Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 442 — page 6: what you’re looking at

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

rj he Pn om 6 a ee ee -- -_-- and Humpy, as the pair, in quite a desperate and demoralized condition, reached the very bank of the Leona; having almost miraculously escaped being kilied or captured by the Coman- ches, favored as they had been by the din of couflict. It was a most critical moment for them. They knew not what to do, or which way to turn: but Leon decided that the most favorable move to make was to ford the river, thus giving them a chance to escape, as he thought, by way s the open plain to the entrance of the big nd. More, even, than safety to himself and Humpy depended upon this move, as they could, if successful. warn the vaqueros, and assist them in driving the herds to the ranch and the corrals. Leon beckoned to the little negro to follow, and urged his-own pony into the river. The next moment, both were in the stream; the animals swimming, while the youths held their revolvers clear of the water. To their great concern they discovered, too late, that the bank on the opposite side was both steep and high, and impossible to sur- mount. They were, consequently, forced to turn their horses down-stream, and swim with the current; eagerly watching for a favorable place, at which they could clamber up the bank, So intent were they in scanning the south bank, that they did not observe a horseman swimming his animaldown-stream behind them. A moment after they had turned their horses into the current, this lone rider appeared around a bend, just above them. His eyes seemed to be filled with the most ab- ject fright and horror, while he cast glances ckward, -as if, at any moment, he expected death in some hideous form to overtake him. It was William La Grange! But the face of Bluff Bill was stained, and he wore a wig of long and coarse black hair, while his face was smooth shaven. His apparel was of Mexican make, and a huge sombrero was upon bis head. The desperate, hunted look of terror, which was blended with despair, became, however, suddenly transformed to one of the most venge- ful exultation and joyous surprise, as the plot- ting miscreant discovered the two lads in front —fugitives like himself. Satan seemed to be- friend Bluff Bill. He knew that he could not avoid being dis- covered by the boys, and he urged on his horse, causing the beast to swim with much greater speed than before. He was but a short distance from one whom he had sworn that he would overtake—had sworn that be should be his captive, and his vic- tim! He had risked miich that he might get his nephew in his power, and he did not propose, at such a moment as this, to be defeated, He had proclaimed his intentions to the yellow-skinned marauders under his command, and incited them on to the capture by offers of a heavy re- ward for the Texan youth. But he and his followers had been terrified beyond measure, besides some having lost their lives, and others being wounded, by the totally unexpected encounter with the Comanche war- point where they d expected to overtake n and his black companion. Bill La Grange had escaped death by a hair’s breadth, so to speak, and knew that he was even yet in deadly peril, but the sight of Leon ban- ished his terrors, and nerved him on to fulfill his oath, and play his best card in the game in which he ol pdiest The winning of this would make him a man of wealth, besides glut- ting his thirst for revenge upon those whom, though closely related to him, he hated with all the strength of his vile nature. And the crue] Fates seemed to favor him, The two lads soon disappeared around an epg and that, at the ve Bluff Bill. tent upon watching their front, not having the slightest suspicion that there could be any dan- ger in their rear. The pony of little Humpy sprung in affright against the side of the gully, but, at the same moment, a fierce blow fell upon the head of the negro boy, and he dropped from the saddle, the blood gushing over bis face. As the beast bounded forward with a snort, Leon jerked his mustang to its haunches in the greatest amazement, and glanced behind him just in time to see the revolver descending. The sight so dumfounded him that he was for the moment incapable of action, and that fatal pause bereft him of sense and liberty. Another cruel blow felled Leon La Grange in the same manner as it had littke Humpy. All this time the yells and whoops and scatter- ing shots had not ceased; indeed, but a very short time had passed since the meeting of the war-party of braves with the outlaws of the Rio Grande. Bluff Bill, with a half-suppressed yell of tri- umph, sprung from his saddle, and catching up the senseless hody of his nephew, remounted and urged his steed up the wash-out toward the south plain, and away from the river. CHAPTER VIL. A RETREAT AND A SURPRISE BLUFF BILu had been in the lead of the Mexi- can miscreants during the headlong dash after Leon and Humpy, st, the two youths were first discovered on the plain; and he kept in front, for he believed no danger could come to him, that the affrighted Jads would not make any attempt at defense. e felt positive that he could capture his nephew before the latter could reach anywhere near the ranch. Indeed, he did not believe that the lads would be able to keep ahead for a hun- dred yards beyond the river a ter fording. In consequence, the villain felt secure and ex- ultant. He even resolved to make the capture himself, thus seving the reward he had offered. This he knew he could accomplish with an effort, as his horse was superior to the other animals of the band, both in speed and endurance. Bluff Bill spurred deep, and was first across the river, keeping the lead; until, suddenly, he had been compelled to halt, while a shriek of terror had escaped him. The muzzle of his steed was within five feet of that of a wild-eyed mus- tang, upon which sat a hideously-painted Indian, with flaunting feathers, and bow already grip- ped for instant use. The far-sounding signal-whoop had almost paralyzed him, but the brain of the wretch was active, though he felt that he was on the very brink of death. His extreme cowardice saved him. Prodding his horse with his bowie, and sinking low to avoid the deadly feathered shaft of the red-skin, Bluff Bill jerked the animal aside just in time to give room for the Mexican who rode next him. He, knowing nothing of the danger ahead until too late to command himself suffi- ciently to halt, allowed his steed to bear him into the jaws of death; for a second arrow, fired from the bow of the leading Comanche, pierced his vitals, and, with a fearful shriek, the outlaw fell to the ground. Then followed the wild and unearthly war- cries of the savages, and the yells of fright and horror from the Greasers, who now fired their escopetas without aim, wildly, and in any and every direction. Some forced their mustangs headlong against others, the beasts being hurled to the earth, and crushing their masters’ limbs; thus leaving them to become captives and victims to the diabolical torture of the Comanches, Luckily for Bluff Bill, as he dashed in terror and desperation to one side, his horse plunged through a thicket and landed in another path. Down this the beast instinctively and frantically sped; the thorns tearing both the clothing and abrupt bend of the river, without having per- | the flesh of the plotting miscreant, who clung in ceived him. abject terror about his steed’s neck, each mo- No sooner had the point of this bend been | ment looking for a steel-pointed shaft to tear passed than Leon uttered a low and joyous out- cry, at the same time turning his horse to the bank, the animal with case emerging from the stream, the water shallowing gradually to the mouth of the wash-ou%. Up this tue now greatly relieved youths urged their dripping ponies, the banks being some ten feet in hight. This gully, although deep, was narrow, and wound about in a very crooked manner, which was favorable to Bluff Bill, who was in hot pur- suit. The ruffan, with revolver in hand, drove deep his spurs, and raising the weapon in air, dashed around a bend of the wash-out, and di- rectly upon the unsuspecting pair, who were in- a into his flesh. No thought was there in Bill LaGrange’s mind then of either his brother or Leon, or of the fortune he had so oft gloated over in his imagi- nation. No thought had he except of escape, which, as the fiendish sounds filled his ears, he had little hope of gaining. But on went the terrified horse, soon plunging into the river, and when the water spattered over his fright-contorted face, Bill arose in his saddJe and guided his mustang down with the current, for the villain had at once realized that the opposite bank could not be surmounted. Little hope had he of escape, even upon gaining the river, for the bottom-timber resounded witl: whoops of war and exultant yells from the savages and shrieks of terror and agony frcm his yellow-skinned confederates, He heard, however, one after another plunge into the river further up the stream, at the point where they had forded when in pursuit of the two youths, and he decided that his aim must be to join those who escaped to the south side of the stream, believing that he could reach a point at which his animal could surmount the bank. In that case he would have some chance to escape. But as he saw no favorable place after swim- ming some distance, and, from the whoops of the Indians, knew that the braves were speeding toward the stream to strike the same further down, and in that event they would have him at their mercy; then, indeed, did the cowardly miscreant tremble in abject terror, which, how- ever, as we have seen, was soon after banished. It was at that moment that he discovered little Leon in the river. This was both a joyous surprise and a bitter disappointment to Bluff Bill. He had enter- tained hopes that both the lads had been slain by the Indians; thus, without especial effort on his part, ridding him of one of the obstruc- tions in his way to wealth. However, he felt that thus to see Leon na position that seemed favorable for bimself to effect a capture, was far better than to have his nephew’s fate uncertain, with the chance always that he might appear, and thus mar Bill’s plans and defeat him altogether. With fiendish malignity the dastard proceeded. to attempt the capture of little Leon, and this he accomplished in the manner previously de- tailed. But we must now return to the scene of the meeting between the yellow and red marauders. The Comanches were as greatly surprised as were the Mexicans, at meeting a body of foes; and the dense thickets prevented the former from making a charge which would doubtless have annihilated the Greasers. The latter were also, greatly hindered and confused from the same cause. However, the outlaws and the animals they bestrode were more accustomed to chaparral traveling than the Indians and their ponies, But, though they well knew this, they were aware also that unless they made quick time they would be, while in the stream, at the mercy of their red foes. The latter were now coming on at full speed crowding toward the point of alarm with loud war-whoops, and striving in every direction to gain a chance of sending a deadly shaft, and thus win the first scalp on that war-path. They had believed the pale-face youth and the black nondescript, the latter of whom had so as- tonished them, and filled them with superstitious wonder, had purposely appeared in order to lure them on to destruction; and this belief had been strengthened when the signal whoop had sounded from their front, thus proving that other enemies had been sighted in addition to the pair they were attempting to capture. Consequently, the red-men, who were of course ignorant of the number of their enemies, were not as prompt and confident as _ they would otherwise have been; although each was ashamed to betray any backwardness in the dash after the strange foes who had so suddenly and unexpectedly barred their way. But, no sooner did they decide, by the sound of the af- frighted yells of the bandits, not only that the latter were terrified, but that they were even then in headlong retreat, than with increased war-cries, they lashed their mustangs in chase, A half-dozen of the Mexicans, who had been in the Jead, were pierced by the deadly arrows; the ominous twang of the bows cutting the air in every direction, while the sharp reports of the carbines of the Greasers added to the fiendish clin. The hindermost Comanches, realizing, that they could not force their way to the front past their comrades, sought other paths: an those, who had been in the front, found every way now blocked by dead and ‘dying men and horses. Maddened by the sight of blood, and the war spirit of their natures, those in the lead sprung to the ground, and tore off the.scalps of the prostrate Mexicans, Thus was the onward dash checked for a brief space. Then remounting, on passed the red maraud- ers, insane for blood, their wild war-whoops shooting from their throats and their black snake-like eyes flashing. For a few minutes the din was terrific. The COr 900 Cc