Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 684 — page 6: what you’re looking at

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

6 Deadwood Dick, Jr.’s, Dazzle. ae | ** So et do!” was the exclamation from all. No one bad noticed particularly, that the odd and even had changed places on the familiar record, ‘*And ther question is, who’s the seventh?” Mr. Cobbletree shouted. ‘Tt is the late Blossom Bob,” informed a long, seedy-looking individual in a seedy suit of black. ** T have just come through the canyon, and he is lying cold and stiff at Gospel Corner.” anky Lam jumped two feet high, and ut- tered a yell that might bave been heard a mile, CHAPTER VI. VICTIM NUMBER EIGHT, THE new arrival upon the scene was an actor. That is to say, sucb he had been, once upon a time. Maximilian MacDuff was the rather high- sounding name be answered to. He had belonged toa traveling company that stranded and went to pieces in Arizona, aud he had never Imd ambition enough to get away. Micawber-like, be was living on hope, waiting for something to turn up. Sooner or later, he told hiinself and curious inquirers, another com- pany of some sort would come along, when he would have no trouble about catching on, as soon as he made known bis superior talents. ‘Yer don’t say Bob aire dead, do yer?” Lanky Lam demanded, as soon as he came down after his jump. ‘““By me halidom,” MacDuff assured, tragi- cally, ‘‘ but he is as dead as the bones of Ceesar. He couldn’t be deader.” ‘* Somebody shell pay fer this!” Lanky howled. ‘* Blossom was my perd, he was, and his death shall be avenged. This byar Nemmysus wants ter keep clear o’ my guns, now, fer, by ther shades, I’ll bore him at sight,” Just at this juncture Maximilian MacDuff reer ds sight of Deadwood Dick. ‘*Ha!” he cried, striking an attitude, ‘‘ what is this I behold? Do tbese visual organs once more look upon a member of the profesh?” ** T hardly think they do,” said Dick. ‘‘I am sure they do not,” he added, ‘if you expect to find in me a fraternal spirit, I take it you have beery a player in your better days. There is something stagey about you.” ‘‘ Ho!” with a look of pride around, ‘see how blood and training will tell! See how readily my inborn talents are discovered by a critical eye. Sir, -@~ do me proud. [ am Maximilian MacDuff, Shakespearean tragedian.” ‘* Where are -you playing?” Dick asked, with a merry sparkle in his eyes. | ‘* Alas!” was the mournful sigh, ‘“‘I am at present under the heel of adverse fortune, but I expect to catch on as soon as something comes along. I had fond hopes that I saw in you the moneyed head of some successful company.” ‘*Such is not the case, however,” Dick as- sured, ** And more’s the pity, alas!” In the meantime Landy Lam was howling about the sudden taking off of his late partner in evil deeds, “Vas yas,” he vowed, “ther Nemmysus wants ter keep cl’ar o’ me, fer by ther great monnymint o’ Patience, i’m on ther war-path now! Say, you flash an’ fresh rooster, you!” turning suddenly upon Dick, ‘*mebby et’s you thet’s at ther bottom of et all. You was about ther last one through ther canyon last night.” ** You don’t know whether I was or not,” said Dick, coolly. ‘‘I had nothing to do with the fellow’s death, however.” ‘That is only your say-so, which don’t make it so, not by a batful et don’t! I ruther s’pect thet you and this other cuss knows more about it than any one else, Ther pair of ye seemed ter onderstand each other pooty well last night.” “Tf you think so,” Dick retorted, ‘t you want to keep the suspicion to yourself, or else show up your proof. Bear that in mind,” ‘“*An’ ef I don’t, what then? Come, now, pooty boy, what will be ther consekence ef Il don’t do nuther?” ** You may find out, and that in a hurry.” The bullwhacker laid back his head and haw- hawed. ‘You is talkin’ to yer uncle, me boyee, you is,” he warned, ‘‘ so be jest a leetle keerful what yer say. You had ther bulge on ther crowd last night, with yer weepins, but thet ain’t ther case now, an’ yer wants ter look out.” **T am looking out, all the time,” Dick assured, “You beard whatI said, and if you mind it there will be no trouble.” ‘Great monnymint o’ Patience! Be you talkin’ ter me like that? Why, I’ll turn ye up and spank ye, ther fu’st yerknows, I sed mebby ’ /diltesn be ye haba. - ss SS eee se eee eee —-—C CM RET n TE TEETER TT sss you had a hand in ther work, an’ mebby ye did, too. Mebby you is the Nemmysus. ey, fel- lers, ain’t ther jest a degree o’ s’picion thet meb- by he aire?” There came some faint echoesin the affirma- tive, but they were on the outer circle of the crowd. Dick reached out with his left arm and gave Mr. Cobbletree a gentle tap on the proboscis. There was a roar then, and everybody got out of the way to clear room for action. Lanky Lam sprung up three feetif an inch, came down all spread-eagle style, and was ready for active work. Forward he rushed, drawing back his right arm as he came, and then he shot out a blow that was terrific. But it was harmless. Dick merely sent out his left, straight from the shoulder, with a quick, spring-like flip, and Lanky went down all in a heap. The crowd gave a whoop of delight, at this sud- den display of prowess on the part of the gor- geous stranger, which only served to enrage Mr. Lanky the more, He scrambled up witb a roar like that of a tiger. ‘‘ Your life er mine, now, cuss yer!” he screamed. ‘“‘ No man ever done that ter me afore, and no man kin do it and live, nuther, I'll break yer in two, by ther great monnymint o’ Patience L will!” ‘‘ We'll see about that,” remarked Dick, smil- ing in cool contempt. ‘Such a tarn as this will sharpen my appetite for breakfast. Come on, my fire-eater, and let the fun begin.” No need to extend the invitation, for Lanky was coming. He was coming witha full head of steam on, too, and probably counted upon having it all bis own way. As he came, too, his hand fell upon a weapon and he evidently meant all he had said. It would be his life or Dick’s, if it went according to his programme. But, it didn’t go that way. Dick stood perfectly still till the bullwhacker was right upon him, when, with a lightning step to one side, he was out of reach, and then he struck the fellow a blow on the: jaw that sent him sliding off on his ear clear out to the middle of the street, where he lay motionless, ‘* Anybody else want some?” Dick inquired, with a lazy air. Nobody else did, Said one man: oe Leet aire gi, hecwand Po I don’t know what a hu ttern o er piece must be,” * The noblest LT ) "t om “alll” eriéd Maximilian MacDoff. “You are a terror, certainly,” said Esmond Earle. ‘‘ You will have a man after your life now, though, in Lanky Lam.” ‘‘That was nothing,” Dick modestly observed, ** Any one could lay out such a fellow as that, But, come, let’s to breakfast. There goes the bell, I guess. I like to be around at meal-time.” ‘Yes, that is the bell. Lam ready to attend to that duty, as usual.” The two walked away, leaving the crowd to comment at pleasure. Dick looked back at Lanky once or twice, to see that he did not come to and try a shot at him, but the gentile- man was perfectly still, ‘* Never saw I the like,” observed Maximilian MacDuff. ‘* Never saw lsoclean a knock-out before,” ‘*Et strikes me thet mebby he’s knocked out fer good,” one man observed. This set some of Lanky’s friends to work to find out, and some balf dozen of them picked the fallen bero up and carried him to the porch of the post-office, But Lanky was not dead, and when the proper means had been applied he soon showed signs of life. Preseutly he was able to sit up, when he de- manded: ‘‘*Whar is he? Whar is ther p’izin sarpint? All I ax now is ther chance ter git a bead on him. ‘‘He has gone to appease the cravings of bis inner man,” informed Mr. MacDuff. ‘He'll be gone furder’n thet, ef I kin gita shot at him,” the angry rascal declared, “ He'll cross Jordan wi’ bells on, an’ I’m a-tellin’ ye he will. No fancy galoot kin do what he’s done, and live,” By this time be had regained his feet, and proceeded to examine his weapons, He was allowed plenty of room, He was well known as a desperate character, and no one there wanted to cross him in any way. In about two minutes’ time he had come to himself wholly, and with revolvers in band, then, he started across toward the hotel. Mur- der shonein his eyes, and he clearly meant to Lo: “wie > _ aa ee. SSS Le ee eee eee sss ! ah the man who had punished him sgo cley- erly. The crowd stood spellbound. There were plenty, now, who would have gladly set up a | Mt cry, but no one dared take the initia- lve, Forward the enraged bullwhacker went, mut- tering and cursing to himself, until he bad got about balf-way across the street. . | Then it was that a surprising thing happened. He threw up his hards, reeled forward a few paces, and then fell upon his face, ‘“Ther Nemmysus! Ther Nemmysus!” Such was the cry that was immediately raised. , The crowd made a sudden rush forward, but stopped again as suddenly. One thought had come to one and all at the same moment, Would not another victim he found among them? There was an awkward pause, and a solenin hush fell over the scene, broken only by the Kncig, fire of comment and question, in a low um, When a minute or two had passed, however, and nothing further happened, then some one made another start, and the crowd soon surged around the fallen man, He was found to be dead, shot right through the heart. Not a sound of 4 pistol had been heard, but here was the deadly work of a bullet only too plainly manifest, Lambert Cobbletree, or “* Lanky Lam,” pro- bably the chief of the “ bad” men of the gulch, was laid low. About ten minutes after the fatal shot, a rather eye ae man about forty-five years came along, He was well dressed, and had about him an air of self-importance. This man was Stephen bas been mentioned. The body of Cobbletree had now been carried and laid on a corner of the hotel piazza. ‘‘ What is the excitement here?” Barnthal in- quired, stopping, . ‘Another victim of the Nemesis, sir,” ans- wered MacDuff. “And who this time?” “ Lanky Lam.” The rich mine-owner’s face paled for a mo- ment, and he seemed to breathe bard, **T will give ten thousand dollars,” he present- ly spoke, ‘*to the man.» hbo will bring the career of this wholesale murderer to a close. No man’s life is safe for a minute, “This terrible reign of terror must end!” CHAPTER VII. ; DETECTIVE DICK’S DEDUCTIONS. DEADWOOD DICK was at breakfast, He and Esmond Earle had gone straight to the breakfast-room. And as that room was well back in the rear, they knew nothing, for a time, of what had taken place. ‘*So,, you think it won’t be healthy for me yere, eh?’ Dick observed, as they took their places at the table together. ‘* No,” responded Earle, “ for Lanky Lam is a desperate fellow, and he’ll be likely to shoot you at sight. You will have to look out sharp, all the time,” ‘He will have to be quick on the draw, if he gives me any warning at all, for 1can say with- out boasting that I am handy with the tools,” Richard of Deadwood remarked. ‘‘ Besides, I have had desperate men after me before,” “Well, we are two apaipet one, anyhow,” Earlejdeclared, ‘‘ for you can count on me if my help is needed. Two pairs of eyes ought to afford some protection against surprise, I should imagine.” “Thank you. Yes, two of us ought to be able to keep him off, By the way, have you been here long?” ‘* Only a few weeks, I came pretty near mak- ing permanent stay of it, though.” ick laughed at that. ‘“‘-You certainly aid,” he agreed, Others entered the room while they were talk- ing. Dandi them was an Irishman named Fingal McFaddin, who was bookkeeper at the Nutmeg Bonanza Mine. He was a smart, bright fellow of thirty or so, a true son of the Emeral Isle, yet with only a slight touch of the brogue on his tongue, | : “Ton of the morning to you, Mr. Earle!” he aetal “T hear it’s a divil of a bad fix you came near getting into last night,” “You heard aright,” Earle responded, when he had answered the greeting, ‘‘Didn’t you Barnthal, whose name