CHAPTER XII.
MAKING TERMS ALL AROUND.
Old General Nix was the first to discover the new invasion.
"Gorra'mighty!" he ejaculated, flourishing his staff about excitedly,"d'je mind them same w'at's tuk et inter the'r heads to invade oursancty sanctorum, up yander? Howly saints frum ther cullender! Weshall be built up inter an entire city 'twixt this an' sunset, ef therpopulation n' sect becum enny more numersome. Thars a full fifty o'them sharks, more or less--consider'bly more o' less than less o'more--an' ef we hain't got ter hold a full hand in order ta clean 'emout, why, ye can call me a cross-eyed, hair lipped hyeeny, that'sall."
Redburn uttered an ejaculation as he saw the swarm of invaders thatwas perhaps more forcible than polite.
He did not like the looks of things at all. If Ned Harris were onlyhere, he thought, he could throw the responsibility all off on hisshoulders. But he was not; neither had he been seen or heard of sincehe had quitted the valley over a month ago. Where he was staying allthis time was a problem that no one could solve--no one among ourthree friends.
The "General" had made inquiries in Deadwood, but elicited noinformation concerning the young miner. He had dropped entirely out ofthe magic city's notice, and might be dead or dying in some foreignclime, for all they knew. Anita worried and grew sadder each day athis non-return; it seemed to her that he was in distress, or worse,perhaps--dead. He had never stayed away so long before, she said,always returning from his trips every few days. What, then, could nowbe the reason of his prolonged absence?
Redburn foresaw trouble in the intrusion of the road-agents andFearless Frank, although he knew not the character or calling of theformer, and he resolved to make one bold stroke in defense of themines.
"Go to the quartz mines as quickly as you can!" he said, addressingNix, "and call every man to his arms. Then rally them out here, whereI will be waiting with the remainder of our forces, and we will seewhat can be done. If it is to be a fight for our rights, a desperatefight it shall be."
The "General" hurried off with as much alacrity as was possible, withhim, toward the quartz mine, while Redburn likewise made haste tovisit the shaft and collect together his handful of men.
He passed the cabin on the way, and, seeing Anita seated in thedoorway, he came to a momentary halt.
"You had better go inside and lock the doors and windows behind you,"he said, advisingly. "There are invaders in the gulch, and we must tryand effect a settlement with them; so it is not desirable that theyshould see you."
"You are not going to fight them?"
"Yes, if they will not come to reasonable terms which I shall name.Why?"
"Oh! don't fight. You will get killed."
"Humph! what of that? Who would care if I were killed?"
"I would, for one, Mr. Redburn."
The miner's heart gave a great bound, and he gazed into the pure whiteface of the girl, passionately. Was it possible that she had in herheart anything akin to love, for _him_? Already be had conceived apassing fancy for her, which might ripen into love, in time.
"Thanks!" he said, catching up her hand and pressing it to his lips."Those words, few as they are, make me happy, Miss Anita. But, stop! Imust away. Go inside, and keep shady until you see me again;" and sosaying he hurried on.
In ten minutes' time two score of brawny, half-dressed Utes wererallied in the valley, and Redburn was at their head, accompanied bythe "General."
"I will now go forward and hold parley," said Harry, as he wrapped akerchief about the muzzle of his rifle-barrel. "If you see me fall,you can calculate that it's about time for you to sling in a chunk ofyour lip."
He had fallen into the habit of talking in an illiterate fashion,since his association with the "General."
"All right," assented the old locater; "ef they try ter salt ye, jes'giv' a squawk, an' we'll cum a-tearin' down ter yer resky at ther rateo' forty hours a mile, more or less--consider'bly more o' less thanless o' more."
Redburn buckled his belt a hole tighter, looked to his two revolvers,and set out on his mission.
The road-agents had, in the mean time, circled off to the right of thefissure, and formed into a compact body, where they halted and watchedthe rallying of the savages in the valley.
Fearless Frank and his lovely companion remained where they had firsthalted, awaiting developments. They had stumbled into Paradise andwere both surprised and bewildered.
Redburn approached them first. He was at loss how to open the confab,but the Scarlet Boy saved him the trouble.
"I presume I see in you one of the representatives of this concern,"he said, doffing his hat and showing his pearly teeth in a littlesmile, as the miner came up.
"You do," replied Redburn, bowing stiffly. "I am an owner or partnerin this mining enterprise, which, until your sudden advent, has been asecret to the outside world."
"I believe you, pilgrim; for, though I am pretty thoroughly acquaintedwith the topography of the Black Hills country, I had not the leastidea that such an enterprise existed in this part of the territory."
"No, I dare say not. But how is it that we are indebted to you forthis intrusion?--for such we feel justified in calling it, under theexisting circumstances."
"I did not intend to intrude, sir, nor do I now. In riding through themountains we accidentally stumbled into the fissure passage that leadsto this gulch, and as there was nothing to hinder us, we came onthrough."
"True; I should have posted a strong guard in the pass. You have afemale companion, I perceive; not your wife?"
"Oh, no! nor my sister, either. This is Miss Terry--an estimable younglady, who has come to the Black Hills in search of her father. Yourname is--"
"Redburn--Harry Redburn; and yours, I am told, is Fearless Frank."
"Yes, that is the title I sail under. But how do you know aught ofme?"
"I was told your name by a partner of mine. Now, then, concerning thepresent matter; what do you propose to do?"
"To do? Why, turn back, I suppose; I see nothing else to do."
Redburn leaned on his rifle and considered.
"Do you belong to that other crowd?"
"No, indeed;" Frank's face flushed, half angrily. "I thank my stars Iam not quite so low down as that, yet. Do you know them? That'sDeadwood Dick, the Prince of the Road, and his band of outlaws!"
"What--is it possible? The same gang whom the _Pioneer_ is making sucha splurge over, every week."
"The same. That fellow clad in black is Deadwood Dick, the leader."
"Humph! He in black; you in scarlet. Two contrasting colors."
"That is so. I had not thought of it before. But no significance isattached thereto."
"Perhaps not. Have you the least idea what brought them here?"
"The road-agents? I reckon I do. The military has been chasing themfor the last two days. Probably they have come here for protection."
"Maybe so; or for plunder. Give me your decision, and I will go andsee what they want."
"There is nothing for me to decide more than to take the back track."
Redburn shook his head, decidedly.
"You cannot go back!" he said, using positiveness in his argument;"that is, not for awhile. You'd have all Deadwood down on us in ajiffy. I'll give you work in the shaft, at three dollars a day. Youcan accept that offer, or submit to confinement until I see fit to setyou at liberty."
"And my companion, here--?"
"I will place under the charge of Miss Anita for the present, whereshe will receive hospitable treatment."
Fearless Frank started as though he had been struck a violent blow;his face grew very white; his eyes dilated; he trembled in everyjoint.
"_Anita!_" he gasped--"_Anita!_"
"I believe that is what I said!" Redburn could not understand theyouth's agitation. He knew that the sister of Ned Harris had a secret;was this Fearless Frank in any way connected with it, and if so, how?"Do you know her?"
"Her other name is--"
"
Harris--Anita Harris, in full. Do you know her, or aught of her?"
"I--I--I did, once!" was the slow reply. "Where is she; I want to seeher?"
Redburn took a moment to consider.
Would it be best to permit a meeting between the two until he shouldbe able to learn something more definite concerning the secret? If NedHarris were here would he sanction such a meeting? No! something toldthe young miner that he would not; something warned him that it couldresult in no good to allow the scarlet youth an interview with sad,sweet-faced Anita.
"You cannot see her!" he at last said, decidedly. "There is a reasonwhy you two should never meet again, and if you remain in the gulch,as you will be obliged to, for the present, you must give me your wordof honor that you will not go near yonder cabin."
Fearless Frank had expected this; therefore he was not surprised.Neither did Redburn know how close he had shied his stone at the realtruth.
"I promise," McKenzie said, after a moment's deliberation, "on myhonor, that I will not approach the cabin, providing you will furnishme my meals and lodgings elsewhere. If Anita comes to me, what then?"
"I will see that she does not," Redburn answered, positively.Gradually he was assuming full control of things, in the absence ofHarris, himself. "Miss Terry, you may ride down to yonder cabin, andtell Anita I sent you. Pilgrim, you can come along with me."
"No; I will accompany Alice as far as where your forces arestationed," said Frank, and then they rode down the slope, Redburnturning toward where the road-agents sat upon their horses in acompact body, with Deadwood Dick at their head.
As the miner drew nigh and came to a standstill, the Prince of theroad rode forward to his side.
"Well--?" he said, interrogatively, his voice heavy yet pleasant; "Isuppose you desire to know what bizness we've got in your cornfield,eh, stranger?"
"That's about the dimensions of it, yes," replied Redburn, at onceconceiving a liking for the young road-agent, in whom he thought hesaw a true gentleman, in the disguise of a devil. "I came over tolearn the object you have in view, in invading our little valley, ifyou have no objections in telling."
"Certainly not. As you may have guessed already, we are a band ofroad-agents, whose field of action we have lately confined to theBlack Hills country. I have the honor of being the leader, and youhave doubtless heard of me--Deadwood Dick, the 'Road-Agent Prince,' asthe _Pioneer_ persists in terming me. Just at present, things arerather sultry in the immediate vicinity of Deadwood, so far as we areconcerned, and we sought this locality to escape a small army of theDeadwood military, who have been nosing around after us for the pastweek."
"Well--?"
"Well, we happened to see a man and woman come this way, and believingthat it must lead to somewhere or other, we followed, and here we are,out of the reach of the blue-coats, but, I take it, _in_ the way of aparty of secret miners. Is it not so?"
"No, not necessarily so, unless you put yourselves in the way. Youwish to remain quartered here for the present?"
"If not contrary to your wishes, we should like to, yes."
"I have no objections to offer, providing you will agree to twopoints."
"And what are they, may I ask?"
"These. That you will camp at the mouth of the passage, and thus keepout any other intruders that may come; second, that you will keep yourmen to this side or the valley, and not interfere with any of ourlaborers."
"To which I eagerly agree. You shall experience no inconvenience fromour presence here; you furnish us a haven of safety from the pursuingsoldiers; we in return will extend you our aid in repelling a host offortune-seekers who may any moment come down this way in swarms."
"Very well; that settles it, then. You keep your promise, and all willgo well."
The two shook hands: then Redburn turned and strode back to dismisshis forces, while Dick and his men took up their position at the placewhere the fissure opened into the gulch. Here they made preparationsto camp. Redburn, while returning to his men, heard a shout of joy,and looking up, saw, to his surprise, that the old "General" and AliceTerry were locked in each other's arms, in a loving embrace.
FOOTNOTES:
[Footnote D: This crusher is said to have been the first introducedinto the Black Hills]
Deadwood Dick, the Prince of the Road; or, The Black Rider of the Black Hills Page 12