Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 484 — page 13: what you’re looking at

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

a horseman flashed to view, galloping in a di- rection parallel to the stream, then followed another and another, until fully a dozen had They went like the swift-moving figures in a panorama, whisking for a moment in sight, and then out of itagain. Then followed the rapidly- diminishing footsteps until they were gone. The Apaches were aiming for their village, and running a race with the storm, else they might have seen the four horsemen peering over the bank at them.” “They're gone,” said Black George, as his horse sprung out of the water and up the bank. ‘** That gives us five minutes more to make up.” Again the hunters gave free rein to their horses, and under the leadership of their chosen member, they made rapid progress toward the Hurricane River. Several miles yet intervened, when the storm burst upon them. The air flamed with light- ning, there was a simultaneous crash of thun- der, that seemed to lift the riders off their horses, and then the gates of heaven were let loose. A few large drops of water rattled like bullets around them, and then came the celuge. Driven by the strong wind, the rain came at times almost horizontally, the long, spear-like columns driving against horse, man and rider like a tornado of hailstones. The men were well protected by their blankets which wrapped them from head to foot, but it came unreservedly upon the poor brutes, that, however, pressed resolutely forward, urged by their riders, who felt that not a moment could be thrown away. Darkness came with the storm, and had it not - been for the vivid flashes of lightning that lit up the scene every few moments, the hunters could not have distinguished each other’s presence. The booming and crashing of thunder, the fiam- ing of lightning, followed by the instant inky darkness, the whistling of the strong wind, the furious driving of the rain, all these made up a scene at once fearful, terrific and sublime, Still onward pressed the hunters, until, above the soughing of the wind, Middleton detected a faint, continuous murmur. At the same instant a vivid, zigzag flash revealed the surface of a broad, smoothly-flowing river, fifty yards in front of them. ‘*Thar’s the Hurricane! Thar’s the crossin’!” Black George shouted; but, in the driving wind, his voice sounded faint and distant. The whole company had halted to arrange their course of action. The momentary glimpse of the Hurri- cane River showed that the ford was rapidly rising, and, unless it was crossed very speedily the Comanches, there would be trouble on that account alone. Black George opened his mouth to speak, but, at that instant, the whole air burst out into one sheet of flame, while there was an appalling crash, asif heaven and earth had come together! The interchange of electricity between the earth and sky found its vent near them, and the ground trenibled with the shock. A silence fell on all, and a feeling came over them as if they were standing in the audience-chamber of the King of the Universe. At that same instant, through the swirl of rain and tempest, a cry reached their ears—the clear, ringing sound of a woman in distress. Like the plaintive note of the cremona, which fioats far out beyond the crash of its boisterous companions, so this tone came to them, on the bes of the tempest, faint but distinct! ‘“*That’s Josepha!” gasped Black George. “«She ain’t fur off, neither!’ CHAPTER XI, THE LIGHTNING-STROKE, Ir had been diamond cut diamond, and strat- agem against stratagem, and the result of it was that the Comanches had been outwitted by their hunters. The last searching look cast back by the rear party of the Indians failed to show them any signs of the huntcrs who had followed them so assiduously, and who had broken in so untimely upon their enjoyment of the torture of their prisoner, and then they wheeled off at full speed, and made all haste to overtake their comrades who had the prisoners in charge, and report to them the success of their stratagem, From the top of the mound Black George wit- nessed and comprehended the whole movement, and we have just shown how he checkmated it. The last junction of the Comanches took place near the middle of the afternoon, and the whole company pursued their way at a leisurely rate toward the crossing of Hurricane River, beyond which there was nothing to fear from any de- sigus of their enemy. Comanche Dick, and His Three Invincibles. 13 It is not at all improbable that the ford would not have been reached until morning, had the progress of the party not been materially in- creased by the omens of the coming storm; but, as the Comancaes make it a custom to carry their dead with them, until they could be given a decent burial, this fact seemed to retard the rate at which they generally proceeded, and was the real cause of the numerous ruses attempted, the object of which was so to mislead the hunters as to give the Indians all the time they needed to make good their fording of Hurricane River, and their safe entrance into their own country. If there is any one thing which we have im- pressed upon our readers, it is no doubt the fact that Comanche Dick and his men thoroughly un- derstood each other. With the last junction of the red-skins, and the few words they interchanged, Dick compre- hended the trick they had attempted to play off on his men. ‘‘ They think they have succeeded,” he thought to himself; ‘‘ but if they don’t hear from Black George and the rest of them, somewhere near Hurricane Crossing, then I don’t know my men, that’s all.” From this it will be seen that the leader more than suspected the plan of rescue which his fol- lowers had determined upon. This was a great point toward the success of the scheme, and it was not to be expected that when the shock came Comanche Dick would not remain a pas- sive spectator. One-third of the Indians journeying toward Hurricane River were dead! As each man had his own horse, and there were one or two spare ones in the party, when the bullets of the n- gers sent them out of existence, there still re- mained their faithful horses to them, With voR little trouble, the dead Indians were secured upon their animals in such a wa that there was no likelihood of their falling o when proceeding at a sweeping gallop. It even seemed as if a portion of their match- less skill in horsemanship remained with their bodies even after the departure of life. It was a ghastly spectacle! A party of Co- manche Indians cantering over the plains, with one-third of the riders stark and stiff in death! The wife of Comanche Dick was held on her horse in front of an Indian, who never uttered a word to her, even when she ventured a ques- tion or two, The jailer of Josepha was no less reticent. His rigid arm, which encircled her slight waist, was never once moved; nor did his dark face approach a hair’s breadth nearer than when he first placed her on her perch. When sbe glanced furtively backward, during the flaming of the lightning, she saw his dark, stolid face ever the same; and, had it not been for the snake-like littering of his eyes, she would have believed hat she was riding with one of the dead Co- manches. She made an attempt to draw a word from him either in the English or Spanish, but whether her questions were understood or not can only be conjectured, as her repeated ef- forts brought not the slightest Soom ao What was perhaps rather singular, Comanche Dick was allowed to ride a horse alone, but he was so securely guarded, that it looked like a human inapolatbifiey for him to effect his escape. His arms were pinioned at the elbows bebind, and his feet were fastened beneath the belly of his horse. On each side rode an Indian, and others were in his front and rear. He was not allowed any blanket, and when the rain descend- ed, it drenched him to the skin. But all the time, this extraordinary man was pon oe up some method of freeing his limbs. By leaning forward when the darkness was so great that he could not be seen, he managed to cet a sort of leverage upon his thongs, and to bring his prodigious strength to bear upon them. The tugs were sharp and painful, but for a long time were of no avail. is repeated fail- ures finally incensed him, and he made a tre- mendous effort, that snapped them like yarn. At the same instant there was a blinding flash, and he came near being discovered. But his resence of mind did not desert him, and, by olding his arms in the same position, he deceiv- ed his vigilant captors into the belief that he stall was fast. : The advantage which Dick possessed in gain- ing the use of his upper limbs, was lost in his lower. No strain that he could brin upon his ankles was sufficient to endanger the fastenings in the least. Without human help he could not loosen his feet, and where that human help was to come from he could not imagine. All this time the Night y were nearing Hurri- cane River. closed around them, a night of ‘“‘ storm and darkness.” The deluge of water was descending, and those who were not protected by their blankets, were drenched te the skin. But Dick cared nothing for this. No expos- ure or hardship was too great for him, and he had no fear of the consequences of such exposure as this. When he deliberated upon the matter, he saw that the real danger of his remaining helpless in his lower limbs was not so great as he had thought at first. control his horse, and, by a sudden onslaught, secure weapons with which to mingle in the fray. The real danger was, that in the eat impetuous maneuvering that would instantly follow the assault of his men, he would be so fastened to his animal that his horsemanship might become fatally defective. Should the beast be struck by a bullet, or prove refractory, as had been the case upon the preceding night instead of being a help to his friends, it would very probably be the other way, and end in the discomfiture of the whole plan of rescue. The knowledge the indians possessed of the country over which they were ,journeying was as accurate and unerring as that of the white men, and through the storm and darkness they never once halted. Both of the females had blankets thrown over them, which ss rotected them from the driving rain. ntil this act of kindness upon the part of her captors, the wife of Comanche Dick had been meditating a ie Sar deed. She carried in her bosom a beautiful Spanish dag- ger that had been presented her by Josepha and more than once she was on the point of drawing this and silently eee, it ** home” in the heart of the savage who held her prisoner, It was not any question of humanity that re- strained her. It was only the cy spay as to the prudence of the deed, Would her hus- band be pleased with it? What good could she accomplish thereby? Could she be the means of serving either her husband or Josepha? She thought she could help the latter, for her lan included not only the assassination of her immediate captor, but that of Josepba’s as well. She believed she could give the fatal blow to one as well as the other, and then in the dark- ness they could rush away upon their animals. This was a desperate plan, it is true, but it was characteristic of the wife of Dick, and she was ready at any moment to undertake it, pro- vided she could gain the sanction of her hus- band to the attempt. But there was no means of gatnin tht, as: her words would necessarily be heard by other ears than his, and it was more than probable that among the Comanches were several who understood the Englih tongue. So she was compelled to keep her counsel, al- though she would have given worlds for the power of exchanging five sentences with him, without any risk of being heard by others. From his silence and reserve she knew that his brain was not idle, but was concocting some scheme for the good of all. When the rain began descending, and the In- dian threw his blanket around her form, the thought occurred to her that it would be a strange return for his kindness; but the next moment the feeling passed off, and when she came to reflect upon what this same people had done, and what they probably intended to do with her and with her tender young friend, all such emotions disappeared, and it was again simply the question of prudence that kept the dagger from the heart of the savage. As husband and wife and daughter were in such proximity, and had been so for such a length of time, it seemed to Dick that he ought at least to exchange a word or two with them, ‘Do you feel well, Marceda?” he inquired directing his address to his wife, who shouted back the reply: ‘‘ ery well, but in poor spirits. I am afraid all is lost.” * No, it is not !” That was sufficient for the wife. She under- stood that reply in all its length and breadth, and was content to maintain silence. ‘¢ And how is my Josepha?” he added, turn- .ing his face toward where he supposed her to be from the last flash of lightning that had lit up the blank dark. ‘“Much encouraged by your reply.” ‘* You have reason to be,” was uttered in the same significant manner as before, and then again they moved on in silence, As nearly as Comanche Dick could judge, they were within a mile or two of Hurricane River when a halt was made. There was con- siderable talking in a low voice among the red- With his arms free, he could