Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 916 — page 10: what you’re looking at

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

‘ - ft ‘oa 5 ee eee . . pC > ee 4 “Ti 'sl } AS wy 4s; al Tas : a" yj 28 i4 ME} LRP Ae 8 ~) Korat . 7 aig d a 4 ¥ re (* ’ queried Tram well. * é hie . fi « Ps’ ate : ins > Me A ad al pet Pk) © y : on nts aya. Peat ee ; hid wa f # - ry ~ rp asda “ All right; if you will do that we can probably pull through. But, let me chip in alone, first.’’ ‘* All right.” The men on the floor were squirming and cursing, trying to get upon their feet in all haste. Most of them had lost their guns in the sudden upset, and were at the same time making a wild scramble to get hold of them, by it looked bad for Deadwood Dick just then. But, he was Deadwood Dick! ‘Get up, you pack of fighting hyenas!” he called out tothem. ‘‘ Get up here, and let me have a little pistol practice at you!” He had now drawn his own peerless guns, With the drop on them, he certainly had the advantage for the time being, if no one else chipped in on the sly. ** Yas, we'll git up!” bellowed Bullion Bullwhack, ‘‘ You will find out that we aire up, you kin bet high that you will! Et means yer life on a limb, now, fer you ar’ ther cuss what killed Mainard,” ‘* Thet’s what he is!” ‘** At him!” **String him up!” ** Give him ther knife!” They certainly meant business. And so did Deadwood Dick, as they were likely to discover. ‘' Hold on, now, unless for your long boxes,” the Self-cocker called out, bringing his guns np to line. ‘‘ The ‘se man to lift a gun will get a bit of cold e r’ There was a grim ring to what he said. Even Bullion Bullwhack went slow about Foe he had a wholesome regard for his skin. Just how it might have terminated, cannot be told, for suddenly something occurred to claim all attention, and the men who had come for the sport forgot their errand. The Rouse-up Ranch, like all other places in the town, was lighted by electricity, and of a sudden the light took on a ghostly aspect. Those who had been ia the Lullaby at the time of the appearing of the coffin, felt a chill, in spite of thsmsel ves, Their eyes sought the center of the room, expecting the same vision again. or were they mistaken in their expecta- tions. A dark oo was seen. Bullion Bullwhack and his followers look- ed at it with mouths open, and Dick had nothing to fear from them for the present Exclamations and ejaculations were heard ou have spoken on every hand, and scarcely an arm but was pointing at the dark shape hanging in mid- air, calling the attention of some one else. ‘* What is all this about?” Dick asked. ‘* The shadder-coflin again!’’ exclaimed the mayor, ‘** Ha! is that so?” ‘*« Sure.” ‘** The thing that was seen in the Lullaby?” ** Is that all it was?” ** You jest wait!” rejoined the mayor. The shadow was growing darker speedily, and now its outlines could not be mistaken. There it was, a coffin beyond any chance of mistake, and yet it was only a shadow, for men could see one another, and other objects, through it. : Darker, and yet more dark, it grew. Then appeared an outline of white, the same as it had been in the other saloon. Those who had seenit there knew what was coming, and a hush of awe came over the whole crowd. lt wasa moment of ter- ror to many. | And yet all stood their ground, as if ~ fascinated, Deadwood Dick paid close attention to. every particular, trying to explain the mys- Be examined the lights around the room, i rd aS 1 : * 3 7 : Mp a} ] ‘ AL ae 4 é \ Crate vel f ‘ w= 7 7 t } wy a. ‘Pore biah ©) ae | declared Birdie McGluken. tS Andy * PY ips?) Loven, ; ‘ a) ei/ *44 « \ yee F % . - . Se mt er , 2? 7 y rj « ; + AAs ot F a a : ~ \e . ‘Oks f a} a, t r j Pi Abe , r, | ; . + ° - é ¥ for if it were a trick he believed that the electric lights were used to preduce the ef- fect, somehow, but just how he could not explain. In fact, he could discover nothing. Darker grew the outlines, until the coffin was quite black; then the white outlines within grew whiter. The form of a person was plainly seen, with something over the face, the same as on the other occasion, and the crowd fairly held their breath, some of the men as pale as death. Then, at length, the same holluw voice saying: ‘* Behold?” CHAPTER XII. TRAMWELL A MARKED MAN, THE crowd strained to see. Every eye was fixed upon the shadow- coffin. They could not have looked away if they would; they were asif bound. Slowly the cover was removed from over the face of the corpse in the coffin, and the face was disclosed. An exclamation cf horror broke from the crowd, and one man present fairly uttered ascream, turning away and staggering blind- ly toward the wall. That man was Bill Tramwell! The dead face that was revealed in the cof- fin was his! ‘‘ It was my merited doom,” came a voice from the shadow apparition. ‘‘ Behold, the wages of sin!” Immediately the specter began to fade rapidly away. he words spoken had been the same on the former occasion in the Lullaby, and they struck terror. ‘What infernal trickery is this?” almost screamed Tramwell. ‘‘ What does it mean, I demand? Who has dared to make me the subject of such a hideous joke?” ‘Et will be no joke, ef it turns out the same asit did with Mainard,” remarked the mayor. ‘‘ That was jest what his ghost said, and et wasn’t but a few minutes an’ he was made ready fer his box.” Tramwell wiped the perspiration from his pallid face. ‘‘T denounce it asa hoax,” he cried. ‘‘I have done no great sin, and I’m sure Main- ard never did. I tell you it is all a hideous oke!” i Heir is one thing sure,” said Deadwood ick, ‘* What’s that?” demanded the mayor. | The shadow was now gone, and the lights were the same as they had been. ‘‘TIt is certain that the Old Saint had no- thing todo with it this time, and I can swear that I had no part in it.” ‘* Plain enough,” agreed the mayor. ‘* Et would have been more to ther p’int, ef it had been your cussed mug in ther thing,” growled Bullion Bullwhack, address. ing the Self-cocker Sport. ‘‘ You will need a box fore Tramwell.”’ : 7 a be I will; who can say?” ‘¢ n. ? ‘You are so prone to mistakes that there is no dependence to be put in what you say,” ‘‘Make no mistake about ther fact that I have got you marked, and that 1 am goin’ ter have ’venge on ye fer what ye have done this night ter me,”’ Deadwood Dick, Jr.’s, Double-Decker. Pic. Sse ———————L LT Sees eee ‘‘No time like the present, Mister Man, | Put up or shut up.” The fellow had had enough, evidently, for he strode muttering away, and his followers with him. The whole room was in an uproar of ex- citement, and Tramwell was the center of all attention, every eye being fixed upon him. He was looking around apprehensively in -all directions. ‘Oi wouldn’t bein ynre place fer a farm,” ‘““And ef Oi ; ‘ ; ‘ iF ‘ a ' hy W Vy ry ? Heat! M is 5 a ¢: i 7 , ¢ : aA. « 7 { ’ i. | i . eff 4, . . vu A oe a 1 gj tre a : . a, why | oe! a, Le Raapal reek - rind i Fal, { 4 Tie ; Me | al of M nN a | { Jy 4) AMY Si ' ae Mh Te » ee eo 0 t _) ew 7 if mat ; f ie “| ‘ ae Faun.» J " 7 - i “ hi 7 =i rd if ee 4 ; < tiny ig? x : pe La ** + EP %y P « A as Am * i ie ; au aa H ‘7 ve heed r ah cal ay ‘s 2. oa a was, Oi would go and hole meself away fers = good spell.” ‘‘Be hanged to you!” growled the man, ‘Think I’m afraid?” ‘* Oh, no, sir.” “Then what are you talking about?” “Oi am talkin’ about phwat Oi would do an’ it was mesel’.” ‘And I'll teli you what I will do,” an- nounced Tramwell. ‘‘I will give a thou- sand dollars to the man who will solve this riddle ” ‘‘I guess your thousand is safe,” said the Self-cocker Sport. ‘*Then you give it up?” ‘No: but it looks as if it was the rea) thing, and no trick aboutit. I think if | were in your plave I would do as this young + a2 a 7. - man has suggested, go and bole myself | away.” The room wasin a whirl of excited com- ment. Impossible to catch more than the mere drift of it all, for to quote would be to over- run our space, Tramwell walked off to a corner, eying every one with suspicion as he did so, and he had not recovered his composure, or any- thing like it. He fairly trembled, as all could see, | ‘‘He is hit hard, it seems,” remarked Dick to the mayor. ‘You are right he is, pard,” was the re- sponse, ‘There must be something in it all.” ‘‘You kin bet there is. He will be in it himself, if he don’t look out.” ‘‘Well, I have struck a lively towu this time, sure enough! I wonder where our friend Klein is?” ‘““T give it up.” ‘* Ha! here he is, now.” | ‘‘Spcak of the Old Boy, and you have him at hand,” John Klein came in, looking eagerly around, and seeing Dick, advanced rapidly toward him, ‘‘Come with me,” he said, hurriedly. “* What’s up?” Dick asked. ‘*T don’t know; come along.” ‘* Well. just as you say.” Dick still had a gun in hand, and was on the alert as he followed the local sport out of the room. | He had nodded an adieu to the mayor, giving hima hint to have an eye upon Tram- well for the time, and the mayor had re- sponded by sign that Dick understood, But, every eye was upon the marked man. It would have been a difficult matter for an assassin to have done him harm and get away unseen. | Tramwell presently got some of his fol- lowers around him, and finally left the saloon and set off in the direction of his mine, under their protection. : But, to follow Dick. | ‘¢ What is it?” he asked of Klein, as soon — as they were outside. ‘*)’]l be hanged if I know; there is a mys- tery on every bush to-night, it seems to me.” “You have heard what just now tcok place in the saloon here?’ ‘Yes, yes; and it is wonderful.” ‘Where are you leading me?” “To the store of Widow Bachert.” ‘‘ And who the deuce is she?” ‘Mother of Charlie Bachert, whom you saw in the Lullaby.” | ‘Don’t remember him,” ‘‘No matter; she is @ woman who came here about the time this camp began to boom, and started a store,” ‘‘ Was a widow then?” | ‘“Yes: and Charlie was only aboy.” ‘Same name as Blondow’s missing boy.”” ‘ Yes; but nothing in that,” ‘* No, notbing in toat. ) Well, this woman bas just seen a ghost.” ‘Seen a ghost?” itt st ‘ . . 5 , ; nae * \ ; A + : 1S omy | bs VP di glk ie ate. td bed a he! ‘?. 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