Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 764 — page 10: what you’re looking at

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

oe *, 7 7/10 4 : rely « ° % 06 pee lh oe ee POE ee! i em be ag © » . 2 a oe ‘‘Everything,” was the assurance, ‘‘ Even my life. If you get away from here, and barm comes to the c. mp, it will be all up with Nugget Nell.” £ *‘Then you were foolish to risk so much, that’s all,” asserted Dick, “Tt is said that woman is foolish in a good many things,” was Nell’s rejoinder, “Why did you doit?” Dick inquired. nothing to you.” ‘‘Tam going to tell you why I did it, if you will tell me candidly one thiag.” ** What is that?” ** Are you, truly, Deadwood Dick?” ‘* Well, yes, I am! Tiger Bill spoke the truth.” ‘* Then listen to my confession: I have often heard of you, and you have heen my hero for many aday, Call me foolish if you will, Dick, but [ love you, and would like to join my fate to yours, What do you say?” CHAPTER XI. RICHARD IN LIMBO. DEADWOOD DICK wus amazad, Here was something that was morethan a sur- prise, He said nothing at first, but gave vent to his feelings in a low whistle, ‘* T have surprised you?” the girl asked, ‘‘ Well, rather,” was Dick’s admission. ‘‘ You can’t mean it,” ‘‘Buat I do mean it, though, Iam jast what you see me, aud you have seen that [ have some nerve.” ‘*T should say you have. But, I know nothing about you, and you know nothing about me save what you bave heard at second-hand, This is rather sudden,” ** Yes, [ admit all that, and you will say that it is wrong for me to act as [ have in the mat- ter. Very well, I can stand that, A woman ought to have the same right as a man to make love.” ‘There is something in that, certainly. As it is now, woman has to take a back seat in such matters, and ber choice cannot be expressed, She is the creature of chance, as it were, era rize waiting patiently to be drawn by some- ‘*T am V. “That's it, exactly, Well, no more now: Here we are at the Howler, You are putting up wa Bang-up, are you not?” * Yes, “So am I, .I will manage to see you there after I close my game,” ‘All right, if 1 am alive by that time. I expect nothing else than a grand ruction here,” ‘*[T don’t think so, They know that I am for ou, and they have a wholesome respect for ugget Nell, even if I am little.” They entered the Howler together, and Nell proceeded at once to her room, Dick paused for a few minutes in the saloon proper, where be braved the hard looks and sco wls of the crowd, Finally he went oninto the gambler queen’s domain, where Nugget Nel} was now seated at her table, ready to resume the business that had been interrupted. | Dick’s entrance brought in the crowd, ‘* Well, sir, you have said you came here for the purpose of skinning the camp,” the young woman reminded, “Ts that an invitation to begin right here?” asked Dick. “You may take it that way if you want to; you see I am idle,” ‘* What is your limit?” *€ One thousand dollars, for the balance of this evening.” ‘That is rather light,” **'You may find it heavy enough, before you are done,” ** Well, [ll risk it, anyhow.” Dick made a purchase of chips, and the game commencéd, There was a crowd around the table, and no one else offered to play, wanting to see how this test of skill would turn, Little need to describe the playing at length. Dick lost at every turn, no matter how well he calculated the chances in his favor on different plays, and was unable to detect anything like cheating. At the end of an hour he arose from the table minus his thousadd dollars, ** Well, what do you think about it now?’ asked Nugget Nell, stniling. ** | think you are the most expert hand with the. Srmcenr ee I ever saw,” Dick answered, ou did not detect any cheating, did you?” ** Not a bit,” ** And you played your best.” i ' ee) SO ee ge ee ee Deadwood Dick, Jr.’s, Lone Hand. ‘* Yes, I certainly did, You are best man, so | thirty feet deep, but it answered the purpose on to sav,” ‘** Very well, take it as areminder of what you may expect if you play further, chance with Nugget Nell.” ! You stand po | ' this occasion. “Thar!” exclaiméd Tiger Bill, savagely, ‘I guess ye wull keep byar till you ar’ needed,” ‘‘ Ver kin bet on’t,” added Bleezer, ‘** And ‘*] believe you, though I do not understand | when yer is wanted, my opine is that et wull how it is, night, and I'll go over to the hotel and enjoy a smoke and then to bed,” * Don’t forget,” ‘*T won't.” : This lust, as Dick well knew, referred to some- thing else, lt was to remind him of what the girl bad said about seeing bim at the hotel after she closed her game, Making sure that his weapons were in position for instaut use, Dick passed out into the saloon proper, where he loitered for a few minutes, In an idle way he took note of who was pres- ent and who was not, so far as his memory of faces would serve oim, and be was speedily made aware that Bleezer Googin, Tiger Bill, and some others, were not there. Richard exchanged some civil words with one or two men, including the proprietor, and went out into the night, It was dark, and many of the lights were now out, He knew the way well enough, however, for itdid not take Dick long to get the locations in a new place, Stepping out boldly in the direction of the Bang-up Hotel, he got away from the vicinity of the Howler as soon as he could, keeping a wary eye for danger. He saw no one, as he advanced, and had cov- ered half the distance to the hotel before any- thing happened. Something did happen, then, and in a way so unexpected that he was taken altogether at a disadvantage. The first alarm he bad was when be heard a “swish!” right at his feet, and then it was too late for him to profit by it, for something struck his feet with great force and be was sent forward upon his face on the ground, So heavily was he thrown, too, that for a second he was dazed, and before he could recover, several men pounced upon bim and he was quick- ly gagged and bound, Not a word had been spoken, and as soon as they had made bim secure bis captors picked him i and bore him away, y this tiine Dick had recovered from the shock, in the hands of bis worst foes, He could not see them to recogniz3 them, but had no doubt that Bleezer Googin and Tiger Bill were in the party. He was taken off at right angles from the trail that led around to the hotel by the lake, and car- ried off into the woods. Just how far he was taken, be could not tell, but judged it to be about half a mile. When the men stopped they laid him on the ground, and one made a light. The light revealed Googin and Tiger Bill as the leaders, ‘‘ Waal, hvar ye be,” observed Bleezer, with a grin, ‘* Yas, and hyar ye will stay, fer some time, I’m thinkin’,” added Tiger. | ‘Ens a pity not ter hang bim right up ter oncet,” declared one man. ‘ Et’s ther safest.” “You ar right,” agreed Tiger Bill. ‘* With ther yaller expected at any hour, we don’t want no outside eyes and ears around byar.” ‘** Nobody is more fer hangin’ him than I am,” cried Googin. ‘‘Say ther word, wld man, and we'll yank him right up jest as high as ever he will go, I’m teHin’ ye: What yer say?’ Said une man: ‘‘T can’t gree to et, pards, fer Nugget Nell would be after us like grim death hot-shod.” ‘* That’s the fack,” another supported, ‘‘ Bet- ter stick to ther fu’st plan, an’ let ’em take chances afterwards, That’s thersafest,” ‘* And,” put im-another, ‘Sef et comes to ther pinch, darn me ef I wouldn’t ruther have Deadwood Dick, after me than Nugget Nell, A woman is a scorcher when she gits after a fel- ler’s blood,” To settieit, it was put to vote then and there, and one in the majority gave Dick the benefit of imprisonment, By the light of the torch he was able to take in the surroundings. He was in a sortof gully, deep in the woods, and at the right was what had the appearance of being a cavern, Such it’ was, in fact, and after the vote he was picked up again and carried into it and taken to thefrear, wberejbe was laid down on the hard floor, | The cavern was a small one, not more than Anyhow, I bave had enough for to- | be to ‘tend yer own hangin’, but it was now too late, and he was a prisoner We'll talk Nell into et by that time.” Dick could not make response, of course, be- ing gagged, end after some further tauuts the rascals went off and left bim there alone with his thoughts, And they were not of a cheering nature, ‘If I could only have been free, with my weapons in hand,” be said to bimself, * | would have made a place of mourning of this cavern, if these fellows have any one to mourn for them at all. But, they have got the bulge on me, and bad. I guess my lone band game is all up.” His thoughts went over the whole ground, and there was one thing that puzzled bim greatly. That was, concerning what could be meant by the mention of ‘* yellow” that had been made so mavpy times, What could it be that was expected? Of what nature, that it must be kept so secret? What, besides gold, was commonly called ** yellow?” Dick was, as said, puzzled, Just here it may not be out of place to state what business had brougbt him to this border town of Corduroy Crossing. First, however, a word about the place itself. It was near the Canada line, and the lake, the northern end of it, laved the shore of the Do- minion, The Line was only a few miles distant from the camp, and it had been suspected for some time that smuggling was going on by way of this lake and the camp that occupied the island. One reason, it was known that the mines at Corduroy Crossing bad long since played out, so that the camp could no longer draw its support from them. Then, too, it had no other visible meaus of support. These facts had been noticed by the Government men. Finally, Deadwood Dick, he being selected as the most expert and daring of all the Western detectives, had been requested to go to the place, get at the secrets it might hold, and proceed ac- cording to his own judgment against the deni- zens of the‘hard bole, calling for help if needed. Anyhow, to report, As stated further back, be bad not allowed his wife to accompany bim on this trip. Knowing the place hy repute, he considered i6 altogether unfit for her, and so had left her at @ hotel in a little city miles away, It looked now as though his mission was going to prove a failure, He believed that smuggled goods would pass through the camp that night, and here he was, a helpless prisouer, ‘‘ Little wonder that he felt sour and disgusted. CHAPTER XII. CAPTAIN CRIMSON AGAIN, LEAVING Dick fora moment, let us learn what became of Carlo Waterstone, Mounted behind ene «of Captain Crimeon’s men, he was taken rapidly out of one danger, but he could not be sure that he was not going straight into another, He knew not who this woman in crimson was, and her men were certainly equal to overcoming him. That, however, did not trouble him, for it had been certain death to remain at the camp. Captain Crimson !ed the way up the trail and over the corduroy road to the woods on the north side. Once over the bridge, she touched her borse aod went forward ata lively pace, and paused not until something more than balf a mile had been covered, Finally she called a halt, and when all had stopped, ordered one of her men to produce a light, which was quickly done, seven of the men, the woman and the prisoner making nine all told, Taking the pocket torch from the hand of the man who had lighted it, the woman in crimson rode up to Waterstone and looked searchingly at bis face, ; ‘You will’admit that I have saved your life, I suppose,” she observed, when evidently satistied with her scrutiny. ‘“T admit it willingly,” was the prompt re- sponse, ** and must thank you for it,’ ‘‘ No thanks are necessary. Are you willing to prove that you are in some measure tuank- ful?’ ‘‘Why, certainly, madam, If there is any way in which I can repay the favor, you have only tocommand me, Try me and see,” There were . CHOO Orn