... rr hotel and gaming-room combined, well-filled with people, a good majority of whom were the rough and uncouth denizens of the camp, while some others present were passengers from the northerly- bound stage, which laid over night at Satan’s Snap, each trip. The saloon in question was known as the Black Flag, from the fact that, from a siaff attached to the roof, constantly floated a banner of black and piratical appearance, The proprietor of the ‘shebang,’ a brawny indi- vidual of dark and forbidding aspect, who bore the name of French Ferd--altuough it was apparent to the observer that there was little that was French about him—stated when any ey was made of him about the flag, that he had formerly been a sailor wpon the raging main, and had captured the tropby from a piratical vessel. ew who kn-w anything about French Ferd, how- ever, took any stock in this assertion, for the man was a thoroughbred desperado, and the character of the house he kept was of a dangerous if not really a@ murderous order, Rough as were many of the citizens of Satan’s Snap, there were some who would hesitate to break what little honorable record they did have by be- coming a ha vitve of the Black Flag. \With passengers of the mountain stage coach it was different. French Ferd’s was the only public place in the camp, and they kad no choice but to accept of such accommodations as he had to offer, and few who had been cuests orce, would testify that they were either good or indifferent. The meals were wretched, the whisky worse, and the cloth-partitioned rooms small, and boasting of cot beds, only. The saloon part of the establishment, which was a large two-story structure of rough boards, occupied all of the ground floor, except a dining-room and kitchen in the rear, Besides the bar, over which was dispensed the worst fluid lightning in the district, the apartment contained card-tables and chairs, and, as stated be- fore, the night which opens our story finds the place well filled. The stage-coach passengers were easily distin- guished from the regular, rough-cast denizens of the town, as, with a few excepiions, they were ‘‘ tender- feet’? from the East, who had come West with the sanguine hope of ‘striking it rich” to such an ex- tent, as toa tof their returning home in a few short months possessed of enough gold to keep them in princely style for the remainder of their lives, Alas! what a vain hope! Not one in ten thousand comes anywhere near having his expectations realized. The men of Satan’s Snap were not attractive enough, in Agrees Pppeatation, to impress a man favorably; in short, they were, as a rule, a villain- ous-looking lot, and that fact explained wh» the camp had been dubbed Satan’s Snap, for truly his Satanic Majesty had struck a *“‘snap ”’ when he suc- ceeded in congregating such an array of toughs, roughs and hard cases, Accordingly, mo t of thenewly-arrived pa:sengers at the Black Flag held rather aloof from the crowd, not particularly fancying the grim aspect of the denizens of Satan’s Snap. Among the passengers—none of whom had signi- fied an intention of stopping longer than morning in the camp—there were two only of whom we shall discourse in t is narrative, They were, respectively, a young woman and an oldish man, and as the woman was a supreme curi- osity in Satan’s Snap, itebecomes us to mention her t. ‘Yodo that, we need but announce that she was none other than the famous girl sport of Par West- orn fame — dashing, fearless Calamity Jane, who has fi.ured so repeatedly in the Deadwood Dick stories, And she was the same Calamity as of yore—hand- some, dashing, and looking not a day oldrr than when she grew famous with the mining incidents of the Black , Several years before. Her face lost none of its charming vivacity of expression: her eye was just as keen and penetrat- ing; her hair howed in asoft, rippling wave over her shoulders. ) Always odd and independent as to her manner of dress she still maintained her right to male attire, And such a suit! The pants and vest of spotless white duck; the jacket of brown silk velvet, with satin lining, and buttons made of ten-doUar gold pieces; a “bik d” shirt and collar; jaunty white slouch sombrero, rolled up at the left side, and handsome patent-leather top boots upon the sinall shapely feet, Besides, she wore a belt, into which were thrust a handsome pair of self-cocking five-shooters. From the moment of her arrival she had attracted attention, as Satan’s Snap did not boast of a female resident, and many of the miners had not had a glimpse of womankind in a year or more, Calamity’s independent bearing, together with the fact that she went “heeled,” prevented the miners from attempting the familiarity of self-introduction; hence, nothing was left but for the girl sport to in- troduce herself. The second noticeable person of the passengers, was a tall, well-built man, of past forty years, dressed like a minister, and decidedly of ministerial aspect, inasmuch as his face was beardless, and bore a benign look. His garments were of broadcloth, he wore a silk DSi and carried a heavy ebony cane, en Calamity had boarded the stage, thirty miles :rom Satan's Snap, this clerical gentleman was already a nger, with others, from a more eastern Po nt, but he had, at no time during the Deadwood Dick’s Dust. journey, uttered a word, and seeing he made no aris to talk, the other passengers had not disturbed m, So his name was not known until he registered at the Black Flag, when it turned out that he was Mr. Benjamin butterfly, of New York—a name that Calamity at once concluded was fictitious. Calamity was standing near the entrance to the saloon, leaning idly against the wall as she puffed away ata cigarette, and took leisure note of what was going on arou:d her, when her attention was attracted by the entrance of a person of peculiar ap- pearance, He was a dwarf, his stature pele not over half the average hight of man. His body and limbs, however, were something enormous, and a huge head sat almost upon his shoulders, so short was his bull-like neck. : His right arm was done up in a bandagesling, and had evidently sustained a recent injury, In face, this dwarf was. almost repulsive, His countenance was broad and his jaws powerful, the mouth huge, the teeth wolfish, the nose flat, the ears huge, the forehead protruding, with coarse overhanging brows, savage-looking eyes, and hair and stubbly beard of a tow-color, that grew in all . directions. ‘* Hello!’ Calamity mused. “ I wonder what crank asylum it escaped from? Ugh! what a repulsive- looking thing !”’ Her thoughts, unuttered as they were, seemed to be straightway communicated to the dwarf, for he turned quickly around, with a savage growl. “Ugly, am 1?’ he demanded, advancing toward Calamity, with a furious gleam in his eyes. ‘‘ Re- pulsive am 1, darn you! What d'ye mean?”’ “IT did not speak to you, that I'm aware of,” Calamity retorted, coolly. **Oh! didn’t ye?”’ ‘*T did not,” ‘Ye thunk it, just the same, tho’. Ye sed to yourself: ‘Ugh! what a repulsive-looking thing!” ‘*Supposing I dii? You certainly are no great shakes for beauty, that I can see!” ‘* That ain’t none o’ your bizness. Up at Pinos Pass they call me Purty Pete, an’ I ‘lows they know ped ida humbly thar, ef you ignorant monkeys don’t, Now this was a directinsult to the men of Satan’s Snap, who prided themselves on being both sharp and smart; so several of the more belligerent roughs glared at Purty Pete scowlingly. ‘*T don’t know how much the men o’ thiscamp know,” Calamity retorted, “but I do know that you'd better not go to getting too fresh around me, or—’ ‘* Or what?’ Pete demanded, quickly. ‘You'll find out. Go along about your business, or l'lislap your ugly moutk!”’ “You slap my mouth?” - **Yos, I'll slap your mouth.” “* Yuu” rip om oe “You bet! and, taking a quick step forward, Calamity Jane performed the act in the most ap- proved manner, Purty Pete uttered a snarl of rage, as he had to throw up his hand to save him from 5 ata The bystanders applauded, while Mr. Benjamin Butterfly laid one hand upon the dwarf’s shoulder, ‘*Look here, my friend,” he said, calmly; ** you ought to be ashamed of yourself for making yourself obnoxious to a defenseless young lady.”’ ‘* Not a bit of it!’’ Purty Pete roared: ‘I’m a rip- roarin’ scrouger from Los Pinos, an’ I run this hyer country. oO aire you?” ‘‘Tam the Reverend Benjamin Butterfly, of New York, sir, andI would cugeest for you to tame your ways, my friend, lest ill befall you.”” ‘*Me tame my ways—me? hy, durn yer mug, thar’s nary a man ner hoss-breaker livin’ as kin fetch me ter Limerick, I’m Purty Pete, ther dove- eyed duckling frum Devil's Gap—ther prismatic yrimrose 0’ Pinos Pass—ther pukin’ vcleano o’ ther ellerstone, an’ I kin show more fight per inch then airy man in this ‘ere thieves’-nest. Don’t yer believe et?’ ‘* You can show more gab, no doubt!” ‘Yas, an’ more dust, too—more everything! I’m a rip-roarin’ ramcat on ther rampage, an’ 1 ken beat ther world. D’ye see heer?’’—and, stepping to the door, he threwit open. ‘Out thar’s me mule, who carries one hundred ounces 0’ gold-dust what were mined in one week, by one man, not fur frum. yer one hoss camp! ‘“Whoop-la!_ It weren’t Purty Pete as. mined et, tho’—nixee! These ’ere paws 0’ mine weren’t never cut out for menial labor. Ther galoot as mined that gold tho’t he hed asnap, but I pinched ther dust off’m him, an’ heer I am ter bet I kin lick ary galoct in ther camp one-handed! First come, first served. A hundred ounces 0’ pure dust thet sez thet Purty Pete, the pride 0’ Pinos Pass,can knock ther socks off from any two-legged galoot thet breathes ther reap air. Put up yer dust, an’ don’t all speak ter one’t!” And the dwarf glared defiantly and eagerly around, to see if any of the sons of Satan’s Snap were inclined to take him up. But it seemed not; the assemblage eyed the riot- ous stranger in grim silence. ‘*Ho! ho! Sol’m therking heer, aire I? There’s no one in yer ourang-outan camp who durst step up an’ rub ther fuzz on me cheek, is thar?” he roar- . ‘*T’m ther high cockolorum 0’ ther occasion!” ‘* Not while I’m around, my beauty!” cried a ring- ing voice, as a young man of sportive appearance mils across the threshold into the room. ‘If you are really sp’iling for a fight, I’m ther very chap as can accommodate you to a dot!” C Jaze gave a little cry of surprise as her Aes gaze fell upon the new-comer, who was ncne other than her husband, the dashing Western detective prince and ex road-agent, Deadwood Dick—just back from his lively crusade in the Eastern metro- polis—New York, CHAPTER Il. HALTED ON HORSEBACK, THE sudden appearance of Deadwood Dick upon the scene was a source of great surprise and plea- sure to Calamity, for she had not expected him, for a couple of weeks yet, and at a more northera min- Ing COMD hey both saw and recognized each other at the same instant, but refrained from giving open ex- ression to their joy at reunion in the presence of he crowd, for Dick immediately gave his attention to the hideous dwarf, Purty Pete was regarding him with a greenish sort of glitter in his evileyes—taking a close inventory. as it were, of the detective’s vulnerable points. ‘Well, sir, what do you think about it—think you'd like to have ascrap with me?” Dick demand- on ood-naturedly. “If so, begin to put up your gold.’ ‘** Yas, I’d jest as lief pound ther mug off of you as ary other man. Hev you got a thousand dollars?’’ “*T have that same.”’ “Then, I’ll bet my hundred ounces o’ gold, ag’in’ yer thousan’, Is eta go?” ‘*Most assuredly. I suppose you want to fight with pistols, as your right hand appears to be in- jured?” ‘*Nary time! My right hand ain’t no good, but ef I can’t slug ther mug off’n you wi’ me left, tuen I’m no good!” ‘Correct. Tl try to convince you that you are no good. Produce your dust an’ let’s see that it is the genuine article. With an unirtelligible grunt, the dwarf left the Black Flag. - The excitement within the saloon was now waxing warm, for the prospect of a prize-fight was particu- ey exhilarating tothe average citizen of Satan’s nap. : Deadwood Dick was regarded with a good deal of curiosity by the halitues of the saloon, for it Vas easy to see that he was athletic aud wiry, and likely to prove a formidable antagonist. hose who were anxious to witness an out-and-out spies for a given sum, were not destined to ave their desires gratified. Purty Pete came tearing into the saloon, a few minutes later, the picture of furious rage. ** Robbers! *thieves!” he roared. ‘*l’ve been rob- bed an’I demand satisfaction o’ this hyer camp! My hundred ounces o’ gold hey bin stolen from me saddle-bags, an’ 1’ll make this town a graveyard, ef I don’t git’em back. Show me ther cussed galoot w’ot stole my gold, while I cut his weasand!”’ ** How do you know you've been robbed?”’ French Ferd, proprietor of the Black Flag, demanded, push- ing forward. ‘** Who seid you’d been robbed?’ I sed so!—I know et!’ retorted the dwarf ‘I hed one hundred ounces o’ goid in me saddle-bag, when IT entered this yers gee an’ now ei’s gone. Ef IT don’t git back me gold, ‘il send yer durned thievin’ town up in a cloud o’ smoke, surer’n my name is Purty Pete!” “None o’ yer threats around here, I run this burg, nry sawed-off piece o’ bluster, an’ ef there’s beep any thievery goin’ on, it shall be investigated fer we don’t allow no light-finger bizness *roun here. Whar’s yer mule?” ‘** Outside ther door.” ‘‘ And you say ye left a hundred ounces o’ gold in yer saddle-bags?”’ ‘*' You bet yer sweet life!” ‘‘ How did you come to do that? Ye was mighty careless, pears ter me,” ' ‘*T wanted ter size up this hyer shebang ‘fore I fetched etin. Didn’t look like a werry safe place to fetch so much dust inter.” ‘* Curse yer impudence, I’ve a mind ter choke ye fer yer insinywation a ther high character o’ my ait I’m cussed ef I believe you had any gold at a “Nor I!? chimed in Dick, ‘“Yoe’r’ liars! I did have gold!” stoutly asserted ete. The next instant a blow from French Ferd'’s fist laid the dwarf on his back, It did not stun him, however, and he quickly gain ed his feet. “Tl fix ee fer this,’ he roared, furiously. ‘¢Ye'll find rty Pete ain’t no fool ter be robbed and knocked down.” *Shet up, or [ll give et to ye ag’in!” French Ferd declared, gruffly. ‘ You’ve got too much slack ter thrive in this camp,me man. An’, after we in- vestigate this robbery business, about ther best thing you can do is "to get up and mosey to some other carp: Now, then, is there any one in this Roem ,who cnows anything about this chap’s alleged gO **T presume I can throw all the necessary light on that subject, that will be needed!’ Deadwood Dick said, quietly. ‘*The fellow’s gold—or rather my rold—was removed arm the saddle-bag, by my hands!” a * Me i ho!” roared Purty Pete, dancing about, * You noes aida thu , French Ferd; then ar “§ " How is t Y gold 9”? : n, Sir. . eurs “ Beeause I mined it, and c¢ hot it. This rascal robbed sheceen and bp my t pone woe ig arm, ca y my e-shot. ollow e and just chanced to arrive here, in time to overhaul “com , ——