Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 131 — page 8: what you’re looking at

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

ee S--g-sse>-ag-~ngessg=snag ee 8 Lion! the hard-pan o’ the Rockers! Yas; I’m Big Sandy, too, right frum the Lone Pine! But whar’s my game? Whar’s the galoot es lifted out more coyotes at Long Meader row than enny other hoss? I want to seehim! I want to put this paw on him!” and he extended the enormous member menacin y- ‘**He’s arter Rock Randel!” exclaimed a by- stander. ‘Yas! that’s him—The-Man-from-Texas! am he?” ** Dandy Rock hes buried his buttons!” * Wot?’ ‘‘Rock turned up his toes in Black Pocket valler!” ** Wot?” ‘Rock Randel went under yesterday!” “ec Wot?” As the other ceased his explennene, the giant aes upon the crowd in apparent disappoint- men ‘‘ The-Man-from-Texas wiped out!” he howled at last: ‘‘ my hard-fought victoree stolen from me jess es I hed my huf on him? Hev I kem all t ower from Lone Pine to be bu’sted in this way?’ and tearing about wildly for a moment, he flung his sombrero spitefully against the side of the yam his countenance showing a plain case of d — Just as the hat touched the wall and quivered there for an instant ere it to descend, the swift gleam of a knife darted through the air, and thrown by a skillful hand, the weapon pierced its crown, pinning it to the spot! The throng started in surprise. Big ecard trembled and gazed about in amazem Ny Who aia that?’ he cried. No one seemed able to answer. “Why don’t ye spoke?” ae re went on. ‘a I’m goin’ to hev m iece used like thet? Ef the goat es di thet ¢ on’t show hisself less’n a minit [ll kerwallop the life right out 0’ his boots! Hyar?’ If theindividual in question heard the demand he evidently did not care to have the “life ker- walloped out o’ his boots,” as no one stepped forward. “Jess show me ennything but a sneakin’ coyote!” growled the man, an pane to the place he was in the act of wrenching hat from its position, when another knife sped b his head, and, half severing the lobe of his left ear, struck the wall with a dull thud! With a shriek of terror the giant bounded back, and the blood streaming from his wound, howled most vociferously. For a time wild commotion followed. When at last it had become more quiet, and Big Sandy had checked the flow of blood from Foe = he looked sullenly around exclaiming me Rs sum 0’ yedon’t pick the t man out fer me, [ll kerwallop the hull lot o’ ye! Jess p’int me aman! Ennybody’ll do; only give meachance to spread him!” e half-cowed stranger had hardly ceased the spect ome a ringing voice from the rear of ryeee rs, ar’s your beaver every shoot! Jess walk up and take your meat like ye war hungry!” Every one present recognized the tone, and to their ble astonishment Dandy k ee his way forward and confronted the Biz Sandy rubbed his eyes and glared upon the Texan in unfeigned amazement. ‘ pate mought yer be?’ he finally blurted ou ‘*Open ye pers and see fer yerself,” said Rock, rand deol sen nily, as he coolly folded his arms and faced the other. ‘* Never see’d yer picter afore. Don’t know ye!” affirmed the ‘Tis The-Man- from the crowd. Pio ye sed he hed taken up his walkin’ papers! Wot in creation can I b’lieve ye say?” ‘Look hyar, old tearer,” exclaimed the Texan, ‘‘ ye said ye had come from Lone: Pine toseeme. Ef ye hev an bizness spit it out mere ey fer ’m ina y ——_ hang my hat up there, old cha ap?” «Joss ook at the knives, and ef ye don’t find two R’s cut on the handles I won’t claim ’em, and ye can walk around me jess es ye area mind to.” Pulling them from the wall wo ge here 'f Sandy found they were marked as ‘Ken a do thet every Cry BOP, | old coon?” “Tre . It’s a trick I Varnt from a pard o’ mine eiidthes ‘Jess stand mulish and let me spot t. rom-Texas!” cried a voice the end Q yer nose. I won’t touch more’n half The Golden Hand. Shifting his position uneasily, the boaster found his onrags fast leaving im before the Texan’s cool au acity. ‘“Shall I tickle it?’ continued Rock, appear- mp impatient for the trial. ‘‘ I won’t sp e yer ti - Ge out!” blurted Big Sandy. ‘All lax o’ ye is to keep away from me; I ain’t an ything to do with ye!” and the quondam “lion o’ the Rockers ” shrunk away in disgraceful retreat. As the crowd began to jeer at him, he wheeled about and yelled savagely: ‘Ef thar’s a goat hyar es dares to show his face I'll pan him heavy. Hyar thet?’ The mob did seem to hear, and as no one ad- vanced to accept the challenge, quiet was soon restored. “Where is Silver Dust? and how is it, Rock Randel, that we see you back here alive when we supposed you were dead?” one of the specta- tors ask ss Wali it am a big yarn, and I ain’t the time to run it out. I’m afeerd poor Dust has gone to his last funeral. We got separated through that pesky Golden Hand. I war gobbled by the reds jess like a turkey peekin’ at a dead Injin. They toted me off to their wigwams, all un- known to Silver Dust, and put me through a course 0’ sprouts, ye bet! I hed tocrawl on my head, stand on my hands and knees, and be ker- -_ in the most rantankerous wa But I it big, and larfed at ’em, and tol ‘em to go shied. an gj Riess they did go ahead! I war bound © a peccary and they built a warmin’ fire a war jess a-goin’ to pile me up on the coals ready fera roast, when a terrible rumpus was kicked up by a lot o’ the varmints kemin’ in with the purtiest gal I ever set my eyes on—a captive. et sort o’ turned ’em frum my ugly ple: jic- tur’, and fer a time they danced around a lot o’ hungry wolves over their Sreckfeat. While they war up to their maneuvers, I twisted my pews free, and had mary ust undid my feet, when, eems Stopple! ef that gal didn't knock ’em smoky-skins rig ht and left, and mounted on a pony, leave ’em quicker’n hot water runnin’ down a san d- bar! ‘*Then the hull lot o’ reds went arter her; but afore they got back I sloped. ‘**T hev been clear through their village since and I don’t think they got her. Neither ssaery | I find anything o’ Dust, and I am afeerd the boy hes gone under. ‘Thar are awful doings up thet wa x thoy finding | wa’n’t more’n a scared crow alon hev ess stalked down hyar for help. har’s “i bag ow who is willing to go with me and he find Silver Dust and thet gal, fer ’'m anxious ’bout her?’ As Rock turned from one to another of the lookers-on, none seemed willing to join him in the hazardous undertaking. “Don’t ketch me in ee gee ogame valler!” ejaculated a tall, raw-boned min ‘‘ Nor me!” echoed others. lg one ready to assist him, Randel sa ef show ‘it's a tou “ job, but ef thar ain’t aay ™ man hyar who go with me, I am going one. ned had scarcely spoken when a clear voice cri ‘Beware, Rock Randel! Though it would save the best friend you have in the world, keep away from the Lost Mine rene Death awaits every one there!” CHAPTER XL. ‘““ WORSE THAN DEATH.” A swirt rush of air, a dizzy, blinding sensa- tion, and Dustin Dare felt himself ga ee pie down, until at last Be lay upon a en he open is eyes e saw a spo a far above him, an ill further away he could see a myriad of stars. He knew that the aperture must have been hidden by the rock, and thus as he clung to the tree while the stone fell from under him, he had been precipitated into a sort of cavern by the breaking of the sapling. A glance told that it would be impossible to scale the perpendicular wall that encompassed Must he perish there? It truly seemed so. He listened for some sound of his companions, and shouted aloud their names, but only the os echo of the massive surroundings gave as was lost! Nearly frantic with the thought, he moved uneasily about. Though the place where he had fallen was : —_—--— _ LLL ON CRATE A A TS A UE NE eee less than ten feet in diameter, he soon found a passage that led further into the interior. Should he follow it? For a moment he was undecided. But, know- ing it was not possible for him to escape un- aided, any other way, he could lose nothing by rv ing it. ! he would wait awhile for his friends and t then, if he heard nothing of them, he would explore the narrow pass-way. alling the names of his chums till he was hoarse, he waited and listened for them until ! ~7 after daylight, and yet he heard nothing of them. They had been killed by the falling ledge! Confident that it must be so, he fina tered the gloomy passage, to slowly grope his way along. e Sad not gone far before he was shrouded in Stygian darkness, so that his progress was tedious and uncertain. Time and again he paused to turn back, but, after all, his only hope lay in the Cimmerian space beyond ; and thus he kept on and on, go- ing he knew ‘not where, only hoping it might lead to the light of day. At last he paused in despair He had stumbled and fallen for at least twenty times, and, as he staggered to his feet, his course seemed barred by a solid wall! As he hesitated a low sound was borne to his ears. Listening anxiously he heard it again, and this time sounding like a human voice. Satisfied that some one must be near by, he renewed his endeavors to find a continuance of the passage. He soon discovered that it turned an abrupt angle, and in a moment he moved along the new course, He had not gone far before the sounds became quite audible, and he knew that several persons were not far away. gp then with more caution, he soon saw to his delight the gleam of a light ahead. But knowing he was far more likely to find foes than friends, he approached with every sense on the alert for danger. He was unarmed, and his only safety depended upon his discretion. From the loud tones of the speakers he knew oe of an exciting nature was taking place. In a moment he came upon an apartment of considerable size; and he started in amazement at the startling tableau ‘o suddenly disclosed. The cave-room contained at least a score of brutal-looking men, dressed in coarse garb while in the center, ’ securely bound, Silver Dus saw the maiden whom the oar had captured and whom afterward the League in Black had — or pretended to. the dim & from the row of flickering toatl es stuck the crevices of the wall, he could see that she was extremely pale, as if undergo hag suffering. One of g had arisen to his feet, and standing ove 3 with a knife held menacingly above her head, was sa ing: ‘Once more girl! | give you a chance for i life. Will you tell us who the Golden Hand Looking the a core man unflinchingly in the face she replied ““T cannot, sir. ‘““Ha! you lie! But I have another question, Who are the League in Black?’ The captive shook her head. ‘“‘Why don’t you speak?” exclaimed the wretch, | fie y. “Sir,” she answered, defiantly, “ if you have any punishment you wish to inflict, or wish to take my life, I can but yield, for lam powerless. But, h pless as I am, you cannot force me to tell that which I do not know.” ‘*You do know,” retorted the desperado “We have seen you with the Golden Hand and you can tell us who he is, and also the mystery of the Lost Mine.” ‘“How does it concern you? Once more I ye $ that you had better set me at liberty.” Furies take such impudence! Will you tell us ames the Golden Hand is?” Silver Dust watched the brave maiden with tion in spite of his ey for her peril. Never had he seen a on a Bolles sag en of courage. The ruffian glared upon in silence for a moment. ‘What do you think to gain by your ob- stinacy?”’ he exclaimed at last. ** As much as I shall lose,” she answered calm ly, The man fairly foamed with rage. Ebooks (ECO y en- ‘ (ete) ri.