Show L e E By Hush Hugh Pen dexter r Copyright by The Bobbe M Bobbs-M Merrill Dobbs Co j tee fla PYRITES SYNOPSIS In In the late lata sumi sum sum- summer j i mer mel Qt of 1876 Peter Dinsdale on his way to the tho Black hills to Join the throng of gold seekers gold makes maltos the tho acquaintance of ot the j 6 keeper G of a Deadwood gambling house San Juan Joe who Is returning ro- ro turning to Deadwood On their way through Rod canyon Dinsdale Dinsdale Dinsdale Dins- Dins dale and Joe meet a a. young woman running from a party of Indians Dinsdale takes her onI on I his horse and the two men ride through her pursuers killing several The girl Is Is' Is Lottie CarlI Carl I and she has no relatives Near i Deadwood they overtake a prospector prospector pros pros- I whom Joe halls as old Iron Pyrites At Deadwood i City San Juan Joe popular In the community Is given an enthusiastic astle welcome which Is extended to Dinsdale Dinsdale tells Joo Joe 3 of ot the robbery of ot a Union Pacific I r. r train at and the gambler informs the crowd Joe takes and Lottie to to the house of ot a a. woman of ot tho the town Kitty the Schemer Joes Joe's mistress where the gambler had intended to install Lottie refuses re refuses re- re fuses to allow It it taking Lottie to a house where she will be safeguarded Dinsdale saves an apparently half witted half witted individual known as Scissors from mistreatment mistreatment mistreatment mis mis- treatment at the hands of of ot a badman bad badman badman man Bandy Allen who VS VO vows vengeance on Dinsdale Scissors Scissors' nickname Is derived from his ability to cut with paper and scissors remarkable likenesses likenesses' of ot persons or ot anything that strikes his fancy tancy Dinsdale takes to him Iron Pyrites arrives in town San Juan Joe hints to DInsdale that the town is sizing him up as a road agent or train train- robber and advises him to go With Pyrites on a prospecting trip He also hints of ot coming profitable work in which he he- hen can n interest Dinsdale At a midnight meeting of ot road-agents road plans are arc made to rob one of ot the treasure- treasure coaches conches Dinsdale acquires a ac c reputation as a reckless reckless' spender and an expert gunman San Juan Joe believing Dinsdale to be a train robber warns him of ot the coming of oC Jim Omaha Omah Union Pacific detective and again ads advises advises ad ad- s vises him to take a prospecting trip Strip with Pyrites Dinsdale appears ap- ap appears ap pears reluctant Dinsdale kills Allen He then takes taken to the hills with Pyrites CHAPTER CHAPTER VI VII VIs I s 6 6 I Pyrites was g garrulously 3 grateful grateful- t to o Dinsdale for pro I providing l g the he stake and for two days of their theIl hurried journey toward tl the i divide between Rapid and Spring creeks he wearied his silent companion with his voluble thanks After passing through the the three thre e miles mUes of the Elks Elk's narrow and twisted t t cnn canyon on they emerged from the slates to strike e southwest to the Box Elder flowing over oyer bare b bed bee bee- d rock 4 They Tiley followed th the Box Boa Elder t to wh where re it he headed ded at t the tho a base Dase of Custers Custer's peak penk Near sun sundown own Pyrites beg began n unpacking unpacking unpack unpack- tt ing the burros and called after Dinsdale pins Dins dale Dont you know Its It's almost night Well We'll camp here ahead reined tin In In an mid and d stared stured at the sunset lights streaming g across across the heavens Dismounting h he e slowly led his horse hors back to the camp camp- campIng Ing place and removed remo the saddle an and placed D laced it In the small t te t P Pyrites wa was s deftly setting upI up I 1 feel sort of blue partner Su Sup Suppose pose you ou do the squaw work while I l wander around a bit he s suggested Im afraid Im I'm a poor poor tr traveling l com corn panion Youre all right I I 1 heartily assure assured d Pyrites Walk the bile out of your You r s system stem Better make It a short tripas trip r I as as' it'll he be darker n the Inside of a burro pretty soon Ill Til find my way way ay back never fear el r said Bald D Dinsdale And taking his rifle he struck off orr to the foot of the peak In the south south the country was mu much h more mor bro broken and was thickly set with serrated peaks p aks and had bulky Harne Harneys Harney's s peak for background a It Impressed Dinsdale DInsdale Dinsdale Dins- Dins dale as bean being de desolate and f foi forbidding bidding Originally the country had been heavily timbered but now there were large areas of dead pines and th their lr scraggly tops were unlovely and suggested sug sub Ig sted a n land that had been dead deadman man many ages I 1 pin Dinsdale dale stared gloomily at the melancholy mel met vista for some minutes then breasted the flank of ot the mountain and rapidly b began gan climbing it It With tireless energy he worked his way up the slope until a more moie gracious prospect prospect prospect pros pros- of ot rolling hills witla a scattering of at small peaks came into view Sun on the heights and darkness In the gorges and he suddenly realized It was time for tor him to be c making camp Wh When n he wearily broke through Into t the e firelight he found Pyrites asleep In n t the l tent Bacon ar and ard beans were Ion a a flat flut rock by the ore fire and the coffee riot fre freshly stocked Y was r ready adr to be be he boiled boned Pyrites awoke anI and Jul from irom the tent and apologized Tried to k keep p things hot f for r you 0 1 I Must have dropped off oft You sit down land and nd get your our boots off orr and wash your set and Ill I'll have the coffee corree hot in a minute nute I Tile The night is Just beginning back Jin n Deadwood mused j as h he e pulled idled off ort his boots boots' and stuck his feet fee Unto Into a n tiny Uny streamlet Up Up here it Its It's s tIme folks were abed Bet net they're having a hot talk tatk abou about t randy Bandy andY Allen about this time Their talk wont won't bother e either ther Allen Al Al- len in a or me 1 Neither etther ot of us can hear bear it lt 0 1 Judas 1 But youre you're a cool one I 1 That Allen llen was wa never any noy account I had no wish to kill Idu the fool tool even e evento evento to hurt him morosely replied replied Dins Dins- dale lie He came at me shooting shotgun shotgun shotgun shot shot- gun and two flea hand hand Funny too Where did h he get t his ne nerve e He lie wasn't drunk Just dust a cold killer Allday All Allday day men had b been en warning me against him I 1 thought It wa wafe wait a Joke their way of having fun with me And AntI If It he didn't try t to get me net I Must a been drunk insisted Pyrites Pyrites Py Py- rites as he dished out some som beans and ba bacon on and poured a dipper of strong coffee After Atter the way you OU cuffed Fr French Curlys Curly's gun around any man a might a known you ou was poor medi merit medIcine medicine cine tine to td go against Ills mind may have been drunk but his nerves were steady sighed lie lIe shot mi mighty straight and nifty nifty No No No In killing him ilm Felt FeIt all nII th the time tiffs as If f he was was' going through h with something he sImply simply sim sIm- ply had to do P Pyrites lowered the coffee pot slowly slow slow- ly y p and stared In amazement at his c companion Partner he solicitously Inquired you you ou feel teel all right laughed and dried his feet ow Ont the short grass t Top high Pyrites tes l I My conscience doesn't trouble me me mea a a bit Bandy d Alen Allen Alen Al- Al l len en was was' a bad one Better off dead If f he lie had been an an Injun Id I'd say hed he'd made a vow VO vow to his medicine and ana had hado to o tackle me Being low-down low scum I cant can't get rid of the the- fe feeling he was d doing Il som something he w wouldn't have t ried trIed unless he be felt obliged ob tc to try tt It H. P Pyrites stared at t him sympathetically sympathEtIcally cally ally and declared Your talk doesn't assay out even Ehen one teeny teens y col color r. r Not even a tr trace I Of course its it's Hs barely possible French Frencl C Curly and sOme some of his p pals s might have havet It t against you for what happened In Keno Teno Franks Frank's s 's place yet it dont don't have havethe havethe the he right indications Those fellers would want you to to live till they they could could get bet you Jou down at a table again you'd Curly Gurl u ly r J Never thought of hIm ex- ex Dinsdale le Well 1 ell Im I'm through mulling it Ito o over er From n now now w Im I'm go going ng to be a wolf at prospecting T th the kind hind of talk that makes pie good od approved Pyrites Now you pitch Into that grub have a short moke and turn turn in n. n And rid dont don't t. t let Bandy Jandy Allen bother your dreams any San Juan has stopped all talk against you ou b by t frs s time Aint no doubt in III my mind but what Bandy Dandy was one of the b hoss loss oss tI thieves i ves pat that have been bee doing as a's as regular a n business in these hills as ashe the he miners l have ave I lie He crawled Into the tent tern to escape he tile heavy dews and rolled In his blan- blan bets Dinsdale smoked a pipe and then hen followed his ills friends friend's example The thunder birds were flapping their heir wings and sari the hills were filled with deep rumblings Pyrites crawl crawl- Ing ng from his blankets to prE pare prepare the fife breakfast studied the thc heavens for a minute and then went about his its work Well Velt r run run n into to It tt if we break c camp dubiously remarked from fiora the tile tent ent Its lambasting sin out of the pines down d own there thele grunted Pyrites Jt Its s southeast We wont won't get any u fJ t f It Well We'll eat and poke pole along rrt Inhale took the fife hint and turned out S 'S o breakfast breakfast- fast was as soon eaten and the file tU Liim 3 1 a r I. I Dinsdale went ahead usually In Insight Insight sight of his companion every evely few ruin rain f I f 9 L vI a C I About Four or Five Colors utes as he surmounted a ridge For two miles mUes he rode and then the reined Inh In h a stared glared thoughtfully at something ahead Swinging his head about to Scan the cover tr suspiciously he would have been thrown Into IntI wu something of at a panic had he not remembered the Indians Indians' In In- titans titans' fear of thunder Sturm storms SUpping Slip SUp ping to the ground and shifting his rifle to his left hand while he drew a hand gun he approached the bc object which had caused him to dismount rt It was a long feathered arrow with I lightning marks or grooves on the l short shaft shutt characterizing It aa az be be- I longIng to a Sioux quiver The head bead was triangular In shape made for forwar war warThe The shaft was of tough and flexible so as not to break did the thc quarry whether man or buffalo but but- falo fall upon It Dinsdale waited until Pyrites came up The prospector examined th the arrow arrow ar Rr row and muttered See how that heads head's fixed on sort of wobbly y Once Its It's stuck Into a man It cant can't be pulled out Well hell he'll lie low for a spell along of Mr Lightning Only one of at him or they'd laid for us with their guns Acting on P Pyrites Pyrites' s' s advice Dinsdale continued afoot r walking beside his horse his revolver ready to resent an ambush A few miles mIles' brought them to the Rapid which they crossed Just below the forks Pyrites Pyrites' lust for testing test test- ing the gravel could not be denied longer and arid as their next march would take them up on to the thc divide du u east DInsdale was willing t to call It a days day's travel They unpacked d the b burros and pitched their tent and Pyrites fished out his pan about a foot and a a half halfIn In diameter and shoveled some thirty pounds of dirt into It and hur hurried Jed to to the rivulet Dinsdale stood and watched him P Pyrites exclaimed something some some- something thing under his breath H How w does It pan pan out aSI asked ed Dinsdale Dinsdale Dins- Dins dale with a t flicker of f Interest About t four four fou r or five colors s. s that In money P Pyrites scratching his l head ead 7 r unwillingly Indy a admitted About a fifth of a cent t Great Scott I If It that's prospecting Im I'm through Wh Why it costs me fifteen cents to to- fil fire one of of my guns once 1 cried crie D Dinsdale ns al In n h high gh dI disgust gust Pyrites instantly regained his op op- m. m The value of that pan s simply proves theres there's gold everywhere every r In Iii tl these se seI I hill hills This aint where we was was' aiming nun aim lag ing for anyway I want to worl work close to o the divide and locate a. a vein a-vein vein elp That will be more like it mumbled Dinsdale lc I wont won't bother to get my pan working till we strike something more promising Ea Eating fin an an early supper the burros burros' were were loaded and the two struck to the southeast for fora a mile and then turned east in into o a dry water course and began mount mounting ng the divide In all nIl the they did not more than two miles before the slanting sun Ia rays s 's warned them it was time to make camp camp left this matter matter entirely en entirely en- en n- n to Pyrites l and the location selected selected se se- was close dose b by a n spring n near f a agrow growth grow th of stunted burr oak 4 As P Pyrites Py Py- rites pitched l the t tnt nt he commenter Were below Elk buttes and about t ten n miles males east of or prairie Id I'd- Id I'd like like to go over over there and p put t in n a few days ays Im more Interested in the the divide ahead than In any grass prairie said DInsdale Oh well we'll look over yer the divide first now were we're within pistol shot of it it Any danger from horse thieves Hoss floss thieves Good land I What made you think of at hoss boss thieves es Lets Let's' not nob not have haye any ny outlaw w talk Were We're hone hon est prospectors ors We dont don't want any truck with unlawful men men right heartily agreed Dins Dins- dale date All I ask Is not to be disturbed disturbed disturbed dis dis- In my hunting gold The next morning they breathed a white mist when they crawled Cr from m the the tent Dinsdale was wn-s for an Immediate departure for a higher level P Pyrites Pyrites' Insisted d on brEal breakfast tast and something of at an examination of th the g gully gritty l the they ha had been following Just as you ou say Youre You're the boss bOSS surrendered DInsdale But Ive I've got the gold fever and after weve we've h had d coffee cof cor coffee f fee e Im I'm going to take my pan and strike out up tip the ridge g get t lost sure as apples remonstrated re remonstrated re- re P Pyrites rItes You don dont don't t know the these c hills with their gorges mid and broken tops I know hills much wor worse e than the these Baked Bake masses of ot dr dry cinders with ii no no I running funning water Uter to tell you the sup lay of the land This country Is simple Man cant can't get set lost Dont Don't be he afraid Have c It so Hope you jou ou strike a at bushel of ot nuggets Ill I'll stick sUck along ulong here You'll be back by noon Have dinner ready reay and eat If It if ItI I Iv doht dont show up l' l I may strike something big and forget Im I'm hungry A A short distance above his companion ri I Dinsdale halted and dug down a foot and carefully examined the dirt Without Without Without With With- out water h he lie could not not determine what he had hind uncovered but by rolling rOIling sors SOR of the his dirt dirt between his fingers he was rewarded with a small scale of or coarse gold gold He stuck a branch In tit Inthe the dirt to attract Pyrites' Pyrites attention attention- atten and mounted higher Digging out samples at short Intervals Inter Intervals Inter Intervals vals and finding specks of gold In each ench he used up much of the morning Pyrites Pyrites' Py Py- rites |