Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 41 — page 12: what you’re looking at

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

12 \ ore Beadle’s Half-Dime Library. remain under the rock as long as the savages re- mained on the opposite shore, for, if he attempt- ed to escape, he would be compelled to push out in plain view of the savages. or more than an hour they waited, but, in- stead of their situation wing less perilous by the de of the foe, they were suddenly startled by seeing another party of fully forty mounted warriors coming up the river. They came on to where the hunters were, hal and dismounted., This convinced our friends that the point had been selected asa rendezvous, The warriors unharnessed their ponies and turned them loose to browse, then, a ag Banos aon in ge center ~ © grass oll and assumed such positions o rest as thair desires dictated. But, where was the Indian who had been up- on the rock—that our friends saw mirrored in the dazzling waters? Scarcely the young mustanger asked him- self the question, than all three of them became conscious of a dull, vibratory shock of their canoe. They turned and gazed around them, and each — was paralyzed with sudden terror, when each eye saw the tufted head and painted face of an Indian warrior appear above the rim of their canoe. The maidens’ faces were blanched with terror, and the hand of St. Elmo involuntarily sought his knife. But the fears of the trio were set at ease by seeing the warrior raise his hand before his face with the palm turned outward, signifi- cant of friendship and silence; and it was then that the party discovered, despite his paint and feathers, that the supposed Indian warrior was Jack, the young mustanger|! CHAPTER XVI. ON THE FUGITIVES’ TRACKS. Lasso JACK and Lieutenant Jourdan were not a little surprised at finding the body of Texan Terror by the hole where the maidens had been concealed. And Jack’s fears and un- wr ga regarding the maidens’ absence were pa ’ Circumstances argued to him that the free- booters and Indians had come and taken the maidens, and that an altercation regarding pos- session of them had probably taken place be- tween some of the parties, and Juarez Diaz had been slain. But, while the young mustanger and the lieu- tenant stood the matter, the ‘‘ swish ” of feet in the grass suddenly arrested their at- tention. Turning, they saw a man with four horses in his possession ding toward them. A single glance enabled Lasso Jack to - nize the man as Sir George Richardson, and an instant it flashed across his mind that the lishman had slain Texan Terror. he approached, Jack accosted him with the question: ‘Who comes ?” “Sir George Richardson, my dear friend Jack,” was the response. ‘Sir George, the traitor!” yelled out Old Dan Dorne; ‘‘seize him, men, and let’s hang him to onc’t.” “Why, my dear friend Dan, you must be slightly hinebriated,” returned Sir George, draw- ing rein and dismounting. We have been informed of your treachery,” said Lasso Jack, approaching the Englishman and laying his hand upon his shoulder, “‘ and I arrest you as an ally of the prairie boot- ‘*hIndeed!” exclaimed the Englishman, with ergerset astonishment: ““ who had the haudaci- to tell— fe I’m the lad that said so,” exclaimed Old Dan Dorne rushing forward and confronting the Englis “and I’m willin’ to swear t I heard ye plottin’ with Texan Terror to come here and get the girls.” ‘Your ’earing, friend Dan, his keener than your perception,” replied Sir George. “Then ye mean to say that I didn’t hear you and Texan Terror talkin’ together to-night; that you weren't ae *bout the Indians’ camp with yer cane in hand as though you war king o’ the kit; that you and Terror didn’t mount yer hosses and take one apiece fur the gals and strike a bee-line fur this place? Jist “4 that I wern’t geo right clus by and heard all yer yee and , and [P’ll—well, I won’t what I will do.” ‘hI ham sorry to say, Dan, you Aare as gulli- ble as the AIndians themselves. Al hadmit hall ou say is true, but, not once did AI think hof ing traitor in ’eart. Alt was honly to ac- complish my release, and 4 the vital circula- tion of that villain, Texan error, that Al con- descended to do what AI did.” ‘*Then why did you bring him here to endan- ger the lives of the girls?’ hsked Old Dan. ‘‘Al knew that probably the girls would be released long before we got ’ere, hand by com- ing ’ere alone, hI knew Al would be equal to ’im in force hat the worst. Things turned Aout just has hl wanted them to, and there lays the remains Aof Texan Terror, and ’ere hare ’is ’orses to hi that my hintentions were good. Alf Al ’ad thought the _ were ere, Al would ’ave died before Al would been so darned mean has to bring him ’ere. Al knew by telling ’im they were concealed ’ere has they were, hit would make my case stronger.” ‘*T am inclined to think, ‘Dan, that Sir George is telling us the truth—that he has outwitted you as well as Texan Terror.” ‘* By cracky!” exclaimed Old Dan, pam | his frowsy head in perplexity, ‘“‘I see throug the hullthing. Iremember when I war listenin to Terror and Sir George, that the latter ac a leetle curious and independent. But, I see through it all now, and beg yer pardon, Eng- lisher. I admit you’ve a purty vo tongue to deceive, a face to cloth it in, and the royal grit to back it. Beg your pardon fur ’cusing you of traitorism, and will treat to the best in Santa Fe when we git there. Shake.” The old guide extended his ae palm, and ing that of the brave, daring Englishman, shook it warmly. Sir George held no ill feel- ing toward him, for he knew it was human to err. ‘“Can you tell us any thing about the girls?” asked Lasso Jack. ‘‘Nothing, my young friend. The ’ole was hopen when we got ’ere.” ‘ How long since “ But afew minu ago. Al’ad just cooled the freebooter hoff when AI ’eard the clatter hof your ’orses’ feet coming up the road, hand thinking it might be a pack hot AIndians, hI be- gan making myself scarce. Bnt AI soon discov- ered who it was, hand came back.” ‘*My God!” exclaimed Lasso Jack, ‘‘I fear those red Comanche hounds have trailed the maidens to their biding-place, and carried them away. *, Wal, we can look out for their trail,” said old Dan. ‘‘It may be they have escaped them- cael and are wandering about over the ou came here?” “Then let us to work,” said Jack; ‘‘ the moon is shining bright almost as daylight, and if there ~- = a ee cn pts Po e ogether the y mustanger oO i) moved away a snk distance, then began an examination of the ground in a circle about the lace. . Their efforts were not in vain. Old Dan soon found where a single horse had traveled north, and from the dark, sinuous trail windin through the dewy grass, he knew the horse lately traversed the plain. There was nothing by which*they could tell whether the horseman had been an Indian or not, but whoever and whichever it was, Indian or white man, they had some reason to believe! he had carried the maidens away with him, so the rangers were divided into parties to travel northward at a distance of a mile apart, and all to meet at a designated point on the river several miles north of them. Without a minute’s hesitation the es set off over the plain, led by Jourdan, Jack and Dan Dorne. They traveled on, and shortly after daylight = — parties met at the designated point on the river. 2 ayers Jourdan had this information to P About daybreak I descried a party of three rsons, two riding on one horse, and one walk- g, traveling westward toward the timber. I brought my glass to bear upon them and dis- iN the two on horseback were women, an — ‘It must be they—Rosalind and Mabel!” ex- claimed Jack; “‘ but were they in the power of er T just in ded b ‘I was going to say they were gui ‘A a white man wins thought, omtbiaa Henry St. Elmo in form, but they were too far away to distinguish his features. We tried to attract their attention, but failed. Then we would have endeavo to overtake them, but for a large band of savages that suddenly appeared in view.’ ar * 4 , on “Ts our united strength able to cope with them?” asked Jack. “Yes,” replied Jourdan. “Then let us away!” cried Jack, and turning, the oped up the river. They bod traveled. about a mile when they were met by a riderless pony that came charg- ing down the river through the timber. The ny was caught, but the party could make lit- le of it. They continued on and were sudden- ly startled by two white men that crept out rom under some bushes, nearer dead than alive. They were the two traders who had escaped from that scene of death upon the plain. “What! is it you, Granger and Hall?” ex- claimed Jack, drawing rein before them. ‘* Yes,” replied Granger, ‘‘and a bitter time we've had, Jack, since we Hunger, fear and fatigue have about finished us out.’ ‘**'You shall suffer no longer, boys,” said Jack; ‘* we have both food and horses for you.” “Thank God!” said Hall; *‘ but, Jac the girls with a young white man going the woods, a few minutes ago.” “What? saw Rosalind and Mabel Garfield?” “Yes. They seemed to be ina t hr and we were too weak to overhaul them.” Granger and Hall were at once mounted on a couple of Sir George’s extra ponies, then the whole party continued on. They soon came to where the maidens and Henry St. Elmo had taken to the river. Old Dan readily pointed out the maidens’ tracks, and the place where the canoe’s prow had been im- bedded in the sand. But there were numerous moccasin tracks about, which convinced them that the Indians were between them and the captives. ld Dan was sent up the river to make are connoissance. He soon came back with the fol- lowing report: ‘‘Thar’s slathers of red devils up the river, and they’ve gone intocamp up thar, too. Now, I’ve made this calculation r in’ the three fugitives: if they did take to the river, they’re concealed along the shore, not above whar the reds are camped, for I see’d a boat with two o’ the varlets comin’ down the river, and they’d ’a’ met the fugitives in course if they’d contin- ued on above whar t’others are incamp. And now, thar’s no place whar the fugitives could hide along either shore below where they would have met the two warriors, had they continued on, unless it is under a projectin’ and over- hangin’ bushes and vines on the south bank, di- y opposite of the savages; and if they are there, no tellin’ how they’re to be got out, un- less we go up and drive the savages away, and that might cost us a few lives.” ‘You are not sure, then, the girls and their ese? OF companion, are under the rock you of? ‘*No; thar’s too many vines hangin’ down over the edge of the rock to see under it.” ‘Then I shall know within the next hour oh they are under that rock or not!” said I saw ugh ack, ‘*Keep cool now, lad,” said Old Dan, “‘don’t ‘let your rashness cost you your skulp.” Jack paid no attention to the injunction of his old friend, but, preang histhorse into the river, swam it across to the te shore, where he dismounted, hitched his horse, and by a skillful rearrangement of his buck-skin clothing and the application of some pigments which he al- ways carried about him, in case of emergencies, he converted himself into a tolerable looking In- dian. To Old Dan, who had followed him across the river, he now made known his intention and took his departure up the river. He had been gone over two hours, when the eagle eye of old Dan, who had been closely watching the current of the river, caught sight of a ie leaf drifting down the stream. ** Tt’s all right, boys, said the old guide. “‘ Las- so Jack has found the fugitives, and we’re want- ed on this side of the river. Come over, men, and let’s be off. That large green leaf there is Jack’s signal.” ‘ The rangers hastily crossed the river; then, riding out into the forest, dismounted, hitched their animals, and proceeded with great silence up the stream. CHAPTER XVII. OUT OF THE TOILS. Henry St. ELMO and the two maidens could scarcely restrain their emotions of joy and glad- ness on seeing Jack before them. But, they knew that their lives were in imminent } IOO Gom (E <S (EO)