Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 840 — page 5: what you’re looking at

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

Deadwood Dick, Jr.’s, Clutch. the independent detective. I fought in self- “Well, [Pll leave it to the crowd,” the | had occurred, and there, stooping over the ‘hang me if you want to!’ as they say.” pocket. ‘* Hang him!” came from 4 hundred throats This accomplished, she hastened to the CHAPTER IV. at once. tree around which the excited crowd had . CHEATING THE HANGMAN. ‘“No, no; give him a fair show!” came the | gathered. THIS announcement caused a stir of ex- | scattered vote of the minority. The man had just climbed above the heads ‘citement of another sort. “Hang him! Hang him! Up with him, | of those arourd. Was this Deadwood Dick, the prince of | and we’ll have the trial after that! We want ‘“Go on,” roared the mayor, as the fellow Western detectives? No wonder his re- | ther fun!” there paused as though afraid to proceed volver had been so deadly ! ‘“’'You see how it is,” the mayor called at- | further. ‘‘ Go on, I tell you!” The men who had hold upon him almost | tention. ‘‘ It is the voice of the people, and ‘* He’s a coward!” some one sneered. allowed him to go free, and maybe would | the voice of the people must be obeyed. In This had the desired effect, and the fellow have done so but for quick action on the | my official capacity I am their servant.” climbed on, having placed his body on the part of the mayor, who came to their aid ‘Is it a hang?” opposite side of the tree from that the first immediately. ‘* Yes; do as you please with him, men!” | climber had occupied when shot. “That’s a likely story!” he _ cried. A. rope had been brought, and with wild} His fate, nevertheless, was to be the same. “* Don’t let him fool you that way, boys. | yells the mob dragged Dick toward a tree, He had climbed but a few feet higher when ‘We know a trick worth two of that, I’m Dick had looked at Dick Seller, while his | he, too, threw up his arms and fell back- as a thinking. ‘Ten to one Boley Bone was right, | fate was being decided, and was assured that | ward, utteri@ag only a groan, striking the ‘ and this is Captain Crusher and nobody else. | he was dead. A bullet had found a vital | ground with a chilling thud. 3 Anyhow, he’s a murderer now, and what he | spot. ‘*Cowards!” rung out a woman’s voice, , needs is a rope!” He also looked in the direction of Boley | clear and sharp, anda woman forced her 2 aere ! The wavering crowd was won back im-} Bone as he was being dragged away, and | way to the center of the group. Sd Oe mediately—that is to say, the rough and | saw that worthy was about coming out of here was light enough for all to see, | reckless.element of it. the state of insensibility into which he had | for the night air was still and several lamps There were others who did not quite | knocked him. had been brought from the shops and ‘agree with the mayor in his peremptory Those who were in favor of imprisoning | shanties near at han’, and the woman was_ ruling in the case, and one of those now | the prisoner and holding him for fair trial, | recognized. Tese to a point of order—so to put it, no | were so far in the minority that they could | It was Elma St. James, the lady who was Other than John Hartz. not oppose the mob. stopping at the Hotel Grande! “Hold hard just a moment, Mayor They could only follow at a short distance, ‘*Oowards!” she repeated, stepping before ‘Gibson!” he sung out. ‘‘It-strikes me this | trying to devise some scheme by which to | the prisoner, between him and the thick of is: going a little too hasty, for theres a possi- | balk them. the throng. ‘‘Cowards! to array your- ie od ‘bility that you may make a :mistake in the But this it did not seem likely they could | selves thus against one man.” | matter, you know. This maybe Dead- | accomplish, now. ‘Do not mind them, lady,” spoke Dick, wood Dick, as he declared. And, anyhow, Dick was as good as hanged already. coolly. ‘‘They will probably get enough if he fought only in self-defense, and he did There was a tree not far from the front of | of it before they are done with the work ‘that, he is no murderer.” the Hotel Grande, and to that the prisoner | they have begun. Leh them go on with Vm ‘‘ Let me remind you that lam mayor of | had been dragged and the rope was about | their frolic.” (oq ‘this camp!” the mayor stiffly answered. his neck, _ Such coolness was characteristic of Dead- Bent ‘*] don’t care if you are two mayors; I ‘Now, all ready,” one fellow sung out. | wood Dick. axis have aright to raise an objection if I want | ‘‘Somebody climb ther tree and put ther ‘* No, they shall not go on with their mad et to, and you have heard what it is.” rope over ther limb,” work, sir, J know you are not the outlaw, “‘And that’s all it amounts to! Bringa| Twenty willing ones sprung to perform |} as they claim, for I recognize you.” rope, somebody, and we'll see who is boss | this pleasant duty, but way was given to ‘* You know me, then?” 4 F ; here and who isn’t. And. we'll show this | the man who was so fortunate as to have the ‘(Tdo? ve fellow that blood can’t be spilt here and the | end of the rope in hand. ** Who is he?” demanded the mayor. a ae Spiller go free.” / Up he climbed, while the crazy horde ‘‘Heis Richard Bristol—known as Dead- ‘‘Hooray! That’s ther stuff, mayor!” cheered, carrying the rope in his teeth, but } wood Dick, Junior, sir,” he had barely climbed his length above the ‘‘And where did you see him, to know heads of the crowd, when he suddenly ut-| him? Tell us that.” | tered a cry, threw up his arms, and fell to ‘*At his own place, Bristol City, where IL the ground, dead! . have recently been, sir! Saw him there fre- There was silence instantly. quently, so know him well,” ‘‘ What means this?” cried the mayor, the | ‘‘ Are you satisfied?” Deadwood Dick de- first to speak, manded. ‘‘Or must you still insist upon ‘* Et looks like he was shot,” answered one | hanging me?” _ “A necktie party, in ther real old-fashion’ = “way 1? apes Bring on ther rope, and we'll work him off in style, you bet!” “Mayor, I tell you you are too hasty,” | the sport protested again. ‘‘ You had bet- BRS ‘ter imprison .him till morning, and then see : ‘what he can prove regarding himself.” Meri, Wade J ‘And you had better be minding your 4 ‘own business!” was the sharp retort. ‘‘I |} know what ee doing, I guess. Do you suppose I ean look upon ten or a dozen good uess.” the answer. ‘‘ But, tell me, how came these He was right; nobody had heard it. men by their yr peat Was that your work?” The man was dead, nevertheless, and a ‘*Tt could not well be, as you had me here hasty examination showed a bullet-hole in | a prisoner.” his breast from which his life-blood }was| ‘‘ Was it the work of some aide of yours?” gushing. | ‘Tt certainly was not done by a foe, that ‘What did I tell you?” cried the mayor. | speaks for itself. It will be useless for you > 1 ‘“‘It is Captain Crusher, and nobody else, | to question further. To you, lady, I must Re have done it. What had he to fear, unless | and this is the work of some of his tools! | express thanks for the service you have She che was guilty?” He shall hang now, if I have to do the work | rendered.” . “‘T had everything to fear,” spoke up Dick | myself.” ‘Tt was nothing, sir. But, they have | citizens dead, and spare their murderer?” ay oe ‘“ But, it was a fight, that he didn’t bring ay on.” ‘‘He had no business to fight when arrest- reed. It proves him guilty, or he wouldn’t "Te —he it was, the redoubtable Richard, ‘‘ You It looked as though the crowd was willing | not released you. Sir Mayor, why do you |. -gaid unless I could prove I was not Captain |. he should undertake it. not order his release?” | Crusher I must swing, and a man isn’t ‘‘Somebody climb that tree,” the mayor ‘‘For the reason, lady, that, whoever he | always prepared to prove his identity in a| ordered. ‘‘ Are you all cowards? Fifty | is, he is answerable for the lives of the 4 second,” dollars to the man who will put the rope | men who fell by his hand, and we must ‘‘ Which is saying you are not prepared to | over the limb!” hold him on that account.” prove that you are Deadwood Dick, as now | ©The limb was too high up and the foliage | ‘‘ And he fought only in self-defense!” you claim.” | too thick to admit of the rope being thrown; ‘‘ Why did he not declare himself as “It is easily done, if you happen to have | over, so in order to get it in place over the | Deadwood Dick as soon as he came to uct. / any one here who has ever seen me.” limb, some one had to climb the trunk and | camp?” | “And I don’t believe there is. Does any | put it there. “Little good it would have done,” Dick wae, man answer?” This offer had the desired effect, and one | here spoke up. ‘I have not forgotten the -_No one did, and the point missed. daring fellow stepped forward to offer his | warning on thesmoke-cloud, Mayor Gibson.” | = ~~ * You see how it is,” said the mayor to the | services, ; | “What do-you mean?” ,-—s sport, then, ‘‘The* honor and safety of this; Taking the rope as the first had done, he} ‘This: That my coming here was evi- cr, 9 ae er are at stake, and this man must swing.” fs * T don’t agree with you at all,” Hartz re- fs -torted. ‘ You just lock the fellow up for aes , Some days and. give him a chance, and any- _ chow give him a trial before you send him Lf ‘ ¢ + 7 | off. Come, mayor, a fair, deal, you know.” While the crowd breathlessly watched | was a scheme on foot to dispose of me as him, something else was taking place of | soon as possible after my arrival. More, which they were unaware. only one action on your part will clear in A woman had come forth from the hotel, | of suspicion of having had a hand in it, ¥ A 4 = > i j - ‘ Il 4 vs ’ ; ; | | * 2? : f . , . i since prea, St Pel ELOY | ; , : ’ » = - Z a e 7 4 a > Y io 17S A ee ne i bak Bane 0 te ahs “Seer fsa 4 es ‘ "<=" Sy or 3 . i seer, ‘ seen e : 1g. at . Vion EF RRR eR AR et. PY RS Oa defense simply, as I would do again,’ Now, | mayor offered compromise. ‘‘ We'll let it be | body of Dick Seller, she took papers from his , man, ‘“‘but nobody heard a shot fired, I] ‘‘I accept the proof, of course, sir,” was — began the climb. dently known and looked-for, and that there had hastened to the place where the fight | Mayor.” MND has ! —— * ts a a & : ene ag Me 4 Tae * oy ? ¥ ¥% +2 . @s \ ime ote ae iy ‘ pdm) “ey ve ws | \7 a _ } < 4 > : ~ | ’ - * 4 Y | | | Gi @ i @ a * y | |