CHAPTER I
CHAPTER II
CHAPTER III
CHAPTER IV
CHAPTER V
CHAPTER VI
CHAPTER VII
CHAPTER VIII
CHAPTER IX
CHAPTER X
CHAPTER XI
CHAPTER XII
CHAPTER XIII
CHAPTER XIV
CHAPTER XV
John Redmond, the second, had just completed his education in a New Yorkcollege, having been graduated with high honors, and was thereforeprepared to go out into the world and set it on fire with hisbrilliancy. But the call of the great business world was strangelysuperseded by the "call of the wild," which had long since taken firmhold upon his young heart. Since his earliest recollections his soul hadlonged to go out into the wild Western country, and he was now fullydetermined to appease his adventurous appetite amid the great wildmountains of the West.
Thoughts concerning his future flitted fast through his study-ladenedbrain as the train sped on toward his home. Yes, he would go to themountains and seek gold or coal where others, with less ability to find,had passed over the immense wealth which must surely lie hid deepbeneath the great earthen mounds. This wealth, he thought, had beenplaced there by the Maker of the mighty earth, that his great skill asan engineer might be made known to the world. It was there for his ownpleasure; it had not been intended that others should make thediscovery. His training would enable him to make discoveries whichothers had not been skillful enough to make. The life would be just tohis liking, and would fill a long-felt desire to invade the bowels ofthe hitherto uninvaded depths of rocky earth. It was not his intentionto delay one moment; he would go at once.
The train sped on, and he reached his home in good time. There he wasgreeted with the sad news that his uncle, John Redmond, for whom he wasnamed, had been slain by murderous Nightriders over in the valley ofKentucky. His tobacco crop had been utterly destroyed, his barns andout-houses devastated, his home burned to the earth, and as he wasfleeing from the burning building, in an effort to save himself from atorturous death, he had been shot down in his tracks like a dog, aforty-four Winchester bullet tearing his heart to pieces.
What more would man need to set his soul on fire? What more would heneed to raise his ire to the verge of distraction?
John Redmond, the second, stood with bowed head, listening to theterrible outrage; his Southern blood warmed to the boiling point. Hisheart beat fast, his teeth came together with a sharp noise, and hisfists were tightly clenched. Revenge burned within him, his soul feltthat the foul deed called for vengeance. In a twinkling his plans werechanged. His adventurous spirit told him that his life's work had beenfound,