Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 560 — page 5: what you’re looking at

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

-_ - re jong. ‘ : A MYSTERIOUS WARNING, of the strange sight be had witnessed, But he was in with the ruins, and was pushed Prospect Crry held no charms for Gordon He entered the next room cautiously, and his about here and therein the turmoil, until be | Lillie. ready to meet the strange being with a shot if Te was suddenly seized by the arm and dragged He had seen it at its worst, perhaps, upon his | it came to a struggle for life. oats ee _ — ( ’ ‘yy om, eS “6 A _? ford Jenks his “ silver” consisted of the plates, cups and steel knives and forks. t was asserted by the “guests” of the Bo- nanza that Landlord Jenks was a very danger- ous man, and on several occasions had turned trom carving the roast of buffalo or antelope, to use bis carving-knife upon some boarder, who had pussed the limit of a frontier host’s en- durance. Having knifed his man, Landlord Jenks would coolly wipe his knife upon the sleeve of his carving blouse and continue to slice off juicy morsels for the hungry, while some one would roll the body of the unfortunate out of the dining-room to await burial later on, when the generous landlord would pay all expenses and serve as chief mourner over the corpse. ‘“And who has a better right?’ was bis un- answerable question. The town was composed of railroad hands, wagon-train men, hunters, storekeepers and hangers-on, among the latter being some noted a eden There were not over a hundred sianties in the town, which was known as Prospect City, and the inhabitants were, taken altogether, a very hard set of citizens, Gamblers were numerous, and cut-throats were to be found for the looking. Such was the townin which Gordon Lillie took refuge one night. He had avoided the settlements as much as possible on his westward ride, not caring to mingle with rough characters any more than he was forced to do; but he was about out of pro- visions and ammunition, and was told by a party of railroad men whom he met, that he gould débtain supplies at Prospect City. So to Prospect City he went; and he saw, as be entered the Bonanza Hotel, tnat he had ar- rived at rather an inauspicious moment for his own comfort. The bar-room was the “ office” and gambling saloon as well, and just as Gordon Lillie en- tered, there was a fight on. , was a lively affair too, and shots rung out ast. There was a scuffle, tables overturned, oaths and shouts, and the room was thick with dust and smoke. \ Had he not put bis horse up in the shed of the Bonanza, Gordon Lillie would bayve been ereatly tempted to mount in hot haste and sbake the dust of Prospect City from the hoofs of the - animal. He was not pleased with his introduction to real wild border life. It surpassed his wildest dreams, and be felt that it wasa place where he would not, linger into a pen which was called the office. ‘Stay here, lad, while { stop this row.” The speaker was Landlord Jenks, called by his intimates Crimson Jenks, not only from the fact that his bair wasof a carmine hue, but also in honor of bis gory character. . fie had been a sailor in early life, and then, a giant in size and strong as a lion, he had taken to prize-fighting, and it was said that he Bit so bard that his adversaries never recovered from the blow. Having knocked severai out of Time into Eter- nity, he had gone West to live, and thus had become the sole proprietor of the ‘‘ Bonanza.” He bad caught sight of Gordon as he entered, saw that the fight that was in progress, had made his sway to him and dragged him into his den. Then he had started forth, as he had said: “To stop this row.” He began well, for men went down under his “yours truly. he was young, anda suranee, and in» ao iat a Be eee, Che 2. Bill, the Gordon Lillie saw that he was in for it. The office was a den, open on one side, board- ed on the other three, and with a door in the rear, ana through this Red Jenks had pushed him into the den. Across the front was a stout counter of logs, bearded up on the outside and iooking more like a breastwork than a desk. Behind it was a rack, in which were a couple of Winchester rifles, half a dozen revolvers and a saber, As the men came toward the office, Landlord Jenks bounded over the barrier like a circus tumbler, and came down within the den, “Now, come on, you who want grave-yard tickets,” yelled Red Jenks, as he drew his weap- ons, aud tyaited with Gordon Lillie for the attack. | The men were maddened with whisky and fancied wrong, and rushed recklessly forward, firing as they came. Gordon Lillie had drawn his weapons, for he knew that be would be considered as the friend of the landlord and be set upon too. The door in the rear of the office was locked, so he had to stand and fight. There was a rush, a dozen shots, heavy falls, oaths, and then the loud, mocking words: ‘Run to your kennels, you dogs.” The fight was over and the landlord held his fort, for the attacking party had fled. The place was too hot for them they found. As the door closed bebind them, Red Jenks turned to Gordon Lillie. ‘‘T’m hit, pard, but it would have been six feet under fer me but fer you, as I seen yer kill Wild Ned thar, when he had me foul. ‘“‘T owes yer my life, and I’m not fergitful 0’ friends-or foes. “Put it thar, and mark down Red Jenks as Gordon Lillie grasped the hand extended to him, and then gazed around him upon the strange scene, while he heard how the fight had been ar- ranged by a few, to rob the landlord’s scrong box during the turmoil. “Now, young pard, you bunks in with me to- night, and to-morrow we'll go to ther burying, ‘and thar’s a clean half-dozen stiffs to plant, as er sees,” said Landlord Jenks, again grasping he youth’s hand, Sich was Gordon Lillie’s entrance upon real border life among the roughs, and he could not say that it was all that he had anticipated it woukl be, But he was not one to turn back from a trail he had made up his mind to pursue to the end. CHAPTER VII. eon" 6e arrival thefe; but be cared not to remain longer there to test its hospitality, and so, after an early breakfast with Red Jenks, who was most kind to him, he made what purchases he needed, and started on his lonely ride further into the western wilds. He balted for the night at an old cabin, long deserted and situated upon a wooded hill. lt had been the bome of a settler and his fam- ily, and Red Jenks had told him to avoid,the P ee as it was said to be haunted, for some one ad murdered the man, his wie and children one night, and no trace of the murderer, or the cause of the vile deed had ever been discov- “Since thet time, young pard, they does say thet ghosts walk about the old cabin by night, and maybe it isso, though I has’n’t seen the spirits,’ Red Jenks had said. But Gordon Lillie did not believe in ghosts. He had serenely slept in the room where he Prairie Shadower. game and caught a few fishes during the day, “7 oom - : when he halted for rest af noon. Aspring near furnished him good drinking water, and, having led his horse into one of the rooms, he sat down in calm enjoyment of his comfortable retreat. He felt sorry for the poor settler, but the ‘fact that they had been murdered there, and their graves were within a few feet of him gave him no uneasiness, With the provisions he had purchased at Prospect City, and his game and fish, he bad a most sumptuous supper for a border traveler, and ate heartily. Then he read by the fireJight, a book which he had taken from his saddle-bags; but becom- ing sleepy he soon arranged his traps, to be ready to leave at a moment snotice‘if necessary, and wrapping himself in his blanket was soon in deepest slumber. How long he slept he did not know, but soothed by the patter of the rain upon the roof he certainly was in deepest repose for several hours. Then he awoke with a slight start. The fire had burned low, and there ‘was only a flickering blaze which gave a weird light through the cabin. But there was light enough to reveal to him the startling fact that he was not alone. _ He had searched the cabin on his entrance, going through the three rooms in it, and before going tosleep had seen that the doors and win~ dows were securely barred. But still there was another person in the room wish him, and more, there was a most spectral look about the one upon whom his eyes fell. Standing in the door between the room where he was and the one adjoining where he had put his horse was 4 tall, form clad in a white robe, evidently the skin of a grizzly bear. His head was covered by a cap of the same shaggy fur. His feet were incased in rude moccasins, and bis hair and heard were long and white. He certainly was an ugly looking customer to meet by night in that lonely cabin. If he was armed, the weapons were not visi- ble, and he certainly bad a most substantial look for a ghost. He stood in the Tt ws Om th ™ | ot @® Wweegqy oy, doorway gazing at the youth, who was taken aback at his presence, and then, with a sudden turn, he went back out of sight. Instantly Gordon Lillie was upon his feet, and in a short while he had drawn on his boots, and pistol in hand, approached the fire. A handful of wood was thrown upon the fire, and a bright light soon illumined the room. Then Gordon Lillie set about an investigation His horse was over in the corner lying down, “a vir appeared not to have seen what bis mas r had. The room was unoccupied, save by the ani- mal, and a search revealed ne sign of the mid- night visitor. Gordon remembered that Red Jenks had told him that the settler had been a large man, with white hair and beard. The one he had seen there, in his white bear- robe, certainly looked as though he might be the settler’s ghost. As he could find no trace of the strange peere Gordon felt a nervous chill stealing over im, The door was barred, as when he went to bed, from the inside, and the manner in which he had fastened the window was the same. There were a few planks overhead, forming @ loft, but it afforded no biding-place for the large man whom he had seen. There was a fireplace in the room, but the . blows, as though 4 mule had kicked them. had killed a burglar, and the spirit of the dead Open that door!” he yelled in a voice of | man had never haunted him. chimney was too smell for a man to ascend, and ‘thunder. So to the cabin he went, feeling that it was | thus find entrance and exit. The order was obeyed with alacrity, as many | not onlya more comfortable place to spend the The youth was mystified, and began to won- were anxious to get out; and out the stream of night, for the air was chilly, but a safer retreat | der if he had not been dreaming. enraged humanity went, fighting and swearing | than in the open woods, This thought, that he had had the nightmare ti as they moved. } The cabin was a large one, with three rooms, | after his hearty supper, and brought up by what ‘ But several remained, and these were pros- | and the door swung open, as though inviting Red Jenks had told him of the cabin, rea trate upon the floor, some dead and otuers | him to enter. him, and he once more lay down to sleep. ie bag ; . Tn front of the cabin were the graves of the| It was some time before he again fell off to _ ** Look to em, Foly,” called out Red Jenks to | seutler and his family, five in all, and the rude | sleep, and when he did it was not to be dis- his assistant, who had just popped up from be- | furniture of the place had not been removed, | turbed through the hours that remained of the — hind his bullet-proof bar. though the bedding and lighter articles had. —__| night. They’s down on you, Pard Jenks, and here The night came on threatening a storm, and It was daylight when he awoke, and his dream | they comes,” cried Foly, again bobbing out of | Gordon let his horse feed upon the rich grass flashed across his mind the first thing. " ‘sight. ' about while he gathered wood to last him until ‘“‘ How real it was!’ he muttered, as he entered ut he had told the truth, for into the door | morning. the room where his horse was. | game half a dozen desperadoes who had made He soon had a cheerful fire burning on the There stood Black Ben, looking as though he oe common cause against the landlord who had | hearth, and began to cook his supper which | wanted to be out feeding upon the juicy grass, # shandled them so severely. was au inviting repast, ashe had killed some after the rain upon it, a Noone EEE comicbooks.com =