Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 295 — page 13: what you’re looking at

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

SS eee oe EE ESET SENET RD ne ee + et ee Re RT FREE Ee Ow 6 em ete Nees ee bargained for, and were forced to adopt the tactics of their adverearies and seek shelter, Then was presented the curious spectacle of a street fight, in which most of the combatants were within doors, and a cross flre was kept up from each side of the street, while the men be- hind the boxes and bales made it unsafe for any person to show his face outside, This kind of warfare was not very sanguin- ary: but there were a number of lesser combats about the houses in which blood was shed freely. Phil Henning distinguished himself by sneak- ing around and entering the rear of tbe store, in front of which was the troublesome barri- cade, Passing unobserved to the front, he rapidly emptied a revolver among the men who were concealed there, and ran back to his friends without receiving a scratob. Several of the cowboys—rough and reckless fellows, who cared nothing for orders or dis- cipline—mounted their horses and galioped up the street, firing right and left as they went, and repeating the bravado as they returned ; but this produced no visible effect except a loss of meu and borses, and the ambition of the co\ boys was discouraged. W hile this sk:rmishing fight lasted, the forces of the ranchmen were making no progress, In fuct, they were rather losing ground. The Quartaville crew had so greatly the ad- vantage of position, and were so well acquaint- ed with all the ins and outs of the town, that they were more than equal to their assailants, man for man. 't seemed, too, as Frank Vintrey afterward sid, as if all the cattle-thieves and cut-throats aud marauders and roughs of all sorts in that whole region had been emptied into Quartz- ville, Under the circumstances the best thing for the attacking party to do was to back out, and the signal for retreat was given. The retreat was conducted cautiously, as much as possible under cover, and in good or- der, though the retiring party were subjected to a galling fire, which they returned with epirit. The last person hit on their side was Dan Gilligan, who had shown splendid courage all through the fight. A rifle bullet struck him in the breast as he faced the enemy, and be fell back- ward. ; David Darke and Bert Otis, who were near him, picked him up and carried him out of range. ‘Let me down,” he said, faintly. goner.” They knew well enough when they laid pias on the grass that he had but a moment to ive, David Darke held his head, and Bert knelt at bis side, ‘It’s all right, Mr. Darke,” he said, as he gasped for breath, ‘I’m dyin’ ‘honest.” Yes, he died honest. He had gone far tothe bad in bis early days, and bad since had a bard struggie to be honest, and it was surely a con- solation to him to feel that be died honest. David Darke insisted upon placing Dan's body on bis horse, for the purpose of taking it away and giving it a proper burial, Tne retreating party halted to ‘‘ take account of stoek,” as their antagonists seemed to be in no humor for pursuing them. Several good men were missing, but they bad the cons»lation of knowing that they bad left nene of the wounded to fall into the bands of their foes. “We missed it that time,” said Steve Hersey, as he shook his fist at Quartzville; ‘but it is do or die with us now, and when we strike again we will hit bard. The boss fight of this range is yet to come off.” The defeated party spent the night at Frank Vintrey’s ranch, guarding the house and dis- cussing plans for the future. They were not at all inclined to be jolly, and could not see ' their way clearly to clean out the Quartzville “T’m a | a ee — re a ne ee eee | ee Sec O-—— Fearless Phil. —+ . eee ee eee eee desperudoes, though they were convinced that the work must be done. But during the night they received unex- pected reinforcements, Men from Quartzville came dropping in, at | first by oves and twos, and then in squads. They reported that they bad been terrorized ! by Arkansaw Pete into taking no part in the | recent struggle, but bad reason to bitterly re- pent their inaction, To use their own words, hell had broke | loose in Quartzville, The attacking party had hardly got out of sight when the roughs “took the town.” The saloons were thrown open, and a scene of the wildest debauch ensued. Stores and houses belonging to those who were most obnoxious to the ruling party were entered and plundered; some citizens were severely beaten, and others were compelled to fly for their lives. When they reached the camp at Vintrey’s ranch they were not only willing but anxious to fight their oppressors, Before morning the army wes considered strong enough to capture and occupy Quartz- ville; but it was decided that thes men should have a good rest, and that the next attack should be timed so as to take the roughs when they were recovering from the effects of their spree, Under the circumstances Mr. Vintrey be- lieved that it would be entirely safe for him to bring his daughter home, and at an early hour in the morning he set out for Wild Jim's cavern, accompanied by Darke, Otis, Phil Henning, and two other good men. They took a straight course to the break that led to the big ravine, and followed it down to the canyon, up which they rode briskly, rejoic- ing in the prospect of a speedy termination of: their troubles, The sun wae about four hours high when they reached the locality of the cavern, and they halted and looked up at the blaff for the hole in the rock. There was no hole in the rock to be seen! They stared at each other in surprise and consternation, and looked about to make sure that they were at the right place. ‘“What is the matter?’ demanded Mr. Vin- trey, in a hoarse and broken voice, ‘Burely we have not lost our way.” They dismounted, and examined the locality more caretully. After noticing that there were fragments of rock at the foot of the bluff which had not been there before, they climbed up and dis covered that the entrance to the cavern was filled with similar and larger masses of freshly broken rock. ‘Merciful heaven!” exclaimed Mr. Vintrey, “what bas bappened now?” | CHAPTER XVII. WRECKING THE CAVERN, THERE was one of Arkansaw Pete's followers who was not engaged in the Quarteville battle. Tbis was Blue Tophet, otherwise known, because of his prowling and sneaking propen- sities, as Coyote Bop. Although not noted for bravery, he was one of the most trusted aids of the King of Quartz: ville, and could always be depended on when there was any dirty work to be done. He was away ou one of bis prowling expedi- tions when the big fight occurred, and did not retarn until the warriors were exhausting themselves in a vain endeavor to kill all the whisky in Quartzville, On any other occasion Blue Tophet would at once bave begun to *‘even up” with the others by pouring into himself suddenly as much liquor as any of them bad drank; but now he had an important matter to attend to, and the seductive beverage was untouched, He sought Arkansaw Pete, and demanded a private interview, which was at once’ aceorded. boss,” he remarked, tion, . “Kt's about that gal, and.“ the Boss” was all atten | ——— hurried to you with the news, oem “The gal you was arter, you know, whose camp we struck one night up on the plain,” . ‘* Yes, I understand,” ‘*Mebbe it mought be wuth suthin’ to you to find that gal now.” ‘Yes, it would.” “If [kin tell you whar to find her, boss, so’s you kin git her, w’ot’l) you gimme?” “Fifty dollars,” “ Double it.” ‘I will double it as soon as I get her.” “All right. It’s a sure thing. She is hil in a@ canyon, not many mile away, I was comin’ down the canyon, and see’d her } eekin’ outer a bole in the rock. I sneaked ff and I reckon she’s - = eee rete ee we Oe ee ee ORE ee eee et + ee et ee ete one ee, ene , alone; but if thar’s anybody with her it’) be an easy job to smoke ’em out or shut ‘em up.” : ‘| wil) take a party and strike tor her right away, and you must go with us, Blue, to show us the place.” The King of Quartzville took balf a dozen mounted men picked from amorg the soberest of his followers, and including Blue Tophet, and set out for the canyon, It was Jate at night when they started, and the journey in the darkness was 80 difficult and | | slow that it was broad daylight when they drew near to Wild Jim’s cavern, ; ‘‘ Thar’s the gal og’in!” «xclaimed Blue To phet, pointing ahead Arkansaw Pete also saw her, and the party pressed forward until they reached the cavern, ‘'Thar’s the hole,” said the guide. ‘ The rabbit’s inside, and all you've got to dois to haul her out.” All dismounted, and Blue Topbet was left to hold the borses while the others went up to re- connoiter, It seemed to be an easy affair enough. There was the hole, the girl was inside, and there seemed to be nothing to oppose their en- trance, But she might bave friends with her who could make it bot for the invaders, and it was well to be cautious, his but The leader was in no hurry to person to a possible bullet. from withi one of his reckless followers crawled into the opening without stopping to consider the point, “T's all right,” said the man. ‘Come along!” Arkansaw Pete pushed his big body through the hole, and found himself in @ cavern where he could stand upright. | | The next moment he was confronted by an old man with white hair and beard, who hekd a light in his left, hand, , . He was at the right place, for it was no other than Mabel Vintrey whom the,guide had pointed out from the canyon below. Abe had watched the departure of ber father and friends the previous morning with many misgivings, because she knew that they were | going to fight, and feared that some of them might not return to her, t might be her father who would not return, or it might be Bert Otis. On those two her thougbis were fixed, and she prayed earnestly that they might be safely delivered from the difficulties and dangers that beset them there. The old man did bis best to make her com- fortable and entertain her, and Pedro, the In- dian boy, was ulways ready to humor her slightest whim; but she. was sorely troubled, and occupied herself during the entire day in going to and from the mouth of the cavern to watch for the return of her friends. The day closed, and the night came on, and still they bad not arrived; and her anxiety in- creased to such an extent that she passed a nearly sleepless nigbt. . Early in the morning she was up and out at the entrance, still Jooking for those who, as she feared, might never retarn, Soon she came running back to her compan- ions, with a Jook of fear on her face that startled them, | ‘‘There are some men riding yon,” she exclaimed in tones of up the can- ‘y ‘and I am sure that they are not our peo | 900 “com G CS co