Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 917 — page 10: what you’re looking at

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

ae : a ; 4 A . * - _e7) Act ~ , 44 2G ‘ ‘at vee | ME ; a oto <7 Wi: ’ At; if u i0 nobody like me. Look at me! ‘longside a rich gentleman?” She burst into a reckless laugh, and flung her- self away impetuously, How’d I look ** Come back yere, gal!” cried Dug-Out, com- | look, —_—_~- “Then you don’t love that spindle-shanked curried-down, cross-eyed snip of a tenderfoot?” queried F'lash, ‘*Love him!” she rejoined, with a roguish ‘*How can you ask? After all I’ve ac- mandingly. ‘* What’s all this about? Yer don’t | knowledged, too,” mean to say as Flash is puttin’ on airs, do ye?” **"Tain’t no matter, He’s too big fur me, I don’t want nothin’ more to do with him, and [| derfully fresh, you |g won’t look at him again,” “Don’t be a fool, gal. The boy can’t help havin’a rich daddy. If be on’y keeps his level, that’s the main p’int. The young scamp. if he goes back on you, [’ll—” ‘* What?’ she asked, anxiously, ‘Pll burn these dokyments, and let him whistle fur the fortune.” ‘*Oh, no, don’t do that! myself if you did that! no account, I’m only little Rags and Patches, Flash is too good for me every way.” ‘* No, he ain’t, And if he goes back on yoa, he'll hear somethin’ from Old Dug Out. Tell you what, gal— If! tell you a great secret, you won’t let it out, will ye?” ‘‘No,” she replied. ‘‘ Nobody shall hear it from me!” “It’s jist this, then; Everybody knows how I’ve been diggin’ inter the rocks fur twelve ear, and ain’t struck pay-rock yit. They augh at me fura crook, Mebbe they’|l find out that the old man knows a thing or two. I struck fu’st chop signs yesterday, If I ain’t mighty mistook, [’m nigh onto gold.” Bess sprung up and clapped her hands joy- fully. ‘*Oh, that’s too good: [ve been prayin’ you'd do it. I’m comin’ in the mine to-morrow, to bring you good luck,” ‘* But that ain’t the p’int yet, gal, Ii I strike it ’'m goin* ter make you as rich as Flash, an’ dress you up tasty an’ guy you an eddication. Then if he goes back on ver, I’ll break his ugly young neck,” ‘ You sha’n‘t do it,” she cried, starting away impetuously. “I won't rob you, And if he won't have me as | am, I won’t have him! I can be proud, too,” ** Lord, what a queer thing a gal is!” exclaim- I'd never forgive Never mind me, | ain’t ed Dug-Out. ‘‘ She don’t want him with money and she don’t want him ‘thout money; but all ther time she wants him somehow. It’s luck as Flash’s pure grit. Ther’ ain’tno danger o’ him goin’ back on ye, Bess, I didn’t fotch him up that way.” ‘* He’s in love with that ugly, proud Linda Meiton!” cried Bess, flinging herself away test- ily. ‘“‘’’veseen him, ’Cause I wear old clothes and don’t put on airs he’s dropped me and pick- ed up tiat jilt. He’s just makin’ fun of me, and i won’t speak to him again, there!” She flung ber torn hat to the ground, and tossed her head defiantly. ‘Highty, tighty, gal! What's this about? Marcy take us all, are you gone daft?” “There they come now. I won't stay. 1 know they're just makin’ fun of me and | won’t stand it. Jist ag watch ’em and you'll see.” She ran bastily away. Dug-Out looked round him, and then withdrew into the house, as if curious to see what would take place, Toe next minute Flash and Linda appeared on the scene, walking slowly and engaged in earn- est conversation, ** You say he is furious?’ remarked Flash, ** Wild. He would eat you without mustard, He vows deep vengeance.” “Good! 6 must work him up worse yet, Ha! Don’t look round. He’s after us now. just caught a glimpse of him behind the bushes e “ **Following us!” she cried, with a flash of anger. ‘* Then he wants punishment, 1 feel like teaching him a lesson, “And I too,” laughed Flash, ‘‘ There, he has hid behind that big tree near the corner of the house. We have him neatly treed. What shall the lesson be like?” he queried, with a look of my had seen Tim sneak in and bide himself be- hind the willow. He had failed to perceive Bess, who had come back as if drawn by an in- visible chain. She crouched behind a corner of the house, looking on the unconscious pair with eyes that burned with indignation, And he was equally ignorant that Dug-Out Anorectal him through the window of the cottage. If all this had been known to the fun-lovin pair they would doubtless have acted very dif- ferently. Asit was they walked up toward the tree that concealed the jealous lover, talking with a great show of mutual sympathy. ‘** But you girls are so queer, Why, he hangs on to you like a burr to a sheep’s wool.” ‘**} let him do that just for fun, He’s so won- snow; and so amazingly reen,”’ ine if I thought. you did have a fancy for im—” ‘*Oh, you dear boy, how can you think so?” Her look was sc irresistible, and her face so charming in its assumed tenderness, that Flash slipped his arm round her waist and the sound of a kiss was heard in the air, Linda sprung from him angrily, For the moment she seemed as if about to break out with an indignant exclamation, but it ended in a laugh. ‘“* You rogue!’ she said, shaking her finger at him as she ran away. . She suddenly paused, and pointed behind the ree, **Mercy on us! look what’s here,” she cried, with a show of consternation. Thus discovered Tim made his appearance, bristling like a chestnut-burr with rage. ‘* Base vile conspirators!” he cried furiously. ‘*Soulless ingrates! I shall be revenged! I shall—’ ‘*Hilio, Timothy!” cried Flash, facing him with anairof surprise. ‘‘ Where did you sprout up from? .And what seems to be the difficulty? Been eating something that don’t agree with you, eh?” ‘Villain! { shali chastise you!” screamed Tim, rushing forward with clinched fists and gleaming eyes. “Don’t! It might hurt,” was Flash’s mocking rejoinder, But the dude was worked up to fighting pitch. He made a desperate blow ct his rival. It did not reach its goal, however, for Flash caught his wrist, and twisted his arm till he brought him down to his knees, ‘** Hit me, will you!” cried Flash, grinding his teeth with a great show of rage. ‘‘ Now what have you got to say for yourself, before 1 make hash of you? Beg my Bre and Miss Mel- ton's, or I'll teach you a Wild West lesson,” Tim, who was in mortal pain from the twist which Flash still gave his arm, blurted ovt: ‘*Oh, les me up! You’re killing me!” ** Not till you beg pardon,” ** Never.—Oh!” as there came another twist. “Let me up! I beg everybody’s pardon, Vl do poyeneg | I'll be anything—only let me up Thus abjectly implored, Fiash released him. ** Now glide, little one. Don’t come barkin round my heels again, I might step backward without seeing you, you know, If I should hap- pen to tread on you there wouldn’t be a grease- spot left.” Grinding his teeth with rage Tim jerked out: ‘“*Low-lived dog! Pll have revenge! On the honor of a Spruce, I swear to have revenge!’ He rushed away in an opposite direction to that taken by Miss Melton, so full of rage as to be almost dangerous, Flash followed him with a laugh of amused contempt, ‘* Poor little monkey!” he said, ‘‘I do believe he’s mad enough to bite,” At this moment two other persons made their appearance, very much to Flash’s surprise, Dug-Out came from the door of the cottage, Bess from her lurking-place. Bess’s eyes were fiery with indignation as zhe ran up, as it she meant to assail him, ‘**There she goes! Go after her!” she cried pointing im the direction in which Linda had disappeared. ‘‘ You can have your white-faced 1, Inever want to see you again. {hate you! hate you! There!” She whisked away in a fury, fiery with pain and indignation, ‘‘Hey! Stop, Bess!—whew!’ he whistled, as she disappeared. ‘*Here’sastew! Didshe hear ** Every word on’t. an’ you’ve a’most broke her heart,” said Dug-Out, advancing. ‘I’m ae Mee ic 0’ ye, Flash, Arter my bringin’ up, too. ‘* But, gracious: how was I to know she was ag on? l’ve put my foot ia it now, eep. Tou had no business to deceive her, The gal thinks you love her, Oh, Flash, | wouldn't ’ believed it of you.” ‘** Believed what?” ‘* That you'd ha’ played little Bess sicha trick, Flash Lightning, the Mountain Mascot. while you was makin’ love tothat other gal, that don't keer as much fur you as fur one of her kid gloves,” ; ‘* But I don’t care for her either.” ‘*’'You don’t?” ‘‘No, Didn’t you see we were only playing a game on that dude? Just trying to make him jealous? Why, if l’d known Bess was there, I’d have cut my head off first.” ‘* Ts this sound? Honest Injun?” ‘‘ Every word of it. Linda don’t love me any more than I love her.” ‘*Then guv us yer band ag’in, flash, [’m proper sorry as I thought little of you. | brung you up to be squar’, and you are squar’, Now, come inside; l’ve got somethin: to say to ye.” They entered the house together, and the door closed behind. them. CHAPTER XI, THE GOLDEN FOLLY, Tur «eader must now accompany us to a new scene, different from any in which we have ree been. From the free air. we must enter the eart of the mountain, deep into that tunnel which the old miner has dug in twelve years of bard labor. On coming to Payrock, with a considerable sum of money which he had made in a Califor- nia venture. Dug-Out had staked out a promis~ ing claim in the adjoining hills, avin money enough to live on, he had worked steadily onward, led on by incessant promises, each of which ended in disappoint- ment. But the old man was very sanguine, and, with the aid of Flash, toiled on, hoping yet to strike the gold which had so often cheated him, Years before a shaft had been sunk into the hill by a rich company, and some ore taken out. But this vein had vanished, and after spending a large sum of money in the effort to discover it again, the company had abandoned the mine. It was in the direction of this abandoned shaft that Dug-Out had sunk histunnel, He knew he must be nearit, though he did not know how near, when he came again upon the rich traces of ore of which he bad spoken to Bess, He had now been in the mine since early day, working away with untiring energy. The rock here was of a soft and friable nature, and every stroke of the pick told. About midday he had charged and fired a blast, and retired to await the explosion. A roar like muffled thunder rung through the hills, as the dynamite cartridge cid its work. Waiting until ail danger was past, Dug Out re- turned, eager and. hopeful. This blast had been laid in the most promising part of the rcck, Should he find the vein laid bare on his re- turn: The wt map above given are necessary as a preliminary to the description of what the old miner discovered. Entering the mive, we dnd him standing the image of chagrin and despair before a ragged hole in the rocks, which opens into a wide, cave- like space, Where he stands oniy the gleam of a miner’s lamp lights up the scene, but the space beyond is illuminated by a much brighter light, that seems to come uown from above. ‘¢ And is this the end of it all?” he cried, stamp- ing angrily. ‘‘ Arter twelve year o’ hard Jabor —all flung to ther dogs! It’s ’nough ter make a man shoot hisself. 4 swow it is,” He was so discomposed that he failed to bear approaching footsteps, They were very light, indeed, for it was the slender and agile form of Bess Martin that was coming into the mine, She stopped, and looked at him, and at the ragyved cavity in surprise, “What's the matter?’ she demanded. “I! come in, as I said £ would, to see you strike the vein. What have you done, Uncle Dug-Out? Yow re lookin’ a out o sorts.” ‘Hey. Bess! is that you, gal? It’s lucky you came in, or 1 mougbt na mined a hole in my head with ther pick, That’s whats come 0’ twelve years’ minin‘!” ‘*But whatisit* 41 don’t understand,” ““Tt’s the old shaft, I’ve bu’sted through in- ter the old *Goiden Fouily.’ That’s my pay- streak, I thought this iast blast was goin to open ther vein, sure: and that’s what’s come of it, It’s all up, gal. Ther’s nothin left ’cept to pick up my tools and toddle home,” ‘But you saw good sign of gold,” cried Bess excitedly, ‘*There was gold took out of that mine, too. You're not goin’ to give it up yet?” ‘‘¥You dunno what yee talkin’ bout, gal. That settles it fur good.” He pointed to the cavity. * Ie doesn’t do anything of the sort,” cried