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Copyrighted. 1888. by BIADLI AND Ann“. Entered :0. ma Post Office at New York. N. Y., as Second Clan Man Matter. Nov. 10. 1886.

 

. Pbl'de kledl d ,
v01. XII. £53.. “ I“ :0, 98%:H3WYST_?;E:::MA°‘“”"  No.148.

 

 

2 . Thunderbolt Tom.

 

Thunderbolt Tom,

)

The Wolf-Heme: of the Rockies.

BY HARRY ST. GEORGE,

AUTHOR or “HICKORY HARRY,” “RATTLING
RUBE,” “DARING DAVY,” ETC.

CHAPTER I.
THE \VOLF—TRAPPER.

A LONG-DRAWN, melancholy howl came wind-
in down the pass, and the sound seemed to be
on up by a score of woliish tongues, until it
reverberated among the mountains. It was not
the usual howl of the prowliirr wolf at large,
for there was something ext-ceilineg mournful
in the cry that spoke of confinement and the
longing for freedom.

A man garbed and armed as a hunter, came
to a sudden pause. He had been making his
way up the valley, and was just about to set
foot in the narrow ass that led above when
this single howl, f0 owed by the chorus from
the pack saluted his startled car.

This man was yomig of cars, but he had won
a reputation upon the hon er that made his name
rank alon side of those of Kit Carson, Grizzly
Adams an: Pandy Ellis.

Rickless and impetuous, lie was always the
first to plunge into a fight and the last to leave
it. There was something of a prairie whirlwind
about the bronze hunter, and little wonder it was
that his com )anions had given him the signifi-
cant name oi Thunderbolt Tom.

“ What under the sun does that mean?
Wolves, to be sure, but there is something wrong
about those howls. An investigation is next in
order. Can it be that they have anything to do
with the trail I have been following? That I
intend to find out; I am going up to see just
what it all means.”

The pass was steep and to one who was unac-
quainted with its irregularities difficult of as-
cent, but the hunter recklesdy and darineg
kept; on and gradually neared the top.

[the time the chorus of howls had grown
in vehemence; the very air rung with the dole—
ful music from wolflsh throats, and yet the hun-
ter made no pause in his upward ascent.

All at once there was a break in the mono-
tonous chorus, and he heard the hoarse voice of
a man shouting to the brutes and cursing them
for their racket.

An inkling of the truth now came to the hun-
ter, but suspectin that the owner of the hoarse
voice would look own the little canyon, he has-
tily se:reted himself behind an outlying rock.

Sure enough, a huge form was outlined above
against the fast fading light in the heavens and
then the gruil’ voice rolled far down the pass,
uttering:

“ That you. Colorado?”

The hunter. thinking that he had been dis-
covered, grasped his rifle more firmly, and was
about to step out from behind his she ter, when,
somewhat to his surprise there came an answer
trom far down the canyon.

 

 

 

“Correct! I’ll jino you as soon as I can get
up this infernal pmce.”

The giant above laughed hoarsely and then
vanished from View. till the hunter remain-
cd in his place of concealment knowing that the
other who had been denominated .Colorado, had
to pass him by and discovery might yet come
no ess he was wary.

Presently the man passed him b . In the
shadows of the canyon he could not 'stinguish
his features and perhaps would not have recog-
nized them had he been able to see better.

Wlwn this man had also vanished beyond the
top of the rocky canyon, the hunter thought it
was time to move on which he at once did.

Upon arriving at the termination of the little
pass he found that the summit of the foothill
was still far beyond, for the canyon only de-
bouched upon a plateau that extended over a.
half-acre or more of the rocky surface.

It was not much lighter here than in the pass
itself, but he could still make out a rude cabin
built against the rocky wall beyond.

Attached to this was what a peared to be an
inclosure, running parallel with the white cliff
and for a distance of perhaps twenty yards
while it was something over half of that in
width.

This was composed of tall slabs fastened 11
right, and fully ten feet in hight, so that no we f
could ever leap over them and escape. Thus
the cabin and cliff formed two of the sides and
the others were made up of these slabs.

Thunderbolt Tom found this out very soon
after reaching the little plateau, for he made it
a point to immediately get in the shelter of this
high fence, from which point of observation he
would be able to take in his surroundings and
sha 3 his plans accordinglfi

's first act after this instill-glance around
him was to hunt for a hole t ough which he
might see the interior of the inclosure. This he
was not long in finding, but upon glancing
through the slot between two of the slabs he
{grind that it was too dark to make out any-

mg.

He was about turningJ away when a pair of
glowing, fiery orbs caug t his eye, then another
and a third until the place seemed to be actually
full of the blazing pairs of wolflsh eyes.

At about the same time he felt hot breath on
his face, and knew that one of the animals was
just beyond the fence. He drew back in a feel—
ing of half horror, half disgust. As he did so
the animal gave vent to a long—drawn, hideous
howl that seemed to cut the air like a knife.

Immediately the whole pack joined in and the
din that followed was beyond description.
Knowing just what the result would be the
young hunter crouched down beside the tall

13g: and awaited the advent of the wolf-_

er er.

Presently, b lookin through the palings he
could seeaflas of brig tlight from the cabin,”
a window or door of some sort was thrown open.

This was half a dozen feet above the pen. and
the upper part of the giant’s bu form was
plainly outlined against the light that 5110119
within.

In another instant his hoarse voice rung out.
and that the fierce wolves feared it could be

 

 

 

Thunderbolt Tom. 3'

 

 

guessed, for their racket came to an immediate
close just as if a thunderbolt had silenced them,
and only an occasional whining noise gave evi-
dence of their presence within the inclosurc.

Thunderbolt Tom now crept along in the di-
rection of the cabin, for when the giant had
quelled the disturbance he had withdrawn.

Upon reaching the cabin he sought in vain for
an opening through which to view the proceed—
ings of those within, for although the shant was
01 and rotten, it seemed to have had its c iinks
well filled up with a kind of clay that had be—
come with age almost as impervious to the point
of a knife as iron.

Tom was about to give up his design of over-
hearing what the plotters had to say, when a
brilliant plan came into his head, which he at
once set about executing.

The ranch had been built against the cliff by
its original owner, whether with any design or
not it would have been hard for Tom in his
present condition to have told.

All he saw was that by clambcring up the face
of the cliff he would be enabled to reach asortcf
door not unlike that of a hayloft in a barn, and
which stood invitineg open.

Without one thought of the danger be incurred,
the young hunter began the ascent. Agile as a
Roc y Mountain goat, he succeeded in reaching
the opening, swung himself into it and lightly
landed u on the floor of the loft.

He ha found an entrance to the enemy’s fort.

CHAPTER II.
THE MAN IN MASK.

WHEN Thunderbolt Tom gained the loft of
the 01d cabin, he crouched down until he could
fully understand his situation.

A pair of stairs or else a ladder, he could not
tell which, led down to the lower rcom, and
through this opening came the light that allow-
ed him to locate himself, though objects in the
loft were very dimly outlined by this rough
means. ‘

He was soon attracted by a narrow line of light
'ust in front of him and found that the cracks in

he floor formed a perfect square.

It was a trap door.

Through the cracks he could obtain a. good
view of the interior of the lower story, and
crouching down he prc iarcd to examine the
place and its occupants at is leisure, while at the
same time he listened to the words that reached
his ears.

The room was low and the walls rough and un-
plastered. There was no evidence of comfort
about the plane. In one corner lay a pile of skins,
evidently used as a. sort of couch by the giant
wolf-border.

A barrel stood in one corner, which seemed to
contain meat for the wolves. There was a fire-
place and awindow, the. shutter of the last being
closed. A rickety table and several home—made
chairs well on to the stage of dila idation that
seemed in harmony with all aroun finished the
furniture of the mountain ranch.

The pox-Sons Within it soon occupied his full at—
tention. He could readil distinguish the wolf-
herder b his giant size. e was a rough-featured
man, wi h a repulswe face that stamped him a
desperado o: the lowest typo.

 

 

There were two other men present at the time
the spy looked down upon them.

One of these was a fuc—simila of the giant, dif-
fering from him materially only in point of size,
for he was much smaller. Such a ferocious little
imp the hunter had sr-ldoin sccn, When he
used his voice Tom had no difficulty in recogniz-
ing him as the man called Colorado by the wolf-
herder.

The third differcd very much from his two
associates in dress, for he wore the garb of civ-
ilization. There was a black mask 11 on his
face, howevu‘, and this concealed his i( entity.
His voice, too, was assumed; but when it struck
his ear, the young hunter started.

Somehow or other it seemed familiar to him
even in its disguised tones. The figure cf the
masked man it as slender and trim, but, try as he
would, he could not remember such a face
among his associates.

To his surprise he heard his own name men-
tioned by those below, but this fact was quickly
ignored when he discovered that there was one
present whom he had not as yet seen.

A female figure was seated upon a chair in a
corner, her head bowed upon her hands as if sic
wept or would shut out the sight before her.
The face was thus liiddui from his view, hit
the glimpse he had of the masses of golden hair
sent astrange thrill leaping like electricity alt i‘g
the veins of the young hunter while he kept his
eyes upon the motionless figure, his cars vwro
open to the words of the trio seated around He
rickety table. A rude candlestick fastened to 1170
wall held a couple of tapers made from huu’s
grease, and lighted up the room.

The wolf-herdcr was talking. a,

“Thar ain’t no two ways of tixnig it. The
gal walked into the trap as neat as could be,
and thar she be! I reckon our money are
earned, no matter how she came to be hyar.
Them’s my sentiments, take ’em as ye please,
colon cl. ”

“ Oh, it's all right, lVallace; the money is
yours, of course. 1 was onl remarkin that
you had earned it easily. Ho. 1’ of the jo still
remains undone. You have not yet put Thim—
derbolt Tom out of the way, as was agrch
ii on.

Put out of the way? That meant murder-n.
sudden shot in the forest or a knife-thrust in the
heart while he slept.

Who was this man whom they addressd as
the colonel? That black mask completel con-
cealed his features, and while the hunter ad a
half-formed idea that he had met this person
some time previous, for the life of him he could
not tell where.

Satisfied with the explanation of his employer ,
the wolf—herder returned to the business in hand,
and laughed at the words spoken in reference to
Thunderbolt Tom.

“Me and Colorado know the critter. though
p’raps he don’t remember us. year back we

had quite a little difficulty at the fort. Look
thar; do ye see that?"L and as the dos erado
spoke he raised Colorado’s bat and s owed
branded upon his white forehead the word
“ thief J"

“ That was his workl I took Colorado‘s part,
and might as well confess that I war licked by

 

 

4 Thunderbolt Tom.

the critter, though he took an unfair advantage
of me and beat me with some tricks he knew. I
hate him, but glorv p‘izen couldn’t hold a can-
dle to the feeling Colorado bears him.”

“Hate him?” hissed the small man, with a
black, vexomous look. “ Hate the man whose
hand held the iron that scorched to my soul
when it burned these letters on my brow? I
could hurl him into a sea of molten lead and
laugh to hear his shrieks for m rcy. Lct him
fall into my hands and the tortures of hell itself
could not wring from him more suffering than I
shall."

The giant laughed rather good—humoredly
while the man in the loft laughed to himself:

“ Pleasant party, that Colorado, on my soull
I rather reckon upon remembering them now
though the affair had slipped my mind svume-
how. Before very long, perhaps, I shall give
Mr. Colorado the chance he wants.”

The man who wore the black mask Seemed
highly pleased with the warmth of feclin,”r
shown by Colorado, and gave him to understant
that he could be killing two birds with one
stone, carry out his revenge and earn the prom-
ised reward, by making way with the man who
seemed to be their mutual f :e.

“ It matters not to me what tortures he ex-
eriencns before he dies, but I want him to
now that the blow comes from my hand. Be

sure you tell him those words I gave you before
striking the linul blow. It will make his soul
quiver, for, much as you have reason to hate
him. I have more.”

“ We make a nice party all around for Thun-
derbolt Tom to fall into. I wouldn’t give much
for his life it he chanced among us now. I’m
the only moderate hater hyar, and yet there
air times when I feel as if I could chaw up the
critter, though I allers kind 0’ admired him.
Thar air one thing I’d like tor see—Thunderbolt
Tom without a weapon, battling for life among
my wolves.”

“ Good!” burst from the others like a shot;
“the idea is superb. How can it be managed?”

“Easy enough, if we can only lay bands on
the critter. Thar air the wolves allers half
starved, and ready to tear the flesh from the
bones of any man but me. They fear me, but
if either of you was to get among them we
might save a few fragments, but I couldn’t au-
' swer for it.”

“What revenge could be betterl If we can
lay hands on the hunter he shall meet that fate.
Do you agree to that, Colorado?” asked the man
in mask. turning to the terrible hater.

“ Why not? J ust so I have a hand in his death,
I care little how it is accomplished.”

“Good. It is agreed then that Thunderbolt
Tom shall meet his death in this place. Let
him battle with the Wolves, my heart will do-
light in his cries for help. I suppose he can be
thrown out from the door where you quieted
the animals some time ago, Wallace?”

" Course he can. The varmint won’t have a,
chance when my pets lay'their teeth on his car-
cass. Lucky I thought of that. Here then we
will bring Thunderbolt Tom, and he shall be
used as fodder for my pets.”

The others nodded assent.

“Gentlemen, your plans are well laid and it

 

 

    

 

 

 

seems a pity to me that you lack a victim. Be-

hold in me, therefore, 15 e required lamb ready

3) benled to the slaughter. Make way below,
lore!

With the last word the trap in the floor of the
loft was suddenly thrown back and a human
form came plun 1n through. (3! course it was
reckless Tom. eghad been wrought u to a,
pitch of indignation that could no longer 6 sup—
pressed.

The three men as stated were seated around
the rickety table, and from the fact that a. black
quart bottle and a dingy-looking tumbler occu-
pied a position midway between the giant and
Colorado, it might be safe to assume that the
wolf-herder had stood treat in honor of the oc—
casion, and also that the drinking was monopo-
liz<~d by these two.

The effect of this sudden appearance upon the
field of action of the very man Who had been
the subject of their interesting conversation
was startling, to say the least.

No sooner had Thunderbolt Tom struck upon
the table than it went over with a crash.

The man in mask was sent spinning backward
against the wall; Colorado was buried hopeless ,

 

 

.h.“

ly beneath the table, and one of the legs in fly-
ing up took the giant under the chin with
enough force to have broken the jaw-bone of ’,
an ordinary man. He went over with a crash,
but immediater scrambled to his feet again.
and then, catching sight of the figure standing 1 '
carelessly there, knife and revolver in hand, ‘
ejaculated, in tones of wonder:

“ Thunderbolt Tom, by the eternal cata-
mounts!”

There was a. sudden pitiful cry, and the girl
who had up to this time kept her face conceal . "f
as she shudderingly listened to the plotters, a
raised her h

 

CHAPTER III. .1
RIVAL BUFFALO-SLAYERS. <1

Two men crouched among the grass upon the
border of a small grove of trees situated upon
the prairie not fifty miles from the place where ,'
the mountain ranch of the wolf-harder was 10- "
cated, and almost due south of that point. ;

The moon shone brightly in the heavens above ‘
and the prairie around them was illuminated by
her beams. 'Over the grass and some httle dis-
tance away could be seen Some eight or ten dark
objects, undoubtedly buffaloes, and upon these
the eyes of the couple seemed to be glued, with
the peculiar, half—ferocious stare that half—starv-
ing men alone could assume.

Neither of them seemed to possess a weapon
saving a knife in the possession of the smaller of
the two. His companion carried, slung over his
shoulder, the skin of a huge gray wolf that had
evidently been slain with the knife, as they had
no other weapon.

Three days previous they had escaped from
the hands of the Indians. and it was only through
the kindness of Providence that they had ever
gotten on thus far_without recapture.

In escaping, their progress had been_a.rrested
by a warrior who had been to the spring after
water. but his interference cost him his hfe, as
the taller of the two whites immedmtely sprung :

 
 

 

 

    

 

 

 

Thunderbolt Tom. 5

 

u n him, drew the red-skin’s own knife and
p unged it to the hilt in his breast.

This was the blade they now possessed.

The taller of the two was dresscd in a com-
plete suit of buckskin, and from its greasy, time-
worn condition it was easy to guess that ho was
a veteran ranger of the prairies.

His companion on the other hand were a. suit
more resembling that of civilization, and from
its color and his hearing, one would get the im—
pression that he was a soldier.

These two crouching in the grass close beside
the matte of trees, were eagerly discussing the
chances of procuring food, their eKes glued up-
on the objects shown so faintly in t e moonlight,
and which they knew to be buffalo.

The chances were in their favor, for the rass
gave promise of shelter and the wind was low-
mg in their faces. Had they possessed even a

istol, the work would have been easy enough,

ut when it came to crawling up close enough
to a buffalo to thrust a. knife into his side, the
matter assumed an ugly phase that unnerved
them.

They did not despair however.

The wolf-skin had been saved for a purpose,
and the emergency was now close at hand.

The veteran ranger had played the trick on
many previous occasions, and such was the des—
peration of their present situation that some-
thing of this kind must be done. Starving men
hnd no business to be bcggars, and so they must
take the chance when it was presented to them.

Eager to begin, the old hunter took the large
wolf-skin and handing it to his companion gave
him directions how to place it, after which he
got down on his hands and knces.

The soldier obeyed the directions given him,
and succeeded in making quite a resywctablc
looking wolf, considering the circumstances and
the length of the trapper. When all was ready,
the ranger took the knife in his right hand, gave
his comrade some last directions, and then sal-
lied out ,ou his stran e mission.

When the huntert us set forth, he had no idea
of what lay before them, for he could not sus-
pect that there was dancer in the air.

He moved along quickly at first, rising now
and then to his knees so as to make sure that he
was heading in the proper direction.

When he drew near to the place where the
buffaloes were feeding he become doubly cau-
tious and crawled over the ground more after
the manner of a wolf creeping upon its intended

rc .

This i s a trick well known among the Indians
of the “7051:, and often one brave disguised in
the skin of a wolf, will. armed with his bow
and arrows, slay fifty buffaloes. The huce ani-
mals have a. contempt for a cowardly wolf that
comes sneaking around, and pay no attention to
the creature.

The runner had no how and arrows, and his
work would perhaps be a little more difficult on
that account, but starvation would see no chances
of losing the game, and with eager confidence he
moved on.

He was now so close to the herd that he could
easily count them, and found nine in sight.

Once a ain he crept forward, and was soon
in a position where he could select his game.

 

Again he raised his head above the grass, so
that he might pick out a cow from the rcst and
turn his attention to hcr. He noticed some-
what to his surprise that thcro wcre now only
seven of the animals in sight, two of thcm hav-
ing‘ hiin do“ n sinco his lust obscrvution. Even
as he lookcd another of the animals vanished
among the grass.

It was a clumsy movcment, oven for such an
unwieldy crcutui‘c, thought the hunter, but his
mind was too wholly engrossed with the mat-
ter of procuring something to cat to even think
of such a thing twice, and having no suspicion
of the true state of affairs, he continued on his

way.

Stealthin he approached.

The animals Hccnicd to have no knowledge of
his presence. and the heart of the starving man
bcat high with cxultafion at the thought of
having a good meal to case the pangs of his out-
ragcd stomach.

Again he raised his head.

This time he could count only five of the
buffaloes in sight. but the one he had sclccted
as his {rhino was still browsing: upon the grass
so without anotlu r thought for thosc that but
lain doun, he continucd to upproncli hcr, his
eyes fastcncd upon the game, his brcnth almost
held for the time being, and the knife gripped
in a hand like iron.

Ncarer and ncurcr he crcpt. The grass,
though not much over two feet in hight, af-
forded him an excellent shcltcr, and with such
advantages in his favor he did not find it very
difficult to draw close up to the buffaloes.

Vt’hcn he Was within six yards of the one he
had sclectcd as his pi'cy the hnntcr again raised
his hcad vcry cautiously, and took another sur-
vev.

Finding all secure so far as his game was con-
cerned, he was about to procccd, when suddenly
he saw the cow throw up her hood in a startled
wav.

At about the same time a low, peculiar thud
reached his cars. He saw a trcmor pass over
the bulky frame of the animal, then the cow
sunk upon her knees, seemed to balance, and
then roll over.

The huntcr was sul'pl‘iscd. Ho had seen hun-
dreds of buffaloes lie down, but nevcr in that
way. He wishcd to invwsiicntc, for it seemed
to him that as the animal fcll she gave a mean
as of pain.

chu'cr he crept, his brain loo bewildered to
catch at the solution of the mystery. It burst
upon him with a suddcnncss that was all the
more powerful bccause of its uncxpcctcdnoss.

He was now close upor tho rccumlcnt bufl'alo,
and still it moved not. He Jllt out his hand; it
fell upon the hairy side of t 0 animal, and yet
there was no movement.

What could it mean?

His hand mechanically wandered over the
surface exposed of the motionless bison, and
then came to a stop as it encountered some-
thing. Hal it was the feathered shaft of an
arrow that had been driven far into the side of
the animal just back of the shoulder, reaching
the heartl

The hunter, disguised in his wolf~skin crouch-
ed there as if turned into stone by this di5covery.

 

   
 
 

 

 

1. heads within three feet of each other, glared

 

Thunderbolt Tom.

 

His mind hadnever taken in the full meaning
of the signs, else he had never come this far
without realizing the truth. He could lay it all
to the fact that starvation had blunted his
faculties more than ordinarily and he was hard-
ly himself.

The fatal arrow betrayed the fact that there
were other buifalohunters on the field before
him, and these their worst enemies, the Indians.
Had they escaped the dangers that hovered over
them at the Indian town but to fall into the pew—
,er of these red bufl’alo-killers?

His mind was active enough now, and there
was need of action.

What should be done?

There lay the dead buffalo before him, and he
was starvmg for something to eat! Let the
danger be what it might, be was determined to
have a. piece under the hump. His knife was in
his hand; its edge had been sharpened to an ex-

‘ceeding flue point in anticipation ol’ just such an
opportunity, and without waiting to lay back

.' the skin the mock wolf proceeded to slice out a

generous portion from the hump.

This little operation had just been completed
when a rustling in the grass beyond drew his at-
tention, and he looked up in time to see a wolf
make its appearance. There was something,r
singular about the animal. It was of a dirty
white color, next to a ray, and in the grass the
arms of the Indian cou d not be seen, but among
the hair of the neck could be discovered gleam-
ing‘ eyes.

he disguise was a good one. even better than
the hunter’s, but being warned b the fatal ar-
row, he saw through it immediate y.

As the dead bulfalo screened his uncovered

Bortions admirably, only the wolf head and
ack were in sight, and these alone might have
puzzled if not deceived an expert.

The white wolf moved forwardi’evidently the
red buffalo-slayer was filled with wonder as to
who his rival in that line could be, for his eyes
must have fallen upon the generous slice the
hunter had taken from the hump. Perhaps one
of gits comrades had donned a disguise and come
on to aid him, but there were several things
against this theory, for he did not know of their
possessing a wolf-skin.

., 0n the whole he was much bewildered and
perhaps not a little enraged to find this rival
uman wolf slicing up the animal that had just
fallen av'victim to his prowess.
little investi atiou was in order.

Hence the ndian moved forward until close
up to the dead bufl'alo, behind which the other
meek wolf was hidin , when suddenly the hun-
terrose up and lace his hands upon the bison.

At any rate a

i The Indian did ikewise and the rivals red and

white glared into each other’s eyes.

 

CHAPTER III.
WOLF AGAINST worm.
Tm: tableau was an exciting and singular one

V' . tosay the least. Each of the mock wolves had
. placed his hands. serving as forefeet, upon the

carcass of the dead buflalo, and with their
venomoust into eyes that returned the mad
nun ‘

  

 

Perhaps the hunter had something of an ad~
vanta o in the fact that he knew the other was
an In 'an, while the red-man was puzzled what
to make of the form concealed in the skin of the
gray wolf.

Sun, wind and tempest had bronzed the
prairie ranger until he was the color of an In-
dian, so that seeing his hands, and a trifle of his
face amid the rou h hair near the chest of the
1wolf, the Indian inew not what to make of

1m.

There was little time given him for reflection.
The hunter knew that retreat was out of the
question, and that he would have to silence the
warrior unless he wished the alarm sounded.

The sooner he got to work then the better it

woull lie for him. There was a great deal in
being the attacking party, as he had often dis
covered.

In his dusky hand the Indian clutched the
short bow and feathered arrows that had ac-
complished all this destruction among the buffa-
loes, while our hunter friend held his only
weapon
blood of the buffalo cow.

Suddenly there came a change.

The gray wolf arose, throwing oil? his disguise,
while the white wolf also sprung to his feet.
With an agile spring the hunter now disincum-
bored, went over the dead buffalo and closed
with his enemy.

Whether the attack was expected or not the
Indian was hardly prepared to meet it, and be-
sides, hc was not in ood condition for a fight,
as the wolf-skin had een so secured by his oom-
panious that he could only have shed it after,
some trouble.

The assault of the hunter was so vigorous that -

both of them rolled over, coming to the ground

with a crash, but as our white friend was on,

toll), this was something in his favor. r

t chanced however that the Indian was a
strong man, and under the resent circumstan-
ces a desperate one too. en he found that
his rival in the buffalo-killing line was a white
man, he knew that the feud between them could
only end in death; and as in all probability he
would be the victim, be exerted every muscle

in the hope of turning the tide of battle in his -

favor.

'. Although the hunter had gone through much
of late, and been withoutfmd for two days, he
was naturally a man of prodigiggs strength,
which starvation had not yet rob him of.

He knew and fully re '
nature of his condition, and when he made up
his mind that this red-skin must die, the deed
was as good as accomplished.

Of course there was some noise made, and the
four bufl'aloes that were left unharmed by the
arrows of the red-skin galloped awa with snorts
of alarm. This would naturally the si 1
for the advance of the red- skin’s comrades w or
ever they might be, and if the hunter delayed
matters any great length of time he might find
his chances of ultimate escape cut 01! wholly,
by the approach of the Indians. Still the red-
skin_5truggled with such desperation that over-

thought of than done. , . , ,
The white man had at least one advantage.

  
 

the knife, now crimsoued with the I

the desperate.

   

coming him in a twinkling was something easier  ’ ~’

 

 

 

 

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Thunderbolt Tom. ‘3

 

He was armed with a. knife that seemed
ready and eager to take the life of the other,
while his op nent still clutched the short how
in one han , and made gallant; efforts to pre—
vent his using the blade with the other, even
while bein choked, for as has been said before,
as soon as e sprung upon the Indian the hunter
grasped his hairy throat in a vise-like clasp, and
although it was so protected by the wolf-skin
that he could not squeeze the fellow’s life out,
yet he was able to prevent him from yelling.

With one tremendous blow the determined
hunter beat down the reSisting hand ol’ his
enem , and struck home. The steel sunk drop
into he brawny chest of the Indian, that pre-
sented such a target.

It was enough.

A tremor ran through the form of the rod-
man, a tremor that could not be dcscrihcd, for
it was like nothin else under the sun. At tho
same time his han released the bow, which fell
tothe round. .

The unter knew that he had given the coup
de grace blow, and had intended holding on to
the throat of his enemy until death came so that
he could not give an alarm; but the coming of
the rim monster seemed to ive the red~skin
addi 'onal strength for sudden y he made a ter-
rible effort that could not fail of success.

He actually twisted himself out of the hand
of the hunter and then a yell of piercing shrill-
ness broke out upon the an. His energies must
have been concentrated in this last act, for no
sooner had he given vent to this cry than the
ic hand of death was laid upon his heart.

ith a crash the wolf red—skin fell to the
ground, and lay there motionless, for the knife
of the hunter had reached a fatal point

No time was to be lost.

The icce of buffalo-moat still lay where it
had fal en. He must have that for they were
starving, and this would save them.

Then there was the bow and the arrows of
the dead Indian. Would they not come in very
handily in place of better weapons? He him-

self was a good shot, and on the whole the bum .

ter uickly decided to take them with him in
his ight.

To gather up these things was but the work
31' 11118.” a minute and then he was ready tor

i t.

t was evident to him that the comrades of
the dead Indian were alread pressing forward
with all speed, havingxproba ly heard his death-
cry, and it could not long before they would
reach the spot, when there would be the mis-
chief to pay if he remained upon the field of the
late action.

He raised his head and took a quick survey of
the surrounding prairie. It was easy for him
togick out the patch of trees from whence he
hit _ Come, and in which he had left his coni-
Pam‘m. but it might prove a much more difil~
cult taSk  reach them, especially if waylajd
by the Indians.

Bending down so that the grass would serve
to hide him in a degree he glided forward as
rapidly as the circumstances would allow.

here was not much method in his flight. for
all he thought of was in reachin the timber
without being Seen by the com es of the In-

 

dian whom he had slain and left among the
Buffaloes, dead as any one of them could well

6.

Forward he glided, making good time even
though com ielled to stoop so much. When he
had reachc a point about half-way between
the spot where the dead animals la , and the
timber for which he was heading, t e rairio
ranger suddenly came to a full stop, an drop—
ping to his knees, applied his ear to the round,
as if a suspicious soundhad met his caring
which he wished to verify.

This he was not long in doing, for he could
now plainly hear the sounds of hastily approach-
ing footsteps, not of one person but of a dozen
or so.

“They are comino,” he said, grimly, “and
in case of discovery am illy prepared to meet
them all, but the ’11 have a tough time fore
’cm, I reckon, it 'hoy tries to extinguish this
critter.”

He fitted an arrow to the short, stout bow,
and then waited with the stolidncss of a rock
for what was to follow. It might mean death
to him, but he had followed the trail too long to
s'hliddcr at the approach of the grim monster.

He had not long to wait, for presently the
sound of footfalls became so plain that they
reached his car as they crouched there. Then
throurh the slight screen of grass in front of
him, 0 saw the form of an Indian running

ast.

p Another and another followed, until seven had
swc )t past him, all heading in the direction of
the to encounter. W hen they had assed him
by. the trailer felt that it was safe or him to
raise his hand and take a quick survey.

This he did, and the result was that he saw
double the number of Indians hastening toward
the spot where his late antagonist lay. With-
out dclaying to see more, he again hastened to-
ward tlie timber where he had left the compan-
ion of his flight.

Every instant he expected to hear the alarm
cries ring out, forgetting for the moment that
he had been makin quite as good time as they
during the time t at had elapsed since they
passed him.

As he glided along, a thought that was the
next thing to an inspiration came into his head,
and ra )idly assumed a form that was tangible.

The iidians had without doubt come from the
same timber as himself. Although not over a
hundred or two yards in breadth, this extended
for over a mile away, following the course of
one of those mysterious streams that spring to
the surface of the earth in certain parts of the
great West, and after running a certain dis-
tance, giving life to trees and verdure, sink from
sight in some cavity, their departure being about
as strange as their comin » . I

It the band of Indians End been in the timber,
as was doubtless the case, the white man had
not been discovered, for either the Indians had
not been on the lookout—they had failed to ob-
serve his assage through the grass, or, seeing
him had Eeen misled by his disguise and the
mogniight into believing that he was a genuine
wo .

One thing was positive; they would not be
without horses of some kind, and what was to

 

 

. . '3 -a '
__ no.) Lia—v" . -" If "

8 Thunderbolt Toni.

 

prevent the hunter and his companion from se-
curing what mounts they needed while the at-
tention of their enemies was held by their in-
vestigations upon the prairie?

The very thought of being once more upon the
back of a good steed, mayhap with weapons in
his possession, made the trailer’s blood leap
through his veins like wild-fire and be increased
his speed although as yet he did not act incau—
tiously about ex ing himself, as that might be
the means of de eating his plan.

He was now within ten yards of' the timber
belt and already on the lookout for his com-
panion, whom he had left near this point.

It was at this moment that a chorus of loud,
angry yells came sweeping with the breeze over
the level prairie. The red—skins had found their
defunct comrade, the man-wolf whom he had
left dead among the slain buffaloes. They
would speedin discover who had been there and
finding is trail, follow it up for vengeance.

He would not yet show himself but continued
the gliding movement until the shelter of the
timber was gained. Then he turned to take a
sweeping view of the prairie that had now been
left behind him. .

In the place where the buffaloes had been h
could see half a score or more of dark forms
moving hither and thither ra idly, and vanish-
ing in the grass to reappear urther on. These
were the Indians searching for his trail. Even
as he gazed upon them a hand was laid on his
arm and he turned quickly.

His companion stood there, having noiselessly
reached his side eVen as he turned to survey the
late field of action. His eyes were fastened hun-
grin u on the buffalo-meat carried by the
trailer, ut he seemed to conquer the ravenous
feeling that came upon him, for other matters of
graver import demanded their attention.

“You had a narrow escape,” he whispered,
hoarsely, as the other caught his hand.

"Ay, narrow enough in all conscience, but
the varmints must be sharp to catch Strateg
Saul napping. I have a plan lad, which it will
pay to follow out. Come with me and don’t let

he grass grow under yer feet.”

He led the way as he spoke through the trees,
taking a course that would lead them along the
grove lengthways instead of through it.

What his object was the second fugitive had
no idea until in a few hasty words the old
trailer ex lained it, and then the fires of energy
flashed in o the youth’s dark e es.

“We will get the best of tiexn yet.” he said,
and the other smile'l affirmativel at his words.

Their pace, though hurried, id not betray
them, for the}r Were exceedingly careful how
they ran, and presently, ere t ey had gone a
third of a mile there came from a point just be-
yond them, the whinuy of a horse.

This was a welcome sound in their ears, for
they mi ht have missed the spot where the
main ha y of Indians had remained while their
spy in his wolf disguise went to his work among
the buflaloes, but now, their attention being
2min to the point of interest, they made straight

or t.

Another minute and through the interstices
among the bushes and ban ing boughs of the
trees, they saw the objects 0 their search.

  

 

The horses were there, watched b two war-
riors, who seemed greatly interes in looking
out upon the rairio. Doubtless their comrades
were visible rom that point, and they were try-
ing to make out What it all meant, not realizing
the deadl danger that overshadowed them.

Lurid ightmng seemed to flash from the
eyes of the 01d trailer. Before him were two
members of the tribe from which he and his
companion had suffered so intensely, and the
thought of sparing them would never have en-
ter his head, even had it been sible.

Knowing full well that the ad no time to
lose, the trailer gave the b ale-meat into the
charge of his companion, and hastily got an
arrow in readiness, meantime holding his knife
between his teeth.

The bow, though short, was exceedinglytpow-
erful. and quite a curiosity. It was ma 9 of
second growth hickory backed with snakewood,
and would throw an arrow with terrific force.

Selecting his victim, the trailer drew the
feathered missile to the head and then let fly.

The stricken man threw up his arms and fell
as if he had been struck by a thunderbolt from
the heavens, for the arrow, driven by such a
tremendous power, had passed completely
through his breast, the end protruding on the
other side.

Death must have been terribly sudden with
him, for he made not the least sound. Perhaps
his companion had heard the twang of the bow-
string, or the hurtling sound of the feathered
arrow through the air, for he turned just as the
victim of the trailer fell to the earth. A cry of
horror broke from the li s of the second brave;
he saw that a dire fate iad overtaken his com-

anion, and realized his own peculiar position,
But before he could run a form leaped from
the bushes and hurled itself upon him.

Of course this was the gallant old ranger.

Like a whirlwind he went to his work, knife
in hand; but the red-skin, though taken wholly
by surprise did not intend to glve in and meet
his fate without a most desperate resistance.

Still, the trailer had an advantage in the fact
that his knife was ready in his hand, and the
very fact of his being the assailant was enough
to turn the tide of battle in his favor.

Before half a minute had gone by the Indian’s
guard was broken down by the onslaught of the
white man, and the game was over. One sweep-
ing blow, a dull thu , a loud, trembling cry, a
heavy fall, and the tragedy was over, the ranger
had won.

Quickly his companion now joined him.

Before them were fourteen flne mustangs, all
joined in four little groups by lassoes. If they
left the remainder of the steeds after selecting
two, immediate pursuit would be the result.

This was not the rauger’s way of doing
things.

He knew that the quavering yell of his last
victim would bring the Indians to the spot on
the run. Even then they were doubtless makin
for it as fast as their 1e could on them, an
in a few minutes our friends would ave found
it too late for escape.

Their movements were exceedinglv rapid,
however, having been agreed upon beforehand.
Each of them sprung to one of the Indians, re<

 
   

  

 
    

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h  Aeneas”

Thunderbolt Tom. 9

 

lieved him of rifle, ammunition, and everything
else of value they could find.

{Ellis took not much more than twenty sec-
on s.

Then selecting the leading horses they wished
to ride, tkey leaped upon their backs, and fas-
tening the extra lasso to the rude rope bridle,
each rode off with seven of the steeds.

As they dashed out of the tnnber on the prai-
rie, a hoarse yell came from the Indians, who
were rapid] approaching, and they fired a vol—
ley of ming ed bullets and arrows, which, how-
ever, seemed to have little effect upon our
friends.

The old trailer turned and with the Spencer
rifle he had taken from the dead Indian, fired
shot after shot among the howling demons until
they were glad to throw themselves into the
ion grass to hide from his murderous firc.

T us, taking with them the mustangs of their
enemies, the two men rode onward. Once
more the were free to carry out the miss’on
that had rought them to the dangerous wilds
of the far Northwest.

CHAPTER V.
“ I AM MONTANA moss.”

“HELLOI stranger!"

A fire burned cheerin in the heart of the
great northwestern forest, and seated beside

e crackling flames was the queerest specimen
of humanity that ever addressed judge or jury.

He was a boy in point of stature, dressed in
clerical arments, wore a white beaver with a
broad back band around it and had a face
which, shaven smooth as a (planed board, pre-
sented quite an extensive fiel for cunning and
di lomacy.

hen this individual stood up, his attenuated
figure was shown to advanta e, but the tails of
his long black coat merciful ydrooped about
his nether limbs and hid in a degree their bony
proportions. He appeared to have no weapon,
unless the huge green umbrella, of the pattern
in v0 ue among professional naturalists, could
be on led by such a name.

Either t e shriveled up little man must have
been a cool customer, or else a fool, for when
the hail reached his ears he merely turned his
head, saw that it was a hunter advancing, and
then proceeded with his frugal re ast.

Chuckling at the oddity of t e figure upon
which he appeared to have stumbled, the man
continued his advance. He was not a bad-look—
ing fellow, though his face was covered with a
gigylbeard and his buckskins greasy from long
p 'cipatn'on in his hunts. As he drew nearer
an idea seemed to strike him which made him
shake like a mold of jelly.

.thg the fire the new—comer seated him-
self With a coolness that was surprising, and
began to cook for himself a venison steak which
he drew forth from some secret receptacle.

HIS manner was quite refreshing in its impu-
dence. for had any one but a greenhorn been
present he would have received the benefit of a

ullet to pay for the charming way he had of in-
vitin himself to other peo le 3 property.

Alt ough the little fox- ke eyes of t 9 dried—
up mummy tWIukIBd now and then as they

 

rested upon the buckskin-clad warrior, he made

no 51 .

Fiifilly the venison steak was cooked and de-
voured, the other’s pig) lighted, and both men
sitting there gazin in the flames, yet they had
not yet exchangr a word.

At length, however, the hunter burst into a
hoarse laugh that seemed to shake his sides. The
queer little stranger looked at him in severe dis-
pleasure.

“ May I inquire what is the prima facic cause
of such boisterous merriment, ni friend?” he
asked, and his voice actually-rcsem led the cackle
of a hen, although he did try very hard to infuse
into it the inflection of a born orator.

The hunter after recovering from another
spasm of coughing, replied:

“I beg yer parding, my friend, but when I
thort w’at an easy pro ye would fall ter the red
imps 0’ the forest or t e outlaws that ma be
found here, the idea seemed tremeujous ter t ink
0’ ‘em crcepin’ up all around this hyar camp-
fire, mebbe fifty o’ ’em, an’ when they get h or
tor find only such a leetlo critter as ye. Hal 3!
ha!”

The diminutive s )ecinien of mummified hu-
manit drew hinisel up as though mortally of-
fende and his action would not compare un—
favorably with the majestic movements of a Pitt,
a Patrick Henry, a Cicero or Demosthenes, only
on a much smaller scale.

“ Critter! only a little critter! Sir, how dare
you insult me in that fashion? Maybe out here
in these sava e wilds you do not know me, but in
civilized Ian 5 the name of Catiline Demosthenes
Neverfail is a family word, known as soon as
children prattle. In the words of the J imtown
Eagle he is ‘ the most sublime orator that ever
addressed judge or jury, and when this famous
lawyer arises to lead the cause of the innocent
and the downtr den a hush falls upon the court
that is like unto deat , for the words that fall
from his lips are as burning coals, netratin
to heart and brain.’ That, sir, is e exal

idea his triotic countrymen have of Catiline
Neverfa . Critter forsooth.”
“I beg yer ardon; no ’fence intended. but

yer size are ag’in’ ye, catfish, an’ of the outlaws
should tackle e there wouldn’t be much left 0’
yer carkiss. at briggs ye tar this wilder-
ness alone anyhow?” ask the buckskin ranger.

“Business is my ruling passion. To gain my
case I would travel around the world. Just
now I am engaged on a case, a stupendous case,
and have come to these wilds in search of a
man. At the fort, through the colonel, I en-
gaged a man to assist me in this search to de-
fend me against the red heathen and  urnish
me with game, but as Old Rocky failed to put
in an appearance, and I was burning ulp Wltb
eage1 mess to be upon my mission, came
a one.

“Weapons I do not possess except a small
firearm hid away in my vest pocket, and which
has not yet been called into use, but I do not
fear danger. BraveryI was always a leading
characteristic of the everfail family: Why
my ancestors fought in the Revolution, an
helped to give us this grand and beautiful coun-

3’

tr .
l’Vhen the little lawyer got started in talking,

 

      

\ he could cacklo away like a whole team With a

do under the wagon, and the other appeared

hiéaly amused, though he endeavored to hide
it.

“Stranger,” said he, finally, “hev yo ever
heard 0’ Montana Mose, the hose-thief an’ read-
agent 0’ this district?"

“ N ever." replied the other.

“Wal, that are singular, fur I thought his
’fame had reached all over the known world.
Out hyar he air looked upon as the grandest
robber on the face 0’ the airth, an‘ ye hev only
to mention his name in order ter see people turn

He ride; all over the country from hyar

Deadwood City, an’ thar ain’t a pass nor

canyon what ain’t seen some 0’ the work 0’ this
Montana Mose.” ‘ _

“You interest me, sir. Pray tell me why it
is they don’t capture this noted outlaw?”

“ Capture him? Capture Montana Mose?
Why I tell ye, stranger, it can‘t he did.
They’ve tried it fifty times an’ more. an’ no are
still at large. No, sir, the can’t git him in a

- trap. He’s taken more to than any road-agent
in the Northwest.” . .

“I declare. I am interested in what you tell
me. What is the appearance of this grim rob-
ber?” asked the little lawyer, hugging his knees
as he spoke.

“ Wal, there be various accounts on that score,
Catfish. Some say be are a giant an’ ugly as
sin, others that he are a dandy in dress an’ hand—
some as Adunis. I know myself that these ac-
counts are not true, ’cept, p’rhaps, the last part
referring ter Adunis. I never met Mose face

scribe him to a jury. Tor tell ther truth, be are

x z . about my build, and resembles me so much in

a,» ther face that several times I hev come purtfi
" ‘ , near being strung u as Montana Mose, w’ c

 warn’t pleasant, ye’ admit. As ter ketchin’
, " _ , him in a trap; it hain’t never been done, an’ in
m 'pinion never will be.”

‘t he little lawyer heaved a heavy si h.
“These western men have no knac at doing
. such things. Now if they’d engage my services
1 I assure you Montana Mose the terror of the
wilderness would be in custody ere a month had
flown. Genius is king everywhere, and even
vice must acknowledge the mastery when she

a rs.
he user little specimen of humanity seemed
,- to be c ock full of conceit, and his auditor was
“ fair] bubbling over with suppressed merri-

» ‘ men .
 " “So ye think thar would be no diflicultly in
.. l, .capturin‘ Mose ef they’d guv ye a chance? ow
’ that’s what I calla shame, a pesky shame. Kin
» . . ya tell me what ye would do in case ye‘d come
across this terror 0’ the wilderness?"

.‘ “What would I do? Great Caesar, I’d demol-
'  _ ish the scoundrel,” declared the lawyer, brisk-
e‘ r‘ . ly; “I’d serve a. writ of attachment for his
’ head, issues. capias upon his body, declare an
injunction upon his whole person, and then, by
Jove! I’d givo acoroner‘s jury a chance to set
lupin his corpse in less than two minutes. That's
~. 5 w t I’d do if they put me in charge of the
‘ , Regulators in this here outlandish country. If
‘ I remain here long let this Montana Mose look
,.- well to himself, for the desert shall ring with

 

Thunderbolt Tom.

ter face, but I’ve seen him some, an’ could de—'

 

  

acclamations for the name of Catiline Demu-
thenes Neverfail i”

As he gave utterance to these words, the
shriveled up little lawyer leaped to his feet and.
waved his huge green gingham sunshade above
his head. His attitude was a study in itself, a
model of diminutive grace, and the other could
not but clap his hands in admiration.

“ Bravo my little bantam rooster. bravo,
bravo! Y‘ou are the cock 0’ the walk every
time! Tor you I hand ther Im an’ yield.
Now I admire genuine pluck ike that every
time, an” I allers feel a respect fur a man who
will sacrifice his own personal comfort for a
joke or the sake of others. To rove this I’m
goin’ tor guv ye ther chance ye as ."

“ Elucidato—be more precise,” demanded the
bantam, with a cackle and a swing of the um-
brella.

“ Exactly. Now, my fighting cock produce
them writs o’ attachment, them in unctions,
that capias an’ the coroner's jury. Bantam,
wake up an’ crow fur hyar are yer game. I am
Montana Moss 1”

CHAPTER VI.
AMONG ms wonvns.

“ Tnnunnanom‘ Ton, by the eternal cata-
mounts.”

Black Wallace it was who ave utterance to
these words after he had pull the neck of the
black bottle from his throat and regained hil
breath.

The tableau was an astonishing one.

These two stood facing each other" there was
Colorado half—buried under the table, and the
man in mask supporting himself against the
wall, while in the corner the girl had started up
and raising her head revoaled a face of remark-
able beauty, though it was now plainly marked
with terror.

When Thunderbolt Tom‘s eyes fell 11 n that
beauteous face he uttered a low or o amaze-
ment and incredulity. Well might e not thus
for in this girl he saw one whom he had loved
with all the passionate power of his nature and
above whose supposed grave he had shed the
most bitter tears of his life.

Of course it must only be a resemblance but it

was so startling in its truthfulness that he could .

have gazed forever; but other things claimed

 

 

    

his attention, for he was among the fool who had /  ’

been planning to take his life.

With a groan, therefore he tore his eyes away
from the bewildering si ht and turned his
thoughts upon the task be ad on hand.

Colorado had emerged from under the table
and was gazing u n the object of his hatred
as if he would kill im with looks. The man in

mask, too, had recovered his equilibrium, and 

seemed to be reaching for some weapon.

e es, too. were fastened upon the 5young hunter

t rough the holes in his black ma , and seemed

to emit sparks of fire. ’
Thus environed Thunderbolt Tom found that

he had put himself into a trap; but he had no» ‘

fears as to the result.

In one hand lie held I revolver and in the
other a knife, which shone in the light with a
wicked gleam. The three enemies saw 

\

 

 

    

oer yam—’fi-

il‘

Thunderbolt Tom. 1 1

 

~_._.

opportunity, and realized that the chance they
ha been longing for had come to them.

Like so man tigers they surrounded the in-
trepid hunter, int he gave a. quick bound and
placed himself against the wall where he could
defend his front and have no fear of the rear.

He did not notice that in doing this he had
placed himself against the door that opened out
onto the Wolf den, and from which the giant
had shouted to the animals v. hen their howls
arose in such a perfect clamor.

The attack Was not long delayed.

These individuals hated Thunderbolt Tom too
well to hesitate long when their intended game
was before them.

In the corner, the girl still stood as if frozen
with extreme terror, not at tho )f‘l‘ll sho was in
but for the sake of Thunch bolt ‘oiii.

Her eyes were glued upon him, and her breath
Came and went in little gasps. Her hands
were clasped in front of her as if she mentally

rayed that the heroic young hunter should do-

eat these ravenous foes.

They leaped at length.

There was a sharp pistol—shot and a. cry of
agony. Colorado had come in the way of the
bullet intended for the giant, to receive a Wound,
in the left shoulder, which, although not par-
ticularly dangerous was exceedingl )ainfiil.

The knife in the other hand of Thunderbolt
Tom made a lunge also as his revolver sounded,
but the man in mask dodged the blow. Again
it was not wastcd, for this time the giant was in
the wav, and although he did not receive any-
thing like the full force of the stroke, it was
enough to draw out from him a hoarse howl.

Then the scene became more exciting, for the
hunter was in the midst of his thr e foes, hat-
tling for his life. The irl saw that the door was
no longer guarded, E1111 , gliding over to it, she
aiiickly had a means of escape open. Still she

id not fly, her eyes were fixed upon the pale
handsome countenance of the hunter, and her
1113: moved in prayer for him.

Tom had been in many desperate situations
during his life, but never one like this.

Had his first shotbeen successful and the blow
from his knife equally so, he need not have
feared for the result.

Things had not shaped themselvesin this way,
however, and he was obliged to meet the onset
of three enemies.

Never before had that old cabin witnesxed
such a desperate struggle as ensued. Under the
shuffling of the four men it actually seemed to
rock. Outaide, the wolves, alarmed by the noise,
had started a terrible chorus of their own, and
seated on their haunches, they glared up at the
cabin and howled as though their very lives de-
pended. upon the noise they could make.

Despite the efforts of the conspirators, they
could not get in a death-blow. The young
himter seemed to evade every thrust, and yet
£11115 blade had drawn blood from every one of

em.

Again and again the giant attempted to hurl
his huge f0"? upon his enemv. If he could
only succeed in doing this, he could crash Tom
to the floor; but Thunderbolt was verfy careful
to keep his knife at work, and his 065 at a
distance.

 

At last, however, came the chance for which
Black Wallace was looking. Ilia two comrades
had made a fierce attack from the left, when he
hurled his huge frame upon the young hunter
us though he would crush him through the
wall.

Thcn an iiucxpcf ted catastrophe occurred.

Tho door suddenly gave nay back of ’lliiin-
dci'bolt Tom, and the giant wolf—hordcr only
saved Lilli}.le by catching hold of the comment.
As for the young hunter, lie was lllll']L(l over
the platform. and fell in the midst of two—score
of savage, half-starved \i'olvcs.

CHAPTER VII.
THE l’ltlt‘h‘. OF A Lllv‘E.

IT would be hard to :n r \V'lll( h was the nrost
surprised, Thunderbolt Toni or the wolves,
when the young lllllllt‘l' came tumblinpr down
among the savage creatures. He had received
the full benefit of Black “'allm 0'5 Weight, and
had literally been crushed through the door, so
that if he did not exhibit the agility and quick—
ncrss that generally distinguished him. he could
not be blamed very much under the circum-
stances.

The \\ olves on the MIN 1‘ hand probably too]; it
for granted that this was the border (wining
down to take them in hand. They had hcaid his
voice above tho din, and were accustomed to
Ieeing him uppmil‘ on the little platform.

Once in awhile he at scendcd into their midst,
Whip in hand, to quell some disturbance more
than usually boisterous, and the animals had

rown to fear that whip even more than they

id the border himself. Evon for Black VVallaco
it would have been dangerous to venture into
the den unarmed or evil with a knife, which
the brutes did not fear.

Thunderbolt Tom had been in many close situ-
ations, but this took the palm assuredly.

Before a minute had flown the animals would
have recovered from their surprise, and recog-
nizing the fact that; it was a stranger among
them leap upon him like flll'lf‘S.

Be ore that time had elapsed, however, Tom
had regained his presence of mind.

He sprung to his feet like a flash, and his rc-
volver was drawn from his belt. Around him
he saw what up icared to be a myriad of blazing
eyes, and even elt the hot breath of the fero-
cious brutes upon his checks as he arose.

They leaped forward with open mouths, eager
for the fancied meal. Hunger and numbers
made them ravenous, and they sprung throuin
the air like so many leopards. For a rief half~
minute there was a confused rush. They seemed
to swarm about him. In fact, their very num-
ber )revented them from doing: more effective
work, for, when one animal would 205 "1 1’031-
tion to take a piece out of the hunter’s throat or
leg, some other ambitious wolf would push him
out of the way to be treated the same in turn;
and this proved the hunter’s salvation.

With every shot from hil revolver the bullet
went down t e gaping mouth of a wolf, and he
never plunged his knife forward but what it
lodged in a wolf’s body.

Those in the cabin had not recovered suffici-
cently to procure a light and look out. The
giant had only, by a great effort, saved himself

 

 

 

‘ young hunter more des

about it for he only

it

from following after Thunderbolt, and was but
just now beginning to realize how neatl the
strange plan that ad come into his he had
been carried out.

As for the rest, Colorado was too glad of the
respite tocare for anything else than to dress
his wounds and the man in mask, realizing that
his object had been carried out, and a terrible
revenge given into his hands, had sunk back
a ainst the wall, weak and trembling, his mask-

face resting in his hands as though he would
shut out the sounds of that terrible struggle that
came to the ears of all.

There were the snarling and howling of the
wolves, together with yelps of pain each time
the revolver cracker], but not a sound of alarm
from the man who was battling for his life.

He was game to the backbone; they knew that
before this, and the fact had now been further
em hasized. What the wolves were doing they
celfid not say, but were 1111 brought to their
senses when a little gray animal sprung through
the room and flashed out of the door left open
by the girl in her retreat from the scene of ter-
ror.

One of the li hter wolves in springing upward
had actually a ighted upon the shoulders of the
young hunter, and from thence gained the little
platform.

Brought to his senses by this, Black Wallace
took down a lantern and ap lied a match to it.
By the time this was lighte and himself ready
to issue forth upon the platform, almost another
minute had gone by, so that Tom was given
this time to make good his escape from the wolf-

en. '

This he did in a manner that would have been
looked upon as a credit to any man.

Just a ter the darin wolf, bent on an escape,
had mana ed to reac the platform by bound-
ing upon is shoulders, the hunter made his

nd effort. If this failed he would probably
all a. victim to the furious brutes.

Hurling himself upon the wolves, he no longer
stood there to be assailed, but himself became
the attacking party. So desperate indeed was
his rush that the animals gave way before it,
like a flock of sheep separating before the on-
slaught of a dog.

There was something in the place where Tom
had been that immediately claimed the atten-
tiOn of more than half the wolves. In his sud-
den descent the young hunter had carried with
himahuge haunch of meat that had inadver-
tently been left by the wolf-harder upon the
little platform, and it was this, most probably,
that had made the wolves howl so fiercely in the
first place. and rendered their attack upon the
rate in its nature.

They were fighting or this as well as to slay
the young hunter but he was not acquainted
with this fact. en he made his movement
toward escape however, he was ably assisted by
over half of the wolves remaining to tear the

meat. - l

I Thunderbolt Tom was fortunate in his choice
a place in which to scale the fence, though,

to tell the truth, there was very little selection

the knowledge that

the fence was there, and could just barely see

Thunderbolt Tom.

 

In reality, however, he hit upon a place which i

the wolf-border had arranged so that should he
ever be so unfortunate as to fall into the den he
would have a chance for his life. At this point
a kind of rude ladder had been formed in such a
manner as to be effective.

To this the fortune of war and his general
good luck brought Tom, and like a flash he had
mounted the rude ladder, just in time to avoid
the fangs of his disappointed enemies, who
sprung into the air and hurled themselves against
the fence, as if seeking a mode of expressing
their disappointment.

Then realizing that their companions had a
monopoly of something good, these disa pointed
animals bounded over to the s t w ere the
quarter of buffalo—meat, severa dead wolves,
and Tom’s but were affording intense amuse-
ment for the starving wolves.

Mean while Tom had gained a position on top
of the high fence, and panting with his recent
exertions, tried to recover his breath. ‘

There was one load still in his revolver, and
that he was reserving in case his position was
discovered. He saw the giant step out upon the
platform, lantern in hand, and pressed close
against the wall of the cabin so t at he might
not be discovered, for he had gained the top of
the fence at that point where it joined the cor-
nor of the house, so that he was enabled to ren-
der his presence almost invisible by pressing
against the building.

Another thing or two aided him considerablv.

The giant held his lantern on the other side,
and therefore his shadow screened the corner
where the young hunter was. Then again Black
Wallace was too much interested in what was
going on below him to think of looking around.

It did not take the wolf-herder long todis-
cover the truth, as he thought. He caught a
glimpse of Thunderbolt Tom 9 hat, but was un
able to see what the hun wolves were tearing
at on account of their ham 1‘ and for once his
voice failed to send them slinlu'ng to the other
end of the den.

Black Wallace was not ang with them, how-
ever. For once they had ren ered him a ood
service, as he thought, in ridding him 0 the
young hunter, for he had not the least doubt in
the world but that Tom was being torn to pieces
below him, little suspecting that that worthy
was within a dozen feet or so of him, covering
him with his revolver and ready at a second’s
Earning to send a bullet crashing through his

rain.

Even to such a hardened wretch there was no
pleasure in seeing an enemy whom he had feared
and respected torn to pieces h the wolves. 'l'om
had been a foeman well wort y of his steel and
as he had no extraordinary reason for hating
him, the wolf-harder felt a. thrill of horror run
throu h his frame after seeing the hunter’s hat
and t 6 terrible manner in which the wolves
gore pouncing upon the mass of flesh just below

1m.

He returned once more to the room.

“ Thar's no more to fear from him comrades;
the wolves are quarreling over his nes now.
Thar. hear ’em snarl and fight. ,Ugh! it makes
my blood fairly run cold,”‘and the giant, used

 

 

 

E. .ISEQQ'EE‘ chm-etc

s-

 

n...;._.._.. .

‘7

 

 

 1

1,“, 

 

3‘9,

.

\

Thunderbolt Tom.

 

, is,

 

 

to scenes of horror stopped his ears to shut out
the sickening soun 3.

Colorado was the only one who seemed to en-
joy it, and his ugly face contracted into a look
of pleasure that might have done credit to an
imp from the infernal regions. Now that his
enom had fallen to a terrible dcuth, each cut
and ash he had received had become soothed,
and no longer stung as if the poison of a rattle-
snake had been infused throughout his entire
system.

The man in mask a pea/red to be affected more
than either of the ot ors. Ho sunk down into a
chair and let his head fall upon his arms.

What did this mean?

He was the man who had so Ion ed for the
death of Thunderbolt Tom, that he ad bribed
these two to hunt the young man to the death,
who had been most Home in his hatred toward
the hunter, and now that the deed had been con-
summated—now that Thunderbolt Tom had met
a (ate more terrible than any the most fiend—
ish person could wish him to be overtaken by,
this mysterious personage seemed overcome by
a revulsion of feeling.

Black Wallace was dressin the cuts of Colo-

' redo after closing the door t at led out to the

wolf-den, and therefore did not notice this
strange action on the part of the man who had
been in the act of employing them when Thun-
derbolt Tom drop into their midst.

Outside, still sea upon the fence and recover-
ing his breath as be loaded his revolver, Thun-
derbolt Tom peered through a chink in the cabin
wall and saw this strange performance.

Soon the trio were engaged in a confab which
ended in the man in mask throwing down a
purse of gold upon the resurrected table with an
angry gesture. Then the young hunter knew
that this mysterious man was paying them for
his death. and he could but shudder at the com-
pact. His eyes mechanically looked at the
colonel’s ungloved hand which he noticed was

[as white as snow and as shapely as a woman’s.
Who was this deadly foe who bargained for his
death and then almost wept over it?

 

CHAPTER VIII.
OLD ROCKY.

WHEN the man uttered those words: “I am
Montana Mose,” he made a fearful faceas if
it was his intention to scare the life out of the
little lawyer then and there. The effect upon
the diminutive orator was certainly astonish-

in .

fie raised his head, snuffed the air like a
veteran soenting battle afar, and then surveyed
the form of his burly opponent who was still
{11118888011 in making his face as hideous as possi-

. The man could never tell how his weasened
up little foe had got possession of the hu e green
parasol, but the rst thing he knew. w ack! it
came against the side of his head, almost diSIO-
eating hat member and causing him to see
more stars than he was accustomed to gazing
upon in a. month of Sundays. ,

He gave vent to an exclamation of alarm, but
had onl time’to dodge when the huge um-

. w istled through the air in close proxim-

4|.

 

   
 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
    
   
   
   
   
    
   
  
   
  
   
   
   
  
  
  
   
  
   
  
    
  
   

ity to his head. Then ensued a most comical
scene. The outraged lawyer buckled right down A
to business, and exhibited a spryucss that would ,
have done credit to a grasshopper. His um-
brella scorned to be here, there and everywhere.
and, to tho bewildered outlaw it really seemed as
though the air was filled with umbrellas making
blows at him from every direction.

It was a wonderful sight to see that small
specimen of humanity skipping around his burly
anta onist so cheerfully, while the other was
plot a 10 to ward oii’ his blows, much less return

em. .

The matter soon began to grow monotonous
and the outlaw thought that absence 'ust
then would be conductive to comfort. This idea
was further impressed upon his mind when a
fierce downright blow descended upon his cra—
nium, almost doubling him up, and he imme-e
diately concluded that the mummified lawyer.
was one of those objects of which “distance
lends cnchantmeut to the View.”

It was one thing to make this resolution, au-
othcr to carry it out. However, the opportu-
nity came at last, when the spry little W) etch of
a lawyer made a stroke that missed its aim and
whirled him around.

Like a flash the ‘mrriblooutlaw sprung for the

bushes and ensconced himself behind them.
From here he had a good view of the little law-
yer, who was still leaping about in the glado
ike a jumtping harlequin, whacking away at
imaginnr oes, and all the time keeping up a
jargon 0 Latin luw phrases that were enough
In hemsechs to kill any man at whom they
might chance to be hurled. \

‘_ Thunder! why don’t I demoralize the crit-
ter,” muttered the outlaw as ho half-raised his
rifle; “my head sings like a rattlesnake den.
I’ve a good notion tcr skin the tip 0’ his nose
jest for fun. No I won’t. Hang me, it's jest, »
what I desarve for attemptin’ ter bamboozle
sech a leetle innercent, an’ I hope it’ll prove a.
lesson tor me. For once I’ve hed enough 0' prac-
tical jokin’. I‘ll hail the critter an’ explain.
He‘s a perfect team with a big dog under the
waggin. Jest look at him. Seems ter me like a.
madman or a follcr what’s stirred up a nest 0’
hornets around his own cars.”

True enough the lawyer did resemble a cra -
man. for his excitement had not et worn o , ‘* «
and he was skipping around the g ade, slashing , "
the air with his huge green umbrella as if he
saw a deadly foo at every turn, or else was
wound up like machinery and had to run down
cre he could come to a stop. _

The outlaw hailed him, and immediate] the .
animated mummy came bounding towar him
with the fires of war flashin from his eyes and ..
the huge umbrella waving in the air in an 0111i!
nous fashion. .. 1,

“Halt right char!” cried the outlaw, and sec-
ing the rifle aimed, the lawyer came to a halt,
assuming a di ifled position with the huge-sun-
shade nnder his arm and a hand thrust into the
bosom of his coat, after the style of the illus-
trious Napoleon. '

“Now that I hold ye at a safe distance we 
will come ter an understandin’, my friend. ’l‘hie
has been fun tar yegbut death ter ther
We’ll hev no more 0 gech a frolic, an’ ye’ lm.‘ ’,

  
  
   
 
  
    
   
   
  
   
    
 
       
    
    
    
    
  
    
   
  
   
     
   

me. My head will ring for many an hour from
them gentle taps ye v me, but I reckon it’ll
cur’e me 0‘ practical jo ing, an’ for thet I thank

e.
The little lawyer emitted a long-drawn
" whistle that seemed to come up from his very

boots.

“Shades of Blackstone! I do not catch the
drift and tenor of your remarks. For the life

- of me I can distinguish no joke about the matter.

You are Montana Mose—I am Catiliue Demos-

thenes Neverfad. There is an unsuruiouniablc

barrier between those two. No, sir; I scorn to

accept your hand of friendship. The hand of a

Neverfail has yet to meet that of a horsethief

and rascally outlaw.”

Then the pompous little lawyer elevated his
nose, and shook iis green parachute as if to in-
timate that if the other would only lower his

,~ threatening rifle and give him another fair
» ' chance, he would wholly demoralize him. which

' the dreaded outlaw had not the least doubt of
‘  ability to do.

‘ The other laughed aloud, and somehow it was

a cheery, honest guffaw, not the one that might
' have been expected to emanate from a bloody

outlaw whose hands were stained,‘ with human

ore. -

‘g “ Come, get down of! yer high hoss, Mr. Nev-
. erfail. I tell yo ’twar all a bite. Won’t ye shake
I ,. hands an’ furgit?” he said, tween laughs, as it

were.

. “ And compound a. felony by making friends
. .with a horse-thief? Never. sir—never, by the

\ “bones of Chittyl” vehemently exclaimed the

lawyer.

“Perpounding a felon be hanged. I tell ye
I’m no more Montana Mose than the man in
the moon; I’m Old Rocky, the guide ye hired,
but who failed tcr TEICh the for afore ye left,
_\ an’ who hes followed 6 up ter rue the day he

tempt-d a practical jo e on such a spry leetle
critter.” '

“Old Rocky, eh? I knew it all the time, else
r I I I should have ut more muscular power into
' those blows and ave accomplished a little more
‘ 'ghagik make your head sing,’ declared the other,
' ri ly.

“Great Jehosophatl knew it all the time!
- Then the joke grows worse an’ worse. I beg 0’
7 ye, comrade, ter say no more about it an’ I’ll

forgive ye the rough whacks from thet Satan’s
v. instrument ye hold in yer hand. Shake hands
,now an’ let bygones be bygones.”

., To this the little lawyer readily assented and
the two crossed palms, after which Old Rocky
sat down to join his employer in a smoke.

He knew that the mummy’s fire was a dan-
. ge’rous thing that might draw enemies to the
spot, evon as it had drawn him. and so it was at
once extinguished. Of course there 'was no
'means of telling whether it had already done
any harm. That would become more evident
as the time passed on, and perhaps in a way far

tram pleasant.

  
  

  

  

little lawyer to be a good companion, full of
humor and stories of comical events which he
would (tell with, a droll face that enhanced the

e. ‘ ' .
could also appreciate a good story, and

  
  

   

«The old Rocky Mountain ranger found the

 

/

/ Thunderbolt Toni.- ' ‘

Old Rocky soon found th t he had a companion
de voyage who was after is own heart.

Having had a good sam 16 of the lawver’s
prowess, he was able to 100 ' upon him with re—
spect. It would have been his greatest delight
to have seen some other innocent stir the mum-
my up as he had done, and in his heart Old
Rocky fervently prayed that such might be the
case ere long. ‘

That he was gratified, though in a somewhat
different way from that which he longed for,
the reader will pres‘ently sec. These two
strange worthics were not the only souls abroad
that night in all the great black forest, nor were
they fated to continue long in the lazy luxury
of their pipes.

Through the undergrowth stealthy figures

were creeping with the noiseless action of cats.
Their only guide was the sharp voice of the lit-
tle lawyer, which he occasionally raised to an
exceedingly high pitch, or it might be the fire
from their pipes.

At one time the mummy lit a match in order
to replenish the fire of his pipe, and this gave
the creeping figures 0. fine chance to observe
their whereabouts.

The forward movement was continued, and it

seemed as though they would actually reach the .

two men before their presence was discovered;
and so they would, had it all rested with the
law er.

0 (1 Rocky, however, was continually on the
lookout for danger. When his surroundings
seemed most peaceful, be suspected a lurking
peril th‘t would perhaps come like a clap of
thunder in its suddenness.

His ear, therefore. heingattuned to such emer-

gencies, caught the slight noise made by some of '

the shadowy floures in creeping forward, and
in an instant the old hunter was on the alert.
Some of the prowlers must have forgotten that
there was a bright line alone the horizon back of
them, for presently the hunter awoke to the
necessities of the occasion, saw several heads
decorated with feathers plainly outlined against
this light background.

“Professor,” he said, in a sibilant whisper
that reached the ears it was intended for and
no others. “ don’t get skeered. but I want tor let
ye know thet we are surrounded by Injunsl”

Whether the little lawyer believed him or not »

it would be hard to say. He remembered that
it was human for a man to want revenge. and
would not have been surprised if it was discov-

ered that Old Rocky was just trying to alarm .

him in order to get some satisfaction out of the
business. ,
However that might be, he was determined
that the laugh should not be on him, taking it
for granted that this was his line of thinking,
for he did not exhibit the least show of uneasi-
11

lot of tobacco-juice into the bow , eflectunlly

extinguishing it. The lawyer, not being a chew- ,
or. had no other method than to empty the bowl ~

    
  
 
 

25 gis pipe upon the ground, which a proceeded
0

It chanced that while theth been lounge -

ing about, the- cork of Old Rocky’s powder-horn

had come out. He had only lost a handful or.

ess. ~ .'
Old Rocky took his pipe and ex ectorafed a ,'

 

n n‘nh‘. a an... A n...

2%

Hb‘flfldbh‘m

 

 

,..

‘s in

 

 
 

"1&3"? ass: assure.

 
 
      
     
      
   
      

  
   
 

    

 

Thunderbolt Tom.

n.‘

“'0 of the recious article but fate would have

it that the ittle mummy should empty his (pipe
directly upon the lost powder. There con] 0
but one result. .
A sudden flash, a cloudy whlte smoke, and up
went the little lawyer like a sky-rocket. '
Probabl his ascent was mainly due to his
alul'm an the fact of his having been seated

7‘ tailor-fashion, for there was not enough p« .wder

uhon the ground to have done much toward as-
sisting his rising, for it was lying there loose in-
stead of being cked.

At any rate e rose quicker than ever before
in his life, and old Rocky, realizing that the
worst had now come, also spmng erect, pick-
ing up his rifle as he did so, in order to be ready
for businem.

Although the Blackfeet did not understand
what it was raised the little lawyer, it dawned

' upon their minds that their a preach must have

n discovered, and so wit one accord they

‘ sprung erect, and gave vent to thrilling war-

cries.
Then came the she report of the old ran-
er’s rifle, and a dent shriek could he heard
ar above the noise created by the attack. The
lawyer had armed himself with his umbrella,
and was already hopping about like a harlequin,

* ready for business, while old Rocky has hastily

secured his rifle to his back, and stood there in

,- a half-crouching attitude, a revolver in each

hand, waiting for the advent of the yelling de—

: mons who were breaking through the bushes.

, his way

 

CHAPTER IX.
TEMPEST-TOBSED.

“ Ham 1”

The voice was that of a woman, but there was
something so commanding in its tones that the
bravest might have come to a pause from sur-
prise, if nothing more.

A solitary man on horseback was pursuing
down a. lonely defile among the hills

when t is summons fell upon his ears. It was

E accompanied by the clicking of a. revolver—ham-
I mer, and the mounted man turned hastily in

1 her to all who are ear

  

the direction from whence the double summons
came.

The gray light of morning was spreading
over the mountains and prairies, giving them
that strange pallor so 1peculiar and yet so fami-

y risers. The night fog

   
 

was rising.

Although the light was not very strong it re-
vealed the fact that this mounted person was no
other than the mysterious man in musk, whose
,actions had been so strange at the cabin of the
3wolt harder not many hours before, showing
(a terrible animosity toward Thunderbolt Tom
,untiJ it seemed certain that he had met an aw-
-ful fate, and then giving way to an emotion
that seemed strangely like remorse, if such a
thing was possible.

The person who had commanded him to halt
[with such aconvmcing argument as a leveled
’.revolver, was no other than the 01mg girl
‘whom we saw in the cabin of Black Tl’allaee. 11
: soner and who irade her escape at the time
I underholt Tom was pushed through the open-
ing into the wolf-den.

‘ Her face showed a different aspect from that

      
 

 
 

    
  

13

which we last saw upon it. All traces of fear
liad entirely vanished and in their stead could
be seen a determination to do something terrible
ii" provoked beyond a. certain line already mark-
ed out.

The little silvermounied revolver was held
steadily on a line with the head of the stran 0
man in mask, and it was very evident that s 0
intended keeping him under cover during the
interview.

\Vhen the horseman saw who it was obstruct
ing; his path, he gave vent to a little exclamation
of surprise and consternation.

“ What do you want?” he asked.

“That you will soon learn. I am not a pris-
oncr now and you are in my power. Did
Thpndcrbolt Tom die last night?’ demanded the
gir .

“ He did,” came the answer from the man in
mask.

Not a cry escaped her lips, but a sudden
whiteness could be seen upon her face. One
would think she was about to faint, but she
pressed her lips and refrained from showing any
further emotion. That she trembled, however,
could be seen from the manner in which the
revolver wavered, but no sooner did the other
make a movement with his hand as if he, too,
would draw a weapon, than it covered him di-
rectly.

“Hold right there! You are to blame for the
death of Thunderbolt Tom, and you alone.”

“I know it and I glory in it. Of all this
world mine should be the hand that sent him to
his death. I swore a terrible oath that I would
kill him, and I have kept my word. It was also
through my hand that you were captured last
night, though fate seemed to draw you on into
the clutches of the wolf-horde!" in time to see
Thunderbolt Tom in our power. I am lad now
that you have escaped. I thought t am that
you should share his doom, but now I see that
his death has fully satisfied me—overwhelmed
me. ’

The strange horseman aused, for emotion
seemed to choke his furt cr utterance. The
eyes of the girl were bent upon him keenly; but
seemed to be reading every outline carefully,
and some sus' icion was being gradually chang-
ed into a certainty.

“ Ha!” she suddenly exclaimed, “you deceive
me no longer; I know your secret.”

The other started violently, and the black
eyes were hastily fastened upon the fair, deter-
mined face of the girl. .

“You hated Thunderbolt Tom; why it was
thus I am determined to find out, for it concerns
me and how my memory of him shall remain.
I have found you out; you are a woman I”

“ There is no need of denying it, since you
have been so shrewd to discover what others have
never suspected. I am a woman, a native of the
South. The blood of an old family runs through
my veins. Your face tells of vour incredulity,
my fair maiden, but I shall tell you my story
since on have unearthed my secret and whether
you b ame me or not, I have been fully justified
in my course in thus disguising mysel and pur-
suing to the death one who wronged me and
jilted me.”

 

The strange girl leaned forward in her saddle

  

    

' shou ders.

 

.4--......v~ 3....» .. -.- —.——— w NW-

Thunderbolt Tom

 

as she 15 kc, while the hand of the other hold-
'n the ittle silver-mounted revolver fell to her
Ii . Her blue e es were fastened upon the girl
mounted on the orse with a questioning gaze,
as if she feared, yet longed to hear the story in
which Thunderbolt Tom was intimately con-
cerned, and because of which he had lost his

e.

“My name is Adele Cummings,” began the
disguised girl, “and my home has always been
in the South. When my father, who was a
colonel in the late war, died, my only relative

, was an aunt in Arkansas, to whom I went, and
with whom I have remained up to the time
when the culminating event occurred which I
am about to relate.

“They called me beautiful. Whether I ever

any ri ht to that name you shall
udge for yoursel , only you must acknowledge

,that all the trouble and pain through which I
have gone been enough to mar the softness
of any woman’s loveliness of feature.”

As she spoke, she quick] and dexterousl re-
moved the black mask t at had cover her
features,  also the broad hat. A mass of
luxuriant hair, black as the raven’s wing, and
glam as un silk, fell down, covering her

he grisly morning light fell upon her

and revealed t e fact that it was ravishing-
ly beautiful.

She had done well to hide it behind a mask,
for those bandits of the border among whom her
mission had carried her, would have forgotten
all else had they but discovered that she was a
woman and have seen that lovely face.

It was of the ]pure Southern t De, but her skin
was fair as the no of a lily, an her features so
, perfect, that with her dazzling black eyes—that
could melt with tenderness, wee with sorrow,
or flash with scorn—she resen a picture such
as Raphael might have one well in transferring
to canvas.

“ You do not see me as I was before this ter-
rible sorrow came to me. I am a. desperate
' woman now, one to whom life holds no pleas-

ure, whose on] love died with that false man,
whom trouble unsexed and made an avenger
of her own wrongs. Ima ' e Adele Cummings
an innocent girl, supreme y happg in her love
and seeingrno cloud upon the brig t horizon of
her life. hen on Will see her as she was when
Tom Reynolds
summer.”

. The blue-eyed girl started violently, which ac-
tion did not escape the eyes of the other.

, “ You, yourself, remember that he was absent
from this neighborhood at the time, and for near-

. 1v four months; during that time he was in the

South. I have found out that his excuse was he

hadto see about some pro arty to which he had

st met her a year ago thisvery

“ 4 fallen heir. Am 1 not rig ti”

“ So far you are,” replied the other, slowly}

“ It was October when he left me; it was 0-
vember when he came back to cu?”

The blue-eyed girl nodded or head. This
, new proof of her lover’s unworthiness seemed
H to have taken from her all the power of speech.
3 ' “ He lied to me in more ways than one, for be

r told me he was a soldier taking a furlough.

‘Did I believe him? My soul, I loved and trust
‘ ed, that man so that I would have believed any-

 

thing he told me, and because of this worship-
ful omage I gave him, the greater came the
relayu‘lsion of feeling when I learned of his du-
p 1c1 y.

“ I loved him from the first asonlya Southern
girl can love, with a heart of fire. To me he
seemed so manly, so handsome, so nobleand true
that my heart went out to him, and, ab, me!
never returned. From that hour my life was in
his hands.

“He deceived me fully, and telling me that
he had a rich old uncle very near his end. whose
heir he would probably be, unless he angered
him. ained my consent to a secret marriage.

“ eaven help me! my heart seems to be
breaking with mingled sorrow and mortiflcation
when I think of how happy I was during that
brief time. Poor fool, I could not see the dark
cloud before me, knew nothing of it until it

burst and I was overwhelmed in the storm of r

despair, ruin and unconscious sin.

‘ One day—«will I ever forget it—Donald

Warren came to see me. Donald had loved me,
before I saw Tom Reynolds but I could never
think enough of him to return it, though he had
always been good to me hoping on for the best
anddtrusting that some day would change my
min .
“I have a letter for you, Adele,” he said as he
entered; “ I met Captain Reynolds riding furi-
ously along the river road as if on a matter of
life and death and he begged me to give you
t is.

“ Then he handed me a sealed letter in Tom’s
own handwriting. Some undefinable sense of
coming woe possessed me and made me weak,
but summoning all my resolution I tore it open
and read. Here is the letter just as it was given
to me. ”

As the sorrow~stricken girl spoke she handed
the missive to the other. It was a crumpled
piece of pa r and bore the signs of much read—
ing, while t e marks of teardrops could be seen
upon the sheet. Heaven alone knew how much
agony that letter had caused the girl who owned
it, and what wild bursts of anguish it had wit-
nessed each time of its perusal. ,

This was what Milly Terrence the blue-eyed
maiden read, while her heart seemed to cease
beating:

" Anus:—

"I am leaving you now—forever. The past has
been a happy one so faras I knew you but the dream
is broken now. Perhaps on will be glad to know
that our marriage was a m, and that youare free
to accept of Donald Warren. My best wishes for
your future. It will be useless to hunt for me. What
I told you about my being a soldier was false.

“ Your friend, Ton Barrows."

With a low 0 Millie read the name attached V

to this epistle. en she handed it back.

“It was infamous, whoever wrote it, but it is
hard to believe that Tom did so, than h the
writing resembles his hand. Go on, I of

Adele put the letter away withahandthat I

trembled in spite of herself.
“I saved that intending to show it to the

traitor when he lay (1 ing at my feet; now a
there is no chance for t t, but I shall keep it

still.

 

 

3‘
~
.

 

 

 

 

 

  

    
    

   

     
  
  
   
  
   
    
  
  
   
    
   
   
   
   
     
  
    
  
   
    
  
 

 'All I know is that

, your .sixzirye.t Let us part here.

_ to her.

‘ faint, but in

, Thunderbolt Tom.

 

“. When I read that I felt as though I should
will was powerful and I smiled.
Donald saw t e ain, though, and he cried:

“ That villain as deserted you, Adele; I know
it, I feel it. Oh that I had guessed it when I
met him; he won d never have lived to boast of
hiswork. Let me comfort you, Adele. I love
you so Well that with my name I Will shield your

enor. Fly with me from this accnrsed spot and
be my Wife. The future may be a happy one
et.”

“ So he leaded and raved but I was firm.
Poor Dona d! be loved me so. I put him off until
the morrow, and he left me. To this day I have
not seen him. . ‘

“That very nightI fled,d1sguised inthe clothes
of my dead brother. Reaching the settlement I

rfected an assumed character by a false mus-

mhe, and en sought for the man who had de-
ceived me. For and near I hunted for him, and
finally in the Northwest I got track of Tom
Reynolds. The rest you know.
. “ He did not seem to recognize me in the
cabin, but I did him, though he had changed
somewhat and grown brown. \thn I realized
that he had gone to his death I thought I should
faint away. That moment revealed to me how
deathless love could be in a woman’s heart.
Even since that day I learned of his perfidy I
had let my hate boil and bubble over, but no
sooner was he dead than love burst its bonds
again and rose triumphant.

“Once he was mine, and in death it seemed
that he belonged to me again. Yes, at this mo—
ment, base though his action was toward me, I
love him still, and shall continue to regard him
with that afi'ection that lasts beyond the grave.
I glory in it instead of feelin ashamed. Once
I trusted in him as in my aker, and though

, the idol is broken, the remembrance of what

he has been to me will never fade from my heart.

“ ldo not know your history or our name.

. on, too, 0v Tom Rey-

nolds, and it was my rst intention to gain my
revenge through you; but something tells me
that you, too, have found out the dross in his
nature. Perhaps your story is not unlike mine.
You have suffered; that I can see on your face;
but on cold Northern ple are not like us of
the oath. Their blood flows like rich wine and
revenge is the result of injury.

“ Both of us have sufl’cre through him. . He
is dead now; let him rest in peace. There is_no
war between us; I love you already, sweet girl.
Come let us be sisters; will you not?”

Mi y started back with a gesture.

“ No, never! How can I, when there is blood
on our hands—the blood of the man I loved?
A s ow came between us, but his death has
brushed that away. I do not fully believe
Each can go her
{way 3n memory form a tomb for our lost
ove.

“ Be it so,” returned the prong1 Southern girl;
“ then here we, Part, but some ing tells me we
hall meet again, that the future holds some
in store for you and I which will bring us

Farah/ell.”

A ringing of horse’s hoots and she was gone.

'_ Would those two children of fate ever meet
8893.11? , '~ .

 

CHAPTER X.
run ASSASSIN’S BULLET.

THUNDERBOLT TOM had seen enough of the
strange drama within the wolf-herder’s cabin,
and, with a feeling of thankfulness in his heart
1fofr having escaped such a terrible danger,

c t.

Still, his thoughts were not so much on that as
the other things connected with it. Who those ‘
two parties were-the strange masked man
whose actions had been so queer, and the irl,
who in form and feature resembled his ead
love so much—ho would have given years of his
life to discover.

This seemed impossible so far as the present
was concerned, but in the future he might hope
to learn something of them, especially as he in-
tended to haunt the neighborhood with that ob-
ject in view.

One advantage he had that might prove useful _
to him some time. They all believed him dead.
It was to them a settled fact that they thought
his body had been torn to pieces by the wolves, '
and should he chance to meet any of them in the
future, they would be apt to look upon him
somewhat in the light of a ghost, which he was
far from being.

“I’ll unravel both of these mysteries before I
leave this place. \Vhat right has that girl to
resemble my love whom I lost in death? Ah!
the bitter memory of that cruel fate overwhelms
me at times, and I fch as thou h death itself
would to me be a blessed relief. shall bide my
time and follow her to eternity, where the little
diiference between us will be lest in the magni-
tude of our happiness.

“It is wonderful what a resemblance this girl
bears to her, my sainted sweetheart. I thought
so when I saw her footprints, and later on as I
gazed upon her form through the hole in the
floor, but when she looked me full in the face I
gasped for breath.

“What a terrible thing it is to have one
adored under the sod and meet a perfect livin ,
breathing picture of her in the flesh. The shoe
is enough to unstring all one‘s nerves. and after
such excitement I feel as weak as a cat.” --

Thus soliloquizing, the young hunter made his
way down the canyon and afterward plunged
into the depths of the valley. It was his inten- »
tion to remain in the neighborhood until at
least somettin g turned up that would give him
a chance to unravel the strange mystery sur-
rounding those two.

That the colonel might be a woman he had ‘
several times suspected, for his keen eyes, more
cunning than those of Black Wallace and his
rough companion, had traced a delicate symme-
try of form hardly suitable to any except one of
those slight willowy men with narrow waists
after the style of the noted scout and plainsman
Wild Bill.

This thought he had banished as often as it
appeared, for he had never offended a woman in
his life, havin fought shy of their company 113
to the time of‘liis meeting the girl whom he ha
loved so tenderl , and then it was her unusual
charms that h a him. I
‘ 0n the whole it would have to be put aside as

one of those mysteries that time alone could ex... \ ?

\plain,‘and Tom finally turned his attention to *

  

   

 
 

 

Thunderbolt Tom.

 

  

“ other matters. He wandered on, scarcely know-
ing whither he was going, until finally, when an
hour more had passed, he found himself besidea
’hollow tree, the cavity of which would serve
‘ him well as a place for sleep.

He was wearied both from the tramp of the

' preceding day and the exertions of the night,

and forgetting all the strange occurrences t at
had come to pass since sundown, he lost himself
in slumber. -

He slept peacefully until dawn.

When he once more made his appearance out-
side of the tree, the eastern sky was showing by
its golden glory the nearness of the sun. Pre—
sently the glorious king of day pooped above the
horizon an ave his light to the world.

Thunderbo t Torn s ily shot an antelope,
and building a fire ha some steaks broiling.

He dispatched his breakfast and made a bun-
dle of the remainder of the cooked steaks for
future use. He was not afraid of his fire being
discovered by the smoke, for having been made

‘ of», dry wood, what little smoke there was

could hardly be detected in the atmosphere
close at hand, while at a little distance it was
invisible. '

Once more Tom was stalking through the for—
est in an aimless sort of way.

His thoughts, naturally enough, were upon
the occurrences of the previous night, but his
success at unraveling t e mysteries that had
come up, was no better than at that time. He
had seen the maker of those mysterious foot-
prints, and been amazed at her resemblance to

is dead love, but could get no satisfaction out
of the meeting. He must see her again, face to
face, and learn something of her. erhaps this

«strong: resemblance would fade away when

broug t under the scrutiny of his eyes on an oc-
casion more suitable for observing than the last
had been.

Higher rose the sun in the heavens and still
the young hunter continued his aimless tramp.

' A though his thoughts were far away, his
eyes were on the alert, and all at once he drop—
ped to the earth as if he had been shot.

The reason of this strange action was speedi-
. 1y made manifest for the s arp crack of a rifle

, sounded upon the morning air and a bullet
whistled by within half a foot of his head as he
sunk down.

The shot came from the bushes close at hand,

and would have been a fatal one but that the

quick 'eye of the young hunter had seen the
leveled rifle and the dim figure of a crouching
man among the undergrowth in time to avoid

r the deadly ullet. /

No sooner had the shot been fired than the
reckless young hunter, rolling over several
' times in the carrying out of his idea formed on
s , the instant, sprun to his feet and bounded into
. , the bushes where is unknown toe and would-
be assassin had secreted himself to accomplish
his dread work.

The man had realized that his shot must have

. missed, but the actions of, Thunderbolt Tom had

been so rapid as to confuse him. and before he

.could even rise from his knees the young hun-

ter was upon him. .

; Dropping his rifle Thunderbolt Tom leaped

is strong hands seized him

   

  

  

  

 
 

Cupcn the. assassin.

  
 

.Ahl he thinks she fled with Donald Warren,“ ,

 

 

by the throat and closed like a vise upon his
windpipe. When a man’s supply of air is than
summarily shut 011?, he is not capable of show-
ing his powers to advantage, no matter what
an amount of strength he may JOSSOSS, and the
fellow upon whom Thunderbolt om hurled him-
self was uo exce tiou to the common rule. v

Notwithstanding this fact he developed quite
an amount of strength, and the young hunter
found it hard work to force him into such a.
position that there was nothing left for him but
to ive in.

is ceasing to struggle was an indication to
this effect, and Thunderbolt Tom acknowledged
it by removing his hands from the throat of his
adversariy.

He ha dropped his rifle and now taking a
revolver from his belt he aimed it at the head
of his recumbent eucmy, so as to be ready in
case the other attempted any trick upon

       
      
 
    
   
   
   
    
    
   
    
       
       
    
          
 
 

1m.

His foe lay there quietly however, showin
no sign of uneasiness save in the half-frightene
look in his eyes. Tom knew him not, had never
seen his face before to his knowledge, and was
at a loss to understand Why the man wished‘ to
murder him.

He did not have the appearance of a doe.
perado either in features or dress, so that it
seemed possible that he had some other motive
for desiring the young hunter’s death besides
love of gain or bloodshed. '

“You have me foul, Tom Reynolds' fire and
end the whole business. I have Iélayed a heavy
game and lost too, I reckon. boot and get
through with it,” he growled. '

Tom Reynolds!

Then he was known to the other who appear-
ed to have some grudge against him, but the .
young hunter was ready to swear that he had "
never before set eyes on this individual. He ,
was not in a mood for trifling however, and al-
though he allowed the other to rise he still kept
him well covered with his ready revolver.

“Now, see here; I don’t know you or what
you have a ainst me, but if you ever tryth
dastardly s ootiug dodge again you’ll never’
leave the spot alive. I am Tom eynolds but I
neither know anything about you nor why dyou
have cause to hate and waylay me nor 0 I
care to. I will not take your life, for I think
you have made a serious mistake a repetition
of which may cost you dear. I have warned .
ye, now beware 1” . ;

Turning, Thunderbolt Tom walked away from
the spot, leaving the other to look after him as
he pigked up his rifle and plunged into the dense ‘1 _
ores .

“Death and furies l” exclaimed the man,
scowling fiercely, “I have failed again. Can ‘
that man bear a charmed life? The chance was
mine. and I missed It wasTom Reynolds; he
acknowledged that, and I could swear to the ‘ v
fact but, why didhe not know me? Has Don-
ald Warren changed so much as that? So much
the better then for my plan. I am determined ,
he/shall not see Adele, for that would ruin all. ,

        
      
    
 
      
 

 

 
   
      
    
 
       
    
     
     
     
     
    
 

 
   
     
   
     
     
      
         
    
      
 

/

        
     
  

 
         
 
     
  

and yet he did not know me! It was amercy '
he did not. Can he have lost his mind! He did ,

    

    

  

 

Thunderbolt Tom.

  

19

 

work next time and if I miss he is welcome to
::.l the satisfaction ho can get.

{50 saying, Donald Warren, Adele’s old lover,
also plunged into the woods.

 

CHAPTER XI.
THE LAWYER IN LUCK.

OLD ROCKY had not long to wait for the ex-
pected attack. . .

He could :00 forms hurrying through the
bushes in all directions, as if his shot had been
the means of telling him that thcir advance
: iid presence had been discovered by the over-
\'i'rila.nt whites.

ho rifle-shot had been fatal to one of the
dusky heathens and while his death-shriek had
enraged the res , it also at the same time taught
1ha=m a lesson, for in that very uncertain light
none but a. deadly marksman could have aimed
to kill.

Old Rocky placed himself in immediate po-
sition for wor ', having his back against a tree,
and a ready revolver in each hand.

The little lawyer was hopping around like a
born lunatic, with his huge reen umbrella. over
his shoulder, Waiting for a. c uce to use it.

The opportunit was not long in coming, for
a brawny Black oot brave sprung out of tho
thicket, and confronted the white dwarf with
upraised tomahawk.

He made a slashing sweep through the air
with the weapon, but either miscalculated tho
hight of his opponent, or else the lawyer drew
in his head like a turtle. At any rate the blow
failed to take effect, and the Indian was swung
half-way round by the extreme violence of his

‘ cll’orts.

Old Rocky was on the point of firing one of
his revolvers, but the lawyer was ahead of him
and crash came his old green umbrella against
the head of the offending red-man. Either he
put more muscular power into the blow, know-
ing certainly that he was now dealing with a.
f we and not a friend masquerading, or else the
Indian received it at a. more effective point than
ltild Old Rocky, for certain it is he went over
like a nine-pin, only his arms and legs Were fly—
ing in the air like so many a pendagesfo a
Wind-mill, such as the fable Don Quixote
charged in days of yore. ,

Although two of the Blackfeet had been dis-
posed of in this summary way, there were still
others to take their places, and presently Old
Rocky had his hands too full to pay particular
heed to his little companion though be cast a
glance toward him now and thou, to see that
nothing serious had happened to the dimmutivc
specimen of lively humanity.

From all quarters the Blackfeet now “15th
into the glade, and while a few assailed the
active little lawyer, the major portion of them
assaulted the hunter, recognizing in him one to
whom they owed the death of the brave who
had been shot. and knowing that the most dead—
ly resistance would come from him.

When Old Rocky’s revolvers began to lav, it
was a lively time assuredly, for even in t ehalf
gloom he was not the man to waste his bullets.

In the mean time the lawyer was amazing
those of the Indians who had assailed him by

 

 

the wonderful dextcrity with which he l(‘Il[)0d
from side to side and up into the air like a born
gymnast.

He rained in his blows upon them so fast
striking1 right and loft indiwriminntcly, and put
somuc cilcctircncss into them, that it seemed
like attempting to storm an old—fashioned
threshing machine with all the flying fluils in
motion.

One after another they receivod the full bciic—
flt of his blows. They i'ollcd ovcr each othii',
such was tho rapidity with which they were
floored.

Several lay quiet upon the ground. It may
have been because they were knOcked scnsclcss
or through strategy, either fearing to face that
unknown weapon again, or else hoping for some
chance to overcome the savage little fighter by
remaining recumbent.

How it would all end there could be no tellin ,
of course, but if numbch had much to do wit
it, the game was ultimatcly in the hands of the
rod—iiicn, for they outnumbered their adver-
saries almost ten to onc.

Old Rocky had about cmpticd his revolvers,
and accomplishcd great cxecution with them,
considering the uncertainty of his aim. Against
the effectiveness of this, he had found two things
to contend against, the darkness and the contin-
ual moving of his enemies.

He had managed to cripple the force of the
attacking arty considerably, however, and was
well satis ed with his work as ho uickly ro-

lacod his revolvers and drew the (long, ugly
ooking bowie-knife that had erstwhile rcposcd
so )eucefully in his belt.

iving a truly diabolical yell which was quite
enough to make any onc’s liuir stand on end,
and which lie was pleased to term his war—cry,
the old Rocky Mountain ranger throw himself
upon the foe, determined to make a gallant
showing before he took to his licels, for this he
felt sure must be the ultimate result of the mat-
ter, as they two could hardly expect to make
way with the half-score of braves who still re—
mained uninjured and fought like fiends incar-
nate for the scalps of the two whites.

The on] bother was in rolntioii to the little
lafiyer ow was he to be gotten away?

is short legs had shown an amazing amount
of activity but it could he hardly ox iected that
in a rush or life and dcnth through the dark
forest, leaping ovcr logs and bi'ushwood, lung-
ing into dense ravines and undcr oing all) such
annoyances, the lawyer could mu '0 good head-

wa .

S‘till there might be no other way, and Old
Rocky was not fool enough to consider it in-
cumbent upon him to ho captured along with the
lawyer siin l y because he was in his employ. Be-
sides, free 6 might and probabl would be able
to effect t e ultimate escape of is companion,
but if they were both prisoners their chances
would be few indeed.

There was no telling how it would turn out.

The little lawyer evidently had no intention of
being captured, for he was still thrashing away
with as good will as ever. -

His enemies had fired and hurled all their
Weapons at him, but the effect was not gratify—
ing, for the jumping harlequin appeared to bear

 

     

  
 

 

 

 in the es.

Thunderbolt Tom.

 

a charmed life, and none of the missiles were in
the least effective.

It was at this time that Old Rocky plunged
into the 1'] ht, knife in hand. He was a perfect
whirlwin , but he found inon opposed to him
who also knew how to handle the weapon and
for a time it seemed as though he might have to
turn tail after all and fly to save his own life.

As for the lawyer, the violence of his actions
was wearing him out and his gyrations were not
so emphatically funny as they had been a short
time previous. Still he managed to make it
lively for the three or four red—skins who sur«
rounded him, and was evidentlfiuiw capable
of holdin out as long as Old ky chose to
continue t e resistance.

The valiant ranger now found himself in
something of a predicament, for he was forced
to lace his back against a tree and continue to
(legend himself. As to assuming the offensive,
the time for that had gone by now, and he was
obliged to use the utmost caution in order to
make sure that one of his antagonists did not
manage to get in a telling blow and thus end the
spirited contest.

Thus the good fight went on.

Had these two been left to themselves there
could have been but one end to the affair, for
the red scoundrels would have tired them out
eventually and then ended the struggle.

It happened, however, that the noise of the
combat reached other ears, and two men made
their way through the forest toward that quar-
tcr

They came in the nick of time. One of the
Indians had lighted a torch, and by the glare of
this several 0 the others were chiming the old
scout around a fallen tree, with guns in their
hands. '

It was an exciting scene, and the old scout
never made better time in his life than he did
when dashing around that tree. One of the
wily red-skins knew a trick or two, and halting

I in his tracks, he waited for the scout to come

around.

Old Rocky was promptly on hand, and seeing
the threatening danger, dodged in time to let
the Indian’s leaden missile strike another of the
red-men in his rear. Then, leaping forward, he
had brained the fellow with a blow from his
clubbed rifle ere he could offer any resistance.

Thus the circumstance that had seemed about
to prove a fatal one to the old ranger turned
around and rid him of two enemies.

The chase was continued, for there were still
four red-skins after him, more determined than
over. At this moment the two men who had
been breaking their way through the bushes
came upon the scene.

\Their weapons soon sounded and the Indians,
minus two more of their number, took the
alarm at this fresh arriVal. Those who were

able scamperod away while the wounded ones,

crawled into the bushes or fei ed death.

Two men came into view. ‘he torch that the
Iudlan’had held had b some queer accident
h and continued bum-

the two who had fought so long and
tlywere able to see the new—comers.
They were white men one dressed in the garb

- of a hunter, while the other seemed to be in the

 

undress uniform of a commissioned officer of the
army, although he carried no sword. Hisattire
too had the appearance of having seen rather
rough usage, and with this much of a clew, the
reader Would not have great difficulty in recog-
nizing,r the two whom we saw wandering upon
the prairie.

The two old hunters came to a sudden pause
and stared at each other as though both of them
were looking upon hosts.

Such was lllflef. the thought uppermost in
their minds, for their story was a strange one
on both sides. A couple of years previous they
had been chums, read to die for each other.
Some dispute arose an it came to blows. This
could only result in a duel, for they were on
Texan soi and the code was much in vogue there.

Through some mistake both men were report-
ed killed, when they were only wounded, but as
their factions immediately indulged in a free
fight, in which broken heads were lenty, the
affair was considerably mixed up. t was nat-
ural, however, that the two men, while being
nursed back to life should be made to believe
that the other was dead, for their friends thought
so themselves.

Up to this time fate had kept the two old
hunters widely apart so that each had no sus—
icion of the other’s bein alive, and believin

iis hand was red with thoilood of one who h
been so dear, a dreariness would occasionally
come upon both, that must have seemed rather
strange to their companions.

Fancy then the extreme joy of this meeting,
when for the first time they learned that their
hands were not dyed in the blood of a friend,
and that this old comrade was still alive. '

They embraced each other with tears in their
eyes, and a suspicious trembling of the voice. It
was hard for them to believe the truth, but
gradually it became clearer, and the realized
how they had deceived themselves an
luded by fate.

thilo they were still engagedin explanatio
another scene was bein enacted close at
though of a somewhat diflerent nature.

The little lawyer had quieted down after the
engagement was over, but had watched the
meeting of the two old rangers with wonde '
eyes. Turning his gaze upon the companion o
btrategy Saul, he might have been observed to
start as if he too had seen a ghost.

Then a cunning expression came over his face.

“By my soul, it is Tom Reynolds. Now will
I interview him and get him to sign in con-
tract ere I inform him of the joyful tidin that
his old uncle has gone the way of all flea and
left him half his property. Amuse ye shades of
Blackstone and Coke within my breast so that I
err not in presenting my case.’

Thus mutterin to himself the diminutive
mummy approac ed the soldier. He had in-
tended that his manner should be dignified but
his step was something between a ho , skip and
jump that reminded one very much 0 a cricket’s
spring upon being touched.

Gaining a position in front of the young man, ,,

whom, in company with Strategy Saul we have

seen throughsuch deadly perils, he made a
bow t at would ve done honor to a disciple of
Chesterfield. ‘ , . v .‘

beende-‘

 

. : .ilf- A

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Thunderbolt Tom.

91  .

 

. “ Here I the honor of addressing TliomasRey-
nolds, nephew of Squire Robert Reynolds of
Cedar Croft?” . .

“The soldier trying to keep back the smile
that appeared determined to come upon his sad
face replied:

“I don’t know much about the honor, but I
am Tom Reynolds, and the Squire was my
uncle. I say was for I have believe. he must be
dead by this time,” replied the soldier, without
evincin much emotion. for the old man had
been co d and stern, and he had never seen
enough of him to learn to love him. _

“ rrect, sir, quite correct. The old S nirc
lay down and peacefully passed away from s eer
old age. His will was read, sir, and it left you
half of his immense estate on condition, sir, that
you appeared to claim it within a certain length
of time. That stipulated period will have
elapsed sir, some time before you could possibly
reach dedar Croft. ”

Here he paused to See what effect this would
have upon the other, for it was equivalent to
saying that the half million was now assuredly
lost to him.

Somewhat to his amazement the young man
showed not the least sign of emotion.

“Bless me,” muttered the dried-u little law-
er, “ he cares as little for half a mi lion as I do
oradollar. Did I ever behold such a specta-

' clel Poor-chance that to et my contract sign-
ed. However, I make a bcild effort.

“There are technicalities of the law; sir,” he
resumed, aloud, “ which will bring about anoth-
er course. . Others may not see them, and would
deem your chances small of ever possessing your
figacy, but the eagle eye of Catilino Demosthenes

everfail, sir,”—here he struck an attitude a la
Napoleon, with one hand in the bosom of his

.coat and the other behind his back—“has dis-
covered the flaw, and there is not the least doubt
but that he can place you into possession of
your rightful property at any time.

“I have travqed hundreds of weary miles,
sir and braved the dangers that are generally
unlrnown to members 0 my craft, sir, in order
to find you, and it would please me very much
for you to lace lyour Signature upon this paper.
‘ Strike w ile t e iron is hot’ is always my
motto. This is merely a contract to pay me
five thousand dollars when I succeed in placing
you in possession of your property.”

The soldier glanced over the paper by the
li ht of the stil blazing torch. He was amused
a the business ways of the cunning little law-

er, though he did not seem to care much about

0 matter.

“ I promise to sign it at a more opportune
time. No, that will not do. Well. I must say
you deserve a reward for your pertinacity and

v luck, though how you ever found me here un—

888 some of them at the fort put you on my
trail, I am at a loss to tell.”

With a lead pencil the soldier wrote the name:

“CAPTAIN THOMAS DUDLEY REYNOLDS.”

- "Then he handed the per to the little lawyer
nd turnin toward t 5 two rangers gave the

V man of brie s to understand that their interview
Es- was over.
3,- The lawyer read the name Several times and

 

then looked up with an expression of crafty
cunning u on his face, muttering, while his eyes
rested on he soldier:

“ Spirit of the departed Webster, my star is in
the ascendaiit. This is not the man I son ht, but
the other heir. My soul be on thy guar and it
will be two birds with one stone. This is the
other Tom Reynolds.”

CHAPTER XII.
mom: BITTER THAN DEATH.

“HEAVEN help me, 1 fear I shall 0 crazy
for remorse is gnawing at m heart. by did
I do it, oh, why? Wronged t ough I have been
until my wrongs cry out to Heaven, who made
me judge and jury to tr him unheard, and con-
demn him to that most orrible death?

“01), wi‘otcli thnt I am, would that death
could rid me of this haunting presence! He
vmoni I loved so well so truly, with that un-
quenchahlo affection tiat time can never do.
stroy, alas! the poor satisfaction 'of knowing
that the grave had claimed him, is denied me.
And worse, for worse, it was my hand that
dealt the crushing blow. ' _

“ Once when my heart was hot With passmn,
I fancied that the greatest been I could ask
from an avcnging Providence would be a. tem-
blo death for the man whom I sought. Now
all is Chan ed, and when it is too late I would
give my 1i 0 to call him back again,

“Ali! how noble he looked, standing there
and defying us to do our worst. Courage he
had that was almost sublime. What matters it
if my life is wrecked through him? Two wron s »
do not make a right; and now that he is den
will it do me any good? Oh fool—fool t at i
was! He might have married me yet, on now
my only chance is gone.”

he girl wrung her hands in ony for full
0. minute, and then resumed her so iloquy whic
seemed full of bitterness.

“Woe is me. Time shall come and go the
seasons brin blessings in their train for ot era,
but for me a l is black as death. With in own
hands I have molded my future; as have
made m bed so must I lie, and may Heaven be
mercif enough to send me a speedy release
from this dreary world. Oh, Tom, my love,
forgive the cruc blow that came through my
hand, forgive the cruel heart. Once I vowed to
love on through good and evil report. How
have kept that vow?”

She shuddcred at the uestion.

Her hand was red wit the blood of the man
who had been lover and husband, and for whom
she had willingly given up the world With all
its vanities. , ‘

There was no longer rest and happiness: for, ,
her sinful soul. Forget she could not 3
Ion as she remembered the scenes of_ that ter-
rib 0 night, would her soul cry out in horror.
Alread was she suffering the torments of the
damn , and the future looked horrible indeed
to her eyes.

She had been one of the mostinnocent and con-

 

fidin creatures in the world before this blow
struc home. but deep down Within her fiery
nature had re that demon who was now
making himse known to her, and when the
proper time came he showed his fangs, “ .’
’ - /

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To such a nature remorse would come as an
overwhelming flood, and so it was when she
began to comprehend the enormity of her
crime.

She remembered the Bible instructions “ jud go
not that ye be not Edged,” and here she had
not only condemned the man she loved so well,
unheard, but had actually had him executed.

The moon was hanging in the eastern sky, and
as the trees Were scattered at this point, her
light managed to enter and illuminate the spot
around her. She was seated upon a log, in an
attitude of despair, for the thoughts that ran
riot in her brain seemed to he killing her.

. She was unconscious of the fact that she was
’ not alone in the patch of forest.

A human figure was making its way along
throu h the undergrowth, and by 'eeping
direc y on, must pass very near to where she

\;

sat.

' Finally she heard the sound of footsteps close
beside her, and looked up hastily.

A man had come to a halt Within a dozen feet
of her, and half raised his rifle as if uncertain
who this lovely figure could be.

The moonli ht, falling upon his face revealed
both it and is figure to the amazed girl, and
she stood there, just where she had sprung, as
if firmly rooted to the s ot. .

’ It was Thunderbolt om!

I Yes, the man whom she had seen go to his
death stood/before her. The moonlight illu-
mined her face, which was now devoid of mask,
and as her hat was off, the 'etty black curls
hung far down her bacx, but t ough a look of
wonder appears upon the face of the young
man, no trace of recognition gleamed from his

eye. v

This, however, the other had no chance to
notice just then, for her amazement at seeing
him alive was powerful enough to over-ride all
other fancies and thoughts.

She stood there devoid of motion. Her breath
no longer came and went, and it seemed as
though in this terrible minute even her heart
refused to execute its usual functions, and stood
still. At first it was but natural to believe that
her remorse had called up the spirit of the dead
hunter, and it was this that took her breath
away so completely, but Adele was no believer
in ghosts and presently discovered that be he
whom he might, the man before her was an ac.
tual, living reathing reality.

Then w'th her returning breath she cried out,
and her words were but a. mention of his
’ name-

“ Thunderbolt Tom l”
V The young hunter had not strongly suspected
that his masked enemy was a Woman, and he
was therefore very much astonished at what he
saw, but bein angry at the other for having
involved him In such a terrible scrape as that
had been with the wolves. he allowed his right-
eous indignation to over-ride his curiosity as to
what this woman hated him for.
V I “ Yes, it is Thunderbolt Tom alive and in the
- flesh, but no thanks to you that this is so. If
' our wishes had been granted the wolves in
. I he don on the mountain would, ere this, have
picked my bones clean. What prevents in
sending a. bulletvthrouzh your heart now

Thunderbolt Tom.

 

   
 
 
    
  
    
  
 
 
    
    
 
  
  
 
    
 
   

. l a v
know on are a woman and by the stars that is
the on y thing that prevents my punishing your
flendishness as it so ric hly deserves!” .

The young hunter’s words burned like fire
such was the heat of his honest indignation, bu
Adele was too glad to know that her wickedness
had not accomplished its work to notice this.
Besides, she know she deserved more stinginnr
words of reproach, and with her hands claspe
and extended toward him, she cried out:

“ Tom, oh Tom, do you not know me?”

A scornful smile played upon his face. ,

“ Know you? Yes, I know you as one who
hated me so bitterly that she would have given
me to the fiends of Hades lo torture, had such a
thing been possible; whose venom went so far
as to cast me into a den of wolves, but like Dan-
iel of old, I came out from among the wild beasts
unscathed. Be end that, woman, traitress
to the purity an gentleness of your sex, I know
you not.”

“ Not know me. Tom, oh, my darlin what
words are these? Not know your Adlale, she
whom you swore you loved ab0ve all things on
earth? Heaven help me, I must indeed be go—
ing mad when he to whom my heart was given L
says he knows me not,” half-wailed the strange

girl. ,
“ It is false, false as Hades!” cried the young
hunter vehemently, “I never loved but one in ,
all my life, and she, oh, Father in Heaven—”

“ And shei”ea erly re ated the 'rl, her mag— ‘
netic black eyes asten upon his ace. ..

“Is dead. I wept tears of blood upon her
grave, and there, too, I buried my heart. Oh, ;
Millie, my darling, my angel love, to think that
when last we parted it was in anger ” and over-
come by this sudden emotion, Tom let his head
fall upon his breast. '. ~

Afterward it came to Adele that she had met
the Millie he spoke of and whom he thought“~
dead, but at this time, the thought never entered ,,
her head. She heard him disown her and declare ~
that he had never loved her, and this was enough
to engross her full attention. ‘Her great black
eyes opened with the horror that possessed her
soul. and she was dumb for a. time. Then her
anguish burst forth, and it was likeastream
rushing over its banks. r \

“ Sa not so. I implore your Take away they '
fact 0 your loving me in the happy past and

on remove the support that keeps me alive. _

now that I sinned grievously m plotting for '
your death. but my heart was enraged because
you dese me. You will forgive. me‘, Tom,
and take me back to your heart?” she im-
plored.

“Since you ask it I will forgive you, but as.
for the other I must insist that I do not know_
you. Either on are crazy or else mistaken I.)
do not knoww ich. Do notcross‘giypath again, 3
or I may forget that you are a oman and do;
you injury.” ,;

“Little do I care. You can add that and I j
will bless you with my dying breath. You , 'Wii
have said you never knew me. Can you deg];
that you are Tom Reynolds!” she demanded, -, ’
most fiercely. . u

“I can not nor do I attempt to for I have bed
never done aught that I an} ashamed of. At“ {Bdi
the same tuneI take occaanon to add that ‘ 3'0:

  
     
 

   
 
 

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Thunderbolt Tom.

23

 

never had the honor of your acquaintance, if
honor there can be in knowing one who thinks
nothing of masquerading around the country in
male attire and—”

“Hush!”

The word fell from her lips in an imperious
manner, and Thunderbolt Tom ceased. Some-
hOWv though he felt an outward contempt for
this creature who persisted in claiming him as
a dear friend or lover or something of the sort,
(1661) down in his heart he acknowledged that
there were many things about llL‘I‘ manner
that claimed at least respect, and now the very
look of insulted womanhood froze upon his lips
the mad Words he would have uttered in his an-
ger.

“You have said enough,” she continued, in
that full, rich Voice that impressed him so

yverfully, “and now nothing on earth could

ring us together again. Your descrtion near-
ly killed me but I have trucked you far and
found you to learn that in your eyes the past is
a. thing utterly forgotten and as for poor Adele
Cummings, you know her not.

“Sad was the hour when I learned how you
had deceived me, but this present minute is
more bitter than drath itself. Farewell, Tom,
my lost love, a long farewell. Death alone can
comfort me, the grave rest my throbbing brain
and broken heart. May Ileaven forgive you
this terrible wrong even as does Adele, once
your Wife, lost forever new.”

Before he could do might to stop her she had
given him one last mournful look that would
haunt him for many a day and turning fled into
the (crest, vanishing like a wraith.

The mystery was deepening. It was hard]
probable that she was crazy, for she seemed to

now his name and Spoke of him as one whom
she had loved, but Thunderbolt Tom denied hav—
in ever seen her before.

bother he was truthful or otherwise in this
denial, the reader will have to judge for the
present, but the truth of his guilt or innocence
W111 be made manifest before long. Tom had a
good character among the ran ers of the North-
west and althou h it seemed t int he and Millie,
bein lovers, ha separated, still the fact of his
thin ing her dead had much to do with his not
making his appearance again to confess hllllst If
at fau t and make up the foolish lovers’ quarrel
that had separated them.

Tom looked after her retreating form in won-
der until it had vanished from View; then with
a long-drawn sigh for the one who had left him
professedly to seek for death, he turned and
made his Way through the forest more like a
man in a dream than one awake.

CHAPTER XIII.
THE CAPTAIN’S STORY.

WHATEVER the dried-up little mummy of a.
lawyer learned from the name signed to the
document, he appeared highly pleased, though
with wonderful tact he kept the source of his
amusement a rofound secret.

At times his wizened face would be actually
illuminated with a. broad smile, and as he rub-

 

i bed his skinny little hand: one over the other,

a d3 peculiar laugh that was almost a chuckle,
W0 descape his lips.

 

With the exception of the soldier, it seemed 21
“mpg party, for the two old rangers were so
dclig ted over their finding each other alive,
when 01d Rocky sup used he had the blood of
Strate y Saul upon  hands, and vice verso,
that t icy seemed to be continual] shaking
hands, as if it was next to inipowsibll) to con-
gratulate each other enough. while the lawyer,
feeling glad that some one else was happ be-
sides himself, took occasion to make a ittlo
speech, which although lacking considerable of
his usual Fourth of July orations, contained in t
a little good advice which they could profit by
if they chose.

The words spoken by the legal gentleman in
reference to his uncle the squire, appeared to
have recalled some memory to the mind of the
soldier which he would fain lave forgotten. It
resulted in his being.r more than usually silent,
for his thoughts were busy.

What was on his mind he never told, but
while the others were rejoicing and talking in a
live] manner over thin s that mutually inter-
estc the two rangers, ie sat on a log with his
head resting on his hand. Once Old Rocky
thought he heard a groan from the direction of
the soldier, but upon looking that way saw him
sitting there so silent and motionless that ho
concluded he must be mistaken and resumed his
talk with Saul.

They were speaking of the South. Old Rock
had been there several times since their due,
and be was able to tell his companion many
things about the parties they knew in the old
times. There were tragic events that bad hap-
p ned which he narrated, and by a strange
combination of circumstances he gave the story
of Adele, Captain Tom Reynolds and Donald
\Varren, just as be had heard it, though he did
not know that the “ ca tain " he was sneaking
of was near him, nor di Strategy Saul or that
matter as he know next to nothing of his com-t
panienls life history, they havin can captured
together by the reds, and unit“ their fortunes
in escaping, which cemented the bonds of friend-
ship between them as only great dangers, mu-
tually shared can.

This was what he said:

“ Another strange thing hap waned ter a party
as ye knowed. Thct were dele Cummings.
She war deceived by a man, a captain in the
army I believe, and the last heard of her she had
either killed herself or followed him, for she dis-
appeared. Some says as be murdered her, oth-
ers that she killed herself when she found she
wasn’t his wife, and thar war many other
things said. One young critter named Donald
Warren tried tor make olks believe she had fled
wid her paramour, but they know’d and loved
her too well to believe a word 0’ that, an’ I led a
party myself in search of this same Donald in-
tendin’ ter tar an' feather him, but he had van-
ished. No man dar’s ter stand before me tor-day
and say a word ag’in‘ the urit of Adele Cum-
mings. I knowed her, an of t ar ever war an
an el on this earth, she war one.”

There was a movement behind them. Then
Captain Tom sprung to his feet strode over to
where the two men stood, and clapped his hand
upon the shoulder of the ranger, 01d Rocky, to
whom he addressed himself.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thunderbolt Tom.

 

 

I ,“ Old man, you never spoke truer words in all
your life. Adele Cummings was an angel if
ever one trod this earth, and the man who dares
to say a word to the contrary, in in presence,
dies no matter who or what he may e.

“book well upon me, Old Rocky, for I am
the man you have been talking about, the cap-
tain. Na , start not, my friend; I do not cher-
ish any i l—feelinvr agnimt you. Whatever I
might have thought has been fully wiped out by
your noble defense of my bright angel love,
Adele.”

He paused to let his head fall upon his hands,
and though the two rangers turned their hea'ls
away and winked violently at the stars, they did
not prevent their seeing the tears I'o'l through
the fingers of the sol iier. Finilly he seemed
to master his emotion and looked up with a sad
smile.

“ Pardon me, my friends, but the memory of
the happy p1st has completely unmanned me.
The tortures of the In uisition could not force a
groan from my lips, ut when agony wrings
the heart, then it must find an utterance.

“If you will give me your attention, I will
briefly tell you my sad story, so far as it per-

‘ tains to Adele Cummings, and perhaps Old
Rocky may be able to throw a little light upon
what has been up to this hour obscured in dark-
ness to me.

“ I met Adele last summer while on a fur-
lough of a few months and transacting some
special Government business in the South. “’0
loved at first sight, for it seemed as though
sorglile responsive chord in our souls drew us to-

e er.

3 “Oh, the memory of those days of bliss! I
shall never forget them while I live. All the
earth seemed glorified because of our great love;
but I shall ass over briefly whatl'. could with
r ipture dwell upon for hours. Suffice it to say
that we loved as man and woman can love but
once in a lifetime, and thlt nothing would have
been too great a sacrifice to that great affection
that lasts beyond the grave.

" Circumstances woul 1 not allow me to marry
Adele publicly. I was the prospective heir of a
rich old miser—the same whose demise leaving
me half his property, our friend here has told us
about-and it was one of his crotchcts that I
should not marry without his consent and full
approval under pain of beinz disinherited.

‘ Adele and I talked the matterovcr and agreed
upon a quiet wed ling with only a couple of wit-
nesses. This was accomplished, an old back-
woods circuit-rider uniting us one night. I
brought a friend of mine along, and Adele had
as a witness one Donald Warren, who had once
been a lover of hers, and in whom she seemed to
have the greatest confidence, more so than I did
myself, to tell the truth.

“For two weeks our wedded life was indeed
like a honeymoon, and then the rent calamity
befall me which I am about to re ate.

“I must tell you that we had formed quite a
neat little plot for getting ahead of my old uncle.

“It was our intention to smug 19 Adele into

~ the house as an attendant, whic could easily

be done, as she was a. distant relation of- our
, family, and I knew that when she came thus the
old man, being unprejudiced, would soon l

‘ 0V6

 

her devotedly, and I would not have the least
trouble in pacifying him when the truth was
made known.

“ We were never given a chance, however, of
putting this nice plan into execution, for ere the 1
opportunity occurred, the blow fell with stun-
ning force.

“ One day—shall I ever forget itl—I left home
on business, intending to return by the follow-
ing evening. Full of love for my darling and "
anticipating no evil, I drew near our cabin
home.

“ Suddenly a man sprung out of the bushes
and confronted me. It was Donald Warren. I
could see that his face was full of terror. He
caught my arm and I tried to ask him What was
the matter but my tongue refused its office and
clun to the roof of my mouth.

“ n a few words he told me. Adele was
gone. She had vanished in the nivht. There
was a letter for me in the cabin which hehad
opened and read, hoping to gain some intelli-
gence.

“Breaking from him I ran to the cabin, my
face white as death, yet withastrange calm-
net‘s upon me. Yes, there was a letter upon the L
table, opened as Donald had said, and addressed _
in the writing I knew so well. I have reserved 1:
it to this day. Let me read the crue lines to ~ ~
you, word for word.” 3 ’

He took from the linin of his coat, where it
had escaped the scrutiny o the Indians when he
was searched by them, a iece of aper that
looked as though it had Keen handled many
times. Old Rocllr puffed his pipe close beside it
and this ave fit ul flashes of light sufficent to
to enable im to read, for he knew the cruel mis-
sive by heart at any rate.

“ Mr Hushnnnz—You will curse the hour when
first you met me when you learn that I have fled
with one whom I lovvd long ere I met you. He has
p lrsundcd me that we were married in the sight of
I)

 

Inaven before the ceremony between you and Iwas
~rformed. and that I am therefore his wife. Do
not mourn for me too long; there are others who
will love you better than I have done. Search for '
me would be useless. Remember me only as
“Your lost, Anna." 1
‘ “ That is the letter I received, my friend, and
it well-nigh destroyed my reason. What it j
your opinion of it, 01d Rocky?" asked the cap-g
tain turning to the ranger.  '

“ False—false as the hand that wrote it. I .'
tell ’ee. Captain Tom, my life on it Adele never . .
put her hand her that paper ’less she war mad!” ‘
eJaculatcd the old prairie man, vehemently.

“ You are right, in noble friend. The thought
never came into my ead. and future incidents
only stren thened the suspicion that there had
been foul p ay. For the time being, however, the
shock was so severe as to prostrate my mind.)
I hardly know what I did; for the fact that my ’
darling was lost to me seemed to unsettle my

 

;

reason.
“ I remember of even accusin Donald War- , 4
ran, who had been a friend t ough all, of

having a part in this vile scheme, and to this
day I can remember the look of terror on his
face. Perhaps it was my wild ap co
and seeming crazy state that alarmed 
at the same time it may have beensomething

 

 

‘ n. ..

Thunderbolt Tom.

25

p

 

“ I do not remember what I did, but if I at-

 tempted violence upon Donald he escaped me.
I was rushing wildly through the forest, calling

011.111)’ darlings name and prayiu Heaven to
bring me face to face with tho vil ain who had
brought this black desolation upon my heart
and home, when a rifle beh-hed out its contents
from the bushes and I fell to the earth liken.
co‘r‘pse.

When I recovered my consciousness I found
mYSell' under a pile of brushwood, which had
been thrown upon me b the man who had shot
me- By a. great effort Imam.ng to crawl out
from under this, and then fainted a ain. Here
I was found by an old settler who ived a. sort
of hermit life in the heart oi the forest. He.
earned me to his cabin, and for weeks and
manths I hovered between life and death.

Gradually I became myself, and when able
to talk, heard that no one could tell whither
Adele had gone, but that the report was abroad
that she had been murdered by me for some
reason. Horrlflod as I was that this idea should
have entered the minds of those I had looked
upon as'fricnds, I had neither the time nor the
Inclination to set them aright.

“ From other words that he spoke I drew my
omiclusmns, and realized upon whose shoulders
the“th )le blame rested. It was reported that
Donald Warren had shot at me, being fired wi th
Vengeance because he had once loved Adele, and
he‘d gone in search of me,

' his news opened my eyes considerably,
and m “1959 399311118 actions of a friend I saw
th‘? '31“me P1015 of an arch-villain. He had
ruined my life and hers in revenge because {had
won the girl he loved, and who had never had
aught but friendship for him.

“ My heart was at once filled with thoughts of
revenge. If I could but meet this double-dyed
Villain, perhaps 1 might make him confess his
share in the matter, and also What had hccome.
of my darllng Adele. I resolved to track him
to the death, and to have a terrible revenge for
the rum he had put upon my life.

Months had elapsed since the disappearance
of my darling, and much valuable time hadbeen
lost, but without even waiting to set the people
ought concerning me, I got upon the trail of
Donald Warren and commenced following it,
determined to make the villain suffer as much
as I had done for his treachery, his attempt to
murder me, and all combined. ‘

“ I pursued my course with the assidulty of a
sleuth-hound, and in so doing found myself in
the Northwest. While I was yet upon the track
the Blackfeet gobbled me up, and I found myself
aprisoner in their clutches. At their village, I
discovered that Stratc y Saul here had also
been captured, and at tie first opportunity we
united our fortunes and set about effecting our
esca e.

“ he rest you know. What means this fiend
in human shape took to lure my wife away I do
not know, but the report about my being 8. vii-
laln and she deceived was false—false as the
heart of the man who circulated it. for never
was woman loved as I loved Adele Cummings,
my lawfully-wedded wife.”

ust at this point of the story, when Captain
Tom had probably reached the end, they were

: fly

all amazed to hear a slight crackling of the un-
derbrush close by: and then an exrlamation in
a female voice caught their ears, saying:

“ Heavens! it is Tom—alive and welll”

CHAPTER XIV.
THE HAND OF FATE.

SOMEWHAT startled by this, our friends looked
in the direction from whence the voice'came.
They could see something white and mystic,
but could make nothing clear out of it, although
it seemed as though it might be a female form
clothed in white.

The pipe of the old ranger was still working
like a. young volcano, being an unusually large
one, and no doubt the light flaring up, bad
illuminated the countonancc of (‘n tain Tom
just as he was finishing,r his story an declarin r
vehemently that Woman was never so well love
as Adele had been by him.

Of course the effect of this intrusion upon
their camp could not be othrrwiso than start-
ling, and every one of the four men had his
0 es glued upon the f‘guro so dimly seen through
t e bushes.

The only thought that seized possession of tho
captain’s mind, was that this was his lost
Adele.

He had not been able to distinguish her voice,
Edit the words that had been used led him to in-

er it.

His blood seemed to leap through his veins
with the speed of a. race—horse, for could be but
find the beloved one whom he. had long since
given 11 as lost to him forever, Heaven could
grant him no richer blessing. He was stu efled
f( 11‘ the time being and then sprung erect, ull of
life and determination.

“Adele, my darling, my lost level is it you?
Wait for me, do not flee I pray you, sweet wife.
It is 1, your husband, who loves you so Welll”

As he uttered these plaintive words the strick—
en captain commenced to advance toward the
figure as seen in the darkness: but it retreated.
All of them heard a cry full of dismay and

iteous terror, as if the words of the captain
had struck more keen! to the heart of the irl
than the belief of his ( oath that had 11 to t is
time been so overwhelmingly plant in her
brain.

There was no mystery about it as the reader
will readily understand when it is said that the
figure in white was no other than Millie, the
betrothed of 'l‘lnunlcrlmlt Tom, whom last we
saw, fleeing throuqu the forest after holding
that interview with the disguised Adele.

She had come upon the little camp of our
friends by the merest accident, and was just in
time to hear the last words uttered by the cap-
ta'

 

1n.
Then the old ranger’s pipe flared up and
illumined the countenance of the soldier. Of
course no other thought entered the mind of the
young girl but that she was gazing u on the
face of Thunderbolt Tom, the man w om she
loved With all her heart ."nd soul. and who, she
thought, had been tom to pieces among the
wolves in the den 01‘ Black Wallace.

But for the words he had uttered she might
have come to him, and at any rate explanations
would have ensued that would have made the

 

"“‘v I

 

 

    

 

23

Thunderbolt Tom.

 

captain crazy with delight, though Millie would
have found poor consolation in the knowledge
that after all her Tom must have been devoured
by the Wolves on that fateful night.

His words, however, struck such a pang to
her loving heart that she turned and fled from
the spot, not wanting Tom to overtake her and
disc ver his error.

T rough the forest she flitted like a spirit.

The captain pursued, but soon discovered that
he was making poor progress, for the white form
seemed to be leaving him. In vain he cried out,
imploring her to come back to him, and protest-
ing his great love; she would not turn, knowing
that it was Adele he meant.

Finally, the captain could no longer see the
white form flitting in advance of him, and was
induced by this circumstance to give up the
chase, though he did it most unw1llingly. He
turned to retrace his steps. His mind was filled
with thoughts of this woman he loved so devot-
edly, and after this meeting with one whom he
believed to be her, his excitement must have
keen intense, so that anything could be forgiven

1m.

His main idea was that Adele had become dis-
tracted from the suffering through which she
had passed, and either did not know his voice,
or, believing that he hai deserted her so basely,
leaving that terrible note behind him, she had
fled from him in fear and disgust.

At an rate he knew she was in the forest, and
he was etermined never to leave there until he
had found her and told her the true story of
that fatal mistake.

Although she had fled from him as he really
believed, yet could he but find her he would con-
vince her how grievously she had judged him.

As for the villain whom he had followed to the
wilds of the Northwest, he had best keep clear
of the enraged husband, for the fury of Hades
would not be more terrible, now that he had
learned why Donald Warren was in the lonely
re Ion.

0 full of such thoughts was Captain Tom
that he did not realize the fact of his not going
in the pro er direction. Many things conspired
to mislea him, and all at once he awoke to the
fact that he was lost, or, as an Indian might in
{iis pompous pride have put it, “ the camp was
est.”

After wandering about for some time and re-
alizing that he was getting further in the forest.
the captain concluded to give up the attempt
and wait until morning before attempting to
find his friends. In his mad rush after the
shadowy figure that had appeared to them, he
had gone further than any of them had thought,
and as they knew Indians were as thick as black-
berries in the vicinity and Captain Tom still
cherished fond memories of his recent captivity,
he was not very able to shout out to any great
extent.

Selecting a hollow tree he entered the cavity
and lprepared to sleep, for he needed rest very
muc .

The night were on and Captain Tom was
sleepin soundly when in a dream he heard the
voice 0 a demon hurling maledictions upon him.
This seemed to amuse him, and as he started up
to his surprise, he heard a deep voice that re-

 

sembled the rumbling of thunder, followed BY
many more, only they were loud and shr‘ ,
making one intuitively think of a flock of ducks
quacking furiously.

“ Indians, by Jove!” muttered the captain.

It was true. Durin the time he had slept
the Blackfeet had gut ered in the immediate
vicinity and when he ventured tolook out, there
were a dozen of the red-men within as many
feet of him.

They had built a fire and seemed to be hold—
ing a confab of some sort, judging from their
excited demeanor. He noticed that the were
almost direct] in front of the cavity in t e tree
and wonder that ho had not been discove
Ion since. The only reason he could assign for
their not seeing him was that they were too
busily engaged in debating the point that had
come up among them.

It could not be long, however, before some of
their keen 0 es would discover him, and then
all would be 0st. As a sensible man therefore
it behooved him to get out of the scrape in the
quickest possible time. There was only one
way of leaving the tree, and this was by the
same means as he had taken to come in. As
the fire of the Indians was momentarily grow-
innr brighter this would be a serious thing.

ropping upon his hands and knees, and
screening his holy as well as possible under the
circumstances, Captain Tom commenced mov-
11]”.
I10 gradually issued from the hollow tree in
this way. So far so good His next effort
was to place it between his foes and himself.
While he was still in the act of accomplishing
this he saw a move on the part of the red-skins.

One of them suddenly directed the attention
of the others to the ground, and immediate]
they were all intense] interested. The trut
was patent. They ha discovered the trail left
by the captain where he came to the hollow
tree.

By following this up they would uickly find
him unless he vamosed the place. his be pro—
Ceeded to do with all speed possible. Before he
made a move, however, he saw the Indians ad-
vancing toward the hollow tree, their eyes fast-
ene’l upon the ground.

Captain Tom waited to see no more, but com-
menced crawling away at as rapid a pace as .
sible, determined to reach shelter if it coul be
done, before the red hounds discovered his late
hiding-place.

Just as he was crawling into the fringe of pro-
tecting bushes, a chorus of exclamations caught
his ear. Then he knew that the Indians had
come upon the hollow tree, and noted the fact
of its not having an occupant. Now was the
most critical moment. for their eyes would nat-
urally be roaming about, and if they were to
discover him at all the time was at hand.

His thoughts were interrupted by a shrill yell,
just as he was pulling his feet into the thicket.

The light of the Indians’ fire had betrayed
him. There was no need of further secrecy.
Tom cast one look over his shoulder. and seeing
the whole posse of red-skins on the jump for his
place of hiding, sprung to his feet turned upgn
them, and with the revolver that did Rocky (1
loaned him sent several shots into their midst. I

  
   

\ .

 

 

    

Thunderbolt Tom.

    

 

 

Of course this had the cited: of demoralizing
the Indians for the time being, and as they has-
tened to shelter themselves Tom sprung away.

He ran like a hound, and c0ns1dering the na-
ture of the round his pace was wonderful in—
deed. The dians, seeing that their intended

many had no further intention of resistin
t em, left their various places of shelter an
resumed the mad chase.

Over logs, bushes and reeks, through dense
portions of the forest glens and over ridges the
captain dashed, knowing full well that his safety
depended upon his heels, though he might weave
cunning in with it.

The night was dark, 3. heavy bank of clouds
hanging in the western sky. This assisted the
soldier while at the same time it retarded his
progress, though for that matter the same kind
service was performed for the red-skins in pur-
suit.

He was a rapid runner and had a way of over—
coming obstructions that was very apt to give

' an advantage in the race.

That he was gaining was soon made manifest,
for the sounds of the pursuit rew loss in volume,
as if the Indians were one a ter another giving
up the chase. Still there seemed to be one brave
who kgpt up the pursuit and appeared to be gain-
ing. hen the captain realized that this was
the case, and that the others had fallen off, he
determined not to run from one man.

His resolution was ably seconded, for at this
time he suddenly came upon the bank of the
river. At this point it was some ten feet or
more to the water, and he would have been
obliged to leap ever, had he not determined to
turn.

Revolver in hand he wheeled.

The Indian came dashing on, and as soon as
Captain Tom could catch the outlines of his
form he gave him the contents of one chamber
of his revolver.

That. was quite enough. The red-skin went
ever With only 8. nt that sounded as if the
last atom of breat had been knocked from his
body b the concussion. Although Captain
Torn di not hear any more of the red—skins on
his track he concluded that it would be wise for
him to leave the place as speedin as possible.

Ten minutes later he was down by the edge of
the water, cooling his heated brow and getting a
drink. The bank arose above him, ‘uttmg out
so that it afforded quite a screen. n case of a
rain he could not have found a better hiding—
place so far as shelter was concerned, and he re-
solved to remain there until morning, when he
could search for his comrades with some hopes of
success.

As some hours must yet elapse ere the dawn of
day he threw himself down upon the strip of
san and quickly lost himself in slumber.

The time passed and still he slept, never once
dreaming o the terrible awakening he was soon
to have. Slowly the night were away. The
bank of heavy clouds in the west had passed
away, and not a cloud dimmed the heavens. A
cool, delicious breeze had sprung up. and as the

y light of morning appeared, the air was
alighth.

Captain Tom was aroused suddenly for the
second time within a. few hours. This time it

 

was a shrill shriek that made him leap tohis
feet, without doubt a female in trouble.

As he sprung up he saw a form leap through
the air and plunge into the water with a sullen
thud. It was the form of a man, and yet by the
manner of his descent the soldier could tell that
he must have either fallen over the bank by
accident or else knew nothing of diving.

He watched eagerly for the man’s appear—
ance, and soon saw him come up, but he seemed
to be making feeble efforts to sustain himself.
In a few seconds he vanished from view again.

“My soul, the man will be drowned!" ex-
claimed the chivalrous soldier, in excitement.

Hurriedly throwing off his coat and boots, he
sprung into the river and swam like a fish
toward the spot where the drowning man was
again throwing his arnts aloft preparatory to
sinking a. second time.

By making hereulean efl’orts he managed to
reach the drowning person just as he was about
to go under again, and gl‘aslmd hold of him.

Even in this situation, the captain was amazed
to find that the man whom he was attempting
to rescue had remarkably long hair in the form
of curls, and a suspicion of the true state of
ail‘airs may have entered his mind.

He strugwlcd hard to reach the shore, and such
efforts could not fail to be crowned with success.
At length the bank was reached, he staggered
out and laid his inanimate burden upon the
ground. Above him were the great foothills
that gradually merged into the mountains, while
on the other side the prairie and forest lay.

The gray dawn was growing apace, and objects
could be recognized even at some little distance.

When he had recovered his breath in a degree
the captain knelt down beside the person he ha
saved: as he put his hand upon the motionless
chest, he learned what he had before suspected——
that it was a. woman disguised in man’s clothes.
Then he gave a start, bent closer and there
broke from him a heart-reading cry:

“ Oh, my God! it is Adele, my darling 1”

CHAPTER XV.
HILT T0 mur.

THE cry that Captain Tom gave utterance to
was the strangest one that could be imagined.
It was a mingling of intense an uish at seeing
her lying there as white as deat , supreme joy
because he had found her at all, and anxiety for
her welfare.

He bent closer and gazed into the loved face
With a look that was beyond dcseriptien. Oh!
was she dead? Had he taken her from the
hungry water only to have her die thus? The
strong man’s frame was] racked with emotion.
Wildly he called upon her name, using every
endearing e ithet he could think of, but still they
failed to ca her back to life.

Then he bent down and kissed her passionate-
] , but she ave no answering pressure. Her
lips were col as ice and her face whiteas alabas-
te

 

r.

Who could describe the anguish of that man,
when, after having hope revived in his breast
by the story told by Old Rocky, he was doomed
to look upon this heart-reading spectacle? She
could not be dead! Heaven would not be so
cruel as to do this thing. Surely they had suf-

 
   

   

= very inviting;i

 man’s breast.

earth with his welcome rays, and still

Thunderbolt Toll.

  

 

   

fere'd enough already‘ without this crowning
a ony being added to is life.

e rung up with his hands clinched in his
hair. but was the matter with 1115 sluggish
brain? Why could he not thinkof some method
in common use for restoring drowning persons?
Thus he stood for a full minute until he had be—
come somewhat calmer, and all the while his
brain was at work.

Then he stooped down and went to work,
placing Adele with her head elevated a trifle
and her face toward the ground. He tore oil’
the velvet coat, rolled up the shirt sleeves and
rubbed her arms vigorously.

She was not so far gone as if she had sunk for

a the third time and remained under for a minute

or so, and his labor soon showed its result.

He could feel a faint beating of the heart,
then there was a quivering of the 1i )8 and a
twitching of the eyelids. Eucour g by this
he persevered and in a few minutes more saw
her eyes open and fasten in bewilderment upon
his face.

Then a deathl whiteness came upon her
again and he coul hear her murmur:

“ Oh, Tom, my darlin , forgive me but I have
come to you across the ark river.”

Evidently she thought she was dead, that her
eflort at suicide had been successful and that the
first soul to meet her in spirit-land was that of
her darling who she thought had gone before.

Captain Tom was in an agony when he saw
her smk back into this lethargy again and began
to despair of saving her, when fate seemed so de-
termined that it should not be.

Could he but find some person, he felt sure
Adele’s life could be saved, for he knew so pre-
cious little of the methods in use. Mentally. he
cursed his stupidity, and rising, looked about him
for some sign of humanity. There was a hope
in his mind that perhaps he might see some signs
of his friends, perhaps the smoke of their camp—
fire, but this was fated to be otherwise, for at
that minute these self-same friends, though not
far away, were engaged in a desperate little bu s-
iness venture of their own and had no time for
building camp-fires. /

In vein the captain’s eyes wandered around
him, and then, with almost a forlorn hope, they
were raised to the hill above, from whence there
came a great howling that mystified him consid-

: erabl

Then he heard a gruff voice raised in anger
and sounding more like the bellow of a marl bull
than anything else. The prospect was not so
but at any rate it was a human
voice, and a ash of hope darted into the young

He «did not waste time for even a second
thought, but bending down, raised the beloved
form of the disguised girl in his arms, and has-
tened u the steep ascent. The wav was rough,
and his urden soon became a dead weight. but
love urged him on, and his progress was much
$61!? rapid than one would believe could be pos-

:5.

Up he went. All was silent above him save
for the occasional howl of a wolf. sounding drear-
fly uggn the morning air. The glorious sun
made '5 appearance in the east, lightin up tghe
p in

l

 

Tom continued his upward tramp, growing oon- .
tinually nearer the cabin on the little pla. ‘
where Black Wallace, the wolf-harder, lived with

his ugly pets. __

Colorado was still with the wolf-harder, and
upon this morning they were up before sunrise,
for they had a little scheme in View, which it
was their intention to carry out at once. Colo-
rado had suggested it, and showed the wolf-
herder how easily they could secrete themselves
in the bushes and shoot down the driverand
guard of the Deadwood coach, when it would be ,
a short job to secure the box of gold which was
within the coach.

Even Black Wallace had forgotten his usual
caution and was eaver to be at the business -
which he had once ollowed in days of yore »
among the mountains of the old gold State, Cal-
ifornia. As it would take them several days to
gain the route of the coach, perhaps a week,
they intended losing no time when once their
minds were made up.

Little did they realize how their doom was
closing in upon them, and that neither would
ever leave that cabin again unless it was to o
n) his doom. The}r were discussing a, h
breakfast. Their arms In upon the floor near
by, and presented quite a eterogeneous display
of weapons, which in themselves spoke of some
desperate undertaking in which they were about
to embark.

Colorado could not get over the event that had
occurred a few ni hts before. and every now
and then he would real: out in reference to it.
He seemed to gloat over the terrible deed and
thought it was a model we of getting ridof one
whom he had hated for so ong a time.

Black Wallace, on the other hand, did not up 1
pear to be in fine spirits on this morning. Some-
thing seomed to hang heavily on his mind, and.
he looked at it as agremonition of coming evil.
\Vhenever he looke out upon the hungry mob
of gaunt wolves he found himself shivering as?
{I}? had never done before, and this fact alarmed .

1m.

Had he possessed meat enou h on hand he‘-
would have gorged the wolves, ut what little
he did possess they gobbled up in a twinkling
and eyed him sava ely. He could even ima ine
they were contemp ating what a good in he
would make. The man whom he would send to
take care of r the cabin and the wolves in his ab- -
sence, would have to supply meat for them unless j .
they were left to starve. '

All of ,this heavy feeling on his. mind served
to depress the spirits of the wolf-border, and he
was as gruff as a bear with a sore head as he at-
tackeid the frugal breakfast that had been pre-
pare . ' -,

W hile they were thus engaged a figure etc 1: -':
up to the cabin from the outside, mounted
tree as had been done once before on that night
when. as they thought, Thunderbolt Tom had ,
gOne to his death. , ' fl

Hardly had this figure gained the loft than
another appeared coming from the comma. '
This one was that of a girl. It xwa 
'ljtfirrence, and in her hand she carried V, llght‘
n . . . .

B. .
There was a look upon the young girl». 

        
             
     
     
         
     
   
   
         
     
   
   
   
           
     
       
       
       
     
       
     
       
       
    
   
     
       
     
     
       
       
         
   
         
     
         
       
      

  

 

Thunderhdt Tom.

    

 

V that would be hard to describe. Signs of'in-

Mei-lug could be seen there, but beSldes
thll, there wan a look of resolution that made
her countenance that of a heroine.

She had suffered terribly since that night,
when she saw Thunderbolt Tom in the clutches
’0! his enemies. As the reader no doubt sus-
Pectl, it Was Millie whom Captain Tom followed
through the forest on the revious night, and
from chasin whom he was fought to a. place
Where he cotfid save the life so dear to him, that
of Adele Cummings. I

The oung girl had thought him a specter
31.14 W en he cried out, calling her Adele um
hlsdarllng, she had fled in mortal pain. Dcml
‘ a or alive it seemed to her that the one she lovcd
€ 50 Well belonged to the black-eyed girl who had
the first claim on him. Her present visit to the
cabin of the wolf-harder was to find out for cer-
hin whether Thunderbolt Tom wrs living or
dead. In her bewilderment it was all 5110 could
think of, and she thought that those men would
know the truth if any one did.

She had only caught a glimpse of that face.
and even then it was by the strange light of
the ranger‘s pipe, so that she was puzzled as to
whether her imagination had not conjured up

   
 
 
  

on t occasion. ,

5, A; shq now come armed, and was notto be
trifled With, the two men would no doubt re-
spect er, and comply with her re nest.

' No onder the two were somew at surprised
> when the door was pushed open, and there en—

tered the girl whom the had held before as a

prisoner, but now she he d a rifle in her hands,

'and there was a light in her eyes that told them
she was not to be trifled with.

“What do you want? Our war with you is
over, and we want nothing more to do with
i It mm the wolf-border who spoke these words.

Remembered that the girl had been some
relation to Thunderbolt Tom, though he did not
v fullyunderstand what it was, and by the light in

1191' eye? he knew that she was determined to do

‘ something to avenge his death. So Black Wal-

W‘thonght he would be cunning and in some

manner mmvem deceive the girl. This was

why he demanded of her what she wanted.

’_ , I have come bank. as you see, but do not
WW)“ can bI‘OWbeat me. 1 am armed and
readyfior you. so that if you should dare to offer

any Violence. I shall not hesitate but will shoot

you down. Black Wallace, with as little com-
punctionpinf you were a wolf. Now answer
my (inestwn: dld Thunderbolt Tom die the other

- , nigh when you shoved him into the den of

‘ wolves! If you .dare to tell me what is not the

, truth, I can 309 1" {30111 your face, and woe to

death in the face,

- you. Answer me.
Black Wallace was looking
and he knew it, tOO- With hot little rifle cov-
, ‘ering his heart. he dared not he and yet, again,
he dared not tell thfl truth, for he knew she was
there to avenge the onus hunter if he had in
twin fallen. and the, an acknowledgment of his
death would meat with & Prompt answer in the
;. ,hpe of a, retributive bullet. I ,
 perhaps after a minute’s deliberation he would
,,  dealer“! that “Wdel‘bom Tom had es-

   
  
  
   
   
    
   
 
 
 

    
  

 

  
  

 

  
  
   

 
 
  

    
  

  
 

  
  
  
  
  

 

 

  

     

 

 

   
 
    
      

 

 
  

the ursuit, also the words used by Captain Toni

 

to d
K Thunderbhlt Tom you

cape‘d. and run the chances of her seeing the lie
in his face and firing upon him, for hll com-
puniondirl not seem ready to run the risk of
lnimolaling himself upon the altar of friendship -
by drawing thc uttcnlion of the l‘l to him— .
self and thus giving the giant a c ance to do
somethin toward disarming the one who he is
thcm hot at bay with so much pluck and e-
tel‘mination. ' \
Just about this time, however, his 6 as were
attracted to Some object beyond the gir , and he

saw that which caused him to keep silent for a n. . v,

minute.

A human form, the figure of a man, was creep~
ing upon Millie. Who this was the Rocky
Mountain wolf-border had not the least idea,
but that ho was friendly to their cause could be
judged from the fact of his creeping upon the

irl.

g Noticing his delay, but not dreaming ,of the 
Cl'llme of it, Millie hccamo impatient, and ,again
demanded him to tell hcr the fate of Thunder-
bolt Tom, declaring that she would fire unless
he spoke in tcn seconds. Urged by this the
wolf-holder began :1 rigmm'olc m which his only
intention was to distinct Millie’s attention for '
half a minute or so, until the creeping man
could get behind her.

“Ye are too hard on a cor critter miss; we
have no spite ug’in’ ye. ‘othcr night ye ran
afoul 0’ us, an’ by the orders 0’ our employer,
the S. uire, we took ye in. Then came'l‘hunder—
bolt om an old cncmy of ourn and ye saw'yer-
self thar war no shirkin’ the fight when he press-
ed it, so we had to sail in. I reckon he’ll pay us
back for the nasty trick we played on him, for ,
we found out artcr you had fled that he warn’t
no more dead than the man in the moon, an‘ if
you don’t choose to believe inc, lkin sw’ar ter ye
on a stack of Bibles as high as a church steeple
that this are a fact. Whoop!" g

The last word left his lips likc the Whistle of a.
locomotive, for at that instant the mun who had
been creeping up behind Millie pounced upon -,
her and made a grab for her rifle. ' '

The-re was a short struggle and then the
weapon was snatched from the hands of the
young ' lwho found herself leaning against _
the w of the cabin wee cnless saving for a
small da ger, which now g camed in her hand.

" Goo enough!” declared the wolf-herder,
showing great delight. “ ye done us a good turn 
that time, stranger. Why hello! bless my moc- —, 
casins ef it ain’t my old fl lend Donald arren
of Missouri, the very man I’ve been wantin to
see this year back. Hownre ye, old to or?
Shake hands on it. How is it I find you up
here? Reckon thar’s a female in the case for -
you were always the devil among women.
P’r’aps this are the gal too. /Wal, she’s pretty
enough for a icture an’ I can’t blame you; x .
Used to be the once among the women myself r 1'
until one went back on me. See that red scar -
stretchin’ from ear to ear? That’s whar her
knife went across my throat. Wasn’t her, fault
I lived through it. but she never _knew it.

“Now, in young lady, I kin answer or
question wit out being compelled to tell a lo,
That rifle of yours was a OWerful persuasion,
for a m isgrace eorge Washington.
will never see again. silo ,2

 

  
      

 

 

 

:2? "in"? i

 means, .._

. 15:.

 

 

Thunderbolt Ton.

   

 

, died the other night among my pets, an’ if I

was only as sure of falling in with a gold mine
as I am that he kicked the bucket, I’d bea ha py
man. Yes-sir-ee, them wolves never left a r
nor hide of him. All we found was his hat, and

you can set it down for snrt’in that Thunder- .

bolt Tom are in the land of spirits."

H Liar ll) .

The voice seemed to come from the very air
and the three men started violently as they
heard it.

As for Millie she was almost falling to the
rough puncheon floor when she caught that
word and suddenly starting up she waited for
what was to follow.

Thunderbolt Tom from his p0sition in the loft
had witnemed all of the scene.

For the first time he realized that he had been
basely deceived, and that his sweetheart Millie
was not dead. Then the grave over which he
had wept must have been that of her Sister, and
the rson who directed him thither either unin-
tentionally or willfully deceived him. There
were only the initials M. T. upon the rude foot-
board, but they might stand for Mary as well
as Millie. At the time this thought had never
occurred to him, but now the truth flashed upon
him like an inspiration, and he realized that the
future might yet contain great happiness for
them both. ‘

lie was so overwhelmed by the discovery he
had made that he was incapable of taking part
in the game even when Donald Warren strug-

led with Millie for the ossession of the rifle;

ut by the time Black allace so cruelly and
emphatically declared that Thunderbolt Tom
was head as a herring, that worthy thought it
about time to show them all that if he wasa
departed spirit, returned from over the dark
river, he was capable of being an exceedingly
lively ghost. Therefore, as he made that for-
cible denial of the wolf-herder‘s assertion he
opened the trap just as he had done on the pro-
VIons occasion, and dropped down in the midst

‘ of his enemies.

The consternation of Black Wallace and Colo-
rado can be inia ' ed, for neither of them hail
the least doubt ut that the WOlVeS had tom
the young hunter to ieces when he was hurled
through the opening into the den by that effort
onbthe part 0 the giant proprietor of the lone
co. in.

, Donald Warren of course took this man for
Cagtain Tom, as others had done before him,
an be was ready to join in any movement that
had for its object the takin of his life.

The other two were not on: either in recov-
ering‘...l They realized that Thunderbolt Tom
had some marvelous manner esca dfrom the
wolf-den. and knives in hand the rec sprung
at him like panthers.

They met a ready blade, and while steel struck
ml'within, the starved wolves without howled

a pack of fiends incarnate escaped from the
regions of eternal torment.

CHAPTER XVI.
oonowszos.

’Tmmnom Tom was 1 against three
antagonist-thin time and inpr place that

 

had witnessed his previous fight, which had only ‘
come to an end when he pitched backward
throng}:l the doorway into the den of wolves.

He (1 learan that his loved one was alive,
and because she was there to see him, his arm
would gain new strength. The first onslaught
of the trio was met in a manner that amazed
them, for the hunter’s weapon seemed to be
everywhere at once, so that their blows fell as
harmless as if he had been surrounded by an in“
visible wall of steel.

At the same time, in a manner that was most
mysterious, he managed to give several thrusts
With his knife that brought blood. The pain of
these cuts infuriated them and rendered their
assault the more desperate. ttill Thunderbolt
Tom was equal to the occasion having much
more than liae to fight for, though of course he
could not hold out long.

The men assailed him like so many demons
each eager to dip his knife in the heart's blood
of the brave young hunter. They knew they
bag the advantage, and meant to keep it till the
en .

When she saw these human panthers 5 ring
at her lover, Millie had sunk u 11 her nees
and clasped her hands as “306:; ap alin to
Heaven to spare him to her. as it ated t at,
after finding him alive and well, even while the
false-ton ed giant was telling her how terribly
he had died, she should see him murdered before
her eyes? .

All that was womanly in her nature made ,
her weak at first. but soon this passed away and.
the brave spirit shOWed itself. She looked wilda'
ly about her, for up to this time her hands had
covered her e es to shut out the horrid sight.
There was her over still battling with all the gm-
lantry of a knight of old against the overwhe -
in numbers of the foe.

gainst the wall where he had thrown it af-
ter wrosting it from her, was her little rifle. '
When she saw this Millie‘s eyes brightened and
she gave a little cry of satisfaction. Springing
to her feet, she reached the spot, and in another

instant the weapon was in her hands. Then she ' '

turned, eager to use it. v

There was some difilcnlty experienced about/
this, for the men were no longer separated, but
appeared to be mixed up so that in their rapid
eyglutions she could hardly tell one from an-
0 er.

The opportunity for which she waited came at
last however, and the rifle sounded. Although
the bullet, striking a knife-blade, was not dead-
ly, still it pierced the right shoulder of the giant
wolf-harder, and in a degree disabled him.

Their tactics were changed, however at this
time, for while Black Wallace and Don dWar- .
ren kept the young hunter busil y engaged, Col-
orado step back several , an drawing '

arevolver, proc‘eededtop' back the hammer ’\ p

with great deliberation. I |

Now they had the hunter foul, for he could
not break from his two antagonists so as to pay
any attention to Colorado, and that worthy
would have things all his own way. There was

a devilish malignity upon his face when he saw H.

how matters stood. -'
" Millie could do nothin

forward and grouped t e arm of tho‘despon'do,

  

 

mora, sham-prune" ' 

   
   

 

 

Thunderbolt Tom.

 

 

but he‘ shook her oi! ronghldy and proceeded to
lfim his Weapon. He socme to enjoy the Situa-
“.0”: knowing that he was safe and held the Win-
lung power. .

The revolver was now aimed, and it seemed as
though all were waitin for the shot. Even
Thunderbolt Tom stoo< there with knife up—
"had, his eyes fastened upon Colorado as if
fascinated, While he waited for the report that
Was to sound his death-knell.

is never came. .

, e, a re ort did sound, but it came from
without, an the man who held the revolver,
Ewing a wild yell, leaped spasmodicully into the
fill' and fell to the puncheon floor a corpse.

He was shot through the eye.

I At the same instant, through the door came

a couple of leather—clad figures which Thunder—

": Tom knew at once tobe friends, and are
Black Wallace and Donald Warren could half
comprehend what a turn affairs had takcn

 they were being vigorously assaulted by Old

 

sky and Strategy Saul.

Seeing that these new-comers were fully equal
*0 the occasion without his help, Tom bounded
over to the other side of the room where Millie
stood bewildered at this suddcn change of the
gr amine introduced by the advent of the

no

   

skin-clad heroes.
She sunk upon his breast with a cry of delight
and the arms of the long-5e rated overs were
. twined around each other a ectionately.
The fight was a hot one, and all the while the.
’ hungry, ravenous wolves outside kept u an in—
fernal racket which made it seem as t iough a.
lo ion of tormented souls from the ever-burning
brimstone lakes had cscapcd from their torment
and come back to earth again.
’ Old Rocky had assailed the wolf-harder while
. Strategy Saul was pushing Donald Warren to
r , the wall. Both men fought with desperation but

i

2' “it, was of no use. for they were outmatclicd.
Donald soon fell with the knife of the hunter
saw‘Strate Saul advancing to the assistance
of his chum e e panic-stricken.
 ' hoped ’60 pass out/ from among the wolves un-
‘ ‘ harmed can never be known. Certain it is that
. venous animals. ed/ . _
., ‘. ;u ,, The hunter seiz . his rifle and planted himself

’ ,\\l ,
at buried in his breast.

,3 . Black Wallace held out longer, but when he
 “ ther he did not know what he was doing,
' deliberately. sought such a terrible death, or
:54 in his fright he sprung through the door at the
 Vilback of the house, and landed among the ra-

in the dmrwaykhm see that Black Wallace did

; :y pot get 011, bu era was no need of this.

 

 

 

 

THE END.

The gaunt wolves sprung upon the giant like
the gray fiends that they were, and his voice,
once feared almost like death by them, was now
unnoticed.

In yam he roared and cursed like a. madman,
striking out with his knife in every direction;
they leaped upon him and sunk their glistening
fanis into his quivering flesh.

T e hunter watched until he saw the giant
pulled down, and then he turned awe unable to
witness any more, but by the gradua ly decreas-
ing cries that died awa to a murmur, they knew
that the wolf-harder o the Rockies had met the
lhorrible fate to which he would have doomed our

ero.

While the were recovering breath after the
contest, the ittle law er made his up once,
followed by Captain om bearing the ight form,
of Adele. All were speedily intox med of his ad-
venture, and work was commenced in order to
resuscitate the oung woman. When she came ’
to, she was le t with Millie and the captain.
Explanations must have followed, for soon after
they saw her sobbing upon the breast of her
husband, the captain, for she knew now that he
had never written that note, but Donald _War-
ren, who confessed his whole share in the Villainy
ere he died.

All was peace and joy now with our friends.

The two cousins. after much suflfering. held
again in their arms those whom they loved best .
ouearth, and never again could shadows over-
casttheir pathway. he little lav yer had ob-
tained the signature of Thunderbolt T( in to his
document, and was therefore as happy 8. man as
could be found in the universe.

Before leaving the place, the two hunters
amused themselves in cracking away at the sav-
age wolves of whom they left not one alive. Colo
orado and Donald Warren were buried ‘decent-
1y near by, and then the little party headed to-
ward the home of Millie Torrence, where they
were joyfully rcceivcd and Adele prov1ded Wit
clothing more suitable for her sex. _

After all her trials, earth seemed aParadise to
Adele, now that she learned how noble and true
her husband was. . _

The little lawyer overcame the technicalities
of the law that intervened, with a cunning that
proved him Well worthy of patronage, and the ,.
two cousins settled down on their great estate.

Old Rocky and Strategy Saul still roamthe
plains but the first W111 never forget the time

when he tried to palm himself ofl on therliminu-
tive lawyer as Mdntana Mose, the terror of the I
prairie, and the drubbing he received for the de-_
oeption. \

    

 
 

"gar m win". new» « Mithng {3‘ ‘“
. - .

‘ \

 

 

.’ ' / r
I / 32 ocuvo mans.

BEADLER

POCKETIJBRARY.

 

 

 

 

v.an:ncommoneras?»v:v:o.ciaoimmwmmammaammmwumwmmwmma?

Ellwanl L. \‘l'ln'ulur.
nil'n 0 Bill.
By Col. l’rvnilsl inurnhnm.

l DendWood Dick. Biy
Kunk I Kin . By l
The Flying gnu cc.
The Double Dng era. liy Edward L. Whrelar.
The Two lh-tm-L yen. By Ally-Ari \V. Alla-u.
The Prairie I’iint. By llnfi'nli- hill.
The lluii’uio Demon. By Edward L. \Vhealer.
Anteio e Abe. the lloy Guide. in 011 (‘twnva
Ned Vitit‘. Ilw Buy Smut. By “Tt-xnfl Jack"
liuii’ulo lieu, Prim-o ofthe i'lunl. ByE. L.Whealer.
Ralph Roy. the ll iv hurrmnrr. lly C l. ingrnham.
Nick 0‘ the Ni hi. By T. i'. llurbnngh.
Yellowstone nck. [iv Jhm-h E. Badger. Jr.
Wild Ivan, the Buy t. an uval. 15341-1. L.\\'heolar.
liamond lllrk. By (in -| Prelliisl ingraham.
{eon-Knli’e, Prince of the l Iliil'l. ByOllCoomes.
lirexon Sol. liy Capt. J. l“. C. Adamn
Death-Face, lhu Dhthctivu. By E. L. Wheeler.
Latino Jack. RV (ill Co-unet.
Roaring Ralph Rockwond By Ii. St. George.
The iioy Clown. My Fa-nnn S. Finn.
The Phantom ,\lix r. liv Edward L. \Vln‘eler.
The Sen-Cut. hy (.apllin Frederick Whitukor.
4 The Dumb H y. liy ()ll (70‘ man.
2' llattiim; Rn re. By Harry St. George.
01d Avalanche. t'na IlroatAhnihilutnr
Gin I-Eye.Grent Slant hf llm West. ll)
The Boy Captain. 15. Rum- Starhurh.
Dick Darling. l5_\' Capt. 1"n-«lurir-k \i'hiltnlu-r.
"ob Wouli". the iliJI'Lit'i' Ruliian. By E. 1.. Whealvr.
Nightingale Nut. fly '1‘. C. llarhnnuh
“lack John, the Rand Afirlll. By J. E. Badger. Jr.
"mahu Oil, the Mask d 'i‘errnr. By E. L. Wheelrr.
“lift Bunker. the Trnpner. By Unhrga E. Lumlla.
The Boy Riflel. By A. (l. irmm.
The White 8 Halo. By “surge E. Lnsnllo.
Jim Bluduoo. Jr. lir Edward L \Vh-‘eler.
Ned Hazel. the [luv 'l'rnmmr. By Capt. Adams.
Dcndiv Eve. the (Iakanwn . liv harm. Bill.
l Nick Whiiilcl’s Pct. By C“; . ‘. C. Adams.
Deadwood Dick'n Eagle». lly . . Wheeler.
The Border King. By Ull r'rmnes.
old Iiiekorfi. By HarrySt. George.
The White ndiun. By Capt. J. F‘. C. Adams.
Buckhoru liili. By Edward L. Whoelar.
The Hhadmv Ship. By ('nl. Prvhtin lugraham.
The lied Brotherhood. by W. J. Hauiiitun.
Dnnd Jack. By T. C. llm'bnuuh.
llurr cane Bill. By st~- h. 1-}. liadgar, Jr.
Single "and. By W. J. llmnilthh.
Patent-leather do. By Philip S. \Varno.
The Border Robin "and. My Ruth-In Bill.
Gold Rifle the Shnr mhnnter. llv Ed. l.. Wlleuler.
01d Zip’s )ahiu. iy Capt. J. i‘. C. Admin.
Delaware Dick. liy 011 Owner.
“Mud ’i‘mn Wenturn. By W. J. Hamilton.
Deadwood Dick on Der-k. By E. L. \Vheeler.
ilnwkeye llnrry. liy ()ll Funnies.
The Bo Duell-tt. 15y Cul. Pwhtlaa hmraham.
Abe 00 t, the Crow-Kllur. By Alimrl W. Aiken.
Corduroy Charlie. By Edward L. Wheeler.
\Vili Homers. the liuy Detective. iiy Chas. Morrin.
So GI er, thu (.‘innt'i‘rnnner. BY A. W. A ken.
Rosch Rob. By Edward L. Whuhler.
Lightning Joe. ilnd t. J. F. C. Allnlnl.
Kit Ilarei‘oot. By ’1‘. . ilarhaugh.
Rulingjha Bny Ranger. By 0]] Hummus.
Idyi. the Girl Miner. Bv Edward L. “’luwler.
llewetlve Dick. By hurl»: Morris. -
Sure Shot Seth. the Boy Rinwmn. lly OllCoomch.
Shur Sam. By J. Alhxnudrr l'ailen.
The .ion oftlu- Sea. By Alhuri w. Alken.
Photograph l’hii,thu nay Sleuth. By E. L. Wheeler.
Picayune Pete. By Chm‘lvs Mm'r s.
inland Jinn ur. The Petol‘ the Family. is" Bruce
hridua Humyug (Jun-l: llnrkawny).
Watch-E 'e. the Shrub-w. lly Edward L. Wheeler.
Dick Den Eye. 'BV Cul. Premium lhzruhmh.
78 Deadwood D 1."! eviec. liy Ed. L. Wheel".
79 The Black Muntunxer. By C»- t. Mayne Reid.
80 Did Front. . tha Guide By T. C. i‘ nrlmugh.
8! The Son Viper. B Chl. Prenliulngrhham.
82 Seth Jonah. By E. Ward 5. l-jllil.
88 Canada Chet the Cnnntarfaiterichlef. Bv Winder.
34 The Dumb a... By 0...; Frederick Whittaker.

HHHHh-lb‘hll‘
mflaflfiaB-‘O ’: endows: “I:

 

Viv \Vhwlcr.

hbbhf‘fbhhhnéwggoa
.

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mmm’a

85 The Boy Minors. By Edw: rd S. Elliu.
86 ank Ilarlulwny in New York. lly Bran»
'hrnl re llrlnynlz.
S? ’l he lunar Captain. Hy (‘nL I’rentiél lllKrlililiill.
Fifi Deadwood Dick in Lendvillc. liy F.. l..Whr-~l. r.
SJ B‘ill Biddon? ’i‘rup yer. My Edward S. Ellis.
90 'l ippy. the ’l exnn. y Guhrua Gluaeon.
ill Mustang: Sam. liv Jun. E. liltlgrr. Jr. .
92 'lht- 01-min Bloodhound. lly Samuel W. [‘urce.
98 Phil llurdv, this livn Buy. By Charla iorris.
94 Deadwood Dick In: Detective. lkv .\\'lmeler.
95 Buck Buokrnm. li' ('aptain J. F‘. (. Adams.
96 G‘iit-Edzed Dick. iv Edward L. Whvelur.
9'? ’the Black Steed ol’the Prairies. .l. L. Bowun.
"H ’i he Sou Serpent. liy Juan Lewis,
99 Bonanza Bill, thu Man 'l‘rnclur. By E. L. Wheelar.
100 Nut Todd By Edward 5. Ellis.
i llv llnrry St. Genrgo.

liy Capt. Mnwa Reid.

iiy Edward L. “'hrcler.
ler. liy Rnger Slnrhnck.

By Charles Morril.

By .los. E. mam, Jr.

‘ \Fcllow (
103 Phil). iilc Girl
104 The J.“
105 llund-ouu- "any.
06 Night-llnwk Kit.
1|? Jar-k Ilo '19?! Load. By Edward L. “'heelrr.
3 Rock? I uuninin Kit. By T.C. iinrlmngll.
9 ’i he irnnded llnnd.  Fx-anl- Dunmht.

The Dread Rider. My enrgc \ . Brawhr.
ion “0". thr Kim: nl linutl-lnrhs. l<_\- . i..\\'hea er.
‘he lielplenn llund. By l‘nrvt. Mnylm lieiri.
‘onr-Fnoe Saul. thaSilant Hana-r. By ()1I ('unmu.
’luey Paul. lhe Mountwir. Boy. By'l (‘. llurbhulzh.
)endwood niuk’l Double. L. “'lM-nlcr.
label Collin. Shim-er. I _ ‘ . Whittaker.
Fain-y Frank, ot'tmlnrndo. liy Builalo isiil.
Will Wildfire, the'J'lioronghlm-ri, liyi huthiv-I'rin.
Dinnde Bill or. Dendwwd Dick’s iiumu “flit.
By Edward L. 'hreler.

20 G opher Gill, the liuy’l‘rnp u-r. lly 1‘. C. iinrhmmh.

21 Harry Armstrong-.thr aptnlh with: Club. by
iirtcehridgu liruwng, {Jock Hnrhnuny.)

22 The lluntcd lluntcr. liv Mwunl S. Ellin.

28 Solid Sam. the llny Rural-A; liy E. L. \l’liqeler.

24 Judge LyIu-ll. Jr. llv 'l‘. .. Hrlrhllllgh.

25 The Land l'lrnien. V ‘ \lnyn: vad.

26 iiiue Blaze». By Frank DIIIIlI-ni.

2’? Tally Fox. the Farrel. By Edward L. What-in.

28 Vi'ill “‘ildilre’l Racer. Br ('hmle: Martin.

29 Eagle 1‘ ii, the r l‘_\' lh mun. Br Oil (‘nman

0 Gold Trigger. the SEN”. By 1‘. (‘. Harhnugh.

i A Game of Gold. ly lCniwnrd L. Vl'heeler.

Dainty Lam-c, lim Boy Spun. By.). E. iindgcr,.lr.

“'iid-ilre, the Jim oi llil' Rmul. ll} Frank Dnnmnt.

M "In! Merrv. 1hr Harimr Police Buy. By C. Mmli.

Deadwood lick of Deadwood. By “'lwrler.

(lid Rube. the I'lunlvr. lly l‘hyt. llmhiltun I'lullnos.

Dandv Book. By G. \Valdn Browne.

Bob Rockvtl. ilw Bm ilotlm-r. lly Lhm‘. M "is.

The Black (-‘uinnl. liv Joseph E. limlguv, Jr.

Captain Arizona. By Philip S. ‘Vnrnr.

New York fell. Rx Edward L. Whu-Ior.

Little Toxnmlha Young Munnmuer. ByUJlCnomel.

Deadly Darth. llens. . li:t(lgcr,.lr.

' Little Grit, the Wild Ridpr. Hy (‘01. ivcrnhmn.

The Tiger of’l‘non. NV 1;... Wiillll) 15mm...

The Cattle Kink. Br ii‘rm-k Domain.

7 Volthy Nick of Nevada. is" E. 1.. “'heelvr.

143 Thunderbolt ’l'nm. 15y llarry at. hem-go.
liemly Nov. iil. '

1-19 liob 'liockolt. the Bank Runner.
Marvin Ready N w. 11. v

150 The Mud Mint-r. By G. Waldo Browne. Ready

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Nov. 'I-i
151 The‘ Son Trailer. 8;: Col. Prentiss lugrnlmrn.
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152 Pansy llurke. By “lillimn R. Eystur. Rently’.

’i'l‘. .
[:23 “'Iid Frank. lho Rucltskin Bravo. By Edward
L. W'lmclur. Ready Dec. 15.
I-nlrd Every “'ednendny.
Bendle’s Pocket Library Is for uh; by all Sum.

di air”, live cunll pur copy, 01’ sent by mail on ruwiyt wl' mx

c- u arll.
”" : BEADLE a.» ADAMS. Publishers.
, 98 \l’llllam bin-ct, New \ url..

\ 21mm, ’rIVE cEN'r‘s.\

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