Beadle's Half Dime Library (no. 141) (1880 04 06)
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mp — i a SA Bamet Clete! iy gilts <A . LORE 2 9 TEE i ss , eee (ta Wa ih ager ree an Srrerrererrerrcre Ome A \ Entered at the Post Office at New York, N. Y., as S Second Class Mall Matter. Ye ree in 1880 by BEADLE AND ADAMS. _ April 6, 1880, : bs = got ee oes wen stecremanmnsss = n= hael Sin le PUBLISHE D “WEEKLY BY BE SADLE AND ADAMS, Price, Numb¢ er. No. 98 WILLIAM STREET, NEW YORK. %. Cents. No. 14: itt SOLID ‘SAM, THE BOY ROAD- AGENT; or, THE BRANDED BROWS, BY EDWARD ps ove WHEELER, AUTHOR OF “‘ DEADWOOD DIOCK,” “ ROSEBUD ROB,” “ GILT-EDGED DICK,” ‘‘ BONANZA BILL,” ETC,, ETO. 2 << cnoury i ee NE me en eet SS SS ae oe eal “30LID SAM! THE noaD-adear HE UTTERED, HUSKILY. “THE SAME, SIR,” SOLID SAM REPLIED, COOLLY, AS BE COVERED THE GENERAL WITH HIS REVOLVER,
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2 Solid Sam, The Boy Road-Agent; oR, THE BRANDED BROWS. A TALE OF WILD WYOMING. BY EDWARD L. WHEELER, AUTHOR OF “DEADWOOD” DICK” NOVELS; **ROSEBUD ROB” NOVELS; ‘‘ BOSS BOB,” “ GILT-EDGED DICK,” ETC., ETC. PROLOGUE. ‘A DASTARDLY DEED. Tue time was in the spring of the year— an eventful one, too, for all winter long the mountains and prairies had been wrapped in deep, silent sheets of pure white snow, now to be melted by an incessant three days’ rain, un- til the dun of the prairies, and the gray of the mountains, were exposed to the sight. The result of the precipitate rain and thaw had been to fill the streams to overflowing, and strike terror to the hearts of thesquatters along their for maey a cabin or shanty was swept away by the stubborn and resistless ele- ment. For miles and miles the Missouri of the Worth, the Yellowstone and both branches of the Platte were more than bank full, and raging and ing as only a thoroughbred freshe ean, while the lesser streams were proportion- ately high and dangerous. "Way up along the Yellowstone, stood a little uatters’ town upon the immediate banks of 6 river, where dwelt trappers, hunters and settl to the number of some two score. One y, during the hi ht of the flood,a ‘‘prairie schooner ” came across the northern plains, and entered the settlement, and the occupants, a couple of ruffianly-looking fellows, engaged ac- commodations at the little tavern. They claimed to be tra ‘ge going south of the Yellowstone, and would have to wait until the flood abated, ere they could ford that now tarbulent stream. But little attention was paid to them, and they wandered about the settle- ment fo the day. About midnight, following the day, they had steatthily left the settlement behind, and in their “‘ schooner,” drawn by a spanking pair of were making rapid time in a southerly on, following the course of the noisy and turbulent Yellowstone. The sky was clear, after the long storm, and the moon looked down upon the @ ocean of the Yellowstone, with 1 effect. ‘t last, when several miles from the settle- ment, the wagon came to a halt upon the bank C) the river, which tore by with maddenin and a roar as of a chorus of diestintented A raft la: launched, near by—bein logs Takened together with py ‘secured to a stake upon the shore, This ati fh fo fa ty pho ly, bu’ ua th Fiade coh wan toate atioat. ty disembarked from the vehicle, oC backs, and terrified upon their faces told but too plainly feared the ruffianly pair, in whose y were. ion 7 ney b you intend to do with me and m mother cried, as the larger and 0 Fafflans placed her upon her motive prompted you t th satincient, mum, we had orders ter doit, ye see, obey orders,” the giant~replied, tal chuckle, ' “Orders!” the young mother cried, in con- sternation—‘‘ orders? whom did you re- ee to bring me here, pray?” two men exchanged ces, after which the larger one gave vent to another horrible ehuckle, full of devilish triumph. I dunno’s thar’s enny harm in tellin’ ye, meee tp 8 6 ong ee We Eh vely Black Eph and Bill, Hf ou’ an’ sech like, an’ we war hired ‘do ther job by your own affectionate hus- ‘name of Heaven, sir, I pray you to} Solid Sam, the Boy Road-Agrent. band, whom we met up in the mines. Et ap-| Maybe! — thet he left ye ter seek his fortune, an’ evin’ struck it rich, an’ found anuther damsel he likes better’n you, he has a desire ter git rid of you. So he hires me an’ Bosting Bill ter put ye aboard a ragin’ raft on ther ragin’ Yellow- stone, an’ let ye go, trustin’ ter luck thet ye never turn up ag’in, ter bother him!” During this rude recital the woman had stood in the of the ruffian’s powerful hand, whiter than tlie blocks of ice rushing by upon the surface of the angry stream. Evident it was that the revelation of the ruf- flan came to her with stunning effect. Indeed, why should it not—for such an accursed scheme was something too terrible for belief. **My God! this cannot be true,” she gasped, trembling from head to foot. ‘‘ You are lying tom uy Hathaway would never be guilty of such an infamous scheme!” “Thet’s jest where ye make a mistake, mum,” Black Eph replied, confidently. ‘Ye tho’t ve know’d yer man, but got fooled, fer he’s a bad pill. No, mum, we aire like the im- mortal Washington—we cannot tell a lie! We war hired ter set ye adrift, by Guy Hathaway, and no one else.” ** But you will not do it—oh! you will not do such a terrible wrong, I know!” the wronged wife pleaded, piteously. ‘‘ For the love of God, spare me from this horrible fate, and I will give you all I have in the wide world—all—every- ng!’ ; ‘““Humph! how much swag ye got?’ Black Eph demanded, a cunning glitter in his terrible eyes. ‘‘ Ef yo can go above ther gineral’s pile, mebbe we’re ter be bought. We allus work fer ther party w’ot pays best.” “T have but a hundred dollars in the wide world, but oh! I will cheerfully give it to you, if you will but spare me and my children!” “Sorry, mum, but ther gineral _— ye nine hundred better’n that, an’ considerin’ thet a thousand ain’t picked up every day, ther gin- eral \- our vote, you bet!” “Then you will not spare me?—you will force a poor defenseless mother with her children to court death upon that awful sheet of water?’ Mrs. Hathaway demanded, wildly. “Sorry mum, but thet’s ther orders, an’ we allus obey orders. Bizness is bizness, ye know, an’ nobody ken’t expect ter ever git ter Congress who don’t ’tend to business. yell hev ter take a ride on ther raft, an’ as et’s moonshiny, et ain’t agoin’ ter be so bad, arter all. Bosting, bind ther kids’ feet, an’ ’ll secure the leddy’s.’ “Villain! monster!” Mrs. Hathaway cried, “I defy you to do your worst, for your accursed master. I am not a coward, and I will face my fate, trusting in the One who never deserts his children—God!” “That’s bizness!” Black Eph commented “Ye hev got h an’ admire ye fer it, Ido. ShellI h ther young kids to ye “Yes! yes! it was kind of you to think of it. I want them by my side.” : The little boy and girl, both pretty children, were accordingly bound to the mother with lariats in such a way that they could not be washed over less she won too. Both —— speechless with affright, but pluckily kept The trio were now placed upon the raft, and Boston Bill undid the fastenings which held it moment it was freed from the land, the heavy float swept out into the roaring, moonlit stream, Hathawa cromditiog n it, and her two ch leshed, Wena thes: ae fal yel Ty note “ey Naa at a velocity, yam view oftke two rafflans upon the shore, We shall not attempt to picture the feelings of as she was onward by the arab e freshet. ony jas With wild eyes, and deathly face, she kept in the center of . raft, —— with the hor- ror of her ituation. r For h the raft rushed on yr! Lge ras to ieces, in thé surface o ng ice, we and floodw; while the. roar of the turbulent river was deafening. In silent prayer the mother was swept on, ciiiiren now sobbing with terror. hn Oe ‘‘Mamma, where we doin’?” the boy demand- ed, between his sobs. ‘Nellie an’ I so ’fraid, ! ‘Sh! dear!” was the faint reply of the mo- ther, meant to be cheerful. ‘‘ We are going r Obie Re th a het ie claimed, j : oh e e fellow exclai - fully. ‘Cheer up, sis, we see papa, byey, maybe!” How that single word chilled the heart of - Mrs. Hathaway, and caused a blinding rush of tears to dim her eyes. She felt that her inno- cent children would never live to see the reali- zation of that hopeful ‘‘ maybe.” The river seemed now to run faster and faster, and the raft kept pace. The velocity at which it was borne on was truly alarming. This fact was intensified when Mrs. Hathaway made the discovery that they were approaching a rapids. Faster! faster went the current and the raft; the air grew thick with misty spray; the moon was nearly obscure. Ahead loomed up a rocky bar, or point, against and partially over whic the waters tumbled with a sullen roar. Down upon this bar the raft was dashed, and the occupants hurled high and dry upon the sandy shore, while with a groaning sound the clumsy craft went to pieces, and its timbers were washed away with the flood. On the following forenoon the flood had abated considerably, and the river had shrunk to its usual proportions, when a horseman came from over the eastern plain, and halted upon the shore of the Yellowstone, just opposite the bar that stretched its peninsular neck out into the stream, and against which the raft had t een wrecked, the night before. A dashing young fellow of ye haw years, handsome of face and form, was the horseman, and his garb of buckskin, and. well-selected wea- pons betokened him a hunter. “Ugh! Prince, the river is rather a cool bath, isn’t it?’ he murmured, as he patted his horse upon the neck; “‘ nevertheless, we shall have to cross it, in order to reach our destination. The flood has gone down, and I reckon this is about the shallowest ford we are likely to find: so ahead, old boy, and see if we cannot make the bar, yonder.” The current was still swift, but seeming to understand the words of the young hunter, the horse plunged into the stream, and swam it resolutely until he finally emerged upon the bar. Scarcely had the young horseman gained the bar, ere he discovered the bodies of the previous night’s wreck lying where they had been cast, in an insensible condition, Hastily dismount- ing, be approached them, and made an ex- amination. ‘‘A mother and her children, evidently,” he muttered, sadly. ‘‘ But, how came they bound in this shape? Some band of red-skins must have left them here to be washed away. Ha! the little girl’s heart still beats! The others are dead.” With his knife he severed the lariat that bound the trio ae t and raised the little girl from the ground. There was no mistaking that her heart still beat, although she was yet insensible. “Poor little waif,” the young hunter mur- mured, tenderly laying her upona blanket. ‘‘T have found her, and I would be a brute to leave her here to die. No; I will take her with me, and care for her. But first, I must be sure that the others are dead!” A closer agers failed to discover any sign of life inthe mother ents the hunter was forced to leave girl inh arms, he mounted his horse, and gallo away to the south-westward. Not over two, hours after the de of the hunter, a second horseman forded the Yellow- stone to the peninsula, and discovered the bodies, with considerable surprise. 1 He was a large-framed man, clad throughout in buffalo-skin, with the furry side out, and in face looked to be about fifty year of age. His were as white as snow, and there was acnd, some great sorrow which had wrecked his mind and it at times to wander. He was well armed with rifle, knife, and the horse he bestrode was no on brute. ‘Immediately upon d the bodies, he drew dismounted, approached them. A cry escaped him as he bent over the woman—a cry of and remorse, “Bethel! Bethel! Oh! my God have mercy!” —my d, de work has been done here, and I know at whose door to lay the crime of murder. Bethel, my or the boy, and having unburied, while, with the little. Geena
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child, hear me swear in the presence of that your wrongs shall be avenged. Ah!” } The old man started, for he saw. the limbs of the boy stir. A hasty examination revealed that he was alive, but insensible. A gleam of joy flashed over the old man’s Solid Sam, the Boy Road-Agent. 3 and resolutely. God, possessions!” the White Beard cried, fiercely | the approaching night, until the drowsy echoes were startled by the rapidly approaching ‘*T came here first. ere other foot of mortal | clatter of hoofs. man had ever trodde:. here, and staked off this | gulch, an’ et’s mine, as it is Government land, | and I have tenanted it longer than the time ex- ” face at this discovery, as if he had already | acted planned some future course of action. Carrying the body of poor Mrs. Hathaway into a natural niche in a huge mass of rocks near by, he left it there, and rolled a bowlder before the entrance. Then returning to the | boy, he raised him tenderly in his arms, and vaulted into the saddle as spryly asany younger person could have done The next instant he dashed away, in nearly the same course taken by the younger scout but a few hours ahead of him. Just six years afterward. The night again was moonlight, and a —— one in early sprinetime, with an earthly sme that had only come since the snow had gone. Down a sort of a dug-way trail or wagon road, that. descended from a mountain of the southern Wind River range, into a deep canyon below, rode, in double file, a body of horsemen some sixty or more, in number, well mountec and armed, but roughly dressed and bewhisker- ed, to a man. - And the fact that they carried, attached to their saddles and horses, implements common] used by miners and some of the paraphernalia of camping-life, indicated the fact that they were what is known in all the gold-mining dis- tricts as ‘t stampeders.” Dissatisfied with the remuneration of one min- ing locality, this class of characters, invariabl made up of adventurers, ruffians and hard citi- zens, make no bones, literally, of ce me their former ‘‘ city,” and stampeding some other and ‘‘ fatter” streak they have heard of, and if they chance to be strongest in numbers, woe be to the citizens of the place invaded, as they have the choice of only two things, either to “ bounce,” or fight, and ten chances to one get unmercifully licked, or planted, in the bar- rain. This party of horsemen was such a gang, which had stampeded from the quartz mines of the Sweetwater mountains—men who recked little the value of life, and feared neither man deareck ld and a life of dissipation had or and a life o ipation ha made them dicwon hbred ruffians, with no care or thought save to further their own ends. Down the moonlit road they guided their horses, preserving a grim silence, as the moon- ight dwelt upon their ranks with picturesque ect. Below, in the depths of the deep black can- yon, a single starlike gleam of light located some human habitation, and the oe as if by universal consent, gave vent to a grunt of pon as they saw it. nature, and also watered by a small woody hide On reaching the bottom, the stampeders turned and rode in the same direction the only along through the pa un to where there stood a large two-story log cabin, from one of the windows of which there —-s ht. p to the tcabin door, they rode, and then came to a halt, the leader ra smartly upon = oa with the bate at oie =. at e door was open a few minu an old man, with a sweeping white beard. He was een oe untanned buffalo- they came in’ so mm on ther sly!” one of the stampeders announ grimly. any gold in Buckskin canyon, or not. So pack | | golden the stampeders exclaimed, roughly. either got to vamoose, or we'll plant = right heer in under ther shadder of your ca in, you bet! Et don’t make nary a cent’s wuth o’ dif- ference whether ye populated this tract as fur back as ther Flood, or no; we hold the bi ti number o’ tricks, an’ we’re goin’ ter take ther “Hurrah!” shouted the stam rs, to aman. “Bounce out, old White iskers, or we'll plant ye, immegetly.” ‘*T will not leave my rightful possessions without a struggle!” the hermit cried, sternly, —_ raising his rifle with amazing quickness, he red. There came a cry from the spokesman of the party, and he eg from his saddle. Then, before the White Beard could slam shut the door, there was a rifle —- and he clasped his hands to his heart, with a groan—~ staggered back, and fell into the arms of the youth! With a scream of rage the old hag snatched a pair of revolvers from his belt, and turning, opened a deadly fire upon the her example being followed by the boy, as soon as he found that White was dead, and could lay him upon a rude couch in the room: But, in this case resistance was useless. The stampeders leaped from their horses with hoarse cries of vengeance, and poured into the cabin by the way of the door and the windows, in overwhelmin, ——— and. in short order the ee te the boy found themselves prisoners in the ands of the miners. ‘Curse you! curse you!” the ed cried, with fierce efforts to free herself. ‘‘ You have killed my husband, and the rights of our home, but I will have revenge! Hear me swear it, that, though people may invade Buck- skin canyon in thousands, and houses and spires may be erected here, the place shall never P r. Devastation and ruin shall attack it— -agents shall plunder it—death sball reach every man that attempts to carry an eunce of gold _ of this canyon! I swear it! I curse you, all! Some of the men looked a little startled, at Throughout all the Wind River region of Wyoming was Wild Meg known and feared as a strange, mysterious creature, whom many be- lieved to be a veritable witch or leagued with the devil. For years she and White had been known to live in Buckskin canyon, but the superstitious dread of them had heretofere caused the miners and prospectors to steer wide of the place. Therefore, her curse was not a thing particularly desirable, and most of the miners looked bed and afraid. One, however, appeared reckless of fear, and he was Black Eph, a notorious who had visited nearly every 9 strike in the West. ‘We don’t keer a durned fer yer curses, old woman!” he declared, rudely. ‘ We ain’t afeard uv ye, ef ye bea witch, an’ all we want 0’ ye is ter clear out, an’ leave us in persession. Boys, tie her an’ ther b’yee onter two o’ the hosses, an put a thorn or ee un- der their tails ter wake ’em up. a we won’t see no more o’ ther Witeh, fer a d a . “eT he old began to shriek and curse so ter- ribly fig she was gagged, which effectu- ally “‘ shut off her music. ; ee nee and both she and the boy were tied into tlie saddles; after which thornapple brush was fastened in under the tail of each horse, and they were turned loose. With almost human shrieks, they dashed off down the canyon at break-neck speed, wild with ~ and rel = Lee or _ the youth unseen , and lea e stampeders masters of the situation. ; CHAPTER I. THE SUNSET CHASE OF THE BRANDED BROWS. Another lapse of six years, and we once more tke up the thread of our romance. The sun was going down the horizon, and prom, f the mountains in a farewell glory of ight, one balmy June day ; the perfumed western breeze was lulling nature into a sweet repose; even the dark recesses of Buckskin can- “ Ken’t help thet, old hoss!” the spokesman of | “ Ye’ve | } | the nose, and endin Nearer and nearer they came, accompanied alternately by yells of triumph, and yells of de- fiance. Finally, from around a bend in the canyon, swept a band of horsemen at full tilt—a wild- looking set of fellows, attired in tanned buck- skin, and armed to the teeth. One startling peculiarity about their appear- ance was a branded mask upon their faces—a black, scar-like belt that ran across each man’s countenance, beginning just below the bridge of half-way in the middle of the forehead, just above the brows. It was no mask, but a brand of black, upon the skin itself, and gave the party a most strange appearance. Most of the party wore beards, but the single | horseman who led the advance, was yet a mere _— evidently, for he wore no beard of any ind, and was smaller in frame than the others. There were some eight or ten in the party, ahd they were urging their animals to their greatest speed, which fact was accounted for when shortly after the appearance of the Brand- ed Brows, another body of horsemen swept into view, around the bend, in hot pursuit. Four times as many were there in the numerical count of the pursuers, as in the pursued, and their rough attire proclaimed them to be miners. The Branded Brows, however, were in no im- mediate danger, unless their horses gave< out, for they were out of easy rifle range, and gain- ing o— if anything. “Halt, there! ‘tis useless for you to seek to escape,” shouted the leader of the miners, a large, broad-shouldered man, with silvered beard and hair, “We will pursue you to the end of the earth, but what we'll have you.” ‘But you won’t get me, nor my men!” the young captain of the Branded Brows coolly. ‘* You had better take your miner dogs back to Placer City, General by so doing, save their lives!” ‘*Ha! ha! I'll risk their lives. When you and our black-browed devils surrender, we will go k. On! boys—on! Five hundred dollars to the man who captures Solid Sam, alive!” “Ha! hal” the yo outlaw laughed “Pll give five hun additional, myself, to the lucky man! On, , on!” Fiercely then did the pursuers and the pur- sued urge on their already foaming ho rte the long, level canyon, which nstahed for miles away, into the heart of the Wind Riv- er mountains, the clatter of the iron-shod hoofs arousing echoes that mayhap had never been aroused before. On—on—on they dashed, silence reigning in the stead of the previous cries—the miners who had taken upon themselves to do Vigilante ser- vice, paeiatels ee De ed ae to let = 4 rious gang of road-agents escape— road- agents as resolutely decided to outwit their pursuers. For six months this unknown band of brand- ed browed men had played the road- in Buckskin canyon, in the most bold and. anring manner, and with a success that no amount — or precaution wueune to baffle. ot a stage or a miner left the canyon in any direction, without being halted, summarily. Hordes of these same Branded Brows were scattered through the mountains and thaway, and and the leading spirit of them all was a cody hee omapaciy Mioaeboe taenda® at y knew except by repu’ $ On the chase, th gradual —on—on @ chase, the - ly lessening of , for the borses increasing of either party were hard blown by the long race, and were fl out. Solid Sam noticed this with a fierce glitter in his eagle eye, and also noted the fact that the at — slowly gaining on them. ‘On, boys—urge on your horses, or th — short rifle range yet!” he cried” it 7, do, our jig is up, fer they’re four to our one. The Branded Brows seemed fully aware of this, but there was no help for it, for, urge their jaded steeds though they did, they could not close their eyes to the fact that the en was slowly but surely gaining on them. Solid Sam saw this too, and muttered something that sounded suspiciously like a curse. ‘‘Tt’s no use o’ torturin’ the horses, boys,’ he said, finally. ‘ We’re losin’, and the first we know we'll get a dose of round lead in our pees! We may as well make a stand and fight out ** You go on, captain, and we’ll stay and fight
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| 4 4 it out!” one of the men suggested—a young man, nearer the young chief’s age. ‘Your horse is considerably better’n ourn, and while we’re holdin’ the cusses back, you can escape!” Solid Sam flushed indignantly. “Lieutenant Breeze, you dome a great in- eerie he replied, chidingly. ‘‘ While I have ed the Branded Brows have you ever known 1ae to desert my men, no matter what scrape we've gotinto? No, sir! Pll stick to the gang, till the last. Ha! what did I tell you?” Even ashe spoke the towering canyon walls echoed the report of a score of rifles, and a yell of a came from the pursuers. Four of the Branded Brows threw up their arms and dropped forward upon their horses’ necks, and even with the shadow of death creep- ing over them, they had the presence of mind to leck their arms about the necks of the animals, and were ae not dismounted. Instantly Solid Sam and th ing outlaws wheeled their horses toward the Vigilantes, and opened fire, with their deadly hester rifles. Six of the miners were hit, more or less seri- ously, and page Ae behind, while the remain- der came on, firing and yelling like a pack of bloodthirsty Comanches. Bravely the Branded Brows stood their oe and returned the fire with telling — or =~ number of the Vigilante band dimin rapidly. ut not without company, for one by one the roasl-agents drop off, until me 4 Solid Sam and Lieutenant Breeze alone fa the enemy, wounded, but still able to attend to business. *“Tt’s no use of standing longer!” the youn captaim said. ‘ Make another spurt, and see we can’t get away!” Accordingly they once more wheeled their horses, and applied the spurs vigorously, and the noblé animals respond ‘d with a brave effort. Fortunately for the two fugitives, the Vigi- lantes were not supplied with breech-loading or magazine rifles, and, after each shot was fired, _ it was several momentsere they could reload. Having discharged their weapons, to a man, upon the instant before Sam and Breeze re- sumed their flight, the interval required for re- loading gave the fugitives a chance to get once more gato range, thanks to the extraordinary spurt of speed vouchsafed by their horses. ‘Ha! ha! ha!” Solid Sam yelled, shaking his fist back at the pursuing Vigilantes, trium- phantly. ‘‘ Wée’re ahead again, my noble Gen- eral Hathaway, and once more we defy you, as we’ve got it all our own way now.” __ “How do you mean?” Breeze demanded, anx- ously, “HR soon show you. Below here is the deer trail that leads up through the Hedge Piue slope onto the hog-back. It’s a road I was over once, and is our nearest route now, to the The lieutenant nodded, and they dashed on. Soon'they rounded another bend in the canyon, and hére the walls retreated into gradually steep slopes, which were covered with pines, grown close together. - Wheeling his horse from the canyon, Solid Sam led the way over a path that penetrated the pme jungle; Lieutenant Breeze followed elose behind. The'path was a deer trail, used by the moun- tain deer in their descent for water, aud was nar- row and tortuous, but the animal of Solid Sam followed it with as much ease as would an old ‘route now lay up-hill, and it was impossi- Wie for horses to go tester than a walk: accord- ingly the two fugitives allowed their fagged-out s ‘to take it’ leisurely, for the young chief well anderstood that the pursuers would not be qroemidde inany random racing through the t orest. “Maybe they'll conclude it ain’t healthiest for them to follow us now,” Breeze said, as rode along. “Don’t fear that. They'll follow ts until we fet to the Devil’s Abyss, at least,” Solid Sam Yr ied. “Then, T reckon, some of ’em will You're right; they_ will,” the lieutenant agreed, witha.nod, “T don't believe they’ve got a horse that can leap across.” “Tf they had, there’s not a man = them enough to attempt it,” was the re- ‘ith pl me ells in the rear now announced that the Vigilantes had discovered the fugitives’ escape, if not the direction in which they had gone. the fact did not materially alarm Solid , for he kept on, steadily, a quiet smile lin- goring about his handsome mouth. e other remain- | lowed the tortuous peenirme trail through the — wood, and like vengeful sleuths, the Vigi- | antes were heard dogging behind. Night clos:d in, but an early moon, nearly at. its full, soon arose, and shot strangely grotesque bars of light down through the pine branches. Finally, the fugitives emerged from the forest upon a stretch of mountainous table-land, hun- dreds of feet above the canyon bottom. Once out of the ooey woodland, the night assumed a more brilliant aspect, with a horizon of ethereal haziness, a soft blue sky, and a soar- ing moon which diffused a flood of meliow light upon the wild but picturesque landscape. Before the fugitives stretched a line or chain of mountains, on the right and left of which erage frightful abysses. This natural we was smooth and level, and of considerab length, stretching away toward the north-west. ‘* Alt Isee where we are now,” Breeze ejacu- lated, as they emerged from the pines. ‘We can indeed laugh at the Vigilantes.” *T should feel somewhat like laughing my- self, were it not that we’ve lost so many of the band,” Solid Sam replied, sadly. ‘ But, the fellows shall not go unavenged. J am just i to wake up to the fact that Ihave not given the miners of Buckskin gulch a strong enough deal. They shall have cause to fear me and my vengeance even more in the future, than they have in the past!” “Bravo, Captain Sam! As usurpers of your sa they have no’ right to expect that you illsubmit to their invasion. By right of the testament. of old White Beard, the canyon is yours.” “ Ay! mine and Wild Meg’s—the whole tract covered by Placer City, and the mines. Curse them! They drove us from the claim, six years ABO, but it has not been a very profitable ae ‘en of those who drove us off have gone up Salt River by the usual boat—five more have died with their boots on, and seven have got their pass through the kindness of the Black Brows. A large number yet remain, but Placer City will be an unlucky town fer ’em, and all in it, and he is a rash pilgrim who attempts to carry auriferous out of the town!” ‘“Why is it that General Hathaway bears you so great an enmity, captain?’ Breeze de- manded, as they spurred along, side by side, through the moonlight. ‘‘ Perhaps because I bear his name. I know of no other reason,” the young outlaw replied. ‘**Then, too, as you know, I’ve made it a prac- tice of late to toll his interests, he being one of the wealthiest of the Placer Cityites. Six years ago, when Wild Meg and I were driven from the r mines, that we had worked for a number of years, we jointly took an oath, that we should have a portion of what was rightfull our own, by tolling every miner or grist of gold, at each and every opportunity. That’s how I became a road-agent to protect our own inter- ests. It: was evident, from his tone and expression, that he felt bitter toward those miners and ad- venturers who had turned wang a city et rae rege = sev pra: min ie present. the Vigilan ato a ase Soruea oo ; tes at re eme om the forest in their rear, and with fierce yells struck to their animals, in hot pursuit. Solid and the lieutenant: also increased the speed of their animals, and the pursuers and ued again dashed rapidly through the’moon- liz. Several times the Vigilantes fited at the randed Browed fugitives, without: a ent effect, except to call mi Me of derision; as noting this fact they down to a si- through mid-air, but a sagen mighty seam ‘that split the hog-back twain! “ ; Fr rr naa gen — we — steeds - road a safe footing upon t further pe eet Then dashed on, while: Solid Sam and Bill Breeze gave vent to a triumphant yell of victory. - When safely out of rifle range upon the fur- ther side, Solid Sam drew rein, waited for the Vigilantes to arrive at the opposite edge of the abyss, which they did, with cries and curses of rage. ‘Hat hal > I thought you were going to carry Solid Sam back with you to cer City, to-night, as a special t of a little neck- tie party!” the young chief of the Branded Brows cried, mnockingly. ‘Rather made a - - cried, fiercely. ‘‘I order you to surrender, at once!” “Oh! ye do, eh? Well, 1 can’t see the point of that little joke. It’s too transparent, you know. If you’re going to order ’em, I'll pass, and you can take the trick. Ha! ha! see the point of that, don’t ye? I’m going to pass ont of your reach, jest as nice as a slippery eel. Hate to tear myself away from such eligible company, but I must bid you good-evening— that is, awrevoir. Tra! la! la! till Icome down to Placer City the next time, after my custom- ary toll!” And, with a laugh he wheeled his horse and rode leisurely away, accompanied by Breeze, leaving the miner Vigilantes in a state of rage bordering on frenzy. CHAPTER II. THE CAVE RETREAT—THE PLACER CITY SENSA- TION. Sonm Sam and Lieutenant Breeze, after leav- ing the baffled Vigilantes, rode on along the hog-back for perhaps half an hour, when they came to its termination in the form of a round mountain, three sides of which sloped nearly perpendicularly downward into a frightful yawning gulch, while the fourth side connected with the mountain table-land, or hog-back. At the point of connection there was a large black hole in the face of the mo in, from which gleamed a cheery light, and into which Solid Sam and the lieutenant rode. The interior proved to be a high cavern of considerable size, and was the retreat of the Branded Brows. One rtion was used as stabling for the horses of the band, while the other part was oc- cupied by the outlaws themselves. A fire burn- ed in the center of this section, to keep off the chill and damp of the cold rocks, and around this a half dozen fellows and an old repulsive hag of a woman, were sitting upon camp-stools, engaged in smoking pipes, as Solid Sam and the lieutenant entered. They arose with grunts of surprise, however, when they noted that the two returned alone—a re with their branded brows, they 00 ‘How is this?” the hag demanded—who, by the way, was Wild Meg, the Witch. ‘‘ Why is it you come back alone, Sam? why is it, I say?” lid Sam _ slipped from the saddle, and gave his horse over into the charge of one of the out- laws, ere he vouchsafed a reply. ‘Because we got chased bya gang of the Placer City miners, and lost every man but Breeze and I!” he said, finally. “It’s partly your fault, too, for I shouldn’t have | gone yet for a week, if it hadn’t been for ou. ‘Pooh! the loss of the men is trifling, when we can easily get more. Did you make a raise from the outward bound stage, this morning?” the Witch asked, eagerly. ‘‘ No! the usual stage did not lea ve the town.” “Why did it not?” “I don’t know, exactly. There’s a pile of gold scattered about the camp, among the mine- owners, and they’re peed a chance to pe its passage out of the place without my “Ha! curse them!” the Witch exclaimed darkening with rage. Peden have usurped our claim, and: driven us from it, and’ now they -us out of the revenue we have ex- bite of a ito!” Solid Sam witha smile, ‘They think that the _Buck- skin canyon are rightfully theirs, and that we are committing a gross sin ro the stage,’ as they call it, and. tol the of such as have made their pile and for other parts. So, hank gf organized a Vigilance gang, and as a res I gotstarted out of town ay, and the whole of us with their boots on, facing the music, except me an Breeze, an’ we escaped.” Wild Meg paced about the cavern for several moments, in silence, but the picture of consum- ing fury. Her hideous face was flaming with anger, and her eyes glittered with a greentsh ave, w her ‘rears ~ fingers worked nerv- yas an evidence of her aroused and over- whelming passion, ; e was an uncanny looking creature, at the best, with her wrinkled, ugly Sn sh le and thin angular form, and her manner of dress in no way enhanced her beauty, for she wore a
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‘ neck | flaring red skirt, tattered and ragged, and a | dirty green waist, belted, and the belt contain- | ing a half-dozen heavy cavalry pistols. No | covering she wore upon her wild disheveled hair, that the frosts of many years had streaked | with silver, and her feet were also bare. Six of the toes were gone—cut off close to the body of the foot, and the most remarkable part of the matter was that she had cut them off her- self—one on each yearly anniversary of the death of her former husband, White Beard—and | strung them upon a wire about her shriveled ! Her motive no one could ascertain—not even Solid Sam, who had been cared for by her from early years up to an age when he was able to take care of himself; but she had been heard to grimly declare, that she should continue the dis- memberment, as long as she lived, finally wind- ing up by cutting her head off. ‘or some time she continued to pace to and fro, as if to work off her passion, the eyes of Solid Sam and the Branded Brows following her with doubting glances. ; “General Hathaway is at the bottom of this movement?’ she finally demanded, stopping short, and gazing at Solid Sam, nt i iag A “Yes,” he replied, ‘‘or rather at the head of it, for he led the chase, to-day.” ‘*Humph! did you hear anything more con- cerning him?” ‘Yes. He’s going to be married, as you have expected. The woman he is to marry came in on the morning stage, accompanied by a youn lady she calls her daughter, and a man repo to be General Hathaway’s brother.” The Witch started with surprise at this. . ‘*Ha! what is this brother’s first name, did you hear?” ‘Yes. The general met them at the stage, and welcomed them—the man, as Colonel Car- rol Hathaway—the others, the ladies, as Mrs. and Miss Miner.” ft yes, 1 believe he did have a brother,” Wild muttered thoughtfully, as if unmind- ful that she had auditors. “‘T heard tell of the fellow, Carrol, as a wild, reckless devil, such as the army produces. But you have not told me, boy, when this roposed marriage of the general takes place? spry, now, for I am much concerned. Ha! ha! yes, very much concerned!” . . “The wedding comes off to-morrow in mid- forenoon, I believe, at the general’s shanty.” ‘*Good! I will be on hand! ha! ha! yes—on hand!” the witch hissed, glaring at the ruddy ——— burned in the center of the cavern. en she turned and opened a large wooden chest near by, and proceeded to haul out dresses of the costliest materials; jewelry, and the numerous articles of a lady's toilet, laughing — , the meanwhile. “Tll go down to the weddin’ in style,” she chuckled, glaring wildly around. “It’s a lon time since I dressed up gay, an’ ted an uffed. But, I haven’t yet forgot the art, an’ li show ’em how to put on style! Ha! ha! Pll show ’em, and there ’ll be blood on the altar, too!” Armed with a rich assortment of feminine malia, the old woman then retired into a sort of inner cavern, to make her preparations. Where six years before had stood a rude log eabin in Buckskin canyon, now rose a miniature mining city—a collection of shanties, tenanted for a variety of purposes, as dwelli stores, eee " pectale dina " ity, a res oO city, too, and called Placer, or Placer City. 7.9 Some two thousand souls claimed this city of the gulch as its re and average floa’ ting population, and the fact of its constant gro the addition to its people, was mainly ow- ing to the richness and seemingly inexhaustible supply of its mineral resources. ce six years before, when the stampeders had taken possession of the canyon, by killing the hermit, White Beard, and ving off the Witch, it had panned out largely, and slowly but surely grown better. The sandy formation of the bottom was pat pes “salted” with gold, and for a mile and @ up and down the gulch, from the former site of the hermit’s eabin, claims in- numerable were located, the larger share of | them in the control of monopolist eco with a few bel ng to single individuals. General Gu, t way was the big man of | Placer City. me place has to have a sort of leading citizen, and such a person the gen- eral was to the little mining strike in Buckskin | gulch. He owned five different mines in com- | pany with a man whose name was Sydney Ath- | | the maps, for Solid Sam, the Boy Road-Agent. 5 erton, or Santa Fe Syd, and a large interest in. the shanties of the town belonged to him. His income from the five placer claims was estimated at a thousand dollars a day, and be- sides this, he and Atherton had a drift drilled into the rocky wall of the canyon, with good prospects for another rich strike. Being a man of viper I figure and dig- nity, and one of the original stampeders, he had been universally looked up to as a sort of leading citizen. a dispute occurred, or any advice was needed, the general was always looked tote de- cide the matter. His wealth he spread about with a liberal hand, and he grew to be the most popular man in the gulch. lacer City, haps, you cannot find upon ing hidden away in the wild fastnesses of the still wilder Wind River moun- tains, with only two stages daily communicat- ing with the outside world, it*has not gained vag notoriety as a mining center, more than has a hundred other similar strikes. Some two hundred rude shanties and cabins were scattered about in the vicinity of the hermit’s old cabin, two of which served the purpose of gambling dens, fourteen as saloons where “ tanglefoot was dispensed to thirsty pilgrims, one as a smithy, and another as a combined grocery, dry-goods store, and post-office. Then, there were a couple dance-houses nightly in full blast, a rity 4d office, from which was issued the Daily Progress, a cabin used for a church, and the old hermit’s cabin, now turned into the only hotel in the place. The citizens were, as a rule, the same class found in all mining towns—a mixed mass of hu- manity of many different nations and natures, the adventurous class and the ruffianly ele- ment largely predominating. On the day following the night that had. wit- nessed the race between the Vigilantes and the Branded Brows, Placer City was alive with excitement, for in mid-forenoon, General Hath- away wpe to beri to himself. a male ie fhe person of a charm y of Chicago, who already arrived. This fact, together with an- other, which was that this was the first matri- monial event on the Placer City records, creat- ed an extraordinary sensation, and the miners toa man, laid aside the pan and shovel, to in- dulge in a holiday, in honor to the gen on the and 1 about the town, in the saloons, streets knots of “‘ citizens” collec bright early, to i mys the ayuda to Bocrrcagpsing —concerning the marriage o wi - eral, and the bold doareniations of Solid. — the road-agent. And when the hour came for the consummation of the nuptials, there was a time! atin B man, woman, and child that could crowd into the rude church, was there—miners, ruffians by profession, adven “‘ citizens and their families, and the creme de la ereme of Placer City’s 4 Sur oge ng were jammed. into the structure. see. first ‘‘ weddin’,” in Buckskin gulch. No downright h-toned' and’ fashionable audience it was neither, for 1g) booted miners, and women in sun-bonnets. and calico dresses made up the party, and six-shoot- ers and grimy pipes, to say nothing of. bad breaths, took the place of rich wed sents, and intoxicating perfumery. The eg rm. an, too, was a. big raw-boned, long- pilgrim, with his pant ? shirt, and belted waist, girdle containing a large revolver. Form- erlya hard citizen, he was reputed to have re- formed and joined the i in true faith, but the roseate tin ss the end of bis nose betrayed the fact that he did not allow his pas- toral labors to interfere with the privileges craved by his inner man. The general and the bridal party had Inckily taken refuge in the “church” ahead of the crowd, and consisted of the general in person, a Sach Rag well dressed, and somewhat - ed in his ‘bearing, with silvered brown. hai and beard, and eyes of the same hue. Next came the bride-to-be, a richly-attired lady of five-or-six-and-thirty years—comely in face and form, with dark half and eyes, the latter pierc- ing. in their glances, : he groomsman, Col. Hathaway, a brother of the general, was a tall well-formed man, with immense fiery red side-whiskers, and a counte- nace inclined to be rather pre ing, but for the pret e ai aes. Oe mgees He was richly an ily atti and appeared rather disdainful in his bearing.’ The bridemaid, Miss May Miner, who was said to be the bride’s daughter by a former mar- riage, was a very pretty and modest-looking maiden of seventeen or eighteen, richly attired, and looking very charming, with her fair coun- tenance, soft golden hair, and eyes of sparklin blue. And the rough audience at once decid par she was the one best fitted for the general’s wife. CHAPTER IIL. SHOT AT THE ALTAR—THE WILL, AFTER the patience of the crowd had become nearly exhausted at the long wait before the “splicing” took place, the general led his lady forward to a space that had been reserved by the groomsman and bridemaid. The minister, Jim Byles, by name, then read the customary marriage service, in a loud voice, concluding with the following deviation: “Do you, General Hathaway, take this hyar women fer yer leagally wedded wife, an’ sw’ar by the pin’t o’ yer bowie knife, ter hang tew her, in ther journey thru this weary vale o’ “rt do!” the general replied, with a faint smile. An’ do ye marm, promise ter hang ter ther general, ditto, an’ pervide his repasts, an’ be a tuvin’ wife, wi’out lookin’ bias at uther pil- ‘“*T do,” Mrs. Miner said, a trifle haughtily, for this uncouth fashion of marriage law of Placer City, did nct impress her very favorably, she mes a city bred lady, and not a little proud and supercilious. “Then in ther name o’ ther great and onl Jehova, I, Jim Byles, minister o’ ther gospel, do turn ther key in ther padlock, an’ pronounce ye man and wife. Whom God hath joined ter- gether, let no man put asunder.” ‘Ha! ha! whom God hath joined together, 2 will put asunder!” shricked a wild voice, and the next instant a pistol report rung loudly through the room. With a groan General Hathaway clutched his garments in the neighborhood of his heart, and staggered back into Colonel Carrol Hathaway’s arms. With a wild shout from the crowd, all eyes were turned toward one of the windows of the cabin, where the repulsive face of Wild Meg, the Witch, was seen glaring into the church. It was quickly withdrawn, however, and the next minute the swift clatter of horse’s feet was While some of the spectators rushed out of the church to give chase, others crowded forward, to get a beep at the wounded man. “MVM , brother Guy, are you killed? Col- onel Carrol cried, anxiously, as he supported. the general to a seat, while the new Mrs. Hath- a gl a near, with a whitening face. “WwW did the bullet strike you?” “In the region of my heart,” was the faint reply. “I’m done for, so c me home, for there is much I must attend to, ere 1 die!” ‘* Will some one assist incarrying the general to the shanty he occupies?” the colonel demand- glancing around. half dozen of able-bodied men instantly volunteered their services, and the general was raised and borne from the church up the street to his rude but commodious shanty, where he was laid upon a bed, ip aneatly furnished bed- chamber. He was pretty well exhausted, by this time, but a doctor scon came, and admin- ‘istered remedies that revived him, in a measure. An examination of the wourd proved that there was no pep for the big citizen of Placer City, ' for, while it did not bleed outwardly, it did in- be and mene gh f tate tact toy ~ mn appri fact the surgeon, he smiled, faintly. “Yes, lam going todie,and by the hand of acreature I don’t know—a wild raving lunatic, who has often threatened me with her babble, but whom I have never paid the least attention te, Doctor, how long have I to live?’ “Tt is hard to determine,” was the grave re- ply. ‘‘ You may survive twenty-four bours, and, again, may not live overan hour. Ef you have anything to attend to, you had better do it at once.” The mine-owner was silent a few moments, as he lay back on his pillow, as if in meditation. The colonel, the new bride, and her daughter, together with the parson, Jim Byles, and the surgeon “Doc” Lee, constituted the five who were gathered about the death-bed. “Lam very rich,” General Hathaway finally as if talking aloud to himself. ‘‘Thavea Sal million do) ars saved up, in pure gold coin and greenbacks, besides my mines, worth at least a million more. This wealth I cannot take with me, and shall have to leave it to some of you, I suppose.”
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6 new gleam of cunning shot into his eyes. | whole accursed game. sion oq the faces of Colonel Carrol, and the | do not believe you can sell this property with- think I can see why ‘You two need not look so hopeful,” he said, | you invited me, a year ago, to your home in decidedly, ‘‘for I perceive the drift of your , Chicago, and entertained me like a prince, and off, short.of your expectations. Wouldn’t you be pleased, to have me leave the whole of the perty and cash to one or the other of you? | marry her, and God only Your feet | more. 3) fia! ba! undoubtedly you would. Mougats, and shall baffle you by cutting you , constantly sung in my ears unbounded praises of yonder woman, until I ised to marry her. w blind and prom- You foresaw that I would knows how much You plotted anyhow so that you calcu- are probably itching to pull on my shoes. | lated Ase would get possession of a share of my Ha! ha! that would be nice, but I shall baffle | wealt you!” “Guy, my dear brother, you do both yonr wife and mea great injustice!” the colonel said, evidently chagrined at the pointed accusation. ‘* Neither of us have the least hope or desire of becoming your heirs. Indeed, we wish you to use your own judgment in making your devise, believing that we shall be perfectly satisfied with it.’ ‘* Of course, dear husband,” Mrs. Hathaway | —if not by actual gift, or devise from me, from that woman I have just made my wife, and whom I have suspected of being in league with you. But, curse you, Pll block that little game! The mines were literally bar- gained for, before this marriage; all that was left for me to do being to close the bargain, by refusal or acceptance. That puts me without pee? and no wife can attach money that en accumulated or disposed of by agree- ment previous to a marriage. Lawyer Green, said, bending over and touching the forehead of | is this not the law in Wyoming?” the dying man with her lips. ‘‘ You must not carry such an unjust suspicion, that we have any mercenary motives. e all ajone for your own sake and not for what you eng be,” th | replied, gruff “‘Humph! maybe,” the general replied, gruff- ly, ‘‘ but, I shall take care you do not deceive me. Byles, will you go summon Lawyer Green, and Santa Fe Syd to appear before me?” The rson nodded, and donning his slouch hat took is departure, ‘Who is this Santa Fe Syd, brother?” Colo- nel Hathaway asked. | | } | “T believe it is,” the ho id replied. “The general, Colonel Hathaway, has a legal dearly love you, | right to act as it has pleased him, in this mat- ter, as if it were personal property.” “Tt must be a devilish queer law, they have up here, in Wyoming, then,” the colonel replied, sullenly. “Queer enough to thwart all your schemes, Carrol!” the general retorted. ‘“‘ Mr. Atherton, please note my bequests. Lawyer Green, are you ready?” a ih ready, sir?” “Then, listen: I, Guy C. Hathaway, being in His real name is Atherton, and I shall ap-|| full possession of all my mental faculties, do, point him my executor. He has a half-interest with me in each of my gold-mines, and is per- fectly be tguie ” the — replied. Tho lawyer an Santa Fe Syd soon arrived. The former was a ‘‘ skinny,” shrunken, shriv- eled little man, with beardless face, sharp, twinkling little eyes, and reddish hair, while his attire seemed to indicate that he had not as yet amassed a large fortune atthe pursuit of his profession. The miner, Sydney Atherton, was a stalwart, handsome fellow ot thirty years, although he looked five years younger, with a fresh, good- natured countenance, lit up by a pair of reso- Jute blue eyes; blonde hair and mustache, and a well-proportioned form clad in miner’s habili- ments, from the inevitable top-boots to the slouch hat upon his head. ‘‘General Hathaway, they tell me bade: wounded, he said, approaching and ng the dying mine-owner’s hand. there not something that can. be done for you?” ** No—I'm past human aid, for I am filling up with the blood that only flows internally,” wag the reply. ‘‘I sent for you, Atherton, use L.know you are honest. I know you are hones beeause you have ever dealt so with me. want to make a will, and appoint you executor of my estate, and have you see that everything is done as I want it. By the way, I will make you acquainted with Mrs. Hathaway, my wife of a few moments, Colonel Carrol Hathaway, my brother, and Miss May Miner, my step- daughter!” Santa Fe Syd turned and bowed to the trio in acknowledgment of the introduction, giving asurprised start, as his eyesrested upon Mrs. Hathaway, and her daughter. j Bat, quickly concealing the surprise he prob- abiy experienced, he turned to the mine-owner. “Tam happy, to meet your friends, general,” he said, ‘‘and think probably that it would be better to intrust the settlement of your affairs to your brother.” “Wo! no! I willhave no relative of mine con- trolling my business. You are the man I want, if you will accept.” *<'To accommodate you, sir, I will act for you to the best of my ability,” Santa Fe Syd re- plied bowing. “Very well. Lawyer Green, prepare the form of a will, and get ready to jot down my be- uests. Sydney, you remember that, several days ago, you made me an offer for my inter- ests in the mining claims, which I promised to consider.” “* { did, sir.” “Thave thought the matter over, and con- upon my death-bed, make the following last will, and testamentry uests of my personal wealth, with a prayer that God may pardon all my sins, and prevent all wrangling and ill- feeling on the part of my remembered and dis- remembered heirs, To Sydney Atherton, my former business and confidential partner, I do hereby bequeath the whole of my moneyed “pe YS ae ting of one million and seven undred thousand dollars in gold and green- backs, on the follow conditions: That he shall court and if wed my step-daugh- ter, May Miner, daughter of my wife at the time of my decease. Should such an alliance be effected, within a proper length of time—say a month—said Sydney Atherton, who is to keep the money in execution of my will, up to that period, is to divide the amount with his bride upon the altar, after the marriage. Should such an alliance not be effected, said Sydney Atherton forfeits all claim to the fortune, and pron retains it in his Keoping subject to the second clause, which is, if Colonel Carrol Hath- away and May Miner me man and wife, on favorable and happy conditions, each is to be de- livered a portion, consisting of half of the whole fi : “That is perfectly satisfactory,” Colonel Hath- away said, blandly. “‘It places me out of the embarrassing tion of being suspected of poate ty mercenary interest in the making of the ” **T also am satisfied,” Mrs. Hathaway said, taking the cue from the colonel. ‘‘ I have some money of my own, and May will be as goo! an = as you could have chosen, dear hus- nd, ‘Supposing the conditions of the second clause are not fulfilled?” Santa Fe Syd asked, phe Then, you are to pay the whole amount General Hathaway did not finish the sentence a away, but when he did, he said—‘‘ Nobby e i” CHAPTER IV. WILD MEG NARRATES. Tae will was made, and Lawyer Green pre- sented it and received the general’s signature, and also that of Santa Fe Syd and Jim Byles, as witnesses, after which he stored it away in his capacious pocket, and took his departure. By this time, the dying minte-owner was con- siderably exhausted, and the physicians ordered that the room be cleared in order that he might have a few moments of quiet. As Santa Fe Syd was about leaving the shanty, he was overtaken in the kitchen by the new Mrs. Hathaway, who had stealthily followed him, and now intruded her shapely form be- tween him and the door. “*T know a Stop!” she said, authoritatively. ou.” me Oh! you do?” he replied, coolly. ‘‘ Well?” “You are not Sydney Atherton—you are Sydney Miner.” ‘I never give the lie, to a lady,” the hand- some mine-owner said, with a faint smile. ‘‘ You are undoubtedly mistaken, my dear madam.” ‘Tam not mistaken, at all,” she replied, ina vexed tone. “Iknew you the minute my eyes rested upon you, and you ulso knew me.” “It is not impossible. A face, or a foeof your magnitude, one cannot easily forget. did recognize you, but kept the recognition a secret. I was not surprised to find you at your old pro- fession of scheming. Do you remember the i ae we adopted at our last meeting, ma- am? I, for my part, am truly repentant. I would like to have a jong talk wit you have time.” ; “ Which I have not,” he said, decidedly. ‘‘ As I said before, we do not know each other. I bid you good-day, madam.” ** But, hold! you must not go, until you have told me whether you mean to fight against me?” she said, hissingly, her face whitenion, and eyes blazing dangerously. ‘* To the bitter end!” he replied, sternly. “‘ You may count strong on me, too.” He then brushed past her, and left theshanty. Standing in the doorway, she gazed after him as he strode down the street, an unreadable ex pression upon her face. As she stood thus, she was joined by Colonel Carrol Hathaway, who had just come down- stairs, ‘‘Ah! so you’re watching the executor, are you?” he said with a disguised spice of jealousy in his tone. ‘‘ I suppose you have already fallen in love with him?” She wheeled upon him, fiercely. ‘*No, I hate him, even as mutes as I love you. You know how much that is,” and she laughed a little way. ‘You might better have said as much to the dying brother up- ” he retorted, stroking his huge side-whiskers. ‘‘ By the way, the doc- tor thinks he will not live longer than sunrise, to-morrow.” ‘* T hope not!” she said, coldly. ‘Then, you are not pleased with the result, so far, eh?—that is, the making of the will?” ‘No, I am not!” was the reply. ‘It was not as either you or I had expec The old fool suspected too much of the true state of affairs.” ‘We will cheerfully admit that. Guy was always a hard, grasping, avaricious man, who suspected that everybody was trying to bleed him. Yet of late years, I have always been his sincere admirer, on account of hismoney. Ha! ha! money is-a truly great magnet! But, the will. is not so bad, after all. May must marry me, which fixes it all right.” “You forget. The settlement of the matter is in the hands of this Sydney Atherton, who I may as well tell you, is my enemy. He will try to marry the girl, and thereby shove us out in the cold.’ ‘Curse him! he shall not succeed?’ “You do not know that, He is a stubborn, immovable foe, when he chooses, and is influen- tial, here. Besides, May has a will of her own, and there is no telling when to depend on her,” “Tf coaxing and persuasion don’t fill the bill, there are other ways of bringing a r rare spirit, into subjection,” the colonel suggested, significantly. ‘* By the way, who is the ‘ Nob- by Nell,’ referred to by Guy?” ‘* | have no idea. - You must make inquiries, and find out, Also, it will be well enough to keep on the right side of that lawyer Green!” The Witch, Wild Meg, after firing the deadly bullet at General Hathaway, paused only long enough to note that it had taken ef- fect, when she wheeled her spirited horse, and came away up the gulch main street of the own, Instant pursuit was given: by those who had seen the fatal shot fired, and by others who
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eral Hathaway. Murder isacrime I did not and as she grew in years she increased in beauty of both face, form and womanly qualities, un- til, at the age of seventeen, she stepped upon the threshold of fashionable society, the ac- knowledged beile of the season. “‘Her smiles and aoa were courted by many arich and accomplisied gallant, much to the anxiety of her parents, who knew the dangers of fashionable associations, but she p’ssed the was seated at a table ina distant corner, en- | best of them by in a pleasant, firm way, that gaged in smoking a cigar, while he listened to | could not be misunderstood, and at the same a click! click! of an instrument, which was | time inspired the deepest admiration of hermany nothing more or less than a complete telegraph | suitors. apparatus, in working order. “‘ This, until she arrived at the age of Ve cain t was connected with four wires, two of | when her parents sent her to Paris and Italy, which came in through the entrance to the | Here she was to finish her musical education in cave, while the other two made their exit | a two years’ course of study. through a crevice in the rocky roof. ‘* To her parents Bethel was a loving and obedi- This telegraph contrivance was a bit of the | ent daughter, and in their blind affection for young road-agent’s ingenuity, by which he had | her they indulged her in every thing she desir- succeeded in having news brought to him from | ed. To such an extent, that when she returned the outside world, and of the movements there- | to America, after two years’ absence, John of. Vance found that his bank-account was ex- The stage and telegraph line running from | hausted. Green River City, on the line of the Union ““About a month after Bethel’s return, she Pacific Railway, to camps Brown and Stam-! once more entered metropolitan society, and baugh, and other places in the Wind River | in a short time became acquainted with a young region, passed over another range of <s, not | military officer, Guy Hathaway by name, who over a half-mile from that in which the cavern | was of a good family, and had won a general- of the Branded Brows was located. With wire ship for service in the war. had Solid Sam first supplied himself, and the 1 “The acquaintance soon ripened to infatuation made his connection and return to the line, | on the part of Bethel, and she wanted to passing the wire through the cave, where it was | young Hathaway on his own terms, which were, attached to his instrument. : that she must deliver to hima sum of fift This line connected Placer City with the out- | thousand dollars, upon the marriage day, whic side world, and his machine being equipped | he would invest for her so that it woul be cer- with a dumb receiver, Solid Sam knew of every | tain to provide a good livelihood for her as message that passed over the wires, whether at | long as she lived. his table, or away. ‘* This proposition she broached at once to her The other wires connected the Sweetwater | parents, but they promptly refused agreeing mines with those at Atlantic City, and also were | that it was an unmanly scheme on Hathaway s in circuit with hss battery. to swindle her out of the money. ‘“ Well, I am back, you see,” she said, dis- ‘** Moreover, they forbade her to have any fur- oured from the church, but all to no purpose. The horse of the Witch was a rapid runner, and she soon left the town behind, laughing wildly at the bullets that hailed around her. In an hour she was back to the retreat of the Branded Brows, which being her home had been christened Cave Inferno. None of the Branded Brows were present, when the Witch rode into the strange rendezvous, except Solid Sam, who mounting. ‘‘ Where are the band?’ ther acquaintance with him. “Out hunting, I guess. Any news from the ‘Bethel was not only disappointed at her fail- mines?” — but greatly incensed toward her parents, “Yes. General Hathaway is lying at the | an int of death. He was shot, at the altar, and am proud of my marksmanship!” “You shot him?’ Solid Sam cried with a shuddering start. “Yes, and I'll tell you why, directly. is it you aro sitting there? Any news “Yes. The gold producers of the Buckskin City are plotting to get off a cargo of our right- ful gold, without our knowledge. They have telegraphed to Camp Stambaugh their plans as follows: An unsuspecting German, named Fritz | thel was married to Guy Hathaway. Steinburger, will be induced to come over to * Knowing, of course that she had taken it, her Placer City with a Magen. wagon, and vend | father immediately sent a search warrant after his wares. He will find ready sale through the her and the young general, but all to no pur- liberality of those in the secret, and will ate No trace of the missing money a4 be back to Stambaugh for a new lot of s. | found, and both she and Hathaway denied hav- When hé goes he will carry with him in his cov- | ing any knowledge or possession of it, what- ered wagon tlie gold of said producers, and de- | ever. liver it a banker at Stambaugh, subject to “Shortly afterward, Hathaway received the orders I have not yét learned.” : command of a small fort on the Western fron- Wild Meg stam her foot, with a fierce | tier, and with Bethel left New York forever. malediction—then laughed wildly. “The parents of Bethel, having no money to “ Fools! do they not know that it will be im- | redeem the mortgage, were eventually turned possible to cheat you?” she cxclaimed. out of house and home, and the friends that once “They do not kiow anything of the advan- | knew them, knew them no more. tage I have over them, through this,” Solid Sam ** The shock of the great blow which had swept replied, ‘indicating his telegraph instrument. | away both child and fortune was great, and “But tell me about this assassination of Gen- | had the same ‘effect on both—to affect their minds with a species of insanity which was a strange mixture of madness and reason, “They wandered from ‘the city, making their way westward. They grew wild through ill- treatment and iaseee' folks avoided them because of their shabby @ ce—feared them, because of a belief that they were in some way connected or leagued with evil-doers.” in anger declared nothing should prevent her from having the young ek ‘* About this same time, John Vance mortgaged his house and lot and personal Ds rty, for a pe number of days, ae : y thousand ollars, seeing an opportuni or a investment. » he would Sov tue it nase days, he deposited it in his desk, at home, in preference to putting it in the bank. ‘* Well, to make a long nigh short, the money turned up missing, and the day after this, Be- How think you capable of.” “Hal ha! You do not know me—you do not know the rancor and hate of an imbittered life. Tf you did you would not marvel that the sight of Guy Hathaway at the altar frenzied me, and ca mo to do a sinful deed. But, you shall hear the story, which [ have always kept from you. Listen attentively, without interruption, and I will tell it all to you!” There was a greenish fie litter in the old woman's eyes, and a ei ble tremor to her person, as she seated herself near the Boy Road- nt, and fixed her gaze upon the floor. t was evident that the memories caused by CHAPTER V. SOLID SAM AND HIS FATHER, ‘You, then, are the mother of her that ‘was Bethel Vance?” Solid Sam asked, é “I am. White Beard, who was killed six the proposed rehearsal were of anything but a | years ago in Buckskin canyon by the stamped- pleasant or attractive nature. ‘ ers, was her father. By slow stages we wan- Paes n with,” she said, “I will go back | dered into the mining and trapping seetioris of into the far —nearly half a century ago. | the West, subsisting mainly upon what we eould At the time of which I speak, there lived in the | beg from the campers, or the game we killed: city of New York, a young married couple by ‘Six years after leaving New York, during the name of Vance, who being blessed with an | which time we had heard but once or twice infant daughter, were as happy as the day was from Bethel; found us located in a wild district long. John Vanes held a position of trust in | in the Yellowstone region. At times reports one of the city offices, at a goodly salary, and | came back to inquiries we sent to strangers, with the love of a then amiable wife had noth- | that Bethel did not live Repelly with Guy, and ing to yearn for or crave, in his happy exist- | the same reports told that, though he often | abused her and ler two twin children—a little boy and girl—she still bore patiently with him, a ence. ** Little Bethel, their child, was a sweet fairy, Solid Sam, the Boy Road-Agent. pe oar to beas much infatuated with him as at t. ‘* One spring—the first of our stay in the Yel- lowstone country—there came a terrible that brought us back our Bethel—but knows, as a terrible gift. “White Beard found her, one day after the flood had subsided, somewhat—her and her Lit- tle son, both washed upon a bleak point of the river, where the freshet had cast her. ‘* He recogniz-d her, and brought you home to our humble abode, for he sup) her to be dead. But, unwilling to believe it, he at last went back, and, truly enough, found her alive, but so injured, that she died shortly afterward. Before she did die, however, she told a tale of bitter wrong that had been done her by Hathaway, the culmination of which was causing a couple of ruffians to kidnap her, and with her children, send her afloat on the flooded Yellowstone, upon a log-raft. She was wrecked upon the bar, and for many hours lay stunned and bleeding. She remembered, however, of having her two six-year-old children bound te her at her last recollection, and as White Beard found her bonds cut, on first discovering her it was evident some one had arrived ahead of him, and appropriated the little girl. «Before she died, Bethel also begged ve- ness from her father, which was freely given, and White soothed her in her last me- ments, promising that we would care for her child, the boy, and make all efforts to find the irl.’ “Then, Iam the son of Bethel and General. Hathaway!” Solid Sam cried, springing to his feet, with a start of surprise. ; “You are!” the Witch replied, ‘Cand I ams your grandmother. You can now see why I shot the human monster, your father, for there has not been a day since Bethel died, that Ihave not See an oath before high Heaven that Guy Hathaway should never live to treat an- other wife, as he treated mS child.” Solid Sam was silent a few minutes, before he spoke, his gaze riveted upon the floor, ‘* You did right in speeding that fatal bullet, rhaps,” he said, with a voice tremulous with eeling, ‘‘for you saved me doing the same awful deed, if you are telling me the truth about him. I already hate him because he wag instrumental in the death of my mother!” “T am telling you the truth, so help me God!” the Witch said, earnestly. “Before the flood, we used to send with trusty trappers who visited the various ‘places of residence of the Hathaways, and have. them make inquiries. As aresult, we always receiy-- ed the same reply, literally—Hathaway seemed to hate his wife and children, and abused them shamefully, in addition to letting them suffer for want of the necessaries of life, and courting the society of other women!” shpat for bint Solid ‘Bats d, fierceby. § or him! said, % DIA you kill him outright?” “No, I didn’t. Iam no fool. I meant’ that he shouldlive long enough to make his will, You are his heir—the only rightful one I w of. He must leave his pro’ to you, and if-yeur sister is ever found, we will share it with her: Go at once, lest you be too late, and make known to him your identity. Tell himi’all I have told you, and lying at the point of death, as he is, be will not dare disown you, or refuse: ee trest i T “ right to ‘hi bet ti I e! Ifl havea rig Ss } am to have it, for I shall never get what Idon’t. fight for, it appears: I will drop in upormhim, to-night, when matters are — ‘in ‘Placer City, and if you do not see me back in several days, do not be surprised.” "e1 “You will need to becareful!” Wild Meg with a shake of her head, “for the miners) roughs down there are bitter against you, amd 1 saw 4 half a dozen reward pa 4 tora about the town, offering five hundred ollars fer your capture!” oe ha! let ae ok gee the whole town with such papers, an et snap my fingers’ at them, and “whistle at their ditata: ct defiance. But, to prepare against trouble, Pl take Fleet- wind with me!” " One of the pockets of Solid Sam’s jacket was curiously constructed, being lined with sieve wire, and protected by a‘buttoned lapel. Going to a little cage in one portion of the cave, he took forth a small, but plump carrier ‘pigeon, around whose’ downy throat was fastened a tiny blue ribbon, that in'turn was tied to a bit of paper. Opening’ his pocket} he shoved: tlie bird gently into it and then fastened the lapel to its place with a button. 5 The cause of the wire pocket now ‘became Lag ; a 45 is, and I have no. .
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Re Se ee ee ——————————_—_——_——————— a SO oe eee = ————— SSS SSS SS ee ee ee ee Ee a ee ee ee = a 8 Solid Sam, the Boy Road-Agent. obvious. While the outer view of the coat re- mained unchanged, the inside was left so that air could circulate freely through this novel, but excellent bird-cage. himself well, Solid Sam then mounted a large gray horse, and took his departure. Pursuing a short route across the mountains he was not long in reaching the Buckskin canyon, where he dismounted, and continued on his way toward Placer City on foot, first having secreted his-horse from the view of the trail, Wild Meg had never to his knowledge lied to him, and therefore the young outlaw had no reason to believe that she had deceived him in narrating the wrongs instigated by the leading citizen of Placer City. That night, General Hathaway lay upon his bed, alone in his room, the doctor having retired for a short nap. Unable to sleep, the mine-owner lay there with probably anything but pleasant thoughts, for there was a troubled expression upon his e. It was about this time that a door softly cpomed to admit a dark figure, wrapped ina blanket-—a man, with his slouch hat pulled down over his eyes. The hat was raised as the new-comer approach- ed the bedside, however, and the general gave vent to.a gasp of surprise and horror. ‘Solid Sam! the road-agent!” he uttered, huskily,. ‘The same, sir,” Solid Sam replied, coolly, as he .covered the invalid with his revolver. _ “Don’t.be at all noisy in your demonstrations, or I shall have to silence you, Do you know me, Guy Hathaway?’ “No—no more than as the accursed outlaw of the canyon!” was the fierce reply. “Then it is time that you did know me,” Solid Sam replied. ‘‘Iam your son, rightfully, lawfully—the only son resulting from your union with Bethel Vance!” General Hathaway uttered a smothered curse. * You die!” he paling before the stern - nt. ‘‘I have no son of the Boy , ay My first wife and children died years sagen you are a scheming im rl”? “‘How did your wife ao children die?’ Solid Sam asked, fiercely. ‘‘ Dare you own the truth, sir, lying as you are, at the point of death?” The .mine-owner groaned, and averted his _ upon which there was a ghastly expression terror, “Go on!” he gasped. “If you haveanything to oy: twill hear you through.” ‘You are my father, although I am in no ‘way or manner proud of the fact. Because of ne erimes and villainy, it is not strange that do not. bear you either the love.or good-will of a Son. what mys- t to or conceive, until to-day, when Wild had: wedded her daughter you had caused Bethel, my mother, tc steal a from her parents, which financial ruin—how you had emi- and one child, the lit- the blood-stained shore of you to spect, for deserve it. me if otbel egonpast alive, and what eof r mother only lived long enough, says, to’ confess her, woes to White Beard, who found her; then she died. I was the only child that White Beard found when he discovered her, but some other person had been ‘upon the spot ahead of him, and, without doubt, carried away my little sister, of whom no trace has ever been found since,” General Hathaway was silent for several minutes, his face covered by his ; “All 1 can now do, is to be penitent, and pray to God for forgiveness and pardon,” he raid, slowly. ‘I am sorry—have been so: rry for years, but could not recall the dead to : a meee sn een Te ae life. I will not crave your forgiveness, for you | nate fathers” to turn the position over te would probably not accord it.’ “You are right. The story I heard from Wild Meg was enough to set me against you. Besides, as a citizen of Placer City, you have not particularly endeared yourself to me, by the unselfish interest you have manif in Amal attempts to make me die by the Vigilantes. y principal reason in coming here, on learn- ing that you are my father, is to induce you to make your will in my favor.” “No. That is impossible. The will is already made, and I cannot change it.” ‘Will not, you mean? “Yes, if you like. I do not owe you any- thing. Indeed, I have no conclusive proof that you are not an impostor.” “Dare you doubt me? Lying at the point of death, can you not see that Iam the only one who would come forward, and give such strong proof? You know I am your son, sir—have known it, or suspected it, maybe, all along, which accounted for your enmity against me!” “Whether I have, or not, I decline to say!” the mine-owner replied, stolidly. ‘‘At any rate, I shall not leave you a penny. My pros- pects for the future are dark, and I may as well continue as I did before, as I have no faith that a change for the better would help me, now. Kill me, if you choose, as it will not make much difference whether I die now, or a few hours hence.” “No!” Solid Sam replied, rising. ‘‘There is One whe will give you your just deserts more effectually than I can do. I will, however, have a share of the wealth you refuse to be- queath to me—to that Iswear! I now bid you good-by, forever; may God have more mercy upon your soul than 1 could have!” Then the Boy Road-Agent took his departure, as silently as he came, The next morning Placer City was acquaint- ss ria the fact that General Hathaway was ea CHAPTER VI. THE POST-OFFICE AND THE POSTMISTRESS. THE night following the one on which Solid Sam, the Boy Road-Agent, had visited the gen- eral—now lying a corpse at his shanty, up the ulch—was a beautiful one, with a balmy th of radiant nature blowing up from the south, and a gloriously bright moon soarin through the heavens’ blue dome, with its bril - liant settings of starry diamonds. Notwithstandin great beauty of the night, and the fact that crowds of people were out upon the Rialto of Placer City, as the sim- ple gulch street had been christened by some one, more out of sarcasm than admiration, other crowds of humanity were congregated in sa- loons and places of amusement, but the most characteristic representation of Placer City cit- izens was to be found at ‘he “ post-office.” This was the principal hang-out of that class who did not asa rule frequent the saloons and hadaaaiaie and also of many of those who ““Mail-time” was the ripe time to find the crowd there, and to-night was no exception to the usual gathering. The ‘‘ -offis,” as an establishment, oceu- pied a large cabin, some fifty feet wide by sev- ny long, and answered, in addition to its offi- calling, that of a general supply store, a <— — stand. Wes te) uestion was a partitioned apart- ment in the path end of the building, with a pig- eon-hole of moderate size opening out into the store-room, into which each pilgrim was ob’ to shout his name, and if any mail awai —, he received it back through this * A door opened from this office behind each of two counters, which flanked either side of the cabin, and admitted of one person attending to the several businesses connected with the estab- t. Placer City was ud of its postmaster, or rather postm Por it was a woman who superintended the business—a dashing, viva- cious, irrepressible yo woman, whom every- bow, adm and yet to “rile.” Miss Nell Nugent was said to be her name, but uni- versally she was known Soaly as Nobby Nell. Who she was, or where she had come from, was among the uncertainties, Once upon a time, in the ear] Placer City as a mining camp, Bill Simpson, who nod bees de ye as slag a toa neck-tie y” by the citizens, for fingering the contents of the mails, and when the question was put who was to fill Simpson’s boots, Nobby Nell had put in an appearance, and begged the existence of er. A little fifteen-year-old midget she was, at the time, attired in a hunting-suit of elaborately- decorated buckskin, with the inevitable slouch hat and top boots, and a mining outfit strapped to her back; and, impressed with her frank, in- dependent appearance, the “city” dignitaries had installed her ‘‘ boss ” of the post-office. Little by little she had saved up money from her salary, and by what she made at weighing auriferous, until, at the time we enter the post- office, she owned the building and the whole stock of merchandise, in addition to retaining her position of postmistress. Few women in Placer City were there who did not have some cause to have some envy of Miss Nobby Nell Nugent, for the miners and men generally admired her, and then, she was pretty, which was a secret, perhaps, why the crowd always managed to saunter into the post- office, hours before each mail was due. Let us take a peep into the aforesaid office. Some thirty or forty men are collected within, ranged along the counters—a strangely con- trasted array of humanity, both in face and. attire. The red-shirted, stogy-booted miner, and his more villainous resemblee, the professional ruf- fian; the well-dressed speculator or mine-owner; the flashily dressed exquisite (card sharp) and his prototype the sport, bullwhackers, pros- pentane, ablers, and jockeys, in large num- ers, with no two alike in feature, dress or ex- pression. Behind the counter stood Miss Nobby Nell, who, as the evening-mail stage had not yet ar- rived, was busying herself in weighing out groceries for a big bewhiskered miner, and making a very pre picture in the light re- flected from her well-cleaned lamps. She had worn “ the breeches” on her first ap- rance, and she wore them still, in con- unction with a dainty jacket, vest and spotless linen bosom, with a tie at the throat, jaunty broad-brimmed hat upon her head, ‘and nea boots upon her feet, into the tops of which her loose trowsers were thrust. Manly though was her attire, it well became her, and wasnot “loud” or flashy ; it was really very cute. In face and form,’ she was remarkably at- tractive. Her figure was below the medium hight of women, a trifle, yet gracefully and symmetrically developed and rounded to a de- ree of perfection at once noticeable, owing to r neatly-fitting attire. Her face was fair and prettily chiseled, the features being faultless in their outline and charming in expression, es- pooselly. the mouth, fasted to be the least bit. rge, but bewitchingly tempting, which the ary toa man, voted was ‘‘ too killing for any- ng. And who shall say they were not right? Her biight brown eyes always were aglow with the gee et a warm, im venature, yet betokened an independent sprit, that could’ be aroused to stern wrath, Her hair had some day been shorn close to her head, and now Bee ina. confusion of short auburn curls, infinitely be- coming to her. In fact, with her eighteen years of life left behind, Nobby Nell stood at the threshold of a. glorious womanhood, withouta peer as to beauty and powers of fascination, in the Wind River mines, Another attraction about her was the fact that she was ‘‘ all on ther squar’,” as the miners expressed it. From the e of her coming, she had manifested a sturdy will and disposition to guard and protect herself from insult, and it was said that at least a half-dozen jous pil- grims had ‘‘chawed plumbago,” as a sequel to offering her insult. Anyhow, while she was universally admired and respected above other unmarried woman in the camp, even the boldest, or those upon friendliest terms with her, knew better than to crowd intimacy beyond a certain t, re | no fancy for a voice from one of the polish six-shooters she ever wore in her belt, Among those congueaace’ within the office, to-night, were the better class of Placer City’s citizens, with of course a sprinkling of the rougher and more adventurous element. Lawyer Green was a center of attraction, of course, and in answer to innumerable inquiries, he related all about how General Hathaway’s. will had been made, as many innumerable times. ‘So thet Colonel or Santa Fe Syd is goin’ ter be heir, eh?” a miner observed—Jem ks, by the way, who held the important office of con- stable the town. ee Waal, Syd’s one °’ our own sort o’ pards, an’ durn my boots ef he
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‘now heard ‘the jolting rumble of her eurly head. ’s one of our citi- zens an’ the Easterner ain’t, which same one can tell by the cut of his eoat!” “‘That’s so, by thunder,” the constable ac- cepted. ‘He ain’tno rough nugget, like Syd, nohow, an’ I pro thet we assist ther boyee ther best we know how, ter git ther fortin’.’ “*Mebbe some one else will hey something ter say about that,” Lawyer Green observed, dry- ly, ‘* Ther gal, Miss Miner, hez sumthin’ ter say about thet.’ ‘ An’ Santa Fe Syd he’s soft on Nobby Nell, heer, an’ dursent go ag’in’ her wishes, for fear 0’ gittin’ planted, w’ich quashes thet little indict- ment!” declared Black Eph, who was voted by all to be the ugliest rough customer in the mines, when the “snakes” were tickling the bottoms of his feet, which was not seldom. “Hello! who lipped in for me, then?” the pretty postmistress demanded, looking up from the figuring-up of a bill of groceries. ‘‘ Was that you what made thet remark, Black Eph?” “Tl allow ’'m the man,” the border rufficn answered emphatically, and coolly. ‘‘I inti- mated thet, bein’ tied ter yer skirts, Santa Fe Syd wouldn’t durst take on no other craft, w’ich I opine is a complerment ter ye, right from ther shoulder.” ‘* Well; look out you don’t make too free wi’ yer compliments,” Nell replied, a little flush of indignation dyeing her fair cheek, ‘ Mr. Syd- ney Atherton is in no way bound to me, nor have I any claim upon him, whatever.” ** On course she ain’t, Black Eph,” interposed Jem, who always took the verbal defense of the pretty postmistress. ‘ Y’u’re a leetle too free wi’ yer chin-music, o’ late, an’ need sum good yee a dress ye out, you do,” ‘* Mebbe you'd like ter take ther job?’ the ruf- fian growled. ‘I’ve got an open date fer ary pilgrim as wants ter grab ther leetle persition of in’-maid.” But Jem shook his head, with a sad smile, Constable though he was of the town, he had no particular hankering after ye - ble scrimmagers. For Black Eph eld un pated sway as the bully of the town, feared far more than he was respected, for a sreat many dark deeds had been laid at his oor, and he was rough and revengeful at the least provocation, Without, in the balmy moonlight night, neat w which cut short er argument, that might have resulted in bloodshed, for he was a r stick who couldn’t drop his man in a qaneral, fn she moral city of Se Out into the street poured the inmates of the post-office, as the creaking add to the crowd already collec It was not an uncommon occurrence for a large delegation of new citizens to arrive in the ne ae as the ar had been affection- ately christened, and these Placer City-ites were always on deck, ready to give the new- eomers a Critical inspection. To-night, however, there were but four pas- sengers; but four though there were they were contras most singtilarly The first was one of that class of Westerners easily distinguished in their profession as cattle- drovers, by the fact of their constantly carry- ing a bull-whip—a young man in , with a slight mustacné, brown e and long wavy hair that touched below his shoulders, while in face he' was cularly good-looking, wearing a fearless an indepehdews; yet genial expres- sion, He was attired in the usual costume of the prairie cattle-drover, with a pair of serviceable revolvers ‘stuck in’ his belt,—slouch hat, knee- boots, and sem ts the woolen shirt which opened with My s ar at the neck, being fanci- fully embroidered. Yo in years ry this young drover, et the “grip” of eagle eye betrayed the act that he was no cow in a big crowd, and the way he pushed through the assemblage of citizens into the ce, was a oe tarp that he was in the habit of going whither he pleased, regardless of hinderance. The other passengers who followed him, were a China- man, and a man and woman of the most strik- ing appearance—the man being every incha six-footer, if not taller, and one of the lankest, most gaunt-looking imens of humanity that it had ever been the fortune of these Placer ee re to behold. vidently there was not a spare pound of flesh in his composition, his skin appearing to ome rolled up,’'to. 9 . s attire was ridiculously ragged and dirty, with worn-out shoes upon his feet, and a clown- oneped hat upon his head. is companion was precisely his opposite, in appearance. ho was a coarse-featured, red-faced woman of four feet six, and nearly as big around as she was tall; a person, who, at the least calculation, must have weighed three hundred pounds. She was dressed in a stylish traveling costume of costly silk, and, as compa with the ‘skinny ” man, to whose arm she clung tight- ly as if. afraid that the stiff mountain breeze would blow him away, she was a remarkable contrast. The Chinaman, a flat-visaged, almond-eyed ily-attired pig-tail, was evidently attached either to the drover or to the two extremes. CHAPTER VII. WYOMING WALT ENTERS THE ARENA. Berne the first son of Confucius who had ever set foot in Placer City, he was naturally regarded with anything but welcome glances— for where is the miner, old or young, from Washington Territory down to the Gulf, who bears oR particular affection for the average Celestial Evident it was that this precise pig-tail was the forerunner of more that were to follow, and a murmur of disgust and demur went the rounds of the crowd. “A gol-durned Chinerman!” nted one miner. “I say, boys, who impor ‘im ’ere? We doan’t want none o’ thet breed.” ‘“On course we doan’t,” assented several others, in a voice. ‘‘ Wages is low enuff, as it it, wi’out any of them pizen cusses,” “Murra! that’s ther talk!” chipped in Black Eph, who now formed one of the crowd that had partially surrounded the Celestial. “Say, see hyar, you John Chinaman, don’t ye know you're invadin’ a Paradise thet warn’t nevyer intended fer pig-tails, an’ sech like? You've got to bounce.” f ‘““Nixy! Chee Fee Ching-go no bouncee. Meli- can man no makee Chee Fee vege bouncee!” the ‘son of Confucius declared, independently. ‘* Melica free land—Chineeman he heapee likee a wheree pleasee.” “* Waal, 1’ll be cussed ef we won’t jest erbout see ter thet, ye durned almond-eyed, flat-snoot- ed sucker!” Black Eph cried, savagely. And Be rang. Fi Yee ms a cee ba “£0 e collar, an n him around u mercifully. “Bring Pim i boyees, an’ we’ll hey er leetle pick-nick, jest as nice as ye please, all by ther light o’ ther moon.” A dozen miners hurried away in quest of the desired halter, for it was down in their rough code that. a Chinaman was not fit for anything else but to hang. The young herder had heard the disturbance, and now came out of the post-office to learn the Cause, * Hello!” he ejaculated, as his Selig ree ‘in the scene. ‘‘ What's the matter? t af A a-goin’ to do wi’ thet Chinaman, old ma. ** Hang’im, by thunder!” Black Eph chuckled. “* Mebbe ect got some lip to chip’ in ag’in’ it?” ‘*Mebbe I have,” the herder declared coolly. “T generally mix in my gab, when I see fit What’s the Celestial bin doin’, that ye want to send him up?” “Nothin’—positively and precisely nothin’,” Black Eph poeed, h aleer. ‘So what are you & to do about it, my young gobbler?” - g ter persuade you to abandon all notion o’ stringin’ up the Chinaman, I hdd the young herder replied, quickly whipping a ir of revolvers from his belt and cocking them. ‘Take your hands off from that Chinaman, and let him go, or 1 will ne a semi-colon right between your eyes, quicker than a kitten can say its catechisms!’ _ “Cuss ye, d’ye mean it, you young popin- jay?” the ruffian demanded, fiercely. “I don’t mean nothing else,” was the reply. “The Celestial hasn’t harmed any one, and don’t deserve to be hung, or even molested. This is a free country, and everybody has a A murmur of disapproval came from the crowd. It was not to their liking, this inter- ference. The young cattle-drover still stood with his revolvers leveled in a way that seemed to indi- cate that Black Eph’s pr cts for a funeral were large, unless he speedily obeyed. ‘See hyar, young feller, this ain’t no fair shake,” he growled, uneasily, ‘ T’il allow ye’ve got ther drop, but 1 want to argy ther pint, in ther behalf o’ our citerzens, of whom I’m a re- presentative, Et’s an established fact that ther cussed Chinamen hev did more to’rd fetchin’ down wages than ary other race on. ther earth, an’ et ain’t nateral fer us laborin’ class ter love ’em for it, overmuch. Up ter date, we’ve kept our town free frum ther pesky devi : an’ Pll cuss blamed ef we aire a-goin’ ter let ‘em swarm et on, cut us out o’ our jobs. Ain’t this so, s ? grunt of assent from the miners, was the answer. ““Qn course et’s so!” Black Eph averred, wearne ve in an oratorical way, to the sub- ject. ‘‘We kent be blamed fer pertectin’ our mutual interests, an’ w’en a pig-tail galoot cums a-waltzin’ inter our town—w’ich same be a foretaste o’ more thet’s ter cum—I opine et’s our moral an’ religyus duty ter treat ther cuss ter a private hempen celebration, an’ thereby encourrage ther rope manufacterin’ interests o’ ther land. Hain’t et so, boyees—hain’t thet logick right frum ther foundation? On course et is, an’ ev’ry mother’s son o’ ye in fayor 0’ erie. ther pig-tail a boost, will make manifest y sayin’ T!” “T!” was the ringing response, from many a throat, ‘I!’ “Contrary no!” cried the young herder. “If you are all in favor of hanging this China- man, J am not, and I'll drop the first man who attempts to boost him! That’s me, Wyomi Walt, right down frum ther cattle regions, an chock full o’ pure beef an’ blood, in the bar- Rain. Remember! I give you fair warning. e first ap who be pal to jr yeet ‘ this - tery, will get a gran of a. two-by-six pine box, providing the cla authorities sees fit to r it, A “ crowd were waiting on Black Eph, for bed decision, for one mn all had ftps a as a lawless er of this : The ruffian knew that he ran ett judge, and glared around him, as if in doubt what th . “Waal, boys, ye'll hey ter give me a minute ter decide ther case,” he said, “‘ but a kin draw Mio Pop-guns, so thet ther cow-boy don’t ge a p!”? Wyoming Walt ye sharply, and uickly, a pt ring..to hie Foie. “ ad e skull off of the galoot that draws a pistol!” “And so will I! All eyes were turned toward the door of the post-o at the sound of the ing voice, and all eyes beheld Nobby Nell, the oe post- mistress, standing there ipsa of silver-mount- ed revolvers in her hands, leveled at the Pans. iy re nerally known. ust. re’ ‘An ae a the Tratislaiton of which. to harm the pig-tail, or the herder!” __ 4 ees, Ps ‘Our Gal,’ wot speaks,” said r we a-goin’ ter hang by ther luy we've allus hed fer bub Nell, or be we goin’ ter hang ther “tail? 7] Hang ther Z ” wled B fiercely. “ Nob Rel Son't run ‘ths Wee town, ner she ain’t got ther say, in this m ied. ‘‘ What she says we'll ae our law. Ef she says don’t hang ther China- man, so be it!” ecidedly. ‘The young stran You citizens an’ farminntee or Fisher Cele: than Solid Sam has to rob the stage. Let ther pig-tail go, boys ay youll sleep be “Oh! it’s me!” she obséryed, “and I gue Ill blow the head off of the pilgrim who i me Jim Byles, stepping forward. ‘“ x Wich?” mis ther.” “Ther is | !’ a half-dozen different raphy o say it and I mean it,” Nobby oy 1 the no more right to lay hands on the fer not hangin’ him, to-night. ada wg seem af have pa immediate ef- or the men m restored their weapons to their belts and Chee Fee Ching-go was per- mitted to is way. The cattle-herder, Wzgening «Wah, then turned back into the post-office, from which he had emerged, on hearing the disturbance, and came face to face with Nobby Nell, who had evidently been waiting for him, as she was not behind the counter.
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— — een SS ee a a ee ee = —— Soe SSeS 10 Solid Sam, the Boy Road-Agent. “See here,” she said, motioning him aside from the immediate hearing of any chance by- standers. ‘‘ Maybe it isn’t any of my business, but I’d like to know your name, if you have no objections.” ‘None at all,” the you herder replied, leasantly. ‘‘I gave my handle to the crowd as oming Walt—I’ll give it to you in the same fashion.” ‘* But, that is only an assumed name,” ** How do you know that, okt ** Because I guessed so. There is a young cattle-drover, named Wyoming Walt, but you are not him.’ ‘How do you know that, pray?’ was the re- joinder, interrogatively. “Because I have seen this Wyoming Walt and he is not at all like you—is cowardly, and ruffianly, and Bey orn while you are ee the reverse,” Nobby Nell said, gazing at him, unflinchingly. “Oh! as that, there could easily be two pores by the same name, in such an extensive rritory as i garage the young herder re- plied. ‘‘ Indeed, I know of a good many per- sons who go under one nom de plume.” 6 But you are not Wyoming Ms erie es ity’s pretty young postmistress persisted, wi a sintle “Te is not likely there would be two by that peculiar name. You are some one else, who have hit upon the expedient of disguishing Poibly | Jeg . Mar ve “it is possibl y eryt you know is possible nowadays. But, whether I am the person claim to be, or not, what does it matter ou?” “Well, Pll tell you. My name is Nobby Nell, or Nell Nugent, for short, and I am a great admirer of bravery. You showed good grit, a bit ago, but it occurred to me that you were some one else than Wyoming Walt, and were running a great risk in coming here,” “Thanks for your kind anxiety in my behalf, but I am not at all in danger I opine, and were I, it does not matter so much. You are the a I believe?” ‘ es, ° “Isn't there a letter here, for Wyoming Walt?” “No, but there is one for Solid Sam;” and Miss Nell lowered her voice, as she spoke. ie there PRE bong Jigen rer, with- out any apparen , end of yours, I dare sa bs 4 “No—I am not acquainted with him, but nevertheless admire his grit, and approve of his cause. But, here comes the mail, and I must change it.” The coach-driver now entered, burdened with a well-filled mail-bag. And that very fact caused many a miner’s es to sparkle with anticipations of the recep- on of letters from home, Nobby Nell nodded to wyaning Walt pleas- antly, and b aner} pS agpen. A tly pres, te count- er, she receiv: e -bag, an peared behind the partition. m A faint gleam of admiration entered Wyom- ing Walt’s eyes, as he watched her leave. * She’s as as arazor, gis 4 g,” his breath. ‘She is pretty too, and a lovable nature, I allow. I wonder who were her parents, and what are her antecedents?” Quick of sight and quick of touch, it did not take Nobby Nell long to assort her mail. No boxes did Placer City’s postal system boast of, but behind the partition Nell had con- structed a sort of trough, containing twenty-six compartments numbered alphabetically, so that A’s mail was put into Division A, and so on, which enabled her to know just where to look for each *s mail, without trouble. The little wicket door soon flew open, and a crowd sur; forward to receive their install- ment of letters and papers. Many were the recipients of both, but some there were who received none, as was easy to tell, by the gloomy e ression upon their faces. | who | and allowed the next man to take his place, who | chanced to be the bullying ruffian of the town, Black Eph, upon whose face there was suddenly seen a strange, triumphant leer. Stepping to one side, Wyoming Walt glanced at the pus ce tie upon the envelope of his letter, and gave a surprised start. It was addressed to ‘‘Solid Sam—the Boy Road-Agent,” in a bold, graceful style of chi- rograpy. faint scowl of annoyance rose to the herd- er’s brow, and he glanced sharply around, to see if any one beside himself had seen the direc- tions. As he did so he caught the leering gaze of Black Eph, and at once decided that he, if no one else, had seen them. But, with a coolness that evidently came natu- ral to him, he tore open the letter, and glanced over it, his senses, however, so much on the alert, that he was well aware what was going on around him. He was also aware that the ruffian was ap- proaching him, and accordingly, without appa- rent design, he put the letter into his pocket, fast as Black Eph came within arm’s reach, “Hello! got a letter, did ye?” the bully de- manded, pausing, with a cunning grin. “ Well, what if [ did?’ Wyoming Walt re- lied. ‘“ a one got a better right, I should ike to know?” ** Luk out, ye yo bantam; don’t go to sas- sin’ me, or Let’s see yer letter!” “Well ess not,” the herder declined, cool- Tye for?” “*Ca’se I wanter see it, that’s all,” Eph an- swered, blusteringly. ‘Cum, po et erlong, will ye, or shell I take it away frum ye?” ‘Maybe you'd better try to take it away you imagine it would be healthy amusement for ; as Wyoming you!” wasthe calm suggestion, and the young | Sam, wh man folded his arms complacently across his preeOnt defy d © me, do ed. “Hol ho! mebbe loti billet-ducks, I did. What d’ye say to hat?” “ Nothing of icular moment... The letter was given me through mistake, evidently, and. not meant for me.” “Oho! thet won’t work, me boy. I know all about et. Jest let me see thet ’ar epi 1; or I'll tell who ye aire, an’ then thar’ll be fun!’ “You will?’ * Bet yer stogiest boots I will!” ‘“What’ll you make by it?” “Tll make you fill ther same noose ye got ther Chinaman’s neck out of, cuss ye!” “You will?” ‘May I be shot fer a Pigeon, ef I don’t!” “Then, go ahead! efy you to do your i worst!” was the young herder’s answer. ith cr oath, pag = Fs geet — afew ces, and pointin ger a omi alt, he cried, in a loud voice: estvipee ‘* Boyees, wrecra ga im, now! That feller’s Solid Sam, the -agent |” CHAPTER VIIL. SOLID SAM STEPS OUT—FREE ADVERTISING. THE effect of the ruffian’s words was magical. Out came a great number of revolvers from dif- ferent belts, to be grasped by sturdy hands, and the miners and citizens and adventurers who filled the room advanced a step, with dark scowls, that were threatening in the extreme, “Yas, sir-ee! that feller’s Solid Sam, an’ I know it!” Black Eph declared, with triumph. ‘TI smelt a durned big rat, did I, ther furst min- nit I see’d him, an’ so when he went up yander ter ther mail delivery, I peeped over his shoul- der, and see’d him get a letter addressed ter man?” asked Bill Bolivar, yor of Placer some | ‘Solid Sam.’” “Is this so, yo aspired to be there was another class who inquired at | day, should the place ever attain sufficient di- en. the delivery as regularly as the mails arrived, | who had no idea or bope of receiving even as much as a postal card. No friends or relatives had they who cared enough about their welfare to inquire about it, and their main reason for asking for mail, seemed to be because they wished to hear Nobby Nell’s pleasant, musical “ No,”—terse, but a treat when vouchsafed by Miss Nell. More out of curiosity than anything else, his breast. mensions to n a Mayor, “Is Eph a-tellin’ ther truth erbout this yere letter?” ‘He is, undoubtedly,” Wyo Walt re- lied, not at all disconcerted, still standing fac- ng the scowling crowd, his arms folded across “T received such a letter from the post paion, but it evidently was handed me hrough mistake.” “Oh! no it wassent!” Black Eph chuckled. “Nobby Nell she knows her biz, you bet, an’ she robably, Wyoming Walt joined in the line of | wouldn’t be apt ter make a mistake like that.” quirers, and, when it came his turn, put forth his call, and to his surprise a letter was placed in his hand. Not glancing at it, he stepped from the line, \ “Of course she wouldn’t,” Bolivar - ‘fan’ so, Mr. Road-agent, you may as well sur- render, ter oncet, Thar’s fifty on us ter one 0’ you, an’ escape is impossible.” | en ——————— | regions. Solid Sam, indeed! Solid Sa ll suddenly chaw ye up, I will. | hes got a scar across his brow, an’ this pilgrim “Tt is, eh?” the young herder cried, ‘Then you are ectly well satisfied that I am the genuine Solid Sam Hathaway.” ‘We are,” Bolivar assented. ‘‘ All the differ- ence ’twixt ye is thet ye hain’t got no black streak across yer brow.” ‘Which ought to be conclusive evidence that I am not Solid Sam,” was the calm reply, a faint expression of amusement lurking about his mouth. ‘If, however, you will have it that I am the notorious outlaw, I do not see in what way I can help it.” “What’s the matter here?’ Nobby Nell de- manded, emerging behind the counter from back of the postal ition. ‘‘ Ah! are the trying to get you into trouble again, stranger?” ‘It would seem so,” Wyoming Walt replied. “You gave me a letter, through mistake evi- dently, which was addressed to Solid Sam, the road-agent, and this man ey call Black Eph saw it, and now accuses me of being the party himself!” “And so they propose to introduce you to Judge Lynch, eh?” “That’s about the size of it, I reckon,” was Wyoming Walt’s response. “Well, if I can help it, they won’t. Gentile- men, you’ve made a mistake, here, I allow,” the rett pose etaees said. ‘‘ This pilgrim, Wyo- eae alt, is a herder from - in the cattle hy, Solid Sam ain’t.” ‘See hyar, Nobby Nell, nobody axed you fer ie lip-in, in this case. Ef you’rea ner ter his galoot, that ye back his case so strong, why, we'll boost you too, mebbe!” Black Eph snarled, savagely. ‘I’ve n in Wyoming Territory if | fer a dorg’s age, an’ never heerd o’ sech a cha alt, afore. Ef he ain’t Soli in blazes did ye give him the letter?” “The letter has been ei g here in the office yer way, hyar in Placer City, about long enough, an et’s time we hed a change. This oot’s Solid Sam, an’ we're goin’ ter hang im. What d’ye say, boys?’ “We say yes, on course, ef he’s really Solid Sam,” Bill Bolivar proclaimed. ‘“ But, Nobby Nell orter know, mebbe, for she knows most everybody.” Gentlemen!” Wyoming Walt cried. ‘‘ You needn’t argue the case ped longer. Miss Nobby Nell evidently made a mistake in giving me the letter and, believes me to be Wyoming Walt. Nevertheless, she is mistaken, for I am the very individual zen have been trying to make me out—Solid Sam, the Boy Road-Agent!” A murmur of astonishment escaped the crowd, for this was certainly startling inferma- tion, boldly delivered. Even though many had at first believed him to be the notorious oung outlaw, they had hardly been expecting his bold declaration of the fact. you wonder I am forced to take matters into my own wren gentlemen, when you leok around you and realize how much yeu are ing my rights?” me We ain’t usurpin’ nothin’,” Black Eph growled. — You lie; you are!” Solid Sam declared, un- dauntedly. ‘* All this gulch had been staked off, and rightfully secured by John Vance, alias White , previous to the time when a party of invaders, you included, came into the gulch, killed my grandfather, and drove my dmother and myself away from our home, e both swore then that not much of our right- ful gold should ever leave the canyon, and I allow there hasn’t much left.” “Oho! ye brag o’ yer robberies, do ye?” Black Eph shouted. “Waal, ye may’s Well play game while your courage is up, fer we're goin’ ter boost ye to glory, d’rectly, Cum, ye may’s well surrender, and save us ther pleasure 0’ salivatin’ ye!” “J rather reckon not,” Solid Sam retorted coolly. “Nor will you make the least attem: to take me. While you were intent upon pare ing your game, you were being captured your- ves. ! hal if you look at the windows,
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my loving pilgrims, you will undoubtedly see what I mean.” They did look with a start of surprise, and what they saw, carried significant weight to the words of the Boy Road-Agent. : Three windows there were upon each side of the building, a into the store-room, and through these were leveled a glittering array of rifle-barrels, some score or more in number, in such a shape that nearly every person in the room was covered. A murmur of rage went the rounds, while Solid Sam laughed, sag emer “3 ‘You see how it is, boys!” he said, sonnel. ‘*My hand happens to be ‘flush’ and [ take game. Ha! ha! Iam sorry to rob you of your anticipated pleasure of hanging me, but I’m not ready to cross over the river, yet, which makes the difference. You see you are covered, and of course you will be wise. You will make no attempt to hinder my departure, for each of the rifles you now see gazing at you, is manned by | a Branded Brow, who will shoot the first man who offers to raise a murmur of dissent. Sorry to bave to tear myself away from your affec- tionate society, but, such is nevertheless the | case, and so | bid you all a pleasant adieu! Make way to the door, please, and don’t stir from your tracks to follow me, under penalty of instant death!” Solid Sam, the Boy Road-Agrent. ili | times are impending, for Solid Sam is not remem- bered in the general’s will. The will is as follows: If our townsman, Syd Atherton, can effect an ami- cable matrimonial allian ce with Miss Miner, the gen- eral’s pretty step-daughter, the property goes to him and her, jointly. not, in case the same ar- rangement can be effected between Miss Miner and Colonel Carrol, the general’s brother, the property goes to them, respectively and ually, neither of these alliances can be effected, the whole wealth, of which Atherton is trustee, is to be handed over to our fades mistress, Nobby Nell Nugent. It isa novel case in the extreme, and its settlement sug- gests a fair chance for six-shooters and gunpowder.” The reading of these extracts caused quite a sensation among all conditions of Placer City’s ena It did look, indeed, as if there was a big chance for a grand struggle, and the matter ae discussed by every man and woman in the wn. Colonel Hathaway and Santa Fe Syd were chief centers of notice, but neither spoke to the other, and both were rather quiet. Several days passed by—days of feverish an- ticipation to the gossip-mongers and excitement lovers of the town, who were eagerly awaiting developments that did not come. Nothing bad been seen or heard from Solid ' Sam, since his escape from the post-office ; never- theless he was expected to be heard from, again, He was obeyed. ha ; Loth, though these citizens of Placer City | were, to let him escape, who had abstracted | so much from their pecuniary possessions, the were in no way desirous of losi as they were liable to do, if they vent his departure. Therefore, a passageway was cleared to the at any moment. The notice he had received in the newspaper had but served to increase his notoriety, and , also the dread of him that was generally preva- their wind, | lent, and those who had any quantity of golden ered to pre- _ treasure in the town, held fast to it, fardly daring to risk sending it out of the gulch, for fear it would fall into the hands of the watch- door, with grim scowls, and Solid Sam walked | ful young outlaw. through it with as much indifference as though he were a monarch marching through a body- | the publisher of the d guard of his admirers. When he reached the door, he turned and | One stormy, windy night, about a week later, y paper, while sitting in his sanctum, received a caller. No unusual occurrence was it for some pil- raised his hat triumphantly, a pleasant smile up- _ gTim to drop in, for the pare of soliciting a is face; then turning, he quickly left the puff, or to examine the la a oa mee Y -f the editor’s pipe; and theretors the aforesaid office. At the same instant the rifles were withdrawn | from the windows, and when those within the t-office gained the open air, nothing was to something hard was p *y randed | onan | he seen either of Solid Sam or his Brows. Had the earth opened up and swallowed them? On the followin pe newspaper con a hada ready sale. ‘Among its local items of interest were the ap- ded, which the editor had evidently labored rd to present to his patrons:. “Soum Sam gn ee payin es “gh jRoad- Agen id Sam, n came f as eA his pointy not to the credit hear outlaw is constantly growing some certain measures shoul itizens—all . wht se igh, Poking gid i weed effectuall t astop to the fellow's wild, lawless,career, why ao send to New York for a illiams, the champion clubber of the ‘ finest po inthe world? He probably could fix our youthful is As hinted py ‘some, that Solid Sam is aided and abetted by the strange old hag, Poh Rime — with being possessed o credited } that there is danger to every citizen of our town, | from this nuaniral . It seems, that, in the of this town, the hag and her husband, ved here, but were driven killed for re- early ‘planting’ of this precious yet dangerous crop of human thistles. In another place was: “The funeral. of our esteemed cit General ination by the Witch, we Hathaway, of whose assass raters 8 sterday’s issue, occurred bet thie thorain g, as his early decomposition rendered quick interment necessary. But a certain few were present to witness the las rites. In still another place, was another item: “Tt a rs, according to a statement made by | our em nent barrister, Lawyer Greep, that Solid Sam, the road-agent, is the son, by a first marriage, | of the deceased General Hathaway, and consequent- | So ly the rightful or legal heir to the deceased’s wealth. heljawyer tells a singular story which he claims the general confessed to him, before he breathed | revolver, Santa Fe | street of the little mining camp. | mine-owner met a cloaked female _ the strong wind was seemingly trying to pre- | —you must get in out of the storm. . | my shanty, if you will accept of its friendly pers and smoke editor, a lean, hungry-looking man, did not look up from his writing, until the cold contact of ressed against, his temple a shiver down his sensitive spine, an e the horrifying discovery that the muzzle of a formidable six-shooter was indeed threaten- ing his head, held in the unwavering gripe of an individual of some eighteen years, across whose brow was a black streak, as if painted there by a searing instrument. No man of mighty courage was this weak re- presentative of the newspaper fraternity, whose namé was Bloffs; indeed, he had a mortal terror of warlike instruments, and the fact that one of these’ dangerous tools was pressed st his head caused him literally to wilt in chair, and tremble all over. “Heavens! don’t—don’t kill me!” he gasped, his teeth chattering. “I beg—don’t shoot! “Well, my Christian friend, I happen to be f W-who are you?” | that notorious ‘ thistle’ you deem easy to re- er move from this moral e,” was the response. ** Otherwise, I’m Solid Sam, and I mean bizness!” CHAPTER IX. MAY AND SANTA FE SYD—SOLID SAM’S POSTERS. AxnouT this same minute, when the Boy Road- Agent had the newspaper man covered with his yd left the post-office, equipped with an armful of groceries, and bur- _Yried down the street, through the wind and rain, toward his bachelor’s shanty abode. It was a wild night in the extreme, with a ‘ flerce gale blowing down over the mountains, | driving before it a continuous sheet of rain, and there were but few persons abroad on the main Yet when in the neighborhood of his shanty, the handsome ure, whom vent from going up the street. A second glance discovered who it was. “ va can it be i- ble that is you, Miss Miner?” he exclaimed, crossing over to her. ‘‘ What in the world ever , brought you out in the storm—or isn’t it any of my business?” ‘ Yes, it’s your business, for you are the per- son I sfarted, forth to find,” was the gasping reply, for the huge rain-drops beat tattoo in the maiden’s pretty face. ‘‘I had no idea it stormed “It’s a wild night,” Syd replied. “But come Yonder is last, and as the lawyer is a man.noted for his vera- | shelter.” city, we are in duty bound to believe him, pencneh the story seems incredible, and we refrain from pu abing it. “Until I have had a short talk with you, In case, however, that it is true, lively | yes,” and Miss Miner timidly took the stalwart gold-digger’s arm, until “44 were safely at the shanty, and she was seated by a cosey fire. ‘It’s a rough night—the roughest I’ve seen for some years,” tents Fe Syd said, as he de- posited his purchases upon a table, which form- ed one of the appointments of a neat room. “Something of unusual moment, I take it, must have occurred, to bring you out in such a storm, Miss Miner?’ *‘No. I only came to talk with you concerning tbe will of General Hathaway and other matters, sir,” was the answer. “ But, first, 1 want to know if the woman I have been led to suppose was my mother, is my mother?” The mine-owner looked surprised. “Why do you come to me te ask this?” he companied, turning upon her with a searching ce, J ‘* Because | know that you know something about me!” May replied, y.. ‘*The glances exchanged between you and Mrs. Hathaway, on your meeting, did not escape me, and then, she has often hinted to me that I was nothing to her. Tell me, Mr. Atherton, I beg of you, if I am in any way related to that woman? You know—yovu can tel] me that which I most want to know—who I am!” Santa Fe Syd paced a turn about the room, before he answered. **Do you have apy recollections of a former life?” he finally asked, stopping before her. ‘Does your memory date back to—say twelve years ago?” ‘‘No I cannot remember back as far as that. Iremember when I was ss of age, I lived with the woman I now mother, and that one day when I played truant, she threw me u the floor,and pounded me so badly that I was sick a great while, and in under the eare of a doctor. Further back than this all seems to be a blank to me. Yet I have some times thought that I have seen your face, a good while ago, for itis singularly familar in feature. Where or when, I have no idea, but yet I am almost positive that I have seen it.” “Tt.is not im ible,” the miner said, slowly, pas at the u the hearth. ‘‘ But, be- ore Lanswer any of the questions, I want to ask youa few. What do you think of General Hathaway’s will?’ “| think it is the strangest affair I have ever heard of. Did you read the piece in the news- paper, about another who is a rightful heir?” Yes, and believe it. The Boy Road-Agent as he is called, has borne the name of Solid em Hathaway ever since I knew anything about him, and I have often heard General Hathaway speak of him in a bitter way that caused me to believe that he knew something more about him than he pretended. Lawyer Green claims that the general sent for him, before he died, and made a confession of his sins, and owned that Solid Sam was his only la son, bur ‘he will being made, he refused to change it. 4 > told Green that it was bis strongest hope that you and I could form en alliance as man and wife, and thus inherit the money, accord- ing to the stipulations of his will. Of course, I have no designs upon his property, being in my own right moderately wealthy, and would of a choice wish myself well clear of the whole mat- ter. Still, 1am heart and hand free, and may marry, when I find some person I dearly care for. Ido not believe 2 would care to bind yourself to a person for life whom you have never known, or even bad reason to give a mo- ment’s consideration.” i i, ‘No, I sbould not. But, there seems for me, only two choices. Either I must marry you and get the fortune in that way, or I must marry the colonel, which I would rather be a beggar for life, than do.” ‘*Why must you marry him, if you do not choose?” the miner demanded, with flashing eyes yes. “They would make me. Oh! sir, you'do not know them—the colonel and Mrs. Hathaway. They only came here intent upon getting pos- session of the general’s Witch had not taken his life, I candidly believe that they would have doneso. And, now, th have tried to persuade me to wed the colone and when I refused, have threatened violence. “If this is true, they’ll find me on deck and to the frout, and don’t you forget it! The woman is not your mother, miss, nor is she in any way related to you. Years ago, when you were a seven-year-old child, I yes you over into the hands of that woman, who was then my bride— unfortunately so, perhaps, for I only lived with her a short three months, when she deserted me, and fled to Chicago, where I found her, on giving chase, in company with this man, Colonel Car- rol Hathaway. property, and if the ' ‘ / \
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ee a ne es SE eae =—— * Squier? —— —S—e— = a a ee eee absolute divorce, and also tried to get hes from her, but as I had given you to her, lawfully, I could not take you from her. Making her first promise to treat you well, I then left for this of the country, and never have seen . either of yousince, until you came here to Placer City.” | “Thank Heaven she is nothing to me!” the irl said, fervently. ‘‘ But still, you have not ld me who I am—whose child if was, before I was given into her care?” ‘*No, and cannot, just now, for I do not even know myself. I will make efforts to find out, however, and report at another time.” “Very well. What information you have youchsafed me is of test value to me, and I will be content to let you use your own judg- ment as to when to answer me the rest. But there is another thing to settle, ere I go. What is to be done, in regard to the will?” ‘There is no hurry to decide that. Let it go awhile; in the meantime utterly refuse all pro- posals on the part of Carrol Hathaway and the other, keeping me posted occasionally as to their conduct. If Peres to showing too much of the cloven hoof, I soon dispossess them of shelter, for the shanty belongs to me.” “Then you have the upper hand, eh? Well I am glad of it. But i must now be going, as the storm has somewhat abated.” It had not entirely ceased raining, but Santa Fe eee an umbrella, and accompanied her to the door of the Hathaway shanty, where he bade her adieu, and turned his steps back to- ward his own humble habitation. No one with an eye to business, could have doubted, by the way he spoke, that Solid Sam did mean just what he said, and even the a htened editor had no doubts upon the sub- Wild stories of the bold deeds of the hand- some young outlaw had caused many a shiver to touch his spine, even as he wrote of said ' deeds for the edification of the readers of his ' paper, and, now that he was literal! a prison- er of the notorious boy, he felt that he could al- _ most hear the carpenters driving the nails into ’ his coffin. “Yes, I am Solid Sam, and I mean business,” the chief of the Branded B ly. “Ye needn tor 0 aoe me ae “Tam, sir—Tin y Bloffs by name, ye see,” tho editor declared, with a triffe more of assur- ance. ‘*Karect. You're the man I want to see, then. I want you to dust around, lively, now, and print me a half a dozen , gaick- erin’ a cat ever swallowed a mous . “D’ye hear?” “Yes! yes! Lhear. I can get you out some very poster-work at very short notice, for ten a hundred, cash in advance—war- ranted to give satisfaction.” ‘But Iam not going to pay you a cent for it,” Solid Sam assured, with a rer “T own this hyar gulch, and everthing in it, ha never received any rent, and consequently don’t pay for an little jobs I may want done. ok ir tage fer yer stick, lively, and set up: form, or I'll make your ideas scarcer than the teeth in a Cen mule.” ‘Don’t shoot! don’t shoot,” Bloffs protested. “Ti do just'as yousay, if you only don’t shoot me, “Well, get to your work, then. Haul out on ataead type, and form a head-line of ‘No- With tibly trem limbs Bloffs left his chair to do as req , and Solid Sam seated himself, and lit a cigar, not forgetting however, to keep the lean publisher covered. Soon the type “form” was headed in ig letters by the word, “‘ notice. ‘So far, so good,” Solid Sam said. ‘‘ Now, if ou please, set the form after this copy;’ and As laid a piece of rv a upon the —_ Bloffs obeyed with alacrity. No desire had he to get the contents of the yo road-agent’s revolvers, and consequently worked away as earnestly as though big money was in the job. Long into the wee small hours of the night was it, ere Solid Sam left the office, armed with an armful of posters, and took his way boldly through the now deserted streets of the infant metropolis pitched down in the depths of Buck- skin canyon, “TI immediately — for and received an | _ Solid Sam, the Boy Road-Age On the following morning, when the natives / crawled out, each and every one experienced a n t. | | thrill of alarm, for, pasted conspicuously to the | fronts and sides of various buildings, was the following: “NOTICE! “To Aun Wom It May CoNncERN: “Know ye, one and all of ye, who do reside with- in that mountain inclosed ch, known as Buck- skin canyon, that J, Sam Hathaway, sole heir and owner to sald canyon, do hereby warn ye to raise a sum of one hundred thousand dollars in currency, and place it at my tern being the purchase money of the deed, which I will promptly hand over on the receipt of said money. In case said sum of money is not placed at my disposal, within the next ten days after the appearance of this notice, I swear to cause the certain destruction of the town as it now stands, and turn the inhabitants from their abod without any shelter, whatever, This is shall keep my promise, “ Signed, Soir Sam HarHaway, “The Boy Road-Agent.” That was all, but it set the ball of excitement once more in motion, with renewed vigor. The two queer poopie who arrived on the stage the night of the disturbance at the post- office, were characters, in themselves. Evidently neither were gifted with an extra- ordinary allowance of brains, and they were unconsciously the butt of much ridicule by the loofers and adventurers. According to their own ‘‘tell,” they were in no way related to each other. The lean individual claimed to be Bill Romeo 8 ,» & modern poet, enga upon some Eastern literary paper, and stated that the woman was a love-sick admirer of his poetical gems, who persisted in tagging after him, in that he would make her his wife. The woman’s name was Juliet Clawhammer, she said, and also declared that ‘‘ B. R. Shak- speare had promised to marry her, and she was “ a-goin’’ to make him do it, if foreed to follow him to the ends of the earth. These declarations on the part of the eccen- tric pair furnished a fund of amusement for the miners and usual street loungers, day after day. for the poet and his Juliet were here, there and bs Bek gai Where went the poet, followed his feminine admirer; if he laughed, she laughed; if he smo she smoked; if he drank, she drank. The lank man ever carried with him a bun- die of manuscripts, and his chief aim seemed to be to dispose of th , at exorbitant On the t after Solid Sam had billed the town with hi paees exnas Hath- away was among those who lounged post- afice oie pee © arrival of the ev mail. ut ° freely among dif- ferent classes, which been a popular charac- teristic of his brother, he held himself haughtil aloof, and busied himself in airily stroking his luxurious side-whiskers. It was while thus engaged that he felt a tap upon his shoulder, and turned to find standing in his mce, the lean, long, hungry-looking poet, B meo whose compan- on, the faithful Juliet, was not far away, keep- ing an eye on the aforesaid poet, ina way that colicin’ 9, Stet of amusement from the specta- rs, ‘Well, what do you want?’ the colenel de- mand surve the would-be master of the Mes, with displeasure. “ Ef tt e please, capt’in, I’ve a little verse 0’ Pats $0 dead - tical ou,” the poet. repli Pith a bow vibe: rh CHAPTER X. CORNERED! Anp from his pocket the second Shakspeare took a roll of writing paper and proceeded to — it, a bland expression upon his strange ace, “Stop! You need not trouble yourself, for I do not rates a se at net any ‘2 IRE non- sense,” the colonel re savagely. “TI will not be bored!” J ‘*Oh! I do not intend to bore you, as I have no auger, handy,” Bill Romeo replied, calmly. ‘*Nor is the verse I would read you, nonsense. It is a grand preg wit Meg to any of those old-time effusions, credi to the immortal bard. Just listen, I pray thee: “From down behind the might Where all mankind attains the nn A scoundrel came in of man, Who ed is with the devil's band; A man of keen, designing mind, A single ace—no two ‘fa kind; He flees from where the eastern gun Along the morning's horizon run, ———— eee Close at his trail, a shadow tags, Like a bloodhound on the trail of stags. But, see! a cloud is on the sky, Which signifies that Iam dry! ; ‘“Come! shall we go have something at your expense?” e crowd tittered again. The colonel bit his lip with ‘tn i ‘Curse you! get out with your nonsense. want’ none of your poetry, nor am I in the habit of drinking “ a with: he turned 1 n th mighty dignit e turned an strode from the office. ony Down the street he went, for several blocks; then paused abruptly and gazed back in the direction of the t-office, ‘No, I am nof blind,” he muttered, a danger- ous glitter to his eyes and hoarseness to his tone that betrayed his emotion. ‘‘There was @ meaning for me in that rude composition—per- haps there is also a similar meaning in the fact of that cursed fellow’s presence here. I must have another look at him.” He retraced his steps toward the post-office, a dark scowl upon his face, Instead of entering he positioned himself at a window, and gazed eagerly within. The poet was still there, attacking others with rehearsals of his compositions, the fat Juliet now keeping a close hold to his arm, seemingly with fear lest he should escape her, or get within speaking distance of the pretty postmistress, who was an amused looker-on. For several minutes Colonel Hathawa watched the strange pair, narrowly; then, wi an oath, he left his ) ame mage and walked ra idly to the Hathaway 1anty, where he found the late general’s wife seated in the sitting-room, engaged in gee x a novel. ere is May?” he demanded, as he laid his hat upon the table and bit the end from a cigar. ‘‘Is she in her room yet?” rs. Hathaway looked up with a vicious ex- pression. “ Yes—under lock and key. She declares she will die before she will marry you; moreover, she claims to know that I am not her mother. ae Fe Syd has been putting her up to “Undoubtedly,” the colonel assented, with a frown. ‘‘ He is altogether too much mixed up in our affairs. es, something has got to be done!” ‘** How do you mean?’ ‘‘Oh! in various ways. If we hope to get a bite out of the money, we’ve got to make new and rapid calculations. I saw a couple of queer people in town, to-night, whom I am infernally i of!” Hathaway’s book dropped from her hand, and she grew suddenly pale. * Is it ble? You are joking?’ arenes. “ Devi pote ping it would be to joke about that,” he growled. ‘TI may be en, don’t believe Iam. One of parties is a man —the other a woman, to appearances. The man claims to be a poet, attacks every- body that comes in his way, with an appeal for js hed listen, and buy his mongrel composi- on. A wild glitter took possession of Mrs. Hath- away’s eyes, as she heard. sf t believe you are right. If so, there is urg- ent ar for lively action. What do you pro ““T searcely know. Can the girl not be per suaded to Garry me?” er ‘** No, I do not believe she can. Che bes panty of grit in her composition, and I candid} she would suffer death, before she would marry ou. . “Curse her. Providing that she is in po: sion of some of our secrets, as we have ed, from time to time, she would be better dead than alive, anyhow!” “No! no! Harm must not come to her—I promised Syd that!” imo !” and the colonel Lancer fiercely. ¥ n regard your prom , s iaaean nat Had I staid with him, 1 should to-day be the better for it. But, let that pass. Laying aside May, what other plan have you?” “There is a narrow path left. Either we Be put Sunita Fe out of The way, and take \—or, we must make a raise of all we and skin out. It’s our only chance of sal- vation, to leave this town behind us, as quickly as possible." Did the ruffian, Black Eph, come, ay es, and I sent him into the kitchen to awalt your arrival.” ‘Then I must see him and consult with him. — He is probably the very party I want.
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—— Several days by. Days of anxious suspense, they were, to the poet class of the citizens of Placer City, who ooked eagerly to the monopolist mine-owners to raise the one hundred thousand dollars de- manded by Solid Sam, and thus save the town from an unknown peril. But, no sign of any such a move was made among the wealthy ones, except in the case of Santa Fe Syd, who offered to donate one-tenth of the amount if others would come to the front with the other nine-tenths. This they positively refused to do, believin that it’ was only a scare on the part of Soli Sam, and consequentl ea no faith in the warning he had pl before their eyes. The same night after the occurrence of the events last narrated, a muffled figure stole into the town from down Buckskin canyon, when the golden camp was wrapped in slumber, and to the rear of the cabin used as the post-office penn, | i Here he paused, and arbre Sak aie his boots; after which he carefully fi a key into the lock of the rear door, and in a moment it was open. Stepping within the building, he found him- self in the small apartment, to the uses number of letter; and pac ; upon the morrow’s mail; a lamp furnished a dim illumination, being turned down; in one corner, upon a rude couch, Nobby Nell had thrown herself at the conclusion of a weary day’s labor, to seek rest in repose. ith a sharp glance at her, as if to assure himself that she was asleep, Solid Sam—for it was he—stole quietly to the table, and assorted the letters spread out upon it, with cool auda- cit Y. 7 Not finding any to his liking evidently, he next proceeded to look over those in the delivery- trough where they had been placed, subject to the morrow’s bir He was thus busily engaged, when he felt a tap upon his shoulder, and turned to meet the unflinching gaze of a polished revolver muzzle— the same deadly instrument being held in the grasp of Miss Nobby Nell. Oh! it’s you, is it?’ the young outlaw inter- rogated, coolly, p ing to assort the letters over, with the greatest nonchalance. ‘“‘I didn’t know but some of Judge Lynch’s pardners might have got the drop on me. Nice evening or of doors, isn’t it?” ‘* Probably!” Nell retorted, tersely. ‘‘ But if you ever hope or expect to_ en eam -p one, ou’d better keep your hands o m that mail. Come! who are you, and what do you want?” ‘“‘Oh! I’m Solid Sam, you — and the night- hawk unbuttoned his huge cloak collar and raised his hat enough so that she could see his face, with its Branded Brow. “TI had a desire to learn if these Placer Cityites haye been at- tempting to smuggle any of my rightful prop- erty through the ma obby Nell lowered her revolver, and restored it to her bolt. : “No, they have not,” she said. “Did you read that letter I gave you, when you were per- sonatin eaae dl Walt?” d “Ty ” he @ “The money is righ Tdon’t think I did wrong in hol it for +04. ‘* Nevertheless, I want you to to its destination,” Solid Sam returned. “I pre- fer to deduct my own toll, and if pe Fea future penalty to Pay, PD si > blim Why, may I inquire, do you est so much interest in my behalf?” person to ; “T did not sin,” the hee said, with pieygee tfull id “No, you need not ask, because I will not tell zou, ike you_tiat all Tom, explain,” Bie oun ng gly into oven “Like myself, you seem to be a waif of the world, and perhaps this is the reason ay interest has been aroused i he Besides, am ever a friend to the weakest side, and I al- w that your side is right, If these mines be- to you, why, it’s your right to have pos That, f feng Twit t, until Placer ear, néver uni City is leveled to th ye the young mani re to surrender the deed to these Pe ayiiy i a mere ul and if m er is not ac- cepted, I hop be te blaine if 1 wage & stronger and more effective warfare than Ihave plied bitterly. ve ofered Solid Sam, the Boy Road-Agent. done, heretofore. They can either purchase m friendship, and secure my retirement from - agency—or they can gratuitously receive my enmity.” “Good. LIadmire you for your grit,” Nob- by Nell said, with an enthusiastic nod. “If you cannot deal fairly with them, you are not censurable for reversing things. At all events, count strongly on my friendship, for you can have it free gratis, and if you ever want any of my assistance, don’t be afraid toask for it. B the oe Pes ee ops by chance, that you and are inclined to rivals in this will business. You are the real heir—yet I’ve better prospects of wianing than you!” **So it would seem, unless the girl, May Mi- ner, marries either the man Atherton, or Col- onel Hathaway.” “She won’t do either,” Miss Nell declared, firmly. ‘Santa Fe Syd is not the man to marry his hand where his heart cannot go. And, as for the colonel, I do not believe the gwen lady could be hired to link her fate with his. He is a thoroughbred scoundrel, if I’m a judge of human nature, and the young lady appears to be a lady in every sense of the word.” ‘* Perhaps!” Solid Sam replied, thoughtfully. ‘* As for the fortune, my sire refused to give me even honorable mention, andI am out. I shall not interfere in the settlement of the case, un- til it is decided who is to have the gold—then, it is not unlikely that I shall put in a bill, for my share.” ‘* Of course, and if I am lucky enough to get the heritage, you can have the lion’s share of it, or the whole of it if you insist. When I take a notion to a person— “Sh!” Solid Sam whispered, with a start. ** Listen!” They did listen, and heard the faint murmur of human voices, outside the building: ‘“‘Pm cornered!” the young outlaw whispered. “T was impressed with a sense of danger, to- right, and once or twice thought I was followed, but could see no one. But, those voices tell the tale, there are Vigilantes outside waiting for me!” Nobby Nell laid her soft white hand ‘upon his shoulder, a strange, wild expression in her eyes. g Rene shall not get You, if 1 can mele it,” she said, resolutely. ‘“‘Stay here. I will see what the chances of escape are, in front.” Then she glided away, leaving Solid Sam to gaze curio after her. She was an enigma to him—graceful, pretty, coo] and voluble, and he already greatly admired her. Tn three minutes she returned, with no sign of enco ement in her face. “No show in that direction,” she said, shak- ing her head. ‘The Vigilantes are thicker’n flies on a carcass, and more are coming. It looks pretty dubious for you now. Are any of your men in town?’ “Not to my knowledge. I left them at the stronghold, as I did not anticipate getting cor- nered, iia Tl fix ’em!” ““Who—the Vigilantes?” ee es.” “How?” “Til show you. You'd better get back to your bed, and feign sleep—or, better still—I’ll ind you, which will preyent your being sus- pected of being in league with me,” ve iy! I won't do that. 1 don’t care if they know m your friend—I ain’t afraid to tell ’em 80. “But, that would be foolish, as long as you ~ a. chance to, save yours and pone posi- Besides, if it is your desire me, can perhaps ip me better as a bon om than as an open one.” Maybe you are right, and I'll do as you She accordi onee more laid down upon her ech aed ea d him to bind her hands € ef over her mouth. so pigton ‘on : Mile seated hima nne ; moonlit ni toward th x ” of the as ed ag Solid Bam 0 CHAPTER XI. SURRENDER. IN the meantime, let us return to the shanty of the Hathaways. 13 Colonel Carrol hastened from the presence of Mrs. Hathaway, to the kitchen where he found the ruffian, Black Eph, seated, engaged in smoking a grimy pipe, and sampling a bottle of old wine, which latter he had found in a closet. He looked up with a nod, as the colonel en- tered, his eyes bloodshot from excess of drink. “Well, I got yer card, an’ so I cum,” he said, as the Chicagoan seated himself. ‘Ye sed ye wanted ter engage me in bizness?” “Exactly!” the colonel assented. ‘I want a man who is not afraid to do a nasty job, so ness there is a straight hundred dollars be- hind it.” “Then I am your huckleberry,” the raffian . ‘* Where ther’s cash, I’m allus ready. Hain’t particular what ther job is, neither; an’ w’at’s more, I can allus be depended on ter work fer ther interests o’ ther man w’at pays highest. Want me to give some galoot ther send off?” ‘Yes. You've hit it exactly., Now, first Ill give you a few points of explanation, and the directions, afterward. You see by the will of my brother, his wife was almost totally ignored, and I, his brother, left, with no hope of coming in for a share of his fortune, except I marry his step-daughter, which I do not find it convenient to do. This leaves the fortune to outside ies, and we, the rightful heirs, have come to the conclusion to make a struggle for our share. As there does not seem to ke much of a chance for getting possession of it by fair means, I propose to resort to foul. To- morrow night, you and I will pay a visit to the shanty of Santa Fe Syd, and while you take care of him in an effectual way, I will take care of his fortune, and slide out. To-morrow morning es I will dispatch Mrs. Hath- away to Camp Stambaugh, and on the follow- ing morning, I'll send her 4 the stage, asachel, containing the swag. I will remaina tew days to avert suspicion, and then will F hr her, first having paid you your hundred. ar “You ! I ain’t blind,” Black Eph re- plied. ‘‘How do ye want Santa Fe Syd sent off,—by lead or steel?’ ‘* Steel is the safest,” the colonel replied, sig- nificantly. ‘‘That will do for the present. You can go, now, and come around to-morrow night about this time, ready for business.” Dark shadows hovered about the Hathawa shanty; from out of them the form of Santa Fo Syd glided, a few minutes after the termina- tion of Black Eph’s interview with the colonel. If he had overheard the import of the inter- view, he did not betray it in his appearance. Standing —— the steps, he tistened, and heard Colonel Hathaway leave the kitchen, and enter the sitting-room. He then watts Ni the door, and entered the kitchen; which was wrapt'in deep gloom. This did not matter to He however, for he thoroughly knew the couse. Removing his boots, he crept cautiously from the kitchen into the hall, and up the stairs to the floor above. Here he paused and listened. Voices cume from the room below, which told him that Colonel Hathaway had joined the late general’s wife in the sitting-room; w a grim smile came across the miner’s face, ‘‘So far, so good,” he muttered. “It was a lucky omen that caused me to play a per, and overhear Mrs. Hathaway ma ; mark that May was locked in her room. The say love laughs at locksmiths, and although I not in love, I shall nevertheless laugh at the locksmith.” Creeping along the hall, he soon came to the door of the room in which he believed May to be confined, and rapped softly on the door, Instantly there was a stir, within, and a yoite démanded: “Who is there?” » ‘OSbh!”? the mine-owner cautioned. - aie “TE is me-S. 8. ‘Solid Sam?” the voice interrogated, ih evi-. dent surprise. “No—Santa Fe Syd. “’Sh! don’t make a noise, and I will try and get you out of this.” A bunch of keys had the miner in his pr sion, but none out of the lot fitted the Jock. The next best was to remove the lock itself, which was fastened on the door outside: This was soon accomplished, by aid of the miner's svefing May tier being tt, ey revealing Ma mer e, y cloaked and hatted for tie otek “Tannso glad you have come,” she said, in a 1 have, been-wultering ihady apieebotiines ‘*T have be any appreb that they would offer me some Sd a” os
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14 So | ' * They’ll not eer the chance, now,” Santa Fe Syd assured, ‘‘forI shall take your ian- ship upon myself. Come! let us get out of here as quickly and quietly as possible.” Solid Sam’s rap on the door, was answered by an oath, without. “ Weil?” a voice demanded, interrogatively— “What's wanted?” ‘IT want to know why this building is sur- rounded?’ the Boy Road-Agent demanded. ‘“Seems to me you’re crowdin’ things a little.” ‘* Waal, we opine not,” the voice responded. “Ef you’re Solid Sam w’at’s speakin’, an’ I reckon ye aire, we’ve got ye cornered, now, where thar ain’t no hope fer ye. Thar’s only two ways ter ther case—one’s thet ye’ve got ter eum out and surrender yerself—’tother’s thet ye’ve either got ter surrender yerself, or stay susmee up in thar, ontil you’re so lean ye ken’t eer terble shadder.” allow I shan’t do,” Solid Sam as- “When I am cornered square, and don’t see nv opening, I am one of the most manageable persons in the whole world, and don’t you forget it. Now, in case I surrender, what’s ter be done with my anatomy?” There was a low murmur of voices for a few minutes; then the first speaker replied: “Ther best ye can expect isa good clean rope, and a stout limb,” was his comforting assur- ance. : ‘But, don’t you intend to give a fellow a lit- tle breathin’ spell—a short reprieve, during which he can say his prayers, and make new re- solutions for the future?’ Solid Sam demanded. “Tf not; a surrender would have no advan- tages ”» See hyar! aire ye chaffin’?’ savagely;.‘‘ fer ef ye aire et won’t do you no good.” **No; honest Injun, I ain’t giving you a rack- et. IfI can have from now till day after to- morrow, ’thout bein’ lynched, I’'llsurrender. If as won't. That’s the long and short of that matter.” There was a protracted silence. Evidently those who surrounded the post- office were holding a consultation. at | sue they’re deliberatin’,” the Boy Road- Agent said, approaching Nobby Nell. “If I can fet a reprieve of about forty hours or less, it will give the Branded Brows a chance t5 ring in a deal.” “But are you not afraid they'll promise you, till they get you in their power, and then back on ir word,” the young postmis- breathed, through her gag. “T hardly believe they’ll do that; anyhow, Tl run the risk. Ah! here comes the answer,’ as a rap thundered upon the door. 3 Hello, there!” came from the outside. “Well, hello yourself,” Solid Sam returned. Ae qe te got anything to say, say it.” ‘* Waal, open ther door an’ surrender. We've eee yore on et, an’ ye kin hev til Thursday, at , in ther jell afore ye’re boosted. hat do oe say, now?’ lid Sam took out his watch and gazed at it, mIneditatively. It lacked fifteen minutes of being Wednesday. He would havea little over twenty- four hours chance for escape, if he surrendered. Fei oh sad, pynldngsihe onmeetigne pe: of time, pro g the geon safely reached the stronghold. “1s this all a square deal, now?’ he demand- ed. “Ifl give an im up, can I depend upon what you have said?’ ‘On course,” was the reply. ‘‘ Mebbe you ain’tluved enny too much, but we'll keep up our side o’ ther trace, all right.” “Correct. li take you at your word,” Solid Sam declared. ‘‘If you go back on it, the crime will be on your own heals. I will surrender on the conditions proposed.” And un ng the door, he threw it open, and stepped out into the night. Instantly he was surrounded by a noes crowd of Comeimenie. and his arms made behind his back. _Not a few curses were leveled at him, and the affairs seemed to threaten that he would be strung up without to the | promised reprieve, but such did not prove to be | | case, for he was marched along to a strong | cabin near the northern outskirts of the town, which had been ially constructed to serve the of a jail. Into he was thrust, and the door locked after him, while a was placed outside. Wokereat tes : in Placer City xcitement re supreme aud the night was suddenly filled with cries o umph. The news that the hitherto invincible young lid Sam, the Boy Roa outlaw, Solid Sam, was captured and in custody, | naturally created a big noise in the little mining camp, and men, women, and children crawled out of their nocturnal abiding places, to have a talk over the event. Santa Fe Syd and May Miner had just ar- rived at the former’s shanty, when the crowd came along that was marching Solid Sam to the town-jail, which boasted of the somewhat sug- gestive name of the ‘‘ Tomb.” They had just arrived from their flight from the Hathaway shanty, and paused in the door- way, to gaze upon the crowd that surged by. “Ah! they’ve captured Solid Sam, at last,” Atherton said, as he saw the Boy Road-Agent being burried along. ‘‘ I wonder if they’ré going to string him up, at once? I hope not, for I can- not see that he is so much to blame for his wild career. | The people are in reality usurping his hts. "Lawyer Green et up, at this juncture, from among the crowd. ““They’ve got the true heir to the Hathaway millions, at last,” he said. ‘*They caught him up at the post-office, and the aspect looks dark for him.” “* Going to lynch him?” ‘*'¥Yes. Not now, however. Ho’s got a skort rieve.” ‘I’m sorry for him,” Atherton said. ‘ But it may be lucky for the town, that they’ve been able to nab him, before his threatened de- struction of this place.” Green shook his head. “Tt is my firm belief that his capture will only hasten the promised event,” he replied. ‘‘The Branded Brows will soon hear of his cap- ture, and we may expect lively developments. It seems strange, too, that he should be the late general’s only son, and rightful heir.” ‘Yes; but is there any conclusive proof that he is such?” Santa Fe Syd queried. “Oh! nh aoe of it, The general himself told me the whole strange story. It seems that he, the general, becoming dissatisfied with life, with his first wife, left her up at a village along the Yellowstone, and came on into the in- terior. In the spring, twelve years a he hired two roughs called Black Eph and mn Bill, to go up to the on the Yellowstone, ae put his wife and children out of the way. e followed his instructions by capturing the mother and her two six-year-old twin children, alittle boy and girl, and placed them, afloat, up- on the raging river, on a frail raft, the mother bound hand and foot, so that she was helpless, and the chi'dren in turn bound to her. “Tt was the calculation of the ruffians that they would all be washed or spilled from the and drowned, but in this they would have doomed to pe tare had they taken pains to follow the raft, for it was tossed high upon a projecting bar in the river, and neither the mother or her little boy was drowned. What became of the little girl is not known. The mother and her boy were later found by old White Beard, the hermit, who it turned out ber the father of General Hathaway’s discarded e. “Mrs. Hathaway was too much injured to live, and died, shortly afterward, but not until she had p her boy in White Beard’s charge, and made known to him her pitiful story. White Beard took Sam—which was the boy’s name—and he was reared in the hermit’s home, until the latter was killed by the stampeders, in , Since when young mother have lived to- the surrounding moun- this canyon, six years Hathaway and ther somewhere ‘But was nothing learned in became of the little girl?’ Santa Fe Syd asked, with sudden erness. “No, not so far as the eral knew. I saw the old Witch to-day, near the town, and ‘collared’ her, on the subject. She cor- roborated the late oe story, with the ad- ditional charge that he was one of the greatest villains at heart, that ever lived. I asked her in regard to whatever became of Solid Sam’s sister, and she did not a to know. She stated that when White Beard found the waifs of the wreck, thcre were only Mrs. Hathaway and her boy, lying upon the shore, in an a ently lifeless state. Near by, however, were bonds that it seemed had once bound them, but had been severed by a sharp blade. Horses’ tracks also led from the spot, and White Beard had surmised that some horseman had bg ret ly crossed the river at this point, and finding the little girl alive, and the other two appar- ently di had mercifully taken charge of the female child, and proceeded on his journey. Wild Meg says they made every effort to trace d-Agent. to what- the party, but all to no avail. The mau had as surely disappeared with Solid Sam’s sister, as though the earth had opened up and swal- lowed him,” “And from your story, I am, no doubt, the identical man,” Santa Fe Syd said, with a mean- ing smile. ‘Twelve years ago, in the spring- time, I found this same shipwrecked party, up- on the Yellowstone shore. The woman and the boy were, to all appearance dead, and as the little girl was still alive, I took her in charge, and continued on my southward journey, never dreaming that any romance would come out of the case.” ope “‘Then—oh! Mr, Atherton, am I the waif you found?” May Miner gasped, excitedly. “Yes, you are the same,” Santa ¥ e Syd re- plied; ‘‘moreover, according to Mr. Green, you are the daughter of the late General Hathaway, and are Solid Sam’s sister!” CHAPTER XTI. THE END OF PLACER CITY—CONCLUSION. ‘‘Can all this be true?’ Lawyer Green ex- claimed. ‘‘ Well, well. It is altogether a most romantic romance in real life. So it turns out that if you come into possession of the Hath- away wealth, Miss May, you will ouly be get- ting what is rightfully your own.” "Oh! sir, I do not care so much about the in- heritance as I do that the mystery of my past life is cleared up. So that young man we just saw marched past is my brother?” “He is,” Santa Fe Syd assured. ‘‘ But he, of course, knows not that his sister is so near to him. wyer Green, if you can get an oppor- tunity, I would like you to make this new dis- covery known to bim; and, also, you may assure him that I will look to his rights, and his sister's. The Hathaway wealth is all in my possession, and I have made up my mind that no one shall ever finger it ahead of the legiti- mate heirs of my late partner,” “Very well. I will try and get the message | to him,” the lawyer replied, as he bade them' adieu, and hurried on down the street, while Santa Fe Syd and bis ward entered the miner’s shant e stole from At bie same time a strange the shadows near the door, and dodged away among the crowd. The attire of this party was that of a man, but in the ugly, repulsive features it was not hard to discover the identity of Wild Meg, the Witch, although there were probably none among the surging crowd in the gulch street who noticed the fact. She had evidently been an eavesdropper to the conversation between Santa Fe Syd and the lawyer, and there was a peculiarly unreadable expression upon her face as she hurried away. A noisy a it was in the town of Placer City; nevertheless it quieted down to some ex- tent before morning. Shortly after the departure of Green, Santa Fe Syd conducted ee | Hathaway to the hotel, which nearly adjoined his shanty, and left her in the care of the hostess for the night, while he returned to his own abode and ‘‘ turned in.” It was, he judged, well on toward morning, when he was aro to the conscious fact that he was bound hand and foot, securely gagged, and in the. power of two men, who were bend- ing over him. o they were he could only infer by the black, scar-like bands across the lower portions of their payne) and their eyes. Being unable to he could only look daggers at them and wonder what was their purpose. After carefully inspecting the bonds, evident- ly to see that they were secure, the two night- hawks laughed, and taking the miner by the; head and heels, bore him from the shanty into the little canyon street. Here they were joined by two other Branded Brows, who bore between them no less a person than May Hathaway, also securely bound! The street was at this hour deserted; the saloons had closed their doors; no longer the cracked music and sounds of drunken revelry \ came from the ein gimntne ngtaagetl In fact, the camp was wra in repose, which accounted for the baldness of Solid Sam’s nts. wo horsemen now rode out from the shadow of a pene, and were handed the two prison- ers, before them, in the saddle, Then, with the utmost caution, they guided their horses down the street, and out of the limits of the golden camp. When morning once more dawned upon the little , the former posters of Solid Sam were replaced with fresh ones, which read as follows:
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Solid Sam, the Boy Road-Agent. oo “Tast Cau!’ ° citizens of Placer City who are wealthy and ntial, having made no move toward pay- ing for the rights they are usurping, I hereby warn them that unless Solid Sam is set free, by noon to- day, and the money demanded previously, is paid over to him, the town of Placer City might better have never existed; and I warn those who desire to escape without injury, to take their everlasting leave of this pe te once, if the prisoner and money are not forthcoming, by the above stated hour. “This is fair and final, and should be heeded. “LIEUTENANT BREEZE.” “ Acting-commander Branded Brows.” No r what had been the ment, he mining-camp of this capped the climax. Business was quite suspended, and through- out the day the street presented a crowded, ex- revious excite- uckskin gulch, cited aspect. At times it looked as if mob-law would pre- vail, and the 1 y lynching of Solid Sam seemed inevitable; but the influence of a few sturdy miners as peacemakers, prevented any open rupture. All day long a restless sea of humanity surged ‘in the street, and sentinels were posted at every “approach to the town, by those capitalists and speculators who would not pay the money de- manded by the Boy Road-Agent, to preventany ‘of the Branded Brows from gaining access to the town. The discovery was made d the day that several miners and their families had taken leave, and this fact only served to add to the fears of those goryarrey that the proposed vengeance of the Branded Brows would come, as romised. : Noon arrived and but Solid Sam was not set at liberty, nor paid the money. That fact sealed the fate of Placer City, asa mining town. About dusk Colonel Hathaway left the street, where he had been promenading, the most of the day, and entered the shanty that had form- erly been the abode of his brother. n the kitcben he found Black Eph and Mrs. Hathaway, evidently waiting for him. The latter was arrayedin male attire as well as the former, and both were armed to the teeth. “Everything is ready, and success promises to greet us,” the colonel announced. ‘Santa Fe Syd and the girl are missing, and unless they took the gold with them, which is not likely, it is ours. Eph, you may accompany us, until we get safely out of the gulch, for there may be trouble, yet. They left the cowmgay? and hurried pee hoy that of Atherton’s. he door was unlocked, and they had no difficulty in effecting an en- trance. ~- In ten minutes they em again on to the street, the colonel armed with two hand sachels, which were crammed full of something bulky and heavy. As ats left the shanty, there was a mighty thundering roar that made the v eart tremble—a vivid flash that illumined sky, and the air seemed full of sparks, and particles ef burning thin, “By heaven, '3 supply store has blown up!” a miner cri opr, y. A pandemonium of yells followed the Sopes, and the vast crowds surged rly toward the scene of the disaster, leaving the other parts of the town oh deserted. “The Branded Brows have begun operations, evidently,” the colonel had to confess. ert art See time to =< ag fs — craft as good as w, an eS the Hathaway and some of the ton wealth in our on, we need not com- plain. Come. @ will find saddle-horses wait- ing just beyond the town.” ‘'Yes, an’ et ’ll be healthy ter get out o’ ther place as soon as we can,” B Eph added with an oath. “ ena will Mad ete Bran Brows are i eir prom He Toad gang A spoke, in the several direc- tions of the compass. The blowing up of the supply-store, evidently, ‘Nad been but a signal of what was to follow. Here, there, yonder—everywhere, sheets of lurid flame began to creep up into the night, all over the village, from the sides of shanties that incendiary hands had fired. A circle of fire surrounded the doomed town, seemingly, in a single instant, and the lurid reflection upon the sky — brighter and brighter each minute. » e!” Colonel Hathaway cried; ‘‘ there is no time to be lost. Let’s escape while there is a chance.” And with fear-blanched faces they hurried away toward the northern part of the camp, Ather- falling in with the yelling, frightened mass of women and children that were also endeavoring to escape beyond the fiery limits of their former abodes. A pandemonium of yells and curses rung upon the night. Every person seemed only intent on saving as many of their personal effects as needed no second glance to tell that the town was doomed by the destroying element. A fierce breeze was blowing through the canyon, check the conflagration. In five minutes after the blowing up of the supply store, there did was wrapt in flame. in the act of setting fire to the shanties—so stealthily did they plan and execute their work. Nor in the panic of the fire did any one seem to think of the imprisoned Boy Road-Agent Solid Sam, except one person, and she the pretty postmistress, Nobby ell. left the post-office, and hurried in the direction - the cabin-jail, as fast as her feet could carry er. . A brawny guard stood pone the door, a ran up, an expression of impatience upon face, which declared his desire to be at the fire. ““For heaven’s sake go help to put out the fire!” Nobby Nell cried, as she ran ys “The Branded Brows are trying to destroy the town and unless prompt measures are en they'll | you can help better than I. I'll take your place here!” A nod from the miner expressed how agree- able this was to him, and the next minute he had surrendered ,the keys to Nobby Nell, and hurried away. To unlock the door and liberate Solid Sam was but the work of a few seconds, on the part of the young girl; then, the young road-agent grasped her hand warmly. “T thank you,” he said. thoughtful of me.” Fn + Nag went to the door, and gazed out into 6 night. “The town is doomed!” he muttered, his eyes flashing, ‘and its own supporters are to blame. Before ae it will be in ashes!” “You were very And he was right. When day came in, where once had stood the mining camp of Placer City, was now but a series of heaps of smoking ashes and c embers, to of the vengeance of Solid Sam. While, toiling through the gulch, away from the desolate scene, a caravan of vehicles and horses bore those who had peopled the camp in Buckskin gulch. Later, a rude wooden cross might have bee seen upon the ashen site, on which was inscribed the words— = rs beware!” Later, there was a reunion in the cave of the Branded Brows, between Solid Sam, and Ma mea tg 2 his long-lost sister, whom, wit Sydne therton, the instrumentality of old ild Meg had caused to be removed from Placer City, previous to the conflagration. Unneces- = to state the meeting was a joyful one. nd when Santa Fe Syd made the announce- ment of his fears that all his own and the Hatha- way fortune had gone with his cabin, in the fire, Solid Sam shook his head. “No, not so bad as that. It is, however, in the possession of Colonel Hathaway and the late generat wife, who are wandering somewhere n the fastnesses of the mountains. They stole our cabin, and escaped with it. On he cabin where I was confined, they ld me this, and mocked at me, Unfortunately I did not gain my in time to over- take them, but Lieutenant Breeze anda dozen of the boys are after them and their capture is only a matter of time.” it from The pate: a hauled. f da: ves “were overha a few later by ‘Lieutenant Breeze and his men, pet the stolen fortune retaken. At the same time two horsemen rode up who wate to be Romeo Bill Shakspeare and his uncing Juliet. “Colonel Hathaway,” the poet observed, uietly, ‘‘ allow me to introduce you to. Messrs. eterson and Pratt, detectives, from Chicago, where you and your female companion, here, are wanted upon the charge of forgery and bank robbery. r having so extended a tour for our health, I dare say you will be ready to / tack with us. Have you apy objections ible, for it | and it was not in the power of mortal hand to | not seem to be a building in the town except it | Nor were any of the Branded Brows caught | 15 a with this precious pair, sir road- mt “ee None whatever,” Breeze replied, as he and his men rode away with the treasure, leaving the unfortunates in the charge of the clever pair of tracers. Down in Buckskin canyon no second city rose, phenix-like, upon the site of the former min- | ing camp, for shortly after the fire, Leadville’s fame became heralded to the world, and proved a magnet for the mining class. Yet a couple of cabins there are in the gulch, and in oneof them Santa Fe Syd and she that was May Hathaway | ive happily as man and wife. The other cabin | is tenanted by Wild Meg; for to her and his sister, jointly, Solid Sam gave overall his inter- | est in the mines, and in the Hathaway fortune. | previous to his disbanding of the Branded | Brows, and departure to other parts of the | golden West, where a love for excitement led him as by a powerful band. | Nobby Nell also left for parts unknown, al- though it was surmised by the Athertons that As soon as Myers’s Supply had blown up, she | she would eventually bring up wherever did the strange youth—for whom she seemed to cherish more than a girlish fancy—Solid Sam. 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Bowen. 11 The Two Detectives; or, Tux 61 Buckhorn Bill; or, THz Rep Ririz 111 The Sea-Devil; or, Tuz Mmsnip- Forrunss or'A/Bowmny Girt. A.W. Aiken. Team. By Edward L.’ Wheeler. MAN'S LEGACY. By Col. P, Ingraham. 12 Gulliver’s Travels. A Voyage to 62 The Shadow Ships or, THE RIvaL 1 12 The Mad Hunter; or, THE Cave me ut, and pe age to Be a nag. The Ral Beothorbood a a . or Daas iy Burton Saxe. i aesh x By oomes, Red ood; ; a ovie, E YOUNG SPECU- 1 »: Sei author of “ es Joe,” ete. 6 TweLve AveNceRS, By W. J. Hamilton. 1 13 LATOR. th Edward L. Wheeler. 5 ERFUL D Jack; or, Tue OuTLAW OF BQ Air isians | 5M ORD GF oady a or oe Tee gt) 14 The Black Schooner. By Rocrn 15 The Sea-Cat; or, THz Wircu or 65 Hurricane Bill; or, MUSTANG Sam Darien. By Capt: Frederick Whittaker. AND His “ Parp.”’ By Jos. E, Badger, Jr. . 16 Robinson Crusoe. Sle Lites and | 66 Single Band; or, A Lire FoR A Lire. me Adveptw ustrations.) Han 1 7 Ralph Roy, The Be y Bucca-| 67 Pateni-Leather Joes or, OLD Rat Gilt-Edged Dick, Tur Srort-Dr- meer. By Col, Prentiss Ingraham, TLESNARE, THE CHARMER. By P. 8. Warne. Bl 1 - pon ee By Edward L., Wheeler. Sindbad the Sailor His seyen voy- 68 The Border Robin Hood ; or; THE | Will Somers, THE Boy Derxc- 1 § ages, From the Arabian Nights . Pratriz Rover. By Buffalo Bill. 1 1 8 tIvE. By Charles Morris, The Pha tom s or, THE PiLor 69 Gold. Rifle; or, Tur Boy Dxrxctive Mustasg Sam; or, Tur King oF 19 pont oy n Be tatenlo Bill, OF THE BLACK RANCH. wi L yes i 1 1 & Tax PLnis. B A Os K; Badger a DQ) The Double le Da ggers; or, Duav-| FQ Old Zip’s Cabin; or, THE GREEN 1 BOQ The Branded Hand; or, Tax Man HORN IN THE Woops. By . F, C, Adams, . 3 2] Frontier. ee eg | Delayare Dick ;Tus Youxo Ras- | 96) 9 ‘Cin amon Chip, Tut Grint, Stonn. Kentucky Rangers’ Life, By E. 8. Ellis, Mm 1p Pri acd L. Wheeler. ° ad Tom Western, Tar TExan 22 The Sea Serpent; or, THz Boy 72 Ranozr., By, W, J. Hamilton. 122 F pi ee Hardy, 3 The Boss Boy. Nick o the Ni ero ey “BOY vi 3 Deadwood Dick on Deck. By ie | Kiowa Charley, Tax Ware Mus- 23 Spy or 76. By T. 0, Harbaugh. Edward L. Wheeler. 23 TANGER, By Te Harbaugh. Diamond Dirk; or, Tae Mystery rs 4 Hawk-eye Harry, Tur Youne | 124 Tippy, the ieknet or, THE Youne OF THE YELLOWSTONE. By Col. Ingraharn. Traprer Rancer, By Oll Coomes. HAMPION. By Geo, Gleason. ; THE ORUISE aes The Boy Captain; or, ‘He Pinate’s The Boy Duelist; or, Bonanza Bill, Miner; or, Tur 25 es hy y Roger Starbuck. 7 ov THE Yea, WoLv, By Col. P Ingraham. 125 Femate. Forozr. By Ed. L, Wheeler, Abe be. Colt, the the Crow-Killer. By 26 Oren tae mo) TO rN. oe or, tun Lane | LEO. tanto Devoe 1) Chan orl . : Wild- » THE Boss OF THE 27 ay Pi die. A gers 77 Act or Deapwoop Dick. By E. L, Wheeler. (127 tere By Frank Dumont, THE YELLOW CHIEF’ S| Buffalo Ben; or, Deapwoop Dick Blue - ick's rad Reid. The Young Privateer; on, THE 28 In DISGUISE. By Edward L. Wheeler. r{ VENG NCE. By Captain Mayne 128 PIRATES’ S'rRONGHOLD. H. fae pain Dumb Page; or, THE DoGcr’s Sol Ginger, Tue Giant TRAPPER, B Deadwood Dick’s Double. A 29 aro By tape. : Y’ Whittaker. 79 Albert W. Aiken. 4 129 Story of Wild-Cat City. E. L. Wheeler. 30 ® ph kwood, THE 80 Rosebud hob; or, Nvuecet NED, THE | 130 Detective Dick; or, Tuk Hrxo cone Raneee By Harry St. George. Kwyieut or THE GuLton. By ©. L. Wheeler. @s. . By Charles Morris. 31k ee mg THE PRINCE OF THE S1 me ear, o, THY TERROR OF THE | The olden’ Hand; or, DAnpy Oll Coomes. Captain J. F. C. Adams. Rock To THE Rescur. G, W. Browne. the Border Ruffian ; 2 Kit Harefoot, Tux Woop-Hawk; or, 132 The Hunted Huntcr; or, THE GIRL ~ nor. KE. ren, Oup Powper-Face. By T. C. Harbaugh. STRANGE. Horseman. By Ed. 8, Ellis, Geran oodhound ; or Rollo, the Boy Ranger; or, THE oss. Bob, THE KING OF THE PIRATES oF THE CaRIBBEEs, 5, W. 5 ng $3 Hina 0 or aiel Min Horn. Oli Coomes. 133 Rene ER By Edward L. Wheeler. cmt Sol; or, Nick WHIFFLEs’ 8 4 Tdyl, the Girl Miner}; or, Rosrsup 134 Sure Shot Seth, Tux Boy Rirtz- Boy Spy. By Capt. 2. F. C. Adams, B ON Hann. By Edward L. Wheeler. MAN. By Oll Uicomben. Ivan, THe Boy CLAvpDE DuvaL; Buck Buctram; or, Bess, THE Fr- tain Paul, THe Moonspiner wae + he) MALE TRAPPER. Capt. J. F. C. Adams, | 135 cer OKY. By C.D. Clark. pie . Tae QUEEN OF 86 Dan Rock 7 HE-MAN-FROM-Trx- | 1 36. Night- whk Kit ; or, luz Daugu- Frank 8. Finn, y G. Waldo Browne. TER OF THE RANCHE, J EB. Badger, Jr. 3; or, THE LitrLe a The Land Pirates; or, THE LEaGuE 137 The. Helpless Hand; or, Bacx- OF THE ADIRONDACKS, Har' h. oF Devit’s IstanD. By Capt. Mayne Reid. woops RETRIBUTION, Capt. Mayne Reid, ylde, THz Boy Soour. By Photograye Phils) or, Rosesup 138 Blonde Bill; or, Deapwoop Dicx’s - ll Jack. RANCE, By Ed. L. Wheeler. Home Base. By Edward L. Wheeler. 39 Death at oem the Detective. By S pore Jim; or, Tae Per or THE rt Judge Lanche Jr.3 3 OR, THE Boy L. Wheeler. TL. De, author of “Jack Harkaway.” 1 3 Via CG, Harbaugh. vot, Yee A story of a Young : fab ef ty TEXAN 1 40 Wits Binedes 6 ok, THE BREAK 0’ Roving? By John J. Marshall. Day Boys. By Frank Dumont. W. Brown 41 Lasse Jack, Tux Younc Musrane- J The Ca Captain o the Club. By 1 Al Solid oe or, THE Boy Roap- Ol Coomes, Bracebridge Hemyng; (Jack Harkaway.) p> The antom Miner; or, Drap- + Canada Chet; or, OLD ANAconDA H woop Dick’s renee: P, Ed. ooon IN Boy} BULL's CAMP. il > L, Wheeler. 142 @ Dic D o ress The Miners: or, THE ENCHANTED 3 ioe By Capt. F. Winttaker. 9 Tae, By Edward 8. "Ellis. Ressling. Babes on Tas Yoon. | 4: Mivaty atten get yd gh eo re Ment he 9 5 The Rival Rovers, By Lieutenant nihilator. By Edward L. Wheeler. Col. Hazeltine. Eye, Tue Detective. B Ready M AG Car Eve, the Great Shot ofthe | WG rae Wile. | 146 The Border pee i Went. «By: Capt. 4s: PG: deme. The Outlaw Brothers; or TH Dumont. Ready May 11 A7 Nightingale Mas. baa THE Forget | 97 Captive or THE Harpes. By J. a Marshall. 1 4% Hickory H ot i or Tu ik. Bla vel Ane john, Ro poten Age Robin Hood, Tur OvuTLAwen Bakt. or Fire. airy St, 48 k J the nt. | 98 By Prof. Stewart Gildersleeve, 1A woul Chance vou Weeck May 18th. E. r, JY. Onaha On; or, DEADWOOD D1cK IN 89 The Ticer of Taos. By George The Half-Dime Library is for pale | all 49 DANGER. Edward L. Wheeler. valdo Browne. Newsdealers, five cents per cop or sent by Burt B er, THE TRAPPER, 100 Dea Arrand Dick in Leadville. t of six cents each. EADL & ADAMS, 5O *ut Tale of the Northwest. By C. E. Tabatie. i. Ye hecier, Publ hers, 98 William Street, New York Agent. By Edward L. Wheeler. andsome Har