Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 480 — page 6: what you’re looking at

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

G — And such was Big Boots, the ‘todd ’un,” who headed the delegation of miners and citizens who had entered tne Blazing Brand Hotel to wait upon Benjamin butterfly. That Benjamin was not aware of their presence, was quite evident by the way he started at being touched upon the shoulder by Big Boots. A look of surprise, it not concern, swept over his face, as he looked around and beheld the delega- tion. ° ‘* Beg perding, most respected sir /’? Big Boots said, with a sweeping courtesy, ‘“‘ beg parding, s:7. But et becomes me noble self ter arouse ye from a state o’ lethargy ter ther realization o’ ther sublime fact, that we, representative citizens o’ ther city o’ Grogville, hev gathered «n masse before ye.” ‘I so perceive!” Butterfly assen ed, with rather a stiff inclination of his head. ‘‘May I ask why lam thus honored?” “You may, you bet yer boots! an’ et does me.ex- ceeding proud ter rise an’ tell ye. These heer citi- zens represent ther bizness an’ laborin’ interests o’ the camp, an’ as yer may hev heerd, et hev bin de- cided ter elect a mayor ter govern ther destinies o’ this *ere hyer camp. Some o’ ther citizens agrees that French Ferd is ther man fer ther persition, an’ then, ag’in, some don’t So yersee there’s two par- ties, an’ no mayor can’t be ’p’inted. He must be elected, you bet! “Therefore, most honorable sir, this committee 0’ citizens, whom I repersent in ther capacity o’ orator, and many of whom are under grateful obli- gations to you, hev waited on ye ter ask ye ter be- come their nom nee fer mayor, believin’ as they do that ye would fili ther bill, O. K.-rum. We want a man fer mayor who kin run the town wi’out spillin’ any more blood than possible, an’ who will guard ther interests o’the citizens against thievery an’ blackleg rule. We want er man who kin take his whiskey straight, wi’out payin’ fer et out o” ther ople’s pocket, an’ we want er man who spits ter- accer- juice wi’out slobberin’ all over his chin. That’s ther sort o’a double-breasted duckling we want fer mayor o’ Grogville, an’ after sizin’ up yer Sggerhead, we hev come ter the conclusion you aire t the hairpin we want, an’ hev come to tender ye er nomination! Eh! boys—ain’t thot ther cheese?” The delegation signified their assent by the waving ef hats and giving vent to a vigorous *‘ay!” “You bet that’s ther ticket!’ continued Big Boots “‘an’ every man what ain’ta fool will sa? £o. An} now, Mr. Putterfly Benjamin, what’s yer think erbout ther matter?’ Butterfly arose with a stately mien, and that cer- tain stolidity of countenance, which was one of his personal characteristics. ‘*T feel highly honored, gentlemen,” he said, “ at being offered the nomination for office, because I , Bee that the offer is made voluntarily and in a friendly spirit, without consideration of the qualifi- cations or fitness of your choice; yet, at the same time, I regret that you have not selected some one more worthy from your midst. I am simply a so- journer in tnd camp, and must respectfully advise zoe that I can not accept the honor you would hrust upon me, at the same time thanking you sin- cerely for your offer.”’ ‘“What! Great horned ace o’ Honduras! Ye won’t ’cept the nomynation, yer mean ter say?” “No, gentleman, I cannot. While it would be a leasure to me to serve you in an official capacity here are reasons why I could not accept of a local office, a peominers reason being, as I suggested be- fore, that Iam only a temporary sojourner in your camp, and not a permanent citizen, I may be called to other parts of te country at any minute.” “Hang et, what o’ that? Ye kin become our mayor, anyhow, an’ git ther masheen workin’. Then, ef yer bey to pull stakes, we kin hunt up an- ether feller. Ain’t that so, boys?” ** You bet!” declared the committee,in a chorus. *We won't take ‘no’fer an answer, cr any other gech flimsy excuse as that. His butterfly nibs has got ter serve!” “Hurrah! thot'’s ther talk!” yelled Big Boots. “Fer mayor, ther Honorable Benjamin Butterfly. Hip! hip! hooray!” h ringing shout went up. “For mayor, the Right Honorable Ferdinand French—hip! hip! hooray!” yelled some one over at the bar, and a rival yell rung forth. Thus it seemed evident that two parties were formed, and that an election would be necessary. Benjamin Butterfly, who had become seated, again arose, however, and made himself heard. **Gentlemen!” he cried, in ringing tones, ‘‘ I must again refuse to accept of the nom ation, and that most see # would not care to govern this camp, had Ia right to--and that I have not, nor has any other man you or the opposition party might select. For you are all usurping the rights of the man who originally discovered the camp, and who will yet visit trouble upon you. You saw him one month ago at Satan’s Snap, and he cleaned you out and fled. That man, gentlemen, owns this pocket, by richt of having staked it out as a mining claim. I would not, under any consideration, infringe upon ee ag by becoming identified with your camp efmicially. **A month has passed, itis true, and your opera- tions in this pocket have not been interfered with, but that signifies really nothing. I just as much be- lieve that there is trouble in store for you asI be- lieve I stand before you now!” Freneh Ferd stepped quickly forward, a peculiar fleam in his eyes, ‘*On what do you base your brlief?’’ he demand- ed, ‘“*It must be that you arein communication with the individual who claims to own this pocket!” “Nothing of the sort!” Butterfly replied, with NS Deadwood Dick’s Dust. freezing coolness. ‘‘I never saw the man but a couple of timesin my life, and never spoke to him at all. All that I know about him is that he fears no man, and strikes back, invariably, when struck at, and { would rather have his friendship than his en- mity, albeit l am no coward. His name is one, I fancy, that is not unknown to some of the residents of this camp, and the mention of it, no doubt would arouse a general feeling of uneasiness here)’ ‘** What is his name?” French Ferd demanded with a sneer—‘' that is, if it will not be asking too much of you to tell, My. Butterfly!’ **His name is Deadwood Dick!’ Butterfly cried— ‘*a name known from Dakota to New Mexico.”’ A murmur of surprise passed through the crowd that had drawn around, It was evident enough that more than one of the men of Grogville had heard the name, “Ay! and Deadwood Dick has pronounced the doom of this camp !”” aged and distinct, the words rung through the room CHAPTER VI. THE CHAINED HAND, " ae mean time what has become of Deadwood ick Let us look back just one month, and briefly sum- marize the events that transpired after Dick’s cap- ture of the men, Dennis Doyle, and Jakie, his Dutch partner. When the men awoke to find themselves prison- ers, they vented their wrath in such blasphemous terms that Dick was satisfied they were spies, set upon his movements. All questioning and threats, however, failed to make them disavow their claim of being Mrs. Sey- bert’s servants. This by no means convinced Dick or Calamity that their suspicions were not correct, and Dennis and Jakie were accordingly Rene close prisoners, When morning dawned, Dick and Calamity left the cavern, through a secret fissure, and debouched upon a mountain ledge, close to the cascade, from where they could overlook Lovely Layout pocket, without being readily seen. They saw, then, that French Ferd and his handful of men had possession of the pocket, and were mak- ing undoubfed preparations to stay. | In answer to Calamity’s interrogation to what he roposed to do, Dick remained literally mute, and or three long days paced to and froin the cavern, moody :nd uncommunicative, breaking off only oc- casionally to go out upon the ledge, and watch mat- ters in the pocket below. Day by day the evidences grew greater that a town was in process cf incubation; more miners ar- rived, bringing their personal effects with them, and by the third day the stamp.de-invasion was fully under way. During this time, Calamity Jane had done all in her power to keep Dick’s rebellious spirit in check and to temper him down to tho fact that it was next to useless to “kick”’ against the inevitable, But although he listened, it was in silence. His was a spirit that even womanly affection could not *‘down,”’ when he thought he was in the right; and he surely did believe he was rizht in claiming Lovely Layout’s wealth, by right of dis- covery. Yet he loved Calamitv, and by no act or word re- ulsed the tender affection she bestowed upon him, she knew him well—two such spirits as theirs, it may be said, were seldom united—and stood ready to stand by , whose life had been so strangely beset by wrongs and triumphs. The third day, toward evening, Dick had saddled his horse, and prepared for a journey of some days’ duration. ‘*You stay here, until my return,” he said, ‘‘for you hardly can find a safer place.” She did not question his purpose, but, knowing his rallying powers, presumed that he would come back with a dozen or more men as company. But she was mistaken, After an absence of ten days, he returned, alone. He looked excessively fatigued, but would not ad- mit that he was so, With him, on his return, he brought several pieces of wood, which, when put in shape, form.d a com- mon unleafed card-table. This he placed near the fire, and while Calamity repared him a tempting repast of wild game, he ook a half-hour’s observation of Lovely Layout, where building was in rapid progress, When he returned to the cavern, he seemed in sah gs spirits, and partook of the supper with a re- sh. After the meal was done, he walked over to where Dancing D nnis and Limburger Jakie were chafing in confinement. “I’ve been stirring up your history, my fine fel- lows,*’ he said, grimly, ‘and the result is just about as OS tn A fine pair of pills you are, ain’t you?” Dennis remained silent; a drawing of his long jaws showing that he was inclin’d to be aggressive. ‘“Ve vas no pills!’? Jakie ventured to remark. **Vot you hear we don’d care. Der neffer vos so in- nocent beoples vot we be.”’ ‘*Oh! I presume not. Innocence, nowadays, is not what it is cracked up to be. However, I’ve found out who and what youare. You engaged at Camp Clark, to guide one Mrs. Seybert and party, to Maricopas, on the Southeru Pacific Railroad, but, instead, as far as I can learn—and taking your previ- ous reputation into consideration—you guided the aforesaid Mrs. Seybert into the hands of an outlaw gang. By diligent inquiry. I have learned that the only outlaws in this immediate part, are command- ed by one Mormor Bill, and it follows that Mormon Bill has Mrs. Seybert and party in his custody. * As for this Mrs. Seybert, she is not what she is reputed to be, if one may jud e by the fact, that when she and her party left Camp Clark, they for- got to pay their bilis.”’ ** Faith, an’ it’s a divil a bit I know whether she paid her bills or not, an’ less I care’’ Dennis de- clared. ‘Shure we've got nary a cint from her, these two weeks, As fer tha charge yez make against us, yer honor, there’s nary a bit o’ truth in it at all, at all ”’ ‘“‘Oh! well, of course you would say so. I am so well satisfied that you are a pair of toughs, that I shall hold you as prisoners, indefinitely.”’ And with this assuranes, Dick turned away, leay- ing the two to such unpleasant reflections as his words might have aroused, Before returning to the fire, where Calamity was seated, he went first to one side of the eavern, and thrust his hand into a niche in the wall, and from thence drew forth a package, wrapped in brown pores and brought it forward to the table, where e deposited it. Seating himself at the table, he carefully un- wrapped the paper, and there appeared to his view and that of Calamity, the hand of which he had made mention, on the night of their flight from Satan's Snap! sy The hand and wrist were now as white as marble, and as perfect as though the member had just been cut from a human being. It was evidently, a lady’s hand, and the close- linked silver chain around the wrist had become im- bedded in what was once soft flesh, but now was ap- parently stone. ; Even a plain gold ring was attached to the fore- finger, and attached to the end of the chain not wrapped about the wrist, was a handsome stiletto, with silver mountings. The fingers of the hand were all straightened out close together, and were small and shapely, and seemed to prove that the hand had never done much work, Dick laid this singular trophy upon the table, and looked inquiringly at Calamity, as much as to say: “Well, what do you think of it?” ‘Mercy, it isthe petrified hand you started to tell me about, when we met the Irishman and Dutch- man?” “The same. It is the hand that directed me to the discovery of Lovely Layout. Without doubt. it once belonged to a woman, but at present, as you see, it is petrified, and powerless, Despite this fact, it wrote me the secret of Lovely Layout’s location, and directed me to seek and claim the gold in the Pooks. 1 followed the directions—I came, I saw, ut have not yet conquered. But conquer I will be- fore I turn away from this vicinity, as sure as fate. See this!’ He spread out before her, on the table, a rudely sketched map of the mountains in that vicinity, be ginning at a point miles to the southeastward, and elineating the trails, gulches, pockets and water- courses, in a manner that, though rough, was very comprehensive and precise, Lovely Layout pocket was characterized by star. and the two routes leading to it from the big gulch, were traced in heavy lines. At t*e bottom of the map, in a bold feminine style of chirography, was written the following: ‘“Seek the star, and find a fortune waiting. Fight for it, if needs be, but also stand ready to fieht cr the one who pave it to you, when she appeals to yout If you are trcuble, and need counsel, place & iece of paper under my hand, and seek your rest. Ihe morrow snall bring you forth an answer, by fol- lowing which, success will ke er you. But, you must believe in the power of mine hand, and obey its instructions. You will always find it reliable * THE Long Hanp.” Calamity looked over the map, and its message, her face expressing the surprise she fe!t. ‘* How did you come by this map?” she asked. “As strangely as I came by the hand, itself,” Dick replied. ‘“‘Several nights after finding the hand, I put up at a hotel in a minijng-camp, as I once before star ed to tell you. Before retiring I made an examination of the hand, out of increased curiosity to get at its history, and finally went to bed, leaving the band, chain and stiletto, lying on the table, something as you see them. now. There was not a acre of paper on the table, nor were there, so far as I know, any writing materials in the room, at the time when I retired; ing when I arose, this map lay upon the table, and was partly held down by the hand. How it came there I have no means cf knowing, but it Came most mysteriously, at any rate, for the door of My room was bolted on the inside, and the window was also fastencd. You cannot wonder, therefore, that I was strangely impressed by the message, and hunted out the pocket, where usurpers are now buildirg a town. ‘*This message cirects me to apply for advice, when in trouble, andI am going to put the matter to test. You know I have never believed in things supernatural, but something Uaespiotnalip urges me to abide by the directions of this Lone Hand, and I am going to do so,”’ Calamity, laughed,dryly. “And so you expect, by desiring advice that this hand of stone wiil have given it to you, by morning? she asked. 7 ‘‘Poolish though such a notion may seem, I do! Dick assured. ‘I am going to give the matter a test, and if it amounts to nothing, I shall not be seri- ously disappointed. I am inclined to make a fight for Lovely Layout, but something seems to warn me ut, in the mor» > comire