Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 725 — page 5: what you’re looking at

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

| ** It was Dick’s work, Gordon,” said May Lil- i» lie and she explained just what the Little Won- | der iad done... ‘You are a trump, Dick, and will make a mame for yourself some day,” said Gordon Lillie, : “ and Dick felt proud of the praise of a man like “Ye Pawnee Bill. . E@° ‘* Well, I could offer no resistance,” he con- tinued, ame an: ‘*T was wholly at his mercy, so took matters as quietly as [ could, . ‘* fie Knew the way well, and told me that he | had once been chief of the Raiders, and was +» known as Don Desperado. ‘* He bad tired of it, however, so had gone to Texas and turned honest cowboy. ‘Then he said be would assume his place as chief again, and when I asked what about the | Don Vesperado then in command, he laughed 1" in. his reckless way and said there could be but one Don Desperado, and the best man would have the name. ‘‘ When we met the first sentinel of the band, “ | 4 Mad Carl gave his signal, and the guard wel- comed him back and we passed in, ‘*We reached the retreat, a group of huts me |. away upin the mountain-tops, and reached by |“ @ eanyon which one man could defend against “twenty. ‘*Some of the old men of the band recalled him as their chief, and gave him a welcome, and as I at once saw that the leader they then had was | not popular with the band. j y. ‘‘That leader soon appeared, a handsome- a faced Mexican, once an officer of Lanceros in the army. | L “Mad Carl coolly claimed his old position, % 3 challenged the Raiders’ captain to fight for i “Well, fight they did, and I greatly enjoyed the duel with swords, for both handled a blade agony ‘*But Mad Carl was victor; the band cheered him and escorted him to his quarters, taking me along, for he said to them that I was a pris- oner held for ransom, ‘Soon after a woman appeared upon the scene,” ‘* A woman?” | > ‘‘ Yes, May, and young and beantiful. * | **She was the wife of the slain Don Desperado, claimed to have been forced into a marriage Py Abe him, and thanked Mad Carl for killing i 91m, , | ‘* Her quarters were back up the valley, and ste invited Mad Carl to come and have supper I“ with her, and bring me, and she would explain f Well, Mad Carl went, taking me along, and *.. & was freed of my irons for the occasion, ** She set forth a tounptine Tene and we both ate heartily; but suddenly I saw that Mad Carl o re pa dazed, and soon after he fell from his ehair, “The woman had not been forced into a mar- riage with the outlaw captain, for she had left home to marry him, and she had played her part well to seek quick revenge. ‘* She had poisoned Mad Carl.” ** Are you sure, Gordon?” £ ** Perfectly, May.” | ** He has as many lives as a cat.” | “Well, they were all snuffed’ out, - you, by that dose of poison, F. “The man was dead, I am sure, and the wo- man told me to go under ths guidance of a peon ‘woman, by a secret pass, and make my escape. © ‘T was not long in taking her advice, I assure you, and so it was that I met you this morning Sorne fo ~( Berg which I must tell you covld not have been effected by force with five times the bar piel with you, Captain Vail.” - “ But the woman, Gordon?” asked May Lillie, I assure <<< . —— ie peon woman returned from guiding me to the trail, and she told me she would seek her home, now that the man she loved had been slain.” ** And the band?” ‘Never went near her quarters, and would pes discover until morning that Mad Carl had 3 been killed, | 4 : _ 2 , A _ ¢ ~ ‘ - 7 > 7 * oo = - _ . — = is "\ a E Sat - . —_* “Then a placard the woman intended to put upon her door would tell of her revenge against their new chief, and of her flight with the peon attendant. | ws What a strange woman, Gordon,” said ay. _ ‘All womins be strange, Miss May,” said an _ old cowboy, who evidently spoke from some ex- re he had ‘had in his life with the fair I guess you are right, Baldy,” lau hed Paw- Loe Vey nee Bill, and as it was urgent that e should, she being once again free, press on his way to bis Sin! Reta eae deal 4" ‘ ‘*Sbe was to make her encaipe, as soon as the. Daring Dick, Pawnee Bill’s Pard. command, the party started upon the back trail, the captain of Indian cavalry branching off at the pass, the others going on to Paradise Ranch. And upon all rested a feeling of relief that Mad Carl was dead, and he who defied all men, had fallen by the hand of a woman. CHAPTER VIII. A WOMAN’S REVENGE. THAT Gabriella was the one who had sought revenge for the death of her husband, the reader has surmised, She bad been at first appalled when she be- held the dead body of Don Desperado, the one she so madly Joved, and for awhile she had yielded to her grief, : But then her Mexican nature was aroused to avenge him, and she at once acted and with cun- ning, daring and determination. With her husband dead she would have no protector in that band of lawless men. The new chief bad begun with a death-blow, so how would be treat ber, a defenseless woman. She made what inquiries she could about this bold man who had come to take her busband’s place, and learned who he was, and that he bad with him a prisoner. Then sbe went to the quarters of the new chief and told her story of a forced marriage to An- drea Bonodel. The result was told in Pawnee Bill’s story, of how the beautful avenger had struck her blow against Mad Carl. The prisoner she bad set free, with his weap- ons brought from the chief’s cabin by the peon woman, and his horse was also given him to ride back on the trail to safety. Where he had sunk from bis chair upon the floor of the cabin, Mad Car! still lay, while Ga- briella, with seemingly no horror of the dead, went about her work in getting together what things she would take with her, by the time the peon woman returoed, At last the woman came back and reported having seen Pawnee Bill through the secret pass to the trail down the mountain, Then the horses were saddled, the luggage strapped on, and Gabriella turned from the woman and walked off to a group of pines where there was a new-made grave, It was there she had bade the men who bad paweas her husband’s body to the cabin, bury im, Down upon her knees she dropped, and pressing her face to the earth she cried: ‘*Andrea! Andrea! if you could only come back to me, my darling! ‘** And this is the end? ‘* Just as you had saved gold enough to sup- port us, and we were going far from here, where you could atone by good deeds for your evil ones, you have been taken from me, “Oh, Andrea! this is the end, the bitter, cruel end for me of all my k ve, ‘‘But I have avetiged you, my hushand, for your slayer lies yonder dead, though he knew not whose hand it was that struck the blow, that I had made him die for bis act in killing you. **And now, Andrea, my loved and lost one, I must bid you farewell—forever !” She pressed her lips to the cold ground, and her grief was frightful to bebold, But quickly her iron will nerved her to calm- ness, and going to where the peon woman wait- ed with the horses, she sprung lightly into the saddle and led the way out of the mountain re- treat by the secret pass. _But she knew well the way, and branched off ere she came to the main trail, descending into a valley anc crossing a stream. ‘* Now we must ride for the hacienda with all speed,” she said, and she led the way. It was soon after sunrise that she came to the hacienda, the one where shé bad met Andrea Bonodel, to become bis wife. The ranchero gave her a warm welcome, had food prepared for ber, and hearing the story of what had occurred at the retreat of the Raiders, furnished borses for the journey to be at once continued, sending two of his men along as an escort and guides. rere ) Gabriella set the pace at which they traveled, and pressed rapidly on until nightfall. Then they camped for the night, the men were sent back, and the two women went on alone the next day, : It was night when they arrived in the city of “Pa and they rode straight to the home of ina. : The joy of the sergeant’s wife at beholding ber mistress once more was great indeed, and she welcomed her witha warmth that touched the beart of poor Gabriella, who quickly told ber story, for she knew well she could trust Nina. ‘ , \y ‘> ; ° 4 ’ 4 : Pa . - : >» + . 3 : ‘ i i » & > | > yf \4 | | ) \{ c aw ) Oo a wrt “yn Ra os a " oad ike Ss 4 : 4 Ede — 4 5 ‘* Now tell me of my father,” she faltered. ‘* Oh, senora, your father has the sympathy of all for your unknown fate. ‘* Some may have suspected the facts, but the world knows not the truth, and your father’s | statement that you were kidnapped is believed by all your old friends, ** He lives alone in his sorrow, and well lI know will be glad to welcome you to his heart again.” **T will go to him, Nina, and confess all. *‘ If he refuses me his love and home, I can go forth in the world to seek another home. ‘* If be takes me back to his heart, I willatone ww my devotion for my desertion of him, and ‘Wanda shall have a home with me, for if I go not there she will accompany me, she will never leave me,” ‘* But, senora, my home is your home so long as you will dwell beneath its roof, and gladly will Jose say the same.” ‘** No, Nina, I am not penniless by any means; but what is mine, through my husband’s death, I will devote to charity, I will live to do good, as an atonement for his sins and mine. ** Now, Nina, I will get you to lend me one of your dresses, and I will seek my father in bis ome, ‘* But, oh, Nina! I avenged my poor dead An- drea,” and the soft voice of the woman suddenly became stern and ringing in her remembrance of her revenge upon Mad Carl. CHAPTER IX. FATHER AND DAUGHTER. In his luxuriously-furnished home sat Senor Garcia, a man whose wealth and position made him respected by all. His hair had whitened of late, the lines of sor- row about his face had made him appear much older; but he was still strong and in full posses- sion of his faculties. yi Only that day he had made a thrilling speech before the Junta, and been enthusiastically ap- plauded for his grand effort, . Courted by many he had come to bis home, made desolate by the death of his loved wife some years before, and then by thé desertion of | his beautiful and idolized daughter. Of that daughter men did not speak to him, Whether they deemed her dead or alive, they dared not refer to her in; the presence of her father. The senor. had finished bis evening meal, and was in his library with dressing-gown and slip- pers. A egret cigar was between his teeth, and be was lazily watching the smoke castles as they faded one 8 5h ie | At his elbow was a table upon which stood a decanter of rare old Mexican wine and a glass half-full of the amber-hued beverage. ‘* Senor, a lady craves tosee you,” said a ser- vant, entering. th Ladies often sought interviews. with Senor Garcia, so it was nothing out of the way for one to call now, though the hour was a trifle late, They came to him for aid, for his influence in helping a brother, husband or fatber to some | position, and the senor never refused to see bem, whether he obeyed their will or not, ‘It is late, Pedro.” ‘* Yes, senor, but she seemed most urgent,” said Pedro, and be recalled with pleasure the fact that the visitor had dropped a gold-piece into his ready palm, ~ **T will see her, Pedro,” A moment after the servant ushered the visitor into the library, She came in timidly, wore a heavy vail, and her face was completely concealed, though her form was perfect and graceful, . ** Senor Garcia, pardon me for seen a at so late an hour, but my business is portance, and I could only come at, night.” The voice was very low, but rich and full in [ tone, and the Mexican arose and placed a chair the ‘ ou m- ‘ for his visitor, while he said: ‘‘Permit me to ask you. to bave a glass of ~ wine, senorita.” _ ‘‘No, senor,” and Senor Garcia was thus foiled in his effort to have the lady raiseher ‘‘How can I serve you, senorita?” heasked, ~~ as he resumed his seat, ‘‘T.am bere, senor, to ask if you can tell me a aught of peat daughter, the Senorita Gabriella, ¥ who was duapped some two Panag agon... ..} ‘ The Mexican started, his face paled, and he i said quickly: Eo}, 2 _ “T can tell you nothing of my daughter; but I would give half my fortunetofindher.” (| | “Senor Garcia, I am here on anerrand by, which you can get your wish.” 7 Lan etr e si ‘ah ‘ : " . é ‘hae Y hey e ‘ ifs AY heme! ‘ In ’ + _