Beadle's New York Dime Library, No. 22 — page 21: what you’re looking at

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

= _, hedges up the way of the transgressor, arid places an accusing angel at every turn. Heé realized how sweet would be the innocence of childliood: He resisted these softer waves of thought: “We need courage and cunnitig,” he said, presently. ‘ Have we not both? Come, let us to the mine’ When there, we will decide what to dw.” Quimby led the way silently, and Nat followed } him, wrapt in his own gloomy thoughts. Reach- ing the shaft, they drew the long ladder from the brakes where it was concealed, lowered ‘it, and descended. Ralph was the first to reach the ground. — “ What means this ?”’ he muttered. no light here! Has the girl let it go out? left oil enough to burn a fortnight.” * Women always bring bad luck,” answered Stratton. “ Push along, and strike a light; for I hate darkness ; I fear to see something in it that will terrify me.” “ Nothing worse than yourself!” said Ralph, feeling his way on. ‘ The fire is entirely out, too,” he added, stumbling over the brands. ‘Miss Danton—Mary Danton!” Nothing but echo responded. Ralph raised his voice ; he shouted “Mary Danton” again and again. The vaulted arches took up the call mockingly, and the name rolled resonantly this way and that, as though a hundred gemi had mouthed it. “ Find a lamp !” cried Ralph, angrily. “ Can’t you do anything, Nat?” | “They're gone, by —!” growled the latter. “It's a lie! You don’t know what you're about ! See how quick I'll put my lands on Ralph groped over every inch of the spot where the lamps were invaria)ly placed when they left the mine. A volley of oaths announeed his want of suecess and disappointment. Then echo swore afir off in the black passages. “The mine is full of devils!” said Stratton, nervously. “ She's playing us a trick !’’ grumbled Ralph. “Oome out, Miss Danton, come out! Don’t hide any longer. The joke is a good one, if you don’t make it last too long.” Mary Danton did not come to end the jest. “These girls are full of tricks,” complained Quimby. ‘ Damn the echoes!” Echo faithfully reiterated Ralph’s last senti- ment, * Bah!” grunted the miner; and set himself to gathering the brands, preparatory to kindling afire. After mueh muttering and ill-temper, a little blue flame appeared, which, being careful- ly nursed and supplied with fagots, blazed up brilliantly. «Throw me.@ blanket to sit on,” said Quim- by. ‘I’m tired.” “Find ’em, will meaning response. “ Gone |” cried Ralph, glancing at the spot where the heap of blankets should have been. “The work of your pretty prize!” sneered Nat. “ We shall get a ong nicely in this way. She'll be a valuable housekeeper. You see what comes of keepin’ her.” “Don't complain, comrade. I’ve set my mind on her, the same as you have on Nattie.’’ “T wish you joy of her!” “ Well, well, ’tisn’t best to take at seriously. After we've caten a mouthful, we'll take some brands from the fire and hunt her up. She's only playing hide-and-seek with us I'd rather have her playful than sulky.” Quimby went to his subterranean closet to bring forth those yiands 80 welcome toa hungry We ye?” was the laconic and man, and of which he had reason to suppose he should find a plentiful supply. His astonish- ment was not a little enlanced when his eyes fell on the empty shelves, and wandered up and down the vacant niche. Stratton exulted in his cha- rin, ‘ aa? ‘Tis an excellent jest, indeed !” he said, with a coarse laugh. “ What.a playful thing it is!” Ralph caught a blazing fagot from the fire, and began to search the yarious windings of the mine in asingular urry and tre idation. With a sardonic smile, Stratton seized another toreh ‘and accompanied him. They explored every l recess ; they thrust their torches into nooks and corners where a weasel couldn’t hide; the - shouted till they were hoarse ;. and not satisfied, | 7 ran over the same, ground again and again. “A pretty Pottrces ! yrumbled Stratton, easting his dying brand into the fire from which he had taken it. “ Escaped!” said Ralph, in dismay.’ “Some one has been there.’ “T don’t Know how anybody could get down or up without a ladder,” auswered Stratton, C+. ”_ “ There's! — Whitelaw. a ee ** rope, perhaps,” suggested Ralph. ‘ Some- body may have heard her cries, and drawn her | gloomily. “ It'll up witha rope.” “ It don’t seem possible ;.she’d been torn and laeerated: on the pointed rocks, while swingin’ in air like # pendulum.’’ “ One thing is true,” answered Ralph, spite- fully, “ if.she’s gone, our secret’s gone with her.” ‘‘ You want. to provoke me,” returned Nat. * It’s the simple truth! When I returned to the mine yesterday morning, alone, I found her in,our diggings, with a handful of earth, exam- ining the bright, yellow particles; which were no brighter than she, for she knew what it was. I tell you this, that you may see the importance of getting her back again,” “ Everything goes wrong!” exclaimed Nat, with an cath. ‘ If you'd taken my advice, you'd turned her adrift as soon as we found out our mistake. Somebody would have picked her up, I daresay.” “T tell ye, Nat Stratton, that she pleased me ! I'd rather lose all my hoards of gold than Mary Daaton. You would give everything for Na- thalia;, J would barter everything for Mary.”’ ‘I’m not the only madman, then. Well, mis- ery loves company. Ihope you'll be as miser- able as I; that you will feel all the pains and tortures ZI have felt; that you'll have no reat night nor day ; that you will be disappointed at last! That’s my prayer for you!” The man laughed hoarsely. Ralph widened the distanee between them. Both were silent a long time. “T didn’t strike very hard—did I?” muttered Stratton, by-and-by. ‘ A blow like that couldn't kill a person. There was no blood on the stick. He was alive when he drifted away. A boat may have picked him up; people do get picked up, sometimes, on the water. Do you remember | how he looked back, Ralph ?” ‘Won't you let me alone?” snarled Quimby. ‘‘T dread to go to sleep. What I do in the daytime is always done over again in my dreams,” added Nat, in a subdued voice. “We've something more to do than dream. We must get away from here and break the trail. If *twasn’t for Kid Kerly and Travis, I shouldn’t be much concerned. We must hide. There must be a good strip of water between us and the mountaineer. fore morning, Nat, we must be on one of the islands, out in the lake.” ‘“‘ It’s the most reasonable thing you’ve said,” replied the other, quickly. “Kid and the double-sights haunt me. I don’t want anybody after me that shoots plum’ centre, J don’t. Keep out o’ danger when you can. That's mg way !”’ | Porfeotly agreed upon this method of evading rsuit, the miners left the shaft, disposed of the adder as usual, struck out for Lake Superior, traversing, as much as possible, the highest and driest ground, and observing great care to leave @ faint and undistinguishable trail. CHAPTER XXIII. THE RAFT. Arrived at the lake, the two themselves to work to build a raft. which, they had brought for the felled some dry trees and lashed them together. inggtives set “Tt's no use talkin'!” eoutinned the other. ome; sooner or later it’ come. I shall be shot plum’ centre.” ‘“* Nonsense !” said Quimby. “It may be nonsense to you, but it isn’t to me,” answered Stratton, dismally, Things come to people, sometimes. I don’t ~ w where they — come from, but come they do, I want you to. remember what I say. Don't try to reason me out of it, for you can’t. I tell ye I shall be shot plum’ centre !” “Tt is but a passing freak of fancy. You are wanting in pluck, Nat.” | “I've got courage enough, but I know when I'm spoke to, If I neyer see Naihalig again, tell her I knowd it was comin’. Tell her, too, that it was the love of her that made me wicked. I don't know what kind of loye ’tis; perhaps it isn’t the right kind. I dare say not.” ‘“‘ The wind is rising, See! the water begins to dash over the raft. o that an island yonder?” asked Ralph, suddenly. “ No, it’s a cloud—a black cloud low down the sky.” ‘ We must be looking about us. I shouldn't like to be driven out upon this fresh-water sea.” “Tt don’t disturb me at all,” replied Nat, sepulchrally. ‘I shall be neither drowned nor ed. IfI’sto drift a weekon Lake Superior, I should live to be shot plum’ centre !”’ “I’ve half a mind to throw you overboard!” retorted Ralph, angrily. ‘I will, if you don’t stop ome evoaking.” “You might throw me over twenty,times, and I should come up again and float like a cork. No,'no, Ralph! that kind of an end.isn’t for me. Them deadly sights will cover me, sooner or later.” ‘Drink, man, drink !” sneered Ralph, handing him thearge flask containing spirit. ‘ Drown. yourself in rum,:if you can’t in-water. Do any- thing but be a foreboding fool! Why! Id rather have the ghost of Bernard Ross than such & phantom as you.” Stratton’s lips were glued to the flask, and. he made no response. “The wind is driving after us like a race- horse!” added Ralph, in tones of:apprehension. “Let, it drive!” replied the other, getting upon his feet and looking defiantly at the now lowering heavens. “ Blow! blow!’ he shouted. “What harm can ye do one like me? I'm not your, game. the elementsto-night. The devil ’ll keep me for the double-sights of Kid Ker}y !” The raft was now in such violent. motion that Stratton was.thrown upon his face and obliged to cling to the: lashings of the, logs, to prevent being washed away. | ‘Get up and paddle for life! We're passing the islands!” cried Ralph, trying to govern the direction. of. the raft; pet the waves were 80 strong and impetuons, that. his paddle was near- ly wrenched from his grasp, and he found as much as.he could doin retaining his seat. He would, gladly have exchanged the raft for the copper-mine, but it was now too late to choose. With axes | The rush and roar of waters was around them, urpose, they”| and they were hurried on. .Ralph thought, of Bernard Ross, borne from the shore by just en never worked more industriously. With | such a wind, and tossed by. just sueh billows. Nat Stratton, in particular, it was a terribly -in- “This is like retribution —isn’t® it?’ said earnest business. A great dread of Kid Kerly | Stratton, raising his voice above the din of the had fallen upon him, in the midst of his labors and declared that he heard footsteps. Ralph vainly endeavored to quiet his anxiety. The voice of conscience was stronger than ,the assurances of his companion. te betrayed in every action a nervous haste that told how completely his sense of.security had gone. He worked like a maniac till the raft was complete, then pushed it from the shore with trembling haste. The wind was in their favor ; and they hoped, by the aid of some clumsy pad- dles which they had hurriedly made, to reach one of the little islands in the lake in a couple of hours, ’ At first they floated on very well, and without any exertion. Stratton experienced such a sense of relief that he Jay down on the raft and went. to sleepy The stars and the moon beamed upon the waters. Ralph imagined he could see the islands looming up through the dim, soft haze. e kept. solitary watch, occasionally cuiding the motions of the raft with his paddle, keeping it dead. before the wind. Stratton presently awoke, shivering and muttering. ‘ “What's the matter?” ated his com “Dreams—dreams—nothin’ but drear know what'll happen.” i nion. his thumb and fingers, “ That for dreams!” replied Ralph, snapping 6 . uns! 1 ore than once he paused = surgin waves. “ We're havin’ a merry ride, Ralph! Ab, ha! ah, ha! I dare say you'll be drowned ; but there’s no fear of me. There's a mortgage on me. It’s a good thing to be safe inastorm. You sit there, ane? by the waves and winds ; but I.hold them in, derision.” “ You'rea maniac! I should-feel, better with- out you. If we eyer reach.shore aliye, you and I part company forever. I won't have such a raven about me.” ; Ha, ha! I have the. advantage of “If I'm mad, you made me mad!” shrieked Stratton. “ You turned my head with Nathalia! You bought my secret. with Nathalia! With Nathalia you made me amurderer! Thisis the fruit of your own; hands ; enjoy it. That's my way!” The raft surged op and on. _ The wind howled ‘more fiercely, and the waters hissed and boiled. The tumult of the billows was frightful. Hours d. They ceased. to speak to each other, and olung Beaparetely to, their frail, support. The thunder of waves nearly stunned them. — | The morning came, at Jast—slowly,and dreari- ly it came. The sun arose; it rolled up. the eastern ascent; pouring its hot ravs upon, the »miners’ heads. .The wind, bad Jniled, and the Jake was gradually becoming calm. Ralph and , bis comrade looked . anxiously around ;° the ~~ worn GOnMIGOOO G (E() cS