Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 662 — page 11: what you’re looking at

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

: rv - A ae. * : od ee ‘het J Butterfly Billy’s Bonanza. é - “Yes, sir.” “Then you are to go down and see that noone escapes death by the fall, for there must be no tales told.” ; **T see, captain.” ‘*T will, if possible, prevent any one going on that coach except the woman, and the driver won’t count, for what is a man’s life?” “‘ Nothing to me; but a woman!” *‘ Do you fear to do it?” ‘‘Oh, no; but the pay should be liberal, cap- wn 2? in, ‘‘ Tt shall be; but’ there must be no mistake.” ‘¢ There shall not be.” ‘*‘ Now take my pack-horse, and you will find some presents for you and the boys. “Then we will square accounts, and I will go on my way, and you caa have the horses if you will carry me half a hundred miles toward the “Pll do it, captain,” and an hour after the two men mounted and rode away together. **'You_still keep up the idea that you are all miners, Dermot?” “Oh, yes, chief, for in that is our safety, aa if we kept together we would soon be run own, ‘‘ Why, scouts and soldiers often visit our cabins, scattered through the mountains, while hunting for the Mounted Miners,” and Dermot laughed heartily. hen nearing the first mining-camps, the chief halted, seemingly knowing the country perseceay ‘¢T will leave you here, Dermot, while you can go on and sell the horses as your own, ‘*Remember, the paymaster disguised as a woman, with the clerk as a parson, will be through ten days from this, and just one week later the woman will come through who is to go hy3 Breakneck in the coach, driver, horses, and a 7 ; / ‘* Yes, chief,” ‘‘There must be no mistake, Dermot.” ‘‘There shall be none, sir: but do you stop here?” ‘* Yes; good-by.” This was a hint to be left alone, and wonder- ing why the chief stopped in that wild spot, - Dermot rode on, leading the other horse. When he was out of <e the outlaw captain coolly took off his wig of gray hair, and the act revealed dark clustering curls, and that he was not an old man, hardly over forty. Then he took from a bundle a wig of red hair, and with some liquid from a_ bottle rubbed it over his dark growing beard, changing it to a brownish hue, Then from his bundle be took other clothes, a complete miner’s outfit, well worn, and changed his own clothing for them, even to the boots, Wrapping the other things up in a bundle, he cast it into a crevice in the rocks, and went on his way. A walk of a couple of miles brought him to a wheel trail, and he seemed to be in luck, or to have calculated well, fora coach came in sight half an hour after, and halting it he got on the box with the driver, paid his fare, and went back | over the same road he had come the day before, not recognized in his ame And ten days after, in one of the miners in Bob Burt’s coach, when Dermot and his m2n held it up by moonlight on the mountain-side, was this same chief, though the other man was unknown to him, and onlya chance acquaint- ance picked up for convenience, When the coach rolled on past the station, - where the ambulance met it, the disguised out- law was white with rage, for he had lost a clear fifty thousand dollars through the fear of his mer of the Specter Hercules. He rode on in silence, pretending to be asleep, and was angry with himself for not having alone attacked the paymaster and his clerk, and then the driver. But the miner might bave also turned upon him, and his life would have becn the forfeit, He bad come along to see if his men got the money, and just how much, and he cursed bit- terly at the result; but he had had a chance to see the Specter Hercules, and had to admit that if not a ghost he certainly had all the appear- ance of being one, At two stations beyond the chief left the coach, and plainly showed his miner friend that he wished to : get rid of him, ‘Then he took the next coach back, and kept on until he reached Omaha, It was night when the coach arrived, and Uy sneaking away in the darkness, he wended his ' ste st toward the river, where, on a bluff over- ing the Missouri, stood a pleasant-looking A Entering the gate, he ascended the steps and entered the house with a key he took from his pocket. A light burned brightly in the library, and there sat a woman, reading. A glance was enough to show that it was the one whom he had described to Dermot. . She started up at his coming, but instantl Sah ie him said: ‘*Ah, Wolf, you come home in another dis- guise, and you frightened me, ‘*Oh, when will it end, this fearful life?” ‘“Tt would have ended this week had I not. been foiled by a ghost,” he said savagely, thrust- ing himself into a chair, ‘A ghost?” ‘‘ Yes, an alleged specter, and though I don’t believe in such things I had to admit, it puzzled me; but at any rate it frightened my men and I lost my game, so now I have got to make one more effort.” ‘ And then?” We will Fo back to your home, as I told you, and I hope all will be well.” ‘‘ Heaven zrant it; but oh, what a life we live here, Wolf, and who would believe that the re- spected Mr. Roy Wolf, a preterded cattle-buyer, was— ‘‘“*Sh—! Don’t talk so, Helen, but let me tell you that we must break up here, now.” ‘* Ah, and to go where?’ ‘*To California. ‘‘You are to go aloneon a certain day, and I will follow you.” ‘“‘ But, why, Wolf?” “ Because I have a big scheme in hand that will make my fortune, and then farewell to this terrible life,” ‘‘T am happy to hear bbe say that, Wolf; but go up to your room and change you disguise, while 1 get supper for you.” He obeyed, and soon after the sleek-looking entleman, with white hair, dark mustache, and ressed in black, who entered the room, and was known as Roy Wolf, the Cattle King, would never have been recognized as the rough-looking miner who came into the house an hour before. CHAPTER XVIII. “HELD UP.” For several trips after the one on which the Specter Hercules had acted as guard, Bob Burt found him still ae the trail, and he came to feel that he was really a protection from the Mounted Miners, though he said: ‘*T doesn’t like to have a ghost fer a outrider.” One day Bob Burt was starting out, and his face was strangely gloomy. He mounted his box, and called out that he was ready, and the three passengers sprung into the coach, the whip cracked and the journey was begun over the most dangerous part of the road, for it fell to the prince of drivers to have that run. Soon one of the passengers called out that he would like to ride on the bcx, and Bob drew rein and let him clamber up beside him, The passenger was a nice-looking gentleman, apparent! y one well to do, and said pleasantly: ‘You have a perilous road, my friend.” ‘€ It?s ther worst on ther line, sir.” ** You are’a fine driver, though, and I suppose have few accidents?” “T has a hold-up now and then from ther road-agents, and a shot has cut into me now and then; bnt I is all broke up ter-day.” * And why, may I ask?” ‘“T Jaid off last run west, as I had ter help bury an old pard down at the station, so I got another driver, poor fellow, ter take my box for e. Well?” ‘‘He were a good hand with ther reins, were Ben Bolt, but a leetle- reckless, though he know’d ther road well, havin’ driv it afore I did. ‘Waal, poor Ben, he must have taken a leetle too much, as he sometimes dia, for when he come ter Breakneck Cliff, aaead o’ here, an’ which Ill show yer, be went over inter ther canyon with ther whole outfit.” ‘I hain’t a-lyin’, pard, fer he did, horses, hearse, Ben and two passengers, one of ’em be- ing a woman,” ‘This was terrible.” “So it were, pard, and all of ’em were kilt, “‘Some miners seen it, as they was comin along ther trail, and they went down looked over ther wreck, “Tt were awful, they said, for horses and humans were that stove up yer could hardly tell em apart. “* But they fished out their bodies and buried ‘ae horse, | “Well, I see by your clever capture, Dermot, 4 ¥ , J - P * t ’ , aN } ‘7 te'it*, ¢ : é ' 4 yy : yi ry Ww : r me} : ey» . ’ * iv / / a > a? a _ ~ ee gz | egies a y Dl , 5 7 a. e's vf om, \ - A ¥ . ¥ "d = = « ’ ao ’ 3s vv ety SSS TE - - ’em, and took ther money and other things they had with ’em, on to the station like good, honest. aw they is, and reported what they had. id. ‘They buried all the bodies there?” ‘‘-Yes, and in thet canyon lies ther wreck 0” my fine coach and ther bones o’ my team 0’ grays, that was as fine a outfit as ever man held rein over. ‘‘T shall send East fer aslab o’ marble ter put over Ben Bolt, and I’ll hev cut on it ther names o’ my horses, and say how it was did, jest asa monument, you know, pard, from a old friend.” ‘And you have a good heart to do so, my friend; but do the road-agents trouble you much now?” / ‘‘ Not o’ late trips, and fer a reason,” * What is it?” “A ghost.” ** What?” “* Sure.” | ‘‘ What, do you believe in such things?” ‘* Only o’ late, pard.” ‘Why do you now?” ‘‘T has seen a ghost! and more, thar is a ghost that acts as a guard to this coach, or did rather to my other one.” ‘*' Tell me of it, please, for you interest me.” ‘‘T guess so, for it are ruther interestin’,” and Bob Burt told the story of the Specter Hercules. In an hour’s time they came to Breakneck Cliff, and then Bob drew rein. It was a perilous place indeed, for the space on the shelf around the cliff was hardly three feet wider than the wheels, and ry at that point. the coach had gone over, for the marks on the rocks showed it, Far down in the valley was the wreck of the coach, and the bodies of the dead horses could be seen heaped together. Apart were three graves, and after glancing at them a moment Bob Burt said: ‘‘Pard, 1 started ahead, and druv fast jist ter balt here fer a look, so ef yer don’t wish ter go down with me, ef yer’ll hold ther critters I'll | obligated.” ‘* 1’ll go with you,” said the stranger, and the other passengers were left in charge, while Bob Burt and his companion on the box went down into the canyon by the nearest path, “The grave a are ther woman’s, the miner said, and the outside one are poor Ben Bolt’s,” and Bob Burt took off his hat with reverence for his dead pard, while be said in a. way that was characteristic of him, as he glanced up at the cliff: ‘‘ But yer took a awful tumble, Pard Ben,” ‘‘ Well, ther hearse an’ ther harness are but kindlin’ now, and ther coyotes is already a-pick- in’ ther team, so we kin do no more good here, pard, havin’ paid our respects to ’em, so let us. go on our way.” They climbed back up the path, and as they reachec the coach were suddenly confronted by half a dozen men with leveled rifles. “Ther Mounted Miners, as I are a sinner,” cried Bob, and he continued: ‘“‘ Hands up, pard, or you is bored full o’ holes, for we is ketched in a trap like rats,” ‘‘ Well, Bob Burt, we meet again, and as the Specter Hercules does not ride by day, I'll be able to do some good pickin’.” “‘T don’t see thet yer’ll get much, durn yer.” “J only wish to interview this friend of yours, for he is my game,” and the outlaw referred to the stranger who bad gone to the canyon with Bo b. “ What do you wish with me?” said the stran- ger, with surprise, ‘‘ Bitber that you pay me a certain sum now, or remain with me until a ransom is paid for ou. ‘Come, give me your money, or write me out a check, for I can get it cashed in Omaha,” ‘“‘T have no money to speak of with me.” “Your check is good, as I said, and I can send and get it cashed before you can get word there to stop it. ‘* Come, yonder in my saddle I have a penand > inkstand, so do as I tell you,” cy su then he asked quickly: ‘“‘ What sum do you demand?” ‘¢ Ten thousand dollars,” ‘¢T will not pay it.” | “Then you will have to die, my friend.” “Hold! dead, the money is no use to me, so T will give it to you,” **Come, and the man two hundred feet away. that you got my letter?” ‘ I must,” said the stranger, and ‘ led the way toward his - *