Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 398 — page 9: what you’re looking at

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

found his prisoner safe, but growling like a wounded lion. He had changed his mind about gagging him fearing that he might be absent a long time and not wishing to inflict any more punishment yet, than mere imprisonment. He lighted a lamp that stood on a shelf, and tuen addressed the man: ‘*My friend,” said he, quietly, ‘‘I have de- cided suspicions that you are not what you pre- tend to be. ‘‘f am going to release you from those ropes, which are, I suppose, the reverse of comfortable, and then will request you to remove that wig and beard. ‘*Should you decline, my friend, Mr. Fran- cis, known to you probably better as Faro Frank, who is outside, and I will perform your toilet for you.” / ‘Yes, and pretty quick, too, Mr. Worthing- ton,” added Frank, At the sound of the name, the man shuddered visibly and then, without a word, held out his arms for Kit to untie them. ‘* You agree, then?” A sullen nod was the only answer, ** You are wise, for you probably have saved yourself from some rough treatment. ** We are in no mood to be trifled with.” ** You bet we ain’t!” chimed in the irrepressi- ble Frank. ‘* And you can play that card to win.” When the ropes had been loosened, the man arose to his feet, chafed his wrists and ankles a moment to restore circulation, and seemed for a moment to be meditating a plan to es- cape. But the odds were too great, and he was com- pelled to givo up the unequal contest. So, turning his back, he worked about his head and chin for a few minutes and finally tossed his black wig and false beard to the floor ahd then, turning around defiantly, and cross- ing his arms, revealed the well-known features of—Edward Worthington!!! Faro Frank, who was peering anxious] through the door, holding the reins in his hand, uttered a yell that would have done no discredit to a Comanche Indian, and would have doubt- less favored Kit with his views on the discov- ery, had not the startled horses, suddenly jerk- ing back, yanked him flat on his face as Kit called out, laughing: ‘* Shut up, Frank, you'll raise the whole coun- t and have Colton’s gang down on'’us in a Then addressing Worthington he said, sternly; ‘** Now, sir, what does this mean? ‘* Under the guise of friendship you have won my confidence, and having won it, have sought to betray me. ‘* What was your motive?” The other did not answer a word, but still stood, with folded arms, gazing defiantly at Kit. ‘** Had it not been for my friend’s shrewdness,” continued Barton, ‘‘ you might have been suc- cessful, but he penetrated your disguise, and warned me to watch you. ‘**It is the fable of the viper warmed in one’s bosom repeated in real life. ‘* Answer, now, and tell me what your designs were. ‘“* Answer! or by the blue vault above us I will send you to eternity before yonder sailing cloud hides the sun!” And raising his revolver, he pointed it at Worthington, with an expression that was not to be mistaken. What the result might have been, had not Frank interfered, it is impossible to judge, but the latter calling out to Kit, hastily cried: ‘** Hold on, Kit, and don’t be rash! “You have nothing to gain by this man’s death, and all to lose. ‘‘ Before inflicting on him the punishment he deserves, consider for a moment how important his secret is to you. ** Try the effect of a little solitary confinement on him, first, and see what result that will pro- duce.” ‘You are right, Frank,” replied Kit, lower- ing his weapon. **He would carry bis secret with him were I to shoot him now. “We wili wait until dark, and then take him to his prison, where we will leave him to medi- tate on his misdeeds, and in time, perhaps, he may consider it worth while to purchase his freedom by speaking. “We will secure the gentleman again, and then turn in, for I am dead sleepy, and suppose that you would not object to a nap.” “* Vou bet your pile I weuldn’t,” replied Faro rank, stretching his arms until the joints - 45 cma ome a Se 4 Anis a aw Kit and Pard. Kid-Glove —— — - eracked and yawning until it seemed as if he would dislocate his jaws. ‘* Then put up the horses, and come back, and we will turn in.” As soon as Frank returned they secured Wor- thington by tying him firmly, attaching the ends of the rope to their right and left wrists, so that the prisoner could not move without dis- turbing them and then stretched themselves on blankets, with the captured man in the middle. They slept without interruption until late at night and then, Frank having brought the three horses around, they mounted and rode off to The Gulch, And as soon as the town had settled into slumber, they passed quietly along the main street, mébting no one, and proceeded up the road until they reached the gully in the bluff, Here they stopped, and, the prisoner having been securely blindfolded some time before, they helped him to alight, CHAPTER XVI. KIT’S DISCOVERY. DURING ail this time Worthington had not uttered a word but stood, silently awaiting whatever might happen, evidently realizing that he was powerless. He was half-led, half-dragged up the ravine, until they came to the place where the two logs were lying, side by side, Frank, meantime, wondering what on earth Kit was driving at and where he intended securing their prisoner. Reaching the pile of brush that hid the ends of the two logs, Kit stopped, and turning to Frank, said: ‘‘Tam now going to make you familiar with a secret which has been so carefully guarded by me that, besides myself, not a soul on earth is acquainted with it. ** I need not ask you to respect my confidence, for I know you to be honor itself, ‘* Watch this man until I return.” And crawling between the logs, having moved the pile of brush, Kit disappeared. He had not long been absent when he again appeared, and rising hurriedly, sai? to Frank, while his whole frame quivered with excitement and his voice trembled: ‘Some one has discovered the entrance to my cavern, and now entrance is impossible, as the means no longer exist. ‘‘T must investigate the matter immediately, and to do so, must return to The Gulch for ropes. ‘Are there any at your place?” ‘* There is a whole coil of inch rope lying in a closet in the back room, ‘IT don’t know where it came from, it having been there since we took gator ‘“Waken old Pete and make him give it to you. I will Wait for you.” * All right; [ll hurry back.” And Kit disappeared and was soon heard gal- loping down the road. t was an hour before he returned, during which time Frank kept silent watch over W orth- ington, and then Kit, po gin the coil at Frank’s foot, took the end of the rope in his hand and again crawled into the opening. Once in there, he fastened the end he held to the ring in the trap, and releasing the catch, lowered the platform to the bottom of the shaft, and then called to frank to tie the rope securely to a stout tree. When the reply came back that all was made fast, Kit grasping the rope, swung off into the pit, and jowered himself down into the black darkness, and soon reached the bottom in safety. Without a moment’s hesitation, he stepped into the corridor, and, striking a match, lighted the lamp that hung there, seeming entirely care- less of the fact that, thus standing in the glare, he offered a fair mark to any one in the cavern beyond. Walking along rapidly, he entered the vaulted room and lighted a second lamp, then looking hastily around. All was quiet, save a rushing sound that pro- ceeded from one corner of the chamber, and which, though much modified, he had often no- ticed before, and had attributed to the neighbor- hood of some subterranean stream. Going in the direction of the noise, he soon saw that his provision-chest had been tampered with, for it was open, and then looking toward the wall, his eyes encountered the black and yawning hole through which Jordan had plung- ed headlong. Returning and taking the lamp, he again walked to the opening. a gust of fresh and damp | air causing his light to flicker, and approaching | as close as he dared, he looked out. A few feet below the floor of the cavern rolled © 3 the black flood with its swiftly-flowing current and seemed like the river Styx, so dark and mysterious was it. ‘*T knew there was a stream somewhere near here, but never thought that it was so close at hand, or that the rock was so thin. ‘* Whoever has been here has evidently stum- bled in the darkness, and fallen headlong into the river. ‘* But where has his body been carried to? ** Well, as far as he is concerned, my secret is still safe, ana I do not imagine that my friend Worthington will endeavor to escape by that route. “So I will return and lower him into the cavern, and leave him here for a time, and see if that will have any effect.” So, replacing the lamp on the shelf and ex- tinguishing it, he again walked to the shaft, and blowing out the lamp there, he then hoisted himself, hand over hand, to the top. Rejoining Frank, he, in answer to the ques- tions propounded by the latter, replied: ‘Yes, somebody has been down there; but whoever it was will never bother us. ‘* Tl explain to you later.” And then he released W orthington’s feet, and drawing up the rope, fastened it under his arms, and ordered him to craw] into the open- ing between the logs, and to let himself down into the shaft, when he and Frank would lower him to the bottom. ‘* And if you don’t,” added Frank, ‘‘ why we'll chuck you in.” Then Worthington, seeing that he had no re- course, crawled in, and soon the weight on the rope warned the two friends that he had swung off, so letting the cord out by degrees, they slowly lowered him, When he was at the bottom, Kit also entered the hole, and let himself down again, and ar- rived at the bottom, took the rope from Worthington’s shoulders, and led him into the cavern. Here he removed the bance: and untied his hands and sp¢l.c; ‘* You will be a prisoner here, in utter dark- ness, without f or drink, for twenty-four hours, when [ will return. ‘If you confess then, I will release you, and you can go your way. ‘* If you are still obdurate, I will furnish you with food and drink, and again leave you, but [ swear that I will never release you until you have told me what I wish to know. “You cannot possibly escape, and I warn you not to move about here, as there are hidden dangers which might cause you trouble. ‘Before going, I will relieve you of your pocketbook, that may prove valuable. ‘* Do not resist, or my knife may temper your excitement,” And feeling inside Worthington’s coat, he drew outa large pocketbook, that seemed to be stuffed with paper. Then, finding the passage with some difficul- ty, he made the rope fast to the ring in the trap, climbed up, drew the platform after him and secured it to the catch, and then rejoined Frank. Having pulled the pile of brush back into its place, they walked down the gully, and riding into The Gulch, stabled their horses and then entered The Broadway, —_—_—_—_—_—_——— CHAPTER XVII. THE TORN LETTER. LIGHTING the lamp, the two friends seated themselves on opposite sides of the table, and Kit drew from his pocket the book he had tak- en from Worthington. Opening it, he spread the papers on the table and proceeded to examine them. ‘* All is fair in war, Frank, and if we an surprise the enemy’s secrets we are certainly justified in doing so. ‘‘ Let’s see what we have here, “First, a letter to Craig Colton, Bsq., sent to that gentleman from New York. ‘*Tll read such extracts to you as may be of interest to us. ‘Bet how do you supp-se that Worthington obtained possession of all these?” ‘** He is, no doubt, Colton’s agent, and is car- rying out the latter’s plans.” ‘*That is more than likely. o from his eyes, ***1). has again heen here, and speaks of his mine as being the richest in the country, but refuses to tell me where it is. ‘“He will soon be back at The Gulch, and you must watch him closely if you would discover the location of this bonanza that is to make our for- tunes.’ «* ,