Beadle's New York Dime Library No. 189 — page 18: what you’re looking at

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

Wild Bill’s Gold Trail. ' (Has she any of ber warriors with her?” ‘‘Sbe has a score of the hunters who were of the Iron Eyes band, and now call her their chief.” ‘‘T wish the Red Dove and four of her braves to go on a war trail with me, if the Black Bear does not object.’’ “The Red Dove is the sister of the white chief, and he has taken the place in her heart as the Iron Eyes, so she can go where she will with her brother,” said Black Bear, calmly, and little dreaming that the sisterly love of Red Dove for Wild Bill. was only a mask to hide her deeper feelings. ‘“‘The Red Dove will go, and four, or more, of her warriors shall accompany her, if so the white chief wishes,” said the maiden. ‘‘ No, four are enough, for the Ked Dove is to as many more, and her aid and ad- vice will be all that I wish.” ‘‘ What trail does the white chief follow?’ asked Black Bear, in a way that seemed to show it was of little interest to him. ‘* The Black Bear has heard of the wicked white band under the chief, Captain Tiger?” Black Bear nodded. ‘The Tiger chief has captured friends of mine, and bis stronghold is so hidden that I cannot find it.” ‘(The eyes of my warriors will be blind if the white chief cannot see a trail,” ‘No, for they can aid me if we cannot find » “The chief knows best,” said Black Bear. ‘“‘The Tiger chief has taken my friends to his stronghold, and I wish to rescue them. “T have disguises to make me an old man, and I will seek the retreat of the bad pale- faces, and Red Dove and her braves will help me.” ‘‘The Red Dove will do all she can,” said the en, ‘‘ Ts she well mounted?” “Yes; her pony is near.” ‘‘ And her braves?” ‘‘She will pick the best, and those whose ponies are fresh.” ““Tt is well. **T thank the Black Bear and the Red Dove, and before the shadows are straight we must be on our way.” That meant noon, and before that hour Wild Bill, with Red Dove by his side, and four red allies Yollowing, rode out of the camp, and held their way toward the mountains, through which ran the Overland trail. CHAPTER XXXV. TRAILERS AT FAULT, WHeEn the scouts who were with the mining party under Harvey Haviland, and the best of whom was Andy Rush, the stage-driver, set to work to follow the trail of the horseman who had escaped, they were surprised to find the tracks of a second horse following the outlaw. This in a measure accounted for the remark- able discovery of the man hanging by the lariat and showed that it was the work of one person alone. ' They had not gone very far before both trails were distinctly visible crossing some soft d, and here Andy Rush came to a halt. ‘“‘ Boys,” he said, in his quiet way. “‘I reads these signs now purty plain.” ** Well, Andy?” asked the parson. ““Thar are ther diff’rence o’ a hour or so be- tween ther makin’ of ’em.” “That we all knows,” said a listener. **Ther fust am made by ther outlaw who got when ther parson tackled ’em.” oie Yes ” “ Ther second I recognizes.” ** You know who left the trail, Andy?’ asked Harvey Haviland, evident from the stage- driver’s assured manner that he had made some t discovery, but would take his own | way of making it known, “Tt were a horse.” “That is evident; but who was his rider?” ‘¢ You seen a man hangin’ back yonder?” “ Yes.” ‘Waal, ther rider o’ ther horse thet left this trail strung thet feller up.” ‘* But who was he, Andy?” ‘Waal, he are a man thet makes it useless fer us ter continoo our trailin’, lest we wants ter find only dead meat.” “Why so?’ “’Cauge he are a feller thet calls in more ohips then any gerloot in these heur diggin’s, an’ his pame are Wild Bill.” _—- All started, and every voice whispered the name: “ Wild Bill!” ‘* Fact.” ** Are you sure?” “TI knows ther tracks o’ his animile, Mid- night, same as I does my own, Pard Parsodn,” ‘Then you think he is fully capable of tak- ing care of the outlaw?’ ‘‘-Yas, an’ he are capable o’ takin’ keer o’ ther whole capoodlum o’ outlaw varmints ef he gits a fa’r an’ squar’ fight out o’ ’em,” ‘‘Wrom what I have seen and heard of the noted ranchero, I believe you are right, Andy; | but at any rate we will press on to see if we | can make any discovery.” This decision of the Fighting Parson set the party on the forward trail once more, and Andy Rush and the other skilled prairie and mountain men followed the tracks without any apparent difficulty. It led through the wildest part of the moun- tain, and so unswervingly that it was evident the outlaw had his bearings down well and was heading for some direct point. As unswervingly the trail of Wild Bill fol- lowed, until at last both grew more dim when the harder, flinty ground was reached, and the trailers halted, wholly at fault. In vain did they exert their entire skill to discover some trace of those they followed. It was useless, and an hour’s search, by every one of the party, proved that the trail was irrevocably lost. ‘‘But what had Wild Bill done?’ That was the general query, He was not a man to give up a trail be had once set out upon, and, if he had not discovered some trace to follow up, why then did they not find him there still looking for it? This unanswerable question set them all to searching once more, but again without result. The outlaw could not have had more than an hour’s start of them at first, and yet he left no trail further than they then were, Wholly at fault, the trailers were forced to give up a further advance and set ost upon their return to Poker City. But they swore earnestly that they weuld re- organize as a band of Vigilantes and yet hunt down the Desperado Dozen. ‘Yas, yer’ll do it, ef Wild Bill don’t save yer ther trouble. ; ‘But as fer me, I continoos ter drive ther old horse over ther Overland an’ trust in luck,” muttered Andy Rush, as all started on the baek trail, greatly disappointed at not having a brush with Captain Tiger and his men, CHAPTER XXXVI. RED RUTH’S DISCOVERY, Tue party of miners had hardly ridden away from the spot, where Parson Haviland had humanely buried the outlaws, when the ring of hoofs was heard coming down the mountain side. It was an Indian pony, wiry, quick-footed, and evidently fleet, while its hide was glossy, as though well groomed, and white as snow. Upon the back of the pony was a rider, and from a distant point the movements of the miners had been plainly visible to her, for it was a woman, Once before the reader has met the horse- woman, and cannot fail now to recognize Red Ruth. ‘‘T will see who it is they have hanged and buried,” she muttered, as she rode up to the new-made grave. From her distant point of observation she had seen them cut down a human form, that had been hanged to a limb, and bury it. She had reached the spot where she halted and observed them, just as they lowered the form, and consequently believed that they had also strung it up. Seeing that the miners had started off rapidly, evidently following a trail, Red Ruth dismounted from her pony, and taking her knife from her belt, at once began to throw out the soft earth of the new-made grave, It was not very deep, and had been loosely thrown in, and she was but ashort while com- ing to the clothing that covered a form. She seized. it and drew out the body. “Ha! itis the companion of Dudley Dun- can, and called himself Kit. ‘“‘ wonder where he ts.” She now discovered that the grave contained a second body, and instantly she set to work again and soon dragged out the form of the other. ] ‘God in Heaven!.he,is. yet warm,” she cried, and sv paced her fingers upon the pulse, But there came no pulsation to her touch. Yet he was not cold as was the other, and she bent over and laid ber head upon his breast, just over the heart.” ‘* He lives!” She fairly shouted the words, and at once she set to work, chafing the swollen heck and rubbing hard to create circulation, For a long time she believed her efforts would be in vain; but at last the beat quick- ened, and a sigh came from between the stern lips. Harder she worked, and soon after the eyes opened. There was only a vacant stare in them, a shudder shook the frame, and then the man lay as though asleep. He shall live,” she said with almost savage earnestness. ‘‘T wonder why he was here, and in this rig, when I believed him in the camp of Cap- tain Tiger?” she said, asking herself the ques- ' tion aloud, At last, after she had held a flask of liquer _ to the lips, and bathed the face and neck with ———EEEe cold water from the rivulet, the eyes of Dud- ae Duncan opened again, and he recognized er. rT ” ' os Ruth, he said in a hoarse whisper. “ Where am I?’ i Safe.” He shuddered, and, after a pause eaid: * But am I not dead?” ** You’don’t look it,” ‘‘ Am I dreaming?” She pricked him with the ond of her bowie, while she said: ** Do you feel that?” “T certainly do,” ** Dead men do not feel pain; but you made @ narrow miss of it.” “Yes, I remember now I met Wild Bill.” “Ha! he then was at the head of the miners?” | “No he was alone.” a “ Alone! why there were twenty of them.” “Twenty what?’ Miners.” “No, Red Ruth, he was alone, and he did the work by himself,” ‘What work?’ ‘* Hanging me.” “Do you mean to say that Wild Bill alono mastered and hanged you?” ! **T do not know.” “Ah! I forgot you were strung wp, and Wild Bill doubtless left you for dead” ” oh ‘Te so.” ** And the miners found you?” _ ‘“‘So I suppose if they were here.” “ Here! why, man, they buried you!” ‘Buried me?’ ' He turned livid, for his eyes now fell upon his dirt-begrimed clothes and the yawning grave, upon the edge of which lay Kit Carr. “Yes, they buried you and your pard Kit there.” * Oh, God!” Tt is awful; and.I am glad my w man’s curiosity sayed you, for I wished to see whom they had buried and dug you up. | “Kit was stone dead, but you felt warm, and then I set to work to resuscitate you.” Me Ruth, I am your slave henceforth in @, ‘No; I want no man for my slave. | ‘But come, take a pull at this flask and then shake yourself together, for I, wish to know how it is I find you here and in this rig, when you left my cabin in a far different one?” He staggered to his feet and after seyeral efforts partially cast off the horror upon him and regained in a measure his stre Then he told Red Ruth of his mission and the flight of Hyena Harry. ‘“ That man?” she said, hoarsely, “Yes, Ruth; and I intended to gain his con- fidence, and then as soon as possible get him into your power, Now, as he cowardly deserted me, flying from one man, I am doubly anxious to place him in your hands and leave him to your ten- der mercies.” ‘Do so, and the debt you owe me for pull- ing you out of the grave and bringing you back to life will be more than repaid.” cS GomiGcnee