Beadle's Dime Novels No. 316: Hurricane Bill — page 67: what you’re looking at

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

THE ROBBER STRONGHOLD. 71 The doubly laden mustang was dashing rapidly along a nar- row pass, dark, gloomy, oppressive, despite the bright sun that filled the heavens, It was only at broad noon-day that the golden rays ever lighted up the bottom of ‘the pass, and then only for a couple of hours. The pass was some forty feet wide; at the base, but fully two thirds of this space was occupied by bowlders, large and small, through or over which scarce a footman could have wound his way, unless af a snail’s pace. These bowlders had evidently fallen from the cliff above, at different times, and such was the quantily it seemed strange the pass was not en- tirely blocked up. So it would have been, but for the hand of man. This pass Jed to the strongbold of Black Garcia and his band of mountain outlaws. For fifty feet the sides of the pass rose without a iit save here and there a few rough projections or points by which a strong, active man might possibly reach the shelf above. This shelf or ledge was some three yards in width, and from below, appeared entirely choked up with fragments of rocks, Yet behind those, an army might have found cover; that is an army such as One expects in the desert. Above this ledge, at shorter intervals, were two more, presenting the same ap- pearance. In the bands of fifty stout-hearted, resolute men, this pass could be held against ten thousand enemies. Ten minutes carried Black Garcia and his captive through the pass, and he saw his men gathered around the mouth, armed to the teeth, though afoot. A peremptory gesture and sharp word checked the cheer they seemed on the point of giving, and then the outlaw chief quickly gave his commands. “Oroche, to you I leave the arrangements. Divide the men and station them on both sides of the pass. You need not go far down—there’s not much more than a dozen of them in all. But remember—not one must escape. Every | man must be killed or taken prisoner. Ifa single one: es- capes it will be to spread the story over the whole country, and then we would have to scatter and seek some other re- treat, if not disband for good. Go now—or stay,” he sudden- ly added, as though struck with a second thought. “You. six—” and he called the chosen men by nime, “ will station yourselves at the narrow pass beyond here. It is barely pos- 316 3 COnnicloookxs.conn