Beadle's Dime Novels No. 316: Hurricane Bill — page 36: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

40 : HURRICANE BILL. tics, the Apaches fell or were knocked back, and then, find- - ing himself free, Hurricane Bill flashed forth his bowie-knife, and cutting down the nearest savage with one swift blow, he dashed up the steps and plunged into the mingled mass of Indians and Mexicans. : . A hoarse, howling yell broke from his lips as he saw Car- mela struggling in the ruthless grasp of a wiry Apache, whose Jeft hand was wreathed in her long hair, brutally pull- ing her head back, while a blood-dripping knife was quiver- ing above the snow-white throat. And the same glance showed Hurricane that he could not reach her side in time to ward off the impending blow, for half a dozen bodies in- tervened locked together in a death-grapple. Thought was not swifter than his action. The heavy bowie-knife left his hand and cleaving the air like a meteor, sunk to the very hilt in the Apache’s throat. <A. gurgling, strangling cry, and then the bloody weapon descended. But it was unguided. The Indian fell back, death-stricken. The knife, falling, barely grazed the cheek of Carmela, who knew not how narrowly she had escaped death, for she had fainted. His arms seemed to possess the power of a weaver’s beam, as Hurricane Bil] cleared his way to Carmela’s side, nor did he take time to select Apaches alone as the recipients of his blows—both red-skin and white went down before his mad rush. And then stamping upon the tight-clenched hand of the Apache as the quickest method of freeing Carmela’s hair, the scout lifted her in his arms and leaped down into the corral below. The terrified cattle were plunging to and fro, wrought to fury by the horrible admixture of sounds from above, and it was not without actual peril that Bill erossed the corral and scaled the fence of the smaller inclosure, from which, as will be remembered, all the selected bulls had been freed to fur- nish sport for the horsemen. Lightly’dropping the half- senseless maiden into the—as he believed—place of safety, Hurricane Bill leaped down and dashed back to the pavilion to play bis part in the last act of the tragedy. Just as he Was clambering up the pavilion side, a begrimed and blood- Stained face was thrust close to his, and a hoarse voice ut- lered ; Coniichbooks.com ™ d