Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 169 — page 14: what you’re looking at

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

ns L4 ee ee ee Tornado Tom, wee oe me - - ee + mn” le teal el a Tornado sprnvg forward to prevent; but the | ar’ gettin’ further an’ further away all the | Tom caught wa a at the suggestion and a bloody cloth was being trampled under the | time,” he ill-humoredly muttered. torch was improvised, boy’s feet before be could touch him, and it was When the youth stopped it was to whirl But just as the trapper was about to apply « with difficulty that he held him. upon Tornado Tom with a face illumined with lucifer to his invention the boy c.ught his wrist muy ‘‘Hyar’s a go!” thought Tom to himself. | triumph. and cried: . ** Just when the sky ar’ gettin’ cl’ar a thunder- ‘We are here! ‘Your wish is coming true. As I hope for | storm comes up an’ plays hob with everything. ** In whar?” heaven, I believe they are coming. Did you not Now the boss bonanza hes gone a shimmerin.’ With a laugh Tornado Jr. bounded forward | hear?’ Cuss thet bullet! Injun Jack, we’ll fight the | again and with one jerk brought a mass of “Hear? No!” next time we meet, compact er not!” mountain vines from their rocky soil. ; | “Stand perfectly still and listen. Turn your The mouth of what appeared to be a cavern | head and strain your ears. You had better put out the match, too.” \ Go in!” be cried, passed away Tornado Tom held the limp and | in the mountain was thus laid bare. - wertienwss SS oe Tig Zs Eom . ee | After the paroxysm of madness had partly | | | unconscious body of his little partner.in his | ‘‘The boss bonanza!” said the boy. ‘‘Go in.” The tawny right hand of the eet arms. Tornado Tom needed no further urging. | smothered the incipient flame, and the twain Daylight found him going up the mountain A great bound took him beyond the threshold, | listened. with his burden, never halting for a moment | and as he paused in the darkness a cry from his ‘*My accursed comrades! I knew it,” said with the load, nor drawing a single breath of tomgeve. The sun came up, but Tom went on, now through a darkened gap, and now along the timbered side of a mountain pass. Was he going back to the cave? All at once Tornado halted and laid the boy gently down. Then stepping astride of the body, he drew his | revolvers and fastened a pair of flashing eyes on the mouth of the narrow gulch which he would have left in another moment, “Tve got the advantage this time,” he mur- mured, ‘‘Two can’t ride abreast hyar. I didn’t expect to meet ’im, but things ar’ comin’ to a head, an’ we’ve got to fight it out some- whar, so why not right hyar?”’ A moment later, and the head of a horse came in sight, then the burly figure of his rider, a wild fellow whose head dress was a flaring red handkerchief. i ‘ | | | | | that the boy Gold-Leaguer had onl ‘““They haven’t got tho hoods ov this time. | and when the hunter turned from smiting the | walls of the cavern and swearing that no power Ive caught ’em unmasked. Now I kin see ex- actly whar to shoot.” Then the word ‘‘ halt!” rung out, and as the > horseman suddenly drew rein, a revolver spoke and he fell quivering back in his saddle, and in the agonies of death. ‘*Qne!” muttered Tornado and a second shot stretched the horse across the narrow pass, completely blocking it. At that moment another head showed itself, but it suddenly fell forward, and two men lay dead together! him. He found it! he owns it! an’ in ‘‘T’m the concentrated essence ov destruc- | tion. You hev kicked the ga’ntlet into my face an’ I take pleasure in shootin’ it back at you, you cowardly y-hooded skunks. Come out, protege saluted his ¢ ars. ‘*Pish! he’s only fainted,” he said, as he pick- ed up Tornado Jr.’s body lying inanimate at the mouth of the cavern. ‘ Onecan afford to faint when he knows that he’ll see millions when he opens his eyes ag’in. We've got to the end of our string at last. The big bonanza is yours, boy! Thar ain’t power enough in the arms ov mankind to wrest it from you!” The eyes of Tornado Tom fairly blazed with delight, and in the defiance of the moment, he smote the stone walls about him with his fists. CHAPTER XVIL FIGHTING FOR THE PRIZE. OLp TORNADO had spoken truth when he said fainted. But it was the long swoon born of exhaustion, should wrest the gold mine from them, it was to find Tornado Jr. motionless still. ‘Ti; ar’ his’n—all his’n!” he cried, looking proudly at the boy, whose face was revealed by aray of sunshine that had entered the place. ‘‘The old map didn’t do me any good arter all. It hez helped nobody. An’ to think thet the young ’un should find the bonanza by trackin’ a skulkin’ red-skin! Now it more’n belongs ie eat ay fall the arm thet tries to take it from ! Be picked the boy up and started down the | passage, with the unreal delight of a madman, an’ let’s settle accounts hyar—settle ’em for-— over!” But there was no reply save the quick gailop- ing of several horses which swiftly grew less distinct. forward. ‘‘ That’s right! run off and plot some new devilment. innin’ arter all. Two shots an’ two Hoods. less me! ef they arn’t the Yellowstone boys!” The bronzed victor was staring at the faces of his enemies, ‘Old Shady went back thar first an’ collected ’em,” he went on. ‘1 hed his map, an’ that’s why he’s lost his bearin’s. The map would hev found the bonanza fur ’em long ago. Without it they’ve been disapp’inted. see through the buil thing. They’ll hunt me, Every now and then an oath or a cry of vic- tory fell from his lips; he could not keep the | great triumph to himself. Whatif the experience of the dungeon-cave ' should be repeated? What if he should step in- “ Cowards!” exclaimed Tornado as he leaped | Wal, it wasn’t such a bad be- | to space and go down—down to death through the gloom, and that with the precious burden in his arms? The man did not think of such probabilities. He continued on until he was compelled to halt by the barrier of a wall. Now I begin to | _asmall portion of the gloom. thinkin’ thet I've got the map, but they’re mis-— takin. Wal, hunt old Tornado all you aonnens my daisies; but jest keop out o’ range. wo OV ye got a leetile to close this mornin’.” A groan behind him made the old fellow turn, and he saw his protege standing up. “Al right ag’in! the err nniter, as he sprung to the boy’s side, ss e had a scrimmage, boy,” exclaimed Tor- nado pointing to the little battle-field. . “‘ They same on Gia kind o’ sudden, so I jest laid you down an’ guv ‘em the best I hed in the shop. The rest—they’re somewhar twixt hyar an’ Bitter Root ef their hosses hevn’t guv out. But, what’s the matter now? What is it?—more enemies fur us to wrestle with?” ‘*No, not that, but something better than foes, Tornado, look yonder, up there, where big rocks seem ready to tumble down upon us, and tell me what you see!” Tornado Jr. had seized the old hunter’s arm, and was pointing excitedly up the mountain. ‘‘T gee nuthin’ but rocks!” answered Tom, ** Thunders!” he cried, shrinking away. ‘‘ Old Tornado, ye’r at the end of the lane. Now fur a light.” A search among his pockets brought to light one of the luxuries of the States—a lucifer match. The next instant a flicker: of flame dissipated The matecb did not burn long, but it revealed an object at which Tornado sprung like a tiger—a coarse-looking | rock at his feet. cave. i see it in his eye!” cried | ‘‘Jehu! we’ve struck it!” rung through the | ‘Ten thousand to the ton an’ more! Old Shady didn’t lie. Who would stay dead long when he knew that this kentry held such a bo- /nanza as this one? Whoop la! my gold-bug. Look at this nugget an’ behold yer millicns al- : | pipe isn ready mined an’, I might almost soy coined!” ] j i | oe | the boy, bardly above his breath. Then these words fell upon their ears: ‘‘Keep the knife at the greaser’s wind-pipe! We've struck the boss bonanza. Hold him tight thar, Sandy. By George! 1! allus said thet iv ketch the Injun war to find the gold!” Tornado Jr. felt a hand tighten at his wri: while the words were wafted to them. ‘* Yes,” he said replying to the gripe. “They have caught the Indian whom | watched, and they are forcing him to reveal the secrets of tl). old mine with a knife at his throat. <A)! besides, Tornado, we have entrapped oiir- selves.” ‘*Mebbe we hev. Yonder is their torch.” ** Where?” ‘‘Away up thar. It looks like a star, but < « true ez I live, it is their light.” The boy’s eves caught the far-off glitter. ‘Shall we fight them here?” he queried. ‘‘No. Let me keep yer wrist. me on. We will meet ’em half-way.” The gold-hunters started toward the glimmecr- ing torch, Tornado in the lead with the strc! gripe of his right hand at the boy’s wrist. At times the torch would vanish, but it would soon reappear, more brilliant than ever, be- cause it was coming toward them. ‘‘Hyar we fight ’em!” old Tornado said halt- ing suddenly. ‘I’ve been feelin’ fur this s} ot allalong. Ifeltitez wecamein. Thar seenis to be a room in each side ov the wall. Now, git ready. We've got to write our title cl’ar ta the mine right hyar.” Side by side in the niche-like place to which they had withdrawn man and boy waited fcr their foes. They felt that it would be their last tussie with the hooded Brethren. ‘*They have stopped,” said the impatient boy. Y The Injun must be stubborn, but the bowie is still at his throat, I'l warrant ye. They ted halted, but they’re comin’ on ag’in. I should say thet they hed the red-skin foul!” ‘Can you see?” : “The torch mi me. Thar! they bev stop- ee ag’in. The Injun ar’ goin’ to show grit. isten !” “ We can’t be rage every minute!” grow !}- ed a rough voice. ‘Hyar!” I'll settle the ni \- ter. What ar’ you goin’ to do, Injun? Co «:. or die?’ ‘Buck Tail will stand where he is. The tx with the hidden faces cannot make him put «1- other moccasin forward,” ‘“Wal, fool, we'll dissolve pardnership !” A half-stified ery followed. ‘‘We kin find it ourselves, boys. The yall i rock ar’n’t fur off; we need no Injun to show us the way, any more. By the fiends of chaos! the Brethren ov the Gold League hev found th lost gold mine ov Idaho!” Shouts of applause responded to this cry of victory and the boy heard old Tornado say: ‘* They've wiped yer Injun out. Bis wind- t worth a nickel. Hyar, step out an’ Tornado Jr. revived slowly and his eyes spark- | stoop. When I say ‘fire!’ open yer battery oi led when they fell upon the pile of rocks that | the Hoods.” his we had scraped together. ‘Yes, we’re all right when we hev nobody to dispute possession with us,” he said — into Tornado’s ecstasy-illumed face. ‘‘ Do not forget that the young Indian knows the secret of the mine, that the Brotherhood are hunting him, and that Injun Jack crossed the Bitter Root hills for the sole pur pose of laying bis hands on | | this ore.” ‘‘T wish they’d all come byar at once an’ claimit. I wish they war hyar now.” “J am ready. Now I shall pay them bac’: for the brand of the bowie.” The twain had a from the niche, ?: | were crouching with fingers at their triggers. Of course they were holding their breath, ” in another second the battle would open, But 2]l at once something brushed old ‘4: ) nado’s arm, and he saw a dark figure spriny . . between him and the advancing torch. ‘*T have the best right to the first shot!” |: . ed a new voice. ‘Tl kill the man who ; - doubting the little speaker’s sanity. ‘‘ Nuthin’ | ‘* All! That includes the girl.” ree to deprive me of it. Those devils \«; - bot rocks!” he repeated. Tornado threw alook of reproof at the boy, | der had the pleasure of pulling me up to a Ji): '» “Then follow me and [ll show you. I’m not | but his lips did not frame one. not long ago. I want to show them that 1: | mad now. While I was unconscious fate must ‘‘Gold-bugs never marry beggars. I'll fix | don’t always die jest because they are bang: «| ” f have directed ges f Favored with unn darted away, followed by Tornado. oots a he was thinking teps.” _ that,” , tural strength, the boy | «Let us explore the bonanza,” said the boy. | “Tam strongagain. 1 want to know the extent ‘“Mad eg a March hare: The boss bouanza of our find. ’ , - A. ee Then his voice rung out loud and clear: “Halt! Gentlemen of the white masks, re- sg the compliments of Injun Jack from Red ore ' Comic 900 S)