Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 561: Deadwood Dick — page 11: what you’re looking at

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

Deadwood Dick in Boston. w — ~~ my “" ae: a 11 der, and, wheeling around, found himself face to face with Jack Brady. | ‘Hello, Sharkey, old stockings!” the tough saluted. ‘* How is things?” ‘‘Purty cussed blue!” Dick replied. ‘‘ Hain’t seen a chance to make a red yet, though l’ve been all over town. If things don’t pony up better’n this pretty soon, I shall have to utilize shank’s mare and strike out for better pastures, I know of a fat thing up in Maine—good for a couple o’ thousan’—but I’ve kincer held that back in reserve, as [ wanted to get-in a few licks at Boston first. No show though, I guess,” ‘‘Darned little. What part o’ Maine is this lay-out?’ Brady asked. ‘Bout six miles from Portland.” ‘* You don’t say?” ‘*Yes, Pussy Jim put me onto it. There’s an old farmer out there who don’t believe in banks, and be’s got a barrel o’ money hid away in the house. Here’s what’s goin’ to have a sample of it before a week goes by. I'd go there at once, only I dassn’t go to Portland except in disguise, and I ain’t got the boodle to tog myself ‘out with.” Brady’s eyes sparkled. “Say, ye wouldn’t take a feller in cn. that snap, would ye?” he asked. ‘*T dunno but I would,” Dick replied, of. dunno but what I would, providing—” ‘* Providing what?’ ‘* Providing he’d be willing to take a third for his share.” ‘*Then Pm yer man!” Brady declared, with enthusiasm. ‘‘Il can get ye through to Port- land scot free, and Pll lend you money enough to disguise yourself to the queen’s taste. What d’ye say?” ‘*It’s a go!” Dick declared, apparently de- lighted. ‘But how are we goin’ to reach Port- land?’ ; ‘* Well, I'll tell you. There’s a private steam- tug leaves her to-night or to-morrow morning for Portland, to carry a lady and gentleman there, It’s a private boat, but they haven't ot their crew together yet, and I reckon can work you in. Do you know anything about a boat?’ ‘“* No; I couldn’t tell a marlinespike from a jib- ” ‘Oh, well, I'll fix it with the captain, so you won’t have much of anything to do, There’s little to do, anyhow. ou go to a costumer’s, and fix yourself wp as a sailor, and come back here, and we'll go down to the tug.” “All right. But how *bout my apprentice?” “Oh, yes; I'd forgot him, Say, that’s a mighty smart kid you’ve got, and he’]] make his mark in the profesh, take my word for it. [ had him out riding, last night. Did he tell you *bout it?” sé No.” ‘‘Ha! ha! He’sa close-mouthed young rab- bit, eh? Well, that’s a good traij, Pll be bound! Now, let me see what I can do for him, Aju, I have it! The lady who owns the boat wants a neat darky lad to wait on her. Couldn’t you blacken the kid up with grease-paint s» he’d answer?” ‘Yes, it’s a capital idea; [ll attend to it.” 66 an ht. ere’s dep a Pandy sellers to rig ou out, ow long will it take you ms Pll be back here by two o’clock,” Dick said, glancing at his watch. “ Allright. In the mean time T’ll run down to the boat and secure positions for you both, Be sure and be here at two o'clock.” ‘*J will be on hand promptly,” Dick replied. “The two separated, Dick going toward the hotel, while Brady set out for Charlestown. “By Jove! I’m in luck!” the latter said, chuckling softly to himself, ‘ That Sharkey Collins is One 0’ the flyest crocks in the biz, and a rattlin’ good feller to tie to. We'll makea strong team travelin’ together, you bet! We'll not only scvop in the olde farmer’s boodle, but, just before we get to Portland, we’ll relieve Sis- ter Mag of her money and that boodle of dia- monds of hers, “Ha! ha! Jack Brady, you’re as smart as they find ’em, ef your Adonis-Jike beauty ain’t only skin deep.” And thus musing, the villain hurried ou. -_-__—_— CHAPTER XIII. - FOUND AT LAST. _ [x Jack Brady was elate at the prospect of going into partnership with Sharkey. Collins, our Wild West detective was likewise elate over “ ange ore working immense!” he mused, a8 he took way leisurely toward the Reyere . be 00 OO nn ED House. “If [am not ized by that puppy Gil, all will be O. K. One thing is certain. Before the Emily touches dock at Portland, I intend to have possession of those diamonds that Mrs. Glenroy stole from Calvin Cool.” Instead of going direct to the botel, he changed his mind and went to a police court, where he swore out the warrants, With these Dick returned to the hotel, and went up to Cora’s room. His knock was answered by the pretty young lady in person, who invited him to come in. On entering the room, however, Dick was treated to a surprise. Another young lady was present besides Cora—a rather pretty girl, of about Cora’s age. She was a brunette, however, where Cora was a blonde; her beauty was of the haughty, statu- esque order, where Cora’s was like to a dream of mellow sunlight. ‘*Mr. Bristol, this is my sister Gertie,” Cora said. ‘‘ Gertie, Mr. Bristol, my detective—ha! ha! the idea of mg having the presumption of calling you my detective, Mr. Bristol! <Ain’t I just awful!” ‘Why, you are perfectly right,” Dick re- turned, with a smile, after acknowledging the introduction. ‘I am your detective, am I not, or, at least, I am an apology for one!” ‘* And, oh! I’ve such news, Mr. Bristol! Ger- tie bas left my horrid old mother, and we are going to live together, and be sisters again, just as we used to be!” ‘* Yes, it is true!” Miss Gertrude said, noting the detective’s look of surprise. ‘ I have left my mother, for good, thoroughly ashamed of and disgusted with her. Not until last night did I suspect that she was the wicked woman she is, although I knew she robbed papa, when she forced me to accompany her Kast. I was not aware even of that fact until we reached New York. Then I was powerless to return home. Last night, however, I learned, to my horror, that my mother had conspired to murder my poor father by imprisoning him in some lonely place, and leaving him to die of starvation. ‘*The shock was awful, and learning where I was likely to find my sister,.I quietly left my wicked mother this morning and came here to join Cora, and we shall never be separated ain. ‘*And in doing this you have proven your ood sense!” Diek said, accepting the chair Cora ad placed for hith. WY se youwell Mrs, Glenroy where you were geing tote ‘No ” “From what you have said, I infer that you overheard the interview between Mrs. Glerroy, | her step-son, Gil, and Jack Brady, last nigbt?” ‘I did, But, how do you come to know about it?’ Gertie demanded, in surprise. ‘*Oh! we detectives have ways of finding out those little things, you know!” Dick answered, with a smile, et know as much about. what Penge at that interview as you do your- Se . ‘* You were playing spy, then?” ‘* Not individually, but some one else was.” “You are informed, then, that my mother is about to leave town, to avoid arrest?” ‘Yes, and the same craft that takes her to Portland takes me also, [It was to tell Miss Cora this that brought me here, I shall go in the disguise of a sailor.” ‘* Why not arrest her here?’ Cora asked, ‘* 1 have to very good reasons for not doing so. Oneis this: If arrested in Portland, it will be next to impossible for her to get bail. This will secure her incarceration and give me a chance to hunt up Mr, Cool, who no doubt will be glad to testify against her.” ‘** It 1s true, then, that papa has escaped from the place where she had him imprisoned?” ““ Yes. But what has become of him I bave not yet found out. The second reason for not wishing to arrest Mrs, Glenroy in Boston is that I intend to get the diamonds away from her be- fore we get to Portland, and will have a better chance while we are on board the launch than though we were on the land.” ‘*Ob! ITdoso hope you can get us the dia- monds, even if you can recover no money,” Cora said. ‘* Poor papa, he always thought so much of them.” ‘* What are we to dp during your absence, Mr. Bristol?” Gertie asked, ‘* Well, that’s optional with you,” Dick re- lied. ‘The trial of Mrs. Glenroy will doubt- ess take place at Portland, if Mr. Cool can be found, and 1 should advise that you go there at once, and put up at the Falmouth House. There is a train leaves here at ten o’clock, which will give you an hour to get ready.” Very well; we will go,” Gertie decided. ‘‘ All right. I will call for you in an hour, and see you safely off.” Dick left the girls to prepare for the journey and went down to the hotel office, where he found Rats waiting for him. As briefly as possible, be outlined the work abead to his young apprentice. ‘‘And now, Rats,” he said, ‘‘do you think yourself equal to the emergency of playing off darky, providing you’re fixed up right? ‘*Oh, you kin bet I can! Us kids uster have a juvernile minstrel show, down in the cellar in under Mike Kelly’s grocery store in Baxter street, an’ I uster carry off all the boquets, you bet! Never fear for me! I wasn’t brougbt up for nothin’, nohow. I kin doaturn anywhere from a Mott street Chinaman to a maccaroni Italian—from an Irish hod-carrier to a tar- heeled coon. Oh, you bet there ain’t nothin’ slow about me!” ‘Very well. Dll fix you up after a while.” At the expiration of an hour, Deadwood Dick ascended once more to the room occupied by the sisters, and found them all in readiness for their journey. Accordingly a hack was ordered, and the trio were driven to the Boston and Maine depot. They were early, and were obliged to wait for the train to be made up, so they sauntered about the waiting-room., It was while they were doing this that Dead- wood Dick became inspired with a feeling that et! were watched. radually allowing his gaze to wander about, he was not long in confirming his suspicion. Upon one of the seats in the waiting-room sat an old man, with a huge hunch on his back, If his bair was any criterion, be ‘as past sixty years of age, for his hair, worn long, was as white as driven snow. Hard at contrast with this was the huge, raven-black beard and mustache he wore, which covered the greater portion of bis face. What of his face was visible was almost corpse-like in its pallor, while eyes, sunken in their sockets, glowed like balls of fire. He was a large-framed man, but was very r in flesh, his garments hanging about him oosely. , He carried a stout hickory stick, nearly as tall as himself, which he evidently used to assist in walking. Such was the individual whom Dick caught in the act of watching him, and the Cool sisters, with undisguised intensity. : **) wonder who old codger is?’ Dick mused. ‘* He never takes his eyes off’m us. Can’t be possible that he knows us, or is here to spy On us. If I thought he was, I’d take it upon my- self to investigate his case.” The train was soon made up, and Dick saw the sisters aboard it, gave them good-by, and then went back into the depot. The bunchback still occupied the same seat, and when the detective looked toward him, the old fellow motioned for bim to approach. Not without considerable curiosity Dick obeyed. ‘* Well, what do you want?’ was asked. ‘*Do you know who those young ladies were?” the old man asked. ‘Certainly, Ido. Why?’ ‘*They are my daughters. What were you doing with them?” and there was a trifle of fierceness in the old man’s tone. Dick was astonished. ‘‘ You Calvin Cool?” he ejaculated, ‘‘T am,” was the reply. ‘‘ But, who are you ? —that’s what I want to know!” Dick eyed the man a moment, aig; Per A ‘*T don’t believe you are Calvin Coo)!” he de- clared. surely bave recognize The old man chuckled. ‘*So she would, had I not been disguised,” he ‘*But, why do you refuse to tell me who you are?” Si * My name is Richard Bristol. Iam a detec- ve, ‘* A detective?” ‘Yes. Iam in the employ of your daughter, engaged to hunt you up, or at least ferret out the mystery of your disappearance. I set to work on the case, and have succeeded admira- bly, for now that I have found you, the way is easy.” co) I am glad to meet you!” Calvin Cool said, his voice tremulous with emotion. ‘“‘I see that my daughters have fallen into the charge of ew hands. You know all, then—how I have D “Tf you are, your da aghter Cora would ou. sas hh “Yes. know all about how your wife de- serted you, robbing you of our money and matriod jewels; how she came Ea: another