Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 898 — page 15: what you’re looking at

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

} - —— ; \ : } \ | ofthe crime? That is not the party I have { f \ :.. Tony Young.” “Ha! That’s a new lead!” «The guess may be a wrong one, but I -@an’t help it.” : This was & new lead for Deadwood Dick. He had not once connected that fellow with the deed. . | «J think you are wrong, sir,” he said. ‘¢ What reason have you for suspecting him my Mind fixed upon, at all, and I think Iam “Fight.” } Py ; | | ; ‘‘Then whom do you suspect?” ‘« Sparkler Sal—none other!” ‘« Great Scott! you can’t mean it!’’ ‘* Nothing less, | assure you; and I do not believe that I am making any mistake, either. I would not tell you this, only that it is mot necessary to keep it a secret longer; and besides, I want you to help me.” ‘‘In what way?” ; “Tam going into the house, and you may come with me. My man will stand here on guard, in case the party should by any chance escape us.” ‘You are going into the house?” ‘‘ Exactly; as we have arranged with Mr. Van Bascomb.” ‘Then who in the name of wonder are you, ae hag | ‘Well, Lam ealled Deadwood Dick, Jr., ~ to let you into the secret, sir.” ‘Deadwood Dick! Thank God for your resence here!” cried Keefer, as he grasped ick’s hand. ‘‘I have heard of you, and it was my one desire that you could be here to take hold of matters,” ; | Your desire is realized, then, whether it amounts to anything or not. But, you have not told me why you suspect Tony Young.” ‘* Because he loves Clara Van Bascomb, and knowing how impossible it would be _ for him to win her against McKnight, the | J _ not know you.” - assured Dick, smiling. yeady?” once, and we'll be seen no more. thought fixed itself upon me that he was mad way. ‘You wrong him, Mr. Keefer, that I know.” ‘‘And why do you suspect this Sparkler Sal?” ‘Because, in this young lady she sees a rival, She herself is madly in love with McKnight—so much so that she would sell her soul for his sake, We'll seeif I’m not right. I’m on the right trail!” enough to try to rob McKnight, in that aw ET begin to believe you must be.” They had talked in whispers, and now made their arrangements in the same low tones. _ Dick and Keefer crept to the back door of the cottage, while Mongrel Mike took up a ~position in the deep shadows near the end of the piazza. | Dick knocked at the door. It was opened in a moment by Mr, Van Bascomb himself, who gave a start of sur- prise on seeing a stranger there, — | He recognized Keefer, however, at sight, and made no objection as they immediately pressed into the room; then, in the light, he sn recognized Deadwood Dick. “Ts it possible!” he exclaimed, ‘TI did cm hap, but in different dress,” Bravenet C02} ‘‘But, is the room *¢ TC ia | ‘‘Then Keefer and I will go up there at You close hour, and have it ap- , t l : he house at the usua A eaplh r that everybody is asleep, _ take care of the rest.” CHAPTER XVIII. _ CAUGHT IN THE ATTEMPT, ined tol, Dick and Henry Keefer re- _ paired to the room in which the attempt at ln murder — had been made. A dim light was db there, as if the wounded girl was _ sleeping, an the curtain was nearly drawn, a Hm, ; “4 ; x yh “4 ie b 7 : a Ne | ‘\ ’ ne Dat, * Ms; S's . igi 4 , ys ae ' ite . a : = — 4 aX ead 3 Sv) Fr At « . 7 ek” 4 : afi, WT ad : hie " ‘fe "nf “ Deadwood Dick, Jr.’s, Double Drive. : x ’ . ay 3 v F ‘¢ Be tied ite YG ‘ * - leaving just space enough so that the light might be seen without. The knife hal been wrested from the wo- man’s grasp, and a pair of handcuffs had In the room in which the wounded girl | been clasped on her wrists, so that it was now lay no light could be seen, for the shut- ters and curtains were all closed. Dick and his associate made their arrange- ments, and waited. Hours passed. At last came the long-waifed-for signal from without, and both men knew that some- thing was now about to happen. The signal was one that they could not mistake, and yet at the same time it was such that it was not likely to arouse sus- aad in the minds of any others who heard t. The light burned low. A form was seen in the bed, covered light- ly, and the person of the injured girl in fact could not have look more more real. Ona chair in the corner, reclining as if with feet upon another chair, was another form that might have been mistaken for that of the housekeeper, but, like the first, it was a form only! The two men were out of sight. _ At length a very slight noise was heard upon the porch roof; then followed a long period of silence, but, finally, the window gave forth a slight sound. Little by little, as silently as possible, the window was opened; a hand moved the cur- tain and a pair of eyes looked in, taking a long and careful survey of the room. Satisfied, evidently, the hand was remov- ed, and, @ moment later, a pair of feet ap- city under the curtain, reaching for the oor. It was plain that the person was a man. At any rate, that the intruder was in male attire. The feet touched the floor, onc Brac the body coming down under the curtain crouched to the floor, where-soon the head appeared, The face was masked. | Looking around fora time, the intruder then rose and took a step toward the corner where the dummy woman reclined on the chairs, Only two or three steps in that direction, however, when the night emissary turned and went to where the lamp was burning low on a stand, The light was put out, and, in the almost complete darkness, the intruder then hasten- ed to the bed, . There were other forms in the room, now, moving as silently as the intruder, Reaching the bed, the night visitant was heard—heard rather than seen, though the motion was visible to the two men so near at hand—to strike three desperate blows at the form on the bed! The blows were in quick succession, and all had been dealt before the fact was real ized that the object on the bed was only a dummy, There was an ejaculation of surprise, | mingled with fear, and the murderer stepped backward. In the same moments heavy hands fell up- on the would-be,assassin, . ‘There was a.scream in a feminine voice, which revealed the sex of the intruder, ‘Caught in the aet,” remarked Deadwood Dick quietly, his hand on the woman’s arm. : _‘* Inthe name of Heaven spare me!” cried the woman. ‘‘ Let me plunge this blade in-’ to "x own heart!” | é< and your confession, madam, The suspicio ot just yet, thank you. We want you camp something to'talk about for weeks easy for Dick to hold her while Keefer did as directed. Light was made, and at the same moment the door opened and others hastened into the room. The prisoner was Sparkler Sal! Among those to come in were, of course, Mr. Van Bascomb and the housekeeper, who had been keeping a tireless vigil, expecting they hardly knew what, but hoping the mur- derer might be caught. ‘Good heavens!” Mr. Van Bascomb cried. ‘* Sparkler Sal—you?”’ Her eyes fell before his stern gaze, ‘‘ You,” he gasped, ‘*‘ you whom I almost rte to—to— Great God, I must be dream- ng!” ‘It is the grim reality, sir,” spoke the great detective; ‘‘you can thank good for. tune that you have escaped the snares of a pair of the vilest schemers I have ever met— = Pr heartless and devilish iu their vil- ainy.”’ ‘*A pair of them, do you say?” “Yes, McKnight and this creature, and they were planning for—” ‘No, no, not McKnight,” interrupted the woman, eagerly. ‘It was all my work; he had no part in it.” ‘I know best about that,” returned Dick. ‘They were scheming against your life and your fortune, sir, and you have had a nar- row escape from their diabolical a This woman intended marrying you, if possible,” ‘*Heavens! and it might have been possi- ble. But, there is no question of her guilt, sir?” ‘None; we have taken her in the act, Be- sides, on her other visit to this room she lost a diamond from one of her pins, and I found the stone on the floor. By it I had already traced the crime home to her.”’ There could be no room for doubt. Everything was kept as quiet as possible till morning, when Deadwood Dick, Keefer, 15 Mr. Van Bascomb, Dick’s man and others left the house and went to the camp center. The strangers were looked at in surprise; ‘not that they were not recognized, in the daylight, but the change in their appearance | was so striking—so remarkable, that it could hardly be believed they were the same men. Then, too, it was seen that something had taken place. They asked for the mayor. McKnight was presently found, and on his making his appearance Deadwood Dick promptly placed him under arrest. The usurping mayor called loudly upon his followers to overcome the opposition and free him, but there was that in the flash- ing eyes and the commanding voice of Deadwood Dick that deterred them and led them to think twice before they made the attem pt. ‘Don’t try it on,” he warned them, ‘I am Deadwood Dick—if you ever heard of me, and whether you ever did or not makes no difference. I’m a United States Marshal, and I think I’ll try my hand at playing mayor here for a little while.” Thé surprise was complete, and the very name of Deadwood Dick was enough, McKnight was made prisoner, together with some others of his rascally followers, and the good effect was felt immediately. Then followed an expose that gave the you have fixed upon others it is now in order | afterward, and which showed up the inward for you to dissipate. Crime-stained for your misdeeds,” was Dick Bristol’s an- swer. | Ph) “* There, I have her now,” said Dick to Keefer. ‘* You light the lamp, steps are coming this way.” | | as you | rottenness of the ring of which Jimm are, I’ll see that the innocent no longer suffer | Knight had been the head. | | Sparkler Sal was brought forth, and a_ for already | evidence he had been hearing was given her and the ot son- ers, at which Dibed weba Dick passe the quietly gathering up, 4 aw it t ; 4 and there could be but one verdict. They = tis - ‘\ ' p ' .? a . ; nt prin ne | WARY Heat fre ia toa, comicbooks.col ‘ » J es) ,& ; : \ 4 NS fs 4 Saal 4 te at om . an ie > st. rf a AX - : i - ‘ 4 : 7 " ‘ ie . pe: é ye ' nee , “7 - "|