Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 886 — page 4: what you’re looking at

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

4 anitted, ‘ were being spied upon, but Stone was inclined to attribute everything to supernatural agen- cies, Several times they heard the hoof-strokes of the phantom horse in the dead hours of the night. One night Jackwood sat up and kept watch, but the horse did not appear. This served to convince the superstitious old miner that he was right in his belief. Jackwood now slept on the alert, ready to spring up at the slightest sound, and after re- peated cog te succeeded in catchin ga glimpse of the animal which disturbed their slumbers. Like the wind, a white horse and dark rider swept by the cabin. Jackwood opened the door and listened until he was sure the horse had reached a high waterfall some distance up the ravine, The sound of hoof-strokes ceased at that point. A peculiar smile rested on the youns fellow’s face, for he well knew that a orse could not pass the fall. ‘‘ Partners,” he said, as he entered the cabin and confronted Stone and Cobb, who were wide awake, ‘‘ I have seen the phantom horse! Phan- toms are usually white, I believe; therefore, Stone will be pleased when I tell him that this strange creature which disturbs our slumbers so often is white—a white borse.” Stone nodded vigorously. ‘*T knowed it,” he declared, — * But,” continued the young man, ‘‘on this strange ‘animal’s back ridesa form which looked anything but ghostly during the brief time which it was visible tome. lt appeared more like a dark-clothed human being of rather small stature.” The old miner uttered an unmeaning grunt. ‘* What do you think—a sp py?” askei Cobb. ‘“*T don’t know as to that,” Jackwood admit- ted. ‘‘Possibly, One thing is certain: That horse did not follow this ravine beyond the waterfall. I listened to his hoof-strokes until he reached that voint, wher they seemed to c io flow do you account for that? ‘* Don’t ask too many questions now, laughed nd se man, ‘‘I have determined to thor- oughly investigate this affair, and 1 hope to ex- plain everything to often within three days.” Jackwooi applied himself vigorously to his self-imposed task. Night and day he was on the alert, hoping to make some new discovery. He spent. time enough to go &, va and look around the waterfall. There he found that he was ri os in the belief that a horse could not pass waterfall so as to foilow the gorge beyond. Where did the mysterious horse and rider go? Justin examined the ground beside thestream, and, after a time, succeeded in finding the prints of a horse’s feet at the very edge of the water. The animal might have paused there to drink, but appearanees indicated that it had entered the stream. But, after entering the water, where had it gone? Jackwood returned still puzzled, although he asserted that he was on the scent, That very day, while at work in the sluices, the three miners heard a clatter of hoofs. Look- ing up they were amazed to sea a white horse and rider sweeping down the ravine, Cobb uttered a cry of surprise, and Stone one of mingled consternation andamazement, Jack- wood gave vent to an exclamation indicative of both surprise and delight. ‘* Look there!” cried the young man, ‘‘ Look , Stone, and you will see your ‘ha’nt,’ Do that horse and its rider appear like spooks?” The horse was snowy white—a beautiful animal, Itsrider appeared to be a boy of fif- teen or sixteen, He was dressed in a dark, vel- vety-appearing suit, trimmed with gold lace, The hat upon his head was encircled by a gold cord, and around his waist was a scarlet sasa, the loos@ ends of which trailed behind him as the horse swept along. As the mysterious boy rider came opposite, Jackwood hailed. The boy did not appear to hear the call and the young man repeated it. Still the strange boy rode on. Past them he ing hi t and away down the ravine without turn- is head or uttering a word. Well, Stone,” said Jackwood, when horse ht rider had passed from view, ‘ ‘what do “you think of the ghost?” “i? may have been wrong,” the old miner ad- but, whar duz this hyer boy an’ hoss cum frum an’ go ter?” _“T cannot answer that, now,” responded the young man, ‘‘but I wili do so before I again close my eyes inslumber, I am going to watch . 3 by the wa na to-night.” 4 e Reiaabweed ept his word, He was not forced he to remain me e very late that night, for the bo mysterious boy returned at an early hour. Crouching behind a bowlder near the fall, the spy listened to the approaching horse. ‘¢ Now to solve the mystery!” was his mental exclamation. The white horse and its rider soon came into view. Straight toward the concealed man the re advanced, until the fall was almost reack then the horse entered the stream. From his place of concealment, Jackwood saw the boy produce and adjust about him a lon flowing garment that concealed him from he to foot. As the stranger lad did so, there came to the watcher’s ears a peculiar rustle, which plainly told that the garment was a rubber one, These arrangements complete, the boy struck the white horse a sharp cut, and, in an instant the animal sprung forward and disappeared with its young rider beneath the torrent of wa- ter that came plunging downward from the jag- ged, rocky verge above, CHAPTER IV. AN OMINOUS WARNING, JUSTIN JACKWOOD uttered an exclamation of both surprise and satisfaction as he saw the horse and rider disappear beneath the waterfall. He believed that he ! .ad thoreughly solved the mystery of the strange horse and rider’s mys- terious disappearance, ‘* There must be a cavern of some kind be- neath that fall,” muttered the young man, ‘and into that Gave went the white horse and of the scarlet sash. Ak!” is last exclamation was uttered ashe cau E a gleam of light through the falling water. was temnted to follow the rider beneath the water vail, but his better judgment prevented rete dangerous but tempting adventure at that t " No, he decided; ‘‘ I will come here to-mor- row, prepared to explore that lace, I might get into trouble if J should rush in there now, Mi all within the place are doubtless on the er The light upon the water disappeared as sud- denly as it had appeared. Although Jackwood leane’| against the bowlder with his eyes fas- tened upon the fall for a lon ng time, he did not again see anything more of the light. " “The evening’s entertainment is evidently closed,» muttered the young man, ‘‘I may as well retire.” When he reached tho cabin he was obliged to arouse his companions to gain admittance, the door being fastened. Of course they demanded to know what he had discovered, and he was obliged to teli them all. Stone was somewhat shaken in his conviction that there was something su tural about the horse which they had so often heard in the night, but he persisted that the animal which they had all seen might not be the one whose hoof-strokes had aroused them so often. Jackwood refrained from ridiculing the old man, for he saw that to do so would arouse the Californian’s displeasure. It was apparent that: ere was decidedly “ touchy” on certain ts, ares Then you are sart’in thet thar isa cave 0’ sum sort under ther falls?” Cobb queried. ‘‘ Sure,” was Jack wood’s laconic reply. ‘¢ An’ you hey decided ter go in thar?” <‘ Now you are talking!” ‘61d like ter look ther blamed hole over wi’ e, 7? ‘‘ Then you're the very man I want.” ‘‘Shake!” Stone uttered not a word, either of approval or otherwise, He heard the compact in silence, but inwardly made a resolve. When Jackwood and Cobb started toward the ae the following morning Stone started with t “Hullo!” exclaimed the young man, ‘Are you going, too, my old friend?” ‘* Bet yo boots!” was the emphatic response. ‘But [ thought—” ‘‘Don’t make no difference what .ye thort,” interrupted the miner, shortly. ‘We don’ know what thar is under thet fall. Ye may run ag’in’ er roarin’ deefikilty an’ need ther old man ter holp ye out. D’yer s’pose I’m goin’ ter lay roun’an’ let my pards run their heads into raat Waal, I guess ye don’ know ole ‘Kb tone!”? ‘“We never doubted your sand, old man,” Jackwood hastened to say. ‘But, we didn’t jeeps 9 gra to fool around the hang- out 0 pions dry nai? mnorted the miner, indignant- y, yet jin a good-natured way ithe three peecnes the waterfall, and Jack- 4 p. : , ; yk : — \ - a» Ph - 4 , : ° » aa a» Te. i" * . . : s* > : © “ . , “— wat Aa oe oe —— * * “i ~ . 4 ‘ * oe 4 eqhs oh j Ria ates db eed PD Me iy JE - ‘-- Pe . ane Old Disaster, the Border Nomad. wood pointed out the precise spot where the horse had disappeared. ‘* Now, lam going to pi rightinthere. I. shall get a souse, but | can stand that, You two mayfollow as close as you please,” and without more ado, the young man stepped into the stream, which came nearly to his boot-tops and waded toward the fall, "Within three feet of the falling sheet he paused long enough to nerve himself for the dash; then he sprung for- ward with his hands outstretched and his com- panions saw him vanish from view! For an instant the water dashed over the dar- ing and adventurous fellow; then he found himself behind thetorrent. Bythe mellow light which pierced the water-vail he saw that he was indeed within a cavern, but the light was not sufficient to show him its dimensions, He struck a match and lighted a small pine-knot which he had brought for that purpose. While he was engaged at this, Cobb and Stone came plunging through the drop scene to the hidden. retreat, The pine-knot quickly ignited, and, holding it above his head, Jackwood gazed curiously around. To his surprise he saw that the cham- ber directly behind the fall was small and de- serted. The cavern floor was rough, and strewn with stones of allsizes. The walls were irregu-— lar, with sharp jagged rocks thrust out here and, there. The air was, of course, heavy with mist, and the walls were dripping with the exuding moisture, ‘‘Waal, hyer we are,” drawled Cobb, as he cae around. ‘Not a a very sedoosin’-lookin’ ele, I swan!” ‘Whar is ther hoss an’ ther boy?” asked Stone, with the evident sarcasm of disbelief, ‘‘Thatis for us to discover,” answered Jack- wood, quietly. ‘‘It is evident we have not solved all the mystery connected with this. strange affair, Let’s look this place over a little.” By thelight of the pine-knot they advanced together and examined the ragged walls. Inch by inch sare 6 SUR eOyeU, pr oot of the dank stones until Jackwood ages ee before what appeared to bea huge bowlder set in a. casing of stone. ‘Were it possible to remove that rock I should believe there was a passage beyond,” he declared. Stone examined this rock and rapped upon it with the hilt of a heavy knife. “Thet is sot solid inter ther wall,” he assert— ed, ‘‘Er thousan’ men c’u’dn’t move ther durned thing.” ‘(16 appears that way,” Jackwood admitted. They continued their ‘inspection, but found nothing that would throw light upon the mys- tery. Stone said nothing, but his belief that there was something ghostly about the strange circumstances was strengthened. They were. finally a ae to leave the cavern beneath the fall, feeling fully as mystified as they were on entering. “Tt 1s certain that no human being could make that damp hole his home,” Jackwood de- clared, as he shook the water from his clothes, ‘The mystery is as deep as ever, but, I mean to. solve it, Wher they reached the cabin, to their sur- prise they found a queer,, ean little old man sitting near the door, quietly smoking a very black pipe. He looked up as they approached and called out: ‘¢ Wowdy, pards! I jist Grapes down peer er - few shakes ago, but, ez I didn’t fine nobody ter hum, I sot down an’ waited fer ther ne fake mss o’ this hyer shebang ter return. proud ter clap my ole peepers onter cogs Eben. Stone uttered an exclamation of eur- rise, : “Ole Disaster, I swan! W’y, you old var- mint, how are ye?”’ “De me eyes deceive me?” cried the old nomad, ‘Air it, or amit not thet hump-backed ole sinner, Eb Stone? Come ter my arms, ye ole wretch, w’ile I squoze ther breath out 0’ yer body 1”? hing like ca sia the two men em- or Then Stone introduced Old Disaster to eh companions Wher the veteran borderman had shaken the hands of Cobb and Jackwood, Stone asked: ‘‘How in ther name o’ ther * wonderful did re happen erlong hyer yey little ole runt o’ an In- hala mining dg i has been More’n two ears since I hey seen ye. * Then Old Disaster told of the ill-fated ex dition to seare h he the Lost Gold Cave, Tis three pards listened with interest, but Jack-' wood seemed more deeply moved than tne others. When the narrator told of Junardo’s : ~ Ww | _ ae rr fo" ‘ ; ' at . w+*ZLee, = yeh a . : fe * z 1 ‘ :