Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 940 — page 14: what you’re looking at

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

44 But at that instant came a terrific ex- plosion. It shattered: the windows of the mine office and fairly made the earth tremble. All within leaped to the windows to look out, and a great spectacle met their sight. The gates had been blown to atoms, and a third of the mob of invaders lay dead and dying. And in at the gate rushed Tulip Tilly, mounted, and the men she had led forth came right after her. The tables were turned in an instant of time, and the mine was in possession of its rightful owner once more. But the prisoner was gone. Those who had escaped the explosion had hastened to a corner, where they stood, huddling like a flock of sheep with- out a leader. a Tullp Tilly led her men down upon them, and in half a minute had made them prisoners. In spite of the doctor’s injunction, Dead- wood Dick staggered out. The bullets he had received had broken no bones, and as the shock was passing away, he felt much better. “Good for you, Tulip.” he shouted. “You have redeemed yourself gloriously! That explosion did the business for them. Boys, give her a cheer for luck.” And the cheer was given with a will. “But [I had nothing to do with the ex- plosion,” the girl sport declared. “You had nothing to do with it?” ‘*Not a thing.” * Who, then?” “T don’t know. It happened just as Wwe were coming up to the gate, and if we had been two minutes earlier, or even one, we should have come in for a share of the damage.” Here, then, was a matter of mystery. Who had done it?” ewer eo ~ : or = ¢ oe : r! pe Bae” ea POL 2 oe en . 9 Ap eee See ee ci SO “= 557 . ~* s ‘ ® ° Jt wy . g ~ Set ~ a — \e > SF “ a4 J ’ int - yf x* * oj } ye rd * . ae 7 —~ eg OHAPTER XVII. GIBBS GETS AWAY. The victims of the explosion were the very worst element of the camp, the ut- terly worthless. Such had been the constant followers of the mayor, and their reign of terror had forced otherwise half-decent men to join them, now that the power was broken, it was different. The prisoners were secured in the tun- nel, the wounded were cared for, and the mine was again in the possession of Hard- ing and his supporters. : The former mayor, however, had es- caped. Perhaps a score of men all told out of the mob that had made the attack after the clever ruse had made good their es- cape. It was plain that the victory had been won, and that no further attack upon the mine was to be feared. The thing now in order was the arresting of Gibbs again and the discovery of Buck. . Tulip Tilly held a quick conference with Deadwood Dick. Dick was practically out of the fight, now, but he could still advise and his head wus clear. —¢, The girl sport was more than willing little time she was leading a force of men down into the camp to find and arrest the remainder of the rascals. The rebels had won the victory, and the camp would soon be under new govern- ment. | Down into the camp she rode, at the head of her men, and they were more seen enough of her bravery to give them all confidence in her. ‘That she had been the victimy of the -geception played by Riggle did not detract to carry the warfare further, and in a than eager to follow her, for they had from her worth in their eyes, for they had all been equal partners with her in that. And they were all eager to redeem the loss they had sustained in their pride by further achievement. As they neared the camp a wounded man raised himself up and loudly called out: “Gal! Tulip! Come here!” The girl sport looked and saw it was Dan Buck. She rode over to him at once, glad to find him and eager to hear what he would say. . “T am hard hit,’ the fellow spoke, as soon as she came up, “but I want to help you out. Go straight to Devil’s Gulch for Paul Gibbs.” “He has gone there “Yes, to get the box of money.” “Then he has the papers?” “Yes, yes; we had a fight; I got the worst of it, as you see, and he took ’em.” “Which way did he go?” “That way,” indicating. ‘But send half of your men the other way, so as to cut off his escape.” “Good! I will do it. What can I do for you?” “ Have a couple of your men carry me to the mine office, for I must see Sam Harding before I die.” “ All right, it shall be done.”’ “And you want to try to bring that fel- low in alive, if you can do it. I have a score to settle with him.” “Such is our intention if we can get hold of him. We will probably cap off this ruction with hanging him as high as we can swing him, for, in my opinion, he deserves it.” Two of the men were detailed to carry Buck to the mine, and Tulip Tilly pressed on with the rest of her force, heading for Devil’s Gulch. When the. two men reached the mine, Buck called at once for the doctor. ‘““T want to know how long I can live,” he said. “My poor fellow you have got it bad,” was the response. “ You will very likely die by night.” : “Do you think I will live an hour or two?’ , “Oh, yes; no doubt of that, I guess.’’ “T don’t want you to make a mistake.” “T feel sure you will linger for several hours.” — “Good enough. I have a confession to make before I pass in, but I want the mayor brought in before I make it, if I can live that long. If noi, or if you see any signs that I am going to peter out, call Harding at once.” “Very well, I will,” said the doctor. He did what he could for the wounded man, and left him lying in the shade of the fence, where he had asked to be put down, — Meantime, Tulip Tilly had pressed on. Dividing her men, she had both ends of the deep part of the gulch guarded, and with half a dozen sturdy fellows she en- tered the dismal place. They had arranged to make as little noise as possible, and they proceeded with scarcely a sound that could be heard a dozen yards away, even by the sharpest of human ears. Tulip Tilly was in’ the lead. Suddenly she held up her finger, and she crouched down with her hand on a M0. Ce } She remained thus for some moments, and motioned then for the others to ad- vance stealthily to where she stood, which they did with all possible caution. She pointed to a ledge above where they were. There was seen the erstwhile mayor of the camp, with a map in hand, moving "99 . along the ledge pace by pace, as if count- - ing, i@ Some bushes screened the watchers, and | - they were reasonably safe from discovery as long as they remained perfectly quiet. And they would do that, naturally, obey- ing their leader. | It was not far from the spot where Deadwood Dick and his pard had made their stand on the previous night. It had been by that very ledge that Naney Jane had made her strange disap- pearance, She had stumbled upon it in the dark after leaving Dick’s side. Welcher, still to call him by that name for the time being, moved this way and that on the ledge, apparently carefully measuring and counting, while he com- pared two pieces of paper which he had in his hand. 7 This he kept up for a considerable time, ° advancing, receding, to the left, to the; right, till finally he folded the papers and put*them into his pocket. t That done, he laid himself flat down on the ledge and looked over. He leaned far out, holding fast to the rough rocky projections to insure himself against a fall while he did so. In that manner he moved along the ledge to the right, feeling every inch of the way with extreme care, as if for something that was loose, for he seeme to try every projection. , Presently he was heard to exclaim. A stone had moved under his touch, and he drew out a slab of rock of con- siderable size and weight. This he allowed to drop, having the use of only one arm, without looking or think- ing as to where it stopped, and it came Within a short distancé of where Tulip Tilly was crouching, but the girl did rot budge, Some of her companions had less nerve, and dodged, making a noise, but the noise did not attract attention, as the stone itself made considerable of a racket in the bushes and on the rocky bottom of the guich, and the man above paid no at- tention to it. He was reaching into the cavity made by the displacement of the stone, in search of something. Those below watched him narrowly. Presently he was seen to pull some- thing to the front from the back recesses of the niche. As it came to sight under his exertions, ' those below could see that it was a box, and when he had gotten it well to the front he put forth all his exertion to lift it to the ledge. He got it clear of the little shelf below, but he was leaning so far out that it was impossible for him to rise up with it. with one arm, and neither could he re- | place it again where it had been before. He was heard to utter a grated impreca- tion, and then the box dropped. own it came,.as the stone had done, — with a crash, and Tulip Tilly remained as immovable as before. And she whispered a. word of caution to her companions, : They remained silent and immovable, and for some moments they saw the man looking down. Then with an oath he got up and made off along the trail to the right, and Tulip Tilly knew that he was coming down to secure the prize. “ Would he get it? He would—where Adam wore the apple. | y.. |) CHAPTER Xvi HAPPY TERMINATION RBACHBD. 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