Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 743 — page 13: what you’re looking at

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

- eo ) - a ~. —. -% EATS ~ d is E> Fie Say * bd ” s+ = ’ %) PT th Mie ‘ f = #y : “ x * a « bgt ‘¢Show him in, Brother Sykes,” was Parson | tt response in graveyard tones, nd a moment after in walked the hermit, The parson greeted him pleasantly, and the latter said in a whisper: “Who's next door?” ‘¢The roum stands apart,” ‘© Good! we've got to dust.” ‘* When?” ‘“‘ By daylight.” ‘* So soon?” 46 Yes,” ‘¢ What’s up?” ‘‘She was onto you.” ac“ Who?’ ‘* The Sunset Ranch girl.” sc Ah!” ** She followed me and I played you. **She had a pack of cowboys with her, and one by the name Bible Bill nearly pulled my beard and hair off to see if it was false, **Had it been you, your toes would now be turned up to the prairie flowers.” ‘You are right; but then?” **They went back, 1 went into camp for a couple of hours and then came here, ‘Saw your racket of parson on the books, so waked you uP, and as soon as I catch my man we will be off.” ‘¢ You think it best?” ‘¢T know it is!” “Why?” ** Well, I lighted my lantern and saw, when I reached your trail, that two men bad branched vit from the cowboys following me, and were after you. / ** Have you seen them?” ‘* By Jove, yes!” ** Here?” **T saw one whom I had a row with once, and another fellow came up and had a talk with me, ‘* lve got to baptize the landlord’s kid in the mornivg, but—” ** Darn the kid! ** Tf you don’t get out, you’ll need the services of a real parson to bury you.” ‘* Well, [am ready; but have you seen your man?” **T have.” ‘That completes the number?” ~ “Tt does,” ‘** Then we had better go before dawn.” ‘*T'll play the racket that I want you to go and bury my wife, and you can promise to re- turn in a couple of days—see?” ‘*'Yes, that will be it. — ** Let us go to the landlord now.” 1 They did so, and the landlord wished to wake Jim Dandy up then and baptize him, but Mrs, Sykes said the kid would be fighting mad and stampede the gang if wakened up, 80 the parson told her he would return in a couple of days, and the two villains departed, Twenty-four hours after their departure Ruth Redmond and her cowboys rode into Mustang Center. But the game was gone, and their trail could not be found, so back to Sunset Ranch rode the disappointed woman, though she said firmly: ‘¢] will find him yet!” —_--__ CHAPTER XXVIII, THE RED RIDERS OF THE RIO, THERE was excitement along the line of fron- tier ranches, and men looked at each other with - gnspicion, while women and children dreaded for night to come, The reason was, that one night the ranch of a iy? wealthy cattleman had been raided, There had been a stampede of his cattle the day before, calling his cowboys away in chase, and then, a couple of hours after dark, a dozen horsemen had ridden into the yard and gur- rounded the house. The ranchero had been forced to submit, at ; > the muzzle of a reyolver, and then his home had been robbed of all that was valuable. 5 Silver-plate, brought from the far-away home in Virginia from which the settlers h ; _ jewelry belonging to the ladies and all that was of value, which could be readily carried off, was taken. come ___ Horses belonging to the ranch, the best ones, _ Were used to carr the packs, and the other animals were cruelly hamstrung, by a slash of ror) eet, to ape Loti oo _. Then the raiders rode away in the darkness a ic their victims bound. ’ . 7 Fe is * - ae every hen the cowboys returned with the stam- peded cattle they on, ies were they?” was the question upon discussed the situati 3 Buck Taylor’s Boys. “They were red-skins, or white men disguised as such. ‘*T believe the latter,” was the reply. Pursuit was at once made and the raiders were tracked to the Rio Grande. A week passed and again came the news that another ranch had been raided, after a false alarm had called the cowboys away from the place, and once more the horses had been crip- pled to prevent pursuit, A large supply of plunder had been taken and again the raiders had escaped across tho Rio Grande beyond pursuit, Then men began to talk of the mysterious foes as the ** Red Riders of the Rio,” aad yet it was pretty certain that they were not red- skins. A couple of more weeks passed, and a third ranch was raided, and this time a young child, the only one of bis parents, who were rich, had been kidnapped. The horses had been crippled, the ranch caught with its defenders away from home, and the Red Riders had gotten away beyond all pursuit with a very large quantity of booty. Then men began to arm and prepare for those midnight attacks, and every ranch home be- came like a fortified camp. ' But weeks went by, men became indifferent, and one of the ranchmen dismissed his cowboys to their camps, saying he believed that the Red Riders would not dare to appear again. Two nights after he had cause to repent bis haste,for his house was surrounded, and resisting, he was shot down mercilessly, while all that he had of value in his bouse was taken, bis fine herd of horses were crippled, and when dawn came the Red Riders had disappeared. They were tracked to the Rio Grande, but the pursuers dared not follow across the river, and 8v the chase ended. But the ranchmen were armed again to resist- ance, and many were becoming desperate at the thought of what they i, expect, Captain Hassan had a large force of cowboys, and two-thirds of these went into camp each night around his home, while the remainder pa- trolled the prairies in the neighborhood and guarded the cattle and horses, Ruth Redmond also increased her force of cowboys to a score, and these were quartered on the broad piazzas at night, while half a dozen scouts were kept moving about, each carrying a bundle of fockets with them, to send up from wherever they might be at the approach of dan- ger. Other ranches were also well guarded; but now and then a weak one was found and that was at once made the objective point of the Red Riders, Thus bad ten ranches been raided in half a year, dnd as the Red Riders always knew where to strike and when, it was certain that they had spies in the settlements to post them. But who were these spies? 474 Who could be placed under suspicion, where all seeme honest fellows? Then fcllowed ranch Number Eleven, as they began to be called, when raided, rom here too, a captive had been taken to hold for ransom, and a note had been left by the leader, saying that if the parents of the captives wished to treat for ransom, that a message could be left at a certain solitary tree upon the Texan shore of the Rio Grande, saying if terms demanded would be accepted, ord \ If accepted, then the parties interested could send a messenger to the tree on a given day bearing the money, and the captives would be brought there by a messenger of the Red Rid- ers and given up. The rich ranchero, whose only child was a risoner, was so anxious to get/back his little oy, that be at once answered that he would accept the terms and treat accordingly. The parents of the other captive, a young girl, agreed to do likewise, and the letter was depos- ited in the solitary tree, while men from a dis- sent point of observation waited to watch the result, ——— CHAPTER XXIX. THE RANSOM. THE messenger from the ranchmen went to the rendezvous at the solitary tree alone. © carried with him in leatber bags, the sum demanded by the Red Riders, and he rode along with eyes watchful for the result. It was Bible Bil] who had volunteered for the work, and those who knew bim were well aware that notwithstanding his praying and preaching he would fight any man alive at the drop of a hat if occasion required. . : ’ oa by RPS Py . i & The prairie stretched away for miles from the river, with not a single ee ke in view, and as he rode toward the tree, Bible Bill saw three riders coming down the bank toward him, One was mounted upon a blood vay horse, and he was in the garb of an Indian, his face being in full war-paint. On either side of him came the two captives, a young girl and the little boy, , Bible Bill halted at the tree and waited for them to arrive, while he eyed the Red Rider searchingly and curiously. | He saw that the man was splendidly mounted, armed with repeating rifle and revolvers, and looked like one to use them. , But Bible Bill was also well armed, and he muttered: ‘‘ That 1s no Indian. ‘Well, I am here with my gold, pard,” he called out, while he nodded pleasantly to the two children. ‘Me got pale-face pappooses.” ‘‘ Bah! talk straight American, man, for you are no more Indian than I am, ‘¢- You can’t fool me, so come to business,” “ Very well; have you got the money?” ‘**T have,” ** How much?” ‘*Ten thousand,” * What?” ** Dollars.” ‘Ten thousand for each.” | ‘*No, you cut-throat, and if you attempt to rs any such game on me now, L’ll fight it out with you right here,” ‘*T have no fear of you.” ‘*Then say you won’t take the ransom you{de- manded, and begin the fight.” ‘‘T act for another, so will take the money.” ‘““'You are wise; but any time you care to act for yourself, just meet me here and Pll give you a duel at close range.” ( ‘* Count out your money.” ‘‘There is one bag, and it contains five thou- sand dollars,” : **T will count it,” ** All right.” The Red Rider dismounted quietly, spread his serape upon the ground and poured the gold upon it, Then he sat down and began to count it. He counted rapidly, and at last said: ‘‘ This is right. ‘‘ Hand me the other.” | Bible Bill tossed it to him in a way that made bim spring aside to prevent being struck a severe blow, He poured the gold out as he had the other, and counted this, too, ‘¢ Correct,” ‘‘ Now, little pards, you come with me,” said Bible Bill. ‘‘ They will have to walk, for these horses do not belong to them,” " You lie, for you stole them, and they don’t walk, 1 ‘*Come, Red Rider, ’ve kept my contract, and nothing was said about after it, so either those children go mounted with me, or you and I come to a draw, ‘‘Which shall it be?” and Bible Bill dropped his band upon his revolver. ‘‘T have orders to get into no trouble with the. messenger.” “You are wise to obey. ‘**Come, children, come with me now,” Both the girl and boy seemed afraid to obey, and, as the Red Rider made no sign for them to do so, Bible Bill rode forward, threw the bridle- rein of each of their horses from off the horn of the outlaw’s saddle, and said; ‘* Now go,” They obeyed, and Bible Bill told them to ride on down the bank. They obeyed, and he remained, He was s Ming for a fight, and showed it.. But the Hed der said; ‘*-You have gotten what you came for, so go;. for if you give trouble there will be no more ransoming of captives.” ‘6 You have to catch them first,” ‘We can do that, ‘Come, if there is trouble you will be the cause, and the innocent will suffer,” “ All rigbt, Pll go; but could we make an ar- rangeiment to meet again and have this out?” ‘¢T have no quarrel with you.” ‘¢ But I have with you,” ‘ Then have it out when we strike the Sunset Ranch, Bible Bill,” was the cool response of the Red Rider, and having tied the bags of gold to Dn O18 norse and . his saddle he leaped ghtly upo rode away. , oe) COmie ™»