Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 606 — page 14: what you’re looking at

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

J4 Deadwood Dick’s-Leadville L sh ——eoSsSoooossoooooooeeeeeseeeeee <2 aa.” ** Berry well, sah; I will tell ber.” And the door was closed in Dick’s face. It was opened directly, however, and the inky ‘visage of Eli once more appeared, ‘Be you de Colonel Cushion?’ he demanded, **T am Colonel Cushing!” Dick replied. “Berry well, sah! Walk right in, sab! You'll find de missus in de parlor, sab!” Aud a moment later, Dick found himself ustered into the presence of Mrs, Redfern, “fam very glad to see you, Mr. Cushing!” the widow said, effusively, as she gave bima ‘chair near the cheery grate fire, It is so very dark out, that I hardly expected you would come,” ‘I should have come, if it had rained pitch- forks!” the gallant Cushing replied. They chatted for awhile, Dick in the mean time making a sharp study of the room.’ {t was fairly well furnished, and not unlike many another parlor, with one exception. At one side of the room, there was an oaken chest, the lid of which was fastened down with a padlock, f was not a portable affair, being built Stationary with the wall and floor. **That’s an odd piece of furniture!” Dick ob- served, fs Yes, it is an unsightly thing!” the widow re- plied, ‘‘and I have repeatedly threatened to aveitremoved. They tell me Jerry Price used to keep his booty stored in that chest.” ** Indeed !” **'Yes, When he died ten thousand dollars in gold was found in the chest, It was left there pending a coroner’s inquest. When it was next ooked for, it had disappeared, and to this day, no one knows whatever became of it. By the way, Mr. Cushing, will you have a glass of champagne with me? I ordered a basket just ‘On your account, as I know most Southern gen- tlemen are fond of it.” ** I don’t often indulge in drinks of that kind!” Dick replied, ‘* but I would surely not be so un- gallant as to refuse you, chere dame !” “Thank you! But I will have to ask you to open the bottle, as I am wholly inexperienced in that art.” ‘* I presume I shall be equal to the emergency,” ‘the colonel replied. Madam then touched a silver call-bell, when Get-there-Eli directly appeared. ‘“* A bottle of champagne—the ono nearest the ice,” the widow ordered, ‘“ Also glasses, and something to pry the wires otf the bottle with.” And Eli retired, ‘IT wonder if she is trying a game on me?” Dick thought. ‘I can tell wien I see the bot- tle, If she is not, I'll fill her up on champagne until she becomes communicative, and then take her in,” Alas! when success Séems positively within our grasp, we are not always capable of grasp- ing it, The quart bottle of champagne was presently brought in, together with glasses and broken ice, and a glance convinced Dick that the bottle had not been tampered with. Had he made a second and more searching ex- amination, his opinion might have been re- e At any rate, Dick opened the bottle with the skill of an experienced bartender, and poured out a glass each for the widow and himself. ‘Well, Mr. Cushing, here’s toasting that you may never return to Texas without a wife!” the widow proposed. “Thank you!” Dick returned, “and here's hoping I may never take to Texas a woman who deals out drugged vey ee Rising from the table: ‘‘ Mrs, Redfern, [ will no longer en- croach upon your hospitality. By virtue of a warrant issued by the chief of police of this city T arrest you—” The remainder of the sentence was unfinished. A terrific blow on the side of the head dropped Deadwood Dick to the floor like a log, But he was not unconscious, He was, for the time being, simply helpless. He saw, and understood, but all power seemed to bave left his limbs, He saw Mrs, Redfern and Eli Johnson hovering over him, and heard the widow say: “Bind him securel the chest, we can , and we will pvt him in That will fix him safe enough until et away from the town.” 4 Then Dick felt himself being beund hand and oot. He tried to speak, but could not, e tried to move, but could not, He was literally paralyzed, except his brain, and that was active enough. é He heard the chest unlocked, and the ponder- ous lid lifted, He was conscious of being raised in the strong arms of Eli Johnson, and placed in a heap in the big chest, Then the lid came down with a bang, and all was blank, The lid had hardly shut the figure of Dick Bristol from view when therecame a violent ring at the door-bell, which was immediately re- peated. Mrs, Redfern turned deathly white. **'W bo can it be?’ she gasped. “Gib it up!” Eli chattered, his knees begin- ning to knock together with terror. ‘* Maybe it’s the police!” ‘‘Let them ring!” the widow said, sinking down on the sofa and setting her teeth hard together, ‘* They will never take me alive!” She evidently knew what was coming, and was prepared for it, for in her hand, concealed in the folds of her dress, she clutched a silver- mounted dagger, ‘* Let them come!” she hissed, ‘* They’ll never find that accursed detective until he is dead, anyhow!” _ Get-There Eli, terrified beyond expression, had crept under the sofa. The bell rung again, again, and again. Then there was a brief pause. ** Maybe they’ve gone away!” the murderess thought. But no! The reaction came, a moment later. There was a loud crash, and she knew, by footsteps in tho hall, that the front door had been broken open, An instant later the door of the parlor was opened and the acting-captain of police, Shelley, accompanied by Billy Bucket, Ben Brice, and two other policemen marched into the room. “Madam!” said the captain, “ we are looking for a man named Cushing, alias Bristol, the de- tective, He entered this house awhile ago and has not left it since. Where is he?” rs You are mistaken, He left half an hour ago!’ ‘*Hedid not! It matters not, however, We can find him. As for you, Roxie Redfern, in behalf of Detective Bristol, I will put you under arrest for the murder of Cohen, the Jew!” p ‘* Never!” the widow cried, springing to her eet. me, then Ill kill myself!” Brice stood nearest to her, and, leaping sud- denly toward him, ske thrust the poniard into his breast and, quick as a flasb, drove the crim- son blade into her own bosom! The tragedy was complete. ‘Search the house, you three!” the captain ordered, “‘ for the detective must be here; and you, Seidel, go for the coroner!” The search was made, and the chest was the last thing examined, Here Dick was found, unconscious. An hour more, and his detective exploits in this world would have been at an end, Restoratives were applied, and after a time he was up and able to walk again, Eli Johnson was dragged from under the sofa, and given in charge of one of the officers, who marched him off to the “cooler.” The coroner came and viewed the bodies, and ordered them to remain where they were until morning. Detective Bristol was left in charge of the remises, and retained as an assistant, Billy ucket, During the night they made a thorough search of the premises, and were rewarded by findin most of the diamonds and other jewelry o which the Cohens had been robbed, The Goy- ernment bond, too, was discovered in a treasure- box within the bureau of Mrs, Redfern’s private room, but the money was missing—probably had been used up long ago. * Well,” Dick remarked, ‘' the trail bas ended, and I am not sorry for it, As soon as we are through here, Billy, we will have a pleasure trip in earnest, and not take bold of anothor case, no matter how urgent it may be!” Dear reader, this is not a love story; conse- quently there are no heroes or heroines to be married off, in the stereotyped manner, and therefore, too, there is little left to add. Deadwood Dick returned to Rachel Cohen all the booty he had recovered, and the grateful Jewess rewarded both the redoubtable detective and Billy in a liberal manver, Ben Brice was buried at Dick’s expense, while eee “*T will first kill the man who betrayed | 298 L ggzer Lem; or, Life in the Pine Woods, the expenses of Mrs, Redfern’s funeral were borne by the Coroner, Dick and Billy remained in the mountain city a couple of weeks longer, on purpose to hear uf from Edna Grey, and they were not disappoint- ed, for one day the following message came: if ‘‘Tam home. and forgiven, and content. If you stay long in Leadville, and see any change in Ben, let me know. With all his faults, I love him still. As for you, you must know that in my nichtly prayers I do not forget your exceeding kindness and honorable conduct. Epvna Grey.” A feeling of inexpressible sadness came over Deadwood Dick as he read these lines. ‘* With all bis faults, I love him still?’ Almost the same words be had uttered to Ben Brice in the mountain drift, Poor Brice! How the words would have cheered him in his undoubtedly earnest resolve to lead a better life! 2 But he was cut off in the very beginning of his new life, | Was it not a fitting exemplification that we who wait too long will be too late? Dick simply wrote back: **Poor Brice is dead. But he died with the resolve firmly fixed in his heart that he would live a new and better life, in the fond hope of wianing back that which he once had trampled on. ‘*Deapwoop Dick.” THE END. Beadle’s Dime Library. EY MAJOR DANGERFIELD BURR. 92 Buffalo Bill, the Buckskin King. | 117 Dashing Dandy; or, The Hotspur of the Hills. ‘ 142 Captain Crimson, the Man of the Iron Face. ; 156 Velvet #ace, the Border Bravo, 175 Wild Bill’s Trump Card; or, The Indian Heire:. 188 The Phantom Mazeppa; or, The Hyena, 448 Hark Kenton, the ~~ hee ee € Se raitor, BY PROF. J. H. INGRAHAM, 113 The Sea Slipper: or, The Freehooters. 118 The Burglar Captain; or. The Fallen Star. 314 Lefitte; or, The Pirate of the Gulf, 316 Lafitte’s Lieutenant; or, Child of the Sea, BY EDWARD WILLETT. 129 Mississippi Mose; or, a Strong Man’s Sacrifice, 209 Buck Farley, the Bonanza Prince. 222 Bill the Blizzard; or, Red Jack’s Crime. *48 Montana Nat, the Lion of Last Chance Camp, 274 Flush Fred, the Mississippi Sport. 289 Flush Fred’s Full Hand. 308 Hemicck Hank, Tough and True, 315 Flush Fred’s Double; or, The Squatters’ 327 Terrapin Dick, the Wildwood Detective. 337 Old Gabe, the Mountain Tramp. 348 Dan Dillon, King of Crosscut. 368 The Canyon King; or. a Price on his Head, 483 Flush Fred, the River Sharp. MISCELLANEOUS, 6 Wildcat Bob. By Edward L, Wheeler, 9 Handy Andy. By Samuel Lover. 10 Vidocq, the French Police Spy. By himsel. ‘ 11 Midshipman Easy. 7 Captain Marryatt. ; 32 B*hoys of Yale: or, The Scrapes of Collegiang, By John D. Vose. 60 Wide Awake, the Robber King. By F. Dumont, 68 The Fighting Trapper. By Capt. J. F.C. Adams, P| 76 The Queen’s Musketeers. By George Albany. 3 lh 78 The Mysterious Spy: By Arthur M, Grainger. , 102 The Masked Band. By George L. Aiken, 110 The Silent Rifleman. By H. W. Herbert. 125 The Blacksmith Outlaw. By H. Ainsworth. 133 Rody the Rover. By William Carleton, 140 The Three Spaniards, By Geo. Walker. 144 The Hunchback of Notre Dame. By Victor Hugo. 146 The Doctor Detective. By George Lemuel. 152 Captain Ironnerve, the Counterfeiter Chief, 158 The Doomed Dozen, By Dr. Frank Powell. 186 Owlet, the Robber Prince. By S. R. Urban. 179 Conrad, the Convict. By Prof, Gildersleeve. . 190 The Three Guardsmen. By Alexander Dumas, 261 Black Sam, the Prairie Thunderbolt. By Cod Jo Yards. . 275 The Smuggler Cutter. By J. D. Conroy, 312 Kinkfodt Karl, the Mountain Scourge. By Mon ris Redwing. 330 Cop Colt,the Quaker City Detective. By C. Morrig, 350 dees Axia the Society Detective. By Weldon . Cobb. : 353 Bart Brennan; or, The King of Straight Flush, By John Cuthbert. | 366 _— Telegraph Detective. By George Henry orse, 410 Sarah Brown, Detective. By K. F. Hill. 500 The True-Heart Pards. By Dr. Noel Dunbar. A new issue every Wednesday, Beadle’s Dime Library is for sale by all Newsdealers, ten cents per copy, or sent by mail oa receipt of twelve cents each, BEALE & ADAMS Publishers, 98 William Street, New York. Sow « £ ~* aoe ~~» =. <i) >. COMIC b ¥ { ‘ ne ——_ ' mek ah i} | wl ~_