CHAPTER III.
CAPTAIN JOAQUIN'S CAPTURE.
"Deadwood Dick, Junior!"
The name was upon the lips of all the passengers, instantly.
They looked in Dick's direction, as he rose up as ordered, and the lookon their faces would be hard to describe.
"Here I am!" responded Dick, in his firm manner. "If these passengersare willing to let you take me, so be it; I shall not kick. Better thatI should surrender than that any one should get hurt, I suppose."
"Some one would get hurt if you didn't surrender, that is a certainty,"Captain Joaquin declared.
The passengers were pale, and no one offered to defend the gallantRichard of the Lion Heart.
"Well, here I am."
Dick was as cool as Captain Joaquin himself, and stood awaiting thepleasure of that notorious outlaw.
"Do you happen to have a pair of handcuffs with you?"
"Yes, a couple of pairs."
"One will answer the purpose. Let's have 'em, and one of my men willsee how they will fit you."
"Just a word first."
"What is it?"
"What do you intend doing with me?"
"That is something you will learn all in good time. Come! thehandcuffs!"
"If it is your intention to kill me, I may as well die right here asanywhere; if you intend to give me a chance for my life, all right."
"Don't shoot here!" called out a timid passenger.
"It would be a good thing to do a little of it for your especialbenefit," Dick declared ironically.
"No, don't resist, but go with 'em peaceably," the passenger urged. "Itis better that one should make a sacrifice than that all should come togrief," he argued.
Dick and Captain Joaquin laughed.
"I intend to give you a show," said the latter. "Come, there is no timeto fool away!"
Dick Bristol saw that there was only one chance for him. He knew thatto hesitate ten seconds would mean his death. He was in a death-trap,and the dead-fall was ready to be sprung at a touch.
"All right; here you are!" he said, lowering his left hand, andthrusting it into his jacket pocket, he produced the required article."Shall I put 'em on myself, or will you come and attend to that?"
"Put 'em on," said the captain. "I'll undertake to see that they aresecure after that."
"All right."
There was a click, and Deadwood Dick stood handcuffed.
If only that car had contained half a dozen such men as he often hadaround him as allies!
As it was there was not a saving hand--not a single spirit brave enoughto attempt his defense; and it was just as well, for had there been onesuch, he would have been unsupported; it would have been a needlesssacrifice of a brave man.
"Now, then, come this way!" Captain Joaquin ordered. "Have you got anybaggage aboard?"
"Not an ounce."
"All the better."
Dick advanced, as ordered, and way was made for him to pass out, theoutlaws still covering the passengers with their guns.
One of their number laid a hand on Dick as he passed, and went withhim, while the others backed away from the door, their revolvers stillto the front, and sprang to the ground.
Captain Joaquin sounded a whistle.
His men backed away from the train with him, their Winchesters andrevolvers ready for instant service.
When they had withdrawn to the distance of several yards, the captainshouted to the engineer to go ahead, but the conductor swung his armand countermanded the order.
He and the trainmen had been held up in a group by themselves while therobbers were doing their work.
"What's the matter with you?" cried the Red Rover.
That, by the way, was a name by which the outlaw was fully as wellknown as by his appellation of Captain Joaquin.
"That express-car is the matter," was the answer. "You can't expect meto risk the lives of my passengers by starting before I see whether itis fit to run or not."
"It will hang together until you get to the next station, if you arecareful, and that is all you want. Go ahead!" to the engineer. "If youdon't, we will riddle you with bullets and start your train ourselvesand run you straight to Satan!"
That settled it. The moment they turned their guns upon the engineer heblew the signal to go ahead, and pulled the throttle.
Finding that the express-car was on its trucks all right, and that itwould run, he pulled the throttle again, and there was nothing for theconductor and trainmen to do but jump aboard.
The band of outlaws gave them a parting cheer, swinging their hatsuntil the train rounded the next bend and passed out of sight.
The dead, we have forgotten to mention, had been thrown into theexpress-car.
The wounded outlaws were hurriedly cared for while the horses werebrought.
Scarce ten minutes had been occupied, all together, and in two or threeminutes after the departure of the train the robbers were wending theirway into the mountains.
It had been one of Captain Joaquin's most daring raids, and at the sametime one of his most successful; certainly it had brought him more thanhe had counted upon.
And, besides, Deadwood Dick--whom he had feared if he feared anyman--was his prisoner!
That was, after all, his biggest haul, and he breathed easier.
He had known for some time, or had, with good reason, believed thatthe prince of detectives was on his trail, and his vigilance thus hadbeen severely taxed. Now he had this terrible outlaw and crook-huntercorralled; that was glory enough for one year!
"Well, Deadwood Dick, I have got you at last," he remarked, as theyrode along.
"Yes, so it appears. You have been looking for me, then?"
"Well, we have been looking for you, yes."
"And what do you intend to do with me, now that you have got me? Onyour word that you would give me a fair show, I placed these handcuffson my wrists, as you see."
"Yes, and I have not tried them yet, as I promised to do, by the way.Here, Jim, just see if this fellow's irons are safe."
One of the men rode forward and tried them.
"He can't git out of them 'ar things, cap'n," he reported.
"All right. It seems you put them on to stay, Deadwood Dick. You havethe key to them, of course."
"In my vest pocket."
"All right. Just relieve him of it, Jim."
"You bet, boss! We don't want him springin' no tricks on us, hey?"
The outlaw thrust his fingers into Dick's pocket and brought forth asmall key, handing it to Captain Joaquin.
"Not much of a trick I could spring on you, my good fellow," observedDick. "If you tried it, you would find that you could not unlock thebracelets to save your life, even with the key in your fingers."
"Ther doose I couldn't!"
"Not if they were on your own wrists, no."
"All the same, I will retain the key," assured the Red Rover.
"And what kind of a fair show do you intend to give me?" again demandedthe prisoner.
"What kind of a show do you want?"
"Just a chance for my life, that is all."
"You picked off two or three of our men, though," one complained.
"And you killed about as many of ours, so that account ought to standsquared," argued Bristol.
"Well, call it square," rejoined Captain Joaquin. "I said I would giveyou a show, and I will. How would you like to become one of us?"
Deadwood Dick Jr. Branded; or, Red Rover at Powder Pocket. Page 3