Beadle's New York Dime Library No. 414 — page 21: what you’re looking at

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

. _ z R. -2 aot. “a ia . —s i a et Fy 7 a - Red Renard, the Indian Detective. he had anticipated, and he had noticed that | the pool was very deep, and the current rushed into the aperture under the wall with terrific force. If he fell into the basin, in springing back, he might be carried under the rocky wall be- fore he could extricate himself. Then, too, he hac also seen that the other side was of sharp rocks, and missing it in his leap he might severely hurt himself. | The stars shone brightly above him, and he saw that he was upon the side of a hill. It was not the place where he had entered the cavern, as he could plainly see. Then he started as an object met his view. It was white, and looked ghostly in the darkness. But it was a horse, as a second glance showed him. Stepping to its side he found it bore his For a Jong time he stood pondering what | own saddle and bridle, which he had left at to do. Then he concluded to continue on along the tunnel and endeavor to find an open- ing. Tf he did not soon do so, he wouid return to the pool, undress himself, throw his cloth- ing and rifle across, and then plunge through as best he could. Using his rifle-barrel as a cane he went slowly along to suddenly come bolt up against a wall. On either side the cavern extended, he dis- covered by feeling his way, and he knew not which way to go. ‘‘Turn to the right as the law directs,”’ he said, grimly, and he took the passage on his right hand. But it was not very long before he could not feel any wall upon either side. ‘‘T am ina large rotunda it seems to me, and my chances are anything but cheering,” he muttered. Presently he felt his rifle-muzzle meet no resistance, and he halted quickly. There was a descent before him. Perhaps it was another pool, perhaps an abyss. j i | eee eee eee eS. Then he thought of his matches and taking | out his box lighted one. He discovered a vast rotunda above him, and that he was in a large rock chamber many feet across. At his feet was achasm only a yard across, but it seemed to have no bottom. Another match revealed to him the fact that a dozen rocky corridors branched out from the large chamber. Which one he had come he could not tell in that uncertain light. Which one to go he did not know. ‘‘T am likely to make a ghost of myself in this infernal hole, and the fate of King Kendall will ever remain a mystery,” he muttered, Again his match burned out, and he etood in the blackness of the place bitterly ponder- ing. Suddenly a light flashed upon his eyes. It grew stronger and stronger, and flick- ered upon the rocky walls of one of the corridors. What could it be, who could it be? Then it grew brighter and brighter, and a torch came in view. But the one who held it? ‘‘ My God! if spirits of the dead can walk this earth, yonder is one,” cried King Ken- dali. Adown one of the corridors stood the holder of the torch. It appeared like a woman’s form, a wo- man’s spirit rather, for it was slight in figure and clothed in white from head to feet. One hand grasped a torch that seemed to Kendall to burn with a sickly hue, and the other beckoned to him to approach. ‘‘T can be no worse off following, than in standing here. ‘‘T will go; though, if it looked more like a man ue less like a woman, | would try the effect of my rifle upon it.” So saying he leaped across the chasm and started toward the phantom-like looking be- ing. Riibanet it receded from him, yet still beckoned him on, He walked faster, but it maintained the same distance from him. On, on it led him until he felt that half a mile must have been passed over. Then companies § the torch went out and the specter vanished, *“My God! this cavern is haunted,” cried Kendall, now more deeply impressed with what he had seen than ever before in his life. At first the darkness was tangible, after the going out of the torch. Then a dim light was visible ahead, the outline of an arch was traceable, and going forward for a hundred feet he stepped out o the cavern into the open, pure air. Set ee the other entrance to the cavern. What it meant he did not know, but he mounted the horse, which he now recognized as an animal he had seen in the Indian’s re- treat first, and afterward in the barkline bar- rier, ‘Well, my skepticism is shaken to its foundation, and I almost believe in ghosts; but I shall use this horse, if it be even a specter animal.”’ So saying, he mounted the horse and rode slowly down the mountain-side toward a valley far below him. CHAPTER XXXVII. A FRUITLESS CHASE. Wrrnovut further adventure King Kendall continued on his way and, after some difficul- ty in getting on the right trail to Bonanza City, arrived in that interesting place after nightfall, the second day following his de- parture from the Haunted Cave. As he crossed the Overland bridge on his way to the Free and Easy, where he intended to put up during his stay in Bonanza City, he beheld through an open window of the saloon the scenes transpiring within. To his horror, too, for he certainly was horrified at the sight, he saw none other than Red Renard, the Sioux Miner, seated at a table, and before him a bottle of wine. Instantly King Kendall dismounted, and gaining a position where he could look into the saloon, gazed fixedly at the red-skin. ‘“There is no doubt of it; he is the same red-skin that came into our camp on the march to the Lost Gold Mine, and the one whom I afterward found on the cliff wound- ed, and again in the alcove of the Haunted Cavern, “The last two times I saw him he was nearly dead, and yet he mysteriously disap- peared, and now he appears here icateytty “ perfect health, though he has a haggard ook. ‘Yes; it is the same face, the same form, and the same dress— Ah! he isin trouble, i I see that infamous wretch Buck Bradley there. ‘“‘|'ll interfere, and this time keep my eye on the Indian, for I wish no better comrade and he isthe one that must go to the Gold Hills with me. ‘It becomes interesting within; so I will enter.” With this, King Kendall boldly walked in- to the Free and Easy saloon, and the result the reader already knows, When he left the saloon, and the Indian, whom he did not see, prevented Buck Brad- ley from killing him, King Kendall was de- termined to find the red-skin, go where he might. He caught sight of him as he darted away after giving the Bravo the blow with his to- mahawk, and would have immediately fol- lowed him, but for the fear that he might have been thought to have acted the part of An assassin, and then run off. So he stood his ground until the crowd heard the story of the Bravo’s intended assas- sination, and then, having noted the way which Red Renard had taken, he started in pursuit, Gaining his horse, he beheld a horseman in the distance just crossing the Overland bridge toward the mountains, Feeling assured that it was the Red Re- nard he gave chase. The hoofstrokes of his horse on the bridge seemed to warn the horseman in advance that he was pursued, and he spurred ahead at a lively pace. Instantly King Kendall did likewise, and it became a hot race. The one in advance either did not care to increase his distance, or could not, for he just held his own. As for King Kendall, he urged his horse to the utmost, yet could not gain an inch. ae = rr LL Sts gt st A 21 It was the same white animal which he had found at the cave entrance, and though possessed of endurance, seemed to have only ordinary speed. Frequently did the young miner wish that he had his own fleet horse, Comrade, for then, as he said: ‘“*T could run down a bird,” All through the night, going deeper and deeper into the depths of the niountains, the pursued led the pursuer. The leader had ceased his fast pace, for the horse could not stand it, and had settled down to a jog; but when Kendall made a spurt, to come upon the one he followed, he found that he could not gain an atom. It might be the Indian, and it might not. But the daylight would show, and until it did, Kendall would not give up the chase. He could bring down the man, or horse, with a shot from his rifle; but that he did not wish to do. He wished to gain the friendship of Red Renard, and if that was he ahead, he would nct consider it a friendly act to be fired up- on. Over mountains, through valleys, into canyons, and across streams the two men rode, and at last dawn began to draw near. Then the horseman in advance spurred up his animal and began to drop his pursuer. It was in vain that Kendall urged his tired animal on, for he could not stand the strain, and he soon lost sight of the one he had so — persistently followed. Then dawn came, and King Kendall, hav- ing halted for balf an hour to await its com- — ing, and to give his horse a rest, took up the trail of the one he was now determined to — follow to the bitter end, Further into the hills he went until at last he was compelled to call a halt; for his horse could go no further. } It was hours before the animal was sufli- ciently rested to go on again, and then he pushed on but slowly. : : At dark the trail coald not be followed, and the young miner went into camp, with — the remark: ‘*1’]l follow it to the end.” ; The next morning bright and cary he was vead for several hours he at last came to a mountain again on the trail, and pushing a stream. Here he lost it. Bes a4 In vain was it that he searched for the tracks, for they disappeared in the stream — a? . te and could not be found. No trace of where they came out was visi- - ’ a —, : _ » : ‘as a ss a. q oat mi Al ? aes “ f [ ble, and at last King Kendall was compelled to give it up, and he set out on his way back to Bonanza City. But the spirit came over him to change his pi “a mind and go to Fairy City, and there lock for some comrade in whom he could trust, and with him return to the mysterious coun- try about the Death Mountains. . , ; : * His horse was so nearly used up thathe was thinking of first going to Bonanza City and getting a remount, when all of a sudden « ~ - “thy, ‘ y into view rolled the Overland stage, and five minutes after he was a passenger in it along with the vailed woman, who had certainly _ shown strange emotion atsight of him,though _ he had not deemed himself the cause, other than attributing her behavior to alarm at his boarding the coach as he did. yy shooting Old Hickory as he did, ye When Slippery Jim had halted the stage b ing Kendall had cleverly sent a bullet through — his brain, and would have sprung out to vt b ’ . . ‘<a } ‘* < meet the coming of any others who might be _ there, when the vailed woman prevented him by throwing her arms about him, and at ov ~~ & the same time calling his attention to the single horseman pursued by a number others, who j into full view. ‘ ex just then dashed down a canyon 2 — CHAPTER XXXVIII. es THE RED-SKIN DRIVER. * ef Wuen King Kendall beheld the coming ~ of the horsemen down the canyon, directly — upon the coach, he had been struck with — astonishment at recognizing, in the one in — advance, and pursued by the others, the Red _ Renard, himself. ‘. The horse of the red-skin had evidently — ay ressed, and the shots of his pur- _ been hard P suers brought him to the But his agile rider di (ECO NMC round. JOO Ss) not go with him, — ~S al o