Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 816 — page 7: what you’re looking at

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

OR. oe 2 aoe yew? Ve * — Se a a) erty —s “4 ; | | tm * te - two men.” wood D ~~ about Deadwood te ower. _ defy and let you do your worst.” . “That is big talk.” * ° “You ar’ right et is,” agreed Gideon Gripes. ‘‘ Hadn’t we better sock on another thousand fer that?” ‘‘Don’t take the truth so to heart,” spoke the other prisoner, boldly. ‘‘ Andas for rais- ing the ransom, don't try that, for it won't bear stretching another dollar. It is at the outside limit, now.” ‘* What would you do, were I to raise it to half a million. at one jump?” asked Dusky Dick. ‘‘T would tell you to do your worst.” *‘ And do you know what that would be?” ‘‘ Death, of course.” ‘“‘And maybe ina manner to add to its horrors. Do you know, Gideon, I have a notion to do that?” ‘“Et won't do, partner,” ‘Why not?” . “Et would take him too long to raise et. It will take time fer him ter git even ther quarter million together, for he don’t carry it in his vest pocket, as ye know.” ““That’s so, I suppose. Well, Deadwood Dick, you have talked this all over with Mr. Gripes, he tells me.” . “1 have.” *‘And you have some plan in mind by Mir ha money can be brought here?” . Yes,” “Yes, his plan is all right,” declared Gideon, speaking up. ‘I was abont half a hour in ther cabin wi’ him, as ye know, and I sifted him thoroughly.” ‘* Well, what is the plan?” ‘Let me ask one question,” said Dick, ‘What is it?” ‘Ts it your intention to deal fairly with me?” : ‘‘Oh, certainly; you may depend on that.” | ‘*On your word, man to man ‘* Yes, I swear it, if that will satisfy you.” ** Tt is all I can ask, of course, and I shall have to believe you. I shall do the same by ou,” me That is understood.” ¢ “Then you are ready for my plan?” CSE. ‘ ‘‘T will give it. Now, as you know, a quarter, of a million *dollars is no small sum, There will be a risk in bringing it here.” ‘'That’s so.” “And it can't ©)? f be trusted to one man, or “7 will write to my manager, and you read the letter,.of course, telling him what to do. He will raise the money as soon as he can,-and send it here under a guard of twelve picked men.” _ ‘“Whew! That's quite a force.” ‘What does it amount to, against your fifty or sixty?” _** Well, that’s true, too,” ‘‘They will bring the money here and de- liver it to you, and then, when you have counted it and made sure there is no decep- tion about it, [and my wife \are to go free and be allowed to go away with my men,” ** That. sounds fair enough,” i ‘“‘ Better’n anything you an’ me could a up, hey, Dusky Dick?” cried Gideon ripes, | “Yes, that I have to admit, Gideon.” ‘Do you agree to the plan?” asked Dead- ick, “Yes; [think you mean us fair.” “As you will find I do, as fair as you mean me. You may have heard something : ick, I came to your terms because you have my wife in your If it were Talone in danger, I would ‘*T mean it, every word,” Dusky Dick, getting apareniee int e : we > SEPALS. Deadwood Dick, Jr.’s, Rival. ; ‘ead. ** Well, you are to send four of your men to my camp with this letter I will write, and they are to be held there until my safe return, when I will set them free to return to you.” ‘* What’s that for?” ° * For security against your bare word, sir.’ ‘‘’'Then you do not take my word?” ‘‘Would you take mine, were I to, offer to go myself and get this money and bring it to rou?” ‘* Hardly.” ; . ‘ “Then don’t blame me for taking some | measures for my own safety. «When you got the money you might trap my men and put us all to death, for, this bargain of ours | unless you are an expert with your Wea- does not end the warfare between us,” ‘ T hardly supposed it could.” i ' | SOD om +. & i Sees “e* DCA eRe dara Lome ah ‘“There’s nothing between us,” answered Deadwood Dick; ‘it is all on one side, and it is plain that? he has mistaken me for an- e 7 1 | other—that is, for the person whose name | ee assumed.” “Then there is a Dick VanDeyke?” ‘Oh, yes, there is such a person, and I hoped to pass for him here and keep my own identity a secret.’ ‘You infernal liar!” cried the other pris- oner, in a rage. ‘* What is the use of your saying that? I know you, know you well. and if these men will free us both, I will fight you to the death here and now,”’ Dick still smiled serenely. ‘“ You might possibly get the worst of it, pons,” he remarked. ** Not from you, curse you, But, who-do ‘‘No, for as soon as I have gone home | you pretend to be?” and released your men, then, I warn you, I shall be after you doubly hot. You will have thé mean while in which to seek your ; what Iam called These, then, are the terms I] will safety. What agree to, for the sake of my wife, have you to say to them?” ‘““T could not ask anything more, of course. I agree to it, all around. You ; ' | prepare the letter, and I will select the men | who are to take it,” At that moment loud voices were heard outside. ‘What's that?’ asked the chief, Some men stepped to the door to see. ‘It’s Injun Jack and Rifle Rob come back bringin’ another prisoner,” they reported ex- citedly. : “ Good enough!” exclaimed Dusky Dick. ‘‘The more the merrier, if they are paying ones. ‘Tell them to bring the prisoner right in here,” : ‘They're comin’,”’ ‘‘Ts it a man!” . ec Yes. ” ; - ‘‘ We'll see what the fellow is, Gideon, and then finish this business afterward.” “All right, cap’n, Is all yer band in, now ?” “Yes, they are all here, the twenty four on guard,” “Then ye hev got a good fistful of ’em, bless me ef ye ain’t, an’ no wonder ye ar’ ‘called ther Dark Dread.” The brigand chief smiled at the compli. ment, but said nothing. Now entered the new-comers with their prisoner, ! ‘ Wull, we hev made a haul, cap’n,” one of the men called out. ‘‘So I see, boys. What's it worth?” ‘We don’t know, but he had quite a roll of ther good green with him, an’ he may have more where that kem from,” They were advancing while speaking. The prisoner was a young man, maybe thirty years old, of good features but having a scowling brow. r Ile was well clad, armed, but now bound and helpless, yet ‘he faced his foes with a fearless front, as though defying them to do their worst. : Looking about him as he was led to where Dusky Dick and the others were, his eyes rested upon Deadwood Dick, and with a start he exclaimed: vem “ Dick VanDeyke!”. | Dusky Dick looked quickly at his other prisoner. Deadwood Dick. was smiling carelessly as he returned the stare of his fellow-prisoner.. ‘¢You make a mistake this time,” he said quietly. : cos ‘A mistake! Don’t you suppose I know you, Dick VanDeyke?” You seem to think you do.” ‘* Hang it, what do you mean? Have you now, except denied your identity here? Curse you, were I free | would have your hfe’s blood!” ‘Well, well, what’s this?” questioned the mat- ter. ‘* What's betweef you two?” . +e na Wedd 7 7) \ , . ; ib 7 “ : Zz ~~ 4 ; ¥ a Ai rw ,* . . . ae ; ‘ < ? ; . sa #r, Jn04 (3 “Pog! yee ids { > é4, , * a at , ae. ¢, Ve wv pun “b %. sf ry, A bh is aS eae a sole Up edt for Te Me 2 ‘Lam Deadwood Dick, Junior, as I have had to admit to these men here. That is ‘You are the prince of liars, you mean. Why, don’t try to make me out a fool alto- gether, Dick VanDeyke. I know you, and you know me—Raybold Brandson. You know why Iam here.” ‘On the contrary, sir, I do not know why you are here. Never saw you before in my life that I am aware of,” - The other stepped nearer, as if to make sure of his recognition. ‘© You lie like the infernal!” he hissed. “Say, what do you make of this, Gid. eon?” demanded Dusky ,Dick, turning to his already trusted comrade in crime, “What doI make of et, cap’n? Why, I take et this Deadwood Dick must look some- thin’ like t’other feller; and, come ter think of et, mebby that’s what led to his takin’ his name in ther first place.” CHAPTER VIIL. COMPLICATIONS ARISING. Ar that Deadwood Dick smiled. “You are a close guesser, old man,” he said. “Then I hit et right, did I? wasn’t hard ter guess et.” ‘* What confounded jugglery is this, any- how?” the other prisoner hotly demanded, ‘Don't [know youas well as I know my- self, Dick VanDeyke?” . ‘It is only too plain that youdon’t, in this instance, sir,” was the cool reply. ‘* You mistake me for the real VanDeyke, that is true, and with some good reason; but, lam - not he,” “Tell me next that Iam deaf, dumb, blind, and a fool to boot, will you?” ‘‘Tt is not necessary to go so far, sir.” “You know you are lying, Dick Van. Deyke. ‘You know me, and with mee good reason you fearme, Where, | demand, is Kate Rossetyr?” ‘Ha! ha!” laughed Dick, ‘‘ITseehow you have been misled, sir. That woman was, and is, my wife, Kate Bristol. She is here, a prisoner like we ourselves, but we hope to get away in due time.” ‘‘Here? Kate here? Heavens, she must be saved—-”’ * Don’t trouble yourself further about her,” said Dick. ‘‘ Being my wife, I will attend to her rescue myself,”’ Pty ‘Your wife? You lie—you lie/ Where is she? I demand to hear this from her own lips, before I will or can believe it. Where is she, Sir Chief?” He turned to Dusky Dick, ( “* Have the avoman brought here at once,” the chief ordered. ‘“ 1 am interested in this question, now.” Some men went risoner, as coolly as he had spoken to “T think she will convince you of the other all. ‘truth of it, sir” | ._‘‘ She cannot, if it is she. And if it is | he Lee f —_—- ‘ ‘' Wull, et out immediately in obe- -dience to the command, ater: ‘‘ You are welcome to bring her,” said the © a] Oni mit Py a % a / . = _ x ap Se aOR wt, . * a od a, - ; * _— , a 4 — ws ~~ - i = ~~ "s ~ - . ~* 7 —_ ~ or) i > ae ee ae =e fe —_ = -— a ‘ ~ thee "se se % a NGL brs vn! wh T PUTT a ae