Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 934 — page 11: what you’re looking at

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

Deadwood Dick, J y., at Flush Flats. | ——__- i+ VF end it will be a alee asant 4 the evening, and we can quainted.” “Well, we'll be there, you bet.” . Dick had been studying the paper with eare, even while talking, and ’had fixed its points well in mind. way to spend get better ac- t He now folded it and returned it to | Blaker. “Take mighty good care of it,’ he cau- f tioned. ‘If you lose it we are dumped, and I am anxious to come in for my share 7 of the find.” “Don’t have any fear of my losing it; I have earried it too long to lose it now— that is, having carried it so far, all the way from Mexico here. I Gan guard it as well as its former owner.” Yes, Il understood what you meant.” “Then we'll meet to-night. What time?’ “ Well, fix that to suit yourselves.” | “Say nine o’clock, then. That will be | about right, I guess,” said Blaker. | “That suits me,” acquiesced Dick. ‘You will find me here when you come, and then for a hard study of the map.” “ Are you going out again?” | ‘“Not now; I'll take a rest, Ll think, } before dinner.” Ps “Well, so long, pard, and hope we'll be successful. See you later.” “Yes, see you later,’ responded Dick. “Take care that no one else gets into the thing with us.’ So they parted, the two going out and Dick remaining. Not one of them was aware that they had had a listener, but such was the , fact, nevertheless; and that listener had been Star Sterling. She had overheard all that had been spoken loud enough for her acute ears to catch. A pipe-hole between her room and the one occupied by Deadwood | Dick lad _ \ given her the advantage. . 1 She had seen the three men come out | of the Odeon, and, hearing them enter Dick’s room, had taken advantage of the hole we have mentioned. On Dick's side of the partition the hole was behind a stand, and he had no knowl- edge of its existence. As soon as the men had gone, Dick | paced the floor. “Well, the ball is rolling,’ he mused, | “and the trap is set. Now it only re- mains to play well the rest of the game, . and the thing is done. A quicker case than I ever imagined it would be. But ‘the hand of fate seems to be in it, send- jng the <ehoe here just at this ' time.” While he was pacing up and down, thinking, there Came a Knock at the door. , He opened it and Nobby Nancy en- ae tered. | “T could not wait for you,” she said. + “T had to come and ask you how you ae ever did it, and what you found out?’ “Oh! by letting them think they were doing it all themselves.” : ety And what have you learned?” AY bisa “That they are here in search of the -. fortune, with the original paper in their | _ possession.” “Then they are the guilty ones with- out a doubt. Is it not proof enough in hs aue itself?” - xt han ' “Yes, to satisfy us, but we must have _ Pk ae such proof as will convince others, if need he.” “No matter about others; I am the one ako aet.” | “But you must do nothing rash or in a haste: Remember, your lover left it to La Jeft to you.” : aaa Cate How do we know that?” ae oe Ee “Judging by. the fragment of writ- o ane 7 a i Hy a) to be convinced, and, once convinced, I ‘ Mae - me to avenge his death. The fortune he Wie ba : ee ing I discovered. And, there is only one way to find the fortune.” “And what is that way?’ “By my keeping in with these fellows and working with them. All of.us to- gether may be able to bring it to light.” “IT know you do not mean what you are saying.” “Why not?’ “You have no need of their aid, if once you get that paper into your possession. Your aim is to hold back my -avenging hand; I can see through that. But you Shall not do it.” ‘Nor will I try to do it. I see it is use- less. | 1 will aid you in your scheme first, and then, together, you and I will search for the fortune, and it shall be yours, as your lover intended. But we must take care to let nothing be known, or all may be lost.” CHAPTER XV. COUNTER-PLOTTING. Perhaps it was fortunate that they had held their more important conversations earlier. The listener was still at her post, but what she heard further scarcely repaid her for the time spent. But she had heard enough—too much, in fact, already. Karly after dinner Maud went to the Odeon. Dick saw her leave the hotel, and no- ticed that she wore a vail, from which he drew the wrong conclusion. She entered the “pl: ice by the rear way. and, once within, sent a boy in quest of Sanford Mainard, with the message that she desired to see him immediately for something important. Mainard responded promptly. * Well, you have made up your mind?” he asked at once, ae Yes. 99 “And what is your answer $ “It is yes.” A smile came over the manager’s face immediately, save where the suggestive lump was on his forehead, and he took i step forward quickly, but the young woman waved him back. “Wait! Hear all!’ she manded. ° “Is not that all?’ “No, it is not; there is a condition.” “Let me hear it, and immediately.” ‘“T intend to do so. I will marry you, Mr. Mainard, if you will first aid me in obtaining a revenge and in cheating a hated rival out of the fortune she is try- ing to find.” “You talk in, riddles.” “T once told you that E could never wad you because I had a lover living.” ‘Yes, you told me that.’ “Well, now he is dead, and I must avenge his death. That done, and the fortune secured, I am yours. This is something that you can do for me, and at the same time benefit yourself.” “T stand ready to do that, of course.’ “And you can have some i ae ws How is that?”’, “The man I am working against, in searching for the fortune, is the one who knocked you down—" “Curse him!’’ “The girl with him is the rival I speak of, and while I would not care to harm her bodily, I do want to cheat her out of the fortune her lover left to her when he was murdered.” “ Murdered 2” ; “Yes; and his murderer is in town here, at this minute. He must die by my hand, or through me, and he is the "99 almost @¢om- one who now holds the secret concerning where the fortune is hid. Do you bo aco : .. ; ‘ + : : M a 4 ab ih ‘ir a: "oH 3 is noe r ms we". ° Zz fy ‘A yuk -” , 3 mx" J \ Py J 4k N ? i ong ; e WS " oe 4 ge Set » oie ol / Bs, arene ay ; il — Le we can carry it out, and come out ahead in the game that is being played?’ ‘Il see no reason why we can’t.” ‘We. have that fellow, Simon Pure, against us.”’ “And Il am happy that we have, curse him! IL will have some of the boys take care of him.” ‘* But it must not be done too soon.” ‘Why not?’ * Because i suspect that he will get tha? paper into his hands to-night, somehow,,. and then he will set out to find the for-- tune.” * Then what is your plan?’ “To let him find it.” “And what then?’ “To wrest it from him, and thus cheat my hated rival just when she thinks she: has everything her own way.” “IT have an idea that we had better not let it go so far, for that fellow is a hustler, and might possibly give us the slip. Had. we not better get at.the paper and find it ourselves?’ “ Well, perhaps. AiG om plished, gained.” ‘And you promise to conditions ?” ‘I do.” | ‘Then consider it as good as done. I will get some of the toughs of the town to aid me, and we will upset their game so badly that they will not know where they are at.” ‘ But, some things you must not forget. “What are they?’ ‘You must allow these two strangers; as: they appear here, to keep their appoint- ment with Simon Pure to-night at nine.” “Well, we ean do that; but, what-is to» be gained?” ‘“T can hear every word that is said, and) will know which one has the secret paper,” “True enough. And what then?’ * Then we can lay further plans accord- ing to what I overhear, most likely for the capture of all three of the men. I have nothing against .imon Pure, save that lhe is aiding my rival.”’ * You have never told me the full story... and even now you are leaving me some what in the dark,” “T will tell it now.” And she did, giving the facts concerning the past about as they were, and telling of I do not care how it is: so long as the end is. be mine on these ve the present as she knew it from her point — of observation, Mainard listened with close attention. , “Tt seems, then, that they still have the best of you,” he remarked. *In what way?’ “Why, you b -e only the bare fact that your former lover is dead, while they seem to be in possession of all the particulars.” “You are right in that, and that is one reason why I want to have a little more time to spy upon them. I have an excel-- ar advantage which they do not dreanr Oo reba She mentioned the pipe-hole leading fronm her room to that of the “peculiar’ man. “Well, it shall be as you desire, then,” assented Mainard. “And you will do nothing till you hear from me. Mh “* Nothing, save to make ready to act.” “Then we clearly understand each other, and there remains nothing more to be'said.. You. do your part, and I will keep my” word with you.” | ? So they parted, for the time being. CHAPTER XVI. THE SNARE SPRUNG. The remainder of the day passed quietly... No one could have pas are that such» ‘deep schemes were at work just under the- , | surface. At nine in the Me Hesiwond care ie ' , ; : “© j - - ~ Pit