Beadle's New York Dime Library No. 414 — page 9: what you’re looking at

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

Vo? ; - 2, ws - > Seer > WD as i. ° , é . 7 , . 4a . ~ ; as Pay . Ms Ss os .s” = 5 £ we . 4 Red Renard, the Indian Detective. 9 en came the savage roars as he came down the can- yon toward the camp, and the war-cries and shrieks seemed to come froma hundred throats. ‘‘ Great God! pards, it are ther Spirit Sentinel o’ ther Lost Gold Mine! . ‘* Fly fer yer lives, fer powder and ball are no use thar!” Digger Dan uttered the words, and appalled, ho darted away down the canyon followed by his terror-stricken companions. CHAPTER XV. KING KENDALL’S NERVE. WHEN King Kendall was swept away upon the raft, leaving Denver Dick in the branches of the tree, he did not at first consider his situa- tion one of desperate danger. In fact, the young miner was a man that looked upon ordinary perils with contempt, and he had been so often in situations where:he had only himself to depend upon, and escaped, that he had come to feel confident of his own powers. Upon each side his eyes now turned, as the raft was whirled along by the current, in the hope of finding some break in the wall-like banks, where hoe could gain a footing. But none such presented itself, and he began to feel that the raft must go into the rapids, and he with if, Would tke frail support stand the ordeal? was the next thought. He looked at it carefully, and then at the tossing, foaming, surging waters ahead, and was compelled to confess to himself that he did not believe that it would. Still the raft was his only help, and to it he determined to cling unto the last. The stream now began to narrow, and rocks were visible ahead, and King Kendall knew that a few moments more must settle the ques- tion whether he perished or was saved. Could he run the rapids in safety, he did not doubt but that not very far below he would find some place where he could land. Crouching on the rear part of the raft, to steady it, he awaited the result with a calm courage iha+ was manly in the extreme. There was no anxiety on his brow, no repin- ing at fate, no wishing to dodge tho inevitable, but a stern resolve to face whatever was before him. The first rocks were come to, and the raft flew by them as though on wings. Then the torrent tossed about lke a caldron, and rocks reared their cruel beads upon all sides, Suddenly there came a crash, the raft flew to pieces, and King Kendall disappeared beneath the waters. Rising to the surface he st«uck boldly out for life, and was borne by the current near the bank he had desired to reach. Suddenly, while passing between a large rock and the precipitous bank, kis hands touched something beneath him. He it with the strength of one who held on for life. It was a huge log, oF rather the trunk of a tree, for the rocks had stripped it of its ba riot os allowing, plunging, rolling, sinking, now on the foamy top, now beneath the sit tinass the stout trunk was borne, and still King Kendall clung to it. Now and then it would strike a rock, witha shock that would shake his hold loose; but again he would seize it, and away would fly his life- buoy, withas that was appalling. A less experienced swimmer could never have held on, as did Kinz Kendall, or stood the dashing waters in hijs face and the tax of strength. 4 But the young miner had been reared upon the sea-shore, and had breasted, for hours at a time, the mad surf of the Atlantic, and, but for the jagged rocks and whirlpools, the trip down _ the torrent would have been sport for him, At last the terrible gantlet of the rapids was run, and the log floated in com tively smooth water, though still borne swiftly along, Grim, stern and smiling, King Kendall sat astraddle of his log craft, his broad breast and arms scratched, bruised and bleeding, and many a cut in his white flesh, from contact with the scarred tree and rocks. But his strength yet remained and his nerve ~ had not deserted him. Again he sought a landing-place along the shore, for the one where his comrades were was the only chance for him he knew, for naked, weaponless and without food, he must die if left alone in that wild land. At length be saw a break in the rocky, wall- like bank ahead, and leaving his support he swam toward it. He felt that he had been hardly used for he was stiff and sore; but his strokes were vigor- ous, and at last he reached the coveted spot. It was, after all, little better than the cliff- like sides; but he was enabled to get a footing, and then sought to climb up the precipitous wall, as soon as he had gained strength enough by a rest. ; Clinging close to the rocks, and momentarily expecting to lose his balance, and fall back into ert tt LLL LLL LLL LLL LL LL the stream, he at last reached the summit and | «e Git an’ keep a-gittin’ ontil we strikes ther sunk down upon the mossy bank utterly pros- trated. Fer some time he lay thus, and then, a3 he saw that the shadows of evening were approach- ing, he rose and limped away to search for bis companions,, At last, just atsunset he found their trail, where it turned into the canyon, and cheered with hope he hastened on until darkness shut out the tracks from his view and he was com- pelled to halt, for fear he would go wrong in the nicht. Utterly worn out he threw himself down amid a cluster of leaves tosleep, and was soon in deep slumber. How long he slept he did not know; but he was awakened by a loud roaring, war-cries and shrieks, coming down the canyon, while past him, with the speed of deers, flew four shadowy forms, Behind them, apparently in chase, was a large white grizzly, and on its back a human form, seemingly a phantom from the grave. On sped pursued and pursuers, and when they had passed, almost dazed by what he had seen darted up the canyon, for in the condition he then was he almost fancied that he had indeed seen the spirits of the dead. Only a short distance had he gone whe there suddenly broke upon his vision a bright light. Se God! it is a camp-fire, and it is real,” he said. ° A moment he stood gazing at it, and then ad- vanced toward it. “* Tt is the camp of my comrades, “Ho, Dan! Dick! Jack! Bill!” He called each name aloud; but no reply came, other than the neigh of a horse, ‘** Comrade’s neigh, as I live! and the camp de- serted. ‘* Ha! those four shadowy forms I saw fly past me were none other than my comrades, ** But what was that in pursuit ? ‘*T give it up, and do not blame the boys for running, and fear they'll keep on until they go over the bank into the river. ‘* Ah, Comrade, old horse, it_does me good to be near you again, though I am not in full- dress costume. ‘* But I soon will be, for here are my clothes and all; ay, and a good supper, cooked to a turn. ‘* Now I am in luck, and once I make myself at home here, | do not fear any veyard ghost that walks, specter grizzly or the devil,” and the daring young miner hastily dressed his wounds, drew on his clothes, and, seating him- self by the fire, set to work to enjoy the supper which bis comrades had left behind them in their flight from what they had supposed to be a specter grizzly, with the ghost of Renard mounted upon his back. As he sat there, wholly indifferent to danger, two pairs of eyes were fastened upon him, From beneath one of these pairs cf eyes came a low growl, and the huge grizzly became visi- ble, as he emerged from the thicket on the other side of the canyon. But a tall form robed in white to his side, a low, stern order was given, and the sav- age beast walked slowly along on his way up the glen, the ghostly being halting and looking earnestly upon the little camp and its single nt tea seemingly so utterly oblivious to all peril. CHAPTER XVI. OUT OF THE DEPTHS. ‘* PARDS, we has cleared the canyon, and I is dead beat,” panted Black Jack, as the four fugitives, running in couples, and all four close together, at last found themselves out of the canyon. ** Yas, them un’arthly howls hes shet up ahind us, and I doesn’t hear no pitter- feet, so I calls a halt,” answered Bonanza Bill, slackening his speed toa walk, ~ **T c’u’dn’t run much further ef ther king o’ ghosts were arter us,” chimed in Denver Dick. ‘*Pards, our legs hes saved us this far, and I moves we keep ’em ae couple we seen arter us,” urged Digger an. ‘** Waal, let’s walk on, but not run, fer I’m used up. Oh, Lordy! pards, but what were it we seen?” asked Black Jack. ‘* A ghost!” whispered Dan. FR Soe yer mean ther grizzly were a ghost, O§ ‘‘ Thet I doesn’t know; but who but a ghost c’u'd ride a grizzly?” ‘* T hain’t arguin’ ther matter as to ther rider, Dan; but ther grizzly—my! but didn’t he git over ground?” **T s’pose he hev suggested Denver Di ‘* An’ thet howlin’ specter o’ a human bein’ as oughter be in his grave, are doubtless chawin’ up -— supper, ef ghosts eats,” Bonanza Bill re- joined. “Waal, pards, what is we ter do now?’ asked Digger Dan. pt ter chaw up our hosses,” - ° King Kendall sprung out of his covert “| further peril. tter o’ chasin’ | oving, for thet were a | | camps, and ef any durned fool finds me a-leavin’ | thar ag’in, except ter retarn ter cld Kentucky with a fortin o’ gold-dust, then 1 hopes to be shot by thet Injun’s ghost and hev ter ride ther specter grizzly clean ter Kingdom Come,” al- most savagely said Bonanza Bull. ‘* Does yer believe that ther ghost were ther dead Injun?” asked Black Jack, nervously. ‘* Yas, fer I hes heerd thet Red Renard’s war- cries afore, and it were his ghost as give them | on’arthly whoops ter-night, Jack, | ‘*] are awful sorry I kilt him, pards,” was | Jack’s repentant response, ‘* Yas, and so is we; but you is a ha’nted man, Jack: but here we is at the river, and here we | better stay ontil daylight come, for we is in a awful fix in my opinion,” and Bonanza Bill seated himself upon a fallen tree. The others followed his example, and long and anxiously they talked over their gloomy pros- pects for the morrow. But human nature at last gave out, and one by one they slip off of the log and spread themselves upon the ground to sleep, their des- | perate situation making them almost callous to SS aaa aE Bonanza Bill was the first to awaken, and the sun was just rising. He awoke his comrades, and they gave a sigh of relief when they saw that it was daylight. Denver Dick alone bad his belt of arms, and these were their only protection. Their horses, blankets, food, ard all else, they had left behind them in their wild flight. Truly they were ina pitiable plight, for many | long miles lay between them and the mining- camp known as Bonanza City, which they had | been anxious to leave to better their fortunes, _and were now more anxious to return to. _ They gazed at each other listlessly, each one wishing for the other to make a move or a sug- gestion for the good of all. They had certainly been terribly alarmed, and were really unnerved by the visits they had re- , ceived from what they could not now doubt _ was naught else than spirits of the dead. | Had they been in deadly peril from men, they | would have been able to face their foes withouG ~~ 'a tremor; but fighting ghosts was a differentb | ae altogether. ey -t * | ‘Specter grizzlies don’t fight,” at last said | Digger Dan. f2: “'Thet one didn’t, and I almost wish he bad ey fer this kind o’ life among ghosts and spooks oe a doesn’t enjoy,” put in Bonanza Bill. me ‘‘Pards, my idee is, as we has no breakfast to | git, no packing to be done, and a long road ahead of us, we had better be making tracks for Bonanza ae Black Jack said, with the air of one who feit that his proposition would — be unanimously carried, ‘** So says I, Jack; but how about a leetle ef- fort to git our horses and traps?” Bonanza Bill : . oll go after them?” quickly asked Dig- ger Dan. . That was the question, and it was a clincher, © for no one volunteered, while Digger Dan con- <P i. o tinued: | + F ‘You wouldn’t git me into that canyon @ ~ third time for all ther gold in thar. . ae **T went wons’t alone, and I gotaway;I went © ther second time with you, pards, and here L fra am; but I'll never try it ag’in, not I.” . ae ‘** Waal, let us quit talk and take a walk,and thar’s poetry fer yer, and ther trail leads ter — Bonanza City. e ‘* Here goes,” and Black Jack arose and set off — _to follow the trail up the river toward the Haunted Bridge, and thus back over the way which they had come. ms ‘* Ho, pards! look thar!” suddenly cried Dig- : ger Dan, as they were all moving off. ica Digger Dan had his eye set for ghosts, and _had cast a last look toward the canyon, and his _ gaze had fallen upon a moving form in thedis- 7 i) » . ~ Through the undergrowth they all beheld @ number of moving objects, but could not dis- tinctly see what they were. , -t ‘‘Ghosts!” suggested Dan, tremulously. WA ‘‘Nary! they is hosses; and if they be ther Gow Buzzards we is done fer,” said Bonanza ‘* Pards, it are our outfit!” cried Denver Dick, as he suddenly caught sight of his own horse through an opening in the trees. > _in astonishment they all waited, their eyes riveted upon the spot where they must appear, Suddenly into view came ahorseandrider. ‘* Ther cap’n!” oom Three voices thus spoke in chorus, ae ‘* His ghost!” huskily said Digger Dan. a, With one accord, they were about to bound away in flight, when loud and cheery came the wn Ho, pards! b ” ee “Ho, ow are you hess a a word was spoken by the four minersip | ey stood like statues, gazing u King , Kendall, as he rode toward them, followed by — their horses and the pack-animals. 4 ae They had last sen h'm, as they believed, go down in the rapids. y Ay His raft been tossed about like a chip, ' ~ ¥ comicbooks.con A