Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 728 — page 14: what you’re looking at

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

. V4. >» Up the prisoners were brought, one after an- other, each securely bound, showing that a trap of some sort bad been laid in the cavern below. ‘ What in thunder an’ blazes does et mean?” cried Thomas the Terrible, as be glared furiously around, ‘‘Thar’s a durn traitor in ther camp, an’ I know et!” ‘Tt means that Deadwood Dick has been too many for you,” the wounded man made answer, “You thought you were clever bere, but you have been outdone in the neatest kind of way, as you shal! presently see,” When the last prisoner had been pulled out of the well, up the ladder came Mayor Howland Kentway of Pond Lily, followed by a great num- ber of his fellow citizens. And when all were out, three cheers for Deadwood Dick was _ posed, and the cheering was done with a will. ‘‘ And now for the triumphant march to Pond Lily,” spoke the mayor. ‘‘ But first, sack this den of everything worth taking away, boys, and then we'll set fire to it, and wipe it out for all time.” With a whoop the men sprung to this task, and pretty soou the cabins and shanties were wrapped in flames, In ashort time Coffin Camp would be a thing of the past, and would be no more savein legend. When the buildings were all burning thor- oughly, the march to Pond Lily was begun headed by Major Kentway and the wounded Deadwood Dick, the prisoners being in guarded line, single file, with ised Ivan at the head and Terrible Thomas next, the man Jonah bringing up the rear. When they set out across the ‘‘ playground,” the line of cannons looked upon the crowd with aspect grim and cGeadly, but on nearer approach they seemed to dwindle into insignificance, and Deadwood Dick, Jr.’s, Disgui **T am she who, in San Francisco, was known as Kodak Kate,” was the clear and ringing re- sponse, ‘‘ Now I am the proud wife of Detec- tive Richard Bristo], better known to you as Deadwood Dick, Jr.” CHAPTER XVI. TRIUMPHANT EXPOSE, THIS was a surprise indeed, ‘¢ Your wife!” was ti e cry, as one man turned to the wounded Deadwood Dick. ‘*No; not my wife,” was the response to that “but the wife of the real Deadwood Dick. I am merely playing that role for a purpose,” Here was another and still greater surprise for mary, ‘* Then who in thunder is the real Deadwood Dick?” cried Thomas the Terrible, fired with im- patience. ‘* Fer ther luv of goodness p’int him out to us, will yer, so’s wekin gaze on ther cuss.” ‘* Tf he will kindly step to the front, I will in- troduce him,” was the quiet r nse, To the amazement of the outlaws and many others, Ivan, the Manof Iron, stepped forward to the front, and was immediately released. ‘¢Gentlemen, one and all,” spoke the wounded man, “‘let me introduce Deadwood Dick, Jr., the thoroughbred detective of the country at large. He will now speak for himself,” ** Cusses upon cusses On yer!’ screamed Thomas the Terrible. ‘‘Then et war you, all ther time, what war runnin’ us inter this hole, war et? Ef I bad ther use o’ my hands, wi’ a weepin’ in me fist oncet, I’d bore ye, you bet!” ‘*] have no doubt about it, my pretty fellow,” Deadwood Dick the genuine responded, with his grim smile. ‘ As it is, you will bave to forego finally, when they were reached, they resolved / the pleasure.” into mere dummies of wood, painted to look like real instruments of deadly warfare! And at this discovery the rage of Terrible Thomas knew no bounds. Ivan, the Man of Iron, seemed to take ifjphilo- sophically, and as a matter of course. ith many a jest and jibe, the men of Pond Lily kicked them as they passed, and the pro- cession continued on its way, wildly cheering. The eutry into Pond Lily was something to be prewt..of. The whole crowd of the victorious . Party wassinging, shouting, waving hats, firing weapons, etc., and the entire camp turned out to welcome them, Into the square in front of the leading botel, and other important huildings, the prisoners were led, with Iron Ivan in conspicuous place, and there they were halted, under guard. And forthwith a place was arranged for Judge Lynch to sit, to give them immediate trial. While this was being done, Idaho Jo pressed to the front, “Ha! we have got you, my friend, have we?” addressing bimself to lron Ivan, ** [ don’t know what part we had init,” was the sarcastic retort. ‘I didn’t see you at the front, that is certain.” ‘* No matter, I am here now, and 1 want to fight you, if these citizens will free you and give me the chance, I'll settle accounts with you for last night.” ** Let me put in a word hero, Idaho Jo, if you please,” spoke up the wounded Deadwood Dick, presenting a revolyer at the fellow’s head. ‘You are my prisoner, under charge of robbery and murder.” ‘Robbery! Murder! What—” ‘Exactly so. You are wanted for robbery at @ place over in Washington, and you are the murderer of—” *“T am no murderer!” was the ory, and the man’s face was like death itself. ‘‘I defy you to prove it! Whom have I murdered? Come, explain that.” ‘You are the murderer of the man found dead here this morning. Ob! you may start, but we have the proof dead to rights against you. Men lay hold upon him!” ‘This is a foul lie!” the man cried, as he struggled with the men who had nabbed him as he was trying to draw a weapon. ‘* You can’t rove it! Wasn’t it done by the outlaw, Iron van, this cuss you have here?” ** No, sir, it was not,” spoke a woman’s voice, and the woman, Madge Marble, stepped to the fore. ‘‘It was done by you, and here is the proof of it!” She held out a photograph, one which pictured the fellow in the very act of stabbing the un- known man! It was proof that could not be disputed, and ree back, the fellow gasped: - o oare you? How came you by this pic- ee ee a Cee Kodak Kate had stepped forward, and her right hand was held in Dick’s left as he spoke. She, his wife, it was, proud, bappy and smiling; the same Kodak Kate whom previous stories in- troduced, ‘Yes, gentlemen of Pond Lily,” Dick spoke, when Thomas the Terrible had been silenced, ** I am Deadwood Dick. And now explanations are in order. Some time agol received word from ‘our mayor here to come down and and try my leap at cleaning out the nest of vipers at Coffin Camp. 1 came here in disguise, had a confer- ence with Mr, Kentway, and went away again, At that time we arranged all our plans of action, as far as possible, and you have seen the result. ‘‘On the night when I shot Guerrilla Jake, I was coming here to begin the campaign. That sudden attack on the stage, and what followed, changed my plans somewhat. I dropped down from the stage just as it came into the camp, and held another secret interview with Mr, Kent- way. I took leave of the camp, and finally came this man to play my part to impose upon you and these outlaws while I was taking the risk of invading their den to learn their secret, How that has worked you have all witnessed. ‘* That special stage with the stockholders of the mine was a part of the plan. Those gentle- men were all in the secret, and the robbery was no surprise tc them, The only one to whom it was a surprise was my wife here, and it was a greater surprise to me to find her aboard, Her mother having died, she tells me she put ber property into the bands of an agent for sale and set out to find me at once. Sho wrote me that she was coming, but her letter never reached me. This explains points that you can now fully understand. I spoke to her, there at the scene of the robbery, teliing her in brief what was go- ing on. ‘‘ Later I had an interview with her here at your hotel, when she volunteered to do all she could in the present case. And she has lent ma- terial help to this gentleman who has been passing for myself. His wounded arm, as I need not tell you, now that he hascast off the bandage, was only a sham to support the story be had to tell. Werather pride ourselves that we have done a clever stroke, Whether you agree with us or not, can make no difference in that respect. Mayor Kentway, your nest of vipers bas been cleaned out and broken up for- ever, and here are the serpents, Do with them as you will, There are some other points to be cleared up, to satisfy the public mind, but I will let some one else speak now,” Wild cheering greeted bis closing words. ‘* Let me say a word or two, please,” spoke u Kodak Kate, as soon as she could make herself heard, ‘* You want to know how I came by this picture that proves so positively that Iron Ivan did not kill the stranger. I bad my camera with me, and at a very early hourthis morning, at the window of my room, I was preparing Sé. take a view, when suddenly, just as I was ready, these two men appeared on the street and this one drew a knife. There was a brief struggle, and seeing that murder was intended, and having no weapon in hand, I took a snap shot at the critical moment, and this picture is the result,” Again did wild cheering make the valley ring with its many echoes, ‘“‘ After the deed bad been done,” Kate re- sumed, ‘‘ I knew I could do nothing by raising an alarm, except to frighten away the mur- derer, so I finished the picture and shadowed the man, tosee that he did not getaway. If he had started to leave town, I would have arrested him, After the deed had been done, as I started to say, the murderer took a card from his pocket, wrote upon it hurriedly, and dropped it upon the breast of his victim, leaving it there. ndoubtedly the notices around the camp pur- porting to be the work of Iron Ivan, put the thought into his head, together with his desire for revenge for what he received last night.” ‘*And about those notices,” Deadwood Dick took up the thread again, ‘‘my man here put them up. And those at Coffin Camp, my good friend Thomas, J am the person wbo wrote them. You see I was in position to know what I was talking about. Ha!hi! You were neatly taken in.” ‘Yas, cuss ye!” was the ‘grated response, ‘an’ l’m only sorry we didn’t burn ‘ye at ther stake on s’picion, [ll never be fooled again, you bet! ness, anyhow,” ‘*'You think so? Well, now, when a disease is desp2rate the remedy has to be suited for the especial case under consideration. This was the prescription for your case. And as for its be- ing a mean trick—was it to be compared with the murders you and your cut-throats have com- mitted there at Coffin Camp? Or was it any worse than the cowardly way in which you would have given yourself up, when you thougbt your life was to be spared, when mine was posi- ref demanded? Bah! you miserable pole- cat Mayor Kentway at once proceeded to cpen court. He gave the rascals a fair hearing, and charged them according to their deserts. Several were held on the charge of murder, and all on that of robbery, Pond Lily was too far advanced in civilization to allow Judge Lynch to mete out justice to the rascals, though that was the sentiment of a big proportion of the crowd, so they were taken un- der strong escort to the nearest county seat, where they were putin jail. That finally they came to the end they sever- ally deserved, n not be dwelt upon here, Idaho Jo went with them, under charges that made his fate assured, The man whom he had murdered had been a partner of his in other crimes, and one who had a hold upon him. Threatening ex re, Jo bad promptly used the knife vpon him, never thinking that he would be caught in such a way, or in fact in any way, after his ruse to put the charge all upon Iron Ivan. There was a meeting of the stockholders of the Lily Mine, together with the leading citizens of the camp, and Deadwood Dick was bandsomely rewarded for his services, a fair proportion of which be immediately passed over to the man wg had played his part at such a risk to him- self. This man was a citizen of another camp, a brave fellow with whom Dick had come in con- tact. Pond Lily went crazy over the victory, All that day and nearly all night a great celebration was kept up. Many of the good citizchs got pretty well ‘‘ corned,” and the “‘ city ” was paint- ed red, figuratively. Deadwood Dick and his bride, of course, were ~ the stars of the occasion, The camp could not do enough in their honor, and gaping crowds watched them at every opportunity; but they took things quietly at the hotel. A couple of weeks they remained at Pond Lily, and at the end of that time, after a rousing ball given in their honor, they took their leave, the good wishes of a host of friends going with them, And so for the present, we must take leave of them, but to meet them again under circum- stances startlingly novel, to say the least, THE END. Et war a mighty dirty piece of buSiv«>