Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 1148 — page 7: what you’re looking at

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

Buck Tay At avery undignifed pace the combined force of red-skins and Raiders went, picking up their dead and wounded left at their ol position and continuing on rapidly to endeavor to gain a clump of timber two miles away to make a stand against their foes. In the mean time Buck had collected his horses and advanced toward the timber, laugh- ing himself hoarse, and the Rangers greeted him with cheers which but added to the speed of their enemies, who were now convinced that help had arrived for the Texans. ‘*Buck Taylor you are boss of ’em all, and I tell you, boy, that but for you, I believe we would have gone up, for Don Rafael saw his chance and was wicked, ** Here’s my hand, Buck, and I believe I owe you my life,” said Sol Bradford in his manly way, The others greeted Buck in a like way until he said in an embarrassed manner: ‘* You make a heap of fuss about nothing. ‘* { had the horses, and seeing one at different places, and a different man, as they supposed on each, they lighted out, that’s all.’ ‘‘It’s a big all, Buck, and I tell you, pard, you are the king of all cowboys I ever struck,” returned Bradford. ‘* Three cheers for the King of the Cowboys!” oried Mack, and they were given with such a will, that the retreating Comanches and Mexi- cans spurred on the faster, while the Rangers shouted with laughter as they watched them. CHAPTER XI. THE WARNING. THE band of Rangers, under Sol Bradford, were but a scouting party, and realizing that they were too weak to attack the combined force of Mexicans and Comanches, they were compelled to give up following them and re- turn to their headquarters camp, situated some thirty miles from where they then were; so they fell back from the field, scalping the dead reds, and burying them for humanity’s sake, along _with the Mexican whom Buck had killed an who had been left upon the field in the hasty flight of his comrades. uck found this Greaser’s revolvers and rifle, saddle and bridle far better than his own, so considered himself pretty well fixed for a Ranger. He told of his capture of the wild horses, and all viewed his splend.d roan and the gray mare with envious eyes, Arriving in ats d Buck became a hero at once, and the roan king was gazed upon with unstinted admiration. The gray mare was also given just praise, and when Buck related bis adventures, in a modest Captain McNally said: : Buck, you will become famous ret, for you have done nobly, and, with two such animals as you now have, predict great things from you As a er. ‘‘1"]] do my best, captain,” assured the young horse-tamer, most happy to find that he was among friends, and had a chance to show what he could do. Pt; And he went to work at. once with his wild steeds, to thoroughly tame and train them. He seemed to have a spell about him in the manage- ment of a dumb brute, for the intelligence that he caused his horses and dog to reveal was e- marxable. The noble equine king soon came to know and iove him, while he obeyed the slightest word or gesture of his admiring master, The gray mare also became well trained, and Buck named her ‘*‘ Miss Mollie,” after a Texas _ sweetheart of his. | In the shooting matches among the men of MeNally’s command Buck showed that he could win nire times out of ten, and in every horse race the prairie king found no match, while there were but few equals of Miss Mollie in speed, Going to the nearest town Buck rigged up in Ranger costume, and he soon wholly dropped - the awkward, overgrown look he had worn ~ when he rode into the camp to volunteer. | He was liked by all, with one exception—a oung man whose envious nature made him hate any one who excelled him in anything. His name was dy Armstrong, and several times he had sou a quarrel with the young horse-tamer, but had maior mes by the g _ mature of the cowboy, who Would not resent his rudeness and ill-feeling. Rodd} SERENE was known also by the name of the Dandy Duelist, from the fact that te he was a border exquisite in his attire, and had _ killed several men in personal affairs, He had come from somewhere down upon the Rio Grande—had been a rancbero, it was said. He was known to be a most successful gambler, for he generally won at cards with his com- rades. A iba handsome man, She ag in build, and a dead shot, he was feared; he was in- clined to be quarrelsome, and his sarcasm was wont to provoke trouble. Captain McNally had often regretted taking him into his command, and from some reason Sol Bradford had always avoided a conflict with him, though opportunities bad frequently offered. When Buck joined the troop Roddy was in the headquarters camp, as the regular encamp- ment of the band was called. - It was on the ranch of Captain McNally, who was a man whose happy home had been broken up by Mexican raiders, and, for revenge, he had turned his cowboys into Rangers, thus forming the gallant squadron of Texans who had won fame on the frontier as brave barriers between the settlers and their foes. When the party under Captain McNally re- turned to the Rangers’ Ranch, as the headquar- ters camp was called, and reported the arrival of a recruit in the person of Buck Taylor, a cowboy, Roddy Armstrong had sneered at him ang SONeLee at Sol Bradford for being worsted »y him. ‘* Wait until you see him, Armstrong,” Brad- ford said. | ‘‘T am anxious to, and [ can master him, though there are few in camp but feel that you could best me in a fight, Sol.” . ‘* But we have never had a try, Armstrong, and I hope we never will,” was the quiet re- ‘Well, I have a curiosity to see this cowboy hero, whom you all make such a fuss about,” “*QOh, you'll see him, and my advice is that you don’t crow too loud, or he may show his spurs,” said Mack. So when Buck arrived, and bis heroism great ly added to by bis capture of the roan king, his fight with the three Indians, and escape from the Comanche pursuers and Mexicans, he was regarded as a most remarkable personage. He was also greatly praised for his ruse that saved the band of Rangers under Sol Bradford, and could not buf feel that he was making a name for himself, though he accepted the praise of his comrades in his modest way. Roddy Armstrong had eyed him curiously and impertinently from head to foot. A skilled gambler, he was a good reader of human nature, and he saw an honest-faced, brave-hearted fellow, true as steel to a friend and a terror to a foe. “Tl go slow with this fellow now, but Ill best him in the end,” he muttered to himself, So the Rangers were surprised to see Roddy Armstrong treat Buck with marked kindness, He drew him out all he could about himself and when Buck’s roan king distanced bis fleet atop Nightmare, he paid his losses with a smile. ‘** Buck, I know you don’t fear the devil, but I warn you to beware of Roddy Armstrong, for he is no man’s friend, no matter what ke pro- fesses to be,” said Sol Bradford, one night, after the young cowboy bad belonged to the Rangers for several months. ‘IT thank you, Sol, but he’s friendly enough with me,” said Buck. ** Don’t you trust him.” ‘s Why Q? You have won his money in horse-racing, though you do not play cards. ‘“‘ You have beaten him at shooting with both rifle and revolver, and you rode his bucking horse, Suicide, when he could not do it. “He appears to take it all in good part; but he is an envious devil, and hates any man who worsts him, so I tell you to look out for him.” ‘*T don’t fear him.” ‘* 1 know that; but if he strikes you, it will be in the durk, or from behind. ee my words, Buck, and be on your a ‘**T will, thank you, Sol; but I can’t believe Roddy Armstrong is as black as you say he 1s. “If I thought so, I’d tell him my opinion mighty quick,” and Buck walked away; but the warning he had received he could not dismiss as readily as he supposed, and he made up his mind to keep an eye on the Dandy Duelist. CHAPTER XII. — TWO RANGERS ON A SCOUT. Wirnovr referring to a number of fights which the gallant Rangers had with the Indians and the long and hard trails oe which they often went, and inallof which Buck the cowboy —————S sess ssn pee eee ewes —a et — won new laurels for his pluck, I will pass over some months of life on the Texan border and speak more particularly of the personal adven- tures of my hero, He still held the esteem of all in the band, and to the surprise of all, Roddy Armstrong was his particular friend and champion. They were always together, the Dandy Duel- ist and Buck, and often they went together on scouts, always with good results, Sometimes Sol Bradford accompanied them, and the trio on one occasion returned after a week’s absence, with a story of thrilling adven- ture. All of them were wounded spange slightly, and they had tocut their way throug the entire band of Rafael’s Raiders, barely escaping with their lives. Some weeks after Buck Taylor and Roddy Armstrong got permission to go together upon a scout, to discover the camp of Don Rafael, with a view to a raid upon it by the Rangers. They mounted their best horses, the Gambler Ranger riding his black horse, Nightmare, and Buck taking Roan King, as the wila stallion was now altogether called. They reached the Rio Grande by night, and went into camp on the American shore, The next day they scouted around and discov- ered the exact whereabouts of the camp of Don Rafael, the Raider. ‘* We will lie in camp until to-morrow night, Buck, and then can get near enough to see the Don’s force,” said Armstrong. Buck consented and they found a secluded camp. . But the next morning Armstrong said that he would ride out upon a short scout, and, though urged by Buck not to do so, he paid no heed to Hardly had he disappeared when Buck started out on the trail of the gambler. e Several hours after he returned hastily, and threw himself upon his blankets, A few moments be had been there, when Rod- dy Armstrong rode into camp. Buck started up as though just awakened, and called out: ‘‘ Hullo, Roddy, did you discover anything?” ‘* No, I had my ride for nothing.” ‘*T didn’t think you could get near the camp in daylight; but I guess we can to-night.” ‘‘T hope so; but I’m hungry and tired, so I'll eat my dinner and take a nap.” ‘*And as Iam rested, lll clean up my wea- pons, for they need it.” ‘Wish you'd clean mine, too, Buck, for I had toswim astream this morning, and they may be a trifle out of condition.” ‘‘T don’t mind,” was the answer, and Buck went to work with the arms, The weapons of Roddy Armstrong were of the very finest workmanship. The revolvers were silver-mounted and had his name engraven on them, with beneath it the word: a ss To. ” . Then followed a space for another name, and mf gambler said he left it for the man who kill- im. He often said that whoever took his life was ie heir, and should have all that he had to eave, Buck first cleaned his revolvers and rifle, not forgetting to polish up his bowie-knife, and the weapons were carefully loaded and laid aside. Then he took up the handsome repeating-rifle belonging to Armstrong, and bearing the name and word * To,” as the revolvers and knife did, and gave it a thorough overhaul down to rest and was soon fast asleep. Tyus the afternoon passed, and night came, Then the two friends mounted their horses and started upon a reconnoissance, It was after midnight when they returned to camp, and Buck said: we knew before.” ‘‘No; let us go to bed, and go back in the morning, for we certainly know where Don half a hundred men, so we can, with our full ‘* Yes, we can do it,” echoed Buck, and, after a cold snack, they sought their blankets, lying about six feet apart. Wee Fcr half an hour all was quiet in the camp. _ Then the darkness was illumined f° ines bright flashes and a trio of shots fired succession, . A few moments more and a horseman, with a camp in the timber, ing. Armstrong, having finisbed his dinner, laid | ‘‘ Well, we baven’t discovered any more than | Rafael’s camp is, and that he has not got over force, cross the river some night and raid him,” led horse, dashed away from the little solitary — | : “ ‘ “~\ 4 . - -“% , «tire ‘ A * “ : a : Jia om, a 17> , ~! . afi oa a) 4 aca _ F eek wR . on xk e iT, . ¢ - a ° on - 5 E ’ - ra ~~ et: | . > i> a , -