Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 630 — page 7: what you’re looking at

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

4 SS ee Deadwood Dick Jr. in No-Man’s Land. SS der the left ear, and knocked him senseless to the ground. Two of the Gladiator’s trainers ran forward and proceeded to apply means to restore him to consciousness, While the audience applaud- ed vociferously. One man from Arizona, an old-time sport, remarked to the man sitting next to him: “Thet war the purtiest thing I ever see’d. I know thet feller, by ther great ham-bone, but I never see’d him do et up so before.” Then, rising to his feet, he yelled: “Three cheers and a tiger for Deadwood Dick, prince o’ detectives, and boss gladiator 0’ No-Man’s Land!” And they were given with a vengeance. This party who had proposed the cheers no one appeared to know, that is among the an- dience; but, idly leaning against the ropes, awaiting Golconda’s recovery, Deadwood Dick recognized him—a thin, weazened-up little old man, with stoop-shoulders, gray straggling beard and hair, no ears, and a face half-serious and half-comic of expres- sion. Clad from tip to toe in buckskin, he looked a thorough frontiersman, as he was, for this was Old Avalanche, the Great Injun Anni- hilator, well known from Dakota down to Mexico, and no doubt a familiar figure to the many regular readers of the ‘‘ Deadwood Dick” romances. lt was fully five: minutes before Golconda was fully restored, and able to stand upon his feet. He then felt of his swelling jaw, and advanced and extended his hand to Dick. ‘‘Shake!” he said. ‘‘ You deserve much praise, for you are the only man who ever knocked me out in one round. If you win the other two contests, Singing Bird is yours, and if we have to part with her, I would rather you would have her than any one else. I expected towin her myself. Maybe I shall, yet!” The rifles were then produced, and the target placed in position. A coin was tossed, and Golconda won the lead. He shot with careful precision, and suc- ceeded in scoring eight bull’s-eyes out of a possible ten. It was Dick’s next turn, and the audience watched and listened breathlessly. Ah! bang! ping! bang! ping! bang! ping! bang! ping! bang! ping! bang! ping! bang! ping! bang! ping! bang! ping! bang! ping! . bang! ping!—and a jet of flame exuded from the rifle at every touch of the trigger. The smoke around the marksmen cleared away, and then Golconda shouted to the marker: ‘* What’s the last score?’ ‘* Ten bull’s-eyes, straight!’ was the reply. Go.conda then threw down his rifle, and cried out: ‘‘ Bripg in the swords,” Then turning to Deadwood Dick, he added: “ ‘*T have this to say, sir: You have won every point but one; I shall give you half the gate-money. Furthermore, I extend to you my everlasting friendship.” ‘* Accepted,” Dick replied, with unaffected heartiness, , No more words were exchanged, for the trainer appeared with the swords. They were not Damascus blades, by any means, but just ordinary regular army blades, such as would seem a mockery in the hands of a gigantic being like Golconda, whose fencing prowess was well known, far and near. - Dick- and the Gladiator faced each other, and one clash of steel was followed by an- other, and the sparks flew from the weapons like shooting stars. _Feint! parry! thrust! But, neither of the contestants seemed to gain much vantage ground, in the first ten minutes. end of another five minutes, Dick succeeded by a powerful blow, in snapping Golconda’s blade off near the hilt.» Which left the young giant at the mercy of his adversary. ‘* Vanquished!” Golconda said, throwing down his stub of asword. ‘‘ The Singing sird is yours. If you have to meet Jim Oaks, killhim/ He is a ruftian!” Then, turning to the audience, he said: ‘‘Ladies and gentlemen: I have been fairly and honestly defeated, by Mr. Dead- wood Dick. He is therefore winner of the Singing Bird, If Jim Oaks proposes to fight the winner, let him step forward!” But no Oaks materialized. ‘‘FHle withdrew his wager,” said Jim Lane, ‘‘ and left the tent, a few minutes ago.” Golconda gave Dick a startled glance. “Come with me! There’s something wrong!’ and he dashed away toward Sing- ing bird’s dressing compartment, Dick fol- lowing Closely at his hee!s, The moment they entered the little tent, a horrible sight met their gaze. Lying upon the ground, was Old Rocks, Several knife wounds upon his body proved that he had been murdered. But, this was not all; gone. A slit in the side of the tent showed how her egress had been made. ‘‘She’s been kidnapped!” Golconda cried in dismay. ** It looks that way,” Dick assented, ‘‘ but, by whom, do you think?” ‘* Who else, but Jim Oaks?” ‘*In his own interests?” ‘‘ Maybe, and again, maybe not. Oaks is a man whom money will buy. Thornton is a man who will pay money, to those who will serve him. Anyhow, this murder must be avenged, and Singing Bird rescued.” CHAPTER X. GOLCONDA EXPLAINS. THE two men stood confronting each other in silence for a few minutes, ‘“‘ Was he your father?” Dick finally asked, pointing to the dead Navajo. ** He claimed to be,” was the reply, ‘‘ but I’ve aiways had my doubts about it.” “Well, what shall we do first—give out a general alarm?” ‘“ 1 will leave that for you to say. You are a detective, and ought to be able to handle the matter better than any one else.” ‘*T don’t know about that, our sheriff, Jim Lane, knows the camp and its surround- ings far better than I do.” ‘* Yes, and the camp, and every other one in the Strip knows Lane. He's not popular with toughs of the Oaks type. He’s dropped too many of ’em in free fights. No, we'll put on our clothes, hide Old Rocks under a blanket, and then go and dismiss the audi- ence, After that we will have a chance for the other work.” The donning of their regular habiliments over their tights was quickly accomplished, and they then entered the arena, Although there was Indian blood in Gol- conda’s veins, he was fairly well educated and a fluent speaker, so when he arrived in the ring, he gianced over the audience, the most of whom yet remained, and then bow- ing, said: ‘* Ladies and gentlemen: I have the honor to address you a few parting remarks. ‘‘Your kind patronage to-day was larger by half than I had anticipated, and while I lost the tourney to Mr. Deadwood Dick, I beg leave to say that he met me fairly and squarely, ‘*My receipts from this tourney net me more money than I ever before possessed in my life. What was my gain in this way was Deadwood Dick’s loss in another. While we were finishing up the closing acts of the tourney, that villain, Jim Oaks, left Singing Bird was - This could not last, however, and by the ‘ this tent, entered my sister’s tent, killed my se father, Old Rocks, and kidnapped Singing Bird. I will give five hundred dollars to the man who restores to Deadwood Dick the Singing Bird, and presents to me the scalp of Oaks, or his person, dead or alive. ‘** Ladies and gentlemen, you are dismissed, with my repeated thanks for your patron- age!” There was some applause and a great deal of excitement as the audience dispersed. 7 ts , . t Golconda, Jim Lane and Dick proceeded ' at once to the little tent from which Singing Bird had been abducted, and held a long consultation. ‘“ Where do you think Singing Bird has been taken to?” Dick asked of the sheriff. ‘‘ Well, that is pretty hard to say. This is a queer and a tough town. There are mere houses and dug-outs as would house a prisoner than there are that won’t. “Them places over ag’in’ the hill, half- dug and half-sod frontage, shelter some purty tough characters, and Jim Oaks is a shinin’ light among ’em!” ‘*How about Tim Hale’s?” Dick asked. ‘Well, that’s a pretty tough place, but Tim knowed I'd investigate him, and there- fore, | don’t reckon he’d take in Oaks with the girl. Icame near getting him lynched, a year ago, by exposing him, but, I am not in favor of lynch law, and, since then, his den has been run more quietly. He fears me, and knows that I would run him out of town if I were to ketch him in any monkey business, That’s why I don't think the girl has been taken there.” ‘““My reward offer will most likely set a pile of people searching for Oaks, you think?” ‘Yes, I reckon so, but the chances are they'll have their labor for their pains. This job wasn't did on the spur of the moment. t’s beem planned out hours before the tournament commenced!” ‘* What makes you think so?” Dick asked. “For this reason: Oaks is not able to sup- port himself, much less a woman, Then, too, it was not Oaks’s money that was put up in my hands, on that bluff wager.” “Oh! it wasn’t eh? Whose was it, then?” ‘“Thornton’s. 1 saw him give it to Oaks.” ‘Ha! then it stands to reason that Sing- ing Bird was kidnapped for Thornton.” ‘*That’s my think!”. the sheriff replied. ‘“‘And ILagree with you,” Dick returned. “‘T came to No-Man’s Land to find two per- sons, one of whom is wanted in the States, on numerous charges, chief among which is wholesale forgery, and abduction. The man is supposed to be in No-Man’s Land, and there is no doubt in my mind but Thornton is the person I seek. His true name is Nick Bray, I think, and that is the man I want, Can you tell me anything about how this’ Thornton acquired all his money?” “T allow he had a big lot of it, when he first came here,” Lane replied. ‘* Then, too, he’s made a lot by lending money to poor farmers, I’ve known him to take all of a farmer’s earth- ly possessions, by main force, and sell them at auction, in order to satisfy a small note. If the goods brought ten times more than the face value of the note, it was all the same. The villain pocketed the entire proceeds of the sale.” ‘*Oh! he’s the man I’m looking for with- out doubt,” Dick declared, ‘‘and if such be the case, he has good reason for wanting to get possession of Singing Bird, whose name is not Singing Bird, but, instead, is Belle Jackson!” As he spoke, Dick was covertly watching Golconda; and saw him give a start. So he pursued the topic. “This Belle Jackson, when she was‘a mere babe, was kidnapped from her father, who was blind, by this scheming man, Bray, alias Pryer, alias Thornton, and Heaven only knows how many other a/iases, ‘* Knowing that Jackson could not live to old age, Bray foresaw that by possession of — =comicboo AO nig cea