Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 1063 — page 4: what you’re looking at

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

as? ke ; ee ; 2 Be «29 ~ ~~ sf ‘‘ What’s the matter with the boy?” asked Big Bruno, as Bill came back to the cabin. ‘‘I see you didn’t speak to him,” ‘*No, I thought 1 would not disturb him.” ‘* He seems to be cracked,” ** Cracked?” ‘Yes. He acts so queer.” ‘Well, [ don’t reckon he is cracked, pard. The boy’s all right, if he does seem a little off.” ‘*Perhaps so,” admitted Bradstone, lighting his pipe. ‘‘ Anyhow he is a good worker,” ‘* An’ them’s w’at ccunts,” put in Ginger Jim, ‘Then I’m afraid you do not count, James,” said Bruno, ‘* Me—me?” squawked the Terror. ‘* W’y ’'m ther hardest worker round these diggin’s!” ** How—with your mouth?” ** Looker here, Bradstone,” and Jim blustered up; ‘* Ihain’t goin’ ter be ’sulted in this yar way!” ‘* What are you going to do about it?” ‘Tl lel ye know who you're torkin’ ter, by hokey! I’m‘a powerful bad man ter crowd! I want ye ter understan’ I’ve got a record!” ‘‘ Yes, like the trotting horse— 2:70.” “Wal, thar are some things 1 won’t stan’, an’ this is one of ’em!” ‘* Sit down, then,” ‘¢Tn ther mornin’ Pll pack my traps an’ leave you critters ter yer own destruction. you'll find [ ’mounted ter something then! Why, ther [njuns won’t durst come hyer while [ hang roun’, They’ve heerd of me, an’ they’re skeered, But as soon as [ go ’’way, you'll hev more’n nine bundred of ther red whelps pilin’ down on ye. Your skelps will hang high an’ dry,” Big Bruno laughed, ‘*Then you think you keep the Indians off?” **T know it!” “Yep,” nodded Crab Zeb, appearing at this moment, ‘*he’s a powerful good skeer-crow, He’d come nigh frightenin’ ther devil.” ‘* Wal, by darn! I kin lick ye both!” howled Ginger, “Git out!” exclaimed Zeb, ‘* You couldn’t lick er postage-stamp!” Ginger was squelched. That night Wild Bill was visited by another dream. He fancied he saw the door open as be- fore, and the black shadow formed on the floor, though no person appeared in the doorway. He watched the shadow with a strange fascination, and he saw it take the form of a woman. Then up from the shadow rose the form of the woman herself, She did not seem to come in at the open doorway, but she came from the inky shadow on the floor. Her face was black and her eyes glowed like living coals. She was the same creature he had seen at the open window the night before! And then he saw she held a knife in her right come eg long, slender and deadly-appearing dag- ger * How those gleaming eyes burned into bis brain! He saw the knife quivering in her hand, as she bent over him, It was upraised over bis heart! In those burning eyes was a deadly resolve. He saw it, and he felt his end was near, unless he could throw off the spell which was on him. Down came the dagger! At the same moment, Bill awoke and started up, bis jaws set to prevent the cry that tried to force itself from his lips, The cabin door was closed, as it had been the night before. More than that, the slab window was closed and made fast. Then Bill was angry with himself. ‘What an infernai fool I am!” he thought, * T am getting to be a perfect baby! Never be- fore was I so troubled by dreams, and I do not understand why thisis, I shall have my nerves in bad shape, if this continues,” He lay down again, and, after a long time spent in thought, he once more fell asleep. A surprise awaited him in the morning. In one of the logs just above his head was driven a dagger. The blade pierced a bit of pa- per, on which was written: “You will leave your bones in these Hills, Wild Bill! You have come to your doom! ‘Tae BLack WiToH.” “ Hey!” cried Billi, ‘*Look at this, pards!' Who bas been trying to play a trick on me?” The others looked at the dagger and the paper, and expressed their amazement in various ways. “* Whar did it come frum?” asked Zeb, ‘* That’s what 1 want to know,” Bill declared. ““T foundit stickin’ in that log there, but how came it there? The door was fast and the win- dow closed all night. Now, I wantto know who has been trying a joke on me?” His companions all disclaimed any knowledge of the matter. Bill eyed them closely, and he wassorely puzzled. If one of them had not placed the dagger and | SB shee I reckon | A LLL LL LL LLL LLL LLL LL LLL LL LLL LLL LLL LLL cr CE ———————— — —_ Wild Bill’s Weird Foe. paper where he-found them, how came they there? Then he thought of his dream, Was there more in that phantasma of the night than he had imagined? ‘“T don’t exactly understand this, pards,” came slowly from his lips, as bis piercing eyes searched their faces. ‘‘ I thought you all white, and I am not ready tobelieve otherwise. But how came that knife where it was found? | have never seen a blade like this in the posses- sion of any one of you, but— Well, Vit just keep the knife and paper and see what I can roake out of ’em,” CHAPTER IV. MORE GOLD-HUNTERS. DeEP down in a secluded pocket, not many miles from Moaning Gulch, twinkled a cheery camp-fire. It was night, and the fire bad been made in a spot where its rays would not be seen at a great distance, which showed whoever bad lighted it knew there was some danger of detec- tion by savage eyes. By the camp-fire three men were seated, Tbe one who seemed the leader of the party was tall, broad-shouldered and bewhiskered. His hair, beard and eyes were coal-black, and there was something about his manner that was not ex- actly inviting. With his comrades this man was known as Black Bat, The second one of the party was a young | was man, and some would have called his face hand- soune, but there was a sensual expression about the lips. He also wore a full beard, ligbt-brown in color. hard, steely glitter about them that made them not exactly pleasant to look upon. On account of his proficiency with the wea- pon, he was known as Revolver Ruy. The third man was a Mexican, and treachery was plainly written on bis dark face, His true name was Pedro Gallego, but bis companions called bim Mexican Pete. All three were dressed in stout serviceable clothes and armed to the teeth. They seemed prepared to rough it in a wild country where dangers were many. A short distance away in the darkness were their horses, five in number, two being pack- animals, Moody looks rested on the faces of the three, as they gazed into the floring fire. Their thoughts seemed far away, but, of a sudden, Re- volver Ray said: ‘¢ We have not made a bowling success of this matter, Bat.” The black look deepened on the face of the man addressed, and he growled: ‘‘That’s not my fault, I’ve done my level best. [I know that cursed Gulch is somewhere near at hand. It was only by chance we stum- bled on it last year, but] thought I took notice enough to make sure 1 could return to it.” ‘* You say there is no sucb thing as mistaking it for any other gorge?” ‘‘No, you will think not, if we ever find it. Why, the wind howls through the place like ten thousand devils let loose!” “ Caramba ?” exclaimed the Mexican. ‘“ The pate may be haunted! Quien sabe?” (Who nows?) ‘‘ And would that keep you away, Pete?” “Well, of that 1 cannot say. It might; it might not, You say there is very much gold t’ are, senor?” ‘‘1f IT am not mistaken,” came deliberately from Black Bat’s lips, ‘‘ there is more than A to make the three of us immensely wéalthy. With your sbare, Pete, you can re- turn to Mexico and marry some beautiful senori+ ta. Then you may live happy the rest of your days, and, if you do not gamble too mucb, have enough left to bury you when you are dead,” ‘Quien quiete por mas?” (Who cares for more?) ‘‘No Mexican I ever saw in all my life,” said t. ‘‘We will make one more search for the strange casyon or Gulch hb speak of,” observed Revolver Ray; ‘‘ then, if we are not successful, I shall favor attempting to find another spot brea gold may be panned in paying quanti- es, ‘“‘Tf such a place can be found am the Hills,” v say ** Do you doubt it?” ‘*T am inclined to,” | se ber ‘‘ Well, I do not know as I can answer that question.” eee ae ee et ti‘ OOO —— ee ee eee eee ' “T believe gold in paying quantities is to be found in a hundred places amid these Hills,” "7 do not say you are not right, but I simply donbtit. That we discovered gold in ove spot is not proof it can be found anywhere here,” ‘Still, it 1s encouragement that it may be.” “If it were plenty, I believe its existence would have been made known to the world ere this. ‘* You forget how zealously the red-skins have guarded the Hills.” ‘‘No, I do not forget that, but I know white men are in the habit of going wherever they please, despite red-skirs,” ** Providing, of course, the allurement is large enough,” ‘* Exactly.” ‘* Well, we will prospect after we give over the search for the sbrieking gorge. Anywhere else amid these hills we are in constant danger from reds, but we shall be safe in the mysterious gulch, The red whelps never go there.” ‘* You say they are afraid of the place?” ‘‘- Yes, They say it is haunted by lost spirits who bave been unable to find their way to the Happy Hunting Grounds, To them the shriek- ing of the wind is the despairing cries of those unfortunate spirits.” “Tf your party bad remained in the gorge, they ‘would have escaped butchery at the hands of the reds?” ‘Surely; but they wouki have starved during the winter that wasat band. We knew we had only a short time toreach the settlements, Snow liable to fall any day, so we pushed forward as swiftly as possible.” ‘* And you alone escaped?’ ‘‘T think so. The red devils fell on us in Red His eyes were blue, but there was a | Canyon, and [saw my comrades mowed down at the outset, I managed to get away amid the rocks, although pursued, owever, darkness aided me in giving the red dogs the slip. I have told you about the horrors of my tramp, and how near I came to perishing of hunger and cold. I pulled through alive, and I swore f would come hack and visit the golden guleb, £ am hack, but the guleb seems hard to find.” The three men were silent for several minutes, then the Revolver Dead-Shot spoke again: ‘Once you said something about seeing a female figure down in this gulch we are search- ing for? You would not say much about that, though.” ‘‘There is not much to say. I did not talk about ita great deal, for I fancied you might believe me cracked.” * But you did see such a figure?” sé Yes.’ ** Was she young or old?” ‘“ Young, l should say, but I cannot swear to that. It was in the dead of the night, and I only caught a glimpse of her, Sbe seemed to see me, and, like a flash, she vanished amid the shadows. I was unable to find a trace of her.” ‘* Santa Maria!” gasped Pedto, ‘* That was a spirit!” ; lack Bat laughed shortly, but Revolver Ra was silent and thoughtful. At length he shoo his head, muttering: ** No, no! it is impossible!” ‘‘ What's impossible?’ questioned Bat, ‘¢ Nothing,” was the reply. At this the black-whiskered man grunted and scowled, plainly being displeased, and the party relapsed into silence, That night they took turns at guarding the camp, two sleeping while one remained on the watch, The night passed without event, and they ate a hasty breakfast in the morning. Then they star out to search for the wind-swept gorge which might contain a fortune for each of them. Like the days that had gone before, that one proved a failure, The place they were search- ing for was not found. They went into camp early, and they were three very dissatisfied men. ‘‘Tt’s no use, pard,” said Ray, addressing Black Bat, ‘you can never hope to find that gorge again. As for me, I am done searching for it. To-morrow I shall spend in prospecting for yellow.” ; ‘And if Pete or I ag to find the gorge, you will claim an equal share with us!” ‘Tf I finda paying placer, you and Pete will claim an equal share with me, You see that works both bt ba ‘‘ You had better stick to the hunt a little longer.” ' ‘* No; it is no good.” One word led to another, and in a short time — the men were on the verge of a quarrel, Then Black Bat leaped up, his rifle and strode | Cc rian? CO 900ks Syy nm | . -~ a < aed* » a = A ~ i oa