Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 515 — page 11: what you’re looking at

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

———— — TU . hen wee +e LS “ + * - * . = oa Pepe) eee ue ho ee Oe Yee Yr ~* e + ‘ . es ~ - , ‘ 7 4 that we kindle a fire and sample a ittle of the meat.” Sir Clyde assented, and they.at once set to ork, Sir Clyde had a clasp-knife and a box of matches: a fire was soon started, and, half an hour later, Dick had prepared a steak that was fit for a king. While dispatchin discussed the possibilities and probabilities of w the meal the two prisoners al eR? at length, but failed to hit upon any iy tend plam, until a sudden thought occurred wo Di ‘Bf I only had not been deprived of my weapons,” he said, “ I think Isee a way out of this fix.” ‘‘ How?” Sir Clyde asked, eagerly. “Why, I could extract enough powder from my cartridges, so that I could make a blast in the rock, half-way up, and in that way make enough crevices, 80 that we could work our way ? “Then, if wader is all O. K. !? Sir a sg want, we are all ae said, joyfull shirt i y, ‘‘ for in an inside pocket of my have a little bag, contain- ing nearly, if not quite, a ane of the best powder. The gun I brought West with me was a breech-loader, and of course I had to have loose powder. This was not discovered, al- though my captor deprived me of everything else} ‘Hurrah! Then we're in luck!” Dick cried, jubilantly. ‘‘Give me the powder, and if we don’t make it sick for Lindley and Jasper, you cau put me down for one of the biggest gillies the country ever produced!” lp CHAPTER XIV. rd TWO LOCKS OF HAIR. Boru Dick and Sir Clyde were of course high- ly elated, even at the faintest ray of hope of making their escape; so they lost no time in hastening the preparations. Z Sir Clyde produced his powder, and it was found that he had enough for several blasts. On examining the sides of the pit Dick found that the formation was not of granite but of rock far less bard and quite brittle. Half-way up the eastern side was a crevice of sufficient size for the purpose they had in view, but it could a be reached by one standing on - the other’s shoulders. Although not a man accustomed to much hardship, Sir Clyde was physically as strong as a young bull, and as he knew nothing about charging a blast, he agreed to act as under map. So, removing his boots, Dick clambered upon Sir Clyde's shoulders, and in a few minutes had prepared the blast ready for firing, having made a good hole and attached to the charge a long crevice heavily.’ However, it will be well enough to stand to one side,” Dick said. He then seized a long, lighted stick from the fire, which he applied to the fuse, and then he and Sir Clyde retreated aastily to the far side of the “a wih there was but little danger of their ing hit. A moment later there was a loud reportand a mass of dislodged rock was hurled both up and downward, quite away from the anxious men, and when they pr ed to examine they found the smooth walls of the pit so shattered that it would baa comparatively easy matter to climb into the outer world, which they at once pro- ceeded todo. “Ha! ha!” Dick cried, swinging his hat in the ir, “we are free, at last!” euien <= “you're right!” Sir Clyde declared, with en- -——s thusiasm. ‘‘ But where are we” | Dick gazed around him. Ee They were far up the mountain side and sur- rounded by a dense forest, but at last they emerged upon a bluff where there were no trees, and found themselves looking down into Pistol Pocket, far below, where the young mining-city | — Yay basking in the sunlight. oat, - * Furrah!” Dick cried. _‘“‘ Yonder is Pistol ve ice Pocket, now! So look out. Lord Lindley, for, so ‘sure as my name is Dick Bristol, that sure will we make you wish you were never born "7 “ Here's my hand on that!” Sir Clyde said, Fe tt fuse, 80 as to get out of the way before the ex- cad plosion. y “Ain't you afraid of being hit by flying Vick rocks?” Sir Clyde asked, anxiously. v “‘Oh! no, I guess not, as I didn’t charge the with enthusiasm. ‘‘ Will you go down into the ane CaM at once, friend Dick?” Maks 2 No, not until nightfall. Jack Jasper has no doubt assumed my it might be dan erous for us to venture into the ylight. In fact, I think we bad better not be- tray that we have escaped at present.” “Why not?” ition, and i of] C176 <> - a = . Nene _- + s * a ; “ty — ae ‘ Oa. % 7 « on + P) . Pocket in broad — nee “yf 7 9 a ware: AY \ " a i- ié* ai -! ‘ “h< —, yes CT EY. sab Peat ee ts iA ere aay oh “ \ > Ad -¢ , it Pys *« . ae 1 REARS s t Deadwood Dick’s Proteges. ‘* Well, Jasper will of course stand prepared to attack us again, in case we should escape, and if he succeeds in palming himself off as myself, to the satisfaction of my men, why, the odds against us would be bigger than we could stand. Then, too, if Baby Bess has been captured and spirited away, it is our duty to find her, dead or alive, and we can work much better in disguise.” ‘Yes, yes, Lsee, Then you will not venture into the camp until nightfall?” ‘No. We will approach as near as practica- ble, and wait until darkness enables us to reach my office, where I have a good assortment of disguises concealed, and, once we are properly fixed up, We can roam about the camp freely, and take note of what is going on without fear of discovery.” Accordingly, they set out for the camp. The day was already well advanced, and it would be nearly dark when they reached the foot of the mountain. To at least two persons, the night witnessing Deadwood Dick’s capture, was extremely tedious, for nosleep visited their eyes—the two, of course, being Jack Jasper and Lord Lionel. ) At the first streaks of dawn, Jasper arose and sought his lordship’s room, to find him up also. ‘Have you seen anything of Eph yet?” Jack demanded, sinking upon a chair. ‘*No. Have you?” ‘Not a thing. I haven't slept a wink from worrying about the matter. I wish the fellow would come.” ‘‘So do I, for Iam anxious to know how he has succeeded. I haven’t had any sleep, either. Somehow, I haven’t much reliance in English Eph. He's a tricky rascal, and if he thougit he could make an additional stake by playing us false, he’d do it.” ‘‘Pshaw! dismiss such thoughts as that,” Jas- per encouraged. ‘‘I’d trust Eph quicker than any other fellow I ever knew. He’s white meat, all the way through when it comes down to bus- iness. Ha! that’s the fellow now, I’ll wager!” For just then there had come a heavy knock outside. Lord Lindley hastened to answer the sum- mons, and admitted, surely enough, the ruffian, Eph, who stalked grimly into the room, and de- posited a well-wrapped bundle on the table, after which he seized a bottle of liquor which stood there and took a long swig. p ‘* Ah! that’s the stuff to brace a feller up after a hard night’s work!” he said, smacking his lips with gusto, as he took a seat. ‘‘ Well, one would think you had been work- ing,” his lordship declared, with a glance at the half-emptied bottle. ‘‘Have you succeeded in accomplishing your work, sir?” *¢ Well, I should smile!” Eph returned, with a chuckle, and at the same time he held out his huge hands, which were stained with blood. Both Lindley and Jasper shuddered, as they beheld the apparent evidence of the ruffian’s crimes. “Oh! I fixed ’em both!” Eph averred, grimly, ‘an’ ye neein’t be afeard of ever bein’ troubled by ’em, ag’in, till you git on the t’other side of Jordan. Thought mebbe you’d want something to remember ’em by, however, an’ so I brought yer a lock of their hair!” And so saying, he laid two locks of hair upon the table, the colors of which corresponded respectively with that of Deadwood Dick and Baby Bess. ‘Ugh! what possessed you to bring that hair here?’ Lindley cried, angrily, at the same time seizing the hair, and throwing it into the open grate. “I’m not fond of such relics. What did you do with the bodies?” ‘J put ‘em where they'll never be found, %il they’re past recognition!” the ruffian de- clared. ‘What have you in the bundle?” ‘‘Deadwood Dick’s clothes. Jack, heer, pe me to fetch ’em along, so he could wear em : ‘A good idea!” Lindley said. ‘‘ And so you swear that Deadwood Dick and the girl, are really dead?” ‘You bet!” “Then I am satisfied. Here is an additional hundred dollars, as reward for your prompt- ness.” ie Eph accepted the amount, eagerly, and shortly afterward left the room. ‘“Well, that job is settled!”. Lindley Tre- marked, when he was gone, at the same time drawing a long breath of relief. | ‘“-Yes, and I must prepare myself. at once, to play the part of Deadwood Dick,” Jasper de- clared, my lord?” ‘Certainly. I shall leave Pistol Pocket for ~ f vie TPs) ' tet a. . _% . x. ~ 4 hs ‘ 1 hy ‘ ” > “ey in * Se ral k rrr . » - ‘on —_— - ‘Will you start at once for England, ; mysterious things goin’ on about camp during, an) ¥ pe. an a « a v. : : of : iN af ¥ a) 4 e it Skinner’s Bend, on horseback, to-night, and. there take the stage for the nearest railway station. In three weeks’ time I hope to be back in England, and the master of Carletom House.” ‘“ While I shall be the undisputed ruler of Pistol Pocket!” Jack Jasper added. “ By ouer fell sweep, my fortune is made!” 3 CHAPTER XV. JOHNNY SMILE AND PARD, MASTER JOHNNY SMILE, although accredited with being constitutionally lazy, had passed ta through a good many novel and varied ri- 54 ences for a lad of his age, and on any thing vy that partook of an adventure he was by no means slow. ; He had caught every word of the conversa- Rh tion between Mabel Lamont and Jerry Justice, and, naturally quick of comprehension, he fully” understood the plot against Deadwood Dick's life. ‘Well, heer’s a go!” he mused, after the couple had left the stamp-mill. “ They’re goin’ ter try and give Dickey ther bounce aire they, an’ Jeremiah Justice has gone over to the other side, an’ Jerry an’ his wife hes had a fallin” $ out. Humph! kinder glad I did meander ie forth from the offis, now, ‘cause Pve sand- wiched onto some valuable news, which Dick will be glad to get. ‘‘ Bt won’t do fer to let this other Nek A get the upper hands nohow. Me an’ ther boss must ne nip their little scheme in the bud. Ill go an’ “4 hunt up Dick, and report to him, at once, an’ i” then try to git back and be present at the meet- ing here, two hours before daybreak.” And, gathering himself up from his cramped posi- tion, he left the stamp-mill. Taking out his watch, a present from Dead- wood Dick, he lit a match, and saw that it was after one o’clock. Entering the camp, he found it wrapped in a" darkness, with the exception of the hotel, and one or two other places, Johnny first sought the office, but Dick was not there, so he went back to the Grand Pacific, and made inquiries, only to learn, from Joe (te Garry, that Dick bad taken his departure full ) three quarters of an hour before. i Jobnny now grew worried, % Having overheard of the plot to dethrone his nat employer, it was but natural that he should con- — ‘ clude that some harm had befallen him. Leaving the Grand Pacific, he visited what i few other business places were open, but still ay failed to find his master. ¥ ‘Well, this takes the bun,” he muttered. ey “Ef my old boss bas bin foully dealt with, aN there'll be one big racket raised in these ‘ere diggin’s, or my name ain’t Johnny Smile, Mr. yi Jeremiah Justice will find he lost his grip when ee he went back on my boss!” : | Disconsolate at not finding Dick, the lad wan- dered about the Pocket throughout the livelong ae night, in hopes of finding a clew to the, to him, Pe. suspicious disappearance, 3 Once in every half-hour he visited the office, but found it deserted. ; es The shattty of Baby Bess was also darkened, wo and so finally, tired of tramping around, and as ; day was close at hand, he sat down in the office doorway, to await until it was really light, and hoping that Dick might make his appearance at any minute, he postponed returning to the i] stamp-mill, But at last day broke, grand and glorious, and the eastern horizon became tinted with the golden light of the rising sun. i. Then Johnny arose, locked the office door, and Bs was about to leave the vicinity of the office, as when Floy Justice appeared in the doorway of 4 Bessie Carleton’s shanty. at “ Johnny!” she called. ‘‘Come here. [want — 1 to see you.” Jobnuny hurried forward, thinking perkaps that she had some news of Deadwood Dick. ‘What d’ye want?” he queried. “Have you seen Bessief” Floy demanded, ex- | | citedly. comes “No. Why?” er ‘ Because I cannot find anything of her.” ‘‘ When did you see her last?” “Last night, when we went to bed together. I soon fell asleep, and when I arose [ found the window up, and Bessie gone. Oh! what can have become of ber!” Johnny scratched his head, and tried to look wise. “Dunno!” he said. ‘Kinder looks like she * had bin carried off. Thar hes binsome darned — the night.” “* How do you mean?” ‘ Wee Je . = 3“ ¢ 74 a ee a =) . r-4 se 0 ye we | — Ae ae ae comicbooks.com Sun pee y P ; ee ors 4% 4 e 4 ee, Se OM is 3 y ' . . “Ty fr. ‘