Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 425 — page 10: what you’re looking at

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

—— oo Oe SP ee ae wa owilewe e * ~ ¢ ' “walls, 10 ar’ likely ter win all his games. Good-night, my ranch flower. In ther hardships ter come, curse ther hour when yer refused ther freedom ip offered.” ‘*'You are not to go!” cried Inez clutching the dwarf’s arm again, ‘‘I was to entertain you till he came back. I shall do this, an’ when he comes, though I hate him, Flippo, I will throw you tohim. More than that: I'll tell him all!” Flippo grated his teeth and struggled for a moment, but found that he could not break from Inez’s grasp. ‘* Tt7ll be all day if she keeps Flippo hyer till Texas Trump comes,” he said tohimself. ‘* Ther llano sport won’t find ther Mute Comanche; he will come back in a passion. I1’m in hard luck. Heavens! can’t I help myself out?” He ceased to struggle and quieted down. ‘‘T want ter see Texas Trump myself,” he said to Inez. ‘‘ You needn’t hold me till he comes. Thar war a time, girl, when you had a pretty good opinion ov Flippo.” ‘‘Hush!” said the girl. ‘I hate myself for ever thinking well of you.” ‘‘Thet’s pleasant,” grinned the dwarf. ‘‘ As for Texas Trump ever making me queen of any camp, let not that trouble you. I assure you, Flippo, that that is one of the impossibili- ties. I have seen Hermosilla in flames; know whose orders destroyed the old home, Me Tex- as Trump’s wife! Don’t let that thought lose you any sleep.” The girl ceased rather suddenly, as if a noise had fallen upon her ears, and Flippo turned to- ward the corridor and listened. ‘‘“Yer master, Texas Trump,” he said, smil- ing, as Inez took the torch from the crack and moved forward. He watched her with eager eyes, fully ex- ecting to see the well-known figure of the order Rattler; but in this he was not gratified. Inez went down the corridor some distance with thé: torch in her hand. All at once it was struck against one of the d the lirht disappeared. ' “What does that mean?” ejaculated Flippo. . ye heard no noise, no sound of footsteps, théuch he waited ten minutes. “The girl is gone,” he said at last. ‘She sli from my hands like an ee]. What ef Texas Trump should come back an’ find me alone hyer? Foller Inez!—thet’s ther pro- mme!” The next moment he was hurrying down the narrow ang raha and just as he stepped into the starlight he was grasped by the throat and lifted clear of the pe ites | ‘* Jehosaphat! into ther devil’s hands ag’in!” he cried, as he gazed into the face of the Border Rattler. CHAPTER XI, CLOSE QUARTERS. “Wat, I missed ther Mute Comanche, but I’ve got back in time ter nab youl” laughed Texas Trump, as he held the alarmed BPRS clear of the ground in the starlight. “So you've given Inez ther slip? Til jes’ take yer back ter her, thet’s all.” The dwarf made no reply; indeed, there was a hand at his throat, and it would have been difficult for him to have spoken intelligibly. He was dragged back into the cavern with very little ceremony, and the Rattler soon dis- covered that Inez was gone. Like a maddened tiger, he whirled upon Flippo, and in thunderous tones demanded to know where the girl was. Of course, the dwarf did not know. For some moments his very existence hung upon a very slender thread. He protested that he knew nothing, and the girl’s strange disap- pearance he narrated with many asseverations of its truthfulness. The maddened llano sport finally believed. ‘‘She can’t get away,” he said. ‘* This piece of rock-land is elevated a hundred feet above the main plain an’ I know every foot of it while to her it is strange. In the first place, Flippo, it is my duty to dispose-of you.” ‘*For heaven’s Nake? ‘*No baby act hyer!” broke in the sport. ‘‘T’m not goin’ ter shed a drop ©’ yer blood. Come along! Thar’s a part o’ this underground palace you hev never explored. Flippo would have resisted if resistance had romised any benefits, but he saw no leniency in Texas Trump’s eyes, and with lips stubborn- ly compressed he was dragged from the spot. ‘¢This cave has a charnel hole which I think you would like to explore,” continued the des- rado laughing as he dragged the dwarf on. ‘TI have never explored it myself. I leave that —— —————_——— ooo for you, Flippo. You shall be furnished with matches. Ah! hyer we ar’.” Flippo looked about him in the light afforded by the matches that burned in Texas ‘Trump’s hand and saw a yawning pit large enough to receive the body of a man. ‘‘Tt’s about ten feet ter ther bottom of ther unknown pit,” said the sport as he crammed a number of matches into the dwartf’s pocket. ‘*T’ll take you by the neck, Flippo, an’ drop yer down easily—thus,” The dwarf would have shrunk from the or- deal, but he was lowered into the hole despite all power of resisting, and when the desperado’s grip loosened, he dropped several feet and found himself in utter darkness. ‘‘This means death by starvation,” said the dwarf, ‘* By the eternal stars! if ever I do get out o’ this place Pll make Texas Trump wish he had never seen sunlight! A pit an’ a grave, eh? We'll see about that!” Taking hope for a moment, Flippo took out some matches and struck them on the first wall he found. The Border Rattler had already disappeared —gone back no doubt on hunt of Inez, and the deformed had the exploration to himself. If the cavern had no outlet, then a death by starvation; if it gave him liberty, woe to Texas Trump! We shall follow the //lano desperado. Texas Trump seemed confident that he had cooped the dwarf up securely when he went back to find the trail of the girl who had slip- A through his fingers in a manner he did not e. The reader will recollect that he had returned to the cave from an unsuccessful hunt for the mute Comanche whom he had tumbled forward on his horse’s neck with a bullet. He did not think that Silent Sam might have found Inez, but in the corridor near the cutward mouth of the cavern he made a discovery that opened his eyes. ; In the dust near one of the walls was a foot- print which was neither his nor Flippo’s. ‘* Somebody is playin’ ag’in’ me!” ejaculated the Border Rattler while he gazed at the track. ‘‘The girl was met hyer by someone, By Jehu! this. makes a new trail, an’ ’ll make it a bloody one. He could follow the track to the rough path that wound like a serpent through the brilliant starlight; there, among the rocks, it was lost. Texas Trump stood nonplused like a man who sees a cherished prize about to slip from his grasp. * ah I ter lose Inez arter playin’ the role of Laced Leon an’ Happy Hank for her?” he ex- claimed. ‘‘ Must I lose ther livin’ bonanza an’ o back ter ther lasso life along ther frontier? Not bya thousand miles! I must get a new hand—thet’s all! thar’s a new role for this llano chick ter play. Thank fortune, he made this haunt a mask shop for a bad day.” Once more he went back to the cavern, and twenty minutes later he emerged disguised as a cattle-hunter in dark gray overalls, heavy hat, big boots that reached to his knees, whip, lasso, and cattle brand, A false black beard that completely changed his facial appearance gave him the air of the person he personated, and the keenest eyes could not have seen Texas Trump behind the new dis- guise, Mounting his horse upon which he had placed a saddle of the peculiar pattern affected by cat- tle-hunters, he rode leisurely to the eastern boundaries of the rocky eminence, and looked down upon the plain stretching toward the dark horizon, ; The night was wearing away, and another day was not far distant. Texas Trump dismounted and led his horse while he carefully inspected the trail leading to- ward tho east. More than once his sharp eyes detected some- thing thet kindled them with indignation, and half a mile out on the plain he sprung up and went back to his horse. ‘*T hev no doubt of it now!” he cried. “I didn’t kill thet Injun for all, The hoss I’ve fol- lowed thus far has lately left ther rocks. Ive tracked him by degrees from near ther under- ground palace whar I saw Inez last. Ther girl has fallen back inter ther hands oy ther red. xEEpO says he kin talk, By heavens! he'll find his tongue, if Texas Trump runs him down.” On, on through the early morning hours went the Border Rattler. Every now and then he would dismount to make certain that he was still on the right trail. Nothing daunted him now, Texas Trump, the Border Rattler. a I CE" on ee —a__l ee. ‘Don’t I know thet ther red ar’ breakin’ for Hermosilla?”’ he said to himself. ‘* Thet proves thet he’s got ther girl. Give me a Comanche a cunnin’, and Texas Trump ter beat ’im at ast. Morning found the Border Rattler far from the rock pile and fairly adrift on the Wano with his face turned toward the ranch he had despoil- ed. Cool determination and bloodhound perti- nacity looked out of his eyes, though nobody would have dreamed that the man in the saddle was the curse of the border. ‘‘ Hello! what’s thet ahead?’ suddenly cried Texas Trump, drawing rein and standing erect in his stirrups. Far ahead was a dark object that seemed to possess motion, and a long look with shaded eyes told the Rattler that it was approaching. He looked anxiously for some minutes, and at last discovered the sight to be three horsemen. ‘*Tll face ’em,” he said. ‘‘’Twill give me a chance ter try my new disguise. Ill see what they think ov Maverick Mark, on his way ter ther State arter cattle.” Texas Trump settled back into the saddle and rode forward again. Every minute lessened the distance between him and the three men who had also seen him. They kept close together and seemed anxious to join him, and the Thiwern dt watched them with a pair of keen eyes. ‘* Bake me for a clam!” he suddenly exclaimed. ‘‘ Why didn’t King, my half-breed Be pard, do his duty? One o’ those men ‘is Major Ralph ov Hermosilla, er ’ma Greaser! Jehu! I’ve got ter slay Maverick Mark down ter a hair now. het fellow at his left is his boss herder, Jalisco Jack, I’d know him anywhar. Who is ther third chap? I can’t place him yet.” The two parties were not more than five hun- dred yards apart now. The three suddenly gal- loped forward at a brisk gait, and when near him, Texas Trump felt a thrill pass over his frame. “Thar’s my llano Mazeppa, too!” he ejacu- lated. ‘* Ye’r’ ther last man I expected ter see alive, Roy Berdan. What would yer give ter know thet ye’r’ about ter meet ther man who euchered ye in Camp Coyote?” A meeting was unavoidable, and at length Texas Trump drew rein and awaited the three men. ** Hello! gents,” he cried tipping back his sombrero. ‘‘ Yer see before yer Maveriek Mark on a cattle-hunt toward Texas. What’s ther show for stock in ther Brazos ranches?” The three vengeance-hunters sat before the cool-head of the llano, and Major Ralph replied that cattle were plenty in the territory men- tioned. ‘‘ Thet strikes me, gents,” said the false May- erick Mark. ‘‘ Which way ar’ ye bound for?” ‘‘ We're huntin’ ther biggest rascal that ever filled a saddle,” said Jalisco Jack. ‘* A stampeder, eh?’ ‘¢'Worse than that,” grated the rancher, his brow darkening. ‘‘I am Major Ralph Rogers of Hermosilla Ranch. The man we hunt is Texas Trump, an’ woe to the fire-bug an’ girl- stealer if we catch him!” “The llano shall witness the drama of @ headless Mazeppa if we find the fiend!” flashed Roy Berdan, whose dark eyes were riveted upon Texas Trump while he spoke, ‘‘ Look here!’ and the young man held out his wrists to the sport. ‘‘ Those welts were made by his infernal ropes. Ihave been his Mazeppa. He shall yet be mine!” ** Blood for blood—thet’s ther unwritten law ov ther southwest border,” said Texas Trump. 4 I wish I could put yer on track ov this llano Ox. ‘Thanks, I know you would if you could,” Major Ralph responded. ‘*‘ We are equal to the situation, though. I have hunted men before, an’ I cannot recall a single failure.” **Look yonder!” exclaimed Jalisco Jack, and his arm pointed toward the northwest. ‘Thar come two horses, an’ by Jupiter! Dll stake my life ag‘in’ a lasso thet one ov ‘em carries Silent Sam. Thar’s no man livin’ thet sits a hoss like thet dumb Comanche.” Texas Trump who had already turned his head was staring at the approaching people discovered by Jalisco Jack. ‘Jalisco Jack is right,” he said under his breath. ‘‘Thar comes ther Mute Comanche, an’ his pard is Inez!” Major Ralph made the same discovery at pre- cisely the same time. ‘*Tnez!—Inez!” he exclaimed, carried away with joy. ‘‘I can throw Hermosilla at that silent red-skin’s feet!” He gave his horse the spurs with the utter- | com chooks