Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 41 — page 3: what you’re looking at

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

_— —-- -_ ——— oo OO ooo = ~“Tt may be he will, sister; but the time is up now for his meeting us. I heard our guide say that the creek upon whose bank our camp is located is called Clear Creek.” ““Tndeed!” exclaimed Rosalind; ‘“‘then we may expect Henry at our camp to-night,” “We may, sister; but I fear he has—” ‘‘ Forgotten his promise, or become false to ou?” mM No, no, Rosalind; Henry St. Elmo could never become false to me, nor forget a promise. He is too manly and noble-h for that; but I fear something has befallen him, or we should have found him here,” . ‘¢-You should not put too much confidence in him, Mabel,” said Rosalind, with a smile; ‘‘ men are all fickle-hearted, and some dark-eyed Mex- ican senorita may have won Henry’s love away from you.” ‘*Oh, Rosalind! I could never think so of Henry.” ‘* And yet it may bes 0,” persisted Rosalind. “Tf there are impossibilities in this world, I think that one of them,” said Mabel. “T hope so, for your own sake, dear sister; still I would not worry and fret about his not coming. He may have been delayed, and will join us yet, Buthark! What is that?” “‘ Horses’ hoofs out upon the plain,” said Mabel, and her eyes lit up with a joyous light. ‘“*It ma Henry, now.” Rosalind stepped upon a fallen log and tried to obtain a view of the horseman or horsemen, whichever it was, but the intervening under- growth concealed all from her view. They listened. They heard the hoof-strokes at plainer and plainer. Then there sud- enly arose a fierce yell, mingled with the clash of fire-arms. Filled with sudden alarm, Rosalind and Mabel turned and fled back to camp. When _ they reached it, they found the men with rifles in hand, waiting the approach of the unknown horseman. CHAPTER IU THE YOUNG MUSTANGER’S LIFE-STRUGGLE. WHERE was Henry St. Elmo? ' There ran his horse, but riderless! Lasso Jack was riding alone over the trackless prairie, and St. Elmo was— We shall see. « When his animal made the fearful e" that carried it across the stream, the girth of his sad- dle snapped, and the horse shot like an arrow from under both saddle and rider, and galloped after its mate, The unfortunate young my ood fell full length into the creek, and was lost from view of those behind him: but, knowing the savages were close at hand, and that there was no possi- ble chance of recovering his horse, he kept him- self upon his back in the water, which, at this point, was about three feet deep. The next minute he sawa number of dark forms leaping the water-course, and heard the pounding of hoofs on each bank. A perfect cloud of dust and dirt was thrown back by the horses’ feet ig ig concealing him from view; and lly, when the last savage was heard: their retreating yells, he saw that hi: hap had been unnoticed. A gentle swell in the rairie, just before the creek was reached, must ave concealed him from the savages’ eyes, at the same instant that he rolled into the creek, and as his horse followed on after Lasso Jack half hidden in a cloud of dust, the savages failed to notice his absence from his animal’s back. He heard the retreating savages away on the plain, and felt that for the moment he was safe. Had he forgotten the Indian seen in the clump of bushes? A single thought sufficed to alarm him, but before he ca act, two sy ont antl 4p side of the creek—rung, sharply out, an a cry as of mortal agony, Henry St. Elmo staggered forward, clutching at breast, and sunk ;heavily to the earth, on the further bank of the creek, Then forth from each of the thickets over which a puff of smoke now hung, issued an In- dian warrior, with a scalping-knife in one hand, and the smo muzzle of a rifle in the other, One was an Apache, the other a Comanche Wer ae enemies. Each one been concealed in the thicket, and was unaware of the other’s presence. The rifles of both had cracked simultaneous, and the reports were blended as one. Each one had no other thought than that he had slain the white man, and now i forward to claim his scalp, and pee gene victory. But they came to a sudden halt, and glared at each other like two maddened wild beasts preparing to leap. _—_ —— — —_— -_— and he | Lasso Jack. a ee eee Ce ee — — -s2— oe - - a ——_ Both were powerful fellows, about equal in size and strength. They recognized. in. each other an enemy, and all the deadly hatred of their savage uature was manifested in their fierce, vindictive expression. The lifeless form of the pale-face before them was forgotten, and as the war-cry pealed from their ie Bp rushed to- gether and grappled in a terrible hand-to-hand conflict, Like nts they became locked in pliant folds, and fought with knives, feet and teeth, in the meantime whirling over and over in such rapid evolutions that their bodies seemed in- corporated into one. They fought in silence only as two such fearful foes can fight. Com- aon Oe would Beye been Sxeanet in. half ne ime. ey seem wee of supernatura endurance, and for f Sg hour no one could have told on which side the advantage hung. But, finally, the rgecke began to show signs of failing strength. is efforts were less desper- ate, and his breath came quick and in labored gasps from between his teeth. Blood and foam were gathering upon his lips, and his starting eye shone with a deadly glare. A hollow groan soon told that life with the Apache was at an end. Then the Comanche sprung to his feet and uttered a fearful war- cry. A scalp was in his hand and before him lay the lifeless form of the.Apache. But, he had paid dearly for his victory. He was cut, bitten and bruised in a fearful manner, and was bleed- ing from more than a dozen painful wounds. The stimulus of victory and excitement was all that kept him up, and as these be to wear off, he realized the danger he was in—the dan- er of bleeding to death. So, divesting the dead pache of some of his garments, he tore them into shreds and pucery bencaee his wounds. Walking out from the creek a few paces, he glanced in the direction that his friends were pursuing Lasso Jack. They were now miles away. For a moment he stood apparently un- decided; then advanced a short distance down the stream, and stopping, uttered a low, plain- tive call. Forth from a thicket still further down the creek, a fine, spirited mustang galloped toward its red master. The Comanche took it by the bits when it the timber they often halted, for days at a time. ' é S to avail themselves of the advantages it offerec: to rest themselves and animals before plunging into the great treeless, shrubless prairie stretch- Ag STRAY. to El Llano Estacado, Jack pressed on, a cry of joy esca his lips; a thin column of white smoke was j up from among the trees! Some one was in the timber, but, was it friend or foe? There was no time for conjecture or de- liberation; so he headed directly for the timber. CHAPTER V. A MESSENGER WITH BAD TIDINGS. THE little party of traders and recruits, un- der Captain Louis Gray, had not long to wait in ignorance-of who the approaching horsemen were, for Lasso Jack, the yo mustanger, closely followed by St. Elmo’s horse, dashed through the woods into their camp. ‘** By crackies!” exclaimed old Dan Dorne, the ide, ‘‘ it’s that young dare-devil, Lasso Jack! o, ho, Jack, how ’re ye, ole friend? What the fares brings you here in sich a whirlwind splut- ter? ie .* pack of Comanche devils, my dear old Dorne,” replied Jack, as hedrew rein before the astonished party; ‘“‘for twenty miles have I been pursued by the red varlets, and even now they are close behind me,” “Yes, they are coming!” shouted Ca Gray; ‘‘ make ready to receive them, men.” But, the cunning red-skins, apprised by the smoke of the presence of some one in the grove, were too cautious to venture into unknown dan- gers, and so drew rein on the edge of the prairie about five hundred yards away. Seeing that they were threatened by no im- mediate attack, Captain Gray turned to Lasso Jack and asked: ‘* Stranger, are those the only savages in this vicinity?” “To the best of my SDOS ace they are, and they have come over twenty miles in pursuit of mre since noon.” ** How does it come you've got an extra with ye, Jack? Been snakin’ in a Comanche and cab- gin’ his nag?’ demanded the old guide. 0, Dan; it is the horse of a young friend of mine who I am afraid has fallen a victim came up and led it along to the fallen Apache. | to the Comanches.” Procuring the dead warrior’s weapons, he at- tached them to his saddle and moved on toward the body of the fallen pale-face to procure his weapons and scalp. ) “Then you do not know whether the savages got your friend or not?” asked the captain. ‘*T did not see. them get him, yet | almost positive they did. We had been riding for sev- hat was his surprise on aga eg 8 spot eral miles together; I wag slightly roeny the white man had fallen, d it was one , He glanced at the er blood marked the spot where the mustanger had lain, He raised his eyes and swept the sur- rounding thickets. He started with ty Rey fear and horror. He saw arifle thrust throug a clump of weeds. The muzzle was ward breast, and along the dark barrel he caught the gleam of Henry St. Elmo’s eye! CHAPTER IV. ON OVER THE PRAIRIE. On over the prairie ag Lasso Jack with the riderless horse of St. both pursuers and pursued were failing: yet, if | any advantage been gained} it was with the mustanger, Turning in his saddle, Jack saw one of the savage pursuers shoot on ahead of his compan- ions at a speed that threatened danger. “That won’t do, my lovely red-skin,” mused Jack; ‘‘I admire the fine speed of your horse, but it will be the death of you.” ) eer ay gee. his at eee his genes he raised the wea an cing along the bar- rel as he steadied himself in his stirrups, fired. True to his aim, the bullet pierced the red- skin’s breast, and throwing up his arms, he clutched at space; then reeling to and fro, lost horse galloped wildly away. ‘‘That will be a caution to the rest of the ras- cals to keep back,” exclaimed Jack. — The pursuit still continued, but, at per a joyous sight suddenly burst upon the fugitive’s eyes. It wasa belt of timber bordering a ttle stream that wound its way across the plain with the sinuosity of a serpent, to be swallowed up in the waters of the San Saba river. There, in that river, the fugitive had hopes of eluding his pursuers, or of meeting with friends; for along this stream lay a route—a slight devi- ation from the overland—often taken by ies of emigrants and prairie merchants. | | | | } his balance and rolled to the earth, while his | tere and the rude old fellow | | DE eee ee eee in advan and at last, when I happened to gaze mS discovered for the first time that St. Elmo was ound. A pool of dark | gone.” ‘St. Elmo!” cried Captain Gray; “ did say your friend’s name was St. Elmo?” ty ‘Yes; Henry St. Elmo. And I presume you to meet are the very we were coml inting to- | here on Clear Creek?” replied Lasso Jack. ‘“This is Captain Louis Gray’s party,” said re Then ay the party, but Lam sorry to “Then you are the ut lam have to bring you the tidings of Henry’s mys- terious disappearance.” Mabel heard all; then, as a low shriek burst o following close be- | from her lips, she sunk unconscious to the earth. hind, while in hot pursuit of him came the wild, | fierce Comanche warriors. It was plainly percent that the animals of | ‘My God, it has killed her!’ cried Louis | Gray, sprin ig Paar’ and lifting the inani- mate form of his niece in his strong arms. He carried her at once to her tent, where he and Rosalind applied such restoratives as they could command. ‘*T did not think of that,” said Lasso Jacek, “or I would not have broken the news so sud- denly. But, then, it tells me that sheis H “sop of oa 2 bee bears the — 4 ow speak so endearingly. ut, friends, w it not be advisable to ake those Comanches a little? They might cause us some trouble when they find out our strength, for they are three- score strong.” ‘Yes, they’d better be watched,” said Old Dan, “fur [ll warrant they’re thirstin’ fur skul If it wer’n’t fur ’em two little. erit- the 1 pointed to- ward the maidens’ tent—‘‘us fellers could rough it through and run if we got into clus quarters; but, I hope thar’s not a man in this party but ’d die for them gals.” “Not one,” repled Sir. George Richardson, and = words were repeated by every mouth presen ; Dan Dorne was now sent out to watch the movements of the sa In the mean time, Lasso Jack unsaddled his almost exhausted ani- mal and lariated it and that of St. Elmo out to | grass. Dan Dorne soon returned and reported the ere in | Comanches in full retreat over the prairie; but co! (ECON MUG] BON) “S