Beadle's New York Dime Library No. 114 — page 22: what you’re looking at

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22° ferocity, and.one with, erect figure, and frank, m face glowing with honest indignation. ‘‘Howld .on, Tom. O’Connor!” | growled Mickey; ‘‘ ye’re crowdin’ me. too haird, mabn! I'll Vave yez go ’asy, now; but I'll be aven wid yez, yet, fur this,” ‘* Don’t ye minace me, RORDOAGSR. or [ll ave not a whole bone in yer cowardly skin! Since Musther Carleton has said it, go/—an’ the divil go wid yez! Tha-ur’s wan to remimber an honest man by!” sty 4e And he delivered a tremendous kick in the rear which shot Mickey forward like a stone hurled from a catapult. ; The discomfited villain turned and shook his fist at the man who had put upon him so weil- merited an indignity; but, not heeding him, O’Connor turned to address Carleton, Tbe man bad disappeared! ‘‘Och! but I must deliver me missage!” mut- tered O'Connor, drawivg the note from his et. Ya though he ran in the direction he sup- ed the Gentleman from Pike had taken, he ailed to find him. Then he called him again and again, making the rocks ring with bis name; but his shouts died away among the echoing rocks, and no re- sponse came back. Forced at last to abandon the search as hope- less, the honest Celt concluded that it would be wisest to return to her who had sent him and report his misadventure. utere he reached the camp his heart was turned to ice by a cry so terrible that wild beasts fled. before it. ‘¢ The Ghost o’ the Canyon!” muttered O’Con- nor, and he shrunk cowering to the ground, But the voice receded, and at last he plucked up courage to basten on, A few minutes brought him in sight of the cabin where be bad left Lilian Amberleigh. Beyond, through the darkiess, he could see lights gleaming in the mining camp, and shadowy forms hurrying to and fro, while from before the Metropolitan came the sound of ex- cited voices. Brexthlessly the Irishman ran to the cabin. He gained the threshold. The door stood wide. The house was untenanted. ‘‘ Howly Saints defind the colleen!” he eried, crosaing himself, while his hair seemed to rise on end; ‘‘ the Ghost o’ the Canyou has made way wid her!” CHAPTER XXXI. BELLA SEAFORD TRIUMPHS. On the wings of t.e wind flew the Frisco Sharp down the deserted street, and was lost in the darkness beyond before the “hells” began to disgorge throngs of excited men. The abductor was pereciv.d by no one; but some of the foremost were just in time to catch a glimpse of adread monster which had coursed t b the camp almost at his heels, filling the air with those blogs qussing cries. “Gents,” said Moxy, solemnly, ‘‘that thar ain’t the sign o’ no good luck for this hyar camp —yoe hyear me ?” The miners stood in the middle of the street and gazed into the darkness where the monster had Tienppennsd. and slowly shook their heads in an awed silence. A window in the second story of the Metro- palten was raised, and Mrs. Seaford’s head rust forth. ‘* What was that, gentlemen?” she asked, her | voice shaken with the trepidation of fear. “The Ghost, ma’am,” replied Moxy, “The Ghost?” But, before he had time to explain, a halloo was heard from the direction of the Angel Works, and a man was seen running forward at the top of his s , ‘‘The Gentieman from Pike!” exclaimed Judge Wiggins. up there!” ‘* No,” said Moxy—‘' it’s Tom O’Connor.” ‘Och, murdther, b’ys! cried the Celt, com- ing up breathlessly,” phat will we do! Bad luck fo this day, but the Ghost o’ the Canyon has made way wid the Angel o’ this camp, intirely !” ee What’s that?” cried Judge Wiggins. “Pon me sowl, there’s niver a wan in the house! Wasn’t it Miss Lillie that sint me afther the Gintleman from Poike, that. worried that she couldn’t resthrain the tears from her swate eyes? An’ wha-ur did I find ’um but on the bluff beyant, jist afther fur bein’ murdther- = by Mose Finley and Mickey Fiannigan, e— ‘‘ What’s that? The Gentleman from Pike murdered?’ chorused. several of the crowd, gathering about O’Connor excitedly. ‘*Be ’asy, me darlint!—as the pin says to Teddy Maglody, whin he set down on it una- wares. ud the likes o’ thim spalpeens shtand up,ag’in’ a man loike the Gintleman from Poike? Bad scan to them! wasn’t it Mose Finley that lay stone dead, an’ Mickey Flannigan yelliu’ bloody. murdther?. Faith, .tha-ur’s she. divil now!» Did he have a hand in sperritin’ off Miss | Lillie, I dunno?” As Mickey, pale with fear, creptforward to leary the cause of the excitement, ihe crowd wasting time! ‘**There’s something wrong | ee _ J The Gentleman from Pike: pounced upon him, and with furious oaths and the brandishing of weapons, demanded Lili Amberleigh. In vein he protested his innocence. His at- tempt against her guardian’s life told against him. In a twinkling the, excited men had a rope, about his neck, and were dragging him to- ward the cabin. While they were there a man strode among them, with stern brow and face now pale with apprehension. ‘What is the meaning of this? What is the matter? Has anything happened to—” But the name died on his lips. The Gentle- man from Pike swept every one from bis path and strode into the house, swinging wide the doors and examining its four rooms with the raplaity of a whirlwind, hen he turned upon the crowd a face terri- ble to look upon in its anguish and stern men- ace. ‘*Sreak! speak!” he cried, in a choking voice. “What bas happened? Where is Miss Amber- eigh? n a few words he was put in possession of all the known facts, by Judge Wiggins. . Then he looked over the crowd with despair and angry impatience in his eyes, as he noted the look of superstitious awe on every face. ‘Men, he cried, ‘‘ this Ghost, of the Canyon is all bosh, as far as anything supernatural is concerned. I tell you it issome man who has his own ends. to nacomplels Suppose some one has found a rich strike, and has taken this means of frightening others away, while he coins his millions? I dare hunt this thing, whatever itis, to its lair. How many of you dare tollow me?” The wily suggestion of wealth out of which they might be tricked inflamed the avarice of the crowd. But Tom O’Connor, from pure courage and love for the abducted girl, cried :— ‘*Count on me fur wan! I'll folly yez to the divil an’ back!” ‘ T want ten men, to whom I will guarantee,a hundred dollars each in any event, and. five hundred when we recover the lady,” said the Gentleman from Pike, who knew the weight of a certainty. Instantly the crowd was at his disposal, From them he picked ten in whose courage he felt that he could rely in any ordinary case, Then, without deigning a glance at the shiver- ing wretch whom the crowd still held, le strode from their midst, straight toward the Metropol- itan Hotel. Tiere was but one guest chamber of any pre- tensions, and, assuming that Mrs. Seaford would oceupy this, he went directly to it, and entered without the ceremony of knocking, The lady, standing in the middle of the room, received him with disdain and defiance. She ran :— ‘ You seem to have forgotten the courtesy—” But the Gentleman from Pike interrupted her sternly. ‘‘T am in no humor for trifling,” he said struggling hard to control the passion that prompted him to annihilate this woman ata stroke. ‘‘ You see that your vile emissaries have failed in their attempt on my lile, a defenseless woman they have been more suc- ces: ful, Tell me who they are, and. what they have done with hor.” By what ‘‘You are talking in riddles, sir. right do you accuse me—” “Stop!” cried the Gentleman from Pike, growing fairly purple with suppressed rage. ‘One word of equivocation or evasion will make me forget that you area woman! Were you a man, I should have strangled you to death without a word. As it is, I almost question your claims upon 4 forbearance, But weare Speak! Where is the girs you have caused to be abducted?” ’ A wicked smile of triumph lighted Mrs. Sea- ford’s face. ‘‘ Find her!” she cried, defiantly. ‘Woman! woman! do not try me too far!” cried the Gentlewan from Pike, seizing her wrist, ‘“Unhand me, you ruffian!’’ cried Mrs. Sea- ford. ‘‘Oh! your matbood has improved strangely by association with this creature! How dare you come to me from such a vile—” With a savage cry, this man who had_ been wronged and hy hy 7 payed endurance, and now saw her he loved better than himself threatened by a nameless peril, while the perpe- trator of the wrong not only gloried in her wickeness and defied him, but vilified her inno- cent victim—with a savage cry he caught the woman by the throat. But before his fingers closed upon her delicate flesh, he remembered himself, and released her. Nos at all hurt, but cowed for an instant by the fury to which her insolence had wrought the man, Mrs, Seaford stood speechles . Before she had time to recover herself, the Gentleman from Pike had turned and rushed a the room. He could not trust himself there. As he emerged from the hotel he saw the form of Mickey Flannigan dangling at the end of a rope and writhing in mid-air, surrounded by a hooting With | mob.. So utter was bis, contemptfor | | this cowardly. wretch, that: he heeded: him no more thau if he had been a dog. - While he dis- dained to strike him himself, he would not raise a Anger i" rolong, his worthless life. F ‘* Men e cried, in ringing tones, ‘f prepare torches, and begin the search,at,once!’’. a 7” i aan minutes later the camp was. ablaze with ight. Meanwhile it was discovered that Mose Finle was the only man missing from camp. uickened the superstitions of the men. Who then but the Ghost of the Canyon could have carried the gir] off? But the Gentleman. from Pike called attention to the fact. that a horse had preceded the mys+ terious get emo and ,diligent,.search covered the place where a horse had been tied not far from the.cabin. With this beginning they commenced the search, but lost -the trail on the-rocky ground before they had followed it balf a mile... When the morning dawned, and they. were. no nearer success than when they set out, the Gentleman from Pike realized that he hada difficulo and uncertaiu ‘task before him. His agony was beyond words.. There wasno violent outward manifestation. He seemed. turned to stone. Only his eyes glittered with something akin to insanity. Buti if he writhed with pain at the uncertainty of Lilian Amberleigh’s fate, his heart glowed like molten iron with hatred of the woman who had twice blighted his life. ‘‘T will wring the secret from her if I have.to resort, to torture!” he cried in bis agony. ‘ By: heaven she shall yield! Is the mere fact of . her womanhoud cient to give her immunity». in crime? No! no!, My darling shall not be sacrificed to her jealous hatred! But when he sought her he found that she had.,, fled in the night, An attempt to follow her, on which .great bope,.was, built at the. outset, proved as fruitless as the previous search. :. ‘* Then, when he stood face, to face, with de- spair, the Gentleman from Pike and his party: : came upon the strangest spectacle they, ever a nessed, except only the Ghost. of the Canyon, Indeed, at first sight, the miners were terrified, | thinking that they had come.at. last upon the , great mystery in broad daylight, and one cried: ‘*Good God! thar’s the Ghost!—two.of ’em, fur rocks! Scatter, gents!—scatter!” » ‘* Stop!” thund the Gentleman from: Pike, drawing a revolver. ‘' The first, man who at- tempts, to run will be dropped in his tracks! Now let us see what this is that everybody fears so much, | CHAPTER XXXII. CALLED TO ACCOUNT, THE sun beats warm and bright down intovw canyon cut in the solid rock by the corroding floods of a thuusand years. The red-staine rock, the green pines, the misty waterfalls, are all familiar to the eye, But in, the bottom of the pane are moving two objects well calculated to fill the beholder with amazement, .even. in that country of marvels. They are a man and woman—but such a man and woman! The former is tall and muscular, withthe bearing of a king. His deeply-bronzed face is molded into features of remarkable strength and nobility. His eyes are keen and restless, as. from a life of ceaseless vigilance. His lon flowing beard and hair give Lim an air of wild majesty. is apparel is of undressed bearskin, and of the most primitive fashion. His arms. consist of a bow and arrows, a rude mace formed of a rock f:stened to a handle with the sinews of some animal, a hatchet of flint, a sort of pike or jovelin, and a knile or dagger made froma Lone, The woman .s remarkable for great delicacy of feature and exquisite symmetry of form, Her hair, also long. and flowing, would be the envy of a Metropolitan telle. Bué on-her beautiful face rests the pathos of a great sor- row. She is apprreled in the skin of the mountain goat, Gressed to a snowy whiteness, and fasbion- ed into garments of strange beauty. At her back she carries a Low and quiver, a slender, flint-beaded lance in Ler hand, and in her girdle a bone poniard., It is as if this strange pair had been translated from the stone age into this modern day. The man speaks, and in English. ‘Courage! courage, dear friend. Have we waited during ten years of hopeless inactivity, rou aval Dow at the very threshold of our under- in ‘‘ Yes, I know,” replied a sweet, piteous voice. ‘* But the world seems so big. I never realized it until now. Am. I ungrateful? But I have suffered—oh! I have suffered so long!” . Tears sprung to the eyes of the man at the. utter desolation of that cry. - ‘‘Hush! bush!” he admonished, gently;) ‘Let. us not doubt God’s wisdom or own apt . In. Bis own time and .way.be sure that He will work the greatest good of his creatures,” - The woman,only sobbed; ~ GComicbooks {E(O)