The Deadwood Dick Library: Denver Doll's Device — page 20: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

SE ra 2 . Denver Doll's Device. So Miller turned away toward the route to | ’m going right away to Shining Bar to starta the mountain rendezrous, aud after Wedune till she was convinced that he was gone, Dol took her way back to the boarding-house, well satisfied as to the results of .her evening’s ad- venture, Let us devote afew minutes to looking after the man of reportorial proclivities—Charles Pygmalion Jones, whom we left tumbling down the sbaft-way of an unworked mine. So rapid was his descent that be had no time to think of anything, the suction of air nearly taking his breath away. After a fall of some ‘fifty feet he landed, but luckily in a pool of water some three feet deep, which broke the force of bis fall, Hespluttered for some seconds, ere he could get his breatb. © Groping about, he soon came in contact with the rocky wall. Havinga metal box of matches he speedily succeeded in striking one of the aa and, aided by the light, peered around m. i From the bottom of the sbaft a passage branched off. The bottom was rough and cov- ered with water. Looking above him, poor Jones saw « black, uninviting hole, through which he had fallen. He could not get out of bis dilemma in that di- rection, so nothing remained for him but to ex- ' plore the passage. Possibly there might be an opening somewhere else, He started off, keeping one~of the passage walls for guidance, < At tbe end of an hour be found himsef out of the water, and lit another match to ascertain what was the cause. He discovered that the passage now had the shape of a tunnel, and as- eended gradually in its course. This satisfied bim that he was in what is known in mining arlance asa ' drift,” and that by following it e would’ eventually come into the outside " world. So he hurried on with renewed courage, and it was not long ere he gained the mouth of the drift, Here his surprise increased. . He had expected to find himself stil] in Shin- ing Bar, and wasnot. The mouth of the drift was in a tangled thicket, half a mile, nearly, up the gulch, from the outskirts of the town. The drift had been thus made to follow a vein of ore, which had given out directly in under the Monaco, from whence a shaft had been sunk. Jones was a stranger to the surroundings of Shining Bar, and he was so turned around that for the life of him he could not tell which course he should take to reach the town. : _ After much deliberation, he settled upon his route and started off in an opposite direction from Shining Bar and for a gond bour tramped on, and would undoubtedly still have kept go- ing had not two masked men stenped svddenly from the chaparral into his-path, a pair of — -coeked revolvers in hand, a oe “ Halt!” one of them said sternly. are von, and where are you goin’?” ‘Who Tam Charles Pygmalion Jones, reporter for the Cavortin’ Cyclone of Chevenne, so don't rob me, for Henvew’s sake, as I haven't a copper, | newspaper, and if you will tell me your names I will give you an immense puff—charge you nothing at all” ‘*Waall my name is Pilgarlic Pete, an’ this is Amazon Alf, but ye belter come along ter head- quarters, an’ see ther captin furst. Come! walk a chalk line now, or 11 puta buzzer in your pate!” “Hor Heaven’s sake, where are you going to take me? Iam Charles Pygmalion Jones,” “Don’t make no difference. You'se goin’ ter see McParland, the road-agent, now.” CHAPTER VIII. A QUEER WOOING—DENVER DOLLS LITTLE GAME, ~ Tas morning following Denver Doll’s visit to the council-room of the conspirators, Yankee felt decidedly more like himself than he had since be had been wounded. and was up and.out for a stroll by the time the sun began to gild the tree-tops of the mountain, He wandered ,out upon the Bar to the point where the river swept around it, and there en- countered, much to his surprise, Miss Isabel Verner. She was seated upon a rock, gazing out upon the water, and a large bowlder being behind ber, Yankee did not see her until he was almost be ide her. Not seeming surprised, it was evident that she had seen him coming, “ @ood-morning, Mr. Bisler,” she said, with a “Tam delighted to see you.” pleasant smile, “'Gcod-morning,” Yaukee answered coolly. *T was not aware that any one was here.” “T presume not. The bowlder hid me, How are you feeling?” “Very mich improved, The shot came near doing for me.” “Tt was such a shocking thing for any one to do, LIcan’t imagine who could tac been mean enough to fire the shot. Papa feels badly over it, too, I assure you.” ‘Over the pepper and salt bath, more likely,” Yankee responded, dryly. : “Hal ba! I wasreally amused at his plight, particularly as we haven't been on very good terms lately. “You see, he wants me to marry 4 man J despise, and J will never marry any one, unless itis the man of my choice, I hear that poor Dora is really dead, Charley.” “ Did you? 1 was not aware that there is conclusive proof of it yet.” “Bot Iunderstand from papa that she and your cbild really perished in the mountains, You did so wrong in leaving your home—Dcra was such an admirable little wife, I should think you, would get lonely without a wife, Charley.” “Witbout my own wifelam. Iwould give an erm if it would bring her back to me.” “But von will marry reain?” 4 “Possibly, if 1 can find. some one just like Dore.” : “But it would not bea hard matter to finda loviny beart, mavhe, to fill ber place.” “You are speaking one word for yeurself and two for me, or vice versa—which?’ Yankee demanded, “Isabel, I have no desire to hurt treacherous