Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 1126 — page 10: what you’re looking at

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

¥; ray % —-_ - ° vi , a i pat , ‘ brick haul, for there were some men along who | + qv. Te _~ , * ~- H : ' f : . we © air ht,” ne Be he pee. ee > ‘se - 4 4 7 i977 ¥ > thet Wich ™ ee . — ~~ - >" ' = ah <— Ay - ie Sey Sa S a _ aS eS “10 the Silver Kings, as he leveled the revolver at | . Joe’s head. | “Tam a youth on my way tothe mines,” | “Ah! you are going to dig out more precious ore for the Silver Kings? That is right, ana you are welcome, for the more miners, the more | silver for the Silver Kings!” was the reply. “Are von the Captain of the Silver Kings?” _ asked Joe quietly. | *Lam, and I will have to deprive you of your horses and outfit. It is but. about thirty miles to the mines, and you will have to go the rest of the way on toot. © So you would rob a mere boy?” g 6©** Ab, yes, you are young, as I can now see. Yes, boy, [ would rob a woman, for the Silver , Kin s must live, you know,” af 6 You respec rt your own badge?” » = “* What badge?” * The Silver Star of the Silver Kings.” ‘Certainly; I respect it wken I see it.” “Well, [ uave one. ey By Jove! sc you have! CT —- Sz <” fey ” — RE ae *, » Ceres - ae ee Where did you get | rs Y: Brom your band back on the trail, who had * waited to attack the stage coach.” ba “Ha! did they attack the coach?” quickly i, asked the captain. a. oy end but I was some distance off at the @, and I do not know what booty they got.” mitten: well, if they got the coach, they got a _ bad lenty of dust.” ut about this star that you wear, young- “ster? “Tieutenant Nick will explain to you, sir, ; why [ have it.” - ** Why can you not explain?” Bees, Because he wished to do so himself, cap- y ac bee ** He aia it would protect me, sir, in case I met you, and | was simply to tell you that it was @ v th es, [| always respect the Magic 8 Star, and | Ye “will do so now, but I don’t exactly understand Nick vave it to you.” “You'll know all about it, “Where are you from?” -** Texas.” Wha a great State, and I once lived there sir, soon.” But it cot pretty hot for me, and business is ice better here.” Your business?’ ventured Joe. _ “Yes; robbing,” was the cool reply, and he | d: * And killin@ those who would not be robbed » Joe felt uneas ’, and he was anxious to go on. >. But he dared n. Dt show it, and so waited for the | _ Silver Kings’ captain to speak. >) “Do yo. know Texas Jack, in Texas?” he ” “Yes, sir; he is my best friend, and I have Veen at his tan: for some time.” Joe saw that he had made a mistake in what i he said, for the outlaw captain fiercely re- | +618) ndled { | Y. “Gurse him! Thave yoved to some day get even with bim.” ) ® Jack is rathor hard on outlaws and Indians,” id Joe, with sudden anger. “Yos, and I will be merciless to bim some tae: ~~ as — ~ 6 ES ge Ds = a “-” = 4 _~ He drove me out of Texas, and | = ~ = \ = — > ~ : +. r - sor . tie wy 37 are Wis friend, you say?” “Vos, sir; h> always called me his Boy Pard.” ‘I Sie, an | you may be sent here as a spy on axX* ice = ee ie oa 4“ un A JAS Liontonan’ Nick will explain all that, sir,” c se ) answered Joe, feeling thit he was getting into a | » a plave a Well, I hope the explanation will be a satis- ty » factory ove, for if not, [ will make these mines ey ‘in ~0 hot for you, Boy Pard of Texas Jack.” oC) a Set Nick will tell yon where to find a, sir.” “ All richt, I will wait until I see him but I alt way tempted to take you back with rs ‘ . am te Yon know best, captain, but you would only | me a lone ride for nothing, as after you see atenant Nick you would let me go.” _ “Boy, there is some mystery about this, but, iS YOU paper the Magic Star. I will let you go, | nd < doubtless can explain all to my satis- fo ef ‘Je A +) . he » 6 fee 7. ‘ - L \ me at should you write to your friend, Texas : i tell him that Captain Angelos, the Out- awe d Rani-hero, as 1 am known in Texas, will | bad de hang him to a tree, as ‘Do ¥ ou understand” yp A ase Pais eit Aree al ee | through having - along, Ane Arizona Joe, —— es ** ‘Yes, sir, when I see him,” ** See that you do,” “Yes, sir.’ ‘* Now you can go on your way; but there is | no place in Arizona that you can hide, if I find | | noised about, you have deceived me.” Joe laughed, and the chief, without noticing it, called to his men and rode on, leaving the youth at a stand-still ‘Dogs and ponies, night, for this is not.a healthy neighborhood for us. ‘*We will ride through the night, and at no slow pace either,” and chuckling “at his esc ape the Magic Star,* Joe rode on at a canter, CHAPTER XXII. 1 THE BOY MINER From the little he bad seen ‘of Captain An- gelos, of the Silver Kings, Joe felt that he was | not a man to make iule threats, and et the boy was so full of a courage that amounted to reck- lessness, that he burst out laughing as he thought what a scene would follow the arrival of the chief in the camp of his heutenant, and ths discovery of his capture and flight, ‘1 tell you,” Joe said to himself, as he rode * there will be toe mischief to pay, for that ‘captain can get mad clean through, ‘‘ Pl} have to keep : a Watch on him, too, for he | _ will catch me if he can, ‘* But I shall write Jack at once, when I reach the mines, and warn bim of the man. ‘*T heard of the Outlawed Ranchero, when | | was in Texas, and tnat Jack had driven him out | of the State, but I did not expect to meet him, and I do not care unless the odds are in my favor. to again, “Come, ponies, there is no rest for us until we reach the mining-camps.” So Joe kept up ‘his rapid pace, and early in the morning reac hed the camps, Asking for the house of Allan Morse, Joe was | directed to 2 neat cabin on the hillside, and rid- ing thither, he was recognized by the Morse children, who ran out to give him a greeting. Mrs. Morse also appeared and welcomed him with almost affection, while one of the children | was sent to the mine after the fatuer. ‘We are better off, Joe, than when you saw us last, and yet we owe if to you, for if you had | not helped us we could not have come here,” said / Mrs. Morse, The miner look had gone from iis face, and he wrung the hand of his young benefactor until Joe winced | With pain. “TPve got a good cabin here, Joe, and some land about it, and we are well fixed, while our mine is panning out well. *Tamso glad you have come, and you can | mine at your will. and look after the books for us, for we have a stock company at the Silver Star Mine. “Tt will pay you well, Joe.ard maybe you , ean strike it rich, too, in pros’ ecting around.” Such was Joe’s welcome at the house of the poor emigrants whom he had befriended in the wazou train, as\the reader will remember. They had all be ¢o.nforts which that wild re- ‘gion could procure for them, and already Mr. Morse said he was getting to be a rich man, as he had a few thousands laid by, and the mine continued to pan out well. Joe selected a place for his cabin, off to itself on the billside, and willing bands helnen him to build it very quickly, and he was comfortably | settled within a week after bis arrival. There was good grazing-ground and a moun- tain brook of finest water for his horses, there _was plenty of game in the valleys and among the hills, and the youth divided up his time to suit himself, He was wont to work in the mine in the morn- ing bunt or fish in the afternoon, and at night work on the books of the Star Mjne, and also fe r | others, as he got plenty to do. His game and fish be gave to Mrs. Morse al- ways, fo he took his meals at the Morse cabin, he settled down toa life of perfect coutent- ment, which chimed in well with his taste. He was making money, sufficient to.send his mother a hundred dollars a month, and_ still keep a ‘tnest-egge” for himself, and he’ fonnd _bimself quite a hero, as the stage-driver, wnom he had warned of danger, always took his day off in the mines, and he told of Joe’s escape from the Silver Kings, and how he had enabled those * This star Arizona Joe now bas and prizes it most Bae ad for he owed his life to having it when he e Asia: of the Bilver Pasa ee ba AUTHOR. . - ' word in the mines, and when L guess we won't halt to- | OF 5 | to find the poor miner, | danechter oj fourteen, | heauty and sweet wa soon my tg and the worried | a re ee in the coach to dash through the outlaws, killing two of them, as they attemped to check them. Miner Morse also made Known Joe's advelt- tures on the long trail to Texa , and, when bis brave ride alone » through tne Arizona mines was he was looked upon as indeed @ hero. The fame of the noted Texan scout-was a by- the miners: knew that Joe had been bis orarad ‘and on the war-path with him, he pecame [mown under the sobriquet Arizona Joe, the » Boy Pard of Texas Jack.” As time went by ia the mines, the dé preda- tions of the Silver Kings increased, and the mi- ners were in daily and “nightly dread of the bold band of outlaws, Twice they had dashed, over a score in num bers, up to the Star Mine, and Joe felt assured that their visit was intended for lim, and be was most wary in bis movements, for he had reeetv- ed a letter from Cuptain Angelos Vv hich was as follows : ‘Arizona Jon Texss JACK’s PARD:— “T have dixcovere.! the bold dc i. practiced ipon me, and as I warned you the night we oct, | now res peat "hat warn ng that you are doomed th momens you fall into my hands. ** AV CELLAR. “ Captain of Silver Kings.” Another source of anpoOyance to The naners were the Apache Indians, unt! between theaanand the Silver Kings’ lifeim Arizona was by no means a bappy existence, One nicht Joe went over to the Morse cabin, just starting to see him, crief: for Lena a henutilal had been lians; ped, tub whether by the Indians or the Siter K ings no one knew, for in the darkness po one iid seen who the horsemen were who had das ed up and seized her, asshe was seated in tie door of the cabin, in the greatest ( HAPTE R AXILY, THE YOUNG RANGERS The capture of Lena Morse was a bitter blow in the mining-camps. She had won many hearts by her ys, and there were scores of hardy miners who cameto the cabin of Allan Morse ond offered their services to go in chase of the captors of the young girl. The night wes dark, and no trail cculd be fol- lowed, while it was also net known who were the vardals—red-skins, or white men. It entered the thoughts ef Joe that the Silver Kings were the kidnay pers, and be feared it had childish been done as a stroke of revenge at him, because be was the friend of the miner, Since bis :tay.in the mines, Joe had found himself the beau ideal of a number of youths, the sons of the different miners, There was Dick Morse, the one to whom he bad given the rifle he had won, when with the wagon train, and the bor though a trifle younger than Joe looked up to him as « superior in everything, and never tired ef singing his prnises, Dick had become a good shot, rode well, and he had plenty of pluck, Then there were fully a seore of youths, rang- ing from fifteen to eivhteen, 21d they all follow- ed the lead of Ariz-na Joe, who had. organized a band of ‘‘ rangers.” There were but thirteen in the hand, for Joe had become really superstitious about that num- ber: but, as there were as many srore youths to draw upon, be had orrenized. them into an equi] number known as Silver Star Guard. The fact was that Joe in getting his rangers togethe, had the aim in view of some day making a successful raid upon the Silver Kings. There were no soldiers near the minine-camps, and the miners were corstantly et work, and as the Apaches were trou! leson eat tines, ‘and the outlaws also, be thought it woula be a ilea toshow that they hada force ready to defend the cabins. The miners encouraged the idea, and the youths mounted and armed themselves most thoronrhly, and were as proud of their captain as he was of them. Joe hil been nearly. a year in the apr | camps, gett: Lena. Morse was kidnapped, and in his many rides about the country had learned it thoroughly. Asso nasit became known ‘that Lena was stolen, he sent out messeneers for bis rangers to assemble ready for the trail. They ‘were all at the cabin of the youth within. . an honr, mounted and armed for the wa oh oy Boys, Lena Morse has heen taken, as know, and if we wait to follow the trai} by light, ‘they may carry ber to let place» EO whet we can parish ws, FT 4 VP. . : hd \ Sade ual Sie Wty: ’ wy 1? 9 bey * oe ° ' 4’ ae ie: FPL ym" Le 4... ee : : a may - * . : «a, pei: : i , ‘vee ye see BPS th “7 SEE sake tit , ied Te be be a P : - , 7 : es ° ! . - yee . _ «4% . is Bee the Wa Ni ERENCES Re eee? Thi