Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 840 — page 2: what you’re looking at

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

v5 i . ies : ed pi >» ed > 2 wh ~ i ye Deadwood Dick, Jr.’s, Clutch. Deadwood Tiek, dr.s, Clutch: CRUSHING CAPTAIN CRUSHER, BY EDWARD L. WHEELER, AUTHOR OF ‘‘ DEADWOOD DICK” NOVELS, ETC. CHAPTER L. CAPTAIN CRUSHER'’S CAUTION. THe two men faced each other, their right hands resting upon revolvers at their hips. One was a man of thirty, apparently, with a bold, fearless face, the features well set off by a graceful mustache. His confronter was pérhaps ten years older, with full bearded face, and his left arm was bandaged and in a sling. Both were similarly clad. Their attire was that of the rough-and- ready denizen of the Westera hills, consisting of coarse shirts and trowsers, with rough slouch hats and heavy cowhide boots, High up among the mountain-top peaks, the scene was about as wild a one as can be imagined. Great splinters of rock towered here and there for hundreds of feet, and yawning chasms gaped below. The spot where the two men stood was about the only level space the eye could find, and this was small, barely large enough to have held a dozen men. One side of it was occupied by the butt of a huge pine, the body of which spanned one of the chasms, support- ed by « branch of another tree. | Out upon this fallen giant, about at the - place where it rested upon the arm of the standing tree, lay a cocked revolver. The younger of the two men had just come upon the scene. Asa matterof precaution, each man’s hand had dropped upon a weapon, neither know- ing the intentions of the other. : ‘« Well, stranger, peace or war?” demanded the younger man, in a careless manner, as though he little cared which it was. ‘‘ We’re both primed, I see.” | /, | We'll have it peace, unless you prefer to make it war,” was the response, in a tone as bold and careless as that of the first speaker. ae know of any reason why we should ied ic? I’m just as well satisfied,” rejoined the younger, ‘‘and I see you are partly dis- abled anyhow, But, tell me, what is the meaning of that revolver out there on the tree-trunk?” pointing with his left index as he putthe question. ‘‘ Does it belong to you?” ey “f “That revolver, stranger, marks the death- line of Captain Crusher.” —' | - Captain Crusher? Who is he?” ‘‘One of the worst red-headed outlaws who ever infested the West. It is death to cross this chasm.” ‘Holithat is the way of it, eh? Then that cocked weapon is a silent warning to pilgrims to keep off. Well, do you mean to allow it to scare you out, stranger? Do you want to cross?” Cee. _ *T have tried it once.” “Ah! and that’s why your arm is in a sling?” Ps ‘You've struck it.” | ‘Tell me about it.” ‘‘How dol know but you are Captain Crusher?” “Then you have never seen his face, I take it? ell, [assure you I’m not the gen- tleman.” | é | ‘Who are you?” ‘My name is Rod Sage, a free rover of these wilds, coming when I please and going: when I get ready. Who are you?” “Tam Dick Seller, a tramp prospector on the lookout for a find that will put me | on my feet for the remainder of my days, ‘ ‘y t f ? ' ( . 3 } is c : ; . 4 ; : : aa . PARRA een ar Ae ; * 4} f J é J * vs -_ . re r * “* . , + ok. >: ee Fa ~ ‘ cP fe 0 Sr Ba Be Si pei al gee & e ha . " i . “¥ alt P| “ : hy bea od Be rm iT That is to say, I was, but now [m looking for revenge.” ‘*Revenge on whom?” ‘This Captain Crusher.” ‘“See here, Mr. Seller, you interest me. There is no reason why we should be longer suspicions of each other. Let’s sit down here and talk this thing out. Maybe I can be of use to you.” ‘Use to me?” | “That was what I said. My time is my own, and I wouldn’t mind chipping in with you, seeing that you're wounded, if your cause is a worthy oneand youare in the right of it. Here, let’s sit down on the tree and take iteasy. I’m going to trust you, you see.” So saying, the younger man removed his hand from his revolver and sat down. He was thus giving the other the chance to get the ‘‘drop” on him, if he wanted to take advantage of it. Seller looked at him a moment without speaking, then removed his hand from his own weapon and took his seat on the dead tree as invited, remarking as he did so: ‘* You laid yourself open tat time, pard, which proves you trust me, ~ No reason why I shouldn’t trust you. But, how did you know that J’ wasn’t Captain Crusher or one of hisimps. Maybe yow have seen him?” ** No, not so; but, | seldom get fooled in the reading of a face, and I read honesty in yours, Mr. Seller.” ‘Well, I'll let longer acquaintance be the proof of that. If you are in eargest about offering your help, I’ll be glad totake you at our word. aw's, now.” ‘‘Because of that bullet in your arm, I take it, eh?” ‘*That’s only second in importance. I seek to‘avenge the death of an only brother, who was my, pard for years, and who fell by the hand of this heartless devil, Captain Crusher.” . Sar ‘‘Ha! If that is the case, your cause is a just one, undoubtedly. But, let me hear your story.” ‘Tt is plain and simple, and soon told.” ‘* All the better for that.” ay) ““My brother John and I had been wan- ering these wilds for several years, on the lookout, as I said, for a strike that would fix us out for life, and finally we got down here to the camp of Big Nug.” “1 know of the place; there’s where I’m heading for myself, indirectly.” ‘Tt is short for Big Nugget, you under- stand.. A monster nugget was found there when the camp was first settled, and ever since a couple of hundred men or more have been fooling away their time looking for the twin to it, and that was what brought us down.” ! ** A useless search.” “Yes, that’s so; but, then, we didn’t really set out to make a find of that sort, but to lo- cate a paying lead that would prove a better thing than the nugget. And in our hunt we followed up the gulches one after another till at last we got into this one over which It is my life against this out- ; this tree spans, and there we struck signs that wasn’t to be doubted, and we knew there was gold above.” ‘With the chances that it had already been located, and was being held fast to bv this Captain Crusher.” . ‘¢ Another good guess. At any rate, that guess is my own opinion of the matter, now, and it seems to stand proved. If not that, then this outlaw has his stronghold over there and this is the way to it. Well, my brother and I wandered and climbed around among \the gulches, trying to’find a way to get up over the place where we had dis- covered the signs, and at last we found our- | selves here on this shoulder, and the revol- ver was there just as you see it now.” “Then the way to this spot isn’t generally iw . i: & . ; i. . 44 ' ¥ a \ , “e s, ; ’ . f . “yy _. 28 Pa - ‘ : Ria yee es ae” bab} & SPR, , ; ; iy + | , Pues > rok am f ie SPS ‘No. You see, ,it’s a couple of miles from Big Nug, and the blind trail, which you have most likely got here, leads up from the south, and hereis the end of it. It is the end, anyhow, while Captain Crusher holds things the way he does, for he swears death to man, woman, child or beast that attempts to cross this tree,” ‘‘How does he make clamation?” ‘‘ By calling out in warning to any one who starts to walk out upon this dead tree. My brother and I knew nothing about it, of course, though we wondered at the revolver out there, and we started to cross. We hadn’t gone six steps when a voice from somewhere warned us to stop, declaring it would be death to us if we stepped over the mark of the death-line, the revolver.” “You don’t know where the voice came from?” , ‘No; the chasm is so full of echoes that it was impossible to locate it. We stopped to consider it a moment, and decided not to be frightened out, so started forward. I was ahead, and just as I stepped over the weapon a bullet.struck my arm, and a rifle echoed and re-echoed through the gorge. The next instant my brother threw up his arms and fell off the tree and down into the dismal depth. I heard the bullet hit him, and the next moment the report rung Out again, I leaped for the ground here, and a third bullet barely missed me before I gained it. ‘* A close shave.” ‘‘] should say it was. Then there was.a mocking laugh, and Captain Crusher sounded his warping again. I had seen enough to make me believe he meant what he said.” ‘When was. this?” ‘¢ A week ago.” ‘Did you report it at Big Nug?” ‘“Yes, and got a party to go after my brother’s body, which was found so terribly mangled as to be hardly recognizable, | had it buried, and over his grave I took oath of vengeance against his slayer.’’* “Good for you! Here’s my hand on it that I'll help you. Maybe together we shall be able to run this outlaw down and bring him to time.” 4, ‘‘T certainly hope so,” and the a clasp- known this pro- ed hands, py ‘‘ But what has brought you back to the same dangerous spot?”/ They unclasped their hands and Seller drew something from his shirt in a gingerly fashion. _ | ““T’ve got a dose of giant powder that I was going to put here under the butt of this tree and blow the whole thing from July to January. What do you think about ‘‘T wouldn’t do it; at any rate, not yet.” “Why not?” -« We need this tree as a means of explor- ing what is beyond. We'll cross it, if you — have the nerve to follow where J lead, and we'll probe the matter to the bottom and get at the truth of it somehow. say to that?” — : SF ie ‘‘T wouln’t try to cross it in open daylight for the State of California.” ; ‘No, I wouldn’t care about it myself, after what you have told me; I mean some time later on. I would like, though, to hear from this Captain Crusher.” i Thus saying, the younger man got up, stepped upon the tree, and began to advance toward the revolver where it lay closeto _ the living tree by which the dead one was) ‘supported, as pictured. He had taken but afew steps when a voice | | rung out: | “Stop! Ad and you die.” is That was all—quite enough, too. — » i. as] bor : Th ; ‘ - 1s : ‘ ~« . ’ ye ‘+f %, . d « i a: ’ ‘ . Ove PAY * Poa fh aL " . 1 | ile’ . 4 “4 , nays o. a «4 - a. N wa” . we > 7 What do you — f > wee fF | VE 2 vance at your peril! Cross the death-line, and death will be your por- tion, swift and sure! The death-line is the revolver before you. Heed the warning ~ of Captain Crusher and live; disregard it,