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HAPPY DAYS
“I’m sure I’m very much obliged to you,
333,” said the broker in a confused way,
Yes, you surel: i
is arm around Reginald’s neck
and pointed excitedly to the sidewalk.
Of course the boy looked.
not have done so?
Instantly Mr. ‘Babcock Arew his arm
tight about Reginald throat and forced
him back against the cosnens.
ber phet fellow?
He
Who would
‘Knock-out drops!” thought Reginald, as
he. struggled to free himself from the
broker’s grasp.
[ro BE CoNTINUED.] : ~ .
+
Next Week!‘ That Boy of Brown’s; or,
the Wreck of the Denver Mail.” By R.
T. Emmet.
. ——~»-___
[This story began in No. 263,]
The Boss af the Gamp;}
‘The Boy Whe Was Never
Afraid.
sy R. T. EMMET,:
Author of Left on Treasure Island,” “Cal,
‘anvas Boy,” “The oy ‘from
pombatone,” ‘Novoay's Son,” etc.
CHAPTER XXIL
. HOw mney MET ROB’S FATHER,
“Chuck him over!” cried the man with
never do nothing down
there in the Death Valley camp while this
murmur vot Gssent went up from the
our toughs in the
hey all agreed that tt would be a diffi
cult job for any oné of their
make much headway in Death Valley while
the Boss of the Camp still lived.
So they caught up poor Harry and threw
him over the | Precipice without even a
thought of mercy.
It was a drop 0 ofa hundred feet and over
and Badman’s Creek ran like a mill race
below.
heard him strike the water with a
splash and then, all was still.
“That settles him,” said the man with tl
Jantern. “He’d have hollered if there ed
been life into him, so I guess we may count
him dead fast erough.”
They untied the rope from the tree and
hurried off up tue canyon toward thé North
Star mine richer to the ture of a thousand
dollars, for the man with the lantern went
ugh Harry’s pockets and took away the |
mill “eettificate,
ell strile up to the Star and let
Barney know we did him,” remarked the
leader, as they hurried awa;
It would have been better perhaps if the
Boss of the Camp had not been quite so
merciful.
Nothing short of a vigilance committee
and ‘ew yards of rope would perma-
negtly settle the troubles in Death Valley.
the miners thought, and at that very
moment a party of mounted men rode out
of the camp. .
They were all heavily armed and Sam
Pitman, the gambling house keeper, was in
the
xo sooner had Harry departed with the
gold wagon than Sam mt out on the
street and called a meeting of the miners,
Almost everybody in camp assembled in
the big gambling room, and Sam made a
little address,
“We want peace and quiet down hyar,
boys,” he said. “We are out for business
and the Boss of the Camp is good enough
for us every time. We don’t want no more
of them toughs.”
“Good for you, Sam
penied Jerry
what it does,” ‘Yeplied Sam, grim-
“Gents, you can't expect a boy like
to what we are up to. He's
the bravest rete that ever trod in two
shoes, and all he needs is experience. He’s
entitled to his position in this yer camp,
and so far as I’m concerned he’s going to
have it. “While he’s gone let's finish the
business for him and do what he’s too
tender-hearted to do.
here was a general murmur of assent
and other remarks followed.
This was the begi
Later ons just after ieintght—Sam Pit:
n made his
mavhat the end Ot “te all was we shall sce
ron.
jaret fi fancy coming to one’s senses after
knockout blow to find yourself flying
That Means vigi-
through the ai
That was Harry’ 8 case.
The force with which his head struck
the rocks had been terrible.
It deprived the boy of all consciousness
for the time being, and it was just as he
went over the edge of the precipice that
his wits returned.
“I’m a goner,” thought Harry, and then,
as the thought flashed through his mind,
he went plump into fhe creek and wai
swept away in a mome
He could: not swim t " stroke—few boys
in that part of the far West can, for there
are neither lakes nor rivers to learn in.
adman’s Creekihad been as low,as it
usually was his brains would have ‘been
dashed out in an instant, but fortunately
there had been considerable rain back
among the mountains of late and the creek
The force of the current sent Harry’s
ead under and he rose again, spluttering
and gasping, to find himself entangled in
the branches of a dead pinon tree, which
was being swept down the stre:
This saved his life.
n a moment he had climbed upon the
bank, and, holding on to a limb, pulled
himself together, he went sweeping
along down the stream. .
‘By thunder, that’s a close call!” gasped
Harry. “Wonder how it all happened. pia
teal over or was I thrown over? I ¢:
oe
&
could not decide until he thought of
the mill certificat
hen he felt for it and found it missing
he guessed the truth.
“This is more of Barney’s work, ” he. mut:
tered. “Well, I might have known it.’ Per-
haps I was a fool to let those fellows off so
easy, Never mind. urn will come
again. and then—hello! 1’ 'm all right now.”
The tree swung around and lodged for
the instant between two big rocks,
Harry gave one spring, 1: ng on the
rock on the right while the tree instantly
dislodging itself, was swept a)
Ip! Help! Ipt”
a the same moment a cry was heard in
the distance.
It came again and again as Harry ran
along fhe | narrow bank,
“The some one in trouble down
there!" ] he thought. “Who can it be? Who
in the world can be stuck here | on Bad-
man’s Creek this time. of night?)
It is a good thing to forget oneself and
one's own troubles and think about some
‘nis “was Just what Harry was doing
hen,
ete had been just a little bit scared when
he first found himself in the water, we
must admit it, but now he was ataid of
nothing which might be ahead of h
Stumbling over the rocks, sometimes half:
in the water, where the rocks came right
down to the stream, he ran on until in a
ew moments he came to a point where the
creek widened out.
There, standing -upon a boulder in the
middle of the stream, was man bare-
headed and drenched with water,
“Hello! Who are you? How did you
ome there?” Harry called out.
“Ah! Help at last!” cried the man. “Get
me off of this if you can! My horse has
been swept away and I'm stuck here. I’ve
been here for an hour. I'm almost dead.”
“Can’t you swim?” called Harry.
“Not a stroke.
“Neither can I, but I think I can fix you
out all right if you'll do just as I say.
pin, The current ow carry you near
anne and I can grab you the ne
“Then for heaven sake let’s try, it,”
plied the man. “My name's Rollins. I'm
From Chicago. I started to ride from Man-
ning | fe the North Star mine. Somehow I
to miss my way and here I am
stuck aa this le.
“Rob's father!” cue Harry. ‘Well, this
is more than stran;
Fs
CHAPTER XXIII.
THE VIGILANTES HAVE THEIR REVENGE.
Rob and Jennie returned to the North
Star a little before midnight and they re
tu mee alone.
had been entirely unsuccessful in
thelr “mission.
hile at another time they would mo
doubt have been able to engage a dozen men
they had wanted that many, as luck
would have it they could not get one,
After waiting around Manning several
hours they started off just before the
evening train came in and made the best
of their way back to the mine, only to find
the drift closed and Harry missi
“Where can he be?” exclaimed Rob. “I
might have known it. Barney’s gang have
been here and carried him off, like a not.
T had no business to leave him alon|
“Don’t you think,” said Jennie, “that we
had better take away the stone and see if
he's not in the drift. Of course I don’t
suppose he would ever stay there, but-—”
“But it’s Impossible!” broke in Rob. Thi
stone could never be put in place like that
from the inside, but all the same I'll pull
it away and make sure,”
“No, you won't, young feller!: You'll
leave jt right where it Ae said a deep
voice behind him. “’Tain’t no’ use for
you to kick the ston : your pardner’s dead
and you are going to "aie, too.”
Rob faced around and saw a man with
his left arm ‘in a sling standing behind
m,
There were six others: close beside him,
too, all armed with ri
Seen there in the moonlight, they looked
and determined, and as Rob recog-
nized Barney as the leader, his heart sank,
ead!” he cried. “Who Killed him?
You?"
“None of your danged biz! Is that Dan
Mills’ canter you've got there with you?”
“Yes, I'm Dan Mills’ daughter, and Dan
Mills’ daueben. ean fight!”
whipping out her revolver
straight at Barney’s hea
-was a miss and Jennie did not
have the chance to try it a;
Instantly the men sprang pen t
Rob tried to draw, but the revolver was
dashed out of his hand, and, before he
knew it, he was sprawling on the san nd,
eye et em, by time!” cried Barney.
“Hold the girl, foe ot you. I'll deal with
tas fellow right her
a bad outlook for Rob as he stood
there” = prisoner among the toughs after
they Graseed Jennie away.
Two o! @ men backed him up against
the big Muon after disarming him.
bamey stood facing him, revolver in
“AVhat do you know about this. here
place?” he demanded. “What's this stone
that you were going to take away?”
‘here were dozens of loose stones laying
about under the rocks, so it was not strange
that Barney did not know to which one
Jennie’s remark referre:
“I don’t know what you mean?” replied
Rob, sturdily.
Ee
cried Jennie,
and firing
» yes, do,” sneered Barney,
“There's something queer about the North
Star mine. I’m on to it. There’s an open-.
ing here somewhere what leads into one of
ihe drifts, -I heard Dan Mills talking about
it down to wickedsburg. You know where
it is and you'll tell o:
what? a” asked Rob, as he paused.
“Or d
“You’ iL “never a oogthing out of me,”
replied Rob. “What do you know abo
Harry Holloway? Have you killed him?”
“Yes,-we have, and we propose to serve
you the Name unless you tell the secret of
the pioth Star mine,”
! Oh, don’t do it, Barney!” cried
Jennie mau tell.”
n't, Jen: You shall not!”
Rob cried. na aon't "pelieve that Harry is
dead.”
“Throw up your rifles, boys! Make ready
to fire!” said Barney. “I’m going to do this
fellow. Dan Mills’ ’ daughter will tell us all
we want to
Instantly six Titles were leveled at poor
Rob.
Jennie sereamed and fell to the ground in
a dead faint.
“Fire! cried Barney.
Bang! Bang! Bang
Not six rifles, but ‘at least as many as
twenty-six spoke then, the. shots coming
from the top of the bluff above, upon which
‘stood the buildings of the North Star
With a sharp cry barney fell dead beside
the wneonscious gir
of his men sharea his fate, while
the remaining two took to their heels and
ran like maa down the hill toward Death
Valley cam:
“Three cheers for the vigilantes!” rang
out overhead. ‘That settles the murderers
of the Boss of our Camp!”
, whom never a shot had been
fired by the toughs, sprang away from the
wall, and, looking pp. saw a great crowd of
men on top of the bluff.
“There’s another one. Kill him!” shouted
Sam Pitman, turning his rifle on the boy.
“Stop! Don’t fire!” Rob fairly yelled.
“I’m Rob Rollins. Tell me, is it true that
Harry Holloway is dead?"
CHAPTER XXIV. ‘
CONCLUSION.
“I'm afraid it is only too true, my boy,
You may as well make up your mind to the
worst. You'll never see the Boss of the
amp again.
This was what Sam Pitman said when he
and his vigilantes met Rob and Jennie half
way between the scene oe the tragedy and
the office of the North Sta
Poor Rob was terribly overcome. As for
Jennie, she wept silently. It seemed to her
as. it her last friend was gone
es, I guess it is true, fast enough, and
more’s the pity, for the Boss was a brave
one,” continued Sam. “You see we struck
two of them fellers thar in the mine of:
fice. They told us how it happened. The
Boss went over to Wickedsburg with his
gold and they laid for him on the way
Blame shame,
just as we thought we'd got him back again |
down thar in the cam
It was a sad day for every one.
But the vigilantes were not the sort to
waste time in useless regre’
They buried their victims. ‘and started to
return to their wo
Rob and Jennie did not know what to do,
and very likely would have gone with them,
but just before the start was made a large
company of men came riding into the mine
yard on horses,
They had come over from Manning, hay-
ing been brought there by train from Santa
‘e, Tombstone, Tucson, Arizona, and other
pices.
‘as the ne ot the auction, ‘although
Rob dia not k:
our was M spent in examining the
property and there were more arrivals as
the time sped on
When at last Mr, Blake, fhe “auctioneer,
took his stand the door of the shaft-
house there were. as many as forty men as-
sem’
“Whi ak in the world am I to do?” thought
Rob. “I ought to look out for father’s in-
terests here,
but w! Vho'll take my bid?
All I’ve got is this thousand dollar mill
certificate, a o1d—’
gen tlemen, we are about to
offer this valuable mining property for sale
to the highest bidder!” began Mr. Blake.
“Terms, one-third cash down and balance
on approved notes. This & fhe North Star;
ene samous North Star, e
lake launched Sut. “Into a long 4
serpiion of the property and the bidding
The Nor ur fer had a bad name and no-
body wanted
The crowd ‘ot miners in attendance had
come there because they thought they could
buy in the property chea’
It was soon evident that it was going to
be a slow sale. a
Bidding Tose slowly up to $50,000. .
Then it was a fight between a Mr. Qu im.
by, of Tucson, and Lawyer Nugent, of Man-
ning, representing nobod;
“Fifty-one thousand!” cried Quimby.
sont 8? it fifty-one one!” responded Nu- -
aenritty-o ne two,” added Quimby, and so it
kept on rising a hundred dollars at a time
up to fifty-five thousand, when all at once
wo mounted men came dashing into the
thousand!” cried the foremost,
catching Salmbys 's last bid.
“Harry!” Rob. “Oh, Jennie!
Look there! Harry, and my father!
Hooray! Hoo!
He was so overjoyed that he called right
out in meeting and in spite of everybody
forced his way through | the crowd to where
the newcomers had halted.
But before he got there one fate of the
North Star had been dec!
Quimby. dropped out ue SSety thousand,
Nugent felt at seventy, at which sum the
mine was knocked down to Harry Hollo-
way, amid wild cheers from the Death Val-
ley contingent, who, entirely unable to re
strain themselves, kept shouting o1
looray for the Boss of the cam: mp!"
at was not until it was all over that Rob
d Jennie managed to force their way to
Harry’ 's side,
It_was a joyful meeting.
“The bravest boy I ever saw,
clared Mr, Rollins.
Rob!” de-
and my fortune into
the bargain, if what, he tells me is true.”
Harry, who had gone back to Wickeds-
burg with Mr. Rollins, where he learned
that the auction was to take place next
day, was prepared with mill certificates to
meet his obligations, and he pata over to
the auctioneer the Foqulred third.
The gold he
Oe, and Mr. Rollins, who represented
his creditors, took possession of the prop-
y.
‘Holloway & Rollins were the owners of
the North Star now and they decided to
put Rollins, Sr. in charge,
The first thing done was to clear out the
drift and bury the bodies of the conspira-
tor:
not. was Impossible to keep the secret after
inet tithin twenty-f four hours the great strike
in the North as know! Wickeds-
burg and Nanning and telegraphed all over
the country.
It was the beginning of the biggest min-
ing boom New Mexico had ever known,
One year later Holloway & Rollins were
worth millions; owe Mnillions would not
have bought the North Star and their
Death Valley claim was averaging ten
thousand dollars a mont
Mr, Rollins paid his creditors in full and
still remains at the mine with his son and
daughter-in-law, for it was Rob who mar-
ried Jennie and not Harry, as some ex:
pected would be the case,
No; our quero is sa a single man, ag
well as a v .
He is entirely devoted to business, ona it
you ask any one out there who is the most
successful mine owner in the 1 region there
will be but one answer,
“Why, don’t you kno Haven’t you
ever heard of Harry Holloway? The best
man in all New Mexico to work for, sir.
sk anybody up around Death Valley ifyou |
. a:
don’t believe it. He’s the Boss of
Camp.
(tur END}
knew who. s