Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 279 — page 9: what you’re looking at

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

‘* We'll keep the younger hyar,” said one, a man with whom Roy had been on rather friend- ly terms during his residence’ at Eldorado. “Ten ov you fellars go back an’ look fur the old shooter. He may be healthy enough to bang. The boy byar is, anyhow; we kin all swear to thet.” There was a retrograde movement by half of the band, and Roy followed them with wistful lances till their matches went out and their res vanisbed from sight. He had not been disarmed. Why need he be deprived of bis pis- tols when ten revolvers were ready to deprive him of life?” He was the prisoner of men whom he had known for several years—men by whose sides he had worked day after day in the Eldorado mines. He knew that they disliked him be- cause he had not associated with them at all times, yet he had never quarreled openly with anv one. He was hated by them because he possessed a loftier nature and a mind fitted to adorn a bet- ter society than one usually finds among the camps of the gold region. ihe pigeon had fallen among the hawks; but there was one beak among them not yet ready to rend. Roy suddenly felt a hand on his arm, and he turned his face to recognize the man who had ju? qrceres the ten back to hunt for Old inch. ‘*Don’t let on thet you bear me, Roy,” he aaid in a low whisper. ‘I don’t want to see you go back to Ranch’s bouse, fur ef you do all creation can’t save ye. I’m goin’ to propose to tie yer hands on yer back—I’ll do the tyin’ myself, but yer kin bet thet I'll fix ther ropes to ‘ guit you. little jerk will loosen them, an’ away you go ag’in. I'll give you the signal to make the break. I don’t want to see you pulled up, boy, but if you go back to Ranch’s, thar’ll be a@ hangin’ sure!” Plumas Roy heard the rough through without once interrupting him, although he could hardly keep back the words that struggled for utter- ance. ‘‘T can’t desert Winch!” he said. ‘I would gooner go back to the ranch and take the chances!” ‘‘Chances?” echoed the miner. ‘ Thar’ll be no chances,” * Vl go back any how.” Roy did not see the surprised look by which he was ded. | * Don’t - a font, bogs” he said in a tone that toki the depths of the interest which the speaker bad taken in him. ‘‘If Lasso Dan war in your fix, an’ hed yer chances, be wouldn’t think ov stayin’ with an’ old pard who might be lyin’ dead in the grass. We've never been real friends, boy; I don’t exactly know why, but we hev’n’t. Let me fix the ropes. What d’ye say?” Roy had weighed everything, and now reso- lutely shook his head. Tens Dan righted himself in the saddle, not rom the bottom of a only disappointed, but d had honestly, and heart that knew few virtues, given Plumas Roy stag for liberty; but the youth had rejected t. Several moments later a shout came from the ten men who had been searching with flaming bunches of grass for Old Winch. “Thet means ‘come on,’ Lasso Dan said addressing his companions, ‘‘ They hev'n’t found the old b’ar-bunter.” The men gathered up the lines which had been permitted to fall on the necks of their steeds, and started back toward the ranch. Once more, Roy,” said a voice atthe youth’s ears. ‘‘Hedn’t you better let me ropes?” | The eyes of the two men met for a moment. “For the last time I say no, Lasso,” was the answer. ‘‘I'm afraid it is fur the last time!” These words sounded like the shutting of the doors of doom. Lasso Dan had ha oo muly when he said that the ten men had failed to find the old bear- bunter. This was confirmed when the tw parties met. f ‘“‘I fur one don’t b’lieve the story "bout the the | old’un fallin’ from his boss,” suddenly exclaimed one of the despe addressing Lasso Dan, but at the same tine throwing a sly glance at Rey. ‘If be war anywhar in the grass, we would hev found ’im.” | The young miner turned full upon the rT. y ‘Tt is true,” he said. ‘‘Old Winch may have been dragged away from the stirrup, but tnissed him suddenly—I. did not see him fall— and I naturally thought, knowing him to be des- I | battle that. had been Old ‘Winch, the Rifle King. perately hurt, that he had tumbled from the saddle. Why should I lie, when | have volun- tarily given myself up?” These words abasbed his would-be accusers. ‘* We can’t hunt for the old man—not now, at any rate,” put in Lasso Dan at this juncture, ‘¢‘ For’ard to the ranch! Mebbe the rest ov the crowd hev caught the Injun thet broke back inter the house,’ The horses started forward at a smart gallop, Roy being watched by more than half of the ang. 2 The ride back was devoid of incident. Lasso Dan did not renew his offers of assist- ance. Tbere was heart enough in the rough to regret that Roy had rejected them. hen the home of Rancu Rob was reached, torches were flashing on the porch and the ex- terior of the house, and the gaunt trees that fronted it were plainly revealed, ‘*We didn’t get the Injun!” said a man, ad- dressing Lasso Dan. ‘‘Somehow or other the red skunk got away; but, cap’n, I see you’ve brought baek a fit subject fur the rope.” A loud, mad shout greeted the last words, and while it yet echoed over the scene, some one threw a lasso over w large limb that stretched toward the porch. ‘‘That’s for me,” murmured Plumas Roy, in- terpreting the looks that now became fixed upon him, ‘* Lasso Dan, I thank you for leaving me in possession of my revolvers.” t was more than evident that the young miver’s hour was near at hand. The roughs of Eldorado had resolved that he should die. CHAPTER IX. THE RED HELPER, Ir the torches of the rouzhs of Gold Valley revealed the surroundings of the lynehers’ court, their light did not show the animai-like object crouched in one of the forks of the death-tree about twenty feet above the fatal limb. The a was so imperfect and weird among the thick golden foliage that the occupant of the fork really looked like a huge panther or moun- tain tiger, but in reality it was a man, But his skin was red, and the greater part of his body wore no clothing 0: any kind. In short, the tree was occupied by an Indian, who held in bis red hand,.while his sees 3 eyes looked down upon the lawless men under the limb, a cocked revolver, against the trigger of which rested an eager finger. Who was the brave, and how came he to be crouched in the fork at that moment? In a word, it was the red-skin who fled back into the ranchero’s house when all his comrades had follen before the pistols of the buckskin des- radoes. He had eluded his maddened pursuers, for he gained the rear of the buildings in advance of their hands, and disappeared while they still thought he had not left the house, Instead of keepisg on and hastening toward the mountains, he fearlessly skirted one end of the house, suddenly reappeared in front and ascended the tree. It was, indeed, the safest covert he could find, for the roughs would never think of searching the tree for him when he bad escaped by the rear of the house. This Indian was no less a person than Red Star himself, the leader of the band whom Old Winch and Roy bad accompanied to the ranch. He had miraculously escaped death during the battle on the porch. If blood trickled down his arm, dyeing his skin a deeper crimson, it was from a slight wound in the shoulder which was not worth looking after, We may imagine that Red Star became an interested observer of the proceedi being conducted beneath the rope-encircled bough. He had recognized Plumas ao, and with re- cognition a resolution to rescue if possible rose in bis breast. ‘* White boy too brave to die by rope,” mur- mured the red-skin. ‘‘Him must live to help save pale girl from the talons of the king eagle —him shall live!” Red Star left bis fork and lowered his body several feet, then stretched himself along a limb directly above and within reach of the lynchers’ rope. How his eyes flashed as he eyed the swarthy crowd beneath him! Once or twice, his gaze wandered to the motionless bodies of his braves lying on the porch, and then it would seek out the five figures on the ground side by side a few feet away. Those forms told the of the fierce little ed in fav the men of Gold Valley’s capital. ese ‘We can’t stay hyar all night! cried sev- = é =. TT eral impatient men who were eager for ibe hanging. ‘‘Come, Lasso, order the youngster pulled up an’ let us git away ” ] ' Lasso Dan could give Roy no more time; the OR PlOPE GEE forced h to turn to the youth, His look said, ‘‘I offered you liberty, but you would not take it, I cannot save you now,” but the young miner did not return a, glance of regret. His eyes fell upon the two re- volvers that bad been permitted to remain in his belt, and remained there for a moment, All at once he was pushed forward until he found himself directly under the noose that dangled over his bead. If be had cast his eyes upward at that mo- ment, he might bave seen the orbs that glit- tered amid the leaves; he might have caught sight of a dark hand from which protruded something very like the the barrel of a navy. “Give ‘im a minute, thet’s all be’ll need!” shouted one of the men to whom Roy's eyes wandered while the sentence was still un- finished. Lasso Dan stepped to bis side, ‘We wil give you a minute, Roy,” the cap- tain of the Vigilants said. At that moment the noose dropped over his head and rested on his shoulders, ‘‘ A minute to die in, eb?’ muttered the youth. ‘‘T don’t want a second when my time comes. Men cf Eldorado, when you go to hang a fellow, be be boy or man, you should first deprive him of his revolvers. See! here are mine!’ The next instant Roy’s weapons were jerked from his belt by bis own bands, and the startled desperadoes instinctively recoiled. P ‘*Ho! pull im up, you fellows at ther ropel” shouted a voice of command. ‘ We s00n choke his grip on ther killersi” » The four men who held the loose end of the cord sprung back for the purpose of drawing the youth up. Roy’s revolvers instantly covered them. ‘** Pull and die!” he flashed. ‘‘ Pull!” thundered Lasso Dan, the man whe , had offered mercy. The rope tightened and then came the crack of the leveled revolvers, griped by hands which no ] etc Santee wo of the men at t eer The others dropped the pees eter gn ose 4 as if such action would save their lives. | Still the Indian on the limb overbead did not stir. In his opinion, the time for arenes not arrived. Sjamitansenely with shots, both — of which bad proved death ones, the whole crowd made a rush for Roy, . - ore a nie ao king desper- ng among crowd, ma ‘ - ate efforts to reach the menaced youth, | ; ‘Ov course, Lasso; we’re not tryin’ to hurt | im!” was the response. ‘‘ We war fools to let. *im keep ther killers. It hez cost us two more men, but ther rope will avenge’em |!” In Jess time than we can pen a sentence, the | gallant 7 ng miner. found himself completely | elpless and the power of the sw ; throats to whom mercy was unknown. His pistols had been wrenched from his crass ; the two shots at the men at the rope were all . he as ca oe seg to deliver. | or ‘ No shootin ne, My young moun cat!” was hissed in yaa age tones in his faee. — ‘‘ When we've settled with you, we'll go. an’ bunt Old Winch till we pull pi ap an’. leave him to the ov Gold Valley! od In order that the hanging should proceed | without furtber interruption, Roy’s hands were bound to his side, and when four men fy ar ; again to the cord and seized it, he gave up for lost, » veb baw gid Ab! The desperadoes, though they outnum-. bered him twenty to one, were afraid to let bim have his pistols back; they dared not give hima fighting chance for his life. 2% ‘‘Up with him!” suddenly Dan’s voice, “It’s good-by tonenen, this time, Roy.” | * The doomed youth was, leaving the ground, . fa" Gold Valley. The accursed cord was chokin into ins sibility—a mist swam before his eyes... ee A loud shout from the t t of Srey | man tiger before bim sang, AD - ears, : this the beginning of death? -; :uvlipy « saw al At that oa ae ) Gatien | 1 ; from among the leaves above yne rt cieeeted limb. An objoct like a bowie-blade for a secondin the 7 dl date k up from the flaring torches, then R o& leaped rile, the a > 223 bore vr JOOKS