Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 442 — page 14: what you’re looking at

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

14 Bluff Bill. —that he must return to Mexico without the two captives he had sworn to deliver to Cortina. Then all thought of the consternation, the terror and carnage that must follow the dash of the Comanches upon the Mexican marauders, who might be annihilated to a man. But Captain Lem, Leon, and Humpy were now weary and exhausted fromali that they had | undergone! The scout saw this, and vowed they should cealed in the undergrowth until he and Fran- cisco had scouted up the bend, to ascertain what was going on at the ranch. Indeed they all knew that, even were they fresh and strong, they could not think of battling o no further than the entrance of the | bend; that there they must halt, remaining con- | | | | | | ! against the war-party. They believed that the | ranch was doomed, and that the horses and mules were also lost. They were lucky, even to have escaped with their lives. As for the Greasers and their leader, they no longer looked upon them as in the least formidable. When the entrance to the bend was reached, all kept close to the timber, in the shade of the same; slowly walking their horses around the curve, until they could command a view up the grazing-grounds of the bend. But, nothing met their gaze, of an animate nature; and, selecting a favorable spot, Big Foot bade the three who were so niuch fatigued stake their horses in an **open” near the margin of the timber, and then lie down and rest. They were not backward in following this ad- vice. Then the old scout and Francisco started on their perilous mission, with the promise soon to rejoin their friends, Captain La Grange and his nephew were soon asleep, and the little negro pretended to follow suit; but his keen eyes were watchful, and re- pose was far from his object. Big Foot and Francisco rode rapidly, along the border of the timber for fully two miles, when suddenly they jerked their animals to haunches, with ejaculations of surprise; and that, notwithstanding they had anticipated the scene which met their view. Far up the bend toward the ranch was a great dark mass, which the bright moon brought out boldly against the level plain. This dark mass was in motion. It appeared to move but slow- ly, but the observers knew it was approaching them at a terrific rate of speed. Well they knew what it was! Horses and mules were there, in a wild, un- governable stampede! ‘* Dog-gone my ole heart ef ther yaller-bellies hain’t made a clean job of hit, an’ started all ther critters jist a-hummin’! Frisco, I doesn’t reckon we’uns kin wipe out ther hull o’ Bluff Bill’s hellyuns, but s’posin’ we thin ’em out a leetle? What d’yer say?” ‘* Francisco is ready.” **Good boyee! But I’m jist tee-totally bam- boozled ef I kin see a single human ahindt ther herd!” ‘‘There are no men, Senor Wallace. The horses and mules were stampeded from the cor- rals, but not followed.” ‘*T reckon ther reds run in on ther yallers an’ broke up the’r nag-stealin’ game, givin’ Bluff Bill as much as he c’u’d ’tend ter. Jee-hosi- phat! but thet’s a purty snug batch o’ critters ter run inter ole Mex’ et onc’t. Dang my ole heart, ‘ef thar ain’t some o’ ther nags saddled an’ bridled! ‘¢ What ther dickens does thet mean?” The vast stampede of several hundred ani- mals that, with flying manes and high-tossing heads, swept toward the entrance of the bend, were quite near to thestation of our two friends, and the equipped animals could be plainly dis- tinguished. Of course, the presence of these in that immense herd was a great puzzle to Big Foot and Francisco, and they spurred further out upon the plain to inspect them as they sped past. The practiced eyes of the vaquero at once de- tected that the equipped beasts belonged to Cap- tain Lem, but the saddles and bridles were those of the Mexican outlaws without doubt; for all that belonged to the ranch were in use. ‘* Cat-fish an’ catamounts!” exclaimed the old scout. Then he laughed until he was in danger of strangulation. Francisco eyed him in wonder. ‘*Pve gut ter ther bottom o’ ther biz, I reck- on, Frisco!” he explained. ‘‘ Ther Cortina cuss- es jist broke tha’r nags all up by ther time they struck ther ranch; an’ bein’ sorter skeery *hout ther reds runnin’ in on ’em, they changed harness onter fresh stock, hevin’ it ready fer ter git up an’ git on. rr eee OO + “ '-ches! ‘* But ther kerral’d critters gut let loose an’ skeered by ther red skulkers, an’ stompeded, takin’ ther saddle Nags with ’em. “Dang -ef hit ain I sot out ter crack his skull! They’re left with- out a critter ter jump, an’ ther big batch o’ reds air bout ter glide in on ’em, an’ eager ter har- vest h’ar. [I’m bettin’ high they’re wishin’ they'd struck t’other side ther Grandee. ‘* But le’s sorter try an’-turn ther stompede down river, which’ll save ’em. Ther hull batch’ll be purty slimpsy in ther legs, by the time we glides out ther bend.” ‘* Too late, Senor Big Foot. Look! Coman- Ride fast to timber, or we shall be seen!” ‘*Dog’d, but we must glide ter kiver! Come on, let ther nags go, We-’uns must work on ther sly from this out.” Soon our two friends were in the dark shades, from which they peered out up the bend. A moment’s scrutiny, after gaining cover, convinced them that the approaching body of horsemen were indeed Indians. ‘* Ef they turns ther stompede,” said the giant scout, they’ll hev ter drive back ter the’r pards; an’ we~uns kin tend ter ’em arter we've sorter nosed ’round ther ranch, an’ see’d what sort of a hurrah’s nest thar bee’s thar. ‘* Howsomdever, I opine we'd better keep cluss ter timber, in ther shade, an’ ready ter glide inter kiver; fer thar ain’t no tellin’ what mought turn up. Redsan’ Greasers ’pear ter be es thick es June-bugs on a muggy night, er ticks onter a chap’rell mule’s neck.” Up the border of the timber the two men gal- loped, shaded by the branches, until within less than a mile from the ranch, when again they made halt quickly. ‘*¢ Jee-rusalem!” muttered the scout, in a rage, ‘*ther dang’d or’nary kiotes’]l bu’st up our hull biz. They’ve sot ther ranch afire!” ‘Dang ef I doesn’t spill some o’ thar bleed, an’ tar ha’r fer that job, er ’m a liar by ther sun! ‘* Santa Maria!” exclaimed Francisco, They had, by this time, reached a point suffi- ciently near the swell of the bend to enable them to see the glare of the flames, as the Indians fired the roof. Both drove deep their spurs and rode on- ward, but soon turned into the timber, to avoid being discovered. CHAPTER XVII. SWIFT RETRIBUTION. BuuFr: BILL, upon realizing that he had ef- fected his escape without having been detected, halted to rest and recover breath. But, as from his covert he beheld the horde of Indians dart out from the opposite side of the ‘‘ open,” he trembled with fright and horror, and resolved to skirt around the corrals and seek concealment in a safer place. He did so at once, proceeding deeper into the wood, and then, by a wide detour, to the bot- tom-timber east of the point at which the Com- anches had emerged from the same. But, when he saw the detachment proceed toward the entrance to the bend, he believed they had gone in search of the ranchero, He then became in- sanely eager to effect his object, and ca his brother and nephew to Mexico, even though he must act without assistance. This seemed impossible, yet something might turnup. Rendered almost desperate by the dis- appointments and disasters he had experienced, Bluff Bill tore through the thickets at his ut- most speed, striving to keep the squad of Com- anches, who were on the trail ef the stampede, in view. Finding this impossible, he ran some little risk by taking to the outer margin of the timber, where his way wasclear and the limbs shaded him. Being in the rear of the war-party he felt secure. The miscreant ran like a madman. He had lost his sembrero, his false hair and beard, his clothing and flesh were torn, and his head much bruised and swollen where he had been struck by the giant scout. A most forlorn-looking object he was, having more the appearance of a kunted beast than a man. On sped Bluff Bill, but suddenly halted, and then shot into the undergrowth in abject terror, for, but a short distance away, he saw ap- proaching him Big Foot and Francisco. They on, however, and he knew that he had escaped detection. He caught, too, a few words spoken by the scout to his companion. These betrayed the fact that Captain Lem and Leon were together, and resting at the entrance | rage. of the bend. t jist too good a joke on | Bluff Bill, ef my ‘ six’ did go back on me when he went, until he feared his strength would give out; but at length he saw the far-stretching plain and the red-men striving to control the im- mense herd and swerve them around on the back trail. S von he reacbed the curve of the timber. Here the miscreant used great caution, for he 'was ignorant of the posiuuon of his intended | victims. But bere again was Bluff Bill favored. He saw Humpy the negro lad, crawling toward | the border of the timber, doubtless alarmed by , the sound of the stampede. He suspected that the deformed lad had but just left the captain and Leon, and he marked | the direction in his mind’s eye that he had come; . then stealing that way, feeling positive that Humpy would be absent for some time, watch- ing the Indians and the stampede. Ten minutes later, Bill peered into a little “open,” where, fast asleep, lay the two who | stood between him and wealth. They were both at his mercy! He dared not murder them, yet he resolved | they should be his captives. Stealthily he crawled forward, and, securing a lariat, bound the ankles of both sleepers. Then he gently | drew their wrists together, and secured them also. Both still slept soundly. The next move of Bluff Bill was to gag his prisoners, and this he succeeded in doing effect- | ually; which done, he caught up little Leon, and | rushed toward the river, hiding the youth ina gully. Returning, be forced Captain Leon to walk before him to the same spot. Having thus gotten the two together, he dragged Leon along a path, cut the cord that was around the boy’s ankles, and led him away, bidding the old ranchero follow him, or he would send a bullet through his heart. Who can imagine the emotions of the uncle and nephew, after all they had already gone | through, to be thus at the mercy of a heartless villain, who, though related to them by ties of blood, was associated with Mexican assassins and thieves? Where was Humpy? Both asked this question mentally. They feared that the faithful negro boy had been slain. If so, had this unparalleled wretch murdered him? This seemed probable. And what was to be their own fate? Would they again be rescued? Could they be traced? And where were the Mexican confederates of their captor? Such were the questions that crowded in upon their minds. Ere long, Bluff Bill halted, and secured Leon to a small tree, near the bank of the river. He then clutched Captain La Grange, and bound him to the opposite side of the same tree. ‘‘ Don’t try to escape,” he growled, “for you ) will be watched! You have had your own say | long enough, brother mine. I swore to bring you down to dots, and now I’ve got you. Never again will you see your ranch. To Mexico you go, and if yous be good, Leon shall keep you company; but, try any tricks, and 1’ll part you dead sure! ‘So long. Ill see you later.” With these words, Bill La Grange strodeaway, leaving his two captives gagged and bound fast in a standing position. Had their kind fates deserted them? It seemed so. Bluff Bill bastened Back by another route to the entrance of the bend. He resolved, if possi- ble, to catch three of the equipped horses. Should he succeed, he would take his captives to Mexico; if not, be had no settled plan of ac- tion. He had, for the time being, forgotten the presence, or rather the absence, of Humpy. The black.dwarf, however, was crouched in the thicket not far from him, and watching the Indians in their ineffectual efforts to control the stampede. And it was in the direction of the little darky that Bluff Bill now strcde, coming to a stop but ten feet from him. . The villain uttered an ejaculation of satisfac- tion and relief when be saw the horses were scattering. Humpy perceived the hideous, hated miscreant who had once felled him with a cruel blow, intending to murder him, and who had nearly slain his young master; indeed, who had been the prime cause of all the misery, suffering, in and anguish through which he and those he foved had passed. ; vei The young negro became almost insane in his He was frantically furious. : his revolver he took aim, without SS a - ee — Drawin The wretch bounded forward gleefully. On | due consideration of the act he was about to m4 <S.co boo COr