Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 522 — page 7: what you’re looking at

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

ot oe ee ~ >. * ~ & >. o4 . all J me _ cence!” ment from wae ; - sk 7. a iA CRS Pict od cy urbe ox, ——— Deadwood Dick’s Three, ee eg Cee SS “Ah! have we? Hum! I don’t seem to re- member!” Dick replied, coolly. ‘* Haven’t you se - ' ** Sir! ‘“You heard the _ gentle voice!” ‘* You had better be more civil, young man, or Pll arrest the three of you, and put you in irons! You are entirely too fresh!” ‘‘Tam just fresh enough that I am not to be bullied by you!” Dick retorted. ‘‘If I know anything, my authority exceeds yours, and if you don’t keep a civil tongue in your head, Pll put you under arrest!” Shields uttered an oath, and turning, strode abruptly away, followed by McDonald. Deadwood Dick gazed after him until he had disappeared, and then turned to Old Avalanche, who, with Johnny Smile, had been an atten- | made a mistake?” ‘‘Oh! no, Notwithstanding your disguise, I murmur of my recognize you. Yesterday, in the rdle of Clay Coleman, you sported a luxuriant beard. To- day, as Deadwood Dick, you appear as your original self!” ‘*Indeed! You seem quite sure you are right?” “Ob! I am right. 1 to a friend of mine, Sheriff Shields. this is Deadwood Dick!” The sheriff bowed, in acknowledgment of the introduction, and Dick could do no less than give a slight inclination of the head. McDonald continued: ‘‘Now, then, that you two gentlemen know each other, I will let the sheriff speak for him- { want to introduce you Sheriff, self. He wanted to know who you were, and so | tive Jistener. I offered to introduce him.” ‘*T guess Dve ‘shut him up!” Richard re- ‘“Oh! you are extremely, kind!” Dick said | markea, ‘‘I guess he knows better than to dryly. Then, turning to the’ sheriff, he contin- | tackle me!” ued: ‘**T dunno about that!” the Annihilator grunted. ‘** He didn’t go off feelin’ werry good-natured, an’ that feller with him aire wuss than enny snake that ever wiggled. Ef we don’t see trouble afore long, ye kin call me a goat!” ‘* Well, ifa further attempt is made to arrest us, Why, we'll fight. We've work to do, to- night. The conversation I overheard at the opium joint, and the fact that Luke Lenton is not at the hotel, and has not been seen since yesterday, convinces me that he has been cap- tured. Such being the case, it is our duty to go to his rescue, for aside from humanity’s sake, it is very important that I should see the fellow. So have the horses ready, and as soon as it is dark we will visit Wah Lee’s place!” ** Kinder reckon theyll make it warm for us, not?” ‘* Perhaps, but we must go prepared to clean out the place, providing we are attacked. Be- sides, after we get outside the town, we will ‘* Well, [ haven’t said so yet!” the sheriff de- | each disguise ourselves beyond detection, you elared, somewhat apologetically. ‘‘But, you | and I making up as roughs, while Johnny, in see, you and your companions were pointed out | girl’s attire, shall be our captive whom we take to me by a citizen, yesterday, who asked me | to Wah Lee, for sake-keeping. In this way we who you were, and advised me to find out and | will gain his confidence, and ready access to the what your business was in Bismarck.” joint, with a fair prospect of finding out what “Indeed! One would infer by that that a | has become of Lenton. At odd intervals, I have person cannot visit this town without having his | picked up a good bit of the Chinese language, affairs investigated!” and we can work the racket all right, if Johnny ‘Well, that is altogether optional with me. | can successfully play the girl’s part!” | If I believe a person to be a suspicious charac- ; ‘Jest give me ther skeerts, an’ see!” spoke up ter, I have the right to know what is his busi- | Johnny. ‘‘Ef I can’t play girl, you kin bet ness. Several strange things have happened | I ain’t worthy of belonging to the Three Aces, within the past forty-eight hours, which need | nary time!” investigating. First, the mysterious burning of ‘* Well, we'll try you,” Dick said, ‘‘and I’m La Force’s grocery, in which Fred Fairfax lost | confident you will succeed. Once we get Lenton his life; second, the burglary at the store of | free, we'll knock McDonald’s schemes in the Schwartz & Co,, and lastly, the sudden death of | head, in short order!” Miss Peggy Parkhurst. ‘** You still believe Lenton is the son of Peggy ‘““Mr, McDonald, here, the only living rela- | Parkhurst?’ queried Avalanche. tive of the deceased woman, has had her house ‘IT haven’t a doubtof it. And, judging from searched, but failed to find any trace of the | what I have seen and learned, 1 believe Fred fortune she was known to have stored away, | Fairfax’s wife to be the lost daughter. How- and he has come to the conclusion that her | ever, we have no time to investigate that part house was burglarized, during the past night, | of the case at present. The first thing is to after she had expired. get hold of Lenton, and recover the money I ‘‘ All things considered, you being the only | lent him.” strangers who have arrived in town for some ‘* But, how about the dead woman?” days, it stands to reason that you should be sus- ‘Oh! she’s all right, for the present. Two ‘ted, and it is my duty to put you under | officers are doing guard duty, and if my sus- arrest, until I am satisfied of your inno- | picions are correct, McDonald will not seek to disturb the body, at present. He is a cunning rascal, and he has got so many irons in the fire that he must needs work: carefully, which he will do, since he knows our calling. I shall make no positive move against him, it is likely, unless forced to, unless I have a network of overwhelming evidence coiled around him, ‘**So have the horses ready immediately after supper, and see that your weapons are equal to ‘‘ Well, sir, what can I do for you?” ‘* Well—ahem!—you see,” replied Shields, ‘‘ I am sheriff of this county, and it is naturally my business to keep an eye on everybody in my dis- trict, in order to maintain a fair degree of peace and security. “You see, for some montks past, Bismarck has become the prey of an organized band of burglars, who have conducted their nefarious business so conse y and systematically as to defy detection, and I have finally concluded that the Bismarck gang is but a part of a gang that is doing up Yankton, ‘* Detective McDonald, here, and myself, have been working to unearth these scoundrels, and therefore, we have to keep ourselves on the alert, you know, and suspect all strangers who cannot satis y us of their innocence!” ‘* Which is the same as saying that you sus- ct me, eh?” Dick suggested, coolly. Deadwood Dick arose, his eyes flashing sternly. ’ | “T don’t think you will do anything of | the kind!” he declared. “I presume | can satisfy | yon as to who and. what I am without submit- ng to arrest, , as for my companions, they are in my employ, andI can vouch for them.” ‘Well, how are you going to satisfy me? What is your business in Bismarck?” sharply demanded the sheriff.§ ‘What our business is is none of your busi- ness, sir!” was Deadwood Dick’s curt retort, ““Tf you will examine this commission, you will find who and what I am; further than that you any emergency that may present itself. I have a little errand to attend toin the mean time, but will be back before it is quite dark!” And so saying, Dick arose, put on his over- coat, and left the hotel, from whence he made his way direct to the Punch Bow] Saloon, which ace he had observed a man enter, a short time efore, whom he wanted to see. The men in question, was Doctor Disco, who had superintended the burial arrangements of Peggy Parkhurst. have no need to know!” As he spoke, Dick drew,a legal-looking docu- his pocket, and handed it to the sheriff. Shields subjected it to a careful examination, a look of surprise coming over i. CHAPTER VIII. THE BELLERIN’ BULL, WHEN Deadwood Dick reached the Punch Bowl, he found the usual crowd present, the majority of whom were engaged in various games of chance. The bar, too. was being liberally patronized, and all-in-all, Peachblow Pete was reaping a rich harvest. his te j ‘Richard Bristol, United States detective, eh?” he said. “‘Hum! this is news. have you held this position, sir?” ‘¢ You see the date the commission was issued, do you not?” , ‘Yes. But, you will excuse me if Isay I rather doubt the validity of this document. What particular detective feat won you this appointment?” How long , bes “That is emphatically none of your busi- a . On looking over the assemblage, the most of whom an He and roughly dressed, Dick failed to see the doctor, for whom he was in quest, and felt somewhat disappointed. Procuring and lighting a cigar at the bar, Dick was about to take his departure when a eg hand was clapped upon his shoulder, and he wheeled around to find himself face to face with no less a personage than Black Bud, the gambler. There was an ugly expression on the ruffian’s face, and a wicked gleam in his bloodshot eyes, Dick quickly removed the grasp from his shoulder and stepped back a pace. ‘What do you mean, sir,” he demanded sternly, ‘‘ by laying hands upon me?” ‘*T mean that youw’re my mutton!” was the grim retort. ‘‘ lve got it in for you, young fel- ler, and l’ve come around to square accounts!” ‘*Oh! have you? Well, what do you want?” ‘*T want blood!” the gambler declared, grim- ly. ‘* You stuck yer cussed nose into my biz’ness last night, an’ lost me my money, an’ besides that, you killed my pard, Jerry Van Scooter, Tharfore, ’m goin’ to have et out wi’ you, or bu’st!” ‘*Oh! is that so? Well, if that’s all, I pre- sume you can be accommodated. I judge that you mean fight?” ** You can bet yer sweet life Ido! I could ’a’ killed ye when ye came into ther saloon, but, ye see, thet ain’t my racket. I jest wanter ham- mer thet purty face o’ yourn, till et’s beefsteak, an’ then blow yer head off afterward. That’s the style of a chap J am!” ‘Well, my tough friend, ’d advise you, for your own good, to forego your contemplated sport, for the chances are large that you will come out at the little end of the horn!” **Oho! I will, hey?” ‘*'You can bet your life. I’m not the sort of a man who is accustomed to pick a quarrel, but, when I’m crowded, and find it necessary to fight, I generally get there, just the same,” ‘* Bah! you’re afraid to fight. Youwrea cow- ard and a cur!” ‘*Oh! am I? Well, I think I can convince you that Iam not!” Dick declared. ‘‘If you're spoiling for a fight, I think I can give you all you want of it. For instance, what do you think of this?” and making a quick move for- ward, he struck the ruffian a sledge-hammer blow full in the mouth. As a result, Black Bud took a sudden and un- ceremonious drop to the floor, In an instant there was a buzz of excitement in the saloon, for Bud had the unenviable repu- tation of being the toughest character within a score of miles of Bismarck, Black Bud quitkly regained his feet. ‘* Curse you!” he cried, “‘ you’re too much fer me wi’ yer dukes, But, dare you meet me asa man, with a knife or sword?” “T dare meet you in apy way you may name, if you are still thirsting for fight!” was the com- posed answer. ‘‘ But I'd advise you to us3 some sense, and not push me to fight!’ ‘**Oh! you crawfish, do ye?” ‘* Nary crawtish!” ‘*Then I challenge you to meet me at once with the sword, and face death like a man, i mean to kill you. This earth is not big enough to hold the both of us, and either you must kill me, or I will kfil you!” Very well, I never was known to weaken yet, and I'll not weaken now! I want not your “fe, but if you insist, so be it! Lock the doors ahd produce the weapons, and we’ll soon see who is the best man!” ‘* And I, Bullwhack, ther Bellerin’ Bull of Bis- marck, will fight the victor!” cried a loud voice, close at hand, The speaker was a man of medium size, who had just entered in time to overhear what was passing between the young man and the gambler, His face was covered almost to the eyes with a fiery red beard, and his hair was of the same color. He wore a pair of decidedly loud check- ered pants, a red flannel shirt, knee-boots, and an old plug hat. He carried no visible weapons, and did not look at all like a dangerous person, despite his assertion to the contrary. But Dick and Black Bud turned and surveyed the man, the latter with a snort of disgust. “Oho! so yowll fight the victor, hey? he — | roared, belligerently. ‘‘ Waal, you'll hev me to tackle, then, me royal duke!” ‘‘So much the better!” asserted the Bellerin’ ie Bull. confidently. ‘‘If there’s one man I'd ruther ki-arve up more than another, you’re — yer anato- | that man! I kin jest erbout disseck my in a red-headed a ‘ui ‘Ye kin, bey? ‘ “a ; . “com Cr my bloomin’ braggart, rs ; | Se a” 5 : ?