Deadwood Dick Library (v. 4) (1899 12 20)

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Copyright 1881-1887, by Beadle & Adams. Entered at Post Office, New York, N. Y., as second class matter. Mar. 15, 1899, M. J. IVERS & CO., Publishers, ik Issued Weekly. ¥ 5 Sui pig PET Price 5 Cents. No. 4] - ih ‘ (James Sullivan, Proprietor,) ‘bee abd ; Dee: 20, 1899. 379 Pearl Street, New York, $2.50 a Year. Vol IV. | “SEE HYER, YOU CHIL’REN!” SHE SAID, HALTING BEFORE THEM. AND UNFOLDING A WOOD-CUT PICTURE OF A JOLLY DUTCHMAN, ‘'HAB YOU SEEN NUFFIN’ OF SECH A PUSSIN PASSING THIS WAY?”’

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EDWARD L. WHEELER'S DEADWOOD DICK, JR. NOVEL IN THE HALF-DIME LIBRARY. 443 Deadwood Dick, Crescent Sign. Deadwood Dick, Deadwood Dick, Deadwood Dick, Deadwood Dick, Deadwood Dick, Deadwood Dick, Deadwood Dick, Deadwood Dick, Deadwood Dick, Deadwood Dick, Deadwood Dick, Deadwood Dick, Deadwood Dick, Deadwood Dick, Deadwood Dick, Deadwood Dick. 448 453 459 465 A471 476 481 491 496 500 508 515 522 529 534 539 Price 5 Cents per Copy. Jr.; or, The Crimson Jr's, Defiance. Jr.’s, Full Hand. Jr.’s, Big Round-Up. Jr.’s, Racket at Claim 10. Jr.’s, Corral. Jr.'s, Dog Detective. Jr., in Deadwood. Jr.’s, Compact. Jr.’s, Inheritance. Jr.’s, Diggings. Jr.’s, Deliverance. Jr.’s, Protege. Jr.’s, Phree. Jr.’s, Danger: Ducks. Jr.’s, Death Hunt. Jr., in Texas. 544 Deadwood Dick, Jr.; the Wild West Vidocq. 549 Deadwood Dick, 554 Deadwood Dick, 561 Deadwood Dick, 567 Deadwood Dick, 572 Deadwood Dick, 578 Deadwood Dick, 584 Deadwood Dick, 590 Deadwood Dick, 595 Deadwood Dick, 600 Deadwood Dick, 606 Deadwood Dick, 612 Deadwood Dick, 618 Deadwood Dick, 624 Deadwood Dick, 630 Deadwood Dick, 636 Deadwood Dick, 642 Deadwood Dick, 648 Continent. 654. glers. Deadwood Dick, Deadwood Dick, Deadwood Dick, Deadwood Dick, Deadwood Dick, Deadwood Dick, Deadwood Dick, Deadwood Dick, Deadwood Dick, Deadwood Dick, 660 666 672 678 684. 690 695 709 704 710 ers, Deadwood Dick, Jr, on His Mettle. Jr., in Gotham. Jr., in Boston. Jr., in Philadelphia. Jr., in Chicago. Jr., Afloat. Jr.;.in Denver. Jr.’s, Decree. Jr.,in Beelzebub’s Basin. Jr., at Coney Island. Jr.’s, Leadville Lay. Jr., in Detroit. Jr., in Cincinnati. Jr., in Nevada. ‘ Jrv., in No Man’s Land. Jr., After the Queer. Jr., in Buffalo. Jr.’s, Chase Across the Deadwood Dick, Jr., Among the Smug- Jr.’s, Insurance Case. Jr., Back in the Mines. Jr., in Durango. Jr.’s, Discovery. Jr.’s, Dazzle. Jr.’s, Dollars. Jr., at Danger Divide. Jr.’s, Drop. Jr., at Jack-Pot. Jr., at San Francisco. 716 Deadwood Dick, 722 Deadwood Dick, 728 Deadwood Dick, 734 Deadwood Dick, 740 Deadwood Dick, 747 Deadwood Dick, 752 Deadwood Dick, 758 Deadwood Dick, 764. Deadwood Dick, 770 Deadwood Dick, 776 Deadwood Dick, 782 Deadwood Dick, 787 Deadwood Dick, 792 Deadwood Dick, 797 Deadwood Dick, 802 Deadwood Dick, 807 Deadwood Dick, 812 Deadwood Dick, 816 Deadwood Dick, $22 Deadwood Dick, 828 Deadwood Dick, 834 Deadwood Dick, 840 Deadwood Dick, 845 Deadwood Dick, 852 Deadwood Dick, 858 Deadwood Dick, 863 Deadwood Dick, 870 Deadwood Dick, 76 Deadwood Dick, 882 Deadwood Dick, 891 Deadwood Dick, 898 Deadwood Dick, 904 Deadwood Dick, 910 Deadwood Dick, 916 Deadwood Dick, 928 Deadwood Dick, 934 Deadwood Dick, 940 Deadwood Dick, 946 Deadwood Dick, 951 Deadwood Dick, 957 Deadwood Dick, 965 Deadwood Dick, 971 Deadwood Dick, 977 Deadwood Dick, 980 Deadwood Dick, 992 Deadwood Dick, 998 Deadwood Dick, 1005 Deadavood Dick, Jr., Branded. 1011 Deadwood Dick, Jr.’s, Dutch Pard. 1018 Deadwood Dick, Jr.’s, Big Four. For sale by all newsdealers or sent, postpaid, on receipt of price, 5c. per copy, by the publish M. J. IVERS & CO., 379 Peart Street, New York Crry. : Jr.’s, Still Hunt. = Jr.’s, Dominoes. ¥ Jr.'s, Disguise, P Jr.’s, Double Deal. Jr.’s, Death-Watch, Jr.’s, Doublet. os Jr.’s, Death-Blow. : Jr.’s, Desperate Strait. Jr.’s, Lone Hand. Jr.’s, Defeat. Jr.'s, Resurrection. Jr.’s, Dark Days. y Jr., Defied. Be: Jr.’s, Double Device. Jr.’s, Desperate V enture. Jr.’s, Diamond Dice. Jr.’s, Royal Flush. Jr.’s, Head-Off: Jr.’s, Rival.° Jr.’s, Boom. Jr.’s, Scoop. Jr.’s, Proxy. Jr.’s, Clutch. Jr,’s, High Horse..- Jr., at Devil’s Gulch. _ Jr.’s, Death-Hole Hustlz. — ee es ka Pema ee 9. Ue ee 2 on Jr.’s, Bombshell. eS Jr., in Mexico, P Jr.’s, Decoy Duck. § Jr., in Siiver Pocket. Jr.’s, Dead-Sure Game. ~ Jr.’s, Double Drive. Jr.’s, Trade-Mark. Jr., at Tip-Top. Jr.’s, Double-Decker. Jr., at Dollarville. “a Jr., at Flush Flats. Jr.’s, Shake-Up. r Jr.’s, Double Drop. oe Jr.’s, Right Bower. =e Jr.’s, Ten-Strike. Es, Jr.’s, Gold Dust. si Jr."s, Oath. $ Jr.’s, Death-Doom. © Jr.’s, Best Card. icFr Jr., at Gold Dust. Jr.’s, Big Play.

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[Sexe . SOs 29 Phe ge remy SAIS ESS Copyright 1881-1887, by Beadle & Adams. Entered at Post Office, New York, N. Y., as second class matter. Mar. 15, 1809 a M. J. IVERS & CO., Publishers, Sa ! No. 4] , Issued | Weekly. (James Sullivan, Proprietor.) “ Price 5 Cents, Vol. lV, | Dee. 20, 1899. 379 Pearl Street, New York. = $2.50 a Year. eo “gH HYER, YOU CHIL’REN!” SHE SAID, HALTING BEFORE THEM, AND UNFOLDING A WooD-oU'T A JOLLY DUTCHMAN, BAB YOU SEDN #3 ) , t T PICTURE OF NUFFIN’ OF SECH A PUS#IN PASSING THIS WAY

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g Deadwood Dick’s Ward. Deadwood Dick’s Ward: THE BLACK HILLS JEZEBEL, BY EDWARD L, WHEELER, AUTHOR OF “DEADWOOD DICK” NOVELS, ‘ROSEBUD ROB” NOVELS, HTC., ETC, CHAPTER I. BEAUTY AND THE BEAST. Sunset was kissing the tops of many a rocky crest and pine forest in the wild Black Hillis country—a balmy, glorious August sunset, at that, whose warmth, mingled with the flower perfumed breeze, was grateful to the senses of one whose pathway it illumined. All nature seemed smiling as the day narrowed down to- ' ward the embrace of night. Down on a rough and narrow stage-road that wound out of the hills toward a lower gulch- river section of country, came one of those: pon- derous overland wagons known as “ prairie- ‘ schooners,” drawn by a pair of ~oxen, or rather held back by them, for the road was descending allthe way, and in many places dangerously ep. On the front part of the wagon was a high seat, upon which sat a girl dressed in boy’s a clothes, from the long-legged patent-leather boots she wore to the jaunty slouch hat which was cocked up on one side of her head, and she it was who cracked a long-lashed whip ever the oxen’s~ heads, and her voice rung out with “haw” “gee” and ‘slong, arousing musical echoes among the cliffs that overhung the road. In form and face this girl was quite prepos- sessing. Her figure was about the medium hight of American women, symmetrical, graceful and well-developed, while her face was round, pret- _ tily chiseled and browned with exposure to the wind and sun, with laughing blue eyes, and a wealth of light-brown hair worn loosely over her shoulders, that any lad¥ in the land might have envied. The curtains of the schooner were closed, and the girl driver was the only human to be seen, as the ungainly vehicle rolled along, ofttimes threatening to pitch over the great embankment that descended on the right hand side. Yet the driver seemed to have no fears of this, and cracked her ie Bony whip merrily. - Gang, Buck! Haw, there, Bright. Won’t yo never learn to keep in the road? Next toa mule, you’re the meanest critter on the face 0” the earth, to drive, tho? you have come a good stretch to-day, an’ I allow we'll strike a campin’ spot before long. Eh, daddy?—sha’n’t we make a halt, purty soon?” There was a groan from within the covered _ yehiclo; the curtains parted, and a strange-look- y ing head attached to humped shoulders, pro- + truded from within, A horrible smile came over the hairy face, as _ he thrast it through the curtains, by the side of his singularly pretty companion. “Stop?” he demanded, with a shrug of his ~ _uttering loud laughs as the shoulders. ‘“‘No! no! Let's press on—pi steadily on. Our destination is not many miles away, and we can reach it in time.” * But, not to-night, daddy. We must camp and rest up our royal stud of Arabian chargers, here, or first we know one of ’em wil/ drop, and I'll bey to harness you up with the other ox.” A frown of dissatisfaction crossed the old man’s face, “Well, well—haye your own way,” he growled, crawling back out of sight. ‘* When you get fresh meat give me mine raw ; it whets my we ae for vengeance. Ha! ha! ha!” And he laughed in a way that was simply frightful to hear. “Poor father,” the girl driver murmured, even her pets young face growing pained in expression. ‘‘Sometimes I believe he is really growing crazy over his trouble; but at other times he appears so rational that no insanity seems lurking in his veins. Ugh! I dread to an- ticipate the future. There will be trouble without doubt, and Heaven only knows what will be the result to him, and to me.” Even the sunlight failed to chase the doubtful BS hace from her features, and the wagon rolled along joltingly down into a narrow gulch between two giant mountains, where the sun’s beams never penetrated, Here were grass and water—a little brookleti fed by a spring that gurgled from the rocks. and as gi a camping-place, probably, as could be found for miles around, = Therefore the girl gave the oxen an order to halt, and they were not slow about obeying, for they had ee the heavy vehicle up and down the rugged mountain roads since early morn-. ing, K glance into the wagon faeces her that the hunchback was asleep, so the pretty driver sprung to the ground and unyoked the oxen, and turned them out to graze. Then, taking a light Sporn rifle from the wagon, she set off up the gulch in quest of game. It was not yet dark, but soon would be, as the shadows of evening were beginning to creep into the gulch, and she knew it was neces- sary to replenish the larder. Less than half a mile up the gulch she came to a halt. Above her, upon a shelving crag, she saw a large buck deer standing in bold relief, gazing down at her as if surprised to see a lone human in this dismal spot. ~ Quickly she raised her rifle and took aim, but, before she could fire, there came to her hearing the almost simultaneous reports of two other rifles, and she saw the buck lunge forward from. _ E the ledge, and come plunging downward into the gulch. : ise At the same instant two men stepped into view from previous concealment in a clump of shrubbery near where the girl was standing, uck fell a crushed and bleeding mass in front of them, upon the gulch bottom. a % ““Seuse us, young feller,” one said, with a chuckle, “‘ but we allowed you couldn’t hit ther buck. an’ so we got in ahead 0’ you.” “My hyes, Bob—thet ain’t no feller,” the other huuter allowed, with an insolent stare, ta =x

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\ Jest luk at thet figger will ye? It’s a gal, in briches!” Although brave to a‘fault, the old hunch- back’s companion felt an instinctive dread of the two men, but.she resolved to yee on a bold front and not let them know she had any fear of them, whatever. “Yes—a gal in breeches!” she cried, inde- pendently, ‘‘ an’ one who can take care of Num- ber One every day in a week, too! Are you going to divide up that ’ar deer with me?” “Thet depends on cireumstances, my purty,” the eldest replied, advancing a few paces, ‘‘If ye don’t mind givin’ us a smack: apiece from your purty mouth, I allow we'll dress ther buck an’ carry the two best quarters hum for you.” ‘“Tf you come any nearer, I'll give ye a smack in the jaw with the butt of my rifle, you big loafer,” the girl cried, sharply, holding that in- strument ready for use. ‘* Youll find you've icked up the wrong ’possum to grant sech little favors. And the sooner you set to work and tkin that buck, the less likely my fingers will ticcidentally ull the trigger of my rifle, the re- sult of which would be death to both of you. Oh! I’ve got the drop, so go to work, as I or- flered.” The two roughs gazed at each other in aston- ishment. : The idea of their being forced to bow to the will of this chit of a gict was equally prepos- ferous and amusing, and they laughed outright. Nevertheless, there was no disputing the fact that she had the drop on them, and there was a certain composure in the expression of her pret- ty face, and a gleam in her eyes that spoke bet- ter than words that she meant business. . Both men were burly, brawny fellows, and looked able to handle a dozen like their girl cap- tor, single-handed, which made the situation ex- tremely novel. The elder of the twain was a man of about forty years, and wore a heavy black beard that swept nearly to his belt, and black hair to match, making him, together with his semi-Mexican _ dress and plumed sombrero a most brigandish- looking person. He was armed with a rifle and a pair of revolvers. is companion wasabout thirty, worea heavy black mustache, and was dressed in the same style. : ie Well, cuss my boots!” the elder ruffian cried, taking another survey of the situation—‘‘d’ye think, gal, thet a pete of thoroughbreds like us is a-goin’ ter knuckle under ter sech a critter as you?) Why, we're a couple ov dynamite tor- pedoes, we are, an’ likely ter explode any min- ute, with outraged dignity, an’ blow ye ter atoms. I’m Bloody Bill, an’ my companion hyar is Black Bob, ye see!”’ ‘*T don’t care for that; if you’re both as black and bloody as the Old Nie himself, you can’t seare me. I’m full of grit, and when I set out to have my way, I’m bound to haye it. So go ahead now, and skin that buck before the lart ray of sunlight disappears from the crest: of yonder peak, or I’m hanged if I don’t start a cemetery right here.” ; The roughs exchanged glances, and of one ac- un cord drew out their b grknives. <<" rr ae rea ss tie eas Deadwood Dick’s Ward. pega coos ‘om pastes here SS te Sp Ais hee SP eg es “T reckon we might as well be obligin’ to the ~~ young lady, Bill,” Black Bob remarked, ‘fer thar’s no tellin’ but we may make a mash, So come on, an’ we'll skin the deer quicker’n light- nin’.” They accordingly set briskly to work, and their young captor stood coolly watching them, ready to balk any treacherous design they mn have in view. hey were aware of the fact, and therefore chose the wisest course—that of respectful word _ and demeanor. “You're rough on two honest disposed fellows, ou aire,” Bloody Bill growled. ‘‘ Why, we be- ong to the church, we do, an’ aire two o’ the nicest pilgrims in ther mountains.” ‘When you're kept muzzled,” was the sarcas- tic response. ‘‘Come! you’d better be lively. The sun is most off the peak.” ~- “And tte bide is all off the deer. Tell us, ae now, ‘fore we quarter ’im—what’s yer came, gal? “Kit, fer short—Kentucky Kit, fer long,’cause — I originally sprouted down in old Kentuck!” was the reply, ‘‘an’ ye recollect thar’s some good — nerve an’ a few good card-players down in the Blue-grass State.” The two men exchanged glances time of a startled nature—and Black Bob said, in an undertone: " x “Our game, sure enough. We'll not follow boldly.” in—this Bloody Bill nodded; then they set to work — quartering up the buck. ‘What were those roughs rch then?” was the thought of Kentucky Kit. ‘TI allow they — were planning some mischief, But they’ll have to wake up earlier to get the best of me.” The deer was soon quartered, and then Black Bob turned to her, and doffed shoulder what ye want, and trot home. naturally, out of gt gallantry, accept what re mains. Ha! ha! ha!” his hat, gallantly. “There you are, miss. You're at ge a fe eke ““Ah! indeed! But, don’t be so gallant as to overlook my immediate necessities. "I want you each to shoulder’ a quarter and carry it to my camp for me—then I shall haye done with ou. Bloody Bill replied, growing enraged. “And TH fricasseed if never have any appetite for w deer!” Kit cried, Rag cooper ‘*Come, now, Tl shoot you as quick as to look at you, if you don’t mind; so shoulder arms and march along.” Of two evils they chose the lesser and the girl t’s left of that “Til be cussed fer a skunk if we will” ou don’t’ youll ts guide Pronget up the rear, with her rifle ready — i ork r use. She could not, of course, foresee the denoue- : E ment of this adventure, but she was determined _ -to hold the victorious hand as long as she could, anyhow. When they arrived at the camp she directed them where to lay the haunches, after which she announced: _ “ There—P'll excuse you now, and will aba 3. LOR you not to come fooling around me again fear you may get hurt, the next time. Go!’ and she poin had come, ~ = “s. rte down the gulch, whence they ;

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| She’s a mighty marriageable piece, an’ as purty ‘an’ primp as a goose-quill. ares: Srnes Nee 4 Deadwood Dick’s Ward. Without a word they obeyed, nor did they halt or speak until they reached the spot where they had left the fore-quarters of the deer. ere they paused, and confronted each other, looking the disgust they felt for theniselves, “ Well, who'd ’a’ thought it?” the older ruffian grunted. ‘For Heaven’s sake don’t never let the cat out o’ the bag,” Black Bob replied. ‘' But, we’re in luck all the same!” Z “ You think it’s really our game? The name Kate was in our instructions you know—Kit and Kate mean the same,” “ But, whar’s the old ’un?” “‘Tn the ‘schooner,’ likely.” * Well, in case we’re right, now’s our time fer a picnic. A hundred apiece ain’t picked w along every trail. But et’s a pity about the gal. *Pshaw! She’s got too much boss in her fer me! Conscience an’ business don’t jibe, an’ we mus do the job up slick an’ clean.” ‘*Pm agreeable ter that, but, how shall we lay fer 'em? The gal smells a mice already, and she'll be as wide awake as a mice, too,” “Oh! we'll wait till morning is purty nigh at hand, an’ they’re fast asleep.” ‘What then—knife ’em? “No. No music on this occasion!” ** How, then, will you work it?” “Easy enough. Rub a little o’ the combined arsenic and covculus indicus we use fer traps, on their, meat, and they'll never know what hit v7 “Good. Well. have a drink, and then get ready.” They each took a drink from a pocket-flask the younger man had; thena fire was built and sufficient of the meat roasted to satisfy theirs appetites. hey then emptied their flasks of liquor, buckled on their weapons, and laid down for a nap. tt was a very dark night, and they had no fear of discovery. Tt was past midnight when they awakened, and without a word crept stealthily away through the darkness on their deadly mission, CHAPTER II. NED HARRIS. By the time they reached the vicinity of the emigrants’ camp, the dawn of another day was not far distant, and the intense darkness of the night was rapidly lessening—so much so, in fact, that Black Bob uttered a growl. ‘A feller is liable to get his head blowed off by trying the game now,” he muttered, ‘and I ‘don’t fancy that.” _ Pshaw! you are wild. Comealong; they’re all asleep,” the older ruffian replied, boldly. “T've got ths stuff all prepared in. a bottle, and all that remains tobe done is to rub it well over those parts of the meat they are likely’ to eat first. Thon we can go off and collect our rey- enue stamps. Ha! ha!—pretty good, that—rev- enue stamps, eh?” “Tas joke be hanged. I’d rather have the’ stamps themselyes,” : “Then come along and earn them. Look! I | Bi can already see the two quarters hung to the limb of a tree near the wagon. Flat, now, and as snaky as possible! If we’re discovered—then we must use our tools fer all they’re worth,” Throwing themselves flat upon their faces, they crawled stealthily along toward the limb which supported the two hauuches of deer-meat, it being their destination. Worm-fashion they wriggled along, without so much as a variation from their course, or a USC. Ati last without discovery, they reached the tree, and rose to their feet. All was gloomy and silent about the lone voyageurs’ camp, not so much as a cricket’s chirp being heard to break the monotony. “They are all as fast Beer. as can be,‘an’ we could enter the wagon and knife ‘em, tor that matter,” Bloody Bill said, huskily, ‘but we'll spare bloodshed, while we may. Draw yer pop- guns, now, and keep a sharp eys out for danger, while I swash the meat.” Black Bob obeyed; then taking a bottle of liquid from his pocket, his confederate poured some of the contents out in his hands, and rubbed it upon the haunches of the deer, contiau- ing this operation until he had exhausted all the deadly poison the flask contained. “There! If they feast on that beefsteak, to- morrow morning, or rather this morning, they'll soon e food for the wolves,” he muttered, with a shuddering eae oe if they don’t—if they should turn up again ‘‘Bah! what care we, after we get the rhino fer the job? Her nibs never’ll dare squeal, lest she gives herself away, and that’s where we’ve got her, you see, Come, let’s make fer Placer- town, at once, and get our dues.” “TY never care for mine!” the other said, with ~ satire. peti The sun had climbed. well up the horizon the next morning, when Kentucky Kit arose from her pile of blankets within the wagon, and part- ing the curtains, damped out upon the und, feeling greatly refreshed from her night’s re- Se, The instant after, however, she uttered an ex- élamation of surprise,.for there, in front of the wagon, a horse lay upon the ground, and a young man lay with Ifis head pillowed against the animal’s glossy side, Both were p daotoners fast asleep, and formed as they lay there wita the early morning sunlight streaming down upon them, a picture well worthy of an artist’s brush, Even the span of oxen had drawn up in the vicinity, and stood gazing upon the scene in ap- parent curiosity. “Well, well, if this don’t beat my time, I’m off?’ Kentucky Kit observed, thrusting her hand in her breeches pocket, and taking a sur- vey of the scene, ‘I wonder who the pilgrim is? At all events, he’s a darling looker, right from Daisy Gulch.” And, in truth, the stranger did present rather a prepossessing appearance, as he lay stretched out upon the ground in a position of natural grace. ¢ & He was possessed, of a symmetrical form, no»

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Deadwood Dick's Ward. : cs & ticeable for its prominent muscwar deyelop- ment, and in face was rather handsome of fea- ture, with a prominent mustache, a firm but pleasant mouth, denoting resolution and will and hair long and wavy. His eyes were close: in slumber, so that none of their beauty could be determined, Kentucky Kit, with alla girl’s innate curios- ity, stood for several minutes regarding him with an admiring gaze. . “He’s just the purtiest feller I’ve seen yet, since comin’ inter the hills,” she observed. ‘‘ T’ll bet he’s a reg’lar ‘masher,’ too, as they say out East. Anyhow, it wouldn’t take long for him to ‘mash’ me, if he’s as good as he looks, I wonder—” She hesitated, and blushed prettily; then a dare-devil gleam shot into her eyes, and creep- ing forward, she bent over and kissed the sleep- ing man on the lips; then darted back hastily, calling: “Daddy! daddy! quick—there’s a man in camp!” Her cries were answered by the instant ap- pearance of the queer old delegate’s head through the slit in the canvas, speedily followed by hi bag / In another instant, he was out upon the ground beside Kit, an almost repulsive-looking dwarf, not over four feet in hight, yet massively proportioned for his size. ‘““ Well, what’s the matter?” he snarled, glar- ing at the sleeper. ‘' Who is this chap, child?” “That I do not know,” Kit replied. ‘‘ Some stranger, peo who running upon our camp, concluded to accept its protection,in order to get a few hours’ sleep.” “You are a good guesser, young lady,” the stranger said, opening a pair of magnetic black eyes, and rising to a sitting posture, ‘‘for such is the case, and I hope I have not intruded.” “Tf a friend you are, then welcome you are; if an enemy, you might better have cut off your wind ere you came here!” the dwarf said, sternly. “‘Oh! of course he is a friend, daddy,” Ken- tucky Kit declared, her pretty face suffused with blushes, for she now believed the handsome stranger had only been feigning sleep at the time of her stolen kiss, ou see, we are two lone voyageurs, on our way to Placerville,” she explained, ‘‘and we naturally expect of course to find an enemy lurking behind every bush, in so wild a region.” ‘«Then you can set aside all fears, as far as I ‘am concerned,” was the reply, “for I am no bugbear to harm those who keep out of my pie. By the way, I am also en route for Placerville. wherever it may be, and, if permissible, I will join forces, and your defensive condition will be slightly bettered thereby.” “You have a bold, unwavering eye, young man, and I reckon I can trust you, though you are the first I have placed confidence in, for many, & year. What is your name, young man ‘“‘Ned Harris, free ranger, at your service, uncle; and now, may I in return inquire your name?” ; “Yes, young man. It’s a proud old name, too, is the name of mine, tho’ terribly sinned. eee he a et aval o against. Girard Athol was the name I used to bear, and the AthoJs were-one of the finest fami- lies in old Kentuck. But o’ late years, since lve grown older and uglier, an’ more like a beast than a human, the name of Old Scavenger has been given me. My daughter, here, and the © only faithful friend I’ve known, of late years, is Kate Athol, or Kentucky Kit as 1 call her, because she’s a blue-grass widow,” and. here the little old man shook all over with SURPTea laughter at what he evidently considered a good joke. While Kentucky Kit colored, painfully, and said, reprovingly: é “Father!” : “Oh! git out,” Old Scavenger chuckled, ‘tI — know you’ve got an eye sot on our friend here, but it ain’t goin’ ter work. You're a straight out-an’-out grass, an’ ye better play yer keerds, ruther keerful.” “Oh! don’t mind what he says, please—he’s such a terrible tease!” Kit protested, turning to Harris, Walf between a laugh and a cry—and from that moment the young man realized that the young beauty had a secret under all her bright and smiling exterior, ‘‘ Make yourself at home, and I will prepare some breakfast.” “Not out of that deer-meat, if you please,” Ned warned. ‘‘ That is not exactly Healthy.” “ Not healthy!” both Kit and Old Scavenger exclaimed in surprise. “Exactly. That meat is poe The two men with whom Miss Kitty had such a remark- able encounter last evening, came back in the dead of night, and washed both haunches with ~ poison!” : Old Scavenger was greatly affected by this intelligence, for he sunk back upon a seat on a lo”, and bis eyes became riveted upon the ground, while his hands clinched, Lu ‘“*T see!’ I see!” he muttered, huskily. “They were lying in wait, no doubt, when Kit run upon them. Ah! everything is plain to me, now. I am upon the right trail, and by - some unaccountable reason, I am expected !” His fierce features seemed to grow even more terrible in their expression, and his wild eyes raised and glared at Harris, fiercely. ‘You saw these men do this?” he asked. “T first overheard their plot, and then saw them fulfill it. They were, I should judge, sent here by some other person, for they spoke of collecting pay.” j “Yes, they were sent here for another pur- pose than that which would be Christian,” the. old man responded; ‘‘ they were sent on to murder us. Young man, would you care to hear a sage of 4 wretched old wreck of humanity like 1 am “Certainly, I would, old pard, and if itis in my power to give you any assistance to right that wrong, all you have to do is call on me.’ ““Thankee; boy—thankee! I)see you have the true man about you. So I will tell you my story. Et ain’t a very purty story, like ye read * in story papers, nor et ain’t never been writ wi’ . fohedee pen, fer ‘et’s true from life—a bitter ~ ife. , “Ye see, I was born of a proud old Kentucky family, noted fer beauty, wealth and accom — ~ story of a wrong, from the lips _

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6 Deadwood Dick’s Ward. plishments, thet go to make up aristocracy, an’ when I came into the world a little ugly mis- shapen customer, it was a sorry day for my family pride and fer myself. hat an eyesore { was to my sisters and brothers I never dat! realized till I growed up to the age when should have been a man in size; then I began to see how matters stood, and one day I turned up missing; I forever left my home, resolved no longer to be a stumbling-block in the way of my family’s pride. “T came to the West, and roamed wild in the forest and mountains among the beasts and red- skins, who never harmed me from a superstition that I was in league with the Evil One. Thus years rolled by, until one day, in a lonely moun- tain gorge I struck gold, and there for two years I toiled, alone and Jonely, At_ last, erate amassed a large fortune of the Shinin’ stuff, buried it, and went forth into the more civilized regions. ‘There I met a beautiful woman—a scheming adventuress I should say—who on short ac- ea ei professed to admire me. Ha! ha! ‘ancy a woman loving such a nondescript as I! ‘Tn a weak moment I revealed the secret: of my wealth, and from that time on she haunted me ever, until, blinded by her professed ardent devotion, I married her, and we set out for my lonely mountain home. “Hore, for two years, I think I was happy, for in that time, and up to the last day I ever saw her, she was kind and loving to, me, though LTorten wondered why it was, and suspected it was from a desire to get my gold. Therefore I never revealed its hiding-place to her. ‘CA littls one was born to us, the year after our marriage, and God has spared it my de- formity. ‘ou see her, there, now, sir, as brave and noble a little girl as there is in the land. But for her, [should have long ere this put an end to my miserable existence; for her sake I lived on—and for vengeance! - ‘Just two years after our marriage the wo- man came up missing, tegether with my buried fortune, which she had in some way discovered, when I believed its hiding-place a secret to her. She never returned and I have not seen her since. I did not pursue her, for I had my babe to watch over and protect. But, I swore an oath of vengeance, some day to be fulfilled, and Iam on that vengeful mission, now. 3 “J remained in the gulch and mined a little for bad IT accumulated more gold, and finally with Kit, I went back to Kentucky, and put her out to school, while I went into the in- terior of the State, built mea hut in the moun- tains, and lived there in utter seclusion. My child came to see me often, and it gave me ee satisfaction to see that education and re- ned associations did not turn her affections from me; she was my pride, my idol and my all ~ -an life. + “At last, about a year _ money was nearly gone, sol told my child the story of her mother and asked her advice. Her answer came quick and decisive as I felt sure it would, for her spirit was my spirit. She said: ‘Daddy, let’s hunt her down and make her give back the gold, or enough of it to support you in your old age.’ : ‘0, I saw that my ‘‘ And so we set out for the West, and have been searching ever since. It was abouta month ago that I first obtained any trace of her. I went into a photograph gallery, and saw her picture, which I at once recognized, on exbibi- tion in a show-case. ‘ Thatlady? says the artist in answer to my inquiry— why, that is Madam Cheviot, of Placerville, a little mining burg up in the hills. Well ‘heeled,’ they say, and styles out like a queen. Goin’ to marry Darrel, the bonanza king, too, Pve heard,’ ‘Never!’ I said,_ under my breath; then I bought the picture and set out for Placerville, whither I am now bound. So there you have my story, Harris, which has come to pass; what the denouement will be I do not know. It only remains for the hand of time to determine that.” = CHAPTER If. HARRIS ASSUMES A CHARGE. ; “And a very interesting little story it is,” . Harris responded, lighting a cigar as the old man finished. ‘‘ Were I a novelist or an actor, I should utilize the incidents. The woman prob- ably got.an inkling of your wealth, and only married you to get passession of it.” “That is all. She deceived me, and I know, now, that she is a crafty, schemin adven- turess. And if I am in time, I shall endeavor to prevent her insnaring another victim into her trap. ‘She evidently knows of your coming.” “She may have had spies on my track since I left Kentucky, or, it is possible that the picture I saw in Cheyenne was but a decoy, and the artist her agent. Since last night’s occur- rencés, and that which you have so luckily exposed, thismorning, I believe that, fearing my coming, she contemplates a hasty marriage wit! the rich mine-owner, This must not be. While J live, she can never trick other men as she did me, Therefore she must be circumvented, which necessitates that I should be on the watch and ready. Harris, I believe you area man of good principles, integrity and honor, and I want to ask a favor of you.” - ; “ Ask it, sir, and I doubt not I shall find it in my oi to grant it,” was the reply. 4 ‘Very well. Itis this: I want you to loan me your horse, and as security, take my team and wagon here. I also want you to take char, of my ister oe and protect her as you woulda sister, until I return. If I should never return, take her as pone ward, until she sees fit to marry. If don’t return, or you don’t see me again, institute a search for me, for I shall not be dead, but a prisoner in her power. Will you do this for me, Harris?” “With pleasure, my old friend. I am only glad of the chance to espouse the good cause of yourself and daughter, I assure you. - What movements shall we make, during your ab- sence?” : “Journey on to Placerville, and get some kind of a habitation. If you are beset by tools of the Tigress, use your own judgment in deal- ing with them, Assoon as I seea chance, Iwill report.” _ ; : And so it was arranged. : ; : Dick was to take charge of Kentucky Kit, and

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Deadwood Dick’s Ward. 2 z Old Scavenger was to go on to Placerville in advance. After a breakfast on jerked venison and coffee, some of which Dick had in his saddle- bags Old Athol-set forth, “Rake good care of my child, Harris,” was his last injunction, as he rode away, ‘‘ for she is all that I have in life to worship.” “Never fear for her safety,” was the reply; then the little old man Satlopad away around the bend, on his strong-limbed steed, and Harris and his pretty charge were left alone. ‘Oh! Iam so fearful some harm will come to him,” tho girl said, tears starting into her pretty eyes. “He has been a dear good father to me, if he is deformed and homely.” ‘* A homely bud often opens into the sweet- est flower, you know,” Dick suggested, ‘‘ But, ou needn’t have fears for the old gent, for e’s far shrewder than he appears. It will be a cloudy day when he gets out of his reckon- iz. “You like him, then?” ‘“‘T like his spirit, and his—daughter! Ha! ha! what an impulsive little kiss that was you gave me, to be sure, and how I enjoyed it!” The girl colored, and turned hastily toward the wagon, . “Oh! you are just mean,” she said. ‘‘ You might know I didn’t mean it. thought—I—I—” “Who did you think it was?” : “T__J—oh! I don’t know what. I thougav i’d wake fou and see how surprised you’d be; so, don’t let’s talk any more about it.” “Allright. Ill forgive you this time, and the next time, too, maybe. Shall we make a start now?’ ‘* Yes, for I want to get to Placerville, if possi- ble, to- ay.” ‘*T don’t think it will be possible. It is a lon distance through the mountains yet. Still, i ay not be as far as I anticipate.” he oxen were yoked up and hitched to the wagon—then erty Son assumed her old po- |’ sition of driver, while in hand. \ During the forenoon he brought down a young buck deer, and put it aboard the wagon, but that was the only incident to mar the monotony of the journey. At noon they halted about an hour for rest and food, and Harris socn cut a ‘couple of fine steaks from the deer, which Kit roasted in a skillful manner. After an hour’s tarry, they journeyed on eae through the winding gulch with its bab- bling creek, and at sunset, seeing no signs of their destination, made a halt in a place that nature had seemingly fashioned out for a camp- ing spot. - On both sides rose mighty ledges hundreds of feet in hight, while the gulch bottom was perfectly level, and carpeted with fresh and tender grass. Flowers bloomed on eitber hand, emitting a soothing fragrance; the creek gurgled musically through its little time-worn channel; a bracing breeze laden with forest perfumes blew down from the mountains, and all nature seemed serenely welcoming the close of da y. arris walked ahead, rifle = a z es ah tee I thought—L After supper, when the soft haze of gloom was becinsing’ to gather around, Harris fit his | pipe 6 quaint affair of ancient pattern—and ay back upon the ground against a grassy mound, watching, ostensibly, the rings of siaoke that curled up toward the first star's of evening, which began to appear over the crest of rocks far above, but in reality watching Ken- tucky Kit who had procured a little rocking chair from the wagon and seated herself, with : book in hand near the light of the night re. But, instead of reading, she was gazing thoughtfully down the gulch toward Placerville —dreamily, as if some pieasant memory was be- fore her mind. i A penny for lees thoughts, Princess Pret- ty,” Harris said, pig img tte as he nimbly tossed acopper over into her hat, which lay on the ground beside her. ‘‘ Wert thou thinking of some noble Romeo, whom thou hast left in far and distant lands?” She broke out into a peculiar little laugh at at. “Oh, noe,” she replied, ‘IT abhor Shakespeare, and Gyesgueply etest Romeos. Take a man who spends more than half his time before a mirror, and all of his income on dress, and learns to talk love from a dictionary, and you have your Romeo. Bah! I wouldn’t give that” —and she snapped her thumb, contemptuously— “for a car-load of such cattle! Do you know who I was thinking of?” ‘*T haven’t the slightest idea, unless it was of your father.” “No, I was thinking of a man—an awful, awful man, whom I have heard of at nearly every trading-post and mining-town this side of the Missouri. Oh, he’s a terrible fellow, accord- ing to allreport. And who do you suppose I was just comparing him to, in appearance?” , ‘Well, I don’t know—poor me, perhaps,” . Yes, exactly; you!” ‘Well, I don’t know whether to take that as a compliment, or not.» Who is this terrible in-~ dividual, may I ask?” ‘‘Oh, he’s a brave, fearless, reckless Bedouin of the West, whom people fear and fight, and yet he fears them not.” He is handsome and’ courteous to friends, and willing to be friends with all who deal square and honest. It was in Cheyenne I first heard a young woman telling of him, and I fell in love with him on the spot, pe formed an ideal of him, in my feat jon.” «, ; ‘* And I am a duplicate of the ideal, eh?” .“ Rather so, only my awful man gets awfully stern and morose, when crossed, my informant told me.” a ; “You never saw me mad, yet; ’m a very thundercloud when I get mad—thunder, light- ning, and all!” Harris laughingly averred. “Well, that’s the way my ideal is, and he’s - just tomy fancy. Indeed I think I really love ee ; just because other people turn against nim, ~ “ But you have not yet disclosed the name of this lucky dog who has been so fortunate as to inherit your affection, without ever seeing — you, : 3 “Tf don’t know what his real name is, bnt he

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Deadwoed Dick’s Ward. “©The same! Outlaw though he is, they say he is ever kind and courteous to unprotected women, and that’s more than you can say of a third of the men of the world at large.” “Very true. But, you may have formed an erroneous idea of this bold desperado. It would be silly fora young lady like you to cherish even a single thought of such a wretch as he.” ‘He ain’t a wretch!” she cried, impetuously, ‘Cand you needn’t say he is, for I wouldn’t be- lieve you. I guess I ought to know, when Cal- amity Jane told me all about him. She said they were about as good as pees to get mar- ried, when they dissolved, by mutual consent, and went different ways. Oh! you bet he’s a ‘screamer’ as they say up here in the hills, and the first time I see him ’'m going to get married to him—that is, if he is willing.” “Pshaw! he’s been married half a dozen times already, and always lost his wife one way or another, anor ely after. Take my advice, Miss Kitty, and fight shy of him, and never cast a single foolish thought on him.” “Your advice is all right in its place, Mr. Harris, but it can never change my views in ‘this matter. Do you think we will get to Placer- ville to-morrow?” “T do. It cannot be overa matter of ten miles away, now.” ; The conversation changed onto different topics from that on, and finally subsided altogether, Kit retiring to the wagon, as Harris had ex- pressed his intention of sleeping literally with one eye open, in anticipation of the return of the prowlers of the previous night. : But it was not long ere he was sleeping as soundly as his pretty ward, as_he lay rolled _ in his blanket upon the grass. He had walked all day, hence the weariness that put him to sleep. Paw long he had slept he knew not, but he finally awoke to consciousness and opened his eyes. othe moon’s bright light was streaming down into the gulch, and—Kentucky Kit was kneel- ing by his side, and gazing earnestly into his face. : She started violently as he opened his eyes and discovered her. : ; “Worgive me,” she murmured, in a frightened tone—then attempted to arise and escape, but Harris sat up and caught her by the wrist, _ ‘Hold on,” he said, gently. ‘‘ Don’t be afraid, What were you looking at—my beautiful phiz?” with a smile. “Oh, let m2 gling to release study out if Deadwood Dick. = ‘Oh, that’s it, eh? Then you had a suspicion that I might be the outlaw, eh?” ‘¢ Yes, sir.” “She was trembling like a leaf as she spoke. — “Then dismiss that belief, my child,” he said, kindly, ‘‘ and go back. to your rest.” “T_T was so afraid you were him, and would think me bold. I am very glad you are not,” she said, falteringly, and tears were standing in her eyes when she turned and left. “The tears belied her words then,” Harris mused, as he gazed after her. “*I wonder if o—please do!” she said, strug- erself. ‘‘ I—I was only trying you were not—if you weren’t ia ‘tory conversation; then she does really love this fellow, of whom I am the counterpart? First, I know she will be lov- ing Ned Harris, and that will settle my hash. She is warm and impulsive, like all Southern women, and wouldn’t make a fellow a bad orna- ment for his humble ten-by-twelve, that is, if 1 fellow was inclined to ‘annex a Mrs, to his establishment, which I am not, or, at least-- that is—well, I should have to think the matte: over, a deal.” He had the remainder of the night to meditatiy on the subject, for he did not again go to sleep , but what decision he may or may not havu arrived at, we will leave for the future chapters of this romance to develop. Kentucky Kit made her reappearance at day. break, and there were traces of tears upon het face. But, after bathing that pretty face in: the waters of the brook she looked as fresh and vii as a peach, A meal was soon prepared and dispatched, interspersed with a little desul- preparations were made oe “ to continue the journey. They were about ready to start, when the saw a person approaching on foot over the bac trail—and a woman at that! ‘Oh! let’s wait and see wnoit is,” Kit pleaded eagerly, and they accordingly did wait, for Harris thought best to humor his new charge as much as possible. : The approaching craft was a short party, and very fat at that—in fact, extraordinarily fat, resembling a hogshead. mounted on a pair of stubby legs, with a round ball on top as an ornament, And the worst of it was, this nestful fairy who was floating so gracefully westward ho! was a negress. The nearer she came the more closely the two inspected her. She certainly was an odd-looking creature, be~ ing so “ off” the usual proportions of humanity, with a pair of thick red lips, and big eyes, the whites of which rolled about in a decidedl wicked manner, Her head waz ornamented with an old-fashioned straw bonnet with a wide front, and her obese figure was incased in a dirty-looking gown not reaching to her feet, which were protected by an enormous pair of shoes. A bit of shawl pinned about her shoulders and a belt around her ample waist completed her costume, except the weapons in her belt, which consisted of a pair of cavalry pistols, a large, keen-edged knife, a large razor, and a tomahawk, which was nothing more or less than a butcher’s cleaver. - With a truly business-like stride, this black & wayfarer approached where Harris and Kit were standing, puffing and blowmg like a wind- broken horse, and rolling the whites of her eyes ludicrously. ‘ “See hyer, you chil’ren!” she said, halting before them, and unfolding a wood-cut picture of a jolly Dutchman, such as is used by theaters for bulletin-board advertising, ‘“‘ hab you seen nuffin’ of sech a pussin passing this way?” ‘“‘T reckon not, aunty,” Harris replied. ‘Ts it some person you're after?” ““De good Lor’ bress ye, yes. Dat’s my truant husband, Hans Schartzenheimer, dat is~deun- faithful monster, Chile, did you ebber hear— Wed ave oes

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Dandwvécd Dick's Wark tole ob Romeo an’ Julyet? Well, sah, if you lub dat romance, you will at least pity me, for Llama Julyet, widout my Romeo, e met in de dead ob night, an’ war j’ined by de parson in de ban’s ob wedlock; but when my husband dis- kibbered dat dis maiden was a chile ob de color- ed race, he swore a awful swore, an’ dat’s de last I’ve ebber see’d ob him. Oh! tell me, honey, hab you not see’d my wandering Romeo?” CHAPTER IV. A CASE IN WHICH EYES WERE TRUMPS. ‘‘T HAVE not, beauty,” Harris replied, dryly. ‘‘ Why do you come to this wild region to seek him, when probably he is luxuriating in the East?” The negress did not reply, but strode abruptly on up the gulch, and soon disappeared around the first bend. After she had gone, Harris took off his hat and scratched his head. “Well, what do you think of her?” Kentucky Kit asked, watching him. 7 “T think of all the menageries I ever saw, that was the most elephantine,” was the reply. ‘If that museum is in Placerville when we arrive bari tf a cultivate its acquaintance.” ess, ?m wash.” “Because, if that is a genuine ne; much mistaken. I fancy the black/wi ‘Tn that case, why the disguise?” : “That remains to be learned. Disguises are utilized for various Boa you are doubtless aware. Come! let’s be moving on.” . He took the lead, with his rifle lying across the hollow of his left arm; Kit mounted the wagon and drove the oxen. z An‘hour after midday they passed up the main street into the mining-town of Placerville —one of the liveliest camps since the palmy days of Deadwood. It was built in the gulch-bottom, which was at this point about a half-mile wide, and com- prised some hundred and fifty shanties and cabins, with three or four better finished and more pretentious residences, The main and only street was built up entire- ly with business places, back of which on either hand were scattered the habitations. There were three or four of miscellaneous stores, a doz- en saloons and dance-halls combined, a black- smithy,a barn-like edifice designated asa church, and a hotel, where the transient patronage usu- * 1 ally found accommodation. Before this latter Kentucky Kit stopped, and left the oxen to quench their thirst at a water- ing trough, while she consulted with Harris. “T will make a few inquiries and learn if there are any empty shanties to be had,” he said, “and #f there are not, will rent a tent, until we can do better.” He therefore left Kit at the wagon, having little doubt but what she could take care of her- self, and walked up the street for a reconnois- sance. After a few inquiries he learned of a snug lit- tle shanty, and succeeded in renting it. On his return to communicate the good news to Kit, he passed a respectable looking shant with a store front, and blinds on the inside, It was evidently an office, and tacked to the door was a placard, bearing the notice: . ~ “WANTED—A CLERK.” Harris paused a few minutes, and deliberated —then entered the place, resolved to make an application for the position. t proved to be a banker or broker’s office, di- vided about the center by a long counter, guard- ed by a stout wire grating from counter to ceil- ing, There was, however, an aperture of con- siderable size in the middle, through which business was transacted. A dandily attired young man of graceful fig- ure, and pre i 4 ecuntenance, wearing a model blonde mustache, stood before the aper- ture, as Harris entered, conversing with an el- derly gentleman behind the counter, who was dressed in black broadcloth, with an immaculate collar, white tie, and glossy shirt front, a stern- faced, unbearded party, whose face was not the most handsome with its plenitude of furrows and wrinkles, and whose hair was as white as a drift of prairie snow. “No, Mr. Randall, I don’t think you will an- swer my pu se,” the elderly gentleman was saying. ‘‘ Young men who pass the night as late as two A. M,, in gambling and dri ig, are in my opinion scarcely fitted for my service.” ° “T am ‘sorry such a terribly unjust, rumor should have reached you,” Randall replied, “and it seems to me that Madame Cheviot’s recommendation ought to bear weight with you in my behalf.” “But it does not, a pin’s worth. Were J enam- ored of the moneyed madam, it might, but as I am not, I must needs refer you to my neighbor banker. gentleman your position.” Randall stepped back, and gave a scowl at Harris, who assumed his position, b “Do you apply for the position; sir?’ the broker asked, surveying the man well. ‘“T came in for that purpose, yes.” “ What is oun name?” “Edward Harris.” “A stranger here?” “ Just arrived, not an hour ago.” “What business have you followed?” ce ty life has been a roving one, principally, Dae am versed somewhat in ’most every- in; ” be Gan you write sliort-hand?” ‘Quite readily.” r “*Can you send and receive messages by tele- gray hh??? E ‘T can, though not as rapidly as some.” °— ‘Fast operators often make mistakes, Are you familiar with themining business and mines — of the West?” | “T have visited nearly every mining district of importance, and have some ideas of my own — concerning them,” ““Good! Can you keep books?” “Tecan.” Be kind enough to allow the other ie ‘“‘ Well, sir, my clerk must necessarily be able to do my business as though I were here to dictate tohim. I am often absent, and I want a mar who can be trusted implicitly, as he often has the handling of a-small mint of money. Iam favorably impressed with you, but~shall have e

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10 to deliberate before engaging you, Now for in- stanve, if I were absent, and a chance were tendered you to purchase stocks in the Thunder- bolt Mine, at Custer, what would you pay?” “Not a cent. There is no such mine as the Thunderbolt, at least no such incorporated com- pany.” The broker smilod, “ Are you sure?” : “ Quite sure, unless it has sprung into exist- ence within a few days.” “Woll, you are right, That was a little tester I gave you, you see. How about the Lit- tle Pittsburg, at Leadville? What's her stocks worth to you?” “Tf I were going to purchase, I should not feel safe to pay over thirty-five cents on a dollar, or Jess,” “You have excellent judgment, I see. How about the Rocket, at Oro City?” ; ‘‘At par value, every day in the week, and scarce at that.” “True. How comes it you are so well posted, Mr. Harris?” ‘* My brain, eyes and ears were given to me to use, and I always exercise the trio in conjunction, never trusting the decision of the one without the assent of the other.” ‘A happy notion for a shrewd man to have. Well, sir, call around this evening, * My daugh- ter, who isa keen reader of human nature and character, will be here, and if she approves of you, then Fe can begin duties to-morrow, at a salary of five thousand dollars a year.” “Thank you,” Harris said, modestly. - Then he left the office and returned to where he had left Kentucky Kit. “fT admire your choice, Mr. Raymond,” Ran- dall sneered, after Harris was gone, “T trust for the good of Fm finances, that Miss Milly will seo differently. “ What do you mean. sir?” ““T mean that I believe that man to be a skilled scoundrel, and hope to be able to prove it to you before he succeeds in causing your financial ruin.” After apprising Kit of his luck in securing a house, Harris also told her of his probable good fortune, ; Then the wagon was driven around to the shanty, and the oxen turned loose to graze. while Harris unloaded such furniture an furnishings as the wagon contained, and moved them into the new abode, where Kitty set them _ to rights, She soon had the place looking cheery and homelike, and everything neat and tidy. ‘This will ba your room,” she said, pointin, ‘to a cosey little bedroom. ‘Mine is the nex one, and I sha’n’t bea bit afraid, nights, if I know my governor is in the next room.” , “Would you be afraid to remain alone here nights?” Harris asked, doubtingly. _ “Tndeed I would. Why?” ~ 2 “Nothing; only I was just thinking that it would be more proper for my to go to a hotel “Oh, no! no! no! I wouldn'y stay here alone - forthe world. People won’t pyy any attention to us, or if they do, I am sure Ene needn’t know -_ nights.” Deadwood Dick’s Ward. what relation we bear to each other—they won't know but what we are brother and sister—or, still better, man and wife. What a joke that would be!” Harris's spirit fairly groaned within him, Man and wife, indeed! Things -were beginning to assume altogether a diferent aspect from what they had when hé had assumed his charge. Were he to take up his home at the shanty, he felt sure gossip would not be long in linking his name with his pretty Ties in an unen- viable light, which might be the means of caus- ing difficulty with the broker, and other%trouble all around, . : Yet he had promised to protect and care for the girl, and he resolved to do it, though he should stand in momentary dread of the results of his remaining under the same roof with her. There were several things that |e was aoe sure of. He was satisfied that she liked him because he was her ideal of this man Deadwood Dick, whom she had never seen—he knew that she was warm and impulsive by nature, and thought no harm in expressing her likes and dis- likes. He was also equally positive that she was good and.innocent, and therefore calculated no possible harm in his remaining under the same roof with her. After supper that evening he paid another visit to the broker’s office, as had been re- quested. The broker was seated before the counter, this time, in company with a young lady, whom he introduced _as his daughter, Miss Millicent Ray- mond, on Harris’s entrance. ‘This is the young gentleman I was speaking of, dear,” the broker said, smilingly; ‘‘so give me your estimate of him.” : The young lady composedly turned a pair of magnetic black eyes upon Harris, in a steady stare, which he composedly returned. For several minutes neither spoke or moved; then the features of the broker’s daughter grew a trifle set and rigid, and a faint rift of pallor passed over her face, Harris turned to the broker, with a laugh; “Well, has your daughter drawn her conclu- sions yet?” he asked, ‘‘ It’s mighty uncomforta- ble, this being stared at, so.” ‘‘Milly, dear, what ails you?” Mr, Raymond demanded, taking her by the arm. ‘‘ You act strange.” > There was no answer. Millicent sat rigid and white upon her chair. : ‘‘ My Cod, what’s the matter—she has faint- ed,” the broker cried, Seige ‘No, stand back and I will bring her to!” Harris said, advancing. : He waved his hand above his head, several times, and in front of her face—then retired to a seat, as she gasped, and the color came back to her cheeks, : ‘You see, I unthinkingly returned Miss Ray- mond’s stare,” Harris explained, and she being sensitive to magnotic influence she unconscious- ly passed into a semi-trance cordition. I think if you question her now she will answer, and in my favor, I trust.” ‘ How is it, Milly dear? What do you think of Mr. Harris?” . : ‘

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Deadwood Dick’s Ward. “Ho will answer your purpose well,” was the reply; gaspingly. ‘Papa, I want to go home.” ‘She will naturally feel dizzy for a short time,” Harris explained, in answer to. the brok- er’s anxious look, ‘I will leave you, now. Shall I call to-morrow?” “At eight o’clock. I will give you a fair trial. Good-evening.” Ma Serpe. and Harris bowed himself out, “Treacherous work here,” he muttered, as he walked along. ‘‘She’d have gone flat against me, if [hadn’t put a stop to it—and not of her own accord, either. Some one put her up to it, but who? Ha! I think I suspect the party.” He met her early the next morning on his way to the office. She was mounted upon a pretty little Indian pony, taking a ride, but the moment their eyes met he gave a little motion of his hand, and she rode up to him and drew rein. ‘* What infernal power is this you hold over me, sir, that I must come and go at your beck and nod?” she demanded, trembling in every muscle. “It is the power of my eyes, which you dared to brave, last evening—the power of mesmerism, which makes you forever the subject to my will, Do you see?” “Oh! Heaven help me, then. Why did you do this?” ** Because I saw that you were going to influ- ence your father against me, and not of your own accord, either. Some one put you up ‘to exert your influence against me; tell me who it was?” **T cannot—will not!” she cried, endeavoring to exert a will of her own, ‘‘ You have no right to ask me.” ‘You are wrong. I have the right to ask, and the power to know. ‘You will tell me—you dare not refuse me!” She looked at him a moment, an expression of horror entering her dark orbs, and a shiver of terror flitting over her person, “ After all it would be no more than right for me to tell you, and it was unwomanly for me to enlist against you. It was Ralph dall who put me on.” Harris nodded. ‘JT thought as much,” he said, ‘ This Ran- dall is your lover?” “Y-e-s,” falteringly. ‘* What was his object?” “To procure your dismissal from my father’s employ, so that he a stand more of a chance ,s0 fill the position, I was to declare you to be Deadwood Dick, the outlaw, he knowing that my father would believe it, as he has implicit faith in my judgment.” Had a bomb exploded at Harris’s feet, he could not have been more astonished, but he : cs ay in concealing his surprise from her notice, ‘* So, that’s his gamo, eh? Well, forewarned is forearmed, and I shall look out for your pre- cious lover, and in the mean time, knowing my power over you, it will be best for you not to attempt any warfare against me.” ‘“‘But you won't harm Mr, Randall—oh! say that you won't?” : = * 11 ‘That depends on how he conducts himself,” Harris rhs ea bowing and walking on to- ward the office. CHAPTER V. ROGUES IN CLOVER. : His first day as broker’s clerk passed very busily, between learning the business, and some writing Ned Harris was given to do. He also became acquainted with a number of the towns- _ people, and overheard some things that were advantageous. . The general topic of conversation seemed to center upon the approaching marriage of the wealthy speculator of the town, Honorable George Darrel, and Madame Cheviot, who was also wealthy. The combined properties of the two were very extensive, and it was claimed that their union would throw under one control the principal part of the real estate in and about Placerville, including buildings and mining in- terests, This marriage was to take row, it was announced, at the madame’s resi- dence, and all the townspeople had been extend- ed an open invitation to be present, in honor to the occasion. es The u pence thought in Harris’s mind was: would 3) d venger be there to prevent the consummation of the rites? rf Not a mention of the dwarf’s presence in the lace on the mor- ~ town had Harris heard, and he wondered there- at, Was the old fellow waiting until the proper hour should arrive for him to raise a breeze in the camp? It looked that way. During the day Harris got a glimpse of the prospective bridegroom. He was a well-preserved looking person of forty years, with a noble, dignified bearing, and would have been pronounced a kind-hearted, easy-going fellow by the casual observer. et there was a firmness about the expression of his features that betokened a will of iron. Of Madame Cheviot, Harris had not as yet been able to get a ee and therefore could form no estimate of her. : As soon as the office duties were over, he went direct to the shanty, where Kentucky. Kit already had the table spread, prepared for the evening repast. “Well, how has-the day passed, here?” he asked pleasantly. to keep you busy.” “Hardly,” she replied, with a faint smile. tae thoughts were about all the company I ad. - He did not need or care.to ask her of whom — those thoughts were, for he fancied he knew what the answer would be, s She.had been thinking of Deadwood Dick. “Oh! I had nearly forgotten it. There is a letter on the mantle for you. Some one sli it in under the door, and was off before I could _ discover who it was.” she added. “1 suppose you have enough ote ‘ this can be from,” he é said, noting that there were no directions upon Wise. piste Fy ee 3 a] ate re i ae rc

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4 i2 Deadwood Dick’s Ward. the envelope. * Probably it is from your father, and for you to open,” She received it with some reluctance. “Thadn’t thought of that; maybe it is from him,” she said, though there was doubt ex- pressed in her tone. She tore open the envelope and glanced ai the missive—then dropped it with a scream, “ What is the matter?” Harris cried, picking it ae He had the answer before him, however. A sheet of paper headed by the ominous ensign of a skull and crossbones, read as follows: “ Dzapwoop Dick:—It is known that you are here, where secret foes are thick and strong against you. Take the chance afforded and escape, o you will be stricken down when you least expect it. This is not gas, but fact. So digest it, “Sure Dears.” About the same hour that the strange warning brought great surprise to Harris, me Che- viot sat in the parlor of here residence, sippin: a glass of wine, while she watched the glow o' the lamplight upon the carpet. The madame was a well-preserved woman of considerable beauty of face and figure, and what with the aid of paint, powder and dress, and other ee devices of woman’s hand, one would have little dreamed that she was in the forties. Her attire was fashionable and elegant, and she wore costly jewelry to the enhancement of her personal pd ar ee She had just finished the wine, when the door ; opened, and a ponderous-looking Dutchman : dey x Zeourtsously. made his appearance, ‘© Off you blease, my lady,” he said, ‘dere is two fellers mit der front door oud, ash vants to see der madame, und tole me uff T no let ’em in reak der ‘hole top off iy jaw off.” : , you are incorrigible, Did they give their names?” . Yas, I dink so, Von off ’em he told me ash how he vas Ploody Pill, und der odder one sed he vas Black Bob, an’ vot he swallered yoost sech vellers like minoself for preekvost, effery night dimes.” Pshaw! they were ree poking fun at you Hans. Showthem in. They are a couple o! rough but honest fellows, whom I hired to do some work for me.” Hansaccordingly went out, and a few minutes later ushered in two ruffians whom Kentucky Kit had held at bay, up the gulch. “Be seated, gentlemen,” the madame said, “ Hans, you may retire.” When alone with her two visitors, however, the madame’s appearance underwent a change, “Well?” she interrogated, sternly, ‘ what do you want, here?” “ Filthy lucre, mum—rags--rhino~—scrip, you see,” Bloody Bill said, with a significant grin. _ “Exactly! we want inflation!” Black Bob chimed in. “What for, pray? Did I not tell you that -you’d get your reward only when your work 1s -Was‘accomplished?” **Kerect, mum, an’ so we bein’ in need of % finances made aquick job of it,” Bill assured, rubbing his hands together, greedily. But I know better, you perceive,” the | clared, fiercely. madame cried, angrily. ‘ The girl, in com) with a joie tele ancate came here to rp ville, yesterday, and is keeping house over in old Ben Magin’s shanty, How do you account for this?" “Dunno, mum. We p‘izened ’em both—sh an’ the old man, jest as sure as preechin’, an’ left ’em deader’n wrought-iron door- fov crow fodder.” “You lie, sir! I seriously doubt if you even made an attempt. And, now, you come here, oo etn pay for a job you did not complete, e “ Hggsactly, mum,” Bloody Bill replied, with asortof leer, ‘‘Yecan have it your way, ef ye like, but you must cash up!” . “But Iwon’t! Nota cent will I pay you, till you accomplish your work!” the madame de- ‘You can play none of your tricks on me.’ ‘¢ Bf ye don’t hand over the saud, mum, we'll cut yer pres weasand, Oh! we’re handy at sech tricks, you bet. Ha! ha!” “Still better’n that, we'll report about town as how the madam hired us to put her husband out of the way, so she could marry Darrel, but we got a religious streak and wouldn’t tackle the lob,” Black Bob said, with a grin. ‘I wonder ow’d that work, pard?” “T allow et’s bad—it’s boss,” the elder ruffian chuckled. ‘‘So ye needn't settle up, mum. We'd jest as leave letthe ’count run, an’ draw interest.” Madame paled at this, and put up her hands, imploringly. “Nol no! you mustn’t dothat,” she cried, ner- vously, ‘‘That would ruin me, I will pay you, though you did notdo as you agreed, rather than have you create a disturbance,” She took a purse from her pocket, and from it extracted a roll of bills. She counted out two hundred dollars, and gave half to each of the ruffians. ¢ ‘*Thankee,” Bloody Bill said, with a triumph- ant leer, ‘‘Yesee we wouldn’t ask it, only we be two poor but honest, hard-working citizens, who depend on the public to some extent fer script. This will do very well for the present, an’ when we want more we sha’n’t be back- ward about callin’ fer it.” “More! do you expect Lama fountain from which you can draw wealth at your will?” the madame cried, in a passion. “Yes, mum,” Black Bob replied, with a hor- rible leer. ‘‘ We've got a gold-mine opened in ‘ou, mum, an’ we're goin’ ter work it, too, you bet! When we say, ‘cash,’ either you smilingly say yes, or we let’s the kitten out o’ the pillow- case. Hal! ha! It’s the giddy lay-out we have.” Then, ease villainously, they arose and mockingly bowed themselves out. When they were gone, Madame Cheviot run, a bell, and Ralph Randall entered the parlor an: took a seat near at hand. f “ Well, what have you learned?” the madame asked, ‘Nothing, lady. I have made a most careful inquiry, but have not succeeded in hearing any tidings of the dwarf. I doubt if he has yet been near the town.” _ ; “Good, If there is no interruption, my mars ea aes ee

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~~ Deadwocd Dick’s Ward. 13 |S TE RR AAR ONS EE ARSENY SE riage with Darrel will be successful. Do you think the girl will make any trouble?” “« Not unless put up to it by the fellow, Harris, whom I believe to be none other than the out- law, Deadwood Dick. I have sprung the warn- ing on him, that you suggested, and if that does not work, we shall have to adopt some other tactics.” “Yd rather have a dozen ordinary sleuth- hounds here, than that one man,” the madame said, slowly. ‘‘I have hea d enough of him to éause me to fear him. If he is working in Girard Athol’s interests, as I suspect, he is a formidable foe, On the following morning the nuptials were to be! consummated, and the town was on the qui vive. Madame Cheviot’s mansion was faced in front by a erect little grove of maples, un- derneath whose wide-spreading branches seats and tables had been arranged, whereat a feast was to be served to the inhabitants, in com- memoration of the marriage of the two wealth- iest people in Placerville. The miners and their families had as a people never thought too well of either the madame or her affianced, and this little dodge of a feast had been arranged more to secure the lacking good will, than anything else. A sort of vine-wreath platform had also been built, whereon the ceremony was to take place, and a dancing floor had been laid for the accom- modation of would-be terpsichorean revelers, while enterprising venders had been permitted to erect temporary booths ori the grounds, for. the sale of ‘‘refreshments”—a very necessary accessory. And, taken all in all, it had the promise of ee the greatest event in the annals of Placer- ville. By general consent the miners decided to make a holiday of the occasion, and at an early hour the grove presented a festive appearance. Miners arrayed in clean red shirts and Sunday- go-to-meetin’ breeches were there—some alone, some in company with ‘‘their girls,” and some with their wives and children, { No slouch of a place was Placerville, if she was a back woods mining-camp, for she possessed what none of her sister burgs could boast—a brass band, and this was at the grove, discoursing pop- ular music, by the time the sun’s red face arose from behind the eastern hills, Harris was up early that morning, but early as he was, Kentucky Kit was up ahead of him, and had breakfast under way. = To his surprise he found her now attired in a neat-fitting dress of her own sex, which gave her @ more womanly appearance. “Why this transformation?’ he queried. “ Are you going to the wedding to-day? A dark expression flitted into her eyes. ‘¢-Yes, I am going to see this faithless woman who I must with shame realize is my mother!” she said bitterly. ‘* Will you accompany me?” “T would, willingiy,-but am afraid it will be impossible for me to get excused from my duties, Willit not be risky for you to go out ne?” : “Bah, no! I am not afraid; and, moreover, | » ‘his sband. Tamarmed. If they attempt to harm Ken- tucky Kit, they'll find she knows howto handle weapons as well as themselves, Do I look afraid?” tk ‘No, nor are you cowardly, for I saw you master the two roughs up in the gulch, But, keep an eye out for danger, for J fancy the wo- man will e expecting trouble, and be prepared for it. Harris went away to the office, not feeling just right about Kentucky Kit’s proposed ven- ture. z 2 i. : But the girl had plenty of confidence. Clear- ing away the dishes, she donned a light cloak and hat, and vailed the upper portion of her face, after which she set out for the grounds, with a pair of trusty revolvers in a belt in-under her cloak. g The band was playing a lively air as she en- tered beneath the cool shade of the overhanging ~ boughs, and the crowd was engaged in various oes bent on having a good time, In one place a large party were dancing; in another, games of quoits and ball were in progress, while — in still another, several marksmen were engaged — in target-practice. 2 The ceremony was announced to take place at ten o’clock, and pene. at that hour the bridal party appeared upon the platform where tho rites were to be performed, This caused a hearty cheer from the assembled people. t There were five in the party—the bride and — groom, both elaborately attired; the bride- — maid, the madame’s sixteen-year-old daughter, — and the groomsman, Ralph Randall, and the — minister, a seedy but benign-looking chap with — a revolver in his belt, and the mud of the mines — on bis boots, : After a wedding march by the band, all — parties arose, and the ceremony began. A per- — ect silence reigned throughout the grove: each — person. stood with head craned forward, to — catch the every word. ; The minister had got as far as to ask if any — person had aught to say why the marriage — should not take place, when a wild shout was — heard; then a horseman came dashing furiously into the grove, and up to the marriage stand, The man was—Old Scavenger! CHAPTER VI. A BROKEN MATCH. 3 Ir was a moment of moments! Every one — was excited, as\the misshapen little old man dashed into the grove, and jerked his spirited steed backeupon his haunches, right in front of the wedding stand. ‘ yatta Madame Cheviot had ‘grown deathly white, — and leaned upon Mr, Darrel for support, her eyes glaring at the dwarf with incarnate_fury in their expression. — at q “Stop! stop!” Old Scavenger yelled, raising — ‘In the name of the law ae That wi \ Almighty God, I forbid the banns. man is my wife!” ‘ as A murmur of astonishment ran through the ero vd. oe It seemed to sting the madame to madness, for she rallied, walked to the front of the platform, — whiter, pene composed than before, Ss “Tis false! "tis false!” she cried. ‘I appeal

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14 to you all, ladies and gentlemen, to bear wit- ness, and hear me swear it is false. This non- descript is my brother, and, worst of. all, a madman, who has recently escaped from the asylum where I placed him; his terrible charge is ne a move of revenge. Fortunately I have anticipated bis coming, and prepared for him. Constable, the rest is for you to do!” At this, a burly six-footer sprung forward to “secure the intruder, aided by four ahle-bodied specials, Old Scavenger comprehended the situation, and drawing a long, keen-bladeq kn‘fe, he slip- pod out of the saddle, and with one bluw stabbed + the constable to the heart. Thon, seemingly gone stark mad with rage, he cleaved desperately right and left, with- j pe as to whom he hit in defending him- + ‘And it was only after a bloody le that he was conquered by overpowering num! and bound hand and foot and gagzed. : _-- In the struggle five able-bodied men had bit . the dust, and as many more had been more or 7 dangerously wounded, : F Tho liétle old man trembled like a leaf in the éxcess of his rage, when held powerless in the grasp of two rough-lookivg miners, and his eyes ‘were a horrible thing to gaze at, so terrible was their glitter. _ The madame had witnessed the struggle with an awful composure, and when she saw the dwarf secured at last, a faint gleam of pleasure rippled over her marble-like face. : “Romove my poe brother to my private par- ~ lor,” she said, addressing one of the men who : “had him in charge, ‘and guard him faithfully till I come. I will have him taken back to the % ym by to-morrow’s coach.” ‘he two men accordingly carried the prisoner ame’s residence; then rte tt) a bee YR al’ Wee at ee Oe peer ae ayo Ee et AP ee go i between them into. the m she ordered: ‘* Remove those who have been killed, and let _ the ceremony proveed as if no unpleasantness ‘had happened.” “Stop! This marriage shall not proceed!” a - ringing voics cried, and Kentucky Kit pushed forward, her face stern, her eyes flashing with * indignation and anger. ‘‘ Madame Cheviot, as you 2all yourself, do you know who I am?” _*No—no!” the woman gasped, reéling back and covering her face with her hands. “My Gol! what—who are you, and what do you _ want?” “Tam your only legal child—the daughter of yourself and your only lawful husband, Girard Athol, whom your damauible lie has made a prisonor, We cams not here to do you harm, . woman—we came to recover the gold you stole ~ when you left your husban1 and little babe ovar seventeen yearsazo, But if you want war, you can have it. Sat my father at liberty, or I will shoot you where you stand!” “Never!” the madame cried. ‘“ George,” turning t) the bonanza king, “I look to you for protection!” “But look in vain!” Kit cried. ‘You have - dared the vengeance of your child, faithless _ mother, and you shall have it!” ¥*. And, drawing a revolver fronr under. her cloak, she fired full at the would-be bride, and eset Deadwood Dick’s Ward. teens awaiting to note the effect, turned and Tho crowd made no attempt to stop her—it was a period of indecision when they knew not which way to side. : Consequently Kit made good her escape. The madame had been wounded, slightly in the arm, but a great control’ of nerve caused her to not betray the fact. “Arrest that vagrant!” shecried, ‘‘ But first, let the ceremony go on!” : ‘“Are you willing, Mr. Darrel?” the minister asked, turning to the bonanza king. } “T am not,” was the answer. ‘* Until the cir- cumstances of this morning are fully explained to my satisfaction, I must politely but firmly refuse to consummate the wedding. Let the assembly disperse. Madame, I will escort you to the mansion!” m be eae A cheer went up from the-crowd. It was evident the bridegroom had the thy of the majority. of the spectators, who re- gretfull to leave the grounds, 2 Darrel escorted the lady to the house, followed by Randall and the woman’s daughter, and all four entered the grand parlor, where madame and Randall made every attempt possible to ex plain matters, but without success, The bonanza king firmly declared he woulu not proceed further in the matter, until he had proof that the dwarf was not the lady’s husband or until the dwarf was dead. He then took his departure, after which Madame Cheviot dismissed her daughter,-and turned upon Randall, the fury of an enraged tigress in her face, ‘ Foiled!” she hissed. ‘‘ All is lost. Curses take that devil’s imp!” _ ‘Tt is indeed bad; but I do not think that all ir To, as you say. The marriage yet may come 0} ‘How? Explain yourself. Nothing but de- feat yet has met my schemes,” “True; but that does not signify. Darrel said when you could provethat the dwarf is not your husband, or when he was dead, he’d marry ou. “But I cannot prove that he is not my hus- band. He has a certificate of our marriage, and is too wily to have it where it i secured.” 3 “But, you forget. Death would open the road for you. Supposing he were to pass in his checks?—then you could marry Darrel. You have him in your power. room—dead. to Darrel, and ask him to visit the dwarf and question him. He goes to ~ the room and finds the dwarf lying d upon the floor, with a bloody knife by his side. While he is taking in the situation, we and some other persons pounce in upon him, and discover him in the act of removing his rival forever from bis path. See? Capital dramatic situa- tion! Darrel finds himself-in a very embarras- sing position, with only two chances open to — him--one. to marry you and haye matters hushed—the other, to walk out and take part in a little neck-tie party. Ha! ha! the chances — are he would accept the most favorable escape from his dilemma,” ‘ | “To him, the most favorable would be death. — oi Lock him in a —

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Deadwood Dick’s Ward. Ke has hitherto believed me the most exem- phry and noble of women, and were I to sprin suth a trap on him, he’d die rather than bin himself to me in marriage. No! no! that won't work, We must devise abetterscheme. Ralph Raniall, how long have you been my faithful tool+my trusted confidant, and aid in private transactions?” “For nearly five years, madame.” “Correct. You have served me well. And as your reward I promised you I would, on my next marriage day, give you my Bane hier hand in marriage, followed by a donation of five thousand dollars, and a thousand a year thereafter, as long as you made her a good hus- pand,” “You did, madame.” “And I will do as [ agreed—but you must itn Po te pes al kay i m i 8 locked up here, me close guard, bet T can devise a suitable plan to rid myself of him, with- out creating suspicion, In the mean time, all remains for you todo, You must put the girl }- gut of the way, and the man Harris. I will pave it to your ingenuity how to do it, and when the two jobs are complete, I will place in vur hands a thousand dollars. How do you ike that?” “Good! You have ever been liberal and good to me, and I have in return served you to your great advantage. So there is no cause for us to quarrel. I will leave you, now, to take observations necessary for the new work before* me. It will not be policy to. have the girl ar- rested for the shooting.” “No; that would necessitate a trial, and the defense would call for her tather’s testimony, and the result would not be to my advantage in all probability. No! it’s best that you attack Harris first, and get him quieted; then, if you wish to put the girl out of the way she will have no champion to look after her.” | Randall departed on his yile mission, after which the madame removed her wraps and wedding costume, and laid them away in ex- change for her ordinary habiliments, ‘ Surveying her white face in the mirror, she turned and left the room, : “T told them to take him to my private par- or,” she murmured, ‘“‘but he must be put in thé strong room I had prepared, when this house “yes built. Ha! hal Girard Athol, I had been axpecting you long before this, but, like your ‘wn wily self, you came not, until an opportu- nity was afforded to strike me a telling blow. But you shall never strike another!” She swept sternly along the hall to the door of her parlor, her eyes gleaming hora She opened the door and entered, without knocking—then started back, a horrified cry perling from her lips, /What horror was this she witnessed, to thus appall her? Harris did not get a chance to leave the office during the day, but Mr. Raymond came in and related the occurrences at the grove, and con- eluded by adding: “ And, the worst of it is, they do tell me that you, my clerk, are actually living with this girl, in the same shanty, and she without a chaperon, 15 is This won't do, sir, Dll have no clerk bring dis- » grace upon my business, through any misdeed like that.” ; “Take care how you speak of the young wo- man, for she is my ward until her father is ready to reclaim her, and I will protect her with m life!” Harris returned. ‘I heard the old man’s, pitiful story, and when he asked me to take charge of the girl, and care for her like’a sister, I Served to do so, and I shall protect her with my life. Good-day, sir.” “Stop! Hold on! where are you going?” “Going to leave your employ, as you said that my services would no longer be desirable, or words of that meaning, if [ continued to live with Miss Athol, and that still remains my ree What do you mean— solution.” “But, I was hasty, and bry rts thet cannot afford to lose theref Sey suivante to lames Ge oes tee nee story, just as you have heard it, and maybe my gs es won't come amiss.” ris accordingly sat down, and narrated the story of the Athols, as he had heard it. When he had concluded, the broker scratched his head, reflectively, as he remarked: a “Tf the story of this strange pair be true, and I am more than half inclined to believe: it is, this woman is a Jezebel, who ought to be chucked into the deepest prospect-hole on the slope. I never have en any fancy to her, and believe her to be both bold and bad.” ‘Youre right there, as will be proven, before - — the matter is concluded. In the mean time, I wish to beg a few hours’ leave from duty, so. that I can investigate the subject of what can be done for Old Scavenger. He is no more — crazy than you or I, and he'll fare mighty slim if allowed to remain long at the madame’s ten-| _— der merey.” { “Very likely, and yet, knowing your interest in him, let me advise you to allow him to remain where he is for the present.” E: oWhy?? he ‘Because, if let loose, and proven sane, the law will nab him for killing Constable Barnes, Then he’d be in a worse fix than he is now. The/ : madame dare not kill him, or have him killed,’ ~ as the job would naturally be laid on her — shoulders. “Thanks for your valuable advice. Thad not — thought of that.” ; ee arris did not get excused until the regu- lar hour, that nights : Tn addition to ning. and selling stocks, Ray- mond did a general banking business, to which Harris had to attend, as he was left alone for hours at a time. ar He was broparing: to close the office for that — day, when a portly bullwhacker walked in, and slapped a handful of greasy-looking notes down ~ on the counter, and said: “Dye see them aire scahs, pilgrim—d’ye see them aire porous-plasters?” : “T see them,” Harris replied, counting them over. ‘‘A thousand dollars, I see,” : a “ Perzactly, young pera ahr! a thou- — sand, all greasy an’ glorified by ther fact thet they were earned a-takin’ pelts up on the Pow. der, An’ I°want ter deposit’em hyar fer safe

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\ thinks the dwarf did it—sum think 16 Deadwood Dick's Ward. keeping. Mebbe [ll want ‘em again, right away off—mebbe never, Ef I never come back ag’in, take ’em an’ put ’ém in yer breeches pocket.” ‘ “Very well, Til put the money in the safe, and you can get it again by calling at any time when I am in,” “But I don’t want it put in the safe. I want e ter keep it right in yer pocket. Ye see, I’m itn’ an’ spilin’ fer a fight, an’ a fight im bound to hey, jest to giv’ my blood plenty o’ circulation. An’ mebbe the first man I meet will lay me out, an’ then you'll be a thousand dollars richer, Ser the pnt? Jest+you be stickin’ the money iu your pocket.” : And then the eccentric individual executed a pa osip sad jumy in anticipation of a fight with some one, and dodged out as unceremoniously as he had put in an a ‘pearance. According to the directions he had received, ao folded up the money and placed it in his ket. Little did he think at-the time that it was a trap laid to catch him. Soon after he closed the office and started for home, for he was anxious to see Kentucky Kit, and plan with her fo: Old Scavenger’s release, On his way he met a prominent business man named Wray, who appeared in a great hurry, but who stopped at sight of Harris. “The blazes!” he uttered. ‘‘Is the bank closed?” ** Just shut up shop five minutes ago.” **But you must open. I must have a thou- sand dollars at once, or lose five. You'll do me the favor, eh?” “Am sorry, Mr. Wray, but I received im- perative orders not to go or transact any busi- ness after five p.M.,” Harris replied. ‘‘ How- ever, I think I can fix it. I happen, to have that sum with me, and if you'll write mé out a check, Pil exchange with you.” Glad of the chance, Wray agreed to this, and they stepped into a store, where he filled out a check for the amount, and gave it to Harris in exchange for the greasy thousand dollars the cashier had only a few minutes before received of the bullwhacker. —— CHAPTER VII, RANDALL AND HIS VICTIM. Arrmr leaving the merchant Harris stepped into a saloon to get a cigar, and while paying ‘for and lighting it, he overheard ja bit of con- on between two miners, which interested ‘im. “Yes, they say the dwarf has escaped, too,” one of them was saying. ‘‘When the madame went to the house, she went to the room where Kelly and Martin were supposed to be guardin’ him, an’ w’at d’ye suppose she saw? Thar was both Kelly and Martin layin’ on the floor. dead, each graspin’ a pistol, which had been fired— and the dwarf was nowhere to be found!” “The deuce you say! He killed ’em, then?” “That's what no one knows. It’s a mystery, —a bigger one than thar’s been yet to-day, an’ the Lord knows thar’s been ceone Sum elly an’ Martin got into a quarrel an’ killed each other— ie Pe’ pet OF eta UN es as og Slew oot wig op me ee 2 ee others reckon the madame did it to throw off suspicion, an’ then got rid of the dwarf, while a few reckon the gal had a hand in it; sothat altogether it’s a consarned mixed-up mess at the best. The undertakin’ biz is boomin’ now, and I hardly think it will be any worse yet awhile.” Harris went out then, and hurried to the shanty, where he found Kentucky Kit sitting at the supper table, waiting for him, her ex- pression of countenance not so bright as usual, ‘Cheer up, for I have-news for you,” he said. ‘* Your father bas nee gt 12, “Escaped!” she cried, joyously. “Yes! he cannot be found!” Then he related what he had overheard at the cigar store, concerning the double murder, and the theories that were afloat. ‘‘T am afraid he has not escapéd,” she said, when he had concluded. ‘I believe that. he may have killed the guards, for he was terrib] enraged at the madame’s accusation, whic caused his capture. But, I believe she has re- captured him, and imprisoned him in that very house.”’ ; ““Well, perhaps! Still, I am of the opinion that he has escaped. At least, let us hope so, oe have better reason to believe other- wise, ' Then they talked over the situation at length, but the best they could make of it was not any too favorable, Each was weighed down by a premonition of approaching mous greater than had yet been seen. = re That night was a dark one—so dark that the lights about the town gleamed like little stars, and buildings could only be distinguished on close approach. ; The sky was overcast with one monster, ink mass of clouds, and a storm was threatened in the detonating, weird pounding of thunder along the horizon. \ > Still, despite the darkness, a woman stood be- neath the shadows of the grove near Madame Cheviot’s mansion, evidently waiting for some one, and with impatience, too, for she occasion- ally stamped her foot, angrily. Fully half an hour she waited, and was about to leave the grove, when a footstep was heard, and a voice called, softly: ‘© Milly! Milly!” = j Fe “Here, Ralph!” was the reply and a moment later Ralph Randall and Millicent Raymond stood face to face. “You sent for me?” he said, inquiringly. ‘“ What is the matter?” ‘‘Yes, I sent for. you,” she said, in a stern voice; “‘and you know what the matter is, When are you going to marry me?” , ‘** As soon as | can obtain a position, so that T can support a wife.” “Bah! that story is getting vld, and don’t satisfy me, any longer. ‘‘ You must marry me now, or within a very few days;.and, more than that, we must leave this place. You have put me off until it can gono longer. And, more than that, I hear from an authentic source that you have lately been paying devoted at- tention i; Magus, Shaviovs ‘daughter—or

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Deadwood Dick’s Ward. js Saeco led cane Ne he SS Np pm a En SN ee vather, her oe child, according to to-day’s showing. Ralph Randall, what do you mean? Have yon no hopes of Heaven, or do you want to drive me on to desperation, until I murder “Well, no. he | her courtesies for the sake of w ning he favor of her dear ma, in hopes that the dear ma’s influence might get me a job—that’s all. My love for you is as firm asever. Come here and sit down, Milly,” and he led her to a bench and they became seated. ‘‘I will now tell you what is what in this question of our marriage. I will or will not marry you; it depends accord- ing to which way you decide in the matter I am about to explain to you. That man Harris, I hate and despise, and, when he is dead, I shall not only be richer in cash but my hatred shall know satisfaction. Now listen, and I will un- fold to you a plan!” ; And while the thunder muttered growlingly along the western horizon, and an occasional rain-dro lapel down among the leaves, overhead, they sat there in the inky darkness, and Randall spoke in a low rapid tone, while his dupe listened without a word—indeed she was too horrified to speak, until he was through. “And you think I ought to do this for you?” she demanded, finally. ‘‘ What assurance have I that you will fulfil your promise, to me, sir, after my dyeing my soul, with sin, to satisfy your will?” “T swear that I will marry you the day that Harris, or Deadwood Dick, is executed, as, with your co-operation, I can easily secure his execu- tion. Then, we will, with our money, turn our backs on this place, and seek a home in the . East.” ¢ \ ‘But, my father; do you think I can thus sin penn him, and then go off and leave him?” “Certainly! He can stand the loss without scarcely missing it, and you can bridle any babyish spit ng you may have. In fact, you have only two choices. On the one hand you have your father, and the inevitable result of a few months to come; on the other hand you have only a few months—possibly a few days, at the furthest, between yourself and a happy life, in some pretty home, with'me. “It is for you to choose, not I,” There was triumph under all his speech; she felt its keen barb, and shut her teeth together with a snap. “T understand you, I think,” she said, in a quiet way, not common to her, with her im- etuous nature and fiery disposition. ‘‘ You think to have me do your work, and yield u to you the money; then you will cast me o on the world for an unsympathizing people to jeer at. But there you reckon wrongly. Though am only a poor, weak girl, desperation nerves me with the-strength and determination of a Samson, I will do all that you have outlined to me, but I will keep the money in my own possession until your faith to me is proven be- vond doubt. I will work to promote your schemes, and I will be handy to your side when Harris pays the penalty of our villainy. Then, if you refuse to marry me, I'll send you to one of the most horrible deaths that my ingenuity can devise. You shall find that Mili i As to the Cheviot, I’ve on been | in! mond is yet able to right her wrongs, or to kill her betrayer and avenge them,” ‘Pooh! you talk without reason, for there will be no call for such an act. In fact, when I shall realize that my enemy, Deadwood Dick, is real- ly out of the way, I shall be only too happy to take you as my wife, and quit this cure where honesty is not often deemed the best policy, and where, to succeed, a man must needs a consummate rascal and cut-throat. So, cheer up, my peerless affianced, and work for our mutual interests, looking forward to a bright _ future near at hand.” He kissed her, then, and they conversed a few minutes in an undertone, after which they shook hands and parted, going in different directions. As soon as they had gone, two persons arose from positions upon the ground, near where the plotters had sat, and confronted each other in grim silence for a few moments, as if one was waiting for the other to. express his Views. Singularly at contrast were these two per-* sons, one being the comical-looking Dutchman of Madame Cheviot’s employ, and the other be- ing the fat wench whom Harris and Kentucky Kit had encountered on their way to Placer- ville. \ And it was the Teuton who spoke, and de- stroyed the effect of the sublime tableau. = ¥en, vot you tink apoud it now?” It was the one Edward Harris, or ease, It was just such a warm, threatening night, with thunder booming along the horizon, an lightning flashing around the peaks and into the ight of all the nights, that | dark, forbidding ganyons, that he had all his wild, adveuturesome life delighted in, to mount his fiery horse and dash away through the thick- est of the battling elements, He was, in his most natural, wild, reckless humor, ready for any bold or brave act, when the storm grew fierce; he sat by the shanty window, to-night, listening to the first roll of — thunder, and watching the fire play rigzag be~ fore his gaze—sat there until the air i @ room grew ir ache and his spirit urged him to wander forth into the ening ee which en- thused him with its own e and turbulent spirit. Kentucky Kit sat with her head pillowed on her arm on the table, fast asleep, and, et she would not be lonely while asleep, Dick lef the shanty, and closed the door behind him, At first he bad no clear idea of where he should go; all he sought was the open air, where hescould listen to the full, deep tones of heaven’s 4 eadwood Dick, was ill at — artillery and see its vivid flashes—where he could catch the bracing breeze against his heated brow. And yet, not heeding the course he was tak- ing, he not long after found himself in the depths of a lonely gulch beyond the town, and ata point where three other gulches branched off in as many different directions. He had been so busied in thought that by the time he,came to a halt opposite the four routes, ae puzzled to know which way he had come. The storm was now beginning to come down, cent Ray-i in earnest, too, and, on deliberation, he con- —

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i cluded to hunt a sheltering rock till it was oyer, rather. than attempt to find his way back to town. Selecting one of the guiches, which he, sup- . posed was the correct route to Placerville, he strode along, looking right and left, until he spied a ledge of rock protruding from the can- yon wall, under which the now pouring rain did not penetrate, and accordingly he was not slow in taking possession, P The storm was soon at its hight, the water descending in torrents, the lightning flashing spitefully, and the thunder causing the earth to tremble. - Lighting his pipe, Deadwood Dick sat and en- joyed the wild storm, for it brought back to im, vividly, memories of a past that had not been all sunshine nor all shadow, but.a mixture of both, He might have sat there all night, had the ain continued, but it did not, and when it had stopped entirely, ho started back for Placerville, He had to try all of the guiches before ho found the right one, and as a consequence, it ie we at night ere he arrived back at the shanty. Kentucky Kit was standing in the doorway, when he approached, and she uttered a ery of | joy and ran forward to join him. ef Oh, Lam so glad you have come back,” she said. ‘‘ When I awakened and found that you was gone, [ was very much alarmed and wor- peg ee? you are all wet—where have you een Oh, Pve been out enjoying the storm,” Dick replied. ‘‘ Did you think I had deserted you?” ‘Yes, But Iam glad you have not. I should be very unhappy if you were to leave me.” “But it is wromg to feel that way, Miss - Athol. Itis likely your father will be back in due time, to assume your protection, and * then I must bid you good-by.” “No, you mustn't, I have found you out, and I was not wrong, after all, You are ~ Deadwood Dick; I found the letter that was sent you, signed ‘Sure Death,’—and you are the only man I love or ever can love. So there, now—I have gone and said it, and though it may be unmaidenly, I mean 1t.” Deadwood Dick gave vent to a whistle, denot- ing considerable surprise, a good deal of doubt, and maybe a little vexation. Anyhow, his brows knitted, and he forced a light laugh, “Well, if the cat's out of the bag, so be it: and I’m much obliged for your candor, but sorry you have been so unwise as to single me out as a choice, from among a.world of honest and honored men. Time, however, and a better knowledge of my wild self, will doubtless dis- sipate this little mfatuation, and you will learn to regard me only as a friend and acquaint- ance, “ Never!” she said; firmly; then seeing that he was evidently not desirous of talking on the subject, she said no more, soon bidding him _ good-night, and retiring to her room. Dick also retired to his apartment, but could not sleep. His mind was troubled with a pre- monition of approaching danger, and whenever he would fall into a slight doze, be would speedily awaken, Deadwood Dick’s Ward. * Something is wrong, somewhere,” he finally said, sitting up on his bed, “or I shouldn’t be in this condition. I half suspect that all’s not right at the bank.” he thought grew upor him so that he finally put on his clothing, and quietly leaving the shanty, he burried toward the broker’s affice. “Tt can’t do any harm, anyhow, and I ma be in time to do some good,” he muttered. ‘‘It’s rarely I pass so restless a night without some- thing happening.” aes It was the darkest hour before dawn, and be was the only person abroad. Therefore, not oe to arouse attention te his being out, lest it should create suspicion ana make him trouble, he moved along rather stealthily, until he reached the bank. Everything about the place was quiet and there were no signs of anything being out of order, as viewed from the outside. Ithough he had a key, he did not use it to effect an en- trance, for it occurred to him that, should he - be discovered in the bank, at this unseasonable en it would place him in rather a delicate ition. “ Alls well, here, evidently,” he said, as he crossed the street, and retraced his steps in the direction of the shanty, “though I shouldn’t be a bit shocked to learn that the deuce is topay, in the morning. And, what is more, I sha’n’t be much taken aback if I never succeed in getting ~ out of this place, alive. It must naturally be that my lucky day of escapes is about over. Ha! what in the deuce—” He had stumbled and nearly fallen over the prostrate form of a man who Jay outstretched across the sidewalk! CHAPTER VIII. : DEADWOOD DICK IN THE TOILS. E His first thought was that he had run across some drunken miner who had succumbed to tha allurements of ‘old insane asylum,” as bad whisky is often most pe ph a termed in the West, but, at_a second glance, he was not a little horrified to behold a huge bowie-knife pro- truding from the man’s breast; and moreover, the victim of the murder was none other than the same eccentric pilgrim who had a few hours Le given Harris his roll of money for safe- eeping. F e had come in from oyer the range, a-b’ilin’ an’ spilin’ fer fun, and had evidently been meted out a standard Placerville measureful of it, : - Without thinking of the consequences, Dead- wood Dick stoo} over and drew the knife from the wourid, muttering: ‘Poor reckless devil! Iwas afraid it would come to this when he left the money with me. a a then, he was bound to have a time of Just as he was speaking, sounds of the ap- proaching footsteps of two or more. persons startled them. sx What a situation was his to be discovered in! The thought thrilled him with a feeling some-_ thing akin to alarm, and, turning, he ped the knife and fled swiftly and as noiselessly as — possible toward the shanty. ae a The footsteps in the rear quickened also, but — ee Sa,

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Deadwood Dick’s Ward. paused when they came to the form of the mur- dered miner. ‘Then there was a great shout of “Murder! Murder!” in a stentorian voice. “Pm in for it now,” Dick myttered, quicken- ing his steps. ‘I wonder why it is I am always getting into trouble like this, when the average of humans peregrinate through a pathwa strewn with roses? By the way, ill-luck is plentiful to-night,” The latter conclusion was drawn after he had passed a woman who was hurrying in an oppo- site direction, and whom he recognized as Mad- ame Cheviot. - She evidently recognized him, too, for she turned and gazed after him in manifest sur- prise. Dick gained the shanty at last, and entering, locked the door behind him. He then sought his room and examined his weapons, to find them all in excellent working order. . “Tf worst comes to worst, I shall need them, and use them!” he muttered with compressed lips. “** Tt has gone about as long as usual without my having a hand in some sort of a scrimmage, and I allow I may reasonably expect a whirl pretty soon, But though he expected that Madame Cheviot would send the men who had discovered the murdered miner after him, Harris was this time disappointed, and morning dawned without any molestation being offered him. He had a fire kindled and breakfast undergo- ing preparation ere Kitty put in an appearance, and they were soon seated. at the table partak- ing of the morning repast. twas while they were thus engaged that there was a knock at the door, which was partly open, and Mr. Wray, accompanied by Mr. Raymond, the broker, entered the room. Although a little surprised, Harris arose from the table, having just finished his meal, and handed them chairs, after waich he re-seated himself. “A most pleasant morning ..fter the rain!” he said, by way of greeting. Remarkably so,” Raymond said, calmly. “ Have you done your breakfast, Mr. Harris?® “Quite through; yes. Is there something for 1ae to do so early at the office?” : “Something for you to do—yes, sir; but not at the office. There are several little matters on hand which makes it necessary for me not to consider you any longer in my employ, sir.” __ Indeed! What has caused this decision? I flail to understand.” ‘‘Well, sir, if your comprehension is so frail, an explanation is certainly due you. In the first place; you last evening cashed a check for Hae eg here, after banking hours, did you no “T did, sir. I met Mr. Wray, and he wanted ‘money so bad that I cashed his check with a thousand dollars that had been left with me by n miner for safe-keeping.” ‘* Ah! but how came you to have this miner’s money about your person? Why did you not leave it in the safe?” Po ESAS STE ee liable to want it again in a few hours, and want- ed me to keep it about my person.” “ Well, you tell’ a yee piste story, sir, and I should be temp 0 believe you, but other circumstances are against you. The money you gave Mr. Wray is counterfeit, and it don’t look likely a stranger would be apt to give counterfeit money to a banker’s clerk for safe-keeping. Moreover, as soon as Mr, Wra; notified me this morning, 1 went to the ban and found that good money to the amount of five thousand dollars had been extracted from the safe during the night, and spurious notes a is5 same amount had been put in their place Deadwood Dick felt like groaning under this blow, but he was outwardly very calm, ‘“«Phis is bad business, and I am very sorry,” he said. “I can return Mr. Wray his check, but as I know nothing about this other matter, I can only syimpatnite with you in your loss.” ‘Sympathy is but poor consolation in such an hour as this, and yet, were these all the charges against you, I, for my part, should yet have some belief in your innocence.” ‘*Oh! so there are other charges, eh?” ‘‘Ay—another charge worse, than that of handling bogus money. You are charged with murdering an unknown miner, near Saunders’s saloon, last night. About the same time that — two men named Dawley and Goldy discovered. the body, Madame Cheviot met you running toward this shanty. Thus, to all intents, Harris, you seem to be under a cloud which is not lightened, to any extent by a declaration on the part of several citizens, that you are un- doubtedly the notorious road-agent and des- perado, Deadwood Dick. Therefore if you yield to arrest, I and Wray will see that you are given a trial for life and liberty, while on the other hand, if you refuse tosubmit to arrest, — there are enough ly men waiting outside to take you, dead or alive.” : “T am not inclined«to resist,” Harris said. “Tf I am given a trial, and allowed to plead my own case I am satisfied I can not only prove my own innocence, but show up the guilty ones, My only request is that you will see that my ward, here, is properly taken care of, and shielded from harm.” ‘“‘She shall be cared for inmy own home, on your account,” Mr. Raymond said. ‘‘I am loth to believe you as bad as you seem, and will, al- - sHoueR a party of the prosecution, do what I — can for you.” “Then, send in your officers, Kitty, I will consign you to Mr. Raymond’s protection, until this matter is settled.” Three burly miners were signaled to enter, and, at Raymond’s direction, they: bound Dead wood Dick’s hands behind his back, and dise armed him. ‘ “ There is a little document. in my vest poeket I should like you to take care of,” Dick said to Raymond. ‘It may not do me any good now, bat, if I am acquitted, it will be of use tome in the future.” * > The broker secured it and examined it with

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20 Deadwood Dick’s Ward. * Because I came here to work up a certain case, quietly. If I am arrested, my business must cease until I am released, or until the Uni- ted States Marshal drops down this way.” “It has just occurred to me,” Mr. Wray said, addressing Raymond, “that if this young man is really a professional shover of the f queer,’ he possibly has a stock of the stuff on hand. It may not be a bad idea to search the pe ie : The search was apron seas Bont and, asa result, three goodly sized packages of counter- feit bills were brought to light. When shown to Deadwood Dick, he was nearly dumfounded with amazement, and made no attempt at an explanation, for, indeed, what was there in his wer to explain? He had no knowledge of oe the spurious money cam:3 there—he oe knew that he was fairly interwoven in the we of a bold, deep plot, designed to ruin him. Therefore, bidding good-by to Kentucky Kit, and telling her to have courage, he was led off to jail. Placerville had anticipated the need of such an institution, and when the first discovery of the auriferous had awakened in the bosoms of its founders a resolve to build a city, they had first and foremost constructed a serviceable structure of stone, and christened it the ‘* Cor- ral,” and here it had been customary to corral such spirits as were refractory, or otherwise un- fit to be at large. To this ‘‘ Corral,” Deadwood Dick was at once taken, and locked in @ strong apartment on the second floor, where he was to remain until it should please his captors to give him a trial, And when he sat down upon the ate raw bed with which his cell was furnished? and gave way to deliberation, the prospect of- an early trial was in no way eee rs cheering, as he could not see any chance of its being the means of his acquittal. Circumstantial evidence was strougly against him, and he was illy prepared for defense. Several days passed—a week, toa day, from - the time of Deadwood Dick’s arrest, and still he was confined, seeing no one but his guard, and learning little or nothing of what was going on outside of his prison. i In the mean time, out in the little mining- camp, things ruled about as usual, with little or nothing to add to the excitement that had lately been aroused, Placerville being the only town in its own wild section of the hills, a form of judicial government had been established, and court was held monthly, to try such cases as appealed ~ to justice for settlement. Therefore it would be two weeks yet ere Deadwood Dick could receive his trial, and having no one to go his bail, he had no prospect but to spend the inter- val in his cell. . Kentucky Kit had taken up her abode with the Raymonds, and she and Millicent soon be- came fast frionds, The broker’s daughter was in poor health, and it was apparent to even a casual observer that she was not long for this world She had a constant cough that evidenced a eonsumptive predisposition, she was gradually | you?” if i int te nee growing weaker, and her spirits were becoming daily more depressed. To Kentucky Kit who had a faculty of read- ing secrets, it was apparent that this pale-faced girl was being weighed down by some secret trouble, but she made no mention of her dis- covery lest she should offend. She knew that Milly often went out after dark, and was gone for an hour or more, and on her return she was generally more out of sorts than when she started forth. Kitty was also aware that these night excursions, as it were, were not known to Mr. Raymond, who spent every evening in his study, from eight until eleven, poring over piles of newspapers and business documents. Something is wrong!” the girl/often mused, “and [ feel that it is my duty, both to poor Milly and her father, to solve the matter.” The opportunity came at last. On the day after Deadwood Dick had been in jail just_a week, a boy brought a letter to the ouse, addressed to Miss Millicent Raymond, in a bold masculine chirography. Millicent was in bed at the time, in her room up-stairs, faint and weak from a distressing coughing-spell, and Kentucky Kit, chancing to be dpmicsinite received the letter, . : “Gentleman sed as how it was important business,” the boy said, on delivering the letter; then he doffed his hat and was gone. With the letter in her hand, Kitty entered the parlor, and sat down near a window, her eyes riveted upon the directions on the envel- ope. “Tt is my duty to take this direct up-stairs to Miss Milly,” she said, thoughtfully; ‘‘and yet something prompts me to know its contents, I am not mistaken as to who is the author of this chirography—I should know Ralph Redwing’s handwriting anywhere. What can he be writ- ing to Miss Raymond for? Is he paying her loverly attentions? That is probably the truth of the matter. If so, it is my business to find it out, and take a hand in the game before the ae progresses too far. Instead of opening the letter, I will open a secret to Miss Ray- mond.” She went up-stairs, and found the art es lying In bed, reading. ‘Excuse me,” Kitty said, “‘ but I came to ask you a few questions, which, though they may seem impertinent, are asked, I assure you, for our mutual benefit.” “* Of course, I will answer them,-as I like you, and know you are my sincere friend, dear,” Millicent replied, laying aside her book, ‘*‘ What is it you would ask?” : broker’s “First of all, have you an acquaintance by the . name of Ralph Randall Redwing? “T know a man by the name of Ralph Ran- dall, but be never told me he had an additional name. “What for looking sort of a chap is he?” Kit 5 as*red, éagerly. Miss Raymond whereupon Kit sai ‘‘Then they are one and the same person— thav is evident to me. Excuse me, please, but what relation does this man Randall bear ia ste a description of him, 2

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‘‘What reason have you to suppose that he bears any relation to me?” ‘* Because I have just received a letter for you directed in his handwriting.” “ Ah! then you know him?” £ “*T do know him, But you have not answered my ened ‘It can be answered briefly, then. Ralph Randall is my betrothed husband—more, is the father of my unborn babe.” ‘Then, may God have mercy upon you,” Kitty said is she rose to depart. “ &top! illicent cried, springing from the bed, and intercepting her. ‘‘What do you mean? Tell me, at_once—tell me all! Don’t keep back anything from me!” “Maybe it is wicked in me to thus torture ou!” Kitty-said, slowly, as she laid Randall’s etter in the hands of the broker's daughter, ‘but it will be merciful to warn you, even at this late date. Know, then, that the man who wrote that letter is a fugitive from justice, and is my own husband |” Poe CHAPTER IX. KIT FACES THE RECREANT. ANOTHER week dragged along, and things moved in their usual tenor, Deadwood Dick was still in jail—his trial was not to come off until the coming week, on Tues- day. ee aticiey Kit remained with the Raymonds and seldom left the house, for Millicent was now confined to her bed, prostrated by the blow that had come to her with the knowledge of Ralph Randall’s treachery. Letters came from him nearly every day, but Kitty always managed to intercept them, and destroy them, so that Mr. Raymord should not get hold of them. The poor sick girl would often awaken in the ’ dead of night, and beg of Kentucky Kit to keep her secret away from her father, who was in none too good health, and Kit had no other choice than to promise. She also interceded with the physician, who nodded gravely in assent. < “Tt will be but human,” he said, in an under- tone, ‘‘for, unless a great change takes place, soon, the sécret will be buried with her, in one grave.” ° To make matters worse, Mr. Raymond was taken sick on Wednesday, with paroxysms of the heart, and before daybreak, the next-morn- ing, he was a corpse! Brior to his death, however, he had called in a lawyer, and made a will, iN ge cose his wealth to Millicent, and appointed Mr. Wray as her guardian and the overseer of all his busi- ness, On being notified, Mr. Wray called, and he and Kitty held a long consultation, and it was decided not tv inform Millicent of her father’s death, for she wassinking rapidly, and the shock would only serve to accelerate her death. The body was consequently removed to Mr. Wray’s residence, from whence a quiet funeral was to take place, on the morrow. Nearly as soon as the news of Mr. Raymond’s death got abroad, Ralph Randall sent a note to Deadwood Dick’s Ward, the house, directed to Millicent. Although he 21 - had been informed that she was quite ill, he knew not just how sick she was. Kentucky Kit received the note, and went to her room to read it, a stern expression on her pretty face. “The crisis is at hand,” she muttered, as she tore off the wrapper. “‘The time has come for me to face him, and let him know that I have recognized him, if he has not me.” The letter was what she had partly anticipated, and ran as below: “Dear Mitiicenr:—For the Jast time I take my nto write you. It’s played out—this game of be- ng sick and unable to see me; it won't wash. I mean business, now, as you’ll find out. I’m all in readiness to step forward as your husband, and fill your dead father’s shoes, and be one of the most in- dulgent of spouses. Don’t think, because you've come in for a little wealth, that you can put me off, for you can’t doit. If you don’t send for me, acknowledge me as your husband, I will have my” revenge by declaring your condition, publicly, and using my utmost efforts to further eomplete your ruin. I love you, devotedly, and it has gone too far for you to trifie with me, now, except you want to arouse all the devil in my nature. Send for me to come, to-night, or everybody’s mouth will be full of gossip to-morrow. Your lover, - ‘“RatpH RANDALL,” “ How fortunate that [, instead of Millicent, am to receive the scoundrel!” Kitty murmured, her he flashing fire. “I feo can receive Mr. ph Randall Redwing, alias Redwing, the horse-thief, with considerable warmth.” She perned a note as nearly in imitation of Milly’s chirography as possible, and sent a boy with it to Randall; the note stated that Miss Raymond would receive Mr. Randall in the par- lor of the Raymond residence, at sharp seven, that evening. But, when Randall entered the parlor that evening, the door was quickly closed and locked - behind him, and he wheeled, in surprise, to find himself facs to face with Kentucky Kit! ~ ‘‘Miss Athol!” he gasped, starting back--~ “Jessie Byrd! In heayens name, girl, what-- who are you?” “ Just plain Mrs. Ralph Randall Redwing,” Kit replied, coolly. ‘‘When you got into a flirtation with me, and married me, up at Chey - enne, I called myself- Jessie hae but my nanie was, in reality, Kitty Athol. How inoppoi- tune it was, too, that, not ten minutes after our marriage, -you had to light out because the U, S. Marshal was after you for horse-theft—yon, the branch of a royal family of lords, dukes, of Senne of the kind, over in Eurype. Hat ! ha!” Randall stood glaring at her, like a mau bereft of his senses. ~ “So it is really you, eh?” he finally demand- ed, coldly. ‘‘I had no idea you and Jessie Byrd were the same, though I noticed the resem- blance, the other day, at the wedding that was te have been.” : ‘ . “Tt is really your lega] wife.” “Pshaw! don’t be foolish. ‘I suppose I may as well tell you that that marriage was but a mockery, and you are no more my wife than any other woman.” j : “Bah! I know better. I tookpains to 1 vex tigate the inatter, and found that my cert: “te is good,” | ‘ : :

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Deadwood Dick’s Ward. ‘Where is it?” “Where you'll never get your hands on. it, you may bet on taat.” ~. “Humph! I'd not harm it. Why. did you send for me? Do you want me to come and live with you?” “Bah! no! £ don’t want any horse-thieves hitched to my apron-strings, Gota better feller than you, ten times over.” * But he’s in jail, though,” Randall retorted, with a malicious chuckle. “That don’t matter,” indepencently. ‘ He'll get free, and you'll go in to occupy his place.” ‘* What do you mean, girl?” “Tmean just this!” Kitty replied, setting her foot firmly on the floor. ‘* Your game is up, so far as Millicent Raymond is concerned, You are nothing to her, nor can you get a cent of her property, while I live. You have already ruined her, and if you dare to execute the threat that was contained in your letter to-day, I will telegraph to the next town for a marshal, and have you arresied—not only for horse-stealing, mind you, but for a certain murder that came to light at Cheyenne, after. your flight, in which your agency was clearly proven.” “ And if I withdraw my attack on this girl— what then?” : 4 “Then we will cry quits, until I catch you at some other villainous game.” : “ Well, then, 'll withdraw my snit, though I would like to get.a slice of the old man’s prop- erty. - But your interference has knocked that in the head. I dare say you are anxiously wait- ing for me to pass in my checks, so that you can lawfully remarry, eh?” “ With all patience and hope,” Kentucky Kit replied. ‘‘'The sooner you can make it con- venient, the sooner I shall be highly elated to at- tend your funeral.” “Well, you’re practical, by Jove! How’s the Raymond, up-stairs? Liable to peg out soon?” ‘*T fear she will not live long. We are trying to keep the news of her father’s death from her, Jest it shall be the means of hastening her own.” ‘Well, I hope she may go off soon, as it will accommodate me greatly,” the young villain acknowledged, with a malicious grin. ‘TI allow I'd better be going now, for these are dark nights, and it’s not safe for such model young men as I to be abroad. Good-ovening, dear! Give my love to your humpback vld. dad, when he happens around.” : On the following day the funeral of Mr. Ray- mond took place, and was largely attended by the townspeople. The remains were interred upon a grassy slope that'overlooked the town. Deadwood Dick, in his dungeon, had been in- formed of the broker’s sudden demise, and a feeling of deepest sadness stole over him. **T wonder if so much trouble would have oc- eurred if I had never showed my face here?” he mused, ‘‘ Nearly everywhere I go some disaster always arises, and. drags one or more persons into its toils, What am I living for, any- chow? I have.no one to cherish and care for —all those that I ever loved are gone, it is to be hoped, to a better sphere—all, even to my darling little boy. What: a strange lifetime 1 have lived through in the last five years, and yet [ am comparatively a boy, as far as health and ‘spirits go. 1 would I were an old man— perhaps I could better bear to give up this life, and look forward for peace. As it is, the only peace I can see in my future is a—piece of rope. That I shall most certainly get, unless some un- foreseen and unexpected circumstance turns up to cause my liberation. Poor Kitty! I wonder how she is faring, all this time. It seems to me that I would be glad to see her once more.” Kentucky Kit did not attend the funeral, but remained by the bedside of poor Millicent, and cared for her with all a sister’s tenderness, The sick girl was very flighty in mind; it wasevident that the slender thread which linked her being with life must-soon snap in twain Madame Cheviot, accompanied by Ralph Ran- dall, attended Mr. Raymond’s funeral, and after its conclus:on went back to the madame’s man- sion, where, in the parlor, they became seated for a consultation, ‘* Well, what do you think of my. work so far?” Randall asked, Hebting a cigar, and elevating his heels upon a table. e * So far as I comprehend, you have done well, But I fail to understand how you have worked it so cleverly, without detection.” ‘Hasily enough. I hired an old chap to work for me, and armed him with some ‘queer,’ which we worked off into Harris’s possession, for ae As luck would have it, Har- ris. cashed a check for Wray with this same money. In fact, his Satanic Majesty has been my guardian, all through. That same night, 1 caused Raymond’s daughter, who is in my power, to rob her father’s safe of money, and put bogus in its place. While she was doing this, I watched my chance, and slipped into Harris’s shanty, and deposited another batch, of counterfeit there, so that when the denouement came, there was plenty of evidence of his guilt. As to the other business, I was returning from my visit to Harris’s shanty, when I met my tool, and he threatened to blow on me if I didn’t fork over, handsome. Seeing no other avenue of escape, I knifed him, and slid off. Luck favored meagain; by sending Harris along, a short time afterward, in order that you might encounter him, and suspicion him»as the mur- derer, Altogether things have worked like a charm.” : And the arch-villain laughed as a demon might laugh. : “True, everything seems cut and dried as far — as the road-agent is concerned. My only fear, — since learning that he is a Deputy U. S. Mar- shal, is that some of his associates will happen along, about the time of his trial, to free him, and make us trouble.” “No fear of that, but it will be well enough for us to cage the girl, and thatat once. With her in quietus, Deadwood Dick will- stand a poor show for acquittal; and then, too, with her missing, Deadwood Dick dead, and the dwarf out of the way, what’s to hirley you — from again working up Darrel?” ae “True; if the girl is put where she mil be quiet, the road-agent killed, and Athol does nob again appear, I may haye some hopes, again—”

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Deadwood Dick’s Ward. —. Randall interrupted her,* with his peculiar tough. ‘Do you know what I have believed, ever since the wedding day?” he demanded, sending a clond of smoke ceilingward. “ How should I?” the madame asked, languid- ly. “ Well, Ihave believed that it was you who killed the guards, and that you have Athol con- fined in the secret dungeon you once told me was in the rocky cliff, against which this house is built.” ‘Tt can well wish your suspicion correct,” the woman said, with a faint smile, ‘for then, I should feel safe. No! Girard Athol escaped that day, but how, or where, I have no clear idea, 1 have sometimes been beset with the absurd apprehension that he is yet lurking within this house, but I have searched every. nook and corner over and over again, and failed to find a trace of him. Apparently he is gone from here;—whether to return or not, I can not guess, 5 : “You may not see him or hear from him again for some time.” “True. If be would only remain away until I could ney Darrel, I should take pains that he never troubled me thereafter. For Darrel’s money I have been scheming, and I shall not give up until I win, or lose beyoud the power of igre, law or fate to help me.” “There are ways to work the thing success- fully, and I flatter myself I can concoct a plan, erelong. In the mean time, if you can let me have a little good money, { will go forth and liquidate a few bar bills which necessity has foreed me to contract. Ah! thanks,” as the madame handed him a couple of twenties. ** By the way , how had we better goto work to decoy the girl, and where shall we put her after we capture her?” “The dungeon will be a good place. There is but one key, and I always carry that. It is a place where a person may remain a lifetime— searched for, and yet lost to the world.” * But how can she be entrapped here? She is as wary and suspicious as a hawk. “You are a graduate in deviltry—I will leave it to youto arrange. If you are successful, I will pay you well.” “You are ever liberal, my gracious madame. The girl will have to be decoyed to the grove, and then taken by force, You will have the cell ready?” ‘* Of course.” *" And also put your Dutch blunderbuss of a servant where he won’t be too contiguous? I don’t take any stock in that sauerkraut barrel.” “Pshaw! he’sa combination of ignorance and innocence.” ‘Perhaps. And now for the decoy. Have yon Zz specimen of Girard Athol’s penman- ship * Yes—several letters. I will get them for you. She soon produced them, and Randel studied the chirography closely. : “Get mea plece of common brown paper and a pencil, now, he said, ‘‘and I think I ‘can fix matters. : ‘ He set to work, and soon had the following letter formed, in a style of writing very closely resembling that of the other letters: ~ * Dmar Cuiup:—I write this to let ye know*I am still alive and well. Idare not come into the town in daylight, but I will venture in to-night, at mid- night, and you will find me where the weddin’-stand was, in the grove, Fetch me some bread and meat, as I haven’t had much to eat lately. 2 “Your joni father, ‘““GrraRD ATHOL.’’ “There! I allow the fox will nibble at that’ bait,” Randall exclaimed, with a villainous shrug. ‘‘ Look out for us about midnight!” CHAPTER X, SATAN’S WORK. Kentucky Kir received the note that night while standing in the doorway of the Raymond residence to get a breath of fresh air after com- ing from the sick room, where Millicent had fallen asleep. It was handed her by a bee tp ee who first paused and surveyed her critically, _ “Be you Kentucky Kit?” he asked doubtfully “fer ef ye be, I’ve got a letter fer ye, what wuz even ter me up in the mountings by the urnedest-lookin’ ittle old codger I ever sot eyes on, “Yes, I am Kentucky Kit,” the girl replied, eagerly reaching forth her hand for the screp of paper, ‘‘and Iam eyer so much obliged to you for bringing me this.” She hurried into the house and read it over and over again joyously. . “ My poor old father! how ged I shall be to see him! If I can only get Millicent to sleep about midnight, I shall be safe to run over to the grove and meet him, if only to stay for a few minutes. I wonder what he proposes to do next?” : Z _ Never for a minute did the idea come into Her pretty head that all was not right—no suspicion came to her that the letter was a forgery, for the writing was like Old Scavenger’s chirog- raphy, and the fact that the message was writ- - ten on brown wrappiyg paper seemed to indi- cate that he had used the only scrap attainable in the hills, : . By using a little opiate in her medicine which the doctors had ordered, Kitty had Mellicent in asound sleep by midnight—then, bare-headed, she ran across the road into the grove, which was but a few steps from the Raymond resi- dence. = 5 Threading her way softly among the grim oid trees, she soon came to where the wedding- stand had been erected, and yet remained; but she could see nothing of Old Scavenger any- where near it. _“ Father!” she called—‘ father! here?” ; Then she beard a low laugh, but before she could discover whence it came, a heavy blanket was thrown over her head; then she was seized and held by several pairs of hands. BoA Ei She tried to scream, but could not make her- self heard, for the blanket was held tightly — over her mouth until she nearly swooned, and overcome peat by that, and partly by alarm, she fainted. ; : pee When she awakened, she was in Stygian Are ‘you

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24. Deadwood Dick’s Ward. darkness; not an inch before her face could she see. “Winding ber hands and feet free, she arose, and felt her way through the awful gloom until she ran against a wall of cold smooth rock. She followed this, by feeling with her hands, until she came to the conclusion that she was en- tombed in a dungeon, with walls of solid rock, but where it was, or where she was, was a conundrum she could not solve. OF course Kentucky Kit was in the madame’s dungeon, and Randall and the Jezebel both had ahand in placing her there, after which Ran- da'l went back to his lodgings, and Madame Cheviot retired to her own decidedly elegant sleeping apartment. “Things work well!” she mused, ‘‘and I shall be have the satisfaction of fingering the money- ags of George Darrel! Once I am his wife, I shall hold the ruling reins, else there will be room for him iu the same place where Cyril Cheviot went. igs ee one would think, after all my awful deeds, that my conscience would chide me, but it does not. don’t believe there is such a thing as conscience, or I should have felt its chidings long ere this. My only con- science is a loye—a peer for gold. And why? What good does itdo me? None, and yet my thirst for it constantly increases; my coffers grow fuller, day by ay. If all works as I wish, and work for, [ shall yet ke known as the Bonanza Queen.” ~And she smiled serenely at ths thought! ’ She retired to her couch, but was restless, de- spite her braye words. She felt a nervous fear of something that was to come. In desperation, she arose and drank a deep draught of liquor from a decanter on a stand by her bed, and this seemed to lull her restlessness, for she soon dropped asleep. She did not rest stirs Ob geal and after awhile sat bolt upright in , as wide awake as ever in her life, A gasp escaped her as she discovered that the light which she had left burning was extin- guished, and on turning her head, she saw some- thing that caused a moan of horror to break from her lips. Upon the wall just opposite her bed, some hand unseen had traced the following words in phosphorescent fire: “Beware! Unless you undo all ‘The wrongs you have done, before Tne next full moon, Your doom is sealed, G. A.” She could but comprehend, even while quak- ing with alarm which the sight of the flaming words had caused her, Girard Athol had been there—there in her very room —and left his warning of vengeance. Before the next full moon! That would be within’a few days, At first she resolved to arouse the household and have a search made for the intruder, but asecond warned her it was best to keep the matter quiet. ; However, she sat up for the remainder of the night, a revolver clutched tightly in her grasp. Something else transpired that of narration. night worthy After leaving the Cheviot mansion, Ralph Randall stood for several minutes in the grove, without having decided in which direction to turn his footsteps. “The girl is out of the way!” he muttered, “Cand Deadwood Dick is destined to swing for his pains in coming to Placerville. By the way, it may not be too late to work up the husband biz with Miss Raymond. I dare say Kit left her alone when she came to the grove, and it - behooves me to go over and look after her.” He crossed to the Raymond residencé and boldly entered. Finding no one in the Jower part of the house he hastened up-stairs to the room Millicent had occupied, but she was not there! With an oath he searched the other parts of the house for her, but all to no avail. Millicent had gone, and left nothing to indi- cate her whereabouts. 5 : The following day was Sunday—a day de- voted to rest among the rough-and-ready resi- dents of Placerville, if loun; about saloons and playing ‘‘seven-up” could be termed rest- ing. - The Reverend Obadiah Grimes ru the ‘* meetin’~us’” bell at the usual hour for divine services, but the lambs who were lured into the fold of this pioneer shepherd were few and far between. There were too many inducements to excite- ment in saloons and street for the men to be tempted into the “‘ sarmon shell,” as they called . uently, the Rev. Grimes the rude church; con wholly to an audience had to discourse alm of “ sistern.” __ Those topics uppermost in the minds of the Placerville inhabitants were the approachin, trial and probable execution of Deadwood Dick. —the mysterious disappearance of Kentucky Kit, and the likewise mysterious disappearance of Millicent Raymond. : For of her, or the Athol girl, no trace could be found, though a diligent search was made. Opinions were various on all these subjects, but the general conclusion seemed to be that Deadwood Dick would fail to get evidence suf- ficient to clear him; that Kentucky Kit had either thought best to leave the pie, while she could do so unmolested, or had been put out of the way by Madame Cheviot’s agency; that Millicent Raymond, laboring under mental ex- citement and grief, had wandered into the mountains, and would, in all probability, never be found alive. ; < As soon as the fact that the late broker’s daughter was missing became known, Ralph Randall blossomed forth with a crape band around his hat, and told a very pathetic story, with a few bogus tears in his eyes, the porpon of which was that he had secretly wedded Mil- licent Raymond, nearly a year before, as her father had refused his consent; that Millicent had Poe to acknowledge him as her hus- band at the expiration of the first six months, but when that time arrived she had put him off, and continued to do so since. + At last, a few days previous to her father’s : death, he, Randall, had threatened to make known their relations, at which the poor had gone off into a swoon, from which she had — Rhee ,

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Deadwood Dick’s Ward. not recovered, in her uN mind. Unluckily, explained Randall, Mr. Raymond had chanced to overhear the conversation, and the knowl- edge had most probably been so sudden and ex- citing that it had been too much for him, with his long-standing affection of the heart. Ran- dall accounted for Millicent’s sudden disappear- ance in the same light as the town people, and with much apparent anxiety and interest of- fered a reward of a thousand dollars to the person who would restore to him his demented darling. It was a very cleverly concocted bea and ear general credence, as it had been known or some time thet Randall and Miss Raymond were in the habit of holding clandestine meet- ings, and that helped the scheme along. By the will of the broker, if Millicent should be dead, the property would go to her nearest heir. Who else would it be but Randall? Madame Cheviot, however, did not fare. as well in public opinion as Randall, for the senti- ment was not favorable toward her. The dis- appearance of the dwarf had undoubtedly ex- cited a suspicion of foul play, in the minds of the people, and now that Kentucky Kit had also suddenly disappeared, many very uncom- plimentary hints were openly disc concern- ing the madame. at Sunday evening Deadwood Dick felt was the most lonely one of his imprisonment, and his thoughts were of anything but. a plea- sant nature, for the turnkey had been in and in- formed him of the incidents that had lately oc- curred in the outside world. That Sunday evening, too, was the scene of a highway encounter, on the gulch road in the heart of the mountains, three or four miles from Placerville which savored of business. The young moon had reached its meridian, and was casting a sickly glimmer upon the rugged landscape, when a wagon came jolting along over the trail. It was a rude, lumbering affair, with a can- vas cover, and was drawn by a large raw-boned pray, horse that looked as if it were not in the abit of associating with food more than ence a year. The driver was as lean and cadaverous-look- ing as the horse—a man wit’ thin, straggling and beard, with sharp, angular features and sallow eyes, and attired in blue overalls, red shirt, slouch hat and stogy boots. He was at: the same time smoking a short- stemmed clay pipe, ‘‘ pushing” the horse with the lines to accelerate its speed, and humming a quaint old Methodist hymn, and appeared to have no other thoughts, until— i The steed suddenly settled back in the breech- ing, causing the wagon to halt abruptly, and the driver beheld a rotund figure standing be- side the wagon, with a pair of huge revolvers in is grasp. ‘And this read-agent ‘knight, who had so un- ceremoniously swooped down upon the lone voyageur, was no less a person than Hans, the Jezebel’s servant! Not alone was the Dutchman, for at the horse’s head stood the fat negress, whom we have men- _ tioned in another chapter, her eyes rolling com- 25 ically, and her whole weight braced against. the horse, to keep him from pint “Surrender! You vas my brisoner mit war!” Hans cried, in a deep basso voice. ‘‘ Stir but so mooch as a viggle mit your hair, und I vill plow you to-dunder! “Hello! what in thunder d’ye want, pilgrim?” the driver demanded. ‘I ain’t no oach, ner ain’t got nuthin’ in the way 0’ vallybles, cept a jack-knife and a plug of terbacker. “Thet’s a lie. I know better ash dot,” Hans replied. ‘“‘ Off you dink you can pull wool ofer mit our eyes, you makes a pig mistake. Ve pe der boss off dis trail, und you pet we're quite flip! I am Bleedy Ben, an’ my companion, she is Butcher-knife Belle, und ve yoost kill you quicker as dunder off you don’t deliver up dot package vot you’ve got mit der hind end off your ominousbus—yon’t ve, Butcher-knife?” ‘* Yas, we will, fo’ suah, sah!” the colored road- agentess declared. ““What package? stranger said, with visible uneasiness. understand.” “Dot is a lie, swi dimes!” Hans asseverated. ‘“You see, old schap, ve was dead right on dot leetle game, und our eyes don’t close up worth acent, You yas got a package mit your vagon, i to Madame Cheviot, und dot package contains counderfoot mooney, too. Now, off you know ven your scallub is worth ein cent a pound you'll jest shump oud of dot vagon, an’ skip— waltz—skedaddle. Off you don’t, ve dakes you to Placerville, before an investigation gommitty, I have no package,” the “JT don’t an’ unless you vos can epespletn how you cum’ resented mit a piccadil-- by dot money, you gets ly collar, free vidout sharge.” “You bet! Itwig! I git! Ta!ta!” the own- er of the illicit stage = ed, leaping from th¢ wagon. ‘* Much obleeg ’ca’se I didn’t know w’at war in the bundle. Ob this wicked, wicked world!” And he hurried away, rapidly. CHAPTER XI. CLOSING IN POWARD A ORISIS. THAT same evening had another incident con- nected with our story, worth while to chronicle. Though no city, or half of one, fer that mat- ter, Placerville boasted of many metropolitan advantages, among which was its daily news- paper, called the Budget, which was edited and published: by a superannuated little mortal named Scram, and devoted to local news and_ correspondence from nsebpos. towns. * Scram, with his pinched visage, green gog- gles, and frightful famine of flesh upon his bones, was not the most prepossessing looking rson in the world to look at, and it had been inted that he was not the man apt to look the second time at a dollar in deliberation as to how was the best way and the most honest way to gather it in to his coffers. Nor was the genial Scram—Antonio Adolphus —said to have any over great compunctions ~ about the truthfulness of articles published in his paper, so long as they were readably sensa-~ iste and helped to fill up, and save ‘pad- ing. Tn consequence ay es items found their way into the Budget that were none too truth: to ye fer lettin’ me oe ;

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=f Deadwood Dick’s Ward, — ful and yet which the patrons of the paper di- gested as veritable fact. This selfsame Sunday evening that Hans Schwartzenheimer played up ee he ee An- tonio Adolphus Scram was seated in his office, scissoring news items for his next day’s issue when there came a knock at the door, and a dirtily dressed miner, with a long beard, and a pick on his shoulder, entered. ‘* Ah! Good-evening!” cried Scram. ‘t Happy to see you! “Beseated. What's the news?” ° “News! lordy mighty! sech news!” the miner gasped, seating himself, ‘‘Be you ther news- paper chap?” “T have that honor,” Antonio replied, with serene complacency. ‘* And my name’s Pete Dinklepop, from Chico,” the stranger volunteered. ‘‘ Ye've got a re- porter up in Chico, ain’t ye, mister?” “Ah! yes—very attentive fellow—a most ex- emplary representative of my paper is Mr, Hook,” “Yas, Well, ye see he got on a b’ilin’ drunk, last night, an’ not feelin’ good, ter-day, axed me ter come down an’ give ye sum pints o’ news. Yo see, thar’s a sensation up thar, this mornin’. A leetle dwarf kim inter town, got pilin’ full o’ ‘ forty-rod,’ an’ then sed that he was tired o’ livin’, thet his name was Girard Athol; an’ then he tuk out a knife an’ cut his throat from ear to ear. Jest as he was passin’ off this coil, a young gal rushed up, called him ‘husband,’ an’ then sho popped herself over wi’ a six, an’ thar was two corpusses, So we jest chucked ’em in a prospect-hole, sed a doxolozy over ’em, an’ I come down ter report. So ef ye kin make an item of et, mebbe folks ‘ll tink Chico is gittin’ ter be a red-hot place, an’ popylation "ll drift thet way. Ye might say, tew, thet we're goin’ ter hev a dance-house started thar, soon, an’ et’ll cost only six bits fer supper, daneé, bug-juice and cigars; dog cheap, you bet!” ‘* Of course T shall be happy to put the mat- ter in priat,” Mr, Scram said, and then his re- porter took leave, In the Budget of the next morning was a full- column account of the double suicide at Chico, a little camp some twenty miles from Placer- ville, and Antonio wound up th ebrilliant effort with tie following: “Tt was this same couple that created such a dis- turbance at the Darrel-Cheviot wedding, a few days -ago, and caused the ceremony to be indefinitely postponed, Therecin no longer be a doubt that the explanation of Madame Cheviot was truthful, and we hope to soon have the pleasure of reporting the consummation of the ceremony that was then so abruptly interrupted.” George Darrel, the bonanza king, was among the first to peruse this, on the following morn- ing, and he read it over and over again, several times, carefully. “Perhaps I have been unjust to her,” he said, but I believed at the time that the dwarf was teally ber husband, At all events, the two are now dead, and nothing is to hinder me from marrying the madame, and uniting our two fortunes. Sho is not a long-lived woman, while Tam robust and of a centenarian race, and bid fair to some day own all. Besides, I shall in arrying her gain control of all, now.” “ He accordingly soon after called upon the madame, and showed her the account in the paper. ne read it, the expression of her countenance undergoing but little change, “Tt is better so,” she said, sadly. ‘My poor brother was of no good to himself or any one else, and I presume his companion, of whom I know nothing, was the same, “You are satisfied by this, then, that I am worthy of you?” “ Of course, my dearest, and I beg that you will name an early day for our union.” “Then let it be to-morrow, just before the trial of the man Harris, whom I must unfortu- nately bear witness against. We will be quietly married, here in my parlor, at nine o'clock. His ber I understand, will not commence until m1”? And so it wag arranged to have the rites per- Siegen without the knowledge of outside par-. ies, The night prior to the day of Deadwood Dick’s approaching trial passed drearily to the prisoner, for, being alone and with no one to whom he could appeal, he had no company but his thoughts. i And he had thought and thought so much that he was heartily tired of thinking. He only wished for something exciting or surprising to occur, to break the depressing monotony. It came just as dawn was beginning to break, in the shape of a wild, disto: face, peering through the grating over the door of his cell— the face of Old Scavenger, the dwarf! : Harris started .violently as he saw the not-to- be-forgotten visage. The hair that covered the face was matted in blood, the eyes gleamed bei ea ferocity, the fang-like teeth showed rribly. : ‘Ha! hal you start at sight of me, as well you may!” the dwarf cried, fiercely. “You ara a wretch—a devil! Where is Kentucky Kit— where is my child?” > “T do not know. I left her safe in the care of Raymond, the banker, when I was arrested, but have since learned that she has disappeared,” Dick replied, anxiously. - ‘* Bah! you know where she is. You have had her hidden away from me!” rpoetbag ss hissed, tearing at the bars, asif he longed to get in, ‘* You are a demon to do this, Again I demand, where is my child? You know—you have her— tell me, or Pll tear your heart out!” a ore I repeat I do not know where she is,” the prisoner replied. ‘‘Ha! ha! we shallsee. If you are lying to wme—if you have dared to harm one hair of that pure child’s head, I'll tear you limb from limb,” With demoniac laughter, the face disappeared from the window. ‘He has gone stark mad, and if he fails to find the girl there will be bad work,” Dick mut- tered, gloomily. ‘‘I hope he will get over the — tae that I know anything of her where- abouts. ; Tn the darkest hour before the dawn of that F same morning, a wild-eyed, haggard being, with — = disheveled hair and toru clothing, gained en- trance to the Cheviot mansion by aid of a skelo-

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- Deadwood Dick’s Ward. ° 44 ton key, and, shortly after, with cat-like move- ments, stood in Madame Cheviot’s sleeping apartment. The dim lamplight revealed the once pretty face of Milly Raymond, but now terribly changed from suffering. The light of insanity burned in the sunken eyes, and the crafty cun- ning of a maniac was in the expression of the pallid face, For some time she searched noiselessly about the room; then she shook her clinched hand on high and departed. alf an hour later two figures left the man- sion and hastened like shadows down the de- serted street, and out of the town into the dark, gloomy gulch beyond. One of these persons was Millicent Raymond —the other was Kitty Athol,going to—her death! Brightand clear dawned the morning of Dead- wood Dick’s trial, as if to cheer him to meet those bravely who were to judge him, About an hour before the trial was -to take place, a party, composed of Madame Cheviot, and her intended husband, her daughter, Ralph Randall, and the minister, assembled in the madame’s parlor, where the previously inter- cy Ne nuptials were to be consummated. he couples assumed their respective posi- tions, and the minister wasabout to begin, when there came a loud knock at the front door. ** Good heavens, what now?” was the Jezebel’s thought, but it did not find expression in words. ‘Will you please go and:see what is wanted, Randall?” she asked. ‘‘My servant is not in the house.” Randall assented, and leaving the parlor, closed the door after him, after which he made his way to the hall door, and opened it. The two roughs, Black Bob and Bloody Bill stood on the steps, outside. : “ What d’ye want?” Randall demanded. “We want ter see the mum,” Bloody Bill growled. ‘‘Ef you’re her lackey, jest tell her thet B. B. and B. B. await, outside.’ ‘* Madame Cheviot is engaged, and you cannot obtain an interview with her to-day, so be off with you.” “Waal, now, my heyes, what imperdence! Did ther old gal give ye them orders, my gay an’ festive super? Hf she did, I allow she orter ‘a’? knowed better. We two black an’ bloody sons 0’ royal parentage ken’t be put down in thet style—oh, no! We got wind thet the ma- dum was er-goin’ tew take to herself a husbénd, an’ we thort as how et would be ther proper eaper for us to come over an’ give the bride away!” ‘* Ympossible, sir. I must positively refuse to admit you. If you will call another day she will perhaps be able to give you audience.” ‘* But, see hyar, young fellar, thet ain’t our lay-out, ner we ain’t ter be bluffed. We want ther madame, or her money—a straight thou- sand dollars. Ef she don’t send out the cash in the a jerk of a lamb’s tail, we'll make things howl—an’ don’t ye fergit it. Ef she don’t pan out, we'll give her away, in a way she won’t relish.” Randall saw that something was brewine are extremely bad for the interests of his client, and knew that it was necessary to do handsomely by these human leeches, tosave trouble, There- fore he said: : “Well, wait here a moment, and I will see what I can do for you,” and then he hurried to the parlor, ‘What is the matter?’ Madame Cheviot asked, anxiously. ‘‘ Who is at the door?” “Two rough customers, who claim that you are indebted to them to the extent of a theu- -sand dollars, and insist-on having their pay at once.” “Oh, yes. I purchased a tract of land of them , and promised to settle with Paegtuaties them y. You will find the amount in a roll upon my dressing-bureau. Please get it, and give it to them for me,” the madame said, thus adroitly warding off suspicion with a clever lie, Randall hastened to obey, and soon after re- turned to the parlor. ‘* Now let the ceremony be performed, hoping there will be no further interruption,” Mr, Dar- rel commanded. And accordingly the minister read the mar- riage service, and George Darrel and Madame Cheviot were mado man and wife. After receiving the congratulations of those present, the bonanza king took an elegant dia- mond-set locket from his eae with a golden chain attached. Tt was a beautiful and cost] affair, and as he placed it about the bride’s nec: he said: “This I present to you, my lady Darrel, with the eer that it may bring you long life, pros- perity and happiness.” “You are very good, dear husband,” the bride replied, ‘‘and I cannot receive the pres- ent without giving one in return. Ah! there is Hans’s footstep in the hall now. Please call him, Randall.” Randall obeyed, and the clumsy Dutchman entered the parlor. Maes a . Randail ta go into the garret and ring down one of two large wooden chests you will find stored there, Be sure and bring chest which stands on the right-hand side of the stairway as you go up.” ‘““Yaw, ve fetch ‘im,” Hans replied. along, Misder Randall.” They were gone about ten minutes when they returned, bribe a large red chest between them, which they deposited upon the floor, The bride then turned to Darrel, and handed him a bunch of keys. ‘‘There, dear husband, is a bunch of. keys, “one of which will unlock that chest, which con- tains the present I would ee you. Unlock it. raise the lid, and tell me what you think “T will do so, expecting to find it full of gold,” Darrel said laughingly. : “ And you will have your expectations grati- fied;-I expect,” Randall said. Kneeling, the bonanza king fitted a key to the leck, turned it, and raised the lid! Then came acry of surprise—of horror and consternation, and every one leaped back @ Coom pace! , What a wedding gift was this! = 2 “Hans,” the new Mrs. Darrel said, ‘‘I want nd Mr the —~ of it?

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28 Even the madame covered her face with her nands, and staggered back as though shot! For there in the bottom of the chest, in a cramped position, was the skeleton of a human being-—of aman! It had lain there for several years, evidently, for what flesh had not decom- posed had dried tight to the bones; the grinning skull, too, had lost its hair and the sockets were eyeless. For the space of a minute George Darrel azed at the appalling spectacle; then, master- ing the horror that had seized him, he turned to his bride, sternly: ‘* Woman, whut does this mean?’ was all he said, but there was an awful something in the way it was asked. “Do not ask her, for this mistake has quite overcome her. Instead, let me explain,” Ren- dall said. ‘This skeleton is the remains of Madame Cheviot’s first husband, who was, un- luckily, a notorious outlaw ,and desperado. Madame never lived with him after she learned his true character, but when, wounded and flying, he came to her and ged her to keep him from beitg lynched by the officers of the law, her heart went out in pity for him, and she promised to hide him, so she placed him in this chest, and left the lid a trifle raised, so that he could breathe. When the danger had partly blown over, she went to carry him food, but found that he had in some way jarred the wedge from under the lid, and it had closed down tightly. Having a spring-lock, he could not raise the lid, and he had smothered. Her house being watched for weeks—ay, months, the madame could not dispose of the body, and had’ to leave it in its tomb, in the garret. There it has remained ever since, becaus3 of her natural dread of an attempt to make away with it. In some unaccountable way, the boxes have changed ces, and created this scene, of which my lady is innocant, I assure you.” Darrel heard him though with a cold, stern expression of countenance, after which he spoke: ‘* Your story [ can not credit!” he said em- phatically. ‘I now believe, as I half-suspected at firgt, that Iam the victim of a designing ad- _ venturess’s schemes. Bring down the other chest. We'll see what is in that /”_— CHAPTER XII. GONCLUSION—THE LAST BITE OF A SNAKE. “Yung, bring down the other chest,” the mad- ame said, eagerly. ‘‘If my gold is not in that, I am lost!” Accordingly, Randall and the Dutchman went up-stairs again, and on their return carried an- other chest between them, which was an exact duplicate of the first, “There! open that, and see that I have the gold, and have not been deceiving you!” the ride cried. ” “No! you may open it yourself. I am not fond of opening coffins,” the speculator re- { ee “Tt is for you to prove your assertion— not I. » Taking the keys from him, the madame step- d toward the chest, but before she could reach . i Deadwood Dick’s Ward. aa ear-splitting yell.and Old Scavenger snrn; from his hiding-place. spe : “Hal ha!” he roared wildly; ‘‘my time nas come for vengeance. It is too late for you to repent and mend your ways, for, Jezebel! you shall die ere you do any further deviltry!” And as he spoke, he leaped forward, and be- fore any one could hinder him, he plunged a dagger to the hilt in the horror paralyzed mad- ame’s bosom... A Then, with a shout of demoniac laughter, he sprunz through a window, and made his escape. George Darrel Goal t madame as she fell, and carried her to a couch, then turned to speak to Randall; but that worthy was hot in the room. The Dutchman, however, approached: ‘* She is already dead,” he said, “and itis just as well that she is thus,” « oe Why?” ‘* Because it would only have been a matter of time with her>as there are enough crimes against her to hang her higher than man!” ““You are not the ignorant Dutchman you ap- peared, a short time ago.” ‘*No, I am one of these Deputy U. 8. Marshal detectives sent here to ferret out who was circu- lating bogus money in this vicinity, for a gang of Eastern counterfeiters, I also had papers to serve on the madame for no less than for mur- ders that have been committed by her, in as many years, It was my purpose to arrest her to-day. My name.is Scott Davis!” “What! the noted sleuth of Cheyenne?” ‘‘The same. The other two persons sent on here were Pete McOune, who is made up as a negress, and Deadwood Dick. I did not know his tack, until he was arrested and his deputy’s papers taken from him,” The news of Madame Cheviot’s murder was all over the town in less than an hour, but though a crowd gathered before the mansion, the doors opened to no one whom Bonanza Darrel did not see fit to admit. : He, on the impulse of the moment, offered a reward of five thousand dollars for the dwarf’s capture within a week. A large posse of Vigilantes were hastily or- ganized) and a search made, but without satis- actory result, Old Scavenger was not to be found. : Owing to the excitement consequent upon the murder of the Jezebel, the trial of Deadwood -Dick had been adjourned to the following day. ‘Phen he was brought forth from his confine. ~ ment for trial. In lieu of a court-house, the wedding platform in the grove was made the scene of the trial, be- ing occupied by the prisoner, and the self-consti- tuted court, which was composed of six jurymen, a judge, and a lawyer for the defense and one for the prosecution. The witnesses in the case were to be picked out of the audience, as they were wanted. The first charge against: the prisoner was that of murder; of witnesses there were two—bous rough but honest miners, whose word was un- impeachable. Their testimon ge ‘ re, Es corresponded exactly, dna iG, the lid was suddenly thrown up, there was an | was to the effect that when they were on tneir

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- covered there he woul Deadwood Dick’s Ward. es way home, late at night, they heard some one ahead of them suddenly start off on a run. They had given chase until they came to where a man was lying dead, across the walk, Soon after, Madame Cheviot had come up, and she stated that she had just met Deadwood Dick running in great haste toward his shanty. Deadwood Dick then was sworn, and in a clear and concise way related how he had first discovered the murdered man, and on hearing some one approaching, felt sare were he dis- be accused of the crime, and had deemed it best to take leg bail for se- curity. This concluded the testimony in the murder case, as Madame Cheviot was now dead. 7 The lawyers then had their say, and the mat- ter was left to the jury. who at once gave ina verdict of not guilty, This, however, was but the first stage of the 4rial, for Deadwood Dick was to answer to the charge of circulating counterfeit money. Mr. Wray appeared first, on the part of the prosecution, and gave testimony of how he had received a thousand dollars in counterfeit money, from Harris, when said Harris was employed as clerk of Mr. Raymond; on discov- ermg tee swindle, he had at once repaired to Mr. Raymond, who became somewhat uneasy, and, on examining his safe, found five thousan dollars in good money gone, and the same amount of spurious stuff in its place. They had at once gone to Harris’s house and arrested him, and discovered three packages, eontaining another thousand of the “queer” in his shanty. Savors! cthens testified to the finding of the money in the shanty; then Deadwood Dick was recalled and sworn, His explanation was the same he had given Raymond the morning of his arrest; of the money found in his shanty, and that exchanged at the bank, he had nothing to say. He had had no handling of it, nor any knowledge of how it came there. : ‘Very strange,” the judge commented. bade 6 y there is no evidence in your behalf, I am afraid we shall have to find you guilty.” “But I haff got some effydence,” shouted a voice, and Hans, alias Scott Davis, came for- ward, accompanied by his sable-hued pard, Mc- Cune. He then made a deposition of his character and that of his companion, an revelations that entirely cleared Harris, He stated, among other hag he how he and McCune had overheard Ralph Randall inveigle Millicent Raymond into a scheme, wherein she was to rob her father’s bank of five thousand dollars, and/put the same amount of bogus money—which Ka dall was to furnish—in its place; bow RandaJl had explained to her his trick of hiring a ruffian to deposit a sum of the “queer” with Harris; how he, Randall, in- tended to make a secret entrance to the Harris shanty and leave packages of ‘‘ queer” there, so that when the crash came, Harris would be irre- trievably caught in the toils. Still further, how Randall had explained to she girl that he and Madame Cheviot were ex- pocting a valuable package from the Hast, enuine made This the two detectives had captured, : There were several other things that Davis brought clearly to light, and the upshot of the matter was that Deadwood Dick was discharged and heartily congratulated by the majority of the citizens. a As Ralph Randall had been missing ever since Madame Cheviot’s death, and as there was a re- ward for kis capture, dead or alive, Deadwood: Dick consented to remain in the vicinity and watch for him, while Davis and McCune worked the other mountain towns. The Jezebel was buried the next day, and also the skeleton, whom many believed to have been ler previous husband, Cheviot, who had strangely disappeared, Her funeral was large- ly attended, more out of curiosity than any- thing else, and there were few who gazed upon the cold white face of the superlatively wicked woman who did not wonder what place there would be found for such as she in eternity. Ralph Randall had taken advantage of the first opportunity after the unearthing of the skeleton, to make his escape, as he well knew that matters were coming to a focus, and that if he considered the value of his neck anything, it. was advisable for him to put it out of the reach of Judge Lynch’s noose. Therefore he took to the mountains, and roamed about in the deepest recesses, depending on his gun as a food-furnisher. One morning, he approached nearer to the town than he had yet been since turning fugi- tive, and there discovered, lying dead upon a prassy slope, with a pistol wound in her fore- ead—Kentucky Kit, Upon her breast was pinned a paper covered with irregular pencil-writing. In curiosity, the fugitive knelt and*read the words thereon written, which were as follows: “This is vengeance. She won him from me—she would have taken him from me, and so I killed her, and go hence to kill myself. I am mad—ah! yes, t am aware of that, but the maddest person ean have vengeance. (CENT.”? “What a iets for my vengeance,” Ran- dall mused. ‘Both the dwarf and Deadwood Dick are abroad. The dwarf may stumble upon this corpse at any moment, Egad! I'll fix it.” He took a note-book and pencil from his pocket, and wrote gra then tearing ont the age, pinned it to the dead girl’s garments in ieu of Millicent’s note, which he put in his cket. What he had written was simply the rief outpouring of a demon’s nature: “Ha! ha! old humpty-dumpty—how like you this? I’ve had my revenge; you can have wha'’s left. ““Deapwoop Dick.” “Tf the dwarf finds this, he will never rest night or day, until he kills: mine enemy;” and the villain laughed wickedly as he turned away. . And Scavenger did find it a day later; buried sweet Kitty in a lone forest grave, and then ‘| turned his face to the southwest—an awful face — it was, in its set, stern expression—a face whers: on was written terrible resclve. “Vengeance shall be mine!” he said, THE END,

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Oo wee DIME SPEAKERS. Each Speaker, 100 pages 12mo., vontaining from 50 to 75 plecos, Dime American Speaker, No. 1. Young America, J. Jeboom’s Oration, Birthday of Washington, | A Dutch Cure, Plea for the Maine Law, |'The Weather. ue ‘im es Foibaietbe one ented 3 a 1, e Italian Struggle, osophy Applie Fes epeb dense, An Old Ballad, Our Country, Penny Wise, Bound Fool The Equality of Man, True Cleanliness, fish, Character of the Revo’n, | Sat’d’y aeons Enjoy'ts, The Fruits of the War, “In a Just Cause,” The Sewing-Machine, No Peace with Oppres- True Manhood, sion, A Tale of a Mouse, A Thanksgiving Sermon, The Cost of Riches, Great Lives Imperishable The Prophecy for the Y’r Unfinished Problems, Qur Natal Day, Honor to the Dead, folferino, Immortality of Patriots, URED Ce the Basis of | Webster’s Polit’] System, The War, [Liberty, | A Vision in the Forum, Charge of Light Brigade, | The Press, after the Battle, Woman's Rights, The Glass Railroad, | Right of the Governed, » Lase of Mr. Macbeth, My Ladder, Prof, on Phrenology, Woman, Annabel Lee, Alone, Washington’s Name, The Rebellion of 1861, The Sailor Boy’s Syren, | Disunion, Dime Natioual Speaker, No. 2. Union and its Results, : Our Country’s Future, Oliver Hazard Perry, The Statesman’s Labors, | Our Domain. True Immortality, ee of Beller, Let the’ Childless Weep, © Indian Chief, Our Country's Glory, Union a Househoid, Independence Bell, The Scholar’s Dignity, The Cycles of Progress, A Christmas Chant, Stability of Christianity, The True Higher Law, The Onc Great Need, The Ship and the Bird, National Hatreds, Teeum seh’s Speech, Murder Will Out, Territorial Expansion, Strive for the Best, Martha Hopkins, pony. Rising, The Bashful Man’s Story, | Deeds of Kindness, The Mafiter-of-Fact Man, | Gates of Sleep, Rich aiid Poor, The Bugle, Seeing the Felipse, Beautics of the Law, Ge-lang! Git Up, The Rats of Life, £e, Beautiful and bite) : Creowning Glory of U.S., till, The Worm of the Three Fools, Man and the Infinite, Washington, , Language of the Eagle, Our Great Inheritance, Washington, Eulogy on Henry (ay, ' The Deluge. u Dime Patriotic Speake. No. 8. America to the World A-Kentuckian’s ap’ t Love of County "| Kentucky Sandteke Right of Se “Preserva- | Timidity is Treason, Our [tion, |The Alarum, ~- ~ Cane, (<3 —, April 15, 1861, ‘ Last Speech of Stephea: e Spirit of °61, A, Donelae, The Precious Heritage, | Great Bell Roland, ‘The Trish Element, The New Year and the Train’s Speech. King Cotton, [Union, Christy’s speech, Battle Anthem, Let Me Alone, The Ends of Feace, s Freedom the Watchwor' Brigand-ier-General, The Draft, Crisis of Our Nation, Union Square Speeches, | Duty of Christian Pex The Union, triots, Our Country’s Call, - | Turkey Dan’s Orationp The Story of an Oak Tree, | A Fearless Plea, * L-e-g On My Le, The Onus of Slavery, History of Our Fi T, F.. Meagher’s Aan eas: ‘We Owe to the Union, Lincoln’s Message, A Foreigner’s Tribut@, The Little Zouaye, Catholic Cathe The “ Speculators,”* Dime Comic Speaker, No. 4. Klebeyergoss on the War, | A Song of Woe, Age Bluntly Considered, | Ward’s Trip to Richm’a, Early Rising, Loe The Wasp and the Bee, The Mountebank, Comie Grammar, No, 1, Compound Interest, I’m Not. a Single Man, f A Sermon on the Feet, A. Ward’s Advice, Old Dog Jock, Buzfuz on Pickwick. | The Fishes’ Toilet, Romeo ai... Juliet, Brian O Linn. Happiness, Crockett to OMice-seekes i Dogs, Who Is My Opponent? Political Stump Speech. Comic Grammar, Po, A‘Texan Eulogium, 0. Farewell to the Bottle, How to be a Vireman, The United States, The Cork Leg, Puff’s Ace’t of Himself, | The Smack in School Practical Phrenology, Slick’s Definition of Wifg Beautiful, Tale of a Hat, Cabbage, The Dehating Club, . A Dutch Sermon, Lecture on Locomotion, Mrs. Caudle on Umbr’lla, Disagreeable People, What is a Bachelor Like? Funny Folks, Dime Elceutionist, No. 5. SEC. I. Principriis or ‘T'Rum Enuncration., Faults in Enunciation; How to Avoid Them, Special Ruleg and Observations. ; SEC. 0. Tue Arr or Oratory. Sheridan’s List of “the Passions: Tranquillity, Cheerfulness, Mirth, — Raillery; Buffoonery, Joy, Delight, Gravity, In« gpiry. Attention, Modesty, Perplexity, Pity, Grief, elancholy, Despair, Fear, Shame, Remorse, Courage, Boasting, Pride, Obstinaecy, Authority, Commanding, Forbidding, Affirming, Denying Difference, Agreeing, Exhortiug Judging, Approv. ing, pouting. Condemning, Teaching. Pardon: ing, Arguing, ismissing, Refusing, Gra ‘ing, De. pendence, Veneration, Hope, Desire, ‘sve, Re spect, Giving, Wonder, Admiration, Gratitude, Cu osity, Persuasion, Tempting, Promising. Affeete tion, Sloth, Intoxication, Anger, ete, SEC. Til. Tum Component ELEMEents or an ORA TION.—Rules of Composition as applied to Words and Phrases, viz.: Purity, Propriety, Precision. — As applied to Sentences, viz.; Length of Sentence, Clearness, Unity, Strength. Figures of Speech; the — ordium, the Narration, the Proposition, the_ x ation, the Refutation, the Peroration, —

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THE DIME SPEAKERS, Bu’st. A “ Dialect,” Simon Short’s Son Sam, Reckermember der Poor, Tn for the Railroad, Song of the Sink, Case of young Bangs, Yo Natural History Views, The Illinois Assemb ‘The Cart before the Horse | The Cannibal Man, To See Ourselves, Boss Bagshaw. Sorrowful Tale, Pretzel as a Soldier, The Loafer’s Society, The Sarieraee It’s the Early Bird, ete., | My Childhood, - ane 5 Sclmeider's Ride, aaa ver Beer, ‘oy Suifrage, Caudle’s Wedding Day, |Gardening, — Dot Young Viddow, He vas D’ in’, ‘The Best Cow in Peril, Abner Jones’ Testimony, Frequent Critters, By a Money Changer’s. Dime Youth’s Speaker, No. 16. 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Columbia, Day of Disinthrallment, een, No Alternative but Liber- Appeal ‘or. Liberty, Carmen Bellicosum, [ty, e American ‘isto, Sword of Bunker Hill, Resistance to Oppression, | The Fourth of July, triotism, _ Warren’s Address, reen Mountain Boys, . | A Call to 7,>«rty, Hlogacace of Otis, Good Faith, ington, Revolutionary Soldie $+ eas: ‘ust be Free, } Our Responsibility, om the Only Hope, | British Bay baritys ‘How Freedom is Won, God Bless our States, Adams and Liberty, Looking Backward, Our Duties, Marion and His Men, Our Destiny, Liberty and Union, The American Flag, A Noble ae The True Union, -_ | Original Yankee Doodle, American see Wolfe’s Address, Washington and Franklin | Watching for Montgoms Sink or Swim, The National Ensign, [ery e Buff and Bive, Save the Union, ae ee m eS a ae . e Martyr @ 22d of February, Lexingto} hs New Enelend Bead, F Our Only Ho; peal! ae Declaration of Inde; - | The True Hero, The Liber! ence, | Old ieee Washington’s Attributes, | Our Gifts to History, What We 1 Uncle Sam’s a Hi ur Great Trust, Centennial Oration. Serio-Comic Speaker, No. 19, The American Phalanx, | The Little Orator, The Same, Fompey Squash, The Old Canoe, Mr. Lo’s New Version, Room at the ae The Midnight Express, New England Weather, | Morality’s Worst Enemy, at e Silent Teacher, 4 Clothes Don’t The Last Man, ‘ ([Man, Mind Your Own Business : Yawcob Hoffelte obble, | The New Scriptures, The Set Sachetn, e Trombone, Street Arab’s Sermon, Don't Despond, Address to Young Ladies, | The Mill Cannot Grind, A Little Big. Man, What Became of a Lie, The Test of Friendship, | Now and Then, The Price of Pleasure, How Ub vos Dot for High, « Sour Grapes, Early Rising, - The Unwritten “Clawg "’ | Smart Boy’s Opinion, The Ager, The Venomous Worm, Fish, ‘Orns, te Not Thy Brother, | Up Early, The Dog St. Bernard, Not So icy, $ The T.ibéral Candidate, | Dead Beat in Politics, A Boy’s Opinion of Hens, | War and Dueling, Good Alone are Great, Horses. A Pro The Great Napoleon, Excelsior, . [ceision, The Two Lives, Paddy’s Version of Ex: The Present Age, The Close, Hard Man, At eee a pes and setae Good- crooge, er menthe = Man, Genericall i The Fanny Man, A Chemical W: . ‘Dime Selest Speaker, No.20. _ . God. Now is the Bathe vo Save the Republic, Exhortation to Patriotg, - % Watches of the Night, He Is Everywhere, E Wwe Pant Te eht Road, Ren ion th coe rong and Righ igion the Ke: An Enemy to Society, Scorn of Office. ed Barbara Freitche, Who are the Fr The Most Precious Gift, _ | The vitecn the Hill, Intellectual and Moral | How to Save the Republia’ Natopsis, {Power, | The Good Old Times, ew Era of Labor, Monmouth, ‘ Work of Faith, ope, . ee A Dream, Moral Desolatio’ La Dame Aux Camelias, | Self-evident Truths, cares Penalty of Selfishness, ‘Won't you let my Pa; ; Lights Out, Work, ‘Touides - Make the | Conscience the Best SF My 4th o' July Sentiments | Early Rising, My Esquimeux Friend umpernichkel and Py 3 Storyot the Little Rid Hin Only a Tramp, f{schik My Castle in Spain, Cage Them, Bhoury Schwartz, Time’s Soliloquy, © Indian’s Wron ‘| Find a Way or Make fs, Address $o Soung aos The Musquito Hunt, > ™ atitn}

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BEST AUTHORS. A CHOICE COLLECTION OF Beautiful Compositions Carefully Compiled for SCHOOL, LYCEUM, PARLOR, AND OTHER ENTERTAINMENTS, am BY FRANCES P. SULLIVAN. Issued Quarterly, June, 1886. Subscription, 50 Cents per Year. M. J. IVERS & CO.,, PUBLISHERS, v ; 86 NASSAU STREET, N.Y. VAS RV |. =a YS ts . 4 VA F Pas Vas ne ‘‘ Pe Entered at the Post Office, Y. N,, as second class matter, oS i nes EE SO hy oak EE SE RS I ae AES, I ay Fae tae o RT = ~- ———-—-

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SMART TOASTS FOR THE SMART DBT. Vest Pocket Size. 64 Pages. Sewed Book. Up-to-Date. By Mail, Postpaid, 12c. per Copy. BEST LINE OF HAND BOOKS PUBLISHED. “YINDISH” 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, etc. BOOK OF DREAMS —Their Romance and Mystery, with a Complete Interpretation Dictionary. HOUSEWIFE'S MANUAL.—How to Keep House; How to Dye, Cleanse, ete. VAUDEVILLE JOKER.—Best Jokes by Eminent Vau- deville Artists, BOOK OF ETIQUETTE.—Society, Visits, Introduc- tions, Dress, Balls, ete, FORTUNE TELLER.—Fortune Telling by Cards, Tea or Coffee Grounds, Eggs; Palmistry, ete. 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.—For the Parlor, Nursery, Sick-room, Toilet, Kitchen, Larder, ete. BOOK OF BEAUTY.—Beauty of Form, Color, Head, Hair, iia oes ohep Skin, ete., with chapters on Perfumes, Cosmetics, ete. BOOK OF VERSES.—Comprising Rhymes, Lines, and Mottoes for Lovers and Friends. 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 for Professional and Amateur Entertainers. “COON * YARNS.—Best Jokes Relating to Our * 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,”’ ** Haus,” *t 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’ PRICE By Oll Coomes. 5 1 Dandy Bill’s Doom, By A. W. Aiken, 4 lillie, the Reckless Rider. By Stoddard. 5 Old Grizzly in the Rockies. By Ingraham, 6 Deadwood Dick asa Boy. By E. L. Wheeler, 7 Wild Bill. By Ingraham. 8 The Prairie Ranch. ly J. E. Badger. 9 Roving Joe, By A, H. Post, 10 'l'exas Jack. By Ingraham. 11 Charley Skylark, the Sport. By H. B. Stoddard. 12 Brimstone Bill's Booty. By J. EB. Badger, Jr. 13 Roving Ben, By J. J. Marshall, 14 The Ticket-of-Leave’s Trick. By J. E. Badger, Jr. 15 Wide-Awake George. By E. 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. Ss 20 Giant Pete and his Pards. By Harbaugh, 21 Yellow Hair. By Ingraham. 22 The Snow-Trail. By Harbaugh, 23 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. 28 Snow-Shoe Tom, By T. C. Harbaugh. 30 Pavl De Lacy. By C. D. Clark. 31 Round the ee By J. E, Badger, Jr. 32 Fancy Frank’s Drop. By Ingraham. 83 The Boy Crusader. By Capt. F. Whittaker. 3 Kit Carson, CENTS PER LIBRARY. COPY. 34 The Chase of the Great White Stag. By C. D, Clark, 35 Old Tar Knuckle. By Ro er Starbuck, 86 The Dashing Dragoon, By F. Whittaker, 87 Night-Hawk George. By Ingraham. 88 The Boy Exiles of Siberia. By 'T. 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 Ferguson's Cruise. ea D. Clark, 43 Rifle and Revolver. By F. Whittaker. 44 The Lost Boy Whalers. By 'T. C. Harbaugt 45 Bronco Billy. By Ingraham. 46 Dick, the Stowaway. By Charles Morris. 47 The Colorado Boys.. By J. EB. Badger, Jr. 48 The Pampas Hunters, By T. C. Harbaugh, 49 Nebraska Charlie. By ro ae 50 Jack, Harry, and Tom. y F. Whittaker. ° 51 ‘fom Stone, the Old Sea Dog. By C. D. Clark, 52 The Boy Detectives. By T. C, Harbaugh. 53 Spi Country Boy, in New York. By Charles orris. 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 I’. C. Harbaugh. 61 The Tiger Hunters. By J. E. Badger, Jr. 62 Doctor Carver, the Champion Shot. By Ingraham. 63 Black Horse Bill, the Bandit Wrecker, By Roge Starbuck. 4 64 Young Dick Talbot. By A. W. Aiken. ig iv va

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eeeu THE eadwood Dick e Library SOOO OO tatracts from the New York Evening Sun. a TWO REMARKABLE in only one sense of the word can it be regarded as a novel 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 this remark before the subtle delicacy of its genial wit strikes home, But it is most essentially a half dime novel statement shat will be news to many when it is added that litera- dure, if traced from the dimly distant days when Adam was a mere child down to the present day, would show but few heroes that in the eyes of boyhood would be even judged worthy of comparison with the two greatest heroes known to American literature, or, to promptly re- veal them, Deadwood Dick and Deadwood Dick, Jr. * * * The modern heroes of fiction for young America, who are now as countless as the sands of the sea, and of whom the Deadwood Dicks are much the most important * * * it 1s but natural that their * * * should bear away the palm of popularity, and suchas * * * be left lar behind in the race, It can be easily belleved, therefore, that the two Dicks re so firmly engrafted on the tree of popular literature for boys and young men, that their position is assured * * and that they stand to-day head and shoulders LATEST AND BEST. HANDSOME. TRI-COLORED COVERS. 82 Pages. Issued Every Wednesday. Price 5 Cents. Buy One and You Will Buy the Rest! 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 in the land, now knows Deadwood Dick, Jr., a good bea! 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 certainty of the Wednesday Itself, and a new set or GO thrills go thrilling away from Maine to Call. ‘ornlia, There are the volumes each so crowded with thrills and heart-tugs that It were madness to hope to do justice to them collectively and rank injustice to discriminate be- 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 The Hvening Sun's readers ta stop, and it is therefore better not to relate one single adventure, Suffice it to say that the stories are clean and well written, DEADWOOD DICK LIBRARY. The Double Daggers; or, Deadwood Dick’s Defiance The Buffalo Demon; or, The Border Vultures Buffalo Ben, Prince of the Pistol § Wild Ivan, the Boy Claude Durval 6 Death-Face, the Detective ¥ The Phantom Miner; or, Deadwood Dick’s Bonanza $ Old Avalanche, the Great Annihilator; or, Wild Edna, the Girl Brigand 9 Bob Woolf, the Border Rufflan ®@ Omaha Oll, the Masked Terror; er, Deadwood Dick in Danger "| Jim Bludsoe, Jr., the Boy Phenix; or, Through to ~ Death fi bien Dick’s Eagles; or, The Pards ef Flood ar 48 Buckhorn Bill; or, The Red Rifle Teana 14 Gold Rifle, the ibd Sosa lid i Deadwood Dick on Deck: or, Calamity Jane ° Deadwood Dick, the Prince of the Road @ Corduroy Charlie, the Boy Bravo if ee Rob; or, Nugget Ned, the Knight of the Gule 18 Idyl, the Girl Miner; or, Rosebud Rob on Hand J® Photograph Phil; or, Rosebud Rob's Reappearance #9) Watch-Eye, the Shadow *1 Deadwood Dick’s Device; or, The Sign of the Double Cross #@ Canada Chet, the Counterfeiter Chief 38 Deadwood Dick in Leadville; or, A Strange Stroke for Liberty #4 Deadwood Dick as Detective % Gilt-Kdge Dick 38 Bonanza Bill, the Man-Tracker; or, The Secret Twelve 7 Chip, the Girl Sport %6 Jack Hoyle’s Lead; or, The Road to Fortune Boss Bob, the King of Bootblacks Deadrcod Dick’s Double; or, The Ghost of Gorgon’s ule! #1 Bionde Bill; or, Deadwood Dick’s Home Base % Solid Sam, the Boy Road-Agent 83 Tony Fox, the Ferret; or, Boss Bob’s Boss Job 84 A Game of Gold; or, Deadwood Dick’s Big Strike 85 Deadwood Dick of Deadwood; or, The Picked Party 86 New York Nell, the Koy-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 heat 41 Deadwood Dick’s Ward; or, The Black Hills Jemebel 42 The Arab Detective; or, Snoozer, the Boy Sharp 48 The Ventriloquist Detective. A Romance of Rogses 44 mrs Josh Grim; or, The Young Gladiater’s ame 45 The Frontier Detective; or, Sierra Sam's Scheme 46 The Jimtown Sport; or, Gypsy Jack in Colorade 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 salle Sei Sentence; or, Little Luck at Rough anc 52 The Girl Sport: or, Jumbo Joe’s Disguise 53 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 el: Hawk, Detective; or, The Messenger Boy's ortune 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 ae ee Road-Agent; or, The Miners of Sassa- ras Cit 64 Goieae Charlie's Detective Dash; or, The Cattle ings M. J. IVERS & CO., Publishers (James Sullivan, Proprietor), 379 Pearl Street, NEW YORK.

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York, N. Y., a8 second class matter, Mar. 15, 1899, opyright 1881-1887, by Beadle & Adams. Entered at Post Office, New NT THE ARTHUR WESTBROOK CO. N o. 41 Cleveland, Ohio Vol. IV wan MTL ONT” BE SAID. BADLTING BEFORE THEM. AND UNFOLDING A wOUDNOUL PICTURE OF f 23 YOU SEEN NUFFIN’ OF S208 4 PUSEIN PASSING THIS Way?” SNiasscnnls

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& eS Nera TPG He NGOS OED Cae. myright 1881-1887, by Beadle & Adams. Entered at Post Office, New York, N. Y¥., as second class matter. Mar. 15, 189 : THE, ARTHUR WESTER i ' No. AY 2 , Cistelaué. Ole eae ? Vol. IV" — " SHE SAID, HALTING BEFORE THEM. AND UNFOLDING A WOOD-CUT PICTURE QF , ““HAB YOU SEEN NUFFIN’ OF SECH A PUSSIN PASSING THIS WAY?” _ ne

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BEADLE’'S FRONT 150. Por Copy. : IER SERIES 1. The Shawnee’s Foe. 50. Hatry Hardskull. 2. The Young Mountaineer. 51. Madman of the Oconto. 3. Wild Jim. 52. Slim Jim. d _ 4. Hawk-Eye, the Hunter. » 53. Tiger-Kye. 5. The Boy Guide. y 54. The Red Star of the e ae eer Modocs ¥% fo a Seminoles. a e Red odoes, “.55, Trapper Joe. ' 8. Iron Hand. 56. The ‘Indian Queen’s * 9, Shadow. Bill, the Scout. Revenge, 10. Wie ree Paley oe ae ey pmete sed Zeke. angers of the Oneida. . Sear-Cheek, the Wild 11. Davy Crockett’s Boy Half-Breed. Hunter, - 59, Red Men of the Woods. co ae Parent See AG Ce eles Sam. ° ack’s rontier » Nhe Bully of the Woods. Cabin. 62. The Trapper's Bride. 14. On the Deep. 63. Red Rattlesmake, The 15. Sharp Snout. Pawnee, i6. The Mountain Demon. 64. The Scout of Tippecanoe 17. Wild Tom of Wyoming. 65, Old Kit, The Seout. 18. ee Bey Hunters is pA ey oe o entucky. p ng Tom. 119. The Kearless Ranger. 68. Roving Dick, Hunter. 20. The Haunted Trapper. 69. Hickory Jack. a pt gh Geen the: Colorado. tbe pe ee . e Panther Demon, . snake-Kiye, 38: Slas awny, ge. Fearless, - He pee eaten Joe. * me Tree Jack. o e azing Arrow. 5. Indien Jim. 74, The Hunter Seouts. 26. Navai 75. The Seout of Long Island, . Navajo Nick. 27. The Tusearora’s Vow. i EA ls intot ei 28. Deadwood Dick, Jr. 73. 4 ve ree a ANE CTs. 29. A New York Boy Among 5. Bulle CARs the Indians, 19. The Indian Spirit. £0, Degdwood Dick's Dig $0: The, Ruin Rravpers, eal, . s) 31. Hank, the Guide. Se Grin ack. . The Wooden-Legged Spy. es Peatnogk pen ® Dozen. 34; The Silent Trapper. 33. Squatty Dick. 85. ely Tke. 34. The Hunter’s Secret. 86. Fire Cloud. 35. The Woman Trapper, 87. Hank Jasper, 36. The Chief of the Miami. 98° The Scout of the Sciota. 37. Gunpowder Jim, 89. Black Samson. 38. Mad Anthony’s Captain, 90. Billy Bowlegs. 89.. The Ronger Boy’s Career. 91, The Bloody Footprint. pe ola ey of ee eae: 92. Marksman the Hunter. . e Shadow scout. 93. The Demon Cruiser. 42. Lantern-Jawed Bob. 94, Hunters aud Redskins. 43, The Masked Hunter, 95. Panther Jack. 44, Brimstone Jake. 96. Old Zeke. 45. The Irish Hunter. 97. The Panther Paleface. 46. Dave Bunker. $8. The Scout of the St. Lawrence, 47, The Shawnee Witch, 99. Bloody Brook. 48, Big Brave. 100, Long Bob of Kentucky. ‘ 49. Spider-Legs. BEADLE’S FRONTIER SERIES are always in print and for sale by all Newsdealers; or will be sent postpaid to any address: : Single copies, (5c. -WARTHUR WESTBROOK CO. CLEVELAND, Chit i ane : Sanh 57

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Deadwood Dick e Library © DEADWOOD. DICK LIBRARY. 1 Deadwood Dick, the Prince of the Road ° The Double Daggers; or, Deadwood Dick’s Defiance 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 Dicx’s Bonanza 8 Old Avalanche, the Great Annihilator; or, Wild Edna, the Girl Brigand 9 Bob Woolf, the Border Ruffian 10 Omaha Ol, the- Masked ‘Terror; or, Deadwood Dick in Danger 11 Jim Bludsoe, Jr., the Boy Phenix; or, Through to Death 12 acta Dick's Eagles; or, The Pards of Flood ar ‘ 13 Buckhorn Bill; or, The Red Rifle Team 14 Gold Rifle, the Sharpshooter 15 Deadwood Dick on Deck; or, Calamity Jane 16 Corduroy Charlie, the Boy Bravo v seppad Rob; or, Nugget Ned, the Knight of the ule ,8 Idyl, the Girl Miner; or, Rosebud Rob on Hand 19 Photograph Phil; or, Rosebud Rob’s Reappearance 20 Watch-Eve, the Shadow a 21 Tg alg: Dick's Device; or, The Sign of the Double ross 22 Canada Chet, the Counterfeiter Chief 23 Deadwood Dick in Leadville; or, A Strange Stroke for Liberty c f 24 Deadwood Dick as Detective 25 Gilt-Kdged 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 Deadwood Dick's Double; or, The Ghost of Gorgon’s Gulch 81 Blonde Bill; or, Deadwood Dick’s Home Base 82 Solid Sam, the Boy Road-Agent LATEST AND BEST. HANDSOME TRI-GOLORED BOVE, : 82 Pages. | Buy One and You Will Buy the Rest! For Sample Cover See Other Side. 33 Tony Fox, the Ferret; or, Boss Bob’s Boss Job a 84 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 ‘ 89 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 Detective Josh Grim; or, The Young Gladiator's Game 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 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 ue cere Sentence; or, Little Luck at Rough ~ anc 52 The Girl Sport; or, Jumbo Joe’s Disguise 53 Denver Doll’s Device; or, The Detective Queen 54 Denver Doll as Detective on 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 Fortune a 59 Deadwood Dick’s Disguise; or, Wild Walt, the Sport 7 60 Dumb Dick’s Pard; or, Eliza Jane, the Gold Miner 61 Deadwood Dick’s Mission ae 62 aig 8 Fritz; or, The Store-Detective’s Deco: : 63 The Detective Road-Agent; or, The Miners of Sassa- — fras ig a 64 Cie arlie’s Detective Dash; or, The Cattle — ings