Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 119 — page 9: what you’re looking at

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

she arches, their yellowish other tint to the gor ‘‘Looks like the jaint-shop,” said Arthur Hamilton, at length. Te I thought there was anybody at home, I'd knock and ask the way across. One needs a balloon to travel in this delightful region!” ‘‘Sensible to the last, Hamilton,” laughed Day. ‘But really, ladies, we must not linger too long. Remember we have yet to overtake the train, and it must be far ahead by this time.” ‘“Which way? Each one seems the longest to me, and I couldn’t choose, to save my life.” “To the left—that leads toward the open ground, I think. Come, follow me. Our friends will think we’re lost.” For fully an hour they rode along the edge of thecanyon, never losing sight of it for more than a few moments at a time, as it became neces- sary to avoid unsurmountable obstacles. Fora short distance it ran straight and true as the flight cf an arrow, but then it began to turn and twist in a zigzag and tortuous manner. Then, though taking a great many steps, the qguartette made but little actual progress. Day was growing more and more uneasy, at the swift erm of time, though he sought to con- ceal this feeling as much as possible. The can- yon grew deeper and deeper, though less wide until at one point, it was scarcely twelve feet across at the top, though wider beneath, where the long-vanished water had eaten away the softer sandstone. This narrow place, however, did not last beyond a few hundred yards. Then as the canyon made an abrupt curve, it widened again. The quartette were now in the toe of a sf gantic horse-shoe, and as he realized this, Tom ay abruptly reined in his horse. ‘We must manage to cross it somehow. We might wander on for hours without finding our way out of this labyrinth.” **T don’t see how we can unless Arthur finds that balloon he was talking about,” laughed Ella, a little nervously. “If you ladies would trust me—” hesitated Day. We will. Tell us what to do, and if possible we will obey,” quietly replied Edith, with im- plicit confidence in her lover. ‘* Back to that narrow place then,” cried the officer. When there, he touched his horse with the spur, and headed him at the crevice. Ri ing into the air, the animal crossed it like a bird, alighting safely upon the other side. Turning, Day leaped back again. ' ‘" There—you see there isno danger. A child could leap it without any trouble. It only re- quires a re faith and confidence. Edith, dare you try i me You go first, and I will follow,” was the low, quick reply, sponge her cheeks were snowy white, as her instinctively wandered down the dizzy depth, when a sar or a mistake might plunge her—to instant death. ** There—you see—” _ Leaping the chasm, Tom turned his head to cheer Edith when he saw her alight safely be- hind him. She had taken the leap at almost the same moment. ‘I can’t do it—I should faint and tumble down that ugly black hole,” whimpered Ella, entirely subdued. “Then ll have to take you over—clear the way, there!” M4 an emergency Hamilton could act as prompt and decisively asany one. Deftly, yet tenderly, he grasped Ella round the waist and lifted her from the saddle, holding her tight to his breast. Then, before she comprehended his purpose, he spurred his animal on to the leap. ough oubly burdened, the noble creature did not be- lie its master’s confidence, and accomplished the feat in safety. ; ‘*There—if I have offended you, forgive me. I could see no other way,” muttered Arthur, as a turned to call the other horse. a quickly turned her head, and as Arthur bent his at the same moment, it chanced that their lips came in contact. Bashful though he was, ur did just what any other man would. As they felt the contact, his lips clun there for a moment; and in that moment, tha indefinable, delicious nothing, a kiss, was born. Probably was too badly frightened to notice this, for she said nothing. Certainly Arthur was too badly frightened by his own temerity to mi aught. Day was busy one the horse to follow its companions, and if Edit noticed the catastrophe, she was considerate enough to look unconscious, and turn aside her ead. The horse crossed, and Ella regained her own ‘een adding an- eously-colored wall. — ack-door of some giant’s Mustang Sam. saddle; then the party proceeded in higher spirits, thinking that the worst of the journey was over. Little did they dream of what the future had in store for them! A few moments later, from the top of the high ridge, they caught sight of the open ground before them, and far away in the distance, so as to be barely visible, in fact, were the white tilted wagons, ‘*Thank God!” for that. I began to fear we wenn lost in this dismal place, fervently uttered ith. ‘‘T for one, have enjoyed myself. I don’t re- member ever having a more delightful time!” impulsively cried Arthur, then riding ahead as Ella shot a quick glance toward him from be- neath her long lashes, feeling—to use an ex- pressive term—*“ all over in spots!” The edge of the rock-tract was neared. A long spur or ridge shot out into the desert. To- ward the base of this they rode, as the route seemed easiest. Suddenly Tom Day reined in and turned his head with a cry of alarm. ** Indians !”’ Upon the desert below them, slowly advanc- ing toward the spur, was a large body of horse- men. The long lances, the uniform ay color, could not be mistaken. They were Indians, upon the war-path. ‘Stoop low—they have not seen us yet,” the soldier hurriedly muttered. ‘In a moment they will be hidden behind the ridge. Now— follow me. We must reach some spot where we can hide, or as they pass by the point they will discover us. ‘*There come séme more from the other di- rection,” quietly added Hamilton, pointing back to a cloud of dust. ‘* It’s our only chance—hasten!” reiterated Day, leading on. _ “ No—it’s a white man—I saw the sun shin- ing on a black mustache!” cried keen-eyed Ella, after a few moments. ‘‘God help him, then! He is rushing head- long upon his death!” ‘“Can’t we warn him?’ asked Edith, her cheek rapa ‘* Not without betraying our own presence to those fiends—and then we, too, would share that poor fellow’s fate.” Edith tore the shawl from her shoulders and waved it rapidly. Seemingly the horseman did not notice it, for he did not stay his pro- gress. the reader knows, this Rider was Mustang , upon Tornado. The quartette heard all that followed, though they could see nothing. The spur of rocks con- denied the melee from their view. Still, they doubted not that the unfortunate horseman was ain. To their rise, the tumult, the thud of hoofs upon the sand, gradually died — though the savages did not appear in sig t round the spur. om Day clambered over the rocks to reconnoiter. To his surprise, he saw the Indians far away,in hot haste after the horseman. Several prostrate forms cumbered the sands; but they were still and motionless, as though dead. , Hastily perenings to his companions, Day led them on, believing that his only chance consist- ed in reaching the level, and then, by skirting the rocks, reach the wagon-train by a detour wide enough to insure, passing the Indians un- seen, should they return to look after their fallen. And then the train must be warned for they had believed the vicinity to be free of Indians, and surprised, there was scarcely a doubt but they would be massacred. But this programme was — frustrated. Scarcely had they crossed the ridge, when a wild yell of triumph broke upon their hearing, and a number of savages were seen bounding rapidly toward them. hey came from the rock-hills, and were on foot. Still, long before the pale-faces could descend to the level, they would be upon them. And this Day readily realized. ‘We'll have to fight them, Arthur,” he said, sternly, looking to his carbine and pistols. “ Follow me close, to yonder ledge. Once upon that, these devils can’t touch the ladies only as they pass over our bodies. Courage, Edith—we can easily dispose of those yelping vagabonds.” “T can’t see more than e dozen, and they have only bows and arrows. If it were only us two, ’'d ask no better fun than to teach these dogs a lesson. But make haste—they’re coming up fast.” Fe Reaching the ledge, Day made Edith and Ella ride on in advance, while he and Arthur threatened the Apaches with their rifles. But it was plain that matters must soon come to a crisis. Confident in their superiority of num- ee ee - ——— 9 bers, the Apaches rushed boldly up, delivering their arrows as they came. “The girls are safe round the bend now, S’pose we have the matter out here, where they can not get burt?’ said Tom. ‘They can only advance upon us by this one ledge. Once around that point, wecan pick them off as fast as they can come up.” ‘‘Right—I forgot their cursed arrows,” and Day winced involuntarily as a barbed shaft grazed his throat. Dashing round the sewge they quickly dis- mounted and raised their rifles. Their well- trained horses, both used to fire, stood firm. As though expecting the pale-faces would continue their flight as long as the ledge ex- tended, the Apaches came rushing on in a ‘ As they rounded the curve, two rifle-shots star- tled them. Discharged at scarce ten yards’ dis- tance, the result could not but be fatal. And then, steady as though target-firing, the two men emptied their weapons into the thick- crowded mass; Tom Day his repeating rifle, and Hamilton falling back upon his revolvers, The skirmish was brief, ending almost as soon as begun. Taken by surprise, the Apaches did not know what to make of men who did not have to reload their weapons. Those terrible contrivances were probably unknown to them, unless at second hand, the wild story of some vey roving brave. A dozen shots were fired in as many seconds. The ledge was blocked up with the dead and dying. With yells of dismay the three survi- vors turned and fled. Oneof them fell by Day’s hand; the others soon reached the old, - ning rapidly along the trail of the main é One of the fallen Apaches has given an ac- count of the affair, but, as Mustang Sam gees suspected, it was garbled. The attacking party did not belong to those who had attacked the train afterward. The had struck the trail as stated, had followed it up to the hills. There they lost it, and when drawn to the desert by the sound of firearms for the first time set eyes upon their prey. But the attack had not succeeded; on the contrary, the whites proved the victors, ‘‘No—we're all right,” cried Day, as Edith and Ella rode up. ‘‘ We didn’t give ’em time to use their arrows. But come—Arthur, help me pitch this carrion over the ledge, There’s no ime to lose. Those rascals will sdon have the whole troop upon our heels, if we burn daylight, But if we can gain the train first—which I th _ jean be done by hard riding—we’re all right. he ledge cleared of the dead Apaches, the snorting animals were led past; then mounting, the party rode rapidly along the ledge, looking - a place by which they might descend to the plain ham: ina tone of terror, pointing toward the esert: **My God! Look yonder!” CHAPTER VI. ‘** TREED.” THE eyes of all followed the direction of her outstretched arm. From their position full two score miles of the desert in a direct line could be scanned by the unassisted eye. Aided by this elevated Sore, the curiosity-seekers were now much be informed as to the position of af- fairs than any or all of the actors below, upon the level. | Far away, scarcely discernible, in fact, the white tilted wagons remained een as though awaiting their swift-approaching doom. Mustang Sam could no longer be distinguished but the dust-cloud that enveloped the mass o Apaches in pursuit still hovered over the desert, lainly marking their position. Still nearer the ills was a second dust-cloud; and between this and the quartette were the two fleeing Apache braves. - wae — ene that drew the exclamation of horror and despair from the blanched lips of Edith Bland. As she gazed anxiously es upon the prairie, the thin vail lifted, and she could quite distinctly discern the form of both horses and riders. Yt took but a moment to read the truth; the savages were rid- ing rapidly toward the hills. ‘Curse the luck! the devils are coming back!” tted Tom Day, his large black eyes ¢ in ike live coals. ‘‘They must have the eyes of buzzards, to see us so far against these rocks.” ‘I don’t believe they have seen us yet,” said Arthur. ‘ But they will soon know all about this little affair. See! those two varmints are returning direct to meet them. They will tell all, and then—well, you can guess the rest,” ‘‘Our horses are fast—can’t we reach the Eomicboo CS low. Buu before this was found, Edith ~ (E(@)