Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 618 — page 9: what you’re looking at

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

wre « * Ne a , Ai~* 7, «a , a ° “nS ~ near! ee é ~ ; s ~~ ~e4§ ® - Wiha a ee rrr ive é % 7 -*% > | ‘ wr, f ; ' ee oo Lay Pe “80 important that Mr. Clincher was murdered this morning!” ‘‘The deuce! I must goand see nim at once. I say, young man, you are clever— _ very clever!” ‘*Thanks!” Dick replied. ‘‘I feel sure ‘Mr. Clincher will be glad to see you. Please ‘tell him that I think we are on the trail.” Dick bounded into the hack and the trio / were driven rapidly away. ’ — Ss , ¢ a ie ‘“ Is iv 4 : : r ¥ - ~ { Pr Ants — ¥& Le | * ? ¢ eine i) ¥ ' } ' 4\ 5 A vd ‘ et . ? me ty e - ad ¥o ey Ye : ae ain we Ue ue or. and os ' + § y . re 7 « 7 ’ AF 1 4 4 . . him in the least close, so far. state of reflection. a *2 } ' te est: - Y | money. Our own is near played out.” ' a < ! a) “ » i + “ ‘ i= a ’ ‘ “ vit Fes > .__.¢’u’d find ’em.” .._.. All forthwith left the Ashbrook, and Pep- ‘» per hailed a cab that would take them to Newport. L | ‘ - CHAPTER XI. A SUSPICION ABOUT PEPPER. the bootblack: “What places in Newport do you know?” “Know ther hull place, boss. I was ‘sprouted up in town, over the Rhine, near as I kin figger et, an’ when I cum to ’turity, I left thet old cuss, Clincher, and went inter business for myself. Ther biz wasn’t quite so high-toned, but ther was a darned sight more money on my side o’ the ledger, by blackin’ boots, an’ don’t yer fergit it. Clinch’ was honest, but too clos’t forme. He give me ten cents a day, an’I had to board myself, an’ ef I didn’t have a clean collar every day I was fined a quarter. along, hey?’ “That would seem so,” Dick responded. **But your experience seems rather queer. [ have met Mr, Clincher, and I have not found Fast way o’ gittin’ You evidently are laboring undera wrong impression of the man.’ ‘Not a bitofit. Iknow him likea book.” ‘*|’ve a mind to smash his head,” snarled the Bull-dog. ‘* Better not, boss. There’sa lot in it, if the hair is red, and et would cost you some- ‘thing to have ther mess cleaned up!” Then there was silence; the arrival of the food meant business—not talk. After they had breakfasted, Dick, the Bull- ‘dog and Peter Pepper returned to the hotel, ‘where the latter two registered, and were assigned rooms, by the detective’s order. - Dick went to his own, which had pre- viously been given him, and waited, in a If his sub-detectives were on the track, they would soon inform him, he argued; so, not knowing what time he might be called upon for action, Le laiddown and took a nap. This oceupied a couple cf hours, by which time the Bull-dog rapped upon the door loudly: a Ea Gattle on ther ranch!” Opening the door, the Bull-dog stood there with a messenger. ‘‘ News!” the Bull-dog announced. Dick took the message, which proved to ‘be from Stinson and Blackman, and was sent from Newport, Ky. _ “Not sure that we are on the right track,” it said, “*bnt feel confident. However, come on, with ‘Mighty indefinite,” Dick mused, ‘but I suppose we shall have to go. Tell Pepper to come here!” The Montanian disappeared, and soon re- turned with the lad. ‘What do you know of Newport?” de- manded Dick. ‘* Know et all.” . _ Where do you think Stinson and his companion would be likely to put up?” “The feds amin reflected a moment. “Well,” he said, ‘I can’t jast say the shouldn’t be s’prised ef I There we exact spot, but I “All right, go.” i =. - é a = tag “ 5 He s e fa at ad distance is short, and ere long the Herman's Hotel. ’ rs —- ‘A . 6 eee o™ “** —_ ate Fe ON aS BO ie tare ot foe, Lr S>, SM aaa yy sete i IGA % See WS re . A - « ™, a. a, i <a ; E ¢ eae ae j 74 - . ? way 6° eee ; a ' - + —- © Me oe ey ! wa th” 4 ~S * bi ‘. ‘. i} "sade fa" ta , ae \ 4 At “Wi, Hog ‘ é } Ag oo os ead woo ic Here Dick, alone, registered, requesting his companions to remain outside. Having ‘registered, he took them to a neighboring ‘restaurant, and ordered breakfast for all. _ While waiting for the repast, he questioned 4 * we 2:9a> = we \ -_ - et REF i _ eet © | JY; ¥ Ps —- > hm nes viz ” ie ni te at 4 vf, =e ba :* a | sé . : * + -. n Cincinnati. - i. “You go onto Farmer’s Hotel,” Pepper | tience as was at his command, but in vain, said, ‘‘and wait there. If I dont find out nothin’ here I'll j’ine ye. IfI doTIll send a kid I know. Yer can shake the hack when ye git there, fer mebbe we will hev to look all over Newport for ’em, an’ thar’s lots of walkin’ room layin’ round loose here.” When the hack wheeled away there was a queer expression on the countenance of th man from butte. : ‘‘Say, that boy’s a corker, ain’t he?” ‘| thought you were of a different opin- ion,” Dick observed. ‘*T was, at first. His cheek ruther made me howl, ’cause, ye know, I hevn’t been uste ter that sort o’ thing, and et kinder knocked me at tirst. But the kid has got a head on ‘im, no mistake, and I ruther begin to cotton to’im. The more | think o’ et, it strikes me { know suthin’ more about his pedigree than he knows hisself.” ‘*Well, that would be welcome news to the lad, I presume.” ‘‘ How old d’ye allow he is?” ‘* Fifteen, I should say.” ‘‘Then thet orter fetch et. me conglomerate.” The Bull-dog evideatly meant deliberate. “It was "bout long enough ago ter give a birth when Paul’ Pepper struck our camp,” he said, ‘‘and one night when he was rolled up in er blanket, nigh on ter me, I heerd him tell a story about leavin his wife an’ baby he called Petey. It comes back ter me now as kinder queer, for he was sound asleep, an’ I was awake and takin’ et all in.” There was no time for further conversa- tion; they were at Farmer's, and there the hack was dismissed. Then they adjourned to the reading-room to wait for Peter Pepper. jut Peter was not forthcoming for some time. It was fully two hours ere he put in an appearance, and then it was with a wry expression of countenance, ‘*Can’t find em,” heannounced. ‘‘ Hunted all over, but nobody ’pears to hev seen ’em down around Herman’s,” ‘Well, in that case, I don’t know hardly what to do,” Dick said. ‘It seems rather strange to me that they did not send me notice where to find them. However, we will wait awhile. It may be a plan to throw us Off the trail, I think, Pepper, you had better go and look around a little Jonger. You might stumble onto them, ere you know it, or if not them, you might hit the original prey.” ‘* Reckon I'll need some money, boss, I’ve got an idear, but it is too far to walk to git it,” Pepper said. ‘‘ All right. How much do you think you will need?” ‘* Not over fifty cents.”’ “Allright. Here it is.” The bootblack took :t and started. ‘“‘ Honest boy, that,” the Bull-dog observed, sarcastically. ‘Why not?” ‘*D’ye see that devil’s gleam in his eye when he asked ye for that money?” 2 Oy @ 1 ‘Well, you kin jest bet it war thar, an’ I allow I seen et!” | Dick thought a moment, and then said: ‘“‘May be I’d ought to foller the kid. Blame me if I don’t, just for curiosity’s sake.” "aan he bolted off in pursuit. of his assist- ant, . CHAPTER XII. THE BOOTBLACK’S RETURN. THE scene changes. It is three weeks later, and three men and a boy are standing on the river landing at Newport, Ky. They are the Bull-dog, Mr. Clincher, Sr., and a Cincinnati detective, named Hollis; also Pete Pepper. he was about to set.out in pursuit of Peter, whom he suspecteq), of being “* off color,” _ The Bull-dog ‘ee ‘ vo * On £ SF ; Wilh 4 ao? Ne ee Pee, res: . ‘ ¥ on ~ ; J op “4 . 1' J = ‘ a OYA fae ane ee eo = When we last mentioned Deadwood Dick, oveted with as much pa- | knees, with tears in Dick did not return, nor did Peter, and careful research failed to discover anything of Messrs. Stinson and Blackman’s where- abouts. Now, the Bull-dog admired his new friend, Bristol, with the strong emphasis that char- acterizes the natures of most Western men, and he left no stone unturned to discover his whereabouts; but, not a trace of Dick, Pep- per, Stinson or Blackman could he secure. At Police Headquarters in Cincinnati, nothing had been heard from the Jocal detec- tives. So, after waiting at the Farmer’s in New- port fortwo weeks, and dividing his time between there and the Herman, the Bull-dog returned to his father’s house, in Cincinnati, and there remained, father and son anxiously hoping for developments. But, hours slipped into days, and days into a week, and it was the beginning of a new week, ere any word came from the missing ones, It came in the shape of aring at the door of the Clincner mansion, at Mount Auburn, The Bull-dog answered the bell. And there stood Peter Pepper! “Well, what d’ye want?” growled. ‘* Wanter speak wid ye, or yer dad,” was the response. ‘‘ Reckon yer dad would be best, fer may be he would be less cranky wid me than you are.”’ And actual tears came to the bootblack’s eyes—who can say but they were the first that had ever dimmed them? He looked completely fagged out, and if there was any sensitiveness in his nature he must have felt hurt. The Bull-dog probabl realized this, for he seized the boy’s hank and said: ; ‘‘Forgive me, an’ waltz right in! I’m rough in my ways, an’ I allow you're no slouch o’ a squib, or ye wouldn't ha’ come Bull-dog back here with news, an’ ef my think aire. correct, that’s what you’re here for.” *Couldn’t guessed straighter,” Peter averred, and was then conducted into the parlor. ‘ Old Jabez had sufficiently recovered to be about the house, but had not yet been down to ‘Change, as his financial affairs were in trustworthy hands. He was now seated in an easy-chair, looking very grave. ‘This is Pepper, the bootblack,” an- nounced the Bull-dog, ‘He sez he’s got news!” Jabez Cincher eyed tbe bootblack in doubt. ‘‘ Well, what is your news?” he demanded. ‘Don’t come here with no lies, for they won’t work.” ‘‘T hain’t got no lies to tell ye,” Pepper declared. ‘‘If I had, I'm too weak to tell ‘em. For sake o’ my love fer that gallus chap, Deadwood Dick, mister, I’ve come all ther way back, an’ been widout anythin’ to eat for forty-eight hours, ‘Sides that, I’ve spent all the money I’d saved up, a-blackin’ boots. ‘‘If you don’t mind givin’ me a bite o’ grub I'll feel like talkin “tween bites. Vl tell ye the one thing as mebbe you'll ’preciate even from a bootblack. Yer gal is still ‘live an’ kickin’, Won’t say ’nuther word till I git sum chuck; then yer sball know all.” Then poor Pepper sunk back in his chair, closed his eves, and actually relapsed into unconsciousness. ‘“‘ He’s cl’ar kerflunk!” the Bull-dog ejacu- lated, and forthwith bolted from the room, while old Clincher knelt in front of the chair he had just been occupying, and offered up a silent, but fervent prayer. -The Bull-dog soon darted back with a brandy-bottle, and poured a little of it down the bootblack’s throat. ‘6 Dad,” Sr., ‘‘ this kid’s a jim-dandy. / Mr. Clincher bad just arisen from hiseyes. 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