Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 115 — page 4: what you’re looking at

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

A. The Mad Miner. tion, when, with a low cry of pain, he reeled back, and fell at the foot of the tree. Startled and amazed, the others turned to him, to discover the haft of a huge knife yng truding from his left side in the region of the mae They realized that he was dead, but who had done the deed? In awe they glanced wildly about them, but saw not the assassin. Even as they gazed another of their number fell in the same mysterious way! Speechless and spellbound, they could not move. The lunatic, too, was transfixed with terror. A moment of dread, and then recovering their activity once more, but heeding the prisoner no longer, they fled in mad affright. ith a discordant laugh the witless unknown followed, making the woods echo with his mean- ingless cries. CHAPTER IV. ROCK SEES A ‘‘SPOOK.” Go.p-pust Buck uttered a cry of surprise as he heard Rock’s defiant answer. ‘Then you wont git?’ he growled, hoarsely. “No! I ownall Gold-dust Hollow, and the cave, too, and [ am not goin’ to be druv out o’ it by ye, or enny other coyote this side o’ Texas.” ‘*Bah! But who is that with you?” ‘¢ None o’ yer bizness, old Tearer.” ‘Tt, is the old Californian’s daughter,” one of Warner’s followers affirmed. ‘* You are right, Stockton Sharp, and we are in luck. ‘*Rock Randel, you have with you a person yhom of all others I desire. I had her in my ower once to-day, but somehow she managed ‘pesca Now, I have one more offer to make jou. Surrender that girl into my hands, and I »yromise I will leave Gold-dust Hollow forever, jo never trouble you again. What say you to that? Remember, it will be an easy thing for me to capture you both, and in that case I swear neither shall live. Will — give the girl up to 7 tsa be allowed to depart in peace your- self? ‘‘Oh, kind sir!” cried the maiden tothe Tex- fn, with anxious pleading, ‘‘ don’t let that dread- fal man get me! He sh down poor father and mother this afternoon, and he wants to carry me off with him! I had rather die than for him to ret me!” ‘Mover fear, my purty one,” replied Rock, encouragingly; ‘‘Vll stand by ye till the last.” To the impatient outlaw he cried loudly: ‘‘ Do ye think J am meaner than a Digger In- dian? J am ready to die for this gal, and will do it afore ye shall hev her!” A derisive laugh was the only answer, and the ‘tug of war was at hand. The-Man-from-Texas glanced hastily about for a way to elude his foes. Tho rock extended for some distance, but in mywvise offered him any more protection than ‘th 16 gained from his present position. At that moment the outlaws sent the contents of their rifles flying about his head, and he felt one bullet strike his arm. ‘‘ Hooray!” shouted the assailants, and threw themselves forward en masse. Dandy Rock had reloaded his weapons ere this, and the first shot that left its fateful muz- wle carried death to one of the desperadoes. “This way, purty one,” and he darted ‘back to the rear. Around the huge bowlder the Texan led his charge. As he came out on the other side, he saw to his horror the horde of savages coming’ up the ravine! , Between two foes he was lost! Had it been a little later the darkness of night would have aided him; but, though the sun had “oeeeeaes set, it was still quite light. right or left and his race was up. “TI will die game!” he muttered. ‘TI fear, ; iss, it is all up with us! But be brave and we ‘aay escape. I—” . ines YON shriek from the Indians drowned his i peech. Then as One body they rushed upon— Ha! At that very instant when they seemed “@ have victory within their grasp, their cries of exultation changed to yells of terror; and turning in a mad mediéy they actually fled, without Hlisehexging & single shot. Wonder-struck, Rock hesitated. The enemy behind seeing the precipitate flight of those in front paused. Then a wild cry rung from the mountain side ahove, which cased nd and foe to glance fias.l7 upward. In the weird twilight was seen a wild, un- civilized-looking being, with flowing hair and tattered garb. “ The Mad Miner!” exclaimed Gold-dust Buck, in amazement. ‘‘Wild Wind, the Crazy Miner!” chorused his followers. , If the outlaws were for a moment inactive, Rock wasn’t. Improving his chance, he dashed into the valley and along its bottom, keeping his com- _panion close by his side. “Let the varmints gawk ef they want to! P’'m much obleeged to thet wild miner fer letting us off so cute, ain’t ye, miss?” ‘*Oh, yes; but you are hurt!” ‘‘ Never mind thet; ’tain’t nothin’, But warn’t thet tall fun? Gracious! I jes think o’ old Texas in ’em times!” By this time the outlaws rallied; but the Texan had got a start of them that promised escape. He heard them aoe for a moment, and then al away. Perplexed at their seeming withdrawal from the chase, he could but think they were hunting him by stealth. Had he seen the two lifeless forms they had left behind he would not have wondered at their movement. At last, when he felt that they had little more to fear from their foes for ‘the time, Rock paused, and turning to the maiden, said: ** Wal, miss, I reckon we needn’t hurry so like scart bufflers now. I guess’em coyotes hev gone to their den.” ‘‘Then we are out of danger?” she asked, joy- ous] sé through the growth sound of them died Yes, ef we only keep our peepers awake. Hev ye enny perticular place yer want ter go? And may I ax yer name and whar ye kem frum, purty one? ‘* Certainly. My name is Lenore Cassa, and in company with our family I was coming up the Remoure and going to the lower valley, where father owns a gold claim. We were at- tacked to-day by a party of men called the ‘Valley Guard,’ and I was carried off, to be de- livered over to the half-breed and his savages. Oh, sir, you can’t know what I have suffered, and if it had not been for you, I should have been killed ere this! But r father and moth- er! Imustgotothem. I sadly fear they areno more! Excuse me if I would know to whom I owe my life before I go.” The Texan hesitated to speak, he was so en- grossed with the fair vision before him. Never had he seen one who seemed so beautiful to him. His very soul was thrilled with the magnetism of her voice. ‘You will at least tell me your name,” she repeated. ‘ Scuse me, Miss Lenore,” he stammered; ‘‘ I —I am onl Dandy Rock, The-Man-from-Texas, es they call me,” “Can it be possible?” she cried, ‘“‘I have heard father Pe of you often. How can I ever pay you for saving my life, Mr.—Mr.—I don’t believe I know your name, after all.” ‘Call me Rock,” he said, amy. ** Never mind the pay; I—I am more than paid by one look of your pare eyes.” ‘¢ May God bless you!” she murmured, not at all offended by hisrude sincerity. ‘‘ But I must leave you and go back tomy friends. They will be worried about me.” ““What! goin’ off alone? Not ef Rock Randel knows it! Why, bless ye, my ety one, the valley is full o’ coyotes, es will gobble ye u quicker nor a ats lona desert! Whar di ye ae the old fo and them as war with em ‘‘ Down where the creek flows over the ledge and disappears into the canyon.” ‘* T know the place jess | of SLPGAN in my dinner. I rn we hed better go down to the ‘city,’ and I'll git sum o’ the pg to go down with me, 7 ye thar. ese are pesky onsartain With the words Rock started down the val- ley eens for the mining settlement that lay to their right. Conscious that they were likely to be discov- ered any moment by the enemy that must still be liking in the vicinity, he was constantly on the alert. . It was while thus cautiously advancing, that he fancied he heard footsteps. Sinking back into the shadow of a clump of bushes, he waited in breathless silence. {t was then getting quite dark, so that he cou'd distinguish nothing plainly. But in a yaument he saw the form «f - wan leave the | growth and come in his course a few roda ahead. He was in tbe act. of drawing up his rifle ready for instant work, when something fm the new-comel’s appearance caused him to Ls the weapon and watch him intently. The person slowly crossed the clearing and disappeared into a neighboring thicket, Rock seemed like one paralyzed, and he never removed his gaze till the other was gone. Then springing to his feet, with a breath of relief, he cried: “May I be turned into a whirlwind ef thet ! wa’n’t the spook o’ Alpine Luke!” When he recovered himself enough to go on, he examined the place where the form had a ha i the path, but nothing could be seen of m. “Jess es I sed!” he muttered, ‘‘ Luke don’t rest right. But, Jeems Stopple! I hope his spook won’t git arter me!” CHAPTER V. THE MAD MINER IN A NEW ROLE, HALF stunned by his fall, Charles Harlow lay bound hands and feet. At first he could hardly realize that he was saved. Saved? Washe? The outlaws had fled, but they might return at any moment, while he was aa oes here was Seth? Impatiently he waited and hoped for escape, all the while frantically try- ing to free himself from the ligatures that held him so securely. Thus twenty minutes passed and he was fast losing his strength, when the sound of footsteps startled him; and the next instant to bis un- speakable joy, his brother appeared in sight. ‘* Are you hurt, Charles? and where are the ruffians?’ was Seth’s greeting. ‘The villains have fled. am not burt, but bound like a captive rabbit.” ‘*So I am,” said the other, advancing, and holding up bis hands showing that they were still tied firmly behind him. = horse threw me,” he said, in explana- tion, ‘and by this time is half-way to Diy- town. I think yours has followed ie for I heard him galloping that way. Iwas not much hurt by my fall, but for my life I cannot burst these bonds. ou.” After a long and patient trial he succeeded i clearing Charles’s wrists of their thongs; and at last both were free. ‘* Where shall we go?” On to Gold-dust, by all means,” replies Seth; ‘‘ though our horses are gone we can reach the place to-night. Ha! as I live, I be- lieve I can see the ‘city’ now.” Away to the south and east of them sure enough was to be seen a considerable collection of rude huts and even tuildings that showed sane of respectability. As Gold-dust was the only settlement in the vicinity, of course it must be the destination they had come so far to reach. ‘“You are right, Seth,” exclaimed the youn- ger, quickly, “‘wemust goon. We are near our journey’send, Are youstill as firm as ever to carry out the object of our coming here? and are you still confident that this is the valley the Californian was era ck is not easily mis- ‘Quite so. Dand taken, though I did deceive him into the belief that we were coming here to pan his gold, when it was really to further a selfish purpose—to finish the work of our life.” ~ t is our secret, Seth; and be careful how you whisper, it for trees may have ears, you know. e gave our oaths to our dyin father that we would hunt down his morta foe, even if we had to search the entire world, and, brother, we will not forget our pledge. But, come; if we would reach yonder settlement before dark, we must be moving.” ‘Those bodies must lie here until their friends take them away,” the other said, as he turned to the dead ‘‘ Guards.” “ My faith, their death isa mystery tome. It must have been some of their own number who did it.” “T can’t say. I know, whoever did it saved my life. But we had better appropriate their weapons in the place of the ones they took "Quickly. axtaingr themeel ickly arming themselves with the revolvers of the slain, the brothers were soon ning toward the valley which lay below. For some time they advanced in silence, when they were brought to a sudden stand-still by the sqund of a voice near at hand. hey were now midway in the hollow, and a OOK) com S (C | ' | t 4 Let me see what I ean do fo; (E(0)