Beadle's New York Dime Library, No. 22 — page 17: what you’re looking at

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

.s your heels, sooner or later. You'd better have a dozen bloodhounds at your baek, than one Kid Kerly. I’M revenge him! I swear it, by this airth, and sky, and water!” flaving made this vow, Kid’s mind seemed easier. He had now a trail to guide him, and tlie minérs would have had just reason to fear, had they seen him patiently following their tracks. In a thick cluster of bushes not far from the shore, he found Bernard’s rifle and ammunition. He slung the rifle upon his back, econ with thé sliot-pouch and powder-flask, and continued his way. The trail trended off to the south, in the direction of Ralph Quimby’y cabin, of which he, in due time, eame in sight Kerly entered it with misgivings. He found Neil Travis ex- hausted upen the bed. There vere fresh spots of blood upon the floor. ‘“‘ Have they been here ?” inquired the moun- taineer. « Yes, they have been here,” answered Travis, rising. “ And they’ve gone, too.” “ And you's alone with ‘em ?”’ * Quite alone with them.” . There was something fierce and stern in the ung man's voice. “Well?” said Kerly, inquisitively. “Ralph Quimby wished to throttle me; he tried it. But Nat Stratton stood trembling, like a man With delirium tremens. If they had both set upon me at.onee! These arms of mine are not overgrown, but there’s a deal of energy in ’om. I threw him off in a moment; he fell heavily ; his head struck on the stone hearth. He didn't expect that; he thought my wounds had'made me helpless. But I believe they made me more dangerous. When Ruiph arose, I no- ticed that he was giddy, and there was a crim- soh ooze from his mouth. Would you have looked for such an ending #8 this?” The mountaineer sat down on a block and studied the features of Travis, somewhat, before answering. “Sartin not! You're agamechieken ; ought to be in the mounvains. But this hoss can’t stop to talk; there's business afore him. The gil's got to be found, and Bernard’s death avenged.” * Bornird? Dead ?” exelaimed Neil. “Ay, rubbed out and sent adrift; and the ‘copper-digyin’ critters are at the bottom on’t!” * And Nathalia ?” JT wasn't speakin’ o’ her in partie lar, though | I heerd she's missin’. That solemn critter, Whitelaw, told us ont. ‘l'was another femi- nine that we found starvin’, that I had in my mind. We took care on her—Bernard and I— and nussed her up as if we was her brothers. But she was stole from us, was Mary Danton.” * What!” cried Travis, wildly. “Come, now, none o’ that! You look as if u’s voin’ to run mad and bite me. What's Mar Danton to you ?” *t Mary | anton!” repeated Neil Travis, spring- ing to his feet and staygering toward Kid Ker- ly. ‘“ What's Mary Danton to me ?” he vocifer- ated. ‘ What is she to me but Mary Danton, and being that, she is al/—everything! Don't: trifle with me, mountaineer. If you have acei- dentally heard that name, don’t come here to pay upon me with it.” Peace, boy—peace !" answered Kerly, sooth: | ingly, whose perceptions were quick. °I’m> not the man to harm your Mary Danton—if she is yours. Bernard Ross and I snatehed her from starvation.” “ Bat my Mary Danton was not this one!” shouted Travis, like one distracted. ‘‘She was delicate as a lily, fair as the morning, sweet as the honey-dew! Don't come here to torture me, trapper.” “Softly, sonny—soltly |!” answered Kid, with wonderf.l forbearance. ‘“ There's no need to work ourselves into a fever; we might as wel! act like reasonable critters. I never trapped a beaver nor an otter so smooth and povty to look at as this same Mary Danton. As for fair- ness, a cloudless day isn't so fair; and as for aweetness, I should judge she might be sweet. She was lost, any way, and we found her and took cure of wr. One of us kept near her all tle time till last night, when Bernard, hearin’ me fire, come out to see what I'd got. ‘Twas a deer I'd been lucky enough to save, and we eut it up and lugged it in, thinkin’ that we'd. cook the nicest pieces for her. The upshot on’t was, that she couldn't be found when we return. ser We diskivered tracls in = litile camp, and some signs of a 6 le; when we knowed) she was seantil off.”’ ter | “What you are telling me sounds like @ dream,” said Travia. _ Whitelaw. asks “Wish ’twas, and nothin’ more’; but you see | of an hour, Kerly halted in a thick growth of . you can’t make a dream of a reality.” young pines. Cutting some bonglis and spread- “And you haven’t found her? You dun’t | ing his blanket on them for Travis to rest on, le know where she is ? You ean’t tell what hae hap~ | produced his pipe, filled, lighted it, and castin —_ to her?” Travis clasped his hands, ard | himself quietly upon the mossy earth, smoke ooked at the trapper imploringly. | composedly, and watched the dark wreaths curl- “True, every word on’t! You've said jest | ing up through the branches. what I ilon’t know.” “ Be quiet a moment,” answered Neil Travis, CHAPTER XVIII. THE SHIBBOLETH. | | sitting down upon tle bed. “ This intelligence has nearly overpowered me. Don’t speak till| Mary Danton was glad to sit upon the soft seat offered by Ralph. Wer strength was exihansted, I am calm.” Travis trembled violently, at first, but pre- | and her mind depressed by harrowing fears, The dampness of the walls, the grim arcties sently his nerves grew steadier. ‘ There !’’ he said. “I am more manly. You gave me a be- | above her, tlie dimness that pervaded the pass- ages, the moody faces of the men, the sepulebh-. wildering shock. I will be frank with you, mountaineer. Mary Danton is my sweetheart.” | ral stillness, all conspired to fill herwith dread ‘“ Diskivered that myself 1” replied Kerly, | and doubt. How could she for a moment feel safe? How could she close her eyes to tranquil dryly. yD woulld have married her, but they would | sleep, and awake refreshed and hopeful? She not let me. They said she was too young, and | sat a long time and watched the miners. Th that I was not the man to make her happy. Her kindled a fire ; they brought food from another father and brother were hard with me. I was part of the mine, and cooked it. They invited angry and miserable, and went away.’ But I was ae to join their repast, but she shook her head going back to her; I could not live without her. | despairingly. ‘That's the way the matter stands with Mary Danton and Neil Travis.” eourage.” “ Wah!” “This place is so horrible !” she murmured. “Tell me again about finding her. I want to | “It is so dreadful to be here.” know just how it happened.” Kerly related the young woman, and the details respecting her have passed many nights here in comfort. Wo disappearance, together with’ his more recent have both fuel and food ; you need neither be discoveries on the Jake shore. Travis listenc-d to) cold nor hungry.” him attentively. When he had finished, Travis Mary shivered. said ; ** Young woman,” added Ralph, “ you are dis- “Throw me my hunting-shirt, comrade; it | tressing yourself with unnecessary terrors. It hangs on that peg yonder.” is true we brought you here by mistake. When “What you goin’ to do?” Kid inquired. we seized you in the darkness, we thought it was “ Put it on, of course ” replied Neil. another. Now you are with us, you must make “ Well, after you put it on, what you goin" to | the best of it. ‘Wrap yourself in those blankets do?” queried Kerly. | and forget your troubles. Le who disturbs “Find Mary Danton!" answered Travis, with | you”—he glanced at Stratton—‘ will haye to low voice, an compressed lips. disturb me first. Ill heap the fayots so high “You look like it !’" said Kerly, with a good- | that the blaze shall make you warm, and ke: p humored grunt. “ Why, you're so weak, you | this dark plac# cheerful while you sleep.” couldn't foller yourself to your own grive, if There was a certain mA earnestness in you's dead this mintite !” tg Ralph's voice that indueed M:ry Danton to “Tam strong, now; you have cured me. You | },Jace some confidence in what he said. No one shall see wliat a resolute will can do. It would | needed rest more than she. A!ter keeping wake- be my duty to hunt for her, if I had to eraw! on | ful what appeared to her a long time, her head my hands and knees. Do you think I eould he gradually sank on the blank. ts, and she lost here on this bed, and she in the hands of vil | consciousness in sleep. But she often started in lains? No, no! it would be a bed of thorns—a | alarm, from horrible dreams and the “arkest couch of fire!” fancies of slumber. Whenever her eyes un- Neil Travis took # turn across the room. closed, she saw Ralph sitting with his back “Look at me! Is not my step steady?” “It ears 80, now; but you'll give out on the | wal) behind him ; whi e Stratton, stretebed upon first mile.” the earth, turned restlessly, muttering and moan- “ We won't dispute about that,” said Neil, de- | ing. She finally forgot tieir presence, and terminedly. “ What are these wounds? Noth- | sient the profound sleep of innocence. ing; mere seratehes! The sight of Mary—if 1 find her safe—will heal them.” ing, but the men had disappeared. It was a “ But if you shouldn't? If anything has hap- | eomfort to be alone; she conld’ breathe better pened to her?” for their absence. She left her couch, warmed The perspiration started suddenly from Neil's | j,erself by the crackling flame, then comme: ced | face. to explore the place of her imprisonment, by - “In that ease,” he answered, in a hollow voice, | the aid of a miner's lamp. The mine was evi- ‘*T shall know what to do.” “Good! I can read the language of your eyes; there’s a heap of wicked talk in ’em jest now.” . Travis put on his hunting-shirt, and made hasty preparations to go with the mountaineer. ‘‘Here’s Bernard's gun and ammunition, if go you must,” said the latter. “The poor lad Il never use it again. Te little thought, when we left me, that we should never meet in this lower world any more.” . “Tt shall avenge his death!” muttered Neil, pegemty, “I'm ready.” he If there's anything to eat hereabouts, Jet’s eat ade Rie! ar ea 4 s oe ge She continued to advance. @ passave grew “Cut and help yourself, answered Neil, point- | very narrow. She saw tubs, pans, shea shovels, FP 60.8 ring of venison. You need it, | and various mining implements. A little stream “Kerley fad saat ad Hor bet owt ited came trickling down from above. Mary Dan- put them into the wallet that he ouial ufider | od rtd peter ed ac ow righty “ Lis ari, then Hesitatingly:left the olin withithe| on. Perecice seus rome 2 mmvistie | eg tape whose strength he greatly distrust- ed. He had mueb rather have undertaken the | 5: was freighted with gold ! enterprise alone, little doubting But Travis would She knew that gold was the mad, prevailing pgm ne mahioar thats help , | passion of man ; absorbed in the pursuit of it, be nd, , the mountain-man, “ to pass’ he forgot all else. For this ore he bartered hon- the night in.the neighborhood of some old cop~" or, conseienee, truth, and sometimes life. She before, and abandoned. She approached the shaft which she had so perilously descended, She could see the sunlight above. She looked for the ladder, but it had been withdrawn. She had entertained a hope thatshe should find some way of escape; thus far, she eould see none. She went cautiously in varioug direction, but — =. —-— * and repellent. There was mould on the arched roof and dreary walls. She came, at length, ‘to where the earth had been recently moved, and a too late to foller a trail.” “ As you will,” answered Travis. ‘I trust to our sagacity.” gis by | exchanged mountains of it for freedom: She re- Kid Kerly took the lead, and Neil followed) mained some mi ing at the glitteri him Brat flr signs of faltering. After a walk grains, ee oe _— / “You shan't be hurt,” said Ralph. ‘“ Take’ ships * Go tosleep!” answered Ralph. “ You shall : jmanner in which he and Bernard had found the | restin safety. You could be in a worse pliee, . _- —- o-e ee against a pile of fagots, motionless as the dis | When she awoke again, the fire was still blaz- dently an old one that had been worked years | every hole, and corner, and cranny was black’ there were fresh murks of man’s labor. It wae. curiosity, she grasped a handful of the glisten-” ing soil. The full glare of the light fell on it; i did not elate her. She had more at hazard per‘mines, The sun is gettin’, you see, and a realized the importance of this discovery, but | | than treasures -of this kind. She would have. | Eomicbooks.co —— — Pe Oe ee a er ~ en tien won a —~ -_——_ — = ee > -_—_— —