Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 387 — page 3: what you’re looking at

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

Warpath Will, the Traitor Guide, ~—— —_—— ee faith have I, Cleone; but the majority es, so back we go,” ‘*And we continue on our trail westward, een I shall he sorry to part company,” said uy. O Mrs, Marsden, it is madness for you to trust in that reckless boy,” hotly said one of the party. ‘**] feel that I know best, Mr, Williams,” was the quiet response, and nothing wore was said to the invalid, longing to reaci a haven of rest; but much comment was made away from the hearing of the Marsdens, With the morning, the wagon, ambulance and stock belonging to the Marsdens, were divided from the rest of the train, farewells were said, and the brave mother and her two children wended their way westward, while the emi- grants took the back trail to seek another guide. CHAPTER III. THE GOLD-MINER. A WILD wilderness of tre Rocky Mountains, a scene of rare granceur and intense solitude, break upon the eyes of a man who stands glanc- en MS the view spread out before him, is steps have led him along a spur of moun- tain, and a well-worn path, through thickets and among the rocks he has followed, halting as it turns the edge of the spur and descends to the canyon bottom a hundred feet below him. In the canyon is visible a small cabin, while upon a slope, not far distant, and near the bank of a pretty stream is another domicile in course of erection. It is much larger than the other cabin, is laid out for four rooms, but is roofless. The spot is a secluded one, far from an town, and the nearest neighbors are the deni- zens Of a mining-camp thirty miles distant. Down the valley, which the canyon opens into and where the little stream joins a river, is a deserted village, or ratber mining-camp, a few miles from the cabin, and where, a year before a thousand hardy miners dwelt while they dug deep for gold, but with such poor luck that they became disheartened and moved The man who alone remained was the one the reader beholds glancing over the scene in the canyon and valley. That man is Don Marsden, whose brave boy went to bring bis mother and sister to the land of gold, while the father toiled on hard to pre- pare for them a pease home, and also to dig from his mine all that he could of yellow dust to show them on their arrival. / He had indeed struck a fortune, and well he knew it, though bis comrades in the mining- camp had jeered at him when he went to that region to search. There were bad men in the camp, and he dared not make his success known, so kept the secret until he sent bis son to bring thither the wife and daughter, Then he sought the camp, to ask the aid of his comrades in building his new cabin, and to his almost dismay, found the place utterly de- serted. In vain he searched the mines for those who had worked them, for not a human being could he find. The log tavern, grocery, bar-rooms, all were deserted, and a pack of wolves were prowling through the desolate thoroughfares looking for refuse. Often had the miners threatened to desert Lost Hope City, but Don Marsden had not ex- pected them to carry it out. For a moment he seemed stunned by the fact that all were gone, and not one had sought him out to warn him of their departure. He was a brave man, but it almost unnerved bim to feel that he was there all alone, many miles from the nearest habitation, Could he have his wife and daughter come to that land of solitude and loneliness? Yes, for hidden away in the mountains was his fortune, and it must be dug to be enjoyed, So he bravely set to work alone to build his cabin. It was slow, tedions and hard work, but he meant to accomplish all that he could. Early in the morning he arose, ate his frugal breakfast, and then sought his mine. Until noon he dug for gold, and then set out for ‘* home,” and worked all the afternoon upon the new cabin. At night, in his little hut, he made rude fur- niture for the ‘‘ mansion,” as he called the new cabin, and thus the days passed away until weeks rolled by, and three months had passed since the departure of Guy. -— As he stood on the spur, looking down upon his home, the sun fell upon him, displaying a man of fine physique, and the face of one who possessed a noble nature and bold intellect. Luck had been against him in the past, but he bad not been conquered by ill-fortune, and now all seemed sunshine ahead, ‘Three months to-day since Guy left, so I will not have much longer to wait,” he said, musingly. ‘‘l cannot finish the mansion without his aid, but I will do all that I ean, and have the furni- ture ready, so that we can move in soon after their arrival. ‘It will not be a palace, but it will be our own, and in a year’s time the mine will pay us so well we will be rich, and can go elsewhere and live, and be rewarded for what we have suffered here. ‘‘Ab! There comes a horseman up the valley. ‘‘ How strange it seems to see a fellow-being now, after three months having passed witbout setting eyes on one. ‘** I must hasten on to my cabin and be ready to greet him, be he friend or foe.” So saying, the miner took up his rifle, which leant against a tree near by, and continued on his way down the hillside. In about five minutes time he reached the little cabin, crossing the stream upon a tree, which had been felled across it toserve as a bridge, and unlocking the door he entered. The situation of the cabin gave him a view of the valley beyond the canyon’s mouth, and it seemed to have been chosen asa position that could be readily defended against the approach of a foe. Seating himself in the doorway, the miner laced his rifle ready at hand, and began to ook down the valley, where he expected the horseman he had seen to appear in sight. He bad not long to wait, for soon a horse and rider appeared, the latter leaning far over, as though following a trail, ‘* He is on the trail from Lost Hope City—yes, he sees my cabin, and is coming this way,” said Don Marsden. The horseman now turned into the canyon, and came directly toward the cabin, his eyes having fallen upon iis owner seated in the door- way. ‘*Can he bring me ill-tidings from those I love?” asked Don Marsden of himself, and the thought caused him to turn pale. As the man approached, the miner saw that he was well-mounted, thoroughly armed, and was dressed in buckskin, while a large gray sombrero sheltered his head. He was a man of thirty, perhaps, with a dark- ly-bronzed face, clear-cut features, not wholly prepoussessing to the close reader of human na- ture, and with eyes that were black, full of ex- pression and restless, As he advanced he made no hostile demon- stration, and neither did Don Marsden, who felt his advantage, should he prove a foe, in being in his own cabin. ‘‘ Well, stranger, are you astray in these mountains, or is Don Marsden the man you are in search of?” called out the miner, in a pleas- ant tone, as the other drew near. “Tf you are Don Marsden, you are the man I am in search of, and I’m glad to get tothe end of my trip,” answered the horseman, as he dis- mounted and extended his hand. ‘‘T do not think we have met before, com- rade, so what may I call you?’ asked the miner, ‘No, we have never met, pard; but my name ne Warpath Will on the plains, and I know your in, ‘*Ha! you know my wife and children, sir?” eagerly cried Don Marsden, ‘*T do, indeed.” ‘* Pray tell me of them, and if harm has be- fallen them?’ and the miner grasped the hand of his visitor. ** T left them two weeks ago, coming on slowly by train, and all were well; but your son, know- ing hia time to return was up, told me to come on ahead and tell you that chee were all rigbt.” ‘God bless you, my man; but tell me of my wife’s bealth?” ‘She is getting along well, pard; but how is s - mining-village is deserted down the val- ey ‘‘The miners deserted it on account of bad- luck, and just at the time I struck it rich up here.” ‘Yes, your boy said you had struck a for- tune; but you don’t mean to say you are all alone?” ‘Yes, for there is not a human being dwel- 4 ve " is tle vf Ls — p ,\ ‘ ’ ling within thirty miles of here, and you are the first man I have seen for three months.” “Indeed! But you will soon have company when your family comes, and I guess you bave a snug little pile of dust laid up to welcome them?” *‘T bave, indeed, my friend, for my mine pays fur better than my greatest hopes antici- pated; but you are tired and hungry, so I will get you some dinner, and then you can tell me all about those you come from, and who are all the world to me,” As be spoke Don Marsden turned to enter his cabin, when suddenly the stranger drew a re- volver from his belt, and leveling it full at the miner’s back, pulled the trigger. CHAPTER IV. THE TREACHEROUS VISITOR. THE dastardly act of the visitor was so wholly unexpected to Don Marsden, that, had the weapon gone off he would have been a dead man on the instant! But the cap snapped, and it gave him time to turn before his foe could a second time cock and fire the pistol, His rifle and belt of arms were not within reach, and he saw that the best thing to do was to spring upon the man and struggle with him for the mastery. As he bounded forward the second time did the inteuded assassin pull trigger. But fortunately again the cap failed to ex- lode, and, with a bound, Don Marsden faced is enemy at arm’s length. What the result of the combat would have been, for the two were both powerful men, had they clinched in a death-struggle, no one could tell, for, by dealing Don Marsden a crushing blow on the head, with the barrel of his re- volver, the murderer saw him sink at his feet ap- parently dead, “Til end you at once, Don Marsden,” he muttered savagely, and raising the form in his erms he carried it dowu to the river-bank and tossed it into the stream, the swift current bear- ay away from sight. ithout a glance at the whtrling form of the man he bad come there to kill, the murderer returned rapidly to the cabin. His first act was to look to the weffare of his horse, which he staked out up the canyon, where an animal belonging to the miner was grazing. Then he went back to the cabin and at once began a regular search Of its every corner and hiding-place. Private papers were unearthed, the fhiding- place of the gold-dust was found, and con- siderable treasure lay before the bold robber, Then he took the trail,so readily followed, leading to the mine, At last he came to it, after a walk of nearly a mile, and his eyes sparkled, and an exclama- tion of delight burst from his lips, as he realized its value, There in large letters, painted upon the stone he read: ‘‘This mine is the property of Don Marsden of Lexington, Kentucky, and of his heirs. ** Hands off, pards, under pensity of frontier law. ‘* Don Marssen, Miner.” ‘*It is my mine now, Don Marsden, for I con- stitute myself your heir,” muttered the man in rim tones,and he turned away on the trail eading back to the cabin, Arriving there he noticed how the poor miner had worked, for the comfort of those whom he had expected soon to be with him, Then he went after bis horse, locked up the cabin, put the key in his poste and rode away. An hour’s ride brought him to Lost Hope City, a village of shanties situated in a valley, under the mountains’ brow, It was as drear and desolate as a graveyard for not a human being was visible, and abou the trails, for they were such, rather than streets, wolves were prowling undisturbed, The sun was just sinking bebind the moun- tain-tops, and knowing that darkness would soon follow, the horseman decided to remain there all night. He selected the most comfortable looking of the cabins, aad dashing the door in with a kick, entered, A rude bedstead, table, shelves and a couple of chairs were the furniture of the hut, and in one end was a large fire-place, In this the man soon had a cheerful fire burn- ing, and then be cut a quantity of grass with jaa § knife, and stabled his horse in an adjoining cabin, A mountain deer, he had shot on bis wa down the valley, was dressed and choice bi placed upon the coals, and night having fallen, i? a° *