Beadle's New York Dime Library No. 414 — page 20: what you’re looking at

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

“ ‘‘Pardon, lady, but I thought the old ark “Ty “was empty.” Pai The vailed lady uttered a cry, sunk back Mt “on the seat and seemed to reel, as though \ about to faint; but recovering herself quick- ly, as he started toward her, to offer assist- dtl toa = 4 | ‘ance, she bowed her head, drew her vail at , more securely over her face, and settled her- a self as far down in the corner of the back i seat as possible, and without uttering a word in reply. strange conduct, but as though not to annoy her, he sat upon the front seat, and became interested in ti out at the scenery, as ‘the coach sped along. Old Hickory was a rapid, but skillful driver, and sent the six horses along at a '__ Fively pace, so that it was not very long be- fore he came to the long descent into the Shadow Valley. The heavy brake was put on, and the «coach rolled down the slope at a trot. Then the Shadow .Valley was reached, and & moment after came the stern cry’ | ‘Hands up, Old Hickory, fer I are on myer trail!” *‘Slippery Jim, yer durned traitor, Ill see yer dead fu’st. ‘Git up, ponies, and—” | Old Hickory never finished his sentence, es for there rung out a sharp report and a bul- jet from the revolver of Slippery Jim caused him to fall back upon the top of the coach. ae With a low cry of pain the old driver | «dropped his reins, while an exultant cry 5 ayroks from Slippery Jim’s lips as he sprung from his covert and brought the horses to a ~ ee ee oe So . P ==> —— 2} °. aig > a ee — . ‘a Le s | -~—s-« But it was the last act of his life, for a sec- - ond pistol-shot rung out, and the traitor | highwayman sunk in his tracks, still grasp- | sing the reins of the leaders. | se The shot was fired by King Kendall, who, sat the same moment, attemnted to spring from the coach, when he was seized firmly ___-by the vailed woman, who cried hoarsely: | * * Bor God’s sake do not get out, for see Pee, there!” ss As she spoke a horseman dashed into _~—~—s-view, a short distance in advance of a num- ope ber of others, who suddenly opened a hot ‘fire upon him, which caused his horse to stagger and fall heavily to the ground. CHAPTER XXXV. RM A STARTLING DISAPPEARANCE. | Ir will be remembered that King Kendall -- ~woke, after his second night in the retreat of the Indian, to find by his side a skeleton i. form. He had sought a resting-place in the «shadow of the cave, so that, if attacked from the glen, he had a means of escape by the Cliff, and if foes came from the latter direc- __ *tion, he could retreat through the glen. «He was very much fatigued in mind and 2 ? sts and had slept soundly. |S othing had disturbed his rest, or his “dreams, and to find the skeleton by his side when he awoke, was one of those strange mysteries he could not account for, and with “which that country seemed filled. ————s«*Tt: lay upon the blanket by his side, the bony hands clasped peacefully upon _ its - gkeleton breast, as though he bad walked in and quietly laid down there to rest. _-—«-** Well, I am awake, and there is no deny- ‘ing the evidence of my sight. “hat skeleton almost makes me believe ‘fn superstition, after all, and I certainiy have ‘gone through enough to shake my con- ‘tempt for the supernatural, But Tl have it out, though I would like to have a companion with whom to divide ss -watches, so that we could together solve “these mysteries. “Let me see: I'll go to Bonanza City and gee if I cannot find a man of nerve, willing to return with me. This camp is the very place for my horses, and I’ll risk them here, as soon as have built a barrier to their leaving by way __.of the only trail I can find that leads out of this secluded retreat.” _ Having made up his mind to his course, King Kendall acted promptly. - He was not afraid to remain alone; but if ‘he had a companion to relieve him at times of the work and watching, he felt that he would do better. _» _ He soon prepared his breakfast, and then at ad | re no - t ‘i ‘2 * all “* ‘ a 1A M a * oe . , < é , s id ‘ = a “ a bet eh eRe en Ceo Zar ser! >_> P . Swe Red Renard, the Indian | f ' | ~ teens ee ie : > ee ee ars “ » “ etective. atl, ee ST a — - | —— set to work to cut down some small trees and | barricade the crevice in the rocks that led | soon fall, and determined not to follow the out of the retreat. At length, feeling that darkness would ‘animal further, or lose his trappings, he He first led his horse through and hitched | threw his rifle to his shoulder and drew trig- him outside, taking one of the pack-animals and leaving Comrade. Then he turned the other animals loose, so that they could get plenty of food and water, and next hid all of his packs away among the rocks. Then he built the barrier, and climbing King Kendall seemed surprised at her | over it, mounted his horse and set out upon his trip. A few miles from the retreat his trail ran by the mouth of a small canyon that penetrated back into a wild-looking moun- tain spur. Here his eyes fell upon what appeared to be a fresh track. Dismounting he followed it, and it led into the narrow canyon. A walk of a quarter of a mile, and, to his surprise, he came to a novel barrier, It was arope fence stretched across the canyon from side to side, the said rope hay- ing been made of green bark torn in long strips from trees and braided together. There were four of these lines, intersected with posts, to form a fence. Here King Kendall halted, and hitching his horse, said: ‘‘[ must go slow, for this means occupa- tion.”’ He leaped over the barrier, and turning a curve of the canyon saw several horses feed- ing near. ‘*The very animals that I found in the In- dian’s retreat he muttered. Then, with rifle in hand, he moved cau- tiously forward, dodging from tree to tree that grew on the canyon’s sides. At length he came to what appeared to be the head of the canyon. It ended in a precipice over a hundred feet in hight, and over it came tumbling a water- fall. Boldly he pushed on right up tothe water- fall, and beheld under it a large space witha | cavé beyond. Into this he went, ready in an instant to greet a foe should he meet one. A low moan caught his ear, and going in- to an alcove of the cave he beheld a form lying upon a skin couch before him. ‘‘By Heaven! it isthe Red Renard!” he cried, and he quickly knelt by his side. The Indian looked haggard and emaciated, oa in his look there was no recognition of im, Helay near a small pool that a rivulet formed in the cave, and as Kendall eyed him he feebly dipped a cloth into the water and then placed it upon his wound. Kendall critically examined the wound and made a small incision with his lancet that helped the flow of pus that had been re- tarded, and then dressed it skillfuly, pour- ing upon the cloth a healing ointment he took from the little case attached to his belt. ** How in Heaven’s nume this poor Indian got here is a mystery to me, ‘* But now I have found him, I will remain and watch him until he is dead, or recovers. ‘* Tf he came here alone, I confess I cannot see how he did it. ‘‘He is either delirious, or feigns it, to avoid recognizing me; but he has fever and I will doctor him as best I can.” He administered a dose of medicine, pre- pared more in atin cup he found near, and tC ta ee — having done all he could for the comfort of | the wounded red-skin, he started down the canyon to bring his horse into the inclosure; for, come what might, he was determined to remain by the Indian to the last, though he held hopes of his recovery if he was properly cared for. His horse had broken the limb to which he had hitched him, and had strayed down the canyon. Instantly Kendall went in pursuit; but when the perverse animal saw him approach- ing he took to bis heels. As the horse had his saddle, bridle and trappings on, the young miner would not allow him to escape, so continued the chase, But the animal seemed beset with Satan, and awaiting his approach to a certain dis- tance would then go bounding away, Thus an hour or more passed and King Kendall had gone nearly three miles from the cave. er. With the crack of the rifle the horse drop- ped dead, and Kendall hastening forward, soou stripped him of his saddle and bridle, and started upon his return tc the cave. He arrived at the barrier, to suddenly dis- cover that not a horse was in sight within the canyon. He had left them there only a little over an hour before, but nowhere could he see them. The barrier remained unbroken, so they had not gone that way. Hastening on to the cave, the only other means of egress that he could see from the canyon, he saw no trail of them having gone in that direction. What could it mean? Quickly he sprung toward the cave, and gianced into the rocky alcove where he had left the wounded red-skin. The place was empty. Lhe couch, the Indian, were gone, and the place was deserted. ‘Good God! I am indeed in a haunted land,’ cried King Kendall, his face turning white with emotion, as he stoed staring at the spot, where a short while before he had left, lying helpless and hovering between life and death, the sorely wounded Indian chief, who a second time had disappeared like magic, although certainly not able to stand upright. CHAPTER XXXYI. THE HAUNTED CAVERN. It was certainly a most painful situation for a man to be in, that in which King Kendall found himself, there alone in that cave, among scenes that he had reason to believe had never been visited by a white man before. A second time the wounded Indian had escaped from him, and in a manner that seemed both miraculous and supernatural. For some moments he stood in silence and los: in deep thought. Then he determined to search the place as thoroughly as he could. It was already growing somber without, with the setting of the sun, and the cavern was getting very dark and dismal. He had seen, just outside, the ashes of a fire, and near it some pine torches, Quickly he went out and took up one of them. Taking a match from a waterproof box he aed tig carried, he lighted it and ignited the torch. With this he invaded the cavern. It was spacious, high and had several tunnel-like corridors running back from the main chamber near the entrance. The one to the right he determined to take first, and he fastened the torch to the end of his rifle, and carrying it above his head, penetrated into the depths of the cavern. The sides were smvoth, the ceiling high, so that there was ample space for a horseman to pass along that way. It must lead somewhere he knew, and just where he determined to find out. On the flooring there were numerous tracks, as though made by a boof, and con- vinced that he would make some important discovery, he went on his way. He was well aware that he labored under dreadful disadvantages, for carrying a torch as he did he could be seen a long way off, and perhaps a shot might greet bim. On, on he went, however, until he came where a stream crossed the tunnel. It ran down one side of the rock into a pool, and then found its way out under one wall of the rocky passage. Beyond, the cavern still extended, and still on he meant to go. The little pool was about seven feet wide, but he could leap it, and he did so. But alas’ he had but lightly tied the torch to his rifle, so that it could be readily shaken off if need be, and the jump shook it loose, and falling into the pool it was extinguish- ed. In total darkness, King Kendall felt the full peril of the situation. The leap across had been a longer one than (E GOMIGROOKS