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14
Deadwood Dick, Jr., Branded.
the funds to ’Frisco, but Captain Joaquin
got wind of it and held up the train and
scooped the pile.‘ Not only that, but it
- is believed that he murdered a detective
about the same time.”
“A detective?”
“ Yes; a chap they called Deadwood
. Dick.
\ The man’s face had grown paler, and
he was eyeing the caller sharply.
“Well, all that is nothing to me,” he
declared. “I will go with you to-morrow
morning, start at eight o’clock.”
“And then I’ll show you the richest
thing you ever saw in your life, if Cap-
tain Joaquin don’t gobble it mean time
and get away with et— Why, what’s the
- Matter?”
The banker’s face was deathly.
- “Nothing,” he answered. “I am not
exactly well to-day. Come in the morn-
ing, and I will be prepared to go with
‘you. Then, when I have had the property
passed ‘upon by experts, your loan will
be advanced. You must excuse me, but I
am very busy to-day— Great heavens!”
CHAPTER XVI.
THE FIRST BLOW STRUCK.
The caller had suddenly torn the beard
from his face and flung it to the floor.
It. was the face of Deadwood Dick,
handsome, grim, and he looked the quail-
ing banker in the eyes as he stood be-
fore him.
“Do you know me, Joaquin Escala?”
he demanded.
““N—no, I do not know you. And you
call me by a name not my own. Leave
my Office.”
“You fail to recognize me, ‘Captain
Joaquin? Then I must show you a proof
of identity that you cannot fail to rec-
ognize. Behold!”
Deadwood Dick tore open his shirt and
-exposed the brand of a horseshoe.
There it was, never to be effaced, the
brand of a horseshoe that had seared
itself into the living flesh.
The man at the desk started to rise,
but could not do so; he was like one
partly paralyzed and partly bereft of
reason. He could only stare.
“Well, I see you recognize me now,’
said Dick.
' “JT deny it,’’ was the gasped response.
“You are a crazy man. You are a luna-
tic. Leave my office, or I will not be
-Tesponsible for your life—”’
“Hold! If you reach for a gun, or at-
tempt to call assistance, it will signal
your instant death, Red Rover. You and
I have a little account to settle and we
“must have a chat.”
“T tell you you are mistaken.”
“JT know that I am not. Let us not
dwell upon that, but come right to the
point. You cannot hope to make me
doubt what I know to be a fact. Now,
what vengeance do you suppose I will
take upon you for this?”
“T tell you you are making a mis—”
“TI made one mistake once with you,
but will not make another. You left me
for dead, but Providence was not done
_With me yet—nor with you.’
Perspiration was standing out upon the
man’s forehead.
“How can I convince you—”
“That you | are not Captain Joaquin?”
“Yes, yes.”
“ Bare your right ‘arm, and if it con-
tains no scar, around from the shoulder
‘and diagonally to the elbow, then you
are not Captain Joaquin.”
~ “Curse her! it was Susana told you
that! 7
“Now, perhaps we can come to busi-
ness. I will sit down, and you will ob-
serve silence and keep your hands in
plain sight on your desk.” ©
’ Dick ‘had a gun in hand, and was ready
to use it instantly.
““We must come to terms, ” said the
banker.
“And those terms will be mine,”, said
Dick.
“Name them, then.”
“Give me, in funds, the amount that
was taken from the express train that
day.”
“Good heavens! it is more than I have
got at my command on short notice like
this. I could not do it if my life depended
on it.”
“Your life does depend on it.”
“JT must have time.”
“You have just time to produce it, no
more.”
There was a steely glitter in Deadwood
Dick’s eyes.
This ex-outlaw quailed before him, and
Dick saw that he would yield to the de-
mand.
“‘T must speak to my cashier,’’ he said.
““Not necessary,” said Dick.
“Otherwise I cannot procure the
funds—”
“Tt will not go down, sir. I will step
with you into the other room, and there
you will open the safe and hand out the
amount.”
A look of relief came suddenly into
the entrapped outlaw’s eyes.
Deadwood Dick read his thought. A
smile curled his lips as he thought of the
further surprise in store for the rascal
if he acted’upon the idea that had come
into his mind.
“T will do that,” said the outlaw.
“Very well, get up and precede me.”
The man rose from his chair, taking
care not to let it appear that he had any
‘thought of reaching for a: weapon.
He believed—he knew that would sig-
nal his instant death, after the treacher-
ous manner in which he had dealt with
Deadwood Dick on the former occasion,
and he could not risk it.
Going to the door, he opened it, and
the instant it was opened he leaped out}
shouting:
“A robber! Shoot him!”
A woman was before him.
Strange men were in possession of the
bank. Each of them had a badge on his
breast,
Captain Joaquin looked around him in
dismay, and his face turned even more
deathly pale than ever, if possible.
The woman was Susana,
She.was pale, but her face was de-
termined.
With a quick movement the rascal
reached for a pistol, but Deadwood Dick
wag upon him instantly.
“No you don’t,” he cried. “ Whether
you meant to shoot her or yourself, is all
the same. Neither life can be spared
just yet. Johnson, disarm him.”
‘One of the deputies stepped forward
and did so.
The clerks in the bank looked on with
open-mouthed amazement. And as each
‘of them had a man over him with a gun,
they believed it to be a robbery.
As soon as relieved of his weapons,
the fellow was allowed to go, and Dick
again ordered him to produce the money
from the safe, or order his cashier to do
so in his stead.
He refused to obey.
“Then we must help ourselves,” said
Dick. “Bryce, you were express-agent
at that time, and know the sum that was
sent from the Castleville bank that day.
Take the same sum from this safe now.”
Another of the deputies stepped for-
ward and entered the safe for the pur-
pose.
He brought forth bundle after bundle
of the funds, until he had the required
amount in a pile on the nearest table.
“Ts that right?” asked Dick.
“Yes, according to the markings.”
“And that is no doubt correct. Pack
it up for transportation.”
This the man proceeded to do, with the
utmost care and security, and at last’ it
was done and they were ready to depart.
~ “Now, Mr. Brown,” said Deadwood
Dick, then, “ we Will take our leave. You
know the ‘justice of this visit, and why
we have withdrawn by force-a certain
deposit that wag in your hands.”
“Curse you!”
“We can go further, but the time is
not ripe. This is only the beginning of
your retribution.” —
“You are robbers! This is only a trick
to serve your purpose! I will have a
posse after you within ten minutes after
your departure!”
“Will you?”
“T swear it!”
“Then perhaps we had better end the
business now. Shall I arrest you, make
known your true name here, and let the
citizens of this camp deal with you ag
you deserve?”
“Go, and make the best of what you
have got. We will meet again some day,
and then—”
“And then,” said Dick, grimly.
He gave his men a signal and they left
the room, then Susana, and last of all,
Dick.
At the door he stopped fora last word
with the outlaw, upon whom.had fallen
the first blow of a just vengeance.
“This is but the beginning,” Dick said.
“You know what to expect at my hands,
I have drawn a cordon around you that
you cannot hope to escape, and it is only
a matter of time.”
“Ha! I know you now!” was the last
desperate ruse. ‘ You are Captain Joa-
quin, the outlaw!”
“‘ Perhaps I am,” said Dick.
He withdrew, and went down the
street. Susana was with him,
The others, somehow, had disappeared
already, and after these two turned a
corner, they, too, were seen no more.
It was as if the very earth had opened
and taken them in. .And when, a little
later, the hue and ery of a daylight rob-
bery was raised, not a vestige of the
robbers could be found.
CHAPTER XVII.
THE SECOND BLOW FALLS,
Powder Pocket was all excitement.
Banker Brown declared it was Captain
Joaquin who had made the raid.
Not that he knew that worthy by sight,
but so, he declared, the robber chief had
admitted in private.
The clerks could not dispute this, al-
though their impression had ,been that
the persons who made the raid were reg-
ular officers of the law, and their side of
the story got out.
This, the’bankér averred, had been but
a clever trick, in case of discovery by
citizens during the time they were in the
bank. It had been one of the most re
markable bank robberies on record. The
bank, however, could stand it, Mr. Brown
declared, and would not close its doors. _
. About a month prior to this time there
had come to Powder Pocket a man who
called himself Card-Sharp Cale.
Who he was, more,than that, no one
knew.