Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 525 — page 11: what you’re looking at

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

in f ay te : i? ‘ ky Ala. ita ba Scraps and Red Wolf had caught up when he returned, and were following close behind Night Hawk when he overtook them. “That was good work of yours, Will, for now we are fixed, and with a pair of extra rifles and ammunition in the bargain,” said Night Hawk. The Indian and negro at once mounted the | horses, and seemed greatly pleased with their mounts and the outfit they bad secured. As they came near the ranch, Broncho Bill scouted in ahead, but his call soon told the others to come on, as there were no foes there, The wicked work of the raiders was well done, however, for the cabin was in ashes and the stockade was slowly burning away, This was quickly stopped, however, by remov- ing a few of the timbers, and then Scraps sought the place where he had certain things cached in a secure hiding-place, an‘! the result was a very fine breakfast was soon ready, Not a mustang or a steer had been left bebind by the raiders, and they had ruined all that they could destroy before leaving, and Scraps’s eyes filled with tears as he looked at the ruined home, ‘‘Gemmans, does yer know what I has cone?” he asked the scouts, ‘s What is it, Scraps?” ‘* Waal yer know I is somethin’ of a carpenter in my line, and [| jist made a fu’st- rate coflin, and then tuk a shovel and spade, two mustangs an de ambulance, which Mars’ Henry brought here wid him, and which dem devils has burnt up, and while Red Wolf tuk keer of do ranch I scouted off up to whar de grave were.” ‘The ranchero’s?” ‘* Yas, sah,” “ And you dug up the body?” ‘* Yas, sah, What dere was left ob it, and I fetched it here, and ef yer’ll come wid me Vil show yer,” They followed the noble negro in_ silence, and at a pretty spot, on tae banks of the stream, they beheld a grave, on. It was neatly rounded, and upon it wild flow- ers had been planted, and so faithtully had they been cared for that they were blooming brightly, At the head of the grave was a wooden cross, and into it bad been cut with real artistic skill in lettering: ‘POOR MARS’ HENRY,” It was a simple tribute from the faithful negro, and he said: Mars’ Henry ust ter like ter come here, gemmans, and he lie right whar dat grave am, and read by de hour. ‘So I fotched him here, where his grave wouldn’t be so lonesome near to me,” ‘he scouts did not speak,and Broncho Bill gras Scraps’s hand in silence, and walked quic y away, while tears dimmed the eagle eyes of Night Hawk, as he dropped his hand upon the negro’s shoulder and said; ‘*Scraps, in the language of the Bible I can say wren ell done thou good and faithful servant.” Then Night Hawk said that they must be upon the trail of the raiders, and walked away. But glancing back, as he was some distance off, he saw Scraps on his knees by the grave, his head uncovered and his face upraised as though in prayer, more touching sight he had never witnessed. CHAPTER XIX. THE TELL-TALE GRAVES. AFTER a rest of several hours at the ruined ranch, the scouts, the Indian and Scraps, mount- ed their horses and set off upon the broad trail left by the cattle-thieves, They knew that the herd had fully ten hours’ start of them, and would be driven hard, while it being the first day’s drive the cattle would be fresh anil be able to make a long ‘march, That they could retake the herd the scouts did not believe, for they felt assured that if nine men had come to the ranch, others were doubt- ir) . | near as a reserve, or Support, for the cow- «Boys, if ee were the gapg Which bad tried to -~ yt) . 4 ; e | hang the 4 ne - én ‘ ‘Ss x . © oo . iy i eo, an %. + tat an be * oie? ‘ " al ~*~ AD sa” ay ele ng manche and Scraps, certainly had ‘They gave Scra, ye Of recapturing hi ock, but Night Bast pias E ae ‘We will, I think, Scraps, be able to trace out rho the thieves are,” Yas, sah.” “And if we do, I think we can make this Rawlings, Giant : ntry a * L little too he } Brothers in Buckskin. * = “9 responded Scraps, and Red Wolf gave a grunt of ready assent. The two captured horses proved to be excel- lent ones, and as the scouts rode animals that had not their superior on tho bcrder, for speed and staying qualities, and in fact few equals, the four pressed on at a good pace. After going some miles and watching the trail closely, Broncho Bill called a halt and looked at his brother. ‘‘T see what you mean, Will,” said Night Hawk with a smile, ‘* You see this small trail going off here?” tc Yes.” ‘‘'Two horses and about balf-a-dozen cattle?” ‘Yes, it looks as though the cattle had made a break here, and then had gotten off into the woods.” ‘© So it looks; but was it so?” “That was what I was thinking, Will, for there may have been a reason for these cattle to break off here.” ‘‘'There was a reason; but we can go on and watch to see where the trail rejoins the main one,” This they did, and it was about half a mile beyond. Without a word Night Hawk and Broncho Bill turned back on the small trail, and the two others followed, Scraps wondering what dis- covery the scouts had male that seemed to in- terest them so. For his part he only saw the tracks of a few cattle and two horses, which had broken from the trail, and after a shortrun had been brought back again, aad the scouts saw more in it, or thought they id. _ A ride of a quarter of a mile brought them into some timber, and straight toward a thicket the scouts led the way. ‘* There it is, Will,” quietly said Night Hawk, pointing to a spot loosely covered with leaves. ‘‘ Yes, and we will see who they are, ‘* Come, let us dig down into this grave, for it _ deep,” and Broncho Bill sprung from his orse. The others followed his example, the leaves were thrown aside, and with knife and sticks the soft dirt was removed. The grave was perfectly flat, the loose dirt having evidently been car ied off in bags, or cloths, to drop in some stream. But for the superior knowledge of the Buck- skin Brothers, the bodies of the two men lying within would not have been found, They were soon exposed, and had been thrown so the shallow hole without a blanket around em. ¢ You and Wolf aimed well, Scraps,” said Night Hawk, pointing to the bullet wounds in the heads of the men. The dirt was brushed from the faces, and then Broncho Bill said quietly: ‘* They are two of your friends, Scraps.” Af Yas, Sah, I knows them.” ‘Same bad pale-face,” said Red Wolf recog- nizing two of the party of eight who had so nearly put an end to the life of Scraps and himself, ‘* Let us fill in the grave and then push on. ‘We cannot catch the herd, but we may meet some of the men coming back. “Tf not, we know who six of the party are, and the ninth we must find out, for two are ac- counted for,” Night Hawk said. The grave was then made as it was before, and the four horsemen pushed on once more after the stolen herd and the band of robbers, CHAPTER XX. : GIVEN WARNING. WHEN the party reached the Rio Grande, the herd of stolen cattle and mustangs had already been run across the river into Mexican territory, They halted long enough to discover if any of the robbers had then turned back, but they were not able to find any, and so they passed on down the river, Night Hawk remarking that the cowboys waquld be anxious to return to the ranches where they belonged and would natur- ally cross the river with the herd and records at meg ford, soas to throw all pursuit off she track, Before leaving the ranch the two scouts and the Indian had closely studied the tracks of th animals ridden by the cowboys, as they had bee ridin ut the cabin, and all aipthey had crossing, thev there found tracks which a close study revealed were the same that had been at the ranch and on the cattile-trai > ! ; . v ; , § — aoe \ : ' pe “ ip ee 24 a4 rope ¥/ tt ol >- : “<)< an A * - . %, “ 2 i) bd e o*. ~ > a . h . | ooh Se rake! ta ny egie eS ers TD! 4 : - 2 ” Pes 7 , <n a ‘ ; id : < ee Bcd 2 pel, a - x ve > F- . 4 . ‘ t a Ae re ited ~@} . a) =< on jy “! * 4 ve a * ae : yore x - a 4 ae : ¥ TT eft Z ‘ ah ‘ek Ps } » : wo os ian ss. 24 ” < ; e* . m bi ’ , q me p ‘ r 4 ; ; ; L Red Wolf was here in his element, and he! id ign ‘ . “~ ’ } Py . Le igs oe er mea pronounced the tracks of five of the horses. pened by the same animals which they had railed, They had, in following the track of the cattle, seen other marks that indicated the nine men who had been at the ranch were not all of the party, for the mustangs that were stolen were unshod, and there had been half a dozen ani- mals wearing shces. Taking the trails of the four horses that had recrossed the river, and which were as familiar to their practiced eyes as the hoof-marks of their own animals, they set off upon the back trail. At acertain point one separated and Scraps said: ‘* It goes to ther ranch of Mister Binney.” ‘* How many cowboys has he, Scraps?” ‘Hive, sah.” ‘“‘We will just call upon Mr. Binney,” said Night Hawk, anda ride ef six miles brought them to the Bingey Ranch, The trail led directly to it, and as they rode up Binney an‘ his five cowboys were just sitting down to dinner in the kitchen cabin, Lhe scouts knew Ranchman Binney, and so Night Hawk called out: ‘‘ Ho, Mr. Binney, have you lost any stock lately?” ‘‘No, Mr. Powell; but won’t you come in and have some dinner?” ‘‘One moment, please,” and Night Hawk asked in a low tone: rf Any of your cowboys been off the past few days? ‘‘ Yes, Rufus Davis has been over to see his brother.” ‘‘ Ah, yes, I see Rufus in there now,” and as though going to take dinner, Night Hawk dis- mounted, The cowboy who answered to the name of Rufus Davis was a short, stout fellow, with a face that would not bear closo inspection, if one was looking in it for any noble traits. He was pale as the scouts entered, for he had seen them ride up, but he did not suppose that they had tracked him so surely. ‘*Good-morning, gentlemen,” said Night. Hawk, pleasantly, and he took his hat off as he entered the cabin, but it covered the act of his: drawing a revolver, and he had the man covered in an instant, while he said, sternly: ** Davis, you are my prisoner!” Broncho Bill, the negro, and the Indian stood ready to ‘“thold the fort,” should others inter- fere, But having covered his man, Night Hawk stepped up to him and in a moment had disarm-. ed him, ‘‘ Mr, Binney, I am sorry, sir, to tell you that. _ you have a black sheep among your flock, for F : this man deserves Ranging. ‘‘ We will take him with us, for there are som of his comrades that we wish him to meet.” — _ ‘‘What has he been doing, Night Hawk?” asked one of the other four cowboys present. ** Cattle-stealing.” “Tf we'd ’a’ know'd that we'd ’a’ hanged him; but I hopes you can prove it.” _**Oh, yes, I do not act hastily. ‘*T wrong no man without proof. ‘See here!” and Night Hawk drew a red handkerchief from the pocket of the prisoner and said: ‘‘ Do you see these holes cut in here? ‘Well, he wore thisas @ mask in some devi work he has been doing. ‘Mr, Binney, pardon our unpleasant inter- ruption, but this man goes with us,” , ‘| have nothing to say, Powell, for I know you act under Government orders, and if Davis: is guilty let bim suffer,” was the reply of the ranchero. ) ? Binding their prisoner quickly, the party made bim mount his own horse, which one of the cowboys brought around saddled and ready, and then all rode away. ) . ‘ . Back to the trail they went, and taking it u amfe more, they pressed on until another trae branched off to another ranch. Here another of the four was surprised and captured, and the honest cowboy comrades he had deceived were very Willing to see him pun~ ‘ . oners approached the ranch where the the two last led. Tt was where Sim Lucas and Nick Rawlings had obtained employment as herders, after ial ing Ranchero’s Rest. “7 ) them before fie could eir tres asked Broncho Bill, ar t ’ L 4 of ¢ J . - 5 1." | * . ; . . i are 7 pin 4 A. 7 a + ad * ; ¢ fo A ; - | 4 J / . * ws 4 : ‘ -— | “el ~~ t was night when the party with their e, | were also surprised by having revolvers: