Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 484 — page 12: what you’re looking at

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

Se ee + a 12 Comanche Dick, and His Three Invincibles. ** And how about your leader—Comanche Dick?” The hunter’s eyes sparkled. ‘‘Thar’s whar the laugh will comein. Jist *bout that time, Dick he’ll wake up, and when de does that he’ll make the fur fly.” ‘**Do you imagine that he suspects your plan?” ‘* Do you imagine thar’s a storm comin’ thar?” inquired the hunter, pointing to the rapidly- darkening sky; ‘‘and don’t you s’pose he knows us well enough by this time to understand what we’re drivin’ at? ‘*I cannot help sharing your strong hope that all will still be well.” ‘‘But the thing ain’t settled yit,” replied ‘George, with a more serious air; ‘‘the thing has got to be done, and it’s got to be done like a flash of gunpowder. Ef they find thar’s any danger oi losin’ the gals, they'll jist bury tha’r oa ach in tha’r heads; that’s what they’ll ‘ 0,” **God forbid!” gasped Middleton. ‘*That’s the style of the Comanche and Apache, when they git cornered. But it’s time we war on the move.” The time for talk was over, and that for work had come. The horses had improved their op- portunities to the utmost, roiling upon and crop- ping the grass until they were refreshed enough to undertake the work before them. Three minutes after the last words of Black George, the four men were in the saddle, with their faces turned somewhat toward the south- east, and their animals swinging along ata spanking pace. Black George and Jake Jaggleton rode side by side, an easy distance ahead of Middleton and Long Eph, who held the same relative posi- tious. Only at rare intervals did the party ex- change words, as the jolting gait at which they were riding made such an occupation anything but pleasant. The sun had scarcely passed the meridian when it was obscured by the dark, thick-gather- ing clouds, and a cold wind fanned the faces of the rangers as they swept southward toward their destination. Clouds%of blinding dust fre- quently drifted over their forms, and almost hid each other from view. Still they kept up their rattling rate, and by the middle of the afternoon they had thrown many a mile behind them. Middleton now and then glanced at the sky, and wondered that the bursting of the storm was delayed so long. Finally he put the ques- tion to his companion, who replied, without turning his head: ‘We won’t catch that afore dark, and jist "bout that time we’ll be at Hurricane, and it’ll be a good thing fur us.” The cold wind blew from every point of the compass, and with such violence at times that it interfered materially with their progress. Middleton found, in spite of his assertions to the contrary, that his long deprivation of food was beginning to tell, and he looked with some concern at the extended fast before him; but, in the midst of this reverie, he was startled by a whoop from Black George, which sounded faint and distant in the gale. Looking ahead through the blinding dust, he could see nothing except the dim figures of the two hunters. ‘* What is it?” he asked of Jake. ‘‘ Somethin’ to eat, I sorter ca’c’late,” The next moment it was seen that there were some persons in advance of the two foremost hunters, the sight of which had undoubtedly caused the peculiar whoop from Black George, A nearer approach showed that they had in- tercepted an Apache family on its travels. As a natural consequence, the red-skins were exces- sively frightened, and, as flight was out of the question, they made a show of resistance; but a sign from George qari them, and they halted and awaited their doom in silence, The next moment the four hunters gathered around a singular-looking party. n old, withered-up man, with a very young ehild in his arms, was seated upon a miserable-looking horse; beside him was a woman, who, from her old and wrinkled appearance, was probably his spouse, she also holding an infant in her em- brace; while on another animal was a fine- looking warrior, painted and armed cap-a-pie, His wife rode another horse, and upon a small mustang were the two largest children, while two more ponies carried the baggage of the party. Their looks of terror showed that they ex- pected little mercy from the white men, and they remained abject and silent, the warrior, however, clutching his rifle in a manner which showed that he was not in a mood to make a quiet surrender. Had the afternoon been a clear one, this curious meeting would not have taken place; but in the darkened air, and gusts of dust and wind that continually swept the prairie, the parties did not discern each other until within a few rods, and when it was altogether too late for the Apaches to think about flight. Black George had quite a knowledge of both the Apache and Comanche tongues, and addres- sing the warrior rather sternly, demanded where he was going. The savage at first refused to make a reply, ath upon the question being repeated he answered that they were on their way to a village about a dozen miles distant, which they were striving to reach before the breaking of the storm. This was the first intimation that the hunters had of the existence of such a village so near them, it having sprung up within the past month, as such mushroom communities fre- quently do among the red-skins. The informa- tion might be usefull when they were on their return to the hacienda. The next question of Black George was the practical one as to whether they had anything to eat with them. This received a negative re- ply;. but the hunter was not deceived, and told the Apache that, unless he produced something right speedily, they would make a search for it, This was the ‘‘ open sesame,” and the Indian hastened to lay before them a preparation of half-cooked buffalo-meat, and a nameless vege- table mixture, somewhat resembling ground corp, mixed with a dark fluid, of. such peculiar appearance, that although half-famishad, Mid- dleton hesitated about touching it. ‘** Don’t be afeard; it ain’t p’izon,” said Black George. ‘‘If they'd expected we war gwine to swaller it, they’d been glad to’ve done it; but folks ain’t apt to do that when they ’xpect to eat it themselves—onless they’re in love,” he added, with a sly look at the inquiring young man. ** What is it?” * It's something to eat, and powerful good, too. All this time the hunters were devouring the meat and the preparation like hyenas. Walter hesitated no longer, but imitated their example, and in the course of half an hour, the party had made one of the best and most substantial meals of their lives, fully preparing po for the prodigious task that was before em. During this gastronomic performance, the Apaches sat sullen and indifferent, waiting until it looked safe for them to moveon. They did not exchange a syllable among themselves—the children bearing the same stolid look as the others. When the hunters had fully satisfied their hunger, Black George returned thanks to the Apaches; and, as it was in ver that some com- pensation should be made for the great benefit they had received, a search was made among the effects of the hunters, and several trinkets were produced—among them a handsome pocket-knife belonging to Middleton. These were handed over to the Apaches, who showed a childish pleasure at receiving them, and again the party moved on. Walter glanced back, just after starting, and saw the horses of the Apaches moving eastward at a slow walk, and when within a distance less than several hundred yards, they were hid from view by the blinding dust, which was swept with still greater force by the rising wind. ‘We're losin’ ground,” called out George, as he struck his mustang into a still higher rate of speed, which was instantly imitated by the others. Less than five minutes had elapsed, when Middleton was startled at seeing numerous large snow-flakes skurrying through the air. The atmosphere was full of them, whirling and sweeping so gyratingly in the eddies of the wind, that it seemed none of them reached the ground, But within the next five minutes they had ceased, and not one was to be seen. It indeed resembled a fairy scene, so quickly had they eae so furiously raged, and so suddenly van- ished. While the thickened, obscured condition of the atmosphere had its advantages, it was in one respect a dangerous state ofaffairs. It was a fortunate thing for the hunters that they ran upon the helpless Apaches; but it was very pro- bable that the next collision would not be with such a harmless body. The proximity of the Apache village made it more than probable that numbers of warricrs were scouring the country, in all directions, and a meeting was imminent at any time with them. Still, this was one of the inevitable risks of this business, and it caused no faltering upon the part of the hunters. All kept a sharp eye to the danger which thus threatened, and their steeds were given no rest. Slowly the storm continued gathering its forces, and as the afternoon advanced, there were occasional mutterings of thunder in the sky, while the darkness was almost like the effects of a full eclipse of the sun. When Middleton’s watch indicated five o’clock Black George announced that they were a half- hour behind time, and that still greater speed was necessary. How this remarkable man could judge so accurately of the distance they had passed, when there was not the slightest landmark, so far as our hero could see, was a mystery to the latter. i iver since their start from the mound their progress had been up and down the regular swells of the prairie, and they had not crossed a single stream, or passed a clump of trees on the way, and yet the positive declaration of their leader showed that no doubt lingered in his mind. The animals showed signs of suffering for water, and Black George said there was a small creek ahead, a tributary to the Hurricane River, which would be reached by five o’clock provided the time they were now seeking to regain was made up. Vhen Middleton’s horse plashed into the water, and stretched out his long neck to quaff his fill, the rider drew out his watch and inform- ed the riders that there were still five minutes to spare. zy Were all right, then,” replied Black George; “we've made up all the time. When I started, I told Eph we'd strike this yer creek about six o'clock, and ef we could doit, thar’s no fear of the rest. So byer we ar’.” The fellow’s face showed that he felt some pride in the feat he had accomplished, and he certainly was justified in some slight degree of egotism. ‘‘T think our animals have earned a little rest,” said Middleton, after they had all ex- changed views on the situation. ‘‘ They don’t need it much; but we’ll give ’em a few minutes.” ‘‘ How soon may we expect the storm which has been coeeeteny us so long?” inquired Mid- dleton, looking at the sky with the dark clouds skurrying across it, and with the rumbling thunder still increasing. ‘*Tt’ll be several hours yet,” replied Black George, speaking in his usual emphatic man- ner, ‘‘ and yer’s asis powerful glad of it. When we come down on them yer skunks, we’ve got to smash things, and ef we kin only git a right smart chance of thunder and lightning to help us, we kin make the fur oh ‘‘ That yer’s the talk,” chimed in Eph, ‘¢ Time’s up,” called out George. At the same time, he turned his horse’s head up the bank and started him on; but ere he had taken a couple of steps, he halted and waved his hand behind him as a warning for the others to keep back. Nothing could be seen or heard, as all three remained motionless, but, after a few minutes, Middleton detected a faint rumbling tread, as if made by the galloping of animals in the dis- tance. They were evidently approaching; and rising in his saddle, the hunter peered over the slight swell in the bank for a few moments, witha keenness of vision that penetrated further than that of an ordinary man would have done, Then he turned slightly in his seat, so as to make sure that his words would be heard, and uttered the single word— ‘© Apaches !” After this declaration, Middleton was pre- pared for a precipitate retreat; but neither of the hunters made any such movement. On the contrary, they remained motionless, as though they considered their location the best possible one under the circumstances. , Black George continued cautiously peering over the bank, as though he was watching the movements of something which he could only faintly see. - By this time the tread of the galloping horse- men could be heard with great distinctness, and seemed to Middleton that, within the next few minutes, the whole troop would thunder down upon him. He became so nervously apprehen- sive that he was about to pro a retreat, when Black George commanded absolute silence by a warning motion of his hand. Within the next minute, the dim outline of j “Ying 4. am % ~ “ ¢ rereleye) 4 = - Cae; ‘dl : > NYS