Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 858 — page 8: what you’re looking at

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

te TF _—S . -., _— - s <= — -T should smile.” ** You bet!” chipped in the parrot. ** You don't mean to jump down!” ‘‘No; I'll take a gentle drop and come They now came to the shaft, and Dick ; down softly.” called down. | ‘‘ Are you alive yet?” he asked. ‘* Yes,” the answer.’ ‘* Well, keep a stiff upper lip, and we'll try to get you out.” ‘* Have you found arope?” ‘* Yes, we've got a rope.” ‘‘ What a liar you ar’, Mosey,” whispered Pete. “ Look out, that’s a name that means pent you know, pard,” Dick warned, play- ully. ‘Yas, but et’s so. How ther doose kin ye use this hyer rope, when et’s made fast up thar at ther top, like ye told me?” ‘“* Tl show you that.” ‘* T want ter see et.” ‘* So you shall.” Dick leaned out over the shaft, and tried to calculate its depth, and he now asked Pete for his opinion regarding it, ‘* How deep et aire?’ Pete repeated. ‘‘ By ther glint of ther light on ther water, boy, I on d say et’s a good thirty feet, ef et’s a inch.” ‘* That was my figure and I don’t think it is any more. Now, I will climb up this rope about that many feet or a little more, to make sure of enough, and cut off a piece about the ~ right length.” ‘“‘Waal, you Pete Parrot. -** What’s the matter?” Dick demanded. ‘‘What’s ther matter? What inthe tarnel will become 0’ you when you hev cut ther rope You’ll go down into the hole head- ong!” ‘“'That’s a part of the plan, old pard.”’ Then you a” a howlin’ ijjit an’ no mis- took!” Magic Mose laughed, ‘‘ Well, suppose you hear the rest of it, old man,” he suggested. ‘*That man in the shaft has got to be saved, or he will be dead in less than half an hour, and it’s for us to do “T’m willin’, if I kin only see how; but—’ _* Yes, we have gotto do it, Now, you will hold fast to this end of the rope, and [ll climb up there and cuta piece off. You still hold fast toit. If you let go, or lose it, then it is all up with us. See?” ‘*] begin ter see, but—” ‘*Then I'll hang at full length till I geta ood balance, and then I'll drop straight own into the hole and take my chances of - coming off witha whole neck.” ‘* Dick, you sha’n’t do et, by hornets!” ‘But, ’m going to, all thesame, There’s _& man down there, without a ray of hope if we go back on him. Pete Parrot, you are not the man to go back on a man when he is in a fix like that.” — | ‘*T guess Ll ain’t gotnothin’ more to say, Mosey.”’. ) ‘Then I'll ‘ mosey’ at once,” With that, Dick laid hold upon the rope and swung off. | | _. Pete Parrot held the end of it, vowing that -he’d be pulled over before he would let go, _ ‘*Mr. Clavering?’ Dick called down. ‘** Hello?” the answer, _ **Get out from under the shaft, and say - when you are out of the way.” **T’m out of the way now; I’m under the edge of the shaft, where the wateris broad- ere | And is the shaft all clear—I mean the | water under it? No sticks or timbers in the gum-blasted ijjit!” cried _ * Allclear, but I think there’s a dead man floating close to one side.” She _ “And the water is deeper than you can touch?” | Se, 3 Yes, a good deal.” AN right, stay just where you are, and | a _ YN soon be there, dead or alive, qT don’t i a eo” | - . ry te ir. : “4 " mL : ; ¥<% oh me . P : Pe | ye + 4 y. *. ”" . » . : <__ v ‘ ai co aah on oe ho pe Rots & Soe Pag , Bi eter tot fF x . J met. Ms ae wb 4 a = Site gta te ras , ie ' An An ; 7 . : > er "had 4 = <2 4 , ~ ve nnn ne ooo — + OS ++ SS Cee ee = Oe ee Oe Oo - —-_ -- --- Or — acer eee There wasa touch of Dick’s grim humor in this, His wasthe courage of a lion, at all times. ‘*Now, Pete,” he said, in a lower tone to his pard, ‘‘ You do your part. Hold fast to the rope, to help me out after I get down there, if I’m alive.” ‘*T’ll do et, boy, or die.” ‘*Tt will all depend on you to pull me up again, or hold the rope while I climb up. We'll both take a hand at pulling the other fellow up, then. Never say die, you know.” ‘*Pend on me, Mosey.” ‘‘T’m not afraid to.” — . Hand over hand, then, Deadwood Dick went up the rope, counting the knots in it as he passed them, nnd made _ no stop till he was sure he had rope enough behind him to reach to the bottom of the shaft. He had left the light with Pete, at the mouth of the tunnel. Without waiting to give himself the chance to lose courage, and without looking down, he took a good grip with one hand and with the other took his knife from his teeth, where he had placed it, opened, before starting, and cut the rope. Down fell the part cut off, and there hung Deadwood Dick, over the frightful depth! ‘* Good heavens!”” he heard Pete cry out, ‘‘What hev ye done, boy! Now. ye can't git down onless ye do drop. an’ et may mean death to ye!” “That's all right, pard,” Dick cheerfully shouted back to him. ‘‘ Have you got the rope all right?” ‘‘ Yes, yes, but darn me ef—” ‘Never mind that; we'll talk about it later. Get back out of the way, now, and I'll set my lightning express loose,” He saw the light draw away from the open- ing, and knew he had been obeyed. Now came the crucial test of his nerve and courage. Many another might have backed out, but not so Deadwood Dick! Holding himself perfectly rigid, and tak- ing a full, deep breath, he closed his eyes, stiffened every muscle, and let go his hold and shot. down—down—down—! Peter Parrot saw him pass the opening like an arrow in flight, and the next moment heard his body strike the water. He leaned over instantly and peered down, but for some time nothing was to be seen but the dancing reflection of his light on the troubled water, and bis heart was in his throat. . Meantime Dick had cut the water like a dart, and had gone down and down until it seemed as though he must be nearing the center of the earth, but he soon put out his arms to stop the downward progress, and soon felt himself rising to the surface, and presently his head popped out. ‘*Mosey?’ he heard, Pete ‘*Mosey ?” ‘Right here, pard!” he answered back; ‘arrived on time, all safe and sound, Not a bone broken, far as I know.” ““Thank God fer that!” “You bet!” echoed the parrot. ‘“‘ Fling down the rope, now,” Dick direc- ted. ‘‘Besure to hold fast to it, at the same time.” , | «« Down et goes!” And down it came, and getting hold of it, Dick found it was long enough and to Sp calling. are, “Now, friend Clavering, where are you?” he asked. ‘‘ Right this way,” the response. Having made the rope fast to his arm, victim. / hanging hooked over that stick the way I ute or two.” | Dick swam in the direction indicated, anda. few ‘strokes brought him to the unhappy ) . / ‘There the poor fellow was, his head thrown back as far as possible, and with it he was | ‘ . supporting himself on a bit of timber that , been chilled, and much the more so Claver- ° was just large enough to support him anc)” no more, WK ‘“T’'ll free your hands the first thing,” Dick observed, ‘‘and then you will be able to help) yourself.” | '** Yes, do that before you dislodg> me from; where I am. I might sink, and taat would; be the last of me, in this dark hole. It’ was only by a miracle that I got this sup-. port.” | ! ‘* Tt looks so, that’s a fact.” Dick had his knife still, and now carefully | feeling, he found the cords that held the prisoner’s hands and cut them, ‘‘God bless you for your courage!” the; poor fellow said, fervently. ‘‘ You have done a greater thing than I would have dared) to do, and I freely admit it, You must be a fellow of steel nerves.” ‘Oh, no; nothing of the kind; I’m a dare- devil, that’s all.” vee Both now had hold of the rope, and swung themselves out under the shaft, and as they” did so the body of the dead man floated up, against them, the disturbing of the water having put itin motion. Hi ; ‘ : CHAPTER VIL. 1 i TERRIBLE DISCOVERY. A STORY TOLD. — ‘“Uen!” exclaimed Clavering, with shiver.. ‘‘ That’s a horrible thing!” . ‘‘ You came pretty close to being the same kind of a thing yourself,” observed Dick. ‘Don’t mention it! I shall never forget. what I owe to you, bravest fellow I ever met in my life, I'll never forget the debt that: can never be paid.” . : Ae “Say no more about it. We are not out, of the woods yet. Do you think you can, climb this rope?” F | “JT don't know; the kink has not got out’ of my neck yet. It almost paralyz-" ste was.” r ‘Well, we'll wait 8 minute for you to get your muscles in shape, and then your life» will depend on whether you can climb the rope or not. You must not fail in the effort.” ‘“Youcan bet I won’t, with life at stake.’ Magic Mose now Called out to Pete. ‘* Hello, Pete?” : | ‘All right up hyer,” came back the re- sponse. “Youhave got a good grip on the rope?” ‘Bet yer life on et, boy.” ahi ‘““You bet!” added Poll, ‘‘*Aud you can hold it while one of us climbs ¢ut?” 3 «*T'll do et or bu’st, Mosey. I hev gota good brace, an’ I think I could hold both of ' “Then it is pretty certain that you can hold one of us, Keep your grip, now, an Mr. Clavering will make the start in a min: “ All right, Il take keer of things at this | | eend.” | x _** You can safely trust Pete Parrot,” Dick whispered to Clavering. ‘‘ But, when you | | climb, be as steady on the rope as possible, | _ do not jerk.” ‘* | understand,” ngs ; Nothing more was said, and in a few mo-- ments Clavering took a firmer hold upon the f | rope and began his perilous ascent, moving = slowly, carefully, but steadily upward, an finally he was safe. “All right,” Pete . Dick, joyfully. ‘‘ Now, Mosey, your turn,” — “Allright, ina minute, Pete.” ae Dick had laid hold upon corpse, and ) | a, not saying anything to Clavering about it, — ‘" and now he took the end of the rope and ; made it fast around the bog | ea meee That done to his satisfaction, he began the DR The water was not cold, or he might have 2 . . . . - ~@ 7 : mae & ° ' . a? 4 ¢ le r J *» y ‘ Pr aie +9445 1 - 4 . . * #4 = eA FP! ey = ~ -. ° i> ° ‘ ‘ 7 ; “a ‘<. - F a 4 . ~%> » Par ? “*) ¢ i» 5 a ale i a ee ~ >. >. ~ ye ‘a 5 <<“ ‘ ; ae ‘ > 1) a ey 4 oS sory) o a ; re ’ ; ie hw pa gp ee Ie en ain 7 5 mal a. . > e ~~ s a) a ~ a . ty - ee ried Fy +" be « ¥ ~~ P lee 2 ‘4 i: Avy. wart -* 4 > re eo oy: aes <.. ~ , won of ne : 2 . : “ TG : m4 dy ne Ei er. t a , ‘ om o> ‘es yrs S s ‘ . ’ Ge vf 4 * ~ : ae 8 Nes re “ne, etka. . “4 Li « asp . “J ~ 1. - a | . ™ 3e h “ 4 wt = - '- a" ~ i ; - so on ee ee A ey ae See ee -~ SO SIT ee —— » ee ad Parrot called down to the floating — & i had been holding it beside him,