Beadle's Dime Novels No. 316: Hurricane Bill — page 45: what you’re looking at

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

BILL’S THEORY. 49 sandy soil was deeply cut up and scored by the hoofs of the bulls the corral had recently contained, this would not have prevented Hurricane from reading signs made afterward. There Was no blood traces—nothing to tell of a tragedy having been enacted. Carmela seemed to have vanished into empty air. At length Hurricane Bill turned to the party, who had been anxiously awaiting the result, being restrained by Mus- lang Sam from interrupting the scout. “Now gentlemen, when you answer me a few questions, then JV tell you what ’clusion Tve ’rived at. Fust—who among you knows this feller you called Don Cavello ?” “TI know. this much,” said Don Murez. “ He, together With four men—bis vaqueros, be said——stopped for the night at my house, five days since. He said he was a stranger in these parts, that he was on an expedition after a drove of horses, which he intended driving to Santa Fe for a market. As J hal a few hundred head that I wished to dispose of, I invited him—as he appeared to be a gentleman—to make my house his home until after our little festa, wken probably we could come to terms. That is all I know of Lim—but why _ do you ask ?” “Ts any of his men hyar now ?” . “ No—none are here but neighbors—-perhaps they were all slain—” hesitated Don Munez. “One was—or badly wounded,” eagerly interrupted a \ Mexican. “He lies at the pavilion, yonder, in great agony, Praying for a priest that he may not die without absolution.” “ Now gentlemen,” quickly added Hurricane Bill, “1’ll tell you what J think. Mind, I’ve no proof, but ’spicion p’ints Strong that a-way,” and he told how he bad met Don Cavello, the question and his answer, and that he had noticed the “Mexican running toward the smaller corral, as he dashed out lo help Mustang Sam. “The lady is gone. Injuns didn’t kerry her off—but somebody must ’a’ did it—fer ’tain’t likely She'd ’a’ run away herself, even ef she could ’w’ got out o’ that pen without help. I believe this man you call Don Cav- €llo hes kerried. her off !” “ But it don’t seem— what reasons could he have ?” “ Wait ontel we see this wounded man ©’ bis’n. It'll go hard, but we'll git the truth out o’ him. Mind—you ain't. Conicloooks.comn