Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 296 — page 11: what you’re looking at

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

a ween route out of Freshet Flats, by the underground passage, the secret of which was known only to them, This passage came out in a clump of bushes at the edge of the creek, and bad probably at some previous period been a subterranean watercourse, Once outside of it, the two adventurers had no difficulty in skulking out of sight of the town without discovery, where, in a little hid- den bear’s cave in the mountain-side, the hand- some horse of the queen of the road was se- creted. “You have saved my life!” Arizona re- marked. ‘‘ How can I ever repay you?” “No pay is needed. I count you asa man who would be willing to do me a favor, were I in need. Therefore, I do not care even to be thanked. Will you return to the retreat?” ‘No; not if 1 can find a disguise in your half-way den here?” ** Yonder, beneath that bowlder, are a num- ber belonging to my men. I will wait here un- til dark. I have a new racket on foot,” Arizona was but a few minutes in disguising himself, after which he set out for the mining calip equipped &s a prospector. Just about sunset that night, no less a person- age than Nathan Blob might have been seen tearing madly along toward the Satanello, with his hat off, and puffing and panting like a por- ise. a crowd had collected by the time he reached the gambling-house, and stared at him in aston- ishment. ‘‘ What in thunder is the matter?’ La Force demanded savagely. * Has the cuss escaped?” ** Yes, yes! Gif me my t’ousand dollar—gif me minet’ousand dollar! I can’t afford to lose dot!” the Jew spluttered. ‘*T’vea mind to give you a bullet through our cussed head!” the gambler vociferated. ‘ How did he escape? Out with it!” ‘*Vy, dot vimmens, Denver Doll, she got in mit der house, und say, off I don’d vas set him free she put von bullet through me. I vas *fraid she vould, so I had to do it. Den dey robbed me und lock me mit der room in, und just got oud.” ‘* This is a thunderin’ note!” La Force shout- ed, as he started with a number of others to visit the Jew’s house, There they found that the Jew had not lied. Poor Blob! The losses of cash he had sustained that day nearly broke his heart, and he mourned inces- santly. CHAPTER XII. A BIG SCARE. THAT night, as usual, the night gang of miners descended into Denver ‘Doll's Drift while the day gang were brought up, wended their way ho neward. This Drift, like the general run of mines of its class, descended on a gradual slant from its mouth, and a rude car was made, together with accompanying track, for hauling the debris as well as the precious ore out of the bowels of the earth, the power being furnished by a string of burros. The miners, therefore, used the car as a means of transportation in and out of the tunnel. At the mouth of the Drift was a little office, from which the laborers received their pay. Jean La Force sat in this office during the evening, engaged in smoking and ehatting with his right-hand man, Ben Blye, when there came a rap at the door, Opening it, be beheld to his astonishment, the night gang, who had gone in a couple of hours before, huddled together like a flock of sheep, and bearing every appearance of having ex- perienced a severe fright. ‘‘ What the mischief is the matter? Why are you all out here?’ the gambler demanded, angrily, it occurring to him that they might have organized a strike. The miners exchanged glances; then one old gray-bearded veteran, named Uncle Eph Paine advanced, and said: “You'll excuse us, boss, but we all allow we don’t keer to work in the mines any longer— especially of nights!” , ‘Why not? What the thunder’s got into you, pray?” ‘Waal, ye see, we’ve most all seen sum purty hard scrapes, but we allow we don’t keer about workin’ whar thar’s ghosts.” “* Ghosts ?” | “Vas, you bet! Leave it to the boysef we didn’t all see a reg’lar, bona-fide ghost, right in the mine, an’ et pointed a skeleton finger et us, | and : . . Va ; ‘, ~* * > 4,0 oa * ‘ee ‘- ; OD ee Oe a Om te te - ete mm ee te oe ~*~ Denver Doll’s Drift. rattled its bones, skip! We skipped! La Force laughed. “Why, you cussed idiots, you’re crazy! There’s no secb thing as ghosts!” ‘“There is!” Uncle Eph declared. ‘Ef ye don’t b’lieve it, go an’ see fer yerself. We'll all dare ye to go! Eh, boys!” The “ boys” gave a chorus of assent, and perlitely invited us to If there was one thing La Force prided him- self on more than another, aside from card-play- ing, it was for bravery. o matter though he got whipped in a *‘ scrimmage,” he argued that it did not lessen his courage in the least, and many of his encounters went to show that this was the case. eee ~ o- _- — — To be dared by his own employees to enter a | dark, forbidding, underground chamber, where they claimed to have seen a ghost, was some- thing he had not expected, and for the moment he did not know hardly what to say or do. To not accept the challenge would certainly show him up ina cowardly light, to his discredit, and would also have the effect to lessen the chances of getting the men to go back to work. ‘*Pshaw! Id just like the fun of such a thing, to show you what a pack of idiots vou are,” he exclaimed, with a forced laugh. ‘‘ Lond meone of your lights, and I'll go down and see what lump of rock sas so frightened you.” Uncle Eph chuckled as he handed over his own lamp. “Bet you'll come back wi’ yer ha’r standin Shall we let ye down in on end!” he remarked. the car, boss?” ‘*No! ITll walk down the incline and back. You fellows can consider yerselves docked fer time, while I’m gone.” Putting on a bold front, he entered the mouth of the drift and strode down the track, appar- ently as fearless as a lion. In lively anticipation of the result, the miners gathered about the mouth of the mine and wait- ed Soap web is footsteps were soon inaudible, and the light died out, leaving blank darkness behind him. Two—three —five minutes elapsei—then a sound, like the smothered report of a pistol, reached the hearing of the watchers, This was followed by several others. . * He’s havin’ a skirmish wi’ the ghost!” Uncle Eph averred. ‘ Wonder how he likes ’em?’ wo minutes later Jean La Force ceme run- ning up the drift, puffing and panting like a frightened runaway horse. His lantern and hat were gone, and his face was near as white as the immaculate bosom of his shirt. He didn’t speak until he reached the office, where he sunk down on the steps from sheer ex- haustion, ‘Waal, did ye see ther ghost?’ queried Uncle Eph, with a malicious grin. “Bee it}—of course I saw it, you fool. Why, cuss my boots, I hadn’t bardly got into the ac- cursed hole before I see’d it a-comin’ forme, I drew my revolvers an’ let drive, but the more I fired the faster it come fer me, until | was obliged to turn an’run. Boys, what the devil is it?” “Thet’'s what we wanter know before we go on ag’in,” one of the miners answered. *Tain’t pleasan( to have a spook fer a gang boss.” “ Curse it, thar’s no sech thing as ghosts, boys. It’s some one fixed up—a plot of Denver Doll’s, maybe, to get possession of the mine.” “You count yerself a good pistol-shot, don’t ye, boss?” ‘*Of course!” ‘Well, how d’ye account fer a human swal- lerin’ six bullets?” La Force looked grim. ‘Cursed if I know,” he returned, “Jest ye go home, but come back in the morning, and go to work. Nota word of this to the other gang. Pll give ’em night tour to-morrow night.” This was more than agreeable, for the men were eager to learn how the other gang would succeed with his ghostship. So, for the remainder of that night, the vicin- ity of the mine was deserted. If Jean La Force ,had depended on keeping the matter hushed up, he was greatly disap- pointed, for the following morning the town was alive with the report that Denver Doll’s Drift was haunted by a genuine ghost, that had scared off even the boss himself. Great excitement prevailed, and the street was alive with curious people, who discussed the probabilities and improbabilities of super- natural visitations. | The day gang flatly refused to go to work un- See E ee ara 1 oe ‘ . ‘ - ‘~ ° : - — Cree ee ee ne + Oe ee oe seeeee oo a til the matter was cleared up, and La lorce’s threats and entreaties bad no effect. “VI give a bundred dollars to the five men who will go into the mine and solve the mat- ter!” he cried. ‘‘ My opinionis that a trick is cg played onus!” : ‘““Hyar’s one as ain’t skeart, out yer others!” roared Sunflower Sam, * see’d the ghost yet as could skeer me /” Im ready; pan ever And the giant ssthete appeared to mean just — what he said, Four more men soon volunteered after the sesthete gave the impetus. ‘* Fork over your lucre, now,” Sam said, “and we're off. Cash before delivery, io this case.” Realizing the necessity of getting his men to work, La Force did not ebject, but promptly handed out the cash, and the five adventurers started into the mine, The descent down the drift was made in quick order, and they found themselves in the cham- ber of the mine where the gangs had been at work, Although they had brougbt lanterns along, they had not lighted them, preferring to: see if his ghostsbip would make himself mani- fest through the Stygian gloom, They stood for some minutes, with their re- volvers ready for use, but nothing of the spook- | ish order appeared to their vision, Then, at a word from Sunflower Sam, they shot the slides upon their lanterns, and the chamber was illuminated in every part, ‘‘Nary a ghost here!” the esthete declared, “Still, we will make a cluss search, an’ see that thar ain’t no hidin’-places.” A thorough search developed the fact that there was no place where a buman ghost could hide, nor was there any sign of any super- natural being to be found. The explorers therefore left the mine, and delivered their report. ine arte A the da gang went to work, and were not righten out, as the night gang had been, A guard was also stationed at the mouth of the mine to prevent the possibility of amy hu- man agency gaining access and playing the freak of the previous night. CHAPTER XIil. A REMARKABLE INTERRUPTION, THar day, as Arizona was lounging in his miner’s disguise upon the veranda of the shanty hotel, he saw an old, age-frosted pil- grim hobbling along down the street, with the aid of a staff. It was the same man whom Denver Doll had met in the gulch, who had called her his daughter. The Arizonian’s keen eyes glittered, as the old man came nearer, and his teeth went to- gether with so distinct a click, that he turned to see if the sound had been noticed by a red- whiskered pilgrim who sat on the veranda, but a little ways off. - The pilgrim, however, evidently was absorbed in reading a newspaper. “At last!” Arizona Alf muttered, in under ‘If I am not greatly in error, here his breath. is my last victim but one, in avenging poor Joa- quin! Ah! how Ihave wiped them out, though, the dogs!” i The old man slowly drew near the hotel, his every movement denoting feebleness and fa- tigue. The steps leading to the veranda of the hote} seemed to have an inviting aspect to him, f he paused, looked at them, and then hebbled to- ward them. Arizona was by his side, in an: instant, and caught bim gently by the arm. “Excuse me, pard,” he said, “* but you leok worn out. Let me help you to a seat.’ And he assisted old Reuben Morse to his own chair upon the veranda, and going into the bar, brought him out a glass of brandy. ‘‘Thankee! thankee!” the eld man murmured, ‘“Mebbe that will help me to a little more strength, tho’ I seldom use it.” . After he had partaken of the stimulant, he did, in truth, seem to be somewhat revived, and when the Avenger came back and seated himself near by, he said: ‘* Well, I must thankee again, stranger. I’m getting to be an old man, an’ | ortn’t be joggin” around the country the way I am. S'pose ti is uroeuet Bieta, ght? dea al ‘* Yes, this is Fresbe ing further “No, I think Vl tarry here, a reg me r kind o’ think PI meet an old friend, here, per- aps.” “Indeed? That will be good. What isthe name?” “Mef Ob! Pm Reuben Morse, formerly of | 5 Cc or a. NA ‘ ya \ * ell Me ha —7 a > ‘ ,- a, 4 4 . > 4.