Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 59 — page 9: what you’re looking at

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

sably gg as though at some time it had n the of a mountain torrent. Pandy Ellis noted this fact and many more, for nothing seemed to escape his sharp eyes. _ After five minutes more of climbing, they came toa spot where the ground presented an admirable spot for astand, as several bowlders would afford excellent shelter should the Indians take it upon themselves to use their Above this point one of the walls sloped a iittle, and << scaled by vigorous climbers, but below it, down tothe very prairie, the sides of the pass were almost perpendicular. -Pandy determined to make a stand here, as the Indians must not come above this point, if the tone plan he had in his h was to work. Just as they were ensconcing themselves be- hind these bowlders, a sharp whistle rent the air a little distance above them. It was the si Pandy had directed the soldier to give when he found a place where the horses could leave the canyon, and it informed the old ranger that he had reached such a point. Jack Holmes and Roaring Ralph were dis- ed upward with the tired animals, while 6 rest, having reloaded all of their weapons, lay in wait for the red-skins, like so many ders watching for flies, only in this instance the flies were seeking the lives of the spiders. The two hunters had little difficulty in mak- ing their way upward, so far as the nature of the d was concerned, but the darkness ing like a pall upon the face of nature threatened to hinder them a little. Above the point where the the fugitives were lying in’ wait, the walls began to assume the ce of banks more and more with eve p, and as there was little danger of their ‘meeting any obstacle, the two rangers urged the horses forward. In a few minutes the major’s cheery voice was heard calling to them from the left bank, and u trial, it was found that, by taking advan of the lightning-flashes that came faster every minute, they could see well enough to lead the horses to the top of the bank where the soldier stood. They found several trees there to which the animals were secured, and then the two commenced to make their way down to their companions again. “Looks like we’re going to have a rain-storm,”’ ventured Jack at length. ‘*Painters an’ powder-horns! so it do now. Pve been lookin’ at the sky for some time back an’ I reckon we're going to be flooded right outen hyar. Thet canyon below thar will be a regular sluice. I wonder if Pandy thort o’ thet? 'Tw’u’d be jist like him. Yes siree, you'll see sum fun w’en thet rain comes, Jack. Reminds me o’ the old times in the Colorado canyon, it do now. Thet lightnin’ air parfectly blindin’.” Bang! went a rifle at this instant, the echoes rumbling along the mountains, until the growl of the distant thunder drowned them. “The fun’s commenced. Let’s get down in time to lend a hand,” cried Jack. While the two are descending the canyon as fast as the darkness will permit, we will return once more to those whom we left lying in am- bush among the rocks. After their two friends had departed with the horses, Pandy and his four companions selected certain of the bowlders and ensconced them- selves behind them, lying in wait for the enemy. With every fleeting second the gloom seemed to goer around them more intensely, until even the outlines of the canyon walls were merged in the general darkness. “Tm mighty much afraid we won't be able to see ’em when the time comes,” Rocky Moun- tain Joe remarked at length. ‘Don’t fret, Joey. They won’t be hyar fur a leetle w’ile, ’cause the’r feelin’ the’r way, ye see. By ther time they cum, I think we'll hev illuminashun enuff, ‘less my kalkerlashun air lop-sided. Keep yer eyes peeled fur a torch from heaven,” adjured wise old Pandy Ellis. Sure enough, the lightning was playing fast- er and with a far greater brilliancy than when he last thought fit to notice it. almost one continuous glare, and the distant rumble of thunder proclaimed that the storm was at length approaching. Like so many ter forms the five men crouched behind their separate rocks, and while the heavenly fireworks continued, waited for the turn of events, CHAPTER XII. C ey ere — aor ae RACK e sharp re of o y’s ri- fle boomed out upon the night air. He had caught a glimpse of a painted face, as the war- — —-—- —-—_ Soon it seemed: Old Hickory. - ee CS SS ~~ a ae we —— ee rior red around the rocks, and Betsy Jane, the old rifle so lately rescued from the hands of the cache thief, Spotted Coyote, gave the ven- turesome red-skin his quietus. As the death-yell of the Sioux brave pealed out, the ranger quietly exchanged the dis- charged rifle for his new-fangled affair, which was pleasing him highly with its working, al- though he could not quite get over his old-time prejudice against anything that threatened the annihilation of his favorite. The five men were in readiness for an imme- diate assault, but none came. They could hear the Indians calling to each other in the narrow canyon, but not aman came in sight. Matters were still in thisshape when Roaring Ralph and Jack Holmes joined them. The old reckless ranger was deeply disappointed when he found that there was not to be a terrific combat. ‘*Shoot me fur a greaser, 1 kim down here like a Aiea, 8 steam ingine so as ter be on hand, an’ now they jest wanter lie down an’ do nothing. May I be chawed up by a alligator, an’ roasted on the end 0’ a two-pronged pitch- fork if I stand it. I’m a rearin’, tearin’ thun- derbolt from the Colorado canyon, that’s me, Roarin’ Ralph Sedunk Rockwood, you bet; an’ if sumpin’ don’t stir them reds up in the ma 0’ five minutes I’m goin’ down thar myself wi’ a stick. Ye hear me now?’ He was known to be a perfect dare-devil, and had any one of those present ventured to ques- tion his willingness to do just as he said, there can be no doubt but what he would have put his threat into execution. Pandy however laid a hand on his arm. ‘* Keep quiet, ole man,” said he, ‘‘ an — see them pesky reds stirred up like as if a hornet’s nest had been throwedin among’em. Thar’sa greater power than ours gittin’ ready ter sweep ’em ter eternity ef they ain’t mighty spry. Lis- ten ter that, now!” A sullen roar that gradually increased to a booming sound. Heaven’s artillery was at work; the storm was at hand. ‘‘ Beavers an’ barnacles! ye’re right, Pandy Ellis. Thar’s goin’ ter be sum lively times for them reds unless they skedaddle purty quick. I'd give sumpin’ ter be sumwhar so that 1 c’u’d see ‘em,” declared Roaring Ralph. ‘*Cum, boyees, we must make a sorter retreat ter whar ther major air, ‘less we wanter run ther danger o’ being caught ourselves. We'll wait hyar, tho’, till she begins ter run powerful like, P on ther bank wi’ ye, an’ hunt w’at shelter ther air, but keep an eye out fur ther . They hev a plan o’ ther own, an’ hope we'll run at ther fu’st sprinkle, so they kin crawl up hyar, Ef they wait that long, they’ll git it sure. ‘“* Here she comes,” cried Blue Beans. ‘““Mustangs an’ Mexikins! what a douser it air! Hold on fur life, boyees, if ye don’t wanter git swept away. Them pore reds, how I does pity ’em,” laughed Rockwood. he storm was upon them. Such a deluge the rangers never saw before. The rain seemed to come down in perfect sheets, and in ten seconds, as it seemed, the ground was soaked, while little streams began to flow down the bank, all of them moving toward the can- yon. A continuous flash of lightning seemed to il- luminate the scene, and the friends could see the Indians wading up the torrent which in this almost incredible space of time, had formed in the and was already knee-deep. The sharp detonations of the western rifles sounded the death-knell of some of the leading ones, and the rest, as if realizing that to come above the bend was to rush upon their doom, retreated precipitously out of sight. Onward swept the mountain torrent with rapidly increasing depth. Every ten seconds brought it a foot or so higher, as fresh streams rushed into this common channel. The canyon up which they had so recently come was now occupied by a rushing, boiling, foaming, roaring, seething mass of an yel- low water, that sped down the steep inclined plane with a fury that was awful to contem- plate, and which constantly increased as the seconds _ by. Just after discharging their arms, the hunters heard the cries of the now-terrified brutes as, plunging through the water, they began to make their descent to the plain far below. With every yard their pro became more difficult, for the caldron of waters seemed to grow in point of size miraculously. mee ad known their danger, and while Buffalo Horn and a portion of this braves had hastened to descend, when it became evident that they were speedily to have a terrible storm, SS SS EES ae LT ST 9 the remainder had stayed where they were. These were for the most part, young braves, who, headstrong as all persons to whom age a not taught wisdom, thought they knew There was a little trick they would work, and surprise their elders. When the storm broke the enemy would hasten to rer of shelter, leaving the way open for them to reach the bank above before the torrent gained any mate- rial depth. A very wise little plan indeed, but unfortunately, like many others, it was doomed to be frustrated. The young braves did not know the mettle of old prairie rangers. How the scheme succeeded, the reader has al- ready seen. The Indians had placed themselves in a death-trap, and it seemed as if not one of them would escape alive. There were a dozen who started the descent after the rifle-crack and hurtling bullets had warned them that there was no hope of reaching the sloping bank above. Before two minutes had passed away the water was above their knees, and rising rapidly. Such was its force, that they could hardly keep erect. The lightning played vividly, and lighted u the narrow pass. In despair they glared aroun them for some spot where they could pull them- selves up out of the reach of the an waters but not a crevice could they see; on either hand the high walls stretched up almost to the black thunder-clouds as it seemed, presenting an un- oo face, as if they had been smooth mar- e. The end was inevitable. One or two war- riors, brave at the last, finding that their doom was sealed, faced the an flood and settled down to resist it, but nothing human could stand before such a mighty rush of water, and they were speedily whirled down through the death canyon, their last shrieks being drowned by the roar of the yellow avalanche. Buffalo Horn and his warriors had just reach- ed the plain when the water began to run out of the canyon. Unmindful of the rain they stood and watched, fearing the worst. Soon the yellow flood grew into immense pro- portions, and upon reaching the level land, rushed out twenty yards and more churned into foam, before it spread. Not one of those twelve braves was ever seen alive. A human form was washed to the very feet of the chief. He stooped down and examined the Sioux. He was badly mangled, but it was from con- tact with the rocks, and not the weapons of the white men. Nothing more was needed to tell the at chief what had happened, and there would be much mourning in the village over the rash young braves who were not. The end was not yet. Buffalo Horn thought that he had seen the last of the white hunters who had wrought so much harm on him and his, but in this he was mistaken, as subsequent events will prove. Pandy Ellis and his six friends s in the rain, watching the pass as well as they could by the glare of the lightning. When the fact be- came positive that no red-skin could make his way up — the stormy water that rushed through the canyon asif it had been a sluice- way, they began to think it was time to seek shelter. _ It was hard work me at all in the drench- ing rain, but need managed to find an overhang- ing rock where they stood until the deluge came down less heavily. Then they clim the mountain, under the direction of Jack Holmes and Roaring Ralph, who guided them to where the young soldier and May Hasly were. They found them in a cleft where they were screened from the fury of the rain. In this place they also ensconced themselves, and although soak- ing wet, yet they were in good spirits. Roar- ing Ralph particularly so. He could not get over the catastrophe that had befallen the war- like Sioux. ‘Tie me up in a blanket, less I go ter pieces a-laughin’, but thet war an all-powerful event. Just fancy them reds a-comin’ ~ the canyon as bold as larks, an’ then, how slick they went back again! I'd Slings sumpin’ to hev seen the ole chief Buffalo Horn agoin’ down like as if he war sailin’ for the infernal regions. Hoopee! Pll never get over it. Thar, I’m off ag’in,” and if to shake all over like a bow] of jelly, meant being ‘‘off,” the reckless ranger was certainly in that condition. They had heard the stentorian tones of the at war-chief above the rumbling thunder, a ew minutes before the storm broke and had taken it for granted that Buffalo Horn had made the ride with the rest of the ill-fated red- men, not having been able to distinguish what he said. Eomichbooks G (E(0)