Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 41 — page 4: what you’re looking at

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

“ — o-oo Beadle’s Half-Dime Library. — he was too well read in Indian not to know that this movement was only intended to ne They'll be back again, friends,” h id, ey again, Iriends, ne sal ‘‘and it will stand us in hand to keep our eyes ed! They’ll be along after dark, I reckon.” Id Dan and Jack proceeded to make ar- rangements for the protection of the camp dur- ing the night, and when darkness fell the old —— and the young mustanger took their posi- ions as guards, assisted by one or two of the traders and the invincible Sir George, who, with his cane in hand, paced warily to and fro upon his beat. The night was unusually dark, there being no moon until late, while the shadows of the tow- ering cottonwoods made it doubly dark around the silent camp. The hours wore away in quietude. It was nearing the hour of midnight when the crack of a rifle close by suddenly aroused the sleepers. The traders and recruits hurried from their wagons and tents. They could not see their hand before them, but heard a slight noise out- side of the circle of wagons—a noise in which there could be distinguished a heavy respira- tion, dull, sodden blows, and a thumping upon the earth like two foes engaged in a silent hand- to-hand death-struggle. . CHAPTER VI. A SILENT CONFLICT. ‘“*T TELL you, boys,” exclaimed Captain Gray, “it is one of our guards in a conflict with a skulking Indian.” The captain ran to his wagon, and procuring a lantern hurried to where the combatants were engaged, to discover Old Dan and a half-nude Sav in a terrible struggle. But, no sooner did the rays of the captain's lantern stream across them, than the sav attempted te free himself and escape. The old guide’s ereep come not be broken, and he soon ended the conflict by driving his knife into the Comanche’s breast. Then as the red foe sunk backward to the earth lifeless, Old Dan sprung to his feet. ‘** By crackey!” he exclaimed, ‘“‘that war a all-fired tuff tussel, boys. The greasy varlet war wiry as a snake, and strong as a b’ar.” ‘Why didn’t you call for ’elp, Dan?’ asked Sir George, who by this time had joined the per Call - fur ’elp?” repeated Old Dan, disdain- fully; ‘‘why, my lord, do te suppose that ole Dan Dorne would call for ’e ip when he’s got but one foe to deal with? No sir-ee, ole England! But then I thought once I would have to call fur help fur I see’d two o’ the red niggers skulkin’ bout the wagons.” “Then we are in no little danger,” said Cap- tain Gray. *“Yes, no doubt of it, cap’n,” replied Dorne; *‘these imps are scouts sent out to find out our situation, and if that t’other darned scamp ae away with all the information he wanted, like as mig ees we'll bave a little dig with the lopin’ ounds, yet.” ‘Then let not a ct be closed in sleep again to-night,” commanded Captain Gray. ‘*That’s the music, cap’n,” exclaimed Old Dan; ‘and now I'll go out and git Lasso Jack and go to scoutin’ about to find whar the red are sinners are. The old guide at once took his departure for the woods, while those at camp them- selves in position, ready for instant battle. But the night wore pare without any further demonstration on the of the Comanches. By deynant all was life and bustle in the camp. reakfast was prepared and eaten, and arrangements made for immediate de for the two scouts, the young mustanger and the old guide, had reported the country entirely dese by the enemy. Lasso Jack was to accompany the party, at which all were highly pl and eord | r sunrise the train was in motion, Lasso Jack on the lead, while Old Dan and Sir George brought up the rear. mig 9 vehicle with the two girls was near the dle of the train. Mabel was sad at heart and sorrowing for her lost lover, while little Rosalind sat day-dreaming and shy] watching the comman form of the hand- some young cavalier in advance of the train. Noon found them several miles from Clear Creek. They halted a few minutes for dinner, and to rest and feed their animals, then re- sumed their journey. There is something grand, majestic and awe- A pcg te acalmday. It is ive o inspiring in a ‘lal the boundless ocean when plainly sugges no breeze ruffles its surface; and as Lasso Jack rode on at the head of the train with the sweet, fair face of Rosalind Garfield foremost of all others in his mind, he thought he had never seen a prairie that looked so lovely, so roman- tic, so grand as the one spread out before him and stretching away into the hazy distance, like the vision of a dream. He could not hel feasting his eyes upon its solemn grandeur, an watching the birds skimming along its surface of green, or the frightened deer floating away into the mist of the distant horizon. While thus engaged in passing the moments as he rode on, the romance of the prairie was suddenly overshadowed by seeing a large body of horsemen galloping to the westward of them. They were plainly outlined against the crim- son sky—for the sun was near its setting—and he could see the flashing of ere or - heads, and the nodding of plumes about the riders’ heads. about he made known his discovery to his friends, and advised an immediate halt. There was nota doubt in his mind but that the inhuman vultures were swooping down upon the train! The wagons were driven to one side of the roatl about two hundred yards to the summit of a little knoll; the horses were unhitched and the wagons drawn ina circle by hand. Inside of this small inclosure the animals were hitched, and the men took their position within this feeble defense. They soon discovered that the savages were coming directly toward them, at a furious speed. They were not over half a mile away, and it was feared that they intended to at- tempt the capture of the train by a sudden at- tack with all their force. The savages were a hundred strong, and as they 5 hee the train, the hideousness of their yells, mingled with the tramp of their an- imals’ hoofs, drove a chill of terror to the hearts of the little band, for in those demoniac yells they read a fearful doom! CHAPTER VII. A SCENE OF CARNAGE. As the morning sun arose over that Texan prairie, it shone upon a scene of death and car- After the night had passed, with its repeated assaults by the Comanches, it left but few of Captain Gray’s alive to see the mornin sun rise. Cap ray himself, every one o his recruits, and all but three of the traders la dead. They had fallen during the night, defend- ing their camp. e foe had been repulsed more than a dozen times and had paid dearly for their rash attacks, as more than a score of eto 5 corpses outside of the circle of wagons testified. Still the survivors of that ht’s massacre Jack: Dan De Oia tie George i axdeco. three ac orne, orge Ric of the traders, and the two maidens, Rosalind and Mabel Garfield. But the men presented the picture of ox gee Their faces were blackened and pes ae with powder and dust. ipl were ost exhausted with the night’s conflict, and when day dawned, it brought but little re- lief to their excited minds. The sight of their dead comrades lying around them, with their wees faces staring heavenward—the niz- ie es of the d to whom they could ren- der no assistance—the piteous screams of the wounded and terrified horses that stood pawing and moaning, here and there—all these contrib- uted new terrors to their situation, that darkness had kept concealed. ce Jack yr really — only a Thay seemed possessed of a spark of hope. He not, for a moment, entertain the thought of giv- ing up the battle while those two fair, helpless yg were still alive, for they now looked to him or protection. In his last, dying moments, their uncle had intrusted them to the care of the young mustanger,; who accepted the trust, promising to maintain it till the last. At the nning of the contest, the maidens had been placed one of the heavy wagons which was rendered bullet-proof by piling some of the contents of the traders’ wagons around it. In this cover had they remained all of that ter- rible t. Jack had broken to them the sad news of their uncle’s death. It was a terrible shock, but they had prepared themselves for the worst, and accepted the cruel blows of fate with on but an fshing hearts. Upon Lasso Jack ey now looked as their all, and whenever he came to their wagon, with words of cheer and hope, he was received with gentle words, and Serie countenaneces beaming with hope and ove. Old Dan Dorne and Sir George were blackened and begrimed with powdcr and dust, yet, with the rifle in han were ever at their posts, evincing a spirit of determination and courage that only death itself could overcome. Only the three surviving traders showed a spirit of hopelessness and despair. Daylight had revealed to them their terrible situation— their dead comrades, the destruction of the romised hopes that awaited their arrival at. nta Fe—in fact, a certain death to all. But half a dozen horses of all remained within the inclosure of wagons an hour after sunrise. Those wounded were unhitched and turned loose upon the prairie, to seek relief from their pai in the unrestrained fréedom of the in. Among those retained and uninjured were peed Jack’s mustang and Captain Gray’s favorite ch r. Both were of more than common speed, and a knowledge of the fact suggested to Jack, more than once during the night, the possibility of ary | through the lines of the enemy that surrounded them on allsides, By so doing, assistance might be procured and the besieged relieved. Yet it would require hours of hard riding to reach a point where aid could be had, and the absence of one man from the little party might turn the tide of victory—so nearly won already, in favor of the savages. And then, if any one left at all, it would have to be Lasso Jack, for none of the others ot sessed that knowledge of the country which haste required. But Jack could not leave those two fair girls int to his care. The loving eyes and gen- tle words of Rosalind had aroused in his breast a spirit that seemed to endow him with the strength of a host. Love had, even at that hour of pe fired the heart of the young mustanger, an nothing but the hand of death could tear him from the object of that love. But what was to be done—what could they do? It would be impossible to withstand the attacks of the enemy much longer. The supply of water procured before starting across the rairie, was nearly exhausted, and upon that ot, dry plain, without a shrub to intercept the broiling rays of the sun, they could not exist without the life-giving fluid. The savages, now numbering about four-score, were scattered around the camp in a circle about a quarter of a mileaway. They seemed entirely ignorant of the damage they had in- flicted upon the whites, which would have ren- dered ite recy sarge Ms easy to capture the whole train, they made a determined as- sault. They ap to be waiting for some demonstration on the of the whites, but as the hours wore on and no movement was made, the red foes were seen to mount their animals. va phy mountin’ for another charge, boys,” said Old Dan. “Yes,” said Lasso Jack, ‘‘ but let us be ready for them. Let us see that every rifle in the camp is loaded and B Sonaery and then, when we fire, be calm and deliberate and make every shot count. Ah! the demons are coming!” True enough. With whoop an ay the Co- manches were coming down toward the belea- ered camp; but with Spartan bravery, the ttle band prepared to meet them. Kneeling down, each man took aim under the barricade of wagons. As soon as the foe had come within range, all fired, then threw aside their wea and seized others. In this man- ner the ye up an incessant and deadly fire upon the foe, who, believing the force of the whites was four times that which it really was, turned about and retreated hastily beyond rifle- . But, before they turned, they discharg- ed a volley of random shots, and one of the re- maining t traders was killed. The little band were now reduced to five, and it seemed as though they would never be able to repel another me till they all determined to die Sepein , rather than surrender, for they were sa they would be tortured to death if taken alive. “This, friends,” said Sir George, ‘‘is getting to be a serious matter. Alt is a bit the most ter- rible hadventure AI hever ’ad, hand were hit not for those fair girls there, hI could die hand be scalped with something hof an heasy con- science, But, hour fates all seem ’opeless. AI would take notes for my book Aof hadventure did AI think AI would ’ave a scalp on a warm ’ead when hanother sun rises.” There was no ostentation in the Englishman’s talk. He was serious about his remarks. He was brave and fearless, and his words did not belie his spirit of courage, He admired the cool bravery and superior judgment of Lasso Jack; and, although he envied him thesmiles Rosalind . bestowed upon him, he accepted the situation with manly and heroic submission. Lasso Jack was satisfied that the Indians Gomicbooks, (ECO) f