Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 725 — page 8: what you’re looking at

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

—~ 7% ~ . >, cy -_— get ‘ee |p? «cowl, re TF. }? e i f : “~Y ‘ 7 ' ‘< bs : Coal ’ mw] ; e - ters, and at once made bis re ment _ commissioned officers itd ng where your a Te 4 if <- | a ina wre sure, from all you have told me, and I must find them. ‘‘Then I Have others who must feel the weight of my hatred, Delmar. *“‘One is a Captain of Indian scouts, in the United States Army—he who was my prisoner, and who is knownas Pawnee Bill, ‘** He shall again become my prisoner. ** Another, Delmar, is his wife, May Lillie, the Lariat Queen of Texas, and upon ber my hatred shall mercilessly fall, ‘* Then, Senor Delmar, comes a boy, yet more than a boy, who dogged my trail and would kill me if he got the cbance. ‘*The boy’s father, comes next; then Buck- skin Charlie, the Captain of the Cowboy Ran- gers; and his men also. “Ah! I have a goodly list, Senor Delmar, and I have registered my vows of vengeance against them all, *“*T shall strike quickly and mercilessly, and the men shall be loaded with booty if they fol- low my lead. **T shall carry my war of hatred from Mexico into Texas, and I shall strike when [ can and bitter will be the blow. ‘“Two beautiful women, a peon woman, & boy, Pawnee Billi, Buckskin Charlie and a score of my old cowboy comrades are to feel my fury, are to suffer at my hands. “It is a long list, Senor Delmar, but the red work has got to be done, and I will not rest until it is finished.” “You will not surely kill the women, Senor Chief?’ urged Delmar, who had listened with almost horror to the words of Don Desperado, “* Kill the women?” ** Yes, senor,” ‘*No, I shall hurt them through those the love, and when their hearts have stood all that hearts can stand through the suffer- ings of their loved ones, I will be content and let them go their way, for my sh ag will have been finished,” and the look upon the face of Don Desperado fairly made Delmar, the outlaw surgeon, shudder with horror, for he read there that the man meant to do all he threatened—that, if in his power, he would fully carry out his terrible vows of vengeance, CHAPTER XIV. THE LETTER, AFTER his escape from the retreat of the Raid- ers of the Rio Grande, having parted with his wife aud the Cowboy Rangers at the pass, Captain Gordon Lillie pressed on as ng wie he felt his horse could stand it, to rejoin his command. He was several days beyond bis leave, by his capture, and though not to blame was anxious to place before the general the reason for his delay. Without adventure he at last reached the fort, where the general had his headquar- rt. The general listened with the deepest interest, and : ‘*T bave heard often of this Mad Carl the Cowbvy from officers stationed on the Rio Grande, and have had a mind to send you and your Pawnees there to capture him; but now that he bas been killed, as you report, I hope there will be no more trouble, | ** You had a narrow escape of it, Lillie, and I congratulate you, while [am not surprised fhat each time you were made a prisoner under the circumstances,” ‘*T now await your orders, general, as I am read rte return to my Pawnees,” | ** Well, let me say to you that the command- ing general has been so much pleased with the services you have rendered with your Pawnee lice, or Indian cavalry, as I call them, that be as decided to allow you to increase your force from your present company of ee 2 warriors, to three companies, numbering, all told, two - hundred braves. _ **Bach company is to be under a chief whom you may designate captain, and to have a couple of lieutenants as well, with non-commissioned officers, . , _ “* You have shown, Mr. Lillie, that you can make good soldiers of Indians, and the experi- to go further, so I wish ou to go to your Pawnees and pick your red-skin troopers, _“ Although, as you know, you hold only an honorary commission as captain, you sball be promoted to the bonorary rank of major, our | g rank over you, of course, when you are thrown together, but , ‘beg ient is called for, _‘*Now, Major Lillie, I wish you to organize your battalion with all dispatch, and report to garage: Be ready for service in the field.” — _ With many thanks to the general for bis kind- a° sia be ————————— a tn ness to him, Pawnee Bill at once set out for the seg mission he had to perform, e went first to his Indian cavalry camp and made known to them what the general’s wish was. With two chiefs to accompany him, he then went to the village of the tribe, and as the white chief of the Pawnees, called a council in the Grand Medicine Lodge. Ever the friends of the pale-faces, the old warriors listened with pleasure to the plan to make soldiers of their young men, and the very best material in the tribe was selected to join the companies of red-skin cavalry. . Then, with his volunteers, Pawnee Bill re- turned to his old company and began the work of arming and drilling his red soldiers in such a way that they would understand all orders, and maneuver as he wished them. Satisfied with his command, and the work ac- complished, he reported to the general, and was complimented upon what he bad done. ** Now, Major Lillie,” said the general, ‘‘ 1 was just about to dispatch a courier to your camp, a a man arrived half an hour ago with a letter or you. ‘* Tt is marked important, and the bearer says that he comes from the ranch where your wife is,tand, I am sorry to say, states that she is ill, ‘* Hero is the letter,-and I hope that it will be nothing serious.” Gordon Lillie quickly broke the seal and read aloud: “PARADISE RANCH, t “Sept. 10th, 18—, “My Dear LILLIE:— ‘*T regret to write you that your wife was thrown from her horse a week ago and seriously injured. ‘“*T sent to B—— for a physician, and he said that as she longs to have you come to her, it was best that you should do so, and I hasten a man off. with ry letter to you, urging that you come without de- ay. if Hoping to see yousoon, lam Your friend, ; *“SAMUEL VAIL.” The face of Pawnee Bill turned pale as he read this letter, and yet before he could speak, the general said: “You are at liberty to start at once, Major a and I will send Captain Taylor, who speaks the Pawnee language well, to continue the drill of your Indian cavalry during your ab- sence,” ‘You are very kind, general, and I will de- part at once,” ‘* Yes, and your leave is indefinite, of course, as long as your wife is in danger, though I hope you will find her not so bad as the letter im- es. : . “The extra drill in rag nees good, and you can upon your return. ‘* And, by the way, I will send a chief and your old company after you in about ten days, as I wish you to make a dash over on the Rio will do your Paw- e them on a scout ‘| Grande with them, returning through the Ter- Bass tf ‘‘ Where would you have them join you?” “At the Red Canyon Pass, sir, they can camp, sending me word to Paradise Ranch of their arrival, : ; “g ‘* Again [ thank you, general, and will be on the road at once, the courier of course returning with me,” With another hope that he would find his wife out of danger, the kind-hearted general bade Pawnee Bill good-by, and going out into the fort, he looked up the man who had brought tbe letter. y He found a rough-looking borderman, wear- ing a Texae star upon his bat, and said: ‘It ‘was you that brought the letter for me, my man ” . / ‘Be you Pawnee Bill? **l am.” A ‘*Then you are the man.” ‘When did you leave Paradise Ranch?” ‘* Jist three days ago, cap’n.” ‘*You have ridden well, and I will see that you have a fresh horse to return with me.” ‘Them was my orders from the cap’n, that I were to find yer and then return with yer.” ‘‘T am a hard rider, and I fear it will try you to return at cnce; but we can start together. ““T'll git thar, pard, when you does, ef yer grey on a fresh horse, for my animile is dead t. ** Are you one of the captain’s men?” ‘I be, pard, one o’ ther new cowboys thet come with ther El Paso herd o’ cattle he bought jist arter you were thar.” “* All right, I shall be ready to start in halfan hour, so get your dinner.” “Til be on hand, cap’n,” was the answer, ( -" , - Ne ad ** What is your name, my friend?” ‘ Lariat oe, cap’n, is what my pards calls * All right, Lariat Joe, I won’t forget your kindness, 1 assure you, in what you have done for me,” ***T guesses yer won’t,” was the muttered re- sponse of the man as he turned away, a strange look upon his face, Half an hour after he rode away from the fort with Pawnee Bill. CHAPTER XV. : TREACHERY, | THE man who called himself Lariat Joe did not impress Pawnee Bill favorably, the more he saw of him, He had a hang-dog, wicked look, was uncouth in his appearance, and looked more like a beg- gar on horseback than a Texas cowboy, If he had received any wages of late, he cer- — y had not squandered any money upon his outfit, , But his weapons were in good condition, and he had the look. of a man who would use them at short notice, He seemed to feel that it was his duty to en- tertain Pawnee Bill, and he set about it in a way tbat caused the young man to soon call him to 3 halt. : Pawnee Bill got tired of the man’s careless chatter, and said, theayr. not unkindly: ‘‘T say, my friend, | wish to think over the bad news you have brought me, so I beg you will not talk so much.” © | “T kin bold up if yer wishes, but I knowed yer must feel bad, and I were a-tryin’ ter cheer yer up.” ‘‘]T thank you, but nothing would cheer me now while I amin such distress about my dear little wife.” ‘* That’s nat’ral, fer ef a man loves a woman he don’t wish ter hev no harm befall ’em, and it be ther same way with the gals, ef they keers fer a feller; but ef they don’t love him, then they w’u’d sooner hev him out o’ ther way,” And instead of “holding up,” Lariat Joe talked on in the same strain until night came on and they went into camp. ' It was only when Lariat Joe went to sl that Pawnee Bill’s ears got a rest, and then the man snored loudly. Before dawn they were on their way again, and Pawnee Bill pushed the horses as bard us he dared do, with the long trail ahead of them. At last they came near the Red Canyon Pass, and Pawnee Bill recalled to mind how cleverly Mad Carl bad deceived bim and made him a prisoner in the valley. | “Tt was just here that Mad Carl captured me,” he said, and of course Lariat Joe had heard of the affair from the cowboys, and had much to say upon the subject. ‘* And over in yonder pass is where he lassoed me the first time, so I do not pes this vicinity with any great amount of de age Lariat Joe,” * Waal | should think not, Pard Cap’n, and I doesn’t blame yer a bit; but thar hain’t no dan- ger on this trail now, since Mad Carl the Cowboy were killed. 4 ‘¢ He deserved the fate he met with, Lariat Joe, if ever a man did; but bave you heard any- thing of the Raiders of the Rio Grande of late?” ‘* T has heerd they has been cuttin’ up o’ late.” ‘¢ Then they must have a new chief? ‘‘T guesses go, for thar be allusa man ready ter step inter another man’s shoes, no matter how big a pil ther dead galoot may hev been; bat, this are the Red Canyon Pass yer spoke of?” ‘ “ Yes.” ‘*Tt be a lonesome place, pard, andit are the last place I'd like ter meet any foe, fer they c’u’d ambush yer here and yer’d hey no chance on ‘arth, pard.” are | You are right, Lariat Joe.” And as the words were spoken there rung out, loud and threatening: ‘¢‘ Hands up, Pawnee Bill, for you are vie ga Pawnee reined bis horse. back so suddenly and sharply that he threw him upon his haunches, and seemed about to meditate a dash for life when Lariat Joe grasped his rein and cried: ‘‘ Don’t be a fool, Pawnee Bill, for Don Des- perado has yer covered, and hemmed in behind and before in ther canyon, as I knows!” ‘* Ha! you are the traitor then? Take that!” The revolver of Pawnee Bill flashed and Lariat Joe dropped from his horse, a dead man, Instantly Pawnee Bill spurred forward to be- hold a dozen rifles covering him as they peered — from the shelter of the rocks, won He also caught sight of lariats stretched across the canyon trail before him. Yo : 1 te 'e. A WW) 4 » ‘. # ' ‘com > i nits Ne oF aye