For the next ensuing days there were no more visits to the cabin.
According to Lyle's suggestion, a few notes were quietly exchanged
between Houston and Jack; thus their plans were maturing, while there
was nothing which outsiders could detect.
Meanwhile, Haight had bestowed considerable attention upon Miss
Araminta Bixby, to the unspeakable delight of that individual, and had
so ingratiated himself into her favor that she only too gladly
consented to play the part of spy on the movements of Houston and Van
Dorn. The two Maverick boys had also agreed to report to him whatever
they were able to learn concerning these two.
Houston and Van Dorn, however, did not seem quite so intimate of late.
They were apparently as good friends as ever, but were not so
frequently seen together. Nearly every evening, Van Dorn started out
for a stroll, sometimes with Lyle, sometimes alone, often sauntering
in the direction of the cabin, but never seen to enter; while Houston,
after spending an hour or two with Miss Gladden, would walk down to
the mines, and entering the various tunnels, or descending the shafts
of one mine and another, would watch the night shift at their work, or
inspect the workings, occasionally taking measurements here and there.
On one of these trips Jack accompanied him, and on their return, they
completed the arrangements for the visit to the Lucky Chance mine, the
following night.
On the afternoon of the next day, Houston returned to the house a
little earlier than usual, having finished his work for the day at the
mines and mills, and as he with Miss Gladden and Lyle, sat in the
little porch, they were joined a few moments later by Van Dorn. In low
tones the plans for the evening were discussed.
"Of course," said Houston, "we shall go prepared for trouble, but I
do not anticipate that we shall meet with any. Even if we are watched,
our course of procedure will differ so slightly from what we have
followed for a week past, I think it will not excite suspicion."
"They have watched me so many evenings to no purpose, they may be off
guard to-night," said Van Dorn.
"Don't flatter yourself that you will escape 'Minty's' espionage for a
single night," replied Lyle, "she would remain out all night watching
you to gain a smile from Haight in the morning."
Van Dorn laughed. "So it is the charming Miss Bixby whose watchful eye
is upon me!" he exclaimed, "I think I will have to enter the lists as
Haight's rival, and see if I cannot win such faithful devotion upon
the right side."
"After you are gone," said Lyle, "I will soon be able to tell whether
there will be men sent out to watch you to-night; and I shall act
accordingly," she added, with a smile at Miss Gladden.
"Why, Miss Maverick, what will you do?" inquired Van Dorn, "you must
not expose yourself in any way."
"I will be in no danger," she answered smiling.
"I have no idea what Lyle intends to do," said Houston, "but I have
great confidence in her plans, for she knows this class of people
better than we, and I have found her judgment to be relied upon, on
every occasion so far."
Lyle's beautiful eyes spoke her thanks for his words of appreciation,
as she asked:
"At what hour will you have completed the examination, and be ready to
leave the mine?"
"Probably very near twelve o'clock," Houston replied, "we cannot
accomplish our work much before that time, and I do not wish to be out
much later."
"Well," said Lyle, merrily, but with a slightly mysterious air, "if
you are out at that hour, you may see the phantom horse and his
rider."
"Why, how is that?" inquired Van Dorn wonderingly, while Houston
remarked:
"If we see nothing more than phantoms, we shall be very happily
disappointed."
"All right," she responded, "if the ghost walks to-night, don't be
surprised," and hearing some one enter the dining room to make
preparations for the evening meal, she left them, and the subject of
conversation changed immediately.
A few hours later, Houston started as usual for the mines. There was
nothing out of the ordinary course of affairs in this, except that the
leave-taking between him and Leslie was unusually tender, but of this
no one knew but themselves. A little earlier, Van Dorn had left for
his customary stroll, giving Lyle an invitation to accompany him,
which she declined on the plea of being very busy. She immediately
withdrew to the kitchen, and smiled to herself presently, as she saw
Minty, with an air of great importance, starting out in the same
direction. She had been gone about half an hour, when Lyle, who was
again seated in the porch, caught sight of her moon-shaped face
peering around the corner of the house in frantic endeavors to attract
Haight's attention. As he was facing in almost an opposite direction,
her efforts were unavailing, and Lyle, who could with difficulty
restrain a smile, added to her embarrassment by inquiring in the
blandest tones:
"What is it, Araminta? do you wish to see me?"
At the mention of her name, Haight turned suddenly, just as the
blushing Miss Bixby was stammering out his name, and catching his eye,
she began nodding vigorously, to signify the importance of her
errand.
For once, Haight's punctilious suavity upon which he prided himself,
deserted him, and exclaiming, partly in anger, and partly as a blind,
"Confound it! what does the fool want of me?" he disappeared around
the house, while Lyle exchanged glances with Miss Gladden, and the
inoffensive young bookkeeper, recently imported from Silver City,
looked on in mute astonishment.
At the kitchen door, Haight found his agent and spy, her face shining
with delight that she at last had some news to impart.
"He's went in there to-night, Mr. Haight," she cried breathlessly, "I
seen him; I've watched him every night, but he's never went in till
to-night."
"You fool!" exclaimed Haight, angrily, "why couldn't you come around
and give me the tip on the quiet, instead of standing there grimacing
like an idiot, making a fool of yourself and me, too? Where are the
boys?"
Such a greeting was too much for Minty, after her faithfulness; her
anger was too great even for words, she was speechless and without
deigning even a look at Haight, she went into the house, and rushing
to her room, burst into a storm of tears, vowing then and there,
between her sobs, that she would tell Mr. Van Dorn every word that
Haight had said about him.
Meanwhile, Lyle, from her post of observation in the kitchen, saw
Haight call Jim Maverick out from among a group of miners who had
congregated for an evening's visit, and after a few words, Maverick
signaled to one of the miners, who, with his two companions, came over
and joined them. A few moments later the three started down the road,
and Lyle heard Haight's final instructions to them:
"Get onto what those fellows are about, if you have to stay till
morning, and if you want any help, send Jake back."
She knew the men; they were cruel and treacherous, and she was
confident that they were well armed, but they were at the same time,
cowards, and returning to Miss Gladden, she whispered:
"I shall try my little experiment to-night, and I do not believe there
will be any trouble."
It was quite dark when the men who had been sent to watch for Van Dorn
reached the little cabin. A lamp was burning within, as could be told
by the lines of light around the edge of the dark shade at the window,
but beyond this, there was neither sign nor sound. Having assured
themselves that there was no way by which they could ascertain what
was going on within, the men sat down behind a little clump of
evergreens, and filling their pipes, prepared to await developments.
Scarcely had they done so, however, when the light suddenly went out.
"What the divil do they think they're givin' us?" said one of the men,
with an oath.
"They seen us mos' likely, and they're tryin' to fool us that there's
nobody there."
"They can't play no such trick on us as that, damn 'em," said the
first speaker, but at that instant the cabin door opened, and two
figures came out. The men sprang quickly to their feet, making no
sound, and listening intently. They heard the lock click in the door,
and Jack's voice bidding Rex take care of the house, to which he
barked in reply; and then came Mike's broad voice:
"The saints presarve us! but the baste knows more than mony a mon, I'm
afther thinkin'."
"That he does," replied Jack, "and he is far more faithful."
The men, astonished, slunk back into the brush, their keen eyes
watching every movement of the two as they passed; there was no
mistaking those figures, or the rough clothes which they wore; it was
Jack and Mike, and their powerful muscle was too well known throughout
the camp, for any man, even the most brutal, to have the slightest
wish to tackle either of them.
As Jack and his companion passed out of hearing, the men dropped to
the ground, and for a moment the air resounded with their profanity,
while they held a brief consultation.
"They've tricked us, and that feller's hidin' 'round here," said the
leader, "or else he went on ahead to the mines; he hadn't no time to
go back to the house, for we'd 'a met 'im. There's somethin' in the
wind to-night," he added with an oath, "and I'm goin' to find out what
'tis. You fellers git after them two and keep 'em in sight; the boss
is down there, and mebbe the other feller, too; if ye see 'im, send
Jake to me, and I'll come 'round there and we'll lay for 'em. If he
ain't there, he's here, hidin' somewhere, and I'll watch and settle
his hash for 'im all right when he does show up."
"We'd better git some more of the boys," said Jake, "if we're goin' to
tackle them fellers with Jack and Mike along; that ain't no kind of a
job I'm hankerin' after."
"You damned fool!" said the first speaker, "who's said anything 'bout
Jack and Mike? They'll come back the way they've went, and them others
will start up the canyon for the house, and if we three can't hold
'em up, my name ain't Pete Brody; now git!"
Jack and his partner had met Houston in the Yankee Boy mine. As they
emerged from the shaft a little later, the piercing eyes of Jack and
Houston caught a glimpse of two figures skulking among the rocks at a
distance. Van Dorn was at a slight disadvantage, being somewhat
near-sighted, and having been obliged to take off his glasses when
donning Mike's costume.
"I know them," said Jack, "they are two of the three that were outside
the cabin, and one of them is about the biggest coward that breathes;
we could dispose of a regiment of such men, but I prefer to get along
without trouble if we can."
They started for the other mine, Houston taking the lead and Van Dorn
following, while Jack brought up the rear.
"They are following us," said Jack, after two or three quick glances
behind him, "but at a distance; we will probably have a nearer view of
them later, when we leave the mine."
As they proceeded through the tunnel of the Lucky Chance mine, they
met very few of the miners; they touched their caps to Houston with a
sort of sullen civility, and greeted his companions with rough jests,
which Jack received with his usual taciturn manner, but to which Van
Dorn, from underneath his disguise, responded with bits of Irish
blarney and wit, which greatly amused his associates.
Meanwhile, Pete Brody, as he kept his solitary watch before the cabin,
was surprised by the sudden return of Jake.
"Have ye found 'im?" he inquired eagerly, "Is he down there with the
boss?"
"No, he's not there."
"Then, what in hell are you back here for?"
"Bud sent me," answered Jake; "he said to tell ye they've gone into
the Lucky Chance, and what do ye be thinkin' o' that?"
"The Lucky Chance!" exclaimed Pete, "then there's some diviltry a
goin' sure, for the old man, he don't let nobody into that mine
'thout he's along; and if that Van-what's-his-name ain't down there
he's right here, that's all, and here I stays."
"And me and Bud, we're to watch out for the boss?"
"Yes, lay for 'im and overhaul 'im, and find out what the divil is
goin' on."
"I guess he's a pretty tough feller to handle, from all I've heerd,"
remarked Jake reflectively.
Pete responded with an oath. "Knock 'im silly, he'll be easy 'nough
handlin' then."
"Ye don't mean for to do 'im up, do ye Pete?"
"Well, I guess nobody'd feel very bad if ye did."
Jake went down the road, and Pete was alone once more. After waiting a
while, he determined to ascertain, if possible, whether there was any
one within the cabin. As he approached the door, there was a low
savage growl from the faithful watcher within. Very stealthily he
tried to open the door, but it was locked, and in response there was
such a furious onset upon the other side, accompanied by such fierce
growls, that he started back involuntarily.
It was nearly twelve o'clock, and Pete was growing desperate, and
anxious to put an end to his long watch. He retreated to the road, and
stood looking at the cabin, trying to decide whether he should break
in the window and shoot the dog, and run the risk of being shot in
return by whoever might be concealed within, when his attention was
suddenly arrested by a strange sound, as of heavily muffled footsteps
close behind him. He turned quickly, and in the starlight beheld a
sight that seemed to chill the blood in his veins. Not more than fifty
feet distant, and slowly approaching him, were the spotted horse and
his ghostly rider.
Every detail was perfect, like the description he had often heard
given by others who had seen the frightful apparition: the man dressed
in his miner's clothes, carrying the empty bag from which the gold had
been stolen; his face ghastly white, and the blood streaming from his
breast, while horse and rider were partially shrouded by a white
covering which floated from behind them.
Nearer and nearer came those strange footsteps, closer and closer the
fearful sight, and still Pete stood, as if turned to stone, his eyes
starting from their sockets, his hair rising, but unable to move or
speak.
Suddenly a long, low groan issuing from the ghastly lips seemed to
break the spell, and with one terrible shriek, Pete gave two or three
bounds out of the road, and ran for his life, jumping and leaping over
the rocks and through the brush, like a wild man.
The ghost gave a low, rippling laugh of satisfaction, and turning the
horse, rode rapidly back in the direction from which it had come,
until striking the road from the house to the mines, where the horse
trotted briskly for some distance, but on nearing the mines, once more
resumed his funereal pace.
The two men concealed in the brush along the road had no warning of
the approaching phantom, until they caught the sound of the strange
footsteps, and peered cautiously out, only to see the fearful sight
that Pete beheld shortly before.
"Holy Moses!" exclaimed Jake, with a yell, "it's the ghost!" The men
jumped simultaneously into the road, and started for the miners'
quarters, screaming like maniacs. The ghost followed in swift pursuit
until they were some distance past the mines; the men then being
safely disposed of with no danger of their return, it turned slowly in
the direction of the Lucky Chance mine.
Houston and his friends, having accomplished their task, stepped forth
from the tunnel into the starlight, looking carefully and searchingly
in every direction.
"There is no one to be seen at present," said Houston in low tones,
"they may be concealed about here, or we may meet them on the road to
the house."
"Very probably," Jack replied, "we must now proceed with the utmost
caution. Mr. Van Dorn and I will accompany you to the house, and he
had better then go with me to the cabin, in case there should be spies
watching for our return, and it will be safer for him to remain there
until nearly daylight, as none of the men will be out at that time,
and he can return to the house unobserved."
They had gone but a short distance, however, when, passing around a
curve in the road, they beheld a sight that filled them with
astonishment.
"Shades of the departed!" exclaimed Houston, "what kind of an
apparition is this?"
Jack studied the approaching figures for an instant, a smile of
amusement lighting up his usually stern features, while Van Dorn
hastily slipped on his glasses for a better view.
"That," said Jack, "is evidently the famous phantom of Spotted Horse
gulch, but who has originated the idea?"
"It must be Lyle," said Houston, "she said the ghost would walk
to-night."
"Well, by George!" exclaimed Van Dorn, "that is pretty good anyway."
Slowly the ghost approached, giving the interested observers an
opportunity to note the details of the make-up; the ghastly face, the
heavy beard of dark colored wool, the narrow strips of red flannel
streaming from breast and side, and even the heavy woolen socks upon
the horse's feet, muffling the sound of his steps. Suddenly the slouch
hat was raised, and the shining eyes of Lyle looked out from the
strange disguise, as she announced in triumphant tones:
"The road is clear, and you are safe!"
"Lyle," said Houston, "how did you ever think of this? Did you devise
this masquerade?"
"The idea was mine," she answered, "it occurred to me the other night
while listening to their talk, but Miss Gladden helped me to carry it
out."
"And was it a success?" asked Van Dorn wonderingly, having more
practical knowledge of mines than of miners, "Were the men frightened?"
"You would have thought so, could you have seen Pete Brody," Lyle
replied, with a low laugh, "I believe he is running yet, and I
wouldn't be surprised if Jake has lost what few wits he ever
possessed."
"It was one of the best schemes that could have been devised," said
Jack, gravely, adding, "We probably owe you more than we know."
Quietly and safely the little party proceeded up the winding road, and
having reached their several destinations, all were soon at rest. Even
the spotted horse, securely stabled in his accustomed place, gravely
munched his wisp of hay without a thought of the ghostly escapade in
which he had borne so prominent a part.
But in the miners' quarters consternation reigned, as Pete and Bud
related their experiences, Jake being utterly incapacitated for
speech. Even to Jack and Van Dorn, Mike had a fearful tale to tell of
the sight he had witnessed, while alone with Rex in the cabin, and it
was some time before his perturbed Irish fancies could be soothed; and
"the night that the ghost walked," was one long remembered and
frequently recalled by many of the denizens of the little mining
camp.