Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 542 — page 13: what you’re looking at

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

The Canyon Pards. last man, Duncan, was just disappearing behind the bank. ‘‘ We cannot trust to revolvers, senor,” calmly said Pedro, sheathing his and drawing a knife which Duncan had given him. ‘* When they appear ou the brink we will have no chance to shoot, but we must meet them with cold steel.” | During the day, by Jack's command, the breastwork of blankets, which had been used above, had been increased in size by the boughs of adjacent dwarf-oaks and soil from the banks, making a sort of rampart, supported by the tent, in which sat the young girl. This fortifi- cation was about three feet in hight by seven or eight in length. Behind it stood the four com- rades, each with drawn knife, braced to receive the coming shock. Jack had taken particular pains to place him- self at such a point where he could render prompt assistance to Kate, in case she should require it, swelling with a warrior’s lofty pride in combat, and burning to meet the villains that had maltreated her. Beside him stood the colos- sal ee coolly drawing his finger along the edge of his keen knife. Next was Duncan, in an agony of nervousness and excitement, but wildly desiring the combat; and last was Simpson, quietly chewing his tobacco and keep- ing his eyes fixed upon the bank above, awaiting the attack. It came. Four burly forms appeared for a second on the brink, with four inflamed and ferocious faces glaring down upon the comrades; then the robbers plunged headlong on the ram- part below—it had come, hand to hand. The foremost robber was the lieutenant, Bill Moore, and, plunging down over the breast- work, fell heavil ee Pedro, who struck at him with his knife. Butas he did so his foot slipped, destroying his aim, and the burly form of Moore, like a colossal bird, struck him heav- ily, felling him to the ground. The shock, while it dazed Pedro for a moment, Was equally disadvantageous to his opponent, for his bended knee struck the barrier in his wild descent, doubling it under his body, and causing a thrill of intense pain to dart through his entire system. Had not this pain rendered him for the moment incapable of proceeding with his bloody design, in all probability Pedro would have been dispatched at once; however, both men recovered their faculties at near] the same instant, both lying on the ground, Pedro beneath. The latter’s first act was to glance hurriedly about for his knife. It had been struck from his hand by the shock, and was nowhere visible. He thought of his revolvers—he could not reach them; they being closely compressed between his body and that of the ranger. Moore saw his adversary’s entire lack of wea- pons, and raising his knife, aimed for a brief moment, then sent it on its errand of blood. But he had been too precise, too cool; for in the short space of time in which he had paused to rfect his aim, Pedro grasped his wrist with is powerful hand, and clutching it firmly, ar- rested the course of the knife. One hand being balked, the robber quickly shifted his knife to the other, hut was prevented in the same manner. A gleam of malevolency swe hig and about = een face, and his wicked little eyes peer own into Pedro’s which glowed hotly back. Now commenced the struggle. Pedro was the superior in point of strength and prowess, but he was forced to exert all his strength to im- prison his enemy’s arms. His adversary was also strong and active, and it required all the Spaniard’s power to confine the limbs which were twisting fiercely in wild attempts to tear themselves free; but Pedro was fully alive to the importance of keeping them confined, and he exerted all his powers in that procedure, But he was well aware tbe struggle could not last long, for he was wasting his strength, while his enemy was not; he knew his fingers, though feet. oe great muscle, must soun cramp, and en— He knew the result and changed his tactics. Watching his opportunity, he suddenly loosed his right hand, and as quickly slid it up and ped the knife, This act was wholly un- ooked-for by the bandit, and his grasp of the knife was slight in consequence of the compres- sion of his wrist; and with a violent effort, Pedro wrested the blade awav, He did not pause to search for the most vital place in which to strike—he knew the import- ance of striking quickly; and drawing back the trenchant blade he forced it into his adver- oe cheek. A cry of pain followed the blow, and in agony the robber clutched Pedro's throat, | fiercely, with his freed hand, But he soon loosened his grip, for Pedro, suddenly with- drawing his left hand, forced the robber’s head back, and with another and fiercer blow, he plunged the knife into the bronzed throat. The clutch on Pedro’s throat loosened, and | | 13 — An’ she bent her head down so he could kiss her!” said the guide, asif he did not expect, to be believed. ‘* Yes, sir, she did. I declar:.I’m *most beat out with sech goin’s-on,” Pedro smiled. ‘* Since he is in such good care, it will be bet- the blood dabbled upon his face as his enemy’s | ter for us to leave him alone, will it not?” head swayed, nodded, a film came over his eyes, | and gulping up large quset ne of blood, he rolled over on the ground dead. ‘‘Of course,” replied the guide. “I’m goin’ back on Cimarron Jack, sence he’s got to be sech a fool. Why, he’s dead gone—he is, for a Pedro arose, cast a look upon his prostrate, | fact.” vanquished foe, and abandoning the bloody knife, posses:ed himself of his own, which lay at a short distance. Then he was ready for another scuffle, for his blood was up. ~ A robber lay under the breastwork, cut and gashed about the face and breast, dead, Be- yond, leaning against the perpendicular bank, was a sturdy ruffian cutting and thrusting, closely set upon by Duncan and the guide. ‘¢ They've got him,” he thought, as he saw the robber was badly wounded, and was rapidly sinking; ‘‘ they don’t need me there—where are Cimarron Jack and Johns?” He heard a scuffling noise within the tent, and a piercing female scream rung out. He sprung toward the entrance; they were inside, these muscular, well-matched men, fighting with the full force of their fiery natures. He burst inside, and at a glance saw the situation was a desperate one for his friend, Prostrate in the further corner lay the young girl, shrieking with fear and wringing her anis. Over her stood Cimarron Jack, with uplifted knife, endeavoring to elnde a clubbed rifle which Johns was brandishing over his head. Jack had evidently been felled by that same weapon, for his head was laid open, and _ his face was streaming with blood. But drawn up like a bear at bay, with eyes flashing angrily he was endeavoring to avoid the brandished gun, and slip into the robber with his knife, But the latter bad every advantage. Stand- ing as far back as the small tent would permit him, he raised the heavy rifle, and swung it down with sweeping force upon his antagonist. Jack dodged and partially evaded the blow otherwise 1t would have slain him instantly: but the butt of the gun descended upon the side of his head, opening another and greater gash; and, helpless, the young giant fell senseless, The young girl shrieked again in terror. The muscular Spaniard darted forward, and roused to towering rage at seeing his companion bleed- ing on the ground, plunged his knife into the back of the bandit, who half-turning toppled and fell forward almost in Pedro’s arms, With a snort of rage the Don spurned the body from him, and rushed from the tent to aid his com- rades in their work. But, once outside he was confronted by Kit and Simpson. ‘The way is clear, here, pard,” the guide ex- plained, seeing Pedro’s fierce mood; ‘every one of the cusses is wiped out. Is Jack hurt?” he asked Ss ‘“ He’s badly hurt, but I think not dangerous- ly,” and Pedro explained the struggle. ‘ You know these cuts on the head soon heal and I should not be surprised if he was even now on his feet.” The guide passed by him and entered the tent, but soon returned. His face was grave, and his whole manner expressed the liveliest concern. Was Jack dead ? They noted his grave face, and feared he was the bearer of bad news, Taking each of them by the arm and placing himself p rss them, he led them some distance away, then halted, and said, in a semi-whisper: ‘¢She’s got his head in her lap, an’ she’s wipin’ the blood from his face, an’ she’s done up his head with her handkerchi’f, an’ she’s a-kissin’ of him in the face, an’ a-callin’ of him ‘ Dear John.’ Dead gone, my Christian friend—dead one,” ‘‘ What, dead—is he indeed dead?’ demanded Pedro, starting toward the tent. The guide shook his head, and detained him. _“*T see’d him cpen his eyes. an’ I see’d her kiss his hand, an’ he grinned, an’ she mussed him around, an’ kept a-callin’ of him ‘ Dear John, my preserver.’? An’ sez he, ‘I ain’t much hurt, love’ (jest twig that—love), and then she cried harder, and called of bim, ‘My hero, my aed o Dead gone, my Christian friend—dead “She didn’t say ‘Dead one, my Christian friend,’ did she? snapped neem: ‘*I never did see a feller so keerless in his talk.” The guide paid no attention to bim. a An’ when J] kim out she had her arms round him, like a bear, an’ a-whisperin’ in his ear, | | _—_ ,eor———————_ eee Acting upon Pedro’s motives of delicacy, they did not enter the tent, feeling satisfied that their comrade was not badly hurt. and that he was in a fair way for recovery. The corpses of the slain bandits filled them with disgust; and taking the ones that were scattered about, they conveyed them several furlongs down the ra- vine, and abandoned them to the fangs of the carnivorous animals, This done, the rampart was rebuilt in a more substantial manner; the rifles were reloaded, and Pedro went into the tent to withdraw the body of the bandit chief. Jack was asleep, with his head comfortably bandaged. Near him was his nurse, looking so. sweetly conscious that Pedro stared, ‘**T can see a wedding not far off,” slyly whis- red the sagacious veteran to himself; ‘‘and it is my opinion the expedition will cease here.” As he was drawing the body out of the en- trance he stumbled over his nugget, which was: lying in the door. As he picked it up, he utter- ed a cry of surprise, as he saw two initials cut fg a ee he had failed to perceive before He was grievously disappointed. He had been dreaming of unearthing vast wealth from the hill, only to be sorely tumbled from his cas- tle in the air. The initials proved the nugget to have been in the possession of another, and it might have been carried a thousand miles for aught he knew. He sighed, as his dream of gold vanished into nothingness, and was only consoled by the pos- session of the nugget, which might be of con- siderable value. The body of Johns was thrown among those of his criminal companions; Duncan, snarling and ey si satin busied himself in cooking a late dinner; and Pedro and the guide, lighting their pipes, began to smoke the intervening time away, keeping the hill summit under their gaze, awaiting the return of the absent rangers, which they expected every moment, n the mean time, Jack, while rapidly regain- ing his health, related his history to his fair and attentive nurse, who hovered over him in sweet; watchfalness. He had come from one of the oldest and wealthiest of South Carolina’s proud families. He had received a liberal education, and after graduating, had entered upon the ursuit which he was passionately fond of, and in which he gave high promise of future fame— paiine: But, with the susceptibility of genius.. e had become, a few years ago, enamored of a ipa Georgian beauty, who coqueted with him or a while, and then scornfully cast him off. This was more than his proud spirit could bear. Abandoning his family name (Worth- ington) for one less patrician, be had fled to the frontier, where he joined a py of emigrants en, route for Santa Fe. While on the Cimarron Fork, they were attacked by a large band of Indians and renegade whites, nt upon. plunder, He fought fiercely, scarcely se whether- he lived or died, and it was mainly due to his prowess that the plunderers were at last repuls-. ed, after a severe loss on both sides, The combat is known to this day by the name of ‘‘ The Battle of the Cimarron,” and here was bestowed on him the sobriquet of Cimarron Jack, a name which he bad in future borne, causing it to be known throughout the South- west. He had himself (he said, with a blush) con- tracted the habit of vaunting purposely, to kee his thoughts from wandering to the scornfu beauty he had left behind; but now he said, there was no longer any necessity for vaunts, for a single glance at her sweet face— The cook, poking his head inside to announce dinner, surprised the young giant in the act of imprinting an ardent kiss ypon tke hand of bis lovely nurse, and such was the modesty of Kate and the sheepishness of Jack, that some little time elapsed before they obeyed the summons, During dinner, Jack was the recipient of numberless congratulations upon his speedy re- covery, mingled with sly hints as to the pre- dominating cause, all of which Kate blushed boo