Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 279 — page 14: what you’re looking at

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

14 ee mel re a no eee re “Ah! I begin to see now!" she exclaimed, “I have been the captive of my father’s slayer, my mother’s persecutor?” **'You have.” “Why did I not know ft when I had it in my power to end my hunt? Once, shortly after my capture in the pe I ear his revolver within m reach. I could have finished everything then; but did not dream that the man whose face was as dark as a Moor'’s was my ah at enemy, yet he was," “Old Winch must have known it.”’ “He was a strange man. He used to say that he would take me to the villain and let me avenge the , parents whom he slew. He never told me that Ranch Bob wal the man, yet he has dropped many broad hints. But, never mind, Roy, fate may yet bring us together. If he is to fall by the daughter's hand we need not wait long.” “After that—” “After that I will go back to Sonoma. There! may forget that one-half of my life has been a ven- geance-hunt. I would forget that, Roy.” “ And with it your friends?” “Not so bad as that, let us hope,” answered the girl, with a smile. “I have afew friends, and you are one of them." Did the youth's cheeks redden as he caught Gold Georgie’s look? = ee am your friend, Georgie, but I would be more “a Har ” As the word fell from the girl’s lips she touched Roy's arm, sending a pleasurable thrill through his bod , and the twain Istened intently. They heard the far-away reports of mountain revolvers, and the faintest echoes of some fierce ells. ‘White men!" exclaimed the girl, scarcely above a whisper. ‘‘ The roughs of Gold Valley, Pe onl Roy did not reply, but listened on as though the a spell that fascinated him. ! eo are coniing this way!” suddenly " . “We must be in Echo Gulch, a place which Old Winch used to say was the most re- markable spot among these mountains.” “This is a portion of Echo Gulch,” answered the youth. “The men of Eldorado may be miles away or quite near; but we shall soon know, If they cross the hollow bridge they are very near.” “The hollow bridge?’ echoed the girl; “‘ where and what is it?’’ ** Wait a moment.” A minute later a sound like that of hoofs on a bridge was distinctly heard. Roy whirled and seized the bridle rein of the girl's steed, “Come!” he cried. “They are very near. They are after an enemy. There! a dozen horses are thundering over the hollow bridge, which is nothing more than the roof of a cave under the gulch.” Gold Georgie did not resist, but permitted Plumas Roy to } her away, and they were soon flying from the spot. ‘*We must let them all pass,” he said at length, guiding his horse to one side of the trail, where both w rein not a second too soon, A horse that bore a rider lying along his neck flew past. At the same time something rough like the end of a lasso struck Roy in the face, and almost knocked him from the saddle. ‘‘ Heavens!” gasped the girl bending over to catch him. ‘“ Roy, what was that thing? It cut the air € an arrow, and—”’ “Shi the chasers!” interrupted the youth. Yes, the pursuers were on hand! That they were white ye gray-shirted and h ~ in every particular the startled young couple co see as they shot by. “The men of the mines— Eldorado's spawn!” said Roy half under his breath. ‘‘ What if their enemy was Old Winch?”’ ‘It cannot be he!"’ replied Georgie. ‘‘ Let us hope that the brave old man is safe somewhere. But your face is bleeding!” “Tt is blood,”’ admitted Roy, removing his band “from his cheek, ‘‘ That object by which I was struck cut like a knife, yet it was not steel. 1am sure of that.” “What was it, then?’’ “Let us call it amystery for the prose Georgie. It might have been the end of a lasso, but I will not Life time “Se wi Ah! the men of Eldorado ve . "hey are coming back!" exclaimed the girl. “They have either captured their game or given up the chase.”’ It was true that certain sounds now indicated that the roughs who had dashed past them a minute fore were returning at a more moderate gait. As the young couple would only betray their whereabouts by riding mn wae ga among the me shadows of the gulch w. and held their reaths. If their horses should whinny all would be lost, and while they covered their steeds’ nostrils with their caps, they kept one finger at the trigger of a revolver. “The precipice saved the crushed three hundred feet poine im the pulch trail opposite the pair's position. po n the c op te 8 position, **We would hev skinned ‘im alive!” was the re- joinder. ‘“‘ But whar is Ranch?—thet’s the puzzle.” “Somewhar ‘twixt hyar an’ whar we heard Ez sure ez death, boys, thet red-skin hed at the end ov his lasso when he started o t he warn’t thar when the hoss cleared the i “Ov course he warn't. Locenety along t wail. We may hev galloped over Ranch.” Roy and Georgie saw the pagans if he does lie w us!’’ exclaimed men of Eldorado lean —-—- ee eee ee forward and inspect the road they had lately gai- loped over at a breakneck speed. ‘Ah! they will find my enemy dead if they find him at all,” ejaculated Georgie turning to the young miner, ‘ Her» ends the trail of a lifetime,” ‘“ We wlll wait and see,"’ replied Roy. ‘ Hug this wall close and wait for me. The men of Eldorado will not come back.” The youth slid from his horse whose reins he had already put into Georgie’s hands, and crept after the dozen roughs who had already disappeared. Old Winch’s ward was left alone. The star dials were pointing toward the dawn of another day. The long night full of exciting ad- ventures and deadly peril was drawing toa close, and the yonng girl felt the need of rest as well as the powers of sleep. Unable to resist tired nature's sweet restorer, Gold Georgie fell asleep in her saddle, presenting a lovely picture which only the stars saw. She did not see the figure that crept to her side after about a half-hour’s slumber. It came from the direction in which the men of Eldorado had dis- appeared. “She needs sleep, poor child!” said the new- comer in a kind voice as he halted beside the girl at whom he gazed with a smile. “ But if I withhold my discovery, she will not thank me when she does wake.” So he touched her gently, and the fair avenger opened her eyes with a start. “Tt is you, thank Heaven, Roy!” she exclaimed. ‘* You have made a discovery?” ‘“‘ Yes,’ was the answer, ‘the devil takes care of his own, girl. The roughs of the Valley have found the ranchero.” *“* Alive?” “ Alive!” “ Fortune, I thank thee!’’ cried Gold Georgie, ‘““Where is he, Roy? Let him feel the vengeance which fate has delayed till this hour.” The eager girl lifted the rein as she spoke, but Roy did not stir. ‘Not to-night,” he said, firmly. ‘*‘ When the time comes, I will show you Captain Rob.” CHAPTER XV. AT LAST! Piumas Roy had witnessed the finding of the ran- chero by his friends, the mounted troop from the minin came. Fortunately for the herder he had not been drag- ged far by the Indian’s lasso; if he had, the roughs would have found a disfigured corpse on the moun- tain trail instead of a man mad enough to swear eternal vengeance against all his enemies. Captain Rob had effected his escape from a horri- ble doom by the noose slipping from his feet, and that ata moment when he was jerked to one side of the trail where he was left stunned and bruised, but safe from the hoofs of the miners’ steeds. ‘*T look like a beggar!’ exclaimed the ranchero, surveying his torn garments in the light of the torches which the men of Gold Valley held over the scene closely watched by the youth crouched near by. “Butl am Ranch Rob, and still ready for the bloodiest traila man has ever followed. Ah! you haven't got the Injun?” **No,” answered Lasso Dan, but not until he had thrown a significant glance among hismen, “The red Greaser got away—”’ “Tor me to settle with him!’’ grated the ranchero. ** Heavens! won't it be a yengeance, though? What trail did the skunk take? If he made the turn this side the cliff—-" “Thar'’s whar he failed, Rob!” interrupted the captain of the troop. cry of bitter disappointment fell from the ranchero’s lips. “What! has the red-skin escaped me forever?” he eried. ‘‘Do you tell me, Lasso, that Red Star will never feel my revenge?” *It looks thet way, cap'n.” “*T don’t believe it! One hundred feet below the precipice twenty trees jut out from between the Sepa a) sete pe ap know he did! Fate is not going to let the dog escape me.” Was the ranchero mad? As he finished he strode to Lasso Dan’s side, and looked up into his bearded face as he laid his hand on his arm. “I want a horse, Lasso—a horse and one hundred feet of rope,’’ he exclaimed. “‘ Don’t try to talk me out of neither. Red Star never fell to the bottom of the wall. He lies, my victim, among the trees. qe horse and the rope! You will not refuse em?" **Ov course not, captain; thar they ar’!”’ ‘*We'll take the shortest route to the eliff,”’ an- nounced the herder, when he found himself seated in the saddle once more. “If Red Star had taken it 1 wouldn't be here and he wouldn’t be wait- ing for me where he is at this moment. Come, brave fellows. Don’t put out your torches. e shall need them when we get there.” As the entire troop rode into a narrow se J which appeared to be a trail, Plumas gy Ao e bac to Gold Georgie. whose slumbers he interrupted, and whom he told, as we have seen, that her enemy still lived. We will follow the ranchero and his comrades. “We are here!” fell suddenly from Ranch Rob's tongue. as he reined his steed near the edge of a cliff which stood revealed by the flaming torches carried by the desperadoes at his back. unted as he spoke, and went forward He disn wip born erness in his eyes. e wis’ Comndert. of finding his red enemy still alive among the tops of the giant trees that grew op Old Winch, the Rifle King. Ee eee . — eX a . za om A @® a ledge of rock and earth one hundred feet below. lf Star had thus escaped with his life, he was still a prisoner, for, without the aid of a rope two hundred feet long, he could never rye to leave the ledge, and would be compelled to die there in mid-air as it were. The roughs saw Captain Rob take a torch from the hands of one of their number as he moved toward the brink of the cliff; they saw him kneel fearlessly among the loose rocks that strewed it and lean forward to look below. Suddenly the ranchero threw the torch down through the darkness it had failed to dissipate, and saw it land among the trees, where it r ined and blazed with new vigor, All at once a wild cry pealed from his throat. “The rope! the rope!” he exclaimed, sprin back and turning to the expectant miners. “ For- tune has not deserted me! Star is where I said we would find him—among the trees, now my vic- m!’’ He caught with a tigerish cry the coil of rope which Lasso Dan pitched forward, and turned to- ward the cliff again with the frenzied shout of a madman. The miners leaped from their steeds and followed him. ‘‘Ah! the torch still burns where it fell!’’ said the ranchero, rising from a look over the brink of the precipice. ‘ Don’t you see the body lying a little to the left of the flame, Lasso?"’ “IT see it, Ranchero—" “That is Red Star—helpless but not dead! 1 saw him move the slightest awhile ago.” ‘He may be armed,” suggested Lasso Dan. ‘**Armed after falling a hundred feet?’ was the ranchero’s exclamation, ‘ Were he doubly armed, though, I would rescue him for yengsance! ** It will be difficult to lasso him,”’ ry talks of doing that? I’m going down’ for m!’ The roughs exchanged looks of astonishment. “Try the lassoes!”’ coutinued the captain. “They make a hundred and fifty feet of strong rope you say? Good! Now a noose forastirrup, I’m ready to recover my man.”’ Lasso Dan did not try to dissuade the avenger from his avowed pur pad. He took the rope in his hands and assu Ranch Rob that he should be ae lowered, and drawn up again at his bid- ing. : With eyes that blazed with anticipated triumph, the herder king descended over the edge of the chi, and was lowered by the strong fellows who held the well-tied lassoes. He kept his eyes fixed on the human figure lying aim the boughs and partly in the light of the oreh. Red Star had probably thrown himself from his horse as the animal leaped from the cliff, and while the gallant steed had been dashed to death, he had fallen among the trees to be preserved for the man Who hated him so cordially—the man whom he had hunted in revenge for a wrong inflicted and en- dured years before. Before descending the precipice Rob had loosened his belt weapons, for Lasso Dan's words concern- ing the probability of Red Star being armed, had recurred to him, and he thought it best to be pre- pared for an emergency, Still the re lying like a crushed man among the boughs had showed no signs of active life since the descent of his torch. If the cunning red-skin was shamiming, he was playing his vole to perfection. Nearer and nearer approached the eager ranch- ro. “ He is mine, sure enough!” he suddenly ejacula- ted. “As I expected, the red-skin is alive, but harmless. The spark of life that remains I will fan into a flame and then make him wish that he had followed his horse to the bottom of the gulch.”’ Ranch Rob now saw that a pair of eyes were fixed intently upon him, and he was near enough to no- tice that the red hands of his victim were clinging to a bough to prevent him from falling on down to certain death. . It was like the eagle swooping mercilessly down upon the helpless lamb. “Didn't nk I'd come, eh?’ chuckled the ranchero as his feet touched the tree that supported the Indian. “I was bound to find you again. If ou had d ed me_a thousand miles at your sige ae would have been preserved to pay you back’”’ It was a tone of triumph in which these ex- ulting words were spoken, but there was no reply. The face of the Indian was as expressionless as the face of a carved Sphinx. The eyes still regard- ed the ranchero, but the look was a stare which might mean wonder, or nothing, just as one was in- clined to ee ace it. The torch blazing up a few feet away revealed the strange meeting in the tree. It was evident that the terrible fall had maimed Red Star, else he would have crept from the tree to the ledge where he would not be compelled to clutch a bough to sus- tain himself. “Hurt, eh?” cried aR Rob, irritated by the Indian’s silence. ‘‘Back broken, probably, or all our limbs! But no difference, so itisn’t your neck. e’re going up now.” As he finished he stooped and ran his left arm un- der the red-skin’s rg There was.no groan, but a sudden twitching of the lips told that the touch had ones indescribable pain. “Pull, boys—I’ve got the red!"’ shouted Rob to the men above as he gave the rope a jerk, and then he added in a lower voice as he looked at his prey: “ There'll be twitching ov another kind before day- light, ny red friend.’ ; Gomilecbooks Cc €o