Deadwood Dick Library (v. 2) (1899 06 21)

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Copyright 1878-1 15. Issued Weekly. June 21, 1899. by Beadle & Adams. Entered at Post Office, New York, N. Y., as second class matter. Mar. 15. 1899 M. J. IVERS & CO., Publishers, (James Sullivan, P. rietor,) 379 Pearl Street, New York. CALAMITY JANE, Price 5 Cents. $2.50 a Year.

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EDWARD L. WHEELER'S DEADWOOD DICK, JR. NOVE IN THE HALF-DIME LIBRARY. Price 5 Cents per Copy. 443 Deadwood Dick, Jr.; or, The Crimson Crescent Sign. 448 Deadwood Dick, Jr’s, Defiance. 453 Deadwood Dick, Jr.'s, Full Hand. 459 Deadwood Dick, Jr.’s, Big Round-Up. 465 Deadwood Dick, Jr.’s, Racket at Claim 10. 471 Deadwood Dick, Jr.’s, Corral. 476 Deadwood Dick, Jr.'s, Dog Detective. 481 Deadwood Dick, Jr., in Deadwood. 491 Deadwood Dick, Jr.’s, Compact. 496 Deadwood lick, Jr.'s, Inheritance, 500 Deadwood Dick, Jr.’s, Diggings. 508 Deadwood Dick, Jr.’s, Deliverance. 515 Deadwood Dick, Jr.’s, Protege. 522 Deadwood Dick, Jr.’s, Three, ~ 529 Deadwood Dick, Jr.'s, Danger Ducks. 584 Deadwood Dick, Jr.'s, Death Hunt. 589 Deadwood Dick, Jr., in Texas. 544 Deadwood Dick, Jr., the Wild West Vidocq. 549 Deadwood Dick, Jr , on His Mettle. 554 Deadwood Dick, Jr., in Gotham. 561 Deadwood Dick, Jr., in Boston. 567 Deadwood Dick, Jr., in Philadelphia. 572 Deadwood Dick, Jr., in Chicago. 578 Deadwood Dick, Jr, Afloat. 584 Deadwood Dick, Jr., in Denver. 590 Deadwood Dick, Jr.°s, Decree. 595 Deadwood Dick. Jr., in Beelzebub’s Basin. 600 Deadwood Dick, Jr., at Coney Island. 606 Deadwood Dick, Jr.'s, Leadville Lay. 612 Deadwood Dick, Jr., in Detroit. 618 Deadwood Dick, Jr., in Cincinnati. 624 Deadwood Dick, Jr., in Nevada. 630 Deadwood Dick, Jr., in No Man's Land. 636 Deadwood Dick, Jr., After the Queer, ” 642 Deadwood Dick, Jr., in Buffalo. 648 Deadwood Dick, Jr.’s, Chase Across the Continent. 654 Deadwood Dick, Jr., Among the Smug- glers. 660 Deadwood Dick, Jr.'s, Insurance Case. 666 Deadwood Dick, Jr., Back in the Mines. 672 Deadwood Dick, Jr., in Durango. 678 Deadwood Dick, Jr.'s, Discovery. 684. Deadwood Dick, Jr.'s, Dazzle. 690 Deadwood Dick, Jr.’s, Dollars. 695 Deadwood Dick, Jr.. at Danger Divide. 700 Deadwood Dick, Jr.’s, Drop. 704. Deadwood Dick, Jr.. at Jack-Pot. 710 Deadwood Dick, Jr., at San Francisco. 716 Deadwood Dick, Jr.’s, Still Hunt. 722 Deadwood Dick, Jr.’s, Dominoes. 728 Deadwood Dick, Jr.’s, Disguise. 734 Deadwood Dick, Jr.’s, Double Deal. 740 Deadwood Dick, Jr.’s, Death-Watch. 747 Deadwood Dick, Jr.’s, Doublet. 752 Deadwood Dick, Jr.’s, Death-Blow. 758 Deadwood Dick, Jr.’s, Desperate Strait. — %64 Deadwood Dick, Jr.’s, Lone Hand. 770 Deadwood Dick, Jr.’s, Defeat. 776 Deadwood Dick, Jr.'s, Resurrection. 782 Deadwood Dick, Jr.’s, Dark Days. 787 Deadwood Dick, Jr., Defied. ; 792 Deadwood Dick, Jr.’s, Double Device. — 797 Deadwood Dick, Jr.’s, Desperate Ventu 802 Deadwood Dick, Jr.’s, Diamond Dice. — 807 Deadwood Dick, Jr.’s, Royal Flush. P 812 Deadwood Dick, Jr.’s, Head-Off, 816 Deadwood Dick, Jr.’s, Rival. 822 Deadwood Dick, Jr.’s, Boom. 828 Deadwood Dick, Jr.’s, Scoop. 834 Deadwood Dick, Jr.’s, Proxy. 840 Deadwood Dick, Jr.’s, Clutch. 845 Deadwood Dick, Jr,’s, High Horse. ~852 Deadwood Dick, Jr.. at Devil’s Gule 863 Deadwood Dick. Jr.°s, Bombshell. 870 Deadwood Dick, Jr., in Mexico. ¥ 876 Deadwood Dick, Jr.'s, Decoy Duck. 882 Deadwood Dick, Jr., in Siiver Pocket. — 891 Deadwood Dick, Jr.'s, Dead-Sure Game. 898 Deadwood Dick, Jr.'s, Double.Drive. 904 Deadwood Dick, Jr.’s, Trade-Mark. | 910 Deadwood Dick, Jr., at Tip-Top. ; 916 Deadwood Dick, Jr.°s, Double: Decker. 928 Deadwood Dick, Jr , at Dollarvilie. 934 Deadwood Dick, Jr, at Flush Flats. 940 Deadwood Dick, Jr.’s, Shake-Up. x 946 Deadwood Dick, Jr.'s, Double Drop. _ ‘951 Deadwood Dick, Jr.'s, Right Bower. 957 Deadwood Dick, Jr.°s, Ten-Strike. 965- Deadwood Dick, Jr.’s, Gold Dust. 971 Deadwood Dick, Jr.'s, Oath. 8 977 Deadwood Dick, Jr.’s, Death: Doom. 980 Deadwood Dick, Jr.‘s, Best Card. 992 Deadwood Dick, Jr., at Gold Dust. 998 Deadwood Dick, Jr.'s, Big Play. 1005 Deadwood Dick, Jr., Branded. 1011 Deadwood Dic, Jr.’s, Dutch Pard.- — 1018 Deadwood Dick, Jr.'s, Big Four. -

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RENE ees my Neos ire Aaa OT Copyright 1878-1885, by Beadle & Adams. Entered at Post Office, New York, N. Y., as second class matter. Mar. 15, 180% No. 15, — ceseeeiae eee M. J. TVERS & CO., Publishers. 3 Issued Weekly. (James Sullivan, Propeletary i Price 5 Cents. Vol lI Tune 21 160, 379 Pearl Street, New York. $2.50 @ Year, Bee: DEADWOOD ——_ DIC ? K SS Or, CALAMITY JANE, The SSS a

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~ river, dreami & Deadwood Dick cz Deck. Deadwood Dick on Deck - CALAMITY JANE, THE HEROINE OF WHOOP-UP. A STORY OF DAKOTA. BY EDW. L. WHEELER, ‘ATmOR oF ‘‘ DEADWOOD DICK’’ NOVELS, ETC., ETC. CHAPTER I. BARKIN’ UP THE WRONG TREE. “Dashing along thro’ the valley and vale, From early morn till the day grows pale; Into the ‘ pockets’ framed in flowers— © Into the woodland’s shady bowers; Stopping anon by babbling streams, Then darting on into rocky seams; Free as the eagle in its flight, Fearless in daylight, happy at night Ever unfettered to roam about— Such is the life of the glorious scout. * Soarching for gold in the waters clear, Running a race with the mountain deer; Profiting well by the miner's abuse, Taming with spur the buckin’ cayuse; Paying one’s way, taking no ‘slack,’ Biting cold lead, and sending it back; Vriendly to friends, but deadly to foes, Gay as a robin, hoarding no woes; Such is the life of the scout, gay and free, Such is the life that is suiting to me.” Ow the clear air of an August night these words _ were distinctly wafted in melodious song—a wild, rollicking harmony of weird music, such as none but a cultivated voice could produce, Mountains have their peculiar facility of carrying and retain- ing sound, and it was long ere the last quivering notes of the midsummer night’s song had died out. The tone of thesinger had been one of those pure, intoxicating rivals of the flute; clear and strong, with paver of sustentation, and capable of instant modulation to the softest, sweetest degree. Even after the singer had ceased in the song of the gay mountaineer, it seemed as if the Joag fulches and gloomy mountain defiles had become enthused with the glorious melody, and the spectral pines sighed a weird peculiar sound as if in a diapa- son accompaniment, The screams of the night birds had been hushed; the noisy streams and leaping cascades were seem- ingly less boisterous; two men sitting down in the ets of a narrow winding canyon or gulch, had geased smoking, to listen to the song of the unknown nightingale. A little fire was burning in close proximity to a sharp bend in the course of the canyon, and near by was a single marquee of canvas, and a couple of superannuated-looking mules stretched out on the rass. A few yards to the left, as you looked up oward the bend in the canyon, roll stream of water, confined in its course by nearly perpenticular walls of rock, that towered aloft in - rugged piles, until in natural ’grandeur they termi- nated in misty mountain peaks. The two men al- luded to were sitting upon the bank of the stream. and they did not move until the songstress h: ceased her melod changed glances. “Beautiful. wasn’t it, Sandy?” ‘Yes, replied the younger of the twain, as he re- sumed his Pipe, his eyes roving out over the nois: ly. “I was not aware you had sue musical stars out here in your mining districts, A iy; then they looked up and ex- woman, wa’p't ite” led a wide, shallow. | ther fem “Yas, a woman,” replied Colonel Joe Tubbs, knocking the ashes out of his pipe, and refilling it with chipped plug. “At least they say she’s 0’ the feminine sex, fer w’ich I can’t sw’ar, purtic’lar, An’ ef she’s a weemon, thar ain’t many better Inkers *twixt hayr, Deadwood, an’ ther risin’ sun,”” “ What reason have you to doubt that she is not a woman, colonel?” ““Wal, Sandy, I ken’t say as I really doubt et, fer I s’pect et’s a solid fac’ thet she ar’ one o' ther lineal descendants o’ thet leetie fruitful scrape in a certain garden, yeers ago, afore ther Antediluve. But ye see how it is: in the gelorious State o’ Ohio, frum -which I war imported ter this side o’ ther hemi- sphere, ther female sex ginnerally war begarbed in— tticoats, an’ left ther male representatives to wear her breeches!” 7 “Humph!” and a little smile came to Sandy’s lips, “then this nightingale who has just favored us, wears the breeches herself, does she?” “You pile up yer chips an’ bet thet she do, Sandy, and ef you warn’t an Eastern chap, an’ but leetle used ter sech weemon as we hey in this delectable Black Hills kentry, I'd say, ‘Sandy, galoot, pile yer frunt foot for’a’d, an’ go in for Janie.” ‘* Janie—that is her name, eh?” { “Wal, Lreckon—Calamity Jane for short. I don't allow thar’s many who do know who she is, aside from her title, Sandy, tho’ she don’t cum no furder off than up in Nevada, She’s a brick, Sandy, and jest let et pop right inter yer noddle right hayr, that she ain’t no fool ef she do wear breeches. An’ ef, _ ye ever have oceasior ter meet ther gal, Sandy, jest remember ther words uv Colorado Joe Tubbs on thes ’ere eventful night—' Ther. gal ain’t no fool ef She do wear breeches.’ ” : “Twill, pardner. I don’t suppose because a wo- man wears male attire that she is necessarily a fool; though why a female must lower her sex by appear- ing in man’s garb, Isee not. She must be an eccen- tric creature—rather a hard case, isshe not?” witha little curl of the lip. “*Fard case,’ Sandy?’ an? here the veteran ome to clos* one’ eye and blow outacloud of ragrant smoke; “wal, ‘no, when ye ask my jedg- x mentin ther matter. She’s a woman, Sandy, an’ tho’ thar’s many who lay claim ter that name who ar’ below per, don’t reckon Janie ar’ quite thet fur gone. She’s a dare-devil, Sandy, an’ no mistake. She ar’ the most reckless buchario in ther Hills, kin drink whisky, ‘slute, play keerds, or sw’ar, ef et comes ter et; but, *twixt you an’ me, I reckon ther gal’s got honorleft wi’ her grit, out o’ ther wreck 0° a young life. Oneet an’ awhile thar isa story whis- pered about thet she war deserted up at Virginny City, an’ tuk ter thes rovin’ life ter hunt down her false lover; another thet she hed bin married ter a Nevada brute, an’ kim over inter thes deestrict ter escaps him; then thar’s bin sam hard stories 0” her up at Deadwood an’ Hayward, but I never b’lieved’ ‘em ease they were ginnerally invented by a gang o’ toughs who hed grudge ag’in’ her. I nevei b'lieved ‘em, Sandy, because she wara woman; an’ — once I hed a wife an’ little golden-haired daughter— she luked like you, Sandy—an’I know’d ’em ter be— good: thet’s why Inevyer kim ter believe all about Calamity Jane!” and the old man bowed his head o his arm, at Some sad recollection. Bat “No! no!” he went on, after a few moments of silence. ‘‘Janie’s not as bad as ther world would have her; becausa she’s got grit an’ ain't afeard to— shute ther galoot as crosses her, people condemn her. I reckon ye kno’ how et is, out hayr in ther Hills, Sandy—ef a femals ken’t stand up an’ fight fer_ her rizhts, et’s durned little aid she'll git.” = So [should conclude from what observations I have been able to make, since I came West,"? was — the reply of the yonng miner. “Is this Calamity Jane pretty, colo -el?”* “Wal, some might say so, Sandy; I am not, par- _ tial ter givin’ opinions 0’ ther external. merits of - ale line, 0’ late years, Hed sum experienc?

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se. saree “ an’ no mistake, but a queer stick, wi’ all. ~ Deadwood Dick on Deck. in thet ne a couple 0’ years ago, afore I left Ange- lina, my second, ter come out hayr—war just tellin’ her how purty a certain widder war, when—well, I never quite knew what struck me, but I finally waked up ter find myself carved up inter steaks, an’ ther ha’r on top o’ my hedid gone. Likewise my Angelina. She had eloped wi’ another galoot. Since then I allus withhold my opinion on ther beauty or humbiyness 0’ ther opposite sex.” “ Well, [suppose you wa’n’t-sorry, eh?” observed >ondy, as he arose, with a yawn, and picked up his oaprdsome Sharpe’s rifle. _* Wal, no; I ken’t say’s I am, sence et turns out ‘het ther Biack Hills affords me more comfort an’ cnjoyment than hum uster wi’ Angelina everlast- gly browsin’ me down wi’ a mop-stick, Whar ye goin’, Sandy, boy?’ 7 > _{* Just up to the bend and back, colonel, to see that fii is right, before turning in for the night,” was the reply, as the stalwart miner strode off, whistling softly some tune which was dear to the home in the Hast, which he had left to seek gold in the Black Hills country. After he had gone out of view in the darkness of the warm semi-tropical night, laden as it was with a strangely intoxicating perfume of many mountain flowers—for the Black Hills are truly the flower land of America—~Colonel Joe Tubbs resumed his pipe, while he gazed thoughtfully out over the noisy, shallow. waters of Canyon Creek, “A mighty good feller ar’ thet pe ow, we've bin consolidated fer a couple o’ months as pees in a s’arch fer ther p’izen they call gold, an’ I don’t kno’ nothin’ about ther_ chap, ’cept thet he claims ter hey cum frum New York, an’ ar’ one.o’ ther squarest galoots I ever fell in wi’. Quiet an’ unobtrusive as a crippled cat—hain’t much ov a talker neither; but them‘s often ther kind as hes got a sleepin’ tiger in ’em.” Colonel Joe Tubbs had well described the young miner, Sandy, when ke had said he was quiet and unobtrusive. He was quiet and unobtrusive—was deep and thoughtful—very seldom in a jolly spirit, though at alltimes Besa andagreeable. Twenty- four or five years of life which had passed over his head had left a man in every sense of the word—a man in pursical and metal development—a man in will and great force of character—a man so quiet and retired as to seem almost a recluse; yet, when gazing scrutinizingly at him, you could but be im- pressed with the peculiar force of the expression— “still waters run deep.” His form was stalwart and iron-cast, with strength delineated to the critical eye in every curve and muscle, His face was plain, yet_rather attractive, with its firm mouth shaded by a heavy yellow mus- tache, eyes of a dusky brown, and hair light and worn long down over the shoulders, A face it was which a lady might admire, and a gentleman envy, even though Sandy would not have passed criticism as being handsome. His attire was plain, consisting of a buckskin suit, knee boots, and a slouch gray felt hat. He wore no belt; no other weapons than his rifle were visible about his person, Tubbs was a short, stubby man, with a genial face, reddened somewhat by long ex ponte to the sun, aud more so, perhaps, by a love for the miner's fa- vorite, “tarant"ler juice,’ especially bis nose. He was an eccentric, big-hearted fellow, past the middle age of man’s worldly existence, who had had much experience in the Black Hills, and never laid by a cent, - / This fact seemed to strike him very forcibly now, as he sat waiting for Sandy’s return. Sandy was the name the colonel had given the young miner, when they had first met in Meng Se lieu of another which the so-called Sandy had said was not for public ears—nor private, either. if _ “No, not a durned sum total’d’ one red hev yelaid by, Joe Tubbs, out o’ all ther dust ye’ve handled. An’ supposin’ Angelina shed come back on ye fer : both graceful and womanly, ; : eee yer oid age? Lordy! whar'd ther ha’r be Men. “Then, here’s Sandy, too—squarest galoot in ther hills, an’ I'll bet on’t—thar’s Sandy; Lorter leave bim a leetle mite when I shuffle off, fer I got a ges iene rs ther poor cuss’s pocket-book, t’other day, an’ * ties flater’n a flapjack. No use o’ talkin’; responsibilities aa” rollin’ in on ye, Colonel Joé ‘Tubhs,an’ ye’ve got to clap yerhoof down an’ bid farewell ter tarant’ler forever. Hello, Sandy, ar’ that ye back a’ready?”” “Yes, colonel. Di ‘t. know but I might see the nightingale, but was disappointed,’ was the sept : as the young miner sat down upon a camp-stool in oie firelight. * Guess she did not know of our camp ere.”? - 2 “Don’t you fool yourself, fends eee knows > every krook an’ hoel in ther hull lack Hills proper, an’ can lay her finger on any ap hayryekinname, | wi’out any trouble. Hello! w’at hev ye got thar, ard?’—alluding to a small ore that Sandy was ' Hae J over in his hands and inspecting admir- ngly. “A piece 0’ rock that got dislodged somehow, up there around the bend, and rolled down in my ao Out of curiosity I fetched it in, What do you think — of it, colonel?” and with a peculiar smile, the young © miner tossed the rock over to Tubbs. : “ What! thunderation, Sandy, 4s gold | ii’s gold" ~ and the colonel sprung hastily to-the fire to examing the prize. ‘‘ Yes, by thunder! et’s gold dy, ane as big as my fist; durn my ducatsef et ain’t. Whar’d e git et, boyee?—for Heaven’s sake tell me whar? © hy don’t ye git excited, Sandy, you galoot? It’s 3 gold! it’s gold! Wurth.a couple or thiee thousan’ : at least caleylation, I sw’ar!” ae aes “No use of getting excited, is there, colonel?” and : the miner stretched out witha yawn. ‘If it’s gold, . I don’t suppose it will hurt any oy and if there’s goldin the mountain-side around the bend, it will — not run away in affright.”’ =. “Sandy, ye’re a cool *un, an’ no mistake. Ye'd= freeze ice in fly-time, I do believe, ef ye were not in a aa Mo is next door fare Lt ter Purearors etself. Thunderation, boyee, ef 1 only hed a pint uy stiff old tarant‘ler hyar. ’'d celerbrate over yer dis- — covery uv.a rich ‘find.’ What shall we name*et, Sandy ?—ther place must hev a name rig t in its in- fanoy. Just like leetle infant babbys hev.” Bre “Allright, colonel. Callit Satan’s Bend. Some- time we may find a better name.” - “ Agreed. Satan’s Bend et is, Sandy, an’ but fer ~ the want 0’ a sea o’ good stiff tarant’ler, we'd heya =~ gelorious celebration.” ; ve After the conclusion of the beautiful yet weird mountaineer’s song, which Joe Tubbs had declared came from the lips of Calamity Jane, a person on horseback descended a, dizzy zig-zag path that led from one of the mountain peaks, into a narrow dark defile, but the matter of a mile or so_ above Canyon Gulch, and the infant city of Satan’s Bend. “Whoa! Steady, Trick—none o’ yer funny busi- ness, now. Don’t ye perceive thet ef yer were to tumble down this declivity with me, there’d be no guardian angel inthe Black Hills?’ and here a merry _ peal of laughter escaped the red lips of the speaker. “Steady—a little further—there! Good for you,_ old fellow! We're on safe footing, at last. I wonder ® if any one’s around in these parts?” and the dark eyes peered mest, A into every shadow in her imme- diate vicinity. ‘No; I reckon the coast is all clear, — and we must get a-going for Deadwood, Trick, for there is no telling how soon that delightful popula- tion may need us to quell some row or do a*suffering pilgrim good.” We have described the eccentric dare-devil of the Black Hills in other works of this series, but as some may not "have read them, it will require but little time to describe her again. ae A female of no given age, although she might — have ranged safely anywhere between seventeen — and twenty-three, she was the possessor of a form — a face that was pe ji 2 Z

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. - speed, lespin ' pilgrim, every now and then “hor fly y eee n: Src a 4 culiarly handsome and attractive, though upon it were lines drawn by the unmistakable hand of dissi- pation and hard usage, lines never to be erased from a face that in innocent childhood had been a pretty on. The lips and eyes still retained in themselves their girlish beauty; the lips their full, rosy plump- ness, and the eyes their dark, magnetic sparkle, and the face proper had the power to become stern, grave or jolly in expression, wreathed partially as it was in a semi-framework of loug, raven hair that reached below a faultless waist. Her dress was buckskin trowsers, met at the knee by fancifully beaded leggings, with slippers of dain- ty pattern upon the feet; a velvet vest, and one of those luxuries of the mines, a boiled shirt, open at tbe throat, pecially. revealing a breast of alabaster parity: a short, velvet. jacket, and Spanish broad- rimmed hat, slouched upon one side of a-regally oeantiful head. There werediamond rings upon her hands, a diamond piv in her shirt-bosom, a massive gol | chain strung across her vest front. i For she had riches, this girl, and none knew better than she how to find them in the auriferous earth or at the gaming-table of Deadwood, the third Baden Baden of two continents. A belt around her waist contained a solitary revol- ver of large caliber; and this, along with a rifle strapped to her back. comprised her outfit, except we mention th fiery little Mexican black she rode, and the accompanying trappings, which were richly decorated and bespangled, after lavish Mexican taste. J “T guess the coast is clear, Trick; so go ahead,” anda jerk at the cruel Spanish bit and an applica- tion of spurs sent the spiteful cayuse clattering wildly down the canyon, while Calamity Jane rocked not ungracefully from side to side with the reckless freedoth peculiar to the California buchario. In- deed. I think that any person who has witnessed the dare-devil riding of this eccentric girl, in her mad career through the Black Hills country, will agree with me that she has of her sex.no peer in the saddle or on horesback. The first time it was ever my fortune to see her, was when Deadwood was but an infant cit, of a few shantles, but many tents. She dashed madly down through the guich one day, standing erect upon the back of her unsaddled © yus®,and the animal running at the top of its sluices and other obstructions—still the dare-devil retained her position asif glued to the animal's back, her hair flowing wildly back from be- neath her slouch hat, her eyes dancing occasionally with excitement, as she Bac ayo some wondering her lips giving vent toa ringing whoop, which was creditable in imitation if not in volume and foree to that of a full-blown Co- manche warrior. : Now, she dashed away through the narrow gulch, catching with delight long breaths of the perfume of flowers which met her nostrils at every onward EAD of her horse, piercing the gloom of the night with her dark lovely eyes, searchingly. lest she should be surprised; lighting a cigar at full motion— onde ou, on, this strange girl of the Hills went, on ng steed. The glowing end of her cigar attracted the notice of four men who were crouching in the dense sha- dows, further down the gulch, even as the hoof- strokes broke upon their Deanne: ; nocking the ashes “ That’s her!’ growled one, out of his pipe, with an oath. ‘* Rackoned she would- n’t be all hight, ef we only-hed patience. Grab yer we*pons, an’ git ready, boys. She mustn't escape ‘us this time.” Calamity Jane came on; she was not aware of her don <er, untilshe saw four dark shadows cross her path, and her cayuse reared upon its haunches. “Whoa! Trick; don’t git skeered; hold up, you gis + reckon you’re barkin’ up ther wrong tne ee she cried. a nee ‘Then there were three flashes of light in the dark- Deadwood Dick ox Deck, ness, followed by as many pistol-shots—howls of pain and rage, and eurses too vile to repeat here—a yell, wild and clear, a scort from the horse—then the dare-devil rode down the man at the bits, and dashed away down the canyon, with a Meat laugh: ter that echoed and re-&choed up and down the can- yon walls, ““T wonder who rp ees thet worthy quartette?” Calamity mused, as she gazed back over her shout der. *‘ Reckon at least.a couple of ’em bit ther dust, ef not more. Could if have been—but no! Ido not believe so, Deadwood Dick’s men ain't on the ram- page any more, and it couldn’t hev been them. Who- ever it was wanted my life, that’s plain, and I shall have to look outfer breakers. ahead, or next time I shall not get off with a simple scratch.” CHAPTER IL HON, CECIL GROSVENOR—ALF. KENNEDY, DANITH. “Ther world war/made in six days, *Took ther seventh fer Kaiser’s pup. We named this town in one day, Ther next, we Whooped Her Up.” “Trer’s a tact, stranger; me an’ my man, Sandy, war ther originators o’ this geelorious town o Whoop-Up. We war ther fu’st mortals who evyer diskivered a’riférous in thes deestrict, an’ wes.aked our claim, an’ made our pile, you bet!” The speaker, Colonel Joe Tubbs, stood in the door- way of one of two or three-score of large frame shanties that were strewn along through Canyon Guich, in the immediate vicinity of what once—only a month before—had been called Satan’s Bend. The cue was now a successful mining strike, and oasted of the name of Whoop-Up. Everything usualiy found in mining strikes could you find in Whoop-Up. It lacked none of the essen- tial points requisite to make it a fast mining-town of the Black Hills. Saloons, groceries, dance-houses, gaming-dens, and other attractions, had sprung up along the bank of Canyon Creek, in anticipation of arush of miners and adventurers into the new ‘lo- eate;” the influx had come, and consequently the place was a city. . VS 0 The parsley was heterogeneous, men and wo- men of all nations, nearly, and all professions were here in Whoop-Up, to ply their vocations. A Vigilance Committee had been one of the first oreaigaeeipng to spring up, and with Colonel Joe Tubbs as chief. there was a prospect of better order - than in some of the towns of tH Hills. For a mile and a half along the only accessible shore of Canyon Creek, were strewn frame shanties and canvas tents almost without number, and the ~ one street of the town was always full to overflow- ing with excited humanity. The monotonous grind- ing and crushing of ore-breakers, the ring of picks and hammers, the reports of heavy blasts in the rugged mounptain-side, the shouts of rival stage- drivers, the sounds of music, and tipsy revelry from. dance-houses and saloons; the boisterous shouts of the out-door Cheap John, dealer in * b’iled shirts” and miners’ furnishing goods, the oceasional re- ports of revolver-shots, may be heard in the streets of Whoop-Up, no matter, dear reader, if it be dur- ing = day or during the night, when you pay your vis It. For in this latest mining success of the country of gold, there is no suspension of bustle 4 business on account of night: m walking through the town you might wonder if these people never slept, because — the long, thronged street is even livelier at any hour of the night than when the sun’ trails a pathway of light_along the bottom of Canyon Gulch. _ __ These plain board shanties you see are not dwell- ings, but devoted to “business” even though the business in many eases may be illegitimate. . " It is in the white tents or skin-lodges that the miner stays, when ati ‘ home.” \ ; Poor homes; in many cases, but the bestthat could —

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Deadwood Dick on Deck, ee be afforded at present, for time meant money to these citizens and workingmen of Whoop-Up, and money was what they were after—gold! gold in its shining nuggets, in veins of quartz, or in glittering dust. Gold which men even risk death to obtain— which means murder on the soul of many a man, and dishonor and ruin to many a’ woman, . -All these changes we have noted have occurred from the time of Sandy’s first discovery of gold in the canyon, up to the time Colonel Joe stands in his saloon doorway, in company with a stranger, and jooks up and down the busy, bustling main street. Yes, and more!—for the mountain-side is covered with busy prospectors; here shafts penetrate into its bowels—there, ’way up a hundred feet above the town, a gang are working night and day, blasting out rich quartz rock, which another gang transports down an inclined plane, by car-loads, to the mighty quartz crushers in the bottom of the gulch. Every- where the eye meets a scene of bustling activity and energetic labor on the part of those men who toil for gold. Colonel Joe Tubbs no longer classes himself with the mining element, for as the single pard of Sandy, he is the richest man in the town, of course except- ing Sandy. Upon discovering that they had chanced upon one of the richest quartz territories in the Hills, the two men had at once gone to work and staked off their claim, including in it over two miles of;the canyon bottom, and a greatshare of the moun- tain-side; then when the rush came in a great volu- minous tidal wave, they leased off a larger portion of their claim for bigh figures, reserving such por- tions for themselves as could be easiest worked and rofitable in yield. fortune di would be most Sandy’s go: him in the least. He worked ten hours out of twenty-four, and was as quiet and undemonstrative as when Tubbs had first met him. is He neither drank, caroused, nor gambled; minded his own business, and somehow contrived always to induce others to mind theirs. : He had money—over a half. a million of it—but no one, not even old Joe Tubbs, knew where he kept if. The gang of miners who worked in his mine under thim, were general favorites with him, and he with them. Tubbs, in the sudden flush of his prosperity: had abandoned the pick and cradle and started a “ how- tel,” which, wi yaaa to be found in the mingle city of Whoop-Up, and was liberally patronized, for a post-office on one end of the bar daily and nightly drew a crowd, and the lucky miner who got a letter from absent ones in the “States,” was naturally expected to set up the tarant’ler Ilberal. And in that city of Whoop-Up there were no less than half a dozen different post-offices, every mail- carrying stage line having a different depot for start- ing and arriving, which generally was at some sa- loon or grocery store. Consequently each stage line had its post-office. This was the case in Deadwood. until Uncle Sam put in his say, and now there are but two post- offices there. The stranger, who in company with Colonel Tubbs of the Mastodon Hotel, was surveying the scene upon the long street of the town, had registered himself as-Honorable Cecil Grosvenor, of Washing- ton—‘‘a sort 0’ senator, ye see,” Joe accepted, si- Jently. He was a short, stout individual, with a well-fattened physique, a trimmed, iron-gray mus- tache, and hair to match; eyes of a steely, glitter- ing Bray, so cold and peculiar in their expression as to almost make one nervous; a general air of supe- ' riority over the average. being prevalent in the man’s exterior. These were a few noticeable points, aside from the gentleman’s elegant suit of broad- cloth, silk hat, ee boots, gloved hands, and gold-headed cane, along with a cluster diamon pin on his immaculate shirt front. ¥ rs Ser. a - toiling fuithfu not apparently affect’ one or two exceptions, was the | rene er eet While the two men were standing and conversing, a rough-looking fellow came along and d into - the hotel, casting an inquiring glance at the Honor- able Cecil, as he did so, and giving Tubbs a nudge. 4 «Go lone in? was th ruff res “ thar’ ‘Go ‘long in,” was the response; 5a bar inside, wi’ a keeper.” =: no: * aoe the miner passed in, with a strange glitter in eyes. “Thet old covey must be the pi T want!” he muttered, “ and if so, be looks in life like a purty fat lay-out, on w’ich ter make a spec’. Guess I'll lay low, an’ wateh fer him, an’ see ef he knows who Ar- kansaw Alf is,” _ Outside, Honorable Cecil Grosvenor was speak- ing. * Yes, it has the a rance of being a very livel: strike!’ heobserve: 5 atti his old-ronmmed isan upon his nose, and gazing up the dizzy mountain- side, where, hundreds of feet above, miners were day and night. “‘I suppose the place is controlled by corporations and companies, is it not? and there is plenty of land for cash?” “Plenty o’ land, yes. sir; but ther fac’ is, et ain't sech as raises the a’riferous, Ner ther lodes sin’t mostly controlled by corporations, nuther. en all these Hills war leased off, sar, me an’ my pard, Sandy. we jest about hed ther old cat by ther tail. an’ we give the poor man a show ferhis money, Ef he didn’t hey much, we couldn't give him much uva stake, but give him as much as we ked. An’ so we Fue et up. wi’out lettin’ one esas heva smell. t’s how me an’ my man Sandy did it up brown, Sandy bein’ a fine calkylater, stranger.” “You did Sr a Mr, Grosvenor said, with a shrug of his broad shoulders—‘ very wrong: One first-class co! oration would have pee you more for your entire claim, by three-fold, than you received from the poor cusses you leased it to.” “Mebbe yer purty nigh right, stranger; but we - pilgrims ain’t mocrally hogs, an’ we divide up ekal wi’ ther boys. D’ye remember et, sir, I'd ruther ’a’ not got a cent out o’ ther bull business, than to have sold et ter men who'd hev hed et all under three or four piratical pairs o’ fists, an’ w’ile boardin’ up their pile, ground ther workin’ men down ter China- men’s wases—‘ washee sbirtee for fivee cents!’ Meb- be ye cum frum out in Pennsylvania, whar they do thet kind ©’ playin’, stranger, but et’s most orfil sure thet ye ken’t play seck a trick out hyar amon; ther horny-fisted gepote o’ this delectable Blac! Hills kentry—no, sir-e-e-e!”” “Ha! ha! ha! you are quite a working-man’s en- thusiast. 1 see, Colonel Tubbs,” the Washingtonian said, with a hearty laygh; ‘ but that is because you - are unsophisticated yet. This man Sandy, of whom you speak, I dare say is of the same mind, eh?” ‘Wal, 1 reckon he ain’t far frum et; an’ as fer bein’ unsophisticated, 1 reckon thar’s them, an? not fur away, neither, who’s probably got as many rocks ter ther square inch as all yer high-blooded corporative galoots.”” ‘tern with a slight cough. ‘‘Iam going down around the bend yonder, to take a look at the town. If anyone should cajl and inquire for me, tell them I will soon return, Good-day, sir.” ‘*Good-day ter ye,’ Colonel Joe replied, ingulfin, a huge quid, and retiring into the bar-rocm of his famous ‘“ Mastodon.” ‘Et kinder strikes me thet thet chap ain’t ther pure quill, *twixt me an’ ther bar an’ ther bedpost, an’ I’d like my man Sandy ter see him, an’ pass his jedgment. He hes got a : eye, hes the! Sandy, ef he is quiet, an’ hayr’s what don’t believe ye Ken fool him much. Charity Jim, ye pose just hand me the brandy, an’ charge et ter Colonel Joe Tubbs, fer et’s.a scandalous fac’ thet I heven’t hed more’n half a dozen decent pe e hull blessed forenoon.” James McGee, alias Charity Jim, obeyed with alacrity, for he knew that he had in all Whoop-Up Oh, alent no d.ubt!” Cecil Grosvenor replied, © > f

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£: Deadwood Dick on Deck. no stronger or more liberal friend than the cherry-nosed Tubbs, “Soe hayr, pard, et’s your treat, ain’t it, seein’’s this ar’ ther furst time we’ve met?” and the miner who had glanced so closely at the Honorable Cecil Grosvenor, stepped up to the bar, just as Colonel Joe was about dispatching a ‘‘ quotation ” from the genial, ~ pottle. “ You!” Joe said, lowering the bottle and starin; at the individual in a mixture of amazement an ecommiseration. ‘* You? Wal, now, ef thet ain’t punctuation pints, ye’d hev ther cognomenical dis- covery o' A’gustus Van Horn.” “Bh? Van Horn! Van Horn? T don’t think I know ye, pilgrim, and I allus make it_a pint never ter swaller tanglefoot wi’ a galoot as I don’t know!”’ And taking a slight nip at the bottle, the proprietor of the Mastodon returned it to Charity Jim. * Ths man who had thus styled himself Augustus Van Horn was dressed as a miner, and wore a small arsenal of weapons belted about his waist. He was evidently about thirty years of age, witha brawny, iron-like form, the limbs pega et being large and muscular, and a face that had a villainous and disagreeable expression, so red it was, either from sun exposure or the effects of strong drink. His sensual mouth was shaded by a straggling, pany maustache, his eyes were fierce and bloodshot and tigerish in their gleams. His hair was more the color of the inner side of hemlock bark than any- thing else conceivable, and a deep, livid scar ran from his right cheek bone, near the eye, down across to the corner of his mouth—a scar so hideous in its aspect as to never be forgotten when once seen, his much of his exterior Colonel Joe took in at a cursory glance, then walked away toward the door, in evident disdain. But the other was not to be ' bluffed so easily, for he stepped quickly in pursuit, and slapped one brawny hand down en the colonel’s _ shoulder with force. And almost before he knew it Joseph Tubbs found himself ranged alongside the Le ge and confronted by his villainous-looking visitor. ** Now, jest yeousee hayr, old hoss!” the individual . said, “get me a drink o’ tarant’ler, an’ don’t be so _ danged imperdent, or ye might wake up wi’.a hoel in yer constitutional system. e see, I war foolin’ ye about my cognomistic appellation, fer ther name I Bee ye. ar’ foreign ter my ownership. By the way, id ye ever heer uv a chap who hes gained himself world-wide notoriety in thersBlack Hills kentry 0’ gold, by ther name o’ Arkansaw Alf Kennedy, the Ghoul—the leader of ther Dakota Danites?” “Eh? what?—you that man?’ Colonel Joe de- manded, a strange terror seizing him, for he had heard of Arkansaw Alf, who, with his band of Dan- ites, had hunted more than one victim to the death. Few, indeed, were there in all the Black Hills who had not heard of the Danite devil and his deadly backers. “Yes, I’m Arkansaw Alf, old man, but mind, ef ye vally yer personal safety, mum’s the word ’twixt you aud moe, Ef ye dare to betray me to the Vigi- lantes, of which you are a member, your doom is senled. And you know a Danite-doomed galoot ain’t noted fer a ripe old age after our deadly eyes are set upon him, © We ye'll elongate yer ears toward my speaking- trumpet, I'll orate a leetle fer 1 ersonal eddifica- tion. D’ye kno’ w’at a Ghoul is? al, ef ye don’t, Webster defines et as an animal thet feeds on flesh— a demon thet feeds on ther dead. We're Ghouls an’ Danites. Ghouls for the: reason that we possess many demonistic gifts, an’ ef et cums ter a famine in grub, | opine we would not be dissatisfied ef we ter chaw away on a leetla human flesh. Dan- ites ar’ we, because as such we were reared from early childhood, under Brigham’s, watchful eye, un- til, at a still tender age, thar war Sum thirty hea thy females wanted ter hitch ’emselves up in harness wi’ us, an’ we warn’t agreeable, so we sloped, an’ sot up in business fer ourselves. Now, I reckon, ye hev more enlightenment on ther subject than any other man in ther Hills, outside o’ the gang, an’ ef ye don’t play snide, your carcass is saved. Keep yer leat old man—all I want is freedom in thes yere ranch, an’ silence on yer part, I’m joie a leetle game, an’ ef ye git obtrusive, most likely a Deadwood un- dertaker will have occasion to visit Whoop-Up on a short notice. Good-day ter ye,’.and in the next moment the Ghoul had departed. CHAPTER II. A WAIF THAT SANDY FOUND. WHISTiING &@ merry tune, a man was pactcaee the mountain on the other side of Whoop-Up. He carried a Henry rifle in his hand, or maybe now and then steadied himself with it to prevent plunging down the dizzy decline, while at his feet trotted a large Newfoundland dog, nearly as large as a full- grown grizzly, but by no means as clumsy. The man was Sante! * Looking fresh and healthy after-a month in the bracing mountain air, and not uncomely in his pic- turesque miner’s suit; and then fortune’s smile upon him had partly banished his old habitual soberness, and made him a frank and pleasant companion, even though he generally bore that quite unobtru- sive disposition toward all. : Few men in all Whoop-Up’s mile and a half of sin- gle street could say that they had ever chatted with Ss fe into any of San¢y’s secrets—if, indeed, he au any, which was extremely doubtful, as he never. appeared to be troubled with a guilty conscience. He seemed to avoid any unnecessary familiarity, unless he chanced upon some one he particularly fancied. None of the women, of whom Whoop-Up had an early and steady influx, ever attracted a sec: ond glance from Sandy—with one exception. There were oor two out of a dozen who were honest at heart, and had been magnetically drawn there with the golden delusion of making money; the remain- ing ten out of a dozen were generally composed of that class found in every mining-city or settlement, and classed as ‘‘ doubtful.” We alluded to an exception, and she was a blonde proprietress of a gambling-den and dance-honse combined—Madame Minnie Majilton, by name. She might have been classed among the doubtful by some; few knew anything about her more than that she ran the ranch known as the Castle Garden, and wore diamonds and silks. Tobe sure, the dance- house was of ill-repute, simply because the dancers were not over-bashful; but, said some, this did not necessarily make the madame bad. She was a magnificent-looking woman, between twenty and thirty years of age—lovely both in face and form—a blonde beauty, such as was not to be found in all the city of Whoop-Up. - Sandy had met her once, on being advised to go to the Castle Garden to exchange the value of some gold for thee preg Madame Minnie ever having a plenty of the latter which she was willing to part with, dollar for dollar’s ihn E And if Sandy’s pulses had guickened at sight of the beautiful blonde, he was no more than a man— for all men in Whoop- id worshiped at Madame Minnie’s shrine, and siren that-she was. she had not the inclination, if the will, to repulse them for their volunteered admiration. So that it had come, that in passing -the Castle Garden on his wa; ) Sandy had grown accustomed to nod to the. beauti- ¥ to work, | ful proprietress, who generally stoodin the doorway — about the time he passed. sions he had even astonished the town, by stopping to converse a moment, If people nodded their heads and looked wise and on oné or two occa- —

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Deadwood Dick on Deck. ae Sandy made no point of it, but went on minding his own affairs after his old fashion. And remarkable as it might seem, that individual had yet to come who had made it his business to cross the young miner or force him into a quarrel. The bullying toughs wbo had any superfluous spite to vent upon their fellow-mortals, generally looked in an opposite direction from Sandy, seeming to avoid him as an unhealthy subject to tackle. To-day he had been on an early-morning hunt, for squirrels, up among the beeches and redwoods which grew high up on the v ry dome of the mountain, and having bagged a full hand of game, was de- el declivitous siding opposite the Canyon Gulch wherein lay Whoop-Up, in the warm Septem- ber sunshine. , Nany times he would have lost his footing but for his gun, and at last, wearied by the exhaustion of his tiresome tramp, he sat down upon a beetling ledge of rock, allowing his feet to dangle over the preci- Ce, His faithful brute companion crouched silently by his side, and for many moments the two gazed oif upon the grandeur of the wi'd scene, in which from deep dark defiles great mountains rolled and piled up in massive sublimity to such a hight that their ealks were swathed in a flimsy mist as in cloudland. reat mountains of rugged rock, spotted here and there with chaparral and furze bushes, or peaked with grim, spectral pines. _. ‘Nowhere does Nature so forcibly illustrate the -power of the Divine Creator as in the mountainous regions,” Sandy muttered, as he gazed dreamily off through an opening between the mountain peaks. “T sometimes wonder how it is that people do not more ss worship God in His works. Eh? Buffalo,’’—with an approving glance at the great canine, who lay with his nose between his paws, his eyes shining, and great bushy tail wagging to and fro—‘do you appreciate the magnificence of our surroundings? No! I hardly think you are edu- cated up to that yet. But something is the matter, ~and it’s below us too, for Ican see you squinting your eye down-hill. What is it, you rascal?’ ’ A brighter expression came upon the countenance of the dog, and he opened and shut his mouth witha gape and a renewed wagging of his tail, while with one ear cocked forward and one eye half closed, he Jrteatl over the ledge into the gulch some fifty feet elow. In this direction Sandy gazed, going over every inch of the ground without discovering anything of particular moment. Then he went over it again, - and made a discovery which elicited a startled ex- 'clamation from him, What he saw was the arm of - some person protruding from a elump of furze bushes! A person passing through the defile might have passed it time and again without making the discov- ery which Buffalo’s sharp eyes had made, “Tt’s a human arm, Buff!’ Sandy said, ‘but we don"t know whether it’s a dead person or a living one. Come! let’s go down but be careful to make no noise. It may be some one asleep!” Silently the miner and hisdog descend into the rulch, and creep stealthily toward the spot where ‘be arm and band protruded from the bushes. And the nearer they approached the greater was Sandy’s assurance that the owner of the hand and arm was . either asleep, or in the eternal sleep that knows no wakening. It proved to be the. former, when Sandy carefully parted the bushes, and’gazed into the sheltered little nook, where a plunip, graceful form was lying—that of a boy of eighteen, with a pretty, beardless, face, which was so composed and at rest, in slumber, and ‘curling chestnut hair which reached down upon the finely-shaped shoulders. A boy; 7ras it a boy? The form was clad in male habiliments, and there was a boyish look to the finely-chiseled features, which defied the suspicion of femininity in the sleep- eS thin; shout er A pilke oRoe costume of some coarse cloth, © neatly fitting the graceful form of only medium hight; the feet incased in knee-boots of a fine lea- ther, and a Spanish wide-rim felt hat lying upon the - grass, were items of the beautiful sleeper’s outfit. Weapons he carried none, outwardly exhibited— yet, here in the depths of the mountain, lying in sweet repose, was the epg hn waif—who was ii? Sandy asked himself this question silently, over and over again, and Buffalo winked and blinked his eyes and shoak himself, as if he were overjoyed at the result of his discovery. Then, when Sandy’s glance was most admiring, the heavy eyelashes seemed to unclose with a sturt; the eyes of deepest, intense hazel were revealed: there was alittle gasp, and the form straightened. into a meee d position. Terror and consternation were blended in the fair face, and the youth was trembling ‘visibly. ' “Don’t be frightened, miss,” Sandy said, respect- fully, raising his sombrero and addressing her in a kindly tone. “Iwould not have intruded, only my dog discovered your presence here, and curiosity prompted me to come.” “You call me miss; please don’t—anything but that.”” was the reply, in a pained, kalf-regretful — tone. ‘“‘How came you to knew?” and with an ef- fort the waif gained a standing position, and there- by the full beauty of the sylph-like form became ~ apparent. “T only surmised, because you did not correspond with roe make-up—that is, you see, ma’am, you look too much like a girl to hea ne f *‘And yet, Lhad the vain hope that I could pass myself off without being discovered. Oh! it’s a bit- ter disappointment, sir—a bitter disappointment!” and the eyes filled with tears. 3 Sandy gazed at the oe. hardly knowing what to say or do. Here he was, in the presence of a beautiful young woman whom he had discovered in her masquerade—a dilemma such as he would never have imagined likely to occur, 3 “You are evidently a stranger in these parts, ma’am, are you not?’ “Oh! yes, sir. All this country is very wild and strange to me, and its people are even stranger. You must excuse me, sir, for not telling you of — myself—it could‘not interest you, and I should be breaking a secret by telling. If—if] only could dare to hope that you would keep my secret, I would go on, and maybe I should not be’ so unlucky in the future.” ; “You need have no fear that I will betray you, ma’am,” Sandy answered, so much compassion in— his tone that if surprised even him, who was proof against emotion or excitement, | “Tt would be more to my notion to befriend you, You see, ma’am, that in these mouen mining dis- tricts,a man’s either got to have high honor, or none at all. There’s no half-way -usiness; you must bea man ora brute. Imay say that I am looked upon as something above the average, though I don’t say it in vanity. Now, though there is a little danger in it, Pl tell you what Tl do, and you can” accept or refuse at your own option. ‘ “T ve zot a little shanty down around the bend ‘in Canyon Gulch, where I live—the only board dwelling by the way, in the mines, Now, you are not fit’ to knock about here and there. If some were to dis- — cover you, as I have done, it might go worse with you; andif you haven't any objections in’ particu — lar, [ll take youinasapard. Llreckona false mus—~ — tache would make more of a man of you, and you would then pass muster. Youcan turna hand at — cooking, and occasionally, to avoid susyicion, can peck away in the mines, As I always stick by « pard, ma’am, if you go in with me, you can depend upon is, you Il be sure of at least one friend!” .: “Oh! thank God, sir; and I thank you, tor your — words are grateful to my hearing. A friend issome- I have not had for many along day, and I id be more than selfish if Idid not accept and = oo is &

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‘and protec'ion.” Sindy Feplied, that my identity might be discovered, and then your honor would be compromised,” oe that you are a woman, and all will go wel “T will, sir, and may God bless you, for befriend- ing one of whom you know absolutely nothing. May your hones in me be fully realized.” “As I trust they sh Now, as to the future; have you enemies likely to disturb you?” * One only, sir, but he is powerful. Don’t ask me to name him—!I dare not; but I will watch for him, and steel myself. Oh! I have hopes that he will never dream of seeking me here, in this far-away auning country.” a us both hope so,” Sandy responded, earnest” ly; ‘‘and, now, for a name. I will not ask you Te alg you would not care to give it. As me, you can call me Sandy; that is what they all callme, You—let me.see;” and the miner reflected @ moment; “we will call you Dusty Dick— Dusty,’ because of a little dust upon your garments or face, which can easily be arranged. Remember that hereafter we are pards, and only Dick and Sandy to each other, leaving off ‘sirs,’ ‘ma’ams,’ and other formalities which might arouse suspicion. Now, having arranged this, you may remain here in your retreat, while T go to Whoop-Up. As soon as possi- ble I will return aud bring with me such prepara- tions as will effectually disguise you. Will you be afraid to stay alone over night, should I fail to get back to you?” ** T_T don’t know; it would be very lonesome.” “Well, then, I'll leave Buffalo here for company and bidding the huge dog remain behind, and shaking hands with his new pard, the miner shouldered rifle and trudged off around the base ofthe mountain toward Whoop-Up. 5 CHAPTER IV. SANDY’S PARD—IN A TIGHT PLACE. Anp it came to pass that these people of Whoop- Up did not hear of Sandy’s new pard for several days, after he had been installed in the miner’s new home, and then they only gave the youth but a glance, for he was but ordinary-looking in his suit of miner’s habiliments; and the little mustache which Sandy had dexterously fixed to his upper lip gave him a much more boyish look. Very few comments were openly passed on Dick, who somehow always managed to work an extraor- dinary quantity of dust onto his hat, face and cloth- ing, and he made bold to RO about through the town add was unmolested. He superintended the culinary department of Sandy’s cabin, and at odd times, when he had noth- ing to do, would go into tha mountain tunnel where _ Sandy and his men were blasting for gold, and Jook i ~ blonde ment to get a cigar, one evening, on Biota 3 on, or maybe lend a helping hand, always waiting to accompany Sandy homes at supper-time; for Sandy was the only mine-owner in Whoop-Up who did not work his mine night and day. He was content with - the golden yield from seven to six—ten hours. And well might he be, for his was the richest claim that had yet been opened, with a vein of the valu- able ore that was seemingly inexhaustible. Only one person questioned the young miner con- cerning his new pard, and that was the beautiful it rege of the Castle Garden, Madame ajilton. Sandy stepped into her so rom the mine, and found the pretty proprietress behind the counter in person. “Who is that Rae have waiting for you outside, Sandy—the one they call your pard?”’ was the ques- tion put, as Madame Minnie handed out a box of some choice Avinus, which she knew were the miner’s favorites. ‘“ Rather a young tenderfoot to be buffeting about in this rough country, not?” _*W 4. yes,” Sandy replied, lighting one of the : Fan ' Deadwood Dick on Deck. rr cer appreciate your kind offer. But, sir. there is danger | weeds. ‘That’s Dusty Dick, my cook and pard— imported from the East, somewhere, I don’t know just where. Run across him by accident, you see; took a notion to him and domesticated him.” “Ah! yes,’ Madame Minnie said, elevating her brows archly—" a very fine person, no doubt; but do you know what I think, Sandy?” ‘* Well, no, can’t say as 1 do—what?” “Well, you see, between you and me—and I will assume that we are good friends—I don’t believe you are giving us people of Whoop-Up a square deal, for aman calculated to be as honest and honorable as you—though, of course, I wouldn’t breathe such a word outside, for the world.” “Eh?” the miner said, gazing at herin well-assum- ed amazement—“ what is this? Not giving you a square deal? What do you mean?” ~ “This, Sandy. I reckon Dusty Dick is no more of aman than I am.” ; “Dusty Dick a woman?” ejaculated the miner; then he went off into a fit of laughter which seeme to convulse his whole frame—such laughter as he had never before emitted since his residence among the Whoop-Upians. ‘‘ Why, you astonish me. Wait —Dick, come here. Confound it! where has the boy gone? Hold a bif, madame, and J’ll bring the bo: and prove to you that your suspicions are unfound- ed,” and Sandy made a move asif to hasten out of doors in search of Dusty Dick. ‘*No! no!” Madame Minnie made haste to inter- pose, almost screaming; ‘don’t! don’t, for the world. Just think how ashamed I should be! TI ac- cept your word —indeed I do—only please do not call in the young gentleman.” Sandy turned back with a smile, and leaned against the counter, 5 ‘By the way, ma’am, if just occurs to me that it would not be more than fair, to ask if ig are giving us a squate deal, by keeping this rather dizzy an doubtful establishment?” “ Why—why—certainly: but really, you'll have to excuse me a moment, Sandy, as I see Iam wanted in the ball-room. Come in some other time, and Dll vindicate myself—come, and bring in your pard to the ball,”’ and then, with a gracious smile and bow, the charming proprietress fluttered lightly away into the adjoining apartment. And she muttered to herself: ‘* Ah, yes, Sandy, you are as sharpas a needle, and a clever actor, too, for such a quiet fellow, but you didn’t deceive me concerning Mr. Dusty Diek—oh, no; but I won’t give you away—of course not, when you are the only man in the town worth two rows of pins, and the one I mean to extract a matrimonial offer from, inside of a month. And will I be fool enough to refuse you? Humph! we shallsee.” ~ While Sandy trudged homeward along the busy street, smoking his cigar meditatively. “That woman is, in the vernacular of the mines, a ‘prick!’ ” he muttered, ‘and likewise as handsome as a houri, though I am inclined to the opinion that houris are generally brunettes instead of blondes. She is sharp, smart, and has known refinement, heretofore, How she did ‘ smell the rat’ concerning Dick! I sometimes wish I had not put myself under such a responsibility; but yet, I hardly know how I could get along without my pard. Such company as her's isn't bought cheap. If I were to choose fora wife between her and the madame—dash it! I searce- ly known which I should take. The madame—but bah! The idea of talking so spooney!” pene mee he laughed to himself at the idea of suchi ing. (cone his shanty, at the bend in the canyon, ne fe weaty Dick, whom he perceived to be pale and remble. “You overheard the woman. eh?” Sandy said, pat- ting her upon the head in a fatherly way he some: ~ times indulged in. 3 ‘Oh! yes! yes! and T never experienced such &. fright. Oh, am I discovered again, Sandy?”’ = “No! no! pard; the madame simply had an odd ‘ aes eerie cag

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Deadwood Dick on Deek. notion that I was giving these ites of Whoop-Up an unfair deal, but I soon persuaded her out of it.’ “TI don’t like that woman, Sandy,” Dusty Dick said, slowly. ‘‘She puts me in mind of a panther on the eve of springing upon its prey, I am afraid she will betray me to the town —and sacrifice your honor, which would be worse than all else.” “Don’t fear, pau she hadn’t better play knayves against kings, if she knows when she is well off. Be- sides, should she betray us, one alternative is left.”’ “ What is jt, Sandy?’ “You could marry me, and be acknowledged as my wife, Dick!” Tkere was astart and a swift, sudden glance, then a trembling all over, as if ina ppaete, on the part of the fair masquerader, then. she shook her head, gravely, an unusual hoarseness in her voice. “No! not that, Sandy—not that. The alternative would be a pistol-shot through my head, for I could never marry you—nor any one,” Sandy did not question her further; he had long been aware that she had a secret locked in her breast, but what it was he had not even dared to guess. ; At the shanty, Sandy had partitioned off an apart- ment for Rusty Dick, with a lock and key to it, and this was Dick’s bed-chamber, while Sandy bunked down in the kitchen—and parlor combined. For a couple of days after the events just related, Dusty Dick was indisposed, and remained closely at the cabin, and having overworked himself, Sandy took a couple of days off fora hunt in the mountains, which was very successful, for he each day fetched home any amount of squirrels and smaller game. Elated with two days of success, he started out on a third morning, determined to put in a third day, as he had a good superintendent at the mine whom he eonld trust, As he was passing the Mastodon on his way, who should hail him but Colonel Joe, from the doorway. “Hey! hello, Sandy, you galoot! Hold upa bit. _Durn.et, w’at’s gittin’ inter ye, boy, thet ye don’t come around no more? Heven’t forgot your old » pard, I hope?” “Oh, no; far from that, colonel, I do not drop good friends so easily: but you see, I don’t drink my- self, and therefore don’t find much occasion to visit saloons,” ‘Not unless there’s a blonde siren behind ther counter, eh? Oh! ve needn't try ter stuff me, boyee! Isaw ye a few nights ago buzzin’ the madame, San- dy, an’ I warn’t the only one, nuther. *Iwixt you an’ me, Sandy-—an’ ye seem sorter a son to me— I'd advise ye ter drap thet madame. She’s tuk a shine ter that Fb mustache of yourn, and ye ken’t tell w’at might happen. Sum o’ these female crit- ters ye ken't trust. Thar war my wife, Angelina, fer instance. All I hev left ter remember that dear woman, Sandy, ar’.a bald spot atop o’ my head, an’ a dent in my left ear, whar she did some extra-fine tooth-carvin’.”” Sandy smiled through his eyes at the colonel’s at- tempt to be facetious. “Don’t worry that the blonde madame will ever be anything to me,”’ he replied. ‘ My inclinations don’t run particularly in that direction. But you must excuse me nOw. colonel, for I’m off for one more day’s recreation in the mountains. I’ll come around and fetch along my new pard some of these evenings ” “All right, Sandy: I'd like ter see ther pilgrim, fer hey say he’s good-lookin’ fer_ther times. But I say. old boy, hold on a bit; I’ve got a new card sence I see’d Ph last—a rich old. galoot—a kind o’ Senator, or the like, you see, who pays cash down, an’ won't drink tarant’ler;, kerries his ov*n cham- pagne in a big Sarytoza!”’ “Some speculator, I presume, eh?”? ‘©Wal, yes; I guess that’s about ther caricature uv ther matter—calls Honorable Something-or- ’ another range. change for the better, when every man wou 9 other—namb’s writ down on a co y-book insid, n’ wants ter b’'y out these bull mines. 1 told him 1 reckoned you wouldn’t sell, but he sed he’d come around an’ see you.” : “Tell him he needn’t put himself out of the way on account of me,” replied Sandy, as he trudged, - away, ‘for I won’t sell.” **Good fer ye, Sandy! Stick ter yer bed as long’s thar’s plenty o’ feathers in et, an’ yell eventually grow ter be a rich and influential citizen iike my- self. An’ thet reminds me thet I heven’t bed but six good snifters this whole blessed mornin’!”’ ich rectllection caused the colonel to hasten his footsteps toward the interior of his establish- ment, while aay continued on his way, accom- ao by his faithful Buffalo, and was soon out of anyon Gulch—far up among the wooded peaks of not sell out,” he muttered; “would “No, I will Tam re: you, Buffalo?” with a glance at the dog. . alizing a handsome thing out of the mine, and, bet- ter than all, am giving a gang of honest, industrious men of families employment at paying wages. No doubt there are capitalists who would like to step down into the little city of Whoop-Up, ant the tyrant’s reins in their hands; but they'll be mightily disappointed when they find that very few oor men are so poor but what they can stan ‘or their rights.” a Sandy was an enthusiast on the labor question, — and if the country to-day had more of his make an resolute mind, there would, Sndoutiet a in a greater or lesser degree, have an independence, and not be ground down urder the heel of the master of money. Sandy wag a good shot, and he rarely fired the second time at the same game, It took but one shot to sett& the matter, as a general thing. But, to-day, his luck must have forsaken him, for the day quickly passed and night was Beets 8 on, when be came to the conclusion that he should have to return to town with only a pair of gray squirrels. He was scme distance away from Canyon Gulch and rather than go by a roundabout way, he fol- lowed a short natural corridor or shelf that ran around the mountain to the side opposite Whoop- Up. In many places the ledge was very narrow and ~ dangerous; in one instance his feet had just struck upon a sort of plateau, when the ledge he hed left caved off, and went crasbing down the dizzy mount- ain-side hundreds of feet. It was a fortunate escape, but he found that it effectually cut off his retreat. There was no means of getting off the plateau except by dropping a couple of hundred feet into a dark defile below. And the vexatious part of the situation was not lessened when he discovered that he was not the only one on © the plateau. For company he had a huge cinnamon bear, an was just crawling out from a hole in the rocks _ CHAPTER V. A MUTINY—HON,. CECIL AND THE FEMALE ROAD-AGENT, Deer down in a dark mountain pocket, not three miles from ie ola where the light of the sun — never penetrated because of the matting of tree-tops which almost met overhead, a camp-fire was bright- ly burning. The bottom of the pocket was level and of hard-pan rock, covered here and there by patches — of moss, upon which a score or more of men in the wild, fantastic garb of rangers were sitting or re- clining, as the case might be. : Others were engaged in playing upon musical in- struments, such as the violin, guitar and flute, the melody they made sounded weirdly beautiful as it rose and rolled away through the mountains. Now the men strike up in a grand chorus, in some favor- ite mountain song, the air purely rendered by a pair of tenor voices, and the alto, barytone and deep, g ; hate ear ; pox Te) Ta Ie a eee XG Aa

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10 thundering bass swelling out grandly with the melo- dious strains of the song. Then there comes a lull, after which conversation takes the place of song, *¢T tell you what, boys!” said one brawny fellow, who eemed to feel himself a sort of ruler among the others. “I tell ye, et ain’t half w’at et’s cracked up ter bs. Id ruther 6 back ter ther road again and lay road-agent, instead o’ regulator. I say it ain’t alf w'at et’s cracked up ter be,”’ “You had better not ’spress them opinions afore Deadwood Dick, Barker, ef you don’t want ter swing ter ther handiest limb,” spoke up another. “We'll all agree thet et ain’t half ther fun a-layin’ idle that there is a-dashin’ about in the saddle, but ef we’re goin’ ter serve under Dick, we've got ter go and do as Dick sez; thar’s no two ways about that; you hear me.” ‘“Wal, then, I propose we quit Deadwood Dick an’ go back ter ther road on our own hooks,” proposed the man Barker, lighting his pipe with a brand from the fire. ‘ Hayr we've bin playin’ pins an’ thet sort 0’ thing fer six months or over, an’ I caleylate we've redeemed ourselves in ther eyes o’ the world no more’n w’en we robbed ther stage ‘an’ made every ky pilgrim pony up. Thar ain’t enny 0’ us as _ hes got rich out 0’ bein’ honest, I kin sw’ar, an’ I - propose thet we mutinize.” "Sh! don’t make so free wi’ talk, Hen Barker. Ef Deadwood Dick slied be anywheres in sight—"’ ““Cuss Deadwood Dick!’ was the growling, sullen ; response; “cuss him, Isay. Lain’t afeard o’ him, PS fellers; why need you be? He don’t owe us nothin’, ner we him; so why shed we allus stick ter him? Now, fer instance, w'ile we’re layin’ heer idle, fat stages aire rollin’ inter and out o’ Whoop-Up—two or three 0’ em each way, daily; an’ not a s‘ngle galoot dares ter tackle ther trail. Isayit’sa durned shame, an’I purpose thet we remedy ther defect. Them in favor 0’ slopin’ back ter ther old bizness again will make it manifest by sayin’ //” “Tr “T)" came in a chorus of voices, which em- braced the entire crowd. ‘ Hurrah fer ther road!” * All right, fellers; then thet settles ther matter. Grab yer weepons an’ git ter yer horses, fer thar’s time to reach the Whoop-Up trail before the even- P ing-stage comes one bably there would have been a general stam- * pede, only for the step that sounded close by at this moment, and the words brought to hearing in a ~ elear, ringing voice: “Halt! you treacherous fools, halt! The first man that moves toward leaving camp risks death!" and into the firelight strode the noted outlaw leader, Deadwood Dick! The. old prince of the road who has figured in so many thrilling scenes and strange ee the - dare-devil young captain who, of all men, had spread terror and alarm through the Black Hills country. __ He was much the same as when we last left him in his village among the golden hills; (see Brapur’s Pooxer Lrsrary No 41, ‘** Deadwood Dick’s Eagles.) acco time used him lightly, and there were no per- ible changes in wc ght of the hills, and under his new regime had gone good, even if he had not freed himself from The bad reputation of having been a road-agent., low, he stood confronting the score of mutinous sheen who had long served under his orders, with a stern, fire in his black eyes—those eyes which were so _afl-powerful in their peculiar magnetism—stood with - folded arms and proudly myn ord carriage. * "Oh! it’s you, is it?” grow Barker, savagely. ‘*Well, say your say in a hurry, an’ be quick, fer we're goin’ ter stop ther stage ter-night, an’ make our pile, you bet. We ain’t a-goin’ ter be held in un- der no one’s heel, in purtick’ler, but lay fer luck, an’ shar’ ekal,” : “You are a fool!” Deadwood Dick said, in a con- temptuous tone. ‘‘ You deserve to be gibbeted, but you are not worth the trouble. Gol! every one of him, He was still the handsome, -you—l denounce you all as mutineers, and you no | when I had the “Deadwood Dick on Deck. zi A longer are pards of mine. But, look out forme! 1 have not done with you yet. Every one of you will pay the penalty meted out to deserters, Beware!’ hen with a strange laugh—his old, startling langh, that had so much import in its meaning, the ex-road-agent chief turned on his heel and strode away into the darkness, leaving behind him a group of staring men. ‘*Ye heerd w'at he sed, b’yees?”’ demanded Bark- er. “I motion thet we take the cuss an’ hoist him to a limb!” To this all agreedyand a general stampede was made in search of Deadwood Dick. Which was fruitless, for the young chief was not to be found. From that night, the Black Hills country of gold was Once more thickly infested with outlaws and road-robbers; no stage drove through the canyon trail without receiving a visit, and it was dangervus for a man to be abroad at night if he was known to have an ounce of gold. about him, : The cessation of road robbery that had followed the reign of Deadwood Dick and his Regulators, was now almost—in a day it seemed—superseded hy a reign of crime and _ utter disregard of the law, Dead- wood, Hayard;and Custer each established vigilance committees, and a reporter for the leading Dead- wood City paper got up an editorial, something after this pattern: “INCREASE OF OrtME.—It has reached us that the once notorious road-agent, Deadwood Dick, who of late—with his men—has been playing Regulator and w war against ruffianism is at last dead and under the turf; and, now free from _bis control, his whole great band has again taken the trail as road- agents, all over the Hills, and pandemonium ensues. Peace to Dick's ashes; but we should have wished him a longer stay with us, as he seemed to hold the controlling power of legions in his hands.” On this same day that Sandy had gone a hunting, only to be caged by accident in with a huge cinna- mon, the Honorable Cecil Grosvenor was riding along through Canyon Gulch in its northern course, beyond where settlement snd neon Uy civilization had pitched its line of white teuts, and beyond even where the miner’s pick or the prospector’s staff hal yet reached. - On either side the canyon walls rose rugged and nearly perpendicular to a great hight, and close to the western side the shallow waters of Canyon Creek gurgled noisily. A trail ran aleng the, eastern shore which had been made for the daily stage to Deadwood, and it was bounded on either side by thickets of various shrubs and chaparral. 4“ “ The-Man-from-Washington,”’ as he had been im- mediately nicknamed by the Whoop-Up-ites, seemed in ill humor to-day, for he vented unnecessary spite upon his horse, and kept a sharp lookout on either side, as if expecting some one. A dark scowl hovered about his oe and forehead, and he ap- peared to be unusual y nervous. “ Curse the luck!" he growled, biting at the ends of his mustache, and glaring about as if he would like to annihilate some person. ‘‘ Curse the luck, I say! Who could the woman be, if not her? I thought her dead and under ground long ago, and here, in all aes she has turned up to devil — me again, Ha! I thought so,” he concluded, draw- ing rein, as a female rider wheeled a large horse out of a eee bend square across his path, and pre- sen is view an outstretched arm and hand containing a shining revolver, “Halt! that’s right!’ exclaimed a clear female yoice, which caused the Washingtonian to start in recognition, although the figure upon the horse was clad in black and deeply vailed, “I didn’t hardly expect you would dare come out here and meet me, letter dropped in Mastodon

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Deadwood Dick on Deck. b> House post-office; but I thought it would be well enough to come and see. There! there! don’t at- tempt to draw a weapon, for you know I’m reckless, and would jus’ as lief shoot you as not.” “By Heaven! can this be you, Marie?” the Honor- able Cecil managed to articulate, interrogatively. “Can it be possible, when I have all these years mourned you as dead?” _ “T reckon it’s I, old hypocrite!” was the cool as- surance, ‘There! don’t let me warn you of the danger of reaching toward your vest pocket again. It is I, or ali that a matter of six years left of me, after roughing it in the world I was cast upon.” “Then, I thank .’ said Honorable Cecil, with an attempt to do the devout. ‘‘Put down the pis- tol, Marie, and let me come forward and welcome you back.” ‘Bah! don’t be a fool, old man: replied the strange horsewoman, with a sneer which also re- sembled a chuckle, “I don’t want any'spooneying or foolish acting on your part When but a young girl, I married you at my dying father’s wish, be- cause you were one of the leading stock and bond gamblers in Washington, worth your half @ million or more. The first year, I found you out to be an ugly brute. The second year you developed into a first-class savage, and finding my life with you un- endurable, I pocketed your loose chatee and, in the vernacular of the eae sloped! I took pity on you; you never heard from mé again until last night, when you received my note to meet me here, Your name remained spotless in Washington, for a horrible railroad accident occurred about. this time, and a few mangled remains of your wife were brought home and quietly interred. Am I not de- tailing facts?” , “ Ah! very true; and I mourned—” “Bah! you old hypocrite; shut uy your lying: It won’t go down your humble servant’s throat. What brings you out here, sir?—some villainy, ’'d almost swear, “No, indeed, Marie. I am very poor of late years, and came out here to try and retrieve what I have lost in disastrous speculation.” y ‘You lie, old man. You own two among the finest | Pegipaeaa in Washington, besides having half a mil- ion’s worth of secured bonds, and plenty of other wealth. Isay you lie!” “You speak plain, woman—shockingly plain fora woman who figured as a belle in London society.” “But oh! so true, Cecil Grosvenor. You know I never deviate from the blessed trvth. I saw you the day you came here to Whoop-Up, and instantly it occurred to me that you would perfectly over- joyed and willing to loan me some of your wealth—” “Never! never! you she-devil!” the capitalist eried fiercely, now nearly beside himself with rage. “Not one penny of mine shall you ever touch.” “You forget, Cecil!” was the reply, in a provok- ingly cool tone. ‘ Just gaze into this tool I hold, * and realize the discomfort contained in the six load- ed cells _ These poor ‘ sells,’ too, to encounter in the hands of Mad Marie, who is pretty widely known as a woman shootist.” _ “How much money do you want, curse you, to keep at quiet?” “Oh! knowing that you never go empty-handed ' Vl take what you have in your pocket-book, and that diamond pin you so Prony plas upon your immaculate shirt-front. Come, don’t be offish now, but put the pin in your wallet, and drop it on the plot of grass. there by the roadside; then turn your ‘ace about and return to Whoop-Up!” “You shall pay dearly for this. you virazo!” the Honorable Cecil gritted, as he complied with her re- quest, ‘‘ I'll have my revenge—I'll hire some one to take your life.” : “Of course, dear, I expect nothing else; but T shall not go to sleep with both eyes shut. I formed a babit of sleeping with one eye open, ere I left you, _ lest you should try to murder me some night, That's * right,” as the man huried the wallet upon the grass, | of blood. ‘Unfortunately, before he could dodge, thi “Ah! oR have a watch and chain, too, Isee: butI - won't so mean as to deprive you of aii your gaudy adornments this time; so now, I guess you ~ may go.” a ‘Curse you!’ The-Man-from-Washington fairly yelled, as he hesitated to go. ‘ You shall die for outrage, you—” - “There! there! you old loafer. Don’t hurt your tongue in addressing me with the idea of frighteni me, for I’ve heard men who could lay way over you at sw’aring. Go, now, and if any one tells you you've lost your pin and purse, tell them Deadw Dick’s men rSbbed you, Don’t for the world let any one. know that a weak woman played road-agent — to you. Go, now, I say. If you want me dropa — ~ ‘etter to Mad Marie, in the post-office at Joe Tubbs’s” itastedon, and I'll seize my pen in a vise-like gras’ to answer you. Adieu! my pistol covers you un’ you are out of sight.’’ With oaths breaking from his lips, the defeated speculator headed his horse back toward the mining town, and spurred away in hot.haste, followed by a~ mocking laugh from his tormentor. “A thousand devils overtake the she fury!*’ he gritted, in the white heat of his rage. ‘‘ ’Jl hire some ruffian to hunt her up and cut.her throat, even if iv costs me a small fortune. She is getting cunning, but has triumphed over me for the last!” OHAPTER VI. ; A CONFLICT WITH BRUIN. a Sanpy’s was a situation few men could wish to ; confront. : ‘ There he was safely imprisoned upon the i eae * with the positive assurance that he must enter into conflict with the huge cinnamon bear, who was — crawling out of a sort of cave in the mountain-side, E with growls that were anything-but music to his ear. Since coming West Sandy had never chanced upon anything of the bear kind, and knew. as little about them as the school-boy at home. - After crawling out upon the plateau, the huge. _— brute squatted upon its haunches for a few mo- ments, and surveyed Sandy in evident contempla« =~ tion of a fine feast, while Sandy stood still in his — tracks, utterly at loss how to act. On reflection— ~ for a man can reflect a greet deal ina short space of — time if occasion demands—he doubted if his forty- four caliber rifle would do any service in an attae'! sacinet Bruin, for the reason that he used short car- tridgt’s with a small charge of powder, while ittakes — a heavy ball (77 grs, of powder and 35) grs. ot lead) to successfully shoot either a grizzly or a cinnamon, Very few men can killa grizzly or cinnamon bear in ae running shots as itis, with the long 45 car- 2. : Sandy had learnéd this in conversation with old hunters, and consequently concluded that either his. rifle or revolvers were useless, and, if used upon the = brute, would act only to simulate his fury, while they did no particular harm. — He apoariicis: drew his knife, and edged out into the center of the plateau, nearer to the ugly brute, — He had no desire to be crowded off from the plateau into the abyss below. 2 As he advanced the cinnamon reared upon his — hind legs, and came on, with a flaming desire ex- pressed in his eye. Sandy braced himself, and — stood upon his guard. He knew it must be a Bene gie between life and death, and he set his teeth to- — gether in a firm determination to sell his life as dear- _ ly,as possible. é : ; Buffalo, his huge Newfoundland, had been left be- hind, beyond where the ledge caved off. Me, : assistance in diverting the attention of the grea brute, the attack ib have been more equal, On came the monster, with his frightful jaws dis- tended, nearer and nearer, and then Sandy sprung forward, and struck a blow into the animal’s breast which proved effective, inasmuch as it started a flow eh ihe

Page 14

Deadwood Dick on Deck. b> House post-office; but I thought it would be well enough to come and see. There! there! don’t at- tempt to draw a weapon, for you know I’m reckless, and would jus’ as lief shoot you as not.” “By Heaven! can this be you, Marie?” the Honor- able Cecil managed to articulate, interrogatively. “Can it be possible, when I have all these years mourned you as dead?” _ “T reckon it’s I, old hypocrite!” was the cool as- surance, ‘There! don’t let me warn you of the danger of reaching toward your vest pocket again. It is I, or ali that a matter of six years left of me, after roughing it in the world I was cast upon.” “Then, I thank .’ said Honorable Cecil, with an attempt to do the devout. ‘‘Put down the pis- tol, Marie, and let me come forward and welcome you back.” ‘Bah! don’t be a fool, old man: replied the strange horsewoman, with a sneer which also re- sembled a chuckle, “I don’t want any'spooneying or foolish acting on your part When but a young girl, I married you at my dying father’s wish, be- cause you were one of the leading stock and bond gamblers in Washington, worth your half @ million or more. The first year, I found you out to be an ugly brute. The second year you developed into a first-class savage, and finding my life with you un- endurable, I pocketed your loose chatee and, in the vernacular of the eae sloped! I took pity on you; you never heard from mé again until last night, when you received my note to meet me here, Your name remained spotless in Washington, for a horrible railroad accident occurred about. this time, and a few mangled remains of your wife were brought home and quietly interred. Am I not de- tailing facts?” , “ Ah! very true; and I mourned—” “Bah! you old hypocrite; shut uy your lying: It won’t go down your humble servant’s throat. What brings you out here, sir?—some villainy, ’'d almost swear, “No, indeed, Marie. I am very poor of late years, and came out here to try and retrieve what I have lost in disastrous speculation.” y ‘You lie, old man. You own two among the finest | Pegipaeaa in Washington, besides having half a mil- ion’s worth of secured bonds, and plenty of other wealth. Isay you lie!” “You speak plain, woman—shockingly plain fora woman who figured as a belle in London society.” “But oh! so true, Cecil Grosvenor. You know I never deviate from the blessed trvth. I saw you the day you came here to Whoop-Up, and instantly it occurred to me that you would perfectly over- joyed and willing to loan me some of your wealth—” “Never! never! you she-devil!” the capitalist eried fiercely, now nearly beside himself with rage. “Not one penny of mine shall you ever touch.” “You forget, Cecil!” was the reply, in a provok- ingly cool tone. ‘ Just gaze into this tool I hold, * and realize the discomfort contained in the six load- ed cells _ These poor ‘ sells,’ too, to encounter in the hands of Mad Marie, who is pretty widely known as a woman shootist.” _ “How much money do you want, curse you, to keep at quiet?” “Oh! knowing that you never go empty-handed ' Vl take what you have in your pocket-book, and that diamond pin you so Prony plas upon your immaculate shirt-front. Come, don’t be offish now, but put the pin in your wallet, and drop it on the plot of grass. there by the roadside; then turn your ‘ace about and return to Whoop-Up!” “You shall pay dearly for this. you virazo!” the Honorable Cecil gritted, as he complied with her re- quest, ‘‘ I'll have my revenge—I'll hire some one to take your life.” : “Of course, dear, I expect nothing else; but T shall not go to sleep with both eyes shut. I formed a babit of sleeping with one eye open, ere I left you, _ lest you should try to murder me some night, That's * right,” as the man huried the wallet upon the grass, | of blood. ‘Unfortunately, before he could dodge, thi “Ah! oR have a watch and chain, too, Isee: butI - won't so mean as to deprive you of aii your gaudy adornments this time; so now, I guess you ~ may go.” a ‘Curse you!’ The-Man-from-Washington fairly yelled, as he hesitated to go. ‘ You shall die for outrage, you—” - “There! there! you old loafer. Don’t hurt your tongue in addressing me with the idea of frighteni me, for I’ve heard men who could lay way over you at sw’aring. Go, now, and if any one tells you you've lost your pin and purse, tell them Deadw Dick’s men rSbbed you, Don’t for the world let any one. know that a weak woman played road-agent — to you. Go, now, I say. If you want me dropa — ~ ‘etter to Mad Marie, in the post-office at Joe Tubbs’s” itastedon, and I'll seize my pen in a vise-like gras’ to answer you. Adieu! my pistol covers you un’ you are out of sight.’’ With oaths breaking from his lips, the defeated speculator headed his horse back toward the mining town, and spurred away in hot.haste, followed by a~ mocking laugh from his tormentor. “A thousand devils overtake the she fury!*’ he gritted, in the white heat of his rage. ‘‘ ’Jl hire some ruffian to hunt her up and cut.her throat, even if iv costs me a small fortune. She is getting cunning, but has triumphed over me for the last!” OHAPTER VI. ; A CONFLICT WITH BRUIN. a Sanpy’s was a situation few men could wish to ; confront. : ‘ There he was safely imprisoned upon the i eae * with the positive assurance that he must enter into conflict with the huge cinnamon bear, who was — crawling out of a sort of cave in the mountain-side, E with growls that were anything-but music to his ear. Since coming West Sandy had never chanced upon anything of the bear kind, and knew. as little about them as the school-boy at home. - After crawling out upon the plateau, the huge. _— brute squatted upon its haunches for a few mo- ments, and surveyed Sandy in evident contempla« =~ tion of a fine feast, while Sandy stood still in his — tracks, utterly at loss how to act. On reflection— ~ for a man can reflect a greet deal ina short space of — time if occasion demands—he doubted if his forty- four caliber rifle would do any service in an attae'! sacinet Bruin, for the reason that he used short car- tridgt’s with a small charge of powder, while ittakes — a heavy ball (77 grs, of powder and 35) grs. ot lead) to successfully shoot either a grizzly or a cinnamon, Very few men can killa grizzly or cinnamon bear in ae running shots as itis, with the long 45 car- 2. : Sandy had learnéd this in conversation with old hunters, and consequently concluded that either his. rifle or revolvers were useless, and, if used upon the = brute, would act only to simulate his fury, while they did no particular harm. — He apoariicis: drew his knife, and edged out into the center of the plateau, nearer to the ugly brute, — He had no desire to be crowded off from the plateau into the abyss below. 2 As he advanced the cinnamon reared upon his — hind legs, and came on, with a flaming desire ex- pressed in his eye. Sandy braced himself, and — stood upon his guard. He knew it must be a Bene gie between life and death, and he set his teeth to- — gether in a firm determination to sell his life as dear- _ ly,as possible. é : ; Buffalo, his huge Newfoundland, had been left be- hind, beyond where the ledge caved off. Me, : assistance in diverting the attention of the grea brute, the attack ib have been more equal, On came the monster, with his frightful jaws dis- tended, nearer and nearer, and then Sandy sprung forward, and struck a blow into the animal’s breast which proved effective, inasmuch as it started a flow eh ihe

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12 miner received a tremendous slap from one of Bru- tn’s paws, which sent him reeling half-way across the plateau. He still was possessed of his senses, however, and turned to meet the maddened animal. Instantly drawing one of his Smith and Wesson revolvers, Sandy fired, in rapid succession, six shots into the gaping wound which he had cut with his knife, then dodged and ran to the other end of the tte flushed and excited. Something in the fight ad an enticement and charm for him, although he was confident that it was not the slap he had received on the side of his head, The bullets had staggered the huge brute, and the blood was spurt- ing from the wound ina sickening stream; yet he came lumbering back again with a roar that seemed to a the very plateau—came on with furious rage and frenzy depicted in the hairy countenance and in the pinkish eyes, Sandy drew his other revolver and stood firm, a new light in his eyes. When the brute was but three yards off, he fired two shots, with unerring pre- cision—one bullet into each eye of his ponderous poten g With a fiercer roar the bear rushed on, with blood streaming frora his eyes and totally blinding him— rushed on, straight off of the plateau, and went crashing helplessly down into the gulch far below, “Good enough! I couldn't have beat it myself. T was just getting ready to dispatch the brute myself with my Winchester rifle!’’ exclaimed a voice, and looking up, Sandy beheld a face peering down at him from a ledge far above. “Reckon you got rid of him just in time, for it would soon have been too f dark for straight shooting.” send of a stron S I suppose so. Anyhow, I am not sorry that I disposed of the brute How’s a fellow to get out of this—do you know?”’ Sandy asked, “ Maybe I can give you some assistance. I'll lower one end of my lasso, and if you are good at-climb- ing, you can get up here, from where I can guide you safely down the mountain!” was the reply, and then the face withdrew from sight, and directly one g, but slim rope was lowered to the plateau where Bandy had fought and killed his cinnamon. ; Slinging his rifle to his back, and securing his revolvers in their places, Sandy seized the rope in his gee. and up he went with the agility of a true imian, soon pulling himself upon the ledge above, where stood his rescuer, and the dog, Buffalo, “Calamity Jane!’’ he ejaculated involuntarily, for in the features of the bar i he recognized a de- meueson he had obtained of the noted young female are-devil, * At-your service, sir!’ was the reply, with a cool leugh. “You stare as if I were something quite different from the ordinary mortal.” E “Ye-s, ahem! excuse me!” and the miner stam- mered and blushed in confusion. “ You—you see, Td heard so much oP oeenicg you, that I—I really was surprised. You will.pardon me, and—” “Oh, yes; you bet yer boots! But ’twixt you and me, pardner, you did remarkable execution in that bar fight. I don’t b’lieve thar’s another galoot in Whoop-Up as could do the job in quicker time, or more scientific manner. Didn't get nary a tear?” “No! Ihad a remarkably lucky escape,’’ Sandy replied, marveling, even while he spoke, at the wild beauty of the girl, of whom the men of Whoop-Up told so many strange yarns. ‘I escaped with only @ cuff on the side of my head.” “Which did you more good than a pint of medi- cine, It aroused the fight in you. It’s all the medi- cine a man wants to brace him up.” “ ¥ou discriminate betwech the two sexes, eh?” “Cortainly; men need a slap and women a slirht, to wake ’em up, Anyhow, that’s my logic. Shall I conduct you down the mountain, or can you go it guide me if, you will, and take the bear _ alone?’ “You can for your pay. Deadwood Dick on Deck, Ne rn “Agreed. Give mea cinnamon to corn away for winter chawin’. What's your name, pard.?” “They call me Sandy, here in the mines!" tha miner replied, following carefully in the steps of the girl, as she began to descend a zig-zag mountain path, “What! ye ain’t the ch>p w’at helped old Joe Tubbs find thes streak o’ gold range, are ye?” “Tf I remember correctly, I was the first one te find a nugget.” * Well, you’re a brick. Joe was tellin’ me about you, Got a pard, I believe?” ‘**Yes—Dusty Dick.” : “Like myself, a girl in male attire!” H “What makes you think that, pray?” “T know itl’ Calamity Jane replied, with a chuckle. “Tt doesn’t matter howI found it out. I don’t blame you for protecting the girl, nor her for ac- eepting your protection, and ail may go right until discovery becomes general. Then, come you unto me; I ray pour out to youa way out of the mire.” * You? al demanded, incredulously. “Yes, I. by the way, let me warn you to look out for breakers ahead, You cannot see them. I do not know in just what shape they are going to come, but come they will, surely.’* “How do you know? likely to endanger me?” “That’s my secret. If I were to tell you, like as not, by some blunder, you’d bring yourself into double peril. Now, you cannot comprehend my words, hereafter you will, I'll keep an eye out, and don't ye fergit it.” “T reckon I can Jook out fer myself, ma’am,” Sendy said, with a spice of independence. “Ah! here we are at Canyon Gulch, now.” “Yes, and here I will leave you, as you can easily find your way now. Good-by, and look sharp around you!” *Then the girl dare-devil suddenly turned, and was lost in the gloom, while Sandy tru idpod wonderingly along into the wide-awake town of Whoop-Up. “Pxceedingly all and wonderfully beauti- ful,” he muttered medi ‘aaa “ Hers isa magnetic beauty that attracts ; the madame is fascinating, in a voluptuous sense; little Dusty Dick is the most quiet and womanly; yet around the trio there hangs a mystery in each case, and the long and short of it is, ’m getting interested with the whole, Well, well, if Lean’t take care of myself, lought not to claimta right to the name of man. Dick 1 have with me; Madame Minnie will not bother me if I keep away from her, and Calamity Jane— Well, I can’t deter- mine much about her.” What have you discovered Neither could any one else in ali the rough society : in which the eecentric girl had for two years moved as_a “bright, particular star.” Sandy went 10me, and found Dusty Dick sitting in the doorway of their unpretentious shanty, engaged in picking at a guitar, which had been one of the miner’s gifts, “Ahl is that you, Dick? How have things gone ane my. absence?” ‘About in the usual channel, Sandy; a couple of duels above here in the street, 1 believe, and con- peatently work for an undertaker, had one been andy “Humph! it is strange that such a warfare must — constantly rage between fellow humans, isn't it? If all got along as welltogether as you and 1, Dick. I don’t think there’d be many deaths and crimes to oe Ver red Sandy; but there’. ery true, Sandy; but there’s your supper await- ing, ‘neitie, 3 Taree ticierr and ate berg uke ‘That’s right, pard; never starve yourself in wait- ing for me, for there’s no telling just what minute I may arrive. Ah! the odor from that antelope-steak is really like the smell of the promised land, after a fellow has been a-hunting and slain his maiden cin« namon b’ar.”” : Cite “A bear, Sandy?” and the beautiful eyes of Dusty

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‘ “Yet she may haye a true woman’s /eart under her rough exterior, which is as susceptible to love or pain as 4 woman of careful behavior.” “Truly spoken, little one, but she could not ever arouse half the adoration for her in my breast, that. I bear for you,” the miner said. an honest light glow- ing in his eyes. But he regretted the words the next moment, for they brought such a pained expression over the features of Dusty Dick. “You should not talk that way, Sandy. You for- get that I am only your pard—more Ican neyer be,” “Bnough said, Dick; I did forget myself, but will curb myself in the future. But get ready, for J am going to take you around to-night, to see the sights; I must do it to throw off suspicion. Calamity Jane already knows your disguise.” “Sh! How, pray?” “i give it_up. She knows, nevertheless, and will keep mum, I take it. Do you feel like playing your part to-night, in good shape?” “As well to-night, perhaps, as at any other time. I have mastered.some of the vernacular and bravado of the mines, and will do as well as possible.” Sandy finished his supper, and fed Buffalo enough for any two men; then took his revolvers, cleaned and reloaded them, and thrust them into his bei*. Usually, unless going on a-hunt, he never wore them outwardly say aes but something prompted him to have them hardy to-night. Dusty Dick always wore a single revolver at his waist, and despite the general feminine terror of fire-arms. he was no novice at a shot. ‘ When all was in readiness the two left the cabin, accompanied by Sandy’s inseparable companion, Buffa'o, and debouched into the single, long, crowded street of the town. It was about half after eight in the evening, and all places of business. of a score of various natures, were. brilliantly lit, and the street was a strane and wild sight of lights and surging humanity, from one end to thé other, CHAPTER VII. SANDY AND ‘THE ‘‘ HONORABLE.”’ “Here! we will stop into this place where they play keno and faro, You can take a peep at the animals,” said Sandy, and they accordingly entered alarge room in one of the shanties that lined the street, and found themselves in a bar-room, gaming- : pee and dancing-hall, all combined in one thirty y forty apartment, under one roof. Here were a long bar and many tables, at which crowds of long- haired men were risking and losing; further on was a music-stand, bevond which a couple of sets, com- prising, burly miners and roughs and gaudily-dressed emales, were dancing. — _ After loitering about for awhile, Sandy signified his intention of derarting. ‘‘ But let’s have a little something at the bar first, to say we've patronized the place, What'll you have, Dick?” in a louder tone * “Let out ther sherry wine for me, ye galoot!” Dosty Dick replied, ranging himself along the bar, and addressing the barkeeper. “Hurry up yer ee (idee pee SS AS i3 ha stumps, or I'll get over thar an" grab a hold o' ther ribbons myself,”* zi fe The bottle was quickly forthcoming, and Dick> swallowed a few drops of the wine, which was 9 — wonderfully pure article to be found in the mines, Sandy took soda for his. Then the twain left the place, and sauntered toward Colonel Joe Tubbs’s ‘howtel,’’ at the upper end of the street, é Here a motley crowd was collected in the great bar-room, for the mails from Deadwood and the East had just arrived, and many an eager, yxious miner was looking for a letter frcm the dear (nes at ome, “YT reckon there’s no mail for me,” Saidy said, with a grimsmile, “for the simple reason that there 4 are no dear absent ores in my case, you sec,” 2 “Nor need J look for letters, either,” Dick re ~ lied, sadly, ‘for none of the friends of my child. ood stood the test. Ah! who is that reinarkable- looking personage at the other end of the 1cem?” “Why, thai’s the dare-devil, Calamity Jine, Don’t _ be afraid of her, but act your part if she comes pe : Although Colonel Joe was busy at dealing cut his “pizen:”’ to a dpug caane of red-shiried iminers, he foun’ room at the bar for Sandy and Dus{y Diek, % “ Hellu, Sandy, you hess! range up alonjside hayr, in ther stall, Got yer pard along. toc, ehy” ~ '* “Yes, Joe, this is Dusty Dick, my pard. Dick, Colonel Tubbs, one of the olCest inhabitaj its.” 3 The introduction was achnow] deed ty a hearty handshake, Tubbs failing to nctice the staaliness cr softness of Dick’s hand, ‘ Ti “You may give us a couple of sodas, Joe,” Sandy said; ‘you know we don’t take anythirg strorger, Will you join us, seeing this is the first time we've meb- since this morning?” ~ ee “Sandy. b’yee, ye bet yer hoots I witt! Why, it’s — a scandujous fac’ thet Ihevn't hed only sixtecn real oe sized snifters since dinner. Twenty ismy reg’lar — rations.’ f 24 “You'll get the ‘jims’if you don’t stop diinking so much, Joe.” ee ‘‘Aha! Sandy, there’s wheve ya are behind yer — mark, I’ve got a cast-iron rank inside o’ me, an’ — et'll take years ter fill up wi’ pizen. J*m gocd ferxo5 pee par a bar’ look sick any day, an’, don’t ye for- — git it. 3 '“T believe you, Joe, You seem to stand it prety well, all except your nose--that is giviag you away.” — “Better polish it off, an’ scll it for a colored meer- schaum, old man!" put in Dusty Dick, as they turns — ed away. <a Not being in a hurry, they stood Teanin st the wali at one side of the bav-room. Sandy puffing away at his cigar, and both idly watching tle differ: ent facesaround them, Miners came im and applied — for mail, and woe be to the purse of him as was so 3 fortunate as to get a letter, for he was calculated to _ eall up all of his acquaintances, besidcs treating the — post-office,’ which embraced Colonel Joe and three assistants, : A man is conceded to have no konor in ee ‘ if he cannot “respond,” efter being bless d with a letter from the ‘* States,” s ; “Do you see that villainous-looking rough, who is sitting over there, Sandy—the one looking this” = way?” Dusty Dick asked, pointing out no less an_in- dividual than the Danite Gt oul, Arkansas Alf Ken- — nedy. ‘Oh! mercy, he has seen me motioning, an is coming this way. What shall we do?” ae ‘Sh! or you will betray yourself. He won't do anybody harm, I reckon, Put on your ‘cheek,’ an’ bluff him!” 5 Ps Tt was evident that the Dakota-Danite was in high dudgeon, for he came striding up with a bluster and — aswagger, bis eyes bloodshot from the effects of — the whisky which scented his breath. i ; “See, here, qomben he cried, addressing Dusty Dick, with a fierce oath, “I wanter know who yi war p/intin’ at, over that d’rection? Do I owe yo anything, or d’ye want ter make my acquaintance?" “ Get out, you galoot!” Diek replied, ind-pendent ; \ <* S ae ; i Fee,

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Deadwood Dick on Deck. ly; “Treckon ye was lookin’ this way first. What you blowin’ yer b’iler-head off fer?” “TH show ye, mighty quick, ye little cuss,” the Danite replied, reaching for a weapon; but before he could draw one. the muzzle of Sandy's revolver was shoved within an inch of his reddened nose. “ Hold up, pilgrim!” was the miner’s calm advice: “Ireckon ye better be sure 0’ yer game before ye raise your gun. If you ain’t desirous of getting - salted down for winter use, you’d better peg along in another direction, pretty aie Z me Sieg are you?” Arkansas Alf demanded, with a wnarl. ; “They call me Sandy, fer short, sir; for long, I Measure five foot ten.” The Danite turned away with a ee string of oaths, and then Sandy nodded to Dick, “Keep watch of that fellow, pard, when he’s near te hereafter. He has a bad name here in the 3” ‘* Who is he, Sandy?” “Arkansas Alf, tae Ghoul, they call him. He’s about as bad as they make ’em, they say.” Tho two pards soon took their departure from the saloon and returned to their shanty. To their com- bined astonishment, they found the door unlocked, and on entering, found a light burning in the kitchen and a man si‘ting before the bed of coals on the hearth, idly fingering the strings of the guitar—a man of medium hight, with a handsome form and frank, ee face, and such eyes asneither Sandy nor pit had ever gazed into before—dark, brilliant, netic. © was attired in gray, fashionably-cut clothing, “with a diamond pin upon his shirt-front, and a si hat upon his head. “I beg your pardon, pilgrim,” he said, arisingvand - bowing, as both Dusty Dick and Sandy stopped short near the door. unpardonably bold, but Ihave a paper here which ~* [trust will explain atl,” and he extended an envel- oped note. Sandy took it and stepped to the light, at the same time tearing it open. ea he muttered. “Tt is from Calamity ~ Jane.” So it was, and written in a neat, womanly hand, with the following result: “Mr. Sanpy:—Please keep this gentleman in your ranch until he chooses to leave. He will pay you liberally, and you will confer a great favor on me. He is Deadwood Dick, thé ex-road-agent,; supposed by everybody to be dead. Yours, ete., 4 * CALAMITY JANE.”” ““ Well, welll’ Sandy muttered, with rather a grim ~ smile, ‘ that girl certainly does not Jack for assur- ‘ance. So you are Deadwood Dick, eh?’ turning to the stranger. : ; E _ ‘%At your service. Calamity let me in here, with the word that it would be all right, as I wanted lodg- =a Ane until morning. If, however, lam in your way, ~~ T'llseek elsewhere—”’ - Perfectly welcome, sir, if you can accept of my _ accommodation. There’s my eot yonder—I’ll fix me up a bed on the floor.” 2 y - “T beg your pardon, but you will let me lie on the floor, as T am porters more used to it than you, after a rough life of two years in the heart of the - gold country. Please retain your own cot, the same _ as if 1 were not here.” It was accordingly so arranged, for. Deadwood - Diek would have it no other way, but rolled up ina blanket and lay down near the door. Dusty Dick _ retired to and locked himself in his own room, and - Sandy stretched himself upon the cot without un- dressing. This was nothing unusual with him. -. When he awoke in the morning, at sunrise on the : peaeitew-tops, Dusty Dick had breakfast already on e@ table, . “ _‘* Hello! where’s the road-agent?” Saridy asked, aitting up and rubbing his eyes and staring about, = intrusion here may seem > “Gone an hour ago,” Dick replied, dishing up the meat and pouring out the coffee. “ Sandy, e was a handsome fellow.” “Well, yes, I suppose some would call him hand- some. i've read of him, and they say he’s a wild customer.” : “He didn’t appear so, He was dressed more after a civ! fashion than any one I’ve seen here yet.’ * Didn't fall in love with him, I hope? The poor fellow has already been bored by love-sick maidens, and then, too, he’s married,” , ; “Ah! is he? Then I’m sorry,” was the reply, ac- companied by a roguish little laugh. * Come; your breakfast will be getting cold.” “3 So a ate of the tempting repast, and betook himself off to tie mines, whistling merrily in the course of his walk. In rounding the bend in the canyon, he almost ran against the Honorable Cecil Grosvenor, who was returning from an early morn- ing walk for his health. Both men came face to face—then each leaped back as if stung by an adder, their eyes bearing a light of reeognition. a “* You, Cecil Grosvenor!” Sandy excisimed, grow- ing a shade whiter than wae his asua! color, ‘Yes, Sandy!’ was the reply. of the Washing- tonian, who seemed to be the least surprised of the two. ‘You see I address you by your western title; in some respects it is better than your Eastern name!”’ > ** How do you mean?”’ the miner demanded, haugh- tily. “‘ My name was never a reproach in-my East- ern home. Indeed it was always spotless until—”’ * Until certain complicated circumstances made it necessary for you to put a considerable distance between you and the place of your birth!” finished the 5 Sah omg with a bland smile, as he gazed tri- umphantly at the miner. “You needn’t jeer!’ Sandy replied, with self- command, “for I do not fear you, nor the whole world. With the crime of that one act put upon my shoulders, I_ am no murderer !” “What! You do not aoe that 7 am one?” the Honorable Cecil demanded, hotly. ‘Beware how “you word your address to me.” “Tf you see yourself in my words you certainly must be guilty,” was the calm reply of the miner. ‘Indeed, everybody said that you did in reality murder your first wife by ill treatment and abuse. Your second left you, 1 hear, doubtless fearing that she would follow the first to the grave.” s “Oh!” the speculator said, with a sigh of relief, elated that the case was made out no stronger; ‘as to that you merely dealin idle supposition, with no - positive proof. I hold a stronger hand against you, if you remember.” ‘T defy your power!” Sandy said, with set teeth. “Tf you have come out here on purpose to fight me, we will see how the fight is to come out in the end. Remember, I shall not move to get out of your way this time—not a oa OF are say you will be ready to give your so go ahead, and do your worst.

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Deadwood Dick on Deck, ~ 16 Few know that I came here out of pure spite against him—that I came to put him ont of the way!” He strode along, his brows knitted in a dark scowl, and his mind busied in a villainous scheme. Just as he came opposite Sandy’s cabin, he stopped stock-still in his tracks, and gazed in through the open doorway, as if he was struck suddenly with pavalysis, a_curse breaking from, his lips, in a gasp. Dusty Dick was standing in the kitchen, busily en- paged in washing up the disbes, and did not notice SL NRE CU Wy See Os who, after a moment’s sharp survey, passed on up the gulehy a strange light upon his sinister face. 2 “Heavens! I can scarcely credit the sight of my eyes!’ he gritted, seeming to shake with a new emo- tion, “She fere and in Sandy's cabin? Tt is. the last place on God’s footstool I should have looked to find her. Ha! ha! I have both the birds within my reach—yes, three of them, counting Marie. Curse the woman—she always was an_enigma to me. Iwonder how I shall play my hand all around and play. it successfully. It may cost me hundreds, but I shall in the end gain thousands. Yes! yes! it was’a lucky day, after all, that set me down right among the'game I am hunting!” CHAPTER VIIiT. A NEW CANDIDATE—DEADWOOD DICK AGAIN. Anour this time, the depredations of the road- agents and outlaws of the Hills became greater in rapidity and boldness of action They grew so bold as todash into the very outskirts of the town and commit their robberies, and this so aroused the peo- ple of Whoop-Up’s single-streeted city, that they swore dire vengeance onthe marauders. But, they had cone this,before, and yet hac not even killed’an agent in revenge for the spoils that had been taken from the town. The chief gang. that were troublesome around Whoop-Up were the deserters of Deadwood Dick’s band, now under the Jeadership of the ruffian, Bar- ker. The open had given him the high-sounding title of Eagle Claw, and by this he became known universally. ; On the day which had seen the meeting between Sandy and the Honorable Cecil Grosvenor of Wash- ington, a gang of the outlaws had dashed boldly into the town, and, after firing a score of shots, had frightened off a crowd, then robbed a store, and got off, unmolested. ‘An hour afterward, a crowd of miners were col- lected in the street outside of Joe Tubbs’s saloon, eagerly discussing the outlook. “I tell ye, feller-citizens!” Tubbs Dimself cried from the top of a handy stump; ‘‘thar ain’t no use 0’ talkin’ about perseverance or prudence bein’ a vartue. Hayr we peaceable an’ undemonstrative citizens 0? Whoop-Up’s sublime sphere hev bin out- raged ag’in, right in broad daylight! I ney et’s a shame—er gol-durned reproach onter our handles as honest men, I propose thet we drop ther Vigi- lance movement, an’ resort ter Regulation—put some man at our ho’ds, an’ devote our hu | time ter wipin’ out these dasted road-agents. Them’s my sentiments, an’I propose the crowd treat me fer ther beauchiful suggestion so timely brought before ther investigatin’ committee.” i But even though the worthy colonel proposed, the crowd were not disposed; they were excited after ‘“ ther road-agents.’ “*T second old Joe’s motion-concernin, fators!’ cried another man, a miner, who had suf- fered several losses from these gentlemen of the road. ‘‘ We’re all ready, every one o’ us, ter take up ther trail o’ vengeance, but we want a man ter lead us, Whavr’s ther man as sez he will?” There was a momentary silence. Then a new- comer in the city of Whoop-Up stepped forward into the ring. + ‘*Feller-citizens,” he said, with a glance around, “if you're agreeable, I'll accept o’ ther offis!” : A . 2 ther Regu- | -ward the misty tops. And as assurances that the crowd were é eable, a shout of ‘“horra!” went up from a hundred throats, seemingly. Ready were the miners to £0, with some one to head them. The candidate for election was a man of but me- dium size, evidently, but a peculiarity of wearing ~ more clothing than necessary upon his person, ~ made him look broad and burly. At least four suits of serviceable woolen clothing wore this new chief of Regulators, with stoga knee-boots upon his feet, and a battered-up bat upon his head. His face, with the exception of the nose, was covered to the ears with a luxuriant wth of reddish beard, and a mass of hair of a like hue fell unkempt and matt: as his shoulders. His eyes were sharp and bead- ike in their glances, and altogether he was a re- nie pacts 2 personage. He stood leaning upon a nist geo ing rifle of large b:re, and gazing ealmly into the sea of faces around him “Hurra fer ther new Regulator!” yellcd Colonel Joe from the top of his stump. ‘I say, you galoot, w’at mought yer name be?” : “Tt mought be ’most anything, I reckon, pilgrim,” was the grim response; ‘ but it ain't, ef ther old eclipse knows herself. i suppose it might be prae- _ticable to call me Bullwhacker, ef ye’ve ho Oeiae: tions.” “Hurra! Bullwhacker it is then,’ replied Joe. “ Now, then, capting, jest choose yer galoots, an’ lay fer these road-agents—d’ye heer? You'll hey ter excuse me a few minutes from ther debate, gentle- men, ef ye Fees for it’s a scandvlous fac’ thet I~ heven’t hed but six good solid snifters this hull blessed morning.” < And Joe made for the Mastodon‘as if his life de- tart upon his Rotting to the bar in a stated num- | er of seconds. e was an odd one on the Itdicrous © side of human nature, yet despite his love for stim- ulating drink, was a genial good fellow. pos Old Bullwhacker, the newly-elected chief of the 2 Regulators, soon became a poate light in the min- _ ing circles of Whoop-Up. He was jovial and eccen- tric, had plenty of cash with which to treat his me: and was just the one fit to command. Where he ha come from, or who he was, aside from this rnde cog- nomen, no one knew; nor were they liable to find out by his teliing. 2 He selected for his use ten men aside frcm him- self, and armed them with Winchester’s 45 caliber rifles, which were got from Deadwood, and the Regu-— lators were in working order. But itwas some days _ ere there was any occasion for them to excrt them- selves: The road-agents, under Eagle-Claw, had suddenly become quiet. and there were no new re- ~ ports of marands by them. : ; Bullwhacker, however, had his men ever near and — under strict discipline; he never moved but they were near at hand as a sort of «protective body- uard, ie he had never manifested any par-- icular disposition to being what the world cof the country of gold “ fast and tough,” Bullwhacker was pretty generally regarded asa scaly customer to tackle, and, by a certain class. was feared, He had such a slow motion at one time, and was so ~ rapid when the case demanded, that it gave him an aspect of being ever ready, no matter what the emer- << ney. t The golden days of September rolled along in the — town of Whoop-Up, as in a peculiar dream of ex- citing pleasure. People thronged the street and filled the places of business both by night and by — day. ; zZ The mountain continued to yield rich productions of gold; and silver lodes too were found in places. — Shafts and‘‘tunnels were being pierced into the — mountain-side, all the way from the bottom uP to- . and ore was blasted out and lowered to the gulch-bottom in incline plane cars— or, as in one case, by large buckets from a mighty crane, managed by mule-power. Pverwhere were — sounds of busy industry in one Babel of noises— the grushing sound of ore-breakers, yells of mule

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ra __ it when in the presence of Dusty ié drivers, the shrieks of steam-whistles, and the ring of axes far up the dizzy mountain. all peculiar to their locality, yet distinct from the sights and sounds of the long street of the magic growing town. Everybody had the fever; it was a poor cuss who couldn’t reap a harvest now, thought the excited people. All along the stage routes to the town, eager, hopeful miners were prospecting; maybe where they would pass over, some speculator would stake off his claim, report gold in paying quantities, hoodwink some fresh arrival—generally known as a “tenderfoot "—and sell him for a big figure what yas in reality but a barren rocky waste. If you gct cheated, you must put up with it with all the arace of a saint, unless you wanted to fight it out, and then, like as nob, you’d get the worst of it; for it was all in the mines and among the mining ele- ment, where law, personal respect, and charity to- ward mankind, were literally a dead letter. No souge came in or went out without its load of eitlfer expectant or disgusted passengers, and thus the population was an ever-moving one, and the people that composed it 1 spice and variety of humanity. And as one day rolled by only to merge into another, Sandy kept on working in the mines, the sa.ne as he had before he had met the Honorable Ce- cil Grosvenor in ths guich. He went armed, how- ever, for he knew this Washingtonian well enough to susnect that some attempt would bs made through his instrumentality upon his life. Dusty Dick had not seen the speculator except at a distance; and since then had kept closely to San- dy’s shanty, but never mentioning to the miner the cause of his sudden seclusion; for this strange crea- ture whom Sandy was harboring was an enigma whose secret was closely locked in her own breast. If she had recognized a foe in the Washingtonian te spoke not of it, Evidently she had not recognized im. Calamity Jane came much to the cabin, especially when Sandy had returned from his work at night. She was kind toward Dick, in a sisterly way, often dropping her a feminine offer of exchange of confl- dence, which the mysterious waif would not listen to, She was wholly up to her character—no longer a female even among her own sex. With Calamity Jane it was different in that she could be equally sociable with male and female. She was witty, well-educated, when she chose to drop the rude vernacular of the mines, and altogether a pleas- ant companion, . At least she had a faculty of being able to cheer Sandy out of the blues, when he had them; and it came to the anxious notice of Dusty Dick that noth- ing bat a dawning love could alter Calamity’s rude bearing of old into the pleasing woman of now; she was learning to love Sandy! Sandy !—well, Dick entertained no anxiety toward him in this respect, for she knew it would be useless. Sandy was one of those eccentric freaks of human nature that might love ° ; ‘* And love o’er again,” without the world becoming wiser for it by studying im. He held his emotions in a firm grasp, and control- led them—smothered them back as a general thin, out of sight of human observance, Even Dick could not read the miner’s feeling toward Calamity, but believed that he entertained a respectful admiration for her. Somehow, since they had been together, the young pard had grown to expect things, which all the time she knew would be Hat tp eAAli of Sandy —to reserve him ashers alone; and a sensation of un- Test and anxiety filled her heart at every visit of the irl dare-devil, although she knew she had no right to ‘or one moment entertain a loving thought of the stalwart yellow-haired miner. Whether Calamity had a keen sense to perceive this it is impossible to ; poh but, as the days rolled by, though the girl’s ad- mira: tion increased for the miner, she tried to screen Dick. Deadwood Dick on Deck. Maybe her woman’s instinet taught her that if was but natural for a woman to love a noble, handsome man, and that other hearts than her own could be so pierced by Cupid’s shafts: ~ So Dick was finally bie some of the heart-pain and anxiety; but the sharp eyes of the young pard could not be blinded to the truth, for all that. Honorable Cecil Grosvener stopped Calamity one day as she was walking through the gulch. “ Hold up!” he said, approaching with a pompous Epi aad *'I wish to speak with you, my dear young lady.” “Get out!’ Calamity replied so sharply that Mr. Grosvenor leaped back a pace—‘‘none 0’ your en- dearing epithets to me, you old buzzard. Say your say, and move on; my time amounts to business.” “Oh! it does,” replied the speculator, reaching into his pocket for a well-filled wallet; “then let me pay you for answering a few words.” “Put back your money, ye fool. Lain’t acceptin? hush-money.’ “Allright; then answer me what I want to know. Is Deadwood Dick, the noted outlaw, dead in reality ?”” j “Spect he is; leastwise that’s what the Deadwood papers say.” ; “But are you sure? Is there not some place where I could leave a letter so that it would reach him?” “Well, I don’t just ‘know about that, old man. T don’t know w’ether they’ve got a stage line runnin’ up ter whar Dick is, or not. Might give me yer word, an’ | mebbe can strike on an angel who will kerry it up.” and the girl laughed coolly. ‘‘ Reckon Dick won’t do you any good though.” ‘“*Oh! that’s to be found out,” the Washingtonian replied grimly. ‘‘ Here’s my letter to him;” and he handed her a large business envelope, which had already been sealed. ‘' Give that to Deadwood Dick, and I will pay you your price. Good-day to you.” aes his honorship turned and strode on up the gulch. ; ‘The meeting had occurred in front of Madame Minnie Majilton’s dance-house, and the blonde pro-— rietress was standing in the door, When Grosvenor 1ad departed, Calamity heard her name called, and looking around saw the madame motioning to her. “Well, what is it?’ she demanded, approaching the entrance to the dance-house, and regarding the madame sharply. ‘ What d’ye want?” “T want to advise you,’’ Madame Minnie said famil- jarly. “You haven’t got a very honorable name among the men; do not make it worse by associat- ing yourself with such men as that ‘blood’ whom you were just talking with. He has no more seru- plesthao a wolf,and should his eye fasten particular- ly on you, he’d brook no expense to accomplish his villainous aims. Look out for such as he,” “Why ?-—do you know him?” Calamity asked,gaz- _ ing after the portly form of the Washingtonian, as it was receding from view up the street. es “Yes, slightly,” Madame Minnie replied, witha cool laurh. ‘He eame into my place here, and I pea him the door with the point of abowie. He went!” { “T presume so.” Calamity replied, and turned away, going up the gulch-canyon, as it ran north, “That blonde is either a deceitful traitress, or a respectable woman,” she muttered; “‘{ wonder which?” She kept on up the guleh for a couple of miles, then paused by a ledge of rocks that formed the canyon walls, Here she slipped the letter she had received into a crevice, and then retraced her steps toward town. : That same evening, while the Honorable Grosvenor was sitting in his room atthe Mastodon Hotel, he received a visitor—a rough-looking old codger, bent in back, with a mass of hair upon his face and head and a perceptible limp in his gait. He hobbled along with a cane, and Tyesente rather a forlorn aspect. ‘Hello! who the deuce are you?” the speculator ie f#

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|r Deadwood Dick on Deck. _, 17 ames ceenee looking up from his paper. ‘“ Whatdo you want?” “Sh!” was the reply; “ not-so loud, if you please. Tam Deadwood Dick) : CHAPTER IX. THE WASHINGTONIAN PLOTS AND PROPOSES. “On!” the Washingtonian said, pista with an in- stant change of countenance from displeasure to ‘ blandness; ‘‘I mistook you for some beggarly va- grant. All because of your shabby appearance, no doubt. Pray be seated.” The visitor accepted the invitation by dropping upon the sofa, and producing a cigar and lighting it ““You wrote that you wished to see me on im- rtant business,” he observed, gazing straight at is honor with his penetrating black eyes. “I got the letter out of my post-office a short time ago, and came to see what you could possibly want of me,” ‘““Aul yes; ahem! I am glad you came; but, pray, how am I to know that you are in reality Deadwoo Dick, the road-agent?” “ By accepting my assurance. I don’t ag leg unmask in such close quarters, or I might be able to prove my identity by revealing my face.” “In which case I should be as ignorant as ever, having never seen you to know you heretofore. * But, let that drop. I accept you as Deadwood Dick, so let’s come to business. You are in need of money: : “Well, no, not particularly. I realize about five thousand a year from mining interests which I own, and that sum keeps one in loose pocket change.” “But, you would not: hesitate to add to your wealth, if you could do so by doing a little work of an unpleasant nature—especially to a man of my stamp. You outlaws do not hold life in the same i eee as we—well; we of the East, of the better class,” “Well, that depends somewhat on circumstances,” Deadwood Dick replied, coolly. “If{we owe a man y anything. we generally pay him. in our kind of change; don’t go into bankruptcy to cheat them out of their dues. So you call yourself one of the upper ten, do you?” “Ahem! yes, I supvose that would be the proper name for it—am from Washington, you see, where a man must either be an aristocrat,or a nobody. Gros- venor is my name, and I represent a large amount of bonded and other wealth, besides being the presi- dent of a leading bank.” “Exactly ; but you see, this don’t interest me, par- ticularly. The objective point is, what do you want of me?” ‘Listen and you shall learn. There is a young miner in this town of SOON ee who is in meee end I want quietly removed. His name is Sandy, and you can easily find him, as he is very popular— lives in a cabin a few rods around the bend. You ‘ care not for life, as long as you get money; a pistol bullet, rightly sent, will do the job, and you shall have—well, say fifty dollars.” 1 Ss a ae Dick, in his disguise, arose with a quiet laugh, i “No; thet ain't my lay-out, old rascal!’ he said, bowing his way toward the door. —‘‘ Good-day to you; when you have any more such jobs to let out, ust give ’em to some ruffian, whichI don’t claim to @ The man Sandy shall be properly warned to be on his guard; again, good-day, sir!’’ and in a minute more the road-agent had glided from the room. ‘* Devils take the man!’’ the Honorable Cecil cried. springing after him, to find him gone. ‘In seems I have been misinformed concerning the fellow. He don't do that kind of business, eh, and will inform Sandy? Well. just let him, and—hello! who’s this rough-looking customer coming up the stairs? Ha! an idea! Maybe he’ll serve me!” The individual he had reference to was the Danite Ghoul, Arkansas Alf, and he followed the spectla- torinto his rooms, without a word, having eyidently intended a visit, ; Once inside, the two villains, so opposite in per sondl appearance, confronted and gazed at each other for a. moment in silence. ‘Well,’ Grosvenor said, interrogatively. “I cal- culate you must have intended paying me a visit, since you walkedin without invitation on my part?’ “ Yas, [reckon thet’s about ther size o’ ther mat~ ter,” Arkansas Alf replied. grimly, as he stretched himself into a comfortable seat upon the sofa. ‘Sit down, sit down; don’t stand thar starin’ like a ghoul. I want ter talk ter ye.” The speculator sat down, first, however, bringing out a bottle of champagne from a huge Saratoga, and setting it upon the center table with goblets, ““Now go on,’’ he said. ; “ Precisely,” Arkansas Alf replied, scratching bis chin—a sharp, wolfish gleam in his eyes, ‘In the first place, I'calkylate ye're a fellow from Washing- ton, wi' a name suthin’ like Grosemeyer, or—”’ “Grosvenor—Honorable Cecil Grosvenor, at your service, sir.” ‘Yas, l reckon thet’s about it. Once upon a time ye hed a pard up whar ye lived who stole a haul 0’ money an’ lit out fer parts unknown.” : “Ah! yes—Jake McOmber, eh?” “Thet’s the galoot. Wal, Jake cum West, an’ we met an’ got ter be pals. Jake cuts a weazand now ‘n’ then; Iam known as Arkansaw Alf, a Ghoul—a Danite o’ this wicked land o’ Dakota. You wrote ter Jake about comin’ ter meet ye heer, eh?” “Yes. and got no answer.” “ Wal, that was because Jake war down sick, so he sent me and my boys over inter ther Hills, heer, ter look after yer case.” “ Ah! capital. I was just trying to make a strike with a road-agent named Deadwood Dick, but he was too sanctimonious for my purpose.” “What! Deadwood Dick olire and in Whoop-Up?” the Danite exclaimed. his face growing tigerish in expression, and his eyes evilly gleaming. Yes, here, lieckon. A fellow in clever disguise, calling himself such, just left as youcameup. So you are ready to serve in my behalf, eh?” and the speculator drummed musingly upon the table. “Vas, I reckon so, ne ye’ve got plenty 0’ tin, and will shell out liberal I’ve got two pals ter heip me, and we kin do ’most phythine in the way of sendin’ off sinners on a long pilgrimage, or knockin’ over weemin, or—”’ “Oh! you'll do, no doubt, if you are anything like the Danites I've read of. What would be your price —well, say to take a woman and strangle her, and let her be found in a conspicuous place, dead ?” “Wal, thet depends sumthin’ on her size, weight? and fightin’ capacity. We kin ginerally send off a female in furst rate style fer fifty dollars.” “Wnough said; I'll give a hundred dollars to at- tend to the case properly. Then I have another woman for you to hunt up and annihilate. T’'ll double my offer on her when she is dead, Her name here, I believe, is Mad Marie. Then there is aman whom I wish disposed of.” $ * Phew!’’ the Danite said, with a detonating whistle of surprise; ‘ you’re righ? in fer layin’ up treasures, annie: you? Wa), name yer subjects, and V'll go ter work. : “Not just at present,” the villainous speculator said; ‘Iam not quite ready yet. When I am I will let you know. You can easily be found, I dare 8a: sf You bet, wen thar’s any sech a lay-out!” the ruffian replied, rubbing his hands together in devilish delight. “* You'll generalely find me fer ther lookin’ down below. Ain’t ye goin’ ter treat afore I go?” ‘Yes, help yourself; it’s the prime article, you'll find;” and the Danite evidently did find it so, for he _ drained the bottle before he arose to depart. “ Nothin’ more ye wish, now?” : “No, nothing; you can go, When I need {you l'@ 1 ——_— ~ hal

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is hunt you up;"" and then the Dakota Danite took his departure, “Ha! hal” The-Man-from-Washington exclaimed, as he heard the outlaw descending the stairs; “things are at last working into my. hands just as I wish. That fellow is a tool that can be Used repeatedly without resharpening, so long as he is fed on whisky and money, Sandy’s Naisiaee her; she shall go first, and then he shall follow. I wonder—” : He did not finish tho sentence, but pulled on his gloves, donned his hat, and descended to the street, canein hand. Lighting a cigar, he sauntered down the busy street, and finally fetched up in Madame Majilton’s establishment. e madame was behind the bar, engaged in shaking dice with a dirty miner, and was looking most royally beautiful in a suit of silk and lace, with diamonds at her throat and pendent. from her ears Her blonde complexion made her ever fresh and lovelyMooking, and then her superb form greatly hightened her personal beauty. 3 She looked up with a slight frown as the Honorable Cecil entered’ and leaned against the counter. “Well, what do you want now?” she demanded, in atone that was not particularly inviting. ‘ Have you come here to insult me again?” ‘Hardly! was the reply, with a bland smile; ‘I deserved your scorn then, no doubt, for I was in an excess of champagne, No doubt you’ve been there yourself, I will step into the next room and be seat- ed; when you are at liberty, please join me.” Madame Minnie howed, and the speculator on into the next room, where she soon joine after cheating’a miner out of the drinks, She seated herself, a deal table separating her from the Washingtonian, and supported her chin between the palms of her hands as she gazed at him keenly. 3 : There were diamond rings of great value upon her fingers, and the loose sleeve falling back to the eee ranled a round fair arm that was perfection, in itself, $ , ‘You are the most beautiful woman I ever met!” {fonorable Cecil exclaimed, involuntarily, carried away by the power of her charming presence, ‘t And that leads me to what | was Rota to say. [am from Washington-—Honorable Cecil Grosvenor, at your service. I represent a great deal of wealth, and I have no wife—no heirs to all my vast estates. My life is devoid of any sunshine whatever, not having a female Gompanion on whom to lavish my bound- less affection. You are a beauty and canbe refined —would make a resplendent star in the Washington social world—a reigning belle among belles. How fancy youthe picbure; how would you like to marry me, and let me take you into a paradise of love, wealth, social distinction and luxury?” and the spec- *ulator stopped here, and pe admiringly at the beautiful woman in front of him, f * As for Madame Minnie, she leaned back in her ehair and laughed so boisterously that the Honor- able Cecil began to feel uneasy and got red in the face. “You old fool!’ she exclaimed, by an effort con- trolling her merriment, ‘*do you suppose I’d give up this glorious life here for the sake of ingulfing my- self in the social miseries you depict? No! a thou- sand times, no! I know of all the delights you pi ture, but theydon’t tempt me. In Washington you have well-clothed, gold-enamored dummies; here, in the mines, though ofttimes rudely dressed, you . ean find men. The difference is, Washington is a ' refined hell, with nothing but imps and devils for inhabitants; Whoop-Up is a rough Paradise, with now and t en a sprinkling of angels.” ~ © Aht you look on the wrong side, my dear ma- dame. Cannot I prevail upon you to accept? I would give my thousands for such a glorious crea- ture as you—” F ““Bnough!. I would not bind myself to such a man as you for your whole weight in diamonds. I know assed. him, ~ something of life after‘ roughing it’ solong. There — is only one man in all the world whom I would for a — moment think of marrying.” . f “ And he is—?” : “Tt little matters to you who, Heis handsome—a — quality you cannot boast of—and is all that is noble and generous. Such a man I have it in my heart to love—no other, be he king or millionaire, sir.” ~ ‘* That man lives in Whoop-Up?” ‘Since you are so inquisitive, yes." “T think I know to whom#®you refer—he is called Bapeys here.” “You are a pretty straight guesser, old man!’” Madame Minnie replied, lighting a cigarette and puffing away with the utmost composure. ‘The man #s Sandy. But, for instance, how would you like to take a bride into your Washington soirces with a cigar in her mouth and a botle of tarant’ler- juice under her arm for sickness? That’s the way L always travel.” ‘Oh, that would never do; you’d have to be train- ed, of course. But this man Sandy—do you know what he is?” ‘*No; and I care not what his past has been: his a is irreproachable. Anybody will teh you a ‘*Probably, but present good behavior cannot blot out or atone for the ry you know, Between you and me, Madame Majilton, that man Sandy is a forger, and a felon—a murderer |” , “Sandy a murderer? I do not beljeve it, Cecil. eter cts He is no such a man as would mur- er? “But, there’s where "bebe mistake. ly a gentleman; inwardly, a demon,’ “T would run my chances in taking him for all ,He is outward- i ; y j i aA Humph! and find yourself in a tiger’s ‘nest. “Bes f sides, you could not get him—he has too exalted no- tions concerning women!’’ the speculator said, rising to depart. “If, however, you think better of my Baageral: you can address me at the so-called Masto- on Hotel,” “Very well, sir; but pray do not watch anxiously for any change in my decision, or you will surely be disappointed.” _ The Honorable Cecil bowed, with a bland, doubt- ing. smile, and took his departure, and Madame Min- nie watched him down the street. “Sandy & felon!” she mused, turniug her gaze in the direction of the Lightning Lode mine; “I can: not believe it of him. This is news tome. And yon- der schemer said I could not win him, Maybe not; but we shall see—we shall see. In the meantime’ — and a strange gleam shot into her eye—‘' in the meantime, something else.” CHAPTER X. THE BLOW FALLS aT LAST. Sanpy was yore ee, in the mine, when one of his men approached him with a note in his hand. “An old cuss gave it to me, sir!” he said, bowing, * and sed give it ter Sandy; so Ireckon as et must be for you.” : Sandy took the note and retired to a niche where alight was burning, and there opened the note. It was written in a neat business hand, slightly femi- nine some of the letters were, and ran as follows: “Sanpv:—Look out forithe Washingtonian Chaps ae Grosvenor, who stops at the Mastodon. He tried to’ | hire Deadwood Dick to shoot you, but did not make a success of his intentions. He is a double-dyed vil- lain, and will, no doubt, try some other villainous plan, as he seems desirous of getting rid of you.” This was all, there being no signature. A faint — smile of contempt wreat) the miner’s mustached mouth as he thrust the note into his vest pocket, ‘*So the old viper really means business, does he?” _ he muttered, as he went back to his work, ‘ Well. let him proceed. Even if wouldn’t mourn my la~- ie he kills me, the world 323

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_ feelings—if.you do lové me He worked the day out, and went home at early dusk. The cabin door was closed but unlocked, and _he opened it and entered, ¢ _. Dusty Dick was sitting at the, table with his head bowed upon his arms, cryiog—as Sandy could see that the slight form was trembling with emotion, He put away his pick, pouch and rifle, and ap- proached the tabie. “What! crying, Dick? What’s gone wrong?” he said, laying one browned hand upon the flossy curls of the youth. ‘Has any one molested you?” There was no answer except a low moan from Dick for several minutes; then be raised his face to Sandy, such a tearful, agonized expression upon it as the miner had never before seen, “Oh! Sandy, I thought you were never coming, and got so frightened.” : “At what, dear?” and the miner’s tone was tender and sympathizing as he bent over this disguised _ pardner of his, whom he was growing unconsciously fonder of each day as the autumn Jays wore dream- ily hy. ‘‘ Who or what could give you ily ate 3 “Oh! Sandy, it is the one man in all the world whom I most fear—my enemy! Hehas arrived, and found me. I was sitting in the doorway when he assed, and he shook his clinched hand at me. God nows how I ever got in here and shut the door—I do not. It seemed as if all objects were reeling round and around me.” “You poor child,” and for the first time Sandy seated himself close beside ber, “I pity you frora the bottom of my heart, forit is a sin that one so young in life as you should know the meaning of the word trouble. It is coming to the point that you are to be found our, and I—” “)ishonored.” Dick replied, drying her eyes. “God forbid. I will fly, and then maybe my enemy will follow and murder me, and these people of Whoop-Up will never know that you were harboring @& woman.” ee “No! no! You shall not think of leaving my pro- tection. Ihave been your protector so far—I'll see you safe through. Who is the villain who is molest- ing you?"* =, ‘ “ His name is Cecil Grosvenor!” “What! that inhuman wretch? By Heaven! not “Yes, Cecil Grosvenor. Can it be possible that you, too, know him?” “Know him? He is the bitterest foe I ever had or have to-day. It was fo murder me that he hunted me up here in Whoop-Up.” * ‘Then Heaven help you, for he will surely ca: out his object unless you fly. It was to escape deat’ at ae hands that I came off here into this wild coun- | ry!’ “What are you te bim, Dick,’ the miner asked, * that he should want to kill you?” “T cannot tell you now—sometime, maybe, you shall hear my story. To tell you that the ever-ruling curse, money, is the main object is quite sufficient. .) What is the cause of his enmity against you?” “Te is a bitter story, Dick; I would rather not tackle it now. for I get stormy when I tell it. But, as you say, you shall hear it sometime. 1 never try to think of it. for it makes me less than a man. It is enoug!: that Cecil Grosvenor is an enemy to both of us, and his enmity means evil. Ishall make you a Exopoen Marry me, and we will leave this place by he next stage for California, where we can bury ourselves out of the reach of this man. I am rich, and you shall never want for the comforts of a . home, or the protection of a strong arm. It is use- Jess for me to tell you ! love you with a whole heart —you must have seen this in my past actions. Will - you do it, Dick?” “No, Sandy,” was the sober reply, tinged with - sadness; “J ecnnot, 1f you do not wish to hurt my 1 as you say you do— please never allude to the subject again” “All right, Dick!” and the miner turned away, lest he should betray his emotion and disappoint-. Deadwood ‘Dick on Deck. : : 19 ment. ‘* But you will at least lep me be your pro- tector ag heretofore?” “Unless T had best leave the place to escape my foe; then, how could you extend your kindness?” —~ “You chall not 20; oe must stay with me, and I will ight both of our battles.” _ He stood before her a glorious love-light shining in his eyes, his arms folded across his massive chest —stood there looking so gras and noble before the woman he loved of all others—the woman whom he dared not speak to of love, or hold to his manly breast for one wild ecstatic moment. “Well said and done, Sandy!” a cool. familiar voice exclaimed, and the startled pards looked around to behold Calamity Jane standing just within the room#leaning idly against her rifle, hay: ing evidently been a spectator for some time. “You are a noble man, Sandy; and I respect yous. the more for this.” “ You here, girl!’ the miner exclaimed, almost harshly. ‘* You come and go likea hovering spirit, How did you get in?” 2 “TY came in close behind you, ard one closing of the door answered for beth of us!” Calamity re- plied, with a chuckle, ““And why?” : “* Because I wanted ter talk wi’ ye. Didn’t expect what I saw, or I should hey waited. You needn’t feel confused, though, nor vexed, for T reckon, I'm about the only friend you'll have in Whoop-Up, di- rectly, ‘less it’s Deadwood Dick.” . ; “ Why so?” ** Because—well, you see, thet old chap from Wash- ington, who ye was jest talkin’ about, has got the ~ report spread that ye’re not Coin’ ther fair shake— that Dusty Dick, here, is a gal—that you're a wolf in’ ‘sheep's clothin’—that you are a runaway forger an’ felon—an’ so forth, an’-so forth. So et’s going to uil down hard on the honor ye’ve built up here in Whoop-Up, you see.” Sandy walked around the room a couple of times, abstractedly; then threw himself into a chair and bowed his head in his hands. The blow had been struck—the very blow that he-had been dreading ~ ever since Dick came. It had struck him in a ing wounded than any ot ot more susceptible of be- er component part of him- self—his honor, as aman. ; : “You are sure of this?” he asked, looking up, af- ter a painful slence. ‘‘ You are sure?” “So sure that Iaccept the reports o’ my ears.. prey galoot on the street has got his mouth full 0” it. Ikinder trigged the result, awhile ago; to-day I traced the report ter ets source—the Honorable Cecil Grosvenor from Washington. pene was a short silence, then Sandy again spoke: : ; “ Calamity, you have shown a friendly disposition ec us since first we met, and I belicve you are a riend|"' j “And you jest bet yer boots’ on et, Sandy!’ was the reply inthe girl’s grim way. ‘First along, Sandy, I got some very. foolish notions into my head about yow but a leetle bit ago, while I war.a witness ter thet scene. I erushed out them thoughts— ground ‘em under my heel, an’ ye can see ther print o’ a number three in the floor, back yonder by the door. Wow, lam your friend.” ‘ As she spoke. the wild girl stood gazing at the floor, as if thinking, even while speaking, and there was a strange mournful ring to her voice which Sandy could but interpret. ersudden bright look that; mantled her countenatice the next moment, however, was a relief to him and also to Dusty Dick, who stood leaning against the table watching her rival with burning gaze. “Tt’s all right now, Sendy,” Calamity Jane said, with a smile. which her auditors knew was forced, “it’s all right. You love your pard, and she loves — ou, though she may deny it; soef ye kin hitch races together, it’s much better.” bes Siete “You area brave-hearted, good girl, Janie!” Sandy” Me cf

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20 / said, considerably affected. ‘“‘and I scarcely know how to thank you for your self-sacrificing confidence, If ever [have an poy to repay you, I shall assuredly do so. Wi yeu not tell us your story that we may know you the better?” “No! no!” and a fierce expression for an instant made the Sate face grow savage. ‘‘ Not now. Sometime I will.’ You may have heard the varying stories about m2, and may wonder why I lead this wild life of mine. Before [let up with et, I’ve got a man to kill—one of the basest, vilest wretches upon God’s fair earth. For years I have been waiting for him to come here, and at last he Has come. It is only a matter of time, now, till I kill him.” “Surely you would not commit murder, girl?” “No! not murder—I'll wait tel he tackles me, then P'!l shoot him in self-defense, you see!’ and a strange, vengeful, laugh escaped her lips. ‘ You don’t know the extent of my wrongs or you’d say shoot, too.” ¥ “Probably !"? Sandy replied; then after'a moment —‘ what would you advise me to do, in the event of what you have told us?) Whoop-Up will evidently be too hot for us.”’ is “Don’t mind anything about it, but go along at your work just the same as before. If you are quizzed or pointed out, don’t give ’emenny satisfac- tion, *le set comes ter insult; then use yer revol- yer in earnest. “Stay and fight it out by all meaas. To leave, now, would be an ackaowledgment of shame and guilt.” “Very well, I will stay then, and fight it out. If aa oe me roused—” “They'll find a tiger, you bet,’’ Calamity replied, enthusiastically. “Good for you! If they work too cluss, ke2p’em at a distance, and remember that you have friends near. You, Dusty Dick, can show our hand ter help youttaere an’ you wanter do it. ood-by; you can look time.” She then took her rifle and left the cabin, as quick- ly as she had come, leaving Sandy and Dusty Dick alone. Outside, in the long, brilliantly lit street of the town, the surging, restless crowd had divided more into groups, and were eagerly discussing this bit of news with which the town had become afflicted. All belisved Sandy to be a scamp and hypocrite, for Cecil Grosvenor had spread his seed wide and thick, so that it should take root. No one ventured to stop or broach the subject to Calamity Jane; they knew her too well of old, to think of laying her against one she liked. She moet Cecil Grosvenor near the Mastodon, and stopped him in his evening walk, by stepping direct- in his path, “See here!” she said, pulling a reyolver from her belt, and showing it under the astonished Washing- tonian’s nose—‘' you old wretch, do you know what T’yea mind to do?” “Don’t! don’t! put down the weapon—what do you mean, girl?” he gasped, changing from red to whitein a twinkling. ‘Do you hear? put down the weapon!” { i “No! I won’t do anything of the kind, you cow- ard!’’ Jane declared, coolly. * Ain’t ye a sweet specimen o’ a hypocritical nni- sance, ter call yourself Honorable So-an’-So? I've a notion ter put a bullet clear through your head. Old man,do you know that you played a sham deal against Sandy?” ; An expression of devilish satisfaction came onto the speculator’s corntenance, and he chuckled grimly. ’ “Tt was m, trump card, you see!” he replied. “Ip struck home we'l, [ see, judging by the discus: sion in the streets. I did the town a favor by ex- posing a disgraceful nuisance!” i * Took out, you imp o’ Satan,’’ and the hammer of one of Orlami ty’s No. 82's came back one noteh; “ef ye go ter braggin’, [ll make further breathin on your part a thing o’ the past, Istopped ter tell ‘ ‘or me again, at most any } Deadwood Dick on Deck. ye that you’re an old villain, an’ if you try any more of your games you’rea dead man. Do you hear?” ‘“What business is it to you that you interfere?" Grosvenor sneeréd, eying the dare-devil girl sav- ely. ae ouw’ll find out ef ye play another trick against that man, Sandy. He’s my partic’lar friend, an’ ‘twixt me an’ Deadwood Dick, he’ll ba taken kee’ of, an’ don’t ye forgit it.’” ‘Then the girl passed on. ‘CHAPTER XI. IN THE STREET—SANDY’S lap bE cd Pick : GONE Oauamity Jane had not been gone half an hom when there was a sharp Indian-like whoop, and e& band of horsemen dashed out of the blackness of Canyon Gulch into Whoop-Up’s single street. There wero upward of seventy-five of the outlaws, all well- mounted and armed, and masked—a great crowd they appeared, as they rode yelling and hooting into Heed town, firing, and with deadly effect, right and left, * site fan road-agents!” rung the yell of the surprised townspeople and miners; ‘hurrah! to arms! sweep the dogs out of existence!” T is ery was spread universally from one en to the other of the long street—was caught up by near- ly every tongue, and everything that was to be hud in the shape of a weapon was seized by the crowd that sprung to the place of battle. And a battle in earnest it was to be. The road-agents had evidently come into the town with the intention of cleaning it out, small, compar- atively, though they were in numbers; they made a stand near the center of the town, and fought fierce- ly with carbines and revolvers. Every shot they fired told disastrously upon the ranks of the resolute defenders for a time; but en- gira by the fearless fighting of old Bullwhacker and his Regulators, the crowd pressed fiercely in upon the road-agents, determinedly, firing a terrible volley of bullets into their ranks, fenders in that desperate conflict, none did more ex- cellent service than the much-clothed leader of the Regulators, old Bullwhacker. He stood at the front, with a large pair of army revolvers in his — clutch, firing continually, until they were emptied; then his Evans repeater came into hand, and sent forth a deadly stream of fire wreathed lead, The man was wonderfully cool while others were yelling and excited around him, and many a poor fellow dropped dead, while he stood calmiy in the midst of the affray, his garments seeming to turn aside the seat bullets that hissed like lightning-hail through ne air. _On—on waged the battle, the road-agents fighting like devils for victory, the defenders imitating their example, to save their property and-emulate their bravery. bullet, blood for blood, Sandy left his cabin when he heard the ery, and stood for a moment outside of the door, listening and watching the crowds that went past. “What is it, Sandy?” Dusty Dick asked, coming to ae pelea “why are all the men rushing up the gulc’ “There’s an attack from the road-agents,”’ Sandy replied, drawing his pair of revolvers, and revolving the cylinder to 8°e that all the cartridges were rizht. “T rackon it’s my duty to take a hand, too, if there’s fighting to bedone. Those ruffianly outlaws need to be killed, and now’s the proper chance. Go bac’ in the shanty, and don’t admit any one except they , give.a cough and a rap.” “But. you may get wounded or killed!” ck gasp: ed, in alarm, PieMNeNce: Ais eeewrer eee! TS Of all the de-_ Tt was warfare in dead earnest—bullet for * How much would you care if I did get toppled : wheeled and confronted her, gazing strangely inte the disguised face and beautiful eyes, oe ‘ov rl’? the miner demanded. almost flercely, a3 he

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- \ = ‘ s Deadwood Dick on Deck, “Very, very much !” was the reply; “but go; you may be needed.” aerate obeyed and strode rapidly up the gulch. The fig! Lia just around the bend, but when he got there the last shot had been fired; the road- agents had broken from the wall of humanity, and were dashing down the canyon at mad speed, moun- tainward, 2 3 It would have been next to“useless to have pursued them, for ere the pursuers could have got to their horses, the desperadoes were out of sight in the night’s gloom, which reigned beyond where the lights of the town reflected. And, besides, there was enough to attend to on the scene of battle, where full three-score lay bleeding, either dead, dying, or wounded, Among this number, two-thirds were townspeople or miners; of the se eh only one man was found alive, and by Old Bullwhacker’s order he was immediately strung up to a limb and paid the earth; nalty of his crimes, Fifteen were killed outright of the defenders, but, as it turned out, they were men without families, Of the rest who were more or less wounded, only three afterward died. : Was such a disastrous battle with road-agents re- ported here in the East? Probably not; for the -Associated Press dispatches have never yet been known to report one-third of the crimes or casualties that occurin the wild land west of the Missouri. Yet the above battle did occur, with the result we have chronicled. It was rather a doubtful victory on the part of the woes -Upites; yet they were in a measure jubilant over it. Every care was offered the suffering and wounded; Sandy himself made bold to step forward and pro- pose a purse for burying those who did not have ir oa money, liberally offering to donate fifty ollars. The men looked at each other, and then at the handsome miner, who had within the day been dis- honored in their eyes, One then stepped forward, a grim expression upon his face, “Truth: r caleylate we don’t none o’ us want none o’ yer money, Mr. Sandy!” he said, with a glance to see that the crowd approved of his words. ‘‘ We kin accept 0’ yer proposal an’ do the liftin’ among us. You'd better keep Pie money fer thet leetle critter ye’ve got corraled down at yer shanty; it’ll take, all yer spare cash ter keep sech as her a- “Look out!’ and the yellow-haired miner ad- vanced a pace nearer, his face and eyes flaming. “Hint if you dare that anything is wrong between meand my pard, and I'll break every bone in your aceursed 1 **T reckon we don’t chaw back what we say, pil- grim. My name is Bulldog Brown, at yer sarvice, an’ ef ye want anything o’ me, jest sail in. We do pre- sume ter say thet yer pard, Dusty Dick, is a woman, an’ a rusty hypocrite you be to—” The fellow didn’t finish the sentence, for the miner fiercely leaped upon bith, and with a tremendous blow, which would have staggered an ox, felled the brute to the earth. Then he bounded back, one of his revolvers cocked and ready in either hand. “ Now, then. where’s the wretch who wants to re- od the insult? I'll lay him out in stiller shape than did this fool!” he cried, glaring around, for he was terribly angered. There was an angry murmur in the crowd, and a general motion toward rushing upon the m‘ner; but it was not to come to battle, for at this juncture a man stepped forward with a pair of revolvers in hand, and stood alongside Sandy. It was none other than the Regulator, Old Bullwhacker. He waved back the crowd, and they stopped at his beckon, fer no man had ever won such a peeeery. in Whoop- Up in so short a time as t nown. “Hold! stop!" he cried. in a clear, rin voice; ‘the first galoot who moves a step ag'in’ this miner ‘er’s band, an e much-clothed un-* three madly idolatrous loves.”* 21 a will directly after be a dead man. Let there be no more bloodshed. There's been enough; God knows. Sandy did perfectly right in knocking yonder nasty- tongued brute down fer insultin’ him as he did. “As ter ther pard, I'll stake my pile she’s all square, ef Dus ick be a. woman.’ “ An’ I, too; dn’ I'll lick thunder out o’ any chap in the crowd assaysshe ain’t!” cried a ringing voice; then came a Comanche-like whoop, and Calamity’ Jane bounded into the scene. Immediately the five men left out of Bullwhack- several others, stepped over to the Regulator’s side, This was the straw that broke the camel’s back, and the crowd broke up and dispersed. Calamity went over to where Sandy was restoring~ his revolvers to his belt. “One card in your favor,’ she said, with a low laugh. ‘*You did handsome, but you should have shot a cores of the cusses to show them ye warn’t afraid. That’s ther only way to git along out hayr. See what a change my comin’ made; they kiiowed I’m business clean through. Look out fer em, for ee try you alick again. Now, go home and gO edd.” ‘Not until I have thanked you and these who have defended me!” Sandy said, warm] grasping her hand, ‘“T already owe you much—how can I ever repay you?” “Once I might have been unmaidenly enough to have named a reward, but that is past. I don't ex- pect to get any—never!”’ She turned away abruptly, but not before Sandy had caught a glisten in her eyes which he knew to be tears. He was tempted to follow her—then came the sy te of Dusty Dick in his imagination, and he resisted. We kindly expressed bis thanks to Old Bullwhack- er and the others who had so bravely specs over to his defense; then strode up the street toward his cabin with a carvers as penghty. as any king. Madame Minnie Majilton had seen him go up to yee in the affray, and stood in her doorway watch- ng, as he came along with free, elastic strides, I was so afraid that you would get hurt, Sandy,” she said, in an anxious tone. “I just heard that they made an attack upon you—how was it?” “They cast insulting slurs, and I retaliated by knocking one down. - Reckon {should have got the worstyof it, but for the interverttion ofjCalamity Jane and Bullwhacker;" and the miner laughed as if he shouldn’t have cared. ~ : ‘“‘T wish I had been able to have come to your res- cue, Sandy. Come inside a few moments.’ ; ‘What for?” “T wish to 0 give you counsel.” “*T have had plenty, thanks.”” “No—but come in: I wish to speak to you con- cerning—well, something of vital importance.” Sandy hesitated a moment, then followed the beau- tiful blonde into a little room which she used asa rlor, adjoining the dance-house. Here he accep- fed a seat, and she also seated herself directly oppo- site him, across the little deal table. { A flood of light from a lamp’ chandelier, falling upon her fair head and features and bared wh'te shoulders—for she was in a magnificent costume— had an additional effect of increasing her wondrous beauty; she knew it perhaps full as well as the man before her and mut on one of the fascinating smiles she knew so well how to manage. After a moment of hesitation, she turned to Sandy: E “ Did it ever come under your notice. Sandy, thata woman has not that control over her feelings, which is peculiay. to men?” she asked, looking shyly into — his ey+s. “If so, you will not think bad of me for what [am to say to you. Sandy, [ love you.” “What! you, whom T have not met @ dozen times — —you love me!”’ the miner exclaimed, starting vio-_ lently, astonishment depicted upon his face. ot “Yes, I. You are astonished—nearly dumfound- ed;—yet, stillyyou survive between the siege 7

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. R2 “Eh? how do you mean?” “*T mean that three women in this very town adore Fee eeeniy yon as being the only perfect man in the mines. First of all is Dusty Dick, who has got you into all this trouble in the eyes of your friends; secondly, ranks that eccentric dare-devil girl, Calam- ity Jane, She probably loves you in the fiercest, most intense manner. I fill the third place myself. Tam beautiful, and of a generous, impulsive nature —the very woman suited to you. Ihave money, in- ae pencene of yours. I have brought you in here to ask you to marry me, Earlier to-day Cecil Grosve- nor ee and I refused him. [want you, Sandy —will you take me?”’ “No,” the miner said, with emphasis, as he arose todepart. ‘When I waita wife I shall do the pick- ing and proposinz, myself.’ ‘Very well. If you don’t waat me, I shall not be en Maybe you'll change your mind, you now.” “Yes, maybe,”’ Sandy replied, with a low, sarcas- tic laugh, as he left the saloon, Somehow he was out of sorts to-night—especially with such as the bewitching Madame Minnie. But ha was not prepared for the discovery that awaited him on his return to “* head-quarters,” as he ealled his shanty. The door was open—the candle was burning upon the table, but Dusty Dick was gone! =, Yes, gone; but where? In some alarm the miner began fo search around the shanty. Nothing which had been Dick’s was missing except his rifle and ammunition. Had he gone purposely, or had he been abducted for murderous purpose by the instrumentality of Cecil Grosveuor? For a moment he stood in the center of the cabin, and tried to determine in his mind which, but a lone- ly feeling crept over him, and yagi a out into the open air, he locked the door after him. The crowds in the street were the same as at the brightest hour of day, only a little noisier, if any- thing. The music from the neighboring dance- houses, the shouts of drunken roughs, the jolting rumble of incoming stages, were a few of the sounds that served to make the night hideous. Tn vain Sandy glanced around in hope of catching some glimpse of Dusty Dick. Nowhere was the a pard to be seen among the throngs that surged by. : e was still standing, undecided what to do, when he heard a well-known whistle, and Calamity Jane came up, with a flourish, “Hello! what are you looking so down in the mouth about, Sandy?” was the salutation. “You look as if you'd lost your best friend?” “So I have, girl—one of them, Dusty Dick is one! . * Gone? the deuce, you say!’ = Yes, gone, I just returned, to fine the shanty euDey.. “She’s around town somewhere, no doubt, and “Il be back directly.” * No, I think not. Her rifle and ammunition are both gone. Hither she has left, because of the dis- covery and talk, or has been abducted; which, {can- not determine.” “Ht’s the former,’’ Calamity said, instantly. ‘“‘To ‘spare you further trouble, she has pulled out. I wouldn't hev done it if it had been me, but she hasn't had the experience, you know.” ** Has any stage left town within the last hour?” “No. Why? Will you hunt after her?” ‘*Most assuredly.” - “Don’t do it. Give the matter into my hands. I know the mountains and places best. Go on at your days!” work: don’t worry if you don’t see me in three eee a CHAPTER XII. A DIABOLICAL PLOT—AN AD’ ie i Deadwood Dick on Deck. : Fe t yi sleepless night, for he was much troubled concern: ing the strange disappearance of Dick. oi n the following morning he arose late, and after breakfasting upon some cold meat, went to the mine known in oop-Up as the Lightning Lode, ~ it was a huge intermountain cavern, which had’ entrance through a narrow tunnel, only large enough — for the passage of a mule andasingle car. Inside there were many sections of the cavern where the rock was pierced with dark shafts and long passages, huge pillars supporting the ceiling of rock here an there, All this great work had been accomplished by drilling and giant powder, and the rich qnartz rock was drawn by dump loads out to the breaker and crusher in the gulch. At the entrance to the mine Sandy met his super- intendent, a man of forty years, named Pronson. “Well, has everything gone right?” he asked, pausing a moment. : “No; on the ovter ie everything has gone wrong,” Bronson replied, dubiously, ‘The men, — all but three or four, came and got their wages an — boar ago, declinng to work in your employ auy longer.” sf piney I expected it,’ Sandy replied, with a faint smile. ‘Let the fools go if they choose. Do you share their views of the matter?” “Well, n—no; but I’d kind 0” like to see it cleared up, you know,” Bronson replied. ‘Don’t know as et makes so much difference, but then—” * Yon shall know ail in time. Iwas simply pro- tecting a woman whom I found in distress, from the brutal villainy of a wretch who isin this very town to-day. The disguise she had adopted when I found her—I only added a few finishing touches.” “ Very well, Sandy, I accept the explanation and believe you. I'll tell the few men remaining. It — would be better if you were to mako this explana- tion general,” Be “T don’t choose. Let it be found out without any interference. I crave no man’s friendship.”’- 3 “What shall we do about more men torwork the mine?” “Stick out a placard: ‘More miners wanted at $2.50 per day.’ at will fetch em. I was ing of raising their wages the other day. Be sure 6 hire none of the old gang, as new hands will answer better, IE think.” _ And accordingly Bronson stuck out a placard in a — : conspicuous place: “ Wantrep—Twelve or fifteen new miners to replace deserters at the Lightning Lode. $2.50 per Apply at once to the Superintendent.” day. This card caught the eye of Honorable Cecil Gros- venor, as he was returning on his handsome bay mare from a morning gallop down the canyon. er “The very opportunity for ending the game!” and a cruel, malignant smile came upon the sinister countenance of the speculatur as he grasped the. thought. “I have the very plan in my mind, too, ~~ first work is to hunt up the Danite, and instruct’ im. ¥ He gallope1 on to the livery, dismounted and hur- ried on to the Mastodon, a few doors away, On — search, he found Arkansas Alf in a rear room drink- _ ing wine and fleecing a Texan herder at cards. At Grosvenor’s motion, be threw up the game, and they went to the bar-room where they were soon the occupants of a stall, which was one of a dozen which hisarms flanked a side of the apartment. “Waal?” the Danite interrogated, leani: upon the table, and gazing grimly at the tonian. ‘ What’s the rip?” sz “Nothing in particular, except that Iam ready to have you go to work. You know where the Light- ning Lode mine is?” “ . “Reckon I do.” 3 ‘And the man, Sandy?" “Sart’in sure.’ : ashing-' “Well, ke i5 the man I want put out of Wr ere Ty VENTURE, #0 Sandy went back to his shanty and passed a By oF Nee ~

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- Deadwood Dick on Deck. 23 Here is my plan. He has advertised for new work- men, You must go and make an application for a “.. job, for you and oe pards. Work cheap, and ask to be allowed to sleep at night inthe mine. At night you must work silently and cautiously. Charge every available place heavily with giant powder, all to be connected with one long main fuse. This you must run around the base of the hill to where you can bide in the bushes, Be at your stand to-mor- yow, just before noon. When the hands of your watch point to ten minutes of twelve, listen and you will hear a gun report—then light the fuse, mount your horse. and get safely into the mountains. I will be at the junction of the Deadwood and Gosslin trails, when you get there, and you shall have a round hundred for your work.” “Keerect! I’m your huckleberry, you bet. Shall I zo now?” the Danite asked. “Yes,make haste, and. secure a job if possible. You'll find powder enough for your purpose in the mine, Make everything sure—and remember I am uot to be mentioned in the matter,” “Very well, boss. What about ther two feminines ye spoke of?” se Sne of them I hear has escaped. I shall make no effort to secure her, as she will probably be brought back by curiosity. The other woman, Mad Marie, I know eda about, further than that she isio this vicinity. You will have to rely upon your detective abilities to find her.” “Tl keep an eye out. Thet nr Deadwood Dick. is a-goin’ ter take my eye, fer thar’s five hundred. Collars or more on his head, which I'd love ter fin- ger.” A The ruffian then took his departure. He went to the mine, ed me by two ruffianly-looking as- sociates, named Fletcher and Kengrove, and hired out to Superintendent Bronson, with permission tv lodge in the mine, and protect it from being robbed during the night by outside parties. Calamity Jane, later that day, left the town, and riding up the gulch, turned off among the mountains, through a dark, lonesome ravine, through the bot- tom of which a small creek dashed noisily, and where but little of the light of day ever penetrated. She was mounted upon her thoroughbred cayuse. which had few rivals in. the Hills, and well arm with a sixteen-shot Winchester rifle, and a brace of holster revolvers, besides those she wore in her belt, Every bit of a mountain knight she looked, as she rode along, scanning everything around her with a sharp gaze. The further she went the route continued in the ascending, and winding up into the heart of the mountain wilderness, Suddenly she drew rein and listened intently. : Ahead of her, around an abrupt bead, came clear |. and sharp the ringing thud of hoof-strokes—then a fierce shout that echoed around the hills, with cling- ing reverberations, ‘Hello! some one coming this way, I reckon Calamity muttered, wheeling her horse to one side, just behind a clump of manzinta bushes, ‘‘ Bither anpeean or road-agents, I predict, after some lone grim, ‘ She had not long to wait to learn that her prophecy was correct. A single horseman came dashing around the bend, with his horse running at full speed, while sitting with face backward, he was grasping a rifle in his _hands, ready for use. He managed to retain his seat. with as much ease as though he occupied a fronting position, which evinced superior horsemanship, From her position, Calamity could do no more in the way of a glance than to make him out as a young man—his face she could not see. Nearer and nearer he came; then a band of five mounted horse- men burst,into view around the bend, yelling like so many Comanche red-skins, They were road-agents and some of Deadwood Dick’s band, all armed with carbines of Winchester pattern, and were in hot pursuit of the lone fugitive, whose easy riding so attracted Calamity’s admira- tion, that she wheeled her cayuse out into the rayine with a ringing shout. * Let ’em have, pilgrim—plug et to’em like blazes an’ T'ilback ye! Hurra! hoa up thar, youimps ey Satan, fer ef ye buck ag’in’ Calamity Jane yer bound ter get snagged ag’in’ an earthquake!” The words were loud enough to be heard by pur- suers and pursued; then the girl dare-devil raised her rifle to her shoulder, and sent a leaden death- a with unerring aim into the road-agents, killing one outright, and ieee Sg horse. © Seeing that he ‘vas reinforced, the fugitive opened fire, also dropping one of the desperadoes from the saddle, although the wretch was only wounded. Three others were Jeft, and they came on with furi- ous oaths and curses, beating their animals with the ee to increase their speed, and then firing wildly. One chance bullet struck the fugitive’s animal in the ear, and penétrated to the brain. Instantly the oor brute began to stagger, then stumbled and ropped dead a few feet from where Calamity had taken her stand. Luckily the rider was ate os aud he leaped lightly from the saddle, an escaped injury. At the same instant Calamity’s rifle again cracked twice in succession ard each unerring bullet aon ed its man, either dead or wcunded, from the sad- le. Seeing that he now had no chance, the remain- ing outlaw turned his horse abruptly around and took the back trail, urging his anima] in mad des- peration, with both spur and voice. Bound to finish the victory, Calamity fired the remaining thirteen cartridges in her re peater, but only succeeded in wounding him, as he disappeared from view. Then she turned to the rescued fugitive, who was standing by his dead horse, and gazing at her in ad- miration and wonder. F He was a man of some five-and-twenty years, with supple, handsome form, and a light, jovial face, which, while Pe ps ae no particttar beauty, was a good-naturedly good-looking face, with perfect features, dark brown eyes and hair, and a slight dark mustache. He was attired in citizen’s garb, and armed with a rifle and a pair of revolvers, Clearly, he was astonished at his sudden rescue, for he stood gazing at Calamity as if she were some- thing more than mortal. And she Jaughed in her cool way, is she crossed» one shapely limb upon the neck of her horse, and re- turned the stare in genuine Black Hills fashion. “Guess you war purty nigh about glad to get awa frum them agents, pilgrim, warn’t ye?” she demand- ed, at length, while she lit a cigarette. “Indeed I was!” the man replied, with enthusi- asm. ‘I’ve had allthe road-agent experience I care for, since I’ve been fighting the devils for the last half hour. There were twelve of the fellows when they commenced the chase, a couple of miles back.” “An’ ye dropped ’em all, eh?” “ All but the dares you fetched down and the fel- low that escaped.” - “Wal, then, you’re a brick—thet’s all!.. Couldn’t a-done better myself, Reckon you’re a fresh "un in these diggin’s, eh?” “Tam. I only arrived at Deadwood yesterday, and, purchasing a horse, set out for a ride to Whoop- Up, wherever that may be, having no idea that the distance was 80 great. But, excuse me, please, you’re a woman, are you not?” “Well, yes, Lreckon I am in flesh, but notin spirit o’ late years, Ye see, they kind 0’ got matters dis- comfuddled w’en I was created, an’ Lturned out to — ed a gal instead of a man, which I ought to hev een. “Indeed? There is something in your face which reminds me of a girl I used to know six years ago, before I went Rast, from Denver, What is your name, ma-am?” s

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24 Deadwood Dick on Deck. “Calamity Jane, at yer service.” “What? Janice was my little sweetheart’s name!” the stranger exclaimed, drawing nearer. “It can- not be that you are indeed Jennie Forrest—the same I once knew? She left Denver for Virginia City a couple of years after, since when [have never heard a word from her.” “Yes, 1am Jennie—she that was Jennie Forrest, Calamity replied, slowly. ‘‘ But who can you be? “Tam Charley Davis—don’t you remember me? Six years ago, on your sixteenth birthday, you pro- mised to wait for me and become my wife!" __ ** You Charley Davis?” the girl exclaimed, delight- edly; ‘‘then thar’s my paw—grab it! I’m glad to sec you as a b’ar is to hug a human.” e pauaer eagerly accepted the proffered hand - and shook it warmly, while he gazed admiringly into the face of the girl-scout. rigs “You have greatly changed, Jennie, but it is for the better, excepting your attire. Why dress thus,| ” when the attire of your own sex is more becoming?” “T don’t allow ye ken beat men’s togs much fer handy locomotion an’ so forth, an’ then, ye see, I’m as big a gun among the men as any of ’em, An’ ef ye’re goin’ to Whoop-Up, let me advise ye in one respect: snatch off thet b’iled shirt, an’ put on a flannel or caliker. Reckon they’d set youup as a swell ef ye war ter go in thet way.” “Oh, Pll run all the risks, But, Janie, isn’t your attire rather unmaidenly, considering your sex?” * Maidenly —unmaidenly!”” Calamity muttered, staring hard at him. ‘Charley Davis, when you left me, with a betrothal kiss clinging to my lips, I was @ maiden, and as modest as they make’em. But ter- rible chanzes have come since then, Iam now a world’s dare‘devil, people say, Ask me nothing, for I shall tell you the’same measure—nothing. In Whoop-Up—this trail takes ron there, by turning to your left at the canyon below—in Whoop-Up you may by chance hear all that the world knows of the cael ,, G0—hear, and then you will not be sur- prised. She spoke with a flerce earnestness that was thrill- ing, and then drew up her bridle reins as if to go, “Hold on! shall we not meet again, Jennie?” Davis exclaimed, anxiously—‘ very soon, I hope?” “Probably, as I’m generally around, hat brought you hera, sir?”? “To hunt up a man whom the Government wants, fam a special police-detective, you know.” “ ou are! Well, in Whoop-Up you kin take your pick out of all the worst devils in the West; so go ahead, and success be to you.” Saying which the girl dare-devil rode on up the ra- vine, Jeaving the stranger to pursue his way on to Whoop;Up afoot. i CHAPTER XII. \ DICK RETURNS—THE MINE A MAGAZINE. Cauamity kept on her course through the moun- tains, penetrating many ravines and dark defiles, and scouring the se bru timberssharply. She was in search of the girl who stood between her and Sandv’s love—Dusty Dick, unknown to either, who had fled from Sandy’s protection. Why she had | taken u0n herself the mission, Calamity never could have told exactly. She was interested in Sandy’s welfare and happiness; perhaps this was what prompted her. But the day wore away, and she found no traces of the runaway, and then headed her tired animal back in the direction of the mines. It was growing dark in the pine-crested hills, and she urged hersteed along at a sharp gallop, the sharp clattering of the animal’s shod feet upon the rocky trail causing long, detonating echoes to fill the nigh with weird sound. * Go along, Jacko!’’ she urged, applying the spur when the animal lagged. ‘We must hurry and ae back to town, for there is work there forme. By this time that wretch, Arkansas Alf, is up to his deviltry, and I’m going to thwart the game.” A couple of hours of swift ride brought her back into the bustling flash city. _ Sandy sat in the door of his shanty, smoking an evening cigar, when Calamity rode up, and slipped from the saddle to the ground, “Any news?” the miner interrogated, eagerly, a hopeful light shining in his eyes. . “None at all concerning Dusty Dick. Guess she’s hid whar she ain’t goin’ to be found so soon. Don’t be discouraged, tho’; I hain’t looked the whole Znouakains through. She may have gone to Dead- wood.’ ‘Probably we shall never see her again,” Sandy replied, slowly. “‘She may have killed herself,” ‘No! nary atime! Thet warn’t her lay-out, and don’t ye fergit et. I'll find_her before long, Sandy. pa ura of a man in Washington named Char- ley Davis?’ et apr not. The name does not sound familiar. 1 ie On, I\don’t ask for any partic’larreason. Thar’s aman kere by that name—didn’t know but he might be an acquaintance of yours.” “ No, I guess not. Going?’ forshe had remounted with a nimble leap. ‘* Yes, I must be going. Did you get new men at the mine?” z ok Yes, twelve or thirteen, to replace the desert- Ts After Calamity had gone, apes knocked the ash- es from his pipe, and entered the shanty, locking the door after him. To him ‘the place now had a desolate, lonely look, since Dusty Dick was not there; he could scarcely do less than feel sad, for with his whole manly heart he had loved the beauti- ful girl-woman, who had played her role so well as his pard, and her absence se-med like that vacancy left by a sudden death. All the trinkets he had bought her, even. to a handsome gold watch, had been left behind, and with a careful fondness, he marked the way she had left everything, and preserved the order, accord- ingly. y Sitting down by the table, he bowed his head woon it, and closed his eyes wearily, for despite his pros- pete and success in gaining worldly wealth, his ife lacked much of the essential light which makes living even endurable. For a long time he rested thus with his head bow- — ed; the room was in silence, only the faint hum from the bustling street broke the monotone still- ness, How long he knew not, for when he imagined him- self to be awake, he was in reality asleep and in © dreamland. The first knowledge he had of his hay- ing been asleep, was whén he was slowly awakened by the sound of a stealthy footstep. He, knew then | that he was awake—assured himself of the fact by unelosing one of his eyes sufficiently to catch a ray of light from one of the candles that was burning in the room. He then immediately closed his eye again and by harder breathing, feigned sleep, Something told him to do so; yet what? Forthe world he could not have told. Some one was in the shanty, but he knew not who. He felt a draught of air from the door, and knew that it must be open a trifle; besides, the noises of the street came in plainer. At length he heard the stealthy step again, and intuition, rather than sound of movement, taught him tha' some one was approaching him. The next moment — he felt a hot breath fan his cheek, and a pair of soft lips touch his forehead; then there was a swift, silent effort at retreating. With a.cry he opened his eyes and sprung to his feet—reached out and caught the flying figure by the shoulder, even as it would have darted out into the night. A moment later the two were face to face—the miner greatly astonished, and Dusty Dick—for it was no one else—crestfallen and confused... ~ 9 “ Dick?” Sandy ejaculated, in wonderment, “By Heaven, this is beyond my comprehension!” y \ c+ ¢

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\ Deadwood Dick on Deck, Z “Let me go, Sandy,” was the faint, choked reply. **Release me, and let me depart.” % ‘“‘No, not by any means,” and-the miner crossed the room and shut the door. ‘* Howdid you get in? —ah! I forgot; you had a key. Dick. tell me, why aid you run away from me?” and Bendy tones were reproachful, yet tender. ‘‘ You cannot imagine how I missed you.” F & “Tt was to save you from further annoyance, andy—’ “Pooh! you were foolish to suppose you could help the matter in that way. Where did you hide?” ‘In the mountains.”’ “ And why did you return?” “Because I couldn’t stay away. I wanted one more glimpse of your kind face before I forever left this place, Besides, I had a frightful dream, last night, that you were in imminent danger, and I could not go without coming to assure myself that it was untrue.” “Dick, you must not leave me. I shall not permit it. What could you do wandering about the world? —and then, too, Grosvenor might again hunt you down, and ten to one you would not have as willing a friend to fight your battles as I. Promise to stay with me till I get ready to pull out, It won’t belong, as I shall sell out the mine soon ata sacrifice in or- In the mean time, let the fools talk der to get out. who wish to.” : ‘And when you go you do not think me unwo- manly enough to follow you around wherever you might choose to lead?” Dusty Dick exclaimed, with a spice of anger. c “Certainly not, unless we can before that time effect some compromise. Perhaps you would allow me to send you back East.’” “No, no! not while my enemy lives. He would quickly follow, for he has sworn to murder me, if it costs him a life’s devoted labor.” i , “Don’t worry about him. I think hisrace is about run—am positive it is. If he gives me further mo- lestation, 1’ll shoot him, and done with it. Will you promise to stay, and—and await developments, let them come as they may?” - “Y-e-s, on one condition.’” * Name it, and I promise to grant it beforehand.” “Tt is that you will not mention the love for me zou profess, until—well, until I give you permis- sion, “fe life, romise. Now, then, we will resume the old t will be best for you to remain as strictly in the shanty as possible, and never part pomipany with your revolver. Admit no one, unless it be Calamity Jane, Deadwood Dick, or the Regulator chief I pointed out to you once, who calls himself Old Bullwhacker. These three I believe to be warm friends, who can be trusted implicitly.” And so it was, at the midnight hour, that Dusty Dick was reinstated in Sandy’s home, About this same time, the man, Arkansas Alf, in a black shadow which enveloped the rear part of the Mastodon Hotel and yard, conversing in a oe tone with Cecil Grosvenor, wLo had come but. . . “ Yas, pilgrim,” the Danite was sayin~, in a care- 4ul whisper, ‘everything is ready for the explosion as you d’rected, you bet. Me an’ ther b’yees jes finished a bit ago. “The mine ar’ heavily charged wi’ . glant powder, an’ thar is sum thirty ormore ‘leads’ _ runnin’ ter ther main fuse, w’ich is so neatly hidden, that they won’t be discovered.” se ! you are a brick,” the villainous schemer said, his tones expressing his satisfaction, “I want it to work right, you know.” “* Ht will, you bet! An’ I’ve arranged it better. Jed Fletcher will touch off ther fuse in place of me, ter *void suspicion, ye see, wile I'm playin’ off drunk heer at the Mastodon; then he an’ my other pard’ll _.Blope fer Deadwood, whar they ken lay low ’til I git Beaty ten jine ‘em. D’ye see?” 3 rtainly. Your plan is excellent, inasmuch as = 4 “4 a é , <2 é + p ee) {Sa S| I have noticed that Calamity Jane has been watc ing you rather sharp. She Mieke suspect somethin’, you know, but your plan prevents danger.” “Curse Calamity Jane!” the Danite Ghoul ex- claimed, fiercely; “I -haven’t been able to get a straight bead on her since I came here, or she’d 'a’ bin a stiff afore this. I’ve ‘Rot a grudge ag’in’ her—I hey, you bet! What time d’ye say!” , “Fifteen minutes to twelve. I'll be up here at the Mastodon. and shoot off my revolver at'some object, as a signal for the fuse to be lighted.” “Very well—ther fuse shall be lighted, an’ them in ther mine’ll, be Dlowed ter Kingdom Come,” the Danite replied, as he strode away out of the dark- ness into the brilliantly illuminated street of the town. As he left the shadow of the building, his sharp eyes detected a form skulking along ahead of him, and he at once recognized it as the same person whom the Honorable Cecil had pointed out as being the ex-road-agent, Deadwood Dick, in disguise. With an oath Arkansas Alf bounded in pursuit, and overtook the old rusty-looking codger in the middle of the street. “Hold up, you old rip!" he cried, slapping him on the shoulder, and bela ct out a formidable re- volver, “ Jest hold yer hosses, ef yer please, till we settle this matter!” The old man wheeled around in evident surprise. “ What mought ye be wantin’?” he asked, in a voice which had a perceptible tremor in it. ‘Tl show ye, d’rectly, ye ornery cuss. I reckon yer road-agent days are about over. I say, Puil- whacker,” and the Ghoul hailed the Regulator, who chanced to be passing along, ‘‘come over heer an’ see red this ain't about ther size uv a galoot ye want. : “Who've ye got?” the much-clothed road Regu- lator demanded, eying the old man and his captor in suprise, ‘‘What right have you got to arrest a man here in the street?” “The right 0’ a citizen,” the Danite replied, grim- Tecate des, I wantsumreward-money. Thisman is no one else than Deadwood Dick, in disguise.” “What? this Deadwood Dick? I heard he wes dead, in reality; anyhow, you’ve had your trouble for oe pains, Mr. Kennedy, for the Gov’yment hes withdrawn all offers of reward lately, because ov Dick’s late valuable sarvice as Regulator. Ther stuge fetched in the news not an hour ago.”’ “IT don't keer a tinker’s cuss!"’ the Danite replied, sullenly. ‘“ Jerk off this disguise, and ef the galoot’s« Deadwood Dick, I fer one*ll lend a hand ter Done him up ter ther nearestlimb. Hurray! aroad-agen raisin’ !’ A crowd of miners had by this time collected, and as all were enemies of Deadwood Dick, it looked pretty skittish for the old man. ** Well, I guess you’ll have to pull off them false whiskers, old chap!” the Regulator said; “ seein’ as how these men calkylate you’re their game. If you're Deadwood Dick, I ken’t do ye much ov any good, beim’ a Regulator. Reckon you'll have to swing.’ “ “Reckon I won't!” was the cool reply, which’ somehow sounded familiar to the crowd. “Et ain’t quite my forte ter perform gymnastics in ther atmo- ee ef ther old Loe et knows etself.”” Then the old man stepped back a pace, touched a spring in his clothing, and his ragged garb fell to the ground, revealing a well-fitting buckskin suit be- neath. Off then came the wig and false beard, and there, before the astonished crowd, stood — not Deadwood Dick, but the dare-devil, Calamity Jane! “A eute cuss, warn’t ye Alf Kennedy!’ she chuckled, grimly. ‘ Didn’t know that ye war snag- gin’ ag’in’ death itself, did ye, you villain? Ha! hal all you bloodthirsty galoots—how d’ye like my style, fer Deadwood Dick?” “You! Jane Forrest?” the Danite exclaimed, reeling back at the sudden apparition. ‘Curse ih ‘Don't curse me, Alf Kennedy! It is I who should Pa

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: _ She spoke in a swift loud tone; then turned and by pos what gold thoy could get,” Sandy wit! 26 Deadwood Dick on Deck. hurried toward the mouth of the mine. It did not take Sandy but an instant to comprehend, and he ordered every man to fly, for his own life’s sake, from the danger. s Bronson :nd himself were the last to leave the ~ doomed mine, and hurry out upon the stream shore, where the other miners and Calamity Jane were standing. A small crowd was gradually collecting, making wondering inquiries in regard to the hasty stampede from the mine, And they had buta moment to wait before they were answered. Simultaneously, almost, with the echo of a pis: tol-report in the upper part of the town, there ap: peared, in the mouth of the mine, a hissing, vivid curse you, my destroyer? There! there! put up-your istol; I ain’t a-goin’ to kill ye yet. I’m reservin’ ye i wot time when I shall have time to attend yer eral.” And, turr’ zs on her heel, she strode fearlessly away, while Arkansas Alf made his way toward the Lightning Lode, to advise his pards. Honorable Cecil Grosvenor’s apartment at the Mastodon consisted of a room which overlooked the dark side of the gulch, and was lighted by a single window in daytime. At night bis only light con- sisted of a dingy lamp. After leaving Arkansas Alf, he entered the hotel which was flourishing under Colonel Joe’s super- vision, and ascended to his room in an excellent | glare of flame, which expired in a second, to be fol- frame of mind, for him, owed the next minute by one of the most frightful “Inashort time more the man who stands be-s| explosions that ever jarred the pine-crested moun- tween me and a big fortune will be dead!” ho mut- | tains in the vicinity of Whoop-Up’s flash city. tered, exultaatly. ‘* Then I will go back Fast and—| Nothing, of course, was seen of the explosion, but — keep well away from Washington, The rest of my | the thundering roar of the concussion echoed far days can be spent in wealth and luxury, Hal” and wide, over hill and valley, and the jar made the e uttered the latter exclamation as there was a | earth tremble asif shaken by an earthquake, Sandy, crashing of glass, and a stone came hurtling into the | Calamity, and the others standing in the famneaieie room. vicinity, were thrown violently to the ground, but - On picking it up the speculator found it to be } luckily sistained no serious injuries. The glass in wrapped in white letter-paper, on which was writ- | the neigaboring shanty windows was badly broken, ing. Examination disclosed the following, which | and the whole town pretty badly shaken up and had been penned in a woman’s chirography: ar oa ' i had i ies everal gangs of men, who at the momen’ *Cuort Grosvitnor:—You are playing a dangerous | the Eivintion hess working on the mountatneida ame against a man who will in the end crush you. | above the town, were precipitated promiscuously . for one, will help him do it. beige ens eased down the sheer declivity, doing more or less injury “P.§.—Your plots and schemes will avail you to tlesh and bones. little—Sandy will triumph.” A crowd hastily assembled from the upper part of the street, and began to press inquiries as to the na- ture and cause of the explosion; a general excite- ment prevailed, and many were the questions that were leveled at Sandy. act “T don’t know anything about the matter!” the . miner replied, standing proudly erect, with folded — arms, and gazing around jnto the grim faces of men who only yesterday had regarded him with suspi- — cion; “cannot tell you anything, except that at the eril of her own life this beroic girl”—with a nod _ oward Calamity— came into the mine and warned us to quickly abandon it, as an explosion was about ta occur, We barely got out, and,then she went off.” ; : * Lreckon it's a snide game ter dislodge us fellers _ up above!” one miner growled, who had come down ~ to the guich, end over end. ‘Et’s a darned nasty joke at the best of et, I say!” . “That’s me!” chimed in half adozen others, grim» . ‘Et ain’t ther kind o’ work we'd take yeto do, ~ ndy; but considerin’ what’s been said lately, ye really don’t seem ter be ther man we tuk ye fer.” rs “Hold up, hayr—don’t git up no row over a few spilled oats!” cried Calamity, stepping fearlessly ,forward, ‘“‘Ef ye’re goin’ ter intimate thet Sandy hed ennything ter do wi’ thet bees on yerdurned liars, every mother’s sono’ ye, Lhappen ter know all about ther matter.” “Bully fer thergal! Hip hooray fer their heeriie o’ ther gulch!” cried a voice, and old Colonel Joe CHAPTER XIV, THE EXPLOSION AT THE MINE, ; Ox the following morning Sandy went to the mine as usual, and found the gang already at. work, with the exception of three men, whom Superintendent Bronson announced as having left without claiming their wages. “The same three, by the way, who wanted to lode in the mine,”’ he said. ~ “ Probably they made the best of their night’s hes , asmile. ‘ After this we'll geta trusty guard— ‘my dog Suffalo, for instance, Very few would at- temot to pass him, I reckon.” And sre rockiog of danger, or the diabolical plot of Cecil Grosvenor to blow up the mine, Sandy went in to work along with the rest of the miners, The work of getting at the rich rock was prosecuted generally by blasting with that strong explosive, «“giant” powder. One blast often was sufficient to dislodge enough rock to fill a_car, which was then drawn out into the crushing mill, near the mouth of the mine. F Sandy worked away this morning with renewed enerzy, for the return of Dusty Dick had acted upon him like a rejuvenator; he felt twice the ambition to labor that he had before, while she was away. Somehow, he felt that his whole existence was bound up in her -keeping—she, little more than a stranger to him, whose real name even he did not know. About. twenty minutes before the steam-whistles were to blow for twelve o’clock, Sandy was arrested in his work of directing a heavy blast, by a quick inch ppon hisarm. Wheeling about he confronted Alamiby Jane. The tlare-devil girl’s face was flushed with excite- ment. and her eyes had a dusky, scared expression. “Pollo! You /’? Sandy said, with anod, “What can I do for you—” u = cae get out of the mine—there fs no time for words. Fly! every mother’s son of you, for the mine’ll be blown to flinders less’n five jiffies!” antee to lick the cuss as sez so, I Sandy hedn’t othin’ ter do wi’ the! Ro

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v3 I sed before. I an’. four others war the only ones as knowed et war ter come off. Toaly got iater ther secrit by overhearin’, on two occasions, the pee 0’ the cussed business, Shouldn’t ‘a overheard that only I war keepin’ a watch o’ ther ruffian Arkansas Alf—who are the notorious Dakota Danite, by the way—who I hed some business ter settle wi. -A feller hired him an’ his two pards ter go hire out at ther mine yesterday. when hands war skeerce, an’ last night ter charge the mine wi’ giant owder, wi’ a lead-fuse up the gulch yonder. The A es was ter beset off at fifteen minuteso twelve to-day, an’ blow Sandy hayr teratoms. That’s how the thing stands, pilgrims. I only hed about time ter get Sandy word a bit ago, on returnin’ from a scout, then she went off!” ' “*Hurra! hip! hip!” yelled Colonel Joe Tubbs, en- thusiastically, and his proposition was followed by a cheer froma portion of the crowd. **Ye're a clear quill angel, C’lamity, an’ don’t ye fergit et. Hf I war legally unhitched trom ay Angelina Araminthae| Tubbs, dog my cats ef I wouldn’t propose.” “Yer yarn is all very well, gall’? said the miner who had previously a an investigation; * but ye ken’t_expect. uster take yer word fer et wi’out proof. Yer character don’t consist altergether 0? truth and—” : ‘ See > His sentence was finished in a ringing shriek, for Calamity had drawn a revolver and shot him, even while his sarcastic words left his lips, and he fell to the ground, wounded through the breast, “So much fer your lyin’, you miserable whelp!”’ the girl cried. yeonaet suddenly to a high pitch of anger. “If { was dishonored once, by one such as you, no man’s defiling touch has reached me since. That villain still lives who foully robbed Jane For- restof her maiden name, but never of her honor; that same man has dared to come to this very town, and do menial work for the wretch who planned Sandy’s destruction; but as there is a-God to hear my oath, he shall never live toruin any others, I have already set the day.” When she ceased speaking, t were several minutes of silence, not a word being uttered. The crowd had swollen greatly in numbers—Cecil Gros- yenor came with it, but the moment he caught a ~ glimpse of Sandy, he wheeled suddenly and retraced his steps toward the Mastodon, a fierce but smoth- ered oath breaking from his lips. **Then the game still lives, eh?’ he gritted, a ma- lignant expression on his face, as he hurried along, which caused more than one man to glance at him curiously the second time. “Ten thousand devils take that Danite! He has either betrayed me, or else has worked so clumsily that our game was discovered and balked. The girl, Calamity Jane, is mixed up in the affair, Curse the luck, anyhow! What shall I do? Will it be dangerous for me toremain here? I will run the risk. Ifit comes to the worst, I can buy my way ‘cut of town with money which these groveling idiots worship.” ‘ Thesilenceafter Calamity’s{oath was finally broken by the miner, Gorgon, who had acted as spokesman for the people. “You claim to know this man who plotted for ~ Sandy’s destruction—why don’t ye give the namet”’ he said, eying the dare-devil sharply, as he lay - upon the ground, unable to rise, because of his wornds, _- *“Q rtainly. The man’s name is Honorable Cecil Grosvenor, from Washington;-he who stops at the _ Mastodon. He is Sandy’s enemy; come heer on pernoee to murder him, an’ also to kill the woman : andy. hes under his protection, whom ye hev known as Dusty Dick.” ~ "Gentlemen, ye’ve all heerd the gal’s word, an’ Tl vouch fer ets truth; so cl’ar away, an’ hey no more argyment!”? cried the Regulator, Old Pull- whacker, riding into the crowd authoritatively. Deadwood Dick on = 24 ~ see. Cl'ar away now, an’ no more 0° yer quarrelin’ wi’ a man ag hain’t done ye no injury. And as the much-clothed Regulator was Drowy generally accepted as the law of the town sincé his arrival, there was a lively scattering of the crow? back to the heart of the street, or to such work a: had been abandoned for the purpose of visiting the scene of the ne a Soon Sandy, Calamity, and the miners belonging to the Lightning Lode were the only ones left on the spots and they endeavored to make a discovery of the damage done the interior of the mine. But {hey were disappointed in finding the entrance uttc rly choked up with huge rocks and bowlders, which bad been dislodged by, the explosion. “ Set the men to work, Bronson,” Sandy said, “and get a passage cleared into the mine. ou may find some valuable quartz rock eect by the explo. sion, and can mine it and send ttto the crusher. I leave matters in your charge, to-day, as I have some bysiness to attend to elsewhere.” Bronson bowed, and with the miners went off to attack their labor. : andy then turned to Calamity Jane with extended hand and glistening eyes, “Calamity, my dear girl, how can lever repay you for your heroie efforts in my behalf? But name the way, and glacly I will hastily go to work to re- pay my debt.” “Don’t talk o’ pay, Sandy; you're friendliness to- ward mé is sufficient remuneration for all that I ae been éble to de for you. There is only one ing—' “ Nameiit, Jennic, name it.” : “It is this: if you ever kneel to pray to the All- wise Ruler above, just give me a favorable mention.” ‘**Bless you, of course I willl” Sandy replied. asthe eccentric girl strode away, and he took an Sepout eourse in going toward his cabin. ‘I worder if Dusty Dick has heard and become alarmed at the explosion?” re A few minutes later he approached his cabin, to benold Cecil Grosvenor standing at the door, pound- ing upon it with his heavy cane, and at the same time cursing Dusty Dick, who was inside. “Let me in, woman, or durn my eyes I'll butcher you, directly!” Sandy heard the fierce'y; then the miner stole silently up, and a moment later the villainous speculator found him self lying sprawling in the middle of the street. When he discovered, who had been his assailant, he hastily scrambled to his feet and made a move to- ward drawing a revolver, but the click! click! of Sandy’s,weapon caused bim to desist. “Puf up your shooting-iron!” the miner said, grimly, “and get yourself out of town on the quick- step if,you desire to save your hide. Remember, that I give re only this chance; the next time we meet, you] get used rougher yet,’ ; Will I?” the Honorable Cecil exclaimed, in blind fury, as he limped away. ‘‘Il have that woman in there, Sandy, if I_have to buy the whole town to help me get her, I promise you that—Iswearit!” Calamity Jane after leaving Sandy, met Charley Davis further up the gulch, returning from a view of the town. 3 ; Ah!” he exclaimed, shaking hands in delizht, 1 never was so glad to see you, Jennie. What was that bu’st-up a bit ago? It nearly jarred the senses out of me,” : “ Sandy’s mine blew up,” Calamity replied. “Yes? By the way, Jennie, lsaw this man, Sandy, this"morning—he is one of the men I particularly wish to see. His name used to be Har) Beverly, out in Washington. My other victim, Honorable Cecil Grosvenor, I have not found yet—probably 1 shall have to hunt elsewhere for him,” *“Qecil Grosvenor? Why we is here in Whoop-Uy —the same man who tried to blow Sandy up, inthe — Say “What if Sendy did blow up his own mine, wich | mine” __ _WPlallow he didn’t; et’s none o’ yer bizness, as I ken “Ha? then I’m in luck. Ihave both of the birde ashing tonian ery, — La.

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28 in one grasp!" the detective exclaimed, with a triumphant chuckle. ‘So Grosvenor is up to devil- ‘ry out here then? Well, ’ll have to attend to his vase directly. Good-day, Jennie, if you call that go- inz,”’ for the girl was hurrying away. ‘A stranze creature, that—not much like the little Janie For- rest [ knew years ago.” ; CHAPTER XV. A NEW ATTACK, WITH DISCLOSURES, Sanpy watched his euemy until he had disappeared around the bend; thon turne.l| and gave the signal and was admittel by Dusty Dick, whoss face was very pale, aad form tremblin ¢ with excitement, ‘The old villain frightened you, eh?” the hand- some miner said, throwing down his mining imple- ments in one corner, and sinking into a chair, “ Oh! yes!’ Dick replied, witha shiver. ‘‘ He used such terrible threats, that I could do no less than get seared, He is a yory bold, wicked m2, Sandy.” *“¥og: Dye racently had an illustration of that fact,” Sandy replied, wih a grim smile. “You hearl the explosion? Well, the wretch hired some rufflans to blow up the mine, with ma init. We got out, however, by the warning of Calamity Jane, and balked the schemer, I'm going to have a settlement with him presently.” Tie meant it, too. He had come to the conclusion that discretion in this case was gradually ceasing to be the better part of valor. He foresaw that if he remained silent and let his enemy plot and scheme without qu>stion, he would be the los-rin the end, All the resi of the day he kept closely inside of his shanty, and wa3in a brown study. Dusty Dick went carefully about the duties of the house, wit womanly gentleness, using caution not to disturb the miner in his reflection. Just at dark sxe discovered that a large crowd of miners an‘ townspeople were gathering on the street, in front of- fhe shanty, and in terror she’ aroused Sindy. to call his attention to the fact. He Baier out of the window; then crossed the’ room ft) his ammunition corner, where he buckled oa his belt of revolvers, * *Lesn't quitsinazine what the fools mean, now!” he said, his face flushing angrily. ‘I sappose it’s somet iin zs more concerniny the mine explosion, You remain in here out of sight, Dick; if you're wanted I will call, and you can come out. Don’t be afraid, for they shall not hurt you whils I live,” Then the miner opened the doer, stepped outside non the little threshold veranda, closing the door behind him q 1ickly. A series of sereeches, groans and hisses greeted his appearance; it seomod to him that the whole town had turned out ia one mass. for a sea of grim fices and fori’ filled the width of the street—faces tait were of every tyne of expression, Several men fronte1 the a2839mblage, on horseback, amonyr whom were Cecil Grosvenor, Arkansas Alf, tie Danite Giou!, and the pew Regulator chief, Old Bullwhacker. As the miner came out, the Regulator motioned forthe crowd to be silent, and when the desired silence was established, he rod2 a little nearer, and drew rin, “T suppos? you don’t exactly understand the meaning of allthis assemblage, eb?’’ he said, good- naturedly. ‘If not, I will explain. These people have seen fit to put me ahead of ’emin thet matter, as a, sort 0’ police, tho’ et’s much ag’in’ my grain. They’ve ordered me ter come here and enforce the rights o’ this man at my left. an’ mae yer give up ther woman as ye've got iaside, They’ve got sum leetie proofs ter display. they say, an’ ef ct’s all as they allow. I reckon we'll hey ter take the gal, an’ mebbe lock ye up fer trial on charge o’ abductin’ another man’s wife.” : “What's this you say?’ Sandy cried, sternly— “another man’s wife? Whose wife have 1 been keep- ing, pray? tay wife!’ Cecil Grosvenor cried, an expression | ‘ a Deadwood Dick on Deck. of gloating triumph upon his bloated face, which was purely devilish. “My wife, Karl Beverly, «li7s Sandy Whatever- you-eall-yourself. The woman inside your cabin was legally married to me in the city of Richmond, Virzinia, less than seven months ago. For some unaccountable reason she fled from my board, and I have been searching for her ever since, at last to find her living here with you. I have enlisted all these people in my cause and I demand that you de- liver up the woman whom you have harbored and palme | off as a bo.” While the speculator was speaking, Sandy stood lite one struck dumb, Tt had never occurred to him that Dusty Dick hai been married—he liad belived her a maiden whom some villain was trying to coerce or wrong in some way. “Perhaps you have proofs of all that you say, Cecil Grosvenor,” he replied, calmly, as he surveyed with composure each face in the crowd. “Thave proof -noug’ in this!’ the Washingtonian — declared victoriously, as ha waved a sheet of paper in the air, ‘* Mi. Rogulstor, please read it for the edification of the crowd and yonder gentleman on the steps, if you will be so kind.” ~ Old Bullwhacker received the paper, and glanced it over a moment before speaking. “Tt is a marriage certificate,” he said, finally, ‘of the union of Cecil Grosvenor, of “Washington, to Miss Edna Sutton, 3 Richmond, Virginia, by the Reverend Jackson Dalley, in the presence of s_ veral wibnesses,”” ‘“Very well,’ Sandy replicd— that is your say, T'llnow see what my pard knows about it.” He turned to the door, opened it, and at a beckon Dusty Dick came out on the veranda, trembling in spite of an cffort to be brave. “Dick,” Sandy said, in a tone loud enough to be heard in any part of the crowd, “Cecil Gros- venor claims that you are his wife, and shows a A Baton of his marriage with you. Tell us what about it.” ‘ “Tt is true, so far as the marriage is concerned!” — Dick replied, spaskire ina clear tone, “ At the wich of adving uncle and yuardian I married that ian, believing him _ to bea gentleman. I speedily found him out to be a brute. In my father’s will which came to light six years ago, after his death, I was willed the whole of his fortune, with the proviso that it should be mine at the age of eighteen, and if I should then marry, m husband was to have control of my property. It was only at my dying ¢ 1ardian’s advico that I married Cecil Grosvenor, H» knew of the provisions in my father’s will, and hoping to get entire posses- sion of my fortune, attempted on several occasions to murder me. To save my life I fled and came West, preferring that he should have the money rather than my life, But he pursued me, and hoping to escape him, I donned this male attire and entered the mountains, » : “This gentleman, whom you call Sandy, was the first to come upon and recognize me asa woman, In terror I begged him to keep my secret, and on learn- ing that 1 was trying to escape an enemy, he prom- issd—more, volunteered, out of pity for my plight, té make me his pard, trusting that he could do so without impairing his position as a man of honor, which he is. Fool that I was, I came here a lone, hel>lass woman, only to bring trouble upon my pro- tector and sacred friynd. I am not Cecil Grosvenor’s legal wife, for since leaving him I have learned that he has a former wife living, from whom he never obtained a divorce!” y 5 ‘Tis a lie—a base, malicious falsehood!’ the Honorable Cecil cried, vehemently. Richmond.” “I can swear to the contrary!’ cried a voice, and “T never was” married previous to my union with Edna Sutton, of © then the crowd separated, and a pense ee 7 vailed woman, clad in black, and well mounted upog @ powerful steed, rode into the scene at a gallop. iors 4

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- Hever ‘o be asked that question again. Yes—in the + ‘not yet reached its climax. Yw, a forger and a Deadwood Dick on Deck. © Oecil Grosvenor is a liar and a Alack-hearted bigamist. Zam Mare Grusrncr, his only legally- wedded wife, and here, Mr. Regulator, is my mar-, riage certificate,’ and she handed Old Bullwhacker a document. ‘Tis a black, infamous lie- an ungodly cheat!” eried Cecil Grosvenor, red with furicus rage, while he attempted to draw a revolver; but a couple of Bullwhacker’s men quickly stepped forward and re-,| lieved him of his weapon, and also served the Danite Ghoul in the same iN “Itis true!’ replied Bullwhacker. quictly. ‘‘ This doeument records the marriage of Cecil Grosvenor and Marie Lydia Galton, m Washincton, several years ago. You will please raise your vail, ma'am.” The vail was raise@—then all of the crowd gavea murmur of surprise, for the woman on the horse was ene they had seen repeatedly, and admired, too—the keeper of the dance-house of Whoop-Up, whose beauty stood unequa ed—Madame Minnie ilton, ‘yu, Marie!’ Ce il Grosvenor gasped, in a hoars: tone. “ By Heaven! I believe you are telling the truth! “Why was it I failed to recognize you be- fore? Your face seemed familiar; but your hair—” “Has been cleverly bleached from its original color,” Madame Minnie replied, with a low laugh. *Qecil Grosvenor, ’d advise you to go back to Washington, and not attempt any more nefarious games. Gentlemen, to give you an i'ea of the vil- Jain as he is, Jet me tell you that since coming here to Whoop-Up, he propore / to me, his own wife, even while searching for yonder fir. whom it seems he hos inveigled into a wholly illegal mateh. His bru- tality caused me to quit him years ago: no woman could live with such a beast as he is, fora beast he is in all his nature.” Then the beautiful blonde wheeled her horse and haa 1 away, leaving behind her an astonished au- dionse, t “Gentlemen!” eried {Old Bullwhacker, mounting the steps alongside Sandy and Edna, “ye’ve all heard about ther matter. I calkylate et’s been made clear enongh that Sandy heer has as much right ter purtect the gal as you or I, ain't et? Them as thinks my way will make et manifest by sayin’ Z/ Contrary, 70!” There was a tremendous-yell of ‘‘T,’’ without a single dissenting voice, and then the crowd dis- ee. leaving only Cecil Grosvenor and Calamity ane behind, *Loo out for m2, Harl Beverly!’ the Washing- tonian cried, as he shook one clinched fist toward the shanty—‘‘look out for me, for this matter has murderer, shall pay the penalty ere I leave the ae Both of you shall die, as my daughter Elise ed! _ Then he strode away, with oaths upon his burning ips ; ‘All that is evilis in that man,’ Sandy mused, as he witched the retreating form. ‘Hello! is that NA Calamity?” as the girl came up. ‘‘ What is 7? “T wished to speak with you a moment, for I think that you are in greater peril than before. You see the man standing over there on the bank of the ervek? Well, he is the Charley Davis, of whom I spoke, He has come here to Whoop-Up on an im- portant mission, and, moreover, he knows you, as Marl Beverly. San wy, were you ever guilty of any criminal act in the East?” E ‘The miner’s face became tinged with a grayish pallor, and his eyes look d wild at the question. _ “Orime!” he gasped, a sudden tremor passin; over his frame—‘‘guilty? My God, I had hoye eyes of tha law I am a‘criminal—a forger, and an ac- cused murderer, You heard Cecil Grosvenor throw it up in my face; it is the ners weapon he has to brand me with. If he were in the States, where law yeigns supreme, he would have me more in his power. Of the murder part I am innocent—the 29 — other; but, bah! why tell you? I know what you would say, Calamity Jane—that man, Davis, is a de- tective, and has come to arrest me!” ‘Alas! Sandy, I have every reason to believe so, for he knows you, and has come here to find two men—you and Ceeil Grosvenor!” “Ten, go tell him.to come here and do his duty, If he wants me, I shall not refuse to go, for after fleeing from the States once to evade arrest, I] am not eager to become a fugitive again. I may as well . submit, and stand my trial now as in the hereafter; ishall have to have it, some time.” “But not now!” Calamity said, solemnly. ‘ Lis+ ten to, and obey me, and_you will afterwards thank me for my counsel. That man was once my lover, and is still, for that matter, and I can influence him. I will get him out of the way; then you are to get a couple of mules,and two saddle-horses, pack up your worldly effects, and slide out of town wit Edna during the night. It is your best move, for the present, Before you come back—but_never mind. Just out of town you will meet an Indi n~ boy, who will take you to a deserted cabin in Pica- une Gulch, where you are to remain until I come, romise me you will do this.” “IT promise. You are a genius, Calamity, and T will trust you.” “Very well. Get ready and goat once. It won't be long ere I shall be with you.” Then, with a hand-shake, the eccentric girl was. ff down the street, whistling gayly a mountain mel- ody. With a cloudy brow, Sandy watched her until she had disappeared in the gloom; then turned and re- joined Dusty Dick in the ene “ Dick!” the miner said, huskily, ‘are you goin to live this life further with me—me, a felon? Ha ou not better take the next stage for other parts, Instead of thinking of going with me?” "Nola thousand times no! You befriended me once, and do you think I would desert. you in yu ur durk hour? ‘No, indeed! That would nct be wi manly. Iwill go with you wherever you £0, unti yon are freed from Cecil Grosvenor'’s scheming; ien— . She did not finish the sentence, but went on pack- ing up. With the cloud still on his brow, Sandy assisted. The property to be moved did not amount to much of a load when it was all gathered. Sandy owned several horses and mules, and he soon had a couple of saddle-horses and pack-animals at the door. 7 The Danite Ghoul in Bea took notice of thé fact, and hunted Cecil Grosvenor up, in a saloon, where he had taken lodgings, after being promptly kicked out of the Mastodon by Colonel Joe Tubbs, » ests ce atk after the mine explosion. * “Sandy an’ the gal’s pullin’ out o' town,” the Danite said. ‘Shall I foller ’em?”’ “Yes, do so by all means!” Grosvenor replied fiercely. ‘‘They think to escape me, but wil find their mistake. Find out where they go, and then report tome. Here are fifty dollars; see that you serve me well.”’ Arkansas Alf bowed civilly, and, after drinking, at the bar, hurried out into the sight, and hired him. self a horse, preparatory to following the fugitives, CHAPTER XVI. DEVELOPMENTS EXTRAORDINARY—CONCLUSION, Arrmr everything was in readiness; Sandy and Dusty Dick mounted t}eir horses, and leading the ack-mules behind, stole quieily out of the town, aking the northern course cf the gulch. Fortunate- ly there were few men on the street along the route. since all the saloons and gaming-hells and dance houses were located further south, and the fugitives got safely beyond where civilization had pitched its canvas in the gulch. * y Here they were met by an Indian lad, as Calamity Aud prophesied, who offered to conduct them te the s ‘

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30 deéserte? cabin in Picayune Gulch, an abandoned claim on the irail to Deadwood. So they followed his lead, and by early day-dawn were established in an old, tumbledown mass of Logs in'a disnial ravine between the mountains. he mules were unpacked and turned out to graze, and things were arranged about the cabin, as com- fortably ag possible, the Indian lad assisting to bring wood and build a fire upon the bread hearth, He also fetched ina haunch of mountain deer, which he had_killzd, and helped Edna—still personating Dasty Dick -to pie 9 a savory meal. “his seems like being banished to some isolated portion of tne earth,” Sandy said, He was sitting in the doorway, gazing around dis- sith catiaed upon the impressive wilderness spread out baforeldm, “T haven’t the least idea Tshall stay here long, un- less civilizstion follows me here.” “You won’t go back to Whoop-Up?” Edna inter- rogated, penising in her work of ryashing the meat, . “Probatty. If Calamity compromis sends that detective off the rack, [ shall go back “nd attend! to my interests for a while, Jfirst, how- ever, Ishall take unto me a wife.” ou speak with a great deal of assurance, sir.” **And kaow whereof I speak,” Sandy replied, with a triumpl.ant smile. The breakfast was prepared and dispatched, then leaving tle Indian boy at the cabin, Sandy called to Buffalo, shouldered his rifle, and started off in search ol‘game, This time he kept his eye out in search of bears, legi he should have another unwel- come adventure with one of the fierce tribe. About soon he weturned to the cabin with a fine brace of Bene. ide found his pard alone, and in great agi- ation, “The enemy!’ she gasped, in answer to Sandy’s patsprogatlye look. * They ars coming to attack us!” f “Eh? They are? How do you know?” “The tndian boy has discovered them entering the guleh, awd has gone to watch them, Ah! here he comes now,” as the young red-skin came trotting teisurely up the bluff on which the cabin stood, ‘Well, what is this about intruders, boy?’ the mi- mer dem:inded; ‘* where are they?” “hers!” the youth replied, pointing down *the ul¢h tc where several horsemen were rounding a vend, Asthey were still at too great a distance to be recoguized by the naked eye, Sandy procured a fleld-glacs from among his effects, and leveled it at them. ine intaely. 3 ‘ ‘Hal’ he muttered, with a visible start: ‘ what can this mean? O1in it be possible that we have been betrayed and decoyed off to this place for foul purposes?” : “Why? what is it?—who [are they?” Dusty Dick demanded anxiously. ~ “Who?” the miner gritted, with flashing eyes— *Cwho, indeed, but those I have counted friends, now in company with my enemy. 1t is our com- bined enemy, Cecil Grosvenor, accompanied by Ca- Jamity Jane, the detective, Davis, and Old Bull- wheacker with four of his Regulators ” 4 “Do you think they aré coming for you?” Dick asked, her voice trembling, and o \¢ hand clutching the miner’s arm, convulsively. ‘Oh! Sandy, what if they should be coming to murder us—or part us!” “Don’t worry, little one; we'll wait and see, If IT find out that there’s any treachery afoot, 1’ll blow ghe brains out of Cecil Grosvenor and Calamity Jane, and then fight the others. I can’t quite make it seem, though, that the girl is so/false and treach- erous as would seem by a glance at yonder crowd.” With anxiously-beating hearts the trio at the cabin waited outside the cabin door, each armed with a rifle—for the Indian youth had taken a decided lik- ing to Sandy, and signified his willingness to fight, shoulc it be necessary. Nearer and nearer the cavaleade came, and at last @alamity Jane held upa white rag og the muzzle of es with, or. Deadwood Dick on Deck. : her gun, as a flag of truce, and Sandy, half donbt- ful wat to do, waved his hat, for them to ap: proach. ‘We'll give ’em a show anyhow!” he muttered, “Watch ’em sharp, and if yousee a treacherous move, lot em have the contents of your revolvers, for they sha’n’t take us without a struggle!” Nearer and nearer the cavalcade aes and finally halted upon the plot in front of the eabin, and at a word from Calamity Jane dismounted. _ Sandy and his two companions had retreated a few paces, and put their backs against the cabin wall—each held a pair of cocked revolvers leveled upon the new-comers, ready for instant emergency, After dismounting, Cecil Grosvenor turned toward his foe, with a bland smile of tyjumph. “You may aswell put up ye weapons, Sandy!” he declared. ‘for you sea that we are over two to pone one. You also see that I came prepared to ake youand hang Mone root ting an end toyou. §o, instead of putting us to the trouble of shooting you down where you stand!” “No!” Sandy thundered; ‘*T will never surrender, and he is a dead man who tries to take me! Calam- ity Jane, what am I to understand—have you joined with this villain and betrayed us?” “Waal, et ruther luks that way, don’t efi?” the dare-devil replied, with a grim smile; *‘ but, ye sec, such ain't the case. When Calamity Jane goes back on a pard, ye.can calkylate on ther world’s comin’ ter anend. Mr. Davis, you'll be kind enough to do yer duty, an’ put Sandy’s doubts at rest.” is the root of all evil, and with some of the bought over these present to assist me in put- “Very well. My duty, ladies and gentlemen, lies - in arresting this man, Cecil Grosvenor, of Washing-. ton, for bank robbery in said city, May last. Re- gulators, seize him.” - With alacrity the men obeyed, and even before the villainous speculator could gasp out his surprise he was handcuffed securely. “Curses and furies! what means this outrageous insult to a law-abiding citizen?’ he roared, livid with rage, ‘“ Release me!” 3 “Sorry for you, Mr. Grosvenor, but that ain’t in ou up and I’m going to do it. - you may as well surrender, the line of my duty!” Davis repiied, with a smile, ~ “I’ve been laying for you ever since you left Wash- ington, and when we all accepted of your offer of money this morning, the matter was arranged be- tween myself end these gentlemen and Calamity. You are my prisoner, and must 50 back to Washing- ton and stand your trial as a defaulter and robber.” * And, I dare say, you calculate to take me along at the same time, eh?” Sandy said, with sarcasm, “On the contrary, no, Mr. Beverly. 1t is a part of my business here, to implicate Cecil Grosvenor, pad Jree you from guilt, If you will listen, I will re- ate you a little story: 5 : ‘“‘Soveral years ago—it.does not matter avout dates—you were a clerk in a banking-office, of which Cecil Grosvenor was the president, “You had a small fortune of your own, and knowing this, this man, Grosvenor, madefriends with you—invited yo: to his grand home, which was 5 etaced by a beautiful and aristocratic daughter. H-re you were tempted by as fair and scheming asiren as ever reigned in the Capital, and led into dissipation. Once started you had no control over yourself, and soon lost you: position and sunk deeper and deeper into the sloughs of drunkenness. Nor did you stop until vou were suddenly awakened to the fact that you had squan- — dered a your own available cash, and forged your employer’s name to the tune of five thousand dol- lars, - ‘Mise Grosvenor hurled this gross charge in your — faces one day while you were riding along a steep highway on the shore of the Potomac. “At the time ye were, as usual, full of liquor, and the taunt maddened you. In an excess of rage, you drew a pistol and fired at her, and just at this moment, Cecil Grosvenor came riding after you in — ‘ . *

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€ Deadwood Dick on Deck. ene hot pursuit, You saw him—saw the frightened steed of Elise Grosvenor plunge over the dizzy hight with its rider; then you put spurs to your horse. and escaped. You were never afterw_rd seen in the Kast. Is this not true?” “All -truel’? Sandy replied, his head bowed and face pale, : ; ; “Well, it chanced that at this time an old uncle had died, and deposited with Cecil Grosvenor, for you, a fortune of some fifteen thousand dollars, Of this you never knew, and, as the world was as jigno- rant as you, it all went in to increase the Grosvenor millions. Since then, CeciGrosyenor has made and lost money—is now worth millions, but it is all in under his brother’s namie, His latest crime has been to leave Weare on, after robbing several banks of large sums, he having official connection with such banks, ; “Txactly!? Cecil Grosvenor said, triumphantly; “but, even allowing that all you have said be true, you have not yet cleared Earl Beverly of murder and forgery.”” s “We will get to that presently,” Davis said, with asmile. ‘Little Jess than six months ago, while searching for you, I assisted in a raid on a faro-bank and dance-house in Kansas City. Among the crea tures there we found one at the point of death, and, from her lips, Lecopied down her dying confession. She was Ziase Crosre: or, once the Washington belle. She had not been killed on that day when her horse leaped into the Potomac, as supposed, but had been rescued, and, with her own consent, was carried ina yacht to New Orleans, to pursue a career which ended in death ina gambling den. In her confes- sion, Earl Beverly, she declared you to be innocent of the crime of forgery, One night, when yeu were stupefled by drink, she and an accomplice had forged the checks, and given them to you to get cashed which you did, without knowing of :her sin, So, have referred the confession to the Washington au- thorities, and to-day, Warl Beverly, youstand before the world an innocent man!” ‘ © Thank God!’ was all that Sandy could find voice to utter; then he staggered and fell in a swoon, strong, self-controlied man though he was. The news of his innocence was too much for him to bear, Carefully he was raised and borne into the cabin. by Davis, the detective, and Old Bullwhacker, and anxious hands worked swiftly over him until he was restored to consciousness, He awoke from his in- sensibility with a start; then, when he compreben- ded all, he bowed his head in silent prayer. He had searcely finished, when there was a rifle-shot, and Cecil Grosvenor, who had been left outside in charge of a Regulator; was seen to throw up his arms and fallto the ground, Before those inside the cabin could reach him, his Jast spark of life had gone out —he had played his last. game-card, and died. A pat ae some unseen avenger had done the dead- ly work At Sandy’s request, a basty search was made, bus no one could be found in the vicinity on whom to lay the charge of the assassination, “In my opinion, the blow has been dealt by that woman, Madame Majilton, who claimed to be. his wife!” said Charley Davis. ‘ Leaving you here, I will hasten to Whoop-Up, and learn if she has been Seen to leave the town.” _ And hastily mounting his horse, the detective took his snag The body of Cecil Grosvenor was lifted and borne into the cabin, The clothing was carefully searched by Solamity and Sandy, and asa result some six thousand dol- lars were found, in bank-notes. sewed in the lining @f the coat 5 THD x This money was retained by Bullwhacker, to re over to the detective. At sunset that night, all that. - was of the flesh of the murdered villain; was’ con- signed to the grave, after being laced in a rude coffin which the Regulators had fashioned out of some timbers, : Shortly after, Detective Davis returned from Whoop-Up, accompanied by a delegation of citizens who came in behalf of the townspeople, with the request that Sandy should return to Whoop-Up. his the miner consented to do, after a time, dur- ing which he proposed to make the cabin his heme, So_all returned to the town, except five, thete be ing Sandy, Detective Davis. eee Dusty Dici: and the Regulater chief, Old Bullwhacker. Thcy remained at the cabin. Several days were spent pleasantly in the wilder- ness; then, one night, a reverend gentleman ci me over from Deadwood, and there was a wedding in the little cabin, and Sandy, or Karl Beverly, and his ard, Dusty Dick—whose real name was Edna Sut- on—were made man and wife. There was a esr handshaking, and Sandy pressed the hand of the Regulator, Old Bullwhack- er, so hard, that to the surprise of all, a false beard dropped from his face, and there stood revealed, the exroad-agent, Deadwood Dick | There was, no use new of trying to play his part any longer, and so the oun man removed all of his disguise, He stated that he had assumed it, in — order to better fight against the sway of despotism, which had followed the desertion of his Regulators, and now that the trouble had in a measure subsided, He Feraaacen to resign and return to his home in e Hills, : A coor of days after the wedding at Sandy's cabin, all hands returned to Whoop-Up, except tho ~ bride and groom and Deadwood Dick. The latter, after a kindly parting with all who had been his friends, set out to join his wife, Leone, who, after the sudden disbanding of Deadwood Dick's Fagles, had gone to Haywood City to live. Sandy and Dusty Dick (as they are still universally known in their home in the mines), went first to Deadwood, and then on a sight-seeing tour through the Hills, after which they returned to Whoop-up, and eae received with a rousing ovation by the crowd. They ate now living there in Whoo-Up’s flash city, surrounded: by hosts of ardent friends—who some day will have Sandy to represent them in the great Capitol at Washington—returning in honorsto the city he had quitted in dishonor, The murder of Cecil Grosvenor could not be traced to any authentic source, but Madame Minnie was suspected, and shortly after left the mines. Davis still lingers around in.the mines, and it’s the gossip that he and Calamity will soon start Hast on a bridal tour. As to the truth of this, I cannot say; I doubt. much if Calamity will ever marry, es- pecially since Sandy is gone. She has beep cheated out of her vengeance upon the Danite, Arkansas Alf, for the Vigilantes of Deadwood recently strung — him up for read-agentry. : Joe Tubbs is still the proprietor of the Mastodon in pe ee? and each day seems to add a brighter tinge to his nose}. ‘yet, it he don’t imbibe but twenty times in a whole blessed day. Whoor-Up's: chief Tegulator suddenly disap- peared, never to return as Old Bullwhacker; ‘but — occasionally there issome new and‘odd character ~~ created inthe mines, under which Deadwood Dick generally manages to keep On END, 's a scandulous fac’ that ~

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_ BUFFALO BILL Novels §2 Death Trailer, the Chief of Scouts; or, Life and Love in a Frontier Fort. By Buffalo Bill, 4% aft : ak F BN : eo dbe Wd ‘ 'H$ The Doomed Dozen; or, Buffalo Bili, Chief of Scouts. By Dr. Frank Powell. 4D Wild Bill, the Pistol Dead-Shot. A Romance of Buffalo Bill’s Old Pard, By Col. P. ‘Ingraham, 45 Wi'd Bill's Trump Card; or, The indian Heiress, By Col. Prentiss Ingraham. 189 Wild Bill’s Gold Trail; or, The Desperate Dozen, ae Col. Prentiss Ingraham, 43 The Pilgrim Sharp; or,The Soldier’s Sweetheart, By Buffalo Bill, Government Scout and Guide. $19 Wild Bill, the Whirlwind of the West, By Buf- falo Bill. '2y The League of Three: or, Buffalo Bill’s Pledge, By Col. Prentiss Ingraham, 47 The Wizara Brothers; or, White Geuver’s Trail, By Buffalo Bill. 11 Tne One-Armed Pard; or, Red Retribution in Borderland. By Buffalo Bill. , {7 Buffalo Bill’s First Trail; or, Will Cody, the Pony Express Rider. By Ned Buntline. 99 The Dead Shot Nine; or, My Pards of the Plains, By Buffalo Bill. - i39 Daredeath Dick, Fae of the Cowboys; or, Buf- falo Bill's Daring Réle. By Leon Lewis. 139 The Gold King: or, Montebello, the Magnificent, By Buffalo Bill. 414 Buffalo Bill’s Bonanza; or, The Knights of the ‘Silver Circle, Bv Gol P, Ingraham. #9 Buck Tay.or, the Saddle K ng. By Col. P. In: graham. 2 Buffalo Bill’s Secret Service Trail; or, The Mys terious foe. By Maj. Dangerfield Burr. , 39% Buffalo Bill’s Blind Trail; or, Mustang Madge, the Daughter of the Regiment. By Ingraham. $97 Buffalo Bill’s Buckskin Brotherhood; or, Open- ing ue a Lost Trail. By Col P. Ingraham. #10 Buffalo Bill Baffled; or, The Deserter Desperado’s Defiance. By Col. P. Ingraham, 116 Buffa'o Bill’s Scout Shadowers; or. Emerald Ed of Devil's Acre, By Col, P. Ingraham. #42 Buffalo Bill on the War-Path, By Col. Ingraham 127 vuffaio Bill’s Body-guard By Col, P. Ingraham, "R Buffalo Bill's Beagles. By Col. P. Ingraham. Buffalo Bill and His Merry Men. By Col, P, ' dngrabam, ~w 3uffalo Bill’s Blind. Ry Col. P. Ingraham, »»3 Buffalo Bill’s Flush Hand; or, Texas Jack’s Bravos, By Col. P, Ingraham, 150 baffalo Bill’s Big Four. By Col. P. Ingraham. %567 Buffalo Bill’s Double; or, The Desperado Detec- - tive. By Qol. Prentiss Ingraham, “61 Buffalo Bill's Mascot, or, Death Valley Victim No, 18. By Col. Prentiss Ingraham. ‘86 Buffalo Bill’s Dozen; or, Silk-Ribbcn Sam. By Col Prestiss Ingraham, 69 Buffalo Bill’s Sweepstake. By Col. Ingraham, 77 Buffald Bill’s Spy-shadower, By Col. Ingraham \8? Buffalo Bill's Dead Shot pry Gol. Prentig® BT : eee. a in the DIME LIBRARY 80U Wild Bih, the Dead-Center Sho_ or, Rio Grande Ralph the Cowboy:Chief. By Buffalo Bil). 80? Wila Bill, the Wild West Duelist; or, The Girl Mascot of Moonlight Mine. By Buffalo Bill. 812 Buffalo Bill’s Death-Knell; or, Tne Red Hand Riders of the Rockies By Col. P Ingraham 820 White Beaver’s Still Hunt; cr, The Miner Marauder’s Death-Track. By Buffalo Rill, 822 buffalo Bill’s Best Bower; or, Montebello, the Gold King. By Col. P. Ingraham. 826 Buffalo Bill’s Sharp-Shooters; or, The Surgeon Sccut to the Rescue. By Col, P. Ingraham. 830 Buffalo Bills Boys in Biue; or, The Brimstone B-nd’s Blot-out. By Col. Prontiss Ingraham. 839 rhe Ranch King Dead Shot; or, Texas Jack’s Proxy. By Buffalo Bill. 845 Buffalo Bul’s Redskin Ruse; or, Texas Jack's Death Shot. By Col, Prentiss Ingraham, ; 851, Buffalo Bill’s Double Dilemma; or, The Grea» Scout’s Big Three. By Col. Prentiss Ingraham) 857 Buffalo Bill’s Royal Flosb; or. The Pony Rider’s Death-Ruo, By Col. PrentissIngraham, 863 Buffalo Bi'l’s Death-Charm; or, The Man Wiib aSear. By Col. Prentiss Ingraham, | 869 Buffalo Bi I’s Road-Agent‘Ronad-up; or The Mys terious Masked Manin Black, By Ingraham. 874 Buffalo Bill’s Buckskin B-aves; or, The Card Queen’s Las’ Game By O31, P. Ingraham. 882 The Threc Bills: Buffalo Bul, “ ild Bill and Bana box Bi!l; or, The Bravoio Broadcloth, Ingrabam 890 Buffalo Bill’s Life Stake; or, The Pledged Tnree, By Col. Prentiss Ingrabam. 895 Buffalo Bill’s Secret as or, The Texan’ Double, By Col Prenriss Ingraham. 900 Buffalo Bill’s Rough Riders; or, Texas Jack’ |Snarp-Sbooters, By Ccl #, Ingraham. ; 204 Buffalo Bili’s Tareld Trail; or, Gentleman Jack, the Man of Many Masks. By Ingraham, 909 Boffalo Bill’s Leagne; or. Red Butterfly. Br Col. Prentiss Ingraham, 915 B ffalo Bili and the Surgeon Scout; or Go wan: ‘0, the R-dskiu Rider. By Col, P. Ingraham. 921 Boffaio Bill’s Quandary; or, Velvet Bill's Vow By Col, Prentiss Ingraham, g 927 Buffalo Bil’s Buff; or, Dusky Dick, the Sport By. Col. P. ingraham, 936 Buffalo Bill’s Black Pard; or, The Gold Borrsery of the Big Horn. By Col. P. Ingraham. 943 Buffalo Bill’s Block Game. By Colonel RB, Ingraham, 950 Buffalo Bill at Bay. By Colonel Prentiss “ Ingraham. 956 Buffalo Bill’s Volunteer Vigilantes. By Col, Prentiss Ingraham. 960 Buffalo Bill’s Blue Belt Brigade. By Colone? Prentiss Ingraham. 964 Buffalo Bill’s Invincibles. By Cul. Prentiss Ingraham. 069 Texas Jack, the Lasso King; or, The Rob- a Rangers of the Rio Grande. By WGuffale 973 The Dread-Shot Four. By Buffale Bill. 78 Buffalo Bill’s Relentless Trail. By Cot. Prentiss Ingraham. : %84 Buffalo Bill's Life Raffle; or, The Doomed Three. Ready Sept. 1. md \89 Buffalo Bill's Marked Bullet. By. Col. &. Ingraham. Ready Oct. 6. 94 Buffalo Bill’s Lone Hand. By Col. P. In graham. 000 Buffalo Bill’s Grim Guard. By Gol. P. In- graham, Z The above Dime L’braries are For Sale Oy i Sao: , UL NEWSDE 1\*-F2RS, ten cents o ent by mail an’ “t af nrice,

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MART TOASTS FOR THE SMART SBT. Vest Pocket Size. 64 Pages. Sewed Book. Up-to-Date. By Mail, Postpaid, I2c. per Copy. BEST LINE OF HAND BOOKS PUBLISHED. “YIDDISH” YARNS.—A Collection of Hebrew Jokes, Stories, ete. GENTS’ LETTER WRITER.—A Perfect Guide to all kinds of Correspondence. FAMILY PHYSICIAN.—Family Diseases and Their Treatment; Rules of Health, ete. BOOK OF DREAMS —Their Romance and Mystery, : with a Complete Interpretation Dictionary. HOUSEWIFE'S MANUAL.—How to Keep House; How to Dye, Cleanse, etc. VAUDEVILLE JOKER.—Best Jokes by Eminent Vau- deville Artists. BOOK OF. ETIQUETTE.—Society, Visits, Introduc- ; tions, Dress, Balls, ete. -TORTUNE TELLER.—Fortune Telling by Cards, Tea or Coffee Grounds, Eggs; Palmistry, etc. BOOK OF 100 GAMES.—One Hundred Games for Social Parties and Home Amusements. COOK BOOK.—Economical, Practical, Excellent. LADIES’ LETTER WRITER.—How to Write; When to Write; What to Write. RECIPE. BOOK.—¥or the Parlor, Nursery, Sick-room, Toilet, Kitchen, Larder, ete. BOOK OF BEAUTY.—Beauty of Form, Color, Head, Hair, Complexion, Skin, ete., with chapters on Perfumes, Cosmeties, ete. BOOK OF VERSES.—Comprising Rhymes, Lines, and Mottoes for Lovers and Friends. 4 THE LOVERS? CASKET.—A Treatise on and Guide to Friendship, Love, Courtship, and Marriage, “GERMAN ” JOKER.—“ Dutch” Jokes and “Gags” by best ‘‘ Dutch ” Teams on the Stage. “ HAYSEED” JOKER.—The Doings of “Our Country Cousins ” in a Humorous Way. “TRAMP” JOKER.—Good ‘‘Handouts” in this Book 2 for Professional and Amateur Entertainers. : COON” YARNS.—Best Jokes Relating to Our ‘t Dark- er-Skinned Brothers.” “TRISH” Joker No. 1.—The Wittiness and Whimsicali ties of ‘‘ Pat’ at His Best. : “VARIETY ” JOKER.—Good Things from all the Na- tionalities: ‘‘ Pat,” ‘‘Alphonse,” ‘‘ Hans,” ‘* Jona- than,” ** Moses,” and ‘* Ebenezer.” The above books are bound in handsomely illustrated lithographed covers. Price by mail, postpaid, 12 cents per copy. M. J. IVERS & CO., Publishers, 379 Pearl Street, New York City. BEADLE’S BOYS’ LIBRARY. : PRICE 1 Dandy Bill’s Doom. By Oll Coomes. * 3 Kit Carson. By A. W. Aiken. 4 Villie, the Reckless Rider. By Stoddard. 5 Old Grizzly in the Rockies. By Ingraham, - - 6 Deadwood Dick asa Boy. Bye. L, Wheeler. _ @ Wild Bill. By Ingraham. 8 The Prairie Ranch. By J. E, Badger. Roving Joe. By A. H. Post. 10 Texas Jack. By Ingraham, 41 Charley Skylark, the Sport. By H. B. Stoddard. 12 Brimstone Bill’s Booty. By J. E. Badger, Jr. 13 Roving Ben. By J. J. Marshall. 14 The Ticket-of-Leave’s Trick. By J. E. Badger, Jr. _ 35 Wide-Awake George. By BE. Willett. 16 Wide-Awake Ned. By B. Ringgold. = 17 Peter, the Dandy Greenhorn. By Noah Nuff. 18 Adrift on the Prairie. By Oll Coomes.’ 19 Joe, the Rover Sport. By A. H. Post. 20 Giant Pete and his Pards. By Harbaugh. 21 Yellow Hair, By Ingraham. 22 The Snow-Trail, By Harbaugh. 283 Old Grizzly Adams. By Dr. Powell. 24 Woods and Waters. By Whittaker. 25 A Rolling Stone. By W. R, Eyster. 26 Red River Rovers. By C. D. Clark. 27 Buckskin Sam’s Wild Ride. By Ingraham. 28 The Sword Prince. By F. Whittaker. 26 Snow-Shoe Tom. By T. C, Harbaugh. 30 Paul De Lacy. By C. D. Clark. 31 Round the Camp-Fire. By J. E, Badger, Jr. 22 Fancy Frank’s Drop, By Ingraham, 32 The Boy Crusader, By‘Capt. F. Whittaker, < 5 CENTS ~ 61 The Tiger Hunters. PER COPY. 34 The Chase of the Great White Stag. By C. D. Clark. 35 Old Tar Knuckle. By Rozer Starbuck 36 The Dashing Dragoon. By F. Whittaker. 87 Night-Hawk George. By Ingraham. 88 The Boy Exiles of Siberia. By ‘I’. C. Harbaugh, 39 The Young Bear Hunters. By Morris Redwing 40 New York Bill, the Dodger. By Edward Willett 41 The Settler's Son. By Edward §, Ellis. 42 Walt Fergtison’s Cruise. By C. D, Clark, 43 Rifle and Revolver. By IF’, Whittaker, 44 The Lost Boy Whalers. By 'T. C. Harbaugy. 45 Bronco Billy. By Ingraham. 46 Dick, the Stowaway. By Charles Morris. 47 The Colorado Boys, By J. BE. Badger, Jr. 48 The Pampas Hunters, By T. C. Harbaugh, 49 Nebraska Charlie. By Ingraham. 60 Jatk, Harry, ana Tom. By F, Whittaker, 51 ‘om Stone, the Old Sea Dog. By C. D. Clark. 52 The Boy Detéctives. By T. C. Harbaugh. 53 Harry, the Country Boy, in New York. By Charles Morris. 54 California Joe. By Ingraham. 55 Tip Tressel, the Flatboat Boy. By Edward Willett. 56 The Snow Hunters. By Harry De Forrest. 57 Harry Somers, the Magician. By S. W. Pearce, 58 Captain Jack in Rocky Roost. By Ingraham, 59 Tim, the Mule Boy of the Mines. By Charles Morris, 60 The Young Trail Hunters. By 'T. C. Harbaugh. By J. E. Badger, Jr. 62 Doctor Carver, the Champion Shot. By Ingraham, 63 Black Horse Bill, the Bandit Wrecker, By Roger Starbuck. 3 64 Young Dick Talbot, By A. W, Aiken. «

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THE Deadwood Dick @ Library e BSSOVOSSS8OO882O80800 LATEST AND BEST. HANDSOME TRI-COLOKED COVERS. 82 Pages. Issued Every Wednesday. Price 5 Cents. Buy One and You Wili Buy the Rest! €xtracts from the New York Evening Sun. TWO REMARKABLE In only one sense of the word can it be regarded as a sovel statement when the fact is here recorded that litera- ture has given many heroes to the world, and perhaps more than one reader will have to think a moment over shis remark before the subtle delicacy of its genial wit trikes home, But it is most essentially a half dime novel statement shat will be news to many when {ft is added that litera- gure, if traced from the dimly distant days when Adam was a mere child down to the present day, would show @ut few heroes that in the eyes of boyhood would be aven judged worthy of comparison with the two greatest jaeroes known to American literature, or, to promptly re- veal them, Deadwood Dick and Deadwood Dick, Jr. * * *« The medern 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 9 * * jit is but natural that their * * * should bear @way the palm of popularity, and suchas * * * be left far behind in the race, It can be easily believed, therefore, that the two Dicks # 80 firmly ¢ grafted on the tree of popular literature “= boys and s ung men, that thele position is assured * and thav they stand to-day head and shoulders DEADWOOD DICK LIBRA Deadwood Dick, the Prince of the Road 3 The Doyle Daggers; or, Deadwood Dick’s Defiance % The Buffalo Demon; or, The Border Vultures 4 Buffalo Ben, Prince of the Pistol % Wild Ivan, the Boy Claude Duval 4 Death-Face, the Detective ? The Phantom Miner; or, Deadwood Dick’s Bonanza 2 Old Avalanche, the Great Annihilator; or, Wild dna, the Girl Brigand £ Bob Woolf, the Border Ruffian % Omaha Oll, the Masked Terror; or, Deadwood Dick in Danger al hei panoees Jr., the Boy Phenix; or, Through to eat \® Deadwood Dick’s Eagles; or, The Pards of Flood Bar %8 Buckhorn Bill; or, The Red Rifle Team \4 Gold Rifle, the Sharpshooter {6 Deadwood Dick on Deck: or, Calamity Jane 16 Corduroy Charlie, the Boy Bravo ks rearctn’ Rob; or, Nugget Ned, the Knight of the ule! 18 Idyl, the Girl Miner; or, Rosebud Rob on Hand ‘® Photograph Phil: or, Rosebud Rob’s Reappearance 2 Watch-Eye, the Shadow ss] sre wood Dick’s Device; or, The Sign of the Double ross ® Canada Chet, the Counterfeiter Chief % Deadwood Dick in Leadville; or, A Strange Stroke for Liberty ™ Deadwood Dick as Detective ® Gilt-Wdge Dick % Bonanza Bill the Man-Tracker; or, The Secret Twelve W Chip, the Gir? Sport % Jack Hoyle’s Lead; or, The Road to Fortune % Boss Bob, the King of Bootblacks ® Deadwood Dick's Double; or, The Ghost of Gorgon . Gulch & Blonde Bill; or, Deadwood Dick’s Home Base $® Solid Sam, the Boy Road-Agent HEROES, above all rivals in the eyes of the public for which they have lived, and for which one of them has died. American boyhood, and that is a tremendous factor tm the land, now knows Deadwood Dick, Jr., a good beal bet- ter than it knows its catechism, and millions of young minds absorb the thrilling incidents of his career in his everlasting warfare against crime and his never-ending solving of impenetrable mysteries. Millions of boys follow his stealthy footsteps as he tracks his vicious victims to their undoing, and then, when the victims are thoroughly undone, the millions wait hungrily for the next volume, which on every Wednesday appears with the cera of the Wednesday itself, and a new set of cia ah thrills go thrilling away from Maine to Call fornia, There are the volumes each so crowded with thrills and heart-tugs that it were madness to hope to do justice to them coliectively and rank injustice to discriminate be- tween them, To abandon the Idea of giving a few extracts causes in- finite pain, but if once a start were made in that direc: tion, it would be cruel to Zhe Evening Sun's readers to stop, and it is therefore better not to relate one single adventure. Suffice it to say that the stories are clean and well written. Me 83 Tony Fox, the Ferret; or, Boss Bob’s Boss Job 34 A Game of Gold; or, Deadwood Dick’s Big Strike 5 Deadwood Dick of Deadwood; or, "he Picked Party 86 New York Nell, the Boy-Girl Detective 87 Nobby Nick of Nevada; or, The Scamps of the Sierras 88 Wild Frank, the Buckskin Bravo 39 Deadwood Dick’s Doom; or, Calamity Jane’s Last Adventure 40 Deadwood Dick's Dream; or, The Rivals of the Road 41 Deadwood Dick’s Ward; or, The Black Hills Jezebel 42 The Arab Detective; or, Snoozer, the Boy Sharp 43 The Ventriloquist Detective. A Romance of Rogues 44 sas ak! Josh Grim; or, The Young Gladiator's » ame 45 The Frontier Detective; or, Sierra Sam’s Scheme 46 The Jimtown Sport; or, Gypsy Jack in Colorado 47 The Miner Sport; or, Sugar-Coated Sam’‘s Claim 48 Dick Drew, the Miner’s Son; or, Apollo Bill, the» Road-Agent 49 Sierra Sam, the Detective 50 Sierra Sam’s Double; or, The Three Female Detect- ives 51 ect Spt Sentence; or, Little Luck at Rough anch 52 The Girl Sport; or, Jumbo Joe’s Disguise 58 Denver Doll’s Device; or, The Detective Queen 54 Denver Doll as Detective 55 Denver Doll’s Partner; or, Big Buckskin the Sport 56 Denver Doll’s Mine; or, Little Bill’s Big Loss 57 Deadwood Dick Trapped 58 Buck Hawk, Detective; or, The Messenger Boy's Fortune 59 Deadwood Dick’s Disguise; or, Wild Walt, the Sport 60 Dumb Dick’s Pard; or, Eliza Jane, the Gold Miner 61 Deadwood Dick's Mission 62 Spotter Fritz; or, The Store-Detective’s Deco 63 T = pda Road-Agent; or, The Miners of Sassa ras City 64 eas Charlie’s Detective Dash; or, The Cattle ings M. J. IVERS & ©O., Publishers (James Sullivan, Proprietor), 879 Pearl Street, NEW YORK.

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Copyright 1878-1885, by Beadle & Adams. Entered at Post Office, New York N Y.,as second class matter. Mar. 15, 1899 rie THE ARTHUR WESTBROOK CO. No. 15 Cleveland, Ohio Vol, Tk

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SS BEADLE’S FRONTIER SERIES 1So. Per Copy. , . The Shawnee’s Foe. ° . The Young Mountaineer. Wild Jim. . The Boy Guide. . War Tiger of the Modocs 7. The Red Modocs. Iron Hand. . Shadow Bill, the Scout. ‘Wapawkaneta, or the Rangers of the Oneida. Davy Crockett's Boy Hunter. The Forest Avenger. Old Jack’s Frontier Cabin. On the Deep. . Sharp Snout. The Mountain Demon. Wild Tom of Wyoming. The Brave Boy Hunters of Kentucky. The Fearless Ranger. The Haunted Trapper. Madman of the Colorado. The Panther Demon. . Slashaway, the Fearless. Pine Tree Jack. Indian Jim. Navajo Nick. 7. Thé Tuscarora’s Vow. Deadwood Dick, Jr. A New York Boy Among the Indians. Deadwood Dick’s Deal. Hank, the Guide. Deadwood Dick’s Dozen. . Squatty Dick. The Hunter’s Secret. . The Woman Trapper. . The Chief of the Miami. Gunpowder Jim. Mad Anthony’s Captain. The Ranger Boy’s Career. . Old Nick of the Swamp. The Shadow Scout. . Lantern-Jawed Bob. . The Masked Hunter. . Brimstone Jake. . The Irish Hunter. . Dave Bunker. . The Shawnee Witch. 48, Big Brave. 49. Spider-Legs. Big BEADLE’S FRONTIER sale by all Newsdealers; Single copies, !5e. . | ARTHUR WESTBROOK 60. . Hawk-Eye, the Hunter. J ERLES are always in print and for be sent postpaid to any address: or will 50. 51. 52. 53. ! he 55 56. "BT. 3. Red Rattlesnake, 69, Hickory Jack. oon . The Hunter Scouts. 5, The Seout of Long Island. 6. Turkey-Foot. . The Death Rangers. . Bullet Head. . The Indian Spirit. . The Twin Trappers. . Lightfoot the Scout. . Grim Dick. 83. The Woodeh-Legged Spy. . The Silent Trapper. . Ugly Ike. . Fire Cloud. M-1-1-1-14141-1 87. . The Seout of the Sciota. 89. Black Samson. . Billy Bowlegs. . The Bloody Footprint. 2, Marksman the Hunter. 5, Panther Jack. > Harry Hardskull. Madman of the Oconto, , . Slim Jim. J Tiger-Eye. } The Red Star of the Seminoles. . Trapper Joe. The Indian Queen’s Revenge. Eagle-Eyed Zeke. Sear-Cheek, the Wild Half-Breed. . Red Men of the Woods. Tuscaloosa Sam. ; The Bully of the Woods. . The Trapper’s Bride. The Pawnee. The Scout of Tippecance Old Kit, The Scout. The Boy Scouts. . Hiding Tom. Roving Dick, Hunter. Mad Mike. Snake-Eye. Big-Hearted Joe. The Blazing Arrow. Hank Jasper. The Demon Cruiser. Hunters and Redskins. . Old Zeke. The Panther Paleface. The Scout of the St. Lawrence, . Bloody Brook. 0. Long Bob of Kentucky. CLEVELAND, OHIO

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THE Deadwood Dick @ Library @ HANDSOME TR-GOLORED COVERS 82 Pages. Buy One and You Will Buy the Rest! Fer Sample Cover See Other Side. DEADWOOD DICK LIBRARY. 1 Deadwood Dick, the Prince of the Road £ The Double Daggers; or, Deadwood Dick's Deflance 8 The Buffalo Demon; or, The Border Vultures 4 Buffalo Ben, Prince of the Pistol . 5 Wild Ivan, the Boy Claude Duval 6 Death-Face, the Detective 7 The Phantom Miner; or, Deadwood Dick’s Bonanza 8 Old Avalanche, the..Great Annihilator; or, Wild Edna, the Girl Brigand 9 Bob Woolf, the Border Ruffian 10 Omaha Oll, the Masked Tervor; or, Deadwood Dick in Danger 11 ae Bludsoe, Jr., the Boy Phenix; or, Through to t eath 12 Demon Dick’s Eagles; or, The Pards of Flood ar 13 Buckhorn Bill; or, The Red Rifle Team 14 Gold Rifle, the glad eco 15 Deadwood Dick on Deck: or. Calamity Jane 16 Corduroy Charlie, the Boy Bravo 17 = Rob; or, Nugget Ned, the Knight of the Hie. i8 Idyl, the Girl Miner; or, Rosebud Rob on Hand 19 Photograph Phil: or, Rosebud Rob’s Reappearance 20 Watch-Eve. the Shadow 21 iar wood Dick's Device; or, The Sign of the Double ross 22 Canada Chet, the Counterfeiter Chief 28 Deadwood Dick in Leadville; or, A Strange Stroke for Liberty 24 Deadwood Dick as Detective 25 Gilt-ledged Dick 26 Bonanza Bill, the Man-Tracker; or, The Secret Twelve 27 Chip, the Girl Sport 28 Jack Hoyle’s Lead; or, The Road to Fortune 29 Boss Bob, the King of Bootblacks 80 sgh Dick’s Double; or, The Ghost of Gorgon’s ule’ 81 Blonde Bill; or. Deadwood Dick’s Home Base 82 Solid Sam, the Boy Road-Agent 33 Tony Fox, the Ferret; or, Boss Bob's Boss Job 34 A Game of Gold; or, Deadwood Dick’s Big Strike 85 Deadwood Dick of Deadwood; or, The Picked Party 386 New York Nell, the Boy-Girl Detective 87 Nobby Nick of Nevada; or, The Scamps of the Sierras 88 Wild Frank, the Buckskin Bravo 39 Deadwood Dick’s Doom; or, Calamity Jane’s Last Adventure 40 Deadwood Dick’s Dream; or, The Rivals of the Road 41 Deadwood Dick’s Ward; or, The Black Hills Jezebel 42 ‘The Arab Detective; or, Snoozer, the Boy Sharp 43 The Ventriloquist Detective. A Romance of Rogues 44 sey eco Josh Grim; or, The Young Gladiator's ame ‘ 45 The Frontier Detective; or, Sierra Sam's Scheme 46 The Jimtown Sport; or, Gypsy Jack in Colorado 47 The Miner Sport; or, Sugar-Coated Sam's Claim 48 Dick Drew, the Miner’s Son; or, Apollo Bill, the Road-Agent 49 Sierra Sam, the Detective 50 Sierra Sam's Double; or, The Three Female Detect ives 51 Sierra Sam’s Sentence; or, Little Luck at Rough Ranch 52 The Girl S 53 Denver Doll’s Device; or, ‘The Detective Queen 54 Denver Doll as Detective / 55 Denver Doll's Partner; or, Big Ruckskin the Sport 56 Denver Doll's Mine; or, Little Bill’s Big Loss 57 Deadwood Dick Trapped 58 Buck Hawk, Detective; or, The Messenger Boy's Fortune 59 Deadwood Dick’s Disguise; or, Wild Walt, the Sport 60 Dumb Dick’s Pard; or, Eliza Jane, the Gold Miner 61 Deadwood Dick’s Mission 62 Bpc utter Fritz; or, The Store-Detective’s Deco: 63" “ oy rage Road-Agent; or, The Miners of Sassa ras © 64 et Unarlie’s Detective Dash; or, The Cattle ings rt; or, Jumbo Joe’s Disguise