Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 542 — page 8: what you’re looking at

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

seo a of Jack. bacco,” The guide, entirely forgetting his angry vow of several bours since, quietl7 passed the ** plug.” Jack’s eyes twinkled. ** And now, Duncan, give mea pipeful of to- bacco—fine-chopped—while [ smoke the pipe of war.” ‘“Why, I gave you a bull pound not a week ago; what bave you done with it?’ demanded Duncan, aghast. ‘ Besides, you can’t both smoke and chew at once, can you?” ‘* You bet he can,” declared the guide. ‘‘ He uses more tobacco than any other man in the hull outfit.” ‘*T wouldn’t have thought of chewing or smok- ing, but when Duncan keeled over that little fel- low on the hill, the smoke of his gun reminded me of pipe-smoke. It was a mighty, mighty shot. How do you load your gun, Kit, to make it shoot so unerringly? Why, man, it beats my shooting.” Startled at Jack’s extraordinary elevation of another over himself, Duncan passed his sack of tobacco, of which the other abstracted a large handful, chuckling in his sleeve at his clever- ness. Verily, ‘‘ flattery sinketh into the heart of a fool,” and it might truly be added, ‘‘ and that of a camp cook.” As this side-acting was being concluded, a change made its appearance in the gang above, which had again clustered, though at a safer point. Hurriedly ranging themselves in a line, they leveled their guns toward the south, and at a gesture of command from their chief, fired. Lowering their guns, they peered earnestly in the direction of tho volley, as if ascertaining its effect; then a yell arose, and each man dart- ed from view behind the bill. Several minutes after, the friends saw them galloping away over the southern plain, plying the spur. . They were evidently alarmed—what had caused their fhght? The cause soon manifested itself, A figure came into view on the summit—the form of a h rseman riding along the crest of the bill, and obliquely trom the camp. For only a few seconds the horseman remained in view, then bis horse increased his pace to a gallop, and bearing his ricer swiftly over the crest, disap- peared, riding south. Kach and all (save the lady who was in the tent,) had no difficulty in recognizing the horse- man; and though neither the guide nor the young giant had ever beheld him before, they instantly recognized him—it was the Phantom Rider. He it was who had caused the hasty flight of the rangers, ‘‘Simpson, give me a chew of to- I »g CHAPTER IX. THE POWER OF GOLD. WHEN Pedro dashed out of the chaparral at the peremptory instigation of the unseen marks- man, he did not long continue his flight,'for he became ashamed of his tiniidity (? when he bad left the bill a half-league in the rear, and was out in the broad moonlight. ‘Then he drew in. and wheeling, gazed back at the hill, ‘* Ah!” he cried, with a gesture of menace toward the hill; ‘‘ you are a black place, fit for such a rambler to prowl about in, Dark and quiet — gloomy, as I fancy the stings of re- morse might be. Well, ’ll no more of you un- til daylight, then Pll lasso you, and ferret out the one that shot at me. Whocould it be? Who could desire to take my life?” ‘‘TIndians? Scarcely; they would have been out and after me erethis. The strange caval- leros ? Undoubtedly. Well, rest awhile—stay yet in your black chaparral, But, by the Order of the Cross, lll see into this mystery, or never again tread the soil of Mexico. Rest awhile,” he concluded, with an ominous wave at the island of hill and chaparral; ** stay awhile.” He was about to resume his gallop for camp when a glistening at the borse’s hoofs attracted his attention—a yellow, blazing glitter. ‘* What's that?” he inquired, sbarply. ‘‘ Gold? Jt looks like it—can it be possible?” He wheeled about, hovering over it, but wherever he turned, the same glitter was visi- ble, yellow and radiant. Whatever it was, it appeared about double the size of a silver dollar. e rode away two rods and looked back— glitter. He receded three more and wheeled— still glitter. He rode at right angles and placed it between bim and the eastern moon; would it, could it shine now, between him and the moon’s rays? Yes, still glitter. ound a fierce semicircle he spurred, gazing at it in fascination, trying it at all points and in all possible positions, Now hovering over it likea vulture; here wheeling at a distance like LLLP LLLLLLLLR DLL I CL CC ttt a ata, The C anyon FPards, a coyote, again galloping on it like the rush of a torrent; but everywhere he went it was still the same— glitter, glitter. Again he stood silently over it, glaring almost savagely down upon Its gleaming brilliancy, yet afraid to dismount, fearful of finding it some delusion; for this noble Spaniard (for noble he surely was), had a single glaring fault—the love of gold. He wasa muser, that at some day he might become a spendthbritt, Still he pranced round it, unable to keep his enchanted gaze from it, His eyes ached with the unaccustomed strain—he did not mind it; his faithful steed was becoming impatient—he curbed him half angmily. At last he drew away from it and whispered to hisownears: “Vil get down and pick it up —it is two tweuty-dollar American pieces, per- haps: yes, ’Ul dismount.” He did, slowly slipping from his saddle, as if a noise, however slight, would spirit it away. He stood on the ground, and leaving bis horse, crept toward it, ready to make a sudden swoop; and when he had drawn near, pounced upon it. He picked it up and held it to the moon, and shouted in delight. It was no coin, no orna- ment, but a nugget of nearly pure gold as Jarge as his saddle-horn. He stared at it for several moments, then—toss! away it went up in the air, only to descend into his greedy palms, wide- stretched to receive it. How it glitters in the air. He cannot resist the temptation to throw it up and see the blaz- ing of its yellowness; and up it goes, again and again, while be stands with uplifted face, like an athlete tossing cannon-balls, Still again, and fer minutes, be rep ated his wild gestures. Toss—up it goes; thud— down it comes. Then he laid it softly on the ground, and picked it up again for the pleasure of re- finding it; then leaving it, he ran away, and shading his eyes like a chiid, peered earnestly back at it—still glitter. Recovering in some degree his composure, he weighted 15 in either hand, and endeavored to compute its value. It was nearly the pure metal, and weighed as nearly as he could deter- mine, two pounds. ‘Two pounds! how much is t-vo pounds of sold worth—say?’ he demanded of the black horse. ‘'One hundred dollars or five hundred dollars—or five thousand dollars? Say—do you know?’ The horse watched him wistfully—he was thirsty and hungry, and wanted grass and water; but his master, usually more attentive to the wants of bis horse than his own, now heeded him no more than if be bad been the statue of a horse, save to question him mildly about his glittering gold. ‘*There’s more where that came from, is there not? I believe tt, [know it. But where did it come from? Say, do you know?” He looked about bim. Over the quiet plain where tke yellow moonlight streamed, there was but one object to vary the level monotony, and that object was—the hill and its brooding chaparral, ‘* You are dark! he cried addressing the hill, ‘¢ You are quiet—just the place for the yellow bovs to hide in, A level plain never has gold, ve heard-—-it is only the hills that contain it. Where is a bul hereabout?—why yonder—the hill aud tbe chaparral. ‘*Do you ride around nights guarding a hill full of gold?’ he demanded, his thoughts revert- ing to the Phantom Rider, whom he addressed by atmospheric proxy. “TI believe you do—lf suppose you do. Ihave heard,” he muttered, eyeing the horse, who returned his stare, ‘‘I have heard that gold has been hidden for cen- turies while men walked daily over it, without dreaming of its existence. Is it not likely, that here, where the foot of man has scarcely ever trodden, on yonder hill there may be gold—mil- lions of it?” {t was possible, He squatted beside his horse, and rapidly shift- ing the nugget from one band to the other, com- merced a rambling series of vague murmurings and theorizings, peering off vacantly over the plain. “If there is gold in you,” he declared at length, addressing the gloomy and forbidding hill, ‘it is coming ouf of your griping bowels ‘And who is to get it?” he continued, imagin- ing himself to be the hill, derisively questioning Pedro Felipe. ‘*‘ Why, Ull get it! Vn dig! Pl burrow! and as for you who ride ahont of nights with your scowling face hidden—Tll lasso you to begin with.” He feasted his eyes a few seconds longer on his trensure, admiring with avaricious delight the gleam aud glimmer of its rugged yellowness; EE | tken sprung on his horse with the nugget clutcb- ed tightly in his band, ‘‘ Here we go!” he cried, as he galloped away; ‘to lasso the prowler that guards the gold. Wil dig like a badger, and Vl! burrow like a squirrel; and gold, 1f you are in that bill you are coming out.: Here we go!” Once more taced galloping toward the hill; once more to ride ip the shadowy chaparral; once more to lasso the Rider that guards the goid, Behind him lay the river, miles away, deep down in the ground, as it wound its querulous course toward the ocean. To the right, level plain and streaming moonlight; to the left, streaming moonlight and level plain; and in front, the hill, the chaparial, and the Rider that guarded the gcld, As he swept along, he kept his eyes on the plain before and to the left and right of him, looking for a mate to the sparkler in bis right hand, But no gieam greeted his strained eyes, though he scanned every inch of the adjacent and contiguous plain; so absorbed in his search that he did not raise his eyes, but left the horse to follow his head. Suddenly the animal halted, and Pedro, startled, looked up. He was at the hill, Before him, and tordered by dense thickets, was a small glade brilliantly illuminated by the moonlight; and in that glade, facing bim, was the Phantom Rider. CHAPTER X. THE CAST OF TBE RIATA. ALBEIT Pedro was actually searching for and wishing an encounter with the Phantom Lider, the meeting was so sudden and unexpect- ed, on his part, that he reeled with surprise, too amazed to east his lasso while he had the op- portunity. It was an excellent chance for a cast, as the chestnut horse was wholly motion- less, and not fifteen yards away. He had never before been in such proximity to him. It wes a rare chance to throw his lasso, and bad he im- mediately done so he might have met with suc- cess; but be was so surprised at the unexpected meeting he sat fora single half-minute staring hopelessly. That moment over, his present opportunity vanished; for the chestnut horse, with a celerity for which Pedro had not given him credit, sud- denly wheeled, and with a sbrill neigh turned tail and darted away through the thickets at breakneck pace. The Spanish vaquero, accustcmed to surprises, quickly regains his lest presence of mind under ordinary circumstances; and this colossal vaquero, under this strange and extraordinary situation, soon recovered his, but too late, as the flying Rider was already some distance away, and hidden from view by intervening bushes, But Pedro could yet see the glazed sombrero of the Rider bobbing up and down over the top of the ‘* grease-wood” bushes, at every succes- sive rise and fal), receding a red er more; and having regained bis equanimity, be repr¢ ached himself for his inaction, and spurring his black horse, followed in hot pursuit. But he did not go far. On rourding a small chaparral a féw rods in advance, be camein full view of the flying Rider. The latter, still riding at a breakneck speed, Was passing through a diminutive meadow or glade, where grew tall grass which reacbed to his horse’s belly. On every side of this meadow, save wkere Pedro was, a dense chaparral bordered it, with a sin- gle exception. Directly in the course of the Prantom Rider, and in fact evidently the place for which he was heading, a straight Jane led from tbe meadow through the chaparral toward the hill, It was several yards in width and bore the appearance of having been constructed for a road, centuries ago. But now it was deserted, and the gleam- ing moonlight blazing down its length illumined its entire course—a furlong in length, At the end of this radiant lane was a pool of water—a clear spring, issuing from the base of the hill. This he well knew, as he had watered his borse there several hours ago, A fissure, baving its source at the pool, extended trans- versely across the lane at its extremity; a gully seven yards in width and four in depth. : This made an impassable barrier at the lane’s tere mination—a blockade. No horse could overleap it, and to spring down into its deptb would en- gender the breaking of several bones. Pedro felt exultant as he saw the chestnut horse enter this lane and plunge toward the other end. The horse was flesh and blood—he was sure of that; and where was the horse that could leap the fissure?