Beadle's Dime Library No. 562 — page 25: what you’re looking at

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

Lone Hand, the Sh adow. 25 take this vast sum of money, the product of a lonz series of daring robberies, the most of which I believe were perpetrated on Mexican soil, for there the band operated until driven over the line by the Mexican soldiers, who on this side of the Rio Grande got the United States authorities to pursue the robbers, and so it hap- pened that they came away up in this country,” ‘‘ Well, that is a delicate question which each man must settle for himself,” Sandy MacAlpine observed, thoughtfully. ‘“‘ But it seems to me that, under the circumstances, any man would be justified in possessing himself of this treas- ure,” ‘Most certainly!” Eddie Livingstone de- clared. ‘If it was known from whom this money came—if a man, after he got possession of it, could say,so much honestly belongs to this man, avd so much to this other fellow, why, it would be a different matter.” ‘‘That is exactly the decision I arrived at, and I came to it by the same line of reasoning,” the stranger declared, ‘‘I had some scruples in the beginning, I will admit, particularly as I am not in urgent need of the money, being pretty well situated as far as this world’s goods are concerned, and as 1 am so circumstanced is the reason why I am going te make you an offer. How would you two gentlemen like togo in with me in this enterprise? I cannot very well go alone, for I must have aid, and as J am satisfied from your looks that you are bonest, upright men, I should like to make an arrange- ment with you.” CHAPTER XXXI. THE EXPEDITION. THR mild and genial Mr. Bishop smiled in his benevolent way on the two young men as be made the proposition, for which the pair were utterly unprepared, , The pards looked at each other in a doubtful sort of way; this stroke of fortune was so unex- pected that they could hardly bring themselves to believe that there was not some mistake about the matter. Perceiving their hesitation the gentleman said: ‘‘Take plenty of time, my dear friends, to consider the matter. A day more or less will not make any difference to me; I am not in any hurry. As the treasure has remained there so long, there is no danger that the delay of a few days now will make any difference.” ** Well, [ don’t know about that,” Sandy Mac- Alpine replied. ‘“‘I think that if I were you I should want to get my bands on it as soon as possible, for fear that somebody else might stumble upon it,” ; ‘* Yes, that is my idea, too,” Eddie Living- stone declared. ‘1 should go for it as quickly as I could make arrangements so to do,” ‘‘ Well, gentlemen, [ don’t know but what your ideas are correct. Of course, you are young and full of energy, while | am in the sere and yellow leaf, so to speak, and that is the reason why lam anxious to get you to assist me in this enterprise. If I have your aid I have no doubt that the thing will be a success, It would be useless for me to attempt to go alone; such a course of action is not to iA thought of, and if I procure guides I may possi- bly get men who are not to be trusted, and after the treasure is found I may be robbed and per- haps murdered. [am just as fond of money gentlemen, as the average man, but I am not repared to run any dangerous risks in getting hold of it.” “What you say in regard tothe danger of the guides turning out to be untrustworthy, is very true,” Sandy MacAlpine remarked. “ The temptation would be so great that even a man of average honesty might yield to it.” ‘* Yes, thirty thousand dollars isa big sum, and there are plenty of men in this section who would be willing to commit almost.any crime for a hundredth part of the sum,” Eddie Living- stone observed. “Yes, yes, I know that,” the stranger an- swered, with a grave shake of the head, ‘‘ This is the country of lawless men, and until I en- countered you two gentlemen I have not seen any one to whom I dared to explain the errand which brought me to Texas.” hess pards acknowledged the compliment with a bow, ‘*Now, gentlemen, I am prepared to make the most liberal arrangement with you,” Bishop continued, ‘*AsT explained, [am notin need of the money, sol can afford to be generous, If you will go with me I will give you one-third of the treasure.” Again the pards looked at each otber and their faces became grave, ‘““T have no doubt whatever that the man stated the truth when he said the money-ches? of the outlaws contained upward of thirty thousand dollars,” the gentleman declared, ‘He was on his death-bed, knew that his min- utes were numbered, and had no reason for tell- ing a falsehood.” ‘That is true,” Sandy MacAlpine admitted. “The only doubt that I have about the matter, is that it seems to be too good to be true,” ‘* Yes, that is the way it strikes me,” Eddie Livingstone remarked. ‘* Well, gentlemen, there isa chance, of course, that the man’s story was not true, and that no such treasure exists as he described, but if ever a man seemed to be speaking the truth, he cer- tainly did,” the other asserted, ‘* And, under the circumstances, I cannot think of any reason why he should wish to tell a falsehood about the matter. Most certainly be could not gain apy- thing by resorting to deception.” ‘You are right there, and if the man did de- ceive you, it was merely a piece of willful ras- cality.” ** Yes, yes, no doubt, but [am satisfied that he spoke the truth!” Bishop declared. ‘‘ The treasure exists, and if you join me, we three can get it. What do you say?” ‘Oh, we will go in with you and glad of the chance, eh, Eddie?’ Sandy MacAlpine de- clared. ‘*'You bet!” Livingstone exclaimed, emphati- cally, ‘* We are just the men to be counted in when thirty thousand dollars is lying around loose wanting to be gathered in,” ‘* Well, gentlemen, I assure you that I am very glad indeed that you can see your way clear to accept my offer,” Bishop remarked. ** Now, how soon can we start? To my think- ing, the quicker we go the better, for I will ad- mit that lam anxious to discover whether the treasure really exists or I have come all this dis- tance on a a wild-goose chase!” “We could get away to-morrow morning easily enough, for there is no particular pre- Shee to be made,” Sandy MacAlpine re- plied, ‘** And how long will it take us to reach the spot?’ Bishop asked, ‘Well, that depends upon what part of the Wichita Mountain region weseek. Itis a pretty big country, you know,” MacAlpine answered. ‘True, | bad forgotten that I have not shown you the map.” Then from an inside breast-pocket he drew a saad carefully wrapped up in oiled silk, This when opened revealed a rude map, but the maker of the diagram had drawn it so accurately that both of the young men immedi- ately recognized the spot, ‘That is not far off!” Sandy MacAlpine ex- claimed. ‘*I know it well; it is the Southwest Pass. Iand my pard here have been through that defile a dozen times,” ** Yes, by the Southwest Pass we go to our shag oR gsc but you can bet your life that if we had any suspicion there was any thirty thousand dollars in that Pass, we would bave hunted for it,” ‘*T do not think you would have found the treasure, for it is very cunningly concealed,” Bishop remarked, ‘‘ And so careful was the ruffian from whom [ obtained my information, that he did not designate op his map the exact spot where the money is hidden, but described it to me by word of mouth.” **If we start early in the morning, we can easily reach the place in a few hours,” Sandy MacAlpine remarked. ‘‘ We will not have to make any particular preparations except to carry along some eatables, and see that our a) are in good order, although there is not much danger that we will be called upon to use them, but it is always as well to be prepared,” ‘* Certainly; you are quue right about that,” Bishop exclaimed. ‘‘An ounce of preven- tion is worth a pound of cure, And, by the way, as long as we are going to start in the morning, will it not be a good idea for me to take up my quarters here with you until then, so as to be all ready for an early start?” The pards thought that was a good idea, and so the matter was arranged, Never did the hours seem to pass more slowly away than the ones which intervened between the afternoon and bedtime to the young men, Sandy MacAlpine was paveientnr ty impa- tient, and he brooded over the matter so deeply that it was after midnight before he fell asleep. Five thousand dollars would be bis share, if the quest was successful, and that sum would make bim independent—would surely give him the girl he loved, the peerless Maggie Anderson. But, as he observed, 1t seemed to be too good to be true; however he consoled himself with the thought that a few hours would tell the tale, and at last fell asleep, The pards were up with the dawn, prepared breakfast, then woke their guest, who slept as aeere the just, troubled by no cankering care. The meal was eaten, and then the three mounted their horses and set out, pusbing on- ward ata good pace over the rollin until the rude outlines of the Wichi tains loomed up before them, Through the Southwest Pass they rode until they came to about the middle of the defile where it widened out into a small valley, ‘This is the spot!” Bishop exclaimed, as he halted his steed, ‘* Midway of the valley there should be a clump of pines, three trees growing in front of a large bowlder.” ‘‘There they are!” cried Sandy MacAlpine, his nerves beginning to tingle with excitement. ‘Yes, yes, it exactly answers the descrip- tion!” Bisbop declared. ‘*That bowlder is what is known as a rocking stone, although no rairie oun- one would imagine it was one to look at it, for « ue 7 h we 7 0 - oe! es aks ‘ VON Sew it seems to be firmly seated on its base, but when a lever is inserted under it at a particu- lar place the stone can be moved about a foot, and under the stone isa cavity where the trea- sure is concealed.” ‘*T say, Eddie, think how near a man can be toa fortune and not know it,” Sandy MacAl- pine observed, ‘Yes, that is true enough,” the other re- turned. ‘*My partner and myself have sat in the shade of that clump of pines, and rested our backs against the bowlder, a balf a dozen times, for it was a favorite sport for us to halt and take a bite of something to eat,” Sandy Mac- Alpine explained. ‘‘ And you never suspected that thirty thou- sand dollars was right at your elbow, waiting to be picked up,” Bishop observed with a chuckle, ‘““OF course not! We are not rOphers, nor the sons of prophets, and we would have to be to enable us to make such a guess as that,” the young man replied, “You can just bet though that we would have gone for that stone in an extremely lively man- ner if we had had a suspicion of the truth!” Eddie Livingstone declared. ‘““Ab, thus it often is in this life, we walk blindly on, unconscious that an opportunity to grasp a fortune is right before us,” Bishop ob- served, with a grave shake of the head. ‘* Man is but asa blind mole, yet in bis vainglovious- ness he prideth himself upon his wisdom and his foresight. | ‘But come, Jet us to action and secure this treasure. I do not doubt, my young friends that your mouths are watering for a sight of the lucre.” “Yes, I reckon we are tolerably anxious,” Sandy MacAlIpine admitted, ‘‘ Anxious! I am on pins and needles!” Hd- die Livingstone exclaimed. ‘** Let us on, then, and possess ourselves of this hidden wealth which, though accumulated by 1 men, we will use wisely and well,” Bishop said. The three rode up to the clump of pine and dismounted; they took the precaution to tether their horses so as to prevent the beasts from wandering away while they were occupied in the search, then approacbed the rocking stone. Sandy MacAlpine cut down a stout young sapling with his bowie-knife aud trimmed it so as to serve for a lever, then, acting by Bishop’s directions, he inserted the end of the stick eiurtlee a particular portion of the rock; tbaag his weight upon the end of the lever, MacAlpine slowly rolled the stone to one side, disclosing a small cavity in the flat stone upon which the bowlder rested, but there was naught in the hole but the remains of some buckskin bags, which had evidently once contained coin, The adventurers looked at each other with blank faces, They had evidently been forestalled. Some one had sed themselves of the treasure, either through a knowledge of the se- cret or accidentally making the discovery that the bowlder was a rocking stone, ‘* Upon my word, gentlemen, this is too bad!” Bishop exclaimed, ‘*‘ Inever was so disappointed in all my life!” Hardly had the words left bis lips, when sounds broke upon the air, which filled the souls of the adventurers with horror. A chorus of demoniac-like Indian yells rung out like the knell of doom, and then the shouts were followed by the sharp report of fire- arms, The three immediately understood what it meant, Their presence in the mountains had been de- tected by some wandering band of red-skins, and the braves had determined upon taking their scalps, Although the Indians were supposed to be confined to their reservations, yet small parties would occasionally steal away, and when a party of bad bucks encountered white-skins in the mountains, once in awhile the red war fever mounted to their brains, and they did not hesi- tate to attack the pale-faces, particularly if they felt pretty sure that they would be able to wipe them out, and there was not much danger of the crime being traced home to them, The adventurers started for their horses, but before three steps had been taken, Sandy Mac- Alpine slipped and fell. ; : Eddie Livingstone, who was just behind, stopped to help him up. “Tt is no use, Eddie!” Sandy MacAlpine gasp- ed. ‘*Ilam done for. Save yourself; tell Bits ie that my last thougbt was of her! Good- a ™ Ard then, with a groan, the young man sunk back, life having apparently fled. With an exclamation of despair, Livingstone burriedcn, | j Bishop was in the saddle, and had unfastened Livingstone’s horse, retaining his presence of mind wonderfully under the circumstances, ‘‘ We must ride for our lives!” he cried. Eddie Livingstone understood this well enough, and was soon in the saddle. Away the two dashed, followed od yy t= KS 700 ce. 7 _ «.* mA ‘Ty by the yells a