Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 24 — page 9: what you’re looking at

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

wee oe - ———— eS - ee ee ‘* Very “well, I will follow him; the moon is rising, t e snow is crusty, and I can trail him around “1 don’t like ter see yer go alone, pard, an’ I’m durned ef I wants ter go with yer—let_me git some other feller as isn’t as wicked as I is, some one as ther Devil don’t want as much as he do me—say Captain Markham—he’ll go to hell with yer, an’ he’s kinder acquainted with ther Devil, yer know.” “No, I will go alone—I hope to be back b breakfast; keep a bright look-out, Fete, and call out if you see anything suspicious.”’ . “I will, pard, and God bless yer, ef yer is goin’ inter the Devil’s com a Diamond Dick laughed nii?—then took the trail of the being who had found Pete’s beat—it bbe the same track he had followed the day be- ore, Where would it lead him now? That, he was determined to see, and at a swift pace he sped along, the crisp snow cracking be- neath his feet. As he had ort the trail led him directly toward the boiling spring. The roar of the falling waters was before him, and as he drew nearer the ground trembled beneath his feet—the mists boiled up into the air in volumes, and the hiss of the seething cal- dron was distinctly heard, while the m ight fell upon all, an neguee’ to his mind the thought that he seemed indeed to be approaching a very Hell on earth. Straight toward this spot the trail led, until the heat of the steam melted the snow, and the tracks were no longer visible; but, undaunted, the brave scout pushed on, and entered the blinding mists. Feeling before him, with astick he had picked up in the timber, he went forward to the very brink of the boiling lake. For an instant he stood there, the hot spray falling in showers upon him, and then he moved slowly to the right. Cautiously he advanced, until the roar of the falling waters proved to him that he was pass- between two of the boiling caldrons. ‘Ha! Lam making a discovery,” he muttered, and he again moved forward, until gradually the mists were less dense and cooler, and after awhile he passed out from the vapor into open air. cea at ad IPs ri o a: Wana rose volumes of misty clouds, an ore was a h, abrupt, and rocky hill. . ea crescent, with each point against the hill, circled the boiling lakes, or basins, and Dia- mond Dirk did not doubt but that he had page through the half-circle of boiling springs by the onl that existed. oO) Now I am in Satan’s dominions, I must find out if his majesty is at home,” he mutte imly, and he walked straight forward to e rocky hill. It rose toa hight of two hundred feet, was some half that number of F bog in width, and over its summit tumbled a small stream, oy a huge bow] at its base. To this bowl, or basin, there seemed no bot- tom, for the waters poured down into the earth with an almost deafening roar. The face of the cliff was broken here and there with ravines, and gliding into one of these Diamond Dirk found a comparatively easy way of ascending the rocky hillside. He had gone up about half the distance, when he came suddenly upon a shelf of rock, the back- und of which was an entrance to a cavern— dismal, and forbidding, it looked. “Here is the Devil’s den—now to enter and see who I am to meet,” and the scout drew a box of matches from his pocket. “Too bad, too bad—the steam has eT ep them,” he said, as match after match ed to i te. ‘**T dare not go in in the dark—I will push my discoveries outside, and leave this cavern for to- morrow.” So sa , Diamond Dirk looked around for some path weg. further up the cliff. To the left of the cavern he found a narrow shelf, scarcely more than a foot in width, lead ne the rocky wall. . path led him beneath the f and into a small cave, as high as his Very arrow ; but he saw light ahead and p 0 and soon came out upon a thicket covered hillside—above him towered higher my below _ lay a small valley, beautiful in ‘Well, have found two ways of getting into his Satanic ma ’s abode—now for camp,” ane Pe struck off at a lively gait down the hill- torrent but es ee ee ee t—i—C— SS - yet track that girl to her _ loud voices, and sp Diamond ‘Dirk. Turning into the valley he began to circle e hills, at the same time bending in the direction of the encampment, when he heard the rapid clatter of hoofs. Instantly he bounded into the shelter of a convenient thicket, and awaited. Who could it be—this midnight rider? Or could the steed be riderless? Such were his thoughts; but he would see what more mystery the Yellowstone was to dis- Piny: e next instant a horse swept into sight, and almost upon him. A horse and a rider—that much he saw, anda heavy cloud swept across the moon and dark- ness came. With a bound Diamond Dirk sprung forward, one hand outstretched to catch the bridle rein— the other pape 2 arevolver, while there was upon his lips a cry for the horseman to halt! But as his hand clutched the rein, as his pistol was raised, as his lips parted with the stern order to halt—there came a blow upon his head, and Diamond Dirk fell heavily to the ground, while the horse and rider passed cn. CHAPTER XVIL,. THE WARNING. WHEN Diamond Dirk recovered from the stun- ning effects of the blow he had received, the moon had paled before the light of day. As consciousness slowly came back to him he felt almost another presence near him—his eyes seemed to open upon a form at his side. But when his scattered senses fully returned, and he raised himself to a sitting posture, he was all alone. Yet his head was wet, as if saturated with water—and more—a bandage was about his forehead. Hastily removing the camer he felt a in his head, a cut over the left temple—it bled freely, a small << of blood was upon the ground; but it had been carefully dressed. By whom? was the question that floated through the scout’s yet cer Koken) Then he glanced around him—his pistols and _ were at hand, his matchless rifle lay by his side. Who had been the one whose capture he had attempted? ; Certainly a most generous foe, he thought. Then his eyes fell upon a small stick, one end in the ground, the other containing a piece of white paper. Instantly he seized it. It was a leaf from an old note-book, and upon it, written in a bold, yet feminine hand, was the following: ‘*One who has your good at heart warns you to at once depart from the Yellowstone—you and your friends. ‘*] saved them once, and in return they fol- lowed my trail, and have now come further into this unknown and mysterious land—for I know where you are encam ‘** And one other knows who will drag you all to death—he is on your trail, and I warn you, for he knows no mercy. ‘“* You attacked me; but ere ee sp from our covert I was warned of danger my orse, and I struck you down—I am glad that you are not hurt seriously. — “Take my warning, — and your friends, and leave this valley, where only death awaits you. THE GIRL GUIDE.” Diamond Dirk read this warning over twice, and then pang it away in an inner goons. ‘You do not know me, fair girl; the ter the danger, the more I risk it; the greater the mystery, more determined I am to solve it. I will yet track you to your Eden, fair angel!” So mu , the scout arose and slowly con- tinued on his way back to camp. An hour’s walk and he arrived, to find all astir and most anxious about him; in fact, Lord Gilbert and Powder Bob had gone off in search of : In a po words, cae pone recy ay of his strange adventures, and exhibi e warning missive he had received. “She was as quick as lightning—struck me down before I could seize her rein. Tl ome; but who or what she can be I cannot tell. Now, I must t some rest, for I am used up,” and Diamond irk threw himself down upon his blankets. Late in the afternoon he was awakened by ing to his feet, he found that Lord Gilbert ust returned, and Pow- “eThe Be velishin, Ve pale and haggard 1 e Englishman was pale an ook- ing, and his story was soon told. - oe ee ee 9 eee eee They had gone to the springs in search of Diamond Dirk, had entered the misty clouds —_ aaa and suddenly he had missed Pow- Tr ' In vain had he called to him—in vain had he searched for him; nowhere was he to be found. Then, after hours of struggling, he had at last found his way out, weak, wearied and sor- rowing for the loss of his companion, and after some time had discovered the way back to ‘He was by your side, my lord, “you say Me you entered the vapor?” asked Diamon irk. ‘“* Yes—not two feet from me.” ** Then he fallen into one of those seeth- ing caldrons and instantly perished, or—” “Or what, scout?” ‘** Has been seized by the madman and carried off. Poor Bob! I hope we will yet find him; but already the warning of the girl guide is ing fulfil a Klay an, the captain, and now Powder Bob. is too bad, too “Who will follow me to that madman’s cave?” *‘ I, for one,” said Leo Markham, ** And I, for another.”’ ‘“*T also,” said Lord Gilbert and Jules Vernon in a breath. ‘* I'd like to be in at ther death o’ ther devil but I ain’t ther boy to go an’ look him up,” said Prairie Pete, and it was evident that his super- stitious comrades ed with him. ‘‘ We are enough, Pete; four of us can cer- tainly overcome one man, giant though he be. Now, let us be off, for we have no time to lose,” and Diamond Dirk set about his preparations for the dangerous work before him. an hour after the four men set out, and soon disappeared in the misty clouds at the boiling springs. They went close <= in Indian file, with oo Dirk in the a. Taye m out int® the opening soon, for the guide had led the way unswervingly, they crossed the space, entered the ravine and ascended the steep side of the cliff, At len the shelf was reached, and with his rifle y, Diamond Dirk stepped into the open cavern. But he started back with a cry of horror. Across the opening, a deep knife-wound in his side, lay Powder Bob—dead. ‘* Poor Bob—he has gone—who next?” said the guide, and he sprung fearlessly over the dead y and entered the cavern. Around him was a rocky room. Once per- haps it had been the monster’s abode; now it was empty, and the dead body left to guard the entrance, The weapons of the slain man were gone, and he lay stark and cold—a frenzied expression upon his bold face. ‘“* He has slain him and fled. Come, we will bear r Rob away and bury him. ‘‘ To-morrow I will lay for this monster and ee or he a kill me.” 4 i saying, the scout raise e dead body, and aided » = Leo Markham, bore it slowly back to camp, where their arrival but added to the superstition of the bordermen, and scared Pompey and Jake almost out of their wits. CHAPTER XVIII. THE MADMAN AT BAY. A STRANGE-LOOKING being drag , eae yg out of a thicket, where he had been eeping upon a mossy was of herculean build, fully seven feet tall, broad-shouldered, full-chested, and dis- pore in legs, arms and body wonderful muscu- ar development—in fact, he was a very giant. His were large, bony, and armed with long nails, almost wn into claws—his feet were immense, and incased in bear-skin mocca- sins, while his body was robed in the skin of a y bear, the hairy side out, which gave im a brute-like appearance. Upon his head was a huge aps Fon cap, from beneath which hung masses of mpt, iron-gray hair, reaching to his waist, whilea 3 ee gray, and metten, Wagner his belt, which was stuck a single weapon—a long-bladed knife. | ooteng out from the masses of hair over his left shoulder, was a bark quiver, containing a score of long, graceful arrows, while oy He hand he held a bow, nearly as long as himself, himself and which served as a as well as a weapon. Shaking himself ther, the man glanced around eee sunlight falling full in his wild, brow was massive, yet a wreck, the eyes gs) COMING OKO) ” (E@)