Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 497 — page 10: what you’re looking at

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

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IO TOOT Sr Ag py Se ec a maine ee - 10 Buck Taylor, King river at a ford that was seldom used, and we found a hiding-place to camp, not very far from the retreat of the Raiders. ‘*¥rom the very first 1 had not liked Arm- strong, and Sol here told me to beware of him, ‘*So I constantly watched him, until I at last began to like thesman immensely, and believed he was my friend in all honesty. ‘* Why I doubted him on this trip, I do not know; but I did. ‘‘ It came upon me to watch him, and I de- \ cided to do so. ‘*In our camp in Mexico we dared not move out by day, only by night, seeking to. recon- noiter. ‘* But Armstrong said.that he would go outon @. small reconnoissance, and I made no objection. ‘‘ He mounted his horse and rode away. *T at once followed him, but on foot. **To my surprise he rode boldly toward the retreat of the Raiders, and watching him from the hillside, I saw him go down the valley for several miles. ‘*1 dared not follow any further, and so was about to return, when I saw two horsemen riding toward him. ‘They came from the direction of the Raid- ers’ retreat, which wasin the midst of a group of hills beyond, where the meeting between Armstrong and the men took place. ‘‘T expected to see trouble follow, but Arm- strong showed no hostile intent, and the others met him quietly. ‘‘For a long time the three talked together, seated upon their horses, and then they started back the way that my pard had gone. ‘*) retreated toward my camp until I reached a spur of the hills which gave me a view of the trail leading to our camp. ‘* There 1 stopped and waited. ** After awhile Armstrong came injsight and the two men were with him. ‘* As they were then but a quarter of a mile away I could see that the strangers were Raiders, for they wore the Mexican dress, red sombrero, and were mounted upon black horses, as are Rafael’s men.” ‘* And Armstrong was with them?” * Yes, captain.” ‘No sign of hostility between them?” ** No, sir.” “Go on, Buck.” ‘‘T saw Armstrong point in the direction of our @amp and then the three parted, the men going back the way they had come, and Arm- strong coming on toward our camp. ‘‘T ran hastily back, and when he came pre- tended to have been sleeping on my blankets. ‘* He said he had made no discovery, and soon lay down to rest, while I went to cleaning up my weapons, feeling sure he would ask me to look after his. ‘‘ He did, and I cleaned them nicely for him, only I did not load them with ball cartridge again. , “That night when we retired, I kept awake, for I was prepared for treachery. ** He soon supposed I was asleep and, raisin himself to a sitting posture, deliberately levelec at me his revolver. ‘‘T knew the weapon was not loaded, so did not move, and he pulled trigger, firing several shots rapidly.” ‘‘Great heavens! Armstrong did this, Buck?” cried the captain. ** He did, sir.” ‘*T feared it, and so I warned you, for I knew the man well,” said Sol Bradford quietly. ‘But the result, Buck, for now you have solved the mystery of your meeting with Armstrong, I “wish to know what else he did.” **T will tell you all, sir,” was Buck’s calm re- joinder. CHAPTER XVIII THE COWBOY KING’S ORDEAL, ‘Wr, sir,” continued Buck, after he had been silent an instant, while the face of Captain McNally was the picture of amazement, ‘‘ it was my intention to spring upon Armstrong, after I saw just what he meant to do, and let him feel that I yet lived to thwart him, ‘‘But I lay as motionless as though I was dead, and bending over me he quickly removed my reyolvers and rifle from where they were in reach of my band. | » “Twas thus disarmed, but did not move, and he turned away with the remark: ‘“* Now I am the king of the Ranger band, and his splendid horse is mine.’ ” id Envy of you caused his deep hatred,” said ** Yes, he was most envious, indeed,” the cap- tain remarked. ‘“‘ > nn . EEE EOEOOOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEEeEeeeeee en _ ee ee ‘** But we interrupt you, Buck.” ** Hardly had he spoken when I heard a voice hail in Spanish: ‘*** Ho, senor! Is all right” ‘** Yes; come on!’ was the reply of Arm- strong, ‘“Then I felt the danger I was in, but to move at that moment I knew was certain death, ‘**So I lay still, playing ’possum, and into the ae came five men. ‘They were mounted, and though the dark- ness was intense, I soon discovered that they were Road Raiders from what was said, for you know I speak a little Spanish. ‘‘The one who appeared to be the leader, said: *** Did you kill him, senor? ‘** Yes. he lies there: but let us have a fire for light, as there is no danger now.’ ‘*They looked for matches, but not one of them had any, and they searched my pockets, but found none. ‘*T had put the tin box of matches on a limb of a tree near the fire, which, for safety, I had put out after we had our supper. ‘This cireums ance saved me, for they could not see that I-was not dead. ‘** Well, senor, what news bave you?” said the leader, addressing Armstrong. ‘** Not much, excepting, as I told your men this morning, that we had been sent here to see if we could attack your camp with our Ranger band, and we decided that it could be done with success,’ ‘** But will not be now,’ said the Mexican, who was Don Rafael bimself,” — ‘*No! that villain?” * Yes, captain.” ‘* But continue, Buck, for I am deeply inter- ested, as also grieved to find that I had a traitor in my band.” ‘* Well, captain, Armstrong then suggested that it would be a good thing for him to return report that the Raiders had killed his pard, and tell you that the Mexican camp could be easily reached and raided with your Rangers. ‘* He was to cross the Rio Grande by a certain ford, where we crossed, and a man was to be there to see us crossing, and then ride on and give the alarm, when the Rangers were to be led into an ambush, Armstrong riding some dis- tance ahead, pretending to look for a trail, so as to escape the fire poured upon you. ‘*Thus hemmed in-your entire band would be massacred,” ‘* The accursed fiend,” said Captain McNally, with savage earnestness. ‘“‘It was like Armstrong,” Sol Bradford re- marked. ‘* W hat then, Ruck?” “For this, sir, Armstrong was to receivea handsome reward, and what was said proved to me that he had been a spy among the Rangers for Don Rafael, ever since he had joined them. ‘* My weapons and outfit, of saddle and bridle were then divided among the men, and Arm- strong claimed my horse, saying nothing about his being the roan king, which, you know, the Raiders had tried hard tocatch when he was a wild horse.” ‘* Yes; but oh! if I had only suspected, that he was a traitor,” and the flashing eyes of Captain McNally showed what he would have done. ‘Now comes, the terrific part of my experi- ence,” Buck Taylor continued. ‘‘Having arranged matters to their satisfac- tion, Armstrong asked the Don to let his men bury me, and the latter ordered them to do so, telling them to then follow him to camp. ‘‘ Armstrong and the Don then walked off to where our horses werf picketed, the Mexican leading his horse, while bis four men at once set to work to bury me. “Tf was a task they did not like. for they were too lazy to work, ‘‘ But they found a soft gee. hacked away at it with their knives and soon had a sballow grave dug. ‘“T was in agony, captain; I can tell you and Sol that in all truth.” ‘**T do not wonder, for it was appalling,” said Captain McNally. ; ’ JT know no man but you who would have had the nerye to play dead and allow himself to be buried, Buck,” Sol said with a shudder. — ** The experience was something I would not risk again for a fortune, ‘‘ But the Greasers were too lazy to dig deep, and so they dr®gged me to the grave, rolled me in, and I turned so as to fall face down. ‘Then they ope about my legs being too long, and doubled them up to fit the length of the grave. of the Cowboys. a | Per RIT ‘Tt was an ordeal that makes me shudder to think of it; but 1 managed to so fall in as to protect my head with one arm as well as I could. ‘* Then in came the dirt on top of me, and it took every atom of nerve I possessed not to give a yell and spring out. ‘But, if I did, 1 knew it would spoil all, and 4 would never catch Armstrong, as 1 intended to do, ‘*T could have scared those Mexicans out of their wits; but Armstrong. I feared, had not yet ridden away, nor the Don, for I supposed they were near by, out near our horses, and I could do nothing, i ‘* So I stood it, fearful as it was, and I knew, too, that the grave was not over two feet deep, | and I could raise that amount of dirt. | * Every bit that fell upon me I felt the thud | of. ‘¢ When this ceased I knew that the work was done, that I was buried, **My arm I had brought around so as to form a space for my face, and a little breathing place. ‘* But I began to feel smothered, and at last, unable to stand it any longer, I braced myself and raised myself slowly. ‘Tt was no easy task, I assure you; but I got out at last, half-dead, half-blinded, and in a humor that was devilish, | can assure you, ‘*The Mexicans had not been gone a minute, for they were just riding away, not two bundred feet off, for I could see them. ‘*T stood for a long time, getting the dirt off of me, and then went to the little stream near, and washed my face. ‘*The water revived me, for I was really weak, and I felt better. ‘*But 1 was alone in Mexico, unarmed and alone, and I knew my danger. “| bad nothing to eat, not a weapon to pro- tect myself, or a blanket to lie on. ‘* But I struck off for the river and reached it before dawn. ‘*T swam across, and seeking a hiding-place, lay down in my wet clothes and sunk to sleep. ‘*T awoke with a nightmare, for 1 was again being buried. ‘‘T tried to sleep again, but it was no use, so I started on my way. ‘‘Soon after sunrise I balted again, deter- mined to travel only by night, and I weot to sleep. “Tye heard it said that you get nightmare from going to bed after a bearty meal. ‘*T was awful hungry for food, and though it was broad daylight, I had the aightmare, and I had it bad. 2 I dreamt that I was buried, and couldn’t get out ! ‘*My God!” said the captain, and again Sok Bradford shivered, as though with a chill, ‘‘T awoke at last and decided to keep awake, ** So the day passed, ** But why tell you of my Iong tramp, and how much I suffered, for I am here, and al! right again,” ** And avenged?” ‘‘ Yes, Sol, and you can understand how will- ing I was to risk my life to get revenge, for Armstrong proved himself a base traitor, and more, he meant to pote? you all, ‘1 noted him well, when I returned, and he became livid for an instant, at sight of me, as though he had seen a ghost, “But he quickly recovered himself, and greet- ed me with the rest of bag ‘‘ How I bad escaped, he could not imagine, but doubtless supposed that I had been only stunned by his sbots, and recovered cc nscious- ness after he left, thus escaping from the Mexi- cans. ‘¢That I sus rected him he did not believe, af- ter I greeted him; but then I bided my. time, came to the cabin simply told him be must meet me. “Though he is dead, and by my hand. T think I can sleep now, without having the nightmare, ‘* But, as I told you, I prefer that the cause of our duel remain a secret, as it Must never be known that the Rangers had @ traitor so yile among them,” ‘*Tt shall remain a secret, Buck, for it is best: but tell me, Sol, did you ever know Armstrong before be joined?’ “T did, sir, and I will tell you a secret now,” and Sol Bradford spoke with emotion, “The truth is, captain, Roddy Armstrong was my ‘half-brother. f ‘ His mother and mine were the same, but my mother married a second time, a Mexican, Don Rodriguez by name, and Armstrong was his son, ‘‘His name was Arinstrong Rodriguez, our . ¥