Beadle's New York Dime Library No. 294 — page 14: what you’re looking at

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

- rt ." 4 % way - - ~ ¥. a ’ - “70 a . - ™ a am™ 4 »~ - > 2 ? \ ~ e > © ~*~ Ue . at . —_ Fy? Be 7 _ te . . my io ~*~ _ 14 Broadcloth Burt, th Such was the discovery of the bronzed sur- | ‘*Oh, the hotel’s em geon who examined his patient in the shim- ae light of the stars that fell on the Denver ““Mebbe he'll be able to resume. his journey if I can bring him to,” he went on, and then he fell to work to restore the Mormon to con- sciousness. In this he soon succeeded, and thirty minutes later Timothy Tenwives, bruised and sore from his tumble into the pit after the apparition of bis revengeful wife, found bimself several miles from Deadwood, the only occupant of the trail so far as he knew. ‘‘Ye’r’ safe byer till I come along on the stage,” were Big Jehu’s parting words, ‘' Then Vil whirl you southward whar ye’ll stay if you exbibit any sense, an’ leave wife-huntin’ up byer alone.” And the Mormon had promised faithfully to | | Take yer choice!’ came over the the sternest of tones. remain where the driver had left bim, and there he was among protecting rocks and secretive bushes that seemed to form an impen- _etrable lair. “‘T’d like to know who sent Broadcloth Burt the letter Jebu fetched from Denver,” he said in audible tones. ‘‘He came up here to cir- cumvent me, I know, an’ he was sent by some one. I did boast in Salt Lake, but only to the Saints, I thought, that I was coming nurth fora new wife. Somebody betrayed me; some one told an enemy that I had my eyes on the belle of Deadwood, an’ I had no more than reached the town ere Broadcloth Burt puts in an ap- pearance. I have promised to go to Salt Lake —home. I have sworn to remain here till Jehu comes along to-morrow. It will be leaving the irl behind, an’ if I turn my back on her now, lose her forever.” He clinched his hands as he paused, “What baven’t I risked for ber already?’ he asked himself, ‘‘ l’ve felt the halter around my neck. 1 have faced two mobs, Merciless Maud, an’ been shot. 1am hundreds of miles from my family, an’ all for that Dakota rose. Merciless Maud got ahead of me when she abducted the girl, for if she had not succeeded 1 would have the prize. I will yet! They don’t know me who think I will go on to Salt Lake without the eleventh Mrs. Tenwives. Gods! but I feel sore over my tumble into the pit, but that mad woman is enough to frighten any one.” What! are you going to break all your prom- ises, your oaths, Timothy Tenwives? Are you determined to remain behind in the death land you have sought and perish in a vain ‘ffort to add to your infamous woman-pen in Salt Lake City? If you are a fool, then remain and take the impending consequences, eak and exhausted, the Mormon feli asleep among the bushes, and the night wore on. If he could bhaye gone back to Deadwood he would have seen Broadcloth Burt break the seal of the letter the stage-driver bad placed in his bands, and if he had looked over the giant’s shoulders, he might have read the following message: * BROADCLOTH BuRT:— ‘*For the sake of Heaven! do not fail. M my life. re her to my arms before I die. I, who have suffered so long without her. I cannot think of being mistaken. She must be my child! They lie who tell her that lam dead. Fail me not, my friend. Bring me the child for whom I con- oy yearn, and Heaven will reward you; I can- not. I wait for her. I pray for your success. “THE Patient ONE.” This was the message that came to Broadcloth Burt from Denver. **T will succeed!” fell from the dandy-sport’s , as he folded the — and put it away. _** Neither Mormon, Paradise Paul, nor that fe- male demon shall defeat me. Wait on a short time longer, Norab. I will bring the long-lost child to ne arms, or in Deadwood I will leave child is m tt was the determination of a brave man, the resolution cf a border hero. While he read the letter by match-light be- hind the stage stables, he was watched by a man whose eyes fairly glistened, and when the ht went out, and the burnt match fell at the dandy’s feet, the watcher moved a step nearer ds if he did not want to lose sight of his man. ‘* Some men ar’ born fools an’ you ar’ one ov ’em,” he hissed. ‘** You’d better go back ter Denver. Deadwood is a death-trap for you, I know that you want the girl. Thet’s what brought. you byer, an’ nothin’ else. Look byer Broadcloth Burt. I saved Mercilesss aud awhile ago just when Paradise Paul war about ter shoot her from Colorado’s grip. lL leaned inside ther cabin an’ kivered the two larkies justin the nick ov time. [| calcu- late thet they’d give their dust for a glimpse ov this infant. Don’t I know who sent thet let- ter? Thar’s a sick woman in Denver. You came up hyer from her bedside my dand M sport. Merciless Maud knows it all. har’s the girl now. Gone off with Colonel Sandbanks, eb! If Nr want her why don’t you foller ther pair? ut mebbe you don’t know it, an’ ’'m not goin’ ter illuminate yer mind.” The man who had been Hogg | se tat or cloth Burt ped suddenly, was in the it of the Setdabup Hotel, | he laughed. — a rr ’ ee ee ee a ——— — ee > t "xer’ likely ter run into a hor- nets’ nest if you go much further. In this fight fer vengeance, an’ a pretty girl—” “Halt! Hands up!” rung out from the shade of the house, and the man from Iron-Grip, who was the man at the Denverite's heels, saw him stop and lay his hand on a revolver ready to leap from his belt. ‘They’ve got him!” he said, stopping as sud- denly as Broadcloth Burt had halted. mix in this affair, fer it’s not my funeral,” and turning suddenly on his heel, he glided away, leaving the man from the South to bis fate. Broadcloth Burt saw the outlines of the four men whose Winchesters covered bis breast. For once in his life at least he had been taken unawares, and was at the mercy of men who | had no respect for life. ‘‘ Shall it be hands up er toes up, Broadcloth? inchesters in ‘*‘A man ov yer ex- Tie Pty knows thet we don’t play arrest. De- cide The silence that followed the command was ominous. Broadcloth’s eyes flashed; he bit his lip under his waxed mustache, and his hand fell from the butt of his revolver. ‘* You have the drop on me,” he said. ‘*] should whisper,” was the response, ‘‘ Come forward with yer hands above yer head. Move one toward yer six-shooter an’ you die in Dead- wood,” Menaced as he was, the Denverite could do but one thing and live, and he did it, for up went his bands, with the paims turned toward the quartette, whose swarthy fingers touched the deadliest triggers in the Northwest. ‘‘ Here I am,” he said coolly, looking into the faces of his enemies as be reached their midst. ‘‘The cap’n wants you,” was the answer, ‘Paradise Paul?” . “c Yes.” ‘‘ All right. Take me to his shanty.” ‘‘Not right away. We'll get a drink, an’ the rest ov the a first.” An eager light appeared in the depths of the Denverite’s eyes. ‘* We'll let you set ’em up at the Casino; then we'll face ther cap’n. Will you treat?’ “Certainly,” said the sport with a smile. ‘‘l’m here in Deadwood fora short time only, and thar’s nothing small about me. To the Casino, then.” The four men and their handsome prisoner who was rca guarded moved from the shadow of the Setemup, and advanced toward the Full-Hand Casino. Not a movement of the Denverite escaped the watchful eyes of the quartette. ‘ oy knew the man with whom they had to eal. Once before that night they had hunted him, but instead of finding the man they want- ed, they had found Colonel Sandbanks whom Alice had rescued from the lariat. ut now they had the Denver sport—the man who had come to Deadwood for a purpose, and that p ,,as they veritably believed, was | to abduct Alice the wild town’s belle and Para- dise Paul’s ward. They would march him first to the Casino where the rest of the thirty pards were likely to be found, and, after a treat, they could con- duct bim to their one-handed captain who would rid the world of Broadcloth Bart. This was the programme. With steady step and head erect as if he were victor and not a captive the Denver sport marched to doom. The Casino was an all-night resort for the human bats of Deadwood; it never closed its doors, and the gambler and rough always found a smile and a welcome awaiting him beyond its threshold. The five men reached the front of the saloon a few minutes after the Denverite’s sudden ar- rest, “ Hyer wear’!” and a bronzed band fell on the latch. ‘‘ Walk in first and surprise the boys, Denver.” The door flew open with the last comman and the tall figure of Broadcloth Burt appeare in the doorway. “Great God!” ejaculated a dozen men who caught sight of him at the same moment and aa up. “Thar’s the man we missed! har is Broadcloth Burt!” Amid the clicking of revolver locks as the deadly weapons leaped from the desperadoes’ sheaths, the Denver sport stood firm and even smiled. ‘‘ I’m hyer but not alone, gentlemen,” he said. ‘‘ Behold my escort!” and he moved a band toward the toughs who had entered behind bim. “Ym not hyer of my own accord,” he went on, *‘ but thet makes no difference. Gentlemen of Deadwood, walk up and nominate yer liquids,” occupants of the Casino could not move for amazement; they stood still and stared at the coolest man they had ever seen. ‘‘He means it, pards!” suddenly exclaimed one of the sport’s captors. ‘* We av’ goin’ ter ther cap’n’s shanty after the treat. It’s a squar’ e Denver Dandy. ‘*] don’t | elegant coat, and while twenty ee SSS i —the colonel’s gone,” | game. We got ther drop on Broadcloth awhile ago; thet’s all.” Thus assured, the Deadwovuders crowded to the bar toward which Broadcloth Burt ad- vanced and leaned an elbow nonchalantly upon it. What made his eyes glitter so? Did he know that nobody stood between him and the door? All at once his hands disappeared beneath his whisky glasses were about to touch as many pairs of lips, two revolvers looked suddenly into the faces of the hilarious crowd. ‘‘ | guess ’ll run the machine for awhile,” he said, stepping back afoot. ‘* Down your poison first, rattlers, and then, bands up!” CHAPTER XVII. DENVER VERSUS DEADWOOD. Ir is needless to say that the glasses were drained in silence, The imperturbable coolness of the dandy from Denver was enough to imtimidate even the bardened wretches of Deadwood. As the heavy glasses dropped empty on the counter, the Deadwooders glanced at the man who bad not moved an inch and who looked at them between the cocked revolvers, ‘‘Gentlemen of Deadwood,” he said, “ I may be one of the men you’ve read about. If I hold the best hand just now don’t be discour- aged. It may be your turn to-morrow. The business that brought me to Deadwood was not the invasion of your rights.” ‘* What war it, then?’ This question was shot out venomously from a point behind Broadcloth Burt. ‘‘My God! ther cap’n!” ejaculated several of the villains who looked at the new-comer., There he stood, just inside the Casino’s door, a bloody sleeve lying in a sling that touched his chest, and a revolver in bis one good hand. It was Paradise Paul sure enough! Of course the man from Denver shot a quick glance at the questioner, ‘‘What brought you ter Deadwood? Out with it now, er ferever hold yer peace behind dead lips!” came over the leveled weapon. Broadcloth Burt turned in a manner that brought him face to face with the crowd that bad recoiled from the bar, as well as with the captain of the thirty pards, e had the thirty on his right, and their des- rate leader between him and the door at bis eft. “Dare ye spit it out?’ continued Paradise Paul, in tones that were a challenge. ‘If ye didn’t come up from Denver ter kill, in the name ov Heaven why did yer come?” ‘‘For the rights of one who has suffered for years,” said the ie quickly, and his eyes sragpes as he spoke. ‘‘Not ter help Merciless Maud?” ac No. ”? ‘‘But ter help some woman?” ac Yes.” ** Does she hate me?” ‘7 don’t know.” ‘‘ Who is she?” Despite the menacing revolver gripped by the desperado’s band, despite, too, the dark finger that seemed to press the trigger, and the cold, black eyes that glared above it, the Denver Dandy stepped quickly toward Paradise Paul. ‘‘T came hyer in the interest of the girl’s mother!” he said, in thrilling tones. ‘‘ Paradise ives have you told Alice tkat she is mother- ess / “TT hev. By Heavens, I thought she war!” The men stood not three feet apart; the hand of one could have touched the shoulder of the other. “She is alive. Sbe wants ber child!” said Broadcloth Burt. ‘“ Prove it.” ‘‘ If Ido will you give ber up?” “ Prove it, 1 say.” ‘‘T want no man’s blood,” was the response. ‘‘ But I bave taken an oath that Alice shall be restored to her mother’s arms. I generally keep my word, and this one shall prove no exception to the rule.” “ But you haven’t proved thet Alice’s mother is alive. Broadcloth Burt, 1 want no Denver game played in this wild city—no cold deck shall be set up and succeed on me!” ‘‘Go with me to your cabin and I will prove it. I’ve got the proof in black and white.’ ‘* You hev, eh? I’m dyin’ ter see it, Denver.” ‘To your shanty, then.” Instantly the revolver of the desperado fell, and he threw a quick look at the speechless pards, who had not for a moment removed their eyes from the pair. ‘Thar is a truce between Denver an’ Dead wood till daylight,” he said. “If this ma roves what he says he can prove, the truce ma extended; if he fails, I swear by my mother’s love thet it shall be war to the knife! Let Broadcloth an’ me determine what it shall be. If ce, | sha’n't break it; if war, somebody shall die!” The Denverite heard all with manifest impa- tience. “To my shanty, now,” continued Paradise comicbooks.co