Beadle's Dime Library, No. 261 — page 10: what you’re looking at

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

- r 7 10 rs ae ‘by the torchlight. ‘‘The Indian is right. What seemed to us a half-hour has really been but five minutes.” “Yer don’t say!” quoth the astonished negro. ‘*T was going to remark,” resumed the lieu- tenant, “ that it is just possible for us to reach the raiders’ camp in advance of the raiders themselves. Then all that is needed is a sudden assault on the white tent—overpower the oe guard, if there is any—and bear the captive off | ' In safety,” ‘*Hurrah!’ shouted Sam, ‘‘dat am de pro- gram’ te de letta.” ‘There is but one thing in theway. How are ‘we to get out of here save by the way we came? Black Sam, Is there any other entrance?’ he asked, turning | to the Indian. ‘* There is, else I should not have been here to move that stone,” ‘How far from here?” ** About balf a mile.” “Then this is a veritable natural tunnel?” ‘You can call it such, though there are caverns branching off, and deep, bottomless abysses.” ‘ And is it known only to yourself?” ‘*T know of no one else who possesses the secret, It was a refuge for our forefathers from the cruel Spaniards, and has been care- fully concealed.” “Then your kindness is all the greater for re- vealing it to us. our peril?” ‘ By hearing the report of firearms without, I judged of your position against the rock by the same means,” The three men were now traversing the tun- nel, At every step new underground wonders met their gaze. The floor was remarkably even and showed traces of having been leveled by the hand of man, The Indian led, holdin O herwise it might frequently have puzzled the ; { ‘ tenant on a sharp projection of the rocky wal of the chasm. By a fortunate accident bis strong, deerskin tunic, being unbuttoned at the time, had become entangled in falling, and thus beld him secure from what would have been inevitable destruc- tion. Montezuma called down to bim: ‘* Are you burt, senor?” ‘‘ No,” came the faint response, ‘‘only this hanging head downward is not very agree- able.” ‘Can you catch hold anywhere with your hands?” ** No, the wall is too smooth.” ‘* Hold on awhile longer. We shall have you He turned to Sam who had also been looking downward on the dangerous position of his friend, ‘* We must make a rope,” he said. “* How?’ asked Sam, Cre round upon the massive rocks as if they could furnish the re- quired article. ‘* You have the belt about your waist—your coat, and this,” concluded the Indian, detaching the strong girdle of buffalo-hide from his own body, ‘“‘should make one of the required length.” They at once set to work, and in a short time bad united the three articles into a strong if not But how did you come to know | very sywmetrical rope. This was dropped over the edge of the chasm. Montezuma anxiously watched its descent. It fell sbort by jast a foot of the suspended form of the lieutenant, ‘‘De debbil am in it all,” exclaimed Sam angrily. **We can still remedy the sbortness of the rope,” said Montezuma, calmly, ‘How?” ‘* One of us must descend.” **T’ll do it in a second,” cried Sam; ‘‘ but can aloft the torch. | you hold me?’ Tae Indian smiled as he surveyed the massive, two scours which of the passages, branching off | compact frame of the negro scout. in various directions, to select. The lieutenant and Sam spoke little during the passage through the winding cavities of the mountain, so absorbed were they in the many beautiful formations. glitterin aginable shape and color around them, Sometimes the arched ceiling towered far above their heads, beyond the feeble rays of the ] torchlight; then it descended so low as to com- pel the three underground wanderers to bend almost double, At intervals, sparkling foun- tains were seen, clear as crystal, filling white, marble-like basins to the very brim. The light flashed into the clear water was re- flected in coruseations of every color, and of fascinating brilliancy. The two scouts halted a moment to drink from one of these attractive fountains. The water, cold as ice and delightfully limpid, seemed to the thirsty men like the nectar of the ods. ar Dis am jis’ glorious,” said Sam, wiping his lips after a copious draught. “ Better than mint julep, eb, Sam?” laughed Moore. {This happened to be a beverage of which Sam ‘was particularly fond. ‘‘We must hurry on,” said the lieutenan “there's no time for dallying,” and he hasten forward. The Indian bad been patiently waiting during the brief halt. Richard Moore, in his baste to rescue the captive girl, passed the Indian and was hurry- ing on before. ‘ Stop!” cried Montezuma, ‘not that way!— you will walk into the Demon’s Chasm—” He was cut short by a loud cry from the lieutenant, CHAPTER XVL THE DEMON’S CHASM. On hearing the startling cry from the lieu- tenant Sam and the Indian ran forward. They advanced only a few yards in that direction when the torch held by Montezuma disclosed a yawning gulf of darkness. It opened beneath the feet of the two men and gave no warning of its existence until fairly on the edge. ‘One glance into its impenetrable depths was sufficient to thrill the stoutest heart with a ‘ vague terror. Hebens! if Mars’ Moore hab fallen in dar!” exclaimed the negro in accents of intense rief. “* He will never come out alive,” said the In- “© Help!” The faint call issued from the dark abyss and startled the two men, The words echoed hol- lowly but distinctly on their ears. ; ‘*De saints be praised!” exclaimed Sam joy- fully. ‘*He am libin’, shoab!” The Indian made no nse, but kneelin down on the very edge, held the lighted tore as far down as he could reach with bis extended arm. : . There, only a dozen feet below, hung the lie- 7% i* re in every im-_ ee eee ————_——————————— me ‘*T might—but I fear the rope would not.” “Then you must try it.” ‘Good, It will be decidedly the best as I am but balf your weight.” One end of the roughly-made rope was then tied beneath the Indi n’s arms. Sam took a good hold upon the other end while the Indian lowered himself into the frightful chasm, The torch had been stuck into a niche of the rocks directly beneath the edge, thus throwing a dim light upon the form of the lieutenant be- ow. The Indian is carefully lowered by the aid of Sam’s immense strength. His feet touch the projecting stone to which Moore hangs head downward. He rapidly unties the rope from his own per- son; then, holding on with one band, with the other he reaches down and takes a firm grip upon Moore’s coat-collar. Then ct be seen the great power concen- trated in the slender limbs of Montezuma, With scarcely an apparent effort he raised the lieutenant to an erect position upon the nar- row rock. He held him carefully while he secured the rope around bim beneath the arms. oore had become unconscious before the In- dian reached him, and now bung a dead weight upon his arms. As Montezuma finished tying the rope about him, he recovered his senses, and gazed about wonderingly. ‘‘ Where am I?”—then he recollected himself and added: ‘*‘ Ah, Lremember—the fall! And have you really risked your life to save me?” he asked of the Indian. ‘“There was little risk,” responded Monte- zuma. ‘* Your friend’s stout arms held me as safe as on solid ground.” The Indian called to Sam to Page away” and the lieutenant was soon boisted in safety to the cave above. Sam, in his haste to lower the rope for the Indian, forgot to be cautious, and, by an un- lucky movement, the rg struck the torch from the niche in which it had been placed, It fell, shooting downward like a falling meteor into the fathomless gulf; and, in an in- stant, the three friends were enveloped in dark- ness worse than that of Egypt. ‘‘Great Jerusalem! what have I done!” ex- claimed Sam, in despair. , ‘*Don’t be alarmed,” cried the Indian from below. ‘You still have the rope. Lower at the same place as near as you can.” Sam did as directed, though in momentary fear of tumbling over in the kness, ** Have you got it?” he cried. A moment’s pause—tben came the answer in the affirmative, , ‘*Shall I haul away?” sé Yes.” Sam pulled away at the ro The Indian soon reached the edge, and a vigorous spring landed him in safety. j ere heben! we’re all safe at last,” said mm. the Prairie Thunderbolt. TT i eee ” . . « d , Py a e a ; ow e » + . ane “rn as. oa y ay ‘ * eS, Faves oot Se Siower ee et a? Pe “Safe out of that pit of darkness,” said Moore. ‘But how are we to find our way out witbout a light?” ** Or keep from falling down anudder hole,” said Sam, ‘* Be careful to follow right in my footsteps,” said the Indian, *“‘ and you shall reach the outer world in safety. These caverns are as familiar to me as a forest path,” “For better security, it would be a good idea to kold to each other,” said Moore; “‘ then there will be no danger of straying.” Montezuma assented to this, and taking the lead, the two scouts followed at his heels, each keeping a band upcn the shoulder of the one preceding. In this way, through blackest darkness, they traversed in safety the rest of the natural tunnel. They found the entrance at this end as clever- ly contrived as that at the other—only this was the work of art, that of nature. A square stone wicket had been set in the thick rock that corresponded so exactly with the rough wall around as to baffle all but the keenest observer to detect its existence. Montezuma, by operating some hidden but powerful spring, caused the heavy stone to glide noiselessly aside, disclosing a square open- ing through which shone the bright moonlight. Through this opening the three men crawled into the open air, with a sigh of relief that the dangerous passage was over, CHAPTER XVII. A BOLD RESCUE. AS the three emerged from the gloomy eav- ern, Richard Moore could scarce restrain a slight cry of astonishment, The moon had risen, and by its pale light he commanded et one view the rugged sides of the mountain, near whose summit he srood, and further down, and only a few hundred yards to the north, the small, green vale, with its clear, silvery stream rippling along under the mild radiance of the moon. Peacefully it flowed between the green meadow-lands on either side, as though the deadliest foes of bonest men’s happiness had not made its banks their resting-place, and drank of its silvery waters. But, for the time being, no crime-stained brigand polluted this charming temple of na- ture by his presence. Balboaz, in bis eagerness to capture the two scouts, had not left one bebind. The horses were left free to scour the beauti- ful valley at their own wild will. ; ; Only, near the small grove on the eastern side, a single man—an Indian—already bowed with years, stood like a statue before the closed entrance of a tent. The tent was small, and the canvas shone white as snow in the moonlight. . It was this object that attracted the eyes of our three adventurers as if possessed of mag- netic powers. “ There, sure enough, is the tent!” exclaimed Moore joyfully. ‘‘ Who could have believed that our underground wanderings could lead to this point?” ‘**T don’t see a sign ob dem rascally Greasers,” said Sam. “Oh, if they but stay another fifteen min- utes,” said the lieutenant, earn sly. ‘You are certain the white maiden is in yon- der tent?” he added, addressing Mont zuma, **T saw her with my own eyes,” ‘* That is sufficient. Now for action swift and sure. Time enough bas been lost.” The three men exchanged no further words, Their energies were concentrated on descendin ae mountain in the shortest possible space o time. The Indian still took the lead and showed his perfect familiarity with the winding path by darting around lofty bowlders, through narrow passes. and over deep gullies worn in the moun- tain side at a pace that called forth ths utmost wa of his two followers. In this way they reached the little valley in an incredibly short time. They did not gostraight forward to reach the little tent, but took an indirect course, skirt- ing the base of the cliffs and putting the grove between them and any interest observer about the tent. They stole, silent as specters, through the lit- tle clump of trees and came out in the rear of oe tent, without having raised the slightest alarm. ‘*One of us must find out whether or no a guard has been stationed,” whispered the lieu- tenant, ‘That duty falls to me,” said the Indian. Without a word he cautiously slipped around the tent, bis moccasined feet leaving no impress on the green turf. He as cautiously slipped back again. ‘* There is one man—en Indian,” he whispered. ‘*Leave him tome. When you bear the fall of a body then instantly make an Opening here in the rear. We shall then take the squaw inside by surprise.” Meantime, the Indian on d, his . scalp lock waving in the night breeze, 7 "Eeomichbooke t