Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 770 — page 6: what you’re looking at

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

Pre ee _ power, antagonist. Whatever the mystery is, however, and whoever the foe, count upon me when the time comes when I can help you.” Dick thanked her, and she passed on, ‘* By the way,” Dick then changed thesubject, turning to the mayor, ‘‘can you tell me the name of that youn’ man over there, theone who seems to be all gone in his admiration of the Queen of Hearts?” ‘‘Sartain,” was the ready answer. ‘ He sails under the name of Walt Tnornton, 1 guess that’s his sure-enough bandle, fer I don’t see what he would want of more’n one name.” ‘¢'W hat do you know about him?” Dick dividing his glance between the mayor and the sport, this question was to either or both of them, **Not much of anything,” the sport replied. **Seems like a quiet sort of lad, but he 1s bad stuck on the Queen, and no getting over that,” While they were talking thus, Dick noted another personage who had entered the saloon, and who was walking leisurely down the long room toward tbe rea, casting glances this way and that as though in search of some one, It was the man who had come by the stage, the one with the tufts before bis ears, Mr. Henry Whipple. While Dick watched him his eyes fell upon the young man called Walt ‘Tvoruton, and he gave a slight start of recognition, He fixed his gaze upon the man for some seconds, the latter being seated so that he could not observe the close attention he was re- ceiving. The man passed on to the end of the room, taking what seemed to bea lazy and natural survey of the finest place in the camp, and re- turping, took a seat just across from Thornton. ‘* You are not watching bim for notbing, and I know it,” thought Dick, at the same time carrying on his conversation with his com- panvions of the hour. ‘‘ You mean something, and I have an idea it will pay me to watch you a little.” His queries baving been answered, and all in- terest in Walt Thornton being at an end, ap- parently, Dick and the others turned again to their own teble to resume their smoke and talk, when Dick made a discovery that caused hima start. Right in front of him, on the table, lay another sealed letter. He caught it up quickly and looked at it. ** What bave you there?” asked Stacey. ** Another message, by ther great storm-king!” cried the mayor. ‘This is getting decidedly interesting,” ob- served Dick, with a smile. ‘Can either of you tell how this came here?” ‘*Durn me ef I seen et come,” declared the mayor. ‘*Nor I,” quickly added the sport. ‘‘It is rowing decidedly too interesting, I siiould say. ho is it from this time?” Dick had been scanning the crowd, tiying to fix suspicion upon some one, but it seemed im- possible to do so. He gave that up as useless, and looked at the letter. The envelope was directed to bim, in the same masculine hand as before, and opening it, the note within was found to be written in the same hand. Answering the sport’s question, Dick read it. It ran as follows; **DeaDwoop Dick:— “Since writing my other note to you I have thought perhaps I was not giving you a fair chance to have a say in the matter. Iwill meet you per- sonally, to talk the matter over with you. Think the matter over well, and have your mind fuliy made up. You Know WuHom From.”’ F <Sgta tossed the note away with an impatient erk, ‘* This is getting tiresome,” he cried. ‘* Read it, Mr, Stacey, and say what you think of it, Read it aloud, so the mayor can hear, I should have done so myself, but acted upon impulse in throwiog it from me with the disgust I felt.” CHAPTER VI. TELLS WHAT BECAME OF THE MISSING WOMAN Two and two make four. This simple truth is patent to everybody who ever took the trouble to prove it. Hence, when a man in red was in- troduced in the very beginning of our story, and later on a certain Red Roy, outlaw, was de- scribed by the mayor of Basalt Butte, the reader simply added two and two and got at a certain fact. That is to say, it was readily guessed that the man on the cliff at the time of the al- most tragedy, and this Red Roy, were one and the same; and that Kodak Kate was in his Further, that it was he who had sent the two puzzling messages to Deadwood Dick, ' ‘ a ° ae | " - - * - a - 7 £ a. F * ww < ww F 4 AT i, Sat” e C7 ale Oe | Ve. vy Sr al, dL * YY Renee, ~~ * . cc. baer he’s 7 Le 6 vd A te Jt was even so, Let us return to the time Of the exciting run- away. Wher the man in red turned his attention to the woman in his arms, after witnessing the ter- rible leap of the horse off into the depth, she was just making an effort to free herself from bis arms, Her rapid breath fanned upon his cheek, her eyes met bis, and she was about to speak when— It was at that point we saw fit to break off and tell of something else, which, in tbe order of events, seemed to demand precedence, It was at that moment the Ynan in red heard the strokes of other hoofs, and to remain where he was for a moment longer meant discovery, which was something be was not prepared for then. With a quick movement he threw his weight sideways against the rock, andin an instant he and the woman disappeared from view, the rock door closing after them with a cushioned jar, or thud, and all around was utter darkness, It was a transition so eudden that the woman was denied all ehance to resist. She was, too, for the momeut dazed and pow- erless with her surprise, and in the same inter- val the man clapped bis band over her mouth, lifted her in his arms, and bore ber away as though she were but a child. At this ber power of action suddenly re- turned, and she struggled desperately to free herself, but all in vain, and‘in spite of her struggles she was carried rapidly away along a dark, cold passage, finally emerging into a part of the cavern where a light burned. It was here the man put her on her feet and released her. Instantly, and with a quickness that evidently surprised the man, she leaped back from bim, and a revolver covered bis breast, ‘*You wretch!” sbe cried, ‘Though you have saved my life, you bave forfeited all the thanks 1 owed you! Take me back to the trail at once, or I wil) kill you where you stand!” Recovering from bis momentary surprise, the man laughed lightly, folding bis arms and look- ing at the woman with curiosity. ‘* Well, well,” be mused, ** but you area per- fect li tle Tartar, sure enough. I hope you won't waste any powder and lead on me, my dear; I’m not worthy of it.” * You may find that you have caught a” Tar- tar,” Kodak Kate cried, warningly, ‘‘if you do not immediately obey me, Take me back at once to the place where we met, or I fire,” ‘* Well, now, before you shoot, let’s reason a moment,” the man in red proposed, as coolly as though no danger threatened him, ‘‘I am not easily frightened, as perhaps you see, Suppose you kill me, what will you do then? You could never find your way out of here!” Kodak Kate was pale, but she was also firm, and held her aim at the man’s beart with a steady hand. ‘*T do not mean to kill you, if you take me back at once,” she said. ‘“‘If you refuse, the worse for you. I meau what I say,” **T don’t doubt it in the least, fair lady,” was the response, “* When I inform you that it is impossible for me to comply with your request, however, you will see that threats will avail nothing.” ** You refuse, then?’ . 3y the grim necessities of the case [ must re- fuse. ** You will regret it. I have friends near at hand, who will avenge this indignity.” The man in red laughed again. ** Your friends,” he said, ‘are as powerless to aid you as though they were at the antipodes, They are no doubt looking for you in the bottom of the gulch, where the carcass of your horse pow lies,” ‘*Heavens! You must set me free, sir, and at once! My busband will go mad! For Heaven’s sake, show me the way out! ” ‘*‘Ha! a married lady, eh? No’ doubt it was your husband who was coming after you at the time of our disappearance. Ha! ha! This will give him something to puzzle his brains over for a time—” ‘* Villain!” cried Kate, almost beside herself. ““T have warned you for the last time. Take me back at once, or as sure as you stand there I will sboct you, even though you did save my life. Come, at once, sir, or I fire!” ** Well, fire a ‘ay, since that seems to be your desire, Let us see if you have the nerve to shoot & man, anyhow.” ‘*Do you mean to refuse me?” ‘Why, I have refused already, can | say?” it was a test of nerve power, and those of the What more er ey dy Deadwood Dick, Jr.’s, Defeat. | a ee i | | woman were strained to the last degree, evident- ly. "Stil she remained steady in ber aim, re- membering advice that had been impressed upon her mind time and again by her husband, that the ‘‘drop” was everything, and she had it, ‘Your blood be on your head, then,” she cried in her last desperate degree of calmness. ‘* Unless you obey me at once, sir, I fire,” ‘‘Fire away, then, Red Roy, the outlaw, takes no orders from men, and certainly not from a woman. Fire away, I say, and let’s have it done with,” Driven to it, knowing it would not do for her to back down, Kate did fire, but not to kill, W bat was her surprise to find the man still smiling before her, as though he bad not been touched and had no dread of bullets. He stepped toward her now, still smiling. ** Back!” she cried, ‘‘ Take onestep more and I shoot to kill!” He advanced, stil] smiling, as, in spite of the balf-mask he wore, could be plainly seen; and in desperation Kate aimed and fired full at bis breast, Finding herself in his power, believing his in- tentious were full of evil for her, she felt herself justified in the act. What was her dismay, though, to find him still before ber, smiling as ever, and apparently upbarmed. Her arm dropped, as she stared at him in sur- prise, if not indeed in dismay, and the next mo- ment he sprung upon her and snatched the wea- pon out of her hand. * “You are too handy with the revolver,” he observed, coolly, ‘I will take it away from you before you do some mischief, You have had vour little satisfaction, now let me have mine,” She drew back, struggling to get away, ‘Tt isof no use,” the man in red declared, ‘You are as nothing in my grasp. I Want the satisfaction of proving to you bow helpless you are, Lintend you no barm, so do not be up- easy on that score, Only for my own safety, I would not have brought you here. Let us have a little talk.” ‘“*T desire to have nothing to say to you,” Kate panted, ‘‘I demand my freedom, and that at once. Let me go, and you are forgiven; detain me here another minute, and.you will regret it bitterly, Lam makiog no idle boast. lf J could not kill you, there is one who can and will bring you to account,” ‘*Oh, I have no doubt of it; but, then, that is afar off, aud does not trouble me greatly,” ‘* You misunderstand me, sir. Ido not refer to any Hereafter, but to the time present, My husband will hunt you down if it takes a year>*~ ‘* And who is this husband of yours, whom you seem to think is such a terrible fellow?” ‘You will find that cut soon enough to satisfy you, I think.” Kate’s spirit was now returning, ‘*Then you have no intention of revealing your identity to me,” the man made observation. ‘**T have not, sir. You baveshown yourself to be a rascal and villain, and have admitted that you are an outlaw. I want nothing more to say to you,” ‘* Oh, but that won’t do, you know. You are helpiess here, and could never get out of this hole without my help, never. If you bad killed me you would die here just as sure as you are alive now,” ‘* P-rhaps that fate were preferable.” ‘*Ob, not by any means, | assure you. Now, if you are disposed to listen to reason I will tell you what I purpose doing.” Kate said nothing, ‘In the first place,” the man resumed, “‘it was for my own safety that I acted asI did and brought you here. Your sudden coming sur- prised me, and | had no time to get out of sight, or I would have heen out of sight when you ap- peared, Then where would you be now? See- ing your danger, I was prompted to save you, and acted accordingly. The next moment I heard another borse coming, and ip order not to be found, made my exit from the scene, taking you with me.” Kodak Kate still made no comment, ‘* You will understand,” the outlaw went on, ‘* that I desire to keep my presence here a secret, Now, I think we can come to an understanding that will be perfectly satisfactory to us both, As I have said, [mean you no harm, ‘You have seen that threats and blows avail you nothing. Let us come to a reasonable understanding. I know not who you are, and little care, ou owe your life to me, and I think you will be willing to agree to what I am going to propose. You must remain here ti)l night, when, on con- 4 / / , 900k: Co f ai 4 ——; ore = \ o™~ . a or ory i. * * a :“ ;- 4 * ‘e oe - .