Beadle's New York Dime Library No. 414 — page 8: what you’re looking at

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

~ ghown himself one not to be trifled & decided to at once beat a hasty retreat out of the wild region, where death seemed to do their steps by day, and ghosts were their visi- tors by night. CHAPTER XIII. THE SPECTER SENTINEL. ‘‘Parps, this trail we is following hain’t leading us ter Salvation,” said Bonanza Bill halting suddenly, as a curve in the river lec them ina directicn opposite to that in which | they knew they should go to reach the mining- cam for the Lost Gold Mine. ‘Wisdom you is talkin’ now, Bonanza,” an- swered Black Jack. ** Waal, let us lean toward the east, and see if we can’t find a trail that will sarcumvent us neg inter civilization,” suggested Denver ick. ** Pards, it are hungry time, so if you'll just camp here for dinner, I'll take a leetle scout all by myself and see if I cannot strike a path over these hills, and once we strike the valley beyond, we can have no trouble,” and Digger Dan’s suggestion being acted upon, he rode away alone, while the others halted for dinner, - for it was growing late in the afternoon. A ride of a mile brought Digger Dan to a | found. canyon penetrating into the high range of hills they had been anxious to cross, and he boldly penetrated it. As he progressed, he saw the canyon narrow- ed, from almost a valley at its mouth, into at times a chasm between precipices. The sides were overgrown with pines and other trees, and a small stream clear as crys- tal, ran down the canyon to plunge over a fall below in the valley and join the foaming river. ‘This is the very place for gold-finding,” said Digger Dan, who when alone, always talked aloud to himself, and yet at such times a wipe ty the strange dialect of the border, a fact that showed he was not the igno- raut individual he might appear to one seeing him in a mining-camp. In fact, Digger Dan had been reared a gen- tleman, and adversity alone had driven him to the West, where he had so ne, devoted himself to work that he had becomie known as Digger Dan, for day and night he used his pick and shovel. Superstitious by nature, his life in the wilds and mining-camps had rendered him more so, and he had come to trust in good and evil omens to guide him through life, and began to most thoroughly believe in spooks and spirits, as did also balf the miners he dwelt among. Bonanza Bill, Black Jack and Denver Dick had been his intimates, and they had frequent- ly discussed tozether the propriety of starting on a search for the mysterious Lost Gold Mine, which for two years or more had been the talk about the camp-fires. Then King Kendall had appeared upon the scene, and thrown in the mess with Slouchy Sam and Buck Bradley, they too began to dis- cuss the chances of finding the mine, which rumor had it, it was fatal to hunt for. King Kendall had urged the search warmly, and thus the party had secretly prepared them- selves for the trip and a long stay in the Death Mountains, and one night quietly stole away from the mining-camps upon their perilous ex- pedition, Buck Bradley and Slouchy Sam were the dis- turbing elements of the little party, for Denver Dick was a brave, but harmless fellow, Black Jack was a comrade to trust in, and Bonanza Bill was Jucky in finding gold, in fact, his ‘* finds” had gotten him his name, but was wont to give it all away. s to King Kendall, as I have before said, he was a stranger to all in the mines, and yet was liked by all, and also dreaded hee) he had with. Now, as he rode along up the canyon, Digger Dan saw his hopes of wealth fading away, for the search for the Lost Gold Mine had proven a fiasco, and more, Buck the Bravo had been driven out of their fellowship, Slouchy Sam had met with a violent death, King Kendall had been lost in the river, and utterly demoral- ized, they were more than willing to return to their old camps and dig away as best they could for a living. | It was a bitter blow for Digger Dan; but with the mysteries hanging about that region, with the forests haunted by ghosts, and death attend- ing their way, he would not have continued on the search for even the Lost Gold Mine itself, Suddenly, as he rode a'ong, he drew rein, and glanced earnestly down into the little stream. Then he sprung from his horse and thrusting his hand down into the clear waters, drew out a quantity of shining metal. ** A gold-pocket, as I am a sinner! ‘* And a cool hundred at one grasp,” he cried, eagerly, and again be thrust his hand into the ‘‘nocket” and drew out the remaining pieces of gold. 6n up the stream, he wended bis way, finding here and there a ‘ gold-pocket,” until suddenly a darkness and chill fell upon him. He looked up quickly and saw that he had they had left, to start upon their search | Red Renard, the Indian Detective. EG eS ee ee eC — —_--— —-— passed into a narrow passageway of the can-:* The words rung out clear as a trumpet, and yon. ' brought the party to a sudden halt. The rocks nearly met far above his head, the | ‘ Look thar!” sides were covered with moss and stunted trees, ' It was Bonanza Bill that spoke, and in a water trickled down the walls, and the place, hoarse voice. shut out wholly from the sunlight, was as dark Alleyes were turned to where he pointed, and as twilight, damp and cold. the one who had uttered the warning words was Before him another canyon appeared, narrow, | plainly visible. wild-looking and dark, and from it a rivulet | ‘*Tt ace ther Injun—Red Renard, ther Sioux came gurgling forth to join the brook by which | miner!” cried Denver Dick. he stood. | Upon a cliff jutting into the canyon, and “There is gold thero in quantity, I'll wager | much lower than those that formed the walls of my life on it,” he cried, eagerly. the narrow glen were a borse and rider. But suddenly he sprung backward, grasped Still as statues they were, the Indian anJ his the rein of his horse, threw himself into his sad- | blood-bay pony forming a beautiful picture, dle and sped back down the canyon like a fright- It was without doubt Red Renard, and seem- ened deer. ingly mounted upon the very horse the miners His companions heard the clatter of his | had seen lying mangled upon the rocky bank horse’s hoofs, and prepared for an attack, when | of the little river. up he dashed, white as a corpse, The arm of Red Renard was upbeld, as ‘* Pard, in the name of natur’, what are ther | though warning them back, and from his lips matter?” cried Bonanza Bill, quickly, as Digger | had come the words: Dan threw himself from his horse, ** Pale-faces go back !” ‘*Pards, 1 hes struck it rich; see thar! it’s ‘Thunder! I thought thet Injun were dead; ther pure metal; but I seen ther ghostly senti- | but as be hain’t he soon shall be!” cried Black nel as stands guard o’ it, too, and you betI | Jack, savagely, and his rifle was at his shoul- come mines oP 'der, his finger cn the trigger, before any one His teeth fairly rattled together as he spoke, could prevent. and he held out the little pieces of gold he had | The sharp crack of the rifle followed, awaken- ing a thousand echoes in that wild glen, and ‘* Yaller gold, as I lives!” with the report Red Renard was seen to throw ‘Pure metal, by ther Rats o’ ther Rockies!” | up his arms, reel backward, and fall, while his ‘‘ It’s dust and no mistake,” were the cries of | pony turned and Cashed away out of sight. the miners at sight of the gold, while Digger ‘‘Great Lord! Jack, you hey done wrong,” Dan said: cried Bonanza Bill. ** But the ghost?” ‘“'Yas, we c’u’d hev tuk him alive, and made ‘‘Durn ther ghost, when rich metal kin be | him guide us ter ther Lost Gold Mine,” said found,” Bonanza Bill said, earnestly. Denver Dick. ‘What were it you seen, Dan?’ asked Black ‘‘Now we'll hev a visit from thet Injun’s Jack, whose dark complexion, black hair and | ghost this here night,” anxiously put in Digger eyes had gained for him his sobriquet. Dan. ‘*T seen a ghost, Jack, and it were seated on a ‘*Pards, I guesses I war a leetle too soon, fer rock, all dressed in its shroud, and apparently | ther Injun did know whar thar were gold; but standing sen'inel over a cave behind it. it are no use weepin’ o spilt blood, fer he are * It did look to me like a Injun ghost; but I | dead, as yer knows I never misses, an’ my bead were so skeert I didn’t lose no time taking his | covered his head; but, as he do carry ccnsid’ible ah ie h, but lit out; but now, as I remem- | o’ dust on his pusson, rl try and git up thet cliff rs, I believes he were a-guardin’ ther Lost Gold | and pocket it, along with bis sculp.” Mine, and are a ghost sentinel.” | So saying Black Jack endeavored to scale the ‘Dan, is you in ’arnest as ter what yer seen?” | cliff upon which the Indian and bis pony had impulsivel asked Bonanza Bill. appeared, like statues; but this he found im- _ “Tare, fer a fact, and ef you wants ter see it, | possible, and the party, upheeding Red Renard’s jist go thar.” warning, moved on again up the canyon. ‘*Pards, my idee are ter camp whar Dan Coming to the place where Digger Dan had found this metal, and if the ghosts comes fer us, | found the ‘ gold-pocket,” further search was then we can light out and lose no time; but ef | made, and each of the party made a successful ; not, then we can see what thar is fer us in th.t | find, so vay 4 concluded to go but a short distance cave,” suggested Bonanza Bill, further and then camp. After some parley the course was decided This resolution was carried out, and, after upon, the party, in consideration of the gold | staking out their horses and arranging a tem- set to work and searcked the stream for gold until nightfall, but not cne of them extending their bunt up toward the little canyon where Digger Dan had seen the specter sentinel. When twilight fell they adjourned to tleir camp, built a ak fire and began to ccunt over their gold finds, congratulating themselves upon their success. After a while they tired of this, and set about preparing supper. But in spite of their determination to remain and search the canyon on the morrow they were all nervous, as Digger Dan’s anxious glances up the canyon and pale face impressed the others. They knew Dan was no coward if he had to shown by Digger Dan, concluding to risk ono | porary camp, the night in the canyon and see what the result would be. With this determination, eating dinner, they saddled up and moved on slowly toward the canyon, Digger Dan acting as guide, CHAPTER XIV. AN UNHEEDED WARNING, ‘*Parps, yonder is ther canyon, and I con- fesses I doesn’t like to go in thar for ther night,” said Digger Dan, drawing rein, as he came in sight of the huge canyon penetrating into the mountains, and which he bad followed with such success in gold-finding. ‘*Dan, I has to see a ghost afore I leaves yon- der canyon, for I camps thar this night,” said | face a mortal foe and, to use anold expression, Bonanza Bill, firmly. | they were well aware tbat he had not been ‘You doesn’t go alone, Kill,” put in Black | *‘ born in the wocds to be scared Ly an owl,” so Jack. his manner made them fidgety. ‘*And I aro with yer, pards, for maybe Dan Black Jack bad severa] times expressed bis re- had ghosts in his mind arter ther past two | gret for killing the Red Renard, and each time nights, and didn’t really see nothing,” added | Digger Dan Lad suggested that they woul Lave Denver Dick. the Indian miner’s ghost to deal with b fore * Dick, I confesses that ghosts has been on | they left the canyon. ’ my mind 0’ late; but I hain’t no durned fool ter “Nothing but death end ill-luck bas haunted take a jack-rabtit fer a mule, or a white rock | us, pards, since we started in the search for the fer a spook. Lost Gold Mine, and [ confesses now ter feelin’ ‘‘T tells yer I seen a speerit, and ef you sees | queer, and wishin’ as how we becn’t ccmed inter more of ’em ter-night, dow’t forgit thet | want- | this canyon,” said Pcnenza Billin an impressive ed ter go on ter ther camps, and not stop | way, and this, from such a source, added to the here ” discomfort of the others, ‘‘Ef it wasn’t fer ther gold yer found, Dan, They had shot plenty of geme, and the flavor I’d say go; but1t are temptin’ enough ter make | of boiling meats and toiling coffee would bkave me risk seeing a speerit,” said Black Jack. been most inviting under ordinary circum- ‘‘ Then on we go,” and Digger Dan again led | stances, but now there was not one of the quar- the way. tette that appeared to bave any appetite, and In a short while they entered the mouth of | they did rot move with the elacrity of kurgry the canyon, and continued on Dan’s trail along | men when Denver Dick said: the stream. ‘‘Supper are ready, pads.” Already it was growing somber in that se-| Just then there sounded through the canyon a cluded spot, shut in as it was by high cliffs, the | wild, unearthly shriek, followed by a roar that tops fringed with pines, and with only the sun- | was appalling. light gilding their tops far above their heads. _ Thencameringing war-whoops, savage roars, A deathlike silence seemed to pervade the | intermingled with shrieks as frcm lost souls, lace, for not even the chi p of a bird was The four miners sprung to their feet in mortal eard, terror, and glanced up the canyon frem whence There was not a breath of air to sigh through | the sounds came. the pines, and the little brook ran along with-| Suddenly there shot into sighta huge white el mm ee ee —— — ———————™ out the slightest murmur. Mave “This are quieter than a Injun buryin’: t was.a grizzly bear, white as snow, and, nanza Bill, in almost a whis- | horror of horrors! upon its back was what ap- ground,” said r peared to be a ghost. for a white-shrouded form was there, the robed arms extended, and the per. ‘* Yas, it are a boss place fer ghosts,” answer : , hands grasping spectral-looking revolvers, ed Digger Dan. in the same Jow tone, ** Pale-faces go back |” From the scomicbooks:co