Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 1106 — page 11: what you’re looking at

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

ee “ | He ate a good supper, sharing it with Turk, and then sought the cot and went to sleep. The storm came up and the wind howled about the cabin, but Ned was not in the least disturbed, and arose in the morning greatly re- freshed. The fire had burned low, and the cabin was very cold, so he hastened to throw on some wood, aud glancing out of the window as he did so, uttered a ery of almost terror, The whole country was knee-deep with snow. Ned stood like one struck dumb with amaze- ment, His uncle had urged him not to attempt to re- turn so late in the fall, saying that the snow must soon fall; but Ned felt confident, and, against all advice, had started. Had he taken the way back which he had come, he would have been all right, and reached his camp on time; but, anxious to learn all he could of the country, he had boldly taken a new way, got lost, and worst of all, found himself snowed-in in the mountains. Far from any human habitation he knew that he was, excepting the hermit’s but that then sheltered bim, That his hfe would have soen ended, but for the lucky finding of the trail that led to that cabin, be well knew, for he could not have lived without shelter and food. Long he stood 'pondering, and then, nerving himself to accept his fate, he set to work. Turk looked up into his master’s face wonder- ingly, and Ned said: ‘‘Well, Turk, we are in for it, and are here fora long time, 1 fear, unless a thaw follows soon, and gives us a chance to go on our way.” But Turk seemed to be pleased with the fact that they were then safe, and yelped his satis- faction. ‘‘But for this cabin, Turk, we’d soon die,” and Ned built a fire with the wood at hand, and was glad to find that the next room held a good supply. Not enough to last one-third the winter he new, however, and he felt that he had to go to work. As he opened. the door, an elk, resting in the shelter of the cabin, bounded off; but, quick as a flash Ned seized his rifle and dropped him. ‘Well not starve right off, Turk,” he said, cheerily, and went out and dragged the elk in. Then he fed the ponies but sparingly, as he said: ‘‘Tt may be six months this will have to last vou, ponies, so go slow.” The chickens, half-frozen, still remained upon their roost, under a shed, and Ned determined to bag them as soon as night came, for as there were half a hundred of them he saw as many days’ food ahead. During the day the storm continued, and Ned made himself useful in setting things to rights as he wished them. te saw plenty of wood not far off, trees that lad been felled, and others that bad been blown down, and an ax wasin the house, so he felt no foar of freezing. The next day the storm had ended, but the snow was three feet deep on a level and it was very cold. With pieces of blanket he made himself some loves, and a working coat of the same material, while he also manufactured some leggings and stout moccasins of deer bide. Thus equipped he cleared a path through the snow to a fallen tree, and went to work with an AX, All day he worked hard, and at night caught the chickens, killed and picked them, throwing them on the roof in the snow to freeze and keep, as he did also the elk meat, Thus the days passed away, the snow began to venture on his way once more, But on arising the next morning to start, he found another storm threatening, and deter- mined not to start, though he took his rifle and to disappear, and Ned hoped he would be able J went in search of game, having seen several | deer in the valley below. Mounting his horse he rode in chase of them, and readily got within range, the animals seem- ing to be ravenous with bunger, having been | overtaken by the snow-storm before they could cot to a more congenial locality, Ned managed to kil’ three, and these were quickly taken to the cabin, dressed, and hung up for food. The ponies did not seem to like their confine- ment any more than did Ned: but they had to put up with it as their master did, while Turk anpeared perfectly contented. : x spring of water was just under the cliff, so Ned congratulated himself over and over again Fe , one | | ———— - — upon his good luck, and sat in the doorway of his cabin that night grimly watching the ap- proacbing storm. He had plenty of coffees and sugar, if not wasted, some crackers for an extra occasion, corn to make bread of, when he had ground it in a band-mill he found in the house: some bacon as a relish, and which he also discovered there, salt, pepper, and im the garden-patch were onions, potatoes, beets and cabbages, none the best, as they had been planted by the former owner, and grown up uncared for; but still Ned was not in a fault-finding mood, and they would do, and be had gathered them. As for fresh meats, he had his elk, antelope and chickens, and he had not forgotten Turk in dressing the animals. ‘* We are in for it, Turk; but I guess we won’t starve, for if our supplies give out, we have three horses in the stable,” and Ned closed the door against the freezing blasts and driving by and reconciled himself to what was before in. CHAPTER XVII. NEVADA NED’S DEADLY AIM. To follew Ned’s career through the long days and nights of that cold winter, would be but to repeat the story over of each twenty-four hours, for little change did he know. The wolves were wont to visit him often by night, coming over the frozen snow, and Turk showed no anxiety to go out and interview them on such occasions, Ned would practice upon them now and then, but he did not care to waste his ammunition. His hay and meat getting low, he was forced to kill one of his ponies, to leave enough for the other two, and the boy wisely cut off from the animal some choice steaks, to put away for him- self and Turk, should his supply of deer-meat give out before the snows melted, Fortunately, however, he was only forced to make a few meals off of horseflesh, before he was able to start upon his journey. It had seemed years to him, that long winter in that lone cabin, and he fairly yelled with de- light when he mounted his thin horse, and start- ed off one fine morning in spring, his pack-ani- mal coming behind him at a slow pace, Here and there green grass had sprung up, and cropping this, and with exercise, the ani- mals picked up rapidly, while Ned was forced to do as Turk did, live on fresh meat alone. His coffee and other provisions were all gone, his vegetables, teo, and Ned said to himself: ‘“T never knew how much a fellow could eat in half a year until I had tried it,” It was rough traveling yet, though he had waited as long as he dared, and he made slow progress, while, not knowing exactly where he was, he had to go a great deal by guess-work, One afternoon Ned, to his great delight, came upon a well-beaten_ trail. He could see that it had been but lately trav- eled, and more, there were hoof-tracks showed the iron horseshoe, proving that they were not Indians. : Still Ned was cautious, and riding into a thicket of mountain cedar, he dismounted, hitched his horse, and calling to Turk to follow him, went forward on foot to reconnoiter, con- vinced that he was in the vicinity of a camp of some kind, but whether the villagewf red-skins, or the minving-camps of pale-faces, he could not yet tell. A growl of warning from Turk caused him to quickly seek shelter behind a huge bowlder only a few igic from the trail, As he did so a horseman came in sight, and he was leading two animals, Tt was just before sunset, and the man’s face was visible by the light falling full upon it, and Ned recognized the man at a glance, and just in time, for he was about to call out to him, seeing that he was notan Indian. ‘It is Jack Hollis!” hoarsely whispered Ned, addressing Turk, whom he motioned to keep quiet. ‘* Curses on him! he sh’u’d hev been here by this time! “Wonder if he’s been nabbed?” growled the man, and his evil face worked savagely. ‘*'You’re up to some deviltry, Jack Hollis, and [hope [ll know what it is,’ muttered Ned, re- garding his old enemy, whose one arm was a strong reminder of the boy’s deadly aim. ‘lve changed much in two years, grown tall, and as black as an Indian, | ** Wonder if he’d know me?” and Ned was half tempted to step out from his place of conceal- ment, He saw that Hollis was armed well, three re- Nevada Ned, the Revolver Ranger. a SITY el ee eee a | —- ee ee eee ee volvers and a knife being in his belt, where he could reach them with his left hand. His face was bearded, his slouch bat drawn down over his fierce eyes, and his look that of a man ready tor any deadly work. His horse was a fine one, as were the other two animals, and they were led by lariats caught im their bits and looped over his saddle-horn. One of the horses carried a man’s saddle. the other an old lady’s saddle, and this fact the more convinced Ned that something was wrong when Jack Hollis had a hand in it. ‘‘ They say that he and Nick Sloan took tothe Overland Trail as road-agents,” Ned muttered, as he eyed the one-armed desperado, who haa halted his horses not thirty paces from the bowl- der, behind which stood the young Gold King, a cedar bush hiding him completely. ‘‘ Ah! there he comes now,” Jack Hollis said aloud. Ned was on the alert now, and watched for the coming of the one the desperado waited for. ‘‘If he don’t bring the gal, he'll hev ter go back arter her—but he hes got her!” The last words were uttered triumphantly and then Ned heard steps rapidly apprcaching along the trail, and a voice called out: ‘*T’ve got her, eap’n, and nobody see’d me.” ‘*She hain’t dead, be she?” asked Hollis, ‘‘No, I has her muffled, fer she’s got a voice like a bugle, and this are no place ter be caught stealin’ a gal in.” ‘ ‘You'll hev ter carry her, fer I can’t, with my one arm.” ‘‘ She’s got ter ride, ef I tie her on ther horse,” and throwing ashaw!] off the head and shoulders of the one he carried, he said: ‘‘Come, gal, yer must go with us and no screechin’, onless y2r wants yer throat cut.” Ned saw a young girl of eleven, with a face that, though alarmed, was very lovely to look upon, me It is Nick Sloan that has her, and I guess it’s my chip in,” Ned muitered, drawing bis revolv- er from his belt. In answer to the rude words of her captor, who | held firmly upon her hand, the young gir! said, SSE that | indignantly : ‘‘Let me go, sir, or it will be the worse for you, as I have friends who will kill you for car- rying me off.” ‘“‘Gal, you is wu’th a big fortin’ to us, and we don’t intend ter let yer go. ‘* Them fellers in ther mine will pay big money to git yer back ag’in; but if they don’t, 1’ll raise yer as my child. ‘* Come, let Nick help yer on yer horse ard no buckin’ and screechin’, fer it are onhealthy here fer us, and we'd kill yer afore we’d give yer up.” There was something in the face of Jack Hol- lis that told the girl, young as she was, that he meant just what he said, and she buried her face in her hands and saidy Oh, don’t carry me off, you wicked man, or I shall die!” ‘*Come, Nick, gag her if she’s’goin’ ter yell!” fiercely said Jack Hollis, and in obedience to the ' command, Nick Sioan seized her in his arms and was wrapping the shawl about her face, when Ned tee ed forth from behind the bowlder, ‘* Nick Sloan, let that girl alone!” and as Ne- vada Ned spoke he fired. Few men would have taken the chances that Nevada Ned did, in firing atthe man while he held the girl in his grasp; but the boy knew well his aim, while be also saw that the desperado’s eyes had caught sight of him and he was drawing a weapon, too. A cry broke from the lips of the girl at the shot, and the arms of Nick Sloan were waved wildly in the air as he staggered back from her and fell heavily. Whether Jack Hollis supposed there were others following the youth, or recognized Neva- da Ned, or was most anxious to escape himself, is not known, but certain it is that he cast loose the lariats from over his saddJe-horn, and, re- leasing the two animals thus, wheeled his own horse about, as though on a pivot, and went fly- ing down the trail. To hasten bim Ned sent a bullet after him, though with no intention of hitting him, and at the report he saw Jack Hollis dig bis spurs deep into the side of his horse and disappear from sight around a bend in the trail. Nevada Ned knew that there was nothing to fear from Nick Sloan, for he had shot to kill, and his aim wus true. His bullet had crashed into the head of the desperado, and stone dead he lay as the boy stepped up to him. . ‘Ts he dead?’ asked the young zirl in a whis- per, gazing at Ned with as much awe as she felt for the dead form at her feet. > ‘ Dd » .~ »