Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 340 — page 11: what you’re looking at

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

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THE highly important intelligence that was brought by the lucky young scout did not create any general excitement in Orodia, simply for the reason that it was kept very quiet. Clip Saunders did not breathe a word of it to anybody before he reported to Judge Waller, and that gentleman merely advised him to keep it to himself, knowing that his advice would be as fully heeded as the most solemn injunction, Although Zach Stammel had been caught at his crime and made to pay the penalty, it was possible that there might be another and a smarter spy in the settlement. Atallevents it was thought best that the matter should be taken in hand{by the Vigilance Committee alone, and that so important an en- terprise as that which they were about to un- dertake should be confided to none but the leaders. There was plenty of excitement among them, however, ety it was subdued and kept from the general view. When they were aroused from their slumbers and summoned to Judge Waller’s office, they anes that important developments awaited them. In this they were not disappointed, and un- stinted praise was given to Clip for his success. Success where older and more experienced scouts had failed. Arrangements were speedily made for sending out a sufficiently strong party at daybreak, or earlier if possible, : Then the question arose of the nature of the rat-hole, and the best mode of getting at the rats. ““ As Clip Saunders describes it,” said Judge Waller, ‘‘tbose scoundrels are very secure in their den. There seems to be but a small open- ing, and Isuppose that they could shoot usdown as fastas we went in. That makes the joba hard one.” “ We will get in, though,” Captain Tams de- clared. ‘The great thing was to know where to find them. We know that now, and we will be sure to get at them somehow.” “Of course, and the question is what how the somehow shall be. There are two ways of get- ting at them, and we can use both if we want to. Wecan blast them out, or wecan smoke them out. If nothing else should avail, we can _ ptarve them out.” Though the arrangements for the expedition were so quietly made, and though it set out at such an early hour in the morning, it caused no little stir in the settlement, and the citizens soon had a general idea of its object, if not an entire- ly accurate one. But its leaders were sure that a spy, if there should be one bold enough to make tae attempt, would not be able to reach the rendezvous of the robbers sooner than they would, and they felt no apprehensions on that score, The expedition was abundantly supplied with ammunition and provisions, as if it was the in- tention of the leaders—and doubtless it was—to camp on the spot until they could effect the capture of the stronghold and the extermination of the outlaws. | When they came to the mountain brook, and ssed through the narrow gap into the Well Hole valley, they could not help admiring the skill which the outlaws had shown in selecting their hiding-place and concealing their tracks, At the same time it was generally admitted that it was something more than a lucky chance that eo enabled Clip Saunders to bunt them to their The horses in the valley were first secured and removed, so that in any event the rob- bers would be “set afoot,” and a camp was prepared out of range of the cliff on the south e. : Active operations were then begun without any further delay. he section of the tree-trunk which Clip pointed out was carefully tried; but it could not Clip, the Contortionist. be induced to revolve, being probably fastened on the inside, An ax was brought into use, and the vigorous blows that fell on the dry and tough wood doubt- less gave the occupants of the interior a good understanding of what was going on, as there was no room for supposing that triends would knock at the door in that fasbion. The hard and kuurly oak did not easily ield to the ax, and considerable time elapsed before it could be cut loose from its fasten- ings, he hole in the rock that it closed was covered by the rifles of some of the best marksmen in the party, the others eagerly watching the ef- forts of the ax-man, ‘Stand clear all!” shouted Ceptain Tams, when the section of the tree-trunk seemed to be about to fall. A vigorous blow of the ax drove it from its place, and it came tumbling down with a crasb, showing the chain that had held it from the inside, The man who wielded the ax jumped away just in time to avoid several shots that were quickly fired from within, The riflemen in the valley promptly answered this attack by sending a number of bullets into the opening; but their volley was probably as barmless as that to which they responded. ‘*We’ve got ’em now!” exclaimed Captain Tams, when all except the covering wmarks- men had retired out of range for consulta- tion. ‘* Yes, we know that they are in there,” said Judge Waller, ‘‘ and of course we have got them, or are bound to get them,” ' It was certain that the opening which had been disclosed by the fall of the tree-trunk was sO small and so easy to defend that any attempt to enter it was out of the question. At the same time it was equally evident that the rats in the hole could not come out without being shot down. In fact, neither party could get at the other without a great sacrifice of life. Though the den could hardly be surpassed as a hiding-place, it was not what military men would call a tenable position, as the assailants were left free to use such means of coercion as fire and blasting-powder. This was what they proposed to do, begin- ning with the blasting material. A large cartridge of giant powder, which had been brought from Orodia for the purpose, was prepared for use, with a quick fuse attached, This was put in the charge of Missouri Mose, an experienced and careful bandler of explo- sives, who took his ition on one side of the hole in the rock, while Captain Tams cautiously advanced to the other side, At the same time the chosen marksmen and nearly all the rest of the party covered the opening with their rifles, keeping at a respect- ful distance from it. Captain Tams, who boasted a voice which, as his admirers declared, could be heard as far as he could be seen, summoned the outlaws to sur- render, “Come out, you rascals!” he shouted at the top of that wonderful voice, ‘‘Come out and surrender, before we blow you into the hottest corner of hell!” [t seemed that his voice must penetrate to the innermost recesses of the mountain; but there was no reply. Perhaps the outlaws were of the opinion that they migat as well be blown up as strung ms ‘Fair warning!” shouted Captain Tams again, ‘*‘Come out and surrender, or hell will break loose among you!” This was strong enough language; but it neither moved the mountain nor the men who were supposed to be concealed within it. ‘* Let ‘em have it!” ordered the captain. Missouri Mose lighted the fuse of his cartridge, drew back his arm, and.slung the heavy missile in at the opening. Then he and Captain Tams ran away at full speed, and with the others awaited the expected explosion. t came without fail, and quite as soon as it had been bargained for. | There was a heavy rumble, and then a terrific roar, and a vast volume éf dust and smoke rushed out of the opening in the rock as if ex- pelled by a great internal convulsion. After waiting for the effects of the explosion to subside, and neither seeing nor hearing any- thing of the outlaws, the Vigilantes determined to explore the interior of the cliff. Two young and daring fellows, accompanied by Clip Saunders, entered the opening, and groped their way forward in the darkness. jae They soon found the passage blocked by masses of broken rock which the terrific force of the big cartridge of giant powder had torn from the roof and sides of the cavern within. A lantern that had been brougbt from Orodia. was lighted, and others went in, and they moved the obstacles out of the way, and climbed over them, until they fully explored the interior. They saw plenty of signs of its recent occupa- tion by the robbers; but no living person did they find there. There was one dead person, though. Ginger, the Indian woman, lay on the rocky floor, fearfully mangled by the gh gy and a closer examination showed that she had pre-- viously been shot. lt was supposed that the outlaws, suspecting — of having betrayed them, had put her to eath. But what had become of them? This was the mystery which the Vigilantes. proceeded to solve with the aid of the lantern and other lights. They soon found another interior passage,. which led upward, and which had evidently been enlarged and improved by the labor of men. This they ascended, the lantern at the head,. and all revolvers ready for immediate action. Up they went, and up, and up, until they thougbt that they must surely have reached the summit of the cliff, and then their further pro- gress was arrested by what was unmistakably a wooden floor. The man in the lead braced himself against the floor, and it proved to be a trap door which easily yielded to pressure. Directly they emerged into the interior of the log house which they had visited when the first expedition struck that locality. It was empty. y CHAPTER XV. THE RAID ON WARNER’S RANCH. THE men who had come up into the log-house- were amazed and intensely disgusted. They rusbed out through the open door, but: saw no sign of those they sought. After all their labor and ins and great anticipations their prey had easily slipped through their fingers, and had disappeared. utterly. It was clear that at the beginning of the at- tack upon the log door of their den the robbers: had taken the alarm, had escaped to the sum- mit of the cliff, and by that time must be far away. * There was some consolation in knowing that they were afoot; but how long before they would be mounted? Clip Saunders ran back beyond the log-house, and from the edge of the road called to those in the valley, bidding them look out for the horses. When they saw him standing there they at. once guessed what had happened, and prepared for a possible attack. But the horses were safe—those that had been captured, as well as those that belonged to the Vigilantes. bey were ail in the deep valley, and the outlaws would bardly attempt to pass the gap to make an attack. There was but one route by which they could have got away from the bil! on which the log- bouse stood. They must have climbed down where the first expedition from Orodia had as- cended, and that course would take them into the trail that led to the main road. The situation of affairs was explained to the Vigilantes below, who hastened to get their ppeges and traps togetber and leave the val- ey. aoe the two parties came together at the foot of the mountain, and a brief consultation was held there. ! The day was drawing toward its close, and there was no time to spare. ‘What shall we do now?” asked Captain Tams. “What will those scoundrels do?’ replied Judge Waller. ‘‘ If we can settle that question, our course will be plain. We have at Toon set them afoot, and their first move will be to try to capture some horses. Where is the nearest lace they would be likely to go to to get orses?”’ ‘*Mat Warner’s ranch,” instantly answered Cip Saunders, and a terrible fear came over im. “To Mat Warner’s, then, my friends, and ride as if the devil kicked you!” Over the trail through the timber, and from om) oe . i cbooks.com