Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 169 — page 15: what you’re looking at

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

\ f il ee ened ot ee ee — eee ee ee ee ee a - - -_—« - - — we ee ~~ Ashe finiched, his right hand went up, end | he began poring death against the ranks of the Gray Hoods of Idaho. “Thuxders! Injun Jack, we’re with you!” eried old Tornado, springing to tho slayer’s side. ‘¢-Yes, you kin sail in now!” was the response, and two more revolvers began to take part in the batile. CHAPTER XVIIL TEE GOLD LEAGUE'S EXIT. Tae appearance of Injun Jack in the cave was totally unexpected by old Tom and his young partner. Where bad be come from? Let us p2use here a moment and sec, We saw the Brotberhood pull him up to a | bough, and then gallop off leaving bim behind to perish at the cud of a rope. ut Injua Jack was not to dic thus. The words whispered into his ears just before he was jerked upward saved his life. He did not bother himself about the identity | of his sclf-aunounced friend among the masks, | but inflated his lungs and braced bis nerves as the voice had directed, He speedily found that the helping hand had adjusted the rope wita en eye single to his pre- servation. Nor was that all. His hands had | been tied by that same hand, and a little exer- | tion sufficed to free them. He waited until the masked executioners had passed out of sight, until they had placed a mountain between them and the gallows-tree, Then his right hand seize:l tiie rope above his | head, and while he lifted himeelf um Lis left | hand freed his throat and an empty noose dan- | gled from the limb. A wild cry of juy and fature vengeance pro- | claimed his liberation. Taking the noose in his | hands, he pinned if azgainsv the tree with his bowie which the League had left at his feet, then once more he turned his face toward Red Core. His wound wrenched open by the jerk from the ground almost drove hii ined; but he kept | ’ back the groans of pain which the oceasion de- | manded, until ne crossed the cabin threshold. Thero endurance found its end, for the brave men fell Gown like a dead hero,and was still lying on the floor when Queen Olive, having es- | caped frorn Buck Tail, arrived with heart and | head full of the gclden prize found at last, The scene that followed ber arrival has been | already chronicled. ‘Under the magic influence of her tears and kisses life came back to the man from Red Core, | and not long afterward he was listening to the | girl’s wonderful scory of her adventures. ) ‘“‘ And are you sure you have found the boss | bonanza, Queen?” | “My eves did not d ceive me, and yet it | seenis more than half a dream.” | “Then let us go at once. Olive, you must | not miss the way.” ‘‘ Miss the way to that mine of riches? I know | every rock, tree anu turf of grass between itand | Red Core!” | ‘Then [am ready!” | Injun Jacis once mors stood erect. | this score. - a a - * — ~~ A . fought to the bitter end. The Gold League at least was determined, on Had they not taken an oath that, once in the gold mine, no power should drive them out? Therefore, they fought like tigers, and bullet _ passed bullet in the heavy smoke that filled the | passage, ‘*Stand firm, brethren! We outnumber the enemy ten to one.” These words had encouraged the band, but why did the shots from that very enemy con- tinus to increase instead of diminish? A reinforvement had been added to the ranks of the trio. Little Tornado leerd a voice at his elbow, and then a new pistol juined its rapid shots to the noises of the bettie. ‘Turning his head, he caugbt a glimpse of a girl at his side. They had met at last! his oath. ‘““What! you here?’ fell from the boy’s lips. ‘*Why not? Never mind; | will divide with rou.” ; ‘rornedo Jr. could hardly repress a smile, A short time before he had talked of dividing with her! but he did not get to reply, for the figure of Injun Jack fell between them and they were rudely forced apart. ‘*Remember your oath!” was hissed fiercely into the youth’s ears, as Injun Jack again turn- cu his attention to the common foe. A:imost suddenly the firing ceased on the part Already he had broken | of the Gold League. ‘The cowards give it up,” announced Torna- . ‘* Now, Injun, you an’ me fur it, J guess.” ** Wait until we see,” was the response, The little party now advanced firing, but no reply was obtained. he sight that greeted their cyes on the spot | where the Brotherhood had fought was horrible _in the extreme. Everywhere lay the Gray Hoods of Idaho; they had fallen on every side. ‘We're all hyar, Injun Jack!” said a voice from beneath a mask. ‘‘ You an’ yer pard hev the boss bonanza all to yerselves. We didn’t expect to see you turn the jack on us arter we had treated you to a rope an’ a limb. Our oath hez been kept, anyway. We die in the mine, Injun, ef you an’ yer pards hedn’t got the drop on us, the Brand ov the Bowie would hev come out on top.” Thirteen human figures lay within the little compass of that underground battle-field. The Brotherhood which had tracked and killed for the prize of the mountains was ex- tinct, and the mark of the organization remain- ed on only one living breast—the boy’s. ** Ar’ ye axe Injun?’ demanded old Tor- nado, suddenly laying his hand on the arm of the man from Red Core. ‘For our tussle? Yes!” ‘*T want to show you the bonanza first.” And Tornado picked up a torch and led the way down the corridor. “Tornado and I are going to ’tend to a bit o’ rivate business,” whispered Injun Jack to live. ‘* You must not interfere; neither must LO npn that boy. Don’t let the result bother you for Other hands than his had washed his wound and | 4 minute, for since we have found the prize, In- éressed it, and #s he stood before the girl she | jun Jack is not goin’ to pass in his checks at saw that the gold fever was devouring his very | this stage of the game. Count on that, my gold heart strings. | ‘* Didn’t I say that you should be the richest | woman in the States?’ he cried. *‘* Why, the | handsome lords of creation wiil be bowing to | rou before you are two daysin th. big cities. fhe pepers will talk of nothing but the Gold Queen of Idaho, end now and ‘then they’ll put in a word about Jack, her friend. Itis ali yours, | princess!” CHAPTER XIX. HOW EVERYTHING PANNED OUT. Face to face in the cooling shade of the Lsaid ifshoula Le and I guess Ihave kept my | mountain side, the two men stood once more. word! Now, Jet us go. Ducen of Gold.” We need not follow Injun Jack to the prize for which he had hunted. that he got there, and we have seen how, step- ping betore old Tornado and his protege, he | ppened the battle with ihe mountain masks. The rapid firing corpled to the voice of the man whom they ha’ lately hanged, threw the band into great contusion. pai Put ovt the torches! eencmy !” was tbe cry. But there were tro torches which could not | be extinguisted. They led fallen from their | bearers’ hands, and were flaring on the floor of | the corridor, midway between the combatants. | r to return the fire, the | They only show us to | When the macks began peal of firearms was incessant, ‘ Al: parties bad reached their goal, and it was | Lead the way, wy | | eyed each other, while their breasts heaved like We already know | Tawny and strong like savage gladiators they the tumultuous ocean. In the right hand of each was a formidable bowie, ready to decide the duel. Now that the gold mine had been found, and the Gray Hoods exterminated, they were going to fight for the prize. If Tornado won, then not an ounce of the glittering prize should fall to the Queen of Red Core; if he lost, the boy hero would be thrust aside without his sbare, The men stood ten feet apart glaring at each other like the tigers of the arena. ‘Ready! Advance!” fell suddenly to Indian J — tongue, and the duelists stepped for- ward. When toe struck toe, they halted, and with knives rendy waited for the final signal. wy 7 : Te 15 a ree me te ee ee rr ree Bee ewe + + es ee a et ee Old Tornado was eager for the combat; hi eyes fairly blazed when he saw the command forming on Injun Jack’s lips. Another second and they would make a dash at each other’s heart. All at once a stone that glittered strangely as it passed through the sunlight fell at their 1eet. The next mcment the figure of Tornado Jr, bounded into view. ‘Hold back your knives, for heaven’s sake! The boss bonanza is a fraud! Don't kill each other for a lot of worthiess rocks!” The men lowered ther dirks with exclam- ations of disgust; their toes parted company. “IT can’t b’lieve that!” exclaimed Tom, ena the next second he was holding in | is hand the stone which had fallen at their feet. ‘**Look fur yerself, Injun!’ he said, handing the rock to his eutagonist. * Ef thet is the kind ov dirt we’ve fought, hated, an’ lied fur then I’m Cisgusted with all mankind.” By this time Tornado Jr. had come up. He was helcing forth several rocks that bore a re- semblance to the one Injun Jeck was examin- ing. ‘* Here is our gold, Tornado,” be said with a light laugh. ‘‘A tonof it wouldn’t buy a de- ccut breakfast in Omaha, Would it Jack?’ The man from Red Core bad cast the false nug et on the ground with a savage oath. “Old Shady fcoled us out here. Where is the old liar?’ he cried. ‘‘ Whar I left ’im the other night,” answered Tornado. Injun Jack saw the full meaning of Tornado’s answer, and the next moment he had flung Lis Lowie to the earth. ‘What! ain’t you goin’ to fight?’ exclaimed Tornado. ‘*For a lotof sham gold? No!” * You’ve got to take suthin from oid Tornado, an’ byar itis!” Injun Jack had partly turned, but he looked around. Another bowie quivered beside his blade in the ground, and Tornado Tom stood before him with outstretched hand. | The next moment two hands met and Tornado Tom exclaimed: ‘By the jumping jingo! Injun, we'll the profits ov this expedition to the States in our rifle tubes. But mebbe we kin scrape suthin Folid out ov the koss bonanza for the young pair. ‘* Not out of such rocks as that,” said Inj Jack, spurping the ceceptive nugget wi foot. “But we'll try a place 1 saw mountains.” ‘*T know whar it is.” “You?” ‘Wal, yes, an’ ef my eyes didn’t deceive me we'll find enough thar to give the young ’uns a good rquar’ send-off at housekeepin’.” Injun Jack's eyes flashed. “Oh, thar’s no use in kickin’ ag’in’? what's bound to be,” continued Tornado. ‘I wanted to act the hog with the bonanza, an’ so did you; but now thet the youngsters ar’ on an ekal footin’, I say thet I’m ready to help ‘em ekally along. They’ve seen each other an’ neither you or me, Injun, kin spile the match. An’ ef they take to one another, I won’t shed a tear over the bonanza thet didn’t pan out.” Injun Jack did not reply: but the next day a little company of four persons passed out of Red Core, and turned their faces toward the Bitter Root Mountains. The old mine with its metal so deceptive, yet so nearly like gold, had been left behind, and the hope of a better “find” among the mountains urged the adventurers on. The reader would have supposed that the last hunt bad proved suseensfet if he cculd have attended the wedding that vag! took place at number one Mateo ard one, Sunlight avenue, in one of our largest cities. The couple, or the ‘‘ high contracting parties ” as the papers of the day said, were young, stylish and handsome, and one wecding gues# said to another after he had kissed the bride: ‘‘That lost bonanza didn’t pan out so bad after all. It yielded two precious nuggets, Tornado. I'd go through the hull thing ag’in est to get to stand bere and kiss the Queen of Core, as the bride of the boy.” ‘You kin bet yer boots on thet, Injun. By - o! I believe the bride’s lookin’ fur me to iss er, an’ I hevn’t kissed a weman fur twenty year!” But Tornado Tom passed the ordeal bravely. ’ THE END comichoo