THE MOTHER LODE.
As the boys swarmed down the hill to where Ted and the girls were
standing apart from the soldiers, who stood staring at them in
amazement, they let out the Moon Valley yell, and acted as though they
were a victorious army taking possession of a conquered city.
Lieutenant Barrows stood in the doorway in open-mouthed amazement at the
change of scene, in which he and his men were not the captors, but the
captured.
He started to bluster by ordering Hallie to get ready to accompany him
back to her father.
"I shall not go," she said positively. "I don't believe that my father
sent for me."
"I know he didn't," said Ted firmly.
"What do you know about it?" asked Barrows, with a sneer.
"I know that it was your intention to kidnap Miss Croffut and take her
to the coast, where you would board a yacht and carry her out of the
country."
"That's a----" began Barrows.
"Don't let the word lie pass your lips as applied to me, or I'll jam it
down your throat," said Ted, advancing toward the officer, who turned
pale and retreated.
"You shouldn't tell your intentions to such irresponsible persons as the
Woofer, here. He told all about it early this morning so loud that the
whole of Montana might have heard it if they had been awake. I heard it,
and if Woofer denies saying that you did say so, then he's a liar, and
I'm personally responsible for everything I say."
"I did say so, and I heard the lieutenant say so," said Woofer
defiantly.
"Another thing, I have in my pocketbook scraps of a letter written by
you in which you say you have sent Paris green out to poison our cattle,
and you did succeed in a way, but not as you wished. Barrows, your game
is played. You are at the end. I shall see that the proper authorities
get all the details of this, and you know what will happen then. You
will be chased out of the army like a mad dog, and all the influence you
can bring to bear will not serve you."
Barrows was looking at Ted with terror in his eyes.
"My advice to you is to skip before the army gets on to you," continued
Ted. "Disappear. Obliterate yourself. It will be easier for you to be
thought a deserter than what will be thought of you if what we know
about you goes back to the post."
Barrows stepped back into the cabin, and Ted walked to where he could
keep his eye on the soldier.
Suddenly he jumped into the cabin and wrenched a pistol out of Barrows'
hand.
"No, you don't," he cried angrily. "You can't pay for this by
self-murder. You've got to live to pay for your meanness."
Barrows submitted to be disarmed by Ted. He stood looking for a moment
at Hallie, and for a moment it seemed as if he would speak to her. Then,
with a cry of agony, he rushed across the open, leaped upon his horse,
and, plunging into the grove, was lost to sight.
"Sergeant, now you know what to do," said Ted. "There's only one thing
for you to do. Hike for the post and tell the commandant anything you
like to explain the absence of Barrows. But be sure to say to the
colonel that his daughter is safe and well and prefers to stay with Miss
Fosdick and her friends. I don't know how deeply you are mixed up in
this cattle-poisoning, girl-abducting scheme of Barrows, but I give you
the benefit of the doubt."
"Sure, sir, I didn't know anything about the cattle poisoning, nor do
any of the men, and as for abducting the young lady, all I knew about it
was that we were sent by the colonel to bring her back, that is, the
lieutenant said so. We was to arrest you for stealin' cattle from the
gover'ment. But I don't see as we can do anything, now that the officer
in charge is gone. All right, sir, I'll tell the colonel all what you
said, an' somethin' that's been layin' hard on my stomach ever since I
got wise to the officer what's not in charge no more. Men, get ready to
march."
The soldiers saddled their horses, and got ready to start on the march
back to Fort Felton.
When they were ready to start, Ted walked up to Woofer and the man who
had come in with him in the night.
"Woofer," said he, "strike the back trail, and don't look around. You
are not wanted in this part of the country. Remember, we are all deputy
United States marshals, and not in the least afraid to use our
authority. Hike!"
"All right, pardner, if you say you don't like our sassiety we won't
force it on you. We'd like good company back to Felton, anyhow, an' the
sojers has plenty o' grub. Adios!"
With a wave of the hand, the sergeant led his column out of the
clearing, and, climbing the hill, struck into the southwest, where lay
the fort.
When they were gone Singing Bird came out of the woods in which she had
been hiding, for she was in mortal terror of Woofer.
When she knew that Woofer was in the vicinity she had run into the woods
and immediately climbed into a tall pine tree that grew on the hill,
where she was sure he would not be able to find her.
Now, when she came forth, she ran to Stella, in a very much excited
state.
"Sister," she cried. "I have found it!"
"Found what?" asked Stella, in surprise at the girl's emotion, for
usually she had the stoicism of her Indian blood.
"I have found the place of the secret, the place of the mother gold,"
cried Singing Bird, trembling with excitement.
"I have seen it, the place where my mother lay," she continued, when her
excitement had somewhat passed away.
"How?" asked the puzzled Stella.
"When I climbed the tree I saw the big, muddy river lying over there. I
looked about. It seemed that I had seen it the same before. Then I
remembered the night the white men killed my mother, and it all came
back to me. Woofer was one of the men. He knew that we were coming near
to it."
"How did you recognize it as the place?" asked Stella.
"By the tree across the river, and by the bluffs, and the turn of the
river. Oh, I know it. You can't fool Indian on signs like that."
The boys were standing around listening eagerly, for this was the first
time they had heard of the "mother gold." Briefly Ted related the story
told by Singing Bird about the gold in the river, and how her father
found the mother lode.
"I'm fer gettin' thar as soon as we kin," said Bud Morgan. "Whenever I
smell gold I git tired o' ther smell o' cows."
"Looks good to me," said Ben.
"Me, too," said Kit, and the other boys raised a shout for the mother
lode and the excitement of finding gold.
"But the cattle?" asked Ted.
"We'll drive them down into this valley, where part of the force can
easily watch them, while the other part is engaged in the fascinating
sport of gold hunting. Me for the gold." Thus Stella delivered herself,
and that seemed to settle it.
Accordingly the cattle were driven down from the plain and into the
beautiful grassy valley, with the Missouri flowing at the foot of it.
Then they pitched their camp.
Singing Bird had gone into the woods on an exploring mission to find, if
she could, the grave in which her father had buried her mother the day
after the fight with the white miners, and had been gone an hour or
more, when she came hurrying back, trembling like an aspen.
Rushing up to Ted, she fell at his feet.
"What's the matter now?" he asked, in a kindly way.
"I have seen him," she cried. "Save me! Save me!"
"Whom have you seen?" asked Ted.
"Running Bear. I go into the woods, and I see moccasin tracks; fresh
ones. They are large and new, made this day. I run away from them. Then
I see an Indian hiding behind the trees, always following me, and I
turned and ran for the camp. He followed me until he saw the camp, when
he turned and ran the other way."
"Are you sure it was Running Bear?"
"Oh, yes, I am sure. I know Running Bear. He was my husband."
"Well, do not be afraid. Running Bear will not hurt you. But don't go
away from the camp."
Ted told the boys that the Indian was on their trail, looking for the
mine himself, but that he would probably track them until they found it,
and then try to take it from them by pressing to his service a band of
Indians, which he could very well do.
When Stella went to look for Singing Bird that evening she could not be
found. The alarm was passed to the boys, and a thorough search of the
camp was begun, but the girl could not be found.
"She has done what I told her not to do," said Ted. "She has left camp,
and that precious rascal has captured her. But he will not wring her
secret from her. I am convinced that she would die first."
"But what are we going to do about her?" asked Stella. "We can't let her
remain where she is."
"Where is she?" he asked whimsically.
"Where is she?" Stella repeated the question excitedly. "Do you suppose
that I would be here if I knew. I don't know where she is, but I'm going
to find out."
"Not to-night, Stella, surely."
"Yes, to-night. Right now."
"But----"
"There's no buts in this at all. Who wants to help me find Singing
Bird?"
Every fellow in the outfit stepped forward.
"Well, I guess that's enough," she said, laughing. "But, I want you and
Kit. The others can stay behind and 'tend the herd. We'll be back when
we return." She waved a merry hand to the others, and the three strode
into the woods, Bud bending eagerly forward to find the trail.
Presently Bud struck a moccasin trail, and they followed it until it
mingled with another.
The first was undoubtedly that of Singing Bird. The other was that of a
big man, or of a man with a big foot.
"I reckon she come out here ter find her mother's grave, an' met up with
ther bully, her husband. Here they seem ter hev had a struggle, and then
thar is only one track, but deeper, showin' that he was carryin' weight.
I reckon he put his hand over her mouth an' carried her off by main
strength."
"Poor Singing Bird," murmured Stella. "If she has really fallen into the
hands of that brute, it's a sure thing that she'll be killed this time,
and now we're bound to follow her and get her."
"That's interfering between a man and his wife," said Kit.
"I don't care. She's mine now, for I saved her life. She said so."
"All right, Stella, we'll find her if we swaller our chewin' gum.
Forward!" Bud led the way, always with his eyes on the ground.
After traversing a few hundred yards he stopped.
"Here they're walkin' side by side again," he said, "and they're going
toward the river."
They hastened on to the bank of the river, and there all trace of them
was lost at the water's edge.
"They've crossed over, but not in a boat," said Bud. "I don't see how
they could do it if they didn't swim. There isn't the sign o' a boat
around here."
"Then over the river we go," said Stella. "But the question is, how?"
"I'll swim it," said Bud. "And if I find any trace of them over there,
I'll holler."
Bud threw his guns on the bank and plunged into the water, and in a few
minutes was across, for so near the headwaters it was not wide.
They saw him scouting along the shore, and presently he waved his hand
at them, and pointed to the ground.
"He's found them," said Kit. "But how are we to get over?"
Kit ran up and down the shore, and soon found several logs, which he
towed to where Stella was waiting, and fastened them together into a
raft.
"There you are," he said. "Climb aboard, and I'll ferry you across."
Stella did so, and in a few minutes they were on the other side.
Bud showed them the tracks of Singing Bird, and they followed them into
the woods.
Close beside the track was a huge stump of a sycamore tree, and Stella
elected to sit down beside it and wait until they returned, as she was
pretty tired. The boys passed on with the warning to fire her revolver
three times if anything should alarm her.
As she sat beside the stump, she picked up a stick, and began poking in
the earth at her feet. As she did so, there was a rumbling sound beneath
her, and the world seemed to be slipping from her. This was followed by
a rush of earth and a clatter of stones, and Stella went down with it.
She did not fall more than ten feet, however, before she stopped, a
little shaken but unhurt.
When she had recovered somewhat, she looked about her.
Then she gave a little shriek of joy. It seemed as if she had fallen
into a regular nest of pure gold, for the glittering grains were
everywhere about her, on her clothes and in her hair.
Suddenly she recalled everything. She had found the mother lode that the
Indian girl had told of.
Drawing her revolver, she fired three shots, the danger signal, and
immediately it was answered by three shots, but from the side of the
river she had just quitted.
This surprised her, but in a moment she heard a shout. It was Ted.
Evidently thinking that something might befall her, he had followed, and
in a few moments she heard him splashing in the water.
"Hello!" he cried.
"Here I am, Ted," cried Stella, and in a moment she saw his face
outlined above her in the opening of the hole.
"How the deuce did you get there?" he asked.
"Oh, I just dropped in to take a look around, and what do you think I
found? I've found gold by the bushel. Ted, this is the mother lode."
Ben, Carl, and Clay were with Ted, and soon Bud and Kit, who had heard
the shots, came hurrying back.
When they heard what had happened they were much surprised.
"But this cannot be the place. Where is the sycamore tree Singing Bird
said was a landmark?" said Ted.
They had pulled Stella out of the hole, and now she pointed to the big,
old stump.
"That is what's left of it," she said. "If I hadn't that hunch to sit
down here, we wouldn't have found the mother lode in a blue moon."
As they were speaking they heard a sound behind them, and turned to see
Running Bear. He had crept up to them so silently that not one of them
had heard him until he was a step away.
"Ugh!" he grunted. "White boy go away. This my country."
"Go to your grandmother," said Ted. "Where is Singing Bird?"
"She in Running Bear wigwam. Mebbe so you like Singing Bird. You can
have same go away."
"What, and leave you in possession of all this gold? Not likely."
"Then Running Bear make you. Hate white boy. Not make play this time."
Before Ted was aware of his intention, the Indian had sprung upon him
from the side. He was immensely powerful, and forced Ted backward toward
the edge of the pit, evidently with the intention of breaking his neck
by the fall.
But Ted managed to get a good hold at last, and forced him back
gradually.
Then Running Bear came at him with greater strength, and again they
wrestled perilously near the edge of the pit.
Running Bear took advantage of Ted's trip over the loose tree roots, and
slowly forced him backward, in spite of his herculean efforts, to the
pit's edge.
He had bent Ted's head back until his neck cracked, and if he threw him
into the pit, it likely would kill him.
From where they stood, on the opposite side of the pit, none of the boys
could get a shot at Running Bear without endangering the life of Ted.
It was a pretty tight situation, and the boys were really alarmed for
Ted's safety, when out of the woods ran an apparition--a woman so
covered with blood as to be unrecognizable. But Stella uttered a scream.
She had seen that it was Singing Bird, who had been terribly injured by
her brute of a husband, who had evidently tortured her to get from her
the information she possessed about the mother lode.
Before any one could divine what she was about to do, the Indian girl
had sprung toward Running Bear and plunged a long, keen knife into his
back to the hilt.
It was an Indian's revenge. She had given him blood for blood.
Running Bear staggered backward, then suddenly wheeled, caught the knife
from the girl's hand, and was about to plunge it into her, when he fell
forward on his face and lay quite still.
Singing Bird weaved back and forth for a moment, then she, too, sank to
the ground.
When the horror of the sudden tragedy passed from them sufficiently, the
boys rushed to the side of the unhappy couple, but they both were dead.
That was the tragedy of the "Mother Lode Mine" on the upper Missouri,
which became the property of the Moon Valley Company, and which paid
enormously until it worked out, for it was only a pocket, thus putting
an end to the placer mining on the islands farther down the river.
The rest is soon told. Barrows was never heard of again, for he knew
that if he returned to take a court-martial for his misconduct, he would
have fared badly.
That fall the officers at the post sent word to Ted that if his cattle
were for sale they would be glad to buy them at his own figure, so that
his independence in repudiating the first contract was a good thing
after all, for, besides the profits which came from Stella's gold mine,
the herd paid handsomely. But Stella never forgot Singing Bird, whose
gentle life paid the penalty for the greed for gold. Not far from the
mine she was buried, and a stone carved with the story of her death
still marks the place where she was laid to rest.
THE END.
* * * * *
WESTERN STORY LIBRARY
For Everyone Who Likes Adventure.
"Ted Strong's Contract" is the title of the next volume in the
Western Story Library, No. 43, a story of wild adventure in the
far West written by Edward C. Taylor.
Ted Strong and his band of bronco-busters have most exciting adventures
in this line of attractive, big books, and furnish the reader with an
almost unlimited number of thrills.
If you like a really good Western cowboy story, then this line is made
expressly for you.