Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 707 — page 9: what you’re looking at

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

The Red Sombrero Rangers. to suddenly draw rein when a hundred feet away. Beciii his saddle he sprung, and then advanc- ed with quick step nearer. But he stopped suddenly, and instinctively took off his hat. His eyes bad fallen upon some of those who fad dwelt there in that once happy home, ‘There lay the form of the settler, dead, He had been torn from a sick bed and put to . death, Nor was this all, Near him lay the white-haired woman whom the youth had called grandma, The boy was calm now—too calm for one of his years, gazing upon such a scene as he now beheld, Over among a bed of flowers lay another form, and from the boy’s lips came the one word: 6 Sister J” She, too, was dead—a young girl just across the threshold of womanhood, and from her blonde hair a scalp-lock had been torn, as also from the heads of the other victims of the Comanches’ cruel vengeance, On, still further, the last one of the household was found—the settler’s wife. On tiptoe the boy went from dead to dead, his head uncovered, while only a moan would come from his pallid lips, Still further on, lying here and there, were several others, the slain people of the ranch, The Comanches had done their fiends’ work only too well, and few had escaped. The home of Captain Redfern the Ranger chief had been the first one the human tigers had struck, and from their hiding-place in the timber they had swooped down upon their vic- tims. Other settlers had been partially warned, but the red wave of horsemen had swept on, killing and burning as they went. And to the ears of the boy came the distant sound of fighting, the yells of the savages, the cheers of tre Rangers, And then down upon his knees amid the scene of ruin and death dropped the boy, while from his lips came a vow to claim lives tenfold for every one of those so dear to him whom the Co- manches had that night slain, And as he rose, perfectly calm now, a wild neigh was heard and a splendid horse came dash- ing toward him. ‘*My own good horse!” cried the boy exult- antly, and at his call the horse came toward him. It was but a few minutes’ work to throw his saddle and bridle upon him, and then away dashed Roy Redfern on the track of the Co- manches, CHAPTER XVII, A MYSTERIOUS WOMAN, Nerixt Burt, the driver of the coach whose terminus was Devil’s Ranch, in the mines of New Mexico, and his pard and alternate, Mexi- can Joe, bad a hard struggle to keep alive. They were both of them splendid drivers, fearless men, and they had a run to go over twice a week that few men would dare venture n. Devil's Ranch was as wicked a community as could be found upon the frontier, from the mouth of the Rio Grande to Salt Lake, and that was saying a great deal. There was more actual deviltry there to the square inch than most localities could show to the square mile of territories, Honest miners in the minority, alleged miners, and desperadoes of all kinds were there and death was a daily visitor to the place, This was the terminus of the coach run as I have said, and the trail ran eastward, via Fort Blanec, when there was a passenger or freight for that outpost, otherwise along a valley a couple of miles from it, and thus on to branch coach trails, or roads, There were road-agents along the way to hold up the coach and rob the passengers, and the trail was such a dangerous one in places that few cared to travel it by night, as the dan- ger of going over a precipice was about equal to being killed by outlaws, But Neil Burt and Mexican Joe drove it semi- weekly, and though often held up by Blue Jacket Bill and his band of outlaws, they con- _ tinued to go on their way in spite of the perils ney encountered, _Hort Blanco was a delightful post to be sta- tioned at, though its commandant had his hands full in looking after red-skins, the citizens of Devil’s Ranch aad Blue Jacket Bill and bis out- ws, One day the coach was bound westward, on its way to Devil’s Ranch, and Neil Burt was on the box, There was not a single passenger, and Neil was singing as he drove along. He had left the fort twenty miles away, and Devil’s Ranch was still twenty miles ahead, and it would be night before he reached there, The road here was not bad, rolling and tim- bered, and the idea of seeing other than a road- agent there never entered the mind of Neil Burt, and he was not expecting even an outlaw to show himself then, But could Neil Burt believe his eyes, when they suddenly beheld in the trail ahead a horse- woman? There she sat quietly upon her horse, a spir- ited jet-black animal, with silver-mounted bridle and saddle, and champing his bit like a thor- oughbred, The rider was dressed in deep black, wore a heavy sable vail, and gauntlet gloves of the same somber bue, Her form was upright, and slender, but par- tially bidden by the long vail which was too thick for Neil ‘Burt to penetrate, keen as were his eyes, As the coach drew near she heid her whip up as though for a signal to halt, Neil Burt would have done so anyhow, for she was right in the trail, while the appearance of a woman in that lone place so excited bis cu- riosity he would never have gone by without asking a few questions, ‘* Senor, I would like passage to Devil’s Ranch with you, if you please, and at your own terms,” she said, ina voice which Neil Burt afterward said was as sweet as a mocking-bird’s notes, She spoke in English but with the sweetest of accents, and Neil Burt at once doffed his scm- brero, and with a low bow said: ‘* With pleasure, miss, and 1’ll be honored if you will take a seat upon the box with me, though I have no inside passengers, should you wish to be alone,” and Neil Burt gave his reins a twist around his lamp and sprung to the ground, his sombrero still in hand, ‘¢ Thank you, senor, I will ride on the box with ou.” me I can hitch your horse alongside of my leader, lady, and—” ‘‘ Tpanks, but I will leave my horse here.” ‘* Leave him here, lady” ‘¢ Yes, senor.” She sprung to the ground as she spoke, un- buckled her belt and let fall her long riding skirt, which left her in a full dress of mourn- ng. This she threw over the horn of her saddle, after taking from where it hung a leather sachel. Throwing the reins over the horse she then patted her horse affectionately and mounted to the stage box with an ease that surprised Neil urt. ‘* Pll bitch your horse, lady.” ‘¢ No, senor, leave him where he is, please,” ‘* But it is thirty miles nearly to Devil's Ranch you may not know?” ‘¢-Yes, senor, my horse will take care of him- self.” Neil remounted to his seat, gave a glance at the horse and after making his passenger, whom he felt was beautiful, as comfortable as possible, he drove on. At a bend in the trail half a mile a away he suddenly looked back. There stood the horse just as he had been eft. “Well, this is a queer go alfround. ‘* ve got to find out who she is and what’s her game, or I’m no account as a pump.” So muttered Neil Burt as he gazed at his si- lent, vailed passenger, and began to meditate just. how he should open the conversation, for penehow he stood in awe of the Vailed Lady in lack, Just then to the surprise of the driver the pas- senger began the conversation by asking: ** Senor, do you know Blue Jacket Bill the out- law chief?” CHAPTER XVIII. A MYSTERIOUS ARRIVAL. ‘* WELL, yes, lady,” answered Neil Burt, ‘‘ I does know Blue Jacket Bill rather better than I'd like to, for he often meets me on my runs.” ‘* Describe the man, please?” ‘* That’s as hard to do, lady, as to describe you, for he goes masked as completely as you do,” Unheeding this reference to herself, the Vailed Woman asked: ‘Ts he a large or small man?” : ‘* Tall, splendidly formed, and as fierce as a tiger.” ** He has a large band, I believe?” ‘** Yes, lady.” ** It is not known who he is?” ‘* Not a soul that knows gives it away, lady.” ‘¢The New Mexico is your best hotel in Devil’s Ranch, is it not, senor? ‘* Tt is the best in this part of the country, lady, and Senor Du Val knows how to runa hash-house.” ‘**Ts he a Mexican?” ‘Well, he goes for a Mexican, lady; but, somehow, I think he’s an American, for he’s square clean through, will never pick a row, but is the last man to let go if they jump him, ‘Do you know a man in Devil’s Ranch by the name of Trent Baxter?” ‘*The Sharp from Texas, you means, lady” ‘** Yes, I belieye he also bears that name,” ** Hoe is also called the Gambler Sharp, for he plays the best game of keerds in the mines,” ‘You know him well, then?” ‘* As well as any man does, I guess, lady, and that is saying mighty little, for somehow the Sharp from Texas hain’t one to be intimate with any one, onless it be in a fight, and then he gits too durned familiar, begging your pardon, and ther’ hain’t a man in Devil’s Ranch that don’t feel a leetle awe of him but one, and he hain’t no man, nuther.” ‘* A woman, then?” ‘* No, lady, though he’s handsome as any wo- man I ever see.” ‘“ Who is he, then?” ‘* A boy, they say, for he don’t seem over eighteen, and yet he's man from boots to som- brero, and a dandy, too.” ‘* What did you say his name was?” “They calls him at the fort Redfern the Scout, and inthe mines he is known as the Gold Revolver Sharp, for he allers carries two gold- mounted weepons, and a bowie of the same, while he dresses as fine as a Mexican bull- fighter, and in Mexican togs, too,” ‘* He is a Mexican, then!” “If he is nobody knows it, lady, for be speaks Eaglish like the professor at Fort Blanco, and Spanish just as well,” ** What does he claim to he?” ‘* He makes no claim to be more than Redfern the Scout, and they do say he is the best in these parts, and Buckskin Sam, chief of trailers at the fort, says so himself, he included. ‘‘Then he’s the deadest of dead shots with those gold-mounted revolvers of bis, and when he goes fora man in Devil’s Ranch that wants to boss the community, he gets him, A ‘“The boy don’t know what fear is, for he earries about with him finery enough to tempt Blue Jacket Bill and his gang to kill bim, but, somehow, when he gits into a killing game it’s the t?other man turns up his toes,” ‘* Then he is a desperado$” ‘Not a bit of it, miss; only the cutest, hand- somest lad you ever seen, dressed in velvet and silk, and wearing gold spurs, and a red som- brero, which is embroided with gold thread, ‘‘He’s a boss dandy, is the Gold Revolver Sharp, lady, and when he plays cards, too, he wins the pile, though I have never seen him and the Sharp from Texas hitch yet, but I’m a- thinking that some day they may do so. ‘*Going to stay long in the Ranch, lady?” ‘*T do not know.” ‘*Maybe you is a Mexican lady, for I ob- serves you has a accent in your talking, though its mighty slight and most pleasing.” ‘Thank you, senor,” ard at the reply Neil Burt was sorry he had not halted after asking the question and left off the compliment, for it gave ber a chance to thank him instead of re- plying. But he opened fire again with: ‘*'You don’t scare easy to be alone in this country.” ‘‘T am able to protectmyself, senor,” was the quiet reply and Neil Burt sunk into silence, mut- tering to himself: ‘‘She beats my time, sart’in.” It was after dark when the lights of Devil’s Ranch came in sight, The vailed passenger gazed at them with déep interest, now and then asking a question, which Neil Burt promptly answered. ‘‘There’s the New Mexico Hotel, lady, and it’s lighted up big to-night,” he said, pointing to a ile of shanties in a group, several of them rising to the height of a second story and sur- rounded by piazzas. Soon after the coach drew up before the New Mexico, and Senor Du Val the landlord advanced and met his lady guest, though with an inquir- ing look at Neil, for it was a very remarkable thing to see a woman in Devil’s Ranch,