Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 672 — page 11: what you’re looking at

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

FY ocean, and jump overboard, How’s that for ca) an gage suggestion?” __ Qh, you'll never see the ocean. If you had said you were going to visit Satan, you would have hit the nail on the head.” ‘Thanks for the intimation. Satan and I are on the outs, He’s been offering me the job ' + of head boss over the furnace-stokers for } years, but my wages were too high, and he 3 got mad and took another man. It would ) | cost me too much for ice to work in a hot a kas place like the Inferno.” | | ©. Blame me, if you ain’t a cool one!” Wyndham said, grimly. ‘ ‘‘Well, I always try to keep cool in the + gummer time. I was once-known to freeze a can of cream for a candy man by my own frigidity.” ndham turned to hiscompanions. _ “Let's come to business. I want to be from here by daybreak.”’ suggest the rope, as the quickest and the easiest,’”’ spoke up the ex-convict. | “T’vye a better plan than that!” said Ned hoo RR Brandon. ise Wak hub ‘« What is it?” fhe “That we each take a revolver, and fill him so full of holes that you could firea stone through him anywhere.” | Wyndham and O'Leary both opposed this | proposition. They had no taste for such 1 RS assassination. “Tl tell you what we had better do,” said O’Leary. ‘‘ This place is strong, and no Pipi eae one ever comes near it. Let’s lock the cuss {| jn, and come back to-morrow night all pre- pared. He will be safe.” ‘Good idea!” assented Wyndham. ‘In the mean time we can conclude over a bottle of wine just what to do with him.” And so they retired. After the trio had gone and the door safely oY fastened on the other side, Dick had plenty ~~ sO time for reflection. ** Well,” he soliloquized, ‘‘ here lamin a hole again—in the soup, as they say out East. I wonder how I shall get out of this _ dilemma? I’ve got out ot many another one and Ido not think my luck will de-ert me now.” 5 Oy a As for the bonds that bound him Dick oH Re cared not a whit. He could scorch and then easily burst them asunder, The real diffi- guilty was the escape. eng Three sides of the room were solid rock, as also was the ceiling, but this had crevices in it through which the smoke escaped. The fourth wall was of tough oaken plank, two inches thick and bolted to heavy lateral beams. . | ss The door was heavy like the plank, and WAS ae the hinges and lock were on the other side. This practically shut off all means of es- || gape, unless the person had the proper tools > to work with. | ss The first move was to roll over until the AP caf _ fire was reached. Then it was short work to free his hands and feet. ‘The fire was burning low, but there was _ plenty of wood and he soon had a cheery laze, that lit the room up brightly, This done he Jit a cigar and sat down in _ the firelight to ruminate. : Examining his pockets he found that none of their contents had been molested; he even ‘ oer i . ; ce | ___ gtill possessed ‘his revolvers. ea _ “That's one streak of good fortune, any- ace i how!” he said. ‘It will give me a chance to defend my life, and I shall not hesitate to Mh Se Eh doit. When they come back they will ex- pect to find me bound, as they left me, and _- * will walk right into my trap. If there ain’t too many of them, and, I reckon there won’t ey be, Ican pick ’em off in a jiffy. This seems to be all there is left for me to do! ree 4 te . d 4 . } St) 2 ay s Le Pine Le F \ fy ramet _ “T wish I had a keg of powder, and I’d | slow myself out,” ‘he added. > Pt Te RE ae now had only one round of cart- sae Uae « Fine If he had had more, he could have tap- ive _ ped them as he had done on several previous Bi occasions, and withdrawn the powder. ite? Senn bh in ala Fe mes Ass oat Ss ‘te — « > Deadwood Dick, Jr., in Durango. Finally an idea occurred to him. There was no flooring to his room, and at the front, along the upright slabs, was real earth of a clayey nature, and quite free from stone. Might he not be able to burrow his way out from under the wooden wall? The idea was not a bad one, particularly as he had a good, strong, broad-bladed hunt- ing-knife, which he could use in lieu of a spade. His decision made, he pulled off his coat and then began the attack. The spot he selected was to burrow out under the door. The compacted clay cut nicely, and lifted out in chunks. ‘‘ By jingo, if there’s any place beyond here, 1 am bound to find it,” he thought, greatly encouraged. The cavity rapidly enlarged, as he quarried out block after block. ‘‘T allow there will be some tall cussin’, when they come back, and find me gone!” Dick chuckled. ‘‘Old Wyndham will tear his hair, and so will Brandon.” The sapper and miner was soon under the door. Then, he burrowed upward, and ina little while stood in a winding subterranean passage. ‘* Well, I’m out of one dungeon, but, the question before the investigating committee of one is—haven’t I got myself into another? This passage leads to somewhere, and I'll be be blamed if I don’t find out where.” He crept back into the chamber, secured his coat and returned to the drift. A big lantern hung outside the door. He took this in one hand, and, with a re- | volver in the other, he crept along the pas- Th e walls were damp and slimy, and the floor very uneven. As he advanced, the drift gradually as- cended. It was evidently an abandoned search drift which had never panned out well. - Transverse shutes branched off it at in- tervals, but Dick did not bother his head about thern. He kept on, and presently uttered a cry, Far ahead, he saw a ray of light! ‘‘T’m on the right track!’’ he ejaculated. “Now, for liberty and vengeance!’ He hurried on, but suddenly paused, What was this he heard? / He listened. It was a cry of distress, And a woman’s voice, too! CHAPTER XIV. THE LOST GIRL FOUND, Ir was a woman’s voice! He listened for a repetition of the cry, but there was none. i hn that was Ethel Bly’s voice? What is more likely, since this is without doubt old Wyndham’s property?” Dick went on a few paces further, when he came to the mouth of another transverse geese Raising his voice, he called loudly, ‘‘ Hello, there! Where are you?’ ‘‘Here!” came the response. help { ” - The voice came from down the transverse passage. mi VREZ Up it Dick rushed, flaring his lantern from side to side. He soon reached to,a sheet-iron door in the wall of rock. “‘ Are you in there?” he cried. ‘Yes. Oh! help me out!” ‘‘ Have courage! Who are you?” “TIT am a prisoner here. My name is Ethel Bly.” ‘All right! You are the very person I am looking for, Miss Bly. Be of good cheer!” 3 Lae A cry of joy escaped the prisoner, ) oe ‘Help! 7 $ i ° ay f v » vi - Lane < of Ae : ogame) ne f + e ton f. ' a <a ek, ) > y. « — 2 i ; +. r < " re " ‘ ay, 7 wy, B xy! roy \ als ¥ Na : ; % % vy tT? ; beh o . : *é y 7. yh ar +7 ae ; Ph i a "hd te, A Oh ya , wh? * <,# pt ne y, “ J ' wf ae +) _ a7 . 1 * *s - « 11 “‘Can you open the dour?” she asked. ‘* Well, I reckon I can, if any one can,” replied Dick. ‘It is heavily padlocked, but, if I can find anything to work with, I will make short work of the locks. Have patience, and I will see what I can find.” » Pe: So, lantern in hand, he began a lively skir- Ren y ts mish through different passages. After ten minutes of search, he stumbled ce over an old rusty crow-bar. z This proved conclusively that the mine had not been worked for some time. aa: Dick, elated, seized the bar, and went back we. to the door. 4 Under his savage attacks the locks yielded and in a little while the door was open! ‘‘Come forth!’ Dick commanded of the girl prisoner. a Ethel obeyed, but with hands over her er eyes. Ms Please shade your lantern,” she said, “until my eyes get accustomed toit, Ihave been in utter darkness for weeks!” Dick immediately lowered the light. | ‘“Your eyes will gradually get accustomed re to it,’? he said. On ‘‘ Yes, Isuppose so. Is there any way to Bri get out of this horrible place?” . fe “If there is a way to get into it, there Bis: must be one to get out.” Pieet ‘‘ Why, how did you come here?” ** As a prisoner, and insensibie at that.” fo aS ‘A prisoner of whom?” hoe ‘‘Wesley Wyndham. I am a detective, a | and was sent here to find you.” ‘, ‘‘And Wyndham found this out and made you a prisoner, eh?” “XGA” ‘The villain!” me ‘* You are right; he is a villain. But the ; | seal of doom is on his head, as sure as fate. | But before he dies, he shall disgorge every cent of your money.” ‘*I hope to get my money, but I fear I | won’t. ow was mother, when you left yey her?” e _ **Tn ber usual health, I guess, but fretting fi about you.” ‘Poor soul! How soon shall I be able to gee see her?” | ‘EN ‘‘Shortly, Come, now, let’s try and get. ay out of this mine.” fe The way out was toward the glimmer of rc light. A brief walk up the ascending pas- nea e brought them out into a vacant lot. a hey were further up the mountain-side ao than Dick had anticipated. ' oy Below them Durango lay. She was not. a just then basking in the sunshine, but was getting a drenching from a terrific rain- storm, It could hardly be pronounced rain, for the clouds seemed to have parted to let down a perfect deluge of water. “Oh, let’s get back into the passage!” cried Ethel. 5 ‘‘That would be fatal, for some of Wynd- ham’s spies might come. Besides, now isthe | time to smuggle you into one of the hotels, for the streets are deserted.” ‘‘But I shall get soaking wet.” ‘“*T will see that you get dry clothes. come along.” By taking « circuitous route, Dick con- ule ducted his fair companion toalittle board- — ing-place, kept by a widow named Jones. | e had dropped in there several times, and had no difficulty in making arrange- ments for the care of Ethel, tellin ra, 4) Jones just what had happened. He then went to the hotel where he was stopping, es and sought his room, not wishing to be seem on the street before night. Weary enough _ for rest he laid down, and at once dropped off into a deep sleep. ee ae It was dusk when he awoke. —_ re) Arising, he took a bath. abe i So - a m1 ¥ 2 ’ 7 HN of " fy ad | . 4 ‘ . ohh ee . ] if It was while doing this that he made an ene important discovery. No chil MA One eatly tucked under the door was a letter - * ‘a os * *. addressed to Dick. | ei ‘ € W ' a ‘ rls " i sy ie MA RSAC ae Core , - * . 4 * ht . i a ~ j <n san th i> ewia: ; hs md Pe Ss Cleats LN oe we > r y ny na" “a a7 Pye : * he a Tat Real bees Res ets . * el ee ‘& : ay - fv.o* ih . apt) De ii fe er oe an Me ae yr ; in see Gi @ | | @ © Xe @ 0