Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 898 — page 13: what you’re looking at

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

a _~ ~ we ee a a ~s - egy ee es 4 - —_—. - - le ap ea ee et tl ee a Ge, - iO (bir. aver ‘ ea r . + ~ desired, but that he did not want to do. - _He thought and reasoned a whole argu- ~ ment for and against, in the briefest fraction of time, and followed that thought up with t action that saved his life and cheated the wo- - man’s purpose, Moving his head as she stretched her aria, -and reaching out at the same time with his left arm and touching the weapon with his finger, he felt the bullet flit along his sleeve f t left the weapon, and it did not escape his head by many inches. missed the mark. Dick was as cool as ice, + Running steps were heard instantly, as men rushed to the scene, drawn by the re- port of the weapon. ‘‘ You meant business that time, madam, no denying it,” Dick observed, ‘‘ Put up our weapon and do not try it again, or I shall have to disregard your sex and proper- ly defend myself.’ ‘“You cur! You coward!” the woman cried, her eyes flashing with indignation and __ her voice raised to a high pitch. ‘I ought to ki!l you where you stand!” ‘On second thought, lest you might try it again, I’ll take that gun,” said Dick. He moved even as he spoke, or sooner, and as gently as possible wrested the pistol from her grasp. ‘« What means this?” So demanded Mayor McKnight, running out from the bar-room. ‘Tt means thatI have been most grossly insulted, that is what it means!” the woman cried. ‘(And that she meant to kill me if she could,” added Deadwood Dick. ‘Which would have served you right,” cried McKnight. ‘‘ You must understand, sir, that this woman, thou bh a card-queen, is none the less a lady, and I will stand in her defense!” ete “Jn which you are right,” asserted Dick. “But, I am not aware that I have offered her any insult.” | ‘‘ You lie!” cried the woman. | ) ‘Will you repeat what I have said, then? ‘‘ Repeat what you have said! Sir, do you _ mean to add this as another insult? “Not by any means, madam. You say I have insulted ‘you; I claim that I have not. It is a question of which tells the truth.” ‘‘ And you have been told that you lie. ‘‘Which I deny. It would be impolite to alee to say more. on saber me Se pRole. - gize for saying I had caught you cheating a | eat. aul avely said I would think about it, and—” : ey ‘Mr. McKnight, will you believe him ~ Against me?” ad ‘* Never!” cried the mayor. ‘‘ Mr, Strader, come with me, and let us have this settled. I take the matter up for this lady.” ‘‘ How many paces?” asked Dick. “No, no, not too quick about that; I am willing to let you explain, and if you will apologize it may be settled without any blood- - Jetting.” Wie __ “Yshall make no apology,” said ‘‘ Horse _ Strader,” decisively. . : “Then, curse you, we may as well huve it out here and at once, I allow no man to insult a lady in my hearing without taking it up for her! Come, and it shall be your life or my own, sir!” ‘You had better be sure you are right be- fore you go ahead, sir. Have'l insulted this lady in your hearing?” "4 - “T take her word for it; it isall the same. | ica her say in what way I have insulted r? | ‘* Not necessary. Come, the crowd will make room for us, and a couple of shots will do the business for one of us.” McKnight turned to descend the steps, the Deadwo However, it had | his arm, | | — We ahs - o me > o A d ae caw the move; he knew what was coming; | Dick was just starting to follow, when - he could have drawn and fired first if he had , Sparkler Sal called out: ‘“No, no, Mr. McKnight, let it pass. As long as I had ashot at him for it, and he knows what it came near costing him, I do’ not think it will happen again’ You must not risk your life for it.”’ ‘‘T’ll risk everything,” cried McKnight. ‘* No, no—” ‘1 tell you I will! Come on, sir, and the best man wins!” ‘‘No, no; I teli you it shall not be,” and the woman ran after the mayor and caught ‘*Let me deal with him myself, and do not risk your life. What would I do without you?” in lower tone. ‘Do not interfere with your champion, madam!” requested Deadwood Dick. ‘I can take care of him, I think, Iam willing to risk it, anyhow.” ‘No! no! I will not allow it! I will not al- low any one to risk his life for me—” ‘* But, he has insulted you, you say!” ‘‘ Let him come, madam; do let him come!” from Dick, coolly. ‘*No! no! I cannot allow it! Do not in- sist, Jim,” fondly. ‘‘ Accident might be against you.” ‘‘ And must I stand disgraced a coward?”. ‘Never, on my account!” put in Dick. ‘‘ Let him come, madam, pray, and perform the hero’s part. I can’t do any more than kill him.” ‘‘ By heavens! you shall do that, or I'll kill you!” cried McKnight. ‘* Out of my way, Sparkler! I will have his blood, now, or he shall take mine, one or the other. swear it!” McKnight made a break to get away, but the Sparkler flung her arms around his neck and detained him. ‘*T guess we'll have to postpone it, sir,”’ in- sinuated Deadwood Dick, smiling. He had unloaded the chambers of the wo- man’s revolver, and he now tosséd the weapon on the ground. ‘We'll meet!” cried McKnight. ‘‘ This shall not be forgotten.” ‘‘ All right, as soon as chance offers. All I ask is fair warning when you are going to open fire.” ; ‘* Tl give it.” Dick walked away, and when he had gone some distance McKnight succeeded in re- moving the woman’s arms. ‘Had I known you would interfere thus,” he growled, ‘‘and make a show of me, I would have been more slow about jumping to take up your cause, There is no satisfac- tion in this,” | “* The satisfaction of having you alive and well,” was the low-spoken response. ‘* Well, | suppose so; but I was willing to take the risk,” ‘That man is not the one to fool with. I fear him—dreadfully,” ‘ ‘I certainly did not mean to fool with im.” They entered the house, and the crowd melted gradually away. Later on, when McKnight and ‘ Horse Strader” met, in a place out of the way, the mayor held out his hand. . ick’s hand had dropped to a gun, but he removed it and met the mayor half-way, and they shook hands, It did not look as if the mayor was very bloodthirsty. ‘*Didn’t know whether you meant it or not,” assured Dick, ‘‘so I was prepared for you,” ‘“T see you were, but that was all bluff. I want to stand right with Sparkler Sal, you see.” : ‘That was it, eh?” ‘Yes, that was just it. Nothing more,” ‘‘ It is-plain to see where her affection is centered,”’ _ ‘*T guess you are right. She thinks a pile of me; no use trying to disguise that.” ‘* But, can you imagine why she should crowd fell back to make room for him, and | have lied as she did?” -*, 2 ( : | oa is i . ae hee “* a ORATION ae Cl | Te PY Z rp \ | t a 4 4 ¥ e « > - ae AG ¢ te fu why , j- Re, a a hy 2 ae bs acent 7 08 ne _——w—e > ol ee ol ~ i Dick, Jr.’s, Double Drive. | tt ‘You ar’ about right, an’ that’s whyl sist on a hundred as ther figger.” | =| ‘Well, if I make it a hundred, what ‘ then?” | | 4 “Tl git thar, gal, ef I have ter wade a through fire an’ water, an’ swim in- TA ky ee i That’s ther kind o’ man I am, an’ don’t you. Ae deny it!” | Sraes!: Pollet a eatl ‘‘And you can keep the secret, you. y think?” “i | , it '% ¥ ° we Ye UE : a3 [a 4, ‘> = ee ge , 4. c.” J Sid ~ a, f ar et - ® ~ 9 4 ‘ * te . >» * i? . i .> t VY REY RRs .- “a ’ “s i * ‘ ‘ p s - ** About what?” ‘‘She says I insulted her; I did nothing of the kind. I merely refused to apologize. That was all.” ‘That was it, then. She meant to pop you over for that, I take it, and if she had succeeded, that would have been her plea— that you had insulted her, and the boys: would have stood by her.” ‘Well, that was cute, I must say.” ‘‘She is full of tricks, and it will do well for you to look out for her.” ‘“And how are we going to settle the score? Not likely that any one sees us here, but how when we meet in public?” ‘“That’s all right, too; I have promised to give up my intention of killing you at sight, sir.” ‘Very well. lady, however.” ‘* It will pay ae to do that.” So they parted. I shall look out for the ¥ CHAPTER XVI. A LIVELY HUSTLE. EARLY in the evening the alarm was’ sent out that Mongrel Mike had escaped from the calaboose, No sooner the report, than a crowd ran in the direction of the lock up, headed by the two mayors of the camp, McKnight and — Hummingbird. Others having direct interest were with them—‘‘ Horse Strader,” Henry Keefer, Sam Claffinger and Hud Taylor, Whit Simp- son and Tony Young, and many others. The report was true. ‘‘] knowed it!” cried the deputy-sheriff. ‘‘If he hadn’t been guilty he would not ’a’ dusted.” . *“‘ It maybe that he has been taken out and poohed, cried Deadwood Dick. ‘I want. this thing sifted, Mayor McKnight! If he has escaped I'll aid you in taking him, butif- hanged, then J] want vengeance!” ‘* Let’s investigate the thing,” cried Mc-- Knight. The guardsmen were called. They knew nothing about,it; there were the eae chains—which it appeared it must_ ave takena horse to draw out of place, and there was the open door. And the guards- men swore they had been there all the time. Here was a mystery. ‘* T tell ye I knowed it!” insisted the depu- ty-sheriff. ‘* That blood on ther cuss’s sleeve wasn’t thar fer nothin’.” ‘* He’s lit out tersave his skin,” | ‘Or has been taken out for his skin,” again hinted Deadwood Dick. ‘ I’ll give a hundred dollars to the man who can find, him or his body.” | A whoop greeted this offer, and many set out at once to make a search. The Se obi could tell no more than they had told already, and it was soon found useless to question them further. Deadwood Dick, McKnight, and Hum- | mingbird returned to the Cosmopolitan | Saloon in company, 1 In the mean time the woman sport had been attending to a matter of business. ‘She was behind the saloon, talking earnest- ly to & man, and that man was Dick Becker! ‘You know you runa big risk,” she was \ saying. ‘1 know et, gal.” f “And if you are discovered your death is certain.”