Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 295 — page 14: what you’re looking at

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

—, -—e--- @ te ne Oe tee + ree ee te “and I will soon see who and what they are.” When he returned, his face was paler than | sickening odor. Fearless Phil. or ee eee See “Biay ‘ere, my child,” said the old man, | The other part of the cavern was untouched, but was filled with smoke and dust and a Not until this had partly sub- usual, and wore a look of settled determina- | sided did the Indian boy permit Mabel to re- tion. ‘“You are right,” he said. ‘ Those men are not our friends. They are Arkansaw Pete and some of his gang, and I believe they are «oming here.” ‘Now I am indeed lost!” despairingly ex- cuimed Mabel. ‘‘ They have kilied my father and all my friends, and are coming bere for me. They must not be allowed to yet in. Have.we no guns or pistols? [can shoot if I moust. We can kill them as they try to enter, and we must kill them! We must!” “Calm yourself, my child,’ said the old man. ‘ Leave the business to me, and all will be well. Take this, and fasten it securely up- on your person.” He took from his breast a bag of deerskin, tight!y sewed up, and gave it to her. “Take care of this,” he said, ‘‘and give it to your friend, Albert Otis.” “Are you going to leave us?’ she asked. “(What do you mean to do?” “T am not going to leave you. I have waited long for that man and now he has come, Leave him to me. You shall suffer no harm. Go into the corner there with Pedro, Hurry, now, as I must go and meet ” ‘She shrunk away into a vorner, feeling that gome fearful event was about to occur, and seated herself close to Pedro, as if there might be safety even in the presence of the poor In- dian boy. The old man hastened into the other part of the cabin, and Mabel could hear every word that was spoken there. ‘“Who are you, my friends, and what do you want?’ be asked, as he confronted the in- vaders, ‘We are seoking a lost girl,” replied the leader, ‘‘ and we understand that she has taken refuge here.” ‘* There is indeed a young woman here,” the old man admitted, ‘‘and she may be the one youseek. She had some friends, but they have - Jeft her.” the g “That is the girl.” ‘‘T hope you mean well by her,” (‘Is it possible he means to give me up?” whispered Mabel to Pedro.) ‘“‘Of course we do,” replied Arkansaw Pete, “Then Iam glad to see you. Callin your Come in, all of you. You are wel- ©ome to my poor abode and to the best of food and drink it affords.” “Too much talk, old man, Where is the girl?” OS “€You shall see her directly. She can’t get away. You shall have some hot breakfast too, Let me see—are you not Arkansaw Pete?” **Men call me so.” ‘‘T am glad to see you—very glad to see you. I have lovug desired this bonor, and now I am thankful for it. My name is James Otis, I had a son, Ben Otis, a very likely young fellow, who was enticed into your gambling- den shortly after you came to Quartzville, and was persuaded to play there. He accused you of cheating, and you shot him dead, murdered him in cold blood. At last you have put your- self in my power, and have given me a chance to settle that account.” ‘““What do you mean, old man?” demanded Arkansaw Pete, (* He is going to blow up the rock,” whis- pered Pedro to Mabel, as he threw a blanket over her head.) ‘I mean that your time has come!” solemn- ty replied Wild Jim. He pulled a cord that he held in his right There wae a terrible shock, followed by a heavy roar and the crash of rending rock. The sides and roof of the cavern fell in, and » was choked up with masses of shat- , im which no sign of life was visi- ble. ” .s 3 i _~ -__—. — move the blanket from her head. She took a light, and went to see what ruin had been wrought. One glance was sufficieut, and she fell on the rock in a swoon, When she came to herself she was lying on a pile of blankets, with the Indian boy at ber side. ““We can get out,” he said. .‘‘ We can pull away the rock and leave this place.” He at once set at work to make a passage, and Mabel went to help him. Blue Tophet, holding the horses on the out- side, was aware that a fearful disaster had oo- curred, and was not long in ascertaining its nature and extent. When he perceived that his comrades would never retura to him, he began to consider his own interests. ‘‘IT don’t take these yere hosses back to Quartzville,” be muttered, as he mounted his animal and led the others up the canyon. CHAPTER XVIIL CONCLUSION. “The old man must have blown up the cavern,” said Phil Henning, as he stared at the mass of broken rock, ‘‘ Then my daughter is dead,” declared Mr. Viotrey. ‘‘ Perhaps not,” replied Bert Otis. ‘I think the rock was loaded only near the mouth of the cavern. He scrambled up to where the entrance had been, and called Mabel at the top of his voice, She answered with a joyful cry. ‘Ts that you, Bert?” she asked. ‘* Yes; Lam here with your father and friends. Are you burt?’ ‘No. Pedro and [ are trying to work our way out.” ‘Don't worry about that. We will soon clear a way to you.” The six men outside set to work with a will, taking turns at pulling out the broken rock and throwing it down to the base of the bluff. In a short time they had so far cleared out the entrance that Mabel could see the light of day and easily bear the voices of her friends. She told what had happened, as far as she knew it, and vividly described the scene be- tween Wild Jim and Arkansaw Pete. Soon the workers, began to uncover the crushed bodies of wen, and the last one they found was recognized as that of the redoubt- able King of Quartaville, who bad been in ad- vance of his comrades when the crash oc- curred. As Bert Otis conjectured, the rock of the cavern had been charged only in the outer apartment near the entrance, and the other portions had not. been damaged by the explo- sion, Whether Wild Jim had intended to bury himself in the same ruin with his enemies could not be known with certainty; but their fate had been his, and he was found covered by broken rock, though not so heavily as the others, The task of clearing a way into the cavern was laborious aud tedious; but it was finally accomplished, and Mabel and the Indian boy were brought down into the canyon. She was overjoyed at meeting her father and friends, and listened with the deepest interest to the thrilling account of their attack and re- pulse at Quartzville. ‘* But that borrid man is dead now,” she said, ‘‘and I hope we will net have any more trouble.” “I believe we will not,” replied her father, “and we must hurry home and inform our friends of what has happened.” It was late in the day when they reached the camp: at the Vintrey ranch, where they For One Year... ... ..... Two found the friends of law and order greatly ex. cited over their absence, and wondering what had become of them. Their arrival was a great relief, and the story they bad to tell put all in a good humor. ‘*The boss fight of the range will not come off this time, after all,’ remarked Steve Her- sey. It did not come off. The news of the death of Arkansaw Pete found its way to Quartzville, and when the little army marched into town the next day they met with no opposition. The worst of the scoundrels had taken timely warning and decamped, and those who were left were ready to offer their submission and accept such terms as were imposed upon them by the committee which was chosen to reorganize the alfairs of Quartzville, At ler father’s ranch Mabel Vintrey gave Birt Otis the bag of deer-skin which had been banded to her by Wild Jim, and they opened it together. It contained several papers, one of which proved to be ‘‘the last will and testament of James Otis, formerly of Obio,” bequeathing all the property of which he died possessed to his ‘‘dear nephew, Albert Otis.” Another paper gave directions for finding a quantity of gold which the old man had concealed in his cavern. Bert went with a party to the canyon, where he buried the body of his uncle, and dug up the concealed treasure. Its value was about ten thousand dollars— not a large fortune by any means, but sufficient to give the young man a good start on a ranch. As it was soon settled that be was to marry Mabel Vintrey, this windfall came in quite opportunely, David Darke took up his residence in Quartzville, where he became an enterprising and respected man of business. The Indian boy, Pedro, found a bome with Bert and Mabel, and he could not have asked for a better one, Phil Henning was rewarded in more ways than one for what he had done and undergone, and resumed bis active life on the plains, THE END. The Great American Story Paper! Baud Well The Best Weekly of Popular, Entertuin- ing and Useful Literature Pub- lished in America! Its Unrivaled Corps of Contributors, almost all of whom write erclusively for its publishers—embraces the following authors of world wide repute— Colonel Prentiss Ingraham, Al W. Alken, Capt. Fred. Whittaker, Capt. Mayne Reid, Joseph E. er, Jr., Edward L. Wheeler, Charles Morris, Oll Coomes, C. Dunning Clark, Buffalo Bill, White Beaver, Buckskin Sam, Major Dangerfield Burr, TC, Marbaugh, Philip 8. 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