Beadle's New York Dime Library, No. 194 — page 4: what you’re looking at

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

and in a key not muc fsn4" affair go as a joke and pare their pride. After all they had said about the folly of going armed, if would look bad to enter a complaint against a man who had robbed four of them simply be- cause they had no weapons, But,” added James, ‘‘ we will hereafter go armed like Mexican brigands,” CHAPTER ILV. FORMING THE TRIAD, “Trey will come! Men always come when one whispers the magic word ‘Gold’ in their pein and itis about the only thing which will fetch ’em. Now, if I had said brass or copper to those worthy yerabonds, they would have stayed in the town all night, That is one of the peculiarities of this practical world.” The words were spoken in a gay, rollicking manner, and at, the close their speaker began to whistle An air as light as his words had been louder. He was a slenderly-built young man of me- dium size, and at first glance one would not think him possessed of much muscle, but those who had tested his mettle had been learnt a different lesson and shown that besides his strength he was so remarkably quick and sup- ple that be made an unenviable opponent, He was standing on a hillside which lay be- tween the village of Mount Tabor and the mountains, and had it not been for his own words, one would have wondered why he was at the place. Night had fallen over hill and valley, but it was not so dark but what he could see the ranches at the west and the towering mountains toward the east, get chp about the region the scenery was wild and attractive, and though the major- ity of the residents had come there for more ractical reasons, there were those who found ime for admiration, Evidently the young man on the hillside was waiting for some one, but there seemed to, be some delay in the case, and he was becoming decidedly impatient when voices on the slope below were soon followed by the outlines of two human forms. *‘ Tt’s them,” said the watcher, with a melan- choly disregard of good English, ‘‘ You can tell a nigger's voice further than you can see a blind mule.” Up the hill came two men, silent now, and looking keenly at the late watcher. ‘* Well,” said he, ‘‘are you going to salute me as becomes one of my lofty rank and ways, or will you quiver around like a leaf in a gale and wait for me to reprimand you?” It was not the voice of a man who was an- gry, and the men came forward without seem- ing to be impressed by his loftiness. “Pardon, senor,” said the foremost; ‘' we were not certain it was you.” ‘* Was who?” 4c You.” “Yes, I see; but who am I?” ‘* Oaramba ! I donot know,” and the speaker shyngece his shoulders. “No, sah,” chimed in the second man; ‘‘we hab not de slightest idea whom we hab de honor of meetin’,” ‘‘In other words, my face is new in Mount Tabor?” *** Yes, sah.” ‘There are those who know me better, but V’ll speak of that anon. I see you have come at my invitation,” ‘Si, senor. You told us there was a chance to make money, and we are always ready for anything of that kind,” ‘I thought so, Well, sit down, and I will proceed to throw light on the darkness of my ways. ; @ new-comers were both residents of Mount Tabor, and men whose chief ambition was to live with as little labor as possible, though, be- ing as poor as the traditional turkey of I ob, necessity obliged them to seek more or less manual labor. At the same time, they had easy consciences, and their allowance of honesty was in keeping with the degree of danger. These men, of whom one was a Mexican, Pablo Diaz by name, and the other a full- blooded negro, who rejoiced in the sobriquet of Major, Jones, had the previous day been ap - proached in the village by a man who had in- formed them that if they would meet him at a designated spot he would show them how to become rich men. Hence this meeting by night. ** Now, gents,” said the nger, when they had gained positions of ease, “I will my plan unfold, though it may chill your very blood horror.’ ** We'll risk the chill,” said Pablo, who had pretty correctly gauged the man. ** Well, before I proceed, I want to know the state of your nerves. I'll say right at the be- ginning that there are no throats to be cut, no liouses to be entered and no highway business: to be done,” ‘In that case, count usin, senor, Where the law is easy, our consciences will never trouble “Then to business. You, of course, know Judge Edwards Austin—by sight.” — “ ——— “* Si, senor.” ** Did you ever notice that there is a mound of some sort inside the lot of land inclosed with his house?’ ‘* No, sah,” said the negro. Diaz had hesitated, but he now spoke slowly. ‘‘T remember that, before Austin came to Mount Tabor and built his house, there used to be a mound near where the house must now stand. I had forgotten the circumstance and did not know whether it was within or without his inclosure.”’ ‘ ‘What is the history of that mound, Pablo?’ The stranger bad dropped his light air and was speaking earnestly. ‘That I cannot tell, for it was there when I first set foot in Mount Tabor. I have heard it said, however, that it is but one of the hundreds of mounds to be found all through the United States and Mexico.” ‘‘In other words, you believe it to have been built by that unknown poopie who in- CE this country before the day of history.” ‘* X es, ‘You have seen these mounds elsewhere?” “‘ Oecasionally, in Mexico.” ‘*Did you ever see one opened?” * Oaramba ! whe should they be opened? They are merely the graves of men who died hundreds of years ago. Not oven ashes would now be found,” “Tam not so sure of that. Nearly all these mounds contain something or other that has defied the passage of time. Sometimes, petri- fied co are found—” **Golly! dis chile will be excused from hand- lin’ sich trash. See nuff dead folks above ground,” os a Jones interrupted. ‘*Confound your black head! you've got me off the pulley of my eloquence. Don’t do it ag’in. I’m captain here and you'll find sharp claws under the velvet hoof. D’ye savvey, my military friend?” ‘Sorry I interrupted you, sab,” said the Major, smiling. ‘* Go on, sah.” ‘* Besides the ancient bodies, various kinds of pottery and the like are found, as well as stones with inscriptions on them which no one can read. Better than all the rest, gold is often found in these mounds, real, genuine gold. Of course it isn’t in eagles and half-eagles, nor yet in the coins of any country now known, but it is made up into all kinds of vessels for the use of water or the like—I don’t know what—and it lays around in solid bars,” ‘* Pardon, senor, but ain’t you ‘piling it ona leetle thick?” asked Pablo, forgetting the stately English he usually used. ‘Not at all, Senor Diaz; I know whereof I speak, Some of these mounds, when opened, have yielded wealth enough to make the pros- pectors independently rich. Just think of a camp-kettle which would hold ten gallons and all of solid gold!” “It is rather an unpleasant thing to contem- ‘ ‘‘ An’ mighty pleasant to handle,” added the major. ‘*T know of a mound which was opened near the Mi-sissippi which contamed a hundred thou- sand dollars in this form.” By this time the stranger had the closest at- tention of bis hearers. They were men who never read ao ror knew what was trans- piring, or had transpired, beyond tbe narrow sphere of their own observation—ignorant fel- lows in every way—and these gold+n pictures had excited their a to the utmost. ‘‘ Senor,” said Pablo, leaning forward, ‘do you think there is gold in this mound?” ‘‘The only way to find out is to open it.” “T think that I understand you. We three are to open it.” “Tf we can,” ‘“‘ What is to prevent?” “The fact that it is fenced in with Judge Austin’s house, that he has a man there in the ee of old Duke Dorval who never sleeps, and at a big dog runs loose in the yard.” ‘‘Why not seek the judge and offer him half?” “Tt won’t work. Three months ago I was in- side his house as a guest for one day. It was then that I discovered the mound, and I ap- proached him on the subject. I nearly got my- self disliked by doing so. He scoffed at the idea of the mound containing gold, co ame a me severely for desiring to meddle with sepuichers, as he expressed it, and utterly refused to have it touched. Said it was a sacred place, and all that sort of thing.” ‘‘That is bad, senor.” ‘“‘Rather. Now, then, my worthy partners, I propose that we three look into that mound unkaown to him.” : ‘“‘We kin do it easy as rollin’ off ob a log,” said Major Jones. ‘No, we can’t. The fence, the guards, man and dog, and the shortness of our time, make it difficult. Still, I propose to do it, and I want your aid. When we dig, three spades will do more work than one, and three men can carry away more gold than one. What say, shall we combine?” | ‘‘T am with you, senor,” said Pablo. ** An’ so am I,” added Major Jones. Don Sombrero, the California Road Gent. “‘Shake!” said the leader, putting out his bands. They obeyed, and, still holding their hands, he continued; ‘from this time we are brothers in the good’ cause, and we will call ourselves the Golden. Triad.” ‘** What am dat last word?” Jones asked. “Triad. It means a three-cornered combina- tion, or league of three, and comprises you two and myself, That reminds me, I baven’t intro. duced myself yet. My name is Horace Wilder, and you will find me at Hartshorne’s Hotel in: the village. Now, listen, and you shall have my plans for the future.” CHAPTER V. DON SOMBRERO, For haJf an hour longer the Triad remained in conversation. Since the day when Wilder had been the guest of Judge Austin, and had been s6 curtly answered when he spoke of the mound, he had employed his time in thinking how he conld best attain his object, and, conse- quently, he had a pretty clear idea of how he was to accomplish his end—if he sueceeded. This plan he laid before his new ullies, and then, having sworn them to secrecy, the work was done. The taking of the oath was not a romantic whim, but a measure of precaution adopted because he knew they were ignorant and superstitious, and the terms of the oath called down all manner of dire calamities in maa they proved faithless to the leegue of ree, They arose at last, and were ready to depart. ‘Will you go with us to the village, senor?” asked the Mexican. F “Not yet; I want to wander about a little rst.” ‘Take care that you do not meet Don Som- brero.” **Don Sombrero? Who the dickens is he?” “A bighwayman, and a man of mystery.. senor.” Wilder laughed merrily. ‘*IT would make a fat prize for him, since I have no less than sixty-five cents in my pockets. sie is there really such a thing as a road-agent’ ere/ Pablo crossed himself gravely. ‘*Tbere is, but he is worse than ordinary robbers. Some say he is Mephistopheles come back to earth, but I do not know. Nothing is known of him except that he rides pell-mell across the country by night, robs men when he sees fit, has a horse which no other steed can overtake, and on his head isa very wide-brimmed hat which has given him the name by which he is known.” ‘*‘ A very interesting customer, but I should think there were enough rough-and-ready chaps around Mount Tabor to cate = ‘They all fear him.” ‘*Do they? Well, I don’t, in the least, and I reckon I shall have to win the everlasting grati- tude of the people, by corraling their patent: road-agent.” ‘* You, senor?” grasped Pablo. t “Cert. Why not?’ ** He would kill you!” ‘‘Humpb! You baven’t a very high opinion . of me. Guess you don’t know who I a m. Do you remember when the New England and Californian circus was here?” ‘* Si, senor.” : a wa you see that great moral show?” ae ; y ‘Well, then, you remember the man who rode sixteen horses at once, and afterward turned a back somersault over five colossa) elephants?” ‘“*T do, senor, I do, I do.” “Well, Iam he, Behold me as I am, the king-pin of the saw-dust track, the greatest bareback rider since the days of Noah! called me Hercules, the india-rubbér man, then, but I have left the arena temporarily and am: Nig Horace Wilder. Keep it dark!” e inferior corners of the Triad gazed at him in awe. From the first, they bad had a vague idea that they had seen him before, and his assertion settled all doubts. Whatever the man was in other respects, he was certainly a remarkably supple and quick leaper and cortortionist. ey poured out their admiration freely; the major asked permission to again clasp his hand, and tben he bade them good-night and watched as they disap in the darkness. ‘So far, good,” he then said, as he lighted a cigar and resumed his seat. ‘I have secured a ir of allies who, I think, will suit my purpose. well, They are strong and not afraid of any- thing human, if I read them aright, and at the same time, so ignorant and stupid that, if i succeed in my work, I shall be able to secure the lion’s share of the spoils.” di His voice ceased and he gazed steadily at vacancy, ws He was rather a remarkable man, this ex- rider of horses and elephants, Born somewhere —it is doubtful if he, himself, knew where— he had been a sailor in his youth, but striking a noted ‘‘show,” when eighteen years of age, ap ee a ~ . + = — Ps 7. Gomiicbooks €O