Beadle's New York Dime Library No. 414 — page 12: what you’re looking at

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

Sr = eee ——_—__—___—— - — - = —EE roaring fire started, and sat down before it to meditate upon what he had seen, for he dared not go to sleep, and in fact could not if he would. CHAPTER XXII. THE DEVIL’S TOLL GATE, IN spite of himself Buck, the Bravo, began to nod with sleep, for the firelight made his eyes heavy. But again he was awakened suddenly, and by what seemed in his ears, deadened as they were with slumber, like a piercing shriek. He sprung to his feet in alarm, and was mo- mentarily blinded by the firelight: but soon he was able to see the trees not far off, and among them the same white form that had driven him from his camp in the valley. One arm was outstretched as then, and point- ing, as though ordering him away. Biswcring with terror he sprung to the side of his horse, which he bad left saddled and bridled and again took to flight, nor did ho halt until the sun was well up in the heavens, ‘hen he sought a temporary camping-place, for both his horse and himself sadly needed rest, and, after cooking his breakfast and staking his horse out to feed, he laid down and went to sleep. vgs hours before he awoke, and mounting he pressed on, anxious to put as many miles as sible between himself and the Death Moun- ins. It was dark when he reached the mountain river, and not daring to venture across, he again camped for the night. But it was late before he closed his eyes, and several times he started up with the thought that the ghost was near him, But he failed to catch sight of the white-robed form, and the night passed away without his seeing the dread specter. As he left the Death Mountains further and further behind him, he grew bolder, and finding a place where he could cross the river, though not without considerable danger, he did so, and went into camp on the other shore, determined to take a good rest. That his fellow-miners, from whose company he had been driven, were then not far from him he did not know; but the following morning, when starting on his way once more, he was surprised to see them in the distance. astily he sought shelter, and watching them saw that four of them were preparing to de- part, wkile King Kendall remained behind. Instantly he made up his mind to attempt to kill the young miner, and how he failed in car- rying out his intention the reader already knows. After being allowed to depart by Kendall, the Bravo set off on his way with the air of a man who had a definite object in view. He made a circuit of the mountains, and ressed his horse along at a good pace, not et ma rein until nightfall, when he went into his solitary camp. With the first streak of dawn he was again in - the saddle, and continued on his way until he entered a wild defile of the hills, when he sud- denly came toa halt as he beheld a horseman not far in advance of him. “Ho, Badger, are that you?” he called out, as the horseman also came to a halt. ‘It are, Buck; but whar has yer been, fer I hev been ter Bonanza City ter see yer, and were just on ny way back ter ther nest ter tell ther iy 7 had skipped,” and the man rode alongside of the Bravo, He was a hard-featured fellow, with grizzly y hair and beard, the dress of a miner and armed like a pirate. ‘“ Waal, Badger, I are on my way now to ther nest, for I hes been off on a leetle scout all by myself, and hes news for ther cap’n,” answered the Bravo. The two men now rode along a well-marked trail that led into the mountains, circling around the side of one and gradually rising. It was too narrow for two to ride abreast, so the man Badger dropped to the rear. _ As they went along the path became danger- ous in the extreme, for, hardly more than a yard in width, it looked sheer down hundreds of feet, and a false step of the horse would hurl him to death instantly. ‘‘ Badger, I are a trifle shaky in ther narves, so I intends ter dismount at ther Devil’s Toll Gate, as I hev passed through thet o’ late thet I did not think e’u’d be seen by mortal eyes,” and so saying the Bravo dismounted from his horse, and going behind him seized firmly hold of his tail. ‘“Now I guess I kin shut my eyes and pass through ther Devil’s Gate, without aving ther toll I has seen other fellers called on ter 7 “Yas, thar has two pards lost the’r heads since you left Buck, and gone over ther brink; but I didn’t think you was one o’ ther skeery kind,” said Badger, stiil keeping his scat in h's saddle. “T hain’t, o’ general thing; only wh t I hes seen upsets one’s narves, Badger. “But yer say yer has been ter Conanza City?” / } ac Yas.” ‘“Been ter draw ther dust on ther waluables tuk in fer ther past month, fer I knows ther cap’n allus sends you.” ‘* Yas, he knows he kin trust me, fer I never steals from pards.” ‘*Did yer hev much ter dispose of this time in ther way o’ booty, Badger?” ‘* Yas, considerable, fer we cleaned out two coaches on ther Overland last week, and then pickings among ther dust-hunters hev been pretty good, so I hes a few thousand about my clothes, and ther boys at ther nest will have a ow-wow over it ter-night when I gits thar; ut go slow if yer head feels dizzy, Buck, fer thar are ther Devil's Toll Gate.” The Bravo glanced ahead. His horse was trudging faithfully along, stepping with great care, and evidently accustomed to the work of danger while the Bravo clung to his tail. The path was growing narrower and narrow- er, ve ahead turned sharply around a curve, where it was hardly more than two feet wide. Above the path the rocks overhung in solid masses; but below, a misstep would send tho unfortunate man or horse hundreds of feet. Going around that short curve many a man or horse had lost their lives, and thence it was called the Devil’s Toll Gate, and well it deserved the name. There, standing with the curve to yrotect him, one armed man could have kept ack a hundred. In their constant go'ng up and down the deadly roadway, those who traveled it had be- come callous to its dangers, and rode the whole distance, even around the curve, their horses also becoming seemingly reckless, though they were not in reality so. Badger had smiled derisively when the Bravo dismounted, and retained his seat in the saddle. As they appreached the Devil’s Toll Gate Buck Bradley seemed to grow more nervous, and Badger called out to him: ‘** Go slow, Buck, or you’ll give Satan yer life fer toll.” ‘*T are awful narvous, Badger, so don’t crowd me,” was the answer in a tremulous tone, and several times the Bravo seemed to stagger. But his horse held on his way unswervingly, reached the curve, halted, pressed his side hard against the rocks, and went around it in safety. Clinging to him, the Bravo fairly staggered after him, but passed in safety around the dead- ly turn. Badger had drawn rein for an instant, and then thrown one leg over the horn of his saddle, sitting sideways, when his well-trained horse had moved on once more. Reaching the bend the animal clung close to the curve, the rider following his example, while he put up his band and grasped a rope which, hung upon an iron ring, ran along upon a couple of lariats twisted together, and serv- ing as‘a safety-line to a man should his horse a from under him. he faithful animal’s head was around the curve, when suddenly the Bravo sprung for- ward, seized his bit, and with a violent effort, hurled him from the dizzy hight. A wild shriek of terror burst from the animal as he went downward, and a curse hissed through the lips of the Bravo as he saw Badger oting ne to the safety rope and slipping to the shelf, Instantly he sprung forward and dealt the man a savage blow upon the head with the bar- rel of his revolver, and without a groan, Badger sunk in his tracks, and was prevented From g0- ing over the cliff by the iron like grip of the Bravo upon his clothing, and who, by his mur- derous act, had suddenly come out in his true colors as a murderer and highway robber. ‘*‘ Now, Badger, Pll claim ther dust you car- ries about yer, and it will swell my leetle pile considerable,” he muttered, as he bent over the ney of his victim and began to search his clothing But, as he did so, he suddenly stopped in his fiendish work, for there came to his ears the click, click, of iron against rock. Some one was coming, that was certain, for be could not mistake the sound of a hoof upon the rocky shelf, Was the horseman coming up or down? How many were there? What should he do? With these thoughts surgin¢ through his mind he crouched over the body, savage as a wolf about to be driven from its prey. CHAPTER XXII. THE ROAD AGENTS’ TOLL. SITUATED as he was, just at the turn on the mountain-side known as the Devil’s Toll Gate, Buck Bradley, the Bravo, could not at first tell from which direction came the sound of ap- proaching hoofs. If the horseman was coming down, of course one of the horses must go over the cliff to death, for two men could y pass each other there, As the reader will discover, there were sig- nals that were to be made by any one going up or down the deadly path, ere they ventured upon their periious journey. — — es These signals, the blowing of a horn from be low, if going up, and from above, if going down, ;revented two persons from meeting, and death to one, or at any rate to one of their horses, from ensuing. Both Badger and the Bravo had neglected to give this signal, although they passed directly by the niche in the rock where the horn was kept for the use of all. The one who was then approaching the Toll Gate, it seems, had also neglected this wise pre- caution, or, if he had sounded the signal from above or below, the Bravo, in his excitement, had not heard it. Waiting a moment, and listening attentively, he soon knew that the sounds came up the path- way. Quickl he dragged the body of his victim around the curve, and seizing his rifle from his saddle-horn, for his well-trained horse awaited him with his utmost patience, be took bis stand out of sight around the bend. Louder and louder sounded the clicking of the iron-shod hoofs upon the rocky shelf, or path- way, and soon a horseman came in sight. It was customary for those ascending and de- scending the path upon horseback to pause just before reaching the Devil’s Toll Gate and ar- range themselves sideways in their saddles, so that their horse could press as close as possible to the rocky wall in turning the curve. The horseman halted, and as he did so the Bravo muttered: ‘* Whoever he are, it’s his last trip up this path, fer Satan gits him fer toll.” Then the horse moved forward cnce more, and, as his head reached the curve, suddenly a rifle-barrel peered around it, and along the bar- rel glanced the evil eye of the Bravo. The kLorse slightly started and came to a halt: ee the Bravo started also, for the horse held no rider. ‘*Durnation!” cried the intended murderer, half-stepping in view, end as he did so an arrow cut its way along the side of his head, making arm ugly wound and stunning him for an instant’s time, nearly causing him to lose his balance, and causing the finger upon the rifle-trigger to give a jerk that exploded the piece. The ball penetrated the brain of the horse, and he swerved one side and over the edge of the cliff, to dart downward in a heap. As he did so, down the path and around the next curve, sped a human form, disappearing rem: sight before the Bravo could get a shot at im. But that he recognized the one who fled, bis exclamation and words showed, for they were: ‘* Holy smoke ! it are the Sioux Miner!” For some moments the Bravo stood silent and thoughtful. It was evident that he was surprised, for he muttered after awhile: ‘*Thet Injun were a-trailin’ me, and, when he stopped his horse awhile ago it were to slip over his rear and let ther horse come fu’st. “When I halted him, he thought he’d run upon an outpost o’ ther Gold Buzzards, I reck- ons, and so lit out back down ther trail, while his horse went over ter perdition. ‘*Waal,’waal! I must keep my eyes opened all ther time, ef Lis ter be ha’nted by ghosts ati night and red Injuns by day. ‘““But he’s gone, thet are sart’in, an’ I'll jist borrer ther dust thet Badger hes about him, and continue on my way rej’icin’.” So saying, he stepped back tothe body of the man he had slain, and, after carefully searching bim fer all that he carried valuable, ee his weapons, he threw him over the cliff. With a nerve that aig belied bis words to Badger, about his fear of the path, he stood looking down at the flying body, until it fell with a crash upon the rocks far below in a glen, lg a of which made it as dark there as twi- ight. ‘* Now he are gone, and I hev got a snug leetle pile mighty easy, J thinks. ‘But I must git on ter ther nest, fer thet shot o’ mine might hev set ther boys on ther watch.” : So saying, he bid his ill-gotten gains about his person, tied a red silk scarf about his wound and started upon bis way once more, mounting his horse as soon as a wide place in the path per- mitted of his doing so. ‘Waal, I owes thet Injun two arrer-wounds,” he muttered, as he rode along. “He well-nigh broke my knocked my rifle out 0’ my hands and kept me from killin’ thet Dandy Miner, King Kendall, and a leetle more jist now, and I’d hev toppled over ther cliff. ‘Waal, I'll even up on ther Red Renard yit— Hello! thar is one o’ ther boys now,” he said, as he reached the defile of the mountain, into which the perilous shelf path led, and beheld a horseman seemingly awaiting his approach. “Tt are Hungry Joe, and he hev come ter in- arm when he | quire about ther rifle-shot,” he muttered, while aloud he called out: ‘* Hello, Joe, how is yer?” The man he addressed was well mounted and well-armed, and these were the only things im | COMNEDOOKS a en