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8 re Deadwood Dick, Jr., Branded.
them upon Dick’s wrists. Resistance
would have been useless, so Dick sub-
mitted.
“You have got me safe enough this
time,” Dick observed.
“Yes, I ‘guess I have,” was the re-
“And I intend to keep you so,
“JT do not blame you; I give you fair
warning that if I escape it will be to
open the warfare without quarter given
or asked,” .
“Tam well aware of that.”
“Dealing more than fairly with you
before, I am fair with you still, even
with, the tide against me, so you may
know what to expect.”
“You are a brave man, Deadwood Dick,
no gainsaying that. What you have just
said would be sufficient warrant for me
to put you to the death at once, for my
own protection.”
“You have it in your power to do that,
‘but you are honor bound to give me a
chance for my life.”
“‘Shall we carry out our duel?”
“Tam not your match in condition,
after this wound.”
“Well, you may be in a day or two.
Tie up his head for him, Susana, and
we'll go home.”
The young woman tore a handkerchief
and made a temporary bandage, which
she wound around Dick’s head, covering
the wound, and secured with pins.
“There, that will do until we get to
_the cabin,” she said. “ When we get there
- I will tie it up better and make it more
comfortable for you. While we are foes,
yet I can do that for you in mercy.”
“You have not told me who shot me,”
said Dick.
: ‘The young woman flushed.
“Nor do we intend to,” said Captain Joa-
quin, ‘ Be satisfied that you are alive,
and ask no questions.”
“Tam satisfied that my first guess was
correct,” said Dick. ‘‘ What that guess
was, you no doubt rightly conjecture, so
we will say no more about it. I am, as
you said, glad I’m alive.”
“Shall we go to the house?’”’ asked
the young woman,
“T suppose we'll have to, with ,this
prisoner on our hands, though I ought to
return and look after that boodle—”
“Ah! I had forgotten that.”
“Still, it is safely cached, and is safer,
perhaps, than it would be at the cabin.
Come, we'll go to the cabin.”
“No one saw you cache it?” asked
Susana,
“No one but this fellow.”
“ And you have got him secure enough.
Better leave it where it is.”
Captain Joaquin still had his revolver
in hand, and having slung his rifle across
his back he ordered Deadwood Dick to
precede him along the gulch bottom,
Half an hour’s walk and several turn-
ings brought them at last into a glade
where a cabin stood under the shade of
some trees.
It was like an oasis in the rocky wilds.
A fertile little pocket in the midst of-
wildest surroundings, it was an ideal
spot for such a retreat as Captain Joa-
quin required when too hotly pressed by
the officers'of the law.
’ Deadwood Dick had at last the secret
of his rendezvous.
‘ But at what a cost? He fully believed
that it was the intention of the Red
Rover that he should never leave the
place alive.
At the same time Dick was determined
that he would make his escape if given
half an opportunity, and that he would
_evontually bring the infamous outlaw to
* Justice,
The young woman opened the door of
the cabin, and the outlaw ordered Dick
to enter, which he did. He had no choice
_but to obey, for the present, though he
had yet another card in reserve for future
use as soon as the time was ripe for it.
Just what that card was will presently
be shown.
CHAPTER IX.
A CHANCE FOR HIS LIFE.
: The interior of the cabin was home-
ike,
It showed evidences of a woman’s care,
and it was a most inviting retreat. .
Having several apartments, it was
more than a cabin in the generally ac-
cepted sense of the word, yet in outward
appearance it was a cabin nevertheless,
being of logs.
Well furnished, it displayed an abund-
ance of fancy articles that spoke mutely
of raids on the road and in towns to the
north and south. There were books,
pictures, and musical instruments, proof
that this notorious road-agent had re-
finement of taste.
“Now, what are we going to do with
him?” demanded Captain Joaquin.
“Tll try to make myself as little
trouble to you as’ possible,” said Dick.
“Put me anywhere that is convenient.”
“How will this room do?” asked the
young woman, opening a door near at
hand.
“Anywhere,” said Dick.
- “T was not speaking to you, sir,” she
snapped.
“Your pardon,” said Dick, promptly.
“T suppose that will answer,” growled
the Red Rover. “He cannot possibly
get out of there handcuffed, that is cer-'
tain. In with you.”
“Pray put yourselves to as little
trouble. as possible on my account,”
Dick politely requested as he stepped
into the room. ‘When you are at
leisure, Captain Joaquin, let me have an
interview.”
“To what purpose?” was demanded.
“ You will, in justice, give me a chance
for my life, of course. »
“ We will talk about that when I get
ready,” was the snarl. “For the pres-
ent you remain here.”
He closed the door with that, and
Dick heard him secure it on the other
side. The prince of detectives knew that
he could look for little mercy at the
hands of the Red Rover.
The room into which Dick had been
thrust was light. There was one win-
dow, rather small and through which it
would be impossible for the prisoner to
climb with his hands secured as they
were. It gave him a view of the side
of the pocket opposite to the entrance.
There was a bed, a couple of chairs,
and a stand, in the way. of furniture,
Dick threw himself on the bed, for his
head was beating and throbbing as if
ready to split, and his wound was very
painful, though slight.
He could hear Captain Joaquin and
the woman talking in the main room of
the cabin, but could not make out what
they were saying. He heard also other
voices from another direction. _
These were the voices of two ser-
vants, a negress and a Mexican half-
breed woman. :
After a time the door opened and the
negress came in.
She was rather old,
“Whur ’m dat dar so’ head ob you Ss?”
she demanded in thick fashion. “I's
gwine to dress hit fo’ yo’.”
“IT guess you will find it on my should-
ers yet, ‘auntie,’ said Dick. “It was
-tone.
there the last I knew anything about it,
anyhow. I hope you can ease the pain.”
“Golly! I reckon I kin do dat dar,
child. Yo’ roll ober heah and let old
Sal git a squint at it, and see ef I don’t
make it feel better. Golly! you did git
a nasty: one,-shua ‘nuff. One hair mo’
to de norf-east, and yo’ was a goner,
shual”
Dick had to smile at her quaint ex-
pressions. He had been in a light
sleep, and felt better. ° $
She had removed the bandage the
young woman had put on.
Having brought with her a basin of
water, she bathed the wound, and that
done, dressed it afresh | with some kind
of pounded leaves.
“Have you any idea what is going to
be done with me?” Dick inquired, while
she was at work. ,
“Not a bit ob one,
swered,
“ How many are there in the house?”
he asked, /
“Only de captain and de missus, and
us two old wimmin and yo’se’f,”
“And when does the captain expect.
the others to come in? His men come
here, I st Dose.’
. “Some ‘Ob ’em does, but not many.
Some be heah to-night, I ’pine.”
“And some others will never come,”
said Dick.
“Dar, dar yo’ am,” the: old negress
said with something of pride in- her
“Yo’ jis’ leab dat on dar an
hour, and yo’ won’t know yo'se'f, shua,
No pain kii. stay whur dat am.’
‘I hope you are right, auntie, The
kindest old lady I ever knew looked
just like you. I hope you are right, and
that you won’t forget that I am here
when the grub is passed around. I am
a trifle. hungry, and a drink of. cold
water would go particularly good just
now.”
“Yo’ shall hab it, child, yo’ jis? bet!”
sah,” she an-
She gathered up her basin and things -
and waddled out, for she was very fat,
and in a few minutes returned with a
pitcher of sparkling water.
A draught of that made Dick feel bet-
ter immediately, and he thanked the
woman in a way calculated to create a
friendly feeling toward himself. He
might need her service in some other
direction.
In a little while Captain Joaquin en-
tered.
Dick was feeling much better, and was
sitting up when the outlaw made his ap-
pearance,
“Well, I have come to have that talk
with you,” he announced.
“ Glad ‘of it,” said Dick,
some,”
“T have thought of a plan, and I am
going to give you a chance for your life
about as good as you gave me.” .
“Ah! that so?”
“You will admit that the chance you
gave me was not a great big one, I sup-
pose.”
“It was just an even thing whether
you killed me or I killed you, Captain
Joaquin, I am willing to take the same
chance again.”
“But Iam not. You have the reputa-
tion of being a dead-shot, Deadwood
Dick, and you certainly felt confident of
making cold meat of me when you of-
ns me that generous chance for my
fe "
“T certainly meant to, unless you per-
formed that office for me,”
admission.
“Well, I will give you just the same
kind of a show.”
“T am lone-
“J
was the cool