Beadle's Half Dime Library, Vol. XIV, No. 351 — page 4: what you’re looking at

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

upon the bed, wide open, as if just packed, ready for locking. With the audacity of a professional burglar, the general went carefully through the con- tents, ng some cards and the gubernato- rial seal. “ This is a job!” he muttered; ‘‘ but the hour hascome when [ must strike for vengeance, and nothing shall deter me!” Pocketing the articles he had purloined, he left the room and knocked at his daughter’s door, A beautiful young lady quickly appeared, at- tired ready for the journey. ‘* Ah! you are ready, eh?” the general said. “Good! You are to proceed as far as Big Basin, and from there take the next stage re- turning here.” ** But, father—” ‘*Sh! nota word. D'ye hear? ’Tis the ven- detta again. Go! Obey me implicitly, and ask no questions till we meet again. Go! the stage is ready.” She gavo him a a gpa piteous glance, and, taking her small hand-sachel, left the parlor. ; As soon as she was gone Stafford quickly en- tered his own room, and taking a blank sheet of paper from his effects, attached the gubernato- Tial seal to the bottom of it. He then restored the stamp to its case, and in a twinkling it was back in its position in Snell- ing’s valise. Stafford then re-entered his room and locked the door. A few minutes later, he heard the Governor, and Ross Rockville, bis secretary, in the parlor; then, they onc. more descended the stairs, and shortly afterward, the stage rumbled away. ‘* Now, then!” the general gritted. Without delay, he transferred his own effects into the room the departed executive had just vacated, and took possession of the key. After a short time, he went down to the hotel office, and glanced at the register. | ‘‘ Ah! my friend General Stafford, concluded not to stop over, eh?’ he observed, putting on his gold-rimmed glasses. , The clerk stared. ‘**T don’t understand you, sir! The Governor, his secretary, and Miss Stafford left, just a bit go, on the stage!” he said. ‘*T was not aware that I had departed yet, sir. You have evidently made a mistake, or else the general has been up to one of bis old tricks of io ln himself off for me. If any one calls for me I am at the sheriff’s office.” And, flinging down a card, upon which was a miniature gubernatorial seal, and the name ‘*Gov. R. T. Snelling,” he walked away, leav- ing oy clerk too awe-stricken, to immediately As soon as he had somewhat recovered, he made the correction on the register, and, ere long, it was pretty generally known that Gov- ernor Snelling was still in town. The general, after quitting the hotel, made his way to the sberiff’s dingy little office, and found that personage, a burly, but not unpre- possessing individual, “at home,” but looking rathe” nervous, He glanced at his visitor, with a somewhat af ge Fg aso Hi ‘You're the sheriff, I suppose?” the general said, coming at once to the point. “Who are ‘‘T allow I am,” was the reply. you?” “JT am Governor Snelling, sir”—throwing downa card, ‘“ Be kind enough to write me out a permit to visit your local jail, and inter- view the condemned prisoner. Carter stared. | ‘‘Reckon ef you’re ther Guv’nor, ye don’t need no sech thing as that!” he grun ‘‘Oh no, not necessarily, of course, but I thought it would save the annoyance of being cross-questioned by the guard.” ‘« Quess they’d be apt ter ax ye purty sharp, fer a fact!” Carter replied. “They don’t in- tend to let the cuss slip, this load o’ hay!” He seized a pen, wrote out the permit, and, armed with it, Stafford left the office. ‘Now, then, to see what Deadwood Dick has ‘to say!” he muttered, as he made his way along the crowded street toward the jail. “If he stipcreas terms, he goes free. he don’t— well— He compressed his lips, tightly! CHAPTER IV. x’CLURG'S PLOT—GENERAL STAFFORD’S STORY. For the Twins to refuse a chance to ‘oil up,” at the stranger’s expense, was a thing com- pletely out of the question; consequently they stepped up to the bar, feeling far more at ease Deadwood Dick Sentenced. than when Missouri Mag had had them under revolver surveillance, ** Drink?. On course we’ll drink!” Sissy Soaker declared, enthusiastically. “It ain’t often we do indulge in the flowing bow], my dear sir; but when we do, it’s allus wi’ fust-class gentle- men, like yerselt, and at this matinual ating sus yer is sary a ve a met, ter use the anguage o’ the morta mine is old Bezam|!’ : “‘Bedad, an’ I'll take a Limerick float, ef ye please?” chimed in Gilderoy O’Gall. ‘‘ There’s nothin’ mean about me, ef I am the unworthy oo ay a bleedin’ counthry!” he drink was produced, and the stranger threw down a golden holf-eagle, in payment, after which the liquor was dasbed off. The stranger was an imposing personage, of some fifty odd years, with a massive form, and military erectness of bearing. He possessed, however, a dark, stern face, with piercing black eyes, and bis full beard and curling bair were of the same jetty color. He was well dressed, and evidently a man of means, Although there was really nothing sin- ister in his appearance, he was hardly a man to impress favorably. Perhaps it was because he was so dark. After the drinks, he took a cigar-case from his pocket, extracted a fragrant Havana for him- self, and then passod the case to the Twins, with the sententious invitation to “‘ puff.” ‘ “By the green goggles o’ Cleopatra, we've ye a reg’lar reef!” Soaker whispered to all. “A reef? Bedad, it’s a reg’lar elerfunt,” re- sponded the lesser Twin. ‘* Now, gents,” the stranger said, gathering up bis change, ‘‘ if you'll come back, and take a seat, we'll have a little private conference.” He led the way to a table, some distance from the bar, and seated himself, motioning Soaker and O'Gall to do likewise. After puffing at his cigar a few minutes, and eying the Twins through the cloud of smoke, e stranger said: ** Well, we'll get down to business. My name is Bill McClurg. What is yours?” ‘*Our handles aire respectively Soaker and O’Gall, at your service. We are Government liquor-testers for this district!” Soaker an- nounced, profoundly. ‘*In other words, you are two thoroughbred bums!” “McClurg added. ‘ As long as you can strike. a tree-drink and lunch-route, you are all O. K.! Ain’t that so?” ‘*Shore, an’ he’s a pene Sis; he kin cies our bumps!” O’Gall chuckled, nudging his er. ** Avast, you fool!’ Soaker cried, dramatical- ly; ““why thus malign thyself? No, sir, my friend; you do us a preponderating insult by insinuating such a thing. Weare gentlemen of leisure, and nature’s noblemen—we are!” “Yes, so I now perceive. Yet, despite this prodigious fact, | presume were it within your province, you would not shun an opportunity = make a hundred dollars, between you?” Mc- urg su ‘ “* Well, I should cough up a kitten!” “ And I should demoralize a peratie!” Such were the instantaneous ejaculations, of the “ firm ” of Soaker & O’Gall. ‘*T thought so!” the stranger said. ‘“ And now, as_ briefly as possible, P’ll tell you what i want. In the first place, I want to engage the services of two active fellows, who can be im- plicitly trusted! ‘‘That’s us!” declared Soaker. ‘‘ We can be trusted with a whole railroad, even.” ‘Because you can’t run away with it, eh? Pretty , that, But, in my case, you'll neither be intrusted with railroads, or banks. Your work will be light and easy, and the remuneration prompt. So, will you take the job, or not? I must have a decisive an- swer! “Guess you're gittin’ ahead o’ the cart, ain’t ye! How aire we going to give you answer, ontil ye tell us the peculiar nature of ther job ye want us to tackle?” ‘‘Easy enough. If your palms itch to feel the {sootbing influence of a pair of fifty-dollar notes, you say ‘yes.’ If to the contrary, you say ‘no!’” ker and O’Gall exchanged glances. They were, by no means, as great ignoramuses as many took them to be. “It aire a fact that we have that peculiar skin-deep disease, known as itchin’ for money,” Soaker assented, “‘ but as ter puttin’ our fut in the fire, without knowing how hot it is, I reck- on we don’t have any o’ that in our bitters—eb, Mr. O’Gall” wy ‘* You kin bet yer swate life, not!” Mr. O'C affirmed. > “Well, then, I suppose I shall have to A you what I want!” McClurg went on. “I wit you to attack # man, who is my deadly enes,” and to cut his throat Both Soaker and O’Gall put up their ha in holy horror. § “ Murdther?’ gasped O’Gall. fe ‘‘ Murder?’ repeated Soaker. ~ you want to call it that!” McC. returned, ecomplacently. ‘‘It’s nothing, hed ever, to make bones over. Why, I often fing a pleasant little pastime, to cut to a ma‘ heart, or to slit his windpipe!” The bums looked too horrified to speak. Proverbially bad and unreliable as was their reputation, outright murder was a thing entire- ly foreign to their line of business, ‘Well, what d’ye say?’ McClurg demanded, grimly. ‘‘ D’ye want the job, or not?” ‘*None in my broth, ef you please,” Soaker gasped. ‘‘Nor here!” breathed O'Gall. ‘You're an insultin’ omadhaun, be jabers, to be proposin’ the loikes to respectable gintlemen like us!” “Ha, ha! pretty good! Well, so-along! Ij tackle some other galoot who is not so scrupu- lous as you two eranks. I thought you had ood stuff in you, but I see you are two idiotic ummers,” and rising, the man left the salov leaving the liquor inspectors staring at er? other in blank amazement. < “*Shore, an’ did he mane it?’ O’Gall dema’ ed of his comrade. io ‘* That’s just what I war scientifickally deli! eratin’ on,” Soaker replied. ‘‘I tell ye, Gild’ roy O’Gall, that fellow is up tu some mischi and it behooves us to now rip distingui ourselves as brilliant meteors o’ this glorio conglomeration o’ mud, by organizing ourse ') into a detective force ter inquire inter ther | vate affairs of that particular galoot. Not will we achieve honor that will carry our griv° hairs in butter to the grave, but there's gallo o’ bug in the pe ctive. What say ye A “10's a go!” O’Gall declared emphatically. oud: Disk, tie soudedet) peibewer ley wotk w e condemne er, the rude cot, listening to the rabble in the street without—for the hum of human voices wa: clearly audible. He was attired with that neatness character. istic of the man, and his handsome face was a4 trifle paler than when daily kissed by the sun and mountain breezes, The expression upon bis face and in his dark, magnetic eyes was one of gravity and resigna- tion. He had come to believe that the last hope for him in this life had faded out, and that bis execution was now a thing inevitable. Indeed, why should he believe differently? He was a stranger in a strange town, with not a friend or acquaintance near to make a plea in his behalf. Up in the mountains he had capture, organized a band of with a view of prospecting in a dangerous local. ity; but they in all probability hud not heard of his arrest. | About the time of the trial he had written an epiest, to the Governor, but it had never beer no ° . io Yes, if previous to his daring fellows It therefore remained plain to him that noth’ sa of a miracle could save him. — ay ick was gloomily meditating upon the un’ enviable prospect before him, the 2 scene rer fellow, about whom thers a to be little that was rough, or ba A gentleman to see you, sir,” he said, w ing. ‘ You will receive him, I presume?’ Ob! vent suppene 30. Who is he?” SJ es, I su 80. o is he Govncitns a How do you know?” ““He b ta from the sheriff.” when “Very well. Sendhimin. What time isit?” | ** Nearly nine o’clock!” How fast the hours seemed to fly! It would soon be one o’clock! : A few minutes later, General Stafford, was ushered in, and left alone with the prisoner. _ Before speaking, the two men looked each other over, rather critically, as if “sizing” each other. The general was the first to break the silence. ‘“‘ Well, sir, I suppose you are somewhat curi- ous, as to the nature of my visit?’ he queried. —~ a er ys Pd t . = - ‘ t . - i , | i * ‘*Not particularly!” Dick replied. “I am tales Spore surprised, however grey the fact is a can roy AW mA aryjie —& ie = eeirGolnicl Ooks-cc om