Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 792 — page 13: what you’re looking at

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

——s ae Oe —————_— — ’ : c > 4 a ~ -~ . ews or ai ‘before Deadwood Dick, Jr.’s, Double Device. 13 were seemingly glad to have the noise stopped at any price, ‘*Thanks, dear sir, thanks!” cried the bum- mer, turning upon Mr, Balaam. ‘ But for you I might have been compelled to beat the tom- tom for half an hour before I could have tired them out. It was the singing they could not stand. Thanks, sir, thanks, Believe me, I go now to drink your good health,” CHAPTER XV, THE SCORPIONS’ STING, BARNABAS BALAAM looked after the retreat- ing form of the bummer for a moment in 8i- lence, and then he began to wring his hands, while he raised his voice in wailing and lamen- tation, ‘*What have I done? What have I done? What have I done?” he cried aloud, in much agony of mind. ‘‘ Have I been the means of providing yon wretch with the wherewith to gratify his unboly appetite? Mercies forbid! Certainly my intention was enough,” The crowd around enjoyed the situation huge- ly, and a roar of laughter greeted the remarks of the temperance advocate. “‘ Verily, verily, I must redeem the time,” Mr, Balaam declared, ‘‘ Here I have been neglect- ing my work, and for what? For nothing! I must deliver a lecture here aad now against the curse of rum,” Taking a chair from the piazza of the hotel, he carried it out to the middle of the Square, where he mounted it and began to exhort, and for half an hour or more he gave the crowd a free ‘‘ circus,” such ag they had not enjoyed in a month, It was the general verdict that Barna- bas Balaam was a character unique, The rest of that day was unusually quiet. Nothing worthy of note took place, and it | Ca have been marked as the calm before:a storm, ¢ Mayor Hancroft had cut loose from the detec- tive entirely, and had not addressed him once since their hot words of the morning, The detective did not ap to mourn about this, but sat on the piazza of the hotel for the most part of the time, idly smoking, talking oc- casionally with those who spoke to him, There did not appear to be any indication that he intended to take the warning he had received. =e was certainly in no hurry about going, any- ow. Late in the day Ben Blunt joined him. ** Ye don’t seem ter be in no haste about get- tin’ ap au’ gittin’,” he made remark, ‘* No, Pm not breaking my neck to get away,” was the response, ** And, I take et, ye don’t mean ter go.” The detective smiled. ** You have hit it about right,” he said. “You are just my style,” the man declared. “'T like ter see grit. You stay hyer, and ef ye want any backin’, call on Ben Blunt,” “IT hadn’t forgotten your offer, sir, I’m going to stay, for I came here with a Burpond and it has not yet been accomplisbed, If I need help r get done with this thing I'll call on ou. “ Don’t ye forget et, And now, pard, on the sly, hyer’s a note fer ye,” As hes ke, the fellow slipped a bit of paper into the detective’s hand so that none migbt see. ‘‘ Ha!” was the exclamation, ‘A note,ch? | think I can guess whom it is from before I look atit. You have beard about— But, I know you have.” ‘“* About you and Miss Weeds? Yas, I know all about et. And, pard, I Want ye to answer me one question fair and square: Are you free ter marry that gal as ye hev ’greed. ter do?” ** Ben Blunt, I am.” The eyes of the two men met, and there was the ring of truth in the statement, **] believe ye, pard,” said Blunt. “I'm with ye, now, totherend. But, ef ye play me false, and ef ye deceive that gal, ther Lord help ye,” ** You'll find me true, my friend,” ** Ef I don’t, ye will havea score ter settle wi’ Ben Blunt, that’s all, I hev brung ther note from ther gal.” ** As I supposed,” "The detective now opened the tiny missive and read it, It was contained in these lines: * DEAR Dick:— “Won't you assure papa that it's all right? He believes you are married, and he has never treated me 80 harshly before. I know you are true, but I cannot prove ittohim. You aré true, are you not? If you have deceived me I shall die. But, I know you have not! “Yours till death, ‘ , tf | TESSIE ” . “Can you see her and talk with her?” the detective asked of the messenger, when he had read to the end. ** Yes, I kin work et so, pard.” “Then I will not write anything, for it might get her into deeper trouble, but you may ‘ell her this: That I am so placed that I cannot do as she requests to-day, but that she need have no doubts. Whatever appearances may be, I am true—I swear it. Tell her to keep up her cour- ‘* ll do et, pard. I believe ye, but, as I said fore, ther Lord help ye ef ye prove false, Ilove that gal like a darter, I do, and I’!l fight like a daddy fer her, ef need be,” ‘*'You won’t find the need to fight me, old friend,” The day closed, and night came on, and still that air of oppressiveness appeared to hang over the camp, There was no excitement whatever, greater than that occasioned by Tom-tom Tom, who ap- peared once more and beat upon his tom-tom till a committee of three fell upon him and wrested the instrument of torture from him and broke it into splinters, to the dismay of the bummer and the delight of the temperance advocate, The evening passed, the lights went out one by one, and finally the camp slumbered., The hour was late when Detective Bristol was suddenly awakened from his sleep, and he sprung up with a start, Four masked men were in his room, one hold- ing a bull’s-eye lantern so that its light fell upon the detective’s face and the others covering bim with their revolvers, ‘* Not a word,” warned one in a hoarse whis- r, “‘ but get up and dress yourself.” “All right, gentlemen,” was the cheery re- sponse in the same tone, regardlessof the warn- ing. ‘*‘ You hold the best hand and I’m at your service,” Without undue haste, and without any ap- parent nervousness in his manner, the detective put himself-into bis clothes, and finally he an- nounced that he was ready for whatever was required of him, ‘*‘Now, you will come with us,” spoke the leader. ‘*We are of the Scorpions of Bee- Saw, and we have some business to settle with you. ‘The Scorpions, eh? Then you are aware of the demand I have made, I suppose, of course.” ¥ Yes, we know all about your blank foolish- ness, Two of the fellows who had put away their weapons now took hold of the detective and bound his hands bebind him, after which they put a blindfold over his eyes, and warning him to maintain silence if he valued his life they led him out of the room, out of the house, and away, | He was taken a Considerable distance. Although uvable to see, he had been able to determive the direction in which he was being conducted from the hotel, and when the night air grew presently more chill he knew they had entered the western canyon, After a time there was someclimbing up a pretty difficult trail, and soon after that the air grew yet more chill and the resounding of their feet told they had entered a cavern, By the echo it gave forth, too, it was evidently one of no 1nean dimensions, At last a stop was made, and the bandage was removed from the prisoner’s eyes and he was permitted to look around. Hie found himself ina circle composed of a score or more of masked men, ‘Well, Deadwood Dick,” spoke the leader, “what do you think of us? e are the Scor- pions, whom you have challenged.” You are 1 Pretty decent looking set of fellows, as near as I am able to judge of you,” was the easy response, “‘ You make a mistake about my baving challenged you bowever; I merely mace a demand,” ‘*Tt amounts to the same thing.” ‘‘That is according to how you look at it, I should say.” ‘* We choose to look at it our way, then. Did you not see the notice we posted by the trail some distance out of camp?” ‘““Tdid not. You know it was dark when I came in that night,” ‘“* Well, you heard about it, which is all the same, ‘Why did you not pay heed to it?” ‘*I did not choose to, Did you ever hear of Deadwood Dick’s playing the poltroon? I came to See-Saw for a purpose, and it bas not been ac- complished,” **Do you think it ever will be?” ‘** Perhaps,” ‘We very much doubt it, But, that aside. You came here with the intention of taking a. piece of work out of our hands and taking the credit of it to yourself, and we don’t propose to allow that!” “< No ” ‘ ** No, decidedly !” ‘** You refer to the capture of Satan Sam, of course,” ‘*Exactly. We think we are capable of doing all that any one can do on that case, and since we have begun it we are going to carry it out,” ‘‘That is the proper thing, gentlemen, But, you do me injustice. I came here not to rob. you of any glory whatever, but to aid you. rnd demand was that I be allowed to work wit ou, ‘* Well, we don’t want any help. Then, too,. you said that if we didn’t see fit to take up with our demand, then you would consider us no etter than outlaws ourselves, and treat us ac- cordingly: or words to that effect,” ‘*¢ Exactly.” ‘Well, we are not going to grant your de- mand, Weare going to work this claim our- selves,” ‘* That settles it, then; we don’t pull together. I consider you as jittle botter than Satan him- self, What are you going to do about it?” ‘* Well, that is cool,” ‘* No need to get heated over it, as I can see,” ‘You defy us, then,do you? You are ina. r position to do that, ) Y%adwood Dick,” _“* Call it thatif you want to, gentlemen. Since you will pot take up DY offer I must go it. alone, You have.the best of it, I admit, till, I may get there b ‘eae-hy. ** We doubt that, too, But, here is what weare. going todo about it, and if you don’t like it there is something else you can do: We are go- ing to hold you a prisoner here till we have made the capture, and then you will be allowed to go. Thatis all we bave to say. Men, secure him,” Ke CHAPTER XVI, TRUTH TRIUMPHANT. THE detective was led to a place in the cavern where a ring of iron had been affixed to the wall, and where ho was secured by his bands, which were still behind his back, **'You need have no fear of being allowed to starve,” said the leader, then, ‘‘ for we will take care of you in that respect but here you must remain till we have made the capture of Satan Sam, when you will be allowed to go, It will be useless for you to strain your lungs calling for help, for no one could possibly bear you,” ‘I shall take it casy, gentlemen,” was the re- sponse coolly made, ‘'l appreciaty the fact, that you have not killed me, and that you prom-. ise me | shal] not starve. This is the way Dead-. wood Dick’s demand has been received, Very well, I wil) remember it. I wish you all success: in your hunt for the outlaw, and hope you will find him soon,” A brief exchange of further remarks, and the masked men filed out of the cavern, leaving the. cesportve there alone in the darkness and soli-- ude, Alone? They had not been gone a great while when # form stole up to the detective’s side, and, after feeling a moment, a keen blade severed the bonds which held him to fhe iron ring. ‘You are promptly on*hand,” whispered the prisoner. ‘‘As I promised I would be,” was the ree. sponse, ‘‘ Let us wait a few moments more and! we'll make a light,” Tbey were silent for some time, to make sure their foes had all gone out of sight and hearing,, and finally the rescuer turned on the light of a. bull’s-eye and lighted up the scene, It would have been a surprise for the Scor- pions, could they have seen who the new-comer was, The man was none other than Barnabas Balaam, the temperance advocate, ‘* Now we are ready for business,” the peculisr man said. ‘*‘We have the rest of the night be- fore us, without danger of interruption. He spoke now with neither the dialect nor the peculiar twang he had employed before, but with a straightforward language that bad the true ring about it, ‘* And that means that we are to begin the ex- proxamen of this cavern at once, I suppose,” the ate prisoner observod. ‘Very well, let’s be about it, forl am ina hurry to see the matter cloared up.” ‘* T suppose so,” with a be; laugh, ‘Strange, wasn’t it? Well, it could not be helped,” rOoOmMmIcbDoOOo