Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 971 — page 13: what you’re looking at

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

are - ” ue : ¢ Ry ‘ | conversation, a talk _) terest to our readers, but rowing at last their light was out ~ The Chinee, behind Mr. Turner and With his back toward him, had written something on a bit of paper, and he now interrupted the doctor in what he was saying by stepping forward and handing it to him. “Did you dlop this on floor?” Chinee asked. ‘“‘ Maybe I did,” said the doctor, taking it and reading the few words it con- tained. “ As I was about to say, Mr. Turner,” he continued, “come to me again about two o’clock in the morning—’”’ “Two o'clock!” the astonished Job exclaimed. “Yes. Yours is a serious case, and I am giving you a powerful medicine. You are kept awake a good deal at nights anyhow, and it will be no trouble for you to step over. Come quietly and tap lightly at the door; I will be expecting you and will let you right in.”’ “Well, if you say so—”’ “TI do say so. hold. of a case unless I think I can cure it, and my reputation is at stake. Go home now, take the dose as I have dir- ected, and come again at the hour named. Do not tell any one, by the way, that you are coming, for I cannot be bothered with others with trifling ailments out of regular hours.” “Well, I’m grateful to you, doctor, I am sure, and—’”’ “ There, there, don’t mention it. It is pure business, Mr. Turner. I have got to cure you, you see, or I get no pay.” Some further remarks, and Mr. Turner took leave; and no sooner had the Chinee locked the door than he turned to the doctor with rather a changed expression. “The very man we want,” he said, in low tone. “You think he is to be trusted?” * Yes, I do.” “ All right, then, we will trust him. I the _ tell you, we are in the lion’s den with a vengeance.” “Nevertheless, we are able to take care of ourselves, I think. With half a dozen trusty guns apiece upon our per- sons, I think we can give an interesting account of ourselves.” ; | “ Not a doubt of it. How am I play- ing the role?” “Famously. You are my best bower.” “One thing I forgot to ask my pa- tient.” . ‘What was that?” ‘ Whether it was a secret that he has sent for Deadwood Dick, or known to others besides himself.” Not important, and we can inquire into that when he comes again. Ten to one, our worthy mayor has had a hand in it somewhere. We are on the right track, Mr. Whitley.” word that was sai _ Chinee, Him makee you well allee same like door silently, and Job Turner step “ Not a doubt of it, Mr. Bristol.” They had spoken in tones so low that _a listener outside, no matter how keen his ears, could a have overheard a For some time they carried on their that would be of in- which our nar- space compels us to omit, but and the cabin Sharp at two o’clock came a tap on the door. | ‘The Chinee got up and opened the “ Evelything all light,” whispe “Doctol all leady to see you. % | sound dolla’, you bettee. Stand still, me - «% * | gittee light. Ay | " — me et s \ ‘ 4 hs wu , Od a - » Gat . ' va > : id a . P . ' f ® ; ' ¥ “ - 4408.9 “,* : bos ‘ a Sot ae Te! Yop wi Ste eS § Mi < if 1 ‘ut 1 ee 2% : 3H " >" r + 7 | md al r Tp: $ » ke Pee Ne ee Ts ban = J ~ ~ s ~~ mur . wwtetre 94 * : You see, I never take ed in. d the | With so many mysteries i 1 ONG iN ’ * at ‘ Deadwood Dick, Jr.’s, Oath. The doctor’s servant had closed the door while speaking, and now he struck a match and lighted the lamp. The light revealed Turner standing braced against the side of the door. He looked as if he didn’t know whether it was all right or not, but the appear- ance of the doctor immediately reassured him. “I see you are prompt, Mr. Turner,” the doctor pleasantly greeted, but in very low voice. “How do you feel? How did the medicine appear to work on you? Do not speak louder than this.” Turner sat down in a chair that was offered him, and gave the particulars asked for, the doctor listening attentive- ly till he had done. “T am glad it has worked that way, Mr. Turner,” he said. “ You are as good as cured already.” “You don’t say so!” ejaculated the patient. “Yes, I do say so. I can cure you in one month, sound as a dollar, if you fol- low my directions.” “Vl do it, I’ll do it. Words cannot begin to tell how grateful I am to you, doctor. I'll blow your horn wherever I go and bring you all the trade I can, I promise,” “T have not a doubt of that, my good man. You naturally would feel grateful to me, I suppose. How would you like to show me how grateful you are? It is one thing to say a thing, you know, while it is quite another to put it really into performance,” “What do you mean, doctor? I don’t quite ketch on, as the boys say. You just try me, though, if you doubt me.” “I think you are to be trusted, Mr. Turner.” “ Try me, try me.” “Have you heard anything further about the mystery of the murder of your friend?” : “No, not a thing. But, how could it be expected? It is too soon, for we have only just sent for Deadwood Dick, as I told you before. I cannot hope to meet with success till he gets here.” “You say ‘we’ have sent for Dead- wood Dick. Whom do you mean besides yourself? ”’ “I mean Mayor Hastwood.” CHAPTER XV. SPREADING THE NET. Then there was a moment of silence. The Chinee had turned the lamp down until they could no more than see one another distinctly. Job Turner moved a little uneasily on his chair, and looked from one to the other of the strange pair in whose com- pany he found himself. The doctor was the next to speak. “Don’t be alarmed, Mr. Turner,” he said, “there is no occasion for it. We are using these precautions in order that. no one may know what is going on here. I will take you into my confidence now, and tell you that I am here for the pur- pose of finding out who killed Dave Ham- ilton.” vA | Job Turner gave a great start. “Then you—you are—Deadwood Dick?” he whispered. : “No, sir, I am not Deadwood Dick,” said the doctor, smiling. “Then you are not Duplex John— But, no, I can see that you ain’t him.” “No, I am not he, either. No matter who I am just now, Mr. Turner. Let us turn back to the main question.” “And what was that? Hang me, but you are gettin’ me sort of discombobbled, 3 all at once. will have to refresh my mind.” You ., : , i :* » . Cn re ch ise ae 5S LS XK RT asin + ais aad: i ha aoa re TG, EAN” § S eo - ECcom (eo) @) a a" ‘ hag my e , “Why, you were to do me a favor to prove your gratefulness, you know.” “Oh! so I was.” “ Well, are you ready to do it?” “Yes, if it is anything that’s honest, and it is anything that I can do.” “It is both. You aid me in what I de- sire to accomplish, and I promise you that I will find for you the murderer of your friend.” “A bargain, by Joshua!” “Not so loud. We must work with the utmost secrecy, or our plans may be upset.” “ But, say,” and Job sat up straight in his chair, regardless of his back, “ have you been foolin’ me about doctorin’ my . back? If you have—” “No, my friend, no, no. I am a regu- lar physician, I assure you of that, and I have prescribed the right thing for you. Have no concern in regard to that. Il am no traveling quack.” “ Well, I have to take your word for it. What is it you want me to do?” “You trust me?” ac Yes.”’ “If you cannot do that, I do not want your help. If you can and do trust me, I will do all that I have pledged.” “All right, let me hedr what et is.” “Can you tell me where the foolish fellow Ky-Ky is at this moment?” “No, I can’t, but I s’pose I could find him, if it was necessary he should be found. where he sleeps.” ; “Very good. I want to find him, [I want to bring him here, and, in spite of your mayor to the contrary, try to re- store the poor fellow to his right mind. Now, are you still grateful? ” “Thunder!” the man ejaculated, “TI didn’t think it was anything like that.” “Then you want to back out?” “No; but Mayor Eastwood is a terror if you cross him, and I had rather have him for a friend than as a foe.” ‘You feel quite certain that he is your friend, I suppose? ”’ “Not a doubt of it. He fell right in | | with my plan of sending for Deadwood — Dick to take hold of this case. He even wrote the letter for me and attended to sending it off.” | The doctor and his Chinese servant ex- changed glances at that. ix “ Well, I would not want you to offend your friend, of course. Has this man ever done you any particularly friendly’ — service? ” | z “Well, no, I can’t say that he ever as.” ; “The balance is the other way, per- haps.” 33 “Maybe it is—yes, it must, be.” | “You thought more of Hamiltou, per- haps.” “Yes, by a good deal,” quickly. ‘“ By the way, were Hamilton and your mayor on good terms?” | “ Well, no, for a fact, they wasn’t; but. I don’t know as they would have done harm to each other.” | “What was their difference?” “Well, Hamilton built that cabin of his own up there beyond Eastwood's’ | | line, and wouldn’t pay rent, and then he made a find that promises to be almost _ as good a mine as the an A : Good Luck.” _“ Rivalry, then?” | | ~. ren; claimed that Hamilton had discovered : i ’ only the same vein the Good Luck is working, and the more they talked about it the more they agreed to disagree about it, so to say. It was unpleasant, but I — don’t know as they were enemies.” “We have to take Po el I know about all the places — 7 answered i and more’n that, Eastwood for granted that ety: —