Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 776 — page 10: what you’re looking at

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

10 Deadwood Dick, Jr.’s, Resurrection. Meanwhile another personage had been abroad- This one was a woman, clad in a long, black cloak, which concealed her completely from head to feet, Coming down the street from above the hotel, we first see her as she turns in at the side of the Palace Saloon. She is alone, and one hand holds a revolver ready for any emergency, With silence and caution she threads her way along down the dark side of the building, to the extreme rear, where it slants under the over- hanging basalt ledge, the Palace being by far the longest building in the whole camp; and there she comes to a stop and listens, ‘*If my suspicion is correct, the entrance to that cavern is bere,” she mused, ‘* My suspi- cion has been directed to this Queen of Hearts, as she is called, and the one suspicion gives rise to the other. But, can I prove it?” As in the case of Deadwood Dick, this woman speaking in her natural tone, we are enabled to recognize her. It was Kodak Kate, wonderful Dick’s wonderful wife! ‘* Can I prove it?” she repeated, ‘I will un- earth them if it costs me my life. They robbed m2 of my busband, of brave, noble, generous Dick, and dearly shall they pay for it. When they told me the horrible truth, that they had killed him, I had but one thought—vengeance! “They hurled bim into that terrible pit—I know they spoke the truth, but that fate were tame besile the fate I shall bring upon them, if I am permitted to deal with them, As soon as I learned the awful truth I bad but that one motive, and in order to carry it out I had to escape. I feigned insanity, making them he- lieve their awful disclosure had turned my mind, and they conducted me away and let me go, **T wandered far, giving them ample proof of my insanity if they were watching me, but at last I turned and began to plan for this, my revenge. And it is coming, I know it is coming. It may take a little time, but once let me get the roof [I am after, and I shall triumph. Yes, ick,” raising ber hand on high in the darkness and speaking with force, yet barely in a whis- r; ‘*you shall be avenged, I swear it! Asthey dealt with you, so will I deal with them, only ten times worse.” Her arm dropped to her side then, and for a long time she was silent. There in the utter darkness, all alone, with no one to hear and no eye to see, the stricken wo- man gave vent to her grief, — At last, stanching the flood of her tears, she forced herself to calmness, ‘*T have but one purpose, now—but one object in life,” she said to herself, ‘‘and it musi ba fal- filled, Vengeance must be mine!” She had been listening, too, as she stood there, now and again, but no sound had come to her ears from the interior of the saloon, It was closed and silent. At the extreme rear of the building, she was where the sloping back roof was but little higher than her head, and yet the continuing slope of the overhanging rock left several feet more of space unoccupied. Feeling her way, the woman stepped behind the building, into the pile of rubbish that bad been thrown there out of the way. Here she could touch the cold, dank rock, and utting her ear to it she listened. Nosound was to be heard, Yet, with much patience, she stood a long time, waiting. She had learned, when a prisoner in the eav- ern, that its occupants were moving about at late hours, and hoped to hear them now—if her suspicion was correct. Of that she could not be sure until she had proof of it, So, she listened. Presently her heart gave a great leap. She heard a sound | She listened intently, but disappointment fol- lowed the discovery, for it was not within the rock, that was plain enough. In her mind she had pictured out the secret of a passage from the saloon, up through the low rear roof, and thusinto the cavern, Now, and at onca, that picture was broken. She listened attentively to catch the sound again, ert bad been like the closing of a door, fol- lowed by the clanking of a chain, and then another door closing. For some minutes she heard nothing, then came the sound of some person moving in the rear part of the saloon, At once she thought of a window, with the idea of looking in. | With the thought, though, came the recollec- tion that there was no window back in that part of the building, where it was always dark so she could only stay, and learn what she could from the sounds alone, She did, however, step forward and press her ear against the boards, There was no mistaking the sounds; some per- son was moving in that rear room, Presently all was still for a few seconds, Then came tbe sound of a door, as at first, then the clank of a chain, and that followed in turn by the thud of another door. With ear intent for every sound, and above allto catch the direction whence the sounds came, Kodak Kate was suddenly triumphant. She had made the discovery, and like a flash the truth came upon her! The sounds care from under the ground! That being the case, there was an under connection between the Palace Saloon and the cavern! ‘* | felt sure of it!” she cried under her breath. ‘“*T felt sure of it! Now I am in possession of a fact, and the rest will fo'low naturally. But, I must be careful, I must give it study and go slowly, and cautiously.” Feeling her way out of the pile of rubbish as well as she could, she regained the coruer of the building, and thence made her way to the street with all the precaution she had shown in thread- ing her way in, She was soon out, safely, and disappeared in the darkness, CHAPTER XI, HAND TO HAND WITH THE OUTLAWS. AT daylight on the following morning the camp was astir. Not that everybody was out, but Mayor Archibald Grimm, Colonel Amos Mossler, and a goodly number of citizens, were on hand to see the departure of the wagon bear- ing the bullion. It was to start soon after day- light as possible, and the guard, a score of mounted men armed with rifles and revolvers, were on hand ready for their duty. ‘* By the livin’ Jupiter!” cried the mayor, as he looked at these fellows, ‘‘ I think they would mako et lively fer Red Roy, ef he tackled ’em; don’t you colonel?” _ **T think so, mayor,” wastheanswer, ‘ Any- how, boys,” to the men, “if such a thing does bappen, that he holds you up, I want you togive him particular fits. Do you understand that? Riddle him!” **'You bet we will!” was the response from all. Just before the sun appeared the treasure wagon with its convoy set out from the camp. ~ The crowd watched it till it disappeared from the gulch, when all retraced their steps toward the center of the camp or to their various habitations, ‘*By ther great storm-king!” the mayor ex- claimed, as he walked along with ‘the mine- manger, ‘I don’t think you would ’a’ made any mistake, Mossler, ef ye had sent et out with that wagon.” ss No?” ‘* By thunder, no! I'd like ter see the outlaw could take et away from them boys!” ‘* Well, maybe you are right, mayor. I am of the same opinion miyself. And, I don’t see, now that it’s gone, why I shouldn't take you into my confidence,” *¢ 'W bat do you mean?” ‘You won’t mention what I tell you?” ‘***Courss not,” ‘Well, then, the bullion did go out in that wagon, Mind, not a word to any one about it. Be not want to give the outlaw any chance at all. ‘‘Great storm-king! Ye don’t mean ter say so, do ye! Wull, that beats ther livin’ Jupiter. When did ye make that change in ther programme? Why didn’t ye let me inter et with ye?” “Til tell you how it was, You see, this stranger, Icicle Isaac, told me on the quiet 1 had better do it this way, and he made me pledge my word not to breathe it to a living soul, That’s the reason [ did not tell yeu. pues man bas got a level head, mayor, whoever e is, “ Jupiter! yes, Then ye won’t send out the farmer, as arranged for, eb?” “Certainly. That is the main idea of the whole thing, Icicle Isaac believes Red Roy’s man here is a sharp one, and that he will be able to get onto our scheme, He thinks the farmer will be held up,” ‘* Ef that is the case, by ther livin’ Jupiter we orter have men with ther farmer ter make a try at capturin’ toer cuss,” : ‘It would not do, for that would give awa too much. No, we will let it go now as planned. Hedgeman Blunt is the man who is to go out as the decoy, and he has been told not to resist if he is held up.” “* Ain’t he afeerd?” — “A hundred dollars promised lends him a good deal of grit,” **Ha! ha! Yes, Is’pose so, I hope the rascal, if he does meet him, won’t take it into his head to murder him,” ‘‘I bardly think he will, for Blunt really thinks he has the treasure, and has been told to let it goif held up. He will be blameless in the matter, and it would be a dastardly trick for the outlaw to shoot him,” ** W ull, all I bev got ter say is, that Blunt has got more nerve than I ever gave him credit or. _ “He don’t realize the danger, you see, think- ing it has been kept so quiet that the outlaw cannot possibly know anything about the move. He’ll set out pretty soon, and no one will take auy notice of his going,” By this time they had reached the Silver Bugle, and entered tiie bar-room, There they paid their morning respects at the bar, and while they were in that way engaged, Hedgeman Blunt and his boy drove past on their way home, *" Hillo!” exclaimed the landlord, ‘‘ that feller has ‘sold out early this time, ef he never did afore,” This drew the attention of the mayor and the manager to him, and they gave each other a knowing look as they watched the farmer drive down the gulch, Hedgeman Blunt was not a brave man by any means, as was hinted at the opening of our story. Neither was his boy a brave boy. And, had Hecdgeman imagined for a moment that he would encounter the outlaw, he would have de- clined the hundred with thanks, He had not told the boy anything about the gold yet, having cleverly got him outof the way while it was being loaded, ** We sold out quick this time, didn’t we, pop,’” the lad observed, as they roce along. ** Yes, so we did,” the father agreed. ‘* And,” he added, ‘‘ I’m ’most sorry we sold out quite so quick, even ef I have turned a hundred dollars,” ‘* Hundred dollars!” ‘*'Yes, a hundred dollars; but ther more I think of et the less I like et, and that I’m tellin’ e, ‘*How did ye turn a hundred dollars?” asked the boy, bis eyes wide open with amazement and curiosity. ‘‘ Ain’t been makin’ no trade, hev ye?” ‘*No; I wish I bad made et that way. goin’ ter tell ye about et, boy, so you can’t be taken onawares,. You know that wagon that went out under guard jest afore we kem away?” ‘*Sartain, pop.” 7 ‘* And of course you s’posed ther bullion from ther mines was in ther wagon, ther same as everybody else did.” ‘*Of course,” wonderingly. ** Wal, et wasn’t; et is rigbt byer in our wag- on this blessed minute!” Master Blunt almost jumped clear from his seat in his surprise, This was almost enough to take away his breatb. ‘* Ye don’t mean et, pop!” he cried, ‘‘ You're foolin’!” | ** Yes, ldo mean et, too, boy, and no foolin’ about et. They promised mea hundred dollars ter take et to our place, where they will come and git et when they git time.” ‘“Cracky! What ef we git robbed, pop?” ‘* Jest woat worries me, though | don’t s’pose we'll see ther outlaw, This is fera blind, or ruther t?other rig was. Nobody knows we hev ot ther bullion, Ef I had thought we’d meet fics you bet I wouldn’t tried et on, not fer no hundred, nor thousand, nuther,” They talked on, and the farmer gave his son instructions what was to be done if such a thing did happen that they should meet the gentleman of the road. And the plan was, in brief, that they were to gei their bands up in sight and sur- render in as brief a time as possible, giving him full charge of everything. Their lives stood be- fore anything eise, They had talked out, and were riding along in silence, when suddenly the lad cried out— ‘‘ Gee-whizz!” And up went bis bands, The farmer looked up instantly, and his heart jumped into his throat, . There just ahead of them, in the road, stood Red Roy, the outlaw. They bad never seen him before, but bis appearance told them who he was. “Up with your bands !” the outlaw at the same instant called out. The command was not necessary at all, for like the boy’s, the farmer’s bands were already up as high as he could put them, and he called ont a a terrified way for the man in red not to shoo | ‘* You show good sense,” the man in red de- clared. ‘tI won’t shcot youif youdo not try any tricks with me. If you do that, you are as co Vm ~ rr * Oe ~ ee 4 ‘ { , * as . \ é ; - Ly d ad ooks.com