Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 822 — page 7: what you’re looking at

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

hy ho a, 4 ¥ ‘ / isdn Pr. . 4 t ’ 4° a Fate Sel et “da j Lande, ‘, a as 7 = 4 - Sore ; Ey - - olf 4.9 eae ‘a : ‘ , + ‘ %1 4 ine i; + : . he } : a aly 2 nt AX “ * i S, a a / ’ Jy ** And which we know to be a lie—” ‘‘Have a care!’ Mr. Burr warned, ‘‘I’m a Burr by name and a burr by nature. The quickest way to tame me is to say drink, By the way, did anybody ask me to drink?” At that the roughs in the crowd laughed. ‘“*And here is further proof that the man speaks the truth,” declared Stempler. ‘‘ We all know that Deadwood Dick does not drink, while this man does ” ‘‘Ts that so?” cried the seedy lawyer. ‘Is that the fact? Don't Deadwood Dick drink? Then it will be the easiest thing in the world for me to prove false what you would force upon me! If any one will set them up I will dispose of a couple of horns with promptest dispatch. What say?” The roughs laughed louder, and some of them offered to join with the lawyer in the proof act. “That is no proof at all,” growled Cap- tain Jack. ‘‘ Deadwood Dick could drink as well as the next one, if it would serve his purpose or aid his disguise.” ‘You do not know the man,” Stempler in- sisted. ‘*‘ Deadwood Dick is aman who does not change with every wind that blows. Te does not drink, and holds that, now, to be one Of his life principles.” ‘‘ Well, we may as well drop the matter, I suppose,” the gambler-sport growled. ‘I am not convinced, spite of your argument; and, I'll meet you again, Mr. Burr, if my suspicion is not removed. Then we shall see who is the better man. And for you, sir,” to Soapstone Sam, ‘‘ take care not to cross me another time.” ‘I hope I shall not have occasion to do so, certainly,’ was the quiet and easy response. The gambler went off to the hotel, and the crowd gradually broke up. When Huber Stempler returned to his store he found Miss Steyger there awaiting him. She was a pretty girl, as has been said; about twenty years of age, with a pair of flashing black eyes full of intelligent fire. ‘Been running to see a fight, have you, sir?’ she chided, playfully, ‘‘I mean to teach you better morals, when once you come under my care. You ought to be ashamed of yourself.” : And then she laughed merrily. “Your lightest wish shall be my law, when ‘I am yours and you are mine,” the lover declared gallantly. ‘That is, if we ever realize that happiness.” __ The girl’s manner changed instantly, at that, anda look of alarm came upon her sweet, young face, ‘ rh ‘* What do you mean?” she asked. a _. * Blackwall warned me this morning that ‘t ‘h he means to have you himself, by fair means i or otherwise.” _ ui , “T am afraid of that man, Huber,” the ih _ girl cried, her face growing pale. ‘‘I ae tremble at thought of him. You must pro- a tect me against him,” | “Which I fully intend to do, if I am able. ‘a He has as good as challenged me to fight—” | yar _ **Heavens! You must not think of doing eh that! If he does not leave me alone we can ty ay! a him arrested, and my friends here will eT make short work of getting him out of the i) ae oy .* “és a a : ‘es vee _ - co Y. is ee be Ar bw z . ' ¥) rh - " rer ire 1a | “ae eo a + tees 7) | apy ne * : Pe ‘a "> ite ; 7 yi te) ‘ ~ is at ty 4 } ee Vat! t t cae yy » . - 4 r LP > y . / op ate - . = “That might do, ‘but I am afraid of treachery. You must take good care to keep out of his reach. Did you want to see me, 'y 4° ro \ . dear?” : “Yes; IT wanted to ask you what you _ think of the trouble as it is to.day?” ‘It is no better, thatis sure, Claudia. If itis growing worse, for some of : headed ones talk about. seizing the whole camp and running it to suit them- selves,” : hig "Do you think they dare do that?” _ “©A mob dares to do anything, dearest.” could not succeed, could Deadwood Dick, Jr.’s, Boom. ‘*They seem to have grown stronger, and no telling what would be the outcome ” ‘* And with Mr. Bristol away, it would be | serious enough anyhow. mored that he is here.”’ ‘It was thought that the drunken lawyer who came yesterday is he, in disguise, but I am convinced tothe contrary. And yet it seems certain that he is here, too.” ‘Then why does he not show himself?” ‘He must have good reason for not doing so. If here, he will take things in hand all in good time, never fear.” ‘And if he is not here—” ‘Then everything rests Carleton and the city council,” ‘* And they have doubled the police force, which is one good indication that they are not idle.” ‘‘They are up and doing, be sure of that.” ‘Well, 7 am convinced, Huber, that Dead- wood Dick is not here, no matter what the opinion is.” “That so?” ** Yes,” | : ‘‘ What is your reason?” ‘‘ Well, this: if he came, would not Mrs. Bristol be with him? And if she had come, would she not goat once, secretly if she could not do so openly, to see her boy? Her mother’s heart would demand it of her,” ‘*Can you be sure she has not done so?” ‘‘T have been to the house, and the nurse and the servants declare they have not seen her.” ‘“Which seems pretty good proof that she, at any rate, has not returned to the city, according to your way of looking at it. But, we cannot be sure of anything, when they are concerned.” ) ‘Then the question is, has Dick come without her?’ ‘*Only time can answer that.” ‘Well, Ido hope they are both here, for I am almost sick with my fears and dread.” ‘ Pshaw! you must not let it take hold upon you so, little one.” | ‘‘T cannot help it. And, do you know, upon Mayor I shall be all alone in the house this night?” ‘* Alone?” ‘Yes; for father will be out on the armed force,” ‘Ha! that will never do, You must spend the night somewhere else, or have some one with you,” ‘But, where am I to go?” ‘“There are a hundred places where you can go. Do not let that worry you for a moment, our dull spirits. All will come out well, oved one,”’ ‘Then you want to get rid of me?” : **Oh! you know better than that; but, I did not want to detain you, youknow. Had you something further to tell me?” “Yes, now that it has been brought to mind ve have, saw him and Jackson Stonecut, talking together this morning, early, out by the mill.” | ‘Proof, then, that they are not strangers a each other. I'll let the mayor know of this.” ‘Yes, I think I would, Huber.” The lovers held some further conversation, and then parted, the young lady returning home, her heart none the lighter for her visit to the store. ,« . CHAPTER VIIL. x, | DICK IS HEARD FROM, THe man and woman who had come by the stage, the Darcys, had not kept their business at Bristol City long a secret. | Posters were now up, announcing a per- formance in the Monte Carlo that evening, a performance in which singing was to be the leading feature, though jthe man wns billed . to do some character changes. Go home, now, and sing away. But, I hear it ru. | what you said about Blackwall, I | Such affairs were of quite frequent occur- rence at the young city, and were always well patronized. n There was no reason to think this one would be any exception to the rule, even though there was such excitement in the camp over other matters, ‘- It was after supper, during that hour of the evening when there seems nothing for. anybody to do, the hour between six-thirty and seven-thirty, and Soapstone Sam was sitting in the bar-room of the Grand Pacific. Presently he was joined by Jackson Stone- cut. . ‘Killing time?” Captain Jack asked, “Trying to,” was the answer, ‘Going to see the performance, I sup- pose?” : | “Tf nothing better turns up to claim my attention, sir.” ‘Then are you on the lookout for good things?” ‘“T am on the make, if that is what you’ mean, I’m in the world to gather my for- tune where and how I can.” ‘You are a gentleman sport, I take it, trying to get the living the world owes you without working very hard for it.” ‘T guess you are more than half right.” “What luck have you had?” ‘*‘Not the best, so far,” ' ‘*And neither have I. The way seems to be opening brighter now, however.” “Then you have something in view?” re ig ‘Well, I wish you luck in it, if that will do you any good, or will help it along any.” ‘Your wishesand your actions don’t work together, or luck might be better for both of us. But, I see you do not catch on to what Lam getting at,” ‘You are right; I don’t.” ‘And I don’t know whether I should ex: plain or not.” | ‘Why?’ AN. “Can I trust you?” | ‘Well, that is for you to determine.” > ‘See here, if I show you a good thing, Sport, will you go into it, if there is money in it?” ‘‘T might be tempted to do so.” “Well, I have just such a thing on hand,” “What is it?” . ‘« First let me ask what you know about Deadwood Dick.” : “Why, just about as much as you do, I suppose. I him here,” “Do you think that lawyer is he?” “No,” | “Why?” | “Well, because the proof seems strongest: the other way; at any rate, it seems so to. me,” Deadwood Dick.” ‘Why so?” ‘Well, you have taken his side in the ar-— gument that’s on here about the ownership of this pocket.” _ | “Because it seems to me right.” ‘Well, supposing he is, ought we to stop for that with such a fortune at stake as is at stake here?” “Tf that is your game, of course you want — to shut your eyes to the right and the wrong of it, and go in to win. 4 bf . ° . : ; | have heard a good deal about. “You seem to have a friendly feeling for he is in the Rascals don’t stop y ; ie 4 >, . _ ve » .¥ 4 to weigh trifles that come up in their way.” eats ss “That was the word used.” ae (a “And it applies tome?” ‘Yes, I guess it does, if this is yourlay.” | “Well, it pays to be the rascal sometimes, Ya youknow, Itis going to pay big here” ‘“Why do you show me yourhand?” “We want to get as many on our side as possible,”’ Ne urees faa ‘Fla! that is it, eh?” Lis aici “es,” FN, ota s« » - ' + id : “ . “ae ¥ | qe pe ry 1) » ae tL : . 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