Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 115 — page 9: what you’re looking at

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

Y ee he ee —— ——_—— . — —— — ‘* Quick, men!” he cried. ‘‘TI have him!” In response he was himself thrown fiercely a\.0n the floor. Quickly gaining his feet, Rock bent over him; andere the fallen man could prevent it he seized him in turn by the throat, and planted his knee on his breast, while he raised his arm to deal the final blow, crying, excitedly: ‘** Coyote, die !” ‘* Don’t!” gasped the stricken one. ‘I give uD rou have defeated me, and I am satis- ed. ‘Good! I don’t keer to strike a fallen man.” All other fighting in the room had ceased, » Feeling that the duel had ended, the anxious crowd soon burst open the door and rushed in, When the lights once more lit the apart- ment what a wild, awful tableau greeted their eyes. *Rock and Burke were completely covered with blood, and looked more like wild beasts than men. ‘Thar!’ exclaimed The-Man-from-Texas, re- lensing his conquered foe, ‘‘I hope ye hev got wodae of Rock Randel.” Crestfallen Cooney Burke arose without a a ord. ** What means this?’ cried Hanson, as he dis- aovered the other bodies lying upon the floor. “Thar war treachery afoot, and the mean uusses tended to rub me out. But thar war too vaenny fer ’em!” There were the bodies of five men—all dead! ‘* That coyote had ’em hid behind the counter 40's to hev an easy job,” declared Randel. ‘ But J could give my word thet I hed somebody to telp me, Where is he?” N o trace or knowledge of such a person was tound. One of the slain five had been shot; the others tore the wounds of a knife. Rock had killed the first. Who had over- powered the rest. Amazed the spectators gazed on the scene in silence. ‘‘Curses upon you, Rock Randel!” suddenly cried the sharp voice of Cooney Burke, who stood in the doorway, shaking his fists at The- Man-from-Texas, fiercely; ‘‘ you have foiled me this time, but by the Golden Cave! you shall die for this night’s work!” Before the awed crowd could move he darted away and disappeared. CHAPTER XI. DANDY DEFIANT. THoues Rock had received several wounds, wione of them were serious, and he had come out of the duel ‘‘ first best ” after all, The bodies of the slain were removed, when all were recognized as men belonging to Silver- atone. The-Man-from-Texas was really the hero of the hour, but yet many looked upon him with enn but good feelings. he dead had friends there, who, though really they could not blame the Texan, yet they turned their indignation upon him. What was more disastrous to Rock, he began to be satisfied in his own mind that at least one- half, if not more of the miners were in sympathy with Buck Warner! He knew the crisis could not be far away. He dared not refer to the abduction of Lenore Cassa, for he felt she had been stolen away, and thus she was not spoken of again, though he still determined to try and save her. " ‘By Randel Rock!” he said to himself, as he \urried down to Tim Cotton’s that evening, ‘‘I reckon this ’coon don’t pass in his checks without a funeral. He—” ; ' The appearance of Wild Wind put an end to nis meditations, ‘“*Te-he!” laughed the lunatic. ‘‘ Man-from- J'exas no find gal?’ ** Nary a once!” . “She gone! Wild Wind see bad-eyed man ‘with dark face take her down Silverstone,” ‘‘Can ye tell me whar she ar’ now?” cried Kock, eagerly, The Mad Miner shook his head. ‘Told all! Texas man aoa not go down. Wild Wind see smooth-faced man and one, two, three more going to kill him. They hide in dark, but shoot quick—quick !” The strange being who had scarcely paused while speaking, darted away when he ed. Completely mystified, Rock hardly knew how to proceed, but on the alert from this warning he took the middle of the street and kept on. The-Man-from-Texas was in just that frame of mind to be reckless. Then he would not have hesitated at any peril. The Mad Miner. —_—_— —_— ‘By my right hand!” he exclaimed aloud, ‘I’ve played the possum long enough! Rock, old boy, ye—” His quick eye had caught sight of some one hiding in the shadow of a building across the way. Then a sharp report broke the stillness, and a bullet just grazed his temple. He had barely sprung to the opposite side of the street when a volley of shot flew past the spot where he had stood. “That fixed him!” cried a quick voice, “I saw him fall. But let’s makea sure thing of him,” and followed by the others, the speaker rushed forward and came into full sight. In an instant Rock raised his revolver, and three reports followed in rapid succession. a With howls of pain and terror the waylayers ed, ‘Guess ye got all ye axed fer then,” said Rock with a grin, as he resumed his journey to the post-office. That night The-Man-from-Texas had a long talk with Temperance Tim, the main point of which was that the latter advised him to leave the valley. ‘They are all against you,” he said; ‘ the hate you use you own all the valley. Buc Warner has a big control. Coon Burke is work- ing for him, and I think Mark Hanson is in league with him. Now the Harlow brothers are dead and Alpine Luke, too, whois there you can rely upon to assist yout In this country ’tis every man for himself.’ Rock was silent for several moments. At last he said: “1 chip with yom Es ye say, there ain’t one in Silverstone 1 can depend on, save ye. But, Tim, all I hev in this world is byar in this mine and afore [ll leave it alive, I'll dig the funeral oO’ every coyote this side o’ Silver Mountain! Diye hyar? ‘I hope the right will triumph,” averred the postmaster, earnestly. ‘‘ At any rate you can count on me for anything I can do for you.” ‘* Gi’n us yer paw, old beaver; this ’coon won’t ferget his pardners!’’ its light o’er Gold-dust Another sun shed Hollow. Karly in the morning Rock left the post-office to go to the Bang-up, to see to the arrange- ments for the day. He wished, too, to learn the tenor of his miners’ feeli in regard to the affair of the past evening. [f he considered it prudent he wished to prospect the ‘‘ Cave lead ” as the upper section of the valley was called. He was surprised to find a large crowd gath- weed around the ‘‘ hotel,” and he quickly joined it. ‘* What’s in the wind now?” he asked of one of the bystanders, unable to see what was go- ing on in the center of the mass of lookers-on. ‘'Thet ar’ Mad Miner has been on sum sort av a rampage and the boys are goin’ to rope him, I guess, ” replied the other carelessly. ‘What has he done that he desarves a fu- neral?” ‘*Dunno. Mebbe— Sol Ginger! there he goes! Hooray for the Mex’can lion!” and the ex- cited speaker turned to watch the movements of the crowd in front. In an instant the throng took up the cry, till the air rung with the hoarse shout. Rock suddenly saw a mule led into the open- ing in the midst of the mob, and Wild Wind, eer hands bound behind him, thrown upon This was beneath a tree in front of the an up, and a rope was cea tossed over a lim while er hands began to secure one end around the doomed man’s neck, and others to fasten the opposite end to the tree-branch above. All this took but an instant. The-Man-from-Texas could stand no more. Elbowing his way through the excited horde of lookers-on in mad haste, he reached the spot. ‘*Hyar!” he yelled, ‘‘ what does this mean?” The executioners paused and looked at the in- truder in amazement. ‘What has Wind Gray done thet ye treat him in this way?’ Rock demanded. ‘‘How kems thet to consarn you, Mister Randel?” asked one, Oregon Dick, who seemed the leader of the movement. ‘IT want to see fair play, that is all. Hes he n up to mischief?” ‘Wal, I should say so. He shot Bill Thorne down by Harkman’s, last evening, and wound- ed Joe Sumner at the same time. We heerd the firing at the Bang-up, and we kaptured the cuss jess as he war trying to levant.” k comprehended the situation in a mo- ment. Wild Wind had been taken for what he 9 had done when attacked by the waylayers on going from the saloon to Cotton’s. ‘* Look hyar, boys,” he said, ‘‘ ye hey made a mistake. war me who must hey’ dug Bill’s funeral. I war ’tacked by a lot o’ chaps last night, and did sum shooting.” Without heeding him the mad Jynchers kept on with their purpose. ‘* D’ye hyar?” roared Rock. ‘' Hev ye given Wind Gray a fair trial?’ ‘* Bah! what need of a trial when we caught the fool in the act?” replied Oregon Dick, ho Mf “IT tell ye Wild Wind didn’t wipe out Bill Thorne, and ye ain’t no beaver to swing him fer ; ’ ‘**You are a fool, Dick Lane, to let that Texan poke his fist into your dish. Better rope him, too!” hissed a voice from the crowd. ‘I will ef he don’t keep quiet. Up with the fool as quick as possible, boys.” Rock was getting furious. ‘* All Lask is fair play and no side-show,” he cried. ‘‘Kf Wind Gray desarves hangin’ then I am willin’ he sh’u’d swing. But I tell ye he ain’t corraled enny one. J shot Bill Thorne.” “Then of course you are willing to take the fool’s place,” said Oregon Dick. ‘ Boys, it’s a good snap. ure him, and we won’t lose any of our fun, after all!” —_— drew his revolvers, while his eyes flash- ed. ‘* Jess try it ef ye want to!” he declared in an ominous tone. ‘I am jess the ’coon fer a funer- al! Irubbed out Bill Thorne, but I did it in self-defense. Wind Gray is innocent, and, by Randel Rock, he don’t swing fer it!” Oregon Dick fairly foamed with in, ee ‘* Furies!” he yelled, ‘‘are we to be balked by a ee dog? Up with the loony men, quic “Try it ef ye dare!” and with a revolver in ee and The-Man-from-Texas defied the mad. mob. CHAPTER XII. AT BAY, EveEry sound of the Ong was hushed by the bold conduct of Rock Randel. Oregon Dick saw that to press the matter fur- ther was sure to end in bloodshed. His followers shrunk back in dismay. The execution was stayed. Several moments passed before any one broke the stillness. Then Mark Hanson came forward, saying in a compromising tone: ‘Perhaps we have been rather fast, boys. Oh mason as if the fool did not do the deed after all. ‘‘T second the words of Mr. Hanson,” said Tim Cotton, who had just joined the group. ‘Rock Randel carries a level head and he ain’t one to upset any one’s dish unless he sees the ison. ‘Let him put down ’em shooters then,” ex- claimed Oregon Dick mec & ‘Not till I see Wind Gray taken off thet mule,” replied the daring Texan. ‘I ain’t on a blind trail now; and I ain’t goin’ to see that boy thrown cold fer nothin’.” ‘What say you, men?” said Hanson, at this opportune time. ‘‘Shall Wild Wind be hung for what he never did, or shall he levant?” “Let him git!” some one cried, and others took up the declaration till it seemed the unani- mous opinion. “Just as you'll hev it!” growled Oregon Dick, doggedly. ‘J should say rope him and the Texan too, then we might hev peace. Do e hear, Wind Gray, ef ye show yer ugly mu tn Silverstone again I wouldn’t give a cent 3 bushel for them. Let him go, boys.” The Mad Miner was — at rey t and re- ceiving a parting injunction no appear in Silverstone again, he was allowed to depart in peace, and Dandy Rock restored his weapons to their position in his belt with the satisfaction of kno he had gained his object. Though he had made his foes more bitter against him, The-Man-from-Texas had gained a number of new friends by his noble bravery. ‘“‘T tell ye thet Texan is no Injun,” affirmed a tall miner toa knot of listeners; “ he’s true grit and no blow up. _ I hed ruther he’d be my ner than to hev him ag’in’ me. He means izness, and he’ll jess throw every chap es tries to push him. I fer one am jess the old chap to let him run this lead to suit hisself.” The speaker was not alone in his avowal, and that day Rock’s prospects brightened. ‘“* Carry a ge Y hand and “ays will sweep the board yet,” declared Mark, confidently to Randel, as they saw the miners commence their Eomicbooks (E(@)