Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 852 — page 11: what you’re looking at

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

_» He’s flown away. . —_ a a = . “? cP RTS ale Gerry} eo . oat 2 -_ ul * & = - ~ =~ ety oye 3! a , £m - *« ' 4 o@’ * > 4 ‘ ae w.« ° 7s re < rip ». <4? 4 ~rse : : : _* y £, . ee . oa on ey — a. = . bt y <2 9 ~ ro r Pray 755 ~ 4 . a t ae a? = “ ; Teak ee “i =A Ia as * - mae Le, Ae ‘ ~ >Re. t al wk =~ ’ " “ $s \ . s nr ginia City.” ‘““Then, we must foller ’em, at once—fol- ler ’em ef it’s to the end of the earth!” cried Pete Parrot. ‘*T reckon you wont find ’em in Virginia City,” Hill opined. “Why not?” ** Because Sam is cute enough to know that there would be the first place you would look for him, and don’t you forget it.” ‘Where do you think he went?’ asked Magic Mose. ‘*The old man has another mine, about twelve miles beyond Virginia City, and I reckon they’re gone there.” . ‘*Do you know the way there?” ‘* Of course I do.” ** Will you guide us?” ‘© Yes; in course I will!” ““ Now, the next thing is horses.” **T can get them!’ said Bradford, ‘All right! You get them, and we will remain here.” So Burt hurried away. ‘While he is gone, I propose the advisa- bility of breaking into the house, and have a look about,” Pete suggested. ‘‘Tam not quite sure about the propriety of such a move,” said Mose. “Why?” , ‘* Because, if we were caught in the act, we could be held for burglary.”’ ‘But, whois going tocatch us?” | ) “We can’t tell about that, Sage may not be away, at all.” ‘* Even ef he ain’t, we're enough for him every day in the week, and twice on Sun- ay.” ‘* But, there may be an ambush, as Hill suggested.” ‘Get out! Ef you're afraid, why stay away. Hill, you hunt upa crowbar, and I will pry open the door myself.” Hill vanished, and was gone several min- utes. When he returned, he brought with him two sharp-pointed crow bars. ‘*These will do the business,” he said, ‘*Come ahead, and we will soon make an opening!” So they attacked the door. It was not an easy job to pry open the door—not half as easy as they had antici- ated. It was evidently both barred and lted on the inside. But, after several minutes’ work they suc- ceeded in prying it off its hinges. el eg them lay a hallway as dark as ch. pe Come on, boys! We will explore the shebang or bu’st a guspender. I allow that as my beloved brother Samuel lives here, I’ve a right to make myself at home, being ~ gas he has on several occasions found amuse: a at seeing my shapely legs kicking yr.” And Pete and Poll entered the hall, fol- lowed by Hill and Magic Mose. They advanced along the hall in the dense darkness a few steps; then Pete paused, and uttered an exclamation. ‘‘What is the matter?” demanded Magic Mose. | ‘‘Cuss the luck, where’s my parrot gone? Where's he gone?” ‘‘Who’s got a match? It’s darker than black paint here, ard I don’t want to break this née plus ultra neck of mine.” Mose struck a light, and then led the way into the parlor, the door of which was open. Here another door opened into a communi- cating room. i A lamp was found, and lit. By its light the three men began their explorations. _ Everything in the parlor, and what proved _ to bea parlor bedroom, was in a state of con- fusion. -_ niture displaced, and everything in a state of Clothes were scattered around, fur- rder, “This proves conclusively that they have gone,” Mose decided. © “A 2 - me * [ MEG as - “ay - ‘ : 7 1 ea M - 2 rn LES. tt oe ey cpt = |) roy } Wey ™, ’ ; : ek. Male 5", AL a het a 4 van. « . oP ; i A . ur: Ry ws Sas ‘fey hue ual Le: \e. > a7: F N ‘nl LS eee ae Rs fr ab eke a Ss Oe Tres They’v/e taken the alarm, and fled to Vir- | anne en ee sss tsetse ‘to his companions, ‘set off at a gallop—Hill taking the lead rr tsetse snes “nen ’ > ¥: Deadwood Dick, Jr., at Devil’s Gulch. ‘‘Wal, yes, et do,” replied Pete. ‘‘ We'll go through the shebang, however.” And they did, to find the same state of dis- order all over the house, ‘* Looks like as how there’d been a reg’lar rip-snortin’ jamboree here, before they slop- ed,” said Pete. ‘‘ The old man must have been dancing a high-kickin’ mazourka. But say! we must find my bird, We can’t leave Poll here, nohow,” ‘We'll find her down cellar, and Ill bet money on it!” said Mose, ‘‘where the eat- ables and drinkables are.” So they descended to the kitchen, and thence to the cellar, the door of which was open. Sure enough, here was Poll, perched upon a cracker barrel, and having a good time. There being plenty of bottles in the cellar, each man appropriated one, and all were about to go up-stairs, when Mose paused and shook his finger at his companions for silence. * Hist!” he said, in an undertone. ‘‘ We are not alone here,” He had detected a peculiar sound. He had also detected the movement of an overturned dry-goods box, ‘* Dry-goods boxes are not in the habit of moving!” thought Mose, ‘‘ and I will take my oath I saw that one move.” And going to the box, he tipped it over. And lo! and behold! the blackest little negro lad he had ever laid eyes upon—a boy of about twelve years of age. The lad was terrified. His eyes fairly bulged out of their sockets, and he trembled in every are . ‘* Ho! ho! look at the canary I’ve ae a cried Mose, dragging the boy forth. ‘‘ What do you think of him?” ‘* He’s no canary!” said Pete. ‘‘ He’s what I shoul, metaphorically and scientifically speaking, call a blackbird. Who is he?” ‘‘Sace’s valet,” said Hill. ‘‘They’ve left him behind, in charge.” ‘Which shows they mean to return, eh?” ‘‘Oh! some time, undoubtedly. The old man ain’t the kind to give up a gold mine, if he can help it.” ‘SNo, I presume not. The boy has got to tell us where the old man has gone, just the same.” And retaining a firm hold on the lad, Mose drew his bowie-knife, and whetted it on his bootleg, a very significant act. ‘* Now, Johnny,” he said, ‘‘ what's your name?” | ‘‘’Gustus, sah!” replied the lad, shivering with fear, ‘Well, ’Gustus, now listen to me. I don’t want to hurt you, but I want you to tell me, truthfully, where your master has gone to, If you do, I'll let you go. If you don’t I’m roing to cut off that black scalp of yours. ow, then, where’s he gone?” ‘‘’Ginny City,” sniveled the boy. | ‘That settles it,” declared Mose, turning ‘“We are on the right trail. Come, let's go!” And they left the house, | , CHAPTER XII. HOLEING THE WOLF. WHEN Magic Mose and his companions left the house, they found Burt Bradford await- ing with the horses, ‘Well, what's the news?” asked Burt. ‘*None, except that they have gone to Virginia City,” replied Mose. - ‘‘ They can’t have gone long, I reckon, and if we ride like a whirlwind, we ought to overtake them.” ‘Fast riding is out of the question,” ex- plained Hill, ‘‘for the route is rough and aaa ‘*Well, we will make the best time we can,” Mose replied. | A quick mount was made, and the The trail was indeed rough and rocky, % A: | party | being through a bowlderous gulch, up steep ascents, and down steep declines. It was now broad daylight, which made the traveling easier. ‘* What do you propose to do,” asked Burt, ‘when we find our man?” ‘‘That depends. Pete, here, is his brother, and has a say in the matter,’ replied Magic Mose. ‘‘T say hang him,” said Pete, promptly. . gf hang your own brother?” ‘< es, bP ‘“ But, that is unnatural, isn’t it?” question- ed Bradford. ‘* Not much! my turn, now?” ‘The day was well advanced ere the party reached Virginia City, This lively town was livelier than ever to- day, on account of elections. “If Sage came here, where would he be oe likely to put up?” Mose asked of Brad. ord. ‘*T am under the impression that he has « house, here. If so, he might go there, If not he would probably go to one of the best hotels.” ‘‘T reckon he didn’t stop here, at all,” put in Hill. ‘You think he went on to his other mine?” ‘‘[ do, for a certainty.” ‘* Well, then we'll go there.”’ ‘Oh! There won’t be no harm to stop off here, and look around. I know a feller named Kelly, who does patrol duty about. town, and he may beable to give us some information,” So, when they reached the American House, where all the stages stop that come: in from the outlying districts, they drew rein, and dismounted, The horses were given in charge of the: Orn gh and then the party entered the otel. | Here Hill encountered Jim Kelly, the very man he wanted to see. : ‘* Hello! Kelly.” | ‘Hello! Hill. What fetched you here? Haven’t seen you in a long time.” ‘‘T’m here on business, and maybe you will be able to help us out. Have a drink wi’ us Jim.” ‘To be sure I will, No one ever knew Jim Kelly to refuse, and if Ican do any- thing for ye, I’m ready and willin’!” _ So the party indulged ina round of drinks, at the bar. Then Hill said: ‘“‘Now, Kelly, have you seen old Sage He’s hung me twice, It’s lately ?” ‘Sure and I have,” “When?” ‘‘ Bright and early this mornin’,” ‘Where did you see him?” — ‘* Passing the hotel ” ‘* Were his wife and daughter with him?” ‘* Yes, both of them.” ‘‘ Did they stop in town, d’ye know?” ‘‘T reckon not, for they went up te street, and I judge they took the deer trail goin’ north. Anyhow, they acted like as if they were in considerable of a hurry, for they rode like thunder,” | ‘‘They’ve gone to the mine,” Hill said, turning to Magie Mose. ‘Well, then we will go there,” declared Mose, ‘‘and the sooner we start, the better,” ‘* Aire ye after Sage fer any particular purpose?” asked Kelly, ‘*We are that.” | ‘Then, you had better lay in a stock of weapons and ammunition, before you leave here, if you will listen to me,” ) “Why so?” | ‘*Because you will have need for them, I'll take my oath that there ain’t a tougher | set of men in Nevada, than is employ at. the Bonanza Mine, and as they all have to. look to old Sage for their bread and butter, __ 7 _>< they won’t be slow in backing him.” . - o + + . Thad i 4 ‘ - : ‘ ’ = * " : nd Y " ; ‘ ] ~* r - Fi ‘ & ty - : od ¢ a : . 1 + 7% > as a Se i vom) = , STRAY ¢ a Me us : i ‘* A‘ wt , : { « - . . »* f - 4 ~~» d . 4 Ep an Le To ‘ I : ¥ - | 6 [ YG / | | i | ‘ | \ | ‘ } } . 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