Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 672 — page 6: what you’re looking at

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

6 enough to buy a stack of chips. I’m waiting for you to produce.” ‘*Got roped in again, eh?” “‘You bet—cleaned out slick as a whistle, and a good deal slicker!” ‘** Serves you right.” ‘Now, that is consoling of you, hy Jove! But, I say, governor, ain't it about time for you to produce? It’s about time the games were opening up, and I don’t want to lose my chair.” **To the devil with your chair,” growled the elder. ‘‘I’m getting tired of this constant demand for money!” ‘*I know it is rather hard,” replied Walt, “‘but everything considered, I think you are getting off mighty cheap!” “Oh! you do, eh?” ‘‘Certainly. It’s lucky for you you have go lenient a persou as your son to deal with, An old reprobate, like you, can well afford to disgorge a dollar or two, nowand then, in order to havo his secrets kept, and a son’s protection.” Wesley Wyndham made no reply, just then, for Lung Sing entered with Walter’s ‘wine, and placed is upon a stand beside him, The young gambler disdained the use of a glass, for, it mere only a pint bottle of sherry, he gulped down the contents, without stopping. hen he had finished, and sunk back upon the couch, the elder Windham demanded: ‘How much money do you want? I would be alone, to-night, for I have a great dea! to think of.” ‘Yes, 1 should think you would have,” replied the dutiful son, witha yawn. ‘* Well, Iam going to break the bank to-night and it will take about two hundred dollars to do it with. Give me say, two-fifty.” “T'll give you a hundred, and not a penn more,” declared the elder Wyndham, and, going to his safe, he opened it, took out some money, and returned. ; ‘**Here’s your money,” he said, ‘‘ Take it, and begone!” ‘‘ All right, my noble sire! I am deeply indebted to you. I'll go and buy a stack of chips, put them on the king, and if I win, I'll come home and curl your hair, while you dream over the sad, sad past, and your bad, bad deeds, See you later, when I’m broke, ‘Ta! ta!” And Walter left the room. ‘‘Curse that boy!” the father hissed. ** Now that he has got the bulge on me, he is pushing me to the ground. He knows I dare not refuse him, for if I did, he would give me dead away. I could well wish him six feet under the ground. My only hold is to fee him, until I can see an opportunity to shake him off my hands. Then I'll do it!” Just then Lung Sing came like a shadow into the room. ‘***Melican man want to see you!” he said with a grin. **Melican gentleman, you idiot! Do you are niggers or you heathen come to visit me ” . **Chinee man much better "Melican man,” retorted the servant. li ‘* Well, co show the man in.” ‘Lung Sing vanished, to return soon, escorting into the presence of Wesley Wynd- ham Deadwood Dick, Junior. {, ‘Mr. Wyndham, I presume,” Dick queried, helping himself to a seat. ‘“‘Tam,” was the reply. ‘*‘ Who are you, may I ask?” ‘*My name is Bristol.” **T do not know you!” **'Very likely, as I have only lately arrived e ” * 4* What is your business with me?” ‘*T came to inquire about a friend of ‘Quine.” ** Yes? Well, what have I to do with it?” “‘She was employed by you ‘as a do- (mestic.” “Oe Her name?” ‘* Ethel Bly!” Wyndham started. ‘‘What are you to her?’ Wyndham de- manded. ‘“‘That is my business,” was the retort. ‘“‘The girl came here to work, and has not been seen or heard from since. I would like to know where she is,” ‘*You will have to ask some one who knows!” replied Wyndham, haughtily. ‘She didn’t suit me, and I discharged her,” ‘*Yet, you drew ten thousand dollars for her, from New Orleans, ard she disappeared immediately afterward. Where did she go to, with all this big sum of real money?” ‘‘Don’t ask me. It was paid to her and she disappeared.” ‘* She never left this house!” ‘* You lie, you hound!” ‘* You are the hound who Hhies!” replied Dick. ‘*Now, look here, Wyndham: give me that girland her money, or 1 am goin to make you trouble. I am an ofticer, an fully qualified to carry out all I promise. Your record here is not an unblemished one, so you had better let Joose of bull’s horns, and say, ‘I give in.’ Don’t you think so?” ‘‘I give in to nothing!” snarled Wynd- ham, ‘‘The last I saw of Ethel Bly was when she left my house, with her fortune in her pocket. nowing the ticket to be good, I advanced her the money on it, and she at once returned to Denver.” ‘‘That will do to tell those who will be- lieve it! which I do not.” ‘* What difference is it to you, whether she went to Denver or to Halifax?” ‘‘A difference of ten thousand dollars. I am going to find that girl, or lock you up.” Wyndham laughed, and a disagreeable laugh it was, tco. ‘‘Lock me up!” he ejaculated. ‘* Why, my son, I own half of this town! You’re barking up the wrong tree when you think to intimidate me. About the likeliest thing you can do is to make tracks toward the rising sun.” 4‘ Not yet!” demurred Dick. ‘“I reckon I’m good here, for a short time longer—at least until I find Ethel Bly and her fortune. You had better own up, Wyndham, and make a clean breast of it. There’s no use of your trying to dodge around the bush! But, have your way to-night. Ill see you later. Ta- ta!” and the detective, now satisfied in his own mind, that Ethel Bly had either been ut out of the way or was a prisoner in yhdham’s house, returned to his room and went to bed. He arose at an early hour, and went down to the office, where he met Scott. ‘* Just the man I’ve been lookin’ for,” the miner announced. ‘‘Why 60?” Dick asked. ‘‘Well, I ruther took a fancy to you yes- terday, and sez I: ‘If I can do him a good turn, I will.’ So I dropped around and paid old Hannah a call.” ‘‘Yes? Well, what did you learn?” ‘‘Not much, but she knows something about Ethel.”’ | “Think so?” ‘*IT know it. But she is a sly old fox, and it takes money to loosen her tongue. She would tell me nothing, but intimated that if you were to come around with some boodle, she would talk.” ‘* Then she won’t talk without money, eh?’ ‘‘No. She has a pretty hard row to hoe to make a living, and one can’t blame her if she does want to make a dollar.” ‘Well, there is something in that, to be sure,” Dick admitted. ‘‘1I will go and see her after awhile. I doubt if she can give me much information.” ‘*T am sure she can.” ‘‘Well, all right, We will try her after awhile.” ‘Have you heard of the new sensation?” asked Scott, Deadwood Dick, Jr., in Durango. ‘No. Iam just out of bed.” ‘* Why, Calamity has placarded the town, announcing that she will be the death of every man who had anything to do with the lynching of her father. She’s a tigress when she’s off, and I reckon some of the boys will bite the dust shortly.” ‘‘No doubt of it. She is a plucky girl, and what she says goes. She told me she would lay for vengeance, and I reckon she will keep her word. By the way, have you seen Ned Brandon around this morning?’ ‘* No, I haven’t seen him since yesterday.” The two had breakfast together, and then started for Hannah’s hut, which was on the northern outskirts of the town. It was a rickety old shanty, which might have been the first built in Durango. Hannah sat in front of the door, peeling some potatoes, when Dick and Scott ar- rived. ‘Hello, Han! I see you still eat!” Scott cried. ‘Deed, I does, when there’s ane to eat. When there ain’t I goes without like odder folks.” ‘‘ Well, Hannah, here’s the gent I was telling you about. You open your mouth now, and tell what you know, and he will make it worth your while.” Hannah surveyed Dick critically. She was big and fat, black as the ace of spades, She had a sharp eye, however, and a thor- oughly business look. ~ * Well, what d’ye want?” she demanded. ‘*T want to know what you know about Wyndham’s house, and Ethel Bly,” respond- ed Dick. ‘‘ Here’s a ten-dollar note to un- loosen your tongue.” The negress seized the note greedily. ‘‘Dat’s de fu’st ten dollars I’ve seen in a dog’s age,” she confessed. ‘‘ When my old man was alive, we used to scrape up one occasionally, but that am a good while O. ‘‘ Never mind your old man,” replied Dick. ‘‘He’s nothing to do with the case what- ever.” ‘‘ What case, sah?” ‘‘ That of Ethel Bly.” ‘‘Dat was de young woman who worked for Wyndham ahead of me?” “The same. What did you learn con- cerning her, while you were in Wyndham’s employ?” ‘“* Nothing.” ‘Don’t lie to me!” ‘Sure, not, Inebber tells nuffin’ but de truth.” ‘“‘Did you have access to all of the rooms of the house?” ‘‘No, sab, 1 didn’t, The only part ob de house dat dey would let me in was Mr. Wal- ter's room, and old Wyndham’s—dat is ’cept- in’ de lower floor where I had full sway.” “Why did you leave Wyndham’s?”’ “Cause I got de sack. He said I was nosin’ around too much, §o I packed up my kit and left.” ‘Did you observe anything that struck you as being singular, while you were there?” “Well, yes, I reckons I did.” ** What?” ‘‘ Well, de only ones in de house to serve meals for, was old Wyndham and his son, ’ceptin’ me, yet I had to cook meals for three. De third meal old Wyndham took charge of!” “That settles it,” Dick said, turning to Scott. ‘‘ Ethel Bly is a prisoner in Wynd- ham’s house.” ‘‘T reckon you are right!” ‘*T am sure of it.” ‘« Well, what’s to be done?” ‘‘We must gain access to the house and search it.” ** Rather dangerous,” ‘Why so? The Wyndbams are not at home in the daytime,” com > _~comicbool