Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 725 — page 4: what you’re looking at

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

on¥ lowed to grow long, the - whose crimes had sent him to bi Ca "prisoner into Mexico, his riva . of _ And this so maddened the cowboy chief that i —_— “naid commision of ca gk | oi; ge ~. os Raiders still escaped justice, and the chief it was said was growing rich from his robberies, Some two years after the disappearance of Gabriella Garcia from her home, two mounted men crossed the Rio Grande early one morning, from the Texas to the Mexican shore. One of these men rode in advance of the other, and to his saddle-horn was fastened the lariat that led the other’s horse, Both men were well mounted and equipped, only one was fully armed, and upon his saddle hung the weapons of the man who followed The latter’s hands were also manacled, and from ankle to ankle beneath bis horse extended a chain, showing that he was completely ironed vey Se escape. he men were as different in appearance as Sapient and darkness, be man in advance was a tall, powerfully built fellow, quick in his movements for a large man, and with a dark, sinister, wicked face, the eyes being strangely wild and piercing. It was a handsome face asthe word goes, but one to dread rather than admire. He was dressed in velvet jacket, buckskin leg- gings stuck in top-boots, massive spurs and a sombrero. } The other was a man slightly below the me- Promet height, yet possessing an athletic, graceful orm. His face was one to tie to if we wanted a friend, womanly almost in its perfect features, with eyes that were brilliant yet gentle in ex- ression, and long blonde waving bair, in strik- ng contrast to the long black hair of his captor, for such he was, The prisoner was well-mounted, and had been thoroughly armed, but the captor carried his weapons now. He was dressed in a blue army jacket with shoulder-straps in which was a red arrow, and his buckskin leggings were fringed down the seam and stuck in his light cavalry boots. His sombrero was black, encircled by a gold cord and looped up with a red coral pin repre- senting a crossed arrow and bowie-knife,. Altogether he was a very striking personage, and his face was as serene as a May morn, for he did not appear to bein the least troubled at his being the captive of a man whose face showed a merciless nature, The captor was a man who had won fame first as Don Desperado, the same who had mys- teriously disappeared from his band of Raiders, as has been said, and into whose shoes stepped Gores Bonodel as Don Desperado Number wo, His own humor had caused him to drop the band and go to Texas, and there his wili orgies and desperate nature had soon won him the name of Maa Carl the Cowboy. Securing a Birt as cowboy on a cattle- kang ranch, Mad Carl soon rose to be the chief f the Cowboy Rangers, and as such was often wont to beat back the very Mexican Raiders whom he had once commanded and led upon raids. 4 5 +) Se , With his beard shaved off, and his hair al- Mexican Raiders never knew their old chief in Mad Cafl tbe Cowboy. . With the exception of his ‘wild nature, and quarterly carousals when he would go to the set- tlements, Mad Carl was a model cowboy chief; but when on one of his orgies his desperate nature rendered bim a terror to all, kegs Aod this man’s life bad promised well in boy- hood, but the creature of cruel circumstances, accused of a murder of which he was innocent, driven with his mother to fly from a father rison for life, a f-brother, whose guilty deeds had sentenced him to the gallows, from which he had escaped by taking a keeper’s life, to still dog his step- _ mother and brother, ruining the latter’s every rospect in life, and breaking the heart of the ormer, Mad Carl bad fled trom the destiny that had wrecked bim, and became the chief of the Mexican Raiders, . Such was the man that was now leading a 1, as he believed, the hand of Captain Sam Vail’s hee gov- ip bre on the ranch where Mad Carl had been ) sp n of the cowboys, | had told him that she was not free, that Rik she was the wife of Pawnee Bill, captain of In- Iry in the army.* de and interpreter issio ‘a band of Pawnee In- s, who were m ernment scouts,-THE UTHOR, Daring Dick, Pawnee Bill’s Pard. he vowed revenge upon May Lillie, the pretty aatiee yy of Paradise Ranch, and captured ber usband, to gain his revengeful satisfaction by torturing him. But through the pluck of Daring Dick, Cap- tain Vail’s fourteen year old son, the cowboys of the ranch, with May Lillie at their head, had been able to rescue Pawnee Bill before the pris- oner and his captive crossed the Rio Grande, for Mad Carl was making for his old command of Raiders. But for May Lillie, the Cowboy Rangers would have made short work of their old chief, but she, feeling that he was mad indeed, had goiten him sent to an asylum for the insane. _ But no bolts and bars could bold a man s0 desperate as Mad Carl, and making his escape, he again started upon his trail of revenge against May Lillie through her husband. Disguising himself as an army courier, he had met Pawnee Bill upon the trail, and thus catch- ing him off bis guard, had again made hima prisoner, and was pushing on with his victim to the retreat of the Rio Grande Raiders, unmind- ful of the fact that there was a Don Desperado then their chief, and who was not the man to willingly yield command tohim. « | But then Mad Carl never weighed odds, .nd so went on to the Raiders’ retreat, coolly saying to his prisoner: **T shall kill the man who has taken my place, and be chief myself.” | ** And I will enjoy the fun, with a hope that it will be a case of the Kilkenny cats,” serenely re- sponded his prisoner, Pawnee Bill. CHAPTER VI. DARING DICK. CAPTAIN SAM VAIL’S ranch, known as ‘‘ Paradise,” was the best in the part of Texas where it was located, Tt was well situated upon arise, on the banks of a swiftly flowing stream, and with timber enough about it to shelter it from the cold northers that often swept across the prairies, which surrounded it upon all sides, with far- away ranges visible in the distance, | , Thousands of cattle dotted the plains, and a couple of miles down the river were the cowboys’ camps, where Mad Car! Grafton had long held sway over the three dozen herders known as the Cowboy Rangers, and who had made a reputa- tion as gallant men and true in fighting the Raiders and Comanches which the ranchmen had to contend against in their life far away on tbe frontier, |. . From a large cabin at first, Paradise home- stead had been added to time and again, until it had become a formidable structure. It was well furnished, though the furniture had been brought many long miles in wagons; there was a piano, a fine library and all to make life enjoyable. The ¢aptain, his wife, Dick, a boy of fourteen, Violet a sweet little maid of twelve, and a younger daughter of eight comprised the, house- hold, at least until the coming of May Lillie, the wife of Pawnee Bill, as governess to the children. A bright, pretty, brave little woman too was this same governess, who bad been reared on the border, and whose heart had been won by her hero of heroes, Gordon Lillie the Captain of the Pawnee Cavalry. ee Skilled as a shot with revolver and rifle, ‘riding as fearlessly as a Comanche, and as ex- pert in throwing a lasso as any cowboy on the plains, May Lillie had become known as the Queen of the Lariat. Beloved by all who knew her it was no won- der that Mad Carl had learned to love her, for her marriage had been kept a secret. _ She had thoroughly tamed the Mad Cowboy, and yet when shetold him she did not, could not love him, that she was a married woman, it had transformed him once more into a human fiend, and so it was that he bad struck at her heart through the man she loved. Daring Dick Vail was devoted to his govern- ess, and the boy bad proven himself a hero in more ways than one, The cowboys had encouraged him in many ways,and Dick bad become so accomplished as a rider, lariat-thrower, shot and trailer. that he had been given the name of the Little Wonder, Taught to rely upon himself, Daring Dick felt equal to undertaking a man’s duties at any time, and as for fear it was wholly foreign to his nature, His word went with the cowboys, and his father bad implicit trust in his judgment. Such was the household at Vail Ranch at the | time this story opens. | Pawnee Bill bad come to visit his wife, bav- 4 ing a month’s leave from his command, and it was there that Mad Car] had captured bim. When leaving to rejoin his Indian cavalry, it was that the escaped madman bad egain cap- tured him, In his disguise of an old borderman, Mad@ Carl had been met by May Lillie and Daring Dick, on their way home after escorting Gordon Lillie on his trail back to his command. The boy’s keen eyes bad read a resemblance in the face of the pretended frontier courier to Mad Carl, and this dread that it might be he, had caused him to go back and pick up his trail, after May Lillie had reached the ranch, He found that the pretended courier’s trail overtook that of Pawnee Bill’s, and what he discovered caused bim to feel sure that his sus- picion was right—that the man was Mad Carl, and that Captain Lillie had again fallen into his | merciless hands through some trickery, ror in’ open warfare, the young officer was & match for any man. So back like the wind rode Daring Dick; his story was told, and Buckskin Charlie* the cap- tain of the cowboys after the flight of Mad Carl, with his men were soon ready for the trail. Captain Vail also went along, and nothing could have kept May Lillie back when she learned that Mad Car! again had her husband in his power, | Away went the party on the trail, the Litile Wonder, mounted upon a fresh horse, leading the way. | His story of his discovery was taken without hesitation, and this saved a long ride to the spot. where Pawnee Bill had been overtaken by the pretended courier, thus giving the cowboy trailers an advantage of hours. Boldly across the Rio Grande they went, for thither the trail of the two horses led them. They were determined to press on to the retreat of the Reiders, for well they knew now where Mad Car] was going. | The trail indicated that he had been traveling leisurely, showing no anxiety about pursuit, as he little dreamed that the keen eyesof Daring Dick had penetrated his disguise. Well the gallant band of Texans knew their ‘danger in invading the land of Mexico, but Captain Vail hoped to explain the situation if soldiers were encountered, while, if lawless bands interfered, they would have to fight. With May Lillie, the Lariat Queen, at their head, Buckskin Charlie and his daring Cowboy Rangers would risk any danger. At length, when ascending the trail leading to the mountain retreat of the Raiders, a woman was seen approaching them, ‘‘T¢ is Captain Lillie!” cried Daring Dick, urrivg forward to meet Pawnee Bill, while the Lariat ueen closely followed. And Pawnee Bill it was, free from his irons no longer Mad Carl’s prisoner, and on the trail back to. Texas. CHAPTER VII. PAWNEE BILL’S STORY, ‘How did you esca from that desperate man, Gordon?” asked May Lillie, — " ‘Pid yon kill him?” Daring Dick questioned with a hope that such was the case, “No, Dick, I did not kill him: but Mad Carl is dead,” was the answer of Puwnee Bill. als But he would say DO more then, and urged that a rapid retreat should be made for the other shore of the Rio Grande, | SI “This suspense will kill me, Charlie,” said Daring Dick to Buckskin Charlie, as they rode back on the retreat, “Yes, you are dying to know, Little Wonder, as I can see, and I confess I am as curious ns woman myself to know bow Captain Lillie escaped,” was Buckskin Charlie’s response, That night the cowboys camped on the Texas shore of the Rio Grande, and after supper was over with, Pawnee Bill said in his quiet way: “ Now 1 will tell you my story of how I es- from Mad Carl. Was Parola him to be @ courier, as he said, sent from the general, I had no suspicions of foul play, and was struck from my saddle by a stunnivg blow with his revolver. ‘When I re cuffed and my ankles were chained together, ca ‘‘He bad me wholly in his power, I was dis- — we meh bavig ioe ulightoeh Gréad or palestar me, not having | ad oO : and it puzzles ate to know how you found my capture out.” | , pard of Buckskin Sam and Texas Jack. — ‘ : ined.consciousness I was band- - ¢ Charles Owens, a well known borderman, and nas ‘iy i) ade’ d Seal! i 4 / - ; / 2 if t{¥ Gerat a’ . ’ - * Ady, x ¢ ' at Y ~ ne a ie ; hf