Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 1089 — page 13: what you’re looking at

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

Mustang Merle’s Fight for Life. eer nay i ‘ 13 offered a little sum in dust, but you have changed a good deal, and if you are Syl, you will bave a scar under the hair on your neck,” Old Jve took a step toward the jrisoner in the middle of the room and was abvut to look for the scar, when Sam’s hand flew out and the tall Yankee was pushed back, But, quick as a flash Joe returned to the at- tack, and despite Sam’s strength, the locks were seized and pulled aside, exposing a red scar, at sigbt of which Mustang Merle smiled. ** Pil now go through him like a dose of salts,” said Joe, and the next minute he had Sam pin- ioned against the wall while with the hand not thus employed he was searching his pockets. Merle stood near with a cocked revolver in his hand, and while Joe searched the prsoner, he watched him like an eagle, Next to Silver Sam’s heart was found a flat package which the fingers of Old Joe drew forth and threw upon the table, Mustang Merle looked at it and discovered it to contain a complete ar of the several mines belonging to the ranch, all drawn by the hand of Silver Sam, The spy looked at the evidences of his guilt, but did not open his mouth, ‘ Nothing more was found on his person and when Joe Bundy announced that he was done, he turned to Sam and said: i, ‘Whom did you signal?” There was n? ag , ' ‘*In cases of this kind I have been both judge and jury. I have all the evidence I need and I will now proceed to carry out the sentence of Judge Bundy’s court.” There was no mistaking the meaning of these words, The last one had barely left the old scout’s lips when the figure of a young Indian bounded into the room and halted near the group. It was Red Hawk, ‘* Always on hand,” grinned Old Bundy, greet- ing his faithful pard. ‘* We are going to pay a a a his services, Come, Red Hawk,” ustang Merle said nothing to check the march of the executioners, _ He had no sympathy for the man who had taken service under his banners for the purpose of betraying him to the foe, Silver Sam was led away between Red Hawk an Joe Bundy, and the door shut bebind The three crossed the grassy plat in front of the ranch-house, passed the stables, and went toward the mine and were lost to view. They halted at the mouth of the bonanza. All was dark within. Old Joe drew a match across the wall and held it above his head. As the blaze shot upward it revealed the long corridor and showed all three the dull gray stones of the wall. : , All at once Old Joe struck a portion of the wall and a door swung open. } Beyond the portal the darkness of Egypt - Teigned ned, ** Forward!” said the Yankee, pushing Sam on, “They won’t know where to look for you when they come,” : ilver Sam looked back into the merciless faces of his enemies and shrugged his broad shoulders, | At that moment a series of yells was beard, “*The bandits have come!” cried Joe Bundy, and hurling Sam into the cell, he struck the iron button again and the door shut. | ; ‘The spy is safe till Gabriel blows,” cried he, seizing Red Hawk’s wrist. ‘‘ Now let’s go back and fight for life and the young master.” CHAPTER XVI. THE DRAMA UNDERGROUN D, THE yell which reached the ears of Silver Sam’s sapien told them the spy had done his work well. __ When they rushed from the mine they heard shouts that informed them that the final fight _ for life bad begun, and standing “for a mo- ; ment at the mouth of the mine, they listened to the yells which grew louder and louder as the Black Feathers came over the hill to the attack _ Mustang Merle at the door of the ranch-house, heard the first shout, and turning to Olive who was near, Gaught her hand and led her ‘toward the secret opening in the wall, ! It was not the “first time the beauty bad sught the shelter of the underground and she knew where safety lay, for, biddin Mustang Merle good-by, she disappear through the door and it ‘swung bac to its i % _ : } Los i # ’ " ’ ‘—_ ‘ ~ : ; . es - , = ai 5 ; é * mn ey : . f a) - ¢ J , 7 x PA i e ; +. * -_ ’ - ee r Si. ;, * i 7 : ‘ ‘ hey ..% .. ~~ yy . > ‘,* ~w eed Lap ; + ° ‘ nu aed Yn 2 > ic — . We aN ES WwW d A Ww B hand dir Py ee ee ead Merle and Fred sprung toward the porch and as the horses*came down over the ground in front of the bouse, they saw two figures come into view and Joe Bundy and Red Hawk, the two faithfuls, were ** on deck.” Meantime the little band of ranchmen was not idle for it had formed at a good point and did not hesitate to send a lot of cold lead into the ranks of the bandits, But the volley, however well-intended, did not do much damage, for Captain Silver Belt’s ranks opened as if by magic and the members of the band came on, They contented themselves with riding round the house, firing at whatever they could single out for a target, but drew off again and re- formed, Olive meantime had reached the room under- ground, and was waiting for the noise of the fight which she was sure she could bear, She was not disappointed, for all at once she heard the loud reports of firearms, and stood listening, her heart in her throat and out of breath. For some time the noise of the fight for life saluted her ears, when it suddenly grew still, and she did not know what to think, She felt that the raiders of the border out- numbered Merle and his friends, but she had great faith in those who surrounded the young rancher, If Captain Silver Belt won, then she was lost, If he carried the day, she would be at the mercy of the brigand of the Southwest, and she knew what his mercy meant. hen tbe noises of conflict had ceased, Olive went to the furthest end of the corridor, and placing the lamp in a niche in the wall, sat down, All at once her gaze became riveted upon something that seemed: to shine in the stone, and the more she looked at it the greater be- came her curiosity, t last she arose and approached it. \ When quite near she discovered it to be a button-like object, which seemed to move back into the wall when she touched it, a there a secret apartment beyond the wa Impelled-by a feeling she could not overcome, she pressed the button and fell back with a light cry as a door moved inward, and she was look- ing into a small room which seemed entirely de- void of anything. weve picked up the lamp and. entered the Almost immediately after quitting the corri- dor, the door behind her swung shut, and she found herself inclosed by walls of stone, ut the next moment she uttered an exclama- tion of astonishment, and leaning forward held the lamp against the wall, while she read an in- scription written there by some unknown and, . Olive read: “Let the finder of this writing keep to the right along the wall. It is death to move in any other ection,” Sbe shrunk back and held her breath, She could not go back, and the only thing left was to move on as directed by the writing on the stone, Taking courage, the girl went forward and saw leading along the floor of the wall on the right hand, a pathway which seemed to her the way to safety. On, on she went, deeper and deeper into that mysterious old mine totally unknown to her, he no longer heard the nvises of the last battle for existence. They had grown still, or else she had passed beyond them, and she hoped for the best. live did not pause until she found herself atthe end of the corridor. Her lamp had flickered and gone out and she was in total darkness. ? The terror of her situation seemed to freeze the blood in her veins, cat he A long time Olive stood there, not daring t advance in the gloom, but feeling that it would be death to go on she was in the act of turning back when she heard a voice, tal She was not the sole person underground! Hugging the wall, Olive waited for a repe- tition of the sound and when the voice was again heard she almost fell to the ground, ‘* This is the old place, for the writings on the walls tell me as mucb,” said the voice, ‘‘But one has to be ‘careful here for he don’t know vhither he is going, nor in what direction pe corridors lead." | ’ sudden, interruption. “I kaow w ” me here,” was the y what I i am ’ friend woman.” — : i ® ’ a f i ‘oe a ‘ a hgh a 3 4 J “d whe $ oot at - about and you have nothitg‘to do but to obey me in every particular.” , ‘* Why don’t you strike a match?” ‘‘ And hetray ourselves? No! The fight is going on for the ranch and we are the ones who will reap the golden harvest, 1 have known of this place for years, but this is the first opportu- nity I have had of testing the knowledge,’ ‘* But come what may, I won’t go oh another step with out a light.” ** Coward!” “That’s all right, Captain Don, I may bea coward, but I will not risk my head in the dark another minute,” Olive wondered what would kappen next, when all at once a light burst forth and she saw two men, One in particular was a perfect Apollo in yel- low, tal] and very handsome witb a yellow sash about his waist. ‘*That is not Captain Silver Belt,” thought Olive as she looked at this man, “He ig a brigand all the same, and, of course, my enemy,” estood near her and she could see his dark eyes and arch smile as he gave commands to the man at his side, ‘“* Heavens! look yonder. A ghost!” suddenly roared the smaller man and with a wild cry he turoed and fled as if he hada dozen demons yelp- ing’at his heels, ‘*A ghost, you/coward!” cried the other, and he leaned toward Olive with {the blazing match in his hand, Suddenly he, too, fell back with but little color in his face and stood against the wall star- ing at the motionless figure of Olive Oram, who could hardly repress a smile for the abject ter- el a seemed to have taken possession of his *‘ In heaven’s name whois it, anyhow?” gasped the yellow-sashed bandit, : By this time Olive had seen more of bim, and all at once seeming to guess bis identity, went for- ward and held out her hands imploringly. ‘““l am Olive Oram. 1 have come too far down this corridor, You are Don Ignace.” __ The man laughed as the name fe'l upon ’his ears, e443 ‘*Lam Captain Don,” be said, ‘‘ I have been hoping that fortune would throw you in my way to enable me to be of service to you, You are the young girl who replied to my letter,” Olive did not know what to say. . ‘You rejected my suit. You would not listen to the love-making of es) apo Don, but now you have fallen into his hands aund—” Merle’s cousin recoiled witha cry and was seen to throw a hand toward the folds of her CSS, a ‘** No harm is intended,” Don Ignace hastened to say, ‘* He will assist the gr 8 lady by every means in bis power. e is her friend and now that the battle bas gone against the ranch and the life of Mustang Merle is not worth a breath, be will shield her from the rancher’s enemies.” 4 It was a well-chosen speech, but it did not draw the srirl to the Mexican, His words had driven a chill to her heart, The batite over and Captain Silver Belt triumphant? i ‘Tell me the truth, Don Ignace,” she cried, **'You have said that the bandits have gained — the day, It cannot be!” ‘“Go up and see,” was the reply. No, you need not risk your life among the Black Feathers. Itis all over and the banners of the bandits are crowned with victory.” Olive stood like a statue of fear in the light of the later matches, . . Don Ignace came forward with the tread of a t, His face broke into smiles of pleasure as he put one foot hefore the other, all the time watching the girl like the serpent watches the bird it harms, "id Ie Suddenly a determined expression crossed the young girl’s face. ii This man must not touch me,” she said. ‘He is as merciless and dangerous as Captain Silver Belt.” p . On, on came the man with the golden sash, ‘Stand where you are!” cried Olive and that moment there flashed before the grinning face of — Don Ignace a dagger from which he recoiled without ceremony, sdf | What would you do, child?” he asked. ‘‘ You may be striking your best friend. This is the time when you need ihelps and if you drive the needle-pointed blade to Don I[gnace’s heart, you ma ae anally,” | | 0; bandit of the Golden Sash ‘ ~ ou are all alike, They call you the aan and you never be ~~ iv i A a x oat