Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 870 — page 2: what you’re looking at

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

ot or devil : a * ie 1 guess 'm Headwood Dick, dr, in Mexico: OR, The Girl Prisoner of the Madhouse, BY EDWARD L. AUTHOR OF ‘‘ DEADWOOD DICK” CHAPTER L A FRIENDLY WARNING. EL ESPIA, ‘“ Wu, hyer we aire, Dicky, boy.’ ‘‘ Yes, here we are, sure enough, Pete.” “You bet!” chipped in Poll, from her perch, And there they were, haying just arrived by train, Where? In the city of Mexico—in that land of lazy leisure—of drones and padrones. {t was evening, and a full moon shed a glorious radiance over the city, making a picture not easily forgotten, Deadwood Dick, Jr., and bis pard, Pete Parrot, the latter with his parrot perched upon his shoulder as usual, attracted general attention from the crowd at the station, ‘‘What’s the first move?” Pese asked, as WHEELER, NOVELS, ETC. - they stepped out upon the platform. ‘First of all we must dop the Greaser garb,” Dick made answer. ‘‘ You will make a fine Don of the old vegime, while I am just about durk enough and handsome enough to pass for a Don of the day—a Donna killer and swell senor, What say, Polly ‘ ‘* Polly want booze!” ‘‘I second ther motion,” struck in Pete. ‘* Ef I wasn’t so infarnel dry, Dick, Id set- tle with ye fer sayin’ I'd make a ‘Greaser, but as itis I can’t, My throat is like them ‘ar hot plains we had ter cross to git hyer, all parched up. Ther bird has. got sense, Dicky, let's irrigate.” ‘All right; just as you say.” So, leaving the station they followed the crowd, and soon espied a saloon of inviting external appearance, Oh, yes, the saloon is there, the City of Mexico is fast becoming modernized and *‘ civilized,” and to a considerable degree Americanized as well, Who would see Mexican life pure and simple must seek it elsewhere, now. Dick and Pete entered. The sign without was in Spanish, but the man at the bar was unmistakably an Ameri- can, ** This looks like home, anyhow, ter begin with,” cried Pete, loud enough to be over- heard, and the man behind the bar looked quickly in his direction, the natives follow- ing his example in a more lazy fashion. * And that sounds like home, too, pards,” the man exclaimed. ‘‘ It does a fellow good to hear plain United States once in awhile. Step right up and aominate your poison, and we'll drink your welcome to the City of Mexico What will you take?” “Whisky, for me,’ cried the parrot on Pete’ s shoulder, 3lue blisterin’ blazes!” the proprietor ejaculated, falling back - is the his array of bottles ng amazement. that thing bird “Oh, "it's a bird, so don’t be skart,” an- swered Pete. ‘* Let me interdoose _ Miss Polly Parrot, sir. Poll, this gentleman is— gettin’ ahead too tasty now, 9? ter I don’t know, __ ‘* My name is Tobin’ Tamarack, and I com- os earthly mage away up in oon che doe cenest Bui of Vermount. “What's ee a , and the rest of it goo} Spanish” : to be Plain tn, x Phe. be eie nat bird te my torment, gentlemen, pie igen any ate £30 Drinks Spay wibby, than would float ae That ain’t cw te rout ts ssmy! | Peta qound “talk. the lenguage; ieoretoner | ‘seen all ther sanie, ia - and as Dick ha mae a smattering of ieee = | } the parrot yelled. Deadwood Dick Jr., in Mexico. SI EeRSeE Ee es ee “Then I give it up. What is it?” @ ‘‘ Parrot, of course.” ‘Ha! ha! ha! That's a good one, sure enough. You'll take another with me on that. But, look at the bird!’’ The drinks had been poured, and the parrot had jumped down from Pete’s shoulder and was helping herself out of his: glass, tothe amazement and amusement of all observers, ‘¢ Hyer! Poll! murder seize ye!” cried Pete. ‘Pull your whistle out of that, you guzzler, | you! My drink first!”. “Set ‘em up for Polly!” ‘All right. Pour out another fer ther bird, Tamarack,” “ Here it is, and I must say that beats all IT ever heard. But, introduce your pard,”’ Dick had said nothing, ‘Sartainly. Mr, Mose Mantell, _ sir. Mosey, Mr. Tobin Tamarack. May ye both live till. ye dic, and may yer shadders never 2row less.” “Thank you,” rejoined the proprietor, giving his hand-to Dick as he-spoke. And in much lower tone he quickly added: “IT took you to be somebody else, and I wanted to give you just a word of warning in a friendly way.” ‘“Whom did you take me to be?’ Dick asked, ‘* Deadwood Dick, Junior.” “'Then you were expecting him?” ‘‘ Yes, after somethin’ [heard last night.” “And what was that?” ‘Some men were talking about him,” ‘For him or against him?” ne Against him, But, you seem interest- re) ? es so I am, for I’ am Deadwood Dick, Junior, my gogd man.’ “Hist!” the proprietor warned, in tone lower still. ‘‘Be guarded, for some ears here understand English,” ! In order to give “them a peters to say more, having heard this as well as Dick, Pete now began a loud tirade against his parrot, just to draw the attention of the men around. ‘You speak as if there is danger,” Dick, ‘* And there is, for you. 2 ‘‘From what direction?” : ‘‘Pay attention and I'll tell you. Two men in here last night were talking about pF Atay and they expected you would be here. heir names were Fernando Remolon and Diego Soslayo. You want to be on your guard against them. Idon’t know what their scheme is, but I heard that much, and Imade up my mind if any strangers dropped into my place I'd see who they were and_ warn them, that is, if 1 struck you,” “ Greatly obliged to you, anyhow, Mr. Tamarack, And, here's your health,” in a louder voice, ergrane his glass and dashing off what it containe “Set ‘em up again!” cried Poll. ‘You/darn feathered hog!” yelled Pete. ‘“Do, you want to git corned right off to oncet?” “Set ’em up again! Set ‘em up again!” ** Polly want booze!” _ The crowd laughed, but only moderate since but few could understand, All could hear and see, however, and they seemed to appreciate the situation, and the parrot was a novelty to them, © ‘Pl set ty a a gain, “plast yel” roared Pete, in by then d whee ‘as he Seubted. her the said out, {oF 5 yer smartness.” __ Then turning to the crowd, be added in 7 bird b neck foey feathers, ue d crammed into the big side j eatand ps ou jest stay thar till 1 git ready to J let yo | Somantes, Pete ee. ho oy | with Suse whiskers, a | cient for ordinary purposes, they were not. at Joss in that land of another tongue. Dick returned the proprietor’s favor by treating again, and when this was over, he tossed a coin on the bar and signaled the crowd to round up, 4 signal w hich did not have to be translated to make them under- stand, and he and Pete left the place. ‘‘ What was he sayin’ to ye?” Pete imme: diately asked. ‘“Warned me against two men, Fernando Remolon and Diego Soslayo. Said he had heard—” ‘‘'That’s the cuss!” Pete cried, excitedly. ** That's the name I was tryin’ to think of all the way, Dicky! That was it; Diego Sos- layo. But, what was et he heard ’em say: in’?” Dick repeated what the man Tamarack had told him. ‘ All right; let ’em open ther ball jest as soon as they want to,” Pete savagely mut- tered, ‘‘They’ll find us mounted, and all spurred and bristled, I kalkylate.” “Then this fellow Soslayo is the man from Arizona?” ‘Ther same cuss,’ ‘‘ And you will “it him at sight?” ‘*T ruther opine I wull, ef he don’t dis- guise too heavy,” “Then we are somewhat prepared for them, so Jet them set the ball rolling, as you SA 39° “Vag, and hyer’s a store where we can probably tog out in Mexic fashion, so let’s amble in and make ther dicker. We'll feel more at home.” So they entered, but had not observed a short, heavy, bushy- whiskered man eha had followed them from the station, and who was spying on them in a rather deter- mined manner, CHAPTER II, TERRIBLY ACCUSED. AN ESCAPE WuEN Deadwood Dick and Pete Parrot came out of the store their appearance was wholly changed. No one but would have taken them for natives, for they were Mexicans in every particular of dress, from hats to boots, and their hats were literally ‘* no slouches.” If there is one thing more than another the Mexicav prides himself upon, it is his capote, A hat that costs no more than twenty dol- lars is not much of a head covering; and ; very often a man wears two hats at the same time, ' The women wear none, ‘‘ What’s your name?’ asked Pete, in Span- | “Marcos Parroco,” Dick eel ' What is Aan Pete?” A parson, hey? That's purty good, any- how. Call me Pedro Papagayo.” ‘*Ha! ha! Still stick to Pete Parrot, even in Spanish, do you? That's good enough,” At that instant a shot was heard close be- hind them, a bullet screanied past their heads, aod a mendigo who was in the act of — approaching them for alms, threw up his | arms and fell almost at their feet. | Deadwood Dick wheeled instantly, revolver in hand. Several men were behind him and Pete, » and now they were bepaning to shout and wild] gesticulate. : uadert? cried one. “He has. shot a | man!” “ Officer!” yelled another. “Murder hae | been done!” “Yes, and which of. you er aid iter ed a. ellow Mette is 3 the gs He po ointed straight at Deadwood Dick. ou’re a liar!” “The shot came ape behind m man di fe argent Tres i) ‘rematable ie ye , it ~ = a - Ay 7 * aD en i, -¥ a i hai é y ks ¥ pistons: os . tee he wi 4 i f oe ~ ‘ *% yey ’ be ; 4 ria bog Sioa Ree ane cried tau rage. Hee: — = o.* gre 44a S' SME MES we Pi 3 ; ones B = @- S23 ~ . “ 2 Li ey . ayy aia N ax" : —_ mi a. et micbooks. com “sees? oS > i aa 3 <A