Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 672 — page 3: what you’re looking at

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

“‘Tt is false!’ Brennan cried, furiously. ‘“‘My daughter is the soul of honor and honesty.” ‘‘That will have to be proved in the next world,” returned Jackson, ge $¢:38 won’t stand wash here, however. bBoyees, half of ye attend to gittin’ the rope ready. Yonder is a very ood: limb.” “The Lord have mercy on your soulsd” groaned poor, harmless Brennan. ‘‘ Would you attack an innocent and helpless man in this way? Do you call yourselves men?” ‘* Well, I reckon we come pretty near it,” retorted Jackson. ‘‘ Get the. rope ready, boys The other half of you search the house from top to bottom, for Calamity.” The order was obeyed, while Jim Jackson sat down on a stump, lit his pipe, and calmly supervised the proceedings. art of the gang disappeared within the house; the others produced a lariat, and flung it over the limb of a convenient tree, forming a nouse at one end, ‘*' There, that will do,” said Jackson, re- moving the pipe from his mouth. ‘‘ We will give the old man a few minutes’ respite, while they are looking for the gal. In the mean time you'd better pray, Daddy.”’ The searchers soon reappeared. Calamity Jane, Jr. was not to be found about the premises. Bill Van Aistine, champion fighter of the gang, reported the result. ‘**Nary hide nor hair of her. We've been thr’u’ the old tub from top to bottom, but the gal is not to befound. She has got wind of this, and taken a skip—now take my word for it. So ye can do what ye want about the old man.” ‘* Fetch him out here!” commanded Jack- son, removing the pipe from his mouth, ‘‘I want to look at the critter.” Accordingly, Brennan was hauled out of his invalid chair, and literally dragged be- fore Jackson, who quietly looked him over, between whiffs at his pipe, felt of his limbs, and then said: ‘*Played out. If we keep him here after the girls swings, he will be a burden on this glorious community. I am in favor, at all times, of abating public nuisances, as you all know. There’s no more moral city in the United States, since 1 was made sheriff, and as Durango is, to-day, let her always be. String him: up boys, and may ye all hereby learn a lesson,”’ CHAPTER III. THE LYNCHING OF BRENNAN, A RUsH was then made toward the tail end of the rope, which was seized by many will- ng hands, rennan spoke not a word. His pain- stricken face was cuansd as white as his hair. He did not even tremble any longer, ‘*Ready!” cried Jackson. old cadaver!” Just then a shot was heard and a bullet’ came whizzing along, passing unpleasantly near to Van Alstine’s ear. The gang hesitated. **Go on!” roared Jackson. ‘‘Up with him! Fasten him and then, scatter!” The order was quickly obeyed, and then, like cayotes of the prairies, the ruffians turn- ed and fled. At this juncture a party of three—two men and Calamity—on horseback, dashed out of the timber, direct for the tree, and poor Brennan was soon relieved of the rope and laid upon the ground. He was not dead, nor, indeed, seriousl anjuired, but there were slight hopes of his rallying from the shock, owing to his para- lytic condition and feebleness. , He looked up at the rescuers, whom he recognized. “You should have let them finished the job and have done with it!” he said. ‘I’m not going to survive this, and havea few ** Up with the } Deadwood Dick, Jr., in Durango. words to say to you two men. Brandon, you first.” Brandon knelt and heard the whispered confession, if such it was. The dying man then motioned to the stran- ger of the party, who was none other than our old-time friend, Deadwood Dick, Junior, To him he confided his dying message, and, in a few minutes, ceased to breathe. Calamity stood over her father, too deeply affected for awhile for speech; then she spoke. ‘*You may say that this is the end, but it is not. I'll make Durango howl for this brutal act!” ‘‘Good for you!” cried Ned. ‘‘And I can’t blame you,” added Dick. ‘Take the body into the house aad lay it upon the sofa,” the girl ordered. This was done. The dead body was laid upon the sofa and covered up with a sheet. Then Calamity continued: ‘*You can go now. I shall remain here a while. But before you go, I want to know one thing.” ‘What is it?” both Brandon and Dick asked, in a breath. ‘‘ What secret did papa whisper in your ears before he died?” ‘That we are bound not to reveal for the resent,” replied Brandon, ‘‘ but you shall now allin good time. Just now it must re- main a mystery to you.” ‘Very strange,” replied Calamity, ‘‘ that you should withhold my father's dying words from me,” ‘* Weare very sorry,” said Deadwood Dick, ‘but it is essential that we should do so for the present,” ‘* Why so?” “We cannot tell you, more than that a certain matter has to be looked into,” ‘When will I know?” ‘*In a few days, possibly.” ‘‘Very well. You can go.” ‘“‘But are you not afraid to remain all alone in this house?” Vt Certainly not. The dead are past harm- ing any one.” ‘* But the Vigilantes may return,” **Let them! They won't find me, if they do. Now, go!’ Dick and Brandon passed from the shanty, leaving the girl sport alone with her dead. She was heard to close and bar the door after them, so the two mounted their horses and rode back into Durango. ‘‘She’s a queer character,” Dick observed on the way. ‘‘Somewhat out of the ordinary run, but withal, a lady,” declared Brandon. ‘* What do you think about what old man Brennan told us—for I suppose it was the same?” ‘*T don’t know what to think,” Dick re- plied. ‘“‘I wish he had confided the secret to me, alone,” declared Brandon, grimly. “Why so?” ** Because I am afraid— Well, I would rather you had not known it,” and the young man relapsed into a gloomy silence. In the short time in which he had known him, Deadwood Dick had formed two im- pressions of Edward Brandon. The first impression was favorable, but the second was not. And, as to Calamity Jane, Junior, the de- tective was not satisfied in regard to her, by any means. Sometimes he believed her to be the horse and cattie-thief; then, again, he could hardly bring himself to think that one so lovely would engage in such & lawless pursuit, CHAPTER IV. DICK MAKES SOME INQUIRIES, It was approaching morning, when’ Dick and Brandon reached the Durango House, which adjoins the White Elephant Saloon, on Hill street. 3 Here Brandon bade the detective good-by, and set forth for his own lodgings, further up the street. Dick had his horse put away, got @ luncheon at a restaurant, and then entered the hotel, and went to bed. He had _ been in the saddle for nearly twenty-four hours, and naturally felt the need of what one doesn’t often get in Du- rango—rest. ‘* It is a town that never sleeps,” said a re- cent visitor, and he was correct. About one-half of the population appear to be up, night and day. ‘The saloons, the gaming palaces, the dives and dance-hal's never close. Dick slept into the next day—it must have been high noon ere he arose, and went down- stairs. Durango in daylight is not so lively as at night, but witbal is full of life and activity. erders were driving in stock for ship- ment, on the railway—merchants were bus plying their trades and the whistle’s shriek and hissing noise of the steam exhaust from many engines made a sure sign of activity and prosperity. After a hearty dinner, Dick left the Du- rango House, and sauntered into the White Elephant, which, with its big floor surface, its well equipped bar, gaming tables, and gilded ornamentations, ranks equal to any in the West. , A big fat German was hammering some Strauss out of a piano that had done enough service to deserve a pension. The detective sat down at one of the tables and ordered a cigar, and picking up a local paper, glanced it over. here was a full account of the lynching of Brennan, and the article ended by stating that, although a second attack had been made on the shanty, Calamity could not be found, The paper also had this: ** While public opinion is against her very strong, there is not the slightest proof that she is in league with the thieves. Therefore our citizens should have a little more eare and discretion in dealing with a case like this. It is a matter of life or death, “x | if captured, the girl deserves at least a fair ‘*So she does,” muttered Dick, ‘‘and she sha’n’t get her neck stretched if I can help it, I only intended to stay here a day, but, I’m blamed if I don’t see this thing out if it takes me a year.” Dick had been seated but a few minutes, when an old miner came along, and sat down at the same table. He was white-haired, and roughly but cleanly dressed.” The most disreputable thing about him was the stub of an old clay-pipe which he was smoking. He took a few whiffs at this, and then looked at Dick. ‘‘ Stranger in town?” he inquired, se Yes.” ‘* Hear about the lynchin’ of old Brennan last night?” ‘Yes, I witnessed it, at a distance.” ““Thet were an alfired dirty shame, by gosh! Brennan was a good man, and a cripple to boot. Jim Jackson and thet gang o’ cut-throats orter be burned at the stake, and I’d like to witness the ceremony.” “You knew Brennan, then?” ‘Well, Ireckon. I used to work for him on Sandy Creek sixteen years ago, when times were booming.”’ ‘Had he his daughter with him then?” ‘‘No. I never know’d as how he had one, until he all of a sudden turned up bere.” ‘What do you think bout the girl’s being a horse-thief?”’ ‘‘It’s outrageous! Why, she wouldn’t steal a pin, Calamity wouldn’t.” ‘‘Some people who would despise to steal a pin would not hesitate to rob a bank, how- ever, if a favorable opportunity offered.” ‘*Mebbe so, But the girl is honest.”