Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 971 — page 11: what you’re looking at

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

f will be so good as. to point out the place—” “I will show you the way, Eastwood. He started toward the door, the man in rusty black following, and the body sery- ant stooped to pick up the two grips he had charge of, when there was a loud and startling cry. It came from Ky-Ky again, and he stared at the man in rusty black for an instant, a gleam of intelligence in his eyes. Only for a moment, however, and the light died out as usual. “What is the matter with the man?” inquired the doctor. “Don’t mind him,” said the mayor. “He is loony, that is all. He is perfectly harmless.” “A lunatic, eh? A good subject for hypnotic experiment, perhaps. Would you believe that I have restored shat- tered reasgn more than once, sir? It is a fact; I have.” * You would find it a hard thing to ac- complish in this case.” “Tt might be easier than you think. You have no idea what advances we men of science and medical lore are making, sir. Itis perfectly astounding. I believe I will make the acquaintance of that poor fellow, and see if something can’t be done for him.” “See here, sir,” said the mayor, -turn- ing and facing him, they having passed out from the saloon: ‘‘ I am mayor of this camp; my word here is law. I forbid your having anything to do with that fool. Do you understand me, sir?” “Why, certainly; I would not do it against your wishes, sir, of course not. I was not aware that you could have any objection, sir.” “Well, I have. I will not have any such experimenting.” >? spoke up CHAPTER XII. HOT-HEAD SEES A POINT. They proceeded to the cabin so recently occupied by Duplex John. On the way the mayor gave the partic- ulars of the murder that had been com- mitted, and no further mention was made of Kyler Kyle. _ The Chinee servant followed close be- hind his master, carrying the two big grips and trotting along in a comical Manner in his thick-soled shoes. His baggy trousers and’ loose blouse were a _ Size too big for hint. Dr.. Pettibone expressed himself as well pleased with the cabin, and took possession, and after a little common- place talk the mayor left him. The mayor returned to the Jolly Polly. Hot-head Smith was there, and when the mayor entered Hot-head called him to one side. “Do ye think everything is straight and reg’lar, mayor?” he inquired. “What do you mean? ” “JT mean that seedy-lookin’ doctor and his Chinee.” | “TI do not see anything wrong with them, Hot-head. That is to say, no more than that I think the doctor is a quack.” “Tf he ain’t any more’n that, it won’t matter.” ~ “What do you mean?” “I suppose it is onpossible that he kin be ther man we least want ter see "round hyer?” “Ha! ha! Why, Hot-head, have you taken leave of your senses? Of course it is impossible. What ever put such a notion as that into your head? You are losing your grit.” | “Not a bit I ain’t, but you know ther man we have got to deal with, and we _ have got ter have both eyes open.” “ - x : a _ Pa es ay. oa 21) Ce Ps Vs ~ . i*s ¢ We A yon ats 4) Peat tae | * re Tas ae) ey - ms at < , oA a wget ft toe * r) ‘ ° ¢ ‘ a e “ 4 . ‘ - - " » 7 . : % “eh bo + F . rr a Age - * - vot at Sates bd wl i a Deadwood Dick, Jr.’s, Oat ‘““And our mouths closed,” said the mayor. “Yes, true enough, and you won’t find mine open much ov ther time. What I am sayin’ now I am sayin’ to you in pri- vate.” “ Then you suspect—”’ * 7 don’t suspect nothin’; I only asked you ef thar is room ter suspect any- thing?” “No, there is not. You can rest easy on that. However, if you are not easy, call on them and satisfy yourself. You can make believe that you have got some ailment or other.” “T think I'll do et, other thing.” ““What is that?” “Ky-Ky.” “What about him?” “D’ye notice how much oftener he is gittin’ his spells? ”’ “Yes, I have noticed that, and some- thing has got to be done with the fellow, that is certain.” “And did ye notice that ther sight ov ther doctor seemed ter make him take on wuss’n ever?” “Yes, I noticed that, but do not at- tach any importance to it.” “Why don’t ye?” “ Didn’t it go to prove that he is get- ting worse instead of better? At any rate, [ hope he is; we have got to watch him. There was nothing about this doc- tor to set him off.” “Wull, I have mentioned et all to ye, and no harm done. I'll go up and give ther doctor a call, as soon as he opens fer business.” “Yes, there can be no harm in that.” “Do ye think Duplex John will be found, mayor?” “I hardly expect that he will. He will put distance between himself and this camp about as lively as he can, my opinion.” “ And the other feller?” “The same,” “D’ye know what I thought, mayor?” “No, what?” “I thought that mebby that feller, Du- plex, was Deadwood Dick.” “ You did?” “I did, fer sure.” “What put that idea into your head?” “Wull, see ther nerve he had, and see the dead shot he was With his gun.” “ All true enough; but, on the other hand, see the foul murder the fellow did here. You could not lay that to Dead- wood Dick.” “Then you really believe he done et, mayor? ” , “Why, you lunkhead, how can I think otherwise about it?” the mayor de- manded, irately. The mayor looked the rough fellow squarely in the eyes, and Hot-head seemed inclined to avoid the gaze. “ Wull, I wasn’t sure of et,” he said. “You were not sure of it?” e< No.” “What are you hinting at? Come, you had better speak right out, I give you warning.” “ That is what I allus have done, may- or. That’s what I done now, ain’t et? I thought ther feller was Deadwood Dick, and I thought mebby you was will- in’ ter let him be s’pected.”’ ‘Not at all. He did the deed, no doubt about it.” ™ Then,, ‘cording to what ye told me, we have still got ter look out’ fer Dead- wood Dick?” “Well, yes—that is to say, I suppose so.”’ But thar is an- “Mayor, what is ther use ov yer beat- in’ about ther bush with me?” « * r’ ” C GN » at - a¢ “v hy 7s; ABUSE pa — , : 7, *- rt a h. : > 4 _ - - . . i 4 " . - | ’ J . ‘ ia ve +". pa : 4 > r 4 r. < ~~} A 11 “Curse. you, what are you driving at? Speak out, now, and no more of your insinuation! ” “Wull, let’s look at a sartain feature of ther case, ef ye please. Dave Ham- ilton war found dead in his cabin, mur- dered to ther bone—so ter say.” ae Yes.” “And thar wuz ther tracks ov that feller, leadin’ straight up from his cabin to Hamilton’s, and then straight’ down to ther stage road, without ther least ‘tempt at hidin’ ’em.” “ Yes.” “So fur so good, then. Now, Gil Rog- ers wuz right when he p’inted out that no man in his senses would kill another and then leave such a plain trail as that fer others to foller.. That is one reason why I don’t believe Duplex John done ther job.” “One reason why you don’t believe it! What, then, is the other? ” “Wull, et is this: Ther knife what ther murder was done with was found in Duplex John’s cabin, wrapped in a pair ov old overalls that had belonged to Honset—same as ther knife had belonged to him, and ther tracks ov Duplex John was plain proof that he hadn’t gone back thar.’ The mayor was looking at the man with eyes dilated, by this time. ‘“ Hot-head, I never thought of that,” he declared. ‘‘ Why didn’t you mention it before?” | “Fer ther reason I have said, that I thought you knowed et well enough but wanted to put ther feler out ov ther ‘way—” “You hound! Do you imagine that I would have hanged an innocent man if I knew it? You had better have a care how you speak to me. You might as. well say I would murder.” “No, not at all, mayor. But, ye see, I s’pected et was Deadwood Dick, and I . thought that you had ther same view ov ther matter, and I knowed that you wouldn’t stop short at anything ter put him out ov yer way, and that wuz ther hull of et. I have told ye.” “ Have you heard any one else mention 1 this?” “Mention what? ” “This proof that Duplex John did not do the deed.” “No.” Poet | “Do you think any one else has no- ticed it?” ; “No, I don’t think any one has, may~ or.” | “It is too late, now, to think of look- ing for other tracks, that is out of the uestion.” “Clean out, mayor. Ther hull camp has been trampin’ over ther ground all day. Ther only thing ter do, sence ye believe that Duplex John wasn't Dead» weod Dick, is ter proclaim his innocence and let him come back hyer and try ter onravel ther mystery.” The mayor’s face bore a puzzled ex- pression, CHAPTER XIII. _ DOCTOR AND PATIENT. By night the great Egyptian healer was ready for business. A flag bearing his name had been nailed to a stick over the door of the cabin he had rented, and his posters’ were seen here and there all over the > camp. When it was growing dark, Chinese lanterns were lighted and hung out, and the doctor’s cabin was the most brilliant spot in the whole gulch. Then, a little later, some red fire was burned in front of the cabin. | . This, of course, to draw a crowd. ‘ : ' - 3). MP as » - Whe: wre . f le a ; . ae