Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 1122 — page 9: what you’re looking at

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

4ree, with Wash Carrol, eating a hasty lunch of bread and ham, and complacently api hin the progress of the block-house. Working wit a will as they had been, fourteen pairs of hands had done a great deal of work in a small time, Already the heavy timbers, smoothed at top and bottom, and deeply notched at the corners of the structure, had risen in a firm, bullet- f wall to a hight of seven or eight feet, and e top timbers, with rows of auger-holes to serve as loop-holes, were nearly ready to put on. The workmen were sitting round, eating their dinner, and cracking jokes, one with another, with all the careless gayety of their race. The wagons had been hitched'up and moved down close to the block-house, as suggested in the morning, and the women were busily engaged in transferring all the moveables into the in- closure, for protection. Since he had heard of Tiger Tail’s strange demeanor in the morning, the colonel had determined not to let another night pass without having his precious treasures under shelter. “We needn’t put a roof on the house just yet, Wash,” he sg “Tf we carry up the timbers a little higher, we can make a parapet to shelter behind, and put all our force to work on a stock- ade to protect the cattle.” ‘* Guess we'll hev time, cunnel,” said old Wash. “Injuns is plaguy cowardly critters, arter all, and it takes ’em a heap o’ time ter make up thar mind to fight. Afore Tiger Tail’s ready for us, mebbe we mout be ready for him, more’n he thunk of, But we hain’t no time to lose. I don’t like the way the pesky young varmint looked at the young ladies. (Gosh! cunnel, your darter does lip it on that buck-skin mar! She rides e’ena’most like a Comanche,” | The exclamation was elicited by the sight of Tennessee Magoffin, alreddy mounted on the tty cream-colored mare Wash had tamed for r, and careering round and round the meadow, between them and the old camp, like a hawk on the wing. Tennie rode, like many another girl in the sunny South, as if she was born to the saddle. Her cousin could be seen, close by, pre- ing to mount the white mare, spotted with lack, which Edward Thornley was holding for her. The pretty creature stood trembling under the sharp twitch of the hakimo, a peculiar noose around the nose and under-jaw, used by the Mexicans and mustangers, under which the wildest horse generally becomes submissive. Southerners, like the Magoffins, had, of course, prought side-saddles with them, even though the not bad the mounts to put them on. With a light and active spring Louisiana ag oh lea from Thornley’s assisting hand to her seat, and gathered up her reins. Thornley untwisted the hakimo which was eutside of the bridle, and the half-tamed mus- tang made a great leap, and Hcg here in a race. Half-tamed, we say, but it is all the taming nine horses out of ten get in Texas, A good choke, half an hour’s fight with a pair of spurs a foot long, and a remorseless centaur to use them, and the creature gives in, and is unced “‘ domado ”—tamed. But Louisiana Bapre was as good a rider, almost;as her cousin Tennie, and soon brought her spotted mare to ission. The exercise had brought the color to her cheek, the fire to her eye, and all her melancholy was gone for the nonce, as she gal- loped up to the colonel and inquired: ‘How do you like my mare, uncle? Isn’t she “Very pretty, indeed, my dear,” said the colonel, patting the mare’s neck. ‘‘ You ride splendidly, Louie.” «Thank you, sir,” she said. ‘‘ Now, I think fll ride over and look after Eugene. The poor boy may be hungry, for I don’t believe he’ll shoot much here.’ “1 heard his and Strother’s half an hour ’ answe the colonel. ‘I guess they must have killed something, for Strether’s an old hand at cecoying turkeys. They ought to be here now abies i At this minute, Tennessee Magoffin came rac- ing full speei, ant checked her horse abrupt! te. rs Pat ot ahs said, eageely, her face full of anxiety, ‘‘Mr. Strother’s coming across the river leading Eugene’s horse, and I don’t see Eugene. Something has happened to him, ’m po Perhaps he’s hurt himself. He always is so venturesome. Ob! father, if he should hurt!” ““ Nonsense, you silly child,” said the colonel, - @ little uneasy nevertheless. “ ey! shot too much e to carry, I suppose, and Eugene has by it to ae it from the coyotes, Don’t be tened about nothing ” uP at The Wild-Horse Hunters. *‘ Oh! do you think so?” said Tennie, relieved. **T’ll go down right off and ask Mr. Strother.” “Don’t ye do it, Miss Tennie,” cried oid Wash, earnestly; ‘‘ that ar’ bank ain’t fit fur a lady to ride down, leave alone on a fresh-caught hoss. I’m a-goin’. Don’t you do it for your life, I say.” The old hunter’s eager manner impressed Tennie so much that she unwillingly remained where she was, while old Wash plunged down the bank on foot, a prey to anxiety he had hid- den successfully. ‘‘What are it, neighbor?” he asked, eagerly, as Strother slowly rode up to the bank through the ford; ‘‘are anything haopeld to the young ‘un? Whar is he?’ ‘*Gone!” said Strother, with a hollow groan; “pone! And snapped up by them hell-hounds of Injins, I b’lieve. *Twarn’t a half-hour ago, as we parted t’other side o’ that motte. He went one way,I t’other, round. I heered his gun and went thar. Hyar’s all I found.” And he exhibited the elegant silver-mounted fowling-piece, which Eugene had taken so much pride in that very day ‘Take me to the place,” said Wash, eagerly. ‘“PDurn the gobblers. Throw ’em down hyar, and I’ll take his hoss. You and me, neighbor, we'll ferret out who did this deviltry afore we're a day older. Weepins in order, say?” “You bet,” replied Strother, laconically. The advent of a brother spirit as keen as Wash Carrol, had altered the look of affairs to his ap- prehension. He threw down the turkeys on the ground, and Wash Carrol jumped on the pretty thoroughbred that had been Bugene’s, and rode back into the ford. ‘““What ’) the colonel say?’ suddenly asked Strother, pausing. ‘“ Hadn’t we oughter go back and tell him fust?”’ ! ‘‘ Whar’s the use?’ said Wash, gruffly. ‘* He’ll know it soon ’nuff. Bad news flies, neighbor. Besides, he knows me well enough ter trust me ter do the sguar’ thing.” And so the two hunters, one so gigantic, the other so diminutive, pursued their way in com- pany over the stream and rode together to the place where Strother had found the abandoned n. yo ee Wash Carrol leaped to the ground, throwing the bridle of his horse to his com- panion. He went down on his hands and knees, and examined the tracks all round with the closest attention, even snufling at them as a hound might. Strother carefully and silently kept the two horses back from interfering with his movements, and watched him with close atten- tion as a connoisseur in the art. Finally Wash rose to his feet asif satisfied, and followed the horse-tracks for about twenty feet, when he halted. " at d’ you make o’ this hyar, neighbor?” he demanded, turning to Strother. The overseer laconically answered: ‘‘ Injuns lassoed him.” * Ay; M4 fool e’u’d tell that,” replied Carrol: “but ‘tain’t every one as could tell this hyar blood warn’t his’n,” ** How d’yer know?’ asked the overseer, in- credulously, ‘‘°Cause why. Don’t you see these kyar fore- feet is plum above that ar’ pool, and the drops o on the track all on oneside? Now, ef it had ’a’ en his’n ’twould’a’ been hyar, whar they drag- Sg his body nigh twenty feet over the grass. 0, that ar’ blood’s hoss’s blood. They must ’a? come on him suddint-like, so he fired ina hurry and mebbe hit one of thar hosses a skelp. Then they twitched him with the larryett, and pe like sixty to git behind that ar’ motte. har’s whar we've got to go. Gota six-shooter?” ‘“ You bet!” replied the overseer, in his usual laconic style, exhibiting the weapon, at that time not near as common as now, Let's git, then!” was Wash’s remark, as he loosened his own revolver in the holster, and cocked his rifle. Then he started off on the trail of the horses at a jog-trot, Strother following with the two steeds. “‘Took him up byar,” remarked Wash, as the broad track that had been made by poor Eu- gene's body suddenly ceased. ‘‘ Only three on em told.” _ And he pointed to the tracks of three horses of different sizes, but all evidently unshod, that composed the trail to the motte. ‘Thur mustangs—hey?”’ said Strother, inter- tively, as he marked the three tracks. ‘Yes. Thur mustangs,” answered Wash, in an abstracted tone. but he did not seem to be at all satisfied on the subjects He went on slow! mos wesAe to himself, and finally turned rouni lle ‘‘ Neighbor, air you some an a trail?” “Kudn't say I are,” replied Strother, modest- ly; ‘‘I hey done a wheen of it in my time, how- sumdever.” ‘Tell me,” said Wash, pausing, “‘ what’s the differ atween a white man’s and a Injun’s ridin’?” ‘‘ White man keeps his hoss more on his hun- kies,” said the overseer, promptly, ‘‘’special’ if he be a greaser. Injun goes lollopy-lol Ah ‘*Good!” said Wash, with a grunt. ‘ Neigh- bor; you are some on a trail. You ar’ got gump- tion, you hev. Git down hyar, and take a squint, and tell me what you think o’ this’ere.” And he pointed to something on the track which Strother could not see from his horse’s back. The overseer got down from his animal, and exam- ined the trail closely. ‘‘See hyar,” said Wash, pointing to the tracks as he spoke, to illustrate his meaning, *“‘hvar are three hoss-tracks. Two on ’em is even, bue this hyar goes deeper ahint than afore, So I say, that ar’ hoss war ridden by a white man with a sharp bit. What d’ye think, neighbor?’ ‘ Looks reasonable,” admitted Strother ; “* bu how does a white man come hyar, consortin with Injuns?’ “There are sich cusses as him a’most enny- wheers,” said Wash, gravely; ‘‘morely, we've got a pardner down at the corral, as me and Ed hev suspicioned a long. time. Say, neighbor, war ye ever in Loozyanny?” He asked the question with curious abrupt- ness, and the overseer answered it with his usual brevity. ‘* Yow bet.” ‘Did ye ever know acuss thar of the name of Louis Lebar? A short, chunky fellow, a’most as black as a nigger, with a black beard over his face. Mout ’a’ bina Portugee, from his looks.” ‘‘ No!” said Strother, briefly Wash looked a little disappomted. He threw up his rifle on his shoulder, and marched off along the track im silence, till they were close to the motte of timber. ‘Look out, neighbor,? growled Strother; ‘““mout be Injuns in thar. Best git on yer hoss, Track’s plain ‘nuff.” | Wash Carrol made no answer. He hastened forward, still on foot, with his rifle ready to fire at a moment’s notice. He saw at the corner of the motte something which promised a clew. A clew it was, plain enough. The very identical plug of tobacco which Tiger Tail had received from Colonel Magoffin, lay there in the grass, amid the confused tranip- ling footsteps of a number of horses, , “Tiger ‘ail, by the jumping Jehosaphati" cried Wash, ‘‘ Now, don’t you git into no sweat, neighbor; we'll hev that boy back before long, or I’m durned, That’s fair! I know whar he is. He ain’t kilt—he ain’t. He’s only gobbled, to see ef they kain’t git some ransom out of the cunnel. The or’nary! Guess I know a trick wuth two o’ his. Look hyar, neighbor! The hull band was hyar waitin’, and they’ve va- moosed the ranch as soon as they got the young feller safe. Thar’s the track, straight into Tiger Tail’s camp.” . And he pointed to a broad, plain trail of man hoofs that led off from the corner of the straight to the Cross Timbers. ‘‘How many fellers has this Tiger Tail?’ asked Strother of his companion, as they stood watch- ing the track. ‘Bout a hundred and fifty,” said Wash. “Why shedn’t we make a party, and ride into the cuss’s hole, and make him give up the young feller?” demanded Strother. bapa) turned eagerly yin pened ‘Will you make one of sich a party, ne bor?” he asked... yy. ‘“‘T will that!” replied Strother, emphatically. “We've got our weepins, and no one ain't a- goin’ through us so durned quick as this comes to. Come, stranger, let us be hoofin’ it. We'll hev bad news an to tell the cunnel, but we mout as well git all the help we rian ‘twon’t be so easy to skeer that ’ere Tiger Tai without four or five six-shooters a-pointin’ his head.” “* Neighbor, you’re a hoss!” said Wash, heart- ily. “Give us yer claw,” The gigantic Tennesseean the other’s hand with a force that made it tingle. He and Wash remounted their horses and galloped back to camp, where they found all in the I asa commotion, Tennie Magoffin was wild with apprehension, and the colonel had all his men armed, and ready for an assault, When Wash and Strother rode into camp, and told their story, proposing the plan, there was not a dis sentient voice in the whole party. ‘3 Putting the women into the half completed : a on Te IOOFr ‘ Ze ; = ae