Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 816 — page 10: what you’re looking at

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

——— So -—— 2-25 Q - 7 o cried, fiercely. beg of you. Elviry and Sal kin watch her, gnd you kin bet nothin’ will happen to her. Then ther men that’s guardin’ that cabin kin be of use som’ers else.” “That isa good idea, and [ll do it, for that old hag, Jezebel, is about played out anyhow, and not fit to watch over her and take care of her.. Come on, and we’ll make the change at once. Rustle, boys, and get that, man if you can!” All was bustle in a moment. ‘‘ And hyer’s another thought,” suggested Gideon. . ‘* What is it?” ‘** Better send word out to ther men on guard in ther passes ter look out he don’t git by ‘em.”’ ‘Yes, yes, that’s so.” Ss They ar’ on ther lookout fer fellers comin’ in, ye know, and one goin’ out might not ketch their eyes.” “Tl do it af once. Here, Joe, Dan— ae run out to the guards and’ tell them to ok sharp foran escaped man, Tell them not to let him pass if they have to kill him.” The men were off immediately, ‘with all haste. ‘Now, how did that fellow escape?’ Dusky Dick made inquiry. “Don’t see how et was, cap’n the guilty guardsmen answered. ‘* Wasn’t he bound?” ‘* Yes, hand and foot.” “And the doors and windows were se- cured?” ‘* Yes, all of them.” ‘And what were your men doing?” ‘‘Doing our duty, and we didn’t hear a single sound in ther cabin at all.”’ “Tt’s cursed funny. I'll see about it, and if I find you have been asleep, or have ‘been off your posts, I'll have you shot like dogs!” They hastened away to the cabin where the young woman was held, A loud rap at the door brought Jezebel out. ‘‘ Asleep, were you?” cried Dusky Dick. ‘Yes, fer I couldn’t keep awake, cap’n,” was the reply. ‘‘ But, I had my head pil- lowed on ther prisoner’s body, so she could- n't move without wakin’ me. She is all right, cap’n, she’s all right.” ‘* And so are you, curse you!” | ~ Without any warning whatever, the heart- less wretch drove a dagger to the hilt in the oe woman’s breast, and she fell. dead at his eet. “That is the way I serve sleepers, ” he “You take notice of it, Gideon, and’ know the responsibility you are assuming when you take this prisoner to your cabin,” - Every man of them had stopped short, with momentary horror, at the terrible crime, ? one of and Gideon was the first to recover. _ **T notice et, cap’n,” he said, in even tone. “T begin ter see that you have a good claim on the: name ye wear.” ‘* You will find that I have not been called the Dark Dread for nothing, when you come to know me better, old man,” ‘What do you want here?” It was the young woman prisoner who de- manded., She had been sseikonad out of her sleep by the rough voices around her, . ‘The excitement and.terror of her position had made it impossible for her to sleep much, but nature had at last claimed its due, ‘“We want you, my daisy, that’s what, f Dusk Dick roughly answered. 0, no; let me remain where I am, I Men, if men you are, think what you do. Some of you have sisters, it maybe, and you all had mothers—” ‘* Et needn’t do ter ‘larm ther gal need- less,” spoke old Gideon. “She might go off inter a fit, cap’n, and not come out of et. do up Deadwood Dick.” Deadwood Dick, Jr.’s, Rival. “That's what Tm going to das Gideon,” the answer. ‘* Miss, we are not here to take your life, or anything of that kind, but to transfer you to another cabin where you will have more safety. We have found that you are in some danger here.’ ‘Do you tell me the truth?” ‘Certainly. Don’t you suppose it is, to | our interest to take care of the prisoners that are going to bring us such rich returns?” %e ‘Yes, yes, I suppose it must be so.” ‘Of course it’s so. Come along with ts, now, and we’ll put you in the care-of two women instead of one.” ‘‘T hope they will be more like women than the one who has been my keeper here, sir.” , ‘* Never you fear ’bout that ’ar,” cried old Gideon. “‘Ef my wife Elviry and my | darter-in-law Sal ain’t wimmin; then thar | never was any, that’s all.” Dusky Dick had now freed the prisoner from the rope that held her bound to the log of the cabin, and she was led out. At the door was the body of the old hag. The girl had not awakened till after her death, so did not know of the fate which had overtaken her. At sight of the old woman lying there, with her life blood staining the sill and the steps, the girl gave vent to a scream and fainted dead away, and had to be carried to her new quarters. There she was put in the charge of the two women of Gideon’s band. ‘* And you see to et that she don’t escape, Elviry,” Gideon ordered. ‘‘ Ef ye do, yer life won’t be worth a pinch o’ snuff to ye?’ “That I swear,” declared Dusky Dick. ** And you, too, Sal.” ‘« She sha’n’t git away, you bet, dad.” ‘‘ Here’s your “fate if she does,’ ‘and Dusky Dick pointed out to some men who were | just carrying os body of Jezebel away for burial. ( At that Picienentt a shouting was. heard | without. ‘Something is up,” cried Dusky Dick, and with a final word of warning to the new guardians of the woman prisoner, he hastened forth. ‘Well, that I prefer not to tell: I had help, and I am likely to have it again if you | don’t look out.” ‘* Thou fool, fe That voice came out of the open air over their heads, and every man of them looked up, to see—nothing. ‘“What’s the meaning of that, Gideon _ Gripes?” demanded the brigand chief sternly. ‘‘How should I know?’ was the demand in retort. ‘“Tsn’t that the voice of the guardian angel » ' you claim is following you and your band ?”” “Et sounded like et, I admit.” ‘'Then what have you to do w a it?” ‘‘ Nothing.” | “Mighty queer. ‘“'The voice was sl pbt ” spoke up the pris- ,oner, © I wasa fool to breathe that I had had ' help in” getting out, for that will balk any further, help that I might have received.” ‘You are right,” came the voice from the air again. ‘“See here, Voice,” called out Dusky Dick. ‘Well?’ in deep tone, further away than before, yet straight in air. “Who and what are you, and what was your object in aiding this man to get out of my hands?” | ‘Ha! ha! ha!” ‘Only a mocking laugh came back to him. ‘Answer my q uestion!” the brigand chief- tain thundered in anger. ‘Well, yes, I will do so, for I will never aid him to escape again; he does not deserve it. +P ‘*’Tell me, then. ‘Tt was that nas might wreak his vengeance upon Deadwood Dick that I freed him from his bonds.”’ ‘* Ha! then yow are no friend to Deadwood Dick?” ‘Be not surprised if you find him dead on. your hands some morning.” The men around looked at one another in amazement undisguised. What could they make of this? ‘“Who and what are you, I demand?” cried Dusky Dick. ‘* Ha! ha! hal” The mocking laugh, faint and far away, was all that came back to their ears, and all j Gideon went with him, and it was found | was still. that the excited cries came from the direc- tion of the cabin where Deadwood Dick was imprisoned,’ “We hev got him!” one man called out loudl on y ou bave got who—what?” demanded Dusky Dick, quickly. ‘“ Why, ther ‘scaped prisoner, cap’n! Hyer he is, and he was jest goin’ ter try ter ‘* Y-y-y-yes, and I'm ther m-m-m-m-man wh-wh-wh-wh-what k-k-k-k-ketched him, t-t-t-t-too!” frantically stuttered Stuttering Steve. ‘ l—want—that—hundred — dollars —you—can—bet!” ending +by singing to Wii that part of it thoroughly plain. CHAPTER R XI. THE UNSEEN FOE. — Dusky Dick, Gideon, and the others, all ran in the direction of the scene of excite- ment, The guardsmen and the others werein a group behind the cabin in which Deadwood Dick was confined, and in their midst was the other prisoner, whom they were» BONS securely. ‘‘How did you make yonr escape?” ae- manded Dusky Dick. “Bind out,” was the surly reply he got. — “That is what I want to do, and it will not be well for the man whois at fault | when Ido find out, I can tell you.” ‘* None of your cursed crew is to blame.” “What?” “T said none of sour, cursed crew is to | } well tell all about it.” Tell her oe up’ Don’t ye think ye had blame for it,” Zc RE ‘** How is that?” ae . A ¢ ey ‘This hyer gits me, I’m blamed ef it don’t!” eried old” Gideon. ‘‘ | believe you know something about it,” declared Dusky Dick, sare gely ‘* Me?” ‘Yes, you!” “ Wull, pardner, you are away off yer quill, thar.’ ‘“Do you mean to tell me that you don’t know anything about it? Haven’t you said already that this voice is from your guardian angel, as you called it?” “T take et ter be ther same voice, pard- ner, but that don’t say that I know et any better’n you do. [never seen ther voice, that’s as true as ther stars shinin’ up thar in ther blue.” ‘What do you know about it, though?” ‘“T know that more thar once it has done me a good turn when in danger. But, cap’n, I think we’d better act on a hint we got from et, don’t you?” “« And what was that?” ‘Why, et threatened Deadwood Dick, ye know, and we don’t want ter lose him, not by a big heap. e had better put men inside. ther cabin as well as outside, after ther WEY, this other prisoner was got out.” ‘‘ Ha! you are right! But, say, prisoner, tell us about this escape-of yours, now that you have been fool enough to let out somuch about it.” ‘Yes, a fool I was, to ruin my chances Birt | further, ‘help from the same direction,” the | prisoner cursed. ‘Well, you have done it, so you may as_ “What i it be worth to you to know?” hd " ry: ‘ ay \ : . es :: ae Beri, : "y es uh 1 if Pry | ce x “yi -. re ie! ome ty |