Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 295 — page 7: what you’re looking at

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

~ - ee Reece © a Yes, it was inhabited, as they speedily had reason to know. The light which Phil had noticed quickly grew brighter, and froni some recess in the rear darted out an old man, with white hair and long white beard, clothed in tattered garments. ln his left hand he held a vessel filled with melted grease, in which floated a burning wick, and his face was red with passion. “Who are you?” he furiously demanded. ‘‘ What are you doing here? Get out of my house!” The men he addressed were too much aston- ished to answer him immediately, and he seized with his right hand a cord that hung against the rock, ‘Do you see this string?” he shouted. ‘‘The walls of this place, right where you stand, are charged with blasting cartridges. If I pull the string, you will never know what hurt you. Get out, then, before I pull it!” David Darke made a step forward, and spoke in calm and persuasive tones, “Listen tome a moment, old man. I want you to make no mistake about us. We are qaiet, peaceable and decent people, who mean 10 barm to you or anybody else. Wedid not know that you lived here, as we discovered this place by accident. Weare endeavoring to es- cape froma band of rascally white men, who attacked our camp night before last, and killed our leader. Last night they ran off our horses and eattle, and we were obliged to leave our wagons on the pad and come down here afoot. We only ask a shelter for the night, and are will ing to pay for it.” ‘“T want none of your money, and I want none of you,” fiercely replied tbe old man. ‘‘ Look out there, all of yeni I can see every move you make. If one of you tries to lift a weapon, I will pull the string and send the whole pack of you into eternity.” “There is a young lady with us,” pleaded Darke—“‘a tender and delicate girl. Those ruffians are a on + a capture her, and it is for her sake that we ask a shelter.” Mabel had followed Bert Otis into the cavern, unseen by him. She now stepped quickly for- ward, and fell at the old man’s feet. ‘“ Have pity on me!” she implored. ‘I am were by Villains, and am in sore need of elp He lowered his light, bent forward, and gazed earnestly in her face, Then he dropped the string. ‘You may stay,” he said very softly. ‘‘ May the others stay?’ she asked. ‘They may all stay. I will put this string out of the way before it does danger. You must pardon my rudeness, strangers, I have tried to keep this place a secret. en know me as Wild Jim, and some call me Crazy Jim; but none of them know my bome. But you are welcome for the sake of this sweet child.” He took Mabel’s face in both his h nds, and tears came into his eyes as be gazed at her. CHAPTER IX. MORE TROUBLE FOR MABEL. “Kottow me,” said Wild Jim, as he gave Mabel his arm, and led the way toward the back part of the cavern. After proceeding a short distance, he turned to the left, and entered a larger and higher apartment, in which were several articles of ee a trunk, and many blankets and skins “Tt is damp here,” be said. ‘‘I am used to it, and don’t mind it; but for the sake of this child we must have a fire.” He took wood from a pile in the corner, and soon had a brisk fire burning against the rock, easting a cheerful light into every corner of the cavern, Supper followed, and then the old man asked David Darke for the particulars of the attack and pursuit of which he had spoken. The entire story was told to bim, and he be- eame almost frantic when the name of Arkan- saw Pete was mentioned, uttering the most cre imprecations against the king of Quartz- ville. ‘Villain is too good a name for that infernal fiend,” he exclaimed. ‘lt was he who ruined my life and made me what Iam. I was mining not far from here with my son, as fine a young man as ever lived. We had good luck, he end I, and worked hard, and were fairly prosper- ous. One day Rien son took a bag of gold, and went to le to make some purchases. That infernal fiend had just opened a gambling- house in the town, and my Ben was persuad go there and play. He soon saw that be was ed | Mabel. Fearless Phil. being shamefully swindled, and exposed the cheat. That cursed scoundrel at once drew a istol and shot him dead, and the bullies and oafers of Quartzville upheld him in the coward- ly murder. pset me. I was wild for a while, and I now fancy that at times Iam not right in my head. But you may judge whether I have cause to hate that wretch. I will be re ap on him yet. I don’t know when; but the time is sure to come.” As the fugitives were weary after their toil- some tramp, they made couches of skins and blankets, and laid down to sleep, thankful for Mabel’s sake that they had found so good and safe a shelter. If the scoundrels who had been persecuting them should capture their deserted camp that night, they at least could not descend into the ravine, or make any other attempt to follow them before morning, , Wild Jim was astir at an early hour in the patie in spite of the darkness of the cavern, and Phil Henning also jumped up, as he had a task in view which he wished to attend to at once, His purpose was, as he believed Mabel to be safe for the present, to set out and find her father’s ranch, intending to return with horses and assistance and take her to her new bome, He explained this purpose to the others. ‘Tt will be a long tramp,” he said, ‘and I can’t guess when I will get back.” “You need not make ita tramp,” said the old man, who was then on the best of terms with his visitors, ‘'1 have two horses concealed down the canyou, and you are welcome to use one or both of them,” The old man also had a general idea of the location of Frank Vintrey’s ranch. He directed Phil to keep on down tke canyon until he should come to a break caused by a stream that came in from the west. He was to follow up the break, and near its head be would find a trail that would lead him to Vintrey’s ranch, or to ree place where he could get further direc- ons. He showed Phil where the horses and their or a could be found, and the lad took Han eir, one of the trainmen, and set out on his journey, leaving Mabel joyful in the hope of soon meeting ber father. n the course of the morning Wild Jim de- veloped a remarkable and almost childlike curiosity concerning bis guests. He asked Mabel her name, ber father’s full name, her mother’s maiden name, and many particulars about her home at the East. He was > sare inquisitive, if not more so concerning Bert Otis, and David Darke, and Tom Maha'h the remaining trainman, were put through a similar course of aneesionings. Then he turned again to Mubel, whom he could not admire sufficiently, declaring that in his younger days he had seen just such a face, und it seemed that he would never tire of ques- tioning Bert Otis concerning bis people in Ohio. They submitted to this good-humoredly, as to the whim of.an old man who was a little ‘‘ cracked,” but had been very kind to them. ‘You are a nice pair,” he said, and the remark made Mabel blush, while Bert looked not a little confused. er Mabel, on her part, was a little inquisitive. ‘Where does the smoke go to?” she asked, looking wonderingly at the fire, ‘It finds its way out tbrough a crack in the rock,” replied the old man, “ Water comes in through the same crack; but it gets out by another crack.” ‘“ Are you always alone here, sir?” “Not quite. There is an Indian boy who stavs with me—an outcast from a tribe that used to roam about here, I picked bim up when he was starving, and named him Pedro, and he is faithful aa. me. He has now gone to Chuckaluck for supplies. “Do you eth ns live and die here?’ she asked again. ‘““T am living here, as you see, and I give my- self no trouble about where or how [ shail die, I feel sure that I will not die until my son’s murderer is punished, and that is enough.” All this was rather monotonous to Tom Wiley, who went to the mouth of the cavern early in the afternoon and posted himself where he could look out in the valley. He had been there but an hour or so when he came running in to bis companions with the re- <—- eee il nll mt a LL LLL LLL LLL LCL LLL LLL LL LLL LLL LAL a port that a number of men were coming down | 4s ve rts be searching for us,” ‘Tl am afraid that they may come up here and find us.” 7 ‘Rest easy, my dear child,” replied the old man; ‘‘ there is no danger of that.” ‘‘But they may be attracted by the hole in the rock, as we were,” suggested Darke, ‘* We will soon settle that matter. Come with me.” Close to the opening was a flat stone, which could be easily moved, and which, when placed in position, so nearly filled the hole that it was not at all likely to be noticed from below. Through the chinks that were left they watched the party that was coming down the canyon—all except Mabel, who shuddered at the thought of seeing her persecutors, Nobody doubted that the men in the canyon were Arkansaw Pete’s ruffians, They could not be prospectors or hunters, and the leading man walked as if he was following a trail, while the others looked about on both sides, carefully ex- amining avery rock and crevice in the canyon. If there had been ony question on this point it would have been settled by the action of the party when they came opposite to the cavern. They stopped there and looked up at the bluff so keenly that those inside might well be ex- cused for stepping back as if fearful of being discovered. They were so close too that nearly every word they said could be plainly heard by the watch- ers | “This is one of the cussedest trails I ever struck,” remarked the leader. ‘‘Arter nigh breakin’ our necks to git down yer, we've got a trail that leads over rocks, and stuns, and don’t leave no show.” ‘‘Durned if I believe they came this way,” said another. ‘They did, though. I’ve picked up a sign yer and thar \ but sometimes I git stumped, ez I am jest now, ‘‘ Mebbe they’ve tuck to the water to hide the © trail.” ‘If they have, we will pick it up arter a bit. . Tbar’s a woman with ‘em, and it will be queer if we don’t ketch up.” The speaker again looked closely at the bluff, and led the way down the canyon. Arkansaw Pete was not in the party; Bert Otis was sure of that. ‘*T am giad of it,” said the old man. “ey =_— have been tempted to shoot him down, and that would have given up the secret of this hiding-place.” : Toward nightfall the Indian boy, Pedro, came in with supplies from Chuckaluck, and was both surprised and pleased to find strangers in the | cavern. Another m4, Se was passed in and safety, and the next day Mabel began to look anxiously and impatiently for the return of Phil Henning with ber fatber. It was near the close of the day when Phil and Hank Weir arrived. They were loaded with provisions, but no person accompanied them. ‘« What is the matter!” eagerly demanded Ma- bel. ‘‘ Did you find the place? Did you see my father?” | ‘We found the place,” slowly replied Phil; “but we did not see your father. @ was not at the ranch.” ‘‘Where was he? Did him? When shall I see him? Will he come here for me, or will you take me to him?” Phil was in no burry to answer, and there was a troubled look in his face that made Mabel change color. ‘‘Whatts the matter?” she again demanded. ‘There is something wrong, I am sure, Is my father alive?’ ‘**T believe he is.” ‘*You believe he is, about him, then? Phil Henning?’ ‘Lam going to tell you. The fact is, Miss Mabel, that your father isin trouble. It is a bad piece of business, and I must beg you to sit down and be quiet and bear it as well as you can, ‘‘Go on, Phil,” she said in a despairing tone, ‘‘T heard it all from Mr. Hersey, bis foreman. Your father bad a bad dream about you and the train. Indeed, be saw in bis dream what really happened. It troubled him so that Le mounted bis horse and rode into Quartzville, intending to inquire about you or to go in search of you. He had bardly reached the town when he was arrested on a charge of cat- arte eee ttle-stealing?! My father?” or Ca ather?” ‘¢Just so. One of the men employe Do you want to kill me, ranch was_in Quartzville, and he b Eomethfog that Goourred nearly a ye — €0 mut is leave word for Why don’t you tell me * ow «<