Beadle's New York Dime Library No. 294 — page 10: what you’re looking at

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

10 sroad when a man can’t keep his hands out. Touch that girl with your one hand, Paradise Paul, and you'll hear from me!” He said no more, but moved to the door with his eyes fixedly regarding the baffled Dead- wooder, who appeared ready to spring at bim with the ferocity of a tiger. His last glance ere he crossed the threshold of the cabin was a quick one toward Alice, who rewarded him with a look full of silent thank- fulness, and the following minute the elegant dandy was gone, *Thet’s his style, is it?’ blurted Paradise Paul, whipping out a revolver as he leaped toward the door. ‘ Winged though I am, I'm still a match for that fashion-plate. I told him on the trail that for him to come back to Dead- wood, was to die, an’ I’ll prove my words in less than any minutes,” ‘Let him go,” cried the girl. demands—” ‘Stay back!” thundered the Deadwood tough. ‘“'Youbelieve the Mormon tigress, not me.” Oh, yes; come along, Paradise Paul,” said a voice which came from the mouth of a man who could not be far away. ‘Ef I’m ter die to-night, I want to know it. Fool with mean’ you'll find me the deadliest fashion-plate you ever tackled. I’m goin’ to the Setemup, whar I oave a room, an’ thar you'll find Broadcloth Burt, from Denver.” Paradise Paul paused and listened to these words, which proclaimed the nerve of the man by whom they were uttered. “You heard what he said, girl?’ he said to Alice, as he turned back into the cabin. “* We'll find him at the ig pe when we want him, an’ thet’ll be before daylight.” Growling out the last words, Paradise Paul a oom to examine his arm in the lamp-light. he girl looked on from a few feet away, and when the Deadwooder looked up suddenly from the inspection that made him grit his teeth the eyes of the pair met. ‘It’s beginning ter growl, thet stump is,” he scid. “ It cries fer vengeance just ez ef it had a tongue! Don’t forget that the woman you b’lieve instead ov me winged me for life, Alice, Just think fer a moment what I’ve done for you an’ how grateful—” _ He paused abruptly, and with the girl, turned oon ey toward the door, “Hello! Paradise! Back ag’in ar’ ye?” ex- claimed. the rough-shirted fellow whose burly figure almost filled the doorway. ‘I’m durned ef the galoot didn’t walk off arter all.” ‘** Who?” cried Paul. ** The man Colonel Sandbanks shot.” ** He didn’t shoot anybody? “Yes he did. The old pigeon got his dander up, an’ tumbled the galoot half-way ’cross the asino,” “Tumbled who?” ‘ “The cool ’un from Iron-Grip. Arter lyin’ on the planks awhile, he picked himself up an’ remarkin’ thet he’d ses Deadwood later, walked off ez cool ez a fightin’-cock.” “*Couldn’t Kernul Sandbanks shoot no better than thet?” “If he kin, he didn’t. It war a time, Para- dise, but— Heavens! what's that?’ Paradise Paul had held up the handless stump, and the tough had cleared the space between them at a single bound and was staring at it unable to articulate a word. ‘Did I tackle Broadcloth Burt? No; not on the trail at least. Ob, I'm winged fer the rest ov my days, Jack. Whar ar’ the boys?” be I kin find ’em in five minutes.” “‘ Bring ’em hyar!” ‘Fer work, Paradise?” “ For bloody work! Bring the boys hyar without any fuss, Thar shall be bloody fun in Dead wood to-night, er to-morrow it’ll be a how!l- in’ wilderness!” These words made Alice start, but the speaker —_—_— ‘* Your arm * did not observe her. » When left alone with her a moment later, Paradise Paul said with triumph blazing in his eyes: “Don’t you make a fool ov yerself now. We've got that Denver Apollo t whar we want him, an’ if Kernul Sandbanks war brave enough ter shoot one man to-night he’s got too miich sense to try ter panes a guest like Broad- cloth Burt. Stay whar you ar’. Because he *nterfered awhile ago, don’t you follow suit.” bere was no reply: the words seemed to have sealed the young girl’s lips, and the giant whose shadow fell against the cabin wall fell to exam- ining bis wrist again, In less than five minutes the tread of a num- ber of men was beard, and the next minute the _ cabin was filled by the toughs of Deadwood. “‘Thet arm sha’n’t be dressed till we've tended to the bandbox fool who’s come baek ter Dead- wood just ez if be wants ter pass in his chips,” said Paradise Paul as bo faced the band with up- lifted arm. ‘* Broadcloth Burt has come we an’ tells me that we’!! find him when wanted at the Setemup. You know what he did on the trail whar we pulled the Mormon up? I told him thet it war death fer him to come. back to }dead wood, an’ back he is in the teeth oy it!” _ 4 volley of oaths was fired off by the desper- adoes who listened to the Deadwood giant. some moments. ‘* Broadcloth Burt, the Denver - Dandy. ~— ee eee _- “We ar’ goin’ ter prove it—right away!” Paradise Paul rated. ‘‘I thought he had some sense, but he doesn’t exhibit a bit. Boys, I’m sorry to say thet I’m suspicious ov thet child thar.” **Ov Alice?” ‘Yes. Don’t ask me why now,” and the speaker turned from Alice to the crowd. ‘Ar’ ye ready ter tackle an’ crush the Denver band- box?” ‘“Try us, Paradise! Kernul Sandbanks may shoot one man, but he daren’t defend another. ‘*That’s a fact, pards!” **Let’s go an’ try the old coon.” ' Paradise Paul was not, under such circum- stances, the man to exhaust the patience of the men of whom he was the acknowledged leader. ‘You will keep company with Alice till we come back,” he said to a good-looking man, who had been regarding the silent girl fixedly for nder the circumstances, I don’t like to leave her alone, She’s been stolen once to-night, an’ thar’s no tellin’ what might happen ag’in. Stay with her, Colorado Clate, an’ amuse the child while we’re gone.” Alice entered no objection; but her eyes seemed to flash, and as the last desperado left the cabin, Colorado Clate ni toward the table and leaned against it with his arms folded upon his chest. The tread of the Deadwood roughs died awa almost immediately, and Alice was alone wit the watch left behind—for what? She knew that she was to be kept from warn- ing Broadcloth Burt of the midnight march of the dark-shirted desperadoes; but was he not able to take care of himself? She felt that the advance was not to be a bold one which the Denverite could squarely meet; but a silent, secret affair, like the noise- less creep of the jaguar upon his sleeping victim. In all probability the Set-’em-up was to be surrounded, and Broadcloth Burt called to the door, and riddled with bullets, ‘They'll trap the Denver daisy, girl,” sud- denly said Colorado Clate, breaking rudely in upon the train of the fair creature’s thoughts. “What a fool some men ar’ when they ought ter show some sense! In ten minutes we'll hear their revolvers.” In ten minutes! Ths cool announcement seemed to send a thrill through every fiber of Alice’s frame. She almost started forward. Never before had she seen the man from Den- ver to stand face to face with him. He had saved her from a cruel blow; he had come back to Deadwood at the peril of life, and ee the express commands of Paradise aul, And thirty men armed with bowies and revol- vers were gliding through the dim starlight upon him, They were to keep the oath-framed word of ‘sir leader, that Broadcloth Burt was to die fe)” s daring. As she thought, her blood tingled through her veins, In ten minutes, her watch had said. All at once she cleared the space between her and the table; she fixed her eyes on Colorado Clate. ‘*Don’t-«top me!” she cried as the rough made a movement toward the door. ‘ Thirty men shall not find me unprepared. I am Paradise Paul’s ward, but what of that? The man they want hasn’t spilled a drop of blood in Dead- wood.” *“*But you must stay hyar, Alice; them’s the orders.” “Orders!” and the girl laughed. ‘‘ Paradise Paul always told me to do what [ wanted to do. I want to warn the man from Denver!” ‘* Thet’ll never do! You’re ter stay with me, girl. No leavin’ the sbanty now.” Colorado Clate’s band reached out for the giant’s ward, but he stopped suddenly, fora re- volver had been thrust into his face. ‘*Throw up your bands,” ordered Alice stern- ly, looking into the desperado’s eyes over the leveled revolver. ‘‘Up with ’em and stand where you are, or [ll send a bullet through your head!” ; The man did not hesitate; up went his bronzed hands, and while he gro his teeth Alice sipped to the door. ‘Follow me and I'll kill you!” was her warn- 9 then like a specter she vanished in the night. . I can outrun the creepers; [ will creep their lines if necessary!” she ejaculated. ‘‘They shall not surprise the man from Denver; they—” Alice stopped as if struck by an arrow, —_ Twenty revolvers seemed to be emptying their contents into a certain spot. The battle bad begun! CHAPTER XIL A GIRL OF GRIT, ‘‘HEAVENS! they have taken the Denverite by surprise! they are riddling him with bul- lets!” These were the girl’s exclamations while she listened, spellbound, for a minute to the furious fusilade. There seemed to be no shots in reply as if the ee ee ee — —— TT person aimed at was at the mercy of the Dead- wood mob, and unable to protect himself. Alice instinctively drew and cocked her six- shooter while she listened. ‘“‘I must see what those human tigers are doing,” she suddenly exclaimed, and away she bounded, again toward the spot where the one- sided battle raged. ‘For Heaven’s sake, gentlemen, what do you mean?’ she heard the voice of a man say in pleading accents when the revolver shooting suddenly grew quiet. “This is my property you ar’ usin’ fora target. This is the first an’ ‘| only hotel in Deadwood—” ‘Then why didn’t you give us some satisfac: tion when we came for yer dandy guest?” ex- claimed one of the toughs. ‘‘ Didn’t I intimate in polite language that he wasn’t on the premises?” ‘ We wasn’t hankerin’ arter intimations; we wanted facts. Yer perlite lingo hez cost the Setemup a new door. If the Denver Bandbox is in yer shanty, he’s a sneakin’ coward fer not showin’ himself!” Alice who heard every word breathed freer and uttered an ejaculation of thankfulness, The man from the south was safe! Failing to get satisfaction concerning his whereabouts from Colonel Sandbanks, the mob had retreated to a certain spot, from whence they proceeded to riddle the door with bullets, much to the dismay of the proprietor who was forced to seek concealment in an upper room. If Alice had gone nearer to the exasperated toughs, she would have seen that one was su porting Paradise Paul, on whose system the loss of his hand was beginning to tell. ** Not aes a coward but a liar!” cried the leader of the roughs. ‘“ Didn’t he tell me in my own cabin that we would find him hyer? Denver can show up more liars to the squar’ mile than_any town in the northwest, an’ I know it. Let’s make Kernul Sandbanks reveal the dandy’s hidin’-place. Whar thar’s a will thar’s a way, especially when thar’s a lasso handy.” With a shout of rudeness the crowd surged toward the man who stood in the starlight on the poreb. *“*T protest, gentlemen—” ‘“* Protest, thunder!” cried half a dozen Dead- wooders, ‘‘ Ef you’ve made thet Denverite yer ay kernul, you’d better shut u yer ranch, é want no monkeyin’ byer. Show up, er leave the town!” The dark faces and glaring syes of the mad- dened men were directly beneath the pale-faced proprietor of the mup, who, being on the porch, was somewhat elevated above them. ‘Tf you'd listen ter reason—” ‘‘'We want the Denverite! hang yer reason!” The foremost ruffians were at the porch. Colonel Sandbanks retreated a step. ‘* Choke it out o’ the old ’forty-niner!” flashed Paradise Paul. ‘A lasso seldom tells a lie!” That was enough; the ruffians sprung upon the porch, and the doughty colonel who a short time before had hanted and found the despera- do from Iron-Grip made adash for the open door, His retreat was so sudden and ludicrous, that it raised a laugh, and several roughs sprung after the flying landlord, A sudden shout announced that he had been overhauled, and a minute later the colonel! was dragged from the building, amid the shouts of bis captors. ‘*T suppose that nothing can arrest the mad- ness of those men, but I’m going to try it,” said Alice. “They will bang Colonel Sandbanks who has probably told them the truth.” By this time some one had thrown the noose of a lasso over the landlord’s head, and menaced by at least twenty revolvers, he was being ad- jured to tell “the truth” on pain of instant death, The situation was extremely critical. ** That man shall have a chance for bis life!” cried the girl. ‘‘If they have refused to listen to him, they shall bear me!” She sprung forward with the last determined sentence on ber lips, and all at once appeared at the colonel’s side, ‘Great heavens! Paradise Paul’s girl!” fell from the ruffian’s lips. ‘What! Alice here?” ‘“* Yes, I am bere!” and the beautiful creature turned toward the man who bad just spoken. ‘*Did Colorado let you off?’ he demanded with the rage of a wild beast in bis eyes, ‘“No! Ileft of my own accord. He would have died if be attempted to detain me.” For a moment the captain of the ruffians was too mad to reply. ‘“‘Go back to the shanty!” he suddenly thun- dered. ‘‘ The man we ar’ goin’ ter deal with is not the one you want ter save. Back to the cabin, Alice!” But the fearless girl never moved, but faced Paradise Paul and his crowd with undaunted mien and eyes and sed no fear, She saw that her rough guardian was not able to enforce his commands himself; he was still at govt by the pard who had been at his side al wonted brilliancy. es along, and bis orbs burned with an un- - com