Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 487 — page 13: what you’re looking at

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

a _ ee - better than stage-driving.” —————_—_— -. — So he told Dick Darling on his up trip, that his gorgeous rig, gold chain, watch, spurs and b he would go through when he came back, to Den- all, they gazed on him as upona being from another sphere. ver, and from there make his way to the mine. **Go a trifle slow, Ned, and let us get our ‘* All right, Nevada, Pll be glad to have yer, wind.” fer I’ve missed you 0’ late. ‘* Don’t spring it on us all at once, for you ‘‘But I drive my finest team when [ come should have written and prepared us for it,” | down ag’in, and you can handle ther ribbons said the doctor, who was out in a handsome | all yer like.” new suit of buckskin, which Hop Flea had Ned then gave out that he was going away beaded in Chinese designs for him. | for a month, and he bade Hop Flea to look af- He had expected to do some ‘“‘paralyzing” | ter his horses for him, and told Goldbeam he himself, when he appeared in his new rig, | would leave the key of his little cabin with her, which had been .a secret between Hop Flea | for the miners had helped him build a snug lit- and himself; but when Nevada Ned came out | tle log home not far from the Wizard Medicine- as the Boy Gold King, he knocked the wind ; Man’s home, out of the sails of the Wizard Medicine-Man. Dressing himself in his best, the afternoon he A handsome young man, as was the doctor, | expected the stage through, Nevada Ned bade with his splendid form, brilliant black eyes farewell to Goldbeam, whose eyes filled with and raven hair and mustache, he was a striking | tears, and with a grasp of Doc Wood’s hand contrast to Nevada Ned, with his fearless boyish | and a wave of his sombrero to the boys about face, long golden hair, blue eyes and gorgeous | the Loghouse Inn, he mounted the box by the attire, and the miners gazed upon the two with | side of Dick Darlin and away rolled the stage, unbounded admiration. | those who saw it apart little dreaming what But Goldbeam wasin raptures over Ned’s get- | was in store for it far along on the Overland up and to!d him over and over again how hand- | trail. some it was, and admired his chain and gold- The stage had rolled into the station, thirty mounted weapons, with his sombrero and its | miles out from Golden Gulch City, and had dazzling ornaments, until the youth said: there met the coach from further up in the ‘“‘Goldbeam, you shall have a gold-mounted | hills, for the short line met Dick Darling’s coach rifle too, and a sombrero with gold déllars | there, around it, for I will get them for you.” Supper, such as it was, was given the half- And Ned kept his word, for some months | dozen passengers in the two coaches, Dick Dar- after they came along with some goodsordered | ling’s horses were changed for fresh ones, and by the solitary storekeeper in Golden Gulch | his coach rolled away, while he whispered to City, and when the young girl had donned them ed: the doctor said cheerily: ‘‘ Did you hear what Tupper told me, lad?” ‘Now we will have tocall you the Gold ‘No, Dick.” Queen, little one.” ** Did yer see a box go under our feet, here?” Thus a year passed away and Nevada Ned ag TO By still remained in Golden Gulch City. ‘‘Tt came down in’ Tupper’s coach from the He had written to his uncle by the monthly | Bonanza mines above.” mail, telling him of his winter adventure, and ‘+ Well?” that he was well and happy, and he also wrote ‘“‘ Tt is gold.” to a boy pard he had known in the mines near “‘T3 it, Dick?” Denver, and whose name was Texas Harry, ‘Tt is for a fact, and it goes through to Den- stating that he would some day return to his a ver.” cabin and claim, but he did not know exactly ‘*T see.” when. ‘¢ Thar is thousands in that box.” Prospecting in the neighborhood of Golden ‘Tt is indesd valuable, Dick.” Gulch City, Ned. was luckyeenough to find ‘“‘True, and it has cost many a poor miner several valuable ‘*‘ gold pockets,” which brought | hard work to dig it, and we must look out that him quite a snug sum, and this luck, with his | some thieving band of road-agents don’t get it gaining medical lore daily, as the doctor ex- | from us.” pressed it, and being near Goldbeam, filled bis ‘* Do you fear road-agents ahead, Dick?” cup of joy about to the brim, ‘‘They have been pretty bad along the Over- bout a year after Ned’s arrival, Golden | land trails o’ late, Nevada.” Gulch City became wild with delight, for the ‘¢ Well, there are six men inside, and we two, Overland Stage Company ran a weekly coach | Dick, so it will be a large gang of road-agents through the camps, and this so elated the miners | that could get away with us.” C that they thought they were in the very center ‘‘TLad Ned, yer don’t understan’ their way 0’ of civilization. doin’ biz. Until every man in Golden Gulch City had made a trip on the stage to the end of the line and back, the coaches did a thriving business; but their curiosity satisfied, the travel dropped down to the few who were compelled to trust their lives and pocketbooks to the danger of a run on the Overland route through that wild country. So much had the stage pleased Ned, that one ride did not satisfy him, and time and again he was wont to go the hundred miles to the end of the line and back, always riding with the driver, and half the time handling the ribbons himself, Doctor Wood said to Goldbeam one day: ‘‘T guess Ned has given up medicine for the road, my child, and I’m sorry, for he has a nerve like iron, and helped me to cut that poor miner’s arm off the other day with a coolness that equaled mine, — “Just hint to him, Goldie, that medicine is ‘Yer see they has thet advantage from ther jump.” _ ow?” ‘Waal, it’s ‘Hands up!’ and ef I don’t mind, why I’m a dead man, ‘‘Then they calls out to them as is in ther hearse ter git out and lay down flat on the’r faces, ‘‘Tf thar is a shot by some durned fool, why then the hearse is riddled clean through, the agents picks their geese and rides away, see?’ ‘Ves, but I should think we might risk a fight with them, for the road-agents are hardly “tha I have heard, over half a dozen in num- Py ‘¢ Ned, you talks sense, and [ for one am a man as will take chances if t’others will.” *¢T will.” ‘‘T know that, as does all who is acquainted with ver.” ‘“T havea good deal that is valuable about me, Dick, my chain, watch, weapons and some little money, not to speak of my hat and spurs.” ‘¢You is worth a clean thousand in dust scat- tered over yer from yer head ter yer heels, Ned.” | Yes, and more, so I will fight for it.” ‘¢ You bet yer will, but will t?others inside?” ‘¢We can ask them,” ‘¢ We can, and I hopes they will, for I’ve got a precious load here under my feet, and I'll take big chances with lead to run it through.” “Well, ask them, Dick,” It was a beautiful moonlight night, and every- thing near stood out boldly in the silvery light. Handing the reins to Ned, Dick told him to come to a halt. The horses were full of go, and it was no easy task to rein them in; but Ned brought them to a halt. and Dick scrambled down from the box. ‘Whats up, driver?” asked a man somewhat timidly. = aA **T ‘will tell yer, pards, thet nothing is up Goldbeam promised, and when Nevada Ned ot back from his trip, he heard a small lecture rom the pretty little Goll Queen, and promised not to go again for a month, CHAPTER XX. ON THE OVERLAND TRAIL, TRUE to his promise to Goldbeam, Nevada Ned did not take another trip on the Overland stage for a month, greatly to the regret of Dic}: Dar.ing the driver, who had come to like the young miner greatly. Then it was that Ned decided to make a visit to his old mining-camp to see his friends, and to work there o1 some leads where he hoped to strike it rich, and which his going away had prevented his doing. : He also wished to see if his buried gold, to the amount of about four thousand dollars wes eee. CS Nevada Ned, the Revolver Ranger. 13 and now, but I has heerd o’ late thet ther road-agents is thick on ther trail.” A murmur was heard within the stage, while a firm voice said: fen! & they attack us, we must beat them off, that is all.” ‘*Pard, you has got grit, and that is ther music I sings, and my young pard on ther box jines in ther same tune with us, so who else shouts?” ‘* No one else answered, and Dick said: ‘*T tell you, pards, if we shows our teeth, my idea is they will run, and if you backs me up, I'll drive through. ‘* What does yer say?” ‘¢T will aid you, my man, all in my power.” ‘* ‘You is the feller with sand as spoke before; but who else speaks up?” ‘‘T think it would be useless to throw our lives away,” one said. ‘‘T have but little money with me, and I will. not risk death te keep it,” another remarked, This seemed to be the opinion of four out of five men in the stage, and Dick frankly expressed his opinion of them by saying: ‘‘Waal, of all men without sand, four of you six beats any I’ve ever come across, ‘‘ Waal, I'll go through on this hearse if I can, and if I do, durned ef [ don’t ask the agents to give you a time, for Ill tell ’em you has got diamonds hid all over yer,’ and with a laugh at his own conceit, Dick Darling sprung upon ther box once more, and the impatient driver moved on again. ‘‘Ned, yer mind ther tall, fine-looking gent we noticed back at ther station?” ** Yes, Dick.” ‘‘ He’s ther one as has got ther sand, and he’ll fight.” ‘* And there was another?’ ‘‘ Yas, a miner; but these two is all we kin count on.” ‘Well, you'll push through if you are ordered hands up?” ‘*T'll doit, Ned; only I hope it will be afore we reaches the Devil’s Backbone, fer ver know that is as dangersome a piece o’ road fer a few miles as ever man wanted to drive over in day- light, let alone at night: but you knows it, Ne- vada?” ‘‘ Yes; and you remember I have driven over it with you several times?” ‘¢'Yas; and you handles the ribbons like an old Rocky Mountain stage-driver.” ‘¢ Thank you for the compliment, Dick.” ‘‘Tt’s true; but Ned?” ‘Yes, Dick.” ‘or goes under, will you push the hearse on? ‘*'Yes, but don’t think of that.” ‘*T must, for somehow I fcels a load here o” late,” and he placed his hand upen his beart. ‘You may not be feeling well, Dick, so stop on the way back and let Doc Wocd give you some medigine ” ‘* Well, Md kin fetch me round if any man kin, while the boys do say you is no slouch in doctorin’, Nevada.” Oh, ma kind of quack, Dick, for you see all I know I Jearned among the Indians, and from Doc Wood,” said Nevada Ned, modestly. ** Don’t you deceive yerself, Nevada, fer In- juns hain’t no fool doctors, fer their medicine- men is posted on what is medicine and what hain’t, what is good and what are p’izen, and it so stands ter reason they sh’u’d be, as they is children o’ natur’. “T tell yer, Ned, I'd trust a Injun medicine- man quicker than I would half the college doc- tors as I has seen; but Ill stop on ther way back, if I gits thar, and hev Doc Wood see ef my liver hain’t Ferped on me, as makes me feel so down-hearted as I does!” “Hell fetch you_round all right, Dick; but we are nearing the Devil’s Backbone.” ‘Ves, Nevada, and—” “* Halt! Hands up!” And a deep voice rung out sbarply from the side of the road, breaking in on the words of the driver. CHAPTER XX’ A WILD RIDE, _THE sudden cry that rung Out s1u1 vn] awe: side caused all, driver and passengers alike, to give a sudden start. They had perhaps expected a summons to ‘stand and deliver,” and certainly dreaded itz but, coming out of the dark thicket upon one side, it bad been like the call of death, Just where the stage was at that time, there were large trees Overhanging the road, and yond it was the narrow trail known as the Devil’s Backbone.