Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 792 — page 12: what you’re looking at

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

_ - a, - —- = Tee 2 > . _ ee PT eee eg _—— Po ee a ~ a ~ é ~~ ee ae — a . a —. = = a - e a et ee ? * « “~ ’ . * = <r it axe 2 BS itewg) tS See ts. . ~ — re f “ ye ~ a |” 13°. Deadwood Dick, Jr.’s, Double Device. ‘want you to protect me against him. Will you do that?” y és Yes,” ‘‘ He thinks be is sure of me now, since he is able to offer papa help in money matters, What should I do? Ought I tell him I am en- waged to you?” ‘** I would keep that a secret yet, Tessie. Tell your father, but no other, And in regard to money, I can repair your father’s loss, if that is 80 important to him, You may tell him so,” ‘*T will, Are you sure you love me Dick?” ‘* Don’t you suppose [ know whether I do or mot, little one?” There, in the privacy of the sitting-room, the lovers exchanged their first kisses, after which ‘Tessie hastened away with her face all aglow and a new light burning in ber peerless eyes, The detective walked the tloor for some min- utes after she had gone, as if unable to believe he had not been dreaming, ‘*This beats any experience I ever had,” be said to himself. ‘The little thing is as fresh and innocent as she is pretty, no doubting that, And she has beard that I am married, eb?” A cloud came over his face for a moment, ‘* That is awkward,” he said, ‘ Trouble may: grow out of it, if 1 am not careful, I love the girl, and must have her, but— Well, I must take care, that isall, I shall be glad when this case comes to an ending, now,” After awhile he went out to the piazza, where he took his usual] seat and idled the time away. Meanwhile, going straight home, Tessie said | to ber father: ‘Papa, 1 am ready to give you my answer mow,” | Timothy looked up, and seeing the glowing face of bis daughter, quickly exclaimed; ‘* Then Ne have made up your mind to Mr. Hancroft ‘‘T have made up my mind fully never to umarry him, papa. There, do not look so angry. You know you cannot change me when once | say my mind is fully made up. The truth is, [ am engaged to somebody else,” ‘* Kogaged?” ‘* Yes, papa, and to the first and only man I ever loved,” 3 ‘**And who is it? How long have you been keeping this matter from me, my child?’ ‘* Not very long, papa. It is Mr. Bristol, the detective. I love him truly, and have prom- ised to marry him, It was love at first sight with hoth of us. Now, now, do not scold me, for that will not do a bit of good, It is just as I ‘tell you,” CHAPTER XIV. THE DETECTIVE ORDERED AWAY, THERE was little danger that Pater Weeds ‘would scold, for be could not recover himself sufficiently to say anything. Never was there a fond father more dismay- ed, He listened in silence to all his daughter bad to say, and it wasa considerable time be- fore be could give vent to his feelin When, finally, be could speak, a furious storm ‘broke suddenly, Tessie bad never before seen der father in such a passion, and when he ex- sed bimselr forcibly she could see where she ad,come by her own firmness of will, Timothy asserted his authority to the full. “Tbe knave!” he cried. ‘I happen to know he is a married nap, I have seen mention of his wife in the papers, And to think that child of mine shouli engage herself to any one on such short acquaintance! It isnot to be believed. But, Vil uttend te this bnsiness for you. This is the first time [ have had occasion to be severe with you,” To quote them were needless, The girl cried and Legged, defending her act with every argu- ment in ber power except telling the whole ‘truth, but Timothy was as firm as a rock, 6 knew what was best for her, he declared, He knew the detective wasa married man, and he would make him repent his treachery, And ‘$0, usiug force as well as authority, he took the girl and locked her in a ‘room, after which he set out to find Hancroft, Here was the beginning of a ruction such as See-Saw had never witnessed, | It was an hour later when Hancroft joined the detective on the hotel piazza, This was after Timothy bad seen him and told bim all about the man’s treachery, Bristol noted at once there was something cool about the man’s manner as he came up, and like a flash he guessed what was in the wind, He had already regretted having given ‘the gir! permission to let her father into their secre | le SL LE LE dastardly conduct,” was the angry retort. ‘I | mer up. oh) earn ee have given you twenty-four hours, Dick Bristol, They rusbed forward to meet him, and three = ~ but you will be wise if you make it twenty-four ' or four had pressed money upon him before they sii is. minutes, 1 tell you you are not wauted hereat became aware of what they were doing. They Be boa “How much do I owe you, Dick Bristol?’ the | See-Saw. It wasa mistake when we sent f mayor demanded, loud enough for all to hear, you.” There was quite a number on the piazza, and ‘* Don’t trouble youself further about me,” the of course every eye was upon the pair instantly. | detective quietly said. ‘*T am not aware that you owe me anything, ‘* I don’t intend to,” was the retort. ‘ You sir,” was the cool response. ‘*‘Wby do you | havebeen fairly warned, and if you are a man of ask?” sense you will beed the warning.” | ‘* Because Iam done with your services here, With that the mayor wheeled around and | = fino that’s the reason I ask. Now, the sooner you | went off in the direction of the mine offices, can take yourself off the better I shall hike it.” One man who had been a quiet observer of all ** Ho! that’s it, en?’ and tbe detective rose to | this now stepped to the front, . his feet. ‘‘ Well, Mr. Hancroft, 1 came here for This was Ben Blunt, and he said: 4 @ purpose, and l’rn not going to retire till that is ‘** Pards of See-Saw,” looking around over the | accomplished. I am not here under pay, and do | group, ‘‘ et don’t seem ter me necessary fer us f not accept my discharge from you or any other | ter get into a. sweat about this matter. We man,” have beard only one side of the story, and we ‘We'll see about that, You may defy me, | know Hancroft is sweet on ther gal and tbat ac- but you won’t defy the whole camp, I guess, | counts fer a good deal, S’pose we hear what Men of See-Saw, what is your opinion of a mar- | this gentleman has ter say fer himself?’ ried man who will deliberately make love to a ‘* That's ther idee!” young girl and engage himself to marry her? ‘“*T have nothing to say except this,” declared Tkat is what this fellow has done with Tessie | the detective, ‘It is true, since the secret ig Weeds,” out, that I have wona promise of marriage from There was instantly a howl. Miss Weeds, and I am free t) marry whom | Tessie was the pride of the camp, and hardly | will, This needs a Jittle explanation, but I am a man there but was ready to do battle in her | not prepared to give 1t now. You may take behalf, my word or not, just as you please,” ib Several men stepped forward, grim looks upon “That’s right from tber shoulders” cried Bi their faces, and their bands upon weapous, | Barnabas Balaam, ‘I say now as I said at ther iY They awaited only a signual from the mayor, | start, give the young man a fair sbow, He’s \* modest, we an all see that, and needs ter be en- ; couraged, no matter what his reputation is, a“ Give tim a fair show, and see bow it comes out, On! I am fairly in a fever to see the end of this business, and to see Satan Sam brought tothe | front and made two take his bitters, I hope the Scorpions will come forth and accept the young man’s demund, Yes, yes, I’m fairly ina fever, and there’s only one thing for me to do, and that is to give you a lecture on temperance, There's no other way in which I can work off the pres- sure, With his words, be sprung to a chair, and with a wave of the hand opened his mouth, Before be spoke a word, though, there came suddenly the thump-a-thump of the tom-tom to me, or my b’iler may bu’st and do more damage | the surprise of everybody, and Tom-tom Tom than you could repair in a week, ‘Your charity ' was seen coming down the street. and it might have fared roughly with the detec- | ! suffered lopg and was kind to Tom-tom Tom for Mr. Balaam continued to hold his mouth | ! tive, There came,, however, another interruption. ‘** Hold on! hold on! bold on!” some one sung out, and who should pusb to the fore but Bar- nabas Balaam, both hands raised to enjoin peace, ‘*Don’t let your angry passions rise and get ther best of ye, men of See-Saw,” he rejoined in words, ‘* Let me scatter some oil on the troubled waters.” ‘* You shut right up and get out,” cried Han- croft, *‘or |’ll order you banged, We are in no mood for fooling.” “ Neither am I,” retorted Barnabas, ‘I was just working up steam for ny temperance lecture, and I’m at high pressure, Don’t crowd ——E a? - beatin’ bis tom-ton): you must do likewise with | wide open, and his band outstretched just me and allow me to toot my bazoo. Hear ye! | where it had stopped at the end of the flourish hear ye! hear ye!” he had made, and he gazed upon the bummer This brought a laugb from some in the crowd, | as_be drew near with an expression hard to and the temperance advocate was allowed to say | define. more, Thump-a-thump! thump-a-thump! came th ‘* T don’t like to see shootin’ and killin’,” he de- | bummer, and presently be was abreast with clared, in something of his occasional dialect, | the hotel, He looked neither way, thougb, but ‘*That grates upon my nerves almost as bad as | went straight on, thump-a-tbump, thump-a. the sight of unboly intemperance irritates my | thump! thump-a thump! thump! and there was gall. Now, to avoid all necessitv for it, let me | such a charm about the music that the very propose a plan that is generally effective when a | dogs in the neighborhood begun to how], camp gets right up and means business, Why ‘* Wretched, wretched man!” cried the tem- don’t you give the young man twenty-foar | perance advocate, ‘I wonder if he cannot be hours or so to make a vacant spot bere of his | shamed into reforming, since bullets seem to size and shape, and then if he don’t go— Well, | bave no lasting effect upon him, | Verily I be- when the worst comes to the worst I shut my | lieve I wil! try it.” eyes,” The attention of the crowd was won in an in- ‘* You can have it either way you want it,” | stant, and the detective was delivered for the gentlemen,” the detective spoke, | time being from unpleasant scrutiny, He stood in a careless way, and all who As the burnmer pa‘sed, Mr, Balaam ran light- knew anything about the reputation of Dead- | ly down the steps and fell in behind him, when wood Dick felt a good deal like accepting | he began to sing—rather bawl—at the top of his © the proposition the temperance advocate had | voice the one verse of ‘what was perbaps the e, 4 only song he ever knew, and it was plain thet he *“‘T’ll make it that,” declared the mayor, | did not know ever that. rudent in spite of bis rage, ‘** TU give you ust twenty-four bours to get out of this camp, Dick Bristol, and if you don’t go I'll not answer for the result. And, Ill take care to make known your scandalous conduct, anyhow,” ‘* Very well, sir, l accept the terms,” and the detective very coolly resumed bis seat. ‘*Howlin’ Hiram!” cried Mr. Balaam. ““That’s what [’d call cool, mayor! He don’t turn a bair, Pilgrims from Yan! but I love this here detective fellow; I vow 1 do, And it looks like a shame to turn him antes before he has had a square chance to geta dig at Satan Sam, I’m sorry I didn’t say a week instead of twenty-four hours, I am interested, and I'd like to see the end of the game. Besides— Hello! thar’s somethin’ ye forgot, mayor, sure!” Excited, he dropped into the dialect. ‘*Gayly the tronbadour sung o’ Kafoozalem As he came Sige i, his way from Jerusalem, And the old Huck-a-buck hearing him come, Oried Rum-a-tum, rum-a-tum, rum-a-tum-tum!” Tom-tom Tom bad glanced around at the first outbreak, but immediately attended to business again, and so they marched to the end of the camp, They were two of a kind, as near as could be, except for the rummy appearance of the bum- | mers face, of which Mr, Balaam bad none, Otherwise they were two about as hard-looking cases as can be imagined. At the end of the camp the bummer turned and started back again, thumping away with — all his migbt, while the temperance man bawled as loud as he could bawl, keeping time, and it would have been hard to decide which was tlie ** What’s that?” the mayor asked, , worst, the beating of the tom-tom or the sing- “Why, ther demand he bas posted up, ye know. He bas challenged the Scorpions, ye know, or what ’mounts to pretty much ther same thing,” _ ** He may bavereason to wish he had never Taking both together, it was more than the — worthy citizens could stand, and by the time ie Ws fs a the pair again reached the Squareinfrontof = = : a beard of the Scorpions, if they hear of his | the hotelseveral men were ready to buy the bum- © fH. aan ' : AL | ~) ¥ » ’ : nis Ae NS - a j v¥ OO ied r ‘y : ‘ 44 a Re a, ’ # r| ’ : . ‘ oly ph. iw . es Rea: pes be io bya - . ; ; wy Ku oe AP at AF pu tan Ey ty Was § @ | aa ‘ OLeke 0) " <j