Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 764 — page 5: what you’re looking at

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

oo ee . party,” Dick parleyed, coolly as ever. . command, Leading the van was Double-face Duncan, the mayor, who had weapons in hand, all ready for business, At his heels came the denizens of Corduroy, crowding one upon another in their mad desire to keep up with the mayor, each man desirous of being first. Among the rest was Carlo Waterstone, the man whose life Dick had saved, and who now had a look of alarm upon his handsome face, as though there was further danger for somebody, As saic, Dick and the Jandlord were just in time to meet the foremost, and that was the mayor, ‘* Up with yer hands, you son of a tinker!” the mayor cried, presenting his weapons at Dick’s head, *¢ Hello!” exclaimed Dick, coolly, yet with evi- dent surprise, ‘‘ what is the matter now, mayor? W bat has gone wrong with you?” ‘¢ We'll show ye what’s wrong,” was the angry retort. ‘* Up with them ’ar hands, I say, or by ther ternal gosbness ef I don’t bore ye and have done with et!” ‘¢ Well, now, this is something of a surprise ‘*T'd like to know what is the trouble before I fall in with the procession, If you assure me it’s all right, why that will make it so, I suppose.” ‘ Consarn ye! ar’ ye goin’ ter elevate them ’ar hands? Ef ye don’t do et in jest one holy second, by the ’terna) goshness ef I don’t make a clean wipe-out of ye, and you'll never know what bit ye, I’m a dead shot, and I can’t » iss ye at this range. Up with ’em, an’ thea V)) ’splain.” ‘*Mayvur, you are pushing things too fast,” Dick argued, while he did not offer to obey the “Tf you want to kill me, blaze away; but only a coward would do that, and I don’t believe you are one, Can’t you tell me what has got you by the ear? What has sent you here in this warlike array? What bave I done to get your dander up in this style?” ““Cuss ye fer yer coolness!” the mayor cried. ** Ain’t et so, boyees? Ain’t be even more cool "an t’other one? Thar’s no mistake, you bet!” ‘* Nary a mistake!” echoed the crowd. ** 1¢ looks to me as though there must be a bi mistake,” observed Dick, ‘* You seem incline to go for me, I see, Now, I demand to know what the dickens it is all about.” His tone and change of manner wernt to show that he was waking up. While still perfectly cool, there was a showing of anger that, had they known their man, would have warned them to go slow, ‘Yer demands ter know, do ye?” cried the mayor, ‘* Well, evar’ soon told toye, You ar’ Deadwood Dick, and we knows et, and we means ter hev ye, dead or alive. Doye ketch on to that ar?” Dick forced a laugh. ‘*‘ Well, what has come over you, anybow?” he demanded, ‘* Are you a lot of crazy loons? You seem to think everybody is Deadwood Dick just now. Isn’t there some one else around you might bring the same charge against? You are ?way off the track, pards,” ‘* Yer will bave to prove et, ef we are,” de- clared the mayor, peremptorily, **Can you prove that lam Deadwood Dick? If you can, that will settle it;1f you can’t, then that ought to settle it,” “So you say. We don’t keer a good deal whether we kio prove et or not, Ef you can’t prove otherwise et is goin’ ter go hard with ye, that ye kin bet.” ** Well, upon what grounds do you bring your charge that I am Deadwood Dick? Lam getting interested, In what manner do I lead you to suspect that I am the rampant Richard of Dead- wood? Spit it right out,” * Wull, ter begin with, you ar’ about as enol as he is said to be, and fromfall counts must look somethin’ like him. Then, at ther Howler Saloon ye woulin’t take yer bitters with there rest of ther crowd, and we hev bheerd tell that Dead- wood Dick bas gone back on likker and never touches a drop, Thar ye bev et, a good, strong case!” CHAPTER V. RICHARD’S BIG BLUFF. Drapwoop Dick laughed lightly and slipped his hands carlessly into his pocket, ‘‘ Mayor,” be said, ‘‘ you are fooling yourself in a worse way than to eat sawdust and call it corn meal. If I wanted to drink, you may safely bet your life I would drink,” ’ “ Yas; but the trouble is yer don’t want ter, ang yer don’t mean ter do et; an’ that’s what w&has ter say, Yer is Deadwood Dick, and thar ain’t no gettin’ out of et.” ‘Your proof is too thin,” declared Dick. ‘* It ‘ SO gO C—O ne ae eee sneer eee nnn nnn hts SG hss sss won’t hold color. Only a little while ago you were sure that Mr, Waterstone here was Dead- wood Dick, and now you are sure that I am he, The trouble is, mayor, you are off the track. You are only guessing,” ‘* Be ye goin’ ter put up yer bands?” ‘* What’s the use? You have got the drop on me, and I am not kicking, am 1? if you want to shoot me, bore away!” ‘* By the ternal goshness ef you ain't got a narve! Et’s a pity ter have ter shoot ye down like a dog, I swear et is, 1 don’t want ter do et,” ‘**Don’t do it, then, by any means, I am wil- ling to excuse you. If Il put up my hands, though, what do you intend doing with me then? Going to bang me up like a horse-thief as you were serving Mr. Waterstone, eh?” ‘* We’re wiilin’ ter give ye a fair trial,” “Ob, are you? Well, let me make a propo- sition to you, will you?” ** What is et?” ‘*'You believe that Iam Deadwood Dick?’ ** Yes; you bet,” ** But, you can’t prove it.” ‘* Kin you prove ye aiv’t?” ‘* No; for 1 am a stranger to you all.” ‘*Wull, then, what’s yer proppyzishun?” ‘Tt is this: Ihave no intention of running away, and I want you to let me enjoy the free- dom of the camp,” ‘* That’s cool, anyhow.” ** Maybe it 1s; but, listen: I have reasons for wanting to keep clear of the real Dead wood Dick, and I think we can work together pretty well. You don’t kaow Dick and I do,” “ Wull?” ‘*]f Le gets on track of me he will most likely follow me bere, see?” ‘*] hear what ye say, anyhow,” ‘* That’s enough, Weil, if hecumes I can point him out to you, and then you can do the rest. There’s no use your hanging a dozen or two un- til you get the right map, for that will be only a waste of life,” ** Do ye mean that as real business?’ **Of course I do, If youcould rid meof Dead- wood Dick, you would be doing me the biggest favor imaginable,” ** What do ye say, boyees?” The mayor turned to the crowd, and his double face came around facing Dick, : It was a curious sight, and it seemed as though the men behind him were still seen by him even while he looked another way, Good stories were told about the mayor and his double face, It was said that it bad once saved bis life, when a fellow with murderous in- tent sneaked up behind him to drive a knife into his back. The assassin was about tostrike, when suddenly he saw the eyes looking straight at bim, and with a gasp he dropped bis knife and fled in terror from the spot, The mayor’s burden was not altogether to bis disadvantage, it seemed, _“ Et hits me hard:that et would be a good idee ter put’em both on ther rope,” spoke up one man, in response to the mayor’s call for opinions, “That would wipe out ther doubt right at oncet,” added another. ‘* We kin look out fer Deadwood Richard ourselves, and we kin hang jestas many off-color galoots as happens along.” | ** Which would be rather rough on the inno- cent ones,” argued Dick. ‘“‘T can’t agree cheerfully to any such plan as that,” put in Waterstone witb a grim smile. The crowd laughed, ‘Then there is another thing to take into con- sideration,” added Dick, ‘“W hat ar’ that?” demanded the mayor. Of a sndden Dick’s hands flashed to the fore, and a pair of glittering five-shooters covered the mayor and the crowd, The opportunity for which be had been wait- inyy bad come, for be bad caught the mayor just enough off bis guard to get the drop vn him and so reverse the order of advantage. “It is just this,” Dick went’on, quietly. “‘If you insist upon carrying out your idea, mayor, there is going to be the liveliest kind of a ruc- tion bere, and somebody is going to get hurt, I have got the drop just now, Don’t move a fin- ger, if you value your good bealth,” The mayor could only stare in his amaze- ment. ‘*T am not slow to shoot, if I am not Dead- wood Dick,” the detective answered, ‘*‘ and I don’t waste many shota when I mean business, Now, you bave brought this thing to just this point, It’s either peace or war, just as you please,” | ** Yes; and I fee] that I have reason to chip in here, too,” declared Waterstone, stepping to Se eS Deadwood Dick, Jr.’s, Lone Hand. 5 Dick’s side with weapons in hand, ‘* Now, citizens, whatisit to be? Wedon’t want trouble, but you can bet your boots you are not going to hang us for somebody else without a kick on our part.’ The mayor put away his weapons with de- liberation. He was making a virtue of grim necessity, for he saw there was danger in any other course, ‘*T don’t see but we might as well have peace,” he said, “‘and take these fellers at their word, As long as thar is a reasonable doubt, we might ez well give’em ther benny fit of et,” ‘“‘Then you will leave us alone, will you?” asked Dick. : ‘* Yas, only ef we git more proof we'll go fer ye in ’arnest, you bet!” ‘That is all right; you are welcome to. now [ll stick to what I said. If Deadwood Dick shows up here, and I get onto his disguise, ll point him out to you, Isn’t that fair, boys?” ** Et looks fair enough,” .** And lll stand by it, too, It is putting in one lick for you and two for myself, as it were.” ** All right; but ye don’t want ter think that ye hev disarmed all our s’pitions against ye, fer ye baven’t, if we gits ye dead to rights et is goin’ hard with ye,” ‘‘All right; Um ready to stand it, Mr, Duncan,” Weapons were put away. “Hyar is all our fun sp’iled again,” com- plained the man who had raised the same objec- tion before, ‘‘Seems Jike we don’t git no show. fer a little jollyfercation.” **An’ it bits me that somebody’d orter treat ergain,” put in the fellow who had proposed that thing before, ‘‘ AU right, boys, Pll stand that for you this time,” offered Dick. ‘‘ Here, landlord,” tossing a double-eagle to Tripham Murker, ‘‘ take the boys in and , poison them in good style, If that don’t cover it, charge the balance to my ac- count,” This was a stroke of business which the “ Irish Yankee” could not despise, so be invited the crowd to step rigbt up and sample his wares, The Bang-up Hotel was a little out of the swim, witbits bar, the Howler Seloon, being in the center of the camp, catching the lion’s share of the trade; and this was a nugget. The crowd pushed in, and Dick and Water- stone passed through to the piazza, ‘““Tbey'seem to be trying to make it interest- ing for us,” Waterstone observed, with a smile, ‘** Decidedly so,” agreed Dick. ‘‘ It won’t be their fault, either, if they don’t bang us yet, This is a deuce of a bad hole, Waterstone.” **T agree with you in botu remarks,” was the rejoinder. ‘*What can be the reason they are so set against Deadwood Dick?” : ‘* Deadwood Dick ought to be best able to an- swer tbat,” was the quiet response, and the man looked Dick squarely in the eyes. ‘*Perbaps so,” returned Dick, ‘but 1 don’t care abvut bunting him uptoinquire. I mersly question out of curiosity.” ‘*Do you mean to insist to me that you are not Deadwood Dick?” POR ul Have you got thatin your head, ‘*T certainly have, sir.” ‘‘Then you bad better get it out again. What makes you think I am Deadtvood Dick?” ‘** About the same things in general that made the crowd think so, [am notin lack of nerve, as perhaps you saw, but you have pounds tomy | ounces, so to say.” ' Dick smiled. You have a high opinion of me in that respect,” be said, **T have seen what youare, Why, I expected that mob would string you up before you could say a word,” ‘* Maybe they would, too, if I hadn’t bluffed them as I did. A mob has no bead to speak of, 8 te mm will turn them if it is rightly ap- plied. ** You turned that one, But, since you do not seem inclined to take me into your confidence, will you allow me toinguire what business has brought you here to this wild hole?” , ‘* And yet you invite moe to take you into my confidence, sir. I must tell you as I told the crowd, that I am here for the purpose of making or breaking; and that is to say, [am going to gamble with anybody who has got a dollar to risk. Perbaps you will take a band.” ‘‘T don’t know about that. Since we are both here for about the same purpose, it would hardl pay for us to play at dog eat dog, do you thi 80 ** Maybe not.” ‘You asked me a question,” And) = — - _ _— — — eee ge: Cbhooks.« ash