Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 776 — page 8: what you’re looking at

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

8 Deadwood Dick, Jr.’s, Resurv ection. ’ ** What did ye know?” demanded the mayor, And all this before the new driver had been able to give a word in explanation, ‘*] knew he’d get it, that’s what. The money to pay the hands was coming by this stage, and now it’s gone.” Every body was out, and everybody who wasn’t was getting out as quickly as possible, anxious to learn all about it and to sbare in the general uproar, ‘* 'W hat happened?” the mayor demanded of the driver in charge. ‘* Why don’t ye open yer head and say somethin’? Don’t set up thar like adummy, asif ye war afeerd ter open yer mouth,” ‘*Great Scott!” the man cried desperately, **T haven’t bad ary chance ter put in a word, We was held up, that’s all that’s the matter, and as we showed fight, this is the result. It was Red Roy, as ye bave rightly guessed, Anyhow, that’s what the driver called him, and be was dressed all in red, from bat to boots,” ‘‘Toat was him! By ther livin’ Jupiter, me childrun, but we have got cause ter rave now, ef weever bad! Whar’s that man Icicle Isaac? W hat has he got ter say ter this?” ‘*T’'m right here, sir,” the cold voice of the man of ice was heard, ‘‘It seems our game is started, now, with a vengeance,” ‘* Yas, I should say et was. And whatris goin’ ter be done about et? Ef you and Handsome Harry ar’ goin’ ter tackle this thing, you want ter be about et. Where is ther sport?” ‘Tm right here, also,” responded Harry, making bis way into the crowd from the direc- tion of the Palace Saloon, ‘* What is all this rumpus about? What? A dead man or two aboard? This begins to look like business. This the work of Red Roy?” ‘Yas, et’s ther work of Red Roy! And, by ther livin’ Jupiter! this thing bas got ter be brought to a stop or we'll go out of business hyer! That’s all tharis aboutet! Great storm- king! ar’ wea passel o’ boys, that one man is goin’ ter defy usin this fashion?” All this in a few seconds, and before the pas- sengers had time to alight. Now, however, the door of the stage had opened, and the crowd looked with some curi- osity to see who would get out, The first to appear was an old man with white beard, who, as soon as out, turned and assisted a woman who seemed to be no younger than him- self, but owing to a vail, ber face was not to be s°en, Once out, the woman took the man’s arm with an air of confidence, and he, after a look around to get bis bearings, started for the hotel, the crowd making way for the couple to pass through, And after them two or three men sprung out, men of ordinary, every-day appear- auce, ** Ar’ we, I demand?” the mayor cried, after the moment or two of silence, ‘‘I want ter know how much longer this thing is goin’ on? Et hits me et’s about time fer this byer camp ter go into a committee of ther whole, and take this thing iu hand, How many of ye ar’ in favor of droppin’ work of every kind, and not doin’ another tap till Red Roy is downed?” There was a general bowlof approval. ** Suppose we hear what the driver has to say about the matter,” suggested the man of ice. ‘* Great storm-king!” cried the mayor. *‘ Hav- en’t we been askin’ him about et, but he don’t onwind worth a cent,” ** Scott!” the man at the ribbons exclaimed again, ‘I can’t tell about et if I dou’t get no show. I’m willin’ enough ter tell.” ‘** Go ahead, then,” directed Handso.ne Harry, ** and let’s have your story.” ** Well, et happenel back thar at the begin- nin’ of the canyon, We wur comin’ along ata fair jog, when, all of a suddent, out popped ther man in red, rigbt in front, with a brace of poppers in bis hand, and he orders ns ter hold up. Ther driver byer pulled up short, but these two fellers opened fire on ther cuss, At that ther criver let go and cracked his whip, but et was ther last thing be ever done, Ther man in red opened fire: over ther driver went; then other two, as nice as ye please, and as dead as they are now,” ‘* And where were you ?” Handsome Harry asked, **] was thar, but I held up my hands and hol- lered for quarter, you bet! And I got et. I seen et wasn’t no use tryin’ ter kil] the cuss, so I didn’t try eton, He runs up, tells me ter throw down a bag one of these hyer fellers had, and as soon as he got et he was off, and that was the last we seon of him.” “¥ knew it!” cried Colonel Mossler. ‘‘ That was the money to pay the hands, and this was How the man who was bringing it secretly. Curses did Red Roy learn anything about that? upon the rascal!” ‘* And it would seem that to get the money was bis only object in stopping the stage,” remarked the man of ice, ‘*That must have been it,” agreed Handsome Harry, ‘But, driver, did you not take a shot at him as be was making off with the booty?” **Didn’t we! Me and these gents,” indicat- ing those who bad got out from the inside a‘ter the old couple, ‘* we jest sent some bullets after him, you bet; but et was no use, and he only laughed at us,” ‘* He must bear a charmed life.” ** He’ll bear somethin else, ef we oncet git holt of him,” cried the mayor. ‘‘ Which we are no nearer doing than we have been, it would seem,” Handsome Harry re- marked. *““ We'll see about that, too,” the mayor de- clared. ‘*I mean business in what I said about this hyer camp goin’ into a committee of ther whole,” ‘I’m with you, too,” cried Colonel Mosster. “Tl shut down the mines, and we'll turn this camp into one big Vigilance Committee. This thing bas gone far enough, and it’s time it was wound up.” The crowd echoed the proposition with a cheer, ‘* What do you think of et, Icicle Isaac?” ask- ed the mayor, ‘*T think the idea is good enough,” the man from Frozen Flats answered, *‘ but I do not see what can be done before we locate the rascal.” “That is the point,” agreed Handsome Harry. ‘‘“We must get a clew to him before we can capture him. Iam in favor of the plan, how- ever, for it will show him that we mean busi- ness,’ ‘*You bet we mean business!” shouted the mayor. ‘“*‘And why wouldn’t we? Things bev now come to that pass where et ain’t ter be stood any longer. Hyer’s three dead men, whose blood calls to us to avenge’em! Ar’ we goin’ ter shirk our duty? I opine not!” The greatest excitement prevailed, and while everybody was talking some were busily en- gaged in taking the dead men down from the top. Examination of the bodies showed how well the outlaw bad directed his bullets, fr almost every shot bad reached a vital spot, any one of which would have been all-sufficient for tbe purpose, By the time the stage bad been taken away and the bodies thoroughly searched and taken off to be prepared for their final long rest, the excitement had become somewhat subdued, but there was an expression of grim determination upon each face which boded ill for the outlaw if he fell into the hands of these men. Calling for others to follow, the mayor led the way into the Palace Saloon for the purpose of holding a meeting. ‘*Me childrun,” he cried, mounting a table, ‘thar ain’t going ter be no more foolishness about this business, We are fgoin’ ter take et right in band and bringit toa head, As mayor of this camp, [ do order and proclaim that no work be done until this out/aw is disposed of, We are goin’ ter form ourselves into a commit- tee of ther whole, ter help Handsome Harry and Icicle Isaac run ther villain down and brie bim to account fer his crimes.” There was wild cheering, and the mayor con- tinued bis speech to some length, although the sum and sul stance of it all was expressed in his first period, When he had done, notices were written out and posted up in the most conspicuous places of the camp, setting forth the proclamation briefly and to the point, after which a good many of the enthusiastic ones drank to the success of the measure, Meanwhile, at the hotel, the arrivals by the stage had registered, and had their rooms assign- ed to them, Among the rest were the old couple who had been the first to alight from the stage upon its arrival, whose names appeared on the register as Porter Filburn and Mary Martman, The old gentleman bad engaged separate rooms, inexpensive ones, and had let fall the in- formation that the woman was his sister, now a widow, who was ee in search of a son of whom she bad last heard in that part of the country, They had gone t»> their rooms at once, The excitement they had passed through, the old man explained. bad been too much for his — to stand, her health being feeble at t. Of the others nothing need be said, since their names are of no importance in our romance, At supper the old man appeared, but not the woman, who was, he declared, unable to come down, and her supper “as carried up to her, Nothing was thougbt of this, in the face of the recent excitement; or, if any one did notice it, no mention was made, aud the old man and the woman were evidently accepted for what . they professed to be, Meanwhile, again, the afternoon had not been allowed to pass without preparations being made for the shipment of the bullion from the mines, as had been planned. It was no secret that it was to be sent out at daylight, under guard, and during the afternoon it was openly loaded upon a strong wagon, which was to be under guard. Yet it was quietly known, too, that this was only a blind, and that the real shipment was to be made that night, te wagon to be sent out by the South Trail after dark, with a guard to accompany it, and by this means it was hoped the outlaws would miss it, The otber plan, bowever, that of having it taken out by one of the farmers who came into the camp daily, was not mentioned, for the reason that it was not generally known, <Ac- cordingly, some time after dark, a wagon set out quietly from the camp, with balf a dozen men accompanying it, and took the South Trail, something ha ving been loaded into it to give the impression that it carried bullion, CHAPTER IX. THE ROYAL ROGUES IN CONSULTATION, We change the scene, In ared apartment in what has the appeararce of, and what is in fact, a cavern, a masked man is sitting ata table reading a paper. He has a bat on, and it and the mask are alike red. He is otherwise clad in a loose robe, so that little of bis general appear- ance can be noted, The man is Red Roy, the — Oregon Outlaw—so called, The bour is late, As the man glances at his watch he finds it to be after midnight, and he looks freqtently in the direction of the curtains at one end of the apartment, as if expecting the coming of some person. Presently the curtains part, and a woman glides silently into the room, The carpet is soft, and her step cannot be heard, but having caught, perhaps, the sligbt sound of the moving curtain, the man glances up and sees her coming toward him. Like the man, the woman, toc, is masked, ‘*] find it impossible to surprise you,” the wo- man said, ‘And 1 am not going to be surprised if I can help it,” was the man’s response to the remark. ‘‘T am late getting kere, but I could not help it. Do you know they have tricked you neatly in the matter of bullion?” ‘* No, I was not aware of it.” ‘‘ Well, they bave.” *“* How?” ‘*T tried to get a chance to tell you before, but it was impossible. We have had to be so can- tious in all our movements, Why, they sent it eut about nine o’clock, around over the South Trail,” The outlaw laughed lightly. ‘*T see you are not well posted,” he observed. “That was only a blind to draw me off upon a false scent, I would have told you about it but, as you say, we have had to be so careful that we have had little oppcertunity to talk to- gether. It was only a decoy.” ‘‘Halisthatso? Then they will ship it in the morning as planned?” “Yes, as planned; but perbaps you are not aware just how it is planned; in fact, 1 Fuow you are not,” ‘* Tell me, then.” “ You think it is going out at daylight under a strong guard,” ‘Yes; since you tell me this move to-night was only a decoy. You will never be able to wrest it sen so strong a guard,” ‘“) am awareof that; but, lam going to have it just the same.” * How will you get it? Tell me the secret of it all.” “ They are playing a double dodge, boping to deceive me completely, but they do not know the man they are working against. The gold is not going out under a big guard at all, but in a new and novel way. One of the farmer wagons will take it when they set out for home after bringing their produce to market.” * Ts it possible!” ‘That is their plan, and they are playing right into my hands. If I don’t give them a ’ | ,OO ECON MULE a , eee St 7 ail < , ——_ - a. a — ait