Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 898 — page 11: what you’re looking at

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

. 7 J wa ‘wre . - 2 2 — . . Te le) TY toe ME GA Ce eT eee ine JBL OB at : ~ — 7 ay wat iat, ; * _ Wed Piya. ; bum") «Wt oh Sat Jat : Ppp be oan * L ri ar Ag ‘ea’ rt i. he a> tf 3 es ‘ie ‘ Foam 4: iia et , , . ~ ‘ ‘ o i , dua. ‘ : "> f a ‘4 ryt 7 '¥ oy ‘ ’ ¥* . ra vA a5, rr SE - ™ =, mar Lh . 7 2 & . - be ? ~ r ‘ . 4 + ' rm . . ~ "Ai a . - ot, * - “ : - ' : ? Deadwood Dick, Jr.’s, Double Drive. Te , _ s : > ee ee em a oe : - = —_— a et oe SG.5 7 a ey ee, —_— — - te pea ee Te * While they were still there, in a crowd, | not quick] a shout was heard, and Whit Simpson the j at once,” deputy sheriff was seen coming around the Hardscrabble Inn with a prisoner. That prisoner was Mongrel Mike. ‘*Hillo!” cried some one, ‘‘ what means this hyer?” ‘‘ A prisoner, by jokus!” cried another, ‘* Yas, an’ mebby he’s ther man what done the deed!” They all surged forward to meet Simp- son, to learn what the arrest meant. The deputy had hold of his prisoner by the arm, and h ear to govern him, ‘‘ What’s this mean?” cried McKnight. ‘Tf means a prisoner,” the answer, ‘*]T see, but on what charge?” ‘* Murder.” ‘The deuce! against him? tried to kill Miss Van Bascomb?”’ What proof have you a revolver pressed behind his | coolly. You think he is the man who | seen. ** Then you ’splain et.” ‘‘] think some one has daubed this man's sleeve for effect.” ‘* Git out! Who would do that?” ‘The would be assassin himself, course.” ‘What d’ye think, pards?” ‘‘ Et don’t go down,” was the cry. ih String ’em both up!” another voice shout- ed. ‘* Go slow about it, boys!” spoke McKnight ‘“ We must get at this thing right. We mustn’t do anything while hot-headed that we may be sorry for afterwards.” “‘ What loss isa fellow like this?” ‘* He has a right to his life, sir,” cried Dick, ‘and I’m going to defend it, you can bet!” ‘‘ Le’s see ef he kin,” cried some fellow un- ‘‘ Le’s string ther cuss up anyhow, pards, an’ show him that we ar’ ther people of ‘“That’s what I do; look at that ’ar ; hyer yet!” sleeve.” | : The deputy had now come up with his prisoner, and, as Simpson spoke, he pointed at the prisoner’s right sleeve. It was smeared with blood. ‘‘ How came this blood here?” cried Mc- Knight. | % don't know,” the answer, ‘* You don’t know? That’s a likely story, that is!” ‘¢Jt’s the truth,” ‘How did you get onto him, Simpson?” ‘*] thought maybe I might find blood on somebody, and I set out to look at every man and woman in the camp. Nat’rally i took jn the worst ones first, and here is the re- sult.” ‘‘Hel'o! Mike, what means this?” This inquiry came from ‘* Horse Strader,” who just then appeared to the front, ‘‘ Means that I have got some blood on my arm, an’ that I’m ’rested for the murder of that gal,” “This looks serious. How did you get the blood on you?” — ‘‘That’s a mystery to me.” ‘Ha! ha!” laughed the crowd, a likely story, thatis!” wat ‘* Nevertheless, I believe it, Deadwood Dick—Strader. °’. this fellow some time, and he 1s straight,” ‘* Yes, he looks et!” : | ‘‘He’s your pard, an’ you would stand by him, anyhow!” __ ‘An’ ef he did do ther deed, mebby you had a hand in et, too; we can’t swear to et,” ‘‘ Well, you want to go slow till you are sure. , there before you went to sleep? ~~) Dead sure,” ' ‘* Where did you sleep?” ‘On ther main floor of the big ther stables.” 3 ‘* And course, on you. 3 ““T don’t see how else>’ **Ha! ha! ha!” laughed the —**That’s wuss an’ wuss, that is.”’ crowd, part of | atel ou slept with this shirt on, of | take no chances; omebody must have put the blood | forthcoming.” —--_- + CHAPTER XIII. THE SPARKLER’S CONCERN. THis was shouted from somewhere in the crowd. In such throngs there is always some one ready to make the excitement of the moment greater if possible. At the same time there was a push, and those in front were moved forward a step in the direction of where ‘‘ Horse Strader” was standing. Dick raised his guns-to the level. ‘None of that,” he sternly commanded. ‘‘TIf you are seeking trouble, that is about the surest way of making it.” ly ‘Yes, none of that!” supported McKnight, placing himself beside Dick, he also with | weapons in hand. ‘‘ No one is more anxious than I to find out the guilty person, but I want proof—dead-sure proof and no mere guessing.” ‘‘ You aire right,” voted Zeke Humming- bird, as he also placed himself in line. ‘I hope we ar’ men of law an’ order, ready ter ‘* That’s give a poor devil a fair trial ‘fore we send him I fer one am ‘gainst any hangin’, i declared | hyer, an’ I back up ther mayor-what-is in | ‘*T have known | this thing!’, There were instantly others, and the lynch- ing was nipped in the bud. ‘Now, I'll tell you what I propose,” spoke up Dick. ‘* You have a calaboose here, I suppose?” “You bet!” ‘* Well, lodge this prisoner in it, guard Mike, are you sure,that blood wasn’t | him well and use him well, and give me a fair chance to prove him innocent if I can, “What say?” “'That’s a good idea,” McKnight immedi- fell in, ‘‘l am determined that the guilty wretch shall suffer, but I want to proof positive must be This meant business in the right and the crowd gave way. .- Mongre! Mike was lodged in the cala- boose, and ‘‘ Horse Strader” and the mayor had a talk, shape, y enough to make a daub like this | nothing,” ‘He's the man, eh? But, I agree with. you that he did not do the deed.” ‘*Who in the name of heavens did?” ‘* Give it up,” ‘“And yet you think you can clear your man?’ 7” ‘I’m going to try, at any rate.” — ‘“‘And are you anything of a detective?” ‘* That remains to be seen.” ‘“What I was going to say: if you are, help me in running down the guilty one and I'll handsomely reward you.” ‘* Well, we'll see what we can do. Now that I have an interest in it, I'll begin to nose around a little. I felt as if it was none of my business before. There is Sparkler Sal.” She was on the piazza of the hotel. McKnight looked, and she motioned to. him, ‘“‘ Well, so-long, Strader!” he said, ‘* See: you later.” Dick responded by a wave of the hand, | and sauntered on. / The mayor joined the woman, ‘* What terrible thing has happened ?” slag asked, at once, ‘‘ Isitreally true— But, it. is folly to ask that now. Still, it does not. seem possible.” ‘* What?” ‘That Clara Van Bascomb has been killed. —that is, that some one has tried to kill her, Do you think the man arrested is the right. one?” ‘“Impossible to say. He’ll swing if he is, be sure of that.” “Then itseems that you really cared for that girl, afterall,” with something of a sneer and fire in hereye. ‘‘ Can’t you understand?” cried McKnight. ““ Suppose she had been killed, all our plans would be knocked in the bead! Evenas itis there must now be a great delay, all for ‘‘ And if it had been fatal—” . ‘“ All the work todo over again, in that case, in some other way.” ‘‘ But is there not some other way? She may die anyhow, and, it will pay us to look around.’’ “‘ T guess she is not so badly hurt that she will not get over it, and I will have to wait. And, too, this sets your own plans back a. little, for Dave will not be inclined to make love for a few days, anyhow.” ‘‘T suppose not; but, we'll make the best. of it. If Clara had been killed, let us sup- pose, how would you have managed it?” “ Well, a forged will anda forged marriag certificate, you appearing as his widow t scoop everything —” . ‘Excellent! That is better than the other way, a good deal.” eral ‘‘I don't know about that, for there is a greater risk to run, and the chance that we might get tripped up.” “Yes, but see how much quicker it would i be!” | +e ft," “Tf it worked well; but, it might not. work well. The relations would swoop down, and might be able to oust us; but, if the marriages were genuine, then we could kick xy ~~ a —~_— a eg ee ot —.; a v- =~ = ld ak — ° . ~ a = 7- ° 4 “ They ar’ both guilty!” shouted some fel- : low. ‘* We’ll make no mistake by hangin’ o em right up!” : out together?” KcKnight asked, _ ™ You'll make a mistake if you try it, I ‘** It is possible; or, we might work separ- warn you,” retorted Dick, displaying a brace | ately.” them out.” : oly egy _*T would be willing to take the risk.” tian ‘‘Tt will not be necessary, for we can af- ford to wait a little while.” — nee ‘* And it is this waiting that is killing me, “Don’t you think that we can work this ae “ sé : Aka of fivers. ‘‘I certainly 1m innocent, and I Yes, either way, but you have a motive mean to stand by my man till he is proven}as wellasI. You want to clear your man | James. If you only knew how I hate the 5 guilty.” _ , | Mike, and I must revenge the deed that so | table, and how much I love you!” ou «What more proof do you ask?” cried | nearly cost my promised bride her life,’ | ‘“‘I know all about it, Sparkler, But, be ae ee Simpson, | , £our promised bride?” urs) patient just a little whiie, and all will come _ an fi _. _He pointed at the sleeve. ig , x es. | | outright. A couple of marriages, a couple — ae ; . ey _ * A great deal more, sir,’ thundered Dick, Let me congratulate you. By the way, | of accidents in some manner or fashion, and = a _ Would you claim that this blood was | had ae & rival?” | i oe | the way will be clear,” Win thy, ENA smeared on that man’s sleeve in the act of | ‘* Well, yes, I had such, but it is not to be} In the mean time Deadwood Dick had gone; HH} { av _ striking the blow that wounded Miss Van | supposed that he would do a thing like | on in the direction of the Van Bascomb cot- Bcd, iy Bascomb?” ‘| this.” Uo ates | _ | tage. £ Baht i b aoigpsais ‘Et looks s’picious,” nes ‘No matter; who is he?” ‘‘ What is that man going there againfor?” =| ss ** Not to me it doesn't,/sir! The victim] ‘Keefer, the superintendent of the Mar- | the woman asked. RRA s Se, t- y ae has not bleda great quantity, and certainly | guerite.” ‘Why, it is his man that has been arres ~ Ped ey : ae, re ; : Sain Paw f. f vp, . 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