Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 57 — page 7: what you’re looking at

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

-_ 2 5 Bae ST eth @ pe ee —— Deadwood Dick’s Eagles. ” down with my er. Look sharp, and see if you can’t discover another room.”’ Avalanche was now seen to bend forward, and — keenly around, a scowl upon his furrowed fore- “Yes!” he replied, presently, ‘‘there’s a door w’at opens inter ernuther room.” “‘Ah! that’s more like it. Unlock that door and jook inside. Take a careful survey. There, now; what do you see?” ‘*Great repinin’ ham-bone w’at got snagged agin’ ther larnyx uv old Joner! et’s a Injun critter!’ ex- claimed Avalanche, with a sniff of disgust, which, for some strange reason, caused a broad smile to illu- mine the face of Squirrel Sam—“‘a reg’lar old ca- vortin’, buckin’ she-male squaw, an’, holey darnin’- peer uy old Cleopatra, she’s got the maddest kind Oo’ : ms!’ 3 ‘Is she old and ugly?” ** Moses who did through ther rushes rush, yes— uglier an’ ornier lookin’ then my Florence Nightin- gale, or even old Samantha Snodgrass who lives up at Yankton. Mitey, but she’s humbly, gentlemen, aire thet Samantha, an’ she’s been known ter fright- en away ther birds an’ bufflers fer ten year on a stretch, jest wi’ her old unbecoming mug.” “Stop, old man; you're getting clear off track. Has this Indian woman a mad look?” **You bet yer a’riferous she hes! Looks madder than a wassup w’at’s hed his stinger tuk.” **Is she a prisoner?”’ *“*“Shedn’t wonder.”’ “Well, now look around you, and a you may see somet more thatis interesting. Do you know who is questioning you?”’ ‘**DoIl? Ham-bone w’at war cremated by old Jo- ner, yes. I see ye even ef I ain’t lukin at ye. know yer voice like I do tarantler juice. You aire Deadwood Dick!” Belmont and Miaco uttered an exclamation at this disclosure, and Squirrel Sam simply squinted one eye, and nodded for the others to be still. “'You hit the nail plum on the head then, Alva!” replied the voice of ‘the invisible inquirer, this time coming from the earth at the Annihilator’s feet. “I am Deadwood Dick, whom the Flood Bar Vigilantes long to clasp in their fond embrace. But they haven’t ot me yet, Alva, and when they do I’lllet you know. But, look! it strikes me that there is another apart- ment to the Black Cabin, which you have not ex- plored, is there not? ‘*Darn my old mule’s capacity fer oats, but ye’re right. Yonder is another door, but it aire heavily Pathe an’ I’m gittin’ ter old an’ weak ter bu’st oors.’ You lack confidence, Look at me, and I will reassure you.” ‘**Pshaw! The eyes of the old man roved along the canvas siding of the tent, and finally stopped, and the three watching ers saw a pair of magnetic black eyes and part of a face peering in through a slit in the canvas. But the face disappeared, a moment later, and the voice continued: ‘You feel stronger, now?” **Great ham bone, yes. I ken lick enny man w’at sez ther Annihilation ain’t the greatest achievement in ther hull world, an’ part o’ Canady.”’ ** Well, d’ye see the room, now?” “Yes. Thar’s a galin et—purty as ary lialac ye ever see’d!”’ “*Ha! that is the kind of news we are in want of!”’ returned the voice, now tinged with excitement. ** This girl—has she red hair?’ “Great hifalutin’ ham-bone, yes—redder than ary rum-cullerd nose ked be. Ther gal is crying, now, wi’ her head buried atwixt her hands.” **Ah! and have you ever seen her before, Alva, and know you her name?” ** Ay! down in Del Norte I last saw her, for she is Leone Harris, ther wife o’ Deadwood Dick!” There was a smothered imprecation from without the tent—then Avalanche suddenly started in his mesmeric trance, his hands clutching. " “Fire! fire! ee —_ Cabin 4 se cried, reaking the and sprin s feet. “Pine! cried, Dick ” cried Deadwood , through the aper- in the canvas; then he was heard dashing away. “Pire! yelled the crowd of miners, rushing by. And all was excitement in a moment. CHAPTER VIII. THE BURNING CABIN.—ELIJAH SWAIN AGAIN.—THE SEN- SATION.—DEADWOOD DICK’S HEAD.—ADMISSION 30c. Yes; bu was the mysterious Black Cabin, or at least so said these excited denizens as they rushed pell-mell across the bar. Belmont, Avalanche, and Squirrel Sam leaped out of their tent, and glared around them. The sky was reddened by a mighty illumination from the cabin, which was all ablaze. The timbers of which it had been built were old, punky, and in- flammable, and a thousand sparks ascended heaven- ward at every puff of the evening breeze, while the flames roared and crackled furiously. “Et aire good-by ter ther old crib as sure’s there's contrariness in a she-mule’s hind hoof!” ejaculated Old Avalanche, who had come out of his trance, and while thoroughly himself again, had forgotten near- ly all concerning the mesmeric power Dick had thrown over him. ‘“ Great Norweejan ham-bone thet did old Joner strangulate—ef thar’s any one in a Ark, they're bound ter go to Canaan a-whoop- n “If the cabin has the occupants you named in our tantrums, I’m reckoning Deadwood Dick will ose a wife—Leone, ye called her,” said Miaco, as he goo, came from the tent. _ ee ee sss) Se ee sss... Q>__c_>°QQ "XXX, REE... ee “What! what d’ye say, Stub, about Leone?” ex- claimed the Annihilator, excitedly. ‘‘ Whar is she? who’s seen her?” ** None has seen her, old man,” replied Belmont; “but, according to the revelation you made in your trance, a few moments ago, she is a prisoner in yon- der burning cabin. Whois this Leone?—Deadwood Dick’s wife?” . ‘“‘ Great forsaken ham-bone, yes—she war his wife, an’ ther sweetest lump 0’ suger outside o’ a merlasses cask, But she got stole away while we war down at Del Norte, an’ hitherto we’ve bin unable ter find a trace o’ her. Yas, Il remember now—I see’d Dead- wood Dick peekin’ in at me, an’ ketchin’ my eye, he quick throwed me into a mesmeric trance, w’ich war easy fer him, he hevin’ done it afore.”’ The four men joined in with the crowd which was pense over on the bar from.the shores, and pushed oward the burning cabin. They soon gained a place as close as the terrible heat would permit, and then stood watching the conflagration. There was no aid which could be given, had the Flood Bar-ites been inclined to give aid, which they were not, ‘**D’ye kno’ ef any one’s got out uv ther old crib yet?’ Avalanche asked of a bystander, for the old man was shuddering each moment, when he remem- bered that possibly Leone, Deadwood Dick's wife, was being consumed in the roaring furnace. **Yas—two gals and an old Injun woman escaped, ther gals goin’ first, and ther squaw a-chasin’ *em, wi’ screeches like an ugly painter.” “Which way did they go?’ ‘*Down ther canyon gulch, an’ hid, so thet they ken’t be found.”’ ‘*“Do you know how the cabin came afire?”’ put in Belmont. “Waal, I dunno, but the story’s about thet a ga- loot hed two girls shut up in thar, wi’ a crazy squaw ter guard ’em, an’, thet, gittin’ tight on Fl Bar whisky, he concluded ter cremate ‘em in ther latest approved style, wharfore he sot the cabin on fire.” “Then he escaped, too, eh?” ‘**O’ course ;—don’t suppose he’d go inter the she- bang after thet, ter cremate hisself, do you?” ““ Didn’t know but he might,’’ the Annihilator re- plied, placidly. ‘Knew a feller once who got a stove hot fer ter set his mother-in-law upon, an’ for- got hisse * sot down kerslap onter it. Wal, a romance thus begun. Settin’ on ther stove naterly fried ther fat outen him, an’ ther oilly sub- stance run all over ther floor, so thet his wife hed ter “fy be up. An she throwed ther moppin’s in a hole t ther back door, an’ an oil locater kim along, see’d ther grease w’ich hed riz on top o’ ther water, de- clared crude petroleum ter exist thar, an’ offered thet fried chap a thousan’ an’ royalty fer ther claim. Did, by gprecieg E “At it again, Dld man,” here interposed Miaco. “In heaven’s name, whenever will ye cease ter lie?” “Like yerself, Stubby—only when ther old angel Gabriel screws down my throttle, an’ shets off my superflewus steam. Hooray! reat degenerated ham-bone w’at give old Joner connipshun fits! See ther old Ark w’at Noaher built blaze up, an’ shute her sparks upward like ginnywine Norweejan snow- flakes toward ther hevings!”’ “Yes, et’s a-goin’ fast— Great God!” cried Bel- mont, leaping back, as there was a great puff within the burning cabin, which shot a myriad upward— then a report not unlike the roar of a hun can- nons,—an explosion of giant powder, which tore the cabin into bits, hurling, in some instances, great logs to the opposite side of the Bar. Nearly all the crowd were blown prostrate, and in some instances killed, or more or less injured. Ava- lanche was among those to suffer apparent death. He was found outstretched, with no signs of life about him, his old face mantled by a grim smile. ‘**He’s a goner!” said Belmont, g down at the veteran Indian-hater. ‘Guess *twon't be his odd expressions our ears will hear, arfter this, ““No, the poor old feller. Bet he nevyer expected ter git layed out so soon!” replied Miaco. ‘An’ a right sensible old galoot war he, too.”’ ‘Hello! w’at hev yeou heer? Glory be unto—ther chap who made mea subject ter sit on!”’ and follow- ing the words came the person of Elijah Swain, U.S. Coroner, and so forth. ‘“‘ Bizness is revivin’, gents— times aire gettin’ better; ther mortu aire becom- in’ more reconciled an’ puttin’ et’s work on in better shape. Just sot onter two men, back heer, an’ ren- dered a verdict, w’ich war ten dollars in my pocket; one feller. got kicked wi’ a flying log—ther other tried ter stop a cavortin’ windy shutter. Step aside, gentlemen, an’ let me set onter this unfortunate man, ‘**Ham-bone w’at explored ther mammoth cave uv old Joner! no ye don't!” yelled Avalanche, sitting regretfully _ S “twon't | I nguage of the Black Hills, Daan — a upright so suddenly, that the business-inclined Eli- | jah’s hair nearly stood up on end. ‘‘GuessI ain’t reddy ter be sot onter yet, ef ther old leggislater | knows herself, an’ she ruther opine she do. Git out | 0’ this, ye lunatic, or by all ther bulls w’at Moses rid w’en he cavorted around thru ther rushes, I'll pul- verize ye fer land plaster, Git/” And seein around in hopes of finding more defunct persons. The cabin burned to the ground, and nothing but that the little old man was in earnest, | Elijah quickly obeyed, and was later secon searching | a glowing bed of ashes was left to mark its former | site. Gradually the crowd aed pig ce and went back | to their respective roosts for the night. Avalanche had not been injured—only momentari- ly stunned. The old knight of the trail'and war-path seemed to bear a charmed existence—at least he was re lucky enough to escape death, no matter how great the danger or severe his injuries. Long life on the border had é him reckless, and os it is this class who ever seem to bear a charmed, in- vulnerable life. That night & rumor was epeena about that Dead- wood Dick had been killed. A brawny bummer heralded the news broadcast, and it was preity enerally beli:ved. But when a week had passed y, and nothi:' = of the noted Prince of the Road had been heard, it was arded as a fact. And the Flood Bar-ites breathed free, During the weck, ° Avalanche had searched far and wide, in the vicini- : ty of Flood sar, both for Deadwood Dick and for oor abducied Leone, who had escaped from the ° lack Cabin, and so t safety in flight. But it had been a fruitless search, and he finally settled down to hunting ani yee —— with the conviction that Deadwood Dick had in passed in his checks.. As = Leone, he could form no conjecture of her where- abouts. During the week another “ grand ” hotel, builtof slabs and boards went up on the eastern shore of Squirrel Creek, which was now considered the first street of the town. It was called the White House and because of being comfortably furnished, and setting forth a better array of grub, received the reater share of the regular and transient patronage. short, it was a “ first-class’ boarding house, such as you find in all mining towns. In one of the rooms upon the second floor, and looking down onto the picturesquely tented Bar, sat & man at the close of a mild spring day, when the miners were trudging in from their work, and night's early twilight was stealing softly over the landscape. The sun had so far gone down in the west thar sd a faint radiance flushed the mountain top, \. hi rose stately and grand on the opposite side of the Bar, and rolled away in gorgeous pine-fringed piles as far as eye could reach, Perfume of exquisitely sweet-scented May flow- ers wafted down and greeted the nostrils of the man we have mentioned, as he sat by an open caseinen and mir hie a waging ete wy ky epee pull ; Silently at a jheavy pipe, dispelling the fragrance o = flower’s perfume by the scent of bad-smelling to- acco. He was one whose age might have been any} «re between twenty-five and thirty-five, dark of coi..»)ex- ion and swarthy, with a black ugly-expressioi)«. eye, a sensual mouth shaded by a heavy jetty musi:he, and hair like the raven’s wing. His dress was?) wh and coarse, with no pretensions to dandyism. and upon his head, he wore a herder’s slouch lat. ‘** Curses upon me!” he growled, as his eyes i. ved over the scene, below, and at last rested 5 #5 the former site of the Black Cabin. ‘‘ Why was I ecuch a cursed fool as to get drunk and fire the old <lell when it contained my two prizes, whom I valu more than life? But they are gone, now, and the devil only knows where they are. I hope old Mar- keesa did get ‘em, and chaw ’em up, though by some crazy freak she might have befriended them, My only planis to watch and wait. Chance might ergain pace ‘em in my power. And, they say Deadwood ick is dead, too, which is a great relief to me, for if he were alive I should not care to walk boldly in the streets of Flood Bar. His wife, Leone, he loved too much, to ever give over her chase. Ah, life has been eventful since I left Del Norte; and, Hawk Harrington, you can call yourself lucky that you are not dead ere this!”’ “Ay! that you can, if you have Deadwood Dick upon the enemy list!’ replied a cool, calculati voice, so close at hand, that Harrington whirl around with an oath, and beheld a stranger, loung- ing against a table, to his left, with all the composure of a statue. A man of trim build, with a dusky face that was pore’y Spanish,. adorned by a well-waxed rus- ache, an evil-shaped mouth, piercing eyes, and the wan himself rather neatly. He was well armed, however—‘ heeled,” in the hat do you want?” Harrington demanded, ris- ing, with an angry color in his cheeks. ‘ You will please remember /’ve paid for this room!” ““Oh! have you?” was the Spaniard’s reply. “I “awuy know but you'd ‘stood ‘em off,’ again, as usual.” ‘Who are you? what brings you here?” again re- peated beg angrily. Who? the other, reflectively—“ well, I don’t know as it makes any difference to you, :s my name isn’t concerned in any business, particwiarly. However, you can know me as Carlos Cambre :” ‘“Cambre, eh? Guess I never heard the name. What do you want?” : “I can soon explain. I want information of cither Deadwood Dick, or his wife, Lcone, and was sent to you as being the person who might be able to assist me,” ‘Who sent you?” That ae = sorta, Rage ill wt A Dame Rue mor,”’ replied Cambre, with a peculiar laugh. “Then the Dame misled you,’’ was Harrincs u's comment. “I know, now, absolutely nothing ia ° cerning those ies, though it is reported that tt» former is dead. The girl has been a prisoner in -: power, but escaped, about a week ago.” me ‘““And you don’t know where she can be found: | * ‘No. or Ishould hasten to repossess myself of j:_r.% . > | Whrt do you want of her?” ‘Enough of her heart’s blood that she may nevi 7% breathe again—and vhe same. applies to her hi s+ band. ;, Lou are a villain!” Harrington.said. “ Cornet, and you are a duplicate. If you get the’ 1 again, hunt me up, and I'll make youan offer or her!’’ the scheming Spaniard said, as with a + .- tronizing smile he bowed himself from the room. Oh! yes, I am liable to do just what vou prop: se, in a horn!” the Del Norte herder muttered, as he Eomichbooks (e (E()