Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 812 — page 3: what you’re looking at

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

Deadwood Dick, Jr.’s, Head-off. 3 every plant we make in ther graveyard at Hustleville. Seems ter me et’s time ter kick. A grave is a necessity, oncet in a while, an’ so is a fire-ingine; and if ther tax is kept up on ther grave we'll have ter put a tax on our ingine, that’s all.” That was greeted with cheers and numerous remarks from both sides, but it was no time then to settle the matter, for everybody was eager to see the engiue tried and willing hands were already preparing to unload it, There was one man in the crowd who had been a city fireman some years before, and to him had been intrusted the experiment, If he proved his claim, and the trial was a success, it was altogether probable that be wouli be made captain of the company, 80 he was eager to do his best. It took some little time to get the heavy ma- chine safely off upon the ground, but it was ac- complished finally, and the ex-fireman set to work at once to put it into working order. Meanwhile a water-tank on wheels had been brought to the scene—being one of a pair which the citizens had constructed while waiting for the engine—together with the necessary fuel for starting up the fire, The crowd was packed closely around, giving the workmen only just enough room to move about in comfortably, and hardly that, and everybody was eager to see the start made, They wanted to ‘see the thing go off,” as they pa nt it, That was,what they were there or. Finally the last screw bad been turned and the last nut adjusted, and the engineer—this fireman, by the way, held a post as engineer at the mine—announced that he was ready to fill the boiler and start up the fire; which announce- ment was greeted with a cheer and the crowd fell back to give him plenty of room for these necessary finishing touches, The boiler was filled, the pumping hose made fast to the tank-wagon, and the engineer then unwired the door of the fire-box to put in the fire, When he had got the door opened he looked in, and the next instant sprung up and staggered back with face as pale as death. ‘*‘ Good heavens!” he cried, ‘* What a find!” ‘* What is et, Rube?” damanded the mayor. ** A man’s head, as I live an’ breathe!” ‘* What! You can’t mean et, shorely!” ** Look in and see for yourself.” ‘‘Hang me ef thar ain’t!” he exclaimed. *¢ How in mysteries did a man’s head git in hyer? An’ whose head is et, anyhow? Come out o’ hyer, stranger, till we take a view at yer!” To display his nerve and bravery under the circumstances .he, mayor reached in his arm and brought the caput forth by its scalp-lock, but instantly dropped it to the ground, The sight of it was too much even for the mayor’s nerves, At the hideous sight the crowd fell back, filled with instinctive horror—all fell back, save a young girl, who, as if moved by a resistless im- ulse, su idenly pressed forward as if to see the ace of the dead. Tnen, even before the mayor could gain sufli- cient nerve to lift the ghastly find from the ground for the inspection of the crowd, a wo- man’s piercing sbriek doubly startled the awe- stricken crowd, ‘“My God! It is the head of my father !” followed the shriek. And staggering back as thecrowd now surged forward, the girl fell fainting into the arms of women, who caught her as she fell, “Et’s Little Maggie!” ‘‘She has fainted!” was shouted. “ Little Maggie!” cried Manager Woodworth, coming forward, ‘'Then the poor child has found her father in a horrible way.” ‘*That’s what she has!” the mayor agreed, ‘* How in ther name o’ wonders kem fis head in hyer? And who put etin hyer? This thing bas got ter be looked into!” The crowd, spellbound till now, echoed the mayor’s declaration to a man, Little Maggie, as sho was called, was a pretty waif, eighteen years of age, who had come to the mines about three months prior to the open- ‘ing of our story. , She was in search of ber father, she had told the citizens—had been looking for him high, low and everywhere; but, being out of money then, would have to seek employ for a time before searching further. The big-hearted mayor of the camp befriended her at once, and the citizens responding to his call, put a shanty up for ber and furnished it. There they installed her, and she set about mak- ing her living by doing washing and mending rr ES soe the miners, And, so she had continued to ate, She was respected by everybody for her sim- ple purity, and thus it was that the mayor’s pepe to avenge the crime was hailed so eartily, Cried one man: ** You ar’ right; et has got ter be looked inter, Mayor Gadzooks, Ther cuss what’s killed ther daddy of Little Maggie has got ter answer to this hyer cae with his life,” ‘*’You bet he has!” another citizen approved, ‘““and we'll have him hunted down, ef et takes a month o Sundays ter do et,” “’'Twon't take no month o’ Sundays if we kin git the right hound on the trail, an’ Deadwood ick, Jr., is jest that hound; what say, boys?” ‘You have struck the bull’s-eye,” approved Manager Woodworth, ‘‘If any man alive can solve the riddle, he is the man,” The proposition was hailed with assent by the whole crowd, for the name of the famed Prince of the West was familiar to them all, Several women had by this time gathered round the fainted girl, and in response to their efforts she soon regained her consciousness, Her first act was to put her hands over her eyes, as though to shut out some terrible vision —the terrible sight which had been the cause of her fainting. ‘*Did I—did I see—it?” she asked, ‘“* Or, was it a dream?” ‘* There, there, don’t think on’t,” one woman tried to soothe, ‘* You was mistaken, 0’ course, "bout et’s bein’—” ‘* No, no; I must see it again; 1 must know the truth, I could not be mistaken. Let me see it—I must know—” The mayor had been pressing his way toward bare the head still in his hand but held behind m, ‘*Can ye stand et, miss?’ he asked. ‘‘ Hadn’t ye better wait?” ** No, no; let me gee it and be sure!” The mayor allowed her to look again upon the dead features, and as she did so a shiver ran over her, and with another cry she covered her face with her apron, ‘** Tt is he! itis he!” she sobbed, ‘‘ It is the head of Joel Meadway, my father, that [ have looked for so long. Who can have taken bis life in so horrible a manner? Men of Roundabout will you help me to solve this mystery and avenge the crime that has been done?” ‘‘Tbat’s what we will, gal, an’ you can bet on’t,” declared the mayor. ‘* But, bave you any idee who could ’a’ done et? Had yer daddy any enemy who might want him out of ther way for any reason that you know on? Ef ye know anything o’ that sort, now is ther time to say et out.” ‘*No, no, Ido not think he had any foe, sir, As I have told you, he was mildly insane, but harmless, when he wandered away. I cannot imagine why he bas been killed and his head sent here, unless it was out of pure wantonness by some heartless villain, Oh! it is horrible, horrible! Will you please see that the head is buried, Mr. Gadzooks?” The mayor promised, and the young woman went away to her shanty, accompanied by two or three women, her neighbors, The mayor made his way back to the platform then mounted it, and said: ‘* Feller galoots, the findin’ of this hyer cabeza has somewhat throwed a dash of cold water over the events of ther day, and ther more so sence et has been recognized as the head of the daddy of our Little Maggie. But, sence et’s somethin’ we couldn’t in no wise help, we'll carry out the rest of the programme jest ther same, After that, I want to announce, thar will be a funeral in good style fer this dead man’s bead, to which I want this hyer camp to "tend in proper manner out of respect fer our leetle protegee,” So, the rest of the programme was carried out, the engine proving a grand success, and likewise the dinner that followed the trial. Then came the funeral, as announced, and the head was interred in the cemetery at Hustleville —free of cost, That done, a meeting was held to take measures toward solving the mystery of the severed head, and the voice of the meeting was—that the reat detective, Deadwood Dick, Jr., be sent or and the case placed in his hands. And that, accordingly, was carried out, the first steps be- ing taken immediately, CHAPTER IIL PRESENTS SOME PASSENGERS. THE evening stage made its roundabout way down through Rocky Gulch, and on to Rounda- bout, with an unusually full complement of passengers, When the Jehu drew up ava stopped before the Union Hotel, bringing Lis four animals around with a graceful swing, he sung out: ‘‘FHyar we ar’ again, Rustlers! An’ hyer’s the biggest load I have brought in fer a dezen weeks, How did ther ingiue work?” “Oh, bully!’ he was told; and furtber re- marks were exchanged while the passengers were alighting. One of these was a woman, a good-looking little body clad in what seemed to be half-mas- culine attire. S .e wore a skirt to her shoe-tops, but the upper half of ber person was fitted ad- mirably witha jacket and vest of bronzs velvet. A hat of the same was upon her head, and a white shirt-front with dainty tie and collar added to the general good effect of the outfit, A diamond flashed upon her tie, another upon one of her fingers, and a beautiful gold chain spanned her vest. Sbe looked the sport she evi- dently was, we Another passenger worthy of notice was a man, a fellow with long bair and a pensive ex- pression of countenance, Ha was attired in black, wearing a frock coat of extra length, now shiny and seedy with long use, which was buttoned high up in the neck as if to conceal the fact that its owner wore no ** Wiled” linen. Standing in gough and rusty boots under a silk bat of ancient pattern that had long ago lost its shape and sleekness, the fellow looked a personification of the shabby genteel. A stubble of beard covered his face, wituess in itself that the man was suffering with an acute attack of hard times, With the other passengers we have nothing to do—at any rate not just at present, The woman mentioned was evidentiy traveling alone. She had paused to look about for a moment upon alighting, but getting her bearings quickly, so to put it, she started for the hotel, Yhere was an air of snap and busicess about her, something brisk and refreshing, and it was as plain as the noso on a man’s face that she was no tenderfoot, but perfectly able to take care of Number One, She entered the bar-room without any hesi- tation, knowing from experince, evidently, that there she would find the office as well, and ad- vancing straight to the bar confronted the clerk in a manner that showed she was quite at home there or anywhere else. ‘¢ Got a room that will fit a chap of my size?” she asked, resting her fists on the bar as she put the question. “Well, 1 guess so,” was the answer, ‘I take it by your looks that you want somethin’ that ain’t no slouch, hey? got?” . ‘Not particular about that, so long as it Is clean and comfortable, I don’t goin beavy on style when I’m looking for sleep quarters; what I’m after is solid comfort, every time,” ‘Well, I can fix you out, then, pat.” “Allright. Flip me your qu and [ll jot down my name for you,’ The clerk, smitten and smiling, handed out a pen, and with a free and easy stroke the woman penned the words: “ Fly Fan, of Frisco.” “ Fly Fan, eh?” the clerk read. ‘ That’s a name that fits your looks well enough, any- how.” : ‘ And I’m just as fly as I look, too, you bet!” was the saucy retort, ‘But I don’’ put up with any nonsense, so don’t make any mistake on that point.” With that, and a jerk of the head to give it emphasis, she turned away and coolly surveyed the idlers about the room, at the same time taking note of the others who entered, passingly. Meanwhile, what of the other? When he had reached the ground, climbing awkwardly down from the top of the * hearse, he struck an attitude—something of a Wild Oscar pose, and flinging back his flowing hair with a flirt of the head, exclaimed, ‘*‘ Methinks all nature bids me welcome here |”? ** A poick, by darn!” cried one man, ‘“ Yes, an’ et sticks out all over him,” said another. ‘‘ Say, rather, a child of Nature,” the stran- ger mildly corrected, 3 ‘‘A dear leetle child you be,” one fellow anger “Does yer Mammy know ye er %e Scoff not,” the poet chided, ‘I mind not a o Ss | _ ’ a: ’ ; as — oon as = Fg TR ARETE TOY ge we te . . oe : ant the best we’ve — - er ~ 7