Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 770 — page 4: what you’re looking at

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

vi Deadwood Dick, Jr.’s, Defeat. = two envelopes, each bearing his name on the ace, The band writing of one he recognized instant- ly. Jt was that of his wife! With a cry of joy he sprung to his feet, look- ing at the well-kuown writing—proof in itself that Kate was alive. The crowd was pressing out of doors to see the stage come into town, and Dick stepped imme- diately to the bar, where he addressed the man in attendauce, ‘“* Did you notice any one near me while I was sitting at that table?” he demanded. ‘*Not in p’tic’lar, sir,” was the answer, ‘There was a good-sized crowd in ther room ’most all ther time, and a good many was ll around,” This was far from satisfactory. ** Well, see here,” Dick cried, showing the two letters. ‘‘These letters were laid on my arms while I lay there, by some person, Did you ob- serve who did it? t will give twenty dollars to find out,” **'You will have to go further than me, sir,” was the candid return, ‘‘ I didn’t see any one with letters in his hand, and didn’t see any one monkeyin’ around you at all, But, then, I wasn’t watchin’, of course, an’ it might’a’ been done a dozen times ’thout my knowin’ it.” Baffled again, and puzzled, Dick turned to a gees and opened the letters, the one from Kate rst, It was worded like this: ** DICK !—- {am all right, and for the present safe, be KATE,”’ ** What can if mean?” Dick asked himself, ** It is short and to the point, but where is she? How did she escape the danger of the cliff? I cannot understand it. It is everything, how- ever, to know this much; and it is not to be doubted, for I cannot be deceived in the band- writing. Perhaps this othar letter will explain more,” Without further delay he tore open the second missive, This was addressed in a strong masculine hand, ope which Dick did not recognize, and contained the following: **Derapwoop Dick, DARE-pDEvIL DETECTIVE: — “The life of your wife depends on your going away from Basalt Butte without trying to carry out the business that brought you here. You are given forty-eight hours in which to make up your mind what you will do. You will receive no further warning, so, if you value a fair offer, be wise in our decision, Your wife's head wiil pay the forfeit yvcu do not go. “This is from— ‘You Know Wao.” Dick pulled his mustache, and a dark look was upon his brow, ‘**No, bang me if I know whom it is from,” he muttered, ‘‘Here is more mystery than ever. Who could have known of my coming here? And how can my secret business be so vastly important? 1 fail to catch on, Well, it it Are ip te to know Kate is alive and well, and if [donot rescue her now it will be be- cause I have forgotten my cunning. But, here is the stage,” Knowing that his wife was alive, Deadwood Dick was a new being at once. He was some- thing of himself again, The mystery was as deep as ever, of course, but now it had a different aspect. There was hope! Thrnsting the letters into his pocket he stepped out on tha piazza, Toe stage bad arrived by this time and stop- ped, and the passengers were getting out, There was a goodly number of them, for Basalt Butte was drawing people daily, and the one just alighting as Dick stepped out was a vailed woman, evidently young. This personage tripped lightly to the steps of the piazza, as lightly up them, and entered the hall entrance. Dick looked after her as she dis- appeared, not because there was anything fa- miliar about her appearance, but perhaps be- cause she was vailed, and a vail, to him, sug- gested mystery, Others were meanwhile getting down and out, and the only other to draw a second glance from Dick was a man with a pair of * Gallo- way” whiskers, who had something of a foreign look about him. Dick had never seen him’ be- fore, to his knowledge, and yet something seemed to impress upon him the idea that he was rf perpomage with whom he was destined to have O. This man entered the bar-room of the Silver Bugle, along with others, and as there was no further interest respecting the stage for Dick, _hhe too returned to the bar-room, é: ag wun) a ee a ee Already the new arrivals were regiatering, and it soon came to the turn of the man with the imported chops, or ‘* Galloways.” After he had inscribed his name Dick found opportunity to glance at the register, and learned his name was Henry Whipple. Presently there was a call from the ladies’ room, and the man at the bar sent an assistant. W hen he returned he inscribed on the register the name—Anne Parson, of Virginia City. Dick himself had not yet registered, but did so now, giving his true name, Supper bad been saved for arrivals by the stage, and now feeling his need, Dick went with others to the eating-room, He boped to get a sight of the face of the wo- man who had come by the stage, for the fact of her being vailed bad roused his curiosity, but he was disappointed, for when she entered the room she bad a vail on that covered her face down to her mouth, That she was good-looking Dick could not doubt, for the lower part of her face was very fair, and the chin had a dimple tbat lent to ita bewitching charm, She was quiet and retiring in manner, and spoke to no one during the meal, The man with the whiskers, Mr. Whipple, was not so quiet. He talked with everybody, and did not make any pretext to keep his businessa secret. He was traveling agentfor a business house, and was out trying to drum up a little trade in this new fieid, Deadwood Dick, however, looked upon him with suspicion, The very fact of his making his business known so readily, when there was no call for it, looked strange, Dick had little to say during the meal, and after it was over he set out to find the mayor of the camp to bave a further talk with him, now that be had news to communicate, Era | for him, he was told he would pro- bably find him at the Palace, so there he went. Entering, the mayor’s big figure was almost the first one he saw, and he stepped forward to where he was seated in conversation with an- other map, This other “as a rather handsome, dashing fellow, perhaps twenty-eight years cf age, with a smooth skin had a fine, curving mus- tache of the admired silky sort, He had cool, keen eyes of a steely blue, ‘**Hillo!” exclaimed the mayor, looking up when Dick laid a band on his arm; ‘‘I see you are ’round, Deadwood Dick, Ye look trighten- ed up, too, What is et? Have ye heerd some- thin’ about yer lost wife? I hope ye hev, by ther livin’ Jupiter!” ‘Yes, I have heard from her,” answered Dick ‘“*and according to what 1 learn she is alive and well, but where she is [donot know. The mys- tery is almost as bad asever, In fact, 1 don’t know but it’s worse, And the manner in which I heard from her is mysterious, too.” ‘* Wull, sot down, me noble Richard, and let’s bear all about et, "Low me ter interdoose ye to Mister Harry Stacey, better knowed ‘round byer as ‘‘ Haudsome Harry,” CHAPTER IV. DICK’S BUSINESS—QUEEN OF HEARTS—SUDDEN THOUGHT. HANDSOME HARRY, as the man had been called by the mayor in his introducing, leaned over the table anc extended his hand to Dick, saying: ‘* Deadwood Dick, I’m proud to know you. I have often heard of you, and this is a real pleasure, Sit down and join us in our quiet talk and smoke, We were just talking about that strange case of yours.” “Thanks,” said Dick, after the grasp of bands, and he sat down. “I suppose that strange affair is the talk of the town to-night, and no wonder, for it is about the greatest puzzie I ever tackled in my life. I cannot understand how my wife disappeared so sudden- ly and so need Alatate. ‘*But, ye say ye he heerd from her,” the mayor urged, ‘* Whatis et? What has she ter say about et? Don’t she tell ye whar she is?” ‘She does not, All her note has to say is this: ‘Iam all right and for the present safe,’” *Wull, that beats ther Dutch. How did you get the note?” ** You will say that beats the Dutch, too, I think. I was in the hotel, sitting by a table with my head on my arms thinking, and when I roused up the notes fell to the floor. Some- ae f put them there while I was in my brown study. ‘* The notes do you say?’ queried the sport, ‘Yes; there was one in a man’s band, and it was of rather a threatening nature. Here it is; I will read it to you.” ig Accordingly Dick took the missives from his pocket and read both, the mayor and the sport listening with clo-e attention as the words dropped from his lips, an ‘Will you allow me to look at that writing?” the sport asked, ; Dick gave the paper into his hand, Handsome Harry looked at it critically for a moment, aad gave it back. ore. ‘*T thought it possible I might recognize it,” he remarked, *‘ but I don’t. It leaves you all in the dark, there being no signature to it.” ‘* What is ther sign to et?” asked the mayor, “Simply: ‘You know whom,” answered Dick. ‘But ye don’t know jest ther same,” ‘‘Tdonot. But, I read it aloud to you; what do you think of it, mayor? And you, too, Mr. Stacey ?”’ ‘* Wull, et sticks in my gizzard thaé somebod has got onto ther biz that has brung ye byar, the mayor offered as his guess; ‘“‘ and havin’ rea- son ter fear ye, bas give ye this warnin’ ter git up and git,” ‘“‘The note says as much,” said Dick, ‘* But, that is where more mystery comes in, My mission here was a perfectly harmless one, and I came with only good intent toward a certain person whom I came in quest of. I cannot understand, anyhow, how my business could be known,” ‘* Perhaps,” now suggested Handsome Harry, ‘‘the whole matter has been a prearranged job from the beginning, to get you here, and then get you into this sori of trap. I don’t pretend to say it is so, but maybe that is the way of it. You see, this note does not seem to be guessing at anything, but speaks as of a known truth; and then, too, the unaccountable disappearance of your wife,” eadwood Dick was thoughtful. ‘* No; I can’t accept that view of it,” he said. ** And why not?” ‘¢ Well, in the first place, the matter could not have been prearranged, so far as the disappear- ance of my wife. That is out of the question.” ‘*So you say, but you will have to give usr our reasons before we can see if in the same ight as you see it yourself.” “T will explain, then, No one could have known! would bring my wife with me, to begip with; and bringing her, no one could have guess- ed by which trail we would come to your camp.” ‘¢ 'That’s level enough,” agreed the mayor, ** And yet,” urged Handsome Harry, “ cvery- thing seems to bave been in readiness for your wife’s disappearance. 1 am only arguing for the sake of i ag out points, you understand,” ‘Certainly; Lunderstand that. Suppose such a scheme to bave been laid, and some means taken to frigbten our horses, how could the per- sons tell bow it would turn out? My own horse might have gone on in advance, or both might have gone forward togetber.” ‘‘ And perhaps that would have pleased your foes all the more, had both horses plunged over the cliff, riders with them.” Dick looked at the bandsome sport keenly, Harry met his gaze steadfastly enough, and a smile curled his lips. ‘* Perhaps you are right,” Dick rejoined, after a moment, ** but if my foes know anything about Deadwood Dick, they ougbt to know that he would not be carried over the cliff unless fasten- ed to tae horse so he could not leap off.” ‘* Weill, well, it is past understanding, so I give it up. But where do you imagine your wife can be?’ ‘* She is not far from bere, that is sure,” Dick declared, ‘I have an idea she is in this camp of Basalt Butte,” ‘* By the way,” the mayor here put in, *‘ might et be askin’ too mucb ef we inquire what yer business hyer was? Mebby that will throw some light on ther subjeck.” > ‘* Since events bave turned out as they have, I see no reason for secrecy about that,” responded Dick, “It was our plan, thougb, to come here under assumed nemes, do our little work. and go away again, boping to escape any of our usual exciting experiences, Still, there is no need for me to proclaim my business from the house-~ tops, and I suppose I may trust you, gentlemen,” He was assured. ‘‘ Well, then, for my errand, I came here to. find one Gregory Maybam, an Englishman, who has just fallen heir to an estate in England, by the death of his cousin, This Gregory is said to be a pretty decent sort of fellow, and came to this country as a poor young man to better his. fortunes. He was last heard of at a town in Idaho, and taking up the trail there it indicated :