Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 515 — page 5: what you’re looking at

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

_ oo > . s Jey ~ and slept au night. ‘ ty , é ae ays y . oe . ‘ as 4‘? =* ; “ * 2 Asis >» } Deadwocd Dick’s Protegree. I want to buy for her a slice of this placer land, so she can have it as a support. We have man- aged in the last couple of years to save five ‘hun- dred dollars of the last remittance from Eng- Jand, and we want to invest that in a claim that will produce Bessie her living until time for her to return to England. As soon as she comes into her rights she will be in position to amply reward you for all your kindness or expense in her behalf. Now, sir, will you do me this last favor, for my little Bessie’s sake? Poor little Baby Bess!” and the old man passed his hand affectionately over the sunny head of his little ward. ‘‘ She will be all alone in the world when @ld Ishmael is gone!” And a tear rolled down the old man’s cheek, while Baby Bess wept bitterly. , Deadwood Dick was much affected, and ris- ing, went forward and took Ishmael by the hand. ‘‘ No! not all alone, my friend!” he said, ‘* for I will stand by her like a brother, and woe be to the one who dares to molest her! Moreover, she shall have the best placer claim in the pocket, and that too, Scot free, as I will not ac- cept a penny for it!” ‘May God bless you for those words!” Ishmael gaid fervently, while Bespie, with tearful eyes, gave the young mayor a grateful look. ‘I can now die in peace, knowing that the heiress of the house of Careltons 1s in safe hands,” ‘Oh! never say die!” Dick said, cheerily. “‘ While there is life there is hope. I will call in the local doctor, and perhaps he may be able to ho something for you.” ‘‘No! no! it wiil be of no use. No earthly power can save me now. Death is already gatb- ering mein its embrace, and I have but a short time yet to live.” ‘‘ But how did you receive this wound of which ‘you speak?” ‘“‘Yes, I must tell you that. Bessie and I were on our way to Pistol Pocket, during the storm of last night, when wecame to a toll- ate, and our further passage was checked. here was a big cabin, there, however, and see- ing a light, we opened the door and entered, As we did so, we becam4 witness to a strange sight. Two men were standing in the middle of the room in belligerent attitudes. One was a gen- teel-looking young man, the other a very rufilan in appearance. ‘‘An instant after we entered, the ruffian cried: * Down with you, to the depths of purga- tory! and instantly the young man disappear- ed, asif by magic, through the floor. Horritied at what we had seen we fled from the place, closing the door behind us. A volley of bullets followed us, fired through the door, and one of them hit me in a fatal spot. However, we man- aged to escape and secrete ourselves until day- break, when we once more set out for this place. I marvel that I ever lived to reach it and hold out until now!” sip ** You think this young man was precipitated through a trap into some under-ground place?” Dick asked. ‘‘ Yes, without a doubt, and if there was any truth in the rufiian’s utteramce, he met his death in the fall!” “This matter must be investigated!” Dick said, decidedly. ‘* Mountain Mose’s ranch has been surrounded by suspicion ever since it was built, and I fear more than one man has met bis doom there. \\ By the way, I have a couch in the next room, sir, and perhaps if you lie down and rest awhile, you will feel better.” ‘No, I shall never feel better in this world,” the old man answered. ‘‘ However, if you will help me a little, I think I will liedown, Before I do, here are all the papers necessary to estab- lish Bessie’s identity and right to her English estate.” He handed Dick a roll of doctiments; then Dick and Baby Bess assisted him into the ad- joining room, where he was soon comfortably resting. ‘ He lingered along throug? the day, faithfully attended by both Dick and Bessie; but, as the sun sunk behind the mountain brow, and dusky shadows began to creep down into Pistol Pocket, the spirit of Ishmael Iverness took its flight; dike one falling asleep he passed away. CHAPTER VI. TROUBLE BREWING. OLD ISHMAEL was given a respectable burial, the next day, and Dick secured accommodations for Baby at the Grand Pacific, until he » «:'A_havea shanty erected for her, adjoining ere be usually spent his daytimes, During the afternoon, he and Bessie made & Lv . aa) 4 de si? X ’ Pt pal» = abies 6 ihe all, Se <7) ron Hy oh : Th a ie ee we tt . ie ~~. By" no ‘i, ye, i A's i wie oe Pa 4 ones ‘ ‘ a” oN " —tim ae’ t a # ue YT a . Pe : ‘ . i j em 4 4 45 og? BA FI >< ay y (ite ; 3A > ul . HOE . es Lt cs <_ t : Y ? ’ “ - ‘&* , e % : +. ‘ * * « 4 Lae ‘2 % fs aul (5 ’ af & : ; 4 id , . é Bes fae \ ey ‘cy fi i i a’ ; “oa. ei a Abe j ; cial J ate Ni, wh isa oft ne * re : 7 Le * eye fy” 9 4 he sd f ~ bin . : a q *eG.4 «* ay f — cS) a4 yA ‘ » ee tour of the gulch bottom, and Bessie showed her knowledge of mining, by selecting a spot where mineral wealth was the most abundant, although | the surface “sign” was not particularly en- couraging. ‘* This will answer?!” she said. pay dirt here.” And so Dick staked out a good-sized claim, and later, put up a board sign, containing the following: ** NOTICE, “This claim, has been purchased by Baby Bess, the Girl Gold Miner, and all persons are positively forbidden to trespass hereon, ‘“*DeaDWwooD Dick.”’ As soon as these arrangements were perfected, Dick organized a party of trusty men, and sey set out for the toll-gate in Pretty Pass; for Dick | | ‘* There is good | | | | | was determined to investigate the fate of the | young man whom Old Ishmael and Bessie had seen disappear through a trap in the floor of Mountain Mose’s cabin. The journey to the toll-gate was accomplished in good time, and the gate was found wide open, although it was after six o’clock, and night was coming rapidly on. The cabin hadia deserted appearance, when the party dismounted, and the door was found to be locked. Dick rapped several times upon the door, but receiving no answer, he ordefed his men to burst it in, which was promptly done. Then, it was found that the cabin was desert- ed, indeed, with one exception, and that excep- tion was Pete Pigeon, who lay cold and stiff in death, upon the floor. Lanterns were lit, and after a brief search, the trap door in the floor was discovered, and forced open, disclosing a dark aperture some two feet square, from out of which came a dis- agreeable odor. A search of the premises soon found a long, stout rope, and’a lantern was attached to one end of this, and lowered into what proved to be a deep pit in circular form, When the lantern reached the bottom of the pit, and shed its light around, it was discovered that there were several bodies lying on the damp bottom, which were in an advanced stage of decomposition, but none was distinguishable as having been placed there recently. Finally, one of the party consented to go down into the pit, and make sure, and on his return, be announced that he had found four bodies, but all had been in the pit some time, and all bad been men well along in years, There was no corpse in the pit answering to B2ssie Carleton’s description of the young man she had seen disappear through the floor; so there was nothing left, for Dick and his followers, but to close the trap door to the charnel vault, and return to Pistol Pocket, which was done. On arrival there, Dick posted a notice in every place of business in the camp, offering one hun- dred dollars’ reward for the capture of Mountain Mose, But, Moses had evidently scented danger, for he made himself conspicuous by his absence, and no one could get any trace of him. A week passed, with scarcely an incident worthy of mention, Baby Bess really went to work upon her claim,’ | industriously, and her unassisted efforts were quite satisfactorily rewarded, for the pay dirt panned out sufficiently well to yield her an average profit of some six or seven dollars a day, so well had she chosen the spot of her claim. She was an object of considerable interest to the idle people of the camp, who would gather at a respectful distance, and watch her with curiosity. No one offered to molest her, however, this no doubt being partly due to the fact that she paid not the slightest attention to any one, except Deadwood Dick, and kept a repeating rifle close at hand and im conspicuous view, while she worked, Dick had built and fitted up for her a cosey shanty, adjoining his office, so with what she could earn with pan and shovel, and the five hundred dollars Ishmael had left her, she was quite com fortably ** fixed.” As for Dick his sort of life jogged along in about the same rule. He was not blind to the fact, however, that trouble was brewing, for the future, The subdued voice of dissension was heard in the camp, over his proprietorship of the Pocket, coming mainly from the idle miners and courre not in his employ. It had come to his hearing that these same men had organized into a body, under a chosen kader, and were in the habit of holding noctur- self. | i | | | | sometimes 5 nal meetings and laying plans for getting pos- session of the Pocket. That they would succeed in such a scheme, Dick had little fear, unless wis received larger reinforcements, for fully two-thirds of the men in the camp were in his employ, and all of them were strong, able-bodied fellows, who had sworn to stand by him, and protect his interests, through thick and thin, and with whom he was a general favorite—more so, in fact, than his superintendent, Jerry Justice. Of late, Justice bad appeared gloomy and down-spirited, and, although he attended to his duties with usual promptness, he had very little to say to any one. Dick noticed this fact, but never made it bis business to inquire the cause, as he had no rea- son to believe that he was in any way concerned in the matter. It was his custom to visit the mines, a couple of times daily, to see how work was progressing, and as he had to pass the Justice dwelling, on his way, he frequently paused ‘a few minutes for a friendly chat with Jerry’s wife—she that was Floy Fydell.* Married life had detracted nothing from the beauty and animation of the superintendent’s wife and apparently she was as gay and happy as a bird. One pleasant forenoon, about a week after Dick’s visit to the toil-gate, he was on his way to the Majestic Mine, when he espied Floy standing at the gate of the rustic fence that surrounded their cottage. Seeing her motion to him, Dick crossed over, and was surprised to see that she haa recently been crying. ‘““ Why, Mrs. Justice, what is the matter?” he queried. ‘‘I see you have been weeping.” She tried to force a smile, but her lip quiv- ered as she did so. ‘‘ Yes, [have been crying,” she said, *‘and I am the most unhappy person living!” ‘Why, Mrs. Justice! How is this? I always thought you were very happy since you and Jerry were married.” ‘*So I have been until recently. But, for some days past Jerry has been very cold and distant toward me, and not at all like his usual I have tried to get him to tell me what was the matter, but allto no use. This morning he arose and left the house, without even spenk- ing to me, or waiting for his breakfast. Oh} Mr. Bristol, what can be the matter?” ‘*T am sure I don’t know, Mrs. Justice. I toc have noticed a change in Jerry of late; but did not have any idea that it extended to his home life. I have refrained from approaching him on the matter, presuming he would consider it none of my business. Perhaps he is not well?” ‘‘Oh! yes he is. I asked him if he-didn’t feel well, and he said he never felt better. Oh! Mr. Bristol, I wish you would talk with Jerry, and find out what is the matter. You have been a good friend to both of us, and I am sure Jerry would confide his trouble to you,” ‘**] will talk with hiin,” Dick said, “ and find out, if possible, what the dickens ails him. VU not have him slight his pretty little wife through his own peevishness—not even if I have to talob a hand in the game myself!” **Oh! please do not talk harsh to Jerry, Mr, Bristol—but then I know you won’t, you are se good—and don’t tell him I mentioned to you anything about his coldness toward me,” Very well, I will not, Mrs. Justice, How- ever, I will, in u casuai way, try to get at what is the matter, and if I find out it is anything you can remedy, I will let you know.” ‘‘T wish you would, Mr. Bristol. You are very kind indeed. But, Mr. Bristol, if it will not make any difference to you, perhaps it would be better if you do not stop here in the future— at least not for a time.” “Ah! Why?” “Well, I don’t know; maybe I’m silly, but T have a notion that Jerry’s strange behavior is due to jealousy !” ** Jealousy ?” ** Yes!” ‘‘Ha, ha! what an idea! Whyg who in the world would he be jealous of?” sé You 1”? = The look of astonishment that came over the face of Desdwood Dick, showed how startling this revelation was to him, ““Of me?” he ejaculated. ‘‘ Why, Mrs. Jus- tice, youastonish me. The idea of Jerry's be jealous of me is simply preposterous. If thought he was such: a numskull as that I'd be tempted to horsewhip him,” ‘““T may be wrong,” Floy said, apologetically, *(See Haty Dive Liprary Me. S68.) - JNA | Ss “ 4 Le a a A i} Ae 7 hie ry \evs = pi t * “ * ve 6 _ le 4 P = ‘ 4 : “\ be . ~ “* oy ? Vel ¥% q : + Ms " oe r' 2 , ae *. ' aS Yeas phe vl rs “Si wavilfy f ~ t 7 _ECOom4ic ©. ae Gil a0 @ 0 ? \ 2e is <, a