Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1883-03-10
GIANTS CASTLE.


The western sun was resting for a
single moment upon the shoulders of
the gray and hoary mountains, casting
last bright glance behind him, ere he
sank to rest beyond the PARKWAY Pacific
the purple shadows of the ridges creep
ing slowly downward over bluff and
precipice waved a silent greeting to
their grayer sisters, as, slowly uprising
from the canyons and the gorges, the
distant cry of lonely bird foated softly
downward through the listening air,
and as it passed a mighty stiffness fell
over all, while along the eastern horizon
black night began to frown.
Two solitary travelers-nor yet trav.
elers, for both were frontiersmen and
miners-who were slowly climbing the
rugged face of the ridge paused as they
reached its verge, and without speaking
looked sharply about them for several
moments, examining all the ground
carefully, then one uttered low growI
of satisfaction, and, pointing through the
cleaning toward the south, he turned
to his waiting companion and said:
"Here's the trail, Tom, an the reds
IL pass the Giants Castle over there
afore moon-up tonight, if they're after
us. This yere war the way Black Jim
went, an he war a-p'intin' fur the
Apache country fast enough. Eff the
bloody cut throat can git the Iniuns to
help him they'll go for our rancho sure
but eff they don't come we're safe, for
tomorrow we'll light over the range for
good. The minin's good, but the coun-
hot fI7r1 4's
shame We missed that dog to-day, fur
now, an the world rid of black rascal,
instead Of lodging about hyar in the
shadders to save our scalps. Howsom-
ever, ye missed him an now my plans
to climb the Giants Castle, an wait fur
mornin'. Eff the reds come, they won't
find us at home, an eff they don't come
no great harms done, an eff they smell
us out on the castle we could kill the
entire party afore they could get at us"
The speaker paused and drew a long
breath, fairly astonished and wearied at
his own unusual loquacity, and his COM
panion, changing his Winchester from
one shoulder to the other, replied:
"Ye're right, Dick It war pity
that [ missed the outlaw, but it war
only snap shot. [ won't do so ag'in.
Yer plan fur the night is a good one.
Lead on"
With rapid and almost silent steps the
two passed over the ridge into the black
ness of the gulch beyond.
And, as they disappeared, there arose
close to the very ground whereon they
had been standing, from behind a
gnarled and stunted cedar thicket, the
figure Of a man. Carefully he peered
about him, gazing sharply into the dark
ness that had swallowed up the others,
listening with waiting ear for any sound
that might indicate their return; and at
last rising to his full height he stepped
quietly forth, and, dropping his rifle
stock to the earth, he chuckled softly
and with a wicked meaning to himself:
$50 yell hide from Black Jim an the
PEACHES in Giant Castle? Ye thought
Black Jim would be simple enough when
he failed yer swag once to run away.
Fools ! had chance at yer gold to-
day an lost it; We had crack at me an
missed. We're even, but it's my turn
next, an the shinin' dust that you fell
lers have in yer waist-belts shall be mine
afore sun-up or I'm half-breed. I
don't want no Injuns to help, nor no
cabins to burn, neither. What I'm after
is the gold, my pards, an eff We stay on
Castle Rock it's mine"
As he ceased his soliloquy the outlaw.
stopping almost to the earth, crept rap
idly away into the darkness, following
the course taken by the others.
Tom Nutting and Dick Moore had
been for month prospecting and min
ing in Hidden Valley without molesta-
ton. Fortune had smiled upon them,
and their buckskin bags were almost
full, when, returning unexpectedly to
their rude cabin that very afternoon,
Tom had surprised Black Jim, the most
noted desperate of tie mountains, and
man who had been often driven from
mining camps as thief, prowling near;
had shot at and missed him, and had
seen him speed away to the westward,
toward the section where were rowing
the bloodthirsty Apaches.
Thoroughly acquainted with the i'm
minent danger Of their position, for
their visitor was III league with all the
Indian bands for 100 miles about-the
two miners at once packed their gold
dust IN belts, seized their arms, and
pursued the scoundrel only to lose him.
however, in the windings Of the mount
ans and the shadows OF the coming
night. Then dreading the fate that might
overtake them il their cabin, should
Black Jim return. they had decided to
remain in the mountains until morning,
when, protected by the daylight, they
might gather their few effects and es-
cane oyer III range.