Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 764 — page 14: what you’re looking at

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

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Money was exchanging hands, and the mayor and Bill were getting it. ‘‘ What better chance to bag them than here and now?” whispered Deadwood Dick to those | with him, ‘* As well now as any other time,” assented West, ‘* And dangerous at any time,” warned the woman incrimson, ‘* But, count me in it if you decide to go for them,” **T do not think we can have a better chance to gather them all,” said Dick. ‘* We can goin front and rear at the same time, and the man ‘who offers resistance will have to drop.” ** All right!” agreed Captain Crimson, ‘I will inform the men and bring them up, There is only one favor I have to ask, Deadwood Dick,” ‘* And what is that?” Dick inquired. ‘*That I may fight by your side, if fight we must,” ‘* Why do you make that request?” ‘‘For the same reason Nugget Nell gave for her strange conduct toward you. Because I love you!” CHAPTER XVI, DEADWOOD DICK SURPRISED, THE woman in crimson was gone in an in- stant, and Deadwood Dick could ouly gaze after her in amazement. Had all the women suddenly gone mad? What did it mean, anyhow? What was he to this woman incrimson? Tbe last a question he could not answer. ‘‘She seems hard hit,” remarked Detective West. **T don’t know what to make of her,” respond- ed Dick. ‘She is a mystery to me.” ‘“‘ A good chance for you to exercise your detective skill,” was the suggestion offered. ** And I'll doit, too, when we get this matter off our hands,” Dick declared. ‘‘ T’ll know who and what our Captain Crimson is,” Interest being centered within the saloon, there was nobody outside to take note of what was going on, and Captain Crimson came back, with her, horsemen without having been dis- covered, Dick and West met her a little distance from tbe door, ‘* Now,” Dick directed, “‘ you, West, take three of these men and go tothe rear door and be ready to enter as soon as you bear me order their hands up.” ‘* All right,” was the response, ‘‘ Take care to send no bullets into us, however.” “Tl see to that; you use the same precau- tion.” ** You bet.” Other details having been considered, they parted, and Dick waited until tke others were ehind the saloon before be advanced, When they had disappeared, then he and Captain Crimson went to the frout door, and when all were there and ready, Dick threw open the door and sprung in, with the woman in crim- son at his side, ' And immediately after them thundered the horsemen, with rifles all ready for action, taking the crowd completely by surprise, my ib} up, you rascals!” cried Deadwood ick, There was a moment of confusion, and many made a dash for the rear door. Before they reached it, however, in sprung West and his men, and the order was repeated from that direction. ** Surrender!” Deadwood Dick ordered, sternly, ** or the worse for you! We will stand no foolish- ness, be sure of that, Hands up, now!” There stood Dick and Captain Crimson, side by side, each with a brace of revolvers in hand, and on each side of them were two horsemen with their rifles to the fore. The sudden surprise, and the prompt action, had rendered it impossible for the crowd to think about defense, and now it was too late, as every man of them realized, and the majority of hands went promptly up, The Chinamen looked on, from their corner, with their alinond eyes dilated to the utmost extent, ‘* Deadwood Dick, by ther great b’goshtum!” cried Bleezer Googin. ‘‘What did I tell ye, Double-face? Ain’t ye sorry ye didn’t string _bim?’ ‘By the ’tarnel goshness!” cried the mayor, “*et may not be too late yet, ef we git half and it’s our business ter see that they don’t.” ** Don’t flatter yourselves that way,” cau- tioned Dick. ‘* We have got you hard and fast enough, If any manin the crowd attempts to escape, or to draw a weapon, he will drop in his tracks, Don’t make any mistake on that point,” ‘* And death is just as certain from this quar- ter as it is from in front,” added Detective West, ‘*‘Hadn’t we better order them to form in lines, Bristol, and then disarm them?” ‘* A good idea,” Dick agreed. ‘‘ Range your- selves into four lines, citizens, and be as quick aboutit as youcan, And don’t forget the warn- ing that has been given you. We hold the life of evecy man of you in our hands, and upon your own bebavior will depend your fate.” Growling and cursing among themselves, yet with hands obediently aloft, the rascals obeyed the command, and were soon standing in four ranks, ‘* Now,” ordered West, *‘ two of you men pass through and disarm them, If they make a move to harm you, down they’il go.” **Hold on,” cried Captain Crimson; ‘“ that won’t do,” ** Why not?” asked Dick, ** It won’t do to put one of our men in danger of our bullets, for they might hold him and begin fight, thinking we wouldn’t fire for fear of hit- ting bim.” ‘** Cusses on you !” grated the mayor. ** That’s so,” cried West, “and I am too basty with my directions. I must weigh matters more carefully, Ill make them advance, one at a time, and lay down their weapons here on the floor.” ‘*That is a good deal better,” assented the woman, And that, accordingly, was done, and the men were soon disarmed. ** And now make them secure,” Captain Crim- son ordered, ‘“ Bind them every one, and with care,” ‘*It seems to me I am taking a back seat in this matter,” observed Dick, witha smile, ‘I am still near enough to the front to attend to business, however,’ He directed the men to bind the principal rascals in the crowd, and all the others having heen thorougbly disarmed, there was little to be feared from any of them now. . ‘*Tbhere you are!” cried Dick, when the last one had been attended to. ‘* We lave caught you dead to rights, my fine fellows, and I think you will go below for a little while. Uncle Sam bas had his eye on you for a considerable time, and at last he has got hold of you.” “Td like ter settle wi’ you, man ter man!” grated Tiger Bill. | ‘Your case is settled already, Tiger,” re- sponded Dick, ‘*And I'd hke ter bave jest a quiet baff-hour wi’ ye,” chimed in the mayor. ‘*f am wary bow I deal with double-faced persons,” was Dick’s remark, with a laugh, ‘You will get no mercy, and no chance to es- cape, be sure of that,” was the verdict of Cap- tain Crimson, ‘* You are in the power of Dead- wood Dick, if you know what that means,” ‘* Thanks to you, lady,” said Dick, ‘ Are you ett to tell me who you are?” ‘*] want ter chip in a word hyar!” broke out Bleezer Googin, ‘* How did ye git out of ther fix we left ye in, Dickey?” “That will be something for you to ponder over,” was tbe retort. ** Whar is Nugget Nell?” demanded the mayor. ** Yas, whar is that gal?” echoed Tiger, ‘She is where harm cannot come to her,” Captain Crimson answered. ‘‘ We are going to see her through.” ‘* Then you have taken ber prisoner, hey?” the mayor cried. ‘‘I want ter say right hyar that that ’ar gal is as innercent as a posey, she aire, and you ain’t got nothin’ erg’inst ber.” “* That’s wiat’s ther matter!” cried the crowd. A sudden idea came to Dick, an idea how to learn more about that mysterious girl, ‘*She deserves the same fate as the rest of you, beyond doubt,” he declared, ‘‘and that is what she will get, you bet!” ‘**T tell ye et ain’t so!” cried the mayor, ‘She is an angel, that gal is, and curses on ther man that does her harm, She hadn’t notbin’ ter do with our doin’s, and ther boyees will say so,” awe so,” cried the crowd. ‘* That’s ther uth, ‘** Sho will bave to prove that,” Dick rejoined, The others understood what he was after, and were silent while he had it out with the mavor. ‘** An’ she can do that, by ther bull lot of us, the mayor hastened tosay. ‘I kin swear to et, fer one. She was bere as our good-luck mascot, so ter say, and we was under ber thumb, every manof us, Thar ain’t a bad hairin that gal’s head, and ef you ar’ a man you won’t barm her,” ‘* I’m glad to leainso much about her,” said Dick, now, ‘*‘ We have no intention of doing anything but good for the poor girl. Am I not right, Captain Crimson?’ ‘* You are right, Dick,” was the answer. This was said ina changed voice, and Dick started and stared hard at the masked woman. ‘“ Who and what are you, Captain Crimson?” he demanded, ‘‘I think the time is ripe for me to make my- self known to you, Dick,” was the response, ‘* Behold!” and with that she tore away her mask, Captain Crimson was bis own wife—the matchless Kodak Kate. Deadwood Dick’s face was a study, for that one second, and he exclaimed almost wildly: “Kate! My wife!” She it was indeed, and she laughed at his amaze- ment, ‘* It is I, my brave Richard,” sbe responded. ** Maybe you will not insist upon leaving me be- bind again,” Dick now caught her in his arms, and after a moment said: ‘But, Kate, think of the danger you have run, Think of the risk you took in coming here, It might bave been fatal for you.” “Think of your own risk,” was the return, “IT knew you were coming here to play a lone band against this evil place, and I resolved not to allow you to doit, I engaged some trusty men, secretly, and followed you, Here they are, brave and faithful fellows, every one. Let me introduce you to Kodak Kate’s Secret Seven,” ‘*T would not have believed it of you, Kate,” was all Dick could say. ‘‘ You are more and more of a wonder tome every hour. After this you shall suit yourself about sharing my dan- gers. I will never force you out of an adven- ture again, You are a second self to me, and where I am, there it seems to me is your natural 9 You seem to fit in that way, my better alf, Ben West now came forward, and Dick intro- duced him, ‘*] could never have suspected such a thing,” he declared. ‘‘ Why, Bristol, | confess to you that I was half in love with Captain Crimson myself, I congratulate you upon the possessing of so noble and brave a wife,” ‘This has been a surprise which I shall re- member for Many a day,” assured Dick, “I came bere to play a lone hand, as Kate said, thinking ber safely at the botel where I had left her, and congratulating myself upon the fact of my not bringing her to so wild a hole as this. Little I dreamed that sbe was near me all the time. Kate, youarea wonder. You are a de- tective born, When you could deceive me like that, what are you not capable of?” During the ensuing twenty minutes Dick and his brave wife were the center of attraction, while they were engaged in conversation, — While they were talking, nothing further was done with the prisoners, though the mer kept them carefully under guard. CHAPTER XVII. CONCLUSION, ; FINALLY the prisoners were given into the keepi 0g. of some of the men, others taking charge of the Chinamen, and Dick and his helpers began to consider the business of removing them on the morrow, Plans were laid, and after that a short sleep was sought. At anearly hour all were astir, and preparations were begun for departure. The whole camp having been disarmed and most of the weapons destroyed, men were willing enough to lend their aid in getting away, on promise of freedom, Nugget Nell had been cared for, of course, and Kodak Kate had ber in keeping, treating her with all the gentleness a sister could bestow, And the girl was not insensible to it, but return- ed the evidence of affection strongly, the truth of Kate’s crigag 2355? to Dick having been made known to her, She lent great aid in getting the men to help Dick in every way he required their services. All the provisions of the camp had been eol- lected and packed, and by noon the big company moved, leaving Corduroy Crossing a deserted place save for Tripbam Marker, proprietor of the Bang-up Hotel, who had insisted upon re- maining in charge of his property, since Dick bad nothing against bim,and Nugget Nell had vouched for his innocence in all the evil work the othershad beenengagedin, By night a good / Cboo = _—~ eg —-— . a —— - gq — ; Fd — — ° t tt et , ae =