Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 487 — page 5: what you’re looking at

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

— ees ne -~ in the forest, as I was returning from my bro- ther’s mine?” ‘* T was prospecting.” **Who was the man who rode off from you as [came in sight?” ** One of the boys,” ** Which one?” **T don't remember.” ‘‘That is bad for you; but, Hollis, the man was a stranger in these camps, as [ saw, for I amet him before I saw you with him, ‘You were coming from where Ned Oliver was drowned, and your pard rode off in that direction.” ‘*T don’t know nothin’ about the boy.” ‘‘T am sure that you do, and I have just come to say, Jack Hollis, that you go with me to the hotel, where you shall have a room until Ned turns up, or I know his fate. **“ You can send one of your pards, one who is interested with you, after Ned, for I do not be- lieve you have killed him, and if he does not get back with the boy in one week, then [ accuse you publicly of murdering him, and you will be taken out by the miners and hanged to the tree in front of my brother’s hotel.” ‘Does yer take me fer a fool, gal?” The man’s face was livid as he asked the ques- tion. ¢ ‘‘ No, I take you for a man Who loves life too well to wish to hang, when you can go free if you send for the boy.” **T don’t know nothin’ about ther kid.” ‘‘ Very well, we will see if the Vigilantes can’t make you talk.” Laura Wright gave a whistle as she spoke, and quickly there appeared in the doorway three persons, One was Oddie, the man whom Ned had savy- ed, the other Will Wright, and the third Cap- tain Oliver. Jack Hollis saw that he was entrapped, and he said gruffly: ‘¢ What does this mean?” ‘*Tt means, Hollis, that you go with me to my hotel, where I give you quarters until you send for Ned, for you know where he is, or what has become of him. ‘*T shall have you guarded day and night, and if the boy does not turn up, you hang!” said Will Wright. “Tf he do?” eagerly asked the ma ‘Then you can go free, with just three hours time to get out of these camps, and it will be death to you if you return,” The desperado stood in silence for full a min- ute, and an said: “ff yer sends Nick Sloan ter me, maybe he can find ther boy.” ‘+ T will send him to you after you are safe in my hotel, for you must go with me.” ‘¢ Why can’t I stay here?” ‘*No, you go with me,” ‘*S’pose I has ter, as yer has ther drop on me.” ** And shall keep it, too,” was Wright’s reply, and the two set out for the hotel, leaving the rest to follow by another way, ** Jack Hollis, if you attempt to run, or raisea row with any one you may meet, Pil kill you,” said Will Wright, as they walked along, and the desperado, knowing that he would keep his word made no effort to escape, nor called on any’ of the men they passed for aid. Taking him to a secluded room in the hotel, Will Wright left him there, placing over him one of his own faithful men as a guard, while he went off in search of Nick Sloan. He found that worthy in a low bar-room, and beckoning him out Said: ‘* Jack Hollis wants you.” ‘* What’s up, cap’n?” ‘¢ He wishes you to go after Ned for him.” “Lordy! how didit get out?’ and the man looked frightened. *‘ Never mind just how; but he wants you to bring Ned here.” ‘‘ Maybe I’ll be too late.” ‘What do you mean?” ‘Them fellers may hev got away with him.” ** Killed him?’ ** Sure,” ‘‘Tt will be a bad thing for you and Hollis if ‘they have; but I'll give you the best horse in my stables, and vou go with all speed after him, and I'll stake you well if you bring him back \jate.” ‘* Tl do it.” ‘You know where to find him?” ‘© -You bet.” ‘Then see Hollis at once and be off,” and Will Wright led the man into the prisoner’s yoom. Jack Hollis would still have delayed, and de- Nevada Ne me eee nied all knowledge, but Wright told him frank- ly how he had entrapped Sloan into a confes- sion, and, after a few whispered words between the two, Nick started off on his errand, and the manner in which he hurried showed that he un- derstood how important it was for him to lose no time. ‘* Tf I’m too late, why Jack will have to hang, that’s sart’in, and [ll not come back to these un- healthy parts,” he said to himself as he rode furiously along a mountain trail, mounted upon one of the best horses in the mines, —_—_ -= CHAPTER VIII, IN THE HANDS OF FOES, WHEN Ned rode up to the banks of the stream, and cromemnal for a swim, he little thought that there were foes upon his trail. But there were two men waiching him close- ly, saw him hitch his horse carefully, undress, and leaving his rifle and belt of arms against a tree-trunk, go down to the stream. The roar of the waters drowned the approach of the two horsemen, and Ned had no idea that there was any one within a mile of him. Leaving the water, after a few minutes of en- joyment, he ran wp the bank directly into the arms of the two men. He was fairly caught and struggling was use- less, so he was quickly bound, gagged, and with a blanket tied about him, was placed on a horse, behind one of the men. His clothes, arms and horse were left, as they were found, to give out the impression that he was drowned, and his captors departed by a lonely trail up through the mountains, on which they knew they would not be likely to meet any one, Circumstances favored them, and night fell, finding them long miles away from the camp, and in the deepest recesses of the mountains, where no one ever went, unless it was some bold prospector, looking for precious metal, Several hours after nightfall the men rode in- to a shallow stream which crossed the trail, but turned up the canyon through which it flowed, and held on for half a mile or more, when they came to a larger canyon in which was a camp. So secluded was the spot, so difficult of access, and so far remote from the camps, that it cer- tainly was a most secure hiding-place for out- laws. Ned had been gagged, blindfolded and bound, so that he had no idea of where he had been taken, and he seemed utterly used up by the hardships he had undergone, His feet and hands were red and swollen. from pany Saat peti gaee them, his tongue was inflamed na parcnet "our eine’ onoce is He saw about him some rude shanties of brush, and half a dozen rough-looking men. Up the canyon were two dozen fine horses, lariated out, and Ned wassure be wasin a camp of horse-thieves. Often a fine horse had been stolen from the camps, he knew, and his uncle and Will Wright had particularly been sufferers in the loss of their best animals, and the quick eyes of the boy recognized some of the stolen property. But Ned was glad to be no longer blindfolded, and wisely held his peace. He was given an old suit of clothes to put on, and his bonds were removed, while he was placed by a tre? and told to remain there, two large bloodhounds lying near as a guard and keeping their vicious eyes upon him, Ned saw that the camp was wild in the extreme, and among the faces of the eight men including the two who had captured him, he recognized several he had seen in the different mining-camps. All were heavily armed and seemed ready to defend their stolen property to the death. When supper was called for the new-comers, Ned was told to come to the fire and eat, a re- quest he obeyed with alacrity. Say, Dan, did you have any trouble eatchin’ him?” asked a man, strolling up to the fire, where Ned and his two captors were eating their supper. , No, for we got him while he was in swim- min’,” answered one. “Yer don’t think it will save a row in the camps?” ** No, for all will think he’s drowned.” What will yer do with him?” Ther cap’n said as how we was ter keep him a couple o’ days, and if ke didn’t come up to camp ter hang him, or shoot him.” ‘It’s pretty hard, fer ther boy is only a kid.” ‘Waal, we has ter obey orders; but ef ther — —_ —- -- —— SE d, the Revolver Ranger. 5 cap’n kin git a big ransom fer him, it would be my idee, for gold is better than his blood.” ‘*That’s so; but it would be no easy matter to arrange the business, | kin tell yer, for if ther miners suspected ther cap'n, they’d hang him mighty quick,” and the man passed In. Ned heard all this talk about him, and yet ut- tered no word. ‘“You see what weis goin’ ter do with yer kid,” said one of the men, provoked that Ned had shown no fear. ‘That’s bluff,” was the cool rejoinder of the boy. ** Bluff?” éé Yes,” ** W hat’s bluff?” ‘* That you intend to hang me, for you won’t.” ‘Why won’t we?” ‘You are afraid to do so,” ** Afraid of what?” ‘‘The boys in camp, for they are down on you now, as horse-thieves, and if they thought I wasn’t drowned, and knew you had me here, they’d soon get me free, while, if you killed me, then they’d make these mountains too hot for rou.” ‘*- You talk big fora small one,” said one of the men. ‘* [ tell the truth.” ‘* You think we is horse-thieves?” ‘*T know it.” ‘* How does oo ‘*T’m no fool.” ‘ That’s sart’in,” ‘*T see enough to convince me just what you are.” ‘*'You sees too much, and I guess it wil) be wise to kill yer arter all.” ‘‘ You won’t dare doit,” was the plucky re- sponse of the boy. ‘You crows now, but jist wait and see whether the cap’n comes up, as he said, and if he don’t, then you hangs,” and with this threat the man arose, Then a pair of old handcuffs were put on Ned’s wrists, a chain attached to a tree, kept him from walking off, while the two bloodhounds lying near, were a menace against his doing so, had he been so inclined. A blanket was thrown to him then, and Ned was left to his misery, for he knew that he was in the power of men who would stop at no act of crime to gain their purpose, while he was well aware that the knowledge he had of them was of such a nature they meant that he should not go free to make it known, CHAPTER IX, IN THE NICK OF TIME, Nerp had a busy brain, and he kept it work- ing to discover some way of escape, the moment the camp was in repose, He knew that he was in a tight place. and that his situation was one of extreme peril, and he regretted having said anything to anger the men who had him in their power, Rising from his blanket i look about him, he heard the threatening growl of the hounds, and he knew well there was no chance of escape for him then, so, being very tired, he wisely deter- mined to go to sleep. This he did, and was soon in utter oblivion of his danger and all about him. In the morning he'awoke at dawn and glanced about him. He saw that the canyon where they were opened into a valley of half a hundred acres, which seemed to be walled in by overhanging hills. A stream ran from a small lake into the can- yon, the sides of which narrowed until the water flowed over the entire bottom, and thus would give the idea that the gulch was but the bed of the brook which tumkled over from the mountains at the further end. Horses were in the canyon near where the camp was, but they were turned loose in the valley after sunrise, and seemed to enjoy their freedom greatly. The men, eight in number, assembled about the camp-fires and prepared breakfast, and Ned, being freed of his irons on one wrist, had the one still confined chained to the collar of one of the hounds, and was thus told to come and get something to eat. ‘‘ What's the eap’n got ag’in’ you, lad, that he sends you here?” asked one of the men, in a tone of sympathy. “Do you refer to my uncle, Captain Oliver?” asked the boy. “No: I mean Cap’n Jack Hollis.” ‘“Oh! he had me nabbed, then?” said Ned, his eyes opening upon the mystery of his capture. ‘‘ Shet up, Doc, and don’t give the snap away,” JNA. : o « Ms J N i * _~ all wi" i . ee Se ee ee ee eee ¢