Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 279 — page 10: what you’re looking at

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

10 Old Winch, the Rifle King. a * Hello! a broken rope!” exclaimed several | they had traversed it at all hours, under the at once. ‘Pick ‘im up an’ try ag’in. Bring out another lasso! He can’t break ’em all!” No! the rope had not broken, the knife of the red-skin in the tree had cut it through by a sin- gle sweep of his crimson hand! Fast upon this unexpected accident came the ~~ crack of the deadly navy, and the men of Eldorado fell back from Plumas Roy, some po others with holes in the tops of their 8! * Thar’s a devil in the tree!” was the cry that rose on every side. Lasso Dan recoiled, spite of his well-known bravery; his followers had already fallen back. The re of a human being dropped through the smoke and alighted beside Roy who was re- gaining his feet without assistance. In one instant his bonds were severed, and he looked into the face of his helper, Red Star, the Indian chief. **Come!” said the red-skin. ‘‘ White man an’ Red Star must stand together. If one falls the other must go down, eh, brother?” ‘Tam with you, chief,” was Roy’s response. “The men of Eldorado have fallen back. The present moment is our time.” Without reply Red Star sprung straight to- ward the ace to which the roughs of Gold Valley had fled, nonplused and mystified by the death-shots from the tree. “An Injun, by Jove!” cried Lasso Dan. “Give the pards all the cold lead you hev, boys. It mayn’t be hangin’, but it’ll be death all ther same.” At that moment Roy and his companion placed a number of horses between them and the men tigers of the mining capital. **Mount, brother, but don’t ride like white man,” ordered Red Star. The couple leaped upon the backs of the near- est horses, but held to the manes and stretched their bodies along the animal’s sides and necks. No command to dash away was needed. The roughs were themselves again, and were springing forward with their revolvers. Away went the two friends to the sharp eracks of a score of revolvers, the balls from which, intended for their bodies, whistled harm- lessly around their ears. To their surprise the rest of the horses thun- dered ae at their heels, thus leaving Lasso Dan and his braves without means for pursuit. **Let ’em come, brother!” ejaculated Red Star, looking into Roy’s face after surveying the riderless steeds fora moment. ‘ The wolves of the valley will have to trail us on foot,” and a triumphant grin appeared at the Indian’s mouth. Ou, on, down the trail be bad lately traveled with the Rifle King, Plumas Roy pressed at the top of his new steed’s speed, and within touch- ing distance of the brave red-skin chief who rode at his side. ** Red Star, I thank you for this,” fell from the oung miner’s lips when he drew rein five miles m the scene of this exciting rescue. ‘‘ I never did you a favor that merited such a gallant rescue.” ‘‘No, brother; but Red Star wanted his brother to live for the pale girl he will find by and by.” Roy started. ‘Tam to hunt her alone, chief. Old Winch has left me—” ** But Red Star is near!” was the interruption. ** When the white youth mee ot that Red Star hates the ranchero, kt him forget that he loves the white flower.” “T will not forget,” Roy said, laying his hand upon the Indian’s naked arm. “ This night you have linked me to you with a chain of friend- ship and devotion which naught but death can sever.” ‘* Red Star knew that.” The horses which bad dashed after the escap- ing pair had turned back as if conscious that they were not following Lasso Dan, whose sad- dle was now filled by the youthful miner. Red Star and Roy were alone in the midst of the beautiful valley that stretched, grass clad, “<iTbey coal’ plainly we each others: ge y see each of Ss res, for the stars were shining with unusual bril- li , and when they moved ona it was , a8 2 they did not fear pursui was a t rescue, @ narrow escape; but the was not yet. CHAPTER X. DRALING WITH A TRAITOR. Parramn miles away lay Eldvurado, and five behind them stooi Lasso Dan and his discem- crowd. Roy and the chief knew Gok! Valley well; stars as well as beneath the glare of the noonday sun. Thoughts of the Old Rifle King and Gold Georgie, but especially of the latter, were upper- most in the young man’s mind. If he could but strike the masked Mazeppa’s “pear gs would ask no other favor at Fortune’s ands, Red Star bad failed in the object which took him to the herder’s ranch after the capture of the bear-hunter’s protegee in the pass. He knew, as Plumas Roy did now, that the masked Ma- zeppa really was Ranch Rob hi ‘self. Indian vengeance had tied bim to the back of bis wild- est horse, but the fortune which sometimes comes to the aid of human devils had interposed in the robber ranchero’s behalf. Roy was eager to go back to the pass and strike the herder king’s trail; but Red Star would not listen to such a proposition. A thirst for further vengeance against the men of Eldorado burned in the red-skin’s breast. He would have ridden back to the ranch to try conclusions with them once more. He was constantly tortured and maddened by thoughts of the twelve braves he had left on the porch; the dead white men under the trees failed to fill the cup of revenge. If the twain riding slowly through the star- lit valley had retraced their steps, they might have reached the estancia in time to witness a a that would have delighted them. 8 roughs of the valley were still cursing their discomfiture and the loss of their steeds, which had not yet returned, when «@ single horseman drew rein in front of the house. A loud shout greeted him, and he was instant- ly surrounded by the torches that revealed his flashing eyes and strangely yellow face, “Ranch Rob, by Jehosaphat!” exclaimed Dan. ‘* What on earth makes yer face so yaller? Ye hev’n't been tryin’ ter make a Mexican out ov yerself, hev ye? “T haven’t, but a lot of cursed aoe have!” was the response. ‘‘ What meant all the shoot- ing I heard awhile ago? In the name of Tarta- rus! who did all that?’ and the arm of the speaker designated the red-men and white lving where they had fallen before the deadly revol- ver. In a few words Lasso Dan told all. ‘* And Red Star, the chief demon of them all, got away?’ grated the man on horseback, and hen he added: ‘I’m glad of that! I wouldn’t have him lying yonder for all the gold in Cali- fornia. You don’t know what I have endured. You couldn’t stop my horse when he took me through the camp yesterday?’ An exclamation of surprise fell from’ every tongue, “Then you war the masked man?” cried Lasso Dan. “If we hed known thet, cap’n—” » ‘*Never mind, boys; the more I suffered the deeper grew my hate—my desire for vengeance! I’m glad you didn’t check me, although if you had, those boys wouldn’t be thar with their faces turned up to the stars. It was Red Star that dyed my face a dirty yellow which no water can ever wash out; but what of that? I can hate and hunt my enemies just the same! His accursed fingers fastened the dark mask to my face; but what if they did? I can see again, and I shall pay him back! Bury your ead, boys, and toss the Injuns down the walls of the gulch beyond the gnarled trees: then come back and let us organize for the fiend’s own vengeance.” Ranch Rob looked strange with his dark, vel lowish face and white hands. His eyes fairly flashed while he spoke, and his voice sounded like the hiss of a serpent. “So you couldn’t find Old Winch, eb?’ he said, his thoughts recurring to the Rifle King. ‘*T don’t believe him dead. He never fell from the horse if the young chap does thinkso. I knew him the moment I set eyes on him in the ss. Time hasn’t nein he im since we left him to the grizzlies in Starvation Camp. Ha! ha! Where’s Modoc?” Lasso Dan and his crowd exchanged glances. ‘* He’s dead—I know it!” declared the herder. ‘Dead he is—shot by Old Winch,” Lasso as- sured. “For tying four knots years ago, I expect,” and the ranchero smiled. ‘Well, there'll be other other knots tied be- fore the old man’s time comes.” Ranch Rob was a handsome man, spite of the dye that had altered his complexion. ; en standing erect, with limbs of the prac. ticed athlete, and the of a giant, he was, phystoally one of nature’s finest. Encircling wrists were raised welts of crimson—mementoes of his wild ride as the masked Mazep If he had mee to the waist, the men whom he was at that moment surrounded would have started at the sights they would have beheld. Red Star had indeed fastened his white enemy to the horse securely, and when he sent the spirited beast snorting away, he confident- ly thought that he had seen the animal for the last time. But the white herder was alive to bunt him— alive to inflict a vengeance com to which the role of Mazeppa would be mercy itself. If Ranch Rob had appeared at the estancia — where was his captive Old Winch’s prote- gee He did not mention her to the reughs of Gold Valley. Ifshe was still in his power he was keeping the secret to himself. e dismounted during the burial of the mem- bers of the band, and entered the house. His walk was not steady; the cutting lassoes had done their work, and his limbs had not re- sumed their suppleness, “Twelve out of thirteen!” fell from bis lips as he looked at the red corpses that strewed tiie porch. ‘‘I’m glad, as I told the boys, that the thirteenth red-skin escaped. Vengeance has already decreed that he shall fall into my hands. Ah! Red Star, your doom sball be worse than the one you marked out for me. After that 1 will bring my new mistress to the ranch!” Georgie, then, was somewhere where he could lay his hands upon her when he wanted her! Gold Valle sted of many ranches smaller than his, and their owners—some dark fellows with Mexican blood in their veins, others native Californians—were his friends. Might he not have left his captive in the care of one of those rancheroes? At any rate, according to his resolution, Old Winch’s ward was to be queen of the ranch some day. But let us follow Ranch Rob. His dwelling was large enough for the resi- dence of. twenty persons; but he had been it’s sole occupant for several years. He passed through the room where Red Star and his companions bad waited for his return, and ascended to another almost directly above it. This apartment looked out upon a small grove of trees behind the house. A slanting roof ran from the window-sill te within ten feet of the ground. It was touched by the limts of the nearest trees. The interior of the room was quite dark, but the rancbero soon illumined it with the rays of a lamp which he found on a rough table. It was evidently his sleeping apartment for a low cot stood in one corner, and a suit of showy ranchero garments hung against the wall. “If I can’t Americanize my face, I can trans- form myself into a Mexican entirely,” he ex- claimed, and a moment later he was donning the garments as rapidly as possible. The change did not cupy five minutes. Ranch Rob sprung to the small mirror that hung over the stand, and catching up the lamp, surveyed bis figure by its aid as best he could, He had nearly completed the inspection when the rapid galloping of a horse came in at the open window, ‘What does that mean?’ he ejacalated. “That horse is coming from the west—from toward Red Carlos’s estancia.” He was at the window listening to the sounds growing more distinct with each waning mo- ment. “Santissima! is it you, cap’n!” exclaimed the Mexican’s voice as the horse stopped under the trees whose limbs touched the roof below the herder’s window. ** Carlos, as le ed!” grated the ranchero. ‘Something bas happened. The traitor has come to me with an excuse and a lie!” Then he shouted aloud: ‘It is I, Carlos, Come up and be quick about it, for you have news,” There was no response, and the ranchero “turned as if he was expectin to see the messen- ger reach the room, as he had dove by the stair. But instead of gaining it by that route, the man below bad swung himself upon the sloping roof by means of the trees, and was eoming toward the window from that direction. Captain Rob turned when he heard the voice bebind him. He fixed his eyes on a dwarfish, treacherpus- looking Mexican, whose dark, almost Indian, face had gained for him the name of Red Car- los. ‘““Well, what is it?’ demanded Rob, as the man reached the window. S) CORMG DOO (E@)