Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 886 — page 6: what you’re looking at

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

it ee a af 1 al but succeed gly * ae Z may her!’ The very thought caused him to tremble with eagerness and excitement. He hurried along the brink of the ravine looking for a place to descend. He did not go far before he came toa aaow path which led downward along the wall of the gorge. Sherman paused in surprise. '“* This is not a natural path, by any means,’ declared the young explorer. “If I am not mistaken, nature has been assisted by human hands. This path is used by some one for the purpose of descending into the ravine.” e stood for several minutes, thinking deeply. Finally he muttered: ‘‘ itis plain tome that there are human be- ings in this vicinity. Are they friends or foes? That is a question of interest to me. And if there are human beings near, may not Amy be with them? The very thought makes my heart beat like a heavy hammer. I am going down this path, and may God help me find my darling if she is alive.” With this briefly-muttered prayer, he began the descent. The path was both difficult and dangerous for one who was not used to it, but Ethan Sherman was steady-eyed and sure-foot- ed. He reached the bottom of the gorge in safety and stood beside the little stream medi- tating on his next move. Finally he turned and moved down the stream, Carefully Sherman scanned every rock and bush. He examined the ground and found that without doubt human beings had passed along the ravine scores of times. He little knew that less than thirty minutes before he had heard the voice in song from the verge of the ravine, Old Disaster had carefully inspected the very ground which he was now examining. In truth, the old Border Nomad had startet passed beyond ear-shot when Sherman reached the ravine, Down the mountain valley went Sherman un- til he felt certain that it was useless to proceed further in that direction, then he cros the stream and returned up theravine, His ch was fruitless in the respect of finding anything that would tell him of the lost Amy. ‘* There is no one here,” he said, aloud, ‘for I do not believe a human being could have con- cealed himself from my eyesamong theseshrubs and bowlders. WhatamItothink? Was that voice I thought I heard a creation of my own imagination? If so my nerves must be in a ae condition. as ita spirit? I cannot Feeling thoroughly perplexed and baffled, Ethan turned toward the path by which he had descended. Ere he began the ascenthe paused and looked upward. **In one thing I was right,” muttered the per- plexed young man, ‘‘ This path is not entirely nature’s work; neither do I believe that it is the work of savages. White people have been in this vicinity recently but, there is no one here find? Perhaps it will be some trace of now. Slowly and laboriously he ascended the ditm- cult path, He reached the brink of the big gully and paused to look back. **Good-by,” he murmured; ‘' good-by to the fond hope of a short time ago. Amy is ae ki - Then he turned and walked away. All that day Sherman searched for his friends, in finding no trace of them, Late in the afternoon he was nearly famished of hunger when he espied several deer in a little valley. Getting tothe windward, he succeeded iu approaching near enough to drop a small doe with a shot from his revolver, Mentally thanking his lucky stars, he sought a secluded spot with bis game, built a fire and was soon feasting on deer-meat. He cooked a supply for future need, and left the remains for wolvesand vultures, That night Ethan slept beneath the stars. On the following day he resumed his search for his comrades. ate Led by a strange fatality, he finally found himself in the vicinit y of the ravine in thedepths of which he had heardthe singing. He was hastening forward to again peerdown k | _ into the gorge when he was suddenly confronted by several men, who seemed to arise out of the very ground. Among them Sherman perceived Flavus Stokes! ** Hullo!” growled Stokes, a touch of triumph | inhisvoice. ‘‘Soitis you, is it?” _ Instinctively a feeling that Stokes was his enemy seized Sherman. Something about the _ man’s BS np bea caused the young man to draw back the hammers of the revolvers which The bad swiftly drawn with either hand. Stokes’s dy ¥ 3 at 4 ' , ‘ : ' ; | Py : : . f ee — ‘ - me ae es 4 ¢ “i Ai ~ companions were rough, lawless-ap 6 - . hy z wy } i 7 ) Mo | : i) f , : - ’ 4 . © 7 5 ah PN y oN , q i # ae pre oes fo oe al eee » aie es an .« oe Old Disas : 4 eh oll (So s% ti i pallet TD ARB ie Bh 58 3 _ **'Yes, it is I,” retorted Ethan. you want?” Stokes laughed evilly. ** Want you /” he replied, with a leer, ‘* and I have just the crowd to take you. Throw down your pops, young man.” **Hold!” commanded Sherman, in'a ringing voice. ‘* What does this mean?” aoa Stokes laughed. ‘* W hat does it mean?” herepeated. ‘‘ Ireckon you know full well whatit means. It is useless to try any bluff; you had best surrender.” "What do you mean by this act, Flavus Stokes? Have you turned outlaw and highway- man?” ‘*You can’t play that game, Sherman,” was Stokes’s reply. ‘* You know well enough what I mean. The blood of your victim cries for vengeance, and this is the crowd that is going to see justice done,” Sherman was amazed. ** Well, now, what ave you driving at?” he de- manded. \ Stokes uttered an exclamation of anger. **You play the innocent very well, but it won’t work, my fine lad. Your neck shall stretch for the murder of Albion Junardo.” ‘* Junardo—murdered ?” gasped theastonished young man. ‘Yes; and you did the job.” Ethan turned pale, and then his face flushed otly. # ot lie!” he cried, excitedly. ‘“‘I know nothing about it, if he really has been killed,” Stokes’s face grew black with rage, his eyes flashed, and he clinched his hands in his fierce anger. ‘* That’s right,” he hissed, ‘‘ Talk while you have a chance, my lad. You will soon be where you cannot talk. You did murder Albion Ju-. nardo while he slept, and you shall pay the penalty. You fled from the scene cf your crime, but I have found you and I will show no mercy. **T do not doubt your intentions,” returned Sherman, regaining his composurein a measure, **T now know well enough that you are a mer- ciless creature with neither heart nor soul, but you will have to take me before you bang me, and I warn you that you’ll find it a difficult job to accomplish. What proof have you that I jnurdered Albion Junardo?” ‘* Proof enough. Your own knife was found sticking in his breast,” Sherman started, He had missed the knife. Suddenly a man, who had been creeping up behind the defiant ppisan fellow, reign upon his back and clasped him around the body, pin- ning his arms to his sides. [n a moment the whole gang rushed forward, and Sherman was quickly disarmed and made a prisoner. ** Ab-a!’’sneered Stokes, ‘* Now we have you foul. It does begin to look as if your neck would soon be stretched, doesn’t it?” Sberman’s reply was a look of defiance. ‘A. noosé was quickly arranged in a lasso, and then he was dragged beneath a tree near by. The lasso was thrown over a limb and the ruf- fians seized it. Mr Stokes drew forth his watch. “Tam going toallow you plenty of time to say your prayers,” he remarked, with a ma- licious grin, ‘‘In just five minutes’ time 1 shall give the signal: then your body will dangle from that limb.” | Still Sherman was defiant, What had he to live for? what cared he for death? Amy was dead, and he would soon be with her. His eyes roved over the faces of the fierce band who held the lasso, then they came back to the now sinis- ter countenance of Flavus Stokes, and without a word he quietly awaited the fatal signal. CHAPTER VII. : SAVED FROM THE RUPE. ‘‘Yus,” repeated Disaster, after a moment's silence, ‘‘ thet war ther voice 0’ Flavus Stokes.” ‘One o’ yer late pards?” asked Stone, .**Waal, I never counted him as er pard, though he war one o’ ther gang as war s’archin’ fer ther Gold Cave. He er forced hisself onter us,” ‘*Are you sure that was his voice?” asked Jack wood, | “What do Disaster’s assertion. ‘‘ He tried ter disguise his voice, but w’en I hear er galoot vociferate er few times I kin usually recognize his warble even ef he tries ter disguise it. Thet war Stokesie, or I’m er antiquated ole truth-twist- fi I'm reddy ter bet my ole boots on it,” Was : er,” ; ‘Then ther manisatraitor,’said Cobb. ' - ‘ oa ; ff sid ss : { t ’ . ett 7 : / Tee Werke: Ee Peard hen we FR fo © Ti : ; Mise. e A i ye ih: HEAT sD rt ee Pay * an 4. | - ; yA | ply hi) . + ’ / aot { / : . “'4 " : ; . ; F 4 tei” , ; ; : . 4 ,” é ; 4 Mm " a ’ * , 2 ‘ . ts 4 . a >» = ; i: os ‘¥ 3 be te d } et | ‘S ) {| Ga. () | h } 4 765 Farr? EL 5 * “ \ : : ur 7 i p y - 9 ry ; “ ’ = ul 7 ter, the Border Nomad. | Fs ‘‘Waal, I sh’u’d figger it erbout thet way,” assented the oJd borderman, as he nodded vig- . orously in the darkness, ‘‘ Ef he hain’t a secon’ edishun o’ Benedict Arnold then I don’t know beans from bullets. Ther blamed white-livered skunk slid out an’ lef’ me ter fight er hull regi- ment o’smoky-skins. By ther sword o’ Goliath! ef 't’'adn’t been fer thet white-hedded ole feller I reckon I sh’u’d er run erg’in’ my las’ disaster,” ‘*'Waal, w'at does ther sneakin’ critter mean by cumin’ roun’ hyer an’ wakin’ us with his ghost-like rantin’s?” growled Cobb. ‘* He’s up ter sum @irty game, I’ll bot ér flop- eared mule,” was Stone’s opinion, 5 ‘* Waal, now ye’r’shoutin’,” Disaster declared. ‘He didn’t cut thet thar caper fer ther fun 0’ et. P’r’aps ther scurvy eur has foun’ this hyer . placer w’at ye’r’ workin’ an’ wants ter drive ye away, so’t he kin take possession.” ‘* He'll fin’ thet erbout ther tuffest ole job he ever tackled,” growled Cobb. / And Stone added: ‘* Waal, I sh’u’d reemark!” “‘T think that there was more than one near the cabin whtm the fellow spoke,” said Jack- wood. ‘I Jistened intently and fancied that I heard at least two men steal. away from the cabin,” ‘* I believe ye’r’ right,” said Cobb, . ** Ob, he’s problikely got frien’s in this vicin- ity,” assented Old Disaster. ‘‘ P’r’aps ther var- mint is ther chief o’ er thievin’ gang o’ sum sort. By ther green-eyed catamounts! it ain’t best fer him thet he cums purrin’roun’me. Ef he duz he'll strike ther wu’st disaster as he ever did run ercross. I’m p’ison ter snakes, an’ this galoot has pint. : ‘* Pards,” said Jackwood, ‘‘I am inclined to believe that a band of desperadoes have their retreat in this vicinity.” : ‘¢ Wat makes ye think so?” ‘“‘T don’t know. Tobe sure, I have no proof that this is so, but several things connected with the mysteries of this dismal ravine have led me to each a belief. One thing is the strange rum- bling noise which we hear so often,” ** An’ why sh’u’d thet make ye think so?” ask- ed Stone, with interest. _ ‘Those noises sound like heavy blasts be- neath the ground, May it not be that parties are working a hidden mine somewhere in this vicinity?” Jackwood’s words were productive of some excitement. The usual drawl had vanished from bez Cobb’s voice, as he exclaimed: | | “Yer right, boy! ye’r’ right! I’m willin’ ter garmoble on it! Them soun’s are heavy blasts under ther groun’,” | ‘*Tt duz seem reasonable,” Stone admitted, ‘¢ But ther hiauden mine must be ’tarnal near, fer I hev almost felt ther groun’shake sumtimes. w’en them noises occurred.” ‘¢ P’yaps thet boy o’ ther scarlet sash is con- nected wi’ ther gang,” Cobb suggested, ‘‘ Tf so, I fancy there must be an entrance to the mine somewhere near the fall,” remarked. . / Jackwood. ‘ll bet my ole hat thet thar hain’t no en- ha anywhere under thet fall,” grunted ton e. ‘You may be right,” Jacktvood admitted ; ‘* but I know I saw the boy and horse go under the fall, and we all know that there is a small cave there, Where the boy and the white horse: went to after passing beneath the fall is some- thing that I cannot say.” For several seconds the men were silent, then Old Disaster said; Mere th Sabri os this gang as you think are in this vicinity hav’ foun’ ther Gold Cave an’ are work- in’ it fer all it’s wu’th.” “Ver may be right,” allowed Cobb, slowly; “but I doubt it, I tell you, Pard Dieaster, I don’t take nostockinthettbarcave, I’ve heerd considerable bout it, but I don’t believe thar is. sech a place in existence,” ‘*Thet’s all right,” grunted the old border- map. ** You kin believe w’at ye’r’ mine ter, an’ Dildo ther same, J think thar ts sech er cave. Ther dyin’ Crow Fut didn’t lie ter me,” ‘Bf yell trust ther word o’ one o’ ther cussid evitters, ye’ll go further nor I 3 io Cobb. ‘They won't tell ther truth ter er whi man ef they know it ‘ill pay better than ter lie. | ‘‘ Sum will,” persisted the border ranger, ‘‘T hed dun Crow Fut er good turn, an’ w’en he collided wi’ his last disaster, he did w’at he ¢’u’d ter return ther compliment.” . After a time the four men fell asleep and. were nct again aroused until dawn. After breakfast, Disaster announced a de~ termination to go in search of Ethan Sherman. ; hua, . proved ter be er reg’ler squarmin’ sar-