Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 497 — page 6: what you’re looking at

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

tan ee at eee eee eS 6 Buck T so we'll talk in that my “You are my prisoner,” said one of the Mexicans, who did speak English with a very slight accent. “T’m sorry, pard, for I am in hard luck,” Buck remarked. ‘¢ You'll be in worse before we are done with you. ‘‘Get down, Pedro, and tie him to his sad- dle.” The last was said in Spanish, and taking a lariat from his saddle-horn Pedro advanced to the side of Buck and began to tie his legs, ‘‘Now out with your cash,” said the other, and he held forth his hand. Buck saw that the Raiders were over half a mile away, and were pouring in a hot fire upon the Indians, who were retreating slowly and also firing upon their foes, Then was his chance, he thought. So he said: ‘*T havn’t got much money, pard,.'!but I sup- pose you’ve got to have it.” He reached his hand to his pocket as he spoke, and, quick as the lightning’s flash, he drew a revolver and dealt the Mexican a blow in the face with it that felled him from his horse. Ere he could fall from his saddle Buck had brought the weapon down uypn the head of the other who was tying his legs beneath his horse, and the man sunk in his tracks. Without an instant of hesitation Buck dashed forward in flight, leading his horses as before, and with. Vermifuge running by his side. He had not cared to fire, fearing the sound might attract attention, and he had therefore used his heavy revolver as a club. Tne Mexicans lay where they had fallen, one of them moving convulsively, the other lying motionless. On went Buck, and he had gotten a couple of hundred yards away before his flight was dis- covered by those fighting the red-skins, Then they realized that the two men sent to capture the Ranger had more than met their match, and four horsemen were at once dis- patched in pursuit. But Buck’s horses had obtained a short rest, in the enforced halt, and he was already be- yond the range of the repeating rifles, so he spurred forward at the greatest possible speed under the circumstances. He reached the belt of timber, dashed through it, as he dared not make a stand, and sped out over the praifie beyond. ) As the four Mexicans came in view, Buck closely watched them, and he said grimly: ‘‘T’'m steadily gaining, so [ am all right.” It was true, for he was slowly gaining upon his pursuers. Over a prairie rise he went, and then he wished to give a loud shout of joy, for, suddenly, he came in sight of a dozen horsemen riding to- ward him at a gallop. They were the McNally Rangers, and they were going to discover the cause of the firing beyond the timber belt. hey recognized Buck at a glance and gave a shout, and Sol Bradford, who was leading the party, called out: ‘tack again, Buck! glad to see you; but what’s up over the bill?” **T was chased by twenty-seven Comanches, and fifteen of Rafael’s Raiders were in the tim- ber belt and are now fighting the red-skins, ex- cepting four who are after me,” ‘‘ We'll give them arub. Come, pards!” and away dasbed the gallant Rangers, with a bravo for Buck, who had come to a halt, while all had seen that he really was mounted upon the great roan stallion. But Buck was not one to be left out of a skir- mish, and it did not take him a minute to un- fasten the Mexican’s lariat from his legs, dis- mount and stake his horses out, then mount and go after his brother Rangers, CHAPTER X, A TUREE-CORNERED FIGHT, As Buck started after his comrades, he saw the four Mexicans appear over the prairie Never did he see horses stopped in shorter time even in catching a wild horse, than those four men reined up their steeds in. To turn, as upon pivots, and take to flight, when they beheld the Rangers, was @ second’s work, an‘ a cheer rung out from the Texans at sizht of their old foes, Rafael’s Rangers. utting spurs to their horses the Mexicans fairly flew in their effort to escape, and dashing through the timber belt came out in view of the fight between their companions and the Coman- ches, Firing their revolvers, to attract the attention of their comrades, they sped along. Ons of the two Mexicans whom Buck had deait such a severe blow to, was upon his feet his horse by his side, At sight of his four friends flying for their lives, he made efforts to mount in haste, but it was evident that he was suffering from the blow. As, however, the four passed on, and he saw the Rangers dash out of the timber, he made a supreme effort, reached his saddle, and sent his horse away in rapid flight. The Raider band that had been fighting the red-skins ceased fighting, and a horseman rode forward his hands held above his head. One of the Indians rode forward to meet him, and a parley: was going on between them when the five Mexicans dashed up, for the one Buck had knocked down had overtaken his compan- ions. , Buck had, in the meanwhile, given the roan king a chance to try his speed, in trying to over- take the Rangers, and he fairly shouted with de- light, as he beheld the splendid animal gaining on those in front at a pace that revealed his re- markable speed, for the splendid horse had cer- tainly hada rough time of it the past twenty- four hours. As they dashed out of the timber Buck was up with the group, and in his light way called out, as he saw one of the Mexicans mounting: ‘‘ There goes one of my Raider pards, now; but I guess the other will stay where he is.” This the other did, for/he moved not as the Rangers thundered by. ‘*Sol, they are uniting against us,” cried an old Ranger, as he saw the parley between the guerrilla chief and the Comanche chief. ‘*Right you are, Mack, so we must be care- ful. ‘* Ho, pards! come toa halt!” The Rangers promptly obeyed, for they saw that the Comanches had indeed sided with the Raiders against a common foe, A moment before fighting each other to the death; now, for their own safety, though still foes, they were as friends. The wily Mexican chief had decided well, and his proposition had been quickly agreed to, to unite for mutual protection. Half a dozen of the Comanches had fallen, un- der the fire of the repeating rifles of the Mexi- cans, and two of the latter had gone down before the muskets of the red-skins. Having banded together and yet gazing fierce- ly at each other, they quickly formed a circle to protect themselves against the Rangers. ‘Oh! if we only had Captain McNally and the rest of the boys, wecould wipe ’em out,” said Sol Bradford. ‘Yes, but as we have not them here to help us, we’ve got to fall back to the timber,” remark- ed Mack, the oldest Ranger of the party. ‘How many did you say there were, Buck?” asked Sol. ‘Fifteen Mexicans and twenty-seven Coman- ches; but I got one Comanche and one Raider, and since then others have been killed. ** Tl count ’em.” Then Buck turned his keen eyes upon the In- dian and Mexican band and said: ‘*T count twelve mounted Mexicans and twenty-one Injuns.” ‘* Thirty-three in all,” said Mack. ‘“And we are thirteen, with Buck,” said Sol. ‘* An unlucky number!” came almost in chorus from the superstitious ones of the band. The words had effect, and the decision was to fall back to the timber. ‘‘T should think we could lick three to one,” said Buck. ‘‘Tf we were all Buck Taylors we might,” was the laughing-reply of Sol Bradford, ‘‘They’ve got some mighty fine horses, those Mexicans have, that we might capture,” added Buck, hoiding this ovt as a bait, for his blood was up to fighting heat, and he believed the Rangers could get the best of a battle with the combined forces of Mexicans and Comanches. “No, we will fall back to the timber, and there we can. keep them at bay; but, Buck, you had better goafter your stock and fetch them to the timber, for the reds will flank us and run them off,” said Sol Bradford. ‘‘That’s so; but how far is it to the camp of the boys?” ‘¢ Thirty miles,” “Too far to go after reinforcements?” ‘Oh! yes, for those redsand Greasers will both skip when night comes on, aylor, King of the Cowboys. ‘They are too near this end of the disputed ground.” So back to the timber on the hill the Rangers started, their faces flushing under the jeers of the Mexicans and triumphant cries of the Co- manches, But their foes at once began to advance, and it was very evident that Captain Rafael felt his opportunity had arrived to strike a severe blow upon the Rangers by their capture or death. He was seen riding with the Comanche chief, and soon after the red-skins separated from the Mexicans, and dividing in two parties moved off to surround the timber, ; They left their dead and wounded in a little group upon the prairies, and the Mexicans did the same, while they advanced slowly towards the position of the Rangers. Buck had already left the party to go and fetch his horses to the timber, as Sol Bradford had suggested, but the quick movement of the Indians in surrounding the Rangers’ position prevented his getting back in time. He was not one to advance without extreme caution, and he saw that the Indians were between him’and the timber, and, as he peered over the rise of prairie he felt sure that they did not know of his have left the Rangers. ‘*Maybe I can do some good by this,” he muttered, and he stepped back to where his horses were, Vermifuge watching them and also looking up at his master with an inquiring ex- pression as to what would be the next move, As Buck stood thoughtfully by the roan king, now as docile as a dog, the firing begam over at the timber, and he knew that the red- skins and Mexicans were attacking the Rangers, He knew also, that the belt of timber was several hundred feet wide, and surrounded as they were the Rangers would have to be pretty well scattered to defend themselves. Creeping up to the bill-top he gazed over. The Comanches’ had charged, that was evi- dent, but had been forced to bunt cover, under the hot and unerring fire of the Rangers, who had dropped several warriors from their saddles, and also as many ponies, for Buck saw them lying about upon the prairie. The fire on the other side from the Mexicans was now pretty hot, and Buck waited anxiously the result. ‘“‘Beaten back!” he cried, as he heard the Rangers’ well-known cheer and the firing almost ceased. Then Buck decided to act, and he did it promptly. Bounding to where his horses were, he quickly separated them. Sr.. One was led a hundred yards away and staked out near the top of the rise, though not in sight. Another was placed a hundred feet from the first animal, and so on until the two captured Indian ponies, the gray mare and Snakeroot were stretched along the rise for five hundred yards. A blue blanket was left by one, a red by an- other, and something to serve as a separate dis- guise by each. As he left each horse Buck peered over the prairie to see that he was not surprised. In fifteen minutes he-had all arranged and prepared:'to mount the roan king and carry out his little scheme. The red-skins were lying out of range of the Rangers’ rifles, and not firing, while from the other side of the timber-belt shots were being constantly exchanged between the Mexicans and his comrades. Suddenly a wild, terrific yell was heard and over the rise dashed Buck on his roan. Another yell from his lips brought every eye upon him among the Comanches, just as they were preparing for another combined rush upon the Rangers. — Waving his hat, as though beckoning to others to come on, Buck disappeared from the view of the Rangers and the red-skins. With full speed he rode to the next horse, sprung upon his back, with a blanket about him as a disguise, and dashed up to the top of the Then another and another horse played the same pantomime, until the Rangers, actually deceived themselves, gave rousing cheers, cer- tain that help was near. The Comanches had already started in retreat and went off at a rapid rate, not stopping for their dead. Sweeping around the timber they shouted and gesticulated to the Mexicans. who, seeing them in flight, were Convinced that the entire band of Rangers were coming to the rescue, and retreat was at once ordered, ———————— ee _—_——— ee E.-——O.