Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 755 — page 10: what you’re looking at

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

a * se SS ee eee es 10 Gold-Dust Dan’s Oath. Media and her captor, now known to all as Gold-Dust Dan. Just in time had the motte been abandoned, for as Reckless Roy and bis band coursed away to the northwest, a backward glance discovered a strong force of Sioux warriors, under com- mand of a tall war-chief, pouring over the crest of a distant swell in hot pursuit. Gold Gulch! For months that had been a magic name in the Black Hills region, the camp itself the Mecca of the fortune-seeking pilgrims. From every quarter they bad come, singly, in pairs and in groups, until the camp’s denizens numbered about half a thonsand, ; Then the bubble burst. The mines ‘*‘ played out "—dwindled to two in number; a hegira followed quick upon the heels of the exploded boom, and within a week from the break the pupulation of Gold Gulch was less than a hundred. And yet, the Gnich was rated a ‘*‘ live” camp. The two mines in operation yielded handsome returns, and there was employment, at good wages, for all willing to work. en there was a hotel, a number of stores, and two or three dance-halls, while nightly, in the half-dozen saloons and gambling-dens whisky and cards held sway. Down in the little valley below the camp was a graveyard, too, and it was the boast of the Gulcbites that not a man buried there had failed to meet death with his boots on. Another point on which the rough miners prided themselves was the camp’s govern- ment—‘‘ Ther best in ther hull deestrick,” they were wont to declare, Sidney Graft, owner of the two mines, and generaliy known as “ Sleek Sid,” was the mayor of the camp, and a burly giant answering to the unique name of Weeping Moses filled the office of marshal, while three of the most influential citizens served as a town council, with powers judicial as well as legislative. Just at sunset of the second day after the suc- cessful enactment of Gold-Dust Dan’s daring ruse to rescue Media Bradlaw, four horsemen drew rein at the door of The Mint, the Gold Gulch hostelry. The foremost of the four was Gold-Dust Dan, now divested of his red-skin disguise. Behind him were Media Bradlaw, Reckless Roy and Idaho. The young Regulator chief was pale and hag- gard, and was strapped in his saddle in a po- sition as comfortable as possible. It required no second glance for the loungers to determine that he was severely wounded, Dan dismounted and burried into the hotel to secure rooms for the party. On his return, Reckless Roy was lifted from: his saddle and carried up-stairs, while the landlord sent a miner in search of the camp’s surgeon, ** Doc” Leech was not long in making his ap- pearance. He skillfully dressed the wounds of the young outlaw, installed Idaho and Media as nurses, and quietly took his departure, Shortly after nightfall, two men rode into the camp and sought the quarters of Gold-Dust Dap. They were Old Calamity and Big Davy. Together, with Media Bradlaw, the three men remained closeted till a late hour. When the conference was ended, Old Calamity and Big Davy quitted the hotel and rode away, one going north, the other south, And early the next morning, Gold-Dust Dan mounted Prince and galloped out of Gold Gulcb, taking the trail to Rapid City, CHAPTER IX JACOB ROSE, THE BANKER—AN AMBUSH. OVER the doorway of a certain building fronting on the principal street of Rapid City oo a sign, containing the following, in bold red letters on a black ground: ‘* JACOB ROSE, “ BANKER AND BROKER. ‘‘MiInES BouGHT AND SOLD.” Late in the afternoon of the day on which Gold-Dust Dan quitted Gold Guleb, a rough- Jjooking man walking leisurely through the street espied this sign, and stopped and slowly, letter by letter, made out the words thereon, Then an expression of deep satisfactiom came over his face, ** By criminy! et’s ole Jake Rose’s piace, fast enough!” he muttered, and quickening his steps he approached and entered the building. *“*T wanter see Jake Rose, and I wanter see 4im mighty quick,” he brusquely announced to the solitary occupant of the outer office, a thin — : - little old man, who was evidently a clerk. ‘‘ Got him ’round hyar anywhar?” ‘*Is your business very important? Mr. Rose is very busy this afternoon,” was the clerk’s re- sponse, as his keen little eyes ran over the visitor, ‘‘Can I not attend to your wants as well?” ‘*Nary, ole man—nary! Git yer gimblet eyes off’n my duds, an’ perjuce ther ole original Jakey Rose ter wunst, or I'll ber-derned ef I don’t make ye think Solomon’s riz in all bis ga-lory! Git, I say!” And the burly stranger poked the muzzle of a cocked revolver under the old man’s nose, ‘* All right! all right!” cried the clerk, bastily. ‘*Give me your name, and [1 take it to Mr, Rose, He’s just back from Cheyenne, and is up to bis ears in business, but will see you if pos- sible,” ‘* Again, ole man, I say—nary/” uttered the bully, menacingly. ‘‘’m Durango Dave, I am but thet’s nuther hyar por thar, Jest ye lead ther way ter his noble jukesbip, an’ I'll interjuce merself. An’ now—scat /” Realizing the utter futility of further parley, old Silas Lunt reluctantly led the way into a rear hall, and thence to the door of a private | office of Jacob Rose, where he paused. ‘* This ther place?” demanded Durango Dave, suspiciously. ** Yes; Mr, Rose isinside. I'll knock.” ‘No, ye won’t. Yell scoot—skip! Hop er- ae lively, or by ga-lory, [ll help ye!” hen, as Silas Lunt beat a hasty retreat to the outer office, Durango Dave flung open the door and strodeinto the banker’s room, Jacob Rose started up from his desk and bold- ly confronted tbe intruder. ** What do you mean? What do you want here?” he demanded, bis black eyes snapping angrily. ‘**I mean biz—strictly biz; an’ ef ye’re ther ole original Jakey Rose, I might want you /” was the significant reply, and the rough closed the door and braced his broad shoulders against it. ‘*I’m Durango Dave, Iam, an’I’m a hum- min’ bird f’m sev’ral counties back, an’ when I howl ther wolves keep still—you bet!” A peculiar expression crept into the banker’s swarthy face, and be nodded grimly. **T see! I see!” he exclaimed, extending his hand, ‘* Your disguise is perfect, Re—” ‘* No names, please!” laughed the rough, as he took the proffered hand. ‘It’s my first trip here, and I hated to come, but had to, ‘¢' We must get ready for war, Jake!” ‘*T thought we had done that,” ‘*So we had, but our plans all failed, and now fresh complications have presented them- selves, ‘*The party was hotly pursued, and made a runving fight, in which Reckless Roy was badly wounded and several of bis men killed. After running into two deadly ambuscades, the red- skins grew sick of the job and backed out; and as Red Panther was not at band to lead them, the renegades grew wary, made a feint at with- drawing from the chase, and under cover trail- ed the game home, ‘* And, Jake, you may know the situation is most grave when I tell yon the girl and her friends are now in Gold Guleb!” The banker chuckled grimly, * T see no cause for alarm in that,” he aver- red, ‘* They certainly can suspect nothing.” **Ob, but they do,” cried Durango Dave, with an oath. ‘‘It turns out that the red-skin who ran the girl through our lines back there at the timber island, was none other than that young mountain terror, Gold-Dust Dan, in disguise, He has enlisted in the girl’s cause, too, and last night they held a confab to map out their cam- pom. I got onto it, and through Landlord erry managed to hear most of the talk, ‘** Not only do they suspect you of double-deal- ing, Jake, in the matter of the casket, Lut they know that the Gold Gulch Mines were the property of Jack Bradlaw. They intend, not only to bring you to book, but to oust Sleek Sid as well,” At this announcement, the banker’s confident look vanished and his face grew dark with rage. ‘* Oh, the deuce they do!” he exclaimed, shak- ing his clincbed hand. ‘*And how do they in- tend to proceed?” . ‘* Their first move will be to regain the casket left in your keeping. That accomplished, they can at once recover tbe buried treasure, and then, with the thews of war thus provided, pro- ceed against Sleek Sid, . ‘*Gold-Dust Dan is now on his way here to demand the casket; in fact, you may expect to meet him atany moment, He left the Gulch at daybreak this morving; I followed an hour later, coming through the blind pass and thus getting in abead of him.” ‘You should have waylaid and finished him,” the banker gritted. ‘*I can’t give up the casket, and itv’ll never do to let him come here and pick up a bobbery. We've too much at stake, ‘‘No, no! it will never do! You shouid have gotten hin’ out of the way—must do it yet. ‘** Of couaze, [ have receipts to show tbat I am no longer responsible for the casket; but if that young bloodhound is permitted to live, how long will it take bim to nose out cur secrets and prove the receipt was forged? There are some weak points in our game, Durango Dave—nota- bly the attempt to secure the Bradlaw casket, Reckless Roy suspects that Red Panther is either you or IJ, and now we can stopat nothing to save our necks from the halter.” ‘To save our necks and gain the treasure,” amended Durango Dave, “ But to play a win- ning game ve’d better let the detective show bis hand. The records show that the Gold Gulch Mines were legally transferred from Jubal Ben- net to Sidney Graft, while you hold Bennet’s receipt for the casket. Now let us see if Gold- Dust is prepared to prove that Bennet was dead before these papers were signed, If so, we’ve got to shunt bim out of the way mighty quick; if not, we can Jaugh at his claims and bide our time.” The banker ncedded moodily, and was about to speak when hasty steps in the hallway caused him to start and change color. | “Can that be he?” be exclaimed, with a vio- lent tremor. ‘In bere, Frank—quick!” and he flung open the door of a roomy closet. Durango Dave needed no urging. With stealthy tread he crossed the room and bid bim- self, just as there came a knock at the door opening into the hall, The banker sunk into the chair at his desk. Under such control were his nerves that be was now outwardly cool and collected, ‘* Enter,” he cried, and with the word the door was flung open and into the room strode Gold- Dust Dan. ‘* Are you Jacob Rose?” the detective asked, ‘*T am Jacob Rose,” the banker replied, ‘*My name is Daniel Deerfoot,” pursued the detective. ‘‘I hold the power of attorney from the lawful heir of Jobn Bradlaw, deceased, and come to reclaim a parcel left in your possession some months ago by one Jubal Beunet,” Tbe banker uttered a low whistle. ‘* Sir, you surprise me!” he exclaimed, spring- ing to bis feet. ‘'May I ask tosee your power of attorney?’ “Certainly, sir. Here it is,” and Gold-Dust Dan handed over a carefully-folded paper, ‘It’s as straight as a string,” commented Rose, as his black eyes ran over the contents of the document, ‘“‘It is made out, signed, sealed and witnessed in due form: ‘*T am sorry to inform you, Mr. Leerfoot, that your errand is in the nature of a wild goose chase. ‘The parcel in question was called for by Mr, Jubal Bennet in person less than a week from the day it was deposited! ‘‘If [am not mistaken, I have his receipt for it,” and the banker turned to a file of papers on his desk, from which be selected a slip. Gola- Dust Dan eyed the pee most critically, It was indeed a receipt from Jubal Bennet, ‘‘T am sorry to disappoint you, Mr. Deerfoot,” continued Rose, calmly stroking his huge black beard. ‘ But you see how the matter is,” “T do indeed,” the detective returned, signifi- cantly, ‘‘ITamafraid you have been imposed upon, Mr. Rose. Jtbal Bennet was killed three days before this receipt was written, so it must be a forgery.” oh, ‘‘Ohb, no! the receipt is genuine,” asseverated Rose, in a calm, matter-of-fact way that would have gone far toward convincing many a man, ““T was intimately acquainted with Bennet, and could not have been imposed on, é ‘But sit down, Mr, Deerfoot, and let us talk over the matter,” ‘There is nothing to talk over,” declared Dan, bluntly, as be declined the offered chair, “If that casket is gone, if must be found, and that, too, with its contents intact. ‘On our part we are prepared to furnish ab- solute proof that Jubal Bennet’s death occurred on a certain date, and that date was prior to the one contained in this receipt.” “T don’t think you can produce any such proof!” sneered Rose, anger getting the better of his prudence, ‘* It is you who have been im- posed on. ‘‘ But if it is war you want, war you can have, y position is impregnable!” - 5 Dan smiled oddly, and his dark eyes looked G "com Pmt th ial a‘ = at : - ee : eee -" —_, ¢ —— oe ae