Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 121 — page 7: what you’re looking at

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better offer,” the villainous lover said, with a rimace. ‘‘Now, about these enemies—the port and the girl? What are you going to 0? ‘* Nothing, personally. It is you who must put the girl out of the way and give the Sporta thrashing for having the audacity to enter the race against my will. The spotted horse, must be secured, for it is a superb animal, and i would possess it at aguy cost.” 7 wo would not date be seen in possession of it, here ‘‘Oh, no! It must be spirited away, until the Sport leaves. ‘* Will you be out, to-night?” x. inly, unless the general detains me too late in nursing his troublesome gout. I have one man to see, and think you know whom I mean?’ “White Face?” _ ‘Yes. I want you to return to the Bend, and if you can find him, direct him to meet me at Black Hollow when the moon isa half hour . Do you understand?” “Certainly, my fair cousin. It remains for me, then, to chastise the Sport, and put the Girl Sport where the daises grow?” ‘“Yes. I would like to know the secret be- tween her and the en but suppose it is useless to try to find out. But by all means take care that she does not get an interview with the blonde captain of the rangers, for if so be he is in search of Mount Rosa, and finds out that the girl knows the route, he will be sure to en her as guide.” ‘Very well. Assoon as it comes night, Pll zo to the town, and do your errand. But first of all, t must have a little money to defray ex- nses. “‘T haven’t a cent, and the general has the ke J to his safe. You will have to do with- ou , ‘Ah! but I won’t!” Guthrie declared, blunt- ly. ‘* You've either got to come down to the tune of a hundred or so, or straight to the gen- eral do I Neuer tell him something that will surprise him!” ‘“No, no!” Evelyn said, quickly, her face svrowing ashen-hued, “‘ not that. have a few lollars, and you shall have that.” She took a purse from her ket, and ex- tracted a roll of bills, which Guthrie received \with evident satisfaction. _ “T knew you were lying,” he said, as he arose re bowed f out. ae = hard expression came u Vv ow- ard’s face fn he had gone. oe oo - him! I believe he would give me _mway, but for my feeding bim on money. ‘Ugh! I shudder at the thourht of the conse- quences, should I be exposed. And, yet, it works so slow—no apparent assurity of its ever consummating the desired purpose. I would 1 had soapy apuae 94 and more rapid ageacy. am play a desperate game, an ip to win, but ite fail—but, bah! I will not mil. f will win, for the train must sooner or laer reach the magazine. Then, all my long sche will be successfully at an end, and—as for merying Adelbert Guthrie—there are surer and qlticker ways to decide for him. As for the bolt thing who calls herself Cinnamon Chip, ifGuthrie does not settle her hash, I will do er and attend to the cool Sport and the blond-haired captain, afterward!” And thegeneral’s daughter laughed bitterly, as she er oa herself in a mirror. Beautifulwas she, but very evil at heart—a belle of the Bummer’s Bend’s first society, and yet a very wolf—the disguise of a lamb—a woman, whoe evil passions, unchecked as they were, might vork many a person ill. 4 coupie 9; miles north of Bummer’s Bend the prairie boke from its level course into a series of undtations and hollows, one of which was deep andravine-like, with rocky walls on either side an a pebbly bottom over which water sometimé flowed, * the wet seasons, _ A prairie fire xq licked the place and smoked ~ its eo wr walls aino distant day, and hence its se age ion of Blak Hollow. b was a spookrish place in the day, to say nothing about the \ight. yet it was often the camping place of bads of vagabond Indians and horse-thieves, who cred nut ex their camp- fires upon the prairit near the dort. About the same hc ‘ and Old Hardpan r that Captain Mayburn + ‘arted from their camp for the Bend, a sing: horseman entered the Black Hollow from ii mouth, and rode care- too, | Cinnamon Chip. horse seemed familiar with the no objection to the spookish p The rider was closely wrapped in a blanket, but the feathers which ornamented his scalp- lock proclaimed him an Indian. And had a reon seen his face they would have recognized ' him as White Face, the Apache. | Not far into the Hollow did the chief ride, be- | fore he drew rein, and looked cautiously around him. Evidently seeing no one, he wheeled his _ horse facing the direction from which he had | come, and then both horse and rider remained motionless, making a weigd, uncanny specta- | cle, as revealed in the moon’s full rays. | For some time all was silent, and then a _horse’s feet resounded upon the pebbly bottom | and a woman rode up to where the Apache chief | was standing—not Miss Evelyn Howard, evi- | dently, but a strange-looking Indian maiden, | whose features were darker than those of the _ Apache,—a dusky creature with dark eyes and | hair, clad in a semi-male hunting suit of purest | white, with a white cloak around her shoulders, and no covering to her head, She drew “ein, when the horse was close be- side the Apache, who sat stoically in his saddle, and peered inquiringly into his face. ‘‘Is this White Face, the great chief of the | Northern Apaches?” she asked in pure English. ‘“‘lem White Face!” was the answer. ho is the Indian maiden?” ‘lam White Fawn, the Spirit Rider of the Flying Indians!” the maiden replied, at which a startled yell pealed from White Face’s lips, CHAPTER VI. A THIEF “PLANT,” AFTER leaving the sg Jack Mayburn and Old Hardpan trudged rap dly toward the Bend, through the early moonlight of the evening. A walker was the big + site nian, as the ca tain soon found out, for he was often obliged trot, to catch up with him. ph Yes, thet Cinnamon Chip ar’ a gal an’ a half,” the old scout replied, in answer to some previous question of the captain. ‘ She’s clear condensed dynamite, mixed up wi’ a little nitro- glycerine, and sum t powder, an’ when ye tech her off, she scatters things I kin tell ye, amazin’ly. Fer instance, I see d ber walk inter a saloon up in Montana, a few months ago, an’ salivate two toughs wi’ an’ ounce o’ lead, a iece, all because they’d bin sayin’ unpretty age a’gin’ her honor. Oh! she corned them ewe down fine,an’ then she coolly turned an’ invited ther crowd ter ther same picnic, ef they war etchin’ fer nomen A ” Sue Wonderful. eer wae na ~ believe she is 6 very person I want to guide m rty,” Mayburn said. ‘Have you any idea ‘that ie will go, Hardpan?’ ‘*Dunno ’bout that,” the big Arizonian an- swered, thoughtfully. ‘ P’r’aps ye might catch on ter her, ef so be she ain’t gone an’ tuk thet Sport, Rosebud Rob, in fer a life partner. She war keepin’ cluss ter him a a ago,in town, an’ I spect she is struck after him.” ‘*Humph! If it comes to that Ill take ’em both along. The Sport is no slouch.” ‘Right ar’ ye. et Rosebud Bob ain’t no oot, nary a time, an’ ye’ll do well to remem- it. He hain’t got quite so much wild devil in him, since he lost his gal, Bess, down in the Hills, but he’s got enough bonus fer a hull regi- ment, now.” “This Bess—was she his daughter?” SHIN a time! She war sum sech a charac- ter as Cinnamon Chip, an’ I reckon she an’ the Ltr w'u’d have got ined, only fer her recent ea a Cinnamon Chip?—is she of good parent- ‘Waal, neow, I reckon, I do Thar’s ther old man war one o’ ther best trappers on ther frontier, an’ a good guide, too. Ther old woman died, years but I’ve beerd it allowed thet she war a good old critter. An’ when ye cum ter Chip, ye’ll ‘ v me mt + ts en es ee te . oc - me co -2 = cme ee path, and made | at a small deal table e:gaged at a social game of eons t the sight of Old Hardpan, Chip sprung to her feet and seid at his extended horny hand, with an exclamation of joy. “Kerwhoop! may I be rif henins FY hogged to death wi’ grizzly b’ars, ef et ain’t the sno: | ing yowltin’ a4 aS oO’ ther Nor’west!” she cried, joyfully. ‘‘ Rosebud, my cherub, let me _interdooce ye to one o’ the toughest old bli: ters | | ago, an’ I never see’d her | in Christiandom, whose handle is Old Hare pon, Bed Rock, or any other te attachment ye can scare up in an old spellin’-book!” Rosebud Rob acknowledged the introduction py shaking hands, and also nodding to May- urn. ‘* You old night-bloomin’ serious, how co you~ do?” Chip continued, effusively, putting out ber foot and tripping Old Hardpan into a chair. ‘*T never was half so tickled to see any one, in my life, hanged ef I was. Why, I could jest almost eat ye. How, and whence, and where- fore, cometh you down into this onhealtliy region?” “Chip, my blushin’, hollyhock, I slid down en ther lower jaw ov an equator!” the scout re~ sponded, with achuckle, ‘ And what may yca be doin,’ a playin’ keerds wi’ another pilgrim:” ‘*Oh! I’ve doubled up wi’ this Rosebud, ’e’ase be’s distilled mi risey | an’ thar’s nary a man in town as durst tech him. He an’ I hev swored etarnal constancy an’ friendship—thet is, ef one rit’s inter a fight, t’other ’un pans out an’ shows is hand on the detensive; an’ then, ye see, Hardpan, I’m sorter mashed on ther handson:¢ Sport, and ’spect sum day ter be inwited ter sheer his joys an’ sorrers. And the eccentric Girl Sport flashed Roseburct Rob a quizzical glance, a smile playing abcut: her nt: mouth. ‘Waal, Chip, mebbe you’ve struck ther rig! & - lead, my gal, but thet’ ain’t nayther heer nei~ thar, I opine. This yere cinnamon-haize+! galoot here, whose name is Cap. Maylkar., wants ter engage ye as guide ter an explori: "* party, an’ lll remark thet ther same capt’in. .:. a squar’ galoot, an’ as good as they manyfacter: So en can strike a bargain wi’ him, kereci !’" ‘Well, I opine we can talk biz!” Chip sx sented, ligh a cigarette, and thrustins her hands into her pockets. ‘‘ Where d’ye i c#- pose ter rinate to, Blondy?” “TI am hunting for the ruinad town of serie extinct Indian race, which ie said to exist iis” this territory, and to contain rich mines o!;- old,” Mayburn replied, ‘and having entize)v,- ost my bearings, I am in quest of some perreii. who can guide me thither. Hardpan, here, te lieved that you could do it, and I came to see if” we could strike a bargain. ‘*T reckon thet won’t be much 0’ a difficulty,” Chip replied, thoughtfully, ‘‘ providin’ ye wart. ter sheer ekally in the spel an’ take Rosy, here, long with me, as we're goin’ ter hang out: in partnership.” “Certainly. I could work such a man as Rosebud Robin to good advantage, for I ex- pect we shall have some fighting to do, beforo we reach our d ation.” ‘Yas, an’ heeps an’ slathers of et, arter ye git thar,” Chip announced. ‘Rather reckon. ell come out ther leetle end o’ the oo Bton-~. y, tho’ thar won’t be no harm tryin’. Nothin! ventured, nothin’ gained,” ‘* Have gp ever been to this place?’ May. burn asked, ae ‘ I reckon I hev,” the Girl Guide as+ “Tt warn’t moren about a month ¢ eo — my anatomy war cavortin’ around, wp, har. ‘‘ An’ ye saw the ruined town on the of a. mountin’ w’ich stood in ther center o’a lake’” Old Hardpan demanded, excitedly. “Yes, opine I did,” and Chip spoke solem- ly. ‘‘I see’d all that and more too, but jet what, I don’t quite know. Thar’s a mystery about the i an’ biest ef I can make be:'} ner tail out o’ et.” ‘‘Did you see the golden idol?” Maytw»'« find her squar’ an honorable, even ef she is a | asked leetle rough and wild.” By this time they had reached the edge of the town, and passing along down the iat eirkes, they soon came to the gambling saloon connec- | ted with the Girard bouse. ‘*I guess we’d bette look in, here?” Mayburn said, leading the way. ‘Such characters as Rosebud Rob may be found, most any time, in such a place as this—not necessarily because they are gamblers, but because they constitute a part of the wild, ever-moving people.” * | of ghostly A ‘ “No, I didv’t climb ther mounting, nobow. | My hair stood on end, wi’out venturin’ off ficia ther lake shore.” ‘Did you see the Spirit Rider and her band ches?” Yas, an’ blazed away at ’em, but couldy’t . | score a hit.” ‘Now, after all that you have seen, what ix _ your candid summary of the case?” ‘Waal, sence ye’ve asked, an’ ye’re n as good-lookin’, and mashable as Rosebud, heer fully into the dark deprs, And the captain was not mistaken, in his ex- he full moon just ping up over the eastern | pectation. : | horizon, in a measure lithe way; but then his Both Chip ana I'll tell you: the stories about the gold in that mount’in I calculate are true. Et has evidente © Nesebnd were insite—seated | ly, in some remote age, been an Judian te ihe, (E] ON OKO) com SSnGor