Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 287 — page 2: what you’re looking at

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

“eee ee ots —e _ —s The Boy Rover of the Rio Grande; OR, Terror Tom’s Thorny Trail. A Tale of the Texas Border. BY COL. PRENTISS INGRAHAM, AUTHOR OF ‘BUFFALO BILL'S BET,” ‘ MERLE THE MIDDY,” ETC., ETC. CHAPTER I, STRIKING THE WRONG TRAIL. THe sun was just disappearing beyond the prairie horizon, when a horseman drew rein at a point where the trai] he was following branched off into three separate ones. I said a horseman, and yet he was but a boy, as he could have scarcely seen over sixteen years, though his slender form was well-devel- oped in sinew and muscle. and his face wore the look of one who dared rely wholly upon him- self, and had the nerve to face any danger. He was dressed in buckskin leggings and hunting shirt, wore top-boots, armed with large Mexican spurs, and his jet-black curls, which fell upon his shoulders, were sheltered by a gray sombrero of exceedingly wide brim, and wit the left side pinned up with a miniature mus- tang of soli gold, having a lasso of the same precious metal attached toa pin, as though he was lariated out upon the prairie, while the eyes of the animal were diamon@s, and the red nos- trils were represented by rubies. His face, as I have said, was fearless and full of resolution, very handsome in its outline, and stamped with intelligence and thought beyond his years. But the most striking of all about him were his eyes, for they were large, dreamy in repose, full of fire in excitement, and of a beautiful blue, and very expressive, fringed as they were by long, sweeping black lashes. The youth was well-armed, for a small breech- loading rifle bung at his back, and he wore a belt of arms that held a revolver upon either hip and a bowie knife in front, ready for a quick asp. Oa accouterments of saddle-bags, blankets, and haversack for provisions, proved that he was prepared for a long trail; while his saddle and bridle were of the Texan pattern and pro- fasely decorated with silver. The horse he bestrode seemed as fresh as though just led out of a stall; but then he be- longed to the class of mustangs that seem un- tiring. ; His hide was black as jet, glossy, and showed that he was well cared for, even on the prairic, while his build indicated speed and endurance of ap uncommonorder. . ‘* Well, now Iam at a loss which trail to take. ‘*Can by tell me, Jet?’ said the youth aloud, and addressing the question to his eg ““{ know that one of these trails leads across the Rio Grande, one into the Indian country, and the other, they say, goes to the haunts of the Pirates of the Chaparrals. ‘‘ But which is the one for me to take I do not know. “Well, Jot, you will have to decide for me, and if you get me into a scrape, why you’ have bs get me out of it, as‘you have many times be- ore. : So saying he turned and rode back a few lengths upon the trail be had come, and then put his horse’s hea@ to the westward once more and urged him into a lope. The animal held on up to where the three trails divided, aud then turned ynhesitatingly into the Jt one. “Well, Jet, you have decided,.so here we go,” said the youth, and he held on the trail the horse had so unhesitatingly followed. He had hardly gone a mile before the nature of the country changed greatly, for the rolling prairie gave place to rough lands, with clumps of chaparrals here and there, while, darkness coming on he was farced to at a slow walk to keep the trail, which at times became very 6 OS Itogether, h t last, 6 would lose it altogether, he determined to camp on the bank of a small * A name given to W. A. Powell, M. D., who wears use the appellasions of ‘* Brenco » and the “Saddle — 2 While following a selec trail in Texas Mexico, be won the above tile ef UTHOR. “Billy Blue-Eyes."’—Tuxz A Billy Blue-Eyes, Billy Blue-Eyes. ee 0 Ee rivulet, but at thesame time sought a spot some distance from the trail, so that he would not be seen by any one who might pass upon it, though he little expected to meet human beings in that wild part of the country. He soon founda good spot fora night camp, and dismounting, unsaddled and staked his horse out, after which he settled himself down to eat a frugal supper in darkness ard solitude. This finished, he sunk down upon his blankets @nd was soon fast asleep. $ What awoke him he did not know; but he half sprung to bis feet as though he had re- ceived some sudden start. : Instantly his eyes fell upon a firelight not half a mile | blazing cheerily in the chaparrals. Who could it be he wondered. . This question, after an instant of thougbt, he determined to solve, so he quietly drew off his boots, and replaced them wit a pair of moc- casins, which would make his step noiseless. - Then taking his rifle, and drawing his belt of arms up more securely, he set off in the direc- tion of the fire. After a short walk he came to a water wash, which seemed to lead in the direction of the camp-fire, and dropping into this he continned on his way. It was some eight feet deep, and round about for some little distance, until, just as he was about to scramble out of it, fearing it would lead him away from the camp, it turned in that direction, and before very long the sound of voices reached his ears. To his delight, a moment after, the flickering light of the fire was visible, and cutting a rest- ing-place with his knife in the sides of the gully for his feet, he drew himself up and glanced be- fore him over the edge of the bank. What he saw caused him to start, while he muttered: ‘Well! Jet brought me on the wrong trail aftervall, for this is a camp of the Pirates of the Ohaparral.” CHAPTER II. A BOLD RESOLVE. For full a minute did the youth maintain his ition, bis eyes glancing over the edge of the nk, and eagerly taking in the whole scene before him. What he saw was enough to have made many an one less brave at once beat a hasty retreat to his horse, and to then continue his flight from so dangerous a locality. But the boy seemed not in the least unnerved by his disgovery, ahd coolly took in the situa- on. ; It was a camp in the cha als, evidently made for the night only, for two fires bad been hastily built, and around them were a score of men engaged in broiling their supper, and each one acting as his own cook. They were a wild, rough-looking lot, dressed in Mexican attire, though many of them were evidently from the Texas side of the Rio Grande, a few of their number only having the slight form, dark, swarthy face and inky hair of the natives beyond the river. The boy knew well, by their dress and gen- eral appearance, added to their being there in the chaparrals, that they belonged to the band of El Bravo, known as the Chaparral Pirates, and the worst set of cutthroats that infested the Texas border. | Back in the shadow were their horses, and in the foreground, not ~ ang feet where the boy stood, was a man, bound to a mesquite tree. . The sympathy of the youth went out at once for the oeieariats and he tried hard to os look at his face, which fronted toward the firelight. By dropping back into the gulch, and chang- nae is tion, he managed to see the prisoner we He was dressed in buckskin, wore a som- hrero, and had a face that was bronzed by long aprne’s covered with an iron-gray beard, an evidently that of a Texan. As the boy looked upon the bound man, one of the pirates called out: ‘‘I say, Terror Tom, I guesses yer hain’t no appetite, as yer is ter be swung up at sunrise, s0 don’t want nuthin’ ter chew on?’ The remark was addressed to the prisoner, and the speaker had advanced a few paces toward him, holding on the end of a stick a iece of broiled buffalo-meat, and in the other and a tin cup of coffee. ** You is mistook, pirate pard, I allus eats my grub, no matter what ther sitivation might be ag’in’ me,” was the cool response, and the out- law, with a light laugh at the man’s pluck, came forward and handed him the meat and a ce — = ee Sa mk ET. SN mm a rr coffee, which he grasped with difficulty, as his wrists were tightly bouad together. ‘Terror Tom!” said the youth, when he heard the name of the prisoner called by the outlaw. ‘‘Terror Tom! why he is one orf the most noted bordermen in Texas, and they do say that he never spares a Chaparral Pirate, and has a fearful debt of revenge to settle with their chief, El Bravo. ‘** How could he have fallen into their hands, I wonder? ‘* Anyhow they have him, sure, and he is to die at sunrise, that fellow said, so T’ll see if I cannot rescue him. ‘It’s a bold thing to attempt; but I'll try it on at any rate,” and the 2 ib at once dropped back into the gulch and returned to his own carp, to prepare for the desperate work om and. . CHAPTER III. A RESCUE AND A CAPTURE. : Uron returping to his solitary and fireless camp the youth at once got all ready fora start, and then led his horse to a tree near the water- wash and fastened him, at the same time muf- fling him to prevent his neighing should the ani- mal grow lonesome or scent those of the pirates. Then he retraced his way to the spot where he had been nearest to the prisoner, and once more took an ubservation. The outlaws had finished their supper and wrapped themselves in their serapes to sleep, ee a guard over the horses. But the prisoner, who had been addressed as Terror Tom, was still munching the steak given him, and to attract his attention was the first thing to be done. To do this without rousing the pirates was a most perilous undertaking, but the youth seemed to have already decided upon what he should do, for he took’ from his pocket a coil of strin and fastened to it his knife, which he then skill- fully threw at the tree to which the prisoner was bound. The pa stuck fast not a foot from the cap- tive’s head, causing him to start and glance around quickly. The firelight glimmered upon the bright blade and at once caught bis eye, as did also the string attached, which told him the weapon had not been aimed at him. As he looked toward the water-wash his keen eyes detected the moving head, and he seemed to understand that he had a friend near, though who that friend could be he had not the remot- est idea. Shaking his head, and then pointing as well as his bound hands would permit toward the sleeping outlaws not twenty feet away, he again turned his gaze upon the gloom behind him, in an endeavor to discover who it could be that wished to serve him. Then he took in the situation in his front by letting his gaze fall upon‘each one of the out- laws, to see if there was the slightest sign that any of them was awake. ‘ re he had completed this observation in spite of his nerve he started as he felt a*touch upon He dared not move, and a hand passed under his arm, a blade was thrust between bis hands and held firmly, and by ee a ressing the thongs hard upon it and rubbing them to and fro they were removed. The blade was then left.in his hand, and with it he cut the thongs from his feet, and the lariat that bound his body to the tree having been also severed, he knew that he was a free man. Then he turned half round and viewed the bold rescuer, He saw a form lying at full length upon the << behind the tree, and a beardless, boyish ace looked into his own, and from the lips came alow whisper: “Come, for my horse is tied down the gulch, and he can carry us both far from here before dawn.” ‘‘ Waal, you is a cool one, lad, an’ has ther niarve o’ aComanche. ‘Whois yer thet risks yer life ter save that o’ old Terror Tom?’ said the an. ‘‘ Never mind who 1 am, but come,” was the whispered reply, and the youth began to craw] slowly back toward the gulch, still lying flat upon the ground. Terror Tom also lay down upon his face, and like a snake moved himself in the direction of the water-wash, and at a point some be- low the spot from whence the youth had ven- tured forth. But hardly had the distance, been half trev- ersed, when a form suddenly emerged from tho chaparral into the firelight, a loud shout o: EoOmicbooks