Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 442 — page 13: what you’re looking at

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

escaped. Then the rear door was discovered, which strengthened this suspicion. Bill was by this time almost. beside himself with fury. He hesitated, however, at hinting to his followers what he considered the true state of affairs. They would swear by all the saints in the calendar, that the diablo black boy had, leagued with Satan, spirited Captain Lem and Francisco away. And, did Humpy s this power, he could defeat their every aim and object! This would discourage them, and lead to re- volt and desertion. But Bluff Bill was not to be left in a quandar as to his future movements for any great ldpaihs of time. While he was deliberating, out shot through the arches of the bottom-timber the terrific shriek of a panther, and so near to the corrals that the startled animals rushed away from the direction of the sound, and crowding with great force against the fence, it gave way! The horses and mules bounded, with snorts of fright, toward their grazing-grounds, Notonly this, but the mad stampede carried with it the equipped steeds of the outlaws. Nota horse or mule remained. Bluff Bill and his bandit followers were left dismounted. They could not have been more terribly as- tounded and enraged. Death stared them in the face! Should the Comanches now dash down on them they would be hunted and slain like dogs. Their sheet-anchors were gone! But this paralyzing misfortune came not alone, as is usually the case, whether with the good or the bad. The sentinel Sys to watch the west plains had dozed in his ee fatigue, and upon re- covering himself, beheld the Comanche war- arty coming quite near at terrific speed, and aig: toward the ranch. The savages could not see him, and he sped in terror to the river, plunged in, and swam across. And just as the thunder of the stampede was dying away in the distance, while the frantic and dumfounded bandits were gazing one at an- other in consternation, out from the dense shades burst their comrade who had been on guard. As he sped forward with ghastly terror im- printed upon his face and in his widly-starting eyes, he yelled: “Los Comanches! El diablo Comanches!” CHAPTER XV. A COWARD TO THE LAST. No outery of alarm could have appalled the Mexican outlaws more than that of the. sen- t? °* Tt wes little wonder that Bluff Bill was at iasv forced to decide that luck had turned dead against him—that he had lost the game! Clutching the terror-stricken guard, he yelled: ‘‘ Why, in the fiend’s name, are you frighten- ed? Speak, man, or I'll strangle you!” “Santa Maria! They are at the timber! They will ford the river in a few minutes!” ‘‘They—the Comanches? Then you have slept at your post?” hissed Bill. he sentinel saw murder in the eyes of his leader. Tearing free from him, Le sprung mad- ly away into the shades. Reaching the river, he plunged in just as the leading Comanches struck the opposite side. He saw not the red braves until too late. The fingers of a painted warrior clutched him by the hair, and drew him partly from the water. For an instant the eee: steel glittered in the hand of the Indian, and then descended into the breast of the bandit, his blood tinging the dark waters of the Rio Leona, while the next his scalp hung at the belt of his slayer. Bluff Bill sought not to follow the sentinel. Indeed, he had enough, and more than enough on his hands, to preserve his own life. He cast one sweeping glance around upon his swarthy followers. None knew where to turn, cr what to do. The miscreant well knew that his life would not be long safe with that remnant of his band. There was but one way for him to escape with life, and even by that little hope. He would at- tempt it, however, and at once, A moment’s delay would be fatal. ‘‘Run, men! Run to the casa!” he called out, ‘* To linger is to be lost!” : The coward pointed toward the cabin, but made little effort to gain the building himself. The terrified Greasers rushed into the house ina mass. As the last man plunged into the dark abode, Bluff Bill darted around the corner of the house, and mpeodtly gained the timber. Once inside, the bandits closed and barred the coors, without discovering that their leader was not among them, all being in Egyptian dark- Bluff Bill. ness within. Had they sprung to the loop-holes at the rear of the dwelling, they would have 13 Did they think, then, of their own dastard deeds, of their crime-stained hands, and con- distinguished the dastard’s form, fleeing to! sider that it was but a just retribution, which cover, he having deserted them—sacrificed all, as he believed or judged, to save his own vile and cowardly life! had overtaken them in their criminal career? If so, their thoughts were doomed to sudden change; and a change of scene was soon to Le Hardly had the panting and excited outlaws | brought about in the startling and tragic fastened the heavy oaken doors, when, out from the dark thickets shot two-score or more of paint-daubed warriors, in all their savage war- gear, out into the bright moonlight of the open, oe the cabin. hen, in solid ranks, they halted, and sat their steeds in silence. Guttural grunts, expressing their disappoint- ment, were proua heard. The corrals were empty! At a gesture from a plumed chief, a flight of arrows was sent, the steel points becoming im- bedded in the logs and doors, Had the Mexicans been prudent, they would have allowed the Indians to believe the dwelling to be unoccupied; but, foolishly, they fired a volley at once. Two braves were killed and several wounded, which maddened the red-skins and incited them to revenge. They were satisfied that they had ‘‘corraled” the band of Mexicans with whom they had been in conflict up the river. They knew that the guns which had been fired were not American rifles or held in American hands. Had they been so, the explosions, short and sharp, would have proved it, and there would have been aS many warriors slain or wounded as there had been guns fired. Immediately after the volley a chorus of the | drawn nearer, wit drama. Some soft substance seemed to them to be. falling upon the cedar-shingled roof. Again and again they heard the same sound. Then came a brightening up of the shades, yet no fire was to be seen. As this was noticed, the watchers at one side rushed to the other, and from end to end, Then the miserable wretches burst into one wild, simultaneously uttered yell of hopeless despair, asa single word fell from the lips of Pablo, the wounded spy. ** Fire !” In a mad frenzy, all gazed upward. The bundles of dry moss, ignited, and drop- ped from the limbs upon the roof, had by that time burst into a roaring blaze; kindling the dry and tinder-like shingles, and shining through every crack and crevice. The wretched Greasers gazed despairingly into each other’s ghastly and horror-drawn faces, ‘* Comanches infernos!” Thus’ they cried out, in hoarse whispers, that. sounded weird and awesome amid the crackling of the flames, The intense heat could not long be borne. Who would lead the dash to death outside? Peering out, they saw that the Indians had couched lances and ready most vengeful war-cries filled the air, the In- | bows. dians bearing away their dead and wounded out of range. Then a consultation, or ‘ council Nearly all the war-party were in front of the cabin. This proved that they had no knowledge: talk,” was held between those of high rank in | of the rear door. war. This resulted in a half-score of braves being ordered on the trail of the stampeded horses, for the savages concluded that the Meri. | There was no hesitation now. Hope had returned. There was a rush to the rear exit; the door cans had not stampeded their own animals, but | flew open, and out the bandits fled, shooting must have been outwitted by the ranchero and his servants. To obtain the ogee of the bandits’ horses, quite as much as the steeds themselves, was the intention of the red-men, They knew that they held their foes in the log-cabin at their mercy. After the departure of the trailers, immediate steps were taken to destroy the Greasers, who were now like rats in a trap. A stack of dry moss lay convenient to the corrals. This, at the command of the chief, was brought in quantities to the dwelling by several of the braves. But they feared to approach nearer. Therefore they climbed up the trees by the corrals, and thence passed into others, and soon toward the cabin, until directly over it. They had been careful to accomplish this at points where they could not be seen by the ban- dits from the loop-holes. The Greasers were not aware of the danger that threatened them. — were not ignorant, however, of the fact that their painted foes were planning some trick which would prove disastrous to them, Soon after closing and barring the door they had discovered that their captain, Bluff Bill, was not with them. They were infuriated at this cowardly desertion, for they well knew by that time that he had ordered them into the cabin expressly to give himself a better oppor- tunity to escape. It was now too late to think of what they might have done. hey were evidently doomed; for, after the volley had been fired into the Indians—which they now regretted—they knew that the savages would not be satisfied until they had all been slain. There seemed but one possible avenue of escape. That was, to hurl open the door, and rush to the shades; there scattering, and fighting their way. Even thus, at best, few could hope to es- cape. he last thin geance against their power. It needed no orders from any one, for them to keep a keen watch from the loop-holes. A horrible fascination chained their gaze. The two, who had been wounded by the bullets of Francisco, repressed their groans and com- laints; their dread horror of the fate in store or them crushing out the pain which would, otherwise, have been almost insupportable. With bated breath, the Mexicans gazed out upon the hellish scene—upon that savage array flitting from shade to moonlight —horrible, be- yond expression, to that imprisoned band, in that rude log cabin. they did, was to swear ven- luff Bill, should he ever be in Sc —<essllsstSN a a Se down the few savages that opposed them! War-whoops rent the air. Like an avalanche the Comanches charged after the fugitives; while from within that burning cabin the shrieks of the deserted wounded ones shot forth, until the roof falling in upon them hushed their cries forever! Did those who had left their helpless comrades to that hell of flames deserve to have escaped the same doom? Even their savage foes would have risked life to save wounded fellow-braves from an enemy, CHAPTER XVI. WATCHING AND WAITING, A MOST thankful party was that which had passed througb so many dangers, and were now ee yng, for aught they knew, into others as. eadly,. We allude to Big Foot Wallace, Captain La Grange, Leon, Francisco and Humpy. Of course the captain’s belief was that the: raid of the Mexicans had been organized b Cortina, who was in this way carrying out his long-deferred scheme of vengeance, But when he ascertained that it was his own brother whe led the Greasers, he began to think that possibly the latter alone was responsible for it. Big Foot, however, maintained that the pair were yards in the enterprise; that, had Bill wished to slay Captain Lem and Leon, he could have disposed of the boy when he had him in his power. He contended that the villain’s in- tent had been to carry his brother and nephew captives to Cortina’s camp in Mexico, and then return to Texas and claim the ranch and fortune. This could not be accomplished unless the real owners were slain, and this part of the fiendish work was to have been left to Juan Cortina to perform But Bluff Bill, to accomplish his ends, must have made the capture without being recognized when in Texas as William La Grange, as, in that case, his life would be greatly endangered from his regi | been affiliated with Cortina’s men. Hence he had disguised himself, But this had not availed, for the old scout had seen through it, and even Leon had been satisfied he was not a Mexican. Thus far the guilty had met with much of re- tribution, and perhaps the end was not yet. Still, anxious though they were, our friends. could not help laughing heartily when they thought of the bandits besieging the cabin, and not a soul within it, Their laughter increased when Big Foot pic- tured, in his own peculiar phraseology, the fury and astonishment of Bluff Bill, when he should eventually discover that his brother had escaped . boo 0 © 3 A