Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 684 — page 5: what you’re looking at

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

‘‘ Very well, so be it,” said Dick, and his revol- vers disappeared. . Turning his borse, he rode it right into the bar-room of the hotel, and tossing some coins upon the bar, told the proprietor of the place to set out his wares to the thirsty multitude, ad lib, This hotel was, as has been mentioned, the only one in the town. It enjoyed the rather unique appellation of ** The Bumblebee’s Nest,” and was in it’s humble way, quite a respectable place of its kind, he proprietor’s uame was Hank Woolly, and be was about as thick as he was long, as it was said of him. He was fat, and there was just room enough bebind his bar for him to move in, ‘* Jimmiay!” he ejaculated, his favorite ex- clamation, as he looked in open-mouth amaze- ment at the stranger. ‘**Didn’t you catch what I said, Fatty?” Dick asked, smiling. ‘*y—yes, I potted yer obserwation,” mine host responded, ‘‘ but yer pearance sort o’ daz- zled me. Id be very proud ter know yer name, stranger.” ‘Tf you can give me shelter for myself and horse,” said Dick, ** 1 will append my name to your register.” ‘“Wery well, I opine I kin do that. ther wolume,” Saying this, the proprietor picked up the reg- ister of his establishment, which consisted of some common brown wrapping-paper sewed to form a book; and together with a pencil, handed Here is it to his prospective guest, ‘* Et ain’t very elaborate in style,” he made apology, ‘‘ but et aire ther best [ hev ter offer.” “It is as good as the finest, so long as it an- swers the purpose,” assured Dick, Folding the book so as to hold it conveniently, Dick penciled his name on one of its pages and handed it back. The name he had written was the same that he had previously given to Blossom Bob and Es- moud Karle, Meanwhile the crowd stood eagerly by, as eager, almost, to learn the name of the elegant Stranger as they were to participate in the treat he had extended to them in so liberal a’ manner, ‘* What aire et, Hank?” was the demand from one, “Give us ther name ov ther gallus grand dook, so’s we kin drink ter his health,” from another. the iandlord was deciphering what Dick had written, and as soon as he had made it clear to himself, he said, with a wave of the hand: ‘* Boyees, ther gentleman’s name air Golconda ther Gorgeous, and his local address aire set down, ther world. Et looks like he has a broad citizenship, [ should wenture to opine, But, now fer ther royal treat he has extended to ye, one an’ all, Come right to the front, boyees, an’ do jestice to ther occasion, The ** boyees” were already there, to a man, and Dick backed his horse away to let them have plenty of room, ‘You are going td stop here, then?” queried Esmond Earle, who was still near bim. ‘Yes, for a time,” Dick answered. “Good enough, I will see you to-morrow, then, I will get out of sight, while these fellows are enjoying themselves, and will get hold of my weapons, if I can find them,” **That’s a good idea, I guess the trouble is at an end, however, and I am glad that I happened upon the scene at so timely a moment,” Earle disappeared, and within half an hour Deadwood Dick bad seen his horse properly stabled, and he himself was in bed, The night rolled peacefully on, without fur- ther excitement, CHAPTER V. STUDYING A DISMAL SCORE, NutMEG BoNANZA was a live town, It was about ten years old at the time of our Story, And it was growing, too; and that it had a tory goes without saying. The ruling spirits of the place were Stephen Barnthal and Samson Crapps. They were sole owners of the mine from which the town took = bas i. and owned pretty much the town be- * . A little niore than ten years before, accord- ing to their tell, they had come into the gulch as prospectors, as r as Job’s turkey. But luck was with them, and they struck it rich immediately. They found a vein, out of which nuggets as big as nutmegs could be picked, and these nuggets being compared with that uro- matic kernel, gave to the mine the peculiar name of Nutmeg Bonanza, The two men mined enough by hand to buy machinery and give the place a boom, and from that time it had kept right on booming, and they were now classed among the nabobs of the Territory. Other particulars concerning the town and its inbabitats will unfold themselves as our ro- mance makes progress. On the morning following the night of the events recorded, Deadwood Dick was up and out bright and early. ‘ Jimminy!” exclaimed Hank Woolly, when he entered the bar-room. ‘* You is the greatest dazzler I ever did see,” Dick smiled in a’pleasant way. ‘* Oh, you won’t notice my peculiar rig, when once the strangeness wears off,” he observed, carelessly, ‘Yas, but et ain’t likely ter wear off, I wenture to say,” the worthy landlord further remarked, Dick did present a dazzling appearance, truly. He had laid aside his black riding-cloak, and his raiment could be seen entire, His suit was made of rich bronze-color velvet. The buttons of the coat consisted of ten-dollar gold coins, and those of the vest of fives, Two bands of gold dollars, closely set, were on the sleeves of the coat, anda similar stripe was set on the outside seams of the trowsers. On his spotless white silk tie was a magnifi- cent diamond cluster, and the chain that hung across his vest sparkled with similar gems. If armed, his weapons were not to be seen, But that was neither in question nor for a mo- ment doubted, ‘Yes, it will be an old thing to you by dinner- time. By the way, is Mr, Earle around yet?” So Dick ended the matter, and disposed of it with a question, The question caused mine host to laugh. ‘* No, he ain’t around,” he made answer, ‘an’ what’s more, he never will be, Il wenture to opine.” ‘* Why, what has happened?’ Dick quickly asked, fearful for the the moment that the young man had been killed after all. ‘‘ Nothin’ has happened that I knows on,” said Hank, ‘‘ but that young feller wasn’t no fool, an’ ef he ain’t miles from hyar by this time I miss my reckonin’,” ‘* Why, is be missing?” Dick inquired, ** 1 don’t know, but I’m willin’ ter bet he is,” Dick was now reassured, and smiled at the landlord’s earnest manner. ‘** And I am ready to bet just the other way,” he declared. ‘‘Isawa sample of the fellow’s courage last night, and if you think he has run away you are mistaken, He is not made of that sort of stuff, and— Ha! what did I tell you?” The door had opened, and Esmond Earle step- ped into the room, ‘*Good-morning,” he greeted pleasantly, ‘** Good-morning,” Dick responded, ‘ Glad to see you. Our landlord here was just offering to bet you had shaken the dust of Nutmeg off your boots and struck out for a more congenial clime.” The young man laughed lightly. ‘* Which proves that Mr. Woolly hasn’t become acquainted with me yet,” he remarked, “That is about what I told him,” responded Dick. ‘I formed my opinion of your caliber last night,” The two passed out upon the piazza, tbe land- lord making some retractory remark as they left the room, and entered into conversation, “Do you object to my asking & question or two, Mr. Goleonda?” Earle inquired, when out of ear-shot of their host. ‘Of course not,” was the assurance, “ Ask as many 8s you want to, Til do the best I can toward answering,” ‘“£ would return to that matter of last night,” ‘ All right, go ahead,” “You told the crazy crowd that you were stopped in the canyon by a ghost?” ** Exactly.” Were you bluffing then? Or was it a fact?” _ “It was a fact, straight and solid. It was just as I stated it.” ‘* How near were you to this ghost?” * Within twenty feet,” ** What is your opinion about it?” ** How do you mean?” ‘Well, do you think it was ghost or mortal?” ‘“* Why, it was flesh and blood; of course, I take no stock in any other sort of ghosts,” ‘* You did not see the person’s face, of course,” ** No, but I did see one hand.” ** Which one was it!” A COC tt A a Deadwood Dick, Jr.’s, Dazzle. sess * The right,” ‘* I wish it had been the left.” ‘Why so?” ‘* You might bave seen a ring on it.” ** You have a suspicion, then, who the ghostis,” ‘*T don’t know whether I have or not,” **'You must have, to speak as you do,” ‘What I mean is, my suspicion is so slight that I dare not own it,” ‘That is different. I suppose it is no use ask- ing you where your suspicion rests, eh?” “IT prefer not to say, Now, one thing more: Did the ghost speak cf himself as the Nemesis of Nutmeg! Or was the Nemesis spoken of as be- ing yet another person? Dick quickly noted that Earle had applied ‘‘himself” to the ghost. Was it intentional? Did he think the person was of the male persua- sion? ‘““If you think this ghost is a man,” he ob- served, ‘* you are mistaken.” ‘* Then it was a woman?” ‘* Assuredly.” " ‘* Well, 1 did not know. But, no matter. What about the point I asked concerning?” ‘‘T must think. But, yes, of course; she ad- mitted that sbe was the one who had killed Gables and Blossom Bob, and—” ‘‘ What! You don’t mean tosay Blossom Bob has been killed?” ‘* Such is the fact of the case,” ‘* Where is this going to end? Why, Bob was something of a terror around here, ranking sec- ond to none, save perhaps Lanky Lam. It is a small loss to the place, however. But when did he get his send-off?” Dick went ahead then and told his adventure at length. While they were talking the town was gradu- ally becoming alive, and ere long a goodly num- ber of persons were on the street. Every one who passed the hotel had to stop and survey the glittering stranger, but to this Dick did not give the slightest heed or atten- tion, Presently, however, a murmur of excitement arose that drew the attertion of both Dick and his companion, and they saw a crowd beginning to collect in front of the post-office, which was on the other side of the street, further down, ‘* What’s the excitement now?’ questioned Earle. “T am just curious enough to go over and see,” answered Dick. So they leit the piazza of the hotel and went over and joined in the crowd. The crowd was gazing at the door of the office and looking where the others looked, Dick an Earle saw this notice: ; “CITIZENS OF NUTMEG. ‘You are hereby warned not to molest Esmond Earle again. He is innocent of the crime of which you accuse him. Harm him at your peril. If you do, the name of every one who had a hand in the work will be added to my list of victims. Be warned. ** XXXXXXXITTIT, **Six more! ‘** Beware. “THe NEMESIS OF NuTMEG.”’ ‘‘That smacks of business,” remarked Dead- wood Dick, grimly. ‘*T should say it does,” agreed Earle. And everybody else was of about the same opinion. Said one man: ‘You kin count me out, every time. I’m not buckin’ against no ghost, not ef I know what I’m doin’,’ “‘ Jest ther same here,” echoed several others, ** What mean the seven crosses and six straight marks?” inquired Dick. “That is the score of victims,” explained Earle, ‘Iam told that it began with thirteen.” ‘‘T see, And there are six more to check off.” ‘*xactly. It is a grim business,” ‘‘ T shoud say it was.” ‘* Thet aire is what et be, an’ nothin’ short of et,” a man in the crowd chipped in. ‘ When Growlin’ Hank got his ticket-o’-leave, about a year ago, ’most, @ paper was found pinned on him with one cross an’ twelve straight marks,” ‘* Was there any such paper put on Gables a he got his call the other night?” inquired c ‘Not then there wasn’t,” was the ready response, ‘but when we kem to plant him next mornin’ there was,” ‘* An’ his check-off made ther score stand six dead seven ter come,” | ‘Great monnymint 0’ patience!” cried Lanky Lam, who had just joined the crowd. ‘ Who's yee gn, then? This score stands seven ter ate -_-~—---- ET EY Ee oe = cz