Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 387 — page 13: what you’re looking at

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

A’m thar.” When will you gor” **Now, ferl hain’t got nothing to keep me.” * Where is your horse?”’ **Grazin’ on the slope.”’ “Then get him and we'll be off.” ‘**'Yas cap’n.” The old hunter, a miner, for he was both, left the vabin and soon led up avery hard-looking animal; but he had the go inhim, as the guide soon dis- coveredwhen they were upon the trail together. It was late the next afternoon when they reached the little cabin of Don Marsden, All was quiet there, though it was evident to the de that some one had been there since his depar- ure with Cieone. : me said nothing about this to the miner but asked: ** Are you afraid of ghosts, Mark?” “ Ghosts?”’ “Je,” * be mean dead folks walkin’ on ‘arth?”* es.”’ ** Not much I hain’t.”’ ‘‘IT am glad to hear it.” * Why, pard cap’n?”’ ; ‘* Well, as the mines down the valley did not pan out very well, the miners deserted them, and Lost Hope City is wholly deserted, though the boys say the ghosts walk about the streets at night.” “Let ’em walk.”’ “ You are not superstitious, then?” ** Super—what?”’ ** Superstitious.”’ ‘* What are that?” ** You do not believe in ghosts?” = Cap, I hain’t never seen a speerit, though folks says they does meander around; but I doesn’t be- lieve nothin’ I don’t see.”’ ‘You do not?” **T does not, so just show me thet mine yer spoke of, thet I may know whether to believe thet thar are gold in it.’ They left their horses staked out in the valley, and the guide led the way to the mine. * Well, what do you think?’ asked Warpath Will, as Miner Mark examined the place closely. *‘ Thar is gold here.”’ * Yes, plenty of it.’’ , % vs I sees, or at least thar is prospects of pickin’ enty.’ me And pyar work it?” SE will,’’ ‘**On the terms I offered?” ‘** Agreed, Cap.” ‘‘ Then to-morrow I will leave you, but ina week ar so I will return.”’ ‘*Some biz elsewhere?”’ ‘“Yes, I will be only able to come here once or twice a month; but work hard and get out all the dust you can.” ** T’ll do it, Cap.” ‘‘Should you wish to see me about anything, you know where to find me?”’ ‘*T does; now let us go back to ther cabin and git supper, fer I are as hungry as a coyote.” eir way led them past where the horses were staked out, and the eyes of the old hunter fell upon something that seemed to surprise him. ‘‘Thar is witches in this here valley, Cap.” ‘“What do you mean, Mark?” **Look thar!”’ “*What is it?”’ ‘* At your horse and mine,” ** Well, they are safe.”’ “Did you braid the mane and tail of your nag?” “No! by Jupiter! they are braided close.”’ “And so is ther mane and tail o’ my rickety old bones.”’ ‘* Who could have done it?” “Witches.” “Do you believe in such things?” **T believe in what I see.” “You are not afraid to stay here?” “Cap, yer don’t know me, fer I hain't afeerd o’ nothin’,” was the calm repos The manes and tails of the horses were certainly braided, and it was well done. The braids were taken out, and the two men went on and prepared their supper. That night Miner Mark stood watch; but in the morning it was found that the witches had again ard - ommnt for the same braiding act had been re- Glad to leave the mysterious valley the guide mounted his horsc and rode away, leaving Miner Mark alone at the cabin, and saying nothing to him about the strange sights he had seen in Lost Hope City. CHAPTER XXIV. THE SPECTER OF THE MINE, ** Heiio, Mark!” ‘*T are here.” The hail was given by Warpath Will, as he rode up to the cabin in the canyon, just at dark one day. some two weeks after his departure. The answer came from the old miner, who had gone into his cabin at sunset, and was cooking his gupper. The door crete, and the miner stepped out. “Back ag’in, Cap?” “Yes, what news?” ‘* Plenty.” ‘¢ You have found plenty of gold?” “That is good.”’ “So it are.” “Well, I'll stake my horse out and come in to | a — eee supper, 80 throw another steak on the coals for me There are plenty,’ and the miner turned again a his cooking, while the guide went off with his orse, He soon returned, hung his saddle and bridle up ona + peg and seated himself before the fire. ‘** Well, Mark, you have a good supper here,” ‘* Yas, I loves eatin’.”’ ‘** Anybody been around?”’ ‘*Don’t know.” “Don't know?” ~O. * Would been here?’ “Yas, l’d hev seen anybody, but I can’t sw'ar they was in ther body.”’ ‘Ha! you have been troubled by the witches.”’ “Ther witches hasn’t worried me none, Cap, but they hes made it lively fer ther old horse,’ ‘*How do you mean?” ‘“‘T means thet they braided his mane and tail every night, as reg’lar as a gal fixin’ her ha‘g fer Sunday camp-meetin’, and when I shaved evéry identical ha’r off—” ** Did you cut off your horse’s mane and tail?’’ ‘* You'll think so when yer sees him,”’ ‘‘ Go on with your story.” ‘*T were sayin’ thet arter I cut ther mane and tail off, they tuk ter ridin’ him, ontil he looks weary, I kin tell yer.” ine hy did you not watch to see who it was doing is?”’ ‘* Watch fer witches? Cap, is yer a durned fool?’’ **T hope not; but Iam glad it is no worse,”’ “Tt are worse.” ** What?”’ “Cap, I hes seen a ghost.” . ‘** A ghost?” ‘Yas, a raal live one.” ** When?” ** Often.” ‘* Where ?”’ “Thar at ther mine.” se No !’’ ‘“*T says yes.”’ ‘*This is remarkable.” “So it are, Cap; but did yer find them as you went to look for?”’ ‘‘The miner and his son?” sé Yas ‘7 you not have seen them, if any one had sels | did not.”’ “Did you hear of ’em?’’ | No 4 ‘Think they is dead?” “ Yog? ‘* Yer knows how ther miner looked?” ‘He was described as a fine-looking man, with black beard and hair. ‘*] saw a likeness of him which his daughter had.” ** Yas, that are him,”’ ‘* How do you know?” ‘*T has seen him.”’ The guide turned very pale, while he gasped forth: ** Seen him ?”’ ‘Yas, or rather I has seen his ghost.” ** His ghost?” “Yas, Cap, fer I believes in ghosts now, I does.” “Explain just what you have seen, Mark.” ‘*T has seen thet which I doesn’t like ter see.” “Well?” ‘‘T goes ter work in ther mine every mornin’ jist arter sun-up, and I works there as long as ther day- BaOy will let me see ther dust,”’ sé es.”’ ‘* Waal, Cap, it were ther fu’st day thet I went ter work thar that I seen it,” **Saw what?’’ “ Ther ghost.”’ ‘*Oh, go on with your story, Mark, and don’t keep me in suspense.” ‘‘Waal, Cap, thar hain’t no hurry, fer we hev ther night afore us, and arter I tell yer, ef yer wants ter go and see, yer kin fer yerself.”’ ‘*T wish to see nothing, but I do wish to know just what you have seen,” said the guide, impatiently. ‘Waal, Cap, I were so glad at ther dust I were findin’, thet | dug on ontil it were dark. ‘“‘Then I scraped ther metal together, and put in my bag, and riz up to come home, ‘It were dark then, or mighty nigh it. ‘Well, Cap, I confess I was skeered, and I drop ther gold and tuk hold onter iron, as bein’ more sarvice to use jist then. “ But I didn’tshoot my revolver arter drawin’ it, fer I kinder thought it would do no good. “Thar, standin’ right out o’ ther mine, and gazin’ at me in a sad kind o’ way, was what I at first tuk fer a man. ‘* But ther second glance showed me that no man hed I ever seen prowlin’ round like him, tho’I hed seen ’em wear what he hed on when they was in their coffins. ‘He hed a shroud about him from head to foot, and only his white face was exposed. “Across ther forehead were a red mark, blood- red, thes Jooked something like a knife-cut, tho’ I hes seen thet same kind o’ wounds made by the bar- rel 0’ a revolver hitting a man over the fo’head. “He hed awful sad eyes, thet did not seem ter blink, and black beard and ha’r. “This were all thet were not covered up by ther shroud. ‘** Hello. pard,’ says I. ** But he didn’t hello worth a cent. *** Pard.’ says I, ‘has yer met with a accidint?’ ** Still he didn’t talk. ‘**Pard, ef this are your mine, you looks dead ef yer hain’t, so don’t mind ef I are here, ferI are workin’ it on shares fer yer darter.’ Warpath Will, the Traitor Guide. rrr a oe ee J — —_— ee a ee * Stili he stood gazin’ at me, and I begun ter feel uncomfortable. ““So I stoops down, gits up my bag o’ dust, and lights out, leavin’ him standin’ thar,”’ ‘* This is remarkable.” *'It' are.” “Why did you not shoot him?’’ ** Kill a man as were sey dead, Cap?” ** I'd have tried the virtue of lead.”’ **He didn’t bother me, nor has he since,”’ “You have seen him again?’’ ‘*Oh, he are thar as reg’lar as I are. ‘*Ef he hain’t thar in ther early mornin’ when E goes, I sees him in ther evenin’ late." **] do not understand it, Mark.” ** And I hain’t tryin’ ter onderstand it, Cap. **He are thar, and I works ther mine,”’ ** And you are not afraid?” “Of what?” ‘*The ghost.” - aa § ef he don’t bother me.”’ ‘‘ Well, I will have to leave you again to-night.” ‘* What, hain’t yer goin’ ter stay no time? ‘‘No, I have work to do elsewbere,”’ ‘** Yer horse hain’t rested.”’ ** No, but he is not very tired.” ‘‘T wanted you to goto ther mine with me and see ther ghost.” ‘‘Not this time, Mark; but another time I will,’” said the guide, pondbigimege & He did not seem to have any more appetite for his supper, and soon after arose to go, Taking his saddle and bridle, he went out to his horse and found the animal quietly grazing. But his mane and tail had been braided while he had been in the cabin. ‘“‘Ther witches is abroad, cap'n,”’ Mark. ‘“Yes; but I must be off, Mark, so work hard while I am gone and get all the dust you can for me.” ‘‘Wer ther gal yer means?” ue a hay said Miner “Ill be squar’ in ther divey with ther ee. gal, though I might hedge a leetle on my own side, were it a man I were working with on pardnership, ‘*‘ Good-by, cap‘n,’”’ and the old miner watched the guide as he rode away from the cabin and disap- peared in the gloom. CHAPTER XXV. THE HAUNTED MINER, Arter watching the capersee of the guide, Miner Mark turned toward his cabin, muttering as he went — ** Now, thet are strange. “Ther cap’n evidently come here ter stay a few days, and yit he got off after hearin’ my story, as theugh he were skeert. ** He hev a narve o’ iron, and I never heerd any one say he c’u’d be skeert afore; but ef he didn’t kinder wilt ter-night, I are ignorant o’ what wiltin” are. ‘* Waal, we’ll see when he comes ag’in what are ther matter. ** Now, he hev tuk ther road ter Lost Hope City, and I does believe I will jist foller him, jist ter see what are goin’ on in thet desarted town. ‘*Now, he were so hurried ter git off, thet I didn’t tell him I hed rid down thar one night an’ seen a ghost thar on horseback. ‘*But Vll see ef ther ghost shows itself to ther cap’n ter-night.”’ fe walked on rapidly now, got his saddle and bridle, locked the door, and was soon mounted uporm his horse, following after the guide. The animal had been ugly enough before, but now, without av atom of mane, and with only a shaven stump for a tail, he was certainly an odd-looking beas t. Riding on rapidly the miner came in sight of the guide, just as he reached the deserted town. Warpath Will had been riding slowly, but as he entered the town, he urged his horse into a gallop. He had passed perhaps a dozen houses, when sud- denly out from behind one darted a white horse and rider, He was hardly fifty feet in front of Mark, the Miner, who, seeing that the specter had not been discovered by the guide, gave a loud shout of warn- ng. Warpath Will heard the cry, turned quickly, and, beholding the s his spurs into the flanks of his steed and bounded away like the wind. “Waal! thet ghost are too much fer ther cap’n, thet are sart’in. ‘‘He hev run like a deer, but I'll foller an’ see ef Death on a pale horse overtakes him.”’ It was not s0 easy, however, for the miner to keep to his determination, for his own horse would not go fast. . ‘* Yer hes ther devil in yer, yer is bewitched or ve: hes been rid ter death by ther witches,”’ cried Maric, trying to urge his horse on. ut it was of no use, for Warpath Will and the pursuing phantom went flying through the deserted town and disappeared down the valley. Then Miner Mark drew rein and listened. ‘‘Thar are but the sound o’ one horse runnin” thar, that are sart’in. ‘Waal, I hev hed enough o’ this, so I'll jist git back ter ther cabin and take it easy. ‘*Ef ther cap'n don't tarn up ag'in, then I are im luck, fer ther mine belongs ter me, an’ ef he does, I migbt as well put a bullet in him and git all ther dust, instead o’ a part o’ it.” With this reflection of a murderous charac‘er, the miner turned his horse about and started back to- ward his cabin. COr CDOOKS ter form of horse and rider, drove i ’ . 24 r . se \ com