Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 725 — page 11: what you’re looking at

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

i ae aS ie 7% 2 . ~ - > vi a is rs 7 iy " | ’ on ‘4 --* ud > ‘ ‘ J ' % * ore « " en yer © = = 4 - mae | | Daring’ Dick Pawnee Bill’s Pard. ladies na lace lp eens ee st gl rap nr ca ce a ile teen cl econ iin tara pian ahead 11 that something was wrong, so went out to the te to meet him, * Well, Buckskin Charlie, you ride as though you had bad news,” ‘*T have, sir.” ‘* Ah! Comanches on the war-path?” ‘No, sir, but do you see Dick’s horse yonder?” ‘* Yes,” ‘*Well, he got away from Dick yesterday evening at Red Canyon Pass, and just came in And itt ly asked Captain Vail nd my boy?” eagerly as aptain Vail. Ts all right, sir, though he walked all night to reach our camp, and the story he brings is startling ” ‘“Out with it, Owens, and let me know at once,” Then Buckskin Charlie told the story as brought by Dick Vail, and the captain listened in utter amazement, “ Dick was not born in the woods, Owens, to be scared by the hoot of an owl: but J can hardly believe he is on the right trail this time.” “Nor did I at first, Captain Vail; but I ques- tioned him closely, watched his everv expression and I am sure Dick has seen just what be says he did, while, poor fellow, he is utterly used up and is now asleep in my cabin.” **But Pawnee Bill told us the woman poisoned Mad Car] and he saw him die.” “True, only he did not die, sir, and by some means has again gotten Captain Lillie in his wer, “* This is terrible. * ‘* Yes, sir, but I sent messengers to the other camps tc get eight men from each, and will take eight from my force, making twenty-five with myself, for I think we ought to give Dick the slip if we can, as he is so tired.” ‘Do so by all means, Owens, and you must lead, as | am unfit to do so,” of will, sir, and Dick suggested that Miss May be told nothing about it, but that we are supposed to go on a scout to see what the In- dians are about,” ‘* Dick is right, and it will be best. ‘“*T will give out the Indian idea, and keep May and my family in ignorance of what has been done, and Heaven grant you recapture poor Lillie, ‘* But had you not best take more men?” **No, sir, twenty-five Cowbow Rangers are a match for all the Raiders of the Rio Grande we may find, for it must be strategy, not force, that gets into their retreat.” ** When will you get off” ‘Within an hour after my return, sir, for I am h ving provisions cooked and will take half a dozen extra horses along.” ‘‘ Will you go to' the Red Canyon Pass?” ‘*Tt is some distance out of the way, sir, so I will try and strike the Rio Grande trail before dark, and there can see if Mad Carl and his men have gone ccaip ’ : “That will tell the story without going to the Red Canyon to pick up the trail,” ‘You are right, Owens, and I leave all to you with perfect confidence in your ability to rescue Captain Lillie if it can bedone.” _ “We will, sir, if it is to be accomplished,” was the firm response of Buckskin Charlie. ‘““ And, by the way, Owens, take a couple of extra men along as couriers, to send me word what you hav done, ‘*Send one back after you have struck their trail, and another from the other side of the Rio Grande, if you find that Mad Carl bas made for the mountain retreat of the Raiders.” ¢T will, sir, but ll iustruct them to keep dark about Pawnee Bill’s capture.” “Yes, by all means, and don’t forget to give that wild cub of mive the slipif you can,” ‘He'll challenge tne, sure, Captain,” said Buckskin Charlie, with a laugh. “Tl take all the blame, Owens, but I do wish him left bebind if it can be arranged, ‘* He’s asleep, you say?” ‘¢ Yes, sir.” “Then tell them to make no fuss about the sevie and let him sleep until to-morrow if he will, —**Now good-by, and good luck to you, Owens,” and the cattle king grasped th. hand of Buckskin Charhe, who threw bimself upon his horse and started away, while Captain Vail sent a man to catch Dick’s runaway borse. Arriving at the camp Buckskin Charliv found One party bad arrived, and he at once drew them all away from his cabin so as not to awaken ICK, . . Soe after the second party came in, splendid- mounted and armed for the fray, and Buck- ‘skin Charlie told them the whole atory. - Then they bad dinner, the provisions were. t a” sy ‘ - ’ - 4 f ‘ ’ “ . . ’ * ,.# , © ‘ a 4 , ry ’ ow ; - at 1 é fe ahaa ws Bae ; bie « ry. 3 fei ve ‘ rt a » ~s +] : packed, the extra horses brought up, and the two men called to join them who were to act as couriers, Then the party mounted and rode away, Buckskin Charlie again giving orders at the last moment not to disturb Dick, but to let him sleep as long as he would, ‘*T guess l’ll not be the one ter tell him yer hev gone and left him. cap’n?” said the man left in charge of the camp. “Ef he don’t tarn into a buzz-saw when he ry it, then I murmurs a gentle lie,” another said, **Look out fer him if he strikes yer trail,” a third said, and the party rode off, sorry to leave Dick, but thoroughly convinced that he would pe prey when he found he had been left be- ind. Straight to where he could strike the Rio Grande trail, which the Mad Cowboy must take if he had gone back to Mexico witk his prisoner, the cowboys rode. It was a long ride, and to their regret, in spite of pressing on, they could not reach the trail until after nightfall, So there they camped until morning, and then the trail told the story, for there was the old tracks going toward the canyon, the more recent ones returning to the Rio Grande. Daring Dick had made no rristake, and Buck- skin Charlie was off to the rescue with his brave Cowboy Rangers. CHAPTER XXI, WIDE AWAKE. @ NEVER in his life before, not even in baby- hood, had Dick Vail passed so long a time in slumber, He had been going it rather strong on a long hunt before be bad his all-night walk, and once he got to sleep he did not wake up until it was again night. He was a little dazed at first, and did not re- call where he was, Then he realized that he was in Buckskin Charlie’s bunk, and so sprung out and drew on his clothes, . He then Jeft the cabin, and found in another one near, a group of cowboys playing cards, When Dick appeared in the doorway they were silenced, for they saw that he was on the war-path, _ The boy was mad clean through, and showed it. ‘¢ Bob Brent, where is Buckskin Charlie?” he asked, ‘« He’s Dickie.” ‘* See here, don’t call me Dickie, for my name is D-i-c-k, ‘* Why did he go without me?” ‘* Well, he kinder thought you was sick, and yor pe said as how you’d better not go,” ‘¢ When did he go?” ‘‘This afternoon when the boys had had their dinner,” : “Who went with him?” ‘ ‘‘Some twenty-four or five of the boys,” Diek turned on his heel and walked away. gone off on the trail you diskivered, e siw a horse standing near, saddled and | bridled, and mounting him rode at once toward the ranch. His father was the only one up when he arrived, and he saw that Dick was both angry and hurt, _ “* Father, don’t you think I bave been treated in a mean way, to have Buckskin Charlie and his men run off and leave me asleep?” ‘*It was done for your good, Dick, for you were badly used up and not able to go, a you done so, it would have made you very ill, *“ Now go to bed and get all the rest you can.” Dick saw nothing else to be done, so aftera visit to ihe pantry, where he made the cake and provisions suffer, he betook himself to bed, He was awakened in the morning by a tap on his door, and beard May Lillie say: ‘‘ Dress, Dick, and come down to the arbor, for I have something to tell you.” Dick hastily obeyed and going out to the ar- bor found May Lillie. She looked pale and anxious, and said: ‘* Dick, bas not something gone wrong?” ** Well, Buckskin Charlie and the men went off on an In jin hunt, Miss May, and I was aslecp, ‘so got left, Ss ‘* See here, Dick, your horse came home yes- terday without you, and 1 heard you came home last night. ** Yesterday mornin, Buckskin Charlie came at a run to the ranch and had a Jong talk with your father, and then went off again like a shot, [saw from my window, soou after, a party of eight cowboys going across the prairie toward urpose, ¥ He had previously placed a blanket under the — A, . “e M - ¥ Wh wid ask = Mar | . — Buckskin Charlie’s camp, and soon after eight more from the camp in the hills, and both par- we seemed anxious to avoid being seen from the ouse, ‘*Now I got up early this morning, and was reading in the library when a cowboy came up and your father went out upon the piazza to talk to him, ‘**He did not know I was there, and he asked him what was the news. ‘The answer of the cowboy. was that Buckskin Charlie and his men had arrived at the Rio Grande trail just after dark so could not see whether the Mad Cowboy’s trail led that way, and went into camp. ‘They were in the saddle at dawn and then saw Mad Car!’s trail leading toward Red Canyon Pass, and back again, just as you, Dick, had said, and then he, the cowboy, was sent to make that report to your father, and that the Rangers would push on to the rescue with all baste, ‘The man had left Buckskin Charlie just after four o’clock, and reached here soon after seven, making the distance in a run all the way, ‘* Now what does it mean, Dick?” ‘* Miss May, I won’t try to fool you, though IL did think it best not to tell you.” ***T wish to know all, Dick.” **Oh, [ll tell you the whole truth now I’ve got to, Miss May. ‘Tl begin with my going on the hunt two days ago, and just what kind of game I found,” ‘Yes, Dick, do not deceive me ia anything.” ‘*T won’t, Miss May.” And then Dick told the whole story, of his chase after the deer, his discovery of the Rio Grande Raiders, and afterward of seeing Mad Carl and Pawnee Bull. ‘*My God! athiri time they have captured Gordon! ‘‘What does it mean, Dick, and why was he coming here?” ° ‘*T do not know, Miss May; but I saw him.” Then Dick told of bow bis borse hud broken loose and run away from him and of his long walk through the longer night. ‘* Poor boy, how you must have suffered, and how hard you tried to help Gordon,” “T’m all right now, Miss May, and won’t want any more sleep for a week; but wasn’t it a shab- by trick in Buckskin Charlie to run off and leave me Dehind?” ‘*He did it for your good, Dick.” ‘*T hope he can prove it,” was Dick’s doleful response, _ ** Now, Dick, ‘** Miss May,” Tam going to the camp where you saw the Raiders of the Rio Grande, and see if Ican make any discovery. ** As the cowboy said this morning to your father, Buckskin Charlie did not go there, but struck the Rio Grande trail at the nearest point, and finding there that Mad Carl had goneby, be went on in pursvit, ‘‘ Now I may be able to discover some clew at the Red Canyon Pass.” ) ‘*T am with you, Miss May.” ** Do you think you had better go, Dick?” — “*T think if I don’t go, you don’t,” was the firm reply. Well, Dick, we the Lariat I am going to the Pass.” pe together,” was the re- ueen, | CHAPTER XXII, THE TWO TRAILERS, May LILxre felt that it had been in kindness that she had not been told of ber husband’s dan- ger, as also that Dick bad been left behind, But she was not the woman to remain idle while Gordon Lillie was in the power of the Mad Cowboy, and other men going to his rescue, ‘: She resolved, therefore, to follow the cowboys, and made the going to the Pass as an excuse. She was glad to have Dick, for she knew what a friend in need the boy was, while as a trailer and fighter, one to escape from a tight place, he nee richly deserved the name of Little Won- er. . But to get away quietly was the question. | ‘¢ How shall we do it, Dick?” she asked, -. Sbe knew that they must have food and go well prepared. E he ‘*}?)] fix it,” was Dick’s reply, and he at once — set out upon a scouting expedition. | He knew where the keys of the store-room were kept, so he got them and slipped into the little cabin, away from the house, kept for that » A one window in the rear of the hut, and upon this he dropped a shoulder of bacon, a ham, a bag of sweet potatoes, another of Irish potatoes, a . 4 _~ x r a ” * . ; ‘ + et Bt s ‘ “oe Pe ‘f ‘ com S r