Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 617 — page 9: what you’re looking at

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

- as his attire and equipment were of a different kina. Yet his companion was attired in buckskin and was doubtless a guide, ‘“Whoever they are they Bravo!” The exclamation of Colonel Linville was caused by seeing the best mounted horseman suddenly draw rein, raise his rifle and fire, while one of the pursuers fall from the saddle. Then again they set off in full flight, while their enemies came toa halt, and seeing the cavalry dash out of the stockade, turned about and sped away at a rapid run, While the two fugitives came on toward the stockade, at a more leisurely pace, the troopers continued on after their pursuers, though it was evident that darkness would soon hide them from view. Just at twilight the two men rode into the fort, cool and thoroughly undisturbed by the ea chase which they had just bad for their i11Vves, Riding up to the colonel’s quarters one of the horsemen dismounted, and bowed politely, while the old officer advanced to meet him, He was a man of striking appearance in face and form, for the latter was tall, slender, grace- ful, and yet indicative of great strength and en- durance; the former was possessed of almost feminine beauty, for the eyes were large, lust- rous, and restless, while every feature seemed perfectly molded. It was a face that some would love, some would fear, and all admire. Darkly bronzed by exposure to the warm sun, and with gold-brown hair, and long, silken mus- tache of the same hue, while his attire wasa corduroy hunting-suit, with cavalry boots and sombrero, he certainly could not but elicit ad- mniration from Colonel Linville, who most warm- ly welcomed him, saying in his frank tones: ‘* You made a gallant charge upon us, sir; but you are welcome.” ‘‘Thank you, sir. Do I address Colonel Lin- ville?” said the stranger in an easy manner. ‘* You do, sir, and you are—” ‘* This letter will explain,” Colonel Linville said abruptly. ‘‘ Be seated, pray,” and he broke the seal, It was from an old army friend, one who bad been in command in New Mexico, but who had been lately promoted and ordered North, It read: show erve— 9 ‘Santa I's, June 10, **My Dear LINVILLE:— The bearer, Mr.Rodney Radcliffe,is my particular friend and as he visits your territory [give him afew lines to you. Mr. Radcliffe comes of good stock, is a young man of wealth, and his father being largely interested in the Santa Fe trade, his son has Come tothe Southwest to superintend the business, and at the same time enjoy wild life on the plains.” Seeing that the remainder of the letter re- ferred to other matters, Colonel Linville said, pleasantly: ‘Mr. Radcliffe, 1am delighted to know you, sir. The hospitalities of my frontier home are at your service. Come, you must be fatigued, so I will show you yourroom, This is your guide, I suppose?” ‘‘ Yes, sir; he has been with me ever since I have been in the Southwest.” ‘¢ He shall be well looked after,” and the hos- pitable old colonel showed his guest into a com fortable room, and then departed to attend to duties devolving upon him about the fort, Making a hasty toilet, Rodney Radcliffe went into the little parlor of the cabin, to behold at the open window, gazing dreamily forth upon the river, darkening under the approach of night, Kate Linville. he eyes of the two met, and with a sudden cry, the maiden sprung to her feet, her face as pale as death. ‘‘ Rodney Radcliffe! You here ?” ‘Yes, Kate, Iam bere. Do you wonder that I have come to seek you?” said the man, in soft, earnest tones, ‘‘T had hoped that we would never meet ag a our paths had forever divided in life. ‘Yet it was not tobe so; we meet again, and—” ‘‘ And what, Mr, Radcliffe?” ‘IT was going to say that I hoped we would not have to part again.” ‘Your hope is vain, sir. We can never be more to each other than we are now. ‘The past, with its bitter memories to me, I ignore; let them rest as they are. You are here as my father’s guest, and I will be happy to treat you assuch. Nay, more, I will tell my father that we have met before—that I knew you when I Ralph, the Death-Shot 2 ee SS een OE EE eee was a young and very foolish, school-girl; but, though we may appeur as friends to others, you and I, Rodney Radcliffe, will understand that even friends we can never be,” ‘‘ Ts this your decision, Kate?” ‘‘T am Miss Linville to you, as to others, Mr. Radcliffe.” ‘Ts this your decision, Miss Linville?” "56 ia” ‘‘ Very well; I will abide by it. But here comes your father. Ah! colonel, in your fair daughter I find an old friend—a schoolmate of my pet sister, Florence.” ‘Indeed! 1am glad to know it, for you will be company to each other in this lonely outpost, as long as you will honor us with your society, Mr. Radcliffe; but come, supper is on the teble, and 1 doubt not but that your chase has given you a good appetite; yet Iam sorry to say that my troopers have returned, unable to come up with your pursuers,” and the colonel led the way in to the supper-table, while Kate tried hard to stop the tremor of her lip, and call back the color to her face, blanched by some dread memory of the past, which the sight of her father’s guest had recalled. As for Rodney Radcliffe, he was wholly at his ease, talked well, was witty, and the colonel voted him too good a fellow to be out of the army. CHAPTER XIV. BROUGHT TO BAY, THE position in which Kate Linville last saw Death Trailer, was indeed a most perilous one, for he had bounded away along the ridge, as soon as he saw the maiden out of danger, and had run full upon a small party sent to flank his former position, But he was equal to the emergency, and_ with a revolver in either hand, he rang out the death- knell of more than one of his assailants, who were momentarily checked. Taking advantage of their hesitation, Death Trailer fired again in the facesof his foes and bounded into the thicket with the speed of a deer. Instantly half a dozen shots rattled after him and he staggered and fell, wounded in the head and leg. At the same instant three of bis enemies rushed forward and threw themselves upon bim, But with the strength of a giant the wounded scout arose to his feet, and hurled them off, and with drawn knife and flasbing eyes stood at bay. Surprised by his determined courage, the three outlaws hesitated, and thus the defier and defied stood in silence, until there came a sound of hoofs, and a ringing voice cried out: ‘*Hurl yourselves upon him, men; but take bim alive.” It was the Bravo Chief who ordered, yet his men were not quick enough to obey, for with the spring of a tiger the scout was upon them; bis knife gleamed quickly, and descending with savage force, sought the life of an outlaw. Raising the stricken man in his strong arms, Death Trailer threw bim with herculean force upon his two advancing comrades, and the blow und weight carried them to the ground. Instantly he bounded away, and dodging into re thicket, ran along with the speed of a race- orse. Wounded, bleeding, hard-pressed, the scout bounded on, the yells of his pursuers close be- hind him, their rifles cracking at every sight they caught of their foe, for though the Bravo Chief was most anxious to take Death Trailer alive, he still preferred him dead, rather than not at all. Suddenly the scout cametoahalt. A wide ravine was in his path, It was beyond the ower of mortal to clear it, and Death Trailer felt that the time for a death-struggle bad come, for his pursuers were nota bundred yards be- hind him. No, a gleam of hope shot through his heart— kis lasso slung at bis back, and asmall tree stood on the edge of the ravine. In an instant the lasso was around the tree, and the scout swung himself down into the ravine by the double line, which he at once pulled after him, and again bounded away, just as his pursuers drew rein at the great open rift. Dismounting, they beheld the brave foe rush- ing down the gulch with the speed of a deer and instantly their rifles rattled after him, their bul- lets cutting up the dirt all around him, and ‘one inflicting a slight wound in his shoulder, Maddened by the wound Death Trailer turned uickly, dropped upon cne knee, and his rifle ashed back in retaliation. A yell of triumph burst from his lips as he be- 7 *e Scout. memuzin lL CY LLL CL AAA LN ~_—_—o —_— —— a 9 held the effect of his quick shot—an outlaw fall- ing headlong into the ravine. Then again the scout sped on, while his pursu- ers, as if more determined than ever to take him, turned down the side of the ravine in the hopes of heading him off. It then became a mad, hot chase, and nobly did the brave scout settle to his work, for he felt if he could get out of the gulch, and dart into some thicket on the hillside, he might yet escape. Harder and harder he pressed forward, while his face grew purple with his almost superhuman exertions, and his breath came quick and hard through, his parched lips. Any other man, almost, would have yielded, unable to do more; but Death Trailer was made of sterner stuff, and was determined to press on as long as he had power to place one foot before the other—then he would stand at bay and fight it out to the bitter end—if his foes triumphed, he would die with a deadly record to leave be- hind bim., Presently he reached the mouth of the ravine, and bebeld before him en open space of several hundred yards to the bills. ‘‘ Once there and I am safe!” he cried, and on he rushed, while behind him came his pursuers, six in number. ‘“Tll turn and send one after the Bravo Chief!” he hissed fiercely, and he was in an in- stant on his knees, rifle raised. But the Bravo Chief was not among his pur- suers; he had doubtless gone off on the hunt for fairer game, when he believed the capture of Death Trailer certain. But the rifle flashed out nevertheless, and a aes went down, hurling his rider far over his nead. Instantly five rifles poured ina fire upon the daring fugitive, but mounted as they were, and with the scout also moving, the aim was bad, and the bullets whistled harmlessly by. But in the halt of the scout the outlaws had gained on their foe, and with yells drove their spurs into their horses, for Death Trailer was yet three hundred yards from the hillside, and they but one-third of that distance behind, There was every hope of their overtaking him, for his long run was tellipg upon bim badly. Anda none realized this more than the scout himself, and he nerved himself to the shock that he felt must come, and had no idea of de- spairing—oh, no, he had met worse odds than five to one before, and conquered them, But the steep hillside, with the tbick under- brush, into which no horseman could penetrate, loomed up before him, and he determined to make another grand struggle to reach it, Twisting his knife in his belt, and shutting his teeth hard, he bounded forward with renewed and wonderful speed, and for an instant fairly gained upon his enemies: but suddenly a dizzi- ness caused bim to stagger, his brain seemed on | fire, his head was whirling, ond his heart seemed bursting: be could go no further. Yet, still determined to struggle for life, he . wheeled toward his foes, a wild cry esceped his lips, and he essayed to use his revolvers, But then a darkness swept upon bim; he stag- gered; his weapons dropped from his nerveless hands and he sunk upon the ground—his ears deaf to the cries of the outlaws as they spurred madly forward toward their prey. CHAPTER XV, THE RED LILY. On dashed the triumpbant outlaws toward the fallen scout, their yells echoing among the hills, as they drew rein over their unconscious foe, and quickly dismounted, But as the foremost outlaw bent over his fallen enemy, there came two sharp reports from the thicket on the billside, and a man and a steed went down. At tha same moment a horseman dashed out from the shadow of the hill, and in dismay the surprised and frightened outlaws turned and fied, leaving one of their number dead upon the field. The horseman who had ridden out in full view was quickly followed by a borsewoman, and @ glance was sufficient to recognize the Red Lily of the Comanches, and the Prairie Wolf. Quickly they rode up to where the Scout lay, and while the Red Lily bent over him, with anxiety in her beautiful face, Prairie Wolf neatly took off the scalp of the dead outlaw, and possessed himself of his firearms. “The great white chief is not gone to the happy hunting-grounds—be lives,” said the ts Parl placing her hand upon the scout’s ea COr cboo