Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 904 — page 10: what you’re looking at

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

age 10° a denies . . f __ Deadwood Dick had looked for nothing else, however, and he had a plan in mind by which he hoped to overcome the difficulty. ‘* This is what I expected, boys,” he spoke in guarded tone. ‘‘ We must lay hold upon them, as many as can, and lift steadily, and something is bound to give way. We must use care to make as little noise as possible, at the same time.” ‘*That’s the plan,” agreed Hurston. / “ Lay hold, boys, ali together, and then a long pull, a strong pull, and a pull together, and the thing is done. And, even if we are heard, it will weaken the fort just so much, for the two rascals will have to defend two points at once,” ‘* But, no noise if possible,” cautioned the Five-Spot Sport, The men placed themselves along the bot- tom of the doors, Dick with the resé, and at the word from him they lifted. At first the doors appeared to be as solid as arock, but, presently, a slight creaking was heard, then up came the doors and the frame- eh together, and the opening was before them, 4 ‘* You know the place, Chin?” Dick then asked. ‘** You bettee!” the response. ** Come on, then!” But very little noise had been made, thus far, all things considered. Those who had gone tothe front of the building had been instructed to keep up more or less of a racket there constantly. | ) Their noise, now and then, had come to au the ears of those in the rear, through the 4 building, and it was safe toassume that both . Grudge and Higgins had their hands full ; enough. Deadwood Dick stooped and crept into the opening under the doors, as he uttered the _ last quoted words, and his ally followed him closely. ; It was found that snow had been packed in the cellar, as the citizens had guessed. The cellar was about half filled with it, ~~ There was room enough to get over it, however, and the Chinee leading the way 4 they soon found the stuirs. __. Ascending silently, the doorat the top was tried, and to his satisfaction the Five-Spot Sport found that it was unfastene:| and open- Ma readily to his touch, and he looked into boat the main room. | if Douglas stooped and did the same. Two lamps were burning, and the fire in _ the stove in the center of the room was blaz- “A ing brightly. hae he two rascally storekeepers, who wanted | to take this advantage of their fellow-men at and rob them, were at the front door, one on either side, peering out at the shoutipg crowd, : Dick speedily took in the situation. On the side nearest to this cellar door ran the counter, and the end was but a few feet away. | The other side of the room was packed with goods, and the counter ran along to the front to within a few feet of the end, or about ‘the same distance as it was from the cellar r, Waiting a moment, until the noise without was a little louder than usual, Dick pushed open the door and crept out. _ His aide was right behind him, pushing the door closed again, and they gained the cover of the counter without being dis- Beh covered and silently crept slong behind it. J : a ss They were soon at the other end. _ Dick waited again for louder noise from he the crowd, and then looked out. _. The two men had their eyes glued to the | loop-holes they nad made, and were watch- By, o*s me erty, move that was made, | %, '§ _ With his five-shooters in hand, the Five-Spot et Spor crept forth as silently xs a shadow and placed himself behind Grudge, on the further | ide of the door, and then looked for Chin 7 7 - j J : 3 J ce _ \ a > “» soe WER wy a% Ad fs ‘ ‘ Ss] a. — i+ ~~ 4 ‘ > : : : ry : A ” > te ee of Piss ~s bd 7 a +. & ed “a Ce ot Ee Sy YY « r P| - rd he ING * v * ¥ - 4 : ‘4% id Fx 3 s atts a weight to the argument. ‘ ‘“A nice pair of fellows you are,’ said a ep , Tw : ra i 7 i> 7 A De AL SF of : a. 13 eee ri ‘A Jot! ¥ v - . . N 4 i r mi " “Deadwood Dick, Jv.’s, Trade-Mark, — ow eee He had been as quick and as silent in tak- Bh ate place behind Higgins. | ick gave the signal, and they rose. A step forward, then, and simultaneously each gripped the shoulder of bis man and poked a gun behind his ear, ‘* Don’t move for your life,” hissed Dead- ‘wood Dick, savagely. ‘‘ Give right in, or we'll make cold meat of you in about the \ said time you ever heard of in your ives,” ‘* Allee samee you jest bettee!”.echoed the Chinee. The two rascals had looked around, at the first touch, with a start that almost lost them some buttons, ‘* Thieves!” ejaculated Grudge, ‘* Robbers!” echoed his partner Higgins. ‘Yes, and you are the very pair,” cried Dick, sternly. ‘‘ Drop those guns, or [’1l let go at you at short range!” He spoke in a way to indicate that he meant what he said, and the two men, cow- ards at heart anyhow, let fall their guns with- out further argument, ‘‘ Lettee go likee hellee!” supplemented the Chinee, in the same breath, to give Dick, severely, ‘‘ totry to take advantage of your fellow-citizens like that. I1t would serve you right if they locked youup and kept you on short rations the whole time the storm lasted.” ‘nen you ain’t goin’ to rob us?” whim- pered Higgins, . ‘“ It would be the right thing to do, if it wasn’t against general principles, you ras- cal,” answered the spori. ‘* Whoare you?” gasped Grudge. ‘‘Tain Detrce-Trey, the Five-Spot Sport, and if either of you makes a move toward re- sistance while this Chinee makes you fast, I’ll set these patent perforating machines go- ing, and convert you into porous plasters in ubout ten secon’s, Do you savvy?” | ‘* Allee samee better had,” the pretending Chinee gave warning. ‘* You tie their bands, Chin Shang,’’ Dick now directed. ‘‘If they resist they will make their demise for the golden shore in the same moment,” The Chinee grinned, and sct about his task, and the two rascals made not the slightest attempt to resist, for they were as thoroughly frightened as two men of their size and weight well could be.§ ln a few minutes both were securely tied; then the Five-Spot Sport opened the door and stepped out into sight, ‘* Hooray!” cheered the crowd, ‘‘ Three yaups fer ther Deuce-Trey, ther Fifteen-Spot Sport!” Aud the cheers were given with a right good will, being heard all the way to the Cocktail. ‘*Thank you, friends,” returned the sport, ‘but please don’t change my name. I’m the Five-Spot Sport, not any more,” ‘Yus, you ar’, too,” wasthe shout. ‘‘ Five on yer bosom an’ ten in yer guns!” And they cheered again, | | Their noise apprised those in the rear that the sport had succeeded, for it was plainly heard through the now open building, and they came scrambling up from the cellar in short order. Chin Shang stood guard over the pris- oners, ‘Hal got them, did you?” cried Henry Hurston. | ‘* You bettee,” was the response, ‘‘ P’lices come down now.” ; ‘* Hal ha! ha! Yes, you bet they will, Chin! Where's the sport?” But it was not necessary to ask, for the banker went right on out and joined him even whilé asking. ; “Here Iam ”’ said Deuce-Trey, ‘‘and the fort is ours. Now it only remains to put in a couple of good men as clerks, and the 1 Ve. ras camp can have its supplies at the usual prices.” ‘* Usual prices!” cried the banker, ‘‘ Every man ought to have goods free, after this: trick.” ‘*Oh, no; don’t let the people turn rob- bers themselves.” ‘Don’t rob us,” whined Higgins. He was a man weighing over two hundred pounds, and the biggest specimen of baby the camp could show. ‘‘No, putin a couple of honest fellows, men who can keep account,” said Dick, “‘ and let the business be carried on upon the old scale. Those who have already made pur- chases can come now and get their change.” ‘* Robbery!” gasped Grudge. ‘They'll beggar us!” whined Higgins. Nevertheless, that was the plan adopted, and in less than thirty minutes the store was open for business on the old plan, and the citizens of Whoop-up could rin. their’ supplies at the usual rates—thanks to Deuce- Trey, the Five-Spot Sport, who, with the others, then returned to the Cocktail. CHAPTER XII. DEUCE-TREY TRADUCED. ‘ Ir was quite probable that the jubilant citizens would have carried the Five-Spot. Sport on their shoulders, had it been possi- ble. As it was, they accompanied him with whoop and cheer, and as soon as they enter- -ed the saloon they proposed a drink al} around — in his honor, and urged that Hurston should stand treat. Before it came to that, however, George Clancy announced that he had something to ay. a cf Fellow-citizens,” he spoke in loud voice, as goon as he had gained the attention of the crowd, ‘‘ particularly those of you who spent last night in this room, how many of you were robbed during the night?’ ‘* Robbed ?” ‘“That’s the word—robbed.” Those who had not heard of it looked at — one another in amaze, There was a\general feeling for his wad of wealth, on the part of every galoot present, It took but a few minutes to find out that no others missed anything, and no one save those first reporte1 had been robbed. ‘* Well,” Clancy explained to them, “ Mr, Bergman, Mr. Hurston, Mr. Terrell and my- self, all were robbed, and now the question is—who was the thief? We are determined to find him.” They were silent all. ‘‘We are all known to one another here,” the gambler continued, ‘‘ and there was onl one stranger with us, and there is the man. He pointed at Deuce-Trey, : “Ther Five-Spot Sport!’ ** Yeas" > ‘‘Oh, no; no, no;” said the crowd, almost tae as one man. ‘‘ Ther Deuce-Trey ain’t no thief,” ay fo ‘* He’s ther whitest nan that ae struck Whoop-up,” some fellow added. ‘‘ We'll stand by ther sport to ther end, you bet we will!” declared Clancy, determinedly; ‘‘ and how many of you who spent the night in this room are willing to be searched? You are ~ about all here.” ‘© Yer kin search me.” ‘“« Yas, an’ ycr kin search me, too,” And so the cry objecting. with the rest,” said the sport. ‘ “Do you see any objection to this, Mr. i. you, Mr. Bergman?” asked the — Hurston? or gambler. | ‘‘No; it appears to be all right, went around, not a man — am perfectly willing to show up “6 Well, this thing has got to be sifted,” si answered, © io ae eva m hat ite