Beadle's Dime Novels No. 316: Hurricane Bill — page 78: what you’re looking at

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

‘ 82 HURRICANE BILL. both believed Don Munez to be the sole survivor of the at- tacking party. : Toward sunset, Black Garcia visited his captives. He had been drinking freely, and showed its. effects quite plainly in his flushed face and unsteady step, as well as thick, rapid ut- terance. With a mock-polite. salutation, Black Garcia sat down upon the rock-floor, close beside the entrance, and ostenta- tiously laid his bare cuchillo upon his lap. Then, with fin- gers a little Jess skilful than usual, he rolled up a husk ci- garette and lighting it, leaned carelessly back against the wall, leering at Carmela through the curling waves of smoke, evidently believing he was making an impression. “Don Munez,” he began, “I have been having quite an argument with my honest men about you. They asked why I did not put a Jead pill through your head. I said because you were a friend of mine—” : “A friend of yours—?” oor hay antersupies Don Munez. “The time may come when you will be glad to call me such——when you will beg and implore your friend to save you, Don Munez, proud as you now are,” angrily retorted the bandit. ‘“ Best guard your tongue.. I am not blessed with the patience ofa saint. Do you know wholam? I am a king here—my will is jaw. I can give you life or I can give you death, by a single word. And death, too, pre- ceded by such tortures as the most ferocious Indian neyer even dreamed of. So, I repeat, take heed what you say.” “ What is your will with me?” demanded Don Munez. “That is more like it. Be respectful, and your life will be the longer. My will? Well, ’tis easy told. I wish you to take your choice betwixt life and death.” “Hush, Carmela! You must speak plainer, sir. Under some circumstances life would be even worse than death,” quietly responded the Mexican, “None but a fool would say that. Life is life. Death is —well, whatsoever doubts you may have on that subject will be solved in a very few hours, unless you show your good sense by making a treaty with me. It is this, I am in. love with your daughter, the fair Carmela. Nay, bear me out; Comicbooks.conn