Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 770 — page 10: what you’re looking at

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

, ~ 10 She spent fully an hour there, when, chilled | gleam of stern resolve .shone in her eyes, She and discouraged, she set about retracing her steps in the direction of the red room, where, though a prisoner, sbe was confortable, She made her way safely down, and at length came to the red room, There, seated comfortably and reading, she found Red Roy, witb his hat and red mask on as on the other occasions. meant to keep her word, for she felt justified in the act. Unless he gave way she would kill him! She reached twenty in her counting of the | seconds, and began on the last ten, but the man He rose when she entered, and made her a> | moving, bow, ‘** Ab! you have returned, I see,” hesaid, ‘I should have set out to find you had you not put | in an appearance soon, You have been explor- ing the cavern, | suppose. A cheerless place, is it not?” ‘*{ have been seeking some means of escape, sir,” was the defiantanswer, ‘' lam determined not to spend the night here if J can helpit. Are you still resolved to bold me a prisoner?” ‘*T am, Mrs, Bristol; there is no help for it, I hope your husband will soon pay beed to my terms, and then you will be allowed to depart.” * You do not know Deadwood Dick, sir, nor | do you know me, yet. I will leave this cavern this night.” ‘**T cannot agree with you on that point, Mrs, Bristol, There is no means by which‘you can effect your escape, Perhaps you observed some- thing of the hopelessness of that during vour ex- cursion just now,” ** Wretcb! you will taunt me till you make me do something desperate,” **T hope not, truly,” ** By what right do you hold me here, sir?” ** The right of self-protection, dear lady. That is the first law, you know,” ‘“*That is noright. I demand again, sir, to be conducted from this place and set at liberty. Will you lead me out?” ** Not this evening, Lady Deadwood Dick.” ** You will regret it if you do not, sir, [ am determined to leave here,” ** So _ have said before, but you are still here, ou might have earned your liberty, be- fore I learned who you are; bus now it is too late, and your fate depends on the action taken by your busband,” * You mean to defy me, then?’ **[ would not express i¢ that way, madam. I merely inform you of the situation as it now is, Kate whipped her revolver from under a fold in ber dress, and aimed it full at the man’s head. before ber sat as calmly as at first. ‘* Twenty-three,” she counted, and her revol- ver came higher, and she took careful aim at the exposed throat; ‘‘ twenty-four; twenty-five; twenty-six;” and still there was no sign of his ‘* Twenty-seven,” went on the calm, steady voice; ‘“‘ twenty-eight; twenty-nine,” and Red Roy closed his eyes, as if inviting theshot; and then—‘* thir—” That was not finished, An arm from behind struck Kute’s, knocking it up, and the weapon went off, the bullet finding’its place somewhere in the ceiling of the red room. At the same instant a cold tube was pressed behind Kate’s eur, and ste was warned cs drop her weapon or she would die then and toere. The turned, with a cry, to find berself covered by a revolver held in the steady hand of a masked woman, ‘* Drop it, lsay,” the woman ordered, ‘‘or I will drop you,” ‘** Never!” cried Kate, and with a spring back- ward she made an effort to bring*her own wea- pon into play, but now it was too late. The man in red had sp ung up, and catching her he tore the weapon from her hand and flung her down upon a chair, where she fell back, pale and trembling, now, but more with disappoint- ment and rage than with fear. ‘You bad a winning band, then, my fine lady,” said Red Roy, ‘‘ but you did not play it right. You delayed too long.” ‘‘And thank your lucky star that I did not kill you when I entered,” hissed the masked wo- man, ‘‘It is your time of triumph now,” answered Kate, ‘* Mine will come, unless you murder me now while I am helpless; and then, Heaven help you! ‘* Almost tragic enougi for the stage,” sneered Red Roy. ‘(Quite a character for a novel,” subjoined the masked woman, Kate turned her head away from them, It was useless for her to attempt a reply to do.jus- tice to her feelings, ‘**'W hat are we to do with the wild woman, my love?” asked Red Roy, then, of the woman who He gave a start, and made a move as though | had come to his help at so timely a moment, to spring at her, ** Hold!” she cried, approach me, and you are a dead man,” Leaving back again on bis chair, be laughed lightly, and exclaimed: i ‘It would serve her right to take her out and ‘* Make a single move to | drop her down into the chasm,” was the answer, ** Sbe bas not the good sense to know when she is well off,” * You are right, but that will not do. We ‘** What! dict you not learn once before that bul- | will not do that unless as a very last resort, We letscan take no effect upon me? play with me in this fashion?” “I think a bullet aimed at your throat, which | is exposed to view fully, will have some effect,” was Kate’s retort. ‘‘Il command you to get up and lead me out of this place at once,” Red Roy exhibited as little fear as though positive the woman before him was not in earn- est. ‘* Sorry I can’t oblige you,” he said, ** but so it is. Now don’t be foolish enough to waste any more lead upon me,” ** As sure as you live this minute,” cried Kate, sternly, ‘I will shoot you if you do not get up and obey me, I have the drop, and will use it.” “*May as well be shot as to allow you to escupe,” was the response. “Shoot me if you must, but if you do that you are doomed to starve to death here, for no one else knows the way out but me,” ‘**] am going to take the chances of that, sir. I will give you just thirty seconds in which to make up your mind, Atthe end of that time if you have not agreed to what I demand you must die where you now sit,” With ber words she took out her watch and looked at it. ‘** What folly this is!” said the man, carelessly. “You cannot kill me, cannot even bit me witha bullet,” ‘IT have hit smaller targets than your neck, sir, and at longer distance, Now, I begin to count, Have a care that you give the signal be- fore I say thirty.” ‘*Oh, count away, and when you are ready let drive at me.” ‘* | will do so, as sure as I stand here.” Kate began to count, then, with deliberation and distinctness, The man in red laid down his book, crossed his legs, put his bands behind his head and leaned back in a lazy manner. Kodak Kate saw he was defying her, anda Why will you | must give her a keeper, however, Will you go and bring one of Martha’s helpers here?” ‘* Yes, I will. Ilunderstand what you intend, and it serves ber right,” The masked woman glided silently away over the soft carpet, disappeared, and was absent some minutes, Duripg ber absence Red Roy expressed his dis- like to do what bad become necessary, but could not do otherwise, seeing the stubborn spirit with which he had to deal. W ben the masked woman returned she brought with her a huge negress, one even larger than the Old Martha already introduced, and to her left wrist was coupled the right of Kodak Kate, a pair of handcuffs being used for the purpose, CHAPTER XI, DICK’S ASSISTANCE SOUGHT. DEADWOOD DICK, baffled as shown, was in despair. After the fruitless search he went to his room in the Silver Bugle, in order to be alone to think. For once in his career be was without a hope, almost, and in a ease in which he had the keenest personal interest, Where was his wife—the peerless Kodak Kate? It was something—a good deal—to know she was alive, but the mystery of her whereabouts was killing. How had she disappeared so suddenly from that cliff above the camp? And was she in danger of her life, since now it was known to the outlaw who she wast The thought almost drove him mad. But, what could he do? He was help- less, He recalled what had passed between him and the outlaw on the previous night. Then the outlaw had given him an offer, one which he almost regretted he bad not accepted. But, it’ was now too late. Since they bad fought, and the outlaw had come witbin an ace of taking bis life, as had clearly been his intention of doing, it was war between them, Perhaps his wife had — Deadwood Dick, Jr.’s, Defeat. i ne nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn me ea s s, Aaa ™ ee already been killed. In his agony of mith, paced the floor, thinking, thinking. What w he to do? acknowledge defeat, yet there was no other course open, so far as he could see, Loving his wife as he did, there was no sacrifice too great to bave ber restored to him. Had it been his own life only that was threatened, himself only wbo was in danger, then he would have defied them to the death; but it was his wife who was in peril, her Jife that was in the balance, and,be must throw aside everything and accept the terms offered. Perbaps it was toolate, He could not know that. In some way be must communicate with the outlaw and make known that he accepted the terms offered; that he would go away, never to return to rake up the trail against Red Roy, on condition that his wife be restored to him unharmed, What else could be do? All his na- ture was against it, but his love for his wife rose above every other consideration, And his promise once given must not be broken, either. The word of Deadwood Dick was a thing sacred, and terms such as these made with an outluw, who appeared likely to become in a short time the terror of the West, would force’him to retire from the field for all time, His word given could not be broken, and he could never obey a call that might come for bim to pit himself against this very man, Would Kate approve of that? That question arose, and knowing her as he did, he believed she would not approve, ‘“ Let them do their worst to me,” he could hear her say, ‘‘ but do not make any sort of terms with an outlaw save terms of his surrender, If I am killed, avenge me; but do not let the power of Deadwood Dick be broken.” Dick knew, as well as though he had heard the words actually spoken, this would be Kate’s desire, but he could not beed it. Love rose above everything else, and that must be the ruling power, What could be do toward saving hers It was gall and wormwood for him to have to » | 1h —s — ee Every other consideration must ys be cast aside, and Kate’s life. and safety put he first, no matter what the cost, no matter what the consequences, She must be rescued, saved, Yes, his decision, at last; he must accept the terms. If bis wife was still aliveyand could be restored to bim, be felt dotbing?else would be his duty. ‘Her hfe and safety first of all. He would go away, as the outlaw had proposed, and two days later she would beset free and allowed to join him, Then, if Red Roy had kept his word and she had not been harmed, be would keep his aud never lift a band against the, rascal, : But, let the outlaw prove false; let it anpear’: that be had not kept his prisoner unbarmed; ther + Ne it were better for him that be bad NeVertReay 7 > amelie born, Deadwood Dick, then, would bunt bim to the ends of the earth, and terrible would be the vengeance he would tuke upon him. | Yes, it must be done, Dick decided. He would post a notice, as the mayor bad done, since be knew of no other way by which to reach the rascal; and __ But, go away and” go away to await the result, leave bis wife in the power of such a man? Could he do that? Ought he—” A knock at the door interrupted bis chain of thought, Opening the door, after wiping away a damp of perspiration that had eppeared on his fore-~*= head, be found there his landlord. ‘““*Scuse me,” said bis host, ‘* but that lady that’s stoppin’ bere wants to see you, sir.” ‘What lady do you mean?” asked Dick. ‘Why, ther one what kem by ther stage last night; ther vailed one,” * Ob! Well, all right, where is she? Any- thing is welcome that will give me acbange of thoughts for a moment,” ‘* She’s down in ther women’s room, sir,” ‘Tell her I’ll be down sbortly.” * All right,” Dick made an effort to shake off the feeling to which he had given» way, and presently was ready to leave the room. bs His grief and anxiety were none the less, but he bad a powerful will, and by bringing it to bear could control his emotions, When he left the room.no one could guess bis recent agifation. As he entered the room below, the an, Anne Parson, rose to greet bim, She still wore ber short vail, beneath which only her chin was exposed to view, and that Dick stil] believed he recognized. If this woman and the Queen of Hearts at the Palace Saloon were not one and the same, then positively they must be twin sisters, for” never had two persons a stronger resemblance, ‘* You sent for me?” inquired Dick, ‘‘Yes, sir; I sent for you. You are - «