Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 81 — page 12: what you’re looking at

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ae had no difficulty in comprehending it on the instant; for he slid off the back of the mustang as suddenly and as nimbly as if it had all at once become red-hot beneath him. ; The savage held a long, beautiful rifle in his hand, and he was evidently on the alert, either for a chance to use it or to dodge away from his captor. Had the circumstances been any different, the marvelous quickness of the copper-skin doubtless would have enabled him to accomplish his treacher- ous wish; but neither he nor -~. ARs; Indian could lay iton Lightning Jo. If het ought he could, let im try it—that was all. The scout wasn’t particular whether he made the attempt or not, as there could be but one result: but the moment the Comanche’s feet touched ground he ordered him to approach within a half-dozen feet, and then drop his rifle to the earth. The red-skin showed some reluctance in obeying this; but when he caught the glitter of the dark eye fixed upon him he changed his mind, and carried out the command with an amusing alacrity. “ Where are the rest of you devils?’’ was the first rather pointed inquiry, uttered also in the Comanche tongue, and with the muzzle of the rifle pointed threateningly at the breast of the savage, who re- plied with a gesture peculiarly his own: ‘There are but a few among the hills—no more than so many (holding up the fingers of one hand); they are hunting for food; they will soon take their de- parture to join their brother hunters far to the south.”’ “Tt would be a thundering sight better if they'd all join each other down below,’* was the conclusion of Jo, who continued his cross-examination: “Have any gone away in the night? Did any of the Comanches depart before daybreak?” ‘‘No; there was none here.” The slight hesitancy: a certain peculiarity that ac- companied this reply, convinced Jo, on the instant, that the Indian was telling a downright falsehood, and that, after all, he was gaining a slight clew to the trail of the missing maiden. : His conclusion was that there were a few Indians among the hills, but that the greater majority had left before daybreak. Precisely why they had done so was more than he could understand; but their de- parture unquestionably had something to do with the disappearance of Lizzie Manning. Jo was rather abrupt in his questioning, for the next was the pointed demand: “Tell me where the great chief, Swico-Cheque, is; I want to raise his hair.” The look that crossed the coppery face of the sav- age said as plainly as words could have done, that he would have been extremely delighted to see the scout attempt such a thing. | “TY don’t know where he is,’ he replied, without anv embarrassment in his manner; “he went away before the light came.” There it was! the incautious Indian had let it out after all. Swico-Cheque had taken his depar- ture with the band that went off in the stillness of the night. The red-skin seemed entirely unaware of the slip he had made, and awaited the further questioning of his captor as the heroic martyr awaits the creeping up of the consuming blaze. “T don’t know as I want anything more of you,”’ remarked the scout, “ so I guess hg can travel. It would hardly be the thing to scalp you after I took you prisoner, though I’m sure you deserve it.” This order was unexpected and surprising to the Indian, who yer a moment, as if uncertain that he had heard aright. “Come, ‘light out of this, old greaser!’’ added Jo, the next instant. This was all-sufficient. The Comanche stoo down, and picking up his rifle, turned about with a certain dignity and walked slowly away, disdaining to run, although no doubt anxious to get out of that immediate neighborhood with as little delay as possible. CHAPTER XXIV. A DESPERATE HOPE. Ir was not the nature of Lightning Jo to remain idle when he had any work like the present on hand and lea ing upon the back of his mustang, he told Egbert to ollow. . ‘Tm not going to ride and make you walk,”’ he laughed; ‘‘we haven't started yet, but are only mating ready. Come na, He rode scarcely a hundred yards through the roughest part of the hills, when he dismounted in a dense mass of undergrowth, and, without faste his mustang, said a few words to him, which woul insure his remaining where he was until his return by which time Jo was quite confident that he could secure an animal also for bgucrt, as it was indis- pensable that he should have one at once. When it was certain that there were Indians in the immediate vicinity, the greatest caution was necessary upon the part of our two friends, and Light- ning Jo e his way through the ee er, gorges and hills, with as much circumspection as if he were reconnoitering a Comanche one When he halted, they were on the very summit of one of the highest peaks of this spur of mountains, which af- forded them a most extensive view of the surround- rairie. ine at Jo, Egbert saw that he was moking off to the westward, with an attentive, searching look that indicated something; and, as he did not remove his gaze from that point, e imitated him, straining his vision to the,utmost. — The young man had looked but a moment, when he detected a party of horsemen moving in & south- westerly direction. They were 80 far awe that it was impoasible to identify them; but there was a a ee ee Se Ee SS 5 Se rr ae ae —— Beadle’s Half-Dime Library. $$ cece LLL LLL he ee es ae wee, a doubt of their being Indians, and most probably the very ones for whom Lightning Jo was searching. ‘Well, you see them, do you?” was the question of Jo, as he looked around and started to move away, ‘*‘T s’pose you know ’em, too?”’ ‘‘T suspect that they are Indians; but I conclude that not from any certain knowledge of my own, but simply infer it.”’ | ‘Yes; they’re the Comanches that left the hills before daylight. _Swico-Cheque, the biggest red- devil that walks the earth, is at their head. He’s rot enough of butting his head ag’in’ United states soldiers, and he’s off to recruit his health.” ‘*But what of her—of Lizzie?’ asked Egbert, iv a trembling voice, dreading to hear the answer that he was almost sure would come. “Why, she’s with him, of course. He’ll keep her till he gets tired of her, and then he'll have some more fringe for his hunting-shirt.”’ These words were uttered in the very desperation of vengefulness, and the scout wheeled about with a- spiteful air, and exclaimed: “Stay here till I come back! If you see any of the infarnal conper-skins, bore a hole through ‘em. If you see anybody, break his head! Look out for ourself! keep cautious, and rest easy till I come ack. I won't be gone long.” And with this rather contradictory advice, Light- ning Jo wheeled about, plunged down the hill, and was gone almost on the instant. He had been gone but.a short time, when the near crack of a rifle broke the stillness, and Egbert start- ed and looked around, thinking that, perhaps, some treacherous Comanche had stolen up and sent a bul- let after him; but he could see nothing, and he con- cluded that Lightning Jo had something to do with the discharge of the gun, as, indeed, it seemed to have a certain familiar sound. But little time was given him for speculation when the scout himself put in an es ‘“Come, Roddy,”’ said he. ‘ve found your hoss; Nt de ready now; and there’s no use in waiting onger.”’ “Where did you find him?’ asked Egbert, not a little surprised and delighted at the unexpected news. ‘‘There was a red-skin on him; he ain’t there now, and I guess won't bother us more.,”’ Sure enough, a few rods away, the identical steed which Egbert had ridden from Dead Man’s Gulch was found secured to a bush, and leaping upon his back, it required but a few minutes for the two comrades to reach the spot where the faithful mus- tang of Lightning Jo was awaiting the return of his master. ‘‘ Now, let us get out of this infernal place,”’ added the scout, as the two reined up their animals, side by side. : “Whither do we direct our course?” asked Eg- ert. “Straight after them devils, and we're never to stop till we cotch up with Swico, and him and me square up our accounts.”’ A little care and patience, andin a few minutes the two horsemen found themselves upon the edge of the prairie, and they headed due west, straight in the path taken by Swico-Cheque and his band, and the mustangs were instantly put to a full run, About the middle of the forenoon, when the heroic Egbert felt that he was taxing himself be- yond his strength, they struck a deserted camp, where a pay of United States cavalry, ranging through the country upon a scout, had spent the eee night. Here were found the remains and ragments of their meal all scattered about, and it gave to both what they much needed—a nourish- ing, substantial meal. **Now,”’ said he, straightening up, like a giant re- freshed with new wine, “I am ready for any thing, I don’t care what it is.” “T think you'll get enough of it afore long,’ was the significant reply of Lightning Jo, adding, “* we're close onto the copper-skins, and if I ain’t mistook more thanI ever was in my life, we'll strike their camp inside of an hour. This was ire Na ie but was singularly veri- fied; for scarcely a half-hour had when the scout, who was a a short distance in advance, ascended a small swell of the prairie and almost the instant he reached the top, wheeled his ajo about and galloped back again, motioning to Egbe to do the same. ‘* We've reached their camp,”’ he said, in explana- tion, and cautioning the bewildered man to resist every temptation to stir a foot from the t until his retu the p e-swell the scout moved u aoe. Eg rt saw him crouch down like a panther about to leap upon its prey, and then he vanished from view as noiselessly as a shadow, leaving the lover to the trying task of waiting, fearing, hoping, watching, listening, and to despair. Lightning Jo passed down the opposite side of the swell, and as was his custom in reconnoitering the camp of a foe, he made a circuitous route by a small cluster of stunted trees, which struck him as offering the very shelter he so much needed. He had no thought of any of his foes being here, but he had scarcely approached the margin when he became certain that he was close upon one or more of them. In his stealthy manner he insinuated himself among the trees, and the next instant was greeted with the sight of the great Comanche chieftain, Swico-Cheque, reclining upon the ground in a sound slumber. CHAPTER XXV., AT LAST. Yrs; there lay the great Comanche chieftain Swico-Cheque, sunk into a heavy slumber—deep and Ce = . a I Se ee ee = a —_—_——— + — —— la ce cl ih Smee meet <item gion gle yet of that character which would ave required but the slightest noise to awake. Lightning Jo paused in his creeping, stealthy movement, and s at the savage, his own eyes os with an exultation as ferocious as would 1ave been that of the red-skin himself, had their relative positions been changed. The murderous and outrageous crimes of which this fiend had been puilty, his relentless war upon unoffending whites, is scores of murders of weak, defenseless women, and even the nursing babe, had placed him outside the pale of human mercy, and there was not a set- tler or soldier in the South-west who knew of his re- volting charcter that did not feel that he deserved to be strangled to death, or put out of the way by any means that happened to present itself. fe had on, this moment, the very hunting-shirt to which reference has been made, fringed around with a broad band of human hair, from the long, dark, flowing tresses of the innocent virgin, to the light silvery locks of prattling children. And his seam face, daubed and smirched with paint, had the hor- rid look of that of some sleeping gorilla that had been feasting upon its human seal And yet in this moment of triumph, when Jo felt that he had him at last, there came a strange feeling to the scout, which can be understood, perhaps, by his whispered exclamation to himself, ‘“‘Gonfound it! it will look as if I was afeard of him, when I shouldn't like anything better than to have a fair stand-up fight. He might keep all the knives he wanted, and I would use nothing but my fists. How I should like to play some trick upon the infarnal skunk!”’ Ay! at this very time, when he had everthing to tnaies him serious and thoughtful, there came a strange reaction over Jo, and an irresistible desire to play one of his practical jokes upon the Co- manche. He concluded to wake him up to witness his own demise—but to arouse him in an original fashion. It was a delicate task; but with that skill for which the scout was noted, he drew out his flask and pour- ed out a stream of powder, ye the flask along from a point on the ground directly beside the Co- manche’s ear, for several feet away—the particles all being united, so that the connection was perfect. Then, when everything was safe, Jo drew a lucifer from the little safe he always carried about him, and struck it upon the bottom of his foot. As it ig- ited he — the blaze close to the black grains, and en spoke: ” Swico, my own loved cherub—”’ This was enough; these words were barely utter- ed, when his snaky eyes opened, just in time to see a serpentine line of fire rushing toward him, and going off in a big puff directly under his ear, ina way that scorched his face and caused him to lea to his feet, with a howl, followed by an instant rus out from among the trees. He had caught a glimpse of his old enemy through the whizzing, and he was gone like a shot. This was unexpected by Jo, who had hoped that he would maintain his | ie ee and the two would have fought out their fight on the x Me He did not anticipate any such flight as this, which was made so suddenly that he had no time to interfere ere he was gone. The scout had the intense eng ba also, of feeling that his propensity for waggery had led into a piece of foolishness that most likely would militate against the captive Lizzie. Knowing that she had one friend, at least, so near at hand, they would be sure to adopt greater precautions, and instead of waiting to be attacked by Lightning Jo, would, most proba- bly, attack hiin. And acting upon this supposition, he backed out as speedily as possible, and resumed his circuitous approach to the camp-fire of the Comanches—the locality of which up to this time he had been able to determine only by the smoke that rose from the op- posite side of a small ridge several rods away. But the chief, Swico-Cheque, suspecting that a large party of United States cavalry were upon his heels, concluded that the safest plan for him was to get away with as little delay as oy oe to accom- lish which he sent back several of his warriors to ispose of Lightning Jo, aud to keep the rest in check until he could secure his retreat with his e. Consequently the scout had stolen along over the broken ground but a rod or two when he found him- self face to face with a couple of herculean warriors, who, approaching the cluster of trees in the same cautious manner, encountered the great Indian- fighter sooner than was anticipated by either party. “That's good!’ exclaimed Jo, “for now Iwill get warmed u from the t’other. ’ The terrific blows were simultaneous with the con- clusion, the startled red-skins hggier 3 back summer- sets upon the und, where, with an incredible celerity, the ge ares bowie-knife, which Joe whi ped out from behind his neck, completed the ghastiy work, * Ain’t there any more?” he growled, glaring like a wild beast thirsting for prey. ‘By Season: if they don’t come to me, I'll go to them!"” And he was striding directly toward the camp of the Comanches, but ere he could advance half-way, who should leap into view but young Egbert Rodman, his face white and scared, and panting from excite- ment and the great exertions he had made to find his companion. ‘Oh, Jo! there’s something wrong!” he gasped; “the Comanches are fooling us both, and we shall not get Lizzie after all.”’ “What's up? What's the matter?’ demanded the scout, his muscles all aquiver. oulder upon this chap, and a right upon G| oeVye colim to business. I'll try a left-hander straight @ 6 a —_