Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 487 — page 14: what you’re looking at

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

Le —_--—-——— The latter was a zigzag drive, with just space enough for the stige it seemed, sharp bends and with precipices ipon either side, and lasted for : a couple of miles, when a broad, straight trail Jed down into the valley where the mining- | camps were. | Being in semi-darkness, neither Dick Darling | nor Ned could see the one who ordered them to | | | | were mounting in haste, for the firing up the mountain had been heard, and all knew that there was trouble. As the stage came in sight of the lights of the tavern, a party of horsemen met it, and a wild shout greeted them, while a voice cried: ‘*Dick, we thought you wes done fer, and were going to fight fer yer.” ‘*Go on to the other end of the Devil’s Back- bone, for the road-agents attacked us there, and some of them are dead or wounded,” shouted Ned, and away sped the dozen horsemen, while the horses were pulled up suddenly before the door of the tavern. ‘‘Three cheers fer Dick Darling fer runnin’ through on time!” cried a voice, not recogniz- ing, beneath the shadow of a large tree, that the brave driver was not holding the ribbons, The cheers were given with a will, and Dick said, faintly: ‘*T thanks yer, pards, but Dick Darling is done fer, so take me down gently, and I'll inter- dooce to yer ther Boy Gold King, Nevada Ned, and he are ther one as fetched ther old hearse through, and he kin do it any time.” Ned received three cheers as he raised his hat, having cast aside the reins, and then aided in lowering Dick Darling from the box, There were wounded men inside, too, one be- ing the gentleman who had so firmly backed Dick up in the idea of resistance. He was shot in the side, though he said not seriously, and so it proved, while the very timid individual had received a dangerous wound. All were taken into the tavern and cared for by a miner doctor who was there, and Dick Darling was pronounced to be dying, while the passenger referred to was shown to have had a close call, the bullet glancing on a rib over his heart, and inflicting merely a flesh wound. halt, but they both knew that rifles and revol- ‘vers were upon them, and eyes watched their movements, In an instant, having determined to run the gantlet, Dick Darling yelled at his horses, while at the same time he dodged to avoid a shot, and sried: ** Down, boy!” As they did so, a couple of shots came from ‘within the stage, and the road-agents, not ex- pecting to be fired on or to see the driver dash away, were at first taken aback. ** Fire{” The same voice that had challenged gave the order, and half a dozen shots rung out, while dark forms sprung from the thicket out into the roadway. ‘Ned, I’ve got it! Take the ribbons and haul "em up! It’s no use now!” cried Dick Darling, as he fell back upon the stage-coach. Nevada Ned grasped the ribbons, but he was not one to ‘‘ give it up,” without a struggle, and he urged the horses on, Away they dashed now, directly toward the Devil’s Backbone, going at full speed, while | from each window of the coach some one was firing back upon the outlaws. One road-agent had been thrown down by the spring of the horses, as he grasped the bit of a leader, and the boofs and wheels had passed over him. Another had uttered acry of pain as he sprung toward the coach window, and got a shot from within, Until he died Nevada Ned stood by Dick But he rallied as he staggered back and shout- | Darling, and then turned away with tears in his ed: | eyes, to see the wounded stranger gazing at him, ’ ‘* Permit me to thank you, young sir, for sav- ing my life,” said the stranger, grasping the young Gold King’s hand. ‘*T was in the same box, sir, so saved my own; but I am sorry poor Dick had to go.” ‘* Tt is sad indeed, for he was a brave fellow; but I never saw such a superb driver as you are, or a more magnificent feat than you run to- night.” ‘*Thank you, sir, for the compliment; but the horses knew the road and kept it, though I thought we had to go several times. ‘If we had gone over the Razor Edge, we would haye found it two hundred feet to bottom.” ** You must know the road well indeed.” ‘**No, sir, 1 have only been over it a dozen times, or so, but I have studied it well, and yet from habit, rather than from an idea I would need to know-the road some day; but Iam glad you are not much hurt, sir.” ‘‘T am indeed fortunate, for I came out here upon a mission of great importance, to find one who can make, or mar my life, and perhaps you ‘* Mount your horses and run them down! ‘* Don’t let one escape!” {Instantly the scene became a most exciting | one. | The coach, drawn by its four spirited horses, | shot out into the moonlight, going at a terrific | pace. Dick Darling lay back upon the seat, his head resting upon the top of the coach, and he was dying. Nevada Ned held the reins, and braced in the seat, was driving the horses along the dangerous ridge at a pace where an accident meant death to all. From the windows of the coach two men lean- ad out, one in miners’ dress, the other in the at- tire of a traveling man, and they were firing | back upon a half-dozen horsemen who were in not pursuit. It was a moment of desperate peril, but Neva- da Ned seemed equal to the responsibility thrust upon him by the wounding of Dick Darling. Surging wildly the stage coach held on its way, the horses now at full speed, yet Ned made each turn with a nerve and skill that was won- derful. can tell me if you know a man by the name o The road-agents naturally gained on the coach | Hollis?” ‘ and they kept up a steady fire, for the resistance ‘““T know a road-agent by the name of Hollis, offered proved to them that they were chasing a | sir.” : rich prize. ** John Hollis?” eagerly asked the stranger. Presently one of the men at the window of the stage disappeared, and Ned heard a shout within and excited talking. But he looked not back, he heeded nothing be- hind him, for his duty lay ahead, in going safely over that wild roadway, and leaving the road- agents as far in the rear as possible. ‘From moonlight into shadow the stage sped, and at last the Devil’s Backbone was passed in safety and the down grade trail to the mines was before them. Poor Dick Darling, unable to cling on, would have fallen off, bad not Ned pressed hard against him, The road-agents, seeing that the stage had run the gantlet of the ridge, and reached the broad | trail down to the valley, fired a parting volley | and rode back, but the four horses, aroused by | the chase, were not easily checked, tug at the | reins as Ned might, and with the slope throwing | the vehicle Ae them, as it were, they still kept | up the same breakneck speed to the valley. | ‘* The horn, Ned, the horn!” gasped Dick Dar- | ling, and Ned unslung the ‘ong stage-horn and | ‘‘ When and where?” handed it to him. | ‘A little over a year ago, when I went to ’ Then, clear, winding, weirdlike, the notes of | Golden Gulch City to live. the stage-horn were heard, floating over the ‘‘T had gotten snowed in the mountains, valley, echoing from the hills, and telling the | having lost my way, and when spring came miners at the rude tavern that Di was on the trail to the Colorado mines, . ‘Darling was coming. when I saw signs of a well-traveled track. — : | | i | ‘ Yessir, I suppose so, for we knew him as Jack Hollis,” ‘‘ And where is he?” and the voice of the | stranger quivered with emotion. | **7]} tell you all that I know of him, sir,” and | Ned told of his meeting with the desperado in | the Nevada silver mines, and all that had follow- | ed there, | CHAPTER XXII. LOST AND FOUND. | Tur stranger listened most attentively to the | story Ned had to tell of Jack Hollis, and his at- tack on Oddie at Wright’s Hotel, when he lost his arm, ‘* Describe him, please.” Ned did so. ; ‘The very man; but have you not seen, or heard of him since; Nevada Ned?” asked the stranger. *€ Oh yes, sir.” 74, Nevada Ned, the Revolver Ranger. And many were gathered there, and some | i ‘*I hid my horses in the bushes and was re- connoitering on foot, when who should ride up but Jack Hollis, ‘**T knew him at a glance, and hiding behind a bowlder, he did not see me. ‘*He was well mounted and led two horses, their lassoes being over the horn of his saddle, ‘* He stopped near me, and I learned from his words for he talked aloud to himself, that he was waiting for some one. ‘* Soon that some one came, and it was Nick Sloan, a pard of Jack’s, and his equal asa rascec |, ‘They had been up to some deviltry, as I sup- posed, and Nick held a girl] in his arms.” ‘* A girl?” gasped the stranger. ** Yes, sir, one he had just kidna the hillside, for it was near the City mining-camps.” ‘**Did you see the girl?” **T guess I did, sir, for finding they were go- ing to carry her off, I chipped in; Nick started to draw on me, and I got in my fine work first, and killed him,” ** And Hollis?” ‘** He just went flying as though the devil was in chase, leaving the two horses there.” ‘¢ And the girl?” ‘Oh, she was all right.” ** Have you seen her since?” **T should just think so, for I left her yester- day in Golden Gulch City.” rv on me of her,” and the stranger seemed ex- cited. ‘*She’s pretty as a mountain pink, and an awful nice girl.” ‘* What is her name?” *¢ (Soldbeam.” “Ts that all?’ ‘The boys call her the Gold Queen, too.” ** Tow old is she?” ** { guess she’s about thirteen, sir.” ** Great God! can this be my child?” ‘* Your child, sir?” ‘* Yes; but then she has her parents with her there doubtless?” 66 Wo, sir.’ ** No parents?” ‘* She is called the Waif of the Gold Mines, for she has no regular father and mother, though all in the camp call her their child.” *¢ And when did she come there?” ‘* Some two years ago, I believe.” sé How?” ‘* A fellow brought her there, and said he was her father; but he treated her bad, got drunk one night, tried to run the mines, and Doc Wood made grave-food out of him,” ‘* He killed him?” **'Yes, sir, Doc Wood did,” ‘6 Who is this Doc Wood?” “A young English doctor, sir, that lives in the mines, and is a splendid fellow. ‘We call him the Wizard Medicine-Man, for he can do all but raise a dead man, the boys say. ' ** And the girl?” ** Doc Wood took her in charge as guardian, and the camp adopted her, for she said the man was not her father, but had stolen her from her home in the East.” ‘Did you know his name?” and the stranger asked the question in a whisper. ‘“They fourid his name was Edward Thorn, after he died.” ‘* Edward Thorn! of John Hollis, ‘Nevada Ned, listen to my story, and see if I am not right in saying that little waif of the camps is not my own child. ‘*T live in the East, and my wife had as lovers John Hollis and Ed Thorn. ‘““They were cousins, and a bad pair, and swore revenge against me when she became my wife, ‘Several years ago our child, Marie, was—” ‘Marie is Goldbeam’s name,” said Nevada Ned, deeply interested. : ‘¢ There can be no doubt of it then, for che was stolen from us while I was absent in South America on business. ‘Upon my return, which was long months after, I started out to find my child. ‘*Six months ago I discovered that she had been brought West to the mining-camps, and that Edward Thorn had taken her away from Hollis and fled with her, no one knew where. ‘*T then began to visit the different mines in search of the men who had robbed me, and to try and get back my child, and through yo my brave young friend, I feel that I have Cad downon olden Gulch He was the intimate friend : 7 y i ee ’ X @) 7 IN NY - ee” | ‘ a te a a e. her at last. ‘ mf ‘Now, when does the stage return toGoldm #§ com ‘ |