Beadle's Half Dime Library (no. 448) (1886 02 22)
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FIFTEENTH EDITION“. YAS aN Wnt a |e WW LI” WNIT. STON Cea a tt al! a ae" tts Entered at the Post Office at New York, N. Y., at Second Class Mail Rates. Copyright, 1886, by BEADLE AND ADAMS, February 23, 1886, ct en pee sp sivas poottntindaanenitns inne ee eer rac - Lalit pict ar ON at 2.50 ED WEEKLY -E A) AMS ie ait ages Vol, XVILL Bnd rater, D W BY BEADLE AND ADAMS, Ys No. 448, a : 7A MATTEL MTT ‘al ||) NH) | A) {| i" {| 1} i 11] HWY) tt | \ tii) Vi 1 THIN - —S —== j : W/// iz Uy Mf, BozEMAN, MONTANA. ye” . = | I te Se nearly all who see this romance have pies i seen the name, or heard of it, for Bozeman is a town of about the second size in the territory “CALIFORNIA KIT!” DICK FAMRLY YELLED IN AN ECSTASY OF DELIGHT, wherein it is located. errs...
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» sition papa gave 2 capital, Helena, its not far-distant neighbor ; nevertheless, it is a wide-awake, live and bust- ling place, and a sort of head-center for sports sand sporting people. It has many comely, and even elegant resi- rdences—as far as elegance goes in the far-West- ern meaning—and among the best of these was that of a local banker, Maurice Mansfield. It wasa frame residence of modern design and conveniences, and within was quite richly furnished, for the Banker of Bozeman, as Mr. Mansfield was sometimes called, was a man of Food taste and judgment, and his capital being iterally unlimited, he spared no pains or ex- pense to make his home both clegant and eheerful. One mellow September evening, when the - picturesque town was swathed im the light of the soaring full moon, the Mansfield parlor was brilliantly lighted, and its magnificent furnisb- ings showed off with striking effect. By the open casement sat a young gentleman and lady, chatting pleasantly, as they watched the crowd that surged to and froalong the street. The young lady was between seventeen and eighteen years of age, petite of figure and prett, of face. Sbe had a round, Addassetchinciat face, of most sweet and winning expression. When she smiled her hazel eyes sparkled with animation, and she slightly exposed to view two rows of pearly teeth with charming effect. Her hair was of a sunny hue, and most becomingly arranged ; and altogether she was a beauty one would little expect to find in that far-off Montana town; for, not only was she pretty, but was well educated and charming of address. The young gentleman was a gracefully formed youth of perhaps eighteen, smooth-faced, hand- some and well-dressed. His countenance was round and rosy, and yet, with its habitual expression of good-nature and cool unconcern, it also betokened that de- cision of character wiich underlies an iron will. He was just such a good-looking, dashing young fellow as girls of a susceptible age are wont to admire, and it appeared evident that the young lady now seated facing him was most favorably impressed. “Tt is twa weeks to-night, Mr. Neville,” she was saying, ‘‘since you so bravely rescued me from the outlaws, the Black Band of Bozeman, isn’t it?” “ : ‘*- Yes, Miss Mansfield, I believe it is.” ** And it was so brave of you, too,” she went on, earnestly. ‘‘ Do you know, there is scarcel anything I admire so muchas bravery? I thin if everybody were brave and self-reliant, there would be far less crime. But, tell me, Mr. Neville, how do you like Bozeman, and the po- ou, as cashier in the bank?” uite favorably impressed with the town, thank you—that is, what I have scen of it,’ young Neville replied; “‘and, as for my osition, I also like that, quite well, despite the act that it seems a little awkward to me, as I have not been used to being housed up, so close- ly. You know I have been somewhat of a rover.” ‘*Oblt yes, but it isso much nicer tohave an easy indoor business. Papa tel'ls me you get along famously, and I am sure we are both glad to do all we can for you.” “‘T am aiready assured of that, Miss Mans- field; indeed. you have done too much for me who am a total stranger to you both. I feel ashamed to accept of your many kindnesses, and it was, as you know, only on the most ur- gent persuasion that I was induced to enter your father’s employ. It is a fact I cannot deny, that I feel guilty in occupying the posi- tion I do.” ' ‘Why, Mr. Neville, how strangely you talk! What do you mean—why do you feel Anning id ** Because neither you nor your father know anything of my past life. Did you, I am satis- fied you would not look upon me with the favor ou do now. Another thing, my dear Miss ansfield, I would k of—when I came here, Bs evening, I came to tell you frankly that— that— “Why, what, Mr. Neville?” “That our acquaintance should cease!” “T am a Mr. Neville! How strangely you talk! ) ‘*T but speak my honest convictions, dear lady ” “But, pray explain. Believe me, sir, I can- not understand your meaning.” \“] will try,” Neville said, a trace of emotion in his voice, while he gazed absently out of the -vine-embowered window. ‘In the first place, -@ am not worthy of the society of one so pure a “a x Nickel-Plate Ned. | worthy of the position of trust Loceupy, in your father’s employ!” **Oh! sir, say not so, for I cannot believe it!” ‘¢-Yet, it is nevertheless a fact, I have tried | to honorably discharge my duties in Mr. Mans- field’s employ, and shall continue to do so, the few days { yet remain with him; but I have at | last been forced to come to the conclusion, that some one is working against me, and gene. to injure me. Iam not positive who it is, but have a faint idea.” “Who?” “T prefer to mention no names.” “*Ts it any one in father’s employ?” *¢ Possibly—possibly not!” Bs “Tt surely cannot be father’s partner, John asper?” Most likely not, asI have never seen that > pn You will remember he has not up from Sphinx, since I have been in Boze- man.” “True. I had forgotten that. I don’t like John Jasper very well. Let me see; It must be my cousin, then—Percy Pierce, father’s book- keeper. He is the only one employed at the bank, besides yourself." Ned Neville made no reply to the suggestion, but said: “We will change the subject, as it matters te little, as I shall leave Bozeman, shortly, any- ow. : ‘*Oh! do not say so, Mr. Neville! we should bé very sorry to lose you.” de pas you do not know anything of me, I am sure or my past, Miss Mansfield. It is a dark page, which is liable to be exposed to the light at al- most any minute. For this reason our acquaint- ance should cease. I would not willingly have your fair name in any way unfavorably con- nected with mine, and thus be disgraced’ “Oh! Mr. Neville, do not talk so. Havel not invited you here several times, and have I not treated you cordially?” ** All too cordially, Miss Mansfield, considering that I am a stranger, with a blank past. You have insisted upon my spending several evenings in your society, to the exclusion of a suitor for your hand; you have insisted upon my taking several strolls with you, and you have been a daily caller at the bank, where you seldom were seen to go before I came. All this, you must know is creating comment, which should by all } means be avoided!” ** And why, Mr. Neville? I believe I am priv- ileged to go when and where I please, and asso- ciate with whem I choose!” ‘* That may all be, but it is not Epes gah Had you always known me, it would be different, rhaps. But, as it is, a cloud hovers over my ife that may burst at any minute, and involve me in a vortex of disgrace, which you would more or less share, were we still on intimate terms. be as strangers after to-night!” He had spoke earnestly and with evident deep So, it is imperativelv necessary that we feeling. Mabel Mansfield did not make a reply for several minutes, Her face was averted toward the window, and there was a strange, passionful light burning in her eyes. ‘*I see how it is,” she said, aie a faint, ‘ reeptible tremor in her voice. ou prefer adeline’s society to mine.” Ned Neville looked his surprise. ie ‘‘Why, Miss Mansfield, you do me an injus- tice,” he said. ‘‘ I have never been in Miss Made- line’s society at all, except when she came to the bank, and drew me into a conversation.” “That has been quite often, I understand!” sarcastically, “Well, yes—quite oftener than I could have wished, let me assure you, Miss Mabel, It be- comes me, in self-defense, to say that Madeline has not created the most favorable impression upon me from the time you introduced me to ee But I trust you will let that go no fur- er. ‘Then, do you like me better than Pr do her?” Mabel asked, with child-like simplicity, as she leaned toward hii and gazed into his frank, handsome face, with those deep, soulful eyes of ers, What Neville’s reply might have been is bard to say, for just then a door opened, and Mr, Mansfield entered the parlor. CHAPTER II. THE BANKER’S WRATH. Mavricr MANSFIELD was a large and portly man of five and forty years, with a massive and full-bearded face of decided expression, bright brown eyes, and hair of a similar shade. He was well preserved for his years, and a man Of course it is not as largely populated as the and innocent as your charming self, nor am I | to make a favorable impression upon a first meeting. i ; He dressed with plain, business-like taste, and apparently was not in the least addicted to af- fectation or arrogance, because of his wealth. He bowed on entering the parlor, and draw- ing an easy-chair near the couple at the window, became seated. , ‘* My young people, I see, are kaving a chat,” he remarked with a grave air, ‘which I must interrupt, however, for I have something of ime portance to say to Mr. Neville.” “To me, sir?’ Ned asked, half suspecting what the import of that something would he. “Yes, sir, I really have not had the time to have a good talk with you since de entered my employ, owing to the fact perhaps that ‘my daughter appears to have monopolized the most of your attention, after office hours. Mr. Ne- ville, would you mind giving me gocd insight into your past history—say for two or three years back, since you have grown up?” Ned Neville felt that he was turning red and white, all at the same time, as he heard this question, “Why, I—I do not think my history would prove of any interest to you, sir,” he replied, rather hesitatingly. ‘Indeed, I would prefer not to say anything about my past life, sir, his may seem strange to you, but I have rea- sons for desiring it to remain a dead letter!” “* Indeed! hem! Well, I have frequently observed See when you were unaware of the fact, and | have formed the conciusion that you were nursing a secret. Such being tbe case, marvel that you had the—well, the audacity te accept a position of trust, in my employ!” Ned’s cheeks flushed rosier than were their bey — at ee fc he ‘ setts beg your on, sir e up, spirit, “but I think you will remember that. it was at the earnest solicitation of your daughter and yourself, I accepted the position—for I had a mission, sir, to fulfill, and would much rather have gone on my way. However, as there was a possibility that I could attend to that matter, and at the same time serve you, I finally con- cluded to do so, “T was just telling your daughter, however, that I should leave Bozeman, within a few days.’ *“Tndeed! » Well, now, Iam not quite so sure about that, Mr. Neville!” a“ Sir!” “Just asl say. Iam not quite so sure that you will be permitted to go!” The banker spoke quite significantly. ‘* Indeed, sir, 1 do not understand why!” ‘Well, 1 will endeavor to enlighten you. When I took you into my employ, it was more asareward of merit for saving my daughter than anything elsc, not because I trusted you any more than I would any other stranger, albeit you had rather an honest countenance. “To-day, my book keeper complained that his accounts wouldn’t balance with yours, and I ordered him to make a close examination of the cash, which he did, this evening, and he finds a defalcation of two thousand dollars, over and above what canceled paper has been turned over to him.” Neville uttered a cry of surprise. ‘This is very strange, sir,” he said, quickly, “What money I paid out I received checks for, and turned them over to Pierce after cancelin, them. What deposits were made were entered respectively in the pass-books of the depositors, and also upon my memoranda, which was also turned over to Pierce. I am no_ thief, sir, nor will I stand being accused as one!” “Gently! gently, young man! Wo one has yet accused you of being a_ thief; but you had the handling of the cash, and should be able to account for the shortage.” 3 _“ But I am not, and know nothing about it sir—nothing whatever, upon my word 9, honor!” aa “Well, ? should perhaps be inclined to believe you, but for your reticence in regard to your past. Asitis,I can but regard you with sus picion. However, I propose to be as lenient ag possible in consideration of another matter, “Since your advent in Bozeman, Neville, yor and mg daughter have been much in each other's society—so much so, in fact, that it has, I hear, created comment. I have been blind in the matter, and never taken the second thought of what the consequences might be, until to-day a rumor reached my ears that fairly stunned me— a rumor neither creditable to you nor Mabel!” “Oh! papa!” cried Mabel, greatly agitated. ‘‘Mr. Mansfield, I am astounded!” exclaimed Neville. **] haven’t a doubt you are, for I was also,
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Nevertheless, the rumor is a thing of existence, as sure as we sit here together, and [ am greatly troubled about it. ‘*T do not know who started it, but I do know that I would rather see my daughter lying in her coffin than that her fair name should ever have been sullied, in the least!” The banker here arose and paced the floor, greatly excited. Mabel had buried her pretty facein her hands, and was weeping softly. ‘ Ned Neville sat upon his chair literally thun- derstruck, ‘“*Mr. Mansfield, this is terrible,” he said, “ana I will assure you that I am fully as sorry as yourself that anything of the sort has hap- pened.” Not less zorry am I that I yielded to your daughter’s earnest solicitations for me to call upon her. Believe me, 1 should have re- fused, but for the fact that 1t would have been discourteous. However, I have always con- ducted myself as an honorable gentleman.” ‘**No doubt about it, sir—not the ieast. But it is too late to be sorry about it now—too late! You know what slander is. It is a hydra- headed, imperishable demon, with a thousand forked ‘tongues. I curse the da you ever came to Bozeman, sir! Better a hundred times would it have been, had my child not been rescued by My oh the outlaws!” , do not say that!” sobbed Mabel. “Mr Neeith e is not to blame, nor am I.” ‘Silence! You need not now speak. Of course you are to blame, and so was Neville. He is old enough to have known his place.” “ But, papa, it was me who insisted upon Mr, Neville’s calling.” “So much the bigger fool you. You might have foreseen the consequences.” And the banker strode from one end of the room to the other now, in a fearful passion. Ned Neville did not feel called upon to say any more, for in truth he did not know what to He sat with his face buried in his hands, wish- ing over and over again that he had never seen the town of Bozeman. Suddenly he became aware that the banker _ had paused in front of him, and he raised his head. “ Boy!” Mr. Mansfield said, in a stern but husky tone, “‘ there is but one alternative in this matter, to in a measure avoid everlasting dis- grace, You must marry my daughter !” Ned Neville started violently. ‘* Marry your daughter, sir?” he gasped, turn- oe very pale, and - gering to his feet—‘‘ mar- our auiphtet’ VOT es, marry my y dmaghttes. and that, too, this very night. a ‘But that is impossible, sir.” ‘* Impossible?” “Yes, sir. I have never entertained for Miss Mabel anything but ordinary friendship.” “That matters not; you must marry her. You have been directly or indirectly the cause of bringing disgrace upon her fair name, and you must marry “her, or—” ‘* Or what?” ‘Go to jail, on the char, ‘govt robbery. And, —- in jail, Tl see you don’t get out for one w “T cannot es Bese sir. It is morally im- ible for me to contract a marriage with iss Mabel. I am sincerely sorry for what has rca a but : cannot help matters an ell me why can you not marry ce and thus avert the dis ‘* Because, sir, other!” For a moment the banker glared madly at the oung man; then, turning quickly, strode across the e room, and threw Se the door, “ Come!” he said, grimly. And in answer to his command, there strode into the room the deputy sheriff of the town, and & posse of five aides ! ‘ Arrest that young man!” Maurice Mansfield cried, pointing to Neville. ‘‘ He has robbed my bank of two thousand dollars in money ” ace?” love and am betrothed to an- CHAPTER III. IN DURANCE VILE. As Ned Neville saw the deputy-sheriff and osse file into the room, he stood for a moment olute; undecided how toact. It would be ich to useless for him to resist arrest, that he ew, There was one avenue of escape—the window at Budge he and Mabel had been sitting; bnt when he gev eagilance at the weeping girl, a —_ of pity entered his heart, and he mutter- { r A 7 VO as elie “No! Ill not prove AgNAEN a coward before her, but submit to arrest!” The next instant, however, came a spirit of defiance, that said to him: ‘**No! you must not submit to arrest, for the | one you love is calling to you for help!” He wheeled, and took a quick stride toward the window, bent ee making his escape, It was of no use owever. A head and pair of shoulders rose into view above the window-sill; a pair of cocked revol- | ver + were leveled at Ned, while a cool voice sai ‘* Not this eve, young fe er —some other eve!” Foiled at escape in this direction, the young man turned to face his enemies. ** Edward‘ Neville!” said the deputy-sheriff advancing, ‘‘I am Phil Peters, deputy-sheriff, and 1 have an order for your arrest; so I'll trouble you to surrender!” ‘* Not the least tr ouble, at all!” Ned replied, coolly. ** Lead ahead, and I will follow!” h! no, me daisy. Weain’t in the habit 0’ | doin’ bizness in that way, you see. We shall have to put the bracelets on ye!” “Oh! ne pe! papa! do not have him arrested!” pleaded Mabel, rising and approaching her fa- ther, ‘Oh! do not have hin arrested, for my sake!” ‘Nonsense! Go to your room!” Maurice Mansfield replied, with severity. “T won’t! I wont!” Mabel cried, stamping her foot upén the carpeted floor, impetuously. hes you have Mr. Neville arrested, I'll run mys you'll never see me again. ” ‘ll see about that!” the banker said, and seizing her by the arm, he thrust her into an es eS room, and locked the door.” eville was by this time handcuffed, and marched from the Mansfield residence, with the ny opt on one side of him, and a bur: ly aide upon the otber. Bozeman’s jail, or “‘ freezer,” as it was most popular] known, was. but a small affair, con- taining but one cell, with grated windows, and a sort of office, occupied by the turnkey. To this office Ned was first conducted. Maurice Mansfield had accompanied the posse, his face still dark with subdued passion. “Search the prisoner well, Peters,” he order- ed, when the office of the “ freezer” was reach- ed. ‘He's been pilfering from me ever since he has been in my employ, and no doubt you will find a large sum of money about him.” “You're a liar!” Ned cried, defiantly. never appropriated a cent of your money. But now, since I see what sort of a man you are, 1 | hope some sharp will fleece you out of every cent you've got. It won’t be well for you, if [ nent * get out of jail—just please remember a “You'll not get out very soon!” the banker, allowed, with quiet significance. The work of disarming Ned of a pistol he car- ried, and of searching him, occupied but a few minutes, but no money except a few silver pieces, was found, and a scrap of pa “Hello! what's this?” demandes Phil Peters, who. could not read, or write. The banker seized. the paper, and read aloud. “DEADWOOD DICK, JUNIOR. Frank With Friends, Fearless of Foes! ‘* BEWARE OF THE CRIMSON CRESCENT!” “Hal! what does this mean?” he demanded, turning to young Neville. ‘None of your business!” was the prompt re- ati I reckon, boss, that’s this young chap’s auto- graph, Mid St ye up a miner. “Ef ye recollect, er u ter be an ornery dare-devil chap, named Deadwood Dick, who traveled all through | ther minin’ country, an cut, slashed an’ robbed folks, like fury. I've hearn tell as he got saliva- ted at last, tho’, an’ mebbe this young feller he’s stepped inter his shoes, an’ is tryin’ ter imitate his example!” ‘No doubt of it, at all,” the banker agreed, | ‘for he was afraid to tell me about his past, to- night. Lock him up, and we'll nip his looming career in the bud, mighty quick.” *“ Oh! ye won be lodieoboe: ” Jaughed the turnkey, as he saw Ned give an apprehensive glance toward the grated door of the cell. “ Thar’s a reg’lar chaw- ~em-up in the cage, what kin swaller a man bull. I run him in fer bein’ a a s’picious character.” The door_was then unlocked, and’ Ned, or Deadwood Dick, Junior, was pushed into the cell, after which the door was closed and fast- ened on the offiee side. “There! banker Mansfield said, speaking | mt a through the grating, triumphantly. ‘‘ You wil rusticate in limbo, for one while, young man, | unless we conciude to hang you. Deadwood Dick | J unior, are you? A would-be thief and road- | agent? Very nice, indeed. But, I presume we | can cool your ardor for fame, in that direction!” Dick made no reply, but groped his way to one of the hard benches of the cell, and sat down, while the office of the jail was cleared of all persons except the turnkey, who tip back in his chair, with a yawn, and prepared to go to | sleep. | _ As for Dick he well knew there was no sleep | for him, that night. His arrest had fired him / with indignation, and he only longed to get free toshow his oppressors his defiance and his / power. | And right here, it may be well to make a | brief explanation. The readers of the ‘‘ Deadwood Dick, Jr.,” ro- | mance, will remember that Dick and California | Kit had fled from the mining-camp of Bummer’s | Bar, never to be seen there again, and that | Henry Hollis had started in pursuit, in hopes of | recovering his daughter. Well, Dick and Kit had traveled for several weeks, finally bringing up in the flourishing town of Cinnabar, Montana. As it was a live town, with considerable run- | ning excitement, they concluded to tarry there, | for awhile, and get married, as they had long since plighted their troth, and loved each other truly; but the first night of their stay in Cinnabar, California Kit mysteriously disap- peared, and, for the life of him, Dick could gain no clew as to what had become of her. He searched high and low, and made thorough inquiries, but could gain no information that would throw any light upon her singular disap- pearance. Still, he was not the one to give up hope, and he pursued his search, diligently, visiting all the camps adjacent to Cinnabar. Finally, he decided to visit Bozeman, and set out. One afternoon, after he had left the red-hot camp called Sphinx, he picked up a letter, on | the trail, which some one had either lost or thrown away. On examining it, he was much surprised te find that its date was some two weeks previous, and that it was a business letter addressed to Henry Hollis, Bozeman, Montana. This threw considerable light upon the matter of California Kit’s disappearance, Dick thought, ; and he no longer entertained a doubt but what Kit had been recaptured by her father; so he lost no time in hurrying on toward Bozeman, for he was determined to attempt Kit’s rescue, no matter what the risk might be. Before he reached Bozeman, however, he near- | ly ran into a tem porary’ outlaws’ camp, where a fair young maiden—the Mabel Mansfield of | our iiateaiver as held a captive, bound to a tree. The outlaws, who numbered a round dozen, were well armed, masked, and attired in somber black, and evidently were camped for the night, or else in waiting to attack some stage-coach from the lower mines, | Nothing daunted Dick made up his mind to ef- | fect the maiden’s rescue, if possible, and so he | hung around the neighborhood. | Late in the evening, eleven of the outlaws mounted their horses, and rode away down the trail, toward Sphinx, leaving the twelfth man to keep watch over the prisoner. / As may be supposed, it did not take Dick Jon; to get away with this ‘guard, and he succeed | in rescuing Mabel without any trouble; and on | learning who she was, he took her with him to | Bozeman, and restored her to her father. Mr. Mansfield was greatly overjoyed, and both he and Mabel insisted that Dick should ac- cept the position of cashier in the bank, there being a vacancy at the time. Dick finally beatae giving his name as Ned Neville; for, being rather short of money, he | hoped to earn a few dollars, at the sime time learn something more of the whereabouts of | Kittie. It was thus he was drawn on, to the acquain- tance with Mabel, which had terminated so un- pleasantly. He had also been thrown somewhat into the | society of Perey and Madeline Pierce, the bank- er’s nephew and niece, for neither of whom he _ formed any particular liking, although he felt ) in duty bound to treat them courteously. Madeline was a coldly handsome young woman, of two or three and twenty; Percy was iad = her as a pea, and three or four years her | Dick had not bees in the town more than a e a eee
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% Nickel-Plate Ned. couple of days before Madeline manifested by uettish glances and an attempt to be agree- able, that she was smitten with him, and she had since not let an opportunity pass of letting him know the fact, without saying soin so many |; ‘ words. Percy Pierce, however, had shown himself of ‘asupercilious and disagreeable disposition, and although they were not declared enemies, it was retty well understood between Dick and him that neither liked the other, for Percy had had strong aspirations for Mabel Mansfield’s hand, prior to Dick’s arrival in Bozeman. Much to Dick’s keen disappointment, he had not been able to find that such a man as Henry Hollis was known in the town, nor had he been able to obtain the least clew regarding California Kit’s whereabouts. He had put this and that together, however, and the suspicion was strong in his mind that the outlaw band from whom he had rescued Mabel Mansfield, and who were locally known as the Black Band of Bozeman, were really the erescent-branded jurors of Bummer’s Bar, and that Henry Hollis was in some way connected with them. 7 Just why such a suspicion should have arisen in his mind, he could not have told; but he could not dismiss the thought, and it had been his in- tention to leave the banker’s employ in a few days, to investigate the matter. ,_ ti however, he was locked up on a serious charge, for which he had no doubt he was in- debted to the banker’s nephew, Percy Pierce. CHAPTER IV. THE BLACK DOZEN. As he sat in the cheerless cell, pondering over his unenviable position, Dick was suddenly | aroused by a gruff voice, coming from the seat, just opposite. “Hey! hello, thar, rustler, who be yer?” “T be myself!” Dick replied, dryly. ‘t Who be you?” : ‘“ None o’ yer sass ter me, durn' ye, or I’ll git up an’ bite yer ear off. , Ye’r’ a younker, ain’t ye?” ‘*A regular baby,” Dick answered. ‘It’s j only about eighteen years since I first swallowed | ‘ pheus a strong embrace, and it was not long soothing syrup.” : ‘‘Cuss yer picter, aire ye tryin’ ter poke fun at me remarks! Ef ye are, ll be doubled-up | an’ dissected, ef I don’t swaller ye hull!” ‘‘-Yowl have the dyspepsia all yer life if you do. I’m so tough that you’d have to drink vitriol to digest me!” The party across the way gave a snort of rage. “Who aire ye?—what’s yer handle?” he final- ly asked, in a milder tone. ‘“ Well, you can call me Ned Neville, if you’ve got any occasion to call me anything.’ “Ned Neville, hey? That ain’t yer real han- dle tho’. I heerd ’em callin’ ye Deadwood Dick, yender, outside ther cage.” “Well?” ‘Waal, ef yer him, I’m with yer, tooth-an’- toe-nail. I never had ther honor o’ meetin’ yer before, but ef ther were ever a double-deck cuss, wi’ grid-iron grit, Richard o’ Deadwood war ther man. I’ve heerd more stories bout him than would fill a cyclonepeder. Thar was one time when he war pursued by a hundred men, an’ got inter cluss quarters. Now what der ye s’pose he did?” *“T don’t know, I’m sure.” “Waal, Ill tell yer. He whipped out his shooter an’ wi’ six shots killed ther hul] hundred. Now, that’s ther sort o’ a man as is equal ter d wi? me, ther great chaw-’em-up, from “That's rather a tough yarn,” Dick, Jr., re- plied. ‘However, I allow for ther source it came from.” “Yedo, eh? Waal, neow, me gentle zephyr, allow me ter impress upon yer tympanum, thet thet ’ar story trickled right out o’ ther fountain- head 0’ ¢ ltruth. Bug, is my name, sylvan stranger—Napoleon Bug, an’ I’m ther charmin’ chaw-em-up, from Chico. I feed on raw meat, an’ I parts my hair wid er rewolver!” _ ** You must be a desperate character, indeed!” “Tam, you bet!“ Even elerfants an’ bufflers bellerin’ away, when they see me comin’!” ‘*Tndeed! What are you doin’ in here?” ‘“‘Thet’s jest w’ot I can’t squeeze thru’ my noddie, stranger. hun: 5 dried venison a-hangin’ outside a grocery store, an) thinkin’ ther grocer hed hung et out thar to | get et out o’ ther way, an’ didn’t want et, I stepped up ter inspect it, an’ see ef et war prop- erly dried, when four chaps seized me by ther arms an’ ther useful part 0’ me trouserloons, an’ trotted me off ter this cage, at er polka quick- I hed jest arriv’ in town, | as a settin’ hen, when I spied a hunk 0? | t bin chawin’ off ther back o’ this wooden sofa ter keep me angry speerits frum risin’ so high they’d bw’st ther roof off, an’ ’'d git blistered by ‘her moonshine!” Dick concluded by his companion-prisoners’ harangue, that he was something of a wag, as well as a ‘‘chaw-~em-up,” and he did not feel sorry thet he had a cell-mate who was glib of tongue, as it helped to pass away time, So Dick conversed with the ‘‘ chaw-’em-up” for some time, and found that, at some former period in his existence, he had been pretty well | educated, and really was a man of intelligence; but by years of roughing it through the wilds o the mining regions, he had fallen into the rough vernacular style of speech, and it had become a sort of second nature for him to use it? During their conversation, Dick gleaned the fact that Napoleon Bug never stayed long in one | place, but tramped from camp tocamp, in search of a man, who, years before, had been his busi- ness partner, and had decamped with all the firm’s cash, and Bug’s wife in the bargain. No names were mentioned, and Dick did not consider it any of his business to become inquis- itive, but he formed the impression that Bug was not really the bullwhacker’s name, * It’s a gol-durned shame fer ’em ter lock me in this-hyer hyena trap!” the man grumbled, ‘* jest because I war examinin’ thet piece o’ ven- ison, wi’ a view ter buyin’ et. I wonder, younk- er, ef thar ain’t some way we kin break out 0’ heer, ’cause ef we stay in heer ’til mornin’ we’ll ketch thunder an’ lightnin’!” ‘*There’s a very slim likelihood o’ our gittin’ out,” Dick replied. ‘* This cell is built of stone, and the door is iron,” **Yas, I know that. Ihada notion ter chaw some o’ them bars off, only I was afraid that ther cuss outside would salivate me wi’ his shoot- er. But, I say, younker, ef you an’ I ever git out 0’ heer, we'll pard tergether, an’ paint ther town eardernal!” ‘IT should presume!” Dick replied, although he really had his doubtsif he would care to take on such a partner as the voluble Bug. Long before it was midnight, the snores of the turnkey announced that he was giving Mor- after that the ‘‘chaw-~em-up” succumbed to silence and repose. Dick, then, had nothing to do but think, and | as may be supposed thought gave him but little satisfaction. To-morrow, most likely, he would be tried for defalcation, and there could be but little doubt but what Maurice Mansfield would bring all the power to bear against him that he could. ‘* Oh, Kittie! Kittie!” he murmured, ‘‘ how I wish I were free, that I might again search for you—for something tells me that you are a prisoner, and maybe a sufferer as well!” He really loved the girl with youthful fer- vency, and knowing that his affection was fully reciprocated, it galled his young spirit that he should be held under restraint when he so longed to be free, and in search of her with whom he had been so strangely thrown in con- tact and mated. But it was no use to chafe under his bondage, as he well knew, and he finally stretched himself out upon the hard bench, with the intention of trying to get a few hours’ sleep, as he had not slept for two nights. e had scarcely lain down, however, when he heard a rapping on the outside door of the prison. He instantly arose, and stole to the grated door of his cell, not a little interested. Napoleon Bug also awakened. ‘* What's the matter?” he growled. “Sh! I don’t know,” Dick replied. ‘Some one is pounding at the door of the jail. I don’t know who it may be.” Bug arose, and hobbled to Dick’s side. He was a tall, lank individual, shabbily clad | and wore a shaggy sandy beard, and possessed a tremendous nose that would have made a Roman feel small. ‘** Ye don’t think—ye—ye don’t think it’s lynch- ers, do ye ?” he demanded, anxiously. ‘“T don’t know ; there’s no telling, I’m sure. Keep mum, and we'll know before long.” The candle in the office had not yet burned out. Huffer, the turnkey, still sat tipped back in his chair, sleeping placidly. The knocking on the door did not appear to disturb his repose in tie least, until it increased 2 force, and a regular tattoo was beat upon the oor, Then Huffer awakened, with a start, and sprung to his feet. step. I never war madder in my life, an’ I hev, ‘* Who's there?’ he demanded, 5 ** Open the door!” responded a voice from the outside—a very feminine voice, too. ‘' I want to see you.” “Who are you?” growled the turnkey. ‘I don’t receive visitors this hour 0’ the night, *cept they’re to be locked up!” “T am Mabel Mansfield. Papa sent me with some refreshments for you.” Huffer hardly believed this, for he was not in the habit af being treated so kindly. ‘“’Pears to me old Mansfield are gittin’ mighty clever,” he muttered, as he race 2 ee proached the door. ‘“‘ Howsomever, maybe he ro me to keep a close watch on the youn- er, He shot back the bolts and swung open the portal. As he did so a stream of men poured into the office, a dozen all told, and each one masked, clad in somber black and grasping cocked re- volvers. ‘Good Heaven!” Deadwood Dick, Jr., said, turning to the Chaw~em-up of Chico. ‘‘ We're in for it now, old man! Them fellers are the Black Band of Bozeman, and they*ve come for you and me. Our goose is cooked, sure as there’s kick in a mule. See! they’ve seized the turnkey, and are taking the keys away from him. ou’d better get on your knees and pray, Chaw~’em-up, for inside of ten minutes you'll go scootin’ up Salt river!” ‘*T dunno how ter pray,” the Chaw-em-up replied, his teeth chattering. ‘* What der yer say ?— : ‘Now I lay me down to sleep—” At this juncture the ringleader of the Black Band advanced toward the grated door of the cell, with a large key in his hand. CHAPTER V. AT THE BAND’S STRONGHOLD. Wirz feelings of no little concern, Deadwood Dick, Junior, saw the Black Band chief approack: the cell door, for he well understood the signifi- cance of the band’s coming. me 8 had come for him, and not for leon Bug. Napo- Dick was also now fully satisfied that the band were none others than the branded ju of Bummer’s Bar, who, having discovered his | presence in Bozeman, had taken this opportuni- | ty to possess themselves of him when he was powerless. \ For handcuffed as he was, what could he do | toward protecting himself from any indignities they mightvoffer?/ Absolutely nothing. ; They could cut his very heart cut, and he could not resist; and if they were the branded jury, it would be useless to expect mercy at | their hands. The leader opened the grated door without | trouble, then called out: | ‘¢ Prisoners, come forth!” | Dick marched out promptly. The Chaw~’em-up of Chico, however, drew back to the innermost recesses of the cell. “Come out here», you !” thundered the cap- tain. ‘‘If youdon’t 1’ll have you snaked out by the hair of your head.” This caused Bug to shuffle forth, looking dog- | ged and defiant. The captain surveyed him keenly through the holes in his mask, ** Who are you?” he demanded, gruffly. ** Napoleon Bug!” was the sullen response. ‘Bug, eh? Well, me overgrown Bug, we'll make you creep when we get you to head- quarters. Boys, bind the prisoners to the horses.” Dick and Bug were led from the jail, and bound together upon the back of a strong-limbed horse in such a manner that it would be im- possible for them to get off. The rest of the band then mounted, and the cavalcade rode quietly out of the town, which had long since been wrap in slumber, as it was after midnight, considerably. : Leaving the town at its southern terminus, the band beaded in a line that would take them toward Sphinx. ' For two hours the journey was kept up at a jog-trot; then the outlaws branched off the main trail, and rode up a mountain ravine, — It was narrow and dark, the oragey Sides towering up, precipitously, to great hight. Fora ys or more this possage was followed; then the ravine ascended sharply and ended upon a mountain-guarded plateau, where were a number of tents, pitched In a semi-circle. Besides these was an extremely large two- story log-cabin, which had the appearance of having been built for many years, as it was
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' -wanter partly overgrown by creeping vines, and some of the logs were covered with moss. As Dick afterward learned, it had once been the winter head-quarters of a number of moun- tain hunters and prospectors, who pursued their calling in that region. When this plateau was reached, the outlaws dismounted, and the prisoners were taken to the <abin, The lower floor was all in one room, and a Jarge one at that. A number of rude tables and chairs were scat- tered about, and here and there were skins upon the floor, which probably served as beds. There were two fire-places, one at eithar end of the room, and fires blazed in these. At one side of this room was a counter, and behind it were shelves containing bottles and glasses—in fact, it was a bar after a primitive fashion, that was presided over by a monster negro, who was as ugly and villainows-looking as he was big. . Over the bar was a rudely-lettered cloth sign, bearing the following suggestive legead: “HIS IS NIGGER JIM’S. Warsky Firry Cents a DRINK. ExTRA CHARGE FOR PLANTING SvIFFs.” It would seem, by this, that Negro James was the boss of the ranch, and that the Black Band of Bozeman were simply his guests. In the absence ef the outlaws, however, it was not apparent how the negro derived an income from his place, except it were from strolling men of the mountains, or unless more outlaws than the Black Band sojourned in the vicinity. Dick and Bug were conducted into the cabin by the evident captain of the band and another burly fellow, The other outlaws remained outside, to attend to their horses, When they were inside the cabin, the prisoners were led to a corner furthest from the door, and ordered to sit down. ‘Squat! an’ don’t dare to budge, if ye don’t t yer brains blowed out!” the captain reminded them, menacingly. He and his companion then went to the bar, ae which the negro presided, all smiles and smirks. ‘“* Ebenin’ to youh, boss,” he said, rubbing his hands, in evident anticipation of trade. ‘ What can I do for you gen’men, sah?” “Give us whisky, 0’ course,” the captain growled. ‘Has any one been here to-day, ask- in’ for me?” ** No, sah! not a libin’ soul, sah!” “Where's the other boys?” ‘Deed, I don’t know, sah. “Dey all mounted deir hosses, sah, an’ rode off, sah. As dey took all deir traps wid dem, sah, Pse don't s’pect dey intends to come back right off.” The captain uttered an oath. “They were squealin’ bout divvy this morn- in’,” he said, addressing his companion, and, like enough they’ve deserted, curse ’em!” “What matters it, Captain Flynn?” was the sets “We have all the men we need, any- ow “True!” the captain assented, as he poured out his whisky, “ but if they went off huffy, they may give us away.” ‘“‘T don’t think so. They’ve got onto some other lay, no doubt.” “Yas, sah, dat’s what I think,” spoke up the negro. ‘‘I’se hearn one ob ’em say snthin’ about a fat trail, sah, but Ise didn’t pay no *tention, an’ don’ know "zackly what they did say,” “ Why the devil didn’t you pay attention?” de- manded the captain, ‘‘ What in thunder you good for, anyhow, if you don’t keep yer eyes open? Set back that bottle, you black cur, or Tl smash your infernal skull!” — “se no cur, sah,” Nigger Jim replied, com- plying with the demand, but his black eyes’ gleaming resentfully. ‘‘I’sea cullud gen’man, sah ” “Haw! haw! haw! a purty gentleman you are, ye tar-footed idiot! “Youh insult me, sah! I don’t like dat, I allus treat you ’spectably, sah. ‘Sides dat, sah, you already owes me six dollars, sah!” “* Owe you six dollars, you black devil? Why, thunder an’ lightnin’! I’ve mind to jump over that bar, and choke tha life clean out of you, Who runs this hyer shebang, I want to know?” ‘I does, sah. “I was heah, sah, fo’ you ebber came.” “Ye do, do ye? Waal, now, jest wait till the rest 0’ the comes in an’ we'll see who runs we at Nickel-Plate Ned. the shebang! Flynn, chief o’ the Black Band o’ Bozeman! That’s ther chap you're lookin’ at. And, d’ye suppose I’m goin’ to take back talk from a common nigger like you? Nary’s the time!” and the captain poured out two more brimmers for himself and companion. Nigger Jim made no reply, but the whites of his eyes rolled about in a way that suggested how greatly angered he was. lt must be, indeed, a strong man who would want to tackle him, for he stood six-and-a-half feet in his boots, and was more than proportion- ately heavy, as compared with his hight. His muscles bulged out perceptibly, and, all in all, he looked like a bad man to encounter. ‘*There’s going to be trouble here, to-night,” Dick whispered to Bug, as the two lay close to- gether in the corner. “The coon’s goin’ to git laid out, unless I am mistaken.” “Et do look thet way!” Bug admitted, “ but, that’s not our lookout, We're all-fired likely ter get laid out, ourselves, ef I know a pole-cat from a pond lily.” “I don’t know so much about your chances, but mine don’t look a you can bet. You see that man they call Cap Flynn?” ‘* I does, fer a certainty!” “Well, he’s a bitter enemy of mine, as is all his men, and heavens only knows what torture they intend to put me to,” *“Chaw me up inter chowder ef I wouldn’t like tosee his face!” Bug allowed, grimly. ** Why so?” “Oh! jest fer fun. Iseem to hev heerd thet aire voice afore now, pardner.” ‘** Then, you suspect—” ‘‘Thet he is ther man I have bin s’archin’ fer, ever sence I bekim a cavortin’ chaw-em-up!” ‘Your partner of former days?” ** Yes, that same!” At this juncture the door opened, and the other members of the masked band came filing into the cabin. ‘* Hurrah! boys, come up and have su’thin!” Cap Flynn called. ‘‘ Nigger Jim is doin’ ther elegant, to-night. Waltzright up an’ don’t be at all bashful about it.” The outlaws obeyed with alacrity. “Come! nigger, fill = this bottle again, and | set forth the glasses!” Flynn ordered, important- ly. ‘Don’t be all winter about et. By ther way, boys, I reckon ther blarsted coon ought ter have a mawling, for, what d’ye think he allow- ed a bit ago?—thet we, ther famous Black Band 0’ Bozeman, didn’t run this hyer ranch!” A sullen murmur escaped the crowd, who were anxiously waiting for James to produce the *‘ booze.” ‘Come, you infernal black-and-tan, ain’t you goin’ ter set out the whisky?’ roared the ap- tain. ** No, sah, not ’til yous pays me what you owes me—den, I treat de crowd!” Jim’ replied, promptly. Flynn uttered an oath. ‘* D’ye hear thet, boyees?” he fairly howled. The crowd chorused an assent, ‘Then, do two o’ ye,” the captain went on, ‘* oo stand rd over them prisoners, while the rest 0’ ye give that infernal black cuss the worst poundin’ he ever had in his life. Don’t stop til you’ve pummeled him all to a jelly. Then, we'll all git gloriously drunk on his bug-juice, what he wanted ter charge me fifty cents a glass fer!” The crowd gave a yell of assent, and began to pile over the bar, upon the unfortunate negro. All were strong, able-bodied men, and it look- ed dubious, indeed, for Nigger Jim. Two of the outlaws advanced and stood guard over the prisoners. } Man of tremendous physical strength though Nigger Jim was, he was no match for the odds that were now pitted against him. He fought, however, like a Hercules. It was greatly to his disadvantage that he had not gotten from behind the bar before the fracas began, for now his assailants had him literally cornered, and every ha oareg dl was afforded them to rain blow after blow in upon bim. Of course such an uneven battle could not last any great length of time, but Dick and Bug were amazed at the amount of pummeling the negro could stand without being knocked out. He never uttered a cry of pain, but fought fiercely in defense of his life. It must have been fully ten minutes, and he had already laid out three of the crowd, when he began to show signs of exhaustion. Blood was running down his face in streams, and it was evident that he could not hold out much longer. This seemed to give his inhuman foes renewed ! A I want you. to know I’m Cap | ener | found in plenty, the human pulse beat high: Te _ — — — , and they rained in the blows thicker ‘a —— * : aad inally, with a groan, the conque giant apne to the floor behind the bar. e was quickly snaked outinto the room, and then that brutal custom of some of the rougher parts of the West began—the horrible “stamp- | Ing-out ” process. he insensible negro was kicked and stamped upon until he was apparently lifeless; then, only, was it that the Black Band desisted from their terrible brutality, and Negro Jim was raised and pitched headforemost out of doors. ‘““Nobly done, me daisies!” Captain aa cried, as the outlaws returned to the bar. ‘““Now ye can take them ’ar prisoners, an’ chuck ’em inter the pit, fer safe-keepin’, till we want ’em fer dissectin’, after which we will — to have a bully time a-drinkin’ Nigger Jim’s good health.” Accordingly a tra raised, and a dark hole, was disclosed, The prisoners were then dragged forward. oor in the floor was some two feet square, “You'll find right comfortable quarters down thar, Mr. Deadwood Dick, Junior!” aptain Flynn said, with a villainous chuckle. “ The hunters who used to hev this place used it as an offal vat. When we, the Branded Brows of Bummer’s Bar, get ready to perpetrate our vengeance on ye, we’ll fish ye out, same as we'd angle fer trout. Chuck ’em down, boyees— chuck ’em down!” Accordingly the prisoners were tumbied into the pit, from which arose a sickening stench, and the trap was closed down. The work of drinking Nigger Jim’s whisky then began, CHAPTER VI. THE ELIE, TEE mining-town of Sphinx, to which we have previously made reference, was about as wide-awake a camp as there was within a bun- dred miles of Bozeman, except it was Cinnabar, despite the fact that it boasted of a housed popu- lation of a hundred and fifty souls. A spur of the Northern Pacific railway had passed through the camp, to the southward to Cinnabar; in con- sequence Sphinx counted herself one of the com- ing cities. As in every camp, where mineral wealth is there was everywhere, on the street and in the salcons and other shops, a feverish state of ex- citement, and the one theme of conversation, the one all-absorbing interest of the people, was gold. eR § train, and’every stage-coach brought in its load of passengers, who were eager seekers after fortune, and wished to investigate their chances at Sphinx, before proceeding on to its more important neighbor, the flourishing town of Cionabar. There was a generous su silver, at Sphinx, and accordi plenty, and the places where spent, still more plentiful. There were saloons, gamin -rooms, and dance- halls, a couple of hetels, and the usual comple- ment of stores. and other places of business. As usual, the rough element of mining-camps had not given Sphinx the o-by even in prefer- ence to the bigger town of Camevar, There were roughs, toughs and sharps of every kind, and nearly ev nationality, from the olished, white-shir gambler with his sparkling dia- monds, to the most blatant and boastful bu y and the veriest bum. Among other places resort, in the camp, was The Elite—a gaming room, run on a quiet basis, and which was the best fitted up place, in the camp. The walls were nicely papered, and hun with sporting pictures; the floor was canpeted with brilliant Brussels, and all the furniture was of mahogany, the chairs being upholstered in crimson plush. A walnut side-board bar, adorned one end of the room, which was presided over by the proprietor of the place, a young and very dandi- fied individual, known as Chicago Charley. Rumor had it that Charles had been well-con- nected, and quite wealthy, in the Wetern me- tropolis, but had been obhged to skip, on ac- count of some business trouble that had threat- ened to send him down to Joliet. However this might be, he had certainly fitted up The Elite in prime order, and at no little ex- pense, and he catered to the more respectable gambling element of the town, among whom ply of gold and gly, money was money could be were several of the feminine gender. One cool October night, several weeks after the occurrence of the events last narrated, and when the first light snow of approaching wint'+ JNA
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6 Nickel-Plate Ned. whitened the ground, The Elite was comforta- bly well-filled, with devotees to the games of chance. The lights of the lamp chandeliers burned brightly, and, combined with the bright hues of the carpet, gave forth a pleasing effect. The clinking of glasses, and the flitting about of a trio of waiter-girls, added zest} to the scene. These waiter-girls were a novelty, of which the Elite alone boasted. They were attractively attired, and evidently were young; but, as the upper parts of their faces were hidden behind ominous black masks their exact ages could not be determined. This mask business was a matter of Chicago Charley’s own get-up; and he would take no girl into his employ who would not conceal the upper portion of her features, and whom he was not satisfied was perfectly respectable, and pos- — of the spirit to protect herself from in- sult. When questioned on the matter, he would simply say: “*T have a sister, eg and I would kill the man who would dare to insult her, and I will kill the man who dares to insult these girls, who by force of necessity have entered my employ, and whose identity I have been man enough to screen from the gaping crowd.” That settled it. Every one knew the blood from Chicago was quick with the pistol; therefore the waiter-girls of The Elite were treated with respect. For no rough and troublesome tough was toler- ated in the gaming-parlor, there always being a herculean ‘‘ bouncer” at the door, who kept an eye to who entered the place. The waiter-girls were known as ‘‘ Lily,” “‘ Garnet,” and ‘‘ Nola,” but further than this, their identity remained a profound secret. It was known they had rooms in the hotel adjoining The Elite, which could be reached by a private passageway, so that they did not have to step out into the street. But, to return to our story. As before stated, The Elite was well-filled, this chill October evening, and nearly all the card- tables were occupied, while the faro-bank was running at full blast. It was a noticeable fact that nearly all those present were well dressed, and the conversation carried on over the games was more devoid of profanity than is usually the case in such places, At one of the tables two men were seated, who were not using cards, but were holding a conversation over a bottle of wine, which one af the waiter-girls had just brought them, One of the men was Flynn, the chief of the Black Band of Bozeman, minus his mask, and attired in a flashy suit. He wore no beard now, except a close-cropped mustache, and no one who had seen him as the outlaw chief, or as the miner of Bummer’s Bar, would have recognized him, now. The other man was large-framed and portly, and his hair was sprinkled with a few threads of gray. His face was naturally a kindly one in expression, but the pallor of the lower part of it now told that a heavy beard had been removed from it, probably that day. He was well , and wore a handsome diamond in his shirt-front, and a cluster ring upon his little finger. ‘© Yes, the deuce is to pay, all around,” this in- dividual was saying, rather dubiously, ‘‘and I’m between a fret anda stew. Have you no idea how she escaped?” ‘¢ None whatever,” Flynn replied, ‘‘She was locked in one of the second story rooms of the eabin, and the window was nailed down. This had not been disturbed, and the door was still bolted on the outside. I had been in the habit of visiting her oncea day, to take her some food, but when I went, two weeks ago to-day, she was gone.” “ Why did you not notify me, before?” ‘*T almost feared to, because 1 was afraid of our anger; and then, too, I’ve been searching igh and low, in hopes of recapturing her ” * And you tell me this infernal whelp, Dead- wood Dick, Junior, also escaped you?” ‘The very night of his capture. I put him and bis compamion in the pit, for temporary safe-keeping, and when we went to haul them out they were gone, There is no mystery about their escape, however, for we found there was a tunnel-like outlet to the pit, opening in a clump of bushes near the cabin, and tes escaped through it. We also found the ‘stiff’ of the nigger, near the outlet, and he no doubt helped them out, and then croaked,” am ve found no.trace of the young scoun- ‘‘None, more’n thet I’ve an idear he come this way. Ther boys are layin’ loose around the outskirts 0’ ther camp an’ if they strike his sniff, et will be all up wi’ him.” ‘See that it is. Ive great fears that he and my child are once more together.” ** Don’t you believe it, Hollis!” _ Sh! Don’t use that name here, I am known as John Jasper.” ‘* Bah! what’s the odds?” “ More than a little. Iam popular here, and doing well, as Jobn Jasper. Were it known that I was under an alias, it would get to bank- er Mansfield’s eurs, and all my chances of fur- ther partnership with him wandl be spoiled.” ‘Tf ye’r’ doin’ so well, I'd like some money!” Flynn said, coolly. ‘‘I don’t propose to work for nothing.” \ ‘Your demands are getting too frequent!” Hollis replied, growlingly. ‘* However, wait around here,* until Mansfield comes. and Til make a raise out of him, on the pretext that we must have more money to develop our mine.” ‘‘Kerect. I’m ailus obligin’ when there’s any money in the case!” Flynn said, with a chuckle. ‘The most I’m achin’ for, is ter git hold of Deadwood Dick, Junior, again.” And he pulled the slouch hat down further toward his eyes, so as to be sure to hide the brand of the Crimson Crescent, which Dead- wood Dick had stamped upon his forehead! At this juncture, two persons entered the Elite, who, from their strong contrast, attract- ed immediate attention from those who were gathered about the tables. You know CHAPTER VII. NICKEL-PLATE NED. THE two persons who entered The [Elite were strangers in the camp. No one in the gilded gaming-room, by any sign or token,. betrayed that they recognized em, The first to enter—for one followed the other, was an old man. He was tall, and rather spare of ome He was attired in a suit of black-broadcloth, of recent make. A watch-chain dangled at his vest; he wore a choker collar, and a high hat, several years out of date. In his right hand, he carried a heavy ebony cane. Little of his face was visible, except his eyes, a part of his forehead, and a large Roman nose, for he wore a long heavy beard, which was as white as snow, and his hair was as white as his beard. To look at him, one would have taken him to be at least seventy years of age. The second party was a much younger man— twenty-five or six years old, icky ne He was not over medinm hight, but of athletic build, and quick of movement, He had a round handsome face, keen brown eyes, and a high forehead. His hair which fell back upon his shoulders from beneath the rim of a slouch sombrero, was of a very blonde color, and as fine as silk. His face was also adorned by a graceful curling blonde mustache, and a pointed goatee. A handsomer looking fellow would not often be encountered, than was this stranger. : But his fine appearance, facially, was not his only attraction, It was his costume that drew the most attention. Beginning at his feet, he wore a pair of top- boots of finest leather, the ears of which were nickel-plated rings, ! Then came a pair of trowsers of buckskin cloth, encircled at the waist by a nickel-plated band, or belt, with holsters for 1evolvers and a knife. These holsters were supplied with the aforesaid weapons, which were also nickel- plated. He wore a broad-collared white flannel shirt thrown open at the throat, and a purple velvet coat, the buttons of which had been manufac- tured from silver pieces, and a heavy double chain reached from the top buttonhole of his pants to a _watch-pocket on either side. Around his hat was also a nickel-plated band, In fact, he was a walking advertisement of nickel-plate, and a most dashing one, too. He sauntered along, toward the middle of the room, in a nonchalant way, with his hands thrust in his pockets, while his magnetic gaze took in the lively scene that always held the boards at The Elite. . Finally, he paused, and looked from one table to another, as he put the inquiry: **Gentlemen, I am Nickel-Plate Ned, from Nebraska, Is there any of you disengaged, who s ye * ea shoes ah would like to indulge in a pene of seven-up, auction, eucher, whist, pinochle, old sledge, or draw poker, for amusement, or protit? If there is, I am at liberty to be skinned!” The challenge caused the crowd to stare, for it had been uttered with the utmost sangfroid, and indicated pretty good assurance on the part of the speaker. Henry Hollis, or, as he was known in. Sphinx, John Jasper, quickly nudged Flynn. “You absent yourself—tackle the old man, for instance,” he whispered. ‘‘Tll soon see whether the young fellow has got any money in him or not.” Flynn accordingly arose and shuffled away, but not until he had given Nickel-Plate Ned a sharp glance, as much as to say, ‘‘ Who are you ?” “Tf you will take a seat here, I can, perhaps, accommodate you,” Jasper said, touching the sport upon the arm. ‘Certainly; thank you,” Nickel-Plate Néd responded, seating himself upon the chair Flynn had just vacated. ‘‘ Anything to pass away @ few hours, you know.” . “Stranger here?” Jasper inquired, rapping for one of the waiter-girls. “Oh! yes, Just arrived a bit ago.” ‘Going to remain long?” 3 ‘Uncertain about that. Depends how long it takes me to blow in my e.” ‘* ‘You have a boodle, then?” ‘* Somewhat.” ‘‘-You came from Nebraska, eh?” ‘*T should smile.” " “What part?” ‘“* Southern.” ‘Tn business there?” ‘“‘ Have a few cattle there.” : One of the waiter-girls appeared at this Junc- ture. ; ‘* Bring us a fresh pack of cards Nola,” Jas- per said, with a winning smile. “this nickel- plated gentleman and I are to try our luck and see whom fortune smiles upon to-night.” “Certainly, Mr. Jasper,” Nola said, with a courtesy. At the same time she gave Nickel-Plate Ned a quick glance through the eye-holes of her mask; her lips parted in a charming smile and she was rone. Nickel-Plate Ned gazed after her keenly. ‘* Rather odd these waiter-girls should be masked!” he remarked. ‘Simply an outlandish notion of the proprie- tor,” Jasper said. ‘‘There’s many a man in the room who will give a hundred to see their faces and know who they are. They get numerous presents of money as it is, however.” ‘“‘Then their identity is not known?” “ No.” Nola soon returned with cards and chips. ‘‘Mr. Charley says if you want a banker, I am at your disposal,” she said, hesitatin iy; ‘for there is not so much business doing but. what the other girls can attend to it!” “Charley is very kind,” Jasper observed. ‘* Pray be seated.” Nola accordingly seated herself at the tabk, with Nickel-Plate Ned on her right, and Jasper on her left. ‘“‘ Poker, I suppose?” Jasper said, as he raz over the deck. ‘Yes, that suits me.” ‘¢ What limit?” _“T am not particular.” Jasper rather siared, but said mg | In fact, since coming to Sphinx he had lost nearly all the money he had, except an invest- ment he had made with Maurice Mansfield at Bozeman in the banking business. ‘“‘Oh! well, we'll make it a hundred, to start with,” he said, : “You may give me twenty Nola.” : “Ditto for me,” Ned said, laying down two fifties. The checks were dealt out to them. Just then a man approached, and tapped Jas- per on the shoulder. is “Why, Mansfield, dear boy, how are you?” Jasper exclaimed, quickly rising, and shaking hands with the new-comer, who was none other than the Banker of Bozeman. “Sit rigkt down here, for you are just in the nick of time to get into this game of poker. That was bad news ou sent me.” : hice Bad’s no name for it,” the banker replied, as he seated himself across the table from Nola. “A hundred’s worth of prea ype I tell you, Jasper,” he went on, apparently unmindful of the presence of Nickel-Plate Ned, ‘I’m near! distracted. I wrote you all about the scra had with the young scoundrel, Deadwood Dick, Junior, didn’t 1” fives, Miss
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SS ——— ; “You did. I reckon the Black Band fixed him when they took him from the jail.” ‘“‘T am not so sure about that. I hope so, however. If Lever get sight of him Ill shoot him down at sight. What can have become of my poor silly child is what worries me the most. I io believe she was infatuated with the young ruffian, and has fled, in hopes of finding him.” ‘*No trace of her, eh?” “Not the least I have had an extended search made, but can give no clew to her where- abouts, or as to whether she is dead or alive. I have an impression that she came this way, and that is what brought me here.” *« She is not here, or I should have seen her,” “That is pot the worst of it all,” the banker went on. ‘“‘ A week ago my pamee™ disappeared, with twenty-five thousand dollars—the entire funds of the bank, and the next day his sister Madeline be ps oe aan So I closed the bank up, aoe taking what individual cash I had, I came ere.” ‘‘Bad; very bad!” Jasper growled. ‘‘Can you get no trace of Pierce?” ‘None whatever. Had the earth opened and the advances made to develop the mining claim, here in Sphinx, which] hear is utterly worthless, our balance in the bank’s stock would have dice but a few dollars. John Jasper made no reply, but his teeth went together firmly enough to evidence that he did not like the shot. The cards were shuffled, cut and dealt, and the game began. The first hand was won by Ned, the stake having been fixed at five dollars a corner. There was no betting. The second hand was a repetition of the first, and won'‘by Ned. 4 “This is very tame,” Jasper growled. ‘If I can get a decent hand, I'll raise it.” es & will I,” from the banker. But noone had any cards in the third hand and a discard of four cards was made, all around, It was Nickel-Plate Ned’s “say,” and he bet two chips, ‘*Supposing we make this no limit!” Jasper om 3 ce laying his cards face down upon the table. “Dm agreeable!” Mansfield assented, after glancing at his cards. Nickel-Plate Ned ran slowly over his cards, looking very thoughtful. Then he drew a large roll of bills from his nts | Soy and regarded it, even more ully. reaht li ‘Well, Dll stay in,” he said, finally. ‘It may be only a bluff game, after all. Make your bets, gentlemen.” ““Give me enough more chips to make me two hundred dollars!” Jasper ordered of Nola. ‘**Bother with the chips!” spoke up Mans- field. ‘‘ We are all gentlemen, put down your money!” It was accordingly done. / ‘Now, Pll see you, and go you two hundred better,” Mansfield said, with a quiet smile, as he made good his bet, in greenbacks, “$ Well, I shall have to see the biz, and go five hundred ‘better! Nickel-Plate Ned responded, coming to time. Jasper and the Banker of Bozeman exchanged inquiring glances, and the former emptied his pockets, and counted his money out upon the table. : Er “There!” he said, putting it with the pile— “that’s my all, but it is enough to see you, young man, and go you twelve hundred bet- ter ” Nickel-Plate Ned made no reply, but a faint smile wreathed his lips, as laid down his cards, took a cigar from his pockets, and lit it, con- scious the while that Nola was watching him. ae had caught her in the same act, several mes, during the play. : aurice Mansfeld did not a ee ree astily, but first consulted his cards, an en glanced from J asper to the Nickel-Plate Sport. ‘I'd like to know what you gentlemen have,” he remarked, ‘ However, it’s too late to back out, now.” He counted out a stack of bills, and planked them, Nickel-Plate Ned. “See Mr. Jasper, and raise him five thou- sand!” he said, sententiously. ‘You evidently want the boodle, quite badly,” Ned observed, as he consulted his own resources, ‘*But, I do not think you will get it. I have enough here to cover you. Are you done, Mr. Jasper?” reas ““Then, Mr. Mansfield, I call you !” ‘*Four kings!” Mansfield said, laying them down, triumphantly. ‘*The boodle belongs to me!” Ned said, lay- ing down the four aces, and raking in the stakes. “Ten thousand curses seize you, you shall not have that money!” Jasper cried, leaping to his feet in a rage, and drawing a self-cock- ing revolver from his hip-pocket. At the same instant, the sharp report of a weapon was heard, on the opposite side of the room, followed by a scream of pain! Had a murder been committed? CHAPTER VIII. WREN’S VENGEANCE. Ir was the first time since The Elite had been started that a pistol-report had sounded within the gaming-room. Chicago Charley had given it out in plain terms, on Opening the place, that if there was any shooting to be done, he was always on hand and ready to do it. And as it was a well-known fact that he al- ways went “‘ heeled,” there had never been any Me oa ‘ a 5 ow, however, the report went echoin the length of the gaming-hall, and men started from their seats excitedly. What was the matter? Who had been shot? It was soon ascertained. When Captain Flynn left the table whereat Jas- per was seated, he had lounged around until he saw a white-bearded stranger take a seat at a table; then he also went and sat down at the same table, and soon the two were engaged ata game of cards. Now, Flynn lay upon the floor, writhing in the agonies of death, with a bullet-wound in bis branded forehead, while the white-bearded stranger had arisen, with a smoking revolver in his grasp. ; Just across the room was another tableau. John Jasper had started up from the card- table, with his revolver half-raised. At his right sat Nola, the waiter-girl. She too held a revolver at full-cock, and it was leveled at John Jasper’s heart. ‘*Put up your weapon!” she cried, sternly. ‘*There’s one murder, over yonder, but there'll be another if you try any swindling games here in The Elite!” “Curse you! what do you mean?” Jasper gasped, for her interference took him quite b surprise, seeing that he had flattered himself with having made quite a ‘‘ mash” on her. ““T mean that Nickel-Plate Ned won the money fairly, and is entitled to it. We don’t allow trickery in this resort.” ‘* We don’t, eh?” **No, we don’t. Sir!” (to Ned) “ you can put the stakes in your pocket.” ‘“‘T certainly intend to,” Ned replied, coolly. “Tam much obliged to you, however, for pre- venting that chap from using his weapon.” **- You appear to have got quite mashed on this silver-plated sucker!” John Jasper sneered, ad- dressing Nola. ‘‘That’s none of your business!” she retorted. “ Are you going to put up that tool, or do you want me to wing you?” With an oath, Jasper put his weapon back in his hip-pocket. “Now don’t let me see you draw that again,” Nola said warningly, ‘“‘or [ll drop you!” By this time Nickel-Plate Ned had finished storing the money away about his person, and arose to his feet. ** And now, my Christian friend, I have a lit- tle bone to pick with you,” he said grimly. ** What was that little remark I heard you drop about sucker? Did you mean me, or is there some other silver-plated chap in this institu- tion?” “Bah! I want no quarrel with you!” Jasper = laa and turning away he strode toward the ar. “Don’t follow him!” Nola said, touchin Nickel-Plate Ned on the arm, “for he is no’ worth making trouble with, I saved you, so don’t get into a quarrel with him—for my sake, don’t.” ‘*Ror your sake?” “ Yes.” 7 “ And why for your sake? You are a tetal stranger to me!” “‘T know that, nevertheless I took enough in- terest in you to save your life.” “ Who are you?” ***T am called Nola, here. Further than that no one will know who Iam as long as I remain ° at The Elite.” ‘““Well, I am very grateful for your inter- ference, Miss Nola!” Ned said, courteously. ‘“*You will excuse me now, as 1 want to see what the trouble is over there?” And bowing, he moved away toward the scene of the murder. ; A crowd had collected, and Chicago Charley was acting as master of ceremonies. He was a dashing-looking fellow, who ever dressed with elaborate taste, and possessed a handsome face, a handsome mustache, and a handsome pair of black eyes. He now confronted the old man, his hand grasping a revolver. : “*T want to know the meaning of this affair!” he cried, ‘Who are you, old man, and what do you mean by coming into my place and shooting down one of my customers? Speak up, quick, before I blow your brains out!” ‘“*T have won the vengeance I’ve been seekin for, for many a year!” the old men answer slowly. ‘‘I recognized in yonder dying wretch one who had bitterly wronged me in the past. So I shot him, as I had sworn to do!” ‘* Who are you?” ee 7 name is Wilfred Wren.” “Where do you belong?” ** Anywheres—any wheres in the wide world,” ** And you shot this man out of revenge?” ** Yes.’ ‘Well, you have committed a willful murder. Revenge is no excuse for such a crime as this in the eyes of the law.” ‘Perhaps not,” Nickel-Plate Ned interposed, stepping forward; “‘ but as I know this gentile- man’s story quite well, I can perhaps throw . some light upon the matter.” “Very well, sir; say your say!” Chicago , Charley replied, seeming to take quite a liking to the sport. ** Well, this man who has been shot,” explained, Ned, ‘‘ was formerly the business partner of Mr. Wren in an Eastern city, but decamped with all the money of the firm for parts unknown. And not only did he do this, but he also broke up a happy home, for Wren’s wife eloped with him, leaving behind her two little children. “Tt was but natural that Wren should swear* dire vengeance, and ke bas carried the oath out to the letter. Isuppose few of you know who. the dead man really is, cr was?” “e No ! ‘* Well, he was the captain of the Black Band. of Bozeman.” This announcement caused a cry of surprise to escape the crowd; for the Black Band of Bozeman had become well known at Sphinx both from the boldness and the frequency of their depredations, Stages had been stopped and robbed by them, at almost regular intervals, and lone travelers into the mines had likewise been halted and pose? , and in many instances had been rutally treated by the outlaws. That the man who now lay a corpse upon the ies “gr floor of The Elite gaming-room was really the captain of the ruffians who, within a couple of months’ time had made themselves so notorious, seemed hardly credible to the by- standers. ‘* Are you sure you bave not made a mistake about this man’s being the outlaw leader?” Chicago Charley said, doubtingly. ‘Quite sure—indeed, I am positive!” Ned re- plied, promptly. “But how are you sure?” ‘“Because my friend and I have been on his trail for several days, and knew him well.” ‘* The old man is your friend, then?’ “Yes. We have been pards for some little time!” ‘“‘ Well, sir, if it is true that the man was the captain of the Black Band, the public has much to thank you for, for running himdown. How- ever, that fact does not excuse your companion’s crime. He has committed a deliberate murder, and the law will hold him responsible.” ‘Law be hanged! Western law is not so fine as all that. The man was a black-handed des- perado, and as such deserved to be shot.” “That may be your opinion, sir, but all opin- ions are not alike. r local deputy-sher#f doesn’t happen to be in town to-night; neverthe- less, your friend must submit to a BPP, “String the cuss up, without any fuss about it,” cried John Jasper. “If he am’t made an
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ed, their blood example of, why others of his ilk will come along and do as he has done, Lynch law is the medicine for him. If we don’t maintain the right to protect ourselves against assassination, this camp will soon be a regular scene of mur- _ der and ruffians’ reign.” The crowd within The Elite applauded at this, ‘“* Themi’s words o’ sense,” cried a man, one of the representative capitalists of the camp. ‘Jt _is our duty to put a stop to this sort of crime without delay, and I second the motion that the man be strung up at once.” *T third it!” cried another man. **T fourth it!” from still another. And then nearly the whole crowd joined in a shout of approval. ‘*'You see the public sentiment is against your friend,” Chicago Charley said, turning to Nickel- Plate Ned. ‘I am nof in favor of ye law, but in these cases the majority rules.” Then he turned to the crowd. “T don’t think 1t right to talk of lynch law, gents,” he said, ‘for that is fully as unlawful as was the murder itself. I propose, at the least that the man be given a fair and impartial trial.” ‘* Bah! Wha.’s the use of a trial! Don’t we alf know, an’ hain’t he admitted himself, that he - galivated ther man?” growled John Jasper. I allow that we representative citizens o’ this camp ought to have as niuch say in such matters as you. An’ besides all that, this nickel-plated nobody’s statesaent, that the murdered man was captain of the Black Band, is false on its very face, for Ihave known the deceased for years, and also known thet he wasa man of honesty and strict infegrity. The.idea of his being an outlaw, or an associate of outlaws, is preposter- ous in the extreme. So I say, let’sstring the old rascal up, at once!” The crowd gave a cry of assent, and a move- ment was made to seize the old man, who still stood with the revolver in his grasp, without making any move to protect himself. But the stern voice of Nickel-Plate Ned check- ed them. : “Stop!” the young man cried, in ringing tones. ‘' Stop! Isay! Lay nota hand on Mr. Wren, or there will be more bloodshed in this room! No rope shall go around his neck as long as Lam about, not if I know myself!” He held a pair of cocked revolvers in his grasp, and the glitter in his eyes showed pretty plainly that he was a dangerous man to be disdbeyed. ’ pe in this instance, he had reckoned without ais host. “T allow ye don’t know yourself!” a voice eried, and Ned’s arms were firmly seized, twist- - ed around behind his back, and the weapons wrenched from his grasp. He struggled fiercely to free himself, but it was no use. The miner who had seized him was as strong as a bull; Nickel-Plate Ned could not break or twist away! ‘** Away with the old assassin, an’ string him ap!” cried John Jasper, ‘‘an’ we may as well make a clean job of it by stretchin’ the young feller’s neck, at the same time!” ‘Not while J am around!” cried Chicago ara cocking his revolver, ‘‘ for Nickel-Plate Ned’s done nothing to deserve hanging!” ' He uttered this protest immediately after one of the masked waiter-girls had approachel him, and ecemeres something in his ear. The girl in question was the one who went by the name of Garnet. All was now confusion, for the habitues of the gaming-room made a rush at Wilfred Wren, to secure him, - But it was their turn to make aslight mistake. They didn’t know their man! For, a raising bis revolver, which wasa self-cocker, Wren poured a deadly fire into the - ranks of those who would have saiaed him. One by one the men dropped, until at last the old man had literally cut his way through to the door, out of which he bounded into the street. Some of the crowd rushed in pursuit, but . when they got outside the doorway of The Elite, their man was nowhere in sight. He had vanished as completely as though the earth had opened up and swallowed him. CHAPTER IX. AT BAY. THE gamblers and citizens, then rushed back into The Elite, where the burly miner still held Nickel-Plate Ned in custody, It was a scene of wild confusion. Seven of the former habitues of the place, lay stretched out — the floor, all severely wound- orming in elotted pools upon the some carpet, SS ee et ee ie i t-te riSegsli s ssissth sssnns Nickel-Plate Ned. Every one seemed to be ina state of desper- ate excitement. “‘The accursed old reprobate escaped us!” John Jasper cried, furious with rage, “ but we- | ll not be cheated in that way, boys. The ends | of justice shall not be defeated, even though the | heavens fall. This nickel-plated chap shall fill the other one’s place!” ‘He shall not!” cried Chicago Charley, who now had a pair of revolvers in his grasp, and whose eyes flashed with the fire of resolution, ‘* Nickel-Plate Ned has done nothing to merit lynching, and Ill undertake to make it sick for the man that eae hands on him, and if that miner, Humbolt Hank, don’t release his hands, V'll put a bullet through him!” * Yes, and I'll back you!” It was Nola, the waiter-girl, who uttered this declaration, as’she stepped beside the proprietor of The Elite, grasping a handsome pair of six- shooters, Her example was immediately followed by the other two girls, Lily and Garnet, each simi- larly armed; and to make the group complete, Sandusky Steve, the giant ‘‘ bouncer” of the establishment, joined their forces. The array of five determined people, with a shooting capacity of fifty bullets, caused the crowd to stare, while both John Jasper and Maurice Mansfield uttered execrations. ‘* What do you mean?’ the former growled. ‘“Do you defy us, when we’ve got the odds against ye?” ‘** We mean that, if you try to vent your spite on an innocent man, which same is Nickel- Plate Ned, there’ll be more bodies strewn around this room, than there is now!” Chicago Charley replied, ringingly. ‘‘I run this ranch, and you know I never aim crooked. And, now, and for the last time, Humbolt Hank, release the sport!” The miner gave a growl, and obeyed, but took care to mingle with his own crowd, which were drawn up at one side of the room. Ned, on being released, picked up his revol- vers, and joined Chicago Charley's forces. “Gentlemen!” he said, coolly, ‘“‘I did not come to your camp to ne but I came to stay, and I propose to do it. If you’ve got any serious objections to my becoming a citizen, now’s the time to spit it out, and settle it!” The crowd did not offer to make an attack, however, for the-grim death lurking within the array of revolvers, had no particular attraction for them, John Jasper and banker Mansfield drew to one side, and held a whispered conversation... . Then, the ce emg nced aloud: “Very well. You can put up your weapons, and we'll let matters drop. aybe the young man isn’t to blame. Anyhow, whether or no, there’s no sense of spilling any more blood, on either side. It’s beena bad job at best, and so we'll call it quits.” ‘Which, I suppose, is equivalent to saying that you will wait until you get a better chance at me,” Nickel-Plate Ned suggested, sarcastically. ‘* Nothing of the sort, sir. If you remain in Sphinx, you will not be molested, as long as you conduct yourself as a good citizen.” “Thank you!” and Ned bowed with comical grace; “ thank you, very much,” ‘You will please remove these wounded men and that dead one; then I shall close The Elite for the night!” Chicago Charley said, ‘‘ as there’s cleaning to do.” ** Yes, boys, take out the bodies; then, we'll all have a nightcap at the expense of my friend here, Mr. Mansfield, of Bozeman!” Jasper called out. It did not take long to carry the bodies out- = hy saloon, after which the drinks were or- ered, ‘** Will you join us, stranger?’ Mansfield asked, addressing Nickel-Plate Ned. “No, thank you. I do not imbibe.” ‘* Have a cigar, then.” “*T do not care to smoke!” And Ned terned away, to listen to Nola, who was speaking to him. As soon ossible, Chicago Charley and Steve cleared the room of all the crowd, except Ned and thé-girls, and barred the doors. ‘Oh! Lam so glad you escaped!” Nola said, : pening. out her band, the tone ae hicks thrilled | 1m, i ’ ** And so am I,” echoed Lily, likewise shak hands with him; but her ch did not th him as Nola’s did; her hand seemed cold and pulseless, to him, ‘“* And I must add that I am also very glad,” Garnet added, without offering her hand. “I was, te fearful that we could not keep them om! tixe , ‘ ‘ of my wi sto see the faces of girlsat The Elite” 93 “IT am sure I am most grateful to you all,” Ned assured, “for, but for your interference, they’d have made short work of me, without doubt.” y ‘You can thank my little friend, Garnet, the most of any of us,” Chicago Charley said, com- ing up, and patting her upon the shoulder, “‘ for on oo She who enlisted my sympathies in your “T am most grateful to Miss Garnet, and to © you all,” Ned said, ‘‘ but sorry there was so much bloodshed consequent upon my first visit to your place.” : “Well, I suppose it was all unavoidable,” Charley said, grimly. ‘‘ Was the man really the bandit leader?” ‘‘He was. John Jasper, as he is known here, lied when he said the man wasn’t Captain Flynn, of the Black Band. Jasper knew he was an outlaw, and was conversing with him when I entered.” ** Which looks rather suspicious for Jasper.” pat res, it does; he is a good man to investi- ate. ‘*You intimated that Jasper had another name?” ‘*So be has. Henry Hollis, As Nickel-Plate Ned uttered these words his gaze flashed intuitively from one to another of the trio of waiter-girls’ faces. Just why, he could hardly have told, except it was to see if either of them recognized the name, His real name is not Jasper, but ed felt slightly disappointed, for he had a notion that he had met one of the trio some- where before, and he now concluded that if 80, it must be the girl Garnet, who, according to Chicage Charley, bad interceded in his behalf. The sport now announced that he must go in search of Wilfred Wren; so bidding all good- night, he was let out at the rear door of the es- tablishment, and scurried away, taking care to avoid the main street of the town, lest some of the crowd who had been held at bay should be lying in wait for him. ‘*T am strangely impressed with to-night’s ad- venture,” be mused, as he hurried along, ‘‘ and considering the conversation I overheard be- tween Hollis and Mansfield at the card-table, I believe that I have hit upon the right trail in coming to this town. At any rate, I shall not doubt that my suspicion is wrong, 4 , CHAPTER X. A ROGUE’S CONFESSION. Henry Hollis and the Banker of Bozeman went direct.to the former’s cabin, which was located a few hundred yards from the gaming-saloon, and off the main street, with no other habita- tions near to it. Neither of the men spoke until they were seat- ed in the cabin at a table on which had been placed a lighted candle and a bottle of liquor and face, with expressions which betrayed that nei- ther of them was in a pleasant frame of mind. — ‘Well?’ Mansfield said, interrogatively, “what do you think about matters?” é ‘Not much that’s favorable, I'll assure you. ‘** Did you know that outlaw?” “Bosh! no. I merely said that.” “What was your object?” “To make Nickel-Plate Ned out a liar!” **] judged so. He incurred your enmity— a - 7 ae yen a only there.’ ‘You had met him befo: : . “Yes, I do not think you recognized him?” “Eh? Ido not und and Jenl' “T'll make it plainer, then, You are as much Fey his enemy as I am.” nee “Ha! I think Isee. You “* Deadwood Dick, Junior, ™ a The banker leaned back 8 breath. mu be false ized him as soon as b) e gi “ i it. I rec Not a bit of on the track of the he mentioned having b man he claimed was the outlaw. That's why | fu I tried to get him lynched.” b, Would t _ et has fairly escaped us by this time!” * Never fear. He will hang around Sphinx, and we will trap him yet. That was why I ordered But by no sign or token did any of them be- — tray that they had ever heard the name before, 4 ene. : Then they looked each other squarely in the to goodness you had succeeded! He leave this vicinity until I am satisfied beyond a » A j be yA AFTER leaving The Elite saloon, Jasper, or ~ Rate i “4 x ”
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* = the men to desist from an attack upon him. We |} ment, on his return, when an take him unawares and dispose of him with- out costing a life,” ‘** How comes it you are his enemy, as well as I—that is, beyond the fact of the poker. game?” ‘Well, you see, I have suffered a loss through his instrumentality similar to that of yours. Several months ago, before I made your ac- quaintance, he induced my daughter to elope with him. ; E ‘* T gave chase, and at last got on their trail, and succeeded in stealing her away from him. I had her locked up, warning her she need never expect to get her liberty until she promised uever to try to run away or see the young ras- cal again. She escaped, however, as I was for- the-first informed to-night, and at present there is no trace of her whereabouts. I am satisfied, however, that it isin search of her that brings Dick here to Sphinx!” 2 ‘Ah! then it is to your daughter he is be- trothed to, that prevented him from marrying mine!” thought Mansfield; but he didn’t say so aloud, ‘““Your cause for hating the fellow, then, is identical with my own,” he observed; ‘‘for I have no doubt but both my daughter Mabel and iny niece Madeline have fled in search of him, as they appeared to be infatuated with him. Strange, isn’t it, how girls of refinement and intelligence will go crazy over some rough, ig- norant scalawag, far beneath them in every- ‘thing?’ See strange. Curse the fellow! he has not only robbed me of my daughter, but also of yours, whom I had expected to make my wife!” ‘“‘ And I was agreeable to such a match, too, for, until recently, I considered you a man of good principles.” “* Until recently ? What do you mean?” ‘*T mean that I have found out so much about you that I would not permit a daughter of mine to marry you if every hair in your head was hung with diamonds.” ** And why not?” ‘“Because, sir, I have found that you have been robbing me.” Y ** Robbing you ? By my soul, you astonish me!” ‘‘Do I? IT hope the shock will not make you ill. Yes; I have found that you have been de- liberately rebbing me. You know the fact too ‘well to need any further explanation.” “But I do need an explanation—more, T de- mand one!” Jasper cried, keeping his anger as much in check as possible. “Very well, ou shail have it, then,” the banker responded, pouring out a glass of liquor and swallowing it. ‘* When you first came to Bozeman, you form- ed my acquaintance, and suggested that I take you in a3 a partner, in my banking business, you putting in twenty thousand dollars, for a third interest?” ‘* Hxactly.” “You urged the matter so hard that I a consented, and made you a silent partner. : terward you came to Sphinx, and located a claim, which, by its earliest indications, prom- ised to be the claim of the camp. “I had more than usual confidence in your honesty and judgment, and when you tendered me a half-interest, 1 purchased it, without ever having given the matter my personal investiga- tion, and patd you a round sum for it. ‘Your reports of its increasing promise came to me aimost daily; but, peally, you stated that to get at the real heart of the lode, more money would be required to develop it. ‘* Of course I considered this a reasonable pro- position, and sent you the money and not only once, but repeatedly did I respond to your de- mands. . 5 “Thad had experience in developing mines, and knew it often took a power of money to do the work properly, 80 as to start the best pro- perties into successful prosecren so I thought little of the matter, but continued to supply the cash in liberal sums, until one day, on figur- ing up. I was astounded to find that you had not only drawn nearly all of the amount of what you had put into the firm, as your share but a similar amount as = mince to defray the sumed expenses of developing the mine, ee This posnea my eyes. I bad been too busied with other matters to keep any particular track of my investments here, and I now found you were into me for from between fifteen to twenty thousand dollars. I could scarcely excuse my- self for making such a business blunder; but re- solved to investigate affairs, and sent a secret agent here to see what sort of use had been this money. Imagine my astonish- made of all | escaped his lips. | There’s no use of crying over spilt milk, Of | , Nickel-Plate Ned. that the claim was worthless, and had never | been developed to the cost of five hundred dol- lars! And the banker gazed accusingly at the man, | who had literally ‘* taken him in.” ‘It’s false! it’s false!” Jasper cried, smiting the table with his fist. ‘‘ Just wait ’til morning | and I will prove it to you.” “Tt is not false. [arrived in Sphinx early | enough to-night, to investigate, and found my | agent’s report correct in every essential point. | ow, then, John Jasper, where is all that | money?” Jasper grated his teeth, / “Where is it?” he growled, his eyes bent upon the floor. | “Really, I cannot tell you. It’s gone—scat- | tered!” | ** Scattered?” “* Yes!—gone where all the rest of the fortune | that I possessed, six months ago, has gone—gone | to the devil. You remember the place we just left—The Elite? Well, I dropped nearly every | cent of it in there. Not one man got it, but many, and to-night, I am penniless!” As he finished speaking, the head of the once | wealthy mine-owner dropped downward until his forehead rested upon the table, and a groan | Mansfield gazed at him some minutes without | speaking. At first his face was stern and cold in its ex- pression, but gradually a more pitying look came over it as he saw the ex-mine-owner’s form quiver, as with emotion. ‘ve never had a day’s luck since I sent ’em down the river, or, rather, refused to interfere to prevent their being sent,” Jasper muttered. ‘The boy wished that night I’d lose all my money, and his wish has been answered.” ‘**Come! come!” Mansfield said; ‘‘ brace up! course you did wrong in using me as a stool- pigeon to supply your demand for gaming money, butif it’s gone, it’s gone, and that’s all there is of it, and there’s no good of my cursing ou for it. [I’m pretty near broke, myself, but | *ve got grit enough in me to keep my head | above water. “We have got a mission before us that should | impel us to be men of nerve; to search for and | find our children, and beat some sense into them. If I find my daughter I know I'll teach her a lessson she will not soon forget.” ** And so will I mine! ” Jasper, or as we shall hereafter call him, Hollis, asserted. ‘‘ You are one man out of a thousand, Maurice Mansfield, and if ever I can repay my indebtedness to you, I will do so. And now, let’s put our heads to- ether and os to entrap our mutual enemy, Jeadwood Dick, Junior! CHAPTER XI. IN A FIX. Wuen Nickel-Plate Ned—otherwise, Dead- wood Dick, Junior—left the vicinity of The Elite saloon, he kept a sharp outlook ahead, and to the right and left, for he was far from desirous of running into an ambush of enemies, He had too much work todo in the future to have any desire to be captured just for the romance of the thing. Before he and Wilfred Wren, alias Napoleon Bug had ventured to enter the mining-camp, they had appointed a meeting- place ina deserted cabin a mile out of Sphinx, and it was toward this that Dick directed his footsteps, for he pre- sttfied that Bug had lost no time in getting out of town after laying out the men in the gaming- room. “T cannot get it off my mind that one of those three girls is some one I know!” Dick mused, as he walked briskly along the little-used trail leading to the cabin. _“‘ Of course neither one of them is California Kit, for if such were ithe case she would have made herself known to me. ‘* But, the touch of Nola’s hand seemed to thrill me, the same as Kittie’s did; then the girl called Garnet took so much interest in me that she interceded to save my life. Looks very. suspicious. : | ‘Then, too, Nola appeared to take an interest | in me, for she prevented my being shot at the | Ee ee ee ee ee card-table. Confound it, I cannot make head or tail out of the matter. I only wish I could d Kittie. We'd give this country the shake mighty quick. t “One thing—I’ve found Henry Hellis masque- rading as John Jasper; and it appeared to me that he is a changed man since he was down | for that trip down the river is | of my way, or they’ 9 informed me | to Bummer’sBar—more gross and villainous. He has parted with all his fortune, I take it, and I took the last of it to-night. My revenge on him ginning to look pretty near square. I was surprised to find that be had descended so low as to associate with Flynn and his outlaws. No doubt they ac- companied him to this region to get revenge on | me, as well as to work their road-agent busi- ness,” ‘They'll have to hustle befere they get _t, though. Flynn has passed in his checks, and as for the rest of the gang, they’d better keep out wish they’d stayed at Bummer’s Bar.” A brisk walk brought him to the cabin, which stood in the center of a little dell, down into which the cold October moon sent a ghastly flood of light upon the thin covering of snow. Who had built the cabin, which was quite a substantial and complete affair, Dick did not know, and cared less, : He and Bug had discovered it, and concluded to take up their abode there, for the present. The door was open as they had left it that evening, but Dick’s call for his partner failed to elicit any answer. **l reckon the old gent is still hangin’ around the town,” Dick muttered. ‘ But he ought to be along soon, as all the places are shut up. I'll sit down, and wait for him.” : He accordingly sat down in the doorway, and lit a cigar, at which he puffed away, watching the smoke curl up in the clear crisp air. So preoccupied was he in this, as to be wholly unaware that any one was approaching, until he heard a footstep close at hand. Looking quickly around, he was astonished to see a woman standing quite near, and regard- we him intently. t was not only one of the ‘tender sex ” his | gaze rested upon, but one of the waiter girls of | The Elite. She had simply thrown a shaw] over her head and shoulders, and still wore her mask. At first Dick could not make out which one of the girls it was, but finally he saw that it was the one called Lily. ; When she noted his evident astonishment she broke into a little laugh. ‘* Good-evening,” she said. ““Why,” Dick replied, “what in the world brings you here?” ‘*T followed you,” she said. Theu she came nearer, and sat down beside him in the doorway. ‘So you don’t know me, eh?” ‘‘ Why-—why, I believe you are called Lily at The Elite.” ‘**Oh! yes, I am Lily there. know me away from there? Don’t your heart tell you who I am?” Dick could but whistle. What did this mean? Was he to be courted by some one he did not know? heart has not. been to school long But don’t you give vent to a prolonged **No; m enough to learn how to tell who people are that wear masks on their faces,” he replied. Miss Lily evidently did not like the way Dick uttered his reply, for she said quickly: “You are inclined to be sarcastic, I see. However, I will excuse you, for you no doubt think it immodest and unmaidenly that I should follow you here, You will change your mind, when I tell you who I am, however. ’ Don’t you think so?” ‘“*T don’t know, I am sure,” Dick assured. ‘Oh! I know you will be surprised,” and she laid one small white hand upon his shoulder. et really, I could not help following you. ! ] A little jerk of her left hand brought the mask from her face. Deadwood Dick Junior gave a little cry of astonishment as he saw her. ‘* Madeline Pierce!” he ejaculated. “Why, of course!” she replied, with a hys- terical little laugh. ‘Oh! Ned, you can ney realize how much I have worried about ur fate, and at last I could stand it no longer, so fled in search of you. I finally got out of mone a and to earn more, in order to pursue my search, i org eee the position at The Elite. Oh! Ned! abel ave you not one word of welcome for me And she gazed into his face, ap alingly. It is hard to say what Ned wished, just then but it is almost certain that he hearti ly wished himself out of his present fix, For a fix he was certainly in. What on earth had possessed this girl to fok low him?
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10 He had never treated her in a way that should cause her to think he cared anything for her. Indeed, sometimes he had treated her almost un- civilly; yet here she was, wanting only a word of encouragement from him to cause her to pour a tale of undying love into hisear. What was he todo? How was he to avert the threatened calamity ? It was a question that puzzled him, exceed- ingly. me Why should I have any particular word of welcome for you, Miss Pierce?” he said, at last. “Indeed, I think I ought to give you a severe lecture for being so foolish astofollowme, Why in the world did you do it?” ‘Can you ask me that? Oh! can you ask me that, sir? Have you not known all along that you were all in all to me—that I fairly worship the very. ground you walk upon? Oh! Ned, have ou ceased—ceased to love me?” and she buried er face in her hands, with a hysterical] sob. “ Ceased to love you?” Dick eehoed. ‘‘ Why Miss Madeline, I never told you that I loved you, nor did I ever give you any reason to sup- se I did. What could ever put such a notion into your head is more than I can understand, I assure you!” “Oh! Ned! Ned! how ean you be so cruel? ‘When you were in Bozeman you were so polite and courteous to me that I felt sure you liked me, and I grew to love you with all the warmth of my woman’s heart. After you were taken away by the outlaws, I tried to ew you up, as dead, but could not, and at last I fled from home with the wild, yearning hope that I would find you, and you would make me your happy wife. ‘And, now that I have found you, you will not cast me off, Ned—oh! say that you will not cast me off!” ¢ She spoke with intense feeling, and to cap the climax, burst into a fit of passionate weeping. “Well, I'll be kicked to death by jacks ef this ain’t a fine lay-out!” Ned soliloquized, mentally. “Tf Vd ’a’ thought anything like this, I should have fought shy of Sphinx, or I’m a liar. I wonder what in the world Iam todo? If I tell her I can’t accommodate her by reciprocatin’ her affection, like enough she'll throw her arms around my neck, an’ beseech me to take her for better or worse. Now, I don’t mind being hug- ged so much if it’s by some girl I like; but Pi be blowed if I like this lady-love of mine worth a cent.” Aloud, he said: ““Why, Miss Madeline, I am astonished at you. I'don’t love you, as lovers love; and be- sides that, I have no right to make love to any one, as I am already engaged.” “Already engaged!” she gasped. “Yes, and, as I believe, to one of the dearest irls in all the land.” “But, you shall not have her!” she cried, sud- denly starting to her feet—‘‘no! no! you shall not have her. You are mine—my own true love —and no other woman shall draw you away from me. Oh! I know who my rival is, and I know where she is! But, she shall not stand between ‘ou and me—not a bit of it! I will see her be- bad I sleep and settle that point. Good-by! I must be going, but I will see you again. Re- member, though, that no one has a rightful claim on you but me, and that I will never give you up—no! never /” She turned then, and walked rapidly away. Dick watched her, until she had disappeared from view; then, he threw his cigar away, and gave vent to another prolonged whistle of sur- rise. Px Well, this beats the Dutch!” he ejaculated, as he rose, and paced to and fro, in front of the cabin. ‘ That’s the first love-sick maiden I ever encountered, and I hope it will be the last. She’s got it all cut and dried, and intends to have me, whether I'll have her or no. “‘ Now, that’s nice—real nice. It’s not onl nice, but it is romantic, There isn’t every fel- low who is lucky enough to have the question pped to him, and I suppose I should take Phat fact deeply into consideration. But, I don’t, just as hard. No! Miss Madeline Pierce, you've had your search in vain. There’s but one girl in all this land of the Far West that I care for, and that is California Kit. Oh! that I knew where she is to-night. Dead, perhaps, yet I would not—cannot believe it!” These words were uttered aloud, without his scarcely being conscious of the fact, nor was he aware that there had been a listener to what he had said. The listener had been positioned ae around the corner of the cabin, but, when Dick ceased to speak aloud, and showed no noe of doing so again, said listener stole stealthily away, and took the trail that led toward the mining-town. ——— en a Nickel-Plate Ned. en nT CHAPTER XII. ¢ A SISTER’S TREACHERY. Let us return to Sphinx. ‘It was after midnight, and the camp was wrapped in repose. The moon looked coldly down upon the snow- covered ground, and the rude collection of cab- ins, shanties and tents. Sphinx, unlike many another mining-town, was not an all-night place, as the saloons gener- ally closed up about twelve o'clock, and silence and slumber held full swe7 from that time until daybreak, It was after one A, M. before Madeline Pierce entered the camp, after her visit to Deadwood Dick, Junior, and burried noiselessly along the main street, toward The Elite. She had little fear of being seen as no lights were burning, except camp-fires in several cab- ins, the occupants of which, no doubt, were fast asleep. But, much to her surprise, before she reached the gaming-saloon, a man stepped out of a dark shadow and confronted her. He was tall, slim, well-dressed, and his face was almost covered by a heavy black beard. ‘‘ Madeline!” he uttered, in a hoarse voice—for she had neglected to replace her mask, and the moonlight shone full into her face. She started at the sound of his voice more than she did at the suddenness with which he con- i Loy es yee ercy! Percy, is this you?” she | “en ‘Yes, it’s me,” was the reply. ae suppose you did not recognize me with these whiskers?” “No. Only for your voice I should not have known you. What brings you here?” ‘That's more than I knéw. Iam pursued b the bloodhounds of the law, and by the devil. But, don’t bother me with questions, yet. must have whisky to warm me up, for I am nearly frozen. You must get it for me. Don't say you can’t for you must; I must have it. See! I’m all in a fremor for want of it. Dve eaten nothing in three oa Reena glanced carefully around her, then said: “Come with me, but be as noiseless as pos- sible.” She led the way to the rear of The Elite where with a key she opened the door and they entered the gaming-room. All was darkness, but she soon lit one of the reflecting lamps and motioned Percy Pierce to a seat at one of the tables. Tip-toeing her way to the side bar, she soon } returned with a brimming glass of whisky, which Pierce gulped down with a gusto. Madeline then sat down beside him. “You're mighty stingy with your rum,” he rowled. ‘Why didn’t you fetch on a whole ottle?” “ Wait til you get that fairly down before be ask for more. Have you got the money Te u ‘You bet!” and Percy tapped his breast with a significant chuckle. ‘‘You heard about it, then?” j “Yes, It was done cleverly., But are you really pursued?” “Yes. The detectives are looking for me ev- ve ai I fancy I see or hear one every min- u . “Then you made a mistake in coming here!” ‘‘ Why? Is the old man here?” ‘¢ Yes—arrived to-night.” Percy uttered an oath. * T didn’t expect to find him here,” he growl- ed, ‘although [ knew John Jasper was here. However, my disguise is so good, that if I a my mouth shut, there is little likelihood I wi be recognized.” “T don’t know about that. I’d advise you to go to Cinnabar, or some other camp, where you will be less likely to be discovered.” “Bah! no. I'l be on my guard. Give me another glass of whisky, to wake me up. I ocersaee sleepy, after coming in out of the cold, Madeline tiptoed once more to the bar, and returned with another glass of liquor, which her brother soon put down. “You'll get boozy if you drink any more,” she suggested, Bah! what of it? Who's got a better right?” he mumbled, as he fixed his eyes upon a blood- stain on the carpet. ‘‘ Been killin’ some one around here?” “ Only eight men plugged to-night,” Madeline ri gs as coolly as though an even dozen mor- tals took their leave from The Elite per diem. “ By the way, Percy, you ought to share some of your money with me.” —, ee —e “Do what?’ he growled, glaring at her fiercely. ‘¢ Share some of the money with me, of course. I am your sister, and you ought not to leave me unprovided for, when you have got so much.” “To the devil with you! You've got more gall than a wolf. Why should I give you money, even if you are my sister? You are | strong, and able enough to earn your own liv- | ing, and if you can’t co it on the square, take | the diagonal way, as I did!” ‘Percy, I didn’t think you were so hard- hearted and cruel?” i “You didn’t, eh? Well, you know it now, I suppose. Where’s Mabel? Has the old man found her yet?” “ No.” “Curse the girl! I'd not be the man Tam now if she had encouraged my suit. And she'd have done it, too, if it had not been for that cuss Neville, or Deadwood Dick, Junior, He got his deserts, however, in a way he little ex- ected.” Madeline made no reply, but sat regarding her brother with a peculiar gleam in her dark eyes. Percy continued to stare at the blood-stain on the carpet as if it had some peculiar fascina- tion for him, and once or twice his eyes closed drowsily. ‘‘ Give me some more whisky,” he growled at length, ‘an’ don’t be all day about it, either.” ‘Not another drop,” replied Madeline. “What?” if “ Not another drop, until you give me some of that money.” . “You won’t get me more whisky, eb, until I give “You go to thunder, then. self.” He arose from his chair, and essayed to walk toward the bar; but his legs appeared unwill- ing to undertake the responsibility of holding him up, for, staggering forward a few steps, he lost his equilibrium, and went to the floor with force enough to jar the building. He made several efforts to arise, but they were ineffectual, and at last he gave it up, and lay back upon the floor, a parently exhausted. “You've drugged me!” he gasped, his eyes staring at Madeline, glassily. ‘ You’ve drug—” He did not finish the sentence, but continued to glare at her, until, finally his eyes closed, and did not open again. Madeline had watched, with unruffled com- posure, the whole proceeding, end when his loud breathing satisfied her that be was asleep, beyond doubt, and not likely, to awaken, sho knelt by his side. Unbuttoning his vest, she took a well-filled wallet from his inside pocket, and carefully counted over its contents, which consisted of notes of large denominations. “Ah!” she said, “it is all the lucky possessor. Now, with all this money, I can buy the love of Deadwood Dick, for, when he knows I possess such a handsome sum; he surely cannot refuse to listen to me.” She smiled confidently, as she arose, and put the wallet securely away in her pocket. Then, she opened the rear door of the saloon seized her drugged brother by the heels, and dragged him out of doors, where she left him, lying under the shelter of the, house, deep in his drunken slumber. Stepping within the room she locked the door, and all was still again. Tl get it, my- CHAPTER XIV. DICK’s TWO CALLERS, Tue next day, the sensation of the shooting affray at Chicago Charley’s place became gen- uine. The main camp had v before retiring to rest; but, in the early morn- ing the report was heralded to every one, and the excitement over pe affair brought the peo- ple generally to the t. Mike Moore, the deputy of the camp, had re- turned from Cinnabar, and at once set to work to investigate the matter. The bodies of the men who had been assassina- ted and of those who had died of their wounds had been laid side by side in an uncompleted store building, and facts enough were elicited to enable him to arrive at a verdict that the de- ceased came to their deaths from the effect of pistol-shots, fired by a A ron stranger, whose name was said to be Wilfred Wren, A canvass was then made among the moneyed men of the town for the purpose of raising a re- ward fund, and this was responded to, quite liberally, so that Mike was enabled to offer a re- known nothing of it, \ here, and I am -
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ward of five hundred dollars, for Wilfred Wren’s bag ea ; ive hundred dollars was a big sum, in the eyes of many of the denizens of the camp, who were too lazy to work in the mines; so, getting Wilfred Wren’s description, a number of them set forth to hunt him down. Early in the day a plainly attired, thick] vailed woman left the Mountain Hotel, Which adjoined The. Elite saloon, and walked toward the upper end of the town. She had been seen on previous occasions, and was said to be a guest of the hotel, and so little attention was paid to her, Soon after a similarly rigged female also | uitted the hotel, and followed in the direction the first had pursued. At the lone cabin in the glade Deadwood Dick Junior was just toasting some fresh pieces of meat, for a morning repast, when there came a a rap mes the door. Napoleon Bug, who had returned, just after Madeline Pierce’s departure, and who now looked as when Dick had first met him, was en- gaged in cleaning up his weapons. “T wonder who that can be?’ Dick queried, pense in his work. ‘‘ Bug, you goto the door. 2 ag it is my very. determined lover.” ug accordingly laid aside his work, and opened the door. Nickel-Plate Ned. mar to marry us. You are to be thé grooms- man, ' “Oh! I am? Well, I am seriously afraid that I would make rather a poor one.” ‘No, you won’t! Now you will be sure and come, won’t you?” ‘*T will endeavor to be there. bridesmaid?” | “Nola. She is avery nice girl—the one who acted as cashier for you in the game of poker.” “Yes, I know. Have you ever seen her face?” ‘No, nor do I know anything about her, ex- ‘ cept that she seems very nice and has been friendly toward me since she has found that I | am engaged to Charley.” ‘‘She was not before, then, I infer?” | ‘*No, not very. She was jealous of me.” | lodged there, and he wanted to get hold of it; | but he made no remark. “The other part of my errand here,” Mabel went on, ‘‘ is to give you a warning.” “ A warning?” ‘Yes, The citizens are terribly aroused over the deaths of the men at The Elite last night, and have clubhed together and raised a purse, | and Mike Moore has offered a reward of five hundred dollars for the capture of your friend, | Wilfred Wren. Men are already out ping As he did so, the first vailed woman who had | for him, and I felt it was my duty to come an ae the hotel that morning, stepped into the cabin. She gave a glad little cry when she saw Dick, who had laid aside his blonde disguise, and ad- vanced quickly toward him. “Oh, Mr. Neville, I am so glad to see you,” she said “Mabel—Miss Mansfield!” Dick ejaculated, | night?” as he saw her sweetly smiling face—‘‘ you here, ? ‘“-Yes, I’m here, too,” she said, putting out her hand, which he took, and shook warmly. **T suppose you have heard that I ran away from home?” ‘*T did, and was sorry to hear it.” “Believing, of course, that it was on your ac- count I did it?” ‘“ Well—well, I—I—” “Oh! I know,” she laughed. ‘‘ And you were right in your surmise. It was tly on your account. I thought I was dead in love with you when I left home. But I wasn’t.” “Oh! you wasn’t?” ‘Not a bit of it! It was only imagination, oo see. ButIam not sorry I left home, for lL ave got just the nicest lover you can imagine, and he has om lots of money, and he is going to retire from business in a few weeks, and we're oing to be married to-night, and we’re going ast to live, and—” Here she was obliged to pause for want of breath, while Dick drew a breath of relief. He had expected that he was about to be treated’ to another love siege like that of the previous night. “So you are Garnet, of The Elite, eh?” he | said. ‘Yes; but how did you guess it?” “From the fact that you interceded in m behalf last sight.” if f ““T theught you suspected who I was, which was one reason that bronght me here—to warn ou nob to give papa any hint that I am in phinx.” “Tt is unnecessary for you to eaution me in that respect, as the old gent and I are not on very good terms. But do you not intend to let our father know where you are?” “Not until I am married, and have some one to protect me from his anger. You sce, one thing that made me leave home, he gave me a terrible whipping because I persisted in saying I | loved you.” “The brute!” Dick could not help from say- | ing. ‘He ought to be horsewhipped himself far chastising such a pretty little lady as you. Bo you are going to marry Chicago Charley, e tell you, so that if you knew of his whereabouts | you could give him warning.” |” “Tam very much obliged to you, Miss Mans- | field. I presume, however, that my friend will ! be able to look out for himself.” ‘“‘T hope so. And now, I must be going. | You will be sure to be at the wedding to- | “If nothing happens to prevent, I will be | there.” ) Mabel then drew the vail down over her face, and took her departure, hurrying back toward | | Sphinx. She had not been gone five minutes when an- other knock came upon the cabin door—unmis- takably a woman’s knock. | | Bug got up to answer the summons, | And sure enough, when the door was opened, | Madeline Pierce did enter the cabin, her vail _ raised, and her face flushed with rapid walking. She looked disappointed when she saw Bug, | but paying no particular attention to him she advanced toward Dick. Dick scratched his head, as if an idea had | 11 ee ees ther great Chaw-’em-up firm of Dick and Bug by leavin’ thet aire pocket-book behind,” cried a voice, and at the same time the wallet was | snatched from Madeline's hand, and thrust deep / down in one of Napoleon’s capacious pockets, Who is to be | ‘“-You see I am back, don’t you?” she said, | | this diamond of mine, or by selling my watch, with a smile full of sweetness, or at least meant | to be sweet. | “T see you are,” Dick replied, ‘although I cannot say I am glad to discover the fact!” _ “Oh! are you not? Really, now, you're joking. Or, maybe, you have become infatuat- | ed with my fair cousin who was just here!” |_“T am not infatuated with either of you,” | Dick replied, candidly. ‘It is utterly absurd for you to come here, Miss Pierce, with the idea that I care anything particularly for you, for I do not, nor is there the slightest prospect of your making an impression on me.” ‘You do not love me then after all?” ‘*T surely do not.” ‘And you will not marry me after I have searched so faithfully to find you?” “T will not. That is emphatically ‘no, for an answer,’ Miss Pierce!” ‘Very well!” she said, her eyes flashing ven- geance from their depths. ‘‘ Do you see this?” She took the wallet she had stolen from Pere from her pocket, and shook it almost in Dick’s face. ‘¢ T see it!” Dick replied, coolly. | Well, then, know that it contains a fortune which shonid have been yours, had you not re- | fused me. This is the money my brother stole from uncle Mansfield — twenty-five thousand | dollars!” | Indeed! How came you by it?” | T drugged my brother and got it from him. | So you see what you have missed. Will you “Yes, He is real nice, and he loves me, and | take this money and marry me, or will you re- ing to close u ) ] where he will engage in some better business. And now, I’ve come to ask you to be present at Tlove him. And after we’re married he is go- fuse it and forever incur my enmity? Now is the saloon, and we shall go East, | your time to answer, for if you reject me, you | do so for good.” “T am certainly compelled to regard and treat the wedding to-night, which will be in the hotel you only as an ordinary | acquaintance, Miss rlor. ; x inly shall be pleased to be present, in | alread lai sh Jae ny partes a vig wanpane publicity,” eady has claims upon me, should I case Dick declared. “I can, perhaps, come in erce!” Dick replied. ‘* Another young lady ever find | her, and her claims are law, so far as I am con- 3 5 is- | cerned.” guise, “ I have a number of disguises with me.” | Ob! that will be nice. It is going to be a | ter enemy, sir! alee affair, and only the groomsman and in my ridesmaid present, besides ourselves and the | beware of me in the future!” r, who is coming all the way from Boze- “Then, consider me henceforth your most bit- i will work you all the injury power as long asI live. I go, now, but “ Before ye go, mum, you'll greatly oblige | ‘“‘ Now, me daisy, ye can trot right along home, as fast as you want to.” “Give me that wallet!” Madeline screamed— “« give me that wallet, instantly!” % Oh! no!” Bug replied, grimly. ‘“* You’re too young to have so much money. Now, then, you hi He had thrown open the door and was point- ing out. "come! don’t make no bones about it, but go! ” ‘‘Curse you! curse you!” Madeline cried, fear- ing to disobey him. “I'll pay you up for this work—I'll have revenge on both of you before this day is over! Curse you!” She swept from the cabin then in a frenzy of rage, and with a dry laugh Bug closed and bar- red the door, CHAPTER XV. AN ALLIANCE. THE nocturnal conference between Henry Hol- lis and Maurice Mansfield, lasted late into the night, and set ended in a quarrel betweem them, as a result of which, the ex-banker left the cabin, and sought the hotel, where he had re istered, earlier In the evening. e quarrel had been over Hollis’s declaration of his determination to force Mabel Mansfield to sams his wife or devote his life to working ber ill. Of course Mansfield became angered at this thrust. One word brought on another, untik enmity was openly declared between the two men. They had come to no blows, and the ex- banker had left for his hotel, for fear that they might get into more serious trouble, which he wished to aveid. ‘ After he left, Henry Hollis did not retire to | rest, but sat at the table, grim and sullen, occa- “Pi bet that’s Madeline!” Dick mused, as { sionally taking a sip of the whisky. 4 “Yes, the money is all gone, and I’m no better than a beggar!” he would occasionally mutter. ‘“‘ Mansfield is down on me, and I needn't expect to worm another cent out of him. Gods! If I could get possession of his daughter, wouldn’t I bleed him—for I’m satisfied he has got plenty of money, yet! Tmust get money, but how? All the means I have of getting it is by shoving up T'll not do that—I’ll murder some one first. “Good Heaven! what a fall a man can have in a few short months!” When mid-forenoon came, he still sat at the table, looking if anything in a more unenviable frame of mind than when Mansfield left him. Two empty whisky bottles sat before him, but. though he did not appear to be drunk it could not be otherwise than that he was considerably affected by the vile stuff. He made no effort to rise and leave the cabin, but sat staring grimly at the floor, evi- dently reviewing his situation, and looking upon the dark side of it. If Satan had come along, just then, he would have found an easy victim, for the speculator was a fit subject for temptation. : And Satan came! Not in his mythical shape, with horns, tail and cloven-foot, but in the guise of Miss Made- line Pierce. She did not pause to knock, but pulling the a pa opened the door and entered, unin- vited. Henry Hollis glared at her with a scowl. “What do you want here?’ he demanded coarsely. “] want to see you. Doyou not recogni dt and she drew a stool near to him, and sat own. “ No, I don’t recognize you!” he replied, wip- ing his water eyes. ‘‘ Ah! I see. te are—” ‘Madeline Pierce our friend!” “How my friend? Because you have learned that. I am broke?” He laughed, hcarsely. “That ain’t likely,” he allowed. ‘ That ain’t generally the time when friends make their pre- sence known, my dear.” ‘Nevertheless, it’s the time when I make my presence known, sir I judged, last night, that you had lost your last money, and so I thought ‘d come around and see you.” ‘* Well, what do vou want?” “ Two things—assistance, and revenge!” ‘‘Humph! Who do you want revenge on?” *
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‘The fellow who called himself Nickel-Plate Ned, at the saloon, last night, but whose other taandle is Deadwood Dick, Junior.” “ Ab! Whatdoy know of him?” “T know that I was foolish enough to follow hhim here, in the belief thai I loved him. I pro- posed to him, and he rejected me. And now, I hate hin as I never hated any one before.” ‘* And you want revenge on him?” ‘Yes, Ido! Oh! I could see him strung up without a bit of pity.” “Well, young woman, you couldn’t have come to a better party than me. I hate the “young cuss every bit as much as you do, if mot more, and I’m willing to help you what I can.” ‘* You can help a great deal. money in it, for both of us,” * How?’ ** Well, you see, Deadwood Dick took a ‘thandsome sum of money away from The Elite, Jast night?” oe Yes.” ‘** And this morning, he, or rather, his partner for him, robbed me of a wallet containing Besides, there’s ' téwenty-five thousand dollars.” “The deuce you say!” ‘“No, I don’t. You heard what I said, and I «didn’t mention deuce.” Hollis smiled, and she added: * Altogether, Deadwood Dick must have in this possessiom, meerty forty thousand dollars.” The eyes of Hollis sparkled, greedily. Forty thousand dollars, eh? That’s a good sun.” “Of course itis, Andif you will kill Dead- wood Dick, and secure the boodle, half shall go ‘to you and half to me.” “Tt's a bargain; Twenty thousand will set me nicely upon my feet, again. But, where did ‘you get the wallet containing the amount you say Dick took from you?” ‘* From my brother. Have you heard of the robbery, at Bozeman?” ‘“Yes. Mansfield told me.” ‘*T supposed he had. Well pany came to me during the night, to get whisky drugged it, and relieved him of the money. This morning, I went to Deadwood Dick to see if the money ~would not induce bim to turn his affections to ame, but he positively refused. Then, my love turned to hate, and-that’s what brought me ‘here. Thoy snatched the wallet. from me, and would not give it back.” ‘* Where.is Deadwood Dick?” ** At a cabin, off the main trail, about a mile from town.” ‘* And you say he has a companion?” ‘“*Yes—a big, gaunt, bummy-looking man, with a big Roman nose, If he was dressed bet- ter, and had a white beard and hair, he would took like the man who did the shooting at The lite:” ‘* No doubt he is the same chap, only he was disguised, last night!” Hollis said. ‘* This mat- ter must be attended to, at once.” ‘Yes, for the deputy-sheriff of the camp has offered a reward of five hundred dollars for the capture of Wilfred Wren. But if he is cap- tured, wo may also lose Deadwood Dick.” “Tf we play our cards right we can secure that five hundred dollars, also,” Hollis said. “* Now let me think a moment.” ‘But he was at this moment interrupted by a foud knock upon the door. ‘ ** Open it!” he said to Madeline, ry. She obeyed, and a roughly-dressed man enter- ed—one whom she had never before seen, with bristling, yellowish beard, and his hat pulled down so that it was hardly possible to see his eyes. Ho paid no attention to her, but strode for- ward, and sat down on the stool Madeline had just vacated. **Good-mornin’!” addressing Hollis. ‘‘ You're Henry Hollis, ain’t ye? You’ve got yer whiskers shaved off, since I saw yon last, but I know er.” we Yes, I'm Henry Hollis. What do you want?” ‘ ‘*T come to see about the capt’in.” ‘* He is dead!” ‘So Pve found out. Ther boys wants to know what is to be did under the circumstances. There ain’t no money in the treasury, an’ they don’t know what to do.” “ That’s nothin’ to me. What do you come to me, for?” Hollis demandcd in fierce temper. ‘**Cause the boys thought i Sap you'd like to fill Flynn’s place as captain. e can’t do much without a leader.” “No, I don’t want to fill his position of cap- ¢ain!” the ex-mine-owner declared. ‘I’m no outlaw. However, I have a job to be done, and a i, a Nickel-Plate Ned. if you fellers want to tackle it, for ten dollars apiece, you can have it.” “ All right. As a gang, we're purty near broke, and we can’t afford to refuse even trifles, So I'll answer fer the boyees. What's the job’ “‘There’s two parties I want captured. They’re both at a cabin near here, and ay surrounding the cabin it will be an easy matter to capture them. When they are secured and bound I am to be left alone with them for a few minutes, after which I will turn one of them over to you, and give you a chance to square a debt of ven- geance,” “What! you do not mean upon Deadwood Dick?” x Exactly ! Dick, and no one else!” ‘Then I'll guarantee it’s a bargain. We boys won’t want any better satisfaction than to get a hold upon him. We'll make him suffer for the crescent brands he put upon us, and then kill him, tho’ killin’ is too good for him.” ** You can do as you please with him, as long as he never gets free to trouble any one again,” **Oh! we'll look out for that!” **How long will it take for you to get the gang together?” ‘* Not over half an hour.” “Then go at once, and I'll meet you half a mile up the trail, where the old trail crosses it, three-quarters of an hour from now!” CHAPTER XVI IN TROUBLE AGAIN, AFTER the departure of Madeline, Deadwood Dick and Napoleon Bug ate their humble re- past of meat with relish, for neither had had anything to eat recently. * That air gal she took the cake!” Bug said with a grimace, ‘“*Peared like she war bound to git married whether any one wanted her or not, “*T don’t believe she’s exactly level in the upper story,” Dick replied, ‘*She’s a spiteful minx, though, and may make us trouble.’ * Bosh! What can she do?” **More than you imagine, maybe. She said men were searching for you, and she’d give us away should she meet them.” “Do you think she knew me?” ““Yes. Undoubtedly she recognized you as Wilfred Wren, for she gave you several sharp glances. ee it! We ought to have kept her re. “That would have done but little good. If Vigilantes are out in search of you they will be pretty certain to visit this cabin.” Wren looked anxious, “Then, it is likewise pretty certain, that, yar I know, I'll be a prisoner?” he interro- ‘Tam afraid so, unless you skin out. My ad- vice to you would be to buckle on your armor, and get up and git while there is time. Of course, if you choose to stay, I'll stand by you, as far as lies in my power; but you know we are but two, and the enemy may come by the score.” 3 But, supposing I should go, what would you o ‘* Don’t fear for me; Pll look out for myself.” Bug deliberated several minutes, and finally “Tt don’t know but what you are right. They’d most likely string me up without mercy, if they caught me, and Ive no desire to pass in my checks yet awhile. I don’t like to leave you, though, for you’ve shown yourself a true pard to me!” ‘Never mind that. Your own welfare is your principal lookout now. I wouldu’t like to see you stretch hemp, and that isthe reason why I advise you to go.” * Well, I will go, but not far. You may get into trouble, and if you do, I will be near to help you out,” e then buckled on his belt, seized his rifle— for both he and Dick had brought rifles with them to the cabin—and then, after bidding Dick good-by, took his departure, ‘ Dick cleaned up his weapons, having first barred the door of the cabin, “Something tells me I'll have occasion to use these before the day is out,” he mused, ‘‘ and so T'll have them ready for business. If any one comes nosing around here, with a view of making me trouble, I'll endeavor to illustrate to them that there is more power in powder and ball than there is in any other sort of argu- ment known to the civilized world.” When his weapons were all in trim he opened the cabin door, and took a good look around the neighborhood, her ie Salis al tcl ln ce bet Pn sat boi ides > But there were no signs of an enemy around the timbered edges of the glade. 3 “Things look all Ficsening.” he muttered, ‘but there is no telling whether they are or uct, There’s one thing pretty sure—Madeline Pierce has got her dander up, and she will try to work me some mischief, and wil) be sure to try to get the money back. And, that reminds me, that there is a targe possibility something may happen in the course of time, and itisn’t quite the thing for me to have so much money about my duds. Showld Ibe captured, my enemies. would appropriate whatever they got hold of, and it behooves me to put the most of the money away, so that those who take so deep an interest in me canazot get a grab at it.” He cast sharply about him, and after a few minutes found a large flat stone in front, and about a dozen yards from the cabin. Crowding nearly all the money he had about his_person into the wallet, he pried up the stone, placed the wallet under it, and then care- fully let the stone back in its place, Providing he had not been seen doing this, he could scarcely have chosen a safer cache for the money, which, in amount, summed up to nearly forty thousand dollars. “Tf nothing happens, part of that shall go to Mabel Mansfield, as a wedding present from— her father,” Dick muttered, as he took his way back to the cabin, He replenished the fire inside, so that it would burn for hours; then he closed. the heavy oaken shutters over the two windows, went inside and locked and barred the door. “Now, let ’em come,” he muttered. ‘ DU wait here till night, and if nothing happens b prs time, I'll go to Sphinx and attend the wed- ing.” But, something was destined to happen, as he soon found out. He had not been in the cabin half an hour, when he heard the sound of human voices, com- ing from the direction of Sphinx. eering through a loop-hole, of which there was one in each side and end of the cabin, Dick was enabled to see the approaching party, who were but a couple of hundred yards away, and to make out that they numbered eleven men, vesides Henry Hollis, who was in the lead The slouch hat of each man of the party, ex- cept Hollis, was pulled down to his eyebrows, and Dick had no difficulty in recognizing sey- eral of the men as former residents of Buuamers Bar, which gave him the impression that these men were the branded jurors, or, as they were more Jatterly known, the Black Band of Boze- man, ‘*$o, so!” he muttered. ‘‘I am to receive a call from the outlaws first, amI? Well, that’s nice. And Hénry Hollis is their er I won- der what Kit would say if she were here?” Procuring his rifle, Dick cocked it, in readi- ness for use at an instant’s notice. It was a fourteen-shot gun, and ae knew he could make that repeater talk in 3trong lan- guage, if it became necessary. en the outlaws reached the front of the cabin, they paused and held a consultation. Then several of them made a tour around the house, bern to see if there were any more doors, but there were not, and so they returned. Finally, Henry Hollis advanced, and rapped loudly on the door, **Come! open up,” he cried, in a loud voice. Dick made no answer, for he was resolved to keep ae for a time, and see if they wouldn’t go away. Dick’s failure to open the door caused Henry Hollis to utter an imprecation, and he pounded louder and longer. ‘** Hello! in thar!” he yelled. *“ Be you going to open the door, or ain’t you? Ye needn’t thi by keepin’ still that ye can fool us, for you can’t —not a bit of it. e know you're in there; so open up, or we'll smash the door down!” ‘What do you want?” Dick demanded, seeing it was no use to remain silent. “We want you!” Hollis replied, “and we want t’other feller, too—and what’s more, we're goin’ to have you, so you might as well surren- der at once.” Nes “The word ‘surrender’ ain’t in my spellin’- book,” Dick replied. “What do you want of me?” “Oh, there’s a party of gentlemen out here as would like to see you on a matter of busi- ess.” “ Well, they have to call during business hours, then, for I do not transact any business until afer dark. I know you, Henry Hollis, and the gang who backs you, and I warn you to get away from this cabin and leave me alone, or I wil] make some of you bite the dust, you
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i eS = == 2 = “ Xi - render until captured _ _ regarding _ from Deadwood Dick’s rifle, they rushed bodil Nickel-Plate Ned. 13 can bet! I am well armed, and mean what I say.” x We're not afraid of you, nota bit of it. If ou don’t open the door and surrender, we'll bu'st the door down!” ‘*Bu’st away, if you like; but remember, I shall undertake to shoot down every mother’s son of you that crosses the threshold!” There was no reply to this threat, but Dick eould hear the gang holding a low consultation outside. Finally he heard part of the number move eens here were they going? Dick hardly needed to ask himself this, for he at once suspected what was their errand. They were going for a battering-ram. **Oh! we'll fix you when we get you!” Hollis cried out savagely. { upon him, and by force of numbers, bore him to the floor. In almost less time than it takes to tell it, he was securely bound, and a prisoner! The outlook for him, now, was indeed bad! CHAPTER XVII HOLLIS’S DOOM. WHEN Dick had been secured there was a loud urrahin withstanding three of the outlaws had fallen, never to rise again. The unerring aim of the young Deadwood Dick had snuffed out their candle of life, most effectually, and there were now but six of the original jurors of Bummer’s Bar, left. ‘*Hurra! we've got ye, now, me daisy!” cried ‘There'll be one less scala- | one of the number, who rejdiced in the name of wag in the country after the gang gets hold of | Bullfrog Bije, from the fact that he was passion- uu !”? we They haven’t got me yet!” Dick replied. ““If you come here, Henry Hollis, in expecta- tion of capturing Wilfred Wren, allow me to inform you that that gentleman took his depar- ture some time ago.” ‘Bah! you lie! You can't fool me. seen here this morning.” ‘*By Madeline Pierce, I suppose?” “*Well—yes.” “Tt is true; he was here, but he is gone now.” ‘* We'll soon see, when the boys return with the ram.” “They'd better batter their brains out with it, and save me the trouble and expense of using my ammunition. By the way, Henry, I believe you have not found your daughter yet?” ‘No, curse her! and it won’t be well for her when I do find her. One thing is certain—you will never see her again!” ‘*T am not so sure about that!” Dick retort- ed. ‘‘There’s many a slip ’twixt the cup and lip, you know, and I ain’t a dead Dick yet, by a long shot. So don’t be too sure, Henery. it and I may meet and marry yet, in spite of vo “Not very likely,” was the grim retort, ‘“for here come the boys, with the battering-ram.” Dick hurried quickly from one to the other of the loop-holes, hoping to get a shot at the out- laws; but soon found that was out of the ques- tion, for they were already too near the cabin, for him to get a bead on them. It was but a couple of minutes until they ar- rived in front of the cabin door, and he heard them drop a log on the ground. Then there was another consultation, and Dick thought some of the outlaws were talking angrily to Henry Hollis, but could not tell for certain, as all hands were too near the cabin for him to get a peep at them. Finally, Hollis rapped on the door again. “Come! in there!” he cried, ‘are you going to surrender?” ‘“‘Nary a surrender!” Dick replied, promptly. “Tm but one to ten . you, but I'll never sur- ‘Then, boys, down with the will see if he won’t surrender!” The next moment, there came a thump against the door, that fairly made it tremble. It was constructed of strong oak plank, heavi- ly hinged, and doubly bartedt but the blow of the battering-ram was a tremendous one, and it looked decidedly as if a few more of its kind might burst the barrier in. ick took up his position at the further side of the room, opposite the door, with his rifle firmly clutched, ready for instant use, in case the door should give way. _ ? Again the crash came with terrible force, and Dick saw that the blow had the hinges. , A couple more such attacks would, in all prob- ability, burst the door in. The third blow forced the hooks that held the es in position, and the bars fell to the oor. “Once, again, and you'll fetch her, boys!” Hollis cried, encouragingly; ‘‘and, mind you, the minute she caves, rush upon the young cuss and secure him before he can do any damage!” “Yes, do!” Dick muttered, grimly, “and if I don’t make some of you bite the dust you can call me a Piute.” ‘ Once more the ram was thrust against the door, with increased force. The hinges burst from their places, the door trembled a moment, as in a spasm, and then fell inward with a crash. ; . Instantly the outlaws poured into the cabin, ina swarm, and with vengeful yells, and, dis- the blaze of fire and death that burst y door, and we | He was | ately fond of the meat of the frog. ‘‘ You'll not escape us, now, and we will guarantee thet yer won’t escape us, this time! We'll roast eA inches, same as ther Injuns used ter do. e branded us, purty nice, but we'll brand you nicer, wi’ red-hot irons.” “f Yes, your rope has run out, to itsend!” Hol- lis announced, gazing at Dick with a diabolical e. “What do you think about your chances of | marrying my daughter, now, you scoundrel?” “My intentions are just as good as they ever were,” Dick replied defiantly. ‘“Well, my gay lark, I presume you will find our chances are mighty thin, before the Black and gets through with you. They’ve got it in for you, and you need not expect mercy. from them.” ‘*No one ever heard me beg for mercy, from any human being, let alone from such human | hogs.” ; Hollis turned to the outlaws, without paying any attention to Dick’s remark. “ Gentlemen!” he said, ‘I congratulate you on your victory. Although you have lost three of your number, it is a victory to be proud of, for you now have vengeance right in your hands and I trust you will settle the young ruffian’s ease, so effectually that he will never trouble anybody, again!” ‘You bet we will!” Bullfrog Bije declared, grimly. ‘‘ We'll take him to our new head- quarters, and have a sweet revenge for the job he put up on us, you bet!” “That's right. And, now, according to our bargain, if you will retire a dozen yards or more from the cabin I will have a short private con- versation with the prisoner, after which I will pay you off, and you can go.” | dipped ye pay us off now, boss?” Bull- frog Bije suggested. : “*T will do just as I agreed!” Hollis replied, haughtily. ‘‘ You need not fear but what you will be paid, even more liberally than I prom- ;. ” ised.”) The men exchanged glances; but Bije led the way from the cabin and all followed. ollis watched to see that none of them lin- gered within earshot; then he knelt beside Dick, who lay upon his back, on the floor, and glared into his face with a diabolical smile. ‘Oh! but the Black Band will fix you!” he de- clared, with a chuckle. ‘“‘You won't run off with any other man’s daughter, right away.” ‘Maybe not!” Dick answered unflinchingly. “Tt won’t be well for you, you scoundrel, if I ever do get free, however.” ‘“‘That don’t worry me the least. There’s no robabiltty, whatever, that you ever will get ree. in this world!” Hollis retorted with savage satisfaction. ‘‘ And as for your prospects for the next, they are still slimmer. Now, then, if you have no objections, I will relieve you of your fat little boodle—both the money “Ke raked in at The Elite, and what you rob Madeline Pierce of. Of course you will not need the money, where you are going, as U. 8. money don’t pass there; so, rather than let so much cash go to waste I will take charge of it, and act as your executor.” “Go ahead!” Dick replied, coolly. ‘‘ You'll find half a dollar in my pants pocket. If that will do you any good, you are a thousand times welcome to it!” Hollis uttered an oath, but said nothing more until he had completely ‘searched Dick, and, of course, found nothing to reward him for his =~ except the -dollar Dick had men- oned, “Ten thousand curses!” he hissed. ‘ Where is that money?” he laid his grasp upon Dick’s throat. “I havent got it!” Dick declared, expecting nothing but what the irate ruffian would choke in the cabin, over the victory, not- | the life out of him; nevertheless, he resolved te die game. ‘* Where is it? where is it?’ Hollis cried in his. fury. ‘Tell me, or I'll choke the life out of’ you. ‘“*T haven't it!” Dick repeated. ‘‘ Go ask Wil~ fred Wren where it is, ou’re a fool to think I'd keep so much money about me!” **Curse you! Where is Wilfred Wren?” ‘You're asking me more than I can tell you. | I do not know myself!” | ‘* You accurséd scamp!” the baffled man grit- | ted, ‘‘ Tl choke = anyhow, for fooling me. | The Black Band shall not have you!” He set his teeth together hard, and his gras | tightened about Dick’s throat, till the youth’s: | eyes bulged from their sockets, and he grew pur- | ple in the face. ae few seconds more would have ended his: ife! | But he was not destined to die in this horrible | Manner. | ‘There was a quick rush into the cabin, and the would-be strangler was jerked away from his in- tended victim, to find himself surrounded by the Black Band of Bozeman. “Oho! So that was your game, was it?” Bulltrog Bije cried, covering Hollis with his re-- volver. ‘‘ You wanted to cheat us out of our’ vengeance, did ye?” | ‘No, I didn’t!” Hollis growled. , “Then, what war ye chokin’ our prisoner er? | ‘Because I couldn’t help it. He infuriated me by not telling me something I wanted to | know.” ‘* What did ye want to know?” | ‘That I donot choose to tell.” | ‘Oh! don’t yer? Now, lookee heer# You've bin tryin’ ter play me an’ ther boys crooked!” ‘*'Yes, he has!” Dick declared, faintly. ‘‘ He had an idea I had a large sum of money, and wanted to rob me of it so you fellers wouldn’t git it. He searched me and found all I had—only a half-dollar. That made him mad, and he said _ he’d choke me anyhow!” ‘“Ho! ho! So that was yer lay, was et?” Bullfrog Bije growled, while the other outlaws: glared at Hollis, savagely, ‘* Ye thought ye | would collar the heft 0’ the boodle, an’ then pay us a paltry sum fer what we hev done!” ** Well, what of it?” Hollis returned, sullenly enough. “I made a bargain wi’ Jim Lawler., | and I intended to stand by it, and you needn't have expected more.” “Ye intended to, eh?” ‘* Exactly.” “Then, don’t ye intend to now?” “How can I? I have nota cent in the wide world, except the half-dollar I found in the boy’s pocket.” ** That’s none of our business. We weaat the money you promised us fer doin’ the job.” “T haven't it. I depended on getting money from the prisoner, which he cheated me out of at cards to satisfy your demands. You ought to be satisfied with my putting you onto how te capture the boy.” ‘ But, we ain’t though. What we want is the lucre, and if you don’t fork it over, we'll fix you up for a funeral, and don’t you forget it! Eh? boys—ain’t that the ticket?” ‘ You bet!” the other five heartily responded in a chorus. ‘“ The cheatin’ cuss has got to esol ter time, or we'll stretch his neck fer m, ‘“But, do have reason!” expostulated Hollis, growing pale with alarm. “I haven't any | io —you can search me—nor can I raise an unti return to Sphinx, when I can get enoug to pay you off as I promised to do, ; Now, that’s fair, ’m sure!” “Not a bit of it! You’ve made a pack o’ tools out 0’ us to serve your own ends, and you've got to stand the consequences. You're a scaly cuss: | at the best, and your loss to the community will never be felt. Boys, go for him!” The five outlaws, of whom Bullfrog Bije had evidently assumed command, leaped upon the baffled speculator and bore him to the floor, where he was securely bound, hand and foot. One of the men carried a lasso at his belt. ; The ncosed end of this was shirred around - neck, and he was dragged from the cabin, mid screams of terror and piteous appeals for mercy. There was a tree a few yards from the cabin, and Deadwood Dick Junior well knew this: would be the scene of the execution. He heard the doomed man’s cries for several minutes; then there was a shout of— ‘* Heave, oh!” —and the cries were heard no more. “That's the last of poor Hollis!” Dick mut+
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14 ——— Nickel-Plate Ned. tered, a cold chill running down his back. ‘‘I almost wish he had choked me to death, for the — in store for me is that my torture will as devilish as man’s ingenuity can conceive!” CHAPTER XVIII. PROPOSAL TO GO INTO BUSINESS. THE six surviving members of the Black Band did not return to the cabin for the matter of ten aminutes, and Dick’s curiosity became consider- , ably aroused over their delay. Finally, however, they re-entered and remov- ed the bodies of their former comrades to the outside. Again they were absent for some little time, during which Dick concluded they were bury- ing the bodies. After a while they returned, and drawing a stool near to where Deadwood Dick lay, bull- frog Bije became seated, while his companions formed themselves into a group just in his rear, Dick could hardly understand this action at first, but decided that they meant to try to tan- talize him, and gloat over the fact that he was in their power and at their mercy. This impression, however, proved incorrect. “Well, young man, we fixed him!” Bullfrog Bije said, with a hoarse chuckle. ‘* And he . won’t try ter play monkey games here below again!” “Yes, we did him up brown,” Bije went on; *¢ and yer givin’ him away kinder gained a pint for ye, inour favor. O’ course, we allow you've did us a injury that would make any man yer deadly enemy, an’ we orter skin ye alive, an’ roast you besides. Don’t you think so?” No!” Dick replied quickly, a faint hope en- tering his heart that there might still be a bare chance of his saving his life. ‘‘ No! for you made me your enemy when you found me and California Kit guilty, and all I did in the way of ‘vengeance was to mark you sol would know ou if you ever bothered me again, I could ave killed the lot of you at Bummer’s Bar if I had wanted to.” “You could, eh?” **T certainly could.” ‘* Why didn’t ye do it, then?” “ Because I did not want to. I had branded you with the Crimson Crescent, so that I was satisfied you could not get it off, and my re- venge upon you for your unfair verdict was complete.” ‘You emphasize the word ‘you.’ Do you mean to say any one else could remove these brands from our foreheads?” : * Any one could~-who knew how.” A look of great eagerness came over the fea- tures of the outlaws. “Could you remove the brands?” Bije de- manded, excitedly. Probably not. The stain upon your fore- heads is made by the juice of a wild mountain berry. I learned the secret of a Piegan Indian nearly a‘ year ago. There is but one thing that will remove the stain of this juice; but I do not know even what that is, without hunting u that Indian. He never told me what it was, at though he would were I to ask him, for I once saved his life, and he thinks a heap of me.” ‘* Where is this Indian?” ‘Ten days’ ride from here to the south, if he still lives.” Bullfrog Bije was silent for a minute, then he said: ‘* Well, younker, we boys hev had a consul- tation, an’ hev concluded to take ye to our new camp, an’ put an end to ye, except ye wanter come to our terms.” “*'Your terms?” “Exactly. ‘Ye’r’ a nervy sort o’ chap, an’ thar ain’t many as hev more grit than you have. I kin see that at a glance.’ ‘‘Mueh obliged for your compliment,” Dick replied. ‘I belicve I have got about my al- lowance of pluck, though I don’t make a prac- tice of bragging about it.” “That’s what we kinder like about ye. Of course we orter not let sech matters come twixt us an’ our vengeance; but, we’ve been talkin’ things over, a come to ther conclusion we won't split up till we’ve made our pile.” “Well? What's all this to me?” ; ‘‘ Well, ye see, ef we hang tergether, we want some go-ahead feller to fill the place o’ Cap lynn, who war killed last night. We don’t want no one but what’s got grit, an’ an eye fer bizness. Thet same we allow you've got. “Now, fee see, ther stage thet runs ’twixt Chico an’ Cinnabar are carryin’ a heap o’ gold an’ greenbacks lately, fer Chico aire pannin’ out better an’ better everyday. Ther’s a big chance ter stage- tappin’, wi’) rospects o’ fat returns. ‘Then, too, every train leavin’ Cinnabar carries an oxpress box, containin’ a small fortune. See?” Dick nodded. ‘*T wnderstand,” he said. start thoroughly into the road-agent business.” ‘‘ Exactly. There’s just enough of us, if we had a chap who feared neither man nor devil, ter take the lead. So now, ef you wanter join us in thet capacity, an’ will sw’ar ter be loyal, an’ ter try an’ remove these brands from our foreheads, we aire inclined ter let up on ye, an’ make ye one o’ us—all ter share in ther spoils, and share alike. Now, then, what d’yer say?” Dick remained sileat for several minutes, “T ain’t anxious to pass in my checks yet awhile, I’m. mighty sure,” he spoke, at length, ‘and as for becomin’ a road-agent, I don’t | know about that. I was always brought up honest. Is’pose if I refuse you'll kill me?” ‘“‘-Yes, for unless you took an oath of loyalty, we wouldn't be safe ter let ye run loose, No! Ef ye don’t want to accept our proposition, ye kin bet youll be a corpse before another sun- rise.” Dick delikerated again, ‘¢ How long time will you give me to make up my mind?” he asked, ‘‘ Itstrikes me that, may- be, I’d like that sort of life, after all.” ‘‘We won't give ye no time here, as it ain’t safe to hang out here any longer. We shall start for our stronghold at once. On the way is Thede Thorpe’s tavern. We'll stop thar fer whisky. So ye can have till we git thar ter make up yer mind.” “Very well. I presume I shall conclude to join you.” CHAPTER XIX. CALIFORNIA KIT TO THE RESCUE. Some five miles from Sphinx, to the west- ward, upon a stage-trail, was a cabin. Tt was not a large affair, and was roughly constructed, and there were no other habita- tions nearer than a couple of miles. “Yet, despite this fact, a creaking tin si was suspended from an iron arm, above the door, announcing that the place, was ‘‘ Thede Thorpe’s Tavern.” In front of the ‘Tavern’, was a watering- trough, hewn out of a log, and which was sexiplict with water from a neighboring spring, by a series of leading troughs. Stages coming up or down the trail, made it a practice to halt iaiees in order to water the horses, and give the passengers a chance to liquor up, for which accommodation Jehu in- variably got his whisky free. Lone travelers, too, sometimes stopped over | night at this wayside inn; but they were strangers, for no one informed of the ill-repute of the place would have thought of spending a night there, It was known that fully half a dozen people had put up there, for the night, whose where- abouts could not afterward be accounted for, and it was not known how many others there were to swell the list. But as no one bad as_yet mede any fuss about these disappearances Thede Thorpe kept on run- ning the place and selling bad ‘ bug-juice’ to whoever came along. The number was not few, as the stage and horseback travel was considera- ble, along that particular trail, to and from the ba mines, é hede Thorpe was a brawny, swarthy indi- vidual, with jet-black eyes, hair and awing beard, and he always dressed in a suit of blac broadcloth, with white shirtand collar, diamond | jewelry, a high hat, and patent leather shoes. His manners were ever polite, and his address | showed that he had received a good education. In the — of life, and quite se gronp s after a fashion, it was oftena mystery to those who saw him, why he had thus isolated himself from the camps around him. For it seemed evident that he could not be making a fortune out of the place, This fact, coupled with the singular disap- pearance of several of his guests, had cast a shadow of suspicion upon him that he was a ‘* bad man.” During the forenoon that witnessed the cap- ture of Deadwood Dick, Junior, Thorpe was seated by the fireplace, in his rude barroom smoking his pipe, when the door opened, an two persons entered. The first was rather below medium hight, clad in a mud-splashed suit of corduroy, with stogy boots upon his feet, and a slouch, bullet- riddled hat upon his bead. His hair was of yellowish color, and the huge beard that covered nearly the whole of his face. was of a like hue, ‘ E “You mean to | downa ten-dollar gold piece, cried: | won’t know what's struck ’em! The second person was none other than our riend, Napoleon Bug, otherwise Wilfred Wren. Both walked up to the bar, and Bug, slapping ““Give’s some whisky! fer we’re drier than sawdust. Some good stuff, now, too, mind ye— no rat p’izen.” ’ : BS peed g 6 certainly!” Thorpe assented. “T never keep anything but the best of ai, ap He set out the bottle and glasses, and the new customers each poured out a small drink. Thorpe took the gold piece, and turned to a drawer to make the change. ‘When he turned around again, two cocked six- shooters were staring him in the face, held in the grasp of Bug’s companion. The lone,tavern- keeper, was ‘‘ covered”! “Up wi’ yer hands!” Bug ordered, “ an’ mazourky wes: out from behind that bar.’ Make no attempt to draw a weapon or you’re a dead man!” ‘“What the deuce is the meaning of this?” Thorpe demanded, obeying the order, however. ‘*Who are you, and what do you want?” “We want to run this she-bang, for a little while, if you’ve no objections!” Bug replied, producing some straps. “What do you want to run this place for?” “Well, ye see, there’s a pack o’ road-agents a. comin’ along, pretty soon, and we want to scoop ‘em in. Ef you act civil like, no harm will come to you. If you don’t, you'll get yer cocoanut cracked. Give us your hands!’ Thorpe hesitated, but aoe that the revolvers still covered him, he allowed Bug to bind his hands behind his back. ‘‘ This is shabby treatment!” he cried. ‘“Nary a shabby!” Bug declared grimly. ‘‘ Tm ther great cyclonic cavortin’ Chaw-’em-up from Chico, an’ ef ye get unruly, I’ll chaw an ear off'm you quicker’n lightnin’, I'm passionately fond 0’ souse, too. Thar, now, yer flukes aire fixed up all right; so right-about face an’ come along wi’ me!” ‘“* Where to?” “Oh! up toe mountain-side, where ye won’t frighten the visitors we expect along purty soon. When we scoop ’em in, ef ye behave well, ye can come back an’ run yer old tavern, jest as ye please. Come, now, jest like a little man, fer et won’t do ye no sort 0’ good to refuse.” Thorpe evidently realized this fact, for he fol- lawned ug from the tavern as meek as a mb. When they were gone, the comrade of Bug re- stored the weapons to his belt, and began to ex- amine the Detilon behind the bar. All contained water except one large black bottle, labeled ‘‘ whisky,” and then two-thirds full of liquor. Taking a half-pint flask from his ket, the man poured its contents into this bottle and then shook the mixture well together. “That'll fix ’em!” he chuckled. ‘‘ Twenty minutes after they drink a glass of that, they 1! And this ”—he here drew a vial from his pocket—‘‘ will bring %om-to their senses about as quick as the other stuff put em to sleep, so the racket will work both ways ” Having thus made his preparations, the man went to the door and gazed down the trail. Some distance away he saw a cloud of dust ris- ing in the air. ““They’re coming,” he muttered. “If my plan works, all will be well. If not, I'll use eae and lead, for the stake is too big to lose 1 He looked to his revolvers, and then re-entered the tavern. Within fifteen minutes, a cavalcade of horse- men rode up, and dismounted. They were the remnant of the Black Band of Bozeman, and the young Deadwood Dick was se them, with his hands bound behind his back. He was assisted to nonsacmag and then, the whole entered the tavern. “You Pa poe over there, at the fire!” Bi ordered Dick, ‘and while we're takin’ a dri is yer last chance to decide whether ye'll come to ‘our terms or not.” Dick obeyed. ; He had already made up his mind, that, rath- er than die, he would join these men; but would elude them, and escape, no matter what sort of an oath he might be required to take. He would be sharply watched, of course, after becoming a member of the band; but if he was not smart enough to make good his escape he did not want his liberty, he argued. Bullfrog Bije and his pals proceeded to range themselves alongside the bar, i aici. Sinn Se ye oe sl Si ena
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—_— ‘*TTillo!” Bije cried, surveying the bartender, rimly. ‘Who be you, an’ whar’s Thede horpe?” vi boss has gone out on a little tramp up the mountain, an’ I’m left ter mind ther she- bang, "til he returns,” wasthe reply. ‘‘ Whisky, boyees?” ‘On course! You jest tell Thorpe about this —ct’s on me, Sales Bije. Thorpe he knows ine, an’ et’ll be all right.” “Correct,” the bartender replied, which seemed to please Bije immensely. “I don’t ep sbout his custom, but I suppose et’s all rignt. ~ “Ob! sart’in, it’s all right. Thorpe lets us Bezeman Boys hey all we want, ’case he knows we're good pay. Down goes the bug-juice boys; then we'll hev a debanted game o’ keerds an’ thevll give ther younker tims to make up his zind!” The brimming glasses were emptied almost at - gulp then the outlaws seated themselves at a “ble. “Fetch us keerds, bartender!” Bije ordered, “*and I will show these fellers the dou't know how ter play; I'll take the brag all outen ’em.” The bartender comphed with the request, and the six began their game of poker. Ina fewmin- utes, however, their tongues became thick of speech; yet each felt hilariously happy. Then, as it were in a moment their heads dropped for- ‘ward, and they were sileat in profound slum- er. The drug surely had done its work. As soon as the outlaws were oblivious, the bar- tender advanced to Deadwood Dick Junior, and cut his bonds. “You are free,” he announced. “ Now help me bind these ruffians, before they recover con- sciousness,” ‘Of course I will!” Dick assented. ‘ But, tell me, who are you, that you have thus befriended me—what is the racket, anyhow?” For answer, the bartender seized the hair and beard and tore them from his face—the face of a remarkably handsome girl. “ CaLirornia Kit!” Dick fairly yelled, in an ecstasy of delight, and the next instant the two were clasped in each other’s embrace; two loving hearts were reunited, while there was an oscu= Jatory performance of the most impressive and hearty order, “Oh! Kitty! Kitty! where have you been so Jong? I have searched for you until I grew afraid I should never see you again.” ‘* When L was first missing, Lwas kidnapped at the instance of father by yonder outlaw band 2nd held a close captive in the mountain cabin where you and Bug were afterward taken. I finally escaped, traced your adventures in Boze- man, and heard that you had been very atten- tive to Mabel Mansfield, which made me jealous, and I went to Sphinx, and entered Guia Charley’s employ in disguise.” * As Nola?” ae Yes.” “Then, that accounts for how I was thrilled ‘when your hand touched mine. But, go on.” “ Well, I recognized you when you came to The Elite, and resolved to keep watch of you. I have shadowed you ever since. I overheard both of Madeline Pierce’s interviews with you, and es a * ere a = Rua ‘*T overheard Bullfrog Bije’s pro 1 to sto here, hastened to Sphinx, got dotie rugs put = and came on ahead of the Band. Onmy way, i met Wren, and he volunteered to help me,” ‘¢ Where is he?” ‘‘ Up the mountain, holding the tavern-keeper in charge.” ‘You know of your father’s fate?” “Yes, but I was powerless to prevent it. The outlaws were too many for me to tackle. I am very sorryforhim.” x “And, I guess, by this time you will have come to the conclusion that you can trust me?” Dick queried. ‘Yes indeed]. I shall never doubt your con- stancy, Dick. As we pledged ourselves to each other, so will we live, and if you—were—to—” ** Say the word, we will be married to-night,” Dick finished, for her. he did not answer in so many words, but a loving kiss was answer enough. At sunset, that evening, such people as were upon the street of Sohne werd treated to an un- usual sight, Marching"into the camp, six abreast, came six hatless, roughly-dressed, coarse-bearded men. As they came opposite The Elite Saloon, they halted, and the crowd of astonished citizens which had quickly collected perceived that the Nickel-Plate Ned, the forehead of cach was a vivid crimson cres- cent, Directly in the rear of the six men, marched two persons, each carrying a cocked repeating rifle, ready for use. One was Deadwood Dick, Junior, in his dash- ing disguise of Nickel-Plate Ned, the other was California Kit, rigged out in a neat suit of male attire, including patent-leather boots, and a jaunty slouch hat, pinned up on the left side. With her hair flowing in a wave below her shoulders, and her eyes sparkling with triumph, she looked inexpressibly dashing and charming. When The Elite was reached, Deadwood Dici: ordered a halt; then, turning to the crowd, he said: ‘‘Gentlemen of Sphinx, I have the honor of renewing your acquaintance. Can you tell me where I will be apt to find the deputy-sheriff of this camp?” : ‘‘Tm that chap!” Mike Moore said, stepping forward. ; “Then, sir, permit me to turn over to your custody the last remnant of the notorious out- law gang, known as the Black Band of Boze- man, who were captured at Thede Thorpe’s to- day, by my friend here, assisted by myself!” Great excitement immediately ensued. Dick and Kit became the hero and heroine of the hour, and were wildly and enthusiastically cheered and thanked, and some one grew so excited as to propose Dick for mayor of the town on the spot! A few more words, only, are necessary to close our tale. Mabel Mansfield was married that night, in the parlor of the hotel, and Charley Chartiers, or Chicago Charley, was the man to whom the prize was awarded. After the wedding, Mr. Mansfield was apprised of what had happened, and, like a sensible man, he concealed his disap- pointment, and congratulated the happy pair. Dick also Sa him with the money Percy Pierce had stolen, half of which the ex- banker at once presented to Mabel, as his wed- ding gift. Dick and Rolla Hollis, or California Kit, were also married, that same evening; and when this reached the ears of the. citizens, they all united and tendered the happy couple a rousing sere- nade on tin pans, and other noise-producing in- struments. | The six outlaws were taken from their place of confinement that night, and the next moru- ing their bodies were found hanging to limbs of trees, two miles from Sphinx. The body of Madeline Pierce a day later, was found in a lonely place, with a bullet wound in her head. Had Perey killed her in his rage at her treachery? That was the general opinion; but the wretch was not discovered; he had fled as if to shut out the horror of his monstrous crime. The body of Henry Hollis was treated to a re- spectable burial; after which Dick and his bride left for the sunny clime of southern Arizona, where the pair proposed to make their home. Charley, Mabel and Mr. Mansfield came East, as also did Wilfred Wren, now no longer the wandering vagabond, His vengeance appeased he became himself again, and so may he remain to THE END. Beadle’s Half-Dime Library. BY BRACEBRIDGE NEMYNG. $9 Ialand Jims: or, The Pet of the Family. 91 The Captain of the Club; or. The Rival Athletes. 101 Jack Markaway in New York, BY EDWARD WILLETT. ae Ase hme i ok Boy. j eatherwelg the Boy Champion of the 228 Ozark cae or, Featherweight vidal the ed prconag 282 The Typo Detective; or, Weasel, the Boy Tramp. 205 Fe rless Phil; or, The King of Quartrville. 811 The Roy a} Sport; or, The Pride of Chuckalock Camp, B22 ‘Nemo, the Detective; or, Kit Kenyon's Vendetta. 840 Clip, the Contortionist; or, The Montana Vigilantes. BY ROGER STARBUOK. 25 The Boy Captain; or, The Pirate’s Daughter. 114 The Blaek Schooner: or, Jib Junk. the Old Tar. 259 The Golden Harpoon} or, Lost Among the Floes. 48 Fire-Meela; or, Old Skinflint, the Death-Shadow. Big Worn tke, the Ht Tramp; or, The Odd Pards, 861 The Phantom Light-house, 870 Breaker Ben, the Reef-Konner. BY CAPTAIN MAYNE REID. 78 Bine Dick: or, The Yellow Chief's Vengeance. = The Land Pirates: or, The League of Devil’s laland, 187 The Helpless Nand; or. Backwoods Retribution, | 478 I 15 BY COL. A. F. HOLT. 99 Black Buckskin; or, The Masked Men of Death Canyon. 8 419 Kenneth, the Knife-King. 485 Little Lightfoot, the Pilot of the Woods. BY FREDERICK DEWEY. 818 Cimarron Jack, the King-Pin of Rifle-Shots. ‘angemunid, the Desert Vetective. 5642 The Canyon Pards. BY LIFUT. i. D. PERRY, U. 8. N. 176 The Boy Runaway; or, The Buccaneer of the Bag. 180 The Sea Trailer; or, A Vow Well Kept. 192 Captain Kit; or, The Mystery, of Montauk Point, BY JONUN J. MARSHALL. 40 Roving Ben, A Story of a Young American. 97 The Outlaw Brothers; or, The Captive of the Harpea, BY GEORGE C, JENKS, 485 Git Thar Owney the Unknowa. | 492 Git Thar Owney’s Pledge. 618 The Demon Doctor. BY JACK FARRAGUT, 815 Ned, the Cabin Boy. 620 The Sea Sorceress; or, The Boy Skipper, BY JAMES L. BOWEN 107 One-Eyed Sim; or, The Abandoned Forest Home. 110 The Biack Steed of the Prairies, A Story of Texas. BY CHARLES E. LASALLE, 50 Gurt Bunker, the Trapper. 52 The White Buffalo, A Tale of the Northwest BY CAPT. MARK WILTON, 256 Young Kentuck; or, The Red Lasso, 270 Blizzard Ben; or, The Riot at Keno Camp, 286 Josh, the boy Tendertvot. BY JO PIERCE. 897 Rob o’ the Bowery ; or, The Prince of Mulberry Street 415 The Vagabond Detective; or, Bowery Bob’s Boom, 452 Hotapur Bob, the Street-Boy Detective. j 460 The Sawyers Shadow; or, Luke’s Legacy. A72 Jnaunty Joe, the Young Horse-King, 494 Surly Sim, the Young Ferryiman Detective. 504 Five Points Phil. 509 Jack Jaggers, the Butcher Boy Detective, 516 Tartar Tim; or, Five Points Phil’s Menagerie. 526 North River Nat, the Pier Detective. 538 Wrestling Rex, the Pride ofthe Sixth Ward. 541 Jeff Flicker, the Stable Boy Detective. BY J. W. OSBON. 469 The Rival Giants of Nowhar’. 498 Cactus Burr, the Man trom Hard Luck, 587 Old Buckeye, the Sierra Shadow. BY ALBERT W. AIKEN, 11 The Two Detectives; or, The Fortunes ofa Bowery Girl. 76 Abe Colt, the Crow-Killer. 79 Sol Ginger, the Giant Trapper. 258 Joe Ruck of Angels and His Boy Parad. 447 New York Nat. A Tale of Tricks and Traps in Gotham, 458 New England Nick; or, ‘Ihe Fortunes of a Foundling. 464 Nimble Nick, the Circus Prince. 498 Taos Ted, tne Arizona Sport. 510 Cool Colorado, the Hali-Breed Detective, 5618 Cool Colorado in New York. MISCELLANEOUS AUTHORS, 4 The Wild-Horse Hunters. By Capt Mayne Reid and Frederick Whittaker. 9 Adventures of Baron Munchausen, 12 Gulliver’s Travels, By Dean >wiltt. 14 Aladdin; or, The Wonderful Lamp. 16 Robinson Crusoe, (27 Illustrations.) 18 Sindbad the Sailor. His Seven Voyages. 22 Epo Sea Serpent; or, The Boy Robinson Crusoe. By Juan sew is. 88 The Ocean Bloodhound; or, The Red Pirates of the Carribeers. By S, W. Pierce. 86 qhe Boy Clown; or, The Queen ofthe Arena. By Frank §. Finn. 88 Ned Wylde, the Boy Scout. By Texas Jack. 51 bg Boy Rifles; or, The Undergreuod Camp. By Archie y» trons. 95 The Rival Rovers; or, The Freebooters of the Mississippi By Lieut.-Col. Hazeltine. 98 Robin Hood, the Outlawed Earl; or, The Merry Men of Green- wood. By Prof. Gildersleeve. 105 Old Rube, the Hunter; or, The Crow Captive. By Captain Hamilton Holmes. 112 The Mad Wunter; or, The Cave of Death. By Burton Saxe. 124 Tippy, the Texan; or, The Young Champion. By George Gleeson. 128 The Young Privateer; or, The Pirate’s Stronghold. By Harry Cavendish. : 148 Sharp Sam; or, The Adventures of a Friendless Boy. By J Alexander Patten. 227 Dusky Darrell, Trapper: or, The Green Ranger of the Yel- lowstone. By Edward Ememon 261 Fergus Fearnaught the New Y irk Boy. By George L, i Aiken. 266 Killb’ar, the Guide; %r, Davy Crockett’s Crooked Trail. By Ensign C. D, Warren. 298 Red Claw, the One-Eyed Trapper; or, The Maid of the Cliff. By Captain Comatock, 817 Paseock Pete, the Lively Lad from Leadville. By Lieu- tenant Alired Thorne. ; 828 The Sky Ive‘ective; or, A Boy’s Fight for Life and Honot, By Maior Mickey Free. 850 Red Ralph, the River Rover; or, The Brother's Re- venge. By Ned Bantline. 865 Raltimore Ben the Bootblack Detective. By A. P, Morris. 874 Gold-Dust Tom; or, Ben's Double Match. By George H. Morse. 876 California Joe’s First Trail. By Colonel Thomas By F. S.. Winthrop. Hover Vonstery. A18 Billy Rombshell, the Cliff Climber. Foxfoot, the Gold Bowie Kid. By Arthur C, Grissom, 475 The Black Ship. By John S. Worner. 440 Little 484 Comanche Dick and His Three Invincible By Henrv J. Thomas. 528 Wizard-Arm, the Dandy Sport. By Arthur F, Holt. By Edwin Brooke Forrest. 582 The Cowboy Duke. : A New Issue Every Tuesday The Half-Dime Library is for sale by ati newsdealers five eenta per copy, or sent by mail on receipt of six cents each. BEADLE AND ADAMS, Publishers, rr six men were lariated together, and that upon | 289 The Gold-secker Guide; or, The Lost Mountain. ~ = 98 William Street, New York
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— SP es _ volume, and the circulation th TWO REMARKABLE HEROES. The Deadwood Dicks, Senior 4 Junior, are the Gentlemen, There Have Already Been Eighty Volumes Published Relating to Their Astounding Courage, Coolness and Skill. In only one sense of the word can it be regarded as a novel statement when the fact is here recorded that literature has given many heroes to the world, and perhaps more than one reader wil! have to think a moment over this remark before the subtle delicacy of its genial wit strikes home, But it is most essentially a half dime novel state- ment that will be news to many when it is added that literature, if traced from the dimly distant days when Adam was a mere child down to the present day, would show but few heroes that in the eyes of boy- hood would be even judged worthy of comparison with the two greatest heroes known to American literature, or, to promptly reveal them, Deadwood Dick and Deadwood Dick, Jr. Perhaps if everything were known of his career in bookland, Robinson Crusoe would rank above any hero ever offered to the boys of the mane for Robinson made his pa Web te a long time ago and his adventures have been translated into pretty nearly all the languages that are printable; but while Robinson is and ever will bs a worthy person- age, he is, it is to be feared, most decidedly a back number in the eyes of several millions of the boys and young men of to-day. And then, too, Robinson’s reputation was made and safely anchored to leeward at a tine when com- ss inthe manufacture of heroes of juvenile iterature was so slack that it is scarcely worth men- ' tioning, Had he postponed his debut until to-day. Robinson would have had to hire a press agent, 0 the very objectionable type known as a hustler, and even with that assistance the odds are that he would have experienced a severe frost. Robinson, like many other bygone characters calculated to tkrill the juvenile mind, labored under the disadvantage of having only a comparativeiy few adventures, and he was further very heavily handicapped by having to confine his adventures within the narrow circles of probability and com- mon sense, The modern heroes of fiction for young America, who are now as countless as the sands of the sea, and of whom the Deadwood Dicks are much the most important, are not tr«mmeled b, any such confined conditions, and with the bars let down ad- mitting them to the boundless expanse of the utter- ly impossible, it is but natural that their unnatural- ness should bear away the palm of popularity, and such as Robinson be left far behind in the race, Therefore the statement of the surpassing promi- nence of the two Deadwood Dicks having been so emphatically made, it will be as well to justify the emphasis with some favts about their history from a bookseller’s point of view, before plunging into the seething vor ex of their recorded lives, Deadwood Dick made his first eppencence before the public in 1877, under the auspices of Beadle & Adams, the William street publishers of popular literature for the masses, and for fourteen years he or his son has been reappearing at intervals, which were at first irregular, but they have now settled down to a basis of once in six weeks, It was in 1885 that Deadwood Dick the elder made his final appearance. after thirty-three volumes of adventure, and his son, Deadwood Dick, Jr., who had been growing up in them for many years, took up the running, and has kept it up to the tune of very nearly fifty volumes more in the six years feo are passed since his remarkable father was uried. During the fourteen years they have been on the market these stories have been sold at five cents a have attained throughout the length and breadth of the land, has been in the aggregate something truly vas, for the entire series 1s kept constantly ia print, and many of the early issues are now enjoying a sale of their twen! y-seventh or thirtieth edition. It can be son, believed, therefore, that the two Dicks are so firmly engrafted on the tree of popular literature for boys and young men, that their posi- tion is assured so long as their author can keep it up, and that they stand to-day head and shoulders above all rivals in the eyes of the public for which at have lived, and for which one of them has e American boyhood, and that is a tremendous fac- tor in the land, now, knows Deadwood Dick, Jr., a good deal better than it knows its catechism, and millions of young minds absorb the thrilling inci- dents of his career in his everlasting warfare against crime and his never-ending solving of impenetrable mysteries, Millions of boys follow his stealthy fcotsteps as he tracks his vicious victims to their undoing, and then, when the victims are thoroughly undone, the mil- lions wait bun rily for the next volume, which on every sixth Tuesday appea’s with the certainty of the Tuesday itself, and a new set of delightful thrills go thrilling away from Maine to California, . Victor, the courteous editor for Beadle and Adams, who told 7'he Hvening Sun what it wished to know about the history of the two Dicks, said that hg had often had his attention calied to what are known as Deadwood Dick clubs, which are or- ganizations consisting of from three to a dozen boys, who take turns in buying the Deadwood Dick novels as they appear, and reading them in rotation, so that in the case, for instance, of a club of six mem- bers, each member would be kept thoroughly in- formed of his pet hero’s latest doings, at a cost of only five cents once in thirty-six weeks, while when nine of these economical young enthusiasts pool their issues'in the same direction a nickel will serve the purpose for a whole year, Mr, Victor, in his curious ynd interesting task of editing this phase of the literature cf the day for one of the most extensive publishing houses in the business, has weighed the quesfion carefully, and finds that a volume once in six weeks is just about the amount of Deadwood Dick, Jr., that his, count- Jess admirers can comfortably absorb and digest, In England, too, this extraordinary series of eighty volumes telling of the doings of father and son has been republished for years, to the infinite delight of the boys and youths of Great Britain and the solid satisfaction of the London publishers that had the pleasure of thus getting square with America on the piracy question. “When I received the first Deadwood Dick story,” said Mr, Victor, ““I was struck with the freshness of the author’s s‘yle, and after toning it down a little sent it to the printers, The story made a hit and I accepted another and another until we found that the character was becoming unusually popular among our patrons, **] kept urging the author to make the stories less terrifically forcible in the language of his rougher characters, and gradually the sulphurous nature of their dialogues Nidaxce moderate enough to need but little editing, and at the same time the torrents of liquor that flowed like rivers through bis earlier manuscripts, dwindled to rivulets under the influ- ence of my appeals for Jess rum, “The author urged the absolute truth of both the language and the amount of whisky-drinking that he attributed to his characters, but begged in the interests of morality that the flow of both one and the other be curbed, and of course the stories were none the worse for his Coing so. **Deadwood Dick, himself, was also gradually re- formed and changed from the outlawed terror of the law-abiding to the deadly foe cf the law break- ers, end when once thet transformation was achieved his subsequent course in the path of virtue was an assured success. “True, the path was a somewhat rocky, bloody and dangerous; one; but no one who follows him along its various ups and downs can doubt its virtue, and from that virtne he never deviated.” The {full and official list of the titles of this re- markable series would fill at least a column of The Evening Sun. It contains some real gems in the way of names calculated t» attract the youth in search of a thrill. For instance there is Dead yvood Dick’s Device; or, The Sign of the Double Cross. A Wild, Strange Tale of the Leadville Mincs—of Men of Steel—of Toughs and Tigers—of Road-agents, Regulators,- Avengers, Adventurers, and of the Thrilling Life in the New Eldorado. Can any one deny the comprehensiveness of that or his probable power of seducing nickels from the pockets of novel-reading boys? Then there are a number of delightfully alliterative titles, such as Deadwood Dick’s Defiance, or, the Double Daggers, and Deadwood Dick’s Double, or, the Ghost. of Gor- gon’s Gulch, Peculiarly fetching, too, in their forceful effect on the small boy’s pccket money must be Deadwood Dick on Deck; or, Calamity Jane, the Heroine of Whoop Up; Deadwood Dick’s Dead Deal; or, Captain Crackshot, the Girl Bri and; Deadwood Dick’s Death Trail; Deadwood Dick’s Death Plant, and Deadwood Dick’s Diamonds. In the selection of localities fur his adventures Dead- wood Dick, Jr., shows far more desire for variety than the old man ever did, for he’ has volumes that relate his remarkable doings in New York, Chicago, Philadelphia, Boston, Cincinnati, Roches- ter, Buffalo, San Francisco, Denver, Galveston Leadville, and «ven at Coney Island, The titles of the younger hero’s volumes show that he met with and got the better of swindlers, bunco men, coun- terfeiters, bank robbers, horse thieves, smugylers, pirates, stare robbers, and, indeed, pretty near every sort of criminal known to the pol'ce, while his father confined himse]f almost exclusively to root- ing out the Western type of bad men, Progress has. therefore, a worthy representative in Deadwood Dick the younger. It is surely not necessary to add that in the mod- erate compass of a newspaper article, only the merest shadow of, justice can be done to the careers of any heroes that have had such an extraordinary collection of stories as that written about them. @ month or so were given toa careful reader for the task, he might, with the assistance of a double-entry bookkeeper, tabulate the number of blood-curdling episodes that oecur in the eighty volumes, together erm gem f | the Beggar Boy Detective; Jim Beak with the exact number of persons who are shot, stabbed, hanged and removed in sundry less con: ventional borderland ways, such as being tossed into quicksands, burned in the tops of forest giants, fed to bears or made to try and walk on tight ropes across bottomless chasms, The final summary would be something appalling in its gory magnitude, and would form a record of slaughter that would shame tae battle of Gettys- burg, but it might prove a source of eatertainment to some idle person of a sanguinary turu of mind, anc so the idea is suggested here. The variety of duels in these stories is another source of wonder to the reader, and it must be ack- nowledged that Mr. Wheeler has as prolific an imag- ination as it is possible to conceive. Every volume of the series fairly bristles with episodes of a nature that makes those related in the more ordinary 10- cent or 5-cent stories seem as mild as hotel milk, and hotel milk has been pronounced by scientisis to be ths mildest object in nature. In coming face to face with the notes of a variety | of episodes and adventures in the books which thc writer made as he hurriedly went through the eighty volumes, and which he hoped to utilize in this article, an overpowering sense of havin bucked up against the impossible rears its drea front and mocks the man who dared to face the task of doing justice to the subject. Once or twice a flowing beaker of mexie. or nerve food, has been tossed off, and with grim determina- tion the struggle made to sift the material on hand oud condense it into something like a reasonable shape. With a heartfelt sigh the colossal task has, however, | been reluctantly abandoned. Ther: are the eighty | volumes each so crowded with thrills and heart-tugs | that it were madness to hope to do justice to them collectively and rank injustice to discriminate be- tweenthem, The three Jarger pictures itustrating this article have been selected at random from eighty just as interesting, and the smaller ones are por raits of Deadwood Dick, his wife, Calamity Jane, and Deadwood Dick, Jr, To abandon tne idea of giving a few extracts from their lives causes infinite pain, but if once a start were made in that direction, it would be cruel / to Zhe Evening Sun's reacers to stop, and it is there- fore better rot to relate one single adventure. Suffice it to say that the stories are clean and welt written, and until the glut of gore and supernatura) courage and success of the heroes becomes indi- gestible to the ordinary mind, there is much amuse- | ave to be found in adventures of the Deadwood icks. ' The small boy and his larger brother have minds attuned by nature to absorb the music of the con- stant flow of villains’ blood and the never-ceasing cracking of rifles and revolvers that keep the silence in a perpetual state of unrest throughout the Dead- wood Dick series, but it is not so with a more mature mind, and unless you are a small boy or a youth prone to admire the terrifically heroic in li'erature, you are advised not to purchase the entire eighty volumes, but to try a ‘sample here and there from the list. If you are a small boy, or the other fellow you doubtless know more about it than the writer, and so don’t want any advice on the subject. Asa parting tribute to Mr, Wheeler, the owner of that has evolved and continues to evolve ular boys’ stories of the day, it is but fair to add, and an interesting fact as well, that he has also found time to dash off some novels about Cloven Hoof, the Buffalo Demon; Bob Woolf, the Girl Dead-Shot; Death-Face, Detective; Old Ava- lanche; Wild Edna, the Giri Brigand: Jim Bludsoe, Jr., the Boy Phoenix; Buckhorn Bill; Gold Rifle, the Sharpshooter; Rosebud Rob; Nugget Ned; Idyl, the Girl Miner; Photograph Phil; Canada Chet; Watch- Eye; Jack Hoyle, the Young Speculator; Gilt- Edged Dick, the Sport Detective; Cinnamon Chip, the Girl Sport; Bonanza Biil; Boss Bob, the xing of Bootblacks; Solid Sam, the Boy Road Agent; Cap- tain Ferret, the New York Detective; New York Nell, the Boy-Girl Detective; Nobby Nick of Neva- da; Wild Frank, the Buckskin Bravos, Fritz, the Bound Boy Detective;. Spoozer, the Boy Sharp; Apollo Bill, the Trail Tornado; Cyclone Kit, the Young Gladiator; Sierra Sam, the Frontier Ferret; Jumbo Joe, the Boy Patrol; Denver Doll the Detec- | tive Queen; Turk, the Boy_Ferret; A No. 1, the the bra the most Dashing Toll-taker; "Liza Jane, the Girl Miner; Kelley, Hickey & Co., the Detectives of Philadelphia; Littlé Quick Shot; Kangaroo Kit, the Mysterious Miner; Manhattan Mike, the Bowery Blcod; First- class Fred; Yreka Jim, the Gold Gatherer; Nabob Ned; Cool Kit. the King of Kids; Bicycle Ben; | Wrinkles, the Night Watch Detective: High Hat | Harry, the Baseball Detective; Sam Sean ae n | Private Detect ves; and Santa Fe Sal, the Slasher, | He may therefore be pronounced the Storytel- ler from Ktorytellersvil e, and the Deadwood Dick | stories will be bis towering monument,