Beadle's Half Dime Library (no. 547) (1888 01 17)
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" LLL) . i! it ln AN QUIK x ——— | a \.. SUR= Ge /wios, ae So a= SS Ths eee Te \ Copyright, 1888, by BEADLE AND ADAMS, January 17, 1888, 2.50 PUBLISHED WEEKLY BY BEADLE AND ADAMS Vol. XXII. . N 21 74 /s / Price . , a Year. No, 98 WILLIAM STREET, NEW YORK. / 6 Cents. No. 547. A GOOD MAN DOWN A Story of Mining and Undermining ix : the Black Hills, BY PHILIP 8S. WARNE, AUTHOR OF ‘‘THE JOLLY PARDS” SERIES, THE “PATENT LEATHER JOE” SERIES, THE py. GER DICK” SERIES, “LITTLE JINGO,” “COLORADO KATE,” ETC., ETC. CHAPTER L. IN THE DEADWOOD COACH, THE Deadwood coach drove into Twin Buttes , with only one passenger; but, in the robust elo- pe. quence of Billy Boston, the stage-driver, that _ AMY DREW HER REVOLVER, AND FIRED IT OFF SEVERAL TIMES IN RAPID SUCCESSION, senger was, alone and individually “a two. ee AT THE SAME TiME UTTERING A LOUD SCREAM OF TERROR. oss team an’ a yaller dorg under the wagon!”
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. Sandy Andy.. “Fur style,” continued Billy—‘ short upper lip, high instep, an’ sich—- But, thunder an’ Mars! jest look a’ them Sarrytogie trunks! She’s a blue-blood, J—tell—you !” . What had particularly won his admiration was the fact that, instead of fretting or sigh- ing, his fair passenger seemed quite superior to the fatigues of the journey. At Bigelow’s Ford she had looked at the swift- » ly-running water with a critical eye, and while listening to the roar of a fall a little way further down the stream, had said, quietly: “Tf it is all the same to you, I should prefer to take my chance on the back of. one of the horses, rather than run the risk of being swept over yonder cataract in this old ark.” ‘Waal, marm,” answered Billy, scratching his head with mingled pleasure and embarrass- ment, ‘‘ef you *low to be able to handle one 0’ them critters—” ‘*T am used to riding,” was the quick inter- ruption. ** Without—ahem—wettin’ yer feet, ye onder- stand,” persisted Billy, his voice increasing in volume and explosiveness, as he neared tke climax of his objection— **TPIl look out for that,” the lady assured him, a twinkle lying in ambush under her long eye- lashes. ‘** Waal, then, says I,” cried Billy, slatting his thigh vigorously with his long-suffering hat, “* wade in!” Thereupon he unhitched one of the animals, and placed it at her disposal. . Using his knee as a mounting-block, the lady perched herself on the back of the horse, draw- ing up her feet and tucking her skirts about them, and so forded the stream without getting so much as a sprinkle on her neat gray travel- =. dress. hen it was that Billy had compressed all his glowing admiration into one round phrase. But this little adventure was followed by an incident which left him open-mouthed and breathless with surprise and delight. They were bowling along in fine style, down grade, and Billy was showing off his s ill with the ribbons, flattering himself that he held the lady’s attention, and was winning some return of the admiration he lavished upon her, when they started up a jackassrabbit, which ‘ ran like a white-head,” till the lady brought it up on its haunches with a succession of shrill whistles. Then, drawing from the folds of ‘her draperies a small revolver, she keeled Jack heels over head with a snap shot. . Having already, as we have said, “swung his best trump,” in the way of compliment, Billy was now forced to “throw off” on this new “lead,” by muttering feebly: ‘Waal, I sw’ar!” He knew that she was booked for Camp Sea- ton, and was a relative—since she bore the mores name—of Major Pollard, there in com- mand, “‘ An’ ef she ain’t fitten’ fur to be the daugh ter,or the sister, or the sweetheart, by gum! of a soldier—an’ a blame good man at that—then curry me down with a brickbat!” said Billy Boston. From the first Miss Amabel Pollard had talked to Billy with charming freedom, express- ing her interest in the people and the life of e country, so different from her Eastern ome, ' Like a true Westerner, Billy had felt it a pa- triotic duty to ‘‘ blow” everything on the two slopes of the Watershed in no stinted terms, and it was with great satisfaction that, at Twin Buttes, he found that his words were about to be borne out by a practical illustration. Out through the open door of the Crooked Elbow came sounds of boisterous mirth. ‘Ha! ha! ha! ha! ho! ho! ho!” *That’s the worst one yet! Ha! ha! ha!” ‘* Waal, gents, I—” ‘Hold on, Andy! Ye ain’t done yet.” + ‘But, gentlemen, I must really go.” ‘“Nonsense! Plenty o’ time yet. Freeze to him. fellers!” ‘*Yes! yes! Give us another, ole man.” “Tho coach is een a ‘“‘Let’er wait, then. Billy kin make up time on the Long Grade.” ‘* What's the reason ye can’t go to-morrer, or ves ble! M rd wil to think m ible! y pa 1 be; thi I’ve pr ew the country, as it is.” a ‘* Waal, one more round, anyway.” ‘Who'll pay for it, Jimmy? You've cleaned me so—” “Pll take care o’ that. No malice, Andy! Better luck next time,” » aed ——— ¢ “© Hyar’s a health to those that I love, An’ a health to those that love me, An’ a health to those that love those that I love, An’ to those that love those that love me!’ Put ’er down deep, boys!” The room resounded with shouts of bearty approval, and ‘“‘heel-taps” such as only the est hears, While this continued Billy Boston turned to his passenger with a glow of expectancy on his face, and said: “Ef youll excuse me, marm, you'll have a show fur to see the kind o’ man what this hyar country kin produce when she lays herself out.” “In the person of the gentleman whose com- panions seem so loth to part with him?” ‘*Tt’s Sandy Andy, marm, the which I’m low- in’ as he lays over most what you'll see in the States,” : While the lady’s eyes turned with amused ex- pectancy toward the door of the saloon, he sbouted lustily: ** All aboard!” CHAPTER lI. A PRINCE OF GOOD FELLOWS. ‘“ HOLD on! Say!—stop that bazoo!” cried a voice from within. Even as he spoke, the protester thrust his head out of the door, with a look of ludicrous anx- iety. ** Billy, ef you’re in sich a sweat, git down out o’ that, an’ come in hyar, an’ cool off.” ‘‘ Time up!” replied Billy, remorselessly. To bimeelf he was muttering: ‘‘We ain’t keepin’ the lady waitin’, ye onder- stand, fur them beggurly galoots!” ; ‘* Bother the time! Thar’s lots o’ time!” urged the other. .- ** Come, come, gentlemen!”—in the clear, man- ly barytone of Sandy Andy. ‘‘ You do me proud, but I can’t stay with ye always.” There was a chorus of deprecation as he made his way out of the Crooked Elbow, passing through the door backward, and laughingly shaking hands with his many friends. They thronged about him, holding his atten- tion with a ef fusilade of last words, as he kept on to the coach, _ Hi, thar? Hold on, Andy!” sbouted a ring- ing voice. y OE oat from the Crooked Elbow rushed an enthusiastic individual, with a handful of cigars waved frantically above his head, as a last token of good-will, “Waal, waal, Joe!” laughed Andy, as the cigars were stowed away in his ocket, only one being reserved for him to light on the spot, ff you're a trump—I will say that!” ‘Cheese it, pard!” protested Joe, striking a match across his heel, and presenting it to the general favorite. Andy accepted the attention, still answering as he best could the injunctions that pelted him from all sides, to be good to’ himself and no* to forget his friends, and so fairly backed into the coach, whence he waved a parting salute to the chattering crowd, while the impatient stage- driver cracked up his horses, and bowled him away in a cloud of dust. . He sunk back upon.the seat with a sigh of con- tentment, only to start forward abruptly, with an aes ee of astonishment. ‘* [—T—really I beg your Pct ma’am! I hope you will believe that I didn’t see you! If I had known—” 4 ; He tossed his cigar out of the window, and changed his position from the side of the lady to the front seat, opposite. : ** Oh, sir! I hope you will not inconvenience yourself on my account,” protested the lady, with a most winning air. Then, while this game of deprecation tapered off in set phrases of politeness, they looked at each other, as keenly as covertly. Sandy Andy saw a girl of not more than twenty, yet with the easy self-possession of a society belle—one used to sway in her little world. She was elegant in form and feature, and exquisitely dainty and tasteful in dress. Her hair was black, her eyes dark gray, with a striking contrast between the dead white of her complexiou and the vivid scarlet of ber lips. On her side, Miss Pollard saw a man of slight yet muscular build, with the activity of a pan- ther, and an intensity of nature sure to make him a power among men wherever he moved. He was of “‘ sandy” complexion,—whence his sobriquet—his blue eyes, his fair skin mottled with freckles, his fiery red hair and beard, avarbeing the Scotchman, or one of Scotch an- cestry. It was no task for a woman of her tact to put him at his ease and set him to talking, so ge- ah al pai nially and frankly that she soon learned that he was engaged in hydraulic mining near Camp Seaton. He was then busy with the construction of a dam and a flume to carry the water with which to tear down immense banks of earth, and wash out the hidden treasuré. So great an enterprise required the organiza- tion of a stock company; and on learning who she was, Sandy Andy told the lady that he had the honor-of including her brother among the subscribers, ; It was then and there arranged that Miss Pollard should see the first stream of water turned upon the bank that yet held all their fortunes. This lively chit-chat finally led round to a theme of unflagging interest in that wild coun. try—those knights of the road whom it is far more romantic to read about than to meet. Then Sandy Andy gave a sudden start. “Why!” he ejaculated, suddenly. ‘' What a donderhead I am! Miss Pollard—I beg your pardon !—have you valuables about you? ** Valuables?’ stammered the lady, startled at the abruptness of this demand. ‘*T heard at Twin Buttes—only in the sport with the boys it passed completely out of my head—that it would not be surprising if we had a brush with Corvette’s band somewhere along the road, They are supposed to be prowling about this neighborhood, attracted by the recent heavy strikes in the hills.” ‘Oh! do you think that we are really in danger?” cried Miss Pollard, with a slight dilat- ing of her eyes, but no other symptom to fear, “Not in personal danger, perhaps, if we con- clude to submit quietly to being fleeced.” ‘“‘ But what other recourse is there, if they attack us in force?” ‘None, with a lady in the coach.” ** And what should you do without my pres- ence?” Z “We might try to run through, if Billy would risk his horses.” “But yourselves? peril nothing?” “Well, if there were two or three good men in the coach, and they weren't too many for us, we'd try to make it lively for them. The in- siders would stand as good a chance as the out- siders. Most men will go into almost anything, in this country, with an even chance, and often at great odds, rather than lose the fun.” ‘“* Is it nota part of my brother’s business to suppress such violence?” “Unfortunately, this is a rather sizable country, and he can’t be everywhere at once, you know, with his small force of men.” But even while they were deciding what was to be done with some little mementoes which Miss Hie iy would not care to lose, came the chal- enge: ‘** Pull up thar, Jobnny! or off goes yer topknot!” ‘* Pard—an’ you, marm!” said Billy Buston, to his passengers, in a rueful tone, ‘‘I hate it like pison, this hyar. But what’s to do? They’ve got us bad,” And he pulled up his horses as ordered. ‘** We're in for it,” declared Andy, flushing with chagrin, ; He was wondering whether the lady woul think it cowardly that he did not offer to defen her. To win her esteem he would willingly have exposed himself to a shot or two, but he couldn’t well invite from the enemy a fusilade that would riddle the coach. : Miss Pollard said nothing, but her eyes be- came brilliant, and her cheeks flushed with in- di ation. \ e hen a masked ruffian presented himself at the coach window. “Waal, ladies an’ gents, ef you’d ruther we wouldn’t make a rid . contraption, you’]l git out on the quiet, an’ say no more about it.” CHAPTER Ul. THE TWO CHIEFS. OF a truth, j udging from his build, his manner, and his voice, the outlaw was a bad man to parley with. However, Sandy Andy asked, mildly: ‘Will it be necessary for the lady to get out of the coach? You can receive what she has of value just as well, without disturbing her,” “We don’t want no chin-music out o’ you, young feller,” replied the ruffian, harshly. ‘‘ You git out o’ hyar, you do, an’ no questions asked.” Discretion was the better part of valor. Un- less he was prepared to resist these fellows with force and arms, it were as well not to provoke them to needless brutality, ai Do you count personal Up goes yer hands, dle-box out’n this hyar - Pe
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_ as if for some chance for success Andy turned to his companion. ‘* Believe me, if anything could be done, you should not be exposed to this,” ‘Pray, do not consider me.” He then alighted, and assisted her to the ound. ‘* Ho!” shouted a voice. ‘‘ What have we hyar, fellers? His nibs, Sandy Andy, ur Pm a liar? ‘“‘Bh? is this hyar the chicken?” asked the ruffian who had first presented at the door of the | coach. ‘My name is Blake.” “* An’ mine’s Corvette.” “T can’t aes mee say that I am glad to meet ou, Mr. Corvette; but I may be at some time in the future, under different circumstances,” The outlaw laughed at the significance which underlay this speech. ‘‘ Waal, I’m powerful glad to see you, any- way,” he answered. “T think you will be disappointed, on closer acquaintance.” ‘* What's the reason I will?” “I probably sha’n’t pan out equal to your expectations.” “Oh, Pve got a new process, what pays big!” And the accompanying tone of voice and gesture, together with the laugh of the other outlaws, gave Sandy Andy food for reflection. ““T congratulate you,” he answered, preserving his compvusure. “They do say,” pursued Corvette, “as how you run this hyar country.” “They flatter me!” “Waal, I wanted to look ye over, anyway. I’m somethin’ of a chief myself, and we’re like to be pitted ag’in’ each other now an’ ag’in, along of our different notions o’ minin’; bein’s as how you use water, an’I use fire, ye onder- stand, the which them same never did agree.” At this point one of his subordinates plucked -Corvette’s sleeve. ‘What's wantin’?” he demanded, turning in no agreeable humor. A word whispered in his ear caused a marked rs ‘“Hh? What? Ye don’t say!” And he looked keenly at Miss Pollard. The girl bridled at his impertinence, and her eye flashed with resentment. is The outlaw took off his hat, with a profound ‘bow. But this was not prompted by respect. If his masked face could have been seen, it would have revealed only keen exultation. “You've got the Pollard phiz, marm,” he re- marked. ‘I reckon, now, you're o’ the same -stock as the major, up to the camp.” “Hold on!” cri andy Andy, flushing to the temples, and stepping forward. ‘* You have no -occasion to insult this lady.” ‘* F'st!” sibilated Corvette, lifting his hand, And in a twinkling two of his fellows precipi- tated themselves upon the revolter. There was a momentary struggle, as fierce as if the spot had been struck bya cyclone, and the two outlaws lay sprawling, while Sandy Andy stood a little apart, with his hand on ‘the butt of his revolver. But a score of frowning muzzles were centered ‘upon him, He could not have got the drop on the outlaw chief before he would have been filled with lead. ‘Hold on, boys!” interposed Corvette again lifting his hand. ‘We ain’t ready to make cold pig out 0’ him yet.” “You shall not offer this lady indignity while Iam alive to hear it!” cried Sandy, de- megey. : “You're mighty peart,” was the cool re- "nea ‘An’ you’re spry, too, I like yer e. ‘‘ Take what money we bave, and let us go on, without further molestation.” bs Waal, my Christian friend, you have got a ! . Then to one of his men: ‘Take them weepons away from him.” Sandy Andy stood irresolute, looking about But the lad rposed pane ut the lady here inte : “Oh, sir! This is foolhardy.” “‘T yield for the present,” said Andy, “ since there is no alternative. But if you dare to take advantage of my helplessness, you had better kill me pov for some day I will call you to ac- coun 4 outlaw chief, And in deep chagrin he flung his weapons at the feet of his conqueror. “Cart him off one side, commanded the bit his lip at the prospect of be- Sandy Andy. yet powerless to protect, and already repented that he had given up his weapons without a struggle. But there was nothing for it but submission. Two burly fellows were ready to lay hands on | him, if he did not go of his own free will, and | he did. not court the added humiliation of a | fell useless to the re Nee . fruitless tussle, in which he would probably be roughly handled. They took him to where their horses waited, out of sight from the road. There he gnawed his heart out, in suspense as to what ordeal Miss Amy was being forced to pass through, CHAPTER IV. FLIGHT. Sanpy Anpy need have borrowed no trouble, since Miss Pollard was not treated with dis- courtesy. “You air a relation o’ the major?” asked Corvette. ‘*T am his sister, as I hope he will short! have opportunity to tell you,” replied Amy, wit spirit. ‘Oh, I ain’t applyin’ to him!” laughed the outlaw. ‘I always take the word of a lady.” “If you will take my word further, you will proceed with this outrage without adding need- less provocation.” ‘¢ 1m “lowin’ to make what I kin out of it, now I’min. Might as well be hung fur a sheep as a lamb, ye know.” Miss Pollard produced her pocket-book, a dainty affair, but apparently well lined with ‘‘ greenbacks.” Corvette accepted it with a bow. ‘¢ Am I to be robbed of my jewelry?” ‘Waal, thar’s a ring or two—them diamond ones—what’s worth a little mint apiece. Ireckon we'll have to take them fur safe-keepin’.” Without more ado Amy stripped off her orna- ments, only reserving a small locket. ‘* Here is something of no particular value to any one but myself. If you require—” **Say nom about it, Keep it, to remem- ber as Corvette ain’t so bad as they make him out, It galls me like p’ison to disturb a lady, an’ I wouldn’t do it ef it wasn’t for my ornery crowd, what hain’t got no sentiment nohow, “You will excuse me, ef Idoask ye to step aside while I go through this hyar coach.” And with a wave of his hand, he had her led to the spot where Sandy Andy waited on sa tles. ‘** He has not dared—” ‘“‘He has robbed me as politely, probably, as it is generally done.” “ But why did he wish to know of your rela- tionship with Majer Pollard?” “Out of curiosity, perhaps. He said nothing further about it.” But Sandy Andy contracted his brows in moody thought. He did not like the look of things. Why had they been sent away from the coac Suddenly a thought occurred to him, and he chan color. “Can you ride?” he asked, in so low a voice that she alone heard him. “Certainly,” she replied, looking at bim for o explanation of such a question at such a ime. pee! Andy’s hands had been bound behind his back; but his captors did not know him, or | wre _— have doubted whether that was suf- cient. Had they examined his hands they would have seen that he had a power which is of ad- vantage toa conjurer. He had but to cramp his thumb into the palm, to make his hand al- most, if not quite as small as his wrist. Lage with his back against a tree, and one foot rai in a posture of easy negligence, he shrugged his shoulders several times, without attracting the attention of his Ss. Then, with a sudden bound, while his bonds ound, Le struck straight from the shoulder, and knocked one guard off his pins as if by a stroke of en iengers 4 He instantly grappled with the other, choking off his wind so that he could make no outcry. ven whey itp = tok eens the outlaw ceiving a thump of the t effectuall disposed of him for the present, “ * Now there is not a moment to lose!” cried Andy, burriedly, as he possessed himself of the sexclrers of legoe hy versaries. ‘‘ We have eir horses, ey will have to be rr take us.” > Aten ‘This is a terrible risk!” “To escape worse.” ee “What d ing separated huh ie ween ewe our ee i “To capture you, and hold you as a hostage, so that they could make favorable terms with your brother.” *- Oh, heaven!” ‘* Allow me!” He held his hand on his knee. She stepped into it, and leaped to the back of one of the horses. A shout came from the direction of the out- laws in the road. ‘““We are discovered!” cried the lady, in alarm. Without reply, Andy leveled one of the weap- ons he had borrowed from his outlaw friends, and blazed away. A crash in the undergrowth caused the lady to shudder. ‘Now for it!” cried Sandy Andy, leaping into the saddle. ~ He uttered a series of wild yells, and firing _ weupons among them, stampeded the other orses. The next instant he had laid hold of the lady’s bridle-rein, and was leading her at a_break- neck pace over the roughest ground she had ever ridden. ‘“‘Go on ahead!” she urged. u.’? a “So much the better!” And soon she was being lashed by the branches that recoiled after his passage. They thought that the robbers were after them in hot chase, but what was Andy’s sur- prise to find that the uproar that greeted them at the outset soon died away in the other direc- tion. Turning to the left, he regained the mountain road, and there pulled up, to draw breath and see how the land lay, A rattle of wheels announced the approach of the stage-coach, and it soon came in sight, Billy Boston lashing his horses in a way that showed he was taking advantage of the oppor-' tunity offered to make good his escape. ‘Hello, Billy! What's up?” “Waal, I sw’ar!” cried the stage-driver, de- lightedly pulling up his horses. ‘‘ Bundle in! bundle in! We’ll talk it over as we go along.” ““We prefer to ride,” objected Andy. ‘‘We may have another brush before we get through with it.” “No danger. We're hunky, now.” “But how did you get away? What has be- come of our friend Corvette?” ““The sojers! Kil! didn’t they clean ’em up, though!” **The soldiers! Major Pollard?” “No. The Leetle Sergeant, an’ the swaller- tailed me-lawd-duke.” Sandy Andy’s face darkened. ‘‘ Let us go on,” he said, so shortly as to at- tract the lady’s attention to his changed mood, On second thought he turned to her. ‘“Pardon me! There is now no reason why you should not re-enter the coach. It will be more agreeable than that unaccustomed saddle.” “JT will avail myself of the opportunity, if you please,” ‘You have been hurt!” he cried, looking at her face and disordered dress. ‘““A few scratches,” she laughed. ‘ Nature will take kindly care of them.” And slipping to the ground, she took his hand, as he assisted her into the coach. ‘*T have not yet thanked you,” she said, lin- gering on the step. “T shall be much better pleased if you do not. Their eyes sought each other for an instant, and the Jady stepped into the coach with slight- ly hightened color. ee Andy remounted, and rode beside the coach, The lady was speculating at the soberness of his face, when the sound of iron-shod hoofs came from the rear. ‘“‘Hyar comes the boys back. Reckon Cor- vette an’ his crowd give ’em the slip,” remarked ae er “Let us wait for them,” proposed Sandy Andy. And as he drew up his horse, and looked back over the road, a deep indentation appeared be- tween his brows, and his eyes took on a look quite different from that which the lady had seen in them hitherto. CHAPTER V. THE RIVALS. QUITE a cavalcade of Boys in Blue rode up, with a great rattling of spurs and scabbards. They were headed by an officer whose diminu- tive stature and panes air bad won him the sobriquet of the Little Sergeant. “T can follow r Py e
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» whi ! Sandy Andy. ge ey PR Fy 3 He wore huge French mustaches and imperial, and was altogether a fierce-looking manikin. However, there was not a better) fellow in all Uncle Sam’s service than’ Captain Jules Beaupere. Sed Batata Beside him rode a gentleman of an altogether different type. That he was an Englishman, everything about him proclaimed—the cut of his dress and of his ers, his voice and his manner. Now, there are all sorts of Englishmen, of course, A caricature is never fairly represent- ative of a nation, though many people think so, But the Honorable Charles Caxton was of the staring, supercilious breed, which every true American longs to kick on sight. The trouble with him was that, born at the wrong end of a numerous family, he saw a title of nobility in the distance, if fast living in Europe did him the favor to kill off all his brothers. _ Meanwhile, he had come to America ‘ with an eye to the main chance.” The chief. characteristics of the Honorable Charles were, that he had the appearance of a good beef-eater, and was never so happy as ae he was ‘talking hoss,” er killing some- ing. He now wore a shooting-jacket and top-boots, and had a repeating-rifle slung to his back. “Ab, my fine ones a wat Ser- eant, spurring u andy Andy, and grasp- Gatite hand, “You are too late to see those rats run to.their holes.” , The Englishman contented himself with a con- descending nod and a gracious: ‘‘How do? We came near having some * sport, ye know.” Sandy Andy bowed to the Hon. Charles, but he smiled genially upon the Little Sergeant, and shook his hand with a right good will, as he answered: ““T was quite early enough to get into a hole myself. But I was also fortunate enough to get cleverly out of it again.” ‘‘Eh! ‘You don’t mean to say—” “That, but for the kindly loan of your coun- tryman’s horses, I might now be—” “Pest!” cried the Little Sergeant, with a fierce shrug of his shoulders. ‘It is a libel! He is no countryman of mine. It is some—” But at this point. Sandy Andy laughingly called the exasperated Frenchman to a halt. It was not the first time he had heard him re- pudiate Corvette, and he knew that the next word would be an oath. “ Allow me,” he said, waving his hand to- ward the coach, the inside of which the Little Sergeant had not yet observed. ‘““Ah)b Ten »thousand pardons, Ma’mselle!” cried the gallant Frenchman, doffing his cap with a profound salaam. ‘* Miss Pollard, permit me to introduce Cap- gir eg ern 5 “ Mi ollard? Impossible! But there! a blind man would recognize you by your resem- blance to our estimable commandér. Believe me, Ma’méelle, this is the proudest moment of my life!” Hon: Charles unbent and was good enough not to look bored at the prospects of meeting the sister of his host, and the sight of aa beanty converted him completely into es. ‘* Well, now, this is good fortune, ye know,” he cried, ‘‘if- I: have been one of a party to spare you annoyance.” 5 if ‘Tam afraid I shall have to hold myself chiefly indebted to Mr. Blake,” answered Amy, after having thanked him for his kindness, “since we were already making our escape gi ar fell upon the outlaws,” $ ay? weren’t you in the coach when we And the Honorable Charles glanced. inquir- ingly at thé horses, which Sandy Andy had bor- rowed from the enemy. wet When the situation was explained to him, he was Seg oe tosays! f1) ‘Well, Blake is to be cofigratulated for his good luck. But Iam sorry he has robbed me of the chance to make some offset: to your brother at the hospitality 1 have enjoyed at Camp Sea- mn, The words were well enough, but he spoke them as if they they were-only a polite formula, and then fairly turned his back upon Sandy Andy, as he went. on, with an air which showed that he took it for granted that’ the Honorable Charles Caxton was to monopolize the lady, to the exclusion of all ordinary mortals. ‘* We have been looking forward to your arri- val with more pleasure than I can tell you, Miss Pollard, But haven’t you stolen a march am e C9 ek et S OF 94 eg ahh 1 oetopre Sy , SEP t eee ay me TERT eee SP i ‘ ea i Hes n> an A Stine by on us? The major led me to think that he did not expect you for a fortnight, at least, and something—if my memory serves me—was said about an escort.” ‘*T followed my letter sooner than I intend- ed,” admitted Amy. ‘‘I have no uneasiness about traveling alone, and, to tell you the truth, I was not sorry of the chance to get to Camp Seaton without creating a commotion, If it will not shock your European ideas, I pre- fer to take care of myself, under ordinary cir- cumstances.” The Hon. Charles lifted his eyebrows. ** And do you consider traveling alone in this wild country an ordinary circumstance?” ‘““What is the matter with the country? The Indians’ have been quelled, .and— Well, if I had anticipated such gentlemen as we have met, I oe pe have considered the step further.” ‘*T must’ say that’ this \is'a,great country!” laughed Caxton. ‘‘The courage of you Ameri- can women is. as charming as it is surprising. ‘¢‘ But will you think it an intrusion if I enter the coach with you? I have no doubt that you will convert me from a’ great many of. those European ideas: which you slyly satirize, before we reach the Camp; and I don’t wish to Jose the delightful informality of this chance acquain- tanceship.” Miss Pollard eoveip ef accorded. his wish, and giving bis horse into the keeping of an orderly, he entered the coach without troubling pert ga about those who were left out in the cold. Sandy Andy fairly ground his teeth with smothered rage, He could not bring himself to play outrider to the coach of his rival, and lifting his hat to the lady, he said, while the words almost choked him; ““TJeave you in safety, Miss Pollard. Will you pardon. me, then, if I press on to urgent duties of my own?” “T am sorry to lose your company, Mr., Blake,” said Amy. ‘‘I hope to you soon at Camp Seaton, where my brother will add his Fat et ial to mine for our indebtedness ou. hen she set his heart to baaking, wildly by extending her hand through the coach window. The Hon. Charles ruffled his whiskers, and then stroked them smooth again, in silent medi- tation on the freedom of manners of erican women, while Sandy Andy bent over the fair hand, his face suddenly rivaling the ruddy hue of his hair. Then, with a wave of the hand to the Little Sergeant, Andy dashed away. For ten miles he rode as if horse-flesh were iron, and thews and sinews were steel. Then he suddenly drew in his panting horse and declared: ‘““ What a confounded fool I am, to. be. sure, What does she think of such an idiot as I? That cursed snob—” But here he stopped. He was verging upon some cynical reflections against women in gen- eral, with an application to Miss Pollard in par- Papas and that last consideration arrested 1h. While riding that race which so many have found hopeless, to escape the demon of jealousy that ra in his heart, Sandy Andy bad not taken the way to his destination. He now turned into a cross-road, and pressed forward with a business-like determination. CHAPTER VI, als THE HON, CHARLES WILL “ KICK,” MEANWHILE the coach had continued on its way, escorted by the Boys in Blue, while the Sentinmeniee set himself seriously to doing the ‘eeable, . ut in spite of his efforts to turn the conversa- tion to buffalo-hunting, where he could ventilate his exploits with an airas if he considered it nothing more than rabbit-shooting, it got round —just how, he did not know—to tbe Black Hills Hydraulic Mining Company. : pon, to his disgust, Billy Boston broke in with: ‘Ef you'll excuse me, marm, ef you wouldn’t mind seein’ the mine—what thar is of it, so fur —you kin git the chance from this hyar ft," ‘I should like to see it very much,” said Amy, half to the driver and half to the Hon. Charles, Then, altogether to the latter: ‘Can you point it out to me?” , But, swearing that ha wasn’t going to let ony Johnny Bull play his hand, Billy pulled up h horses, and pointing with bis whip down into a gulch where a V-shaped trough wound its sinuous length along, supported high in the air on a trestlework as fragile-looking, from that ae te pl Pie Nile hd 3 Wa Agi distance, as if made of matches, he cut in ahead. of the slower-speaking Englishman, “Thar she lays. Anoff yon— Hallo! Yes, yee bet yer sweet life that’s his nibs! D’ye see im, comin’ ovt from them trees? See! the: boys has sighted him, Hark, now, an’ you'll hyear ’em yell.” Miss Pollard, forgetful of the elegant gentle- man who gnawed his mustache and swore men- tally at her elbow, leaned out of the coach win- dow, to follow with eager glance a horseman who dashed at breakneck speed into the gulch, where a lot of men were working like beavers. Some oneset upa shout, at sight of him, which attracted the attention of the others, and with one accord they dropped whatever they ha pened. to be working with, and with glad yells. of greeting rushed to meet him, e drew his horse upon his haunches, and leaped to the ground among them, and the scene before the Crooked Elbow was repeated. ‘‘Mr, Blake seems to be a great favorite with his companions,” observed Amy, without looking: round, ‘“* Ah!” replied the Hon. Charles, with a bored. drawl. ‘‘To tell you the truth, I know very little about him, A clever fellow, I have no: doubt.” But if the Hon. Charles was so ill-informed, Billy Boston knew enough for both of them. —~ “Favor-ite!” he repeated, giving the ‘‘i” its: long sound. ‘‘ Waal, I should smile! Sandy Andy don’t take no back seat fur nobody in this: hyar country, nor no other country!” he added,. with a significant vim thrown into the stinger. With her face beyond the range of the Hon.. Charles’s eye, the lady indulged a quiet smile. But Billy Boston wasn’t done yet. All of a sudden he “cut loose” a yell that: made Miss Pollard ‘‘ jump,” and set the horses: of the coach and of the escort to pricking up» their ears, tossing their heads, and rearing. It cleft the distance, and arrested even the excited crowd down in the gulch, 2 They looked up, and seeing the coach, with Billy standing in his place and swing ng. his: whip wildly, and the lady looking down at them, they plucked off their hats, and made the hills. echo with lusty cheers, , Why did Miss Pollard draw back so quickly # Was it the startling ig ae of Billy’s ye 1 or some other cause, that brought the das of color into her cheeks, ; pe laughed, a little uneasily, perhaps, and. ‘The man is a savage! He will wreck the coach |” En 4 “You'll get used to that sort of thing in this: country,” observed the Hon, Charles, forgetting: himself in his secret rage. She paid him for his sneer, by replying: “T think it charming. It seems to me I have: never seen ple wide-awake before, and thoroughly honest in the expression of their feelings,” But after that, for some reason or other, she: displayed a most winning manner to her com- anion, and even got him oon the subject of cilling animals that never did him nor any one else any harm, so that, when they reached Cam Seaton, he was well pleased with himself, an chaffed her brother gayly on his having stolen a march on him in making the acquaintance of his. sister. rr Major Pollard was a soldier, with a very good. opinion of himself and of his profession. He was delighted to see his sister, of course, but he had a very straight-backed way of show- ing it. Tike a great many other people Major Pol-. lard thought dignity a matter of starch and. buckram, of frowning and mouthing spéech., Miss Pollard’s greeting of her brother was lite, and elegant, and Sp ateiaara” panel SO, deed, to ae even the fastidious taste of the’ Hon. Charles, - What she was thinking about, however, was the greeting she had seen in the gulch, in which Sandy Andy was almost torn to pieces, in the erness of the boys to get at him. little languidly she excused herself, and went to rest after her journey. Alone, she sat: with her elbows on the unpainted sill of the bar- rack window, looking at the distant mountain- tops dreamily.. _ And then she sighed. That mght the Hon, Charles drank, and it must be added, gambled with his host, the Little Sergeant, and the camp surg eon. he When he went to bed, he sat on the edge of his bunk, rubbing his head “ boozily,” and wuttered: Aan. ey ya ’ ‘We'll have to fix him somehow, the con- — founded cad! If I have had any scruples about y L ! f
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_,and the fall of water, Sand ‘This reservoir supplies our hose, Tad ve ty fF “making him my goose with the gine egg, Dll put them on the shelf now. We'll see what we'll see! And bobbing his head repeatedly, with a ye deal of seeming satisfaction, he got into he bunk, fumbled the biankets over him, and went to sleep—like a lord! Sandy Andy did not sleep a wink the whole night through. CHAPTER VII. A PISTOL-SHOT. NEVER was a day of brighter promise than ‘that on which the Black Hills Hydraulic Mine awaited baptism in the first stream of water turned upon it. ~ “Tt is a good omen, Miss Pollard!” cried Sandy Andy. He had the happiness of a moment alone with her, save for an orderly who held her horse, and who might have been a wooden soldier for all his presence counted in the interview. ajor Pollard and the Hon. Charles Cax- ‘ton would make their appearance presently, when all would set out to a point where they could get a favorable view of the operation of the mine. Meanwhile Sandy Andy was making the most of the favor of the gods. ‘*T congratulate you,” replied the lady. ‘I had no idea so much labor went into the mere preparation for the real work of washing out “the gold.” “Oh, we do things on a little larger scale than we used to, with pick and pan. Wouldn’t the ’Forty-niners have stared at the suggestion of a three-inch nozzle in the place of their quart ‘dipper, and a river-bed for a long-tom?” ‘** And everything is now in readiness?” “Like che launching of a ship! I shall wave bey, Ravekscee tt and you will see the water “Tam all impatience! It will be like seeing ‘the mighty forces of nature at work, tearing -down the very structure of the earth.” ‘*'You are fond of the exhibition of power, -Miss Pollard?” ‘Yes. It is that which makes danger fas- -cinating.” Her eyes kindled; her cheeks flushed. Sandy Andy thought he had never seen anything so ‘beautiful. The light of adoration was in his eyes, irradi- ating hisface, when Major Pollard and the Hon, -Charles dashed up on sweat-reeking horses, ‘* A thousand pardons!” cried Caxton, biting this lip at the sight of Sandy Andy already in at- ‘tendance upon the lady whom he aimed to monopolize. ‘Have we kept you waiting?” “‘Tt-is rather that I have anticipated the time -set,” replied Miss Pollard. ** Allow me!” said Andy, as the Hon. Charles was about toswing from the saddle, to assist sher to mount, ‘Thanks!” she answered, lifting her skirt, and putting in his palm a foot that might have deen the pride of any duchess of them all. How gracefully she leaped to place! And, once in the saddle, she sat as if born toit. , While Sandy Andy was mounting, the Hon. ‘Charles reined to her side, as a matter of course, and they rode forward together, Caxton explaining the cause of his own and the major’s delay. Major Pollard engaged the mining superin- tendent in conversation, and so they brought up the rear. While talking about flumes and erinoline hose : Andy was observ- ing the graceful motions of Miss Pollard’s body, as she rode before him, and extracting what comfort he could, for the chagrin of being’ su- ‘perseded by the Hon, Charles, out of the smile she had given him at the instant of accepting his assistance to mount. . _ They drew rein on an eminence commanding a view of the bank containing the auriferous de- \posit, This bank formed one side of a gulch, down: which wound the dry bed of a mountain water- course. : aled his men with a pistol- Sandy Andy si ‘shot, at which all sprung from the work that _ Wns occupying them to the stations prear- ranged, Then he waved his handkerchief, and began ‘to ex) lain the situation to Miss Pollard. ‘Our supply of water, as you know, comes ‘from a dam more than a mile up the gulch, _-. ‘through a flume which, as small as it looks, is ‘ hey large enough to go boating in. : u ae st out of sight round the cliff, we have a ‘small reservoir into which the flume empties, é Sandy Andy. A EE A “Do you see that white and black line down the face of yonder cliff?” ‘*Tt looks like a gigantic serpent!” cried Amy. de Tat,” explained Andy, ‘‘is a crinoline hose. The white is canvas, which before long will be indistinguishable from the black bands of iron that encircle it at intervals of onl the bands being two inches wide. You can judge from that the great pressure of the water, with a fall of—say, a hundred feet. **Rollow it along the bottom of the gulch to where those two men stand, about the length of an average city block away from the base of the cliff. They are holding a nozzle of three-inch aperture, through which you will presently see the water thrown that distance, to the point of execution.” ‘*Tt would be quite safe to fight a fire at so long day 2 laughed Miss Pollard. ‘With such a head, the water would be about as destructive as the fire,” said Andy. ~ At this point in his explanation the superinten- dent paused, and with a slight contraction of the brows, waved his handkerchief again, more emphatically than before, Across the gulch came a shout, and one of the men waiting expectantly on the top of the bank was seen to gesticulate impatiently. *“ What are those men doting up there?” asked Amy. “If the bank is undermined, I should think they would be likely to come down with it. I don’t fancy‘a ride on such a land slide.” ‘They will be out of danger before the earth eaves. You will see their office presently, if that fellow ever wakes up!” The last was added with some show of annoy- nce, ** One of the men has passed along your signal,” observed Amy, wishing to smooth over the balk which she saw fretted the impetuous nature of the superintendent. “Tt ought not be necessary,” he answered, shortly. He had planned everything to go off “like clock-work.” He prided himself on his system, and now, when Miss Pollard was by to see, it fretted him to have any hitch. His horse, feeling its master’s uneasiness, be- gan to toss its head, and move about restlessly, tripping over its feet. hnything that made Sandy Andy appear at all to disadvantage before Miss Pollard, was **nuts” to the Hon. Charles. With a bored draw], he asked. “You will not object to our smoking if we keep well to leeward, Miss Pollard?” ‘* Not at all,” was the reply, with a gracious- ness that made Sandy Andy gnash his teeth. lt did not occur to him that the lady was piaine from his rival her real sympathy with m. Major Pollard selected a cigar from bis guest’s case with a matter-of-course air, What inter- ested him was the prospective yield per cubic yard of yonder bank. All this amatory skirmish- ing escaped him. ‘““Have a weed, superintendent,” said the Hon. Charles, lazily extending the cigar case. en At another time!” replied Sandy y. And putting spurs to his horse, be dashed away to see the cause of delay, with only a hasty plea of excuse to Miss Pollard. * Blake has an abrupt way about him—a matter of temperament, I suppose,” observed the Hon. Charles. ‘* A very good business temperament, don’t you think?” retorted Miss Pollard, so smoothly .that her auditor thought of the old comparison with a cat’s paw: ‘“ It makes things move.” ‘** Oh, yes!” acquiesced the Hon. Charles, as if it would weary him to offer any Opposition. ‘** An excellent thing in business, no doubt, but rather wearying to the nerves, I should imag- ine. Amy bit her lip, Ifshe had been careless of the subject of his satire, Caxton’s air would bave made her dangh- Sandy Andy had already disappeared round the cliff which shut the reservoir from view, There was an interval, during which Major Pollard remarked upon the prospects of the mining company, and quoted statistics relative to other enterprises of the sort. : Then, of a sudden, the sharp report of a pistol smote the air like a slap in the face, ‘* What is that?’ cried Miss Pollard, starting nervously, ‘* See! see! those men are running! What is it they say?” The men on top of the bank left their posts with every sign of intense excitement, runnin toward the point which Sandy Andy hati sought, and yelling at the top of their lungs. three inches, | “Ho! Ho! Stand him off!” “ Kill him! Kill the'snoozer!” Then round the cliff came Andy’s horse, snort- ing with terror, his saddle empty and stirrups dangling. “By Jove!” cried Major Pollard, ** they’ve shot’ Blake, I do believe!” And putting spurs to his horse, he dashed for- ward to the scene of action. But one was before him. His sister was rid- ing like the wind, her lips compressed, her nos- trils distended, her eyes wide and glittering, her cheeks and lips bloodless. The rocky way was hazardous in the extreme, Her brother called to her warningly. She heeded him not at all. The Hon. Charles came last, with a muttered oath. : He was shocked at the tragic death of even a rival, but he was also stung by the concern the cy i ha Ae hat made him say viciously: ““Tt may have saved me some trouble. haps it is better so.” CHAPTER VIII. AN “UGLY CUSTOMER.” Amy PoLuaRD having outstripped her com- panions, they were surprised to see her suddenly draw rein, checking her headlong course, to sit regarding with interest, yet with none of the manifestations of horror they expected, a scene not yet within their view.” A’ plunge or two further brought them the explanation of this. : Whatever the effect of the pistol-shot, their fears were happily ey yee There s Sandy Andy upon his feet, ges- ticulating with every indication of unabated vigor, and addressing a stern reprimand toa fellow with a hang-dog look, who stood before him in sullen discomfiture, his head hanging upon his breast, but his fist clinched. There had evidently been a struggle between the two, in which the latter had come off second- best. His nose was Meera and one eye already began to show signs of having recently bad “a shanty built over it.” He was a man of powerful build, as compared with his conqueror. One would have supposed that he could “eat him up;”’ but experience constantly proves that looks are never *‘ safe to gamble on.” It is pluck tbat tells! As we have said, Amy Pollard took in this situation at a glance, and though yet pale, she had regained her self-possession. There are women who are terror-stricken at the sight of a physical conflict between men especially if they are interested in the safety o one of the contestants. Miss Pollard was not one of these. As Bill Boston had said, she: was cut out. for a soldier’s sister or sweetheart. She had at least one aristocratic notion—that blood will tell; that there are game men just as there are game chickens; that a gentleman can whip a man of lower breeding,-even where the latter has a great physical advantage. She now drew rein behind a screen of foliage, through which she could see without being seen, that Sandy Andy might not know that she was looking on. P The Hon. Charles Caxton rode up to her side, and stopped, but her brother kept on to the scene of conflict. A marked change had come over Major Pol- lard, which sbe did not observe, though Caxton did id. For the first time in the weeks that had elapsed since her coming, he joined his sister ated: Sandy Andy in the same thought. Mar He was a man of intolerable pri e; a Virgin- ian, and a believer in “ family. The easy social customs of the frontier made an ordinary a quaintance between the two all right; but to view the mining superintendent in the light of a possible brother-in-law, was an altogether different matter. No sooner did he see and understand his sis- ter’s manifestation of especial interest, than the whole man roused with the ruthless instincts of a despot. If there was a this thing, he would make mighty short work of it! It was with a very abrupt and dictatorial air, therefore, that he rode up to the combatants, and demanded: ; * What is the matter? What is all this about?” Sandy Andy was too preoccupied to notice the major’s manner. ** Why, this fellow has been giving me trouble ever since I hired bim, by his ness and gen- C ANT Per- at
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eral worthlessness. I put him here where he would have nothing to do but to turn on the water at my signal; and I'll be hanged if I didn’t come here and find him asleep! hen I roused him—” “With a kick, blast ye!” growled the cul- “4 prit, rolling his one open eye at Sandy with sav- age vindictiveness. ‘* A kick!” cried the latter. beginning.” A bad beginning, I should say,” interpo- - "lated the major. ; “Well,” replied Sandy, ‘‘ good or bad, it has ‘been the means of teaching the scoundrel a les- son, I fancy.” ‘* But what was the shooting about?” ‘Why, he made for me—” ‘‘Naturally! And you thought it justifiable to resort to firearms, after having yourself been : the aggressor?” ; At another time Sandy would have been quick ' to resent this assumption of the right to criti- > gise his actions; put now he turned with a look of surprise and contemptuous repudiation. ‘‘ Tresort to the revolver, against the fists of such a ruffian?—for that’s what you seem to imagine. On the contrary, he fancied himself a master at blood-letting; so I disarmed him, and added the drubbing he deserved!” _ Major Pollard frowned and bit his lip. His ' prejudice against Andy had betrayed him into an annoying blunder, However, this only added to his anger. “‘T think the whole thing disgraceful!” he de- clared. ‘‘ Mr. Blake, you seem to have chosen an unsuitable time to indulge a loss of temper. Andy turned toward the speaker with a look of utter astonishment. Before he could find words for a reply, there came a cry of warning. Hi! the “Took out, Andy! sneak!” Sandy knew the only danger that could men- ace him, and took tea steps to avoid it without looking round, Encouraged by Major Pollard’s evident favor, Black Bob resolved upon one more attempt at revenge; and taking advantage of Andy’s pre- occupation, he leaped for him, confident that, it he could once get him in his grip, and the major would keep the others from interfering, he could square accounts with the man who had $6 wi his feet on him,” and ‘ put a head on him ” in the bargain. But Andy’s employees, who had come up, were heartily in sympathy with him, and lis- tened to the major’s interference with looks of indignation. They were quick to detect Black Bob’s medi- tated treachery, and to a man were for dealing with him personally, But, having evaded his onslaught by leaping agilely to one side, Andy cried: “No! no! Keep off, boys! If he hasn’t had enough, I have more of the same sort entirely at his service.” And in a twinkling all the incidents of an im- promptu sparring-match were in full course. Black Bob was ‘‘no slouch” at that sort of thing. He had strength and a certain degree of uickness, with a knowledge of how to turn them to account. Above all, he had a donder- headed endurance on which ‘ punishment” ordinarily made but little impression. He was one of the men who not infrequently win by letting their opponent wear himself outon them. But now there was pitted against him a man who seemed made of spring steel, for quickness, and who was up in all the points that make the “manly arta totally different thing from what it was when the contract to knock a man out was taken by the day. Sandy Andy lost no time in skirmishing, but evading the ‘‘ maulers” of the infuriated ruffian, by leaping about as agilely as a cat, he beat a devil’s tattoo on his face, until he bad closed the other optic. Then, putting all his force into a right-hander, straight from the shoulder, he landed a hot one at the base of the jaw, and Black Bob went home as if he had been struck by hghtning. ‘Whoop! he got thar all the same!” shouted a delighted spectator, “That is only a down him, Sandy Andy. He spoke in a cool, business-like way, as if the matter being now disposed of, they would proceed at once as if there had been no inter- ruption. Two of the men started to recover the horse, and leaving Black Bob to pick himself up at his leisure, Sandy Andy followed—the direction in which his horse was to seek leading him directly to the spot where Amy Pollard sat. She would have got away, and avoided letting him know that she had been a spectator of the conflict, but that his movements were so prompt that no time was left her. She therefore stood her ground, calmly. “Miss Pollard!” he ejaculated, as he discov- ered her. He had naturally been pale with excitement, but he now flamed scarlet so suddenly that there could be no doubt of the sincerity of his sur- prise. ‘‘¥ beg your pardon!” he stammered, ‘If I had known—” “Tf you had known,” she replied, with a smile, ‘‘my presence could have acted only as an embarrassment, if at all. You certainly could not have acquitted yourself more credit- ably. I congratulate you on your mastery of that brute.” ‘* Let us say no more about it,” urged Andy. “T am sorry to have introduced anything un- pleasant into your visit. If you will be kind enough to return to the spot—’ ‘‘Tt seems to me that we had better return home,” interrupted Major Pollard, with quiet authority. ‘‘ Amy, Mr. Caxton will attend you. I shall—” “* Tndeed!” cried Miss Pollard, with anima- tion, ‘I can see no reason why we should forego the pleasure for which we have come here. You all seem to attach more importance to this little interruption than I do. Ay interest in the spectacle has not been impaired, I assure you. Her brother darted a look into her eyes, and Mer tpt his lips in silent fury. ~ “As you oye he said, after a momentary struggle. ‘‘I beg that you will excuse me then, as I shall be otherwise engaged.” And putting spurs to his horse, he dashed away. In this little encounter, Miss Pollard had shown her metal. Her brother was a man whose habit of command gave to the quietest expression of his will a sort of electric influence on most people, Yet she ha’ not changed color, nor seemed in the least ruffled at having to oppose him. The Hon. Charles was in delight. He saw that, under the mark of politeness, the’ brother and sister had had a tilt of greater significance than would have been a long and bitter wrangle between the people of coarser breeding. And Sandy Andy was the cause of it! There could be no doubt of that. Caxton had seen the look in Pollard’s eyes, when Amy betrayed herself. How he could but admire her splendid uncon- cern, since she could not but suspect the cause . a brother’s change of manner toward ndy. Sandy Andy was plainly embarrassed, but pf course without a full knowledge of the situa- on. What he thought was, that the displeasure of the brother would be a bar to his future easy association with the woman who had gained a complete mastery over his mind and heart. But Amy was resolved to put him at his ease, and with the delusive hopes of a lover, he plucked up courage from her seeming uncon- cern, So they returned to spot from which they were to witness the first attack upon the gold Le Amy gave the signal, and the water ew. CHAPTER IX. WHITEWASHING BLACK TREASON. ‘* Excuse my plainness of speech; but if you were not my guest, I should say, without hesi- tancy, that your interference is in bad taste!” ‘““On the contrary, lam about to save you turned quickly and shot a piercing glance inte Charles Caxton’s eyes. The Hon. Charles looked back at him with the cold directness that forbids inquisitive intru- sion. “Curse him!” growled the major. ‘I'll kill him!” ‘A most excellent proceeding, if it would better the matter,” observed Caxton. “Tt will save the honor of my family,” groaned Major Pollard, dropping his head upon his breast with humiliation at what he had been forced to confess. ’ aS And he ground his teeth and clinched his hands in fury. : ‘“* At the expense of a breach that can never be healed,” suggested the Hon. Charles. “Between the two, do you suppose I would hesitate?” cried the major, passionately. “ Fortunately, you are not placed in such a. dilemma.” ‘What can be done?” ‘There are more ways than one of destroy- ing a man,” insinuated the Hon. Charles, bai 6 ‘What do you mean?” Caxton did not answer at once, but hesitated, scrutinizing his man narrowly. “Out with it!” insisted the blunt sholdier.. ‘‘ What are you meditating?” “There is an adage,” began the other, slowly, ‘¢to the effect that all’s fair in love aud war. Do you believe that?” No!” replied Pollard, like a pistol-shot. The Englishman bit his lip, but he covered his chagrin with a shrug of affected indiffer~ ence. “‘ Then I’m afraid I can’t help you.” Major Pollard went up to him hastily, and a a hand on his shoulder, “ See here!” he cried. ‘‘{ will call him out, and put a bullet through him, or he will perfor- ate me. In either event, 1 shall have accom- plished my object.” ‘“‘ May I speak freely?” “ Yes 1? ‘‘ She will never speak to you again!” Major Pollard winced as if stung. This was the first open reference to his sister. “That may not be the worst of it,” pursued Caxton, ‘You ought to know women. Dare you drive such a one to desperation?” “What's to be done?’ demanded Pollard,, breathing hard through quivering nostrils. ‘* There is no use in hoaicine afine point of it.. Desperate cases require desperate remedies,” ‘But what was it you hinted at? Some con- founded underhand means?” The Hon. Charles flushed scarlet. It was not. easy for a man who prided himself on honor to incur the contempt that vibrated in Major Pol- lard’s voice. ‘*Man!” he cried, with a sudden burst of pas- sion, ‘‘ do you suppose it is an easy thing for me to strike a coward’s blow? Am notI a gentle- man, like yourself? But needs must when the devil drives! There is no alternative, and I am ready for any sacrifice.” “Look here!” said Pollard, ‘‘ why are you so: keen in this matter?” Caxton tossed his hair from a forehead on which a cold sweat had started, and replied,. with a bitter laugh: **T have the happiness to love your sister!” Major Pollard started back at the abruptness: of this avowal, but advanced again, and Snape. the Englishman’s hand. ‘* Well,” he asked, ‘* what is to be done?” “‘ Are you ready? ‘Yes! “For anything?” “For anything!” / ; _“* Well, then, we must kill him—im her estima- tion! Sheis a proud woman. She will not. marry a beggar, nor a dishonored man.” : ‘But he is neither, There is nothing against. him but his want of position.” : “We must make him both!” said the Hon. Charles, grimly. ‘“ How is it to be done?” ‘“We must ruin him financially first, and then make it appear that he has been driven to- desperate measures to retrieve his fortunes.” Pe hw rN. ‘““You have all this planned?” cried Pollard, in surprise. , ‘““T have not been so blind as you. had ample time to reflect on it.” ‘‘ How do you propose to carry out your scheme?” ‘¢ Have you ever operated on Wall street?” © from a great folly.” ‘* What do you know of my purposes?” ““Come, come, Pollard! Your good sense will teach you that this is no time for pretending that we do not understand each eee, And” you ought to know, without assurance, that I am one in whom you can trust. MustI say ** An’ you bet yer boots he stayed thar!” re- sponded another. - Black Bob was out, and out for keeps—ther it could be no doubt of that, He lay like a dead 5 man, “Perry,” said Andy, to one of his men, ‘*take his place here, and turn on the water at I have: = my signal,” that your honor is as dear to meastoyour-| ‘‘ Among those knaves who would cut one an- y ‘ Where 1s my horse?” self?” other’s throats for a sixpence? I guess not!” bee, 018 , The victor was a little ‘‘ blown,” but he was| Major Pollard had been pacing the floor of | ‘‘ Nor on Pine street—the Wall street of Sans “ee thoroughly self-possessed. his apartment distraught with fury. He now ! Francisco?” aca
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t np ' ' ! _ his suspenders wrap “cc No!” ‘* Well, I have operated on both. But I had learned a thing or two in Lombard street, Lon- don, before I saw either of them, which will serve us now.” ‘¢ T don’t see how,” ‘Tf this mine turns out as I am confident it will, it will be the easiest thing in the world to impoverish this fellow, and enrich ourselves while we are doing it.” ‘* Enrich ourselves?” cried Major Pollard. Then with a frown of disapprobation: ‘* This begins to look very much like a pre- cious piece of rascality!” ‘Tf you are so thin-skinned as that,” returned the Hon. Charles, ‘‘ you will not like it any bet- ter as we proceed.” ‘‘ Suppose you do whatever you please, and leave me out of it altogether,” suggested the major, ‘I confess I don’t relish this sort of thing.” * ‘* Do you imagine that it is congenial business for me?” ‘7 will put nothing in your way, and if it comes to the pinch—” ‘* Will be nicely out of it!” interrupted Cax- ton, with a sneer. ‘* Will step to your side, and take the conse- quences—whatever they may be—of the acts I have sanctioned!” amended the major, with cold dignity. . “* Forgive me, Pollard!” cried the Englishman, extending his hand impulsively. ‘‘I might have known this of you. Leave everything to me. [ll fix him!” And while these two were plotting to sell him to infamy, Sandy Andy was building castles of hope for the future. * Our wildest expectations will be more than met!” was his ecstatic self-gratulation, ‘I shall be rich! If she but love me, wealth will salve the sensitiveness of her brother.” He could not sleep with that prospect before him, but stood under the twinkling stars, and let his rapturous thoughts go out to her! ‘Nothing can make me really worthy of her,” he reflected. ‘‘ But, then, nobody could be. And why may not I be as near it as an- other man?” Meanwhile Amy Pollard was thinking of how her heart had leaped at the sound of that pistol shot which she had feared was aimed at the life of the man she— But there would be time enough to complete that sentence, when she could do so without the hot rush of blood to her temples. CHAPTER X. THE CAT'S-PAW. ATTACHED to the Hon. Charles was a person who next claims our attention. We introduce him to the reader in the mess- room of the fort. At this hour of the day every soldier was on duty, and it was the Hon. Charles’s custom to take advantage of the opportunity to have the room to himself, to go through with a course of exercise which he would no sooner have neg- lected than his daily bath. Behold him, then, standing in the middle of the floor, with his upper garments thrown aside, around his waist like a belt, and his body clothed only in his under- shirt. . His attitude and a pea? of boxing-gloves ex- _plain the purpose of this di SE C shabille. His antagonist isa man with the bullet head and pugnacious jaw of a prize-fighter—not a «ni like the Hon. Charles—in short, his valet. ‘* Ah there!” cried Caxton, as he followed a lunge with a duck and a cat-Ilke retreat. ‘You got there!” replied Terry Flynn, with the stereotyped smile of the pugilist. A reddening of the flesh over the cheekbone showed where he had received a blow which would have set an ordinary head to ringing for a good twenty-four hours. Rv's : ut Terry’s head was proof against anythin short of a pile-driver. It had been punch shies it had rather got to liking that sort of n . ** But look out!” he warned. ‘‘ One good turn deserves another.” ‘Give me the best you have,” said the Hon. Charles, on the alert, his eyes flashing, and his face flushed with pleasurable excitement. ‘“‘T never keep nothing back.” ‘* Plant it where I can find it.” “ And thayre ye have it!” cried the Irishman, with a blow that nobody but the great Sullivan could have stopped. The Hon. Charles staggered back, and would Sandy Andy. have fallen, but that his valet sprung forward and caught him. “*Pon me sowl, that was harder than I thought,” he pleaded, apologetically. ‘* Hold off there!” cried Caxton. ‘‘ That's enough of that. Do you catch me whining?” ‘““Niver a toitme! Ye’r’a game wan, s0 ye air!” “That’s what I pay you for, and— Well, yes; I guess I’ve got my money’s-worth for to- da ” The sweat streaming from every pore showed the exertion that had been crowded into twenty-minutes of the best athletic exercise yet devised. The Hon. Charles took off. the gloves, and to- gether they went to the wash-room, where he threw off tis clothes, and was rubbed down as if he were just out of the prize-ring. When this process was over, he stood like an Apollo, his flesh as hard and white as marble. wenty minutes later he was in the saddle, riding at an easy canter, with Terry in at- tendance, Away they went for their morning’s airing; but the Hon. Charles had another object in view on this particular morning, in getting away from the sight and hearing of any one about the fort. Out among the cliffs he made a slight sign, and Terry pressed forward to his side. “Terry,” he began, ‘‘ we’ve been through some rare scrapes together.” ‘On the owld sod! We have that, sir.” SY And I have always found ‘that I could trust ou. ‘““The maraudin’ divil!” reflected the Irish- man. ‘It’s the woman ag’in’, already!” But aloud he said, demurely: **F hope-you'll b’’ave it, sor.” “Are you willing to take some risk, if it pays?” ‘Don’t mintion it, sor! Sure, isn’t it fur de- votion to yersilf I’d be goin’ through fire and watther?” ‘*Tn the fullness of your devotion, would you run the risk of going—up a tree?” But even that prospect did not phase Terry, ‘Sure, sor, it’s some risk we've taken together in the past. Wasn’t it like her brother would put a bullet through you, and maybe through me too, the last time? He was that savage—” The Hon. Charles frowned. ‘Let up on that!” he commanded, with irri- tation. “*T was only yh, TY afther Misther Gerald, t be a flea-bite.” : *‘Confound you! Will you_continually harp on that one string? I tell youl have other busi- ness for you—” ‘* Tt’s all one to me, sor—you know that.” “It will make your fortune—say two thousand pounds,” “Two thousand pound!” Then his face elongated, and looking narrowly at his master, he dropped his voice, and asked: “Ts it murdher that it is? Sure, I’ve niver thried me hand at that.” ‘‘ Nonsense!” cried the Hon, Charles. “‘ What do you take me for?” Bat he turned guiltily pale. - you notice the fellow Andy Blake had the bout with the other day?” ‘Black Bob, is it?” ‘*Can you put your hand on him?” *T can that.” “T was afraid he might have left. Hasn't Blake discharged him?” ‘“*That I dunno. But I kin have him to the sone jin twinty-four hours, if ye’r’ wantin’ of im, ‘“‘He feels pretty sore, don’t he, over his thrashing?” ‘* He owes Misther Blake a grudge he’d jump at the chance to pay.” ‘‘Confound the fellow! He has the nose of a bloodhound!” muttered the Hon, Charles to bim- self. ‘‘He leaves me nothing to tell him. He must watch me like a hawk. He’d bedangerous if he took it into his head to turn on me,” He hesitated about proceeding with his nefari- ous plot: but then his face hardened with dogged ay na age = oe ‘ urning and looking straight into Ter Flynn’s face, he pursued, aloud: af ‘* Find him, and egg him on to revenge!” “He might lay fur Misther Blake behind a “bowldher,” suggested Terry, asafeeler, ~ ‘“No! no! none of that!’ . ** Annything you like, sor,” ‘“‘ Suppose,” suggested Caxton, slowly, ‘he took it into his head to ruin Blake financially?” ‘Wid that gold-mine at his back? It’s little rsisted Terry, ‘‘ that, e major here wouldn’t it ’u’d hurt ’um to lose ivery cint he has, whin he could make it up the next morning before breakfast!” ‘If nothing should happen to the mine mean- while!” ““Oho! What would happen til the mine, I dunno?” ‘“What could happen to it? think the matter over.” ‘“The sly divil ain’t puttin halther!” reflected Flynn. gither.” However, there was nothing faint-hearted about him, and he had not forgotten that hint at two thousand pounds for himself, though he had taken so little outward notice of it. He scratched his head, and tried to imagine what it was that the Hon. Charles had planned. That a scheme was already matured in the Englishman’s mind he had not the least doubt. It remained for him to guess what it was. He made several attempts, and at last, when he threw out a suggestion in sheer desperation, as the only thing left, his master, looking him steadily in the eye with a glance which made his words mean the exact opposite of what they expressed, said: ‘That would ruin us all, Of course, no one would suspect that such a thing was suggested by one of us. If Black Bob should take such a notion into his head, though—” “Tt ’u’d be a queer way o’ getting two thou- sand pound out 0’ the thing,” laughed Terry. ‘To be sure,” assented Caxton. ‘‘ Your two thousand would go up with the rest of it, wouldn’t it?” But Terry knew his master well enough to know that that question was not tagged to the end of the assertion for nothing. It was a hint to him to question appearances. Caxton dropped the subject at once, and touching his horse with the spur, rode on in ad- vance of his valet. ‘* Well,” reflected Flynn, who needed no fur- ther assurance that he had at last hit upon the lan, as unpromising as it looked, ‘‘ by me sow] Padon't see through that; but 1 obey ordhers if t break owners. It’s not Mr. Charles that’ll be fur letting me suffer fur the, want 0’ that two thousand pounds, I’m thinking. So here goes, whoever pays the piper!” Suppose you his head in the * Tt’s to be me alto- CHAPTER XI. A VILLAINOUS HINT. WHERE the presence of the master would set curiosity agog, the man could go unremarked. Terry F oo found his way to the lowest drinking ‘‘ hole” in Blind Hoss, a mining-camp scarcely out of sight of Fort Seaton. ‘“‘ What gave it its disreputable character, in a country where one would expect to find little choice in such matters, was the fact that its pro- prietor was a “ tough ” of the worst description, and on the principle of ‘‘ birds of a feather,” vil- lains like himself naturally congregated about him. “Whoop! Air ye thayer, Moriarty?’ shouted Terry, as he entered the Last Yell in character- istic style. . “If you’ve come hyar to let_the racket out 0? ye, it’s the right shop,” said Pop Perkins, mop- ping the bar with a rag which looked asif it had done long and faithful service in that capacity since it was last washed. — ‘Tf I let the racket out, it’s only to make the more room fur the illigant liquor # bi.2 dispinse at that same bar, gossoon!” cried Terry, hearti- ly. ‘Step up, gints! It’s lost time whin the stuff’s outside 0’ yez, so it is.” Though most of those present started forward with cheerful alacrity, one man sat in a corner with his head bowed upon his arms on a table, seemingly asleep. ‘Hallo, pardner! Rout out o’ this!” shouted Terry, going over to him, and striking him on the back. " The fellow started up with a snarl of rage and a ready hand seeking the butt of his revolver. iE ty yore egal at?” et “Ts it whisky ye’re gaggin’ at?” cri erry. ‘© What's ome wid ye, Bob, that ye’d be fur shtanding off a binifactor? Step up, man, and get health, wealth and happiness, as free as the air ye breathe.” ‘ “'Thar’s mighty little health, wealth, or happi- ness in the keerds fur me!” growled Black Bob, getting upon his feet sullenly, and with no re- laxation of the ugly scowl on his features. The fact was, he had not been asleep, but was just then in that Slough of Despond called the * blues.” He was not actively meditating revenge against Sandy Andy, since it seemed hopeless to
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try to “ pit squar’.” But he was ripe for sug- r “anes om any one who would give direction | thusiastic his malice, “To the divil wid dull care!” cried Terry, ‘Ye may draw all thrumps the next hand. Annyways, here’s good luck to ye on the road to fortune!” When they had drank the toast, Terry took a buckskin bag from his pocket and shook it under the nose of his sullen guest. “Hey me boy!” he ejaculated. ‘Maybe ye’d be afther getting a shtairt outo’ me on that What do ye say to a game 0’ ‘Poker nothin!” growled Black Bob. “I hain’t got the smell o’ a stake!” ‘Ts that all?’ demanded Terry, as if this were the most trifling impediment. ‘t Who but me would be fur lending yea stake? Sure, this would be the divil’s own world widout arry bit o’ fun in it. Come along, man! It'll cheer ye up a bit.” Black Bob looked quickly at his generous host, who seemed to be not a little under the influence of liquor, ‘‘ Waal, I’m in fur fun, if it’s to be had,” he said, betraying no scruples about this one-sided sort of gaming, in which he had everything to gain and nothing to lose, But then, there was probably no one present who did not envy him his luck, As they played Bob won, and Terry kept calling for whisky, and getting more reckless as bis purse got emptier and his stomach fuller, hen he was ‘‘dead broke,” he seized Black Bob’s hand and slapped him on the back, declar- ing that he had never met a man so much to bis same road! poker?” ae ** But I'll have me revenge out o’ ye, me boy!” he promised him, ‘ Ye'll be fur seeing me over to the mine wan o’ these foin’ avenings.” “Mine be blowed!” snarled Bob, frowning blackly. - ** An’ what's the matther wid the mine?” asked erry. “J ain’t hangin’ out thar no more,” replied Bob, with a meee oath of bitter remembrance. They had left the Last Yell, and were walking companionably along together, with noone to pei any confidence that Bob might incline To such a nature as his it is a great relief to tell over its troubles; but Bob was such an ugly fellow that he had few friends, and so had been brooding over his hard luck, as he called it, in solitude, Now, at the first word of sympathetic interest on the part of Terry, he poured forth his story with much pena and many threats of re- venge, but all so vague as to make it plain that he did not really contemplate carrying any of them out. Terry, who had the appearance of a thorough- ly drunken man, entered heartily into his feeling of hard usage. ‘Bad scan til the dirthy spalpeen!” cried the Irishman, ‘Sure, wouldn’t I be fur gitting aven wid um if it was mesilf he'd used that aird?” “I'd like to know how Tidy set about doin’ of it,” growled Bob, sullenly. ‘© Whisht! wouldn’t I blow him and his dirthy mine into the air together? What show has an honest workin’? man ag’in’ wan 0’ thim bloated capitalists? I’m fur dynamite, I am! That's what talks, me boy!” 4 Then, as if this were only the aimless bluster of a drunken man, without premeditation, he proceeded to tell a string of purely fictitious ex- ploits of his in England and Ireland, in w hich he threw out suggestions that led Black Bob’s mind to tho, goal he intended, without calling his attention directly to the point. As he rambled on, he watched narrowly the man he was manipulating, until he saw his eyes gleam with a baleful fire, and heard him grind an oath between his teeth. When the idea occurred to him, Black Bob believed that it was all his own, and if the case afterwards had come to trial, he would have ‘sworn that noone had given him the slightest hint about it. — “Pye got him!” reflected Terry, when, with suppressed eagerness, Black Bob betrayed a dis- on to get away by himself, ‘‘ He wants to o and think it over without disturbance. Well, et him, T'll kape an eye on him meanwhile, and if he gets off the track, ’ll hunt him on again. So they parted, and Black Bob immediately set about maturing his scheme of revenge. Mo od bee he beard ee ae she dazzling prospects o e Black Hills Hy- draulic Mining Company. | 7 ‘ing ear rT inmareeeare a Sandy Andy. “I tell ye what it is, fellers!” cried an en- ummer, dirt-begrimed and with rags fluttering in the wind. “I'd jest like to be in ole Pine street, Frisco, with a round hundred dollars fur a starter! In one week’s time that stock’ll be jest a-boomin’ like sin! Won't thar be money coined on thisthing? Waal, Treckon!” “TI say, Hank!” cried one of the listeners, ad- dressing another, “‘hain’t you got some o’ this hyar stock?” “ You bet!” was the complacent reply. ‘* What’ll ye take fur her?” “Two hundred.” “Oh, you git out!” 7 May e you kin git some cheeper. Wade in! The well-satisfied stockholder was regarded with envy on all sides, “You'd orter treat on it, Hank, ole man,” suggested an old bummer, who saw but one out- come of any ane’s good fortune. Everybo Mes Sona ‘Wait tell I finger someo’ them dividends, pard,” said Hank, thrusting his hands into his pockets, and jingling some coins in pleasurable anticipation. “ The blasted fools!” reflected Black Bob, who had overheard this conversation, ‘I'll fix their dividends!” And he walked off by himself, already begin- ning to hate the men who would be injured by his treachery, ing they had done nothing to win a grudge from him, Out in the mountain wilderness he wandered by himself, until he stood, in the darkness and silence of night, before a structure which ex- tended from wall to wall of a ravine. lt was a dam, behind which were backed up the waters. which supplied the mining company with its power. : Great blocks of stone were piled one upon an- other, looking as if they would withstand any force brought to dislodge them. They faced a bank of clay, which kept the water from filtering through. ‘*Hyar’s whar Til git my work in,” reflected Black Bob, gazing at the structure with a sinis- ter eye. ‘' Tt’s lucky I dropped onto that hole in the ground. I didn’t think then that it was made to my band. What a fool l’d’a’ been ef T’d blabbed it, as it was on my tongue’s end to do, I reckon nobody but me hain’t got onto it, an’ you bet I'll work it fur all it’s worth. “‘ Dividends!” he growled, recurring to the conversation he had overheard. “It'll be some time before they draw any dividends out 0’ this thing! Ef I don’t swamp that cuss, it'll be because my name ain’t Black Bob! He waked up the wrong passenger when he kicked ine in the ribs, an’ one o’ these days he’ll know it, too! ‘Eh? What in Cain’s that?” With asiart he slunk to cover, and peered about with the eyes of a murderer. “Ttll be an unlucky find fur the chap as drops onto me now!” he muttered, drawing his revolver, and cocking it silently. CHAPTER XII, LOVE LAUGHS AT LOCKSMITHS, BETWEEN the day when Sandy Andy had made a mortal enemy of Black Bob and that which our story bas now reached, two weeks had elapsed. From the start the mine had “ panned out” big, and exaggerated reports of the new bonanza flew fast and far. In San Francisco everybody ae up a margin; and from Pine street to the back alley where Bridget hailed the passing iceman with & chal- lenge to buy or sell, the stock of the Black Hills Hydraulic Mining Company was ‘‘ boomed” ref that fortunes changed hands on it in an our, The stockholders were jubilant, of, course. They went to bed to dream of palaces like that of the banker Ralston, and were up in the morn- Wertthan ever before in their lives, to see the rising quotations in black and white across their steaming coffee, At Camp Seaton, those interested took their good fortune variously. . Major Pollard, who yet treated his sister with frosty civility, having exchanged with her no word about the matter that glowed in her heart and rankled in his—Major Pollard was 8) con- sumed with rage as to quite indifferent to money consideration. ’ He fairly hated the mine, as the indirect cause of his humiliation. : The Hon, Charles had all the worst passions of his nature roused by the prospect of inordi- nate wealth, — : ee _ by . Toe eee er) et » q ¥ =, —= He had entered into a scheme of jealous re- venge; but the thought that it would end in giving him the means to return to England and ride on the crest of the wave of popularity without waiting for a tardy title, gradually gains upon him, till one by one bis scruples of onor slipped away, and he banded himself over without reserve to the devil of avarice. He now looked upon Amy Pollard with new eyes. If he married an Englishwoman, her social rank would be already fixed; but the beauty of this daughter of the Republic, where titles are unknown, would make all places possible to her, . He resolved to stop at nothing to secure her. How differently was Sandy Andy affected. All day he stood faithfully at his post, and no man read in bis set features what was going on within him: but at night he gave himself up to bitterness of heart. For two weeks he had exchanged not a word with his beloved. Was it accident, the machin- ations of others, or her voluntary avoidance? What was wealth without her? A mockery! Never before had he cared for money, and now only as a stepping-stone to her side. But what if the pride which made her brother hostile ani- mated her too? : ; So he wandered off by himself in the moun- tains, eating his heart out, until ome night, in the midst of his self-abasement, a sudden ejacu- lation close at hand caused him to start violent- ly, and sent his heart into his throat, to flutter as it had never done before. As he looked up, the foliage was swept apart from which emerged a figure that had haunted his thoughts continually, so that now he was almost tempted to doubt whether it was reality or only a little more vivid figment of his im- agination. But the figure sprung forward with extended hands that grasped both of his convulsively, and a Voice that set all his nerves to tingling exclaimed: “Oh, Mr, Blake! is it you? I have been so frightened ” “Good heavens!” he ejaculated. ‘‘ Miss Pol- lard! Can it be?” She laughed, with a hysterical shiver. “Don’t scold me!” : She lifted her pale, frightened face to his, rade whiter by the moonlight, so that its deli- cate features looked like chiseled marble. Never had she seemed so beautiful to bim. “But what in the world are you doing here at this time of night?” heasked. ‘* What has happened?” ? “| have met with an accident,” she replied, ‘sand have been lost! Oh, it was terrible! terri- ble? I nearly died with fright when I heard your footstep; and then—oh, when I saw it was ou— She broke off, with an inarticulate, murmur- ing sob, clinging to his hands, and shrinking elcse to his side. ; His head swam with a mad consciousness of her reliance upon him. He did not know that he put his arm about her to support her tremb- ling form, It did not occur to him that he was taking an unfair or ungenerous advantage of | this moment when she was completely unnerved. He was not aware that be called her Amy. In- deed, be never knew what he said to her. It came out all ina rush. He must have told her ere nine. At any rate, be held her as if he would never let ber go again, and she was sob- bing on his breast, and did not repulse him when he pressed his lips to bers. In the midst of it all, she suddenly-gave a violent start, and fairly tore herself from his arms, to peer apprehensively among the shad- ows that surrounded them. ra ee an sor - othing, my darlin 4 mre vont Loorcainty saw something. There! | there! He followed the direction of her outstretched finger, but could see nothing. e listened, but all was still. “Tt is only your imagination, but to satisfy you, I willgoandsee.” } “Ob, no! no!” she cried, seizing hold of him, to detain him, with every maifestation of fear for bis safety. - That was wine to bis happy love. He caught ber in his arms again, with a cry of delight. But Ss resisted his caress, “Let us go away! Oh, how imprudent this is!” she murmured, _ It chilled him a little. The world was already coming between them amptin. , He gave her his arm, and chose the path for ) her, carefully putting aside the branches.
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‘¢ Where are we?” she asked. slightest idea.” This is the upper dam,” he answered. “Didn't you notice the flume?” “JT was too frightened to notice anything! But we are not far from the fort now, are we?” ac A mile,” “Oh! And it is so late! What will they think has become of me?” ‘* We shall soon be there,” said Andy, feeling how soon he was to lose her. ‘* And my poor little mare—poor Fleetfoot! I haven’t told’ you yet—have 1?—how I came to be here at such an hour, and in such a plight. ‘The poor creature slipped and fell—” ‘*You were thrown! You have been hurt! Why did Pha not tell me at once?” Sandy Andy interposed with a lover’s quick “*T haven’t the anxiety. “She lifted her face to his, and tightening ker clasp upon his arm, reassured him with a smile. “Oh, no. I am all right. But poor Fleet- foot! She is helpless. It wrung my heart to leave her. You sbould have scen her piteous look when I went away! I rubbed her leg and bound my handkerchief about it; but the pain was so great that she refused to try to get up. As it began to getdark, Iwas afraid to stay | onger; so! tried to make my way to the fort alone. I lost my head, as it grew darker, and I have been wandering about ever since. Oh, I can’t tell you the horrible sense of loneliness!” ‘But how camé you to ride out alone?” asked Andy. She quickly averted her face, but not so quickly as to hide from him the flush tha mantiled her pale cheeks, os ME, PRE) But she stammered wretchedly. How could she tell him that she had so longed to see him, that she had ridden out by herself in the half- acknowledged hope of a chance meeting with him—at least the chance of seeing him froma distance. Now she assured herself again and again that nothing would have induced her to let him see her, but the stress of circumstances in which fate had thrown ber. Well, we don’t know about that. The heart isa queer thing. It isn’t always reliable, Sandy Andy was not a coxcomb. The truth never dawned: upon him. Instead, a thrill of fear shot through him. ‘¢ T—I beg your pardon!” he stammered, as if he shad been guilty of an indiscretion. he could not correct his misapprehension, Maiden modesty forbade. “Poor Fleetfoot!” she resumed, slipping away from the subject. ‘* My first care will be to take some one to her. If she cannot, be got to walk, or cannot be carried to the fort, some one shall stay with her.” ‘* Let me go forthe mare. Where is she?’ he asked, longing to serve her in something where her affections were involved. **Oh, no!” she objected, stopping short in sudden trepidation. Once more the dread of he knew not what smote him, and he stammered: ‘‘ [beg your pardon! I hope you will believe that intrusion—” But he could not proceed in that vein. The words choked him. She put her band on his shoulder, and looking up into his troubled face with a distress that would not be disguised, went ‘on, with her breath aflutter: x ‘Tt must never be known that I have met ou to-night. You must take me in sight of the ort, and then let me go’ on alone. know—” a “‘ But I do know!” he insisted, suddenly seiz- ing her in his arms. ‘Ob, Amy, my darling! m I never to claim you before all the world? ill you let core part us forever? What is this cold-blooded worldliness, compared with the love we can give each other? But even that _ I shall be able to bay up, thanks to the mine that is going to make all our fortunes, You do not know how rich I shall—” “« And do you think that I—” : She drew back, with swift, wounded dignity, *“You? Ob, no!” he replied, not letting her go. ‘* But, since we both know the obstacle, let us not talk about it. Only you must promise me—oh, you must /—that you will not let it separate us absolutely. I am willing to wait and 3 Lapel Give me time, I will be patient, discreet, anything that leads me ultimately to your love.” _ With a quick impulse she threw her arms about his neck, Never! never! never!” she cried, passion- _ ately. ‘‘ How could you doubt me? if vi r . If it comes ou don’t" gmat Sandy Andy. to the last resort, nothing in all the wide world shall prevail with me against—” “* Against what?” he asked, ecstatically, as she paused. ‘The love I bear you! Haven’t you seen it from the first? Ob, that terrible moment when I thought that brute had shot you!” It was the first intimation he had had of what had brought her to the scene of his struggle with Black Bob. **Oh, you must be careful!” she urged. Pte enmity of such a man is more to be feared than— ‘““As if I could fear anything in all my life, after this!” cried Andy. ‘* But you ‘must do nothing to make an open breach,” urged Amy, reverting to her brother’s hostility. “Try every means of conciliation first. “T will. But if all fails? Ob, you don’t know the dread that seizes me when I think of it!” She took the best means to satisfy him, and then urged that they lose no more time. As they came in sight of the fort, they saw signs of commotion. Lights were flitting hither ae thither; men were getting into the saddle in aste. ‘* See! they are coming in search of me,” said Amy, as a cavalcade issued from the stockade, headed by her brother and the Hon. Charles Caxton. ‘' Now you must leave me to go on alone. Do not let them see you!” He took her in his arms once more. ‘* Forever!” he whispered. ‘* Forever!” she echoed, her breath fluttering on his lips. A moment, and she was hastening toward the approaching horsemen, while he skulked off like a thief in the night! What could be more bitter than this to an honorable love? The world might not see it! CHAPTER XIII, UNDERGROUND, Ir was Black Bob of whom Amy Pollard had caught a glimpse. ; If Sandy Andy had not been so confident that no one could be prowling about in that seeming solitude, he would not have allowed himself to be so lightly drawn away from the spot. +* All the more luck fur him!” muttered Black Bob, with a murderer’s grimace. ‘I wouldn’t like nothin’ better’n a crack at him, His girl, what seen him down me, would ’a’ stood a show fur to see me salivate him fur all he was worth, Blast him! [ll lay fur bim bad, yit!” “ There. was not a little ‘‘buncum” in this threat. The truth was that Black Bob shrunk from the thought of shooting at his enemy, with all the sickening thrill of cowardice. At the same time, if cornered, he might be dangerous. But now a new channel had been given to his thoughts, all in keeping with his base nature, “Sparkin’, air they ” he reflected, ‘‘on the sly, an’ at this time o’ night, out hyar whar the very dickens wouldn’t look to see sich like! Id ’a’ ‘lowed as they was too high-toned fur that. But I reckon the major, he won't have it no- how, an’ they know it. That’s what made him so wrathy. I wondered what had got into him, fur to take up fur the like o’ me, what he wouldn’t wipe his shoes on, he’s that high an’ mighty. Waal, I "low I begin to see a hole whar 1 kin git my work in, an’ fetch him, down a peg. I don’t owe him nothin’ fur takin’ my rt. He ruminated this new scheme of revenge, the eee gg of which was especially grateful to him, as he prowled about the spot, after Andy and Amy had gone, ‘*T hain’t got the slight o’ writin’,” be said to himself. ‘That stands in my way. Reckon I'll have to let out that thar part o' the job. Waal, what’s the matter with Billy Cabiney? He slings a nasty quill when he’s sober. I reckon, now, come to think, it wouldn’t be a bad plan to git him to stand in with me, anyway. e’re old side pards, an’ he must ‘a’ got about as much o’ Andy Blake’s slack as he wants, by this time.” : This idea of baving some one to help him in his scheme pleased him so well that he imme- diately set out to secure his pard. He found Cabiney where Terry Flynn had found him, at the Last Yell. Billy Cabiney was just the kind of a little rascal that a sneak-thief is made of. At the same time, he admired in Black Bob the quali- ties he was conscious of lacking. Bob was a bully among men of his own kind. Where he was not cowed by the superior intel- i lect and pluck of his antagonist, there was a raster about him that made him generally ear He had the reputation of being a ‘‘ gouger,” and it was known that he had bitten off the end of a man’s nose. As he entered the Last Yell, he saw Billy Cabiney cowering against the wall; holding up his hands deprecatingly, and crying, in ‘the . shrill treble of the poltroon: ‘““You leave me be, Dave Binns! I hain’t done nothin’ to you!” ‘* Aw! ye blatherin’ monkey, I'll snatch the head off ye!” growled the burly ruffian, who stood before the cringing wretch, menacing him with a black scow] and a fist like a sledge-ham- mer. ‘‘ Hi, thar, Bully Binns!” shouted Black Bob, quick to seize the opportunity offered to win a claim upon Billy Cabinecy. ‘“‘ Let up on him if ye don’t want me to chug ye in the neck.” ‘‘What’s gone wid you?” demanded Binns, sullenly. “Ti show you,” answered Bob. ‘Ef you want to row, take somebody o’ your size.” ‘* The blatherskite hain’t got no call fur to go fur moe!” cried Cabiney, with a sudden exhibi- tion of e, the moment he saw that he was backed by Black Bob. ‘‘ I'll put a hole in him— that’s what I will!” And he seized the butt of his revolver ina most bloodthirsty way. Like a flash Bully Binns ‘‘ covered” him, ‘You drawer that thar weepon!” But with a gasp of horror Cabiney threw up his hands in appeal for mercy. ** Hold on, Bully !” he pleaded. “*T didn’t go fur to mean that, nohow!’ But already Black Bob’s six-shooter was out. ‘** Drop it!” he commanded, ‘‘or Ill bore ye, sure!” Binns lowered his weapon, and edged away so as not to stand directly between his ad- versaries, ‘*How many of ye does it take to mount one man?” he asked, savagely. ; “*T hain’t no row with. you as long as ye play Me cards straight,” answered Bob, who really ad no desire for a fight just then. There was a great deal of bluster before they finally quieted down to a sullen armistice. Billy Cabiney’s insolence threatened to make an adjustment impossible, but at last Black Bob shut him up, and finally got him out of the saloon. The enemies parted, ‘threatening to have it out at another time, Bully Binns giving Cabiney such a black scowl of baffled rage that the little rascal felt that his only safety was now in a close alliance with Black Bob. If it was known that Bob was his “‘ backer,” Binns would be afraid to ‘“‘mount” him, even when he was alone. Cabiney was therefore ripe for Black Bob’s pspropal that they strike hands on a partner- ship. ‘* But first,” said Bob, “‘ I want.to put through a scheme what ain’t ‘goin’ fur to show up no money, but what’s better’n money to me.” “I’m with ye, me boy, if thar’s fun in it,” re- plied Cabiney, who always wanted to be thought a very reckless fellow. “Pll swear ye not to split on me, to begin with,” said Black Bob, coolly, as if there was notbing in the implied suspicion to wound the self-esteem of bis companion. {n this he proved to be right. Cabiney seemed to take it for granted that some such assurance might properly be exacted from him. Hie was profuse in his promises of fidelity— quite too profuse, indeed. Black Bob made him repeat anroath that was ridiculous in the superstition it appealed to, and then betrayed his own slight reliance upon its binding force, by adding: y “If ye do give me away, Billy, T— Waal, never mind; but jest you look out fur me—that’s all ” Then he laid open his plot. ‘*T want you to steal some dynamite fur me from Andy Blake’s powder-bouse, You’ve got the best show fur to do it of any man what’s workin’ fur bim.” / ‘You bet!” replied Cabiney. ‘I kin do it as easy as rollin’ off a log. But what air a ‘lowin’ to do with that thar, I’d like to know “Tm ‘lowin’ to blow up the dam, an’ knock their mine into a cocked hat!” ‘“The dickens you be! Waal, you've got a resky job on your bands, my Christian friend!” ‘*Nary resk!” ‘‘Nary resk? Do you ‘low as they’re goin’ fur to stand by while you bore into the wall o’ that thar dam, an’ plant your dynamite?”
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_ seemed to form a part. had attended her, he learned that she was alone. Sandy Andy. of this?” he demanded. * An’ do you’low as I’m sich a fool as to go at coming and going. Moreover, he was too much That he should speak to her so before others it in that way?” P preoccupied by his military duties to know what “You've got te git under her to lift her, | she ordinarily did with her time, apart from hain’t ye?” those honrs when the daily round of domestic | told her plainly enough the state of his mind, ** Waal, I’ve got a back door to my leetle side- | and social life threw him into ber company—at | but she pretended not to notice it. show, pard.” meal-time and in the evening, or on some pleas-| As we know, she had been thoroughly fright- “ A back door?” ure excursion. ened aud nearly exhausted before meeting with ‘¢ 11] show it to ye.” He did not know that from the first she had | Sandy Andy; but there was now no trace of fear To make his word good, Black Bob took his | made a ¥ ractice of riding by herself. or weariness about her. ‘ to the dam even that night. The Hon. Charles bad undertaken to place Her eyes burned with a steady light, and she met her brother’s gaze without disconcer- tion. ‘There is no need of all this commotion on my account,” she said, with a touch of annoy- ance. “ T have met with a slight accident, that is all. My horse fell and strained a joint. But now that you are out in such force, if you will pro- vide me with a mount, we will go and see if poor Fleetfoot can be got to the fort. I had to abandon her when it began to grow dark.” The soldiers gazed at this cool lady with un- bounded admiration. Their notions of social propriety were nowise strict, but they thought that they knew pluck when they saw it. “At this time of night?’ exclaimed Major Pollard. ‘Absurd! Some one shall be sent to look after her in the morning.” ‘Tn the morning!” cried » oe “Why don’t you admit that you’ are willing that she should die out there alone?” On the side of the gulch opposite to that along himself at all hours at her disposal; but when, which the flumes ran, Black Bob finally came | witha woman’s tact, she had eluded his polite- 10 some rocks that were piled up so that it | ness, and he came to understand that she pre- looked, in the daytime, as if they were impassa- | ferred to be alone, he could but look on in as- ble. tonishment. “Have you ever been along hyar?” he asked. If she had taken a groom with her, it would “ Along hyar?” repeated Cabiney. ‘“ What's | not have been so bad; but solitary rides, in such the use o’ knockin’ yer shins over these rocks, | a place! when you kin take the old bed o’ the stream f she had not been so beautiful, he would without no trouble?” have set her down as eccentric, shrugged his “That's jest what more’n you has thou ht | shoulders, and troubled himself no further about about it, ef it ever entered their head at all,” | her. replied Black Bob. ‘ But it pays to nose about, As it was, prompted by pique and jealousy, he once in a while, in places what nobody else don’t | was at some pains to ascertain what she did with see no use in goin’ over. You do as you see me, | herself. an’ you'll find out.” Terry Flynn was his agent in this espionage, Thereupon he proceeded to climb over the | and the valet’s report was that she seemed to rocks that obstructed the way, until he dropped | have made the acquaintance of a miner’s wife, down into a sort of hollow among them. who was ill, and to whom she took little dainties Stooping, he rolled a bowlder from the spot | to eat, and flowers which she plucked out among where it lay, seemingly wedged tightly between | the crags. two bowlders of such immense size that it ap- Having satisfied himself that there was no She turned to the soldiers. peared impossible that either of them could be | meeting Gotween her and Sandy Andy, the Hon. “Tf you are afraid of discomfort,” she said, moved by any ordinary force. Charles had let the matter drop. “J will pay handsomely for the trouble of hav- Then he said: So came an evening when Amy’s chair at the | ing my mare properly cared for.” ‘* Lend a hand hyar.” foot of her brother’s table was vacant. The boys looked as if only military discipline kept them from cheering hér on the spot. As He put his shoulder to one of the bowlders, On making inquiry for her, he was told that bracing his feet against the cliff of which it | she had not returned from riding. Asking who | for money, there was not a mano Jack of them but would have gone to the ends of the earth to serve her, Knowing the futility of opposing her when she was decided, Major Pollard called a 5 uad of men out of the ranks to be placed under her di- rection. But Amy insisted that while she could show them the way, she coula not describe the spot where her horse was to be found so that. they could find it. In the end she accompanied them, attended by her brother and the Hon. Charles; and before: she consented to eat anything the animal was under proper care. : f All this gave Major Pollard time to think the matter over before he had a chance for a prtrale interview with his sister, with the result that he thought better.of his impulse to take ber to task. for her strange habit of riding about the moun- tains unattended. She briefly told him that she had been to carry something nice to the miner’s sick wife and then dropped the subject as if it was not o sufficient importance to call for further re- mark. When she had gone to her room, tired out as she admitted, the Hon. Charles took it upom bimself to ane pee Pollard, will you take my advice?” “ That depends.” ‘Drop this matter where it sar? “J intend to.” | Caxton looked into the eyes of his host a mo- ment, and then said: ‘“‘T think that a few days more of suspense, if you will be patient, is all that will be required of you.” ajor Pollard turned away his eyes, and re- plied not a-word. While her horse was lame Amy had another assigned to her use, and continued her habit of Billy Cabiney imitated his example, and was | Expressing surprise at this, he for the first time surprised at the ease with which they rolled the | discovered that she was in the habit of going on Lam rock over against the mate: from which it | these solitary excursions. had been separated by the dornick which Bob That sent the blood into his face, and made it recede again, leaving him white with amaze- ment and displeasure. He avoided the eye of his guest. What would the Hon. Charles think of this exhibition of American manners? It wasso far from being ‘‘ English, ye know!” But there was another consideration, far more important than this. What was the meaning of this strange practice? Was it possible that she could so far forget pater as to go to assignations with Sandy ndy? It showed how much the suspense of the past two weeks had preyed upon his mind, that this fear should now occur to him. Two weeks ago he would not have believed it possible for him to suspect her of such a lowering of ber dignity. e knew bis sister as a proud woman; but then her pride was not that vanity which is so often misnamed pride. It was of a kind which, he felt, might, in an exceptional situation, lead her to disregard social laws, and order her con-* duct scourdene © her own will. ‘And now, what was to be thought of this pro- longed absence? ‘ost men would have been alarmed, fearing that she had run into some danger. Major Pollard’s first icy dread was, that she had eloped with Sandy Andy! F In a breath he ordered his men to horse. Then, pausing fora moment at Caxton’s side, he =o his wrist, and grated between his teeth: “This is your work! If what I fear is had removed, *‘ Waal, I sw’ar!” cried Billy. ‘‘ Thar’s a hole in thar!” : “Thar ain’t nothin’ else,” answered Bob. ‘Did you make it?” ‘Don’t be a fool! How could I make a cave?” “ A cave!” And Bill stared into the black hole from the mouth of which the stone barrier had been roll- ed away. “But I put the door to it, anyway,” pursued Bob. ‘I don’t know why Idoneit. Butt jest lowed it would stand me in hand to keep that secret to myself, some day.” There was nothing mysterious about the — to this act which was now to serve he purpose of his revenge. The simple fact was, that Black Bob was a selfish churl, and he yield- ed to the impulse to hide what he had discovered from others, even if, as ho then supposed, it could never do him any good. Dropping upon all-fours, the plotters entered the cave, within which Black Bob, to his com- panion’s surprise, procured torches, by the light of which he hare to show the interior. «You see how this hyar thing turns,” he said —** go's to go up-stream toward the dam.” ‘Tt looks to me like a ram’s horn,” answered Cabiney, bewildered by his strange surround- ings. ‘ Waal, I’ve measured it all, an’ I kin locate every step o’ the way. Do ye see that thar spot? And he struck a particular place on the side wall, “‘Tt’seasy enough to see it,” answered Cabiney ; ‘but it looks like all the rest of it to me.” true—” “* Waal,” said Bob, ‘that thar’s —— the “« My work!” gasped the Hon. Charles, in | riding at will... 4 dam, jest back 0’ the face wall. Knock out ten amazement. Now she seemed strangely attracted to the feet o' that thar stone, an’ it fetches ye to_the “« Bah!” ejaculated the major, seeing his guest’s vicinity of the upper dam. She found the exact spot where Sandy Andy had told his love so impassionedly, and Higa gathered flowers in the vicinity, she would sit. there arranging them. | . ‘ The place was a wild silvan solitude, with the silence broken only by the twittering of birds and the ripplivg of water. 4 % While sitting there she had nothing of the ap- pearance of expecting to meet any one. She seemed entirely engrossed with her flowers. But her face was radiant with bappiness, and when she bent from time to time and kissed the flowers, an observer would have thought that. she was passionately fond of them. When she arose and went away, the t was always strewD with blossoms that had fallen from her lap. There was no apparent design in this, But there was one who saw this with a clearer understanding. If she had detected the burning glances that were bent upon her from a secret place among misapprehension with impa ience. Then he explained his meaning. “Tf you had let me alone—” But here he checked himself, It occurred to him that, if his suspicions proved unfounded, it would not be pleasant to reflect that the Hon. Charles knew he had held them. “Tt was too late, however. Caxton, whatever his faults, was not wanting in quickness of wit, “Nonsense!” he exclaimed, looking Major Pollard straight in the face. “I confess you astonish me. Such a thing is impossible.” Major Pollard rushed away with a smothered clay what holfs up all the water rb er. You tunnel a piece into that, set your oad, touch ’er off, an’ up goes Mr. Dam, an’ ye clean up that flume all the way from hyar to Cass’s Flat.” « An’ who's goin’ to doall this hyar tunnelin’?” asked Billy, with a duhious look of satisfaction. “T be,” answered Bob, promptly. ‘An’ what be I supposed to be doin’ all this while?” “ You go ahead with your reg’lar work, as ef nothin’ wa’u’t goin’ on. Only yousteal me what dynamite I want, an’ the tools to work with.” So said, sodone! Black Bob toiled away with a zeal that be had never before thrown into work, until all was in readiness for the execu- tion of his revenge. - Then came an event for which he was not altogether prepared. CHAPTER XIV. TIME TO ACT! Masor POLLARD was too proud a man to think of such a thing as spying upon his sister’s oath. The Hon. Charles was the more positive, in that he had received the report of his valet only a few days before. His only fear therefore, was that some accident had happened to Amy. When they came upon her hurrying to meet them, carrying the trail of her long riding-habit on her arm, Major Pollard was plainly moved out of his usual self-control. color from her chee “ Amy, what in heaven’s name is the meaning . the rocks and a it would bave driven the sat the moment when the 2. a
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} { Sandy Andy. 11 softest bloom came into them at thought of what she was really doing. “Sweet on him!” growled Black Bob, in de- tailing the matter to Billy Cabiney, who listened with his mouth open with interest. ‘‘ Waal, I should smile! Why, man, you’d take her to be the softest-hearted little daisy that ever had her head turned with foolishness, an’ she as proud as Lucifer to everybody but Sandy Andy. She comes thar and strews flowers on the spot whar he made love to her—hang me ef she don’t!— jest as if it was a grave.” ‘* A grave!” cried Billy Cabiney. Then he laughed. : “ Do you ‘low as a grave is the only place—” ‘* Cheese it!” interposed Bob. ‘‘I know that as well as youdo. But the thing for us to con- sider is, that it won’t do us no good to have her nosin’ about in our way.” ‘* That’s so,” admitted Billy. to git shut of her?” ‘Pye got that all chalked out. You drop a line to Major Pollard, askin’ him ef-he’s be- knownst to the fact as how his sister is ridin’ out fur to see her lovyer, all on the sly. That'll sicken him, an’ good-by to her skylarkin’!” “But Sandy don’t come up hyar.” “That's all so; but how’s the major to know that?” ** So I sets down an’ tells him, an’ then he goes an’ mounts Sandy Andy, an’ Andy he comes an’ climbs me, Oh, no; not fur Joe!” ‘Waal, you be a fool! Do you’low to put yer fist to that?” ‘* T don’t "low to have nothin’ to do with it at all!” ‘¢ Waal, Dll bet you two to one you will!” The two men looked at each other, and the weaker ‘‘ caved.” “* What good will it do you to git me into a dirty hole?” he cried. “You do as I tell ye, an’ you're all right,” answered Black Bob. ‘1 low to have got this thing all chalked out straight. You tell bim the undersigned is his solid friend, an’ that’s all ou tell him.» Then how is he to know whoa riend is, I want to know?” So it came about that Major Pollard stood with an anonymous letter clinched in his hand while his nostrils quivered and the veins stood out like whip-cords on his forehead. For perhaps ten minutes he stood motionless, and then he formed his resolve. He would not take the Hon. Charles into his confidence. No; that critical gentleman knew enough, and to spare, already. He would act for himself. By way of preparation, he made a careful examination of his revolvers, CHAPTER XV. . READY! On the following day, Amy Pollard went upon her usual errand of kindness to the miner’s e. On her way back, she rode along reflecting on the most recent occurrence at the fort. The evening before, her brother had not made his appearance at dinner, but had sent his ex- cuses. He was not feeling well. With a tenderness bly born of her new relations to Sandy rary. ling had gone and xnocked at his door for admittance. He had declined to see any one, saying through the door that he only wanted rest and quiet, and asking her not to make a fuss about him. At breakfast he was still absent. He had gone out before any one was up, leaving word that he was not to be waited for. And now Amy was going over the event, recalling with a strange feeling of uneasiness the sound of his voice when he had spoken to her. “Was it a cold?” she asked herself, ‘‘ His voice sounded hoarse. Was it anger? Can he have discovered anything, or does he sus- t? ; That thought sent the blood into her face, and out again, leaving her pale with a blended emo- tion—of indignation on her own account, and of apprebension on ber lover's. _ “i he should interfere in that way,” she das But there she broke off, with a proud lift of the head and a compression of the lips. She knew her brothber’s haugbty spirit, but she did not yet dream to what lengths it might- lead him. She put these disagreeable thoughts out of her mind, and had softened with tender dreaming of the part of her errand that yet awaited exe- _ cution, when she was startled by the sound of a dislodgment of stones, follow “How air we voluntary ejaculation, asif some one had slipped and turned an ankle. Amy Pollard was as quick of wit as she was firm of courage. The sound came from behind her, at a suf- ficient distance so that there was no danger of her being seized with a sudden spring. The girl did not look round, nor in any way betray consciousness, From that moment, however, she listened with the keenness of a savage. “Some one is following me!” she reflected. ‘‘ Who, and for what purpose? If it is to come to that—a game of wits—we will see who wins!” Her first thought was of her brother. She tried to persuade herself that he would not stoop to espionage; but in answer to this a score of little things came up before her mind to con- vince her that she had been drifting on blindly, without seeing what was developing about her. She reviewed her brother’s manner. ever since the day he had been rude to Sandy Andy. He had not been himself. He had been polite to her—too coldly polite, in fact. And now what? She took one precaution, at any rate. She did not go to the dam, as had been her wont, Three days of uncertainty followed. Her brother met her at table, but with a frigid politeness. For the evenings he pleaded business, and left her to the Hon, Charles, On the third day she got unmistakable proof that she was being spied upon. On the fourth she knew that the watch was discontinued. She breathed again. ‘* He is satisfied,” she reflected. he has got ashamed of himseif.” Then came tender thoughts, veined with anxiety. ‘“What will he think has happened?” she re- flected. Of course the emphasis indicated her lover. Sandy Andy’s absence from the fort was easily covered by the assumption of close engagement at tbe mine. It was “‘ paying big,” and it was natural that, under such circumstances, the manager should apply himself to business enthu- siastically, to the neglect of social enjoyment. The fact was, that the same loadstone that had drawn Amy to the spot where sbe had first listened to ‘the old, old story,” had acted on her lover too. But he had gone at night, and stood there under the calm moon and serene stars. He had sat on the very bowlder on which Amy had arranged her flowers, and the moon- light had shown him the blossoms scattered at his feet. With a low cry, he bent and gathered them “*Or perhaps up. “Tf these are here by accident!” he said, “there will not be others in their places to- morrow night. If there are others—” He broke off, His heart beat wildly; his breath came in fluttering nts. If there were others there, he would know that they were tokens of love! The next day —— on Jeaden wings. When night came he almost ran to the upper dam, but when he neared the spot, hesitated, and was al- most afraid to test his hopes. But he found them| that night and every night following. Though he was denied the sight of his love, it was worth it, to know that she would establish this means of holding com- munication with him. But there came a night when nO messengers of affection awaited him. His disappointment was proportionate to the ecstatic dream he had been indulging thus far. He imagined a thousand ills. Something had happened to her, She had fallen sick! e pictured her dying, and he shut away from her! : But then came the greater likelihood that she had been detected. Then he fancied her under restraint, and burned with rage, and could scarcely refrain from flying to ber aid. A ey night, a third, a fourth, and still not a sign ‘*T will try once more,” be said to himself, ‘Cand then—and then I will make some excuse to go to the fort, at all hazards!” During one of those half-frantic vigils, he had been startled by a low, dull concussion, which at another time would have led him to make close investigation as to its cause. But in his distraction he had only glanced up to see if it was distant thunder; and then, with a vague, drifting thought that it was probably some sort of an explosion at the fort, he had let the matter slip from his mind. It did not occur to him that a cannon-shot by a low, in-' would have sounded louder, even at that dis- es ES tance, and that, moreover, there was no reason for firing a cannon at that time of night. He had heard Black Bob’s last blast, in makin his way through the wall of stone that separa the cave from the bank of clay that backed the: water of the dam. During the following days, while Sandy Andy was distracted with suspense, and Amy was try- ing todiscover by whom she was being shad- owed, Black Bob was making the most of his: time. “We've got shut of her, as I told ye we would,” he chuckled to his partner. ‘‘ Now it’s all plain sailin’.” ““T dunno,” responded Billy, uneasily. ‘I feel it in my bones, as if this hyar wasn’t goin’ through.” “Hang yer bones!” growled Black Bob, not: at all discomposed. ‘‘It’s because you’re @& blasted coward, Ef all o’ your shiverin’s was warnin’s, you wouldn’t do much to brag of in this byar world.” “Waal, ef I git outo’ this hyar with a hull hide, I'll feel good!” ‘You set a thunderin’ store by that worthless: hide o’ yourn!” ‘‘Tt’s the only one I’ve got!” “Ef it was tanned, it ’u’d make mighty good shoe-leather—fur runners!” “ That’s all right,” said Billy, swallowing this sarcasm without a wry face, ‘It ain’t tanned yit, an’ don’t you furgit it!” ‘‘ Waal, you bring me that last load o’ dyna- mite Sunday night. Then you play off drunk, an’ take your blue Monday, and come to me hyar. onday night—p’st! bang! an’ up she goes!” oe CHAPTER XVI. IN DEADLY PERIL. THE very fact of ber having been watched, convinced Amy Pollard that in this case, at least, the course of true love promised to run. anything but smooth. et the moment she felt that she could do so: with safety, she longed to return to the tryst— a one-sided affair truly, since her only knowl- edge of her lover was the fact that he got her tokens. With what tremors did she venture back, to: find the spot so solitary that, but for the dam: and flume, it would seem never to have beem visited by man. There was an overflow to the dam, and a re- cent rain had filled it so that the waste water fell in a silvery cascade down the face of the: stone wall,‘and ran, a shallow rill, along the old river-bed. This moisture still made the vegetation in the: gulch more Juxuriant than on the higher ground. Along the side where the flume ran, its hither- ward foundations for the most part laid in the bed of the stream, she saw some flowers which she coveted. ‘“ They are beauties!” she cried, enthusiasti- cally, ‘‘ and 1 want to leave bim something un- usual after so long an interval. I would bring pobre flowers, if they were not more likely to etray me.” ‘ There was a gully down which her horse could pick his way, and the flowers could then be reached by wading him scarcely more than fetlock-deep across the stream. With a, last look around, Amy started, made her way without mishap down into the gulch,,. secured the blossoms, and, attracted by others, kept on down the stream. n the pleasure of culling the flowers she had forgotten her apprehensions, when she was sud- denly startled by the sound of a man’s voice, so close to her that there was no chance to escape his notice. “‘ Now that thar’s done, an’ a good job too,” it. said. ‘The last cartridge is in place, an’ all we've got to do is to touch off that thar slow- match, an’ blow Mr. Dam to kingdom-come!” With a sudden gasp Amy tightened her tand . on the bridle-rein, and turned her head in the direction of the voice. Then she sat motionless, fearing lest some movement of her horse should betray her, and listened with all her soul. She recognized the voice, and saw again the scowl of murderous hatred with which Black Bob had regarded her lover when springing upon him. ‘‘T'll be settin’ on needles tell night comes, boss,” said anather voice, which was so muffled that she could just make out its articulations;. ‘* an’ maybe after that we'll both be dancin’ on jest nothin’ at all.” ‘‘Don’t you take on about that,” replied Bob. ‘* Who's to spot us, ef we don"t give our-- selves away?” whe hee or eo Pie | ry s > é P ’ +e - - DS ie Ee ly ee | : 4 ‘tga “a - oe : er si : , re SS en aoe = ee eee “ ss
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“ Waal, ef Andy don’t look up what you’ve ‘een doin’ fur the past two weeks, I lose my guess.” Let him look!” growled Bob, viciously. ‘Ef he finds me, so much the worse fur bim. He'll ‘find as he woke up a bad man when he hit mea kick in the ribs; an’ I don’t get no better by keepin’.” By this time Amy had located the voices, and her distended eyes were fixed upon a black hole in the side of the cliff, so low down and surrounded by bowlders that it otherwise might easily have been overlooked, when the head and -shoulders of the treacherous ruffian appeared to view, their owner creeping on hands and knees from the mouth of the cave. At that moment Amy’s horse tossed his head “to relieve himself of the flies that were pester- ‘ing him, and the rattle of the bridle attracted Black Bob’s attention. Half-way out of tie hole, he stopped as if shot, uttered a low ejaculation of dismay, and s cat the girl who was gazing at him over the ram- part of rocks that ordinarily hid the mouth of the cave. Following close at his heels, Billy Cabiney ran into him, and uttered an oath of annoyance. ‘‘ What in Cain air ye stoppin’ fur?” Black Bob saw that he was detected, so that ‘there was,no hope of retreat. But the knowl- edge of the only alternative left him held him spell-bound for a moment. His first thought was that he would have to kill this girl who had come upon him just at the «ritical moment; his second was that he might «capture her, and so secure her silence until it could no longer endanger his plans. He thereupon acted promptly enough, draw- ing his revolver as he hustled out of the cave, and stood erect. “Hold on, miss. I'll trouble you to git off o’ that thar animile. [I’ve got a word to say to you before you git out 0’ this.” So far Amy bad stared at him, fascinated by ‘the horror of the reveiation that had come to her, and of the peril of her own situation. She had not a doubt that this black-browed ruffian would shoot her with as little remorse as he would thrust any other obstacle out of the way of his revenge. But she had no thought for self. She thought of her lover, struggling, sinking, perishing in the mad rush of the torrent his implacable enemy was about.to let loose upon him, How could she get to bim in time to warn him out of that gulch of death? Her first thought was flight, bagk over the way she had entered the gulch, and she cast a hurried glance in that way. But this was to seek a circuitous way, and one of which she was uncertain, when everything depended upon expedition. he direct way was straight down the gulch, ast Black Bob’s revolver, with the chance of ing overtaken by the torrent and drowned if she esca his shot. The thought flashed through her brain that this was the most she could do—to offer her life for her lover’s; and setting her teeth hard, she drew the rein which would direct her horse down the gulch, and hitting him a sharp cut with the whip, shouted at she top of her voice: * Charge!’ ‘ He was an old war-steed, and she had put bim ‘to his‘speed by shouting this command in sport. Now, her life and all she held dear was at stake. With a neigh of excitement the horse bounded forward, dashing the water on all sides from his flying hoofs. “Halt!” yelled Bob, leaping over the barrier of rocks ‘and trying to seize her_bridle-rein. But now her eyes were blazing. The metal of her ure that Billy Boston had seen was fully roused, She realized all that was at stake, and acted with none of a woman’s ordinary hesitation. Allin one motion a revolver came into view and exploded. With a yell of pain Black Bob dropped the weapon which he beld in his right hand, while he sought to reach and seize her bridle-rein with the left. But she had measured the distance accurately ‘with her eye. The danger was not from his succeeding in bird sin} her horse, but from his fab after be had fail he shrunk from killing the man, if only she could escape by disabling him. This was her womanly weakness, A man would have killed him, to prevent him from set- ting of his train, “She's pinked me!” yelled Black Bob, with a ‘furious oath, ‘Stop her! stop her!” hs ‘ ey Sh ey ie eae Tat a -a volle 5, giREER) eS FP EEA a a es PORE ape > Sandy Andy, But Billy Cabiney was not forthcoming. He knew that he had not been seen, and he wasn’t running his head into a noose when he could avoid it as well as not. Far from it, he hustled further back into the cere, though he was entirely out of sight where e@ was. Raging like a wild beast, Black Bob, snatched up his revolver with his left hand, and opened fire on the fugitive. ~ Amy had her hair coiled in a knot on the top of her head, surmounted by a small jockey- cap, which was the best head-gear for riding where she might have to pass under the branches of trees. At the second shot she felt a wrench that threw her head forward, and the next instant her hair was streaming before her face, evi- dence of the deadliness of the ruffian’s aim. The third shot missed,as bad the first. The fourth whistled so close that she felt the cold wind on her cheek. At the fifth, her horse benders with a cry of pain. The sixth flew wide, ‘And now she was safe, if her horse had not been wounded with sufficient severity to incapaci- tate him before she reached her destination, “Charge! charge!” she cried, plying the whip pnaparinghy. There was yet the peril from the rush of the ae the villain might at any moment re- ease. He had said that all was in readiness for the ignition of the slow-match, which would explode a mine that would toss the barrier of rock and gley. into the air, and set loose the demon of the ood, ‘‘ Charge! charge!”—and the horse responded as if in battle. The explosion of firearms and the stinging pain of his wound had roused him t» the old insanity that the steed shares with the war- rior. . * Charge: charge!”—on! on! for life and death! Away! away! on the wings of love! Now plunging into a pool that might or might not be deep enough to throw horse and rider to headlong destruction, Now striking fire from the rocks, any one of which might turn and bring swift catastrophe and death. Now seud- ding like a swallow over a stretch of smooth sand, only scored by ripple marks. Every stride bore her nearer to her lover; but between any two might come that fatal ex- plosion. Was love destined to win, or hate? CHAPTER XVII. THE DEMON SET FREE.: Biacx Bos saw that the brave girl was out of his reach, but he resolved that she should not defeat his purpose. Raging like a baffled demon, he rushed back toward the mouth of the cave. “So much the worse fur them!” he howled. “P11 sweep the lot of ’em into eternity!” Amy had sbot him through the arm so as to disable his right hand, down which the blood was dripping freely. — Not without pain he climbed the rampart of rocks that shut in the mouth of the cave, and entering, shouted for his cowardly henchman. ‘A light! strike a Hgpt! Whar air you, you sneakin’ whelp? Why didn’t you come an’ ketch her when I called ye?” “T ain't doin’ that kind o’ ketcbin’, boss. My neck’s worth somethin’, it is, to me, ef you please.” : “T1] break it fur ye, ef I git a-holt of ye. But strike a light, I say. She’s spoilt my right nd, “ Pard. J ‘low as it’s about time fur us to climb. This hyar thing is off—” “ ofr ” And Black Bob followed this ejaculation with of furious oaths, “0 ” he repeated. ‘I tell yeit’s jest be By this time Cabiney had got a torch lighted, and now tremblingly handed it to his princi- pal, “What air you sot fur to dv now, boss?” he ked. “T’'m sot fur to touch off that thar mine—an’ that’s what’s the matter with me!” “What! Now, while the boys is in the ulch?” ‘“‘That’s their hard luck!” “You'll drown ’em all, like kittens in a bucket!” ““T didn’t put ’em thar.” And, losing no more time, Bob set off for the t where the slow-match awaited the appli on of the torch. aes) GEL zeae followed after him, quaking made his last. appeal with chat- tering teeth. ‘Hold on, boss! I went into this thing, agreein’ to sweep out the flume in the night, when nobody wouldn’t be burt, only in the pocket; but this hyar’s murder!” Black Bob only deigned to glance over his shoulder, as he hurried ferward, with a snort of contempt. On he went, till he came to the spot where he had blasted through the rock and planted his mine under the dam. : : There everything was in readiness, the’ slow- match protruding from the ground like the tail of a snake: > In an agony of fear Billy Cabine boldened to seize the arm of the wo derer, and cry: ‘* Hold on, Bob, fur God’s sake!” For answer, Black Bob wrenched himself free, and deliberately thrust the torch against the match. : Instantly it ignited, and darted forth little sputterings of fire. With a shriek Billy Cabiney darted toward the mouth of the cave, groping in the darkness as he rushed beyond the range of the torch- light. Mors deliberately Black Bob followed him. Once out of the cave, he said, coolly: : “ Now I reckon it'll stand us in hand to make tracks out.o’ this. Bein’ ketched means hemp, an’ don’t you furgit it!” On second thought he said. — “T reckon, though, I'll resk it to see the thing off.” ‘Waal, I can’t do no more hyar, so r’m—" “ Stayin’ ak whar you be!” * But, Bob—” : For answer, Black Bob coolly cocked his re- volver, but replied not a word. Billy Cabiney “ caved,” with a dismal groan, They went out of reach of the flying rocks, and waited. It seemed an age. Then came a sudden, quick jerk of the earth, backward and forward, as if the mountain had been hit by a tremendous hammer, and the svhole mass of the dam rose with an apparent slowness that was aston- ishing. But greater speed seemed to be imparted to the uppermost stones, which shot into the air with startling velocity, and to a great hight. Then vomiting yellow, sulphurous smoke from a thousand gaping cracks and crevices, the great mass of earth and rocks settled back to earth, while the air quivered with a roar like thunder. The water of the dam boiled and tossed great columns of snowy spray high into the air, and swept backward in a tidal wave. There it gathered its forces for a mighty rush, and then came onward, a toppling breaker, that swept over the debris of the barrier that had hitherto imprisoned it, and sped on down the gulch, tearing out the flume, and bearing the wreck away in its boiling surge, as if it were built of matches. God help the life that stood in the march of this liberated fiend of destruction! Black Bob yelled and capered like a maniac as he viewed the execution of his revenge. Billy Cabiney took advantage of his preoccu- pation to slip away and run for dear life. | “Bf he’s fool enough to stay hyar an’ git ketched, I ‘low it'll stand ‘ 15 truly’ in hand to git a mite of a start o’ Judge Lynch! What a blasted idiot I was to go in with him, a my? in sich a rackety scheme! I hadn’t nothin’ make by it.” Meanwhile, Amy Pollard bad heard the ex- losion, and knew that she was now racing for ife and death with the remorseless fury that was pursuing her. ; The gulch resounded with the roar of the waters and the crash of shivering timbers, drawing ever nearer. Z At last she came in sight of the miners, who were busy at work, as if nothing had bap- ned. She wondered at this. Surely such an explo- sion must have made itself heard and felt at a mile distant. F But she recalled the noise that accompanies hydraulic mining, the biss of the water and the boom and jar of falling masses of rocks and earth, If one of these tremendous landslides bad taken place just at the time of the explo- sion at the dam, it might have diverted atten- tion from it. And this was the fact. But even as she looked, there were signs of Billy Cabine with terror, an was em- d-be mur- {
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, ee ee Aa Sandy Andy. 13 ee eeeeeeeeeoaoOoanananuaWuuD@e_e_eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee——T—oeos commotion. had heard the explosion, and now saw the cloud of smoke that rose to view over the tree- to Kuowing tbat her voice could not be heard, Amy drew her revolver, and fired it off several times in rapid succession, at the same time ut- tering a loud scream of terror. That drew the eyes of the men who were hold- ing the nozzle, from which streamed an arch of water like a long, snowy plume, At sight of her they dropped the nozzle, to stare in amazement and waking fear. What.could it mean? She was wild with ter- ror—that, was plain. A great shouting followed, and a moment later Sandy Andy appeared in view beside the men who had held the nozzle. He in that fatal gulch! That was what she had feared! She cried out to him to save himself, though she knew that her words could not be intelli- ble, .. er But the men guessed that the dam had burst, and she saw them turn and flee for their lives. Instead of following their example, Sandy Andy ran toward her, with every manifesta- tion of solicitude for her cafety before any thought of self. So they came together. ** Amy, for God’s sake—” “Thedam! That villain has blown it up! It is sweeping everything before it! Oh, you will be drowned! My love! my love!” She drew her horse upon his haunches, and leaped from the saddle into her lover’s arms. “Mount! mount!” she cried, trying to free herself from his embrace, and to push him toward the horse. ‘‘Save yourself! Do not think of me!” Without a word he gazed up the gulch, where the onrushing tide was almost in sight, then lanced hurriedly from side to side of the p: that hemmed them in, and catching-her bodily up in his arms, ran with her toward the rocky wall. Arriving there, he xet her on ber feet. Then began a scrambling climb. the details of which she could never recall, All she remembered was, that she seemed like a child in his grasp, as he sprung from ledge to ledge, to turn and draw her up to his side, then on again, up! up! up! until, with a deafenin roar and the blinding toss of spray, the fi was upon them. She felt his arms close about her as he pressed her body between his own and the rocky wall, She felt the cold rush of air and spray. There was a shock, and for one awful moment she be- lieved that they were being swept from the e. . en the danger was past, The wave that was licking the side of the canyon as it swept onward, to draw all shrinking life into its in- satiable maw, was going on down the gulch. The surging torrent that swept along in its wake wo’ ad again rise so high. é. But see! Her rver was sinking at her feet with an involuntar oan, How pale he was! He ad been hurt! * Andrew! Andrew! what is the matter? Oh, ‘ou—” i: It is nothing. One of the timbers of the flume grazed me—thatisall, You are safe, my darling!” He smiled through his pain. His eyes told her that nothing could hurt him seriously, she being safe, and showering her love upon him so. He had sunk upon one knee. She supported him in her arms, pouring over him a stream of words of endearing solicitude, — ‘It chanced that her back was toward the f in which they had so nearly met their éath, but he was in position to look across to the other cliff, on the brow of which was being ae a scene of terrible import. _ here Major Pollard, his teeth clinched, his eyes blazing, his face as white as death, was srugeni in the grasp of the Hon. Charles axton. “Tet méalone! Ill kill him, I say! So help me God, I'll kill him!” , CHAPTER XVIII. KNOCKED OUT! “POLLARD, you are beside yourself! In heayen’s name, listen to reason! | What good can come of carrying out this mad impulse? Gy Bae him, I say!” — r oO can prevent you : ee Caxton, who was no lete, exerted all his strength the rage-maddened man. Some one on the top of the bank’ The struggle was a fierce one, but the Eng- lishman prevailed. “You have interfered with me altogether too much already,” grated Major Pollard, still strug- gling fiercely. “Let me go! You have no right— ‘T have the right of a friend, just as I would deter you from committing suicide, Calm your- self, Pollard. Can’t you see that, besides destroy- ing yourself, you will precipitate a scandal al- most as great as the one you wish to avoid? We can dispose of the fellow without this useless sac- rifice. He isn’t worth it.” ‘‘ This is the result of your efforts. to dispose of him!” growled Major Pollard, with intense bitterness, ‘¢ Could any one foresee such a chance?” plead- ed the Hon, Charles. ‘‘ But nothing shall come of it. Weare the only witnesses, and I pledge you that the next step shall bar any chance of a repetition of the like.” ajor Pollard was forced to yield. He was already disarmed. But the Hon. Charles added an argument that was a further salve to his wounded vanity. ‘Ts not my interest in my future wife as great as yours in your sister?” And he drew the major away from the spot. It was fortunate that he had discovered Ma- jor Pollard’s espionage of his sister, and had followed him so,as to be on hand at the critical moment, But he was pale and trembling with the agita- tion of a man who had taken upon his con- science a burden incalculably greater than he had intended. It is only just to him to say that his plans had not included the death of any one. But now the sight of that irresistible flood rushing down upon the miners hemmed in by the walls of the gulch as in a death-trap, had unnerved him. To divert Major Pollard from the rage that ssessed him, and to satisfy himself on a point hat was racking his brain, he burried him down the course of the gulch, till they came to a place where it gave upon a plain. Here wasan accumulation of the debris of the flume, scattered far and wide, where it had been left by the subsiding waters, which had now all run out of the gulch, ; bk here also was something far more ter- rible. Here they came upon Terry Flynn, standin, over the body of a drowilell Wari ehcclngs at the corpse with blanched lips and trembling limbs. An awful glance was exchanged by the three, They looked at one another; their eyes fell; pond shuddered! Henceforth they were bound in the closest of all leagues—that in which the tie is a murder in which all are concerned. Without a*word, they fled the spot! Of course the greatest excitement followed this a Amy Poilard’s testimony fastened the guilt directly unon Black Bob, and suspicion attached to Billy Cabiney as his accomplice, both from the fact of their known intimacy of late, and of Tele disappearance, ‘he two were bunted like wild beasts, but were not caught—thanks to a litile maneuver on the part of the Hon. Charles, who, it will be under- stood, preferred that they should not be taken, though if they had been they could in no way have traced the suggestion to him. In San Francisco the bursting of the bubble almost precipitated a panic. _ The stock of the Black Hills Hydraulic Min- ing Company fell as if it had been struck by lig bi and when an assessment was made on the stoc holders for a fund to repair the damage Pr ncaa to begin anew—it went clean out of sight. he wildest reports were set in circulation. The whole scheme was denounced as a fraud. It was said that there had never been a paying amount of gold washed from the mine, and that the destruction of tae dam and the escape of the destroyer were with the connivance of a ring of managers. . Then came a report that the mine had proved fabulously rich, and that the whole thing was a na to break down the stock with a view to buying it in—a bit of sharp hes ag that has made more than one bonanza king! ‘But this report was traced directly to a man -Who was ‘ in up to his neck, and anxious to un- load,” and after a spasmodic rally, the stock went down again flat. reryuody united in cursing Sandy Andy, hose brutal treatment of the criminal—so the story finally ran—had provoked the retaliation for which all now suffered. In twenty-four hours he found himself sup- planted by the Hon. Charles Caxton, into whose hands the management of the company was: given. He had no means of paying the assess- ments demanded, and they wiped him out clean? He stood a bankrupt and universally execrated man! Where now were all of his prospects of wealth? Where now was his dream of love? For a time the man was stunned. A few friends rallied round him, and would have saved him financially, as far as they could, by placing their ‘ piles’ thanked them and said no. What he was thinking of, was the scene he had witnessed on the bluff. Of what avail was: money if the hated brother was carried to the point of menacing his very life? ‘¢ It will be the death of one of us,” he mused. ‘ What matter which? In either event it wilh wreck ber life; Have I a right to do that? I[ will goaway. She will not forget me—not al- together,” he added, with a spasm of anguish— ‘* but time will soften her sorrow. It is better so. Ah! if I could see her once more! But,-no- —I had better'take myself off. I have been the: cause of enough mischief already.” He wandered off by himself, he knew not where. Time passed, he scarcely noticing the difference between night and day. ; Suddenly, he was set upon, and securely bound by men, he knew not whom. “ Sor? he said to himself. ‘‘ This is the end. They are going to have ee Well, per- haps that is the best way out of the difficulty.” nd he closed his eyes in a dead apathy. He was startled into wondering interest, how- ever, by a cheery hail of: ““ Waal, pardner, hyar we air ag’in’!” He looked up, and the smiling captor who stood over him grinning with enjoyment intro- duced himself. “ Corvette, at your sarvice!” CHAPTER XIX. A BARGAIN DECLINED. Ir was indeed the road-agent chief. “But what do you want of me?” demanded Sand Andy, in bewilderment. ‘ Ithought—” that Andy stopped with open moutb. “That you were a party of sent tema stock- holders, come to take it out’of my hide. Corvette laughed. ‘““You’re in a bad way, pard, ain’t you?’ he said. ‘‘ Waal, the boys is onreasonable, an’ that’s a fact. Butall cattle is contrary. You've got to git used to that.” “What do you want with me?” asked Andy, caring little for the outlaw’s philosophy. “JT want to be your solid friend,” answered Corvette. ‘Excuse me, but—” ‘* Hold on! Don’t you go off half-cocked. You don’t know whar you stand, yit. After I let you into the situation, it’ll be time fur you to air your high an’ mghty virtues.” ‘Whatever my situation, I don’t see that you: ean better it.” “You don’t know that, I tell ye! Shut up that sasser 0’ yourn; an’ listen to what I say.” ‘Tf it is any satisfaction to you, drive ahead —the more since I can’t help myself!” **- You can’t stand me off that way. I don’t: ask fur your gratitude. I’m doin’ of you a — turn, whether ye want or no, jest because I’m a clever feller.” ** No doubt!” ‘“ Waal, say, now, who do you ‘low sot Black Bob up to cuttin’ up rusty on you?” ““T don’t suppose he needed any setting-up.” “He got it, anyway.” “He did?”—in surprise. ** You bet he did!” “How do you know?” ““T made it my business to find out.” Sandy Andy looked’at the outlaw, hesitating about the next question, If it was true that Black Bob had been a tool in the bands of another, who could that other be? He recaJled the scene on the cliff. His heart turned sick. He shrunk from the possible revelation, and yet he was fascinated by it, ‘“ Who set him up to it?” he finally managed to ask, “Terry Flynn,” declared the outlaw. “Nonsense!” cried Sandy Andy, with im- mense relief. ‘* Nonsense, is it?” ‘““Of course. What has Terry Flynn todo with me, or with Black Bob either?” * An’ who is Terry an?” That set Andy to at his disposal; but he , at did you think?’ asked Corvette, seeing ~
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14 Sandy Andy. ‘You don’t mean to say—” he cried, breath- ly. a Vas; I do,” interrupted Corvette, with a n. The name of the Hon. Charles Caxton quiver- ed on Sandy Andy’s lips, but he had magnani- mity enough not to cast suspicion on even his enemy, who might not be the one in the accuser’s mind. ** Well?” he substituted. : ‘Terry Flynn is the valet of a man who has no particular cause to love you, apart from any little money interest he may have in this thing.” ‘ ‘*A gentleman,” insisted Andy, struggling hare the suspicions that began to run riot in his rain, “Tt is my jealousy,” he kept saying to him- self. ‘It would be cowardly to let that lead me to entertain so —_ a suspicion of any one.” But Corvette said: ‘The Honorable Charles Caxton!” ‘You have no justification of this charge,” still urged Andy. ‘Oh, yes, I have,” answered the outlaw. “TI was after Black Bob myself—I make no secret of that—when I had a chance to see that Terry Flynn was playin’ my cards fur me. So I laid back an’ watched the game. Terry laid out Bob’s job fur him, an’ seen that he done it, too.” * But Caxton?” ** Let’s see ef we kin git a glimpse of his cloven hoof up Terry’s sleeve. He was a man before the was a —— as you say; an’ even gen- tlemen will stretch a point o’ the moral code now ‘an’ ag’in, when thar’s a lady in the background. Eh! what do you make o’ that?” And Corvette laughed at Sandy Andy’s in- voluntary start at this aJlusion to Amy Pollard. “ That ain’t all,” he pursued, ‘* While you was in that thar interestin’ position in the gulch —Oho! you seen the lettls racket on the oppo- site bluff, did you? Then it won’t be necessary fur me to say no more about that, But you didn’t foller their excellencies down along the nee till they come to whar poor Ben Shrader aid on his back a-lookin’ straight up at the sky, an’ seein’ nothin’ at all, bein’ as how drownded “men don’t tell no tales. An’ somehow they fur- got to mention that thar leetle sarcumstance, an’ moreover how they found Terry Flynn a-lookin’ at the dead man as ef it waked up his idees about the Day o’ Judgment. That’s kind o’ queer, ain’t it?” andy Andy stared in growing horror. An’ that ain’t all,” continued Corvette. ‘ It must have occurred to you that thar’s some leetle objection to your matrimonial scheme.” “ What of that? Look out what you say!” “Oh, you kin tie tome now. The truth will stand me in hand better'n ary lie.” “Go ahead, then.” ‘‘ Before we go any further, what do you sa to goin’ in with me an’ gittin’ squar’ fur what’s past? “Ty say no py “All right! We'll give you another dose! You will allow as matrimony is now an’ ag’in’ a -matter o’ money, an’ as bow it wouldn’t do no hurt to knock your pile as a starter. Waal, suppose that wasn’t enough. The lady might stick to you ef you was as poor as Job’s turkey. Now ef they wanted to break you all up, what “4uld they do?” ‘What would they do?’ asked Andy, with breathless interest. ; *¢ Jest what they have done.” ** What they have done?” **-You bet! The boss o’ this hyar scheme ain’t -nobody’s fool, an’ don’t you furgit it!” “‘ What have they done?” “(Made a contract with me to capture you. An’ byar you be!” ‘¢ Who has made such a contract with you?” ‘¢The Honorable Charles Caxton,” ** Impossible!” ‘* Waal, ve got the rocks in my pocket fur . doin’ of the job, with the promise o’ more ef the thing goes through all right. An’ he didn’t let the job out to bis valet, this time, nuther. He come to me in disguise, But, bless his innercent eyes, I’ve been a-spottin’ of him ’way back.” “But what can you do with me that will serve him?” “TJ might put you out o’ the way. But that ~%u’d be a fool tohisscheme, He's a corker, he is, ef ho could have it all his own way,” ‘* What is his scheme?” “To capture you as a road-agent, an’ hang you too!” ‘‘ But I am no road-agent!” ‘*How will you prove that? They raid us, an’ they ketch you. in’s believin’. You're hard ~ up—everybody knows that—an’ it won’t be hard to make folks believe that you was put to it fur to raise a stake. Most 0’ the boys won’t think very hard of you fur that,” Sandy Andy shuddered. Never was a man in a trap tighter than this. ‘* Now,” pursued Corvette, ‘‘I’ve got a pro- osition to make you. I like you, an’ I don’t ike the Englisher, nor yet the galoot what’s a- standin’ in with him, don’t have to tell you who that is. They made this thing up between ’em. That’s the reason he let up on you on the cliff. Now you needn’t flatter yourself that you'll have ary square trial, an’ that the truth will prevail. Everything’s all fixed fur to puta quietus on you, an’ nobody the wiser. ou’ll step down an’ out, an’ the girl will marry the Englisher, ef you don’t hearken to what I pro- pose, the which it’s jest this: “You go in with we allstraight. We'll run the girl off, an’ marry her, in spite o’ their teeth. Then we'll pick up our leetle pile an’ be happy. What's the matter with that?” ‘‘A trifle!” sneered Sandy Andy. ‘I don’t happen to be the scoundrel you seem to have taken me for. I’m obliged to you, just the same, for the compliment!” Corvette stared. ‘* Du you mean that?” he asked. ‘Of course I mean it!” insisted Andy. ‘*Maybe you don’t believe what I say,” sug- gested the outlaw. ““T am sorry to have to admit that I do be- lieve it.” ** And you will pre up your girl, an’ let her go to the grave a-thinkin’ as you’re aroad-agent, an’ marry that sharper? Why, bless your soul! what the difference whether she marries you, an’ you a bona fide road-agent, or that galoot, an’ he a murderer? He’ll put you through, as sure’s ou live, an’ he’ll marry her, too, heard him ell her brother so.” Sandy Andy shuddered. But he stood firm, ‘*T have said all that I have to say!” ‘Hold on,” urged Corvette, ‘ You'll never git a chance to see her, an’ make it right with her, ef that’s what vou’re countin’ on, This thing’s a-goin’ through, I tell you, an’ when folks wakes up, you'll be a dead man.” Sandy Andy closed his eyes, ‘All right! all right! It’s your funeral,” said the outlaw, and walked away. CHAPTER XX. A WOMAN’S LOVE. ‘““ Wat!” ‘¢-You’ll swear, ma’am, not to give me away? T'll make a clean breast of it. I can’t stand this—it ain’t in my line, soit ain’t. I niver done nothing o’ the like, an’ I don’t want no more dead men on my conscience. But if you give me away, faith you’d ruin me intirely, and—” “Stop!” said Amy Pollard, trying to still the wild beating of her heart. ‘ What is this all about? Calm yourself, and give me an intelli- gent account of this matter, if you can, You need not fear that I will betray you. Now, go on. Beginat the beginning.” With shaking knees and bloodless lips that quivered at times so that he could scarcely articulate intelligibly, Terry Flynn proceeded to unbosom bimself, It appeared that, since he had gazed on the victim of his treacherous suggestion, he had not had a night’s quiet sleep, and now that he was brought face to face with the prospective death of Sandy Andy, covered with unmerited infa- my, he could no longer hold out, He had been struck by the spirit Amy had more than once displayed, and he sought through her woman’s wit to find some way of saving himself from further criminality without a pub- lic break with bis master. He knew the Hon. Charles better than any one else did, and was not ashamed to admit to him- self that he was afraid of his revenge, if this be- trayal of his interests once came to light. Without reserve, therefore, he told Amy of what be had done, and what was its purpose. “ And now,” proceeded, the girl, breathlessly, ““what is this that you hinted at about Mr. Blake’s being a prisoner? A prisoner for what?” “Waal, ma’am,” stammered Terry, “ you must know as Misther Chairles has taken a liking to yez, an’ yer brother bas nothin’ ag'in’ “Skip that, and come to the point, if you please. Where is Mr, Blake, and who has ‘im- prisoned him, and for what?” * He’s in the gaird-house now—” ‘Here in the fort? Impossible!” ‘You wouldn’t think it, but he’s thayre all the same.” Amy started up as if to go at once to her lover, her cheeks flushed with indignation, her eyes aflame. But Terry stopped her. ‘* Hold a bit, ma’am,” if you please. An un- lucky step now will ruin us all.” She sunk down trembling. She had an awful feeling of being overhung by some peril with which she might be unable to cope. Terry then revealed the plot by which Sandy Andy was to be captured by the road-ageuts, to be given into the hands of the raiding soldiers in such a way that it would appear that he had been one of them. : ‘* And he was so taken?” gas Amy. ‘“‘Thayre was a fight,” said Terry; ‘‘ the road- agents ran; and the soldiers found his Honor lying sinseless wid the mairk of a bullet along his skull.” ‘¢ And is it believed that he was really one of the outlaws?’ cried Amy, aghast. “ Well,” replied Terry, ‘‘he was haird up— iverybody knew that.” “‘ And they believe that he took to the road?” “Tt’s haird to say to you, ma’am; but no- body spakes a good word fur ’um.” ‘“And he is pow in the guard-house, here in the fort?” ‘* He is that, ma’am,” ‘He shall be out of in five minutes!” cried Amy, once more starting to‘her feet. ‘*I said tbat I would not betray you, but my brother at least must be taken into our confidence, I will persuade him—” “A word, ma’am! You'll b’’ave that he wouldn’t be thayre widout the major’s ordhers.” ‘** But as soon as he knows—” ‘“You force me to say it, ma’am. But he’s much ag’in’ your likin’ for Misther Blake, so he is.’ Amy stared and gasped. Terry’s looks more than what he said began to convey his meaning to her. ‘*Do you mean to say—” “It’s my master as set him uptoit. Bad luck to me that iver I had to say that same!” Amy sunk back into her chair, as if she had received a blow. ‘Tell me all that you know about this,” she said, hoarsely. As delicately as he could, Terry convinced her that her brother was a party to the plot to de- stroy her lover. Then he developed a counter scheme of his own. **Ma’am, you'll pardon me,” he said, “if I make too bold. But I saw you in the gulch when the watber came near washing you away. I know what you think of Misther Blake, an’ the same is no dishonor to you. Well, it’s in a haird strait ye air, if ye’ll stop to think of it. You'll not give him up toa shameful death— that goes widout saying. But how’ll ye save him? Your brother is set dead ag’in’ um, more than you know. If you got him clear o’ this, the major would call’um out, and shoot ’um too, before he’d see you wedded to ’um, But then, are ye ready to tell the world that your brother was in this same? A trial would fetch it all out.” breed wrung her hands in bei ge despair. ‘What can I do? what can I do?” she cried. “Would you marry him wid this shame hangin’ over him?” asked Terry, point-blank. In her agitation Amy did not notice this, but cried impulsively: ‘* Before all the world! this very hour!” “Well, more honor to you!” cried Terry, eres lf and it must be added, with nota little relief. ‘*I thought you would sp’ake that word, so I got everything ready in advance.” “ What do you mean?” “Thayre are horses in readiness, and the guard is Sandy Andy’s friend. By morning you can be out of all yer throubles, so ye can, if you’re minded to it. , " The girl sprung up, white with excitement, But there was a look of indomitable resolve in her clear eyes. ‘*Can you take me to him?” she asked, *“ At ten o'clock to-night,” answered Terry. “1 shall be ready!” she replied, not a nerve Tre worth going through anything to ‘ It’s wo going throu nything the like of her!” cried Terry, when he had rt her presence, ‘‘I’d stand in Sandy Andy’s shoes fur the chance mesilf!” CHAPTER XXI. ALL FOR LOVE. So Sandy Andy lay in prison, and a more ut- alg miserable man it would have been hard to
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Sandy Andy. a warned him, There had been a brush between the road-agents and the soldiers, in which all the latter save their leaders were deceived. Sandy Andy had been taken to the spot bound. At the moment of the attack Corvette himself had fired the shot that had stunned his prisoner, soldiers. Where appearances were so dead against him, who would have believed such a story as his de- fense, even if he could- have brought himself to repeat the plot as Corvette had detailed it to him? Again, why save himself at the expense of her brother’s honor, if he could have secured belief? And if he failed to make himself be- lieved, it would not add to her happiness to know that bis last act was anattempt to blacken the reputation of one so near and dear to her. No! let it all go. She'was lost to him, in any event. » Of course, it was hard to know that she would always be tortured with doubts of his in- nocenée, if her love for him made her more Jenient than the rest of the world. But let it go! let it go! In the darkness he lay and longed for the re- lief of the oblivion of death, Then came the sound of cautious footsteps, the opening of his prison door, a hurried step, Pe habrew yy ** Amy! Good heavens! you here?” But her arms were about him, She was sob- bing and shivering, aud cautioning him to silence, “Oh, my darling!” she breathed, ‘‘that it should ever have come to this!” ** You do not believe—” ‘Hush! hush! I know everything.” ‘* Everything? What do you know?” ‘You cannot ask me to repeat it. It has } broken my heart. But 1 have come to save you. “Save me? How? There is no way.” She hesitated. Something put it into her . . heart to try him. ‘ a) 4 ‘* Cannot the truth be told?” she asked. YW } ‘* Never!” he answered, ‘ If you attempt it, I will make a confession that wi rhage any ‘thing you can say. No such sacrifice shall made for me. ou have not reflected. It has gone so far that one or the other of us must fall. f I were to save myself, I should lose_you just _ the same. So why destroy both? No, no! let ‘the miserable matter rest as it is,” “J ‘* But shall an innocent man—” hy **Say nomore. You believe in me. I care fe. nothing. for the rest. Ah! Amy, Amy,’ this sf was kind.” He strained her to his breast. For a moment she could not speak. When she could find voice, she said: “‘T. have another way. Allisarranged. If— if—you—will—” The words choked her. i ‘* What is it, my darling?” he asked. ‘‘ Speak!” i “Tf, after what has happened, you will yet S consent to—to—take me—” “Take you?” MJ ai ‘* We will fly together!” oa ws Amy! What do you say? What do you ean? “That I love you so that I could never sur- ‘vive you!” _ “Oh! but you do not know what you are say- ing! You do not know what hope—” fis head was ina whirl. He was almost be- ‘side himself with the mad thrill that her pro- posal called up. ; “No! no!” he said, brokenly. “I should be covered with infamy! Do- ty think that I ‘would consent to such a sacrifice as that? You think to make reparation—” “Reparation! {? When I am grasping at my, only chance of happiness! ‘ith a man who stands with a price set on from justice—one who will never be free from ‘the fear of being dragged from your side b ea the secret emissaries of the law, or by a Vigil. he ance Committee! No! no! let—” u will force me, then, to denounce—my own—” “ Stop, Amy ” “Twill stop at nothing to save you! If you leave me no alternative, I will force a full in- vestigation into this matter. J will break my pledge not to betray the one to whom I owe the assurance—the perfect assurance that leaves - nothing to surmise—of Nae innocence—of your led wrongs! I will no one, I a. un ell you! Drive me to it, and—and—I may end , in myself, but everything shall come to whom he had then left to be taken by the | ' his head—a felon before the law! A fugitive. that such infamy shall fall upor you!” She was speaking wildly, with broken, hys- terical articulations. She had drawn away from him, but suddenly she threw herself u him, twining her arms about him. ‘Come, come, my love!” she pleaded. ‘‘ What do we care for the world’s opinion? We-shall be all in all to each other. Is not that enough?” Who could resist her? He would have been more or less than human if he could have shut away the vision of bliss | that she opened up before him, He caught her in his arms. He held her fast, What was the misjudgment of the world, after all, if he had her, her life not blasted by any act of violence passing between him and her brother? It was the only way. Allelse was shrouded = the black darkness of despair. Was it possi- le? ** Can we escape?” he asked. ‘* Everything is prepared,” she answered, ** But I am bound.” ‘* They shall be removed.” ‘And my guard—” ‘Ts on our side. Otherwise I should not be here,” She made asignal. A man drew near in the darkness. In silence Sandy Andy’s shackles were removed, . Then they crept out into the night. ‘May God forgive me if I am doing wrong!” breathed Andy. ‘You are giving me the one desire of my life,” said Amy, with her lips close to his ear. They made their way out of the fort, with no one to challenge them. There is nothing that so much impairs the eyesight and hearing as gold-dust. When they were in the saddle, a hand clasped Sandy Andy’s. ‘** You will furgive me, sir, fur my share in this?” asked a low voice. ‘*T have no room in my heart for resent- ment,” replied Andy. And indeed, never in his life had he been so happy as in that supreme moment. *““Tll never forgive mesilf,” responded the same low voice, brokenly. Then they moved cautiously away, and soon increased their pace, until they were going like the wind. What need to detail the hardships of the weeks while they lived in the wilderness, hunted like wild beasts, again and again in danger of apprehension, yet never taken? hy detail the wild rage of Major Pollard; the secret meeting between him and the Hon, Charles Caxton, in which the latter was left for dead in the care of bis valet, Terry Flynn, the world never getting at the truth of that mysteri- ous matter; the intense excitement of all the re- gion, recalled even to this day, over the fruitless pursuit? Major Pollard, overwhelmed with chagrin at the scandal that had crushed-his pride, resigned his post in the army, and disappeared, no one knew whither. The Hon, Charles Caxton had no further con- nection with the mining enterprises from which he had expected so much. Before he recovered —which he did, eventually—the flume had been rebuilt, and operations resumed; but the gold seemed all to have been in that portion of the bank which Sandy Andy had washed. He too took himself off. One day, in the southern part of the State of California, a carriage drove up to one of the old mission houses. From the vehicle was lifted a lady, in the strong armsof a man whose exquisite tender- ness at once won the heart of the good padre, The lady herself was pale with illness, and so weak that her languid eyes closed as she lay with her head on the breast of the man who bore her. What did they want here? Why, to be mar- -ried, of course! Who could look upon her ex- quisite beauty and on his tenderness, and for a moment guess otherwise? So the good father made them one, and when they had gone, away toward the south, he sighed, and recalled more than once in his dreams—for priests are yet sufficiently human to have such dreams now and then—recalled, I say, more than once in his dreams, the ecstatic smile with which the lady had looked into the eyes of her lover husband when receiving her bridal kiss. THE END, | Everything had turned out as Corvette had light! No tie shall bind me! I will not endure pon 67 Patent-Leather Joe: or, Old Rattlesnake, the Charmer Beatlle's Half-Dime Library. BY PHILIP 8. WARNE. 175 Captain Arizona; or, Patent-Leather Joe's Big Game. 198 Captain Mask; or, Patent-Leather Joe’s Defeat, 219 Despard, the Duelist; or, The Mountain Vempires, 888 A Tough Boy; or, The Dwarf’s Revenge. 868 Little Tornado; or, The Outcasts of the Glen. 878 Little Jingo; or, the Queer Pard. 888 Little Oh-my 3; or, Caught in His Own Trap. 401 Little Shoo-Fly ; or, A Race for a Ranch. 408 Little Leather-Breeches; or, Old Jumbo’s Curse, 481 Little Ah Sin; or, The Curse of Blood, 451 Colorado Kate. A Tale of the olines. 480 Three Jolly Pards. 517 Jim Gladden’s Deputy. BY OHARLES E. LASALLE, 50 Burt Bunker, the Trapper. 52 The White Buffalo. A Tale of the Northwest. BY JONWN J. MARSHALL, 40 Roving Ben. A Story of a Young American. 97 The Outlaw Brothers; or, The Captive of the Harpes, BY MAJOR E. L, 8ST. VRAIN, 292 Sancho Pedro, the Boy Bandit. 801 Leadville Nick, the Boy Sport. 812 Redtop Rube, the Vigilante Prince. 888 Brimstone Bob, and His Lightning Horse Quartette, 852 Tombstone Tom, the Arizona Boy of “ Sand.” 859 Durango Dave, the Young Champion Wrestler. 871 Kingbolt Chris, the Young Hard-Shell Detective, 880 Avalanche Alf, the Foothills Guide. 890 Jaguar Joe, of the Mount.in Mail-Line. BY WM. G. PATTEN. 489 The Diamond Sport; or, The Double Face of Bed Rocke 519 Captain Mystery ; or, Five in One, BY MAJOR HENRY B. STODDARD, Ex-Scout, 806 Neck-Tie Ned; or, The Dug-Out Pards. 846 Rapier Raphael; or, The Swordsmen of Zacatecas, 891 Kid-Glove Kit, the Dandy of the Rockies. 898 Kid-Glove Kit and Pard; or, The Gold King. 406 The Mad Man-Hunter; or, The Mystery of Golden ulch. 505 Powell’s Pard; or, The One-Armed Giant. BY MAJOR LEWIS W. CARSON, 278 The Three Trappers; or, The Mountain Monster, 288 Indian Joe; or, The White Spirit of the Hills. BY W. J. HAMILTON, 68 The Red Brotherhood; ‘or, The Twelve Avengers. 66 Single Hand; or, A Life for a Life. 72 Mad Tom Western, the Texan Ranger. 887 Ben Bird, the Cave King; or, Big Pete’s Scoop. BY JACK FARRAGUT. 815 Ned, the Cabin Boy. 820 The Sea Sorceress; or, The Boy Skipper. ; BY LIEUT, H. D. PERRY, U. 8, N. 176 The Boy Runaway; or, The Buccaneer of the Bay. i 180 The Sea Trailer; or, A Vow Well Kept. 192 Captain Kit; or, The Mystery of Montauk Point, BY HARRY HAZARD. 828 Arkansaw Jack; or, The Scourge of the Mines. 829 Red-Skin Tom; or, The Demon’s Trail. 842 The Mountain Devil; or, Yellow Jack, the Outlaw. BY COL. A. F. HOLT. 899 Black Buckskin; or, The Masked Men of Death Canyon, } 419 Kenneth, the Knife-King. 485 Little Lightfoot, the Pilot of the Woods, BY J. W. OSBON. 469 The Rival Giants of Nowhar’. 498 Cactus Burr, the Man from Hard Luck, BY FREDERICK DEWEY. 818 Cimarron Jack, the King-Pin of Rifle-Shote. 478 Tangemund, the Desert Detective. BY JAMES L. BOWEN 107 One-Eyed Sim; or, The Abandoned Forest Home. 110 The Black Steed of the Prairies. A Story of Texas. A New Issue Every Tuesday. The Half-Dime Library is for sale by all newsdealers, five cents per copy, or sent by mail on receipt of six cents each. BEADLE AND ADAMS, Publishers, 98 William Street, New York,
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CRT BY EDWARD L. WHEELER, Deadwood Dick Novels. 1 Deadwood Dick, the Prince of the Road. 20 Double Daggers; or, Deadwood Dick’s Defiance, 28 Bulfalo Ken; or, Deadwood Dick in Disguises 8&5 Wild Lyan, the Boy Claude Duval, 42 Phantom Miner; or, Deadwood Dick’s Bonanza, 49 Omaha or or, Deadwood Dick in Danger. 57 Deadwood Dick's Eagles; or, The Pards of Flood Bar, 78 Deadwood Dick on Deck; or, Calamity Jane, the Heroine. 77 Corduroy Charlie; or, Deadwood Dick’s Last Act, 100 Deadwood Dick in Leadville, , 104 Deadwood Dick's Device ; or, The Double Cross Sign, 109 Deadweod Dick as Detective. 129 Pesiweod Dick's Double ; or, The Ghost of Gorgon’s ulch. 188 Blonde Bill; or, Deadwood Dick’s Home Base, 49 A Game of Gold; or, Deadwood Dick's Big Strike. 156 Deadwood Dick of Deadwood} or, The Picked Party. 195 Deadwood Dick’s Dream; or, The Rivils of the Road. 201 The Black Mille Jezebel; or, Desdwood Dick’s Ward. 205 Deadwoed Dick’s Doom; or, Calamity Jane’s Last. Ad- venture. 217 Captain Orack-Shot, the Girl Brigand. 221 Sugar-Coated Sam; or, The Black Gown. 282 Gold-Dust Dick. A Romance of Roughs and Toughs, 263 Deadwood Dick’s Divides or, The Spirit of Swamp Lake. 268 Deadwood Dick’s Death Trail. B09 anew orn Dick’s Big Deal; or, The Gold Brick of regon. 821 Deadwood Dick’s Dozen; or, The Fakir of Phantom Flats. 847 Deadwood Dick’s Ducats; or, Rainy Days in the Dig- ings. 851 Deadwood Dick Sentenced}; or, The Terrible Vendetta. 862 Deeaweed: Dick’s Claim; or, The Fairy Face of Faro ats. 405 Deadwood Dick In Dead City. 410 Deadwood Dick's Diamonds ; or, The Mystery of Joan orter, 421 Deadwood Dick in New Yorks} or, A “Cute Case,” 480 Deadwood Pick’s Dust; or, The Chained Hand. 448 Deadwood Dick, Jr. 448 Nickel-Plate Ned; or, Deadwood Dick Jr’s Defiance. 458 eee. Sam, ef Shasta; or, Deadwood Dick Jr’s Full and, 459 Flush Fan, the Ferret; or, Deadwood Dick Jr’s Big Ronnd- 465 Philo Fly, of Phenix; or, Deadwood Dick Jr’s Racket at Main \ 471 Bozeman Bill; or, Deadwood Dick Jr's Corral. 476 Humbolat Harry, tle Hurricane; or, Deadwood Dick Jr’s og Detective. 481 Moll Mystery; or, Deadwood Dick Jr: in Deadwood. 491 Teinee Pistol, the King of the West; or, Deadwood Dick r’s Compact. 496 Monte Cristo, Jr.t or, Deadwood Dick Jr’s Inheritance. p44 pena wees nee Die ings ; or, Dr. Death-Grip’s Swoop. end woo ck’s Deliverance, 515 Deadwood Dick’s Protegee. 522 Deadwood Dick’s Three. 5629 Deadwood Dick’s Danger Ducks, 684 Deadwood Dick’s Death Hunt. 589 Deadwood Dick Jr. in Texas, E49 Deadwood Dick on ills Mettle. eadwoo ek on & Mettle. 5654 Deadwood Dick, Jr, in Gotham, 561 Deadwood Dick In Boston, 5667 Deadwood Dick, Jr. in Philadelphia, 572 Deadwood Dick, Jr. in Chicago, 5o¢ Deadwood Dick, Jr. Afloat. 584 Deadwood Dick, Jr. in Denver. 590 Deadwood Dick, Jr's, Decree. 595 Deadwood Dick Jr. in Beelzebub’« Basin. 600 Deadwood Dick Jr. at Coney Island, 606 Deadwood Dick Jr’s Leadville Lay; or, Bristol and Bncket’s voom,. * Other Novels by E. L. Wheeler. 26 Cloven Hoof, the Buffalo Demon. 82 Bob Woolf; or, The Girl Dead-Shot, 89 Death-Face, Detective; or, Life in New York. 45 Old arptenenes or, Wild Edna, the Girl Brigand. ' BS Jim Bludsoe, Jr., the Boy Phenix, ' 61 Buckhorn Bill; or, The Red Rifle Team. 69 Gold Rifle, the Sharpshooter; or, The Boy Detective, 80 Rosebud Rob ben ugget Ned, the Knight. 84 Idyl, the Girl Miner; or, Rosebud Rob on Hand, 88 Phctogra7h Phil; or, Rosebud Rob’s Reappearance, 92 Ganede Chet 3 or, Old Anaconda in Sitting Bull’s Camp. 96 Wateh-Eyes or, Arabs and Angels of a Great City, 118 3 ook Hey the Young Speculator. ‘11? Gilt-Edged Dick, the Sport Detective 121 Cinnamon Chip, the Girl Sport, 125 Bonanza Bill, Miner. Boas Bob the King of Bootblacke, 141 Solid Sam, the Boy Road-Agent. 145 Toons erret, the New York Detective; or, Boss Bob’s on ‘ 161 New York Nell, the Boy-Girl Detective. 7 Makes 3 of Nevada} or, The Sierras Scamps, 181 Wild Frank, the Buckskin Bravo. 209 Fritz, the Bound-Boy Detective, 218 Fritz to the Front; or, The Ventriloquist Hunter, 26 Gnooser, ihe Boy Sharp; or, The Arab Detective, y Footprints. t Big Vista, 1 Miner; or, the Iron-Nerved Sport. phe fe 406 Woleklon nt ae Tvtest rin e ve. 6 Wigh Hat Ht Sam Sia’ : B P foae e Sal, Ra Sam, the Sparkler. t . b Sle oi Dists > Ja Dri oor PLDEE hap er " eae 2 ok SR ge i ae ees ae BEADLE'S* HALF-DIME* LIBRARY. - ‘Published Every Tuesday. Each Issue Complete and Sold at the Uniform Price of Five Cents. No Double Numbers, BY CHARLES MORRIS, 118 Will Somers, the Boy Detective, 122 Phil Hardy, the Boss Boy. 126 Picayune Pete; or, Nicodemus, the Dog Detective, 180 Detective Dick; or, The Hero in Rags. 142 Handsome Harry, the Bootblack Detective, 147 Will Wildtire, the Thoroughbred. 152 Black Bess, Will Wildfire’s Racer. 157 Mike Merry, the Harbor Police Boy. 162 Will Wildfire in the Woods, 65 Billy Baggage, the Railroad wae 70 A Trump Card yj or, Will Wildfire Wins and Loses, 74 Bob Rockett; or, Mysteries of New York. 79 Bob Rockett, the Bank Runner, 88 The Hidden Hand; or, Will Wildfire’s Revenge, 187 Fred Halyard, the Life Boat Boy; or, The Smugglers, 189 Bob Rockett ; or, Driven to the Wall. : 196 Shadowed ; or, Bob Rockett’s Fight for Life. 206 Dark Paul, the Tiger King. 212 Dashing Dave, the Dandy Detective. 220 Tom Tanner; or, The Black Sheep of the Flock. 225 Sam Oharcoal the Premium Darky. 235 Shadow Sam, the Messenger Boy. 42 The Two * Bleoda”; or, Shenandoah Bill and His Gang. 252 Dick Dashaway ; or, A Dakota Boy in Chicago. 62 The Young Sharps? or, Rollicking Mike’s Hot Trail, 274 Jolly Jim, the Detective Apprentice. 289 Jolly Jim’s Jobs or, The Young Detective. 298 The Water-HMound; or, The Young Thoroughbred. 805 Dashaway, of Dakota; or, A Western Lad in the Quaker City. 824 Ralph Ready, the Hotel Boy Detective. $41 Tony Thorne, the Vagabond Detective. 858 The Reporter-Detective; or, Fred Flyer’s Blizzard, 867 Wide-Awake Joe; or, A Boy of the Times. 879 Larry, the Leveler; or, The Bloods of the Boulevard, 408 Firelily Jack, the River-Rat Detective. 428 The Lost Finger; or, The Entrapped Cashier. 428 Fred Flyer, the Reporter Detective. 482 Inyincible Logan, the Pinkerton Ferret. 456 Billy Brick, the Jolly Vagabond, 466 Wide-Awake Jerry, Detective; or, Entombed Alive, 479 Detective Dodge; or, The Mystery of Frank Hearty, 488 Wild Dick Racket. 501 Boots, the Bey Firemans or, Too Sharp for the Sharper, 566 The Secret service Boy Detective. 596 Jimmy the Kid; or, A Lamb Among Wolves. BY OLL COOMES. 5 Vagabond Joe, the Young Wandering Jew, 18 The Pumb Spy. 27 Antelope Abe, the Boy Guide. 81 Keen-Knilfe, the Prince of the Prairies. 41 Lasso Jacks the Yoong Mustanger. 58 The Border King; or, The Secret Foe. 71 Delaware Dick, the Young Ranger Spy. 74 Mawk-eye Harry the Young Trapper Ranger, 88 Rollo, the Boy Ranger. 184 Sure Shot Seth, the Boy Rifleman. 148 Sear-Vace Saul, the Silent Hunter 146 Silver Star, the Boy Knight. 158 Eagle Kit, the Boy Demon. 168 Little Texaa, the Young Mustanger. 178 Old Solitary, the Hermit Trapper, 182 Little Hurricane, the Boy Captain. 202 Prospect Pete ; or, The Young Outlaw Hunters, 208 The Boy Hercules: or, The Prairie Tramps, , 218 Tiger Tom, the Texas Terror. 224 Dashing Dick; or, Trapper Tom’s Castle. 228 Little Wildfire, the Young Prafrie Nomad. 8 The Parson Detective; or, The Little Ranger. 48 The Dia«guised Guide ; or, Wha 260 Dare-Devil Dan, the Young Prairie Ranger. 272 Minkakin Mike, the Boy Sharpshooter. 290 Little Foxfire, the Boy Spy. 800 The Sky Demon ; or, Ruinbolt, the Ranger, 884 Whinp-King Joe, the Boy Ranchero. 409 Hercules: or, Dick, the Boy Ranger, 417 Webfoot Mose, the Tramp Detective. 422 Baby Sam, the Boy Giant of the Yellowstone, AA Littl Buackakin, tne Young Prairie Centaur. 457 Wingedfoot Fred; or. Old Polar Saul. 468 Tamarae Tom, the Big beg a Boy. 478 Old Tom Rattler, the Red River Epidemic, 482 Stonewall Bob, the Boy Trojan. 562 Blundering Basil, the Hermit Boy Trapper. BY T, ©, HARBAUGH, 28 Nick o’ the Night; or, Thy Boy Spy of 776. 87 The Hidden Lodge; or The Little Hunter. 47 Nightingale Nat} or, Tne Forest Captains, 64 Dandy Jack; or, The Outlaws of the Oregon Traits 82 Kit Harefoot the Wood-Huwk. 94 Midnight Jack} or, The Boy Trapper. 106 Old Frosty, the Guide; or, The White Queen. 128 Kiowa Charley the White Mustanger- 189 Judge Lynch, Jr.t or, The Boy Vigilante. 155 Gold Tr r, the Sport; or, The Girl Avenger, 169 Tornado Tom; or, Injun Jack From Red Core, Lhe Ned Temple, the Border Boy. 198 Arkansaw 3 or, The Quen of Fate’s Revenge. 207 Navajo Nick, the Boy Gold Hunter. a° Captain Bullet 3 or, Little Topknot’s Crusade, 2 Raven, the Ranger, $1 Plucky Phil; or, Rosa, the Rei Jezebel. 41 Bill Bravo; or, The Roughs of the Rockies. 255 Captain Apolivc, the King-Pin of Bowle, 267 The Buckskin Detective, 279 Old Winch: or, The Buckskin Desperadoes. 294 Preanite bans or, The Bowle Blade of Cochetopa, 802 The Mountain Detective ; or, The Trigger Bar 816. Old Eclipse, Trump Card of Arizona, $3¢ The Ten Pardasy or. The Terror of Take-Notice, 886 Big Benson; or, The Queen of the Lasso. 845 Pitileas Matt; or, Red Thunderbolt’s Secret, BSH Cool sam and Pards or The Terrible Six. 866 Velvet Foot, the Indian Detective. B86 Captain Cutlass; or, The Boceaneer’s Girl Foe. eve Rough Rob: or, The Twin Champions of Blue B 411 The Silken Hanno t oF, The of Ranch Robin. A418 Felix Fox, the Boy Spotter. 425 Texas Trump, tie Border Rattler, 486 Phil Flash, the New York Fox. 445 The City pes} Te Againet e Boy 477 The Exce 499 Single 502 B be B38 588 5 fires s. or, Red Rolfe’s Pigeon. t Fitty $ ty ‘The Last Man of Keno Bar, The Rival Boy Detectives, : Case. « the Boy Vidoeg, wo Shadows. 2 Dodger Dick’s Drop. 94 Little Lon, the Street-Singer Detective. rt ve ee ee ee Ne anes. ae BY COLONEL PRENTISS INGRAHAM, 7 The Fiying Yankee; or, The Ocean Outcast, 17 Ralph Ro yy the Boy Buccancer; or, The Fugitive Yacht. 24 Diamond Dirk; or, The Mystery of the Yellowstone. 62 The Shadow Ship; or, The Rival Lieutenants, 7S The Boy Puelist; or, The Cruise of the Sea-Wolf, 102 Dick Dead-Eye, the Boy Smuggier. 111 The Sen-Devil $ or, The Midshipman’s Legacy. 116 The Hussar Captain ; or, ‘he Hermit of Hell Gate. 197 Little Grit; or, Bessie, the Stock-Tender’s Daughter. 204 Gold Plume; or, The Kid-Glove Sport. 216 Bison BIll, the Prince of the Reins, ‘ 222 Grit, the Brave Sport; or, The Woman Trailer, 229 Orimson Kate}; or, The Cowboy's Triumph. 287 Lone Star, the Cowboy Captain. Merle, the Middy; or, The Freelance Heir. 250 The Midshipman Matlicers or, Brandt, the Buccaneer, 264 The Floating Feather: or, M sland, 269 The Gold Ship ; or, Merle, the Condemned. 276 merle Monte’s Cruixe; or, The Chase of “The Gold Snip. 280 Merle Monte’« Fate; or, Pearl, the Pirate’s Bride, 284 The Sea Marauder; or, Merle Monte’s Pled 287 Billy Blue-Eyes, the Boy Rover of the Rio Grande. 804 The Dead Shot Dandy ¢ or, Benito, the Bugler. 808 Keno Kit; or. Dead Shot Dandy’s Double. ~ $14 [say Mysterious Marauder; or, The Boy Bugler’s Long rail, 877 Benodel, the Boy Rover}; or, The Flagless Schooner, 888 The Indian Pilot; or, The Search for Pirate Island. 887 Warpath WHI, the Boy Phantom. 898 Seawalf, the Boy Lieutenant. ‘ 402 Isodor, the Young Cons«ptrator} or, The Fatal League. 407 The Boy Insurgent; or, The Cuban Vendetta. 412 The Wild Yachtaman; or, The War-Cloud’s Cruise 429 Duncan Dare, the Boy Refugee. 488 A Cabin Boy’s Luck; or, The Corsair. 487 The Sea Raider. 441 The Ocean Firefly; or, A Middy’s Vengeanee, 446 Haphazard Harry; or, The Scapegrace of the Sea. 450 Wizard Will: or, The Boy Ferret of New York. 454 Wizard Will’s Street Scouts, 462 The Born Guide; or, The Saiior Boy Wanderer. 468 Neptune Ned, the Boy Coaster. A474 Flora; or, Wizard Will’s Vagabond Pard. 488 Ferrets Afloat; or, Wizard Will’s Last Case, AS? Nevada Ned, the Revolver Ranger. 495 Arizona Joe the Boy Pard of Texas Jack, 497 Buck Taylor, King of the Cowboys. 508 The Royal Middy ; or, The Shark and the Sea Cat. 507 The Hunted Midshipman, 511 The Outlawed Middy. 520 Buckskin BI, the Comanche Shadow. 525 Brothers in Buckskin, 580 The Buckskin Bowers. 585 The Buckskin Rovers. 540 Captain Ku-Klux, the Marauder of the Rio 545 Lieutenant Leo, the Son of Lafitte. 550 Lafitte’s Legacy; or. The Avenging Son, 555 The Creole Corsair. 560 Pawnee Bill, the Prairie Shadower. 565 Kent Kingdon, the Card King. 570 Camille, the Card Queen. 575 The Surgeon-Scout Detective. : 580 The Outeast Cadets or, The False Detective, 586 The Buckskin Avenger. 591 Delmonte. the Young Sea-Rover. 597 The Young Texan Detective. 602 The Vagabond of the Mines. 607 The Rover Detective; or, Keno Kit’s Champions. - erle Monte’s Treasure BY BUFFALO BILL (ifon. Wm. F. Cody) 8 Kansas King; or, The Red Right Hand. 19 The Phantom Spy: or, The Pilot of the Prairie. 55 Deadly-Eye, the Unknown Scout. 68 Border Robin Hoods or, The Prairie Rover. 158 Fancy Frank of Colorado; or, The Trapper’a Trtst, LATEST AND NEW ISSUES. 608 ‘The. Pitcher Detective’« Foils or, Double Curve Dan’e Double Play. By Geo. C. Jenks. ‘ 609 Bolly Dorrit, the Veteran Detective; or, Little Lightning’ Invineihles. By John W. Osbon. 610 01d Skinner, the Gold Shark; or, Tony Sherp on Guard. Bp T. C. Harbaugh. 611 Bildad Barnacle, the Detective Hercules; or, The Tussle at Table Mountain, By Lieut. A, K. Sims. 612 Deadwood Dick Jr. in Detrolt; or, Turning the Tables on Satan. By Edward L. Wheeler. . 618 Billy Blazes; or, The Skeleton’s Legacy. By P.S. Warne. 614 Whistling Jacob, the Detective’s Aid; or, The Queer Com- bination, By Jo Pierce. 615 Fighting Harry, the Chief of Chained Cyclone; or, The Heathen inee’s Mission. By J. C. Cowdrick. fe 616 The Oc Detectives or. The Last Cruise of the Black Bear. By Geo. C. Jenks. AReady May 14. 6 d-Shot Scouts or, The Raiders and the 17 Ralph, the pe kio. By Col: Prentiss Ingraham. Ready May 21. ia ick, Jr. in Cincinnati; or, The Clineher te Bredveohs? Ea. L. Wheeler. Ready May 98. , mp Detectives or, The Double Grip Wit- 1g fay Roy tren Patten Ready Juné 4. ? tning’s League; or, The Mystery of tne Island, re Little ip anon. Ready i wine A New Iasue Every Tuesday. The Half- Dime Library is for ssle by all newsdealers, five conts per copy, or sent by mail on recelpt of six cents each. BEADLE AND ADAMS, Publishers, 98 William Street New York,