The Haunted Mine

by Harry Castlemon

  CHAPTER XXX.

  HOME AGAIN.

  Claus had been expecting something of this kind. It is true he had arevolver, but by the time he could reach back to his hip pocket anddraw it he could be covered by Jake, whose weapon lay close at hand.There was but one thing to be done--he had to surrender. Instead ofgetting three thousand dollars for his share in the robbery, he wouldbe turned loose in that country, two hundred miles from anybody,without a cent left in his pockets--that is, if Bob searched him.

  "Well," said Claus, "I suppose you want all the money I have aroundme. I should think you might leave me a little."

  "How much have you?" asked Bob.

  Without saying a word, Claus unbuttoned his vest, worked at somethingon the inside, and presently hauled out a belt, which he handed overto Bob. It did not stick out as though there was much money in it, andwhen Bob began to investigate it, all he drew forth was twenty-fivedollars.

  "You are a wealthy millionaire, I understood you to say," exclaimedBob, in great disgust. "This looks like it!"

  "I told you, when I had purchased the pack-mule, provisions and tools,that I should not have much left," answered Claus. "That's all I have,and if you take it from me I shall starve."

  "Stand up!" commanded Jake, who was as disgusted as Bob was. "You aresure you haven't got any about your clothes? But, first, I'll takepossession of that revolver."

  The revolver having been disposed of, Jake then turned his attentionto feeling in all Claus's pockets, but he found nothing morethere--Claus had evidently given them the last cent he had.

  "Take your little bills," said Bob, throwing Claus's belt back to him."If you are careful of them, they will serve you till you get back toDenver."

  "And when you get there, you can go to one of those men who own thatblock of buildings and borrow another thousand or two. Now, get out ofhere!" put in Jake.

  "I thank you for this much," returned Claus. "But I should thank you agood deal more if you would give me my revolver. I may want it beforeI reach Denver."

  "Give it to him, Jake. He hasn't pluck enough to shoot at us oranybody else. Make yourself scarce about here!"

  "They think they are awful smart!" thought Claus, when he had placedsome bushes between him and the robbers. "Why didn't they think tolook in my shoe? I have three hundred dollars that they don't knowanything about. Now I guess I'll go back to St. Louis; and if anybodyever says anything to me about an 'old horse,' I'll knock him down."

  We are now in a position to take a final leave of Claus, and we do itwith perfect readiness. Did he get back to St. Louis in safety? Yes,he got there in due course, but he had some fearful sufferings on theway. In the first place, he was nearly a week in finding his way outof the mountains; and by the time he reached a miner's cabin he was soweak from want of food that he fell prone upon the floor, and stayedthere until the miner came from his work and found him there. Ofcourse he was taken in and cared for, and when he was able to resumehis journey he offered to present the miner with every cent hehad,--twenty-five dollars,--to pay him for his kindness; but the minerwould not take it.

  "You will need every cent of that before you get to Denver," said he."The food and care I have given you don't amount to anything.Good-bye, and good luck to you."

  He was nearly three times as long in finding his way back to Denver.He tried to buy a horse on the way, but no one had any to sell. He nowand then found a chance to ride when he was overtaken by a teamsterwho was going somewhere for a load, but the most of his journey wasaccomplished on foot. His long tramp never cost him a cent, foreverybody pitied his forlorn condition.

  "I tell you, if I had been treated this way by those robbers Iwouldn't look as bad as I do now," Claus often said to himself; "Iwould have seen California before I went home."

  All this while, Claus was on nettles for fear he would see some of themen from Dutch Flat who were in pursuit of him; but the trouble was,the miners all went the other way. They never dreamed that Claus wasgoing home, but saddled their horses at Mr. Banta's command, and,making no attempt to follow the devious course of the robbers throughthe mountains, took the "upper trail," and did their best to shut themoff from the towns toward which they knew the men were hastening tobuy some more provisions. What luck they met with we shall presentlysee.

  No man ever drew a longer breath than Claus did when he came withinsight of Denver. He went at once to the hotel where he had left hisclothes, but the landlord did not recognize him and ordered him out ofthe house; but he finally succeeded in making himself known; and, nowthat he was safely out of reach of the miners at Dutch Flat, he hadsome fearful stories to tell of his experience.

  "You know I left my clothes with you on condition that you would keepthem for me for a year," said Claus, who thought that was the wisestthing that he ever did. "Well, I want them now. I have the key to mytrunk, so everything is all right."

  Claus was not long in recovering from the effects of his journey, forhe could not help thinking that Mr. Banta, or some other man whobelonged to the Flat, would find out that he had gone to Denver andcome after him; so he remained there but two days before he took thecars for home.

  "Now I am safe," said he, settling down in his seat and pulling hishat over his eyes; "I would like to see them catch me. But what shallI do when I get back to St. Louis? I must settle down into the sameold life I have always led, and that will be a big come-down for me."

  Claus is there now, spending his time at the pool-rooms, where hemakes the most of his living, and ready at any time to talk about themines and the terrible experience he had there.

  And where were Julian and Jack all this while? To begin with, theywere in the ravine, making all the haste they could to leave therobbers behind and reach the haunted mine before their provisions gaveout. That troubled them worse than anything.

  "If our grub stops, where are we going to get more?" asked Jack. "Idon't believe there is a house any nearer than Dutch Flat."

  "And we can't get there any too soon," returned Julian. "At any rate,we are better off than Claus is. What do you suppose they intend to dowith him?"

  "I suppose they intend to divide the money with him. What makes youthink they would do anything else?"

  "From the way they treated him. If we could learn the whole upshot ofthe matter, you would find that they don't intend to give him adollar."

  "I wish we could see Mr. Banta for about five minutes," said Jack. "Idon't like to give up that money. It is the first we ever earned bydigging in the ground, and I was going to suggest to you that we keepsome of it."

  Julian replied by lengthening his steps and going ahead at a fasterrate than ever. He, too, did not like to confess that the money waslost,--that is, if they could only get word to Mr. Banta in time. Hedid not know where the robbers were heading for; but, with two hundredmen at his back, Julian was certain he could come up with them beforethey had left the country entirely.

  "But I hope they will not hurt the robbers," said Julian. "If theywill just get the dust, that is all I shall ask of them."

  About five o'clock in the afternoon, when it began to grow dark in theravine, Julian, who had been all the time leading the way, stopped andpointed silently before him. Jack looked, and there was the camp theyhad occupied two nights before.

  "We are on the right road, so far," said he. "If we don't miss ourway to-morrow we are all right."

  The boys had not stopped to eat any dinner, and for that reason theywere hungry. They spent a long time in cooking and eating their bacon,and Julian said there was just enough for two more meals. He did notlike to think of what might happen when it was all gone, and, afterreplenishing the fire, bade his companion good-night, wrapped hisblanket about him, and laid down to rest; but sleep was out of thequestion. A dozen times he got up to see the time, and there was Jack,snoring away as lustily as he had done at the haunted mine. Julianwished that he, too, could forget his troubles in the same way, butwhen morning came he had not closed his eyes.

  Julian
proved to be an invaluable guide, for that night they slept inthe first camp they had made after leaving the haunted mine. If he hadalways known the path, he could not have brought his companionstraighter to it.

  "Now keep your eyes open for the trail we made when we came down fromour mine, and then we are at home. But I say, Julian, I shall not bein favor of staying here. All our money is gone, I don't feel in thehumor to work for any more, and we will go down to Dutch Flat."

  "And we'll stay there just long enough to find somebody starting outfor Denver, and we'll go with him," replied Julian. "I don't wantanything more to do with the mines as long as I live."

  The night passed away, and the next morning, without waiting to cookbreakfast, the two boys started to find the trail that led up thebluff to the haunted mine. They were a long time in finding it--solong, in fact, that Julian began to murmur discouraging words; butfinally Jack found it; and now began the hardest piece of work theyhad undertaken since they left the robbers. The cliff was as steep asit looked to be when they gazed down into its depths from the heightsabove, and they did not see how they had managed to come down it inthe first place.

  "Are you sure the mine is up here?" asked Julian, seating himself on afallen tree to rest. "I should not like to go up there and findnothing."

  "Didn't you see the trail we made in coming down?" inquired Jack. "Ofcourse we are on the right track; but if you spend all your time inresting, we shall never be nearer the top than we are this minute."

  Julian once more set to work to climb the hill, and in half an hourmore Jack pushed aside some branches that obstructed his way and foundhimself in plain view of the mine. Julian was satisfied now, butdeclared he could not go any farther until he had recovered all thewind he had expended in going up the bluff; but Jack wanted to seethat everything in the camp was just as they left it. He walked ontoward the lean-to, and the first thing that attracted his attentionwas that his goods had been disturbed. The skins were gone, some ofthe blankets were missing, and there were hardly provisions enough toget them a square meal. Julian came up in response to his call, andwas obliged to confess that there had been other robbers while theywere absent.

  "Let us dish up the few provisions left, take those things we want tosave, and dig out for the Flat," said Julian. "I am sure there isnothing here to keep us, now."

  "And we'll leave the dirt-bucket here for somebody else to use," addedJack. "If he thinks there is a lead down there, let him go and try it.I did not send up enough dust the last time I was down there to payfor the rope."

  At the end of an hour the boys resumed their journey, each one loadedwith a few things they wanted to save, and in two hours more theyarrived within sight of Dutch Flat. Some few of the men had alreadygiven up their workings and were sitting in front of the store,smoking their pipes; but one of them speedily caught sight of theboys, and the miners broke out into a cheer. In a few seconds morethey were surrounded, shaking hands with all of them, and trying invain to answer their questions all at once.

  "This is no way to do it," declared Julian. "Let us put our things inthe cabin and get our breath, and I will tell you the story."

  "In the first place," began Jack, as he deposited the things withwhich his arms were filled and came out and seated himself on thedoorsteps of Mr. Banta's cabin, "let me ask a few questions. I won'tdelay the story five minutes. Where is the man who owns this house?"

  "Mr. Banta?" said one of the miners. "He took the upper trail two orthree days ago, and rode with all possible speed in the direction ofMendota. He hopes in that way to cut off those villains."

  "He will do it, too, for they have no horses," said Julian.

  "No horses? What did they do with them?"

  "I don't know, I am sure," answered Julian, in surprise. "They were onfoot when they came to rob us."

  "Why, their mule came up here a few hours after they left, and madethe biggest kind of a fuss, and Banta suspected something at once. Hecalled for some men to go with him, and he went as straight as hecould to your mine. You were not there, and that proved that thoseminers had paid you a visit."

  "We are going to get our dust again!" said Julian, slapping Jack onthe shoulder. "But I hope they won't hurt the robbers after they catchthem."

  "Well, that is rather a difficult thing to tell. A man who comes intoa mining-camp and watches his chance to steal money instead of workingfor it, takes his life in his hand."

  "Then they must have been the ones who disturbed our things," saidJack.

  "Probably they were. They brought the skins of the ghosts back, andalso some of your provisions. They are there in his cabin now. Now letus have that story."