Beadle's New York Dime Library No. 414 — page 10: what you’re looking at

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

10 ——— — — — ee _ ————-— -— -_—— -— — eee 4 \ ———eee se ee and that mortal could escape from such a mael- | you out of a countgp the poor fellow looked upon strom they could not believe. Now he came to them, dressed in his clothes, which Denver Dick had brought to camp, rid- ing his own horse, and bringing with him their horses and camp equipage. It was more than they could understand, and as his own. ‘**T came into these mountains to hunt for gold, and I believed my comrades could be trusted; but you are a set of cowards, afraid of your own shadows, while you are ready enough to shoot down a poor Indian, i” a ~ ? *. Red Renard, the Indian Detective. | + ea eS *T seen ’em.” “Well, they have gotten frightened of their tt sbacows, and have gone back to Bonanza ity. ‘** Whar I is going, too, for I has seen shadders in these parts I don’t half-like.” ‘* Ah! you have seen them, too?” i they stood like men dumfounded. “Buck Bradley I drove out of our camp, “was.” - Slouchy Sam has gone, and if you remain with ‘** What did you see?’ CHAPTER XVII. me you have got to do my bidding, and if not, ** Ghosts.” ALONE IN THE WILDERNESS, As King Kendall approached the group of miners, they appeared like men about to bound away in flight, or who had been brought to bay Had it been dark, or even eceune nicht, the superstition-ridden quartette would have taken to their heels at breakneck speed. He had ridden up to them now, and Bonanza — ee ee you can take the back trail for Bonanza City whenever you wish.” ‘That are the trail we intends to take, cap’n,” said Denver Dick. subdued, and had not taken offense at Kendall’s plain words, 2 OO ‘Well, gentlemen, we part company, for I re- ‘* Well, I don’t mind ghosts, so I intend to stay, and that is the reason why I was glad to see you.” ‘What has I got to do with it” ‘* Here I bas my rifle a-coverin’ your heart, has told yer I intends ter kill yer, and you runs on about being glad ter see me, diggin’ that he too had seen strange sights in that land Ry But they now, with the bright sunlight shin- ** Alone?” fortunes in gold, buyin’ outfits, and the likes, | —s Ang full upon them, managed to keep their legs ‘* Certainly.” when I knows yer ter be ther same as a dyin’ os from running off with them. ‘Don’t do it, cap’n,” and even Black Jack | man.” Tia King Kendall, remembering the four shad- | joined in the appeal. **Then you will not join me, and go pards in oo owy forms which he had seen dart by him the} ‘‘ Will you remain with me and make your my gold-find?” | Might before, and the cause of their 28 tek ap- | fortunes?” ‘No, I won't!” a pe their situation and broke forth into a ‘Not fer all ther gold in ther hills would I ‘* You had better do it.” ae. earty laugh. stay another night here, cap’n,” earnestly said ** No, I won't!” fe He was sore from his bruises, but he was no | Digger Dan. ** You will lose a good ree Oe aa man to mind trifles, and having had a good rest ‘*My Bible sentiments,” responded Bonanza “Tl find ther gold-dust ar I has had your ae and food, he was in the very best of humors, so | Bill. funeral.” aye: said: ‘*'m with yer thar, pard,” chimed in Jack, ‘* So you are determined to kill me, Buck?” "ae *Pards, you evidently take me for a ghost, ‘Count me on ther back trail, pards, tho’ 1 “\Liez’ BY but 1 assure you that I am not.” does hate ter desert yer, cap’n,” added Denver | ‘I'll haunt you.” ' a aa ‘Now come; what ails you all?” Dick, The Bravo shuddered, and it was very evident Bill was the first to answer: “ Pard, didn’t you git inter them rapids yes- terday?” **T certainly did, Bill, and only by one chance in a bundred got out.” ‘But did yer git out, cap’n?” asked Digger an, “Did 1? Why, Dan, don’t you see me?” “Tt’s you for a fact, then, and not your ghost?” Again Kendall broke forth in a ringing Jau rh. main, and, as he return to where stores are plentiful, I will buy you out at a good price of all excepting what you need for the trip back to Bonanza City.” ‘Take mine and welcome, cap’n.” ** And my share.” And the others joined in saying the same; depart from that land of mys*eries, he bade them farewell and saw them ride away, still urging him to join them. of mystery. ‘** Waal,” he said, slowly, ‘‘ one ghost hain’t no wusser than another one, so I kin stan’ it, fer ther short time I remains in these parts,” ‘** Then you will lose a fortune from your de- sire to kill me,” “I'll git yer diamonds and ther gold yer has, P sell em, so as ter fetch in a considerable inheri- tance by your death, not ter speak o’ ther joy o’ my revenge on yer,” i Bi “Let me get my grip on you, Dan, for you} But he had made up his mind to remain, and ing Kendall saw that the Bravo had made | § all seem frightened out of your wits— There— | nothing could move him from his purpose, so | up his mind to kill him. | + doesthat seem ghostly?’ and he gave the arm | he stood gazing after them, a stern resolve} To prevent it he wes utterly powerless, for | « of the miner a grasp that made him wince with | stamped upon his handsome face, as he mut- | the bully had his rifle cocked, and it was a re- ss pain, while he went on: tered: peater. ‘Aare os struck a log lodged against some rocks in ‘**T will remain here and solve these strange | His coat he had thrown aside, or he would , the rapids and my weight set it loose, and I rode | mysteries, if I lose my life in the attempt.” have had the meals. pee in his cuffs to use, and | £4t through, though it was worse than a bucking he would have risked a shot, and doubtless with | ____-broncho, I assure you. | CHAPTER XVIII. success, for his movements were quick as the - -* T reached a landing at last, and struck your AT THE RIFLE’S MUZZLZ. lightning’s flash, and his aim deadly. . _ rail, following it until dark, when, being in “T Guess I’ve get yer now, King Kendall!” Now he stood wholly at the mercy of the vil- | —s undress uniform as you know, I crawled under} The man thus addressed turned quickly, and | lain. ‘a zy the leaves like a bear, to keep warm and sleep | took in the situation at a glance. He had hoped to interest him in the gold- ‘until morning. It was all against him. mine ond thus gain him over, when he intended oS Fos **1 was awakened by unearthly yells, saw four The quartette of miners had reg kangen from | to ag ‘n set him adrift, for he cared not to have ai sa shadowy forms, that looked like miners, dash | sight some moments before, and he still stood | the lite of the man upon his hands. ~~ by, and—” where they had left him. But the Bravo was cunning. : ole “Yer saw what were arter us?” eagerly asked | He had bought their shares in the outfit, con- | _ He knew that he could follew the trail of King A er Dan. sisting of a tent, ample stores, picks, shovels, | Kendall and thus find the gold-mine, if the ‘a + “*Tt were a phantom grizzly and a ghost,” were returning to civilization, he had gotten | diamonds he wore, with his other jewelry, and wits _' “ They made a heap of racket, Dan, for ghosts,” | their horses.to serve him, while they rode back | the price of the horses and traps would bring —- 4aughed Kendall. the pack-animals, him in a considerable sum. __ ** Waal, you kin laugh, cap’n, but they made The extra weapons he had also purchased, Then, too, he wished to kill King KendalJl, for that much’ racket we thought there was hun- | and all lay in a heap, his own belt of arms, | he was revengeful in the extreme, and he would dreds of ’em, and that a whole Injun graveyard which he had taken off, as one of the wounds | not forego this pleasure to himself, ____ had sprung a-leak and were arter us,’ in his side pained him, hanging on the horn of | Again, he was fearful that Kendall might turn eee rst Those were the echoes in the canyon, pards; | his saddle. upon him, once he had him on even terms, and “but I confess that there seemed to be scores o Thus, without a weapon near him, he saw a | having weighed all these things rapidly in his ___.grizalies and hundreds of red-skins from the | man leveling a rifle at him, and heard his omi- | mind, he decided to kill him, i ‘noise they made.” nous words. King Kendall had made up his mind that the They made that much noise, cap’n, that we That man was Buck Bradley, the Bravo. Bravo meant deadly work; but if he could catch ~———s-‘§ntends to git out o’ this kentry as fast as we kin His horse was some distance behind him, and | him unguarded, he would spring upon him, go, and we was jist starting when we seen yer | he bad sneaked up to a position near Kendall, | unarmed as he was, risk a shot, and trust in his coming. having seen the other miners ride off, and the | great strength to end the matter, ~~ ** But we is glad ter see yer didn’t die in ther | defenseless condition of the man whom he now Of course the chances were fearfully against __-yapids, and we is ready ter start, for we w’u’dn’t | hated with all of the spiteful venom of his evil | him, for Buck Braclcy would strive hard to ss stay another night in these parts fer ther Lost | uature. make his aim sure. Re ey Mine.” But King Kendall did not change countenance, ‘‘ Well, Buck, you refuse my offer?” asked “ a “You do not intend to desert me, pards?” nor d.d his face even pale, — Kendall, in the same indifferent manner in No, but we intends ter depart in peace, and He acknowledged to himself that he was | which he had before spoken. athe ——«*"Jose no time about it, cap’n.” fairly caught; but he intended to put a bold| ‘‘I does, and I means ter kill yer, so shout |” "You won't help me to build another bridze?” | front on the matter, so said in his free-and-easy | yer prayers!” was the malignant response of the a ‘“ 0, sir, my ee ee fever hey got way ak Bune : ied, taal ravo. snjeltiis eg ack Jack. es, Buck, you’ve got me now, tha cer- cured,” firmly said TS ea orc fi cin CHAPTER XIX. Te || ’ v8 “i, A > ae iy ' c P * “ft ; ~_ » »\ ‘yy >it Sa eyes flashing fire -. AD ‘Soe Ny Aye § we went into ther can ! cluded 7 r 4 ‘ ¢ ° es, a grizzly with a man on his back.” ‘‘ Then Ishall have to hunt Red Renard up and see if he won’t show me the Lost Gold Mine, for you say he knows where it is.” “If he didn’t know yesterday, he does ter- ” was Bonanza Bill’s significant remark. What do you mean, Bill?” ‘¢ Waal, cap’n, he sprung himself upon us as on and called to us ter _ go back, when Black Jack here jist put a bullet - ® on, *2, - : ’ a . : - him,” tn Killed him?” angrily said Kendall; his dark he dropped off 0’ his pony, and we that it was his ghost as was riding e grizzly last night, for he hed ther Red Ren- “Waal ~ ard war-whoop down mighty fine.” ~“ Black Jack, you had no right to kill that In- axes, bedding and ammunition, while, as they ‘* And I intends ter kill yer!” ‘So you said when last I saw you.” ‘¢ Yoa takes it all-fired cool.” ‘‘] shall meet my fate as a brave man should, while you, when brought face to face With death, are a coward!” ‘Oh, you can call me names, for I won’t quar- rel with a dying man; but I is awful glad I come on ye, and the trick is mine.” ** And so am I glad, Buck.” **Does yer want ter die?” asked the Bravo, in surprise, at the remark of Kendall. **Oh, no!” **Then why is yer glad?” “‘T suppose you know that Bonanza Bill and the other boys have deserted me, for you doubt- young miner had in reality found one, while the WHO FIRED THE SHOT? Wuen Buck Bradley, the Bravo, told King Kendall to “shout bis prayers,” as he meant to kill him, he meant just what he said. This the young miner saw, and he was pre- paring for a spring upon his intended execution- er, with the intention of risking the shot as his only chance for life, when suddenly a whir- a was heard, followed 7 a the Bravo, and the dropping of the rifle from his hands. But hardly had the weapon struck the ound, when King Kendall was upon _ the ravo with a mighty leap, one hand clutching his throat and the other, acta drawn the e from bully’s own knife from his belt, held it above ‘ ae fme. eh, wy oe ; a. adie iP mae wae a ia ae ; > 24 ae " - eee 7 ~ Re ° ‘ A ; through sheer desperation. ‘* Well, you are a lot of fools, for I found gold **T want you for company.” i | “Is this the welcome an old pard gets, who | in yonder canyon, as I went through it, and ** Me” eae comes to you, as it were, from out of the | your fortunes are before you, if you remain and ** Yes, for I know where there is plenty of ASS depths and the grave?” called out the young | work; but if not, you can goas soon as you })gold, and, having bought the outfit from the oa miner. please, but I remain.” “boys, I intend to follow the lead I struck and Fget It was, however, an unlucky speech, for out ‘*Cap’n, does you mean ter say that you in- | make a fortune.” ay of the grave was just where they thought that | tends ter remain here if we goes?” asked Bo- ** Waal, ef you don’t talk like a whole brass ‘ he did come from. nanza Bill, who with the others seemed to feel | foundry, I'll give up my scalp ter a Injun! - but King Kendall would pay for the outfit, and | which hain’t no small amount, while I'll take liberally, too, and, as the others were anxious to | yer hosses and outfit over to another camp and him, while he hissed forth: | B: o(o\o) . ss @ian, fur ke was not harming you, only warning ‘ less saw them ride away?” * J. % fi “i eo Fs 5 =e . 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