Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 487 — page 10: what you’re looking at

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

. left wor 10 Nevada Ned, the Revolver Ranger. a | recognizing the officer as one who was said to He had burnished up his’ gold-mounted wea-% lines at such a time that he would arrive in the | afternoon. Then at night hundreds of warriors would push on into the mining-camps to kill and raid all that fell in their way. Ned had risked his life to learn this little plan, creeping up in the darkness to the council tent, and hearing all that was said. Bad Cloud, with a dozen warriors, were to go with him to within ten miles of the settlements, and behind them a dozen miles were to follow two hundred or more mounted and well-armed warriors. As soon as Ned had gone on his way, Bad Cloud was to ride back to join his braves, and, awaiting until night, they were to make the dash in upon the mining-camps. It was a well-concocted scheme, and what troubled Ned was the fact that he would not be able to warn the miners in time. But on they rode, camping one night on the way, and going by the most secret trails, until Ned told Bad Cloud that they were within a dozen miles of the nearest camp, as he recogniz- ed his surroundings. Bad Cloud then bade the boy good-by, telling him that he was his son, though his face was white, and if his warriors ever met the pale-face no harm should ever befall) him, So Ned went on his way, his half-dozen po- nies following behind, laden with his presents. Ned also had Spitfire’s horse and trappings, which he had sacredly kept, though he had been forced to give up the two ponies of the slain warriors. Once out of sight of his Indian escort, Ned said, hastily: “ Now ponies, you have got to travel, so git!” He urged them into a gallop, and over rough ground and smooth kept them at it. At last the trail led him into a deep can- yon, which he knew was near the mining-camps and he fired his revolver in rapid succession to give an alarm. Turning a bend in the canyon he came sud- denly upon a dozen miners, who had quickly at the sound of firing. Drawing his cavalcade toa halt, Ned shout- ‘* Hello, boys, how are you!” ‘‘ Nevada Ned!” came in a chorus of voices as the miners recognized the boy, after a close look, for he had greatly changed in the seven months that he had been absent. His hair was nearly down to his waist, and of a bright golden hue, he had grown tall and as Wity as an Indian, and his face was almost as dark, while his handsome blue eyes flashed brightly. e was dressed in Indian-tanned and made buckskin, from his moccasins up, but wore his sombrero still though it was ornamented with feathers. In addition to his rifle and revolvers, he car- ried a bow and quiver of arrows at his back, and a tomahawk in his belt, while his bridle and saddle were trimmed gayly in the manner of the Indian warriors. After a grasp of the hand all around, with those who knew him, and those who did not, Ned said quickly: ‘*Pards, I’m back again, and sometime I'll tell you the story; but now we have no time to lose, for there are three bundred warriors, or nearly that number, lying back in the woods, intend- ing to attack the camps to-night. ‘They'll hit here first, push on through the canyon into the valley, and so make a circuit of the camps, killing and robbing as they go, and returning to the mountains up through Central. ‘* Now give the alarm as quickly as possible, have the boys ready for them, and let thern Comte a trap they'll find it hard to get out of, ‘‘They think by sending me back you will not expect an attack, but will believe that the chief and his dozen warriors whocame with me are the entire band; but they did not think I knew it, though [ heard their entire plot. ‘Now boys, you know all I can tell you, and my idea would be to let them come up this canyon to those camps and then attack them in the rear, pushing them upon the other camps that would be ready for them, and may- be you would get them all.” ll listened attentively to what Ned had said, and then gave him three cheers, while one old miner, formerly an army officer said: ‘* Ned, one would think you had been off at West Point studying military tactics, from the advice you give, instead of being in an Indian village a prisoner.” i Gaptein, why don’t you be chief?” cried Ned, . have once been a major in the army and an | pons, bridle, spurs and all, and wearing his gold Indian-fighter. | Chain and clitterin sombrero, coolly rode up to ‘* Yes, you be the colonel, sir,” said a miner. Captain Oliver’s cabin unannounced. ‘*Yes, Major Drew, you be chief.” Some one had seen the coming of the gor- And the cry going the rounds, the miner thus | geous youth and announced him with a yell called upon bowed his thanks, and, with aquick- | that made the bills ring, and brought Captain ness and skill denoting a thorough nittacy | Oliver to the door. training, organized the men into a company, ‘*How are you, Uncle Jack?” sent orders to the other camps for their leaders ‘* By ull that’s good! you are Ned!” cried to meet him, and turning to Ned, said: the amazed miner. ‘You, my fine fellow, I wish for an aide-de- ‘Yes, I’m Ned, uncle,” and Ned was de- camp.” lighted at the impression he made, while Black. Ned was delighted at this honor, and taking | Tom, coming forward, said earnestly: his boule up to his cabin in the hills, and which ‘* Waal, Mars’ Ned, you do shine fer sart’in, he found as he had left it, he quickly returned | that’s a fact, and reported for duty. ‘* You looks like a bran’-new gold-piece.” —_—- ‘*He’s ther King o’ Gold, or I’m a howlin’ CHAPTER XVI. liar,” shouted a rough miner, SNOWED IN. ‘* Well, uncle, ’ve been successful as a miner, Hap Bad Cloud followed the ideas of some of {| and down in Colorado they call me Nevada our pale-face military men, and attacked in | Ned, the Boy Gold King, so you see my old squadrons at different points, it is likely his | name still sticks to me. red-skin army would have been wiped out in one ‘*But how have you been, and what’s the night. news from the old home East, and how has luck ut as it was, the wily chief, although expect- | struck you?” ing to surprise the whites, sent a force of a dozen ‘* You ask more questions, Ned, than a Phila- warriors on ahead some two hundred yards, and | delphia lawyer can in the same length of time; when these were almost annihilated by riding | but, boy, I’m delighted to see you, and you into an ambush, he wisely concluded that the | must tell me all about yourself and just what miners were ready for him, and at once gave the | you’ve been doing, for I’ve been mourning you order to retreat. for dead and so wrote home.” Finding that he was already entrapped, he So that night Ned told of his adventures, and knew that there was but one way out, and that | did it m a modest way that caused an old miner was by the way he had come in; and getting his | to say: men together in a body, he rode over and ‘*'You has done more than you lows you has, through the force that had closed in on him after | Ned, for you talks awful humble about your- he had entered the canyon, self, while yer looks like the Chief of the Over- He got through with some sharp fighting, and | land Road Agents.” the loss of a number of slain, though he man- Ned laughed, but said he came by his gold aged, as was the Indian custom, to carry off | without having to turn road-agent, and hoped most of his dead and all his wounded. to dig a big fortune out of the earth before very The retreat was a rapid one, for mounted | long. | miners, with Major Drew at their head, pursued After remaining several weeks with his uncle, the flying red-skins hotly. Ned bade him adieu, and set out upon his re- Nevada Ned kept by the side of the major all | turn for Colorado, intending to werk with a will through the fight, and his utter disregard of | and win a fortune, ere he should see Captain danger won the praise of the miners. Oliver again. hether oJd Bad Cloud laid it to Ned that he He went back well supplied with provisions, was not able to surprise the camps, is not known; | and having made some purchases there he was but certain it was that he gota surprise him- | unable to get in Colorado, he took back with self, and where he had expected scalps and | him two pack-horses well laden, while Turk, booty, he had to run for his life back to his vil- | his faithful dog, followed at his heels, lage, and leave the miners the victors, | In taking a different trail back Ned lost his ut for Nevada Ned’s warning, it would have | way in the mountains, and after a week’s wan- been a surprise and a most disastrous one, and | dering found that he was long miles from where the miners, wishing to show their appreciation | he should have been. of the service he had done them, clubbed to- He had pressed his animals hard, in trying to gether and got him up a most unique rig. find his way, and was looking for a camping- His broad sombrero was encircled by a chain | place, as night was not far away and a storm about the outer brim, to which were hung littie | coming with it, when he beheld a cabin ahead, slugs of gold, making an odd fringe, while the | under the shelter of a hill. band, or cord about the hat was of solid links of It was a small log structure, the door was the precious metal. closed, as also the shutters over the two win- A gold watch, found on one of the dead In- | dows, and it looked deserted. dians, was presented to Ned, and with it a chain Under the hillside were several stacks of hay, oddly made out of five-dollar gold-pieces linked | and a small log stable, while a number of chick together, and representing a small fortune. ens ran from him as he rode up, being evidently Ned accepted these honors modestly, and yet | wild. it seemed to inculcate in him a desire to dress in As no one answered his call, and Ned knew the grandest style, and the result of it was that | the place must have been deserted for months, he sent his pistols, rifle and knife East to have | he broke the door in and entered. them gold-mounted with metal which he for- It contained two rooms, and within was a cot warded with them. bed, a table, two chairs, some cooking utensils, Then his spurs, bridle bit, buckles and saddle | and a few pieces of Nohparcan? he ornaments were all made of gold, while he got Ned threw open the windows, for the place to himself up in a semi-Mexican and frontier garb | air, hastily built a fire in the large chimney- that was very becoming. lace, and then looked to the comfort of his Those who pe Ned preted him, for they Roiwee were aware that it was a whim only, and not The stable was a snug one. fif ces awa vanity, and his courge had been tested too often | and capacious enough to acscinna aaa his three for them to look upon him as a young dandy | horses, otten up for show. : Going to the hiding-place of his treasure, Ned There were some barrels filled with corn, that found it safe, and before asain commencing the had been raised on a patch Ned had noticed be- arduous work of gold-hunting, he decided to yond the cabin, and which had been rudely make his uncle a visit, for he had heard of his etree Soe in the half-loft was more hay of ving sent to orado to 1 become | ° of hing Ra pias beat yay , Whoever had been the dweller in that lonel With one of his ponies loaded as a pack-horse, cabin had been long absent from it, and Ned, and mounted upon a superb spotted animal | Seeing that a rude wagon-way led there, and yet which Bad Cloud had given him, Nevada Ned, | 2° vehicle or horse being visible, came to the the Boy Gold King, as the miners now called | conclusion that the owner had gone away, per- him, rode off one fine morning on his long and haps to the nearest camp for stores, and been dangerous journey to Virginia City. killed by the Indians or torn to pieces by There were many who predicted that he would | Wolves. never get there, and others that he would never | Whatever his fate, his deserted home served as returii; but certain it is that one morning a youth | a refuge for Ned, and he quickly took advantage arose from a blanket bed within a few miles of | of it, for it was growing very cold and it seemed the mining-camps of Captain Jack Oliver, and, | that a snow-storm was coming up. putting aside his buckskin suit, much the worse Putting his horses in the stable and feeding for wear, rigged himself out in his best, and | them, Ned barred the door to kaep out the mounting his horse rode on, followed by his | wolves, and soon made himself comfortable in pack-animal. the cabin. | ) ee