Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 916 — page 14: what you’re looking at

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

5 aS, — % = a3 * jaa 4 » F Ae wy * i. A. g a 7 ee "embraces fondly. ‘*] am looking for you, if vou are Charlie Blondow.” ‘* And I guess you wouldn't found me in a hurry, think ye would? But, I found you.” ‘* Well, put your hand in my pocket, my boy, and get out my knife and cut the cords that hold me. Take care not to cut me while youare about it, though.” The little fellow cbeyed, and Dick was goon freed, ‘You are a trump!” Dick exclaimed. ** Now, tell me about yourself, my lad, and how you came here.” It was too long to quote as he told it. He had been lured into the house by one of Tramwell’s tools, had been made a pris oner, and had been confined in a sort of cage in another cellar. For a long time he had been busy trying to dig his way out under the wall against which his cage was situated, and on this night had succeeded in doing so. He was _ groping around when he touched Dick. This contact had terrified him out of his wits, almost, and it had required a good deal of courage for him to speak. ‘* Well, we will try it together, now,” said Dick, ‘‘ and I think we shall be able to make a goofit. Iam going totake you to your apa,” He had lighted a match ere this and taken a look at the little fellow. The boy was very thin and pale, but his eyes were bright and his face was intelligent and full of strength of character. At the same time the boy had taken a good look at Dick, and the latter had noted by the expression of his face that he felt bet- ter for having seen the face of his friend. Dick examined well the cellar they were in, and found that a per of double doors ted from it at the rear of the building. These were hooked on the iciatelo. It was uite probable that they were fastened out- side, too, On trying them, however, Dick was amazed to find that such was not the case. He opened one, with silent care and cau- tion. There came no peering 2 and stooping, he bade the boy get upon his back and take hold around his neck, and to hold fast, no matter what happened. And the little chap gro the directions. ith him on his back, and with weapons in hand ready for any emergency, Dick cau-: tiously made his way up out of the cellar, and took a wide detour in the direction of the Royal Mine. CHAPTER XVII. ATTACK AND DEFENSE, NotnurinG happened along the way. Dick met no one, and made his way un- seen to the point where the sentinel of the Royal had before challenged him and Klein. ‘Halt!’ was the order. | “You bet!” said Dick, cheerfully, but in low tone, ‘* Who are you?” “*The same man who came in with Klein during the evening.” ‘* We have to be mighty keerful.” **T have got Blondow’s lost boy with me.” ‘* What! you hey found Charlie?” ‘‘Ig that you, Toggy?’ piped the tittle fellow, calling the man by his popular name. | ‘Sure it is, lad! Thank ther good Lord you aire safe again. Pass right on with him, sir, fer thar couldn't be no better proof of Sip ‘tentions.” , Dick hurried on, and was soon in the + Soy he asked for Blondow. | The colonel was soon forthcoming, and at sight of his son he wept for joy. e embraced the little fellow, kissi again and again, and Charlie returned the him | a~ hem od . = YY ee i I : 2. as ‘ ~ Pe. a a : ey fe ME ay Pah ie < Deadwood Dick, Jr.’s, Double-Decker. ‘* Where did you find him, sir?” the father demanded. ‘It was he found and rescued me, sir,” was Dick’s response. ‘‘ He was a prisoner at Tramwell’s mine.” ‘1 was sure of it, curse the wretch!” Dick briefly told his experience. ‘‘ Yes, we heard about it,” said Blondow. “That is, we learned that you had been taken,” ‘* How did you learn that?” ‘Klein crept in here, more dead than alive, and told of the attack, and five of my men are out looking for you,” ‘‘ Have you any understanding with them concerning a signal by which they are to be called in?” ‘* Yes,” “ What is it?” ‘* Two rifle shots, close together.” ‘*‘Then let them be'fired. You will need all your force at daybreak.” ‘* What's up?” ** An attack will be made at that time.” ‘‘ Weare prepared for it. And, we have an extra stretch of pipe all ready.” ** How far will it reach?” ‘Within throwing distance of the Prince buildings,” ‘“ Good! We will make them think there is a second deluge on hand, if I don’t mis- take,” ‘* You bet!” ‘* But, let those shots be fired.” The colonel gave the order, and it was executed promptly. Deadwood Dick then told of the plan of the attack, as he knew it, and Blondow list- ened attentively. “It might have fooled us,” he admitted. ‘In fact, it very probably would ‘have done so. But, thanks to you, we are now fore- armed.” ‘* No thanks to me at all, but to our brave iittle boy here,”’*declared Dick. ‘‘ He would have made good his escape without any of my help, I certainly believe, while only for him I would be a prisoner still.” Dick paid a visit to Klein, where he was lying on a rude bunk in one of the buildings, and found that he was quite badly hurt, but not dangerously. From that time on preparations were made for the daybreak attack, The situation was explained to all the men, fully, each man was given his work to do, and it looked as if success must be won. Deadwood Dick was in charge, actually. The plan was, that when the attack was made, the men within the inclosure were to divide into two parties and start off in two directions. They were to go with a whoop and yell, to give the 5 ge to the enemy that they were falling into the trap, but they were to stop and turn back again to the real point of attack. There the fence had been weakened, pur- posely. When the rush was made against it, it would fall easily, and then the fun would begin. . Re cvied it the character of Tramwell and his followers, and having a little score of his own to settle, Deadwood Dick was nothing joth to be on the side of the Royal in the fray. At length daylight began toappear. | Every mon was at his post, and each had aclear understanding as to what was ex- pected of him. | When it grew lighter, so that objects could be fairly well distinguished, a terrific yell was suddenly heard in the direction of the Prince, and then came the charge. Whooping and yelling they came, as if dey nage their noise to drown the roar of the falls. * They divided as they ran, half running to the right and half to the left, and as if alarmed by this: action, the defenders set up ? ' a gal 4.* ) FIT ie. ” 3 « Bing aes fed a ) is : . VY, N : a . ‘ : i" <*, bes , fy ” ’ + . i> bo ©. ‘ \ * d Fe wht) 9 EM Sela oT: P : 4 * % FT. ¥ , A hak ea ‘ Ta - <9 f * “5 oH - 4 4 OF “ “> aye + "er ’ = ‘ * * fy a a if ro] »%, ‘Ay na EEE nn A, ‘pt ie —— << ae ; vy ae x = ‘ rn oe vA. ra | A > . fy hy 5 4 a j - : “a re 5S a yell within the inclosure and ran to the de- fense. Tramwell in person was in charge of one body, and Bullion Bullwhack was in com- mand of the other. The ruse within deceived them utterly, Dick had reason to believe that they had not yet discovered his escape, and they would not have suspicions of the true state of affairs. They whooped and yelled the more, and ran the harder and faster, until they con- sidered their scheme well carried out, and then of a sudden they wheeled and ran for the center, By this time the men within tbe inclosure had returned quietly. The shouting of the enemy ceased, when they turned, until they came together, when they rushed at the attack with a wild whoop, Right up against the stout fence they dashed, hoping to give it such a strain that it could ’be broken down; but, what must have been their surprise when it fell before them easily! In they went, heels over head, and in a moment all was disorder with them. Then began the fun, in earnest. It was truly a new kind of warfare, but it proved an effective one, for men could not stand for a moment against the terrific oe of water that was suddenly turned upon them, The moment after the fall of the fence the water was turned on. Six men were at the nozzle of the pipe, in order to bold and direct it with ease and dis- patch, and Deadwood Dick directed them. Bullion Bullwhack got the first dose. He was falling headlong over the fence, as it lay flat, trying in vain to stop himself, when the stream of water caught him and picked him up. ‘There you go, Bullwhack!” cried Dead- wood Dick. | And there he did go, true enough! He was picked up bodily and sent headlong over the heads of those behind, and others fol- lowed him instantly. . It was no battle at all, for it was all one- sided. That stream of water did the whole business, clearing the way wherever it was turned, and just as soon as the mob saw what was up, they wheeled and ran, while the men of the Royal cheered with a vim! The stream of water was kept turned upon them, and not a man escaped at least a severe drenching before he could get out of range, One who escaped with little harm done. was Tramwell, ; He had dropped back from the. attack upon the fence, and the first thing he saw, as the fence went down, was the hydraulic means of defense. | Not only that, but he saw his late prisoner there to direct it, and was the first to make the effort to get out of range; and he met with fair success, but not with a dry skin. As soon as the mob had been put to flight, Dick signaled for the water to be closed off. . A hundred men ran out the other stretch of pipe, which had already been coupled in one length, and this was quickly attached to the first, and reached nearly to the Prince. Another signal, and the water was turned on again, The enemy had now all taken refuge in the buildings around the Prince, but their shelter was all too frail, as they soon found, The finger of water pee off the chim. neys, tore off the suing es like so much chaff before a whirlwind, r pped out the timbers” and hurled them around like match wood, whole property lay demolished. CHAPTER XVIIL e Quire a nu ber of mesh hal been bu UITE a number of men but none killed, as it happened, — ; Sie . o ol - — rs, Hy Py wen mA uy i 5 and in less than a quarter of an hour the | + $4 . "% ‘ Ve \ée >)" A A p, \Saee, maar - - i. ve ‘ ‘ e 4 2 ae ive ry i : 4 ; i