Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 349 — page 10: what you’re looking at

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

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Both Wild Wolf and Gerald were greatly re- joiced, when they perceived the little band of orsemen galloping toward them from the south; for they were confident that the party were Texans. This proved to be true and Texans who were greatly needed in a dire emergency. “In ther name o’ ther Great Ormighty, pards, what’s ther difficulty down ther Mer- dina? Shake, Wild Woif and Hawk Eye! An’ spit out yer infermashe speedy. What in thun- deration sot Brown’s Ranch afire?”’ The speaker, as he shot out these words, in a rapid voice, with manner and intonation which proved that be had his suspicions of the dread truth, was a man of large frame, and great muscular strength, being none other than the noted scout, Big Foot Wallace. His honest, open face would at once convince a physiognomist that he was one of nature’s noblemen. Guileless as a child, when mingling with his pards off the trail, he was a terrible man in a fight. Invincible, when pitted against the ban- dits of the Rio Grande, or the red pirates of the plains, whom he mowed down like blades of grass. He, as well as the picked trailers and scouts with him, was attired in the border style of the southwest. They were also armed with Sharp’s carbines, and Colt’s revolvers, of army size, each having a pair. They had, too, their bowie- knives, and though they were few in number, were a formidable party for foes to meet, In afew moments, Gerald explaiaed, in detail, the awful occurrences of the night; and all lis- tened intently, with teeth set, and a look of sup- pressed fury upon their faces—all being more eager for revenge, from the fact, that the slain were known, and held in high regard by them, In fact, as the frontier goes, they were neigh- bors; Big Foot calling the Frio country bis home. ‘““Wa-al, in marcy’s name, what air ther good Lord doin’, ter low ther pesky heathuns ter scarify, scalp, an’ cut off this hyer yearth, afore the’r time, a heap o’ innercent white hu- mans? ‘*Dog-gone my hide! I’m sot back wuss’n pison. But thar ain’t no time ter gab. Ther eap’n an’ Grace must be reskied, an’ thet speedy. * Boyees, we'll keep on ther no’th side o’ ther hellyuns, an’ Wild Wolf and Hawk Eye had better lunge right ahead, es they war goin’. Arter we gits into ther oaks, hit’ll be mighty easy keepin’ nigh ther or’nary red scum. ‘“‘Ef we-’uns doesn’t gi’n ’em a hefty riffle o’ fight, I'll crawl inter a post-oak bog, an’ flip- flop out o’ sight o’ human natur’ ontel Gabriel toots his born. “Ef thar doesn’t be a few death-yells fer every leetle child ther hellyuns bev scalped, I hopes ter be tortur’d by Piute squaws! ‘*Come on! Levant’s ther word. Keep yer elers skinned. Black Wolf ’ll camp on ther erdina afore sun-up,. Whoop~er-up fer bleed an’ Injun ha’r!” And thus it happened, that more avengers were on the trail; Big-Foot Wallace having been encamped on the Rio Medina, some dis- tance from Brown’s Ranch, and discovering the fire, had ordered the scouts to saddle, and ride off to investigate. CHAPTER IX. A NIGHT OF DEATH. Bot 2 short distance had the Apaches to pro- ceed westward, before they reached a section of country that was overgrown with post-oaks. Through this they could ride at a gallop,.as there was no undergrowth, Thus they were enabled to proceed at speed. This post-oak belt extended to, and beyond the Rio Medina; consequently there was no danger of Wild Wolf and Gerald being seen by the Indians, even when galloping within a short distance of them, Thus, through the night, rode friend and foe, Captain Greene, who, bound to the mustang, his brain almost paralyzed from all that be had undergone, at times prayed for death to re- lieve him, and at times, in frantic manner, up- braided his Maker, his fellow-men, and himself; cursing the fates, that had overwhelmed him with an avalanche of misery, despair, and death! The mustang, upon which he was secured was led by a burly brave, who, at times, lashed the old man with his quirt, uttering taunting words at his wretched captive. But he noticed them not; still gazing =e upward at the sky, between the branches of the oaks, his eyes glassy, and insane in their expression. But three rifle-shots north of the war-party, rode at speed, Big-Foot Wallace and his trusty, daring scouts; they reining up at times, to lis ten to the rumble of the hundreds of hoofs upon the sward, and thus ~ gi at a proper dis- tance. To the south of ild Wolf and Gerald Granger, and a little in the rear, rode Warnona and Gracie; closely resembling each other. Paint-daubed, and with a beaded fillet confin- ing her long flowing hair, Gracie Greene had the appearance of a young and beautiful squaw. . The consciousness that she was speeding to the rescue of her only living relative, and her lover, at the risk of her life, gave her a wild look, Desperation was noticeable through the bars of war-paint, and was in consonance with her assumed character and attire. The speed with which they were obliged to travel, and through those long, weary hours of startling scenes of the night were recalled, and a fear existed that they might be repeated. It was plain that some time must iven the mustangs to rest and recuperate, before pro- ceeding toward the Rio Pecos. The stolen borses were in little better con- dition, and seemed terribly affrighted. At the entrance to the bend, lay half a dozen braves upon blankets, their arms by their sides; while, high up in the tree-tops, were perchbe two warriors, whose gaze was fixed upon the eng to the east, which was nearly free from 8. At the inner side of the curve, near the bor- der of the undergrowth, and beneath the spread- ing limbs of the huge trees, lay the Apache slain, side by side; with the weapons they had used in war upon their breasts. But a short distance from these corpses, bound to the trunk of a tree, in a standing position, was Captain Greene; his head bowed, and his gray locks hanging downward, almost concealing his features from view. A most pitiable sight was the old ranchero; his clothing, torn and stained witb the blood of his youngest and darling child! Opposite to the captive, upon blankets, lay three wounded braves; their eyes fixed upon the branches overhead, and only the iook of agony on their stolid features betraying the torture they suffered. Not a sigh or groan escaped them. Blood-smeared and silent they lay, suffering stoically; as, to betray their agony, by groan the night, would, at any other time, have caused | or complaint, would bave been cowardice, only her to become too fatigued to proceed. But the excited state of the poor girl’s brain, ber great grief, and apprehension for her father, and her lover, banished all thought of bodily fatigue. Her nerves were electrified by an insane eagerness to look again upon all that was left to her, even though she sbould become, the next moment, herself a victim: to Apache cruel- ty. Bent forward in their saddles, clutching jaw- strap in one hand, and fast hissing quirt in the other, their snake-like eyes shooting swift glances on every side, thus on galloped the murderous pirates: of the Pecos; the panting herd of stolen animals thundering in their front, and kept on the course by ‘‘side-riders.” Close in the rear followed the mustangs, with the corpses of their former masters bound upon their backs: hideous in life, more hideous, a thousand times, now in death! It was a spectacle that no pen can describe, and no pencil portray. So horrible was it, that none who have not gazed upon such a scene can approach its appalling hellishness, even in imagination, But we draw a curtain upon all—tbe painted Apache savages, and the daring rescuers and avengers; to remove it, when the sunlight again brightens the earth, though it lessens not a whit the hideousness of the horde of mur- derous demons! | | ' a The sun shot up from the orient, a huge globe | of fire, its disk clearly outlined against the eray sky beyond. Its face seemed inflamed with passion, at being forced to dispense its heat and light upon the eastern hemisphere, leaving the wide plains, the grand old woods and the lofty mountains of America, to recover from the effects of its burning power of the previous day. Brightly its rays were reflected upon the naturally enamteled foliage of tbe oaks; and tbe millions of dew-drops, on grass and flowers, were transformed into glittering jewels, that were dazzling to look upon. Within a horse-shoe bend of the Rio Medina, but a little distance east from the Bandera Hills, and some fifty miles from the scene of their hellish work on Cottonwood creek, were encamped the Apache war party. The bend presented a scene that was most | ed with despzir. horrid and unearthly. At least five acres of clear, grass-grown | sward were within the curve. It was circular in shape; a narrow space toward the north, be- tween a gateway of towering trees, giving en- trance and egress. Over that portion of the clear space nearest this entrance, were the mustangs that had been ridden by the Indians. These were now free from their primitive equipments, but covered with foam; their bair matted, and clinging to their hides, their bellies hollow and gaunt, The animals were so fatigued that they tore the grass from the sod listlessly, although craving it, and masticated it in a weary and laborious manner. All the time they shot glances into the dark shades, as if the En | | befitting a squaw or pappoose. Nearly a score of dead and wounded lay thus. Some twenty paces in front of these, was the main portion of the war-party; flitting around several fires, casting mule-steaks upon the coals,, only to scorch the meat, and then tearing an devouring it like ravenous beasts, Counting the braves, who were on guard af, the entrance, there were forty warriors in the camp, who were able for duty. Not a ray of sunlight penetrated the bend; the entrance being to the north, and the eamp, with that exception, surroundod by dense tower- ing timber, beneath which was the tangled, thorny undergrowth. Twenty yards beyond the border of the same, flowed the river; its waters gliding beneath a natural archway of in- terlaced limbs, which were covered with vines. andimoss, These shielded the dark stream en- tirely from the sun. The Apaches were elated at the success of their raid. Black Wolf was exultant and proud, aG having successfully deceived the Texans. Not the slightest fear bad he now of pursuit, especially after gaining such a distance from the scenes of both massacres; and a feast, fol- lowed by a war-dance, and the burial of the slain, washis programme. During this, the mus- tangs could recover from their fatigue, The slain bad lost their lives in battle, with the war-whoop on their lips, when the death-yell sounded, and their scalps wereon their beads; cousequently, they bad gone to the “happy buat- ing-grounds.” For this reason, they were not to be regretted, although they must be avenged ip the time to come. Thus was the camp of Black Wolf, when sud- denly, a whoop from tbe plain brougbt the lounging guards to their feet, and all the braves erect in position, and manner of interest. The warriors gave a peculiar yell of exulta- tion, and sprung to each side of the entrance, dragging their blankets after them. The next moment, a half-dozen braves dashed, at headlong speed, upon their snorting mustangs, into the bend, with wild, ringing whoops. In their midst, bound fast to horses, were two strong, hardy rancberos, A terrific yell of fiendish joy burst from the war-party, at sight of the Texan captives, The two men were bareheaded with hair fly- ing: their faces the pallor of death, and stamp- They were dragged ronda from their horses; both being wounded and blood-stained, one with a broken arm, and the other with the shaft of an arrow still projecting from bis breast. Most torturing were the wounds, as the ago- nized faces of the unhappy men showed. Instantly, at the orders of Black Wolf, a stake was driven into the earth, near the fires, and the Texans were bound to it, back to back, Then several braves rushed to the corpses of their comrades, to place them in a circle around the captives, who were to form central figures in the death-dance; and upon whom the aches would vent their vengeful fury for the slaying of such a number of the war-party. That the ceremony was hastened by the unex- : ‘\ ; | <i COIT OOKS.CONn we