Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 816 — page 8: what you’re looking at

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

S—« . ——— 7 . oe >. a ’ a Ca we. : ~ _ — . + eis. - re + =» (iit? & bea aCe ee an — ow Sar? ~ 4 - — ae = . * 2275 e™ « * oe - - é ¥ pe mY *t ae s “ 7 Ei whe. eo, + a i‘ as you say. _ Fe at CED pene ~-- kL eee wer em - ee eee te a ee. ee ve & she, then this camp will be the place where one or the other of us must fall. These men will let us fight, I know, and then beware of Raybo!d Brandson!” Dick smiled disdainfully. ‘* 1 Know what your cause of quarrel was with VanDeyke,” he declared, ‘* but J have no quarrel with you. None the less, if I am forced to protect myself against you, let me warn you in turn to beware of Deadwood Dick.” ‘Et do beat all,” cried Gideon Gripes. ‘Darn me ef et wouldn’t make up a good story, if anybody could write et out.” ‘Truth knocks fiction all hollow,” ob- served Dusky Dick. Further talk was had while they awaited the coming of the woman prisoner, but it is needless to quote it all. The men who had gone out presently re- turned, bringing with them the old hag Jezebel and her charge. The young woman was pale, and her lips were tightly compressed. She was brought forward, and as she came her eyes fell upon the new prisoner and for a single second she was scen to start. The next instant she asked: ‘* What is wanted of me again?” ' “You are wanted,” spoke up Deadwood Dick, ‘‘ to infotm this man that you are Kate Bristol, my wife. He will not believe that I am Deadwood Dick.” “You were quick to speak,” said Dusky Dick, in a tone of objection. ‘‘I was going to be the one to speak first.” ‘* | had to answer my wife’s question, sir.” ‘Well, it’s all right.” ‘* Of course you are Deadwood Dick,” the woman said, boldly, ‘‘and lam your wife, Is that all you want me to reply to?” f ‘* Kate Rossetyr, you know you tell what is not true!” cried Brandson, hotly. ‘‘ What is the use of such deception? You know me < well as | know you, and you can’t get out of it.” ‘IT know you not,” was'the-bold reply, and she looked him full in the face. * What did I tell you?” demanded Dead- wood Dick, ‘ This is the woman whom you have seen, we admit, and whom you have taken to be another person, but she is my wife, and, if you molest her in any way, sir, you shall answer to me for it. Kate, be- ware of him.” ‘“ You need not warn me, Dick.” ‘ Well, Pll be hanged,” muttered Dusky Dick, ‘‘if this don’t beat all. This is as good asa play. I’m only sorry I can’t let you two fellows fight it out, for I would like to see the fun; but, that cannot be,” ‘Yes, let it be,” urged Brandson: ‘* Let us fight, and see if I do not show you a dead man in less than five minutes—” ‘* No, no, Deadwood Dick is worth more to us alive than dead, and it cannot be allowed.” ‘“No, do not let them fight!” cried the woman. ‘Dick, you must not risk your life against his, you must not do that.” ** Don't worry, my dear,” spoke Dusky Dick. ‘* We know the value of your hus- band to us, and we'll see to it that no harm comes to him, you can bet.” ‘“ And /’ll see to it that ‘harm does come to him,” cried Brandson, ‘‘ They may deceive you, but they can’t fool me, for I know them. Beware of me, Dick VanDeyke, if I get a chance at your coward heart!” Dick smiled at him ina cool way, “Take thé woman back gain,” ordered Dusky Dick, ‘‘and see to it that she gets no possible chance for freedom, And this man, take him and make him doubly secure, for if he gets free our dreams of that quarter million may go up in smoke. But, first, a word with you, Raybold Brandson, if that is your name,” : ‘** And it is,” the prisoner cried. ‘I have no reason to hide my name,” . ss — ee cate eee CCC Cl LC CL LL LL A. Ai Ra LLL LL LLL LLL LL LLL . _—_— —_— (_— et a i - O® Ae Oe et ee He & we AL nee eenaany nny Deadwood Dick, Jr.’s, Rival. ‘“ Where did you hail from?” ** Mexico City.” ‘And. what is your rating there?” ‘* What do you mean?” “Well, how much are you worth?” Oh! if you think to hold me for ransom.” ‘*Do you think your friends would ante ten thousand dollars for you?” ‘‘No; and if they’ would, they have not got it to put up.” ‘Then it will probably mean a green grave here* in the valley for you. Just think it over, and remember that you are in the hands ’of Dusky Dick, the Dark Dread, as I am called.” He waved his hand, then, and the prisoner was taken away. ‘“Now, Deadwood Dick,” and Dusky Dick turned to him, ‘‘ I want to know some- thing about this strange affair. What does it allmean? Lam sure you must know some- thing about it.” “Yes, I do happen to know something about it,” was the answer. ‘‘ This man Brandson was the rival of Dick VanDeyke for the hand of a young woman named Kate Rossetyr, and has threatened to kill him, I believe. I and my wife happen to iook something like that couple, and so his sus- picion has fallen upon us,” ‘Well, where are the real VanDeyke and the young woman?” ‘*T don’t know where they are now, but I suppose happily married and off on their tour. There is a romance back of it all.” ‘* Well, V'll hear that at another time when I have nothing more important on hand. Here’s another question I want to put. to you, Deadwood Dick.” ‘What is that?” ‘* Did you come here alone?” ‘‘No, for my wife was with me, though she fell into your hands first.” “<That is not what I mean. I mean this— have you a force of men here with you?” ‘*No; wife and I are alone.” “You swear to that?” do.” ‘“ What had you to hope in coming here against me in that way?” ‘“We came to spy upon you, to get the number of your men, and to learn all we could.preparatory to an attack upon you.” ‘Well, you are cool about it, anyhow.” ‘““So we have to be, in our work, and there is no use going back on it now that you have got us in the toils.” | ‘And you have got the information you came for?” } ‘‘We have got a good deal more than we came.for, for we have gotten ourselves into a bad fix.” ‘You are right you have, you are right you have. But enough of that for the pres- ent. We are going to act upon your sug- gestion, so get ready that letter to your peo- ple at home.” ‘What am I to write with? And-héow can I write if Iam kept bound up this way like a turkey for roasting?” ‘Well, that’s so. Ill tell you what, I'll *come around and see you after awhile, and you can write the letter in my presence,” ‘That suits me. You-will then know ‘there is no underhand work about it.” ‘Yes, I will work it that way. Men, take the prisoner out.”’ So Deadwood Dick was taken out and lodged again in the cabin ‘prison from which he had been brought. No sooner had he passed out of sight than old Gideon slapped the brigand chief on the leg, exclaiming: ; 7 . e bho did I,tell ye, cap’n, what did I ell ye ' . Wall what did you tell me, old man?” ‘Tl tell ye again. But, clear these hyer idlers oyt first. Hyer, Elviry, you hev heard about pomcy WY sattersfy yer woman curiosity, so git. d all ther rest of ye.” ' Well, mighty little, I can tell you, ' ‘ | { bP 7 ey > y : iy au bn AS? = ‘ef ) = .o -" — -- v— oo. -_ —— ~ ~~ -- nu ease doe! Shee ~~ ‘ % He spoke to his own people, who were all present. ‘‘ All right, Gideon, all right!” the homely old woman answered. ‘‘ Ef you say so, why of course et’s my place ter ‘bey; but by ther great—” ‘Shut your fool head and git right out, L tell ye!” Gideon thundered. ‘‘ How often must I warn ye not ter talk back ter me? T'll brain ye one of these days,-even ef ye ar ther mother of all my boys.” The old woman beat a hasty retreat, her “boys ” with her, and the brigand. chief en- joyed a laugh at Gideon’s earnestness. ‘“That’s ther only way ter deal with a blasted woman,” Gideon growled. ‘* Ye have ter make ’em know their place, I tell ye ye do. Now, let’s see, what was I goin’ ter say?” | CHAPTER IX. PLOTS BEHIND PLOTS. In their talk before, they had spoken out so that ail might hear, unless at times when their words were not for other ears, and then they had dropped their voices to a whis- per, almost. Dusky Dick set Gideon straight on what he had started to say, and the old man took it up anew. They talked now, however, in lowest tones. | ‘‘T tell ye et’s workin’ right into our hands, cap’n,” the old fellow said impressive- Me Well, let me have your view of it, Gid- eon.”’ ‘Why, et’s plain as dvy. Won't do ter let. ther boys hear all we have ter say about et, though. Et couldn’t be better ef we had had ct made ter order.” ‘‘T suppose you know what you are talk- ing about, and-I have no reason to doubt your judgment.” * « Kt’s jest like this hyer, cap’n. We will pick out four fellers that we don’t keer much to Bristol City, and if we don’t ever see ‘em again, no great matter.” Hat now I catch on. right track.” ‘Then, when the dozen fellows come hyer with ther money, we'll wipe ’em out, have ther money, and then do away with Deadwood Dick in short order.”’ ‘‘Splendid! And then [ll marry his widow, if she’ll have me. Ha! ha! ha!” ‘Thev no doubt but -you’d be hardened enough ter do et, cap’n, fut et would be yer death knell, I’m tellin’ ye.” ‘* How is that?” : ‘* Why, shed be yer death, sure.” “Oh! yes, no doubt; thought you had something else in mind.” } ‘‘ No, nothin’ else; that would be enough fer you ter handle in ene dose, I’m thinkin’.” ‘* Well, about this business we have in hand,” ‘“ What do ye think of ther plan?” -“Tt’s excellent, as Isaid. Itis just what I wanted to get at.” ‘‘Then, with the money ours, and Dead- wood Dick out of the way, what would be done then?’ - ‘“Why, what now?”’ “Wull, ye see, et would be known thar at Bristol City whar Deadwood Dick is. and that men had set out ter find him. And when You are on the likely ther hull city would come,ter see what was wrong.” ‘‘Ha! you are right. This place would not hold us against them.” ‘“‘Nary a hold, for the regular army would come against us, asa last resort, and then we'd git et fer swe.” ‘Well, then, what?” | with you in ther deal?” ‘ i a : oer r about anyhow, an’ let ’em go on that errand ° | ' they didn’t’ never come ‘back no more, et’S ‘“T s’pose you count me an’ my band in| J , e 4 / ; | : ‘ rey + 4°74 : rt 7 y 2. ¥ : 4X «4 * Ja li % 5 ei J >; - wt ‘ , « é « * ~ » ’ “ vs : eis ’ “~ ; : 7 a ¥ P a i ¥ g ae! | iS Lad ; : * é ° rs 4 ; fe. .) > . ya ou — Lot r e =] 4