Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 207 — page 7: what you’re looking at

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

— . ~- ¢ A ‘ 4 . a Navajo Nick, the Boy Gold Hunter. — ew - een by his own horse? No! she could not. ‘*I know about the lasso bizness,” Dagobert said quickly. ‘‘ I’ve been huntin’ all night fur Nick, but hevn’t found a ha’r. He isn’t in thar?’ and he glanced at the shanty. ‘és No.” ‘* Did he tell you anything about the bonanza —not a hint?’ asked the man eagerly. ** Not a word.” ‘‘He knows how to keep a secret. stick together till we find Nick. I’m glad I’ve found you. Gal, ef you hed ez many enemics ez I hev, you’d go into hysterics.” ‘* Your enemies are mine!” she said looking up into his face. ‘‘T like that kind o’ talk! Thar’s blood in you, gal, ov the kind what tells. You heard me leavin’ my mark on the shanty, eh? Thet hand war the bloodiest in Arizona. I’ve felt it at my throat; but not last night. You couldn’t make out the name at’ the bottom ov my few remarks, 1 s’pose. It’s my name but my worst enemy l’arnt me to spell it backward last night. Pd like to be hyar when he reads thet paper!” and Dagobert’s eyes blazed. Helen went off with the giant. CHAPTER VII. ANOTHER TUSSLE FOR THE SECRET, THE sun was high in the heavens when twelve rough looking men—veritable children of the iwountains, drew rein on one of the densely wooded slopes of the Black Forest, and gazed at a figure moving through a ravine some dis- tance below them. Their eyes burned with victory and many an ejaculation of joy fell from their lips as they watched. The object of their attention was a youth who, hatless and dirt begrimed, was pushing through the shadows which even at noonday lay in the ravine. ‘*'The boy; the boy with the secret!” were the words in which they had recognized this person. Navajo Nick was below them! He bad escaped the horrid fate to which the Brethren of the Buffalo Band had consigned bim, and now, solitary and alone, he was going deeper and deeper into the unknown land that encompassed him. ‘*The gal isn’t with ’im an’ he’s met with an accident, fur whar’s his hoss?’ said the leader of the mountain men, glancing at his nearest companion who was our old acquaintance, the Boss Cactus. ‘IT wouldn’t be surprised, cap’n, ef he run ag’in’ the Navajoes,’”’ was the answer. ‘* Doubtless, an’ ef we let ’im go on he may run into ’em ag’in.” The eagles were ready to swoop down upon the quarry thus unexpectedly thiows before bean and the mountain slope was soon de- serted, Meanwhile, Nick, dreamless of the new foes hear was pursuing his way. He presented the appearace of a person who had been dragged some distance at the end of arope. Rocks and roots had searred his face and torn bis clothes; his introduction to the Black Forest had been by no means pleasant. Entirely without arms, he was unable to cope with the puniest enemy, and he was hurrying along as if beyond the end of the guich then not far away he expected to find help, friends. ‘* Halt!” rung suddenly in his ears. The voice sounded like the knell of doom. The boy sprung back and looked ahead. ** Six devils!” he cried, as he looked into the muzzles of the rifles that covered his heart. With the last word on his lips he involun- tarily turned to fly. ‘Six more!” he said, without taking a step. “They have stolen a march on me. Iam com- pletely hemmed in.” Ié was true. He was between the rifles of the mountain men. ** T see them for the first time, but I know them. They are the men Dagobert faced last night, the wolves who saved Helen; hunters like my- self for the mountain of gold.” At that moment his thoughts were interrupted. ‘What is it, my kid? Life er death? Take rer choice.” These words came over a horse’s bet and from between a pair of lips raised slightly above the stock of a rifle. “Say it quick!” continued the voice as Nick appeared to hesitate. **T surrender!” ** That’s bizness., hollybock.” Navajo Nick went up to the six he had dis- covered first. Atevery step he knew that he was covereal by twelve rifles. We'll Come for’ard, my mountain | When he reached the men they were joined by their companions, and he was quickly sur- rounded. His eye went from man to man as if he sought a particular person, and when it paused at a certain face he shook with rage. “Traitor!” he hissed. ‘* You and your pigeon have triumphed for a time.” The Marked Shirt grinned. ‘Wal, yas,” he said, coarsely. ‘The Boss Cactus an’ his pigeon ar’ ez good ez a hand ov aces,” and then he added. ‘‘ Whar’s yer pard Dag —Captain Flash?” Nick started. The Cactus had not checked himself in time. He, too, knew Captain Flash as Da gobert. ‘* He isn’t far away!” answered the Boy Gold Hunter. ‘* Don’t lie, Blossom!” said another man, and the leader of the league. ‘‘We know better nor thet. You hevn’t seen him since last night. An’ the gal?” “Ill tell you all. I fell in with a band of Navajoes—my old comrades—last night. They lassoed me and tied the rope to my horse’s tail. it was in the dim starlight, and just before the horse started I got the noose below my shoul- ders. I was dragged some distance, but a stone that seemed to have an edge like a razor cut the lasso and left me nearer death than life somewhere back yonder. I am here now, your prisoner. The girl I haven’t seen since last night.” The Twelve could hardly contain their tri- umph, while the boy hurried through his brief narrative. ‘We'll cut up thet stone fur breast-pins ef you'll take us to it,” said the leader, unable to suppress his delight longer. ‘‘ Ef it hedn’t been fur it we wouldn’t see you byar in the flesh, eh Don’t you grasp the p’int?”’ ‘ick evidently did, for he glared at the speaker. The men at a signal from their head glided to the ground. ‘‘ It’s coming now—the ordeal,” thought the gold hunter. ‘** We don’t stan’ on ceremony, Blossom,” gaid the captain sternly. ‘‘ You know what we want to know; you wormed it out ov old Ala- yatha at last. The bull batch ov us couldn’t 1ev got it out ov him with our peacemakers at his head. We’ll own thet a bear helped you to the secret; but you got it just as hard. Now, what war it? har is the mountain of gold?” ‘*'Where it has been since the creation,” said the boy. ** No fun!” came over the revolver that had been thrust into Nick’s face. ‘‘ Of course it’s been thar since the cr’ation, and we intend to leave it whar it stands now. We only want the linin’, Blossom; the innards, so to speak.” The boy kept silent and the deep-set eyes of the mountain men blazed as their impatience increased. ‘The secret is mine!’ said the gold seeker, **{ won it, and I propose to keep it.” ‘*Oh, you do, eh? Wal, we'll try you.” Five minutes later the boy was lashed to the nearest trec. His jacket had been torn off, and the upper part of his body was exposed to mountain wind and sun. The Twelve had drawn back a few paces, and the Boss Cactus was putting the finishing touches to a terrible looking whip made from a species of mountain undergrowth. It was five feet long, willowy and cutting, and fairly whistled as he cut the air with it to terrify Nick and make his confreres grin. Navajo Nick pressed his cheek against the a Not a vestige of color remained on his ace. ‘Twenty doses ov this yarb kills!” said the voice of the Cactus at his shoulder as he thrust the brutal whip before his eyes. ‘‘ You kin keep yer mouth shut an’ git the hull number, er tell the truth an’ save yerskin. Ar’ ye ready, cap’n? Nick drew a long breath. ‘Now, Blossom, what ar’ you goin’ to do?” said the head of the mountain Twelve. ‘The secret er the whip?” ‘The whip!” A murmur of disappointment ran through the lawless group. ** Now let ’im have it, Cactus!” The next instant the body of Navajo Nick actually left the ground, for the infernal lashes had descended on his back and where they touched the skin was a gaping crimson line! Once, twice, three times the forest cat-o’-nine- tails descended upon the victim! The arm that wielded it was merciless; the Boss Cactus of Arizona had evidently whipped for secrets be- — ——— se. ~~ FO ee ee ee At the third blow the boy spoke. ‘* ve had enough!” he said. The captain uttered a cry of joy and caught the mad arm about to deal the fourth blow. ‘*T thought we’d bring ’im to it,” he said, as he stepped toward the gold hunter. ‘‘ You’ve hed enough you say? IL thought you war ne fool, Blossom. “You will tell us?’ ‘*T will show you!” ‘“Thet’s jes’ ez good ef you don’t play ug false,” said the captain, a little suspicious. “‘T will show you the mountain of gold. You can keep me all the time a hostage for my good behavior. 'There’s enough there for all of us.” ‘* Of course!” said the mountain men, as they gave each other a meaning wink. ‘* Thar’s nothin’ mean about us, Blossom; we'll divide.” ‘* Untie me first.” The cords were cut, and Nick leaned against the tree. Tke lash bad cut his flesh in a most cruel manner; he could scarcely stand. ‘‘You will lead to the boss bonanza, an’ no foolin’?”’ ‘‘T have promised. If you don’t believe me, give me the other seventeen strokes.” ‘* We'll trust you, Blossom.” Navajo Nick gritted his teeth to bear the pain made by the rough dressing administered to his wounds. All the time there was a strange glit- ter in the depths of his eyes. He did not look like a person who had betrayed to his enemies a valuable secret, and yet he had promised to guide the Twelve to the mountain of gold. When his jacket had been replaced he was placed on a horse before his old foe, the Cactus, and the captain turned to bim., ‘*Ef you attempt to play us false, Blossom, we hunt the bonanza alone from thet moment,” he said, slowly, ‘‘ an’ the vultures will hev an- other feast! So bewar’! Now, which way?’ ‘*To Navajo Canyon.” The entire Twelve started. ‘Why, we’re almost thar now!” exclaimed the captain. ‘*We must find it first,” said Nick. ward,” The ravine was deserted in a minute, In the eyes of the mountain men was a wild look of triumph. They were on the threshold of success; the well-kept secret of the Navajo chief was theirs at last. And they fairly laughed in their sleeves to think that a few mountain bushes, wielded by the Boss Cactus, had opened to them the path- way to the mountain of gold. ‘¢ Hor- As for the boy, he did not speak but every — now and then a flash would appear in bis eyes to vanish an instant later. ‘* Never mind, Dagobert. The areas secret hasn’t slipped through my fingers after all. I’m no traitor!” He murmured thus a dozen times. CHAPTER VIII. MOHAVE BILL, ALL day long the sun shone on the dead hand fastened to the boards of the mountain shanty, Not far away lay the two Indians who had fallen before Dagobert’s revolvers. Their last trail had ended at the same moment, and they lay dead side by side with the buffalo band the sign of the red gold league on their rigid arms. The prowling coyote visited the spot, and finding nothing to appease his appetite slunk away to other valleys. The vicinity of the mountain den continued silent and deserted, until the cooling winds of the brief Arizonian twilight prevailed again. The hilt of the bowie no longer threw a hideous shadow over the dead hand; but the warning insecurely fluttered in the breeze. Not until that hour did a visitor come. Then a horse stopped before the door, and a, pair of eyes cold and steely stared at the mark of vengeance which Captain Flash, or Dagoberi, had left behind. ‘‘Tbe hand of Monte!” read the man slowly and in acoarse voice that sounded a short dis- tance away like the low grow] of a grizzly. He read the rest of the paper, the threat and the warning, with his eyes; his lips did not move. ‘* So you are back, eh?” he suddenly exclaimed and then as his eyes seemed to emit sparks of flame he added: So am J!” He leaped to the ground and leaving the leathern lines on his horse’s neck wrenched the knife from the hand and secreted it in his bosom. The hand be laid on the doorstep. Then turn- ing again to the warning he suddenly drew €om OOKS fastened to the weather-boarding ) \ Geom