Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 1063 — page 15: what you’re looking at

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

= =) 9 ee 4 | na . . - b ? . + Te i o* { » } ~ ae J 7 "i eet red-skin relative of hers brought us to this cave, of which he alone held the secret, We think he is-dead now, for he has not been here for a lofig time,’ 6 The hand of Heaven must have protected ou! “That is true, young man, and that woman was Heaven’s instrument,” A little later, when the lovers were alone, Anice said; ‘Poor papa! His head is not right, and that woman exercises a strange influence over bim., He thinks her something more than buman. In order to keep the Indians away from this gorge, ‘ she has made them believe the place baunted. The wind never rises above a moan in the Gulch, but often both she and father have added their voices to the sounds, making the most hideous shrieks imaginable. That has had a great deal to do with making the placeseem so uncanny.” ** Well, I should say so!” exclaimed Bert, “The woman is the foe of the man known as Wild Bill, but I know not why. She wished to make him bslieve he was haunted, and father compelled me to aid her. One night Bill came down into the Gulch, and [ appeared before him as a spirit, all dressed in white, When he start- ed toward me, I retreated into the darkness and covered myself with a black garment. Then I burried to the cave by way of the door by which you entered.” ‘This explanation clears up the mystery of Moaning Gulch.” ‘Yes; you know the secret now.” ** Did you ever add your cries to the shrieking of the wind?” ** A few times,” ‘*] thought so!” he exclaimed. ‘‘ Often I fancied | heard something in those cries which sounded like your voice, That was why the gorge exerted such an influence over me,” ‘*T saw you down there, but you have changed so greatly I was deceived, And I had thought you dead, Still something in my heart kept tell- ing me it was you.” ‘* Thank Heaven for that!” *“Wesaw you when you fled down into the Gulch after you discovered your comrades were slain. Then I made father induce the woman to do something for you. When the Indians came, she showed bim how to send the bowlder crashing down upon them.” **For which [I am very thankful. But how can you see out in to the Guleb?” ‘Oh, there is an opening not far from here, It is high up from the level of the gorge, and it was there the woman would add her screams to the moaning of the wind,” At this moment Stephen Aldrich entered the chamber, asking anxiously: ‘* Where is Nowardo?” He referred to the woman of the black face, that being the name by which sbe was known to them. Neither of the young people knew anything about her, but all three at once set out to search for her, taking a light. A short distance from the first chamber they entered another, The light showed a figure stretched on a rude couch, It did not stir as they advanced, but the light showed the face woe * % ~ S Nowardo,” whispered Anice, clingin tremblingly to Bert. “She once told are should never wash the black from her face til! the time came for her to die!” Stephen Aldrich quickly advanced to the side of the silent figure, speaking her name, She did not stir. He looked into her face and then cg yep Pres ve ““She is dea ® cried. ‘* She is dea IT am a free man again! Never more wal oa will hold command over me! Heavenly Father I thank thee!” Par ? The following day, as Bert and Anice we looking out into the Guleb by means of the “i ing at which the “ Black Witch ” had sooften ada. ed her shrieks to the moaning of the wind, they saw a man come slowly and falteringly down to the placer, where the deserted rockers still stood, It was Wild Bill, and there was something sad about his manner. At once Bert resolved to let Bill into the secret of the cavern, **We must depend on him to get us ont of these Hills,” said the young man. ‘ He can do it, if any living being is able.” '_. Stephen Aldrich readily consented, and a short ) later, Wild Bill was astounded to see the ‘black wall of the Gulch open and Bert Wendel Fs esmng At first the Pistol King was not sure Hoe wae not confronted by a ghost, but he was 4 ny —t ye s »* _ ie 4 ‘ * faty Wild Bill’s Weird Foe. delighted when he found it his young comrade in tl e flesh, ‘** Lad,” he said, earnestly, ‘‘ just now I had rather see you than any living person.” The light of pleasure on his face at that mo- igent made him look beautiful to the youth, ill was taken into the cave and introduced to Stephen Aldrich and his daughter, Then the mysteries of the place were explained to him, W ben he had keard their explanations, he asked to see the woman who had declared herself his enemy, Bert led the Pistol King to the chamber of death. Wild Bill gave a great start, as his eyes fell on the face from which the black mask had been removed. Bert saw a motion of the man’s lips, but no words did he utter, With uncovered head, Wild Bill stood for a long time looking down on that dead form, Finally, be turned to Bert and asked to be left alone, Wild Bill remained in that chamber at least an hour, and when he came forth, bis face was pale and stern, Bert did not venture to question him, and the scout volunteered no explanation. Later the young man made bis may to the chamber. The body of the dead woman still lay on the rude couch, Her death had been caused by the bullet from Black Bat’s revolver. The desperado had fired almost at random, but the ‘*‘ Witch” had been struck, Bert remembered how she had started and how cold her hand had felt after the cavern was entered, He looked around searchingly when he visited the chamber after Wild Bill’s departure, Something on the stones above the dead wo- man’s head attracted his attention. He held the light closer, and he saw a single word bad been scratched there with a sharp in- strument. It was— “HELICE,.” Never did Wild Bill show any disposition to speak of the strange woman, and few were there who cared to pry into his secrets. He found an opportunity to capture. some horses from the Indians, and, mounted on the animals, the little partv started on the journey for civilization, Thanks to Bill’s knowledge of rairie-craft and Indian ways, they succeeded in reaching the settlements, after passing through great perils and baving more than one varrow escape, Big Bruno, the traitor, Black Bat and Seba Rankin never came out of the Hills, It is prob- able that they met their fate at the bands of the red-men, a To the day of his death, Stephen Aldrich was cranky” at times. He continued to fancy there was a shadow hanging over him, and nothing would induce him to return to Llinois, Of course, Anice married Bert Wyudal, and her father made his home with them. Wild Bill could not be present at the wedding, muct to his sincere regret, but he sent bis con- gratulations, It is not necessary to tell the reader Bert made Anice a model husband, and she was the most devoted wifein the wide world. They had both passed through great trials, and what they bad endured made them thankful to God they bad been spared for each otber in the end. To the time of his death Wild Bill cherished an intention to return to Moaning Gulch and work the placer, In fact, it has been said he was io the Black Hills for that very purpose when he was killed in Dead wood, So skillfully was the door of the cavern con- structed that it has never been found to this day. Of living persons, Mr. and Mrs. Bert Wyndal alone hold the secret of that door, and both declare they have a horror’of the Hills and will never go there again. So the secret of the cave is likely to remain unsolved, It is the tomb of the woman who once declared herself Wild Bill’s deadly foe. Who or what she was to him he never revealed to any one. THE END. Beatlle’s Dime Library. as BY LEON LEWIS. The Submarine Detective: or, The Water Ghouls. 484 Captain Ready. th» Red Sheila ¥: 451 The Silent Detective; or, T Bogu 456 The Demon Steer. eat dees hse 428 The Flying Glim; or, The Island Lure, ee ha ) a Le = | ' ee ee (eterna LLL LD LL LLL LLL LLL LLL LL LLL a a 15 —-—_ BY DR. NOEL DUNBAR. 604 The Detective in Rags; or, The Grim Shadower. 500 The True-Heart Pards. EY MAJOR DANGERFIELD BURR. 448 Hark Kenton, the Traitor. i8s The Phantom Mazeppa;: or, The Hyena. 156 Velvet Face, the Border Bravo, 142 Captain Crimson, the Man of the Iron Face, 117 Dashing Dandy; or, The Hotspur of the Hills. 92 Buffalo Pill, the Buckskin King. BY WILLIAM R. EYSTER. 659 Gilt-Edge Johnny; or, Ro'dan and His Rovers. 650 Lucky Lester’s Lone Hand. 634 Old Handcart’s Big Dump. 622 The All Around Sports. 603 Deser alf, the Man With the Cougar. 590 Gentle Jack, the High Roller from Humbug. 578 Seven Shot Steve, the Sport with a Smile. 568 [The Dude Detective. 558 Hurrah Harry, the High Horse from Halcyon. 549 Belshazzar Brick, the Bailiff of Blue Blazes. 533 Oregon. the Sport With a Scar. 25 Fresh Frank, the Derringer Daisy. 503.The Dude from Denver, 478 Pinnacle Pete; or, The Fool from Way Back. 459 Major Sunshine, the Man of Three Lives, 429 Hair Trigger Tom of Red Bend. 402 Spapshot Sam; or, The Angels’ Flat Racket, 396 The Piper Detective; or,-The Gilt Zdge Gang. 3875 Royal George, the Three in One, 356 Thr e Handsome Sports; or, The Combination, 344 Double Shot Dave of the Left Hand, 333 Derringer Dick. the Man with the Drop. 300 A Sport in Spectacles; or, Bad Time at Bunco, 268 Magic Mike. the Man of Frills. 229 Captain Cutsieeve; or, The Little Sport. 214 The Two Cool Sports; or, Gertie of the Gulch. 192 The Lightning Sp-rt. 182 Hands Up; or, The Knights of the Canyon. 160 Soft Hand, Sharp: or, Th: Man with the Sand. 145 Pistol Pards: or, The Silent Sport from Cinnabar BY WM G. PATTEN. 663 The Giant Sport: or, Sold to Satan. v56 Old Pimg Ugly. the Rough and Ready. 645 Gold Glove Gid, the Man of Grit. 641 Aztec Jack, the Desert Nomad. 631 Cotonel Cool, the Santa Fe Sharp. 602 Captain Nameless. the Mountain Mystery. 571 Old Dismal, the Range Detective. 545 Hustler Harry, the Cowboy Sport. BY LIEUT. A. K. SIMS. 666 Old Adamant, the Man of Rock. 618 Kansas Kerl, the Detective King 552 Prince Primrose, the Flower of the Flock 5x8 Huckleberry, the Foot-Hills Detective. BY OLL COOMES. 619 Kit Bandy & Co , the Border Detectives. 148 One-Armed Alf. the Giant Hunter. 137 Long Beard, the Giant Se 99 The Giant Rifleman: or, Wild Camp Life. 51 Red Rob, the Boy Road-Agent, 48 idaho Tom, the Young Outlaw of Silverland, 46 B wie-Knife Ben, the Nor’west Hunter. 44 Old Dan Rackhack, the Great Extarminator 43 Dakota Dan. the Reckless Ranger. 7 Death-Notch, the Destroyer. MISCELLANEOUS. 566 The Dauntless Detec:ive: or, The Daughter Avenger. By Tom W. King. 542 The Ocean Drift; or, The Fight for Two Lives, By A. F. Holt. 534 Green Mountain Joe: or, The Counterfeiter’s Cave. md Marmaduke Dey, 518 site eo Richard, the Thoroughbred. By J, W. sbon 410 Sarah Brown, Detective. By K. F. Hill. 366 The Telegraph Detective. By George H. Morse. 353 Bart Brennan; or, The King of Straight Flush. By John Cuthbert. 850 Flash Falcon. Society Detective, By W. J. Cobb. 312 Kinkfoot Karl, tbe Mountain Scourge. By Mor- ris Redwing. 295 The Smuggler Cutter. By J. D. Conroy. 261 Black Sam, the Prairie Thunderbolt. By Col. Jo Yards. 199 The Three Guardsmen. By Alexander Dumas. 179 Conrad, the Convict. By Prof. Gildersleeve. 166 Owlet, the Robber Prince. By S.R. Urban. * 158 The Doomed Dozen, By Dr. Frank Powell 152 Captain Ironnerve, the Counterfeiter Chief. 146 The Doctor Detective. By George Lemuel, 144 The Hunchback of Notre Dame. By Victor Hugo. 149 The Three Spaniards. By Geo. Walker. 133 Rody the Rover. 8 ‘iviam Caneton. 125 The Blacksmith Outlaw. By H. Aiusworth. 110 The Silent Rifleman. By H. W. Herbert. 102 The Masked Band. By George L. Aiken. 78 The Mysterious Spy. By Arthur M. Grainger. 76 The Queen’s Musketeers. By George Albany. 68 The Fighting Trapper: By Capt. J. F.C. Adams, 60 Wide Awake, the Robber King. By F, Dumont. 1 Midevipman Easy.” By Captain Marryatt. 1 pman : t ryatt. 10 Vidoeq, the French Police Spy. By himself. 9 Handy Andy. By Samuel Lover. 6 Wildcat Bob. By Edward L. Wheeler. A new issue every Wednesday. ers, 98 William street, -b York, comicboo ' = ; & - as ig “> r "t +e ry a ‘Ss Nad ‘7 t? 4 o ome . nu eeatio’s Dime Library is for i all e ealers, cents r copy, or sent on See oe twelve cents each, BEADLE & ADAMB, ‘ cor ~* * Ss