Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 525 — page 14: what you’re looking at

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

~ - * _—_ —— — -——2) - — —- Se ~ i> ee — ott ee ~ ee ee es i ~ er. 5 E a - ! ag Mis Buckskin, _ x Brothers in ~ we ae * " fame with so small an escort, and then thanking him for his information they walked away to have a chat together. ‘‘Will, thera is not an atom of doubt now?” ‘‘ Not the slightest, for she was to go to Ranch- ero’s Rest to get her information.” ** Yes, I wrote her, you know, on some of that oor fellow’s paper, so headed, and told her that it was his ranch, and would remain under the charge of the faithful servant and friend of the voung ranchero, Scraps, or rather Zekiel Tan- ver, as [ put it.” ‘* And she then is not the nameless woman we supposed, from her having jilted the ranchero?” ‘*So it seems, Will, as she takes so much trouble and goes to so much expense to visit the dead man’s grave.” ‘‘There is no one to give her information after she gets there.” ‘‘ True, so what shall we do about it?” ‘* Our things will not be ready uxtil to-morrow morning.” ‘* That is true.” ‘Well, suppose we leave Scraps and Red Wolf to come on with the ambulance when it is loaded, and we mount and strike off on the trail of the party?” : ‘* You fear danger to her, as I do?” °° Yeu” ‘* We will go then.” ‘¢ Tt is now noon, and she left at sunrise—over twenty miles start of us.” ‘*'Yes; but we can overtake her.” ‘“* We must,” “3 es saying the scouts retraced their steps to the otel. They had come down to the town on horse- back, while Scraps had driven the large four- mule ambulance, and Red Wolf had also accom- panied them, riding his own mustang, On the way back to their ranch, there would be little danger to meet, unless from a foraging band of Cowboy Pirates, or a raiding party of Indians extending their way further than was their wout into the country. So the ambulance would be able to return in safety with Scraps and Red Wolf, and they need have no fear on that score, valuable as was its freight. Arriving at the hotel, they were met by Scraps, who said in a confidential tone: ‘* Mars’ George, did you an’ Mars’ Will see a mite ae were stopping at the hotel?” ‘* Who was she, Scraps?’ asked Will Powell. ‘‘ She were a great uproar singer, I heard tell; but she went away dis mornin’ at sun-up, fer I was jist goin’ out ter feed ther am’lance mules, and ’fore de Lord gemmans, if she wasn’t de very image o’ that had, and you sent o know nuffin’.” sé Scra 3 , “Yas, Mars? George.” “That lady is the very one.” ‘* Lordy!” and Scraps’s eyes opened to twice ictur’ poor Mars’ Henry for me, tien I doesn’t their natural size, _ as they could judge by the tr had ther would gladly escort her to the grave, aS ‘They knew that there was but one cou -and | Then the body of Otis the guide was looked up Otis the guide to if he knew the way of t | and buried, after which Night Hawk dr ea ‘Supper, they sl Out they darted, while their well-known ' Willow Spring. rs , aon wy ? + 34 Pap bP 2 : me ot y mee ora * * \ fet ine a) i z se Ft «2 : alle. a ¢ “ a tee els Sd ee ot ART BOOMs bo ee ee age Ne Say sg Re ey Kae Rae Hae Fates oe p in x, ‘ } * Mee ny = * we ” vp > ; . te on J : ~ a Te % ¢ ‘, r - pee hb us Ya ee “ ans ~ ~ eid i. ‘ ea - wit Y | a ‘ = > ‘‘ She has gone off on a very dangerous trip, Scraps, and it is to the Ranchero’s Rest, expect- ing to find you there, and Will and i are going after her.” ‘‘ We wish you to wait and come on with the ambulance to-morrow, you and Red Wolf, and you are to camp at the Red Willow Spring, and get there as soon as you can. “Wait there for us, and we will bring the laey with us, for she doubtless wishes to see you and have a talk with you. ‘* Now we are going to get our traps together to start right after dinner.” vot the weapons of the scouts had at once been put in order on their arrival, and also their saddles, and so they started upon the trail of the beautiful woman well fitted for any dan- ger that might cross their path. ——— CHAPTER XXIV, 4 THE MEETING, ‘THe trail of the ambulance and the accom- panying horses was followed with the greatest care by the scouts, after they had left the roads behind them, ‘The pace that they keptup was such that they hoped to overtake those they trailed before they should break camp in the morning. But night caught ther yet tes lenig way behind, | << LLL LLL LLL LLL LLL LLL LLL LL LLL LL LLL LLL LLL PDD LL XLX—LDDLLLLLLL LLL LLL LL LLL LLL LL LLL LLL LLL LLL keep on until they reached the camp, for they could not believe that the lady would wish to travel all night. They, of course, could not see the trail in tho darkness, but went on in a direction they were assured Otis had taken. All along they kept an eye for the glimmer of a camp-fire, and seeing none, they several times went out of their way to visit some motte, think- ing that perhaps Otis’s caution had prevented a fire from being made, But midnight passed, and still there was no sign of those they sought. At last they balted to rest their horses, and after an hour thus spent, once more pushed on. The dawn at last grew gray, then rosy in hue, and the sun arose. But nowbere in view was the party. ‘*We have passed them in the darkness, Will!” ‘* Or Otis has taken a roundabout way to get there,” ‘* Let us cut across to the left and see if they have passed on, though they could not unless they traveled as we did, most all night.” o-rrné,” Then they ro'e along in an oblique direction, and soon their eyes fell upon a trail. It was the track they had followed. ‘* How they have pressed on!” ** Indeed they have; but yonder is a stream, and we'll have breakfast while our horses rest. ‘* And then we must catch them.” ‘* Yes, for this is a very dangerous locality.” The scouts halted, a fire was built, and they had breakfast, a broiled steak from a deer, which Broncho Bill had shot the evening before, a tin cup of coffee and some crackers. There was good grass and water for the horses, end the hovr’s rest refreshed all greatly. Mounting once more the scouts pushed for- ward at a steady gait, and a rapid one. At last a large body of timber land loomed up before them, and the trail led through it. There a halt had been made, and a fire still burning, showed that the party had had break- fast there. As they were about to ride out of the timber, still following the trail, they suddenly drew rein. Their eyes, at the same instant, had fallen upon a sight out upon the prairie which had caused both to drag their horses back into the timber, and clutch their rifles firmly. ‘* Let us give our horses all the rest we can, George,” said Broncho Bill, without a word to his brother as to what both saw. They dismounted and hitched the animals, while they stood gazing cut upon the prairie, but so as not to be seen by any one there, W hat they saw was the ambulance coming to- ward the timber. The two horses were at full speed and the whip was being applied upon them relentlessly. The reins were held by a woman, and from the rear of the ambulance a rifle flashed forth. In chase of the flying vehicle were two men mounted upon mules, while half a mile bebin« them, and coming more rapidly on, were half a dozen horsemen, and they were gaining upon the fugitives. Both of the scouts bad their field-glasses to their eyes, and Night Hawk said: ‘‘ The lady is driving, Will.” ‘¢ Yes, and some one 1s firing out from the rear of the ambulance,” ‘‘ Tt must be the maid, as the two men so near are not hurt.” ‘Doubtless; but are they not the two who went as escorts?” ‘¢ Yes, for the landlord said they rode mules,” * And where is Otis, the guide?” *‘T give it up.” ‘‘ Those fellows are Cowboy Pirates, in chase,” ** Oh, yes.” ‘* Five of them,” ‘ ‘Five and two are seven.” ‘““ And we are two; but we will save the lady, for surely something has gone wrong.” They had spoken with the utmost coolness, At the first glance they bad taken in the sftu- ation, and had mentally decided upon their course Of action, , They had seen that the ambulance was coming back over its trail, and that 1t woulderes 7 efore 1t-was overtaken, and that war-cry rung over the prairie and reached the ears of pursuers and pursued, The ambulance horses were half checked in their speed, then drawn to the right, and then held on once more, as those within ceern.ed to feel that the new-comers were friends not foes. ‘* Drive on to the timber and wait there, ‘* We will take care of those fellows,” cried tee Hawk, as they drew near the amba- ance, ‘“ Thank you! oh thank you, sirs! but those two men are the traitors,and they killed my guide,” came in the rich, full voice of Made- moiselle Cleopatra, ‘¢ The Powell brothers!” men on mules, and they balted and raised their revolvers, ° But there were two rifles cracked before the revolvers and the mules lost their riders, But the five horsemen further back on the trail still came on, Then up to his mouth went Broncho Bill’s hand, and once more that startling imitation of a bugle-call rung out, **T thought so,” said Broncho Bill as he saw the Cowboy Pirates turn back, eviiently think- ing that there were troops in the timber. he scouts had not halted in their pace and as the Cowboy Pirates turned in confuse flight, they opened fire with their rifles, ‘be outlaws also fired as they ran; but the matchless rifles of the scouts brought down a horse, and dropped a rider from his saddle, There was a short stop, and the man, evident- ly wounded, was taken up, and once more they pressed on in flight, disappearing over a rise of the prairie. , Instantly the scouts turned back, and while Broncho Bill went after the stray mules, Night Hawk halted and examined the two bodies, for they had both seen that the ambulance had come to a halt in the edge of the timber. ‘*They are the two men that the landlord spoke of, and somehow I always had an idea they were crooked,” and Night Hawk calmly rode on his way to the timber. The panting ambulance horses had been only too will Hawk as he rode up. ‘*Oh, sir, you do not know what you saved me from?’ cried the beautiful women, and she grasped both of Night Hawk’s hands as she spoke, ‘Lady, my brother and myself heard you sing night before last at the theater, and learn- ing that you had come on this dangerous trail, we followed you—” ‘* Ah! those men called you the Powell brothers, ** You, then, it was who sent me that lovely bird, and thus I meet you. ‘** How strange it is.” New York hotel affair, but he did not, and Broncho Bill coming up with the captured mules, he introduced bim, “You are two most wonderful men, for I have heard of your exploits and I am so glad to call you my friends. ‘¢ But let me tell you that I came hither to visit the grave of one dear to me, cone in fact I once expected to marry. ‘“‘ He was killed on the frontier, and, as I had broken with him, I longed to atone for it by visiting his grave. ‘**T secured a guide and those two men, whom you killed. ’ ‘They killed my guide this morning, and he lies over yonder in the woods, and they carried us on as prisoners, One of them telling me that he was paid to deliver me to the Cowboy Pirates’ chief, who would demand a large Transom for my release, and which, alas, I could not have paid, for [ am not rich, ‘Watching an opportunity, when the two men were nut near, as we bad halted upon ing some horsemen, 1 drove off, and Tize my dear maid and friend, fired at our wicked weapon.” A me . adding, that after they had gone to the Re ‘*The Buckskin Brothers!” yelled the two ing to stop, and the beautiful woman and her maid, both cool, but pale, greeted Night. ee Night Hawk could have told her about the see= tte ‘ pursuers, though she hardly knew the use of ng ae When her story was told, Night Hawk ex. plained that he it was Who had written her the — letter for the faithful servant of her lover, and told her all that he knew of the young ranchero, > Willow Spring and met ere he and his bro —