Beadle's New York Dime Library No. 114 — page 2: what you’re looking at

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

2 The Gentleman From Pike, OR, THE GHOST OF THE CANYON, A Tale of the American Wonder-Land, BY PHILIP 8S. WARNE, AUTHOR OF ‘' TIGER DICK,” ‘* BOWIE, THE KNIGHT OF CHIVALRY,” ‘‘ ELEGANT EGBERT,” ‘(HE CREOLE COUSINS,” ETC. CHAPTER I. THE GHOST OF THE CANYON. ‘(I~ God’s name! what is it?’ ‘‘ Boss, it gits me?” “Not thecry of an animal. I know every one im the mountains.” ‘“T¥o more isit human. No ten men could make such a racket as that. Jest hear it go down the canyon?” All listened while the weird echoes waned in the distance. Ever and anon some jutting crag would prolong that unearthly howl and fling back the fierce snarls that followed it like de- | mon laughter. | They were alittle handful of horsemen, less | than half a score, all told. He whose commanding presence and superior intelligence marked him as the leader of the ty wasa young man, certainly under twen- y-five. His dress, though of coarse material, was well-made and fitted his well-knit figure rfectly. There was no dandyish affectation of nen, his shirt being of woolen. stuff, with a black silk neckerchief at his throat. But scrupu- lous neatness marked the gentleman, None who saw him could doubt his high cour- age and punctilious honor; but on_ his knitted brows, out of keeping with his youth, sat a shade of settled raslanctol —an intangible something which told of a soul that had withstood the light- ning shock of a great despair. Such was William Carleton, the man who was known far and wide in the mountain country as “The Gentleman from Pike.” He was mounted on a superb black charger whose blood-red nostrils and rolling eyes denoted his flery spirit, while the quietness with which he stood showed his perfect training. The men bearing the Gentleman from Pike company were ordinary mountain men, barring one exception in the person of the old scout, | Judd Baker. H»wasa rough diamond—a man — whom you could “tie to, every time /” ‘Tt is the strangest sound I ever heard!” ex- claimed the Gentleman from Pike, referring to the weird cry that had caused the whole party to draw rein and listen in wonder. “Cap'n,” said Judd Baker, solemnly—*‘ never heard that noise afore?” ‘No. Have you? What is it?” And the Gentleman from Pike turned curious- ly to the old scout. | The other members of the party also looked to | him for explanation. : | He shook his head gravely, and replied: - Yes, to the fust question. J dunno, to the nd. “Why, Judd, what is the matter with you?” asked the leader. He had never before seen such a look on the scout’s face. ‘‘ Waal, cap’n,” was the deliberate reply, “T’'m stumped! Sense issense; but natur’ gits away with all ourcalcalationssometimes! Look a-hyar, cap’n!—do you b’lieve in sperrits?” “ Spirits, Judd?” ““Yes,—sperrits!—unairthly criturs that comes up from down below, to play the devil on Merge) airth!—ghosts!—spooks!’ ** Nonsense! ere are no such things as ghosts!” “That's what you say!” replied the scout, do gedly. “T used to b’lieve that way my- sel ‘But you don’t mean to say that this strange sound is the voice of a spirit? ‘“‘ Bf it ain’t, then what is it?” *‘ T don’t know, I’m sure.” “* No more does ary other liviv’ man!” ‘‘ But it doesn’t follow that it is supernatural because no one knows its source. Since a have made such a point of it, suppose we d out? Come, men! I reckon you're not afraid to follow me?’ But the men, having caught the superstitious foreboding of the scout, manifested no respon- sive enthusiasm, but looked rather solemn, see- ing which the Gentleman from Pike pursued: ‘You, at least, Judd, will not fear to to ac- aa me, even if the others hang back?’ «Thats all right as fur as it goes, cap’n,” re- lied the scout. ‘I don’t take water for nothin’ n human shape, ye understand, nur nothin’ o’ the animal kind that can’t stand a ag'in’ an ounce o’ lead. But things as ’ll filter bullets like water through a sieve—things that ye kin | look through their innards like squintin’ through | glass—things that ye kin belt aside the topknot | an’ nothin’ but wind!—them things- gi me! "Howsomdever, if you say go, I say foller! I never shook a oqnar. man yit, an’ I allow I’d back you, cap’n, ugh fire ’n brimstun! But - began. leader. ef so be you wouldn’t mind a word afore we resk it—’ The old scout left the sentence incomplete, and looked appealingly at the commander. “Drive ahead, Judd,” said the other, “TI know that you don’t talk unless you have some- thing to say.” ‘Waal, it’s jest this: I knowed a mighty like- ly pilgrim, jest from the States, Plucky? That warn’t no name for it! An’ knowledgeable? Waal, sir, he could chin it with preacher ou ever see! I reckon, if be’d sot his mind to t, he could ’a’ wrote a book that two men couldn’t pack! He heard this thing last sum- mer, when it fust come out. The boys told him that this canyon was ha’nted, an’ that it would stand him in hand to let the Ghost o’ the Canyon alone. He poo-pooed ’em for a pack of old wo- men, an’ swore that he’d never come back until he fetched the spook home in bis breeches pooner. Cap’n,” concluded old Judd, impress- ely, ** he ain’t got back yit !” owever William Carleton was impressed b the old scout’s story, the men under bim dran in every word open-mouthed. As if to highten the effect, at this instant the rocks rung again with that unearthly howl. The long-drawn, dismal wail, scarcely audible at the beginning, swelled until it rivaled the loudest trumpet blast, then died away as it The savage snarls that followed it were indescribable. The mountain men started and gered about them with superstitious fear, as if they dreaded a malignant demon in every echoing crag. Plainly they needed but a signal to take to their heels in unmanly flight. The Gentleman from Pike, though puzzled, was perfectly cool. Judd Baker sat bis horse like a man who had the courage to brave a danger which he fully appreciated, That was nearer than the last,” said the ‘‘ Whatever it is, it is approaching us, We have but to wait, and the mystery will solve itself.” This announce. ent did not reassure the men, by any means. ““T reckon this hyar’s a-temptin’ o’ the devil!” growled one of them, gloomily. ‘‘Thar won’t no d come of it, nohow!” ‘If any man is afraid to stay, the road down the canyon is open,” said the Gentleman from Pike, eoolly. “I shall remain and see this thing through.” But while the voice had ceme from up the canyon, the echoes had answered from Lelow, unt elther direction was filled with equal terrors; and the men clung to the | older spirit of their leader as children look to their elders for protection. ’ ‘*Cap’n,” said Judd Baker, ‘‘do you hear that other noise?” “The thunder? Yes. Thereis a storm some- where among the mountains. But that need cause us no uneasiness. It is too far off,” ‘* Perhaps! But you bet the Ghost o’ the Canyon don’t hang round for nothin’! It’s bound to bring ill luck, mark my word! An’, see! our hosses—that in some things is more knowledge- able than folks'—is tellin’ us as plain as hoss- me kin make it, that thar’s somethin’ in the Ww . Again that mysterious cry burst on the air, e crags caught up the weird sounds and re- ted them until it seemed as if sh came rom every direction and filled earth and heaven! Then like a sullen menace, came the rumble of thunder! _ At first it was intermittent. Then it became a steady roar that made the air quiver until the wy rocks seemed to partake of the shuddering motion. - Now the ever cool Carleton began to show signs of disturbance. ‘That isn’t thunder,” he exclaimed, ‘‘ What in the world is it?” Judd Baker shook his head. ‘‘Ef we was on the plains, ’d say it wasa buffaler stampede,” he replied. ‘ But hyarI reckon it’s some o’ the devilment o’ the ghost. Thar’s no bettin’ on what ye hear ina ha’nted aos Them things don’t stand to reason, no- ow. singin’, ur fiddle-playin’, jest as easy as not, ** Good God! Thar she comes!” One glance, and with yells of terror the rest of the party ‘‘ broke and ran,” leaving the Gen- tleman from Pike and Judd Baker to face the unknown peril. In truth, the object which burst into view at the head of the canyon was well calculated to in- spire the beholder with dread. Man, beast, or demon, it stood erect, appar- ently between six and seven feet in stature, and had in the main the semblance of humanity. But its may see: limbs ene covered Bohs coarse, sha air, like that of a grizely ear, while front its head streamed locks of snowy whiteness far below its weet, @ beard of cor- nding length, and also w its breast vii . Thus far this mysterious ee, mi been taken for some Old Man of the But the most terrible features of this strange apparition yet remain to be described, ht have CORRE Gre: I allow he could fill this hyar place with ite, falling upon ountain, The Gentleman from Pike. | From the midst of its beard gleamed long white teeth, interlocked like the fangs of a of prey, the upper canine teeth being elongated so as to extend below the chin, like the tuske of aw But, more terrible still, from every part of its body seemed to spring writhing ser- nts. Its fingers and toes terminated in these oathsome reptiles. About its head their inter- laced bodies formed a hideous coronet, from which darted a score of heads with quivering, forked tongues and beadlike eyes; while about its body and limbs they dangled at length’ or hung in living festoons. Add to all this that blood-curdling ery, louder than that of any animal in the mountains, and you may form some faint conception of this thing from which the miners fled in dismay, At sight of it even the cool Gentleman from Pike could not wholly repress a shudder of loathing. But curiosity chained him to the spot, and he remained gazing at it. With difficulty he restrained his horse, the animal snorting and trembling with terror, only its perfect training rendering it obedient to his firm hand on the bridle-rein and the pres- sure of his knees. ( As for Judd Baker, at sight of the’ monster he raised his rifle and fired. ‘* By the eternal! I’ve bored it!” he cried, as the creature sunk to the ground. But instantly it arose, snatched the bullet from its breast, flung it away, and came on, making the canyon ring again with cries more terrible than ever. Judd Baker’s horse horse reared, pawed the air, whirled short round, and darted away, bearing its master willy-nilly down the canyon. “Come on, cap’n, for God’s sake!” ‘cried the faithful old scout, as he strove in vain to master his frantic horse. W hether or not William Carleton would have fled before this mysterious monster, just then his eyes passed on beyond and cavgbt sight of a peril about which there could be no doubt. teame with a rush of mighty winds that whirled the sand of the canyon bottom in eddy- ing cloucls, and a roar that drowned even the wild cry of the Ghost of the Canyon. Withcut another instant’s delay the man who had ‘braved an unknown danger now whirled and dashed after his companicns. ' “Tale to the ledges!” he shouted, as he over- took and passed them on his fleeter horse. ‘‘ Judd, there is one! Sacrifice your horse, and save yourself!” rl Then on like the wind heswept down that rocky way, until turning a sharp angle he burst upon a scene that bicught his heart into his mouth, and caused him to utter a sharp cry of dismay. : CHAPTER II. THE SPECTER OF THE TEMPEST. THE central figure isa man of commanding stature, with strongly-marked features and a long, flowing beard that gives him a sort of patriarehal cignity. His dress ig rude and coarse and soiled and worn; yet it seems to partake of the rugged character of the man. : ; In the hollow of his arm he carries a long rifle; bullet-pouch and powder-horn are slung from his shoulders; and in his broad leathern belt is thrust a heayy hunting-knife, He walks with the stride of a conqueror; there is a grand, uplifted look on his expressive brow ; his eyes kindle aud his bronzed face is aglow with that high enthusiasm which must have nidried the sturdy old Crusaders At his side walks a younger man, perhaps three or four-and twenty, rather slight in build, a regular features and small hands and tect, xt ; sos Aarti tongeh Zo solled Vivi A ust of ravel, is of fine material and fashionable cut. From his shirt bosom of spotless linen blazes a magnificent diamond. aria ore of costly mounting and exquisite workmans an Tn manner he has the ease of a polished man of the world, with that blase air which comes of ‘‘fast” city life. we But Jules St. Auburn is redeemed from effem- inacy by an eye which, winsome and rather languid when it rests upon a woman, assumes when looking at a mana clenr, steady light that never fails to command respect. No bully in his sober senses ever nie to ‘crowd bim.” peebing ir men fo ane a fralp ote hae ti emigrant wagons wn by patier e oxen, and cccupted by the w« melt and children and household gods of these sturdy pieneers in the new El Dorado; while last ane riven the cattle with which they are to stock their wilder ness home, naif. _On either side rise rocks, cliff on cliff, shut- ting in the vista in front and in the rear by the windings of the gorge, seeming ever toclose the little band in a deep well whose jagged outlines at the top loom grins against ba clear blue sky. Under foot, the way is obstructed by huge bow]ders which, by frosts and the slow wearing of the waters, have become detached from the powering. crags, to fall into a As Pada ing ae pe their jagged angles (| | nm are worn smooth Eomicbooks (E (0)