Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 279 — page 13: what you’re looking at

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

* eyes dilating, ‘‘ Then—” ‘*T saw the red devil a second before he fired but not in time to prevent the shot, although i dodged as quickly as possible,” continued Ranch Rob. ‘‘I didn’t expect to find him here, but in Gold Valley one’s enemies are constantly turn- ing up. Didn’t you see bim?” ‘‘if LT hed, thar would be a corpse up yonder jes’ now,” said the rifleman. ‘ Thar’s blood alongside ov yer head, Ranchero, but only a few drops.” “Better a few drops than a bullet in the brain-pan, eb, Winch?’ laughed the ranchero, “Sartainly, I’m mighty glad thet the Injun didn’t wipe you out, Ranchero, If I had caught a glimpse of the red Greaser—” ‘You would have shot him?” +“ Yes.” Ranch Rob, who had now regained his feet, rejoiced that his would-be slayer had not ac- complished his purpose, gave Old Winch a strange look. “I don’t know about that,” he said. ‘‘ Would you have shot Red Star?” Old Winch recoiled. “I thought I’d startle you, ha, ha!” cried the ranchero. ‘ Your red friend tried to take my life. You would not have shot him.” ‘*T would! I would!” was the remy. “No Tnjun livin’ hez a right to kill you, Ranchero. So ther skunk was Red Star, eh? Wal, I didn’t expect him byar, nor at this bizness; but then he doesn’t know—” The bear-hunter checked himself, and turned toward the horses, ‘““We war goin’ to Gold Georgie,” he con- tinued, glancing at the ranchero. “Red Star will not attempt his sneakin’ trick ag’in, even if he finds out that he failed, fur he knows that I am with you. To the gal! thet’s the bizness before us now,” To remount and ride forward again was the work of a minute. “If ther shooter war Red Star, mebbe Roy isn’t fur off,” thought Old Winch. “Td like to bev bim around now, fur thet bullet in my life-box ar’ ’gittin’in its work. J feel the monster at my beart-strings. I promised to see Georgie to the end ov her trail, an’ I must do it. Grit yer teeth, an’ aw’ar to go ahead, Winch!” With this determined resolve the brave old Rifle King kept, on with his keen eyes riveted upon the man who rode a short distance ahead. The reader knows that Ranch Rob was ignorant of Gold Georgie’s whereabouts. She had escaped from Red Carlos to whom he had consigned her for safe-keeping, and he was now ccnducting the wentnded man deeper among the mountains, ready and eager to whirl =e him at the first opportunity and sweep him from his path. Old Winch was a dangerous enemy, and the sooner he was put out of the way the better. More than once during the lonely advance the ranchero looked over Ris shoulder to see his follower, and to note that his rifle was cocked and ready to be discharged at a second’s warn- ‘Now's my time!” suddenly said Ranch Rob to himself. ‘I can’t deceive the old fellow much longer, I haven’t an idea where the girl is, and he will find that out soon. Therefore, I might as well bring matters to a crisis.” As he finished be leaned over as if a trivial accident, such as the slipping of a girth, had happened. “Curse the girth!” he growled in tones intended for Old Winch’s ears. “Broke, ehf” asked the bear-bunter as he eame alongside, ** Just look at that.” Uns cting, the Rifle King leaned forward, as Ranch Rob rose suddenly erect. His eyes flashed, and the next moment he po at the old vengeance-hunter with the swiftness of an eagle. With a of Seas Old Winch felt his rifle torn from bis grasp, and saw it lifted over the head of the man who had risen in his stirrups, and was about to crush his head in. ‘ Liar!” hissed the veteran. ‘‘ You can kill Old Winch, but you can’t escape the fate thet’s wighty n . Spee tate? I kill as I go, regardless of the future!” was the answer. “This isn’t Starvation Camp, but this time it's certain death. We can’t be more than fifty yards from Gold Georgie. You'll never live te see her Ranch Rob’s wife, 1 want you to die on the threshold of my triompb. Your time has come!” Qid Winch threw himself at the speaker as Old Winch, the Rifle King. ‘The red-skinf” echoed the Rifle King, his the last word left his lips. At the same moment the clubbed rifle descended. Despite the arms uplifted to break the blow, the weapon beat down all opposition, and the brave old hunter fell backward from the saddle, ‘““That settles another enemy!” exclaimed the ranchero. ‘‘This is what I call figbting my way to the girl; but P’ll reach her. The boy will oppose me, but what do 1 care fora fellow like Plumas Roy? Come, Meza, we must on.” Old Winch’s borse left him when he fell, and had already disappeared. But he was to come back. Not a movement indicated that life might stil! exist in the body lying across the mountain trail. Captain Rob did not doubt the effect of his mad blow; be had struck to kill, and bad doubtless accomplished his purpose, He did not dismount to examine his victim, but rode from the spot with Old Winch’s deadly rifle clutched in his hands. He did not see the snake-like figure that glided along a trail fifty feet overhead. If he had looked up be probably would not have seen it, for mountain busbes would have screened it from his view. “The white herder rides further from his horns,” murmured the elevated spy, while he Ht (othe the nian riding through the starlight below. ‘Red Star’s revolver must be be- witched, but he is glad now that he did not kill the ranchero. He will make bim ride a wild horse again, but this time his face will be left uncovered so that the sharp briers of the moun- tain can tear it.” The Indian—for Indian the speaker was— spoke with flendish glee. All the while he was following Captain Rob. At last he descended and crouched among the bushes along the herder’s trail. A moment later a Icud shout echoed among the mountains and then several pistol shots were distinctly heard. “The men of Eldorado!” exclaimed Rob, in- stinctively reining in horse. ‘‘They’ve overtaken cag ee ee gang of Indians proba- bly. There! itis all over.” The rapid firing had ceased, and a strange stillness had ensued. “1 don’t want to be bothered with them,” the ranchero went on. ‘‘ Lasso Dan is meddlesome; the girl’s face might attractbim. 1’m willin to fight for her, of course, but I don’t want all Gold Valley pitted inst me,” All atonce a figure left the trail-side, The ranchero started and whirled to meet it, but before he could cover it with rifle or revol- ver it alighted astride of the horse directly be- bind him, and a pair of bands encircled his neck. ‘No shootin’, no talk, cap’n!” was hissed at his ear, and away went his horse bearing them both from the scene at a gait that threatened to unseat them. Captain Rob could not turn bis head for the urpose of looking into his captor’s face, but he Eee that he had fallen into the hands of an In- dian, and he fancied that the red-skin’s identity was no great mystery. He felt that bis enemy was almost as merci- less as Big Pedro had proved to he, for the long, red fingers at his throat almost shut off iis treats he was gasping for air, yet he could not make his wants known, On, on went the horse, urged to his utmost speed by a glittering object strapped to one of the red-skin’s heels. “This is torture unendurable!” flashed through the ranchero’s mind. “I might as well make an effort for liberty. Death will soon come anyway, if the red devil doesn’t loosen his grip.” Ranch Rob attempted to unseat his foe by suddenly falling backward, but he discovered that the Indian was seated firmly on the ani- mal’s back, and be was obliged to desist because of the tightening of the fingers at his throat. ‘‘ White herder take ’nother ride by’mby!” said the red-man. ‘‘ Red Star no kill ’im when bim shoot ’while ago.” ‘* No, curse you! you did not want to kill me en ” coeuah Ranch Rob. ‘ rise: me a show or my life! grant me an opportunity— He paused abruptly, for one of the Indian’s hands had left his trachea, and reined in the horse. The next instant he was hurled from the saddle to the ground, from which he rose in a helf-dazed manner, for the severe choking had almost deprived him of sensibility. He saw the form of his foe, and if there had been forty Red Stars in the pass he would have done what he did. The hand that he threw to his belt found not 13 — the butt of a revolver, but the handle of a bowie. The next instant the blade glittered in the starlight, and he sprung at the Indian. If the ranchero’s spring was full of the tiger’s passion that rankled at bis heart, he was met by an antagonist worthy of his steel. Red Star did not recoil a step, but rather went forward to meet the onset, and his right hand closed about the ranchero’s wrist as the blow was dealt. ‘‘Ranchero no find Red Star’s heart yet!” exclaimed the red-skin, whose vise-like grip the baffled white man could not shake off. ‘‘ Him no die when him ride before with his face age yellow and covered up, Mebbe the orse will carry him to the wolf trails this time.” ‘“What’s that, you inferna) Injun?” grated the ranchero. ‘* You would mske me play Mazeppa again would youf By the gods! I’ve played that role for the last time!” ‘* Ranchero see!” Endowed with much natural strength, and fully resolved that the Indian should not tri- umphb, Captain Rob attempted to free himself. The struggle that followed was a trial of strata- gem and strength, but the savage had admin- stered a choking which aided his cause, and the herder found bimself again in bis power. A blow knocked him senseless, and Red Star ee for a moment. ben he came back he bore a coil of ro like a lasso in his bands. Stooping over the herder’s form, he fastened oné end of the cord around his feet, and the other to the horse in a manner that would cause the herder to be dragged at his heels when he should move on again, All the time the eyes of the red-skin glittered with a flendish triumph, ever ready to animate the spirits of his race, ** Ranchero never come back after this ride!” hissed Red Star, rising at lest from his victim. * - | he opens his eyes. Ranchero, Red Star talks, ‘*T understand you, you dirty red wolf!” was the answer. ‘ You have tied me to the end of a lasso. I am nt the heels of my horse.” ‘‘ Ranchero knows all. Is he ready?” ‘Yes! carry your deviltry as far as you can en for to-morrow the tables may be turn- ‘‘No turn—never, Ranchero!” was the re- sponse. ood by, brother! you go now.” The Indian sprung to the horse, As he did so a dozen mounted men dashed upon the scene, “T heard somebody talkin’—I’d sw’ar to it, boys,” said a rough voice. ‘l am here, Lasso!” rung from the ranchero's throat, **Cap’n Rob!” The horsemen spurred forward, but Red Star vaulted into the ranchero’s saddle, and dashed away. As he gave the steed the one spur he wore, he whirled and emptied a revolver in the faces of the roughs of Gold Valley. A loud, mad yell was the response and the challenge was answered by a rapid discharge of firearms asthe whites started in pursuit, But no one saw the man being dragged over the trail close to the heels of the horse ridden by the red-skin! CHAPTER XTV., TWE RESULTS OF THE CHASE, ‘We have had strange adventures since we sep- arated in the mountain pass, You have eluded both Ranch Rob and Red Carlos, his friend, and I have not been Jess fortunate. I have lost Old Winch, perhaps forever, and Red Star and 1 separ- ated for a double purpose, after the brave red-skin rescued me from the roughs of Eldorado. — But we S oat ad cee oo he ene Cy shall e our side, Georgie, unt oend of your ite has ews reached.” t We need not inform the readerthat the above language was addressed to Gold Georgie, Old Winch's beautiful ward, by Plumas Roy. The two young yeapie had accidentally and for- tunately met in the mountains—Roy mounted on the steed which had carried him safely from the men of Eldorado, and Gold Georgie was the rider of Red Carlos's big white mustang. It is needless to say that the meeting was a source of inexpressible delight to both, nor that they had resolved to stick together spite ane Soe might reel to se te them, Gold Georgie's captivity had neshort. She was aware that face attracted the ranchero, and Roy was wondering whether ehe had discovered that he was the man whose life she had sworn to tak — she aoe pcgreseen him: ou have known er king,” sl! j “Tell me about him.” Wee: OOt Roy started. “then you do not know—” He paused, caught himself, and changed coloy upon him. for the eyes of the girl were fastened “ST GO Eomichboo