Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 497 — page 2: what you’re looking at

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

~ ‘N which ran a small stream, was a camp, or bhivouac of horsemen, a gallant band of ‘Texan Rangers, resting after a hard ride on an indian trail, and with their horses picketed out uvon the prairie to feed, while they slept away the sultry hours of the afternoon. One of the number only stood on guard, and he was half asleep as he leant against a tree, his face turned toward the rolling prairie that stretched away for miles and miles. But for all of his dozing he yet was on the alert, as his eyes opened wide every few min- utes and swept the borizon for any sign of dan- ger. It was at sucha minute that his gaze had fallen upon the form of a horseman far out upon the prairie. | He at once became wide awake, cg! fixed his gaze upon the one thus discovered.” The indi- vidual came on over a prairie rise, and, dis- covering the group of two-score horses picketed eut around the timber, bad come toa halt and was calmly surveying the scene, The Rangers were in a dangerous locality, for they were not far from the Rio Grande line, be- vond which dwelt their implacable foes, the Raiders of Mexico. Then the Comanches were always an enemy, and at that tim: several large bands of them were on the war-path, and the Rangers had been hunting them down for days; bence 1t was necessary to be on the alert. The strange horseman might be a friend, and yt, why should one man be alone in that peril- ous country, where death threatened upon all sides? Strange! He looked like a white man, at the distance seen, yet might be a renegade, with a band of Indians at his back. Then, too, there was a possibility that he was one of “‘ Rafael’s Raiders,” a Mexican band of outlaws who were constantly crossing the Rio Grande and raiding upon the Texans. The alarm was given in a clear voice, that reached every sleeper’s ear: “ Ho, Rangers! <A foe is near!” The men were on their feet in an instant, and every man at once moved toward his horse, There they halted, for the id sheen rider made no hostile demonstration, but came slowly 1 toward the camp. , ‘¢ Fle’s white,” said one. ‘* Yes: some settler.” ‘“ No Mexican about him.” ‘* He’s surely alone.” , Such were the comments, and all eyes watched the stranger as he came on, his horse at a pro- vokingly slow walk. The Rangers were a superb-looking set of men, with no regular uniform, unless their leggings of leather, huge spurs, hunting-coats and broad sombreros might be called such. Their arms were of the best patterns, repeat- ing rifle, a pair of revolvers and a bowiednife for each man, while their horses were superior animals, well equipped with Texas saddles and ‘bridles. _ Fearless, resolute faces abounded, with here and there a fun-loving and an utterly reckless “countenance among them. The captain of this Ranger band was a tall, good-looking man of forty, with an iron-gra beard aud long hair, a face both stern and kind, fo. there was both austerity and sadness strange- ly blended in bis features. Upon the hat of each Ranger was a silver, five-point star, and the only insignia of rank that the captain wore was that his star was of old, : . Men to dare and to do they were, and their fame was well known throughout the Southwest while they were feared by their foes as a band that knew no fear=feared no foe. As the strange horseman approached, all gazed fixedly at him, and many comments were made as to his appearance. His pony was undersized and anything but a beauty, while his rider, long-legged in the ex- treme, wore his stirrups short to hold his feet at a safe distance from the ground. His dress was buckskin leggings, moccasins, a red woolen shirt, a slouch hat, much the worse for wear, and a blue blanket army overcoat, af across the back of bis saddle. His arms consisted of % long rifle, of an old ftern known as the ‘“‘ Kentucky,” two rough- ooking revolvers, and a knife of most antiquated manufacture, e, a pair of saddle-bags across it, and the iy PA A faded Mexican serape was behind his sad- dl ' equi a were by no means the best, thouga *viceable. A lariat, well made and very long, and a huge, vicious-looking dog—a cross between a ——$<—<$ $$ eee CCC LL LLL LLL , } \ i *. Buck Taylor, King of the Cowboys. Cuban bloodhound and a St. Bernard he looked | —completed the outfit of the stranger. | But the man? Ah! but he was not a man, excepting in size, but a tall, slender youth of eighteen, with long | arms, broad shoulders, massive chest, and tie | making of a giant in his build, His face was beardiess, fearless, determined, and witbal reck- less, while it was by no means unhandsome. His hair, of chestnut hue, was long, falling be- | low his shoulders, his teeth white and even, and | his eyes eect and seeming to take in at a glance all that they were turned upon. Some of. the younger members of the Rangers ' laughed at the strange youth and his outfit, but | paying no heed to them, he drew rein near’ to | the captain of the band and asked in a voice that was terse and decided: | “Ts this the camp of the Rio Grande Rangers?” ‘Yes. | ** Are you Icaptain McNally?” **T am, my boy.” ‘‘ T’ve come to volunteer as a Ranger,” was the announcement; and with that, the stranger dis- | mounted amid a ‘vyild shout of laughter. CHAPTER II. | MASTER OF THE SITUATION. CAPTAIN PreTeER MCNALLY, as I have said, | had a kindly face, and he felt for the youth, | whom some of his men seemed to wish to make | a butt of for ridicule. He saw in the stranger a tall, somewhat awk- | ward youth, old-fashioned in appearance, arms | and outfit, but nothing to laugh at, and turning | to his men, he sternly said: ‘Silence! I will have none of this.” | Instantly silence followed, and then the stran-_ ger spoke, as he glanced ,over the party, taking | in those who had been the rude ones: “Oh, let the idiots laugh, captain, but I’ve | heard my uncle say that ‘ He laughs best that laughs last,’ and maybe if they’ve got the pluck | to fave me, they'll find I’m not such a fool as I | look,” The Rangers looked at each other in amaze- | ment, for the words were quietly spoken, in a good-humored way, yet accompanied with a cer- | ar air and look that gave a plucky ring to them, One young hot-head at once took exceptions to the stranger’s challenge, forgetting that his rudeness had warranted it, and he stepped for: ward and said savagely: “Tf you were a man I would thrash you for your impudence.” ‘‘T’'m a man in size, if not in years, and if you wish to whip me just begin now, for ’m willing to take any licking you can give me, or meet | you any way you wish, with knife, revolver or | rifle. Here was a bold defiance, and thrown in the teeth of Sol Bradford, the strongest man in the band, and a terror at a rough-and-tumble, or knock-down fight, for he stood six feet one and weighed two hundred pounds. As he spoke, the youth stepped up and con- | fronted him, and it was seen that All eyes glanced at Sol, then at the youth, and last at Captain McNally. The latter saw that he was expected to speak, so said in his quiet way: ‘‘ Bradford, you were rude in the first place, then took up the words of this young man, so if fight, for I shall allow no weapons, all right; but IT warn him beforehand, that he has to meet our best man as far as strength goes.” ‘¢ When I’m insulted, td mn’t weigh odds,” was the youth’s calm reply, and he placed his rifle | oeeney a tree, took off his belt of arms and then said: ‘‘I’ma stranger here, captain, and have no | as I have stripped off my weapons.” youth, the word of Peter McNally for it,” was mark their approval. arms, and prepared for the fray, while he said, with a good-natured smile: | being no bucking horse I wouldn’t ride. ee he wasa mateb | for Sol Bradford, in hight, at least. | he is willing to face you _in a square, stand-up | friends, so I trust you'll see I’m treated square, | ' | meanwhile seeming to care but little for the mad ‘You shall be dealt squarely with, my brave , antics. the reply, and the Rangers gave a /“‘ bravo” to | In the coolest kind of a way the young Stran- | ger rolled up his sleeves, revealing two muscular | ' ' ' a Se ’ll be your friend for the game you show in try- ing.” As he spoke, Sol Bradford advanced upon the | stranger with a rusb, To the amazement of all, and particularly to his own, he was sent flying tack ward from a blow that would have felled an ox. Instantly he arose however, and, cautious now, begun to spar. This did not seem to suit the youth, however, who broke down his guard, rushed in on him, seized him in his strong arms and bent hbinrback- ~~ ward to the ground, while he said quietly:. ‘‘ Call it quits now, man, and don’t maké me have to Wurt yer.” **T’]] do 1t, and admit that you are the strong- est thing in the shape of man that I ever tackled, I’m whipped, pards, and Admit it. Here’s my hand in friendship, Pard Stranger, and I'll be on hand if you need me.” A shout greeted these words of Bradford, and the Rangers all pressed around and grasped the hand of the youth, for they were a manly lot, and Captain McNally said: ‘* You laugh best, after all, my friend, as you laugh last. But who are you, may I ask?” § “Tm a young greenhorn Texan, who knows little more than herding, riding and shooting, with a little experience at Injun trailing. My father was killed in the Confederate Army, and my uncle took me to his ranch to live with bim; but I thought I’d like to look about a little, so came to join your Rangers, if you’d bave me,” and he looked smilingly over the crowd. ‘“T guess we will have you; but may I ask your name?” ‘‘My name, which my poor dead mother and father gave me is William Levi Taylor, but my uncle called me Wild Will, and the cowboys named me Buck Taylor, on account of ey ut call me to suit yourselves,” was the indifferent reply. ‘‘ Rangers, permit me to present to you all, excepting Sol Bradford who has before met him Mr. Buck Taylor, our new brother, and bid him, welcome into our mystic band,” said Captain ' McNall Samara greeted the words of the captain in his hit at Bradford, and the latter, stepping for: ward, called out: ‘‘ Three cheers, Rangers, for my old acquaint ance, Buck Taylor!” They were given with a will, and thus did Buck Taylor, the hero of my story, become a Texan Ranger. CHAPTER IIT. SCOUTING FOR AN OUTFIT. THE coming of Buck Taylor into the band of Rangers created no little excitement amon them, and they readily took to the good-natur young giant. The day after his arrival some of them sug- gested a shooting tournament with rifle and re- volvers,and Buck in his quiet way, with his old-fashioned rifle, and pistols that had seen hard usage, found himself the best shot of all, to their utter amazement, for there were a num- ber of most expert marksmen in the dashing lit- tle company. Buck having said that hé had’won his name from riding bucking bronchos, there was an ani- mal in camp that all were anxious to have him ride, especially the master of the vicious brute, who was then lame from his last struggle with his untamable steed. Buck volunteered at once to try and ride him, and when the Rangers saw the youth mount the wild devil of a horse, they soon came to the con- ‘usion that he had won his name from deserv- ing it The horse bounded into the air, and kept upa terrific series of leaps, squatting, plunging, shy- ing and vicious biting at his rider, until he was utterly worn out and eonquered, the horseman Captain McNally had witnessed Buck’s tri- umphs with the deepest interest, and said to the young volunteer: ‘Buck, when you are properly armed and mounted, you will be about the best man I’ve got, and that is saying a great deal, for my men are said to be the wildest riders and deadliest ‘‘T thonght to join yer band to fight with you | shots on the Texas prairies. against the Greasers and Injuns, and I hopes I haven’t got to lick you all before you make my | nor your antiqua acquaintance,” “But that sheep you ride won't do for you, weapons, ‘‘T know that, sit; but then I had no/better, shout of langhter followed these words, in | and thonght I could capture what I needed.” which Sol Bradford joined, for he was @ good- ‘* Well said; but you ought to be a good lariat- hearted fellow, though a little inclined to bully- thrower?” ss } ae ing, knowing his great strength. ‘Im ready, pard, and if you lick me, or not, a m, sir. “Did you ever catch a wild horse?” cpoo co nN