Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 940 — page 3: what you’re looking at

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

: ; | | ? your own way anyhow. Go back to your camp, since you ought to be satis- fied that I and my pard are not the per- sons you first took us to be.”’ “TI ain’t a whole lot satisfied on that point yet,” declared Welcher. ' “Well, you have got my word for it, and I don’t see what more you can get, Go back to your camp and I will hunt up my pard alone, if you are not inclined to help me willingly. I think you have only frightened her out of her wits, and that I will find her somewhere up the gulch.” A secret signal must have been given, unobserved by Dick, for at that instant, despite the fact that he was “ready for business,” some of the men leaped sud- denly upon him. The attack was so quickly made that in spite of his struggles Deadwood Dick Was speedily made a prisoner, disarmed, with his hands tied behind him. “We'll attend to looking for her our- selves,” then announced Welcher. ‘“ You Need not give yourself any concern about her; we can find her if she is in the gulch —or anywhere else, and she'll soon join you at Reilley, Mr. Doc Dalton.” “Felix Fox, if you please,” correeted Diek. “Ha, ha! That is too slick a name to be real, Dodger Dalton. I think we know you hard enough.” “You never made a bigger mistake in your lives; but no use trying to convince you on that point, I suppose. What are you going to do with me, believing that I am Doe Dalton?’ “Wull, we ruther think that a leetle wholesome hanging would do you good,” Suggested Happy Harkins, a hard-looking customer, “ That is it,” added Welcher. “You will give me a fair chance to prove up, I suppose,” suggested Dick. “Oh, yes; you will have a trial, of course, But enough of this palayver; let’s get down to business.” ~“ That will suit me better,” said Dick. “Don’t care whether it does or not,” retorted Welcher. “You will find that we do business at Reilley without regard to the other feller. Two or three of us ‘will take this feller to camp, boys, and the rest of you go on and find that gal, and don’t come in without her.” “All right, pard, we'll fetch her.” “There may be a double trick about this. Maybe they had the box of money, and she has sloped to hide it.” “By Juniper! looks like et!” cried Happy Harkins. “How much reward to ther feller what gits et? I have a notion to go on that trail, But my stumjack is eallin’ loud fer a drink jest about now.” “You had one just as we left camp.” “And I'll have another soon’s we git back, you bet!” “Well, come with me, you and Bill; the rest of you £0 on and find the gal, and make :sure of her. Acting under these orders, all but two of the men, besides Ben Welcher, hast- ened on up the gulch, while Welcher and the other two, with one torch, conducted their prisoner in the opposite direction. It was galling for the astute Deadwood Dick, for now he painfully realized that Nanty Jane had been right in her guess concerning the men and their intention, Dick could have made a hot fight and a good stand, even against the great odds, but perhaps it was better as it had turned out, for his girl pard might have fared badly at their hands. He hoped that she would get safely away, for more reasons than one. “Well, now that you have got me,” he said to Welcher, as they went along, “how are you going to prove that I am the man you think?” }? Deadwood Dick Jr.’s, Shake-up. 3 “We'll leave it to men who have known ye,” was the answer. ‘If they say you are Doc Dalton, why, Doc Dalton you are, and nothin’ you can say will change ther verdict.” “Then you will give me no chance to defend myself?’ . “Wull, ef you kin prove in the face of that that you ain’t Dalton, we'll have to take it, of course,” “Then there is only one thing I ask.” ‘* Name et.’, “Give me a fair chance to prove up.” “Oh, yes; you will have a trial, as I Said, and you will have a show.” In due time they entered the camp, when Dick discovered that Reilley was one of the wildest holes he had met in many a day. As they entered, a street fight was in active progress, and pistols were crack- ing on every hand, while men were. wildly yelling and hooting, some of them too full of liquor to know what the fight was about, or to realize the risks they were taking of stopping a bullet. Welcher and those with him quickly dodged out of range and took shelter be- hind some of the shanties until the fuss Was Over. At last the firing ceased, and the yelling subsided; then Welcher proceeded down the street. Two or three dead men were lying stretched out on the thoroughfare, no ene giving them heed, and the crowd were making for the various open doors, hunt- ing for further ‘‘fun.” Welcher walked in the direction of the Shanty Palace, the only hotel the camp boasted of, but before they had gone far the prisoner was remarked. ‘Then a shout arose in the camp and the denizens came pouring out anew, ready for anything further that might contribute to their en- joyment., niticntnsslialy CHAPTER ITI. A GAMB OF BLUFF. . “FHillo! Hillo!” eried one loud-mouthed brawler. “‘ What have ye got thar’, Ben Welcher?” , : “That remains to be seen,” Was an- swered. ‘Don’t crowd the ‘mourners here, but come along if you want to. I reckon. Judge Lynch will have a trial in the mornin’, if nothin’ breaks.” “That's ther talk!” eried some one ese. “ Anything ter keep the ball rollin’. But say, who is ther feller ye have got thar’? Hang me ef he ain’t a looker, fer fair! He’s a reg’lar Texas Jack, fer looks, or would be if his hair was yaller instead of coal black.” \ Dick’s appearance at that time com- manded admiration. He was in fine flesh, his hair rested in a bed of coils on his shoulders, while his fine mustache and keen, magnetic eyes added to the charm. “We want to find out who he is,” was the answer. “Don’t be too anxious, and you will see all in good time.” “ All right, Welcher, you are ther doc- tor, seein’ that you are mayor of this hyer camp and chief cook and bottle washer in general. We reckon that you know what you aire about.” “T presume I do.” “T hope et means a treat ther first thing, boyees,” eried Happy Harkins. All made their way to the Shanty Pal- ace, and by the time that resort was reached the crowd was great. The bar-room was a roomy place, and Ben Welcher and the man with him at once walked their prisoner to the center of the room.. A big lamp was suspended from the ceiling, with a tin reflector over it almost as big as an umbrella; so under it they halted their prisoner and faced him — ee EEE around, calling out to the crowd as it came pouring into the room: ‘“Now, boys, take a look at this cuss and say who he is.” . “Give et up!” cried one. “* Ask us somethin’ easier,’ lowed. But there were others still who sang out at once: “Why, et’s Doe Dalton, an’ nobody else, that’s who et is. Whar’ did ye git him?’ “A little bigger and a little fatter, and Some better lookin’,’”’ chipped in Happy Harkins, “but Doc Dalton all the same; hey, boyees ?”’ “Yes, yes! The Doc for sure!’ But there were others who said no, so it was an open question as to who the prisoner really was. “You see,” said Welcher, Dick, “that settles it.” “Does it? I fail to see how.” “The crowd Says so.” “Let's see if they do, before we go any further. All who think I am Doe Dalton, hold up your right hands.” Six, eight, maybe ten hands were seen, here and there in the room. “Now, how many think that I am not Doe Dalton?” Dick next asked, well sat- isfied with the showing. Twenty, at the very least, were in- stantly raised up into sight. ‘Does it settle it?” asked Dick, calmly, turning to Welcher. “If you go by num- bers it settles it in my favor.” Tt looked as if Dick’s very presence was already winning friends for him, even there in that wild corner of nowhere. Something in that flashing glance com- manded respect and sympathy. ‘“Let’s see again,”’ cried Welcher, leap- ing up onto a chair with a gun in his fist as he said it. ‘‘ Now, you men of Reilley, how many of you agree with me that this feller is Doc Dalton? As many as do, jest put up your right flippers whar’ we can see ’em.”’ The hands of more than half the crowd went up instantly. “What do you think of that showing, prisoner?” demanded the mayor. “ Now, how many think he is not Doe Dalton?” glaring around as if to challenge any one ‘o say so if he dared. \t first not a hand appeared, but pres- ently one was stuck up into view. ‘Ha! it is you, is it, Jim Trivet?” cried Welcher, picking him out instantly. “TI have had trouble with you before, and you still crop up, it seems. What makes you think this feller ain’t Doc Dalton?’ “For the mighty good reason that he don’t look enough like him.” ‘*Mebby you forget that it is some years since Dalton was hyer.” ‘* And maybe I knew him about as well as anybody when he was here. You have made a mistake this time, Welcher.” “You are the only man that thinks so, anyhow.” ‘ ‘Some others thought as I do at first.” “Why don’t they say so now, then?’ The mayor glared around again with 4 seowl, and not one of the men who had before favored Dick dared to speak out. “You see,” Welcher added, “they have seen their mistake and have come over to the right side. I say this feller is Doc, the crowd says the same, and you are the only one who says otherwise.” “There is one other,” spoke up Dick. ‘‘Where—who?” .- “T myself. I assure you, my friends, that I am not the person named. Never, saw him and never heard of him. I am} Felix Fox, an all-around sport, and if 1 am given half a chance I will prove up. to your entire satisfaction.” “T believe ye, for one,”. declared. the} J another fol- turning to man called Jim Trivet. 43 _ om ”