Beadle's Dime Library No. 407 — page 12: what you’re looking at

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

_ have sold my prospects for a solid million; the for a | less one, and when Gold Chick began to fear _ Sloper continued. door in the aleove of the church above us. ~ gaid Colonel § e A 12 Padre ’Selmo seemed utterly oblivious of the rt’s approach. He could not hear it for Gold ick’s tread was as silent as the panther’s. All at once roa g hand of the San Tonquin old-bug was lifted above the Mummy’s head, ut before it could descend upon his shoulder, the lips of the friar’s head on the wall seemed to move and a voice uttered one word: “* Danger!” Quick as a flash the little padre turned and the next instant with a cry that seemed but half human, he dashed at Gold Chick’s throat! “* Jupiter Pluvius!” cried the rt, as he was forced back by a power which the little padre did not seem to . **The old man has drank a tiger’s blood! This is getting at the Spanish find with a vengeance. See here! my friend, Father ’Selmo; Iam Gold Chick. You don’t want to spoil my skin! What a tiger you are! For the love of Heaven, let—go—my— | throat!” “This is only the ante-room of the lost bo- nanza,” they said in a whisper. % ere is the mine itself?” ‘“* Not very far off.” ‘* You have seen it?” sé No.” ‘*Then how do you know where it is?” ‘IT have felt its riches. I guess I know gold when I touch it.” Gold Chick felt a thrill over the last words. ‘*Show me where it is and we'll play a hand that will astonish this gold Cerberus,” he cried. “You and I, colonel! e ought to be able to beat a little re if he has the eyes of Satan and the muscles of Hercules! He took me un- awares to-night. He had me by the throat be- fore I could get in my work. Did he ever throw you against the wall?” sé No. ” “Why haven’t you tried to escape duri your six months?” asked the San Tonquin spo The answer was a strange wild laugh, and | eagerly. “‘ From what I’ve heard of you, you Gold Chick was hurled against the w from the hands of a new Hercules, when, in truth, his only assailant was the Mummy of San Tonquin, CHAPTER XIII. : THE GOLDEN PRISON. Goutp Cxick had found the lost padre, and very unex y at that) He struck the stony wall with crushing force. . A real Hercules could not have dealt more harshly with him Unable to break the force of the assault, he staggered from the wall with his brain ina whirl, while the figure of Father *Selmo seemed to transform itself into a Goliath. ‘*Hades and horns! if this is the way to the Padre’s Palace, I’ve had nearly enough of it!” he exclaimed, and thensomething struck him again and a pair of hands with long fingers clutched his throat. The San Tonquin mine-hunter attempted to shake his assailant off, but the attempt was a futile one. All at once the light went out, and at the same moment Gold Chick staggered to his feet’ with a sense of suffocation. He was in darkness again and free! For some time the sport heard nothing, then a noise at his right attracted him and he leaned toward it with the bowie in his hand again. ‘* Pard?” said a voice with a strange sound, ‘¢ Pard?” echoed Gold Chick, surprised. ‘‘ Who calls me pard?” ‘* All that’s left of Colonel Sloper, of Stanis- laus.” ‘“ What! are youthe big colonel of the Golden Gulch?’ ‘‘Tam. You know me, then?’ ‘‘No man who has visited Stanislaus but has heard of you,” said Gold Chick, ‘t When did you come here?” ‘* Six months ago.” ' The San Tonquin sport uttered an exclamation of horror. The speaker was close to him, but unseen. Gold Chick felt a hand resting lightly on his arin. ‘‘ You haven’t been here all the time?” he ex- ~ claimed. ‘* ve been nowhar else,” was the answer. guess we're in the same boat.” ** How?” ‘*We want the Spanish Mine. Two fools with but a single thought!” And Colonel Sloper laughed in a manner not very pleasing to the man forced to listen. ‘Tell me how you came here. I am thunder- struck,” said Gold Chick. ‘‘The Mummy of San Tonquin has the ingenuity and strength of ‘Satan, hasn’t be?” ‘* Yes. was the answer. nanza in my bands. trail till six months later. I left Stanislaus county a year ago,” ‘*T thought I had the big bo- I did not strike the real I came to San Ton- | as if | are a giant physically, colonel.” A n was the first response and then these words startled Gold Chick: t used to be, but now I couldn’t handle a iy. ‘What has happened?” There was no answer and the hand that had lain on Gold Chick's arm was withdrawn. ‘‘T won’t insist, if you don’t like to tell, colonel,” the sport said. ‘Tl tell you, but first let me say that Id sooner be the meanest Chinese beggar of Frisco than Colonel Jove Sloper of Stanislaus. I am ham-strung!” A loud cry pealed from Gold Chick’s throat. ** Who did it?” ‘“*The Mummy of San Tonquin,” was the hissed reply. ‘*Do you think he intends to serve me thus?’ ‘Heaven knows. Padre ’Selmo is capable of anything.” 7 ‘* He was bound to keep you here, colonel.” “Yes. I am among the lost riches of the old Spanish explorers, but they do me no good.” ‘*Why haven’t you tried to pay this fiend back?” ‘*T have tried it, but I never catch him at the right time. I believe I am not the only person who has found the Padre’s Palace.” = ae the only one?” echoed the San Tonquin sport. ‘* There are three human skeletons in a cer- tain room to which I have crawled,” said Sloper. ‘‘I have felt them. Captain, don’t you think we should be pards?” The question ended with a laugh. ‘*We will be friends!” said Gold Chick. am not going to stay here. human fiend shall not keep me in this under- Str Tartarus. I am Gold Chick, bent on nding the Spanish Ophir, and a dangerous Where do you think the new Satan is ce I The power of this man. now?” ‘*T don’t know. of him for days,” ‘* Does he come down by way of the shelf under the church?” ‘**T can not say.” **T'll see what has become of my rope!” ex- claimed Gold Chick. ‘* You ought to know this Sometimes I hear nothing ‘*T | place even in the dark.” ‘‘T do. I haven’t seen daylight for six months. I must look like a demon of hair. I can take you to the shaft.” ‘* Come on, then.” The next moment Gold Chick was following a man who crawled rapidly along the wall. A thousand thoughts seerme i to fill his brain at once. He had heard wild stories around the mountain camp-fires, but the terrible reality of his own adventure su 1 them all. At any moment he was liable to be attacked by the being who was more than half tiger, and this is why he followed Colonel Sloper with his fingers wound firmly about the hilt quin hot on the track. One night I wouldn’t | of his bowie. next day I would have given that sum minute’s freedom. I found too much.” The trip back to the shaft seemed an end- that the padre’s prisoner had missed the way he The man paused for a moment and Gold Chick | heard bis voice say: felt the unseen hand tighten on his arm. “T found the way to this place,’ Colonel I had a rope and eager to find the Spanish bonan- za, down I went. the rope was cut from above.” -“ Jehosaphat!” ejaculated Gold Chick. ‘‘ Who cut it?” “The giant and devil in a mummy’s skin!” was the reply. ‘*' We are here.” ‘In the shaft, colonel?’ cried the San Ton- ‘*T unearthed the little trap | quin. ‘Tn the shaft.” Gold Chick s rung forward and moved his When I was half-way down | arms in the darkness. ‘* The rope is gone!” he said. ** Just as I expected,” said Sloper. ‘The Mummy has been here.’ ** Undoubtedly.” “I'd give a thousand to meet him just now!” grated the infuriated sport. ‘‘ I would surrender ** And you fell to the bottom!” ‘f se” ba through blackn ss,” said the man | my chances for pa from Stanislaus. clutches one minute.” “It must have been thirty feet.” ‘It seemed a thousand.” _ “ Why, were you not killed?” ‘* Because I was reserved for a worse fate,” r bitterly. ‘‘Since that night ummy’s prisoner,” “And the captive of the Padre’s Palace, eh?” jaculated Chick. pair of lips, suddenly touched the sport’s 1 have been the ear, » ise, to hold him in my Colonel Sloper laughed derisively. ‘* That’s what I’ve said a thousand times, Gold Chick. He is one of the birds that always sta in the bush. I guess you'll have to make the best of a bad case, We are fellow: in the ante-room of the biggest bonanza under- ground,” | Gold Chick leaned against the wall and felt a cold thrill shoot to his heart. ' A prisoner underground, and with fe hopes of Captain Coldgrip’s Nerve. rr y | escape! And, what was worse, he was in the power of the guardian of the gold secret—the padre-Satan of San Tonquin! Colonel Sloper seemed to know that his fellow captive was busy with his thoughts, for he did not s ° If Geta Chick could have pierced the gloom of the shaft he would have seen a wild-looking man crouched at his feet—a man whose face was cov- ered with long, gray hair, out of which peeped two sunken eyes with a demoniac stare. This was the once handsome Jove Sloper of Stanislaus, the King of Golden Gulch, the best rider, the coolest man, and the pistol prince of California! If Gold Chick could have seen his companion, he would have recoiled with a cry of horror, which might have been succeeded by expressions of pity. he Where is the mine itself?” he suddenly ask- ‘* Aha! you’re bound to find it, I see!” ex- claimed Sloper. ‘Why not? I have risked life before for this very Bey The net of the padre shall not keep me back,” ‘‘ Follow me,” said Sloper and again Gold Chick was feeling his way after the mutilated ‘“‘ Are we under San Tonquin?” he asked, lean- ing forward. ‘Yes. I once crawled up a narrow passage which must have been a stair at one time, and heard the faint voices of men,” Gold Chick started. ‘What did you do?” **T yelled till I lost my voice,” answered Slo- r. ‘‘I think I was directly under the Red izard, but, then, I do not know.” ‘*Can you find that passage for me?” ‘* TI can go all over this golden tomb.” There was no more conversation between the two men until Colonel Sloper stopped and an- nounced in a low voice that they had reached the end of the second trip. ** Hold your hand toward me,” continued Slo- r, and Gold Chick put forth his hand with his eart in his throat. The next moment a piece of rough rock was placed in his palm, and his fingers closed swiftly ab ut it. ‘* Weigh that,” said the colonel’s voice, tri- umphantly. A ery of amazement sprung from Gold Chick’s tongue. ** Jupiter Pluyius! is there much rock of this kind here?” he asked. ‘*The cave is full of it,” was the answer. ‘You must remember, Gold Chick, that you have discovered the Padre’s Palace,” ** Show me the walls.” ‘*T bave no matches.” The San Tonquin sport bit his lip when he re- membered that want of matches had kept him in the mine. If he had not run short of them, he might not have been Padre ’Selmo’s prisoner at that moment. ‘* How large is this room?” he asked. ‘** Look for yourself, Gold Chick. It is almost circular. Go around the walls with your hands. You will come back to me presently.” ‘* By Juniter! I will!” Gold Chick started off and was socn gliding along a rough wall which he could not see. Now and then his feet would strike some loose rocks on the ground, but he managed to keep from falling. After a while he ran against a band, and then stopped suddenly at a laugh which he rec ognized as the colonel’s, ‘* Back again, eh, Gold Chick!” exclaimed the man from Stanislaus. ‘‘ What do you think of it? ‘‘It is vaster than my dreams made it,” was the reply of the astonished sport. ‘‘ Now, colo- nel, if I can turn the tables on the imp of this bonanza. thar’ll be two boss gold kings in San Tonquin.” ‘You can’t do it.” An oath leaped from Goid Chick’s lips. ‘*'You have lost hope,” he said, stooping and finding the arm of Colonel Sloper. ‘‘ Imprison- ment has taken all your nerve. The cage that can hold me does not exist. this bonanza as sure as San Tonquin stends above us! -—-~ Sa ee la terse, _ / / ' d “ | { t * 1 I am going to own — You hear me, Colonel Sloper? You — hear the first and only Gold Chick in the uni-— ’ verse |’ aH | thought that way once myself; but what am I now?” ‘* A man with no sand!” Gold Chick heard teeth grate in the dark- ‘* There was a time when I would have killed you for those words,” said the man from Stan- islaus; ‘“‘ but now Il submit. If you catch this infamous fiend, I want permission to fasten my teeth in his throat.” ‘*T give it to you now!” said Gold Chick, ‘Then may you find him soon!” CHAPTER XIV. THE MAN ON THE MESA. Far above the rolling cloud of smoke and long” vultures were wheeling” tongues of flame fifty terovah the air. im comicbooks ; ; ee: - * —" é ' : v ; , Ns com a sr eS f T ra