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CHAPTER VI.
CACHING THE TREASURE.
Deadwood Dick had to laugh.
There was something about ‘the situa-
tion that struck him as being ridiculous.
Why should he be talking terms and
_ conditions to a man already in his power,
and that man an outlaw? It was need-
less, and yet— Well, Deadwood Dick had
his moods. .
He was willing to give the fellow, ras-
cal though he was, the benefit of a doubt,
and now that his word had been given
he would not recall it. That was not
Deadwood Dick’s way. What he said,
that had to stand; and yet, as said, he
had to laugh.
“As if you are not as good as in prison
already,” he said. ‘Still, I have given
my word, and I'll stick to it. Pace off
‘the required number of steps backward,
then draw your guns, and at the word
from me open fire, and do your best to
dispose of me. If you miss the first shot
I warn you that you are not likely to get
a second.”
“But, the money?”
“Take it with you; I can pick it up
after I have dropped you. If I happen to
be the one to go down, you will not have
to stop.”
“No, no, we must not risk that, Dead-
wood Dick. Recall what I said a moment
ago. If you are going to give me a show
‘at all, let it be a fair one all around.”
“Then you are determined to cache
it?”
- “T want to.”
“That will mean a delay while you
draw ‘two maps of the spot where it is
cached, one for me and the other for you.
If we both go down, others can then find
and profit by it.”
“Yes, I'll do that. I can’t expect to
have it all my own way.”
“Allright. First of all, turn your back
‘to me and remove your weapons, and lay
them on the ground.”
“What for?” .
“ Because I will not risk a snap shot
from you ‘when you might possibly get a
chance to fire it.”
“Well, I can’t kick. You are the fid-
dler, just now, and I have got to dance
to your tune. If the tables turn again,
however, you will dance to mine, I warn
ou.” .
“Should the tables turn, you will have
a chance to deal as honorably with me as
I have done with you.” \
“And V'll do it, too.”
The outlaw turned the other way,
‘Dick’s precaution against a snap shot,
while he was removing his weapons, and
in a moment was disarmed. His riflé, a
‘brace of revolvers, and a knife lay on
the ground.
“These things are not to be left here,”
he said. .
“Certainly not,” answered Dick; “I
will bring them along with me. Go ahead,
now, to ‘the place where you want to hide
the money.” .
“ All right, follow me. I will take you
to a place that is known only to myself.”
He started off.
Dick, having gathered up the weapons,
followed. 5
He held his man under cover, and it
would have been impossible for him to
escape.
Straight up into the mountain fastness,
for a mile, the outlaw led the way, and
they left no tra{l] that could possibly shave
been followed save possibly by a blood-
jhound.
If it has seemed that Deadwood Dick
was acting unwisely, and was assuming
tco great risks, it was not altogether
Deadwood Dick, Jr., Branded.
without some compensating objects in
view. He wanted to learn some of the
secrets of this Red Rover ‘who had be-
come a terror in the State.
Finally, on a plateau on the very.sum-
mit of a low peak, Captain Joaquin
stopped.
“Here we are,” he said.
It was a scene of wildest grandeur.
On every hand ‘higher peaks rose and
overshadowed the one on which they
stood,”
There was but one approach to the pla-
teau, the way they had come. Every
other side presented a sheer descent
that could not be scaled.
Just back from the place where ‘they
had stepped up onto the rock table was
a depression in which lay a boulder that
was seemingly loose and possibly mova-
ble.
“And your cache is under that bould-
er?” asked Dick.
“Yes, there. You were quick to guess
it— But, then, there is no other place
possible.” : \
“Hence it was not a guess, but a con-
clusion. Well, deposit your plunder and
let us settle our business.”
“Yes, in short order.”
The outlaw chieftain put his shoulder
to the boulder, at a certain point, and
began surging his weight against it, and
presently it moved.
He increased the force, it moved more
and a little more, till presently it rolled
over to another point of support, reveal-
ing a hole in the table under where it
‘had rested,
“Here we are,” he said.
“Any treasure there now?”
Dick, .
‘“No, not a bit; look and see for your-
self.”
“Tt does not matter.”
“All right.” :
Captain Joaquin took the bag from his
shoulder and tossed it into the -cavity,
strap and all, and going around to the
other side of the boulder, turned it back
into place. .
“Now for the key-maps to the hiding-
place,” said Dick,
“That is going to a good deal of
trouble.” .
. “All on your account.”
The outlaw smiled, and took paper and
pencil from his pocket. :
Spreading the paper upon the side of
the boulder where a flat surface was pre-
sented, ‘he began to sketch a map.
It took him several minutes, and when
it was done he proceeded to make a du-
Plicate of it. Both done, he held them up
for Deadwood Dick’s inspection.
“There you are,” he said. “You can
see for yourself that I have made them
correct. Here is the main trail, this is
the way we came, and here is the little
peak on which we are standing. Here I
have made an index, and under it writ-
ten—Turn the boulder.” a
“That is good enough,” ‘said Dick;
“but just write—Here treasure is hid-
den.” ,
“ All right, as you desire.”
The words were written, and one of the
maps was handed to Dick.
Dick put it into hig pocket, Captain
Joaquin doing the same with ‘his copy,
and they were ready. .
““Now for business,”
Rover, .
“Yes, now to oblige you,” sald Dick.
“Where is the fight to take place?”
“Just down there where the straight
stretch of guich lies, where we can have
a clear and fair range, with nothing in
the way.” .
.
asked
said the Red
“T prefer to go out to the gulch from
which this one branches,” said. Dick. “I
take it that one is traveled, while this
one is seldom entered save by you your-
self.”
“What's your reason for that?”
“We want our bodies to be found, if
we both get hit hard:” mo
“Well, I won’t quarrel with your plan.
Come on and let’s have it over and done
with.” : Co
Captain Joaquin led the way down
from the little peak, Dick following close
behind him, and‘through the first gulch
mentioned out to the one Dick had pre-
ferred. : : .
“This will do,” said Dick. “I do not
want to have too far to walk back to get
the treasure. Here are your weapons,”
laying them on the ground as he spoke;
“take them and back off the required
distance, and we will begin to perforate
each other. The man who strikes the
ticker first, wins. Remember what I told
you about the first shot.”
“Tl try to make it unnecessary to fire
more than one,” said the outlaw, with a
sardonic smile, as he picked up his
weapons,
CHAPTER VII.
THE SECRET SHOT.
Deadwood Dick smiled too, in a grim
fashion. :
While fate might be against him, yet it
was his intention to shoot Captain: Joa-
quin so dead that he ‘vould never kick.
again, .
It was a tryjng moment for both men.
With Dick it was like bantering Provi-
dence, while with the Red Rover it was
a last desperate chance, like one in a
thousand, With both it was a moment to
test their nerves,
That neither was a
. .
coward needs no
attesting. :
Captain Joaquin measured off twenty ~
paces, walking with his back to Dick
and trusting him fully.
Perhaps he felt that the could trust to
the honor of a man who would thus give
him a chance for his life after having
caught him and made him prisoner,
Not only was Dick doing that, but he
Was running the risk of his own life by
50 doing. He was making it an even toss.
between right and ‘wrong, between law
and outlaw, between justice and iniquity-.
Captain Joaquin stopped ‘and faced.
around, .
“Are you ready?” he coolly asked.
“One moment,” said Dick.
“What is it?”
“T do not want to take any advantage
of- you, nor do I mean to allow you to
pene any advantage of me if I can help
““ That is right.”
“We must have a signal to fire by;
and it must be one that neither of us
can mistake.”
b ‘ou agree with you there. What shall it.
e?”
“If we ‘had some one here to count:
three for us, that would do, but seeing
that we thave not, we cannot do it for
ourselves.”
“Why not?” :
“The one who counted would have just ~
the shade of an advantage over the
other.” ,
“He should not take it.”
“If he hesitated, the other fellow
would have it.”
“T don’t understand.”
“If I count, I can say three and shoot
at the same moment, while it would take
a fraction of a second for you to hear
and shoot.”