Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 378 — page 5: what you’re looking at

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

‘You map it out plain enough so far as talk is concerned; but, planning and executing, are two different things.” **Pooh! pshaw! What is the use of wasting breath on ‘ifs’ and ‘ands’. Vl tell you just what Pil do: You secrete yourself and put a bullet through Eagle City Ed’s heart to-morrow morning, and [ll give you two thousand dollars immediately after satisfying myself that he is deal! **No!” Sperra said, coolly. ‘It is you who have been wasting breath, ‘‘I told you before no harm should come to Eagle City Ed, through my agency. You will have to get some one else to do your bloody work, senor!” And bowing obsequiously, the Mexican turned away, leaving Nabob Ned in a fearful rage over the defeat of his evil purpose, CHAPTER V. IN THE CABIN, THE last the awed and wondering miners had seen of Engle City Ed, was by the aid of the lightning flash which bad revealed him standing in the doorway of the cabin waving his hat at them, The next flash the door was closed and the adventurer bad vanished. Let us follow, now, the adventures of the cool head from Eagle City. He had seen the cadaver in the doorway and the succeeding events had been a matter of no little wonderment to him; but that only in- spired him to further investigation, so he strode resolutely toward the cabin-door, and when the apparition once more confronted him he was within a few feet of it. He saw that there was nothing earthly about it, because, from his close proximity, he could iook directly through and beyond the body. It ‘was nothing more or less than—what? Evidently it was a shadow that filled the ‘doorway, but it bore the shape and features of a corpse, said corpse being, as declared by the miners, what John Smith had been, in life, Determined to explode the mystery, he step- ped quickly forward, but the apparition van- ished as mysteriously as it had appeared, and he found himself the undisputed occupant of the ‘doorway, while the door remained wide open. Waving his hat to the crowd, he disappeared ‘within the cabin, To close and bar the door, was but the work of a moment, and he found himself in Stygian darkness. Overhead, the rain poured down on the roof, which, ina measure, was welcome music, con- ‘sidering the situation, The first, and most important thing, was a tittle Ben on the subject, but a careful search through his clothes, failed to produce any matches, ‘“Naryamatch! I orter tho’t o’ that, when I was up at thersaloon. 1l’m bound to remain in tuis ghost shebang without any glim, that’s certain. "Tain’t ther most comfortable thing ‘to do, but Edward will try it a whirl,” The cabin was of good size, and the interior as well as Eagle City Ed could judge, was in one large apartment, Tho only winaows were, like the door, on the front side, and these were guarded by close shutters, so9 that, even in daytime, little light strugyled into the cabin, Finding himself wittout_ means of striking a light, the sport was nonplused. He might go blundering blindly about the cabin, with the result of stirring up something immensely to his disadvantage; so concluded to remain where he was for the present. “This is a wuss fix than I anticipated!” he ‘muttered, growing uneasy. ‘‘Durn my skin, ef ’twasn’t fer the rain, I’d mosey!” A peculiar, scratching noise in a distant corner just then caused him to listen with eagerness and anxiety. Drawing a weapon, and crouching upon foot _ and knee, he waited further developments. The scratching sound continued but a mo- ment; then some hervy object struck the door ‘and fell to tare s!s' floor, ' Ed Jevelod h's revelver in the direction whence had come tbe scratching noise and fired two shots 1p quick succession; but there was no ‘answer to the reportsecf the weapon. Five minutes passed, but there were no fur- ther ‘‘ manifestations.” “Reckon mebbe I must have dropped the brick-bat thrower,” was Eagle City Ed’s com- ment, as the silence continued, ‘It’s a wintry day when I get left by ghosts!” ** 7 should say !” Clearly and distinctly the words camo, from across the roum, in a voice that was feminine, ~ Nabob Nec and musically pleasant. The sound came from directly opposite the sport, across the room. For a moment, he did not speak or move, That there was another person in the eabin, besides bimself was certain, ‘* Hello there!” he finally cried, ‘‘ Who are you?” ‘* Polly wants a cracker,” came in the unmis- takable tones of a poll-parrot. “You'll get one, if I don’t get an answer from your owner, pretty soon!” Ed declared, ‘If there’s any one in this cabin besides myself, I want to see that person. I’m Engle City Ed, and I’m here on business—you bet!’ *f Don’t shoot, please!” the musical voice cried, anxiously. ‘‘If you will take tbe trouble to strike a light you will see that I am not a ghost!” ‘‘T have no matches, or I would have had a light, long ago,” Ed responded. ‘*Wait, I have some matches, sir.” There was a brief silence; then the crack of a parlor-match, and a little gleam of light fol- lowed, ‘* Wait, now I have some papers, which will burn, until we can find something better,” Eigle City Ed said, dropping his illiterate style of speech, and using the language of a person of gvod educatiou. He crossed over to where a girlish figure was crouching, her white right hand holding the burning match, In a moment he had ignited a newspaper which be happened to possess, and began a bur- ried search for something with which to pro- duce a more permanent light. Upon the hearth were two pine-krots, which he fired; a lantern was also found, containing a good-sized piece of candle, so that be soon had the apartment lit in every part. He then turned his attention to her who had furnished the welcome: light, He beheld, now standing erect, a girl, prob- ably eighteen years of age, of a lithe, prettily- molded figure, and a fair, round, most winnin face, partly set in a wreath of golden bair, an eyes of magnetic brilliancy—a ‘ perfect little beauty,” as Eagle City Ed had to admit and so agreeably surprisel was he that he stood star- ing at her in undisguise:l amazement, Her attire was plain, coarse and serviceable, but neat fitting. A belt about ber waist con- tained a single pistol, and her hat, which lay upon the floor, was a jaunty sombrero, The only furniture the cabin now hoasted, was an old three-legged stool, and, leaning against this was a guitar, while perched upon the stool, was a buge red and green parrot, who was taking a ‘‘size-up” squint at the sport, As he gazed upon the girl she laughed, musi- cally. ‘“There, now, am I a ghost?” she exclaimed; ‘fam La phantom?’ ‘* Hardly, I fancy,” the sport replied. ‘‘ But, how in the world did you come here?” **On foot, of course—all the way from Spo- kane Falls, Idaho, My name is Polly Smith,” ‘Smith, eh?” ‘Yes, sir. What is your name?” ‘Well, latterly, when Iam called anything, it is Eugle City Ed. I may once bave possessed another name, but, if so, it was so long ago that I might be excused if it had passed entirely out + memory, I suppose the rain drove you in ere? ‘* Yes, sir. It rained so fiercely that 1 was glad to take refuge under almost any shelter,” ‘‘Tt was you, then, who threw the brickbat at me, a few minutes ago?” ‘No, sir. I threw nothing whatever at you, and you nearly frightened my wits out of me when you fired the shots,” ‘You are sure—positive—that you threw noting at me?” ‘Ob! yes, sir, I heard some missile strike the door, but indeed I did not throw it, nor dol know who did,” ‘Then there may be something in the report about the cabin being haunted after all,” Dd commented, ‘‘Tf you were in here, prior to my arrival, you ought to be able to throw some light on the matter. This cabin is said to be hau: ted, W hile approaching the place, a short time ago, a flash of lightning revealed the door to Le wide open, and the corpse of the former proprietor was standing in the doorway. <A second flash revealed the door as being closed and the corpse gone, A tbird flash, when I was witbin three yards of the door, showed me the same appari- tion as the first had done. 1 sprung forward, and in an instant found myself in the open door- way, but not a vestiges of a corpse did Lentoaic ter. Did you see anything of all of this?” 4 * » + fe rr CC -sessssneenss ; . a4 ’ ‘ 7%. Dey - . - "4 ‘ “1 saw the door open and shut, but saw no a, a such as you describe,” Polly de- clared, looking both puzzled and frightened. ‘*T laid the opening and shutting of the door to the wind. Dear me! If I had bad any idea that this place was haunted I’d never have en- tered it,” Eagle City Ed laughed. , ‘*It was because the place had the reputation of being haunted that I came here,” he said, ‘*but [ assure you that you are a different style of ghost from what I expected to encounter, I rather expected to feel cold clammy hands lay bold of me, and so be forced to dance a qua- drille with a bona fide ghost.” “*T must acknowledge that I am awful glad you came,” Polly was forced to admit, “ for [ was getting nervous, it thundered and light- ened so hard. So you really believe there is such a thing as ghosts, eh?” ‘I am rather inclined to believe I do,” Ed assented, picking up the stone which tke invisi- ble hand bad hurled through the darkness, against the door. ‘‘If you didn’: sling this stone at me, some one did, whether animate or inanimate.” ‘ Well, then, there must be ghosts in this lace,” Polly agreed, ‘‘ for I do not believe that olly Number 2 had a hand in it,” ‘You bet!” articulated the parrot, making a vicious pick at the strings of the guitar. Eagle City Ed gazed inquiringly about the room, but failed to find any indications that the place was tenanted by any one else than him- self and Miss Polly Smith, ‘Well, for the present we shall have to give it up as a mystery,” he said. ‘And, failing to solve it you might relieve my mind of a great deal of curiosity if you were to explain your mission, up in this wild region.” ‘‘Indeed. I suppose it is a matter of surprise to you that I should be a wanderer in this wild- erness. I am sometimes surprised myself, to tell the truth, and yet, so far in my travels, I bave encountered no trouble; on the contrary I have been treated nicely and respectfully, *Tleft my home, in Spokane Falls, nearly a year ago, fetching with me my only possessions, the guitar and my namesake, yonder—all that was left me out of the wreck of a once bappy home,” ‘lL infer then that your home was sold out,” “It was. My father left the Falls, to go Prospeaing, in hopes of being able to better bis fortune. When he left bome there were some dedts standing against bim, and as he did not return, our binge were levied upon, and sold, and I was turved out of doors, on what has been, so far, @ fruitless search for my father,” ‘* His name—” ‘Was John Smith!” CHAPTER VI. POLLY, EAGLE Ciry Ep was not surprised at the an- swer, for from the moment of learning her ow name, it had struck him tbat, possibly, she might be in some way related to the unfortu: nate Smith who had given Slab City its start, Should he make known to her the fact that she was at the very moment in dead Jobn Smith’s cabin? ‘*Did you ever know or hear of a mantky that name?” she asked, looking him searchingly in the face, ‘Plenty of them,” he replied, with a smile— “allthe way from the time of the original Pocahontas John down to the present day. In fact, the former owner of this cabin was named John Smith, soI am told,” “Tbe former owner you say? Where is he, now, and who is the present owner?” Polly de- manded. ‘* Well, if one is supposed to believe all he hears, the John Smith I made reference to was lynebed by a mob of indignant miners for salt- ing the territory around here, to attract the crowd. His little game was found out, and he i formed one of the principals of a little neck-tie party. His affairs were taken in charge by an individual known as Nabob Ned, who, owing to arumr that the cabin is baunted by John Smith’s restless spirit, offered to give me tko shebang if I would remain in it, all of to-night. So I came, and here I am,” “Can it be possible that this person, who was lynched, was my father? Oh! sir, B cannot believe it, Papa was a good man, and no one but a wretch, would think of harming him,” ‘Well, I don’t know about that, 1 am sure. . This man Smith was accused of having planted — gold hereabouts, fcr the sake of getting upa. then set out . a AS ~ “Ea A = ’ > 7 2) Pash 3