Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 121 — page 5: what you’re looking at

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

_——___..._. . SR te a —_—_—_——s ee ree Sport’s cayuse, and many admiring glances did the victorious animal receive. ‘‘T suppose he is not for sale, eh? Captain Mayburn inquired, as Rosebud Rob dismounted before the Girard, and gave Circus into charge of the hostler. ‘* Not for all the gold in these re ions, ae” the Sport 2s Seam with a quiet smile, ‘* The horse, I might say, isa part of my being, and to part with him, would be to lose the most valued of all my present possessions.” * He is ‘ridbed, a noble animal, and was well ridden,” Mayburn replied, as he turned away, and sauntered down the street. Rosebud Rob gazed after him, a moment, and then entered the restaurant. Here he dined, and then sauntered into the gambling apartment to look on, for, although no gamester by profession, he knew what a good game was, and took pleasure in watching the ever-changing tide of fortune. : The first person he encountered, on entering, was the Girl Guide, Cinnamon Chip—the eccen- tric creature in male attire, whose beauty of face and form attracted universal admiration, but whom no man seemed desirous of offending. In those far-away mining regions, such women as ‘‘wear the breeches,” are generally set down as tough customers to handle, especially where Oey Carry. weapons, as did the Girl Guide. @ looked up, and smiled in recognition, as she saw Rosebud Rob, and put out a hand that was as fair, and as soft as velvet. *“* Shake, Ferner for I reckon you are the very galoot [ am glad to see!” she said, her eyes dancing merrily. ‘‘It just did me proud, to see you scoot away from thet gineral’s darter’s nag, it did, you bet, an’ I opine thar wasn’t many who wasn’t glad you won.” ‘*Think so? ell, I don’t know, I am sure. I saw, however, that my cause had a warm ad- vocate in you.” “You bet yer boots. Ef ever I was glad, it was when I see’d you beat Flyin’ Star. I war ruther dubious 0’ you, when I see’d you lagging behind, but when you spurted ahead, sez I to myself, sez [: Chip, my gal, there’s a square loot, half man, an’ t’other half distilled ightning, and he’s ther chap fer ye to ketch onter for a friend, bein’s you're a lone trick in this full deck o’ aces. So I made bold to salute ye, jest now, although I never had nary an if you are in introduc!” “Which was perfectl right need of a right bower,” ud replied, shak- ing her hand, and then lighting acigar. ‘I’m at your di for any service you may re- quire; from hanging a road-agent, to scalpin an Apache, although I have had more experi- ence in the former than in the latter line of business,” “‘That’s the talk! I know’d you wasn’t no slouch, the minnit I fired a glance at ye, and I reckoned a gal could trust herself with a pard of your calibre, without fear of insult or assault, Mebbe I don’t look quite like a fust class angel in these togs, ner my vocabulary ain’t quite so polished-as a hot-house belle’s, but I calculate there’s considerable respect and virtue in me, yet although others might not think it, because ’m a wild oat, and as independent as a hog on ice, an’ can take care of number one, every day in the week, and twice on Sunday.” ‘A wild oat though you may be, I believe ou are all right, and can assure you of m riendship to the end,” Rosebud “Rob said, warmly, arte sy “wy sudden wave of sadness swept across his handsome face, as he thought of his loved one who reposed down ina golden gulch in the wild Black Hills—poor Baltimore Bess, who in her life and strength, ere the assassin’s hand struck her, had been so like this Cinnamon Chip in character and spirit. ‘I, as well as yourself, count as a stranger in this town, and strangers often make the warmest friends. I sg you came here to dig for golden nuggets?” a time, my Rosebud! no mining on my plate I know myself. Just what me down to Bummer’s Bend is at present a secret, which I must not betray even to you.” “Nor is it required that you should,” Rose- bud Rob replied. ‘‘My mission here is also un- known to any one except myself. Hello! I wonder what’s the rumpus now?” Something, evidently, for the door had sud- denly been wn open, and a squad of soldiers headed by Dandy ell Guthrie entered the ming sa.oon. ‘It’s you or me as is wanted, Bobbie!” -Cinna- mon Chip announced quickly drawing and cock- ing her revolvers. ‘‘ Pull your oe pard, and if they give you five wiggles of their lip, = — as all they want, right from the muz- ) 3 rought ; Cinnamon Chip. CHAPTER IV. THE CAMP AROUND THE BEND—OLD HARDPAN. camp around the Bend, to which the half-breed fellow, wr fees referred in a previous chapter, was locate under the shade of a grove of cottonwoods on the bank of a stream, about half a mile below the Bend, to which the little town nearly extended, The camp consisted of three tents, and a dozen horses and pack-mules that were tethered out to graze. Looking in gs the cane the night after the races, one would have behe dquitea little crowd assembled around the brightly burning fire in front of the tents—men who looked rough and used to life upon the prairies, but who were, at a glance, a oan dag assorted lot. The captain of the band, Blonde Jack May- burn, lay outstretched upon the grass, with his elbow and hand supporting his head as he smoked a finely wrought merschaum pipe. A handsome fellow this Mayburn, with his fine form and genial face with its firm but pleasant mouth, its brown sparkling eyes and golden appendages of hair and mustache. And no man was he, evidently, to brook insult or allow any one to crowd upon him. Not far from the Captain, the Celestial, Pig- tail Pete, was squatted upon the grass engaged in braiding his cue. Next to the Chinaman, was a tall, lanky fel- low of powerful build, who looked as if he might be able to handle a dozen foes with com- parative ease, He was a plainsman, to the core, and boasted not of his many deeds, but was singularly re- ticent and taciturn. In face he was dark, but not unhandsome, with black eyes, hair and mustache and even teeth of pearly whiteness, which he showed every time he spoke or laugh- ed, which was not often. This man was familiarly known to the Bum- mer’s Bendites as Wild Bill Marion, the Aven- ger, from the fact that his chief mission in life seemed to be the wreaking of vengeance upon whatever Indians came in his way. Years before, it was said, his wife and only child had been massacred by the red-skins, and he had ever since devoted his life to destroying the red-skin savages. Next to the scout, seated upon a log was a a burly German, named Fritz, and a coal-black darkey, Jerusalem Grundy by name, both of whom were members of Mayburn’s St A Upon the other side of the captain s an Arizonian giant, of powerful build, known all through the north and west as Old Hardpan—a great strapping, burly individual, with a head of immense proportion, covered with spageling hair and beard; eyes large and bloodshot, an a mouth of enormous proportions. One pecu- liarity of his countenance was its marvelous re- semblance to that of a bullfrog, the features being noticeably shaped in the same manner, and giving to him an odd and uncouth appear- ance, He was dressed in greasy buckskin, with a lacerated slouch hat upon his head, while his weapons consisted of the long-barreled rifle up- on which he leaned, and a knife and pair of re- volvers in his belt. Evidently he had just stalked into the camp, for many curious eyes were leveled at him, and Captain Magura was saying: ‘Take a seat on the ground, stranger, for if you are indeed the redoub able Har pan Jeff, of whom I have heard so much, you are the very man I want to see!” ‘*Waal, pardner, I opine Pll a ae then, fer I’m ther same old pestiverous Old Hardpan, at yer sarvice— “The tiger cat o’ ther Golden river An’ fust galoot who gold did ’skiver.”’ And having delivered himself of his little speech, the veteran seated himself upon a log, .and proceeded to take an optical inventory of those gathered around the fire: “Thar’s Wild Bill Marion—he’s condensed dysamite, when yer tech him off, and ar’ a gude aloot ter hev in any party. Then, thar’s ther inaman! Don’t know about him— them durned pigtails ar’ liable ter spile on one’s hands. e as fer ther Dutchman and the nic- per, they may be hefty on a fight, but their ooks are powerfully against ’em, Waal, waal, Cap, whar ye aimin’ fur, wi’ sech a handful o’ men, an’ ther mountings an’ peerairies swarmin’ wi’ ’Pash an’ Mixtures?” “ That is something I don’t exactly know my- self,” Captain Mayburn replied, with a musi- callaugh. “Were bound or somewhere, but just where that somewhere is, I cannot say.” ‘Great ca ounts! bound fer ther howlin’ wilderness, an’ don’t kno’ whar ye’re goin’!” LN oy rene " rr ‘ etter let pt lee 5 ‘*T guess that’s about the size of it,” May- burn replied. ‘‘In fact, I reckon we’re on a wild’ goose chase, unless, perchance, you can enlighten us,” “*Great behomaths an’ mastadons o’ Holy Writ! Ef thar’s one man can ge srr ye, ’'m the very roseate tinted gourd, right up from the Milky river—ther prickly cactus fresh frum ther plains o’ New Mexico—ther big-mouthed, melodious bull-frog frum ther savanna sivamps uv ther Nor’west! Speel out, m yun friend, and ef I can’t answer e, Tit , an’ say gui, by the t afigarrint | ! ‘Well, sir, what brought us up into this God-forsaken region, is substantially as follows: A short time since, an old trapper came to our camp, one night, up Utah way, where we were pospecting, and told us a fabulous yarn about an old ruined Indian town of some extinct race that was rich with golden treasures, and a wild rugged pile of mountainous , in the center of a haunted lake, surmounted by a temple con- taining an idol or statue of solid gold, whose eyes were real diamonds of marvelous size, the actual worth of all of which was millions of dollars.” ‘* A love of adventure, and a desire to see this golden curiosity, led us to obtain the directions om the vial Lee how to reach the desired goal, and we s d. You now find us on our way, but quite as uncertain how to proceed as a man lost upon the Staked Plain. ““ And as big a pack o’ durned fules as evyer straddled a hoss,” O)ld Hardpan grunted. “Then you have heard of this ruined citadel ai] the golden idol?” ‘‘Great cattymounts, yes! I’ve heerd on’t and heerd a thousan’ different yarns about it!” ‘*But do you believe that there is any truth in the matter?’ ‘“ Heaps on’t, stranger. Thar ain’t skeercely no doubt thet sech a place exists, fer et war dis- covered by Hayden’s Explorin’ Expedition sev- erial years ago, but they war either skeered out, or driven out, nobody seems to know which, an’ sence then nobody can find ther place ner reach it in eny wpe) ath Then attempts have been made to reach i “Yes. More ner a dozen different cusses hev attempted ter reach it, but failed—leastwise they nevyer anteed up ag’in, an’ I ’spect they got fastened somehow, But will not Professor Hayden, or some of ee ae give a clew to this mystery-enshrouded ce “Not by a durned sight. They’re as close- mouthed about et as a pack o’ mules. Ask ’em about et, an’ all they’ll do is ter grin an’ keep their fn frum waggin’, Nothin ye pump out of them.” ‘Which is strange,” Captain Mayburn said. ‘This trapper who informed us claimed to have visited the ruined ye and viewed the golden idol, but before he could pocket any of the gold, he was seized by invisible hands and blindfold- | ed, after which he was borne through the air in some kind of conveyance, and after along while found himself stan ing u n the ground in an open prairie, unable tell where he was or how he camethere, Days of wandering failec to bring him to the ‘‘spirit town,” as he termed it, and eged by a superstition, he made tracks down to the south, swearing never to set foot in Arizona again.” A we expression flitted across the face of Old Hardpan, hard to interpret. ‘“Pve heerd orful stories about et—one about a speerit band o’ Apache Injuns, headed by a Pp eaere! red-skin ne who fight in the air, an’ y about like ginnywine angels, tho’ they war, more like, flyin’ devils.” — “Then, you have no idea where to find this mysterious place?” ‘*T reckon thar’s nary a mortal in these parts as kin p’int out ther route ter Mount Rosa, ex- cept one, onless Wild Bill Marion, thar, knows, fer he’s scouted heaps further than I.” : ‘*T would give a hundred scalps to know }«.”’ to reach the place,” the dark-visaged aven; said, taking his pipe from his mouth kg qngug to speak é oO is this exception you mentione.,” _ rly. —a wild-devil sort o’ a critter \ Lo an’ calis herself Cinna: on ae ‘What! does this strange girl know the ru! 9 to the ruined city!” , “I reckon she do, fer her father, Old Sec Barrett, war one o’ Hayden’s party, ther |. » they found ther place, an w’en he passed i) 4 checks, last winter, he whispered gum secr:'’ 0 the gal, an’ [ll GO et wis S omicbooks: burn asked, ea “Et’s a w’ars britches,