Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 1115 — page 10: what you’re looking at

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

——— -_ ~~ ee » 10 TI Pa A ee A 2 ON ND — they soon arrived in safety. The place was, in- | deed, a good defense. Fully a quarter of an acre was inclosed by a stone wall five feet high. The spring iuside was clear and cool, furnishing an abundance of water for man and beasts, The only thing wanting now was game for food, and Old Luke and bill, and three of the rangers who were expert bunters, at once set out in search of this. Deer, goats, bear aud turkey abounded thronghout the Double Mountains and soon the report of the hunters’ guns told that the wants of the party were being supplied. In the course of an hour the redoubtable Dutch Luke returned with nearly the entire | earcass of a young bear, and soon he was followed in by the ‘others with two fine deer and six turkeys. While the game was being dressed by the hunters, fires were lighted, and soon the savory odors of broiling meat filled the air and sharp- ened the appetite of the half-famished rangers eS had had nothing to eat for twenty-four ours. After all had fared sumptuously the subject of possible future dangers came up; and it be- came a question involving some difference of opinion as to whether they should resume their southward journey at once, or remain at the fort until the morrow to rest up the over-worked horses. But the discussionjwas suddenly brought toan abrupt termination by a fiendish, blood- curdling cry that seemed to issue from ‘a thou- sand demon throats without. Full well the party knew whatit meant. The Indians and outiaws, a htndred strong, had sprung, as if hy magic, from the earth and were endeavoring to carry the fort by storm. CHAPTER VI, ' A CONFERENCE. “To arms, boys!” shouted Tiger Tom, as the elling horde rushed toward the fort. ‘‘ Hurrah, boys! or off goes our ha’r!” yelled Old Bill Proctor, “Whoo-raw, for a pig, time! by shimminy krout!” put in the lion voice of Luke, as, hae a rifie.in each hand he rushed to the stone ai Aecustomed to the sudden dangers of the prairies and hills the young rangers were ever ready for such emergencies. Every man had nis rifle at his side, and in the twinkle of an eye, almost, the whole band was at its post pouring a deadly fire into the ranks of the foe. It had doubtless been the intention of the enemy to surprise the whites while at dinner, put the result of the attack was a complete surprise to them for they were met with such a deadly fire that they were thrown into con- fusion and forced to retreat with greater speed than they had advanced and with the loss of at least a score of their bravest warriors, To husband their ammunition supplies the whites ceased firing as soon as the red-skins and outlaws were beyond an uncertain distance. This enabled Long Lance and Ramardo to rally their followers before they had become hope- lessiy panic-stricken, and when this had been accomplished, the two leaders held, within plain view ot! the besieged, a consultation. This lasted _ five or ten minutes, when Long Lance mounted a fallen log and delivered a wild and excited harangue to his braves, which was followed by aspeech from Ramardo, What they said, our friends of course could not hear, but both speeches were followed by wild, fiendish yells, and a movement as if preparing for another attack. But whatever movement the foe had on foot it was suddenly interrupted by the appearance of a woman with a child on her back on the ridge between them and the fort, “By shimminy krout! dot ish dot Inshun 4 ree mit der leetle paby !” declared Old uke ‘* So it is,” replied Tiger Tom, The woman held up ber hands as she faced the Indians and outlaws, as if in mute appeal. Long Lance advanced to meet her, not know- ing that it was his own child, whom he had mourned as dead, until he stood before her. When be recognized his own Nathalia, a cry purst from his lips, as though startled by an apparition from the grave. Nathalia spoke to him. The chief recovered from his shock, and the scene of affection that followed we will not attempt to describe. They were not over two hundred yards from the fort, and our friends were moved by the demonstra- _ tions of joy and happiness that proved to them that the savage heart was capable of the ten- - derest of human emotions. This meeting of father and child lasted fully ten minutes, and when it was ended, to the sur- prise of all, ‘they turned toward the fort. Long Lance held up his hands, palms outward, both empty. ‘‘ Ah!” exclaimed Tom, “that means friend- ship and peace. Folks, the chief desires a con- ference, I am sure.” ‘Py shimminy krout! I shust like to confer- ence dish gun-barrel over his head,” said Old Luke, ‘* Keep cool, Lukesie, my ole sour-mash,” ad- vised Old Bill, “‘and me bby that chief’ll do somethin’ to our advantage.” Tom sprung upon the wall and held open his hands in repiy to Long Lance, who, with Na- thalia, at once advanced with fearless step toward the fort. When they came up, they were admitted to the inclosure. The chief was in war-paint, and seemed greatly agitated, though his emotions were not of a “violent nature. Nathalia carried her baby in a shawl slung at her back. She was looking so tired and distressed that J acquetta and Irene, moved to pity for the poor savage girl, tendered her their kind assistance, for which she seemed very grateful. Tom advanced and extended his hand to the chief, who, looking the young ranger straight in the eye, asked: ‘You Tiger Tom?” ‘Yes; and you are Long Lance, the Com- anche chief, ” replied the ranger. ‘““VYes, me Long Lance—come to talk with pale- faces.” Tom called Mr. Walden, Old Bill ard Luke, and made known the chief’s wish to them, when the five sat down in acircle upon the ground. The chief coming there as he did, and the mingled look of j oy and sadness on his savage face, banished all suspicions of: fovl play or treachery from the breast of our friends ‘‘Let Long Lance ak,” said Tiger Tom, “and the pale-faces will listen.” ‘‘Long Lance,” began the chief, ‘‘ bas been the enemy of the white rangers and their friends, and— “Py tam! why don’t you tells us soomdings we don’t know, poss?” interrupted Old Luke, | and but for the pron intercession of Tiger Een there is no telling what else he would have said, ‘And the Comanches,” continued the chief, without appearing to notice the interruption, ‘have been the friends of the white chief you call Black Ramardo, the outlaw. But Long Lance has found him to be a bad man—a serpent warmed to life by our camp-fires to destroy'the happiness in my heart. His daughter there was once fairer than the flower that blooms in the valley, with a voice sweeter than the music of the birds, but the pale-face lured her away and made her his wife. Long Lance knew not where she had gone, but Helieved she was dead until to-day, when she came to me yonder and told me all—of her suffering and the cruelty of the outlaw chief. And during the most of the two years that I have mourned my child as dead, Black Ramardo has been often in our vil- lage—sat in our councils, eaten salt with us, and been in our full confidence while seeking our stronghold as a refuge from his enemies, yet he has never once intimated that my child lived— that he had stolen her away and kept her worse than aslave where she could not return to her people!” He ish One tam pig schroundrel, py shim- miny krout!” raved Old Luke, unable to re- strain his emotions longer, ‘* Silence, malt-tub,” said Old Bill; ‘hear the chief through. ? “To. day,” Long Lance resumed, “‘my child, on her way back to the village of her father, met her husband and asked him to go with her to her people and quit the life he leads. He swore at her, and when she threatened to expose his villainy, he attempted to murder her. Tiger Tom knows this, for it was he who saved my child’s life. Long Lance is now the deadly enemy of the white outlaw, and his s’alp will hang at my girdle before the sun roes down.’ . Pully for you, shicf, pully!” exclaimed Ola Luke, slapping the Comanche a fr iendly blow on the aT ouldie ‘‘T hopes dot you skin his whole he’d slick and clean, I do, by sbimminy krout!” “Tf he mistrust the Sbject of your visit here, he may be gone when you return,” said Tom. ‘Then my warriors will follow him to the setting sun,” the chief replied; ‘‘ but Long Lance now promises the pale faces here his friendship, though many of his braves have fallen by their rifles, You can all depart from bere in safety. A Comanche can be as grateful as a pale-face. A pale-face saved ~:v ecild. now Long Lance will Tiger. Pom, the Texan Terror. —_——$ $$ —— ——» save that hal Mioitaes and his friends. I have spoken.” The chief rose to his feet. nit Whoo-raw! for Long Lance!” shouted Old ill. ‘‘ And whoo-aw, for his gal and dot leetle kid of a paby!” shouted Old Luke, tossing his old hat into the air and dancing around like an overgrown school-boy. In the course of a few minntes more the chief and his daugkter left the fort and returned to their friends. ‘‘ Boys, any danger of treachery there?” asked Walden. ‘‘ None whatever,” replied Tom Brayton; “in some cases Long Lanee might prove treacher- ous, but this is one in which all that is honora- ble in the heart of even a savage has been reached. I will be responsible for ailharm that comes to us through the agency of Long Lance and his warriors,” ‘¢ Bless der Lord, from whom all goot dings flow,” said Luke, reverential y, *‘ but, ole grape- wine Pilly, Lish afraid we no haf a ‘Zoot, solid fight. yi I should think you’d had enough fighting,” observed a ranger. ‘‘Oh, Sherusalem, poy! dose war shust a leetle brush of a fights. You shust ought to see me mit my danders up. lish a whole shack-ass team mit a pull-dog unter der wagon,” When long lance cote to his friends - was with the avowed ose of wreakin terrible vengeance on BI ack < Ramardo, but t ‘at worthy was too shrewd and cunning for the chief. He had witnessed the meeting of the chief and Nathalia, and at once made up his mind as to the final result. Their visit to the fort strengthened his convictions and increased his fears, and taking advantage of the chief's absence at the fort, he called his followers to- gether and hurried away—taking a circuitous route to the open plains, there to he in wait for the coming of the Texas Tigers with the girls, both of whom Black Ramardo had taken an oath to possess. And little dreaming of further dangers, our. friends P gtr up their effects, mounted their horses, filed out of the little fort and started southward toward the point where Walden had left his train intrenched on the banks of the Red Fork of the Colorado. CHAPTER VII. BATTLE OF THE PHANTOMS. Ir was morning of the day following that of the events narrated in the preceding chapter, but the sun was not shining. A dense fog hung over the hills and prairies of Texas—so dense, indeed, that objects could not be seeri a hundred yards away. id Bill Proctor had not seen the likes of it before in all the years he had been on the southern pa mpas, It made traveling danger- ousin anenemy’scountry. There was notelling what moment a korde of ambuseaded foes might leap from their covert; yet, despite alk these dangers, Tiger Tom and is rangers and friends pursued their journey southward across the plain through the gloomy fog. The spirits of all were buovant and happy. Since leaving the fort in the hills, they had met with no dangers or troubles. The entire party was mounted, though it was plainly evident that Old Luke was as much out | of his element in the saddle as a fish out of wa- ter, and the figure cut by the old hunter was extremely amusing and comical. Old Bill Proctor rode in advance with a young ranger—ever on the alert for danger—far more vigilant and careful since the fog had enveloped the plain. Tiger Tom and Fees yh spent much of the time together. ‘alden looked upon their intimacy with no little regret. He could not bear the thought of ever giving up his child to another, however worthy the latter might be. Still be ’ said nothing to interrupt the friendly relations between the young people—in fact, he could not afford to wound the feelings of Tiger Tom who hed been the leading spirit in rescuing his child, and upon whom ‘they must continue to depend until out of all dangers, By some eause, either accidental or intention- al, the horse assigned to Luke Shoofstahl was a | bronco in which all the meanness peculiar to that animal was fully developed, and, as the day advanced, Sparrowhawk became tired and restive under its unnatural burden of over two hundred pounds avoirdupois of ungainly Dutch- man, and suddenly began to manifest a dis- position to get rid of its burden by the process of ‘* bucking.” But Old Luke was not so easily oe - ° ‘ ; ‘. ad r pata - YVOOKS .com