Beadle's Dime Library No. 305 — page 6: what you’re looking at

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

i. : 6 Silver-Plated Sol, the Montana Rover. Ettala’s course was a general surprise: It was . a surprise to Lois, who bad been accustomed to see her friend follow, ratber than lead, in con- versation; it was one to the sbaseer girl her- self, who had no time as yet to analyze ber sud- den interest in her champion; and that he was affected in the same way was shown by the manner in which he looked at her. **You’re very kind, but ’m only Dave Bond, ns aot who’s a-diggin’ hard fur his bread, miss,” e said. ‘*Do you suppose we respect you less for that? No; all men are human; none can be more.” **T won’t furgit this,” said Giant Dave, with more energy. ‘‘ You speak kindly, an’ I know how ter appreciate sech. Besides, you remind me o’— But never mind. Hyar we be at yer house, an’ I reckon I ain’t needed no more. Thar ain’t no sign o’ Mose Devlin,” They had, indeed, arrived at the post-office, and both the girls were glad their night’s ad- ventures were over. It had been settled that Lois should remain with Ettala that night, and there was no further danger for her, Dave took leave of them at the door, and their good words were renewed; but he walked away like one in a dream. Had Devlin been near then, and seeking revenge, it is not sure but he would have accomplished bis object, for Bond was thinking far more of Ettala than of his own safety, But Devlin did not appear. —— +--+ CHAPTER VII. AN ADVENTURE ON THE TRAIL, Two days later when the stage left Foolscap Bend for Bowlder Bar, Tim Shea had four pas- sengers aboard, One of them, a rough-looking fellow in miner’s dress, climbed to the box be- side the prince of the reins, while the other three took position inside the vehicle. Of these three, one was a repetition of the party on the box; a miner, one would say, though scarcely an interestin cimen. This man had already announced that his name was Bill Wild. A second man was one who might have been mistaken for a minister, so far as his dress went, but from his habit of dropping into nautical ex- pressions now and then, it seemed that his ministerial clothes were not a criterion. The last of the travelers was a manly-looking fellow with long hair and a heavy mustache; a neat, somewhat expensive, but not gaudy, suit of clothes; and the general air of a man who has seen a good deal of the world and had his eyes sharpened thereby. He leaned back in the corner of the stage and seeme found anywhere in Montana, but Bill Wild, who was a man with an inquiring turn of mind, did not fail to perceive that he was well armed. Two bright-barreled revolvers glistened in his belt, and though the plating might be nickel, Bill suspected it was silver. Such, weapons were rarely seen, and his fingers fairly itched to possess them.” ** Goin’ ter Bowlder Bar ter settle, gents?” he asked, sociably, after a period of silence. The man who looked like a minister glanced at the long-baired man, as though anxious he should answer, but the latter had closed his eyes and seemed asleep, so he had to reply or let the question go unanswered. “1 don’t know,” he said; curtly, “Only travelin’, prebaps?”’ “¥eg,? **Micht I inquire whar you’re from?” ~The East.” Good place, that, but ther West lays it over, if aman kin git acclimated. I didn’t ketch yer name.” Very likely, for I gave none, but if it will be of any use to you, call me Lovering.” The man in the corner suddenly unclosed his eyes. ‘Mr, Wild,” said he, with ceremonious polite- ness, as be addressed the questioner, ‘‘if you are preparing a Directory, put me down as Sil- ver-Plated Sol, beggar, late of Poverty Flat, Poor-house county, Montana.” The inquisitive man was momentarily taken aback, but be had met with trying ordeals before, and he rallied with commendable alacrity after a short time devoted to staring at the man in the corner. * Silver-Plated Sol, eh?” he said, his gaze drop- ping to the man’s belt. ‘‘Mebbe you git yer name from ther shooters I see thar?’ “Just so. They are plated with silver, but they’re loaded, as I'll show youif any meddle- some individual by the road happens to mix in. When I shoot there’s nothing left to mend.” ~ Wild had a dim idea that this was a round- about way of telling him to keep to himself, but he was in a sociable mood and not inclined to obey. He wanted to talk, and he seemed to prefer Silver-Plated Sol as bis chief listener, and he kept it up until that gentleman meta- pborically came out of his coil and talked. He did it ina way which almost stunned Wid. The latter prided himself on being a vet- eran miner, but in all his experience he had never heard such Munchausen-like yarns as Sol d.to be as indolent a man as was to be related, and as he could not match them he felt as helpless as a child. Lovering, as the elder traveler had called him- self, listened for the greater part of the time stoically, though a grave smile now and then crossed his face. Forty years of his life had been passed in wandering over the wide world and be had heard exaggerated stories before, but he understood that Sol considered Wild a bore and desired to stun him. In a measure he succeeded, for silence soon fell over the party, Sol Colton closed his eyes and seemed to sleep, and Lovering gazed out of the stage at the scenery in a thoughtful way. Wild alone remained wide awake, and bis gaze often wandered to Sol’s revolvers, He remembered and coveted them. In due time they reached the rough country which bangs around Wolf’s-back Ridge. There the trail grows eccentric and toturous. To avoid chasms and unscalable cliffs it winds around as though ambitious to rival a corkscrew, and the scenery is a wild combination of rocks and trees. Half-way through the place the stage came to a sudden halt, and the inside passengers at once became on the alert, The same thought was in both Colton’s and Lovering’s minds, and their hands sought their revolvers. ‘** Road-agents?” questioned the latter. Tt was anatural question. He was a stranger to Montana, and he had come _ there expecting to see nearly every bush garrisoned by one of the far-famed light-fingered profession. * If so, is no surrender with me,” said Silver- Plated Sol, sturdily. ‘‘I don’t carry valuables, but I hate the idea of being worsted, Aha! here they come!” The stage-door was opened, but, instead of a masked and terrible robber, they saw the honest face of Tim Shea, ‘*There’s an ax under the seat which I want, gents,” he announced, ** Allow me to ax why?” said Bill Wild, with a desperate attempt to be funny. ‘‘Thar’s a fallen tree across our path, and she must be cut away before we kin go on.” So saying, the driver secured the ax and van- ished, and the pee unanimously turned out to see what had been done and what must be done, As Shea had said, a tree lay directly across their path, and there was no passing until it it was removed. It was not large, however, and Tim te assured tbem that he could cut it in two in five minutes. Then he swung his ax aloft and the battle commenced. Silver-Plated Sol stood idly fora moment and then ascended the steep bank at the right. It was at this point that the tree bad stood before its fall, and he looked carelessly to see where it had broken off. . Then he made a discovery. It had not been broken off at all; it had been cut with an ax. It did not require deep meditation to tell him that some one bad felled it on purpose to block the trail. Why it had been done was uncertain, Other travelers besides the stage passed that way, and the last-mentioned vehicle might not have had anything to do with it, Granted that it bad been done to block the stage, what had been the motive? Possibly it was alla joke on Tim Shea; possibly there wes some deeper meaning to it. Sol resolved to inform the driver at once, but to do it in a quiet way and unheard by the other passengers. Then Tim could use bis own judg- ment about making the discovery public. He moved down the bank, but just as he reached the trail again Shea severed the log, “Now, gents,’ said be, “if you'll give mea lift 111 soon have you in motion ag’in.” He looked around for his passengers. Sol was at hand, and Lovering sat on a bowlder a few yards away, but Bill Wild and the late box- passenger were not visible. Shea raised his voice and called them, but there was no answer; 80, while they waited, Sol made known the cause of the fall of the tree. The driver at once became interested, ‘*Thar’s some mischjef afoot. That never was done fur nothin’, an’ though I never heerd o’ road agents along this trail, we may as well keep our eyes open after this. Whar’s them two passengers! Hev they crawled inter ther wagon and gone ter sleep?” No one seemed to know, and he strode toward the vehicle to ascertain, though such a thing seemed hardly possible. As he passed the box, however, he stopped short, and Sol saw a look of consternation appear on his face. ‘¢ What’s the trouble?” the rover asked. “ Ther mail-bag is gone !” Tim uttered the words with a vehemence which left no doubt as to what he thought of its Bone! nphaea he did not expect to find it readily, and he was alarmed at the loss. s When did you see it last?” Colton asked. “It was thar when I got off to get ther ax, an’— Isay, whar’s Wild an’ Leach?” He ‘aed the question with the abruptness of one who has gained a sudden idea, and, before they could answer, he explained the idea by explosively adding: ‘They’re ther ones that took ther mail-bag, an’ I see now why ther tree was cut. Wild and Leach was mail-robbers, an’, by ther etarnal, their game has worked wal, and they’ve got the mail!” “I take it the felling of the tree was a part of the game,” said Silver-Plated Sol, who had be- come interested. ‘‘Right you be. They had a confederate who did that; the idee being ter git my attention away while they got the mail-bag. They knew no man could take it from me while I sut on ther box.” While speaking the driver had been looking all about, Lovia to see the robbers somewhere as they made their retreat, but he looked in vain, ** Well, Sol asked. ‘“Ef I ever see them scoundrels I’m goin’ ter bore them plum’ through!” Shea viciously de- clared, ‘Strikes me the easiest way is to drop on them at once,” **Can you foller a trail?’ ia No. 1? ‘Nur I.” ** I can!” .It was Lovering who spoke, and as it came. so suddenly, after his long silence, both men started. **] dare say I know as much about trailing as any man in Montana—perhaps more, for I can trail on sea or land,” be added. ‘‘I didn’t ship on this voyage as a pilot, but if you say the word [ll hunt your mail-robbers down ir the flap of a dry sail.” | CHAPTER VIII. TRAILING THE MAIL ROBBERS. Tim SHEA was not the man to neglect a chance, and he answered almost before the last words were out of Lovering’s mouth. ‘**Do that an’ I'll give ye my year's wages,” ‘‘Never mind that, for I don’t care for the bonanza. I have all the money I want, but a mail-robber is one of the meanest men on shoe- leather, and I shall be glad to chip in anda foil them,” “It can’t be done by standing here,” said Sol, who was of a more energetic nature than the others, ‘‘ Every moment adds to their chances of escape.” Shea was wise enough to discover the truth of this, and he promptly pulled his team to one side, tied the horses to a sapling and announced that be was ready to follow the volunteer what’re you going to do about it?” ide, Silver-Plated Sol was inclined to Jook upon the venture as a foolish one, To him, Lovering did-not look like a man capable of the necessary work, Eitber be had been a sailor, or else he affected nautical terms, If the former, it was not likely he knew much about life on the Western bills, The guide, however, showed a good deal of quiet confidence, and in a short time he an- nounced'that he had found the trail. He led the way up the face of the ridge, a short dis- tance back of the stage, and there, sure enough, they found footprints in the soft soil. Lovering pronounced them freshly made, and they pusbed on with more zeal, The course of the robbers—if they were, in- deed, on their trail—bad been due north, and Shea began to bewail because they were going straight to the wildest part of Wolf’s-back Ridge. He knew there were many places there where the robbers could hide if they saw fit, and if they discovered that they were pursued they would be likely to take measures to defeat those who followed, Silver- Plated Sol was inclined to be a skeptic: and he watched Lovering with some doubt. Were they a on the trail of the robbers? It seemed so, but, if such was the fact, the man was showing a talent for tracking which was really remarkable, and least of all to be ex- pected from him. The rover, however, began to have a vague suspicion that it would do no harm to watch Lovering, while the others watched for the rob- bers. He might be all right, and then, again, he might be an ally of the men who had stolen the mail-bag. Sothe Caen of the trio drew and secretly examined his silver-plated revolvers, and the pursuit was ae continued with him as a rear guard in a double sense, Luckily for the pursuers, the robbers had not: for a moment suspected that they would be so. sharply followed, When, by a rapid retreat, they left the immediate vicinity of the theft be-. hind, they had supposed that they were com- paratively safe; that there was one of the party that could follow a trail like an old plainsman. had not occurred to them, Nevertheless, those who went witb Lovering soon found that he had made no vain igen for he came to a halt on a little point of land and put out his hand to indicate the necessity of caution, “‘ They’re there,” he quietly said. ‘* Whar?’ Shea demanded. Lovering pointed, and as the driver and Sol looked over the rise they saw the robbers in a gulch. Toey already had the mail-bag che having slashed it with a knife, and were too icomicbootk t n, ee “ “ 2 ——-— +e"