Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 237 — page 14: what you’re looking at

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

14 Lone Star, the Cowboy Captain. knows El Cobra’s haunt well, and will lead me there,” ‘But he may have a large force?” ‘No, no more than I can ge with Panther and the four men I take with me.” : ‘‘Captain Lone Star,” and Elegant ’s manner seemed embarrassed, while his voice was low and quivered. ‘Well, Ed?” ‘'T seldom ask a favor of any one, but I do beg of you to let Old Bitters go on after the cattle with the boys, and allow me 10 accompany you.” | ‘Why do you ask this, Ed?” and the | th youth seemed struck by the strange man- ner of his lieutenant. . ‘‘ I will frankly tell you, Lone Star; I am acquainted with Miss Bainbridge, and circumstances of a most painful nature separated me from her, and caused her to think ill of me, and now, by aiding in her rescue, I wish to try and redeem the past in her eyes.” ‘You shall go, Ed, and Bitters can take the boys on after the cattle,” was the generous response of Lone Star, and giv- ing his orders over again, the two parties se ted, the Comanche chief, Elegant Ed, and three cowboys accompanying the young captain. Unerringly the Panther led them on until the ti horses demanded a rest, and then he stood guard while they slept for several hours. But with the dawn they were again in the saddle, and after a ride ef several leagues the Indian halted in a deep and wild canyon, and said, addressing Lone tar . ‘* Let the friends of Yellow Hair wait here, while he follows the Panther. ‘The tepee of Kl Cobra is there,” and he mei up rh Oe hill, plaining that he was going to get the bearings of the odd ral "a which Black Panther had said El Cobra had his retreat, Lone Star followed the Indian on foot, and after ten minutes walk came in sight of the old monastery. ut suddenly he halted, for he saw be- fore him two persons who riveted his gaze. CHAPTER XXII. THE RESCUE, THOSE upon whom the eyes of Lone Star, the Cowboy Captain, fell, were, as per oat had ‘dc gg oe ig pane other than | Bainbridge an Cobra, who stood tating together a few hundred paces from the river where it will be remembered, the chief had joined the maiden: . ogling “Quick, Panther, back to'the canyon, and bid my white brothers ‘come here,” cried the youth, ae , ‘They must know that my warriors guard the bad chief?” ‘Yes, and will turn no shot against them put only upon El Cobra.” oa e Black Panther will do as his white boy brother says,” and the Indian sk Peyre he gone, before Lone Star crept nearer to the chief and the maiden, gaining a position where he was within forty of them, and near enough for him to hear their voices, though not to catch their words. As he saw the chief plainly in the face he started, and muttered: “ . sae It is as I thought; the very man him- A moment after El Cobra turned. an- ‘suddenly threw herse grily away, and, walking toward the ruin, Bessie Bainbridge was left alone. Hardly had the chief gotten half way to the ruin, when Lone Star gave a low whistle. Instantly it caught the ear of Bessie, and looking in the direction from whence came the sound, she saw a white face, in- stead of that of a red-skin as she had ex- pected to behold, | But it might be one of El Cobra’s Mex- ican escort and no friend of hers, she thought, and she did not move from her position, yet kept her eye upon the top of e hill. hill Again the face appeared, Keaiedioan with long golden Surely thought. But still undecided she stood, when dis- tinctly came the words: — Mins Bainbridge, is that you?” ‘*Yes, I am Bessie Bainbridge,” she uickly answered, and a thrill of joy chet through. her heart. ‘Walk here to me quickly and I will protect you,” came the glad words. She could hardly refrain from a ery of joy, and her limbs trembled beneath her weight from nervousness; but with a mighty effort of self-control she regained her composure and walked briskly toward the hill. At that very moment El Cobra walked back, evidently having before forgotten in his anger, that he had left Bessie un- attended, although his Indian puards were not far away. And, as he walked he saw her hasten- ing toward the hill, and at the same time beheld a head suddenly bob down behind it out of sight. A wild war-cry broke from his lips, to rally his qusey guards, and like the very wind the chief bounded in pursuit of his captive. Alarmed by the cry Bessie rushed for- ward, clambered up the hill, tottering as she ran, for she heard the ringing war- whoops of the savages in answer, and half fainting inte the arms of a man who had stretched them out to receive her. At the same moment El Cobra dashed up the hill, and Lone Star sprung out and confronted him, shouting as he did SO: ‘Well, Ranchero Hawley Dean, we meet again.” ‘* Curse you, boy, take that!” But the revolver dropped from his hand ere it exploded, as a bullet from Lone Star’s pistol pierced his heart. Springing forward the Cowboy Cap- tain placed his foot upon the fallen man, and leveled his revolver at his head; but life had already taken leave of the lendid form, and the dark, evil face of the mysterious ranchero had on it the seal of death. Just then there came bounding for- ward the half-dozen Comanche guards, that El Cobra had kept about him at the ruin, rather than men of his own race. Pater and was no Mexican, she But raising his voice Lone Star called | gall out a few words in their own tongue, and checking their run, they came forward: at a walk, and without apparent hostile in- tention, and greeted their chief, Black Panther, with a shout of welcome, as he just then came over the hill-top. _**Let my warriors see the face of an old friend, Yellow Hair, our boy pale- face brother,” said the Panther. Instantly the warriors seemed to recog- re foe they had aed — am ne , and springing forw orgot the id mien and warmly greeted THE one into whose arms Bessie Bain- bridge had sprung, with such perfect abandon in her alarm, was Elegant Ed and upon his broad breast she had pillow her head and burst into tears of joy. But realizing her conduct, she sudden- ly released herself from his protecting arm and sprung back with a low, em- apology. Yet the words seemed to freeze upon her lips, as she caught sight of his face and her form trembled, and she seem about to fall, as she cried in ili tones: ‘‘Oh Heaven! is it an apparition, or are you Edwin Egbert?” ‘‘T am Edwin Egbert, Bessie,” was the low reply. ‘Thank God!” came fervently from her lips. ‘* And I too say thank Heaven, Bessie, that you are out of all danger,” was his answer in a low tone. | ‘‘And I owe it to you, Edwin, whom I believed dead.” ‘‘ No, Bessie, you owe it to that brave youth yonder, at whose hands fell El Cobra, in whom I now recognize an old foe, my bitterest enemy, who, under the guise of friendship, ruined me, and then as he believed killed me in a duel.” ‘*But how did you escape, Edwin?” she asked, drawing nearer to him, and unnoticing Lone Star with the Indian and three cowboys gathered around him. ‘*T fell, severely wounded by his tire, and my seconds hastily arranged to bury me; but being fearful of being found there, paid an old farmer living near to give me decent burial. 5 ‘* He found I was not dead, took me to his house, sent for the country doctor, and I came round all right in time, thanks to my hardy constitution. ‘‘ Ashamed of myself for my conduct, in having en upon a wild and reck- less life, I allowed all to believe me dead, and emigrated with my kind friend, the old farmer, to Texas, and am now mana- r for him on his cattle ranch, and head Raeten or cowboy, as we are called. ‘‘T.am poor, and almost friendless, Bessie, but m love for you is as true as ever, and all I wish is to have you for- give me, and then I will go far from ou. ‘You will do no such silly thing, Ed- win Egbert, for I do forgive you and I will forget your wild life, while I love you more t ever I did, and have riches enough for both of us. ‘“Now come and let me thank that very handsome youth yonder, to whom ou say I owe my rescue, and who killed Cobra, who is none other than Haw- ley Dean Bainbridge, my iy ames cousin, whom you have heard me spea of, an whom a bullet has saved from the ows. Edwin Egbert, or Elegant Ed, led Bes- sie forward and remand: her to Lone Star and the other cowboys, and the young captain quite charmed her with his andsome face and free-and-easy air, and - leading the way to the ruin, said he would do the honors as host. until they started on their return. ) é. | The body of El Cobra was buried in th old ruin, and: finding plenty of horses Gonnichbooks (E (EO)