Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 287 — page 5: what you’re looking at

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

| cam had darkness settled down when u LN SO RE ET AEE TT a NO ——_— _ _—, eet &y Terror Tom, for he had insisted upon believ- ing the extra bhoof-tracks upon the trail were made by some small party of the main band going to the retreat with stolen stock, and looted the idea that Indians might be following the chief, ‘* No Indians care to war with us, except Oak ered and he dare not,” Lieutenant Hal had said. But when Terror Tom had sosuddenly dropped the officer, a minute before laughing at danger, and then brought down one of his men, the others had taken to flight, fearing an ambush. Once off the trail, they determined not to re- turn to it, and convinced that danger menaced their chief, they rode on at the full speed of their horses to overtake him at a certain point, at the same time swerving afar offso as to avoid whatever might be following El Bravo. ressing their animals cruelly, they reached the trail at a point some fifteen miles from where they had left it, and werer ejoiced to see that E! Bravo had not passed. At that moment almost, he came in sighf, and they dashed forward to meet him and their story was soon told, but by no means a truthful one. ‘‘It was Terror Tom, you are certain, who shot the lieutenant and Kidford?” sternly asked the chief, : ‘‘ It was, captain, fer we seen him, an’ there was a large force with him, and they is tow follerin’ on your trail, an’ thinks they druv us back, fer we went on ther back trail ter a leetle way, an’ then come on by ther Mesquite valley, an’ you kin see by our critters how we hes rid,” said one of the men, and to bis lie the otuers nodded assent, . 2,4 “Well, it is swhset now, and my camp was to be at the crossing, SO you men go on there, as vour horses have been driven so hard, while I in yonder chaparral to see who it is that oe error Tom is leading so boldly upon my trail, ‘‘Here, take this prisoner with you, and on your lives let him not escape.” The men who had been with the outlaw lieu- tenant at once placed themselves around Billy Blue-Eyes and rode on, the chief calling to them to make half-a-dozen camp-fires, and keep mov- ing to and fro before them, for the.intended camping-ground could be seen from where they then were. As they moved off El Bravo ordered his men to take their horses back into the chaparral, and then come to the edge of the woods to lie in ambush for the foes upon their trail. This order was promptly obeyed, and hardly flashed the fires far away, and the men crouched down in silence, their weapons ready, to meet the ex- pected surprise with a surprise. CHAPTER X, THE AMBUSH, Terror Tom, in his circuit from the trail, fearing an ambush, had come upon the tracks of the nine outlaws, and he saw at once their tittle game was to head their chief off at a given int. Knowing the country as he did, he knew pretty wail about where they expected to catch he band, and he at once set oul upon a rapid lop. ag = the pace well, and both of the other animals being fine travelers, and with no riders, they readily kept up, and Terror Tom came to a rise that gave him a view of the trail, just as those he followed reachedit, and were joined by El] Bravo and his band. In the gathering gloom he watched the meet- _ing, beheld the short and evidently earnest con versation, and then beheld the result. ‘Waal, waal, that Bravo are a sharp ’un, an’ no mistake, fer he hev laid a neat leetle plot ter fist tackle old Oak Heart fer all he are worth. ‘“ Waal, I’ll jist goon ter Camp, an’ while they fights it out, see ef I can’t do suthin’ fer ther boy.” So saying, Terror Tom rode on to a spot as near the outlaw camp-fires as be dared go. Then he dismounted and looked to the com- fort of his horses, after which he went on a re- connoissance on foot. The brightly-blazing camp-fires, with the balf- score bandits walking to and fro before them, gave the appearance of quite a number of men; but Terror Tom was not deceived by this, and crept nearer and nearer, until he at last discov- ered Billy Bkie Eyes, ‘‘Thar are ther boy, an’ they hes him tied to & tree. ‘*But I’m guessin’ I kin do suthin’ when ther “al Billy Blue-Evyes. racks begins yonder, so I'll jist wait right eur.” Without more ado the prairie man sunk to sleep, bis head resting upon his arm, for he was worn out with loss of rest and hard work the past few days. He knew that when the trap was sprung upon the Indians by El Bravo, the first shot would awake him, and this would be the time for him to act. He had slept about an hour, when suddenly the stillness of the night was broken by a ter- rific volley of firearms, followed by wild yells | and shouts, the neighing and tramping of horses and every sound to indicate that the old Indian chief had ridden boldly into the ambush, de- ceived by the distant camp-fires. ‘‘Now Lis ter spring my trap,” muttered Terror Tom, and at once he moved toward the timber in which was the outlaw camp. At the volley they at once congregated to- ward the edge of the timber nearest the scene of the fight, and were repaid for their tramping vigils about the camp-tire with the thought that the Indians must have suffered fearfully. Seeing that the bandits, in their deep interest, did just what he had anticipated they would do, Terror Tom lost no time in reaching the timber, as they bad seemed to forget, almost, the exist- ence of the prisoner, and had left him tied to the tree sixty feet from where they stood. ! Like a shadow he glided among the trees, an reached the one to which Billy Blue-Eyes was bound, and who was also glancing in the direc- tion of the firing, which, after the first volley had been kept up in a scattering way, the flashes of the rifles and revolvers being distinctly seen in the edge of the distant chaparral. “Tsay, young pard, I guesses you mout as well dust out o’ this.” Billy Blue-Eyes started as the words fell upon his ears, and by one who was not two feet from him. Turning quickly, he saw the form of the rairie man keepingin the shadow of the tree, or there was a fire not three yards away, and at the same time using bis knife upon the thongs that bound him to the trunk. ‘*What! you here?” he cried, and his face flusbed with joy. ‘Tare, feratarn about are fa’r an’ squar’, leetle pard. ‘*Thar! yer is free.” “Not quite, for I have manacles upon my wrists; but Lam free to move away from here, and if you lead on I'll follow,” said the youth. **Pard, I are ther one ter protect ther rear, fer I hes no irons on my wrists, butin my hands, an’ I calkilates ter use ’em ef thar be need, “Strike yonder way, an’ keep goin’, an’ I'll tell yer when ter tarn.” : Billy Blue-Eyes quickly slipped around in the shadow of the tree, and then moved away rapid- ly in the darkness, followed by Terror Tom. It took them but a moment to get out of all glare of the firelight, and then, leaving the tim- ber, they went at a run for the horses. — The animals were found just as Terror Tom had |>ft them, and he said: “Thar, pard, are your horse, an’ be are light- nin’ an’ steam for goin’ an’ keep goin’. ‘‘] thanks yer fer ther use o’ him, an’ myself freezes ter this animile, which b’longed ter ther loot’nent, an’ his weepins is good enough fer me, too, while we hes a spar’ horse atween us. ‘‘Now we'll get out o’ this whichever way you says, fer things hain’tso lively in ther chap- arral yonder as they were, an’ I guesses we mout git inter a muss ef we stayed right heur.” “[ owe you my life, sir, and I have no right to keep you here in danger; but my trail was townrd the retreat of El Bravo,” said the youth. ‘Yas, be were takin’ yer thar, an’—” “No, Iwas going tothe retreat of the out- laws to see if I could find one for whom I have been searching for two years, and I am not to be turned from the trail of El Bravo and bis band, as 1 owe them a debt of revenge | have sworn to repay.” **Pard, put yer fist in mine, for it are my biz ter hang on the’r trail, an’ we'll be pards in ther rackif. ** But now, let us git across ther river and find a place whar we kin chin over ther best thing ter be did,” and the two mounted and rode away in the direction of the Rio Grande, Billy Blue-Eyes delighted at being once more upon the back of his noble horse, even though his bands were yet in irons. CHAPTER XI. A COMPACT. Avara _ Terror Tom, leading the extra horse, and & - et0- ee re TN | | Billy Blue Eyes following, rode | 5° y epalpentipounanaienpeagednnetinnpasnenan away from the vicinity of the outlaws and the defeated Indians, for it was evident that the red-skins had been driven back, as the firing went from the camp of the Chaparral Pirates instead of toward it. Arriving at the ford of the Rio Grande, to- ward which El Bravo had been making his way* the two horsemen, s0 strasgely met, crossed over to the Mexiean side without any adventure, and Terror Tom at once turned the head of his horse toward a place where he said they would be perfectly safe. : ‘*Tt are a hidin’-place I hes used afore, pard, an’ it hev done me good sarvice,” he explained. Tbe nature of the ground was such that their horses here left no trail, and bape. into a deep water-wash they kept up it for a long dis- tance, to at last come out in a chaparral that seemed impenetrable at the first glance. Bat Terror Tom unhesitatingly pushed on into the darkness, and Billy Blue-Eyes followed | until they came suddenly upon an old hacienda, ‘*Pard, it were occupied long ago, by a priest, who were kilt fer his money, folks said. ‘He hed sin’ half home, half chu’ch, an’ beur his he were kilt, ther place hev not only gone ter ruin, but ther chaparral hev grow’d u round it so thet ther way up the water-w are ther only way it kin be reached. “So here we is, with good shelter, water and grass fer ther critters, an’ we'll be safe, as yer can’t git a Mexikin, I whar near it. : ‘“Git down, an’ when | hev struck a lucifer an’ made some fire-light [ll jist try my band on gibtin’ them irons off fer yer,” The old hacienda had evidently been built over a century before, and was an adobe struc- ture, large and po having been used for both domicile and chapel. © * Terror Tom soon had a fire burning in one wing of it, and utterly helpless, ironed as he was, Tr Blue-Eyes entered and sat down upon a pile of fagots. The prairie man bustled seipchel ekAtar the horses staked out, bringing the saddles into the house and making all as comfortable as he could, after which he broiled some tasajo+ on the coals and put on a pot of coffee, the delicious uroma of which made both of the inbalers bungry. ' After the meal was over, Billy Blue-Kyes eat- ing as well as he could with his manac! Terror Tom set to work to try to relieve his young friend of the torturing irons, But every effort to pick the Jock or break them, was a signal failure, and the prairie man said dismally : ‘Waal, leetle pard, there are buf one thing thet kin be did.” ‘* What is that, Terror Tom?” 1] kin go to ther jacalt of a Mexican pard I know that lives some three leagues from heur, an’ rit from him a file.” ‘But the risk is great for you to run,” “Ther risk are great, but bein’ alive are a great risk too, as thar is plenty wants ter call in my chips. a ‘ But I kin speak ther Mexican lingo prime an’ ’tain’t likely Pll meet any | stages 80 "i start ter-morrer night, soon as if am dark, an’ I kin git back afore dawn.” ‘*T hate to see you take such chances as to ride inland in this strange country: but then I am worse than a cripple in this fix.” “You is; but Pll go ter-morrer night, as it are best ter give ther critters ter-night an’ ter-morrer ter rest. ‘* Now, bein’ as we is ter be pards, I'd like ter know ef yer handle hain’t Blue-Eyed Billy?” “Yes, [am so called,” “Waal, [ thought so, an’ I likes yer, an’ were han’some o’ yer ter light right in ter me out 0’ ther clutch o’ their Pirits,” ‘Oh! I saw their camp-fires from where I was stopping and reconnoitering beheld you, and heard your name called—” ‘Terror Tom, the Trailer?” cs Yes.” ‘Waal, that are what they calls me, an’ gasses as how I isa terrer ter ther Chapa irits; but then, Billy, I hes hed cause,” and t old man nearly choked up with emotion, while Billy Blue-Eyes said: ‘‘T have heard that you trailed El Bravo and his band for revenge.” ‘“* { do, boy,” almost flercely said Terror Tom. ‘*? do, and I shall continue on their trail, for " * The Rio Grande is not fordable except I " at cer- tain points, on account of its pitous banks and quicksands. -_ t Dried beef t Hbuse. (E(o) ooo) njun, peon or priest any hands, — c — (E(0)