Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 287 — page 7: what you’re looking at

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danger with a nerve that won their admiration. Then, too, he seemed to bear a charmed life, for he was never known to have been wounded, though men had sunk down dead upon all sides of him. His utter scorn of priests and faye his ever masked face and indomitable will, held his men also under a superstitious fear of him, while the Mexicans of the band were wont to belfeye that he was allied with Satan, or had sold himself to bim. He was liberal, too, with his men, was stc- cessful in his raids, and on several occasions, when one or more of the band had been captured, he would dash into the Texan or Mexican town where they were prisoners and rescue them. Then, too, he had never pardoned a neglect of duty, and ruled with an iron hand, But when he yielded to their superstitious dread of the Devil’s Ranch they admired him the more for it, well knowing that he did not do so from fear of them, when he boldly went alone to face any danger he might find there, — For some few hundred yards up the river the outlaw chief followed the trail he s> longed to trace to its end. He read “‘ signs ” like an Indian, yet soon lost it, for nowhere was a trail visible after the first water-wash was reached, Nothing daunted, he staked his horse out and set to work with a determination not to be thwarted, and examined foot by foot every foot of the ground. It was tedious work, and noon passed and sun- set came, and yet he was unsuccessful. He could see that the trail led up the river and that those who made it had not gone by the quicksand he knew, as he did also that they had not retraced their way to the crossing or their tracks would have been visible. Not a man to eee give up, he determined to “‘camp on the trail,” so to speak in prairie parlance, and this he did. 7 Somehow it was broad day when he awoke, and he arose hastily from his serape, took a plunge in the river to refresh himself and then ate his breakfast of dry bread and tasajo, his horse faring better than his master, as he had struck a plot of grass. As he resumed his trailing he started, for there came to his knowledge the fact that some one had very recently passed within a few rods of where he had been asleep. That ‘‘ some one” was mounted, for there was the plain, fresh trail. He could have followed that to the river cross- ing, but he knew that it must have come from the hiding-place in the gulch which he was seek- ing, and consequently he determined to trail it back to its starting point. This he did, and in an hour's time came to the head of the water-wash, and at the point where the dead padre had long ago improved it so as to make it passable. It was now almost a ge from long dis- use, and overgrown with a dwarf thicket, but where one man had ridden El Bravo dare ride, and up he went to the top, though it was a se- vere pull upon his horse. There stood before him the ruined chapel, or, as it was then known, the Devil’s Ranch, The graves of the murdered padre and his peon servants were near, but at these the chief gave but a cursory glance. e saw that the rambling old adobe ruin had been, long deserted, and that the chaparral bad grown so densely around it as to form an im- passable barrier to any one reaching the river trail by that way. In front of the old jacal two horses were feed- ing, and one he knew must be the steed of Billy Blue-Eyes. The other animal was one he recognized as having belonged to one of his men, who had ac- companied Lieutenant Hal, and had met his death with that officer. The third horse of the three that had made the trail he followed was the one whose trail he had pone to that spot. ‘“‘ Well, I shall find here the boy, I know, and rkaps Terror Tom, and I must prepare for ot work and make it end quickly. _ “The Texan Wanderer may have gone on the horse that went down the river, and it may be a Mexican guide who brought him and the Boy nah here; but at any rate I shall have two to go. sg So saying, he quickly dismounted from his hogse, sbaked him out, looked to bis arms, and with a revolver im each hand started to recon- oiter. —“”g - He advanced cauti , keeping close to the wal of the old house, ma for the half- Billy Bl e-Eyes. ee tee ee —=— © 2 -e- + His step was like that of a panther and his look that of a wild beast about to spring upon his ack ; Reaching the door he suddenly threw it wide open and sprung within, while he cried, in ring- ing tones: . : ‘Ho, devils! El Bravo is upon you!” His attitude was that of a man whoe ted to find deadly foes and to face them to the bit- ter end, His glance around the room showed him a se- rape spread upon the floor, to serve as a bed, a saddle doing service as a pillow, and upon this rude couch a form reclining. It was Billy Blue-Eyes; and he knew that he was fairly caught; but rising to a sitting pos- ture he coolly said, while he held up his man- acled hands: ‘You hold the winning hand, El] Bravo, for see, I still wear your irons.” ‘*Ay, boy, and you shall go to your grave with them on!” was the savage rejoinder of the chief, as he stepped forward and confronted the youth, though still keeping on his guard against surprise, for he believed there was yet some one else about from whom to expect a shot, and he was not to be caught off his guard after his tri- umph in recapturing Billy Blue-Eyes. CHAPTER XV. CAPTOR AND CAPTIVE, Fora moment the bandit chief stood eyin his young prisoner, who took his capture mos coolly indeed. At the same time his eyes were roving about against a surprise. ‘Well, boy, where is your pard?” he asked. ‘* Whom do you mean?” : “The one you got caught in rescuing three nights ago?” ' ‘Oh! Terror Tom, the Texan Wanderer?’ asked Billy, quietly. ‘6 Yas.” : “The man who makes you and your band live in fear of death?’ and the youth seemed to delight in torturing him. ‘Yes, curse you, if so you will, for he is a deadly foe upon our track.” ‘* And has cause to be?” ‘Doubtless; but we will not discuss that. ‘* Where is he?” ‘* Gone.” **Gone where?’ r ** By the time you count your men again you may find out,” was the significant reply. ‘“Ha!l he has gone again upon our trail, has | he?” ‘* Perhaps.” “When did he go?” ‘* Before dawn an hour or so.” é ‘Ah, yes, it was his trail then I followed ere, ‘But where is your other companion?” The youth looked at him in surprise. ‘*] asked where your other pard is?” ‘* Haven’t got any.” “You have three horses, or had, when you came up the river?” | — o ‘Who is the rider of the third animal?” ‘He was one of your men, but he is dead, and we only have the horse and the saddle as a souvenir of the deceased cutthroat,” came the response. ** That accounts for it, “You are alone in this hacienda then?’ ae No.” “Ah, who else is here with you?” quickly asked the chief. ‘The blackest-hearted devil on the RioGrande, and whom men call El Bravo, the Captain of the Chaparral Pirates,” was the bold reply. ‘* Nombre de Dios! but you shall rue these words, boy.” ‘*] do not fear you, El Bravo.” ‘* You fear death,” said the chief, in a sinister tone. . ‘Qh, no, for if I did I would not live a life that was in deadly peril dav and ay tei ‘Well, you once found out a little plan I had to make a raid, and thwarted it, and—” . ‘That was some time ago, down near Co- margo?” said Billy Blue-Eyes,” in a meditative tone. as Yes.” ; ‘‘T remember, and you threatened to some day hang me for it?” **T did, and I shall keep that threat.” ** You may, but I doubt it.” ‘“You are a bold one, my Boy Rover of the Rio {irsude: but you shall see. “Now tell me when you expect that Texan back?” : “ What Texan?” ‘* Terror Tom.” ““Oh, yes; well, he may be back in time ‘to help me per Bs E! Bravo.” In spite of his nerve El Bravo winced at this, but answered: “T shall look out that he does not, by taking you at once with me. sé Come ? ’ **'W here?” ‘To my hacienda.” “Tt is said that those who enter there leave hope behind.” : **So you will find it.” ‘“‘T'll take the chances of proving you a liar, El Bravo, so, as I am wholly at your mercy lead on,” The youth arose as he said this, gathered up his serape, as well as he could, and walked over to the corner where stood his rifle, his belt of arms hanging across the muzzle. ‘* Hold on! none of that!” yelled the chief. “Oh! you'll carry them or me, then, for I don’t wish to lose them,” said Billy Blue Eyes most innocently. | “Yes, Pll carry them for you, for, ironed though you are, if you got your grip on your revolver you could use it.” ‘*T believe I could, “Let me try and see.” “ No trifling boy, or I’ll shoot you.” ‘‘No you won’t, for you wish to keep me to see me die by hanging, and give your cutthroats at your stronghold a treat,” and Billy accom- panied the chief to the door, and looked about with surprise, when he saw none of his band with him. : hy, where are your fellow cutthroats?”’ he ed, ‘They have gone on to my bacienda.” ‘You don’t mean to say you came alone to this baunted chapel?” i 0 “ Wer'n't you afraid of ghosts?” ‘* Boy, I fear nothing on earth,” was the stern he va ou fear to show your face,” returned Billy coolly. The chief muttered a curse, and leading his captive to the side of his horse, saddled the ani- mal and told bim to mount. 4 Billy Blue-Eyes, bis wrists bound together though they were, placed his hands upon the saddle horn with an agility that caused El Bravo to remark« ‘You are as agile as a panther, boy.” my made no response, and mounting his own horse, and leading Jet and the other ani- mal, El Bravo rode away from the Devil’s . Ranch fully satisfied with his visit there. — CHAPTER XVI. CAUGHT IN HIS OWN TRAP. TERROR Tom left the Devil’s Ranch whén it was yet dark, bound on his mission to get files to cut the manacles from off the wrists of Billy Blue-Eyes. This circumstance prevented his either seeing the trail of El Bravo, or the sleeping chief to whom he passed so near. With perfect confidence in the superstition of the natives, he did not dread, or suspect the presence of any one near him, and as El Bravo alone dared face the terrors of the haunted chapel, it will be seen that he had good reason for feeling the place would be avoided by all. He rode along ata lively pace, the horse of the dead lieutenant of bandits being a good one, and without adventure reached the jacal of the Mexican whom he went to seek. ‘ The files were secured, and after waiting un- til nearly dark, Terror Tom set off upon re- turn, He had not ridden far before he saw a jackass coming toward him with a priest mounted upon his back. The ears of the brute were long, and flopped as he walked, and he had a most dejected look that seemed to well suit his rider. As Terror Tom drew near, according to the custom of the country hé saluted the priest with the greatest humility; and the latter drew rein and said, in deep tones: ‘* Peace be with you, my son,” The Spanish of the Texan was not as good as his English, although he spoke a certain patois Sagal and he at once entered into conversa- tion with the priest by asking him if there was any danger from bandits upon the trail leading to the river. ‘* No, my son, for I have come that way, and none have offered to molest me,” was the an- swer. ' open door at one end. x | comicbooks.co