Beadle's New York Dime Library No. 414 — page 15: what you’re looking at

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

——_— er ee . 2 ne _ '*> ~ ; -—,s Red Renard, the Indian Detective. wa 15 hours were flying, had not the sunlight sud- denly left the valley. ‘Why, the sun is setting, and really have I had the gold-fever upon me, for I did not think I had been an hour at the work. ‘‘ Well, I have done a good day’s business, that is certain, for every pile counts up a thousand dollars, I should judge, and I'll try and reach the same sum to-morrow. Indian’s camp for some while, at least ‘‘It looks like the specter grizzly of last "guess I'll decamp,” ne muttered, and he night,” he continued, and added- ‘*‘ But certainty is better than suspense, be | it what it may, so I'll bring on the climax by beating a retreat.” He turned to go, and as he did so the griz- zly moved forward | He walked off at aslow, seemingly indif- | | ferent pace, and the grizzly followed, though “T am in luck, and shall remain in the | ata gait that gained upon the young miner. “Tam a fleet runner, but yonder brute can | lowed him. in silence. until I get a snug little fortune from this | distance me, I know,” muttered Kendall. Then he paused and glanced toward one of | stream, for | am sure there is plenty of gold here, ‘‘T do not care to find the Lost Gold Mine with this brook a bonanzato me; but Lshould the trees that stood as near to him as was the bear. ‘If I climb a tree that savage fellow has like to solve the mysteries I have seen since | leisure to remain until I drop out, and it’s coming into this savage land. ‘‘That one of the Haunted Bridge, as the boys called it; how it could be cut away and I right upon it. ‘Then who was it that killed Slouchy Sam, and what that rascal Buck Bradley is hanging around this country alone for. ‘The grizzly and his ghostly rider I wish to find an explanation for, as well as the fact that Red Renard was shot down by Black Jack one day, and the next saved my life by his arrow from the thicket, while, a few hours after, I found him dying on the cliff, where he had fallen from his horse, and when, as iS were dying, he was able to leave camp. ‘‘These mysteries I must solve above all things; but above all, I must discover what I came to these wilds to find out. ‘* Yes, I have been two years on the hunt now, and I will not give it up, no, never! until [am assured that it is of no use, ‘‘T have been in luck, that is certain, for, from my coming to the West I have struck it rich, as the miners say, at every point, | while poor fellows have worked for years | without finding as much gold as I did in my ' first day’s hunt. ‘* And see what a snug pile | have picked up tat § ‘Well, 1 is growing dark, and I must re- {turn to my camp in the glen.” Thus mused King Kendall, as he stood on ‘the side of the little brook, his large silk handkerchief well weighted with the little particles of gold which he had found, nip and tuck whether I can reach one,” he said, Again he moved forward, and the grizzly hastened after him, turned to go. Down the canyon he walked at a brisk pace, and behind him came the grizzly and the specter. Rapidly he went along, but they kept pace with him. Slowly he walked then, and they adapted _ their pace to his. Once more he stopped, but the bear came | on. ‘* Well, 1’m in for it,” he said grimly. “Thave four shots in my double barrel derringers, and I will use them only at arm’s length.” He halted, and they halted, too Again he moved forward, and the two fol- At length the cliff came in sight and he de- termined to first pass his hanging lariat. This he did; but the result surprised him. The phantom suddenly left the side of the grizzly and walked straight toward the lariat, as though knowing it was there. Then up the lariat he fairly seemed to glide, and disappeared from sight over the top of the cliff. Standing still mm dumb astonishment, the young miner beheld this strange sight, and, |when the specter was no longer visible, he He whecled to face his fate boldly, drop- | ping his handkerchief of gold at his feet, and thrusting his revolver back into his belt. Then he loosed his long knife in its scab- bard, and slipped his derringers, hidden in his sleeves, into his hand, while he said firmly: “Now, Mister Grizzly, this isa fight to the death and I am ready.” CHAPTER XXVIL. THE GRIZZLY AND THE SPECTER. Ir was certainly a most desperate situation fora man to be wine in, there, face to face with the huge grizzly, and with no help near, But King Kendall met the ordeal bravely, and stood his ground without a tremor, his nerves like iron, his weapons ready Slowly toward him the huge monster of the mouxtains came. He seemed to come with noiseless tread, and from his huge, half-open mouth there came nosound. Nearer and nearer he drew, until about forty feet only separated the man and the He was well up in the canyon, and the | brute. precipitous banks rose high upon either side of him, while at their base grew a number of majestic pines. Other men might have lost their nerve and fired then; but not so King Kendall. He was at bay and he would await the at- p the mountain-sides were other growths | tack, and noact of his should precipitate it. of trees, and all together rendered the scene picturesque, but wild, desolate and lonely in the extreme. Already the shadows of night were falling in the valley, and objects at a short distance were becoming indistinct. As he glanced up the canyon, preparatory to setting out upon his return, brave as he was, King Kendall started at the object that met his gaze, He started the more, for he had, during the afternoon, laid down his belt of arms while working, and in making a little dam, to run the water cff a spot in the stream where he had felt sure he would find an ac- cumulation of gold, he had not observed that the brook, thus spread out of its banks, cov- ered his weapons, wetting the powder and rendering them useless. As he had expected, he found the gold de- | posit, but it fretted him to think that he had | been so careless about his arms, upon which | life might depend at any moment. ~~ ——s ; Now he felt keenly his negligence, as his eyes rested upon the object that so startled him. ‘* Well! I am in for it now, and death cer. tainly seems not far off,” he murmured. But he kept his stand, one revolver drawn, | though he felt the uselessness of so doing. | Not far from him standing as still as | though carved in marble, and just as snowy ‘white, was a huge monarch of the mountzin, a grizzly bear. He had never seen as large a one before, and one that looked more savage, though, as I have said, he stood as still as though there was no life in him. . ‘‘T have my two derringers in my sleeves,” muttered King Kendall, though he was well aware that he dared use them only at close range, and a grizzly bear hung on to life with the tenacity of a cat, as he knew but too well. Suddenly the grizzly halted, and then he arose upon his hind legs, standing up well and towering above the miner. King Kendall knew well what was meant. It was the last act in the drama before the attack. The man breathed hard, nerved himself the more, and bent forward to meet his brute foe, But no sound came from the grizzly, and he stood up as still as the rocks about him. An instant this horrible suspense, in death- like silence, lasted, and then King Kendall made a step forward. The ferocious brute did not move. Another step on the part of the man, and still the grizzly remained grim, silent and motionless. ‘*My God! I must end this,” cried Kendall and he was about to rush upon the brute, when suddenly, out of the shadow of the trees glided a human form. A human form, yes, and yet seemingly the ghost of one, for it was clad in snowy white, and glided up to the side of the huge grizzly, and placing one hand upon its shaggy shoul- der, with the other pointed down the can- yon. The sight of this seeming specter of a dead person checked. King Kendall, in his intent to run upon the bear and attack him. He recognized the phantom and the brute now, which had so frightened his comrades the night before, and which he had seen him- self rush howling and shricking down the canyon. | ad the bear not been there, King Kendall would have rushed upon the specter and solved the mystery of just who or what it was, But he dared not attack both, and stood: looking at them with a feeling akin to hor- ror. ‘‘ As they seem company for each other, I Kendall, but under no circumstances to take turned toward the grizzly realizing his mistake in not having gone at once to the line and ascended the cliff. ‘*By the gods of war! but the grizzly has gone!” he cried in his surprise. * Well, this is truly tle land of wonders,” he muttered, as he walked rapidly toward the lariat. Up the line he went, not knowing exactly what reception he would meet with when he reached the ton; but he found that the spec- —_—_———- anna i 080. nn eee ree mcs LL tt it i tt tt ter had disappeared, so he continued on his way to the little glen. It was now dark, and he passed through the gloomy cave with foreboding, yet nothing | greeted him and he reached the glen in safety. Hastily he threw some wood upon the fire, for quantities of brush and logs were piled up near, and soon had a bright blaze. Then, to his surprise he found a deer hanging upon a tree near, all dressed for his use. Who had brought this game to the retreat? he wondered. The fire cast a bright light through the glen, and going to water the horses and stake them out on a fresh pasture for the night, he discovered animals alone remained. The Indian’s ponies had disappeared. A search showed him also that some of the Indian’s trappings had been taken, but noth- ing else, and not a thing of his had been touched. ‘‘ Well, the mystery increases,” he mutter- ed, as after looking after the comfort of the — horses he returned to the fire and prepared his supper, the deer left there coming in — very opportunely, as he had shot no game for his use. Throwing a suppiy of wood on the fire, he _ went into the cave with his blankets tosleep, _ not caring to trust himself in the wigwam, A long time he lay awake, wondering what — had become of the specter and watching for. its return. But at last sleep overcame him and he be- — came lost to consciousness in deep slumber. He did not awake until after dawn, and wh then passed his hands over his face wearily. — As he did so his elbow struck something hard, and turning his eyes toward it, he sprung to his feet, a cry of terror, in spite of. himself, breaking from his lips. that Comrade and his pack-_ ms abe key * ~—. at » A 4 | Aye o: Pe ee v* a* ° Loan 4 ’ ‘* w ey [Pid « « =, , ~ ~ a A <2 »’ & And no wonder, for lying by his side was a human skeleton ! The grinning face of the skull glared into | his own, and never before in his life had King Kendall felt as unnerved as at that moment, he was fain to confess to himself. | CHAPTER XXVIII. BONANZA CITY. . Buck BrApLEy the Bravo startea at an early hour the morning after hisinterview . a 7 < on a rat = - . =. * 1‘ . - 4 née 4 A at " i. +) . rr \ ¥., - . with his chief upon his return to Bonanza City. . Captain Kit had further instructed him to gain what information he could that would) ~ ~~ a = il 4 - ‘ be of use to him, such as the movements of gold trains, and Overland coaches containing valuables or passengers with money. After doing this he was to return tothe © i va") Nest, and guide three companions into the Death Mountains, to hunt down King cSi: eom (G| Oe XO) oy é -* aa. fed om - es ey . ~ x r ed vce A