Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 115 — page 6: what you’re looking at

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

other on the bank of the stream they clasped hands in delight. ‘‘Qur fortunes are made!” cried Charles. * There is gold enough here to make us nabobs!” ‘You are right, brother,” replied the other, quickly. Buta shadow suddenly flitted across his handsome face, as he added. ‘‘We must not think of the gold, Charles. At least not un- til we have fulfilled our dying father’s wishes.” ‘* Why continue our foolhardy tg oe longer when we must throw away such a chance as this? Seth, I say let vengeance—” “Hush, brother! You have not forgotten the pledge we made to our father? This gold is not ours, and we must leave it to continue our work.” ‘Not I, Seth, Here is untold wealth, and ‘The-Man-from-Texas, when I saved his life in Stockton last week, said we should share the Valley of Gold with him. Come, brother, let’s leave von alone, and-~” Suddenly the aker was cut short in his words. ithout a cry—without a warning sound—he fell backward and dropped to ,the earth like one dead! BP a a his brother gazed wildly upon im. Then a wild, maniacal laugh rung on the air, and Wild Wind, the Mad Winer: was seen by Seth to leap from the thicket where he had dis- appeared a little while before, and leap madly away, looking wilder and more dreadful than ever, ‘Oh, brother!” cried the living one, as he fell by rs re mey a gar at single look into the sy eyes, one grasp of the cold hand, and baveciod eek with the word spoken in awful anguish: ** Dead !” Ten minutes must have passed before Seth Harlow recovered himself enough to move. The blood was welling from the stricken man’s mouth and nostrils, and he was surely be- yond earthly scenes. ‘* This is terrible!” groaned the other. Then as he staggered to his feet he said: ‘‘Il can not leave your body here to be torn in pieces by the foul vultures. No; I must give your romains burial, Charles. It is all I can do for you.” Selecting the most favorable spot, he began his laborious task. Loosening the earth with sticks, and throwing it out with his hands, he kept steadily at his work for full an hour. At last he had a pit deep enough to receive the body; and thinking to cover it with the loose earth and stones, he washed his hands in the stream, and started to bear it to the spot, when to his amazement it was not to be found! ——--— CHAPTER VII. ANOTHER VICTIM. SILVERSTONE “‘city”” was but a small collec- tion of rude huts, which seemed to have been thrown together promiscuously. But like all mining settlements it was alive with bustle and excitement every night, in strange contrast to the unnatural quietness that pervaded it while the inhabitants were delving in the mines. Dandy Rock first conducted Lenore Cassa to the only dwelling in the place that merited the name of a house, and owned by one Tim Cotton —Temperance Tim—-who was postmaster, and one of the leading spirits in the valley, besides being, better than all, a strictly honest man. Leaving Lenore there, with the promise that he would do all he could tow finding her ents, and feeling that she, at least, was safe, k sought the loafers’ rendezvous of Silver- stone—the Bang-up “hotel.” At this place he found full a score of men al- srk: congregated, and others still coming. “Wal,” drawled a tall specimen of a miner, savoring strong of the mountain air, “ef hyar ain’t The-Man-from-Texas kem to grace our company may I be skulped by a Pawnee! Stomp up, old hoss, and hev a bu’ster 0’ piven, peer hes got some boss, d’ye hyar, old ’pos- sum Twas seldom Rock ever visited any of the drinking ‘‘shebangs,” unless on urgent business, for he had learned long before that to trifle with the tempter was certain destruction, and those around knew that something new must be “in the wind.” ‘*“Wal, I reckon this ’coon don’t chip in to- night, Pete. Much obliged to ye all the same,” was Randel’s reply to the ex-mountaineer. ‘*Dang my buttons! ef ye ain’t a quare one!. Howsum’dever, hyar’s fer old Rocker Hill Pete!” and che speaker drained the glass himself. OW os ns Rook?” asked onc brown _as eG ge The Mad Miner. LD DDL —— So ee ee OC Oe Flying Ned, looking up from his game of seven- up. ‘‘The old Nick’s to pay!” exclaimed the Texan. ‘* What! has the Hollow lead bu’sted? or the Golden Cave—” ‘No sich thing,” interrupted The-Man-from- Texas, impatiently. ‘‘ Ye all know o’ old Cassa, the Peura ranchman? Wal, he and his folks war all gobbled up by Buck Warner and his cattle down by Silverstone Ledge. I hev jess left his darter down to Temperance Tim’s, and she wants us to hitch up and see ef we can find ennything o’ her daddy and folks, What say ye, old beavers, will ye jess help take the trail?” As Rock concluded no one ventured to reply. Again the Texan told his sary and repeated his request. Still no one offered any assistance. ‘Look hyar!” he cried, excitedly, ‘‘ ef any of you don’t care to take the lead with me, I am goin’ alone. It sha’n’t be said Rock Randel wouldn’t help the ’flicted.” Rock was nettled by the others’ indifference, and he made no attempt to hide it. At last one of the bystanders stepped for- ward. He wasa strongly-built man, young in years, with a cleanly-shaven face and flashing eyes. ‘ ‘*T don’t see any need fer you to get so up- pish, Rock Randel,” he said, in a low but distinct tone. ‘‘ What proof can you give of the truth of what you have said?” ‘* What proof ?” repeated the Texan, touched to the quick. ‘‘ Jess w down to the post- office and see Miss Lenore.” ‘Of course I meant no offense, Rock,’ the other hastened to say, as he saw Randel fairly trembling with passion. ‘‘ But are you sure it is no game laid to trap us?” ** Cooney Burke,” cried The-Man-from-Texas drawing himself proudly erect, while the gold on his person glistened in the semi-darkness like a myriad of stars, ‘‘ d’ye think I have tramped nigh onto forty years, until I know every inch o’ the kentry from Silver Mountain to Texas, and am the ’coon to be led on a blind trail now? Ef enny 0’ ye don’t choose to help me, I shall go alone. Rock Randel ain’t no coyote. Wagh !” ‘* You have a level head and true grit, Rock Randel, but I fear you are on a wild chase now. However, I have expressed my fears, and if you still persist in your determination, why I am with you.” ‘*So am I,” chimedin a voice from the crowd, and Seth Harlow advanced to the side of the Texan. Allow us to say that young Harlow had had no trouble in leaving the valley after the scene last recorded. Though suffering the keenest pangs of sorrow at his brother’s untimely fate, 6 had sought Silverstone, and was determined to carry out the purpose of his coming there. In a moment five others joined Burke, and Rock’s party numbered eight all told. ** When shall we start?’ asked one. ** Now,” answered the Texan, se pith “It is less than an hour’s ride to the ledge, and we don’t know but we are needed this minnit.” ‘* All right,” said Conrad Burke, “I will be ready in five minutes.” A quarter of an hour later, the little caval- cade turned the’r backs on the Silverstone, and were riding leisurely down the creek by that name. The waning moon was not more than an hour’s time above the western horizon, and the sky was fast becoming overcast, so that it would soon be a dark night. Rock led the way, while close behind, in Indian file, followed the others, the line of horse- men looming up in weird proportions in the dusky scene. perhaps a couple of leagues of the broken land had been passed, the Texan drew rein. ‘* We are almost there,” he said, in an under- tone, ‘‘and we had better tether our animals, while we peg on on foot.” Quickly acting on the suggestion, the horses were led into the deeper shadow of the forest, and secured, when, leaving them under the charge of one of their number, the remainder resumed their course on foot. Not a sound broke the night stillness, save the bark of the gray wolf, or the hoot of the owl watching the valley from his perch on the side of Silver Mountain. Like shadows, in the somber darkness, the seven men crept stealthily forward, hardly ge tks what to look for or expect. “i Finally they reached the edge of a small clearing. Pausing ber Mire* babell cavepre] dar ob- ’tacked,” said Rock. thar!” The exclamation was caused by a sudden movement of the creatures ahead; and the next instant a dozen dark beings bounded swiftly for the opposite forest. They were wolves! ‘There is meat ’round or they would not be prowling here,” affirmed Burke. ‘*So l reckon,” muttered The-Man-from-Texas fearlessly advancing. Near the center of the clearing they discov- ered the half-devoured carcasses of a yoke of oxen, and near by the ruins of a canvas-cov- ered wagon. “’Twar old Cassa’s rig-out,” cried Rock, ‘“‘and hyar’s where the coyotes corraled him!” “Yes, but look there,” exclaimed Conrad Burke, pointing to what was unmistakably the remains of human beings. ‘* We are too late to be of service,” said Seth Harlow. ‘‘ No doubt all have perished.” ‘*We might have known it,” muttered Burke. A moment’s silence followed as the litt/o oup gazed upon the mangled dead, half eaten y the wolves. In the brief interval one of the startled men suddenly pitched forward and fell, to all ap- pearances, lifeless! The survivors started in terror, and glanced wildly about. Not a living being was in sight. Nota single sound had broken the deathlike stillness, Rock Randel was the first to move, and ben:’- ing over their fallen companion, he turned i _: body face upward, crying out huskily; ‘* He’s a goner!”’ The others were spellbound. “We must not stay hyar” ejaculated tho Texan, ‘‘or we shall all be cuuved out. Kem, let’s git!” Bearing the body of their dead comrade with them, the party were nothing loth to retreat. In the hurry and excitement no one thought of looking for the cause of the victim’s death. With one accord they dashed away from th: fateful spot. In a moment the timber was reached, a little to the right of their entrance, and though ex.- pecting death from every quarter, they werv fora moment paralyzed by the sudden appeer- ance of a score of armed savages springing into od path and surrounding them on every nd, ! ‘*Howgh—owgh—gh!” rung the fierce wa”. whoop, and every bush and stone seemed t+ emit the demoniac foe! CHAPTER VIIL. THE NIGHT PHANTOM. Evit Eyes led his followers on to what pro mised an easy victory. A bitter mistake! Quickly regaining their usual self-possession, the miners arcpped the body of their late com- panion, and answering the savages yell for yell, sprung to the combat with purpose on and will undaunted, Rock felled two of the horde at his first fire, and then clubbing his rifle he fought them hand- to- hand, The first volley of tke assailants left but four of the whites to carry on the struggle; and one of them almost instantly broke ona fled! "Twas Cooney Burke. Rock, Seth and Flying Ned alone strove to beat back the outnumbering enemy. ‘“Hooray fer old Texas!” and another red- skin bit the dust, é Fairly crazy now, the intrepid Texan threw aside his rifle, the stock splintered to atoms, and with a revolver in either band sent shot aiter shot among the shrieking savages. Seth Harlow vee them down right and left, while Ned Austin did good work. Fierce was thecombat, wild the scene. Awhile the stout-hearted trio held their ov n. Then, with a despairing cry, Flying Ned yieldcd to the overwhelming power. He was borne tv the earth. Seth fought in vain to keep off his assailants. Only one form rose among the frantic In- dians, and that towered a head above them. The-Man-from-Texas, all the fire of his nature awakened, seemed unconquerable. Nay, at last he staggered blindly to andfro. Healmost fell. Once more rallying, he sprung at the throat of the half-breed chief, but missed his footing and reeled headlong to the earth. At this very critical irstant when the tide of battle had turned, another form burst upon the “Jeemes Stopple! look im