Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 940 — page 10: what you’re looking at

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

10 se C—O eee Deadwood Dick, Jr.’s, Shake-up. —— - —_— — — CO — — ——--— “You have it straight. I am the per- son sent for by Trivet.” “TI was sure on that point. Now, Trivet has left it for me to state his case for him.” It had been the sport’s intention to dis- arm them as soon as he got hold of Welch- er. He had not thought of their skedad- this kind save on the side of right,.and' you appear to be in the wrong.” ! ** Appear to be, I admit it, in the face of Welcher’s story.” ~ > i one eee aie ae 7 dling, but he let it pass, and did not allow his men either to shoot or to pursue. * Well, your escape did not do you much good,” he observed, when Welcher came up. “ There will be another round before this thing is settled,’’ growled the prisoner in vicious mood. “T am ready to take one now, if you will only say the word,’ spoke up Happy Harkins. “I’m mighty dry.” , ‘You go to sulphur!’ was the retort. But Happy sang: “There is a happy land, far, far away, Where prime old whisky flows, free every day! Oh, how I long to see That land that is awaiting me! Ob, how happy I shall be When I'm thar’ to stay?’ The rough element of the crowd laughed, but the others gave little or no attention, being busy with the prisoner, and Happy went off to the Hog Pen to take a dose that would hurry on his departure for the land awaiting all who worship at whisky’s altar. “What are you going to do with your prisoner, sir?” asked Tulip Tilly. “Why do you ask that?’ was inquired. * Because I think he expects to be put back in jail, and has it planned that he will be rescued again.”’ ‘IT have thought of that, so I shall pro- pose to Mr. Harding to have him impris- oned in some part of the Blue Wasp where it will be impossible for the ruffian’s followers to reach him.” ‘Curse you! You will not do that?’ the discrowned mayor cried. “Why not?” asked the sport. “It will repay you for the way you jumped me last night, and more—it will make the camp safe from your ugly presence.” “That is just what we will do with him,” asserted Harding, at that moment coming up. “He will not be safe at the jail, but he cannot get away from us at the mine, I assure you.” ‘To the mine Buck. “We are likely to have more trouble with these cusses, and we want to have our hands free to give ’em particular fits the next time! ‘There is going to be more of © ruction here at Reilley before this muss is settled, I'm thinking!’ CHAPTER XIL , HARDING RECITES HISTORY. So away to the mine he was rushed. Meantime, the doctor of. the camp had been sent for to see to his arm. A strong stockade fence had been built around the mine property, in the ex- pectaney of an attack sooner or later, and in this were a pair of heavy gates, which - eould be closed and effectively barred, while in fence and gates alike were loop- holes for defense. As they entered with their prisoner, the gates were closed after them, and Welcher was placed in an unused tunnel with a guard to watch over him. | The sport then went with the manager to his office. “Well, Mr. Harding,” he said, “I under- stand that I owe my release from limbo to you. Accept my thanks.” “In a measure, yes. That is all right, though.” *“ And it has been hinted that you want to sea me. If there is anything that I can do for you—” “Mere is much you can do for me, sir. You are Richard Bristol—Deadwood Dick. Junior, if I do not greatly mistake, and “you came here in respoose to the call of one Jim Trivet.” , with him,” urged Dan * All right, if he prefers it that way. He stated that he has suffered a great wrong, and that he has been cheated out of his own.” * Right, to a certain extent. Let me give you a little history; then you will know just where to begin operations.” “Fire away!’ The manager had handed out some ¢i- gars, and both lay back in their chairs to enjoy a smoke while they chatted. “ Quite a number of years ago,” the man- ager began, “two prospectors, Job Welcher | and Thomas Dalton, discovered this mine | and claimed it in partnership. They had made a rich find, but could not work it to their satisfaction, owing to trouble with Arrapahoes and Pawnees.” *T have heard something of this from Welcher,” said Dick. — “You will now hear the truth about it from me, Mr. Bristol. He no doubt added that the mine was now jin full blast, and paying big returns to the rascals who pre- tend to own it. No matter. I am the chief of the rascals in question, and I ex- pect and intend to hold the mine against all comers at any cost. Well, the original owners had to abandon the claim, but they did it only as a temporary matter. They converted their crude gold into money, buried that, and got out. They had made a map of the place, which they sent to their sons at home, a half of it to each. “Welcher’s son’s name was Ben, and Dalton’s was Murdoe, generally called Doc for short. With the map came a letter to each, saying that if the fathers did not return the boys could set it down as final that they had gone under at the hand of the Indians, and they were told to set out together, when it became safe to do S80, and recover the box of money and regain possession of the mine. You see, the original papers concerning the mine are in that box; but, if I can hold possession here about a week longer, the mine will be iny own under the time allowance. If I lose possession for a single hour, meantime, I shall have to spend that whole time over again to get the same footing.” ‘**T see.” “On the other hand, if I ean find that box of dust and the papers, I can claim it by that. If Jim Trivet gets it first, he will claim it. But if Ben Welcher gets the papers during this week, then good-by to all our hopes! There you have the whole thing in a nutshell.” | . “But it is not altogether clear to me.” “What part is misty?’ “Have you any right whatever to the property? And are not both you and Trivet trying to cheat Welcher, even if he is no angel?: It is enough to make him show his spurs, if anything. would.” — “Why, one week more, and the mine is my own! Would you expect me to give it up?” ‘*Not unless forced to do so.” “And then I shall have a legal right to Sige ‘* But not a moral right. Trivet, meantime?” | “If he gets the, papers, it will go to him, and I'll be out.” “And how ean he claim it under the papers ?” | “By swearing that he is Welcher, and by proving it, if he can, 2gainst such proof as the other fellow would show up.” “Tt looks as if you and Trivet are work- ing together.” * Well, we are.” “Then I cannot be of use to you, that I can see, I do not enter into a game of What about \ eee —O_——OC_oOCOCOC ee ee ist” —_——_—- -—_— ———~——— ee a as “Ha! What now?’ ‘“T have more to tell you.” ‘* Let me hear the whole matter, then.” “The sons did set out to find the hidden box of money and claim the mine. When they got out here in this country Doc Dal- ton made friends with a fellow named Paul Gibbs, and they laid together a scheme to murder Welcher, take his part of the map, and share the proceeds.” * The villains!’ “That does not do them half justice. They carried out their plan, as far as their intention went. They shoved Welcher into a horrible gorge, and left him there, after robbing him, having no thought but that he had been killed instantly on striking the bottom, But they were mistaken. A big. tree down there, with branches as soft as’. a woman’s arms almost, caught him, and when he came to his senses there he was! “I will not trouble you with the story of his suffering. He got out and came here. and here he is to-day as Jim Trivet! But he has no proof that he is the rightful. owner of this mine—notia scrap of proof! Meantime, Gibbs had tried to rob Dalton of his half of the paper to elaim it all for himself, and they had a rupture in conse- quence, Gibbs was a thorough scoundrel at heart—no need to tell you that, but I mean that he was little short of an out- law, and he had a big following of rascals like himself. He came here eventually fo scoop the mine, but found me in posses- sion, and I haye so far managed to keep him out.”’ “It appears to be something of a tangle, I don’t know whether I understand it clearly and fully or not.” “You will when I haye done. There is no question but that the fellow we have here a prisoner under the name of Ben Welcher is really Paul Gibbs—in fact, I ean swear that he is, and will so swear. And there is no question either about his still holding half of the paper that will show the hiding-place of the box of money. He has been on the watch for Dalton to ap- pear to find the box, and when you came last night he jumped you at once! As the time has grown short, he has, of course, been more than eager to get that box and the papers it contains.” “You may be right.” “Where Dalton is is a mystery. haps he is dead, I am of the opinion not. however. I think he is working as sly a game as Gibbs, in order to get possession of both papers, and I want to defeat them both and get them myself if Lean. That is what I wanted to see you about, sir.” “Then you yourself are really a robber, and would steal the mine away from Triv- et, since you have acknowledged him to be the rightful owner.” | ‘““Ha, ha! Do you not see the fine point?’ , “Tam afraid not, sir.’ “'Trivet and I are ome and the, same man!” ; It flashed upon Dick in an instant then. and he recalled all that Dan had said re- specting the habits of Harding. “Your disguise is perfect, sir,” Dick de- clared. out some clew fell into my hands to turn my suspicion in that direction sooner or later.” Per- “Yes, I have tried to make it perfect, | As Jim . and it has answered its purpose. Trivet there was little danger that Gibbs would molest me, if I took care to avoid him. but had he known that Harding was really Welcher, then he would have mur- dered me without a thought!” “I would not have guessed it with-_ : ‘ 4 / — iy