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THE FRONTIER BOYS IN THE SIERRAS
Or
The Lost Mine
by
CAPT. WYN ROOSEVELT
Illustrated by S. Schneider
New York
A. L. Chatterton Company
Publishers
+-------------------------------------+
| |
| By the same Author |
| |
| FRONTIER BOYS ON THE OVERLAND TRAIL |
| FRONTIER BOYS IN COLORADO |
| FRONTIER BOYS IN THE ROCKIES |
| FRONTIER BOYS IN THE GRAND CANYON |
| FRONTIER BOYS IN MEXICO |
| FRONTIER BOYS ON THE COAST |
| FRONTIER BOYS IN HAWAII |
| FRONTIER BOYS IN THE SIERRAS |
| FRONTIER BOYS IN THE SADDLE |
| |
+-------------------------------------+
Copyright 1909
Chatterton-Peck Co.
[Illustration: "THE MEXICAN HAD GOT ALMOST WITHIN STRIKING
DISTANCE."--P. 179.]
CONTENTS
CHAPTER PAGE
I. IN THE CHANNEL 9
II. FAREWELL TO HAWAII 17
III. JEEMS' STORY 25
IV. THE LOST MINE 33
V. WORKING THE SHIP 41
VI. DANGEROUS WORK 49
VII. WHAT THEY SAW 57
VIII. A RACE 66
IX. THE ENGINEER 75
X. THE RUSSIAN 85
XI. A CONSPIRACY 94
XII. THE GREEN GHOSTS 103
XIII. TOM'S BAD LUCK 112
XIV. THE TRIAL 121
XV. "THE MARIA CROTHERS" 130
XVI. AN EXCITING CHARGE 140
XVII. A CHASE 148
XVIII. THE DIAGRAM 157
XIX. THE CAMP IN THE VALLEY 167
XX. A SURPRISE 176
XXI. THE GREASER 185
XXII. HAIL 192
XXIII. A HOLIDAY 202
XXIV. BIG GUS AND HIS GANG 209
XXV. A NEW FORT 215
XXVI. A NIGHT ATTACK 222
XXVII. THE RETREAT 229
XXVIII. A NEW START 237
XXIX. THE SEARCH 244
XXX. THE LOST MINE AGAIN 251
The Frontier Boys in the
Sierras
CHAPTER I
IN THE CHANNEL
"By Jove, Jim!" exclaimed Jo Darlington, "but this sea is something
fierce! For one I will be mighty glad when we get clear of the
Hawaiian channels and out into the open."
"It is lively going," yelled Jim, above the roar of the wind, as he
and his brother Jo were standing together on the bridge of their ship,
"but I guess the _Sea Eagle_ will weather it, if we don't run into
another vessel in the dark. How about it, Captain?"
The captain, who was the rather bent figure of an old man, was clothed
in a heavy woolen jacket, buttoned across his chest. He stopped and
regarded Jim fixedly in the semi-light on the bridge.
"What's that, Skipper?" he roared hoarsely, "weather this? Why, this
ain't no sea, and the _Sea Eagle_ is a staunch boat. Why, lad, you
must be joking."
"I was," replied Jim, laughing. "I just want to reassure brother
Jo,--that was all."
"Somebody ought to go and cheer up Tom and Jeems Howell," remarked Jo,
in order to give himself some sea standing in the eyes of Captain
Kerns. "They are as sick as puppies down in the cabin."
"Don't blame 'em much," cried Jim, "this motion would upset a shark's
liver."
If you have read "The Frontier Boys in Hawaii," you will be well
acquainted with these conversationalists on the good sea-going yacht,
the _Sea Eagle_, but if not, you will have to be introduced, "Mr.
Reader, this is Skipper James Darlington."
"Happy to make your acquaintance, hope you are a good sailor?"
"Mr. Reader, allow me to present Captain Kerns."
Captain Kerns merely grunts, and, kind Mr. Reader, you must overlook
his lack of formality, because the captain is an old salt and his
manners are a little briny.
In way of further explanation, I may say that the Frontier Boys are
just returning from a trip to Hawaii in which they have explored the
wonderful crater of Haleapala on the Island of Maui, and their ship
the _Sea Eagle_, whose capture is another story, is pointing her prow
eastward through the rough channel that separates Hawaii and Maui.
They are en route to the coast of California, and as soon as they
land they have planned to make an exploring expedition into the
wilds of The Sierra Nevadas, in search of a lost mine, rumors of which
have come to their ears. Besides the three Frontier Boys and their
comrade Juarez, there is their friend Jeems Howell, a shepherd and
philosopher, from a small island off the coast of California; Captain
Kerns, a retired ship's master who was persuaded to come along merely
to supervise; Jim, the oldest of the three brothers, being the acting
commander, though generally referred to as skipper. And besides these,
there is old Pete, an ancient mariner, the engineer, and a sturdy boy
below who does a good deal of the stoking.
Besides these _dramatis personae_, there is a general chorus of
Mermen and Mermaids, sharks, porpoises, sea serpents _et al._; as Jo
Darlington would say, it was the sharks that _et all_. But this is no
reflection upon the appetites of the boys, which was invariably good,
if we may except Tom Darlington and Jeems Howell just at the present
moment.
Now, on with the voyage: as the principals have been introduced and
are ready, they can come to close grips with the ocean and all its
dangers, so that the referee, being the writer, has made his exit
through the ropes, allowing a free field and no favor. It is a tough
beginning as far as sea way goes. The hour is close upon midnight in
mid-channel, and that is no dream even on so staunch a little craft as
the _Sea Eagle_.
"That time she lapped the starboard boat into the water," yelled Jim.
"Hold steady now, lads."
Then up rose the ship on the other roll to larboard; over, over, over
she went; would she never stop? Then with a straining of all her
timbers, that had all the effort of severe muscular tension, she did
stop, then back she rolled on the other tack which was equally as
sharp, the brass balls on top of her masts pointing from star to star,
describing, it seemed, almost a semi-circle.
To make it more interesting the _Sea Eagle_ would then dip under a
huge wave and the water would swish and roll aft along the main deck.
The wind whistled and hummed through the taut ropes, and altogether it
was a lively night, even if the sturdy old captain did discount its
terrors. Occasionally Jim and Jo would slide across the bridge and
bring up against the side; but as a rule they kept their sea legs in
good shape.
"Hold on, Juarez," cried Jim, as he saw a dark form emerge from the
companionway, "here comes a big wave."
But with the roar of the sea and the wind Juarez did not hear the
warning, and had just started across the deck when under went the _Sea
Eagle_, and a tremendous wave swept aft, submerging the bulwarks. It
caught Juarez off his feet and swirled him toward the side. He would
not have lived a minute in those rearing, plunging seas.
As he was swept over, he caught frantically at an iron stanchion and
barely gripped it, and before he could make an effort to help himself
he was submerged in the water, the sea tugging at him as though it
were an hungry animal. Hardy as Juarez was, he could not help but feel
a thrill of terror; it seemed as if the waves desperately clutched at
him.
Jim was filled with horror when he saw Juarez apparently carried
overboard. He shook off the captain's grip; the latter thought that
Jim was going to spring over after his friend, which act he knew would
result in two lives being thrown away. So he leaped to the main deck.
Then he saw Juarez struggling to get aboard before the next wave
came. He sprang to his help and with a powerful pull yanked him in.
They braced themselves against the attack of a second wave that swept
the deck and then they were "high and dry" on the bridge, drenched to
the skin, but entirely safe, and none the worse for their impromptu
bath.
"That was a close call, Juarez," said Jo sympathetically.
"Another call like that and I won't be tu hum," replied Juarez with a
grin.
"Next time take a look for'ard, lad," said the captain, who had joined
the group in the shelter of the deck house; "we could never have
picked you up on a dark night like this." Then he went back to his
station on the bridge. The hardy old sailor would never have dreamed
of making much ado about any accident no matter how serious. If the
party came through alive, that was sufficient to show that it was not
very bad. The Frontier Boys, too, had absorbed a good deal of that
philosophy in the course of many dangers which they had so fortunately
outlived.
When daylight came, the _Sea Eagle_ had battered her way through the
rough channel, its waters tortured by rapid currents and terrific
cross seas, and was now pitching along the windward coast of the big
Island of Hawaii, with its twin volcanic summits nearly fourteen
thousand feet in height. It was not smooth going yet by any means, but
better than during the night.
"Get up, Tom, and look at the scenery." It was Jim's cheerful voice,
addressed to Tom, who lay pale and rather wan in his bunk.
"I've got no use for scenery," growled Tom, "unless I can get close
enough to it to put my foot on it. I want something solid."
"How would a beefsteak do, Tom?" It was Jo, who was looking over Jim's
shoulder. At the mention of food, Tom seemed endowed with sudden
energy and reached down, and grabbing up a shoe, hurled it at the two
in the doorway. They ducked and the missile barely grazed the beard of
the old captain, who was coming aft, and then it went overboard.
"By Thundas!" he exclaimed, opening his eyes wide with surprise, "who
kicked that?"
"Tom threw it, sir," said Jim with a burst of laughter he could not
control, at sight of the captain's astonished visage, "but he meant it
for us, because we were guying him."
"I'll forgive him on account of his intentions," grinned the captain.
"I only wish he had swatted you."
Tom was much relieved to hear this expression of opinion on the part
of the captain, of whom he stood in considerable awe. From fright to
relief was such a revulsion of feeling that Tom forgot to be sea-sick,
and he began to mend from that moment, so that he was able to be
present for duty when breakfast was served.
"I thought you were sick abed," remarked Jim, opening his eyes with
surprise.
"I was," replied Tom, "until I threw up that shoe, now I feel fine and
fit to eat a square meal."