Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 66 — page 3: what you’re looking at

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

| : | —_>-— ‘‘The girl must be hidden,” whispered Jack. ‘‘Tf them cusses strike our trail, they will fol- low like hounds on a scent. I know their natur’, and it is p’izen to think how mean they can be. Meanness is their natural gait. It just suits them.” Lifting Lillian in his arms again, he began to search for a hiding-place. He found it at last— a sort of natural cavityin the faceof the ra- vine, so overhung with bushes and vines as to completely conceal it from view. Telling her to remain quict, and on no account to move un- less she heard her name called, he hurried back to the spot where the boy was still watching for the coming of the Indians, who a in the same position, conversing eagerly, and pointing now and then to the south. Ata glance Jack had recognized the man who had led them, ‘* Single Hand,” a redoubted chief of the Co- manches, a man who was known and feared for years along the Texan borders. He alone was mounted, a man of gigantic mold, with a face cut like a Roman cameo, a nose hooked like the beak of a vulture, and black eyes full of savage fire. The Western annais are full of tales of his prowess and savage deeds. He had dared to ride at the head of a thousand warriors through the streets of a Mexican city of forty thousand inhabitants, slaying as he went, and carrying off almost in ulable spoils. He had taken his share in a hundred fights with the rangers, and many a Texan family had cause to remem- ber his name with sorrow. His dark hair, un polluted by knife or shears, fell to his saddle, and upon his stately head he wore a tiara of many-colored feathers, giving him a strangely- picturesque appearance. But this man, perfect m tab” other respect physically, had one de- fect. He had but one hand, and from this cir- cumstance derived his name. Where his left hand should have been there was notbing except around, bony protuberance, shaped somewhat Like the head of an adder. He wore the peculiar dress of the Comanche chief, and over all was cast a gaudy serape, probably taken from some unfortunate Mexican who |:id crossed his track. ‘*T don’t like the loo!x of tuis, Fred,” whisper- ed Jack. ‘I don’t think we are game to take care of twenty Comanche with Single Hand at their head. Why don’t the mean cusses go on about their business, blast ’em?’ At this moment one of the younger warriors approached Single Hand and said something to him, pointing to the prairie not far away. ‘Bet you forty dollars he sees our trail,” groaned Jack. ‘‘See here; we’ve got to shin out of Galilee, mighty quick, or we are done for. Lead the hosses back to the edge of the ravine and take off the lariats at the place where we went down.” Ned hurried back at once and Jack: remained to watch. He saw that the Indians were scat- tered over the plain, studying the fresh trail, and from time to time pointing to the chaparral. At last, seeming to make up their minds, they made a sudden dash for the thicket—so quickly, indeed, that it was with the utmost difficulty Jack got back in time toavoid them. He found that Ned understood him and had already hung the lariats over the cliff and was waiting for him. ‘Down with you, my lad,” cried Jack. ** Here they come, devil bent for election. Take your rifle.’ They “slung” their rifles, pistols and ammu- nition, and slid down the rope into the tree and from thence to the ground, and found a cave which commanded the verge of the fissure, where they were out of sight. They had not done this a moment too soon, and their horses, which had fled at the approach of the Indians were hardly out of sight, when the tufted hea of a Comanche warrior appeared looking down into the ravine. ‘The white men are not birds to fly through the air,” said a commanding voice, speaking in the Comanche tongue. They are hidden somewhere. Let my young men look for them, for we have been long upon the plains and have not taken one American scalp.” They could hear the Indians hurrying to and fro above them, and feared that they might dis- cover the hiding place of Lillian. But, from the place where they ercuched, they could see that the hanging vines and bushes which con- ed her were as yet undisturbed. “The little ’un is smart, she is,” whispered Jack. ‘If they don’t find her, we can take our Te Ha! the red nigger has found the la- riat! It was but too true. The means of their de- scent was revealed, for it had been impossible for them to move it after going down. A wild ell from the Comanches announced their de- ight at the discovery. —— eee Cee nn Et Single Hand. CHAPTER ITI. HIDE AND SEEK. LILLIAN remained snugly ensconced in the | nook in which she had been placed by the cau- _and Jack Evans were finished marksmen, and | | _ tious ranger, listening with bated breath to the cries of the savages, and quaking with terror every time the footsteps came near her in the progress of the search. She had seen her two strange friends descend the ravine and knew that, for the present, they were safe, but was ‘ieved that the desire to be of service to her iad brought themintodanger. She approached the opening and peered out without. moving the leaves but could not see them, although the movement brought the lariat by which they had descended into view, and showed her that an Indian had already commenced the descent and that others were waiting to follow. ‘Are they blind or have they found some way of escape, that they make no sign?’ she muttered. ‘The idea was no sooner formed than it was answered, for the sudden discharge of two rifles, so nearly at the same moment that it seemed like one report, sounded throngh the len. The savage upon the rope released his old and fell into the ravine with a loud crash os the branches broke beneath him, and another who stood upon the cliff fell dead in his tracks. This sudden attack surprised the Indians, who at once dropped behind the rocks, while a hoarse ery of triumph came from below. A strange battle now commenced about the ravine. The moment the two besieged men had fired they shifted their ground a little, while the bullets and arrows of the Indians rattled through the Jeaves into the spot over which the smoke of the rifles arose. They lay sheltered beneath a great pine, the trailing branches of which swept the ground, and whenever an In- dian dared show his head above the ledge it be- came the mark of a bullet. Both Ned Clayton were not likely to miss their aim at that dis- tance, and they soon made this evident to the Indians, who had four killed and as many wounded when they withdrew to consult. ‘*They’ll make it warm for us yet, Ned,” said Jack, ina low tone. ‘‘ We must shin out of this somehow. ** And leave Lilian!” cried Ned, indignantly. ‘“*T’ll never do it.” “Can't we come back, you obstrepelous young varmint?” whispered Jack. ‘I ain’t more likely to leave her you are.” ‘All right; don’t let your angry passions rise, Jack, for I’m sure I did not mean an harm, so lead the way. But, hold on; we ought to give her some kind of a signal to show her that we mean to come back.” *Can’t be done, boy; she will stay until we return; you may bet on that. Come on.” There was little time to lose, for already half a dozen lariats were hanging over the sides of the ravine, and the Indians were preparing to descend. Stooping low and keeping under the shadow of the gloomy piles, they darted away up the ravine, moving cautiously, thoug swiftly. The bottom of the ravine was of the hardest rock, and to trail them would be im- ossible. For half a mile there was no break in he guich-wall, but at last they reached a place where an irregular cleft ran upward upon the side opposite the cavity in which Lilian lay concealed. They climbed up hastily and reach- ed the top, and at once turned back toward the place which they had just left, keeping out of sight behind the bushes. The frantic cries which they heard below them, convinced them that the Indians were again at fault. Looking into the ravine, Ned saw them hurrying wildly about, seeking vainly for some trace of the fu- gitives, ‘They'll have to give it up, Jack,” chuckled the boy. “ If we only had Lillian with us now, we could leave them alone in their glory.” ‘1 didn’t like to risk it,” said J oak Evans. ‘They are mean cusses, and the gal is perfectly safe where I left her if she don’t get impatient and show herself before the time. Keep dark, now; them Kimanche would start at the rustle of a leaf.” They stole on cautiously, and reached the point at which they aimed, just opposite the hiding- lace of Lillian. Here they found a shelter and ay downto watch. From this cover they could see that only eight or ten of the sav had gone into the ravine, and that the rest were standing in a group above the immovable are of Sin glo Hand, upon the verge of the cleft, watching the proceedings of their companions below, with intense interest. One of the savages in hissearch happened to near the face of the rock which was the hiding- place of Lillian. He paused suddenly and pick- —- ee - a — be mf p ] h s 3 ed up something which lay upon the earth, and looked at it closely. It was nothing excepta small twig, ete with green leaves, but these readers of nature become perfect in their art by studying the trivialities which others would pass by in contempt. \ Where did the twig come from? It was green, had not been broken from the parent stem more than half an hour. How then did it come here, since none of his companions had passed the spot? These were the questions which forced themselves upon the mind of the savage. He stepped back a pace or two, intently examining the face of the cliff for a solution of the ques- tion, and his eye brightened as it lighted upon the bushes which hung over Lillian’s place of concealment, for he saw that other twigs were bent and broken and that some had been ar- ranged in too artistic a manner. An Indian does not readily follow a false scent, nor does he like to raise a false alarm, lest he incur the ridicule of his companions. This man was an old warrior, and had much to lose if he misled his come, so he threw down the twig and walked deliberately back to one of the lariats which hung over the cliff, and commenced the ascent. ‘* Now what is that red thief after?’ whisper- ed Jack, who had been watching his movements, uneasily, for some moments, ‘‘He means mis- chief, l am afraid.” ‘Shall I give it to him?’ demanded Ned, eager- ly throwing forward his rifle. ‘* No, hold on,” replied Jack. ‘‘I don’t want to let them know that we are here until we are forced te do it. Let him go up.” It would have been better if Ned had followed his first impulse, for the man did mean mischief. He struggled to the top of the cliff and was or te up by those who remained with the chief, “Why does Nemona come here?” said Single Hand. “ Has he seen something from below?’ ‘‘Nemona has seen something,” replied the warrior. ‘‘He does not know whether it is a good sign or a false one, but will go and see.” Fe stalked away alone, and a moment after- ward appeared upon the summit of the cliff, directly above the spot where Lillian lay. Then Jack Evans saw too late that he had been wrone in suffering the Indian to escape so long, and as he bent down to thrust aside the bushes, the ranger raised his rifle and fired, and Nemona, ng a cry, fell from his perch into the ravine ow. ‘* That comes of being too cussed inquisitive,” roared Jack. ‘Give it to the others, my boy.” Ned fired, and had the satisfaction of creating a decided disturbance in the group about Single Hand. One man dropped in his tracks, shot through the heart, and the bullet passing com- letely through his body, wounded the great chief slightly in the wrist. In an instant the place was deserted, not an Indian remaining in sight, either upon the cliff or in the ravine be- ow, “We'll guard that spot,” cried Jack, ‘ Lev me see the red nigger that dares to put a finger upon those bushes while I am here to watch.” The Indians down in the ravine were in a tight place. They had the highest respect fcr the aim of the rangers, and knew that it wow be very unhealthy for them to show hand or foot while the whites were on the watch, It was an -awkward predicament, and Single Hand began to be very doubtful whether any thing was to be made out of this obstinately valiant pair. Tho two had reloaded their rifles and were on the watch for any second attempt to approach Lillian’s hiding-place. Single and was acute enough to see that something was concealed near the spot where Nemona had met his fate which the rangers desired to defend, and he was equally determined to find what this hid- dén treasure might be. Creeping up to the edge of the ravine, he shouted an order to his men below in the Indian tongue, and Jack Evans be- gan to look blue. ‘(We have got to git,” he said. hear what he said?’ “Don’t know the Comanche tongue,” replied Ned. ‘‘ What did he say?’ ‘‘ He ordered them to go up the ravine, find a place to climb up, and take us in the rear.” ‘‘Don’t let us run, for God’s sake, Jack,” pleaded Ned. ‘I can’t leave her that way.” ‘We'll only get chawed up if we stay,” said Jack. ‘Let me think it over. Ihave it—come with me.” He slung his rifle and darted into the chapar- ral, closely followed by Ned Clayton, and mak- ne a circuit, approached the cleft where they come up from the ravine. Here they lay ** Did you JOO mM ‘cS (E(0) Cc (E(0)