Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 480 — page 3: what you’re looking at

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

Deadwood Dick’s Dust. 3 “¥t’s a lic! et’s a lie!’’ roared the dwarf. ‘Me an’ another feller played keerds for it, an’ I scooped the boodle,”’ ‘*That is very unlikely!’’ French Ferd declared. *“Where did you mine this gold, stranger?”’ * Ata claim that I staked out, over a week ago.”’ *“*The deuce! A hundred ounces o’ dustiu a week? Waall should smile ef thet ain’t great, fer place:, Whar aire ye located, pardner?” and Freneh Ford was the picture of sudder-wrought eagerness. Not less interest had been aroused among the rough patrons, who crowded around, anxious to get the details of where the new find was located, for ic was no secret tnat Satan’s Snap was not payiug any fortunes to its laborers, They needed but the news of a new strike, to pull up stakes and 1nake a stampede. As for Deadwood Dick, he took time to strikea match on his heel, and light a cigar, before he made auswer to French Ferd’s inquiry. “*T am not inclined to give out the whereabouts of my claim, as long as I can help it, for it is my indi- vidual property, by right of staking, and if it con- tinues to pa for the working, I shall secure legal rights to it, from the Government,” **Indeed! I don’t know ’bout that. ‘’Tain’t fair to play hog about such matters. A feller might want too much of a ere thing, an’ keep other fel- fers what are as good as him, on ther verge o’ star- vation. Thet ain’t square, nohow, is it boyees?”’ ‘*No! no!” assented a chorus. “Ef ther feller hes struck et rich, he orter tell us where it is.”’ ‘*You are very much in the wrong, Findings is keepings, so far as gold-mines are concerned, and I intend to keep my claim. When I am done with ris - don’t care how many invaders come!’”’ Dick cried, **You won’t tell us, then?*’ French Ferd demand- ed, viciously. ** No, sir, [ will not!’’ A A ara I presume there’s a way of making you 8 ‘*None that Tam aware of. As for forcing me to tell, that is a thing entirely out of the question. If you receive information from this wretch ’’—indi- eating the dwarf—‘ I’ll put a bullet through him for te eo If you succeed in finding my claim in any other manner, all I ask of you is to keep off of it, I’ve no objections to your staking off as much land as you choose adjacent to my lot, but I warn you not to attempt to take a shovelful of dirt off my ocate, ** And you’ve got the sublime nerve to believe that J—or any ofthe boys, for that matter—would heed your bombastic order?” ** You would consult your interests best by doing 80, I assure you.”’ ‘**Bah! you are a consummate puppy!” * You are not man enough to back it.’’ ** What?” * You heard the gentle murmur of my bazzoo!”’ an You think I am afraid of a young banty like 9 eas do,” With a savage snarl French “Ferd quickly ad- vanced and aimed a fearful blow full at Deadwood Dick’s head, It did not hit its mark, however, but, instead, Dick’s fist made an pe cin and caught Ferd with sufficient force upon the side of the neck to send him spinning back against the bar, Recovering himself quickly, the ruffian, who was considerably taller and broader than the sport, made @ second lunge, aloe Dick did not move a peg, but at precisely the proper moment, both his knotted fists shot cut like owitzer shots, His right blow struck French Ferd full between the eyes, and the left in the pit of the stomach, both of which served to knock the proprietor of the Black Flag in a promiscuous heap on the floor, from which he made no attempt to rise, ‘* At him, boys!’ he groaned, ‘* Ef one can’t lick him a dozen 0’ you can!”’ elled, his mind made up ave to fight his way out, ** Yes! come on!’ Dick to the fact that he would for he saw nothing now of Calamity. “Pitch in, and see how many 0’ you cusses I can knock out!” Some half a dozen roughs leaped forward, Purty Pete among the rest. The others appeared to bold back, as if to see how the first brigade got treated, With his nerves drawn to their utmost tension, Dick squared off, and when the onslaught came, his fists played through the air fast and fierce, With half a dozen knotted fists aiming heavy blows at himit seemed impossible that he could stand before the odds more than half a minute. Yet he did so, and one by one the men tumbled to the floor beneaih his terrific strokes, then, when the last one had dropped, he whipped a pair of revolvers from his belt and leveled them at the crowd, “Back!” he cried. ‘* The first an who tray to prevent my departure, dies!” and, keeping the audience covered, he backed toward the door, opened it, and leaped out into the night, foliowed by a rouree of bullets and the vengeful yells of the crowd, Running down the main street, toward the end of — camp, he reached the spot where he had tied his orse, ‘Quick! into the saddle, and off we go!’’ she cried, “*This seems like old times, eh?”’ “T should smile. How’s the camp fixed for horses?” ; “Pretty solid. I borrowed this from among & eee then give th spurs. We must get out of h en give the spurs, e must out of here, for there will be the dickens to pay after this.” And away they dashed, at a swift gallop, up the “~ “a .: ee ———— ee eel er gulch, which ran between two pine-studded, tower- ng mountains. . he night was oppressively hot, there being but little breeze stirring, and which seemed to blow down from some burning volcano. Both Dick's horse and that of Calamity Jane were animals of good speed and endurance, and they tore over the ground rapidly. *. here was a bright moon, and before the fugitives vere out of sight of the mining camp they were ©le to discover that pursuit had already been start- ed by at least a dozen horsrmen, The moonlight glistened upon the pursuers, show- ing that they were armed. ‘*Let ’em come!’ Dick said, with a wild laugh. ** We'll show ’em our heels, till our horses play out, andif I mistake not, by that time they will have lost track of us.”’ 4 How far away is your new find?” Calamity asked. **Oh! about ten miles, but not easy to find. If that dwarf don’t give it away, the Snappers will have one good time finding my new city, Lovely Layout)” ‘*TIg that what you have named it?” Yes” ‘‘Tlike the name, But, may be things wen’t turn out so lovely. How did you come to find it?’ ‘‘T was working northward, on horseback, ulti- mately intending to join you, when, one day, I found in a lonely gorge, a beautiful hand and wrist, which had once belonged to a young lady, but, now, mar- bie-like and perfect as if it had become petrified. To the wrist was attached a silver, strong-linked chain, two feet long, one end being tightly secured to the wrist by the linkshbaving become imbedded in the flesh, while the other end was pinned to a tree by a stiletto! “The discovery was in a locality miles from hu- man habitation, and the strange mystery, impressed meso much that I took the hand, chain, and knife along with me. A few nights later, I struck a town, and laid the hand upon atable in myroom, The next morning—” Just at this juncture their horses were seized by the bit, and hurled back upon their haunches, ‘* Whoa! there—be aisy now, an’’f ye can’t be aisy, be’s aisy as ye can! Could yez be afther tellin’a couple av gintleman phere the nixt place is, an’ how many moiles from here, yer Honor?” cried a Celtic voice. CHAPTER III, MORMON BILL’S CAPTIVES. Nor more than fifteen miles north of Satan’s Snap among other towering mountain peaks, was one with a flat top—as level as a floor, and comprising some two or three acres of surface, This peak was much higher than any of its immediate neighbors, and from it a view most grand and awe-inspiring could be had of the surrounding, rugged landscape for miles upon milos—rueged and seantily bered peaks, deep, awful gorges and canyons and abysses —here and there a little lakelet, and many a dash- ing mountain torrent, end cascade, that sparkled brightly in the sunlight. Although the sides of this mountain were very precipitous and rugged, and in places dangerous of ascent, arude trail, scarcely more than a bear path, ran up from the bottom, or rather, from the gulch on the northern and western sides, which formed its base. Singular as it might seem, there was located on the flat top of th's mountain, Over which many an aerial storm tore with unabated fury, a whivie man’s camp. There was but one building, and this, one story in hight, con ering DOSEY half an acre’s area, and mas- sively built of heavy rock, | Tt must indeed be a fierce storm that could move this extensive structure from its foundation, and its log roof was additionally secured by flat rocks and cross-trees, The only windows were round, bucket-sized loop- holes near the roof, and but one doorway formed a mode of entrance, there being nodoor, whatever. It is to this singular aerial resort we would conduct the reader on the morning following the events last narrated, About the plaza, without the stone fortress—for such it really resembled, half a dozen men were moving about, attending to a like number of horses who were browsing upon boughsand grass. that ha been transported to the mountain-top, for feed, The men were engaged in currying and rubbing down the horses, as if preparing them for a journey, and a fine sextette of equines they were. Saddle trappings which lay near at hand, were elaborate and of the Spanish order, The men were able-bodied fellcws, ranging in age from twenty-five to thirty-five years, and were at- tired as mountain rangers, Rifles were stacked near where they were at work, and belts, equipped with revolvers and knives, lay near the saddle in At the entrance to the fortress stood a seventh man, of more grim and forbidding aspect, who was evidently doing guard duty. Let us look within the stone structure, Here we find one large room, with doorways open- pe Pato four smaller ones. the center of the main apartment a fire of pine cones burns, giving warmth to the interior, Seated near this fire were four persons, upon blocks of stone—for there was not a piece of wooden furniture in the place, the tables being constructed of stone slabs, the stools of rock, and the beds being simply bear and wolf-skins, The persons seated around the fire were prisoners and, more than that, evidently were strangers to this part of the country Perhaps most noticeable of the quartette was the eldest person, a woman of some sixty years. , She was of good figure and stately presence, ana had by no means lost aJl the beauty of her younger years. Her face was yet round, matronly and shrewd of pg me and her silvery hair seemed to detract nothing from her imposing appearance, She was attired in a plain and serviceable riding- habit, which, however, was of expensive material, ma wore diamond earrings, and finger-rings of much value, The second one of the party was a young lady of some two-and-twenty years, quite frail of re, and possessed of a doll-baby sort of face, which was preety, after a fashion, but told Peay enough that he owner was not in good health. She, ‘too, was dressed in a rich riding-habit, and wore rich, diamond-set jewelry. Party number three was a handsome young fellow of about seven and twenty, of fine form, with a pre- possessing countenance, blonde hair and mustache, and brilliant eyes. He appeared of an easy-going, indolent disposition and might be either a gentleman of leisure or a devil-may-care adventurer and sport, The fourth rty was a young negro, attired in ees who evidently was the valet of the other ee, These four persons who sat by the fire, had their hands tied behind their backs, and as the guard, with his repeating-rifle, blockaded the entrance to the building, they were virtually prisoners, They were the only occupants of the prison, if such it might be termed, but their anxious glances toward the door evidenced that they were expecting the ar- rival of some one. The morning had not long passed when a man en- tered the fortress and approached the prisoners. He was tall and gracefully proportioned, and handsome, in a way, with his round, dusky face, black eyes, and well-trained mustache of a like hue, He was dressed in the same ranger costume as the men on the plateau, except that his hat was of wider rim, and a fine plush cloak was thrown back over his shoulders, . es belt weapons were of better pattern and nish. ‘** Ladies and gents, at yourservice!”’ he said, as he aused near the fire. ‘*I am considerably surprised o find the fort honored with guests. [ did not learn of your capture until my arrival on the mountain just now. May Iinquire whom I have the honor of mero, “tf am . Beybert, of New York,” the elderly lady spoke up, with a spice of indignation in her tone. “This young lady is my niece, Geraldine Granville, and the young man is my son, Thomas,” ‘*Ah! yes—I see. [Iam most happy to meet you,"’ and the new-comer doffed his hat, graciously, am Lieutenant Lily, of Mormon Bill’s Ran ers, and, as the captain is absent, shall be pleased to act in his place,’ ‘**Do we understand, then. that this is a robbers* stronghold—a thieves’ den?” Mrs. Seybert demande ed, with rising temper. , * You do, in peace!’ the lieutenant said, with the coolest of assurance. ‘ We area reguiarly-organ- ized and orcained band of gentlemen, who it our point to derive a revenue from others who are well able to supply our demands. Our captain, Mormon Bill, is a regular king among the crooked, and when he pe to make a haul, he never comes out short of his mark. Where did our boys over- haul you? And at the same time let me ask who are you—what are you doing in this wild country?” ‘‘We are a party who have been spencing geveral months in seeing the sights in the far West, There were more of us, until about a week ago, when the main body of our party concluded to return East, as they were tired of roughing it. We were then at Cap Clark, and as I was desirous of workin Routh to Maricopas, on the {outhern Pacific Railroad, engaged @ couple of men, who represented them- selves as conversant with the route, to s uide us.” “These men were respectively an Irishman and a Dutchman, were they not?” ‘*They were. But how did youknow?” ‘*Oh! easily enough. Thev’re Mcrmcn Bill’s twe decoy ducks, and good ducks they are,too. You see, Mormon Bill ain’t here at headquarters much but leaves things to me, knowing I’m as honest and trusty as a church contribution-box, So the cap- tain roams around from place to place, kee watch for fat hauls and fat travelers, and soon as he gets ’em sized up he puts Dutchy and Irish ’em, and they run ’em ht into our power, en we relieve ’em of their wealth, and generally let ’em> loose among the mountains,”’ “Terrible!” Miss Granville ventured to announca, looking decidedly shocked. | ‘An outrage, you mean!’ declared Mrs, Seybert. “Thomas, Why don’t you say something to aw- ful Tt hes not dto me that it would d , as not occurred to me tit wo 0 good to say anything!’’ Thomas responded with @ hae bg “ We're in a fix, mammy, and the only thing o do is to get out of it in the best way we can.” ‘*Nonsense! you haven’t the spunk of a m fv. you, Thomas Seybert! If you if , you’d tell this ruffian what you thought of him!” *“And get laughed at for his pains!” Lieutenant Lily assured, with a chuckle. ‘I see, dear madam, that your early wspcpee as on out- laws, has been sadly neglected. You and your companions are prisoners for the time being in ono of the most in rable ouglaw camps in the world, and all your jawing and spluttering will avail you nothing, I e of all your v bles, and when I have received for your Pre- lease, from the captain, you will most be set ; =“GOMIG b 0O