Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 522 — page 9: what you’re looking at

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

PS ee é . : - he raised a trap-door, in Deadwood Dick’s Three, | well adapted for the role, and, once attired in | larger than the first, the walls and bottom being skirts, a rich black silk dress, blonde wig, and jaunty bonnet, he looked decidedly feminine, Shoes and stockings, and a heavy cloak, com- | of limestone, At one side of this cellar, which was only reached by descending a ladder, were grated pleted his disguise, and no one would have re- | iron doors which guarded the entrance to dun- cognized him as the lesser light of the Three, ** Waal, by ther great antediluvian ham-bone, you’re a daisy!” declared Old Avalanche, ‘** Durned ef it ain’t a sight fer sure eyes ter see sech a luscious lookin’ gal as you.” “Ser, how dare you address me?’ cried Johnny, in semi-tragic tones. ‘“‘Il know you not, and I demand to be released and returned to my father’s house, or it will be the worse for rou! ‘‘That’s the stuff, Johnny!” cried Dick, ap- provingly, ‘* You'll fill the bill. Now, then, Avalanche, square yourself, and Pll doctor you u 2? "A valarni was soon thoroughly disguised, and then came Dick’s turn, his disguise being very similar to that of the Annihilator, for both wore sweeping black beards, and long-haired wigs of like hue, which, together with the fact that their belts fairly bristled with weapons, gave them a decidedly brigandish appearance, When all arrangements were completed, no time was lost in setting out for the Border, where the trio arrived, all in good time, Before the door of Wah Lee’s estabiishment, they halted and dismounted. Then, each grasping Johnny by the wrist, Dick and the Annihilator bolted into the opium- joint. The place was lacking, somewhat, of its usual nocturnal audience, there being but a few of the usual rough habitues engaged in games, and a still smaller number lounging about the bar waiting for some one to come in and stand treat. Wah Lee and another Chinaman were seated ata table near the door engaged in conversa- tion. Leaving Johnny in charge of Avalanche, Deadwood Dick advanced to the table. ‘Is this Wah Lee’s place?” he demanded, gruffly. ‘** Tt is!” Lee replied, in good English. ‘‘ What you want?” For answer, Dick handed the Celestial] a note covered with Chinese hieroglyphics. In English the writing had the following interpretation: “To Wau Leg, Bismarck, D, T.:— *The bearer is Red Roger, one of the Rudolph brothers. Wants protection for captive. He is to be trusted implicitly on my account. Big money in it. Will visit youina few days. | ** Hi Foo Luna, ‘* Yankton,” Wah Lee read the message’ twice, and then jooked up, and surveyed Dick, curiously. ** When leave Yankton?” he inquired. “Five days ago. Delayed by storm,” Dick replied, still gruftly. ‘Where Foo Lung?” was the next query. But for a fairly intimate knowledge of the capital of Dakota, Dick’ would have been cor- nered by this question, but it so happened that he had been in Yankton, and had had occasion to have some laundry-work done at ‘the estab- lishment of a nabob ‘*‘ Washee-washee” named ‘Hi Foo Lung. As he lost a part of his linen by the transaction, he always held the locale in memory. Hence, he found ready answer to Wah Lee’s query. ‘* Hi Foo Lung keeps a laundry on Rose street!’ he said ponyne: Wah o nodded, evidently satisfied. _ * Right!” he declared. ‘‘ Who is girl?” “The daughter of a rich man. e are going to hold her for a big ransom,” Dick replied. **You furnish a good place to keep her, and you will be well paid as soon as we make our stake.” Wah Lee was the last man _to lose a chance to make *‘a big stake,” and nodding his approval, he arose. “Come!” he said. ‘‘ Bring girl!” He then led the way toward the rear of the gambling-room, and opened a door leading into one of the side apartments. , Deadwood Dick and Avalanche followed, pull- ing Johnny Smile along between them. ohnny struggled, with apparent desperation, anda made ching protestations, but all to no avail, for he was hurried into the side-room, and the door was closed, shutting off all sound from the larger apartment, ~TheChinaman then lit B lantern, after which : e floor, and the quar- tet descended into asmal] cellar, whose “Sac was floored, the same as the room above. Here another trap-door was lifted, and they» | descended into a sub-cellar, both deeper and | ’ ’ * 4 ’ , ; - : * 4 ® 3 : : ~~, o } d 4 “ ‘ >t, ¥ 45 4 aa ES 4% | d _ a © Abarat de cg MC a geons beyond, Producing a bunch of keys, Wah Lee un- locked and threw open one of the doors, at the same tirae motioning the pseudo ‘*‘ Rudolph brothers” to conduct their captive within, Not suspicious of treachery, the ‘‘ brothers” obeyed, and then— The door clanged shut behind them, the key turned in the lock, the light went out, leaving all in Stygian darkuess. ‘* Trapped!” cried Dick, In answer, there came a mocking laugh, and the imprisoned detectives soon heard a slam of the trap-door overhead. For a moment there was silence in the dun- geon; then Old Avalanche broke forth. ‘* Yas! by ther great ham-bone, yer right. We're caged as pritty asa passel of skunks. We orter go soak our heads!” ‘** The old man’s right!” put in Johnny Smile, in a tone of disgust. ‘‘ Ef some one’ll kick me fer an eejot. I’m hanged if I won’t stand treat!” ** Here, too!” assented Deadwood Dick, grim- ly. ‘I feel like kicking myself. That infernal pig-tailed rascal took matters in such a matter- of-fact manner that he did not even arouse a suspicion in my mind that he contemplated mis- chief. Confound his ugly picture! If I ever ret my hands on him, there will be one dead hinaman around these parts, you bet! Who has got a match!” ‘*Pye got a hull box of ’em!” responded J pirat ‘All right, then. Strike a light, and let’s see what sort of a place we're in, anyhow!” Johnny obeyed, and, by the light afforded by the match, they found that they were ina dun- ee some seven feet square, and that the grated oor was too strong an affair to think of easily breaking open, The apartment contained but one thing, and that proved to bea piece of candle stuck in a potato candlestick—left there by some visitor from above. Evidently the Three were not the only prison- ers the place had held. This candle was immediately lit, and so, for the time being, the detectives were enabled to study each other’s expressions of countenance, which were decidedly gloomy, ‘* Well, (ll be doggoned if I ain’t mad enuff ter shute myself!” Avalanche declared, dubious- ly, as he seated himself on’ the floor, ‘‘I hev allus thort heretofore thet three aces were a purty sure winnin’ han’, but [ll be beat ter death wi’ corrugated ham-bones ef I weren’t mistaken!” ‘* Pugh! what’s the use of cryin’ over spilt milk, Snowslide!” queried Johnny, striking an attitude. ** * You’re young, an’ I’m girlish But we shouldn’t be churlish, Because of a Chinaman’s trick; Just wait ‘til we’re out, And our time comes to shout, Oh! but «won't we make Wah Lee feel sick?”’ ‘* Very clever!” said Deadwood Dick, ‘* but en- tirely out of place. Poetry, under the present circumstances, is not excusable. The thing to be considered is, how are we to get out of here?” ‘* That’s easy!” declared Johnny, who, boy- like, had taken out his pocket-knife, and begun carving his initials in the soft limestone of which the walls of the cell were composed. ‘‘ This ere rock’s as soft as chalk, and if we can’t get out Boy other wey why we kin dig out!” ick drew his hunting-knife, and in a moment ‘confirmed Johnny’s statement. Rg You’re right!” he said. ‘‘By our united efforts, if we are not disturbed, we can, in a short time dig out. To do so successfully it must be done before the light expires. So let's set to work at once!” And they did. d _,, With drawn knives, they attacked the chalk- like wall, at one side of the doorway, and as oe off easily, they made rapid pro- But, before they could cut their way through, they were destined to encounter a serious inter- ruption, as it first appeared, but what afterward proved to be an advantageous one. The interruption first came in the form of ap- proaching footsteps, Presuming that it was Wah Lee returning, Dick immediately ordered a suspension of work, and the Three listened with bated breath. Nearer and nearer approached the footsteps, until they paused directly in front of the door, Then the prisoners perceived that instead of Wah Lee, the man on the outside was no less a personage than Big Bullwhack, the Bellerin? Bull of Bismarck! ‘* Hello!” Dick cried, in astonishment, ‘‘ What are you doing here?” ** Reconnoitering!” was tLe reply. ‘** But, I thought you were badly hurt!” Bullwhack ckuckled, “If Pd been hurt very much Id not be here to your rescue.” ‘* How did you know where we were?” ‘*‘Tcame to Wah Lee’s place, in quest of a man whom I believe to be my deadly enemy, “en. know him as well as I—Duncan McDon- ald! ‘Ab! Then I iafer that you were in the joint when we entered?” ‘*T was, and recognizing you, I knew you war trapped, when Wah Lee returned, without you, Knowing you were my friend, 1 watched my chance, came down here, unbeknown to any one and here lam. If I can be of any use to you am at your service!” ‘* Well, if you can open this door, certainly be of considerable use to us!” plied. ** But, puzzle. well; but, who you really are, stand!” ‘¢ Probably not. But you may know, all in good time. As for this door, I reckon it will be a hard job to open it, as t have no keys, nor have I any means of prying it open.” ‘‘Then we might as well keep on digging out,” Dick said. ‘* You stand guard near the ladder, and if any one comes down, knock ’em on the head.” And so it was arranged, Big Bullwhack retired to the foot of the lad- der, and Dick, Avalanche and Johnny resumed operations with their knives, with a will. In ten minutes’ time they had cut a_ hole through the wall, of sufficient size to allow their wer escape from the cell, y the time they got on the outside, the candle was pretty nearly consumed. The quartet held a hasty consultation, and decided to make an examination of the o cells, before leaving the sub-cellar, This was quickly done, but they were found to be unoccupied. Dick was considerably disappointed, for he had felt sure that he would find Luke Lenton im- prisoned in one of the vaults, ‘T thought suréT’d find Lenton!” he said, ad- dressing Avalanche. disappeared trom the hotel where he was mpi nf ping; and yet, his baggage is left behind at otel. with Black Bud to have Lenton kidnapped, it stands to reason that the job has been done, you can- Dick re- ou may shoot me, tho,’ if you ain’t a hat you are disguised, I know full 1 don’t under- So we must not leave this place until we find Lenton.” ‘* Who is Lenton?” queried Bullwhack, There was something peculiar in the tone of eat the fellow’s voice, that caused Dick to give the man a sharp glance, ‘Why do you ask?’ he demanded, ‘*Oh! jest out o curiosity.” ** Do you know Lenton?” 7 ‘Not intimately. He saved my life, not long ago, and I know that he is not a prisoner.” ‘* Where is he, then?” ‘* That I do not choose to tell. I keep his immediate whereabouts a secret.” ‘* Indeed! Perhaps you are Lenton.” & ‘Oh!-no, If you ever saw him, it will be easy ‘* for you to remember that be was at least a hea taller than I.” Dick did remember, and eyed the man rather | ; suspiciously. “Maybe you’re right,” he conceded, ‘ but Tas be blowed if I don’t find out who you are!” As he spoke, the detective prince reached — quickly forward, and seized the Bellerin’ Bullby the false beard. pi amore A jerk CHAPTER XI. +f THE BEGINNING OF THE WIND-UP. x To say that Déadwood Dick was surprised, 2 would be ** drawing it mild.” WS ele As for Fairfax himself, he at first flushed red with anger, but immediately his expression er ‘*Lenton has certainly — Accordingly, as McDonald arranged — | He did me a 1 lasting favor, and in So ere requested that — * .' t % detached the disguise, and the pallid countenance of Fred Fairfax was revealed in the flickering light of the candle! | Ko) ha a" d ' _ +) 7 1 ae: | 5 A Magy Lot Bl " changed to a broad grin. Serra ‘* Well, by all that’s wonderful! You’re the | last person 1 expected to see!” Dick declared, less be