Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 169 — page 6: what you’re looking at

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

sere ee et ee eee “4 S* « - = —— ~ * “st 30S ae **> : " “~~ ie ‘ore him and between kisn and the solitary - a Oe: OS ot ee — eee — —_— ——- ——- a emtee se me ms ee ee = = me te ee Tornado Tom. F'or half an hour Tornado Tom inspected his | thank her for whet she did last night?” Tor- i | nado Jr. suddenly cried, as his bright eyes “ Ym like the bottom oyster in the can,” said | flashed with indignation. 3gtison with his hands. te, desisting at last. ‘‘The can is open at the ‘op, but whar’s the oyster what ever got out by wawilin? up toit? Ifl git outen this I b’lieve P< quit lookin’ fur the boss bonanza, an’ go to kesutin’ seven Injuns whose faces I hev photer- geaphed onmy mind. But kin I git out? Tor- avulo, you must!” CHAPTER VL BETWEEN PISTOL AND OATH. TORNADO JR. was more than startled when ‘returned to the cave after his thrilling adven- ** Because I kin!” was the answer, and the boy thought that he detected a steely glitter in Injun Jack’s eyes as he uttered the sentence. ‘*See here. I’m master wherever I go, an’ here I’m cock o’ the walk. You’re a good way from home, boy, an’ if you interfere in Injun Jack’s affairs there will soon be ten toes turned sky- ward in one o’ these valleys. So be keerful. Take my advice an’ git out o’ this kentry. Your pard has met with an accident.” ‘You have killed him!” flashed the boy step- ping boldly toward the revolver on whose trig- #9 with the mounted Indian, and he found no | ger Injun Jack’s finger rested. ezisiences of Tom’s return. A. strange feeling began to take possession of ps heart. tind Tom encountered those same Indians and ‘ilen before them? The idea was plausible, wad fhe boy gave it credence as he thought. Vion he was left alone in the unknown land. “} Lave one friend at le st here,” he said at ltrrxth encouragingly to himself, ‘‘ and that is de person—the young girl—who saved my life ‘ef night. She cannot be here alone, and her apanions, who must be white as I am_con- “emeed. she is, will also be my friends. I am wietio now. . Tornado would have returned last cab alive... Now I will try to find my other Fiend.” “ort the youth did not leave the cave without #oning a notice to the wall ina place where it wud be certain to attract Tom’s eye if he aly ila come back. he paper said that he—Tornado Jr.—would ™ oem on the following day, and requested the yy 2at gold-hunter to meet him at the cave. Vien shouldering a rifle and armed again with ‘yam revolvers the boy set out to find his pre- ax ver of the night before. ‘ke Bad waited all day for his lost companion, ox Lnow the sun was going down again. ‘a & land so wild to the little protege, he »wttht scarcely know whither he was going; but exae Strange fatality was leading him toas am a danger as stern as the one from which Dw %ad lately escaped should confront him. “if at once Tornado Jr. came to a sudden “eA for a rough miner cabin stood before him, Rx ht was most unexpected, and an ex- @e ation fell from his lips as he stopped. “A cabin here?” he said. .‘‘{t must be the yk home,” “re next moment, as if to answer his ques- eyo girlish figure emerged from the hut, and ‘“xnado Jr. almost sprung forward with a cry ais the girl who saved me last night!’’ he ooe® “We will be friends, and her friends wit.we mine also. This is the very discovery I vewuted to make. Ah! Tom, I will have a new ‘ind to introduce to you if you ever come ne al “Gt your pard hasn’t got back yet?’ Vienado Jr. whirled upon the speaker as if wearek in the side with an arrow. _~G left ’im in good health, but bad humor. She the Injuns wiped ’im out.” The boy had not addressed the man into wiinse face he was stari ~That’s right, boy. dp dack.” “that your name?” “TTat’s my handle.” “4nd that cabin—” “Tyat’s Red. Core,” was the interruption. “ofa er saw ic afore, I see.” — Wever. bP] -And the Queen—the girl I mean—” “Tast night—” “ever mind last night! ng. Take a good look at In- You are well omg acquainted with her. Right. about Rei” rand Jr. did not move. Down in the Wourttefal little valley and in the last:rays of the “0 stood the girl to whom be owed his life. But Xu, statue-like, stood Injun Jack, a revoiver iwhis tawny right hand. ~“Ghie saved my life last night. You will axe\enly let me go down and thank her.” © eh RT . nr ~~» eruel syllable nonplused the boy. Nhe was this strange man who guarded the pert! Was he her.father? No! he was too ogre for that. Her lover, may be. “xr boy felt a blush suffuse bis cheeks at the Rete fea. injun Jack was the girl’s lover, then they ways. become rivals, and enemies to the = Phat right have you to refuse to leb me i a — —E = ee eS a ol ES RE ite. eae ee I **Well, what if [ have?’ ‘*T will avenge him! He was my friend, and you shall pay dearly for shedding his blood.” Injun nok smiled derisively. ‘‘ Look here. I don’t mind a cur-dog so long as he keeps his distance, but when be snaps at my heels | turn at once and kill ’im! So remember. You're not a handful forme. Right about face!” Tornado Jr. shut his lips, and shot the man a look of defiance that would have irritated the most patient. The next moment without a word of warnin Injun Jack te: upon him, and the yout found himself fairly lifted from the ground. ‘‘1’ll make you remember that I am Injun Jack!” was hissed in his ear. ‘‘I did not come to this kentry to be interfered with by a boy. I see what a meetin’ with the Queen of Red Core would result in, an’ by Jove! I will not allow it.’ During this speech he was dragging Tornado Jr. from the spot where they had met, and when he stopped the cabin in the valley was no longer to be seen, and the pair stood at the foot of a great hill. ‘* Boy, you must choose between two things the revolver or an oath,” said Injun Jack, an: the youth shrunk with a shudder from the muz- zle of a weapon that almost touched his face. ‘* What is your oath”’ he asked. Swear never to hunt for the girl again—never to speak to her—and never to attempt to save her should you find her in danger.” Every word went to the heart of Tornado Jr. like the successive blows of a dagger. ‘What if I should refuse to take the oath?” ** Then this !—bere—now !” Did the pistol creep nearer to his forehead? He thought so. ‘You have no mercy and no heart, Injun Jack. If Ishould find the girl among the quick- sands of some mad river, or among wild Indians where death threatened her—” ‘* You must not save her! Rather than have you save her, Il’d go down there an’ prevent that. Now, no more palaverin’. Take your choice!” What did the boy do? The next minute he was hurled away by the iron arm of Injun Jack, and these words roared in his ears: ‘‘Keep your oath an’ live! Break it an’ die!” As he hastened from the spot where all his lans had failed, his brain seemed to reel, and ooking back he saw Injun Jack standing like an ill-omened statue in the twilight. He did not recover until he found himself standing on the bank of a little stream which had an unfamiliar look, although he knew that it could not be far from the cave home. Now he did feel utterly alone in the wild country to which Tornado Tom had brought him, and as he sunk upon the ground a wail of despair welled from his throat. ‘* What is the use of giving up?” he suddenly cried. ‘‘ My chances to find it are as good as Tom’s were. What mean those strange lines that Tornado traced on the wall of the cave last week? What can they be but a oie to the lost gold mine that [ am sure he is hunting? Why should I not hunt it, too, and po back to Omaha a young bonanza prince! I will hunt it, and what is more I will find it! Cheer up, Tornado Jr. The oath does not prevent you from looking for that hidden wealth which drew old Tom to this country. Back to the cave now for a study of the map.” Renewed vigor seemed to have taken es- sion of the boy, and the next moment he was leaving the strange stream behind in his eager- ness to gain the cave. Twilight gave way to night as he advanced, and when he struck a valley which looked fa- miliar he quickened his gait until he ran, ‘* Here Lam once more!” fell from his lips as he entered the cave. ‘ Now the first thing is the map.” A few seconds later with the aid of some luci- ' \ -— SO Oe +) te re 8 er > oo fers he partly illuminated the underground re- trent, but all at once a cry of surprise fell from is li ‘“ Who has been here?” he ejaculated, for the strange map which he had seen on the wall since Tom’s departure had been obliterated and that by the repeated blows of a hatchet! For several moments Tornado Jr. stared at the scene unable to speak. The matches that he held orer bis head enabied him to see the mu. tilation. Tornado Tom had not come back and blotted out his own work. No, he would not do that, Then he was not the only person who possessed the secret of the gold mine. The boy believed that Injun Jack was not entirely unaware of ite existence, but he had not been there. All at once the matches went out, and at the same moment a wild cry fell upon the boy’s ears. Startled by the noise he dropped the dead matches on the floor of the cave and darted to the o; ening. Pushing the vines aside he halted there, and obtained a good view of the moonlit scene that lay below. V hat did he see? Not fifty yards away astalwart Indian appear- ed in a half-stooping position holding back two huge, impatient, panther-like brutes. What could it mean? Tornado Jr. held his breath, and the next min- ute the beasts released darted away like blood- hounds, and the Indian sprung erect and clap- ped his hands with savage delight. Instinctively the bewildered boy turned his head to watch the dogs; but they had already disappeared. But a moment later from a part of the land- scape that he could not penetrate came two 8 tol shots and the sounds of a fierce struggle be- tween man and beast. At the same time the Indian who had slipped the animals turned and came toward the cave! CHAPTER VIL. A FORCED INITIATION. Tue Indian came straight toward the cave watched by the astonished boy, who had crouch- ed at the foot of the wall with one of his revol- vers drawn. After letting his dogs loose on some foe, why was he leaving the spot? Why did he not rush forward and assist the | eae that were still struggling not very far away Tornado Jr. never took his eyes from the red- skin. He traget he had seen the Indian before; the events of the last night were still vivid ones in his brain, and although he could not distin- guish his assailants very well he was confident that this one had been one of them. But all at once the savage turned abruptly aside, and leaving the cave and the F prs rs watcher to the left quickened his gait and wen over a knoll. ‘I can’t afford to lose sight of that mystery yet,” murmured the boy leaving his ‘“Everything that has occurred to-night has a bearing on the lost gold mine, therefore it be- hooves me to follow this adventure to the end,” And he followed the Indian. With his finger at the trigger of a trusty pis- tol Tornado Jr. kept in the wake of the Indian, and saw his dark body after he had passed over the knoll. As if conscious that he was not fol- lowed the Indian led the boy to the little river on whose bank he had lately sunk despairi and without ceremony plunged into the flood. Tornado Jr. remained on the bank rooted te the ne as if by astonishment. He had not looked forward to such a tame ending of the adventure that had promised so much excite- ment at the start, and he caught himself staring at the dark budy of the Indian now and then seen on the crest of the silvery waves. He thought that he saw the swimmer land on the opposite bank; but this was mere im - tion, and he suddenly turned, chagrined, to- ward the cave again. He had been absent an hour from the spot and after visiting the retreat for the purpose o securing his rifle he had resolved to seek out the spot where the Indian’s dogs and their human foes had fought. But when he reached the mouth of the cave his hand fell suddenly from the vines which it had touched, and he drew back with a low ory of surprise. . There was a light in the interior ef the re- ! , treat ‘May be old Tornado has come back at Inet,” exclaimed the boy, collecti his seattered senses ‘ But I will go in cautiously anyhow.” <S Eomicboo! J