Beadle's Half Dime Library (no. 827) (1893 05 30)
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iz * - Entered as Second Class Matter at the New York, N. ¥ , Post Office. Copyrighted 1893, by BEADLE AND ADAMS, May 30, 1893, eR ee A —_—— “1 Perr TT SG ¢ ae Ss Rees $2.50 PUBLISHED WEEKLY BY BEADLE AND ADAMS. Price a laa 827. a Year. CO OR _No. WILLIAM'STREET, NEW YORK. 5 «Scents, Vol. 1. eka or Ti = 7 bed \\ AEM: ERAT i | i . i qi is it vy ‘ | HH Hi hl i — = Ne i, i! ‘ i | Hi il Ne : = Hi | i | WA AHH Hi | Hl : | Le = | | : 1 y) = eS SS = SS ———— == ie i, b) i i | } if —— qi ““ . | ={ SSS ——= ees = —— = = a i: = = ire : = == = = = — —s = — - ~ Sal = = 4 — = SS || j = = = - — : R “ue Ki " { Ni i f: a AN | Bil : ii MMV. {4 5 ist i | ® i ‘ 1 ’ i PA ERM i Pees THE MINE-Doss ‘TURNED THN KEY IN THE 2 Lock, AND PUSHING OPEN THE DOOR, STEPPED INSIDE. | SS Ne ~~ 4 Ses ae : a a are = ie: « - i =4 : days Sao gt ‘ : : Asien aH ad ey oe re = " -< ioe OL Eee Pre a - : a Sn US gee HOS fee sates ee
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| As) The Bantam Sport; THE MINE-BOSS FERRET. A Story of Mute Merle, BY T, C, HARBAUGH, - ome GHAPTER I. } CORPORAL CACTUS, “GoNneE ag’in, hey? I wonder what orders he Jeft behind this time?” ** Mebbe none, Mosco,” **'Yes, but thar’s something in the box,” and the’speaker, who had slipped a slide in the top of a rude cabin table, opened a piece of folded paper with which he leaned toward the stronger light at the. window, 35, ‘*It’s for me individually, Basil,” he con- tinued, glancing at his companicn, and at the same time refolding the paper and transferring iit to his pocket. » * When will Little Silent be back?” “ fe don’t say.” * He never does that. By Jupiter, he goes where he pleases, and comes when he takes a notion.” There was ahalf-grow] in the sentence, ‘* Well, doesn’t he pay ?” snapped the other. Yes, he pays—” “If there is in his employ a man who isn’t satisfied, he can call for his accounts at an — < I guess the Cactus Queen is a pretty good ank, **T am not talkin’ of quittin’,” the man Mosco pe in, hurriedly, ‘I’m satisfied with the place have—” **So are all of us, for that matter. Ud sooner be under Mute Merle than be the slave of either Captain Poncho or Major Mesquite, We never get cursed, eh, Basil? The boy is one of the most unfortunate creatures in the world, but if he k on he'll be one of the richest,” is if the big and little nabobs don’t absorb **T’'d like to see em do that!” was the instant retort, and the brow of the speaker suddenly amg Sr go ‘*Tt won’t be done, I guess, while boys of the Cactus Queen stand together, and if Little Silent is but a boy, I guess he is match enough for the major and the captain.” ‘This conversation took place in a cabin at _Cinnabar one of the wildest districts of the Sierra Nevada, in the southernmost part of Arizona. 4 The place had a population of several Lundred souls, Some fortunate man had discovered the wealth of the mountains, and the usual rush had taken place. From nothing Cinnabar hac sprung into existence with a queer crowd, men of many nationalities, but with the wild West adventurer predominating, Among the first arrivals, and the third person to stake off a claim, was a well-built boy of seventeen, He was good-looking despite the deep leok of pain always to be seen on his face, and amid the noises of the mountain camp he was as silent as the Sphinx. Cinnabar soon came to know that the boy snine-owner was a mute, and the name of Mute Merle was given him by common consent. ._ He drew about him a lot of unemployed men, and it was not long before his mine, christened the Cactus Queen, was in full operation and the best bonanza at Cinnabar, Mute Merle sometimes went away on long and tno=pected ee eee at least to his mine-boss, Mosco, and to the common miners as well, On some of these occasions he left orders in the little pocket in the top of the table, and Moseo carried them out to the letter, But the last time, as we have just seen, the writing taken from the pocket was a private matter which he refused to communicate to his friend Basil, and when the two men'left the but with tbe very last rays of the setting sun in their faces, it was to separate a few feet beyond the door and go different ways, **T would like to know what takes Mute Merle away so much,” said Basil to himself as he threw a glance after Mosco, whose tall figure was disappearing among the other shanties. “T could get something for the secret if I knew it—I’m sure L could, I sometimes think Mosco ~ knows the secret, but if he does he is as silent as Merle hizuself, and I'm no nigher the truth than 1 was six months ago,” ; Basil walked on till he came rather suddenly upon the so-called Square of the mountain camp. On one side of it, as Basil approached, a grou of men were listening to the loud quarreling of : Mute Merle, the Boy Na F | | Dp. | gen up \ bob. two persons whose animosities and rivalship had Brown with the growth of Cinnabar. “At it again, eh?” smiled Basil, the miner, ‘* Somebody ought to knock their heads togeth- er and teach ’em better sense. I don’t believe they would fight if they were pushed onto one another.” Impelled forward by the loud voices of the quarrelersand by the outbursts of laughter from the crowd, Basil crossed the Square and looked at the two men in the improvised ring. They were as dissimilar in looks and physique as two men could well be. One was a perfect giant, and the possessor of a frame of which Hercules himself might have been proud. He would have been handsome but for his puffed face which was almost as red as a fighting cock’s comb, Well-dressed and hatless, with his dark-brown hair-falling to his shoulders, he was always the most conspicuous man in Cinnabar—in abe at least. This personage was Major Mesquite, owner of the Live Rattlesnake Mine, and, next to his an- tagonist, the richest man in the Cactus coun- try. The second party in the quarrel was the giant’s very opposite, He was not more than five feet in hight, if that, and his frame had barely enough flesh to cover the bones. Still, he hada bright eye and @ neat mustache which rendered him good-look- ing. He wore low shoes whose strings were tied with the neatest of bows, and there was nothing untidy about him. His name was Captain Poucho, and his bonan- za, the{Golden Slipper, adjoined the Live Rat- tiesnake, much to the irritation and rage of the latter’s owner. For these two Arizona nabobs to meet, and hat was very often, was to quarrel, Their tilts formed one of the standard out-of-door diver- sions of the men of Cinnabar, for, while they had never come together, they always threaten- ed to annihilate one another, and sometimes drew knives and pistols for that purpose. = On the occasion of Basil’s visit to the favorite exhibition ground of the two rivals, which was in front of one of the best-patronized saloons of the camp, Major Mesquite confronted his pigmy enemy with a drawn revolver, and Captain Poncho was telling him in derisive tones that there was not the slightest danger of his per- forating an Dor Se There is no telling what would have been the outcome of the quarrel, though doubtless the usual result, a frothy separation, would have taken place in due time, but all at once some a Pate a man approaching on horse- ack. A woment later it was also discovered that the person in the saddle was tied there with ropes, that his hands were lashed together on his back, and that he was also gagged! This series ef discoveries drew attention from the two Bombastes of the Arizona camp, and while tbe jaded and tottering horse came on, he was as much a subject of study as bis rider. The animal directed his course straight toward the group on the Square. ‘Cut the unfortunate wretch loose!” yelled Major Mesquite. “Stand aside! I’lldo it my- self,” he continued, and a moment later he strode forward and began to cut the thongs that held the speechless man in his uncomfortable position, As the cords separated the stranger tottered toward Major Mesquite while the horse, relieved of his burden, staggered on a few steps and fell exhausted. . The gag was soon taken from the man’s mouth, and he eagerly swallowed the tumbler of spud which had been brought out from the ranch, Major Mesquite had already taken’ charge of the whole proceedings with an assurance that was diverting. . ‘** What place is this?” asked the strange man in gasps. ere is Cinnabar.” ‘“Who’s your most im Tam!" said the major. at your service,” : “That's a lie, stranger,” rung out a voice as the little _ of the major’s rival strutted forward, “ “at just as important as he. I am apeer Poncho,” A smile flitted across the face of the rescued man. He looked first at one, then at the other. rtant man here?” ‘Major Mesquite to himself. ‘‘I’ye got a military title, too, though I'm not up quite as high as either of you gentlemen.” | a - “Whoare you? asked both major and cap- tain in one breath, - co. ‘main shaft of which was just at the edge of ‘‘ Major and captain, eb?” he said as if talking | ‘‘T am Corporal Cactus.” | ; ; The crowd, or one-half of it, smiled grimly at the oddity of the name. Major Mesquite and his rival did. not know whether to take the an- nouncement asa joke, or to regard it seriously, ‘** That’s just who I am,” continued the stran- ger. ‘‘I’ve been on that horse for two days without food or drink, How I got there and why, ’m willing to let the future tell, or to write the account in blood. But now 1 want something to eat.” ‘*'You shall have it!” cried the whole camp. CHAPTER II, THE STRANGE REQUEST, CorPoRAL Cactus, if that was the man’s. name—and he maintained that it was—ate with the greed of a half-famished wolf, and proved beyond all question his assertion that he had not touched food for two days. ; Cinnabar did not cut him off with a short al- lowance, and he was permitted to eat all he de- sired. The quarrel between Major Mesquite and Captain Poncho was not resumed. Both men were engaged in watching Corporal Cac- tus, in hopes of hearing a thrilling story from his lips when he had appeased the gnawings of hunger. But he did nothing of the sort. When he had washed down his last mouthful with a glassof brandy, he thanked the crowd for its hospitality and hoped that he would be able to return the compliment some day. ‘* Tf this is Cinnabar, you have a person here whom I would like to see,” he went on, “I don’t know what you call him, but he’s a bo ae ae + Mate Merle?” broke in half a dozen voices, ‘‘'That must be the person, for the boy I seek is a mute,” : ‘¢ He isn’t in Cinnabar just now, corp’ral,” said Mosco. ‘‘He was, two hours ago,” snapped Major Mesquite. The boss of the boy’s bonanza turned swiftly onthespeaker, | ' ‘Two hours since isn’t now /” he exclaimed, looking the big nabob over from head to foot, and half ee oualy at that. ‘‘ Are you connected with the boy in any way?” asked Corporal Cactus, addressing Mos- ‘* ’m his mine-boss.” “Then I'll talk to you, Mr.—” ‘* Moseo,” ‘** Mosco, Where shall it be?” ‘Not here, of course, if it’s anything pri- vate.” : “ Well, it’s a trifle that way.” Another minute had not elapsed when Mosco and Corporal Cactus walked from the crowd = toward the mouth of the Cactus Queen ine, The corporal had not recovered from his forced rice, but he did his level best to walk without tottering. , ‘So the boy is really here?” he said, looking at Mosco, when they had disengaged themselves from the group. Pots ‘“‘Not here just now. He owns the biggest mize in the Cactus country, and if he can’t use his tongue, he’s got a brain a man ought to be proud of.” ; Mosco, the mine-boss, spoke with a good deal of pride. : “Well, if I’m to see Mute Merle, as you call him, I don’t mind the two days’ ride with a gag _ in my mouth.” ) 3 “Then, by Jove! it must be important!” cried . Mosco, ‘ A smile for a second brightened the thin, sal- low face of Corporal Cactus, and happening to look downward Mosco saw his hands close till the skeleton fingers seemed to bury their ends in the palms, : The new-comer was taken to the mine, the Cinnabar. Mosco led him into the opening and guided him among the net-work of timbers toa small chamber, into one of the walls of which was fitted a door which when closed left not the slightest sign of a crack visible. : lamp was lighted and returned to its iron socket in the ok — Mosco waited for Cor- , ral Cactus to proceed, ( pn So this is his mine ate he asked. “‘ This is Mute Merle’s bonanza.” “‘ How much does an “Oh, that I can’t tell you, for I'm not the pee who keeps ‘the profits in black and white, es that.” . te “Dalia” echoed al pay Cactus, repeating — nam ; @ voice. me Dalia. is Mute erle’s bookkeeper, and she ad
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a knows more about profits than auy man in Arizcna.” ‘*Ho! Dalia isa woman, then?” ‘*No, sir; Dalia is a girl not inuch older than Mute Merle, if any,” answered Mosco, with a smile, ‘‘ You'll see her if you stay bere sny length of time, for if you bave urgent business with our young bonanza king I presume you will wait for him.” ** When will he come?” Mosco shook his head, ‘* Nobody in Cinnabar knows that,” said he, **¥s he absent often?” ** Not very.” ‘* Does he stay long?” ‘Sometimes a week at a stretch.” ** And you don’t know where he goes?” This question was asked with a good deal of eagerness, ‘* With all due regard for you, corp’ral, Mute Merle’s business is not ours,” replied Mosco. **That is true. I should not have asked such a silly question. Yes, I will wait till the young mine king comes back. But who are those two fighting-cocks who wanted to take charge of me when I met you on the Square?” « ‘‘Major Mesquite and Captain Poncho.” ** Nabobs here, eh?” ‘*Yes. We sometimes call ’em the Two Blades o’ Cinnabar for they’re always sharpen- od for a fight.” ** Do they like Mute Merle, your employer?” ** They don’t like anybody who has more than they have,” replied Mosco, ‘* Tt is thus the world over.” And Corporal Cactus smiled, and then he studied the interior of the little chamber several minutes in silence, ‘* Who sleeps yonder?” he asked, designating with his glance a cot in one corner. ** Little Silent sometimes,” bi oe the bed be occupied to-night?” ** Would you object to me sleeping there?” It was a singular request to Mosco’s notion. ‘We've got plenty of room in Cinnabar, We-—” : Corporal Cactus interrupted py leaning for- ward and touching the mine-boss on the knee, **But I want to sleep there,” said he. ‘‘ I have a little writing to do and here isa table and a lamp. Why go back to the cabins when every- thing isso handy where we are? Can you lock the door from the outside?” **T can, but—” ‘Yes, i want that done, too,’ was the quick response. ‘‘To-morrow morning, say at six, Mosco, I want you to come and open the door. ‘Pll be here I trust and safeand sound. Thisis a strange notion from a man who has gone through the terrible adventure I have had, I knew it would surprise you, but I will stand be- tween you and Mute Merle when he knows that I occupied his bed.” Mosco iy io ‘¢7’m boss here when he is away and I do what I please,” said he. ‘ You shall sleep bere if you. say so every night till he comes back. ith the door locked nobody can get in to you, and you can’t get out,” Five minutes had not passed when Mosco went away, pulling the heavy door to and lock- ing it on Corporal Cactus. ‘A queer chip with queer notions,” said Moseo to himself while he walked back to the cabins with the big key in his pocket, ‘ After all he didn’t tell me about his ride bound and. pegged across the plains, nor drop the: least int about Corp’cal Cactus’s identity. But he knows Mute Merle; wants to see him. Some- ‘thing isin the wind. It’s alla riddle to me.” _Mosco made no secret of the singular disposi- tion Corporal Cactus had made of himself, and it was not long before Cinnabar knew that its last visitor was passing the night in Mate ee private office in the Cactus Queen ne. His horse was stiffoning in a hollow beyond the camp and the saddie had been hung upon a peg in the saloon to wait for its owner. osco went to his own shanty at last and went to sleep with the iron key under his Pillow. ‘By Jupiter! I never played jailer before!” was his last thought, for he could not get Cor- poral Cactus out of his head. It was barely six the next morning when the figure of Mosco went down through the grass 2nd mountain cacti that lay between his cabin ‘and the Cactus Queen. His hasty step betokened a strange eager- Ress; he vanished in the great dark shaft and almost ran to the door he had locked upon the ef mysterious corporal, le, the Boy Nabob. 3 In another moment -he had turned the key in the lock and pushing open the portal stepped — The room was dark like a dungeon- cell. Mosco called its tenant’s name, but the echo of his voice was the only reply he received. The mine-boss fished a match from his pocket and scraped it across the rough wall. A | it above his head as the flame grew large, he leaned forward, holding his breatb, he next moment he started back with a cry of horror, for, at his very feet, with his face turned to the ceiling and the remnants of some documents clutched in his right hand, lay Cor- poral Cactus, dead enough to make one more tenant of the little cacti-fenced cemetery at the edge of the plain! CHAPTER III. MUTE MERLE’S MISSION, It was morning on a wide, treeless plain which seemed to terminate far away in the Southwest at the foot of a hazy mountain range. The sun rising over the expanse melted the scattering drops of moisture on the grass- blades and the needles of numerous clumps of cactus plants, The sky was perfectly cloudless, and the absence of air, and the warmth already’ in the rays of the sun, betokened a torrid day on the plains. be Near the mountains, but still on the plain it- self, moved a dark object that kept a trail lead- ing through the parched grass that abounded every where, It rose and felllike a chip on the crest of a billow, but it kept steadily westward like an unerring arrow in flight. At last the moving speck vanished, the misty mountains seemed to swallow it, and the plain knew it no more. Once among the hills, the horse lessened his gait, and his rider,a boy, let the reins drop rom his hands, He was a good-looking youth, well formed, dark-eyed, and seventeen. But there was on his face an expression of pain. The countenance was not open and smil- ing. Hoe had the look of a person older than he really was, and the seal of silence was visible on his lips whether they moved or were still. The boy looked round upon the scenery. with a keen eye. He rode forward some distance after leaving the plain, and almost suddenly found himself at an abrupt bend in the trail which needéd the best vision to point it out. He drew rein at this spot, and putting a whistle to his lips he blew a note which awoke in shrill tones the echoes of the mountain glen, In response to his call there came in sight a man who brought a quick flash of pleasure into the boy’s eyes. The man was afoot, and his figure, tall and srenier, showed to advantage as he came for- ward, When he stopped beside the horse, he shook hands with the boy, who bent down with an eager smnile, “T’ve got news for man, ‘The villains di t’other day.” The boy said nothing, but with his gaze rivet- ed on the man, waited for him to proceed, ‘*Of course you want to know what they did,” the speaker went On, resting one hand upon the horse’s neck, ‘‘ They caught some poor devil— Heaven only knows who ho was—and tied him toa saddle, Besides this they gagged him in such a way as to prevent all escape, and thus pinioned they sent him out on the plain at the mercy of wolf and vulture, I happened to be an unwilling witness to this piece of deviltry; but I did not seethem catch the poor fellow. He did not struggle against the indignity, for what would have beenthe use? There were ten of the enemy. I intended to follow him as soon as it got dark enough to hide ny movements, but a regular cyclone swept the plain as I was about to set out and delayed me several hours. I got off at last, however, but for the hfe of me I could not find a singls trace of the unfortunate. God knows what has become of him. You did not see him, of course?” The boy shook his head. I wanted to wade into the gang while they were at work, but I thought of you and curbed =) eagerness, They treated their prisoner with the mercy one would expect from a lot of wolves, and told him that it was death for any one to invade their territory without permission. Their territory, Merle!” laughed the man, in de- rision. ‘‘I’d like to know where they got a title-deed for this piece of God’s country.” Phe Merle,” said the another mean trick The young occupant of the saddle smiled, but faintly, with the man cn tho ground, but in an- other moment his features had relapsed into their old seriousness. Raising one of his hands he rapidly manipu- lated his fingers after the manner of a mute, and the man followed the movements with an eagle eye, ** Yes, the Mountain Rattler is with them,” ho said, when the flying fingers stopped, and the boy once more kept his eyes fastened on the speaker's lips. ‘‘ He directed the whole proceed- ings, and it was he who sent the prisoner off with a sentence of doom ringing in his ears,” The boy’s fingers put a question, ‘*What did they do afterward, eh?” replied theman. ‘‘ They watched the horse and rider till they were to be seen no longer, and then, with a pitiless laugh, the whole gang turned tail and galloped off. They went south toward the lone cabin—toward it 1 only say, mind you, Merle, for I am certain that they did not molest the old man there,” The boy took up the reins which had lain on the horse’s’ neck, and looked down the trail which lost itself some distance away. ‘Are you going to see him{” asked the man. The boy nodded. ** Have you found her yet?” Merle shook his head, sk Then old Montcriff won’t be very glad to see you. The fingers moved in the air again. ‘“You haven’t given up the chase, eh?” ejacu- lated the man while he watched them. ‘‘ By Jupiter! I admire such pluck as yours. Of course I’m willing to be your mountain patrol as long as you can use me, We work together pretty well.” The boy laid one of his hands upon the tall man’s shoulder and looked into his face with singular intensity for several moments. ‘* How’s the mine panning out?” asked the man. The eyes above him suddenly brightened. ‘* You're gettin’ richer than ever, ain’t you, Merle?” he asked. The boy nodded, ‘* But you can’t keep from leading a double life all the same! You are Mute Merle the young bonanza king, and you continue to be the silent shadow of the cactus trail, I don’t see how you manage so much, But never mind; as it is none of my business, you need not enlighten me. I’m willing to serve you and remain in the dark, if you are going down to old Montcriff now, Ill go part of the way with you,” A moment afterward the boy was ridin slowly over the trail that zigzagged in and ow among the mountains, and the tall man was walking alongside, talking constantly, with his face so upturned as to let the youth see his lips, which he never ceased to watch, For some distance the couple proceeded for- ward and at length at a certain spot, the man halted and touched the boy’s hand in parting. “Pll keep my eyes open for the Rattler and his Cactus Wolves,” said he, ‘‘Of course [ never expect to hear of the Mazeppa any more, The birds will tear his limbsfrom the bonds one of these days and the drama of the plains will end thus for him. Will you come back this way from the hut?” ute Merle shook his head in doubt. Five minutes later he had disappeared to the man who walked back toward the spot where they had met. The boy rode on till he came across a stout little cabin built against a great rock and a few yards from the trail, He stopped his horse and studied the structure a few moments with the faintest semblance of a smile at the corners of his mouth, After awhile he dismounted and led his steed forward, then, dropping the rein altogether, he pee on afoot till he stood before the shanty itself. No sooner had the mute trailer reached the open door than a man sprung forward and seiz- ing him by the shoulders as he uttered a cry of deli ht, almost lifted him from the ground. ‘*You have come! you have come!” he cried,. ‘*T’ve counted the days and the hours! Where is my child?” Merle the Mute had watched the old man's lips as he had those of the person he had just t left. ‘What! haven’t you found the trail?” gasped the gray-beard, shrinking back with a look of despair in his eyes. ‘* What did I tell youwhen he were here last? My child is gone! The ons of the White Eagles of Mexico did their work well. You have hunted the trail for months. You told me, Mute Merle, that you.
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4 Mute Merle, the 4 Mute Merle, the Boy Nabot Nabob. ee would find the bandits, and my child, as well. Look me in the face and say that you have suc- ceeded, Old Montcriff has given up all hope. He willapply the match to his shanty to-night and join his beloved Florice in the spirit world.” ln an instant the boy’s eyes lit up with a flash the oy had not had before, 6 passed the old man and snatched a piece or chalk from a little box nailed to one of the 8, hen he sprung to a blackboard near the box and wrote rapidly with chalk for a second. When be s Ag PH back with a finger leveled at the writing ol ntcriff read “My life is in this work! I will find your child or die!” —_—— CHAPTER IV. OLD MONTORIFF’S STORY. THE old man eyed the writing for several seconds, and then fixed his gaze on the boy, ‘You have promised me before,” said he. ‘‘T know you bave never made it as pee as itis yonder, and I have a good deal of confi- dence in you, Merle,” The boy bonanza king ya up to the blackboard again and erased what he had just written. Catching up the chalk once more, he wrote on the dark surface as swiftly as before, as follows: ‘‘ [ shall keep my word with you. This is a long trail and a deep mystery. I know how you love the lost, ard I shall do my best. I think 1 have foand the trail.” Old Montcriff sprung somes the mute with an exclamation of delight “Then I will withhold the torch,” said he. “It is this waiting alone here in the mountain that hastorn my soul. My child!—my Florice! In the night [ hear the winds speak her name and I run to the shanty door, crying: ‘ Here it am, child!’ but, of course, there is no answer but a tormenting echo,” ‘““Do you mind going back to the crime?” wrote the boy. “Not if you think the story may help you were t might,” said the talking chalk. Old Monteriff passed his hand upward over his forehead, brushing back his prematurely silver hair, and took a wooden stool which stood under the blackboard. “It was fifteen years ago this very night, Merle,” he began. ‘“‘My wife had died six months before, and I was playing with little Florice, then two years old, and telling her about the mother of whom she spoke so often, I recollect that I had sent Montra, my head rancher, over to Colonel Belva’s fande after a stray steer, so that Florice and I were the only persons at home. The child grew sleepy at last and then sunk to sleep in my arms, [| carried her to bed, and then, hearing a strange noise among the horses in the stab es, left her for a few moments. I was not gone more than ten minutes when I came back and tiptoed to Florice’s room to look after her, Whatwas my horror to find the little couch euipty and the child nowhere! I searched the house from attic to cellar, I gave the grounds about it the — thorough searching; but the child was een Recsaiel by the blow, I hardl to do. At last, about midnight, riding back. His return seemed a godsend to me, e renewed the search to J At the cross-trails, about half a mile from the house, we found the fresh hoof-prints of two horses. It wasaclew. Montra, who was a true cattle- trailer, took up the clew and | followed, We ran the hoof-tracks till we lost them, and as some one had to go back to take care of the ranch, I returned and left Montra to pursue the enemy. From that time to this,asI have told you before, Merle, Montra, the vaquero, has never reported. I have not seen him from the moment of our separation. You haveasked me with your chalk if I believe that he was a trai- tor, and I have replied in the negative, I can’t believe it. Why, Montra and Florice were great friends. He doted on the child. ‘When I took up for myself the long hunt which was destined toend in despair, I looked for my cattle-boss as well as for the child. I would be on the trail to-day but for that fall which I sustained in the mountains the third — after the tragedy. I shut myself up in hese hills to bide my time—not that I could hope for vengeance, Merle, but I imagined that here among these solitudes I heard Florice’s voice apeking as she used to gos in my arms, “* But I have something totell you. Youmay Jaugh at me, especially since I have told you knew what ontra came it. ‘That is the counterfeit of the shoe I saw at cross-trails near No. 10 Ranch after Florice dis- about hearing the child calling when the winds blow, but I want you to knowit. At the time of our discovery at the cross-trails I took a cast ¢ the horseshoe impressed in the earth. It was eculiar shoe such as I had never seen before. I wondered if the man had waited for hin at the cactus bushes, and whether he was being con- ducted to the desperado’s companions, The sun was once more setting on the treeless expanse, and the vultures that whirled in the lofty air saw the strangely-met couple whose steeds bruised the young shoots of cacti that were every where. ‘‘ Faster then this!” suddenly exclaimed Mute Merle’s captor, who had zealously guarded his identity from the first rise. The horses broke into a gallop and away they went toward the declining sun, leaving far be- hind them the rough hills that hemmed in Old Montcriff’s shanty. These bills faded from view at length, and af- ter a long ee the boy and his guard came to the edge of the open and entered a belt of tim- ber. In another moment Mute Merle knew that he had been conducted to a rendezvous of some kind, for -he was face to face with a number of men, "the most of whom were large and dark like his captor. Here and there were horses already saddled,
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and from some of the saddles hung weapons of various kinds, It was a camp. In a little while half a dozen rough-looking fellows had crowded forward and were looking at the boy with grimaces of delight, ‘Captain Monte didn’t spread his net for nothing this time,” was a common expression among the men. ‘‘He knew that something would come into it and something did. Hey, thar, captain. What is to be the ransom?” The Boy Nabob’s captor turned to the speaker with a smile. “*Do you know him?” he queried with a glance at Merle, *““Why not? He is the young Vanderbilt of Cinnabar. He’s able to buy himself off with a good pile. You don’t want to let your modesty get the better of you, captain, when it comes to naming the ransom. e has the chink and enough to make little nabobs of every one of us. Mute Merle was dgoking at the speaker, but it was a question whether he could read his lips for the shadows that prevailed throughout the camp, z} Don’t let the ransom trouble you,” answered the person dubbed Captain Monte. ‘But you’ll make it big enough?” “*T'll see to that.” One by one the men drew off, having inspect- ed Merle to their satisfaction, and the man who fad caught him cameforward and signed to him to dismount. In another minute the young Nabob of Cinna- bar s on the ground alongside his horse, but with one hand resting on the bridle as if he did mot want to be deprived of the comradeship of the faithful animal, Captain Monte took his arm and drew him away, then he looked him in the eye as he said: “You know enough, I trust, not to give us ‘trouble, These are some of the gentlemen of the cactus country. They don’t stand on much ceremony, but they’re not hard to get along with if one knows how to behave himself in their presence, Iam Captain Monte, and these men are my companions. If you have thought since the surprise on the plain that I was watch- ing for you you are not altogether right. I was watching for some one else, but everything is fish that enters my net, and I consider you a fish worth holding. What will you give fora Transom?” The boy fell back at the abrupt. question. The look of the speaker gave his words an emphasis not to be mistaken. **[T thought I would startle you a little, yet aoe ought to have guessed ere this that we live y our wits and our hands,” he went on. ‘‘ The men know you already. You are Mute Merle the Boy Nabob to every man in camp. You are rich enough to give us an order on your mine-boss for fifty thousand if you are able to iveitforacent. Don’tshake your head, King erle, for we know your circumstances, and, then, you want to go back to your trail.” Captain Monte and the boy were now ap- proached by several men, one of whom, a per- son with a handsome face undera large oct vame close enough to touch the prisoner, ** We'll makea Mazeppa out of you unless you pay well to hold us back,” this fellow said, we Don't play the ‘poor’ game on us. We know how much the Cactus Queen yields, and that it is worth more than Major Mesguite and Captain Poncho’s bonanzas put together. If Captain Monte is slow to name the ransom, we are not, We want an order on Mosco for fifty thousand dollars in bars or dust.” ‘**Not so fast, Dagger Dick,” said Captain Monte. *“Why not? Are we going to give this young gold prince a chance to get away! The last man we turned loose to play Mazeppa was a Tartar. Corporal Cactus, he called himself, didn’t he? Now, let this bird off without a feather from his ‘wings, and the gentlemen of the cactus kingdom ar spread their nets elsewhere.” he men who heard these words applauded them in various ways, ‘* Itgis fifty thousand or nothing!” resumed the handsome bandit, looking at Captain Monte with defiant fierceness. ‘‘ State the proposition now! By this time nearly every occupant of the camp faced Mute Merle and his captor, who seemed to hesitate. ‘“‘ Fifty thousand or a terrible sojourn on the ‘plains as a doomed ae !” cried Dagger ick, facing the Boy Nabob. ‘You can read ‘the lips of those who address you. We know all about this wonderful faculty you possess, Now, as Captain Monte is modest, we take the Mute Merle, the Boy Nabob. matter in our own hands. Here are paper and a pencil, Give us the order on your mine-boss and treasurer, You will be kept in safety here till the money has been paid, After the trans- action you shall be set at liberty.” The border Apollo had stepped between Cap- tain Monte and Mute Merle with provoking coolness, and was holding forward a bit of dirty paper and the stub of a pencil. The boy’s figure appeared to increase in stat- ure as he stepped back and looked at the tough. fm you write the order?’ demanded ick, The boy took the proffered materials and spread the paper upon his lifted knee, Then he wrote: ‘*T will not treat with a set of bandits like you. I will not be robbed by a lot of cactus vultures who haven’t drawn an honest breath for years. ““MERLE OF CINNABAR.” He handed the answer to Dagger Dick, who read it first to himself with flashing eyes, and then aloud to the assembled crowd. Loud cries of rage met the defiant reply. “That settles the matter!” shouted the spokes- man of the bandits. ‘‘ We'll give the vultures another rich feast of human blood!” CHAPTER VI. ADRIFT ON THE PLAINS, MvutTE MERLE could only look at the man who gave utterance to this merciless sentence, and upon the ruffians by whom he was surrounded, Captain Monte seemed on the point of remon- strating with Dagger Dick and these who sided with him, but he did not, and soon walked awa ee the bandit mob to carry out its vil- ainy. There was on Captain Monte’s face a smile of triumph which he did not try to conceal, “‘ Why not?” he muttered. ‘The boy might agree to give the fifty thousandsif I took charge of the negotiations, but the attitude of Dick and the paris will keep him stubborn and send him adrift on the plains. Isn’t this the best thing for me? I don’t want Mute Merle where he is, and he must not go back to play longer the réle of the Boy Nabob of Cinnabar.” Merle’s a could not help following Captain Monte while he walked away. Was it because he detected something familiar about the figure of the leader of the cactus banditti, or did he think that he was losing the only friend he had among the hard crowd? At any rate, he was in a moment left alone with Dagger Dick and his companions, They’closed about him like a pack of wolves about to make the last assault at a given signal. They were between him and his steed, and had but to put out their hands to finish his career, ‘* Bring up the horse!” cried Dick, ‘* Which one?” ‘*Not the boy’s own, of course,” was the re- sponse. ‘‘He knows the war home and would go thither like an arrow. Bring forward the young, black we caught in the timber last wee ** He belongs to José,” ‘* But you can have him,” halloed José him- self. ‘‘He threw me to-day, and I don’t want my neck broken. I'll fetch him up.” Tho map who went off at this, a young fellow with a Mexicanish cast of countenance—soon returned leading a young horse sleek and black, with an eye full of fire. ‘*That’s your horse,” said Dagger Dick, lean- ing toward Mute Merle as he covered the skit- tish animal with his finger. ‘‘If you steadily refuse to give us the order on Mosco we'll tie ou to the black, who will be left blindfolded on he plain to wander—Heaven knows whither. Take two minutes and make up your mind for life and death.” ; The cactus desperado folded his arms and looked at the boy, who was eysd also by the other men. José held the black horse and all waited si- lently for the Boy Nabob’s reply. The two minutes were lengthened into three —E————— ee ae ee in the boy’s favor, The men began to growl at the added time, and Dagger Dick unlocked his arms and touched Mute Merle. ; oe a time is up,” said he. ‘Do you still re- use The young tracker nodded emphatically in the affirmative, He seemed determined to adhere to his resolution not to be robbed by the human vultures of the wild Southwest. The brigands broke out into curses and cries of rage at the decision. ‘©The ropes and the horse!” exclaimed Dick, with a gesture, as he turned to the men, ‘Bind him upon José’s black, and'I will finish the game,” 's% BSR er rer ren SS SS SE SR A AREER ICR OW eI A a EN a ee A number of lasso-like ropes were produced in a twinkling, and two men reized Merle and carried bim to the horse. Ina moment he was set astride of the animal, and men who knew what they were doing and how to do it began to tie him there. A rope was passed under the black steed’s belly and around his ankles, then his hands were secured on his back, while his body was given enough liberty to let it fall for- ward on the horse’s neck, Mute Merle looked on with eyes which did not omit the smallest particulars of the tying. He saw the last knot made, and when the men stepped back—all but José, who still held the bridle—he was as well secured to the black horse as ever Mazeppa was to the Tartar of the Ukraine. ‘*T guess it’s finished here, Cap’n Dick,” said one of the ruffians, ‘‘Did you say you war go- ing to conclude the job?” ‘**T am,” was the response, Dagger Dick walked off a few paces and vaulted lightly into a saddle. In a moment he came back well mounted, and the crowd gave way as he approached, Mute Merle saw him clutch the black steed’s bridle, relieving José of his charge. ‘* Have you got the blindfold, cap’n?” asked a man in the crowd, $*Yes.” The following minute the two horses were moving away together. “A boy foo] sure enough,” was laughed be- hind Mute Merle as he was taken off, and the men in big boots and spurs sent more than one age! and rough joke after the hey na- ob, though they knew that he could not hear a single one. We shall not attempt to analyze the boy’s thoughts when he found himself going back to- ward the cactus plain, this time tied to a horse of which he knew nothing and in charge of a man as heartless as the comrades-he had just left. The sun had gone down again, and the tim- ber behind the boy miner looked dark and ghostly. Ahead lay a most forbidding a seemed full of doom because it looke in shadow. Dagger Dick, whose handsome features ap- peared to have changed for the worse within the last few minutes, still held the bridle of the black horse, which kept alongside his own steed as if he loved the companionship. The journey ete longer and longer as the moments waned, The shadows of evening gave place to the one shadow of avi fa and after what seemed an interminable ride to the cap- tive boy, a halt was made in the middle of a starlit expanse. Without a word, Dagger Dick drew the black horse close alongside and ina moment sie 8 a bandage over his eyes, The animal resisted fe para up his head and trying to twist out of the hoodwink, but Dick who evidently had performed the operation before from the way be managed it now, soon had the cover tight and immovable. Then the bandit looked at his work with a grim smile, a part of which the Boy Nabob caught as he turned upon him, The sky overhead was thickly sown with the most brilliant stars. Their light almost took the place of a full-orbed moon, and the keen eyes of the sentenced boy plainly saw the lips of Dick the bandit as he leaned toward him for the last time. ** You took your choice ed na he, ‘' You love money better than life itself, and you will soon discover that the Cactus Brotherhood never pisys when it means business. This horse is lindfolded. You are lashed to him to the end. There is no need to gag you, because you are speechless, These — are waterless as you know. The dew that falls from above can afford you no extension of a terrible existence. There are vultures in the air, and wolves in the asses of the valleys which your horse may d despite his hood. Good-night, Merle of Cinnabar! This is your own undoing. A fool and his money are soon parted! Good-night!” The Boy Nabob saw a short whip in Dagger Dick’s hand asit rose from his side, He saw him pull his horse aside, and then the cowhide lash came down upon the black steed’s back, causing him to clear several feet at a t, which boundless bound, and to spring blindly away at a pace that threatened unseat rider in spite of the cords that held him down, The cactus brigand watched the blindfolded horse till he vanished somewhere ahead. ‘*He’s gone to join the man we sent out yon- der the other day,” said Dagger Dick. ‘No,
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} { | si Ht: t ss eh = pe as ere ios -¥, SPT, 7 sty nt eas 6 Mute Merle, the Boy Nabob. they will never meet. What was I thinkin about? Corporal Cactus and Mute Merle will not see each other, for the sun and the vultures have already finished one, and vultures and sun will soon finish the other,” The man rode back. He gave his horse both rein and spur as he dashed through the starlight toward the camp in the timber, and through the small hours of that eventful night he was challenged by a ghost-like sentinel.and was once more at home, As to the Boy Nabob of Cinnabar, none of a enemies could say what had become of im, When morning came the nimblest man of the lot climbed to the top of a lookout tree at the edge of the timber and swept the plain with a powerful glass, But he saw nothing, not even the smallest moviog speck which would have told that the boy Mazeppa had not already perished. CHAPTER VII. THE CIPHER MESSAGE, In the excitement which followed Mosco’s discovery of Corporal Cactus dead in the pri- vate chamber of the Boy Nabob’s mine, the quarrelsof Major Mesquite and Captain Poncho were forgotten, 7 It was the first really sie occurrence that had taken place in Cinnabar for some time, and it was strange enough to talk about, Mosco at first thought that Corporal Cactus had either destroyed himself or had been the victim of sudden death; but there were some things about the affair that looked like murder, The torn papers clutched in the corporal’s hand told of a desperate struggle of some kind, but between him and—whom? Mosco had slept with the key to the chamber under his head. He was a light sleeper; the slightest sound and the lightest touch always disturbed him, Surely the key had not been stolen during the night. He had found the door of the corporal’s cham- ber locked, but when he opened it he found him on the ground, dead. The papersin the clinched hand told Mosco nothing. They were covered with a mystic writing which neither he nor any one else in Cinnabar could read. Corporal Cactus had died without disclosing anything about himself, and Mosco said nothing aro the questions he had put concerning Mute erle, It was the night after the corporal’s death, and Se had settled back to comparative quiet. Major Mesquite was munching his usual late eupper in his cabin. bere was an air of contentment about the somewhat cramped premises, and the big sac a was quite alone. He was in the act of lifting a tinfulof black coffee to his lips, when his door opened with a peculiar noise and a head was thrust inside. Major Mesquite looked over his coffee at the head, which was hatless, perhaps out of respect to the occupant of the cabin. “Come in,” said the major, and a man with a eaaa te and a pair of observing black eyes gli n. **Ho! you haye something for me, eh? Let me have it.” Major Mesquite held out his hand to the man, who dy 4 upasmall bit of paper from the depths of his bosom. he eyes of the big man twinkled, ‘Something happened here last night,” he went on, unfolding the paper as he glanced at the messenger, who was not a citizen of Cinna- bar. ‘‘ We had to bury here to-day a man who should have been buried elsewhere, But I ‘won't growl over it since the drama has been played out so far as he i3 concerned.” Then the major spread the opened paper on the table and fell to work on its contents. The writing wasin cipher and somewhat similar to that which Corporal Cactus bad left behind. He seemed to have the key, however, for he ran his finger over the characters as he spelled the words out to the end, “Well,” said he, suddenly looking up. ‘‘ That man died here in Cinnabar last night.” The messenger came up to the table with a ring. x ‘“* No!” he cried. ‘Well, he did,” persisted the major. ‘I can show you his grave—the newest one in the lot.” _ The strange man was nonplused, ~ “Then, by Jove! the horse must have slipped Lt the hoodwink!” said he, at length. ‘‘Had the corporal the gag in his mouth when he came?” ‘*He had. Of course, with his hands tied be- hind him, he could not slip that out.” ‘* What sort of story did he tell when you took the gag away?” ‘¢ He wouldn’t tell any. Afterward he went with Mosco to the boy’s bonanza and concluded to pass the night there. He did so, and this morning Mosco found him theredead, Whoad- justed the hoodwink?” ‘* Captain Monte,” Major Mesquite was silent for a moment, dur- ing which time his eyes wandered back to the paper lying open before him. “T have another question,” he said, looking at the man again. ‘‘ Who fixed hood number two?” ** Dagger Dick.” The answer seemed to please the major, He made no reply, but took a memorandum from aninner pocket. He tore from it a blank leaf and covered it with characters similar to those on the paper he had received from the messenger. When he had finished he folded the writing and eave it to the man, who put it awayina twinkling. ‘* Where are you now?” asked the major. ‘*T left the band in the Scarred Timber.” ‘* How long will you remain there?” ‘*That depends on you.” **T’ve no orders,” smiled a, Mesquite, “You have just received all I have to give. You don’t want to tarryin Cinnabar, There are some almighty sharp eyes here just now. Weare getting a good grip on the bonanzas, but a blunder would spoil all. Goat once, Where’s your horse?” ‘* Under the big tree just beyond the camp.” Major Mesquite went back to the coffee, which had cooled perceptibly, and the man moved to- ward the door, ** May I ask a question?’ he inquired, his black eyes glowing with merriment, ‘** Be quick about it,” snapped the major. “1d like to know how you and the captain are fotting along. You haven’t whipped him et The big man colored to the roots of his hair, ‘No, but I intend to thrash the ground with him !” he exclaimed. “és When 9) ‘« Very soon.” ‘*He does not look like a handful for you, major; but he seems to be more cat than kitten, after all, I—” “There! You want to get away from here before you’ve been seen,” interrupted aN Mesquite. ‘It won’t ba night always. y Jove! if the second hoodwink pans out no hetter than the first onedid, there will be the Old Harry to pay right here in Cinnabar.” e waved his handin an imperative gesture toward the door, and the messenger went away. Major Mesquite picked up the cipher mes- sage, and held it over the flame of his lamp till it dropped as ashes from his hand, Then he hastily finished his interrupted supper and put the tin dishes away, “T thought it was a bit of bungling the mo- ment I saw the man,” he said to himself, “‘ Now, if Dagger Dick has done no better—” He did not finish the sentence, but sprung to the door and jerked it open, “Hello!” exclaimed a voice in the light that was showered from the shanty. The giant nabob of the cactus kingdom stared in amazement at his rival and enemy, Captain Poncho, on whose face rested a quiet smile at the surprise he had occasioned. . Perbaps the major suddenly recalled his statement made to the man who had just gore that ,he would “‘thrash the ground” with the oe captain, and here was an excellent oppor- tunity. “T want to see you—on business,” continued Captain Poncho, and at the same time he step- into his enemy’s cabin and stood at the table, Major Mesquite turned on him with a growl, “T think, sir, that we ought to investigate,” said Captain Poncho, gazing up into his rival’s e. ¥ ‘* Investigate what?” echoed the major. “« Why, there’s only one thing that needs it,” was the prompt retort. ‘‘I refer to the tragedy of the Cactu3 Queen Nine.” **Ob!” ejaculated the giant, and his eyes seemed to devour the atom of humanity so firmly planted before him. ‘‘I would like to know how we can find out why Corporal Cactus shut himself up in the boy’s bonanza and then took his own life,” ———— eee i SES Oe ee ee Oe Se re Se a a aes a 2S ae eee ee : pt i Captain Poncho’s eyes fairly glittered while the major talked. ** Do you think he did that, major?” ‘‘T do. Mosco, the watch-dog of the mine, locked the corporal in and then slept with the big key under his head. I don’t see what there is to investigate. What do you see in it, sir?’ The dwarfish figure of Captain Poncho left the table and straightened half-way between it and the door. ‘©T see more than suicide,” said he, ‘* Corporal Cactus, whoever he was, was killed by some enemy—” ‘‘ With that big door locked?” broke in the major. ‘*That’s what we want to find out, and that’s what we are going to know.” ‘* Who are ‘ we?” ** Captain Poncho for one!” In an instant the massive form of Major Mesquite swept forward as if it was about to crush the little man. ‘*T’ll thrash the earth with you if you insinu- ate that—” eal ‘¢The earth will never be thrashed, Major, Good-night!” and Captain Poncho was gone, CHAPTER VIII. MERLE ON THE PLAINS, Ir any citizen of Cinnabar had heard the png words of the two rival nabobs he would ave regarded them as a continuance of the feud that had troubled the camp from the be- ginning of its existence. Captain Poncho was less excited than usual when he walked away. “T think I shot a bolt beneath his armor,” he a en thinking of his tilt with the major. +é e knows, at any rate, that we don’t intend ~ to call it suicide just because he does. I didn’t see a man come out of Mosco’s cabin at the dead of night to let him sneak off unnoticed. That isn’t my style. When Mute Merle comes back, and maybe before, we'll know more than we do, and Major Mesquite won’t be as near the owner ship of the Cactus Queen as he considers himself just now.” When Mute Merle comes back ! Was the boy sent adrift on the plains by the Cactus Brotherhood ever to come to his own again? Had not the vultures already found him amid the arid waste where the only shadows were those of the sharp cactus and the skeleton grass-blades? : We left him, as the reader will recall, alone on the desert with Dagger Dick, riding back to the rendezvous among the trees. Mounted on a blindfolded horse that still smarted under the stroke of the bandit’s cow- hide whip, he was borne swiftly away. The animal galloped at random, and Merle was soon far from the spot of the separation. He tugged at his wrist -bonds in vain, The Brotherhood had tied them for good, and he found that the thongs seemed to sink deeper into his flesh the more he exerted himself to re- move them. ; At last the black horse grew tired of his rum in the dark, He slackened his gait and finally walked slow- ly through the grass, A thousand times he had tried to free himself from the hoodwink by vari- ous twists of head and neck, and the helpless boy who watched these attempts with eagerness,saw every effort end in failure. Overhead stretched a mighty azure field sown with countless multitudes of stars. In every di- rection from beneath the horse’s feet trended the unbroken plain. ; Mute Merle could gaze at the starlit land- scape, knowing that the morning would show him a limitless waste without an oasis of any kind. Whenever the horse in his wanderings faced the north star, the Boy Nabob would urge him in that direction by means of thumpings in the ribs with bis heels, but the black steed would suddenly turn and carry him another way. At last the tired boy fell asleep, and the horse stood still near a clump of cacti, The hours went by unheeded, by Merle, at least. : When he awoke the first rays of a scorching sun were shining in his face. He looked around him with breathless eagerness. ea {t seemed that he had been transported to the center of an ocean of calm. Not a breath of wind stirred the grass, and his searching eye could wander from horizon to horizon and see nereng: : The Lorse appeared to know that another day had come,
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—_——>=—_—_—_—_= He stretched forward, raised his head and sniffed the air, Merle watched him with signs of hope, The hood had not left its place, and not a beam of light penetrated its folds, ‘““The sun came up unclouded, and with many signs of the heat he would soon dispense. As he crept higher, the horse, after a few bites at the short grass, started off in a gallop which ~ his young driver could not check even if he were so minded. For more than an hour this strange run was kept up with diminished fervor. Whenit end- ed, the black steed stood on a slight elevation, with the rough outlines of some very rough country in the distance. Merle, the Mute, knew the contour of the hills, and that among them stood old Mont- criff’s shanty. If the horse could be persuaded to continue his journey to the hills themselves, he might be released, but all at once the black dashed in an onpesion direction and the hillsfaded again. ot long afterward the sun was beating down on the waste with all the fierceness of a fur- nace set in the sky. The heat was terrible. It seemed to blister the Boy Nabob’s face, and the sufferings of the horse for water threatened to drive him mad. The black once more stood still on the plain. There were no shadows anywhere but his own and his rider’s, Mute Merle fell forward exhausted. He passed into a semi-consciousness of torture that seemed to fill his flesh with a thousand needles, : When he came out of the trance, he saw first a moving shadow on the plain, then another and another. Looking up he discovered a pair of swooping wings, large, black and ominous. Instinctively he recoiled at the sight as far as his\position would admit, Hekne’ ‘hat the vul- tures had already found him, and his parched tongue counted the sixteen pairs of pinions in the sky. If the horse could see them would he not make another effort to escape? But there was the baffling hoodwink! Lower and lower came the gigantic birds as their mid-air circles contracted, and the boy _watched them with a curiosity impossible to de- scribe. They were only waiting for the black horse to sink to the ground exhausted in the furnace heat of the sun, Then they would make the last circle and end all. Mute Merle suddenly applied his heels to the black’s flanks. The horse started forward, but soon halted again. His spirit had been burned out of him. ‘*This is terrible! It is death!” the Boy Nabob must have thought at that moment, All at once, far across the plain and against the line of the horizon, a dark speck, or rather a series of specks, was seen to move. The young mine king watched them, and forgot the vul- tures in his new discovery. Suddenly the figures disappeared, but in a little while they came in sight again and seemed to have increased in size, Merle did not take his eyes from them now. _ Were they CORRE: toward him, or did the tree- less distance and the glare of the sun deceive him? At length he made out that the objects were men on horseback, and the next minute he saw that they were Indians. To fall into the bands of a lot of Apaches was no better than further torture on the plains, Mute Merle knew the wild red robbers of the American desert. Once they had swooped down upon the out- skirts of Cinnabar and had lost a chief and ten warriors in the affray. But now there was no escape. It was only a transfer from the vultures of the air to the wolves of the plains, All at once the black horse caught the scent of the approaching band, but the sun and thirst bad done the work for him, He made an effort to resume the battle against death. He tottered forward and stopped again. But his movement had proved enough. The Indians had seen it aa had altered their course. : Now they were riding straight toward Mute The black horse pricked up his ears, but he had not the strength to fly from the foe. In a short time Mute Merle was the central object of a wild red crowd. ‘hey peered into his face and gazed at his bonds with all the curiosity of a lot of Cos- sacks, Presently one of the band who seemed to re- cognize the young nabob drew back and made a significant gesture with his hands. It toldthe red-skins that Merle was a mute, and then fol- lowed a lot of Apache gibberish and pantomime which further fixed his identity in their minds, In the midst of this business a knife flashed in the sun behind Mute Merle, then the same blade severed the thongs that bound him to the horse, and as a powerful Apache jerked him from his seat, the black steed pitched forward on the parched grass! ‘*The young gold king of the white men shall have food and drink!” exclaimed the Indian, as he held Merle before him and looked into his face, ‘‘ He cannot talk, but his eyes know what the lips say. Lean Feather has heard of him before to-day. He will give the Apaches a)] he has to go back to the camp.- He shall go back, and Lean Feather will see the boy chief strike the men who tied him to the horse!” Mute Merle smiled, for the wolf had shown mercy, CHAPTER IX, A WITNESS MISSING. RELEASED by the Apache chief, the Boy Na- bob staggered to his black steed lying in the beating sun, The brave animal was already dead, and the hoodwink had been stripped from the glassy eyes by one of the Indians, Mute Merle picked up the cloth, and, after pCa it fora moment, placed it in his bosom; then he came back to Lean Feather and laid his hand on the eee arm, ** The boy gold-king shall not suffer. He shall go back to bis people!” said the Indian. ‘‘ His hand itches to pay the bad men back, and as the Apache hates them, too, he will laugh when the young avenger strikes.” In less than half an hour from his release, the young miner was far from the spot, and in the midst of the Apacheband. His thirst and hun- ger had been quenched, and he was ready to go back to Cinnabar. Atacertain place beyond the waste of dry rass and cactus, all the Indians but Lean ‘eather turned away, and he rode on with the chief at his side, Night was falling over Cinnabar when the Apache pointed at the lights that told where the mountain camp lay, and the next minute Merle was nting tne last stage alone. He appeared like a spirit from the dead to Mosco in the latter’s little hut. ‘*Have they seen you enter Cinnabar?” cried the mine-boss, Mute Merle shook his head. “Then let us go to the mine, I want to tell you all there.” The boy and his best man went straight to the private chamber in the Cactus Queen, and Mosco lighted the lamp oni the wall, Then Merle watched the overseer’s lips while they related the story of Corporal Cactus’s ar- rival and his swift fate, He did not miss a syllable of the entire nar- rative. ‘There is open war between Major Mesquite and (Vaptain Poncho,” concluded the mine-boss, ‘¢The captain has gone so far as to call a court for a thorough investigation of the corporal’s death. Major Mesquite is outwardly subdued, but he is furious. man who does not belong to Cinnabar was here last night. . Dalia saw him come and go. Captain Poncho has sum- moned her to court. She knows that the man sort beyond held a conference with the major, and— F Mute Merle checked Mosco bya touch and talked for a second with his fingers. ‘* Where is Dalia now, eh?” returned Mosco. ‘* She was at home a few moments ago,” ‘* Does Mesquite know that Dalia has been summoned?” Merle asked, in his way. ‘* He does.” ‘¢ Then, Mosco, the girl is not safe,” ae mine-boss started to his feet in an in- stant. ‘* She will be safe here!” he exclaimed. ‘* When does the tribunal meet?” asked the fingers, ** To-morrow.” ‘Go and bring Dalia here.” ** Now?” “ Now,” o Mosco was off in a moment. Mute Merle, the Boy Nabob. puzzle, It was apparent to him that the corporal had not been permitted to finish his task, Death had interfered, He had covered several sheets of paper, however, which, in the absence of @ key with which the writer: might have supple mented his work, contained more than one rid- dle for the boy. Meanwhile Mosco had gone back to Cinnabar on his errand. The little cabin inhabited by Dalia, Mute Merle’s girl bookkeeper, was one of the neatest- built structures in the camp, Her hands had adorned its inside walls with many specimens of female handiwork, and a bench in front always bore the rarest flowers of the Southwest. Mosco, being on a secret mission, approached the cabin with much caution. He was to con- duct its tenant quietly to her employer, and it was desired that neither Majcr Mesquite nor euy of his party should be aware’of the trans- er. The cabin was dark when Mosco rapped on the door, i There was no response. He waited awhile and rapped again, but with the same result. Then he tried the latch, and as it yielded he opened the door and walked in, ‘Dalia! Dalia!” he called. But the girl did not spring forward and her voice did notrespond. . Mosco knew that the cabin was without a ten- ant. After a little spell of waiting in the gloom, he drew back and went out. ‘This means something,” muttered the mine- boss. ‘The witness has been visited. I know it, but by whom? Ah! whom will her evidence damage? By heavens! I see through the game that has been played!” The big miner of Cinnabar had flashing eyes and clinched hands while he spoke. He stood in the starlight a few rods from Dalia’s cabin and looked toward Major Mes- quite’s shanty in which there was a light. Impelled forward by a sudden impulse, as it were, he went toward the cabin as if he intend- ed to dash intoit and demand of its owner - what he had done with the Rose of Cinnabar, But Mosco came to a balt as sudden as bi start bad been. All at once the head and shoulders of a man appeared between him and the major’s window. They were distinctly seen, and what was more, their shape rendered their owner known to Mosco, _ Captain Poncho was playing spy ! Now, Mosco was avnxious to know wkat the little captain was seeing beyond the window, for the head remained in one place above the rude sill. He had no doubt that Major Mesquite and some one else were peeps a secret conference, all of which was fish for the captain’s net. Mosco went forward till he stood within a few feet of the eavesdropper of tho camp. He had not been mistaken—the man was reale ly the captain, But suddenly this tableau was’ broken in a manner unexpected to both Captain Poncho and Merle’s mine-boss, The half-muffled report of a pistol broke the stillness of the scene, and with a sharp cry the head at the window vanished from the light, and something came tumbling toward Mosco like a Jack suddenly ejected from his box, Mosco knew it was the captain, and he made a grab at the figure as it tumbled by, bot his fingers merely touched it and did not stop its i flight. ae distance beyond Captain Poncho seemed to recover, for he stopped and looked toward the cabin. U At the same time the door opened and the bushy head of a man—not the major—was thrust out. It was seen fora moment, when it vanished again and the door was closed. *¢ Won't I make him pay for this to-morrow!” cried a voice near Mosco, and the mine-boss saw the liliputian figure of Captain Poncho shakin a fist at the cabin, ‘‘ He’s played a bold 4 but a miss is just as good as a mile, for Vil be on hand at the tribunal loaded for bear. you for a moment forget this, major.” SR Fi ee ee vg a lig rae And don’t ¥ a
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a The fist fell with a partin and Captain Poncho started off, but turned sud- denly at the sound of steps behind him. Quick to meet a foe on his own ground, the pigmy threw a hand toward his revolver when 6 discovered that the approaching person was Mosceo. ** What tumbled youfrom the window?” asked the Boy Nabob’s mine-boss, **Did you see me?” was the quick response, ‘Major Mesquite shot at my head by one of the quickest movements I ever saw. The bullet broke the glass in front of my face, and I left the window ina jiffy. But just wait, sir. We’ll balance accounts to-morrow, It will be done even if I can’t find my most important wit- ness. _) ©The girl” ~ Ske ‘*Dalia, She has. been taken off by the man who knows more about Corporal Cactus’s death than any one in Cinnabar, and somehow-or- other he has discovered what Dalia was going to tell. My best witness is gone, sir, but it is some time before the investigation begins. I am going to make an effort to trip Major Mes- quite between now and then, If your employer would come back—” . Mosco touched Captain Poncho’s hand, ** He has come back,” said he, The little captain gave a start and opened his eyes. fs Where is he?” * Where he can be seen—if you want to see 2 Does the major know of the return?” 0. ** Then let it bea secret still. Major Mesquite is just now playing the most desperate and dead- ly game ever played by any man in Arizona,” CHAPTER X. A CLOSE SHAVE, Morr MERLE, waiting with a good deal of impatience for Mosco in the private chamber of the Cactus Queen Mine, sprung to his feet when the mine-boss came at last with his story of a fruitless mission. His fingers moved with lightning rapidity be- fore Mosco’s eyes. **This is Major Mesquite’s work,” they said. **Heis playing a bold theugh secret game for possession of the Cactus Queen, He has covet- ed the bonanza ever since it was opened. It has eclipsed bis own mine, and no one knows this better than the major himself. I don’t alto- gether trust Captain Poncho, for be has set en- vious.eyes On me, and eitherof the nabobs would like to get a grip on the Cactus Queen. Dalia must be found, Mosco. She shall be before the investigation, for since I have put t is and that together, since I have deciphered ron ae Cac- tus’s document, [am going to fight Major Mes- aap the robbers of the plains for all there n it. Merle threw upon the table as he spoke the bits of paper which Mosco had found in the dead hand of the mysterious Corporal Cactus, ** Who was the corporal?” the mine-boss asked looking at the boy. ‘* He was more than he pretended to be,” an- swered theswiftfingers, ‘*I had to read broken sentences and severed words. Corporal Cactus was a man who could have enlightened Old Montcriff to a certain extent, He was once a Night Rider of the Mexican border, but never joined the infamous Cactus Brotherhood. Still, e knew some of their secrets for he had been their prisoner before tbe last ride they gave him across the desert. The man actually knew the secret of the loss of Old Montcriff’s child, as he has related it to me times without number, Mosco, I am going to tell you a secret.” ** Not if you don’t want me to have it, I hope,” said Mosco., “T want you to know it for I trust you,” Merle went on. ‘‘ Corporal Cactus was on way to Cinnabar when the Brotherhood caught him. Somehow or other he discovered the secret of my absences from Cinnabar. He knew that I often went to Old Montcriff’s shanty, that I listened every time to the old man’s story, and that I had sworn to find his Florice for him. Thus Corporal. Cactus came to me with his secret, but itis onenolonger. Mosco, my brave fellow, when we find Dalia, we find the old her- mit’s child.” Mosco could hardly wait till the last word had been reeled off the fingers, ‘* Then we find her!” he exclaimed, commence the hunt now.” Mute Merle went to the door and laid his hand on the heavy knob, but there he stopped. Tf you go, Major uite may see you,” gad Hee jor Mesq y see you, ‘““Wecan wip. ee ng te eee a demonstration, Mute Merle, the Boy Nabob. — The boy came back. **Must I hide from that man?” asked his fin- gers. ‘‘I know what brought the nocturnal messenger to Cinnabar—the man whom Dalia saw. Captain Monte sent him to report m capture and exile among the cactus and the vul- tures. With me out of the way the major thinks he will soon own the Cactus Queen, but I am stillin his path, thopgh he knowsit not. 1 say, Mosco, must | hide lise a huntel deer from this bandit wolf of the border?” ‘*Wor a while,” replied the mine-boss, calmly. ‘*Captain Poncho will hunt for Dalia between now and morning. He will do it secretly and the stone floor of the chamber, then the strange air struck Merle’s face again and vanished as before, . - He lay for ten minutes longer under the cot and then crept out. He was again alone! CHAPTER XI. CAUGHT, THE young Nabob of Cinnabar wondered if Major Mesquite had a suspicion of his presence inths mine, There was on the big schemer’s . face an expression which indicated that he had alone, for some of his miners are suspected of | treachery, and he dare not trust them asagainst | his powerful rival. Therefore, let me take the trail. Thereisa place in which to look for the Rose of Cinnabar.” ‘' The major’s bonanza?” ‘*' Yes,” ‘*Have all your wits about you if ‘The Live Rattlesnake,’” admonished Merle. **T won’t leave one of them on the outside! sought the chamber of the Cactus Queen for a diabolical purpose, yet Merle thought that he had entered the camp unperceived. For several minutes he did not attempt ta fol- low the major and his comrade of the bushy head, He stood in the dark at the door with his hand on the lock as before, ready to go back to the gloom beneath the cot at the first touch of ou enter | the key. But the nabob of the Live Rattlesnake did not come back to send him again to that uncom- And let me return the advice, Captain Merle, | fortable retreat, and after awhile he unlocked See with one eye sa if you must sleep here while I am gone, ou know what followed Corporal Cactus’s coming to Cinnabar. I bave told you who I found the other morsing on the floor yonder as dead as Haman.” Mute Merle smiled at these words and saw Mosco vanish and the door shut behind bim, He went back to the corporal’s paper and read it again after he had planed the several pieces side by side on the table. It was a mystery no longer. Perseverance and pluck had made it clear, and he knew that Old Montcriff was not childless, and that Major Mesquite was a member, ay, really the chief, of the Cactus Brotherhood. ’ For more than an hour the Boy Nabob studied the cipher as if he werecompleting the sentences broken or unfinished. He was surrounded by rough walls, through none of which there was any egress except through the strong door. As be looked at the portal in the light of the lamp he seemed to wouder how Corporal Cactus had been surprised, He knew tkat Mosco had slept that night with the key under his pillow, and that the mine-boss maintained that it had not been abstracted, Equally positive was Mosco that he locked the door when he left the corporal alone, After all, might it not have been suicide? No! there were the torn papers in the dead man’s hand, and there was the bruise of fingers at the throat, Somebody had stolen upon Corporal Cactus; the door had been opened! But by whom? The boy’sspeculations were interrupted by the sudden winking of the light, He seemed toapprehend danger, for he left his chair and turned the light out, leaving the cell in Egyptian darkness, The next moment the mute of Cinnabar was at the door with one hand resting lightly upon the lock, The slightest jar would be to him as good a warning as a sound to ears as keen as the fox’s. ; For five minutes the young mine king did not stirin the dark. He knew that the presence of something ina certain corridor beyond the cell had caused the lamp to lose for an instant its — ly of air from the outside and to blink sud- enly. Had Mosco come back? Allat once Mute Merle felt a sensation that for a twinkling took his hand from the door, It‘was suddenly repeated, and quick as a cat he sprung back from the door and forced his ba under the low iron bedstead of the cot. e barely had time to draw his feet in after him when the door opened and he felt a puff of new air on his face. : Ina moment, as the cell became as close as before, a match sent forth its little flame, and as it burned up Merle saw the well-known face of Major Mesquite. The nabob of the Live Rattlesnake Bonanza was notalone. Near him stood his mine-boss, a pe. and lank individual with a large head coy- ered with bushy black hair. , The major moved the burning match hither and thither before’ his face while he inspected the cell, and the malicious eyes at his right were as keen as his own in the inspection. The young nabob watched the two men with 4 mii which suited the perilous occasion to a ‘8 J - He knew what would swiftly follow discov- ery, fur there was a Satanic eagerness in the major’s eyes. Suddenly the big ruffian flung the match to ma] = ; the door himself and looked out. A dark and narrow corridor stretched before him, It was a passage which he had threaded a thousand times, and he knew all its turnsas well in the dark as by torchlight. The boy miner shut the heavy door softly after-him and went down the lonesome way, He guided himself by a hand on the wall at his right, and as his feet sent forth no sound forthe fine dust that covered the ground, his journey was as noiseless as the crawl of a cat, Merle went deep and deeper into the heart of bis bonanza, Did he think that he was following Major Mes- quite, or was he off on another mission called out by the visit of the gold giant to the mine? Mute Merle did not halt until he stocd on what ssemed to be the brink of a ledge beyond which the very heart of darkness lay. Another step would have precipitated him in- to a shuddering abyss, but instinct or knowledge had stopped him at the right moment. For some time ho stood there leaning against the rough wall at his back and apparently wait- ing for an event of some kind. At length astar seemed to burstinto being far across the black chasm and some feet be- neath his position, It wavered for a moment and was then stationary, Merle watched it intently from the first, and while he did so it grew med or appeared to do so, and fora time it seemed to approach, moving mysteriously through space. y and by the star grew into the form of a bull’s eye and a sudden shifting of it to one side showed Merle two figures behind it. His eyes got a new glitter when he made the discovery. The light was no longer a star, but a lanterh operated by a man who was walking on firm ground. : The Boy Nabob crouched in the path along the rocky ledge and fixed his attention on the ss gures below. esaw the lantern throw its light upon one wall, now wu another, Wherever it touched the rocks it showed the work of mining, for the men undér the ledge were in one of the newly-opened gold-chambers of the Cactus the light. It was Major Mesquite! Behind him, or at one elbow, walked the bushy-headed pard who was the bosscf the Live Rattlesnake Bonanza, Merle knew him as well as he did his master. It was the major’s first visit to the forbidden depths of the young Nabob’s mine, and his coun- tenance told Merle that the richness of the bonanza astonished him. . Every now and then the major would examine the rocks with the eye of a person well versed in mines and mining. The man with the bushy head did the same, and over a rich piece of quartz the two rascals would put their heads together and make estimates that dilated their eyes. Merle the Mute regarded them till his indig- nation seemed to get the upper hand of his bet- ter judgment. Drawing a revolver, he leveled it at the man who carried the lantern, and for a moment the life of Major Mesquite was not worth the dust under his feet. > dain But a different resolution suddenly took pos- session of the boy miner, ; He seemed the realize the importance even to him of the life he held at his mercy, Major Mesquite was supposed to hold the secret of ueen, Already Merle had recognized. the bearer of ee, ET > 7 { - 7 . i ) 1
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Et gy e+ Dalia’s disappearance, and now that he (Merle) knew that the girl was the missing child of Old Montcriff the mountain hermit, he could not destroy all hopes of finding her by shooting the invader of his mine. He put up the revolver almost as suddenly as he had drawn it, and as the men below moved off, he let them depart without a retributive shot. Merle saw the light shine here™and there as Major Mesquite and his overseer disappeared, and at last the gold chamber was wrapped in darkness once more, The Boy Nabob crawled back along the ledge, believing that he had seen the last of the big Croesus ee the night, but all at once he came almost face to face with him, where he did not dream of meeting any one. Major Mesquite was not alone. As before he had the bushy-headed man with him, and the lantern had been deposited in a natural niche in such a manner that its light fell upon their figures. The young mine king had the shadows on bis side and he crept forward until he gained a spot close to the two men, The major wastalking, and as hestood ly in tho light the keen eyes of Mute watched the movements of his lips, Never before had he watched a man with such intense curiosity. : But Major Mesquite was speaking in low tones and the boy could not fairly catch the motion of his lips because of this caution, Now and then, however, as his eyes indicated, he picked up a word, but the overseer’s replies were lost to him, as he could not see that indi- vidual’s face to advantage, it being half in shadow. Rana! Mesquite and his pard suddenly left the ace, as The bull’s-eye lantern was extinguished, and Merle, with cat-like tread, followed the pair to the very mouth of the mine. They went toward the shanties of the camp satisfied, no doubt, with their night tour, and the mute was left to do as he pleased. - For a few moments he st at the mouth of the shaft apparently undecided. Mosco had not come back from his second bunt for Dalia. Merle knew that his cool and faithful mine- ‘boss would leave no stone overturned, but he realized the extent of the danger that lay ahead, All the cunning and the villainy of Major Mes- ‘quite and his companions would be put forward ‘to defeat the ends of justice, and if Mosco were caught in the ‘‘ Live Rattlesnake” his life would not be worth a fig, When Merlemoved from his last halting-place ‘it was not to go hack to the private room in his mine. Hewent downa narrow path that prom- ised to lead him into the heart of the hills, but he-suddenly turned aside and ran toward the amajor’s bonanza, Major Mesquite’s friendly uare- erle During one of freaks he had been permitted to inspect the in- terior of the ‘Live Rattlesnake,” but now he ‘was‘approaching it without a guide. If he en- pared Woes he not thrust his head into a noose re) er The Boy Nabob of Cinnabar approached the mine with extreme caution. He Pattee no one on guard at the mouth, and without a minute's hesitation he-went in and was swallowed up by the dense darkness, He knew that the front of the “ Live Rattlo- snake” was similar to that of the *‘ Cactus Queen,” and fora short time he had nodifficulty in pushing forward. ut atacertain spot he halted and found a solid wall in his path. His feeling hands discovered niches in the stone, rising one above the other like the rounds of a ladder, : They invited ascent and in a moment Mute Merle was climbing up hand-over-hand he knew not whither, For some little time he kept fearlessly on, and -~when he paused at last he found himself on the > ion of a wall not very broad but like solid ‘stone. t Merle rested there after his climb. Ten minutes later, having discovered that the other side of the strange barrier was similarly ‘provided with niches in the stone, he went down among the darkness—down to—what fate? Itseemed an endless descent to the boy miner. ‘but he struck und at last and stood still where he landed, a If he had had the use of his ears he would have heard a voice by which he would have jbeen thrilled: © "Somebody came down the wall. I knowit!” said the voice in the gloom of the cavern, Mute Merle, the Boy Nabob. **T didn’t hear him,” was the response. **T don’t see where your ears war. I'll bet my head that somebody is over ag’in’ the wall now, ‘* Throw a light on it.” ‘*That would give us away if the person who came down should happen to be any o’ the cap- tain’s spies.” ‘* By Jupiter! I don’t like to sit here in this suspense. [ won’t, either!” The following moment there flashed on the wall the bright light of a bull’s-eye lantern, and as it covered Mute Merle he fell back and stared at the globe of fire behind which towered the gigantic figures of two men who were thunder- struck on seeing aim there, It was a startling tableau. Merle knew the men, and they knew him, They were two of Captain Poncho’s miners— two of the suspects—men who had sold them- selves and their services to his rival, the major. ‘It is the mute boy—the young gold Jonah of Cinnabar!” cried one of the twain. ‘‘If he es- capes we are gone!” n another second the men moved toward Merle, but. quick as bad been the flashing of their lantern, he stepped back to the wall and covered them with a six-shooter. CHAPTER XII. THE UNDERGKOUND RIVER. THE scene revealed by the light which had been turned on for the wees of discovering who had come down the wall was a most strik- ing one, Merle could retreat no further for his back was against the rough stone, and in spite of his determined front and the menace of the revolver the two toughs were not disposed to give up the battle. They knew that the Boy Nabob’s discovery fastened upon them the crime of treason to Cap- tain Poncho, They had sold themselves to Ma- jor Mesquite and stood ready to carry out any plan proposed by that designing rascal. One of the men suddenly caught up the light and held it so as to let its light fall with full force upou his face, As he did this he leaned forward and laughed, **Don’t you know, Nabob Merle, that one shot from your pistol would be the death of ou?” he suddenly exclaimed, his language be- ng "igi to the boy by the movement of 8 lips. Merle made no reply of any kind, ** You cannot shoot both of us at once, and al- most as soon as your bullet was in the head of one the other would have youina grip of death,” continued the man. ‘‘You came here on a spying expedition. Weknow what our presence in the ‘ Live Rattlesnake ’ tells you. You never saw us here before, but there are lots of our kind in Cinnabar to-night. Captain Poncho won’t have a body-guard when he convenes his tribunal to-morrow. The upper hand belongs to Major Mesquite, and within the next forty- eight hours there will be but one bonanza king in this camp.” ' This speech seemed to fix Merle’s whole atten- tion on the speaker, The man did not stand more than five feet away. Suddenly the second miner somewhat in sha- dow leaped straight at the young Croesus, and although Merle attempted to cover him, he was | struck with the force of a catapult bolt and dashed against the wall. < Then the man with the light sprung to his comrade’s assistance and the weapon was wrenched from the boy’s grasp, and he was firmly held. We ee was speedy execution in the looks of the ughs, Light but strong ropes kept Merle’s hands bound on his back, and with a man on either side he was conducted from the chamber by an arched way which he had not seen before, The two traitors took him down a winding corridor and through several rooms of the mine. They seemed to be moving toward the heart of the earth and while Merle was thinkin that the journey was never to end, he was halt for the first time. One of the men now held the light forward in such a manner that it was reflected brilliantly on a glittering surface a few feet away and Merle saw that they stood on the bank of an un- round stream with a sluggish flow. ‘he very motion of the water was enough to send a chill to his heart, and while he looked, the two men regarded him with a smile that told his doom. | ‘Tf you came hither to explore the secret re- cesses of Major Mesquite’s bonanza, the black 9 river will assist pa said the bearer of the light. ‘It runs through the undiscovered gold- rooms and into the very depths of the earth.” One of the men left Merle and the other and disappeared, but in a few moments he came back carrying a piece of timber which, though quite large, seemed as light as a cork, Merle was placed on his back upon the stick and firmly lashed there with strong cords, This operation was performed near the wall of the cavern through which the stream ran, and before his hands were fastened for the voy- age the Boy Nabob took a piece of chalk from his pocket, ‘* Don’t let him write anything!” cried one of the rascals, and at the same time he caught the boy’s wrist to carry out his command. ut already the chalk was at the wall, and in the space of a second it wrote rapidly and in characters plain enough to be read by all: “Treason and cunning in Cinnabar shall come to naught !” The men looked at one anotherand smiled grinly. ‘* Just as if he expects to survive the voyage!” exclaimed one, and with one sweep of his big bronze hand he erased the words, ‘* Now, Nero, into the Riverof Death he goes to be thrown out upon the unknown shore.” Merle and the log were picked up by the trait-» orsand held between them for a second, then ~ they swung their burden back and forth for a little while and tossed it out into the water The noise of Merle’s immersion in the elefoent awoke a thousand ghostly echoes, The boy dis- appeared entirely for a moment, but he came to the surface in the glare of the light and float- ed slowly away on a voyage to the unknown! He was watched by the two men until he was no longer visible and then he was borne under an arch which was so low that at times he brushed the dark ceiling. The young nabob of Arizona had heard of the subterranean stream which flowed through Major Mesquite’s mine, but he had never dream-~ ed of taking a voyage on itin person, Mosco had once stood on the banks of the stream,and had even fathomed it some distance from shore, but whither it went and where it ended nobody knew, The current was not swift at any place, bore the young mine-king forward at a steady rate, always through the most intense darkness and apparently ever in the middle of the stream, When they had seen the last of Mute Merle the men went back to the place where he had surprised them, From there they went to the mouth of the mine and thence to the cabins of the camp. The secret of the boy’s doom was their own, They had finished the career of the young nabob of Cinnabar and had ame Major Mesquite a firmer grip on the coveted bonanza, When they had separated, one sought out the si shanty by a cautious route, © tip-toed to the window and looked in, The figure of the big Vanderbilt of Arizona was seen at a table. : The man outside watched it for a moment and then knocked. As if there was something peculiar in the noise, Major Mesquite turned bis head and then admitted uis visitor, The traitor came forward with a leer of vic- tory on his face, ‘*What would you give for good news?” he asked, as he leaned toward the major. ‘That depends. Have you any real good news?” f ‘*T think I have,” ** Well?” _The man seemed to step back as he oyed the big nabob, ‘Say, major, where does your underground river run to?” The Yong brought a smile to Major Mes- quite’s lips, “That’s a queer interrogative!” he cried. ‘*Why don’t you ask me about the source of the Nile?” ‘* Because I don’t want to know that,” replied ee Well i don't know wh t becomes of ell, on ow wha mes river. But why?” | os tery ” grinned the man. ‘’ Sent him down that river?” “ Yes.” : : ye was he?—a spy” course a spy,” was the 5 SES a © heart of the Live Rattlesnake,” ** Was it Mosco?” _ it * ‘We've just sent a fellow to solve themys- _ we ¥ © ye i
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= Ad ial —— = . a to aatetiaeh hin neeaenieiee a ee BS ec R _ would not come out, 10 — “ No,” ‘*The captain then?” ** Nor Captain Poncho either.” Major Mesquite looked puzzled. The man leined closer till their faces nearly met, The major caught the victorious glitter of his eves and knew that the next words would be something startling. “The explorer of your river is the boy him- self,” said Nero, ‘‘Heis is no lessa personage than Mute Merle, the Croesus of Cinnabar. Don’t you think my secret is worth some- thing? Major Mesquite fell back in his chair and stared aghast at the revelator. “You don’t tell me this for the truth?’-he suddenly cried. "Why not? Why should I come to you with a lie of this sort?” ‘*Then | was not misinformed! The boy did escape the perils of the plains, He came back ~ pag ape Yes, sir, the secret is worth some- ing. The major crossed the room and unlocked a heavy wooden box in one corner. Diving one hand into its depths he took outa good-sized buckskin bag and brought it back to the man, ‘Take that and keep a still tongue in your head. Remember! you know nothing /” said he, and a look toward the door dismissed the aston- ished miner, A minute later Nero was ten rods from the cabin, and the first figure he saw was that of Captain Poncho, the man whom he had be- sg be little captain seemed omnipresent. et CHAPTER XIII, THE LITTLE CAPTAIN’S GRIT. BRIGHT and early the next day the figure of the little man in high boots emerged from the opening to the Golden Slipper Bonanza, Captain Poncho may have passed the night in his mine, or he may have visited it on business, The spies in Major Mesquite’s service who saw him come forth alone noticed that his eyes had not the snap of triumph as when he called to- gether the tribunal which was to inquire into the death of Corporal Cactus, Something seemed to have fallen like a damp blanket upon the captain’s prospects, and those who watched him walk toward the cabin ex- changed glances of satisfaction. Captain Poncho bad not discovered the where- abouts of his principal witness, Dalia, Without her he could fasten nothing upon his old rival, the major. He shut the cabin door with a mad oath. ‘I'm worse off than I ever was!” he growled, **Not only bas Major Mesquite taken my wit- ness, but he hasseduced my men from me, and I haven’t six faithful onesin my gang. What shall I do?—call him out and shoot him? He He prefers to fight me b secret and unfair means. Whereis Mosco? He started out last night to find the girl. And ee Is he still cooped up in his own bonan- za If the captain had known what had taken place he would have consulted his watch with more nervousness than he did, - “‘T can’t go back now,” he went on. ‘‘ The hour for the assembling of the court has been fixed. There is but one way to evade it, but I won’t adoptit. No, if 1am in a nest of traitors I won’t play coward.” Captain Poncho looked to his revolvers and went out on the street. The sun had risen and thecitizensof Cinnabar were on the streets. Every one seemed to have more than one look at the little man as he strode leisurely across the Square and entered the long room with a bar at one end on the furthest side, Major Mesquite was ahead of him, and the first person seen by the owner of the ‘‘ Golden Slipper Mine” was the giant of the ‘‘ Live Rat- tlesnake,” . But there was a man in the room whom Cap- tain Pencho did not know. He stood near the counter with his elbow rest- ing lightly onthe edge ofit. — ‘He was well-dressed in a suit of clothes not very much worn. His boots came nearly to his knees and had gold thread at the tops, and his wide-brim hat which at the time was thrown back, showing a deep forehead, had a wide silk band of crimson. He was handsome both in face and figure, just baad of man to attract attention on the bor- cer, a, " gr en ees i pis 3S ene eT ei ata st Ot ae ~< Mute Merle, the Boy Nabob.» Captain Poncho noticed that this brigandish- looking fellow was talking to Major Mesquite, and as if he was the subject of their conversa- tion the stranger looked rather hard at him when he entered, The Nabob of the Golden Slipper passed to a table at which three men were playing in spite of the early hour, But all the time he looked through his dark dasies at the major and the unknown. He soon saw that he was closely watched in return. ‘ This is a trap,” said the little man to him- self. ‘‘I have walked into it like a fool, Ill bet my head that the door is already locked, for Major Mesquite’s best man, Taos Turk, has just moved away from it.” Asif to test his suspicions, though really for the purpose of getting a better position, Cap- tain Poncho went back to the door. As he laid his hand on the latch, a number of derisive laughs fell upon his ears, and he wheeled with crimson in his cheeks, The door was locked, and Major Mesquite was still talk- ing to the stranger as if, utterly oblivious of the merriment at the captain’s expense, For half a second Captain Poncho stood facing the crowd with his back toward the door, then he stepped quickly forward and suddenly lev- eled his finger at a red-faced ruffian who was eying him with poorly-suppressed glee, ‘*1t is the coward who locks a door on a man already entrapped!” exclaimed the little cap- tain. ‘‘The strange gentleman at the bar, if he does not know the man to whom | refer, let me say that he wears the clothes of Taos Turk and stands yonder with guilt on his face and the blood of a six-foot coward in his veins!” Captain Poncho had a good space of rough floor all to himself. He rung out his words ‘with an emphasis that compelled attention, and one-half of the listeners expected to see the man thus singled out bound forward like a lion. But Taos Turk did nothing of the kind. “You see, Captain What’s-your name, the sort of people we have here!” continued the lit- tle man, addressing the stranger. ‘‘ The bigger a man is in Cinnabar, the less courage he has,” and the captain sent a quick glance toward his old rival, who flushed in spite of himself. All the reply Captain Poncho got was the echo of his words, and this maddened him be- yond description. Now he saw through the scheme, which had been helped on by the locked door and the si- lence with which he had been met, He had promised himself to keep cool before entering the trap, but his anger got the better of-his resolution. The following moment he seemed to clear the space between Major Mesquite and himself by a single bound. Throwing himself back before his rival, he inserted his thumbs under his armpits and looked up into the major’s face, ‘*Did you purchase them singly or in a lump?” he exclaimed. ‘“‘ And what have you done with the witness, Major Mesquite, alias Captain Santa Anna of the old Monterey Trail?” The last words contained a sting that made the big Nabob of Cinnabar wince, 2 He changed color twice from red to white and back again, At the same time he got the benefit of the handsome stranger’s look which had left Cap- tain Poncho when he spoke the new name, _ ‘* See here, you had better look outside,” said the major, with the sneer of a bully in his tones. : copes Poneho met his answer with a augh, : ** You see he pretends to be a quartz mill that crushes at one turn,” he said, te the stranger. “Do you know my friend here? As Major Mesquite or as Captain Santa Anna? He is just now in the business of inducing men to de- sert their old employer, and of concealing im- portant witnesses in a case that demands in- vestigation!” — : Major Mesquite grew very red in the face again. ‘*)’m glad to say this is the only combination of rooster and peacock we have in Cinnabar,” said he, indicating Captain Poncho by a con- temptuous look. ‘* But that, sir, is not the only assassin and coward we have bere!” and the quivering finger of the little man covered the giant, who fell back and threw one hand toward his hip. One cr oe have heard a leaf fall upon the boards at Captain Poncho’s feet at the end of his | Withering sentence, ci ee Pe eT a The stranger looked at both men, but more particularly, andin amazement, at the captain, whose fearlessness was the unexpected. ‘*Open the door and let the fighting cock strut outside,” said the major, at length. “If he crows a little longer Ill shoot the top of his head off.” “You will, eh?” retorted Captain Poncho, ‘* Dye ‘crowed’ before, as you call it, and I’m still here with the same old head on my shoul- ders. If you mean business, major—if you are not blowing off as usual—just step out in front of the house, and mark off the ground you’ve threatened to mark off so often, Show your grit now, or forever—” ; ‘* Put that man out!” broke in the major, ap- pealing to the crowd. In a second a pair of Titantic arms encircled Cpatain Poncho’s body, and despite his efforts to break away, he was carried bodily across the room to the door which was already open, and the next instant he was pitched headlong upon the Square. Almost before he alighted, which he did at full length, Major Mesquite turned to the stran- ger and said half under his breath: ‘‘That is precisely what I waited to happen. The fool out yonder will make a bolt for me the moment he gets up, and I will drop him on the step, dead and forever out of our way!” Captain Poncho was a second getting up on his feet, but the moment he did so he drew a re- volver and sprung toward the ranch. Bnt he was not permitted to reach the door, which Major Mesquite had mentally transform- ed into a dead-line, for all at once he was caught: up by a paly of big brown hands and jerked back without ceremony. , “Don’t rush to death!” said a voice at his ear. ‘‘I’ve just come from my hunt,and we need you more than ever.” ‘ The speaker was Mosco, the mine-boss. CHAPTER XIV. FIGHTING FATE, A LOUD laugh greeted Captain Poncho’s fail- ure to reach the door of the ranch, where a deadly bullet from Major Mesquite’s revolver awaited him. ; - The captain was firmly held by Mosco until he gave bis promise tnat he would go with the mine-boss and not rush headlong to death ree two walked away and entered Mosco’s shanty. ‘¢ When does the Tribunal meet?” asked Moseo when he had shut the door. ** At ten o’clock this morning.” ‘‘ Where is your principal witness?—found et?” . Captain Poncho started, ’ asf What! didn’t you strike Dalia’s trail?’ he cried, ¥ A singular smile appeared at the corners of ce Hers?” ‘ ‘* Somewhere underground, but that is not what J want to talk about.” ‘*T don’t know of anything more important.” ; *¢ We have lost Little Silent.” Captain Poncho gave the speaker a look thats bordered on incredulity. ‘*T thought he was to remain in his bonanza. until—” ‘* Until I reported, eh?” put in Mosco, 4c Yes ” ‘¢T thought 1 would find him there when I re- turned, but the chamber was empty, The young: Nabob of Cinnabar has fallen into a trap.” “ Not in his own bonanza, I hope?” — ‘*Not there. Do you know anything about the underground river that flows through a part of Major Mesquite’s claim?” ‘“*T have heard of it.” ‘Well, I have seen it,” answered Mosco, ‘‘1 have even stood on its banks since leaving you. There is where I lost Mute Merle’s trail.” ‘“On the shore of that Arizona Styx!” ex- claimed Captain Poncho, e ‘‘Nowhere else,” ‘¢ What took him thither?” ‘‘ The indications are that he did not goall the way, on his own accord,” smiled Mosco, “I found the foot-tracks of three persons on the banks of that»infernal river. Merle’s were among tbe number, Two of the persons came away from the stream; the others did not.” +‘ You don’t mean to tell me that Merle was consigned to the waters of the underground river?” cried Captain Poncho. 4 ‘¢T mean nothing else.” The little nabob was on his feet in an instant, ry 5 4 : } } ¥
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a ee A i age ee: ee pe wae sh “plains. ‘This is more of Major Mesquite’s work!” he roared. ‘if he isn’t playing a big hand, I never heard of one in all my life. There isa new man in Cinnabar and he knows the major. I wish you could get a look at him—” ‘*T have seen him,” interrupted Mosco, ** When?” **T saw him come,” ** This morning, eh?” ** Just before daylight.” ** Do you know him?” ra Iam good at guessing,” laughed the mine- 88. The little captain looked at him amazed. **7 would like to hear your guess,” said he. Mosco stepped forward and touched the cap- tain on the shoulder, ‘*My head against your head, Poncho, that the handsome tough is the Chief of the Cactus Brotherhood,” said Mosco, Captain Poncho broke from the touching hand and stared. ‘Captain Monte!’ he exclaimed. “* Monte, the Cruel,” was the response, ‘‘ The same man who sent the unfortunate Corporal Cactus to the vultures and who also started Merle upon the same terrible journey across the You show some sek ng at his being ere, but reflect a moment. ou haven’t got as many friends as you had a wéek ago—” ‘‘No, Major Mesquite has bought my men,” said the captain. ** And to all appearances he is master of the situation. Captain Monte knew just when to come to Cinnabar. If you will go down the trail leading between the Twin Bowlders you will discover that he did not come all the way alone.” ‘© Who are they?” ‘Perhaps twenty of his merciless riders of the cactus lands. Everything is ready for Major Mesquite’s coup. nothing happens within twenty-four hours hewill be virtual Boss of Cin- . nabar, and the Live Rattlesnake, the Golden Slipper and the Cactus Queen will be owned by oneman. Not only this, but Dalia will be his wife, whether she wills it or not, and Old Mont- eriff, the Hermit, will die without folding his lost child to his bosom.” * But somevbing must happen!” cried Cap- tain Poncho, striking the table with his fist. “How many men of your gang can you trust?” The little man’s countenance fell. ‘Speak out,” commanded Mosco, ‘* Not more than ten,” was the confession, “‘T thought the Mesquite tongue had done its work,” smiled Merle’s mine-boss, ‘‘Our men are all true; sixty brave fellows who cannot be *purchased. I do not intend to involve them in he quarrel if I can help it. ‘You must postpone the sitting of the Tribunal.” ‘* That would be a confession of weakness,” ‘Tt matters not, A court without the princi- pal witness would be a feilure anyhow, An- nounce that the investigation into the cause of Corporal Cactus’s death will not take place un- ye Part w 82 eld aptain Poncho’s eyes fairly snapped. “ ¢ can’t do that!” ca nape a ‘* Then I will,” replied "Mosco. ‘* Two things must be accomplished to break the grip of the gold giants on Cinnabar before the convening of the Tribunal. Dalia and Cap- tain Merle, both of them, must be found.” **T don’t see how the voyager on the under- ground river is to be discovered. Noone knows where the stream rises nor into what other body of water it emptiesitself, Itis one of the mys- teries of the subterranean world.” ‘“‘ All that is true, Captain Poncho,” returned Mosco, the mine-boss. ‘‘ But nothing must daunt usnow. I am going back to the dark map eaeoand, ” ‘* To Major Mesquite’s bonanza?” tips? et Poncho’s face changed color. ‘*Say the word and I am with you,” he ex- claimed ; ‘‘I think the best way to keep me out of trouble in the camp is to take me along.” ‘*T think so, too,” said Mosco, ‘‘ You told me six months ago that you had discovered a secret passage leading from Major Mesquite’s bonanza to yours. Isit still in existence?’ ‘“*T had itshut up, but the removal of a few stones will openitagain, I thought at the time that my enemy had taken advantage of the pas- sage, but since then I have changed my mind, It was nothing more than a natural way—a freak of underground nature, like the subter- ranean river.” : ‘¢ We will take Pepe of it right away. Arm yourself and go quickly down to your wine, I will join you there within thirty min- Pd et hoe: “ a eae af . < t * eee ee ee ee ae heed ae S Ait et Se oe Tate eG : es Sa i en ee ae ay Mute Merle, the Boy Nabob. utes. I want to post the new notice of the meeting of the court.” : A. few minutes after this interview Mosco came out of Captain Poncho’s cabin and went to his own. In a little while the captain left also and Walked toward his mine, grinned at derisively by a lot of men who knew all about the encoun- ter at the ranch, Not long afterward Mosco came forth and coolly nailed a piece of paper to the rough weatherboarded front of the ranch. It was the notice of the postponement of the inquiry into Corporal Cactus’s death, and more than one man who read it smiled to himself, or did so to his companions. Having done this, Moseco went down to the ‘*Golden Slipper ” and found Captain Poncho in one of its chambers, ‘* The passage to the enemy’s territory is open once more,” exclaimed the little nabob, leading Mosco to a dark opening that gaped like the jaws of death in the light of a mine lantern. ‘If you think we are to find Merle or Dalia I am eager to be off. It is a long and rough crawl from mine to mine, but the game is worth the candle, Mosco. I would crawl to the Pole ee Major Mesquite and the Cactus Brother- ood, It did not take long for Mute Merle’s miner to lead Captain Poncho into the secret way which was as dark as the deepest night in Egypt. The path was cramped and rough, and the men were sometimes compelled to force their bodies through very small places, ~° » At last they stood erect once more, and Mosco turned the slide of his dark-lantern and revealed their surroundings. They were in Major Mesquite’s bonanza, and then they started off creeping along the brink of a natural Jedge and feelin fhein way now up, now down with a smooth wall at their right. All at once Mosco came to a halt and touched Captain Poncho when he crawled up. ** Listen!” ejaculated the mine-boss. going to toss a stone from me,” The next moment a splash was distinctly heard,” ‘‘The major’s underground Styx!” exclaimed the captain. eT am CHAPTER XV, THE BANKS OF THE STYX, “Tm game is mine! The postponement of the opening of court means that it will never open. Captain Poncho has practically given up the fight, though it may be necessury to teach the little Bombastes of Cinnabar a lesson before the curtain falls.” Major Mesquite talked thus to the handsome man who had witnessed the meeting between the two rivals in the ranch. The time was soon after the posting by Mosco of the announcement that the court of inquiry would not convene before two o’clock the next afternoon, ‘“‘] think they have given up the fight,” an- |, swered the major’s companion, ‘‘1 consider yon virtually owner of three bonanzas, and all as been accomplished without much bloodshed, either.” “There was very little spilled, captain— hardly enough to speak of.” Major Mesquite inned while he oa “If the boodwink adn’t fallen from the eyes of the corporal’s horse, we would not have had the episode of his sudden exit here. But never mind; it is all “ight and Captain Poncho will not find his Fe asing witness; no, not with Mosco to help im. : ‘* But what about the Boy Nabob?” demanded the stranger, with impatience. ‘‘ You promised to tell me something abouthim, When will you have a better time?’ The major laid his cigar on the little table that stood between them, and looked at his a Phere isn’t h. t There isn’t very much, to tell,” said he. “The mute boy is a waif—that is, pr bon knows exactly who heis. If he knows himself, which is doubtful, he keeps the secret well, His long and frequent absences have been ferreted out. He is looking for the old hermit’s child.” The bandit-looking listener gave a slightstart, and a smile came to his face, ‘* Old Montcriff?” he exclaimed, fs a Mesquite nodded. “* We have spared the old fellow because we consider him harmless,” the major’s guest con- tinued. ‘‘ At any time we could swoop down upon him and destroy man and shanty in a twinkling, but what was the use of it? He harms nobody, and no one believes the story he sometimes tells about his lost baby. They con- hg Aor, oe a . : ed 3 CE te ae Spies See ‘the bandit of the desert. | called the Tribunal for two o’clock to-morrow,.”” ‘* He won't have a witness!” exclaimed the — the way, major, what is the boy’s Ee ” y, major, | Y pm A sider him a little cracked in the upper story, but if you say,so, major, ’’llsend some of the boys down to visit him.” “No, captain. Let the old chap alone, As bi say, he is harmless. Well, Mute Merle has ecome his trailer; the boy has taken a te in- terest in the lost girl, and when he is not here he is looking for her, He is a strange combina~ tion of courage, shrewdness and perseverance, I sometimes wish we knew more about him than we do,” ‘“‘And the corporal?’ queried the Cactus brigand. ajor Mesquite made no reply, but leaned away and opened the wooden chest im one cor- ner, The Se auton SY moment he laid a bit of crumpled paper before his guest. The edges of the document were rough and torn, as if they” had been cut with a dull knife, Captain Monte—for the handsome stranger was nono other than the active chief of the Cactus Brotherhood — looked at the paper, which was covered with singular-looking char- acters, ‘Can you make them out? Iam not good on mysteries,” he exclaimed, pushing the paper to- ward the major. ‘*Tt is a confession and a secret,” was the re- ply. ‘‘Corporal Cactus in the first place tells. about his ride across the plains on a blindfolded horse and with a gag in his mouth; having done this he proceeds to reveal the secret of the lost. daughter of the old hermit. He has found Florice Montcriff; he knows who swooped down upon the fine ranch years ago and took the child. from her cradle. You see, Corporal Cactus waa no fool, captain.” $e ‘‘ But why did he write all this in cipher?” ‘That must ever be a secret since the cor- “at isdead,” said Major Mesquite, ‘‘Hecame- o Cinnabar to acquaint Mute Merle with his. discovery because he knew that our young Van- derbilt was Old Montcriff’s trail-hound, As Merle was absent when he got here he requested to be locked up in the private office of the Cac- tus Queen Mine, where he wrote that document.” ‘*But you have but balf of it here!” cried Cap- — tain Monte, holding the torn paper between him: rand the light, ‘‘ Where is the remainder?” ‘* Mosco profess s to have found it clutched in the corporal’s dead hand,” ‘“Why was it left there? haye—’ ‘* Never mind that!” interrupted Major Mes- quite.. ‘“‘ ll wager my head that the part found by Mosco has never been deciphered, You know what a death-grip is, It was simply impossible to disengage the whole paper from Curporal Cac- tus’s hand at the time. He knew a good deal— the corporal did. I don’t know how he found out some things, but he knew them all the same,” ‘* And among them the identity of Old Mont- criff’s daughter?” e “ Yes, ” ‘* Who is she?” Teaser Mesquite smiled. ‘“You arrived too late to see her, but she’l} turn up safe in a short time,” said he. “Ts she as pretty now as when she lay in the ranch cradle?” ‘“*She is far lovelier, captain,” was the re- sponse, ‘*Then she must bea beauty, for I confess that: she was the loveliest babe I ever saw, I knew her mother, and major. When shal ess?” ‘* After to-morrow,” ‘Oh, yes, after your final victory!” laughed ** Captain Poncho has: major. 3 * What is the testimony, anyhow? ‘Merely this, so I understand; I was seen to E go from my shanty toward the boy’s bonanza — while Corporal Cactus was locked up in apart — of it. I was seen to come back from that direc- tion, and afterward a man unknown to the cap~ tain’s witness was noticed to arrive at and quit — my cabin after night.” _ Ts that.all?” asked Captain Monte. “T balieve it is, unless Captain Poncho has evi-- : dence which he is keeping back.” ** And this important witness—” “Ts the girl, Dalia—Mute Merle’s beautiful: bookkeeper, and, according to Corporal Cactus, ; Old Montcriff’s child!” lains. Couldn’t you: ‘ay know what she was; | I see Old Montcriff’s heir- — is ¥ “‘T see! [ see!” exclaimed the man from the “Tt is a pretty deep game all around, — bonans®. | * py f
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. ) | | 12 Major Mesquite hesitated a moment, ‘¢ it is almost too rich to estimate,” he replied atlength. ‘‘ I went through it by lantern-light «and found it the most surpising mine I ever saw. It is worth doublethe Live Rattlesnake and the Golden Slipper combined.” ‘* Jupiter!” cried Captain Monte. ‘ Thesilent ‘boy struck it rich when he landed here. Do you think he suspects Dalia’s identity?” ‘* He knows nothing.” ‘* Unless Mosco gave him the torn cipher re in the corporal’s hand and he discovered the key. ‘*He did nothing of the sort,” broke out the major. ‘‘ Merle the young nabob has ere this weached the shores of eternal silence, and the secret connected with the girl’s life is ours.” This seemed to satisfy the handsome, song haired man who sat at the major’s table. He ‘smiled approval and took out a fresh cigar. ‘*T would like to know what becomes of your iver, major,” he resumed, as he struck his ‘match, ** So would I!” was the quick response, “* You have never tried to follow it?” ‘*T?” Major Mesquite drew back and stared at tthe questioner. ‘‘ { wouldn’t undertake a voy- age of that kind for all the bonanzas under ground, The black tide loses itself somewhere in the bowels of the earth. It passes into cay- -erns that have not been explored—not even by my most adventuresome men, Many a time they have sent little fire-rafts down the stream, and the water has carried them on and on till ‘they have been lost sight of in the Stygian gloom. No! not for the world would I tempt the unknown dangers of that mysterious viver!” ‘*T prefer to stick to the plains,” smiled Cap- tain, Monte, ‘‘There one has sunlight and air, “** And vultures, too,” added the major. ‘‘ But I prefer the blackbirds to the snares of my death-tide, Would you like to see the Styx, captain?” “* Nothing would suit me better,” Major Mesquite sprung up and announced his willingness to lead his guest to the shores of the strangeriver. Ten utes later they entered the Live Rattlesnake, and the major led the -desert freebooter to a certain spot from which’ ‘both could see the flowing tide by the assist- vance of a lantern. Captain Monte went down to the edge of the bank and dipped his hand into the water. it was cold. ‘*- Your Styx must come from the ice seas of the North!” he exclaimed, coming back to the man waiting for him. “Major Mesquite shook his head with a smile. “*Tf we only knew what Mute Merle discover- ‘ed before he succumbed we might not be entire- Vv —— concerning your river,” continued the bandit. **T know enough,” answered the big nabob. “But what is that yonder? Do you work your men at night?” ‘ Already the major was gazing over Captain Monte’s leveled arm with an expression of sur- ‘prise on his face, : j “Tt is a moving light,” he replied, at last. _ 4*Some of my men are liable to be in the mine, _ but not yonder. That hght is moving down the bank of the river, but on the opposite one. The stream is not wide here. I will shut off our light ‘before the man yonder discovers it. Now let us _ wait for him,” In silence the two men watched the moving ‘spark until it stood still ata point directly across from them. : All at once Major Mesquite seized his compan- ion’s wrist. re : ‘* My God! the most troublesome mar alive is on the alert!” he whis ,and at the same time he drew and cocked a revolver. ** Who is over there?” asked the bandit, ‘** Captain Poncho!” a 2 CHAPTER XVI, WINGED. Masor Mesquire continued to hold the re- | volver, while he glared tigerishly at the man -on the other side of the stream. The be a from Captain Poncho’s wae streamed across the dark water and revealed its glittering surface to the two men now on the watch, ; son apg figure of Poncho was plainly é pe tney pet be nice, whiepet sa Oe Mute Merle, the Boy Nabob. came up deliberately with the cocked six- shooter. ‘Let us wait a minute longer, ma- jor. Major Mesquite held back. By and by an- other figure was seen to join the nabob of the ‘** Golden Slipper.” lt was a good deal taller than Captain Poncho, and its shoulders were much broader than his, ‘* Mosco, the boy’s right bower!” grated the major, at sight of the second figure. ‘* They are searching for the young nabob,” ‘* But as the river long since took him into the unknown, they will not be successful. Wa- ter leaves no trail.” Major Mesquite said nothing in reply, He and Captain Monte were screened from hostile observation by a ledge of rock. If Pon- cho had flashed his light across the river, it would not have revealed his watchers, though they cou!d see his every movement as long as he kept his bull’s-eye ablaze. t length Mosco was seen to take the lantern from Poncho’s hand and to approach the wa- ter’s edge. It was some distance down the rather steep — and bis action left Captain Poncho in the ark, Mosco moved the light along the shore, which at the water's edge was clayey and tough. Did he expect to find any trail there? Tbree minutes afterward he went back and handed the lantern to Poncho, who threw its glare up-stream, in which direction the agile mine-boss hastened and soon disappeared. ‘*T shall-drop the atom now!” hissed Major Mesquite, but Monte’s band touched him as hbe- ore, ‘* Wait till Mosco comes back. There is more of this drama underground. Let us see all of it before we do anything.” The major looked at his companion, and Cap- tain Poncho got another respite. In a short time Mosco came back, dragging after him a small raft which consisted of light logs ingeniously lashed together. e placed the raft in the water where Cap- tain Poncho stood, and then turned to the little man, who was throwing the light of his lantern upon the odd craft. ‘* I'll relieve you now,” said Mosco, in tones that reached the trained ears of the listeners. ‘* You can feel your way back to the bend; af- ter that you will have no trouble. Good-by. If I find anything, I will report, and I will so a discovery of some kind or never report at all. Mosco took the lantern and secured it to his body with a strap, after which he waved Cap- tain Poncho an adieu and shoved the raft out into the tide, This was done so suddenly, and with such a surprising boldness, that Mosco was well adritt before Major Mesquite and his friend could fully realize what had happened. Captain Poncho was in the dark, they knew not where, and a floating spark told where the courageous Mosco was breasting the perils of the mysterious river. The major could have cursed bimself for the escape of his rival,and whin he found that Mosco was also getting away, hesprung to the water’s edge and aimed at the spark on the tide. The next instant a loud report filled the cav- ern. A cannon could not have made a more deafe’ sound there, and the light disappear- ed as if the bullet had broken the bull’s-eye and snuffed it out. “He won't find the Boy Nabob now!” cried Major Mesquite while the place still rung with the echoes of the pistol-shot. ‘There is but one way out of the ‘Live Rattlesnake’ for the other one. Come! this way, captain.” ; He took Captain Monte’s hand and ran back from the river and then down a narrow curridor with a high arched roof. : He aay dragged the bandsome bandit for- his ress. ‘* We've got Poncho in his last trap!’’ he went on, ending the sentence with a triumphant laugh. ‘*He can no more get out now than a fox can wriggle from beneath the dead-fall that has crushed him. I’m anxious to cut off the atom’s retreat. Am Irunning too fast for you, eer ,on went Major Mesquite. He seemed to know his bonanza as well by night as in the daytime, or by torchlight. Out of breath he halted at last and laughed. “We are ahead of him now!” said he. “I | took a short cut, one which he cannot find Cactus | owing to the situation of the natural bridge on arm that ' which he must cross the river. Now, silence, eee EE EE eee Sea eae Oe eee ee eR a ee EERE TREES es Captaln Monte. We will have the one I did not killin a few minutes.” Then commenced a watching and waiting for the prey which did not come. ajor Mesquite had reached a narrow ip the corridor leading to the openin mine and not far from the opening itself. For more than an hour he and the desert desperado waited there ready to pounce upon Captain Poncho the moment he should reach the’ spot, but the little man in high Loots did not put in an appearance. **1s he going to keep to the mine?” growled the major out of patience and in the worst of humor. ‘*Don’t he know that this is not his bonanza but mine, and therefore an under- round land of death? He can’t tire me out, will put others on the watch while we go back to the shanties for a change. I wilihave the mine searched. What is the use of secrecy any longer? I have bought all his men, and he is helpless and friendless where he has been owerful. :With Mosco drifting dead toward is lost master and Poncho a prisoner in the ‘ Live Rattlesnake,’ don’t you see that the game is won, captain?” Major Mesquite proceeded to a small room not unlike Mute Merle’s private mine-office and sae a stout cord that hung along the stone wall, Having done this he went back to Captain Monte, and ina little while two men came up from the outside. The major explained everything in a few hasty words, and when he left the mine with the plain bandit, the stalwart men were on hand with orders to seize the first person who came from the interior of the bonanza. Mesquite and Monte went up among the cabins. The former got together twenty men and gave them certain instructions, They were to go down into the mineand search it thoroughly for Captain Poncho. If found he was to be treated as a spy according to the laws of Cinna- bar, and that meant death on the scene of his transgression ! : The band went away eager for the hunt, and Major Mesquite smiled bis satisfaction to the man with whom he had been left. “This is better than I expected—two birds at one shot!” he exclaimed. ‘‘There won’t be a foot of ground left unsearcbed by niy foxes, They know the mine as you know the cactus desert, captain, and the report that [ will hear before long will gladden my ears,” ‘¢ An hour passed, then another, and the first half of the third. Major Mesquite showed his impatience by fur- tive looks toward the door. He saw the sun making the sbadows in camp longer and longer, but the absent hunters did not nt, Sh ‘*T could have searched the mine myself ere this!” he broke out. ‘* Does it take twenty men, each one a ferret, to find a nervous fellow like Captain Poncho?” ot He went to the door and opened it as if with the intention of going back to the mine in per- son, but in a jiffy he recofled from the threshold with a cry that started Captain Monte forward, ‘* The rat gave them theslip!” becried, flushed to the temples and hoarse with rage. ‘The Atom of Cinnabar was too much for my twenty giants. Look at the tukey-cock of Arizona, captain. If he isn’t in full feather may I be hung for a Mormon saint!” Monte, who was already at the major’s elbow, was looking at the object in the street, which was no less an attraction than Captain Poncho in person, in ‘full feather,” as the major had lace of his said, and apparently none the worse for his visit | to the bonanza. The little man strutted past the cabin like a victorious turkey-cock in the full flush of vic- tory over an antagonist. He turned his eyes neither to the right nor to the left, as if he disdained to give the abode of, his rival even so much attention as a glance. The spectacle —_ Major Mesquite’s blood up to the boiling point. ‘* Watch ae spoil his feathers!” he cried, with a look at Captain Monte, and again the revolver which had covered the little nabob in the mine was jerked out. _ The dcor was wide open now, and the burly figure of the nabob Hercules was conspicuouson the step. E j As he raised the weapon, Captain Poncho threw up a hand which the parties in the shanty had not seen, and in an instant, asa sharp shot rung out, Major Mesquite threw down his re- ~ volver and began to dance over the b yelling and swearing in his pa in, 3 The desert bandit quite forgot the man inthe , = ~ * ay te ? ~~ te amen. f . as <
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Mute Merle, the Boy Nabob. street in the ludicrous antics of the winged bully, and when the major quieted down enough to have his hurt examined, Captain Poncho had disappeared. A bullet in the wrist was not much, but it undoubtedly saved the life of the man who had put it there—the turkey-cock of Cinnabar. CHAPTER XVI. GRIT IN HIGH BOOTS, Tre ‘‘ hottest” man in Cinnabar was Major Mesquite. J He ground his teeth tiil they fairly cracked, and swore all sorts of vengeance against Cap- tain Poncho. Meantime the little man had walked compos- edly from the scene of the shooting, and parce entered his shanty. Major Mesquite could not understand how he had escaped from the mine. He did not think of the natural tunnel between the two bonanzas and his forgetfulness increased the mystery of Captain Poncho’s escape. ut let us.go back to the mine itself and fol- low the fortunes of the courageous Mosco, whom we saw last ae oo the Styx in search of Mute Merle, the Boy Nabob, Major Mesquite’s bullet, intended for Mosco’s head, went singing past, and cut the dark wa- ter a fow feet away. The whiz of the deadly missile caused Mosco to extinguish the light which he had taken with him, and he did this so quickly as to cause Major Mesquite to think that he had accom- plished his purpose. The mine-boss drifted a long time through the most intense gloom, He knew not whither the underground tide was taking him, and he could only hope that he would succeed in his undertaking, At length he turned on the light again, He was now in a cavern-like place far from the starting-point, and in a part of the bonanza totally unknown to him. He paddled his little raft to shore by means of his hands, and soon stood erect on a narrow bank backed by an almost perpendicular wall, Mosco walked along the dark shore, and sent the beams of his lantern hither and tbither. n, on he went, now at the very edge of the water, and no small distance from it. All at once he stopped and leaned forward while he concentrate his light upon an object that had accidentally caught his os The course of the underground river seemed to have been checked by an obstruction of broken stone, The huge bowlders might have fallen from the ceiling above, and although the river flowed be- tween them, they formed a natural bridge for the venturesome man, ‘“*Can it be that I have found Little Silent?” Mosco asked himself, as he gazed at thesingular object he had singled out. ‘ The outlines ap- pear to be those of aboy. My head to a copper cnet i have found Cinnabar’s young Vander- The next minute Mosco was moving over the obstruction, crawling from stone to stone with but one object in view, that of reaching the middle of the river. ‘*7 was right!” he cried when he halted and held his light down amoment, ‘] have found the boss boy of Arizona. Now won’t somebody pay well for this piece of work?” ure enough beneath the boss of the Cactus Queen Mine, and lashed to the log which had been his boat for hours, lay the dead-like body of Mute Merle. The light streaming over his face rendered it ghostly, and Mosco thought at first that he had found a dead boy. A closer examination caused him to give utterance to a cry of joy, and in another gec- ond he was ee Merle out of the water, for bis knife had already cut him loose from the oF. ‘Merle was dragged up on the natural bridge and more closely scrutinized by Mosco. The Boy Nabob was alive, and the look that lit up his eyes when he recognized his preserver was reward enough for Mosco, ‘* Now,” cried the mine-boss, holding the light so that Merle could see his lips, ‘‘ now, how are we going to get out of this place?” Merle’s fingers began to fly at once, “We can’t drift up-stream,” they said. ‘Therefore, we must hunt an outlet below the bridge.” “Come, then! the sooner the better!” was the qnick response. ‘‘ We mvct meet the Tribunal when it opens, Not only that, but we must find tran the clustered camps of Cinnabar, at which he pointed a finger. with the tri Monte, ‘ face?” Dalia, the witness who can prick Major Mes- quite’s golden bubble.” The boy seized Mosco’s hand and started off. They went down the narrow shore together. The river flowing sullenly past them lost itseif in darkness that seemed capable of being touched, but this did not awe the two compan- ions. They traveled more than a mile thus, when Merle stopped and pointed overhead. Mosco saw something shining like a star; it seemed to inorease in brilliancy while he looked. ‘‘Tt is a star in the sky!” exclaimed the young Nabob on his fast-flying fingers. ‘* Let us go up toitatonce, There must be a way.” It did not take the two friends long to find that way. The river at that point flowed through a cavern, far above, which was the open though wild country of Arizona, They found a rough stairway leading up the rocks, und ina little while they were climbing hand over hand ee apes and toward the star that shone so bril- It was a hard journey upward, seemingly a climb to the star itself, but the twain kept on and on until Mosco with a joyful cry announced escape. Mute Merle grasped the overseer’s hands in rts of delight, and then looked toward There was fire in his eyes. ‘““T know what that means,” mentally ex- claimed Mosco. ‘He is going to strike back with interest, You had better look out, Major Mesquite.” Half an hour later a figure crossed the thresh- old of the Boy Nabob’s cabin and closed the door. Many hours had elapsed since Merle’s start down the Styx, and night had come again. Major Mesquite, still nursing a shattered wrist, was venting his anger on Captain Pon- cho, but he had not taken a step toward retalia- tion, He knew that the little mine king was quick er, and, after all, the major, big as he was, did not possess bravery enough to confront the gentleman in high boots. ‘*He won't have the sand to open the Tribu- i said he to the handsome tough of the des- ert. eres trom the scene, and it will make him the laug shut of ‘*The hour will pass with Captain Poncho n, wok of the camp. Then we'll get m, ‘* But the girl witness, major?” put in Captain hen will I get to see her pretty ‘* After the farce!” laughed the golden Her- cules, ‘* With Poncho out of the way, we will bring the girl to the front ig eb Major Me:quite will control the three Cinnabar.” Captain Monte allowed a smile to flit across his bronzed face. ‘Then you call the Boy Nabob lost?” he re- marked, ‘* Lost? Forever lost!” exclaimed the major. ‘‘No man who tries the waters of my Styx ever returns to tell the story of the voyage! There is no Mute Merle. He is but one of the recollec- tions of the nountain camp of the Southwest.” As the major ended he looked at bis watch, ‘Tn one hour the Tribunal will assemble,” he coptinued. ‘‘The men who come together at Captain Poncho’s call will never see the turkey- cock of Cinnabar open court, He will stick iA his shanty, for he knows that the Mesquite bul- let waits for him whenever he shows his head. The call for the Tribunal, posted by Moscofor Captain Poncho, still fluttered from the bulletin- board of the camp, The hour, two o'clock, was near at band, and the men of Cinnabar were pew among them- selves that Captain Poncho would not appear in the face of the banded pest to him. His men, who had been bought up by his rival, were as loud in their breathings of hatred as were any of Major Mesquite’s adherents, Mute Merle’s miners had not been tampered witb. The giant nabob knew better than to make any attempts in that direction, for the sixty raw-boned men of the Cactus Queen were true as steel to their young master, They knew nothing of the scenes in the heart of the ‘‘Live Rattlesnake” bonanza, They were—many of them, at least, ignorant of the existence of the underground river, and they were supposed to believe that Merle was off on one of his strange absences, and would return at his leisure. As the hour of two drew near a few men went over to the spot where the courtsof Cinna- bar were usually held. They did not expect manzas of 13 vestigated. By and by these men were joined by others until the court-ground held more than one- half of the citizens of the mountain camp. It was the duty of the person who had called the Tribunal to open it, The hour crept on till the bands of Captaim Monte’s watch announced the chosen time, Major Mesquite, standing by the bandit of the cactus desert, looked again at his watch aud smiled. “Tt isas I told you,” he laughed. ‘‘The door of Captain Poncho’s shanty is shut like the door of atomb. The coward won’t open court to-day nor any other time.” Captain Monte looked toward Poncho’s cabin,, which was in full view. The following moment the door opened and the figure of the pigmy nabob appeared in the moonlight. ‘There he is, major,” returned the desperado. ‘Tt looks as if we were going to have court af- ter all.” “Not by that atom! He'll go back into his hole ina minute, No! by Jupiter! he is actu- ally coming this way - walking into the jaws of death, as it were,” and Major Mesquite stare at the man in high boots while he came toward the Square with the coolness of a hero under re. Captain Poncho did not seem to notice his rival, and in a little while he came up with a smile on his lips and waved his hand to the: astonished crowd as ho turned to declare opem for business the Tribunal of Cinnabar. CHAPTER XVIII. FINISHED, ALL eyes were turned on Captain Poncho, +‘ Gentlemen,” began he, in his usual tone of voice, ‘‘the hour has come for opening the Court of Cinnabar according to proclemation.. If there is any objection, let it be made now ; if not made, let the dissatisfied forever hold their peace.’ There was no response besides the cold, de- risive smile upon Major Mesquite’s fare, “What are you going to do?” whispered Monte, the desert tough, as he leaned slightly toward the major. “‘ Pm going to let him put his own head in the noose,” was the reply. ‘‘Tbe fool in high boots has everything against him, What can he prove? Nothing! The witness is safe, and the absence of Mute Merle and Mosco paralyzes the men of Cactus Queen Mine.” The mountain Tribunal was opened without any great ceremonies, and Captain Poncho = the business it was expected to trans-- act. He recounted the arrival of Corporal,Cactus, the retirement of the unknown man to the un- derground chamber, and the subsequent dis-~ covery of his dead body by the mine-boss, Mosco, The narrative was listened to with breathless: silence. Captain Poncho then said that there was sus-- picion that the corporal had been murdered by some one who had unlocked the mine door for that purpose. He believed that the myster socks be cleared up and the guilty punished. He was willing to convict and hang his bests friend if he was the man, and for the best in- terests of Cinnabar he hoped that none would. shield the wretch, : Having said this much, Captain Poncho, who acted as high sheriff, drew from his pocket a. paper from which he read the names of parties who bad been summoned as witnesses, They were six in number, and they were ex- pected to tell what they knew about Corporal, Cactus’s death. The last name on the list was that of Dalia— Dalia, the missing. ‘¢There will be no last witness,” murmured: Major Mesquite. ‘‘Tbis court is the most roar- ing farce of the age. I’m bound to see it througb.” The first witness wasa tall man who, with half a dozen others, had sauntered into the open- air court after Captain Poncho’s arrival, He knew Fut little. He had seen a man in . the vicinity of the locked mine between mid- night and morning of the fatal night, but he. could not identify the person. Witness after witness came on in rapid succes- sion. , The man in high boots questioned each one in turn, and when the fifth had been dismissed Ma- jor Mesquite’s men looked at one another.
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A ** Dalia, of Cinnabar!” called Captain Poncho. The name seemed to die away in the echo that “ followed it. killed in his tracks before the gir! testifie "of takin ; ‘*He may call till doomsday, eh, major?” smiled Captain Monte. “Ay, till the day after,” was the quick re- rt. **We shall send for this witness,” continued ‘the little nabob, with a sly glance at Mesquite. He singled out a man who stood near and cirected him to go to Dalia’s cabin and tell her that she was wanted at the Tribunal. “The Atom of Camp Cinnabar has lost his head!” exclaimed the major. ‘“‘fam notsosure. He plays his hand with a certain coolness I can’t get over,” answered the desert bandit, _ The messengerwas seen to approach the cabin, _ which stood in fair view, and ali watched him ' open the door and put his head inside. A moment later he stepped back and waved his hand toward the Cactus Queen bonanza; then he stood still as if waiting for some one, In a few seconds a number of men came in sight down the road leading to the mountains, ‘The miners of the Cactus!” exclaimed half a dozen men on the rae ‘The signal was forthem. They have been waiting for it, as if peak knew it would come.” 6 rough-shirted men came on, sixty of them, giant fellows for the most part, men of ‘unquestioned nerve and courage, ey stopped in front of Dalia’s cabin. In a moment the door opened and a female figure walked from the hut among the men, Major re could not keep back an ex- tlamation. He looked at Captain Poncho, who did not appear to be the least ruffled as he oe the approach of the miners from the Ww j Daiia had been swallowed up by the ranks, but when the foremost stalwarts reached the court they opened ranks and the girl herself sat fa out, alia of Cinnabar!” repeated Captain Pon- cho, = The reply was not an instant delayed. ‘* Here!’ As the girl spoke the high sheriff looked at the crowd in court, ‘*T add two more witnesses to the list,” said he. “I call the names of Mosco and Mute Merle.” _ A well-built man stepped forward and swept from his face a reddish beard, ‘ In a flash he stood revealed as Mosco the mine-boss! Almost at the same time the densest part of the sixty men separated and a boy with a flash- ing eye popesd three paces to the front. UTE MERLE! Captain Poncho gave the major a glance of ctory. ‘First, Miss Dalia’s story,” he resumed. “We will hear what she saw the night Corporal Cactus died in the underground office,” The beautiful bookkeeper of the Cactus Queen caught the major’s eye as she was about to be- gin. “If you dare!” said the look she got in re- turn, but, this only seemed to steel her nerves in firmness, ‘You've got to do one of two things right awa th age Monte to Major Mesquite. e ‘‘The man at the head of this affair must be Ss, or an must turn your back forever on the three manzas,”’ The big major bit his lips. ** Tbe latter I will not do,” he grated, former I can,” ‘Then gotowork,” Captain Poncho had edged nearer to the last ‘witness, For a moment his body was between her and the major, and he sent one hand to his hip and let it rest there, Quick as a thought, almost, the miners of the Cactus Queen advanced, halted in front of the *‘creatures” of the big nabob, “ ‘In the first place, I accuse Major Mesquite the life of Corporal Cactus,” cried Captain Poncho. ‘‘Let us have a court that is acourt. Man for man, gentlemen. Let justice ‘The be done in Cinnabar as well as elsewhere!” | “The mask is off at last _ At these words the hands of Major Mesquite ; Jett totadtt Mambo had whispened three word on’ words: **Take your chances,” “That makes it a fair fight,” cried the eh and the turkey-cock of _————_—_ Eee Mute Merle, the Boy Nabob. — --—-—— $$$ jury and bring on your proof! Do it now. Man to man as the schemer spoke it. I am ready |!” The next instant a figure stepped to the front and whirled upon the sixty miners who faced Major Mesquite’s men with their hands on the butts of their revolvers, It was the Mute Boy Nabob. He threw up both hands and began to talk to his miners, all of whom understood the swift- spoken language of the fingers. ‘*Ttis a lie!” roared Major Mesquite, his face a flaming red as he launched himself forward and clutched Merle’s shoulder. ‘‘ Here, you aa Jonah! I want to settle forever with you. The boy broke away and threw up his hand, Three times his fingers opened and closed, and then a dozen men leaped at Major Mes- quite, Foremost of all was Mosco, the mine-boss, and it was his hand that first touched the Ari- zona Nabob’s throat. For a minute there were fears of a most des- perate encounter between the rival factions of the camp, but the sixty men of the Cactus Queen, with fingers at the trigger, kept the pur- cha:ed creatures of Major Mesquite trom open- ing the battle. aptain Monte saw all this with staring eyes. It had happened in a space of time so short that it could not be fully comprehended. ‘“‘The game is up,” he mentally exclaimed. ‘*Major Mesquite withheld his ‘ hand ’a minute too long. The Styx has sent back its two voy- agers, and the lost witness has been found.” ** Don’t go, captain,” said a voice at his elbow as a hand touched his arm.” The desperado of the desert broke loose and fell back. “1 mean what I say if you don’t object,® continued the same voice, and before it had fin- ished Captain Monte was looking into the face of Poncho, the pigmy sport. Not only this, but he saw a silver-mounted six-shooter in the little captain’s hand! - ~* It is five days after. Nizht has just fallen again upon Cinnabar and six men quit the cluster of huts and moved toward the mountains, By and by they came upon a man holding a horse, and one of the six is bound Mazeppa-like to the animal. But few words are spoken, ‘* Now, to wolf and vulture, Captain Monte!” pens one of the men. ‘‘ Old Montcriff as found the child you stole from her cradle, years of . Dalia has become Florice, the gold ame of Major Mesquite has fallen flat, Corporal actus has been avenged and Mute Merle is Nabob still. This is justice as well as ven- geance, and if you can find the Cactus Brother- hood, of which you are the head, you may turn on the loyal hearts of Cinnabar as you see best. Farewell, Captain Monte! The mills of the gods have just finished a patient grist.” The bandit’s horse received a smart blow that started him forward, and in a moment he was out of sight. The six men looked awhile and then went back, In time they filed down the central street of Cinnabar and went their ways, One of them came to a certain cabin, which he entered, to be confronted by a boy, whose face had an eager and anxious look, **Tt is done,” announced the man, ‘' Captain Monte has gone to the sun and the yultures!” The boy turned to look at an old man—Old Montcriff, the hermit—who held a beautiful young girlin his arms, Mosco had found this girlin the heart of the Live Rattlesnake Bonanza, and she had appear- ed in court to beat the cool game of Cinnabar’s traitor—Major Mesquite—who had paid dearly for his visit to Corporal Cactus in the under- ground chamber, : As time rolled on, the bonanzas of Cinnabar increased in richness, The ‘* Live Rattlesnake” was consolidated with the ‘‘Golden Slipper,” and both were owned by Captain Poncho. Mute Merle clungyto the ‘‘ Cactus Queen,” and also to another queen of more real worth and, when the time. came, old Montcriff joined the two hands, and thus ended the drama of the bonanza fight of Cinnabar. No ti ever came back from Captain Monte, the bandit Mazeppa, and we can truth- fully say, at the end of our story, that he went beund, as he — to the vultures of the, ‘THE END, . BEADLE’S ‘Dime Diatocues ano Speakers Dialogues. Dialogues, Nos. 1 to 40 inclusive, 15 to 25 popu- lay dialogues and dramas in each book. Each vole ume 100 pages 12mo. - Dime DrALocues NuMBER ONE. Dime DIALOGUES NuMBER Two. Dime DIALoGuES NuMBER THREE, Dime DrALoaues NumBer Four. Dime DraLoagurs NuMBER FIVE. Dine DrALoaues NuMBER SIx. Dime DrALoaues NuMBER SEVEN. Dire DraLoaves NumBer Eien. Dime DraLocurs NumBer NINg, Dime DIALOGUES NuMBER TEN. Dive DiALoaurs Numrer ELEVEN. Dimrt DrALoaues NuMBER TWELVE. 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BY OLL COOMES. Old Kit Bandy, Detective. 146 Kit Bandy, Detective; or, Silver Star, the Boy Knight, 168 Kit Bandy In Texas; or, The Young Mustanger, 208 Kic Bandy’s Catch; or, The Boy Hereules. 422 Kit Bandy’s Right Bower; or, Baby Sam,the Boy Giant 444 Kit Bandy’s Swoop; or, Little Buckskin, tne Centaur, 478 Kit Bandy’s Slick Scheme; or, Old Tom Rattler, 1 Kit Bandy’s Deliverance; or, Banner Ben. 680 Kit Bandy’s Pard; or, Dauntiess Dan, the Freelance, 1 Kit Bandy Rattied; or, The Intant Giant, 795 Kit Bandy in Red ituin; or, The Young Whirlwind, 799 Kit Bandy’s Biz Ruatle;y or, Saddle King Sam, 804 Kit Bandy’s Brigade; or, Dan, the Mountain Guide, Jack Drew, Detective. 158 Jack Drew, the Nemesis. or, Eagle Kit, the Boy Demon. 182 Jack Drew's Drop; or, Little Hurricane, the Boy Captain. 202 Jack Drew in Deadwood; or, Prospect Pete, Keen-Knife. 27 Keen Knife on Guard; or, Antelope Abe, the Boy Guide. 81 Keen-Knife, the Prince of the Prairies. Other Novels by Ol] Coomes, 5& Vagabond Joe, the Young Wandering Jew. 18 The Dumb Spy. 41 Lasso Jack, the Young Mustanger. 58 The Border King; or, The Secret Foe. Z1 Delaware Dick, the Young Ranger Spy. 74 Hawk-eye ry the Young Trapper Ranger. 88 Rollo, the Boy Ranger} or, The Heirons. 284 Sure Shot Seth, the Boy Rifleman, . 048 Secar-Face Saul, the Silent Hunter 178 Old Solitary, tle Hermit Trapper. 218 Tiger Tom, the Texas Terror. 224 Dashing Dick; or, Trapper Tom’s Castle, 228 Little Wildfire, the Young Prairie Nomad. 288 The pereon Detective; or, The Little Ranger, 248 The Diculaed Gulde 3 or, Wild Raven, the Ranger, 260 Dare-Devil Dan, the Young Prairie Ranger, RZ2 Minkakin Mike, the Boy Sharpshooter. 290 Little Foxfire, the Boy Spy; or, Old Caleb Arbuckle, B00 The Sky Demon; or, Rainbolt, the Ranger, ‘B84 Whip-King Joe, the Boy Ranchero, 409 Hercules; vr, Dick, the Boy Ranger. A1ZT Webfoot Moxe, the Tramp Detective. aie Wingedfoot Fred 3 or, Old Polar Saul. 468 Tamarac Tom, the Big Trapper Boy, Pred Fronewall Bobs fhe Bor Trojan. 36 undering Basil, the Hermit Boy Tra 5 $52 Don Barr, the Plains Freelance, eh gy 670 Norway Nels, the Big Boy Mountaineer. 78 Highland Harry, the Wizard Rifleman, BY T. ©. HARBAUGH, 8 Nick o’ the Night; or, The Boy Spy of ’76. Re The Widden Lodge; or The L tie Hunter. 47 Nightingale Nat; or, Too Forest Captains, ‘64 Dandy Jack; or, The Outlaws of the es Trails, Fy at } arefoot, ile eee or, Old Powder-face, Mid t Jack § or 1@ Doy Trapper. 106 Old pees, the Guide; or, The White Queen, 28 Kiowa Charley the White Mustanger. 89 Judge Lynch Jr.t or, The Boy Vigiante. 65 Gold Tr er, the Sport; or, The Girl Avenger, 69 Tornado Tom; or, [njun Jack From Red Core, 88 Ned Temple, the Border Boy; or, The Mad Hunter, ° a ansaw ¢ or. The i Paar Revenge. avajo Nick, the Boy Go unter. 5 Opsiaie, Bullet ; ns Little Topknot’s Crusade, Plucky Phil; or, Rosa, the Re! Jezebel, 5c It Braver or, Toe Roughs of tha Hoe 2» Capta . Cing- , 5 67 The itucis oa Fa ora) ri) The Kin of Road-agents, skin Detective; or, & ‘279 Old wens or, The Buckskin Desperadoes. 294 Dynamite Dan; or, The Bowie Blade of Gochetopn, B02 The = ountain Detective ; or, The Trigger Bar Bully, 816 Old Eclipse, Trump Card of Arizona, 826 The Ten Pards; or, The Terror of Take-Notlce. 886 Big Benson; or, Tie Queen of the Larso. B45 Pitiless Matt; 0") Ked Thunderbolt’s Secret. $56 Vettec eur ucteag,’h.tee7e ‘ ndian Detective. B86 Captain Cutineas or, } he Brccaneer’s Girl Foe. “B96 Rough, and or, The Twin Champions of Blue Blazes. 411 The Bilken lassos or, The Rose of Ranch Robin. Sie Sole terran tiameee cue oa ene to = * urder Rattler, A86 Phil lash, the Now Yori Fox; or, The Mystery of Room 21, 445 The bys t V empires or, Red Rolfe’s Plzeon. 461 One Aga an ers or, The Last Man of Keno Bar, 470 The Boy a “ OW $ or, Felix Fox’s Hunt. ai% } Sy Ease ae ny iy on The Washington Spotter. , “Eyed 502 Branded Ben, the Night rob 512 Dodger Dick, the Whart-Spy Detective, ‘ 52 i Dodger eo Bass Do dges or, The Gotham Gold Gang. wees ik ’ 7 B88 Dodger Dick, the Dock Ferret, ae Bas odeer Diclvs prespe iis Rival Boy Deliv > . . 2 age. 568 Dodger Dick. pe Boy Vidocq; or, The Gang of Three. 573 The Two Sha + is Dodger Dick’s Stop Game. BEE ages Diets aye th Mh on Sous 4 Fi e Lom, See D~s5) or Detective, 610 Old Skinner, the Be Shark; or, Tony Sharp on Guard. 336 ane eee Dok ine CN, = Lucifer of Silver Bar, ék Dos : 4 »y Dete * G45 Kits the Pavement Sharp, 658 Billy Bantam, the Boy Beagle. 671 Jersey Jed, the Boy Hustler; or, Shadowing the Shadower. ooo Happy cat gt ae 4 Musician Detective. q ¢ Camera Sharp. . 7156 Wide wake Len, the Quaker City Ferrets 88 Patsy Tetcke a rereas Detective; or, Trapping Big Game. 4 7 . ie Be y Detective. $54 Billy Winks, the Boss Boy Shadow. 768 Eagle Ned, the Boy on Guard; or, The Camp Spiders. 7806 Tonkaway Tom, the Red Wizard. BY BUCKSKIN SAM (Major Sam. 8. Hall.) 284 Old Rocky's ** Boyees; or, Benito, the Horse-Breaker ‘B46 Glant George; or, The Ang’! of the Range. 275 Arizona Jack } or, Giant George’s Pard. 297 The Tarantula of Taox; or, Giant George’s Revenge, BOT The Strange Pard ; or, Little Ben’e Death Hunt, 818 Ker-w Boab Ker-whoo}; or, The Tarantula of Taos. ‘B27 Creeping Cat, the Caddo; or, The Red and White Pards, 882 Frio Fred; or, The Tonkaway’s Trast. ‘B44 The Fighting Trio; or, Rattlesnake, the Tonkaway, 349 Wild Wolf; or, Big-Foot Wallace to the Front. rH “0° sranes Ralders or, The Slege of Fort Pargatory, n - angere $e Sata, Cae Crean or, The Three Thunderbolts. 506 wBwSl Bandens Wins et io Frank to the Front. poh ek pk ld, Be bdeH= 892 Romeo or, The Beleaguered Ranch, 404 Little Levine son Poeun Pete's Big Rampage, 414 The sy from ] r er. “427 The Old Rocky Rem Bhi A nO th, aaa ;. > ee $84 Cache Geee ine Ehico'Giant | | BY ALBERT W. AIKEN, 11 The Two Detectives; or, The Fortunés ofa Bowery Girl. 76 Abe Colt, the Crow-Killer. 79 Bol Ginger, the Giant Trapper. 288 Joe Buck of Angels and His Boy Para. 447 New York Nat. A Tale of Tricks and Traps in Gotham, 458 New England Nick; or, The Fortunes of a Foundling. 464 Nimble Nick, the Circus Prince, 498 ‘Taos Ted, toe Arizona Sport. 510 Cool Colorado, the Hall Breed Detective. 518 Cool Colorado tn New York; or, The Cowboy's Fight. BY GEORGE ©, JENKS, 485 Git Thar Owney the Unknown, - 492 Git Thar Owney’s Pledge. 518 The D n Doctor; or, Deadbold, the Kid Detective, BSt Double rve Dan, the Pitcher Detective. BYS Flute, the Singer Detective; or, Owney in a New Role, 608 The Pitcher Detective’s Foil; or, Dan’s Double Play, 616 The Ocean Detectives or, The Last Cruise ofthe Black Bear, 681 The Pitcher Detective’s Toughest Tussle. 786 Larry the Thoroughbred; or, Beaten on Every Side, 79 Lron Hand, the Charmed Detective BY CHARLES MORRIS, 118 WIILI Somers, the Boy Detective. 122 Phil Mardy, the Boss Boy. 126 Picayune Pete; or, Nicodemus, the Dog Detective. 180 Detective Dick; or, The Hero in Rags, 142 Mandsome Harry, the Bootblack Detective, 147 Will Wildfire, the Thoroughbred. 152 Black Besa, Will Wildfire’s Racer. 157 Mike Merry the Harbor Police Boy. 162 Will Wildtire in the Woods. 165 Billy Baggage, the Railroad Bote 70 A Trump Card; or, Will Wildfire Winn and Luses 4 Bob Rockett; or, Mysteries of New York. 9» Bob socket’, the Bank Runner, 8% ‘The Hidden Hand i Will Wildfire’s Revenge. 7 Fred Halyard, the Life Boat Boy; or, The Smugglers, ? Bob Rockett; or, Driven to the Wall. 96 Shadowed ; or, Bob Kockett’s Fight for Life, 06 Dark Paul, the Tiger King. 12 Dashing Dave, the panes Detective. 220 Tom Tanner; or, The Black Sheep of the Flock, 225 Sam Oharcoa e the Premium Darky. 235 Shadow Sam, the Messenger Boy. 242 The Two * Bloods ”; or, Shenandoah Bill and His Gang. 252 Dick Dashaway ; or, A Dakota Boy In Chicago, 262 The Young Sharps: or, Rollicking Mike’s Hot Trail. 274 Jolly Jim, the Detective Apprentice. 289 Jolly Jim’s Job; or, The Young Detective. 298 The Water-Hound; or, The Young Thoroughored. 805 Dashaway, of Dakota; or, A Western Lad In Quaker City, 824 Ralph Ready, the Hote! Boy Detective. 841 Tony Thorne, the Vagabond Detective. 858 The Reporter-Detectives or, Fred Flyers Blizzard, B67 Wide-Awake Joe}; or, A Soy of the Times. 879 Larry, the Leveler; or, The Bloods of the Boulevard, 408 Firetly Jack, the River-Rat Detective. 428 The Lost Finger}; or, The Entrapped Cashier, 428 Fred Flyer, the Reporter Detective. 482 Invincible Logan, the Pinkerton Ferret, 456 Billy Brick, the Jolly Vagavond. 466 Wide-Awake Jerry, Detective; or, Entombed Alive, 479 Detective Dodge; or, The Mystery of Frank Hearty, 488 Wild Dick Racket; or, How He Fought for Honor, 501 Boots, the Boy Fireman: or, Too Sharp for the Sharper, 566 The Secret service Boy Detective. 596 qimmy the Kid; or, A nb Among Wolves. 627 Tom Bruce of Arkanansy or, The Wolf in the Fold. 655 Plucky Paul, the Boy Speculator. 667 Bob and Sam, the Daisy Detectives. ZO9 The Curbstone Detectives or, Harry Hale’s Big Beat, 757 Detective Frank’s Sweep-stakes, BY J. W. OSBON, 469 The Rival Glants of Nowhar’. 498 Cactus Burr, the Man from Hard Lack. 587 Old Buckeye, the Sierra Shadow. 564 Powder Phil, the Boy Miner; or, The Man Withouta Past. 609 Bolly Dorrit, the Veteran Detective. +4 pistio Lightning's League; or, The Mystery oftne Island neky Paul, th y Pi ctor, 751 Gold-tbust Wan, the frail Pet 4 J ol. 755 Gold Dust an, the Trail Patre an’s Oath; or, Reckless Roy, the Regulator. BY J0 PIERCE, 897 Bob 0’ the Bowery ; or, The Prince of Mulberry Street, 415 The Vagabond Detectives or, Bowery Bob's Boom. 452 Petepur Bob, the Street-Boy Detective, 460 The Lawyer's Shadow; or Luke’s Legacy. 472 Jaunty Joe, the Young Horse-King. 404 Surly Sim, the Young Ferryman Detective. 504 Five Points Phil, the Pavement Prince. 509 Jack J Aeeera, the Butcher Boy Detective. 516 Tartar Tims or, Five Points Phil’s Menagerie. 526 North River Nat, the Pier Detective. b Ww rostling Rex, the Pride of the Sixth Ward. 541 Jotf Flicker, the Stable Boy Detective. 551 Nick Nettle, the bor Shadow; or, The Old Well Myatery. 5659 UWarlem Jack, the Office Boy Detective. 569 Brooklyn Ben, the On-His-Own-Hook Detective. S77 i avement Pete the Secret Sifter. 588 Jack-o-Lantern, the Under-Sea Prospector, ROR Wide-Awake Bert, the Street-Steerer. 614 Whistling Jacob, the Detective’s Aid. 628 Buck Bumblebee, the Harlem Hummer, ryts Cone ne the Express-Train Ferret. é Samin bob, the Bowery Badger; or, Scoopt Hy Set, 658 Sky-Rocket Rob, the Lite Saver. sgstinth tid 688 Saltpeter Sol, the Now York Navigator 604 Spley Jim, the Only One of Hia Kind. 706 Tom Thistle, the Road-House Detective. Zit Mosquito Jack, the Hustler Gamin 26 Dennis Dull the Brown Sport’s Kid. 44 Dick of the Docks, the Night-W atch, aes Poe ¥ aya is Street Patrol. xy Fred's Odd Pard; or, The Keener’s Huge Hustle, 781 Cast-Off Cale, the Scapegoat Detective. : BY PHILIP 8 WARNE. 1b Patent-Leather Joe; or, Old Rattlesnake, the Charmer. be + ap Arizona}; or, Patent-Leather Joe's Big Game. +4 Captain Mask ; or, Patent-Leather Joe’s Defeat. th eapard, the Dueliat; cr, The Mountain Vompires. 4 ough Boy ; or, The Dwarf’s Revenge. . : Little ornado ys or, The Outcasts of the Glen, 44 Little Jingo; or, the Queer Pard. aa Little Oh-my } or, Caught in His Own Trap, $ 1 Little Shoo-Fly t or, A Race for a Ranch, 08 Little Leather-Breeches ; or, Old Jumbo’s Curse. 481 Little Ah Sing or, The Curse of Blood. ete eats: ae ork ne Ady’s Flat ee Jo ‘ar or, The Pets of Pa s nd 517 Jim Gladden’s Deput y3 or, The Jolly Pars Campaign. 527 The Jolly Pards to the Rescue; or, The Jack of Hearts. 7 Sandy Andy; or, A Good Man Down. era Terie Lil; Ps The ag for a rept : easel-top, the wit e Dogs. 598 Keen Clem, the Ranch Imp. 99 Jim Dandy the No-Name Sport. 618 aay, Blazes; or, The Skeleton’s Legacy. byt A: 4A Seed pees at ps Ee "Beautiful Jeacdel, Happy Harry’s nds or, 664 Cheeky Charley the Special. Z ted - BEADLE’S«H ALF-DIME* | IBRARY. Published Every Tuesday. Each Issue Complete and Sold at the Uniform Price of Five Cents. No Double Numbers. BY JOSEPH KE. BADGER, JR, ; 2 Yellowstone Juck ; or, The Trapper, 48 Black John, the Road-Agent; or, The Outlaw’s Retreat. 65 Uurricane BULL; or, Mustang Sam and His Pard, 119 Mustang Sam ; or, The King of the Piains. 186 Night-tlawk Kit; or, The Daughter of the Ranch, 144 Dainty Lance the Boy Sport. 151 Panther Paul; or, Dainty Lance to the Rescue. 160 The Black Glanty; or, Dainty Lance in Jeopardy. 168 Deadly Dash; or, Fighting Fire with Fire, 184 The Boy Trallers; or, Dainty Lance on the War-Path, 208 The Boy Parday; or, Dainty Lance Unmaska, 211 Crooked Cale, the Caliban of Celestial City. 810 The Barranca Wolf or, The Beautiful Decoy. 819 The Black Rider; or, The Horse-Thieves’ League, 885 Old Double Fiat} or, ‘The Strange Guide 855 The King of the Wooda: or, Daniel Boone’s Last Trall, 4419 Kit Fox, the Border Boy Detective. 625 Chincapin Dan, the Boy Traller, 677 Chinenpin Dan’s Second Tratl, 688 Chincapin Dan's Home Stretch. 698 Old Crazy, the Man Without » Head, TOS Light-Heart Lute’s Legacy. TiS Light-Heart Lute’s Last Trail, 72S Silverblade, the Shoshone. 729 Silverblade, the Half-Blood; or, The Border Beagle at Bay. TBO Silverblade, the Hostile; or, The Border Beag!e’s Trall, 748 Sliverblade the Friendly; or, The Border Beagle’s Boy Pard BY EDWARD WILLETT. 167 Asa Scott, the Steamboat Boy; or, The Mississippi Pirates, 199 Featherwelght the Boy Champion of the Muskingum, 228 Ozark Alf’; or, Featherweight Among the Outlaws, 282 The Typo Detective; or, Weasel, the Boy Tramp. & Fearless Phil; or, The King of Quartzville. 811 The Roving Sporty; or, The Pride of Chuckaluk Camp, 822 Nemo, the ‘Detectives or, Kit Kenyon's Vendetta. 840 Clip the Contortiouist; or, The Montana Vigilantes. Y JACK FARRAGOUT. ; 815 Ned, the Cabin Boys or, The Witch of the Fort, 820 The Sea Sorceress; or, The Boy Skipper. BY LIFUT. Hi. D. PERRY, U. 8, N. 176 The Boy Kunaway } or, The Buccanver of the Bays 180 The@ea Tratler; or, A Vow Kept. 192 Captain Kit; or, The Mystery of Montauk Point, ~ RY CAPTAIN MAYNE REID. 78 Blue Dicks or, The Yellow Chief's Vengeance. 87 The Land Pirates; or, The League of Devil’s Island, 187 The Helpless Hand; or, Backwoods Retribution, 289 The Gold-seeker Guide? or, The Loat Mountain, BY CAPT. ALFRED B. TAYLOR U. 8, A. 191 Buffalo Billy, the Boy Bullwhacker. 194 Buffalo Bill’s Bet, or, The Gambler Guide, BY CAPT. MARK WILTON, 256 Young Kentucky; or, The Red Lasso, 270 Blizzard Ben; or, The Riot at Keno Camp. 286 Josh, the Boy Tendertvot. BY MAJOR E, L. 8T. VRAIN, 292 Sancho Pedro, the boy Bandit. 801 Leadville Nick, the Boy Sport. ¢ 812 KRedtop Rube, the Vigilante Prince. BSB Brimstone Bob, and His Lightning Horse Quartette, 852 Tombstone Tom, the Arizona Boy of “ Sand,’”’ 8359 Durango Dave, the Young Ghaniurion Wrestlers 871 Kingbolt Chria, the Young Hard-Shell Detective, 880 Avalanche ALf, the Foothills Guide, 890 Jaguar Joe, of the Mountain Mail-Line, BY EDWARD 8, ELLIS, 6 BULL Blddon, Trapper. 8 Seth Jones; or, The Captives of the Frontier. “4° Nat poses or, The Fate of the Sloux Captive. ‘4 ‘crne Frontior Angel, 98 The Boy Miners; or, The Enchanted Island, 182 The Hunted Hunter; or, The Strange Horseman, 254 The Half-Blood; or, The Panther of the Plains, 271 The Nuge Uunter; or, The Steam Prairle Man, MISCELLANEOUS AUTHORSA, 4 The Wild-Horse Munters, By Capt. Mayne Rela Frederick Whittaker, ~! yn and ® Adventures of Baron Munchausen, 12 Gulliver’s Travels. By Dean Swift, © 14 Aladdinyg or, The Wonderful Lamp, 16 Robinson Orusoe, (27 Illustrations.) 18 Sindbad the Satlor. Hin Seven Voyages, 22 The Sea Serpent; or, The Boy Robinson Crusoe, By Juan Lewis. 88 The Ocean Bloodhound or, The Red Pirates of the Carribees, By 8, W. Pierce. 86 The Boy Clowns; or, The Arena Queen. By # 8, Finn, 88 Ned Wylde, the Boy Scout. By Texas Jack. 51 The Boy Rives; or, The Underground Camp. By A. C, Irons, 95 The Rival Rovers; or, The Froebooters of the Mississippi, By Lieut.-Col. Hazeltine. 98 Robin Hood, the Outlawed Eez}; or, The Merry Men of Green. wood. By Prof. Gildersleeve, 105 Old Rube, the Hunter; or, The Crow Captive. By Captain The Mad Hunt ‘he Cave of Death. By Burton Saxe, 112 The Mad Munters or, | heCavo o . By Burton 124 ‘Tippy, the ‘Texans or, The Young Champion. By George eneon. 128 The Youngs Privateer; or, Tho Pirate's Stronghold, By Harry Cavendish. 148 Sharp Sam 3 or, The Adventures of a Friendless Boy, By J. Alexander Patten. Q27 Dusky Darrell, Trapper; or, The Green Ranger of the Yel. , lowatone. By Edward Emerson, 261 Fergus Fearnaught the New Yirk Boy. By G. L, Aiken, 266 Killb’ar, the Guides or, Davy Crocketi’s Crooked Trail, By Ensign C, D, Warren. 298 Red Claw, the One-Eyed Trapper; or, The Maid of the Cliff.” B - y Captain Comatock, 817 Peacock Pete, the Lively Lad from Leadville, By Lieu- tenant Alfred Thorne. ¥ 828 The Sky. Detectives or, A Boy's Fight for Lifeand Honor, By Maior Mickey Free. 850 Ked Ralph, the River Rovers or, The Brother's Re- venge. By Ned Buntline. 865 Baltimore Ben the Bootblack Detective, By A, P. Morris, 874 Gold-Duat Tom; or, Ben’s Double Match, G@ H. Morse, 876 Californian Joos Firet Trail. By Colonel ‘Thomas oyer Monstery. 418 Billy Bombshell, the Cliff Climber. By F, 8. Winthrop. 475 The Binck Ship. By John 8S Warner. , 484 Comanche Dick and His Three Invinetbles, By ‘enry J. Thomas. : 582 The Cowboy Duke. By Edwin Brooke Forrest, 552 Artel the Athlete. By David Druld, 585 Will Waters, the Boy Ferret, By li. Enton. 682 The wens Weteetive’s Double. By Gerald Carlton, 721 Maverick Mose, the Arizona Detective; or, The Wizard of Urkos Pass. By will Linenbee. 809 Don Danton, the Gent from Denver. By King Keone, of the U.S. Seeret Servies Corps. A New Issue Every Tuesday, The Half-Dime Lib fe for sale by all ; rary is for Aa Srtiene Sepiagin @ents per sopy, or sent by mail on receipt of six BEADLE AND ADAMB, Publishers, A 7 mew 98 William Street, New York — x aut _- esses
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BY EDWARD L. WITEELER. Deadwood Dick Novela Dick, the Pymce ot the Road, Dick’s Dellance; or, Double Daggers. Dick in Disguise; or, Buffal, sen Dick in Hix Castle. Pick’s Bonanzay o-, The Phantom Miner. Dick in Danger; or, Omana Oll. Dick’sa Eagles; or, The Pards of Flood Bar, Dick on Deck; or, Calamity 4 ‘ne, the Heroine Dick’s Last Acts or, Cordur-y Charlie. Dick in Leadville, Dick’s Device; or, The Double Cross Sign. Dick ae Detcotive. Dick’s Double; or, The Gorgon’s Gulch Ghoat. Dick’s Home Base; or, Blonde Bill. Dick’s Big Strike; or, A Game of Gold. Diek of Deadwood: or, The Picked Party, Diek’s Dreamy or, The Rivals of the Rond. Dick’s Ward; or, The Black Hill’s Jezebel, Dick’s Doom or, Calamity Jane’s Adventure. 1 Deadwood 20 Deadwood | 28 Deadwood 85 Deadwood 42 Deadwood 49 Deadwood &7 Deadwood {78 Deadwood 77 Deadwood 100 Deadwood 104 Deadwood 109 Deadwood 129 Deadwood 188 Deadwood 149 Deadwood 156 Deadwood 195 Deadwood 201 Deadwood 205 Deadwood 21z Deadwood 221 Deadwood 282 Gold-Duat 268 Deadwood B68 Deadwood 809 Deadwood B21 Deadwood 847 Deadwood 851 Deadwood 862 Deadwood 405 Deadwood 410 Deadwood 421 Deadwood 480 Deadwood 448 Deadwood 448 Deadwood 45% Deadwood 459 Deadwood 465 Deadwood ATL Deadwood 476 Deadwood 451 Deadwood 491 Deadwood 496 Deadwood BOO Dendwooa 5608 Deadwood 615 Deadwood 522 Deadwood 5629 Deadwood B84 Deadwood BS9 Deadwood B14 Deadwood B49 Deadwood 5654 Dendwood 561 Deadwuod 567 Deadwood BIZ Deadwood BTS Deadwood BSL Dendwood 500 Deadwood 595 Deadwood 600 Deadwood 606 Deadwood 612 Deadwood 618 Deadwood 624 Dendwood DI Dendwood Deadwoo Deadwood Deadwood Dendwood Dead wood Deadwood Dendwood O50 686 642 648 654 d Dick, Dick’s Dead Deal. Dick’s Death-Plant. Piek. A Romance of Roughs and Tougha, Pick’s Divide Dick’s Death Trail Dick’» Deals or, The Gold Brick of Oregon, Dick’s Dozen; or, The Fakir of Phantom Flats Dick’a Duenta; or, Days In the Diggings. Fondetta, Diek Sentenced; or, ‘Ihe Terrible Dick’s Claim, Dick in Dead City. Dick’s Diamonda, Dick in New York; or, A “Cute Care.” Dick’s Dust; or, The Chained Hand. Dick, Iry vr, The Crimson Crescent Sign, Dick, Jr.’*, Deflance, Bick, Jr« Full Hand, Dick, Jr.’s, Bix Round-Up. Jr.’s. Racket at Claim 10, Jr.’s, Corral; or, Bozeman Bill. Jr.’* Dog Detective, Jr., In Deadwood, Jdr.«, Compact. Ir. Hs Scheer ta Jdr.’«, Di ngs. Jr.'s, ihelivenance, r."*, Protegee. Jr.’a, Three. dr.’a, Danger Ducke, Jr.’*, Death Hunt. Jr., in Texas, Jr., the Wild West Vidoog Jr., on Ilia Mettle. Jr., in Gotham, Jr., In Boston. Jr., In Philadetphia. dr., in Chicago. Jr., Afloat. Jr., In Denver. Jr.a, Decree. Jr., in Beelzebub’s Basin, Jr., at Coney Island, Dick, Jr.'s, Leadville Lay. Dick, Jr., In Detrolt. Dick, Jr., in Cincinuatl. ek, Jr., in Nevada, Dick, Jr., In No Man’s Land, Jr., After the Queer. dr., In Buffalo, Dick. Diek Dick, Dick. Dick, Jr.’s, Chase Across the Continent Jr.» Among the Smugglers, Jr.’a, Tr surenece Case, Jr., Back in the Mines, Dick, or, The Spirit of Swamp Lake. dr., tn Durango or, * Gathered In.” Other Novels by E. L. Wheeler. 80 Rosebud Rob; or, Nugget Ned, the Knight. 84 Rosebud Rob on Mand; or, Idyl, the Girl Miner. 88 Rosebud Kob’s Reappearance; or, Photograph Phil. 121 Rosebud Rob’s Challenge; or, Cinnamon Chip. 277 Denver Doll, the Detective Queen; or, The Yankee'’s Surround 281 Denver Doll's Victory; or, Skull and Crossbones, 285 Denver Doll’s Decoy ; or. Little Bill’s Bonanza. 296 Denver Doll's Drift; or, The Road Queen. B68 Vreka Jim, the Gold-Gathererys or, The Life Lottery. 72 Yreka Jtm’s Prize; or, The Wolves of Wake-Up. > 885 Yreka Jim's Joker} or, The Rivals of Red Nose. 889 Yreka Jiin’s New Role; or, Bicycle ten. $04 Yreka Jim of Yuba Dam, 209 Fritz, the Bound-Boy Detective; or, Dot Leetle Game, 218 Fritz to the Front; or, The Ventriloquist Hunter 244 Mierra Sam, the Frontier Ferret; or, A Sister's Devotion, 248 Slerra Sams Secrets or, The Bloody Foutprints. 258 Sterrn Sum’s Pardy or, The Ange! of Big Vista. 258 Sierra Sam’s Sevens or, The Stulen Bride. 884 Kangaroo Kit; or, The Mysterious Miner. 689 Kangaroo Kit’s Racket; or, The Pride of Played-Out. 89 Death-Face, Detective; or, Life in New York. 69 The Boy Detective; or, Guid Rite, the Sharpehooter, 96 W atch-Eye the Detective; or, Ar ba and Axsgels, 117 Gilt-Edged Dick, the Sp irt Detective 145 Captain Ferret, the New York Detective. 16! New York Nell, the Boy-Girl Detctive. 26 The Arab Detective ¢ or, Snoozr, the Boy Sharp, 291 Turk, the Boy Ferret. 825 Kelley, Wickey & Co,, the Detectives of Philadelphia, 848 Manhattan Mike, the Bowery Det.ctive. 400 Wrinkles, the Night-Watch Detective, 416 High Wat Marry, the Base Ball Detective, 426 Sam Slabaides, the Beggzar-Boy Detective, 484 Jim Beuk and Pal, Private Detectives, ~ 26 Cloven Hoof, the Buffalo Demon; or, The Border Vultures, 82 Bob Woolf's or, The Girl Dead-Shot. 45 Old Avalanche; or, Wild Edna, the Girl Brigand, 58 Jim Bludsoe, Jr., te Boy Phenix. 61 Buckhorn BIL; or, The Red Rife Team. 92 Canada Chet ¢ or, Old Anaconda in Sitting Bull’s Camp. 118 Jaek Movle the Young Speculator, 125 Benanza Bill, Miner; or, Madam Mystery, the Forger. 188 Boss Bob the King of Boothlacks, IAL Solid Sam, the Boy Road-Agent; or, The Branded Brows, 177 Nobby Nick of Nevada; or, The Sierras Scampa. 181 Wild Frank the Buckskin Bravo; or, Lady Lily’s Love, 286 Apollo Bill, the Trail Tornado; or, Rowdy Kate. 240 Cyclone Kit, the Young Gladiator; or, The Locked Valley, 278 Jumbo Joe, the Boy Patrol; or, The Rival Heirs, 299 A No. 1, the Dashing Toll-Taker. £08 ’Liza Jane, the Girl Miner; or, the Iron-Nerved Sport. B80 Little Qufck-Shotys or, The Dead Face of Daggeraville, B58 First-Clasa Fred, ‘he Gent from Gopher, 87S Nabob Neds or, The Secret of Siab City. BSB Cool Kit, the Kirg of Kids; or, A Villain’s Vengeance, 438 Ranta Fe Sal, the Slasher; or, A Son’s Vengennce, 456 Sealskin Sam, the Sparkier; or The Tribunal of Ten. BY J, ©. COWPRIOCK, Broadway Billy Novels. 490 Broadway Billy, the Bootblack Bravo. 614 Broadway Billy’« Boodle; or, Cleming a Strange Case. 536 Broadway Hilly’s ‘Ditikilty.” 557 Broadway Billy’s Peath Racket. 579 Broadway Billy’s Surprise Party. 605 Broadway Billy; or, The Boy Detective’s Big Inning. 628 Broadwoy Billy’s Dead Act: or, The League of Seven 669 Broadway Billy Abroad; or, The Bootblack in Frisco. Brondway Billy’« Best; or, Beating San Francisco's Finest. Jr.«, Discovery; or, Found a Fortune, Jr.’a. Dazzle, Jrva. Dollars, Trey at Danger Divide, Jr.’s, Drop. Jr., at dJack-Pot. Jr., In San Franclaco, Jris«, Still Hunt. Jr’, Dominoes, Jr.’a, Diseniac, Jr.'s, Double Deal. Jr.4, Deathwatch. Jr.’«, Doublet. Jr.'s, Deathblow. Jr.’4, Desperate Stralt, Jr.’s, Lone Hand. Jr.’# Defeat. Jrvs, Resurrection, r.’® Dark Daya. Jr.s Detied. Jr.’s, Double Devylee, need | 5 Aaa peresrate.y cewure. ead wood eA, amon¢ Ces Deadwood Dick, Jr.’s,; Royal Flush, Deadwood Dick,’ Jr.'s, Wead-off, Deadwood Dick, Jr.’s, Rival. Dendwood Deadwood Dendwood & Deadwood 700 Deadwood I TOA Deadwood Pick, 710 Deadwood Bick Deadwood Deadwood Deadwood Bick, Deadwood c Deadwood Dendwood Deadwood Deadwood Deadwood T Dendwood Deadwood Deadwood Deadwood Dendwood Deadwood LIVIA SN he Se en NONWNSAS KH LeENSesS PPP a tate te seta tata te be ttlaie tele tel - = at ar Fs - ot BY WM, G. PATTEN. Violet Vane, the Velvet Sport; or, The Tubliee of Jncktown, Violet Vane’s Victory; or, The Jasper City Cleaa Out. 698 Violet and Datay, the Posy Pardes, 70% Violet Vane’s Vow; or, The Cratty Detective’s Craft, 724 Violet Vane’s Vengeance; or, The Wipe Out, 780 Violet Vane’s Verdict; or, The Game at Coffin City. z Violet Vane, the moa Vidoey; or, Sport va, Sport. 750 Violet. Vane, the Vanquished? or, The Lite Stragg'e. 768 Violet Vane’s Vialon; or, The Fisry Hand of Fate. 489 The Diamond Sport; or, The Double Face of Bed Rock, 519 Captain Mystery ; or, Five in One, 631 Daley ware the Sport from Denver. BST Old Bombshell, the Ranger Detective. 604 Iron Fern, the Man of Fire; er, Among the Vultures, 619 The Le ig ar, Detectives ore The Donbie Grip Witness 641 Dismal Dave’s Dandy Pard; or, The Clue to Capt. Claw 651 Bound Boy Frank, the Young Amateur Detective 682 Wild Vulcans, the Lone-Range Rider, 714 Old Misery the Man from Misseurt. 774 Clear-Grit Cal, the Never Say-Die Detective, 789 Sam Sheridan, the Secret Service Special, 806 Cowboy Steve, the Ranch Mascot, NS - BY COL, A. F. NOLT, 811 Wenadlight Harry’s« Flyer; or, Duke Derby. 678 Readtighs Marry’s Hazard; or, The Lightning Express tective, 691 Weadlight Narry’s Haul; or, The Railroad Pards, 7 Weadlight Harry’s Siren; or, Mad Madge. 59 Weadlight Marry’s Heritage. 94 Headlight Harry's Hunts or, The Cache of Gold, 99 Binck Bueksking or, The Masked Man of Death Canyon, 19 Kenneth, the Knife-King; or, The Doomed Six. 85 Littie Lightfoot, the Pilot of the Woods, 8 The Dandy Sporty or, The King Pin Conspirator, 687 Broadway 696 Broadway 708 Brondway Til Broadway 720 Broadway 735 Broadway 788 Broadway 7583 Broadway Billy in Clover. Billy fn Texns; or, The River Rustlers, Billy’s« Brand. Billy at Santa Fe; or, The Clever Neal. Billy’s Full Handy or, The Garmin Detective, | Bully’s Business, Billy’s Curious Case, Billy in Denver. 762 Broadway 769 Broadway 7S Broadway 788 Broadway 786 Broadway 790 Broadway 796 Broadway 800 Broadway 805 Broadway Billy’« Signal Scoop. 810 Broadway Billy's Wipe Out, 860 Silver-Mask, the Man of Mystery; or, The Golden Keys, BEY Shasta, the Gold King} or, For Seven Years Dead. 420 The Detective’s Apprentice; or, A Boy Without a Name. 424 Cibuta Jonny or, Red-Hot Times at Ante Bar, 439 Sandy Sam, the Street Scout, 467 Disco Dan, the Daisy Dude. 606 Redlight Ralph the Prince of the Road. 524 The Enginecr Detective; or, Redlight Ralph’a Resolve, 5648 Mart, the Night Express Detective. 571 Alr-Line Luke the Young Engineer; or, The Double Case. 592 The Boy Pinkerton; or, Running the Rascals Out. 615 Fighting Warr the Chief of Chained Cyclone. 640 Bareback Beth, the Centaur of the Circle 647 Typewrltter Tilly, the Merchant’s Ward. 659 Moonlight Morgan, the * Pizenest ”? Man of Ante Bas, BY LIEUCT. A. K. SIMA, BSD Tom-Cat and Pardy or, The Dead Set at Silver City, 622 Tom-Cat’a Trinds or, The Affuir at Tombstone. 681 Tom Cat’sa Terrible Task; or, The Cowtoy Detective. 688 Tom-Cat’s Trinmphj or, Bleck Dan’s Great Combine. 546 Captain Cactus, the Chaparral Cock; or, Josh’s Ten Strike, 568 The Dandy of Hodge; or, Rustling for Millions. 576 The Silver Sport; or, Josh Peppe:mint’s Jubilee. 588 Saffron Sol, the Man With « Shadow 601 HapDy Wane, the Dutch Vidocg; or, Hot Times at Round-Up ad Barnacle, the Detective Hercules. 646 owe? Gld, the Catile-Range Detective. 657 Warbling William, the Mountain Mountebank, 665 Jolly Jereminhs the Plains Detective. 676 Stenal Sam, the Lookout Scout. 689 Billy, the Gypsy Spy: or, The Mystery of Two Lives, 699 Straple Sim, the Broncho Buster; or, For Big Stakea. 712 The Mesmeriat Sport; or, The Mystified Detective. 788 Toltec Tom, the Mad Prospector. 745 Kansas Jim, the Cross-Cut Detective. 761 Marmaduke, the Mustanger Detective. 778 The Rustler of Rolling Stone. 785 Lone Hand Jpe, the Committee of One, 801 Kent Kirby, the High-Kigker from Killbuck, BY BUFFALO BILL (ion. Wm. F. Oody). 8 Kansas King; or, The Red Right Hand, 19 The Phantom &py: or, The Pilot of the Prairie. 55 lendly-Fye, the Unknown Serut; or, The Banded Brotherhood 68 Border Robin Hoody or, The Prairie Rover, 158 Fancy Frank of Colorado; or, The Trapper’s Trost. Blilly’s Bargaty; or, The Three Detectives, Billy, the Retriever Detective. Billy’a Shadow Chase. Billy’s Beagles; or, The Trio’s Quest. Billy’s Teams or, The Combine's Big Pull. Billy’s Brigade; or, The Dead Alive. Billy's Queer Bequest, Billy Balled, OS RES CE AS SSS ee SS ESS SE 772 Dick Doom’s Beath-Grip; or, The Detective by Destin 77 Dick Doom’s Destiny; or, The River Biackler’s Terror, @S4 Dick Doomy or, !he Sharps and Sharks of New York, 788 Dick Doom In Bosatony or, A Man of Many Musks, 798 Dick Doom tu Chicago, 798 Dick Doom in the Wild Weat. 808 Dick Doom’s Clean Sweep; or, Five Links in a Clone, 808 Dick Doom’s Peath Clue. p Dick Doow’s Diamond Deal. Dashing Charlie; or, The Kentucky Tenderfoot’s First Tra Dashing Charlic’s Destiny; or, The Renegade’s Captiy Dashing Charite’» Pawnee Pard, Dashing Charlle, the Rescuer. Buck Taylor, King of the Cowboys. Buck Taylor, the Comanche’s Captive. Buck Taylor's Boys; or, The Red Risers of the Rio Granc Pawnee BUl, the Prairie Shadower. Pawnee Billy or, Curl, the Mad Cowboy. Pawnee Bills Pledge; or. The Cowloy's Doom. 725 Pawnee Billy or, During Lick. 692 Redfern’s Curtous Case; o, The Rival Sharpe, 697 Redfern at Devil's Ranek; or, The Sharp from Texas, TO2Z Redfern’s Wigh Handy; or, Bine Jacket. TO? Redfern’s Last Trails or, The Red Sombrero Ranges. 668 Red Ralph’s Ruse; or, The Buccaneer Miasiipman. 674 Red Ralph’s Bold Game; or, The Wizerd Sail rv. 679 Red Kalph, the Shadower, or, The Freed: oy r's Legacy. 644 Butterfly Billy’s Disguise. ‘ 650 Butterfly Billy, the Pony | xpress Rider. 656 Butterfly Billy’« Man Hunt, 662 Butterfly Billy’s Bonanza, 565 Kent Kingdon; or, The Iw'e of the Overland, 570 Kent Kingdon’s Shad swer 3 cr the Card Queen. 675 Kent Kingdon’s Duel} <r. ‘tne Surgeon Scent. 586 Kent Kingdon’s Doom; or, The Buckskin Avenger. Lafitte Run Down; or, The Buccaneers of Burrataria, 550 Lalitte’« Legacy: or. The Avenging Son. 555 Lalitte’a Contcesion; or, The Crevie C reair, Buckakin BILL, the Comanche Shadow, The Bucka«kin Brothers in Texas. The Buckeski: Bowers s or The Cowhoy Pirates. } The Kuckskin Reoversy or, The Prairie Fugitive. The Buckskin Pards’ Quest; or, Captain Ku-Klux, 508 The Royal Middy 3 or, The Shark and the Sea Cat. 507 The Royal Middy’*s Luck 3 or, The Huntea Midshipma’ 611 ‘The Royal Middy’s Foe. 450 Wizard WH: or, The Boy Ferret or New York, 4514 Wizard Will's Street Rcouts. 474 Wizard WILD’ Pard; or, Fiera, the Flower Girl, 488 Wizard WIHll's Last Cake; or, The Furrets Afloat. 429 Duncan Dare, the Boy Refogee, 488 Punean Duare’s Flot; or, A Cabt: Boy’s Luck. 487 Dnnean Dare’s Prize; or, The Sea Raider. 441 Duncan Dare’s Secrets or, The Ocean Firefly, 402 Saodor, the Young Coneptrator: or, The Fatul Leaga 407 Ixodor’s Double Chase; or, The Boy Insurgent. 412 Isodor’s War-Cloud Crutixe; 67, The Wild Yachtoman Bilkon WRN. the Prince of the Reine, 222 Bison Biti's Clues or, Grit, the Bravo Sport, 804 Dead Shot Pandy’« Dilomma, BOR Dead Shot Pandy'’s Bouble; «r, Kero Kit, Dead Shot Dandy’ Deflancet or, The Bboy Bugler, Dend Shot Bandy’s Chi: ff; 01, The River Detective, 245 Merle Monte’s Leap for Life. 250 Merle Monte’s Mutiny ¢ or. Brandt, the Buccaneer, 264 Merle Monte’s Treasure I+land, 269 Merle Monte the Condemned, 276 Merle Monte’s Crulse; or, “The Gold Ship” Chase, 250 Merle Monte’s Fate; or. The Pirnte’s Pride. 284 Merle Monte’s Pledge; or, The Sen, Murauder. 197 The Kid Glove Sport ¢ or. Little Grit, the Wild Rider, 204 The Kid Glove Sport’s Doom or, Buffalo Bill, 11 Pony Express Rider, Bl Ruth Redmond, the Girl Shadower. G6 Orlando, the Ocean Free Flay. 617 Ralph, the Bend-Shot Scout, €02 The Vagabend of the Mines. 597 The Texan Detective; or, The Black Pravos, BOL Delmontes tie Young Sea Rover; or, Tne Avenging Sailor. 680 The Outeast Cadets or, The False Detective. - 495 Arizona Joe; or, The Boy Pard of Texas Jack. AB? Nevada Ned, the Revolver Ranger 468 Neptune Ned, the Boy Conster; or, Pirate in Spite. 462 The Sailer Roy Wanderer; or. The Born Guide, 446 Uaphazard Harry? or, The Sea Scapegrace 898 The Red Clasped Wands; or, The Boy Livutenant. BS7 Warpath WIE, the Traitor Guide. 883 The Se aian Pilot; or, The Search for Pirate Island. 877 Bonodel, the Boy Rovers or, The Fl-gless Schooner, 287 Billy Blue-Eyes, of the Rio Grande. 287 Lone Star. the Cowboy Captain. ; 229 Crimson Kate, the Girl Truiter; or, The Cowboy’s Trinmp 116 The NWussar Captain: or, The Hermit of Hel! Gute. 11t The Sen-Devil ¢ or, The Midshipman’s Legacy. 102 Dick Dend-Eye, the Smuggier ; or, The Cru'se of the Vixe! 75 The Boy Duelist; or, The Cruise of the Sea-Wolt. 62 The Shadow Ship? or, The Rival Lieutenants, 24 Diamond Dirks; or, The Mystery of the Yellowstone, 17 Ralph Roy, the Boy Buccan-er; or, The Fugitive Yachts 7 The Flying Yankee; or, The Ocean Outcast, LATEST AND NEW ISSUES. 814 Ace Nigh, the Frisco Detective. By C. E. Tripp. S15 Brondway Billy’s Bank Racket; or, The City Dete tive’s Big Haul, By J. C. Cowdrick, 816 Dendwood 817 Wideawakes the Train-boy Detective. Ry Col, A. F. Holf 818 The Wustler Rogue-Catcher, By Wm. R, Evster. R19 Bick Doom’s Girl Mascot, By Col, Prentiss Ingrahem 820 Nebby Nats the Tenderfeot Detective, By Wm. G, Parte 821 Broadway Billy’s Bluff, By J.C. Cowdrick, 822 Dendwood Dick, Jr.’*, Boom, By Ed, L, Wheeler. 828 Poker Jack, the Detective Sport. By Ol) Coomes. 824 Rowery Billy. tho Buneo Bouncer, By Jo Pierce, 826 Broadway Billy Among Jersey Thugs. By J. Cowdrick. ; 827 The Bantam Sport; or, The Miner-Boss Ferret, By | C. Harbaugh, R28 Deadwood Dick, Jr.'s. Reoop. 829 The Gentleman Crook in Chicago; °, Shadow Hunt. By Col, P. Ingrahar, 880 The Grim Lodger« in Rng Alley$ or, Citizen Ru of Number Seven. By Ben D. Hallidey- f Ready June 20, A New Issue Every Tuesday. By Ed. L, Wheeler The Half- Dime Library 1s for sale by all newsdealers, f cents per copy, or sent by mat] on receipt of six cents each, ws BEADLE AND ADAMS, Publishers, 98 William Street, New York Diek Door — Dick, Jr.’s, Rival.’ By Edward L, Wheelf ~e, ver. Pi Ft S25 Marlo, the Cowboy Coaster, Cy Col. P. Ingraham. »*