Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 870 — page 2: what you’re looking at

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

ing gallop, while yet the western sky. » horseman, was a young nty, and possessed of a fine Sar, bright blue eye, and an telligent countenance, wner of a small cattle-ranch ashing little tributary of the He was well known far angemen, hunters, and even spitality, his intelligence and ‘tern pluck and energy, and ss tact, young Temple had cattle business some three his introduction. His herd he numbered his cattle by rhile others counted by the as young, hopeful and con- b for the wealth of the cattle nile ride over the plain, the entered the hill country, and many miles, finally drawing rein at n humble log cabin in a little moun- surrounded by towering pine-clad yin waz the home of a man named Btter known as ‘* Doctor Dave,” and the Medicine.” He had lived there for long before tbe Laramie Plains had be- 5 a cattle-range—when ,the country was foder the dominion of the Sioux. For years he had been the medicine-man of the red-skins, and upon more than one occasion had he led a war- party to victory against hostile red-skins, And thus, as war-chief and medicine-man, had the strange and mysterious David Bond forever made the Sioux his friends, Dismounting, Dan Temple hitched his horse and approached the cabin, At the door he was met by the daughter of Doctor Dave, and, had it not been that he had met her ofttimes before, be must have been amazed by the entrancing beauty and grace of the little mountain fairy, Alfa Bond, Few would have thought that in the veins of this fair girl was a trace of Indian blood. But, such was the case, David Bond had married a ' woman whose father was a French Canadian, a man of education and culture, and whose mother fis the daughter of an Indian chief by a white wife, Alfa Bond was not over seventeen, She had a slender, graceful form; dark, liquid blue eyes, beaming with an expression as mild and chaste as an infant’s:; features clear-cut and intelligent and lips just full enough to show the red, curved lines of the mouth, A wealth of dark-brown hair hung in two long braids at her back. She was dressed in a very neat and pretty garb of an Indian maiden, but wore no jewelry or orna- ments of barbaric finery. **Good-evening, Miss Alfa!” Dan Temple saluted, as she appeared in the doorway. The maiden acknowledged his salutation with a little confusion, for she had not been aware of his presence until she met him at the door, but, at the same time, her surprise appeared to be a very pleasant one, She invited the youn ranchman into the cabin, and in her words an actions showed that he was an agreeable caller. ‘I'm sorry to say, Mr. Temple,” she said, as Dan seated himself, ‘‘that father is out, and may not be in for Some time.” me,” Dan replied, *‘for, to tell you plainly, Alfa, ve come to see you and git your answer to my proposal of a month ago,” ' “Mr, Temple, ? Alfa responded, her pretty face flushed and her bosom heaving with some inward emotion, ‘* I have made up my mind not to leave my father’s home so long as he lives, am all he has in the world to love and care for, and to leave himy alone, I never could; and, as or him giving up this hermit’s life, he declares he never will, So it seems to me, Mr. Temple, my first duty is to my father,” ‘All very true, Alfa, I must honestly con- fess,” Dan responded, a look of sore disa point- ment on his fine face; “but, what abe me most anxious is your personal safety. Your father looks for immunity from danger from his old friends, the Sioux; but, year by year they are dropping further back into the hills until it is now thirty miles or more to the nearest vil- lage. Meantime, you bave grown to woman- hood, a very charming womanhood, and as these hills are becoming infested with bad men, I re- gard you as no longer secure, here, Why, it was less than a year ago that the notorious Kettle Jack abducted the daughter‘of a promi- nent ranchman and forced her into marriage with him, the brute! It would be much safer if ‘His absence is quite a fortunate thing for. your father would take up his abode in the In- dian village, if he could not be prevailed upon to go elsewhere,” “* This little valley is very sacred to him, Mr. Temple,” Alfa replied, ‘‘ because it is where my dear mother lies buried.” ‘* While that is very true, and speaks volumes for the devotion of your father to the memory of his dead wife, and the place that holds her sacred dust, I believe it is true, also, that he would not let this stand in the way of your safety were he fully apprised of the dangers that are gathering around you. At any rate, I mean to speak to him about it at the first op- portunity.” ‘*'You are very kind, Mr. Temple,” the girl said, a light of undisguised admiration beaming in her eyes; ** but, father is a strange man, you know.” ‘* He always struck me, Alfa, as one with a secret sorrow. He is a man of education and quite wonderful knowledge considering how isolated has been his life, and it is a mystery to me why he should spend his days among Indians and in these dreary hills, Mind you, I do not believe for a moment it is because of any wrong he may have done, for lam sure David Bond is incapable of evil.” ‘*Oh, thank you! thank you!” cried Alfa, joyfully; ‘‘to hear this from you is most grati- fying tome, Another gentleman that comes to see us occasionally has urged us to leave here and go to Laramie to live because the suspicion was gaining credence that father was, himself, an outlaw, or the friend of outlaws.” ‘*Thut man was no gentleman, but a knave Miss Alfa,” Dan declared with emphasis; ey mistrust who the fellow is, and the object he had in view. But, Alfa—” The sound of a footstep outside and a sharp rap on the half-open door, cut short the young ranchman’s words, and Alfa, rising, opened the door to admit the very person Daniel Temple had in mind, Clinton Roper, who was now ac- companied by a man—a stranger to both Dan and the maiden. CHAPTER II. BAD BLOOD, CLINTON ROPER was a person of thirty years, with a tall and splendidly formed physique, and a face that would have been handsome bad it not been for the visible traces of dissipation upon it, He was the owner of the Cross-Bar Ranch, and a rival of Dan Temple, not only in the cattle-business, but for the hand of Alfa Bond, Possessed of a jealous and sinister nature he had, for some time, striven hard to injure and disgrace young Temple, at the same time prvtoesing friendsbip to his face, But Dan had en fully aware of “his double-dealing, and quietly bided the time when a reaction would bring an exposure of the man’s duplicity, as wellas his associations with cartain strangers whose coming and going between the mountains gerd Cross-Bar Ranch had a very suspicious ook. That he was surprised to find young Temple at Doctor Dave’s there was little doubt; but, with an air of affected indifference, he greeted Alfa and the ranchman warmly, and to both in- troduced his companion as Ira Bondurant, a gentleman from the East, The latter was a man of fifty years, He was a pleasant, business-like-looking gentleman whose garb and address were not of the West, These facts, Dan Temple noticed at a glance, Roper at once inquired for Doctor Dave, and Alfa informed him that her father had taken Eo rifle and gone out forashort hunt in the ills, It was not a great while, however, until the hermit returned. He was a man of five-and- fifty years, with snow-white hair and beard, and a kindly and intelligent face. Clint Roper introduced the old man to Mr. Bondurant, adding: ‘*T met Mr. Bondurant in Laramie a week ago, and finding out he was looking for a man of your description, I prevailed upon him to ac- company me to Cross-Bar Ranch, and make you a visit, 1 having promised to escort him here from my ranch, If you are the person he seeks he certainly has some pleasant news for you,” Doctor Dave started and glanced at the stranger in a manner that evinced some uneasi- ness; then as a smile wreathed his lips, he said: , ‘‘ Mr, Bondurant has certainly struck the wrong trail.” Before the stranger could reply Dan Temple arose, bid his friends good-by and took his leave, orway Nels, the Big Boy Mountaineer. He thought that Mr. Bondurant’s visit might be of a private nature, hence his departure. Dan did not notice that Clint Roper had fol- Jowed him out until he had reached bis borse and heard his name spoken from behind. Trmrn- ing he found himself confronted by the Cross- Bar proprietor, upon whose face there was a look of malignant scorn and derision. ** Dan Temple, I desire a word with you before you go,” the ranckman said curtly. ‘** With pleasure, sir,” responded Dan. - want an apology, sir, from you!” Roper Said, ‘** For what?” questioned Dan, ‘** Before I rapped upon that partly open cabin door, a few minutes ago, on my arrival here with Mr, Bondurant,” the ranchman explained, ‘*T paused long enough to hear you denounce me as a knave to Miss Bond.” ‘* You heard me use no name,” replied Dan, “It was well understood by Alfa whom you meant, sir,” Roper retorted, ‘‘and you made the remark as a reflection on my character, and ?? ** Clint Roper!” exclaimed Dan with an air of rovoking defiance, ‘‘ I bave noapology to make, f the shoe fits you, wear zt /” ‘* Dan Temple!” retorted Roper, red with an- ger, ‘‘ you shall swallow that insult unless you’re a better man than I!” ‘¢ Which I certainly am,” coolly responded tbe young rancbman; ‘‘and as this is no place to settle the matter, you’ve only to come with me down the valley, or name the time and place, and you can have sweet satisfaction,” ‘““Tll send a man to your ranch to-night to make all necessary arrangements and, in the mean time, Dan Temple, you can order your grave dug, or make up your mind to apologize in Alfa’s presence,” and turning, the wrathy ranchero returned to the cabin, while young Temple mounted and rode away. Roper re-entered the cabin, all smiles, just in time to hear Doctor Dave make this admission: “ll confess, Mr. Bondurant, that my name once was Powell D. Mitchell, but for twenty-five years it bas been ‘David Bond,’ ‘ Doctor Dave,’ and ‘ White Medicine.’ Why I left civilization, and have tried to blot it from my memory, is my own secret; but [ thank God that I can say it was for no crime of mine,” ‘* And have you never heard from your friends in all these years, doctor?” asked Bondurant, ‘** Not one word,” answered the hermit, ** Weli, the fact is, doctor,” said Bondurant, ‘** your father died but ten months since,” ‘* Indeed?” exclaimed Bond, an expression of sadness passing over his face, ‘‘ He died, aged eighty-one, and his last words were of bis son, Powell,” ‘* Poor old man!” sighed the hermit, bis eyes filling with tears; ‘*may Heaven forgive me if I permitted my troubles to add one grain of bitter- ness to his life.” ** He always spoke kindly of you and your sorrow, and up to the last hour hoped to see you before he died, But, doctor, he is gone to a bet- ter reward, and has left all his wealth to you—a cool quarter of a million in cash and bonds,” “Why to me?” exclaimed the hermit; ‘‘ what need of wealth have [? In this humble cabin, ry rifleand my child here, I have al] the riches I desire,” ** But, you are growing old, doctor, and you cannot always be a hunter; you are liable to sickness and injury. Your daughter might be taken from you by death or—or some of these handsome young ranchmen who, I observe, see an attraction in the home of Doctor Dave, already.” Alfa blushed crimson and a confused smile played about her lips, while the brow of her father contracted slightly as with a twinge of in. ‘Should any contingency arise,” the hermit replied, ‘‘ whereby I should become helpless or dependent, I could find devoted friends among the Indians whom I have served for a quarter of a century.” ‘*Then let your daughter take your inheri- tance,” urged Bondurant, ‘‘for it goes to you or your issue. In case woe or any of your children were never found, then all was to go to charity.” ‘‘ My dear sir,” said Bond, ‘‘ I have admitted that my name is Powell Mitchell, but are you sure that Iam that man? Are you satisfied I am not animpostor? You explained to me your business here in such a manner that I could easily have acknowledged I was the man you sought,’ ‘“‘That’s all very true, doctor,” replied Bondu- rant, ‘‘but there is a combination of circum- stances that lead me to know you are the man I Eomicbooks.co