Hazelton

“ Hazelton wouldn't leave horses out in a storm like this one,"
Tom rapped out briskly. "As a matter of fact he isn't in camp.
You men get out lanterns and be ready to go into the woods.
We've got to find Mr. Hazelton at the earliest possible moment!"
Twenty minutes later the beams of light from lanterns carried by the men revealed the form of Harry Hazelton, in the woods and nearly covered with snow.
"Pick him up," ordered Tom. "Make the fastest time you can to our shack."
In the shack the fire was allowed to burn low. Harry, still unconscious, was stripped and put to bed. ”

“ By this time every man in the barber shop was secretly watching the young engineers, a fact that was plain to Harry Hazelton, as he glanced up from a magazine.
“Yee, sir,” Tom answered again. “In a way I'm at the head of it, but my friend, Hazelton, is really as much at the head as I am. We are partners, and we work together in everything.”
“Do you think, Reade, that you're going to win out on the job?” inquired another man. ”

“ A young fellow by the name of King came to me about Locke. He’s got an idea in his nut that the boy is a Princeton pitcher by the name of Hazelton.”
Riley started as if shot, almost dropping his cigar.
“What’s that?” he cried. “Hazelton, of Princeton? Great smoke! It can’t be possible!”
“Why not? I should say the youngster is a college man.”
The manager of the Bancroft Bullies gave his thigh a resounding slap.
“Great smoke!” he exclaimed again. “If that’s right, that old rat Cope beat me to it. Why, I made a proposal to Paul Hazelton myself.” ”

“ THE CUB ENGINEERS REACH CAMP
“Look, Tom! There is a real westerner!” Harry Hazelton’s eyes sparkled, his whole manner was one of intense interest.
“Eh?” queried Tom Reade, turning around from his distant view of a sharp, towering peak of the Rockies.
“There’s the real thing in the way of a westerner,” Harry Hazelton insisted in a voice in which there was some awe. ”

“ Harry Hazelton demanded, helplessly, as he stared about. "There isn't any human being but ourselves in sight, either on the wall or in the water. Your light shows that."
The light did not quite show that, and could not, since the huge prowler was now swimming gently under water, some seven or eight feet from the surface.
"We'll have to solve the question before we leave here," declared Tom. "We can't have folks following us up in a ticklish place like this. ”

“ Tom responded.
"Oh, he guessed that," suggested Harry Hazelton.
"He's a good guesser, then," remarked Tom. "I always like to see a man so discerning. I'm ashamed to confess it, but Dick is the only fellow in our crowd who looks at all like a gentleman. He is dressed in his Sunday best. Look at us!" ”

“ Hazelton wanted to know.
"I?" repeated Reade. "For to-night I'm going to remain up, and be out here around this threatened wall."
"Then that ought to be good enough for me, also," Harry suggested.
"Not much, chum. I'm going to take the night trick for the present, and put on you the burden of all the day work. So you'll need your sleep."
"I can swing the day work easily enough," laughed Hazelton. "It will be all the more easy as the next few days will be taken up simply with repairing the breaks that have been made."
"Swing the boat in toward land, Mr. Corbett," Tom directed the foreman. ”

“ The trail being wider here Bad Pete whirled by them with a swift drumming of his pony’s hoofs. In a few moments more he was out of sight.
“Tom, you may have your doubts about that fellow,” Hazelton remarked, “but there’s one thing he can do—-ride!”
“Humph! Anyone can ride that knows enough to get into a saddle and stick there,” observed the Colorado boy dryly.
Readers of the “_Grammar School Boys Series_” and of the “_High School Boys Series_”, have already recognized in Tom Reade and Harry Hazelton two famous schoolboy athletes. ”

“ In another thirty seconds Frank Danes would have been dangling from a limb of the nearest tree. Again Reade and Hazelton sprang into action.
“Stand back, men—please do!” begged Tom, fighting his way through the thinnest side of the crowd. “Don't kill any man without a trial.”
“You know that this tenderfoot fired the hotel, don't you?” asked one man hoarsely. ”

“ Renshaw, get up and hide that pistol somewhere. While you're about it, listen to me. Some scoundrel has blown out a large portion of our retaining wall to-night. I left Hazelton on guard at the point and came ashore to get out the motor boat, 'Morton.' Before I could return I heard Hazelton's call for help, and—-he has disappeared! There's wicked work on hand to-night. You'll have to get up and help me. Be quick with your dressing. We've work to do to-night, and all of it is man's work."
Tom hastily added such other particulars as were needed. ”

“ Mamie sprang suddenly to the ground. In doing so, she had collected all her strength, and, as she sprang, the concussion had thrown Branch backward, and he was falling over the ledge. He caught a small sapling in his fall, and there the villain hung, suspended over this dreadful gulf, only by the frail twig. He turned upward an imploring glance, but did not speak. He gazed below, and a thrill of terror shook his frame.
"Your hour has come!" cried Hayward, as he approached the edge of the cliff.
"No! no! me—me!" cried the Indian, stepping forward.
"Oh! save me!" groaned Branch. ”

“ The letters would have told our friends in the United States what was up. But, in some way of his own, Don Luis managed to catch the messengers and get hold of the letters."
"Then," added Harry Hazelton, "we thought we were doomed if we didn't yield to Don Luis's commands. Even at that, we were prepared to accept death sooner than sell ourselves out. Death would have been the cheapest way out of the scrape. But at last we found a way of helping Don Luis in the way he wanted, and of getting square with the rascal at the same time. Tell them what I mean, Tom." ”

“ Harry seized the apron, and commenced waving it, and Alibamo began to sing.
"Silence!" cried Hayward, who came up at that moment. "Silence that traitorous song. And give me that ensign of abolitionism. For shame, young man. Love has made you blind. Don't you see that the lady's apron which you are waving is a federal flag? It may be very romantic to meet young ladies at midnight on a moonlit-rock, and whisper love-tales; but you, sir, must not wave such things as this, merely to conciliate angry brothers. Now, go to camp, sir, and if I catch you at such tricks again, I shall order your arrest. ”

“ Then turning to William he said:
"Go back to the horses, and don't kill any one else to-night!"
"I won't, captain, unless they are enemies or cowards," replied William, as he turned to depart.
"I would trust that fellow with my life," said Hayward, gazing after Nettleton.
"But you were saying, captain, if you did not return by eleven o'clock, we should know you were arrested. What shall we do in that case?"
"You can do nothing. Return to camp and leave me to my fate. However, I apprehend no such danger. But, Harry, you spoke of a beauty whom you love, and who is a prisoner. ”

“ But in an instant he recovered his self-possession, and said:
"I was conversing with General Price—not you, sir."
Branch bit his lips, but did not speak.
"Well, Captain Hayward, I must speak plainly, and I know you prefer I should do so. It is a pity such a man as you should die, and by the rope. I would much prefer to have met you on the battle-field, but it is too late now. The sentence of your crime is death, and but one thing can save you." ”

“ Hazelton had got over this great difficulty, and started in life as a respectable married lady, she would have eschewed her former errors and turned over a new leaf. Unfortunately for all parties, her husband was proud of her musical ability, and insisted that she should continue to take lessons from Grandison, for whom strange to say, he had conceived a great regard. The frequent meetings consequent upon this proved too much for both of the culprits, and in a short time they became as intimate as ever. Since Mary’s marriage, Mr. ”

“ It is our notes of victory. Do you not love those sounds?"
"They become only such as you. The most barbarous savage would scorn to exult thus over a single fallen foe!" said Alibamo, her eyes flashing with indignation.
"Oh! taunt! I love to hear it. It makes my hatred for your captain deeper. And for every word of insult you have spoken, or do speak to me, I'll revenge myself on him. And you shall see it all. See, he moves—he opens his eyes! Let him gaze around."
"Harry! Harry!" called Hayward in a faint voice. ”

“ As Branch saw the prostrate form of Hayward upon the ground, he cried:
"By heavens, it is the very man we want—it is Captain Hayward!"
"Ride over his body—trample him into the earth!" shouted one of the infuriated soldiers.
"No! no!" shrieked Branch. "If he yet lives he must be reserved for torture! It is our general's command. Let no one dare to disobey it. Ah! the fiends befriend me! There is Alibamo, and her horse has fallen!" ”

“ Tom Reade was already a hundred yards away, running in amid the brush. At last he halted, studying the ground earnestly. Then Reade disappeared.
“One thing I know, anyway,” muttered the puzzled Hazelton, “Tom is not crazy, and he doesn’t dash off like that unless he has something real on his mind.” The minutes passed. At last Tom came back, walking energetically. He took his horse’s bridle and leaded into saddle.
“Harry, ride back, hard, and send me two or three of the railroad detectives, unless you happen to meet some of them this side of the camp. I want the men on the rush. ”

“ Hazelton now thought her opportunity had come, and accordingly wrote to Grandison that she was ready to go to the end of the world with him. He, however, was not particularly anxious to go to such a remote locality; in fact he had made up his mind to remain in Chicago, and (now that his wife was no longer a burden upon him) to turn over a new leaf and become a respectable member of society. Whatever charms Mary Sedley may have had had long since disappeared, and Mr. ”

“ Reade counseled. “I tell you, Harry, we've proved that our principle is sound. Now, we will go ahead and finish the job. When we go away from here I, for one, shall feel certain that the Man-killer must behave for all time to come. Harry, there's a limit to the shifting tendency of a quicksand, and to-day's test proves to me that we've found it. We've won. I wish I were as sure of a dozen other things as I am that we've won out here to-day.”
“All right, then,” smiled Hazelton. “You're a smarter engineer than I am, Tom, old fellow. ”

“ Let me through, I tell you!” insisted the voice of Harry Hazelton, as that young assistant engineer struggled with the crowd.
Then, on being recognized, Harry was allowed to reach the side of his chum.
“Mr. Reade!” called a husky-toned voice, “won't you order your men to let me through to see you? I want to talk with you about tonight's outrage.”
Tom recognized the speaker as a man named Beasley, one of Paloma's most upright and courageous citizens.
“Let Mr. Beasley through,” Tom called. “Don't block the streets, men. Remember, we've no right to do that.” ”

“ Captain Hayward was greatly emaciated. Loss of blood, fever, hunger and exposure would have ended a life less tenacious than his; but, despite his suffering, the presence of friends, the rescue of his sister, the anticipated happiness of her union with the man who had proven himself so well worthy of her—all conspired to give an elasticity to his spirits more potent than the infusions of herbs prepared by the not unskilled hands of old Madge, who, from an enemy, had, “by the force of couldn’t help herself,” as Nettleton declared, become a useful instrument at a critical moment. ”

“ A great, man-killing quicksand had to be filled in and effectively stopped from shifting. Reade & Hazelton undertook the task. Incidentally Tom came into serious, dangerous conflict with gamblers and other human birds-of-prey, who had heretofore fattened on the earnings of the railway laborers. It was a tremendously exciting time that the young engineers had in Arizona, but they at last got away with their lives and were at the same time immensely successful in their undertaking. ”

“ When Captain Hayward left the tent, he proceeded to the stream which skirted the woods. Bending over it, he bathed his fevered brow. Then he seated himself upon the bank of the river, and, resting his head upon his hands, was, for a long time, absorbed in his thoughts. A human form flitted lightly past. Hayward raised his head and listened, but all was quiet again, and, in the darkness of the night he could distinguish nothing.
“I was mistaken!” he said to himself. “If I was not, and a human being is around, I will wager it was Nettleton, who, anxious for my safety, has followed me.” ”

“ To say that Miss Mamie Hayward soon became Mrs. Wells, in the presence of the whole division—that a grand gala-day followed—is but half the truth, however; for, at the same time, another bridegroom was there in the form of the pale but happy Captain Henry Hayward, who took to be his comforter and his much-needed nurse, the woman who loved him most truly—Miss Nettie Morton. It was, indeed, a most happy consummation of a drama which promised, at one time, to end only in sorrow and broken hearts.
Not the least happy of all that throng, nor the least noted, was
Nettleton, the Captain’s Body-Guard. ”