Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 169 — page 13: what you’re looking at

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

° \ oF Tornado Tom. ; 13 CHAPTER XV. THE HOODWINKED INDIAN. QUEEN OLIVE started and a thrill shot through her heart when Buck Tail laid the gold stone in her hands. ** All liko that!” exclaimed the Idaho. ‘‘ All long to white girl, too.” The girl did not seem to hear him; she was weighing the heavy rock on her palm, and a thousand thoughts were chasing one another through her brain. Where was Injun Jack? Why had he not followed Buck Tail to his well-kept secret? ‘‘ Gold rock make girl dumb!” ejaculated the impatient Indian. “ Her no talk to Buck Tail; rock steal ber tongue.” The Indian’s hand grasped Olive’s arm. Sbe started back, and the gold rock almost slid from her hands. “White girl know Buck Tail’s secret now. What she think of it?” ‘Your discovery is wonderful; but others ‘may have found it as well as yourself.” ‘Others bunt tor it. The men who hide their faces track Buck Tail a long time, just as if they think him know where the gold rocks shine: but him always outwit them. They never trail bim here, for bim knows all the ways of the fox!” The Indian’s eyes glittered triumphantly while he spoke. Olive felt her heart in her throat when he mentioned the Goid League. They then suspected the young Idaho; but he had eluded them. This was good news. A few bours more, she resolved to herself, and Indian Jack would know where the boss bonanza was. _““¥cs, Buck Tail fool the White Hoods,” con- tinued the Indian. ‘‘ Nobody never knows his secret, but }is pretty pale-faced squaw. Is she not rich? She will be the gold queen of the Idahos. But she does not smile.” “IT cannot take this gold with me,” said Olive. ‘But girl como an’ look at it whenever she want.” ‘* Then I am not to livo here?” “Nol no!” and the Indian opened his eyes with astonishment. ‘‘Girl go live with Buck Tail where the lodges of his people make one big village. Big marriage feast, one—two hundred dogs killed, an’ all braves called in from the war-path. Heap bigtime. Buck Tail will for- get his dogs when him look into the eyes of his gold girl. Girl ready for the feast?” A sudden inspiration seemed to take posses- sion of Olive. “When is all this to take place? When do you propose to make mo your queen?” ‘‘ Whenever white girl reaagy. Now, if she say so.” ‘In the village of your people—not else- where?’ “In the great village,” said Buck Tail, sol- emnly. " When can we get there?” ‘‘ By the time the sun goes down,” You cannot carry me well on your horse.” ‘*Oh, Back Tail find more’n one horse.” Queen Olive’s eyes had an intense sparkle. “Then let us go. The gold is to be mine, every rock of it, you say?” * All! all!” The Indian was now terribly excited. The gift of the mine had put a climax to his short wooing, and he would soon appear in the great village of the Idabos with something which not one of his nation possessed—a wife whose skin was white, and whose eyes were blue. **Girl come with Buck Tail,” he cried, seizing Olive’s hand. ‘‘Him take her to the village now. Controlling her emotion Olive allowed herself to be conducted from the gold chamber, and they were soon gradually ascending a path the loose stones of which our heroine fondly believed nuggets of gold. Her heart beat faster than ever when her eyes caught a gleam of light far ahead, and the next moment after admonishing her to remain still her red conductor glided off. Not long afterward her ears were by the neighs of a horse, and Buck Tail i cme “ Nokody watchin’. Trail safe to the big vil- lage. White faces not know how the young Idaho got back home!” At the mouth of the mine Olive saw two horses evidently fresh, and almost before she had finished contemplating them she was belped to the back of one, and buffalo hide reins thrust into her hands, ‘Horses fast!” said the young Indian who had leaped to the saddle with the agility of a finished rider. | ‘* White girl eome back to gold mine by ’m by—come back as Buck Tuil’s wife.” The next moment Olive passed from darkness | next moment Olive threw herself into the into the light which for a second dazzled her | house. eyes. They fronted a narrow pass, the oue by which they had reached the mine. — aphed it on her mind! she fondly hought that the time would come when, point- ing to it, she could say proudly to Injun Jack: ‘‘Seo! that pass leads us to the end of our | bunt.” The pair were well mounted, but Olive felt entirely satisfied with her steed after comparing it with the one the Idaho bestrode. ‘“‘T have the best horse. I could outstrip Buck Tail,” she thought. They halted side by side for a moment just beyond the mouth of the gold cave. Buck Tai seemed to be debating some meatal proposition, for his eyes alternated strangeiy between his captive and the narrow path ‘Buck Tail better go abead,” he said at length. eye on Buck Tail, stop when him stops, an’—’ The young Indian did not get to finish the in- structions for Olive’s hand had darted at his belt, and the next instant with a countenance blanched by terror, he recoiled from the muz- zle of his own revolver! The girl’s eyes were emitting sparks of fire as it seemed, and Buck Tail was still shrinking from the leveled firearm. ‘* When I marry you, Buck Tail, we will have the dog-feast!” hissed Queen Olive in sarcastic tones over the pistol. ‘But that time will never come! Down! leave your saddle—this in- stant or I'll bore your skull! Were you fool enough to think that Injun Jack’s girl would ride quietly to your red capital after you had shown her the boss bonanza? Come! off! off! or Pll drop you!” The girl’s arm seemed to lengthen, the revol- ver was thrust a few inches nearer his face, and ’ the Idaho buck rolled suddenly from his horse, | and in such a ludicrous manner, that Olive could not repress a smile. With the exception of his knife, Buck Tail was completely unarmed and that weapon would do him no good, ** Now, Buck Tail, mv best regards till we meet again, if ever!” cried Queen Olive taunt- ingly. ‘“‘Good by! You follow me at your peril, for I have the best arms in this contest,” and she held the revolver before his mad and covetous gaze. The Indian had not spoken since the capture of his pistol; the turning of the tables seemed to have rendered him speechless. But when Olive’s horse gave a great bound and went down the path like a rocket, a groan and then a mad cry fell from his lips, and he leaped to saddle again. ‘* Buck Tail get fooled in white girl; but him catch ’er yet, an’ dog-feast go on all same.” But the gray steed that bore the Queen of Red Core had already disappeared, and when Buck Tail reached the termination of the path he look- ed on every side but saw notbing of the fugi- tive. Then the young Indian gave vent to his in- dignation, and cursed the folly which had ke a him to give the girl such an oppor- unity for escape. He did not refiect that the truth of the matter was that the arts of Queen | Olive had completely hoodwinked him, and that, owing to bis own credulity, she was now riding away with the secret of the wonderful | gold mine in her 100. Olive allowed the well mettled steed free rein, until she was confident that she was not pur- sued. Then she held him in and at last help him under her control. ‘‘An easier victory than I expected,” she said. ‘‘ The revolver was loose just as if to help me, and it frightened the Indian almost out of his wits, too. Where am I now?” She looked around only to utter a cry of min- gled surprise and joy. “What! so near Red Core? It cannot be, and yet there is the familiar land-mark of the bald mountain. Fortune is determined to favo me. Indeed, thus it seemed, for urging her horse forward again, and deviating a little to the right, her eyes soon beheld the famillar cabin in the valley. At home once more! The sight inspired Queen Olive with such ea- rness that she did notthink of incurring a new anger by rushing incautiously to the hut, and she hurried forward. ‘* Jack! Jack, I have found the big bonanza!” she was saying aloud, and still repeating the words in her glee, she halted before the door and threw herself from the borse. — The little door already stood ajar, and the », ‘* White girl foller close behind. Keep | Pe ee nM But all at once she recoiled across the thresh- Olive had | old with achilling cry of terror, and with a face blanched to the hue of a shroud. For, stretched at full length on the rough | flooring, lay the body of a man! The face was partly turned toward the door, and after a moment of specckless quivering, | Queen Olive darted forward again and threw | herself upon it. ‘* Jack! Jack! who did this? Speak! and tell me, that | may hunt them down. Itis the work I know it, and I will have | of the Gold League. | revenge!” CHAPTER XVI. THE BOSS BONANZA AT LAST. | ciation of his oath followe ling cry, and how quickly the —< o.d human tiger wheeled and fired at the slayer. Gold League. and found it covered with blood. ‘** The man brain-box.” There was truth in Tom’s observations. had merely plowed a bloody furrow under the _hair. This was all. to restore his protege to consciousness. __ When he succeeded, when Tornado Jr. opened _his eyes and spoke, the tawny tiger uttered a cry | of satisfactiou. | miss is ez good ez a mile! anew.” All the while Tornado was fixing e banda about the errr - head, and the bo | ing erect, but still somewhat bewildered. Start anew? whither?’ ‘To the boss bonanza—the mine! Don’t you know?” seemed to break suddenly upon him. mine—yes! yes. Come, Tornado, I will show you its wealth, and then for our old foes.” ** Hold on,” said Tom, holding back as he in’s first. Thet bullet kinder upset ye. budge till everything comes back squar’ to ye. | = t go half cocked, an’ lose everything in the end,’ These words had the desired effect, and Tor- nado saw the youth study the lofty hills that rose on every side. **He’s comin’ to it. When he starts ag’in it will be in the right direction.” All at once Tornado Jr. sprung forward; he | had found bis bearings once more. _ The tall adventurer eagerly followed him, and notwithstanding his lengthy strides he was scarcely able to keep alongside. ‘* How came you to find it?’ be asked. **1 followed the Indian.” ‘What Injun?” The young Idaho who lately had two dogs, I encountered him by accident while he was eluding the League, and while he slipped away from them he kept in my sight.” ‘** An’ he hid in the gold mine?” ** He did.” ** He may be thar now.” ** That is quite likely.” | ‘““Wal, 1 wouldn’t mind thet. He woukin’t be a mouthful fur us.” On, on went the two partners, and Tornado was beginning to lament the distance, when the boy came to a sudden balt. | Then he turned quickly upon Tom and ex- hibited a countenance so wild and unnatural that the old fellow actually shrunk back with a cry of lost hope. | ‘Great Jehu! the eunettes’ 6 mad!” fell in startling accents from his lips, “ Thet ballet got in its work on his brain, ef it didn’t smash the boxin’.” } For several moments Tornado ee wolfishly at his protector; then a: | led from his throst and his hands were aring the bandage from his head. — EE — ee a LET us go back to Tornado Tom aud his pro- rege. We have seen how fast upon the boy’s renun- the pistol-shot that sent him staggering from Tornado with a start- im figure of the Tornado’s weapon had scarcely cracked before he was bending over the young member of the ‘*Jebu! it war a narrer escape!” he exclaimed as he withdrew his band from the youth's head what fired war mad; he did not hold his weepin steady. If he had, Tornado, the bullet wouldn’t be out thar on the ground, but somewhar in yer For- tunately the bullet intended for the boy’s brain scalp to come out at last, and carry off a lock of ‘* We'll find the boss bonanza yet!” said the old fellow to himself, and then he went to work ‘‘He missed the bull’s-eye by a nan pe : ow let us s was stand- “Oh, yes!” cried the boy, starting as li » GDOOCKS smiled at the youth’s eagerness. ‘‘ Git yer bear-~- Don’t (E(e) os