Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 515 — page 10: what you’re looking at

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

LU Deadwood Dick?” “Oh! I simply want him shut up until I can sell out his interest in this Pocket, which ought to net several hundred thousand dollars, at the least. | for England, he can be set at liberty, and if he | can get Pistol Pocket back again, why, that’s his lookout, not ours. In this way, you see, out- | right murder will be avoided, and at the same time we will be feathering our nest. But, re- | member, Deadwaod Dick must be imprisoned in | a different place from Baby Bess, and she must | 3 have no intimation that he is not at liberty, : and still in command of Pistol Pocket!” with you, tooth and toe-nail. But, how about Then, when we get ready to start | “T understand, perfectly!” Eph assented, with anod. ‘ Yer plan is a capital one, an’ Pll carry out my share of it to the jotter, providing I am to share alike wi’ you, when we bleed Lindley.” ‘‘Tt’sa bargain! But,the job must be done to-night.” ‘Allright. I’llattend toit, Anything else?” ‘Yes, Before you go, I will give you a suit of my clothes. When you capture Deadwood i Dick, you are to take all his clothing and effects, and bring them to me, while he is to be given the suit I give you in exchange.” Jasper went to his room, but soon returned, and gave to the ruffian a neatly wrapped bun- dle; then English Eph took his sepemeares to carry out his part of the villainous plot. While chuckling over his own scheme, Jack Jasper retired to his room, to await the coming of another day, when he was to assume the role of Deadwoed Dick, whose almost exact counter- part he ceftainly was, 4 CHAPTER XIII. A QUEER PRISON AND ITS OCCUPANTS. Arter seeing Floy Justice safely installed in the home of Baby Bess, Deadwood Dick sought q his office, expecting, of course, to find Master i Johnny Smile there, but, as the reader is aware, ‘ Johnny was yery conspicuously absent, and as he had the keys, Dick could not gain access to the office. ‘ Confound the boy, I’ve a mind to discharge him for this disobedience!” Dick growled, and forthwith he set out in search of the truant ; youth. ¥ But Johnny was not to be found about town, 2 and not knowing of the stamp-mill rendezvous, ee: neat finally had to give up the search as a bad ¢ ; As it was not yet late in the evening, he drop- RA ped into the Grand Pacific and had a chat with a Joe Garry, and later, wandered into the gaming- * room, to watch the various games in progress, gi Since coming into charge of Pistol Pocket, & Dick had refrained almost entirely from the ned pastime of card-playing, but, to night, upon in- fi vitation, he formed one of a party of poker-play- tt ers, With the intention of remaining but a short fs time. Ih But the game was unusually exciting and fas- Ke cinating, and it was after two o’clock in the x morning ere he arose from the table, a couple of rs hundred dollars winner. i Lighting a cigar he left the hotel, and made Be his way toward his office. ms The sky had become densely clouded over, and 'o as most of the lights along the street were out, hi the darkness was intense. P. Dick knew every inch of the way, however, ¥ and could have gone over ib blindfolded. me Little expecting that he had enemies abroad, x he walked along, paying little or no attention to ; his surroundings. +} And that was where he made a sad mistake. a He had nearly reached his office, when a muf- ‘ne? fled figure stepped quickly out from the door- ie way, and Dick was dealt a blow upon the head, with some heavy instrument, and felled to the i ground, insensible. 'F A second man now emerged from the door- pn? a way, and joined the assistant. aa. *t Hev ye killed him, Mose?” he queried. <i “No, only stunned him,” was the reply. x _ “Give me the chloroform, and then bring ther ee hosses. No time must be lost, for we’ve got ter work like thunder to git thru with our job be- fore daylight.” The second man, who was none other than English Epb’s associate and pal, Bill Monk, at once produced a bottle and sponge, and then hurried away. By the time the Englishman succeeded in stu- pefying Dick beyond the possibility of immedi- ate recovery, Monk had returned with three horses. The insensible victim was then bound to the back of one of the animals, after which the ruf- | oo Deadwood Dick’s Protegee. fians mounted the other two and rode away, and the scene of the assault and capture was left de- serted. When Dick recovered consciousness, it took him some time before he could comprehend his surroundings, or what had happened, and he felt of his head and limbs to make sure that he was not dreaming. Above him was the blue dome of the heavens: in front, back, and either side of him_ were per- pendicular walls of solid rock, which towered upward some fifteen feet, and whose surface was as smooth and unbroken as a sheet of glass. In size this singular pit, which was a freak of nature was about twenty feet square, by fifteen deep, and there was no visible way of escaping from it without outside assistance, for no human being could clamber up the perpendicular and glassy sides. As soon as his eyes got accustomed to the light, Dick made a discovery. If he was a prisoner, be was not alone, for in one corner of the pit, lay a blonde young man, of somewhere about his own age, apparently fast asleep. Dick had never seen him before, but the read- er will have no difficulty in recognizing him as Sir Clyde Carleton, whom we introduced at the beginning of our story, and who was precipitated through the trap. In another portion of the pit, was a recently killed buck deer, and a plentiful pile of fuel; so it was evident it was not intended that the cap- tives should starve. The next discovery which Dick made, was that he was not attired in his own clothing, but was arrayed in an entirely different suit, bis own having been appropriated by his captors as also, had been his money, private papers, an weapons, “ Well, that’s cheeky!” he muttered. ‘‘ l won der what this exchange of clothing was made for, anyhow, and who it was who thumped me on the head? I'll wager that rascal, Lord Lind- ley, had something to do withit. Ha! I remem- ber, too, of seeing Lindley in company with a fellow who looked enough like me to be my brother. Can it be that these two men have conspired to put me out of the way, in order to give my counterpart a chance to step into my boots, as the future ruler of Pistol Pocket? By Jove! it looks so!” Although not bound, Dick did not attempt to rise from a sitting posture, for several minutes, for he felt sore in every joint, and came to the conclusion that he had been tumbled into the pit promiscuously. The more he considered his situation, the firm- er became his belief that his first surmises in re- gard to the Lindley conspiracy, was right. ‘‘f am inaclever fix!” be concluded, “ and I’ve no one to blame but myself. Knowing that I bad enemiés in camp, I should have been on the lockout, The only wonder is that they did not kill me, outmght!” After fecling of himself, to make sure that no hones were broken, he finally succeeded in get- ting upon bis feet. ‘“ | wonder who my companion is?” he mused, as he approached the recumbent Englishman. ‘‘ Bvidently he is not aware thet he has visitors. Reckon he will be somewhat surprised. Hello! there, partner!” Sir Clyde awoke with a start, and sat bolt up- right, staring at Deadwood Dick, as if he co d not believe the evidences of his own senses. “ Who are you?” he demanded, when he found use of his tongue. “Tam Deadwood Dick, the Mayor of Pistol Pocket!” Dick replied. ‘* Whoare you?” ‘‘My name is Sir Clyde Carleton!” “What! Sir Guy Carleton, of England?” “The same. But, what do you know about me?” ‘‘Not very much, I have heard, however. hehaur brings you here, and in this strange posi- ion? ‘‘T came to America in search of the heiress of an old English estate,” Sir Guy said; and then he went on to relate the experiences of the night of bis arrival at the toll-gate tavern of Mountain Mose. According to his statement, he was stunned by his fall into the well, and knew no more until he awoke to find himself in the pit, where he and Diek were now held as prisoners, In exchange Dick told him all he knew about his own predicament, and the two were soon on the friendliest of term:, and exchanged confi- dences freely. ‘* You came to this coutitry in search of Lady Beatrice Carleton, I take it?” Dick said, ** Yes, I did.” ‘* Were you sent by Lady Carleton?” \e °<4 bid _ ; - A ge : : 4 + cS ;% , I~ 4” “nird ' ~ ye Pans Be xe? ] .. As ’ 4 7 ‘ at ? OF Tire: . wee a, ‘Ase 1% - Ai ARP Ra tere a reenact LLL OE eeeEeEeEEEEeeow “Twas. I started ashdrt time prior to her death, and several days in advance of Lord Lindley, who also seeks to find and destroy her, in order that he may come into the Carletou in- heritance.” ‘You were betrothed to Lady Besa, some six years ago, 1 believe, before she came to America?” ‘‘T was. But you puzzle me. How do you, an utter stranger, come by so much information?” By way of explanation, Dick narrated con- cerning the arrival of old Ishmael and Lady Bess in Pistol Pocket, and all that had transpir- ed since, including his encounter with Lord Lindley. “Then, you attribute your capture to Lind- ley’s scheming?” Sir Clyde asked. ‘Yos He well knew that as long as I was about the camp, be would not dare make an open attack upon Baby Bess, aud so I have no doubt he caused the assault upon me,” ‘‘ Then, even now, Lady Bess is in deadly peril!” Sir Clyde said, anxiously. ‘Yes, lam afraid so, But one thing puzzles me, and that is, who is this fellow who looks like me, and who I believe intends to usurp my posi- tion as Mayor of Pistol Pocket?” Sir Clyde did not immediately reply, but studied Dick’s face inquiringly. ‘‘T think I can throw some light on that!” he at length said. ‘* Something like two months before I sailed for America, an ex-convict from Van Diemen’s Land made his appearance in the old country, and I saw him frequently in con- versation with Lord Lindley, and communicated my suspicions.to Lady Carleton, that the two were hatching up a conspiracy concerning Lady Bessie, and this is what caused her, eventually, to start me off for this country, when it was found that this ex-convict had disappeared from his usual haunts. ‘This fellow’s name was Jack Jasper, and were his hair as long as yours, he would be al- most your exact counterpart!” ‘¢ Then the problem is indeed solved,” Dick re- plied, “‘ for although I have bad but one glance at the fellow who so resembles me, the name of Jack Jasper has been on the register of the Grand Pacific Hotel for several days. That fact proves to my satisfaction that the two are in collusion in this conspiracy !” ‘No doubt of it, now! And I am greatly worried lest harm befall Lady Bess!” Sir Clyde said. ‘“No more so than myself!” Dick hastened to assure. ‘* There isa bare possibility, however, that there will be some delay before Lindley offers to molest her. Igave my office-boy orders to stand ready to defend her, when I was not around, and I believe he willdoso. Then, too, perhaps Lindley will hold off until Jasper gets firm footing in my place, if that really is his plan.” ‘“T hope it will be so!” Sir Clyde declared, with flashing eyes. ‘‘ Ever since his lordship heard of my betrothal to Lady Bess, we two have been bitter enemics, and I now long for the hour when I can meet the villain face to face, at the sword’s point, when we will bave a settle- ment of our differences!” ‘“‘T rather opine I shall have a bone to pick with him myself,” Dick said, grimly—" that is if any harm comes to Baby Eess. In the mean time, the first important thing for us to do, is to look out for ourselves, We must get out of here, and that, too, as scen as possible.” ‘‘ But how? I have tried repeatedly, but my efforts were all in vain. The sides are anost as smooth as glass, and what few crevices there are are too far apart for arm’s reach.” ‘Yes, that’s so!” Dick assented, scanning the cold granite walls that encom assed them, “ And I presume the top couldn’t be reached by one of us standing on the other’s she ulders.” “T think not. The pit looks to me to be fully fifteen feet deep.” “Youre right! Escape in that way is out of the question!” Dick said, scratcbing his head, as if in search of anidea. ‘‘ Hang it! there is one thing I don’t understand, Carleton. Where does all your meat and fuel come from?” Sir Clyde laughed. “Well, you've got me now!” he answered. ‘* Although I’ve been Jn this dive for something over a week, you’re the only person I’ve seen since my incarceration, When I have awaken- ed in the morning, I have always found plenty of fuel, and some kind of meat at my command, the latest addition to my larder being the deer vou see yonder. I found it as you see it, when T awoke yesterday morning.” ‘‘ Well, it is evidently intended you sball not starve!” Dick said, ‘‘and so, while we are cou- sidering the best plan of getting out of this hole, - . * *% , a { a ¢ Meh ’ ets uf ee cae) fot 9 Wess cbhooks.c fe | # .cO we ats © ts oa ° - 1 Wk ‘ aj aa)