Wildcat Bob, the Boss Bruiser — page 21: what you’re looking at

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

LP% “No. 8. fect of a villain’s cunning erepernioys of drug- | o e ged liquor, styled the Elixir of Life. _ “Fetler bug-juice histers!” said the high cock- alorum of the Topeka hen-roost, ‘‘1 opine, yeein’s we've did a fa'r squar’ job, thet we'd bet- wr take the gals, and scoot!” __ Aad, accordingly, the gang did ‘‘ scoot.” CHAPTER XIX. IN THE MINE—TOO LATE! GREAT was the excitement in Pompeii! On the morning following the swoop of the Bloodhounds, every man awakened from a drug- wed slumber, into which the Life Elixir of Pro- | fessor Doerflinger had thrown him, only to find | that he had been ruthlessly pens oO. every eont, by some unknown thief. Those who read the Tribune during the min- ing excitement around and in the vicinity of ver, will probably remember a case similar ‘to this, where a whole mining town was drugged and robbed by a notorious band of desperadoes, Yes—robbed of every cent on their persons; and in fact the whole setelement had been dired of all the gold and currency that could be gt hold of. The saloons had been overturned aid pilfered, and Colonel Tupper’s safe, in which ly» kept a small part of his fortune, and in which by kindly secured the ers, had been blown open and its contents taken. All the waiter girls were gone, and as no dead bodies were found, it was inferred that the | uninown robbers had carried them off into cap- | tivity. Manty distracted over his loss, and fearful of the safety of Ma Belle, the colonel made haste to burst into her room, in the rear of the bar. To his horror and consternation, he at once per- veived that she was gone, too. She had been earried off with the other girls. Of that there vould not remain the least doubt! That was an exciting day in Pompeii. Probably never in the annals of gold-digging | did a greater volume of oaths and curses renc the air, than onthat memorable occasion. The | miners were utterly frenzied and maddened ever their losses, some of which were trifling | while others were enormous. Two gamblers— | ne a monte-man and the other a faro-banker— &ad been cleaned out of four thousand apiece, and one old veteran miner had lost five thon- wand’s worth of pure dust, which it had taken years of hard toil to accumulate, Tho remainder of the population had suffered nerally from five dollars upward to five hun- Ted. and were as bitter in their anger as their more unfortunate companions, Bands of ten and twenty were formed to give chase to the thieves, who were undoubtedly the Bloodhound Band of which Wildcat Bob had spoken; and by noon the settlement was pretty well deserted, only Lin a Snicker, and a few Foremost in t were Mr. Chucky White, the California ‘* cham- pion,” and Major Bloodgood. The latter com- manded one of the parties in the search, and, although he had lost nothing by the raid, he vol- unteered to go in pursuit of the daring pang that had perpetrated so bold an outrage. His route lay down the gulch in the direction of the Haunted Claim, at which spot the unsuccessful party ares. &* midday, nota little discouraged and a favaes | ; ; ‘“*T reckon we have journeyed far enough in this direction,” said the aN as they drew rein about the curb of the old shaft. ‘If they had come this way we should have seen their ” “They mought’ve follered ther creek down tho’,” am ane the miners, ‘‘ an’ hid their way.” thot ily probable.” have deme that, yet it is hardl en ck "Lo here!” exclaimed Chucky White, point- inz to the sand about the curb wherein were oth the of men and horses’ feet. _* Some ene has | here lately, and maybe it is the There is the hoof-prints of only i by the signs we have been a score er more of the raiders.” “ You're right; buat ht not the heft of the gasg rid off erent ons, ter puzzle us w'ile the chief-cook'n’-bottle-washer of bizness came here and hid the plunder? Sich bein’ the case, don’t it smell savorily that this eld mine ar’ a robber-~ien?’ “ By heaven! White, there is ee « in your reason!” ejaculated sage ah elightedly. after all, we're on the right scent.” ee: | thar’s & hovee too!” cried one of the pointing @ thicket of bushes just accom tbe gulch, a ’ an instant was excitement, and every had dismounted. » ‘* You fellows reraain here,” ordered the ma- jor, cocking one of his six-shooters, “ while I go look at the animal.” The miners readil assented, and while he was bucket up from the bot- the meantime the ma tered the thicket, and examined the one whi probably knows, was the steed of Wildcat E om lan- | earnings of various min- | behind. the search for the desperadoes | as the reader | Bob, which he had tethered out to graze upon the ' foliage, while he descended into the mine. But | the major knew nothing of this, and soon re- | joined the men at the curb, with the intelligence t the horse undoubtedly belonged to the rob- bers, and, as a matter of course, the robbers were in the bottom of the mine. *‘If such ar’ ther case said one of the miners, *et’ll take heeps 0’ fightix? to git ’em out o’ thar, ye can ea bet yer old boots.” “*T think not,” replied the major. “If we work the machine right, I’m of the opinion that we can surprise them all hunky. Besides, I am not so sure that there is more than one of the crew down thar.” “* Exactly; an’, then, ag’in, ye ain’t so sure but ther hull caboodle o’ ’em is thar.” ““True, but I think the former is the more _ probable theory. Now, ~~ plan is this: Tl eave half o’ ye up here to lower us down and protect the mouth of the shaft, while I, with the rest of the boys, will go down and see what we _can find in the mine. When we jerk on the rope it will mean that we want you to pull usup lively.” ** Shall I stay up here?” demanded the famed champion of California, who did not relish the idea of getting so far down in the earth, for fear that he would never be able to get out again. _ ‘*Tcan defend the top while you attack the bot- tom.’ ** Just as you like about that. Now," boys, hunt up some dry knots that will answer for | torches, and we will make a descent.” | _ Plenty of pitchy pine-knots were procured and lighted, and then the party that was to go down | with the major clambered into the bucket, after | which they were lowered into the yawning shaft. It seemed an age to them ere they touched upon the deep bottom, but they. did af last, and Ma ice Bloodgood was the first to step out from the car. | ‘*Keepmum now, boys,” he cautioned, in a whisper, ‘‘and tread softly. We know not how | s00n we may stumble upon a nest of the hornets we are searching for.” ‘**Hedn’t we better douse the glim?’ asked one of the miners. ‘‘It may show us ter the cusses afore we git a peep at them, an’ we'll conse- kently get riddled.” ‘No; we can’t do withoutlight, and shall have to use it. Til tell you a guod plan, however. All of you put out your torches, and cover my advance with your pistols. I will goon a few yards ahead with the light, and, if you see me fall, fire at my murderers and make a rush.” Thie was readily agreed to, and all but the ma- jor’s torch were extinguished. He then went on alo the passage several yards ‘in ad- vance of the miners, who brought up the rear with cocked revolvers leveled at his k, and | thus the march began. As he went along, Bloodgood kept on the alert, and his % scanned each side narrowly. The miners in his rear followed with noiseless tread, half expecting each moment to hear a pistol-shot and see the daring man fall, On through the passage marched the weird procession, the light of the glaring torch making each object strikingly distinct and ghostly. Suddenly the major was seen to fall to the | ground, and the same instant ‘the torch went | out, leaving the passage in Egyptian dark- | ness. Not waiting a second to learn the cause of his em staan me the miners instantly disch eir revolvers ahead into the gioom, and the vault was filled with a thousand reverberating ec ““You ‘cursed idiots!” roared the major, springing to his feet, half choked with er- smoke, ‘* what, in God’s name, ’d ye do that for? I only fell to the floor over an object lying here in my path, and there was no occasion for such | a devil of a rumpus. Strike a light, some one, , quick! If there’s any robbers within a thousand miles, they probably know we're after them, by * ‘ight procured in as short was y n as | a space of time as was possible, and the major saw what it was he had fallen over. There on the floor, locked in each others’ embrace, lay Wildcat Bob and the mad creature who had en- | gaged with him in the desperate and trouble- | some contest. . | Both were unconscious, and evidently dead, _ and it was plain that neither had given up till | utterly worn out and incapable to struggle longer. My heavens! bo it is the prize-fighter, | Wildeat Bob!” cried the sp tor, starting | back aghast. “This explains it: That is his | horse, above, and there are no robbers here. To work, men; tear him apart from !that creature's | embrace, and let’s bear him up out of this foul | place, to where he can get fresh air, and we |may be able to bring him back to life, yet. | Thunder! but they've fit like , though. | Just look at the blood-stains around here, More than a gallon o’ juice been spilled. What ever boy to come down here, I won- } er, and who is this disgusting okl wretch he's hitched to?” The men went to work with a will, and scon succeeded in freeing the insensible pugilist from % Wildcat Bob, the Boss Bruiser. ; 21 the clutch of the old hag, after which bors him back through the passage to the When they were all crowded into the car the rope was jerked, and they were wound upward by de until the outer world was While some of the miners viet to relate their adventures, others bore Wildcat Bob to the banks of the creek and set about bringing a war's one tedi dertaking, f 1 t was a long, ious un , for to te the truth, the — man was pretty nigh *‘ rone over the dam.” ut, at last, after his wounds had been skill- fully dressed by the major, and quantities of water had been doused over him, he became conscious, and was able to give an account of his experience since leaving the settlement, un- til insensibility had overtaken him in the mine. Chucky White then proposed that the major start at once for Pompeii with Bob, and see to his wants, while the rest of them again struck out after the robbers, which was agreed to; and soon the plan was put into execution. In a beautiful forest-dell, miles westward by north from the Haunted Claim,a company of men were formed in line of march, and were awaiting orders from their commander, who stood a few yards apart from them, conversing with a coarse, brutal-looking ruffian, apparently one of his own followers. The commander, a very giant in size, we make no difficulty in recognizing as Big Hank La Verge, the Bloodhound chief, while his compan- ion, a man smaller in stature and older in years, rejoices in the cognomen of Jake Corrigan. ** Yas,” the gape was saying, grimly, shifting his position to lean against a large tree under which they stood—‘‘yas, ther thing’s got ter be did, sure pop. You say the out-train is due at the trestle-bridge at midnight?” “Yes. Ther express leayes Denver for the east at seven o'clock, an’ gits to ther treetle- ny re about midnight,” ““And the gold—how much is ther uv thet?’ demanded the ruffian, eagerly. “IT couldn't git ther perzact figgers, but from w'at ther express agent said, I rec’on ’tain’t less’n fifty thousand dollars.” ““Good. Thet amount’ll help our a big lot, when we git it. Now, how do ye per- pose to capture the train?” “This way. Ther *butments an’ timbers of the bridge will be heavily charged wi’ powder, and when the train gits fairly on the trestle we'll blow it ter flinders. All thet escapes wi’ their lives, frum ther fall of patbveng Basse we kin soon dispatch, an’ then the contents uv ther ex- — car will belong to our Bloodhound Brother. 1 p? ‘ Corrigan, you're a boss pard. When ye wer’ inishinted: pedes ago, the time when our ietoont commander-in-chief occupied the pérsition I now occupy, I didn’t think yer membership w'uld ever bennyfit ther brotherhood, but now I think different. I wish I war’ free to go wi’ ye, but I ain’t, fer ther reason thet I've a wound here in my arm, thet unfits me fer duty.” ‘ There’s no need fer ye to go,” replied Corri- gan, consolingly. “‘I can manage the boys, and give ye a much needed rest. Now, then, I opine we'd better git a-going, eh?’ ** Yes; the sooner the better!” The two ruffians then shook after rrigan leaped into his saddle and his men, while Big Hank likewise mounted and set off toward the east. The Bloodhounds went roth and soon the dell was wrapped in si- ce. Then it was that aman slid down from the branches of the tree underneath ruffians had been standing, and dropped to the ground. He was no other personage than Carlos de Monterey, the outlaw, and he had heard enough of the brutal Bloodhounds’ plot to know that it was their purpose to destroy the eastern mnant af quiet fren b Miadiony: beciets boas ment of go: a to an eastern mint. “ And I must save the train!” he muttered, he looked to his weapons, and tightened his belt. Bh a EE an ers, in er to vor fore the train starts, and, God granting, I will make the trip and save a load of and money!” So saying he hurried into the forest, and soon came to a spot where a horse was awaiting his coming. Into the saddle he leaped at a and without the touch of the spur the animal dashed off th the timber, the rein guiding him in the on of Denver. “Go! gol” cried Wild Carlos, as at last wn | loft the wood, and a stretch of undulating prai- rie lay in their front; “go, old boy, for Set of life and death.” can) way—eway at a break-nec leaped the spirited hhores- and still the pr ernbas him on. On over the prairie: on over hill amd dale, rushed the flying horseman, his hat blown off ey a wn = ing back on the reeze, giving wild, fan appearance. On—on—on, and the sun sunk lower toward isis a & Pee oe LCS S) a, 200