Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 119 — page 15: what you’re looking at

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

Mustang Sam. He was not long kept in suspense. Even while the valley was reverberating with the rifle-shots, several dusky hands clutched the edge of the rock, and thus assisted, the heads and shoulders of three Apaches rose above the mesa. A little ery broke from Edith’s lips as she caught sight of the grim, grotesquely-painted faces—the keen, black eyes, filled with the fire of deadly ven- eance, that only the loss of life could extinguish— he bright, bare scalping-knife that was tightly clenched between the teeth of each warrior; and then, woman-like, she bowed her head, shutting out the terrible vision with her trembling hands. And the dying rays of the now hidden sun indistinctly lighted up the scene. I Calm and steadily, as though aimed at the regula- tion target, the revolver of the soldier rose until the silver drop covered the forehead of one of the Apaches. Then the hammer fell. Almost crowning the sharp report, a horrible yell, pee” ds ay in its intensity, broke from the strick- en red-skin’s lips, as a few drops of life-blood spirted from the discolored hole that marked the passage of the unerring bullet. With a convulsive reaction of the strained muscles, the stricken warrior leaped upon the mesa. Upon the very edge he stood for a fleeting moment, the hot life-blood pattering down upon the gray rock at his feet. But this was only for a moment. Then the erect head drooped, the muscular arms were flung aloft, and with a See te groan, the lifeless clay sunk backward, falling heavily over the edge of the mesa. A confused struggle followed; then a heavy fall. Yells of baffled rage and chagrin came up from be- low. In its fall, the body had almost cleared the mesa face of the Apaches. There was something so vividly horrible in this scene that both red-skins and pale-faces seemed de- rived of the power of. motion for the time being. ut no sooner had the dead brave toppled over upon his late comrades below, than the other two Apaches uttered a yell of vengeance and nee te Ete As though rele ffom a spell by this, Day again cocked his pistol, and discharged it full into the broad chest of the foremost savage. One wild bound carried the savage to his enemy, and it seemed as though the soldier had missed his aim. But then, soon as he flung. up. his left arm to ward off the threatened blow, Day felt the hot life-blood sprinkling his face, and. the Apache dropped the glittering blade, fa ng forward, dead. Yet, even in death, it seemed as though he was re- solved to avenge his fallen comrades, for his heavy form fell upon ‘the crouching soldier, bearing him back upon the rock, the revolver falling from his hand in the shock, As Day grappled with the still-quivering figure,un- certain how much life might remain, two cries sa- luted his ears.. The third Apache leaped forward and clutched at the soldier’s throat, at the same time delivering a vicious thrust with his long knife. A momentary faintness seized upon Tom Day, as he felt the cold steel pierce his flesh, and then, asthe sharp pang told him he was wounded, a mad — seized upon him, and whirling from beneath the corpse, he desperately pled with the Apache. Like wild beasts they ro over and over the flat table-top, first one above, then the other, the Apache uttering his fierce war-cry, which was promptly echoed back from below, and the scrambling of moccasined feet upon the mesa face came quite dis- tinctly to the ears of the antagonists. All seemed lost. It was all that the soldier could do to keep the biting knife: from his person; free himself from the vise-like ew of the Apache he could not, without losing his hold upou the knife- hand, And that would be fatal. But in that critical moment an unexpected ally appeared. Edith, realizing the imminent peril of her lover, sprung to her feet and clutched the half- cocked revolver that had fallen from Tom Day’s hand, Without hesitating a moment, she placed the wea- pon to the head of the Apache, cocking it with the same motion. | At the report the savage fell forward, dead, his skull fairly shattered to pieces. His face covered with elotted blood and brains, almost blinded, Tom Day flung aside the corpse and sprung to his feet. It was a well-nigh fatal action,.for the marksmen below saw and recognized the figure, and disc ed a hasty volley of bullets ‘and arrows at him. very haste probably frustrated their hopes, for, though he heard the vieious whistling of the missiles, even above the loud reports, the soldier was un- vithin incident recalled his usual coolness, and dash- ing the blinding blood from his brow, Day crouched to-the rock, Edith pape him the revolver, and then sunk to the roek, lifeless. Fortunately for himself, Day did not notice this, else he might even then have been conquered, Even as it ram the foremod of the Apaches was just crawling upon the mesa ; At tha r hos hoarce ten feet—one could not miss such a target, even when trembling and pant- ing heavily from a desperate struggle, and the gro- tesquely-painted face sunk back, now marked with blood. Then seizing upon the two dead bodies, D them, one after another; over the edge of the mesa, iling grimly as he heard the heavy fall of strug- | iin , aries Spor the jagged rock: eath, The caval missiles had swept the steep aseent clear of A e, he glanced quickly around, a8 NO Try ee toarin a his heartstrings. ‘top, and then all shrew ‘face, ‘away. More than ever they believed in this man’s “Vail. hurled ° Pell whip ’em yet, Edith,” muttered ee a yet, oa" by far the more eure A treasure th face was pale and ghastly as that of a corpse; and a dull, heart-breaking cry broke from his lips as he crept toward the motionless body of her he loved so well. He could detect no breath, no beating of the pulse no throbbing of the heart. The pale face seemed ae his trembling touch. He felt that Edith was ead, One more cry parted his lips, And from below arose the shrill vindictive yells of the bloodthirsty Apaches. They seemed prepari a another assault. But the soldier did not he em. CHAPTER XI. THE GLADIATOR'S LAST STRUGGLE. Bout, through their ignorance of what had occurred upon the top of the mesa, the Apaches allowed the golden moment to pass by, unimproved, when one more effort would assuredly have gained them the re- ward of their desperate and unusually persistent en- deavors. The cool, deadly bravery of the soldier had thoroughly awed them. He seemed to bear a charmed life—their missiles to glance innocuously from his person—while their own braves fell before his medicine fire-arms like leaves before the storm. Their yells, then, were not the charging-cry re- newed, but had a far different signification. Peculiar cries had attracted their attention toward the pass by which they had entered the circular valley. Several of their comrades were just entering; those who had been dispatched. after the missing couple of ale-faces. The efforts of these, at least, must have een rewarded with success; such was the gratifying thought that filled the mind of each Apache. The reader knows, however, that in this hope they were fated to bitter disappointment. Indeed, the Apaches, though their game was safely brought to bay, ee reinforcements. One assault had met with a bloody loss; but, sooner or later the hated pale-face must succumb to the indomitable courage and prowess of the Apache. Thus, their party divided, one portion investing the canyon pass, the other surrounding the square- topped mesa, the Apaehes- seemed resolved to await the slower but more. sure result of thirst and starva- tion. And thus the — rolled silently on. All was silentas death upon the gesa top. Nota breath, not a rustle camé the watchful Apaches to tell them of their anticipated prey—nota soun came to their keenly strained ears. Could it be that their work was already done? that, even then, the man who had so long bidden’ them successful defi- ance, was dying or dead upon the rock? that the last volley had been fatal, though strength enough lin- ‘gered for the pale-face to first clear his stronghold of enemies, both living and dead? As the gray light of day dawned over the valley, the gaze of all was bageriy directed toward the rock. Already the Apaches were canvassing another at- tempt—another Boel g Party 5 but. fortunately, per- haps, for all concern. is project was abandoned. irst one keen-eyed savage detected a faint, irreg- ular patch of mist-like vapor just above the mesa guessed the truth, The vapor was smoke curling fron the pipe of the pale- And their half-formed resolve quietly died tent. “medicine.” One who could quietly give mself up to the enjoyment of the soothing weed under such circumstances, would be an awkw customer to handle in the light of day. The Apaches were correct in their surmise, At that moment the soldier, Tom Day, sat upon the rock above, a. short pipe in his mouth, a revolver at half cock in one hand, while the other rested lightly Ss ‘upon the head that was pillowed upon his lap. face was pale and jaded, bearing but too plainly the marks of deep anxiety and yey woken but the wild, dazed look of despair had fled from his eyes. For Edith Bland was not dead--was now sleeping Pescetilys trustfully, unharmed in body, As she beheld the horrible sight—the dread result of her action, in the quivering corpse of the Apache a reyulsion came, and she swooned. Thus Tom ha found her; and-for fully an hour he had believed her dead. Then she faintly stirred in his arms, her éyes opened, and she feebly murmured his name. Over that period of almost heavenly joy, draw a Words are powerless to paint such. But now -Tom -Day sat. gloomily weighing the chances of their future. They were small—if indeed there was arty hope. Already he was tortured with thirst and faint with hunger. Added: to this was now a weary longing for sl . More than once‘ his head drooped and his lids closed; but manfully he fought back the temptation, To yield, even for a single moment might be death—for his loved one as well as himself. ** Sleep on, se foluit he muttered yan as he gently smoothed the masses of dishevel , Silken air. ‘Sleep on—the longer the better. It may be your last chance. Hunger and thirst will soon kill you—even if those devils remain quiet. Oh! if the clouds would only come!” But his eye de no hope from this quarter, as he eagerly scanned the horizon by the rapidly increasing light of day. And a bitter lament broke from his lips, as he knew that in another hour they would be exposed to the full rays of the torrid sun. The end could not long be protracted, since they had no water. But we need not dwell upon the long hours of that day; the subject is not a pleasant one. The suffer- ings of the lovers were terrible, as the full force of the glowing sun fell upon their unprotected heads; e as it may appear, the stron man suffer- truly invaluable whinky Tom Day now found the piré dask of 15 that he usually carried in his breast pocket “for medicine in case of accidents.’’ Only for that, they must have given way. Its subtle strength sustained their onIng spirits. Thus the long day wore on, and night once more came over the valley. The Apaches made no repn: lar attack, though an occasional arrow was shot over the mesa, or at such an angle that it descended upon the flat top. Tom had snatched a brief sleep in the afternoon, and felt greatly refreshed as the cool night breeze sprung up. A dull, heavy silence sprung over the valley as the night wore on. All seemed wrapped in slumber. th Edith’s head again pillowed upon his lap, Tom Day sradually, yielded to sleep, and then the mesa was left unguarded. The indistinct reports of fire-arms failed to arouse him; indistinct, because the ragged hills multiplied their echoes a thousand times, And the Apaches below began to stir, their excitement growing mo- mentarily more and more intense. A couple of warriors suddenly appeared in their midst, andin a few hasty words communicated news of evident interest. The loud voice of their chief broke the silence, and in obedience to his orders a number of warriors hastened away toward the mouth of the pass. And through all this the soldier slept penoerany, The light of day was breaking in the east. Al- ready outlines were tolerably distinct. Phantom- like, the dusky Apaches were gathering around the base of the mesa. In their eyes glowed a deadly determination; from their hard, stern-set faces one could tell that they had resolved upon suecess— even though half their force must first feel the hand of death. And then the dark figures began to scale the face of the mesa, clinging to the points of rock, di ging their moccasined toes into the holes and crevices, earrying keen, blades tightly clenched betwixt their teeth, All was silence above. Not a breath—rota rustle gave token that the pale-face was upon his guard and reac y to give them a hot reception, The foremost Apache grasped the edge of the rock and drew himself bodily upward. He sawa dark figure crouching upon the rock, with out- stretched arm; but then the light of life was for- ever Lae inhiseyes, A blinding flash—a sharp report, and the Apaches knew that the pale-face was awaiting their coming. The faint noise of the ascent had aroused Hadith, and she had awakened the soldier, In quick succession the Apaches scaled the rock, but the deadly revolvers spoke quite as rapidly. One after another the assailants reel and fall bac until the rock base is thickly strewn with the dead and disabled. Still the survivors press on. sey are wild, mad; nothing but. human blood can quen their thirst, Chamber after chamber is quickly emptied. Each shot claims a life. Yet others spring up to take the place of the fallen. And then an involuntary cry of dismay broke from the soldier’s lips, as the ham- mer falls twice upon the uneovered nipples. His last pina was empty—he is utterly defenseless— and the Apaches swarm on and up the rock face, dragging their bodies over the escarpment, yelling like fiends incarnate. And with his naked hands, Tom leaps forward. This was the sound that caused Mustang Sam to panee so abruptly in his impetuous charge upon the paches—the sound of rapid firing, mingled with the charging yells, the death-shrieks of the Apaches. The almost incredible truth seemed: to burst upon his mind as if by instinct, and he loudly yelled: “My head ag’inst a petrified pigtail that’s the sol- dier feller still fightin’ the ho’nets! On—foller me, boys! We'll cheat the or’nary varmints yit!”’ ith wild cheers the emigrants, thoroughly in- fected by his reckless daring, closely ressed after Mustang Sam. A moment more and the result of the thumping, clattering sound was béfore them. A barricade of Jagge rocks and bowlders com- ping choked up thé mouth of the pass that led nto the circular valley, Already the barricade was breast high, and Apaches were still adding to it. *““ Now—don’t stop or we’re played!" yelled Mus- tang, gathering himself together. “* Don’t give ’em “pare to fire—do as I do an’ the varmints air ours!” Even as the angry yell told that the savages had discovered their approach, Mustang Sam darted forward, unchecked by the storm of rifle-bullets and arrows that was poured from the barricade, Like a bird he rose into the air, fairly clearing the pile of rocks, alighting safely upon his feet in the very midst of the startled and bewildered red-skins., Striking desperate) out, right and left, Mustang Sam cleared himself sufficiently to draw his re- volvers. And then the uy weapons began to play, before the Apaches could cast off the amaze- ment that seized am them at this marvelous feat of strength and skill. “On, boys! Giv’ them the best you've got!” ment, as the most emigrants c over the barricade, . . A horrible, deadly melee followed. The ch were too rapid for the human eye to follow, ) struggle too exciting and thrilling—too deadly and furious for words to describe, It was like the horri- ble, breathless death-grapple of two score wild sav- age beasts pressed up together with no mode of es- cape by flight—where death could only be avoided by slaying. It was soul-sickening. Searcely a minute elapsed from the first shot, un- til all was over at that point—the battle fought, the victory won. The defeated—the few who €s- caped immediate death or disabling awere EComichbooks:co